Her whole body is vibrating, a hum is resonating through her all the way to her toes. I don't recall the ceiling fan giving that much of a hum… Her bones feeling jarred as she whimpers, the aches in her body, too many to count with a pounding headache. What did they give me for my body to start shaking so violently? Lara wonders and curls into herself, feeling ridges under her palm, head is spinning, squeezing her eyes shut tight. Her finger tips touch the floor and feel the cold, steel like surface.
Taking slow deep breaths this isn't carpet or hard wood… the ground itself is vibrating she realizes. Slowly her ears pick up on a constant bang-bang-bang, over and over, barely noticing the shouting as her head pulls out of a fog. Lifting her left hand to shield her eyes from the sunlight that is warming her face, she blinks in confusion. White, cotton wrapped around her pinky and ring fingers. Her eyes glance around quickly and her brain springs into action.
Individuals are positioned at the door just behind her, using a mounted gun and firing down below, her heart sinks as she rolls onto her other side, wincing and grunting, pushing through the pain to get a better view.
Below the helicopter looks to be a new all-out war between Trinity and Sofia's people. There are barricades set up all along the primary part of the village. Catapults are launching fiery masses into the sky, archers are shooting mostly with arrows, assault rifles and other machine guns are lying on the ground scattered. The fight has been going on long enough for them to have run out of what ammo they had stored.
Troops of soldiers are pushing through the well-organized ranks of Sofia's people, but they are getting trampled due to the number Trinity brought and fire power. Level after level are getting pushed back, making the primary forces that are looking to protect the children and the non-fighters, a decent group of their people gone to be furthering their education, it's a surprise they've lasted as long as they have.
Sofia leaps over a barricade, feet landing on flat grass that hours ago was standing tall and spinning around while whipping her bow and arrow up to let the arrow fly into the throat of a soldier who just popped his head up in the distance to try for a shot. Turning back around she looks up at the helicopters while taking cover behind a boulder and resting her back to its rough surface.
Her hands are sweaty, but her grip is solid thanks to her gloves, her bangs dangling in pointy tips, her body is soaked in sweat from the rushing around to get plans made and executed. Building the barricades, prepping the weapons, doing last minute training with the hunters and finally looking at the horizon as the familiar sound of their former enemy was there. Swallowing she looks up over the boulder just as a man appears on the top of it and leaps down at her.
Grunting as she lands on her back with him on top she immediately sees him swinging his right hand around to fire on her, but she's prepared and yanks a dagger from a sheath on her waist and slashes at his forearm. Blood sprays and he cries out while dropping his gun. Sofia takes advantage of him moment of surprise to buck her hips up, knocking him off onto his back. Flipping onto her feet she picks up his gun and fires, shooting him in the forehead.
Taking a small breath she turns and starts running while hearing the ground behind her get pelted with bullets. She zig zags, pushing off with the balls of her feet from rocks, tree stumps and small mounds in the grass while feeling the dirt debris fall around her in a shower before she manages to dive into cover behind a steel barricade they managed to put together.
Panting once her back slams into the steel she watches the ground get torn up following where she'd been running. Chunks of the ground missing, her shirt clinging to her chest and back as she takes her canteen from her hip to take a few swigs. Her body is burning, adrenaline is still pumping but she can feel herself starting to slow down, chest tightening as she puts the canteen back and looks behind her to see a group of seven soldiers advancing to her location.
Cursing under her breath she pushes herself into running ahead, just another 12 feet and up and small incline to where the last of her resistance is holding. "Cover me!" she calls and watches as a couple of young men pop their heads up and one chucks a grenade beyond her, feeling grateful that they held on for as long as they could before using them all up she pushes her legs to bound up the incline and then hears shouting and a boom.
At the top of the barricade, she turns to see at least four of the soldiers are down while the other 3 have taken cover, looking up at the sound of more shouting she sees that a helicopter is behaving erratically. A gunman falls from his mounted gun in the doorway and her heart takes a flip at the sight of Lara fighting to get control of the helicopter.
