A/N: This is so late. I am so sorry. The days after posting the last chapter became extremely draining. I had a little bit of time, but no energy. Not saying that was a bad thing, though, I mean, I won 20 dollars in the science fair, was asked to write in some extra bits in the script for the school play, improved since last week's screen-acting class, and I was one of the only ones able to hit the highest soprano note in choir rehearsals and not screech whilst doing so. I'm not even going to start on school itself... I guess its a good thing I'm not popular enough on here to be flamed for not updating fast enough. xD

I have to say, that's a pretty good explanation, but all the same, I'm super sorry. Also, if there's anything in this chapter that you're still confused about, then by all means, ASK. I won't answer you directly, but if you keep your eyes opened you'll find the answer eventually. :] (Though hopefully not too far into the future...) I'm kinda worried about this chapter though D:

Now wish me luck as I clean my room, write an English essay, and study for maths and science tests. All at the same time.

I'm kidding. Now enjoy the chapter.

Warning: High Voltage

Chapter Five - Finality

Though it slightly irked Ciel that Prince Soma listened to Sebastian when he was told that the young Earl required some space, but ignored the latter whenever he mentioned it himself, he was glad to be left alone for once.

"Honestly, this is more trouble than it's worth," he remarked bitterly, sitting in the parlour; resting his feet up on a rich pouffe, and nursing a hot cup of Chai tea in his hands. The tea was sweeter than he expected, so he quite liked it. "And there's no doubt he has something planned. Coiler, I mean."

"If you know this, my Lord, why are you playing along?" Sebastian asked as he stoked the fire.

"Because it's a game worth playing," he explained. "He probably thinks he can't lose; it'll be nice to knock that sleazy grin off of his ugly face."

Sebastian didn't answer. He pulled out his silver pocket watch, and looked at the time. "Young Master," he said, looking up as he put it away. "It is approaching ten. You should go to bed once you have finished that tea."

"I'm not going to bed tonight," Ciel said casually as he opened a book. Sebastian narrowed his eyes and scrutinised the young boy's face; there were still dark rings under his slightly bloodshot eyes, and he was slightly subdued in his movements and speech. He was obviously exhausted, not only physically, but mentally tired from the nightmares and this whole case. So he did not say anything to his stubborn master, and left the room to call the main manor, just to make sure it was still standing. He then made his master some more tea, and prepared for the next day. Agni helped him out a bit, since Prince Soma was already fast asleep. Sebastian didn't bother mentioning that Ciel was refusing to sleep himself.

By the time he returned to the parlour to take away the teacups and check the coals in the fire, it was somewhere past eleven, and Ciel was fast asleep.

"Honestly, Young Master," Sebastian said quietly, having fully expected this to happen. He took away the empty teacup and the book and covered him with a blanket. The Young Master looked so defenceless when he slept; like the child he so obstinately denied being. Coiler had obviously known of his young age, otherwise he would have expressed more surprise, or not have recognised him at all. There was some other kind of connection here, Sebastian was sure of it. That being said, he wouldn't put it past his master to have figured that much out already, and possibly more, since he was more familiar with the workings of the human mind than Sebastian was. Nevertheless, the novelty of it all never wore off for the demon butler.

And so, as he returned from the kitchen again, he picked up a book and decided he would keep an eye on his sound asleep tenacious master for the night.

The town house became very silent as the darkness outside grew deeper. Despite being in London, the silence still hung in a thick layer over the even thicker blackness.

All the rooms were dark, except for the parlour, of course, but even there all lights had been extinguished. The only light that remained was the flickering flames in the fireplace, which cast a warm glow over the room, and caused elongated shadows wherever an object got in its way.

Of course since it was this quiet, anyone could have heard the rattling of the lock on the back door being picked, then pushed open with a loud creak.

Sebastian smiled idly; closing the book he was reading and setting it down beside him. He took out his pocket watch and skilfully flicked it open. It was just past quarter to four. He flicked it shut with a soft click and put it away again.

He's much later than I expected, he thought to himself, as the stairs in the kitchen creaked under the weight of someone trying to ascend them silently.

"Sebastian," said a whispered voice.

"Ah, Young Master," Sebastian replied, in an equally hushed tone. "Did I wake you?"

"I was never asleep," Ciel hissed. "I was just dozing."

Sebastian smiled. It certainly looked like he hadn't slept, but he suspected that was due to something else. He didn't reply, and instead listened to the insistent footsteps below them.

