Jean Descole in…

The Altava Factor

Layton….

A knot tightened in Descole's stomach as he watched the man in the top hat stroll down the street. He was followed by Emmy Altava, his snide remarking assistant, and Luke Triton, a bumbling boy who never ceased to squeal "Professah!" in that obnoxious little-girl voice of his.

Everything had gone perfectly up to this point. He'd found a nice old mansion to set up his lair, and allow him the time to construct everything he needed to uncover the sacred treasure supposedly hidden beneath the town by its founder, Argus Peabody. And from what Descole had uncovered the location was only visible under a full moon, meaning tonight was his last shot. It was all going so brilliantly, and then Hershel Layton had come to ruin everything….

"To think that someone in this pitiful town took the time to write you a letter," Descole grumbled. He had to think of something and fast…months of research would go down the drain if he was stopped from pursuing his plans that night, and he was not waiting for another chance.

"I've waited long enough for this Layton," he spat. "You shall not stop me this time."

But how to keep you busy while I find my treasure?

"Professah!"Luke ran up to Layton. "I've made friends with this little bird, and he says he has a puzzle for you."

"Triton, you remind me of my Aunt Lucinda," Descole mocked, following the trio from the rooftops, "She used to talk to little birds too, until they locked her away in the nut-house."

"Why thank you," Layton tipped his hat to the bird and dove into the puzzle. He also gave Luke a pat on the head.

Somehow Layton was able to stand the little brat's petty yabber-jabber. No it's more than that…, Descole tapped his foot. Layton genuinely cared for the boy.

"Hmm," Descole put a hand on his chin and smiled, a brilliant scheme forming in his head.

-0-

"Yes, this is perfect."

Descole tapped his fingers together excitedly, very proud of his plot. He had tracked down the hotel Layton was staying at, and currently had himself perched in a tree, with a good view of the archeologist's room. On the dresser by the television sat a bowl of candy, with a larger red wrapped chocolate on top. Descole had planted the delicacy just moments ago, knowing it would catch the attention of a certain boy who had yet to hit puberty. Ugh, his voice. Descole shuddered.

Once young Triton had consumed the goody he would be overtaken by thirst, before passing out. Descole hoped this would happen when the boy ran to the washroom to grab a drink, effectively separating him from the Layton pack, so he could swoop in and grab the unconscious child before anyone noticed.

That was step one of the plan. Step two was to lead Layton and Altava on a wild goose chase to find the Triton boy, leaving Descole in peace to uncover the whereabouts of his gold.

Dusk was settling in and the trio would be returning soon. Descole waited anxiously in the tree, and his smile grew when he saw the room's light flick on.

This was such a good plan, he couldn't wait to see the look on Layton's face when he put it into action. He watched the three shadows cross the wall. Oh, this was fool proof, nothing could possible go wrong! Nothing could—

Descole nearly fell out of the tree when he watched Emmy approach the window –was she chewing something? He noticed a certain red wrapper in her hands.

"Noooooo!" Descole growled under his breath. How could she take the candy? It was for the boy!

Descole clawed at the tree cursing every deity he could think of. "Foiled," he cried. "By that greedy little—"

He stopped himself. "No, this can still work. I can make this work…heck this is even better. With Altava out of the way, Layton losses his muscle..."

Looking back in the window, he watched as Emmy made a face. The tampered candy's effects were kicking in. Descole sneered and made his way to the washroom's small window. Balancing on the sill, he observed the lady in yellow as she threw herself under the sink gorging the fountain of water in a most unladylike way. She staggered back, and wiped her mouth on her sleeve before collapsing.

Descole propped the window open and stepped inside. He tapped Emmy with his foot to be sure she was out.

"Emmy are you all right? I heard a large thud," came Layton's voice in the other room.

"I'm fine Professor!" Descole said in Emmy's voice. He was a master at voice mimicry to go along with his many brilliant disguises. Sometimes he surprised even himself at how feminine he could make his voice go. Although Altava is far from the most high pitched, he sneered.

From his pocket Descole pulled a note, the first clue to lead Layton astray. A terrible thought crossed his mind. The note said in his very words:

If you wish to see young Triton unharmed you'll have to play a little game:

"The man who invented it doesn't want it. The man who bought it doesn't need it. The man who needs it doesn't know it. What is it?"

