Forced
Lara fought at first, but realized it was futile and, to some degree, unnecessary. They need me, she realized as she noticed how they did their best to keep her somewhat comfortable; kicking and screaming did nothing. Alice and Kurtis followed suit.
They were brought through the compound in an almost circuitous route, until they faced another white wall. A swift twitch of Kaufman's hand and the wall slid open, revealing an elevator. Ushered in, the threesome was pushed, facing the wall, and braced as they sensed their sentries following behind.
"Yes, Lady Croft, a risk indeed," Kaufman said, weighing the flicker of hope behind Lara's eyes. "But I would refrain from any and all activity. I have a dozen guns pointed at you and a dozen more at every floor, regarding what direction we are headed in." a slight pause. "Yes, Mr. Trent," regarding his only male prisoners slight smirk. "I could be bluffing. But, considering your situation, that's too great a risk, even for you."
The pause after him was stifling, the prisoners uncertain as to what the future would bring for them, or rather, if they even had a future.
Soon, the wall that they were pushed upon slid to the side, having in fact been another door to the elevator. They were greeted by even more armed commandos, in the bowels of the Keskin Kale Compound.
They were pulled across the large basement before finding another, smaller, less fortified and modern, elevator, with simply a metal grating surrounding a wooden floor. Lara, Kurtis, and Alice were shoved in, steel bars closing behind them, effectively caged.
"This elevator will bring you to what is the main entrance to the tunnel complex. Your expedition begins here. Bring me that shield!"
"KAUFMAN!" Lara tried, "You know it's not going to be handed to us, and you know that. We need weapons!"
"Your weapons and packs are down there, Ms. Croft, as well as all equipment you will need. I hope for your sake your expertise does not fail you." Kaufman turned to go, and then "Hopefully, Ms. Clarke, your friends will bestow the same favor you did earlier. Help you survive. That is of course, if they can themselves." Kaufman stalked off into the darkness as the brief window of the basement slid out of sight, the elevator plunging down.
Shit, thought Alice. What have I gotten in to? Fear overcame her, visibly. Kurtis saw it, and took a step towards her.
"Its okay—" Reaching to hold her hand, just as the doors flew open.
Alice shoved Kurtis off, coldly.
"Let's just find this goddamn shield."
Just outside of the elevator lay an artificially lighted, small atrium, a long tunnel leading out of it opposite the elevator. A lone, makeshift table sat off to one side, carrying all the equipment the three would need, including the pistols, Boran X, glaive, desert eagle and AK-47 that they each preferred.
After loading the provided packs with the equipment, they set off down the tunnel, thankful for the artificial lighting, yet still cautious; a ready hand was placed on or near their weapons of choice.
The tunnel was man-made, wooden arches supporting the chalky limestone every few yards. Elaborate hand-sketched paintings of Christian saints and worshippers adorned the walls, each with intensely blue eyes which stared emotionlessly at the passersby. Both Lara and Alice found their eye's drawn to the figures, the steady motion of their feet stopping to touch the wall-paintings.
"I've heard of figures like these," Lara said to Alice, Kurtis having maintained the course and now ahead of them. "They are common in Cappadocia, the underground cities made by persecuted Christians in the first through third centuries. Most of those frescoes were destroyed, though. Rumor has it among the locals that if you take the blue eyes and powder them, it forms a love potion." Lara moved her hand from the wallbefore continuing after Kurtis. Alice just stood their, thoughts of other blue eyes drifting into her head. She wondered if blue eyes really could be a love potion before she laughed at herself and ran off after Lara.
Soon, the frescoes on the walls ceased, leaving only the chalky limestone in an austere monotony. Then, suddenly, it stopped.
"Dead end," Kurtis replied, observing the obvious.
"Not quite—look, there is something engraved there." Lara pointed. Kurtis took a few steps forward to examine more closely, Alice remaining behind still uncertain and admittedly scared.
"Ut Praesumo in atrum recesses of Abyssus unus must non alieno Olympus. To Venture into the dark recesses of Hell one must not forget heaven," Kurtis translated, shrugging before taking his hand off the wall and turning, just in time to see Lara and Alice fall through the ground that was no longer beneath them.
