Ginzuishou Of Mare Serentatis
Chapter 3: Permanent Midnight
Author's Note: Finally, chapter three. Sorry for the long wait. Had a bout of that cursed disease of writers, writer's block, but I'm all better now!
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.
"Uh!" Bryce was rudely awakened when his shackles were undone, dropping him to the floor. "Oh, god," He groaned as his bruises flared to life. A heavy boot suddenly came down just inches from his nose.
"Rise and shine, kid," Bryce slowly looked up at the foot's owner, the American who had gladly tattooed the tech into unconsciousness. "We're taking a little trip," He favored Bryce with a grin that froze the younger man's blood in his veins.
Lara paced anxiously in the control center of the mansion, chewing her nails and glacing at the phone every second. Hillary watched her from the doorway, forgotten tray of tea in his hands. "Lara, I really wish you would stop that. You're wearing out the wax on the floor,"
Lara dropped into a nearby chair; Bryce's chair, with a sigh. "I'm sorry, Hilly, I just-" A shrill ring pierced the air. Both froze, staring at the phone. It took another ring to jerk them out of their stupor. Lara grabbed the receiver. "Hello?...This is Lara, what've you got?" Lara and Hillary stared at each other while Lara listened. "He's where?"
Bryce grunted as he was shoved into the sunlight. He stumbled and nearly fell, but was caught by one of the soldiers. He was being led to a helicoptor on the roof of a office building, which appeared to be located in London. His hands were handcuffed behind his back, making the prospect of falling over unpleasant. "Where are you taking me?" Bryce yelled to the American over the whir of the helicoptor blades. A grin was the only answer he received.
"You'll see," American was just getting into the helicoptor when bullets peppered the side, just above their heads. Everyone dropped into a crouch, except Bryce, who fell over onto his side, causing old wounds to scream in protest.
"Let him go!"
The men looked up, and only Bryce smiled. "Lara!" Lara Croft stood by the stairwell, guns drawn and in both hands.
"I said let him go!" Lara yelled again.
American grinned. "No!" He yelled back. Bryce's smile fell.
"Lara, look out!" The tech screamed.
The tomb raider whirled around just as another soldier was coming at her from the stairs. She did a roundhouse kick, knocking first the gun from his hands, then him down the stairs. When she turned back around, American had an arm around Bryce's neck, and a gun to his temple. She froze.
"Drop your guns!" Lara complied, glaring the man down. Soldiers moved in around her, weapons trained on the woman, and led her toward the helicoptor. "Looks like you're coming with," American brought the butt of his gun down on the back of Bryce's head, knocking the younger man out cold.
"Bry-" Lara was cut off by a dull thud inside her head, a brief spike of pain, then darkness.
"-is it!"
"I don't know!"
Lara awoke to the sound of Bryce and the American fighting. Her eyes fluttered open. She was laying on a stone floor with her hands bound behind her back. Bryce lay a few feet away, on his back and hands, the American standing over him with a hand around his throat; choking him.
"Bryce!" The tech lacked the ability to look at her, but his tormentor didn't. Lara struggled to sit up. "Let him go!"
"Not until he gives me what I want," The man hissed, turning his attention back to the wheezing man in his grip.
"I don't know what the hell you're talking about," Bryce gasped.
"The crystal! I want the crystal!"
"What crystal?"
The American, frustrated, released Bryce, whipped out his gun, and trained it on Lara. "Tell me where it is or I blow her away,"
Bryce's eyes widened. "Don't,"
"Bryce..."
"Look, I...I..." The American was now standing over the tomb raider. "Jack, stop it, I don't know anything about a crystal! My parents found nothing here," Bryce blurted out. Lara's gaze moved from the American, Jack, to Bryce.
"Your parents?" She asked. Jack slowly looked back at the tech.
"You never told her?" He said with a sadistic grin.
"Please, don't tell her," Bryce quietly begged.
"Tell me what?" Lara interjected, looking from the tech to the soldier and back again.
"That your little computer geek here was orphaned in this very room," Bryce winced as if struck. "My squad and I rescued him from here when he was nine, but his parents had disappeared without a trace," Lara looked over at Bryce, her expression a mixture of shock and pity. The tech looked away.
"You never told me," Lara whispered softly.
"Well, you never asked!" Bryce snapped, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. "You never asked," He repeated, softer this time.
Jack looked back and forth between the two friends. "Okay, that was fun. Now," He stood over Lara, handgun against her temple. "Where's the crystal, Bryce?"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" The tech screamed desperately.
"I think you do, Bryce," Jack spat his name. "The Ginzuishou of Mare Serentatis. The "Silver Crystal of The Sea Of Serenity". One of the most powerful crystals in legend. Has the power to destroy the galaxy, where is it?!" The soldier was beginning to lose his temper.
"Look, I have no idea what the hell you're talking about, so just let Lara go and you can shoot me for all I care," Bryce was beginning to lose his patience as well.
"Yes, you do!"
No, I don't, goddamnit!" Bryce screamed, desperate, angry and in pain.
"Fine," Jack cocked the gun.
"NO!"
A blinding light filled the room, illuminating the other soldiers who had been hiding in the shadows of the cavern. When the light finally died away, Bryce was left standing where he had been bound moments before, with a flower-like crystal in his hands, which still held a small glow.
To Be Continued...
Author's Note: Heh heh, cliffie. Oh, gawd, I'm gonna get my ass chewed off for this. Well, two chapters left. I promise that I won't make you wait so long next time. Sorry bout that. Please forgive me! (drops to knees and starts shaloming)
Chapter 3: Permanent Midnight
Author's Note: Finally, chapter three. Sorry for the long wait. Had a bout of that cursed disease of writers, writer's block, but I'm all better now!
