This is the 14th chapter. I don't own the series of Helluva Boss or the game of Tomb Raider.
Master of Luis: No worries. But as for Reyes go to Heaven? Well, that's something I can't say.
Solarii Fortress
After Lara and Antauri takes a breather at the campsite, they decided to get moving in order to find the crew of Endurance, Sam, and Twitman. Lara backtracked a bit and turned the valve they'd passed. It burst, nearly spraying her full on the face with gas. Backing away quickly, she aims her bow and arrow at the gas, lighting it, and resulting a blast blew a large metal crate down to use a boost to climb up the wall. After scooting along the ledge, they pulled themselves up and crawled forward. Antauri and Lara quietly hide next to the metal crates, hearing the Solarii.
"Oh fuck, I forgot about the smell."
"It's quiet. I don't think they're down here. Maybe we should just leave?"
"Come on, we have to be sure. Let's search the pit."
"Hey! What's going on down there?"
"Oh, hey! Nikolai sent us down. We're here on orders. Some of the enforcers told us we, uh...didn't actually talk to him."
'I don't give a shit who sent you bastards down here. You're not leaving out of here alive.' Antauri mentally growls.
"He wants one of the prisoners. The new one they just brought in."
"Alright, show me. Then we'll bring him up to Nikolai...together."
"Yeah. Sure, sure."
After the conversation ends, Lara fired at another plume that set the three on fire. They thrashed and screamed for a few moments after being burned by combustion gas, then went silent. With them gone, they jumped to the other catwalk and scaled the rock wall up to another enclosed pathway. They heard a Solarii doing a ceremony for the new recruits, which Antauri quietly snaps his neck from behind, and Lara fires her arrow at the other one from the stairs. They then interrupt the initiation ceremony by blowing up the men gathered. After they gathered the materials from the dead bodies, Antauri found the journal which obviously belong to Mathias and Lara found the artifact called 'Inscribed Silk Fan', they ascended the nearby stairs to find their path blocked. Lara turned her left and noticed a large hanging structure and the gas next to it. She thought of an idea as she fires her rope arrow to pull the large hanging structure to the gate, then pries it open to get the plume out, and then fires her fire arrow to blast the structure and destroy the gate. However, it causes the catacombs to rumble dangerously.
"Sounds like the more we use the gas, the more unstable this place becomes." Antauri commented lowly as they continue through, breaking into a run.
They raced through the tunnel as small rocks and dirt fell from the ceiling; explosions burst all around them. At one point, the floor collapsed beneath their feet and they were plunged into a gas-filled catacombs. Coughing, they ran almost blindly through the plumes of gas and managed to find a way out by climbing up the wall. Ducking down behind some crates, they jolted in surprise when they heard the voice of Reyes.
"Keep it up, you son of a bitch. When I get outta here, I'm gonna shove one of those arrows right up your ass." Reyes shouts.
"Hahah! This one's got a temper."
"Hey, don't rile them up, we're working here. Goddamn idiot."
"This cage is kind of overkill."
"Since the old man busted out, they don't want to take any chances."
"These new ones are trouble. We should just send them all to the Oni. So...what do you think's going to happen?"
"The Sun Queen...she's finally going to lead us off this rock."
"So it's all real? I mean...she's real?"
"She is. And nothing is going to stop us."
"I can't believe it...it's been so long."
"Everything is going to change, brother. You'll see..."
Antauri then turns back into a hellhound, lunged at the first Solarii and used his claws to maul him while Lara took the two men out. Cheering and applause came from above them.
"That was bad-ass, you two!" Alex cheered. "How the hell did you get in here?"
"We had some help." Lara replied which Reyes noticed Antauri's true form.
"Carl, what are you? A werewolf?" Reyes asks.
"No, I'm a hellhound from Hell. And my actual name is Antauri." Antauri told her. "Long story."
"And Grim?" Reyes asks again in dread.
"Yeah...he's fine, he's alive with my friends from the other side." Antauri answered which they wanted answers but decided to change the subject.
"Didn't think you're an actual hellhound in Hell." Jonah remarked. "How did it happen?"
