Hey guys, sorry this took so long. I could probably give you a whole load of excuses that you would most likely moan at me for as stupid reasons for not updating so we're just gonna skip that bit and let you read the official Chapter 2! *drumroll*

The sound of screaming shook Sebastian from his shocked revere, drawing him from the stained bathroom and down the long and shadowy corridor. Weaving his way around the many twists and turns in the mansion, running through the theoretical map in his mind, he found himself heading towards one of the mansions lower rooms, used now as a storage chamber. Stepping lightly as he ran, the soft clicking of his un-scuffed shoes as they hit the floor, he soon arrived on the lower levels.

The dark tunnels were daunting, the almost absence of light seemed heavy and threatening and Sebastian's run slowed to a quick walk, tap-tapping along the icy cobblestone. Various golden tinged candelabras resting in slots along the stone walls, casting their glow upon the butler's slender figure as he seemed to blend into the shadows. As he continued down the hall, the screams grew and echoed, mingling with the subtle sound of growling, the sort to consider as a warning. But being the brave demon he was, Sebastian continued down his trail towards the cries. Getting closer, he began to hear shouting as well, several curse words immediately recognisable and several phrases fitting along the lines of "catch it!".

The voices most definitely belonged to the other servants of the house; May-rin, Finny and Bard. There was no way of confirming whether Tanaka was there also, as the screams were too long and the calling too clashing. The noise seemed to be dying down, and the crashing becoming much less consistent and sudden. Had the butler not known of the beast on the loose, he would have presumed this to be calming and simply put it down to Pluto being the mischievous pup he was. However, due to the current circumstances, this only served to spur him on further. Breaking into a sprint, he raced towards the now silent entryway at the end of the daunting tunnel.

The sight brought him to a sudden stand-still. The three young servants were sprawled across the stone panels, blood pooling beneath them. Fortunately, the older servant was not with them [however, that could be both worrying and calming at the same time]. Bruises littered their frail bodies, along with various scratch marks; thankfully, none were deep enough to draw blood. They had barely passed the skin surface. Some parts of their uniform were singed, possibly by the candles small flames that now flickered dimly on the scene. Sebastian took a moment to take it all in before his instincts kicked in and he knelt beside the figure closest to him to assess their injuries.

First it was Mey-Rin, her magenta hair slipping from beneath the cover and into her smooth face. Her eyes were closed lightly and her glasses lay cracked and discarded near a broken tea set. Some of the sharp shards were flung across the floor, many of which were coated in blood or lying within the young maid's skin. Gently turning her onto her back [after ensuring she would not lie on glass], Sebastian began to cautiously removing the embedded shards. Once all the shards were safely removed, he checked her pupils and heart rate, as well as her breathing. After making sure she was simply unconscious and had no chance of bleeding out, he stood from his crouch and moved towards the chef slumped against one of the walls.

Down Bard's left arm, shoulder and a small portion of his neck and back were a shocking array of burns and scalding, possibly caused by the candles or the hot tea. Whilst appearing to be quite drastic, it would seem that the burns should serve no lasting affect. Carefully twisting the injured chef, Sebastian noted that the burns seemed to be the most severe result from the attack. Small yet light scratched also littered the man but none proved to be any trouble and would surely heal of their own accord. A deep bruising was starting to form around the left wrist but a quick check showed no damage to the bone. Lifting his eyelids, the butler saw no signs of concussion ot any other form of brain damage. He softly tut-ed at the semi-shredded shirt that now adorned the younger male and swiftly ripping it from the collar, he folded and tied it into a sort of make-shift sling for the blistered arm. Sebastian could not help but feel sympathy for the chef for when he awoke. It was most definitely going to be a painful few days for Bard.

Finally, the demon moved onto the youngest of the three, Finnian. From what he could see, it would appear as if the boy had been holding onto the beast for quite some time. His forearms were beginning to bruise lightly on the inside, his hands red from the tension. Blood trickled down his neck and over the front of his collar bones, staining the light shirt a deep red. A gash was present on the back of his head, seeping blood through the thick blonde locks. It didn't seem too deep but it could still be quite dangerous. As gently as he could, Sebastian pulled the boy's shirt from around his frail frame and wrapped it around his head, covering the slightly grusome wound. He tutted in disgust at the track-mark scars that coated the boy's arms. Whilst checking the gardener for further wounds, he felt the body tense and flinch beneath his touch. Pulling back, the butler noticed as his eye twitched ever-so-slightly before opening slightly. It was a moment before the slits focussed on the crouching butler and an attempted smile graced his lips, ending up as more of a grimace.

"Mr Sebastian" he whispered hoarsely.

"Finnian" the butler responded, sympathy leaking into his tone. It was at that moment that the young botanist seemed to break down as tears began to fall and he let loose sobs that broke even Sebastian's demonic heart. Without thinking, he drew the weeping boy to his chest and rocked him as though he would with a child. Finnian stared up at Sebastian with wide pain and fear filled eyes, a red rim growing around the edges and his lip still shaking.

"Finny"

The gardener blinked at the sudden break of comforting silence.

"I need to know what happened" the demon spoke softly yet strictly. He needed to find this beast before it could cause them anymore damage. Not to mention he was yet to find his bocchan and ensure that he was safe. It was a daunting amount of blood that remained in the bathroom and yet something told him that his young master was still alive. For how long, he did not know.

"All I really remember is that this great black beast came hurtling towards us from down the corridor. Like a great cat, he was"

"A cat?" the butler asked in shock.

"Bigger than a regular cat. It's claws and teeth were massive and it had thick black fur with rippling muscles. Huge, it was. When it stood up, it was almost as tall as Bard! We hardly stood a chance."

"Did you happen to see which way it went, Finnian?"

"I think it might have gone down that way" he replied, pointing towards one of the corridors leading to the courtyard. As the butler was about to make his way in the direction of the boy's arm, he felt something grip at his tailcoat. With mild surprise, he turned towards the gardener who was now carefully pulling himself to his feet.

"Please be careful Mr Sebastian. That creature is like no other. It's eyes seemed to glow and he looked right down into my very soul, I'm sure he did. I don't want to see anyone else get hurt." Tears were starting to form in his eyes again and Sebastian couldn't help but feel for him.

"I promise that for as long as I am able, no harm shall befall anyone else in this home or family" He stared at the small smile growing on the boy's face and once again began his journey outside, but not before turning back to Finny. "Do you think you would be able to move Mey-rin and Bard to a more suitable environment, possibly a sitting room or one of the spare bedrooms? This current setting cannot be doing anything for their health."

"Yes Sir, Mr Sebastian, Sir!" Finny saluted before hefting the limp form of Mey-rin over his shoulder and waving at the departing butler with his other hand, the regained twinkle glistening in his eyes.

As he was nearing the end of another of the mansion's winding tunnels, Sebastian noted more sounds. These appeared to be more along the lines of high-pitched whines, like an animal in pain. Panic filled the butler at the thought of Pluto, such a sweet and -innocent- human-dog-thing, being forced to deal with this new feline predator. Surely he wouldn't be unlucky enough to be attacked by the beast. Fate, unfortunately, was not on the demon's side for as he drew closer, the sounds became clearer and the barks and shrieks became torture for his supernatural ears. It was then that the demon realised those sounds could belong to no other.

So... what did you think? Worth the wait? Don't worry, unless something comes up, I plan to have the next chapter up soon. Either that or I shall give you a one-shot. Anyone fancy reviewing with a one-shot suggestion? No? Worth a try...