The Angel of Darkness Continues:

Chapter Five: The Return to the Louvre

That night, Lara and Kurtis have now entered the Louvre and are cautiously walking through here being mindful of security. They cautiously continued walking up stairs, and through many halls, until they reached their destination. "Lara, doesn't something seem odd to you." "What do you mean?" "We haven't seen any security guards or anything," mentioned Kurtis as Lara studied the wall, trying to figure out how to open up the secret door. Lara said, "If I only I could figure out how to up this secret door." Kurtis decided to help her search to, when she said, "I found it." The secret door slowly opened up, revealing a set of stairs that leaded down somewhere. Lara slowly entered in this passageway, with Kurtis following behind, and then started walking the stairs. But little did Lara know that enter this passageway started setting off lots of laser traps at the end of it, and little did they know that Mila was in the Louvre going after them. They continued down what seemed like an endless set of stairs, until they saw a room full of red glowing laser traps of all kinds and a door at the other end. "Gee, lasers traps, lovely," stated Kurtis. "Did you want me to continue on my own, and stand guard here, I guess," suggested Lara. "Sure, but yell if you get into any trouble okay." "Sure, no problem."

Lara made her way to the first set of laser traps, which were five beams horizontally going across, but were positioned on above the other with not much space between. Lara took her backpack off to carefully put it between the lasers, and then she dropped it. Then she crouched down into her stealth like crawl to maneuver underneath this set of lasers. As soon she had her self through the first set, she carefully stood up and studied the next set of laser. The second set of lasers vertically going up down with some space between them, so she pick up her backpack at put on the other side laser, and then proceeded to slither between a couple lasers. Now she was able to put her backpack back on and walk on ahead, as she did, another set of traps was now activate, although this didn't involve lasers. Two spinning discs came shooting through the air towards Lara with the first one missed her, although the second one hit her. The two discs landed in the wall back where Kurtis was at, while Lara yelled, "Kurt..." He holstered his Boran X, and ran towards Lara, because the first two laser traps were now disabled. Kurtis caught Lara in his arms, and they slumped onto the floor. "Lara." Kurtis took out some gauze and medical tape, then tended to her wound. "Kurtis, is it bad?" "You should recover just fine," replied Kurtis as he focuses and puts his one hand near her wound. He concentrated really hard, because he was trying so hard to remember how to telepathically heal.

A few minutes later, Kurtis said, "I'm sorry Lara, I can't remember how to telepathically heal, which I learned years ago turning my Lux Veritatis training." "I feel a little better," stated Lara, as Kurtis helped her up, so they could continue their pursuit in retrieving the Malpherium meteorite. "Lara, are you sure, you want to continue on?" "Yes, I think I'll be fine," she replied as she stumbled a little. Kurtis steadied her, as they continue on and were now at the fourth set of traps. This time they were up against more lasers, which were down the rest of the hall up to the door, with others ones staggered between those, but up at above head level. Lara said, "Kurtis, how should get past this, cause I'm only slowing you down." "I'm not leaving you behind, Lara, because I'm sure that the assassin woman is on our trail." "How do you know that?" "I just have feeling that she's, okay, so we both need to be careful." "Okay." Kurtis studied the lasers, then he picked up Lara with her backpack back one, and asked, "Hold on tight, Lara." "I will." Kurtis took a few steps back, and said, "Here we go." He started jumping over all the lasers, and using his telekinesis to be mindful of lasers above his head, while Mila had now made her way to the secret door, and noticed that it was now closed.

After numerous jumps Kurtis successfully got through the laser trap holding Lara, and they were now at the door. Kurtis carefully sat Lara on the ground, while he went to inspect the door, to figure out how to open it. He touched the door, which gave him a glimpse of the next room. Lara stood up slowly and walked up to a picture on the wall. She moved the picture aside carefully and pressed the button, which opened the door. Kurtis and Lara entered this next room, and she said, "I can see the meteorite from here." She started to move forward, when Kurtis pulled her back, because more laser traps came up. They were all around where the meteorite is, but they went horizontally, vertically, and diagonally making it nearly impossible to get close to the meteorite. Kurtis said, "Hey Lara, I've got an idea." "What is it?" "I think I may be able to telekinetically lift up the meteorite, which may disarm the lasers." "Why would it disarm them, if it's not supposed to be stolen?" "Oh wait, better idea, I'll telekinetically try to make a path for you through the lasers, so you can get to the meteorite." "Okay." Kurtis held his hand out concentrating on making a path for Lara. Lara watched as a path began to break through the lasers, without triggering them. Lara slowly began walking towards the meteorite, and as she approached it she looked back at Kurtis to check on him. Then she continued on, when she got up to meteorite, she checked to see if it was moved that it would trigger an alarm. Oddly enough it didn't, so she carefully picked it up and placed it in here backpack.

