Soooo hi. I will forego the long author's note and just say thank you to all who are still keeping up with me, all who have recently found me, and please enjoy.

Chapter 54

To say I was in shock would be an understatement. "H-how did you -"

"How do I know? Simple," he said smugly. "You aren't very quiet when it comes to telling people your secrets."

"Okay, now that's -"

"That and your books are of, let's say, a peculiar nature, subjects being of time travel and whatnot."

"So you admit you were in my room? That is definitely grounds for legal action!"

His chuckle hung in the air. "Would you be that brave and expose yourself in the process?"

"It's not like anyone believes in that stuff, anyways, so I could just say it was a hobby or something." I shot back.

He slowly strode towards me, laughter still evident in his voice. "That isn't all I was talking about. You would be brave – stupid enough, even – to expose your precious Phantom?"

That gave me pause. If he knew about the time travel, of course he would know about Erik.

That just wouldn't do. "If you're so in to blackmailing me, what do you want? Surely I have nothing of value that would appeal to you."

"Well, there are a few things I might be interested in..."

"He did WHAT?!"

Erik's shout rang through the catacombs as I flinched. I had prepared myself for an explosion after I told him about the encounter with The Black Rose the next day. I just didn't prepare myself for the volume of it.

"He didn't hurt me, I swear. He just startled me. But he told me he wanted an audience with you and for me to meet him tonight on the roof with the details of when and where."

He shook his head and stalked to the lake. "He laid a hand on you. He needs to pay."

I rushed to him as he was about to board the boat and grabbed his arm, pulling him back off the dock. "Again, he didn't hurt me. I agree, he could have went about things very differently, but what's done is done. Don't you want to find out what he wants?"

"No, I don't. Any person who has to threaten someone to get them to do something isn't - "

"Excuse me," I interjected. "Isn't that exactly what you used to do, sir?"

He paused mid-step. "I learned to do better and therefore bettered myself?"

I patted his cheek while walking past him. "Nice try, love."

I could hear his eyes roll. "Let's be serious, though. What does he want from me? It isn't like there's much he can get."

"But think about it," I said. "Who better to blackmail but someone who can't go to the police? It would be a perfect crime with a clean getaway."

"I wouldn't need to go to the police if you weren't here."

I heard him mutter and whirled around. "What was that?"

He straightened his posture and put on a neutral expression. "Nothing, mon amour."

"He requests that you meet him in Box 5."

"The elusive Phantom's Box?" I could hear the smirk in his voice. "Perfect. When will this meeting occur?"

"In a few minutes."

His body stiffened in shock. "Oh? So soon?"

I shrugged. "The sooner, the better, right? Or that's his philosophy, at least. Why waste time stressing over what could be done right now?"

He shuffled around as to relieve some of his tension. You're gonna need a chiropractor...

"Lead the way."

As I led the stranger to Erik's box, I tried my best to maintain a sizable distance between us. I wanted nothing to do with him though he tried his best to stick right beside me.

No thank you.

Once we arrived at the box, I led him through the door, but stayed at the doorway. "I hope you have a wonderful meeting, monsieur."

It was them that he seemed extremely nervous as he reached out for me when I went to shut the door. "Uh, you're not staying here with me? I though you might, considering our delicate situation."

"Don't worry," I chuckled sadistically. "I'll be within earshot if you so happen to scream."

And with that, I shut the door in his masked face.

Standing to the side was Erik, a look of pride adorning his own masked face. "Have I ever told you that I love you?"

"Only every day, but I would love to hear it again."

After him not only telling but showing me how much his statement was true, he made his way in to the box through a hidden entrance as to throw our unwanted blackmailer off his game. Of course I would stay there the whole time lest Erik do something I would definitely not approve of. My hidden presence encouraged him to do the right thing.

I could hear the whole conversation. "You think taking what is mine is a good way of getting my attention?"

Stranger stuttered in shock. "I-I"

"And to top it off, you try to blackmail me? Yet another genius idea?"

"W-well-"

"Who are you?"
Silence filled the space between them before I heard the rustle of a mask leaving a face and a soft gasp, though I couldn't tell who did what.

"LeChanco?"

WHAT?!