Tomb Raider: The Legacy

Chapter 17: Rats

"He who fights with monsters should look to it

that he himself does not become a monster.

And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.

Friedrich Nietzsche

The man known as Zip had many secrets and lived a not so easy childhood in the suburbs of New York. Such experiences, more frightening than a scary movie, would've distorted the character of anyone. After all, we are human, and suffering twists us, spoils us.

The man known as Zip wasn't spoiled. Instead of being twisted by suffering, it was him who twisted the suffering. He seemed a clown, an idiot who spent his time joking and making fun of everything, making bad jokes and taking absolutely nothing seriously. Hacking was the only talent he seemed to have. However, he, as much as any other else, was a survivor. His sense of humour was his shield, also his salvation board.

But the shields break, and the boards end up sinking.

When everything blasted, a sharp roar tore his ear. Releasing a cry of pain, he pulled the communicator away from his ear and reclined against the back of his chair, in time to see, with chilling clarity, the wave of fire and smoke flooding the numerous screens; and then half of them go black, and fill the other half with snow.

A chill ran down his spine. For a moment, he remained stiff, motionless, holding his breath. Then, the communicator was adjusted again.

He tested channel 1. "Kurtis! KURTIS!! Where are you? Answer me!!" Silence. Rather, a background noise, persistent, sharp. It was broken.

Channel 2. Shouted Lara's name. Several times. She didn't answer. But he noticed horrible background noises, shouts, shrieks. She could be hurt or dead.

One of the monitors was still working, showing him an indescribable horror. The installed micro camera covered the stage - or what was left, burst into splinters. And Selma was just above it at the time of the blast.

Bending over the arm of his gamer chair, Zip threw up everything in his stomach, a disgusting mass of hamburgers and fries sprinkled with Coca-Cola. Then, he stood up again and tried channel 3. "Barbara." He gasped. Stomach acids burned his throat. Suddenly, he couldn't scream. "Or Bathsheba. Whatever your name is. Please. Answer me. For God's sake, someone answer me."

And then, he heard the most beautiful voice in the world, the most beautiful words ever spoken. "I'm here, Zip. Whatever your name is." It was the voice of an old enemy, it was the voice of a rival, of a strange companion and ally, but Zip burst into tears of joy upon hearing her. "Tell... tell me what happened." He sobbed, not caring that she heard him in that status. "What... what the hell happened, fuck... nobody answers me..."

"There's no time." That woman's voice tensed and stretched like a whip. "He's here."

"Who --- what?"

"Schäffer. He's here. Looking for me." She heard her breathing deeply. "He can't see me yet, but I'm behind one of the columns near the buffet. Notify the others."

Channel 1. Channel 2. Again. "They do not answer! I gotta...I ...!"

"Warn them! NOW! There's no time." And he heard her breath again. "He's coming."

(...)

Kurtis had promised Barbara he wouldn't allow Schäffer to approach her. Strange how even in the most impossible situations, the former Legionnaire managed to keep his promise. More or less. Thanks to Zip, however; for shortly after Lara regained consciousness, he managed to notify the assassin's presence in time.