บท 6: Chapter 6

As Lara relaxed in her bath, a maid suddenly burst through the door. "Miss Lara, the spy has escaped Croft Manor!"

Hearing this, Lara responded calmly, "Don't bother with her. She's not a threat."

"Okay, miss," said the maid, leaving with a puzzled expression. After all, the manor was full of retired agents, and it was surprising that the spy had managed to slip out. Then again, she had infiltrated the manor undetected, only being discovered when Lara herself caught her.

'Took her long enough,' Lara mused. She knew that Natasha would escape, and she had deliberately allowed it. She didn't want to force Natasha to side with her. Instead, Lara preferred that Natasha come to trust her naturally, perhaps after defecting from her current masters. Lara intended to head to Siberia in a couple of years, to destroy the Divine Source and, hopefully, cross paths with Natasha again. That would let them build a rapport, and give Lara the opportunity to find the Red Room facility and steal their Black Widow serum.

The Red Room serum wasn't top-tier, but it didn't alter a person's personality as the original or Howard's versions did. Lara wanted to collect a variety of serums so she could eventually create a perfect one—something that would grant great enhancements without affecting her mind or moral compass.

For that, she'd need help from the right geniuses—someone like Reed Richards and perhaps some assistance from Tony and Howard Stark. Reed Richards could create almost anything he set his mind to and he is skilled in almost all science related subjects. With the Starks' support, Lara was confident they would succeed. Most of the other bright minds in the Marvel world were either focused on different fields or super villains.

She wouldn't trust the High Evolutionary, Mr. Sinister, or Doctor Doom with such a project. At present, the High Evolutionary and Sinister could probably kill her with nothing more than a glance, without giving any fucks. She also considered Hank McCoy, the Beast, but given her current situation, Lara would sooner join Hydra and yell "Hail Hydra!" than be around Charles Xavier, and she certainly didn't trust Doctor Doom.

A few weeks later, Lara was inspecting two climbing axes that bore the Croft family emblem on both sides of the handle. The bottom featured spikes, the shaft was the classic red, and a black leash prevented slipping. The adze and pick were a dark, shiny gray that closely resembled high-quality steel.

"They look pretty good," said Lara, testing their balance.

Winston, sweating slightly, replied, "How could they not, young lady? They cost around ten million pounds, and I had to rely heavily on old friends and Croft connections to secure them."

Lara eyed a steel plate in front of her and struck it with one of the axes, the pick piercing straight through. Satisfied, she said, "Even though it's secondary adamantium, it's still adamantium."

After playing around with her axes, piercing and breaking various objects, Lara finally stopped. Winston sighed in relief.

"Winston, did you also find enough vibranium for my future equipment?" she asked.

Winston replied, "I managed to acquire only enough for half. I estimate we'll need to wait another two years for more to appear on the black market."

Lara nodded. She wouldn't need the equipment for another two years, so there was no rush.

"Any news on the men I asked you to look into—Anton Igorevich Vanko and Ivan Antonovich Vanko?" Lara inquired.

"Yes, miss. I found some information. Anton, born in Armenia, is currently rising through the ranks in the Soviet Union as an inventor. People say he has the potential to become the greatest electrical engineer. Ivan, who I've learned is the son of another Anton Vanko—a disgraced physicist I had contact with in the past—seems to be following in his father's footsteps in physics and mechanical science. However, it appears that Anton is abusing Ivan due to humiliation caused by Howard Stark."

Lara nodded. "Keep an eye on them. When the opportunity arises, recruit them through Croft Holdings."

At the same time, Ana entered the garden accompanied by a young, handsome man who looked rather sickly. "Lara, darling, this is Kenneth Crichton, the son of Lord and Lady Crichton, and the grandson of Lord Falsworth."

Lara examined Kenneth closely, feeling as though she should know him. 'Who is this nobody? It's on the tip of my tongue,' she thought.

"If you don't recall, his grandfather was Union Jack," said Ana, hoping the connection to a British hero's legacy would pique Lara's interest.

'Oh, he's the son of Spitfire, and a future Baron Blood who got killed by Blade, if I remember correctly,' Lara mused internally.

Kenneth, for his part, admired Lara. She was considered the most desirable young woman among the nobility—like a rebellious "bad boy" attracting a sheltered, devout girl who longed for a taste of danger. Ana and Kenneth's father had discussed the possibility of him marrying Lara, and today he'd been brought here to make a good first impression.

"And you think after that creepy Lukas, this sickly-looking guy, who seems to need bed rest, is worth my time?" Lara said in a bored tone, wearing her trademark resting bitch face.

"Lara, that's improper. Where are your noble manners?" Ana chided in a warm, motherly voice.

'I'll show you noble manners when I drive these ice picks into your head,' Lara thought viciously. Ana irritated her beyond words. On more than one occasion, Lara had contemplated turning Ana's brain into Manor décor, but she wanted to wait until she could eliminate both Ana and Konstantin at once, and after that the bastard Dominguez. Then she'd dismantle Trinity and have Croft Holdings absorb it for her own underground operations.

Before leaving, Lara turned to Kenneth and said, "You don't stand a chance, buddy. Do yourself a favor and leave before you make even more of a fool of yourself than you already have."

Before Kenneth could utter a single word in this encounter, Lara had already walked away, brutally shutting him down.