Demons on a Train
Move along, move along - let's get this fic moving.
xxx
There's that feeling. We all know it. It follows you at your feet with your shadow. Those pincher talons hooking to your shoulders. Stale, rancid breath at your ear. It grips at your back like the fangs of a wolverine. The hairs on your neck erect as needle pins. A presence is upon you. It stands only inches from touching you. The second you spin to greet this sensation it abruptly vanishes. The figure with it.
A hand plants to a stiff shoulder. Alliahnna jolts out of a daze to the loud reality of the British train station. She turns to see Finnian with a disconcerted expression. "Is everything alright, My Lady?" She had that wrinkle in her brow when she's bothered by something.
"Yes, Finny. Sorry." She laughed dryly, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm just...distracted..." She trailed off, scanning the crowd. Newcomers from across the country exiting trains to their prospective gates. Signs were displayed for those seeking a carriage ride to their destination. Kids ran amuck, singing exuberantly in anticipation of the trip they and their families were about to take. No one leering with evil stares. Am I imagining things?
Ciel pressed his back to hers. "Something I should know?" Ciel whispered curtly.
"Too soon to tell." She narrowed her harsh sapphires. A faint aroma teased her nose. The crowd shifted and parted, moving in random directions. "Although..." It was brief. A break in the crowd revealed a trenchcoated, top hat figure. The passing of another erased him in a breath. Alliahnna's lips stretched into a smirk, "This will prove to be an interesting train ride."
The train station clock tolled on 8am Saturday morning. Train attendants successfully finished deep cleaning their trains' interior and exterior. The engines had been unclogged of their build up. The wheels cleaned and cleared of caked on filth. Carpeting and booths were scrubbed, and no creases were left unattended. One more rinse and the trains would air dry on the travel. Luggage was dragged on wheels, trunks hoisted onto shoulders and over heads, and bags had been hooked to the arms of unfortunate men with wives. Time for all departing trains to be boarded, and packed to the brim in the cargo area. Pent up steam was exhausted from a few of the trains' undercarriages. The train unleashed a shrill whistle to resound they were prepped and ready for departure.
Sebastian had Ciel and Alliahnna's luggage by his feet. Their designated train was warming up for the long trip ahead. It shouldn't be too much longer. What a drawn out morning this was turning out to be.
"Goodbye, Young Master. Lady Alliahnna." Mey-Rin bowed respectively to Ciel and Alliahnna. "I hope you both have a nice trip."
"Yes." Ciel responded vaguely. Never the one for goodbyes, that boy. Too - how does one put it for a prideful boy? - demeaning.
Alliahnna shook her head, snorting under breath. "We'll see you all in a week or so." She giggled. "In the meantime you are to follow Mr. Tanaka's orders to the letter." She emphasised. She knows how those three are when not constantly supervised.
"Now I expect you lot to TRY and BEHAVE yourselves while we're away." Sebastian forewarned stressfully. He cracked his knuckles, foreshadowing the punishment that would await them should the manor be in shambles. "Bard - tend to the food and ensure all stocks are properly stored, logged, and sparsed."
"O'course, Sebastian!" He bounced a fist off his chest. "Leave it to me."
"Mey-Rin," Mey-Rin squeaked, "Ensure the laundry, rooms, and the fine dishware are cleaned, and properly polished."
"Yes sir, Sebastian. You can always count on me." She blushed, giggling like a fawning schoolgirl.
"And Finny-"
"HO! A TRAIN SOUNDS LOVELY!" Finnian exclaimed, eyes sparkling at the trains, the mass of people, and all the sealed crates hiding their wares. Finnian gracefully spun on one foot, prancing about the platform in a dream. "OH FRUIT!" He bit into a peach and dropped it back in the crate. "I wanna ride on a train again sometime!" He threw himself to the train, cuddling it like a kitten to a mother. "Please wait for me, my love!"
"FINNY!" Bardroy roared. "Will you stop running around like a bloody loon?!"
Finnian hadn't heard a word he said. Ciel, Sebastian, and Alliahnna released tired breaths. Where Finnian contained that energy is a mystery. They'd love to ingest some of danced and he skipped with his arms outspread. Singing off-key, he spun in circles, careful to avoid baggage and boxes on the ground. Instead he bumped into an attendant helping carry a long box to the train's cargo area. Finnian struggled to regain his footing. He grabbed hold of the wavering attendant. The weight was too much for the shaking attendant. Both dropped to the ground. The heavy box crushed the man's hands on the cemented floors. The lid broke off, spilling paper shreds all over.
