Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

Ending

Chapter 3: The Vault of Trophies

The colleagues swam up to a tunnel with spikes coming out from every direction, almost. As Lara's eyes scanned for any other route, Kurtis tugged her and made a way with his hand as if saying "Relax." He put forward his right hand, and immediately, the spikes froze in their positions, set after the set. It made their task extremely easy. They swam along a few tunnels till they came up to an air pocket. They climbed out and saw a dead end. Lara asked a question that had waited in her mind long enough. "How did you stop the spikes?"

"Oh the vault was made by someone from my Order, and I was recognized," he took off his aqua-lung and plainly answered, but his trademark smirk escaped his lips, and his head slightly tilted. Lara sighed and jumped back into the cold water. Kurtis shrugged, put on his half empty lung on again and followed her. They again swam a few tunnels till the adventurers saw a breakable wall. Lara took honor, as the weird raiding feeling returned to her after a long time. Placing her feet on the wall, she kicked hard and performed a beautiful backward somersault. Kurtis was amazed by her grace. They swam into a room with statues of the Lux Veritatis, heroes of bygone days. In the middle lay a book open, and Lara and Kurtis read: "The brothers reunited to see the gates being thrown open." On the plaque were two initials; L and V. 'Lux Veritatis?' Lara thought to herself.

'No, Limoux and Vasiley. C'mon." Lara astounded by the voice, followed Kurtis to a statue with the word 'Limoux' scraped into it. Lara pulled a lever behind him, and the knight moved forward. Kurtis signaled to her again and they went turned behind another statue. 'Vasiley' was scraped into this one. After pulling the lever, the knight moved forward as well. A blue light erupted from the statues' bodies and traveled through their swords, then fusing in together. The blinding light then went up to the ceiling and broke away the middle section of it; hence creating a path for the partners. Lara gasped, as they broke through the surface for air. Kurtis threw away his empty aqua-lung. After climbing out, Lara realized that they might not need these wetsuits after this. She closed her eyes and imagined stabbing Eckhardt with a wetsuit on, or even aiming at him with a harpoon gun. She silently laughed to herself. "We won't be needing these," she told Kurtis, with a pinch of softness in her tone.

"I know," he returned with calmness. He unbuckled his knapsack that he had put on above his wetsuit. Lara folded her arms on her chest.

"In front of me!" Lara exclaimed, watching his move.

"Mind going somewhere?" he asked, turning slightly pink.

"Not at all," Lara moved out of the small place and behind a large stalagmite. She was wearing her shorts beneath her wetsuit, so she put on her tank top after sliding down the wetsuit's upper part and took off her lower one to reveal dry shorts. She put on her socks and shoes, then strapped up her holsters round her legs. As she moved up towards her waist, a cold hand slid past hers, and the other followed. She gasped, this was way too familiar for her. The person's thumb brushed her abdomen, strapped the belt round her waist for her. All that time, she was electrified, petrified, too shocked to manage an attack, just like what happened with her at the Louvre. After that, she forced herself to turn around and face this person.

Kurtis.

'What did you expect, Muller!' she asked herself. She found herself pinned to him and locked in his deep azure eyes. He snapped his fingers in front of her eyes, and she seemed to snap back to reality. He moved away, tilting his head once more, no guns this time. Lara now realized what had happened, "How DARE you!" she angrily began. Then she thought, he possibly couldn't have. He was wearing everything; holster, knapsack, his chirugaii hanging by his side, his clothes.

"I dared to see you wearing your holsters, that's about it," he answered, leaning casually against the doorway, with his arms crossed on his chest.

"How do I know that you're not lying?" Lara dangerously asked him.

"You yourself said that you trusted me. Now it's another alone fact that your trust is truly very weak," he said coldly.

"Whatever," she muttered and went out forwards, to a huge rock falling up and down and not staying at one place. The raider started running, gathering speed along by the metres she was quickly covering. When the stone rose up, she sprinted and when it was about to fall, rolled to safety. Kurtis just got recognized again, and walked under the eight-tonne rock. Lara waited for him with a stony expression on her face. A lever was placed next to her, and a huge pit in front of her. Their destination was in sight, of course, but the pit looked deeper than that at the Wrath of Beast, when Lara was in search of the Earth crystal. "I wonder," she said to herself. Yes, sure thing she was back, back after Egypt. This was not her, she soon realized. She promised herself that she would never go tomb raiding again. But alas, her addiction took over her, and the darker version of Lara Croft lost against her life. Kurtis continued on watching her in deep interest, as she pulled the lever. He too had many expectations; a secret trapdoor falling underneath them, the ground rumbling and forcing them down the endless looking pit, a boulder coming down and crushing them underneath, unlike Lara, of course, who had much positive thoughts.

