PREVIOUS
Chapters 1 – 39 Archive

“You people better stop pushing me around or there will be consequences!” Doug shouted.

Darius continued to push Doug through the hallway with his grip of steel on Doug’s shoulder. He was accompanied by half a dozen Protectors and didn’t seem the least concerned about Doug’s threat. “You little idiot, some forces more powerful that you — which is pretty much everything — is trying to get you in the middle of all this for some reason, so Asmod has ordered me to remove you from here for everybody’s safety. You should feel lucky. This place is about to become a war zone.”

“I’m not little and I’m not leaving until I leave with everybody you jerks have imprisoned here!”

Darius tightened his grip and quickened his pace. “Asmod is an infinitely greater mind than mine, but I still question why we don’t just kill you.”

“How about I kill you!” Doug yelled but wasn’t even convincing himself. If he didn’t keep pace, Darius was lifting him off the ground by his shoulder.

They soon went up some stairs to the roof. Doug eyes instantly went to the dark swirling mass all about them. He then noticed numerous other Protectors standing around the vehicles.

Darius stopped. “What are you all doing here?”

They opened fire on Darius and his group, Darius tossing Doug aside as the bullets hit him with little effect. He drew a sword, and charged the attackers. Once again dazed from an impact, Doug lifted himself off the ground to see a number of Darius’s men had fallen. Just one stood between him and the stairwell, and we was quite distracted by the firefight. Doug used his last bit of strength to charge him, smashing into him and sending them both tumbling down the stairway. When they hit the ground, Doug ripped the rifle away from the guard and smashed the butt down on his head.

Now he was done being pushed around.

* * * *

“It’s time.”

Lara listened as gunfire erupted around nearby. The slaughter would be one sided for a minute due to the surprise, but she knew Ronove’s people had plenty of weapons secured throughout the building. Sure enough, she saw her people soon getting gunned down in the hallways, and it all degenerated into a chaotic bloodbath.

“Do you get tired of this crap?” Robin asked. She was walking with Lara, trying to ignore all the fighting around them.

“What do you–” A few bullets struck near Lara’s head, startling her for a moment. “What do you mean?”

“This acting like inept, suicidal idiots.” They paused as two of their people were shot down in front of them and stepped over the bodies. “Were we fully unleashed, this wouldn’t even be a contest.”

After Lara had killed a few people, it stopped seeming like something very hard or special to do. Plus, she certainly never aspired to be a duplicitous killer as a little girl. “Are you telling me you really care what these people might think of your fighting ability? We’re not supposed to be a bunch testosterone fueled idiots.”

“I’m just saying…” Some gunfire drowned out the rest of Robin’s reply, and she didn’t seem to have any response worth repeating.

They soon came to a lab inside which they saw the cube on a pedestal at the center of the room. Robin stayed back cautiously. “We just walk over and take it?”

Lara walked towards it. “Elza said she’d have Ronove distracted by now.”

“That he is.”

Lara turned around to see an unfamiliar woman with a familiar smile was in the room. “Elza?”

“Hey, girls.” Elza walked over and picked up the cube. “Been a fun day, hasn’t it?”

She tossed the cube to Lara. A shiver went down her spine as she came in contact with the artifact, but she suppressed the feeling and placed the cube in a pouch at her side. “About the same as any other day.”

Elza laughed. “Well, today is a day for change. You understand your mission now?”

“I do. If I may ask, is the cube important at all?”

Elza shrugged. “I’d rather possess it than not. Since it’s done stirring things up, lets bring it home. But Doug is the much more important artifact today; let’s keep that piece on the board.”

“It will be done.”

Lara headed for the exit and Robin followed. “I wish I knew what this was all about.”

Lara quickly checked her gun. “My guess is it’s much more interesting not to.”

NEXT