A/N: Ok everyone. This is the second chapter to the story. I hope that Indie isn't too much OOC, because I'm trying to reconstruct him from the memory of the eight-year-old I was when I last watched "Raiders of the Lost Arch." Let me know if there are any changes I can bring about to help Indie's char along. As soon as I am finished with the exams I'll try to get my hands on some of the movies (if I can find them on DVD) and re-watch them all. Anyway, enjoy!
1939
Dr Indiana Jones had never quite been certain whether he liked the Barnett College store-rooms or not. It would be much more of a love-hate relationship, actually. The store-rooms were badly in need of a cleaning, and sometimes Indie thought that there were more lost artifacts to be found in the store-room than there were in all the archeological sites in the world. Perhaps he would send a lucky – or unlucky – group of students up there to go through some things and fix it up a bit.
On the other hand, he had always thought of the store-rooms as more of his own, private collection. After all, most of the artifacts there had been contributed himself. If only he could find that damn amulet! Usually Indie loved spending time in the dusty, cluttered rooms, but having to search for something he needed for the past four hours, he was beginning to entertain thoughts that included gasoline and matches. Or maybe not.
The amulet he was searching for was one he had found in the ruins of the city of Troy, and it was rumored that it used to belong to the prophetess Cassandra. Some sources said that it would give the wearer the power to see into the future; although whether that was true left to be see. Now, if he could only move that darned archway!
The red-and-gold archway had been standing in the Barnett collection for as long as Indie could remember. No-one had been able to tell him how it got there, or who had brought it. It also appeared quite useless, since you could stick your hand through the one side and watch it come out the other. Probably nothing more that a fancy ornament raided from some tomb.
Dr Jones was about to try and move it, when the archway suddenly started vibrating violently under his hands. "Oops."
Jumping back a step, Indie watched as a brilliant red light streamed from the middle of the archway, illuminating the dusty storeroom, and with it, Cassandra's amulet which was stashed away on the highest shelf in the right-handed corner.
Casting a nervous glance at the now-pulsing archway, Indie started towards the amulet, only halting when a lone figure of a woman came flying through the arch. She landed heavily, rolled and was on her feet lightning quick, guns in hand and breathing hard.
Indie reached for his bullwhip… which wasn't at his side. Darnit!
The archeologist slowly raised his hands when she motioned for him to do so, and seeing him unarmed, and pretty much incapable of doing her any harm, she lowered her guns.
"Where am I?" She glanced about her, a slightly puzzled look on her striking features.
"Barnett College store-rooms, as a matter of fact." Indie glanced the woman up and down, taking in her slightly disheveled hair and dusty clothes. He was taken slightly aback by her tight top and very short shorts, and his image of her was weakened ever-so-slightly when she burst out laughing.
"Ah yes, and next you are going to tell me that you are the infamous archeologist Dr Indiana Jones, and that this is the 1930's."
Indie gaped and the woman merely watched him with those large eyes of hers, an expectant expression on her features.
"I am and this is 1939, actually." He scratched his head and glanced from her to the archway behind her. "And you are?"
Now it was Lara's turn to gape. Well, as close as the woman could ever come to it. "Of course," she mused. "Why not Barnett College." She glanced up at Indie. "I am Lara, Lara Croft." She bent down to retrieve the seal which had managed to come through the archway with her before placing it in her backpack. She noticed the archeologist's eyes lingering on it.
Indie was intrigued by her British accent – not to mention her strange method of travel – and her obvious puzzlement at her surroundings. "Could I ask you a question Mrs. Croft?" He watched as she placed the strange artifact into her backpack and made a mental note to ask her about it later.
Lara glanced up with an amused smile. She was slowly but surely gaining her unflappable composure again, and started to enjoy the situation. It had been she, after all, who had wanted to see what would happen if the archway was activated. For a fleeting moment she worried about Becca, but she knew the woman to be a very capable archeologist and somewhat of an explorer, and she pushed her to the back of her mind.
Of all the places she had imagined to go, Barnett College was not one of them. Back to ancient Greece or Rome or even some civilization before that, yes. Lara had hoped that by using the arch she would have at least found out who had created them – and why. Oh well, if she was to believe Becca's theory, the arches were supposed to transport the user to a place where the traveler either had to find something or learn something to aid in their own, personal growth. Not that Lara had any idea what the 1930's, Dr Indiana Jones and Barnett College could teach her, but hell, might as well give the fates a shot.
"Shoot, Dr Jones. Oh, and it is Miss or Lady, as my butler insists on."
Indie gave a small laugh. "I don't really believe in guns, Miss Croft." He raised an eyebrow. "I take it that you are an aristocrat then?"
Lara nodded her affirmation.
