Author's Note: Again, I don't own the characters aside from my OC: Felix Baxter II. Yana Toboso owns the characters Sebastian and Ciel. Once again, enjoy! And please leave comments! I love to read your guys' opinions! :)

~HCA

Bright sunlight stretched through the glass of the large bay window, peeking through the slits in the dark blue curtains that remained closed. What light did manage to shine through was cast upon a wooden floor, blanketed with an intricate rug of gold and red designs that swirled together to create a sea of colors. A small ray of sun reached the foot of the bed, the pale blue covers neatly tucked under the corners of the plump mattress, filled with the softest downy feathers that one should find. It was a bed fit for a king, the sturdy frame light in color to complement the gold that was found here and there.

The room itself was kept in mint condition. Not a speck of dust was found upon the pristine dresser, nor the nightstand that bore a flame-less candle held in an expensive gold base and plate to catch any stray drops of white wax that may happen to fall. Next to the golden tray laid an ivory chess piece. The object looked quite out of place in the whole respectively designed and schemed room, laying on its side. It was the piece of the knight. The horse resembling game piece stared down at its reflection in the wood, its mouth open as if to utter defeat in it's prostrate position.

However, a certain object that lay beside the beaten knight was even more peculiar. A black eye-patch. Silky material on the outside reflected the glow from the window, the ribbon curled about as if the item was just thrown upon the stand without a care. It very well may have been as the owner of the patch laid in the bed, safely tucked under the covers, deep in his slumber. He shifted slightly, his black, dark hair spread over the pillow, hiding his face partially from view.

His expression looked peaceful enough, though something seemed a bit off. Sleep seemed to fade away slowly as his skin tingled, his ears honing in on a distinct sound in the distance. His small hand underneath his pillow curled into a small fist, his eyes moving beneath his close eye lids. His small mouth frowned, the corners of his pale lips pulling down as he bent his head forward slightly. The sound drew closer. Constant in pace it never faltered. It become so close, it was too obvious to ignore. The youth clenched his fist, body becoming rigid as the sound became so unbearably loud.

Then it stopped.

Ciel snapped his crimson eyes open, body sitting upright in a flash just as the knob turned, a tall, thin man dressed in a black tailcoat stepping in. The Young Earl sighed slightly under his breath, allowing his eyes to return to their once natural cerulean state, his shoulders drooping somewhat as he relaxed. He watched the taller man with a dull expression as a silver tray was placed upon the night stand, the chess piece removed to provide some space for it.

The man's thin face, framed with raven black hair, was extremely pale. His thin lips formed a small smile as he looked closely at the knight in his gloved hand. His crimson eyes flitted from the chess piece to his Master for a moment as he considered what thoughts were running through his mind at that moment. The smile faded as it became a more inward smirk, the butler placing the ivory object upon the dresser, upright and standing tall. Still in the game.

"My apologies. I seemed to have startled you, Bocchan."

"Tch. As if," the boy merely replied stubbornly. In truth, he had been rather unsettled, but startled was something he wouldn't admit to the raven-haired man before him. "I am still adjusting. I merely heard you and thought it might be an intruder."

The lean man did not reply but dipped his head in acknowledgment, gracefully pouring the tea from the pot into a teacup upon a plate of a matching set. Today, it was a white ceramic cup with golden rims and a black rose with large, swooping stalks and poignant thorns. The butler tilted his head slightly, pondering the irony of such a design. It was so magnificently painted; the rose was soft and delicate, the edges left faded to allow its subtle beauty to freely flow. The swirling stems were thin and lighter in color, adding to the rose's significance upon the cup's face. However, in contrast to the whole design were the unsightly thorns. Almost crude in appearance, they were boldly thick and dark. How could something so beautiful, bear such ugliness on the outside. It seemed to lure you to smell the alluring aroma of the flower to draw you into its deadly thorns...

"Today's tea is an Earl Grey accompanied with raspberry scones," the butler carefully handed the youth the plate and the cup of steaming liquid, the light citrus scent appealing to the Earl as he took it in hand, blowing the steam away before he took a small sip, closing his eyes as the subtle flavor rested upon his tongue, though, it didn't taste quite like it used to.

