Chapter 25: Tunnel Run

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/ Copper Mine, Month: November, Day: Monday 27th, Year: 2000, Time: 05:41 KRAT…

Jacob struck a match as Kat, Lara, and Leon pulled out fresh glow sticks. They cracked then shook them up as they followed Jacob into the tunnel.

"This path will take us all the way through the mountain." Jacob informed them as his little red glow lit the way. "My people used these ways until the Soviets arrived and began digging." He explained as they all walked down the tunnel. When his little match burned out, Kat handed him a glow stick. He smiled in thanks and cracked it to mix the chemicals.

The structures inside were a mix of wood and metal. Metal curved in arches every few feet and wood lined the roof of the tunnels. They were clearly put in by the Soviets and had long burnt-out lights. Some of the wood slats on the walls were gone and rotted away.

"What did they find down here?" Leon asked as they continued walking.

"Enough to make them curious." Jacob informed darkly. "They used machines and explosives to dig deeper, did quite a lot of damage. Many of the old paths collapsed…" He said he ducked under a metal beam, leading them through. "But it's safe now."

Just as Kat moved to go under the metal fallen beam the whole place shook. A loud rumble echoed through the area. Lara and Leon both turned to Kat as she stumbled. Lara smiled a bit at Leon and Kat's hold on each other but then looked at Jacob with a worried expression as rock dust fell around them.

He looked around them worriedly. "Or…it used to be…"

"That doesn't sound good." Both Leon and Kat said as he followed her and Lara under the beam.

"Trinity must've found the old mining equipment…" Jacob guessed grimly before they continued moving. "They're trying to finish what the Soviets started."

"And there's no other way through?" Lara asked as they came to a split in paths.

"I'm afraid not…" Jacob said as he led them to the left path and paused by a partly open broken metal grated gate. "Not anymore." He then turned to his side and slipped through the gap of the gate.

Lara was next, then Leon, and last was Kat.

"This…complicates things…" Jacob whispered as they heard people ahead of them.

"What's the problem? We're behind Schedule." Said a voice in the distance, echoing off the walls.

"Shhh…!" Jacob hissed getting the three to quiet down and even slow down to not make a grinding gravel sound on the dirt.

"Hold on," Called a voice as the tunnel shook again, more dust falling. "The wires here are corroded, but I think I can bypass it." He called as the four reached the end of the tunnel where a fallen timber blocked their path. "Almost ready…" The guy said as Jacob pulled himself onto the wood and rolled over it through the top gap to the other side.

At that moment, as he dropped on the other side the place shook again. Leon, Kat, and Lara froze and waited out the shaking as some rocks fell with the dust.

"This place is destabilizing with every explosive they use…" Kat whispered looking around worriedly.

"They'll bring the whole place down if they keep going like that." Leon nodded as Lara walked to the timber.

Jacob helped her through then it was Leon, then Kat. Just as Kat's boots touched the dirt, the whole place shook much more violently. Not just small rocks were falling now, but larger rocks the size of her head, bounced and rolled along the ground. Jacob pulled Lara and pushed her forward as Leon grabbed Kat's hand and rushed them down the path.

"Hurry!" Jacob yelled at them from behind. Kat tripped as the ground rolled like a ripple of water, Leon fell with her, curling himself around her, to shield her from the falling rocks for a second.

Lara had fallen too. They all looked back as larger boulders fell, blocking Jacob from following them.

"Jacob!" They yelled as they lost sight of him and stood up.

"Find Sofia!" He called out to the three. "Tell her Trinity's here!"

They nodded and turned down the tunnel. At the end, they were greeted by showers of sparks and grinding dust. Their ears rang at the sound of lots of metal grinding on stone. That's when they saw what was making the area shake and producing that ear bleeding noise. It was a mining machine called a mole. This one looked like it was last used by the Soviets. It was very old and not in the best condition. So, bits of metal were being sheared off the turning spike, even as it carved into the rocks.

There was enough space for Leon, Kat, and Lara to run next to it and passed it. So, they did, holding their arms over their heads as a shield from fire, metal, and earth debris.

"Oh fuck!" Yelled one of the men then screamed in pain.

"Keep running!" Lara yelled as parts of the mole leaked gas, catching fire from the flying sparks and exploded.

"Running!" Leon agreed.

"Bring back memories!?" Kat called out jokingly.

"Too many!" Both Leon and Lara called out.

"It's coming down! Watch out!" Yelled the Trinity guy, as a bigger explosion erupted in front of the group and fire spewed out. All three fell to the ground as the heat washed over them. They quickly got up as the wave passed and the fire started to die down.

