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"A good death only comes after a good life."
—Koji Shimazu
"Aren't you the least bit worried?"
Vincent Phantomhive smiled innocently. "About what?"
"I mean about Sirius," Diedrich snapped.
It was early in the afternoon, a time of fond gatherings and reading dull letters in the study while the womenfolk conversed in the dining room. Tanaka prepared the usual drinks and food for Vincent and his friend in advance, taking the latter's recent weight problems into account. Not that Vincent cared. Diedrich had long since given up worrying about his weight in favor of his role as an aristocrat. It was a marked change from his youth, but not something Vincet disapproved of.
"Sirius is my precious second son, Diedrich," Vincent reminded him. "Ciel will be the next Earl, as is the tradition of the Phantomhives and every other noble house in Great Britian."
"Have you even looked at him? Ever since he started taking lessons from the Midfords, he's turned into a goddamned monster. He knows more about mathematics and science than your eldest's teachers. If not for that disposition of his, people would think he's more fit to be the next Earl."
"I don't doubt that in the least. Sirius is a good child and an even better brother. When Ciel becomes the head of this house, I've little doubt his brother will be far behind him."
Were he to be truthful with his old friend, Vincent would have preferred Sirius become the next Earl Phantomhive. The boy was a genuine prodigy if he ever saw one. Francis took a shine to his youngest and started training him alongside Ciel. It was grueling and harsh, especially for a young boy, but that was to be expected. The Phantomhive household could be kind, but it needed a closed fist than an open palm. Such was their duty as the Queen's loyal soldier and hunters.
Ciel was shaping up to be a worthwhile heir, but in Vincent's opinion, Sirius was better suited. Were he to make an analogy, Ciel was learning to become a guard dog while his brother was born one. It was quite amusing and heartwarming to see how close Sirius was to his brother despite inheriting his mother's frail condition. Prone as he was to sickness, there was no denying how better suited he was to becoming the next Earl Phantomhive. Vincent even broached the subject to Sirius in private some weeks ago while Ciel and his mother visited the Midford household to see Elizabeth.
"Not interested."
A blunt rejection with an equal deadpan look. It was the first and only time Vincent brought up the idea and break the house's longstanding tradition. He would not pressure or force Sirius into a role he clearly did not want, but in a way, Vincent's hope would not go unfulfilled. Although Sirius made it clear he had no interest in becoming Earl, he would remain by his brother's side, standing beside him as though he were Ciel's shadow. His guard dog, in a way.
A guard dog for a guard dog, Vincent thought amusingly.
"I'm actually quite fearful for London when Ciel becomes Earl," he said to Diedrich with a smile. "After all, they'll have to deal with the guard dog and his shadow." His friend raised a questioning eyebrow, but spoke no more of the subject. Instead, they turned to other matters. Vincent still smiled, but his eyes grew dark and cold like the tundra. "What have you heard about our dear 'friends'?"
Diedrich's face grew grim. "Little word, I'm afraid. Something has them spooked, and damned if I know what. I have heard some rather interesting rumors, though. Do you remember Kelvin? From Madame Sherwood's galla a few months back?"
"He's a baron if I'm not mistaken," Vincent recalled. The name sounded familiar, but could not place it. "What about him?"
"The baron's something of an oddity among the nobility. Takes in street urchins and orphans, mostly the disfigured or deformed, and offers them jobs at a workhouse under his name. A good egg if there ever was one."
"You believe it to be a farce?"
Diedrich shook his head. "I think he was quite sincere until recently. He's fallen in with a rather unsavory crowd. Friends of the duke."
Vincent hummed thoughtfully, drumming his fingers along the edge of his writing desk. Genuinely well-meaning nobles were a rarity in London's society and were the types that should be treasured. Innocence and kindness were a rare but welcome thing if he learned anything. And yet, in Vincent's experience, such people were the most easily swayed and corrupted by honeyed words and smiles hiding malice.
The duke was but one of many corrupt nobles, and the Queen's Guard Dog's latest quarry. A man with a well-known background and good reputation, yet his company was anything but. The Queen asked him to investigate him and his social circle, believing them to be a dangerous element. He agreed on the spot. He never understood why, but something about the duke unsettled him. As though the darkness lying within terrified him.
