"Hey Ciel, have you seen my cufflinks?" questioned a certain blonde delinquent-turned-respectable member of soceity. His husband, who was currently attacking his uniform jacket with a lint roller, tore himself away from his work to think.
"Uhm… I feel like I remember seeing at least one of them in my earring box." he replied. "Why? You don't have to go right now. The thing doesn't start until this evening, so you'll just be waiting around the whole day..."
"I know. I'm just getting my shit together before then." Alois informed, walking over to the vanity where all of the jewelry and accessories were kept. He lifted a latch on a wooden box and opened it before starting to dig through a sea of earrings for anything resembling a cufflink. "Where do you keep yours?"
"My cufflinks? I have a holder for them in the drawer." Ciel stated. "You can put yours there too, if you want. Or you could just borrow some of mine."
"We're going to become one of those same-sex couples who borrows each others clothes and stuff, aren't we?"
"We already are. You steal my coats and then give them back when they stop smelling like me."
"That's just a cute couple thing." Finding what he was looking for, Alois exclaimed "Ah-ha! Got 'em! You should wear your dog earrings. That way, we can match."
"So you also want to be the couple that coordinates?" asked the bluenette with a smile.
"Yep. We gotta keep our position as the most enviable couple in the group."
"Why dogs?"
"Because, I'm going as a representative of the Phantomhive family." Alois explained, putting the cufflinks in the holder before walking over to the wardrobe to pick out a suit. "It's like…. How are we supposed to terrify people with our cred if we don't flash symbols to indicate who we are?"
"True. Knights have shields, gangs of colours, and we have dog jewelry. Though, if they know anything, they'll notice your signet ring."
"Yeah, but the devil is in the details."
Rolling his eye, Ciel shook his head before putting on his jacket and buttoning it up. Pausing to straighten himself, he fussed with his appearance for a moment before walking over to his spouse. "I have to go." he said before pecking the blonde's lips.
"Oh, shit! Your lunch! I'm sorry, I forgot..." his husband recalled, his brows wrinkling together as he thought with a concerned expression on his face. "I have no idea what I can whip up in a few minutes… Maybe an ugly sandwich..."
"It's fine. Just knowing that you'll be there this evening to cheer my compatriots and I on will sustain me." With that, Ciel kissed the other again, earning a small giggle.
Pulling away, however, Alois was obviously skeptical. "Maybe, but this might be the last time for a while that I pack you a lunch for work. Are you okay with that?" Blinking, the menace watched as his spouse's face changed. Ciel actually looked disappointed for a moment, but soon recovered.
"There will be other chances, perhaps." he said, clearing his throat.
"I mean, we're going to be married for a while, so I imagine so."
"Only a while?"
"Mmm, yeah." the menace teasingly said. "We probably won't be getting divorced for a few decades."
"Don't joke like that." Ciel practically pouted.
"Sorry, baby." Alois replied before kissing his husband's cheek. "Unfortunately for you, I have no plans of separating from you ever. So you're stuck with me for… When did we say? Til death? So basically forever."
"Good. That's what I want. If I didn't, I wouldn't have asked!"
"You're obsessed with me~"
Despite the blonde's teasing, his husband kissed him again. "As though you aren't with me..." the Watchdog said back, "...Mister Phantomhive."
"I swoon."
"And that's why you're coming to graduation. You might need to show up a bit early if you want to sit close to the stage."
"I thought there were reserved seats?"
"There are, but you know how pushy some mothers can be when it comes to their children."
"Those mums in the yoga class I went to were terrifying..." nodded the menace.
"Exactly. So get there before you have to compete for your rightful seat." With a pat to his husband's shoulders, Ciel began to move to walk out the door. "I'll see you then. Love you."
"I love you too, darling." Alois said after him, watching as his husband gave him a small wave and disappeared out the door.
Alone again, the menace sighed with the closing of a door. Having finished assembling his attire for that evening, he yawned and groggily made his way back toward the bed. He was eager to get back under the blankets, since he really didn't need to be up at that moment and was very cold. Since his husband left, however, he was left with no other option but to reach over and grab the Watchdog's pillow, pulling it close and hugging it in the bluenette's place. It wasn't the same, but it helped him sleep, somewhat. The smell was certainly there.
Closing his eyes, he dozed off and wouldn't wake up for a while. In that time, Ciel and Revy left for work and Sebastian left to drop Luka off at school before returning. Sebastian wasn't gone for very long. He returned quickly in order to get started on that day's set of chores, but had to put that pursuit on pause for a moment as he found a vehicle in the driveway that wasn't supposed to be there.
It was some kind of delivery van. It wasn't with the postal service, it was from a company like FedEx or UPS. It was odd, given how neither of the two masters of the household were particularly fond of either one due to packages being damaged or failing to arrive at the correct address with both companies. It was unlikely that anyone there would order something with this service, yet here they were. Perhaps they were lost and trying to deliver a package to the incorrect address again. Pulling the care up behind their vehicle, Sebastian effectively blocked them in, rendering them incapable of escape, but part of that was their own fault for trying and failing to park in the garage.
"Hello." the butler politely greeted upon exiting the vehicle. "May I help you?"
The man wasn't too terribly pleased with the sight that greeted him. There were two delivery men at the front door and one sitting in the truck. That was far too many to deliver packages, especially since most of these trucks only came with one seat. Sebastian could see into the back as well and could see clear as day that it was empty, so there wasn't anything to deliver in the first place. That made the two "deliverymen" that were trying to get the front door open all the more suspicious.
Having noticed Sebastian, the man in the truck started waving his arms to get the others' attention. His eyes were wide and he was frantically whisper-yelling to inform the group of the butler's arrival. Sadly for him, this also meant that he was no longer looking at Sebastian and didn't know he was approaching the van until he was pulled out of his truck and hit upside the head. It was only a glimpse that he saw before he was knocked out, but he got a good look at his attacker. Being the gentleman that he was, the butler delicately set him down before approaching the others.
