A/N: Thanks to my beta, Olethros.
I know this update took longer than usual. I don't have a lot of free time, but I'm still planning to finish the 'fic - however long it may take. :)
Episode 15
By: Elektra
Christine lazily rolled over in bed to face the man beside her, but only found a cool spot in his place. "Erik?"
"Not here."
Christine shot up in bed, looking back and forth for the voice that had answered her.
"If Mr. Ghost left you wanting, I may be able to assist."
Christine jumped as Loki appeared on the bed beside her. "That's quite all right," she frowned, suppressing the urge to punch the man in his large pointed nose. "Did you see where my fiancé went?"
"Hotel gym. Seemed to be in a bit of a mood."
She nodded. "He had something weighing on his mind last night."
"What?"
Christine shrugged, "Hunter stuff, I guess."
Loki seemed thoughtful, "He didn't tell you?"
"No…" she pouted. "It would be nice to know what the heck is going on though."
Christine slid off the bed. If she wanted answers, she'd have to seek Erik out and get them.
Christine was silent for a moment, then glanced over at Loki. "Just so you know," she began, "Erik's not going to be doing anything more public than taking these photos."
Loki raised an eyebrow, "He doesn't seem to have any problem performing on stage!"
"Only because he has to," she reminded him. "I can count the number of times he's been on stage on one hand." She held up her index finger, "The first time, the lead tenor had been eaten by the understudy, and Erik had to then get rid of the understudy. He took his place as a favour to me because it was my birthday. Two," she held up her second finger, "Oren is possessed by God-knows-what and his understudy ran away, so Erik did the professional thing and took his place for a two week run."
"And whose fault do you think it is that Orpheus' understudy ran away?" Loki asked with a frown. "I was there! Your lover decided to reveal his ugly face when the understudy attempted to stick his hand up a ballet rat's tutu."
Christine seemed surprised, but pleased. "Good! Erik has no patience for perverts."
Loki let out a derisive snort, "As if he has any right to prevent another man from rutting."
Christine furrowed her brow, "From… what?"
"You know… rutting. Like when the corpse steals you into that secret passageway behind Box Five during a rather slow rehearsal day."
Christine's face turned scarlet, eyes growing wide. "HEY! That… that only happened once!" She protested. "And… it… it was because he'd been too busy to-and what on EARTH were you doing spying on us anyway, you pervert?"
"I was bored …" he muttered.
Christine simply rolled her eyes. "I'm going to find Erik."
"Yes. You should do that." Loki replied, still sitting on the bed, staring at her.
"If you don't mind," she began politely. "I need to get changed."
"Go ahead." Loki offered.
Christine crossed her arms, "In private…"
Loki pouted, "Well, you're no fun. Fine…" he sighed, "I'll check in later."
Without another word, he was gone. Christine quickly set about changing into one of the new outfits Erik had bought for her the previous day.
Hotel Gym
Alone in the gym, Erik hit the sandbag in front of him, pretending it was something – or someone - else. I can't believe he's back! He hit the bag harder. Orpheus can't handle him. There's only one way to stop him.
His fists moved faster, harder. This is why Leroux told me to baby-sit him. He knew I'd consider the worst. He knew I would consider going back to my old ways, despite my promise to Christine.
He remembered that promise. It was the morning after their first year anniversary. He promised her the executioner would be gone from then on. It was shortly afterwards that she had accepted his marriage proposal.
Good to his word, Erik had not executed since.
I can't go back on that promise. Not now. Not ever…
…but…
…what if there's no other way?
Erik was low on options. He needed to think of something that did not involve the blood of an innocent man. But what? For if Orpheus couldn't control this demon, who could?
"Hey, beautiful."
Erik was startled out of his thoughts by Christine's voice. He turned to see her standing beside him in a pair of athletic pants and a baby tee, looking concerned.
"Christine…" Erik replied, unsure what to say. He knew she'd have questions.
"Why did you disappear this morning without telling me?" She asked as she reached out for his arm.
"I… had some issues to work out." He said quickly.
"Issues? These issues wouldn't have anything to do with what you were talking to Nadir about last night?" She glanced at the bag in front of him, "Something that made you so mad you tore that open with your bare hands?"
It was only then Erik had noticed the seams on the sandbag had ripped, white grains slowly pouring out.
Christine gently took one of Erik's hands in hers, "If I'm not mistaken, you're actually supposed to use boxing gloves on this thing. You won't be able to play your music if you keep punishing your poor hands like this." She kissed his bruised knuckles.
"Speaking of music…" Erik continued, quickly changing the subject, "We must continue on with Loki's ridiculous itinerary." He took his hand from hers, leaving Christine no chance to continue her inquiry. "Time is of the essence. There are three places I am being dragged to today."
Christine offered a small smile, "You're never dragged anywhere. You go grudgingly, but you still go."
"True. Very well then. Let us go."
No more was said as they headed out of the gym.
