V. I Chapter 30: Agent Z-2

Ciel left Japan that night, flying back to London by plane. He arrived early in the morning, but just jumped in a taxi.

"Where to, Sir?" the driver asked

Ciel arranged his briefcase on his lap as he said, "Agent Z-2 here to report."

The man's eyes changed from oblivious to a narrowed understanding. "What shortens time?"

"Betrayal shortens the time of those who commit it. What makes time unbearable?"

"Too much peace. Good thing we know that will never happen. I welcome you back, Agent Z-2." The man started driving. "Your uniform is in the passenger seat."

Ciel nodded and rCiel left Japan that night, flying back to London by plane. He arrived early in the morning, but just jumped in a taxi.

"Where to, Sir?" the driver asked.

Ciel arranged his briefcase on his lap as he said, "Agent Z-2 here to report."

The man's eyes changed from oblivious to a narrowed understanding. "What shortens time?"

"Betrayal shortens the time of those who commit it. What makes time unbearable?"

"Too much peace. Good thing we know that will never happen. I welcome you back, Agent Z-2." The man started driving. "Your uniform is in the passenger seat."

Ciel nodded and reached out, peeling off the back of the front passenger seat. Inside was a folded uniform. He started to undress.

"Whatever mission you were on must've done a number on you," said the driver.

"Indeed." Ciel put on the black button-up shirt and black pants. He slipped the sunglasses over his eyes before moving the wrist shackles into his pants pocket.

"How's the outside world?"

Ciel smiled slightly. "Well, let's say it's a bit difficult even for me to slip away, since I'm juggling so many undercover operations. However, all I can pull away from my daily life is that it's busy and dangerous."

"Nasty combo there, yeah?"

Ciel agreed. "I'm shocked how much danger there is having a high position in a major company. However, I am more than equipped with the ability to survive those dangers."

"I know you are. Anyway, let's get you there fast so the Boss can hear your reports."

Ciel nodded. He'd been working as agents for both of his parents' mafias. As Agent Z-2 for his father, and as Phantomsight for the Yakuza.

It was a miracle his parents hadn't figured out it was their son who worked for them, but somehow they hadn't.

Ciel laughed quietly as a peculiar thought popped into his head. He found it funny that two people who lived to kill could create a life between them.

His parents had actually met in a mafia skirmish. They'd tried to kill each other, but where equally matched, and ended up at a draw. After, they'd talked for a bit and went back to their bases with no animosity between them.

Whenever they'd fight, it was always to the death, but with no enmity. However, a bit later, Michael had finally confessed. On their first date, they were cornered by thugs, but they took care of them very easily and continued.

About a year later, both had been promoted to bosses, and Michael proposed. They were married, moved to the Japan countryside, and lived there happily for just about five years.

"Agent Z-2, we've arrived."

Ciel looked out of the window at the tall corporate building that served as the main base for the English Mafia. He knew that the company above hid the mafia below, but the company was just as dangerous as the mafia.

Ciel got out of the car, throwing his black suit jacket over his shirt, adjusting the cuffs for an easy knife-release from the dozens of blades hidden in sheaths along his arm.

The security for the bottom levels would search him but only the outside, as was customary for this mafia. Even if they found something, the security didn't have to take it away. There were a few who did, but most of them let weapons pass because they were bored and hope a fight breaks out that they could watch later.

Ciel put his handgun in the holster around his waist, bidding farewell to the driver. He brushed dust off his jacket from the day before, looking up at the building. It was still dark, but the lights were bright and made Ciel wonder how long employees worked here, and if they were getting enough rest.

Ciel pinched himself eached out, peeling off the back of the front passenger seat. Inside was a folded uniform. He started to undress.

"Whatever mission you were on must've done a number on you," said the driver.

"Indeed." Ciel put on the black button-up shirt and black pants. He slipped the sunglasses over his eyes before moving the wrist shackles into his pants pocket.

"How's the outside world?"

Ciel smiled slightly. "Well, let's say it's a bit difficult even for me to slip away, since I'm juggling so many undercover operations. However, all I can pull away from my daily life is that it's busy and dangerous."

"Nasty combo there, yeah?"

Ciel agreed. "I'm shocked how much danger there is having a high position in a major company. However, I am more than equipped with the ability to survive those dangers."

"I know you are. Anyway, let's get you there fast so the Boss can hear your reports."

Ciel nodded. He'd been working as agents for both of his parents' mafias. As Agent Z-2 for his father, and as Phantomhive for the Yakuza.

It was a miracle his parents hadn't figured out it was their son who worked for them, but somehow they hadn't

Ciel laughed quietly as a peculiar thought popped into his head. He found it funny that two people who lived to kill could create a life between them.

His parents had actually met in a mafia skirmish. They'd tried to kill each other, but where equally matched, and ended up at a draw. After, they'd talked for a bit and went back to their bases with no animosity between them.

Whenever they'd fight, it was always to the death, but with no enmity. However, a bit later, Michael had finally confessed. On their first date, they were cornered by thugs, but they took care of them very easily and continued.

About a year later, both had been promoted to bosses, and Michael proposed. They were married, moved to the Japan countryside, and lived there happily for just about five years.

"Agent Z-2, we've arrived."

Ciel looked out of the window at the tall corporate building that served as the main base for the English Mafia. He knew that the company above hid the mafia below, but the company was just as dangerous as the mafia.

