Chapter 5- Darkness Deep as Hell

A/N: okay... this scene with the graveyard thing was inspired by the Disney movie the Hunchback of Notre Dame, which is one of my FAVORITE Disney movies. Oh come on- you've all seen it! And if you haven't, go watch it! But yeah... that's my inspiration for this section, and the whole concept of the gypsies living underground kind of came from there too. Though needless to say, the motives were definitely different.

Also... I don't really like how this chapter came out as far as the dialogue between Erik and Raoul goes. It's just very awkward putting them in this situation together... so go with me here!

Also: I HAVE THE SACRED DVD! IT IS MINE AT LAST! MUAHAHAHAHA!

so naturally, i'm seriously inspired! the movie ROX and everybody needs to see it!


Raoul gasped for air, having just been spared being strangled to death. The Phantom had backed away in disbelief.

"Gone?" he growled. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," said Raoul with obvious contempt in his voice, "that she has left, leaving no trace of where she might have gone. So I had assumed that you would have lured her back here."

"She's not here," Erik responded.

"Yes, I can see that," Raoul countered dryly. "I suppose I'll go, then," he said, but Erik stepped in front of him.

"No you won't."

"Do not try to stop me, Phantom!" he said authoritatively. "My fiancé is missing, and I do not have the time to stay down here and fight with you!"
"Do you think," Erik spat, "that I am going to sit here and do nothing while Christine is missing?" He looked at Raoul as though the thought were unthinkable.

"This is my affair to take care of," said Raoul. "Not yours. You have interfered with Christine enough already. In fact," he said, "she has already told me that she doesn't wish to see you again. You... you frighten her... she's afraid of you."

None of this was true; but Raoul figured that it might dissuade the Phantom from whatever he was thinking of doing. If anyone was going to be Christine's knight in shining armor, it would be him.

Raoul's words stung Erik slightly; the thought of Christine fearing him was more than he could stand... but he remained passive.

"Nonetheless," he said. "I will help you find her."

"No!" said Raoul. "I know better than to trust you word where Christine is concerned!"

"I want only the assurance of her safety, I do not wish to steal her from you, boy!" Erik roared. "God knows I should have kept her here, with me. If I had made her keep her promise, she wouldn't be gone now, would she?"

Raoul had no response to that. It was probably true, but he was too proud to admit it. He sighed. "Where do you think she would have gone, then?"

Erik pursed his lips together, thinking for a moment. "I do not think she would have left voluntarily," he said after a pause. "I think she was taken."

Raoul looked horrified. "Taken? By whom?"

Erik shrugged. "I don't know. But whoever it is... will pay," he said menacingly, casting a glance at the Punjab lasso, still laying on the ground. His hand twitched as though he wanted to pick it up.

Raoul took an involuntary step back.

"What about to her father's grave?" he suggested. "She's gone there before..."

Erik remembered the last time Christine had gone to the graveyard. She had gone in search of an Angel... and disaster had struck.

"Perhaps," he said. He turned to retrieve his black cloak from where it sat on the organ. Putting it on, he said, "Come. We should hurry. If she is there... we'll find her."

Raoul didn't move. "I want your word," he said.

"On what?" Erik asked, green eyes flashing beneath the mask.

"That you won't try to make Christine love you. And that you won't kill me," he added as an afterthought.

"I have already pledged to the former, boy," Erik said. "As to the latter," he sneered. "I can only promise not to harm you as long as you give me no reason to. But one... slip..." he bent down to pick up the lasso, "and you might find that certain destinies cannot be controlled."

Raoul turned pale, but overlooked it. "Very well," he said gruffly. "We should go."

"Wait," said Erik, disappearing down the dark hall for a moment. Raoul considered running for it, but remembered the Phantom's warning and decided against it.

When Erik returned, he was carrying his long, thin sword in its sheath. Raoul raised an eyebrow.

Erik merely said, "At least one of us will be armed should the need arise."

Raoul sensed the unspoken words, If we meet any adversaries, I can defend myself while you die.

He frowned, and looked as if ready to open his mouth, but Erik had already passed, sweeping down the stone steps to the water's edge.

"Come on," he growled impatiently, stepping into the water.

