Steve, Alex, and Haru are at Alex's apartment. Haru has invited her to join him on a gig as another DJ. Alex accepts slowly and decides to take him on. Steve is cautious because he senses something is wrong with Haru.

Claude learns of Haru's arrival only to call William and Ronald, Seiki has returned.

What will happen at the club?

What is Seiki up to?

How did Claude end up Sebastian's servant?

Who is the mysterious manager of Ministry of Sound?

Why is Grell hanging on the Undertaker!?

I hope you enjoy,

~Kuro the Dark Ringmaster

P.s. I do not own Kuroshitsuji. Please check out my profile page for the link to my Facebook page, feel free to subscribe. It would make announcements easier to make.

Chapter 44: Flip

Steve fallowed Alex and Haru to Alex's apartment, "You're still living in this place?" asked Haru sarcastically. Alex shrugged as she unlocked the door, "It's cheap and close to where I work," she responded as she opened the door. "I think it's a decent place, it could be worse," said Steve as he entered her apartment. It was rather clean and he could smell the chemicals she used in the darkroom, "You still develop your own film?" asked Steve curiously. Alex slipped off her jacket and responded, "Yeah it's cheaper and I get the prints that I want." Haru jumped onto the sofa and stretched out, "Change into something cute," called Haru as Alex wandered into her bedroom. Working as a DJ was one of the ways she had managed to put her self through college. It wasn't glorious but it wasn't half bad either, she made a decent amount of money. Haru was the one who continued on to become one of the greatest DJs in the industry. She opened her closet and pulled a pair of tight distressed jeans, a backless halter top and finally hoddie with buckles up the side to wear outside. Alex knelt on the floor and reached into the back of her closet to pull a pair of purple shoes and walked out of the bedroom. She had a pair of headphones around her neck and walked over to the desk. Haru looked up and commented, "Nice view." Steve stared in shock as she packed her tablet in a messenger and asked, "Will I be using your gear?" Haru looked at her and responded, "Yeah it's easier." Alex nodded and pulled her hair brush before styling her brown hair, it was as though she was a different person. "Okay so who's club?" she asked. Steve looked at Haru; this would decide how famous Haru had become, "Ministry of Sound," responded Haru.

Steve's jaw dropped and Alex grinned, "Really that little place?" she asked. Steve stared at her, Ministry of Sound was a legendary gig among DJs, and it was one of the first clubs in Britain and had become a hot spot for anyone who fallowed the sound. Nestled in an old abandoned bus depot was fitted with the best sound system possible which was only played at 45% capacity. There are a total of three dance floors and three bars, it was expensive and security was always tight but it was the hottest club. Steve looked at them in shock and then to Haru who had been booked and now wanted to battle with her in a club which stood on a pedestal in the UK. "Do you think you've still got it?" asked Haru sarcastically. Alex snickered and grinned, it was clear to Steve that she had been spending way too much time with Sebastian. "The better question is can you handle it?" she asked. Haru snorted and Steve stared at her, "Remember to hang in there," she said after a moment before turning to leave. Haru leapt off the sofa and Steve began to understand why he felt off, there was something about Haru which made him uneasy. They continued down the street and Haru said, "So Steve how long have you been a photographer?" Steve looked at him and replied, "Fifteen years, and its Steven Garrison." Haru froze and looked at Steve he was shocked, "Garrison? As in Steven L. Garrison you're the most famous photographer in the world, literally the king of traditional photography. How did you end up here? Last I heard you were in Hong Kong." Steve smiled confidently, "A lot has happened since then, I ended up working for Sebastian Michaelis under the name Artistry, at first I was hesitant, until I saw her work," he replied. Alex was silent she seemed to be in a world all her own and Haru licked his lips. "She is a wonderful soul," he commented. Steve looked at him with a hint of confusion, "She brings that world to life, a wonderful thing which makes you wonder where she is in the universe," said Steve. He felt a chill rundown his spine and noticed how Haru's eyes really were black they weren't even brown.