Sebastian stepped back, watching his young master enjoy his tea. He would need to wait for him to finish before moving onto the next task of dressing him. He took the time to wait patiently, his eyes looking over the small changes that had taken over his Bocchan's body ever since that day.

For one, Ciel's fingers had become thinner in appearance, the pink flesh beneath the fingertip replaced by an ebony color. Even the master's skin had become paler, and the overall aura about him seemed to be tainted with demonic presence. His eyes had remained their clear blue, but he knew it was not their natural state anymore. Like himself, Ciel had taken an 'alternative' form. His human body before he had become a demon, had become his mask. His disguise to his himself in. Sebastian knew that behind those blue irises laid the blood-red that gazed up at him.

"Is something wrong?" Ciel inquired as he caught his butler's gaze, the latter's eyes narrowing slightly.

"Nothing, Young Master."

"Alright then," Ciel responded quietly, taking another sip of his tea before placing the cup down on his plate and then both onto the flat surface of the night stand. He let his arms fall back to his sides, awaiting Sebastian to clothe him.

The butler did as he was silently told to do, kneeling before his master as he unbuttoned the white sleep shirt, pulling it off the youth's shoulders before reaching into the pile of folded clothes on the bedside for a white undershirt. One arm at a time, Sebastian pulled the shirt over Ciel's bare upper body, buttoning it quickly through years of practice. Next he replaced Ciel's pants with a pair of shorts that came just above his knees and were black in color, pulling a pair of black stockings on immediately after. Following came the black dress shirt over the white undergarment, fastening it around his neck with a thin teal ribbon, much like the one attached to his eye patch except varied in color. Black boots were buttoned over the stockings, and a black top hat with a teal ribbon were placed upon the boy's charcoal hair. To finish it all, Sebastian pulled Ciel's blue coat over his shoulders, threading his arms through the sleeves and stepping back once his Bocchan had been fully dressed in his normal attire.

Ciel rose to his feet, hand outstretched until a cane was placed in his palm. The boy was still much shorter than the man before him, but he never let the butler feel as if he were any less important because of it.

"Sebastian,"

"Yes, My Lord?"

Demon gazed back at demon, each with unfaltering purpose. Ciel looked to the side casually to retrieve his cup of tea, taking another sip. He was in no hurry to inform the butler of what his wish was. He had all the time in the world.

Sebastian was not bothered by the boy's act, having grown accustomed to the child's constant games of establishing his status within this household. He never was certain why this was, but he assumed it was because Ciel felt others undermined him simply for appearing a mere child in their eyes. He, of course, could not look upon his Master with that state of mind. He was a butler, and would be forever. And as much as the thought dismayed the demon, he knew he must perform his job. He must be the best he could be. After all, he did take pride in being one hell of a butler.

Ciel lowered the cup from his lips, delicately placing it back upon the plate before proceeding.

"I expect to gather some information in town later this evening... You know the purpose."

"No doubt it's about the recent string of murders that has been causing panic in the streets, yes?" Sebastian offered the young master a scone, serving it on a plate with the perfectly baked pastry, the crust golden and delectable, placed in the center with a few assorted berries placed artistically along the side.

Ciel accepted the offer, the sweet and savory scent of the small tart drawing him in. He took a small bite, pleased in the outcome, but showed nothing of his satisfaction to the pair of eyes that watched him.

"All the victims were somehow tied to a certain company in the textile business: James and Mason. The company was named after the two founders, Sgt. James Leerag and Mason Dilney," Ciel took another bite of the exquisite sweet, placing the half finished pastry aside as he made it clear he was done for the day.

"All the victims were ordinary factory workers with no real wealth nor status. Mere commoners," Sebastian added as he placed the dished upon the silver platter, pushing a loose strand of his jet-black hair behind his pale ear.

"Mm," Ciel responded with a slight nod of his head. "There doesn't seem to be any real incentive to kill these men. They had nothing to offer. This looks like it could be a rather tough case to solve."

