Jedd the Jedi

Thanks! Yes, I did imagine them to be a different kind of threat. Crown of Utama Chapter 8 Lara looked all around her. She was surrounded by coast guard speedboats – as she expected. The only thing was that almost all the boats were on fire or had been attacked, and the bodies of dead coast guard patrolmen floated all around. Alex reeled back in disgust. Lara turned towards the dinghy. It was empty. She then saw a fire response boat behind in, with Ahmad standing on the deck. “Ahmad!” she called, shocked. Blake stood, holding a gun to Ahmad’s head. Two burly henchmen held onto him. Ahmad remained silent, figuring out how to free himself. “You don’t give up, don’t you?” Blake sneered, shoving the gun into Ahmad’s cheek. What looked like a fleet of fire response boats, but were commandeered by Blake’s henchmen for sure, encircled the area. “Naturally,” Lara scowled in response. “What is it that you bloody want?” “And who the hell are you?” Alex asked. Blake shook his head. “I thought you’d have figured out by now, Lady Croft. I also believe you have what I want. Come on board. Your boyfriend too,” Blake finished, pointing at Alex with his free hand. Alex and Lara cautiously swam over to the fire-response boat, proceeding up the ladder. Lara moved her hand over two pockets sewn into the wetsuit. The slight bulge of the guns was evident. The henchmen noticed too late. Lara drew both RGP pistols, throwing one to Alex who finished off some of Blake’s personnel. Lara rammed her gun into Blake’s head. Blake smiled, keeping his hand on the trigger. He did not have to speak a word for Lara to understand that this sick spin on a Mexican standoff would not end well unless someone, somehow, intervened. Alex dropped the gun and raised his hands, slowly walking nearer to Blake. “I have the crown you’re looking for. What you want to do with it I don’t give a damn.” He placed the half-torn bag on the floor. Both Lara and Blake kept their weapons aimed at their respective targets. “Go on,” Blake said. Alex reached into his bag and pulled out a kris. In one fluid movement, he unsheathed the weapon and sliced it across Blake’s back, not deep enough to mortally wound him, but enough to make him cringe and pull his gun away. Lara knocked Blake unconscious with a kick to the head and a frenzied battle ensued, as men realized something was off and viciously battled Alex. Lara cut a relieved Ahmad free. Ahmad picked up the gun Blake had planned to use against him and put his years of training to good use. He was a superb marksman and methodically took his opponents out. The other “fire response boats” noticed that something was wrong and began firing from hidden turrets. Lara, Alex and Ahmad rushed into the fire-response boat to take cover. Meanwhile, Blake rose, a grimace wiping across his face. He crawled agonizingly across the deck, reeling in pain from the cut. “You okay, Ahmad?” Alex asked. “It’s alright,” Ahmad answered. “I know how to drive one of these things.” Ahmad entered the command bridge of the fire response boat. “I can get you to an SOF safe house on the Riau islands some distance from here.” Lara, by now breathless, nodded. Alex sat slumped on one of the benches in the fire response boat. This was more than the two of them had bargained for. “At least Blake’s taken care of,” Lara said. She set the bag down on the sparse table in front of her and pulled out the crown. At last, she was able to examine it. It was very much unlike the crowns of ancient feudal monarchy. It was ornate and ornamental, much like the Kris. Ancient Arabic letters adorned the rim of the crown. Lara shuddered slightly when she remember her most recent encounter with ancient glyphs. There was also that deep-seated doubt that this was not Utama’s crown. After seeing the lengths her adversaries had gone to acquire it, Lara was almost certain that this was more than just some black market prize. A figure staggered through the door, his expression something between a manic smile and a painful grimace. Lara realized she had spoken too soon. Despite being badly injured, Blake Tan was still a threat and was determined as ever to get hold of the crown of Utama. “Lara Croft,” he said in a ragged voice. Lara drew her guns. She now realised that Blake was brandishing a kris. Alex smiled. “Rematch?” he taunted Blake. Blake scowled. “You filthy American!” He brought his blade up and engaged in a furious duel with Alex. In the meantime, Ahmad worked to get them as close to Riau Island as they could, and Lara took the crown and ran to a cabin. She was confident that Alex would be able to handle the situation. “You know something about krisses?” Blake asked his opponent in-between clashes of the blade. “They have an essence, the ability to give its wielder good luck or bad!” Blake struck out with fury, gouging a deep cut in the wall of the fire response boat’s interior. He was surprisingly skilled with the ornate asymmetrical dagger which, despite being hundreds of years old for sure, still displayed magnificent power. Alex was having a little trouble adapting moves he had learnt from traditional fencing to use with this unfamiliar weapon. The early afternoon sun caused both blades to gleam menacingly. The thought that this might be the last thing he’d ever see made Alex feel sick to the stomach. Blake moved skillfully, as if the cut Alex had inflicted was nothing now. Alex was unsure if he could keep it up for long. As if reinforcing this thought, the blade of the kris sliced his right forearm, adding to the many cuts inflicted by the tentacles in the cave some time earlier. Alex grimaced, dropping his kris to the floor. Blake laughed in triumph, readying himself for the fatal stab. Alex was now on his back, at the mercy of the dagger about to be plunged into his chest. He reached over and grabbed the kris he had just dropped with his left hand, bringing it up to defend against Blake’s assault. Alex pulled the blade back, seemingly giving up. Blake smiled. Then, with an expression of shock the last he would ever have, Blake crumbled to the floor. Alex had thrown the kris into Blake’s chest, the dangerously curved blade embedded in his opponent. Alex growled and yelled at Blake, “who are you working for?! Why do you want the damn crown?” With what was left of his consciousness, Blake stammered, “you…have fought…well…but you will fight well again.” “I’m quite sure your kris’s essence gave you bad luck,” Alex smiled. He then focused on Blake’s last words. “You will fight well again…” Alex didn’t know if it was a compliment, a warning, or a clue. At that moment, Lara burst out from her cabin. “Alex!” she