Chapter 6
Well, well Lovely readers. Here we are, the introduction of the Undertaker. One of my more favorite characters. I hope I played true to his character. We shall see.
I would also like to dedicate this chapter to NVCiel who wrote me two VERY lovely reviews and made me all the more anxious to release this chapter.
Also, there is a direct quote in this chapter from a really great movie. (I unfortunately don't own that movie either.) However, I shall give a gift to the first person to tell me what movie it's from and who said it. What is this gift, you might ask? Well, let me tell you. I will answer 1 question you have. It could be about me, or this fic and I will answer it no matter how indepth it might be. Or, if that doesn't float your boat, I shall write a oneshot pairing of your choice with a minimum of 2000 words. So! Good luck~
Disclaimer still applies, this story is still dedicated to Anti Social Shinigami and I still appreciate all the support of my readers.
Chao,
Majix
The Earl of Phantomhive stared at the door for a moment before placing his open palm on the dark wood and pushing it open, taking a confident step into the musty darkness.
The room was just how his father described, and he couldn't help but to agree with the solemn nature that his predecessor had often recalled. The air was silent around the dozens of flickering candles, coffins dominating the majority of the floor space, leaving only small narrow walkways in between the carefully designed wood caskets. Shelves lined the walls, each filled with a murky liquid and questionable contents. Darkness fermented within the corners, the secrets of the dead lingering heavily within the silence.
The room was already cramped but became even more so as the others followed cautiously behind him.
Waves of discomfort and unease washed over the demon's senses as the door behind them creaked shut. The shadows threatened to swallow them whole as the stillness laid unbroken before a ghostly chuckle echoed airily around them.
"Well, well, well. I wondered when I would see you."
Madame Red, Lau and Grell all jumped in startled alarm but the young Earl crossed his arms in annoyance, "Show yourself, Undertaker."
"Ah, not in the mood to play, little Earl?"
A seemingly peaceful coffin creaked open and by the flames glow, the bluenette could see a mischievous smile appear, "So you've finally come."
Angelina squeaked in alarm at his sudden appearance but went silent as Ciel cast her a look before directing his gaze to the Undertaker.
He was easily just as tall as Sebastian with long, thick silver hair that laid in a mess of clustered strands down his back and clung to his sides. Thick bushy bangs hung down over his face, obstructing any view of his eyes, and a small braid laid along the left side of his cheek. A deep scar ran diagonally across the mortician's face, making his corky smile seem all the more sinister. The black overcoat clung to the males frame, the long sleeves hiding his arms and making his skin look even more pale. With a grin, the odd man leaned back against the coffin's lid, flashing his thigh high black boots as the folds in the coat fell open. Glittering silver buckles all over the shiny black material of his shoes gleamed in the dim light but quickly disappeared as the Undertaker pushed himself up into an upright position.
Sebastian grit his teeth as the mysterious mortician made himself known. His nostrils stung and the butler felt his eyes burn red with warning. The silverette flashed him a coy smile and then focused his attention to the boy, "Would you like to try one of the custom made coffins?
"They're to die for!"
Laughter pierced the silence like a knife as the Undertaker gestured to the many wood boxes all over the room, pointing out a few specific ones with his long black fingernails,"Any one you like, Earl Phantomhive." He flashed the boy a wicked smile, "It's on the house."
The Undertaker looked to Sebastian and a silent conversation flowed between them. The demon could feel the man's power against his skin like a jolt of electricity, and the butler knew that the other felt it as well. A silent contract of secrecy ingrained itself within their eye contact and Sebastian bowed his head grudgingly before the silverette glanced back at Ciel.
"I know why you're here, and I'm surprised you didn't come sooner. Take a seat while I fix some tea."
Without a word, the peculiar man slid elegantly into the darkness. Ciel looked around for a place to sit, and wasn't surprised to see everyone else doing the same. There were no chairs in sight, only clusters of coffins.
"Does he mean for us to sit on these... these... death boxes?!"
