A/N: New as of 2.22.08- Okay, gone for a long, long time, I know. Real life can be so annoying, right? To new readers: just a heads up, "Erik's" chapters are in 3rd person, Christine's are in 1st person, to clear up any confusion.

To old readers: thanks for sticking with me! I promised I would never give up on this story, and I haven't. :)

Prologue: The Job

The melodic flow of the piano was interrupted with the slamming of his fist, which was caused by the ringing of a phone. The once gentle music was now a cacophony of notes. Erik glanced at the mobile phone that was ringing, and decided to ignore the call. Whoever it was, they could wait.

Turning back to his music, he picked up the pen and quickly scribbled some notes on the blank score before the tune was lost in his head forever. It was the first time in months that Erik had been able to compose again, to return to his music. His muse had left him--and why shouldn't she have? Instead of devoting his time to his art, he had devoted it to...other things. But she was back, if only for the moment, and he was detirmined to use every bit of her inspiration. However, his time was again interrupted by the shrill sound of the phone.

With a sigh, he rose from the piano and crossed to the rich mahogany desk where his phone currently sat. He instantly recognized the number--a private line from Smith & Associates. His curiosity peaked. What could they want this time? Who needed to be followed, watched...taken care of? With another sigh, he opened the phone and listened to the man on the other line.

After listening, and agreeing to the task, Erik hung up and replaced the phone to its spot on the desktop. It was not the first job he had done for these men. But, he would endeavor to make it his last. He was tired of playing private investigator and hired assassin to financial wizards who would stop at nothing to either scare or get rid of potential threats to their company. His employers only knew him by his first name, or more commonly--The Phantom. Erik never met any of the men he worked for. It was safer that way, for all parties concerned. After initial contact was made, and a file of personal details pertaining to the job was sent, Erik, true to his alias, would become a ghost, and finish the task. He never got caught, never was seen, never was known. Although there had been a few close calls, he made sure his mobile phone was untraceable, his address hidden and unlisted. He never even went out during the daylight hours, preferring to slip through the shadows of night unnoticed.

He had retreated to America, to Boston, nine years earlier to find peace. His days as a European government assassin were over. But apparently news of his "talents" had traveled to the States on rumors from foreign businessmen who helped fund the governments Erik use to serve. It was two years after he had originally moved when he received his first call to do a job. He had never been quite sure how they had been able to contact him initially. He assumed his one personal contact in the world, Nadir, had been forced to give out his contact information when he was needed in America. Against his doubts, he agreed to the job, and immediately began taking more care to secure his privacy and isolation, reconstructing many of his walls and barriers he had had in Europe. Once again he slipped into further anonymity and oblivion. Still, he had not found the peace or the solace he desired.

So, nine years later, he was still doing jobs for corporations, high class companies, even government jobs. Ridding these new men of obstacles and burdens, ridding them of employees who knew too much, saw too much, and exploited or blackmailed the CEOs and company presidents. But again, he wanted to be done. Erik had earned a considerable fortune over the years, held in private, anonymous overseas bank accounts. He had millions of dollars to his name. After this job was done, he would truly disappear, indulge himself in his music, music that no one else would ever hear. He had been careless on his first move to America, giving Nadir the means to find him, contact him. But after this, The Phantom would truly disappear into the night.

Right after he took care of Randall Chagny.

A/N: Please Review! This is a short first chapter/prologue...so much more to come!