Having just shoved the gunman out of the helicopter, Alister rose out of the co-pilot seat and swings his gun out to stop her from making another move, but she is on him in second and uses her good hand to shove his arm up. A loud bang goes off as his gun shoots through the roof the helicopter.
"Mayday! Mayday! We're going down!" the pilot announces into his head set while Lara has her arm grabbed and she's pulled into Alister's lap. Seeing that they're spinning, Lara grips and pushes her feet into the seat of the pilot to brace herself before swinging her head back to nail Alister in the nose.
Crying out he releases his grip on her, gotta move-move-move! Get out! Taking advantage and not wanting to be in a helicopter wreck for the second time she grips the back of both of their seats and forces herself to charge out, her feet just missing the doorframe as she flies out. Body flailing around in the air before landing in an apple tree, hitting a solid branch with her right hip to spin upside down and tumble, arms and legs hitting twigs and smaller branches before hitting the ground with a thud on her right side.
Groaning she lifts her head and feels the ground start vibrating shortly after, her vision is doubled and then tripled before her eyes close to pass out.
Nearly all has gone quiet. Smoke is rising from different areas all around their village, signifying the carnage that has been brought down onto them. Running up to Sofia, Brock has his right arm in a sling with fresh blood soaking the left side of his head, "we've got nothing else!" he spits, "we've lost too many people! We must surrender and give them what they want!"
Feeling her the blood drain from her face, Sofia looks at him with a flicker of fear, the adrenaline wearing off in her body rapidly at those words and in its place her body starts to feel numb from the over exertion. "They'll kill us all! It doesn't matter if we surrender! It'll only delay them from finishing us off!" Sofia retorts and glances around at the main camp.
There is fear in the eyes of those around her, men and women standing only with a crutch under their arm pit to support themselves. A row of 8 bodies lie covered to the far right with weeping loved ones, to her left she sees their doctors are trying to mend those who are injured. A few tents have been torn up by bullets and wounded are being carried out. Under one of the tents is a hidden door with grass covering it, the children and those untrained hidden beneath, several feet down to be sure of heat signatures as Lara advised a long time ago. In a hut close by just 6 feet north of the row of bodies 3 people emerge from it and approach Sofia.
"Sofia… I'm sorry," a young man says to her, dark brown messy hair, a young face that is caked in dirt from fighting for the past hour it feels like.
Looking at a woman close in age to Sofia standing next to him, long blonde hair tied back in a messy pony tail, looking haggard but with spirit left in her eyes. "There is no more ammo, no more arrows… only a handful of spears. And listen," she mentions.
Closing her eyes Sofia had noticed a silence fall all around them, "Trinity knows…" in her mind she sees images of Lara falling out of the helicopter before it crashed shortly after. However it doesn't explode, the pilot managed a rough landing but where Lara landed is heavily in activity with Trinity. Her throat tightens but she takes a deep breath before the third person places a hand onto her shoulder causing her to open her eyes.
Jackie's eyes look older than ever, this fight looks like it's taken its toll on her and she lets out a breath through her nose, "I will stay with you to the end."
Furrowing her eye brows, "not a chance!" Sofia hisses at her, "you need to be able to tell the others who are in hiding what happened to the rest of us!"
Grabbing her left shoulder and spinning her to face him, "excuse me?" Brock says angrily, "as far as I'm concerned you have no right to dictate what the rest of us should be doing. It should land on me or someone else! You brought this on us when you chose to take on another dangerous artifact because of that bitch Lara!"
Her body goes rigid in an instant, Sofia doesn't think twice before punching him in the chin with her right fist, causing him to fall onto his back. "You have no right to speak about Lara or these matters in which you do not understand! I did what I could to protect the world with Lara! I'm sorry I didn't consult with everyone before agreeing to it, and it's my fault for contacting her which lead them straight to us!" tears are brimming her eyes, "I'm sorry I have brought about the downfall of our people!" her body shakes in anger and her head dips down in shame. "I'm sorry," she says quietly and turns to Jackie, "you are going into the safe place, end of discussion," she says as firmly as she can.