"And do keep Finny on a leash while we're away." Alliahnna droned exasperated.
"Already ahead of you!" Bardroy ran to bail Finnian out of trouble. Mey-Rin was right behind him.
"Let me understand this," Ciel touched knuckles to his whirling forehead, "You put up with those three for five years?"
"They were a bit more coordinated back then." Those three were night and day compared to now.
Finnian knocked his head on the landing. He ignored his pain seeing the attendant struggling to free his hands. "I'M SO SORRY!" Finnian cupped his hands, close to crying.
"Is everything okay?!" Mey-Rin dropped to her knees. She leaned to inspect the cargo, fearfully it may be damaged.
"DON'T TOUCH!" A boisterously gruff man hollered. An older gentleman, roughly fixing his golden brown dress coat and hat, walked to the cargo area door. "That's a valuable scholarly acquisition!" He boasted. The - likely illegal - cigar bounced between his hairy lips. "Do you have any idea what it's worth?!"
Mey-Rin, Finnian, and Bardroy nervously glanced to said acquisition, verifying for himself the authenticity of his claim. Ciel will murder them if he has to pay for damages separate from the resort fiasco. The decorative lid of a sarcophagus was cracked open. Finnian and Bardroy nearly jumped out of their skins, trembling in place. Mey-Rin, on the other hand, was enamored by the sight. Preserved human remains greeted their first bit of sunlight in quite some time. Decayed skin sunk between the bones.
"It's a mummy." Ciel announced indifferently. Alliahnna shivered in revulsion, rubbing the hairs standing on her biceps. "Don't tell me that mummy bothers you. You've seen worse." He gestured to the knife partially obscured in her boot. Alliahnna's probably seen more horrors than seasoned war veterans.
"Fresh corpses, bloaters, severed pieces, and rotting flesh I can handle." The frequent dead animal and child - less but tolerable after a lengthy mental mantra. She hugged Ciel's back, hiding from the mummies rotted eyes. "I can't stand skeletons, mummies, or anything else of that ilk!"
Ciel moaned in disbelief, running fingers down his hair. "Next you'll tell me you're scared of boogie men under the bed." He cackled impishly with a feline grin. There was a time many years ago where Alliahnna awoke and screamed of a monster beneath her bed.
Alliahnna's brow sharply shot up irkly. "That was one time and Tanaka should not have been there!" She growled. Tanaka was in his chibi form and snores like a ravenous beast. That was beside the point. "Why would ANYONE travel with a dead man in a box?"
"Egyptian antiquities are popular these days." Sebastian educated, pinching his chin with an intrigued look. "The monied classes have taken an interest in their value as collector's items. A mummy would be prized, indeed."
"And I thought your toenail collection was unhealthy." Alliahnna's pursed mumbled.
Ciel's cheeks broke cherry red. "YOU SWORE YOU'D NEVER TALK ABOUT THAT!" He roared hoarsely.
"But seriously…" Bardroy staggered, clinging to Sebastian's arm, "Who would want to collect that thing?" By the drool hanging by Mey-Rin's gaping mouth, she'd be happy to take it off the owner's hand. That's if she didn't swoon to a coma.
A priest meandered on scene during the commotion. He knelt beside the lost ancient soul, cradling his hands to his chest. Curvaceous markings on the tops of his palms poked from his sleeves.
"Dear Lord, please forgive your children." He pleaded to the mighty one above, drawing the holy crest on his person.
While the ordeal was very exciting, albeit agitating before what will be an eight hour train ride, there are places to go, and people to see. Others sought monetary compensation for their troubles. Perfect example was the scholarly man clapping his hands to quell the rowdy crowd.
"PACK IT UP IMMEDIATELY! We are wasting valuable time!" The scholar roared. "And you'd best be careful!"
"R-right!" The two attendants hopped back to work. The two went to lift the crate. The man who had his hands smashed winced in pain. Splinters and cuts stung both sides of his hands.
"Here. Try this." Alliahnna squeezed ointment to his hands and massaged it into the wounded attendant's. Hot prickling swarmed the cuts. It seeped into the skin, numbing the discomfort. "There. That should help."
"Th-thank you, M'Lady." He stammered, blushing happily. He grabbed hold of the crate and helped load it on board. Ciel studied the attendant's wounded hand. Scratches aside, it struck him as odd that his hands weren't damaged more.
