Chapter 24: Nightshade
Diedrich couldn't look away from the display, a chill ran up his spine as he looked at the photos before him. "W-What is this?" he whispered in shock as he slowly scrolled through images, crimson blood stained white sheets, messy raven black hair was knotted, there was dried blood in the hairline and he stared at the all too thin young man. Nearly dead crimson eyes gazed out of the frame, they were glassy and seemed to have lost all will to fight. "Sebastian?" he asked in confusion as he looked at the images of a familiar woman with a crop in hand. "How old are these?" he whispered as he swiftly called up the data for each of them. His stomach twisted and he clasped a hand over his mouth. The date, he was working under Ciel when this had happened, it was right under their nose and he didn't see it.
A wave of guilt crashed into him, that was why he had seen a doctor, he wasn't free, Sebastian was far from it. Sebastian was a slave to the woman who he considered a demon. Vincent had done many things in the past, dark, dangerous and honestly sins. Yet, he had never done anything like this, he would never stoop as low as to treat a human being like a piece of meat. His hands were trembling slightly as he closed the photos, they were previews, given to men when they were looking at merchandise, as Angela called them. He sighed as he closed the images, he was about to put away his laptop when he noticed a file labeled, "Open Immediately."
Part of Diedrich didn't want to know what was in it, however, he had a sinking feeling that if his contact had gone through the trouble of labeling it, it was something Vincent had to know. He quickly double clicked it and stared at the title of the document, "Dept Purchase Agreement," he mused in confusion. He wasn't aware that Sebastian's debt had come up for sale, and Sebastian hadn't alluded to it. He scrolled down as he read through the pages, whoever had been the layer for the buyer was extremely good, he couldn't find a single loop hole. He paused as he found the end of the document, signed in familiar black pen was a signature he knew as well as Vincent's. All he could see was red, "Fuck," he hissed as he put his laptop to sleep and abruptly stood up. This wasn't something he could tell Vincent over the phone, he had to do so in person.
He rushed out of the cafe and took to the street, his mind was buzzing, the last signature he ever expected to see was at the bottom of the page. "I'm going to kill him," Diedrich seethed as he slipped one of his hands into his dark brown hair. Clearly his contact had done more than he anticipated as he searched for information on Sebastian. As he went things simply seemed to be getting worse. Ciel wasn't the type to release individuals, he knew that better than most. Vincent had always watched his investments but also protected them. Ciel on the other hand didn't care as long as he could profit. "How could he do this? He doesn't have access to those funds unless he touched the safe," he grumbled. In the middle of the street he froze, that was what had happened, how the money from the safe vanished, why Sebastian was acting odd and smelt of antiseptic, even Ciel's strangling grip on the chef made sense. "Why didn't I see this?" he asked himself.
~~xXx~~
London was abuzz, apparently the gauntlet's clatter to the floor had been heard across the pond and the isle as well. Gourmets were flocking into London, booking hotels and tuning in to see just what was going to happen between the two. Vincent didn't even have to do a great deal of advertising. In a weeks time a kitchen was crafted, logos drawn and printed, even the ingredients had been selected. Tanaka had the idea of using a knife box, rather than the bowl, that way they had to make fewer cards. Naturally, the person who placed the box would know the list of ingredients, but everyone else wouldn't. War had been declared and no one was going to miss it, reputable.
French schools were chatting about Sebastian's training and were determined to prove that it is impossible for an English trained chef to defeat one with classical training. Gourmets from New York were arriving to see what the ingenuitive Sebastian Michaelis was going to craft. Ash's few followers were making a racket and calling in all of the banished Patissiers to rally under the man. It was a nightmare as people seemed to set up hotel rooms, tables, and even channel access. Vincent in the meantime was meeting with several young men and women working for the BTN. At first he thought it was low budget until he got into the kitchen, his eyes widened. He thought Ciel's was an Eden, theirs was even better. Chocolate brown eyes darted over the surfaces of the kitchen, the Phuntom Logo hung side by side with that of Ciel, and Ash's new restaurant. Kenmore and a number of other brands battled to get their appliances noted.