exclaimed. “You’re alright, thank God.” She kissed him deeply and reached for a med-kit to tend to his wounds. “What did Blake say?” “I…I don’t know what it means,” Alex began. “Something like ‘you have fought well but you will fight well again’”. Lara thought for a moment. “Never mind that now, you just relax. I’m sure we’ll be able to salvage some information from Blake’s computers. Now, we wait.” Chapter 9 “We’ve shaken them” Ahmad reported. Alex’s breathing was ragged, but he was only lightly wounded. “You can get that treated at the safe house,” Ahmad pointed out. “Thanks for helping out,” Lara said as she sat tending to Alex and inspecting the crown. “You don’t suppose we also get some…research done at your safe house? I have a friend back home who can perform a remote analysis of Blake’s computer if I get a decent uplink.” “Of course,” Ahmad smiled. “I still don’t believe the crown of Utama is real. And you said…there were tentacles preventing your escape?” Ahmad asked, curious. “Yeah those,” Alex said. “Nastier than the living stone monkeys in Cambodia. And a little creepier too.” “The ends were shaped like ancient Arabic glyphs…” Lara recalled. Her train of thought was interrupted by the slowing of the fire response boat. “Ahmad, why are we stopping? We’re nowhere near any island.” As if in response to her question, the radio communications crackled to life. “Fire Response, you are in water controlled by the SOF. Please state your intent.” Ahmad smiled. “Sir, ex-SOF operative Cicak,” Ahmad spoke into the radio. “Cicak?” Alex asked, confused. “He means gecko or lizard,” Lara whispered. Alex stifled a laugh. The voice over the radio continued. “Ex-operative Cicak…confirm status: under duress or ordinary.” “Egret,” Ahmad said the code word into the radio. “Carrying wounded passengers.” “What is it with their wildlife obsession?” Alex complained. Lara glared at him and signaled for him to pipe down. “Confirmation accepted. Cicak, please note that your passengers will keep any information they might be privy to strictly confidential.” Alex and Lara nodded. “Please stand by for escort.” Ahmad smiled, relieved. “I’m lucky they still remember me,” he said. “So, Agent Gecko huh,” Lara teased. Ahmad frowned. “Geckos approach undetected and evade predators efficiently,” he said, defensive. Seemingly out of nowhere, two small interceptor boats, similar to the Blackspot Loyang Lara and Alex had commandeered the previous night, approached. They seemed capable of fantastic speeds but proceeded slowly, Ahmad’s fire response boat trailing behind them. A minute or so later, the boat entered a small cave in the side of a rock structure on Riau Island. The cave was pitch black until a series of lights flickered on. Lara realised that they had entered a concealed jetty, and one that was pretty state-of-the-art as well. The interceptor boats docked, and personnel came to secure the fire response boat. They seemed a little disturbed, probably by the number of bullet holes that had riddled the craft – and the fact that its deck was covered in blood stains. Ahmad disembarked with Lara and Alex behind him. A stony-faced man, the typical military type, dressed in combat pants and a training jacket over a white singlet was standing there ready to greet them. Ahmad raised his hand in a military salute. “Sir,” he said. The man returned the salute and broke into a warm smile. “Ahmad! It’s been a while! How are you, brudder?” Ahmad wanted to relax, but knew he couldn’t. He replied, “Bagus sir.” He then introduced Alex and Lara to his officer. “We need to use your facilities immediately officer. Maaf, he apologized.” “Tak apa,” the Officer smiled, leading them through a door on the far end of the concealed jetty. Past the door was a short, wide and brightly-lit corridor. Doors lined either side. Lara noticed SOF operatives taking naps and watching football matches. She also saw doors without any windows, these ones labelled as briefing rooms. The officer began, “say, I saw you two on Prime Time Morning today. You were involved in the attack on the Fu Qi.” Lara nodded. “Yes. The ship’s captain set us up and kidnapped us from the Fullerton hotel. With Ahmad’s help, we managed to escape but encountered him again. He died on the boat we came in on. His men must have hijacked fire response boats, or disguised their own speedboats as official ones. We are grateful for your assistance, officer.” “Yeah, we also went back to the excavation site where we found what she thinks is the crown of Sang Nila Utama and then we were attacked by Arabic glyphs,” Alex finished Lara’s story. “Humour the ang moh, Alex whispered to Officer Lim, who smiled uneasily. Soon, the three of them were in the safe house’s sick bay, where a military nurse tended to Alex as Lara sat nearby, her laptop computer and Blake’s in front of her. A familiar face appeared on the screen. “Hi Zip. I need you to help me get into this laptop computer Alex…retrieved from a bad guy.” “The two of you at it again?” Zip laughed. Lara put on her most serious look and stared into the web cam. “Yikes! No problem, I’ll get you in. What you have so far?” He asked. This time, Alex replied, looking into the web-cam from his hospital bed. “His last words were “you will fight well again” “I’ll cross-reference that with his files…” the screen on Blake’s laptop came to life, as raw text ran across it. “’Well’ could mean a couple of things: Roswell, a couple of significant excavated wells in the mid-east…wait. I think I got it.” Zip said, his eyes lighting up. “What do you have, Zip?” Lara asked, eager to find out. “I’ve checked the outbox in his encoded email account, and it seems he has correspondence with someone from ‘Rose Well Shipping International’. That ring a bell?” Ahmad’s officer spoke. “Rose Well Shipping is one of the largest shipping trade companies in South-East Asia. Its main offices are in Bangkok and Singapore.” “Is that so…” Lara said thinking. “Tell me what you know, Zip.” Zip tapped on the keyboard of another computer at his workstation in Lara’s manor. “Rose Well Shipping was established in 1983…blah blah blah… here! Its owner and CEO is Lynn Tan – Forbes magazine calls her the ‘Steel Lady of Shipping’. The most successful woman in the shipping business. She’s based in Bangkok, where their main offices are.” “Does she have any connections to a Blake Tan?” Lara asked. “Let me see…oh yeah, Blake Tan is one of Lynn’s cousins. Low-profile guy: ex-Police Coast Guard officer, holds minor shares in Rose Well Shipping, now free-lancing captain-for-hire. Why?” Lara’s eyes narrowed. “He’s no longer for hire. Thanks Zip. Alex, we’re going to Bangkok.”