They felt their skin break out in a heavy sweat in the lingering heat and small fires that still burned. They vaulted over some fallen rocks as they ran alongside the still moving mole and the unstable tunnel. Kat jumped passed Lara, she let out a yell of pain as she brushed by an exposed wire. Electricity sent her flying the short distance into the wall. She cracked her head into it as she slid to the floor in a daze. Lara and Leon pulled her to her feet.

"I've got you. Lara, keep running!" Leon called as he slung Kat's shaking arm over his shoulders.

Lara nodded as Leon and Kat ran and limped after her. They splashed into some water and turned down a branching off tunnel, as they couldn't follow the mole anymore. They nearly avoided the large falling rocks and the area rumbled again. Lara doing so nimbly by dodging to the right. Leon and Kat just missed them by strafing to the left.

The tunnel had two ways they could go, both had light at the ends. They all ducked to the left as small rocks and dust rained down to the right, making the choice for them. Just as they came close to the left tunnel exit, four boulders fell to block their path and forced them to stumble back and turn quickly to the right tunnel, taking the chance that it would not collapse.

Running down this tunnel, they found that it was not tall enough for them and they ran in a crouch. Lara was a head of Kat and Leon, but the pair were soon right behind her as Kat came out of being dazed from the electrocution. A wall to their left suddenly bowed inward sharply and forced them to press themselves to the right wall. When the right wall also started to buckle, they dropped to hands and knees in middle as the ceiling began to dip down like a cloth soaked with water. With only four feet of space they were crawling along as fast as they could. At the exit they threw themselves with grunts and yells as that tunnel fully collapsed. Leon pulled Kat clear of it as Lara crab crawled backwards looking in shock at their narrow escape.

They wheezed as the shaking stopped. The dust from the collapse settled. The danger of being buried alive in a mountain was gone for the moment. Lara groaned as she rolled onto her hands and knees. She slowly stood up and leaned on a wall before looking at Leon and Kat. Leon still had a tight protective hold on Kat as they sat facing the collapsed tunnel and the water now starting to trickle out around the fallen rocks and stones. Kat was partly lucid, gripped his left shoulder so hard her knuckles were white.

"Not the first time we've escaped a collapsing tunnel." Lara joked, breaking the silence, but hoped that Kat was okay.

Kat shook her head then nodded. "Same with the flaming explosion."

"How many explosions and bushes with death can a person have…before they get superpowers?" Leon joked resting his head to the damp wall behind him.

"We aren't in the Marvel or DC universe, but I wouldn't be surprised if you got a shield power or something." Kat sighed as she tried to get up.

"Are you both okay? Kat, you just got electrocuted." Lara pointed out as Leon helped Kat stand.

"It…it was just a graze." Kat assured as she lifted a shaking hand to feel if her hair was standing up like Tim in Jurassic Park when he got zapped by the fence.

"You just got Electrocuted and you're acting like the Black Knight?" Leon asked as he slung Kat's arm over his shoulder again as her legs were shuddering. "Your legs are spasming."

"Is my hair frizzy?" Kat asked frowning. "I've never been electrocuted before. I wonder if that is what a taser feels like…"

"Okay, Lara, you radio Jacob, I've got Kat." Leon said as he waved for the Brit to lead the way. "Kat, how many fingers am I holding up?" He asked holding up three.

Kat sighed. "Three…"

"Okay, that hit you took to the wall might not be a concussion." Leon said sounding and looking relived. "But you may have a pounding headache later."

"Jacob!" Lara called into her radio as they kept walking in the dimply lit tunnel. "Jacob, are you there, can you hear me?" She asked.

All she got was static as they came to the end of the tunnel that was blocked by some large wooden beams. It looked exactly like the one they'd gone through before that made them need to run. Lara tried one more time whispering as she peered through the gap in the wood. Trinity's men were on the other side. From where they were with no light behind them, Leon, Kat, and Lara were still hidden from sight.

Lara pulled herself up onto the top beam and rolled to the other side, dropping down silently. She crouched a moment, looking around before turning to the gap again. "I'll help Kat on this side if you got her over there." She whispered to Leon.

"I'm not inept." Kat grumbled.

"Yeah, I've got her. You need a bit of help until you stop spasming." Leon told her as he unhooked her arm from his shoulder, switching to holding her hand to help steady her, he noticed she was sort of listing to her right a little. He had a crazy wild thought to give her a boost by putting a hand on her butt and pushing. But he didn't want to get a kick to the head so he repressed the urge.

