Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - 'The Empire of the Amon'
Author's Note: Excuse the huge emphasis on Bryce, but he IS a very imporant character... anyway, not too long until we get to the really good stuff!
Chapter Six: The Bridge of Wheels
"Lara, I've completed my side, are you done yet?" The dank reception made Alex's voice a little indeterminable at first. "Not yet, this is the last one... Squires and his cronies have completed all the tasks, the bastards. They're just waiting for us now." She looked at the room. It was wide as it was long, and apart from two ledges either side, there was a drop so low, Lara couldn't see the bottom, but she could imagine the fall as being painful, if not fatal. "Bryce, this is Lara, can you hear me?" There was a pause. "Lara? What you stuck on?" She looked around. "Looks like I'm in a pit room. There are four wheels... cams or cranks or something, I think... I don't quite know what they turn though. I'll have a look." She turned the one closest to the door, and it began to move a roped panel about halfway across the pit. "Ah.. the wheels turn pieces of a bridge... on the other side, there looks like another tablet..." Another pause. "Okay, you'll need me and Alex to help you. Hang on a minute." Lara waited patiently for about seven minutes, when eventually Alex and Bryce wandered into the room. "Blimey... looks... deep." Alex folded his arms and looked around. "Right... Lara... when I say, just jump onto the panels. Alex, you're in charge of turning the wheels... okay, let's go." Alex turned the second wheel along to see what it did, and it moved the first panel across. "By the looks of things," Lara said as she held onto the ropes, "they continue moving... the wheels must turn both ways." Alex wasn't really paying attention, and the panel was starting to go towards one of the walls, which suddenly set alight. "ALEX!"
He jumped and turned the wheel the other way as quickly as he could. "Let's try again," she called impatiently. "Okay, keep the first one centred for a bit... now turn... the fourth one, it probably is..." West turned the fourth wheel to the left, which brought the third panel to the right. "Bugger... okay, try the third wheel." The second panel moved into motion, but Lara was verging towards the fire brick again, so Alex had to sprawl across the wall to move both wheels, and moments later, Lara walked effortlessly to the next panel. "You can stop turning the second wheel now, keep focused on the third and fourth ones." Alex dashed constantly between the two wheels; there was a surprisingly wide gap between the wheels. "Great... okay... try the first one again, I'll take control of the fourth one." Alex ran back down to the first one and Bryce began to turn the fourth wheel in the opposite direction, when it suddenly spun round, nearly knocking him over, and Lara off. "Bloody hell!" he squarked, holding onto the wheel turner with both hands. "Bryce!" Lara yelled, trying to keep her balance on the madly wobbling panel. "Lara, the rope!" Alex instructed from the door. Lara looked up and saw a rope dangling just above the panels. "Right!" She jumped up and swung across to the other side, where there was a very small, very light tablet. Alex and Bryce sighed with relief, but forgot about the panels, which all spun madly into the walls, setting alight. "Bugger."
"Swing across and I'll catch you," Alex yelled across the room. Lara was reluctant to move at first. "What are you worried about? I'll catch you!" Bryce stepped out of the way and into the doorway. "Are you sure you'll catch her?" he asked under his breath. "Nope, not really," Alex replied. "Come on, what are you waiting for? Squires is gonna get into the Main Temple any minute now!" Lara sighed. He's right. I've already got too far into this, I've got to get us all out now. I guess I have to trust Alex. I can't keep pushing him away, she thought. She put the tablet in her belt, took hold of the rope, and with a deep breath swung across, lifting her legs up as high as she could. Whe she got as far as she thought she could, she let go, and no doubts about it, Alex caught her. He caught her so well they ended up in a pile of human limbs on the floor by the door. "The tablet!" Lara cried as the tiny stone tile teetered on the ledge. "I've got it!" Bryce squealed back, only to trip over Alex and Lara, which knocked the tablet off completely, but for once his split-second gaming reflexes came in handy as he snatched the tablet in mid air. "Blimey," he squeaked. "Bryce?" The dark haired young man, still smiling like an idiot, very satisfied with his work, replied 'Yes?' sugarly. "Get off!" the two raiders yelled in unison.