The premise is simple but pretty effective. As it happens, your story turns out far too much like a screenplay. Focus on using more descriptives intstead of flooding your story with dialougue. Also, ensure your grammar, paragraphing and punctuation marks are used properly. If attempting fanfiction, try and write is as you would a school essay assignment - use basic skills as a jump-off point. This makes it far easier to read and understand. Also, make each character's dialogue distinctly theirs - you should be able to tell that A not B is speaking simply from the tone and content of the dialogue.

Thanks. Well, I'm working on it. My plan was to place Lara in places that I'm familiar with but the audience at large isn't, so I opted for Singapore. I have to take some liabilities, though, because I haven't exactly gone diving off Palau Hantu. Chapter 7 Crown of Utama Chapter 7 Alex looked down the underwater cavern. It was just narrow enough for them to pass through one at a time. The lights continued dancing, their glow interacting in an almost beautiful way with the water. Alex didn’t know if they were an invitation or a warning. He shrugged and followed Lara in. Lara shone the torch ahead and around her. What were curious were the glyphs that lined the seemingly natural tunnel. No man could have stayed at this depth for the time needed to carve the glyphs. Lara was also rather sure that these tunnels had not fallen into the sea from Pulau Hantu by accident. “Lara…what is that?” Ahmad asked over the radio. He could see what Lara could from the wireless camera link-up system on Lara’s wetsuit. “I don’t know Ahmad…” Lara said, considering. “And so the tomb raiding formally begins,” Alex sighed. A moray eel stuck its neck out of one of the many holes in the cavern. Alex recoiled and let it retract back. Further shocks might lead to an excess of carbon dioxide, Alex reminded himself. If the scrubbers in the re-breather were working properly, Alex and Lara would have just over three hours left. “Careful Alex,” Lara warned. However, from past experiences, Lara knew that moray eels were of the least possible concern. Lara and Alex finally arrived at the end of the cavern. They entered the narrow space from where the dancing hues were emitted. The light played on various ornamental objects piled in the tiny cavelet. Several skeletons – or parts of them lay around the objects. Small pieces of ancient Malay Batik wear floated around the cavelet. Lara ignored the grisly scene – she had, after all, been witness to much worse. “Well, seems like our predecessors didn’t come out looking too healthy.” Lara ignored Alex. “These are all crowns or kris,” she pointed out. Alex held up one of the kris and inspected it. It was roughly 13 inches long. The magnificent ceremonial instrument – and deadly weapon – was made from meteoric iron. The blade was curved in a menacing yet beautiful fashion, the handle encrusted with gold and jewels. “This has got to be the deposit of crowns in the story. Utama’s must be among them,” Alex reasoned. “Any royal who passed the waters had to throw in an object of importance to satisfy the water spirit,” Lara said, recalling what she had read. “Crowns were the most common, but some of the royals had to sacrifice their kris for sure.” “Alamak, Lara!” Ahmad exclaimed over the radio. He was clearly taken aback at the discovery that the story he had been told so many times as a boy was in fact reality. “Water spirit…”Alex considered grimly. Both he and Lara had encountered mythical beings and almost all of those instances were unsavory, to say the least. “We’d better get this crown and get moving.” “We need to figure out which one is Utama’s,” Lara said. “Let’s just take all of them,” Alex replied, quickly putting the crowns into the collection bag he had brought down with him. “Mercenary…” Lara scowled. “You’d best be careful not to awaken the water spirit.” “Yeah, I don’t want to get the attention of Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster either,” Alex joked. Lara shook her head. Her attention turned to one of the decayed corpses, its hand tightly clutching one crown. Lara’s eyes narrowed. “This must be it…why else would the captain be holding on to it?” She picked up the crown and put it in the bag, sealing it. “Let’s go.” Alex pocketed one last kris before following Lara out the way they came. He made sure only to get the ones that were sheathed, less a gaping hole be cut in his already far-too-full collection bag. Lara stopped for a moment. By this time, demons and mummies were usually on her tail. She brushed the thought aside, knowing she should instead be relieved rather than suspicious. “Okay Ahmad, we’re going up.” “No problem, Lara,” Ahmad said. Lara detected a tense quality in his voice. Maybe he was tired or just uncertain that their expedition would be a success. Lara shone her torch forward and continued. She noticed the glyphs, likely a derivative of ancient Arabic, take on a dark, almost slimy sheen. “Arm yourself Alex.” She said as she drew her diving knife. “…because no one else here will save us…” Alex murmured. They continued swimming forwards as fast as they could, expecting the entire structure to cave in. What happened next was far worse. A lattice of grotesque, thin, but strong tentacles shot out from either side of the tunnel walls. The tentacles were, in fact, the glyphs themselves, the tip of each one shaped exactly like the corresponding ancient Arabic letter. “Shit!” Alex exclaimed, slicing at the tentacles with his own knife. The ends of the tentacles suddenly became diamond-sharp, scratching through Alex’s wetsuit, puncturing his re-breather unit and tearing holes in his collection bag. “My crowns!” he yelled. Lara tried fending herself off best as she could. The sharp ends of the tentacles were also getting to her, scratching across her dive mask. She glanced behind and noticed that Alex’s re-breather unit was punctured. “Alex!” She gasped. She swam back through the mass of savage tentacles, pulling Alex along behind her. She glanced down at her collection back and saw that it too was taking damage. She could only pray that the crown would still be inside. Lara soon cleared the treacherous passage and swam upwards. She reminded herself that if she didn’t get up in time, the unequal combination of oxygen and carbon dioxide in Alex’s blood would kill him, and if that she surfaced too fast, the bends would get to them both. Lara held tightly onto Alex, now unconscious. She finally cleared the underwater tunnel, surrounded instead by the thin vinyl canvas perimeter. She glanced down at the passage from which she had just emerged and saw an unsettling mass of bubbles rise out. She swam over that too and headed away as fast as was allowed. She didn’t care that she would be surfacing in the middle of a ring of coast guard speedboats. Lara and Alex surfaced. A large explosion shot up into the air, like that caused by a limpet mine. The water that burst up was coloured a faint orange. When the water fell, a lingering aura danced for a moment, as if warning them that their monstrous ordeal was not yet over. Both Lara and Alex were covered in scratches that had cut through their wetsuits, but what was most important was that she held on to what was most likely the Crown of Utama. Alex, exhausted, smiled. Everything was fine for the moment. Or so it seemed.

I'd like to catch the whole thing, any idea where on the internet I can?

