Chapter 11: Duel in the Square

Sorry for the long update. I've been waiting for some reviews, which never came. So I guess those who love this story are waiting to see how it ends...understandable...here's chap 11!

Erik's POV

The night was slow. Incendie and Meg were talking deep into the night, to restless to sleep. As for Erik, he sat on the couch, waiting the light of dawn to signal the beginning of the battle. If it could be called a battle.

Erik stood and began to pace the room, trying to think of a way to get the gypsies out of it. The only conclusion was that they would join him whether he liked it or not.

The sky began to lighten and Erik grabbed his mask and Punjab Lasso. He left the flat and was soon met up with Jean.

"What do you think will happen your sister if you die?" Erik reasoned.

"Carressa knows how to take care of herself, and there is Incendie," Jean said, pushing aside his attempts to convince Jean otherwise. Erik tried again, but Jean again counteracted it. "My parents don't give a damn about me or Carressa, even when we joined the gypsies to provide for them."

Damn, Erik thought, this is more difficult than I thought.

The streets were filled with gypsies, seemingly doing nothing in the early morning to the eyes of an ignorant bystander. The as soon as the town began to wake up, a large group of men and women came marching in, shouting out for the Phantom of the Opera to come out of hiding.

As the mob searched houses and alleyways, they were silently being taken out by gypsies.

Finally, some of the younger mobsters came toward Erik and Jean. Jean took one out with his dagger and another with his own lasso.

Unfortunately, both victims cried out and the group turned around. Jean ran, the mob chased after him. Erik cocked a pistol and followed the group to an alley, where they cornered Jean.

Erik aimed for one boy in the center, and pulled the trigger. The boy fell to the ground. The other boys turned around to Erik and circled around him.

"Who's this guy?" One asked, pointing at Erik.

"I think this is the guy they've told us to go after; the Phantom," another said, fingering a long chain. The boys took a step towards him, but Erik pulled out the Punjab Lasso.

Smirking, Erik leapt into the air and landed behind another boy (AN: With all that Erik went through, why can't this be one of the many things he learned to do?). Erik strangled the second boy.

When the boy fell down, dead, the others lost all fantasy of catching the Phantom and tried to run.

Jean whistled and gypsy boys tackled the other boys.

"ERIK!!"

Erik turned and saw a rider on horseback. Christine Daae was extremely livid in appearance. She dismounted and cocked her pistol. "I challenge you to a duel."

Erik crossed his arms, his smirk widened behind the mask, "Very unladylike, Mme. Le Vicomtess."

"I will dual you in place of my husband," Christine hissed. She seemed different than the last time they met. There was no trace of his first love anymore; she wasn't weak, but he could tell that she was beyond tears. Erik took out his pistol and he followed Christine to the square where the mob and gypsies were fighting.

"To what extent?"

"To the death," Christine said her blue eyes hard as crystals.

"How many paces?"

"Five."

Erik nodded. The fighting stopped and the bystanders, gypsy or mobster, watched as the duel began.

Meg's POV

Incendie was watching the battle outside. "They stopped…oh, there's a duel going on." Curiosity got the better of her and Meg looked outside. She screamed and tried to run outside.

"Ivoire, we have to stay here," Incendie said, grabbing Meg by the arms and shook her. "Ossature will be alright. I've seen it. He will get out all right. Trust me, he'll get out alright. His challenger will get shot in the head the second round."

"For the love of God, Incendie, I hope you're right," Meg said, clinging to Incendie's words.

Erik's POV

Erik and Christine stood back to back. Mentally counting to five Erik stepped away from Christine and vice versa. Once he reached five paces away from the starting place, Erik turned, quickly aimed and pulled the trigger with no hesitation.

He cried out and fell back. Touching his shoulder, he felt thick, velvety liquid seep out. Erik growled and stood. Christine was also getting up, clutching her stomach.

At least it wasn't wasted, he thought aiming again. He pulled the trigger and instantly clutched his leg. Cursing he looked up at Christine. He could barely see any more. Tearing off his mask, Erik forced himself to stand and aimed again. This time, he waited for Christine to stand again, but she never did.

A boy crept up to Christine's body and felt for her pulse. "Dead, she's dead."

Erik lowered the pistol and looked around. Gypsies raised their weapons in salute.

The mob moved in on Erik, but the gypsies tackled them and Erik noticed that some of these gypsies he never saw before.

"Jean, are these the gypsies you said are too old to fight?"

"Yeah…they weren't too pleased when they caught us fighting them alone. They joined in as soon as they possibly could."

The battle raged on until the sun set and the gypsies drove out half of the mobsters, and killed a fourth, the rest were robbed and taken as prisoners.

Erik headed back to the flat when he was taken aside by an elder Gypsy. "I haven't seen that face in years. So the boy who ran away before dubbed King of the Gypsies comes back a man."

Erik studied the man. His heart sunk. "Olivier?"

"The very same," the man said. "We're just about to head to the pub. I remember that you, even at a young age, you would join us for the heck of it." (AN: Erik wasn't friends with Olivier, he was a Gypsy woman's son who got Erik into lots of trouble in the past. This is something I made up, just complete guesswork! ;P)

"Maybe some other time, I have to get back to Meg," Erik said, pulling away from Olivier and heading back towards the flat..