Raoul followed, and they made their way through the subterranean passageways in silence. Raoul noticed that Erik wasn't taking him the way that he had come on his way in. Part of him had the sinking suspicion that the Phantom would lead him deep into the labyrinthine tunnels and murder him - or worse, abandon him to die there. At the thought of this, Raoul shuddered and slowed his step, putting a bit more space between himself and the masked man in front of him.

A moment later, they were plunged into an unforgiving darkness, and Raoul was forced to stay closer to Erik for fear of being lost forever.

Finally, the Phantom stopped abruptly, and Raoul, who had let his mind wander, careened right into him. Erik made a deep, angry-sounding throaty noise, but said nothing. Instead, he opened what Raoul discovered to be a door, though how he had found it in the dark, the Vicomte had no idea.

"This way," Erik growled. They emerged onto the streets of Paris, in an alley behind the Opera. The sky had grown unnaturally dark in the time Raoul had been underground; when he had arrived at the Opera, the sun had been shining, but now it had been replaced by dark, threatening clouds. A thick fog was rolling in as well, and had cleared the streets of most people.

The Vicomte shivered- it seemed to be an omen of ill things to come.

Erik put up the hood of his black cloak, completely concealing his face as he moved out onto the main street. He hailed a cab that was passing by, and slipped inside, saying only, "To the cemetery."

Raoul hurried in behind him, and the brougham sped off at once.

When they arrived at the cemetery, Erik paid the cab driver off with a few coins, then started briskly off to the grave of Charles Daae, paying no attention to Raoul.

He heard the boy calling out anxiously: "Christine? Christine!"

But he was left unanswered; the tomb was deserted.

"Where is she?" Raoul exclaimed in disbelief. "If she's not here, where else would she be?"

He looked over at Erik, as though expecting to get some kind of response. But the phantom wasn't paying attention to his words; instead, he was studying the tomb. Slowly, like a dark, hulking shadow, he climbed the steps almost reverently, coming to the wrought-iron door of the tomb. He reached out his hand to open the gates, when the Vicomte said suddenly, "What are you doing?"

He turned halfway around, showing only the masked side of his face.

"I'm looking for answers," he said. Then, more softly as he pushed the gates open, he said, "There's something here... something about this place..."

He entered the tomb. It was a small room, about seven feet deep, with a large coffin in the center, and a small altar.

"Nothing," Raoul said miserably, coming in behind him. "It's a dead end. Maybe we should go to the police- report a kidnapping or-"

"Silence!" Erik snapped, whipping around to face him with a threatening stare.

Raoul closed his mouth.

Erik began circling the tomb slowly, staring at it as though it were a great mystery that he was unable to puzzle out. There was something pulling his concentration to this place... something wanted him to stay there... there were answers to be found here.

He felt as though some other force took over his body as his hands reached out, clad in gloves of black leather, and lifted the lid of the tomb.

Raoul's jaw dropped open.

Not only was the tomb not sealed in any way, instead of a body lying inside there was...

"A hidden staircase!" the Vicomte proclaimed, upon seeing the gaping hole that lead deep underground. "But... how?"

Erik, too, looked astonished. It seemed so unbelievable, and yet, here it was.

"Christine is down there," he said.

"What?"

"Down there. I know she is."

Raoul forced a laugh. "How can you know? You just said two minutes ago that you had no idea where she was, and now you want to go exploring down dark, death-infested tunnels following a hunch?"

"Don't argue with me, boy!" he said. "Something tells me that she is here, and I intend to find her. If you wish to argue, I suggest you leave and let me search for her."

"And let you seduce her once more with your demonic voice?" Raoul said sarcastically. "No way in hell, Phantom. I'm going with you."

"Fine," Erik said, now past the point of being annoyed. One more straw, and he would be ready to murder... Still, he thought, the fop could have his uses...

"You go first," Erik said.

Raoul paled. "Why me?" he asked, and Erik was pleased to hear his voice rise whinily.

Erik's hand on the Punjab lasso silenced any more of Raoul's hypothetical protests.

"How do I know you won't kill me?" he asked, glancing nervously down the steep staircase?"

Erik laughed darkly. "Don't tempt me, boy. Move!"

With one last, uncertain look down the dark tunnel, Raoul began his descent.


A/N: And down to hell they go... literally! Horrors and torments await them... lots of angst, too! Yay for angst!

Next chapter: As Raoul and Erik's search continues, find out what happened to Christine...