The audience gasped as the blade was driven further into the bluenette's chest. Some shrieked. The Police Officers stood, uncertain as to how to proceed, while Seras Victoria stepped out in front of her master in order to shield her from the fangless vampire. Despite the pain, Ciel was calm. He was in no danger. Upon that realization, the man did not worry. In fact, the Watchdog's stern grimace transformed into a haughty smile.
"Feeling better?" he asked. "Go ahead. Take out your anger all you like. I won't dodge. However—a bit of advice: switchblades are for slashing, not for stabbing. You'll break your weapon if you don't use it properly."
"What?" growled Shaun, his fist clenched around the handle of the blade. "You—you think this is a joke?!"
"Well, it's not like you could actually kill me with this, so feel free to work out some aggression." The Watchdog replied. "I'm perfectly serious, and will do almost anything to convince you. I don't care about fighting you. You're not a target. I only dispose of threats on orders from the higher ups. I'm just a lowly agent, not a monster. If you really wanted me to take you seriously, however, you'd have to do a lot more than come at me with this weak toy."
"Bullshit! You're a monster and you know it!" barked the other man, spit escaping his lips as his anger grew. "You're a fucking monster! You ripped out my fucking teeth and sent be back to the coven without a crew! You wiped them out! Monster!"
"If that's what you want to believe, then I suppose there's no persuading you." Spoke the Phantomhive. Pausing for a moment, he took a moment to think.
"Ah, wait, you're from Girasol, aren't you?" he asked. "I do recall an instance of tearing out someone's fangs… Back then, Girasol wasn't anything but a group of beasts who killed humans and supernaturals alike in order to gain power… I was sent to stop them—wipe them out if nessecary. I decided that it was best to fight psychologically than with a big brawl." Looking the angry vampire dead in the eye, he continued.
"I wiped out a group of them making a fuss and left one to instill fear in the rest of the coven." He explained. "I did it in order to scare Girasol into submission so infiltrating and exterminating the entire organization would be unnecessary. It was a trade-off that would spare both sides loss of life on a larger scale. One small group that could be counted off on your fingers as opposed to a death toll in the possible range of hundreds. It was merely the lesser of two evils."
The audience was speechless. The ones who hadn't already fled were dumbstruck by what the Watchdog was saying. The origin of the story of the legendary Watchdog was finally being told from the other side. A soldier who found a way to spare the lives of many in exchange for a few? He did his duty with the smallest amount of life lost as possible, but he had become a monster. Gehenna did not condone his actions, however. They were angry. They were afraid. They had every right to be. This perspective, however, actually made logical sense.
Swiftly, the blade was yanked out of the Phantomhive's chest. Sweat began to collect at the vampire's brow as veins appeared on his forehead. His eyebrow twitched and his nose wrinkled. Shaun's face was warped into an ugly snarl.
"You… You bastard…" he growled. "You fucking—you fucking bastard…"
Suddenly, the blade was brought back down again and sheathed in the demon's chest once more. It happened again, and again, and again, and again. Fangless Shaun kept stabbing the Phantomhive, causing blood to stain both of their clothes and the stage beneath their feet.
"Die!" shouted the vampire. "Die, die, die, die, DIE, DIE, DIE, DIE!"
Ciel would not. He could not. A mortal blade could not kill a demon. Shaun's attacks were all in vain. Yet, the Phantomhive took each and every one, furrowing his brow and gritting his teeth at the feeling of his flesh being pierced over and over. He could dodge, but his moral obligations would not permit him to do so. If this is what it took to be perceived as authentic in the words he was presenting to the crowd, then so be it. It was a trivial price to pay.
The Phantomhive hacked up blood once the man finally stopped, spitting it out onto the stage. Shaun did not stop because he was content or out of steam, however. He did it because he did not heed the Watchdog's warning. Switchblades were used for cutting, not for rigorous amounts of stabbing. Thus, the blade had broken off inside the bluenette's chest.
The man's single exposed eye glowed crimson as the blood that stained his shredded white shirt and black coat as he clutched at the spot where the blade was lodged within his body. His other wounds had already begun to seal themselves shut. The first few already had.
As he looked up to face his foe, he saw the man shaking with rage. Still, Ciel was not fearful. He was not worried in the slightest. In fact, he smiled that same haughty smile as he did before.