Hexagonagal blocks rose up from the pit, a few of them a shade of the darkest maroon, and the rest black. But, there were more maroon than black. "I wouldn't be too sure about it," she said to her colleague.

"Why not?" he annoyingly asked. This raider was far too slow at this.

"It's a trap. Many blocks will break underneath us," she answered calmly, observing the floating platforms.

"How can you tell?" he asked, now being 'just curious.'

"I know a trap when I see one, watch this," and for the demon hunter's own convenience, she grabbed a small stone lying beside her right foot and threw it on the nearest maroon platform.

A hundred points to Lady Lara Croft. All the maroon blocks broke away, leaving only the black ones. Kurtis gave a stupid grin. Lara ignored him and jumped to the nearest block. Kurtis followed her route.

Jumping and hopping, the two adventurers finally reached the alcove: their destination. Lara, however, had a desire to jump the last three blocks, made a huge leap. Kurtis, who had reached there before her, saw his partner hanging from an edge of the alcove.

"A little help would be useful," she said, tensed. Kurtis smiled, but bent down to pull her up. His strong hands gripped tightly her forearms. When she was on her feet, there were marks left blue on her pale skin. "You okay?" he asked anxiously.

"I'm fine," she said, then her face suddenly put on an expression describing pure horror. "Kurtis behind you!" she managed and pushed him hard. He landed flat, and Lara on top of him. He groaned because of his crash landing. It missed him by inches, an undead knight had attempted to kill him with his sword. 'Cool, undeads can go about in stealth as well,' he thought to himself. Lara pulled herself up, fast and holstered her Rigg 09 and Kurtis his own Boran X. Two knights, with metal shields and rusty swords gained on upon them. Kurtis and Lara, two adventurers standing back-to-back aimed at them, and shot a number of rounds. "They won't die like that," Lara whispered to him, "There has to be another way."

"What!" he blurted out, "How do expect us to kill 'em, huh? Throw him down the pit?" he said in his previous manner.

Lara's face lit up. "Exactly!" Lara rushed to the nearest one. The raider kicked on its ribs and shot it's skull. avoiding its sharp blows, she managed to throw it down the pit within three minutes! Kurtis on the other hand, didn't have these techniques. He holstered his gun, took out his chirugaii and used martial arts that he was taught at an early age. Soon, the other knight was down with his pal, deep down into the pit.

Lara moved towards a wooden table near the fireplace and it's hot, welcoming fire and observed books that prove to be of no use, except for one line. Lara took out Werner's notebook and neately scribbled: "Three periapts joined together burn with righteous light to confine evil."

"Now that's two I owe you," Kurtis told her after his fight.

"One only, you did save my life," Lara reminded him.

"So I did, what got over you anyway, attempt to skip three platforms?" he asked.

"I thought I'd make it," she reluctantly answered, "And would have if I wouldn't have lost my balance." She walked over to a chain and pulled it. 'This had better be good."

'Don't worry, it will be." Lara now got VERY angry. "WILL YOU STOP HACKING INTO MY MIND NOW AND THEN!" she yelled.

"Only if you say so," he said calmly.

Lara growled deep within. She was angry at him but got even angrier by his calm reaction. If he were not her partner, he would've blown him up with Eckhardt. The chain she had just pulled revealed a climbable wall. She jumped up and climbed the wall and then pulled up onto a wooden ledge. She ordered Kurtis to stay on the ground, in case something goes wrong. Lara jumped up and grabbed the metal grating, and traversed onto a ledge and her weight operated a mechanism, and opened a secret compartment below. Kurtis walked towards it, and grabbed the prize, the Fifth Obscura painting. Lara safety dropped below, and said, "I would recommend you give this to me, Kurtis."

"No, Croft. It would be better if I kept my hands on it," he shot back at her.

"Look, we need to destroy it. Isn't that our goal?"

"Yeah," he muttered.

"So it really doesn't matter who carries it. We need to get out of here first."

"And that's what I am saying."

Lara's temper flew up, but she decided to give him this so-called 'opportunity'. Her eye caught something. The fire

had been extinguished, leaving them a crawl space. That was their only route. She ducked and started crawling and soon made it to the other side. Kurtis followed. Both the colleagues wished that they had kept their wetsuits on. A small pool was in front of their eyes. Lara put on her aqua-lung. Shrugging, both jumped in the cold pool again.

