A/N: Hello all. I'm kind of new to this section; all my other works are Dark Angel fanfiction, but after finishing AOD I was dying to write my own sort of interpretation on what was going to come next. The prologue goes over the end of the game, but I've added a few things of my own, and it doesn't follow *exactly* along, but I've tried to make it pretty close. Hope you like it! The first chapter is already written, so I'll have that up within the next couple of days. Feedback appreciated.
Prologue
______________________________________________________________
Fallen
Vault of Trophies
Prague, London, June 7th, 2003
His gore pattered to grated metal, traversing trembling fingertips to pool beneath him as both knees gave in two spastic jerks. He felt the slick of bile rise to glaze his throat, thrusting against tightly compressed lips, a burning sickness roiling within disturbed stomach fluids.
The surrounding arena rippled before him, its solidity suddenly blurring as long lashes eclipsed intense cerulean orbs for a single moment.
He thrust a hand against the ground, clutching the ragged wound in his gut with the other as he tried to rise.
*Get up.*
Her image danced before him, startlingly clear in a carmine-painted world of agony and terror.
*Flashback*
"You need the third shard so you should go after that. I'll find the last painting and destroy it."
*End Flashback*
A gasp parted blood-dampened lips.
*Flashback*
"Here. Take these two."
"These are *your* specialty, Kurtis."
"Don't worry about ugly here. Go on. You're wasting time. I can take care of her."
*End Flashback*
He squeezed his eyes shut, panting. The effort of pushing himself slowly, painfully to his feet almost prompted his lunch back up his throat. He swayed and plunged an arm out, seeking refuge from his own body as it betrayed him, both legs quivering violently.
*Flashback*
"Glad you came back to save me, stranger."
"Kurtis."
"Lara. And this is business."
*End Flashback*
"Lot of help you're going to be to her." he rasped, a smirk crossing his mouth even as the world plunged to blackness before him. He took a faltering step forward, and another, thrusting his free hand out to feel through this whirling darkness that enveloped him.
Lying forgotten and alone, the special discus he maneuvered using telekinetic powers glowed for a brief moment, then settled into reluctant acquiescence, its soft illumination twining as one with the glistening river of his bodily fluids.
He appeared before her, devilish smirk in place, those rakish bangs shading but never cloaking that keen azure gaze. Beneath the dark shirt and khakis, she sensed the hardness of his body, a firmness built from years of adventuring, the pistol dangling from a holster at his side testament to his often perilous outings. His hand extended to her, welcoming, offering friendship, perhaps even love.
Full lips parted in shock, mahogany orbs widening within beautiful features as her own gaze lingered against the tattoo sheathing sun-darkened flesh.
And now he shifted again, melting back into original form, a mocking smile gracing thin and pale features.
"I've helped you all alone, both in Paris and here. You can trust me Lara Croft."
The barrel of the pistol clutched in deceptively slender fingers surged to target his chest. Her aim had wavered at Kurtis' sudden appearance, a reluctance to blow a bullet through her partner in crime surfacing despite what he'd been only a moment before. Now rage frothed to life beneath her breast, a hatred flaming more brilliantly than the smoking corpse of Ekhardt slumped only a few feet away.
She slipped a finger to the trigger.
"You killed Von Croy." she spat, that tattoo branded within her mind, a memory that rose now from the deepest recesses of her brain. An image frosted in the haze of a stormy night, illuminated only by sporadic flashes of lightning.
His face twisted into ugliness.
"Stupid mortal! So be it."
He thrust upward, in a fantastic leap managed only through supernatural forces, a glow encompassing his slender body. She shielded sensitive eyes, and turned from this unnaturally bright glare, weapon drooping.
The first bolt of energy tossed her backward as easily as a doll thrown by an angry child, slamming Lara into the pillar at her back with force enough to thrust a pained gasp through parted lips.
She landed crouching, lithe frame tensed in anticipation as he circled above. The very air hissed and writhed before her, the scent of seared flesh wafting to curl her nostrils against its unpleasantness.
Lara rose slowly, lethargically, her gaze never leaving the glowing bastard.
The pistol rose, and fired once.
She sprang forward, arms pumping at either side, perspiration slicking flesh beneath clothing.
Another bolt sizzled from above.
She leapt, and rolled, her acrobatics depositing her neatly on her feet before the coveted object. Her gun spat again, and she swooped upon it in the brief opening this distraction gave her, holding the glove securely against her for a moment.