Ronald looked at William and asked, "So where are we going?" William pulled out his cell phone and looked at the text message, "Ministry of Sound," he responded. Ronald froze and stared at him, "That's the hottest night club in London, it's impossible to get in!" he shouted. There was a hint of excitement in Ronald's voice, "I've been dying to go there! It's a massive non-stopped party!" he said happily. He slipped into a tee shirt and tight jeans, a belt hung loosely around his waist and he dashed into the bathroom to put his contacts in. He returned and noticed William still standing in a suite, "You're not going in that are you?" he asked. William looked at Ronald and said, "We are going to do this for Claude, and I'm a professional." Ronald sighed and snickered, it was clear William had never been clubbing, "Here there's a way to look professional but not stand out," he said happily. Ronald slipped his fingers behind the knot of Williams tie and William felt the fabric rub the back of his neck as he tugged. Ronald threw the tie onto the bed and unbuttoned the first two buttons on his shirt and ruffled William's hair. "There, perfect," he said happily. William looked in the mirror and couldn't understand why Ronald had gone through the hassle. "We should bring one death scythe," said William. Ronald nodded and then realized that they couldn't bring either of theirs to a club with that kind of security. "What are we going to do?" he asked after a moment and then William smiled, "Ash, he owns the club. He can't stand demons so he'll help us out." Ronald nodded and watched as William gave Ash a call, after a moment he hung up. "He's aware of the demon who will be performing, however he was unaware that the demon was Saiki. He also doesn't realize that a human is in danger," said William. He looked at Ronald and said, "I really hope this doesn't escalate to the point that we need to use scythes, he will allow the hedge trimmer and lawnmower but in his office only."

Ronald stared, he understood why you couldn't have them on the floor but it still made him uneasy to have access to them only in Ash's office. "His office overlooks the dance floors and the DJ's alcove, so we'll be fine," said William, it was clear he had sensed Ronald's concern. Ronald nodded and said, "Seiki isn't the easiest, I really don't want this to get out of control." William nodded; battling Seiki was the last thing they had to do. It was tempting to call the Undertaker and Grell in for assistance, Ronald pulled his cell phone and said, "It looks like Grell Sempai found out and is willing to assist, he's bringing Undertaker." William nodded and grabbed his hedge trimmer, he was a little nervous the entire idea had his teeth set on edge. Ronald sighed and gave him a hug, "Don't worry we can do it," he whispered. William felt a little more relaxed and he smiled, he could tackle anything if Ronald was beside him.

Steve and Haru fallowed Alex into the club; they had three hours prior to opening. The floor was clear and she smiled at the massive alcove. There was a state of the art system set up, there were even turntables and good ones too. She jumped onto the platform and ran her fingers over the boards, they were perfect and she smiled. Haru climbed up as well and looked for the headphone jack. "There it is," he said after a moment. She nodded and was about to say something when a sweet voice commented, "Do you like the set up?" Alex looked up to find a man with white hair and purple eyes, his skin was lily white and something about him told Alex he wasn't human. She nodded and said, "It's amazing." The man smiled and looked at Haru, "You didn't tell me you were bringing a friend to battle, if you had I would have created another setup." Haru looked at him with a hint of confusion, "You're the owner of this club?" he asked, his eyes narrowed. The man nodded and responded, "Ash, Ash Landers," he extended a hand to him and smiled. Haru bowed and ignored the hand it was clear that he was using the fact that he was Japanese as and excuse. He turned his attention to Alex and smiled, "You are?" he asked. Alex took his hand gladly and replied, "Alex." Ash nodded and replied, "Nice to meet you." Steve jumped into the alcove and looked at the trio, "You would be?" he asked after a moment as Alex and Haru returned to the world of sound gear. "Steve Garrison," he said after a moment. Ash nodded and said, "We open soon, feel free to do your sound checks and once over, we have a green room in the back. Now how do you two plan to divide up the time, you'll be mixing for the whole night." Alex held up her hand and Haru looked at her slightly confused, "I will be here till one am, I have to go to work tomorrow," she said after a moment. Ash nodded and said, "Alright."

Haru pulled his laptop out of his bag and used a cable to synchronize it to the sound system, "I suggest each of takes an hour at a time," Ash continued, "It will allow each of you to have a good mix but a break in between." Haru nodded and placed his hands on his hips, it was clear he had set up his gear, "I think that's a plan, so how will we do this?" he asked. Steve pulled a coin from his pocket and he replied, "We'll flip for it." The three of them stared at Steve and then realized how logical it was to flip for who went first. "Alright, we open at ten, which means each of you get's two hours before she has to go," said Ash. Haru and Alex nodded as Steve held up the coin; he tossed it in the air and said, "Call it." It flipped a number of times and shimmered in the light, for some reason it sent chills down her spine as Haru said, "Heads." The coin fell to the floor with a clatter and it appeared as tails, which meant Alex was first. "It appears I will be warming up the dance floor," she commented as she hooked up her tablet and headphones. Haru shrugged and wandered into the green room, "There's something strange about him, he just seems dangerous," said Steve softly. Alex looked up at him and her eyes narrowed, "I've known him for a while I'm pretty sure I would know if I would be in danger," she spat. Ash looked at her and then to Steve, "Perhaps you should listen to your friend," he said softly. Alex looked up at him and fell silent, "I've known him for the past few years, I can trust him," she whispered.