"Indeed," the butler responded as he straightened his posture, his gloved hands at his sides as he observed his young master think. The look upon his concentration told the taller demon that this case was in fact boggling his mind. It wasn't often that it stumped the young earl, but even he couldn't quite put a finger on it.

Although Ciel was proclaimed dead, the child had insisted he maintain order in the underworld. Even having no incentive as to continue it for his revenge had been quenched, some part of the boy couldn't quite leave the life he had before completely. Though he had left everyone behind without so much as a second thought, he would not—could not—bear to leave this. Of course, Sebastian had come to know the reason for this after awhile, piecing it together within his clever mind.

"We shall leave when the sun sinks lower and it begins to get dark. I won't take a risk of going out in the day time. I'll need a better disguise, too."

"Yes, My Lord."

Sebastian had to admit it was quite a change being the only servant in the household, though it was certain he did most of the work himself in the past anyhow. He couldn't help but feel a little odd without the incapable trio always hollering for his help and pleading for his forgiveness. He certainly couldn't say he missed them. He truly didn't. He had never felt attached to the servants in the first place. The only reason he had found them was because they had special abilities and the will to protect the Phantomhive Manor from outside intruders and enemies. Other than that, he had no use for them.

He definitely would not miss the Chef Bardroy. Always, the blonde gun-nut insisted on cooking the food with new contraption he would sift out from his collection of insane weapons. He could literally count the number of times the chef had actually prepared something edible. On one hand.

Nor would he miss the ever so childish Finnian. The gardner was strong. He had to admit that. But though his physical strength had been supreme, the boy had been an emotional wreck. He remembered distinctly that it was the hardest for the boy to kill the troublesome hound when the time came to it. Ciel had to convince the youngster over and over that the Pluto they remembered was not in there anymore. The butler also could recall the countless times the gardner had pruned the trees to a bare row of sticks. Over and over he would scold the youth for chopping the trees in half with his sheathes just because the blonde had gotten so carried away and distracted. He didn't know how much money he gave to the free-spirit to replace the trees again and again. His eye twitched just at the thought of it.

And then came Mey-Rin. The maid had been a wicked sniper. She wouldn't even have to use the scope to hit the target right on its mark. He sometimes regretted ever giving her those pair of glasses. Somehow, the things had possessed her into becoming as incapable as the others. She would have been a fine maid if she'd just had taken the things off. Nevertheless, she had a few more pros to her than the other two, but she did have her many many faults. She was clumsy as anything, and she was always getting extremely nervous and bashful around him. Sometimes she couldn't even function properly around him. He'd ask her to do something and all he'd get was a pair of blank, doe-eyes behind the thick lenses.

There was also another person that he felt the need to remember. Tanaka. Surprisingly, the old man never really bothered him. He actually had found the elder's company rather pleasant. He didn't speak much, and when he did, it was usually a simple 'Ho ho ho.' There were the times when Tanaka would awaken from his dazed self and offer some pretty generous information, but it never really lasted long. You could say the old man knew when to step in and when he could just sit in a corner and drink his green tea.

Sebastian sighed, finishing with the dishes as he turned his attention to something else. The manor he was currently residing in with his Bocchan had been an abandoned one that was secluded and far from the town. Far forgotten you could say. Why Ciel wished to remain here was unknown to the butler, but he didn't question it. He supposed it could be from a great number of things, but one was for certain.

The loud announcement of the hour from the great clock in the foyer. It sounded multiple times, alerting the butler of the hour. It was nearly time to begin their trip to the town to investigate the brutal murders that had the whole town in a state of fear.

Swiftly, Sebastian made his way down the dark corridor, a lit candle in his hand. He knocked at the door to Ciel's makeshift office, turning the knob to open the door.

"Bocchan, I believe it is time to take our leave."

"I thought so," Ciel replied, his back turned to the door as he gazed out the window. A few scraggly branches blocked the view on the outside, but the darkening sky was clear enough of a sign. "Come, Sebastian. I must get ready."

