Yay for over 100 reviews, more chapters, and the weekend! Because I have no homework (a first for the past, I dunno', two years?), I figured I'd update considering the last chapter ended on a bit of a cliff hanger ^^
Oh!
In some reviews, people were confused as to Sebastian's nickname "Bassy." I don't know if I mentioned it, but I'm writing based off of the dub (which I honestly don't love nearly as much as the sub, but it sounds better when typed out and the accents make me laugh ;D) In the Dub, Grell calls Sebastian "Bassy" so I just left it that way :P
And thank you very much Miss Rukia Hitsugaya :) Thanks for emailing me to tell me you love my story. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy knowing people love my writing :D Happy (very) late birthday to the two of us! Cheddar cheese!
On with the story!
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"Take that back, Sebastian," Ciel ordered.
"Take what back?" the butler echoed innocently.
"That jeer!"
Sebastian smirked.
"Young master, you said you would be taking care of some trifling business. Was this 'business' to try and keep your troubled past from repeating itself yet again?"
Ciel clenched his jaw.
"Didn't you say to me a few weeks ago that both your body and ring had been shattered and reborn, that you were far past the fear of dying?"
"That's right. Don't recite my words back at me," Ciel ordered, glaring angrily at the butler. Sebastian chuckled.
"Build it up with iron and steel, iron and steel, iron and steel."
Sebastian looked up at the double doors at the other end of the room.
"That song again," Sam whispered, taking a step back away from the door. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at her curiously. She and Ciel stood in the center of the room, both looking ready for a fight.
The doors flew open and numerous dolls began to flood into the room from the darkness.
"Build it up with iron and steel, my fair lady."
"The same dolls from before," Sam ground out.
"Does that mean they defeated Grell?" Ciel asked, looking stunned.
Sam tsked.
"Stupid reaper. I knew he looked useless."
Sebastian smirked.
"I see. He's controlling them with that song," Sebastian surmised. Sam looked at him curiously. The song? "In that case…"
The butler clasped his hands together and took in a slightly deeper breath.
"Iron and steal will bend and bow…"
Ciel and Sam looked up at Sebastian in confusion and slight aw.
"..bend and bow, bend and bow."
The dolls began to move slightly to the new tune, moving their heads side to side.
"Iron and steel will bend and bow," Sebastian jumped to stand behind the first row of dolls. "My, fair lady."
He put his hand on the first doll's head, bending it to the side where the steel bent and broke. Sam stepped back, staring at Sebastian in shock. He snapped that doll's steel neck in half like a branch. Sam gulped. Note to self, don't piss Sebastian off intentionally. Ever. Again.
Sebastian walking up and down the rows of dolls, swinging his hand in the air to match the song's rhythm.
"Iron and steel will bend and bow," another snap, "bend and bow," another neck, "bend and bow." Another row. "Iron and steel will bend and bow," the rest of the dolls fell. "My, fair ladies."
Sebastian finished his song with a gallant bow to Ciel and Sam as the last doll collapsed onto the ground.
"Who are you calling ladies?" Ciel hissed. Sam added her half hearted glare to his. Sebastian smirked up at them.
"Let us depart then, Sam, young master," Sebastian said, standing up.
"No. Ciel Phantomhive and Samantha Quenell are now my master's possessions," Drossel replied monotonously, appearing in the door way.
Ciel instantly turned red in anger.
"Possession? I'm no one's-"
"The proof is the ring on your finger! The hope piece has chosen Ciel Phantomhive!" Drossel interrupted. He turned his amethyst gaze to Sam. "And you… Your proof is that demon's claim on you. My master wishes to make you both pure. To keep your perfect souls untainted, to be made into dolls. That is my master's desire of you both."
Sam's eyes widened.
"Demon…? What are you talking about?" Her gaze flickered to Sebastian but he paid her no attention.
Drossel didn't reply, simply turned his gaze to Sebastian when the butler's eyes narrowed.
"Your master?"