"Welcome to the Phantomhive Estate." the demon said, prompting the others to turn around. "I am Sebastian Michaelis, the family butler. My apologies for not being present to let you in. There is no need for the credit card you're trying to hide from my sight. I am not bothered by it, since I know that there is no chance that you can open that door with it."
This was true. The front door of the mansion was a lot thicker and heavier than one would expect as it was specifically designed to be tough to break down or pick. It even took Alois a little longer to jimmy the lock than it would anywhere else. All external entrances and exits were like this. It was just one of the mansion's defenses. There has been a significant crack down in security as of late. Why, it was actually quite recently that all of the windows had been replaced with bullet-proof glass! It seems like after every attack, new measures are put in place, but Sebastian doesn't mind. It makes his job easier. Unfortunately for these men, however, their job was about to get a lot harder.
"How may I help you?" Sebastian questioned with a smile. "It appears that you have no packages, so it can't be a delivery. Perhaps you were hoping to take something with you, instead?"
"Shit." one of the men growled under his breath. With his right hand, he reached toward a pouch on his belt and pulled out a hunting knife. As he held it out to threaten the butler, however, he found his wrist already in Sebastian's grasp, while with his other hand, the butler pushed up on the man's elbow, providing enough stress on the joint in the wrong direction to break it. The arm dangled at the man's side as the weapon fell to the ground. With it came the thief as he fell to his knees and yelled in pain.
His associate was shocked both at the display and the fact that he never saw Sebastian move. His hands never reached for any kind of weapon, instead opting to reach toward the sky in surrender. It was a wise decision, as the butler made no move to harm him as a result. He did, however, force him to the ground with his compatriot and begin to ask questions.
"So am I correct?" he asked. "Did you come here with the intention to steal?"
"We didn't want to!" the one who surrendered said. "We were hired to for a lot of money! I've never committed a crime before in my life! Oh, God… I have a family..."
"Who hired you? And for what?" Sebastian pressed further. "I highly doubt that someone would hire someone to steal electronics and other typical valuables."
"She wanted a book!" the other man informed, talking rapidly. "She wanted a book that's somewhere in the house. She said it's really old and nasty-looking, but wouldn't tell us what it was called or why! I don't know why she would want it, but that's what she said!"
"And her name?"
"P-P-P-Pendergraft!"
Sebastian's eyes narrowed at the name, having heard it from Alois and Elizabeth before. They were looking for this person and now this person sent people to the Phantomhive estate? It was all too suspicious. Someone knew something and Sebastian had a sinking suspicion as to what book they were talking about, given the current investigation. The concerning thing was, however, how was its location known?
"Is that so?" the butler inquired with a smile. "Then I'll have to go inform my master. But first, I need to make sure our esteemed guests are… comfortable."
Somehow, over the next few minutes, Sebastian got all three men secured. After that he went right inside and made his way to the master suite to wake up the Phantomhive that remained at home for the day and explain the situation. Naturally, Alois wasn't sure what to make of it just yet, but put on some clothes and followed the butler downstairs in order to see what he was talking about. Sure enough, there was the moving van in the driveway with the Rolls Royce blocking it in, but there were no men in sight. Unlocking the back of the vehicle, however, they were soon found.
The butler had carefully tied them up using rope from the garage and duct tape before carefully placing them in the back of the vehicle. It was nice of him to do so, as there was no actual reason for him to mind the broken arm of the one who attacked him. Blinking, Alois peered into the truck for a moment before uttering a long sigh.
"I decide to sleep in for a little while and this is what happens?" he gawked, gesturing to the captured group. "Jesus, we can't go a single day without some weird shit going down, can we?"
"My apologies, sir. I don't yet know how their employer came to know anything about us, but I will do my best to find out in a timely manner."
"Call Liz. If they do work for Pendergraft. She wants to know." the menace said. He looked less than thrilled about all of this. "Nevermind. I'll do it. I need to make sure she doesn't need me for anything. I hope she can ask you for details while here, though. If the house is a target, I'd like someone to be here."
"Understood." the butler replied as the other demon began to walk back inside. "What shall be done with these three in the meantime."
To that, Alois stopped in his tracks and thought for a moment. "Do you think they'll freeze to death if we just lock them in there until someone comes to get them?"
"It shouldn't be that long, sir."
"Then I see no reason to do anything more with them. What you can do, though, is explain the situation to Sir Phantomhive while I talk to his cousin."
"Yes, your highness." Sebastian said with a light bow, but the blonde scrunched his face a bit.
"It's not as fun when you say it." he simply replied before walking back into the house. From there, he sought out his phone and contacted Elizabeth before relaying the situation. Naturally, he was rather annoyed and eager to know just how long this was going to take, as he had a prior commitment and was determined to maintain it.
His husband was a man who seldom asked for much, so if he had a request for the menace, Alois was keen on making it happen. This was attending an event marking something that his spouse had been working on for a while and was incredibly proud of. It was to the point where Ciel was obviously eager to show off what he had done, so, like any proud, supporting spouse, Alois knew that he must attend. He could almost hear Ciel telling him that it's alright if he failed to turn up, all the while looking less like a Watchdog and more like a kicked puppy. The thought of bringing that kind of disappointment on the man he loved broke Alois' heart.
"I'm sending someone right away." Elizabeth said into the phone. She could be heard typing on her computer in the background, so she was telling the truth. "If it really is the 'Pendergraft' we're looking for, the men Sebastian captured should be able to give us some information that we can use to track her."
"I thought Pendergraft was dead?" Alois inquired, but the woman simply sighed.
"There's no telling. It's entirely possible, given how the Camera Obscura works, so she might have eluded us, somehow. Julian mentioned her, too, so it's worth looking into." she explained. "What I'm more concerned about is how she knew about The Book of Akeldama being there..."
"Even if she knew about it, security in this place is intense. She would never be able to get through. I'm worried too, though… This is my house. My family is here. I don't want people breaking in and possibly hurting them!"