"I pray that no calamity befalls you for your actions." The priest prayed. Alliahnna arched a curious brow to the priest.
A shrill whistle brought the rumbling crowds to a silent halt. It was time to depart. Ciel, Alliahnna, and Sebastian had their fun. Time to get to work. If only Alliahnna could shake the sense there were eyes on them.
As lines of people filed to their departing trains, a mysterious figure peered from around a transit map. Shrewdly glaring auburn eyes shown past a gleam flooding rectangular glasses. The Phantomhive Twins and their butler the unknowing victims of optical daggers.
"No father or brother to impede my path." A long tongue slurped. "You will belong to my master...Ciel Phantomhive."
xxx
Gorgeous countryside added a tranquil zest to a rather unvaryingly protracted train ride. Lamb and sheep grazed the tall fields, attributing to the wonders mother nature offers on a yearly turn. The lamb and sheep's ears shot up to the whistling train. They followed the racing train until their stomachs beckoned them to eat.
A darling scenery coupled by a train voyage prompted Sebastian to brew a fresh pot of tea. An opportunity to relax provided he and his two masters a chance to absorb it all in. Dissuade the stresses from lingering on their shoulders. Compensate for Grell's intrusion a week ago.
Tea cup strainers balanced on the ridges of two tea cups. Flakes sparingly sprinkled. The strong, pungent aroma of herbs wafted to his nose. The kettle shrilly sounded on the stunted heater. "My Lord and Lady," Sebastian poured the heated tea over the leaves, washing the tantalizing taste and aroma evenly into each cup, "May I offer you both a cup of tea? I always find the aroma of Williamson and Magor's summer Darjeeling to be the perfect complement to the view from a train window. Wouldn't you both agree?"
The temptation fell on deaf ears. Ciel gazed irritably to the aforementioned scene. A hand supporting his cheek, he ground his elbow in the sill, locked in a voided spiral. The mind behind those sapphire orbs lost in a world completely separate from his own. Alliahnna was far from contrast. However she had her eyes closed and her head tilted to the ceiling. The wheels rattling on the old, rickety tracks, and the minor bobbings and swaying, coaxed her to a distant day dream. Or nightmare, given her sour expression.
Twins is too kind a word. Sebastian teased in his head. "Come, come My Lord and Lady," He softly pestered, "We are meant to be acting as if we're off on holiday." Holiday and acting being the operative words that gained the Phantomhives attention. If possible their irritation slightly augmented. "You two don't want us to be found out." Sebastian slyly glanced to their car door. Occupied cars plus booths of people are so far ignorant of the true agenda to their presence. "Please try to muster up a bit of levity."
"Yes, yes! We know!" The pair nodded, but inwardly didn't give a rats ass about being discovered. A foolish mentality for so early a day. Unfortunately inner troubles distracted the pair from caring about anything else at the moment.
A signal raised flags in Sebastian. Normally one or the other will be in a despondent mood, and attempts to bring each from that state are made. Both in the same sorely mellow moods hinted trouble.
"You both are troubled." Sebastian warily proclaimed, wishing to avoid stroking thinning patience cords. "Have the Trancy's preoccupied the both of you?"
"They haven't." Ciel half heartedly assured him.
"That's not the entire issue." Alliahnna confirmed, placing her back to a corner.
"I will not deny that I am rather curious." Ciel admitted. A family that rivaled his own in stature, reputation, and political power. The mere thought has him eager. Tingles of anticipation in infiltrating that recluse house and unraveling their secrets riled him. Like a wolf in the distance unable to wait to eat the sheep grazing over the hill. "It is curiosity and nothing more for the moment."
"In other words they will be a side project for us to deal with at a later time."
Alliahnna and Ciel prefered to handle the Trancy Family themselves. She divulged to him the incident involving Alois Trancy where she practically shattered his ankle. That the boy was similar to Ciel. A misleading, pretty face. Before they embarked on the bombarding trail of the Turner woman, Ciel received a letter from Her Majesty which addressed a mystery figure known as The Spider. Upon Ciel's orders, Sebastian researched the Spider and discovered it to be the coat of arms of the Trancy household. Doing research on the second to equal most prestigious family entrusted by the Queen, Ciel has marked them on the top of his list of urchins to remove. Sebastian, though his butler, will be kept from interfering. He and Alliahnna will be the ones to pluck the spiders legs, and leave them lying dead in the grass.