By the time Kurtis could react and through a rope around one outcropping of rock and repelling down behind his fallen comrades, the victims were beginning to stir. Fortunately, it was not a life threatening fall, although Lara suffered major bruises, and Alice's arm hung limply by her side. They stood up, a little dizzy, Lara brushing the dirt of her knees and Alice popping her shoulder back in with a grimace, flashing Kurtis and accusing look.
"Mind telling us next time?" she growled.
Kurtis glared back. "Like I was supposed to know that would happen."
Alice continued. "You're the one with all the special powers."
Kurtis never faltered. "Hey, I didn't ask you to come along."
"Fuck you." Alice retorted, her voice composed but her eyes filled with emotion.
Be my guest, Kurtis began to respond, but hardly had he gotten the first syllable out before Lara restrained him.
"Would you just shut up and look around!"
They did, finding themselves in a massive, rectangular hall, with two rows of three columns dividing the room into three. Alice and Kurtis forgot their rift as they stared in awe at the intricately carved bass relief of angels and heaven on all of the walls, perfectly mirrored in the glossy floor. The hall withdrew into a dome of sorts in the ceiling, the circular center emitting a soft glow to illuminate the room in an aura of white. The three separated, Lara and Kurtis each feeling the intricate carvings and molds of the walls, Alice unknowingly stepping forward, empowered by the beauty of the room.
"Shit!" Lara and Kurtis each turned just as Alice ducked before rolling forward and kicking her feet up off the ground, pulling her body behind it just as she gracefully avoided a series of three sharp blades rushing out in between the first two columns into the middle passage.
Alice turned around, slightly smiling, but eyes wide with fear.
"Well, I'm certainly not the Tomb Raider. You should probably go first." She said, gesturing towards Lara.
Despite herself, Lara smiled, happy to be given the opportunity. She eyed the blades. The first one at Shoulder level' the second, slightly after it, leaving no room to stop, at midriff level; and the last would leave her footless if she didn't get over it in time. Never failing to accept a challenge, Lara stepped back enough to give herself a running start to a jump that would take her over the blades, rolling to recover her foot
"Right. That's probably a good idea." She agreed with Alice. They then turned to Kurtis, who was actually laughing at the two on the other side of the blades. He reached out his arms and braced himself, successfully stopping the blades with his telekinesis. He stepped recklessly between them before arriving at Lara and Alice.
"On second thought…" Alice mumbled.
"Alright, then, showoff, you go first." Lara interrupted.
"With pleasure." Kurtis smirked, stepping off into the hall.
He didn't get very far, though, before passing through the second set of columns. He heard Lara shout his name and began to turn before he suddenly felt his body crash to the floor.
"What the ?" he said, the weigh of Alice on top of him; her face dangerously close to his own. Had he lookedin her eyes he would have seen silver eyes filled with emotion, but he wasdistracted by the razor-sharp metal disc gliding through the airabovehim, having the potential to decapitate him in one fluid motion had he not been lying down.
"Careful there, big boy." Alice sneered as she crawled under the disc, Lara following behind her, avoiding the continuously threatening revolutions above. With a grunt, Kurtis turned to his stomach and followed suit.
The three stood up and approached the third set of columns cautiously. They'd spotted the open passageway on the opposite side previously, and had since determined that that was where they wanted to go. Lara stepped gingerly onto the space floor between the columns, surprised to see that nothing had happened. Alice followed her onto the floor, Kurtis ready to step behind. Only Lara noticed the slight rumbling of the floor, leaping back and bringing Kurtis with her as it crumbled, Alice having just enough time to grab the edge before pulling herself up.
"I'm really starting to hate that." She tried, looking at Lara and Kurtis. But her light hearted smile turned into a frown as she realized with the rest of them that the entire floor started rumbling. Without thinking, the trio jumped over the pit in the hall and raced through the doorway as the floor behind them collapsed into a pit of fiery hot lava.
A/N: ooh yay, its fun to write sexual tension!
thanks to everyone who read this!
thanks to NFI for beta reading, too!
Spidy007-- thanks for reading this, and i'm very glad you are enjoying it!
Ellethiel-- as always, thanks for reading this and even more thanks for leaving reviews!
Odd Little Turtle-- thanks for your review, your opinion on Alice is really helpful; i apologize for not submitting more information on her, but i didnt want to get to into her character if everyone decided they hated her. Maybe i'll do a related story ( or sequel, depending on how this one finishes) that deals a little more with her character...until then, keep reading and thanks!
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