"I understand. Once we find her and confirm things, we'll send someone in to apprehend or dispatch her."
"Not one of us?" the menace questioned, raising a brow.
"If she's an ordinary human, there's no need. I private army should be able to handle it, easily."
"That right? Well, then, I'll leave it up to you and your people, then. I would like it to be very carefully explained why one should not attempt to invade my home. I may not be the one to do it, but I want whoever told her that to also know that the Phantomhives are still a force that should not be trifled with."
"You've completely adjusted to this, haven't you?" the woman observed with amusement present in her tone.
"I have. I'm a Phantomhive. And like any other Phantomhive, I do not like it when people aren't properly afraid."
"Speaking of fear, how is your personal project going?"
"It's still on. I'm debating on which person to target next."
"Will Ciel start helping you once he's free from teaching?"
"It would be hard for him not to. He's nosey."
"Oh, I know! I've never seen him be such a busybody before." Elizabeth laughed. "Are you going to graduation tonight?"
"I'm planning on it. I was kinda wondering if you needed me for anything else and how long it would take if you do. Ciel's excited about it, so I really don't want to miss it."
"Well, if you've given me all of the information you have, there's nothing else really I need you for. All you need to do is make sure those men don't get away before someone can pick them up."
"Got it. It feels like I'm being kind of useless, though." Alois stated. He sounded almost disappointed. "I don't want to do anything today, but I also feel like I'm not earning my keep if I'm not working."
"Sorry, Jim." his in-law stated. "That's what happens when you have an entire department dedicated to investigations."
"Yeah, but it seems like I used to do a lot more investigating! Now I'm just muscle for the few times it's needed! Either there's not a lot going on or the department has gotten more efficient recently."
"Well, I did replace the department head a while back, so I'll choose to take that as a compliment."
"Thank you for your service."
"No, no, thank you for your service."
"I thanked you first, though." Alois protested. "And you're the one whose actually working. I just got some flunkies try to break into my house. That doesn't take much effort."
"I guess you're kind of right..." the woman conceded.
They talked for a while longer about this and that, starting from the topic of home security. Naturally, HELLSING HQ was more elaborately put together and more heavily armed, but the Phantomhive definition of "home security" was nothing to sneeze at, either. Old servant passageways were used as escape routes should the house be overrun and some of the more serious weaponry was kept in similarly hidden rooms. He didn't speak of the situation beneath the basement due to how secret it is, but he did mention the idea of getting a dog. That said, he wasn't very serious, given how upset that would make the butler feel if he went through with it.
He talked with her until a car from HELLSING arrived with two men in military-esque uniforms with HELLSING patches on them appeared in the driveway. They opened the door to check on things, got the keys to the van from the men trapped inside and then closed it shut once more. The agents talked to Sebastian for a little while, but then one got into the car while the other sat in the drivers seat of the van before the two of them drove off. They were only there for about ten minutes and wasted no time in taking the intruders back with them. Alois knew they did because Elizabeth texted him when they arrived, leaving Alois practically free of anything else to worry about until that evening.
It all seemed overly simple to Alois, but he trusted in Elizabeth to do her job. He felt like he should be doing something, but he hadn't anything to fuss with, save for narrowing down what he was going to do with the Pomeroys next, and in truth, he wasn't feeling up to it right then. He was too worried about why the house was attacked. He could only imagine how panicked Ciel was over it and knew he should call. When he did, it only confirmed his suspicions.
"How did they find out about that?!" Ciel demanded so loudly that Alois had to hold the phone away from his ear for a moment. While the blonde knew that it was stress talking, he still didn't like being yelled at.
"I don't know. Liz is finding that out now." the menace informed, trying to keep a level head. "We won't know anything for a few hours, at least. Everything is safe right now. They didn't even make it past the front door and they didn't know where 'you-know-what' is hidden. They didn't even really know it's name or what it looks like!"
"Maybe so, but that still doesn't negate the fact that somebody knows we have it and that means that there could be more attacks in the future- Stronger ones that aren't orchestrated by amateurs." stated the Watchdog, before letting out a small groan. "Christ, why does it have to be today and not tomorrow?"
"Because life's like that. Shit happens. Sometimes good shit, sometimes bad shit." Alois replied. "If you want, I'll call in our friends at HELLSING to see if anybody is game for guarding the house for the night. How's that?"
"It's… Something, I suppose..." The other demon seemed reluctant, but placated, just a little. "I'm… not very comfortable with not being there."
"You have a job to do. You can't just bail."
"What about you?" Ciel questioned. "Are you coming or staying?"
"I honestly really wanna see you in your moment of triumph, here, but if you aren't comfortable with me being away from the house, I'll stay. Whatever makes you feel more confident."
Alois did really want to see the bluenette be proud of his men, but also knew that there was no way that his husband was going to be completely focused regardless of what the blonde did. The Watchdog would fare better and be less anxious if the house was looked after, but he, too, was incredibly excited about being able to show Alois his work. His face practically lit up when he told his husband about it and the fact that the blonde might not even be there crushed him. Alois could tell. He saw it. He also knew, however, that his home was a weak spot for him, in a sense. The thought of people breaking in filled him with anxiety and for a very good reason. While the menace had his own fair share of things he's sore about and that make him upset, Ciel did, too and Alois was more than willing to compromise for that just as Ciel did for him.
"I really want you to come..." confessed the Watchdog, very obviously disappointed by this turn of events. "But… I think I would feel better if the house was looked after. I'm sorry..."
"Don't be. I understand." the blonde's tone was soft and soothing in an effort to set his spouse at ease just a little more. "A man's home is his castle and you want it to be safe from invaders. It, and the valuables and people inside."
"If anyone you didn't invite shows up, shoot them from the windows." Ciel stated. "I don't care if they're thieves or Jehovah's witnesses."
"You got it, honey. The place is safe tonight. You can tell me all about how things on your end went when you come back, alright?"
