literature

That Butler takes flight (Pursuit: 24)

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Chapter Summary: Sebastian and Ciel attempt to make their escape from the Circus. Will Ciel make the contract when his life is on the line? Or has he managed to pull the wool over Sebastian's eyes?
Story Summary: Sebastian Michaelis needs a contracted soul to stay in the world, but Ciel is not playing that game.


First Chapter | Previous: The Cage.

Chapter 24: That Butler Takes Flight
(Sebastian)

oOoOoOo

All around me, there was chaos. The humans, screaming customers and insane terrorists alike, milled about like so many worthless cattle. We slipped through them as easily as a shadow as I searched for the fastest means of escape.

“Shall I carry you outside so you can inform the police, or do you want to go back to your fashion show?” I teased.

“Get me to the ground floor. I’ll call from there,” Ciel instructed, already texting, though I couldn’t see how he could possibly see the screen at that angle.

Since there weren’t any windows, I headed for the escalator, planning on running down the banister. But Joker had that area well guarded. He took a measured aim, and shot two handguns in my direction. I spun out of the way, and took cover behind the gas balloons.

Ciel protested loudly at being next to the gas, however, so I resorted to dodging out of the way.

A bullet clipped the side of my suit jacket, and Joker was still shooting all out.

I slid across the floor, and threw Ciel in the direction of the escalator banister. His small form arched into the air just as—

Joker’s shots pelted into my torso and passed through me into the crowd. I twisted my body in the direction I desired and I caught a glimpse of Beast. She was quite the beauty in her own way, and the feral anger she displayed so easily made her intriguing, if not appetizing. She gestured violently at Joker, and her lips moved. I couldn’t hear her words over the blood rushing through my ears and the discomfort of being shot, but I read the words there. ‘You missed the brat, Joker. She’s trouble, and you let her escape.’  (*1)

Ah, the vicious beauty may be smarter than I gave her credit for. I briefly wondered if I could get anything useful out of her, but failing to see anything due to the fact that she was attacking my future-master, I decided against it.

I let gravity take a hold of me. I made a show of losing my balance and ‘fell’ down the escalator, right after Ciel. Joker would waste no more materials on me, I hoped. I managed to touch the ground seconds before Ciel (balanced precariously and looking something between annoyed and terrified) was finished with his ride. I caught him neatly and smiled into his dazed eyes.

“Cutting it a bit close, wouldn’t you say?” Ciel breathed. His voice was too faint to sound scathing.

“Hm. Wouldn’t it be proper for you to show a little gratitude to your savior, little Ciel?” I chided him. “I require very little. A certain promise would do,” I reminded him, knowing that even now I could stop to carve the contract marks on his flesh. There would always be time for that.

“Save it,” Ciel snapped. “We’re not—”

There was a noise from Beast. Our seconds of reprieve were over. Ciel turned away as a gun was aimed at him. Beast’s projectile was not the balls of lead (or whatever modern bullets are made of), however, but was something with synthetic feathers and a pointed tip came our way. I jumped up over the projectile’s path, and Ciel squinted furiously after it.

“Can you catch that? I want a sample,” he demanded.

“Of course,” I purred. “Provided she sends us another.”

But we were running out of banister, and she was not as fast as I would be.  We landed neatly on the next floor before she could shoot any more at us.

“Stop!”

I glanced up to see the little figure in white. Doll. I offered her a tiny smile, and momentarily set Ciel on his feet. If she was to attack, I wanted both hands free to disable her. Beast had specialty darts, and this child held balloons…I briefly wondered what sort of poison could be inside.

“This is hopeless,” Ciel muttered. “Stop now, give yourself up to the police.” His voice was steady, but quiet. Whatever gas they’d released was less potent here, and he had finally begun to catch his breath.

“Stay where you are,” Doll said evenly. “If you try and escape, we’ll catch you. There are people on every floor.”

I didn’t spare her another glance. Although everyone was in a state of panic, there was still time to escape; I didn’t have time to listen to the ramblings of fanatics. Doubtless they were carrying out the orders of their leader— probably part of a cult. Or perhaps they were strays taken in by a madman’s apparent kindness, and were perfectly willing to be thrown away at his direction. Either way, their actions threatened to injure Ciel. That would not do.

