(Disclaimer: I do not own Tomb Raider (the movie) or any of the games, for they are

property of Core Design. I do own Sekai and all those weird, ancient weapons that you

have yet to hear of. This takes place approximately 3 years after the Tomb Raider movie,

in Japan.)



The air in the teahouse cellar smelled strongly of herbs ground together too many

times and a much more faint scent of recently polished wood. Lady Lara Croft knelt on a

woven mat inside the cellar of the teahouse. She looked nothing like she normally would,

which was because she was currently in disguise. She wore a short, creamy white silk

kimono that came to just above mid-thigh with cherry blossom patterns woven into it.

Her hair was elegantly piled upon her head, twisted into a series of French braids. With

the clever use of makeup her face had been completely altered, the most skilled scanning

systems couldn't penetrate her disguise. Beneath the kimono, she wore her usual outfit:

black hot pants and a black sports bra. She was currently barefoot, her combat boots and

her guns were hidden in an old-looking crate in the corner. She was waiting for a certain

man to step through the door into the cellar. That man was in possession of the means to

get to a Japanese Artifact Lara had been after for the past three months. Normally Lara

wouldn't be getting the item in this way, but the other option was to go up against a small

army of ace bodyguards. The person she was about to meet, Muto Kamahi, according to

the secure files Bryce had easily hacked into, visited this particular teahouse at 3:17 p.m.

local time every day, rain or shine. He didn't come to visit this place for the tea, but for

the prostitution ring run and performed in the cellar. Lara had watched Muto Kamahi for

a week to make sure of his schedule, before doing more research on the teahouse. She

had found out the prostitute Muto Kamahi had visited most and, after paying the

prostitute a handsome sum of 1 Million Yen to take the day off, she had assumed the

identity of the prostitute. Lara carried no weapons on her person, save for a combat knife

hidden perfectly in the hem of her kimono, just in case things got ugly. She was alone in

the cellar, so she reached inside her kimono and withdrew her tiny communicator,

hooking it over her ear. "How's it look Bryce?" She said softly into the microphone.

Bryce, who was currently set up in a hotel next to the teahouse, with a perfect view of the

road, replied, "Nothing yet…wait! There's a convoy pulling up: a pair of Black SUV's

and a black limo pulling up…five men getting out of the limo. Four heavily armed

bodyguards…and Muto Kamahi, now proceeding into the teahouse. I can see at least four

more bodyguards, heavily armed, in each of the SUV's." Bryce said. "Ok, I can hear

them. You and Alex be prepared to come to my rescue, if need be." Lara said before

slipping the communicator into her kimono again.

* * *

Alex West emerged from the bathroom in the spacious hotel penthouse suite they

used for their surveillance purposes. "I see our guest's have arrived." Alex said shortly.

After the whole Illuminati matter, Alex and Lara had made up and gone into business

together. "Duh." Bryce was sitting at the massive oak table, which was now covered with

computer gear. A total of fourteen micro-camera's were set up outside the hotel and the

surrounding area, which fed a direct feed to his computers. Bryce was no longer the

weak, sniveling computer geek he had been during the Illuminati incident. He had finally

taken Lara's advice and gone to the gym. He was now extremely fit, and had enough

foresight to take weapons training. His personal weapon, a silver-plated DY .357

magnum revolver, was rarely out of his reach at any time of the day. Even now, it was

securely in place in a black nylon quick-draw holster strapped to his right thigh. "You

think we'll have any problems?" Alex said, leaning over Bryce's shoulder to stare at the

screens. "If we do, I brought the wake-up call." Bryce said with a slight smirk. He

withdrew a small device that resembled a garage door opener from his belt and set it on

the table. "Eh?" Alex said. "Don't worry about it." Bryce said.

* * *

Lara sat back against the wall of the cellar as the pudgy Muto Kamahi, squeezed

into a Brooks Brothers suit three sizes too small, waddled down the stairs. Lara had her

legs spread, luring the man in close. Kamahi reached into a pocket inside his suit jacket

and withdrew a condom. Lara caught a glimpse of what she had come for, a golden

pendant in the shape of the sun dangling on a silver chain. Lara waited until the pudgy

bugger got within kicking range, then firmly swung both of her feet into Kamahi's groin.

