Narrator's POV

When the sun began its climb over the horizon, Astre yawned as a voice bid him to wake.

The familiar scent of Earl Grey tea wafted throughout the room and the blunette sat up and rubbed his eyes, "Earl Grey today, Sebastian?"

"It is Earl Grey, Master Astre, but I am Tanaka." The elderly butler replied pouring him a cup of tea

Astre opened his mismatched eyes, "Ah, I see, my apologies."

Tanaka gave a polite smile and then woke Ciel, giving him a cup of tea before opening the curtains.

The Japanese man then selected the twins an outfit each and laid it on the bed, "Do you require any assistance getting ready, sirs?"

"No, Tanaka, we can manage." Ciel replied, sending him away

Astre and Ciel then dressed for the day, walking down to the dining room for breakfast.

***

After the morning meal, the twins went to their office where they saw Tanaka had already brought in a second desk and put it beside the first.

Astre knew the original deal would remain Ciel's, so he went to the new one that had several stuffed animals and candies atop it.

Because it was early October, the prototypes for this years Christmas toys and confections were waiting on his desk.

He needed to approve or make corrections to them soon so the blueprints would be sent to his factories in India and the finished products would arrive by early December.

The identical boys got to work at their respective desks, Astre finishing long before Ciel and beginning to help him.

At some point, Undertaker walked into the room.

Ciel looked up to face the reaper, "Any news from Polaris?"

"No, the Yard has only just noticed the servants' escape." The white haired man replied

Astre's blue eye widened, "They escaped?!"

Undertaker nodded, "Yes."

Ciel began to speak, wanting to soothe his twin that everything was under control, "But-"

The younger boy did not give him time to speak, standing up and rushing out of the room, "Chances are they will go to my allies, I need to call Lau before Sebastian can get to him first!"

Ciel chased after his brother along with Undertaker.

As the three of them headed to the telephone room, Ciel suddenly gasped as his veins bulged and turned black.

Loosing his strength immediately, Ciel began to fall backwards.

Undertaker quickly caught him before he could loose his footing, "Earl, it seems we have reached your limit for the week."

"Oh bollocks," Ciel sighed, his voice weak, limp in the reaper's arms, "All I want is to rush to my brother's side and yet my body will not do as I say."

Astre no longer heard footsteps behind him and turned around, seeing his brother half-fallen.

The twins locked eyes, the elder giving the younger a strained smile.

"I-Is this how you felt...as you looked out the window that day...w-watching Lizzy and I play in the-the garden?" Ciel asked through stutters, his eyelids drooping

Astre did not have time to reply before Ciel passed out and Undertaker cradled the undead boy in his arms.

Undertaker stroked Ciel's smiling face, "I am not sure, you seem quite happy right now."

"W-What just happened?" Astre asked

"The Earl's body requires blood to function and his body converts it into this pus slowly until all the blood is converted. Usually, he can go a week between transfusions but with how active he has been these past few days it has made the conversion accelerate." Undertaker explained, carrying Ciel to the master bedroom

The reaper then laid the unconscious boy in bed and put a needle connected to a tube in his arm, draining out the pus.

Once the pus was gone, he wheeled in a machine that performed the transfusions and it pumped fresh Sirius blood into Ciel.

"He will be asleep for an hour or so." Undertaker added

Astre nodded, walking to the telephone room alone to call Lau.

***

Sebastian and the four other Phantomhive servants made their way through London hidden in the shadows.

Their mouths were covered with bandanas as their made their way towards the Opium Den Lau operated out of.

One of the serving girls led them to the room where Lau sat smoking off a hookah, Ran Mao on his lap.

"Ah, Mister Butler, I was expecting to hear from you." Lau greeted, puffing out some smoke

"You were?" Sebastian asked

Lau opened his eyes, "The Earl just called me a few moments ago, said you were likely to come seek my aid."

The servants visibly relaxed, thinking Astre had called to help them while he took his brother down from within.

With that, the serving girls brought refreshments and they were told to relax and that the Earl had made arrangements for them all.

Sebastian suddenly perked up as his sensitive ears suddenly heard a group of footsteps running towards the room they were in.

The others seemed to hear it as well.

"The Earl also informed me that the five of you betrayed him and that he would turn a blind eye to a few of my special shipments if I called the Yard to let them know you were here." Lau added, "How could I not take the advantage of having the Earl in my debt during this crisis of his?"

Finny gasped, "T-This cannot be true?! The Young Master would never betray us like this! The imposter must have been the one to have call you!"

Lau shrugged, "I am delighted to sit on the lap of anyone as long as there is money involved."

The five servants ran out of the Opium Den as Scotland Yard arrived, hurrying back into the London streets.

It seems they would need to find a new place to recuperate and make their plan to rescue their master at...