Onward to your next clue….

The answer of course would lead them to the cemetery at the other end of town, and Descole hoped this would give the man a little fright, but he'd addressed that the boy was taken, not considering the fact that someone else would take the bait.

"I will not be taken a fool for something so small," he whispered and quickly fixed the error, replacing Triton's name with Altava's.

He turned to Emmy and threw her over his shoulder fire man style. "Oooff," Descole staggered. Not that Altava was obscenely heavy, he just underestimated the dead weight of an unconscious woman. He leaped through the window, and disappeared into the darkening streets.

-0-

Descole stared out the window. It was almost completely dark, and the moon was on the rise. "Very soon he said to himself."

Layton and his little brat would be going mad by now, with all the misleading "clues" he'd left them. And just for kicks he'd sent Raymond out to keep an eye on their progress, and throw in a curve ball or two.

He took one last glance at Emmy, who was tied to a chair in the old mansion's living room. She was starting to stir.

Darn, Descole frowned. He'd calculated that he'd put enough of the drug in the candy to knock out someone the size of a child for the allotted time.

"You may act like a child Altava, but it must of run through your system faster than I hoped." He picked up the fireplace poker. "A good bump to the head should take care of that."

"Descole?" Emmy's eyes drooped open and she lurched forward in the chair. "I should have known you were behind all this."

"Yes," he smiled. "It didn't surprise me that Layton would try to thwart my latest scheme. How is it that he seems to have a friend to call upon his aid everywhere I go?"

"Oh God this is embarrassing…," said Emmy completely ignoring his question. "To be taken hostage…and by a diva like you."

"WHAT!" Descole spat. "I am no diva…I am a scientist."

"The outfit begs to differ."

Descole glared at the girl. Like yellow isn't the ugliest colour to putrefy the planet. And since when have bow ties come back into style?

"Nonetheless, I have still managed to outsmart Layton. I'm sorry, but it will be a while before your gentleman comes to save you."

"I don't need saving," Emmy said and at sat back with a smug look.

"You're being held hostage, in an abandoned mansion, on the outskirts of town, by a brilliant mastermind…and you're tied to a chair. Must I put it to you more frankly, Miss Altava? I clearly have the upper hand here."

"That's what all men think."

"Don't be smart with me," he waved the poker at her. "You'll regret it."

"Ohhh, I'm so scared." Emmy rolled her eyes and looked around with disinterest. "Nice place you got here, a little cobwebby for my taste, but it doesn't really go with your clown suit."

"You're foolish to mock me," Descole growled, tapping the poker in his hand. He stepped towards her and in a flash lashed the stick out. It stopped a mere centimeter from Emmy's face. Descole supressed a scowl, she barely flinched.

"Can I get some water? Whatever you put in that candy made me really thirsty."

"NO!" Descole screeched. "You weren't even supposed to eat that! Who takes candy from a little boy?!"

"You were after Luke?" Emmy knit her eyebrows. "Now that's a new low, even for you."

"It was the perfect plan to get at Layton," Descole wheeled around and took a few steps around his hostage, more than happy to gloat. "You were a minor setback, but still, he will spend the rest of the night looking for you, whilst I claim Argus Peabody's treasure."

"Argus Peabody…he was the town's founder!"

"That's right. And I—"

"Hmm, sounds kinda like asparagus doesn't it. If you say it really fast I mean, asparagus, aspargus, aspar—"

"Stop sassing me!" Descole screamed and rammed the flat side of the poker against Emmy's throat. "Are you daft? I'm endangering your life and all you can do is-Arg!" She spat on him and he pulled away pacing the room in a huff. Gross! Despicable! She may be Layton's assistant, but she lacks his manners.

Emmy smiled wryly. "So why's this treasure so important to you?"

"I spent months searching for it!" he seethed, wiping her saliva from his cape –the one he just had dry cleaned too. "It's location can only be revealed under the light of a full moon, so I don't have time to deal with that thorn-in-the-side boss of yours."

"So why are you wasting the time talking to me? Shouldn't you be off digging in the sandbox playing treasure hunt?"

