The nights have not been kind to Ciel without the menace around and subsequently, neither have the mornings for that matter. It was difficult for him to sleep without Jim. In fact, it seemed like a pointless endeavour since it wasn't really necessary for self-maintenance. Unfortunately, that meant that he had to fill the time with other things. Staying up late into the night to do FUNTOM related work was one option, but after a few days, it was one he had already exhausted, leaving him with nothing more to do than to twiddle his thumbs.

He finished the book he was reading. He had friends over already. He had even settled for watching television, but fell victim to the horrible trap of there being infinite possibilities of programs, yet nothing to watch. Watching some old movies he hadn't seen in a while satiated him for a while, but by morning, he was restless again.

"You seem troubled, sir." his butler noted while filling his glass at the head of the table. Of course Sebastian hadn't the decency to address it in private—he had to say something right at breakfast time while everyone in the house was present. "Is your separation wearing you down already?"

"It's not a 'separation,' it's just a business trip." Ciel stated, picking up his fork with a scowl.

"Come, now, you busied yourself without him for over a hundred years. I'm sure you'll find something to occupy your time." Continuing around the table and tending to the glasses of every one else, Sebastian's tone remained playful and jabbing. "Why don't you contact your friends or perhaps the Midfords would be open to entertaining you for an afternoon?"

Instead of answering, the Earl shot him a glare. He practically growled at the butler, but Sebastian didn't seem deterred. The butler had a lifetime of experience dealing with his master's attitude, of course.

"My apologies, Sir. I had forgotten that your consort usually handles such meetings…"

"It's in poor taste to invite someone out and then not have anything in mind to do. If I did, I would have already done it myself."

"Why not go to one of the museums in London? You do so enjoy visiting them and you used to visit them on your own rather frequently."

"I suppose…"

"Or rather, I suppose I went with you on many of those excursions, didn't I?"

"Can I come?" questioned Luka from his own designated seat. "I don't have school today, so I can go!"

"Why, there you have it, my lord!" Sebastian chuckled. "A willing companion has come to you! No invitation necessary."

Humming, the Watchdog pondered the suggestion for a moment, although to the butler, it was apparent that he was trying to think of an excuse to get out of it. Truly, it was as though his master really just wanted to be grouchy sometimes, but eventually, Ciel pulled out his phone and began typing.

"There's a lot of museums in London." Ciel finally stated. "The Natural History museum is rather good and it's on Exhibition Road, so it's also close by the Science Museum and The Victoria and Albert Museum."

"That Natural History Museum sounds cool."

"There's also the Imperial War Museu—"

"That sounds really cool!" The difference in excitement was blatant as the boy leaned forward in his seat toward the Earl. His eyes practically sparkled as a smile spread across his face.

"I suppose that's where we're going, then." replied the Earl fiddling around on his phone a bit more. "Get ready to go once we're done with breakfast."

"Yes, my Lord!" Right off the bat, the lad began cramming food into his maw with passionate fervor, clearly rearing to go and impatient with the conditions that have been set. His manners were not corrected however, as Ciel felt no need to do so. He, himself, was not on his best behaviour at home, so it didn't feel fair to do so. The Earl was on his phone at the table, after all.

"Anyone else?" he asked, perparing to do the calculations for the cost of tickets.

"I have work, still." Revy chimed in, taking a sip of his coffee. "Besides, I work on a military base, so I'd rather not on my time off. You have fun, though."

"I spotted some mistletoe in the trees yesterday, so I was going to cut that down before it causes any more damage." Finny added. "It'll be nice if you two have the day to yourselves, though! When was the last time that happened?"

"Well—huh…" Pausing to think about it, the Watchdog found himself struggling. "I can't really remember…"

"It's gonna be so cool!" excitedly declared Luka around the food still in his mouth. "You were in the army, right, Ciel? So you can tell me about some of the stuff, right?"

"Well, yes. I'll tell you what I know, at least. I might not know everything."

"That's so wicked! Urk!" The boy coughed, beating his fist on his chest as something went down the wrong pipe. It wasn't deadly to him but it was still uncomfortable and warranted Sebastian walking over to him at the very least.

"Master Luka, this is why you don't talk with your mouth full." the butler said just as the boy rather ungracefully yakked a chewed-up glob into his napkin. Sebastian was alarmed by how Luka stared at it, recognising the sight of gears turning in the mind and dreading the thought of the boy attempting to try again. "Give it here and I will fetch you another napkin."

