The Phantom of the Opera: Chapter 9
Disclaimer: DC Comics owns "Teen Titans." Gaston Leroux owns the original story of "The Phantom of the Opera." Andrew Lloyd Webber owns the musical version. I own whatever I write/create. Don't steal and don't sue.
A/N: If some original characters in this story confuse you, please refer to my story "Book of Demons" for more information about them.
"'Two hundred kilos on the head of a concierge!' Her only epitaph, and it manages to be wrong."
Starfire jumped and turned about. Standing in the doorway of the stairwell that led down into the Opera House was Chaos. Bandages were wrapped around her head, and the arm that had been broken the night before was held up in a sling. Dimly, Starfire noticed the stark contrast between the white bandages and the black hair and clothes they covered. In her free hand Chaos carried the morning's paper. As she looked at the front page's headline, she smiled.
"I can't say I'm too terribly upset," she chuckled. "She deserved all eight hundred kilos. Too bad about the chandelier though. It's a wonderful thing, but they decided to put it in storage." Starfire shuddered. The smile on Chaos's face was vicious and triumphant—exactly like the one she had seen on the face of the Phantom. For a moment, she would have felt no surprise if Chaos's eyes multiplied and began to glow red. The smile faded away abruptly as Chaos turned to look at Starfire. "I heard you locked yourself in your dressing room for most of the day. Why come out to the roof now—at dusk when it's snowing?"
Starfire did not answer. Chaos lay the newspaper aside and began to walk toward the young woman, careful though the layer of snow on the roof was barely more than a centimeter. As she drew closer, she saw the dark circles under Starfire's eyes and the rose held in her limp fingers. Her clothes were wrinkled—a sure sign that, when coupled with her drained expression, showed she hadn't slept at all.
"I wanted to feel the snow," Starfire said quietly. "The cold." Chaos chuckled, stopping when she stood at Starfire's shoulder.
"Something other than what you've been feeling, yes?" Starfire nodded, tilting her head back and closing her eyes. The snowflakes fell on her eyelids. She felt a hand on her back and opened her eyes quickly. Chaos smiled at her. "You were falling." She pushed slightly, rocking Starfire forward from her tenuous position on her heels. "I don't suppose you'd like to talk?"
"About last night?" Chaos shrugged at the question, walking past Starfire to the high ledge of the roof. She brushed a large patch of snow from the ledge and sat down. A small gesture—a slow sweep of her hand with its palm upwards—to the clear space beside her was an invitation that Starfire did not refuse. She sat down, barely aware that the stone beneath her was hardly as cold as she expected it to be.
"About anything," Chaos said. "Things seem to be speeding up, don't they?" Starfire nodded, looking with half-closed eyes at the ring on her left hand. Her gaze shifted to the rose, and her thumb slowly caressed one of the petals.
"I know who killed Mammoth," she murmured.
"Everybody does," Chaos replied simply, shrugging once more. "The Opera Ghost."
"I know who really did it," Starfire continued. "I know who the Opera Ghost is." For a moment, Chaos did not reply. Starfire did not look up to see the smirk on the woman's face.
"Do you now?" she asked. "I don't suppose she's the one who gave you that ring and the rose?"
"How did you know?" Starfire asked, turning to face the other woman.
"You've been staring at them this whole time," Chaos said. "You're confused because you don't know what to think of her. Is that correct?"
"What would you think of a murderer who loves you?" The sharp, quick counter made its mark. Chaos's smirk vanished abruptly, leaving behind a look of faint bewilderment. Starfire turned her gaze back to the rose, thumbing its petals with a heavy sigh. Chaos glanced at the young woman's forlorn and weary expression before looking at the snow on the roof before her.
"Did you know that Mammoth was going to kill you?" The simple question made a mark far stronger than Starfire's counter had. The young woman's spine snapped into an upright, stiff position, her eyes widening. She clutched at the rose, careful not to bruise the petals anymore than she already had.
"Mammoth—he had no quarrel with me," she said. "He was—he drank, but he was a good man. The little girls in your ballet liked him! How can you say that he wanted to kill me?" Chaos smiled, turning to look at Starfire's wide, shocked eyes.
