Unsuspected Evil
A/N Hi there. This idea has been in my head months. I know crossovers aren't as popular, and I'm aware this has occurred to others as an interesting cross-over but I had a totally different way of taking the idea. I'll upload everything I have so far and would love to know if you want to see this fic carried on. I am fairly new to the Kuroshitsuji side of things, but hey, I'll have a go ;) I think there'll be some great tension to come throughout this fic if I do decide to carry on. I would love to know if you like it, so please let me know, so I can carry on scribbling (or not) :D P.S if you don't know Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler (or vice versa), it's totally fine. You still should enjoy the Sweeney Todd parts, and hopefully the tension between characters ;) Please enjoy :)
Chapter 1: A New Investigation
In the afternoon.
Sebastian swiftly prepared afternoon tea, accompanied by some custard creams he had made the same morning. As he carted in the trolley of delectable items and the infamous tea pot, Ciel peered over at him from the newspaper. "Honey tea is it?" the boy murmured, half acknowledging his existence.
"Indeed my lord."
He poured out the sweet liquid into the dainty cup, then placed it onto an immaculately cleaned saucer. He lifted an empty tray from a table on the side, delicately dropping the cup and saucer onto it, a china plate with a small pyramid of custard creams alongside a folded serviette followed.
"You seem to have taken my statement of wanting something sweet quite literally. Custard creams and honey tea? This is slightly excessive." the young lord complained.
Sebastian does not comment, he opened up his hand and placed the tray onto the tips of his fingers. Ciel ignored the movements as the tall, slender man set down his tea and biscuits, intently reading the newspaper. Usually by now, he would have been asking the butler to leave but he was so engrossed in whatever he was reading that Sebastian's curiosity began to spike. "You seem awfully quiet my lord. Is there something the matter?" he asked, knowing it wasn't his place but it wasn't usual behaviour from his master.
Ciel suddenly scrunched the paper and folded it up, placing it on the table as he reached for his hot honey tea. "Nothing that matters to me personally." Earl Phantomhive replied emptily, closing his blue eye as he took a sip of the sweet tea. "However, it seems it does to the Queen. It appears we have another investigation on our hands. She believes that there is another serial murderer lurking about London, killing the every day man in a place of authority or trusted standing. I've been reading the obituaries in today's newspaper but there is nothing unusual or out of the ordinary. No missing persons or mysterious deaths. No clues or evidence to investigate at all."
By this time, Sebastian was stood behind the boy, next to the tray he had placed on the cabinets cluttered with antiques and whatnots. He frowned, red eyes narrowing as his gloved forefinger pressed lightly over his mouth, tapping in thought. "Nothing out of the ordinary has occurred. No one has been reported missing..." he trailed off, the young boy snapping a custard cream and munching it loudly. "... in that case, perhaps the victims are people that are living for themselves. People who shan't be missed?" Ciel continued crunching the biscuit, still opening his mouth to talk, "I had never considered that. Yet how is the Queen aware of such a thing, if there is no evidence of death in the first place."
Sebastian cringed at the sight of his master speaking with his mouth full, yet bears it for the time being by clenching his teeth as he stood perfectly still. He shook off the annoyance and answered the boy, "A hunch, or perhaps due to the amount of rumours the public are floating around at this time, my lord. Even if the very idea of a serial killer is once again existent, your Queen cannot have her London being a fearful place once more, one imagines."
Ciel gulped the biscuit down, tapping his fingers in thought against the wooden table. "That would make sense. She wishes for me to find out if these legends are true to put an end to all of the fear." He downed another swig of Sebastian's honey tea, sighing after he swallowed it down. "The sweetness isn't so strong Sebastian, the two beverages accompany each other surprisingly quite well." A smile tugged at Sebastian's lips, "My lord, I daresay what you just said may have come close to a compliment."
Ciel humphed and sipped at his tea, "We have a start already. If there are no obituaries or missing persons then that can only mean that the people this killer targets are most likely on their own, without family, just as you have suggested."
