AN: Next update here! As always keen to hear your thoughts.

Chapter 7

"Kurtis?" Lara's voice croaked a little.

"Yes, Lara, it's me." He brushed the straggles of hair from her face, and the tenderness in his voice made her stomach flip. He gazed down at her wound. "We should get you cleaned up."

He threw his weapons to the floor, removed his jacket and then pulled off his shirt. He was certainly a well formed example of a man, and kept himself in good shape. Lara was distracted by a prominent scar across his abdomen. Kurtis smiled his cocky, crooked smile. "That bitch certainly left her mark."

Lara realised that he meant Boaz, the deformed creature he had been so determined to fight alone.

"How the hell did you survive?"

"Another Lux advantage, we heal faster. I was lucky, had it not been for the nearby hospital I never would have even had the chance. You should have seen me, lumbering around like an idiot, trying to find help."

"Oh Lara, you stupid girl. Why did you never think to look there?" This thought slapped her in the face.

"I looked for you, when it was all over. Eckhardt's dead. I think Karel was finished off too. Either way, the Cabal haven't resurfaced since."

"Clever girl, Lara." He laughed, tearing a strip from the bottom of his shirt. He carefully tied it, like a bandage around her wound. "That should be good for now, sorry by the way."

"Don't be, for God's sake. You were only doing your job. Why didn't you shoot?"

"I saw my Chirugai on your belt…"

"Your what?"

"My Chirugai, the glaive you had with you."

"Oh I see, it has a name."

"You bet it does, it's one of a kind. A Ferillium crafted killing machine."

There was a brief pause. Kurtis took the Chirugai in his hand, sliding his fingers through the perfectly sized gaps. He turned to Lara, his eyes filled with gratitude.

"Thanks for keeping it so well."

"I hoped to return it to you, if we ever met again. Why are you trusting me, Kurtis?"

"I know you honour the truth. I saw the way you fought for your mentor, unravelling the horrible situation he had been in. You wanted so much to find his killer that you risked your life."

Lara smiled, she had never thought of it that way before. Suddenly Kurtis' voice became serious.

"What led you here, Lara? What's going on?" He said, pulling the remainder of his shirt over his head.

"There's too much to explain here. We need to find somewhere safe to plan our next move. Someone will have realised by now that there's been no response on the situation and come to investigate."

"OK, I know a place. There's an abandoned building on the site, it used to house aid supplies."

Kurtis arose, pulling Lara up with his hands. The strength was returning to her legs. The Chirugai began to spin, producing an orange trail. Kurtis extended his arm, blowing a hole clean through the wall, making visible the corridor on the other side. Lara stopped for a moment in shock, but this was brushed aside. Kurtis smiled his crooked smile, sensing that Lara had perhaps forgotten he wasn't a regular human being. They were now near the exit, and began to sprint. Suddenly, Kurtis stopped. He closed his eyes, stretching both arms out directly in front of him. A few seconds later, he stumbled back, breathing deeply. He noted Lara's confusion.

"Farsee Ability. Another Lux thing. The coast's clear, let's go."

They were now outside, and the cold struck Lara like a punch. Kurtis dove behind a shipment crate, and she followed. "We're close now, just do as I do." He gripped the wall, sneaking carefully, and peering round corners. Without warning he clutched Lara's hand, and a rush came over her. They ran the last few metres, and came to a door. It wasn't locked, and moaned as it was pushed open. Only now did Kurtis release her hand. He flicked a switch and the electric lights came to life, buzzing loudly.

"We're safe for now. You can tell me what the hell's going on."

"Kurtis, UPP is not a charity. That's a front. The six ringleaders are in fact part of an order, the 'Union of Pareona Protection. They're hell bent on world domination and plan to use the newly built global plumbing system to contaminate water with pareona. This is a powerful liquid, that when ingested causes the creator to have power over that person."

"Holy shit, Lara."

"You don't believe me? Granted it's a tall story, but there's no time. Have you seen those vats in the warehouse? That's where the liquid is contained."

"I wish I'd known. I'd had my suspicions, regarding high security. I do believe you, Lara. I see no other reason for you to risk your life."

"Can you help me? We need to destroy those vats, but how? And we can't dispose of the liquid without water."

"Lara, I was brought up with stories of the Black Alchemist. My father taught me some of the basics, just in case they were needed. The most important tool he taught me was 'Reverso Elixir' - it turns any potion or concoction into water, removing its effects."

"Well, I'm bloody fortunate! Tell me something you don't know?"

Kurtis laughed, and Lara couldn't help but smile. She hated that he could make her grin like a teenager, her bravado was lost. There was just something about him. She decided it would be better to set these thoughts aside and focus on the task.

"This Reverso elixir, what does it require?"

Kurtis closed his eyes, remembering the recipe.

"We need a sample of what we are trying to reverse to start."

"I still have a flyer in my backpack, glossed with pareona. Anything else?"

"Yes, we need Deleo Serum."

"Deleo, meaning destroy in Latin."

"And where would we get that?"

"There's a supply in one of the ancient Lux Veritatis vaults, below the Church of the Veil in the Kremlin. Only a little is needed."

"We haven't got long to obtain it, time is not on our side."

"That's okay, I know how efficient you can be in a crisis. Besides, we make a pretty good team."

Lara couldn't fight the grin, and allowed Kurtis to wrap his arms around her. He was warm and it reminded her of home.

"I missed you, Lara."

"I missed you too."

They quickly left the building, realising that when CCTV footage was viewed it would be clear that the situation had not been dealt with. Clambering into Kurtis' jeep, the engine rumbled and the ice screeched as they pelted from the complex.