W. A. G. E. R.

Chapter Three

File No. 051-? ? ?

(II)

2011.2.23, 09:56pm, Campania, Second-class Pub.

Eric and Alan were chatting by the bar counter when Ronald showed up with a grin that was almost too wide for his face. He deliberately stood between his colleagues when he waved to a female bartender, "Hey, pretty, peppermint tea please!" He even winked at the girl.

"You just can't stop hitting on girls, can you, Ronald?" asked Alan.

"Well, I had no choice." Ronald stretched his arms as he replied, "The pretty girls in the third-class were all occupied so I had to come up to the second-class for some luck."

"Aren't you already living in the second-class?" Eric took a drink and asked, "What were you doing in third-class?"

That was the right question to hype Ronald up, "Oh, yeah, you guys have no idea… NO IDEA! The folks down the third-class started playing cards around dawn, and it was simply impossible for me not to join the game! I kept playing for 4 hours straight and now my fingers are fatigued... You two can drink all you want tonight because everything will be on me!"

"That was unexpected, Ronald…" Eric pinched the blond's shoulder, "Seriously, cheating for 4 hours and no one caught you?"

"You really don't know how to keep a low profile." said Alan. "Makes me wonder what William-senpai and Grell-senpai are doing in first-class."

XXXXX

2011.2.23, 10:11pm, Campania, First-class Restaurant.

William stood at the corner of the restaurant, sipping champagne. His eyes followed Grell as the redhead walked around the place, striking up conversations everywhere he went.

Somehow, this was expected… William thought to himself. But that thing is actually wearing a dress… 2 hours had passed and William was still blaming himself for missing a heartbeat the moment Grell came out in that breathtaking evening dress. Once you get used to this look, it wouldn't look that sharp anymore… Feeling bored, William turned his face to the other side. That was when Grell came up, looking exceptionally satisfied.

"You are stuffy, Will." He remarked as he wound himself around William's arm, "Don't you want to have some fun here?"

"Honestly, I thought you were already having great fun. What do you need me for?"

"Well, if Will agrees to play with me, I would just ignore the other guys."

"You really think I have no idea about what you've been doing out there? According to my precise calculation, in the past 2 hours, you've picked 17 wallets and 9 mobile phones."

"Oh, so Will has been watching me all along…" Grell blushed in joy, "But I've put them back already. I mean, pickpocketing in first-class is so dull." He rested his head on William's shoulder, "All they've got in their wallets were credit cards. I barely saw any cash…"

"That's why you decided to pickpocket mobiles instead?"

"That's right. All I needed to do was access their bank account, transfer a small portion of money to our account, and done!"

"Well, there's a reason why I don't manage my money on the phone…"

"Just look at how rich these people are." Due to William's lack of resistance, Grell leaned closer and pressed his forehead against William's chin, "Why aren't you playing, Will?"

"Me?" William sneered, "I don't give myself away as easily as you do, if you know what I mean."

Grell trembled in excitement at William's answer. As he wrapped his arms around William's neck, he whispered, "You're lying, Will… I know you're aching for this."

William strongly felt that his bottom lines, both mental and physical, were being challenged by Grell and yes, it itched. So he freed himself from the redhead's arms and asked, "You really want to see me give myself away so bad?"

"Oh, yeah…"

XXXXX

2011.2.23, 10:19pm, Campania, Second-class Pub.

Alan just received a text:

"Check our bank account, darling! –GS"

20 seconds later, Alan's eyes widened as he gasped, "Holy crap, we've just earned 26 thousand pounds for no reason!"

"Phew!" Eric blew out a smoking ring, "Grell and William sure are working hard!"

"I demand a raise!" exclaimed Ronald.

"No problem…" Alan nodded, but not paying much attention to him, "From the look of the figure, I assume William-senpai is still holding back."

"I agree." said Eric, "Otherwise we're getting a lot more than this."