Ciel got out of the car, throwing his black suit jacket over his shirt, adjusting the cuffs for an easy knife-release from the dozens of blades hidden in sheaths along his arm.

The security for the bottom levels would search him but only the outside, as was customary for this mafia. Even if they found something, the security didn't have to take it away. There were a few who did, but most of them let weapons pass because they were bored and hope a fight breaks out that they could watch later.

Ciel put his handgun in the holster around his waist, a standard arm much weaker than his own, but the only one he'd be allowed to keep on him once inside.

Typically, if the guns weren't confiscated by security outside and inside the base, someone would find a way to steal them.

Ciel didn't feel like losing his favorite handguns, so he'd left them at home.

"State your name."

Ciel looked past the security guards, strait at the elevator door. "Agent Z-2 reporting in."

"Welcome back, Agent Z-2. The Boss has been expecting you and is awaiting your presence."

" Very well." Ciel reached in his pocket, removing a peculiar milky white switchblade and a deck of playing cards, handing one to each. "The switchblade is bone, and therefore not detectable by metal detectors in airports. The cards are a quarter of a millimeter thicker than normal cards, but have hidden blades in every card."

"Thank you, Agent Z-2."

"I know you assassinate on planes, Agent Y-5, and I know Agent K-3 is an undercover agent for a casino. I think it would be a shame to lose talented agents."

"Thank you very much, Agent Z-2. Please go in."

Ciel nodded and entered the elevator, a small green flashing light going off in the corner.

Thirty seconds.

Ciel knew they'd redone the security in the place since Acacia had wrecked it. He had thirty seconds to find the secret mechanism that let the elevator access the bottom floors without alerting the security watching the camera feed.

Ciel started by pulling his phone out of his pocket, pretending to look at a calendar as he glanced around out of the corner of his eyes.

He saw nothing.

Ciel turned the phone off, but as the screen went black and he was about to put it away, he saw a strange piece of metal on the roof. His lips curled up in a smile as he flicked his wrist, one of the small knives falling into his hand from his sleeve. Ciel yawned, and as he did, he discretely sent the knife at the ceiling, the blade embedding in something before the light at the elevator stopped blinking.

The elevator started to sink as he tugged the clear wire connected to the knife, pulling it out of the button and back into his hand.

Clever, but it would have been a disgrace if he couldn't have found that.

Ciel stepped out on the third floor, where weapons were commissioned. "Excuse me."

"Oh, it's good to see you again, Agent Z-2," said David, the Head Crafter.

"Thank you, David. I have a favor to ask. Can you clean and melt these down for me? I have the design of what I want right here."

"Yeah, no problem. Thanks for taking the measurements ahead of time, though," said David.

Ciel nodded. "I'll pick it up before I leave, after my meeting with the Boss."

"Sounds good. It was good to see you again."

"Same here," Ciel said, turning back to the elevator.

He hit the button the roof again, waiting until the elevator stopped by itself this time, knowing he was deep, deep in the earth.

"The Boss is expecting you, Agent Z-2," said a security guards cloaked in shadow.

"Very well." Ciel walked through the long, dark passage, lit every hundred feet by a single bulb, casting the spots between them in darkness and shadow.

Ciel took a deep breath, steadying himself. He had to go through this eventually. And it was about time he did something he should have done years ago.

"Go in," said another guard standing in front of a heavy iron door, opening it for Ciel.

Ciel nodded, striding through and into a large, dark room. A single light turned on, right above the head of a sitting man, keeping Ciel, who was standing a couple dozen feet away, in semi-darkness.

"Welcome back, Z-2," the man said, staring down at Ciel. The man had Ciel's back hair, his dark blue eyes, pale skin, face structure... everything.

"Thank you," Ciel replied. "I've come to deliver my report."

"Proceed."

"I've spent my time undercover in the Yakuza, as well as high up in LEO Corp. After careful observation, I have reason to believe that Acacia Michaelis is vulnerable."

The man stood. "Good job, Agent Z-2."

"Thank you for the praise," Ciel replied. "I have one other thing to report."

"Go on," said Michael Jackson.

"While I was investigating, I discovered that you have a son, other than the one you share with your current wife."

Michael just stared at Ciel for a long while. "Yes, I did," he replied. "He was a bright young boy. He looked at me, but had the fire and passion his mother had."

"Do you miss him?"

"I don't miss him or her, but I miss the peace we had together," Michael replied.

Ciel nodded. "Very well."

"Finish your report."

"Yes, Sir." Ciel walked closer, raising his hand to the glasses he wore, waiting until his face was exposed to the light before taking them off, staring into an identical pair. "I just wanted to say goodbye, Sir," he said. "I hope you enjoy the rest of your life." Ciel turned around, turning back to the shadow. "And I have one more thing.

"Once, I was the greatest shadow, who could pretend to be someone I wasn't," Ciel said. "My light, who made sure I could function, was always you and her."

"C-Ciel..."

"Don't worry. I found a new light," Ciel said, giving a ghost of a smile over his shoulder. "I promise I'll be back for both of you. Because you two aren't allowed to die until I kill you."

Michael stared at Ciel's back as he moved back to the door. "Very well," he called. "I'll be waiting for you. You... have truly grown into an amazing young man, Ciel." My son, Michael wanted to say, but the words stuck in his throat.

Ciel nodded. "I understand, Father."