A/N: Twenty First Chapter people! XD Never thought I'd make it this far. ^-^
Bolded words signal an Indian accent. ^-^
Chapter 21: Something Wicked This Way Comes
"Well Sir Randall didn't seem very happy to see us…" Kurt mumbled.
The streets of London were just as cold, if not colder, as when he and Felix had left. Snow coated the walkways and streets, turned into a mealy brownish mush by the feet of scattering people and the hooves of horses pulling carriages. The smell was also particularly distinct, reminding one of the many rats that scattered through empty alleys and into peoples' homes to spread their sickening germs. Ciel and Kurt still weren't on the best of terms, but both could agree that London was not a favorable place to be at this moment.
"We practically took his case if you think about it Master Kurt." Felix murmured, but kept his eyes dreamily fixated on the space around him, knowing there wasn't much.
He was back, though not in the way he expected. He could almost smell the ink and feel the cold concrete from his factory just outside of the city. His thoughts traveled to his friend who still worked there, and wondered if there was a chance to see him anytime soon. Perhaps he could shed some light on his current situation, or at least smack him upside the head knock some sense back into him.
"You mean saved it." Ciel scoffed, "Really, one would expect them to at least have something of use besides the evidence."
"Is this case to simple for you Young Master?" Sebastian asked with a slight chuckle.
"British citizens returning from India being continuously attacked, stripped of everything, and hung upside down with notes attached to them daring to insult Britain and in turn the royal family, with a tongue at the bottom." Ciel repeated the situation to himself with a sigh, "How vulgar."
"Talk about a sick sense of humor…" Kurt scoffed, and looked around.
He could recognize this place. It was dangerous, though in truth he had looted a few people behind the walls of this back alley community. It was hard to steal when people had hardly anything to give though so he gave up looking, not to mention that this is supposedly where the Chinese Mafia hides out, doing who knows what to who knows who. It was terrifying to even think about.
But for the phantom of the Royal Family…Kurt's thoughts took a different turn as his eyes glanced at Ciel to his right.
The earl looked a bit smug from having pushed Randall's buttons, but Kurt could also see a weary glint in his friend's cerulean eyes.
"This is the place right?" Ciel asked, jolting Kurt from his thoughts as they halted before a downward staircase.
"Yes." Sebastian nodded and opened the door for them to go down.
Kurt gulped as he wondered what was down there.
Xxxcxxxcxxxcccxxxx
"Please watch your step Kurt…" Felix whispered nervously as his charge stumbled for the third time.
Ciel smirked back at his partner with an amused air about him, causing Kurt to mumble curses as his cheeks were dusted red. Felix looked to see a rather extravagant door, it had many intricate squares interlocked like chains in a straight line, he recognized the pattern from a particular Chinese tapestry.
"Is that smoke?" Kurt asked curiously.
"What an awful smell…" Ciel almost gagged.
Felix peered inside and saw the silhouette of many figures, one large one in the middle surrounded by many different thinner black shapes. He felt a tightening in the back of his throat as a putrid thick smoke filtered up his nostrils. It made him feel light headed and he grew the sudden urge to shut his eyes to keep them from burning.
"So you finally found this place…Earl." A voice stated, "It feels kind of weird for you to see me this way…however…I always knew this day would come."
"And what kind of day is this?" Ciel asked angrily as the lamps above brightened to reveal a cheery looking Chinese man being hung onto by multiple girls.
One in particular, the one in the dark kimono and on the man's lap looked at them with such innocence it made Felix wonder if she was being forced into her rather suggestive position. As an English man he felt the urge to throw blankets over them just to cover them up. Seriously what they were wearing was too revealing! Sebastian laughed at Felix's slightly red face, such an honest toy he had.
"Welcome Earl!" The man stated happily, though you couldn't see his eyes, "Long time no see! Wasn't it your birthday recently? Congrats!"
"I don't really care about such things." Ciel huffed, irritated with his ally, "I have something to ask you."
"Ah! The Earl had come all the way to Anagura to ask me about "that" incident. Am I right?" Lau stated.
"The news has spread to you already?" Kurt asked in awe, "You sure are fast…"
"I have been investigating "that" incident, if it's about the Orientals; the fastest way to find anything out is to ask him who has a strong influence around here," Ciel explained, "The president of the british branch of the Chinese trading company Kunlan, no…"
"…Shanghai Mafia Qingbang Executive; Lau."
Hearing that, Kurt gulped nervously. He was in serious crap if this Mafia Executive happened to remember the vase he stole a few years back…
"It's too formal to address me in such a way, right Ranmao?" Lau smirked.
"I'll leave the east end in your care." Ciel seemed slightly relieved, "The numbers of people who move in and out of this street are in your control right?"
