She awoke to the sound of rain thrumming against the windows, glinting like shards of ice in the weak light from a lone streetlamp below. For one tiny second, her mind was blank, staring with dark eyes at the pouring rain outside.
And then it all came flooding back, hitting her like a hammer in the face.
She sat up slowly, looking to her left. Maddox was still there, sleeping with his bare back to her. He didn't stir as she reached out a gentle finger to trace the arcing scar that curved around his ribs, the feeling of his fingers tracing her own scars rising up from her recent memory.
She pulled her hand back as if burned when The Woman's shrieks rang in her ears, screaming until the moment her throat was cut.
Tasting the now-familiar iron tang in her mouth, Lara slipped from the bed, not making a sound as she padded across the room to her clothes.
"Leaving so soon?"
Lara spun instinctively at the unfamiliar voice coming from behind her, coiled and ready to strike.
She could see the dim outline of a man sitting on a trunk in the corner, watching him warily as he stood. She said nothing, watching cautiously as the man stepped closer to her, coming into the dim light in the center of the room.
He was as tall as Maddox and lean. His light brown hair was mussed, its bleached ends scattered haphazardly, his blue eyes glinting mischievously. The beginnings of an impish grin graced his lips, offsetting the street tough clothing he wore and doing nothing to calm Lara's racing heart.
"If this is modern love, I can see why you're all hopeless." He took another step forward, just barely out of Lara's striking range.
"Who are you?" she hissed, alternately watching the man's hands and eyes.
He noticed where she was looking, the position of her body, and let out a brief chuckle. "Not a chance, Lara Croft, I know what you're trying to do." He put his hands up, looking absolutely serious. "I'm not going to hurt you; I'm just a messenger." He smiled wryly at that last bit.
Lara didn't step down in the slightest, studying his eyes for a moment. She could see the truth and sincerity in them and straightened. But she kept her weight on the balls of her feet, ready to attack or defend herself.
Her eyes narrowed. "A messenger? From who?"
The man pursed his lips. "You wouldn't believe it if I told you."
Only partly in a show of defiance, she turned her back to him, slipping a shirt on over her head. Her gaze flickered to her boots, leaning against the wall a few feet in front of her. She inched toward them, estimating how long it would take for her to reach them and the knife sheathed in the left boot.
"Try me," she said, stalling for time.
She could hear the man's wry grin. "Look out the window."
Lara found herself driven to comply, and felt her jaw drop slightly when she realized what she was looking at.
The raindrops were frozen in their slide down the window, gleaming like captured pearls. A jagged lightening bolt was equally still in the dark sky, looking like some bright tear in the black sky, its light reflecting off of the thousands of raindrops suspended in the air.
"What the hell…?" Lara murmured, turning back to face the man. "Who are you?" she asked again.
"It doesn't matter," he said dismissively. He was utterly serious as he took a step toward her. "You need to listen very carefully. That statue you sold at the auction…you need to get it back. It was never meant to be among you anyway."
Lara felt a ripple of loathing pass over her at the thought. "If you can do that," she tilted her head in the direction of the window, "I think you can get it back yourself."
The ever-present twinkle in the mans' eyes dimmed slightly. "Centuries ago, we could have. Now…." The dullness was replaced by a steely look. "Return it, Lara Croft, and you'll be saving quite a few lives. Including your own." The way he said the last sentence sounded more like a threat than a simple statement.
A thunderous crack rang out and white light blinded her momentarily as the world sped back into motion, lightening making the air crackle with energy. By the time Lara's vision cleared, the man was gone.
~~~~~