"Alright..." There was still sort of a sad twinge to Ciel's voice, but there wasn't much either of them could do about it. "I'll see you later tonight, then..."
"Hey… You know I love you, right?" the menace asked. "You're gonna do great, baby. I'm so proud of you and what you've done. You're the best section leader that ever led a section and everybody there looks up to you. I wish I could be there to properly use my bragging rights of being your husband."
There was a pause before Alois heard the other man chuckle on the other end of the line, bringing a smile to his face. "I love you, too." answered the Watchdog. "To tell you the truth, I just really wanted to show off to you. That's the whole reason I wanted you to come."
"Oh really? Why's that?" questioned Alois, playing dumb.
"To woo you. Maybe impress you a little bit. It may not seem like it at times, but I like to put in a bit of effort to look good for my spouse."
"I am impressed. I'm more impressed that you trained this group of nerds to be killing machines. You've got your own little squad, don't you?"
"I guess I do..." Ciel speculated, looking down somewhat. Things had been going considerably smoothly for him, though he worried about what would happen when his underlings fled the nest. He was terrified, even.
"Anyway, I'll see you later tonight." he said. "I'll have to stay a while, so I don't know when that will be."
"Not gonna stay an hour and then run?"
"Can't. I'm an authority figure, here, so I actually have to participate."
"Sure you don't need me there to help save you?"
"I can handle myself."
"Mm-hm. You do that, big boy."
"Don't say that." Ciel stated, causing the other demon to snort.
"Aw, big boy Ciel is real mad."
"I'm hanging up."
"Alright." Laughed his husband, taking delight in teasing the Watchdog. "I love you~!"
"I love you, too, darling. Bye-bye." With that, Ciel hung up and placed his phone back in his pocket.
While he was now free to get back to work, that didn't stop him from still worrying about the situation back home. For the most part, it seemed like those underlings were harmless, but in the grand scheme of things, the possibility of someone knowing the location of The Book of Akeldama was a massive problem. In truth, Ciel knew that he ought to destroy it all together, but having that power at his fingertips in case of an emergency was all too appealing to give up.
Shaking his head, he tried to force that from his mind in order to focus on the task at hand. He could worry about it freely in a few hours. Until then, he had to be present both physically and mentally in order to do his job. Turning around, though, he wished he could go home as he was met with an irritating sight.
His men, who he had tasked with helping to set up chairs for the event, were staring at him. Worse, they were staring at him with knowing grins on their faces. He was tempted to slap them off but knew he probably shouldn't.
"Who told you you can stop working?" Ciel asked them. "Just because you're leaving soon doesn't mean you can stop working now! Hop to it!"
"Whatever you say, 'darling.'" snickered Private Withers. His laughter was soon joined by others, but the Phantomhive wasn't having it.
"Private Withers, drop what you're doing and give me fifty push-ups." he ordered. "Unless the rest of you wish to join him, I highly recommend that you return to your duties."
With a groan, Bryce reluctantly set down the folding chair that he was be carrying and dropped to the floor. To be fair, for Private Withers, fifty was a good workout, but not exhausting, so Ciel wasn't asking too much of him. If he was going to continue setting the scene for graduation, however, carrying those chairs was going to add up a bit more.
Ciel wasn't going to let any of them have a free pass just because it was his last day as their commander. He was immensely impressed with them, however, and let them have a bit more autonomy than usual. They continued to work and didn't take many breaks, since they wanted this to be done. Paradoxically, they were both annoyed with being the group to be working the hardest while being proud of themselves at the same time. Their instructor had warned them the night before to monitor their drinking and not show up with a hangover the next day, and to his delight, Ciel couldn't smell any alcohol on any of them. It wasn't as though a few of them tried to go to the NAFFI for a pint, however. No, they went, but found the place packed with what appeared to be every section in the platoon, partying and getting sloshed the night before a big event. After some deliberation amongst themselves, the devil dogs decided that it was best to turn around, go back to their barracks and play cards.
Part of it was discipline. They knew that if they got swept up in things, they would get punished for having done so the next day. They also knew, however, that if every other platoon was ill, that they would look like the most dignified bunch at the event! They wanted the cred of being the best section, because in many ways, they were. Ciel had taught them well and they wanted to make him proud of them. Being told that he was the night before did wonders for their morale and kept them in line. It made them want to work hard at maintaining that opinion.
Thus, they picked up the slack wherever they could. It was so much so that other section leaders took notice. Most of them had a stern talk with their own troops, partially out of necessity, and partially out of embarrassment. A lot of them, however, also complimented Ciel on how well-put-together they were.
"They're good men, once you get them convinced you can point them in the right direction." the Watchdog said. "It's making them into good men that makes it easier to turn them into good soldier."
"That could be a factor." answered a rather disappointed-sounding section leader. "I thought it would be easier to cut out some of the old 'how to be a gentleman' stuff from the army and just focus on skills and knowledge, but… Obviously, it's going to be hard for them to shoot while they're sloshed."
"Hopefully, their teammates will sort them out later on. During the war, there was a serious emphasis on manners, and it seems useless at first, but when you consider that at the time you're dealing with a group of young men who are away from home for the first time, it becomes absolutely vital." Ciel explained.
"Right." agreed another of the men's section leaders. "I'm half-convinced these idiots didn't even know how to wipe their own arse when they came in! Sergeant Holcomb, is it any different with the girls?"
"Pretty different. Hygiene was an issue for some, but not a lot of them." Sergeant Holcomb replied, taking a deep breath while adjusting her glasses. "That said, there was plenty of in-fighting the first week, which was sort of a pain. Things leveled out, though. At the same time, I'm very disappointed in the choice of some of them to go drinking with the boys last night… They're right pissed as well."
"As long as no one vomits on the stage, I think we might make it through this." Ciel stated with a confident nod.
"Easy for you to say, you've got all the good ones!" laughed the first officer. "My men are going 'round, dispensing whatever hangover cure they can think of, while yours are actually working."