"Alright. Thanks…" answered the juniour menace, doing as he was told. He ate slower after that, but the excitement that radiated off of him still hadn't diminished.

A while later, breakfast was finished and Revy had just barely managed to say "goodbye" to everyone before departing for the day when his younger brother dashed out of the room and galloped up the stairs to his room. The rest of his farewells were a lot more calm and routine, leaving him to exit the house through the front door and drive off for a long day of spreading falsehoods on paranormal message boards.

That just left Ciel to get ready as well. He was already dressed in a way that was presentable for going on in public, but he did change from his house slippers into an actual pair of shoes and put on a tie. Upon entering the foyer, he found Luka already there, all bundled up to face the cold outdoors while Sebastian stood next to him holding the Earl's coat.

"Are you ready to go?" Ciel asked as if it weren't obvious, giving him time to take his coat from Sebastian and to put it on himself.

"I was born ready." Luka answered, lowering his tone and adding a bit of grit for emphasis. "I got my keys and my wallet."

"Good. I've purchased our tickets and called a cab to take us there. Sebastian, take care of the house while I'm gone—although, I'm certain telling you that is a bit redundant."

"Just a tad, my lord." smiled the butler. "I hope the two of you have a wonderful outing."

It was obvious that he was taking delight in the situation. The idea that his master of all people was going to be responsible for a teenager for a day practically tickled him and it was apparent to his master that he hoped that perhaps the Earl would get a taste of his own medicine. Sebastian had been wrung through the wringer by the lord many, many, times over the years—more than either of them could ever consider counting. So, if the Earl was inconvenienced, he probably deserved it. Both of them knew but neither said aloud. All Ciel could do was hope Luka wasn't as terrible a child as he was in his youth.

Ciel and Luka were a mismatched pair if you ever saw one. Even the cab driver thought so, but didn't breathe a word of it. The two of them stepped out of the car—one, an ordinary-looking child, and the other, a man that looked like a particularly nasty mobster—in front of the museum. It was a gorgeous old building with strong, white columns with ionic caps and an ornate dome that reached high into the sky above their heads. That wasn't what immediately caught Luka's attention, however. Right off the bat, he got a twinkle in his eye and stormed ahead, leaving the Watchdog to follow after him at a brisk walking pace.

"Are those real cannons?!" were the first words out of the boy's mouth as he came to a screeching halt in front of them. "Whoa, they're huge!"

"They're naval guns." Ciel replied, coming up behind him. "From a pair of battleships from the second world war. I'm not sure which ones, however. Most of my work was on land, save for the occasional ride in a plane to get me where I needed to be."

"Are there planes inside?"

"Let's find out, shall we?"

There were planes inside. Huge ones, hanging from the ceiling. Modern ones, old ones—there was a massive rocker stretching to the next floor in the far corner and that was just what was above their heads. An ex-car sat behind some ropes in a burned pile of twisted metal, while a wooden wagon and a few other non-destroyed motor vehicles adorned the entryway. Luka was particularly impressed with the armoured car, although he thought the ones that HELLSING had were far more impressive-looking.

The first area was a World War I exhibit and while he didn't expect much right off the bat since the Earl wasn't directly involved in the conflict, he was still stunned by how casual Ciel was in dropping information. "Oh, we used to have a few of those." he said, pointing to a few rifles in a case. "We had swords, too, although we hardly used them. My maid was a sniper and went through rifles like crazy."

"Aren't these a bit new?"

"No, they were still using this model into this war. In fact, you can still buy them, now. A good gun is a good gun. Sometimes they come out with 'better' guns, but if it works and is reliable, then they don't change much."

"An assault rifle would be better, though, wouldn't it?"

"In the hands of an incredibly skilled sniper like that? Not at all. You bring the right tool for the job." the man stated, holding up a finger as he spoke. "Guns are tools, Luka. Tools designed for death. All of them will succeed in that goal. Some, however, are better suited for a situation than others. Would you use a pistol to go bird hunting?"

"No."

"And there it is. Just as you wouldn't use ordinary bullets to fight a vampire or some such. It's best to be mindful of all of the tools in your arsenal and to become familiar with them. That way, you can always pick the best one for the task at hand."

They navigated through prop trenches and walls of propaganda posters. Occasionally, Ciel would chime in with some small tidbit about how he recognised something. He had fled Paris due to the war impacting the city at the time and had spent a while in Switzerland while the war went on. Overall, he quite liked Paris for a while, at least. However, he soon found himself wanting to leave again when the second world war came about and decided to head back to England after several decades, only to find out that the war had reached his homeland as well.

