So, college and the work it requires have finally caught up with me and that has made it difficult for me to not only find time to think up ideas but the time to write them up. This was supposed to go up last night but sadly I was too busy.. I was playing Assassin's Creed 3 :P Ah, and a note. Dufferin colour. I changed their colour so many times throughout this story.. So, they come in a rainbow of colours!

"There's just too much that we don't know. Somebody is creating these monstrosities. We don't know who, we don't know where and we can only guess why. Nobody has been seriously injured so far," Pain flared up through his arm briefly as though his wound knew it was being spoken about, "but it is only a matter of time before a disaster occurs."

"We know that whoever is making the Dufferins has a sort of office in the village's tunnel system and has so far gotten in and out without being seen. That in itself is surprising in such a small village. You should know well, Luke, it was similar in Misthallery, yes?"

The boy hung his head and nodded. Hershel was alone with Luke in their room as Emmy had volunteered to get their dinner for the night. He could tell the boy was getting a little scared and he didn't blame him. They had ever been in such danger before and Luke would have never come across a creature as vicious as a Dufferin nor one he could not tame. Even he was afraid to be in this village at times.

"Dinner is here, boys." Emmy announced cheerfully as she backed into the room having used her backside to push the door open. She had several boxes piled up in her arms. "Steak pies, chips and peas."

The prospect of food brought Luke back to life and he raced across the room to get his meal. He raced back to the table and cleared off several papers to make room for the box. Who needed cutlery when you were a hungry boy? Hershel shook his head and laughed. "Easy, Luke, you do not wish to give yourself indigestion."

"Mmf, I'll be mfine, Profesher!"

"Boys will be boys." Emmy grinned as she handed over one of the two boxes she still held. It was difficult to find space to sit and eat amongst all the papers in the room so the two of them sat on the edge of the bed, eating off their laps.

"You really know how to show a girl a good time, Hershel." He smiled at her teasing and took her hand in his briefly.

"When we get back to London I shall take you out for a proper meal."

"You will?!" Her face lit up with excitement.

"I promise."

"Promise what?"

"Nothing, Luke." The pair said in unison to the boy who had lifted his head to look at them. He glanced between the two, shrugged and went back to his pie. Hershel could see Emmy trying to hold back her amusement. He was just thankful he had released her hand before Luke had tured.

He didn't know what to call this thing between Emmy and himself but he did know that he didn't want to confuse Luke with it. Even in the short time that the boy had been staying with him he considered the boy as his nephew or at least family. And that wasn't surprising when he thought about how close he had been with Clark when they were younger.

"So, did I miss any big breaks whilst I was getting our dinners?"

"No, we are still struggling through the information. I can't help but feel like I am missing something big, something that is very important, like it is staring me in the face but I cannot see it for the life of me."

"You will see it soon, you always do. It's that brilliant mind of yours!" She tapped a finger against his forehead and he smiled. He was still bothered that he couldn't pin point what he was missing but he wasn't going to let it ruin his pleasant evening.

The remains of dinner were cast aside and the trio returned to work. The room was literally covered in papers and photographs, the ones that Hershel had taken were kept close to him at all times. He was analysing them slowly but properly whilst Luke and Emmy made notes off her developed photographs. Ms. Merrin had requested to see them the next morning and Hershel was determined that they would be prepared.

XXX

The 'borrowed' papers were stored securely inside his coat pocket as they made the long walk up to the Manor atop the hill. This morning he had woken to find Emmy curled into his chest again and it was the most perfect way to wake up. He didn't know how things were going to change when they got back to London but he could at least enjoy their closeness for the times being. He anticipated some awkwardness when it came to their first night back but Emmy was a confident, strong woman. She would let him know what she wanted.

Anton let them into the home and led them into the office Ms. Merrin seemed to live in. Emmy stiffened at his side and took a step closer to him. He quickly dismissed the confusion that was rapidly becoming familiar when the two women were in the same room.

"Professor Layton, I eagerly await your progress report!" The young woman stood up from behind her desk. She looked as worried as ever but slightly more hopeful as each day passed. "Have you made much progress?"

He informed Tonetta Merrin of all the previous day's events and what little they had gathered from the information they had found. Halfway through the discussion Emmy excused herself to go and develop some more photographs, her camera on her shoulder. Not long after, Tonetta got rather cosy with him. Thankfully her attention was drawn to the papers he had brought with them and she took them to her desk to read. She looked several years older as she read through the papers.