Glancing around at the others around her, "we have one more thing we can do before we give in," she says with finality.
A set of large hands holding onto a bicep each of Lara is dragging her to the lineup of people, she is held up higher in front of Alister as her head lolls back and forth, chin against her chest. He takes a mug of water and throws the water into her face, she coughs and sputters, trying to reach her hands to her face to wipe it clean before discovering her arms are bound. Her nostrils are filled with the stench of gun powder, blood and smoke. Nothing like when she came here with the Wings of Light, the memory of a peaceful and warm village that reminded her of camping is gone. Looking around wildly she looks at Alister in shock.
"Welcome back! We let you sleep your fall off while we organized your friends," he gestures to a large group of about 30 people, many are injured with bandages around the head, waist, chest, arm or leg. Looking back at Lara he puffs out his chest a bit proudly, "we've come so far and your reluctance has gotten you… what exactly?" he asks and starts to walk by the people in the front row.
Her eyes skim the crowd and she notices Jackie isn't there, and then her eyes land on Sofia in the second row several feet away from her. She isn't watching Alister, her eyes are down like most of them are, and she cannot read her face from this distance at all.
"I told you resisting would only get you and those you care about hurt, and that I will get what I want in the end so… why fight?" Alister strikes back and watches each of the individuals at his feet. Soldiers set up around the perimeter, he knows they won't try to make a move, however he still needs to show power, dominance, and that he's on a mission that he will do whatever it takes to get what he came for.
Watching the sullen faces, there's dirt caked on their faces, he watches them in curiosity. "Your friends are beaten… they are hurt… bleeding… clothes are torn from fighting for their lives and for what?" he kneels down in front of a young man who has bandages over his eyes and forehead. He reaches his right hand out and touches the fabric of the bandage gently, the young man doesn't flinch, doesn't pull away but he tilts his head up as though to look at the stranger. "You saved them only to put them through hell again," his eyes move over the young man's frame. "However you can end it all, right now," he stands up swiftly and opens his hands in a hopeful gesture.
"Tell me where the Wings of Light are and these people can get their proper medical treatment," he says smoothly as he walks back up to Lara who is glaring daggers at him.
"You know of no mercy!" Lara spits and tries to pull her arms free, "let them go! They don't know where it is!"
Clapping his hands together, "oh that I am aware… however I know that one will know," he taps his nose before walking right up to her face. "Sofia… you care about her and I feel she is the only one here you would tell or show where it is," he turns to the group. "I'm sure there was a picture of the two of you together, however I prefer the other method," he goes to a gun on his hip and pulls it out to point it into the crowd. "Which one of you is Sofia?" he calls out.
Lara pulls her arms as much as she can, yanking on each of the men's grips. Shoving the balls of her feet into the ground, feeling the men stagger just one step. Her heart starts racing while her hair clings to the sides of her face. "Stop! You leave her and everyone else alone! I will get you the Wings of Light! Just leave them alone!" she shouts desperately and a laugh comes out of Alister, one this is clearly enjoying his position.
Turning to her, his right brow raised, "but Lara… right now I have no guarantee that you'll even bring the Wings of Light to me. For all I know you will try and take off and use it as a bargaining chip and then I would be a step behind," he cocks his head to the side. "Wouldn't I?" glancing around at the faces, many of them are glancing up at him, but his eyes ignore them and searches for something else instead. "Come now Sofia, I need assurance and you're my best card," he points the gun down and starts to hover it over each villagers head.
Swallowing, Sofia looks up at Lara, concern in her eyes and for her time slows down. The gun is pointed at her but she ignores it, her eyes are on Lara and her mind takes in her battered state. The bruising on her face, the cuts that are bandaged and others are sealing up and bruising along the edges. A wrapped bandage around her waist from where Alister had stabbed her, her eyes travel along her arms to see the splintered fingers that she knows one was broken over the phone for her to hear.
