The Perfect Duet

Chapter 7
The Demands

Len once again scanned the entrance hall as all eyes peered up toward him in fright. Only when he had announced himself as the Opera Ghost did whispers start to sound—silent, hushed murmurs. Of course, no matter how quiet anyone whispered, Len was able to pick out what the most popular subject of talk was. Of course they would be about the truthfulness of the rumors of the Opera Ghost, or even how some people were still in disbelief but had begun to question themselves. Len's lips curled back, revealing his teeth as he walked forward closer to the crowd that shrunk back.

"Now what's the matter with all of you? Did you think that incident back then was the last of my deeds? No, it was merely the beginning..."

Len reached into his coat and pulled out what seemed to be a large black book carrying many pieces of sheet music. Glancing at it and sneering, he made his way over to the podium where the maestro stood, the sound of his boots clicking in the hall. Moving like a phantom, the way he walked was with such grace that it seemed he was making a performance of his own as eyes trailed behind him. He approached the shivering maestro and turned toward the crowd once more, holding up the notebook.

"I've brought you a gift—an opera written by yours truly." He snickered, laughing at his own wording. He then shoved it into the arms of the terrified maestro. Then turning the other direction, he made his way back to the crowd, "I call it, 'The Riddler Who Can't Solve Riddles.'"

He had spotted the two opera house managers, both with tilted glasses and champagne spilt on the floor. Their already agape mouths dropped even further when Len approached the both of them. Then poking the both of them very briskly in the chest, he said,

"I advise you that you obey and put a production on of this as well as take to heart the advice I'm about to give you."

Len began to slowly pace around, pushing his way through the crowd, fiddling his fingers as an artist discussing how he wanted his work to be performed, "I am aware of some tone-deaf chorus members... I suggest you sack them. And maestro," Len projected his voice a little louder so it could be heard across the hall, "find some horn players who hit the right notes and trumpets who have a sense of tone. As for the casting..."

Len seemed to be talking to himself now, his eyes on the floor in front of him, pacing back and forth with one finger at his chin, "There are two major rolls in this opera: the detective and the girl listening to his stories."

Len purposefully made his way through the crowd towards to where Kaito and Rin stood. As Len broke through the crowd and made it into Rin's sight, Rin leaned slightly forward in anticipation, but attempted to hold herself back as to not appear suspicious. Kaito, however, noticed Rin's every slightest move and glanced between Rin and the Opera Ghost. Len looked up, bringing both hands to his side and smiling.

"Kaito shall be taking a break in this production and will not be playing the lead male role, but rather be assigned to a minor one. I, personally, shall replace him."

The silence of the crowd was suddenly broken in louder murmurs and some cries of outrage. Len seemed to have expected this and glanced around at the people surrounding him, waiting for the noise to die down. Once the crowd had returned to whispers, he turned toward Rin, "And of course, our diva shall play the role of the girl."

When Len had finished speaking and locking his gaze on Rin's countenance, he seemed to be put into a trance. He parted his lips, dazed by her beauty as he looked from her eyes, down her neck, and to the ring that rested just below her collar bone. He slowly approached her until their bodies were merely inches apart and brought his hand up and cupped his palm around the ring that rested on her chest. Underneath her skin, Len could feel Rin's heart pounding and fluttering. He smiled at this and leaned forward to touch his forehead against hers, but he had felt an unexpected force that drew him away from her.

"You get away from her!"

Kaito now stood in front of Rin, eyebrows furrowed and clutching the handle on the sword at his side. He slowly drew it from its sheath and pointed the the gleaming blade forward. Len, whose eyes were filled with rage, scoffed at the point that was in front of him and laughed.

"Good sir, are you challenging me?"

"You have no right to be here or even touch our diva!"

Len's eye twitched as his blood boiled from Kaito's ignorance. If only he knew that he and Rin had been singing together all this time, if only he knew that her heart beat only for him, if only he knew that the ring around Rin's neck was his... and he had the nerve to say that Len did not have the right to even touch "their diva." Len moved back his coat, revealing the handle of the rapier strapped to his waist. Staring straight into Kaito's eyes, he drew it from its sheath and pointed it at his chin.

Once the ring of metal sounded in the air, the crowd quickly fled to the walls, leaving the open space to Len and Kaito. Someone had taken Rin away from them, yet she still struggled to be free to run to Len's side. The two stepped away from each other, crossing their rapiers close to the tip now. It seemed like an eternity before the first strike was made. When the first clash of metal echoed, Rin jumped at the sudden strike. Moving back and forth, Kaito and Len struck at each other as if they were vipers unleashing their venom. A musical array of clashes stung the air as metal scraped against metal. Len had managed to lunge forward and swipe his sword along Kaito's shoulder. Crying out in pain, Kaito glanced down at himself, seeing a spreading stain of crimson against blue. Clenching his teeth, he pushed himself forward knocking Len's sword to the side and thrusting his sword to strike Len. To Rin's relief, Len had barely moved in time to avoid the wound, but the swords once again clashed. Rin held her hand to her chest, clutching the ring in between her fingers, eyes filled with worry and fright.

