A/N: I do not own Phantom of the Opera or any characters in it.
Ahh! It is complete! I can have a life now! Of course, only until I start writing again. I would like to take the time to thank everyone that has reviewed this story. You made my first fanfiction a memorable one.Thank you, and I hope to write for you again.
Without further ado...
Christine sat huddle against the wall. She was cold and she hurt. Katerina had said that the men would come for them but she had not sounded happy about it. Katerina had been livid, she had seen papers stuck to the walls in the grotto and realized that they were Erik's writings. His diary, his music, his drawings… That was how he had known what to do to them. The man was obsessed, it seemed, with Erik and Katerina didn't want them anywhere near each other.
Christine shifted and then she blinked. It was quiet, perfectly quiet. The man's babblings had ceased. She looked up as Katerina suddenly stood, staring out across the grotto.
Christine felt her entire body tense.
Erik was walking towards the grotto, very nonchalantly, through the underground lake. He came and leaned against the portcullis.
"Well, Monsieur? Are you going to let me in?"
Christine's eyes flew to the madman that stood almost motionless on the rocks. Then quite slowly, he bowed and she heard the clank of machinery as the portcullis began to rise.
"You are late in coming," the madman's voice echoed through the grotto.
Erik shrugged, "I was detained."
Christine watched Erik step into the light of the grotto as the phantom's eyes darted all over the grotto.
"We seem to be missing a player, Monsieur. Perhaps you would enlighten me?"
"I sent him on an errand. You did not think the police would be kept out of this forever did you?"
The phantoms short barking laugh filled the grotto, "Brave man you are, willing to get dragged away for your sins."
"Braver than you are," Erik's voice had taken on a decidedly dangerous tone.
Christine swallowed as the phantom slowly stepped into the water until they both faced each other. They were almost the same height, almost; Erik stood an inch taller than the phantom. The mask, the posture… it unsettled her. Like seeing your reflection in a mirror but the mirror was lying to you, it wasn't showing you, it was showing someone else.
They circled each other like predators and Christine saw Katerina run to the end of her chain. She strained against it, keeping her eyes on Erik.
Erik gritted his teeth against the cocky figure that this man cut in front of him. He reminded Erik of a child, a child trying to imitate an adult, and he wasn't doing a very good job at it.
Erik stood straight and looked him in the eyes, "I have come to discuss terms."
The man's eyes widened and he grinned, "I knew I liked you the moment I read about you. Such a dashing idea, such a villain you were. Your little artiste has made you soft."
"Perhaps you would like to see just how soft?"
Erik crossed his arms under his cloak, his hand finding the hilt of the blade that was hidden under the folds of cloth.
"Is that what you really want? To kill me?"
Erik allowed himself the luxury of a smile, "The women are leaving here alive, and unhurt. If I have to kill you for that to happen it will be no strain on my conscience."
"You are a villain," the man gave a chuckling laugh, "I can see it in your eyes, murder never really goes away. You're never really forgiven, in the end you are just as I am."
Erik hand tightened on the hilt of his sword, "I am nothing like you."
The man cocked his head, "Do you really believe that? Deep down in your rotten soul…"
"Shut your goddamned mouth!"
Katerina's voice echoed in the catacombs and Erik saw the anger on her face as silence filled the grotto.
The man smiled first, "She's a charming little angel, isn't she? I wonder what she tastes like."
"You'll never know."
The blade flashed from his cloak as the man mirrored his action.
Katerina yanked on the chain that tethered her to the wall. Damn it! What the hell was Erik doing just waltzing in here? The damn man had to have a plan! Swords clashed in the murky water and Katerina looked up.
They were dueling, oh wonderful…
The damned chain was not budging, Katerina stared at her bloody wrist; she could try pulling it through again. The memory of pain made her hesitate and she heard a faint scraping. Katerina blinked as the mirror along the far wall slid open.
Raoul!
Christine leapt to her feet as Raoul made a motion for them to be silent. Katerina nodded and shoved Christine at him. He quickly examined the chain and went to where it was attached to the wall; he motioned for them to pull. Katerina wrapped the chain around her hand and tugged, as did Christine and Raoul shoved a dagger into the loop of metal that held the chains together.
Erik tumbled into the water and brought his blade up to block. The man was strong and his form was wild. It was all Erik could do to block his attacks. Damn it! He could see Raoul now and if he could see him then…
Erik twisted away and feinted to the right. The man fell for it and left himself open for an instant. Erik struck but found his blade locked with the phantoms. His eyes were wild and he laughed as Erik tried to twist his blade away. He suddenly found himself being flung backwards towards the portcullis, he blinked as the man didn't attack but quickly drew a pistol from his belt.
The world blurred around him for an instant as Erik frantically shouted a warning but the phantom fired; right into the alcove where the girls were.
Christine thought she screamed, maybe it had been someone else. The world came back into focus for an instant with Katerina yelling.
"Raoul! Christine, catch him!"
It was a mess in her head but she managed to catch her husband before he crashed down onto the stone floor. Katerina was there in an instant, pulling off his cloak and ripping a length of cloth from it. Christine blinked, he had been shot. That was what happened, Raoul had been shot.