Angelina's whisper sounded like a screech in the quiet room and everyone looked at her before slowly picking out an available coffin to sit on.
Sebastian drifted behind Ciel and idly surveyed their surroundings before looking up sharply as the Undertaker pressed a beaker of strong scented tea into the young Master's hand. The butler's eyes hardened and he laid a calm hand on Ciel's shoulder.
The boy looked up at him, ready to swat his hand away before following the elder's gaze to his makeshift cup, "Don't."
Nobody else paid them mind and slowly sipped their tea, not yet seeming to realize what they were drinking out of. Ciel frowned and subtly laid the eerie glassware beside him.
The Undertaker stepped from the darkness beside the boy and leaned his close, "Just one look and I know what's on your mind, Ciel."
He traced a thick black nail along the curve of the young Phantomhive's jaw before backing away and hopping up to sit on a desk hidden by clutter, ignoring the sheets of paper that fluttered to the ground, "Since you've come ALL this way, my dearest Earl, I would be more than happy to help you." He giggled and shoved mounds of parchment out of the way as he searched for something specific.
"Are you saying that you know something?"
The silverette ignored the boy during his search before he finally held up a light blue urn victoriously and twisted the top open, "Oh yes, yes~ I know many things Ciel, but you're referring to my most recent guests?"
The Undertaker pulled a bone shaped cookie out of the urn and crunched the end of it happily before speculating, "You're wondering about Jack the Ripper. Are you not~?"
The mortician's voice flowed and twisted around them in a smothering melody of restrained giggles and hidden knowledge, "There has been a disturbance because of our dear friend, Jack. Fear, I believe. But let me tell you a secret."
The Undertaker smirked and leaned forward, beaconing the Earl closer with a finger. The boy amused the mortician and took a step towards him, "This isn't the first time I've seen this."
Madame Red looked at him with mild surprise and seemed to finally find her voice, "These aren't the only victims?"
The Undertaker smirked, "My goodness, no. I've had three other prostitutes come through here with.. shall we say, similarities before the papers even caught wind of it. The police paid them no mind, poor dears."
The Undertaker flashed Ciel a knowing grin and leaned back, his crooked top hat sliding dangerously far back on his head, "So all the prostitutes had something in common?"
The silverette's smile widened as he finished off his second bone biscuit, "Their deaths were, coincidentally, quite similar."
The Undertaker leaned towards Ciel and dropped his voice to a low whisper, "I think they may be connected somehow!"
He burst into giggles and sat up straight, holding his gut as he busted up over his own humor.
Sebastian glared at the corky male, "What did they have in common?"
The Undertaker's smile widened until it looked as though his face might split, "Oh my, what indeed."
Undertaker stood from his desk and glided over in front of the young Earl, pinching his chin and making the boy look up at him, "Is the curiosity killing you, my little Earl? Does it claw at your brain like an itch you can't scratch? I bet you're dying to know."
He left the sentence hanging within the silence and Lau finally broke the tension, "How much for your information, Undertaker?"
The silverette's attention snapped to the quiet Asian trader and he let go of Ciel's face just as the boy jerked his chin from the thin bony fingers. The Undertaker rushed to stand in front of Lau, leaning over him, "The Queen's money?!" He burst into hysterics, as though the drug runner couldn't have said anything more ridiculous and Lau, as well as Madame Red, instantly looked puzzled and clueless.
"Oh no, no. That just won't do. I want something better, something much more valuable." He looked to Ciel and smiled at him, "I want a first rate laugh. A grade-A giggle."
The silverette practically skipped to his desk and plopped carelessly onto the half hidden surface, "Then, and only then, will I give you what you want." The mortician stared longingly at the urn containing his bone shaped cookies before indulging in yet another one.
Sebastian was momentarily reminded of the young Master's affinity for sweets and he smiled softly in the dark. How childish they both could be. The demon knew he wasn't human, but in an odd way, he liked the man. Most people would greedily demand gold for knowledge this valuable, but all the funeral director wanted was a good laugh. Something fleeting and momentary, yet completely irreplaceable.
