Hylden poured out of the hallways, racing toward them. Lara had expected as much, so she had changed her normal ammunition for much more potent stuff. The pistols had louder than usual explosions, but the Hylden were left with gaping holes as the bullets smashed in and erupted through their skin out. Raziel dove immediately into the fray, the Reaver eagerly biting into their flesh, drawing their souls out to sustain itself. Scores of Hylden fell under his blows, and suddenly, they were gone. Raziel looked around warily. They had realized a frontal assault was not working, so they were probably planning something. But what exactly?

Lara glanced out the front door to see if they were trying to sneak around, but she didn't see or hear anything. She glanced at Raziel and shrugged, indicating there was nothing there.

A sudden rumbling turned both their attentions down the hall. They cautiously walked down the entrance and came to a huge room of some kind or another. In it were two doors; one near them and human sized, and the other a huge pair of steel double doors. The steel doors had a metal bar across the front, and the rumbling sound was coming from behind it. Raziel could faintly hear the sounds of battle at the back and sides of the house, which he took to be the other vampires infiltrating the place.

The rumbling abruptly stopped and was silent for a moment, then was broken by a loud roar. There was an explosion on the other side of the double doors as something big and very unhappy slammed against them. Both Lara and Raziel could see the metal of the door bend. The creature slammed against it again, and the sound was accompanied by the click of Lara's pistols cocking. Raziel slid into a ready stance. A third and final pounding sounded and the doors flew forward, the metal bar holding the two bent irreparably. Behind it was a huge . . . monstrosity. It stood on its hind legs, which were thin and shouldn't have supported its weight. It had leathery purple skin with a gray underbelly. The muscle structure of the arms was relatively humanoid, excepting that this thing had a three-clawed hand. Off its head came a pair of horns and its overly large mouth was filled with sharp teeth. It growled once its eyes came to rest on the two, and it began to stride toward them. A soft chuckling filled the air.

"How do you like my new pet?" a familiar voice inquired. Lara risked a glance to see Moebius standing in the door, watching the thing come toward the two. "It's a demon, one you're not familiar with, Raziel. Kain knows this thing quite intimately, however." He stepped back, slammed the door shut and they both heard a click as it was lock, then dead bolted. They could open it, but it would take precious time they didn't have.

The demon growled again, then raced toward them, heedlessly smashing furniture which crumpled under it. Lara felt her fingers squeeze both triggers simultaneously and watched in abject horror as the bullets slammed into the hide and dropped off, crushed beyond recognition. Lara darted to the side as Raziel raced toward it, slipping under its claws and feeling the Reaver bite into it. The demon roared and smacked him away with a backward motion of its arm, hissing as it did so. Lara's eyes narrowed as the thing's flesh began to heal almost at once, much faster than even Kain's did. It rounded on Raziel, and Lara cautiously tried another round. Again, the bullets faired no better than the last, especially against its back. The demon rounded on here and raced toward her faster than she would have expected, red energy collecting around its claws.

A shape flashed through and grabbed the demon's arm. Both the demon and Lara looked over to see it was the male vampire that had spoken with Vorador earlier that night. The demon slapped him away with his other claw and there was a sick cracking sound as he hit the wall. Raziel swung in behind it and dug the Reaver into its back. It roared and spun on him, nearly hitting Lara with its claws as it turned. Lara pulled her bag around with the intention of grabbing the MP5, but was rudely interrupted as the demon twisted toward her, that same energy crackling across its claws. Lara back flipped back, knowing she wouldn't escape those claws, and at the same moment, Raziel moved to where she had been, taking the blow for her. His body broke immediately into mist particles as the sheer power of the blow sent him reeling back into the Spectral Realm. He swore in anger that Lara had nearly been killed, quickly swallowed a few stray souls and shifted back to the normal realm. Lara could see him out of the corner of her eye and she kept away from the beast, and she noticed some distinct differences about him. His eyes had gone completely that streaming white and his skin had developed a blue tint to it. If she guessed correctly, it would seem the angrier Raziel became, the more of his blue-skinned Nosgothian self he assumed. He lunged toward the demon again as Lara finally pulled out the MP5. A continuous thunder sounded as she pulled the trigger, braced against its massive kickback. The demon hissed as little rivets were carved out of its hide. When the clip was empty, she quickly ripped it out and went to place another one in when a shivering magical sound came from behind her. A pair of three clawed hands took hold of her, then the world shifted as energy swirled around them and they appeared on the balcony of the same room. Vorador stepped to the railing and looked down at the battle.

"Raziel!" he shouted. "Get away from it!"

Despite being furious with himself and the demon, he pulled back and watched out of the corner of his eye as Vorador threw something down at the demon. The little piece of metal embedded itself in the demon's leathery skin. Raziel continued to back away from its slashes.

"And that was supposed to do what?" he demanded. Suddenly, magic erupted from the metal and the beast's skin peeled back, almost as if it was being eaten away by acid. The muscles underneath shrank away and melted, the bones collapsing into a heap before dissolving completely. Vorador teleported Lara and himself back to the first floor.

"I love that item," he sighed, pleased.

Raziel touched Lara's shoulder gently, assuring himself she was all right. After her safety was secured, he headed toward the door that Moebius had vanished into. He grabbed the knob and twisted experimentally. As expected, it was locked. He glared at it a moment before jamming his claws on either side of the locking mechanism. He quickly ripped it out, then pulled the deadbolt out after it and swung the door open. Lara looked at it a moment, blinking.

