BROTHERHOOD: PART 3

Dawn had com and Lukas Phantomhive was an early riser.

In fact, he had slept little that night. His mind raced with everything that could happen during his and Ciel's duel, and everything that could go wrong. And one mishap could hurt either one of them, their weapons sharp.

Sebastian had not come to his room last night to read his dreams like he often did, but Lukas's own thoughts kept him awake. A good, warm cup of tea gave him the energy he needed this morning. Earl Grey, his favorite.

Lukas didn't want to hurt his brother, so he thought of ways of not harming him. His mind was trained to think like an enemy and then out-maneuver him, to use his own strengths against him. An opponent's strength could become his own weakness if one was trained to use them to his own advantage.

The point being, he wanted Ciel to stop obsessing that he was better. Lukas didn't want his power. Ciel will always been head of the family, this was certain. He had already earned it.

Lukas stood on the back grounds of the property awaiting Ciel, his Tonto still in its box. He would not remove it until Ciel arrived. And even so, he would attempt to convince his brother otherwise, to stop the duel before it began. He had had enough violence in his short time. And brother versus brother was something he did not want. Ever!

Renfrew held Vincent in his arms and stood next to Braydon and Brandon as observers.

The sun was slowly rising over the horizon basking the brought in a bright, orange hue. Not a cloud was in the sky. And birds were chirping as if it were just another, uneventful day.

And yet, Ciel and Sebastian were nowhere to be seen.

"Where's cousin Ciel?" Renfrew asked, sounding a little annoyed. "I woke early for this duel, we all did! Cousin Ciel issued this challenge!"

Lukas gritted his teeth. Yes, he did. You did issue this challenge, Ciel, and now you keep me waiting? Or is this some psychological ploy on your point?

Vincent wiggled out of Renfrew's arms, ran towards the Manor. He turned transparent and jumped through the wall. Vincent didn't need to use doors, he was a ghost cat.

Lukas turned to Renfrew. "He's gone to see why the delay," Renfrew explained.

Sebastian was in the lower levels of the Manor, in the kitchen preparing breakfast - where Vincent found him. The cat voiced a low growl. The butler turned and looked down.

Vincent looked directly into Sebastian's eyes and a silent, mindful converse took place.

"Don't blame me. Master Ciel ordered me not to wake him until the usual time," Sebastian said, gathering a plate of scones on a plate, to accompany another dish on a silver platter with drink. "I am obliged to obey my master's commands, as are you."

Vincent growled under his breath.

"I agree. I know the others are waiting, but an order is absolute." Sebastian draped a napkin over his left forearm as he prepared to take breakfast in bed to Ciel. It was an unusual occurrence and one that the boy requested, strangely, this morning, of all mornings – normally sitting in the Dining Room to eat breakfast with the rest of the family.

Vincent ran off.

Sebastian exited the kitchen with silver platter in hand. He was positive this was a ploy by Ciel to make Lukas angry. In a fight, when someone is angry they lose focus. If this was his master's thoughts, he knew Lukas well. Any warrior kept waiting would be frustrated and lose focus. The only drawback Sebastian saw was that Lukas was, honestly, a very patient boy.

Lukas had been a violent person in the past, but now, all he wished for was to enjoy family and wanted a sense of redemption for what he had done. Ciel often reminded Lukas of his misdeeds. Ciel believed anger gave a person inner strength, but Lukas was the opposite. He only wanted peace.

Sebastian made his way through corridors and passageways and walked up the main vestibule staircase. Some day it would be a wise investment if an elevator or dumbwaiter was built for easier transport, but the construction efforts would be annoying to deal with. So maybe not.

Entering into the sitting area that was built adjacent to Ciel's bedchambers, he approached his master's door. It was closed, and he knocked. "Young master, I have brought you breakfast, as you requested." After a few moments, no answer returned. "This ploy of having the others wait, I believe, has run its course, my lord. Let us be done with this."

"SABASTIANNNN!" came Ciel's shout!