"Well, I suppose you're done now." He mused, digging his fingers into his wound. A pained sound escaped him as he pry the injury open just enough to slip his fingers inside and retrieve the blade. Once it was out, he tossed it to the side, smearing blood across the floor even further as it pitter-pattered against its surface. After pausing to recompose himself, he continued.
"…Unless, of course, you're content with using your fists." The Watchdog said. "I don't mind. Take out all of the anger and hatred Gehenna has for me on their behalf. I won't dodge. I won't evade. If that's what it takes to atone for what I've done, then so be it."
"FUCK THAT!" the other man roared. "I WON'T STOP UNTIL YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD!"
"That, I'm afraid, I cannot allow." Ciel replied. "I cannot leave my love alone. That is the entire reason why I will endure everything you have to offer."
"BULLSHIT!" bellowed Shaun, cocking back his arm. With all his might, he then propelled it forward, aiming right for the Watchdog's nose.
He did not meet his target, however. Gasping, the spectators were again surprised at the display before them. Shaun was surprised as well. Even the Watchdog himself raised his eyebrows at what had just occurred, his eyes widening as the sound of impact echoed throughout the church without him receiving the blow.
Hesitantly, Fangless took his fist back. "M-Mister Lion?" he gawked, his startled gaze being met with a pair of icy blue eyes.
Red gathered in the blonde's originally pale cheek and dripped from his nose. Alois did not down a look of arrogance as the Watchdog did. His expression, in a way, was far more frightening. The usually smiling face of the heralded Lion was no longer beaming with the warmth of the sun, but rather, looking to the vampire with the blistering winds of tundra.
"That is enough." He said firmly, his tone authoritative with utmost dignity. "You are done. Please sit down."
"But—" the other man tried to reply. "But-?"
"Now." Alois stated again. "I will handle this."
Before Shaun could even move, Alois turned to face the Watchdog. To everyone's surprise, the bluenette stood at absolute attention, seemingly intimidated by the Lions new threatening aura. Alois' expression softened; his brow furrowing upwards with concern. With a sigh, he spoke.
"Why did you do this?" he almost outright demanded of the bluenette. "You could have stayed hidden. You didn't need to go this far. For someone who likes to be all calculating, you're a real idiot."
"I'm sorry…" the Phantomhive said softly. His tone was sincere, which genuinely shocked the supernaturals watching. "I just wanted to be able to be with you openly… I didn't want you to feel ashamed of me, or have to hide me."
"Stupid…" Alois replied. "All you had to do was ask how I felt. It didn't bother me at all. I know you. Surely you're not stupid enough to risk the entire project just for me…"
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but indeed, I am." Ciel answered with a small smile. "It was stupid, but I needed to reveal myself sooner or later. It's selfish. It's stupid, but I want to be yours. I don't want to be portrayed as being against you."
Reaching out, he touched the blonde's cheek where the man had been punched. It had already healed, but blood remained on the menace's face. Now it merely mixed with Ciel's.
"I was going to come here as Tunstell, but I realised that I cannot support you with the entirety of my power as him." The Phantomhive continued. "I admire what you have done here, and I admire you; your strength, your charisma, your integrity—and, admittedly, your beauty as well. I love you, but love alone won't help you reach your ends. That is why I cannot do so from afar. I want to be by your side at my maximum power, so I can be as useful to you as I can as your right hand."
Alois listened. His lips forming a thin line as he tried not to smile. A rosy complexion gathered in his cheeks once again at the bluenette's words, as he really felt them. The warm feeling in his chest betrayed him as the corners of his mouth finally turned upward as he shook his head.
"Dumb dog…" he began, shooing the other demon's hand away. "Like I care about how useful you are… Don't lie to me, either. You just wanted to be near me, didn't you?" the menace teased.
Now it was the Watchdog's turn to blush. "Uh-uh… well… maybe a little…" he bashfully admitted. His eyes fell to the floor, causing the blonde to grin.
"I have no idea what to do with you. Clearly, you're too dumb to be of much use." Alois said, causing the Watchdog to look up. When he did, the menace pecked him on the cheek. "But, you're really sweet."