"Ciel Phantomhive and Samantha Quenell will become dolls, dolls made of silver and gold," the puppeteer finished. Sebastian's lips widened in a cruel smile. He lifted his finger and began moving it back and forth to the same rhythm as before.
"Silver and gold was stolen away, stolen away, stolen away."
Sam and Ciel both flinched in shock when Sebastian picked each of them up in one arm and hopped onto the window ledge. Drossel reached out, eyes wide. Sebastian balanced on the balls of his feet and leaped out of the window.
Unlike Ciel's almost calm disposition at the prospect of jumping out a window at least four stories high, Sam screeched and buried her face in Sebastian's jacket.
"Are you insane?"
Sebastian only smirked in response.
When they had disappeared into the night, the puppeteer fell to his knees awkwardly.
"They were indeed stolen away… But I am thinking to myself: Ciel Phantomhive will return and bring Samantha Quenell with him."
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Sebastian landed gracefully on a small stone bridge, placing Ciel down. He looked down at Sam, whose head was still buried in his jacket, and smirked.
"You may let go of me now, Sam. We are safely on the ground."
Sam let go of him without a word and slid to her feet. Sebastian smirked slightly and turned his gaze to the mansion now behind him.
"Goodness me. This is quite-"
Ciel's hand came up and slapped Sebastian soundly across the face. Sam winced at the sound of Ciel's glove against the butler's cheek but she made no move to stop him. Ciel was angry, very angry. He'd gone into that place for a reason. Sebastian had shown up, ridiculed him, and stolen him away before the young Earl could even attempt to rescue Lady Elizabeth. She would be mad too.
Sebastian looked at Ciel, eyes wide.
"What about Lizzi?" Ciel yelled. "We still haven't saved her! I thought I ordered you to solve the kidnappings! Saving Lizzi, who fell victim to the kidnappings, is the first-"
"An order is not the same as a contract," Sebastian interrupted with a small smile. "Just as you give first priority to your orders from the Queen, I prioritize your life." His eyes flickered to Sam. "Both of your lives."
Sam looked up at the butler briefly before turning back to Ciel, waiting to see his reaction.
"I have devoted myself to your service and protection all this time…" Sam looked up at Sebastian when he went silent. The moon disappeared behind the clouds and she flinched at the sight of Sebastian's glowing, catlike eyes.
"I couldn't stand for you to be stolen from me now," Sebastian finished with a smirk. Ciel sighed, eyes closing for a second before reopening to gaze at Sam, who at this point looked to be trapped in a mix of confusion and fear, no matter how well she seemed to be hiding the last part. He smirked slightly at her before holding up his hand and fiddling with the ring Lizzi had given him.
"Young master…?" Sebastian questioned, curious.
"This ring… the Hope piece… It is the mark of his next target," Ciel pulled the ring off of his finger. He handed it to Sam and she stared at it, shocked.
"Ciel…"
"Sam, now both of us has a Hope piece. I'm sorry for involving you in this, but he's already stated he's after you too so it shouldn't make much of a difference."
Sam nodded and slipped the ring on her thumb as Ciel had been wearing it.
"Ciel, how does me wearing the ring change anything?" Sam asked, curious. She flexed her fingers, watching the ring glimmer in the dim moonlight.
"Not for us," he replied, a small smirk growing on his lips. "But now that you're clearly a victim, protecting the both of us will no doubt require some effort. It should make things interesting." He smirked at Sebastian.
Sam rolled her eyes.
"You can be such a brat sometimes… no offense."
Ciel smirked.
"None taken."
Sam paused and looked up at the moon thoughtfully.
"Oh, and Ciel?"
"Hmm?"
"Earlier, I said something along the lines of how it would be more exciting if all this was a secret. Well, I think I've had enough excitement. Tell me about it later?" She asked hopefully.
Ciel chuckled.
"If you haven't figured it out by then."
Sam nodded and smiled.
"Got it."
At that moment, a howl ripped through the air. The three all looked into the direction it had come.
"Pluto?" Ciel mumbled, confused.
Sebastian sighed and turned towards the direction of the howl.