"Am I correct in assuming that you expected this as much as I?" he finally whispered.

"Of course I expected it, it was obvious," Ciel replied, a grin creeping up onto his face. "I practically showed him the way here by not assuring he didn't follow."

"Very good, Sir," Sebastian smirked. "So what would you like me to do now?"

Ciel stood up and stretched. "Greet our guest; bring him in here then go prepare some tea for us." He sat back down, crossing one leg over the other and adjusting his eye-patch so it sat more comfortably

Sebastian stood and knelt before him. "Yes," he said quietly. "My Lord."

Only a minute later, a slightly dazed-looking Robert Coiler was dragged into the parlour and sat down opposite Ciel.

"Robert Coiler is here, Young Master," Sebastian said contentedly, before leaving to make the requested tea.

Ciel leaned forward, resting his chin on his entwined fingers. "Well, you're certainly visiting at an odd hour, Mr. Coiler."

Coiler blinked a few times, before his horrible grin crept onto his face and he leant back in his chair. "Heh, I didn't expect to be caught," he said, dropping the heavy accent he had worn earlier. "I suppose I underestimated you."

"You did," Ciel agreed, smiling. "Not the wisest thing to do, I must say."

"I guess not. But if you don't mind me saying, you don't exactly look the part," he remarked.

"Perhaps not, but nor do you."

"You may be right there, Earl Phantomhive."

Sebastian returned and poured the both of them tea. They didn't say anything the whole time, but simply stared at each other.

"Sebastian, it's quite dark in here. Light a few lamps," Ciel ordered.

"Yes, Young Master." More light filled the room, and both Ciel and Robert Coiler were able to see the other more clearly.

"So, Mr. Coiler," Ciel started casually. "Who are you, really?"

Coiler let out an unpleasant laugh. "Ah, so you saw past that, too? You really are more trouble than you're worth..."

"Is that why you want me dead?"

"Huh?" he blinked.

Ciel's slight smile widened. "You would have killed me either way, right? Whether I agreed to have Her Majesty assassinated or not."

Robert Coiler's sneer turned into a scowl.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot let you kill either of us," Ciel continued.

Bang!

Coiler gasped.

Ciel smirked.

The hand holding the gun fell back to his side, and Robert Coiler sat down again, staring up at Sebastian in disbelief.

"I'm terribly sorry, sir, but I can't have you shooting the Young Master," he said politely, twirling the bullet between his long, gloved fingers.

Coiler opened and closed his mouth a few times, looking like a particularly stupid fish out of water.

"Now, tell me what 'Seven' is," Ciel said, straightening up, as if he hadn't just had a gun pointed and shot at him.

"I..." Robert Coiler's eyes snapped back to Ciel, then to Sebastian again. "She's a Nephilim," he sighed, in a tone that suggested defeat.

Sebastian nodded slowly. "Of course."

Ciel cocked an eyebrow. "A what?"

"A half-human half-angel, Young Master," Sebastian explained.

Coiler nodded. "At least, that's what she told me, anyway, when she decided to help me. She used a projected image of herself to ask me to help her escape when she was a slave. S-said she'd repay me."

"A projected image?"

"Y-yes. She can only use it for a short time. It's the only thing she can do," Coiler explained. It was entertaining how his demeanour had changed from being so confident to being pleasingly intimidated.

"I see." Ciel remembered how the image outside his window had vanished the moment he had shot at it. He hoped he'd hurt her in some way.

"I guess I'm helpless without her here, aren't I?" Coiler asked, smiling sheepishly.

"That you are, Mr. Coiler," Ciel voiced somewhat triumphantly. "And now that you've become aware of that fact, tell me exactly why you want me and Her Majesty dead. Just out of interest." he added.

Coiler swallowed, his eyes flicking momentarily to Sebastian, who stood dutifully behind Ciel's chair. "Revenge," he stated, with a bit of force behind his voice.

Ciel frowned. "What for?"

"Years ago," he began, sighing. "My family was at the top of the tobacco trade. Then, one night, I had gone out to attend a friend's coming-of-age party, and came home to see police carriages, and my parents being arrested. They were executed the week after."

Blinking, Ciel asked, "What has that got to do with me?"

"The Queen suspected a new drug was on the market, and gave the job of investigating to her beloved watchdog," Coiler spat bitterly.

Ciel nodded. "I assume you're talking about my predecessor."