"Of course I've done as you asked, it's the bribe that allows me to do business in the underworld of this country." Lau smiled.
"So-" Ciel started.
"Well firstly, I'd also like to ask you a few things." Lau cut him off.
Kurt could see the question in his eyes. Ciel wasn't going to be in a very good mood in a few seconds, he was sure of it.
"One, what is that incident?"
"You mean you didn't know?" Kurt's eyes widened.
"Typical of a yes man…" Sebastian sighed.
"Definitely." Felix agreed. Ciel growled in exasperation.
"We're going to have to go back and explain everything to-"
"Hold it Earl, I was also curious as to why the Queen's Guard-dog was paired up with the infamous Prince of Thieves?"
Kurt paled, "Prince of…Thieves?"
"Kurt…Is there anything you need to confess to?" Felix asked as his eyebrow twitched.
"I didn't think he would remember! Come on Felix it was just some harmless-"
"Enough." Ciel sighed, "This boy is no threat to you and he is a guest at my manor. If anyone asks he's Lord Alexander Bellingham, my partner, who is staying with me due to the fact that his manor is under repairs."
"Ha. I didn't know you swung that way earl…" Lau laughed at Ciel's confused expression. The earl looked to Sebastian for definition.
"My young lord, he is implying that you and Master Kurt are partners in a different way-"
"Sebastian! I'd prefer for my master to remain unaware of such things!" Felix interrupted him.
Sebastian's smirk could've rivaled a hyena's.
"Are you implying that you yourself are aware of such things?"
Ciel scoffed and walked back up the staircase, ignoring Felix's terror-struck and blushing expression.
"Enough, we have no time for this foolish chatter."
"Yes My Lord." Sebastian almost laughed.
Lau and Felix were the last to exit, when the Chinese man leaned over to whisper in Felix's ear.
"Beware young man, or I fear you shall be a demon's next meal."
Felix wasn't dense enough to take those words lightly.
Xxxcxxxcccxxxcxxx
"…Mr. Lau, we've been walking for quite some time now, so where is this stronghold of Indian people?" Felix asked, truly certain that they were someplace they shouldn't be.
The streets were completely barren, more desolate than the farming prairies of Felix's homeland. Felix tried to fight the urge to search around every corner and knock on everydoor just to find breathing living beings like themselves.
"Ah, it seems I got so caught up in the conversation that we've lost our way." Lau chuckled.
Felix watched the mafia lord's face become serious before discreetly grabbing Felix's sleeve. Kurt looked up from the ground and widened his eyes as he saw Ciel accidently run into a poorly dressed Indian man. A fiery glaze of hatred clouded the man's eyes and before the young earl could apologize, Ciel was in shock as the man clutched his abdomen, feigning pain.
"Ah! It hurts! My rib has cracked!" The man shouted, his thick accent making it slightly difficult to make out the words.
"Oh, come with me now." Lau stated as the four became surrounded by furious and dangerous Indian men.
"Wha-?" Felix felt his neck jerk and he barely caught Kurt in his grasp as he felt Lau pull them out through the crowd like a ghost.
The man's limbs seemed to be defined against the blurred scenery; everything was a mix of black, white, and brown as they moved at the speed of the wind. Felix found this sensation familiar, though he suspected it was the harsh winds. The cold continued to bite at their noses, Kurt held onto Felix for dear life until they found themselves in front of a staircase. They could hear the leering and jeers from the crowd still not too far behind them as Lau moved them forward and pushed them up.
"With haste, with haste." Lau sang.
"Hey there's them ones who escaped!" A heavy and foreign toned voice bellowed.
Felix looked behind them and saw three men he recognized from the crowd, they were chasing after them at a fast speed. The publisher gulped and turned around; he saw Lau already at the top of the staircase and pushed Kurt forward. The young ward furrowed his eyebrows into a scorn as he watched his butler turn back around, preparing to face the three vicious men.
"Kurt! Get out of here!" Felix stated, darting his shining golden gaze back around, Kurt saw everything he wanted to be in those eyes, a father figure, an idol that he wanted to be.
The ex-thief tried to step closer, "But Felix-"
"NOW!" Felix yelled.
Kurt didn't have to be told again as he raced up the stairs after Lau. Felix turned back around to see the Indian men only a few feet away.
"Bloody noblemen! Think they can do what they want then throw us to the ground!" The man in the middle hissed.
Murmurs of agreement passed between the three before they all pulled out knives. Felix gulped, but raised his fists, preparing for a fight. He tried to remember everything he learned before he left his past master's house. How to attack and defend.
"You piss me off you ginger-headed prat!" The man at the end roared before charging.
