CHAPTER 17 - "THE BETTER PART OF VALOR"

Ciel pushed away from Abberline.

While he did appreciated the inspector's self-sacrifice in protecting them during the explosion, he did not want to be coddled and treated like some helpless child.

Ever since his parents had died, he had to be self-sufficient and he refused to let anyone take that independence away from him. And it was ironic that he would insist on that with Sebastian incapacitated, and that Lukas's preaching of being independent and self-sufficient - or in the very least not relying so on Sebastian and the servants so much - at this very moment, would finally so hold true.

He would do just that.

Mathu Kelvin was a powerful enemy.

Pulled down into the depths of Hell by the Eye of God summoned by Sebastian during their last and thought to be final encounter, Ciel did not know how Mathu Kelvin had returned from an almost certain fate of eternal torture, pain and suffering by Lucifer. But here he was, standing and sizzling with electricity on the front courtyard, demanding Sebastian's presence.

It was regretful that Trent Banes was dead. He and Spencer Von Strauss had saved Abberline from the Illuminati, but no one could have expected Mathu Kelvin's return. He had murdered Trent Banes obviously to prove a point - that he was still as powerful as he was when he fought Sebastian months prior. Filled with the awesome power of not only his own Fallen Reaper abilities, but also that of his beloved wife Savannah, whom he sacrificed and drained of power to become even stronger.

It took the cunning by Sebastian to beat him.

But Sebastian wasn't here now.

Ciel stood on his feet, straight and tall, and arrogantly proud. "I'm afraid Sebastian is dealing with another issue at the moment," he said. "You will have to come back later to get your revenge."

"Don't antagonize him, brother," Lukas said, standing up. Abberline did also. "Sebastian isn't here to help us this time," he said quietly.

"Who or what is that?" Abberline said, instinctively stepping in front of them, as if to shield them again.

"That, my dear man," another voice said, "is a very dangerous man, indeed. That is a Fallen Reaper," stating it outright, without deception. All three turned to look at Salem, or the Undertaker, as Abberline knew him. Next to him stood Grell Sutcliffe, dressed all in his blood red attire and black Reaper glasses, and the translucent, ghostly form of Renfrew Phantomhive. Salem put up a hand to Abberline, knowing what he was about to ask, "All will be explained at an opportune time, Inspector. For the moment, just accept us here."

Abberline nodded, looking at each of the new-comers in turn, especially at the ghost of Renfrew.

"You'll be happy to know, Inspector, that I am one of the 'good guys'," Renfrew said smiling. "Not all ghosts are bad or malicious. Most of us are quite tame and civilized."

"Glad to know that," Abberline said plainly.

"Renfrew Phantomhive. Third cousin once removed."

"Phantomhive?"

Abberline snapped a look at Ciel. "Yes Inspector, he is a relative of ours. But as for being one of 'good guys', that is still up for debate after what he has done recently."

"If I could wake him, I would," Renfrew protested. "The cycle must take its course, it has no other option. If I awaken him now, he will awaken confused and disorientated, and may suffer from amnesia."

"Then let him sleep and awaken in due course. We will handle Mathu Kelvin until then."

"Mathu Kelvin?" Abberline voice elevated with shock and surprise. "Who…him?" He pointed at the electrified individual, now approaching them, levitating above the ground.

"Ah, Inspector Abberline of Scotland Yard," Mathu Kelvin said, his arms spread wide. He gently touched down and walked the rest of the way to them, his electrified form softening, as if not to accidentally shock or burn them, like sudden sun flares. "The man who vowed to take me down due to my criminal affixations and associations with gambling dens. Your efforts mean nothing to me now. I have a new purpose in life, all thanks to an misfortunate happenstance some two years prior." He gave a sideways glance to Ciel. "But I wager the boy has not let you into his little secret yet…"

Abberline looked at Ciel. "What secret, Ciel? I don't understand what's going on here, or who these people are, and how on earth Mathu Kelvin got in such a…if you can call it such…a supernatural state!"

"Shall I begin, or do you wish to tell the Inspector everything?" Mathu Kelvin said. "I have been privy to his investigation for some time into Lukas Phantomhive, and now the Illuminati, but is he aware of the Inner Circle, or even the truth behind your wonderful butler and how he came to be at your side?"

"Enough!" Lukas shouted, spreading his arms eagle, as if to hold back everyone concerned, preventing an argument. He then gazed with dagger-eyes at Abberline. "Do you wish to know the truth about everything, Inspector? Very well, then I shall tell you. But you will not like what I have to say."

Ciel shook his head, but Lukas ignored him.

Lukas told Abberline everything from beginning to the present.