Garner-Daaé Residence
"Mr. Khan?" Oren asked as he came to sit beside Nadir in the living room. "You have seemed ill at ease since Mr. Erik called you."
"Yes… well…" Nadir shifted uncomfortably. "He had some disturbing news."
"About?"
"Guild related things," Nadir answered shortly. "Nothing to concern yourself with."
Oren let out a chuckle. "Would it concern your whore of a wife?"
Nadir jumped to his feet, holding himself at the ready. "It's pointless keeping secrets now, isn't it? You're aware we know."
Oren's inhabitant laughed harshly. "You would be a fool not to. I thought Erik would have realized it long before now – though I imagine Christine distracts him quite a bit." He focused his eyes on Nadir. Gold eyes. "Madeline was rather distracting too. I suppose you've figured that out for yourself, however. The slut managed to trick you into marrying her."
He leaned in close, a frightening smirk on his face. "Did she wear white at the wedding? Because that would have been quite humorous to see, being that the woman hasn't been pure since she was fifteen years old. Are you able to keep her in your bed, or does she wander like she used to?"
Nadir's fist flew, hitting the creature square in the jaw.
"Oh goody. A fight!"
Oren's inhabitant grabbed Nadir and slammed his face into the coffee table. Nadir tried to counter, but to no avail. The younger body was strong, and whatever had control of the body was stronger still.
Nadir stumbled away and regained his footing. He connected with an uppercut and tried for another, but Oren's inhabitant stepped back and caught Nadir with a chop block, sending the Guild detective sprawling to the ground.
Oren's body pinned Nadir beneath him, his strong hands going around the older man's neck and squeezing.
As his vision began to go dark, the hands suddenly released their hold, "Mr. Nadir?" Oren gasped when he saw the unconscious man beneath him. "Mr. Nadir? Please… not again."
He quickly crawled away, his back against the wall, knees tucked against his chest. "No… not again… please… not again…"
Nadir remained motionless.
Loki frowned as he went through Christine's drawers in the master bedroom. Either the corpse doesn't need much coercing, or the girl really is as innocent as she looks.
The trickster had yet to find anything that would be considered 'seductive' among Christine's lingerie. At most, he had found two pairs of lace undergarments. Everything else was made of plain cotton. Far too vanilla for my tastes.
The reason for this intrusion of privacy was simple – Erik was STILL unpleasant to be around. It was grating on Loki's nerves. The masked man had even snapped at one of the photographers and threatened to kill him.
Judging by Christine's earlier comment regarding Erik's distracted state of mind, the man had still not feasted on her lovely little body. Loki's hard work would go up in flames if the man didn't relieve his tension soon.
A small mew interrupted Loki's searching. He frowned at the one-eyed cat that stared up at him.
"Don't look at me that way, feline. I have good reason for doing this!" He continued his search. "It's only a shame that you are not as intelligent as the real Odin . If you were, you could tell me where Ms. Daaé's 'naughty' drawer is."
The cat simply continued staring and, if Loki believed it possible, looked upon the trickster with disapproval.
Before Loki could talk back to the cat once more, a loud crash was heard from downstairs.
"What in Odin's name?" Loki gasped as he dropped the cami in his hands. He slowly tiptoed to the door and out into the hall, listening.
"Mr. Nadir? Please… not again."
He knew the voice. It was that of his former employer.
Loki swore under his breath.
A quick snap of his fingers set the master bedroom to rights again, and he immediately transported himself to the living room.
He saw Nadir's unmoving form laying on the ground surrounded by glass, and quickly knelt beside him, checking for a pulse.
Satisfied the mortal was still living, he focused his silver eyes back on the man cowering in the corner. "I suppose you have an explanation for attacking the ghost's friend?" he asked with a raise of one blood-red eyebrow.
"It wasn't me!" Oren protested desperately. "It was HIM!"
"I highly doubt Mr. Khan here strangled himself with his bare hands," Loki said, indicating the bruises forming around Nadir's neck.
Oren simply shook his head, "Is… is he going to be okay?" he asked meekly, his face lined with worry.
Loki looked back at Nadir and sighed, "Well… I suppose if he is tended to he will be." Nadir's body suddenly disappeared.
Oren jumped to his feet, backing up against the wall. "What did you do with him? Where is he?"
Loki calmly stood up and brushed off his pants. "On a gurney in front of a hospital. Hopefully someone will notice him shortly." He shrugged, "Of course, they'll be wondering where he appeared from, but nothing to be done for that."
Oren glanced back to where Nadir had been. "You… you can make people go away?" he asked. "Did you do that to Ms. Christine too?"
"The other day? Yes. For all the good it did me. Her lover is still as grumpy as ever."
"You saved her." Oren spoke softly. "HE wanted her."
Loki furrowed his brow. "Who is HE?"
Oren pointed to his temple. "The one in here. If Christine had still been there…" he let the sentence trail.
"That woman does not want anyone touching her but the corpse," Loki scoffed. "I've offered."
"He doesn't care!" Oren exclaimed.
