Disclaimer: I do not own ANY of the characters of Professor Layton, everyone except for Dark Luke (I think) belongs to Level 5 games.

A battle of future gentlemen

Luke wandered through the endless marble hallways, his eyes exploring each and every inch of this place. He didn't know what had happened.

One moment he was with the Professor about to confront his evil clone, Dark Layton, and the next thing he knew he was wandering these endless corridors alone with a very frightened air hanging around him like a bubble made specifically to frighten him out of his wits.

Luke kept his resolve even though his mind was crumbling like dried up play dough out of how frightened he was growing. He even choked on a gulp that he forced down his throat whilst he continued to walk down the corridors which stretched on and in in front of him.

He walked slowly and steadily, making sure that he didn't step on anything that may or may not be scattered on the floor...even though it was completely spotless. His legs felt like jelly and his heart felt as cold as ice. He could have sworn that he felt a strong breeze cool his body to a non existent temperature and it was enough to make his spine go recumbent.

Eventually, the Professor's apprentice came to stop at a bunch of double doors which looked somewhat imposing.

Luke swallowed his fear and he reached for the doorknob and twisted it open so a very loud creak sounded, alerting whomever was inside the room that they had a visitor.

The room behind the door was very dull with ivory walls and a deep abyss blue dotted the otherwise black carpet. Toys were scattered all over the place so Luke could hardly step over those in order to reach whoever was sitting on a chair with his back turned, staring out what appeared to have been a window.

This scene seemed all too familiar to Luke as he gasped.

"A-Arianna?" Luke called cautiously, catching the person sitting on the chair off guard for a moment before their head whirled around to meet his.

Luke was mystified to find that he was looking right at a face that looked very

identical to his own. The only difference was that he had somewhat animalistic, deranged eyes that narrowed into slits upon seeing his alternate self. He was even clothed in a very dark blue tuxedo shirt with a blood crimson bow tie adorning his neck. He also wore some black-grey shorts on his lower half.

He grinned a smirk so sharp that his teeth might as well have been miniature blades.

"Wrong." The boy said, snickering with a wicked intent "I'm more...powerful then that weakling could ever be."

Luke couldn't explain what was up with this kid. His voice was like acid dripping into titanium whilst carrying an icy cold edge of spite, his mouth was permanently twisted into a evil grin as he glared icy cold daggers at his doppleganger.

Luke tried his best to remain calm although the insult directed at Arianna actually made his intestines tie up in knots and his mind cloud over with a bubbling rage steadily boiling up inside of him. He gave a firm glare as he reached up and adjusted his cap on his head, looking deadly serious.

He wandered slowly over towards the boy, being careful not to tread on any of the toys littering the floor. He stood on his tip toes as he inched his way towards the smirking boy sitting on the chair and was previously staring with an absent mind out the window.

When Luke met his doppelgänger half way, he asked very slowly "What are you doing here?"

Dark Luke didn't reply. He simply glared at him with a razor sharp grin that clearly was beckoning him closer towards him. Eventually, however, it was found that the boy was also reading a news paper that he folded up and set aside on the window sill in front of him before he rose to his feet and stood up.

Neatly folding the paper in half, Dark Luke queried back rather vaguely "...Why must we continue to fritter away time like this, my naive young friend?"

Luke didn't say anything but he did eye his lookalike very wearily.

He felt a somewhat odd presence about his assumably evil twin, he couldn't explain it and he honestly didn't want to delve too deep into this out of fear of getting a throbbing headache trying to figure it out.

Luke arched a brow "What do you mean?"

Dark Luke once again didn't answer but he did stand up and tug at the corners of his bow tie, that same wicked smile plastering his lips whilst his youthful eyes narrowed. He minded the toys spilt on the floor, being very careful not to step on them as he circled his lookalike just like a vulture circling through the big blue skies.

He hissed with a venomous edge in his tone, grabbing a wooden training sword from his left and pointing it threateningly at Luke who simply refused to fight, he didn't want to use violence on someone who was simply himself.

"Come on!" Dark Luke spat out his demand "fight me!"

Luke shook his head with a stern frown fixed on his face.

He wasn't going to fight, he knew the Professor would be steadfast against violence and he wasn't going to break the trust both he and his top hatted mentor formed through the years.

Dark Luke grinned venomously and cracked a toothy smile "Aww...what's the matter? Too afraid to stand up for yourself, scaredy cat?" He cooed mockingly and walked up to Luke and when he did, he held his hand back with a very cruel smile tugging at his lips.

Luke didn't flinch nor move although his eyes sparkled with tears of fright. He wasn't going to lie to himself and say he wasn't the slightest bit afraid but he stood strong and didn't move a muscle.

