Back to doom

AN : Chapter 12 of with or without you.

Disclaimer : I don't own Lara, Kurtis, Bryce or Tomb Raider. They all belong to Edios, Core or Crystal Dynamics

"So. Egypt is our next stop?" Kurtis sighed, sitting opposite Bryce on the kitchen table. He took a bite of his sandwich and slowly chewed it before swallowing and finally answering. "Yep. I found some info on that eclipse thing you wanted. Over there." he nodded his head behind Lara, where a group of papers were lying messily on the kitchen bunker. She placed her mug of coffee on the table and stood up, making her way towards the sheets of paper. She scanned threw them, reading the brief information.

Placing them down again with a sigh she sat herself up on the worktop and turned to face Bryce, "what's it say?" he asked after mouthing down another bite of food.

"Basically says that only Kurtis can get into the room with the Skull in it. We can both get into the alcove, but there's some test that checks if your Lux Veritatis."

"But that's a good thing right? It means Rutland can't get into the alcove." Kurtis said

"Yes. But I don't like the feeling of not being in control. What if something happens and then I'm not there to sort it out."

"You've just gotta trust me."

"I do. But what if something happens to you." she looked down at the floor, feeling uneasy.

Kurtis stood and walked over to her. "I'll be fine. Don't worry." Lara looked up at him with a weak smile. "I hate to interrupt your little moment, but haven't you got a world to save or somehtin'?" Bryce said while exiting the room.

XXXXXX

Sand. Nothing but sand and the zooms of cars speeding on into the distance. Lara and Kurtis were on a main road to a dessert in the middle of nowhere in Egypt. Kurtis had said he had been to the temple before, for a test he needed to pass in order to be worthy of the Lux Veritatis. Many didn't survive, Kurtis was lucky to escape death. It seems like both of the adventurers had escaped death from Egypt, which was the reason Lara dreaded coming back. The memories of the tomb coming down on her, haunted her dreams and thoughts. The claustrophobia stayed with her. It had taken her months to get back to her old self and even then she had given up her loved hobby, in fear of the same scenario happening. She had got involved in the events of The Sleeper and Karel, and even seeing Kurtis again by chance when Von Croy was murdered and she had to clear her name. She had vowed to herself that she would never return to Egypt. But she had also vowed to herself never to see Von Croy again.

"Do you know how to get there?" she tore herself from her own thoughts.

"Yeah. I visited the temple when I was younger for a test to see whether I was worthy of the Lux Veritatis. I barely survived." he ever took his eye of the road as they pulled away into a smaller road, leading into the heart of the dessert.

"What did you have to do?"

"It was a test of physical and mental strength. Had to climb threw traps, swim and fight. That was the physical test. For the mental, we had to travel threw the tomb using only our mind. That was the first stage. Many people died of the strain on their brain and only a handful of us past that stage. There was an emotional test as well, but that was elsewhere." the finality in his voice showed he didn't want to talk about the third part of this 'worthiness' test.

He pulled the motorbike to a stop and clambered off it. Lara looked around and then at Kurtis who was kneeling on the sand. "Nothings here."

"Hang on. Here we go." he cleared away some sand, revealing a small concrete slab. Unclipping his chirugai from his belt, he placed it down on the slab. It fit perfectly. The blades sprang out as the ground began to rumble. A large section of ground separated, revealing a small slope that, as Lara assumed, was there entrance to the Tomb. Before she had a chance to register what happened, the wind was knocked out of her as she landed on the slope and began downwards. Grunting, she sat herself up and looked down to Kurtis in front of her. He didn't seem surprised at all. She quickly lied back down as a blade sprung out from the side of the wall. When she sat up, Kurtis was beside her. He pulled her closer to him as she narrowly missed a spiky death as the slide collapsed under her weight. There was a sudden drop and Lara found herself lying flat in the floor.

Picking himself up, Kurtis gazed around the room. The walls looked like the were made of sand, literally. No cement or blocks to hold it up. Just sand. On them were some Lux Veritatis glyphs translating into a similar sentence Lara had discovered in Rome. In front of them were two tunnels, both looking as dark as each other. "Which one do we take?" Lara asked, stepping up beside him.

"I don't know. They weren't here the last time." he picked up two small stones and threw one into the tunnel to his left. Blades swung out of the walls and floor. He then threw the next stone into the tunnel to his right. Exactly the same. "Looks like we have to split up. Which tunnel you want?"

"I'll take the right. We'll meet back here if we don't come to the same opening." and she started off down her tunnel.