"Again, long story." Antauri told him.
"But listen, there's a rescue helicopter on its way." Lara explains. "I know they're keeping Sam separately. Have you seen Whitman?"
"Guess he didn't make it to the guest rooms." Reyes replied.
"Mr. Showbiz probably weaseled an upgrade." Alex snarked, making Antauri bit back a smirk.
He hadn't forgotten Whitman's attempt to negotiate which ultimately got him and Lara captured. If he never saw that asshole again, it'll be too soon. Though, if he ever finds him, he'll kill Whitman and send him to hell while letting either Alastor, Lucifer, or Satan deal with him.
"We'll find him, and Sam too, but we're not gonna do anything from up here." Jonah added.
"We'll find a way to get you out." Lara called, glancing back at Antauri then back up to them. He nodded to them in agreement with her.
"Alright, let's try loosen this thing up." Reyes said. "Come on guys, again."
"Okay, ready...jump!" Jonah said as they jump, tried to get the cage to move the junk out of the way, but nothing happened.
"It's no use, Reyes." Alex told her.
"Ready...jump!" Jonah said, then tries it again and same thing.
"Goddamn it!" Reyes grunts in frustration.
"Lara, Carl...Sorry, Antauri...there is some weird shit going on here!" Alex called them.
"We heard them talking about a Sun spirit." Jonah adds.
"Sun Queen. The ancient ruler of Yamatai." Lara corrects him.
"You've gotta be kidding me. You mean, this is Yamatai?" Alex asks in disbelief.
"Yeah, it would appear so." Antauri replied.
"Well, ain't that something. We found the damned place after all." Reyes scoffs, now realizing where they are.
"Just wasn't what we expected, eh?" Jonah jokingly said with a chuckle.
"Understatement of the year." Alex remarked with a chuckle.
"Antauri, you said you have friends on the other side, are they also in Hell?" Reyes questions.
"Yeah, but they're more like my foster family. They found me in Georgia when I was pup after my parents were killed years ago." Antauri answered. "But like I said, long story."
"Well, we got time after we get the hell outta here." Reyes told him. "But what are they look like?"
"They're imps. If you see them, don't kill them. And watch out for pitchforks while you're at it." Antauri said which made Alex and Jonah snorts with a few laughs while Reyes just chuckled at his joke.
"Anyway, Sam's involved somehow...their leader thinks she's some kind of key." Lara said, changing the subject.
"Oh great...they have their own Charles Manson too." Alex scoffs sarcastically.
"His name is Mathias." Antauri points out. "He's the bastard behind all of this; forming some cult known as Solarii. And to top it off, he's been here longer than any of us."
"Ah, poor Sam. I hope we can find her." Jonah said, worried.
"One thing at a time, first let's get the hell out of this cage." Reyes suggested.
Lara pries the valve open to release the gas, quickly back away as she lights her arrow.
"Hold on to something!" Antauri shouts as Lara fires the arrow at the gas, causing it to explode to destroy the debris and loosen the cage...at the expense of the environment's stability.
"That did it!" Reyes said while Alex cheered.
"Alright!" Jonah adds. "Great job, Lara!"
"Shit, this place is becoming unstable, the floor is starting to unbuckle." Antauri comments as he and Lara quickly ran up the stairs.
"Don't worry about it, guys, just get us out of here!" Alex said as Antauri and Lara jumps onto the cage.
"You're doing great." Jonah praises them.
"Nice to see you all again." Lara said when Antauri noticed a large metal hanging structure.
"There!" Antauri called her as Lara quickly fires her flame arrow, making the gas explode and the hanging structure broke apart.
However, the explosion causes the cage to shudder, making them nearly tumble off the side. Antauri grabbed onto a bar on the side while Jonah prevented Lara from plummeting to her death since the ground gave out, revealing lava from below them.
"Jonah, swing her closer to me!" Antauri called.
Seeing he wasn't too far away, Jonah did as he said, and Lara wrapped her arms around the white hellhounds' shoulders.
