Title: Betrayal of Trust

Category: EC w/ Raoul bashing

Rating: M

Summary: Raoul's not the man Christine thought him to be. What happens when Erik finds out? Will he be able to help?

Chapter Eight

"There's nothing under the opera house but a lake. What do you expect to find under there?" Lemur asked confused. "Its where that monster lives. Its where he took her before. It must have survived the fire and mob somehow. I know they'll be there" Raoul answered angrily. Raoul stalked over to his desk drawer and opened the bottom draw. He pulled out a old silver pistol. He held the cool metal in his hand. Testing the weight. "This was my grandfathers. He used it to take care of business that only had one way out. I intend to use this tonight to rid my life of that grotesque phantom once and for all" he said, showing Lemur the gun "I need you to come along incase something should go wrong. If I should have to chase after Christine then I would need you to take care of the monster"

"I would like to bring along one of my men. Thomas. He's skilled at navigation and lock picking. One of my best men. He's waiting outside"

"Take whoever you want, so long as the phantom's dead and I have Christine in my arms in the end"

Lemur nodded in agreement. "The payment then Vicomte" he said. Raoul left the room for a moment and game back carrying a money satchel. "Here 30,000 francs. Now lets go" he said and tossed the money at Lemur and stormed out of the room and out the front door.

The three men quickly made their way quickly to the opera house. Raoul lead them around back to the old stage door entrance, the only one which hadn't been barricaded, which Thomas easily picked the lock to and gained entry to the opera house. "Do you know how to get down to this lair you speak off?" Lemur asked, unsure of Raoul's idea. "Of course I do" Raoul retorted "I've been down there before, not a year ago. Come gentlemen this way to the cellars"

"Take a torch" Raoul said pointing to the wall next to the cellars entrance. Each man grabbed their own torch and lite before Raoul pushed the doors open with a loud creak the echoed through the opera house. Raoul lead them down a dozen stair cases when finally they reached the underground lake. "Keep a watchful eye" Raoul warned "He has set many traps around here" Lemur and Thomas looked around warily but continued to follow the Vicomte as they waddled through the knee high lake. Not twenty minutes later they saw a glow of candles in the distance. "I told you" Raoul whispered "He has taken her here" "Then here we shall retrieve her" Lemur smirked. The three of them walk towards the glow of the candles.

Not ten feet from the gates Raoul called out smirking "Christine, my dear. I have come to bring you back home" He walked up to the iron gates and looked through. There was no sign of Christine or the Phantom but all the gates lamps were lite around the lair. "Do you know how to get through this" Lemur asked motioning to the gate. "No but don't' worry, the monster inside will let us in. I'm sure he can't wait to get his hands around my throat. I'm prepared though" Raoul said and held up his pistol. Raoul was taking no chances. The phantom would die by his hand tonight and Christine would be at his side once again. "What the hell is that?" Thomas stuttered pointed inside the lair. Raoul and Lemur looked inside and saw the phantom, Erik, standing near the shore without a mask. "Fondest greetings good monsieurs" Erik said a look a hatred in his eyes. "I've come for my wife monster" Raoul sneered "It would be wise for you to hand her over" "She is not your wife de Chagny, and I take pleasure in informing you that she is no longer your fiancé" Erik yelled angrily. Raoul banned his fist against the gates and screamed "Let me in you monster. Fight me like a man, if you can call yourself that" Erik tired to control his rage but it was building. His breathing was labored. 'He hurt Christine, they all hurt Christine' he thought to himself. "Very well monsieurs, enter if you will" Erik said hitting the switch that raised the gates. A shudder rained through the lair as the gates creaked and slowly began to rise. Erik took advantage of the moment and retrieved his sword and another Punjab lasso, preparing himself to fight the three men. Thomas entered first. Erik, with reflexes like a cat, darted forward in the water and threw the rope around the mans neck. With a hard tug Thomas' neck snapped, he fell to the ground dead. Erik was out of the water and hidden from view before Lemur and Raoul could react to what happen. "The bastard killed one of my men" Lemur yelled kneeling at Thomas' side. "I told you he was dangerous" Raoul said looking around the layer "Remember to keep your hand at the level of your eyes"

"What the hell is that suppose to mean?"

"It means unless you want to be lying in the water dead with a broken neck you'll heed my words"

Raoul slowly waddled through the water, keeping his eyes sharp for movement. "Come out, come out where ever you are" Raoul sung out sarcastically.