Taking a deep breath, she sprinted into the the alcove, ready for the oncoming danger. A blade swung out from the ceiling and she dove into a forward roll. Getting to her feet, she continued to run. Cart-wheeling in the air, she dodged a group of piercing spears. After a series of back-walkovers and flips, she had cleared all the blades. She hoped Kurtis was OK, seen as she had the upper hand in acrobatics. She turned around as she stepped forward, halting almost as soon as she had started when she stared down at a very big pit. An axe like blade swung from the ceiling, cutting off any means of jumping over the hole. Carefully stepping back, she watched the axe as it sliced threw the air. Timing herself, she ran forward and grabbed onto the side of the axe before pulling herself up. As she stood there, timing her actions for a safe landing, a second blade starting to swing in front of her, appearing from within the wall. Sighing she watched that blade and leapt for it. She missed her footing and slipped off the edge of the blade, only just grabbing the edge. She felt a sharp pain threw her leg and looked down to see it had been sliced halfway down her shin by the blade.

Getting back up, she quickly dove off of the axe into a small swan dive and landed with a forward roll. Grunting, she got up and jogged towards the end of the tunnel, avoiding more spears and pits on her route.

Near the end of the tunnel she heard somebody humming. For god's sake that man never stops humming does he? She exited and saw Kurtis sitting down against a wall, his head leant back and humming 'I gotta feelin' by the Black Eyed Peas. His eyes were closed so he didn't notice Lara entering the room. "The song hasn't been out for two weeks and already you've made me hate it." he opened his eyes and stared up at Lara. "It's catchy." he said as he got to his feet. "What happened?" he nodded towards the cut on her leg.

"Axe." she turned her attention to the room. In the centre there was a huge pool of water, no doubt there way to the key. "Is that our way out?" she asked, leaning over the water's edge.

"Dunno. I just got here from the passage to hell." he wiped blood and sweat away from his forehead. "It wasn't that bad." she sighed.

"Yeah. But you can do all they fancy flips and that. I don't have that advantage."

"Stay here." she said as she dived into the water. The water was freezing and full of dirt. Opening her eyes, Lara could barley see ahead of her. Holding her breath, she swam onwards threw the underwater passages, searching for an exit that would lead her and Kurtis closer to their target. As she swam further on, it became impossible to see threw the grime and dirt. Using the wall to guide her threw the passage way, she swam up into a vertical passage way, her lungs burning, she used every last source of energy to continue swimming upwards. Finally, she broke the water's surface and gasped for air, savouring the oxygen. Looking around, she noticed that she wasn't in a room, but a vertical corridor. Diving back under the water, she returned to Kurtis.

The water stirred as Lara's head broke the surface. "Any luck?" Kurtis asked. "There's a corridor that leads upwards on the other end of this pool. Coming in? The water's lovely." she smiled.

"If you insist." he jumped into the water and when his head bobbed back up, he stared daggers at Lara, a smile still on his face. "It's fucking freezing."

"It's lovely, and refreshing." and she led the way back into the pool.

When they entered the shaft, there limbs were throbbing in pain with the effort of pulling themselves under the water for what seemed like hours and there lungs were burning from the lack of air. "So. We've gotta climb." Kurtis said between breaths.

"Looks like it." and she placed one foot in a foothold and pulled herself up onto the wall. There was nothing but silence, the occasional grunt telling Lara that Kurtis was still behind her. About a third of the way up, flames shot out from one side of the shaft, and Lara let go of one hand in order to dodge the fire. "Your people like their death traps, don't they?" she asked Kurtis as she grabbed hold of the small rock her hand had been previously placed on. "Well. Y'know. Can never be to careful." he grunted as the trap that had struck Lara only moments ago attacked him, except he wasn't as graceful as Lara. He wasn't as quick either. The flame brushed over his side and he let go of the wall. As soon as he realised he was falling, he grabbed a small foothold and clutched his side as the burning sensation spread throughout him. "Are you alright?" Lara asked from above him. "Yeah. Just a small burn, nothing serious." he began to climb but screamed in agony as the pain increased. Lara climbed back down beside him and lifted his top up to see a section of his flesh reddened and grazed. "A small burn. A small burn doesn't cover your whole hip and waist." she sighed. And helped him up to the top of the shaft, avoiding more traps and hoisted herself into a crouching position and then stood up. She turned round as Kurtis pulled himself up and lay flat on his back, gasping for breath. She crouched down beside him and fished out the bandages out of her backpack, along with her water skin. She handed the water to him as he pulled his top up, revealing the burn. She wrapped the bandages around him and began to tie the knot when she heard the clatter of swords behind her. They like their skeletons as well. She thought as she cautiously turned around, coming face-to-face with a group of dead/alive skeletons, similar to the ones in Rome. Sighing, she took her .45's out of their holsters and aimed at the closest warrior. She fired as Kurtis' chirugai sliced threw the air towards a second skeleton. Still firing and also backing away, Lara threw quick glances around the room for a means of escape. There was a large arc further up the wall in the room, with a group of pillars, all at different lengths, leading to it. The only thing was is that the Lux Warriors were surrounding the way to the pillars and even then, the first pillar was too high to reach. But this is when being Lara Croft payed off.

