Chapter 14: Going Alone

I don't own anything. Resident Evil belongs to Capcom and Tomb Raider belongs to Core Design, Crystal Dynamics, and I think Square Enix. The only thing I own is the changes made to the stories of the Tomb Raider games/comics and Resident Evil games/comics/CG movies, the Government branch S.P.E.L.L., the person that has taken over Kathrine Warren's life, and Rose Warren. This story also will be bloody, violent, and have cursing. It's rated T for Teen.

Country: Russia, State: Siberia, City: Siberian Wilderness, Place: Near Kitezh, Area: Soviet Installation, Month: November, Day: Sunday 26th, Year: 2000, Time: 06:27 KRAT…

The camouflaged helicopter touched down on a landing space behind some metal structures. Lara and Kat slowly stretched out on their bellies to watch over the edge of the container they were hiding on, watching it land.

"There's more of them arriving." Lara stated with a hint of worry.

They both moved forward and swung their legs over the side and lowered themselves to the ground. Once on the ground they crouched low and got moving. On their the left was a creek with a brown iridescent liquid floating on the top. The bitter burning smell it gave off told them what it was. Petrol was leaking from somewhere and polluting the creek.

"Until we can get someone out here to shut that pump off, I want those crates as far away from the fire as possible, double time." Called a voice over the whomping noise of the helicopter blades. "There's ammo in there, we can't afford to lose it."

Kat and Lara ducked into some bushes and watched as the men walked around, struggling to get the fire put out and move boxes. The surroundings had plenty of cover spots and bushes to hide in and behind. The building before them was a rundown concrete and metal structure. Cyrillic letters were disjointed because of age and some of them falling off the building's front. There was a statue in front of the building, it appeared to be made of aged bronze. But the pair were too far to see who it depicted, but given the age of the buildings, and style, they could guess it was Stalin or someone in the same bracket as him.

"We secure?" Asked another man as they rolled to the next bush for cover.

"Haven't heard any shots for a few minutes now." Said another man as they took in that there was at least four men moving around. "I think we're in the clear."

Lara and Kat exchanged looks. This could be a good time to split up. It'd be better if they did, less chance of them both being captured. Lara thought so anyway. Kat however shook her head and looked at the men. There were too many to take on alone. She felt the need for battle, but she wasn't blinded by it. They had to be smart. Like whom had caused the explosion? Was it an accident or was it sabotage? Could they use that as a distraction?

"Don't count on it." Said the first man. "Stay alert till we get the comms reestablished at the prison. We're on our own here."

That raised their eyebrows. They had a prison. So, if anyone was captured, they ended up there. Kat had vague memories of it. Mainly the interrogation of Lara, her meeting the Prophet there and later that was where Jonah was shot.

"That was Konstantin's chopper…What the hell is he doing down here?" One asked making Kat and Lara snap to attention, holding off their attack to see if they could glean any more information.

"Not for me to say." Said another as Lara broke off from Kat to get to a different bush. "They took one of the natives alive to question him, but it cost us three men."

'Good riddance.' Kat thought as she eyed Lara's position.

"I'm guessing command wants to know what they found out." The guy finished and Kat pulled her bow and nocked an arrow.

"Konstantin expects more from us." The other guy said as the men moved boxes or walked around, looking for the one who'd caused the explosion. "Someone's going to pay for that mistake…"

"Prioritize the live rounds and keep them separate from the rations." A guy said as he walked close to Lara's hiding spot. "Got the feeling we'll want those in easy reach."

"Yes, sir."

Kat spun and loosed an arrow at a glint from a window. She was using an old technique from Raccoon. The same one she used with Lickers. The sound of shattering glass made the man by Lara's hiding spot jolt and drop the box he was holding. The box was so flimsy that it shattered and reviled burnt up food. The man now had his back to Lara. But Lara didn't move for him. She let Kat take him down as he walked into the bushes near her. A quick slash of her spear was all it took to down him.

