Another truck rolled into the special zone, carrying a different set of demons from the usual pair. The tall one with jet-black hair had been replaced with one of red. In a way, it was a blessing in disguise, as the master of the household wasn't exactly the best at taking care of the younger residents of the house. The demon was a surly-looking sort who was slightly shorter. His hair was longer than usual and parted so that it covered his right eye. Ciel's disguise was almost transparent, but given only a select few people knew his face, it was a successful one.
The bluenette couldn't help but smile at how well-liked the menace was within the special zone. Alois waved out the windows of the truck when they passed people on the street. Grinning, they waved back after realizing that it was the lion. They would have been frightened, otherwise. You could tell by the look on their faces. Some of the younger residents followed the truck, chasing it for a ways.
This was in fact the last day of construction for the time being, and the next phase was one that was going to be more difficult. They would have to create some kind of economy here and get the Supernatural Relations Department at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. up and running. The community would eventually have to select someone to represent them to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. in order to conduct negotiations, but that was still a ways off. They still had to make it clear that Alois was in fact a high-ranking agent of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; that the organization was involved, and that they had no malicious intent. That may be quite some time off in the future, but that didn't mean that the menace was going to be working toward it tirelessly.
Alois liked the special zone. The people who lived there were kind. They were united by their hardship and looked out for one another. At times, Alois couldn't help but wonder what life would have been like if he grew up in a place like this instead. Most of the residents were orphans or people who were left with no choice but to abandon their families and leave the human world for good. Now, Alois wanted nothing more than to make this community stronger and more prosperous simply because that wasn't the way things went. It wasn't a sense of selflessness that fueled his attention toward the special zone. It was purely the question "what if?" For the same reasons, he wanted to show the bluenette what he had been doing in order to give him a glimpse into his world. Looking over, he watched as the Phantomhive's eye scanned the scenery and took in all of the sights, curious as to what the man thought about it all.
"Almost to sector H." said Captain Harland from the driver's seat. "Where do you want to drop this stuff off at?"
"Almost anywhere is fine." Alois answered, turning his attention toward the woman. "I usually try to drop them off in the center so that people on the edges don't have to walk clear across the sector to get to it."
"Smart. I'll do that then." The woman said with a smile. Despite the situation, she smiled as always, regardless of the fact that she was an unarmed H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldier in the middle of the special zone. If anyone had anything to worry about, it was her. She trusted her superior's decision to incorporate some other operatives, however, and didn't mind driving the truck since neither of the demons knew how.
"This place is crazy…" said Audrey, looking past her from one of the middles seats in order to look out the window. "It's seriously a whole town of supernaturals…"
"Yup. And they don't like your outfit." The menace stated. "Both of you try to be as relaxed and non-threatening as possible, alright? We want to try and get them on H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s side."
"Roger that." Said Harland accompanied by a nod from the Baines gentleman. Alois thought it would be best to involve at least one non-human operative as well, and Audrey was the safest bet. Seras and Charlotte would have been better picks, but they're both not good with the sun, and Amelie's sleep-schedule has shifted over the years to be nocturnal with Charlotte's. August and Jonathan could have made it, but Jonathan would want to come with Heinrich, who could be somewhat hostile, and August was—well, August.
"What all do we have to do?" questioned the ordinarily bluenette watchdog, looking at the menace curiously.
"Drop off supplies and help get people what they need." The Macken replied. "If they aren't sure what they need for a job, then help them figure it out. Also help them out if they happen to need an extra hand."
"Sounds easy enough." Spoke the Phantomhive. "Do you really need this many people for that?"
"Probably not, but introducing the idea that H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. isn't all bad is a pretty good objective to have, right?"
"True." Ciel leaned back, bringing his arms in tight while trying to fit himself in the tight space between Audrey and Alois. He didn't feel too bad about leaning on the menace, however, grasping his hand while the truck concealed them from the view of the locals. Regardless of the simplicity of the task, he was still worried about being discovered. Perhaps this wasn't a good idea after all.
There was no turning back, however. As the truck pulled to a stop, a few residents began to approach, prompting the duo to separate themselves. Alois exited first in order to greet the residents, and was followed shortly after by the rest of his team.
"You started without me?!" Alois questioned with faux shock and dejection, causing the group that was currently planting flowers in boxes along the sidewalk. The menace whistled a note and put his hands on his hips. "Did you guys make these?"
"Mm-hm." Answered one of the elven women working. "We had some stuff left over from the last few projects and we found a book at the library on how to make stuff like this, so we thought we'd brighten things up a bit."
"I'm impressed! Spring's just around the corner, so you're in time!"
"I thought about that. I was a little worried that we would just have an empty box." Said the woman.
"If you did, I'd be happy to get you some more seeds."