Ash jumped off the platform and wandered back to his office, there was a lot to do and very little time to do it especially with the four shinigami coming. He sighed as he walked back to his office, "Wow you guys are quick," said Ash in shock as he reached for the door handle. Standing in a line was Ronald Knox, William T. Spears, Grell and the Undertaker. "Just like old times, only this time we aren't trying to kill one another," said Ash sarcastically. William crossed his arms and asked, "How did you escape that statue Sebastian made?" Ash pushed open the door and looked over his shoulder, a grin had swept across his lips and he responded, "A certain Spider helped me." The four shinigami looked at one another in confusion, knowing full well who the Spider was. The entered Ash's office and stared, it wasn't what they had expected, there was color and clean lines, however not a speck of white to be found. "Ash have you fallen?" asked the Undertaker. Ash looked at him and smiled, "You would like that wouldn't you?" he asked. The Undertaker chuckled and looked out the glass windows to the floor bellow; it was nearly time to open. "Or is it that white is harder to keep clean in this world?" asked the Undertaker. Ash smirked and looked off to the side at a photo of when the club first opened, "White tends to be a little difficult to keep pristine in this dirty world," he replied. The Undertaker simply nodded and the other three nodded, "Well I can't allow the scythes on the dance floor for security reasons, you can keep them in here and grab them when necessary," said Ash. William adjusted his glasses and asked, "Did you know about Haru?" his voice was cold and it was the first time Ronald had ever heard it. "No, I hired him because he was popular in Japan, no other reason," he replied. William nodded and attempted to straiten his hair only for Ronald to grab his arm, "It looks great, don't worry about it," he whispered. The Undertaker grinned and rubbed his chin, he was standing in a hoodie with a baseball cap and jeans. Grell was in a vest which had been zipped halfway and a pair of tight jeans, as well as heels. His hair had been tied back and he looked nothing like his usual self. "Don't worry you look wonderful as well," said the Undertaker to Grell, he noted the insecurity in his eyes.

The doors opened and a large bouncer entered Ash's office, "Sir the doors are open and sound check has been completed." Ash nodded and picked up a head set off his desk, the four stared and noticed Alex had a pair of headphones on, she looked down at the screen and Ash asked, "Are you ready?" She held a thumb up and Ash smiled, "Okay let's get this party started," he said. In response Alex nodded and watched as people entered, they were chatting about Haru only to be greeted with a laid back track. It was light and mysterious, the audience fell silent and Haru had stepped out of the green room. "What is this?" asked William in shock. There was a vocal track and then she let it rip with a loud base and the people were in shock as she started to mess with the speed. "So he brought her along for this, now I know why," said Ash. Ronald nodded and said, "I haven't heard this sound in a while." William looked over at the blond curiously and asked, "It's beautiful, how?" Ronald laughed and looked at William's confused expression, "Simple, she's not the typical DJ, you'll hear one of those later, the base piece is Stellamara's Prituri Se Planinata Nit Grit Remix, in a few minutes she's going to take you to a world you've never seen in sound," Ronald explained. Grell looked at the Undertaker and said, "Let's dance!" The Undertaker nodded and escorted Grell out of Ash's office. Ronald wrapped his arms around William's neck and whispered, "Did you think her mix would be a typical one?"

William blushed when he realized that she wasn't a traditional designer so why would her mix be any different. As one piece faded a new began and it was different yet it blended into the air, "Still Alive," whispered Ronald, "How appropriate." William nodded and listened as she sped it up and moved the piano melody, electronic elements were added and Ronald led William on to the dance floor. They looked up to see Alex working, her fingers found different effects easily and she suddenly became the one person in control. Her eyes were closed and it was as though she had entered a world of pure sound. The room shook was she cranked the bass and slipped her headphones off. She held on muff to her ear as she adjusted the treble. The music seemed to breath and William felt as though he had been electrified by her sound. Ronald spun and jumped backward doing a back flip and landed perfectly. William smiled as he watched Ronald's slender body move, his hips swing and his back bend with delight. He looked over to see Grell dancing flirtatiously with Undertaker which caused other club goers stare.

