Disclaimer: I don't own Professor Layton nor Rosa or Luke Triton since they both belong to Level-5 games and nobody else, in fact I own nobody of the professor layton franchise!
Down goes the apprentice.
Professor Layton sped around a corner, tires screeching loud in his ears as he tossed the wheel's direction to one side in order to perform a U-turn. He glared out determinedly at the road in his wake as the rain violently battered the window, being wiped away by the window shield wipers before being pelted by the heavy rain again.
He couldn't hide that he was horrified of what had become of Luke now he had been so stupidly moved from his bed -somewhere he should have been staying in- and he was also very cross since it was once of his enemies whom had done this heinous act. He took in a deep breath before withdrawing it, exhaling a long sigh that had been buried deep within the boundaries of his throat.
The Layton mobile sped down the smooth road ahead with such speed that it was close to actually breaking the speed limit but the professor didn't much care for the law except for the fact that it would stall his attempt to rescue poor Luke who was probably more sick than ever now.
His heart shattered when he thought of that poor boy, that brave young man who he trusted so much and treated as his apprentice and student. He even sometimes treated Luke like he was his own son but the professor wouldn't go as far as to replace Clark in Luke's heart even if the man had busied himself with tasks that took both himself and his wife, Brenda, across the sea.
Poor Luke was probably now fighting for his life...
The Professor was snapped out of his state of deep thought whence he saw a strange contraption hovering in the air above him, just beside the infamous giant clock tower known as Big Ben. The professor narrowed his eyes angrily but kept a stone face since he couldn't lose his self control, not now. He was going to rescue Luke and make it snappy since time was of the essence here without question or reluctance.
Pressing a button, the professor watched as the Layton mobile spouted two long, flat expanations at each side that crossed like a dragonfly's wings and as it changed shape slightly. The Layton mobile had been fitted for flight quite recently so, encase of emergancy, he could actually go from driving along the highway to flying along the skyline.
The professor was sort of ignorant of this sudden upgrade since he was too worried about Luke. The thundercloud-filled skies were rumbling with the occasional thunder storm and there was the occasional streak of lightning flashing across the sky in a sudden array of blinding light that could momentarily blind even the sturdiest of pilots. He watched as his vehicle took to the air and he steered the car towards that machine which no doubt held Luke and the reveal of his fate too.
It was then that the professor heard a very familiar voice screech in his ears, booming through a loud megaphone.
"Layton!" It exclaimed in a somewhat surprised tone but then it turned slyly smug "...I knew you would come for the little brat."
The professor fought the urge to snarl since he knew that would be most ungentlemanly of him but he did decide to get right to the point as he leaned forwards and swiftly pressed a button with his fingertip and held it as his own voice projected into the air in a loud microphone-like way.
"Enough of this foolishness, Don Paolo, what is it you want in exchange?" His voice asked rashly. He was just desperate to get his apprentice back safe and sound but a hidden part of him just knew that this would probably not be the case since Luke was in a bad enough state even in his custody.
The man revealed himself as he stepped out on to the wing of his machine but he held a small-ish blue bundle in his arms. The professor didn't need a puzzle to realise who that figure in blue was...
"Luke, my boy...?" The professor was deathly worried since even from where he was in the far distance he was, the fact that Luke was too still for his liking was sticking out like a sore thumb and there was also the thing to mental note that Luke was very faintly shivering in the mad scientist's arms. Even though professor Layton's face had paled, it was nothing in comparison to poor Luke as his poor apprentice was out cold.
Luke seemed to hear the professor's voice as he very weakly opened his eyes, just barely enough so he could see, and he gave the faintest of smiles that gave the professor the impression that he was relieved beyond words. Luke mouthed the professor's name before he let out a long sigh and passed out again, rain pouring down his face and dampening every inch of his body.
The professor gave a very worried look. Luke was in even worse shape than ever before, did Don Paolo realise that he was killing him!?
Desperately, the professor began to try and talk some sense into the man standing on the wing of his machine. "D-Don, you need to give Luke back to me!" He said with his refined voice in a small shout yet there was a panicky desperation hidden behind his words "He could die if he stays out there much longer!"
However the scientist rolled his eyes. It was like he really had no idea that Luke was seriously ill! He sent a glare to the airborne car and he frowned, shuddering a bit from the frigid cold gusts of wind blowing along with the heavy raindrops falling from the sky.
Don Paolo mumbled yet it was still audible "What is the big deal he is just feigning a cold, isn't he?"
The professor was dumbstruck. Seriously, did he hear that right? Luke was FAKING a cold!? It took all the bones in his body for him not to slap his own head at the idea of Luke looking this awful and still faking this and scream into the microphone the many idiotic contradictions in that theory. You could really make Swiss cheese contradiction since there was so many holes in there.
The puzzle-loving gentleman exclaimed "No, he really is sick! He has pneumonia!"