"Hmm, a laugh huh?" Lau immediately jumped in, "I've got this one Earl!" He turned to the Undertaker, "I have a great and wonderful joke for you."
The silverette waited patiently and encouraged him with an awaiting smile, "What side of a tiger has the most stripes?"
"The outside!"
Lau managed to look proud of himself but the rest of the group gave him an annoyed glare, "That was your big joke?"
The man shrugged and sat back on the end of a coffin, idly watching on.
"I suppose it's my turn!" The Earl looked to Madame Red with a hint of surprise, "Now don't be so shocked my dear nephew! I am Angeline Durless after all! I know all the towns hottest gossip and I know just the story that'll have us on our way in no time."
The dazzling woman in red promptly launched into the early beginnings of what Sebastian knew would end up being a story filled with scandal. As the woman went on, the butler's eyes went wide and he clasped his palms over the younger male's ears, gritting his teeth as the bedroom secrets of the Grayhaven affair was introduced, even to the dead.
The Earl momentarily felt his conscious drift and a small chill ran down his spine as the demon blocked out his aunt's voice. It felt nice, not being able to hear, but slightly eerie. There was absolutely no sound, other than the ringing of his own ears but something startled him. The Phantomhive could hear the faintest of voices, but it was startlingly distinct.
It sounded like liquid velvet, like tamed thunder. It reminded him of the first time he heard Sebastian speak and a spark of remembrance arced across his nerves. It was unnatural. To beautiful, to influencing.
The young Earl snapped out of his daze as the sounds of London once again met his ears. He could hear the carriages outside, and the voices of his companions. For a moment he quietly sought the voice but to no avail.
The Undertaker looked knowingly at him and his smile widened, "I'm afraid we've come to you, My darling Earl. Do you have a joke for me?"
"I believe it's actually Sebastian's turn."
The Undertaker looked dumbstruck as he met the boys smirk and looked to the butler. A victorious smile broke out across the mortician's face, "It seems that Vincent taught his son the beauty of the board and her army."
Sebastian sighed in mild irritation as he wracked his brain for jokes, "It seems that it can't be helped."
The elder turned towards the mortal group behind them and gave his friendliest smile, "If you would all please step outside. It will be just a moment."
Madame Red and Lau exchanged curious glances before looking at the young Phantomhive as he let out a sigh, "Make it quick, Sebastian"
The demon gave him a very serious look, "You may enter when the laughter breaks."
Rage boiled beneath the Earl's skin. Who did the demon think he was? It wasn't Sebastian's place to tell him where and when to be someplace. Ciel gave orders. Ciel was the King, but at the same time, doubt flickered through his thoughts. He trusted Sebastian, and Madame Red was right, the butler was never far from him; and Ciel knew better than anyone that Sebastian would never let anything happen to him.
Ciel straightened his shoulders and nodded, casting the Undertaker a glare before leading the others out, "Don't keep me waiting, Sebastian."
As the doors closed, he turned to the grinning mortician, "Reaper."
"Now, now crow demon. There's no need for discourtesy."
The silverette flashed him a smile, ignoring the sharp glare the demon was sending his way, "So, Sebastian. How about that laugh."
A painfully loud thunder of laughter ripped its way though the elder's subconscious and his eye twitched in irritation. There was no doubt his mind that his silver counterpart was up to no good.
He rarely ever was, but most of the time, he was busy scandalizing mortals.
He sat up and briefly glanced around the small room before finding the dark gray threads of the Undertaker's web. The thickest strands in the middle were all a deep gray, almost black but as they branched out, the silk slowly lightened before morphing with hundreds of other colors; the aura of each soul that the Reaper would ever encounter.
At the thoughts of the web expanding, the dark haired male glanced around and sighed. The multicolored web had been growing quite rapidly lately. The last fifty years had been busy for his twin, it tended to be like that, but whatever the speed, the web would continue to grow for eons to come. He would have to make the room bigger, before the threads made it impossible.