"Let us dispense with this grotesque line and shift to the matter at hand." Alliahnna hooked the car's drapery, peering to the corridor. An older gentleman dressed in a black and purple nobleman's robe caught her eye. His shaking arms constricted a bulging bag to his chest. The sweat soaking the robes stuck it to him. "Lord Accroy, correct?" He was fidgeting in the corner, jumping at the slightest shake or sound.
"Yes." Ciel snuck behind her, catching a small glimpse of the frightened man. "The bag holds a sum of 5,000 pounds. The ransom demand for his son's return."
"5,000 out of a nobleman?" Alliahnna let the curtain fall. "A feasible amount for someone of Accroy's position, isn't it?"
"Agreed." Ciel tapped his chin. "In all likelihood the abductors will ask for more at a later time."
"5,000 pounds? Is that the going rate for a boy's soul these days?" Sebastian repeated, disappointed in the amount. As a demon whose pallet consists of souls, a monetary value strikes him as silly and unnecessary. "Humans have a strange way of pricing such ephemera things."
"Yet demons consider them delicacies ripe for the taking." Alliahnna snidely retorted, hiding her contempt. Sebastian bobbed his head, accepting her point. Although, he is a master of reading between the lines.
"Nevertheless, Her Majesty has entrusted us with this matter and we shall carry it out without delay." Ciel declared, and failure will not be a viable option. "Rescue the boy and identify the kidnappers. That should displace Her Majesty's distress."
"Indeed."
"All of this serious talk has made me forget something very important." Alliahnna slid to Ciel's side, throwing her arm around his shoulder. She sniggered like a gremlin. "YOU, Dear baby brother," She poked his nose, "Were supposed to take Lizzie to a Sorry for the short Weekend dinner today." Ciel whimpered nervously, cheeks tinting bright pink. Alliahnna leaned in. Her smirk widened. "How convenient."
"I see what you're implying and find it extremely distasteful!" Ciel's howling voice broke. It was hard to take him seriously with those red cheeks. "I would never use the life of a boy to avoid treating my fiance to dinner."
"Then you won't mind if we get this investigation started then."
"As a matter of fact I was about to suggest we investigate the other cars!"
Alliahnna pirouetted, bowing at the hip and sweeping a hand. "After you, baby brother."
Ciel shot from his seat, red and insulted. "Much obliged!" He stormed past her, shaking the whole train escaping his sister's accusations.
Alliahnna chuckled evilly. It's too easy now that he's older. "Ever the sister instead of the guardian." Sebastian chimed, smirking adoringly. "The way you tease him - I am curious of the tortures you both inflicted as children."
"The Queen has asked us to look into a delicate matter." Alliahnna smoothly changed the subject. She crossly placed her hands at her hips. "Personal childhood talks are reserved for pillows and nights near the fireplace."
Sebastian liked the sound of that. He strolled on over and cupped her chin. "Your invitation is accepted." He purred. He stroked his thumb across her lower lip. "The means by which I will loosen these beautiful lips excites me." Alliahnna laughed miserably, chastising her inability to think before she opened that mouth of hers. Suddenly, being hacked away by Grell sounds like a godsend.
xxx
"Dragging your heels again, I see." Ciel scolded the demon pair. They decided to finally join him in the main passenger's car. A larger, more compact crowd than either expected upon boarding. "The importance of this job was stressed, was it not?"
"Yes, yes, Brother, it was. But Sebastian expressed a valid point." Alliahnna nonchalantly wrapped her arms to him, rubbing her cheek against his. "If we keep acting so serious the job will be for naught." She teased. "Loosen up."
"I will loosen up once this matter is solved." Their version of loose contradict each other a lot.
"BAH-HA-HA!" A familiar voice guffawed boastfully. "It's the find of the century I'm telling you!" That big mouth Archaeologist from earlier was shamelessly throwing his arms around a pair of women. For some reason they and few others were drawn to this man like a bonfire. "Yours truly discovered none other than the Pharaoh Smenkhkare hidden deep within the valley of kings!" He threw his head back, laughing at his success. His audience was eating out of the palm of his hand.
"How crass for a man to be bragging about robbing a grave." Ciel derided. He'll never understand the appeal of archeology.
"Even more crass is the buyer who'll no doubt make it a dandy coffee table." Alliahnna spat her disgust.