"Then I suppose we'll just have to settle the difference the best we can, then." the Phantomhive answered. "Do tell me if any of you require assistance."
Pausing, the bluenette thought for a moment and examined his words. "That sounded a bit arrogant, didn't it?" he asked.
"A little bit, yeah." answered Sergeant Holcomb with utterance of agreement from the others.
"I'm sorry. I'm trying to watch my tone, these days. As my husband would put it, I'm 'a poncy twit from the Victorian era.' It has come to my attention that I might sort of rub people the wrong way just a tad."
To his relief, the self-deprivation and willingness to admit to his faults earned him a chuckle from his coworkers, so he knew that they didn't hold that against him. Indeed, it was true. Ciel was trying to be more mindful of his acquaintances' feelings, as there was no need to upset them when he didn't have to. It did nothing for him. The superiority complex that came with nobility no longer passed in his house, thanks to his husband, so there was no reason that it would be appropriate anywhere else, either. Interestingly, Ciel found that people liked him a lot more and were willing to work with him if he didn't solely rely on instilling as much fear as he could, so he changed his tactics slightly. That, and he had tried it before and it failed him.
This was not the first team that Ciel had been tasked with leading and if he lives long enough, it might not be the last. He did not make any friends the first time around. His abrasive nature did not inspire anyone to want to work for him, let along trust him. At the time, he brushed it off as the incompetence of other soldiers. If they couldn't follow orders and got killed, it was their fault. It was their fault, even when the choice was not theirs to make, but his own.
Things were working a lot better now, although he worried that he was a bit soft on them. He just hoped that they survived as long as possible while working at the organisation. That's been the toughest part in all of this. Ciel knew that being open left him vulnerable. Allowing himself to become invested in the welfare of these troops meant that it would hurt immensely if they were to die. While he met a lot of interesting people who he would have never spoken to or interacted with had he not done this, he was also worried that in doing so, he would become enraged if they were killed.
Enraged. Anxious. Paranoid. Just like he was with his house.
Allowing himself to interact with others made his life better. It was much more fulfilling, now. It wasn't dull in the slightest. Yet, he also knew that if there came a day when something were to happen to the people that he cared about, that blazing fury that he felt before might rekindle and burn everything he had rebuilt to the ground in an instant.
Ciel knew he was a man. He knew it completely. Confidently. Yet, he also knew that like any other man, this truth was not static. There are certain circumstances in which good men have the potential to become dogs or even monsters.
The attack on his house filled him with dread. He was not a dog paroling the area, but a beast that would tear the head of anyone who dared to harm it. It was in the demon's wishes that his cousin worked with haste and eliminated the threat before things escalated and he would be forced to. Phantomhive manor had fallen so many times before and he was sick and tired of it. It had been around a century and a half, yet the estate was far from being the indestructible fortress that he really wished that it was.
Focus. He had to focus. Shaking his head, Ciel did his best to stay in the correct headspace for the task at hand. As the hours ticked by, the event drew closer. Eventually, the families of some of the recruits had been allowed past the gate after having their vehicles searched. They began to pour in and take their seats, but first, there was obviously a time for reunion between the families and the recruits.
"Sir Phantomhive!" called out a voice from behind him, prompting the Watchdog to look over his shoulder. Private Clancy Peterson was trotting up to him with a man and a woman in tow. Stopping in front of the bluenette, he gestured to the others. "I'd like to introduce you to my parents! Sir Phantomhive, this is Gerald and Christina Peterson. Mum and dad? This is Sir Phantomhive."
"Pleased to meet you." Ciel said with a smile, holding out his hand to shake both of his underling's parents'. "Your son is a fine young man, Mister and Missus Peterson. A very brave man, well behaved, and an excellent shot."
"Thank you so much for looking out for him." Missus Peterson replied. "We were worried about how the others would treat him, but he says he had a great time!"
"I'm glad to hear that, but I can't take all of the credit. Your son stood up for himself, for the most part. I backed him up when he needed help, but the lads who had a problem with him quickly learned that he wasn't going to stand for their nonsense."
"Really?" the private's father sounded surprised. "That's good to hear… He had a lot of trouble in school with boys harassing him because of his orientation and faith. I was wondering how he would fit in, given the saying on the patch."
"Ah. 'We are on a mission from God.'" Ciel quoted. "I can understand that. That is from when the organisation was purely protestant. Now, we employ anyone of any faith. Discrimination based on sex, sexuality, or race with also not be tolerated. In fact, we actually employ aspects of witchcraft into quite a few antifreak techniques. Private Peterson might just have a few tricks his Christian teammates don't, for all we know."
"That's good to hear, Mister Phantomhive-"
"Sir Phantomhive." the demon corrected, interrupting the man. Mister Peterson's brows raised in surprise for a moment, having wondered if he miscalculated how down to earth Ciel was until the bluenette continued. "Mister Phantomhive is my husband. We both work for the same organisation, so there tends to be a bit of confusion if we don't keep our honorifics sorted."
There was visible relief on the couple's face as he said that. "Oh!" Missus Peterson practically sighed with her hand on her chest. "Is he here?"
"No, he- he had a bit of trouble with his car, so couldn't make it." the bluenette fibbed, thinking on his feet. "It wouldn't start and he isn't really handy with anything that's not a gun or a lock."
Things went this way for a while as Ciel was introduced to each and every family member that each and every one of his recruits introduced him to. They wanted to and the family wanted to see him. Apparently, he was spoken about quite a lot in their letters. How respectable and tough he was- how he was probably the greatest soldier in existence. Yet, they also spoke of how kind he was.
Private Wallace Young gained several pounds during his stay at camp, but hadn't realised right away that it was muscle and muscle weighs more than fat. He was by no means an Adonis or beared any semblance to a bodybuilder, but he did have quite a bit of practical muscle and Ciel told him in front of his parents that that's really what he needed from him.
"I don't care how trim you are, Private Young." the Phantomhive informed. "All I care about is that you're healthy and are physically capable of doing the job."