Sebastian looked at the newspaper in wonder, realising he hadn't even glanced over the main headline that morning - something he quite often got excited about before giving the young master his breakfast tea during the morning. "Master, could I read the front of the paper, if I may?" he asked, eyes narrowing in curiosity. Ciel paused, poising the rim of the cup on his lips as he half turned to his butler with a glare. This wasn't part of their usual afternoon routine.
"What for? I have told you there are no suspicious deaths or missing - " The butler snatched the newspaper anyway, unfolding it and staining his pristine gloves with the fresh, grubby ink that rubbed off. "You've got some bloody nerve butler!" Ciel scolded, taking a large gulp of tea before slamming it onto the saucer, droplets of tea spilling slightly. The butler's eyes were transfixed as they read the front page article left to right. "What is it? Something about a missing cat caught your eye?" the master poked, letting out a bitter 'HA!' as another custard cream was stuffed into his mouth.
"Hm. How interesting," Sebastian whispered, lowering the paper from his face so he could address his master properly. "Have you read the front page my lord? It's rather strange considering it is the main news. Or are you so morbid that you take more pleasure in reading the obituaries first?"
The young lord smirked, "Why what have you found?"
"It seems that there was a public contest for barbers yesterday, it was quite the public spectacle around Covent Garden allegedly. Whichever man gave the fastest, smoothest shave was the winner. It suggests that it took place between a rather pale looking man who appears to suffer from some sort of sleep deprivation, and a rather flamboyant Italian."
Ciel frowned in confusion, turning away from his butler slightly. "Whatever does this have to do with our investigation?" he asked in a small voice. "Absolutely nothing, other than I do rather need a shave. It's been some time, I usually do it myself."
Ciel immediately turned around to look and snap at the demon, only to gape in horror. "What on Earth is that on your chin?!" he yelled, pointing a thin finger at the five o clock shadow the butler wore. "Why have you not done something about it? I thought something like this would have driven a butler like you mad, demon!" Sebastian put a hand on his heart, red eyes wide and mouth parted slightly in mock surprise. "My lord!" he exclaimed. "Do forgive me but I have not had time to notice with the amount of chores one does in this household. All of the others are clumsy fools and I have to fix everything, and this only adds to a head butler's workload."
"You still surely feel that ungodly growth on your face!"
Sebastian dropped the act and the small smile smeared across his features again, "I did. And I have to say I'm rather enjoying being adventurous. And it is a controlled growth my lord, I assure you."
The boy gritted his teeth, "What's gotten into you? Is this a game? Seeing if I get so bloody annoyed that I'll order you to shave it all off?!" The butler looked taken aback, and he scoffed back a laugh. "My lord, really. There is no game here, I merely wish to try something new." Ciel sighed and leant his chin on the palm of his right hand, his elbow supporting his arm on the table.
"New, hm? I hate change. I'd rather stay the same whilst the world changes around me." the boy stated in monotone. Sebastian smirked as Ciel averted his sight away from his butler, lifting up his cup to his lips. "You seem terribly distracted today my lord. Is there something else about this investigation that troubles you?"
"Yes Sebastian, there is."
Immediately, the butler wore a serious expression, ears pricked up in attention.
"What am I to tell the Queen if these myths the public are spreading, are in fact, true? How do we find a killer that leaves no evidence? It would be positively impossible."
Sebastian took a few steps forward, placing a gloved hand on the boy's shoulder. "Indeed it would, Master. Yet remember, you are the Queen's guard dog, and above all, a Phantomhive. Nothing is impossible when you are around my lord." The boy paused and turned his head to him, looking at his stern expression. "You are right. No matter if the stories are true, we will put an end to the killer." he said coldly, turning away to sip his slightly colder drink. Sebastian did a half bow, placing a hand over his heart, "Yes, my lord. I shall now leave you to enjoy your afternoon tea." He elegantly sauntered towards the drawing room's exit. "And we shall put an end to that stubble on your cheek too, butler." the young lord added cheekily, earning a pause in movement from the butler in question. Sebastian left the room with a smirk, not even acknowledging his master's cheeky comment.