"How on earth do you think this all happened to me?" she asked. She lay her left hand on the sling her right arm was in before reaching up and tapping at the bandages wrapped round her head. Starfire paused, trying to sputter out an answer.
"I thought—the Phantom," she mumbled. Chaos shook her head slowly, still smiling.
"No," she said. "She must have been near us when Mammoth threatened to kill me if I didn't move. He said he would kill me 'too,' and looked at you. I wouldn't move." She chuckled, turning to look up at the gray sky and snowflakes above. "He threw me from a third-level catwalk, Starfire. I was lucky I didn't break my neck." Starfire set her eyes on the roof of the Opera House, unable to think of a reply. Chaos had never lied to her—there was nothing to suggest that what she said was not the truth. Tears welled suddenly in her eyes.
Chaos glanced down and saw the single wet streak on Starfire's face. She sighed and reached out, gently wiping away the trail the tear had left behind. The touch brought Starfire's mind back into focus. She sniffed mightily and rubbed at her eyes, the long sleeves of her dress absorbing the tears that had not fallen. She became aware of the cold, beginning to shiver, and wrapped her arms around herself.
"Let's go back inside," Chaos murmured, standing. "It'll only get colder." Starfire nodded, taking the woman's hand when it was offered to her. She was pulled easily to her feet, and they began to walk carefully to the stairwell.
"Madame Dolan?" Starfire asked when they were halfway across the roof.
"Yes?"
"What are we performing next? Are we going to continue Il Muto?" Chaos chuckled.
"The managers told me that all performances are suspended for two weeks," she explained. "It's a bit of a vacation." Starfire nodded, stepping around a high pile of snow.
"May I go to Perros?" she asked. "I'd like to visit my family."
"Of course. You have enough money?"
"Yes. It'll only be for two or three days." Chaos nodded, holding open the door to the stairwell. Starfire passed through the door, but stopped only a step past the threshold. She looked back at Chaos, smiling faintly. "Thank you, Madame Dolan. You've done so much to help me." Chaos smiled in return.
"I do try." Starfire laughed quietly before walking further into the stairwell. Chaos followed her, closing the door behind them.
Raven stepped out from behind one of the angelic sculptures, staring at the closed door of the stairwell. Her mask was held limply in one hand. She had gone to the roof to feel the first real snowfall on her face, and had hidden quickly when Starfire emerged from within the Opera House. In the many minutes before Chaos had arrived, Starfire had simply stood by the ledge of the roof, letting the snow drift down onto her shoulders. Raven had watched her longingly, desperate to explain what had transpired the night before. Her voice and whatever tiny shred of resolve that she gathered in herself had shattered when Starfire spoke.
"Raven," Starfire had whispered, her voice smooth as silk despite her weeping through the night. "Oh, Raven—why?" Raven did not know what answer she could have given if she spoke at that moment. There were a myriad of reasons for her actions. Her demon's blood had dampened and twisted her natural instinct to preserve life enough to allow her to kill. She loved Starfire enough to murder to protect her. Mammoth wanted to kill Starfire. It all added up with the use of logic, but compassion and mercy often overlook logic.
Raven sensed the anguish of a heart torn between love and fear within Starfire. In that moment, no logic could sway Starfire toward love; it would drive her only to fear. For that reason, she had remained quiet, forcing herself to be still and silent.
Starfire's plans to travel to Perros-Guirec was nothing Raven found odd. Her father and sister were buried there, and winter was when they had perished. It was a grim anniversary that Starfire was faithful to honor. Raven had never before followed Starfire anywhere outside the walls of the Opera House. It was a mark of respect, one that she did not want to take away. Despite this, Raven knew how somber and calm Starfire became when she visited Perros-Guirec. It would be a perfect opportunity—one she would not pass up.
She started to move, but froze when she heard a faint crackling sound. The newspaper Chaos had left behind vanished in brilliant black flames. When the flames died, a golden violin and its bow lay in the paper's stead. A note was tucked carefully between the gold strings. Raven strode quickly to it, taking the note from the strings and reading it.
Play something for her when you're there.
Raven smiled and picked up the violin.