Kaito's advances were much more forceful now, the clashing sounding more violent than ever. Len stepped further and further back, knocking away the blade that threatened him. Rin found herself stepping forward now, ignoring the complaints that told her to stay back. And she found herself running forward when Kaito had thrust his blade into Len's shoulder. Len let out a cry of pain that seemed to be a horrible, terrifying sound to Rin's ear. He immediately shoved a fist onto his wound, attempting to ease the pain, but Kaito had taken his coat off and swung it around his shoulders and threw it on top of Len's head, blinding him. When Kaito raised his sword to strike Len, he was suddenly stopped by Rin pulling down at his arm.

"Kaito, stop it!" She screamed.

Len struggled out of the coat that was thrown on him and fumbled for his sword, but seeing Rin clutching Kaito caused him to freeze his position. Breathing heavily, Kaito glanced between Rin and Len, seemingly debating on whether or not to ignore Rin and finish Len off. Rin's tight clutches caused him to sheathe his sword and take Rin by the shoulder and lead her away. Infuriated, Len ground his teeth together.

"Quick! Catch him!"

The new voices in the hall had caught Len by surprise. A force of men dressed in police uniforms came dashing into the entrance hall, charging toward Len. Cursing under his breath, Len rushed away off down a corridor, the police pursuing him. When they had followed him into the corridor he had entered, however, he was nowhere to be seen—as if he had vanished into thin air.

"Opera Ghost indeed..." One of them mumbled.

Meanwhile, Len found himself alone as he stepped onto the shore of his domain. Clutching his wound, he paced back and forth passed his many artistic creations, breathing heavily through clenched teeth. Letting out a cry, he ripped off his mask and swung his arms, capsizing a desk. He slid his hands across every surface, sheet music and scores everywhere and kicked easels that held masterful paintings. His hair now a tangled mess, Len stood huffing and staring off into the distance somewhere in his mind.

"He will regret the day he dared touch her."

"This music is absurd!" The maestro complained, "How can you possibly tune these chords?"

"What's more absurd is his demands! Should we give in to him? Why should we perform his work and give in to his demands?" An opera house manager exclaimed.

"Apparently it's already been announced to the public that we're rehearsing 'The Riddler Who Can't Solve Riddles...'"

"He's leaving us with no choice, then..." The maestro interjected.

"Fine—we'll perform his work, but I say we still put Kaito in the lead male role."

"That's all well and good, but how are we to catch him? The police can only do so much."

The three men sitting in the office with papers on every surface all paused in thought. The three of them reminisced on the notes the Opera Ghost had sent, his behavior in the production of Romeo and Juliet, and his actions the night of the masquerade ball.

"Did you notice he took a particular fondness to Rin Kagamine?"

"Her voice does carry an enchanting appeal to it—perhaps he has fallen under her spell as well." The maestro said, closing the score that he held.

"Well, if that's the case, then we don't have to do anything—he will certainly be at the performance if Rin will sing the leading soprano part."

"And we will be certain that the police are there."

It had been several days since the masquerade ball and Rin had not heard from Len since.

Rin turned the pages of the score she had been given to practice. Even though her eyes passed along the notes inked on the page, her mind was hardly on the music. Rin's thoughts kept turning to Len and the spot of crimson that she had seen on him. Her stomach turned with concern as she turned another page—what was that last phrase like? She turned the page back and attempted to make sense of it, but to no avail. Glancing around the room at her now dying flowers, Rin set the score on her dresser and began pacing around in the room. She eventually found herself before the mirror, both her hands set on it and looking up at it longingly.

"Len..." She whispered with a trembling voice.

Before she knew it, his hands were touching hers from beyond the mirror, set in perfect symmetry just beyond. He faded into existence, staring down at her. Letting out a gasp of relief, Rin stepped back as Len came through the mirror to meet her. Butterflies flying around in her stomach and tears welling in her eyes, Rin threw herself to Len, tightly wrapping her arms around Len's back and burying her face onto his chest.

"Oh, Len... are you all right?" Rin sniffled, moving her hand to gently rub the wound now bandaged on his shoulder.

"Yes..." Len whispered, moving his fingers along her back and leaning his cheek on her head, "No one can take me away from you that easily."