She caught him before he fully fell to the ground. She then pulled him into the bush to conceal his death from the other men. Kat switched her spear for her bow again and looked to the open upper level of the building. Through that window she was able to see a man up there, pacing about. The first arrow she loosed missed his head as he was still moving just fast enough that it missed him. She gritted her teeth and nocked another arrow as he turned to the sound of the arrow hitting the floor behind him.

Kat drew her bow back again and aimed. She loosed again and hissed through her teeth as she missed again as the man ducked down to look at the arrow. She hated missing. It made her feel sloppy. She drew back again and this time as he stood up, she loosed. Her arrow cut through the air and sank into the back of his head. No sound happened as he dropped to the ground. She was still angry at herself though. Missing meant she had less ammo. Missing also could've alerted others to her presence. Sloppy. She hated being sloppy.

As Kat was dealing with the man up top, Lara had snuck up behind a man who was by the statue. Looping her bow around his throat, she tightened her hold. He choked and struggled to throw her off, grab her, something to get air back. By the time Kat had hit her target, Lara had crushed the man's throat, killing him. She laid him down behind the cover and kicked his legs out of view.

Kat notched an arrow and loosed it at the other man that was near Lara. He had turned to ask the guy, Lara had killed, a question. But got an arrow through his ear into his brain instead. He dropped to the ground as Kat hopped out of the bushes and ran at a crouch toward the building with Lara. They had one more man to take down. Lara took this one with an axe swing to the back of his skull after running up the metal steps.

The two looked to the side hallway, careful to make sure it was clear before entering. They walked into this small room and found a computer set up. Kat dashed over to it and gritted her teeth as she made a few checks.

"Leon would know how to do this. Computers are more his speed." Kat stated as Lara checked out some of the ammo the men had been moving around.

"Didn't he say he wasn't a hacker anymore?" Lara said.

"He never was a hacker." Kat reminded. "He's just good with computers. Took computer classes in high school." Kat frowned at the screens. "This one's not connected to anything useful from what I can see. Just logs of equipment, and which of their men have died and who killed them." Kat snorted darkly. "As dark as this sounds, a few died because they poked the bear."

Lara shook her head. "I think we should split up."

"Not happening. We split from Jonah and Leon. I'm not about to leave you alone." Kat told her.

"Kat, it'd be a good idea. Less chance to get caught. You might find Leon or Jonah before me." Lara pointed out.

Kat turned from the computers. "Lara…I don't want you to go alone."

Lara frowned and narrowed her eyes at her. "Why?"

"This Konstantin guy and his sister capture and torture you. His sister…" She huffed. "Lara, Ana is his sister."

"Not this again." Lara growled.

"Please trust me, Lara. You've trusted me before." Kat stressed to her. "Ana's been using you; she's lied to you and your dad for years."

"Stop." Lara hissed pushing Kat back. "We're splitting up. You go where you want, I'll go on my own."

"Lara…"

But Lara was already up the stairs. Kat kicked the box with frustration. It was Yamatai all over again. She understood why it was so hard for Lara to believe her both times. Back then, Lara wasn't open minded about the supernatural. Now it was more that if Ana was lying, who in her life was telling the truth? It would cause an existential crisis. Ana was also a very good actor. Kat had witnessed it herself when Lara introduced them. She seemed so genuinely nice it scared her.

She took a few breaths and pulled her radio. She hated being alone. She had been alone before on Yamatai. That wasn't fun. She hadn't been alone that often in Raccoon. Even on missions she had a teammate. Leon was the one she trusted the most. Now, with the argument she'd had with Lara, gods she just wanted to hear a friendly voice. She paused as she lifted her radio. She wanted to hear his voice. His soft yet confident voice. The voice that calmed and grounded her.

She gritted her teeth and pushed the talk button. "Kat to Leon, can you read me. Over."

Static.