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"Madame Kali—we'd like to officially apologize for our behavior," Cyborg said. His voice was shaky and high-pitched. The bags under his eyes were darker than his skin. Beast Boy was of a similar state, the pallor of his skin giving him the look of a man constantly on the verge of being violently ill. He nodded both at Cyborg's words and at Kali, who sat in a chair across from them. "We would also like to offer you the position of box-keeper—perhaps with a raise in pay?" Kali shook her head, smiling slightly.
"I'm happy to work," she said. "I don't need any raise in my pay." She chuckled, brushing a piece of lint from her black breeches. "Besides, the money you give to me in a raise will just come out of the money you need to pay the Opera Ghost." Beast Boy let out a strange squealing sound, the nervous tic of the muscles near his eyes growing more and more pronounced.
"Yes, the Opera Ghost," Cyborg sighed. "About that…in her last note, she said that you would know what to do with the—the—payment." Kali nodded, and the tiny sliver of relief was obvious on Cyborg's face. "Then—what shall we do?"
"Do you have the fifty thousand francs?" Cyborg turned to Beast Boy, who started and hurried out of his chair. He went immediately to a small safe, spinning the dial to unlock it.
"Yes," he said distractedly. "We withdrew the money this morning." He opened the safe and gathered the small, thick stack of thousand franc notes into his hands. He turned about and returned to the desk, laying the money upon it before sinking into his chair. "Um…what do we do now?"
"Put it into an unmarked envelope and seal it," Kali replied. Cyborg and Beast Boy hurried to do as she said, their hands colliding when they reached for the money as one. Cyborg quickly found an envelope while Beast Boy shuffled the money into a neat stack. They put the money inside it and sealed it with wax.
"Now what?" Beast Boy asked. Kali held out one hand, and Beast Boy quickly gave her the envelope.
"I'll deliver it to Box Five," she explained. She stood up, starting to turn toward the door. "You two are free to follow me and make sure I'm not the one taking the money." Cyborg and Beast Boy winced and remained in their chairs. Kali went out of the room, leaving the door open. It was many minutes that the two men simply sat and stared at the doorway. Beast Boy slowly began to stand up.
"Are you insane?" Cyborg snapped. "We've only gotten her back by the skin of our teeth!"
"I'm not saying that she's stealing the money!" Beast Boy protested. "She said that we could follow her, and I want to see if the Ghost actually takes the money from Box Five!" He walked out of the door quickly, hoping to rejoin Kali before reaching Box Five. Cyborg sighed, drummed his fingers on the desk once, and went after the shorter man. The three made their way to Box Five. Graciously, Kali showed the two men the small ledge beside the chairs where patrons would typically place their drinks or small items. After giving the envelope to Beast Boy to feel and see that the money was still inside, she laid it on the small ledge.
"You can stand guard if you like," Kali said. "The Opera Ghost will take the money even if you're in the box." She turned away from them, walking toward the door.
"Aren't you going to stay?" Beast Boy asked.
"No, monsieur," Kali replied. "I don't have any need to hear from the Ghost right now. Besides, I have to sort out the demands for refunds." Beast Boy uttered that strange squealing noise as she strode out of the box. He collapsed in a chair, holding his head in his hands, while Cyborg slowly sat down in the chair next to him. Cyborg kept his eyes upon the envelope filled with money, blinking only when the burning in them forced him to do so.
"I shouldn't be here," Beast Boy murmured.
"If this is a cry for pity, you won't be having any from me," Cyborg replied. "Go to Terra if you want sympathy." He sighed, turning away from the money to quickly apologize for his rudeness.
"But that's just it!" Beast Boy said, his back bending further. "I'm supposed to be getting ready for my evening with Mademoiselle Terra!" He groaned, putting his head between his knees. "She agreed to having dinner with me, and I want everything to be perfect! God only knows that she needs a pleasant night after what happened."
"As does Mademoiselle Bumblebee," Cyborg said softly. Beast Boy's head rose up and turned to look at the larger man. There were weary lines in both of their faces, and sadness in their eyes. "I'm not worried for the Opera House much anymore. We're doing what the Ghost wants—she won't try to bring down another chandelier on our heads."
"But that's not why we're agreeing to her demands," Beast Boy sighed, a small, knowing smile on his face. "I wouldn't mind very much if she drove Mademoiselle Jinx off again." They shared a private, quiet chuckle. "If that happened, we'd be able to bring Mademoiselle Starfire back as our leading soprano. She'd bring in more than enough money."
