A Star's Descent

By evolution-500

Cover by NaiveWriter (aka Multifreak99 on Deviantart)

Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Final Stretch

Rebecca glanced around in confusion as the survivors navigated their way back.

"Something wrong, Rebecca?" Coen asked.

She frowned.

"It's weird," she said. "This place feels so...empty. We haven't seen a zombie or creature around here for some time."

"Why do you think that is?" Star asked.

"Maybe they just decided to call it a night and headed to the bar for some drinks," Coen joked.

Rebecca allowed herself to smile.

"Maybe," she said. "We shouldn't let our guard down, though, just in case."

"Agreed." The convict nodded, then looked around thoughtfully. "You know, tonight has been one hell of a ride, huh?"

"You can say that again," the medic said in agreement.

"It's almost like we're in a bad 80s horror film," Coen commented.

Star glanced at him.

"How do you mean?" he queried.

"You know," Coen said. "Group of soldiers, researchers, teenagers, police officers or whatever going out in the middle of the woods or some far off planet, discover a secret research facility filled with monsters and have to survive the night, blah blah blah. Typical B-movie crap. You know what I mean?"

"I'm afraid not," Star shook his head.

"Oh come on!" the convict said. "You must have seen something like what I described. You know, 'Aliens'?"

The albino gave him a blank stare.

"Seriously?!" Coen gaped. "You've never seen 'Aliens'? Sigourney Weaver?"

"No."

"Well, what horror movies have you seen?"

"Admittedly, I'm...squeamish with current horror movies," Star answered. "Too gory. I am much more partial to the Universal horror movies of old, although I suppose 'Jurassic Park' is something of a horror film..."

Coen stared, his jaw hanging low to the floor.

"My god, you must be the most vanilla bastard I've ever met!" he muttered.

The albino gave an amused scoff, then paused.

"...These movies that contain premises similar to our situation..." Star said slowly, "...how do they tend to end?"

Coen sighed.

"Very messily, with lots of blood, lots of gore, lots of people dead, and one or two survivors, usually virgins," he answered grimly.

Rebecca considered his words.

"Well," she smiled, "that's comforting. I guess this means I'm the lucky one."

The ex-Marine frowned.

"In the movies, maybe," he said, "but in real life it means nothing."

The trio wandered uncomfortably. Rebecca was desperate to break the silence, if only to keep her mind off from the truth in Coen's words.

Rebecca then looked to Star.

"So," she began, "how do you like Colorado so far?"

Star raised a brow.

"What?" the Bravo said innocently. "I'm only trying to start a conversation."

He conceded.

"So far, it's...different," the albino answered.

"I bet you never expected to find zombies around here, huh?" Rebecca nudged.

He shook his head.

"Nope. Not even this variety," he replied.

The medic blinked.

"What do you mean 'this variety?'" she asked curiously.

Star looked at her.

"Louisiana is home to voodoo culture, you know," he said matter-of-factly. "In fact, there is a law that makes zombification illegal."

Rebecca stared incredulously.

"There is...a law...that makes zombification illegal," she repeated, dumbstruck.

"Oh this I gotta hear!" Coen said interestedly.

"It's true," Star replied. "Article 249 of the Haitian penal code. Quote, 'It shall also be qualified as attempted murder the employment which may be made against any person [using] substances which, without causing actual death, produce a lethargic coma more or less prolonged.'"

Rebecca shook her head.

"Umm...wow," she said. "I had no idea that was even a thing."

The albino shrugged.

"Huh." Coen said. "Not the first crazy law I've heard about. In Florida, sex with porcupines is illegal."

The teenagers stared at him, making him uncomfortable.

"...Why would anyone want to even make that into a law?" Star said with a raised brow. "One would think anyone with a brain would know not to do it."

"Well, there are stupid people in the world," Rebecca pointed out, then held her chin in reflection. "Then again, you would think that that would be considered punishment enough..."

The Bravo medic paused, then glanced over at Coen.

"...How do you know?" She then gave a mischievous smile. "Is there...something you're trying to tell us about yourself?"

"Ew, no!" Coen waved, causing them to chuckle. "I was just saying!"

The teenagers continued to laugh.

