Disclaimer: I do not own anything in regards to the Tomb Raider franchise. Alas, this is a pity… this story is for the utter amusement, entertainment, and bewilderment of the fans who appreciate Lara as being one of the best games in the world! Thoughts of the day: If Superman was bullet proof, why does he stand there when bullets are shot at him, then dodge when a gun gets thrown at him? Hmmmmm…..strange… (Movies just can't seem to get it right probably insurance issues in regards to bodily harm LOL)
Author Notes: I like getting into the part of the characters that you do not see. What happens 'in between' Lara's excursions? How does she interact with the people in her life when it is not over her headset? Read on and (hopefully enjoy my imagination). Love it or hate it, it's up to you to decide.
Chapter Ten: The search of one's blood, "I sense my child in this realm, but where? Where is my blood?"
Tokyo, Japan
"Hontou? Arigato Minato-san. Kobanwa." (really? Thank you Ms. Minato. Good evening.) Lara thanked the woman that she had as a travel agent in the area and turned to look at Valkyrie, "You would think that this was the capital of the world, given credit to all the technological advances they have made on this historic little island." She glanced around and sighed contentedly, Lara did so much enjoy the beautiful atmosphere of Japan and wanted so badly to spend a great deal of time here enjoying the sites and culture (that means she would love to be 'doing her thing' and seeing what she could find or unearth on a leisurely fashion.)
Valkyrie stared at the back of her head and smirked, she knew all too well that Lara wanted to play here and had to admit that she too would not mind a little excavating of some ancient shrines and sight see some of the older prefectures in the regions. The idea of seeing honored weapons and armor of legendary samurai intrigued her and she relished the idea of trying her hand at the katana, then again she would be using Thor's hammer and that in itself was a lot of fun as well, she mused to herself 'All of these choices, whatever is a girl to do?' she was brought out of her personal musings by Lara asking her a question.
"After we check in, what do you feel up to eating? Japan is home to the most exotic forms of seafood and vegetables in the world." Poor Lara was at a personal loss as to what to eat tonight and therefore was asking for advice, but she would never let her in on this, Valkyrie would never allow her to live it down that Lara Croft could not make a simple decision on what to eat. She who had back-up plans, FOR plans, and a plan to back those up if the first two failed, but not today it seemed. Lara was feeling a bit off her game, and Valkyrie noticed, and was going to have a bit of fun.
Valkyrie stared at Lara for a long moment and Lara saw a very evident smirk appear that vanished as soon as it came. Valkyrie answered "Well, this country is supposed to be the best for squid and octopus, how about some Kraken?" she grinned from ear to ear, her glowing eyes seemed to twinkle for a moment with the whimsical deviousness of her statement. "Oh that's right. You killed the Kraken didn't you? Tsk, what a waste. I wonder how much he would have sold for here in Japan." She looked skyward and stroked her chin with the index and middle fingers of her left hand in upward and downward motions. "I gather he would have been…..delicious but I don't think we will ever find that out. Unless….you kept some?" she snickered once.
Lara was at a true loss for words! Valkyrie was as plain as day mocking her! Lara could not help but be aware of the slight jumping of her left eye which she tried her best to control and failed miserably "It was self defense!" she spoke through her teeth in defense of herself.
Valkyrie tilted her head and smirked "TRULY now? and what was it doing before you came upon it? I suppose it was already mapping out various scenarios of your demise then? Are you trying to say it attacked you first?" she was easing off Lara now, Valkyrie's fun was going to end at Lara's answer because she had a feeling that Lara did in fact do just that, defend herself.
Lara scoffed expressing her disgust at the teasing shadow and gave a most irritated glare. "Would you please! Just let me know what you want to eat! Or I will choose for you! For bloody's sake! It was just sitting there blind from old age, it whipped out at me and I had to kill him to get to the first gauntlet!" she flicked her loose braid over her shoulder and gave a heavy agitated sigh "REALLY!" she now picked her bags up again and rolled her eyes.
Valkyrie was nodding up until Lara started in on how it was just 'sitting there' and then why did Lara have to admit it was blind? "Let me get this right…." She folded her arms under her breasts beating back the Cheshire cat like grin that was trying to appear on her lips.