"More than enough for comfortable lives," Cyborg said, his voice lilting musically for a moment. "More than enough for the Opera Ghost." He chuckled, rubbing his forehead. "The singers are rubbing off on me."
"If we have enough money, then we won't have to worry about the Opera Ghost's anger," Beast Boy said slowly. "Then I wouldn't have to worry about Terra's safety." He drew in a sharp breath, realizing what words had escaped his mouth. Cyborg laid a hand on the other man's shoulder, smiling slightly.
"Nor I about Bumblebee's," he said. They said nothing for a moment, but then moved in unison. They reached for their pockets, fumbling to retrieve nearly identical jeweler's boxes. They turned back to each other, holding out the boxes and opening them carefully. For another long moment, they simply stared at the other's box and the diamond rings within. The moment passed and they began to laugh.
"Remarkable women, aren't they?" Beast Boy asked.
"Indeed they are." Cyborg closed the box in his hands, but sat regarding it for a while longer. He started suddenly, spinning about. Beast Boy looked up from the ring in his hands, his eyes widening. The envelope, once so obviously stuffed full of money, was sagging curiously. Cyborg rushed from his chair and snatched the envelope, his convulsive grab crushing the empty envelope between his fingers. He gawked, unfolding the envelope. The wax seal was intact, but he broke it to look inside.
"It's gone?" Beast Boy asked.
"It's gone," Cyborg replied. He sighed, shaking his head. "Silently, and without opening the envelope. By God, she is a ghost." He sighed again and folded the envelope. He turned about, smiling weakly at Beast Boy. "Nothing we can do now, is there?"
"Nothing but get ready for tonight." Beast Boy stood up, closing the jeweler's box and slipping it back into his pocket. Cyborg, still shaking his head slightly, went to the open door of the box. He gestured formally, allowing Beast Boy to exit the box first. He closed the door behind him, and the two men went their separate ways to hurry home and prepare for the evening.
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"I can't believe it—both of you?" Starfire found herself able to smile at the giddy laughter that answered her. Terra and Bumblebee nodded, helping each other to prepare.
"Beast Boy asked me just the other night," Terra said. "He was so nervous I thought he was proposing!" She giggled with a broad smile on her face.
"Stop it!" Bumblebee said. "You'll wind up looking like a clown if you don't stop squirming!" Despite her commands, there was an eager smile upon her face that matched Terra's. Terra took a deep breath and forced her face into a perfect canvas for Bumblebee to use. Eager to finish her task and have it performed on her in turn, Bumblebee carefully applied a fine smattering of blush on Terra's cheeks.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" Starfire asked.
"Can you get my dark green dress?" Bumblebee asked. "Terra? Which dress for you?"
"Blue," Terra said quickly in reply. "Thank you." Starfire did as her friends asked, opening their trunks and finding the dresses in question. As she laid them carefully side by side on Terra's bed, the two young women switched roles. With a trained eye, Terra selected the proper shade of blush for Bumblebee's dark cheeks and brushed it on.
"I'm surprised you're just going to Perros," Terra quipped, her focus mostly upon her task.
"I have to visit my family," Starfire replied.
"I know, I know," Terra said. "But you don't have any other plans?" She grinned slyly. "A secret rendezvous?"
"With who?" Terra and Bumblebee both froze, shocked into stillness by the honest confusion in Starfire's voice.
"Le Vicomte de Wayne has been asking after you almost every day," Terra explained. "Haven't you been meeting with him at all?"
"No, and I don't intend to," Starfire replied coolly. "I have no reason to seek his company."
"Starfire, think about it," Terra said. "He's handsome, he's rich, and he wants you very much. Why does he seem so terrible to you?"
"I don't want someone to want me! I want someone that I love and who loves me in return!" Terra and Bumblebee started at the sudden burst of anger. It was such an uncommon thing that even Starfire was surprised by it. She thought of her words, and the first thing that swept into her mind was Raven. Silence reigned for a moment where Terra and Bumblebee did not move and Starfire lost herself in her thoughts.
