Nero wondered if Dante ever found it difficult to look at Trish, because he sure as hell couldn't stare at this thing without wanting to slice it to pieces. "Don't call me that. You don't get to call me that."
The copy frowned, but before another word came out of it's mouth, an intercom buzzed overhead. Nero noticed the camera beside it too late.
"Good, the clone found you, sport. Now why doesn't Mommy Dearest be a doll and kill you."
"Rutland, you bastard! Get out here now!" Nero snarled, glaring into the camera.
He could imagine the smug grin on the man's face as he replied, "Why would I come down there when there's already something that can take care of you? Speaking of which, take care of him."
Nero's head whirled back around in time to see the copy raise it's gun. A shot fired, and Nero braced for the pain. It took just a moment to realize that nothing was hurting; there was no blood on his sweatshirt which hadn't soaked through the hoodie. The copy fired again, its second bullet taking out the intercom, while the first shattered the camera.
The copy smiled at him again, holstering the gun. "Now we can talk without being interrupted." It had the gall to look concerned. "How are you doing, sweetheart?"
"Don't call me that, you're not my mother!" Nero snapped again.
The copy frowned, it's eyes narrowing. "Why would you ever say something so hurtful?" It's tone even imitated Lara's, but Nero's glowing arm gave away what it really was. The copy pointed to it's head. "I am your mother, the better her. I have all her memories, her knowledge, her thoughts; I can be the mother she never was. No more long trips away, no more worried about dying on a job, no more worrying you'll outlive her. Doesn't that sound more appealing than having someone who will wither and die like everything else?"
Nero hated to think it, to even give this thing a moment's consideration. "It would be nice not to worry." he admitted, before his eyes narrowed in a glare. "But I'd rather spend the time I have left with my mother, not some thing trying to be her."
The copy's lips curled into a frown. "I don't want to hurt you, sweetheart, but you're making Mommy very angry."
"Shut up!" Nero lunged. He brought back the sword and had every intention of chopping this thing's head off, but he saw the image of his real mother there, and that was all it took to lose his momentum. He stopped just short of stabbing it, glaring into it's yellow eyes as the end of the sword jammed into the wall. "Damn you."
The copy smirked. "See, you can't bring yourself to hurt me." Nero jerked his head back as the thing's cold hand tried to touch his cheek, and he shoved it away. It frowned. "You were right though, I am just a copy right now." It muttered, eyes hard. "The process which turned me into a clone of Lara Croft was incomplete." Something sly appeared in it's eyes, and Nero stepped back. "I'll only become her truly once she's dead."
Nero scowled. "Don't you dare hurt her." he clenched his fists, one hand tightening over the Yamato's handle. He could try ending this right now, but thought of slicing up this copy still churned in his gut. 'It's not even an exact clone. This thing has red hair!' It was the worst thing he could come up with, but it was enough for him bring his elbow up.
The hit caught the copy in the jaw, and Nero kicked his foot out. He avoided looking directly at it, but it was a solid hit in the thing's gut as he heard it skid along the floor. Nero pulled Yamato from the wall and bolted down the opposite hall. Dante would probably give him hell if he ever found out Nero ran from a fight, but given the situation there wasn't any room to judge.
The fact this thing was still a demon was a sharp reminder when there was a flash of red and then it was just in front of him. Nero grunted as a palm slammed into his chest, stopping him in his track. He swatted the hand away and jumped back defensively. It's eyes remained trained on him, another smirk on it's lips. "That wasn't very nice, sweetheart. Running off in the middle of our conversation."
"I told you to quit calling me that." Nero spat.
"Would you prefer honey? Dear? Don't be shy, tell Mommy what you want."
"I want you to shut up!" Nero retorted. "You're not my mother, you'll never be her. Even with her memories that doesn't mean shit!"
The copy's features were pinching, the veins visible through the transluscent skin pulsing. "I'm getting really tired the foul-mouth you've developed. It's because of that Nico girl, isn't it?"
"No, it's because some psycho is trying to mother me." Nero said. He didn't know how much time he had before Rutland's goons were directed to this area. Then he'd be dealing with two problems. "You keep blocking my way and those mercenaries Rutland is sending after me are gonna be swarming this hall soon."