As she started back towards Kurtis, the lasers suddenly came back on, so Lara froze where she was. Kurtis said, "Lara!" "I'm okay, kinda stuck here, but have the meteorite." Kurtis tried to telekinetically open the path again, but it was useless. Kurtis said, "Lara try to get back to where the meteorite was if you somehow can." "Okay," she replied, as she luckily was close enough to where was that she could make back there without hitting a laser. "Now shield your eyes, and trust me." So she obeyed, when it a quick move Kurtis whipped out his Chirugai and launched. It set off every single laser trap, causing a loud and big explosion. He caught his Chirugai, sheathed it, and made his way around some of the rubble that he created towards Lara. He yelled, "Lara!" She slowly stood up, to notice that the place was starting to fall apart, "Kurtis!" She carefully made her way across the rubble towards him, when pieces of ceiling began falling down. Kurtis said, "Lara hurry." "I'm trying to," she replied as she continued moving about the rubble, watching for the falling ceiling pieces. When she got to him, he quickly picked her, and maneuvered them out of the room. "Are you okay, Lara?" "I'm a little sore from earlier, but other than that I'm fine after what you did." "Sorry about that, but I couldn't telekinetically hold the lasers back, after you got the meteorite." "It's okay, now let's get out of here."

Kurtis put Lara down, and they walked back into the previous room they were in. When there was a sudden earthquake like shake and this room started falling apart, so Kurtis looked around the room and to see that someone must of set off all the lasers in here somehow. "I think we've got company, Lara." Lara seemed to have ignored what Kurtis said, because she continued walking back towards the stairs. The room started coming down, allowing Mila to hide behind a piece of rumble, and then she aimed her sniper/tranquilizer rifle at Lara. She doubled check her sights, and fired two shots at Lara. Kurtis ran towards Lara to push her out of harms way, the shots luckily missed the both of them. "Kurtis, what are you doing?" "Saving your life," as he picked her up and ran as fast he could to the stairs. Mila aimed her weapon at Lara again, even though Kurtis was holding her, she about to fire again, when Kurtis told Lara to take out his Chirugai. "When I tell you to, Lara, let it go, and launch it around the room, hopefully causing whoever's in the room to move long enough, for us to escape." "Okay." He kept going around all the rubble that kept piling up, and said, "Now Lara." She threw it and he telekinetically activated the blades, and it bounced off the walls, and it came extremely close to Mila. Mila quickly moved away, also having to avoid a piece of rubble that fell down into the room near her. Kurtis continued on, Lara caught the Chirugai for him and sheathed it away.

When he made it to the stairs Mila was able to fire one last shot, before they could escape, nailing Kurtis in the back. He had put Lara down, and said, "Lara, get out of here." "Kurtis, what's wrong?" "Just go," as he stumbled a little and almost about to fall over, but Lara caught him. "Please, don't let me slow you down, you must not let her get you, Lara." "I'm not leaving you behind, no matter what." Kurtis suddenly caught a glimpse of what was back upstairs where they first came in, it showed him that the place was completely surrounded by soldiers, that Mr. Gundersen sent in, following Mila, to bring in Mrs. Croft. "Lara, I don't think we're gonna to be able to get out of here." "How come?" "I caught a glimpse of soldiers having the entrance to down here blocked off, courtesy of Mr. Gundersen." They still continued up the stairs, because this area was rapidly falling apart, causing Mila to follow them up the stairs, also. Lara was following behind Kurtis, when she noticed his blood was staining his shirt. When they reached the top, sure enough there were soldiers that had the area surrounded, waiting for them.

As they stepped out into the hall, Mr. Gundersen appeared and said, "So we meet again Mrs. Croft and Mr. Trent." Then Mr. Gundersen walked towards Kurtis, and asked, "Now could you please hand over the Malpherium, or else?" "Or else, what," he replied. "Or will kill your precious Lara." "You wouldn't because you need her alive, now don't ya." Mr. Gundersen was very surprised that he knew about that so he replied, "Maybe we do, maybe we don't." "Well you can't have her, or the meteorite." "I don't particularly like your attitude, Mr. Trent. Now hand over the meteorite." Mila came up behind Lara, and grabbed a hold of her. Lara struggled in her grip, until Mila took out a pistol and held into her back. Then she reached in Lara's bag for the Malpherium, but she couldn't find it. So she asked, "Lady Croft where is the meteorite?" "Where you can't have it?" Mila moved the pistol in Kurtis's direction and said, "Give it to me know, before I kill your boy toy." In an act of fury Kurtis brought out his Chirugai, launched it, and yelled out, "I WILL NOT LET YOU HAVE HER!" The Chirugai flew around the room, slicing threw all the soldiers, and then coming around and hitting Mila, grazing her back. Kurtis caught his weapon, sheathed it away, causing Mila to let go of Lara. This really pissed Mr. Gundersen off, so he brought his gun and was about to shoot Kurtis. Lara yelled out, "Here take it," as she pulled the meteorite out and threw it to Mr. Gundersen, while Mila fell to the floor in immense pain.

