Chapter 22 – Battle of bands
Me: Hello everyone! I am back!
I do not own Black Butler
Alice: About time god dammit!
Me: ….Let's just get on with it shall we?
Alice: Hey!
Me: *ignores*
Alice: HEY!
Me: -.-
The next evening, as planned, the Phantom 5 took their places on stage, going undercover as members of the choir while I stood in the crowd to watch. A giant grin on my face as I couldn't wait for them to make their appearance and to see the look on Bravat's face. I looked around casually to see where he was and I could see his faint figure at the very back watching his 'magnificent' work.
Just you wait you creepy mother fucker…we'll show you what happens when you mess with us.
As usual, the room was packed with people and their disgusting mesmerized expressions. I could hear their conversations with each other before the singing began.
"Oh I practiced the dance to this."
"I am so excited!"
"Can't wait to see them again!"
I scoffed with disgust as I kept my eyes on the front. Then the hooded figures began to sing their haunting carol and I joined in to avoid suspicion. As the song drew to a close, I knew that the plan was reaching its climax and my body jolted with excitement. Here we go!
The song ended as the 4 took off their cloaks but our 5 members remained on stage to the confusion of the crowd and Bravat.
"Wait! Look! The chorus hasn't left the stage yet!"
"Was there a mix up?!"
The middle figure smirked as he pointed to the 4 standing in front of him causing them to turn around in shock.
"Hey you bunch of frauds! You call yourself 'shining' with your dimly lit candles? Don't make me laugh! Why don't you take a gander at the genuine article!"
I bit my lip to stop myself laughing as Bravat stared up in genuine shock as the Phantom 5 took off their cloaks in a flashy manner, revealing their recreated selves. To be honest, I think I went slightly red at how good looking they were and I did, in fact, find them dazzling.
The P4 instantly recognized them, their faces frozen in surprise as our group jumped into dance and song, instantly removing what shining hope was left on the stage from Bravat's group, finishing in a glorious pose, the crowd burst into applause but also chatter of confusion.
"What? Who are they?"
"Aren't they crashing the event?"
"But don't you think they are kind of cool?"
"Yeah! They are pretty cool!"
Edward, the leader, pointed to the crowd with a seductive grin (as instructed by me and Sebastian).
"We are the true rulers of London's night! THE PHANTOM FIVE! So for those of you who'd like to dance til you drop, just head out to the front. I'll make sure we go at it until morning, alright?~"
This caused a few of the women in the crowd swoon and go red in the face as Edward seductively brushed his thumb against his lip. I would be lying if I said I didn't feel a bit red in the face. But remembering what my job was I turned to see Bravat's face twisted in disbelief and anger as his plan was being crushed right before his eyes and in his music hall. He dashed out of the hall and threw open the doors and I silently followed and managed to see his face go pale as he stared at the glorious and beaming Funtom Music Hall. In front of the hall were dozens of people heading inside those doors, a sweet store loaded with children and their parents and several workers walking around with fresh, free curry buns.
"Wh-What? This can't be! I should be staring at an old abandoned run down theater right now."
~Up in the office above the Funtom Music Hall~
"That piece of real estate…I ended up paying only a fraction of what I was willing to spend."
Sebastian's lips curled at his devious young master,
"That is wonderful news indeed. but even aside gathering funds and creating the Phantom 5, to think you could complete the remodeling and overhaul within 2 weeks on top of the preparations for opening and running stores…as per usual, your requests are far from reasonable."
"Heh? If you can't shackle down their hearts, then the best thing to do is to five them options. That's all it boils down to."
"I must say, imitating and mocking their own concept and throwing it back in their faces really was ingenious. You're quite the devious and sinister one, young master."
Ciel smirked as he got up from his desk and walked to the window to view his wonderful work, noticing a pale faced Bravat staring up at the hall.
"Now then, sit back, watch and learn as I show you what a real display of entertainment looks like. Funtom Music Hall, now open for business."
~Back at Sphere Music Hall~
"MInna! You were amazing out there! We'd better head back before Ciel and Sebastian get impatient."
Soma rushed up and hugged me, blabbering at how exciting and thrilling it was as the others tried to pry him off. Despite all of this, they all looked like they were having lots of fun and really enjoyed performing. We headed back to Funtom Music Hall and reached Ciel's office where Sebastian and Ciel were waiting.
"We're back!"
"Excellent work, all of you! it appears that our infiltration tactic had quite a profound impact. I guess I should thank you Alice for that, good job."
I smirked at him and blew him a kiss which caused him to flinch with disgust.
"Aw, thanks Ciel! It was actually really fun!"
Ciel gave me an unimpressed look.