"I was fortunate enough to have met the Pharaoh during his lifetime, actually." Sebastian proudly announced.
When he says things like that, Alliahnna doubts the age he divulged to be truthful. "What was he like?" She genuinely showed interest.
"I found him to be an affable man of impeccable virtue." That being said, the mummy in the sarcophagus perturbed him. "It's quite odd." He drifted in nostalgia, befuddled by the mummy's decayed state. "Taking in account of the desiccation, his face is quite different from what I remember."
"The mummy is a fake, then?" Ciel decreed. "That's means our archeologist is our kidnapper."
"Or just a swindler with a stunted measurement." Alliahnna extended her pinky.
"I really couldn't say My Lord and Lady." Sebastian smirked. But he held his suspicions.
The archeologist isn't the only odd duck in the row. Crazed chortles came from the other side of the car. A man with the beady exhausted bloodshot eyes of an insomniac was drooling. The black rings under his eyes proved he was in desperate need of a nap.
"The train that ST. Pancras station at exactly 9:00 will cross the Cambridge-bound route at Bedford at 10:18!" Ciel, Alliahnna, and Sebastian blinked perplexedly, not understanding a lick of what he said. His orange bandanna must be on too tight. The way he was laughing at flipping pages in his book confirmed something was wrong in his head. "OH-HO! THIS IS THRILLING! A GREAT MOMENT NOT TO BE MISSED!" He fidgeted. He flipped another page, using all of a second to skim the page. "We'll reach Derby at 1:05! Uh-oh! There will be a slow down! What with the weather the porters will have a hard time of it! SEVEN MINUTES, AT LEAST!"
"Are those timetables he's reading?" Alliahnna questioned the ludicrousy.
"Yes, it appears so." Sebastian tried not to laugh at the man. Humans with addiction were always a treat for him. "It appears he's developed a rather unhealthy obsession with them."
Ciel can't handle anymore. He strolled on his way in hopes of scouting other possible suspects. The Time Tables loon held a strong second to the Fake Archeologist. He accidentally nudged a green sack with his foot. "CAREFUL, YA DAMNED BRAT!" A balding, elderly man with a surly demeanor growled. That glare of his was made scarier by his wild brows and facial hair. "What is with the youngsters of this country not minding their steps!"
Alliahnna shoved Ciel to a bow. "My Dear Sir, you have my idiot brother's most humble apologies." She expressed with ah and to her heart, pretending not to hear Ciel's flamboyant cursing.
"I see you are from Japan, my good sir." Sebastian greeted the foreigner. "The scroll work on your furoshiki wrapping cloth is exquisite." Sebastian leaned to retrieve it from its improper place.
"HANDS OFF!" The Japanese man snatched his belongings, clutching it and a small wrapped object protectively. "This is a precious family heirloom!" Ciel narrowed his attention to the wrapped item. What does he have inside there? He wondered. A third candidate for the suspect pool. Could he be hiding something?
"I'm so sorry, young ones. My husband is so stubborn when it comes to his things." An elderly woman apologized on his behalf. "Please accept this as an apology." She offered a bento box of three different rice balls. Ciel and Alliahnna weren't entirely sure how to respond to the kind gesture.
"Thank you," Sebastian timely stepped in, "My Masters have already taken their tea." He politely declined in their stead.
"Oh yes, I understand. Would anyone else care for one?" She offered to other passengers. "I have plenty. They're delicious." She was met by resistance, being waved off. "Some have bonito flakes, and some have pickled plums." The old woman was persistent she made her way through the cart, earning no's with each attempt. "Here, please help yourself sir."
"I don't want your food, Old Woman!" A brutish englishman snarled. The man with him shuffled as far to the window to get away from her. The lady friend opened her fan to create a barrier. "Everyone knows cholera is rampant in Asia! Are you trying to poison me?"
"Shoo, shoo!" The other man motioned a hand.
"YOU KNOW NOTHING!" The husband shoved his way to challenge the bias man. "THAT ISN'T TRUE!" It wasn't the lack of central air. The train was heating up.
"Please calm yourselves." The Priest from the station intervened, bothered by the garish arguments. "Sir, don't you think it ungenerous to adopt that attitude when these travelers have journeyed so far to our great country?"
"SOD OFF!" The rowdy man howled.
"FILTHY ENGLISH DOG!" The old man barked, yanking the man by his tie.