Sebastian shouldered the door open without spilling any food, and for a moment stood taken aback with surprise. What beheld him was an intriguing sight. Although they were ghosts, they were still familiar to their white flashy suits. And despite deceased, he felt a dark power from them.

Fallen Reapers; once human; the two of them dead at Sebastian's hands.

They held Ciel between them, taking the boy hostage. Twins.

"Samuel and Sasha Ironstadt." Sebastian put the silver platter down on a nearby table, in a safe place, slowly. He then smiled lightly. "At the risk of sounding cliché, I thought you twin psychopaths were dead? Your souls carted off for processing in Reaperdem."

"We escaped!" Sasha said.

"Obviously," Sebastian said blandly. "There have been quite a lot of ghosts 'escaping' lately. Your handler Mathu Kelvin did the same. He is in another place now. And then there was Thann Von Strauss. I really must have a talk with the head of security in Reaperdum, and discipline him for failing to keep the bad ghosts penned up."

No one laughed at Sebastian's dry banter.

"We want to live again!" Samuel demanded. "We heard about what your son Decco did with that boy, giving him life again! The boy was killed during the Great Death."

The Great Death was what the remaining members of the Inner Circle had called the execution of their fellowship by Sebastian when they attempted to summon and control otherworldly forces, namely a demon. Sebastian heard their 'call' and emerged, but then made a pact with Ciel, and was ordered to murder the attending Inner Circle members along with any witnesses and that included the sacrificial children. One of which was a young boy named Johnny Lazarus, sole son of Wilhelm Lazarus, head of the English Branch of the Illuminati.

But it was obvious that Samuel and Sasha were obviously misinformed, or had not heard the full truth of the events that occured. Johnny Lazarus had never 'returned', his body an empty shell and a puppet for Decco. Instead, his body was now host to Renfrew Phantomhive's spirit, that had been wandering for over a century. It was his gift by Altima, First Prime of the Reaper High Council, for helping defeat Decco's forces.

"I am afraid that is not possible," Sebastian explained. "Your bodies were destroyed when you attempted to kill my master. That grotesque monster you grew into using your Fallen Reaper powers evaporated when I defeated you. There is nothing left to conjure up and insert your souls back within."

Ciel snorted. "Must this happen now?" he sounded annoyed. He appeared more bothered than frightened. "There is a duel I must attend."

The darkness inside Samuel Ironstadt grew and he used it to yank Ciel into the air. The boy floated in his invisible grip. Ciel was momentarily shocked by it. "You aint going anywhere, kid!"

Sebastian took a step forward, but Sasha Ironstadt stood fast and blocked him. "Don't even try it, demon! Or he dies! You may be supernatural like us, now, but the boy is human, and can be hurt!"

Sebastian became serious. "Indeed. But I suggest you unhand my master," he demanded. "I will not allow any harm to come to him."

"Spare us your threats, demon!" Sasha retorted. "Your powers and ours, even in our ghostly forms, rank equal. We still possess the powers of Fallen Reapers."

"Then I am curious. If you feel powerful enough in your spiritual forms, why do you wish to have human bodies once again?"

"Because we are hunted by Reaper X, a special team in Reaperdum, who are ordered to circumvent all Fallen Reapers' powers, all Wanderers, as we are," Samuel explained. "We have heard the stories, how other Fallen Reapers' powers were removed and then they were sent away to wander aimlessly for all eternity. We don't wish this. We were taken before our time!"

"So you wish to renew your murderous ways?"

"Of a fashion, and with Reaper powers, we will become more renown than Jack the Ripper!"

Ciel frowned. Thorough investigation, it was learned Ciel's own aunt was the murderous psychopath known to many as Jack the Ripper. She was mentally ill and was eventually killed by a rogue Reaper with his own agenda at the time. And even though had never admitted it, the boy did miss his aunt.

"That would be annoying," Ciel chimed in. "We had a hell of time tracking Jack the Ripper down. I would not wish to unleash two such creatures of the night upon England again."

