The Queen's Panther

2. The Panther's Job (pt. 2)

"They're here," Thorne says lowly to Raven. "Claire and Ramsey have done their part. Shall I call them back?"

"Not yet," Raven replies. "Have them keep an eye on the few guests that aren't your puppets. The last thing we need is for them to go snooping around the manor. And can you make a few bird puppets or something to follow the watchdog and his Butler so we know where in the manor they are?"

Thorne nods. Holding out his hand, palm up, three small balls of pale blue light appear, floating in a small circle above his hand before flying off, taking the shape of crows, the light fading so they look just like normal birds. The birds disappear down the hall, not making a sound.

"Now then, let's get started," Raven says, turning to the door where people are slowly starting to enter.

The Earl and soul keeper stand on a low stage, multiple cages behind them, holding more puppets, these ones taking the appearance of disheartened, fearful children. As more seedy-looking guests file into the room, Thorne draws the hood of his cloak over his head, clothing his face in shadows.

Raven smiles wickedly, putting on a fake cheerful voice. "Welcome everyone. Now shall we skip the pleasantries and begin?"

There are a few murmured agreements and nods from the gathered men, making Raven clap his hands together.

As he starts describing the first fake human slave to be sold, Thorne looks through his crow's eyes and sees that the watchdog is on the other side of the closed door, about to slip into the room and join the crowd. Returning to his own eyes, he sees the door open ever so slightly, allowing the master and Butler to enter.

Thorne moves his index finger in a circular motion - a gesture that the eyes of the onlookers miss - making the first slave puppet let out a whimper and sob, a signal to Raven that the watchdog and his Butler have entered the room.

Raven nods slightly, telling Thorne he understands, and as the slave continues crying for someone to help, a voice rings out, "put an end to it, Sebastian!"

Thorne smirks, watching as the candles on the chandelier suddenly go out. He watches at his beloved quickly takes out the gathered people then moves to try and subdue his master and friend. As Sebastian goes to knock Raven out, Thorne steps in, catching the demon with a sharp blow to his side, distracting him from his target.

The sounds of fighting cause Ciel to draw his gun, suspicious as to why the struggle is taking longer than it should for his demon Butler.

A second later, the candles' flame is returned, revealing a bloody Sebastian being pinned down by a man in a uniform much like his Butler's, a black cloak on the man's shoulders, hood positioned as if it had fallen off during their fight.

"Sebastian!" Ciel says, shocked that the demon was defeated, before remembering that the other man isn't human either.

"Sebastian... So that's the name you've taken," the Thorne muses. "Seems fitting for you, my devil."

A shot rings out, echoing in the room.

"Oi! Is that any way to treat your host?" Raven says, glancing from the bullet hole in the wall behind him, to the smoking barrel of Ciel's gun, to the Earl Phantomhive's wide eyes.

"How did you...?"

Raven smiles smugly, "I am the Earl Thornheart, and the Queen's Panther. A shadow moving soundlessly through the underworld. It goes without saying that I can dodge a bullet, literally, without the help of my Butler, amongst do other things needed to defend myself. Now then..."

He jumps down from the stage, moving to inspect one of the unconscious men, as if searching for something.

"Sebastian, I order you to capture Earl Thornheart," Ciel growls. "Dispose of his Butler if needed."

"Aw, you wouldn't kill me, would you?" Thorne says teasingly, straddling Sebastian and leaning down to whisper in his ear, "you wouldn't hurt me, would you, my devil?"

Sebastian clenches his teeth, trying to suppress the memories threatening to surface. "I will do as my master orders. Perhaps you will be more respectful of my position, I am on duty."

Thorne chuckles. "And how are you going to get me off?"

Sebastian growls, debating turning to his true form. Before he can decide, Raven lets out a sharp laugh.

"Found them!" he says, standing next to a fallen body. "Here's our guy, gun, ring and all! Oh, Victoria will be pleased, with a rat like this finally caught and disposed of. Thanks for the help, Phantomhive, this would've been a lot less fun without you."

"What?" Ciel whispers, "I don't understand."

Raven looks up at him from his position crouched next to the unconscious man, carefully taking the man's concealed silver gun and a golden ring from an interior pocket of the man's frock coat. "Have your Butler disregard that order to capture me and I'll explain everything to you over some tea later."

Ciel studies the boy then nods slowly. "Sebastian?"

"I will cease to fulfill that order, master," the demon says, still pinned to the floor and knowing his master is planning to give the order again later.

Thorne smiles, getting off and helping the demon up, whispering, "it's been a while, hasn't it, my devil?"

Sebastian nods, his red eyes meeting Thorne's icy blue ones. He feels drawn the the soul keeper, just like he always was. Thorne feels the same, those red eyes pulling him in. Resisting the urge to kiss the demon, he looks away, the last words Sebastian said to him two years ago echoing in his head.

Thorne moves away, going to help Raven put at end to the men who are now starting to wake up. The three crow puppets fly down from perches where they'd been hiding, their bodies returning to the form of balls of light circling above Thorne's open palm as he calls them back to him. In one swift motion, he closes his fist around the balls of light, crushing them and causing small shards of light to fall like shattered glass, disappearing before they hit the floor.

Thorne's eyes turn an obsidian black, the iris disappearing and leaving just inky darkness. Then his eyes return to how they were before, icy blue.

He chuckles softly. "It seems the night is already over. It seems the guests had something come up that needed their urgent attention. They've told Claire to give us their sincere apologies and hurried off."

"Huh," Raven muses. "Then have Ramsey make some tea and bring it to the lounge. And get Claire to start cleaning up. Call the rest of them back if you want. Phantomhive, if you'll follow me."

As the two Earls leave the room, Thorne lifts one hand and moves his fingers in a pattern that only he understands, pulling on the invisible strings linked to the two puppets, giving them their orders. Then he makes a beckoning gesture, calling back the rest of the puppets who had been disguised as guests. Their lights float above his palm before he destroys them like he had destroyed the crows.

"Thorne," Sebastian starts, knowing the soul keeper is still hurt and still upset with him after what he said.

"Not now," Thorne replies monotonously, going to follow the earls. "We'll talk later."

Sebastian watches him walk away, wanting to reach for the keeper, to draw him back. Instead, the demon sighs softly and follows after him, walking calmly until he hears his master ordering for him to appear at his side.

Appearing next to Ciel, Sebastian's eyes widen slightly, seeing the destruction in the lounge. Chairs flipped over, books lying on the floor, and across from the door, a shattered window.

Earl Thornheart is nowhere to be seen.