Thank you to Spectrumall who beta read this chapter by spelling, grammar and some details.

enjoy the chapter next one is still coming soon, thank you :)

Chapter 1: A Partner

Lara collapsed on the ground of the arena, trying to catch her breath, flames still coming out of the now destroyed laboratory behind her. She looked upwards, only to discover Kurtis was no longer there. Then she noticed a pool of blood and within it she saw Kurtis's mysterious disc weapon. She picked it up and it immediately quivered its blades, while at the same time the disc started moving towards the chamber's exit. A small smile ran across her face as she made her way to the huge door where Boaz was kept in just hours ago. As she walked into the darkness the blades quivered back into the small device and it stopped moving. For a second Lara just stared at the now motionless disc before looking up and seeing a door in front of her, its handle covered in bloody stripes. Lara stepped through the door only to find more blood leading further into the building.

"Come on," she begged the motionless disc in her hand. "Show me the way to Kurtis." The disc remained silent. Lara sighed and started to make her way through the building, checking every corner for traces, always following the trail of blood.

It was about that time when Lara heard a sound behind a corner. Immediately she pulled out her gun, ready for everything. When she noticed it was someone talking, she decided to wait and listen: "Kurtis, fucking where are you." The voice sounded like a woman. That was also looking for Kurtis apparently. Lara went around the corner only to see the woman leaving the room through another door.

Who the fuck is she, Lara thought, quickly following the stranger. Entering the next room, Lara found it to be empty as well but there was another door on the opposite side. Lara opened it and the icy wind blew into her face. The door led right outside and there was the trail of blood again.

"KURTIS!" She heard the woman's voice once more.

Lara followed the voice until she saw the woman again. Quickly she hid behind a corner, just to peer out from behind it a second later. There she was, the woman, right next to Kurtis, sitting on the ground. Lara watched her as she pulled out a first aid kit, starting to stop the wounds bleeding.

"What the hell happened back there?" Lara heard her asking him, before hearing his broken and shaken voice.

"What part are we talking about, the one where I left you behind or how I got my guts torn out?"

"A little of fucking both. Damnit Kurtis, next time don't leave your own behind," the woman replied, almost angry but mostly worried. "Now can you get up and walk?"

"I'll try," Kurtis answered and struggled to get up - with her help of course - on his feet, then leaned onto the woman's shoulder. They started to walk off further away from her, but Lara was still able to hear them talking.

"Say, did you pick up my Chirugai in there by any chance? I appear to have forgotten about it" Kurtis asked.

She sighed. "Don't seriously tell me you left it inside. Can you call it, or do I have to go back and find it once I get you to a hospital?" The woman uttered.

"I'll try calling it again," Kurtis replied and raised his hand back to the building of the Strahov.

In Lara's hand the disc started to glow again, and it started moving towards its master quickly, pulling Lara out of her cover and with her. The woman seemed surprised but immediately aimed her gun at the newcomer. Kurtis raised his voice, stopping the woman from doing anything else.

"It's alright, this is just Lara." The woman lowers her gun but still warily surveys Lara.

"Lara? I only know one Lara that you would meet in a place like this. Croft?" She asked, looking at Lara who was, now that Kurtis's weapon wasn't pulling her anymore, approaching them carefully. She walked into the light and caught a glimpse of the woman's face. Gasping out, Lara spoke hesitantly. "Marina? Marina Walker? Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me. What on earth are you doing here?" Marina holstered her gun; she didn't seem nervous anymore.

"A long story, I'll tell you later," Lara answered, then looked at Kurtis. Marina nodded and turned her face back to Kurtis.

"Time to get you to a hospital, Kurtis."

Lara and Marina drove him to the nearest hospital and the employees quickly took him into surgery. Lara and Marina sat in the waiting room now and Lara was curious to know how the woman happened to know Kurtis.

"Werner called me, asking for my help and now I'm in this mess. Police are looking for me, they seem to believe I am the Monstrum who caused all this."

Marina sighed "I'm sorry, we will help you clear your name."

"Thank you." Lara decided to switch topic "So how do you know Kurtis?"

"Oh, we work together," she replied. "How much do you know about him?"

"Not much, met him in Paris and we teamed up here in Prague. I know that he is the last living member of the Lux Veritatis." Lara sighed, remembering all the time he helped her during the previous events. "What work do you two do then?"

Marina glanced at the hallway and then back to Lara "Not quite. You are right he is a Lux Veritatis, but he is not the last one. Well, not yet. The order is dying and Eckhardt and his men had come and killed almost every member of the order."

"So how many are left?" Lara asked remembering how he reacted in the Strahov after he went and put the power back on.

"We don't know yet. But so far, it's only the two of us." Marina walked over to the table and poured two cups of coffee.

"You're a Lux as well!" Lara responded in surprise and took the coffee she offered. "Thank you"

"Yes, I am." Marina declared as she took a sip of her coffee.

Lara glanced at her with suspicion. "So why weren't you here helping Kurtis if you're also a member of the order?"

"Kurtis and I were in Germany a week ago following Eckhardt to another one of their secret bases, but I got captured. When I finally managed to escape, I learned that Eckhardt is going to Paris, and Kurtis had left me behind like always and went after him alone." Marina sighed. "Lara, look. The blood will spill again and when it does, I want to be prepared." Marina sat back down on one of the chairs.

"Blood? What are you talking about?" Lara asked with a look of concern.

"There is a prophecy that talks of the one whose blood will be spilled for the unworthy souls. Only the one out of the Light of Truth will be able to prevent this from happening." She stopped and took another sip from her cup.

"You believe in this prophecy?" Lara asked sipping her own coffee.

"Yes, and with that we will finally be able to kill Karel."

"Wait - Karel? But I killed him." Lara said in surprise hearing that name.

"Karel can't be killed in an ordinary way, only the prophecy or the mystical weapon wielded by one of the Lux Veritatis has the power to do so."

Silence covered the room; both were preoccupied in their own thoughts until hours later a nurse came up to them to tell them that the operation had succeeded. Lara and Marina followed her into the room where they could see Kurtis through the window. He was in ICU and the only thing that showed he is alive is those damn machines. Lara slid down a nearby wall and looked at Marina. "This isn't over, is it?"

Marina shook her head. "No. Karel is out there just waiting for us to make a mistake."

"You said earlier there is a weapon that can kill Karel. Where is it?" Lara asked. She loved the thought of finding another hidden relic of ancient times. Only this time it would be required to save the entire world from Karel. So, no pressure at all.

"It is hidden away in the Temple of Knights. The precise location is still unknown." She paused as she slid down the wall on Lara's left. "It is only revealed once someone has collected all the keys."

Lara looked up. "Where are the keys located?"

"One key is in the American jungle. Once you find it, it is supposed to tell you the location of another one." She replied.

They didn't exchange any more words until they both decided to leave the hospital for now to get a room. They found a cozy hotel nearby and went ahead booking a room for each one of them.
Lara went up into her room and, being too tired to even wash, she fell asleep almost immediately.

Marina, in the meantime, took it out at the hotel's gym. She was furiously beating the punching bag. Karel was still somewhere out there, and he wouldn't stop by anything until he had achieved every one of his goals. Thinking of him just fed to her anger as she let it out on the punching bag.