Although he collapsed to the floor when his evil twin threw his arm forwards and whacked Luke across the cheek, sending him to the floor.

Luke slowly sat himself up, ignoring the swelling to his tingling cheek, and he stood to take more of the abuse. He tugged at his blue cap and made it so it would shield the expression on his face as the blows delivered escalated quickly from mere slaps to kicks and punches to the gut.

"FIGHT ME, COWARD!" Dark Luke barked viciously.

Luke panted hard, feeling pain all over his body as he slowly stood up again and mustered a hard scowl at his alter ego even though he kept his posture straight and brave.

The atmosphere had changed when a flash of courage swam in the Professors apprentice's eyes, all the gloom and doom being sucked dry from the air and being replaced with hope and faith. It was enough to inspire some shreds of sunlight to shine against his back, opening up a new dawn.

Wiping a sleeve across his bloody mouth, Luke said with a calm and chilled tone "I understand why your like this. I understand that Dark Professor Layton is the only family you have left after what happened to you and -most importantly- I understand what makes you so hungry for violence..."

Dark Luke panted, observing his double with a very grim expression and there was a fury becoming visible in his crazed eyes.

Luke continued calmly "it's that Dark Professor blackmails you and puts you down. He abuses you and reduces what little self esteem you have left whenever you do something that he dislikes, you are nothing but a puppet used for his bidding..."

"...shut up..." Dark Luke mumbled in a way incoherent to Luke even though he continued regardless.

"He's playing you for a naive little kid who doesn't care about anything but his own ends."

Dark Luke had enough as his face suddenly lit up like a fire and a full animalistic expression took form on his chubby face as he raced forwards with his nails at the ready "SHUT UP!"

Luke wasn't prepared for this.

He gasped and tried to block the attack but Dark Luke had already started his attack as he slapped him across the face multiple times. He wore a dark expression that melted as his doppleganger's words began to sink in, tears began to well up in his furious eyes and he gritted his teeth to fight back the tears that now threatened to trail down his chubby cheeks.

Luke, not wanting to fight, took it all as he didn't want to do anything bad. He wasn't going to let the Professor down!

Dark Luke sobbed, his breath becoming bouncy and quivery with sadness when the words the original Luke spoke rang through his mind like a bell and he shouted through each and every slap he delivered to Luke's cheeks "Y-You don't know...what you are talking...a-about!"

Luke still bore through the smacks, each and every whip to the cheek leaving huge red marks that would most likely taint his cheeks scarlet for a good long while. He waited until Dark Luke finally broke down in tears as he collapsed against his doppleganger's chest while lightly drumming his fist against it in frustration.

While Dark Luke melted down into the traumatised boy he was beneath all that craziness, Luke wrapped his arms comfortingly around his lookalike and patted his back in an effort to comfort him and make him feel better.

"He...He's the only...family...I've got l-left..." Dark Luke whimpered, clearly letting his defences fall down around that childish personality he had been forced to suppress for so long. He sobbed and whimpered from how sad he had been all this time and Luke just continued to hold him and cradle him against his chest to make sure he cried himself dry.

"Shhh...don't worry anymore, the Professor's apprentice will help but I need to know where the clock tower is first. I need your help." Luke comforted his alleged evil counterpart with his better judgement being drowned in pure sympathy. Maybe this was how Emmy felt when she was working for Targent, all alone and afraid with the only person who raises you the only one you try and protect.

Eventually, though, Dark Luke confessed in a weak and defeated voice "...D-Dark Professor Layton keeps..." he sobbed and sniffled "...keeps his equipment i-in the attic u-upstairs...you need a key to...t-to get in..."

Luke gave Dark Luke a very gentle smile of gratitude as the two exchanged a calm look. The two gazed into each other's eyes for a few moments before the original Luke told the alternate Luke with a soft smile "Don't worry. The Professor and I will stop this before it's too late...I promise."

Dark Luke sniffled again, feeling a bit better as he handed his dopple ganger a gold key that he had been keeping in his pocket. He watched hopefully as Luke dashed out the room without so much as speaking another word although Dark Luke now felt a bit of his confidence returning to him since he had finally been able to remove the cold shell that sealed his heart away for too long.

Maybe there was hope after all.

A/N: Here's the battle between dark and original Luke.

I'm proud of how this turned out because now I have the battle between Luke and his doppleganger so now that's two in the mix. One for the Professor, another for Luke. What's next? Maybe I should do one for Phoenix and Maya to complete the image?

Anyways, tell me what you guys think and maybe I'll do some more.

-Chloemcg