Apparently, the other lads had taken to calling him "Tank" unbeknownst to the bluenette, given his immovable stature and superior brawn to the other men. With Ciel's encouragement, Private Young worked harder at physical training than anyone else and it paid off. While he only had a few centimeters off his waist, that wasn't what was important. What was important was that he could punch the lights out all the others with a single hint. Wallace was actually disappointed that the prior was what his parents noticed right away and praised him for. Luckily for him, his commanding officer was there to give him what he needed and remind him what was important.
"I'm gonna really miss you and the guys." Wallace said, choking up a bit. Taking a deep breath, he tried to hold himself together and somehow managed to calm down. "I can't cry yet. I still have a speech to do."
"Really? You've still got a while, so if you get all your crying done now, you should actually feel a lot more calm later." the Phantomhive suggested, surprising the man's parents. "Emotions are just chemicals in the brain, so when you have an excess of them, what happens? You cry. It's a regulation mechanism and the expelling of those excess chemicals will make you feel better. It's why your tears have a different chemical makeup depending on what you were feeling when you cried them."
"I've never heard of a drill instructor encouraging his men to cry..." Private Young's father gawked.
"Keeping stone-faced and a stiff upper lip is nice and all, but I'd rather my men do what they must to have a level head instead of risking being overwhelmed by pent-up emotions at the wrong time and dying as a result. He's less likely to panic if he does all of his panicking beforehand."
The other man seemed skeptical, but wasn't going to argue with an army official ranked above his son. He especially wasn't going to irritate one with a firearm at his hip. Eventually, Ciel was free and able to get in position while everyone else took their seats.
Since Elizabeth was busy with the events from that day, her granddaughter came to the event in her stead. In reality, it was originally supposed to be the reverse, but Integra knew that she would somehow live. She sat next to the bluenette on his left while an empty seat where the man's husband was supposed to be was on his right. He sighed, wishing that weren't the case. It was loud enough that his superior heard, prompting the woman to arch an eyebrow.
"I thought you would be at least a little bit proud to be here." she noted, turning back toward the front. "Are you that eager to be rid of this task?"
"Not at all. I'll actually miss it, at least a little." the Watchdog answered. "I'm just not used to all of this positive attention. Worse, I'm without my crutch."
"You shouldn't use your spouse as a crutch. Show some spine."
"Helpful as always, aren't you, Integra?"
"I try my hardest." the Hellsing replied, prompting her compatriot in arms and eyepatch-wearing to roll his visible eye.
"Thank you for your vote of confidence."
"Any time."
Soon, the event started and the chattering died down. Before he and Integra took the stage with the other officers to dispense their section and HELLSING patches, a speaker from each section was elected to say a few words about their experience and what they hoped to achieve from working with HELLSING, or at least something along those lines.
There was talk of honour, integrity, and valour. The self-sacrifice that was necessary to do the work was focused on by some, outlining how noble of an occupation that this was. Many operatives had given their lives to keep the general populace safe from supernatural menaces, all without acknowledgment from the public, or even a "thank you for your service." Truly, it was a glorious task that needed to be done and every man and woman enrolled there was prepared to do it.
"In the name of God, all impure souls of the living dead shall be banished into eternal damnation. Amen." one concluded with, prompting Ciel to lead over and whisper to his grand-niece.
"Have you ever considered changing that slogan?" he quietly asked.
"As much of a fan of tradition I am, it has crossed my mind." she replied, matching his volume. "If you think of anything catchy, do share."
With the conclusion of that speech, the next speaker stepped up to the podium and cleared his throat. Immediately, Ciel sat up a little straighter and puffed out his chest somewhat. Poor Wallace. He was nervous and sweating under those lights. He had to squint in order to try and pick out the Phantomhive in the crowd, hoping for one last bit of courage from him.
"Uhm..." he began, immediately cringing as he showed hesitance. Like in training, he needed to move in for the kill. If he couldn't talk in public, what hope did he have of going toe to toe with a vampire? "We… My team and I… We were losers." he said, shocking the crowd. Integra introduced the palm of her hand to her forehead, but the man next to her simply narrowed his eye and listened.
"It's true. We were losers. We didn't know anything. We didn't know anything about supernaturals, even though we thought we did. We didn't know anything about fighting even though we thought we did. We didn't even know how to take care of ourselves, really, and struggled because our mums weren't there to help pick up after us." Wallace continued, completely going against the grain. "So we were like that and expected to just go out there and get ourselves some bad guys. But that's not how that works. It takes hard work. It takes blood, sweat… and tears… It takes the willingness to be open-minded so you can learn and to do that, you have to admit when you don't know anything. I still don't want to stop learning. There's a man I know who would never settle for that. If I walk out here and stay a soldier for two years; if I haven't learned a damn thing since leaving here, the moment I run into Sir Ciel Phantomhive, he's gonna kick my ass and quite frankly, I deserve it."
There was a titter of laughter as the audience began to relax a little more. Integra looked over at Ciel momentarily, wondering how he was reacting to that, but the man didn't notice her. He was completely transfixed.
"We didn't just learn how to fight bad guys, here." the private continued. "We learned how to take care of ourselves. We learned how to pick ourselves up and stop wallowing in how our lives weren't going anywhere. Hell, some of us hadn't realised how bad things had gotten until we went to bootcamp and get yelled at for not rinsing all the soap out of our mugs well enough. And then had said mug smashed on the ground. Instead of keeping our heads in the clouds, or in our videogames, or movies, or whatever, we're actually doing things and being what we always wished we could be. Now, I'm no space marine and I can't blow holes in people's skulls with my bare fist, but I'm self-sufficient. More than that, I too, can embody the ideals of those heroes that I wished I could be for so long. All it took was some support, some structure, and a lot of yelling and physically intensive exercise."