The copy's smirk fell, surprise flashing in it's eyes. "What?"
Nero remembered, belatedly, the copy took his mother's blood before the mercenaries showed up. He nodded. "Yeah, Rutland hired goons to track me and my mother down and kill us."
His mother was usually restrained in her fury, but this clone had no compunction against letting every facet of the rage and hatred show in her features right down to her glowing eyes. "No one's touching a hair on your head ever again."
Before he could move, Yamato was ripped from his grasp and the demon's other arm encircled Nero around the waist. The difference in strength from someone with just a little demon blood to an actual demon was stark as he was dragged off his feet with little effort.
"Let me go, damn it!" Nero struggled to slip out of the hold, but it only tightened around him. The pressure on his ribs caused him to see stars and suck in a gulp of air. Either Dante always went easy on him, or Nero wasn't as durable as he thought.
He gritted his teeth, and held his breath before throwing all his weight back down. Nero's feet hit the floor, and he bent to throw the demon over him. The tiles beneath it cracked from the impact, and Yamato clattered out of it's grasp. Nero dove for the sword, but a hand grabbed his ankle and flung him into the wall. He rolled his head, glaring at the clone as it got back up.
It wiped a cut on its cheek, skin stitching back together. "How rude to treat your mother this way, honey."
"Screw...off." Nero hissed, and hauled himself out of the dent he'd made in the wall.
"You've brought this on yourself with your unruly behavior." The copy replied calmly.
Nero was sure he was seeing red, because fury flushed through him and he brought back his arm and from the corner of his eye, blue flared to life. Nero's eyes widened, and the copy stared in shock as a large project of his demonic arm lashed out, catching the copy in the gut.
The demon went careening down the hall, and the force of it knocked the copy right through the door at the end of the hall. Nero stared at his arm, the blue flare dying out.
'What...the hell was that?' Nero only saw that kind of aura when trying to use his trigger, but that only seemed to come around when using Yamato. This...this was something else. It was definitely strong though, enough to finally get him edge. 'Can't wait to show the old man.'
The elation was short-lived, because his eye caught sight of Yamato on the floor. Right, island death trap, mercenaries on the way. Nero grabbed the sword and made for the other hall. The hiss of a door reached his ears, and Nero turned in time to see the fist coming for him. He jerked back, but the hand swept back and grabbed his throat, while the other disarmed him.
The copy spun, and tossed Nero through the air. His back collided with a shelf, and he fell to the floor as cleaning supplies clattered to the floor around him. Nero caught sight of the clone in the doorway, expression severe before the metal door began sliding closed. Nero raised his arm, but found Yamato was gone. Instead, he lunged for the door just as it slammed shut and planted face-first into it.
On the otherside, he could hear the quiet beep of a lock and Nero banged on the door. "Let me out!"
The copy's voice was tight. "You'll stay in here until I come back for you. Mommy needs to go take out the trash. Why not get some sleep? You've been up way past your bedtime."
Nero banged and scratched at the door, but not even his claws made more than a dent. "No, get back here and let me out!" he shouted. He couldn't believe this, not only was he trapped in a damn broom closet of all things, but he had been taken down like it was nothing.
And now he was trapped in a closet while that clone was on the loose with his sword, and after his mother.
Amanda hummed, resting her elbow on her arm, rubbing her chin. "Really, a gun, Lara?" her eyes burned brighter. "Does the fact I just told you I merged with a demonic entity make you think that will work on me?"
Lara's eyes narrowed. "Even demons go down when filled with enough bullets."
"Then in that case." Amanda raised her arms out, her whole eyes glowing as her skin gained a dark, shadowy coloring. Her hands turned to claws and a long trail of smoke ran down her legs, wispy on the ground and giving the impression of no legs at all. Her face was shadowed, blonde hair turned black and spilling with tendrils. "Let's see how long it takes."
Lara rolled to avoid a long dark arm stretching out and clawing the air where she stood. She fired at the entity, causing Amanda to stagger. "Please, we don't have to fight."
"A little late for that, almost twenty years too late!" Amanda shrieked, and the shadows on the ground shot up from the ground like spikes.