Thank you so much Jolie! Yes, Alex and Lara do have sex but it's simply implied. On to the next couple of chapters! Crown of Utama Chapter 5 There were a thousand questions that Lara wanted to ask. It wasn’t easy to concentrate in the pitch blackness of the cramped shipping container. What did Captain Tan want? Was it really the crown? Was he the mastermind, or simply a shadow of a much bigger threat to come? She felt something. This broke her train of thought. Her eyes narrowed. “Watch yourself, Alex!” Lara barked. Alex shrugged, secretly smiling to himself. “You can’t blame me for wanting to cop a feel.” Lara couldn’t help but smile. Even under the least ideal conditions, Alex managed to relax her. There was still that nagging thought that Alex was not worth trusting, but after all they’d been through, Lara decided on giving him the benefit of the doubt. She had also begun cutting through the bonds, using the sharp edge of a plastic box inside the container to cut herself free. Suddenly, Lara and Alex felt a jarring movement. “Whoa! What was that?!” Alex wondered aloud. “Probably just us being moved out of the warehouse,” Lara replied matter-of-factly. “Why are you so damn calm?” Alex, beginning to feel mildly claustrophobic, asked. “Because,” an ultra-bright beam characteristic of an LED portable light source illuminated the container. “I’m free.” Lara placed the light source on the floor of the container. Alex frowned. “Of course,” Lara smiled. She reached into one of the compartments concealed in her belt and produced a diamond-edged plastic flick-knife. She sawed through Alex’s bonds, then severed the ropes around her feet. “There we go.” “Yippee,” Alex intoned sarcastically. “There is still the very small problem of getting ourselves out of here.” “I thought sarcasm was my specialty?” The light source began to roll across the floor of the container slightly, as if to reinforce his point. Alex and Lara then felt the container jerk – just enough to alert them, but not enough to alarm them. “I’m working on it,” Lara said, her confident smile illuminated by the LED portable light source. Lara produced a few tiny orbs – the size of marbles. “I figured we could have a traditional game of goli while we wait,” Lara joked. “Yes, Lara, but see, all the ‘marbles’ are the same colours, there’re not nearly enough and you don’t have a goli board.” Lara was quite caught by surprise that Alex knew this snippet of old Singaporean culture. Alex smiled triumphantly. Lara threw stuck the squibs to the door of the container on the far side. A small, near-silent but powerful blast blew the door slightly open. Harsh sunlight flowed in, indicating that they were outside the warehouse. Alex cautiously pushed the door open. The sight worsened the queasy feeling in his stomach. Alex and Lara’s container was now hanging from a large gantry crane, several hundred of feet in the air. “Now what?!” Alex yelled over the sounds of the machinery. Lara poked her head out of the container and smiled. “We jump.” “That’s crazy, even for you!” Alex retorted. “Suit yourself. And if you happen to change your mind,” Lara opened her arm, “hang on.” Alex frowned and inched towards Lara as she closed her arms around him. At least we get one last snuggle, Alex considered grimly. Lara activated her portable grappling device which was now hooked securely to her belt. 30 feet of high-tensile monofilament wire shot out, with a super-strong electro-magnetic head attached to the other end. It caught the frame of the next gantry frame. They leapt. Alex yelled. The operator sitting in the suspended trolley looked positively alarmed, as did most of the deck workers, shouting and pointing. Lara and Alex landed safely – but heavily – atop a stack of shipping containers underneath the gantry crane. Lara pushed a button on the grappling device and the tiny but powerful motorized winch inside pulled the monofilament wire back. “Dive!” Lara instructed a fazed Alex. The two ran off the stack of containers and plunged into the waters below. Lara surfaced, laughing. Alex cast her a confused glance. A dinghy approached, in it a well-built young Malay man. “Ahmad!” Lara called. The man waved a smiled. He helped Alex and Lara onto the dinghy. “Narrowly escaping death again,” Ahmad said in accented English. “Tak apa”, Lara replied in Bahasa Melayu. Ahmad laughed an turned to Alex. “Everything also ‘no problem’ for her one. How come you can catch such beautiful ikan like her?” He teased. “Least he called me a fish and not something wore,” Lara muttered. “Oh, me? Just fortunate circumstance,” Alex replied. Crown of Utama Chapter 6 The modified Zodiac-type dinghy sped off out of the container port, edging its way unseen in-between the large container ships that made Singapore the world’s busiest port. Ahmad skillfully maneuvered the watercraft. As much as Lara wanted to stop and take a breath, she knew she could not. News of her and Alex’s escape would have doubtlessly reached Captain Blake Tan and his superiors, if he had any in the first place, by now. Ahmad frowned. “You got besar trouble Lara, very jia lat. I help as much as I can lah, but cannot guarantee safety one.” “Terima kasih anyway, Ahmad,” Lara replied in her limited Bahasa Melayu. They had well cleared the container terminal and were heading to the excavation site by then. Ahmad pulled out an attaché case and opened it. “Your standard barang barang, Lara,” Ahmad smiled. Even though he had left the Special Operations Force a short while ago, he was still able to obtain certain pieces of equipment as long as he carried a military license. Lara nodded a thank you to Ahmad and opened the case as he continued steering the dinghy. “Nice!” Alex exclaimed. Inside the case were four JW 33 fragmentation grenades, with their recognizable cast iron construction and traditional raised waffle pattern. There were also Dual RGP Mach 5 pistols to replace the Desert Eagles Lara had lost. Military standard-issue grappling hooks and rappel harnesses for her and Alex rested neatly in the false bottom of the case. She holstered the dual pistols and transferred the rest of the equipment into a backpack lying in the dinghy, which she then handed to Alex. In her own opinion, Lara thought the both of them had gotten in far too deep and debating trust issues was currently useless. “Hey Ahmad, you got anything else in that magic dinghy of yours?” Alex asked. “As a matter in fact, yes!” Ahmad lifted the tarp off more things. Alex whistled. “This one is powderful! Closed circuit underwater breathing apay-ray-tuss!” Ahmad boasted. “Can you please stop talking like that?” Alex asked, slightly peeved. “Why of course,” Ahmad answered in perfect English. He even had the accent down. “The Special Forces are trained to be like chameleons, to blend in and out of situations unnoticed. It is vital that we master a number of languages, but speaking in Singlish is when I’m the most comfortable – as is the case with nearly everybody here.” Alex nodded. “Anyway, you two would best put this on,” he said passing them the re-breather, along with a full-face mask. “I feel even more like James Bond now,” Alex quipped as he examined the apparatus. “But you’re blond,” Ahmad pointed out. “Why does everyone say that?!” Alex complained, as Ahmad and Lara laughed. “Anyway, do you have wetsuits or something? We can’t be wearing this underwater,” Alex remarked. “Why? You want to see Lara bogel is it?” Ahmad teased. Lara frowned. “He already has,” she said reluctantly. Ahmad whistled. Lara blushed slightly. Alex looked a little confused, but began undressing anyway. Ahmad looked away while Lara and Alex got into their wetsuits. “Okay, here we are,” Ahmad said as they arrived at the dive site. Alex and Lara were all kitted up and had their re-breathers on. Lara began checking the equipment. Alex looked towards what was, yesterday, the excavation site. It was surrounded by coast guard patrol boats. “Damn,” Alex muttered. “No problem. Ex-Special Operations Force, remember?” Ahmad smiled. “I’ll handle this. The two of you get going. I’ll be able to hear everything the two of you do, and three-way communications in-built into the full-face mask will let you talk to each other, and back to me.” “Okay Ahmad. Thanks for your help,” Lara said in a slightly disembodied voice from behind the mask. Alex nodded and the two of them back-flipped into the sea. The water was murky and forebodingly deep. Lara and Alex switched on their high-powered underwater flash lights, the harsh ray cutting through the underwater atmosphere. Lara and Alex dove down to the excavation site, dead corals lining the bottom of the sea. Lara wondered if it was a bad omen. She also recalled the name of the nearby island off the coast. Pulau Hantu or the island of ghosts. Lara tried to brush the thought aside “This way,” Lara said. Alex heard her over his earpiece and followed her down. She wondered how Ahmad would be able to explain the situation to the coast guard personnel guarding the area. At this point, Lara really began to doubt if she was doing the right thing. Small schools of fish turned abruptly. The hulls of the coast guard watercraft blocked the sunlight overhead. Lara and Alex then reached a large, square-shaped excavation perimeter made of thin vinyl canvas. “Here we are,” Alex reported. “Very good. Don’t worry; I’ve explained everything to my brudders up here. Some of them even old NS buddies. I’ll deep an ear out for you guys,” Ahmad replied over the communication system. Alex and Lara swam up the side of the perimeter and into the dig site. The markers from yesterday were still there, along with some artifacts they had yet to pick up. With the authorization of the Singapore government, the expedition had used an undersea drill to dig into the seabed. Lara and Alex swam down into the man-made passage. It was just wide enough to fit the both of them. Alex checked his pressure gauge periodically as they swam down. It was still fairly safe. Lara held the torch in front of her. To their surprise, they saw underwater tunnels. Even more startling was the faint but brightly-hued glow that seemed to want to lure Lara and Alex in. “Now what?” Alex asked. “This isn’t just undersea gas for sure. “We go in,” Lara replied, “my favourite way of finding things out.”

