"Master! Over here!"
The distinct clangs of metal clashing against metal had finally abated, Descole now armed only with the Azran key, when Raymond swooped down mere inches from the ground in the miniature helicopter-fighter plane hybrid that was hidden on the Bostonius specifically for such purposes of emergency escape. He maintained this low altitude just long enough to have his master grab a firm hold of the aircraft before they flew off, leaving a fatigued and rather disappointed Layton in their wake.
"That was…hngh…fun," Descole commented, still quite a bit out of breath after his duel with Layton, not to mention having to heave himself into the seat of a heliplane flying over a thousand feet above ground at a hundred miles an hour. "You know, Raymond, sometimes I even think he might surpass me."
Raymond, however, shook his head in disapproval, staunch in his loyalty. "Nonsense, Master. The two of you may be brothers, and of course Mister Layton's a skilled professor, but you are still the elder, and your genius not only in archaeology but also in mechanical skill is undisputed."
"Thank you, Raymond," said Descole, a faint smile growing on his face. By now the industrial wasteland they had come from was well behind them, only a faint hint of smog still indicating any trace of the Nest. As he removed his hat and mask, wearing instead his glasses and shaking his rather notable auburn locks in place, Descole looked back at the Targent headquarters and sighed. "We're so close," he murmured. "Only a while longer and the treasure of the Azran will be in our hands!"
"And what then, Master?" Raymond asked, glancing ever so quickly at Descole's image in the mirror. "If I may be so bold to ask, what happens when the Azran legacy is yours? Is that all you aim for, or is there a hidden motive to your actions?"
A wistful look took hold of Descole's face. Raymond was observant, he knew, keener even than he was at times. Given their inseparability and the years they'd spent together, he was sure his servant already had the answers he sought, and was raising those questions for Descole's sake, not his own. "All I want," he said, "is to reunite my family. Once all of this is over, Father might realize how corrupted his actions had become, and may even come home when he has repaid for his crimes. As for Layton, well, he has a family of his own now, but he may yet forgive Father, and one day see us both in a kinder light."
Raymond smiled. It was rare for his master to reveal his more sensitive side, and he possessed immense gratitude for being quite possibly the only person Descole trusted enough to show it to. "Well said, Master. Well said."
They were now nearing their destination, and as Raymond's gaze shifted to the rearview mirror, the tinge of red in his master's irises caught his attention. These were the eyes of a man he saw day in and day out, but in that brief moment, Raymond was reminded of another man whom he'd last seen long before he had undertaken the service of his current employer. "Leon Bronev," he thought, "at last we are reunited. My master, to his father, and I…"
"…to my brother."
Thank you for reading the first chapter of Angel's first fanfic! She promises that there will be far more in store for the audience regarding Raymond's past, and asks that you stay tuned for further updates to this work. She is glad to receive any and all comments, suggestions, and reactions, and encourages you to be completely honest with your output. She hopes you enjoyed the story thus far, and is just as excited for the release of the next installment. :D
Professor Layton universe © LEVEL-5