Death is a punishment to some, to others a gift and to many a favour.
Seneca.

Chapter 42- Devestation

Erik stood there, blood coating his arms and hands, holding his hand to the dagger at his side. He stared at the door as they emerged from it and gritted his teeth at his error of judgement. Christine had found Raoul far quicker than he had anticipated.

He watched as the Vicomte's face contorted into horror at the sight of him and somehow he managed to suppress a wry smile. Now was not the time. Christine's face, on the other hand, was a different matter. She was not happy at all and she was showing it from the glare in her eyes, the tense way she was standing.

Raoul stared at him, and pushed Christine to one side before pulling a pistol from his jacket pocket and holding it out straight in front of him. Erik watched as Christine stumbled to the ground next to the wall and he watched as the fear spread across her face. Raoul did not even glance down at her, he didn't want to take his eyes off Erik, not for a second.

Erik was standing less than a halls length from Raoul and from the end of his pistol. The chances were that he was seconds away from death and the thought comforted him somewhat.

'Phantom!' Cried Raoul, holding the pistol up straight but shaking violently. Christine stared from her husband to her saviour and back to the pistol in Raoul's hand.

'Raoul no!' she said, firmly but Erik knew her voice was breaking. He had heard it at its most perfect, he had heard it at its worst. He knew when her pitches changed, he knew when the tones and the tempo altered. He knew that she was faltering. 'Please Raoul, put the gun down.'

Erik smiled at Christine, he hadn't expected her to beg on his behalf, particularly after he left her alone in the cellar, after she had found her Vicomte. Raoul's face filled with horror and he shook the pistol hard to get Erik's attention.

'Don't smile at her! Monster!' he shouted. 'Don't look at her!'

Erik shrugged nonchalantly and aimed his gaze back at Raoul, keeping the smile attached to his lips.

'You… bastard!' he yelled and stepped towards Erik, as Erik looked on in amusement.

'Raoul stop!' begged Christine, trying to stand up.

'No, Christine.' Raoul shouted back to her. 'He is haunting me. It's him, he won't leave us… he did it. He must have. I should have known!' His hand was still trembling. 'I'll shoot. He's stalking me, following me!'

'I think your husband needs some water, Madame.' Erik said, the words slipping off his tongue like venom. 'It appears he's slightly delirious.'

'Raoul…' she said, struggling to her feet as he gained more ground on Erik.

'Perhaps if you were honest for a change my dear…' said Erik, glancing in Christine's direction for a brief moment and then facing Raoul again.

'It's time!' said Raoul, choking on his words. Stepping towards Erik. 'No more now!'

'Raoul stop!' she yelled. 'Please! He saved us, saved you!'

'I don't believe you.' He growled and shot her a look over his shoulder, stepping forward. Getting closer and closer to Erik.

'Raoul, please!' Christine cried. 'Please, give me the pistol… there's no need. No point… Raoul. Give me the pistol!'

Raoul stopped walking and stood still for a moment, before glaring back over his shoulder at his wife heaped on the floor.

'So you can shoot me in the back?' he asked as he turned back to look at Erik. 'He won't haunt us anymore. When he's gone, there will be no more! When he's dead…'

'He doesn't die! Phantom's don't die!' screamed Christine as Erik looked on. 'He will live inside you!'

'He wants to live on inside you,' Raoul snapped and raised the pistol once more, aiming it at Erik's chest. Erik too, took a step forward and the room suddenly began to feel claustrophobic. 'Don't move! I'll shoot.'

'Then shoot, Monsieur,' Erik said, the tone in his voice changing to disdain. Raoul stared at him, the pistol wobbling in his grip.

'Don't think I won't!' Raoul shouted, standing still and pulling the pistol up to eye level.

'Then what's stopping you?' Erik asked, stopping. They were barely ten feet apart and Erik's eyes flashed with rage, the memories, the pain and anguish all flooding back. 'Do you think I value my life?' he growled. 'Do you think I care if I live or die?'

Raoul stared, gun out in front, hand still unsteady. Erik watched him tremble, he stayed still.

'Shoot me!' he yelled. 'Be the man who killed the Phantom!' Erik grinned. 'Or just be a man.'

'He mocks me Christine!' Raoul laughed nervously. 'He mocks the man pointing a gun at his chest!'

'Kill me!' he said. 'Fire!'

'You are mad!' Raoul cried, sweat pouring from his forehead.