"Just what do you two think you are doing here?" Ronald knocked on the table, looking a bit pissed off, "Eating and drinking and these lovers' chit-chats and you're satisfied? Shouldn't you two be contributing something too?"

Alan instantly retorted, "Ronald, Eric and I were only chatting, I mean, the general kind of chatting."

"Exactly. You're just angry for no reason, Ronald. It'd be a waste if we don't enjoy the best of this ship as much as we can. Plus, we've been putting bugs and cameras in the second-class all day long. I'm already having a backache so can you just quit blaming?"

"Stop making excuses for yourself already, Eric-senpai! All you know is to eat and drink. You don't even care about the atmosphere! And check out all these wonderful ladies around you! I can't believe you didn't even care to take a glimpse…"

"Well, they are neglectable."

"You can't be serious, Eric-senpai!" Ronald started to punch Eric's shoulder, "This is a place where you can get all the money and women you want and all you want to do is chat with Alan-senpai?"

"Are you drunk, Ronald?" Alan giggled.

"Of course I'm not! Can't you see I've been drinking peppermint tea all night long?" answered Ronald while trying to push Eric off his seat, "Even I managed to make a profit in the third-class for 4 hours straight, there's no way you're not showing your true strength tonight. Or, you want to admit that you're just not as good as I am."

"Oh, don't make me laugh, kid." Eric finally decided to teach the blond a lesson, "Your third-class cheats are only enough for you to earn some pocket money from the third-class. To me, your little filthy tricks aren't even worth mentioning."

"Okay, okay, I've heard it, Eric-senpai!" Ronald looked as if he was on flames, "So teach me a lesson!"

"No problem!" Eric slightly hit Ronald's arm and said, "Keep your eyes open and get a taste of your senpai's tricks. However, unlike you, Ronald, I keep a low profile. So I'll just be demonstrating some minor ones to you and will not test them on anyone else, alright?"

"Hey, that's not what you've promised, Eric-senpai –" Before Ronald could finish, Alan put a hand on his shoulder and suggested:

"Calm down, Ronald. Just listen to what Eric-senpai has to say for the time being."

"Fine, but it'd better be good!"

"Chill out, son. Since when did I lie to you? Okay, I'll be showing you something call 'Double Note Trick'* today." Eric reached out a hand to Ronald, "Could you please lend me two 100 pound notes for this demonstration? You've made a fortune down the third-class today. I trust that you've got a dozen of them in your wallet."

Ronald immediately handed in two notes, "Here's the money, and show me what you've got, Eric-senpai!"

With a sly grin across his face, Eric accepted the notes and directly put them in his pocket.

Ronald waited for a few more seconds, but Eric seemed to have stopped. "Okay, so where's this 'trick'?"

Alan couldn't help but burst into laughter, "Ronald, Eric-senpai has already done the trick… Can't you see it?"

Ronald blinked for a few seconds and BINGO.

Eric let out a laugh, "You're still new to this field, Ronald. How could you trust people so easily? The 200 pounds will count as your tuition fees, okay?"

"Wow, you're one evil con artist, senpai."

Just then, Alan answered a call, "Hello? Grell-senpai? Oh, yeah, the three of us are down here in second-class. Really? Sure, absolutely! We'll be there in a minute!" He hung up.

"What was it?" asked Eric.

"Grell-senpai wants us to go watch William-senpai… Give himself away?"

"Where to?"

"Casino."

XXXXX

2011.2.23, 10:31pm, Campania, Casino.

When the three reached the casino, Grell was already leaning on the second floor fence with a glass of red wine in his hand. Down where Grell was looking, William sat beside a gambling table, fully concentrated.

"It's Black Jack." whispered Alan.

Ronald stared at the table and said, "Wow, that's a lot of chips."

Eric lowered his voice and told the other two, "You'll know how terrifying William is if you go check out the dealer's face! I mean, a poker face like William's is got to be every casino's nightmare."