She remembers the sight of Lara when she first met her, and now after Lara's adventures to get the Wings of Darkness and her torn up state, her heart is hammering a mile a minute inside of her ribs in fear. He will kill us all… and he's going to use me to get you to do his bidding and finally she feels his hand on her shoulder, time comes back to normal for her to be yanked to her feet and stagger towards him.
"The only one to look at you… made it a little too easy for me dear," Alister comments, as though saddened by this revelation. He places his fingers under her chin and she is forced to pry her eyes off Lara to look at him. "It's your concern for her… her concern for you," he says and takes a step back while holding the gun at her.
"STOP!" Lara screams, pulling with all of her might on the men who have now changed their stance so a leg each is anchored in front of them to keep Lara from pulling away from them. "Leave her alone!" she pleads, "I'll get you the Wings of Light, I swear it, just leave her alone!" she stares at the two in front of her, ignoring every ounce of pain in her body and wanting to protect Sofia from this monster. All of them from this madness that she put onto them. Her eyes darting between his gun and Sofia.
"Sorry Lara Croft," Alister says softly, "but I need my insurance," he gives a small, wicked, all knowing smile before pulling the trigger.
Her body goes rigid as she watches Sofia flinch, she doesn't register her voice screaming as she watches the red start to come through her chest, shot in the lung. Lara doesn't see him give a nod until she suddenly finds herself slamming into the dirt covered grass. She exhales and feels her left hand throb like it's on fire, sliding her left knee up, getting the ground up dirt caked onto her knee cap while pushing with considerable strain on her right hand she feels her body wanting to give in. Looking up through her wet locks she pushes herself and finally scrambles as fast as she can over to Sofia who is on her back now, gasping and looking around.
Taking her right hand in her own and searching for something, any piece of clothing material to try and staunch the blood. "Sofia! Please Sofia, you have to stay with me!" Lara begs and looks at Sofia's face who is looking alarmed but calm at the same time.
"Lara… you know," she swallows and coughs, straining to speak, more blood starts to spill from her chest, clutching at her chest and grimacing.
"Shhh-shhh! Don't talk! I will make you better, I promise!" Lara tries to assure her and is suddenly aware of Alister standing right next to her.
"Time is ticking, Croft," he says cooly and she cranes her neck to look up at him.
"I need a bow and three arrows," she says and he raises his right brow in question, "I can get it much faster if I have 3 arrows! Give me what I need and I'll get the bloody Wings of Light for you! Let me heal her!"
Gesturing to a soldier, the man hands over what she asked and she stands up while looking at Sofia, "I'll be right back!" she says and starts to move.
Limping along at first, she gasps and pushes her stiff legs to move faster, grabbing at the barrier with her right hand and clutching the bow with arrows to her body with her left arm. Hobbling along and looking up at the Observatory, Lara urges her body with all of her might to move and gradually her body finds what it needs and she starts running.
Alister watches from a distance, "remarkable," he whispers in fascination.
Her chest now burning, lungs are on fire from the exertion, the camp they set up the villagers at is over 20 feet away, she wonders how much more her body can handle and keeps the building in her view I am not going to lose you Sofia… I'll find a way… I'll figure something out she promises herself and feels her feet slipping on the wrecked grass as she reaches the stairs and climbs them. Panting, her body begging her now to collapse, but her mind is set on getting the job done.
Feeling the cold, rough texture of the stone steps with her finger tips, almost clinging to them and yanking herself up as she finally reaches the top. Using her right shoulder she slams it into the door, the cold hard door gives and she gives out a small cry. Her body really didn't appreciate the added abuse, "just a bit more, you can do it!" she tells herself and staggers into the large vast room.