It was rare for Vincent to be wary, but he was never one to ignore his inner voice. Even so, he remained confident. The duke may be dangerous, but he was a normal man at the end of the day. Men could be predicted. They could slip up. They made mistakes.
And the moment he did, the Earl Phantomhive would sink his fangs into the duke's flesh until he drew blood.
"Lizzy, hold him down!"
"I-I'm trying!"
John tried his best not to smile. He idly wondered what sort of reaction Helen might have if she saw him, reborn as a child currently accosted by his older brother and his fiancé.
It was unexpected and odd to say the least. John knew the concept of reincarnation, but paid it little mind beyond some vain hope that, if reincarnation was possible, Helen was living another hopeful, peaceful life somewhere. It was an unusual experience to be certain, especially given the world and his family.
The infamous Baba Yaga was reborn a child. In this new life, he was Sirius Phantomhive, the second son of Earl Vincent Phantomhive, head of the Phantomhive house of nobility and one of Queen Victoria's most trusted soldiers. It was quite the shock at first, both the realization that he'd been reborn a child and the fact he was in the past. It was the 19th century; a few years from now, the streets of London would run red at the hands of one of the most notorious killers in history.
Adjusting to his new life was difficult at first. Rachel and Vincent Phantomhive were his parents in his second life. Having parents was strange enough when he couldn't recall the names and faces of his birth parents. They were nice and caring, Rachel most of all, but John could not view them as 'parents'. Physically, he was a pre-teen. Mentally, he was an adult. These people were strangers to him, but even so, he tried.
While having caring parents was odd enough on its own, it was the fact that John had sibling that scared him. His was a life of violence, and as he later learned, the Phantomhives were born to be neck-deep in it. The head of the house was not only a noble, but one of the most feared nobles of their society. They were the Queen's Guard Dog; the royal family's very own hitmen. When the Queen wanted someone dead, they did not ask who needed to die and why. They wanted to know how that person should die.
Ciel was so much like Helen, it hurt. The bright eyes, the sunny smile, the gentle kindness that came from their every meeting and interactions. As the second child, John would have nothing. He was a Phantomhive, but his purpose would be to support Ciel. His brother would succeed Vincent and become the next Guard Dog of Great Britian. When John imagined what Ciel might look like, stained with blood with the same kind smile and bright eyes, he could not help but imagine himself.
The fate of becoming the Baba Yaga, John thought, was worse than death. He would not allow it. Before, John wanted nothing more than to enjoy this newfound life of peace and go about his life without the need to pick up a gun or knife ever again. Now, all he wanted was to ensure Ciel never stained his hands with blood. He would willingly throw himself back into the cesspit of blood and violence, forfeit his life of peace, if it meant someone else's stayed unbloodied.
With Rachel's help, John managed to convince Francis Midford to join Ciel's lessons, all of which he took like a duck to water. She'd been thoroughly impressed, even giving him extra lessons that would have broken an ordinary man. It was also the moment when he realized something different about this world.
It was not everyday he saw a woman fly through the way slashing porcelain plates as if they were nothing, especially when she jumped high enough to reach the second story of the Midford manse. There was peak human physiology, and then there was superhuman.
"Are you sure he's not made of stone?"
"Lizzy!" Ciel gaped at his fiancé. "Don't be rude!"
John was pulled from his thoughts and recollections, Elizabeth's tugging reminding him of his current predicament. While Vincent and Rachel spoke with Diedrich and Francis respectively, the brothers and Elizabeth were left to their own devices. Elizabeth wished to play house, but felt they needed to dress the part. This, of course, included makeup. John had been so engrossed in his thoughts he never realized what was going on until Ciel and Elizabeth tried to push him into a chair.
This world doesn't need a Baba Yaga, he thought.
He recalled Abram Tarasov's words to him the day before Santino D'Antonio arrived at his doorstep.
"Can a man like you know peace?"