The kitchen was covered in glistening stainless steel, the white walls were bright yet didn't stand a chance with the Phantom Logo, as always the beautiful blue script with coat of arms stood out from the stark walls. His eyes glided over the hanging pots, impressive ovens, the walk-ins, gas ranges, islands, cutting boards of all sizes, it was honestly heaven. "Wow," he whispered. There was a smooth chuckle which man Vincent turn around abruptly, "I'm glad to see you like our work," commented a young man, he had wild red hair that jutted out in every direction, purple eyes and a bit too much eyeliner. Tattooed on one of his arms was a skeletal representation and the man grinned, "I'm Joker, the director, I figured I should call up some friends and get them to slap together a kitchen," he stated gleefully. Vincent could tell the young man in bright gold and red was certainly the host. "It's impressive," he remarked as he looked over the room.
"Not as impressive as the score," called another voice, oddly despite the owners proximity it was far too loud. Vincent turned to see a young woman with headphones around her neck, "Hey, I just got it, and I must say he's done it again!" she chimed as she purred with delight. Vincent was curious as to what this ordeal would sound like. He could hear pieces, but it didn't sound like a typical show's music, it sounded radically different. "May I?" he asked curiously. The woman pouted and looked at Joker, "He is?" she asked harshly. Her headphones were in her hands, clearly she wasn't going to let go easily, she looked more like a dragon hoarding gold in Vincent's opinion. "Beast, be nice. Vincent is the Producer, honestly he gets to say if it stays," Joker stated.
Beast sighed as she slipped the headphones over her head, her wild black hair surrounded her and she sighed as she held them out to him. "It was composed by Hooper, he wanted to have a little fun," she stated. Vincent slipped the massive cans over his head and experienced an explosion of sound. His eyes widened as he listened to the very Irish sounding drums, the sound of a violin soaring, and the playfulness of the melody. He closed his eyes and smiled, he honestly felt as though he were in the highlands. It transformed into something more violent with the smash of a drum and he felt his body tingle. It was as though someone had sparked a fire. The sound of chefs preparing for what they saw as battle. He heard a click and realized he was going to listen to another piece, the soft snare made him tingle as the strings grew in tension, he felt as though he were going to be sent flying. "My god," he said as he listened to the call of horns and rapid drawing of bows, even the feather light flutes and harp made him desire to fly. The excitement was evident, "Who is this for?" he asked curiously as he slowly moved one of the cans. "Simple, Sebastian. Nick said he was the only one who could have that theme," Beast replied.
He looked at her and smiled, "How?" he asked curiously. Beast shrugged, his eyes went down her tight black corset, he honestly contemplated getting Rachel one. "Easy, he tasted one of his treats," she replied. Vincent was amused how the man had managed to craft a piece to reflect Sebastian by simply tasting the man's work. It was unheard of. "Do you think he can really win?" Beast asked after a moment. Vincent paused, there was a hint of concern in her voice, her dark brown eyes were locked on him.
Vincent sighed as he began to wonder just how much of a battle this was going to be, with all the action and sudden interest in cuisine again he wondered if he had kindled something he wouldn't be able to put out. After much discussion, all of the details were put in place. From the logos and soundtracks, to the plates and chef's jackets. "Yes, he has to," he replied. Joker looked confused for a moment, "For himself and Faustus," he stated. This cause the pair to freeze and stare at him, clearly they believed he would want Sebastian to win for him. Of course he wanted his chef to win, but not for Ciel. For Sebastian, to finally break through the walls and grasp a well earned second chance.
Tanaka entered with a polished wooden knife block, eight glistening stainless steel knives were sticking out of it. His gut wrenched as he realized that each blade had a different ingredient on them, "We have three blocks, each with eight different knives, making twenty-four mystery ingredients," Tanaka stated. Vincent pulled one of the knives and admired the lettering, "I'm impressed, where did you get the idea?" he asked slowly as he slipped it back into the block. Tanaka grinned, "Apparently a few American producers allowed us to borrow it, as long as we added one more judge to the panel," he stated.
The pair would do three tasks in which they were to pull a knife from the block. Since Ash was the challenger Sebastian got the first draw, winner of the round was to draw the next knife, it was simple. "I like it," he commented as he slipped the blade back into the block. Tanaka nodded, this was going to be quite the show and he could only hope that this would snuff Ash out for good. "This is hot, honestly I love it," gushed Beast as she pulled a knife and looked at it. Joker simply nodded and turned to Vincent, "Why do you want to drive Ash out?" he asked. A smirk curled the slate haired CEO's lips and he hummed, "Let's just say its one way to get at another person," he replied before turning on his heel, now all he wanted to know was how Diedrich made out. He had sent the German to gather information, he wasn't sure how fast he could work but he honestly hoped he would know in a few hours, he needed to make his next move.
