I felt my lips curve into a smile of anticipation as I reached into my backpack and pulled out a pair of red-tinted glasses. I slid them on and suddenly saw the lasers crisscrossing the room before me. I had always known they were there, but now I could see them. I gave a soft chuckle. Like a few lasers were going to stop me!

I took a deep breath and felt a surge of adrenaline run through my body. I always did like a good challenge. It wasn't that difficult to slip through the lasers, although it did take time. This was where all my ballet, gymnastic and martial arts training paid off – I had the flexibility and muscle control to easily avoid the lasers.

The cameras weren't a problem either. Bryce was a veritable genius when it came to electronics and computer systems – he had designed a specific device for the digital cameras in the 'vault' (rather than the more thwartable analogue cameras everywhere else) so that it created a feedback loop. As far as the guards knew, the room was empty.

I looked at my prize through the glass and felt the corners of my mouth curve into a smile. This was what made it worthwhile – the fact that I was good enough to get this far, that I survived. The fact that it was the Philosopher's Stone was just the icing on the cake.

Then, as I was reaching for the glass case around the Philosopher's Stone, I noticed a small wire running along the base if the glass case. I frowned as I looked more carefully at the case. Bugger! There were pressure sensors everywhere! And no doubt there was an alarm as well. I should have known. But it did make things more interesting.

I drew one of my knives from the sheath in the small of my back. Carefully I followed the wire to make sure there were no pressure sensors under the case. There wasn't. So I carefully unscrewed the base and lifted the glass a fraction. I slid my knife under it, and paused for a second. Now for the risk: would an alarm go off when I cut this wire?

Mentally I shrugged my shoulders and cut the wire. After all, I hadn't come this far by playing it safe. No alarm sounded, so I slid my knife along and cut three more wires. Then I lifted the case and placed it on the floor.

Now for the hard part – finding something the same weight as the Philosopher's Stone, and substituting it for the stone. I stared at it for a moment while I thought. Then I had it! I dug around in my backpack and pulled out an empty clip. It should be about the right weight.

I stared at the stone in front of me and felt my face harden into a look of intense concentration. I reached out to grab the stone, but didn't touch it, just in case any added weight set off the alarm. It would be a matter of seconds, if not shorter, between the time I removed the stone and when the alarm would go off. But I could do it. Taking a deep breath, it grabbed the Philosopher's Stone and slid the empty clip into place where it had been.

I waited, alert, for a few seconds, but no alarms went off. Damn, I was good. I grinned in triumph and looked at the prize in my hand. It seems I was now the one in possession of the Philosopher's Stone. I slipped it into my backpack and carefully replaced the glass case. Now it was time to show Mr. Hoffmann why one didn't mess with Lara Croft.

I quickly slipped back through the maze of lasers and back into the corridor, and then into the small office I had come from. And from there it was an easy jump back into the vent. I closed my eyes once I was back inside the ventilation system, and tried to remember the layout of the fortress.

I frowned grimly when I remembered and set off down the duct. Ten minutes later I found what I was looking for. I crept silently towards it, and soon heard a familiar voice. "She will get the Philosopher's Stone." Jon said in a pain filled voice.

"I don't think so." Hoffmann scoffed. "The stone is protected by a perfect security system. No one can get past it!"

Yes they can. I just did. And the security system wasn't that good. I'd seen better. Hell, I had a better one a home. I smiled wolfishly as I reached the vent and peered down at the two men. I noticed the two guards in the corner, but almost gasped when I saw Jon. He looked worse from when I had last seen him, as if he had been beaten at least once. I felt a momentary pang of guilt, but then my face hardened. Hoffmann was going to pay.

"Your faith in Lady Croft is admirable, if misplaced. She told me herself that you mean nothing to her." Hoffmann said.

I saw a flash of pain in Jon's eyes that had nothing to do with his injuries. But then it was gone. "She does what she has to do." He said softly.

Hoffmann laughed coldly as I dropped quietly down behind them. Jon caught the movement, but he struggled not to change his expression. But I didn't worry about it – I had to deal with the guards. It was a good thing Hoffmann was too caught up in his delusions to notice.