"Quite," Sebastian agreed. Then he shrugged. "Very well, I must do it. If no harm will befall my master, I am obliged to see to your request. But as your bodies are gone, your spirits will need to be anchored to new ones. Or perhaps, another arrangement can be made?"

"Another arrangement?" the twins said in unison.

And Sebastian grinned slyly. "Yes, allow me to explain…"

Even before Vincent returned to the company outside, Renfrew felt uneasy. He had had the ability to feel spirits around him. It was a supernatural gift he was endowed with once being a ghost, which stayed with him even after he was reborn. Something ghostly was inside the Manor.

Renfrew crouched down when Vincent came to him, picked him up. While Vincent had no news about this mysterious "presence" Renfrew felt, the cat did tell him, in their own "otherworldly" repor, of Ciel's arrogance in making Lukas wait for the duel to happen on his own terms.

Renfrew nodded, thanked Vincent with a pat on the head.

"What did he say?" Lukas asked, looking at the boy.

Renfrew was half-distracted. He have looked at Lukas, half at the Manor. "Vincent says cousin Ciel is purposely making you wait for the duel, or at least that is the initial plan."

"What do you mean 'initial plan'?"

Renfrew focused on the Manor, his eyes fixed on the second floor. "We seem to have a problem," he said, giving a side glance to Sebastian's sons. Braydon and Brandon both nodded, they felt it too.

Lukas was the only one without a "ghostly" sixth-sense, although he did have a heightened intuition in being an assassin all those years. And even though it wasn't said by the others, he knew something was terribly wrong, and looked towards the Manor. Was his brother safe?

"Not to worry," Braydon then said with a smile.

"Father is handling it," Brandon said, sharing his brother's sentiments with a nod.

"Handling…what?" Lukas inquired.

Suddenly the crash of shattering glass broke the silence and the sound of two large thuds hitting the ground came through the air.

Without any hesitation, they each ran into the Manor and through to the vestibule, out to the front area - where two adult men lay on the ground at the bottom of the steps, wearing fancy white business suits. One had fallen forward onto his stomach, while the second landed on his back.

Wide-eyed, Lukas gasped. "Samuel and Sasha Ironstadt? But…you're…dead!"

"Heed them no mind," came Ciel's voice from the broken, second floor window, his bedchamber bay window. Sebastian stood next to him.

Lukas was about to protest when Sebastian spoke. "They wished to harm Master Ciel, they demanded their bodies back. So, I granted their request. Normally a spirit must be anchored to a body to be reborn, but they agreed to an arrangement. I relinquished their Fallen Reaper powers and restored their original bodies in exchange for this special energy. Being a butler is quite taxing."

In physics, this was called a principle of equal exchange. You must give up something to get something, or balance them out.

Ciel gave Sebastian a narrowed gaze for that last, sarcastic remark.

"But they're alive again," Lukas said, "they'll continue their murderous rampage!"

The twins groaned and slowly began to get to their feet. Sebastian, with Ciel cradled in his arms, jumped down. He let Ciel down.

"They may among the living once more, but their powers are inert," Ciel said. "Sebastian, my Sabre!"

Sebastian snapped his fingers and Ciel's Sabre came floating down from his bedroom window, into Ciel's right hand. Lukas opened his Tonto case, dropping it, and stood at the ready with his sword.

"In the past, these two were responsible for snatching us like babes from father and mother, working for Bryon Kelvin," Ciel said, "it is only fitting we return their effort in kind, and to set free all the souls of every child these two kidnapped."

Lukas smiled. "I agree, wholeheartedly, brother. Let us finally have our revenge!"

And with swiftness of hand and foot, Ciel plunged his Sabre into Sasha's chest, and Lukas delivered a sharp, striking upward slash to Samuel's chest and neck. Blood splattered and spilled, and within moments, the murderous twin Londoners were sent to the dark underworld.

Samuel and Sasha Ironstadt dropped to the ground like stones, their bodies bloodied and listless, their eyes forever widened with a shock, the last sight of their slayers - the very twins that they once had helped Bryon Kelvin separate for his sinister, devious agenda.