Sweat dripping down between her breasts and sliding down along her hair line she uses her right forearm to rub at her eyes, pulling her hair out of her eye sight to see more clearly. "You can do this," she says to herself, looking down at the bow and setting it up, cringing at the way her hand is protesting to be used, lining up each arrow along the wood and the string, feeling the fabric between her dirty fingers and angling her upper body up. Drawing the string back, nice and taught, her heart hammering so loudly in her ears she can't hear anything else. Just the thud-thud, thud-thud, thud-thud, as she lines up each of the arrows and adjusts them to fire upon their selected targets.
Letting out a breath, they fly, she listens to each strand of fishing line snap, dust falls where the arrows strike into the ceiling and the satchel drops. She takes a step and drops the bow to catch the satchel. Feeling more weight on her shoulders, with the impending result of all that's happened drawing close. She reaches in and touches it while turning and running, all of the aches, broken bones, and swelling bruises vanishing. With her renewed strength she leaps down the stairs and when she hits the ground rolls before going at a sprint.
"My-my… this is quite the change," Alister marvels as he sees an all new Lara. His hand goes up to motion for his men to raise their guns on her as she draws closer.
Seeing this and knowing he would do it, Lara runs up a small barrier of rocks and kicks one hard, it goes rocketing into the nearest man and hits him square in the face. The soldier staggers back and she dives down once off the rocks to maneuver under the line of sight the others have to get in close to the one she just nailed and yanks his gun out of his hand to shoot the one that is nearest behind him.
As she spins around him to see the others all poised to fire she doesn't see the small stump in the ground at her next step, she trips as Alister was raising his gun to point it at Sofia to threaten her. As Lara falls the satchel lurches out of her grip and goes flying into the air.
All eyes are on the satchel and she pushes herself up on her palms and watches with the others, her line of sight darting to each person as they're now distracted. She scurries along as the bag drops from the Wings of Light, revealing their golden shine as is nears Alister and the group of villagers. Lara moves between each man effortlessly, feeling a little irritated by the fact she can't use her left hand to its full strength with the bandages on, restricting her movement and feel. She sees Alister look down in time to see her come up within a couple of feet of him. But she turns and leaps, catching the wings and lets her body drop, slamming into the ground a foot away from Sofia. Her heart racing like when she was climbing those old buildings after dealing with the army of the dead. She rolls next to Sofia and shoves the wings into her side before Alister can snatch them.
A beautiful, golden glow emits from it and she listens to Sofia gasp, Lara's heart lifts at the sound knowing that she has been healed and watches as Alister plucks the wings away from her. Sitting up onto her knees while Sofia sits up, moving close to her and they watch Alister look at the wings in marvel.
"Wow…" the gold reflecting in his eyes, a sparkle in his eye, "this truly is remarkable!" he looks over it in fascination, the craftsmanship and the texture to his clean fingers. A soldier steps up to him holding the bag with the Wings of Darkness and without looking Alister turns to him while the soldier sets the bag down and Alister lowers the Wings of Light with both hands into the bag.
The golden light shines out through the bag and Lara looks at Sofia, the hairs on the back of her neck have raised, her blood running cold in fear of what he's already setting out to do. Goosebumps line her arms and she takes Sofia's left hand firmly in her own, Sofia looks up at her with a similar look. Fear.
Is her village about to be the first place to be wiped from existence? Lara wonders and looks back at Alister as he lifts the Wings of Light out of the bag and reaches into the bag to pull the Wings of Darkness out, the other Wings protecting him from harm as he lifts them both out.
His chest puffing out, Lara feels a shift, a breeze blows through her hair and sends a chill down her spine. Looking proud of his accomplishment, "I've done it… I'VE DONE IT!" he cries out triumphantly.
Lara just barely hears it, however she watches a hole appear in his upper chest and his left shoulder jerk back, her pupils dilate in reaction while feeling a shift.
The final chapter is up next! I hope your enjoying what I've written! Please review!
-SLITH