"That's fine. They're pretty cheap, so we should be able to scrounge up something." As the elf's eyes wandered past the menace at the sight of people unloading the contents from the truck, so did the rest of her group. All of them watched for a moment before one of them finally asked.
"Who're your friends?"
"Huh?" asked the blonde before registering who it was that they were talking about. Looking behind him, his mind caught up to him. "Oh, them? They're my henchmen for the time being." Pointing, he listed off their names.
"The woman is Captain Debra Harland. She's cool. Human, but she won' hurt ya. The other one in uniform is Audrey Baines. He's from the Intel Department. He's a buddy of mine from secondary school. Half grim reaper. See the eyes?" Turning back to the elves for a moment, he remembered another important piece of information. "Don't worry about them. I know them. They're also unarmed, so they're not much of a threat."
"Oh, thank God…" sighed one of the women, placing a hand on her chest. "I was worried for a minute…"
"What about the redhead?" another asked, prompting the Macken to look again.
"Oh, him? That's Victor Tunstell." Alois lied, giving them the name that the duo had collectively conjured up. "He's my personal assistant.
"Demon?" asked one of the women. "He's cute."
"If that's your cup of tea." Alois exhaled. "He's a good man, but he can be a bit gloomy. Stubborn, too. Doesn't like to talk about his feelings often."
"Sounds like a pain."
"Eh, he's alright." Spoke the Macken with dishonesty. His true feelings contradicted what he was saying, but he had to keep up the façade. "He takes time to warm up to people."
While Alois conversed, the others were unloading the truck to the best of their ability. Ciel was doing quite a bit of it on his own with is absurd strength, while the other two had to work together, despite their muscular statures. Eventually, the menace joined them as did others. Once materials started getting laid out, the residents took to the piles and began to work. The H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. members simply had to stand back and watch so they wouldn't get in the way.
People were patching roofs and filling in holes in walls, while others took to replacing wooden posts that held up awnings and other things. Some took to building things to spruce up the neighbourhood, while others painted houses. Furniture was made as groups of people huddled around one or two holding books that held instructions for how to build things. Lightbulbs in streetlamps were changed and front doors were replaced. Vampires wearing shade gel or protective covering to block out the sun used their strength to carry things, while elves used their height to reach others and hold them up. Sorcerers used magic to assemble things quicker, while others used their strengths in order to contribute as well.
"Is it always like this?" asked Audrey, watching the scene unfold.
"Yep. They're very diligent and care a lot about this place." Replied the menace. "They work fast with what they have. It's really kind of amazing."
"They don't even really need instructions. It's like they just figure it out together." Said Harland, leaning against the back of the truck. "If only HQ worked like that all the time."
"HQ has lots of things to sort out on this matter." Spoke Ciel, or rather, "Victor". "We still need to get in a position where a self-sustaining economy is put in place. This is all fine, but what happens once we leave them alone for a bit?"
"Well, they'd probably be happier if H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. had left them alone in the first place." Said Alois. "But, you're right. This place needs money." Looking around, the menace watched the supernaturals work. He saw as the women who were tending to the plants before continued down the sidewalk while others mixed concrete, taking turns to crank the lever in order to mix it properly with the old-fashioned mixer they were using to fill in potholes.
"They're doin' stuff." The menace added. "Why don't you just pay them for it? I mean, this place is going to need maintenance workers, right? The rest of the city has them, and this part is going to need some, too. Why doesn't H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. employ them as official Special Zone workers?"
Raising his eyebrows, he thought about his beau's suggestion for a moment, genuinely surprised by it. Indeed, that would provide a solution to the problem, creating revenue for the special zone and providing a solution to maintain and facilitate repairs in the future. Ciel reached into his coat and pulled out a memopad and pen before jotting down the idea.
"That's really good, actually." He praised. "Nice work. Now, what we have to do is convince them to cooperate."
"Are you kiddin'? People will do all kinds of things for money, even if they hate the people they're workin' for." Alois replied. "I'm pretty sure all you'd have to do is offer them the job."
"In that case, putting the Supernatural Resources center in action should take priority. I'll run this by Elizabeth and Integra later."
"Glad I could help~!" chimed the menace, propping himself upright from his position leaned against the truck. His focus shifted as he noticed something being made by some of the residents.
"Hey! Check that out!" he declared, stepping forward and making his way over to the group. His posse then followed suit, feeling awkward being left on their own, especially the two soldiers. When the menace approached, the craftsmen waved and smiled as he walked up to them.
"Did you carve that?" the man questioned, looking over the bench that the group had made. In its surface, they had carved intricate designs that appeared to be reminiscent of Norse patterns. There were elves primarily working on it along with a witch or two. One of them had drawn the patterns in marker while the rest carved them out. Looking up at the man, they smiled.
"Well, we figured that there could be a few places to sit outside." One of them said, rubbing their stiffened hands and popping their knuckles. "If it's going to be on public display, then it should look nice, right? We're still learning, though, so it's not really good."