"Very good point Miss Altava," he swung the fireplace poker around. "And I never play, I—"

"Don't your tights get itchy?"

"Would you quite interruptin—"

"I bet a lot of sand gets in there."

"And they're not tights…they're snug fitting pants!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, didn't mean to upset your dainty side."

"Grrr," Descole balled his fists. "One more word out of you and I swear I'll—"

"What's wrong? Your 'snugs' on too tight?"

"ARGGHH!" Descole charged foreword. This was the last straw. He swung the poker, ready to end this. "I should have gagged you, stupid wench!"

At the last moment, however, Emmy threw her weight forward, turning the chair around and smashing straight into him. The fireplace poker scattered out of Descole's hands and he jumped to his feet only to be met by a foot to the face.

"That'll feel real good tomorrow," Emmy smiled, her fists raised. "You'll need more than a little cover up to hide that doozy." The impact had broken the chair – that was probably as old as the house— into splinters, effectively freeing her.

Descole growled and leaped back up, dogging a roundhouse kick, and somersaulting to the side, unsheathing his sword in the process. "This will feel even better!" he screamed and charged her with the weapon.

He knew Altava had good reflexes, but it infuriated him how fast that woman could move. She dodged each and every one of his swings, throwing him off balance so she could kick him with those insanely flexible –not to mention pain-inducing—legs of hers.

"You'll pay for this Altava, you'll—"

She knocked him for a final blow, sending Descole through the floorboards, and into darkness.

-0-

Emmy peered into the gaping hole in the floor. The house must have had a cellar below. Descole lay unconscious in a pile of rubbled, but she spotted something in the down there that piqued her curiosity and leapt down, victorious.

Just inches from the scientist's reach sat a dusty old box with the name Argus Peabody, inscribed. She popped open the latch and found ten gold coins.

"How ironic," Emmy turned to her unfortunate captor. "Your treasure was right beneath your nose this whole time."

"Emmy!" someone –the Professor—called from above. "Emmy are you in here?"

"Over here," she shouted back, climbing from the hole.

She was met by a very disgruntled Professor and Luke. They looked very happy to see her nonetheless.

"Emmy you're okay!" Luke squealed happily and gave her a hug.

"Yes, but what happened to the two of you?" she raised an eyebrow. "Luke's all sticky and covered in…goose feathers? And Professor," she held her nose, "why do you smell like last week's laundry?"

"I'm afraid that's a bit of a long story my dear," he cleared his throat, "We're just glad to see you're all right."

Emmy laughed, "I was never in any real danger," she turned to the hole to find something missing. "Wait, Descole's gone!"

"See, Professor I told you it was him!" Luke beamed at his correct assumption.

"Well, I have a feeling this will not be the last we see of him…," said Layton.

"Hey, at least I he helped me find Mr. Peabody's treasure. We can donate it to the town!"

"Cool ," said Luke looking over the coins. "But how did you escape? We thought Descole had you hostage."

"Well," Emmy smiled. "He wasn't too hard to handle… you taunt him 'til he's got his feathers in a ruffle, and when he's no longer thinking straight, BAM!" She kicked the air. "Taken out just like that."

Luke's stomach rumbled. "Excuse me Professor, but I think all the searching for Emmy's made me hungry."

"I'd say we can celebrate the closing of this mystery over midnight tea and ice cream."

"I'd just love a glass of water," Emmy said. "I'm so parched. And I think you two better have a shower."

The trio laughed and headed to the door.

"You know, Descole's plan wasn't all that bad," Layton titled his head back in thought. "Kidnapping someone to lead me astray."

"So you figured it out huh?" Emmy grinned and threw her arms behind her head.

"Yes, there was however a flaw in his plans. Something he underestimated."

"And what's that Professor?"

"You."

Author's Note: Okay I know I have PL Anomalous Entity to write, but this little scenario between Emmy and Descole just popped into my head and I couldn't help it! I was looking at screenshots from Miracle Mask the other day on tumblr and was reminded that even if Emmy's role in that game was minor, she was still a total bada**, sassing her way through like the deadpan snarker she is. And I just really wanted to write something fun and over-the-top with Dessy 3

Please leave a review, I want to know if I should do little oneshots in the future. (Or if you hated it, then I can spare us all)