Claude walked through the house and shed layers of his clothes as he went. His slender fingers slipped his glasses off his nose, revealing a pair of concerned golden eyes. Sebastian was an unusual demon, he could remember the second time they met, Sebastian's hands had been stabbed by what had to have been Judas Silver, at the time had hadn't realized that Sebastian was in fact the young master of the house. All he knew was that he was looking at the boy who had saved him in the rain. Claude turned into the kitchen and brewed a custom blended herbal tea, which would help with the pain. The room smelled of herbs as he measured out each one and placed them in the silver tea strainer. He filled the kettle with water and placed it on the burner, as he adjusted the flame. That same day Sebastian had been injured Claude was called into the Master's study. At first he thought it was a formality until he remembered what had occurred with young demon's hands and he paused. He sighed and slipped his white gloved hand into his hair before fallowing the footman to Lucifer's study. His heart was pounding and yet he remained expressionless, the footman looked back at him and commented, "You're a peculiar one, most are panicking and yet you seem as calm as ever." Claude ignored his remark and the footman pushed the massive doors which served as a barrier to the Master's study open. "Claude Faustus, my lord," said the footman as he bowed, "Show him in," replied a melodic and deep voice. It was soft and smooth like velvet, the footman nodded and Claude entered the room. Sitting before a massive hearth was Lucifer, he was draped in a plum colored robe, his eyes were a familiar crimson red. He had long flowing onyx hair and instantly Claude was aware that he had stepped into the elegant world of the demon lord. Claude gave a low and graceful bow which shocked the footman but caused a smirk to appear on Lucifer's lips. "Raise your head, Faustus," he said softly, his voice sent a shiver down Claude's spine.

Claude did as instructed to find a slender shorter figure standing beside the demon lord's chair. It was the same boy he had aided in the garden, his hands were healed and he stood beside Lucifer pensively. "This is my son, Sebastian Michaelis, he brought you here," said Lucifer. Claude knew that Sebastian was the demon lord's son; however he figured he had been told to reverberate the fact. Claude bowed in appreciation, "Many thanks young master," he said softly. Lucifer looked at Sebastian and noticed how his son's hands had recently been healed. "Were you the one who healed my son?" asked Lucifer. Claude felt his heart leap out of his chest; he was hoping the demon lord wouldn't notice. He fell silent and simply nodded, his eyes closed unconsciously, "I'm not displeased, I'm well aware that my wife isn't the nicest to my son," Lucifer stated. Claude's golden eyes flickered open and he looked at the demon lord, "I would like for you to serve as my son's personal servant, who he had at first requested, and I was against." Claude was silent, he couldn't believe what was happening, he wasn't going to be executed, and instead he had been asked to be Sebastian's servant. "However since you have already assisted my son once, I would like you to continue to do so," said Lucifer. Claude was in shock, he didn't expect this to come out of working in this house. "Well?" asked Lucifer. Claude snapped out of his trance and replied, "It would be an honor to do so." Sebastian smiled a little and Lucifer was clearly pleased. "Very well starting tomorrow you will be placed as my son's servant, speak with my butler about his morning schedule and what Sebastian requires, if you need anything both Hannah and Lucie will aid you," said Lucifer with a note of finality. Claude bowed again before leaving, "Very well my lord," he replied.

The kettle whistled loudly jolting Claude from his memory; he sighed and collected the hot kettle from the stove. Claude poured the hot water into the strainer which had been attached to the teapot and flipped an hourglass which was on the counter. Once the sands had run out he poured the tea into the teacup and placed the lid on the tea pot after removing the silver tea strainer. He carried the tray up the stairs and rounded the corner which leads to their bedroom, with a click the door opened and Claude found Sebastian nestled in a number of blankets in the dark. He smiled softly and place the tray on the nightstand before sitting on the edge of the bed. Sebastian was stretched out and breathing softly, he was always a restless sleeper, even when Claude was sleeping beside him. Claude hummed softly and swept a strand of hair out of Sebastian's face, "I'm home," he said softly before pressing a tender kiss to his lover's forehead. Sebastian stirred and opened his eyes, "Welcome home," he responded with a small smile. Claude placed a hand on the side of Sebastian's face and continued, "I made tea," said Claude. Sebastian slowly sat up and took the tea cup, "How are you?" asked Claude as Sebastian took a sip. His ruby red eyes looked into Claude's golden ones and he responded, "Hurts, but." Sebastian paused and Claude asked curiously, "But?" Sebastian sighed as he shifted in bed and replied, "I had dreams about when I was a child and met," he paused and looked up at Claude, "You." Claude mussed Sebastian's hair and smiled, he thought it was ironic he was thinking about the same thing. His mind wandered back to the issue to of Alex and Seiki, "What's wrong?" asked Sebastian. As always he could notice when Claude was thinking about things. "I'm worried," said Claude after a moment. Sebastian's eyebrows lifted and he asked, "About?" Claude looked at him and placed his hand on Sebastian's cheek, "You." Sebastian smiled and kissed Claude's hand, "I'm alright, it should subside soon," he replied. Claude was silent and Sebastian asked, "What else? What aren't you telling me?" Claude froze, it was clear he had been caught, now it came to question whether or not he should tell Sebastian about what was going on with Alex and the appearance of Seiki.