The wife tried to calm her husband in vain, all the while the priest voiced a sermon no one was heeding. The man obsessed with time table threw his two sense in. However it was more for the sake of the trains crossing at junctures than to ease the turmoil. Voices shouted over voices. Unease and impatience gripped passengers within earshot of the chaos. The shouting was only growing louder the longer it dragged on. Hearing oneself think was utterly impossible at this point. The sole point of interest offering the slightest peace are the markings on the priest's hands.
"Tattoos on a priest?" Alliahnna tilted her head.
"Odd indeed."
"My, my. What a stir." Sebastian chortled wolfishly. Leave it to him to find entertainment in rabble noise.
The door of thee next car over flew open. "EVERYONE, PLEASE CONTROL YOURSELVES!" A trench coated man exaggeratedly beseeched.
That familiar red hair and stout mustache was awfully familiar. "Abberline?!" Alliahnna screamed shocked.
"Sir Arthur's second?" Ciel gasped. A dangerous gleam sparked in Sebastian's eye.
"Calm your tempers! Resume your seats!" He pranced between the angry people, joining the Phantomhive's and Sebastian at the head of the rambunctiousness. He bowed and kissed the top of Alliahnna's hand. "Lady Phantomhive." He winked. Alliahnna chuckled nervously. She fearfully glanced to the green eyed Sebastian looming behind her. Abberline thrust his hat off, presenting himself as a beacon of hope. "I can understand why you're all uneasy. It's true that we're transporting an assassin on this train, but you mustn't worry." And in the drop of a hat the arguing just stopped. Horrified expression locked to Abberline. Alliahnna dropped half her body in dread. Ciel and Sebastian were absolutely gobsmacked a moron like this was allowed to leave his house in the morning. "He is being kept under strict armed guard at all times. He's restrained and unable to move." There was a noticeable change in the air. Ciel, Alliahnna, and Sebastian exchanged blank expressions, then parted to stand in the booths. "But fear no-" Abberline broke in a sweat. He lost the crowd.
"RRUUNN!" Sebastian lifted Ciel. Abberline was trampled in a frantic stampede. People pushing and shoving to get out and to the other end of the train, pounding the unfortunate man to be the new thrown rug. Boots prints and heels marked his face and coat. After what felt like an eternity, the stamped stopped. Abberline groaned in agony, able to feel a barrage of feet still trampling him.
Ciel and Alliahnna returned to the floor, hovering above the beaten man. He stiffly twist his head, teeth missing in his smile. "Lady Phantomhive...nice to see you again." He hoarsely grunted. "And the Earl. Always a pleasure."
"Edward Abberline - why must the yard constantly make our job harder?" Alliahnna sighed disheartened.
Well the investigation into the kidnapping was going nowhere with all the suspects spooked. Nothing to do now but take the job in stride. Peeling Abberline off the floor, Alliahnna offered to treat him to a meal. It was the least she could do. He helped her with baby Alexander during the Turner Bombings. She's yet to properly repay him.
"Ahh…" Abberline fawned over his dish, admiring the plating rather than be enticed by the aroma. "Eel pie and mash really bring back memories." He cut into the crusty pie. "Traditional english food, just like mum used to make." He put a huge piece in his mouth, melting in the flavor following his tongue long after her swallowed. "I must thank you again, Lady Phantomhive. T'is a privilege to dine with you."
"The pleasure is mine, Abberline." She sipped sparkling cider. It was too early for wine. Ciel and Sebastian sat across the way in a separate booth. Sebastian ogled the pair angrily. "I've yet to thank you for your help with Alexander."
"I was more than happy to assist locating his family." He reassured her warmly. His smile faded to somber. "Did you tell the husband about…" Alliahnna contritely nodded. "How did he...react to the news?"
"As one might expect." She lost herself in her rippling drink. "What alleviated the loss was the return of his son. The boy will grow up knowing how brave his mother was."
"That's wonderful to hear." He beamed elatedly.
"However," Alliahnna directly a fork at him, "That good deed was kind of diminished by your stunt in the other car."
"That was a real fuss, wasn't it?"
"Oh right, yes, the stamped." Ciel added his sarcastic drone. "Now if only we can find out whose fault it was."
"Apologies for that."
"Honestly, Abberline, what did you think would happen?" Alliahnna scolded him crossly. "Telling rowdy passengers that a deadly assassin is being transported. Why is he on THIS train in the first place?"