He didn't reply, but continued. "I escaped police custody, and went to live on the East End until some knuckleheads from the church picked me up in order to succeed the head bishop. Since I wasn't as cut off with society, I heard that the Phantomhives had all been killed!" he said, a flicker of malice in his eyes. Ciel kept a straight face. "I kept an eye out for any news, and it was a good thing I did, since I heard that there was one survivor; you."

"And so you then wanted to kill me in order to exact your revenge for your family, correct?" Ciel finished for him. "How pitiful of you."

"Perhaps, but don't you want revenge, too?" growled Coiler, his previous manner returning somewhat. "It's all a never ending cycle. I want revenge on you, you want revenge on someone else. What's the bet they want revenge on someone, too?"

Ciel narrowed his eyes. "Vengeance," he stated. "A human weakness, don't you think? I don't want revenge for my parents' deaths, I want to cause the same amount of humiliation, pain and suffering to those who cause that for me."

Coiler's filthy face broke out in a wide grin, before he started laughing like a maniac. The sound was somewhat reminiscent of the Undertaker, only more filled with spite than humour. "Hah! That's right! You were kept like a dog, weren't you? And not exactly a well-cared for dog!" he continued to laugh. It was a loud and terrible sound; it was surprising that Soma and Agni hadn't burst into the room yet, from the amount of noise he was making.

Somehow, the laughter irked the Earl, who, despite his pride, was still extremely tired and short-fused.

"I can only imagine how entertaining that would have been to see!" continued the hysterical Robert Coiler. "If I had, I might let you live so I can see it again, someday!"

His laughing continued. So irritating... so infuriating...

Bang!

Coiler gasped.

It was like some bizarre sort of auditory Déjà vu. Only this time, it was Ciel holding the gun. This time, the bullet had not been stopped.

Robert Coiler stared at his bloody shoulder in disbelief.

Ciel put the gun down again and lowered himself back into the chair. "Such an awful noise," he remarked. "Though, it suits a filthy man such as yourself."

From behind Ciel, Sebastian smirked, thoroughly enjoying the whole thing.

"You-!" Coiler began, clutching at the wound with the hand on the arm that was not injured.

"Please, don't strain yourself. Being shot in the shoulder is very strenuous, I'm sure," Ciel remarked, keeping a straight face. "I wouldn't know. Sebastian, what time is it?"

"Approaching six in the morning, Master."

"Good. Answer me one more question, Coiler. How did you kill them?"

Coiler looked as if he'd been hit in the head. Or, rather, shot in the shoulder. Which he had been, as a matter of fact. "Wh-wha?"

"Good Lord. Did you forget the reason why this whole thing started in the first place?"

He blinked, his face rapidly losing colour. "A-ah. I used... I used fake lightning. And... and dog's blood with extra e-electrolytes and electrodes."

Sebastian nodded. "If I may, sir. The autopsy report, which you never got to read, did mention that traces of dog's blood were found on the victims."

Ciel smirked. "I thought so. It would have seemed suspicious to cut them open, wouldn't it? I suppose you fooled them into thinking they were being 'purified', whatever that means."

Robert Coiler opened his mouth to talk, but Ciel held up a hand. "That's enough. Sebastian, we're taking him to the Yard now, bind his wrists in case he tries to resist."

"Yes, My Lord," Sebastian replied, fetching the rope that usually held the curtain back, and making his way towards the confused man.

"W-wait!" Coiler stuttered. "Don't think you can take me so easily!" He fumbled with his gun, raising it with a shaking hand. Sebastian's hand closed around his wrist, however, and it clattered to the floor.

"That's quite enough. You'll be in less pain if you don't struggle."

Robert Coiler had no choice. He let Sebastian tie his wrists behind his back, and soundlessly sat in the carriage on the ride into town. Ciel didn't take his eye off the man the whole time.

"So I've been caught," he said quietly, a short while before they arrived.

"Yes, you have. It was a rather stupid move on your part, I must say."

Looking up at the Young Earl, Coiler smiled weakly. "You'll go far in life with a head like that," he idly mentioned. "Not to mention that butler of yours..."

"I'm already the Earl of Phantomhive and the head of the Funtom Toy and Confectionary Company," Ciel reminded him. "I've already gone far."

Robert Coiler blinked. "Eh, well, I'm surprised you haven't already gotten that revenge you wanted." Ciel opened his mouth to protest that he didn't want revenge, but Coiler interrupted again. "No matter how you look at it, kid, it's still revenge," he reasoned. "It's a human weakness, like you said. You're human, aren't you?"