"Fucking kids," the convict muttered to himself.

Once they settled down, the group continued onward in silence. A little while later, Rebecca looked back to the albino, noticing the frown on his face.

"What's the matter, Star?" she asked.

Star raised his eyes.

"Just thinking, that's all," he replied.

"What about?" the medic pressed.

The albino looked at her, a little troubled.

"When you were telling Marcus...or rather, his son or clone, that you had wanted to give him a choice, a chance to redeem himself and...gain a soul of his own...did you really mean it?"

She nodded.

"Partially," she said. "Originally I wanted to offer myself in exchange for your lives."

The albino looked at her in surprise.

"You would have done that for us?" he said in amazement.

Rebecca gave a small reassuring smile.

"Well, yeah," she replied. "It's my job to serve and protect, you know."

She exhaled.

"When he sneered at me," the medic continued, "and said what I was thinking...I...wanted to try a different approach that didn't result in bloodshed. Plus, I did feel it was my obligation to...reach out."

Star studied her curiously. "...Why?"

Rebecca lowered her chin thoughtfully.

"One of my favorite stories growing up was 'Frankenstein,'" she explained.

Star blinked.

"Frankenstein," he repeated.

The Bravo nodded.

"When I was young I used to cry reading that book," she admitted. "I always felt so sorry for the Creature. I bawled like a baby because of how miserable and alone he was. How he was treated. Here was this person, with all these wonderful qualities, being condemned for something that he was, for what he looked like. And he was so painfully aware of it. I suppose in a way...on some level...this is my way of wanting to...well...make it up to the Creature, I guess."

The albino stared with a look of astonishment.

"What if your plea hadn't paid off?" Coen asked.

Rebecca shrugged.

"Then I would have suggested that he started with you first since you were heavier than me," she replied.

The convict gave her a look.

"I was just kidding!" she giggled as she raised her hands defensively, then looked seriously. "But really, I would have tried convincing him to take me instead of you two."

The survivors were quiet as they resumed walking through the hallway. After a few minutes, Star looked to Rebecca again.

"The things Marcus' clone said about him being unable to be recognized as a person, not having rights, being unable to find gainful employment, marriage and so on...are they all true?" he asked.

Rebecca thoughtfully considered the question.

"Technically it is," she replied. "Your best bet would be to consult with a lawyer on the subject, though."

"Under the law, would he be considered human?"

"I...guess. I don't know. I like to think that he is. Why?"

Rebecca watched as Star paused to consider his words.

"Thinking about Marcus' clone...and Frankenstein's creature...it just made me wonder."

She nodded understandingly.

"...Is what we're doing wrong?" Rebecca asked. "To expect the worst from Marcus rather than have faith in him?"

Coen scoffed.

"You're the last person I thought would say that." he replied, then shook his head. "No, doll-face. It's called being sensible. For all we know, the reason why Marcus...or Marcus junior or whatever, hadn't attacked was because he knew that he was weak and vulnerable. Marcus had already proven how much of an asshole he was throughout his life. Hell, he proved how much of an asshole he was tonight. Now he has to prove his intentions to us, his sincerity. Me personally, I'm betting that he'll do something to screw us over."

Star glanced to Rebecca.

"What about you?" the former asked.

"I...don't know," she replied. "It's possible he'll try something...but, I like to be optimistic. You?"

The albino frowned.

"I'm...kind of torn," he admitted. "Part of me wants him to do something wrong, just so it would give me an excuse to lash out in payback for what he's done. Another part of me, though...wants to believe that he can be redeemed. One of the things I've always hated about monster movies growing up is that they're always the menace, that they're irredeemable, soulless things that only brought destruction, and that the only way it would end for them is through their death, through their destruction. I...want to believe that such a fate isn't inevitable."

Coen shrugged.

"It's all on him now, Red," he replied. "Only thing we can do is wait and see."

Rebecca watched as Star digested his words, then fell back into silence.

* * * * *

It watched the humans with keen interest as it stalked after them. How long has it been since it had tasted human flesh! Saliva dripped from its mouth behind its featureless mask. The time will come, but for now, it needed to lay low and wait.