When the second World War exhibit came around, Luka was practically holding his breath with anticipation. He was waiting and waiting for Ciel to say something-anything to amuse or entertain. The boy wanted grand stories, random tidbits, or even small scraps of information. He felt like he waited for a very long time even though they had just set foot in the room. The boy was on high alert, only for the tension to be broken as Ciel scoffed.

"Ugly thing." he said accusingly while facing toward a distinct red, white, and black flag. "It's strange, seeing them look so old. I remember seeing them when they were new. It's all the same, though. They were ugly then and they were ugly now."

"How does it feel to see one after all this time?" Luka questioned, setting bait for a potential story. The Earl only arched an eyebrow at him, however.

"Not good, I'll give you that." the Watchdog said with a wave of his hand. "It's a 'kill on sight' sort of thing. I see a Nazi and I want to shoot them, as one should. Brutish, ugly, bastards, all. Anyone who can order the torture and murder of innocents and then go to parties and flirt with a cocktail waitress so easily should be shot. That's just a given."

"Would they seriously do that?"

"Yes. It's disgusting. Walter and I worked with the French Resistance quite a few times. We stole a painting of the Madonna during a party with SS brass. There was rumoured to be information on the back of the painting, so it was important for us to retrieve. We dressed up as servers to pull it off and one of the vermin had the audacity to grab Walter's bottom. He was in drag, but he was still only fourteen…"

"Walter's the one you had a crush on, right?"

Uttering a sigh, Ciel shook his head, not wanting to answer that. "...Yes. He was… A lot like Jim is."

"So you have a type…" Luke really didn't pull any punches in his observations, as Ciel found out.

"Perhaps…"

"So what did he do to the guy who grabbed him?"

"He smiled in the moment, but when we came face to face again while making our get away, he cut the bastard to ribbons with his wires." Ciel laughed. "Starting with the hand, of course!"

With one story came two and two came more. Ciel told Luka about the time he crashed a car because he was the only one not incapacitated enough to attempt driving it despite not knowing how. When they came to an exhibit that depicted what the inside of a home might look like during the war, he talked about how accurate it was and explained to the boy why people were using what looked like human-sized cages as kitchen tables. "It's so rubble falls on top of the cage instead of you if your house gets bombed." He told Luka about weapons, people he had met and things he had seen. He told the boy about why Walter was no longer around and Luka felt anger on the Earl's behalf for that.

After everything they had endured, everything they had seen, and everything that they knew, for Walter to go and do that anyway? Luka could hardly imagine such a hideous betrayal. He wondered why the Earl still spoke of him so fondly when talking about their exploits, to which the Earl replied: "That's just how memory works, sometimes. Good memories are still good despite what happened afterward when you look back on them. Although sometimes, they are sullied by the things that you know now." There was a profound sadness in the way that he said that. His voice did not crack and he did not shed any tears, but his calm was slightly interrupted.

"Luka," Ciel began, "To live is to be changed. Sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse, but change is inevitable. There will be times where you regret the things you've said or done—no matter what path you take in life. If you choose to follow Jim and I, the weight of those regrets may be heavier than most. That is why you must learn everything you can right now. If you march into the thick of it unprepared, you may get more than you bargained for and there will be no taking it back. You will change. Jim and I only hope that it's a good change and that you will be strong enough to endure the burdens of what you set out to do."

Staring straight ahead at uniforms perfectly poised behind a glass case, Luka pondered this for a moment. "I know you're trying to talk me out of it, but you make it sound so cool…"

"It's not cool. It's a job—a difficult one at that. It makes it—it makes it hard to be a 'person,' sometimes." Furrowing his brow, the Earl pondered his words, himself. "You miss out on a lot of things—little nuances and such, you know? And people don't understand. People try, but… Most people don't understand what it means to be a tool for someone else. I have our family, yes. I live an 'ordinary' life in many personal areas like that, but my husband is also on a diplomatic mission in Scotland with only one bodyguard in tow. Do you know why that is?"

"The bodyguard?"

"Yes."

"Because he doesn't need one?"

"Yes." Ciel nodded. "Jim is capable of defending himself from any number of threats single-handedly. Sometimes, it's not about defense, though. We serve a purpose to help better people's lives, yes, but we also serve the purpose of ending them. We're weapons, Luka. We are to be aimed at whatever our superiors see fit, no matter what they may be—no matter who they may be.