With a weak cry of pain, Kamahi doubled over. Lara reached over and grabbed Kamahi

by the throat, sending him flying headfirst into the wall. She knelt on his back as she

removed Kamahi's tie and used it to tie his hands. She then used the handkerchief in

Kamahi's breast pocket to effectively gag him. Lara shrugged of the kimono and was

once again in her combat gear. She removed the knife from her kimono and used it to pry

open the crate in the corner. She removed her socks and combat boots from the crate and

pulled them on, lacing her boots securely. She removed her holstered guns next from the

crate and strapped them to her thighs. She hooked her communicator over her ear again

and slid her pack on before removing the pendant from around Kamahi's neck and

slipping it into her pack. She crouch-walked carefully up the stairs, hands on her guns.

She opened the trapdoor that led from the cellar into the main room and looked out. She

put one hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh. Kamahi's bodyguards were drunk,

EXTREMELY drunk. So drunk, they were passed out where they were standing. They

should be no problem, Lara thought silently. She withdrew her guns from their holsters

and dove through the doorway. Instantly the guard's snapped awake and aimed their

weapons, M-16 assault rifles with grenade launchers slung underneath the barrel, at Lara.

"Oops." Lara said. "Bryce, I could use some help here…." Lara said softly into her

communicator. "Roger that." Bryce said. He turned to Alex and said, "Lets move!" Alex

nodded and opened a large trunk. He withdrew a pair of black Sub-Uzi's and stuck them

in holsters strapped to his thighs. He then withdrew an MP-5 and, after checking the clip,

slung it over his shoulder. He finally withdrew a Riot Shotgun and cradled it in his arms.

"Dear god Alex! You're worse than Lara!" Bryce quipped. Bryce stated he needed only

his DY .357 magnum, spare ammo, and the 'wake-up call'. The two of them left the hotel

via the fire escape and descended into the alley. Alex peered around the corner of the

teahouse and blanched. The spare bodyguards, clad in full body armor and carrying

heavy weapons such as MP-5's, Grenade Launchers, and Desert Eagles, were heading

into the teahouse. "Shit!" Alex exulted. He was about to rush inside, guns blazing, when

Bryce stopped him. Bryce lifted the device that resembled a garage door opener from his

belt and pressed the button. Alex heard a rhythmically thudding noise, coming from

above them. He looked up and glimpsed a silver object the size of a small car racing

down the side of the hotel. When it got close enough for Alex to identify it, it abruptly

somersaulted down, landing amidst a cloud of dust. When the dust cleared, Alex

recognized Simon, the robot Lara exercised with. He was immensely upgraded, his body

sleeker, the armor heavier, and more guns. "Simon, go stop the buggers from killing

Lara!" Bryce ordered. Simon's electric eye moved up and down, indicating he

understood. Simon then bounded into the teahouse, followed closely by Bryce and Alex.

The firefight lasted, accorded to Bryce's digital watch, seven minutes. It ended with

Simon riddled with bullet holes, Lara with a bullet wound in the arm, Alex with a broken

leg, and Bryce unscathed. The bodyguards were dead, and Muto Kamahi was sitting on

his fat ass in the cellar, waiting to be rescued. "Come Lara, Alex, we got to get out of

here before the police comes." Bryce said, helping them out of the teahouse.

* * *

Scarcely three minutes after the threesome left, a figure walked through the ruined

front door of the teahouse. He was an odd sight, he was clad in the traditional black Ninja

Gi, but he wore Combat gear, such as a black Utility Belt and combat boots. A sheathed

katana was strapped to his back, but in his belt were weapons such as a Desert Eagle, a

combat knife, and spare ammo clips. Other items, such as night-vision goggles, digital

binoculars, and a high-tech mini-computer, were also stuck in his belt. The only visible

part of his body were his eyes, since the rest of his body were covered by clothing. The

figure walked through the carnage, stepping over corpses and down into the cellar. He

grabbed Muto Kamahi by the collar and dragged him to his feet before speaking in a

menacing, distinctly male voice, "Where is the key?" Kamahi made a muffled noise, then

the figure yanked down the handkerchief so he could speak. "She took it! Lara Croft stole

the key!" Kamahi blurted. "Thank you." The figure said. He slammed Kamahi back

against the wall. "Who are you?" Kamahi asked as the figure walked away. "My name is

Sekai, and nothing personal, but I must kill you now." Sekai said. He spun around and

leveled his Desert Eagle. His shot blew Kamahi's brains apart and splattered them on the

wall. Sekai walked calmly out of the teahouse and down the street, turning the corner just

as the police arrived. "Lady Lara Croft, you have no idea what you've gotten yourself

into." Sekai said.

(To be Continued)