'No,' said Erik, calmly. 'I am not mad. Not anymore.' Erik glanced from Christine to Raoul. 'I have nothing to live for.'

Christine looked at the two men standing, facing each other like two warriors about to do battle.

Raoul, his dirty blood soaked clothes clinging to his body, his hair matted down on his head. Then she looked at Erik, dry blood turning his hands a dark pink, his own clothes clean.

Raoul, bearded with dirt and grit in the hairs. Erik, cleanly shaven and fresh faced.

Raoul haggard and filthy. Erik, like a statue, strong and graceful.

Their roles had been reversed for that moment, Erik looked dashing and the hero of the tale but Raoul was worn and tired, looking old and ill. Almost ugly. And Raoul, well, Raoul was the madman, he had no idea what he was saying, no idea what he was doing. He was like a scared child. But Erik was so calm, so collected and so in control as he stood staring down at Raoul.

'I have nothing to live for,' he said. 'When you leave here you take her with you again.' Erik shrugged his shoulders gently, the smile had evaporated from his face. 'Noble Vicomte, put me from my misery.'

Raoul glared and Christine, despite her efforts, sobbed.

'No, please.' She said, cries ripping through her body. She tried to compose herself as Raoul stared and once again took aim on Erik. He was really going to do it. 'Not for me Erik, run.'

'I will not run,' he said simply, still watching Raoul but speaking to Christine. 'It isn't death I fear, Christine.' Oh her name on his lips, hell for Raoul, heaven for Christine.

'Shut up!' Raoul cried, what was going on in his mind. Was he really so frightened of what Christine and Erik had that he would risk everything to rid the world of the phantom.

'Raoul no!' said Christine, watching his finger tremble on the trigger. 'Please, Erik move away!' she pleaded, she begged. She cried. 'Not for me!'

'You're not the reason I'll die, Christine.' He said, voice soft as silk. 'If anything you are the reason I'm still alive.' He forced away a tear. 'So don't feel sorry when he pulls the trigger. When I go.' Christine stared at him though the tears were stinging her eyes.

'Erik!' she said.

'Stop it!' Cried Raoul. 'He has haunted you Christine. He's a ghost!'

'Christine, remember, I may be gone from your sight, as I have been before, but not from your heart and not from the music.' Erik said, ignoring Raoul and forcing a smile at her, taking his eyes away from the astounded Vicomte. 'You'll be my heart and my music in death as you have been in life but I won't run and I won't fear it and I don't fear him.'

'STOP! Put it down!'

All three turned to face the door but it was only Erik who didn't look surprised or even bothered. Shock spread over Raoul's face as he stared at the door and Christine looked up terrified.

'Good evening, Detective.' Said Erik, smiling broadly. 'What took you so long?'

'Detective?' said Raoul, glancing from Erik to the figure in the doorway and then back again to Erik.

'Put the pistol on the floor, sir'

'How do I know…' Raoul began.

'My name is Detective Inspector Paul Sanders, I've been looking for you for days. Please sir, do as I say.' He said stepping forward but Raoul circled, moving away from Paul but maintaining his distance from Erik.

'No!' he said. 'You don't understand! He's a monster, a murderer!'

'Isn't that for the police to deal with?' asked Paul, keeping his voice low and calm. 'The gun…' he held his hand out and took another step towards the two men.

Erik was watching on in amusement as the events played out before his eyes. Christine was still sat in the corner, every once in a while trying to get to her feet but she had hurt her ankle with the fall.

'He must be stopped!' Raoul shouted. 'He must be!' he shook the gun.

'Then let me stop him.' Said Paul, edging closer and closer.

'No!' shouted Raoul. 'I must protect my wife.'

'I'm fine,' Christine screamed and hugged her body. Raoul shook his head at her and then at Erik, who had not moved a muscle.

'Please, sir, the pistol.' Said Paul, pushing his hand further in front of him as he walked.

'No!' said Raoul, shaking the weapon violently, pointing it at Erik's chest.

Christine could do nothing but look on as everything unfolded in front of her eyes. It happened so quickly yet so slowly, Paul continued to move forward as Raoul held the gun high. The three men in the centre of the room, the gun aimed directly at Erik's chest. Everything was turning, everyone was moving. She began to cry again as the world stopped revolving at the instant Raoul pulled the trigger and the bullet tore through his torso, as he fell to the floor, as Raoul watched.

Everything was suddenly too much and her world went black.