"Thanks, that was close." Lara said as he shimmied them carefully around the cage, which Reyes looks down and realize that the cage is fallen apart.
"Oh, shit, we have a problem! Grab hold of something!" Reyes said in panic as she grabs hold of something.
"Ahh, we lost the cage floor!" Jonah shouts, quickly grabs on.
"Look down, man. We've lost all the fucking floors!" Alex told him.
"We gotta get out of this thing." Jonah said.
"Oh crap, this is bad." Alex said as Lara and Antauri are at the top of the cage.
"Lara, Antauri, you be careful out there!" Jonah called them as part of the makeshift wall explodes.
"Holy shit! Sounds like the whole mountain is going up." Alex explains as Lara and Antauri jumped off into the ledge. "Oh crap, we're starting to fall, hurry guys!"
"Lara, we need to do this part in sync." Antauri yelled all over the noise.
She nodded and together, they used their axes to bust open the gas valves and blew them up, Lara with her fire arrows, and Antauri throws the torch. The cage swung to the other side and stayed put long enough for the three of them to escape.
"Thanks!" Jonah shouts.
"Holy shit, that was close!" Alex adds with relief.
"Lara, Antauri, it looks like there's a way out on this side!" Reyes called them.
"Okay, then go!" Lara urged.
"And if you see Blitz and the others, don't hurt them!" Antauri shouts as he and Lara went on ahead to look for Sam and Whitman while Reyes, Jonah, and Alex head for a way out. More likely, Lara she could get Whitman while Antauri would only go for Sam.
"Good luck! Be safe, you two!" Jonah shouts as Lara and Antauri leaps off, grabs hold of the metal cage.
They pulled themselves up and then to another while jumping up to the ledge. Jonah's voice came through the radio.
"We're out, but this place is falling apart!" Jonah informing him while Lara and Antauri were listening, running.
"I've set up a rendezvous point back across the bridge. The chopper's going to be here soon!" Roth told them.
"Lara and Antauri's still looking for Sam and Whitman." Jonah said. "You never told us he's a hellhound from Hell."
"You wouldn't believe me if I tell you. But it'll be another time." Roth said, ending transmission.
After running out of the unstable cavern, they broke into the Solarii Fortress and easily got outside since the Solarii were so worried about escaping the collapsed building. they even heard the conversation.
"Goddamn it...what happened down there?!"
"They've angered the Sun Queen!"
"That's insane! Let's get out of here!"
"Fall back to the Palace!"
While the Solarii are busy panicking, the explosion was heard and killing a few more. Some are trying to get out of the barricade, but Lara prevents that from happening by firing her arrows while hearing more screaming.
"Come on! The ceiling's coming down! What are you doing? Go! Go!"
"I...I can't!"
Lara and Antauri then gathered some materials from the bodies, they easily got outside since the Solarii were so worried about escaping the collapsing building.
"Help! Anyone! I don't want to die! Ahhh!"
"Oh god...I can't hold on..."
"Keep moving...Just keep moving." Lara called when Antauri was right on her heels.
"Let's get out of here!"
"We're trapped! Look out!"
While continuing to run, jumping, climbing, and shimming along to avoid both Solarii and the raging flames that were killing some number of men, who are panicking and try to find a way out, they reached a room with multiple papers and photos of Yamatai along with words.
"That's Mathias!" Lara commented, looking at the photos.
"No one leaves." Antauri said, pointing at the wall at the red writing with his narrowed eyes. "That's what we heard in Japanese before the plane crashed."
"The ritual from Himiko's tomb...Why is Mathias so interested in it?" Lara asks, after observing the papers.
"No time! We gotta go, Lara! Now!" Antauri yelled over his shoulder to her.
She grabbed the paper and followed him out through the large hole in the ceiling. They quickly ran after the Solarii, who are busy trying to escape, and ziplined to the neighboring building.
"Run! Retreat to the shrine!"
"Come on, take my hand...you can do it!"
"It's the outsiders...take them out!"
"Keep them away from the Shrine!"
"We must be close then." Antauri commented, killing the Solarii while Lara fired her arrow at the other two.