*Payback's a bitch.*
He stumbled through rippling darkness, one strong hand trailing the wall at his side. His throat pulsed in ragged breath, each inhalation torture. His blood meandered in lazy rivulets down muscular legs, marking his hesitant progress. The pistol holstered at his side thrust painfully into flesh, the once soothing pressure now bringing nothing but agony to his battered figure.
He probed the liquid within his mouth with his tongue, tasting its acidity, a few droplets of crimson escaping to cling as miniature rubies to chapped lips.
The blackness rushed to embrace him, in a movement so startling that he pitched sideways, and fell heavily.
Its touch quieted harsh breathing, and in the coolness of its descent Kurtis sensed Death arriving for him.
She swayed far above, fingers spasming against chill flesh, only a single hand saving her from a nasty fall. In the other his glove lay soft and dormant within her small palm, and she shifted to press this to the Sleeper's foot. Her movement erupted the Sleeper's quiescent body into abrupt motion, this fallen angel arching its nude form in a cat-like stretch.
Lara's fingers slipped free, and she snagged a cable as she plunged, using her momentum to leap safely to its companion.
Her boots thrust ancient dust into the air, knees bending to absorb the shock of the fall.
A scream rose, unearthly in its origin, the noise prompting leather-sheathed hands to her ears as she took off. The silken cord of her braid whipped as a satin banner behind
her fleeing back.
The crack of parting rock urged her onward, faster even than before. The cavernous room trembled and thundered, these noises rivaled only by his unnatural shriek, a cacophony that parted the very walls before her.
Milky illumination enveloped the Sleeper, jerking Karel into its unrelenting embrace, exploding outward in a geyser of effulgent light that enveloped the sprinting young woman as well.
She felt its heat nipping at exposed flesh, and the world flared white-hot before her.
* * *
The arena smelled of death.
Her heart froze within her chest, stilling for a single moment as she approached the battle scene, weary and limping but thankfully still alive and kicking. *Looks like I might not be able to say the same for Kurtis.* she thought grimly.
The battleground lay devoid of life, bare before her but for the remnants of his life fluid, the glistening layer of carmine still shimmering.
She crouched to touch the stain with gentle fingers.
She slipped a hand over fresh blood to lightly touch his weapon, her fingers curling in the holes lacing its exterior, holding it as she'd seen him do. It snapped to life, humming and straining toward the darkest corner of the arena, fighting her powerful grasp.
A smile curved full lips.
She rose, and gripping the now-silent Chirugai at her side, followed its call, disappearing into the blackness.
Prologue
______________________________________________________________
Fallen
Vault of Trophies
Prague, London, June 7th, 2003
His gore pattered to grated metal, traversing trembling fingertips to pool beneath him as both knees gave in two spastic jerks. He felt the slick of bile rise to glaze his throat, thrusting against tightly compressed lips, a burning sickness roiling within disturbed stomach fluids.
The surrounding arena rippled before him, its solidity suddenly blurring as long lashes eclipsed intense cerulean orbs for a single moment.
He thrust a hand against the ground, clutching the ragged wound in his gut with the other as he tried to rise.
*Get up.*
Her image danced before him, startlingly clear in a carmine-painted world of agony and terror.
*Flashback*
"You need the third shard so you should go after that. I'll find the last painting and destroy it."
*End Flashback*
A gasp parted blood-dampened lips.
*Flashback*
"Here. Take these two."
"These are *your* specialty, Kurtis."
"Don't worry about ugly here. Go on. You're wasting time. I can take care of her."
*End Flashback*
He squeezed his eyes shut, panting. The effort of pushing himself slowly, painfully to his feet almost prompted his lunch back up his throat. He swayed and plunged an arm out, seeking refuge from his own body as it betrayed him, both legs quivering violently.
*Flashback*
"Glad you came back to save me, stranger."
"Kurtis."
"Lara. And this is business."
*End Flashback*
"Lot of help you're going to be to her." he rasped, a smirk crossing his mouth even as the world plunged to blackness before him. He took a faltering step forward, and another, thrusting his free hand out to feel through this whirling darkness that enveloped him.
Lying forgotten and alone, the special discus he maneuvered using telekinetic powers glowed for a brief moment, then settled into reluctant acquiescence, its soft illumination twining as one with the glistening river of his bodily fluids.
He appeared before her, devilish smirk in place, those rakish bangs shading but never cloaking that keen azure gaze. Beneath the dark shirt and khakis, she sensed the hardness of his body, a firmness built from years of adventuring, the pistol dangling from a holster at his side testament to his often perilous outings. His hand extended to her, welcoming, offering friendship, perhaps even love.