Lara stopped in place throwing her head back sighing loudly and very pointedly that she was ready to move on and that this conversation was did not hold any interest for her, especially at the expense of being teased.
"You mean it lashed out at you trying to basically feel what was out there? Then you being in your 'mode' allowed nothing to stand in your way as pressed forward for that artifact? Then, you said it was blind? You cruel creature you. Tsk tsk Lara, shame on you." She allowed herself to giggle here. "You could have at the very least made the murder of that 'poor defenseless creature' honorable, so his death meant…I dunno? Something? You sent it right to hell with no kind of blessing or well wishes." She cracked a smirk and tiled her head upwards as she did so.
Lara whipped around and pouted her lips at Valkyrie with a slow narrowing of the eyes. There is quite a definitive difference in my actions of offensive and defensive, but.." here Lara started to grin wickedly "I would like to bring attention to your religious statement, and how you so eloquently out it that I sent it straight to hell."
"Oh? Please, elaborate would you?"
"Oh, I will. You see, I am 'very' different from religion my dear friend." Lara quirked her left brow at her as she said this.
"Please, 'humor' me, how are you Lady Lara Croft, are so very different from religion." She quirked an identical brow back at her.
Lara took that very opportunity to say "Of course on such wide variations across the world it would depend on what culture you were, but in religion it is decided whether you go to heaven or hell after you die. How I am different from that is that I can make it heaven or hell while you are here. Now get your bum on the move at this moment and let's go to our hotel please, I think we will have some yellow tail sushi and sake since you could not decide." She grinned arrogantly with wink and turned back around and walked off in a most lady like fashion carrying her bags. They had to get into their route plans so the carefully organized trip would not be a total waste. After all, she had not seen her Japanese friend in quite some time, his info was the best, and well worth the money. The trip to where he stayed was going to be two days on motorcycle, he liked his privacy and only came to the city when he needed to. He was ex-yakuza and although he could deal with people, he preferred not to.
Valkyrie stared after Lara in a paradox of how she lost control of the fun and it ended up being Lara's win. None the less, she could not argue Lara's point, she has in fact made it perfectly clear that it was within her power to make life heaven or hell, Amanda and herself were fine examples of this. Amanda has been dragged through the ringer with Lara, and Lara at the same time has shown Valkyrie mercy and provided her some peace. "Bloody hell, what in the world just happened?" she picked up her own bags and walked after Lara now frowning curiously.
27 hours later….Osaka International Airport
Amanda came off the public plane sighing heavily. The trip from Egypt there was long and taxing, and it was Sonya's idea to travel amongst other civilians in order to conceal their activities better. Amanda had on tight daisy duke jean shorts and button up shirt that was tied in a knot above her abdomen and half unbuttoned at the top exposing her cleavage. Her sandals flopped carelessly on the ramp steps and into the airport. She shown her ticket and stretched as she awaited Sonya. Japanese men were staring quite openly at the 'American' woman with strange tattoos. Some men had to sit down due to their pants becoming a bit to tight to walk properly.
Sonya came off the plane 12 minutes later leaving behind a very blush and flustered stewardess of French decent. The woman waved shyly after her as they said goodbye to all passengers, Sonya smiled from behind her pitch black glasses and blew a soft kiss at her as she left down the ramp. As she came into the airport the first thing she noticed was the men who were 'resting' in chairs and staring openly at Amanda who was pulling at the front of her shirt rapidly trying to get air on her breasts as she cracked her neck from side to side. Sonya groaned lowly and shook her head, "Attention glutton." She muttered, they were trying to stay low profile and Amanda was being Tokyo Visit Barbie.
Amanda saw Sonya now and went over cracking her neck from side to side. "I thought the first thing I wanted to do when we got here was start shopping, but I am so damn sleepy it makes no sense." She held in a yawn.
Sonya released a short quick sigh "Yes, there will be plenty of time to rest when we reach our goal. Remember why we are here! We have to get to Kyoto to retrieve the Pendragon Stone, and get you one step ahead of Croft so you can get to Avalon." She hissed slightly, Amanda's carefree attitude towards this was bothersome to say the least.