Soma laughed as he pat me on the back,
"It was really funny! Alice pretended to be drunk and stumbled into the guards, spewing nonsense and yelling at them. They were so flustered and didn't know what to do! The best part was when she took off their hats and began skipping away, singing one of the carol songs. They chased after her, allowing us to slip past and infiltrate!"
Cheslock burst into laughter as he pointed at me with new respect,
"You should be an actress one day! It was hilarious!"
Once again Ciel gave me an unimpressed look that somehow reflected how he felt about how shameless I was. Sebastian gave me a creepy smile and goosebumps rose on my arms as his eyes gleamed with hunger. I looked away. I recognized that smile, he was hiding his jealousy or should I say possessiveness. I knew how much he hated other men touching me.
"Anyway way, the audiences' jaws were all on the floor! I wish you could have seen their faces!"
Harcourt let out a sigh of relief,
"I was so nervous! It was frightening to be performing in front of so many people!"
Edward looked confused as to whether it was really a good idea, despite doing it anyway.
"Man! What a transformation! The guys from school would wet themselves if they saw us like this! And I'm talking about you Mister Hardass Green Lion Prefect!"
Cheslock had said while motioning to Edward. However Clayton ruined that moment as he asked for his glasses back. It surprised me as he was able to perform perfectly despite being pretty much blind without his glasses. Sebastian gave him back his glasses and Clayton fixed his hair back to the way it was before the performance.
"Anyway, rest because our real plan will go into motion in a little while. Sebastian, Alice go and prepare for the performance. Also during the performance, I want Alice to stay in the crowd to watch Bravat. It is quite obvious that he would come here to examine our music hall so I want you to keep an eye on him. If needed, greet him and make sure he feels welcome."
"Of course! I'll give him the famed Phantomhive hospitality!"
Leaving Ciel in his office, we prepared towels and drinks for the Phantom 5 to revitalize them before their huge performance. They had last minute practice before heading off with Sebastian to get ready. As Ciel said, I went into the crowd, changed from my maid uniform to blend in. And just as Ciel had predicted, Bravat had come to the hall. He had changed out from his fancy fortune teller clothes into something less flashy. In his hands were a towel and a coloured rod which caused him to frown in confusion. As he walked further into the hall, he glanced around at the stores before heading into the actual hall.
The only thing I didn't like was the fact that his face kept its smug expression as he saw the layout of the crowd. I bet he was thinking that the people in the back wouldn't be able to see or hear the performance that well but he had underestimated Ciel and he was about to get his socks knocked off!
"Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to the Funtom Music Hall~ Brace yourselves because tonight we are going to dance like there is no tomorrow!"
The curtains opened and the phantom 5 were not there and the crowd erupted into chatter, wondering where they were.
"GET READY! IT'S SHOWTIME!"
The sounds of gasping filled the hall as the Phantom 5 fell from the sky and flew across the hall. Everyone stared up at them as they looked like 'phantoms' gliding in the sky before landing on the stage and stripping their cloaks off.
"Now that you're here, you're not getting away without paying a hefty price~ you're all in the palm of our hands now and I'm going to steal each and every one of your hearts! So be ready as I steal it from right under your nose."
The women erupted into squeals and swoons as Edward gave them his prized smirk.
"Now Let's get this party started!"
They launched into a powerful song with powerful lyrics as it resonated throughout the halls. Everyone realized that they had large metal monsters that projected their voice from the stage to the people at the back as well as amplifying devices which increased the clarity and volume of their voices. However, since the crowd had not gotten used to this type of performance, some of the crowd were not drawn in.
"Alrighty everyone! Follow my lead!"
Soma lifted his towel high into the air and began to twirl it and the other members followed suit. Suddenly the crowd exploded with energy and excitement as men, women and children burst into cheers and twirled their towels too. I stood behind Bravat as I grabbed my towel and twirled it around too. His face was in total awe as he gazed at how the energy level doubled in just a second.
Cheslock raised his violin bow, pointing to the crowd at the very back.
"Hey all of you in the back! ARE YOU HAVING FUN YET?! DON'T YOU DARE FALL ASLEEP ON ME! EMBRACE OUR ENERGY! LET'S GO!"
The phantom 5 leapt off the stage and walked in the spaces left by the sections as they greeted their fans. Bravat stared in shock as he realized the purpose of the sections which allowed the members to get personal and close with their fans. It was very effective.
The ladies went wild as their respective member approached, touching their hands or sang to them. One of the women cried out for Edward, holding a bunny that was meant to be him and he approached. Edward made his fingers into a rabbit, kissed it and then kissed the stuffed toy with his fingers indirectly kissing it as if it was the girl herself causing that whole section to go red in the face and squeal. I saw Edward look my way and I signaled to him that Bravat was in this section in front of me and he nodded in acknowledgement.