"We are responsible for murder, Luka. I know that's hard to wrap your head around right now, but the weight of a life is far greater than that of a bunch of polygons in a videogame. People have friends, families, comrades—people who they hold dear and who find them precious in turn—and then we snuff them out all at once, leaving gaping holes in the lives of the living. Sometimes for the better and sometimes, nobody seems to really win at all.

"Then, we go home, kiss our loved ones on the cheek, pat the children on the head, have dinner, and read the paper like it's routine. It will become routine. And people won't understand. Those in our world will, but… We don't want you to be hurt, Luka. It's nice that you're relatively 'ordinary.' If you want to dance in the twilight for the rest of your days, however, well—it's your life."

Frowning, the boy tried to put picture to what the man was saying in his head. He had lived with Ciel and his brother for a while, now, and their "normal" sort of faded into the background for him at this point. They supposedly did horrible things—logically, Luka knew that—but from his perspective, it didn't seem like they were weighed down that heavily.

"You and Jim keep saying stuff like that." Luka finally replied. "Well, I think it makes a little more sense when you put it like that, but I still have trouble seeing it."

"In what way?"

"You're just so 'normal.' You're killers, but it doesn't seem to bother you that much."

"Ah, but that's the deviousness of adults, you know." Ciel chuckled. "It's our job to make sure children aren't burdened with what's behind the curtain."

"So you hide it."

"Of course."

"That's unfair, though. How am I supposed to understand what you're talking about if I never see it?"

"Fair point." conceded the Earl. "But, I will not undermine Jim's judgment. If he believes you aren't ready, then you aren't ready."

"So you're saying that you would let me go on missions and stuff?"

"I am absolutely not saying that." It was important for Ciel to insist on this, as having a few twisted words getting back to Jim would absolutely get him in trouble. An angry Jim was a frightening thing, even for the Earl. It didn't matter that the menace was all the way in Scotland. Ciel didn't want to spend an entire month anticipating his husband's wrath.

They continued through the museum a bit more subdued than before. The mood had soured somewhat, not that Ciel was surprised. Luka was a bit to curious and headstrong for his own good. Perhaps that made them a bit too similar on some superficial level. The boy simply asked too many questions for his own good. Then again, Ciel reasoning for not giving him answers was completely external. Jim said "no," so Ciel stuck to that, even if he didn't particularly see the harm in it, at times. The two of them finally exited the building, stepping out into the cool air again and prompting Luka to stuff his hands into his pockets.

"Where to now?" questioned the boy, looking up at his guardian.

"Hm? I don't really know. I didn't think it would be that short."

"Are we just going to go home?" Luka questioned. "That's a waste…"

"Well, there's other museums in London, I suppose…"

"I'll look…" Awkwardly, the two of them stood in silence outside in the cold while Luka pulled out his phone and typed in his inquiry.

Ciel didn't want to solely rely on him, so he did the same, finding himself puzzled as to how to entertain a teenaged boy for a day, despite having been one himself for the past hundred years. Then again, Ciel was never that ordinary even as a child. As he began typing, however, his phone began to vibrate in his palm.

"Sorry, I've got to answer this." he said to the boy before raising the device to his ear. As always, his greeting was short. "Phantomhive."

"Good afternoon, Lord Phantomhive." greeted the voice on the other end of the line.

"And a good afternoon to you as well, Sir Integra." he answered, glancing over at the boy standing next to him as the lad's head jolted up to look at him. "How can I help you?"

"Well, from what I've gathered from your butler, you're out in town for the afternoon." the woman began.

"Yes, I'm taking Luka to the museums today. So sorry I wasn't there."

"Well, then, I'm going to send you an address and I want you to go there and look into something for me. Really, it's something seemingly small and ordinarily, I would send a regular investigative unit, but there are other circumstances that may call for your touch. Are you familiar with the Raymond Blythe case?"

"Yes, he's going to trial, isn't he? I assume they're going to put him in Belmarsh by the time it's over."

"Indeed, that is how it's going to end." Integra stated as if it were already fact. It was certainly in her power to arrange and knowing her and the convention of twelve, if someone was dangerous enough to be somewhat tenuously involved in a direct attack on Buckingham Palace, he was certainly the sort they would want to lock away forever. Ciel was not perturbed by this. "The issue is, however, that there have been reports of several robberies in a few shops near his home. Naturally, if they were mere robberies, it would have nothing to do with us, but security cameras have picked footage of an unidentified creature as our culprit."

"Send the footage to me."