They swam about a few tunnels, and finally saw a large circular room. Lara swam for it, Kurtis behind her. She entered the half flooded room but Kurtis...

The raider gasped in her aqua-lung. The opening had closed, and Kurtis left foot was back in the tunnel. He pulled hard, but only strained his leg. He looked completely desperate. 'Air!' he gasped in Lara's mind. She took off her half used aqua-lung and gave it to Kurtis. When he was at peace, she surfaced the water. There was still no way out. It was like as if she were in an arena. On the top was Eckhardt, smiling wickedly. On his right side were Muller and Gunderson on the other. He clapped his hands, "Congratulations, Ms.Croft, you are positively Amazonian. That vault has defeated us for months."

Lara felt so used, that she cursed at her own stupidity. "What do you want, Eckhardt!" she yelled at him from below.

"I am not interested in you or your friend, Ms.Croft. Give me the painting, and you both may leave," he offered. 'Lara, I need air!' She went back into the water and opened his knapsack, took the painting, and Kurtis grabbed her hand, and threw off his empty lung with the other. 'NO!'

'I don't have any other choice. You'll be free when he has this.'

'Anything- just (pant) don't- give it to (pant)' His voice was no longer audible and his eyes rolled back.Lara saw no other choice. She grabbed his head, and gave him mouth-to-mouth breathing. When he was conscious again, Lara left him and surfaced the water once more. "What choice do I have?" and she threw her prize reluctantly. Eckhardt caught it, "Making bubbles won't really help, Croft" 'Lara, I have an idea.' Lara went back to Kurtis underwater.

'I can use you power and get out. Willing enough?'

'Go ahead.' Kurtis made her place her hand on his right temple and right where his heart was. He did the same with her. He started reciting something in his mind and closed his eyes, concentrating. Lara did so herself. She immediately started feeling weak. When he opened his eyes, his eyeball was visible no more. Lara's brown one too vanished. Kurtis felt stronger and stronger. White light circled around them, and Kurtis efforts were not useless.

"NO!" Eckhardt said from above, "this cannot be!"

He closed his eyes again and concentrated on the tunnel opening a bit so his trapped foot can get out. A yell came from the water, by Kurtis and he was free at last. He had opened his mouth but no water had gone in, because the powerful blinding white light was a shield against everything. Lara felt her body growing stronger and stronger, she opened her eyes and stared down into his piercing blue eyes once more. They both broke through the water, and breathed deeply. "Trent!" Gunderson exclaimed.

"Yes. Surprised to see me, murderer!" he shouted to them. A circular floor arose, taking the adventurers with it. Eckhardt angry at everything ordered Gunderson. "Release Boaz!"

Lara and Kurtis armed themselves and leaned against each others backs once more. A huge door opened and the world's ugliest creature jumped out. "She once used to be my former colleague, before she displeased me," Eckhardt explained, then turned towards the fat doctor.

"Not you, Muller, you useless piece of dross, you failed me too!" he kicked him down the arena, then exited himself. The spider Boaz moved forward and devoured him in one go. "C'mon, I'll give you a boost," Kurtis said to Lara. She balanced herself on his hand and jumped up. She felt a strong gust of wind throw her up on the ledge. She kneeled down and said to him, "Kurtis, quick!"

"Here take these two," he said and gave her his two Periapt Shards.

"But these are YOUR speciality, Kurtis!"

"Don't worry about the ugly here. GO ON! You're wasting time, I can take care of her," he said aiming at the monster.

"NO!" Lara yelled and jumped from above. A spike from the wall tore into her flesh, from her waist to her rib cage. She winced, and landed with a thud next to Kurtis. "I told you to go!" he angrily said.

"How can you think of defeating this monster all by yourself!" she said ignoring the pain and the blood of her latest wound. "You said we'd help each other out. I know you'll die if you try to kill her yourself!"

And THAT was the main truth. He deeply regretted saying his 'helping part' to her earlier. Now Eckhardt would get away. "And Eckhardt?" he asked her.

"We'll get him later." The horrifying Boaz then roared into their faces. Both grimaced.

"Ever heard of breath mints?" Kurtis asked the monster. Lara smiled. They both as a team were unbeatable.

Synestra- I am sorry, but if I had 'read your mind' then I would never have started this. Thank you for reviewing, and I hope you enjoy this.

AcidRush- Well, I guess it came out earlier for you, you just read it! Thank you for your suggestion, and those two expressions I made up myself. Thanks for reading, I will no longer disturb you.

I wrote all that after "I wonder" in a single day. My wrists hurt terribly. Anyway, review if read.