To their parents' opting for Lukas to have surgery for his face to beautify him; to Lukas being kidnapped and told he died on the operating table at the hands of a corrupt doctor, and to Bryon Kelvin being the child kidnapper of London. To Lukas's brainwashing and his seven year tenor in doing Bryon Kelvin's will; to burning down his family home with other brainwashed children; and to a group of sinister men called the Inner Circle who planed to used Ciel in a sacrificial ceremony, to murder him, but dying at the hands of a demon whom they had summoned to learn the secrets of the ages. To being re-united with Ciel; to fighting a trio of Fallen Reapers possessing Mathu Kelvin, a gypsy woman named Savannah and the serial killers Sasha and Samuel Ironstadt, who were bent on retrieving 'stored' memories inside Lukas's mind to restore their original bodies summarily taken from them by a higher power called the Reaperdem; to Sebastian battling them on the front courtyard and defeating them in a grueling fight; and finally to Mathu Kelvin being dragged to Hell for his transgressions. And most recently to Renfrew Phantomhive.

Mathu Kelvin stood with his hands on hips. "Intriguing, not even I knew all that," he said.

Abberline stood stunned, and yet, the expression on his face was that disbelief. "That is some story, but it all sounds fantastic to me, like something some fantasy novel writer would cook up." Abberline then looked at everyone that stood around him… "On the other hand, maybe not."

"Writers these days don't have the imagination to 'cook up' stuff like this," Mathu Kelvin said.

"Have you ever read books by Jules Verne?" Abberline said. He looked at Mathu Kelvin with a keen eye, closely examining him from head to toe. His complete electrified form. "Probably not. You don't look like a man who enjoyed to read."

"Is that some crack about my education, Inspector? I have you know, I went to one of the finest schools in England. And yes, I did read a few of Jules Verne's books. Mysterious Island, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, Around The World In 80 Days - quite fantastic, indeed. And to think humanity would ever be able to achieve any of those feats in his books is, of its self, laughable. Humanity doesn't have the mental will-how to achieve anything outside of their realm of arrogant self-absorption."

"And you engaging in criminal activity while having a well-rounded education is testament to that, I will agree, Kelvin," Abberline said. "Sometimes people can be too smart for their own good and willfully act out unlawful fancies thinking they won't get caught. But humans can achieve anything if willfully achievable. Spencer Von Strauss was giving me evidence that would have convicted you, but we may never know if he is alive or dead now, and you murdered his friend Trent Banes just now, who was on his way back - "

"Trival stuff." Mathu Kelvin waved it off. "My criminal activity and what you think of me is of no concern to me anymore." He eyed Ciel. "You have still not told me where Sebastian Michaelis is!"

Lukas opened his mouth to say something, but Ciel snapped a hand up to silence him from revealing anything prudent more. "Like I said, he has another pressing issue at the moment. You will have to wait."

"What is more pressing than me?" Mathu Kelvin then tilted his head slightly and a small smirk broached his face. "Are you telling me Sebastian isn't here? Does that mean you are defenseless?"

"I wouldn't say that," Ciel grinned confidently. "You are standing face-to-face with two powerful Reapers."

Mathu Kelvin quickly set his eyes on both the Undertaker, whom he had never met, and Grell Sutcliffe, whom he had. Grell was the very same Reaper Ironstadt had batted easily into a lush field beyond, when he tried to attack the large, grotesque monster, after Ironstadt had devoured Sebastian's body. He lasted perhaps two seconds against Ironstradt. The other one, the Undertaker, looked just as unthreatening.

"Um," Grell voiced nervously, scratching a cheek with a sharp, long fingernail. "I haven't forgotten what his monster did to me, so I am none to thrilled to take him on."

"As you should," Kelvin said confidently. "I'd fry you to ashes." He then looked to the Undertaker. "You?"

The Undertaker chuckled. "While I fear no Fallen Reaper, I am a book keeper and not much of a fighter."

"Cowards."

"Correction," the Undertaker said. "How better to survive a battle than to learn from past errors. I did watch you fight against Sebastian Michaelis notwithstanding from a safe location, and it was indeed a very good battle. But now that you are one of them, a demon, we Reapers can not get involved in human affairs, for which now this clearly is. You must take up your grievances with Sebastian Michaelis when he awakens from his induced slumber."

Ciel snapped an angry look at Salem. "Damn you, Reaper! Why did you tell him that!"

"Sebastian is sleeping?" Mathu Kelvin laughed. "Demons need rest every one thousand years or so, but what an inopportune time to have a nap."

"I put him to sleep," Renfrew Phantomhive said, finally speaking up. "I did it to protect Lukas. To protect a secret once-upon-a-time sealed inside his mind. It can only be released by a pass-phrase."

"And this pass-phrase is?"

Renfrew shook his head. "You will have to kill me." And he laughed.

Mathu Kelvin rolled his eyes. "The irony isn't lost on me, you annoying little ghost," he said. "But I do have the power to dwell inside Lukas Phantomhive's mind and take the secret."

Renfrew frowned. "That I will not allow!"

"And how will you stop me?"

"Despite the reluctance of these Reapers to battle you, my cousins are not defenseless." Renfrew looked at both Ciel and Lukas. "Cousins, for my transgressions earlier, I will try to hold him off as long as possible. Hopefully Sebastian will awaken soon. You must flee."

"No Renfrew!" Lukas protested, having an inkling of what Renfrew was about to do. "Don't do it!"