Ciel said nothing, but continued to scrutinise him.

"Yeah. You are. You're pretty cold, but you're different from Seven… If you ever happen to see her again, tell her thanks," the ragged man sighed, wincing slightly from the throbbing pain in his shoulder.

"Oh, you'll probably see her before I do," Ciel explained. "The Yard took her in for questioning."

"Ah... well, there's no doubt she's escaped by now," Coiler coughed slightly. "She is a Nephilim."

Once again, Ciel didn't reply.

"So, Ciel Phantomhive," Coiler continued persistently. "What will you do after this?"

Ciel sighed. "I'm sure the Yard can tie any lose ends for this investigation, so I'll be writing to Her Majesty and continuing with my life."

Coiler stayed silent. There was nothing else he could say.

He knew, at that point, that he was a dead man.

The Scotland Yard had been less than pleased at the state Coiler was in, but they couldn't charge Ciel for assault on the account that Coiler was technically an intruder. Besides, the damage wasn't fatal; the wound wasn't even deep enough to scrape the bone, which somewhat surprised the Yard.

I'm probably better with a gun than any of them are, he thought to himself. It's not like I would be stupid enough to kill him on purpose…

The Yard heartily agreed that they would be able to finish off the investigation themselves, which included finding the escaped Seven, who had simply disappeared when no one was looking. This surprised neither Ciel, Sebastian, or, of course Coiler, who smiled and said under his breath. "That's my girl."

Finally, Ciel was allowed to go home. He returned to the townhouse first, of course, where Soma still hadn't risen, luckily, but Agni had.

"There you two are!" he exclaimed as they walked in through the front door. "Where were you at such an early hour?"

"My Master had some business to attend to in London," Sebastian explained, as Ciel climbed the stairs. "He wanted to get it done as soon as possible so that he may return to the main house."

Agni nodded, eyeing Ciel, whom he could tell was utterly exhausted. "I'll go make some breakfast."

Sebastian smiled warmly. "Thank you very much, Mr. Agni."

"Sebastian, what do you think of the Nephilim? Aren't Angels the enemies of Demons?" Ciel said as he was being bathed some minutes later.

"She did annoy me, but I suspect that she's not exactly half. There's more human influence, which is why I wasn't able to tell what she was," Sebastian clarified.

"I see. She didn't seem to care for Coiler, though. Aren't Angels supposed to love everyone or something ridiculous like that?"

Smiling, Sebastian replied, "They're more heartless than you would think. Mr. Coiler seemed to care a bit for her though, didn't he?"

"Perhaps a bit. Ridiculous, in my opinion; getting close to your pawns is always a bad idea. They could be taken out at any time."

Sebastian's smile widened. "You couldn't be more right, My Lord."

Wisely, Agni hadn't told Soma about Ciel and Sebastian's early morning excursion, and so he happily jabbered on about nothing all through breakfast.

Finally, though delayed by the ever-enthusiastic Prince Soma, they were able to leave London before lunchtime, and when they reached the main manor two hours later, Sebastian hurried off to make sure that Bard, Finny and Mey-Rin weren't causing chaos, while Ciel went to his study. He was glad to see that all of the blood had been cleaned up, and looked relatively neat. He guess he had the aforementioned servants to thank for that. Despite their clumsiness, they had done a good job. The window had been repaired, too, though someone had probably been hired to do that.

He sat down, and made himself some notes to make sure he hadn't missed any important details. When he was sure that anything left to do would be possible for the Yard, he smirked, satisfied, and began his letter to the Queen. 'To Her Majesty', he wrote.

After lunch, he caught up on some paperwork that had somehow built up for him in his short time in London, before he finally decided to take a well-needed nap.

"Well, Young Master, you've done very well in this case," Sebastian commented, undoing the buttons on Ciel's shirt. "You hardly needed me at all,"

Ciel smirked. "I wouldn't say that; I'd be dead about three times already for this case alone if I hadn't had a demon butler to protect me."

"I'm flattered, my Lord."

"Well," Ciel smirked, climbing into bed. "You're one hell of a butler, aren't you?"

Sebastian mirrored his Young Master's smile as he pulled the covers up.

That night, for the first time in three, Ciel Phantomhive slept peacefully.

Sebastian could only place it to his over-exhaustion, and decided to work his Young Master harder, so he would be this tired every night and therefore have no energy for silly nightmares.

So he did just that.