"I'd make a comment teasingly about your lack of delicacy, but I realize if I had the strength, I would have done the same thing."

Vorador looked down at her. "Then why don't you think about becoming a vampire, Lara?"

Lara blinked, then looked up at him. "No, thank you. I like being human."

She walked up to Raziel, then moved past him into the room beyond. All that was in it was a staircase, one going up, the other down. She looked to Raziel.

"Up or down?"

"Down," he responded.

"I will take the upstairs, then," Vorador stated. "If you run into another demon . . ." He looked at Lara a moment. "Scream."

Lara grimaced, but nodded, then turned to Raziel. Raziel started down the stairs, Lara behind him. They went down four flights, then came out into another large room. The doors slammed shut around them, the sound of clicking obvious as they locked. Lara looked close at one to see they were of a metal she'd never seen before and bore similar runes to the gate that had blocked Moebius' mountain retreat. Raziel snarled as he saw them. Lara glanced around the room. There was a shelf that looked like it would hold books, but it was empty now, and a single statue of a human woman in mid-pirouette. There was also a fireplace and two chairs. Nothing else. Raziel growled as he stalked around the room, testing the walls and doors for any weakness. Lara's eyes narrowed in thought and concern as she walked toward one of the corners. Raziel punched the door with his full strength, feeling the metal bend but no shiver of the structure giving way. There was a sudden click and the door slid open. He looked up to see Lara walking toward him, a mischievous little smile on her face. He felt a similar grin slip onto his face.

"All right, how'd you do it?" he inquired, expecting the answer he was going to get.

"Not telling," she responded. Impulsively, he grabbed her and kissed her thoroughly before moving on to the next room. There were a few Hylden there and beyond them on a pedestal was Earth's Reaver. Moebius walked around a shelf and moved to the Reaver, smiling all the while. The Hylden readied their weapons, but didn't attack.

"So, it seems the two of you made it this far. I suppose I'm not entirely surprised. I had hoped the demon would prove a bit more . . . troublesome, however."

Raziel stepped forward, snarling, and the Hylden moved closer.

"Give us the Reaver, Moebius."

"Oh, I rather think I won't," he responded with a smile, his eyelids lowering. "My Master has promised me my position back should I bring this safely to Him, and, how would the Americans say it?, kudos go to he who brings either of you two back. Dead preferably, but He's developed quite an interest in you, Raziel."

With a growl of outrage, Raziel spun into the guard of one of the Hylden, the Reaver neatly separating his head from his body. The others, now on watch, would not fall to such a trick, but Lara's MP5 taught them to be wary of long-range weapons as well. The two quickly cut the Hylden down, then turned to see Moebius standing in front of Earth's Reaver. He glanced down at the Hylden bodies.

"Pity."

Suddenly, a very familiar snake staff appeared in his hand. The globe flared and Raziel's Reaver slipped back into the Spectral Realm.

"You fools," Moebius hissed. "Did you truly think I'm going to let you get away with your lives?!" He moved the his arms behind him, the staff's globe pointing down toward the ground in his passion.

"Did you think you'd get away with the Reaver? My Master would never allow you to have it! He will keep it for himself."

Raziel stepped toward him menacingly, but Moebius smirked and shook his head. Vorador appeared in the room, and Moebius' eyes took him in quickly.

"No you don't, vampires." He moved to bring the staff around again, then found a minor problem as the staff wouldn't budge. From behind him he heard, "Ball!" He twisted and spotted a small little girl hanging onto the globe of his staff happily. Moebius growled, "Get off of there, you little wretch," as he swung the staff around. The globe came off the staff and with Rose still attached to it, it smashed into the wall. Rose started crying, releasing her grip on the ball. Moebius turned back to find a blue-skinned Soul Reaver with his Wraith Blade pointed at him and looking down the barrel of a pistol, fury in both parents' eyes. Lara lashed out and pistol-whipped the Time Streamer, sending him falling back over the pedestal. Raziel was on him in an instant, claws gashing through the Time Streamer's quite human skin. Lara moved in behind him and kicked out, landing a blow on the back of his head, sending him reeling. Raziel moved and watched Moebius slam into the hard wood of the shelves. Bleeding profusely, the Time Streamer looked around for a place of safety to retreat to. Raziel slid in behind him, grabbed either side of his head and twisted viscously, enjoying the wet snap as Moebius' neck snapped. The body slumped forward and Raziel turned, looking for Rose worriedly. Both parents spotted her with Vorador. The vampire was obviously warming up to her, as Rose was curled in a whimpering ball in the crook of his arm, though Vorador was still trying to keep her away from his body as much as possible. Lara gratefully took her, holding her tightly and murmuring nonsensical noises down to her. Raziel stood against Rose's other side, sheltering her away from the sights and sounds of the room. Rose grabbed Raziel's shirt and cried into his chest. With Rose attached to Raziel, Lara gently picked up the Reaver and walked toward him.

"Go ahead and go home," Vorador told them. "I'll clean up here."

Lara nodded and Raziel walked out next to her. As the headed out the main hall, Raziel put his arm across Lara's shoulders and she leaned her head against him as they headed home.

This is NOT THE END!