Amanda smirked while she was being 'reminded' as to why they were here. Sonya was actually even more attractive when she was annoyed. She was playing it up a bit to get under her skin. Then she thought, either I am stupid or just that brave, I am teasing the daughter of Set….to this she merely shrugged and giggled. "I guess I am American." She said more to herself than to Sonya who nodded in agreement.
After a good train ride Sonya and Amanda got to Kyoto, Amanda was watching the Japanese men's hands wander to women's backside or to the curve of their breasts as if it were an accident. Other passengers conveniently turned their heads or focused on their newspaper or music players. Sonya's detest of this was obvious on her cheeks as she grinded her teeth as her glowing red eyes burned behind her pitch black sunglasses "So much for country fellowship…" she hissed.
Amanda was not paying much mind. She was looking at the scenery and listening to Muse "Supermassive Blackhole" on her IPOD. She took out an ear bud when Sonya hissed her words and took in the situation. After rolling her eyes Amanda patted her leg which Sonya managed to ignore blatantly. Amanda rose an eyebrow at this and knew instantly that Sonya was weighing out scenarios out of sheer anger and detest at the crude acts she witnessed. "Oh shit. Calm down!" she whispered quickly "This has been going on for centuries in their culture, and there is nothing you can do to stop it! Whatever you would do would not change anything for more than a day! You told ME to keep a low profile, and here YOU are thinking of murder!" she hissed as quietly as she could, but Sonya's face did not change once. "Damn it all…" Amanda blushed and started moving her hand slowly up Sonya's thigh starting at her knee. Amanda was taking deep breaths to control how embarrassing this was and could not look anywhere else but out the window. By the time her hand got to Sonya's inner thigh just outside of her hallmark Sonya was not breathing. She was unusually still. Amanda glanced out the corner of her eye and saw Sonya's cheeks cherry red and her breathing had changed to a quicker pace. Amanda knew her tactic worked but felt she had to say something cool to play it off "And if you don't behave yourself I'll have to do it again until you learn your lesson!" she closed her eyes the minute she said it. That didn't come out the way she wanted it to and after SLOWLY looking out the corner of her eye, almost regretting that she was going to look, she saw Sonya with this wonderful smirk on her face, her ruby lips had a daring "Oh really?" mock on them. Amanda cursed herself mentally and now SHE was blushing more. Her deed completely backfired. The rest of the trip Sonya seemed to hum one of her favorite pieces from "Carmen" the live Opera.
Amanda was happy to survive the remaining part of the train ride. It was a rather quiet ride back, neither gave the other more than a glance or a nod as they shared looks out the window in awe of the scenery. They checked into their hotel which turned out to be an old style dojo home from the meij era. Amanda was dumbstruck to say the least, this place smelled of the fine wood on the floors, sliding paper screen doors and lovely tatami room where kimonos were lain out for them already which they could wear around their home as they saw fit as a courtesy. After fully exploring the entire place and getting to know the three servants that stayed there which consisted of three people, a father, son and daughter. The father introduced himself as simply Jubei, his son was Yoshiro, and his daughter was Kimiko. Jubei had a most interesting scar that went over his left eye and seemingly was sewn closed. Amanda was having fun guessing how it happened, a cooking accident perhaps or he was some kind of secret ninja from the feudal era. This brought her to giggle a little. After they settled in Sonya had suggested they start immediately and go right into what they were there for, the Pendragon Stone. Sonya told Amanda that the shrine was not on a map, because it was a place for those who sought wisdom to go to, and in the ancient feudal era it was place where many came to center themselves before great battles or who sought enlightenment. This place was even known to train priests to exorcise demons.
Amanda was enthralled by the information of this secret shrine, and even more overwhelmed with the service and surroundings. Sonya's contact, this Sanyo Teriyaki (Sano Tanaka which she could not remember) gets an A in her book for arranging the 'hook up' in regards to their travel plans and arrangements. "I am going to change really quick then!" she winked at Sonya and was off to her room. Before they left onto their flight she ordered some clothes off the internet two days prior and was glad they arrived the day before they set out. Amanda washed up and came out in a white collared button up shirt that was open except for the usual two buttons she kept fastened in between her breasts, on the shirt was kanji for 'sophisticated truth' which she wore with a blue jean mini skirt that had 2 inch slits on both sides which had also had kanji for 'unaltered deceit', then to complete her ensemble were white and blue sneakers that had itty bitty kanji on the sides that said 'I love nuts' with a chibi (cute and small) squirrel holding an acorn possessively with big innocent eyes, oh and by the way, they blinked when she walked. Amanda placed her head on her hips and gave the j-pop idol signature peace sign and a wink as she said "Genki!" (cool).