"You just started that a couple hours ago, though!" gawked the blonde. "That's really amazing!" As the man looked closer at the back of the bench, he noticed something.
"What's that?" His question caused a few of the workers to become flustered as they looked to one another in hopes that someone else would answer.
"Well…" began one of them. "Lions have been really popular around here lately." They explained. "Lots of people have been incorporating them into designs on things!"
"I'm flattered." Alois said, but upon further inspection, his smile threatened to falter and he turned to the Phantomhive. Ciel was not smiling. He couldn't. The scene that was depicted on the back of the bench was that of a pouncing lion attacking a large, crouching dog. Instantly, both of them understood what it meant.
Two of the Special Zone's biggest legends locked in combat. The Lion and Watchdog were being portrayed as enemies, when in reality, they were not only brothers in arms, but because of this sort of falsehood they were now somewhat of star-crossed lovers. It would have been slightly romantic, if the real world were so forgiving. Her Majesty's Guard Dog was an enemy to the special zone—an urban myth and boogeyman. The Watchdog was the one whom parents would warn their children about so that they would behave. He was a menace, when the blonde menace himself was a bringer of hope and repair.
Both men would have to keep the Phantomhive's true identity a secret throughout the duration of the project, or risk compromising the entire operation. Goodness know just how the residents would react once it came to the attention that there was a dog in their midst. The reputation of the Lion may also plummet, and H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. would lose all of the progress made toward their goal.
While the group who was working on the bench remained none the wiser, the frightening boogeyman that they had fabricated this piece in part about was right next to them, standing idly. Alois continued to talk to them as if nothing was amiss, maintaining the calm of the area to the best of his ability. Meanwhile, a few feet away, a young witch and a warlock were trying to lift a bag of cement on their own, capturing the attention of one of the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. group members.
"Need help?" casually asked Harland, walking over to the pair.
"Yeah, sure. This thing is stupid-heavyyyy?!" The warlock jumped with he looked up to see the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldier, alerting the attention of the witch with him. Both of them dropped the bag and backed away, but the woman continued to smile.
"Don't worry, I won't bite." Harland said, crouching down and grabbing hold of the bag. With a grunt, she easily lifted it and carried it on her shoulder. "I'm with the Lion and I don't have any weapons on me." She added. "So, where do you need this taken to?"
"Uh, just… just over to the mixer." The witch answered, pointing. Following her finger, the soldier spotted what she was talking about.
"Alright, then." Harland replied, stepping over other supplies in order to make her way over to the mixer. After seeing her wander off, her fellow operative followed after her.
"Captain! Where are you going?" asked Audrey, quickly tailing her.
"Just helping these folks." The woman answered, looking over her shoulder. She then kept walking. "Mind lending a hand?"
Although the reaper was concerned, he couldn't argue. This was the job that they were tasked with, after all. Helping the residents of the special zone with anything they needed. Thus, Bones reached down and picked up a bag, wobbling backwards a bit before steadying himself, but he managed. Both soldiers walked over to the sorcerers manning the mixer, using magic to keep the wheel turning so none of them got too worn out to actually use the cement. As the pair approached with the two nervous sorcerers, the others looked up and immediately looked defensive. Audrey's unease was visible on his face, but Captain Harland still smiled.
"Where do you need these set?" the woman asked before patiently waiting for a reply.
"Over there…" irritable mumbled a warlock, tilting his head in order to gesture in the general direction that the pair needed to head off in.
"Alright." Harland replied, heeding instructions without another word. Leading Audrey over, she finally set the bag down with a thud and straightened her back before her associate did the same. With that, the woman then walked over to the group again.
"Is there anything else you need?" she asked.
"No, thank you." One of the witches said, even while others worked to carry more bags.
"Alright, then. Have a good one." The Captain answered, offering a smile before she turned and headed toward the truck again as if nothing had happened. Audrey followed behind her, furrowing his brow.
"Liars. There was still stuff to carry." He grumbled.
"Yeah, but we're only here to do help as needed or wanted. It's not our place to question it." Harland answered. "Quite frankly, I don't blame them for wanting us to shove off. We don't exactly have a good reputation around here."
"I guess…" replied the reaper. "Still, you were awfully polite to them..."
"Hey, I may be in the combat division, but I don't wanna fight civilians." The woman stated. "I only fight who I'm told, and usually, it's because somebody's up to no good. These people haven't done anything wrong, so I don't have any reason to mess with 'em, and that's that."
"You're a good person, though. They shouldn't treat you like that."
"Kid, we mess with their shit all of the time. They don't know which of us is good and which ones aren't. They have to assume the worst in order to stay safe."
"Not all of us do that, though…" Audrey protested.
"My god, you really are a man, aren't you?"