No problem at all! Crown of Utama Chapter 3 Several Tiger Ray Loyang patrol boats and a number of Spikefish interceptor boats lined the shore, as police helicopters circled above. Lara and Alex, driving the Blackspot Loyang they found earlier, neared the docks. “Looks like we have a bit of explaining to do,” Lara muttered. A harsh searchlight washed over the boat the pair was commandeering. “The both of you look extremely suspicious,” the burly Sergeant Seet intoned. “Look Sergeant,” Alex began, “we’re archaeologists. Our ship was attacked by pirates who somehow managed to overpower your coast guard. Look here, these bullet wounds on your man do not correspond to any weapons we are holding. Sergeant Seet considered. “You know, I’d never believe you ang mohs… if not for my material witness here,” Sergeant Seet said, pointing to Captain Blake Tan. Lara breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s all true, Sergeant,” Captain Tan confirmed. Sergeant Seet turned back to Alex and Lara. “Still, there’re lots of questions to be answered. I’m quite certain these weren’t ordinary pirates, my men are trained as commandos are. I’ll let you go, Lady Croft and Mr West, but we may need to further contact you.” “Thank you, Sergeant,” Lara said as she and Alex left. A couple of minutes later, the pair was sitting outside Lau Pa Sat, a large, almost cathedral-like renovated hawker centre. Every evening, this portion of the road would be closed off and transformed into an outdoor eating area, as stalls lining the sides of the road opened for business. Most were hawking traditional barbecued skewered meat, or satay, served with a peanut sauce and a rice cake or two. “You know Lara, maybe we should just take a break,” Alex suggested, waving his half-eaten satay in the air. “I mean, we’ve almost been killed two or three times, and Singapore has lots to enjoy! I mean, we could kick back and imagined all this never happened!” Alex took a sip of the iced Teh Cino , then cringed. It was cloyingly sweet. “Man, I thought condensed milk and evaporated milk in tea would taste great!” he frowned. Lara was still serious. “Alex, you can’t pretend this all never happened. I have a feeling someone wants us out.” Alex broke into that irritating smirk Lara so disliked. “Do tell!” Lara leaned across the table. Alex fought the temptation to sneak a look down her blouse. “Alex, I think all this has to do with the Crown of Utama.” Alex frowned. “Uta-who?” “Sang Nila Utama was a legendary…” a hawker holding a plate of skewered king prawns bumped into Lara. “Maaf,” the hawker quickly apologized in Bahasa Melayu. Lara continued. “…a legendary prince who founded ancient Singapore, according to the Malay Annals at least. The prince was on a hunting trip, chasing a deer. He went up a rock and spotted an island, which his ministers told him was the island of Temasek.” Alex appeared bored. “This sounds like some grade-school social studies lesson.” “Well, it is,” Lara muttered, “let me continue. He decided to go over to the island and was met with a violent storm.” “Where does his crown come in, Croft?” “I’m coming to it, Alex. Well, the sailors threw everything they could overboard to lighten the load, but the jetsam didn’t help. At the advice of one of his ministers…” “Why do they always listen to damn politicians?” Alex scowled. “One more interruption you’ll wake up tomorrow without your…never mind. At the advice of one of his ministers, he threw his crown overboard, and the storm stopped.” “Nice story. But what would anyone want the crown for? To control the weather?” “You play too many videogames, Alex. Maybe it’s as simple as the crown will fetch a good price on the black market. We did encounter organized pirates, anyway, and it does figure heavily in Singapore’s history if you wish to look at it that way.” “But it’s just a myth!” Alex threw his hands up in the air. “I don’t get it with you!” “Well, the Triangle of Light was a myth. And the power of that particular ‘myth’ saved your life. The periapt shards, the spear of destiny, these were all myths.” “I get the picture, Miss Unorthodox.” Lara smiled. “Lady Unorthodox, Alex. Now let’s find someplace pleasant to stay.” Five minutes later, Lara and Alex found themselves in the lobby of the Fullerton Hotel, a luxurious waterfront establishment that used to be the central post office. It was either far too early or quite too late, and Lara and Alex, slightly scarred and unkempt, looked nothing like the regular businessmen or wealthy tourists that stayed here while in Singapore. Still, the man at the 24-hour concierge tried his best to look unfazed. “Man, I feel like James Bond in Die Another Day,” Alex quipped. “Only thing is, you’re blonde,” Lara reminded him. “Do you have any reservations, Miss…” “…Croft. Lady Croft,” Lara answered. “And no, I’m sorry but we do not have a reservation.” “Then I would suggest the Loft suite.” “Alex had a look at the rates and whistled. Lara frowned at him and produced her Visa card. Alex smiled. “Yeah, the Countess of Abbingdon. I forgot.” With that, the couple was set for whatever remained of the night. A figure sitting in a Toyota van marked “Low’s Pest Control” observed the image on the GPS tracking screen in front of him. He dialed a number and spoke into his cellular phone – Singaporeans call them hand phones. “Lao Ban, They’re in the Fullerton Hotel. Loft Suite,” the man reported to his boss. “Tai hao le,” the man on the other line chuckled in Mandarin. “Don’t make your move – yet. This Lady Croft thinks she can outsmart us – so let’s play it her way.” The above chapter isn't particularly action-packed, so here comes Chapter 4! Crown of Utama Chapter 4 Lara stretched, easing herself up. She squinted as sunlight streamed through the windows of the Loft Suite, which offered a fantastic view of the waterfront Esplanade and the Merlion Park. And so Day Two begins, she thought morosely to herself. The events of the previous day wouldn’t be easy to shake, and from past experience, the Tomb Raider knew that this was not over. She glanced to her side, noticing that Alex was already up. She pulled the fine silk sheets around her. Alex was making coffee and watching the news on the television in front of the bed. “Slept well, Croft?” He asked, smiling. Lara could not understand why the man seemed so relaxed when, just the day before, they had been hunted down by pirates who had managed to kill coast guard patrolmen. Lara brushed the thought aside and decided she may as well enjoy the day. She was, after all, surrounded by the luxury of the Fullerton. Her attention turned to the news. “You’re back with us on Prime Time Morning,” the newscaster said in what Lara saw as a rather lame attempt at a Queen’s English accent. An old file photograph of Lara appeared in the top right-hand corner of the screen, with the header “Expedition Attacked”. Lara slipped out of bed, as Alex observed her perfect figure. Lara snapped around and Alex turned away. Lara began to get dressed, her full attention still on the television screen. “The underwater archaeological excavation sponsored by Lady Lara Croft was attacked late last night by terrorists.” A video of the wreckage smoldering began to play. “We have confirmed that most of the crew members on board, including Lady Croft herself, managed to escape safely. However, the motives behind the attack are still unclear. “Unclear, huh,” Alex muttered. “Quiet Alex,” Lara said. The screen then showed a video of Sergeant Seet being interviewed. “The PCG has confirmed that this was a deliberate attacked. Lady Croft and several members of the crew, including the ship’s captain Blake Tan, have agreed to help us in the investigation.” Lara frowned. “I bloody well didn’t! They just said they would contact me again!” Lara exclaimed, slightly peeved. Alex shrugged. “They don’t know what’s going on, Alex.” She considered. “Then again, neither do we.” The coverage ended and Lara switched the television set off. “Well, least they didn’t say where we’re staying. Bad guys can’t get to us that way.” “I’ve called Ahmad, a friend of mine and former member of the Singapore Special Operations Force. He’s agreed to meet us near Keppel Container Port and will take us to the dig site. Alex smiled. “Always prepared, aren’t you, Croft?” He heard a doorbell ring. “Well, if the bad guys can’t find us, looks as if the good guys still can. I’ll go downstairs,” Alex said, proceeding down into the first storey of the Loft suite. “I’ll follow you,” Lara said. She clipped on her belt, which hid several devices she should find useful. Lara also holstered both her Desert Eagles in hidden holsters. She headed downstairs. Alex opened the door, and found himself face-to-face with four serious-looking plainclothes policemen. Each carried large duffel bags, and this made Lara mildly suspicious. The men briefly introduced themselves. “We’re Inspectors Mike Chin, Alan Leong, Sean Han and Elaine Tay from the CID.” They produced their badges. Lara scrutinized them. Even though they looked authentic, her well-honed gut instinct told her something was amiss. “You’re Lady Croft, am I right?” Inspector Tay asked. “Yes. Is this regarding last night’s incident?” Lara asked. Inspector Han nodded. All of a sudden, Inspector Chin pulled out what looked like an auto-injector gun. Alex opened his mouth to protest, but the “Inspector” plunged in a hypodermic syringe before he could. He quickly did the same to Lara. The “policemen” opened the large duffel bags and pulled out perfect replicas of paramedic outfits. Then they unfolded two collapsible stretchers which they managed to hide in the bags and loaded the unconscious Alex and Lara onto them. The four mysterious figures rushed out the door of the Fullerton Hotel, alarming some guests in the lobby. The receptionist called out, but they did not stop. As she saw Lara and Alex being loaded into an ambulance, she just shrugged and carried on taking calls. When Lara came to, she found herself bound to a chair in a small office. She didn’t have the leverage to try freeing herself. Interrogation room was the first thing that came to her mind. She saw Alex next to her. He too was pinned to his chair. Lara glanced down. She didn’t have her Desert Eagles anymore, but other than that nothing was out of the ordinary. Most importantly, she was still wearing her belt. Lara scowled, running the options through her head. “Wha…what the hell happened?” Alex asked, still groggy from the drug. “We’re kidnapped, that’s what,” Lara snapped. She was surprised that neither she nor Alex was gagged. A figure emerged from a back room. “Captain Blake Tan!” Lara exclaimed. “You’ve realised, ke shi tai chi le,” Captain Tan said, clearly enjoying himself. “H says we’re too bloody late,” Lara translated. “You’ve got that wrong.” “Damn right!” Alex agreed. Captain Tan smiled. “I heard you were going to the Keppel Container Terminal to meet a friend.” “How the…” Alex wondered aloud. “That hawker who bumped into us outside Lau Pa Sat!” Lara was mad at herself for not figuring it out. “He planted a bug and a tracking device. Blake, tell me what it is you bloody want!” Captain Tan ignored Lara’s question. “Well, you should be thanking me. I brought you here.” He opened the door, and Lara saw that they were, in fact, in a warehouse. Large containers stacked one atop the other filled the area and trucks moved in and out. Captain Tan’s cronies motioned for Alex and Lara to get to their feet. Alex and Lara walked out of the office and into the warehouse proper. The came to one of the many metallic containers. Lara wondered why nobody had spotted them, then realised that Captain Tan and his men were dressed as Port Authority workers. The man who had introduced himself as “Inspector Mike Chin” earlier on now unlocked the huge container and pushed Alex and Lara in. Captain Tan came to the doors and smiled. “You will now experience containerization. And yes, that is a word.” “Security here is so tight, how do you expect to get away with it?” Lara demanded. “I don’t. And the tightness of the security is to my advantage anyway. See, the container will be subjected to gamma ray and intense X ray radiation, which would kill the average human being. Of course, if you get caught, then you’d have lots of explaining to do – most of which the police will not likely believe.” Lara now understood the genius of the plan. This would appear as if Lara and Alex had wanted to sneak themselves off the country after sabotaging the expedition and blaming it on pirates. The most damning part was that Captain Tan would be helping the police with their investigation. “Even if you somehow happen to survive,” Captain Tan continued, “you will be spending two months in complete darkness with air quality that is, shall I say, less than ideal. No toilet facilities as well, I might add. Also, you’d have containers on all sides,” he gesticulated with glee. “Well, zhu ni yi fan feng shun!” With that, the container doors slammed shut. “Bon voyage indeed…” Lara muttered. I don't mean to be egotistical, but it would be nice to have more comments and/or criticism!

