Disclaimer: I do not own Phantom of the Opera. The rights belong to those who have acquired them legally.

This was truly a remarkable event. So impressive, in fact, it was eligible to be written down in the city records. Had an impossible feat like this ever been accomplished before?

For Erik could not recall a previous time hearing that a ghost had been captured.

They had done a thorough job. Hands bound behind him, his legs nicely trussed to his chair, a gag in his mouth and a blindfold over his eyes...they had known of his strength and cunning well before they had captured him. Indeed, even Erik's slim wrists and long fingers could not loosen the tight rope that held his arms together.

For at least an hour since he had regained consciousness, Erik had been listening to the soft drone of male voices, shuffling of feet and turning of pages, and he had been inhaling heavy dust mixed with fresh cigar smoke. He hadn't the slightest idea where he was, how long he had been asleep, nor the identity of his captors.

His head throbbed. Along with two or three good lumps on his scalp, he'd apparently been drugged, because he remembered a strong-smelling rag smothering his face as he had struggled to free himself in the darkened hallways of the Opera. Even though he could not see the extent of his injuries, he could certainly feel them. He suspected heavy bruising all over his body, he could feel a cut on his lip and above his eye, and someone had kicked his shin hard.

Suddenly, chair legs groaned and boots began to shuffle more quickly. A door creaked, and Erik heard a man cough. A pair of feet approached him, and a hand firmly grasped his hair, lifting his face upwards.

"This is the man, Damian?" A soft, gruff voice asked.

"Yes, monsieur. We are positive."

A hand removed the gag from Erik's mouth and slowly pulled the blindfold from his eyes. A glowing warm lantern hovered directly in front of his face, causing him to squint in pain. He could not see the face of the person before him.

"So you're not a ghost after all, I see?" the voice spoke again with a chuckle. "Only a man."

A chair dragged across the floor, and the lantern was set down on a lower surface. Erik's eyes slowly adjusted and he could begin to see the man sitting in the chair in front of him. From what he could make out, the stocky stranger was shrouded in a dark cloak, holding a hat in his hands. A hard pair of eyes stared at him. Erik was strongly aware of other large shapes surrounding the two of them, careful to watch for any sudden moves their captive might make.

"Do you have a name, phantom?" the man asked him.

Erik blinked, silent. He was extremely reluctant to reveal his name to this group of strange men so immediately.

The dark man leaned forward in his chair. "Do you speak? Français?"

"Oui," Erik whispered, barely audible. The man's face was slowly beginning to come into view as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. Beneath a shock of grayed hair, he could see a roughened, hard face with gleaming black eyes.

The stranger's lips twitched in a thin smile. "Perhaps I will introduce myself first, then. My name is Hughes." He held out a large hand, then chortled when he realized that Erik was still bound.

"I apologize for the inconveniences," Hughes said in a falsely sweet tone, "but with your reputation, we couldn't risk having you play some of your impressive tricks on us."

"Why am I here?" Erik asked flatly, his annoyance mounting.

Leaning back in his chair, Hughes folded his hands in his lap and sighed. "I suppose I should cut to the chase, shouldn't I...ah well. As you may or may not know, monsieur, your little adventures as the phantom of the Paris Opera were printed quite extensively in the papers. A hanging here, an unfortunate accident backstage there. The poor managers mailing twenty thousand francs a month to an unearthly being just to keep him happy. Even a free box to use at the ghost's leisure. The cunning, manipulation and intelligence involved in each incident caught my attention."

Though Erik was thoroughly displeased with his captivity and the stranger sitting before him, he could not help but feel a slight twinge of pride at the man's words. At least one person had found his activities impressive.

Hughes must have seen something change in Erik's eyes, because he leaned forward, looking him intently in the face. "You see, monsieur, I am an assassin; a retired one, you might say. Unfortunately I have aged, and I'm no longer as sprightly as I used to be. However, I still advertise my services discreetly, and the pay is very satisfying. Potential clients come to me for help, and I assign one of my men here--" he gestured to the figures around him, "--to go and finish the job. His pay his determined by the quickness of the job, and if he has managed to carry it out undetected."

The man paused for a minute, his eyes meticulously searching Erik's. "By my observations, I came to conclude that you would make an excellent employee. Why, with your little tricks, or sleight of hand, we may not even have to kill as many targets, and that would save us much work. Perhaps a little 'haunting' in order to scare someone into giving a 'ghost' money and valuables."

The wheels in Erik's mind began to whir. This man was obviously an admirer of his work; a man Erik had never dreamed he would meet. Until this moment, he had expected to live his life in complete loneliness, dispatching those who were a threat, playing tricks and writing endless music for the rest of his days...but here was an opportunity, and a golden one at that. Working for this man, Erik could show off the skills he had obtained in Persia. Through torturous training in that foreign land, he had become an expert strangler, thief, and trickster. What a perfect chance to showcase his talents!

Suddenly, however, his instinctive cautionary senses began to grow. Was there a catch to this? A danger of being captured by law enforcement? Were these men perhaps gendarmes in disguise? Erik's eyes began to shift to the dark shadows surrounding Hughes, trying to see their faces.

"Worried, I see?" Hughes said with a chortle. "Ah, you are a careful one. That is good. In a position like this, one can never be too cautious. You needn't fear us. If we were involved with the police, we would not be sitting here wasting time; you would have woken up in a jail cell instead of a cellar."

Erik blinked at the man's sharp observance, impressed. He began to let his guard down slightly, still staring intensely at Hughes.

"Will I have adequate living space?" he asked him.

Hughes nodded. "We can find a small flat for you. You must pay, for it, however, and you can obviously afford it." He pointed to a small table to the left, and Erik glanced over to see some of his belongings sitting there, including his lasso, several letters from the Opera's managers, a ring of keys, and his money pouch. They had searched him before he had regained consciousness.

Slightly annoyed by his property sitting out in the open, Erik grunted and turned back to the other man, who grinned.

"So...would you like to try it?" Hughes asked. "If you are displeased with this service, I will dismiss you and you will be free to go."

Erik sat there silently as his mind worked over the choice that lay in front of him. The opportunity was very tempting, and after all, what did he have to lose?...

Five minutes passed.

"Well? Hugues said quietly.

Erik gave the man a dark glare. "I will do it."

"Good." Suddenly a soft rag was pressed over Erik's entire face, and he inhaled the overwhelming smell of chloroform. He did not even attempt to struggle this time; bound as he was, he could do little to stop them.

"We will take care of everything," Hughes' voice floated in Erik's head before he lost consciousness.

Dear potential readers,

thank you for choosing to read this new work! This is an idea in my head that has been churning for some time. I know I am a naughty writer because I have unfinished business to take care of (my two other works in progress), but I had to submit to the muse. My other works have not left my mind, so don't worry if you still wish to see them finished. I am an extremely busy person and rarely have time for myself, let alone writing. Please be patient with me as I continue writing this and other works!

Your feedback is extremely valuable to me, and I appreciate constructive criticism. Tell me what you liked or didn't, and suggestions you may have. Thank you!