“Doomsday is coming. Father tells us so. It’s pointless to run away now...” Doll murmured, and held onto her balloons.

Ciel moved slowly, cautiously, acting as though she were a wild animal. “Have you seen the signs?” he asked with an easy smile. “How can you be sure? Why not just come with us, and we’ll tell the police everything we know.”

I pressed Ciel into a column as she ran toward us both, leaping into a kick that would have broken his fragile bones. She soared past us, and scrambled back to her feet as she turned around.

I leaned in and kissed Ciel’s forehead. “Do stay out of the way.”

Doll stared, and took a small step backwards. Her large eye fixed on my shirt, on the slowly widening bloodstain there.

“You’re hurt,” she said softly, and compassion filled her single visible eye.

Ciel struggled against me, an expression of alarm passing over him. He looked down to see the blood, and he looked stricken. “You…” he began.



Across from us, Doll lurched forward. Her feet took her closer to us, but her emotions made her waver. Doll’s porcelain fingers released the balloon as she stretched out her hand—

Now. She couldn’t stop me from leaving, and was too distracted to call out to the more dangerous of the two. I moved quickly, and due to the complete lack of windows in this part of the building, I headed towards the non-mechanical stairs, thinking to make our escape by more traditional means.

I pulled Ciel close to me and sped that way, only to find those guarded as well.

There was a flurry of movement, and a little girl dressed in pink and black emerged from her hiding place. She must have been quite determined to help, but I doubted she had any real effect on the situation. Then I saw the other child, a blond boy dressed in shades of green.

Between the two of them they held something faintly reflective-- a thin wire held taught. It seemed they meant to strangle us, trip us, or (though I doubted they could manage it) cut us to pieces. Unless it was razor floss...Had technology allowed for such bloody advancement? Considering the high-speed rail service, the technology chips and other things, I suspected it had.

Humans are, after all, a terribly violent race.

The boy stepped forward. “Father wanted to meet you, Phantomhive. It’s too bad you had to be here, you little snot. He’ll be so disappointed…” His tone and manner were entirely out of place with his visage. The boy looked as though he was a sweet, tender thing still in elementary school, but his scowl and sneering voice spoke otherwise.

Again, Ciel wavered. I had to keep him firmly in my grasp, or he’d fall. Somehow, the presence of these gaudy performers shook him in a way that I and my soft, subtle threats never did. He was at the mercy of stronger men that wanted to do him harm, and they thought nothing of his charms, or his determination.

“Sebastian,” Ciel said in a low voice.

The blond sneered, and pulled the gas mask over his face. Opposite him, the girl did the same.

There wasn’t time or space to run and get Ciel out of reach of their weapons and poison both. Not with these tiled floors and my own blood making a fine trail. Go back, and Doll or Beast would have me. Go forward, and they would make Ciel fall into poisoned oblivion, drugged on some chemical I did not understand.

So I chose the third option. The lift. I turned my heels and stood before the closed door in an instant.

“Sebastian, the lift won’t work! They don’t in fires, and the terrorists probably jammed it or something—” Ciel hissed in my ear. Master of his fears at last, he implored me with ferocious conviction.

“It seems, Ciel, that you are right.” I set Ciel down to get a better hold, and pried the metal doors open. “Oh good, it’s above us,” I remarked.

Ciel only had time to let out a despairing moan.

I snaked my arms around his middle, balancing him against me to situate him in a way to promote as much mobility as I could.

“Oh God.” Ciel did not try to close his eyes. He flinched, and only looked away when I spared him a glance.

Then I leapt into the air—

A tiny noise escaped Ciel.

— and I pulled with enough force to knock the lift from its hook, and send the cable spinning wildly in its hook. The lock on the cable was broken. I hung onto the bar with one hand, and with the other grasped Ciel. We began to descend at pleasant speed.