"Hmm, could I ask you what exactly happened or, more precisely, why you are here?"
"That, my dear Dr Jones, is a long story."
"Shall we go to my office where we can talk in relative comfort?"
Lara holstered her guns and nodded, motioning for him to lead the way.
****
Indie's office was cluttered, but somehow he managed to get Lara into a chair and a cup of coffee in her hand. She did not seem to like it very much, but since he had run out of tea, it was that or boiled water.
"Would you care to explain now what had happened?" Indie was perched on his desk amid several heaps of paper and quite a few books.
Not quite sure whether she could trust him completely, Lara decided to tell Dr Jones the somewhat condensed version of events. That which she knew about the man made him out to be quite a legend, but Lara had met enough people in her life to know that stories were not always quite the people they were about.
"It all started when my second cousin twice removed, Rebecca Hayes, came to me with a legend about the Arches of the Gods. She had found a seal in a site in Europe, and within days of telling the curator at a museum about it, she had the radical New-Nazi party hot on her trail." Lara paused for a sip of her coffee, but also to see what Indiana's reaction to that would be. His dislike of Nazi's were well known, and knowing that they were on the eve of World War II, Lara wanted to make sure what type of ground she was treading on before she fell into a pit.
"I hate Nazi's. They always get in the way." Indiana mumbled but motioned for her to continue.
"Well, we set out to find the four other seals spoken of in the legend, after which we started tracking down the arches. Unfortunately, we were unable to leave the New-Nazi's behind." Lara nearly growled at the thought. She hated being followed almost as much as she hated being stolen from. "The only arch we could find was one in South Africa, almost right on the Zimbabwe border. We managed to get in, find the arch and just as I was activating it, there was an earthquake caused by the mining industry close by. That is why I ended up here."
Indie scratched his head as he tried to get his mind around it. "Zimbabwe?" He frowned. "Never heard of it. So you mean to say that the arches allow one to travel not just from one place to another, but also to different times? Why on earth would the Nazi's want it?"
"Oh, yes, Zimbabwe would be called Rhodesia, I think, in the 30's." Lara frowned. "As far as I have been able to gather, the New-Nazi's want to use the arches to bring Hitler through to our century, which would cause a new surge of life for the Nazi party."
"But why did you come to Barnett College?"
"I didn't choose to. Becca has a theory that the arches transport one to a place where you need to learn – or teach – something that will help in your personal growth. Almost a controlled-by-the-fates thing." Shrugging, Lara forced some of the coffee down her throat. "But it is just a theory."
Generally, Lara liked coffee, but there was something strange to that particular cup of coffee. She shot a side-ways glance at the jar standing on the table. If she was correct, the coffee was several years over its expiry date. Ah well, it was coffee.
"So, what are you going to do now Lady Croft?" Indie crossed his arms and leaned on his desk a bit more.
Lara shrugged. "Enjoy the ride?"
****
Becca was in big trouble. On second thought, that was the understatement of the century. After Lara had fallen through the ancient archway into who-knows when, Becca had stuck around for a while before deciding to do as Lara had said and get out of the place.
The threat of the New-Nazi's hung heavily on her mind, and as far as she knew, Lara could take care of herself just fine.
So, after taking a few more photos, and gathering all her and Lara's gear, Becca had set off back through the tunnel on her hands and knees and back down the long passage way to the outside.
She was round about two hours walk from the surface when she heard an odd… slithering sound from behind her. Following her gut instinct, Becca managed to worm her way into a fissure about half-way up the wall, deciding to rather be safe than sorry.
The sight that greeted her made her hair stand on end. The shuffling, slithering sound turned out to be generated but a huge, bottle-green snake making its rather rapid pace down the hall. About four feet high and three feet thick, it was bigger than Becca had ever thought a snake could be.
It had stopped for a few seconds beneath her hiding place, poised as if it smelled something – probably, Becca mused, it smelled her – but thankfully, it wasn't too bright, so it moved on, slithering down the right-hand passage.
Tense minutes passed as Becca waited to see if the twelve-foot long beast would return – that was not something she wished to face on her own, even with all the magnums and shot-guns in the world. Luck, or fate, seemed to be on her side, and she made good, undisturbed time to the surface.
Good time, that is, until she walked smack bang into a mountain of flesh.
"We've got someone." A gruff voice said in very bad German, as Becca was seized and dragged out of the four foot hole that was the entrance to the underground structures.
And there, in full military splendor, stood twenty heavily armed, New-Nazi members.
Shit.
****
Ok, second chapter done. Sorry if it was a bit short, but these horrid exams don't do much for my time. Let me know if this little story is worth continuing with!
And how does one do that? Well, you review!