John quietly exhaled. The unknowing tension he built in his body faded, allowing the children to put him in the chair and proceeded to apply makeup while under the watchful eye of a bemused Tanaka.
Even though he resigned himself to becoming a killer once again, there was no need for John Wick to remain. His story and life were over.
Sirius Phantomhive's story was just starting.
There was no need for the Boogeyman. There was no need for John. He just needed to be Sirius.
It was all he needed.
Elizabeth was turning ten this year. Her birthday was only a few days away, and with it, the dread of going to the Midford family mansion. It was not a bad place to be; the staff were pleasant, Lady Midford was strict but kind, her husband perhaps too overly affectionate, and Elizabeth herself was a joy to be around. Edward could be troublesome at times, especially when Ciel was involved. When it was decided Ciel and Elizabeth would marry, he was very vocal in his vehement rejection. As the marriage was decided upon by the Earl Phantomhive and the Marquess Midford, he had no say or influence in the matter at all.
From what Sirius understood, it was not that Edward hated Ciel or found him lacking. He was simply doing his duty as an elder brother, looking out for his sister. It was something the two managed to bond over whenever he came to the Midfords' to study under Lady Midford. Edward found a kindred spirit of sorts and enjoyed his company.
Back to the matter at hand. Sirius' problem with going to Elizabeth's birthday party had nothing to do with the family or the staff. Rather, the problem involved Elizabeth's…childish insistence on making the party as "cute" as possible. Evidently, she took Lady Angelina's advice to heart about how men loved the innocent types and began filling the role and then some. For whatever reason Elizabeth asked Sirius keep her training a secret, reasoning that Ciel wouldn't love her otherwise.
It was adorable how she thought Ciel wouldn't love her for that. Still, he did as he was asked and kept mum about it until either Elizabeth told him or Ciel found out himself.
At first, Sirius wished to get her a dagger for her birthday, custom-made preferably. She would no doubt have a use for it in her efforts to protect Ciel when the time came. Rachel had…choice words for him when he told his parents. Vincent said it was a good idea for a gift, preferably when Elizabeth was older. Tanaka suggested he get her something else, something meaningful for a girl her age.
As Sirius realized two days before Elizabeth's birthday, that was the problem. He genuinely did not know what a child would want, especially a girl as wild as Elizabeth. He never had a good childhood with the Ruska Roma. The days spent with those his age consisted of grueling training under the Director's cold eyes. Birthdays were seldom celebrated, barely even worth celebrating in the Ruska Roma. The few that were celebrated were welcome reprieves from the daily grind, exceptions made by the Director's favorite children.
John Wick remembered a girl in his teenage years. She was an orphan like all the rest, unable to remember what her parents looked like or what their names were when she arrived at the theatre. She couldn't even remember how old she was. Within two years, she became one of the Director's rising pupils. The old woman joked how she'd be as good as Marcus, the man who took over his training when he struck out on his own. He never saw her again after joining the Tarasov syndicate. He did not know what became of her. The last memory he had of her was on his last day with the Ruska Roma when he gave her and many other children a gift. A knife engraved with the words of the Arditi. "Either victory, or everyone dies."
Sirius wondered what was appropriate to give to a girl on her birthday during the Victorian 19th century, and so he went to Lady Burnett for advice.
"Honestly," the woman smiled in exasperation when he asked her. "I do wish you'd call me Auntie, or Madame Red. Even your bother does!"
"Sorry," Sirius said.
Lady Angelina rolled her eyes in exasperation, her smile never leaving her face. "Oh well. I'll get you to call me that one of these days. At any rate, what brings you here, my darling nephew?"
"I need advice. For Elizabeth's birthday."
"You mean her present." He nodded. Lady Angelina smiled wryly. "My sister told me you wanted to get her a knife. A curious choice, I'll admit, but it's definitely not the sort of gift a girl Elizabeth would appreciate. In private, maybe, but not in front of so many people. Lord knows how everyone would react to you giving her a bloody knife for her birthday."
Sirius sighed, having at least the decency to look sheepish.
