Chapter 5

In the cellar of Croft Manor, Lara studied Natasha, who was tied to a chair. 'She looks a bit like Scarlett Johansson, but even more beautiful,' Lara thought, gripping the woman's chin to examine her face. 'Though the wound on her forehead from my boot reduces her beauty by at least a point. Her hair is naturally red.'

Just then, Natasha began to stir, her eyes fluttering open. At the same time, Lara heard Winston descending the cellar steps with a suitcase in hand.

"Winston, you've finally arrived," said Lara, releasing Natasha's chin and letting her head drop forward.

Winston placed the suitcase on a nearby table. Opening it, he said, "My apologies, young lady. When I heard you'd caught a spy, I took the time to gather some tools." He produced several intimidating instruments and a syringe filled with a yellowish liquid.

Lara recognized it from her memories. It was MI6's truth serum—more accurately, the Uzman truth serum. "Is that a truth serum?" she asked.

"Yes, young lady," Winston replied. "It's still experimental and not very potent on its own, but used with some…persuasion, it should loosen her tongue."

"It's useless, Winston," said Lara. Before Winston could ask why, she continued, "She's enhanced. I believe she's a Black Widow trained by the Red Room. A normal person wouldn't wake up this quickly after taking a direct kick to the head. She's already regaining consciousness in just a few minutes."

Winston nodded, recalling what he'd heard about the Red Room—part of Department X, known for producing super-soldiers for the KGB. "So, how are we going to make her talk?"

"There's no need," Lara said. "I already know why she's here. The Soviets want information about the Divine Source. I suspect they've stumbled upon the place of the Immortal Prophet's tomb that my father was researching." Seeing that Natasha was now fully awake, Lara added, "Winston, could you leave us alone? I'd like to have a private conversation with our guest."

Winston hesitated, obviously worried about leaving Lara alone with such a dangerous individual, but he complied. "Yes, young lady." He departed, taking the suitcase with him.

As soon as he was gone, Lara turned to Natasha, who glared at her as if she wanted to take a bite out of her. "That look really suits you," Lara remarked, amused.

"I think your full name is Наталья Альяновна 'Наташа' Романова—Natalia Alianovna 'Natasha' Romanova in English, correct?" Lara asked.

Natasha said nothing, but Lara could see that she was momentarily startled. The super spy recovered quickly, yet Lara noticed the slight reaction. "So it's true, then," Lara said.

"You were born in the 1920s, and your foster father was Ivan Petrovitch?" Lara continued. This time, Natasha's surprise was more evident. Even top Soviet officials wouldn't know such personal details.

"Were you married to Alexei Shostakov?" Lara asked next, expecting another shock. Instead, Natasha looked confused, as if she had no idea what Lara was talking about.

"Do you have a sister named Yelena Belova?" Lara tried again, but Natasha appeared just as puzzled.

Lara frowned inwardly. 'Is she a mix between the MCU and Earth-616 versions?' she wondered. 'She was born in the 1920s, like in the comics, but she wasn't married to Alexei Shostakov, the Red Guardian, who was her ex husband in the comics. She also doesn't know about Yelena.'

In the comics, Yelena was another superspy trained by the Red Room who sought to surpass Natasha and take revenge on her for defecting. After Yelena left her masters, she briefly joined S.H.I.E.L.D.'s corrupt factions, then worked with A.I.M. as a super-adaptoid, and even became the Minister of State in Barbuda before dying in a conflict between A.I.M. and the S.H.I.E.L.D. Avengers. Later, Natasha had resurrected Yelena by implanting her memories into a Red Room clone, becoming White Widow.

'This is so confusing. I really want a nice bubble bath right now,' Lara thought.

Before leaving, she crouched down to Natasha's eye level. The spy's gaze still burned with anger, reminding Lara of a caged lioness. Without warning, Lara leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the lips, then stood and began walking up the stairs. Pausing at the top, she called back, "Bye, see you next time."

Natasha, momentarily stunned, shook off her surprise and surveyed her surroundings. She noticed that her bindings were just ropes. With no sharp objects nearby, she focused on the wine barrels around her. Scooting the chair closer, she began rubbing the ropes against the rough edge of one barrel, slowly fraying them.

Meanwhile, in her room, Lara continued writing in her notebook. "I could try going to the Savage Land to see if its mists can really enhance a person's abilities," she mused. "Maybe I can also get my hands on some vibranium while I'm there."

The Savage Land was located in Antarctica, at the base of the Palmer Peninsula. It was a tropical prehistoric region, kept warm and lush by volcanic activity. Created long ago by the alien Nuwali as a "game preserve" for the Beyonders, it was home to Ka-Zar and contained a massive vibranium meteorite—one of two that had struck the Earth, the other resting in Wakanda.

Lara considered the Divine Source next. "I could try the Divine Source," she muttered, "but no, screw that. Having your soul messed with isn't worth it. Now that Marvel's involved, I wouldn't be surprised if some interdimensional or cosmic entity shows up to snatch my soul. The last thing I need is Dormammu or Cyttorak meddling with me."

She paused, tapping her pen against the page. "Also, is there an Excalibur or Mjölnir from Tomb Raider lore?" Lara asked herself. "Nah, there can't be two Mjölnirs. Thor would have a mental breakdown. The God of Hammers would not appreciate that."

Then her mind drifted to Excalibur. Being in a Marvel world, the famous sword carried significant weight. It was tied to the Captain Britain Corps, an omniversal organization created by Merlyn, comprising every Captain Britain from every alternate reality. They operated from the Otherworld, a realm shaped by the collective consciousness and will of the British people. In Marvel, Excalibur was a tremendously powerful blade, capable of killing gods, immortals, and spirits. It was virtually indestructible, granted its wielder invincibility and invulnerability, and could detect magic. But the sword lay with the Lady of the Lake, and Lara had no desire to antagonize Merlyn, the Captain Britain Corps, or MI13.

"I could try to become Captain Britain to wield it," she mused, "but I don't want to be tied down by their rules or their power restrictions." Captain Britain drew strength from interdimensional energies concentrated around the British Isles and Otherworld. Traveling too far from these sources would drain his power unless he wore a special enhancing costume—and Merlyn could revoke that power at any time.

Lara wanted power that belonged to her alone, not dependent on artifacts or bestowed by cosmic beings who could strip it away at a whim. She wanted something constant, something that wouldn't chain her to a single universe or multiverse. Ultimately, her goal was to become omniversal, not tied to one reality's survival. If the Beyonders destroyed the Marvel Multiverse, she would be able to hop over to the DC Multiverse without a care.

"Why settle for less?" she whispered, pen scratching against the paper. "I want the freedom to roam beyond all boundaries, like a true treasure hunter and tomb raider."