Yeah, I really want to see more of the sexy Lara in her bikini!!! Anyhow, I've tried downloading some patches of outfits fans have made. It doesn't seem to work for me.

Never quite happened to me. Maybe it's an odd glitch?

Thanks for the comment! Well, I suppose you're right about Lara and Alex. As the fic progresses I'll try to revert him back to his laid-back American roots. And now, for part 2 Bullet holes punctured the cabin walls, as the masked assailant pinned Alex to the ground. “Lara!” Alex exclaimed. A well-placed kick to the head from Lady Croft had the pirate dazed. Lara threw the stunned Alex a Desert Eagle and picked the pirate’s weapon up. Alex followed Lara up to the deck, passing by the bodies of dead crew members. “This is a damn excavation ship! Why the hell do they want to attack it?!” Alex exclaimed. “My thoughts exactly. Now get to the deck before these buggers blow us all up! By the time Lady Croft and Alex West made their up to the deck, things weren’t pretty. Sailors scrambled into lifeboats and those that didn’t make it were gunned down mercilessly. The pair fought their way through their assailants. Lara clambered into the Colibri helicopter resting on the helipad on the far side of the ship. While Lara started the chopper up, Alex drove off the pirates attempting to prevent their escape. He then slammed the door shut. Now shielded by the Plexiglas, he and Lara were safe. The helicopter rose into the air, leaving the Fu Qi, now partially engulfed in flames, behind it. “So much for good fortune,” Alex quipped. The pirate speedboats – Lara counted eight – were fast disappearing from the scene. Lara sent the Colibri in quick pursuit. “Is this thing armed?!” Alex asked quizzically. Lara passed him the machine gun she salvaged earlier. “Well, you are,” she smiled. Alex shot her an ugly glance as he reluctantly opened the helicopter door, leaning out of it precariously. The helicopter soon caught up with the first of the speedboats. Alex pumped a round or so into the craft, taking out the boat and its opponents. He fared similarly well when it came to the next couple of boats, the mercenaries riddled with bullets falling to the depths of the South China Sea. “Ha.” Alex smiled. The International Maritime Bureau should be paying me!” “The next one will be harder,” Lara warned. The sight of the next boat wiped the confident smile off Alex’s face. A pirate pointed quite the formidable weapon at the chopper. “An RPG 29?!” Alex exclaimed.” “You never know what they can get off the black market these days,” Lara smiled. The pilot fired a shot from the modified Soviet-made rocket-propelled grenade launcher. The warhead narrowly missed the helicopter, thanks to Lara’s piloting skills. It then dodged another shot. “I can’t keep this up for long, Alex…” Lara said through gritted teeth. “I’m trying, damn it!” Alex answered. He managed to gun down everyone on the boat – apart from the guy holding the RPG. The speedboat was small, and thus remarkably maneuverable. The pirate scowled from behind the weapon he was holding, now facing the side of the craft. This shot hit its intended target. Thankfully, the helicopter was hovering just the right distance off the surface of the water. Alex and Lara bolted, splashing into the water below. They swam as far as they could as the debris from the helicopter fell into the water below. The fire from the wreckage also managed to ignite the pirate’s speedboat. Lara and Alex stopped some distance away, where they spotted a coast guard patrol boat floating in the water. They climbed on board. They found a coast guard officer dead, a bullet wound in his chest. Lara shook her head. “These were no ordinary pirates. Someone wants the same thing we do.” “Isn’t that always the case,” Alex muttered, somber. “What do we want, anyway?” Alex got to the controls of the boat, steering it back towards Singaporean territory. “Let’s inform the authorities, get ourselves someplace to stay, then I’ll tell you.” “Sounds like a plan,” Alex smiled.