Sonya was sitting down off the edge of the porch near the courtyard waiting for her, she was wearing a favorite blouse from home which was crimson in color that curved down low enough to cover her rear, generously cut in the front considering the hot climate there, a fashionable golden hooped belt that was slanted on her hips, and black tights with knee high crimson suede boots that had this golden chains that hooped the ankle to match her belt. Behind her pitch shades her crimson eyes were taking in the bonsai trees and decorative bamboo shoots on the property. As Amanda would walk outside and make her gesture Sonya's mouth fell open and she dropped her cell phone at her feet. "What in the wild blue heaven are you?...and before she could finish just as quickly she said "Awwww what a cute squirrel! It's adorable! Look at him! Look at how he is holding his little nut!" she lost all intelligible mannerisms at the sight of something that cute.
Amanda was proudly nodding and turning from side to side to show her clothes off "I know! Isn't it just to die for?" she giggled "I had to buy it just as I was skimming the net a few days before we left. Okay, okay we HAVE to get going and go see this…." She stopped and quirked a brow "Look at YOU Miss Sassy pants! That is some nice coordination you got going on there!" here she leaned forward to whisper "I hope you don't have to run, or you are going to pop out of your blouse." She giggled as she made fun of her.
Sonya looked up at her and lowered her sunglasses just enough for the glowing crimson orbs to stare at her "And if I did? I could only hope that you would help tuck me back in? Or would you leave me in a sad state of affairs?" she gave nothing short of a deep mocking smirk and a soft "hm?" as she crossed her legs and allowed her feet to dance up and down then back and fourth. "Your hands are magic, truly, I mean you proved this on the train." She grinned.
"Oh God!,oh God, oh God, oh God!" Amanda jumped up and down in place frantically with each word that escaped Sonya's lips. Amanda's face scarlet, the scar was once again white, and her heart beat like a taiko drum master at a celebration. "OH MY GOD! SONYA!" she covered her face and screamed behind her hands which came through more like a muffled screech.
Sonya nodded and stood up smirking her obvious victory "That is what you get for as you Americans say, talking the shit?" she clucked her tongue and sighed pointedly. "Now if you are down making a complete ass of youself shall we 'finally' get moving? She looked at a map she had on her laptop that had a satellite feed and live compass 'We will be heading north from her towards that way." She pointed and then looked at her "It is nestled in high hills and there are about 1300 steps up that we must make it up." She looked at Amanda and sighed heavily "Honestly! Are you still trying to re-gather yourself? Pull it together would you?" she smiled as she said this. It was then that she heard a barely audible voice muffled behind her hands say "Woo wo wirst, wi'll we wight wehind wou, wrying wot wo wie wof wembarrassement." This gesture only made Sonya laugh aloud as she snapped her laptop closed and started walking ahead as asked.