"Ah, this is absolutely irresistible!" Grell rested his chin in his hands as he dreamily stared at William, "So concentrated, cold, merciless, sexy…"

"Why aren't you playing, Sutcliff-senpai?" asked Ronald, "If you two could 'cooperate', you could win the ship!"

Grell chuckled, "We aren't like you, rookie. Will doesn't need to cheat."

Alan said, "By the way, you are wearing a dress, Grell-senpai!"

"Sure am." Grell gave a light pat on Alan's waist, "Why don't you try it some time?"

"Me?" While Alan was shocked by Grell's suggestion, the gang noticed some uproar down in the casino.

"Hey, look!" Ronald pointed below and said, "Spears-senpai is going the Show Hand table!"

"That's not the only reason people are unsettled," Eric moved Ronald's face to the other direction, "Look, that man is here."

The four turned their eyes to the entrance as Sebastian Michaelis came in in a glittering tuxedo. His smile was charming and appealing, as always.

"Sebby?"

Ronald joked, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, the legendary shiny gigolo is finally here…"

"Why is he alone? Where's the kid?" asked Alan.

Eric answered, "The underage ain't permitted into the casino."

"I get it. So he comes to the casino and… Wait, he's walking to William-senpai's table." As soon as Alan finished, Sebastian had already sat down at the seat opposite to William.

"Alas, two bloody hot men are about to begin their deadly match! Oh, I can't even decide which side I should cheer for!"

"Don't be a traitor, Sutcliff-senpai." ranted Ronald.

XXXXX

William's poker face was in sharp contrast to Sebastian's inviting smile.

"Mr. William, nice to see you again. Mind playing a game of two with me?"

"Of course, I do." William glared at Sebastian, "However, I don't mind smashing you."

"Very well." Sebastian slowly flattened his lips, "Let's begin."

Under the eyes of scores, the game of two began in a peaceful yet pressurized atmosphere. Just when the dealer was giving them cards, the loud speaker in the cabin interrupted, "Ladies and gentlemen, Aurora Society is about to begin their conference on the world's most advanced medical technology in the ballroom…" Before the announcement was even finished, people have already dropped their tasks and raced to the ballroom.

"Oops." Sebastian rose, looking a bit sorry, "I must apologize, but I really need to get going."

"You too? What a coincidence." William also left his seat, "Now, would you please excuse me."

"But the game has just started; I don't want to abandon it." Sebastian quickly wrote a cheque and handed it to the dealer, "Keep the table the way it is. Don't move anything until the two of us come back to finish the game."

William didn't give any comment as he walked past Sebastian with a face painted with disgust. As soon as he went out of Sebastian's sight, he turned on his very own mini microphone and sent out an order, "Get ready, Reapers. I want a 360 degree in-depth observation of the conference."

XXXXX

2011.2.23, 10:57pm, Campania, Ballroom.

There were still a few more minutes until the conference began, but the five "Grim Reapers" had already settled in different spots of the place. William stayed at the back of the floor, which was farthest from the show stand, whereas Grell stood on the stairs above.

William's phone rang. It was from Grell.

"Honestly," said William as he answered the phone, "it's going to start in a minute. Why are you still calling?"

"Well, it has not started yet… Don't tense up so easily, Will."

"What do you want?"

"Where are you, Will? I can't find you anywhere."

"I've told you I'll be at the back so quit looking for me, alright?" William glanced around to look for proper reference objects, "Well, if you really want to know my position so bad… I'm next to the marble at the very back of the floor."

"Really? Can you see me?"

"Of course I can find you thanks to that flamboyant dress of yours, idiot." William moved one step closer to the post and asked, "What about now? Found me yet?" The second William finished, his eyes were met with Grell's searching glances… Somehow, this was expected… At the same time, it was unexpected. For a moment, both of their hearts missed a beat.

