Yay, yay! My second fanfiction. Sorry I haven't been on in a while, I'll try to finish the other story I've been working on.

Chapter one of The Murderous Assistant

Flora's Fate

Luke was an innocent young lad. He was always following the ingenious professor around, and was eager to solve the vexing puzzles he and the older gentleman came by when they were trying to solve a case. When he and Hershel Layton went to St. Mystiere and brought back the golden apple herself to London, he was as happy as can be. No one knew that a naïve boy such as himself would be distorted into one of the most gruesome criminal minds around.

As time passed, a series of murders broke through London. Luke went with the professor to investigate the bodies to see how and why the people were killed, and by who. Sometimes you could figure out a case just by the method of killing the murderer used. The professor and young Luke continued to go look over the bodies, and Luke slowly got interested. He was fascinated by the criminal mind. In fact, he secret wondered what it would be like to be the killer himself. What it would be like to kill.

One particular case piqued the now adolescent assistant's interest the most. It was the murder of a young woman named Maria Forward. The woman was found sprawled across the concrete in a dar alleyway by a man whom no longer had a place to stay. He had lost his home because he could no longer pay the bills, and ended up sleeping in the alleyway. In the morning, he found this woman dead.

Her eyes were gouged out and in their place were two rather large bloody holes. Her mouth was open as if she was going to scream but didn't have enough time to, and there was hardly any hair on her head. Her legs... well, one of them, that is, was missing, and the poor woman's stomach was slit open and her intestines were spilling out. It appeared as though she had been there quite a while and the man just did not notice her when he happened to turn in the night in the dark alleyway, for the blood that was shed was hardened underneath her and in the places in which she bled. Plus, as Layton and Luke got nearer, there was this awful stench and it seemed to come from the dead Maria Forward. One of the possible suspects was the homeless man, but it didn't seem as if a man of his nature would so anything so cruel... especially to a young woman like Maria. She was a well-known woman in the area for her beautiful art.

Maybe the killer meant for her to be her last piece of art... Maria was known for art in a different perspective, after all, and a rather gorey one at that. Layton thought, deep in thought. Hershel thought as hard as he could on who the murderer could be, but no one in particular popped up into his mind. For one, none of the deaths seemed to be related. The first death was of a man named David Brenn. The man had caught on fire or so it seems, and his body was almost unrecognizable. He wrote poems from time to time, but he wasn't at all famous. He was near death anyways at eighty five, but it would have been better for him to have lived until it was really time for him to go.

The second death was of a young woman named Scarlet Johnson, whom was only nineteen years old. She was a prostitute and had ended up taking the 'wrong ride', for the person whom had taken to her home for a 'fun time' killed her. She was found on the street with her head and two other limbs missing. They were never found.

The third death was of a young boy. He reminded the professor of Luke because his parents told him he was eager to find out things and innocent, just like Luke was... at least, until now. The boy whom was now in his early teens was now interested in more grotesque things, for Layton noticed that he was staring at the body of the deceased Maria Forward with a rather unsettling expression. Excitement and yearning was what the professor could read on his face. Luke was as easy to read as a book, but Layton would soon find that the boy was hiding something underneath his sleeve. Hiding something for him, his dear professor.

As the top-hatted gentleman decided to examine the body a little more closely and look for nearby witnesses, Luke snuck off to he, Layton's, and Flora's current living quarters. He knew a perfect way to become the next criminal mastermind, and his victim would be none other than the golden apple herself; young Flora. The girl would probably be in the house sleeping or watching television. If he crept up behind the unsuspecting girl, surely he could accomplish his mission... to be as famous as the professor, but in a different way. To be a famous killer. One that no one would ever find. Not ever.

Luke pushed open the door to his current living place and looked around. Flora was sitting in one of the professor's favorite leather couches watching television. Her brownish hair framed her rosy cheeks and was tied into a ponytail, sitting against her neck. A white blouse fit snugly on her body and a blanket was sprawled across her lap. Her eyes were fixed on the brain-rotting screen until she heard the door open. At first she was rather startled and took a protective stance, but once she realized it was only her favorite blue capped boy, she smiled and greeted him. "Hello, Luke. Back home early, I see. Would you like to join me? This show is quite funny."

"U-um... no. I'd rather not. At least not this moment. I'll cook dinner." He felt a sinking feeling in his gut that made his stomach twist and turn. He was feeling guilty that he was going to kill this girl... the girl that he had a small crush on. But, at least she would be honored by being the first to be murdered by the great 'murderous apprentice!'

"Okay... but please join me later," The small brown haired girl said with a smile. She watched as Luke crept into the kitchen before turning her attention back to the television.

While Flora was absorbed in the t.v., Luke got out a pot and poured water into it. He turned the stove on and let it boil, before heading back towards the stairs.

"Where are you going, Luke?" The inquisitive Flora asked. Luke gulped.

"I'm going to get something from upstairs to read while the water for dinner boils. You just wait here and watch t.v." Luke trudged up the stairs until he reached his room. There was a baseball ball lying in the corner. He was about to pick it up when he realized that it would be a bad thing to pick it up with his bare hands. The boy dug in one of his drawers until he found a pair of gloves made out of latex. He slid each one on his hands before picking up the bat and holding it in his shaky hands.

Luke walked back down the stairs cautiously, hoping that Flora wouldn't look up at him as he was coming down. To his relief, she didn't, and the blue capped boy quickly crept behind her. Flora's eyes fluttered up at Luke slowly, and she saw him with the bat positioned above her head. She was about to shriek when Luke brought it down to her head with just enough force to knock her out, and she lay there limply. But her chest was heaving up and down slightly, so that was a sign that she was still alive.

What would he do when she woke up? He'd have to get them to a quiet place first, a place where the professor couldn't find them until Flora was already dead. With the latex gloves still on his hands and the bat clutched in one of them, Luke dragged Flora out of the back door and into the now-dark city.

: p sorry Flora but you had to be the first one... Luke's gonna kill you... maybe.

Luls I was in a gorey/bloody/murderous mood and since Luke probably wouldn't be suspected as a killer, I picked him.

Umm... anyways, review?

Tell me how I did?