He quickly found the tiny spider and he pet it affectionately before laying her in another dark gray cluster within the web, "Keep an eye on him, Nasuada."
Pale lids closed over merciless gold eyes as his long slender fingers slid down the length of the spider's silk. As his lids parted, gold turned to ruby and he watched with keen interest. They were a rather curious group of mortals, but as he looked closer at them, the arachnid realized that they weren't all so.
Two sets of glowing red eyes narrowed in suspicion, flickering from one face to another. Of course the mortician wasn't human, but both of the butlers were harboring a secret. As his eyes landed on the crow demon, he paused. One of his own in reapers company?
He focused on each of the mortals before directing his attention to the boy standing just ahead of the demon. He scanned the boy's features and lingered on his face; the eye patch, he had to be the demon's keeper.
But he's a child! The soul of a child..
His eyes flashed with greed and he pulled his fingers back from the threads, his blood red gaze cooling into molten gold once again. He focused closely on the navy blue thread that represented Ciel Phantomhive and slowly traced it back, his eyes widening as the navy got a single shade darker a couple years previous.
The death of the father, the title of the son.
His eyes glittered and he smiled coyly. What a pleasant surprise. It'd been so long since he'd left this room in favor of another.
"Don't worry brother, I will have eternity to chase you, but this one. We shall see how he fares."
The Arachnid took a snippet of the navy string and made his way from the Silver webs. A sly smile broke out across his face and he made his way through the winding Labyrinth, patiently making his way to the blue web that was Ciel Phantomhive.
Angelina, Ciel, Lau and Grell all stood patiently just outside the door as they waited for a signal that it was alright to come back.
"I don't see why Lau and I couldn't stay!"
Madame Red pouted and the young Earl rolled his eyes, barely containing himself from telling her to grow up.
At the height of their silence, shrieking laughter filled the air, making all four of them jump in surprise. The Undertaker's laugh rattled the windows to the fragile looking building and Ciel couldn't help but to wonder what was so funny.
Before he had to much time to ponder it, the door opened and Sebastian smiled at them with a small bow, "You may all come back in now. I believe our debt has been paid, my young Lord."
The boy nodded and walked past him with little acknowledgement. The demon concealed his smirk as Madame Red and Lau both cast him secretive looks of wonder as they made their way back to the coffins they'd previously been sitting on.
The Undertaker had his cheek pressed to the loose papers as he let out decreasing chuckles, twitching slightly, "Oh my, what a laugh. What a laugh indeed."
As he came out of the daze, he leaned back in his chair, two of the legs coming off of the ground as the silverette continued to lean back towards the shelves, "I myself don't think there was enough of them."
The Dog growled at what he perceived to be disrespect before coming to the conclusion that the Undertaker was trying to get a rise out of him. He considered the man before him and vaguely remembered his Father telling him that the Undertaker was famous for his play on words.
"Not enough?" He considered the statement for a moment.
The demon knew the answer but he quietly glanced down at the bluenette. The answer was right in front of him, all he had to do was reach out and claim it.
Ciel didn't disappoint, "Was something from the bodies stolen?"
The Undertaker smiled proudly, "The apple doesn't fall far, does it?" The Undertaker's grin widened and he wagged a finger at the boy, "I knew you'd get it."
The mortician suddenly leaned his chair forward and let both legs slam firmly down to the ground, "As London's funeral director, it's my job to collect the bodies and to study their organs. I take them out and look at the one by one. Sometimes there's an obvious cause for their death, other times, it remains a mystery."
Out of the corner of his eye, Sebastian grinned evilly as he caught sight of their three visitors turning a mild shade of green as recognition dawned on them.
"Y-you mean...? These beakers?!" Madame Red's horrified screech made the Earl wince and smugly push his own glass further away.
The Undertaker flashed the redhead a coy smile but ignored her question, focusing his attention back on the Earl.
Sebastian's soft velvet voice broke through the distraction, "Are you implying that something internal was missing from the victims?"