It had been a while since they last stared into each other's eyes. When was the last time anyway? College? They've known each other too long to remember such minor details.

Grell had always believed that he was burning in the flames of love, but he could barely keep balance under that pair of cold and alluring pupils.

William, who was too used to being calm toward almost anything, also lost control of his heartbeat… Even if it lasted only a few seconds, it was enough for him to be back on alert. Quickly moving to the behind of the post, he ordered, "Now quit staring me like that when everyone else is looking at the stage! You're going to expose yourself!"

"Why, Will? Are you blushing❤?"

"Of course not! Now turn around. If you keep on looking at my way, I'll be exposed too!"

"Will, you know, you are not being so honest tonight…"

"Have you forgotten about your job?"

"Fine… I was only looking at you. Can't you be gentler to me?"

"Don't say I haven't warned you, but if you missed anything that would lead to our mission failing, you'd be suspended!" Then, William hung up.

After putting away his phone, Grell looked back at the marble post again, but William was already gone. "God you are so cold to me, Will… Not that it's not good but… Oh, well."

Just then, an announcer went onto the stage and the conference began. The five Reapers in five spots began exchanging their thoughts through mobile.

"RK 23:00:15

Chatroom opened. Just talk, ppl.

WTS 23:00:26

Watch out for eyes peeping at you when you're typing. And yes, I'm talking about a certain idiot in an extremely flamboyant red backless night dress.

ES 23:01:02

You can save a lot of words by just typing his name, head

RK 23:01:15

Plus, it lowers the risk of being peeped at

WTS 23:01:34

Honestly, you two are missing a period at the end of your sentences!

AH 23:01:40

Hey, they are demonstrating the technology now! I think I'm seeing an actual person lying on the bed…

GS 23:02:03

Clinical demo with a real man… Interesting.

RK 23:02:15

That guy looks like an octopus with all those pipes on him.

AH 23:02:29

I can see a monitor showing body temperature, heart rate and BP. I wonder what kind of meds they are using.

WTS 23:02:38

The meds are stored in the cold room of the ship. They're planning to sell them to NY so I assume there's a large amount of them.

RK 23:03:45

The cold room is tagged in the 3D perspective view of the ship. Check yah mailbox, ppl! :)

AH 23:04:04

Where's Eric-senpai? Why isn't he joining the conversation? :(

GS 23:04:18

OMG I just saw SEBBY❤!

RK 23:04:35

Hey, Eric-senpai hasn't spoken for a while.

WTS 23:04:59

I think I just saw the legendary Grim Reaper. Why is he here?

GS 23:05:17

U talking about that creepy guy who designs security boxes but never gets a haircut? = =||

WTS 23:05:48

Watch your mouth. He is a grand master who can sneak in and out of British Museum and Louvre without being noticed.

GS 23:06:04

U must be joking. He looks like a homeles

RK 23:06:10

Uh? Why did the sentence stop in the middle?

WTS 23:06:15

I just sent a picture of him to that idiot's phone.

GS 23:06:38

I TAKE BACK WHAT I'VE SAID! How come you never told me that you've got the picture of a hottie in your phone, Will? I hate you hate you hate you!

AH 23:06:57

Don't know if anyone noticed this, but Eric-senpai hasn't talked for a long time. I can't find him in the crowd and it's been 6 minutes!

RK 23:07:12

But he's still online.

WTS 23:07:25

His job is to get mixed with the crowd. So it's normal that you can't find him for the time being. No worries.

GS 23:07:34

It would be so much better if the kid isn't around Sebby.

WTS 23:07:56

Honestly, you're off-topic.

AH 23:08:14

I'm afraid he might have lost contact due to some accidents.

ES 23:08:27

Just saw Viscount Druitt and chatted with him for a while. I'm still alive so don't worry, Alan! ^_^!

AH 23:08:49

That's good. You really scared the hell out of me.

ES 23:09:01

There's nothing to worry about me. There's definitely more to worry about if you've gone missing, Alan.