Kat climbed the wall and rolled so her free hand was out to Lara. Lara took her hand and frowned at the slightest of a jolt. Leon moved closer as Lara helped Kat out of the gap. Once she was standing, she crouched down and let go of Leon's hand. He missed the contact but ignored it for the moment. He then climbed and rolled through himself.

"Maybe we can get the elevator working. Got to be a way out up there." Said one of the men by said elevator.

"This is bad…" Lara breathed as she took in the crates. "I've got them, you two stay here."

"I can still fight." Kat started as she held her hand out to show them, only it backfired as her hand shook then would jerk suddenly with a small hiss from her.

"Your hand says otherwise." Leon stated as he looked to Lara and pulled his bow and nocked an arrow. "I'll try and cover you if need be."

Lara smile and nodded in appreciation. Then she dropped the smile as she moved away from the pair and to one of the crates. She peered over the edge once she was there and squinted around the room. If she ran out of ammo, she'd be fine. she could see four ammo boxes for her guns and two random quivers for her horned bow. There were also four forms of cover, either one crate or two stacked. She also counted three men in the room.

She tuned out the words they were saying as she monitored their walking paths. They seemed to have their own patrol routs in the room and were sticking to them. She then low-ran to the next cover as their backs were too her. Two were on the ground with her, one up on an upper landing. The whole place then shook again and sent bits of ice down from parts of the ceiling and ice wall she could see way in the back. With that distraction, Lara moved to the next cover, an old platform cart of some kind.

Now she was at the prime angle for shooting the one up top. She drew her bow and turned it on its side. She drew back as she breathed. Once she was sure, she let her hand fall back and ducked back down. A thump told her she'd hit her target. Peering over, she saw she had got him in the head.

She nocked a new arrow and looked to the last two targets. Neither seemed to have noticed his passing. Even though one of them asked him a question. She aimed again at the one closest to her. She waited till the other one had his back to him and was farther away. Then in two quick moves, Lara loosed and nocked then loosed again. The first arrow cut into the first man's neck and sent him to his knees. The other one spun at the sound and her second arrow hit him right through his left eye.

Lara walked over to the first guy she'd shot and slammed her axe into the back of his head with a muted yell. She twisted it then kicked him off her axe. They were in the clear now. She looked back to see Leon helping Kat farther into the room. Her arm still twitched but her legs weren't spasming as badly.

"We're in the clear." She told them.

Leon nodded. "I'd say we need to find a camp once we're out of here."

Kat sighed. "We can't stop."

"We'll discuss this after we're out." Leon started and looked to Lara. "Think that elevator will work?"

Lara shrugged. "Let's see."

She walked to the small console and hit the green button. They all looked up at the lift. They saw the elevator slowly lower. Then hit something before grinding to a holt and making a clunking sound and sending out some sparks.

"Shit." Lara hissed.

"Now what?" Kat asked.

Lara and Leon both looked around. Both saw the upper landing had some pulleys and the cart platform.

"Leon, can you push that until I say stop?" Lara asked nodding at the cart.

Leon and Kat looked over. "Yeah." He looked to Kat. "Think you can stand now?"

Kat nodded. "Just my arms twitching now." She said as she pulled away from him, but found she missed being close.

Leon noticed too. He had liked being close to Kat but didn't like that it was cause she was feeling weak. He walked over to the cart and got behind it. He gripped the bar and pressed his shoulder to it. pushing he hissed through his teeth as the rusted wheels turned slowly and heavily. Eventually Leon pushed the cart to the other end of the track.

"Got it. This thing was heavy." Leon said as he backed up and looked up at the upper platforms.

"I'll go up and see if I can fix anything for that lift." Lara said as she walked over and climbed up on the cart.

She ran on the cart and jumped up to the ledge. She grabbed it and pulled herself up onto it. On some crates by the ledge was a knife. It looked to be a combat knife. She picked it up and looked it over in its sheath holder.

"This should come in handy. Why didn't I pack one?" Lara muttered.

"Find anything?" Kat called up as she flexed her hand open and closed.

"Yeah." Lara called back as she unsheathed the knife. "A combat knife with its sheath." She called as she checked the bladed over, carefully moving her thumb over the blade.

"If you don't have a knife, take it." Leon called up. "Knives are very useful." He looked to Kat. "How's your arm?"

"Better. Not twitching anymore." Kat nodded.

"Any burns?" Leon asked as Lara hooked the knife and sheath to her belt.

Kat smiled a bit as Leon took her hand, inspecting her fingers. "A little."

Leon saw some small blackish colored burns on her fingertips, but not too bad. "Can you feel your fingertips?" He asked, his voice quieter then intended.