I've just started trying my hand at Lara Croft fanfiction, and for my first piece proper I'm taking Lara to a land so mysterious...so misunderstood...Singapore! Yep, my home country. In this story, Lara and Alex West are supervising an archaeological expedtion in search of a legendary artifact integral to Singapore's history. A brush with pirates unusually close to Singaporean waters, as well as a suspicious shipping magnate and mythological creatures from Singaporean stories spice the whole deal up! The blades of the Colibri EC120B, among the quietest helicopters in the world, whirled near-silently overhead. In the Eurocopter’s cockpit, its pilot pitched the nose the down, bringing the craft into a steep decline. Just below, men stood on the deck of the ship on which the helicopter would soon land. They pointed in shock overhead. The pilot smiled. She then skillfully stabilized the craft, as it touched down gently on the helipad. Lady Lara Croft, The Countess of Abbingdon, had come to an underwater excavation site just off the coast of Singapore. Singapore wasn’t where one would expect to find a “Tomb Raider” or adventurer: the city-state was a small, densely-occupied buzzing metropolis, the exact opposite of the South American jungles and Asian rainforests Lady Croft often found herself in. Nonetheless, she had offered to sponsor a dig off the island. It would be the country’s first ever underwater excavation. From her earlier travels around Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as input from her friend and eccentric archaeologist Alister Fletcher, Lara had gathered that there would be something worth finding in these waters. However, she had decided to keep what she was looking for a secret, instead leading the authorities to believe this was just a routine excavation. She had not wanted to raise anybody’s hopes, after all. Under the advice of her lawyers, Lara had decided to “de-enigmatise” herself by publicly sponsoring archaeological digs. Perhaps the community would learn to respect her more that way. Lara exited the craft, removing her helmet to reveal a long, braided pony-tail. She then unzipped her flight suit, just to tease a little. A young, Chinese man came forward, extending his hand. He seemed nervous, which was the effect Lara had on almost everyone she met for the first time, especially the men. Perhaps it was her indomitable air, her inherent strength – or just her stunning looks. The man introduced himself as Captain Blake Tan. “Delighted”, Lara answered, her crisp British accent slicing through the humid evening air. Captain Tan then proceeded to show Lara her cabin in the bowels of the ship, christened “Fu Qi”, Mandarin for good fortune. Lara descended into the ship, through the narrow corridors, passing by laboratories and research stations, as well as several cabins. “Oh, I’m sorry Lady Croft, but you will be sharing your cabin with another guest”, Captain Tan informed Lara. Lara seemed hardly taken aback. “Perhaps you refer to the other supervising archaeologist?” Lara asked, a smile touching her lips. Captain Tan nodded and ushered Lara in. The cabin was small, with a double-decker bunk and a sink in the corner. It did have its own attached bathroom, though. The cabin’s other occupant sat half-dressed on his bunk. He smiled. “Well, well, well. Alex West.” The last time she met her fellow tomb raider and sometimes-rival was when Manfred Powell attempted gaining control of the Triangle of Light, and she had narrowly rescued him from certain death. Alex seemed pleased to see her again. “Enjoying Singapore, Lara?” he asked. She looked him the eye, teasing “I’ve yet to decide if you’re making this particular visit more or less enjoyable.” Alex pulled her close, and they kissed passionately. “When was our relationship more than professional?” Lara managed between lip-locks. Alex answered her with a smile. “I never got to thank you, Lara”. Lara ran her hand down the nape of his neck. “Well, now you can.” It was three in the morning and Lara had been asleep on the bottom bunk in her cabin for the past four hours. That evening had been fairly productive – in terms of archaeological results, of course. Pottery shards and evidence of shipwrecked Dutch trading ships were what the team uncovered. It was, however, nothing groundbreaking by Lara’s book. Measured against artifacts such as the Atlantean Scion, the Obscura paintings and the Wheels of Ezekiel, these were of little significance. Suddenly, Lara roused. She distinctly heard something. Lara reached for her Desert Eagle under the pillow. Despite Singapore’s strict regulations with regards to firearms, Lara had somehow managed to obtain a license to carry the weapons that served her throughout her career. Lara peeked out the porthole. Nothing. She frowned. Alex was fast asleep in the bunk above hers. Lara sat up, pulling the sheets around her. After considering for a few moments, she slipped out of bed and pulled a blouse over her perfect form. After getting quickly dressed, she left her cabin, still clutching the weapon. She prowled along the corridors. Then she heard it again. The sound of gunfire, though faint, still distinct. Lara rushed to the deck of the ship, trying to avoid detection. She edged around a corner, and brought the powerful binoculars she always carried to her eyes. Nothing was visible on the seas in the pitch darkness. Lara activated the night-vision built into the binoculars. She scanned the horizon, then saw it. Small speedboats, the kind used by modern-day pirates around the area, who terrorized the Malacca Straits. There was just one problem. The expedition was nowhere near the Malacca Straits. Pirates never dared come into Singaporean Waters. Even the crazy few who wished to had no such capabilities – the Singaporean coast guard were vigilant and overpowering. Lara’s eyes narrowed. Something definitely was not right. She rushed back into the Fu Qi, pounding on the door of Captain Tan’s door. “Wah lau, you know what time…” Captain Tan mumbled as he got to his feet. He opened the cabin door. “Lady Croft! I…” “There is no time You’ve been attacked by pirates, Captain.” Captain Tan was even more surprised than Lara had been. “Hai Dao? Lady Croft, bie nao zhe wan’r!” Code-switching was among the quirks of Singlish, the English-based creole language native to Singapore. In this case, Captain Tan was combining elements of Mandarin and English. Lara managed to piece together what he meant, since she spoke both proficiently. “This is no joke, captain.” Captain Tan continued, “Wo you gen Coast Guard zuo guo…hai dao bu…bu…” By this time, Lara was more than a little exasperated. “Look, I don’t bloody care if you’ve worked with the coast guard,” she snapped, her accent clashing oddly with his. Captain Tan nodded, rushed to the bridge and sounded the alarm. Lara ran back to her cabin, gathering her things and trying to wake Alex up. “Lara…” Alex groggily managed, “just now wasn’t enough?” He smiled sheepishly. Lara had had quite enough. “Look Alex, hurry up. We’re being…” Lady Croft’s sentence was cut short by a masked figure crashing through the porthole in their cabin, a blazing machine gun in his hand. Next part coming...only if you give comments or constructive criticism!

