"I shall be sitting in Box Five. I would like to see this 'Phantom'."
Andre and Firmin looked at Belle incredulously. "Mademoiselle, are you sure that's wise?"
Belle waved them away. She would not let some phantom get in her way to see Christian, even if he was in a less than savory role. "Besides, gentlemen, there are no other seats available."
The managers sighed and walked away, not wanting to argue anymore.
Meanwhile, Erik glared at them from a hidden perch. "You've disobeyed me! You've not only taken my seat, but you're not doing justice for Christian! I want his career to progress, not Piangi's career!" he thought sourly, then focused his glare on Belle. "And you. I see that you love Christian. He's not yours! You will leave him alone! ...All right. If that's how you want to play it, then prepare to pay a price."
The French Revolution drama of Manon was well underway. In the churchyard where Manon had stopped Des Grieux from becoming a priest, the lovers, Des Grieux(Piangi) and Manon(Carlotta), were embracing, happy at being reunited after Manon was taken by a wealthy suitor... when the spurned Guillot intruded, jealous of Manon's love for Des Grieux.
Des Grieux (Piangi) and Guillot (Christian) prepared to duel, both of them insanely jealous over the affections of Manon. They glared at each other, their swords whistling through the air as they drew them.
Belle smiled ridiculously as she gazed at Christian. "I do wish that he had gotten the role of Des Grieux. He would be wonderful in that."
Christian smirked inwardly as he glanced at Carlotta, who was standing stiffly to the side, trying to look distraught... and failing terribly to do so.
"A damsel in distress, maybe, but a fair damsel in distress?" Christian thought as he glared at Piangi, staying in character, "Carlotta, theater is about acting, not about screeching, amateur acting, and tantrums. And Piangi, you might be good vocally, but you look far from a young, lovestruck boy. Honestly!"
Piangi's aria was to declare the prize of the victor and the fates of all of them when suddenly a booming voice cut him off.
"DID I NOT INSTRUCT THAT BOX FIVE WAS TO BE LEFT EMPTY?"
Christian recognized Erik's voice, and it was clear to him that Erik was far from happy. "He's here!" he heard Meg whisper backstage.
"I knew this would happen!" Christian whispered to himself, perfectly aware that there would be much trouble since things were not going as Erik had planned.
"Be quiet!" Carlotta hissed. "Little toad!" Piangi snarled at him.
But Erik heard them.
"Excusez-moi? A toad? No, it is you who are the toads, signor et signora."
There was an awkward silence over the theater.
Beginning over, Piangi started singing when he let out a croak- Christian almost snorted at the sound. Giggles gripped his stomach, but he tried hard not to laugh. He heard Erik laughing too, which tickled him even more.
Piangi tried to sing, but it was no use; every time he tried to sing, a loud toad's croak escaped his throat instead, growing louder with each croak; the more he croaked, the louder Erik laughed.
"Behold! He is singing to bring down the chandelier!" Erik's voice crowed. The enormous, ornate chandelier was trembling, the crystal beads tinkling as the light fixture shook, but the audience was largely unconcerned, for they were too busy laughing.
Enraged, with the audience in hysterics, Piangi rushed offstage, swearing loudly in Italian. Carlotta, sobbbing loudly in distress, dashed after him, leaving Christian on-stage, beholding this awkward situation. Firmin and Andre quickly dashed onto the stage to quiet the audience down.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the performance will continue in 15 minutes time, when the role of Des Grieux will be played by Monsieur Christian Daaƫ," Firmin pulled Christian forward to show him to the audiance. The swath of gentlemen in evening suits and ladies in fanciful gowns stood up and cheered as they saw the young man with the voice that they had came to hear.
"To pass the time, we bring you the ballet from act two of tonight's opera." looking hopeless, they turned to Reyer and the orchestra, waiting for them to begin the ballet. Reyer looked up at them with a perplexed look, and then, in a huff, he ordered the musicians to turn to the ballet.
Christian looked at them, perplexed, then walked offstage to change.
There was a great hustle and bustle backstage as the workers and performers ran this way and that, hurriedly seizing the props, struggling into costumes and shoes. Christian wove his way through the melee as he made his way to his dressing-room.
"Erik really does like things to go his way in these productions..." he mused, looking back at the struggling cast and crew sympathetically, "maybe this will be all. I hope to God that he doesn't do anything foolish! Lord knows what could happen!"
He shuddered, knowing what Erik was capable of. There would probably be something even worse.
The backdrop fell loudly to the stage, startling the dancers. Having struggled into their costumes, they were exasperated with the sudden change in plans. The audience emanated with soft laughter at the backdrop falling suddenly. The hapless dancers nonetheless tried to get through the ballet.
Meg saw something going on above them in the catwalks. It was the Phantom! And there appeared to be some sort of scuffle going on up there. She nevertheless tried to concentrate on the dancing... suddenly Joseph Buquet's unconscious body fell to the stage from the catwalk above, landing with a sickening thud. She screamed in horror. The dancers scattered.
A distraught Firmin and Andre rushed onto the stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, remain in your seats!"Firmin urged, "It was an accident, simply an accident!"
Christian heard Meg scream and dashed out, nearly finished with his Des Grieux costume, and discovered the unconscious Buquet.
"Erik! What have you done?" he thought, reeling from shock.
Belle gasped in horror at the sight of a body on the stage floor. She left Box Five and ran backstage, hoping that everyone was all right... that Christian was all right.
Knowing that Erik had probably retreated to the roof, Christian bolted up the stairs, hoping to find him... but he found upon reaching the roof that Belle had followed him.