"Shit." She pushed the talk button. "I know you might not hear this, and Hel, you might have been talking to us and we couldn't hear it. But I…" She shook her head. "Lara and I split up. She's mad at me. I get why. What I told her is tough to swallow." She sighed. "Just, stay safe. We've gotta make it out of this. Just like always." She then put her radio to her belt. She needed to follow Lara as much as she could. "Loki, veita mér styrkr í sá gríma." (Loki, give me strength in the shadows.)

Lara hadn't heard a word. She was busy listening to a tape she'd found up her on a crate.

"I know I've taken some jobs of questionable legality, and I know you're not happy about it. But I couldn't pass up this contract. Been trying to get work with Trinity for years. They're discreet, the pay is obscene, and they always have opportunities.

Now here I am, and I already want out. We're at an abandoned Soviet installation in the middle of nowhere. No one's telling us low level contractors what's going on, but I think I might be helping some seriously scary people get a nuke, or something equally awful. Honestly, that's the best-case scenario.

Ping me back if you get this, I've carved out a secure channel on the network. For an operation like this, you'd think they'd have better security. But I guess that's why they hired me."

"Hmm... it seems Trinity keeps some of its men in the dark." Lara muttered to herself as she popped the tape out and put it in her bag. "Maybe we can get these tapes to S.P.E.L.L. They have to be going after Trinity just as they're going after Black Umbrella."

She spotted a large star plaque on a wall by the stairs. She walked over to it and brushed some old snow and moss from it. She ran her fingers over the words, muttering them in Russian.

"Lenin lived, Lenin lives, Lenin will live forever…" She muttered and shook her head.

Country: Russia, State: Siberia, City: Siberian Wilderness, Place: Near Kitezh, Area: Soviet Installation, Month: November, Day: Sunday 26th, Year: 2000, Time: 06:36 KRAT…

Burned wood in the underground tunnel, that was partly collapsed, fell to the ground kicking up dust and soot. Running out of fuel to keep going. Lara took a breath and walked under a metal beam and through the small open hole in the wall.

"That's it. We're out of time. Shoot him." She heard someone call as she stood up from the partial crouch. "He'll talk or he'll bleed out."

Lara stopped moving at the body in the room. A man was dead. Bled out it seemed. By his legs and limp hands was a gun. A revolver of some kind.

"You think I fear death?" A male voice asked as Lara picked up the revolver.

"Put a bullet in this fucking savage! Now!" Yelled another man as Lara checked the gun for ammo.

She heard gun shots as she put it away and pulled her pistols. Sure, revolvers couldn't jam, but she didn't know this gun. She knew her pistols.

"Gut shot…awful way to go." She heard someone say and looked to the one-way glass window to her left. "Clock's ticking." She looked to the closed door on the right and walked over to it, staying low.

"You're going to die here, you understand?" Asked a condescending voice. "Unless you want to tell me what you know."

The door was locked as she listened to the sounds of pained breathing. Lara turned away from the door and moved around the shelves and crates, finding a journal page. It appeared to be from a native.

The Red Army is coming. I've been tracking them for weeks - watching as hundreds of men build the iron monstrosity across the ice. Men have died, their frozen bodies left scattered in the tundra. No rites of passing...no burial or burnings. These new invaders are cruel, godless men.

Do they come seeking the precious metals of the mountain? Or, like so many before them, are they drawn here by the Divine Source?

My people must again prepare for war.

"The journal of a Remnant scout, sent to observe the approach of the Soviets as they built the railroad to this place decades ago." Lara muttered tucking it away.

She turned away and ducked down again. She moved to the window and peered over the edge that she pressed her shoulder to. She could see some computers, crates, but more importantly three men looming over a man on the floor.

"They'll all die slow, while we watch." The one on the right said and Lara could see a sinister smile on his lips.

"You have one fucking choice right now."

