And so we move on to another exciting Claude-slaughter episode. Stay tuned for more information.

I noticed with this last chapter that a lot of reviewers were adding their own thoughts to the end of the second season. If you want to do that in your review, then by all means, go for it. I'm just as fangirly as the rest of you when it comes to that. ^.^ I've started up countless conversations with people after that. XDD

Eto . . . well, we are getting very close to our tenth drabble on here. The ninth one is currently being constructed in a Quality Inn with no internet (D:) somewhere in Florida. I . . . don't even know where I am right now. But I'm writing you guys a drabble, which must mean something!

So here's my goal. My vacation lasts for two weeks . . . I want to write a drabble request every single night so that when I get back home to my beloved internet, I'll have a ton of them ready for you.

Anyway! Here's a request from Second Wind (Um . . . I hope you guys don't mind if I don't announce what the request is; I want it to be a surprise for you).

Disclaimer: Kuroshitsuji and all of its characters (dead and alive) belong to Toboso Yana.

Drabble Number Nine: Are We Improving?

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"Ouch! Agh, you idiots! Would you watch where you're shooting that stuff?" Ciel Phantomhive angrily wiped away a strand of blood from his shoulder, frowning at the heavy bullet his butler now held in one gloved hand. "What's gotten into you? You've never missed that badly before."

"I'm so sorry, Young Master!" Meirin gasped shallowly, tripping over her feet as she scrambled to bow at the young boy. "I don't know what's wrong with me!"

"You have shown signs of depreciating skill," Sebastian commented nonchalantly. "May I infer as to whether this is linked to Mr. Claude?"

"Damn right it is!" Bard spat, infuriatingly puffing on a cigarette. "Ever since the Young Master came back, we wanted to protect him from that man. But we've seen his skill! He's too good! Mr. Sebastian can hardly keep up with him."

"I'm scared of him!" Finny wailed piteously as he lowered the pillar in his hands. "He doesn't ever smile, and when he looked at me his eyes turned red! Was he mad?"

"I believe, Finny, that he was lusting after you," Sebastian smirked. "Well, then. If Mr. Claude's presence in our world is tampering with your ability to protect the Young Master, then we must fix that. What would be a good way in which to do so? Bocchan, do you have any ideas?"

Ciel chewed on his dark chocolate cake absentmindedly, a frown pulling his features down. "Well," he began slowly, "I noticed while being held at the Trancy manor that Claude tends to be by himself a lot. Every day, just after tea time, he goes outside and crochets. There is no one guarding him. So . . ."

"I understand perfectly, Bocchan." Sebastian bowed. "I will ready the carriage for you immediately. Bard, Meirin, Finny, please gather your weapons and meet us at the front.

"We're going to do some field training."

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"Don't disappoint me," Ciel muttered in boredom as he plopped down into a chair. While Sebastian readied a late afternoon tea, he turned his one uncovered eye to his three valuable servants. "I expect to see grand results. If you don't pass this field training, I'll fire you."

"Y-yes, Young Master!" Meirin stuttered.

"Ha!" Bard crowed. "As if we'd ever lose to a man that crochets."

"Don't look at his eyes, don't look at his eyes . . ." Finny mumbled.

"Here he comes, Bocchan," Sebastian announced, passing the Earl a small cup of peppermint tea.

And sure enough, the Trancy doors opened to reveal pristine black wool and shiny glasses. Claude Faustus pushed the spectacles up with one gloved finger and emitted a genuine smile before walking towards the table in the center of the garden. The butler sat down in a chair and reached down into a nearby basket to lift a half finished blue blanket that was oddly the same shade as Ciel's eye.

"Anytime you're ready," Ciel sighed, waving his hand impatiently.

"I'll go first!" Bard happily yelled, lifting a gun that was roughly the size of his Young Master into the air. A resounding boom shook the ground around them, and before anyone could see what the results of the explosion, the Phantomhive cook went flying backwards, blond hair now in a big, puffy black afro. "Darn," he groaned, propping himself upright. "I missed. Really, I shoulda remembered to aim slightly to the right."

Claude seemed to have not noticed the dozen trees missing just to his left; his eyes were focused only on crocheting the large blanket.

"M-my turn," Meirin squeaked. The maid pulled her huge glasses up to her forehead and withdrew twin handguns from the voluminous folds of her outfit. Without really bothering to aim she sent twelve bullets flying right after the other in Claude's general direction.

Ciel scoffed to himself. Meirin had succeeded in shooting everywhere around the demon, resulting in several yellow birds falling to the ground. Claude still had not noticed; his face was bent so close to the blanket that his nose was touching.

"AAAAAAGGGGHHH!"

A giant stone bust in the shape of one Alois Trancy thudded right into Claude's chair, completely squashing the demon butler along with his beautiful blue blanket. Finny stood huffing, face twisted with rage. "You disgusting pedophile!" he yelled spitefully. "Take that!"

"Oh my," Ciel muttered quietly to himself, one hand hiding his smiling mouth from view. "Why Finny, I do believe you've just passed."

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O.o Is it just me, or is each drabble I do getting longer despite what I said at the beginning of this? *laughs* Ah well, they're fun to write. ^.^ I hope you enjoyed this one!

~Shadow