The rain patted my back gently as I walked back to the Opera House. On days like this no one was out and about, so I could be and not be ridiculed for it, or beaten. A few scars remembered their pain at the thought and I stretched to ease them. Looking down at the watch that I had pickpocket from a many years ago I calculated the time it would take Christine to get to the front steps of the newly rebuilt Paris Gariner.

" Less than 30 minutes to get there and then vanish with her pack into the hotel. I am 10 minutes away so, that means I would be able to see her enter the theater like she promised her cohorts to do last time." I murmured when I saw it. Out of the corner of my right eye, the one hampered by the mask I wore, a shadow flitting behind me.

" Hmmm this one knows to stay on my right side." Suddenly a very vivid memory of a chance encounter brought a sinking suspicion.

" So we meet again, my old friend. Come back to terrorize my opera like you did before." My words were overheard by this shadow and it stopped where I did.

" So you can hear me?" I wanted to laugh but keeping calm in such situations was key to my survival tactic. The shadow nodded and then with no provocation disappeared, only to reappear above my head running across the rooftops like a cat. I hit full gear, flying from the alley in hot pursuit. A couple appeared out of nowhere and with as much grace as the ballet dancers I dodged them. Carts became a problem, but grabbing onto a few of them I was able to avoid getting run down by a horse. Soon we, it, and me, reached the Opera House where it ran through the door on the roof. I followed close behind only to discover empty air.

" Damn!" I nearly screamed as I lost my long time foe again into the bowels of my Opera House.

" Come out! I know you're in here. Why won't you show yourself?"

" Why should I?" The question was peppered with a sarcastic tone, but as I turned around I came face to face with my enemy.

He was short, but muscular. Wearing a suit that resembled mine only made of a more sumptuous fabric, he stared at me crossed armed and sitting on the rafters before me. But it was the mask that scared me. Oh, I could tell it was mask; the detail though was so exquisite that at first it even fooled me that there was someone out there worse than I was. I took a step forward, but the man only laughed, shrilly.

" Oh, the Phantom thinks he can scare a Ghost, now doesn't he. How cute." He leapt up with cat like grace, the yellow eyes of his burning holes into mine. But underneath the cold stare I sensed warmth and laughter.

" Well if you want to get me to talk, you're going to have to catch me. Come on, little Phantom, let's watch you play ghost hunter." And with a flash, he stole my mask. It was so fast that I didn't even react fro the first few seconds, but instinct took over and my hand flew immediately to my face.

" Give it back." I snarled, but the ghost merely shook his head no and vanished into the forest of ropes. I sighed and removing my hand began the chase. At first it was easy I was always able to see him, but once we got to the open, the illusions began. I kept seeing doubles of him, and only when I got up close I realized they were reflections. But the point was clear; this Ghost wanted me to see who I was without the mask. Soon though, the game became boring for him, because he just left my mask on one of the mirrors.

" So, now since you have seen yourself without the mask, how do you feel?" His voice made me jump out of my skin. High pitched and raspy, it emanated from all around me. I merely growled in reply, when a sharp scream cut through the silence. Down below a young woman appeared or at least I thought it was. The Ghost had on one of the brat's dresses and mimicking a woman yelled,

" It's the Phantom of the Opera!" In his best version of a woman's voice, a voice that sounded very familiar. Suddenly he was gone, only to be replaced with the suit-wearing Ghost once more.

" You never answered me." He appeared beside me once more with a skill better than mine ever could be.

" Why should I? You stole my mask, taunted me and then asked me how I feel? Hoe do you think I would feel?"

" Well I don't know, I have no need to wear a mask, like yours, but when mine was stripped away, I FELT FREE!" Suddenly he fell off the catwalk railing as I looked down,
" Think the stage is pretty don't you? Well everyone has their weird fetishes." I myself nearly fell off as he leaned over the railing like I was.

" That's it! I don't care whom in the hell you are," I began poking him the chest watching in pleasure as he backed up.

" But you will get out of my Opera House!" And as if on cue, I felt it. It was a ring tucked into his shirt, but it was ring that I knew so very well. With a quick jerk of the wrist I ripped off the mask and the wig just as,

" Christine?" I felt the blood in my face drain. Her eyes yellow like a sunset stared back and with a blue flash disappeared. Reappearing on the stage, she glared at me.

" You should have never done that Erik. Now your life and mine are in jeopardy just like they once were before, but not from you, from someone more powerful than you'll ever realize." And with that she was gone.