AH 23:09:13

No, it's not!

WTS 23:09:32

Guys, you're all off-topic. And why is Viscount Druitt here?

ES 23:09:58

He's a member of Aurora Society.

GS 23:10:11

I remember he has a medical license.

RK 23:10:24

And plenty of sexy babies in his online albums too.

WTS 23:10:41

Once again, don't go off-topic when you're working!

GS 23:10:59

Okay, why can't I see anything special about their so-called technology?

RK 23:11:18

The guy in white coat looks kinda weird.

GS 23:11:27

Kinda hot too.

WTS 23:11:36

Off-topic, people.

ES 23:11:39

I wasn't paying much attention. So what's his name?

AH 23:11:45

Ryan Stoker, the founder of Aurora Society.

RK 23:12:00

Why are they putting the lights out? This ain't no magic performance… He's making it look like the revival of a corpse.

GS 23:12:17

If they're simply showing a picture, it could still be photoshopped. But this is live demo!

AH 23:12:39

Nothing wrong with the patient yet. Don't know how long this is going to last.

ES 23:12:55

I think that guy's just a conman.

RK 23:13:13

Wouldn't it be all clear if one of you guys went to get a sample of their meds?

WTS 23:13:45

Sure. Go ahead, Ronald Knox.

RK 23:13:49

WHAAAAAAAAAAAT*_*?

ES 23:13:55

You're pretty close to the fire exit, Ronald. Convenient.

GS 23:14:07

Just get moving, Blond. We are in the inner parts of the floor. Can't leave as quickly as you can.

AH 23:14:19

Ronald, you lawnmower is in the third fire hydrant cabinet to the right of the exit. You just need to pull real hard to get it out.

WTS 23:14:28

Move before someone sees you.

RK 23:14:43

TAT! You bullies! I shouldn't have become a 'Grim Reaper'!

ES 23:14:58

Yeah, so who was begging to join…

WTS 23:15:06

I assume not many people are outside in the corridors. You're going to be safe. Plus, we'll be on the lookout.

RK 23:15:19

OTL So you are all setting me up!

GS 23:15:25

Quit complaining and move before time runs out.

WTS 23:15:36

We'll contact you if anything unfavorable happens.

AH 23:15:53

We'll back you up. :)

ES 23:16:02

Good luck! I know you can do it!

RK 23:16:15

Hey, explain the cheerful air when you are pushing a poor scapegoat to the frontline!

WTS 23:16:38

When we're done with this, I'll give you a week of paid vacation.

RK is now 'Away'.

GS 23:16:50

That was quick.

WTS 23:17:04

Finally got the kid working.

AH 23:17:26

The cold room is a 7-minute walk away. I suppose he'll get back to us pretty soon.

ES 23:17:36

Honestly speaking, he has never gone off on his own, has he?

WTS 23:18:04

Of course he has. He was always alone when it came to seducing girls... We barely ever interrupted.

AH 23:18:14

You need to believe in Ronald, Eric-senpai.

GS 23:18:21

That kid is a lot like me DEATH!

WTS 23:18:50

No need to feel good about yourself. If he screwed up, you'd be the one to cover his ass.

SM 23:19:00

It's was a nice chat, right? My Reaper friends…

GS 23:19:04

! ! ! ! !

An error has occurred. Please refresh."

That was when an intense seizure hit the patient as his heart rate and BP went sky-high. The harsh alarm of the monitors stirred up a huge panic among the audience. As the curtains fell, the lights also went back on. Ryan, who realized that he was in huge trouble, immediately escaped the floor through the smoke door, not knowing that he had already become the target of Ciel and Sebastian. However, for the four members of "Grim Reapers", there remained only one single thought in their minds when the name "SM" appeared: You've gotta be okay, Ronald...

XXXXX

* This trick comes from BBC drama Hustle, from which I came up with the idea of this fanfic.