"Already sent. Check your email." the woman instructed. "The creature is bipedal, short in stature, with primate-like proportions; however, our experts weren't able to match it with any recognisable species."

"What was stolen?"

"Nothing exciting. Clothes, food, toiletries, and household goods—a pharmacy was raided for supplies, as well. It appears that whatever it is is trying to get by, so we would appreciate it if you could locate them and give them a talking to. However, as always, you are authorised to use lethal force if they do not cooperate."

"I'm not the best in that department, although I suppose I will do my best since Jim isn't here." the Earl stated. "And I suppose the 'unknown' factor is also a reason?"

"If it is a species that HELLSING is somehow not familiar with, it would be best to send a supernatural agent, yes." explained the Hellsing woman, seeming tired with the situation as she sighed. "Abhartach's underlings in the Philosopher's Society created a whole host of unnaturals with their eugenics program. And with Caesar Merritt's location still currently unknown, we cannot be too careful."

"Perhaps it's a leftover abomination from that project, you're saying? Is it really wise for me to investigate such a thing with the boy with me? Jim won't be happy about that…"

"If he wants to join HELLSING in the future, having him tag along for at least the investigative portion will be decent training. Inform Sir Phantomhive if you must, or merely send him home on his own. Just get to the address before days' end."

"Understood. I'll get on it right away."

Hanging up, the man sighed heavily as the weight of his fate came sank hard on his shoulders. Despite the unknown factor of the creature, Ciel was certain that this would be a relatively simple mission. That part, he wasn't at all worried about. What worried him was the lad now staring up at him with big, bright, brown eyes like he could sense that something important was about to happen. What worried Ciel even more than that, however, was his what his husband was going to say about it.

"What's wrong?" Luka questioned with a slight tilt of his head. Typical Macken. Jim did that too. "Was that work? Are you going somewhere?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so. Some unknown supernatural is robbing shops, apparently." the Earl stated, fiddling with his phone some more. All he had to do now was hit the dial button and face the music. "Just… hold tight for a moment while I talk to Jim for a moment."

"Alright?" that piqued the lad's interest even more, much to Ciel's chagrin.

He was hoping to keep it a little quiet, but that wasn't going to happen, it seemed. Luka was staring at him really intently, his whole body facing the Earl like he was going to receive some kind of treat. Ciel elected to ignore this and put the phone up to his ear. Anxiously, he tapped his foot while waiting for the dial tone to end. Maybe Jim was busy and couldn't answer? If that were the case, he could probably pin it all on Integra and suggest he had no choice but to bring the youngest of the Macken brothers along.

Actually, best not. He wouldn't buy it.

"Hello?" a confused sounding voice questioned on the other end of the line.

"Uh, yes, hello, darling." Ciel answered, clearing his throat.

"Hey, what's up?" the confusion didn't seem to subside. "You don't normally call me during the day… I'm about to head into a meeting with a joint meeting between the wulver and selkie, so I can't talk long. Did something happen?"

"No, no! Not at all! Er—wait, uh, yes, kind of, but also not really?" Cringing at himself a bit, the Earl took a deep breath. "I'm the worst at this stuff, aren't I?"

"Kind of." Jim laughed regardless. It was a good sign. In reality it meant that he knew that it wasn't too serious. If it was, Ciel would outright say it. "Slow it down. Take it from the top. You have my undivided attention—for the next few minutes, at least."

"Right… Well… I took Luka to the Imperial War Museum. It was fun. We had a good time."

"Oh? That's good. I'm glad you're getting along!"

"Yes, but the thing is, we've just left and I got a call from Integra, wanting me to get on a case before day's end. To do that quickly, however, I'll have to take Luka with me…"

"Ah. I see…" Immediately, the other man's tone change. It wasn't hostile or upset, but clearly a bit displeased. "I understand the nerves, now."

"I wanted to let you know before I did it." Ciel stated. "It's nothing serious. I'm just going to inspect a crime scene—of the non-gruesome variety. An unidentified supernatural has been breaking into stores and we really ought to sort that out."

"Why didn't they send another team?"

"Because the shops are located in Raymond Blythe's neighbourhood and the supernatural is of an unknown variety. The concern is that it may be one of Abhartach's abandonned unnaturals."

"Unnaturals… Artificial creatures that can't exist in nature…" sighed the baronet, pinching the space between his eyebrows. "Those things have a wide range. Clones might be fine, depending on what they're of, or they could range all the way up to werepires and who knows what else… I don't like it. You know I don't."

