Uncharted: The Enemy of my Enemy

Author's Note:

This story is set following the events of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception and cuts into the events of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. Certain characters' survival will be explained as the story goes on.

A more serious chapter, I promise.


"Are we really going through with this, Marlowe?" Talbot asked in a hushed whisper as he checked the hallway one last time before venturing further in to the kitchen to stand beside her.

Marlowe shifted to retrieve the tea tin and picked the usual chamomile to add it into the mug. "I don't trust him, and frankly we've got all we can get from him. We don't need his help" She stated after a moment's contemplation.

Talbot nodded his silent agreement and watched as she took out the box of sleeping pills she had bought from the pharmacy just the day before, taking two of the capsules apart and pouring their powdery content in as well. He had to say that he neither liked nor trusted Navarro, for the man was simply uncultured and if Marlowe herself was suggesting that they should rob him, then it was all the better. Marlowe would never see anything in a brat like him, he was simply inferior. Talbot's mood had improved significantly as a result of these thoughts.

"Here, take this to him and I'll go pack our things" The woman instructed, interrupting his gloating.

"But, Marlowe… what if he gets suspicious?" He asked cautiously.

"Don't be ridiculous, Talbot. Now go, and try not to make a dog's breakfast out of this" She replied firmly as she finished with adding the water and mixing the content well. "Don't mix up the cups" She warned lastly before taking off.

Talbot let out a huff of air before taking the tray and heading down the hallway towards the study where he knew that Atoq would be. For some reason, he had been more withdrawn than usual and his mood especially dark to the point that he hadn't even shown up for breakfast, though Talbot had no idea about his encounter with Marlowe.


Atoq's frown briefly left his face when he heard a knock on the door and he felt like telling whoever it was to get lost in the least polite manner possible, but he decided that it was probably time that he spoke to her anyway.

"Come in" He finally instructed, and the door opened to reveal that it was not the usual visitor, but Talbot instead. Navarro's fingers immediately froze on the keyboard, his gaze flickering from the man's face towards the tray in his hands and he let out a small sound that may have been a scoff before disregarding him and going back to his work.

Talbot sneered at the action, mentally cursing the man for acting like he was too good for him, but to Navarro, Talbot was simply a brainless second-in-command to Marlowe- someone who had shown great skill, but without a figure of authority was as useful as a spoon against a brick wall. Regardless, Talbot set the tray down carefully and placed the drugged tea before him, unsure if he was supposed to sit down, but judging by Marlowe's inclusion of a second mug, she was expecting him to make sure that Atoq had properly been sedated.

"I don't want it" Atoq stated, staring at the mug like it had personally offended him.

Talbot blanked for a moment. "M- Marlowe made it for you" He stated, feeling very awkward. He hadn't expected him to be so upfront about it.

Atoq went back to typing after another moment then subtly used his hand to push the mug away as though to emphasise his earlier point.

The British man found himself in quite a predicament that he hadn't expected.

"I need to talk to her," The other spoke up again. "Go call her, would you?"

Talbot couldn't believe it. Atoq Navarro was treating him like the Help and he felt the heat of anger immediately rise to his face, but just as he was about to explode on him, Marlowe knocked on the door and let herself in.

"Good evening, gentlemen" She smiled pleasantly as she came in, carrying a plate of sandwiches and taking the seat opposite Talbot. The plate was placed near Navarro as a symbol of goodwill following their unpleasant departure the previous evening, and also a subtle sign to say that she had noticed his absence the entire day.

The sandwiches were also regarded with suspicion, but he seemed to give Marlowe his attention at least. "We have important things to discuss, I believe," He began slowly, but she interrupted him.

"Not now, Mr. Navarro, you must eat" She insisted with a polite smile. "I made these egg sandwiches especially for you, I hear they really improve a man's… longevity" She hinted subtly, knowing that if she made him nervous, he was more likely to agree.

Talbot's face lit up in shock at her words and he looked between the two in bewilderment, even more so when Atoq seemed to consider the food.

"Ah… thank you" He muttered, again breaking the sandwich off into bits and taking only a bite before setting it aside.

"The whole sandwich if you please" Marlowe again pushed her luck and was once again met with that dark look that told her she was overdoing it, but she didn't say anything as she picked up her mug of tea to drink.