I crept up behind the guards, and rapped one on the back of the head with the butt of my gun. The other turned in surprise, but I kicked him in the gut and his breath left him in a soft 'woosh'. I quickly followed with a hit to the temple with my gun.

"Lady Croft is no danger to me." Hoffmann said, and his words caused me to grin. Oh really?

"She doesn't know who I am and she certainly doesn't know where I am." He continued.

"Actually, I do...Alexander." I said softly in his ear and danced back as he spun.

My grin was dangerous and filled with the promise of revenge as I looked at him. Hoffmann's eyes widened with fear and his breathing quickened. He opened his mouth and the shut it when he saw the unconscious guards at my feet.

"You won't be able to get the stone." He said desperately.

"You mean this one?" I asked innocently, and held up the Philosopher's Stone.

Hoffmann looked at me with dawning horror. But before I could do anything, he spun away from me with lightning speed and was out the door. I raced after him, and saw the guards coming down the corridor. Armed guards.

"Damn!" I muttered as I ducked back into the cell.

Once inside, I looked around for something to hold the door shut. Spotting a chair, I jammed it under the door handle as best as I could. "Bloody cameras." I said, noticing the camera in the cell that had alerted the guards. I drew one of my guns, took careful aim and shot the bloody thing. It made me feel a little better.

Then I turned to Jon, who was looking at me with an amused smile on his face. I raised an eyebrow at him. His smile fell, and he looked at me with a serious expression. "Lara, I'm sorry for doubting you. I know that's not much of an apology, but..."

"Not now, Jon." I said as I untied him from the chair. "We have to get out of here."

Jon nodded. I frowned when he stood up. His shoulders were just too big to fit into the duct. Bugger! Normally, I wouldn't have minded, but right now it was just frustrating.

At that moment, something or someone began pounding at the door. I shoved Jon towards the side of the door, so that he would be hidden behind it. I drew my guns and stood to the other side and waited. I didn't have to wait longer, either.

The door was soon bashed open and a large gorilla of a man barrelled through. I shot him as two more ran in. I shot one of the guards in the leg and knocked the other one out with a roundhouse kick to the head. I didn't want to kill anyone if I didn't have to. Except for Hoffmann. Him I would kill.

I slipped out into the corridor and dealt with the remaining three guards. Once that was done, I went back to get Jon. He was right where I had left him. "Let's go." I snapped.

He nodded carefully and hurried towards me, hiding a grimace. I looked sharply at him. "Can you handle this?" I asked.

"Yes." He said.

He had better. I did not have time to baby sit him. Hoffmann was not going to get his hands on the stone for a second time. We jogged out into the corridor and I saw Jon glance at me. He wore the same expression of bewilderment and apprehension he always had. Jon had never understood me. Once that hadn't mattered. Now it annoyed me.

"We need to get out of here." I said flatly, and glanced at my watch.

2am. We'd better hurry. I took off through the house, Jon at my heels. It didn't take me long to weave my way back through the maze of rooms to the foyer. And, thankfully, we didn't run into anymore guards. But outside was going to be harder that this. There were guards on the walls and those gates to worry about.

I turned to Jon. "Can you run?"

He nodded. "I think so."

"Good." I replied. "When we get outside, run to the gate and then head for the trees."

He nodded again, but I didn't wait to see it. I just opened the front doors and started running, my guns in my hands. As soon as I had appeared, the guards on the walls started shouting and swung their guns at me. As they did, I heard Jon's footsteps on the hard packed snow, and I opened fire, keeping the guards attention on me.

One of the guards yelped and fell, as I side flipped and somersaulted away from the bullets. A second guard soon followed. I was looking for some shelter to catch my breath when Jon's voice broke through my concentration. "Lara!"

I looked at him and noticed the gate was closing. How he had gotten it open, I don't know. I put on a burst of speed as I heard the loud sound of a motor behind me. I risked a glance behind me and saw 3 black snowmobiles racing up behind me. Bloody Hell!