Pausing, Wallace looked down at his notes for a moment before looking back up. He looked out at the crowd for a second before continuing. "In fact, we Devil Dogs have a saying- a mantra, if you will. 'Sir Ciel Phantomhive would never do this.' It started off as a joke. Sort of mocking the fact that this guy was supposed to dictate our lives for the next few months. Now it's serious. If our mentor, the one that is teaching us, would not do something, then why should we? Instead, we need to look up to those heroes that we always have and try our best to become them the best we can.
"We started off as losers. Now, though… We're soldiers. We take our job seriously. We take protecting people seriously. We also take becoming the best people we can seriously, too. There's so many mums and dads in the audience who only wanted that much and if your kid's instructor was anything like mine, they are there.
"HELLSING it about all of those things that you were told by the people who went before me. We're here to help. We're here to keep you safe. We're here to fight those threats so you don't have to. We don't need thanks, either. That's not what it's about. We do the things we do because it's the right thing to do. Gentlemen and gentlewomen who will fight with the ferociousness of a thousand lions because we at HELLSING are virtuous. We're kind. We're selfless. And we're here to serve and protect you. The world needs more of us. More men like Sir Ciel Phantomhive… and more men like me. Like us. Like all of you. We are HELLSING and we fight monsters so you won't be afraid of the dark. Thank you."
Concluding his speech, Private Young took a small bow before walking offstage. He sat down in the audience, trembling like a leaf as the thunderous clapping of the audience rang in his ears. Looking over to his commanding officer, he watched as Ciel gave him a thumbs up and a smile, bringing relief to the recruit's racing heart.
Ciel didn't listen to any of the other speeches, however. They weren't important to him. He tuned them out, sometimes playing on his phone or texting his husband or Elizabeth, and sometimes, he just stared in the general direction of the podium and allowed his mind to wander.
He felt better. It felt like some sort of weight had been lifted from his shoulders that he didn't know was there. It was small, but noticeable. How sad, the person that these men looked up to and tried to model themselves after wasn't exactly an upstanding citizen and didn't even consider himself to be all that "nice," either. But they thought he was good. Quite a few others thought he was good, too. Maybe he was. Ciel was certainly coming around to the idea.
Time came when the speeches were over and the main event could finally begin. He and the other officers stood up when the leader of the organisation did and followed her to the stage. Corporal Gatts now stood with a microphone in one hand and a list of all of the recruits' names on it. Once the applause began to die down, the music began to play and Gatts began reading off names.
One by one, recruits walked up when their name was called. It didn't matter what class they were in or what sex they were. They were all mixed together. Once they were on stage, they were handed their HELLSING patch by Integra and shook her hand. Then, they were supposed to approach their section leader and receive their section patch and a handshake from her.
"Ryan Braumfeld of the Amateur Class; Devil Dogs platoon." the corporal announced, prompting the quiet Ryan Braumfeld to stand and walk onstage.
His face was neutral throughout the exchange as it always was, but he cracked the smallest of smiles when he shook Ciel's hand. It was returned, as well. Ciel was pleased to hear from the man when he spoke to his parents that he was planning on working in the Weapons Department and hopefully one day become a designer. The Private had a goal in mind and his commanding officer was confident that he could achieve it.
"Thank you, Sir." Braumfeld said, surprising the demon by doing something unscripted. Before leaving the stage, he stood at attention and saluted his commander for the first time. Ciel had never asked them to in the past, but it felt good to have earned it.
In the heat of the moment, the Phantomhive became overwhelmed with the pride that he felt. So much so, that it sparkled in his eye. Impulsively, he went off-script as well and returned the gesture. Stomping his feet, he stood at attention and offered his former underling the same respect.
"You're very welcome, Agent Braumfeld." he said, causing the stoic young man to practically beam.
With that, he turned and dutifully marched offstage, allowing for the person behind him to get through. Ciel watched after him and resumed his precious position. Much to his further surprise, however, it did not last.
"Jason Choi of the Amateur Class; Devil Dogs Section." Corporal Gatts finally called out. Sure enough, when Jason took the stage and went through the motions, upon receiving his patch from the bluenette, he repeated the gesture that his section mate did.
"Thank you, Sir." Choi said with a smile and salute to his commander.
"You're very welcome, Agent Choi." the Watchdog replied, giving him the exact same treatment as Braumfeld. Then when the next Devil Dog came up, it happened again.
"Thank you, Sir!"
"You're very welcome, Agent Cooksey."
And again.
"Thank you, Sir."
"You're very welcome, Agent Danlaw."
And again.
"You're very welcome, Agent Henderson."
And again.
"You're very welcome, Agent Kidman."
"...Agent Maddigan."
"...Agent Peterson."
"...Agent Withers."
"...Agent Young."
All the way down the line, each and every one of his students saluted and thanked him. A few others in other sections did their own officer, but none of them were as coordinated as the Devil Dogs. None of them were as dignified as the Devil Dogs. None of them were as overall impressive as the Devil Dogs.
Integra was surprised, but felt no need to speak up during the ceremony. It wasn't just for presentation's sake, however. She was genuinely impressed by how much the Phantomhive's team actually liked him and wasn't about to spoil the moment for some petty law and order. If anything, it seemed to excite the crowd even more.
There came a time, however, where the names had run out. When the last name was called, Integra thanked everyone for being there and welcomed the brand new agents to the HELLSING Organisation. Things didn't end there, however. There was an afterparty for the event and Ciel was expected to stay for it although the head of the Organisation herself left shortly after her speech. She even taunted him as she left, knowing full well that out of politeness and obligation to his recruits, he had to stay for them. Needless to say, his usual stance on parties returned in full swing and he was eager to leave in a matter of minutes.
Before he sank too deep into annoyance, however, the team arrived quickly to help him get there faster. Suddenly, he was attacked from all sides in an ambush! Before he could strike any of them down, however, he reconsidered and hesitated, allowing an opening that the others took advantage of and used to trap him in a tight group hug.
"Boss!" excitedly called Private Kidman, followed by the others in a disjointed chorus.