"Now, if you really want to make your cousin's day, you'll need to understand girls. Fortunately for you, I happen to be an expert!" A familiar glint appeared in the baroness' eyes as she leaped from the sofa, whirling about on the nearest maid on duty. "Charlotte, tell Sampson to fetch the carriage. I must teach my darling nephew the ins and outs of shopping for a lady!"
I have a bad feeling about this…
Sirius' foreboding feeling of dread turned out to be correct. Within the hour, she dragged him into the carriage and brought him along for what was little more than her own personal shopping spree. He had little problem with it, having gone through such outings with Helen before. The difference was that Helen practiced moderation and bought outfits for herself and John.
Lady Angelina, however, had money to burn and different shops to visit. It was mainly window shopping, visiting various tailors and looking at any dress that caught her eye. Unsurprisingly, many of them were dyed in lycoris. The tailors were familiar with Lady Angelina, enough they knew her by name and almost immediately showed her the latest trends.
Thankfully, at least some of Sirius' fears were unfounded. Lady Angelina did not outright buy everything shown to her. She selected only the dresses that fit her personal taste, and required they all be custom fit. It would be a long time before she wore them.
When it seemed like this trip was just for Lady Angelina's benefit alone, the baroness took Sirius to a store whose style did not match her preferences.
"Welcome to Albert's and Sons," the clerk greeted. Sirius could not help but feel reminded of Charon based on the clerk's mannerisms and polite smile. "How may we be of service?"
Lady Angelina got straight to the point. "We're here to commission a dress. My nephew here needs a gift for his cousin. Her birthday is but a few days away. I understand Albert's and Sons takes on custom orders?"
"Indeed we do, my lady," the clerk affirmed. "I am proud to say we've taken on various commissions from many nobles as of late."
"It is the season for social gatherings," she chuckled. Lady Angelina then looked at him. "I'll provide him the measurements. You, dear boy, need to tell him what you want."
Sirius blinked. "Me?"
"This is your birthday gift to Elizabeth."
He sighed, feeling the clerk's expectant gaze upon him. He knew Lady Angelina had a point, but was it necessary to put him on the spot like that? He was used to thinking of plans on the fly, but not like this. Regardless, he let his mind wander and went through a checklist of everything he knew about Elizabeth Midford. Her favorite pastimes, her favorite games, fashion, foods, etc.
A minute later, Sirius told the clerk what he wanted.
Elizabeth's birthday arrived with the expected fanfare. The days leading up to it were met with excitement from the girl herself, who made it quite clear she was expecting something amazing from Ciel. Unlike Sirius, he had no trouble picking out a gift for her. He suspected their father might have helped given the relieved looks he sent to Vincent's way.
Also as expected, the Midford manor was bombarded in pastel colors. Streamers, banners, decorations, and so on. The servants' usual black and white attire were swapped in favor of bright blue and pink, the maids adorned with frills and matching hats.
Lady Midford was no exception, either. It was a jarring sight to see an otherwise proud and stern woman wearing such…unbecoming clothes. The things one did for their daughter.
Unlike the previous parties Sirius attended, Elizabeth's birthday party was reserved for family and close friends of the Midfords. As such, the number of guests was much smaller. The usual social cliques he expected to see where nowhere to be found; instead, it was old friends reuniting and catching up. The children swarmed Elizabeth as they played games. As always, Sirius elected to remain in the background, content to sit and watch the proceedings. That was not the only reason, however. Sirius did not feel comfortable being in such a gathering. He was not used to being a child, figuratively and literally. He had no idea what to do.
Ciel immediately rectified that by dragging him into whatever outlandish game Elizabeth's mind concocted.
Mercifully, however, Lady Midford announced it was time for Elizabeth to open presents.
Vincent and Rachel's gift was a toy from Funtom, a corporation owned and funded by the Phantomhives. It was their latest creation, and more importantly, it had yet to be released to the public. Elizabeth was the first child to get her hands on the "Bitter Rabbit" plush doll. Needless to say, the girl was over the moon.
