"Lucy... Help..." Alfendi spoke quietly into the microphone, much to Diane's pleasure. He heard Lucy's familiar voice call out for him, the silly nickname for him she insisted on keeping since the day she met him. He saw her run into the room, jumping slightly at the dead 'pig' on the couch. She called out for him again and Alfendi couldn't help but struggle slightly against the ropes that bound him to the old, ornate chair.
It hurt. He wasn't sure why but he couldn't help but feel the pangs in his chest.
"Not a word from you Inspector Layton or little Lucy here will be on the receiving end of your punishment." The young, blonde woman pressed the button on the microphone, speaking into it with her sweet, sickly voice.
Alfendi watched on the small, low-quality screen as his assistant worked her way around the case. He knew her curiosity would overwhelm her when she spotted the button on the desk and when she pressed it, a faint beep was heard and Diane put down her nail file. She spoke into the microphone and he listened calmly as Lucy and Diane spoke, finding Lucy's voice somewhat calming.
That was until Diane threatened to pump the room full of gas.
She only just managed to take her finger off of the button before a white-hot rage over took the young inspector. He thrashed against the ropes, grunting with effort as he fought to break free of his bonds.
"Let me go or you'll regret it!" He yelled, crimson locks falling in front of golden eyes. His legs kicked out wildly, gritting his teeth in anger.
"You forgot that you're the one that's tied up here~" The girl smiled slyly, thinly veiled with sweetness, one hand under her chin. It infuriated the young detective.
He fought and fought until he was tired and panting, his jumper drenched in sweat. He tried to calm himself down, think rationally, but it was hard to keep control with the two voices inside his head battling for dominance. His hair must have flashed so quickly between placid purple and striking scarlet that it caught Diane's attention.
She started laughing and Alfendi's anger flared up.
It was Lucy that calmed him down, again.
He watched through red strands of hair as she pointed at the speaker, declaring loudly that she knew the culprit, her eyes shining. His hair faded to it's regular dull purple as Lucy threw evidence after evidence at Diane, dressed in a crumpled suit jacket and dog mask, mouth curling into a smirk and her ears twitching as she delivered the final blow.
She grinned triumphantly as Dog confessed to everything and Alfendi felt pride swelling up in his chest, smiling a little as she celebrated, eager to move on.
Then that little devil had to wreck everything even more.
"Give over!"
Alfendi gritted his teeth, using the last of his strength to fight off him as Diane explained everything that happened four years ago.
"The Prof would never..."
Stop!
"He killed Papa..."
Stop! Stop it! I didn't shoot him!
But I did.
Shut up!
"Do not trust Alfendi Layton."
Stop it! She can trust me!
But can she?
The look on Lucy's face made his mind erupt into pure fury. His lungs ached to yell and scream but his own mind fought against him. Diane blindfolded him before she picked up a gun, cocked it and shot it through a window before placing it against Alfendi's forehead.
"That ought to send her coming."
Lucy yelled his nickname again and he heard her footsteps pound on the old wooden floorboards as she ran, yelling over and over.
"Prof!" She flung open the door and Alfendi could hear her breathing heavily. "What's g-going on?"
"L-"
"Ah-Ah-Ah!~ I don't think that's very wise Inspector Layton." She cocked the gun, causing Lucy to take in a short, shaky gasp. Alfendi clenched his jaw, biting back endless insults, fiery crimson locks falling over his eyes, blocked from view by a plain, white scrap of cloth.
"Diane, please." Lucy's voice was shaking a little and Alfendi felt the same damn pain flare up in his chest.
He heard Diane hum in thought and could imagine her putting a small, pale finger to her chin. Then she chuckled.
The image of her smirk in his mind made Alfendi grit his teeth so hard his jaw began to ache.
"It seems I've had a change of heart." She says, her voice dripping with sickly venom. The blindfold is ripped off and the young inspector immediately turns his attention to his assistant.
"Go ahead Layton, you can talk. But be careful." Diane didn't finish the sentence before Alfendi began talking.
"Lucy!" He yelled out to her, struggling against the ropes, her presence giving him more strength.
"Prof! Are you okay?" Lucy's voice was laced with concern, her warm, scarlet eyes meeting his.
Alfendi felt sick to his stomach, his guts feeling like they were tossing and turning over and over again.
He could hardly breathe.
"I'm okay, Lucy...I'm so sorry." He fought for control over his behaviour, a rather bold migraine forming and boring holes into his train of thought.
"Sorry for what Prof? You 'ave'nt done nowt wrong." Lucy reached for the gun at her hip, the gun she used to wield around the room, unloaded, wishing that she could get into 'a right old shootout like in them action films.'
This was the only time she didn't want to use it.
If only Alfendi could believe he had done nothing wrong.
"Don't you get it?!" He began to yell, his eyes squeezed tightly shut. "People think I'm a murderer, yet I'm working in a police force catching the bloody things!"