Kat looked from her fingers that he ran his callused ones over, to his face, seeing it pinched with concern. It was a strangely attractive look. Not the concern, but that it was for her. "Stings a bit." She told him as he stopped touching her fingers, but still held her hand.

Leon pulled his pack and pulled out some bandages and some healing spray. "This should not sting, no breaks in the skin, but it'll help." He said as he held it close.

"Okay." Kat nodded as he pushed the nozzle down.

She jumped a little as the cold spray hit her fingers. She didn't realize how warm they were. Leon stopped and put the can away. Still plenty left to use for later. He started bandaging her hand. As he tied off the bandages, he slowly looked at Kat and saw she was staring at him. For a moment, they froze again. Storms meeting ice. They felt themselves start to lean in. Leon leaning slightly down, Kat starting to go up on her toes…

The sound of wood and metal breaking and falling got them to snap back to reality. Both turning to see Lara had her knife out and had cut a line. Lara looked over and grimaced. "Sorry, you two."

"It's fine." Kat said shaking her head and looking away from Leon with a worried expression. 'There's no way he was going to kiss me. He would've rejected me. Right?'

"Yeah." Leon nodded, looking to Kat. 'Did she really…were we about to kiss?'

Lara nodded then jumped the gap to the other edge of the shaft. She came to the lift and looked it over. The ropes in front of her wouldn't let them use the lift or even bypass it to climb up. "Back up from the lift. This is going crash down." She warned.

Leon and Kat backed up. Lara then cut the first rope. The lift dropped a few feet with a metallic whine. She cut the last line. The lift dropped at a rapid rate. It crashed to the ground and sent water splashing up from the puddles at the bottom of the shaft. Lara jumped down as Kat and Leon joined her.

"We'll have to climb the shaft. No other way up." Lara told them. "Are you okay with climbing?" She asked looking to Kat.

Kat nodded. "In an hour, my hand will be good." She laughed then. "Better than taking a fire arrow to my hand." She said waving the hand that still had a nasty scar on the back and palm.

Both Lara and Leon cringed.

"Definitely better." Lara nodded.

With that, they started climbing one by one. Kat laughed a bit as they climbed up on top of the lift then onto the railing above them.

"What?" Leon asked looking at her as Lara pulled her axes.

"This is like climbing around a play place at McDonalds." Kat pointed out.

Leon looked and laughed too, seeing what Kat was talking about. The weird platforms in those indoor playgrounds. "Man, being a kid…that was so long ago."

"I used to climb around the manor. Inside and outside." Lara informed them as she jumped to the ice wall. "Never went to Maccie D's."

Leon Looked up sharply at Lara. "Say that last bit again."

Lara looked down at him as Kat started climbing the ice wall below her. "Maccie D's."

"Do you…are you…Is that how you say Mickey D's?" Leon asked as Lara jumped from the ice wall to the elevator, grabbing a hold of hand hold.

"Yeah. You lot just put a mouse in front of the d." Lara pointed out as Kat got up to the same level.

Leon jumped from the lift to the ice wall too. "So other places have a different nickname for Mickey D's?"

"Australia calls 'em Macca's." Kat pointed out as she jumped to the lift as Lara had moved around the corner.

"What's the weirdest one you've heard?" Leon asked. "Mine right now is 'Maccie D's'." He said as he got to the same level.

Lara and Kat both thought about it. Kat snorted then as she flipped around the corner and Leon jumped over.

"Mc Do." Lara said, though 'do' sounded like she said 'dough'. "That's what the French call it."

Kat shook from holding back laughter. "Gods above and below I'm so immature." She took a breath as Leon came to the corner edge. "McDick's."

Lara sighed as she shook her head, climbing up the wood bits like a weird ladder. Leon snorted then looked at Kat weirdly.

"Are you serious? Who the hell calls it that?" He asked as they followed Lara.

"Canada." Both said.

Leon shook his head. "If I wanted to go to Mickey D's up there, would I have to call it that?" He asked as Lara rounded the bend and bounced on her perch.

"No. I don't think you or Kat could keep a straight face." Lara said then jumped to the ledge for the top of the lift shaft.

Kat climbed around snorting. "True. I can barely call Nightwing by his name without smiling and laughing."

Leon snorted. "I've been a witness to that. Rose has started copying you, you know that?"

Kat jumped and climbed up to join Lara. "She is not."

Leon nodded. "She is. She snickers. And Sherry smiles too."

"Oh gods, they're immature too." Kat groaned as Leon jumped, hissing as he kicked at the wall for a foot hold. "The cycle of immature adults continues."

Leon snorted as he pulled himself up. "We…" He took a breath. "We shouldn't make each other laugh while climbing."