Don Paolo furrowed a brow upon hearing the name of that. He had heard of such an illness before "But thats as common as the lambs that are born in the springtime. It isn't so bad!"
The professor dipped his top hat and held back a scream of frustration. Instead of doing that, his expression shielded by his top hat, he pinched the bridge of his nose to suppress the chances of an incoming headache (with his free hand on the wheel) and when he took his fingers off his nose, he pressed the button again "...Yes, I concur that pneumonia is common but you can also die from it. The boy is in danger!"
He watched as Don Paolo gave a look of disbelief. He looked down at a frail-looking companion of the professor whom shivered a bit in his arms. The boy's breathing was growing weaker and more quiet as he looked up pleadingly at the scientist, an open-mouthed frown taking hold of his lips as his near lifeless eyes opened more a few long moments until he fell back unconscious.
These lapses of consciousness, were they really from the boy's condition?
The man with the strange hair and massive moustache said nothing as he looked down at the professor's apprentice whom he had kidnapped. Was this boy really endanger of perishing? Was he really slowly killing this youngster in his arms?
He shook his head in denial. This boy was fine and he was going to prove it!
Don Paolo grabbed Luke by the back of his collar, holding him up by the scruff of the neck, and he tossed the boy forwards where he tumbled to the floor and weakly sliced forwards on the slippery wing of the contraption they flew in. Luke grunted in pain as he landed roughly on the soaking wet wing of this thing, sliding until he gone sliding off the edge of the machine and he began to plummet.
The professor was surprised as he observed this. Luke was now falling from the sky! He quickly reacted by taking a finger off the button meant to project his voice and he grabbed the steering wheel and lowered it down so the car could swoop down along with it.
The professor narrowed his eyes tightly as he made the Layton mobile dive down in order to try and catch Luke before he fell to his death. He reached a hand out of the conveniently-opened roof of the car and managed to snag Luke out of the air as he brought him into the Layton mobile and lowered him in the passenger seat so he could lay down softly.
It was needless to say that Luke was now so limp that he was barely alive.
The professor cradled him gently as he lain the boy down in the seat but Luke seemed very unresponsive to what was happening around him but he was also now cold to the bone instead of hot to the touch. The apprentice of Professor Layton didn't like being well since he couldn't work and learn as much but now he felt like a lot of the life had been sucked out of him. He coughed weakly, his eyes wandering up to the ceiling of the car.
"Luke, can you hear me...?" The professor asked softly as he held Luke's head to support him but Luke didn't respond. He felt so horrid now and he couldn't even move his head since he was so weak and exhausted, it sucked. Luke managed the softest of aggravated growls as he slowly moved his hand to his throbbing chest, squeezing his eyes shut in pain as he spluttered out a pathetically weak cough.
He couldn't speak, he could barely move. He felt useless.
The professor felt really bad for the boy. If he had been there he wouldn't be in this situation. He should have kept a sharper eye on Luke otherwise Don Paolo probably wouldn't have kidnapped Luke like this. At least the boy was safer now, though.
Narrowing his eyes once again in determination, professor Layton gave a deep sigh as he decided to do what was best for Luke even if he did want to give that guy a piece of his mind. He floored the pedal and turned around so the Layton mobile could speed off in a different direction but the professor couldn't be certain if this would prolong Luke's recovery yet he felt that he should try in the very least.
He strapped Luke's frail form down in the seat and sped off in the opposite direction of once he came, his top hat falling just over his little black eyes to make his facial expression give off a look of both anger and urgency of the utmost vitality. He had to get home and make sure Luke would warm up a little and get him stabilised.
...And then, the professor thought with a reluctant sigh, he was going to tell Brenda and Clark.
But it was then that something caught his eye in the rear view mirror. The professor eyed it in confusion since it looked like a green orb of powerful rays that could inflict damage.
That's because it WAS a green orb of powerful rays that could inflict damage.
The professor panicked. He knew deep down that this was Don Paolo, wanting Luke back probably, and it seemed that he wasn't going to let his prey escape from him as he wanted to shoot them both down no matter what the cost. The professor's heart jumped down into his stomach at the realisation that home was probably going to take awhile longer yet.
He needed to do battle with the villain after all, there was no other way out of this. That contraption was chasing them as its form grew bigger and bigger as it gave chase behind the airborne car, frightening the gentleman driver a little as he tried to swerve himself away from danger.
"Alright then," Hershel Layton muttered to no one in particular "if you would really desire a duel then make it quick."
A/N: The professor has Luke back but it seems that Don Paolo isn't giving up so easily. He didn't know that he was putting Luke's life in danger but he was still very mean about it since he tried to kill Luke regardless to prove a point.
Poor Luke and poor professor Layton.
Neither of them can catch a break can they?
Please review.
-Chloemcg