A/N: Another explanatory kind of chapter, but learning bout Lara's background instead, sorry if it is boring but it should pick up in the next few chapters.
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Tomb Raider.
Chapter 9: Tomb raiders, mummies and dangerous artefacts.
Back at the magic shop.
Twenty minutes after leaving for a shower Buffy re-emerged from the back of the shop refreshed and in a different change of clothing.
"Any Luck in finding out who this archaeologist woman is then?"
"I don't know," replied Willow. "Ask Giles, he's still got us researching for HIS client." Beginning to believe Xander was right and wondering why they were doing this research anyway. It was Giles client and he is the only one that isn't doing the research.
"As a matter of fact I have found out who she may be," responded Giles from behind the counter, where was studying Willows laptop that was on the side. "Is this her Spike? As you where the one who had seen this initiative woman after all" he turned the computer screen towards Spike so he could see the picture of the woman. She was tall with long dark brown hair and in her mid thirties.
"Yep that's her," confirmed Spike. "Who is she then?"
"I'm quite surprised you don't know already. That is the countess of Abbingdon, Lara Croft, the world famous archaeologist. She' quite well known for her unusual methods."
Xander looked giddy,
"Oh my God Spike, you met Lara Croft and you didn't even know who she was?" Yet everyone else looked at him blankly, having no idea who he and Giles where talking about.
"You don't know her?" He asked everyone. "How do you not know?" Buffy smiled at Xander, she knew what he was like for attractive women. He probably briefly saw her in a newspaper and was obsessed since.
"The question is how do you know about her Xander Harris?" She asked cheekily.
"Well ummm…errrr," Xander stuttered bright red. "I … errrr." His sentence trailed off as he began to stare at the plasma screen.
"Xander do you have a crush on that woman?" demanded Anya. "Look at her she's way to old for you honey."
"Anya, your over 1000 years old," retorted Xander.
"Are you saying she's better than me!"
"No, no I'm just saying that you're an older woman and that I like you." Anya still didn't seem convinced.
"Oh you LIKE me, is that it? Well if that how you feel then I'm…"
"Please!" Interrupted Buffy. "We are trying to find out why she is here. Giles if you would continue."
"Well in England she is very well known. As soon as I heard Spike's description I knew it was her. Lady Lara Croft, daughter of the earl of Abbingdon, Richard Croft. She followed in her father's footsteps and took up the profession of archaeology. He himself was well know for finding major sites of historical importance in places such as South America, Africa and Europe. However he never really was taken that seriously after he began to claim the location of places like Avalon and Atlantis."
"Oo I know where they are," exclaimed Anya excitedly. Giles looked at her and rolled his eyes before carrying on,
"Anyway, he was declared dead when he was lost in the field when Lara was eighteen. When she took up archaeology she was like any normal archaeologist with moderate finds and a lot of digging. However, with a great fortune in her hands she travelled the world and has been credited for at least 16 archaeological sites of international importance. Her thirst for adventure increased, leading her to more perilous places, hence why she began to carry the guns. It has been claimed that she has found Bigfoot, Pandora's box, rather unknown things such as the dagger of Xian, and even Atlantis, the city that her father couldn't find."
"What!" Exclaimed Willow. "We would have known if she had found a place like that. No one has ever found Atlantis."
"I'll have you know that a lot of the older demons know where it is," said Anya. "Anyway she couldn't have found it, because it was split into tiny little bits when it disappeared."
"Anya she claimed to find one of the lost islands of Atlantis, not the whole thing," continued Giles. "However, on her return the island was destroyed, leaving no trace of it behind. Therefore, no one believed her.
"She was believed dead in 1999 when a tunnel collapsed on her when she was in the Great pyramid in Egypt. She reappeared in a nearby town months later, back from the dead. It was impossible to survive in the desert that long and survive. Many say that the magic of the pyramid brought her back from the dead. No one really knows what happened.
"As for why she is looking for you," Giles has the screen facing him again and was clicking furiously fast. Her turned the screen back to the others and said,
"A few weeks ago she had found the most unusual tomb in the Egyptian desert. It was neither a pharaoh's nor a peasant's tomb. It was placed in the most unlikely place, yet the most unusual thing is this," he pointed at the hieroglyphs above the tomb.
"What does it mean?" Asked Buffy.
"Here lies the warrior against darkness,
She who fought against the undead,
The chosen one, killed in battle,
But forever fighting.
Buffy she had found the tomb of a previous slayer. She probably found out that you're the current slayer and has come asking questions about what she has found," said Giles.
"But what was in that tomb that made her what to know answers," Buffy asked.
"I don't know," said Giles. "There was a raid during her presentation at her mansion a couple of days ago, but nothing is known about it. We don't know what they were after or why. The media was paid a huge sum to keep quiet."
"Could you keep researching? I'd like to know as much about this woman as possible." Buffy sat down and helped herself to a doughnut.
"Spike if you want to stay, make yourself useful, help with the research." Spike shifted his weight nervously.
"I'll err… go check on Dawn," he said, swiftly walking out of the shop. "I'm probably more useful there."
"Ha, that got rid of him," smiled Buffy.
"We should have tried that sooner," giggled Willow.