Alex opened his eyes properly to find himself bare inches away from Lara's face. "Lara..." She looked down at him, his love-crazy, love-desperate eyes begging for a second chance with her. "No... we can't... not now..." she whispered, her short but sharp nails digging into his chest through his shirt. She got up off him and sighed. "Sorry, Alex." Bryce figured it best not to say anythign regarding the present situation, so simply said, "I think we should be heading to the main temple." There, neutral enough. Neutral thoughts. Always good. Oh, shut up, he bickered with his conscience again, you know you wanted to be Alex just then. He was broken out of his little mental argument by Lara tapping his on the shoulder. "Are you coming?" He shook his head slightly, snapping out of his jealous daze, and nodding in reply. Outside, Squires was standing at the foot of the main temple. "The Tile!" he screamed, "get the Tile off Croft!" The three exchanged glances, and then ran towards the temple. The bodyguards both ran after Lara, even though the Tile from the shrine they had just been in was still in Bryce's pocket. Suddenly, out of noweherem half a dozen choppers appeared, and about thirty tightly-clad shadows slid down thin cables. They were surrounded. "Hand over the tile, Lara..." Squires taunted. "Bugger... we're doomed, we're doomed," Bryce whimpered, silently praying for some kind of miracle. "Lara... just in case we don't get out of this alive," Alex mumbled, reaching for her hand, "you know that I love you, I'll always love you, god damnit, but... do you love me?" Lara opened her mouth, but her throat went dry. Unsurpassed by the events around her, this was the first time she'd felt queasy in... too long for her to remember. "Lara, please, answer me," he pleaded, holding her hand tighter. Her eyes were burning with tears just waiting to fall, when suddenly, there was a loud 'clunk' from the archway. "Bloody hell... there is a God!" Bryce muttered, staring out towards the court. "Master Bryce!" a familiar voice called from far away. "I presume you may want to use this!" The three raiders, and the dark figured all looked in the direction of the courtway. Hillary - and S.I.M.O.N.! "It's showtime, mates!"
---
Oh yay. Tha fun has just started, man!
Author's Note: Excuse the huge emphasis on Bryce, but he IS a very imporant character... anyway, not too long until we get to the really good stuff!
Chapter Six: The Bridge of Wheels
"Lara, I've completed my side, are you done yet?" The dank reception made Alex's voice a little indeterminable at first. "Not yet, this is the last one... Squires and his cronies have completed all the tasks, the bastards. They're just waiting for us now." She looked at the room. It was wide as it was long, and apart from two ledges either side, there was a drop so low, Lara couldn't see the bottom, but she could imagine the fall as being painful, if not fatal. "Bryce, this is Lara, can you hear me?" There was a pause. "Lara? What you stuck on?" She looked around. "Looks like I'm in a pit room. There are four wheels... cams or cranks or something, I think... I don't quite know what they turn though. I'll have a look." She turned the one closest to the door, and it began to move a roped panel about halfway across the pit. "Ah.. the wheels turn pieces of a bridge... on the other side, there looks like another tablet..." Another pause. "Okay, you'll need me and Alex to help you. Hang on a minute." Lara waited patiently for about seven minutes, when eventually Alex and Bryce wandered into the room. "Blimey... looks... deep." Alex folded his arms and looked around. "Right... Lara... when I say, just jump onto the panels. Alex, you're in charge of turning the wheels... okay, let's go." Alex turned the second wheel along to see what it did, and it moved the first panel across. "By the looks of things," Lara said as she held onto the ropes, "they continue moving... the wheels must turn both ways." Alex wasn't really paying attention, and the panel was starting to go towards one of the walls, which suddenly set alight. "ALEX!"