Toykyo, Japan
Lara had a wonderful dinner, the yellow tail sushi was scrumptious and the plum sake was warm and delightful. Lara now took this time to get back to the hotel and contact her friend that she mentioned at the end of her Nepal adventure with Valkyrie, Minamoto Yoshiro, an old contact friend that she had for years, there were of course reasons she called them contacts, and not under her friend stature. Friends in Lara's mind were people who you confided in, shared thing with and those were the people who laughed and cried with you. She has learned that the people she has respected, cared for, or loved has ended on sour demise. Larson was someone she respected, and she ended up having to kill him. Her friends from college all died in Peru except for Anya and Amanda, which was now a strained relationship due to the circumstances of how they were lost and of course Amanda was a story all by herself. Then, not to mention Alister, how he died behind Natla and Amanda's involvement. Now if something were to happen to Zip or Winston she knows she would taste the dark depths of personal depression and detachment from the world more so than she is already. Valkyrie was what Lara could not place, she felt whole, at ease, and balanced when she was near. People in passing were already referring that they were twins and how hot it would be to be with both of them. Lara would curse the acuteness of her ears at moments like that. People were so ridiculous and closed minded! The thought alone is improper not to mention uncalled for! She looked at Valkyrie and held up a finger as she started making a phone call to her male contact. As soon as he answered the phone she switched in her standard Japanese, "Ah, Muramasa-San. It is good to hear your voice, it's been quite a while! Yes, my flight was lovely, and I have procured what you wanted as payment. No other contacts have been made by me, no one else knows what I am looking for. Yes, you have my personal assurance, I didn't even tell my home contact what I was getting. What?" here Lara's posture tightened as well as her eyes 'When? What the hell are they doing here?" her voice iced with an edge. Yes, yes, I am grateful to you Muramasa-San. I will look forward to what else you have gathered for me." And after that she closed the phone and lowered her head as she rubbed her left temple in circular motions with her left index and middle finger.
Valkyrie was now staring at Lara openly and sat forward from the chair she was sitting in. She then closed her eyes and seemed to become motionless and after a moment she opened her eyes with a quizzical look on her face "Who is Shogo Takamoto? And why is his men looking for you?" she asked with a tilt of her head. She had a secret and this was as good as tie as any to bring it to light.
Lara's back arched as she drew a sharp breath, it felt as if something ice cold had ran its hands through her body starting at her head and down to her heart! She turned around upon Valkyrie with a horror struck look upon her face "How in the bloody hell did you do that?" she exclaimed as she backed away almost tripping over her shoes that were on the floor behind her. It was just like when they were still using St. Francis Foley! Lara's mind raced back to that earlier time…
~Flashback (in chapter 4)~
Valkyrie was rubbing Lara's shoulders as she still stood behind her staring at the info that was still on her screen which Zips had gathered. The screen seemed to stare back at them, the picture of the dragon that was on the Dagger of Xian. She looked at Zip and motioned her head shortly to the left which was a silent request of some girl talk. Without argument he stood up and left, looking over his shoulder once in awhile as he headed to the door that would lead towards the Coliseum arena where he would wait. After she knew he was full out of earshot she looked back to Lara and walked around to her front and crouched down before her. "What is it? You have been there before?" that was obvious enough to gather, but now she wanted to confirm something. Valkyrie then said something unexpected "Right now, I see tigers, a man…his name is Bartoli…and he…" she closed her eyes softly and concentrated "He became a dragon…you killed him… the dagger is used to kill it. Then.." she opened her eyes to see staring at her with obvious disbelief, and a definite loss for words. Valkyrie smiled "You sneaky girl. You still have it." She said with a knowing tilt of her head as she looked up at Lara surprised face where she was still crouched.
Lara gasped softly and shook her head slowly, she felt like time was stopping, or was it moving too fast? "How did you?..." the question although a prudent one already had an answer, something that the infamous British woman knew the answer to before she even asked. "You are me, with the flaws removed. Even when I asked if you had your freedom, what would you do? You stared back at me then. I knew it in your eyes, even before you said it back to me. 'What would YOU do?' You are able to see my past experiences through what connects us, can't you?" Lara could hardly keep her mouth from staying open.
Valkyrie nodded once "I AM you, with the flaws removed. The more I am with you, the stronger I feel what ties us get stronger. You still have me on a few things, my acrobatics are still much slower than your own. You swim much faster than me, and your weapon mastery exceeds my own. I exceed you in hand to hand and stamina, but in so many ways we are the same. This is only a scratch of the surface I am sure, what is important now is that we find out what the dagger of Xian has in common with Xibalba and also how it ties into our primary mission of finding the two other gods of Atlantis. I am sure you would agree on this?" she took Lara's left hand with her right and squeezed it softly as her left hand patted Lara's outer thigh comfortingly. "We really do need to get busy, where is that dagger now?"