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.
"Uh!" Bryce was rudely awakened when his shackles were undone, dropping him to the floor. "Oh, god," He groaned as his bruises flared to life. A heavy boot suddenly came down just inches from his nose.
"Rise and shine, kid," Bryce slowly looked up at the foot's owner, the American who had gladly tattooed the tech into unconsciousness. "We're taking a little trip," He favored Bryce with a grin that froze the younger man's blood in his veins.
Lara paced anxiously in the control center of the mansion, chewing her nails and glacing at the phone every second. Hillary watched her from the doorway, forgotten tray of tea in his hands. "Lara, I really wish you would stop that. You're wearing out the wax on the floor,"
Lara dropped into a nearby chair; Bryce's chair, with a sigh. "I'm sorry, Hilly, I just-" A shrill ring pierced the air. Both froze, staring at the phone. It took another ring to jerk them out of their stupor. Lara grabbed the receiver. "Hello?...This is Lara, what've you got?" Lara and Hillary stared at each other while Lara listened. "He's where?"
Bryce grunted as he was shoved into the sunlight. He stumbled and nearly fell, but was caught by one of the soldiers. He was being led to a helicoptor on the roof of a office building, which appeared to be located in London. His hands were handcuffed behind his back, making the prospect of falling over unpleasant. "Where are you taking me?" Bryce yelled to the American over the whir of the helicoptor blades. A grin was the only answer he received.
"You'll see," American was just getting into the helicoptor when bullets peppered the side, just above their heads. Everyone dropped into a crouch, except Bryce, who fell over onto his side, causing old wounds to scream in protest.
"Let him go!"
The men looked up, and only Bryce smiled. "Lara!" Lara Croft stood by the stairwell, guns drawn and in both hands.
"I said let him go!" Lara yelled again.
American grinned. "No!" He yelled back. Bryce's smile fell.
"Lara, look out!" The tech screamed.
The tomb raider whirled around just as another soldier was coming at her from the stairs. She did a roundhouse kick, knocking first the gun from his hands, then him down the stairs. When she turned back around, American had an arm around Bryce's neck, and a gun to his temple. She froze.
"Drop your guns!" Lara complied, glaring the man down. Soldiers moved in around her, weapons trained on the woman, and led her toward the helicoptor. "Looks like you're coming with," American brought the butt of his gun down on the back of Bryce's head, knocking the younger man out cold.
"Bry-" Lara was cut off by a dull thud inside her head, a brief spike of pain, then darkness.
"-is it!"
"I don't know!"
Lara awoke to the sound of Bryce and the American fighting. Her eyes fluttered open. She was laying on a stone floor with her hands bound behind her back. Bryce lay a few feet away, on his back and hands, the American standing over him with a hand around his throat; choking him.
"Bryce!" The tech lacked the ability to look at her, but his tormentor didn't. Lara struggled to sit up. "Let him go!"
"Not until he gives me what I want," The man hissed, turning his attention back to the wheezing man in his grip.
"I don't know what the hell you're talking about," Bryce gasped.
"The crystal! I want the crystal!"
"What crystal?"
The American, frustrated, released Bryce, whipped out his gun, and trained it on Lara. "Tell me where it is or I blow her away,"
Bryce's eyes widened. "Don't,"
"Bryce..."
"Look, I...I..." The American was now standing over the tomb raider. "Jack, stop it, I don't know anything about a crystal! My parents found nothing here," Bryce blurted out. Lara's gaze moved from the American, Jack, to Bryce.
"Your parents?" She asked. Jack slowly looked back at the tech.
"You never told her?" He said with a sadistic grin.
"Please, don't tell her," Bryce quietly begged.
"Tell me what?" Lara interjected, looking from the tech to the soldier and back again.
"That your little computer geek here was orphaned in this very room," Bryce winced as if struck. "My squad and I rescued him from here when he was nine, but his parents had disappeared without a trace," Lara looked over at Bryce, her expression a mixture of shock and pity. The tech looked away.
"You never told me," Lara whispered softly.
"Well, you never asked!" Bryce snapped, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. "You never asked," He repeated, softer this time.
Jack looked back and forth between the two friends. "Okay, that was fun. Now," He stood over Lara, handgun against her temple. "Where's the crystal, Bryce?"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" The tech screamed desperately.
"I think you do, Bryce," Jack spat his name. "The Ginzuishou of Mare Serentatis. The "Silver Crystal of The Sea Of Serenity". One of the most powerful crystals in legend. Has the power to destroy the galaxy, where is it?!" The soldier was beginning to lose his temper.
"Look, I have no idea what the hell you're talking about, so just let Lara go and you can shoot me for all I care," Bryce was beginning to lose his patience as well.
"Yes, you do!"
No, I don't, goddamnit!" Bryce screamed, desperate, angry and in pain.
"Fine," Jack cocked the gun.
"NO!"
A blinding light filled the room, illuminating the other soldiers who had been hiding in the shadows of the cavern. When the light finally died away, Bryce was left standing where he had been bound moments before, with a flower-like crystal in his hands, which still held a small glow.
To Be Continued...
Author's Note: Heh heh, cliffie. Oh, gawd, I'm gonna get my ass chewed off for this. Well, two chapters left. I promise that I won't make you wait so long next time. Sorry bout that. Please forgive me! (drops to knees and starts shaloming)