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Onward to Chapter 3!

Sebastian knew that he wouldn't find Ciel in perfect shape – he never did under such circumstances – but he couldn't help feeling shocked at the severity of his master's condition this time around. Panic surfaced at the initial sight of the boy, Sebastian had been pulled from his horrified state when Ciel had rasped his name and verified that he was indeed alive despite all the bloodshed.

Ciel had quickly lost consciousness, but the feel of blood rushing under his skin was a comfort to Sebastian as he did a quick evaluation of the younger man's injuries, low apologies tumbling from the butler's mouth. He should have gotten here sooner... Sebastian spies the blindfold, the material emitting a repulsive – very inhuman – scent. It clearly wasn't crafted by human hands and this realization unsettles Sebastian greatly. He removes the accursed material and stuffs it into the pocket of his trousers. He is quick to remove his jacket and wrap Ciel's naked form in it, hoisting the unconscious young man up and carrying out of the cell with one arm.

Ciel's head rolls, his face burying into Sebastian's neck as the older man steps gingerly over the corpse of one of the guards. The jostling movement causes Ciel's fingers to clench aimlessly around the warm fabric cocooning him.

The pools of blood on the rough pavement make a sopping sound under Sebastian's dress shoes as he moves down the hallway, the lights flickering above their heads. Sebastian hears a small commotion down the passage, but it doesn't stop him from turning a corner leading to both the noise and the exit.

It doesn't take long for the group of men, who had happened across a slew of mutilated corpses, to take note of Sebastian's approach. They don't hesitate to raise their guns at the sight and he is quick to disarm. On a normal basis, he might allow them to shoot him, simply to show them that it wouldn't harm him and that they were facing something far more powerful than their mortal beings. Unfortunately, he had a greater priority at the moment – Ciel's safety – and he couldn't take the time to play with the mice before he kills them.

He ends them quickly, working not to jostle the body in his arms all the while. Despite Sebastian's efforts, Ciel flinches at the quick movements, his brow creasing farther as he curls deeper into the comfort of the demon's chest. Sebastian frowns at Ciel's flinch and kills the last man a bit more viciously than necessary in retaliation. Sebastian is out of the building and on the surface not thirty seconds after being sighted by the now mangled group.

He is half way to his concealed vehicle when he catches a scent on the breeze, the very same scent that lingers so insultingly on his young master's body. Hatred flares up in Sebastian and he is overcome with the need to feel this man's bones crumbled under his hands. He pauses debating on whether or not to turn around and hunt the man like the rat he is, but decides against it. He instead commits the scent to memory, bottles it up with his rage and stores it away for another day. Ciel would no doubt plan some form of torturous vengeance for the man, and Sebastian was willing to wait for the sake of Ciel's wishes.

Sebastian turns and makes his way back to his concealed vehicle, silently opening the passenger door and easing Ciel down. The younger male shivers as he is removed from the warmth of Sebastian's chest, pulling the large coat tightly around his bare shoulders as the car door closed softly. Sebastian rounds the vehicle at a human pace, eying his surroundings through the cold black velvet cover of night. Wails and shouts had begun in the depths of the underground building. The cries, strangled by the earth, could not escape Sebastian's ears.

He silently slides into the black car, bringing the engine purring to life with a small twist of his lithe fingers. The car is smoothly drawn out of it's hiding place and down the dirt drive, a glance in the rear-view mirror telling Sebastian that the survivors had began to pour out of the building in search of him.

He turns a corner, losing sight of the entrance, and continues down the winding drive. He glances at his passenger as he turns onto the main road and catches sight of the glimmer of moisture on the younger males face. Sebastian can't help his surprise at the sight, nor his growing rage at not only those who physically damaged Ciel, but also whoever created the damned piece of cloth in his pocket.

He takes note of his passenger's shivering and turns the heat up further, allowing one hand to ghost over Ciel's eyes and wiping away moisture before gliding through the younger male's hair and finally resting on his opposite shoulder. The shuddering quells under Sebastian's fingertips and he casts Ciel a somewhat relieved glance before turning his eyes back to the blurred yellow line of the highway. Sebastian's foot had been casually buried into the gas pedal, so what would have normally – legally – been a hour drive is now nearing its conclusion after about fifteen minutes. He has to slow considerably to turn into the estate's long driveway without rolling the vehicle.

Once the car had been safely parked in the garage, Sebastian rounds the vehicle and softly opens the passenger door, gathering up the unconscious teenager in his arms. Ciel stiffens for a moment, then relaxes into the touch, fingers peeking through the cocoon of the jacket and curling around the cloth on Sebastian's chest. Only now, after being in the warmth of the car, does Ciel register the night's chill on his exposed legs. With this discomfort, Ciel's consciousness begins to crawl back.

He begins to feel every ache in his body, the harsh twang in his chest, with every small jostle of his body and every bit of oxygen creeping into his airways. A weak groan bubbles past Ciel's lips as Sebastian opens the door to the house, the noise itself coaxing a sharp pain from his chest.

Warm air rushes over Ciel's trembling body as he is carried through the threshold of the house. His consciousness slips in and out, the pain never leaving. An indiscernible amount of time passes and Ciel suddenly feels his warm cocoon being removed. He clings to it weakly; if he had to deal with the pain, he wasn't going to deal with the cold too, if he could help it.

"Relax, bocchan, I need to check your wounds." Sebastian soothes, hands ghosting over Ciel's hair and rubbing his thumb over his shaking and desperate grip on the jacket. The shaking quells and Ciel's grip loosens at the gentle of baritone of Sebastian's voice and the butler allowed to unravel the disheveled teen.

Sebastian's hands and eyes tour Ciel's body, gently probing at anything that appears to be an open wound. Despite the amount of blood Sebastian had found his master in, the number of bruises significantly outweighed the lacerations on Ciel's body. Various parts of Ciel's limbs are raw from restraints, particularly his ankles. Sebastian's reasoning for this made his blood return to that hateful boil before he got back to business.

Sebastian glances around the bathroom, grabbing a hand towel that is within reach and dampened it with hot water, beginning to remove the dried blood from Ciel's cool skin. The teen leans into the moist heat of the fabric, eyes fluttering open, but only just a sliver. Ciel watches distantly as his butler's eyes narrow, reaching the scrapes and scuffs on this ribcage, feeling the cloth grazing the marks softly. Ciel begins his shivering again, as the cloth is now cold and he can no longer ignore the chill of the tiled room.

Sebastian glances up, eyes catching the drooping eyes of his master, and a distance filled with agony and pleading for relief. Sebastian sighs, quickly heating the cloth and finishing the makeshift bath. Bandages are applied quickly, yet properly, before the teen is wrapped in a large plush towel, giving him a childish look as Sebastian again scoops him up. At this point, all that Sebastian could do is administer pain medication and make the teen rest.

He carries Ciel down the hallway, the teens head lolling into Sebastian's neck once more as he nears the young master's bedroom. Sebastian makes it into the room without mishap and moves to put the boy to rest... until his retreat his halted by the slim fingers coiled into his shirt.

"Stay," Ciel rasps out in a tiny voice, grip tightening.

A smirk crosses Sebastian's face. "What a needy young master I have." he says slightly, crawling onto the bed and settling himself atop the covers in compliance. Minutes pass and Ciel's breathing evens out, his fingers never loosening their vice grip on Sebastian.