~~xXx~~
The room was quiet, soft silk plum sheets were wrapped around an exhausted Head Chef. His black hair was a mess as always, he had gone to sleep after his long stroll in the rain through the streets of London. He had spent the night searching for just what he felt for the Patissier, he wanted to help Sebastian, but didn't want to scare him. Once again the other side of the bed was empty, it seemed to be a natural occurrence these days, he wasn't able to bed Alois anymore without feeling as though he had somehow betrayed Sebastian. He went to roll over onto the supposedly empty side of the bed to find something soft on the other side.
He groaned in confusion as he felt silky long fur touch his bare arms, it must have been the ridiculous pillow Alois had bought as an apology for tearing his own apart in order to gather feathers to tar and feather a certain Sommelier. He couldn't seem to understand that none of his pillows had feathers in them, as an apology he had purchased him a fuchsia furry pillow. Which, Claude always seemed to forget to dispose of. He grumbled as he pushed it away and rolled back over, even in private he wouldn't be caught cuddling with the thing. He snuggled into his regular pillows and hummed with content until he felt something odd, a fuzzy thing had just batted him in the head.
Claude groaned and hissed, "Alois, it's too fucking early for this shit, get out." The blonde had no sense of personal space, he would cling to just about anyone or thing. The chef was about to drift once more into a peaceful sleep when this time he felt something sharp prick his scalp as he was struck again in the head. "Okay, I'm up, will you quit it," he growled as he opened his eyes and blindly reached for his glasses. In the meantime something small, soft and warm had hopped onto his bare chest, it almost felt comforting, almost. His long slender fingers found the thick black frames with ease, he had two pairs, one for work and the other for the house. In moments he had slipped them on only to realize the object wasn't an object but the kitten with crimson eyes from the night before.
"What?" he asked in confusion as he looked at the seeming harmless creature, now staring at him with large curious eyes. "You? When did I?" he muttered as he rubbed his temples with one hand. The night before came back to him, his wandering and finding the small cat among garbage outside of Lorenzo's Pizza. He looked at the small creature, clearly he wasn't thinking the night before, because he honestly had no clue how to take care of a cat. He had always owned spiders, cats were fickel. They had a tendency of climbing on everything, regardless of purpose or value. Golden eyes locked onto the black ball of fur and he hummed, "Why is it that even when sober I do things like this?" After a moment of attempting to figure out what to do with it, he realized he would have to find someone who actually liked cats to help him.
"When ever he is even remotely involved and don't think," he grumbled as he slipped out of bed and began to walk out of his bedroom in a pair of blue loungers. "What to feed you," he mused as he pushed open the door and walked into the kitchen, he knew what his spiders ate and what people did but for the life of him he didn't know what to feed it. "I really should have paid more attention to the cat lady who lived across from me before," he commented as he opened a cabinet. The small animal had managed to pad through the hallway and jump onto the island in the middle of the kitchen, it sat up straight and watched as Claude rummaged through his cabinets.
"I know they can have tuna, but I don't have that stuff canned, I usually buy fresh," he commented as he slowly opened the fridge, resting on a shelf was a pair chicken sausage links. He paused and looked at the cat, Alois' tall order was weeks ago but oddly he ended up buying more for the blonde, he seemed infatuated with them whenever he stumbled into his apartment intoxicated. "Well, I guess these will have to work," Claude commented as he pulled them from the fridge as well as a carrot and what was left of the green beans from his dinner a few nights ago. He placed them all on the counter and began to cook them, "I really hope you don't need milk, that could be an issue," he commented. The pan sizzled as he added a touch of olive oil to it and proceeded to cooking the remaining sausages.
After a few moments of pushing the links around and ensuring they didn't stick to the pan. He removed them and placed them on the cutting board, he would have to cut them into small piece for it. "Now then what else," he mused as he pulled out a large sharp knife and cubed the sausages into small pieces. He hummed as he placed them on the plate, the room erupted with the scent of sausages, carrots, and green beans. Once he had finished cooking he placed the food in a bowl and popped it in the fridge to cool. The cat meowed again and he Claude leaned on the island, "Hey, you didn't order after my prep time, so you have to wait," he remarked before slowly touching the small animal's head. There was a knock on the door and he prayed that it wasn't Alois, he sighed as he walked over to open the door, "Alois, honestly why do you get so smashed?" he asked with irritation as he opened the door. He was surprised to see someone else in his hallway, the last person he ever thought would be standing there.