"I searched every corner of the mansion before retrieving the both of you, but there was no sign of Lady Elizabeth. The only place left…"
Sam and Ciel's eyes followed Sebastian's gaze.
"…is that sealed off tower."
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Pluto barked angrily at the large, mahogany, doors leading into the tower. Grell held his leash tightly pulling backwards to keep the demon hound from breaking loose.
"H-Hey! What's the matter with you?" Grell complained, giving the leash another tug.
"You two are still alive?" Ciel asked, incredulous, as he, Sam, and Sebastian ran out from the trees.
"If you were still alive how come you let the dolls get through?" Sam questioned stiffly when Grell sent her a disdainful look.
"Maybe I was-" He stopped mid-sentence when his eyes fell on the groups third companion. The reaper's cheeks flushed and he squealed, hearts clouding around his head.
"Bassy!" He yelled, launching at the butler. However, Pluto beat him to it, using Grell's back as a stair way to plummet at Sebastian. The demon hound clung to the very frustrated butler with a happy, dog, smile. Sam laughed at Sebastian's familiar 'not-amused' face and Grell sat up from his spot on the ground, fuming.
"Excuse me! Eh…" He flinched back. "Is he… a demon hound?"
"You just noticed that now?" Sam snorted, annoyance written all over her countenance. Sebastian sent her an amused look and she glared back at him. Grell looked completely mortified before his head hung and then shot back up, his eyes wide and happy.
"Oh la, la! A passionate night with a beast! How immoral!" He sang, cheeks red and arms hugging himself. Pluto nibbled on Sebastian's shoulder happily and Sebastian sent Grell a frustrated glance.
"You're so wanton," Sebastian commented off handedly, almost disgustedly. "However, I've been waiting for you, Pluto."
The demon hound looked up at Sebastian expectantly. The butler walked towards the sealed doors, Pluto in tow.
"Once the seal of the underworld has been placed on a door, only a hellhound can open it."
The collar around Pluto's neck began to glow a bright blue and he fell to the ground with a strangled howl.
"His collar is shining," Ciel mumbled.
"So is the door," Grell pointed out.
Sam looked on with a frown. The door wasn't exactly glowing, at least, not like Pluto's collar. It looked more like it was giving off waves of an unearthly blueish-green, shimmering, light. Slowly, Pluto began to glow as his collar had and he transformed back into his dog form with a howl.
Grell blanched and then clasped his hands together, eyes forming hearts.
"Too, too big!" he squealed.
Sam winced.
"You do know how wrong that sounded, don't you?" Sam glared, silvery-blue eyes locking with the grim reaper's greenish-yellow ones. Grell made a 'psht' nose in the back of his throat and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Of course. It was intentional. How Bassy could have ever picked you for his lover I'll never know. You're far too bland."
Sam's face went beat red and she spluttered angrily.
"W-We're not-"
At that moment, the doors let out an eerie screech and slowly creaked open. Pluto growled lightly in the back of his throat and rushed through them. Ciel ran forward, annoyance emanating from every pore in his body.
"He ran off again!"
"It's all right," Sebastian replied thoughtfully, raising a knuckle to his lip. Ciel looked at him incredulously. "Let's have him guide us."
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Ciel, Sebastian, Sam, and Grell all ran up the winding stone stairs of the tower after Pluto. Sam huffed and looked over at Sebastian and caught his gaze.
"Why do all old buildings find it necessary to have long, winding, staircases?" Sam asked, brushing a stray strand of strawberry-blonde hair out of her eyes. Sebastian chuckled at her.
"Do they bother you, Sam?"
"Ugh, do you even need to ask?" she replied venomously. Sam took another step and her foot went through the stair. She shrieked but Sebastian caught her skillfully before she could plummet to the ground. "See, another reason to hate them."
Sebastian chuckled and took hold of her arm.
"Perhaps I should hold onto you until we reach the top, incase of any more accidents." Sam scoffed at him but didn't pull her arm away.
At the top of the stairs was a short, brick, corridor with one door. Sam shook off Sebastian's hand from her arm and the butler walked forward. He grasped the door's handle and turned to look at Ciel. The young Earl nodded once and Sebastian pushed the door open.