Lady Angelina's gift was a dress. Not the one Sirius commissioned, but one of her own making. It was not meant for a child, but a grown woman. Specifically, a woman on her wedding day. Elizabeth loved it immediately. Sirius was quite amused when Elizabeth asked his brother what he thought of the dress, watching how his ears turned as red as Lady Angelina's hair and eyes.
Sirius' gift was next. He maintained the best calm expression he could despite his nerves firing on all cylinders as if he was planning to assault Buckingham Palace. Elizabeth undid the ribbon and opened the box, revealing the dress.
"Oh, my…" he heard Lady Midford utter.
The dress was not dyed in pastel colors. It wore frills and puffy sleeves, but its colors were dark; black as night with dark-blue accents. Decorated along the dress' hem and puffy sleeves were roses the color of orchids.
"It's not cute," Sirius said when Elizabeth said nothing. "But you mentioned wanting to match Ciel, so…"
His cousin did not thank him or squeal. Instead, she gave him a bone-crushing hug, reigniting his suspicions that the Midford women were less 'peak' and more 'super human'.
"You should be Earl," Ciel said to him one day.
Sirius, formerly John Wick, looked up from his book. "Why?"
"I just think it's obvious. Madame Midford teaches us both, but you're the one she really likes."
Francis Midford née Phantomhive was Sirius and Ciel's aunt from their father's side. Married to Alexis Midford, leader of the Garter Order, she was just as dedicated to being a leal in her duties as her household, if not more so than its Earl. Depending on who you asked, she was more fitting to be the Queen's Guard Dog than Vincent was.
She was also living proof that there was something off with the world. No normal human could jump off walls or leap ten miles into the air, after all.
Lady Midford was a strict taskmaster and teacher, but only a fool would claim she did not make results. Within six months, Ciel was already at an eighth-grade learning level (at least within the standards of the 19th century) and could ride a horse with little complications barring the size of the saddle. He wasn't quite capable of what Lady Midford could do. In fact, Sirius doubted anyone could do what the woman was capable of unless they pushed their body to the utmost limit.
Despite this, for reasons Sirius could not fathom, Lady Midford took an interest in him. While he attended the same classes and had the same study materials as Ciel, Sirius was at a higher academic level thanks to his past life. That was as far as Sirius thought the education would go since he was not the heir of the house. As the second son, he would receive only the bare minimum of support and was expected to make a life for himself without relying on the Phantomhive name. Evidently, Lady Midford thought otherwise and had him take more…practical lessons. They were nowhere near as harsh as what she put Elizabeth through, taking his frail disposition into account, but still Spartan-like and extremely demanding.
It reminded Sirius of his days with the Ruska Roma, of when he learned how to kill efficiently and effectively. He was not the infamous Baba Yaga then, that would not be until after Viggo Tarasov asked him to join his famiglia. He was simply "John Wick".
"Lizzy thinks Madame Midford likes you, too," Ciel continued with a smile. "You're smarter than me, so I think you should be Earl."
Sirius smiled lightly. "You're smart, too," he pointed out. "You'll do fine. I'm not interested in being Earl."
Ciel pouted. It was…endearing, he supposed. It was nice to know someone looked up to him so much. Respect and admiration was nothing new, but Ciel's was different. His was innocent, seeing only a talented sibling. He did not see the cold-blooded killer John Wick was.
Hopefully, he never would.
"Ah, so this is where you've been." Vincent's voice echoed across the Phantomhive estate's personal library, accompanied by the quiet footfalls against the wooden plans making up the floor. As usual, he was smiling. "Studying hard, I see. My sister loves running you two ragged."
Ciel flailed his arms. "Father, Sirius says he doesn't want to be Earl!"
Vincent's smile grew in amusement. "I'm surprised, Ciel! You don't want to be my heir?"
"What? N-no, that's not—I mean—I-I just—!"
Their father laughed at Ciel's panic. "Relax, Ciel. I'm only teasing. I'm glad you think so highly of your brother, though. It's always good to remember how strong blood is." He kneeled down, gently placing a rough hand on their heads. "No matter what happens, the two of you will always have each other. Don't forget that, okay?"
Ciel did not understand, but Sirius did. He understood what Vincent meant as his 'father' looked his way.