The entire time Lara listened to Valkyrie, her thoughts flooded with a 100 things. What she could never bring herself to do, open up, was now done for her, and understood fully what was going on within her. Lara was alarmed and strongly concerned of course! What else could Valkyrie do? Was she reading her mind all this time? Or was she gathering the memories that Lara pressed deeply into her mind in an attempt to seal it away. All the things Valkyrie said were true though, the difference in strengths between them was just as impressive as the weakness they had independent of each other. Perhaps what the flaws removed concept could 'truly' be seen as is that each of them had their own set of flaws, but together they had none. "I still have it." Lara gathered herself "As I got home after the destruction of half the great wall, which cost me a damn fortune I might add! Marco Bartoli's men came to my home and tried to reclaim the dagger and end my life. After I secured them a permanent place in a church lot I was able to truly adore my prize. I left it in the air tight vaults underneath my home. Thankfully that was never destroyed." Lara squint her eyes playfully at Valkyrie in a bit of tease about her prior deed.
~End flashback~
It was now that realization happened upon Lara, Valkyries words echoed within her head resounding off of every possible brain vessel she had. The scenario replayed in Lara's memory like a perfect recorder…she remembered now how Valkyrie had merely stood up and said…
~flashback 2~
Valkyrie shrugged before standing up to now look down at Lara "My apologies." She tilted her head up with a bit of feigned arrogance, and defiance. "But you really should have had a better security system. I mean truthfully, I just walked in." she folded her arms under her breasts much like Lara does and extended her right leg forward in a bit of a pose.
~end flashback 2~
Lara's eyes still remained wide and almost fearful, the same state of relax that she gathered in Valkyries's company was shaking, the feeling of being read so easily, no….mind read. Valkyrie was reading her mind! How long was she doing this? Was she doing this every minute of the day? "How DARE you?...how COULD you?...I…." Lara covered her face with both hands as her head seemed to swim with many emotions. It was way too overwhelming!
Valkyrie said nothing the entire time, she just stared at Lara nonchalantly and crossed her left leg over her right leg as she leaned forward putting her left elbow onto her left knee and that hand rested under her chin for support. Her right hand was tracing the edge of her wine glass causing it to ring softly against the deafening silence of the room. "You can be so paranoid." She spoke blankly. She expected this kind of response of course, and that played a big part of why she was making it known now and not later. She decided that if she was to wait until later, Lara would either think she was baiting or using her, so she wanted to be upfront and honest. "Lara, as you have just surmised from an earlier date I have the small ability to read your movements, or should I say that is how it started out?" she shrugged slightly "I have always given you small hints over our time together, how I felt or saw the flashes that went across your mind. In China how I was able to read into your movements and thus gain the upper hand on Amanda, I would say it would have been flawless except for when you got shot several times. Yes, I'll admit that even I do not know of my full capabilities quite yet, but I can assure you that when Natla made me? She had no earthly idea of how well she did it. If she did, she probably would have killed me a lot sooner than she initially planned to." She sighed softly and adverted her eyes here "I do not apologize that I kept this from you, there are other things about my mind and my personality that I like to have for my own individuality. You keep things to yourself, and I too like keeping some things to myself." Tilting her head skeptically as she said this.
Lara spoke with a raised voice "Bloody hell! What do you mean keep some things for your 'own' individuality? You know so many things about me already! God only knows how deep you have intruded into my mind! The things I wanted to keep secret you may already have had a bloody peek at! That is NOT fair! My mind is private and is only for me, that I find invasive!" her eyes watered a bit here as she fought back her anger. "What do you have to say about that?"
Valkyrie stared at her unblinkingly and spoke coldly "Get used to disappointment. I am you, with the flaws removed. I thought we established this. I cannot stop doing this no easier than you can stop being who you are. You want me to stop reading your mind? The only way for you to get 'that' to happen is to cease existing. We know you will not do that. Was it not Larson who told you these very words before you killed him -that's just not who you are-?"
Lara furrowed her brows as her eyes gleamed and tears began to fall at the memory of the first man she ever killed "You! Stop it! I demand that you do! You even bring THAT up!" she coughed back her need to scream.
