!!!DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN, NOR DID I CREATE LARA CROFT. HOWEVER, THIS ADVENTURE AND MANY CHARACTERS INVOLVED ARE MY CREATIONS!!!

~Side Note: Hello again! I know I haven't posted another story or chapter for ages, so here I am with a little fourth of July type adventure from miss Lara Croft herself. Please leave a review and let me know what you think. There isn't much action till the end, so I'm sorry. ^_^ ~

Part 1 - Christmas in July

Lara was swimming in her pool when her butler Winston entered the room. "Miss Croft? I think you should take a look outside..." He said as Lara waded through the water to the diving board. "Winston I have seen the outdoors, it's scorching. That's why I've decided to take a little dip." Lara replied. "No Miss Croft - It is snowing, hardly scorching..." He said in a more serious tone. Lara got out of the pool and stood, picking up a towel off the board and drying herself. She looked at the roof - It was a glass roof and she could see the snow lightly falling onto the panes. "Hmm... What's going on?" She said aloud.

Lara went to her room and put on some army pants and a belly-shirt. It was a wonderful black matching outfit occampanied by army boots. She went outside, and a gust of cold air hit her. She shivered and rubbed her arms for warmth. She looked back at the double-front doors which had now swung open, noticing Winston bringing her a winter coat. She put it on, and decided to look around the mansion some more. She went to the back training area, it was covered in snow and her beloved monkeybars were now too cold to climb. She went to the firing range next - And seen the back gates had been opened. Lara went back inside. "Winston did you open the back gate? Also I noticed the kitchen door was left open..." "No Miss Croft, that's how I noticed it was snowing. I was making lunch and I felt a chill." He answered.

As she sat in the dining room eating her lunch, she felt that something was very wrong. The news reports claimed that a blizzard had hit the city, but in other parts of the world such as the United States - A massive heat wave had caused much of the nation to invest in air conditioners if they didnt already have one. Lara then realized what was wrong. There was only one thing that Lara knew of - One artifact with enough power, to change weather patterns and cause havok across large distances. The Metal Wing - An artifact Lara's father had found awhile before he dissapeared, the artifact was able to manipulate the weather and such. It posessed great power, but the user must exhibit great strength to weild the Metal Wing. Lara stood up and went into basement, where they held many artifacts. She went to the display for the Metal Wing - It was gone. Lara sighed, and went back upstairs.

Part 2 - Two Weeks Had Passed

Lara had spent two weeks searching for the theif, the one that stold the Metal Wing. She had traced it to one man, Doctor Rendall Penton. He was a modern day witchdoctor that was thrown in prison for murder - He believed that demons had posessed him and made him kill his victims. But when Lara payed Dr. Penton a visit, she found that he had escpaed 2 years ago. Lara immediatley knew who had stolen the artifact - Dr. Penton. But what she didn't know was why. One night Lara was sitting in her bed reading a profile her father had put together about Penton when she heard glass break. She got up and grabbed a pistol - Slowly making her way downstairs. The silent alarm had been tripped, and someone was in her home. Winston came out of his bedroom. "Miss Croft? Everything alright?" He was an older man, gray hair with a streak of black and a small mustache - He was carrying a small gun himself. It was a black 9mm with a silver grip. "I'm not sure... Winston you can go back to bed - And lock your door, just in case." Lara said. "Miss Croft I may be old but if there's an intruder in this house I intend to stay put." Winston said. Lara turned around and gave him a stern 'go back to bed' look. He complied, and walked back into his bedroom, closing the door. Lara turned back and walked into the kitchen. She looked around for any signs of this person but he or she was nowhere to be found. Lara continued searching in her indoor training room, and then heard a noise in the pool room. She stood in the doorway, watching as a man in a trenchcoat held the Metal Wing high into the air and chanted strange words.

Lara held up the pistol, aiming it for his head, and asked "Excuse me? I am trying to get some sleep, leave.." In a sarcastic tone. The man stopped chanting and turned around, Lara remembered his face - It was Rendall Penton himself. "Ah Mr. Penton, I thought you took the Metal Wing. I would love to have it back." "Your father was the one that made the demons come to me, they made me kill those people! I must finish the murders in order to relieve myself of their hold!!" Penton yelled in a crazed voice. His eyes then began to glow, and a wind whsitled around him. Lara took a step back as the winds became more furious. He began chanting more words and the pool water had begun to spin into a sort of whirlpool. It lifted out of the pool, the ater gushing as Penton controlled it, and it began gushing in Lara's direction. She dove out of the way, but the water slammed through the walls and into the training room. Lara had dropped her pistol and now she had to get it if she wanted to kill this madman. Penton walked into the soaked room and laughed at Lara. His eyes began to grow again and vines began shooting from the ground. They crawled toward the un-armed Lara as she backed into the corner. "Dr. Penton if you kill me the demons wont be able to help you when they throw you back in prison." Lara stated, and the vines took a jump at her. She did a sort of cartwheel flip and ran to the monkey bars. she quickly climbed them as the vines slowly came toward her and when she reached the top, she dove to the window ledge. However, now she was slipping and if she fell it would mean certain death! She fought to get on top the ledge but the vines climbed the walls reaching for her legs!!

Is this the END for Lara Croft? Will her father's old foe kill Lara before she can see the 4th of July fireworks? More in 'Part 3 - The End?'