“You idiot.” Ciel’s voice was flat. “When you get to the ground level, how will you open the—”

The whirring of gears, cables, and wind ripped the words from his mouth. He had a point, though. I swung gently from one side to the next, readying myself to force entry. Or exit, as the case were.

I released my hold on the elevator bar, free falling the last ten meters. I timed it just right, if I say so myself. The flimsy metal doors gave way to my kick with a mild amount of noise and resistance, and we somersaulted onto the ground as the elevator plummeted farther below, only to give a deafening crash as the cable finally reached its end.

Ciel, dazed, did not comment.

“The ground floor, young master.” I released him and offered a small bow.

I surveyed the surroundings. “Ah.” There were no terrorists that I could see, but it certainly was not deserted.

The doors were being blockaded by a ring of men in black uniforms with large plastic shields, looking rather like a foot soldier platoon with plastic gear. I wondered how effective they would be.

I pushed through the glass doors, and collapsed in a heap to dissuade the police from attempting to shoot at us. Ciel obligingly ‘noticed’ the blood staining my suit, and began to cause a scene.

“Get up!” he shouted. “You can’t—”

“Yes, my lord,” I murmured. “I will be fine.”

Slowly, the people came closer. Even with Ciel’s charming performance, the men were cautious approaching us—perhaps Doll and the other child-performer’s descriptions had already reached their ears,  judging from their hesitation.

I pushed Ciel away. In his bloody costume and stage makeup, he drew all the attention from me. As I wanted it.

While he made all the noise, I looked about. Immediately, I caught a glimpse of a familiar, if pale and drawn, face. A face that didn’t belong.

Meanwhile, Ciel, having dismissed my condition as play-acting, called to the policemen. “Inspector Sakamoto! Officer Ohno! It’s a terrorist group.” He walked forward, stumbling only a little. The people made way for him; he seemed to carry a sort of dignity with him that wouldn’t have been out of place in an earl.  “Come here.” His voice was ragged and hoarse, and he could not shout any further.

Several unfamiliar police, their shields in place and visors down, stiffened at his approach.

But Ciel walked on, limping forward in his confidence, knowing that he would not be shot. Despite the fact that his features and outlandish costume could easily be taken for a circus actor. “It was the performers in Noah’s Arc Circus. They have people on every floor—” Ciel gasped out, his weak lungs and shock finally making him stumble and fall to his knees.

One of the police rushed forward to support him, with a medic on his heels.

Well. He doesn’t seem to need any help. I left him to explain the situation.

As though to cover my movement, more and more civilians ran outside, heedless to the, ‘Please evacuate calmly’ announcement. I took advantage of the ruckus, and sped toward the pale figure before he could duck out of sight.

Yes. I have you now, I thought to myself.

Agares moved like a shadow behind the lines. He stalked between paramedics and police, seemingly unnoticed. It was fascinating, how this weak thing could blend so seamlessly with the environment. How low he can lie. How artless, his game.

Finally, I stepped out before him. “You.” I caught him, setting my black nails to tear into his skin. I pulled him roughly to me, stepping close enough to smell the rose-scent on his breath.

He froze.

“You are the challenger.”

Agares smiled thinly at that. He met my gaze.

“I’ll have you know,” I purred. “I resent your meddling.”

oOoOoOo


Cover image by me-- it is actually an in-progress crop of a picture I'm working on...

Also Found at: A03, smilingcrescent and ff . net, smilingcrescent
Archive: 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10.0 | 10.5 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | (16, Detailed Version) or (16, work safe version) | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20.0 | 20.5 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 23.5


(*1) Because I have the circus folk speaking Japanese, what Beast actually says doesn’t include pronouns, therefore there wouldn’t be any clues to what gender she thinks Ciel is in that line. However, English needs pronouns and we can’t drop them, or use a neutral pronoun so…. oh well.

(* note) The elevator was inspired by the James Bond movie "Skyfall," though Bond rides it UP. Only Sebastian would dare take it down...

A/N/ Author's challenge. Do you know what Agares name means? ; ) (We had this conversation months ago with Carrie...our beta is smart.)

Next: The Challenger, Pulling Strings
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SHINee00's avatar
Yes! There's more :D