"My opportunity to redeem myself in in the eyes of God is lost. There is no other option. Do not forget me." Renfrew stepped forward. "Mathu Kelvin," he said strongly. "I may be only a ghost, but I can hurt you."

And with a flying lunge, Renfrew launched himself into Mathu Kelvin's body.

Mathu Kelvin looked taken aback by the sudden invasion into his body, patting himself down from chest to pelvis where Renfrew Phantomhive had entered him.

Then his right arm began to move involuntarily, and Mathu Kelvin punched himself in the face. He recoiled, but wasn't given time to recover when a second punch was delivered to his face from his other arm with a hard closed fist. His electrified essence kaleidoscoped from a soft white to a light blue hue, Renfrew's ghostly color, as Renfrew and Mathu began to have an internal conflict inside Mathu Kelvin's body.

"Quick!" Ciel said, waving everyone back to the mansion entrance. "That battle will not last long."

They all filed back into the mansion, into the main hallway vestibule, with Lukas in tow, looking back with heartfelt sorrow at what Renfrew had just done for them.

"Mathu Kelvin will destroy the mansion to find us when he overcomes Renfrew," Lukas said, looking at the company. "But even hiding in here will not help us. We must find an alterative habitat to hide."

"The basement," Ciel said. "Come, there is a secret tunnel beneath the mansion that will lead us to safety."

After summoning the servants to bring Sebastian, Finny and Bard carried Sebastian's tall, lanky frame between them, down a flight of steps to the basement with Mey-Rin and Tanaka in tow. And they all - Ciel, Lukas, Abberline, Grell and Salem in front - made their way through the labyrinth of junk Ciel had collected over the years; Ciel leading them to a non-descriptive, multi-tier, wooden storage shelving unit up against a wall, or what appeared to be a portion of the concentrate foundation of the mansion.

The items piled on the unit appeared unimportant to Ciel despite being stored in such a delicate manner, as he shoved each of them off their respected tier with carelessness, each item smashing to the floor. "I really must have this place cleaned out one day, there is too much junk here," he said.

Lukas would have laughed if not for the situation. He agreed on cleaning up wholeheartedly. And if they survived this latest threat against the Phantomhive household, he will insist on it being done post-haste with everybody helping, including his hoarder of a brother. Maybe have a yard sale, he thought.

With Salem and Grell, Ciel pulled the heavy shelving unit away from the wall. Ciel stared at the wall momentarily, looking around. "Now, where was that switch?" Feeling the wall on the right side, his hand suddenly depressed a hidden switch, and the wall opened a crack. "Help me push the entrance open."

Grell, Salem and Abberline did so, suddenly leaving Ciel to stand back. They shouldered the heavy door open all the way to reveal an underground, stone tunnel, large enough for a full grown adult to walk upright through. But it was pitch black. On the wall, as far as Lukas could see, was one torch. Ciel handed Abberline a box of matches and he struck one on the back of the box and lighted the torch. It brought some light, but the tunnel was deeper than the light could touch thoroughly.

"When did you have the time to build this?" Lukas asked. "And where does it lead?"

"Over the years, Sebastian and I have done many things you have not been privy to. Which I believe you should be now. But I do say, this is the first time it will be used. It was built in case my enemies ever overwhelmed the mansion - and I have many. Well, our parents did. This is a way for me to escape. It leads to the family grave plot, to the above walk-in crypt dedicated to our parents."

"Ah, you mean the square one, overlooking the entire plot grounds."

"Yes."

"I have been inside several times, but I have never seen any secret trapdoor leading to an underground tunnel, there is no indication of such. All that resides inside is a few religious, iconic symbols and scriptures on the wall. But basically it is an 'empty' crypt, as our parent's bodies burned in the fire that took the old mansion." Lukas then paused for a moment and gasped, as if realizing a grave error he had just made. "Forgive me for not realizing it before, brother."

"What?" Abberline said, looking from boy to boy.

"Symbolism, my dear inspector," Lukas said. "An empty crypt for an empty house. Meaning, for all those years he was alone, despite Sebastian being with him, Ciel dedicated the crypt to our parents to honor their memories, but he also gave it an emptiness because of the emptiness he felt inside his heart without them."

Abberline looked at Ciel as if to confirm Lukas's words, but Ciel merely gazed past him at Lukas with a hardened stare. But Ciel didn't deny it.

Salem chuckled. "You never cease to amazing me, my lord. You are like an onion with many layers. Every time we meet, I get to enjoy the pleasure of pealing off one layer at a time. You are a little boy who truly misses his parents, but whom keeps up a strong front to hide the pain."

"Are you quite finished?" Ciel said bothered. "Or do you wish to escape a madman who, if he has the chance, can murder us in a whim?"

Although a rhetorical question, Finny said, "I think we should flee, Master."

And Abberline put in his thoughts, "To escape is the better part of valor to fight again another day."

The others were quiet, but the sentiment was shared by all.

They entered the tunnel.

To be continued...