Author's Note: Erik's History, Part 3.

Authority and An Address

Stories spread about what had occurred that night and who had been the one responsible for the cold-blooded murder of Henri 'Le Chat' Duval. Only the members of the gang that wanted Erik knew what had happened. They accepted him immediately and he soon became one of the higher-ranked urchins in the gang hierarchy. They never acted quite the same around him; the other members always spoke in low tones or stopped talking at all whenever Erik entered the room. He had planted a seed of fear in his fellow gang members.

So, Erik's deed accomplished much more than he expected. Along with earning a place in the gang, he became an entity unto himself. He was highly respected on the streets of Paris. No one dared approach him with ill will for fear of losing their head in Erik's noose. Erik's power surprised him, even more so when singular gang members were approaching him with "favors". He became, in all meanings of the word, a hit man.

The authorities soon began to notice. They had always been aware of gang activity in Paris, but only got involved when one gang started to dominate. With his mask, reclusive habits, violent mood swings, and other eccentric behaviors, Erik was practically asking to be arrested.

One detective in particular paid close attention to Erik: a Persian by the name of Nadir. But to Erik, he was Daroga. They encountered each other on the streets once or twice, acting civil to the point of sarcastic politeness. Each knew what the other was, but neither could act upon it. Nadir hadn't enough proof to arrest Erik and Erik was not foolish enough to openly admit his acts. The two had a professional relationship, bordering on respect.

XOX

After two years of dancing around the tricks of the Daroga and still remaining on top of the gang hierarchy, Erik had succeeded in not murdering another. Sure, he had maimed, tortured, and mentally destroyed those who got in the way of him or his "clients", but he did not kill.

A day then arrived that would take Erik down a new path. He received a most terrifying request. His client specifically requested death. More specifically, the death of an officer. The death of Nadir. He cited that Nadir was getting "too close" to "sensitive information" regarding "certain people". Erik gave a puzzled look at the vague answer. He was about to answer no when he heard the jingle of an overly full purse hit the table. Glancing at the bulging sack and back at the client, Erik slowly reached out and drew the bag into the folds of his clothes. The client gave a curt nod and left.

Erik suddenly realized to what he had agreed. His greed had overpowered him. He took an assassination job. Not only would he kill, but he would kill Daroga. He battled with himself for hours, frustrated at the lack of easy answers. In the end, Erik thought of the long run situation. If he did not kill Nadir, his street credit would veritably dissolve over night. He would be back at the bottom of the heap. He could not, would not, return to that.

XOX

Like before, Erik spent a week studying his prey. By the time that week was up, he had planned everything. It was to be set in motion that evening.

The sun had just begun to set. The time to act had arrived. Erik followed Nadir to his house and crept in immediately after him. It was impossible for Nadir not to notice Erik's presence and he turned around, quickly striking the young boy across the face. Erik was not expecting this and fell to the floor. Nadir was about to land a kick when he saw what the object of his attack was. He stopped, shocked.

Nadir stared down at Erik, who had recovered and was attempting to rise. The blow to his head was harder than Erik thought, and his mind was reeling. He looked up and locked eyes with Nadir. What he saw pinned him to the floor. Disappointment was spread across Nadir's face. He looked close to tears.

Erik was ashamed of himself. Even if he wanted to continue fighting, he would lose. Nadir had the upper hand. Erik had no chance of escape. He would be arrested. He was going to prison. He was going to Hell.

All of these realities came rushing into Erik's mind at once, overwhelming him. Scared out of his mind, Erik broke down. On the floor, he cried, shedding his first tears since he ran from his parents.

XOX

To Erik's extreme surprise, he was not arrested. In fact, he stayed with Nadir for a few days, telling his story for the first time in his life. Inspired by what he heard, Nadir decided to help the young boy. He was only 16. There was still time to save him.

Nadir transferred out of Paris a week later to Rennes, where his summer home was located. Erik put up there for a while, enjoying his new life. Nadir treated him nicer than anyone else ever had. It was an experience out of a fairy tale, not the harsh and cruel life that Erik had seen so far. The best part was that Nadir was not judgmental. He never asked Erik about his mask and never brought up Erik's shameful breakdown in Paris. He felt wanted and accepted. For the first time, Erik felt like he was at home.

He could not stay with Nadir forever, though. Erik knew that and desperately searched for a solution. He did not want to return to the streets, but he had worn out his welcome with Nadir. He informed Nadir about this problem, who provided a solution two days later. Erik could live in, or rather, haunt, the nearby Château de Hac.

At first, Erik laughed at the idea. But upon further reflection, the suggestion was starting to grow on him. The château was close to the city and Nadir was willing to act as his connection to the outside world. The castle was big enough to live in without being seen if he were careful. And if Erik established himself as a feared phantom, he may be able to request certain amenities from the château owners, such as money. He would have food, shelter, safety, entertainment – it was too good of a deal to let pass.

A few days later, Nadir had arranged everything. He took Erik to the château for a tour. He hung near the back of the crowd, his head down, so as not to attract unneeded attention. When the docent's attention was turned, Nadir slipped Erik a small wad of money, whispered for him to be careful, and bade him good luck. Erik looked up at Nadir with gratefulness in his eyes. Silently, he slipped away from the tour group and down one of the many dark château corridors.

Within a week, Erik established himself as the resident phantom of the Château de Hac.