I'd want to see Lara in tombs as usual. Actually, it'd be pretty fun to have a level on a cruise ship, just for the heck of it. It would also be cool for Lara to travel to a few more Asian countries. Perhaps Sri Lanka or Vietnam, I'm pretty sure they could make up a legend to go with those locales.

Well, I'm a big fan of Indiana Jones-type archaeology adventure stories. Plus, Angelina Jolie is among my favourite actresses.

Lara of course! Beauty, brains, money, a nice big house, what's not to like?

The game should be suitable for your son. Basically, quite a bit of skin is shown in some of Lara's outfits, but nothing besides that. No making out or other love scenes of that sort.

I got the PC version only recently from the bargain bin at my local games shop. My dad helped to upgrade the computer's graphics card, so everything looks lovely. Before that however, the fps rate was irritatingly intermittent.

I love Nepal because of the dizzying heights! The level design is also gorgeous.

The boss battles were more frustrating than difficult. I'll have to say the sea serpent. I think the most complicated boss level is Amanda's pet, because you have to do many things at the same time.

I've taken up amateur screenwriting as a hobby and have just completed one Batman piece which should be online soon. Anyways, I've just started on a script based off Legend. This here is the very first bit of the script. FADE IN: EXT. EXECUTIVE JET – NIGHT Establishing – Lightning flashes around the jet as it cruises through turbulent skies above the Himalayan mountain ranges. INT. EXECUTIVE JET LARA CROFT and her mother, AMELIA CROFT sit in the passenger compartment of the jet. The young Lara holds a scrap book open, in it a drawing of Yetis in a Himalayan village. LARA CROFT It doesn’t mean if nobody’s caught one, that they’re not real. AMELIA CROFT That is very true, but perhaps they do not wish to be found. I’ve heard they’re rather fierce. The older Croft fingers an ornate brooch which shines faintly. LARA CROFT Yeti only look fierce. Perhaps it’s because they don’t like to be cold so much of the time. I shouldn’t like it either. AMELIA CROFT You’ll never have to be cold, my Lara, if you don’t want to be. Amelia kisses her daughter. She gazes out the window of the jet, and a sharp flash catches her eye. AMELIA CROFT Henry! What’s happened?! EXT. EXECUTIVE JET A light green mist plays on the wings of the aircraft, as the engine catches fire and explodes. INT. EXECUTIVE JET COCKPIT HENRY Lady Croft, please stay seated. (Into radio) This is Bravo-Tango 229. We’re losing altitude, starboard engine malfunction…stabilizers non-responsive…we’re going full nose down! INT. EXECUTIVE JET PASSENGER COMPARTMENT LARA CROFT Mother, are we going to crash? AMELIA CROFT No Lara, we’ll be fine. Amelia buckles her daughter in, and then does the same for herself. An overhead luggage compartment door flies open. A piece of luggage flies through the craft and into the cockpit, knocking Henry the pilot out. AMELIA CROFT Close your eyes, darling. LARA CROFT I don’t want to close my eyes. We see a white flash and the opening credits roll. EXT. BOLIVIAN CLIFFS - DAY An older Lara Croft is climbing a dramatic cliff-face in Bolivia INT. CROFT MANOR –BRYCE’S OFFICE Bryce sits in his office watching Lara’s point of view though her camera. ZIP You know, I think you forgot your climbing gear on purpose. EXT. BOLIVIAN CLIFFS CROFT Please Zip, It’s like climbing a set of stairs, only far less boring. The ledge she is holding onto crumbles, and Lara falls, grabbing another ledge below. INT. CROFT MANOR – ZIP’S OFFICE ZIP Yeah, well I want to throw up every time you look down. ALISTER, slim and bespectacled, enters Zip’s office. ZIP Hey Alister’s back! Grab a headset. Alister takes a headset and sits down at the computer next to Zip. LARA (over headset) Back so soon? From Florence, wasn’t it? ALISTER Decided on Genoa at the last minute…my dissertation is never going to see the light of day at this rate. But never mind that. What are you doing in Bolivia? EXT. BOLIVIAN CLIFF-FACE Lara eyes a ledge far below, and makes a swan dive. She catches the ledge and pulls herself up. LARA I’ve been looking for some artifacts…well for some time now. ZIP The Tomb Raider looking for artifacts. Who would’ve guessed? ALISTER What sort of artifacts, exactly? LARA An ornate stone dais, among other things. Anaya, my university peer, tipped me off on it. ZIP A big rock. And she won’t say why. LARA Well, where would the suspense be in that? Lara proceeds up some rocks, jumping to catch a vine and then swinging to the other side. Lara’s eyes narrow as she spies a guard. GUARD Yeah, well I don’t see no climber. I can’t shoot on sight if I don’t see nobody. I got all worked up thinking I’d get to put someone down today. Lara walks up behind the guard and knocks him out. ZIP Who was that? ALISTER Question is, why go to so much trouble to guard some ruins? LARA Quite. Someone wants something I should be interested in. Lara walks through a waterfall and emerges facing a large temple. LARA Isn’t she beautiful? I’m falling in love all over again. ZIP You say that to all the ruins. LARA I’m a terribly lucky girl. Tiwanaku are among the most fascinating ancient civilizations. Wait… Lara raises a pair of binoculars to her eyes. Lara’s POV: we see mercenaries emerge from vans. Here come the bloody tourists to spoil it all. ZIP Your cam doesn’t pick up detail that small. What do you see? LARA Men with guns. Mercenaries, by the look of them. ALISTER What are they doing here? LARA Getting into trouble. Lara draws her trademark two pistols and shoots a pile of rocks. They roll down a slope, which she immediately slides down. GUARDS Rockslide! Hey, it’s her! The guards are crushed by the rocks and more run in. Lara shoots a pillar, which falls, crushing more guards. She finishes off the rest in a tense shootout. Lara puts away her guns and proceeds up the steps of the ancient temple. Two more guards appear. One fires a shot that narrowly misses Lara. Lara draws her weapons. The guards, frightened, run into the temple. A loud grinding noise can be heard. ZIP Ow. That sounded permanent. LARA (with mock sympathy) Death by irony is always painful. Amateurs. Lara proceeds up the steps. There is no sign of the guards. Lara stops short of the floor in front of her, instead kicking a small rock onto it. The panels of the floor slide open, revealing a pit filled with turning spikes. In slow motion Lara jumps and activates her magnetic grapple which we see attaching to a metal piece above. Lara hangs precariously above the pit. ZIP Lara! Lara swings to safety and detaches the grapple. ALISTER Glad to see you’re back on your feet. LARA It’s a useful survival skill. What happens is I'm not sure whether to make it a direct adaptation of Legend and if not, what changes to the story I should make. Ideas, anyone?

All the outfits in Legend are gorgeous. I personally adore the evening outfit, since we don't often get to see Lara in formal dress.

Here are links to most of the Legend pieces I've done (among them my hand-drawn avatar) Lara vs Amanda Lara on the line Lara in evening gown Lara in bikini Lara Croft legend Please enjoy!

Hi everyone! I'm Jedd, brand new to the forums and big Legend fan.