Certainly weariness had a hand in her agitation. She had not slept during the night, and it was well past the early sunset of winter. Part of her was terrified, but torn. She was worried that sleep would again elude her, but she also feared dreaming of the Phantom should she manage to slip away into sleep. Another part of her—a part that grew stronger and more adamant as the days went by—cried out for sleep purely for the chance to catch a glimpse of Raven.
Loneliness again threatened to overwhelm Starfire. Her body and heart ached with Raven's absence, and her mind was nearly drained with trying to understand everything that was happening. She wanted to leave for Perros-Guirec, hoping that her mind could be cleared even slightly. With a heavy sigh, she turned to look at her friends.
"Forgive me," she murmured. "I did not mean to act so rudely."
"It's all right," Bumblebee replied.
"We understand what you mean," Terra agreed.
"I think I do, anyway," Bumblebee said, a smile appearing on her freshly painted lips. "It explains Terra and Beast Boy, anyway." Terra turned to protest as Starfire chuckled, but saw the consoling smile on Bumblebee's face. She lifted her head high for a moment, crossing her arms, but could not find it in herself to hold the falsely angry pose for long. She dissolved into giggles, and Bumblebee joined in the laughter. As Terra and Bumblebee hurried to put on their dresses, Starfire set about packing a small bag for her trip.
She was finished far sooner than Terra and Bumblebee, and quietly sat thinking. After a mere moment, she took a small piece of notepaper from a stack on her nightstand and quickly wrote something upon it. With a promise to return as fast as she could, Starfire hurried out of the dormitories. She went through the halls, ignoring all other things but her task. It took her a mere three minutes to reach the door of the quarters Chaos and Kali shared. She knocked politely on the door, waiting until she heard a muffled reply for her entrance.
"What can I help you with, Starfire?" Chaos asked, looking up from the book in her lap when the young woman entered. Starfire closed the door behind her, holding the note carefully behind her back when she did not see Kali in the room.
"I was—hoping that Madame Kali was here," Starfire replied. "I wanted to see if she could—I wanted to ask her something." She sighed and shrugged, putting a smile on her face. "It's nothing, I suppose. I'm sorry for bothering you, Madame Dolan." She began to turn about.
"What is it that you want delivered to the Opera Ghost?" Starfire froze with her hand on the doorknob. She turned about slowly, blinking at the smile on Chaos's face. "I'll make sure it's delivered, Starfire, whatever it is." For a long moment, the young woman stood speechless. She walked to Chaos and handed her the note, a smile appearing on her face.
"Thank you," she murmured. "Thank you." Chaos smiled at her.
"Don't you have a train to catch?" she asked. Starfire blinked, coming out of her small, self-induced trance.
"Yes," she said. "Yes—my friends and I have to go. Thank you, Madame Dolan." She hurried out the door, closing it gently behind her. Chaos waited until the young woman's footsteps faded into the distance before looking at the note in her hand.
I want to see you again. Please, Raven. —Koriand'r
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Robin arrived at the Paris Opera House fairly late in the evening, his mind set upon both demanding a refund for his purchase of Box Five and inquiring after Starfire once again. He went immediately to the box office, quietly confused at the lack of activity in the lobby and hallways. The only two people he saw were Chaos and Kali, and only when he reached the box office. Kali sat in the office itself, leaning on the counter that opened the wall to customers. Chaos stood just beyond the counter, speaking quietly.
"She's going to Perros?" Robin arrived in time to hear Kali's smiling reply to Chaos. He hurried to cross to the two women, his quick footfalls drawing their attention.
"Who's going to Perros?" he demanded. Kali stared at the man with a faint scowl on her face. Chaos did not look at him, a smile slowly curving her lips.
"Mademoiselle Starfire," she said. Kali's expression shifted immediately to surprise as she turned toward Chaos. Robin, on the other hand, was absolutely elated.
"Perros then?" he asked. "Where in Perros?"
"The cemetery," Chaos said simply. Robin grinned and turned away, almost running in his fervor to leave for Perros-Guirec. Had he been a wiser man or used his formidable observational skills, he might not have gone at all. He did not suspect or even see the smile on Chaos's face, nor did he see the furtive wink that she gave to Kali. He concerned himself only with hurrying to the station to wait for the next train to Perros-Guirec.
—to be continued—