The Undertaker tsked at the demon and pressed his fingers together in a tall steeple, "Always so serious."
"However, as a matter of fact, the butler is right."
All eyes were on the mortician as he stood smoothly from his chair and smiled gravely, "Something was taken with brutal, merciless force. Any guesses?"
"No?"
Soft echoes bounced around the quiet room as the silverette moved to stand in front of his desk, sneaking another cookie, "Since you've been so kind, let me tell you."
"The cradle of life. It was stolen. That prostitute wasn't a whole woman anymore."
The young Earl's eyes went wide and he immediately looked to Sebastian, not surprised that the butler was already looking down at him. They shared a brief exchange of questions and theories as their eyes met.
"The scene itself was very bloody."
Ciel looked up towards the Undertaker's voice only to be startled as the desk sat alone. The boy looked to the side only to shutter as he felt ice cold fingers against his throat, the mortician's wicked black nails resting against the steady thump of his pulse, "He put the knife to her throat. It bit into the soft flesh of her neck but that's not how she was killed."
The Undertaker's whimsical tone never wavered as he pressed his fingers to the boy's spine, lowering his voice,"He went for the sweet spot, just to the left of the spine, fourth lumbar down; the abdominal aorta." As the silverette spoke, his cold bony fingers counted up the lumbar vertebrae, and glided his fingers to the left, pressing on the small spot. "What a gusher." A small arc of pain jolted through the Earl's body at the small but precise jab.
Sebastian growled low in his throat as the Reaper laid his hands on the boy. His eyes flashed a warning and a wave of possessiveness crashed through him. His skin was touching Ciel's, he was in a position where he could easily try to kill the boy, but more than anything, the Earl was his. His contract marked Ciel Phantomhive's body. The desire to sink his talons into the Undertaker's body and rip him apart surged through the demon's body like adrenalin.
The mortician cast the demon a cunning smiled before moving his fingers away from the lethal spot beside the bluenette's spine "Those women bled to death as the killer split her open and stole her womb."
He giggled as he slipped away from Ciel, the butler's gaze boring into his skull, "It was quiet messy."
"How long would it have taken?"
The Phantomhive glanced up at Sebastian and suddenly understood the reason for his question. At best the streets would have been empty when this happened, but to take that kind of chance and successfully escape six different times, Jack had to be fast. He had to know what he was doing. Where he was cutting. And the spot along the spine, not just anybody knew about that.
His eyes widened and he looked up to the face of the Undertaker, "The incisions. How did they look? Were they neat or jagged?"
The silverette grinned, "Very good, my dearest Earl. They were more than neat, they were focused. The killer knew exactly what they were doing."
The Undertaker looked directly at Ciel and even through the curtain of silver hair, the Earl knew the mortician was staring directly into his eyes, "Our friend is becoming more and more ruthless, and even a man such as myself can tell that he won't stop, unless somebody stops him by force."
"Can you do it, our notorious Noble?"
His jaw clenched at the tone in the elder's voice, "If it's the Queen's will, it shall be done." Anger raged through his veins, just below the surface but he stood and waited as Madame Red, Lau, and Grell wordlessly walked out the door, "I'm sorry to have bothered you, Undertaker."
The silverette cocked his head and grinned, "Oh, Ciel, one more thing."
The mortician locked eyes with Sebastian and his voice lost some of the teasing excitement, "I would watch out, were I you, little Earl. Sometimes unwanted spiders lurk in the corners of every turn."
Ciel acted as though he hadn't heard the other man as the door closed behind them and he mechanically stepped up into his awaiting carriage.
He finally understood why his Father hadn't liked the Undertaker much. His words echoed in the boy's head and he suddenly felt uncomfortable within his own skin. It felt as though a thousand sets of eyes were on him. The responsibility felt heavy on his shoulders, but he didn't feel crushed beneath it.
However the Undertaker's parting words seemed to dominate his thoughts and as Sebastian slid across from him, the Earl knew that he wasn't the only one pondering the mysterious warning of a mad man.