Lara barely managed to avoid the cluster, and rolled close to the wall. The gun couldn't fire endless bullets, but she couldn't see anything else that would make for a weapon. 'I need to think smarter. That's the only way I can take her down and find Nero.' she thought.
"What's the matter? Playing chicken, Lara?" Amanda called, teeth bared in a grin. "I shouldn't be surprised; once a coward, always a coward."
"I didn't leave you to die! I wanted to search for you but I wasn't allowed." Lara replied.
"Excuses!" Amanda shouted, and she tossed out her hand. A ball of energy whipped out, and blasted the cavern wall near Lara's head. Well, that wasn't good.
Where was this all coming from? Lara's gazed locked onto the amulet around Amanda's neck. Oh, right. Either it was just a powerless trinket right now, or there was still a reason for Amanda to keep it with her despite supposedly merging with the demon inside.
It was a gamble, but it was all Lara had if she wanted to save the rest of the magazine clip. Though it meant she needed to be real dead on with her aim. Which meant getting closer.
Lara closed her eyes briefly, and squared her shoulders. She clutched the handle of the gun tight and ran for Amanda. The woman seemed surprised, before throwing a wave of energy at her. Lara ducked under it, and jumped up to avoid the spikes which formed under her. Lara grunted as Amanda's stretched arm clawed at her shoulder, where the copy had gotten her. She struggled under the weight, and Amanda smirked.
"You always thought you could just charge in without a plan." she 'tsk-'ed.
"Who says I don't?" Lara raised her gun, but Amanda shielded her face than her chest. The bullet didn't shatter the amulet, but it cracked.
The shadow arm on Lara's shoulder disappeared, and Amanda gasped as she stared down at her hands, turning back and forth between powered and not. She grabbed the amulet and her eyes widened, clutching her head with her other hand. "No, no, no! You can't leave me!"
Lara got knocked off her feet by a blast of energy. She rolled onto her feet, crouched low and waiting as Amanda was collapsed to her knees. The energy burst had shattered what was left of the amulet, and all the shadows receded from the blonde, a hollow wind blowing through the cavern up to the open ceiling. Her youthful appearance was gone, and while there were no wrinkles or gray hairs, she merely look matured to her rightful age.
Amanda still seemed devastated though, staring at her hands as though seeing wrinkles not there. "No, we had a deal!" she screamed. "I'm not supposed to get any older!" She clenched the shattered remains in her hands, but they turned to dust. "You weren't supposed to abandon me too!"
Lara frowned, something inside her twisting. "It's over, Amanda." she said gently. "Get Rutland to call everything off."
Amanda turned her furious gaze on Lara, hatred shining in her eyes. "Why would I want to do that? This is just another thing you've taken from me."
"It was a demon you sold your soul too." Lara pointed out, but Amanda only spat.
"And you slept with one to get your freak son."
Lara's teeth gritted together, and she trained the gun on Amanda. "Last chance."
The blonde squeezed her eyes shut tight, hands clawed into the dirt. Her shaking form stilled. "You may have killed the demon," her eyes snapped open, the glow returning, "but you didn't get rid of everything."
Lara fired too late, and the bullet grazed by Amanda's head as an energy blast caught Lara in the chest. It sent her flying through the air, and straight into one of the pools. Water filled Lara's vision as she began sinking, staring at the surface where Amanda looked down at her. Lara held her breath, and gazed around, trying not to panic because if there was no other exit-
There! A tight fit, but a crevice just big enough for her to fit through. And she certainly wasn't going back up. Lara pulled herself through the opening, and swam through the tunnel. Her lungs started to burn for air, and she kicked and stroked fast as she could. Her hands looked for air pockets, before one gave way and she brought herself up.
Air greeted her, and Lara sucked in gulps of it, her heart beating wildly in her chest. It was always a danger exploring underwater, and now, in the complete darkness, it was no different. Her night vision only adjusted to let her see right in front of her, and that was still nothing. Feeling around the area, Lara pulled herself out of the pool and laid on her back to catch her breath and regroup.
She had no idea where Nero was, a clone of herself was running around, and Amanda still had those demon-given powers. A bad situation all around. Just her luck.