A/N: Another update and I am hoping that you all enjoy it! Thanks to my Beat Anne! She is amazing and does an amazing job! My story would be nothing without her.
Please read and review!
"Our emergency is that we have received yet another threat against the Opera House. We need as many men as you can send and the biggest fire brigade that you have. We seem to have another phantom on our hands who has threatened to burn the Opera House to the ground." The manager spoke into the phone hurriedly, glancing around the messy office subconsciously. He heard mumbling on the other line and sighed.
"Sir, here at the Paris Police Station we do not take jokes lightly." Laughter was heard in the background and the manager screamed into the phone.
"I am the owner of this opera house and I demand help! Unless you want to see this wonderful building burned to the ground yet again, I suggest you send someone down here, monsieur! What will the president of France think of you then? What do you think he will do when I tell him that you ignored our emergency because you thought we were joking?! Huh?" The manager waited for a reply and after a moment he received the desired answer.
"The police officers shall be arriving within the hour, but the fire brigade is currently busy and will take longer. I pray that you are not just joking around, monsieur, because if so, the consequences will be grave."
The police officer hung up after that and the sweaty manager plopped into his chair. "I hope that they are just here as precaution and are not truly needed. Why can't these damned phantoms just leave us be?"
~oOo~
Mollia was working on a scene where she was mourning the loss of a lover when everything was halted. The unease in her stomach spread through each limb when she saw the mangers march in through the back of the House, police men fanning in behind them. She walked forward, forgetting her practice, hoping that nothing bad had happened, and not knowing that everything was going wrong.
"Messieurs, may I inquire as to what is going on?" Mollia's confusion grew as the managers looked nervously between one another and mounted the stage on either side of her.
"Our darling Mademoiselle Daee, we have received a note from a phantom. Not the original phantom but one who calls himself the Crimson Phantom. It seems that he has his eyes on our most talented soprano--you. We have called all emergency personnel, for there are threats against the lives of every one of us."
The younger manager decided to chime in, feeling that Mollia needed to know why they were all in grave danger. "This despicable monster has decided to burn the Opera House to the ground unless we comply with his orders and give you to him, but we will not give in this time. We are certain that he will bring you great bodily harm and that is the last thing that I.. um.. we desire. So please, stay close because he may appear any--" The lights suddenly shut off in the whole Opera House. Yells from the police men could be heard throughout the House.
Mollia felt the stage shake and was suddenly hit with an arctic blast that wrapped around her. She squeaked and stepped back into the warm body of the young manager. She gripped his sweaty hand with her own hoping that in some way the Crimson Phantom would leave. She felt hot breath in her ear and stepped closer to the body.
"I am not so sure that the police will be able to stop him or shoot him at such a range. Worst comes to worse jump off the stage and run; I will fend him off."
Mollia nodded and gulped slightly and the stage lights faded into an eerie glow. In the center of the stage stood the Crimson Phantom. His attire was all black, the kind of clothing that is worn to an opera by a wealthy patron, and his mask was crimson red. His dark hair was pulled back into a short pony tail and Mollia could make out little strands of gray. Mollia's eyes met his and she shuddered when they revealed a haunting smirk. Her ring began to freeze upon her finger and she gripped the youthful manager's hand tighter. A sudden clapping and deep laughter brought everyone's eyes to the crimson man standing center stage.
"I must say, well done messieurs. You were able to herd up Paris's finest pigs and bring them all to this opera house. I highly doubt that was necessary. Although you have angered me so, without the Opera House functioning properly there is no meaning for my beloved Mademoiselle Daee and we just cannot have that." In anger, Mollia took a step forward, the young manager at her side.
"I refuse to go anywhere with the likes of you, sir, and no supposed deal that you made in the past will dictate what I do." Faster than she could see, the Crimson Phantom was in front of her. The glacial air emitted from his form yet his eyes looked as if they were on fire.
"I beg to differ. We can do this the hard way or you can be compliant and I will be a gentleman." His voice was stern and Mollia hated how he spoke to her as if she were a mere child. She scoffed at him and backed away. "Your choice."
Mollia noticed the police men in the wings getting ever so closer, inch by inch, and she took another step back, hoping that no one was stupid enough to fire their weapons yet. She looked into the Crimson Phantom's black eyes and shuddered when she felt a tug on her ring. She gasped and clung to the manager's arm.
"We need to leave..." She stepped back, ready to jump off the stage when the phantom's voice broke through, commanding her.