I reached the gate and sprinted through, the snowmobiles hot on my heels. But as Jon and I raced for the trees, dodging bullets, I heard a loud crash behind me and risked another glance. I saw tow of the snowmobiles stuck behind the gate, while the third had just gotten through.

We soon reached the trees and I dodged around a large trunk, firing at the snowmobile as I went. He roared by and I pivoted following him. Two of my shots hit the driver, and the snowmobile slowed down before crashing into a tree.

I glanced back at the fortress and noticed the gate was beginning to open again. We would have to hurry. I shivered slightly in the icy air as I dragged the body from the snowmobile. "Take this." I said to Jon. "And this locator. Follow the path and a chopper with find you. Tell them I went west."

"Lara..." Jon began.

"Go." I snapped.

We didn't have time for this. He gave me one last look, before he roared away. I quickly slipped my turtleneck and jacket back on as my teeth began to chatter, before digging my skis out of the snow, where I had hidden them earlier.

But just before I could push of down the hill and away from the soon to be pursuing snowmobiles, I heard a familiar voice call out to me. "Oh, Lara!"

Hoffmann. I turned and saw him standing behind the opening gate. "Leaving so soon?" he called, and cackled insanely.

"I'm a busy girl." I called back. "I've got people to see, things to do. You know how it is."

As I was talking, I drew one of my guns, which was still equipped with the laser sight. I aimed it straight at Hoffmann and fired. He fell down, surprised, with a bullet right between the eyes. As bad guys went, he was an amateur. And I didn't have time to waste on him. I wanted to get home.

Suddenly the snowmobiles were through, but they seemed to be slightly confused. After all, there boss had just died right in front of their eyes. I, on the other hand, didn't waste a second. I pushed off down the hill, gathering speed and revelling in the feeling of the wind rushing past my face.

I heard the snowmobiles take off after me, and heard gunfire as I dodged in and out of some trees. Damn, one of them had a gun. It was more of an annoyance than anything else. But I would have to watch out. I kept dodging in and out of the obstacles – rocks, trees, hidden branches. They were no match for me.

Adrenaline surged through my veins, heating my blood. This is what I loved. This feeling of being alive. As I dodged around another tree, I noticed the bullets were getting closer. So I took a leapt off a small snowdrift and spun in the air, firing a the pursing guards.

I bent my knees as I landed, still skiing backwards as one of the drivers lost control and hit a tree, his snowmobile exploding. One down, one to go.

I pivoted again, and had to throw my weight to the left, swerving around a tree. I should probably be watching where I was going. I looked around at the mountain around me, looking for a way to loose the second snowmobile. Then I grinned. Perfect.

I headed to the left, pushing down against the snow to build up my speed. The snowmobile roared closer behind me, and I grinned. Suddenly, I through my weight to the right, turning my skis parallel to the cliff that had suddenly appeared.

I heard the driver curse, but there was no way he could stop the heavy and bulky snowmobile. As I stopped in a cloud of snow, he sailed right off the cliff. His screamed faded as he felt. I grinned, my breath fogging the air in front of me.

And at that moment, with perfect timing I heard the beats of rotors against the air and a helicopter flew into view. I grinned and waved as it came towards me. It landed on the snow slightly up the hill from where I was and I quickly climbed aboard.

I slipped off my skis as the co-pilot handed me a headset with a grin. "Your work Croft?" he asked as I slipped in on.

I grinned at Jon who was sitting in the back corner. I raised an eyebrow at the co-pilot. "I take it you mean the snowmobile and its attempt to fly?"

He chuckled. "Should have known."

"You get what you came for, then?" The pilot asked as we roared away from the mountain.

"Of course." I said.

"Then I'll have you home before you can blink." He said. "Nice skiing Croft."

"I try." I told him.

I settled back for the ride, enjoying the wind blowing past my face and listening to the banter between the pilots. I took the Philosopher's Stone out of my backpack and looked at it in my hand. I grinned. Another successful adventure. Then I sighed as I looked at the lightening horizon. I wondered, what would be next?