Angels of Darkness and ones of Light
Part 2: Saviors of Delight
The tomb raider entered a very grim and unwelcoming area that didn't remind her of an Aquatic-Research room whatsoever. There was no water, no schemes, nothing. Lara suspiciously walked down the hallway that was covered in something that dangerously reminded her of dried blood and other liquids she was not keen on knowing anything about. As she proceeded to walk further, grey stone and metal doors that looked like cell entrances caught her eyes, but what bothered her more was the fact that some of them were open.
"What sort of Aquatic- research area is that?!" She mumbled under her breath.
Lara walked and walked, not noticing any water at all. Had she mistaken the entrance?
The raider was somewhere in the middle of the hallway when she spotted a huge room with broken tables, scattered chairs and torn electricity cables hanging from the ceiling. There were dead men on the floor, some of them missing body parts, and odd sounds were coming from… Behind her.
Lara span around so quickly, the movement almost giving her a headache.
A creature that looked as if it had just gotten out of a horror movie, with skin as white as a sheet, very poor remaining eyes and mouth, strange … Outfit and tentacle-like limbs, that were probably once arms, tilted its head at her.
As it started advancing on her, the raider knitted her eyebrows in an angry manner and took a pistol in her hand, aiming at the monster. The sound of the gun that showed the weapon was empty of bullets caused her eyes to widen.
"Ah, shit…" Lara cursed before slowly stepping backwards, frantically looking for ammo in her backpack. As she found none, the woman turned around and started running.
It wasn't longer than 10 seconds when she sensed the creature's limb hitting her stomach and causing her to fly into the huge room with scattered and broken furniture. Her back met a table that was knocked over and the woman yelled in pain. The familiar taste of blood filled her mouth as she struggled to get up.
"Dammit."
Brown eyes started scanning the room, looking for any subject that could be of help to at least slow the monster down but all the chairs and table legs were too far away. Fear pierced through Lara's body as she crawled backwards as if it would have stopped the creature advancing on her not so slowly anymore.
Just as she pressed her back to the wall, sealed her eyes shut and expected the worst a gunshot made her jump. The said creature swayed a bit before collapsing near her.
The young woman opened her eyes and looked up to meet Kurtis' concerned gaze. She couldn't help but sigh in relief.
"Hell, Lara, can't you read a map properly?" The demon hunter rushed as he hastily approached her and fell to his knees.
A surprising light laughter escaped his partner's lips.
"Apparently I had a bit of trouble this time… Thanks."
"I owed you one."
"You still owe me that painting."
The raider attempted to get up but the pain coming from her abdomen stopped her. Kurtis rolled his eyes and scooped her up with what seemed like zero effort.
"I can walk…" Lara whispered, laying her head on his well-built chest and wrapping her arms around his neck.
"I am convinced." Came his sarcastic reply.
Then the tomb raider closed her eyes and everything faded to black.
Abington, England, Unknown location, 12th of March, 2008
Lara gasped loudly and jumped away from the wall she had been leaning on. The woman looked around with wide eyes and tried to calm her breathing. Had she… Fallen asleep? Why'd she dream of Kurtis saving her that time? He hadn't taken over her mind for a very long while.
Beautiful, brown eyes took in the surroundings and made her realize she wasn't in the new bed in the second Abington estate she'd inherited from her father. Her back hurt, her clothes and skin were soaking, her hair was dripping. Swiping a tongue over her lower lip made her aware of the fact that it was bleeding; a pain in the shoulder reminded Lara one of the mercenaries had shot her while she was running.
The mercenaries.
Bloody hell.
The raider forced herself to get up and started scanning the place yet again, looking for a way out.
"The one time I didn't take my headset with me is the one time I need it the most." Soft voice whispered shakily.
Though Zip's tech room was still in the process of building in the new mansion and it probably wouldn't have been much of a use.
Zip.
He always helped her. He never failed to find her in common situations.
She hoped ever so secretly he'd find her now, too.
Like Kurtis always knew where she was and what to do to get to her…
Lara's eyes filled with tears and she had absolutely no idea why. Was it because the thought of Kurtis flooded her mind?
"That doesn't matter now, Croft, what matters is to get out of here."
The woman looked up to the broken windows. One of them was low enough for her to reach. She could climb over that, get to a higher-placed one and break through it. It was already falling apart anyway.
The raider sucked in a breath before advancing on the said window hastily. She started running as familiar footsteps sounded not far away from her in the building.
Lara jumped and grabbed the window frame. Her bleeding shoulder showed its protest but she ignored the pain and pulled herself up before jumping to the higher one, catching it. A bullet pierced the wall right beside her cheek.
"Bloody hell…"
They were there.
Her right leg made its way to the window frame but another shot was what it took to take her down.
The bullet scratched her right hand deeply, the limb instinctively letting go of the edge. That caused her leg to slip off too and the grip she managed with her left hand loosened. Lara groaned in pain loudly as she hit the ground and failed to blink away the dizziness that took over her brain. She could barely hear the men approaching her slowly.
Lara closed her eyes.
"After everything I've been through this is an oddly ridiculous way to die." The raider thought.
The next 15 seconds were a total blur. She heard footsteps, yelling, gunfire, sensed bloods cover her cheek, someone advancing on her and speaking with a dangerously familiar voice.
It brought her back to consciousness, if only for short.
"Zip?"
"Can you hear me? Lara?"
The raider sensed hands moving from her shoulders to her face, wiping away the blood, then to her hair, then back to her shoulders.
"Are you awake? Lara?" The hacker asked concerned before wrapping an arm around her shoulders and placing his hand under her knees.
"Mm… Mercenaries…"
"Yeah, I think I figured that out." He mumbled softly before picking her up and beginning to walk out of the building. "They're not going to be a threat anymore." There was a hint of venom in his voice.
The raider just sighed rather happily at her closest friend's words and relaxed in his arms.
Lara could hear sirens, men asking questions and Zip arguing with them, mentioning her not once in the conversations. She was too weak to move, not to mention open her eyes. All the raider knew was that she was safe, in her friend's(who was really warm and smelt rather nice) arms and he was probably carrying her home. It wasn't long before she fell unconscious entirely again, smiling.
Tadaa! I actually sat on my ass and wrote something, yay! There will definitely be a sequel to this fic, including a little more flashbacks of Kurtis and Lara and what had happened after Zip rescued her… And how he did in the matter of 15 seconds. :D Hope you liked it! Sequel coming very soon.