"Ahem." Interrupted a woman, causing both men to look over the Watchdog's shoulder. Sir Integra had her arms crossed as she tapped her foot impatiently. "This is all well and good, but we're in the middle of a serious meeting, here." She said, causing the demonic duo to snap to attention. Their heads whipped around to see the audience, causing them both to blush furiously.
Their faces turned completely red as they fidgeted nervously, causing a few members of the audience to laugh. A few of them even clapped. When that happened, several others followed, and soon the assembly was applauding the two.
Soon, Integra gestured for the menace to take the podium. Clearing his throat, he did, with his face still flushed. He looked over at the bluenette again, and then to the Girasol members collecting their irate general from the stage.
"W-well, uhm… now you all know the truth about that…" he remarked, slouching a bit as he was chuckled at. "I'm really sorry to have kept this a secret from you. Given the current climate, it was impossible to allow Ciel to cooperate with us as he is. It was actually him who constructed the majority of the blueprints for the reformation project. His knowledge about business and economics was a great deal of help for putting Gehenna on the track for financial stability."
"This doesn't affect our intentions or anything else on our end of things, but it is understandable if you all are uneasy." The menace continued. "Ciel has been a very big part of your lore for some time. He's known as a monster who lurks around the corner to drag people away, but really, he's just an idiot who stays inside all day and complains about going to big social functions. Sometimes, he'll steal snacks, but most of the time, they're from the refrigerator or cupboard."
Ciel folded his arms and furrowed his brow indignantly at the revelations, causing more members of the audience to chuckle. His beau looked to him with a smile, feeling rather pleased with this reaction. Once again, however, he turned back to the crowd.
"He and I are still the same people you knew." He continued. "This time, one of us is just a little scarier-looking. Our actions and efforts will still go toward maintaining the peace and well-being of Gehenna, as well as peaceful relations with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. This will not change."
When the Lion ceased talking, he was met with applause. He turned to take a seat, sitting next to the grouchy-looking Watchdog. Looking out, he could tell that the crowd was mixed on their stance on their relationship, but from the way things looked, it appeared to even out. As a culture that loves stories, they had been greeted with the greatest fable yet. He smiled a bit at the thought, turning to look at his beau.
"Oh." He said aloud as someone else stood up to take the podium to speak. Once he took in the sight of his lover's face, he reached into his suit jacket, taking out a handkerchief before licking it and taking it to the bluenette's face.
"You're absolutely covered…" he chuckled, amused by the embarrassed expression on the Watchdog's face. "It's hardly dignified."
"The same goes for you…" the bluenette answered, pointing out the blood still on Alois' face. Reaching into his own pocket, he pulled out his handkerchief, only to find that there was a massive hole run through it and bloody stains dying it completely red. It was useless. Ciel couldn't return the favour.
"I don't mind it." Alois replied, smiling softly. He paused for a while, continuing to wipe the other man's face. "You really are an idiot… This is so unlike you…"
"I'm sorry." Ciel stated. "I just couldn't stand it anymore—not being able to be with you properly…"
"You're so weird…"
"Is it wrong?"
"No, not at all." The Macken said, shaking his head as he took his handkerchief away again. "It's really sweet. Makes you act weird, but it's sweet. I like that about you. Try to think about things more carefully from now on, though. This is the sort of thing that it's best for it to be planned."
"I see…" Ciel said with a sigh. As time began to pass, the man became increasingly nervous over the matter. What if he had ruined Alois' reputation with Gehenna? If that was the case, he would have ruined this entire project for him! What if he completely ruined the project as a whole? Then he would have wasted the government billions in one stupid move.
Worrying over it, the Watchdog visibly began to sweat. Worst-case scenario, his position comes into question, as does his usefulness. If he is no longer useful, he will be disposed of, and goodness knows what would happen to the remainder of his family if that were to happen. Lesser scenarios include Alois becoming an object of scrutiny in Gehenna, undoing the positive reputation that Alois had so carefully cultivated and was proud of. Taking that away from the blonde was cruel.
"Hey…" called the menace, putting a hand on the man's knee and snapping him from his racing thoughts. "It's gonna be okay. No matter what happens, we'll have each other's' backs, right?"
Nodding, the Phantomhive gave his answer. "Right." He said with all certainty. "Always."