"True. Laughter is good for you, but not when you're hanging on to something with a long drop below you." Lara snorted.

Country: Russia, State: Siberia, City: Siberian Wilderness, Place: Near Kitezh, Area: Soviet Installation/ Copper Ruins, Month: November, Day: Monday 27th, Year: 2000, Time: 06:14 KRAT…

They walked out of a tunnel and into the ruins of a hallway. The architecture looked strangely like a mix of Greek and Baroque era Russia. There were broken damaged statues of women and men, possibly old gods.

"Is this the lost city?" Leon asked looking around as they walked this hallway slowly.

"No…" Kat said shining her green glow stick at the floor. "It's a tomb."

Scattered along the ground were the dead mummified bodies of men. Men in fatigues with Soviet patches on their shoulders. They looked geared up as guards. Kat kneeled before one and tipped her head.

"These bodies are old. But I think this one was killed by a slit throat. The angle…might have been from behind." She voiced running a finger over the diagonal dried up slash in the paper-thin skin that still clung to parts of his head.

Leon was looking at another pair. "Holes. These ones were shot." He voiced. "How about that revolt we heard the men talking about? Think these are some of the dead from that?"

Lara nodded as she checked one of the bodies. "More than likely." She pulled a leather book from an inner pocket. "Hey…found this. Looks like a report diary." She then began to read three pages.

Freedom Station Operational Report - 25 July 1970

Comrades, this report comes to you following an unprecedented discovery in the mountains of Freedom Station. Our deep mine crew has broken into a massive cavern filled with incredible ruins and artifacts, the likes of which have never been found in the Motherland.

The workers that we acquired from the native population have become agitated following the discovery - they clearly know something about these ruins. We will begin working the prisoners around the clock, for I believe we're on the verge of an even more amazing discovery.

"Communications from the Soviet Commander..." Lara voiced in English.

"I think we found the ruins they did." Kat voiced as she stood and looked around with her glowstick held high.

Freedom Station Operational Report - 17 September 1970

At your earliest convenience, please acknowledge these communiques. We have received no directives since the discovery of the ruins.

Examination of the artifacts and scrolls recovered from the site continue. As impossible as it may seem, it appears we may have discovered the ruins of the legendary city of Kitezh.

There are also numerous references to some kind of messianic figure. If I'm interpreting the text correctly, he was a prophet who fled Byzantium sometimes in the 10th century. The inscriptions say that he carried with him an artifact of great power. For the time being, I have suspended normal mining operations. It is my intent to discover the truth behind this mysterious prophet.

"Hmm, he mentions artifacts, as well as the natives...Jacob's people?" Lara asked.

"Yeah. Unless there's another group out there." Leon nodded.

Freedom Station Operational report - 13 October 1970

We now have heavy equipment in place within the main cavern and we intend to gain access to some kind of temple, even if we have to rip down its ancient doors to do so.

While hundreds of artifacts have now been recovered and catalogued, two guard crews have gone missing in the mines. I've personally questioned the native prisoners - they claim to have no knowledge of the whereabouts of the missing guards. And though we've punished them harshly, I fear they are on the verge of revolt.

"The Soviets lowered huge machines down into the cave..." Kat stated.

"Not exactly subtle methods..." Leon shrugged as he started walking down the hall.

"Stop!" Lara yelled getting him to freeze all movement.

"Why?" He asked, trusting them and also remembering Raccoon when Kat warned him to move as she moved.

Kat walked toward him and saw what Lara did. "The floor's trapped." Kat told him as she pointed at the floor. "See how it's bowed inward in the middle here?"

Leon looked and nodded. The bricks were bowed a bit now that he was really looking. "They look a little uneven too."

"It's a trap. We'll have to jump over it. It's the same kind of trap as the temple in Syra." Lara informed as she backed up.

"What was under the stones?" Leon asked as he and Kat backed up too.

"Wooden spikes. Very sharp." Lara answered before running forward.

With a grunting jump, Lara sailed over the stones and landed on solid ground. She turned around and backed up. Leon took a breath and ran next. He jumped. As he landed, he stumbled forward before turning around to look at Kat. Kat took a breath and ran. She jumped and landed at the very edge of the trap. Setting it off as Lara and Leon grabbed her arms and pulled her to the solid ground.

They looked back at the now open pit. At the bottom were several points of spikes. Some taller than others. Kat shook her head at them.

"That won't be the last time. For any of us." Kat voiced.

"Maybe I should get a grappling hook like Batman." Leon said half joking half seriously.

"You should." Kat nodded. "That would be cool!"