"I absolutely do. However, if it's just investigation, he could use some insight on that. As he stands now, he has no practical experience and very little training in that area-" Catching himself, Ciel cut himself off right there. "Not… That I'm trying to undermine you or anything… Integra seemed to think as much, but… I could always send him home in a cab."

"What? No!" Luka urgently interrupted in a hushed voice. Tugging on the Earl's sleeve, he captured the man's attention. "Let me talk to him!"

"He's… Already aware of the idea." Ciel said to the menace, gently prying the boy's hands off. "I'll be firm with him if I must."

The bluenette pressed his mouth into a thin line and his brow wrinkled with worry. He listened intently to the other end of the line as the menace let out a heavy, heavy, sigh—almost groaning with a mixture of exasperation and defeat.

"I've known for a long time that I'm not winning this fight…" confessed the blonde. "Alright…. Alright. Fine. I concede that this is happening. Just… Don't let him out of your sight, okay? And try to only include him in the investigation part. The idea of him entering an actual confrontation…"

"It scares you, I know." concluded his husband. "I know, darling. You have my word. I'll be right with him the whole time. He'll be completely safe."

"That… That actually does make me feel a lot better about the whole thing. I trust you with my life, so he's probably in the best hands possible."

"I should hope you think that! Given the number of times we've encountered mortal peril together."

"Please don't bring that up right now. The idea of my little brother encountering mortal peril is… a lot…"

"My sincerest apologies, love. I will take utmost care of him as if he were my own."

"Now that does put my mind at ease. I suppose it'll be good practise for you too for when we start having children!"

"I—Uh…" The bluenette's cheeks were dusted pink at the idea. Jim could hear it in the way he stammered and finally uttered a small laugh.

"Consider him an heir to house Macken—a branch of the Phantomhive dynasty. Is that enough motivation for you?"

"I… I didn't need any additional motivation. He's your brother. He's my brother-in-law! He's family and that's all I needed." he huffed. "Honestly…"

"Oh, I know. Just offering additional perspective." There was enough of a pause for Ciel to let out a groan before Jim continued. "Oh! It's time! Listen, Ciel? I've got to go. My meeting's about to start. So take good care of Luka, play nice, and also, Ciel?"

"Yes?"

"I love, love, love, loooooove you, Cielykins~! I'll talk to you tonight, okay? Tell me everything. Kisses!"

"I-I love you, too!"

"Bye-bye, honey."

"Ah, yes, bye…"

Pulling the phone away from his ear, Ciel hung up and stood there, just staring at it for a moment. Clearing his throat, he placed it back into his pocket, only to look over at his spouse's younger brother staring up at him with a somewhat bemused expression. "What are you looking at?"

"Jim's got you wrapped around his finger real good, doesn't he?" Luka laughed. It was a laugh that brought back memories for the Phantomhive—and not distant ones. It was the same mischevious cackle Jim had been using for the past nine years Ciel had known him. He had laughed like that during their previous phone call the night before, in fact. Given the boy's age, however, such a small detail did give Ciel pause. He wondered if maybe he should be anticipating Jim-like antics from when the menace was Luka's age.

"Hm. Yes, but I am the one who has successfully convinced him to let you go on a mission relatively consequence-free, so you're welcome." the Earl explained, tugging on his coat to adjust it before beginning his descent down the steps.

"Wait, so I can go?!" the lad gawked, stomping after him. "Really?! I can really go on a mission?!"

"If you step lightly and do exactly as I say when I say it, yes. You can participate in the investigation. It shouldn't be anything exciting, but it'll be some decent practise." Reaching the bottom, the Phantomhive turned around to face the lad, looking up at him as he hadn't reached the ground with him.

"What?" Luka questioned, wondering why the man was suddenly staring at him.

"First thing's first: you can't represent the agency or the family dressed like that." the Earl stated, gesturing to the more casual style that his new ward was wearing. "We'll have to move quickly. I'll explain on the way. Come along, Luka."

"Yes, Sir!" the lad beamed, following close behind. "Yes, my lord!"

A/N: I lived.

I'm sorry this doesn't continue where I left off with the last one. I just really needed a change of pace and also I don't want to write any more meetings uwu. So instead, I'm veering off into a smaller story idea I've had for a while.

No promises on my update speed this time. I say I'm going to be faster basically every update, and then here we are lol.

I WILL update. You know I will. This thing has me like a vice. It's the albatross I wear around my neck. uwu

Anywho,

Until the next chapter, my duckies~!