Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - 'The Empire of the Amon'
Author's Note: we're coming to the end now... oh well... que sera sera.
Chapter Nine: Dismissal and Recovery
"Lara!" Bryce was standing at the foot of the temple, holding a particularly large handgun up at Squires. Not even I could miss his fat arse, he thought to himself grimly. "Bryce, what the hell are you doing?" she shouted back. She knew what Squires was going to do; take the opportunity to pull the knife right into him. Suddenly, she pulled away and stared at the dark haired techie boy on the floor. That's all he is, she thought sadly. He's just a little boy with the mind of a genius, lost in his own world to protect himself from everything else. I saw it - when S.I.M.O.N. was destroyed it was like Squires had just killed a relative... no time to dwell. I'm sorry, Bryce, but it's for the best. Forgive me, I beg of you. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, tears in her eyes, and in a split second, she threw the knife down, and it landed deep in Bryce's chest, making him fall to the ground no more than five seconds later. "WHAT?!" Squires was furious. "Kill him, Alex." The blonde nodded at the tearful young woman who sat in a heap on the edge of the roof. "You got it, Lara." He held the podgy man up to the nozzle of the gun and shot him, pushing him through the door at the same time. "You... cow!"
Lara was at the ground before anyone or anything could stop her. "Bryce... you're still..." He tried to sat up, smiling bravely and wincing in dire pain at the same time. "I... I thought you... t-told me... not t-to... play... the... hero," he stuttered, breathing heavily. Lara put a finger to her lips and stroked his mess of dark hair. "You have to rest." Alex crouched down the other side of him. "How come... he's not, like, all glowy and wise?" he asked, dialling an ambulance on Bryce's mobile phone. "He has rejected the spirits." Alex stopped dialling and looked up, as did Lara. "Who are you?" she asked politely. He was tall and bald and very thin, and wore long navy robes. "I am Kimodi, a Priest which your friend could have unwillingly bore. Because of this, he will not be killed, neither will he host our knowledge." Lara nodded and turned back to the bleeding man in her arms. "That's okay, then... anyway, I don't think I could stand you being any cleverer." He cocked a glance at her and tried to laugh, but just ended up squealing in pain. "Bugger..." he mumbled, trying his hardest to keep his eyes open. Alex wandered off, trying to get a slightly better reception. "Bryce, sometimes I wonder why the hell you let yourself get into things like this, you know. You're mad. But you're brilliant. Thank you..." He looked up at the wise man in front of him for a moment. "Bryce... do you forgive me?" He closed an eye as he gently poked the delicate skin around the knife. "Course I do... four years, is it? And... you've... never ins..instisted that... I get rid of... my caravan."
Minutes later, and three ambulance choppers hovered over what appeared only to be Russian wasteland. "Good luck, Warrior. Maybe peace be with you and the ones you love..." Looking around her, everything was gone. "Blimey... that... was fast..." Lara turned back to Bryce and squeezed his hand gently. "I'll see you soon. Just don't wake up on the operating table complaining about the surgeon's choice of music or anything," she said calmly, and let the paramedics take control. Alex came back to Lara's side and helped her into one of other choppers. "You're beautiful when you're angry," he uttered, kissing the back of her neck softly. She smiled, eyebrows raised, and took hold of his hands. "It's all over, Alex... we got through it. Just like last time." She rested her head on his shoulder. "At least this time I was completely conscious when you kissed me." Lara put a hand to his chest and looked into his eyes. "You know, Alex, I think I'm coming towards giving you answer." He looked a little dubious. "It's always been difficult between us. And it's never easy for us to have anything, what with us going our seperate way constantly. So many complications." His grim neutral smile began to turn into a disappointing smirk. "But... against the odds... Alex, I love you, I do."
---
So much for Alex/Lara action ;) I'm not that much of a mushy-wuv person, really though- OH MY GOD IT'S NOAH TAYLOR *melts into a puddle on the floor*- ahem! One last chapter, and then The Empire's done... hope you've enjoyed it!