Dressed in a long black coat with a broad brimmed fedora in his hands, he was cleanly shaved, his eyes were behind a pair of glasses that rested on his nose. His hair had grayed and yet he looked the same. As always he was standing in the proper attire of a Phantomhive Butler, complete with pin and pocket watch. "I'm afraid he isn't here," replied Tanaka. Claude stared at the man, he only appeared when something was in play. "Tanaka?" asked Claude slowly. The man nodded and looked past Claude, "Come in," he invited after a moment as he stepped aside. The butler bowed slightly as he walked past Claude. He watched as the man enter cautiously, "You've done well for yourself Claude, I see your investments have paid off," he said smoothly. His eyes drifted around the flat, as though they were taking in every detail.
"For the most part, tea?" asked Claude curiously as he walked back into his kitchen. Tanaka smiled warmly and replied, "It would be welcome," he paused after a moment. His eyes were locked on the island where the cat sat. He slowly approached the feline, he was brimming with curiosity, "I thought you were a man for spiders," he commented. Claude filled the kettle and hummed as he debated as to which tea to serve. "I am, he was in the rain alone and looked lost," he replied. He couldn't simply say it reminded him of the Patissier, that was insane. "I see," he mused. There was something off, Tanaka wasn't the type to make social visits. As long as he could remember Tanaka was the only one who defeated Vincent in chess. He slowly slipped off one of his pristine white gloves and tucked it into his pocket. After a moment he was slowly pleating his fingers through the cat's long fur. "What beautiful eyes," he commented with a small smile. Claude froze, he wore a grin that indicated he knew far more than he was saying.
"Like mulled merlot in a glass, warm, vibrant and spirited," he commented as his hand ran from the top of the sleek animal's head to the very tip of its tale. "Does he have a name?" asked Tanaka curiously as he continued to watch the feline with a great deal of interest. Claude placed his kettle on the counter as he opened the glass French press. He had always been fond of strong tea. "Nightshade," he replied after a moment as he measure the appropriate amount of tea from the silver canister. "A poison? He seems rather sweet," commented Tanaka as he scratched under the small animal's chin. Claude placed two cups on the table and sighed, "The plat bears small black berries and beautiful dark purple bell like flowers, with green veins," he stated.
"A man outside a monastery began to grow them, he thought that the flower was divinely beautiful and decided to decorate the garden with it," Claude stated as he pushed the plunger down to force the leaves into the bottom of the glass press. The tea was a dark amber liquid, the scent of the powerful Earl Gray filled the room as he lifted it up and poured it into a glass tea cup. "It wasn't until a child ingested one of the berries that he learned of it's insidious nature," he stated as he placed the cup before Tanaka, his golden eyes never left the amber liquid. "The innocent child died shortly after ingesting one of the berries. The priest then realized it wasn't a flower that god created, but that of a vengeful demon," Claude stated. Demon, it had been a word that described Claude his entire life, the one word that no matter what someone called him. "Nightshade is also called the Devil's Cherries," he commented before slowly looking up at Tanaka.
The butler slipped his fingers around the glass cup and hummed, "Poison, something so beautiful that even a child couldn't resist reaching out and claiming it for himself," Claude whispered as he poured himself his own cup. There was silence as he waited to learn why Tanaka had even appeared that morning. "You are right, Nightshade is a poison, however it can also help us heal," Tanaka remarked slowly. Claude's head shot up and he glared at the butler, his golden eyes were filled with irritation, he didn't want to hear of this now. "How can a poison help us heal?" he hissed. Tanaka chuckled as he took another sip of the warm liquid.
"You see it isn't used to harm in medical practices, in fact it is used the numb the pain and allows you to breath. For an asthmatic a small dose can mean the difference between walking up a flight of stairs, and falling to the ground," he stated as his fingers swept over the handle, "It can numb the pain after a fall and soothe a broken heart which doesn't beat properly," he continued. Claude froze, the poison that was supposed to be the end of him, Tanaka now said could save him. "All cures are poisons in the wrong dose, you just need the right amount to soothe an aching heart, numb the pain in our sprained joints and lift the weight off our chests," he stated after a moment and slowly pulled his hand away from the tea cup.