The group walked back to the stage to perform another song and the crowd went ballistic. Edward pointed to Bravat whilst performing, directing that specific lyric to him, a challenge courtesy of the Phantomhive family.
"Quite amazing isn't it?"
Bravat turned around and faced me as I gave him my most innocent smile I could,
"Ah…you, you're the miss with that boy and gentleman in black!"
"Are you having fun? You seem upset, is there something wrong?"
His face paused for a bit before he realized who I was and then his gaze became dark and frightening.
"I see…what a scary person your master is."
"Hm? Whatever do you mean?"
He wasn't fazed by my head tilt and fake confusion.
"I do not know your motives but I will not lose to some amateur and fake. The original will always shine brighter. It's a shame though…I liked you…it would be better for you to join me."
I let out a laughed that sounded so cruel, it didn't sound like me at all.
"I'm afraid that is not possible. But I do hope you enjoy the rest of the performance."
The lights went out as the crowd turned into disarray, some frightened and others confused. Before Bravat could grab my arm, I disappeared into the crowd and hid at the very back. This was going to get interesting. Although I wonder what Bravat's next move will be…let's hope he puts up more of a fight. Then Edward's voice filled the hall, calming, seductive and soothing and the crowd hushed.
"We have no need for the shining lights of the stars. All we require to keep us alight is you."
The hall lit up like stars in the sky as the light rod given at the beginning lit up with all different colours. I lifted mine up high and began to wave it side to side, beckoning others to join in. To my joy and surprise, everyone began to join in as the hall lit up with smiles and energy.
"Alright! Let's blow the roof off this hall as we take off and blast into the starry sky! The finale song is Broken Star!"
And with that, the performance ended and the fans were directed out through gates of the members of the Phantom 5. Each gate had one member to send off their respective fan. I stayed behind as I watched Bravat's expression change from awe to fear at the power of the Funtom Music Hall and Ciel Phantomhive's mind. His thoughts were interrupted when Ciel graced him with his appearance.
"Well, well if it isn't the gentleman from Sphere Music Hall. Did you enjoy yourself today? I hope that the performance was of high standards and to your liking…"
I noticed the sly grin that Ciel and Sebastian had plastered on their faces as they stared at Bravat.
"You, you're the Earl of Phantomhive."
"I knew that you knew who I was from the beginning."
Bravat suddenly gave him his fake smile and cheerful tone as he tried not to seem like the bad guy,
"Never in my wildest dreams would I have guessed that someone of such high rank would come up with such a plan!"
Ciel tilted his head in mock confusion,
"A plan? This theatre uses the most cutting edge mechanical equipment, making it the most technologically advanced stage in the world. It just goes to show how the entertainment field is constantly evolving."
Bravat's smile finally fell from his face as he stared at Ciel reining in his anger.
"Equipment isn't everything when it comes to art. Nothing surpasses the luster of the original product."
Ciel shrugged casually,
"I believe that is up to the audience to decide."
"Indeed you are correct. However, I believe that if one cannot gain the support of one's closest friends, then doing so with a large group of strangers is out of the question, no?"
Oh no he didn't. That bastard did not just go there. I was ready to lunge at him for daring to go as far as indirectly mention Lizzy and her situation. If it didn't ruin our plans to kill Bravat now, I would enjoy tearing him limb from limb.
"but that's only because they have yet to see the show right?"
I could see the tension and rivalry spark like lightning around the two as they continued to glare at each other in hopes of intimidating each other. Bravat turned sharply and left, not looking back. Ciel and Sebastian walked back up to the office. As I followed up the stairs, I heard a loud smash as Ciel's anger finally came out.
"DAMN IT ALL!"
As usual, Sebastian did not sound at all concerned.
"Oh dear, the Meissen vase…what a shame!"
I got up to the office where Ciel and Sebastian were standing over a smashed vase,
"It isn't like you to vent out your frustration like that."
"I KNOW! Just watch…I'll bring this to an end."
Yeah, it would be best not to say anything. I have a habit of saying the stupidest shit at the worst times and now is a very bad time to open my mouth.
Ciel was put to bed and Sebastian and I tidied up. I noticed that he kept staring at me and it was unnerving.
"What? Why are you staring?"
"Can I not?"
"NO! It's creepy! Even though I've been with you guys for a while now, I'm still not used to your weirdness."
I turned back to the table to clean it up when two hands trapped me against the table and I turned to have Sebastian's face millimeters away from mine. He yanked off the hair tie that kept my lush pink hair off my face, releasing it from its bond. I had been noticing the strange white tips of my hair had stopped and remained only at the tips unlike before when it had crawled its way up. Sebastian ran his ungloved hands through my hair and brought it to his lips.