Diane stood back, grinning with a look of pure evil, taking every word in.
"Did you actually kill 'im Prof?"
He'd never heard that voice before, one that sounded as broken as a child that just lost their mother and Alfendi had seen too many of those.
Alfendi had been one of those children himself.
He could see her, golden eyes widening as DC Baker refused to meet his eyes, her peachy-coloured hat slipping down her forehead.
"No!"
"Yes."
"I'M INNOCENT!"
"I'm guilty."
Lucy couldn't bare to watch as her mentor changed so rapidly between his two personalities and groaned in pain. He yelled out a final 'NO!' before panting, his face dripping with sweat.
Diane cackled like a demented sugar plum fairy.
"I'm afraid that's the wrong answer Inspector Layton!~" she sang, her eyes glittering.
"Lay one 'and on the Prof and you..." Lucy couldn't think of the right threat, each one she thought of sounded ridiculous when she said it in her head. So, she took inspiration from the man himself. "ILL CUT OUT YOUR TONGUE!"
Diane merely laughed again, the sound close to a tinkling bell, echoing through Lucy's head and rattling her eardrums. The blonde held the gun to her mentor's head.
It drove her crazy.
"STOP LAUGHIN'!" Lucy squeezes her eyes shut, a small dribble of a tear rolling down her face. She reluctantly cocked her gun. "STOP IT!"
"Lucy!" Alfendi squirmed in his chair, hardly able to bare the sight of his assistant crying.
"It seems I have a new idea!" Diane smirked, removing the cool barrel of the gun away from Alfendi's forehead.
She pointed it towards Lucy instead.
"Diane, no!" The inspector pulled against the ropes with a newfound strength, blood-red hair sticking to his forehead with sweat. "Point the gun back to me! Don't you dare harm her!"
"P-Prof?" Lucy gulped as she stared straight down the barrel of Diane's gun, her own pistol shaking in her hands. "Don't worry...I'm gonna be fine."
"Think again, Detective Inspector Baker." Diane cocked her gun with a click. "Think again."
"DONT YOU DARE!" The inspector's shoulders shuddered, his head bowed. "STOP!"
"P-Prof..." Lucy gave him one last look, her eyes filled with fear and welled with tears. "Don't worry about me Prof...I'll be fine."
"SHOOT, LUCY!" He yelled. "PULL THE TRIGGER!"
"If you insist, Inspector Layton." Diane feigned reluctance, her finger hovering over the trigger. "You seem eager and I don't like to disappoint."
She knew that wasn't what he meant.
"NO!"
"PROF!"
Bang!
Thump.
"LUCY!" Alfendi's voice cracked as he yelled, his assistant's name familiar on his tongue. Her vibrant green coat was stained a bright crimson, her cap slipping off of her soft, shiny hair.
She still looked like Lucy, except something seemed horribly off, like someone had flicked water all over an ink drawing.
There was another bang and a crash as Diane crumpled to the floor, blood erupting from her right temple.
Alfendi sat there, his whole body trembling, light amber eyes closing as tears slid down his face.
He must be weaker than he thought. He hadn't cried since he was a child.
He couldn't even save his own friend.
He pulled against the ropes, the most pathetic sniffling and sobbing noises escaping his mouth.
He was pathetic.
The chair eventually fell over, crushing Alfendi's arm between the floor and the chair, prying a yell of pain from his throat and a rather-worrying sounding crunch from his arm.
"Al? Lucy?" There was the sound of footsteps and creaking floorboards as 'backup' searched the castle.
Her name drew another sob from Alfendi.
"AL!" He looked up towards the door to see his ex-partners, Hilda Pertinax and Justin Lawson standing in the doorway. Hilda gasped. "L-Lucy?"
"Hilda. You've got to take Lucy to the hospital." Alfendi ordered as she pulled his chair upright and worked on undoing the knots.
Justin knelt next to Lucy and felt for a pulse.
"I'm sorry Al..."
"NO! SHE'LL BE OKAY IF YOU HURRY! SHE'LL PULL THROUGH, I KNOW IT!"
"Al-"
"SHUT UP! JUST TAKE HER!" Their silence made him pause. "WHAT IS IT?!"
"Al, did you shoot them?" Hilda refused to meet his gaze as the ropes fell loose.
What?
He was the only person still alive in the room and he did fall next to the murder weapon when the chair toppled over.
All evidence pointed to him.
"NO! I-"
"Alfendi Layton," Hilda, moved to handcuff him, but moved to take him by the shoulder when he let out a sharp hiss of pain when she touched his right arm. "I am arresting you for suspected murder. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Do you understand?"
"Hilda, you have to believe me!"
"Do you understand?"
Alfendi Layton closed his eyes as another tear rolled down his face.
"Yes."
I'm sorry Lucy, I'm sorry I couldn't save you.