Author's Note: we're coming to the end now... oh well... que sera sera.
Chapter Nine: Dismissal and Recovery
"Lara!" Bryce was standing at the foot of the temple, holding a particularly large handgun up at Squires. Not even I could miss his fat arse, he thought to himself grimly. "Bryce, what the hell are you doing?" she shouted back. She knew what Squires was going to do; take the opportunity to pull the knife right into him. Suddenly, she pulled away and stared at the dark haired techie boy on the floor. That's all he is, she thought sadly. He's just a little boy with the mind of a genius, lost in his own world to protect himself from everything else. I saw it - when S.I.M.O.N. was destroyed it was like Squires had just killed a relative... no time to dwell. I'm sorry, Bryce, but it's for the best. Forgive me, I beg of you. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, tears in her eyes, and in a split second, she threw the knife down, and it landed deep in Bryce's chest, making him fall to the ground no more than five seconds later. "WHAT?!" Squires was furious. "Kill him, Alex." The blonde nodded at the tearful young woman who sat in a heap on the edge of the roof. "You got it, Lara." He held the podgy man up to the nozzle of the gun and shot him, pushing him through the door at the same time. "You... cow!"
Lara was at the ground before anyone or anything could stop her. "Bryce... you're still..." He tried to sat up, smiling bravely and wincing in dire pain at the same time. "I... I thought you... t-told me... not t-to... play... the... hero," he stuttered, breathing heavily. Lara put a finger to her lips and stroked his mess of dark hair. "You have to rest." Alex crouched down the other side of him. "How come... he's not, like, all glowy and wise?" he asked, dialling an ambulance on Bryce's mobile phone. "He has rejected the spirits." Alex stopped dialling and looked up, as did Lara. "Who are you?" she asked politely. He was tall and bald and very thin, and wore long navy robes. "I am Kimodi, a Priest which your friend could have unwillingly bore. Because of this, he will not be killed, neither will he host our knowledge." Lara nodded and turned back to the bleeding man in her arms. "That's okay, then... anyway, I don't think I could stand you being any cleverer." He cocked a glance at her and tried to laugh, but just ended up squealing in pain. "Bugger..." he mumbled, trying his hardest to keep his eyes open. Alex wandered off, trying to get a slightly better reception. "Bryce, sometimes I wonder why the hell you let yourself get into things like this, you know. You're mad. But you're brilliant. Thank you..." He looked up at the wise man in front of him for a moment. "Bryce... do you forgive me?" He closed an eye as he gently poked the delicate skin around the knife. "Course I do... four years, is it? And... you've... never ins..instisted that... I get rid of... my caravan."
Minutes later, and three ambulance choppers hovered over what appeared only to be Russian wasteland. "Good luck, Warrior. Maybe peace be with you and the ones you love..." Looking around her, everything was gone. "Blimey... that... was fast..." Lara turned back to Bryce and squeezed his hand gently. "I'll see you soon. Just don't wake up on the operating table complaining about the surgeon's choice of music or anything," she said calmly, and let the paramedics take control. Alex came back to Lara's side and helped her into one of other choppers. "You're beautiful when you're angry," he uttered, kissing the back of her neck softly. She smiled, eyebrows raised, and took hold of his hands. "It's all over, Alex... we got through it. Just like last time." She rested her head on his shoulder. "At least this time I was completely conscious when you kissed me." Lara put a hand to his chest and looked into his eyes. "You know, Alex, I think I'm coming towards giving you answer." He looked a little dubious. "It's always been difficult between us. And it's never easy for us to have anything, what with us going our seperate way constantly. So many complications." His grim neutral smile began to turn into a disappointing smirk. "But... against the odds... Alex, I love you, I do."
---
So much for Alex/Lara action ;) I'm not that much of a mushy-wuv person, really though- OH MY GOD IT'S NOAH TAYLOR *melts into a puddle on the floor*- ahem! One last chapter, and then The Empire's done... hope you've enjoyed it!