Loki studied the man before him, realizing where the worry lay. "Not even a god like myself would stoop that low," he said at last.
Oren let out a harsh laugh, his voice growing cold. "You are no god."
Loki narrowed his eyes. "Goodness, you switch personalities faster than a whore drops her skirts."
"Where are Erik and his woman?" Oren's inhabitant demanded.
"Considering what Oren just told me, I have no intention of telling you."
"Why do you act as if you owe them something? They mean nothing to creatures like us!"
"Creatures like us?" Loki repeated. "Now I may not know who you are, but I know enough to say that I am fairly older than you. You cannot be more than… what… a little over one-thousand? Perhaps fifteen-hundred years old? You came into existence long after MY people were sleeping."
Oren's inhabitant laughed, "Yes, and now your people are awake and are only a bit more powerful than these mortals." He raised an eyebrow, "And so, you ask those same mortals for protection."
Loki was struck silent.
"You think I didn't know about that?" the creature continued. "You fear me, so leave the bravado behind. You are not all that brave."
Loki took a step back, "Yes… well… let's not argue. Who are you?"
"Ask Erik. He knows me very well." The creature stepped forward. "Now where is he?"
"Why? Does he owe you money?" Loki asked. "You can always hire a collection agency-" His words were interrupted when a loud roar of anger ripped from Oren's throat. "My, but you do have the same unpleasant temper as him." Loki then grew curious. "Surely you're not related…"
"WHERE IS HE?"
"You really don't know, do you?" Loki asked.
A frown marred Oren's handsome face. "My scouts were turned to dust before they could report back to me!"
Loki found that comment interesting. He knew only of one type of creature that could be turned to dust, and knew of one particular person who was very good at doing so.
"Well, I can say with certainty that he is still on this Earth." Loki offered, hiding his growing suspicions. He glanced at his wrist, "Now would you look at the time? It's been very nice chatting with you, Mr. Demon."
Before any more could be said, Loki disappeared.
Palton Hotel –later
Loki sighed as he paced back and forth throughout the room, his eyes watching Christine and Erik, who were growing increasingly annoyed with his presence.
"What IS it already?" Erik demanded, tired of watching the trickster wear a path in the carpet.
Loki focused his silver eyes on the masked man, "I have some information…"
Erik and Christine stared at him, waiting.
Loki shrugged, "… but… I do not want to get involved in a battle between supernatural beings. It could lead to… problems. End-of-the-world type problems."
Christine stepped forward, "Loki, please. Just tell us."
Loki released a breath. "I had an unfortunate chat with that… whatever-it-is inside Orpheus." He focused on Christine "I would be remiss if I didn't mention this thing has rather unpleasant plans for you, Ms. Daaé."
He then turned his attention to Erik. "He… IT… can control those… what are they called? The undead things with the fangs?"
"Vampires?" Christine asked, eyes wide. "It has power over vampires?" She looked at Erik, her thoughts running at a hundred miles per hour. "I mean… I know you said they were once hanging around the theatre but… I had no idea Oren… or whatever… could CONTROL them." She paled, growing fearful.
Loki found her reaction rather interesting. "I have a feeling you know who it may be?"
"Erik?" Christine reached for his hand.
Loki looked between the two of them, and knew when to make himself scarce.
When Christine and Erik were left alone once again, she let go of his hand. "Tell me what's going on."
"If I do, it will upset you."
"Upsetting me is better than leaving me in the dark!" Christine insisted.
Erik looked away. "I may have to do something I promised never to do again…"
"Are you talking about Executing?" She demanded.
He turned to face her again. "There might be no other way…"
"I don't care!" Christine interrupted as she paced with agitation. "No more Executioner! You promised!"
"You need not remind me of my promises," Erik growled. "But what do you expect me to do? Allow my- this thing to simply roam free in Orpheus's head?"
Christine shook her head vehemently, "No! But YOU don't have to be the one to stop it!"
"I SHOULD be the one!" Erik snapped in response. "He forced this curse of an existence on me!"
Christine stopped pacing and turned to him, her voice growing quiet. "It IS him…" she realized. "It's HIM!" Erik turned away and Christine grabbed his arm. "TELL me!"
"Tell you what? You have already figured it out."
Christine swallowed nervously, not liking the conclusion. "No… he… he's dead. You told me he was dead!"
"Something like him doesn't die. It only leaves once its body can no longer can sustain it. It is how we were able to get rid of him before. When Martine resurrected the body, HE somehow came back to claim it."
Christine slowly walked over to the bed and sat down, head in her hands.
"Some of the things Oren's said and done…" she began. "Some of the things Oren told me he was feeling…" She looked up at him, "But… even if… if HE came back - you promised me the Executioner was gone."
Christine held up her hand, showing the ring on her finger. "If you break that promise, you break our engagement. That's it. I can't… I won't…" she shook her head, unable to finish her sentence.
Erik could not meet her eyes. "Then, beloved… Sytri will always have complete power over us …"
End of Episode 15