Hello everybody! Long time *avoids a shower of stones and knives*
I know, and I am so very sorry for not uploading for almost a year… Real life is a true bummer. Finishing my school, contemplating university plans, possibly shifting abroad for higher studies – I truly have been busy and could not find any time to update.
Though I have been free for some time – I had to really think about how to present this chapter, so as to make it interesting and short – and keep still keep the story alive (despite its dormancy).
So forgive me, my awesome readers: Angry1996, gyikhu, Jessica151294, isaalacrymosa – and most of all, dearest nemesis! I absolutely cherished all your reviews – and now I will try my very best to update more frequently (no more year-long breaks, God-willing!)
Without any further ado – here's an update! Hope you all enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I own nothing, apart from the plot and my OC.
Warning: The last bit of this chapter – its pretty gory. I'd give it a 16+ rating if I could!
Chapter 3: Imminent
It had been two weeks since Lara brought her comrade to the hospital, following the bizarre events at the Strahov. After extensive investigations, the real culprit of the Monstrum killings was declared to be Pieter van Eckhardt by the authorities, who had committed an aggregate of 57 murders in the past few decades, though the "Monstrum" insignia was only attributed to him only recently.
Externally, everything seemed to fall in place for Lara. She had finally spoken to Winston, brought him up to date with everything. The events from the Strahov had given her some new scars and bruises – which were healing nicely. Her name was cleared by the authorities, though she knew it would be a long while before the public distrust abated. Yet internally, she was at a bitter war with herself – grieving for her lost mentor, chasing the ghosts of her past, reliving buried memories, and the emotional onslaught that came with them.
She had forced herself to a fortnight of staying cooped up inside a mediocre hotel. Apart from regular visits to Kurtis, and long walks in the dead of winter, she stayed in her room, compelling herself to face her fears and reservations, her ordeal at Egypt, Werner's bitter betrayal. The events of the Strahov had led to a culmination of repressed feelings and unaccounted emotions. Her primal sense to survive had trumped them in the fortress, allowing her to function properly in the face of adversity. But ever since the danger was removed, she resigned herself to a sterile hotel room, trying to make peace with the remorse, shame, rage and the incessant, consuming grief.
Trent, on the other hand, stayed at the hospital and was regaining his strength steadily. Restless, he felt supremely annoyed to be reduced to lying ram-rod straight, doing mild physiotherapy, eating the tasteless food. Charming the nurses had been one way of passing time, and recently he had started wondering if one could be simply bored to death. Lara had taken the liberty of dealing with all the bills – and he often kept thinking how he could pay her back. Though he felt some pride restored, his present financial state was in shambles, his goals uncertain.
Thousands of miles away, sat another female on the desk of her library - cell phone in between her ear and shoulder, half listening to her mother's lectures on the need to settle down, half still contemplating her next move.
"Ma-…" she began, but was cut short.
Her mother paused. "You haven't been listening to a single word I've been saying, have you?" an annoyed voice answered from the other end of the line.
She smiled, picturing her mother and wishing she could hug her. "A little more than that, mama… But I promise I'll pick this up with you when I'm done with this."
A sigh was heard on the other end of the line. "You don't have to do this, my girl. And you know it!"
"This is my destiny, mother."
"Its your choice! One that I do not approve of!"
She clenched her eyes tightly shut, and pinched the bridge of her nose tightly. On the other end of the line, her mother took in a deep slow breath to calm herself.
"Give daddy my love. I should get back to work now," she replied toneless, eyes still closed.
"Think about it child. Take care, and may God be with you," And with that, the phone line went dead.
Placing her cell phone on the ancient maps, books and scripts that littered the table, she leaned back on her chair and crossed her arms, taking in the messy paraphernalia that surmised her life post-Strahov.
'I should eat by now,' she wondered, but the Arabic encryption she had been working on since the past few hours still beckoned her. Rubbing her tired eyes, she put on her reading glasses and resumed solving it, realizing that it was only a matter of time before the world would be at peril again.
The Strahov, her failure, her creed, the lives lost; all to eradicate a danger that she knew was impending.