"Nightshade is a cat," Claude said defensively. Tanaka smiled knowingly and hummed, "Ah, yes he is," he remarked as he scratched the fluffy animal behind the ears. "One which bears a remarkable resemblance to a certain Patissier," he remarked. Claude froze, Tanaka had seen Sebastian once, he didn't think the man would remember him. "What aren't you saying?" asked Claude slowly. Tanaka sat up straight again and pursed his lips, "I need a loan, close to eight hundred thousand pounds," Tanaka said slowly. Claude's eyes widened, Vincent was powerful and wealthy was an understatement, the man could buy a large mountain if he wanted and would still have money left over. "Can't you just ask Vincent?" asked Claude curiously.
Tanaka shook his head, "No, not for this, I want to make an investment and I was hoping you could be my silent partner I need someone who has experience with money and managing," he stated. Claude's golden eyes widened as he pushed his glasses further up his nose, "What?" he asked quickly. Vincent made a great deal of money and Tanaka was the highest paid in the house. "Why?" he asked after a moment. The butler smiled and replied, "Simple, I want to start a business, something small and personal, something very near my heart." Claude sighed, he didn't want to get in trouble with Vincent, that was asking for trouble, he knew what men like him did with those who crossed him. "Where?" he asked after a moment. A smile curved Tanaka's lips, it was soft and warm, "Let me worry about that," he said with ease. Claude didn't like this idea, Tanaka wasn't betraying anything, in fact he was making everything far more mysterious. "I don't know about this," he said slowly, "What if it falls through?"
Tanaka shook his head and chuckled a little, "I doubt that will happen, believe me, in fact I know it will be the greatest investment you've ever made," he stated with ease. Slender white fingers swept through Claude's black hair, the sun shined through the windows bringing out the vivid sheen of purple in his hair. "Alright, give me two days, I'll give it to you in a check," he stated. Tanaka smiled and held out his hand, "I promise you, the return will be even higher than you ever expect it to be." There was a pause, perhaps Tanaka had sought to retire, "Does Vincent know?" he asked slowly. The butler paused and looked at him, "No, not yet, he will soon," he stated. Claude nodded as he picked up his cup of tea again. There was silence for a moment, it was as though the room was taking a breath.
"You know he would look beautiful with a red collar, one with a golden tag," commented Tanaka as he stroked the cat again. Claude nodded absentmindedly, "The competition is starting soon, it's going to be one hell of a spectacle," he stated. The Head Chef was confused for a moment, he knew Vincent was involved but wondered just how extravagant things were going to get. "Spectacle?" asked Claude slowly, his eyebrows lifted in confusion as he looked at Tanaka. The butler chuckled and pulled out his tablet, "Here, you'll see," he stated. Claude scrolled through article after article, it was as though it were the World Cup and it was an England versus Germany match. High stakes and everyone was just itching to see what they could do, both culinary and average alike. "Just what is Vincent getting at?" he asked in confusion. Tanaka shook his head, "This isn't Vincent or Ash, this is an explosion of Social Media, like it or not Sebastian is perhaps one of the most famous chefs in the world and he doesn't even know it," mused the butler.
~~xXx~~
The room was flooded with cigarette smoke and the familiar sound of men chatting, sitting behind her desk was an all too amused Angela, "Perhaps I shouldn't have sold you so soon. If I knew you were going to be so profitable," she commented as she scrolled down the page. She paused when she looked at the familiar photo of Ash, "It seems you have challenged him once again, arrogant prat. At least your timing this time is better," she commented as she looked at her desk. She had a shipment coming soon and Vincent's loyal dog was starting to become a problem. "Just what are you going to do Vincent? Save your position or the Patissier?" she asked as she chuckled. There was a knock on the door which roused her from her thoughts, "Enter," she called with irritation. A trio of men walked in, two in traditional black suits and another standing in an elegant waistcoat. "Found the bloody bastard, it took us weeks. Why are we looking for this man anyway?" asked one of the guards as he shoved the third man into a chair, his clothing was pristine, but she could tell he was treated rather harshly. "I need him, Vincent is in the way and the only way to get to him is to damage Ciel," she replied. Her lavender eyes locked on the sitting man.
A pair of gray soulless eyes stared at her from across the desk, his hair that had once been brown had long since grayed and his skin wrinkled. "Tell me, what do you know of a Sebastian Michaelis, Father Francis?" she asked as she grinned. A spark ignited in his eyes and she knew she had just the thing to kill the pair.