Chapter 35: Chapter 35
A lot had happened in the past few days, and now Lara was finally relaxing in Paititi. Even though several days had passed, her body still needed rest to recover fully without pushing itself too hard.
First, Trinity ceased to exist. The fanatical members who couldn't or wouldn't transition into T.O.M.B. operatives were eliminated by those who did. Imagine sitting with your colleagues, drinking and playing poker, when suddenly half of them draw Croft-issued guns and start shooting everyone else. That's exactly what happened to most of the fanatics within Trinity.
Konstantin, had instructed his operatives to make the fanatics feel comfortable before killing them to use the element of surprise. The remaining fanatic groups fell into chaos after the deaths of the High Council, the Cardinal, and Amaru, and they were swiftly wiped out with a few operations.
Meanwhile, other major organizations—S.H.I.E.L.D., Hydra, Leviathan, and A.I.M.—took notice of what they initially thought was a civil war within Trinity. However, before they could move in to claim a piece of the pie, they discovered that Trinity had already been destroyed and absorbed into a new entity: T.O.M.B.
T.O.M.B. absorbed the personnel it deemed recruitable, but those recruits are now undergoing rigorous training and testing. Anyone who fails is expelled from T.O.M.B., but not before having their memories wiped. Using a memory-wiping device developed by scientists at L.A.R.A. at Lara's request, their recollections of T.O.M.B. are erased. While Lara dislikes mind control and brainwashing, she has no issue with removing any trace of T.O.M.B. from their minds. These individuals are left with only fragmented memories of being part of Trinity, believing the organization collapsed and that they were lucky to escape. Most return to their home countries or move elsewhere to start new lives.
In addition to its personnel, T.O.M.B. absorbed a significant portion of Trinity's material resources: weapons, vehicles, precious metals and stones, company shares, and much of Trinity's real estate holdings across Europe. However, properties on other continents, where T.O.M.B.'s presence is weaker, were sold off to politicians and influential figures in those regions at discounted prices. This move not only earned T.O.M.B. additional funds but also helped establish relationships and goodwill, rather than simply abandoning the properties.
Despite its efforts, T.O.M.B. managed to absorb just over half of Trinity's personnel. However, this number continues to decline as individuals who fail to meet the organization's standards are dismissed. To avoid overextension and maintain its strength against threats from Hydra, Leviathan, and other rival organizations, T.O.M.B. has concentrated its forces within Europe, primarily in the British Isles, France, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, and Italy. It has deliberately avoided significant expansion into Germany, the Soviet bloc, and the Nordic countries to prevent conflict with Hydra and Leviathan.
Now, let's talk about Natasha and Konstantin, the leaders of the operations. Natasha assassinated the Cardinal a day after Amaru and the High Council died. Once she received the information about their deaths, she quickly acted. After finishing her mission in Rome, she returned to England to regroup with Konstantin and plan the next phase of operations.
Before going undercover within the Cardinal's forces to kill him, Natasha had a rude awakening while at Croft Manor, spending time around Lara. Her ambition to have Lara become a lovestruck "puppy" utterly crumbled. Natasha had assumed that, as a young woman not even 20 years old, Lara would be naive and easy to manipulate. With Natasha's nearly 70 years of life experience she had confidently expected to make Lara fall for her seduction and follow her around.
However, Natasha's plan to seduce Lara blew up spectacularly. Lara was no inexperienced girl blind to Natasha's manipulative nature. She had the memories of someone that was fully aware of the kind of person Natasha was from the comics. Natasha's expectations of dominance and control over Lara shattered.
And as for the phrase "Under one person, above ten thousand," it wasn't entirely accurate. Lara wasn't the only one above her—Winston held a higher position as well. Within T.O.M.B., leadership was divided between her and Konstantin: she oversaw espionage and assassination operations, while Konstantin led combat and warfare initiatives. Above both of them was Winston. Though not directly involved in operational command, Winston managed the organization's elite operatives, equipped with the best technology and will also get to be enhanced by a version of Alyssa's serum.