Valkyrie took up her glass and sipped it before sighing. How in the hell was she to explain to Lara that she could not help but do this. It was like receiving radios waves or having a television you could not turn off. She was happy at the fact this was out in the open, quite frankly more relieved than anything. "Lara, I agree. Let's just stop. This conversation became fruitless as soon as it was started. I got what I wanted, and that was for you to know that I could." She didn't finish her wine, but just stood up and flipped her crimson braid over her shoulder as she walked past Lara and around the corner out of sight. She called over her shoulder as she left without looking back "If Shogo Takamoto's men are still angry with you, then you better be well prepared. You know the Japanese carry a bad grudge."
Lara wiped at her eyes several times but the tears would not stop streaming. "Damn it!" she cursed through her teeth. She was furious, but she was also still thinking and what Valkyrie said was right. Shogo Takamoto was the very man she killed to get a piece of the long lost Excalibur long ago, the fight at the top of his penthouse was something she prided herself on. The motor bike stunt still fresh in her mind and how Zip was all about to have a spaz attack as she did so. His men would want revenge, time to show them that a living Ju-on (vengeful spirit/cursed individual) can be just as deadly as a spirit. Lara went on to unpack her cases back at the hotel room and took out Excalibur and placed it on her bed. She took out her twin pistols and her ammo supply, and laid that on the bed as well. After a nice hot shower she got dressed in some skin tight black khaki pants, and a black button up shirt. Some black hiking boots and then donned her legendary back pack and strapped on her pistols and lastly Excalibur. It was just as she touched the door handle that she heard a soft click on the other side of the door. Her eyes popped wide open and she dove to the right!
The door became bullet riddled and the bed starting having fluff fly into the air as bullets pierced it and the wall across the room. Lara tucked and rolled and put her back into the corner and whipped out both pistols training them on the door trying to catch her breath. She heard soft movements on the other side of the door and she now strained to her how many assailants were outside in the hotel hallway. She heard inaudible Japanese spoken softly and saw shadows through the bullet holes in the door fly back and fourth hurriedly. "Damn!" she whispered lowly, it had to be what remained of Takamoto's yakuza! They were just talking about them and then all of a sudden they show up! Her eyes tightened as she now braced herself, it seems that they were about to make their move, and so was she. She put down one of her guns and reached slowly into her backpack taking out a black sphere and clicked a button on it and held her hand on the button as a small red light started flashing repeatedly. "Come on, Mommy has something for you boys." She muttered under her breath. It was then that she heard a voice speak through in heavily accented English.
"Croft woman! You should have left with the knowledge and prize of your quests as such. Because of your belligerent nature and actions you have forced me to play an unfavorable hand into the meddling pets of your creators creations, or what you call yourselves…'mankind'. Miserable filthy bags of secrets, lies, and disgusting behaviors! If you were just another domicile I could have ignored you, but you have set waves into motion that no longer can be ignored or tolerated. Your existence is unacceptable, your crime? Is that you breathe. You have been measured, weighed, and have now been deemed expendable amongst the vast other furless monkey's that poison the world just by breathing. Terminate her into obscurity. I do not wish to even acknowledge her existence after today. She will be erased, as Natla should have done so from the beginning. Leave a stone unturned and you get a pestilence."
She knew she heard this voice once before! Her face frowned heavily as her eyes darted back and fourth quickly with her thoughts as she filed through her mind which seemed to flood with memories. Her eyes popped wide open and her heart began thumping in her chest with incredible force! "Oh my God! Tihocan!" her memories of combining the scion together which allowed her to see the sentencing of Natla flooded her mind, how he and Qualopec made their sentence and sealed her away.
She heard the voice speak back angrily through the door with a booming demand within it "Wretched creature of the creator of imperfect creatures! How DARE you speak my name with your vile lips wench? I am the God-King Tihocan! One of the triumvirate; once keepers of the three pieces of the scion; Diviners of its knowledge; Sacred only to Atlantis! And YOU destroyed it! Think not that you would be hunted for this feat filthy bitch!" his voice was kingly as it roared through the hall. She could then tell that he snapped what sounded to be his fingers and apparently was left to die. The very people she was searching for to find final closure were seeking her out as well it seems….
AN: It has been awhile since I could find the time to finish this chapter! Here is some small amount of updates, these events during this story has taken place within the arc of Tomb Raider Anniversary. Lara should have known that after destroying the scion there would be strong repercussion of that act. The action will start pumping as more questions get answered and more truths become unveiled.