EPILOGUE "DEUX" (2)

His name was Rik Richardson, or that's what he used to be called when he was brought to the orphanage and then allied himself with a kind, caring man, who took him in with other children, when he was destitute, starving, and on death's door, living on the streets of London.

Now he was known by his non de plume: Joker.

But there was something wrong with his savior; Joker considered him a little mentally unstable. Indeed, then who wasn't in this turbulent world?

The man insisted that all the children whom he had had rescued from a life spiraling towards death call him Father, but in the fashion he treated "his children" - he didn't have a caring nature anymore, not since many of his children had grown over the years - Joker would have to say Father treated them inappropriately. But, that was not his business. His only concern was that he now had a place to call home, and a family with his traveling circus troupe of performers, whom were all rescued by Father.

But most recently, Joker had been pulled away from his troupe for a secret, covert mission. Father had wanted him to follow and observe Lukas Phantomhive since his reappearance announced by the media. But Lukas Phantomhive was known by a different name, or at least the last time Joker had met him: Number Six. And he knew Lukas's history, as a trained assassin, undertaking special missions, killing many.

Joker had also killed a few people in the name of Father. Anyone whom Father deemed a threat to him or his plans, was targeted - and it could be anyone from politicians to wealthy philanthropists or anyone else. But only Father knew the fullness of his plans, and Joker did not risk even asking. Father could get mad. And did get mad, a lot. And hated having his orders questioned. He just did what he was told. Other "children" had questioned him and refused him, and ended up "disappeared".

He greatly disliked being pulled away from his troupe. When he was with them, he had a jolly ol' time performing for people, and he liked to make people feel good, seeing them laugh. His new name was Father's idea, and fit his new life as a circus performer/assassin, when called upon. When he was with his troupe, he dressed appropriately in his performer attire and make-up and spiked his red hair up to appear aflame. But here in London, he dressed conservatively and wore his hair flat. It had been weeks since he had last seen his friends, but now that his mission was complete, he knew he'd seen them again soon!

In a boarding house in mid-town London, Joker climbed the steps to the second floor where Father was living temporarily. Father often moved from place to place for personal reasons, but he always communicated with the troupe where he was staying.

He opened Father's room door at the end of the hallway and inside was a modest looking room, but throughout the room were lavish gratuities, gifts, sent from all his children for Father's birthday. And Joker cringed, forgetting to bring a present other than what he had brought that Father asked for.

Father sat in a wheelchair with his back to the door, facing a large buttress-size window looking out over the streets of a bustling London marketplace. Father's head was wrapped in bandages, much like the rest of his body. He was always having surgery for some reason or another, but Joker was never told why.

The man who had rescued Rik Richardson from a life of dissolution - Bryon Kelvin - was gone. After he began to have countless surgeries, Father was born - and so was Joker - and with Father's kind, sweet, old man demeanor slowly disappearing, so did his kind and caring manner. Father soon became totalitarian in his plight to control all aspects of his planning and used his children as his minions. Joker didn't like this, but nor could be betray the man who saved his life. He quickly put these misfeelings out of his mind.

"Father?" he said.

"Do you have it?"

"Yay, Father. I was able to abscond with it when the Phantomhive butler was distracted during a private entanglement. I observed Lukas Phantomhive like you said, say others."

Father didn't reply.

Joker took this lack of an answer to retrieve what Father had wanted him to get, what he had been told to, when it was revealed what Father's nephew was in possession of. He reached into his black cape, into his coat pocket, pulling out a small blue diamond gem. Joker gazed longingly at it. He held it in forefinger and thumb of his left hand and it sparkled from natural sunlight that shone through the buttress window.

"It is very beautiful," Joker started to say.

"Give it to me!" Father demanded.

The harsh tone of Father's voice made Joker jump startled. He swallowed nervously. "Yes, Father."

Joker went around in front of Father and gasped slightly when he saw what he at first thought was a little toy girl doll sitting in Father's lap, but with a closer look was indeed a little human girl about eight years old, with skin as shiny as a polished store bought doll. Her long, blond hair was perfect; her little white dress had no winkles or ceases; and her face had no expression. Even her eyes looked lifeless, and yet were fully open - but she didn't look "awake". She appeared to be in a brainwashed state.

The Doctor, Joker thought. That sinister man! The man knew so many brainwashing techniques.

Lukas Phantomhive had been one of his earlier subjects, until he began to break his programming. Joker heard if you brainwash a person too much, their mind began to become scrambled like eggs and it can no longer be done. This is what happened to Lukas Phantomhive - Number Six. He was later slated to "disappear" before he "escaped" - or was rather released from his cage by Mathu Kelvin, Father's nephew - and later found his way to his brother, Ciel Phantomhive, for reasons not revealed to him. Joker was just ordered to follow him and report his findings, and to retrieve "it" when the opportunity arose.

"Remove this thing," Father ordered. Joker gently took the little girl off Father's lap and placed her on the floor next to a wall. He didn't know this girl, she was most likely a new acquisition, but it was none of his concern. Notwithstanding, he was momentarily shocked with Father's notation of a human being called a "thing".

He handled Father the blue gem.

Father literally snatched it from Joker's hand, and smiled when he held the blue gem in his left hand, forefinger and thumb. It was only a small thing, but it seemed to make Father very happy, which perhaps would make up for not bringing a separate gift for his birthday. He forgot how old Father was, however.

Father's bandages stretched with a broad smile. His entire face was nearly covered, including his right eye. Unlike for Joker, the diamond did not seem to sparkle for Father, but he was pleased nonetheless.

"Yes! I finally have a piece of the infamous Hope Diamond!" Father said. Joker knew Father was well-educated, and spoke as such. Unlike himself, having very little proper education. "One of a few handful that went missing over a hundred year span, cut from the original diamond which was later returned back to France after the revolutionary wars, and supposedly cursed." Father seemed to bask in an invisible energy emanating from the diamond shard that only he could feel and see. It was then that Joker observed Father, by his sinister expression, begin to feed off a darkness from the gem, that made Joker suddenly shiver.

"The Hope Diamond?" Joker asked.

Father's expression turned stern. "It does not concern you. But become more educated on history, it will serve you well in the future."

Joker nodded. "Yay, I will try. Forgive me for asking an impertinent question. Alas, there are events in regard to this diamond that you should be aware, events of a most sinister nature that I witnessed."

Father eyed him with intrigue. "Speak!" Joker recounted the events as witnessed. Afterwards, Father mused for a moment, digesting all that he had been told. "I was aware my nephew was in possession of this shard, but I am surprised to hear of his demise, possessed by a sinister entity, and then killed by the Phantomhive's butler." He nodded. "That would explain Mathu's, and the other's survival, after the Great Death at the amphitheatre where everyone else were killed quite brutally, which even now remains unexplained. But you say that Sebastian Michealis, himself, exhibited superhuman strength and abilities?"

"Yay, Father. They called him a demon, and something of a demonic source - I could not quite see it all - pulled your nephew down into the ground within the square, after the white stones were scattered afar."

Father laughed. "I always said my nephew was going to Hell for his sins." Father smiled again, gazing deeply at the blue diamond shard. "If what you speak is truth, then this piece of the Hope Diamond is fused with a dark, sinister energy unbeknownst to mankind! And it's mine! All mine!"

He laughed loud and heartedly.

Joker gulped fretfully. He didn't know what Father intended for this blue, "evil" diamond, but he was starting to feel that he should not have retrieved it.

That perhaps, it was better off left lost.

THE END of "His Butler With Two Masters"...

But look for more stories coming soon.