AcidRush- Thanks a lot, Acid. Hope you like this update too.

AKKON- I am sorry about that game of yours. But Legend'll be coming out soon. Keep that away from your dog though. Thanks.

THANKS to everyone for the wonderful reviews, and I would like to tell you something. This won't end after "Eckhardt's Lab." I will continue it, a few more chapters, but I'm gonna kill Karel, mind you. Thanks once again. Read on, without any further due.

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

Ending

Chapter 4: Boaz Returns

The huge, monstrous Boaz, that had once been Eckhardt's colleague, now didn't even look like she used to be a human. Lara had seen her turn into a monster, fed to something called 'the pod'. "This is even worse than Willard," Lara whispered to herself.

Boaz had a huge black body of a spider, with a spiky tail and four pods. She looked like a part scorpion too, but, she had her face right near a spider's belly, as if clinging onto it. She looked like a mutant herself, although she had a half-spider half-scorpion body, and a pale human face. On top was her mouth, by which she had mercilessly eaten Muller, having revenge on him, of course; he was the one who fed her to that thing. And her roar was simply spine-chilling, even for Lara (A/N: and my maid, she is terrified of Boaz!)

But, the monster Boaz decided to make a main course out of Kurtis first, and chose Lara for the dessert. She walked forward, her steps making the arena shake and tried to take a bite of Kurtis, who had ducked to avoid the monster. When he stood up, she made another attempt, and Kurtis started shooting her face and moved backwards as well. Boaz again, gave a roar, and started sprewing toxic gooish liquid on both of them. Lara shot her body, cricling round her, aimlessly. She didn't know what happened really, but as her pods continued on spraying the liquid, that had now hit Kurtis on his back twice and abdomen once, shot at one of the pods, and caused it to break. Boaz screamed this time, and whilst she was at it, Lara rushed to Trent, who looked weird all of a sudden. He wiped out the toxic liquid from jis blue T-shirt, that now had holes because of the poison and gladly, only his white shirt was revealed. He was on his feet once more, and he said to Boaz and himself, "No more Mr.Nice Guy."

Lara's wound was bleeding heavily, and due to her fall from the ledge, got sand in it as well. The terrible pain remained steady in her body, and her vision became slightly hazy, but she continued on fighting the monster. Lara loaded Scorpian X quickly, as Kurtis gave a warrior-like yell and shot Boaz mercilessly himself, ducking as she vomitted the toxic liquid out of her mouth. Lara joined him and soon, they both were avoiding Boaz's pods, shooting at them the same time, and as a fruit to their efforts, two broke this time, one each. Kurtis wiped sweat off his brow and Lara pushed a strand of hair back to her ear, and caught their breaths. Boaz screamed loud, hard and long this time, and gave them enough time load their weapons. The last time, Kurits alone shot her face and destroyed her last pod, and Boaz rolled away. He and Lara, both wounded moved towards her slowly. He turned to her and said, "That-wasn't-so-hard," his voice tired and deathly.

"Really? I don't think so," Lara returned, wiping off blood from her waist. Kurtis, who had now seen it ,gathered his speed, rushed to her and checked her wound and gaped at it whilst crouching.

"You were hurt and you never told me that," he said quietly.

"It's just a small thing, it'll heal," Lara assured him.

"Heal! Lara half your waist is cut, and maybe rib as well," he informed her, "This'll need stitches."

"Kurtis, behind you," Lara told him gravely. He turned around and exclaimed "Gimme a break!" and slashed a new clip to his Boran X. Surely, anyone as slang as he himself would have said that. Boaz was not dead, but she had left the spider's form and changed into a pixie-nymph creature. On one hand, or maybe not even a hand; straight from her arm was a one-foot-long spear and on the other were three long sharp fingers, one-foot each. Muttering something against pixies, Kurtis aimed and fired at the nymph, straight in it's face. Boaz opened up her wings and rose in the air, Lara loaded her weapon and stood beside Kurtis. Boaz's slits in place of eyes turned sharp electric blue, and electricity flashed on about Lara and Kurtis. "Separate!" Lara ordered him and seeing no other option, he complied by obeying her. Boaz returned to the ground, and both adventurers shot her face. Then, much MUCH sooner than they had expected, she slumped to the floor, and remained motionless for what seemed like an eternity to them, not really sure if she was dead or not. Kurtis walked towards her, his pistol trained on the creature's head, but she still didn't move. While going through his final stages of training as a Lux Veritatis, Kurtis was taught that Eckhardt, and the Cabal, would never really be dead using ONLY hardware. The true weapons of light, the Periapt Shards or the Glaive can kill them permanently. They still had the essences of immortality, if they are not completely immortal. Kurtis holstered his Boran X and whispered into Lara's mind, 'It's not dead, yet.'

'What!'

'It's trying to fool us, so later she can feast upon us. I want you to stay quiet, pin-drop silence. The Cabal members can only be killed with the true weapons of light. Not a sound, even if Boaz tries to attack me.'

'Okay, but if anything happens to you, then-'

'It'll not be our fault.' Lara just stood motionless, breathing slowly and deeply, even though her heart was beating like drums. Kurtis took out his chirugaii and turned his back upon Boaz.

100 points to Kurtis Trent, this time. With a short squeak and a flutter, Boaz was on her feet again, and Kurtis let out a deep growl and flashed his chirugaii, more like lightening near the head and beheaded the monster. It's dirty head fell near Lara's feet. Kurtis was breathless, and stared fiercely at the headless thing that lay in front of him. He hung his bloody chirugaii on his hanging belt and moved towards Lara. "I'll give you a boost, now," he said. Lara nodded, balanced herself on his hand and jumped up, a great gust of wind pushing her towards the ledge. She kneeled down, once more and offered her hand to him. He jumped up from Boaz's spider corpse, and caught her outstrecthed palm. With several grunts, Lara forced him up on the ledge. After taking a few deep pants, Kurtis began, "Your wound?"

"Chill. I'll worry about it later, when Eckhardt's dead."

"Chill! You'll bleed to death!" he argued.

"Oh I will be here long enough to kill Eckhardt, then I'll worry about it. Now, where the heck did he leave?"

There were two double doors in front of them and a ventilation duct. Somehow, Lara had a really bad feeling about the doors. "I vote for the vent," she said after some time.

"So do I," Kurtis answered after remaining silent for a while, "But I would like to check the doors too."

'Stubborn' Lara thought but went with him. She loaded her Scorpion X once more and Kurtis forced the doors open with his telekinesis.

"What did you expect?" Lara asked, staring into the empty room.

"Oh, I have a great many expactations," he cheekly answered. They moved towards the last door and Kurtis opened it.

Two gun terrets were activated, and three soldiers in their sight. Avoiding the bullets, Kurtis operated his chirugaii and the bloody weapon sliced off two soldiers' heads. Lara took care of the last one. They ran into another door, in order to escape the tiny bullets whizzing past them. It turned out to be an office, with a lever and a bureau. Kurtis pulled it and the sound of the terrets stopped; they had been deactivated. They got out and decided that the duct was their only route. Kurtis slouched, and Lara crawled inside the vent. Soon, they reached it's end, both somersaulted out and in a sandy place, saw a slope. Both the adventurers went slilding down to the Lost Domain.

Done with it, thank GOD! Hope you like it, I wrote everything after "Gimme a break" today (16th August). Not quite a lot, much smaller than my previous shift. THANKS to everyone AGAIN for the wonderful reviews.