"Ms. Merrin?" She had fallen strangely silent since plucking the papers from his hands.

"I.. I know this handwriting. I have seen it before."

"Where?" This could be the big break he was looking for. Maybe he could finally help this poor village.

"I'm not sure."

Needless to say that was not the answer he was hoping for. For a moment he had gotten his hopes but there had been no pay off. He tried not to show his disappointment as the young woman handed the pages back. She kept one in her hands.

"May I keep this page in case it comes back to me?"

A quick glance at the particular page revealed very little of interest so he nodded his permission.

"I will let you know if it comes back to me. Thank you for filling me in on your findings. I am sure you have plenty to get back to. I shall not delay you any longer."

Before he even knew what was really going on they had been ushered out of the home and were staring at a firmly closed door.

"That was strange."

"I agree, Luke. But let's not dwell on it now. Emmy will be developing her photographs so why don't we go and wait for her? We can talk everything through that we currently know."

The walk to Emmy's makeshift dark room wasn't very long but the boys took their time in walking there. They enjoyed a pleasant chat about the beauty of the town before getting onto the subject of the troubles. They continued to debate their information for over an hour after reaching the dark room. It was only when Luke mentioned he was thirsty and the conversation dried up that Hershel realised the time.

"Emmy?" Hershel knocked on the closed door. "Are you all right in there?"

"Professor Layton?"

"Ah, Madigan. Good to see you. What can I do for you?"

The guard rubbed his hands together then shoved them in his pockets. "Well, I was wondering why you were talking to an empty room. Have you lost your mind?"

Hershel frowned. "Empty? But Emmy was in here developing photographs."

"No, she hadn't been in there since last night. Check fer yourself." The guard walked away as Hershel opened the door. Madigan had been right, the room was completely empty.

"Luke, run back to the room and check if Emmy is there." The boy ran off to do what he was told and Hershel jogged after the guard. "Madigan! Madigan, can I just ask, when did you last see Emmy?"

"Well, let's see. I saw Miss Altava last night when I locked up the dark room. I opened it up again for her this morning but she never came back."

"Thank you, Madigan. Sorry to have troubled you."

He wasn't going to allow himself to get worried.. But people had been going missing and he was now worried that that whoever was doing this had found the replacement lock faster than he had anticipated. He started to look for her by going back the way she would have travelled between the Merrin Manor and the dark room. Halfway up the hill he noticed something black amongst the grass on the side of the path. He carefully approached the object and sighed heavily when he recognised what it was. Emmy's camera. The lens was shattered, a piece of glass falling from the camera when he lifted it. Where could she have gone? They were in a relatively open area. A quick scan of the area produced nothing more than a patch of shrubbery a few metres away. As it was the only thing nearby it was all that he had to try.

With her camera slung over his shoulder he approached the patch of shrubbery. There was nothing odd about it until he rooted around in the patch. "A manhole.. This is where they went?"

"Professor?" Luke was panting as he arrived. "Emmy isn't in the room. Is that-"

"Her camera? Yes. I think she was taken into the tunnels via this manhole."

"No! Emmy! Can't we follow them?!" He could hear the panic in the boy's voice and sadly shook his head.

"I can't open it without the proper tool, it's too heavy. And whoever took her knows these tunnels far better than us." Now that he examined the surrounding area he could see drag marks where the cover had been pulled off and back on. There were also a couple of drops of dark red liquid staining a few blades of grass.

"I am afraid I believe that is blood."

XXX

The first thing she was aware of was the dull aching pain in the back of her head. More of her senses gradually came back to her as she was roused from her forced 'nap'. She couldn't see a thing; something dark was over her eyes. No. Over her head. A sort of black bag but not made of plastic. She could breathe through the soft material. The room she was in was far too dark to see a thing through her blind fold. The smell was almost overwhelming. At this point she was getting used to the smell of fish but this odour was at least twice as strong. Now she was awake she had to fight the urge to gag. Her hands were tied behind her back and she was seated on the damp floor of a cold room. She could feel a source of heat beside her and turned to face the warmth. But doing so only earned her a fright.

"Ah, you're awake! I can hear the change in your breathing. My name is Arnic Shir and I am the scientist for Mespil. Welcome to hell."