Katerina was holding the cloth against his shoulder as he grunted in pain. Christine could see blood dripping from beneath the wadded cloth. Her head was a cacophony of fear and sounds. Oh God, please God, don't let him… Please don't…
"Christine!"
She blinked and looked at Katerina.
Katerina looked at her, "You need to keep pressure on the wound. Do you understand?"
Christine blinked for a second and then nodded.
She took over for Katerina cradling Raoul in her arms. His eyes fluttered and he tried to move.
"Stay where you are, Vicomte. You'll bleed out if you start moving."
Katerina's sharp voice snapped him back into consciousness and he looked up at Christine.
"Christine…"
"Shush, don't move."
She didn't know what to say, what to do. She didn't want to cry in front of him, she didn't want to be afraid. Christine felt her chest flutter and she almost lost control, but he smiled at her. He smiled at her… Oh God please…
Erik tackled the man over the screams. He didn't see what had happened. He had been too preoccupied with trying to stop it.
"Raoul! Christine, catch him!"
It had hit Raoul…
He felt his wrist strike something and his blade tumble away into the water. Luckily for him the phantom seemed to have also lost his weapon. Erik felt a jerk on his cloak and quickly pulled the tie, loosing the cloak as the man lost his grip on him. Erik turned and slammed the man into the stone wall by the portcullis. They stood there, scuffling for a moment, testing each other's strength.
The man grinned, "You think you'll get away with it, don't you? That you'll always get away? Not this time."
Erik heard a sharp click and a brilliant flash of light erupted from the man's hand. That bastard had set off a flash powder bomb.
He was being slammed backwards into the portcullis. He struck out blindly and made contact but it was weak and in a second there was a hand around his wrist, tight and painful and incredibly strong. Erik heard himself cry out as something in his wrist cracked and he tumbled to his knees.
"You always get away with it," he could hear the voice echo above him and it sickened him, "not this time, fellow ghost, this time I get away, I disappear."
Erik heard the clank of metal and then he was kicked squarely in the chest. Erik blinked as he was slammed back into the water and went under. He quickly sat up as his vision began to clear, only to realize in a sudden horror that he was under the portcullis, and that the madman was bring it down.
Katerina felt her heart freeze when she looked up. The madman was standing over something in the water. His hands were hooked into the portcullis. He was holding it down. Holding it down on… She saw a hand burst from the water and grasp onto the portcullis. Erik was trying to pull himself up but…
Katerina looked at Christine who trembled in fear and at Raoul who was bordering on unconsciousness. Raoul's sword lay with his torn cloak a few feet away. Katerina looked up at Erik once more. He couldn't move. He was pinned and she saw the madman ease his grip for an instant before pressing the wall of metal down again.
Finally she looked down at her hand, bloodied in the shackle. After a moment she swallowed. She knew how the human hand was built. She knew what bone to break…
Erik struggled to breathe as the length of metal pressed into his chest. He knew ribs were broken and if he didn't do something quickly he was either going to drown or be crushed. His right hand was useless and his left arm shook as he tried in vain to keep the portcullis from cutting him in half.
He could hear laughter; he could hear the damn man laughing!
"I will win, there will only be one ghost; I will be the ghost…"
He pressed the portcullis down as his babblings grew less coherent and Erik felt his grip slipping. He was weaker than metal, he was weaker than madness… His head dipped under the water for an instant and he gritted his teeth as the strain of holding himself up grew.
He felt the world begin to blacken and he looked up at the man who stared down at him with crazed eyes.
"Only a ghost, only a ghost, only a ghost…"
The whispered chants of a madman were all that he could hear as the world slowed down for him. He blinked for a second; he thought he had heard a splash. The madman blinked and turned. He had heard it too. Erik closed his eyes as his grip gave way and a sickening crunch echoed through his mind. He looked up again to find that the scene had changed.
The madman was spiraling away from the portcullis, a shining blade protruding from his chest. Erik saw the hilt in his back as the man fell away leaving Katerina standing in his place.
Erik fell back into the water as the pressure was suddenly lifted from him. He felt hands and a soft touch.
That was his Katerina; that was his goddess.
Katerina dragged Erik from the water with her good hand. The phantoms bloodied corpse floated on the lake a few feet away from them, the sword still sticking out from his back.
She cradled Erik in her arms and felt the tears finally come to her eyes as she saw the strip of blood staining his shirt. She had to get him safe… She had to get him out of here, but she could tell by his pale face that he was going into shock.
"Erik, please, hear me, please hang on. Erik… Erik!"
He was trembling and Katerina closed her eyes.
"God, God, please God he doesn't deserve this. He doesn't… I can't lose him… Please… I need help…"
She sounded like a little girl, lost and frightened. She held Erik to her as her hand ached and his heart cracked.
"Erik," she breathed.
"There they are! I told you!"
Katerina blinked. It couldn't be. She couldn't hope.
"Giovanni!" she screamed his name as he stumbled through water that neared his chest.
There were a line of policemen behind him, all staring in shock and amazement.
"Madame! What has happened here?"
Katerina swallowed and wove her final lie.