The lightening lit up the sky, changing the dark countryside into bursts of shapes and signs. Ciel and Sebastian looked out into the night, a moment of quiet time in the otherwise hectic life of the Earl of Phantomhive. As they watched Sebastian flinched. Out in the distance was a shape that approached quickly.
A whistle let the servants of the manor know to take up their positions. Mey-Rin took her place in the garden, her glasses perched on her head and her guns taught. Bard sat in an upstairs balcony, his eyes trained on the distant horizon. Finny stood on the roof, his mounds of debris that he hurled at enemies laying static beside him. All he could do was take in the rain hitting his face. He was so stuck on the feeling of the droplets he did not hear Bard and Mey-Rin yelling and shooting the approaching figure. Finny continued to stare into the distant clouds that rolled until he heard a whoosh of four knives past his ears. He turned quickly to see Sebastian standing behind him, staring at a space beyond.
"Is there a reason for your presence here?" Sebastian asked as Finny slowly turned. His eyes opened wide and he stifled an impressed laugh. Before him stood a girl clad in black, her hair the most vibrant shade of red, and in her grasp she held three of the four knives. One was clasped in between her long finger nails of each hand, a third was stuck in between her teeth. She was grinning wildly, blood slowly poured through a small cut on her cheek left by the fourth knife. She dropped the weapons and jumped into the air, Finny's eyes moved with her sleek body. She landed next to Sebastian, her head turned to face him,
"I just thought I'd drop by and say hello." She mustered, a mocking tone seeped out with her words. She reached a hand up and touched Sebastian's face. A nail grazed his cheek, leaving an almost identical wound to her own. Sebastian didn't even flinch.
"The last time I saw you, you were held in a prison cell. Bound by chains." Sebastian replied, grabbing her wrist and pulling her to face him. She made no effort to get away, only stuck her face close to his.
"You mean the last time you saw me, you were freeing me from those chains." She kissed him on the wound she had left, then licked the tiny droplets of blood off her own lips. Finny stood shocked. "But then of course you had another name. What does your master call you?"
"Finnian. Please tell the others that the problem has been caught and they can return to their chambers." Sebastian ordered the young boy. With a nod Finnian was off to Bard and Mey-Rin. Sebastian turned and slapped the girl. "The servants do not know of my past life I would like to keep it that way. And my Master calls me Sebastian."
"Sebastian huh? A name that commands respect." The girl smiled, she looked deep into Sebastian's eyes. "Then I want to be Scarlett. I do think that the names match nicely." With that the girl yanked her hand away and headed toward the staircase leading down into the manner. Sebastian quietly followed.
Scarlett, as she was now being called, hurried ahead of him. Sebastian did not worry, he knew that she felt like she owed him. However when he got to the bottom of the stairs he saw her about to enter Ciel's study. He grabbed her by the arm before she could even touch the handle and dragged her down the hall. Pushing her against the wall.
"Before anyone else sees you I need to clear a few things up. First of all, what brings you here?" Sebastian asked, the palms of his hands pressing against Scarlett's shoulders.
"If you must know, you brute, I have no where else to go. After you broke me out of the Reaper's prison I have been all alone in the world." She shrugged the best she could.
"That was nearly a hundred years ago."
"And I have been alone every since!" Scarlett yelled. Sebastian put a gloved hand over her mouth.
"Keep it down." Sebastian ordered, putting his face close to hers. "I do not trust you, but I will accept this response. I have to tell you that if you insist on staying you must pretend not to be a demon."
"Why should I?"
"Because if you don't I will be forced to kill you." Sebastian's eyes glowed as he stared into Scarlett's. She was a nuisance, and he did not want her to stay. He knew though that if she had come all this way to locate him, she was not going to leave without a fight. He did not want her to let on that she was a demon, because Sebastian knew his contract with Ciel was based upon Ciel's faith in his strength as a weapon. If Ciel could get his hands on another source of power Sebastian worried Ciel might stray from the contract.
"Sebastian! Who is this woman?" Ciel's voice rang out. Sebastian hadn't even heard the door open. He was slipping. It was Scarlett's fault. He jumped back from Scarlett, who continued to lean against the wall.
"Master, this is a woman I found. I think she would make an excellent addition to our staff. She is incredibly skilled in a variety of mediums, including art as well as math and reading. A live-in tutor perhaps?"
Ciel looked Scarlett up and down, in return she gave him a flirtatious wave that Sebastian knocked with his own hand. Ciel nodded when he was done. "Alright, I understand that. She will start first thing tomorrow then?"
"Yes sir." both Sebastian and Scarlett replied to the young head of Phantomhive.
"Good. Now Sebastian dress me for bed." With that both Sebastian and Ciel were gone.
Scarlett wandered the manor. She peeked in all of the doors, gasping at the site she saw. She had been in many manors in her days as a demon. She had seen the palace of Versailles and took in the wonders of the Italian Renaissance, but the Phantomhive manor seemed so peculiar to her.
As Scarlet stared into one of the large, and empty bedchambers she heard a creek of the floor behind her. Pulling a whip from under her dress she turned to greet the four servants of the Phantomhive household. Standing in a defensive position she stared them down. Although she had escaped them earlier she had to admit they were formidable, there would be nothing good from putting her guard down.
"Hello miss. I am Tanaka. I would like to welcome you to the Phantomhive manor." Tanaka greeted her like she might be an old friend with a bad memory. Although a few seconds later he exploded into a puff of smoke. Scarlett yelped and jumped back, her heels making a clack on the floor.
"Oh you don't have to worry 'bout that. He does that pretty often." Finnian warned her, reaching out to greet her. His hand was out to shake hers, she carefully reached for it. "My name is Finnian, but people call me Finny." His smile was penetrating.
"Scarlett." replied Scarlett, she shook his hand carefully.
"And I'm Mey-Rin yes I am."
"and Im Bard. I'm the cook round here. Sebastian doesn't like my style though." Bard's cigarette moved with his smile. It was charming.
"Then why on Earth does he have you cook?" Scarlett asked, taken back by the servants.
"Usually he fixes more things after I do." Bard nodded. Apparently proud of his handy work as a disastrous chef.
Scarlett laughed a bit, but was interrupted by Finny's loud yawning. "Guys can we go to bed now? Im exhausted from the work today." Bard and Mey-Rin nodded approval, Tanaka just sort of chuckled as he does, and Scarlett watched them. They were a peculiar bunch, she imagined Sebastian did that on purpose. She would inquire with him the next day. She followed them down the winding hallways of the Phantomhive Household, very interested in what she would find there.