"Forgive me, My Lady, but that is confidential police business." Alliahnna cannot begin to describe how she despised confidentiality. Unfortunately, the Queen granted them sole authority over the kidnapped boy.
"Should you even be here?" Ciel quizzed, cutting into his pie. "Sir Arthur is sure to call you on the carpet if he learns you've dined with us."
"He'll fire you for sitting with me." Alliahnna crooned.
"Oh pisch posch." He waved his fork. He didn't care one bit what Sir Arthur thought. "I didn't want to pass up the rare opportunity to get to know you." He leaned his cheek to his knuckles. "The other half to the Phantomhive twins. It's something I've waited for. My twin brother spoke very highly of you."
"Twin brother?" Ciel echoed.
"You mean Fred, correct." Alliahnna recalled apologetically.
"You mean there's more than one of these idiots roaming about the world?" Sebastian sat silently with his all knowing smile. Alliahnna glowered suspiciously. Sebastian and Edward spoke of Fred, and ended with his death. Ciel would have met him. Given current circumstances, Ciel wouldn't remember ever meeting him.
"I miss him…" Abberline dreamily rocked the pie piece on his fork, thinking of all the meals he and his brother shared. "I wish he were here to enjoy this meal. I think he would have enjoyed it."
As Abberline evaded his sorrows in his food, Alliahnna and Ciel came to a conclusion about Abberline's presence. . He's completely oblivious to the kidnapping. Proof Lord Accroy has obeyed his son's kidnapper to thee letter. Brave or foolish. That has yet to be determined.
A pitfall raised the hairs on Alliahnna's neck. Sebastian's head twisted back. The eyes from before had returned. She knit her brow, glancing out of the corner of her eye. Ciel felt the discomfort, following her stare. Someone they hadn't noticed until now was dining a couple booths away from them. The top hat hued a pair of glasses, and golden, auburn eyes. He lifted a cup of tea to his lips, wrinkling the tall collared cloak. Alliahnna curled her fingers. Her nail tore the upholstery. Sebastian noted the man as well. A dangerous glare broke the shallow disguise. They were in the presence of the Trancy's Head Butler. The man strained attention from his food, gliding a smug acknowledged glance to the demon mad dogging him. He shifted attention to Alliahnna. Her glowing demon orbs tugging a tiny smirk.
"Is there a problem?" Ciel intruded. Alliahnna quelled her hot stare.
Sebastian cleared his throat. "No. It's nothing, Young Master." Sebastian lied. He rose to his feet. "Shall we?" He proposed they return to work. Ciel set his silverware down and departed his booth. "My Lady?"
"You both go on ahead." She interlaced her fingers to hide her extending fangs. "I'd like to linger a second more."
Sebastian instinctively glanced to the idling butler cautiously monitoring them. It would be hazardous to leave her alone with him. But for the sake of image he abstained protesting. "Please join us in our car when you are ready." He bowed. "And please, for our sakes, do not bite off more than you can chew."
"I won't be long." Alliahnna reassured them. "Ten minutes is all." Ciel wasn't sure why, but he got the sense Alliahnna and Sebastian were hiding something from him. Nevertheless, he and Sebastian proceeded to leave, granting her request. "If you'll excuse me, Abberline. Good day." She excused herself, sauntering down the way.
"It's been a treat, Lady Phantomhive!" He waved, diving right back into his food.
The Trancy Butler - Claude Faustus was his name - dabbed tea from his lips. Checking his pocket watch, it was well past time for him to dilly dally. He had work of his own to finish. The overbearing presence of the approached Lady Phantomhive began that work. "My…" He snickered, "What a delightful surprise." He rose to his feet in respect of the Lady, bowing with a sweep of his hand, "Lady Earless Alliahnna Phantomhive," A sly smirk projected from those spectacled eyes, "You honor me with your presence."
Alliahnna crossed her arm, far from charmed by his etiquette. "I must speak with sanitation experts." She hissed. "They've aloud a filthy spider to come on board."
"My Lady, such untoward words are unbecoming for a woman of your infallible stature." Claude proceeded to flatter, playing ignorant for his junior demoness. He gestured to the booth, insisting that she join him for a spell. Not that she had the choice of walking away. Not with Abberline stuffing his cheeks so close by.
"Do I want to know why you're here?" Alliahnna breathed exasperated, reluctantly accepting the seat.
