Disclaimer: I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch. The idea of Phantom of the Opera belongs to its rightful owner(s).

Claimer: I own all of my original characters.

First off, just to be clear, this is based on the 2004 version of the movie NOT the 1925 or the '80's version! So, if you want to listen to some really good music, I suggest looking at that version of the opera. And it might make more sense if you do and haven't seen or read the book/movie. But on another note, this is different from my other stories. It's Sly's point of view and is a complete branch off of Ramona's missions. And I'm turning this into my Valentine's story since I have no oneshot ideas in mind. So please read and review and let me know what you think of it so far. (:

Thieving Phantoms of the Opera

Chapter 1: A Thief in the Opera

I passed other opera goers calmly. Like myself, everyone was dressed neatly in suits and women were in elaborate dresses for tonight's big event. It was the opening night for the local opera house to professionally put on The Phantom of the Opera. Despite my dislike of operas, I had no choice. Bentley thought this would be a great way for us to get away from the troubles of recent heists but to me, sitting in a chair alone in the boxes high above the stage, listening to nothing but high pitched singing for three hours wasn't my cup of tea. Bentley had me steal three tickets a few nights ago and since I want too happy about the entire situation, I hadn't realized I had grabbed tickets for three different boxes. We decided to stay in a box and away from the regular seats so we wouldn't be recognized. Now we were separated and this night would be longer that I had wanted it to be. But I decided to suck it up and maybe I would find something to do if it got terribly boring. I waited in a line so I could enter the theatre and Murray's obvious outline was ahead of me seven or eight people. Bentley was somewhere behind me, lost in the crowd of people. I took my stolen ticket from my coat pocket and silently gave it to the usher at the front doors after waiting in the line. I was told to enter, go to the left, and follow the staircase to my box. I apparently would be alone inside and would have the entire box to myself.

I did what I was told and eventually found the staircase in question. They were large and painted a shining golden color. I had gotten half way up the stairs before I passed by a woman in an elaborate, baby pink dress. I had just passed by her and I heard her say, "Enjoy the show, Monsieur." I did a quick double take to take another look at the stranger before continuing my way up the stairs and to my seat. Like I was told at the entrance, I was alone in the box. I took a seat in the red, velvet chairs and the curtain closed behind me. I had never seen this opera before or really knew the story behind it but it was apparently an exceptional piece of work. I sat back in my chair and kept my eyes on the stage once the play started. The first scene was apparently a flashback of some kind and I didn't really find anything that exciting until they started to raise the 'repaired' chandelier and the loud opening music started. They play proceeded and I watch, somewhat interested. Realization hit me when I realized the woman playing the main character, Christine, was the same woman I had passed by when I was making my way to my seat. The woman was fairly young and had an amazing voice. They weren't using microphones but I could hear everything the woman said and sung. I sat forward in my seat when something else about the woman caught my attention.

Being a creature of habit, I never went anywhere without my binocucom. I search behind me a few times before pulling it out of the inside pocket of my jacket and looking though it. I zoomed in on the character Christine and my jaw almost hit the floor when I realized that woman was Ramona. I put away the binocucom and couldn't help but wonder what she could have possibly been doing on stage. The only reasonable explanation I could think of was that she had to have had her eyes on something to steal. Or there was an entirely different side to her I didn't know about. And of course after figuring this out, I paid close attention to see what she could be getting at and to hear her sing. I had known Ramona for a while and I knew she was an exceptional pianist, violinist, and who knows what else, but I had no idea she could sing. A couple of hours passed and the opera was starting to come to an end. I had planed my arms against the banister to the box to get a slightly closer look at the opera and I could help but try to think of what would come next. I watched in fascination as the mask of the mysterious man was swiftly ripped away and the crowd started screaming in horror at the man's face. It was so distorted and disfigured, it was hardly recognized as a face. I kept watching as the Phantom quickly grabbed the horrified Ramona by her waist and but the rope to the chandelier before kicking a lever which released a trap door. I watched as Ramona and the Phantom dropped twenty feet through the trap door and through a hole in the stage and quickly disappeared. I heard her scream before the sounds of a crashing glass smashed against the floor and the form and sounds of the young woman disappeared from the opera house permanently.

A while ago I had figured the first section of 'guests' were actually actors playing the parts of the opera viewers and the chandelier was placed in such a way that when it crashed, no one was hurt. The curtain closed briefly to change the scene and I still tried to figure out what Ramona could have stolen. I was starting to get the impression that this was something she did for fun until I remembered that they were using an imported crystal rose as a prop. An extremely stupid decision in my opinion, but that had to have been what she was doing there. The curtain opened a moment later and the music started playing. But when the actors were supposed to come back out, no one appeared. Minutes passed and still no one had appeared on stage but the director.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he started, "we apologize for the delay. It seems that a few of our actors have…disappeared. But don't worry! This will continue shortly!" he quickly exited the stage before I heard someone shriek, "Thieves!" from someone in the back. I figured Ramona had made a run for it with the rose and someone had finally caught on.