Continuing to fire, she edge away in between to pillars that were against the wall. Holstering her weapons, she jumped towards the first pillar and then chimney jumped between the two. Grabbing hold of a pole she swung herself round three times before flipping onto the first pillar. Looking down, she saw Kurtis dodging around from the blades swinging at him, he fired his Born X several times at one of them and then grabbed the sword as it fell. Looking around for Lara, he spotted her watching from above. "Are you just gonna stand there and watch, or are you gonna help me." he said as he swung the sword at the closest skeleton. "Fine." she sighed and un-holstered her weapons and began firing while explaining to Kurtis what to do. He did as he was told. He put the sword in a crack at mid-length of the pillar and climbed onto it. He jumped up and joined Lara on the top of the pillar. "Are you good at timed jumps?" she asked him, helping him up. "Considering it saved my life in the passage to hell back there, I think I'm fine."

"Good. 'Cause it'll save your life here." and she stepped back and then ran and jumped onto the next pillar. Kurtis mirrored her actions. "I thought you said something about 'timed jumping'?"

"I did. See that wall over there." she pointed to the wall to the twosomes left, where a large dent in the wall showed the side of a sharp blade. There was at least one opposite each pillar. She continued, "Just you wait till that blade swings out." she stood there, watching the blade and then jumped to the next pillar. As she had predicted it sung out in front of her and she had to duck in order to miss it.

When it was clear, Kurtis caught up with her and also ducked, and stayed crouched, as he landed. Lara was timed her movements once again, so that she wouldn't get cut in half. "Lara. I hate to rush you or anythin'. But those skeletons can climb." Kurtis warned as he looked down the side of the pillar to see warriors scrambling up them. "If you want to get diced to pieces then be my guest." she said as she leapt forward. This pillar was higher than the last two, making Lara grab onto the edge, her grip almost slipping as she dodged the two axe's that swung above and beneath her.

Lara pulled herself up into the pillar and turned round to face Kurtis, who was still on the other stone pillar. He was firing at the skeletons that had now reached the top of the pillar. She fired at them as Kurtis leapt to join her. He missed the edge and started to fall back down to the ground. Lara quickly shot her hand out and grabbed his wrist. Grunting, she pulled him up and lay flat down on her back as the axe swung above her head.

They were on the last pillar and right next to the doorway. Lara stepped forward after standing up and examined the alcove. It seemed safe enough. Kurtis came up behind her and they both entered the doorway, a large cement wall coming down behind them, trapping them both in.

The room was large with a chequered pattern on the floor. Except, instead of your usual two colours, there were three. Black, white and grey. Kurtis didn't bother to examine their surroundings and began forward before Lara grabbed the back of his t-shirt, pulling him back beside her. "What-" he began, but looking down, he saw why she had hesitated.

The floor where he was beginning to step on, had fall down to the depths of a fiery pit. "Thanks. How did you know?"

"Call it a sixth sense. Step on that one over there." she pointed out a grey square, up and diagonally away from them. He obeyed and leapt over to the square, stumbling, but regaining his footing as he fell. "Move only on the grey squares." Lara told him as she jumped to join him. Kurtis complied and hopped over to the closest grey square, Lara close behind him.

Kurtis hesitated as he moved to the third square, and Lara crashed into him from behind as she landed, making him loose his balance and stumble onto a black square. As soon as his feet touched the floor, it collapsed beneath him. "Kurtis!" Lara screamed as she saw him fall beneath her. "I'm OK." he was hanging on the edge of the grey square as Lara knelt down. Sighing with relief, she helped him up and hopped onto the third, forth and last square.