The room behind the door was cleaner than the rest of the tower and spacious, though dimly lit. Sam ran a hand over one of the dusty counter tops and pulled back her hand in shock when she the blanket on said counter fell away, revealing doll molds. Around the room were different benches, each with different labels. Gold, steel, silver, stone…
Ciel's eyes fell on an occupied chair in the corner of the room and widened.
"Lizzi!" He yelled, running towards her. "Lizzi…"
Ciel grabbed the motionless girl's shoulders and shook her, eyes desperate.
"Lizzi!"
Her eyes remained closed and Sam frowned, noticing the slightly manufactured look of the girls skin. It looks like… clay.
"Looks like we were too late," Grell said cheerfully. Sam stomped on his foot with the heal of boot, watching with a satisfied smile as the reaper flinched and bristled in anger. Sebastian stepped between them, creating a human wall. He sent Grell a warning glare and Grell withered under his gaze. Sam stuck her tongue out at the reaper in triumph.
"Lizzi! Wake up, Lizzi!" Ciel begged, shaking her shoulders.
Slowly, Lizzi's green eyes opened. Sam winced, looking at how empty they were. Just like the other ones, Sam thought morosely. Ciel's eyes widened and he took in a deep breath, letting her shoulders go.
"Lizzi…You're okay," Ciel sighed, letting out a long sigh of relief.
"The ring…"
Ciel looked shocked.
"Where's the ring…?"
"Sam's wearing it right now… It… kept falling off my finger and I didn't want to lose it."
Sam sent him a glare that said 'liar' but she kept her mouth closed when she saw that Lizzi looked pleased.
"I didn't want to make you upset, so I'm glad you liked it… Ciel," Lizzi smiled. It was an eerie, almost forced, smile. Sam shivered. Something was very wrong.
Almost invisible strings glimmered slightly in the light and Elizabeth's arms jerked upwards.
"If she loves you so much…" Drossel's voice echoed around them. "…then why is she going to hurt you? Why is her body moving against her own will?"
Sam and Grell looked around frantically for the puppeteer but Sebastian simply narrowed his eyes at a dark, shadowed, area above their heads up in the rafters.
"And…"
A large, metal, axe flew into Lizzi's hands and her eyes widened.
"… now you will die by her hand. Can you bear to fight against your own fiancé, Ciel Phantomhive? Will you put her," he gestured to Sam, "life on the line for a hollow shell?"
Ciel scowled, tensing up. The puppet strings flickered and Elizabeth was flying towards them, ax raised.
"NO!" She screeched.
The ax came down and Sebastian pulled both Sam and Ciel out of the way. In the next second, Sebastian had tossed Sam behind Grell and dodged another blow from the shrieking Elizabeth. She came at him again and again.
"NO! NO! NO!"
"Grell, you can see this too, can't you?" Sebastian asked.
Grell leaned back and picked at his nails with his 'scythes.'
"I suppose, but I might put a chip in my death scythes, so…"
Sebastian caught onto the ax with one hand and turned to Grell with half lidded eyes and small, almost seductive, smile.
"Please do help us out, Grell."
"Oh, Bassy! How could I ever deny you anything?" Grell asked, eyes lighting up. Sam rolled her eyes at the sight and crossed her arms.
"You're a flirt, you know that?" Sam asked Sebastian, eyebrow raised. Sebastian smiled lightly at her.
"Well, if my Bassy wants my help… But I would prefer you to the mutt when this is all over. Maybe you can convince your master to switch the two of you… And, if we do get to kiss… perhaps we can use tongue?" Grell asked, trying to sound seductive.
Sam made a gagging sound in the back of her throat and Sebastian's flirtatious smile was gone in a second. He frowned, eyes narrowed.
"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about, however," his golden eyes flickered over to Sam, "I can in fact tie a cherry stem in a knot using my tongue."
Grell's eyes sparkled and Sam grumbled at the black-clad butler in disapproval. The red-headed reaper seemed to be inwardly exploding in a shower of fireworks.