I glanced across from me and could see Bentley in the box across the way. He motioned with his head for us to exit and I started out the door. I quickly made my way down the golden steps and decided not to stick around incase the police decided to show up. I decided that before meeting back up with Bentley and Murray, I would stop by and see Ramona to congratulate her on her performance on stage and swiping the crystal rose from a crowed opera house. I walked calmly down the street and after a while, I spotted a familiar woman, dressed in a baby pink gown, leisurely stroll down the nighttime streets. I jogged up behind her silently before speaking.

"I have to say, Mademoiselle, that was an excellent performance you pulled." She turned around swiftly and relaxed when she realized it wasn't an officer or opera house management.

"Well I do appreciate that. And I take it that you did enjoy the performance?" she questioned as we continued strolling down the silent streets.

"What I saw of it." she snorted a quick laugh.

"It was mean that you didn't get to see the end of it, wasn't it?" she lifted and eyebrow after her question.

"Cruel," I gave her a look of false hurt before continuing, "You stole the crystal rose, didn't you?" I already knew the answer but I was in desperate need of a conversation started.

"I did. And I have to admit, that had to have been one of the most fun and entertaining heists I've done." I chuckled and she continued.

"Can I ask you something?" I already knew I'd get for saying this but I did anyway.

"You just did." And just as I had expected, she punched me in chest. It wasn't and angry punch but even for a small person like her, she packed a punch.

"I'm serious!" she said through a laugh and I regained my balance, "I think I already have an answer, but I want to be sure. Have you been leaving single roses and notes at my apartment lately?"

"Nope, sure haven't. I've only sent you roses on your birthday and every time it's a dozen, never any singles. It sounds like you have yourself a secret admirer, Ms. Bandicoot."

"It'd be better if it was but it's more like a stalker. He's not leaving the roses on my door, he's leaving them in my bedroom and I don't know how he's getting in. I lock everything and I've changed the locks at least five times and haven't given anyone a key, not even the manager at the apartment complex. It's starting to creep me out, to be honest."

"He's getting inside your apartment?" I repeated. She nodded quickly before again stating that she kept her doors and windows securely locked, "I don't know what to tell you. I mean I can check your locks if you want me to but I honestly don't know how he's getting in."

"Do you mind?" I shook my head and she quickly ushered me to her apartment complex. Being a man who had left her dozens of roses time and time again, I knew there would have to be someway to get it. But she had a complex lock on her glass door that I even have trouble getting open sometimes.

I followed her down the streets, though the front doors of her complex, up the elevators, and finally to her front door. She pulled her keys out of her purse and showed me the front door was tightly locked. She eventually unlocked the door and we stepped inside. After the door was closed, I noticed she had two key locks on her door that would indeed be hard to crack without leaving a scratch. I looked them over and saw no sign that they had been forced open. She headed towards her room to change and I looked at the locks on her glass door. The handle was locked along with the deadbolt and the turning lock I had trouble opening. Her windows were just as secure and I was stumped.

"There's another one!" she shouted from her bedroom and I swiftly entered the room. And just like she said, there was a single red rose on her pillow and a hand written note was attached to it by a black satin ribbon. She handed me the flower and I over looked the note. I realized that all was written on the note was one of the lyrics from 'The Music of the Night'.

"Do all of them have messages like this?" I placed the note on the bed and she quickly opened one of the drawers in the nightstand.

"All of them do." She said as she handed me a small pile of notes that all had lyrics from the same song on them. I also noticed they were all signed, 'O.G.'.

"And they're all signed that way. That rose wasn't there when I left so he's been here since I've been gone."

"I don't know. Everything's secure and I can't think of how he's getting in. But listen," I handed her the notes back, "let me know if this happens and again and I'll see if Bentley can get some kind of camera or something set up in here to catch the guy in the act. She sighed and thanked me anyway. I decided that I needed to find a way to get her mind off of the notes.

"Now was that really you're voice or some kind of voice modulator?" she giggled softly before answering.

"Trust me, that's my voice. There's no point of singing if you're going to use a machine to tune it and make it sound good." She commented after sitting on her bed, her dress poofing up in the process.

"Well then it is very impressive. I'll let you get ready for the night and I'll go back home before Bentley thinks I got arrested." She nodded and I quickly ruffled her hair before making an exit out of her apartment and back to my own hideout. As I made my way home, I couldn't help but think of the mysterious notes that she had been getting.