Navarro silently tapped away on his laptop for a moment, taking another bite from the sandwich in between and Talbot couldn't help but mentally reinforce the sentiment of how uncivilised he found the man. Eating and working at the same time was something those lowlife plebs did because they were so busy with their simpleton lives that they didn't know how to balance their time and have sophisticated meals.

Talbot wanted to leave already, but then he began to notice something. Atoq was looking more and more spaced out as the minutes and the silence extended, and it seemed like Marlowe had craftily put sleeping powder in the food too- nothing less from Katherine Marlowe!

Eventually, the man relaxed in his chair and drifted off into a drug induced sleep.

Neither Marlowe nor Talbot moved for the longest of moments until the former had finished her mug of tea.

"The driver is out cold too. Go start the car" She ordered as she pried the laptop away to start searching for information, specifically anything that would tell her about the incident at the Rub' al Khali and maybe the whereabouts of Nathan Drake.

Katherine Marlowe was anything but stupid. This man knew who she was, he knew about her Order and had probably been there when Talbot and herself had been picked up. There were endless files of research about different things, mostly historical in nature, but if the compiled pages suggested anything, it was that Navarro did not do things the legal way. He was in on this treasure hunting business too and he had profiles on both her and Talbot.

Click. Click. Click.

Her fingers paused, her eyes briefly widening as she saw the name. Ah yes, Nathan Drake. So, that's what they had in common. That's what Atoq Navarro and herself could find a mutual agreement on… The desire for revenge on Nathan Drake. She didn't know the whole story, and she probably would have heard it if she had been a little more patient and open with her questions, but it wasn't a mistake that couldn't be fixed. Right now, Atoq Navarro had the resources and the information while she had the contacts and the freedom of mobility.

Just this was a good bargain for a partnership.

Opening the drawers, the woman picked up the journal she had seen him write in quite often, flipping through pages of notes, sketches and newspaper and leaflet cut outs, briefly pausing to read an insert about a mercenary group called 'Shoreline'. It turned out that he wasn't an easy man, quite clever too if he wasn't so easily overwhelmed by her pleasant façade to push him to do what she wanted. It was in fact, rare at her age to find a man that would bend to simple gestures like these but it was clear that he had little experience with women altogether.

"Marlowe," Talbot appeared again at the door just as she was closing the journal and returning it to its place. "The car is ready" He informed her.

Marlowe took a very long moment to think about this. "Talbot," She began slowly. "Do you think we can make it back to London?" She posed the question and he looked confused.

"P- pardon?" He blinked.

"You heard my question" She replied. "With the resources that we have currently… do you think that we can make it?"

Talbot looked around nervously. "Just to the airport, but our contacts-"

"Without them" The senior woman put in.

"… No" He still didn't know what brought this on, but his gaze briefly strayed to the sleeping Navarro and he had a strange feeling in his stomach that Marlowe's opinion may have been swayed. Why? Because she felt sorry for the man?

"No. It would appear that way to me too, and as it were… we may have stumbled across an unexpected ally in all of this" The blonde turned the laptop towards him, the page still open on Nathan Drake and all of his activities starting from 2007.

Talbot slowly approached and began to scan through it. "Marlowe… If he's still in Scotland, then we can…" He let the sentence drift off since she was giving him the kind of smile that told him she already knew what he had on his mind.

"Exactly. Maybe we should start this whole thing over fresh and plot the demise of that scoundrel, Drake" She suggested.

The man knew that this would mean he would have to tolerate Navarro and work with him and that thought alone was enough to unnerve him, but Marlowe had foresight in these kinds of things and it didn't necessarily mean that he would need to treat him kindly or as an equal. In fact, he would make sure to lay down the ground rules the minute he got the chance.

"Sweet dreams, Atoq Navarro" He grinned as he watched him for a moment before returning the laptop to the way it was and following Marlowe out of the room. He would teach him to take him seriously.


Author's Notes:

A bit of a short(er) chapter with not much going on, but sometimes these are necessary to see the plot progress. It seems like Talbot's little misunderstanding about Marlowe's (fake) affection towards Navarro hasn't yet been cleared up, but then again, he always did want to be the only one she could count on.

Please R&R, my reviews are very empty.

WritingLevel-Meh