Erik stayed hidden behind a set of mirrors. Now was not a time to rush into a situation. He was out numbered and if he was to succeed in protecting Christine and ridding the world of the Vicomte he had to keep himself in check and not let his anger get the better of him. "You will die tonight Vicomte" Erik mumbled to himself. He watched as Raoul and the man with him slowly made their way to the shore.

Raoul motioned Lemur to keep going straight while he headed towards a set of rooms. "Christine darling, where are you?" Raoul called out "If you come out now sweetheart I promise to be lenient with you" He waited for a response, when none came. Raoul's anger began to bubble. "I'm not going to ask you again Christine" Raoul began and pushed open a door, the room was empty. "Come out and your punishment won't be as bad"

He pushed open the second door, a empty room. His eyes turned towards the last door. "Christine" Raoul sang and kicked open the door.

Christine looked around the room frantically, trying to find a way out other then the door. She could here Raoul getting closer. "Erik" she whispered as her eyes darted around the room, looking for a place to hide. "Christine" she heard her name whispered from behind. Christine whirled around and saw Erik emerging from a secret panel in the wall. "Erik" Christine cried quietly and hurried over to him, holding her stomach painfully. Erik pulled her into his arms and slide the panel shut. "I'm going to have to hide you Christine" he said holding her head in his hands.

"You have to stay hidden in this passage no matter what happens, do you understand?"

Christine shook her head no, tears streamed down her cheeks. "Erik no" she cried "I don't want to loose you. We'll both stay here and wait till he's gone"

"No Christine. It has to end here. He won't leave you alone"

Christine pulled away from him and peaked though a hole. She gasp at the sight of Lemur and pulled away. "Erik that man is from the Guard. He's dangerous Erik" Christine cried. "Don't worry angel, I am quiet dangerous myself" Erik wiping a tear away from her cheek.

"Wait here Christine, I promise that I will be back for you"

With a kiss to her forehead, he quickly made his way down the passage way and through another secret panel. Christine watched him go then peak again through the hole. Raoul came up to Lemur, mumbling something she could not hear. "I haven't found either of them but when I do that man is dead. He killed my best man" Lemur said looking around the lair. "There was no sign of Christine in those rooms. He's hidden her somewhere. Lets be rid of him then when can find her" Raoul said and pulled out his pistol. Christine gasp and shrank back. Erik had no chance if Raoul had a gun. She couldn't let anything happen to Erik over her. As quickly and quietly as she could, Christine made her way back to her room. She silently walked over the door and peak out. She could see Lemur and Raoul searching around the main part of the lair. Erik was somewhere over there. She had to have patience's and wait. Wait for the right moment to cause a distraction so Erik could disarm Raoul of his pistol. "Please God" Christine whispered "Help us".

Erik watched the two men search his home. The one, whom Christine said was from the Guard, was getting closer. A few more feet and Erik could attack. The man only had a dagger as protection and Erik, with his sword, would have the upper hand.

"Come out phantom and fight like a man but wait, you're not really a man, from what I've heard you're a circus freak" Raoul yelled. Lemur turned to Raoul and smirked. Erik his rage boiling over charged at Lemur with his sword. Lemur was not ready for the attack but managed to move so the sword only cut his arm. The two man began to fight. Raoul used the opportunity to pull out his pistol and pointed it towards Erik. "No!" Christine cried and ran towards Raoul. Raoul turned towards Christine's voice and saw her run up to him, grabbing the his hand that held the gun, struggling to get him to release it. Erik himself was distracted by Christine cry which allowed Lemur to stab him in the shoulder. Erik staggered back a few steps. "That's for Thomas" Lemur sneered "and this is for..." Lemur stopped suddenly and looked down at his chest where Erik's sword just stabbed him. Lemur fell to the floor giving Erik a view of Christine struggling with Raoul for a pistol. "No" he whispered terrified and hurried towards them.

"Let go Christine" Raoul sneered in her face "Let go before I have to hurt you" Christine grip tightened. The back a few steps, coming dangerously close to the edge of the rock they stood on.

"Never. I won't let you shoot him Raoul"

"Have it your way then"

Raoul twisted her arms and pinned their hands between their chest. Christine winced in pain but kept her grip on the pistol. If she let go then Erik would be shot. Raoul saw Erik running up the steps towards them. He had to get the gun now. With on final tug a shot ran out, echoing throughout the lair.

The sound of the gun stopped Erik in his tracks. He watched Christine's eyes widen in shock. "NO!" Erik screamed as both Christine and Raoul fell rolling into the lake below.