Winston's primary responsibility lay in funding and ensuring the operatives were paid, a task supported by Croft Holding, which he managed. This financial constraint was also why T.O.M.B. had to reduce both its personnel and territorial reach—they lacked the extensive funding S.H.I.E.L.D. received, primarily from the U.N. or, more specifically, the U.S. government. This financial backing is also why S.H.I.E.L.D. is so closely tied to America; the U.S. shoulders the majority of its budget.
When it came to securing funding from nations, Lara devised a long-term plan. She would steadily develop T.O.M.B., preparing for the chaos that would inevitably engulf the world. With superheroes and supervillains causing havoc, invasions occurring monthly, and terrorist organizations like Hydra attempting world domination every Tuesday, she envisioned T.O.M.B. stepping in.
Her strategy was to present T.O.M.B. to European countries as a solution to the growing problems. When the time was right, she would propose transforming T.O.M.B. into the European Union's equivalent of S.H.I.E.L.D.—a unified defense and intelligence agency called the Advanced European Guard and Intelligence Service (A.E.G.I.S.). This transformation would elevate T.O.M.B. into a more powerful organization and make it a authority while also securing steady funding and political support from European nations.
Lara was confident the European Union would approve the plan. A mix of bribing key politicians, demonstrating T.O.M.B.'s capabilities with shows of force, and leveraging the chaos in the world would ensure the proposal's success. To her, it wasn't a matter of if but when.
Lara knew she would eventually need to deal with the Hydra cells operating in Europe, like Baron Strucker, Baron Zemo, and Whitehall. However, she already had plans in place to address them, so she wasn't overly concerned for now.
Returning to the leadership of T.O.M.B., Konstantin stood out as the one leader without any significant problems or dissatisfaction thus far. His sister, Ana, received an annual injection of medicine that extended her life by a year. Konstantin understood that Lara withheld a long-term cure because she likely believed he might betray her if he no longer had a reason to stay loyal. However, Konstantin harbored no such thoughts. His current focus was on living and ensuring his sister's survival. As the leader of T.O.M.B., he enjoyed a comfortable life and didn't mind that Lara occasionally annoyed his sister. In fact, he was somewhat pleased. Ana had lied to him, and while he had wanted to punish her, Lara's actions did it for him without him being blamed.
Because of Konstantin's grounded and stable nature, Lara had no plans to remove him. She intended for him to play a significant role in A.E.G.I.S. when it was established. While she would hold the position of Director, Konstantin would serve directly beneath her.
As for Natasha, Lara wasn't sure if she would find a place within A.E.G.I.S. Unlike S.H.I.E.L.D., which operated from the shadows, A.E.G.I.S. would be a public-facing organization, basking in the limelight as both the military and intelligence force of the European Union. While the European Union does not officially exist yet—it will be founded in 1992—Lara is confident that when she proposes the creation of A.E.G.I.S., there will be enough countries involved, and she is certain more will join after its establishment. Lara doubted that Natasha, who excelled in covert operations and thrived in the shadows, could adapt to such a visible role. The idea of being a public figure—appearing on TV, giving interviews, and having people dig into her information—seemed completely at odds with Natasha's nature. Lara suspected that if Natasha were asked to serve as one of A.E.G.I.S.'s high-ranking members under such scrutiny, she might decline—or even walk away entirely.
Additionally, Natasha's past as a Soviet agent and spy could resurface, tarnishing A.E.G.I.S.'s reputation. Having someone with such a controversial history as a high-ranking member could invite criticism and backlash, casting a shadow over the organization's credibility. Enemies of A.E.G.I.S. could exploit her past to smear its image, questioning its judgment and intentions.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
SteffenStephen
SteffenStephen I snort stone dust!
How about we let Tony take over S.H.I.E.L.D. while A.E.G.I.S. is under Lara’s command? Toss in their business empires, and voilà—boom, the world’s divided in two, just like Spain and Portugal back in the day. Maybe we should even draw a line on a map for old times’ sake—“This half is Stark’s, this half is Croft’s, and no take-backs!” :)))
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone