"Run!"
Ben yelled as Ben number one blinked himself awake. Luke was still above of him and watched him, slightly shocked. The hole, he had where his nose should be, scared him a lot. The other watcher's as well... how could that even be possible? Was he some sort of Robot, or a freaky Doll? But that wasn't the right solution... since Ben drank and ate. Both Alternatives weren't possible then!
"Luke, keep him down!"
Hershel commanded his apprentice, who obeyed him immediately. His grip around Ben's thin arms began to get tighter, so that he couldn't run away anymore.
"Shit! Why do you always know what to do Layton, eh?"
Smirking softly, he turned his head around, so that he could face Ben number two and say:
"I bet, I know what's going on... Now everything makes sense!"
Ben number one raised an eyebrow... Remi only coughed from the pain she felt behind of her and Claire still stood there like a statue, awaiting the brilliance of her gentleman.
Ben laughed, unclamped his grip from Hershel and ran to the Door.
"It isn't that easy to solve it, Layton! Believe me, you're wrong! Ha ha!"
He fled without other words. With a loud noise, the door slammed shut, then Luke suddenly decided:
"We have to go after him! Or he'll terrorizes us longer!"
Already running, Flora stopped him:
"L...Luke?"
"Flora! Hey... God, don't you ever scare me like that!"
He made his way back to her and stroke her cheek, caring. Forgetting the events a few seconds ago, he asked:
"Dear, I need to leave quickly. Would it be okay, if I go and let you with Remi behind? I guess that she won't make it any further..."
His glimpse wandered to Remi, who was closing her eyes. Maybe she wanted to sleep, so that the pain would disappear in her dreams. Disappointed that it didn't worked, she added to Luke's suggestion:
"Don't worry, I'll take care of her..."
"And of yourself. You need rest as well."
Hershel said to her, slightly concerned. After that he went to Luke, ignoring his foot once more. Claire placed her petite hands on his wide shoulders and was by now ready to chase Ben down. Team Layton was complete. Yet weak and tired as hell. It would abut to a miracle, if they would stop Ben and solve the whole case in the next.. fifteen minutes! Impossible... right?
"I'll be okay, Hershel. As I said, don't worry about us. We'll be fine soon. Now go, and thwart his Plans!"
After that word, he rushed to the hallstand and picked his beloved Top hat and his long, brown coat. Dressed, the three of them walked out of the apartment, into the end of the adventure..
"Do you think, we're on the right trail?"
Claire was quiet nervous about it all: She asked fairly much questions and hung on Hershel's Hand like a child, not wanting to let go.
"Claire, I don't know. We have to wait and see.."
He returned, losing his nerves soon. Luke in contrary was rather calm. That was the fact, because his thoughts weren't by the place. No, they were all around Flora and Remi:
'I hope that she's already fine... and Remi too! But her back looks and feels really bad. All cut open and wet from her blood.. like Hershel. They've lost too much blood...but still they're doing their thing, as if nothing happened. Impressive … AND scary. The fact that... What the ***?'
The whole group was standing in front of the Secondhand shop again and faced Ben number one once more. He was standing at the till, buying some odd looking clothes, which weren't suitable at all. A wonder that they were still in trade!
"Professor, do you really believe that this is Ben? His hair seems so different.. but strangely familiar as well?"
Layton only nodded and walked into the shop with Claire by his side. As they've arrived the man next to the cashier, Hershel decided to approach him:
"Good evening... Don Paolo."
Irritated, the man turned around, to see that he was encircled by his enemies: Layton, Claire and Luke.
"Oh.. hello Professor. I didn't expected you here! But.. who's this Don Paul?"
He asked, extremely nervous. Now the situation was getting really dicey for Ben or who he actually was..
"You know him exactly. No one knows, what's going on in your mad, brilliant mind... but I'm very sure that my suspicion's correct... Could you confirm my assumption?"
Very earnest, Claire tried to fallow Hershel's thoughts but she couldn't. He was just too close on the solution to this mystery... Luke instead knew for what he was going at. After all he's Hershel's apprentice and has learned much from his mentor... He spoke along, as he walked towards the man, wearing the long violet coat:
"Isn't it quiet obvious?..."
Luke muttered, while he was pacing up and down...
"... You where Don Paolo the whole time, sneaking into our house and community to harm us in any way. But for what reason?"
"The Plot thickens..."
The man without the right personality said, laughing in between.
"That's right my boy... thus far were I as well.. then I looked behind his facade..."
At Layton's Apartment:
"Flora, how do you feel, dear?"
Remi pulled herself together and tried to ignore the pain, when she helped her up to the couch. Finally sitting on the furniture, she replied softly:
"I'm okay, I just feel a bit dizzy. I bet that's coming from the fall. And something else bother's me too..."
The other woman sitting next to her, was rather puzzled. She just didn't came to the thing that still bothered her:
"Don't you feel his presence? Ben's presence...?"
They totally forget that Ben number two was still there, laying on the ground unconscious again. He probably lost his mind, when Don Paolo rushed away and pushed him accidentally aside, where the door to Luke's room was. Then he crushed his head right into the corner, which cause him to fall senseless again. Bleeding, he lies there.. not moving anymore and sending a terrifying picture to the girls.
"Flora.. now press your noes in this and look away okay?"
She told her, giving her an handkerchief. With that she could avoid to smell Ben's Blood.
"I'll do that.. Thank you!"