She gritted her teeth together and stood up. She raised her dual pistols and aimed down the sights. She blurred her targets as her sights became sharp. Then she squeezed the triggers. It only took four seconds. The first two bullets fired and shattered the glass in front of her. She barely flinched. Her bullets however didn't hit her targets. The glass had screwed up her ammunition's aim. No matter. She had recently reloaded them. She had 24 bullets, 12 in each clip.

The men yelled in shock as she aimed and fired. One man went down after four shots to the chest. She ducked down to hide from the other two's gunfire. She then stood up as one got close attempting to attack her. She fired two shots into his face and jumped a bit as a spear sank into his chest.

Lara spun and there was Kat, her own rifle out and aiming into the room. Lara turned and saw the last guy was about to fire at her. His head rocked back sharply with the loud crack, blood spurting for a moment. Then he dropped to the floor. Lara sighed as she stood up and Kat walked over.

"I told you we should split up." Lara pointed out.

"You did." Kat said as she popped the spent brass from her rifle. "But you need someone watching your back."

"And you're willing to leave Leon alone? These people are insane." Lara pointed out.

"Leon can handle himself. As much as I'm worried about him and Jonah, they'll be fine." She jumped over the lip of the window, kicking more glass shards to the floor. "We need to tend to this man first."

Lara nodded as Kat pulled her spear from one of the dead men. Kat rushed to the man's side as she shook blood from her spear and checked him over. She sucked on her teeth as she checked his gunshot wound. It was a gut wound alright. The bullets used on him looked like they weren't great quality as they had ripped and tore into him. Blood was flowing like water from the wound.

"Shit…it's bleeding too fast." Kat voiced as Lara came over.

"They have him…" The man started to say before struggling to breathe through the pain. "…imprisoned…" He let out a wet cough, blood spraying from his mouth, telling Kat and Lara all they needed to know, he wouldn't be alive in a minute. "Got to…got to…" His head dropped limply.

"Oh, no…no…" Lara breathed as Kat reached up to his neck.

Kat sighed and pressed a hand to his head. "þú bardagi vel. Þú vóro trō-lekær. Fara nú heim sá æfter-ævi til þinn trōa. Hvíla vel." (You battled well. You were loyal. Go now to the afterlife of your faith. Rest well.) She muttered in a sort of blessing and prayer.

"That…that was beautiful. But…you didn't send him to Valhalla?" Lara asked as Kat stood up.

"He's not of Norse faith. I can't force him to go somewhere he wouldn't want to go." Kat voiced.

Lara smiled a bit. "Sherry and Rose have got so many choices." She said as walked to the door behind the man. "And a very supportive mother." Her smile fading.

"They do." Kat said as she checked the door behind her. "And Leon has my lock picks." She groaned as she checked her pockets.

"Better hope he doesn't lose them." Lara joked as she pulled her axe. "But we can always force doors open."

Kat nodded. "On most doors. This one doesn't have an edge for the axe."

Lara nodded. "This one dose."

Lara then slammed her axe point into the small gap of the door and frame. She wrenched her body back and forth, before the aged metal bent and allowed the door to swing open. The pair walked into the room. They found some arrows in a quiver. They knew then that these had to have belonged the man they could not save. Looking ahead of them they saw an open window with lights from the other side. The pair grabbed the arrows, splitting them between them then Kat dashed for the wall, pressing her back to it. She interlocked her fingers at her waist and nodded at Lara.

"Only one of us are gonna get through there I think." Kat pointed out how high it was.

Lara sighed. "So, we really are splitting up here."

Kat nodded annoyed. "Yeah. Be careful, okay? If anyone come's looking around here, I'll distract them."

Lara nodded. She popped her boot to Kat's hands. Kat hissed at the points but ignored it. Lara put her other leg on Kat's hip as Kat slowly stood. Kat hissed at the weight and sharp points of Lara's climbers. But Lara got to the edge of the window and lightly jumped, making Kat hiss again.

"Sorry." Lara whispered as she pulled herself into the room.

"Good luck." Kat wished as she stood properly.