"Hounded out by everyone, met with hatred everywhere, no kind words from anyone, no compassion anywhere... Why, Enjolras? Why?" He cried dragging him down once more to the prison of his mind. Enjolras had no answer, for a moment he regretted his actions, but only for a moment. The Phantom forced Enjolras onto the bed, pinning him underneath himself.
"Has killing people blindly lost its appeal? Are you turning to sex? Because I will not be your prey!" Enjolras tried to wiggle free but the Phantom wouldn't take no for an answer.
"You're mine!" It sounded like a threat more than anything. "This face that poisons our love, that earned a mother's loathing, that makes me drink into oblivion, it has denied me the joys of the flesh! This is your fate! An eternity of this face!" He shoved Enjolras away and stood again. Enjolras shook his head.
"Your face isn't the distorted part, it's your soul. You're foul and murderous, you don't believe in anything!" He returned fiercely. The Phantom turned away to let a tear slide down the wretched half of his face.
"I believe in you." He whispered. He turned and saw a man trudging through the waist-deep, murky lake. His mouth contorted into a smile. "It looks like we have a visitor, my Apollo." It was Combeferre.
"Combeferre!" Enjolras cried at the tall, muscular, auburn haired man with the round rimmed glasses and beautiful mossy green eyes. The Phantom seemed very happy to see him, his plan was falling into place. "Free him!" He begged. "Do whatever you want with me, just please let him go!" The Phantom cackled a fearsome laugh.
"Combeferre, it's useless!" But Combeferre didn't listen to Enjolras, he was adamant that Enjolras see the light of day again.
"I love him!" He cried. "Does that mean anything? Show some compassion!"
"The world showed no compassion to me!" The Phantom interjected. Combeferre calmed down enough to be reasonable and a whole lot quieter, a lot more like himself.
"Please, let me see him." He said from behind the gate. At his request, the Phantom cranked the gate upward. He was too eager to see him to wait for the gate to raise enough to let a man of his height pass through, so he dove under it and come up soaking.
"Hello, Combeferre. Did you really think I would harm my Apollo? My light? I would die for him." He swore.
"You are incapable of believing, of thinking, of willing, of living or of dying." Enjolras jabbed at him carelessly. Grantaire replied in a grave tone:
"You'll see." In a split second he returned to his normal, terrifying self. "Why would I make this fine marble statue pay for sins which are yours?" He shouted trapping his neck in a noose. "I've got you now you noble suitor, nothing can save." Now to punish Enjolras. "Except maybe you." He gazed at his love. "You have two choices; stay here with my forever and buy his freedom or refuse me and send him to his death!"
"I don't even pity you anymore, you're a monster!" He scowled at the Phantom.
"Make your decision!" Phantom roared.
"Enjolras!" Combeferre whimpered. "I did this all for you. I'm sorry it's ending like this. I love you!"
"I love you!" He parroted desperately. The Phantom glared at Combeferre with an intensity that could only be caused by obsession and jealousy. "And you!" Enjolras directed his attention to the Phantom. "I thought I loved you, I thought I idolized you, but you are nothing!"
"Don't fight it Enjolras, you can't resist me."
"Either way you chose, he has to win!" Combeferre cried still restrained by the ever tightening noose around his neck.
"So what's going to be, my Apollo? Do you love me or him?" The Phantom commanded his response.
"Why make her lie to save my life?" Combeferre bellowed angrily. "Don't do this Enjolras, don't through away your life for me, not after all I have done to free you!" Enjolras was now openly crying
"Angel of Music, you have deceived me. Why are you so evil? What kind of life have you known? God give me strength to show you that you're not alone!" Enjolras threw his arms around the Phantom and pressed his lips against his with such passion, it was hard to believe this kiss was a sympathy kiss. Combeferre felt the noose be released from the Phantom's strong grip. Their lips separated and the Phantom was speechless, panting and overwhelmed.
All the sudden they heard a snare drum echoing through the caves of the Phantom's lair. All three of them knew at that moment it was the police. No one stirred for a long moment of unnervingly awkward silence. The booming voice of a corrupt angel was the first to penetrate the quiet. "Go!" He ordered at once. "Take him, don't look back. Forget about this. Forget everything! Forget about me, an Angel in Hell!" The pair was shocked. Were they free? "Go!" He screamed sobbing uncontrollably. Combeferre took Enjolras's hand firmly and led him away quickly so they wouldn't be seen by the approaching police. When they were out of sight, Grantaire, the Angel of Music, the Phantom of the Opera, the man behind the mask, began to sing along to the tune his little monkey music book played.
"Masquerade, paper faces on parade. Masquerade, hide your face so the world will never find you." He cried into his hands for a long time. "I love him, but every day I'm learning all my life I've only been pretending. Without me his world will go on turning, a world that's full of happiness that I have never known!" He sang through the weeping. "I love him, I love him, I love him, but only on my own."