He jumped and turned the wheel the other way as quickly as he could. "Let's try again," she called impatiently. "Okay, keep the first one centred for a bit... now turn... the fourth one, it probably is..." West turned the fourth wheel to the left, which brought the third panel to the right. "Bugger... okay, try the third wheel." The second panel moved into motion, but Lara was verging towards the fire brick again, so Alex had to sprawl across the wall to move both wheels, and moments later, Lara walked effortlessly to the next panel. "You can stop turning the second wheel now, keep focused on the third and fourth ones." Alex dashed constantly between the two wheels; there was a surprisingly wide gap between the wheels. "Great... okay... try the first one again, I'll take control of the fourth one." Alex ran back down to the first one and Bryce began to turn the fourth wheel in the opposite direction, when it suddenly spun round, nearly knocking him over, and Lara off. "Bloody hell!" he squarked, holding onto the wheel turner with both hands. "Bryce!" Lara yelled, trying to keep her balance on the madly wobbling panel. "Lara, the rope!" Alex instructed from the door. Lara looked up and saw a rope dangling just above the panels. "Right!" She jumped up and swung across to the other side, where there was a very small, very light tablet. Alex and Bryce sighed with relief, but forgot about the panels, which all spun madly into the walls, setting alight. "Bugger."
"Swing across and I'll catch you," Alex yelled across the room. Lara was reluctant to move at first. "What are you worried about? I'll catch you!" Bryce stepped out of the way and into the doorway. "Are you sure you'll catch her?" he asked under his breath. "Nope, not really," Alex replied. "Come on, what are you waiting for? Squires is gonna get into the Main Temple any minute now!" Lara sighed. He's right. I've already got too far into this, I've got to get us all out now. I guess I have to trust Alex. I can't keep pushing him away, she thought. She put the tablet in her belt, took hold of the rope, and with a deep breath swung across, lifting her legs up as high as she could. Whe she got as far as she thought she could, she let go, and no doubts about it, Alex caught her. He caught her so well they ended up in a pile of human limbs on the floor by the door. "The tablet!" Lara cried as the tiny stone tile teetered on the ledge. "I've got it!" Bryce squealed back, only to trip over Alex and Lara, which knocked the tablet off completely, but for once his split-second gaming reflexes came in handy as he snatched the tablet in mid air. "Blimey," he squeaked. "Bryce?" The dark haired young man, still smiling like an idiot, very satisfied with his work, replied 'Yes?' sugarly. "Get off!" the two raiders yelled in unison.
Alex opened his eyes properly to find himself bare inches away from Lara's face. "Lara..." She looked down at him, his love-crazy, love-desperate eyes begging for a second chance with her. "No... we can't... not now..." she whispered, her short but sharp nails digging into his chest through his shirt. She got up off him and sighed. "Sorry, Alex." Bryce figured it best not to say anythign regarding the present situation, so simply said, "I think we should be heading to the main temple." There, neutral enough. Neutral thoughts. Always good. Oh, shut up, he bickered with his conscience again, you know you wanted to be Alex just then. He was broken out of his little mental argument by Lara tapping his on the shoulder. "Are you coming?" He shook his head slightly, snapping out of his jealous daze, and nodding in reply. Outside, Squires was standing at the foot of the main temple. "The Tile!" he screamed, "get the Tile off Croft!" The three exchanged glances, and then ran towards the temple. The bodyguards both ran after Lara, even though the Tile from the shrine they had just been in was still in Bryce's pocket. Suddenly, out of noweherem half a dozen choppers appeared, and about thirty tightly-clad shadows slid down thin cables. They were surrounded. "Hand over the tile, Lara..." Squires taunted. "Bugger... we're doomed, we're doomed," Bryce whimpered, silently praying for some kind of miracle. "Lara... just in case we don't get out of this alive," Alex mumbled, reaching for her hand, "you know that I love you, I'll always love you, god damnit, but... do you love me?" Lara opened her mouth, but her throat went dry. Unsurpassed by the events around her, this was the first time she'd felt queasy in... too long for her to remember. "Lara, please, answer me," he pleaded, holding her hand tighter. Her eyes were burning with tears just waiting to fall, when suddenly, there was a loud 'clunk' from the archway. "Bloody hell... there is a God!" Bryce muttered, staring out towards the court. "Master Bryce!" a familiar voice called from far away. "I presume you may want to use this!" The three raiders, and the dark figured all looked in the direction of the courtway. Hillary - and S.I.M.O.N.! "It's showtime, mates!"
---
Oh yay. Tha fun has just started, man!