They had all come too far, and now, with such little time left, she knew there was no turning back.
"Look who turns up at the hospital this beautiful morning," mocked Kurtis with narrowed eyes but a half-smile, propped up against the pillows, breakfast tray (complete with a half-eaten burnt toast) in place.
"The bearer of a proper meal," returned Lara curtly, shaking a McDonalds paper bag in front of his face, tantalizing Kurtis with the sweet aroma of hot pancakes. "But if you want me gone…"
"No! Stay; sit, have mercy," he replied warmly. Lara smirked before setting the bag on his tray and making herself comfortable on the plastic chair beside the hospital bed.
"And – I'll have you know, its like the Arctic out there. So you should be thankful, pampered as you are," she emphasized, making light joke of his condition.
Kurtis was already halfway through the pancakes. He swallowed a large mouthful before replying. "Pampered?!" he raised an eyebrow. "T'is place is a glorified prison, Croft. Take my word on it," he replied, talking dangerously low.
Lara's eyebrows shot up in slight surprise. "Yes, I'm sure it is. And the buxom blonde nurse here must be one frightening guard…" her tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Gisele?" he looked up, a familiar lopsided grin in place. "Nahh… She makes this place bearable."
"Spare me the details, Trent."
"Whatever you say…"
A comfortable silence fell in between the two. Over the course of Trent's recovery, both the adventurers had struck up a decent friendship. At first, they talked strictly business but lately, harmless, playful banter slowly made its way to their conversations. Still reeling from the darkness that had plagued them for so long, they both grabbed the opportunity to enjoy a few light moments. Like an unspoken agreement, it would never be acknowledged upfront, but it would also never be denied.
"Y'know," Kurtis drawled, mouthing a last piece. "You never asked me how I was doing today, Croft. Manners, manners…"
Lara arched an eyebrow. "Something tells me you're just fine. That, and maybe you're too bored for your own good."
"You got that right," Kurtis returned, before downing the last bit of orange juice. "I test my powers, every now and then-"
"Scoping out this Gisele with your farsight, I presume?"
"Ha ha. Very funny, Lara," Kurtis replied robotically. "Thing is – I can now perform most of my powers without major incidents. No more blackouts, negligible dizziness. Physically, I have almost healed. There is absolutely no reason for me to be-"
A blood curdling scream echoed throughout the hospital – stopping Kurtis short in his sentence. Lara snapped upright, adrenaline kicking in already. She jogged toward the window, realizing that it was a straight two-floor drop. The raider would just about make it, but despite Kurtis' claims and his previous show at the Lourve, she wouldn't risk the same with Kurtis.
What followed afterwards were a series of muffled shouts to evacuate, and ferocious, animalistic cries.
Kurtis was already on his feet, standing next to Lara. The chirugaii, which had remained dormant in a hospital drawer, immediately sprung to life, glowing a bright gold as it encircled both the adventurers. Lara formed fists of her hands, and readied her stance for combat.
"Get dressed," ordered Lara – fearing the worst. Kurtis complied soundlessly. He went behind a curtain, slipping into his tattered army trousers – fresh bandages adorning his torso before crossing sideways to cover a bullet-graze wound on his shoulder.
It was not long before growls filled the very floor the duo was in. The howling, along with screams, shuffling feet, gunshots and the slamming of doors was only part of the cacophony that rang outside. Yet Lara and Kurtis stayed put, within the room; Lara thinking about stealing the security guard's gun belt who patrolled the floor, and Kurtis contemplating the use of farsight to determine the identity of the threat.
Both their trains of thought were stopped short when the blonde nurse in question previously burst into the room – blood covering her uniform, a panicky expression plastered onto her suddenly pale face.
"Mister Trent! You've gotto-aaargh!"
Lara's hands curled into fists automatically, watching the nurse's head being torn off from her shoulders with a sickening rip – before looking dead on at two crimson orbs of a bloody beast.
"The Proto?!"
Yeouch! Not my favourite way to end a chapter. But please read and review; let me know how this is! Thanks! :)