"Oh, YES!"
Grell ran up next to Elizabeth and held up his scissors.
"It's not right for a little girl to have a better blade than me. Unforgivable," Grell finished with a cruel smile.
"Stop, Grell!" Ciel yelled. There was a slash, a brief flicker of the lights, and Lizzi fell to the floor, puppet strings severed and eyes blank. Ciel knelt down beside her.
"Elizabeth…"
Sam walked over and placed a comforting hand on Ciel's shoulder. Sebastian reached down and pulled a puppet string off of her pink dress. He held it up.
"A puppet string… and a very strong one at that."
"Drossel," Sam hissed. "He always used the same trick to make people look like they were levitating." She looked at Lizzi's face and was glad to say that her eyes were closed so that the empty, moss green, irises were hidden.
"Only something as sharp as a death scythe could've cut through this. Well, what do you think, Bassy? I'm amazing, aren't I? Compliment me, praise me!" Grell smiled, posing for him.
"Good for you. Maybe you should run with scissors more often," Sebastian suggested. Sam snorted to cover up her laugh and Sebastian sent her a sly smirk. Sam raised an eyebrow at him. He mimicked her questioning look.
"Oh, I'm flattered to death!" Grell gushed, putting his hands to his cheeks. However, his proud smile dropped off of his face when he saw Sam and Sebastian talking to each other.
"You've been smiling and smirking a lot. It's kind of creepy," Sam pointed out.
"Do you prefer I frown?" Sebastian asked, raising an eyebrow.
Sam snorted.
"I'd prefer you not to smile so creepily," Sam replied, jabbing her finger at his face. "Lady Francis was right. You are lecherous."
Sebastian rolled his eyes and looked up to the rafters.
"Back to the problem before us… the puppet strings that I found lead to…"
Drossel appeared in the shadows, a finger pressed to his chin in thought.
"So I thought to myself…" Drossel moved his hands and puppet strings tangled around the four. "What shall I use to make my new dolls?"
"Then, do you mind if I ask… What are you made of?" Sebastian asked him. Drossel looked shocked.
"Hmm, what am I… made of?"
"Yes. You see, you don't seem to made of very high-quality materials," Sebastian surmised with a smirk.
"So I thought to myself: I know I must be human, and yet lately I often find termites crawling out of my ears. Isn't that strange?" He asked, sticking his pinky in his ear.
"So that's how he's still alive," Sam mumbled. "He's a puppet too."
Sebastian's eyes narrowed and he caught the end of the ax on the toe of his shoe, throwing it up into the air and at Drossel with a grunt. It hit the puppeteer in the face and he fell forward, the puppet strings becoming loose. Sebastian caught the falling axe and turned to Grell.
"Now, Grell!"
"Ah, a love bird's collaboration, right, Bassy?" Grell yelled excited, running towards the butler. Sebastian jumped up and used Grell's back as a stepping stool to propel himself up in the air. He came up in front of Drossel, holding the axe with a scowl.
"You are utterly lacking in style, you are no butler," he scowled, swinging the axe down at him. Drossel caught the axe between his hands.
Sam looked up at the fight and sighed, looking over at Ciel who was holding an unconscious Lizzi in his arms.
"Did he really just say he was lacking in style?" Sam sighed. "Like he's so much better." Ciel rolled his eyes. Drossel fell and landed on Grell with a splat. Sebastian landed gracefully next to them.
"I would never lose to someone so hopelessly inferior," he said with a smirk. Sam twitched and shook her head at him.
"You are undoubtedly the most cocky, conceited man I have ever met," Sam scowled.
"Not without reason, my lady," he replied with his closed eyed smile.
Sam rolled her eyes.
"That's my Bassy!" Grell smiled. "So stylish!"
Ciel and Sam sweat dropped. Sam went to walk over to Ciel to help him with Lizzi when her foot bumped into something. She looked down to see Drossel at her feet. There was saw dust and wood shavings pouring out of his head.
"So he was a doll, just like all those girls…"
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Weird place to end, but whatever *shrugs*
Until next time!