"Stop right there and face me, Mollia Daee!" His voice was booming and her body obeyed although her heart screamed for release and her mind searched for a way to free itself. "Come to me Mollia." She stepped forward, gripping the manager's hand harder as he walked with her. "Let go of him and continue to come to me, Mollia. Let them all know that I can control everything that you do. Show them who you belong to," Mollia sniffled and tried to stop her tears. "Show them your ring, Mollia. Tell them that this is what allows me to control you!" Mollia lifted her hand as she walked to her doom, showing everyone the ring with her name on it. Her tears were gushing now as she looked into the heartless phantom's eyes. They say that eyes are the key to the soul. This man's eyes were like a fortress wall and Mollia believed that his soul was lost in hell somewhere.
"You will not take her from us!" The young manager ran forward and gripped Mollia's arms once she was within arms reach of the Crimson Phantom. She gasped and told her body to stop struggling to move forward, but it was no use. She was a prisoner of her own body, her mind locked within it.
She gasped when the phantom pulled out his sword. It was a ghastly weapon and she looked at the hilt. It was the same she had seen the first time she saw the Crimson Phantom on the stage. The main part of the hilt was a crimson rose painted meticulously with red droplets shown on each thorn. The silver metal representing a ribbon twirled around the hilt and up the base of the blade. The ribbon was there to hold a silver band to the rose stem. It was the same ring upon Mollia's finger, name and all and it caused her to shudder.
Mollia looked to the phantom. He gave no warning and Mollia screamed. The blade slid into the manager's left shoulder like butter, causing the young man to fall back with a cry. Mollia felt icy arms wrap around her and her chest met that of the Crimson Phantom's as the policemen readied their guns.
"I intended to have fun with you all, but you are far too serious. My wife and I must leave you now." Mollia felt the stage give out beneath her and yelped. They disappeared beneath the opera house, leaving the managers and police forces baffled.
~oOo~
"This is out of control. We must search the bowels of the opera house." The young manager nodded to his partner and winced as the doctor sewed his wound up. The sword had nicked his shoulder bone, causing great pain and blood loss.
The police officer watched as the manager wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. "I will round up my best men and send them down. We will go to the bottom and work our way up. Hopefully we will be able to scare him out of the cellars and into the upper levels. Once we get him on the roof, he is wanted dead or alive. I just pray that your leading soprano comes out of this in one piece."
"I am sure that the other Phantom will be extremely helpful, seeing how close Mollia is to him. I just hope that we are able to end this quickly and get our lead back. We will have to find an understudy to take over the lead and keep business up, for I fear that our payments may have ended as of now." The young manager nodded and began looking over the opera house floor plans for his own way to Mollia.
~oOo~
Mollia followed the Crimson Phantom silently with her head down. How can I get away from him if he can control me? The man must have heard her, for he turned and smiled a little.
"I will not allow you to slip through my grasp again. I know that you must hate me but you will come to learn." His voice was stern and glacial and it made her shiver. He noticed this and touched her arm slightly. "Stay right there."
It was a command and she was forced to obey. She wanted to inch away carefully as he took the time to take off his cloak, and when he reached his arms around her to place it over her shoulders, she retched. The cloak was soft and quite comfortable but Mollia said nothing of her gratitude. She wouldn't have need of a thick cloak if he had left her on the stage.
She felt cold leather wrap around her left hand and pulled away. Her ring was glowing crimson and it felt as if it were unbearably tight.
"Why can't you just do things the easy way? Must you always act like a child? Give me your hand, Mollia." Mollia's hand flew into his palm and she glared at it. She felt as if she was betraying herself and she hated being a puppet. She heard the man beside her laugh and tug her along roughly. "Once we get to my home I will show you to your room and from there you will retire for the night, unless you require nourishment. Will you?"
His voice was sincere and it was the first real ounce of emotion that Mollia noticed. She shook her head in refusal silently and yawned into her free hand.
"We still have a long way to walk. Those imbeciles running the opera house are going to believe that I live under their building. They will be surprised to find not only my traps but I have rigged every exit from these cellars with explosives that will detonate once they enter. They will be trapped and forced to face their deepest fears." Mollia forgot his words when she began to think of her love. He lived in the cellars! Surely he would have heard of my kidnapping already. I hope he is able to fight this monster.
"Oh Erik, mon amour, please hurry. I have faith in you." Mollia sighed the words, hoping that the Crimson Phantom had not heard her, yet fate seemed to be feeding from his palm. The sudden chilled whisper in her ear sent shivers down her spine. His voice was cruel and calm at the same time.
"Your lover will never come to save you. I made sure of that." Her mind instantly began to darken. Her heart pounded in pain and it seemed to force the itself throughout each weakening limb with each throbbing beat. Her last breath left her in a whispering question before she lost the will to fight and her world darkened.
"What have you done?"