"Just because you're agents now, doesn't mean you run the place! I still outrank all of you! Now that Integra has left, I'm the highest ranking person in the room!" barked the Watchdog, but the others simply ignored him, leaving him no other option but to resign himself to his fate.
He chatted with them for quite a while, taking up a large portion of the party. Shockingly, it somehow helped him get through the event a little easier. It was best to have a crutch at these things, otherwise, Ciel had no idea what to do or how to carry himself. Yet, he spoke rather easily with this bunch, having dropped some of the formality, since they were technically no longer under his command the moment they took the patch from him. They certainly were comfortable. They even offered to drink with him, but since he couldn't get drunk and didn't like the taste all that much, he refrained, leaving them to it. When they started getting completely pissed, he took that as his chance to take his leave.
He waved to them as he made his exit, taking a detour to inform Agent Choi that he was leaving. Jason was the only other person who didn't drink at the party. He couldn't. His daughter was there and he wanted to spend all his time with her. The young girl stood on her father's feet, dancing with him as her mother and his wife looked on. Patting Choi on the shoulder, Ciel said his goodbyes.
"Are we ever going to see you again?" Jason asked, prompting the bluenette to pause.
"I'm not certain." the demon replied. "The base is a big place. I'm sure we'll cross paths again, however. I'll be sure to grill you on how you're holding up. Don't think I won't make you do pushups if you're not up to snuff."
Laughing, the other man shook his head. "I don't doubt that for a second. Be seeing you, Sir."
"Take care of yourself and your family." Ciel said before turning his back to the man, but he didn't leave just yet. There was still one more thing- just one last thing he needed to do first. Strangely enough, he walked up to Missus Choi, Jason's wife.
"Good evening, Missus Choi." he greeted, smiling politely as he approached. "I certainly hope you're enjoying the party."
"It's good to see Jason again." the woman replied with a smile. "And it's good to sit down! It's good to see them together. Heather's missed her dad so much."
"How is she, by the way? Is she doing well?" questioned the Phantomhive with an appropriately concerned expression. "Agent Choi has told us about her. You, too, of course. He bragged quite a bit."
"I hope about good things." Missus Choi answered with an amused scoff. "She's been good, though. Looking for Jason, but overall good. She's stable. There was a small scare, but her heart is fine for now. We've been waiting on the first big cheque from HELLSING to fix it."
"About that..." the man started, reaching into his inner jacket pocket. He pulled out a neat envelope with the Phantomhive seal stamped on it in blue ink and presented it to her. "I wanted to give you this."
With a confused look on her face, Missus Choi somewhat hesitantly took it. "What's this?" she asked while opening it. When she looked inside, her eyes widened as she stared at the piece of paper in shock. Finally, she willed herself to look back up at the demon. "I can't accept this… It's too much, I-"
"I want you to have it." Ciel said, holding up a hand to stop her. "I insist. If I just sit idly by and allow her to her to continue suffering and for you to continue worrying when I have the means to solve the problem with a stroke of a pen, what kind of person would I be? There's no need for that. Just take it. You don't need to say a word."
"My God..." the woman gasped, staring down at the cheque in her trembling hand while covering her mouth briefly with the other. "Thank you! Honestly, I- There's no way we'll ever be able to pay you back for this..."
"No need. It's a gift. You don't have to return the favour. It is just a gesture of goodwill. Nothing more." With that, he began to walk away. "Enjoy the rest of the night, Missus Choi."
As he left, the woman quickly made her way to her spouse and interrupted his dancing. Frantically, she explained what had happened and showed him the cheque and the envelope while pointing toward the Phantomhive's direction. For a while, Jason wasn't sure what to make of it, finding himself unable to believe what had happened. As the seconds ticked by, the gears in his head began to turn and he scanned the area for the Watchdog, only to spot him at hat check, putting on his cap and coat.
"Sir Phantomhive!" Agent Choi shouted to him, getting his attention somewhat and prompting him to look over his shoulder. But the Phantomhive only smiled at him and tipped his hat, gripping the brim between his index finger and thumb before quietly making his escape. "Sir Phantomhive!"
Looking down at his daughter, Jason picked the girl up before handing her off to her mother. "Hold her for a second." he said before taking off toward the exit, jogging after the demon. "Sir Phantomhive! Sir Phantomhive!"
Stepping out into the night air, Agent Choi heard the sound of music pulsing behind him as he looked out in search of his instructor. His eyes scanned the area, but couldn't find the slightest glimpse of the man. In an instant, Sir Ciel Phantomhive had vanished. Realising this, all the man could do was shake his head and laugh. That was just like him. Always mysterious, but a good man. Ciel came into their lives and turned them upside-down, forcing the best out of them and knocking some sense into their skulls. Then, just as quickly as he came, he went; Presumably to do whatever it is that Phantomhive's do.
They were half right, though. He changed them in a radical way, yes, but they reassured him in ways that they hadn't realised. They would never know how Ciel felt that night in November as he made his way home. They would never know that he felt slightly more confident in the fact that he was a good man in the first place.
Now, he went home to his beloved estate. His castle. His fortress. According to his husband's texts, it was still standing and remained un-ransacked. By this time, he knew that Elizabeth had more information on the events from earlier that day. He didn't need to be told that she did. When he returned home, he would find out exactly what she knows along with the makings of her plans on what to do about it.
A/N: This was a very long chapter... almost 20 pages! I don't have anything particularly interesting to say here, though. I just wanna know what y'all think.
I did get a question, though. It was actually meant to be a character shet question, but none of the characters have an answer.
"... is it actually possible for Revy to figure out who he was before this? Or is his past impossible to track to him?" by Guest
Yes, it is! I just haven't got around to writing it happening. I've got a million plot points to try and get to so I'm having to postpone things and move things up. He can still figure out his life before all of this. His soul is still his soul and his record is still in there. It's just a matter of writing it, really...
That's all I've got for now.
Until the next chapter, my duckies~!