And that was what she did, while she hugged a white pillow close to her chest. In the Meantime, Remi walked to Ben: hovering over him, she softly shook him, like she handled Hershel when he was senseless. Then, after a few minutes, Ben woke up from his trance.
"Ouh.."
The noise he made, sounded so different from his normal voice, they were used to. And something else was catching Remi's eye: A tiny thing plopped out of his occiput. It was rather round and looked like a little tick, sticking there forever. Ben rubbed his forehead slightly disoriented and gazed right into Remi's dark eyes, saying:
"Hello, Miss... may I ask, who you are?"
"You aren't just saying, that you never saw me before, are you?"
Flora's head turned around immediately, when she heard Remi's flattering voice. The thought of his blood just flew away, as she stood up and ran towards the two.
"No, I swear, that I haven't!"
Now, even his eyes represented something totally different... warmness, innocence and just a bit shyness, to see such a beautiful lady in front of him.
"Thank God! I owe you something for this..."
Ben sat up and lifted the 'tick' up, looking extremely happy as he saw that it wasn't on his head anymore.. but why? What did that thing do to him?
"I don't understand. Why are you so relieved that this thing's gone now? Firstly I thought it was a tick that bothered you there... sorry that I say this, but you've changed and act like another person."
Leaning against the wall behind him, he placed his strong Hand on Remi's shoulder and spoke softly:
"Honestly, I know, what this bloody thing did to me... Do you know a certain Don Paolo?"
She kneeled closer to Ben and touched Flora's arm by doing so, as she replied curiously:
"No, I don't. Is it..."
"But, I do! He nearly killed me in saint mystére."
His eyes widened by this statement... He didn't knew that Don Paolo was so brutal and shameless in reaching his aim. Now his gaze was fully on Flora, who was surprised by his reaction:
"Is that true? Is he really the monster I thought he was... well then, I'll tell you my whole story.."
The girls shifted their position into the cross-legged style and listened to him carefully:
"I am Ben. The real Ben. He was impersonating me and controlling me since I've met him the first time..."
Flashback:
"Hello, Sir. How was you're day?"
Don Paolo said without any disguise. Ben was in a public cafe, sipping his tea with relish, as his future controller showed up, asking him weird questions for the first meeting.
"Good Morning sir, I'm Ben and you are?"
Raising his eyebrow Don responded quiet annoyed:
"I'm Ben as well. Funny fortuity... So.. ahmm..."
Conspicuously placing his arm around the stranger, Paolo touched his hair once, inserting the little telecontrol near behind his left ear. Ben's eyes lit up... but showed no emotions.
"Now Ben, walk with me.. come on! Good Boy!"
Ben immediately obeyed his voice and started to walk out of the cafe, forgetting to pay his bill and his own jacket. Then he found himself in Don's Apartment, surrounded only by himself...
End of Flashback.
"From then on I was his marionette.. his personal tool to steer. Just imagine how it feels when you can't do your things.. like going to the bathroom, eating something without an order. It's plainly horrible. I always heard his voice in my head, telling me what to do.. but his technique wasn't hundred percent elaborated. No, sometimes I've had my own thoughts and felt things that I wasn't supposed to feel..."
Flora promptly blushed hard, when his gaze just wouldn't go off her pretty lips, as he went on:
"The Kiss... I was the one who kissed you, not Don Paolo who wanted me to leave. I had the urge to do that, because I was falling in Love with you... that was also what Don wanted, so that it would hurt me afterwards, when he removed the controller. If he did so, I would be an idiot for you, someone who misused your feelings for myself to harm your beloved people."
Remi couldn't believe his moving story: It just was too improbable. All details were planned by Don Paolo and just perfect for himself, who was happy with hurting others feelings. But there must be a reason why he all did this to everyone.
"And now... I'm just happy to see that you're fine and.. you, Remi, as well."
Ben's gaze went from Flora and stopped at Remi's eyes.. but then fell to her Hands, which were covered with her own Blood:
"Holy... What happened to you? Did I.. ?"
Afraid of himself, Ben touched her Hands to see that they weren't cut open...
"It's nothing... just a contusion. I tried to save you and pushed you away from the explosion, receiving this..."
She turned around slowly, showing her injury with a distorted expression on her face. Open-mouthed Ben carefully took off her yellow coat to expose her injury more...
"Please stand up, I'll clean it for you. And.. thank you Remi, for saving me after all what I've done."
She gave him a little smile and unbuttoned her blouse, as he walked into the kitchen...
At the Secondhand Shop:
"Then you changed him with yourself and made us all precarious about 'Ben'. Or should I rather say the Ben's? You've planned it all through, with the goal to hurt anyone of us: You made Ben fall in Love with Flora, harmed Luke, Flora, Claire, Remi and myself.. but why? Well..."
"Stop it, Layton! I know you're wrong with the last part! Just solve this Puzzle and you'll know what came over me..."
Claire stepped closer to Hershel and held Luke's Hand in hers, awaiting the tricky puzzle from Don:
"I did it all for one person, for one feeling, for one thing... All this is in something that you can't separate...
What/Who is it, Layton?"
Author's Note: Ben's story.. what do you think about it? And a riddles included to this chapter.. Please try and guess the right answer. Maybe you'll get it :) Soo the last chapter's coming soon, and I'm still working on it.. If i make it I'll upload it this evening.. Thank you for reading again (R&R for the sequel) :D