"Your scent has become sweeter. It's irresistible. You are a dangerous woman Alice."
His lips found mine as he pressed himself against me. I could feel his toned body shiver as he kissed me with hunger and lust. I could feel myself burn as his touch scorched me. Hot…too hot! This is not good. I think I'm going to die of suffocation and burns!
"Se-bastian…st..op…"
But he didn't hear me as he continued to feast on me. He bit my lip, causing blood to slowly drip down my chin. He licked it up and sucked on my lip, tasting me.
"You taste so good Alice…"
"Ow! It hurt!"
"Let me kiss it better then."
My mind told me enough was enough but my body yearned for more. I feel into his spell as I allowed him to pull me closer. I grabbed onto his coat and wrapped my arms around him…I was hungry, desperate for his touch.
"Alright…I think I will save you for later…Good night Alice~"
Countless days had past of competition between Funtom and Sphere music hall as they tried desperately to outdo each other. I had little to do so I just stayed around and helped Sebastian when needed and sometimes did some spy work but that was not the focus of Ciel's current plan.
"I believe it is time for us to go Alice."
"Yeah, yeah….we gotta go back to that creepy ass forest right?"
"I am glad that you remember the plan Alice, I hope you do not ruin it."
"Shut up Sebastian! Have I ruined any of our plans so far?!
"…."
"No, I thought not!"
We ended up in that same spot with the pit and hid there before, sure enough, two men working for Sphere Music Hall showed up with a body of a very young woman and dumped it into the pit. The photographer with us took a photo of them and the flash caught them off guard.
"it's just as the young master predicted."
They pointed at Sebastian and I with shock as the light from the camera shone at them, blinding them slightly.
"You! You're from Funtom Music Hall! Why are you here?!"
"I'll bet you thought that you were safe from the yard about dumping bodies huh? Well you are very much wrong. The investigation ended a long time ago…All the findings and evidence has lead them all right here to Sphere Music Hall. In short, you're busted."
The men stared at me and then Sebastian as our lips curled into a cruel grin upon the worried and terrified expressions on the men's faces.
"By using the allure of the S4, you gathered people and then systematically harvested their blood. Quite the daring feat I must say. On the outside, you seemed vibrant and fun for anyone and everyone but it is merely a deceptive façade. But here arose a question."
I tsked and wagged my finger at them in mock disappointment,
"To make yourself unnoticed and not suspicious, you took small amounts of blood from your crowds so then you why is it that you are producing such a large amount of corpses? The thing they had in common was blood loss. You certainly didn't want to be labeled as murderers right? So why did you continue to draw blood? Is it because you still didn't have enough blood?"
The men flinched and that was all Sebastian and I needed to confirm that our prediction was right.
"Bingo! Although we don't know what that blood is for…the young master hypothesized that if we take away from the already scarce source, it would leave you desperate enough to draw too much blood and thus, lead to this."
"Wa-it! That means you-"
Sebastian's grin grew even further as he relished in the fear emanating from the two men
"The true purpose of the Funtom Music Hall is to siphon away your audiences to diminish your overall blood resource, thereby increasing death by loss of blood. Then all we had to do was lie in wait at the burial location. Quite clever isn't it?"
The camera watched in awe as Sebastian carried out the plan ever so smoothly and how clever the Earl was despite being so young.
"Seriously, the Earl can really conjure up such scary plots can't he!? And with such a cute face, the blood running through his veins is unmistakably like his papa isn't it? Thanks to him, I get an exclusive scoop all to myself! I owe ya guys one! Thanks cute maid and scary butler!"
The two men pulled out their guns but I plugged it up with two knives in my pocket while Sebastian appeared from behind them and picked them into the pit with the corpse. They got up and tried to unplug their guns but with the force of my throw, it was almost impossible. I stood back as the camera man and Sebastian approached the pit with their cruel grins,
"Eyes up here! Watch the birdie!"
With a flash the picture was taken and the damage was done. A day later, on the front page of The Penny newpaper was the two men and the corpse as well as the title, HORRIBLE MURDER! BY SPHERE MUSIC HALL! SPHERE MUSIC HALL MURDERS THEIR GUESTS! The message was spread throughout London and fell into chaos as people began to resent Sphere Music Hall. Many tried to sell their bracelets, workers were arrested and Bravat was in more shit than he could ever imagine.
All that's left is to continue to strangle him until he is completely dead.
End of chapter
I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter! There wasn't much between Alice and Sebastian though because I felt like it might be too much if I did…I hope that was alright with everyone.