Landing on the platform on which the door to the next chamber was located, Lara caught her breath and turned to wait for Kurtis who was still jumping on the platforms. She turned back around strolled into the chamber. It looked almost the same as the one she had been in in Rome. But instead of a pedestal and there was a large statue of The Knights Templar. In the centre of the statue, below the symbol of the Lux Veritatis, was the key.

Kurtis came up behind her, panting. "How you do this all the time, I'll never know. Is that the key?" he asked motioning towards The Knights Templar.

"I think so." she walked towards the key and pulled it out. "It just seems too easy." she said, looking over the key.

"Too easy? Lara, we've been sliced, diced and burned. And you call that too easy?"

"No it's-" she started but was cut off as the ceiling began to collapse and rumbling noises surrounded them. It brought back in wanted memories of Egypt and the thought of being stuck under rubble again, stuck in darkness, feared her. She didn't know why she had come in the first place. She knew she was pushing herself, as did Bryce and Kurtis. They had told her to stay, but she was to stubborn and went with Kurtis.

She began panicking and glancing frantically around the room. Kurtis noticed this and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. It was nice of him to be concerned, but now was not the time for sympathy. "There's water over there." he pointed towards the statue in which the key had been placed in. Lara jumped back as a large boulder crashed from above them. "What?"

"Behind the statue, there's water dripping. Give me a hand." he jogged over to the statue and began pushing it with every bit of strength he had left in his body. Seeing what he was doing, Lara ran over to him and also began pushing.

Their muscles were aching when the pair finally managed to move the rock, revealing a small hole with a pool of water. Kurtis looked at Lara and she answered his silent question. "looks like our only choice." and she dove into the pool.

Slime covered the underwater passage, infecting the water with algae and dirt. Hardly anything could be made out and Lara and Kurtis had to find their way using the wall. The passage led upwards and Lara struggled to swim as her lungs burned and her arms and legs were aching with the effort of pulling her threw. She broke the surface and found herself in the room where the first pool of water was surfaced. Lara looked around the room for Kurtis but there was no sign of him. Diving back under water, she found Kurtis floating in the middle of the water, unconscious. She quickly swam over to him, wrapping her arms around his limp body. Lara pulled him up to the surface and placed him down on the ground while catching her breath. Looking around, she found a small hole a rock had formed as it came crashing down.

Lara stood up and hauled Kurtis' body threw the hole. He was surprisingly light, seen as all the muscle he had. Continuing to drag him threw the tunnel they were now in, Lara looked behind her to see a small hint of light further down the passageway. Rocks crashed down beside her and Kurtis and flashbacks entered er mind from that hot Egyptian day a few years ago.

She lay down panting on the ground. Rocks crashed to the ground around her. Nothing but darkness. She had seen Werner, asked him for help. But he abandoned her. Left her to rot in this tomb. Claustrophobia overtook her and she panicked. There was a small light ahead before more boulders thundered around her. Then nothing.

Using all her strength, she pulled Kurtis and herself out of the tomb and into the hot Egyptian sun. Wasting no time, she placed Kurtis flat his back. Kneeling next to him, she pinched his nose, tilted his head back and opened his mouth with her other hand. Inhaling a deep breath, she placed her mouth on top of Kurtis' and exhaled a steady breath into his lungs. Nothing.

Lara checked for a pulse, and found a small, faint one. But it was still there. She repeated the CPR and shot up when Kurtis began to cough and spit water out. Sighing with relief, she stood up and took the three keys out of her backpack. Kurtis was still coughing when he said, "We still don't know where the fourth key is."

"I wouldn't be so sure." she said joining the keys together. There was a bright light and then Lara fell limp to the floor. "Lara!" he cried but she didn't answer.

The stone walls were bloodstained. Cells all around. Travelling into what seemed to be a laboratory, a surgeons table. On it lay the corpse of a man. Only half of his arm was missing along with the whole of his right leg. Travelling onwards, they came into a second laboratory, only this time, not a biology based one. On a small metal framed desk, in amongst ruffles of paper, lay the fourth key.

Lara snapped back into her body to find Kurtis kneeling over her performing CPR. "C'mon" he breathed. Her eyes shot open and she sat up immediately, grasping her neck for air. "What happened? Did you see anything?" he asked her, while she leant on him, Kurtis helping her up. "I know where the key is."

"Where?" he asked suddenly.

"The Strahov."

Dun, dun, dun. So, looks like their goin' back to Prague.

All reviews welcome.

See you on Wednesday for chapter 13

Nikitaxx/laraandkurtisfn97