Full lips parted in shock, mahogany orbs widening within beautiful features as her own gaze lingered against the tattoo sheathing sun-darkened flesh.
And now he shifted again, melting back into original form, a mocking smile gracing thin and pale features.
"I've helped you all alone, both in Paris and here. You can trust me Lara Croft."
The barrel of the pistol clutched in deceptively slender fingers surged to target his chest. Her aim had wavered at Kurtis' sudden appearance, a reluctance to blow a bullet through her partner in crime surfacing despite what he'd been only a moment before. Now rage frothed to life beneath her breast, a hatred flaming more brilliantly than the smoking corpse of Ekhardt slumped only a few feet away.
She slipped a finger to the trigger.
"You killed Von Croy." she spat, that tattoo branded within her mind, a memory that rose now from the deepest recesses of her brain. An image frosted in the haze of a stormy night, illuminated only by sporadic flashes of lightning.
His face twisted into ugliness.
"Stupid mortal! So be it."
He thrust upward, in a fantastic leap managed only through supernatural forces, a glow encompassing his slender body. She shielded sensitive eyes, and turned from this unnaturally bright glare, weapon drooping.
The first bolt of energy tossed her backward as easily as a doll thrown by an angry child, slamming Lara into the pillar at her back with force enough to thrust a pained gasp through parted lips.
She landed crouching, lithe frame tensed in anticipation as he circled above. The very air hissed and writhed before her, the scent of seared flesh wafting to curl her nostrils against its unpleasantness.
Lara rose slowly, lethargically, her gaze never leaving the glowing bastard.
The pistol rose, and fired once.
She sprang forward, arms pumping at either side, perspiration slicking flesh beneath clothing.
Another bolt sizzled from above.
She leapt, and rolled, her acrobatics depositing her neatly on her feet before the coveted object. Her gun spat again, and she swooped upon it in the brief opening this distraction gave her, holding the glove securely against her for a moment.
*Payback's a bitch.*
He stumbled through rippling darkness, one strong hand trailing the wall at his side. His throat pulsed in ragged breath, each inhalation torture. His blood meandered in lazy rivulets down muscular legs, marking his hesitant progress. The pistol holstered at his side thrust painfully into flesh, the once soothing pressure now bringing nothing but agony to his battered figure.
He probed the liquid within his mouth with his tongue, tasting its acidity, a few droplets of crimson escaping to cling as miniature rubies to chapped lips.
The blackness rushed to embrace him, in a movement so startling that he pitched sideways, and fell heavily.
Its touch quieted harsh breathing, and in the coolness of its descent Kurtis sensed Death arriving for him.
She swayed far above, fingers spasming against chill flesh, only a single hand saving her from a nasty fall. In the other his glove lay soft and dormant within her small palm, and she shifted to press this to the Sleeper's foot. Her movement erupted the Sleeper's quiescent body into abrupt motion, this fallen angel arching its nude form in a cat-like stretch.
Lara's fingers slipped free, and she snagged a cable as she plunged, using her momentum to leap safely to its companion.
Her boots thrust ancient dust into the air, knees bending to absorb the shock of the fall.
A scream rose, unearthly in its origin, the noise prompting leather-sheathed hands to her ears as she took off. The silken cord of her braid whipped as a satin banner behind
her fleeing back.
The crack of parting rock urged her onward, faster even than before. The cavernous room trembled and thundered, these noises rivaled only by his unnatural shriek, a cacophony that parted the very walls before her.
Milky illumination enveloped the Sleeper, jerking Karel into its unrelenting embrace, exploding outward in a geyser of effulgent light that enveloped the sprinting young woman as well.
She felt its heat nipping at exposed flesh, and the world flared white-hot before her.
* * *
The arena smelled of death.
Her heart froze within her chest, stilling for a single moment as she approached the battle scene, weary and limping but thankfully still alive and kicking. *Looks like I might not be able to say the same for Kurtis.* she thought grimly.
The battleground lay devoid of life, bare before her but for the remnants of his life fluid, the glistening layer of carmine still shimmering.
She crouched to touch the stain with gentle fingers.
She slipped a hand over fresh blood to lightly touch his weapon, her fingers curling in the holes lacing its exterior, holding it as she'd seen him do. It snapped to life, humming and straining toward the darkest corner of the arena, fighting her powerful grasp.
A smile curved full lips.
She rose, and gripping the now-silent Chirugai at her side, followed its call, disappearing into the blackness.