Protect your brother.
He almost scoffed. As if he needed to be reminded.
Sirius was no stranger to political gatherings. In his past life, Viggo asked him to be his bodyguard when he wasn't sending the Baba Yaga out to kill his enemies. Meetings between criminals in the Continental was like walking in a viper's den under the watch of God. The staff would not tolerate any breach in conduct, and if any was caught conducting 'business' on Continental grounds, they were rendered excommunicado effective immediately. There were no exceptions. This did not stop mob bosses and profile criminals to meet, gather, discuss plans, and forge alliances. If anything, it embolded them as they were safe so long as they did not overstep their bounds or become arrogant.
It said something about Sirius when he missed those days in comparison to the galla hosted by Lady Angelina Burnett, otherwise known among many noble circles as Madame Red. A lively woman married to an equally jovial man who could make friends with anyone. Sirius met him only a scant few times, but he made a lasting impression. The baron, it seemed, was just as overly affectionate as Elizabeth's father.
"What are you doing, skulking about in the background?" Diedrich questioned Sirius.
Rather than socialize as his brother chose to do, Sirius took to the sidelines and observed the crowd. Many of the gathered nobles were of similar rank and prominence, with the Phantomhives being the sole exception. Many gravitated toward Vincent, who was in the middle a conversation with a noble Sirius whose name Sirius did not know. He visited the manor frequently, but he seldom kept to himself and only spoke with Vincent. Ciel, meanwhile, joined his mother and Elizabeth and spoke animatedly with Lady Angelina.
Diedrich, who accompanied the Phantomhives for what Sirius assumed was business related reasons, also retreated to the back of the ballroom. He proved an excellent deterrent from anyone trying to socialize with him. Not that many tried. They knew him as the second son, and thus could not prove much in the way of worth.
Sirius briefly glanced at his honorary "uncle" before casting his gaze to the nobles gathered around Vincent. Among them was a man who looked upon Vincent with what could only be described as mania. He was composed, but the glint of his eyes and twitches in his expression told Sirius that he wanted nothing more than to be at his father's side. The passing glances he gave Ciel, which lasted far longer than Sirius liked, were far more intense.
"Who is he?" he asked, pointing to the noble.
Diedrich followed his gaze and frowned. "That is Baron Kelvin. He's rather timid compared to most, but a good man. Why do you ask?"
"He keeps staring at Ciel."
His face turned ugly. "I'm sure Vincent will be pleased to hear that. Hmph. Bastard better not get any ideas…" He tilted his head back and drank from his cup. The wine sloshed as it poured down his throat. A brief lull of silence fell between them, looking on at the ever moving crowds of nobles. Ciel and Elizabeth took to performing an impromptu dance with various noblewomen including Lady Angelina and Rachel as their spectators. "I hope you aren't getting any bright ideas, Sirius."
The reincarnated hitman glanced up at Diedrich. He did not look or even acknowledge him, facing the ballroom in its entirety. "Talented as you are, Ciel is the one who will become Earl. You won't get anything."
"I'm not interested," Sirius replied curtly. "I only want my brother to be safe."
Diedrich finally looked at him, eyebrow raised in curiosity. Sirius paid him no heed and instead continued to observe the gathered nobles.
The Ruska Roma taught him to search for signs, to study and read people's intentions based on the most minute of details. Viggo taught him how to refine it by bringing him to his meetings and deals with his rivals and "friends", people who would not hesitate to stab him in the back at the first opportunity.
Observing the nobles attending the galla, Sirius found several who hid their dark eyes and sneers behind kind smiles. Among them, Baron Kelvin stood out with such transparency that he read the man like an open book. He did not know what sort of thoughts went through the baron's head, but they were anything but pleasant or kind.
One other stood out to him. A nobleman who seamlessly sank into the background, almost unnoticeable until he stepped away from the small crowd flocking to him and joined with Vincent's clique. It did not escape Sirius' notice how Vincent's smile grew tight or for the a scarred man next to him to narrow his eyes.
The noble smiled at the two.
It reminded him of the Marquis.