They then press on, by jumping over to the other building, climbing at the wall, and pulling themselves up as they enter inside of the hallway. But as they're about to continue further at the end of the hallway around the corner, they heard footsteps and making Antauri turning back into a human form. Antauri pull out his knife and waited until they were closer before he spun around the corner, his knife raised and ready to kill. He lowered it just slightly seeing Whitman.
"Lara, Carl, you're alive." Whitman gasped.
"So are you...I mean, are you okay? What happened?" Lara asked.
"Once they stop seeing me as a threat, they let me move about almost freely." Whitman answered.
'I don't believe it for one fucking second.' Antauri mentally thought with a scowl.
"Did you know the others were captured?" Lara asks again, this time with a slight tone of disbelief.
"Yes, yes...Sam's in there, but I couldn't free her without a weapon. These Solarii are an anthropological marvel, Lara!" Whitman told her which made Antauri snap.
"That's fucking bullshit! These so-call 'MARVEL' were nothing more than mindless, heartless, murderers! They're savage killers to their very core!" Antauri snarled, not holding in his anger at Whitman's statement.
"He's right. We need to get our people out of here!" Lara stated, turning away.
"Of course, of course. I'll keep a look out here...you...you call me when it's safe." Whitman suggested.
Antauri resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he followed Lara in the direction Whitman said they're keeping Sam. Finding the room and carefully slipping inside, they heard Sam and Mathias talking.
"I don't think you understand. You have been chosen, Samantha." Mathias told her, while Antauri and Lara quietly head to another pillar and hide. "This is a great honor for you; for all of us. Some were beginning to doubt we'd ever find you...But here you are."
"Please. I know you think I'm something special. But I'm not." Sam said in a scared tone, turning to Mathias. "I don't want to be chosen."
"This is not about what you want. It's about what you are. Himiko's blood runs in your veins." Mathias remarked, slightly walking a few steps and turning back to Sam. "I think you know this, Samantha."
"You're insane, Mathias. Why are you doing this?" Sam asks.
"You're searching for logic and reason where there is none. I made the same mistake one. Back when I thought ships could reach us and planes wouldn't fall from the sky." Mathias explains his experience about his time in Yamatai.
"I just want to go home." Sam pleads, but Mathias grabs her by the neck harshly which made the white hellhounds blood boil.
"So do I, girl! I've waited years for this moment...I've given my life!" Mathias growled, drags Sam down to the ground with his hand letting go of her neck. "Don't think I've tried to get away from here?"
Antauri is starting to get even more angry, but Lara gently places her hand on his shoulder since he's nearly blowing their cover as his hand twitched towards his knife. He wanted so badly to draw it and kill the man responsible for all of their misery.
"From this place! We are all trapped here." Mathias continued. "But you, Samantha, you have the power to release us! Many have given up their souls willingly for this gift!"
However, his conversation with Sam has been interrupted when one of the Solarii members came to inform Mathias.
"The fires getting worse! The other girl's vanished with the freaky wolf!"
"This must be ended." Mathias said reluctantly. "Dmitri, guard her with your life."
After Mathias left, both Antauri and Lara looks at Dmitri guarding Sam. Lara took out Dmitri by firing her arrow at the neck, making his gurgle and collapse to the ground dead.
"Lara! Carl! Oh my God, you're here." Sam said with relief as she and Lara jogged over to each other, hugging each other. "I was beginning to think I was going crazy!"
"It's okay, it's okay...It's going to be okay." Lara assures while breaking the hug.
"Lara, your weapons." Antauri called her as he handed the machine gun and a pistol to her.
"How are we going to get out of here?!" Sam asks hysterically.
"We need to leave before he comes back." Lara replied, then calls out for Whitman after walking out the door. "Whitman! Whitman!"
But there's no answer.
"Where the hell is he?" Lara asks.
"Don't know, don't care." Antauri growled. "We don't have time waiting for his sorry ass."
But just as they're heading the other direction, Whitman appeared around the corner.
"Run you guys! Run!" Whitman shouts when Mathias appeared behind him.
"Get them!" Mathias shouts with an order.
