Eve and Avoca Highlander were running down the hall to the banquet room. Well, they were sort of running. Avoca Highlander recently gave into her fangirl impulses and attempted to sneak into The Persian's room. While The Persian was surprised that he had a luster, he was, none the less, very displeased. Avoca Highlander had not told anyone what he did to her, but the students were certain it was nothing too pleasant (you can't be the closest "friend" to Leroux!Erik and also spend most of your life in Mazanderan without picking up a few things). So Eve was supporting Avoca Highlander down the hall, and trying to urge her to go faster. The not-so-minis had decided they liked the students' food. Now, in order for anyone to get anything to eat, the students had to get to the banquet room early, before the not-so-minis emerged from wherever they spent the night.
When they finally reached the banquet room, they were greeted by a very surprising sight. The Eriks were down in the student section and were actually talking to the students! In fact, they seemed to be initiating the conversations. Eve couldn't hear what the Eriks were saying, but the students seemed to smile and respond adamantly. Leroux!Erik would then write down their answers in a little notebook with a red pen (it became too much trouble for him to carry around his red ink, so he demanded that Mlle. Alaina procure him one of the pens that he had seen the students use). They managed to walk among the students with very few attempts at attacking them (once every minute instead of once every ten seconds. The students of OPA were making progress). The Eriks did not even seem to care about the would-be "glompings." Oh, none of the attempts were successful, but the Eriks did not once pull out their Punjab lassos. A certain step this way, or an appropriately placed arm, ended all tries of the students to get to their lust objects. Lorena Soul and Amanda collided with each other and knocked themselves out when the Eriks both took a step forward. Rhiannon attempted to grab Webber!Erik's cape, but he took a swift step to the side, and she got nothing but air and fell on her face. Lejindarybunny took a different tack. She pretended to be interested in what Leroux!Erik was writing and managed to get relatively close behind him. But when she was about to pounce, Leorux!Erik merely threw back his fist, and Lejindarybunny fell to the floor.
Eve helped Avoca Highlander to her seat, then went and sat by Angel of Opera (who had to deal with Webber!Christine following her around the first few days of her enrollment). "What are the Eriks doing?"
Angel of Opera shrugged her shoulders. "I am not sure. They haven't been by our table yet. But I think it has something to do with whatever it is that they are working on. If that is the case, I am throwing more money on the Fop Catcher idea." Very little could get a bunch of Erik fangirls so excited as imminent pain to the Raouls.
"Ah, Mlle. Eve. Mlle. Angel of Opera. I want your opinion on something." Both girls looked up to see Webber!Erik striding to their table, leaving Meg (the student, not the Webber or Leroux version) crumpled on the floor. She had been in mid-leap when he moved. "What would you—"
"Erik! Oh, my Erik!"
Everyone turned and looked at the woman who came running into the banquet room. She was dressed in rags, but her hair still shone a brilliant blonde as it flowed behind her. Her skin was all milk and cream, and her eyes were a vibrant green. She turned those eyes on the two Eriks, who were still in a state of surprise at her entrance. She started walking towards them with her arms open. "Oh, Erik. Save me from my terrible life on the streets. I have come to the Opera House to find shelter and to find someone to train my voice. Even though it is so wonderful that it doesn't need training."
It was the worst fear of any canon character: a Sue. Both of the Eriks started shoving each other forward.
"She is talking to you."
"Oh, no. She is definitely talking to you." They continued on this bent as the Sue came closer and closer to them. Airmid Star ran out of the room in search of Mlle. Mirielle. The Sue seemed a little confused at the sight of the two Eriks shoving each other, but she eventually decided that Leroux!Erik must be "her Erik."
"Ha!" cried Webber!Erik. "I told you she was talking to you." He then saw the distressed look on Leroux!Erik's face (or as much of a distressed look one can have when one's face is covered by a mask) and said, "Oh, just Punjab her and be done with it."
Leroux!Erik reached for the lasso he kept in his coat, but his hand came out empty. The students stared in shock. How could Leroux!Erik misplace his Punjab lasso? The Sue kept coming closer, and Webber!Erik seemed about to Punjab her himself when a lasso appeared around the Sue's neck and she was jerked backwards. Everyone expected to see Mlle. Mirielle holding the other end of the lasso, but it wasn't the not-so-mini trainer who stood there.
"He is my Erik!" hissed Leroux!Christine as she wound up the Punjab lasso. There was pure silence as everyone just stared at the blonde soprano. The silence only broke when Mlle. Mirielle came running in with her lasso out.
"Where is the Sue? Where is she? I will—" She stopped when she saw the dead Sue and Leroux!Christine. "Oh, never mind."
Leroux!Christine turned and looked at Mlle. Mirielle. "He is my Erik. No one else's."
Leroux!Raoul came in at that moment and heard what Leroux!Christine said.
"But, but Christine. What about me?" said Leroux!Raoul as his eyes filled up with tears. Leroux!Christine looked at him with contempt in her eyes.
"What about you? You are a cry baby. Erik is by far the better choice." Once she said that, she walked over to Leroux!Erik and gave him the Punjab lasso. "I am sorry, my dear. I borrowed this without asking." She then kissed him on the forehead. After seeing this Leroux!Raoul ran out of the room with tears threatening to spill over. Most of the students cheered loudly.
Mlle. Mirielle cautiously approached Leroux!Christine. "My dear, are you all right?"
"I am fine. Ever since I talked to that nice lady who was wandering the halls, I have been seeing things a lot more clear."
"Nice lady?"
"Yes, she looked like that thing over there, but different." Leroux!Christine said as she pointed to the dead Sue.
Mlle. Mirielle turned and ran out of the room. As she left, she called to one of the students, Emma. "Go find Mlle. Alaina. Tell her we have a bad case of Sueitis and that I have gone Sue-hunting."
While everyone waited for Mlle. Alaina to arrive, they watched Leroux!Erik and Leroux!Christine with fascination. She had put her arms around his waist, and he looked incredible uncomfortable. Webber!Erik had a pout on his face as he watched them. "Why couldn't my Christine have contracted Sueitis?" he murmured.
Mlle. Alaina came rushing in with half of the staff on her heels. Apparently, they all wanted to see what was happening. She walked up to Leroux!Christine and removed her arms from Leroux!Erik's waist. "Come. Let's take you to the Headmaster and make you feel better." She started to lead Leroux!Christine out of the room. Before she left, she turned around and addressed the room. "This is why you must inform us right away if you see a Sue. A canon character could contract Sueitis by coming in close contact with one and take on personality aspects not intended for them." She then turned and took Leroux!Christine out of the room, muttering encouraging words to her.
Leroux!Erik still seemed shocked at the recent events, but he soon snapped out of it and chased after Mlle. Alaina and Leroux!Christine. He could be heard calling as he ran down the hall: "Mlle. Alaina! Do we really have to take her to the Headmaster? Can we just leave her the way she is? Please?"
A.N: Beware the Sues. As always, please review.