Grand Canyon Lion King
Tucson, Arizona
It had been three days since retrieving the Fire Bird Feather Key from the Mojave Desert, now Lara, Jonah, and Phoenix are at the Tucson International Airport waiting for Darcy and Otis to arrive. They looked at the screen that showed the arrivals and it showed that a flight from Nashville to Tucson had landed. People were coming into the airport after disembarking the plane. Phoenix's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree as soon as she saw the two people they were waiting for appear. Phoenix came running towards Darcy and Otis.
"Phoenie!" Darcy yelled excitedly
Phoenix, Otis, and Darcy group hugged each other happily reunited in real life after three years. Jonah and Lara smiled at the heartwarming sight.
"So, this thing we are looking for is at the Grand Canyon?" asked Darcy
The gang is at a Denny's for dinner and to discuss the next move. They were looking at the notes and map showing the cave network of the Grand Canyon.
"According to the explorer notes, the Fire Bird Feather Key in the Grand Canyon is located inside a cave there. There is a cave network with multiple entrances, they connect to a chamber here just like on the explorer's map." Lara pointed to an underground chamber in the center of the Grand Canyon where it is connected by four passageways.
"So we just go in there and get it," said Darcy
"Easier said than done, there are some traps, risk of a cave in, and even Trinity themselves that we have to contend with." Lara explained
"I'm in. I just hacked into Trinity's radio chatter." Otis used his laptop to hack into Trinity. "If you guys are planning to get to the Grand Canyon before they do, we better get there very early in the morning, because they plan to be there at 10:00 am."
"Then we better get some rest then, we have a big day tomorrow," said Lara
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Grand Canyon, the next day
"At least it's a little cooler than the Mojave Desert," said Phoenix as she and Lara enter one of the caves that lead to the central chamber. Darcy and Jonah went to another entrance leading to the same chamber.
"Otis can you still get a signal out of us?" Phoenix asked using her walkie talkie
"I can hear all of you loud and clear. Darcy had just radioed me saying she and Jonah made it in." Otis replied
Lara and Phoenix traversed deep into the passageway with Lara's flashlight lighting their way through the dark. Phoenix tripped on a piece of rope, a spike trap attached to the ceiling came swinging down. Before the fatal impact could be made, Lara quickly shoots the wooden block holding the trap together breaking it to pieces. They kept on walking, Phoenix notices a hole in the ground where she could see a spike underneath. It took Phoenix a moment to realize that there was a spike trap under Lara's feet. Phoenix jumped and pushed Lara to the other side, as soon as they both made it, the floor where the trap is had collapsed revealing the spikes.
"Hidden spike traps, why is it always those?" asked Lara
"Oldest trick in the book I guess," said Phoenix
They reached the central chamber where there is a huge door with three rings in it. On the top ring there was an image of a bighorn sheep, the center ring and bottom ring there was an image of a hawk. Jonah and Darcy enter.
"There you guys are," said Darcy
Lara pulled out a piece of paper that had the combination for the door: hawk on top, rattlesnake in the center, bighorn sheep on the bottom. Once Lara changed the rings to the right combination the door opened revealing the Fire Bird Feather Key on a pedestal.
"Nice, now we can leave," said Darcy
An explosion from above rattled the room.
"What was that?" asked Jonah
"Guys you might want to get out of there, Trinity is here! I repeat, Trinity is here!" Otis shouted from the radio
A squad of Trinity soldiers showed up and started shooting at them. Lara, Jonah, Phoenix, and Darcy drew their weapons out and fired back. A Trinity commander ordered for Phoenix to be captured. Some Trinity soldiers started separating Phoenix from the gang. Phoenix fought back. One of the soldiers threw a grenade at the ceiling, blocking one of the entrances to the chamber.
Great, now the others are going to have to find another way out. Phoenix thought to herself
Phoenix kept blasting her way at the soldiers until she made it out the way she and Lara came in. A helicopter showed up.
"Phoenix Star! Drop your weapon, you are coming with us! We're taking you back to Salem, you've got an arranged marriage to fulfill!" the Trinity soldier called via loudspeaker
"You can tell them to pound sand!" Phoenix yelled as she started to run
The helicopter flew after her. Phoenix kept on running until she reached a gorge where she climbed up a tree and lit a stick of dynamite and waited for the helicopter to get close enough. Once it did she threw the dynamite inside. Phoenix jumped out of the tree moments before the helicopter exploded and crashed into the tree. The explosion was so loud it reverberated through the whole gorge. Phoenix's brief victory was short lived as she saw some rocks beside her shake as the ground rumbled. Just like the wildebeests from the Lion King, a herd of desert bighorn sheep started stampeding their way down into the gorge. Phoenix ran as fast as her legs would allow it.
On the other side of the gorge, Lara, Jonah, and Darcy killed most of the Trinity squad, made it out, and are now trying to find Phoenix. Otis had driven up to meet with them and he joined the search.
Jonah saw the bighorn sheep stampede and he spotted Phoenix.
"I have to tell Lara and the others!" shouted Jonah
"Hey guys look, that's a lot of bighorn sheep," said Otis
"They're stampeding, I wonder how that started?" asked Darcy
"Lara quick, stampede! Phoenix is down there!" yelled Jonah
"What?!" said Lara
Phoenix climbed on top of a dead tree that looked like it was about to break at any time.
"Who's bright idea was this to recreate a scene from the Lion King was this anyway?" Phoenix deadpanned
The others rush down the gorge to get to Phoenix.
"There I see her!" Darcy pointed at the direction where Phoenix is.
"Phoenix I'm coming, hang on!" Lara called out to her
The tree holding Phoenix is about to break, Lara needs to get to her quickly. She climbed down the gorge and ran straight into the stampede. Lara got knocked down a few times on her way to Phoenix. A bighorn sheep rammed into the tree breaking it to pieces sending Phoenix flying into the air. Lara manages to catch Phoenix before the redhead hits the ground. One of the bighorn sheep rammed into Lara causing her to drop Phoenix. Lara picked Phoenix up and carried her towards a ridge where Otis, Darcy, and Jonah waited for them. They helped Phoenix up, before they were able to help Lara a bighorn sheep slammed into her knocking her off of the ridge.
"LARA!" screamed both Phoenix and Jonah
They scanned the area to see if she was alive. Lara jumped out and started to climb up the cliff. When she reached the top a Trinity commander was standing there.
"Need some help Croft?" he asked mockingly
"No, go away." Lara started to slip
The man stomped on one of Lara's hands making her scream in pain. The others below watch in horror knowing what is about to happen next.
"The Croft bloodline ends here." The man grabbed Lara by her wrists and threw her off of the cliff. Lara quickly drew out one of her climbing axes which had a line attached to it and grappled it to the cliff wall. Darcy shot the Trinity commander in the head, killing him. Everyone else breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'm alright," said Lara "As soon as the stampede is over we're coming down."
The stampede started to die down and finally it stopped.
"Now!" ordered Lara
Everyone climbed down to the ground.
"Man, I thought you were going to end up like Mufasa from the Lion King," said Otis
Phoenix hugged Lara tightly. Lara blushed lightly and hugged Phoenix back.
"I thought we were going to lose you," said Phoenix
"I'm okay, Phoenix. I'm not going anywhere," said Lara
Author's Note: If the title does not give it way, a good chunk of this chapter was inspired by the stampede scene in the Lion King