"Shit! Back to the throne room!" Antauri yelled as Sam starts running while Lara shot down the ceiling to buy her some time.
As Antauri and Lara ran back into the throne room, they saw Sam running up some stairs on the other side just before another explosion caused the beams of fire came crashing down, separating them from her.
"Lara! Carl!" Sam screamed in fear.
"Keep going! We'll find another way out!" Antauri yelled as he then turns into a hellhound form.
Sam took off just as the Solarii came in and starts firing at them. They ducked behind a large pot to avoid the rain of bullets.
'Shit! We're sitting ducks!' Antauri mentally growled.
But Lara thought of an idea, meaning she'll give her adopted brother some cover fire while he go and kill the Solarii. With Antauri thinking the same thing, they nodded to each other as she returns fire while the white hellhound jumped from behind the pot and starts running at the Solarii. The Solarii fell quickly to Lara's execution-style shots and Antauri's claws and fangs while breaking their guns as if they're twigs. Their victory was short-lived as two heavier-armored Solarii came through the flames.
"The chosen one has escaped! Get out there and find her!"
"Oh no you don't!" Antauri grumbled.
Charging after one of them, Antauri took out his mask out and impales him right in the throat, slicing his head off. He then grabs hold of the naginata, charging after the other and sliced his arms off, then right at the throat, killing the other.
"Come on, pick it up! We can't let them escape!"
"Like you could ever stop us. You haven't before now, so why should there be any different?" Antauri asks sarcastically, pulls out the naginata.
"Get out of here! Move, move, move!"
"Good idea for once." Antauri remarked as he and Lara head for the exit, a back-way half-blocked by a searchlight illuminating part of the throne room. Pushing the light out of the way, they quickly ran through the halls.
"Hey, get outside, the chosen one has escaped into the city!"
"Come on, move it! We have to find her!"
Hearing them of the chase for Sam spurred them into a fiery run through the halls, blasting through any Solarii who foolishly tried to stop them. But soon as they got out of the smoke after dealing the Solarii, Nikolai is equipping himself with the 50-caliber turret.
"Go! All of you. Find the chosen one! They are mine!" Nikolai shouts with an order which made Lara and Antauri quickly maneuvered into the barricade.
"Now that's bringing out the big guns." Antauri joked as he and Lara maneuvered in and out of the barricades before the turret blew them to pieces.
Climbing up the side of the building using their axes, they took a quick breather before ziplining down to Nikolai's position, avoiding the gunfire as he tried and failed to stop them. They used the turret to push him back, but before they could get it re-aimed, Nikolai got to his feet and pushed back, sending Antaur, Lara, and the turret to the ground. But he never got the chance to fire at both Antauri and Lara again. The spot where Lara had landed put her near the grenade launcher. She manually fired one up and blew up the area where Nikolai had been before attaching the launcher to her gun and blasting through the heavier metal barrier in front of them.
"Ahh shit, she's got a freak and a grenade launcher! Run!"
"That's right!" Lara screamed ferally, firing at the Solarii attempting to escape while Antauri mauled them with his new weapon and his claws. "Run, you bastards! We're coming for you all!"
After killing all the Solarii, they decided to make a quick stop at the camp which they won't be staying for long because they still need to get to Sam before they could. For now, Antauri is working on his makeshift polearm to make if comfortable and more deadly for him. They then decided that it's time to get Sam since Roth, Kurt, Grim, and three imps are waiting for the chopper to arrive in Yamatai.
That's it for the chapter.
Another one of Mathias' journal.
5 June 2011
The years pass and I now hear her whispers in my sleep. It is the Sun Queen...she is urging me on. I see her magnificent face with every sunrise. Soon now...My Solarii toil in her name, building a city from all that she has brought to the island, torturing and sacrificing in her name. Soon now...we will find the one. I long for escape, but not simply from this island. From all of this...the wrecks, bodies, and squalor. If I can bring my Queen back, it will all vanish in an instant. And like the sun rising anew, she will bathe all the land and seas with her light, burning away everything. I will emerge from this scorched earth...reborn and pure.