"Can a man not venture on a train touring Englands lavish countryside?" He countered smoothly, seating himself to his food. "Tea? Cake?"
"None for me." She swiftly declined. "And if I'm correct in my assumption, it is not beyond your capability to travel faster than this train." Sebastian has done so many times. Alliahnna's yet to dip her toe in that water. "Alois has you here on orders. I shudder to ask why?"
"I am confident you're intrigued." Claude teased, toying with a strawberry with his fork.
"Intrigue suggests I'm pleased by your presence. You and I both know that's far from the case."
"But you're still interested to know why." He hummed in a low whir. That childish curiosity reflected off his glasses. "And are aware that I will not tell. Not willfully."
"Then allow me three guesses." She brazenly requested.
"But of course." Claude tilted a grin.
"1," She erected a finger, "Another failed assassination attempt?"
"The first time wasn't a failure. More of a test." He emphasised test, marking the tensing of her shoulders. Alliahnna was informed, after twisting Sebastian's arm, that the Trancy demons executed a test of power without her knowledge. A numbing stab at her core. "Low marks on your part. I would have expected a Phantomhive demon to put up a more entertaining bout."
"I was not born for another's amusement. And your approval matters less than dirt that has been pissed on." Clearly not his reason, but it did not mull itself without pricking her pride. "2 - you're serving as Alois' eyes and ears." It was no trick of the light. Claude was at the station before departure. "It was you at the train station, was it not?"
"Quite observant. Perhaps low marks were a bit of a hasty grade." He remarked, allowing his mockful tone to lash at Alliahnna waning patience. "But I wonder, were I truly trying to hide, if you would have found me."
No again. Ignore him. Take the high road. She gnawed on the inside of her cheek. "3 - there is a hidden agenda for which you are playing a silent role to complete."
"What pray tell could that agenda be?" He sand in pentameter.
"Alois went through a lot of trouble to hide Ciel's soul. A soul you stole out from underneath us." A feather in Claude's cap to be sure. "Then he wanted to get his filthy hands on my brother, claiming him as his." She bounced a finger on the table. "All evidence points to Ciel."
"Just Ciel?" He quizzed. Alliahnna raised a brow. She missed an important fact somewhere. "When painting a portrait, it is imperative the artist draws attention to the proactive highlights." Alliahnna wasn't sure what relevance this had currently, but she let him proceed. "A beautiful woman and her beau basking in the sunshine on a bridge over the river. All awe is secluded to them." In one blinking moment Claude had Alliahnna's forehead at the end of a knife. She stayed impassive, ignoring the thin, warm trail gliding to her chin. "In the corner of that painting, spared the enamour of the crowd, is the green eyed monster seeking to end the happy relation."
"Are you saying Alois is jealous? Or are you warning me there is a grand scheme amid the picture we have been painted to?"
"Before the day ends I will reveal the ambiguous schemes hatching in the background." Claude freed his hand from his glove. Tenderly her put a finger to the wound. Sliding the finger along the blood the prick healed and the blood vanished. "But be warned," He boorishly pinched her chin, forcing her to see his glowing demon eyes, "The painting your story has created will burn to ashes. Your world, and the world of those you love, will be spirited by the coming breeze."
"Your warning is heeded. Here is mine." Alliahnna's eyes shined pink. A knife sprouted clean out of Claude's arm. Fabric and flesh torn askew. Blood pooled atop, leaked at the bottom to her hand. The gleam on Claude's glasses hid his irritation. He did not foresee such a blunt assault. "While Sebastian is his butler and while I am his sister," Alliahnna stabbed the table, staking Claude in place, "All who threaten his world and ours will removed. Their bodies left to decay in the radiance of our victory."
"Confidence is a weakness."
"Pride leads to a fall." Alliahnna pushed up, vacating the booth. "The Trancy's pride will make them fall at the Phantomhive's feet."
"Not before the Phantomhives fall to ours." And Claude will ensure the topple of the Phantomhive house. Even if another blaze has to snuff them out.
"Enjoy your meal." She scathingly turned on her heels. The door couldn't meet her palm soon enough.
"Try not to make young Ciel yours." Claude sneakily added.
Alliahnna stopped in her tracks, eyes wide with terror. Her nails pierced her clenching palms. Fangs pricking her lip, and eyes glowing in a fire. She whipped around to curse him. Claude was gone. Alliahnna darted her eyes throughout the car, searching for the smallest sign of him. "Damn him."
To be continued