Black Butler: The New Hire

Part 2: His Effort, His God

Lucas awakes in the rubble of the slowly flaming barn. The sun has faded and the night is illuminated by the burning embers of fire while being clouded by smoke and ash. Lucas' eyes look around as he slowly regains his strength. He lifts himself up only to find a few chunks of wood flooring along his legs and back. He shakes them off slowly and attempts to stand.

"Mr. Gray?!" Lucas calls out to the barn, as his eyes dart around, unable to see them. With no response, Lucas stood up as he bled from his arm, he wiped the dirt off his chest and breathed slowly as he put his hand to his chest.

Lucas leaned against a piece of one of the stables. He walked slowly to rest on the next one, he laid his arm on it and as he did, it broke under his weight sending him forward. Lucas caught himself quickly before he could hit the floor. He moved forward slowly and spotted a pair of legs, buried under some rubble.

Lucas shambled over and fell to his knees before removing the bits and chunks of wood There was a box of ammunition that lay atop them, he pulled it off and tossed it to the side. He fumbled around and reached through, pulling out an arm. He pulled harder and dragged up the body of the farmhand from earlier. His body slumped against Lucas', his heart stopped and lungs empty. Almost cold. Underneath the body was the Earl, Lucas laid the rancher aside and gripped the earls shirt. He rubbed him out from the rubble and pulled him by his legs.

As he did, a plank from above fell down onto Lucas. The spike of adrenaline shot through his body as he shrugged the drowsiness off and lifted the man out of the rubble. He laid him down and opened his shirt to examine him. Mr. Gray slowly opened his eyes as Lucas held his head up.

"Mr. Gray? Are you alright? How do you feel?" Lucas asked frantically but calmly as he examined Me. Gray. His shirt was ripped and torn all over. His shoulders and neck had small splices and cuts from rubble, along with bruises all along his body. He had muck and grime along with blood from a cut on his forehead and check running down his face.

"I don't feel that good, what's it looking like out there..?" Mr. Gray asks. Lucas looks out through the small breaks in the bottom floor wall as he hears noises come from outside.

"I think we're ok Mr. Gr-" before Lucas can finish, an axe head breaks through the wooden wall and breaks a hole in it. As it bashes the bottom open and a man in a coat steps in. Along with a few more behind him.

"Well, well, well, if it ain't the old southern turncoat" the man said, as he kicked Lucas in the stomach and pushed him to the side the man behind him quickly puts his boot on Lucas' back as he slides Lucas' revolver out of holster and tosses it aside. The man then grabs the Earl by his shirt.

"You slimy, rotten, bastard! You know how many of us died because of your little chase for money!" The man said as he spit in the Earls face. He had a scar along his cheek down to his chin, he wore a long black turncoat with light red shirt and kalki pants. He pulled the Earl up more and before he could respond, he cracked his fist along the bleeding man's face. As the Earl gasped for breath, the man hit him again, and again. The hits were meaty and heavy. Lucas' winced at each hit as the Earl groaned, growing lucid in his gaze.

"You bastards…you enslaved those poor men..they di-" The man gripped the earl's chin and cheeks as he growled. Lucas' eyes grew watery

"Oh don't start! You know damn well this was about control! The government didn't care about no slavers, they just didn't like us southern state boys having our own state rights!"

"You just wanted money, you didn't really care about us, as we bled and died for our families! Our rights! You Snake!" He yelled at he punched the Earl in the gut before standing up, and stomping on his leg. He unbuckled his revolver and slowly cocked it at the ground.