"Good show!" Renfrew shouted. "From what you told me of them, they were vicious bastards!"

Sebastian's eyes widened. "My lord, such undesirable language from a child's mouth," he said, but then smirked afterward. "Nevertheless, it is quite perfectly accurate."

Braydon and Brandon immediately took custody of the twins. Samuel and Sasha had escaped Reaperdum, and now that they were deceased again erstwhile if they were alive could not be touched by Reapers, they were to be processed. It would balance the natural order of things. The dead cannot be restored back to the living without breaking that life/death balance.

"How did they escape?" Lukas asked.

Braydon shook his head. "Interesting question," he said. "How did Thann Von Strauss escape?" The question was directed to Sebastian.

"When asked later, he explained through something called a 'Thought Bridge'," Sebastian said, "a spiritual tunnel that connects Reaperdum and the Human World."

Brandon and Braydon, both Reapers, nodded, as if understanding. "More security is needed in those areas. We'll have to tell William about this…" Braydon then sighed. He looked to Brandon. "We'll have to write a report!"

Brandon rolled his eyes and stopped short of cursing. "We're supposed to be here for a family visit!"

"A Reaper's job is never –"

"Facilitated?" Sebastian finished.

Braydon and Brandon laughed.

"That, as well," Braydon said.

Braydon and Brandon "winked-out" with the twins in hand. They'd return once Samuel and Sasha Ironstadt were safely in Processing.

In the meantime, Sebastian easily fixed the bay window of Ciel's bedchambers with his demon powers. He dusted his gloves off. "Now then…" He gave both Ciel and Lukas a glance, each boy with sword in hand. "Shall we commence with the morning activity? I am eager to see a victor in this contest."

Ready and armed, Ciel and Lukas stood facing the other, swords in hand. Unlike 10-paces where opponents stood back-to-back with pistols this was a face-to-face confrontation with blades.

Ciel's indestructible Sabre vs. Lukas's sharpened Tonto.

Braydon and Brandon had returned from Reaperdum to partake in the duel and stood next to Sebastian and Renfrew, Vincent in his arms.

Sebastian took a step forward towards between the boys. "This will not a killing conflict," he stated firmly, "but drawing first blood will determine a victor. Once blood is coursed from a body, the battle will end. Do I make myself clear?"

That last thing was like a father relaying and order to his sons. In fact, Sebastian did not want any harm to come to Ciel or Lukas and he had decided a first blood match would be for the best. Only minor injury will befall the loser.

Both boys agreed to it.

"Off-limit areas consist of the head and groin, and no stabbing for maximum wounding effect. One slice to the skin that draws blood will be sufficient. All offensive and defensive moves are allowed, such as kicking and punching. Bruising the skin will not stop the match."

"Tch!" Ciel protested. "Rules…"

"Without rules, brother, there will be chaos," Lukas said sardonically.

"And I do not wish to attend a funeral," Sebastian put in. He gave a sideways glance to the gallery of spectators. "And no assistance will be had from present company. If such is found happening, the person benefiting will be disqualified. This will be a one-on-one match. No interference. Is this clear?"

All those attending nodded. Each of the spectators had supernatural gifts and it would be unfair for one or more to influence the match in one combatant's favor. This also meant himself. Notwithstanding, not before he had aided Ciel in reinforcing his Sabre.

Ciel smirked, knowing he had the advantage. "Yes, quite. No cheating."

"I would say the same to you, brother," Lukas returned. "I don't need to cheat. How do you think you're going to breach my defensives with your Sabre? One cut from my Tonto and you're finished."

"Sebastian's rule: First Blood. All I need is one clean wound to win."

Sebastian raised a hand. "Enough banter. Are you prepared?"

Ciel and Lukas saluted each other with their swords, and then said, in unison: "Ready!"

"Very well," Sebastian said, giving a momentary glance to each boy. "Then let the duel begin!"

To be continued...