Wordlessly, Sebastian followed Ciel, opening the door to the young Earl's bedroom where his disguise lay, folded and ready to be applied.

The butler placed the lit candle on the dresser alongside the knight chess piece, the horse still gazing ever so determinedly towards the future, standing ready and faithful to the command of the King.

Removing the blue coat and attire of his master except for the undershirt, Sebastian placed the ragged vest and pants upon the child instead. Scuffed boots and a dull, gray Gatsby hat. His eye-patch had been removed and replaced with a white cloth, something that would be more inconspicuous.

When Sebastian had finished, Ciel had been covered head to toe in commoners clothes and looked incredibly convincing in Sebastian's mind. For obvious reasons, his cane was to be left at home as was any other accessory that would look odd or recognizable.

It was quite a hassle, but it was measures they had to take. They could not risk Ciel being spotted and questions being asked. If word of the Earl ever reached the ears of anyone they had met in the past, their existence could be found out. And none of them wanted that.

Sebastian was clad in a long, brown trench coat, a top hat pushing his dark hair in front of his eyes. He wore black gloves instead of his uniformed white to cover the purple pentagram upon his left hand.

Now that both were dressed in fitting attire, Sebastian ushered Ciel towards the front door, opening it for the young boy before stepping out himself, closing it behind him with a loud, groaning creak. The cool air was fresh and crisp, the atmosphere slightly damp from recent downpour.

"Shall we, Young Master?"

Ciel nodded, turning to Sebastian as the taller picked the youth in his arms, carrying him as he sped through the forest with demonic speed, weaving in and out of the trees effortlessly. They whizzed past the property of the abandoned estate, entering the woods that outlined the outskirts of the city. The butler slowed as they approached, now within eyesight of the city, his crimson eyes searching about for any wanderers that may be there.

Finding nothing in particular or of great importance, the demon butler leaped into the air, flying high in the sky to reach a rooftop within the city, crouching low to evade any searching eyes that may look his way. He set Ciel down beside him, certain they were safe for the time being.

"I believe the crime took place a block from here. This is as close as I could come without having us being spotted. We'll have to walk there from here."

Ciel nodded in response, making his way down the rooftop before jumping down. He landed a little unsteadily, the whole demon strength and power still foreign to him. Sebastian placed a hand on his shoulder, the younger shooting a pointed look.

"I can handle myself, Sebastian. Do not forget that."

"Yes, My Lord," Sebastian bowed, a hand placed on his heart as he withdrew his other, his eyes closing as he tipped his head forward.

Ciel made no point to comment further, instead focusing on the task on hand. He walked forwards, brushing past a few passing civilians casually, Sebastian following suit though the butler stayed a little ways behind as to not arouse suspicion.

The murmurs of crowd up ahead attracted both servant and master's attention, Ciel the first to arrive at the scene.

"Everyone back!" an officer of Scotland Yard spoke as his other peers investigated the wretched mess of limbs and entrails.

The whole scene was gruesome; Splattered on the side of the building was both guts and blood. Along the cobbled street lay what remained of the body: an arm, half a leg—the other half quite a ways away, the torso, two hands and a foot, and an ear, and a crushed face.

"Everyone! Please, stand back!"

Ciel couldn't help but grimace at the whole sight before him. It was almost too much to see the dismembered limbs and the awful stench of raw organs and rotting flesh. It must have been sitting there for a while. Already maggots crawled into the rotting flesh, burying deep inside.

"Young Master," Ciel jumped slightly as Sebastian whispered in his ear having momentarily forgot the butler's presence.

"What is it?"

"The victim's name was Levi Gaile. He was thirty two years old and was the father of two daughters, and the husband to Evelyn Gaile. His occupation was a factory worker for James and Mason—just like the other four victims."

"Whoever did this must have the right tools to crush a skull and maim a body quickly. You'd have to have a sharp tool to cut through bone fast enough to leave the scene without anyone noticing you."

"Yes, but Master,"

"What?"

"I believe each victim was missing something. A part of their body. In each murder, the police were never able to recover one organ."

"Ah, yes. The heart."