Mr. Gundersen signaled to his sniper to shoot Lara, although Kurtis interfered by telekinetically causing the Malpherium to stop in mid air. "I don't think so, Mr. Gundersen." "I think your too late, Mr. Trent," as he signaled for his assassin to take Lara. The assassin picked Lara up, while Kurtis snapped around with his Boran X in hand about to shoot the assassin, but Mr. Gundersen said, "I wouldn't do that if I were you." The assassin quickly took Lara away in an instant before Kurtis could even get one shot off, so Kurtis turned towards Mr. Gundersen and shot him. It didn't even have any affect on him, and he said, "I think you've gone too far, Mr. Trent." In a quick attempt Mila picked up her rifle and fired it at Mr. Gundersen. Mr. Gundersen said, "I'll be seeing you soon, Mr. Trent," as he and the sniper turned and disappeared from the room, while the Malpherium fell to the floor. Tears ran down Kurtis face as he walked towards the meteorite, and he said, "All this for this stupid piece of rock." Although before he could pick it up the bullet in his back took its toll, causing him to fall to the floor.

Mila felt compelled to drop her gun, and help Kurtis. She then got a call from Nicoli, telling her that he has no more need for her, and will kill her if she decides to show her face around him again. She tried to say but sir, but he already hung up, which ended the call. She walked over to Kurtis, kneeling down to see if he was still alive, and found that he was. Mila asked, "Can you move.um.Kurtis?" "Who's there?" "My name is Mila Vorchnicov, and I want to help you." "Why should I trust you?" "Well I could have just left you here, and ran away, or help you." Before he could say anything else, she took out some gauze and medical tape from his bag, to patch him up, until she got him to the hospital. Mila said, "Kurtis, I want to help you get Lara back, and stop Nicholi and his brother." "May I ask why?" "Well Nicoli has no more use for me, and they took her away from you." "Why do you care?" "Because I think he'll end up killing her." "What makes you think that, won't he want this meteorite?" "Not really, because he already has the one he needs to go through with his plans. Also he will have no use for Mrs. Croft after he has do what he needs." Mila picked up the meteorite, put it Kurtis' backpack, and helped him up. Kurtis asked, "Yeah but you helped her get kidnapped, so why do you care about saving her." "First off I can tell from what you did earlier how much you love her and will do anything to get her back, it made me remember something." "What is that?" A couple tears fell from Mila's eyes, as she said, "The guy that took Lara away was my fiancé that left me a year ago. I still really love him, but I don't think he'll come back to me." "Why did he leave you?" "He left me, because he didn't want me to get in the way and interfere with his work." "Do you think he still loves you?" "I honestly don't know anymore, Kurtis." "Mila, I bet deep down he does, or else he never would have asked you the question." "Maybe, now let's get you out of here."

So the two of them left, while Joachim had arrived at where Mila told him where his brother Nicoli was. Nicoli said, "It so nice to see you again, my dearest twin brother." "Is that so, Nicoli." "What brings you here anyway, Joachim?" "To join with you, and successfully revive the Nephilim race, that you and I belong to." "What makes you think that I will let you help me?" "Because as you and I know, this is the last chance at reviving the race." "Well my brother, I am happy to tell you that, we have Mrs. Croft in our custody as we speak." "Is that so, well won't Mr. Trent be coming here for her?" "Yes, of course." "So what do you plan on doing when he does?" "I plan on having him choose between saving the world or his love, Mrs. Croft." "Don't you think, you should kill him to have him out of the way permanently, Nicholi?" "Not until we have possession of the Malpherium, or else he could destroy everything, even us." "May I give you a suggestion, brother?" "Sure, why not." "Before I tell you, I must ask you, is the lovely Russian woman, still working for you?" "No, I got rid of her, I don't need her anymore, plus I had her ex-fiancé bring Mrs. Croft here." "Well then I bet she'll turn against you, help Kurtis, and come after you, and she'll probably try to get her fiancé back, too." "So what should we do about that?" "We should question him, and if he still loves her, we should chain him to wall along with Mrs. Croft, that way Mila and Kurtis would have to give into our demands." "Excellent idea, we should head down to where he brought Lara in, to question him immediately." "So you'll let me help you then." "Certainly, you seem to have some very good suggestions."