Lords of Crime

9

Ciel woke up panting for breath. He sat up with his arm outstretched, trying to grab something, and immediately covered his eye. These nightmares wouldn't end. First, it was the manor and now all he could see was his aunt's face before she died. Jack the Ripper. Was this cursed dream coming to him because of that? 

Ciel grabbed his eyepatch and draped himself in a blanket. He wandered the place alone, searching for something, anything, unable to find what he was looking for because he didn't know what to look for in the first place. 

"You're awake too?" Louis' voice called to him from a room. He opened the door slightly and entered. Sitting down across from him at the small table, Ciel shifted, holding the blanket around him tightly. "I've been thinking a lot about what you said...and I have to agree with you..." 

"Oh?" 

"If anything should happen to Brother William...I am not sure how I would react. I would like to say I have the confidence to protect him so nothing would happen but..." Louis sighed. "I'm not perfect like he is and his plan...I'm afraid his plan includes his own perfect death." 

"Have you told him any of these thoughts?" Ciel leaned up against the side of the chair he was in. 

"How could I? I'm disposable," Louis stared at the candle flickering between them. 

"I..." Ciel closed his mouth and then opened it again to speak. "I was my brother's spare. We were twins, you see, but I had a more fragile constitution. He was to be prepped to inherit the estate. I was locked inside. I don't know what went on inside my brother's head but I know for certain he never thought of me as his spare. I only realized that after becoming him, however," Ciel sighed. "So I can assure you that you are not disposable to the professor." 

"Thank you," Louis smiled a tad. "You're very kind to someone so wary of you." 

"You have every reason to be wary of me, Louis. But I can assure you I am not here to interfere with your brother's plan. Just to watch it happen myself."  

"That's good to hear," Louis chuckled. "I'm growing rather fond of you." 

...

Sebastian stared at the sleeping Moriarty. He lurked in the shadows, knowing full well the mathematics professor was not sleeping at all. "I know you're there," Moriarty spoke, sitting up. 

"I know you are awake," Sebastian stepped into the light. The two stared at each other. 

"Why are you lurking inside my room, may I ask?" Moriarty folded his hands on his lap and smiled. Sebastian used to seeing that expression on his own face, saw through it. 

"You don't smell like a human," Sebastian confessed, returning the smile with a smile of his own. 

"What does a human smell like?" 

"Death," Sebastian's reply lurked in the air. "Or more accurately, the individual's inevitable doom." 

"Then, what do I smell like?" Moriarty stared. 

Sebastian's lips curved upward as his eyes flickered in the faint light. "Blood." 

"I won't deny that I have blood on my hands." 

"No, no no," Sebastian shook his head, waving his hand slightly. "It's not just on your hands, Professor," he smiled once again. "But seeping out of your entire body. Tell me," Sebastian sat on the bed and leaned closer to Moriarty's face. "Do you enjoy watching the mouse fall into your trap?" 

"I'm not quite certain what you mean..." 

"I think you do. I think you know very well." 

"Since we are asking each other questions. May I ask you something then?" 

"I suppose it's only fair," Sebastian chuckled. 

"What are you?" 

"Oh?" Sebastian laughed for a brief moment. "The great consulting criminal needs clarification? Have you not already deduced?" Sebastian stood up and outstretched his arms, stepping further into the shadows. "There are things in this world that humans do not understand. I am one of them." His eyes flickering with a purple hue as he grinned a toothy grin. "However," he stepped back into the light as if his shadowy self had never existed in the first place. "I cannot disclose any information. I can only tell you this:" Sebastian placed a finger to his lips and closed a single eye. "I am simply one hell of a butler." 

"So you are a demo-" 

"Ah," Sebastian cut him off. "I did not tell you a thing. It was you I came here about. Tell me, are you all that you appear to be?" Sebastian couldn't help but laugh. 

"My aim is to murder the demons lurking in England under the guise of aristocracy," Moriarty glanced down at his folded hands. He unfolded them and stared at one. "But if you were to call me a devil, I suppose I could not refuse that accusation. Even a murderer who kills for a noble cause is still a murderer," he clenched his open palm into a fist and stared up at Sebastian once again. "Do you remember?" he began, "What it was like to be human?" 

"Ah," Sebastian crossed his arms. "That was a long time ago, I'm afraid, but I can assure you my past self was not at all as noble as you." 

"Noble," Moriarty closed his eyes for a moment. "I wonder, is that what I am?" 

"Ah," Sebastian smirked. "You do enjoy watching a mouse caught in your trap. I am interested in your ending, Mister Moriarty, I hope that I shall stay long enough to witness it myself." And with that, Sebastian disappeared leaving Moriarty alone to his thoughts.