Felix felt a huge flood of energy pour through him as he danced out of the way. His feet felt lighter than air and he smirked, taunting them. His golden eyes were like a predator as he saw the other two aim for him out of the corner of his eye. The publisher felt a knife against his chest and he swerved to the side, grasping the man's arm in an iron grasp to force the knife to fall with a slight tink on the cold wet ground.
He felt his fist connected with the man's jaw as he bent down quickly to recover the fallen blade, picking it up and stepping back to escape the feeling of two knives becoming buried in his chest. For a moment Felix saw red, he was so angry and hateful that it almost took over him before he saw the glint of one of the men's weapons. He gasped and jumped aside, only to find himself within the grasp of the tallest man. Felix could feel hot breath that reeked of sewer rats and rotten fruit, grimy hands held his arms to his sides, dirtying the clothes Sebastian had bought for him.
He struggled, but to no avail.
"What to do with you now?" The one holding him inquired.
"Let me go you filthy bastards!" Felix growled, aiming to kick behind, but finding his legs caught as the man stepped on his foot.
"He's got a mouth on him Carkov. I say we just kill him now." The man to Felix's right leered maliciously.
"No Azaroth, he's got a pretty face. Pretty faces fetch pretty prices on the streets of London." The man to the publisher's left grasped Felix's chin and forced his face up, the red-heads expression could only be expressed as pure rage, for some reason this only seemed to make the man laugh above him, "I wonder if he's used up though, maybe we should check."
Felix felt his eyes widen and he felt very cold. His arms flailed about, fueled by fury and the need to escape their clutches.
"That's a great idea Malike." The one named Carcov laughed and reached for Felix's jacket.
"I'm a man! Let me go-!" Felix struggled.
He was cut off as Azaroth released his face, a scream escaping his lips as blood dripped out of his ears. His face was white and the screaming stopped altogether. Felix recognized the work of his hero. Her hair was a pure midnight blue, almost black, her eyes as blue as Ciel's, but shadowed with hatred and ice. Her skin was pale, like his, and her thin frame was covered by a familiar hooded black overcoat with a white form of their insignia on her back. She smiled and two others joined her.
"Who the hell are you?" Malike shrieked, Carcov gripped Felix more tightly, pressing the knife to his throat painfully.
Joining the first girl was a small child-like woman with snow white hair and dark pink irises, her face as jaded as stone. Next to her was a large burly woman, with short brown hair and sunkissed skin so unlike her sisters, her eyes golden like Felix's own. She wore a smile that rivaled the sun.
"My my, you are a magnet for trouble Brother Cain. It's almost laughable." The tan woman laughed, as if the situation were merely a game.
"Hespera you are really too jovial for such a situation." The girl with white hair sighed.
"Who cares what she's like Sol?" The black haired girl laughed coldly, pulling out a knife, "As long as we kill these filthy rats that plague our streets, I see no problem. Besides, you can't spell slaughter without laughter."
"You're hopeless Luna." Sol sighed and turned her eyes on the two men left, "Using that method to kill even though you can only use it once a day. Really, don't you think things through?"
Malike held his blade in front of him, his hands shaking as he wondered how Luna had killed the man without touching him as Carcov stood firm, his knife on Felix's throat. He pressed harder and Felix's breath hitched as a bead of crimson trailing down his neck.
"We won't ask again!" Carcov shrieked, "Who are you people?"
Sol turned to him with a smile so innocently deadly that it made the Indian men's blood turn to ice. Luna flipped the knife in her hand, its handle crested with their family name, she caught it expertly between her two fingers before laughing and throwing it at Malike. It landed in the man's chest and she simply stepped over the body and pulled out her blade, rubies dripping from its tip. Hespera closed her eyes, having respect for the dead before walking up to Carcov. The man pressed the knife harder into Felix's neck.
"I-I'll kill him! Step back!" Carcov stuttered.
Felix looked down, and waited patiently for his rescue.
"My how the tables have turned my ladies." The redhead sighed.
Hespera ignored the publisher's comment, stepping back. Carcov relaxed slightly, and that's all she needed before appearing behind him, as if out of thin air before slicing his throat.
"My apologies sir, may your soul find peace despite your body's violent end."
His body went lax, releasing Felix. The publisher let out a shaky breath and Hespera helped him up. Luna and Sol approached as well, all three pulling him in for a suffocating hug.
"Is Kurt okay?" Hespera asked.
"…why are you all here?" Felix asked, prying himself away.
Luna smiled maliciously.
"Why Brother," She said it in a tone that resembled the voice a mother would use to scold their child, "… the Pendragon Coven has come to pay a friendly visit to the House of Phantomhive."
A/N: SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG!
I got sick and my mother took my laptop away so I couldn't write for a week. Special thanks to Paxloria! I saw her blog and it made me very happy to know I was on her list! XD Virtual cookie to you!