* * * * *

Rebecca noticed Coen acting strangely. Ever since they departed from the smashed Umbrella cadavers, Coen would pause periodically and tilt his head to one side, listening, then would glance about nervously.

"Is something wrong, Billy?" Rebecca asked.

He looked in her direction.

"...No...it's nothing," the convict replied.

She looked at him, unconvinced, then resumed onward. They were a few corridors away from the resting station when the whole treatment facility started to shake, causing the survivors to lose their balance.

"What the hell?!" Coen swore as he tried to keep himself up. "An earthquake?!"

Rebecca cried out as she nearly fell over, only to be grabbed by Coen. Star wobbled and fell flat on his rear onto the floor. Before the medic could say anything, there came a long, loud sudden though low groaning roar that echoed somewhere in the distance. As it finished, the shaking stopped.

"What was that?" Star said as he got back up onto his feet.

"A collapsing tunnel, maybe?" Rebecca suggested as she straightened herself. "An explosion, perhaps?"

"I don't think so," Coen said warily. "At least, I hope not. Let's go."

"Billy."

The medic watched as he turned to face her. "Thank you."

The convict nodded. "No problem."

As Star picked up his bags, Rebecca glanced around the bar.

"Just give me a second," she called. Opening some cupboards, she checked around then paused, something catching her eye. Shrugging off her backpack, she grabbed a thick bag and stuffed it inside, then zipped it up. "Okay, I'm ready."

Turning toward the metal stairs, the survivors began their descent.

* * * * *

Coen looked to Star.

"So, Red," the former said, "what are you going to be doing when we get out of here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Star replied exhaustedly without looking at him. "Find someplace safe with a bed and sleep. I am very tired."

Coen nodded.

"I bet your girlfriend misses you," he remarked.

The albino scowled. "I don't have a girlfriend, Mr. Coen."

"Boyfriend?"

Rebecca looked at Coen with a cheeky smile.

"Aw, how sweet!" she said. "He wants to know if you're available! I think he fancies you, Star!"

"WHAT?!" the convict exclaimed. "No! I was-"

"You could be right, Rebecca," Star replied straight-faced. "He seems awfully keen on my love life. It must be the trousers I'm wearing."

"I'm not gay!" Coen insisted. "I was just-"

"No, that can't be it," Rebecca interrupted. "I think prison has made dear old Billy here lonesome."

"Well, yeah," Coen admitted, "it was a bit lonely in prison, but-"

He paused. Both teenagers were trying to restrain their laughter...but were failing miserably.

"You little shits."

Upon hearing that, Star and Rebecca burst out laughing.

Coen rolled his eyes.

"Hardy har, very funny." He then looked at the medic as she settled down. "How about you, Rebecca? Got someone special waiting for you back home?"

Rebecca nodded.

"My mom," she answered.

"I meant romantically."

She shook her head.

"No. Well, actually...there is this...guy that I do have my eye on, but...he doesn't know."

Coen perked up interestedly.

"Really?" he said. "What does he look like?"

Rebecca sighed as she thought of Captain Wesker.

"Tall, with short blonde hair," she said wistfully. "A chiseled face like a marble statue. High cheekbones. Straight nose. Strong jaw and chin. Very strong arms and broad shoulders. Lean, muscular body."

The convict nodded.

"Sounds like a handsome fella," he replied.

The medic smiled dreamily.

"He is," she said quietly, her eyes glistening as she thought of her beloved. "He is so dreamy."

* * * * *

The albino watched quietly as the medic stared off into space. From her tone and the way she spoke of this person, she truly loved him. And yet...why did Star feel resentment toward this unknown individual?

His face veiled with shadow, he looked to the door past the forklift.

"We should get moving," Star said brusquely, snapping Rebecca from her reverie as he walked ahead of the others down the steps.

* * * * *

Rebecca watched Star as he made his way toward the door, then glanced back to Coen.

"What's with him?" she asked.

"I think he...just wants to get out of here," Coen replied. "Could you just wait here for a sec. I just want to talk to him."

"Why?"

"Just...let me talk to him, okay?"

Rebecca sighed.

"Okay," she said, "but don't take too long."

Coen nodded, then hurried up after Star.

* * * * *

Star heard the approach of footsteps behind him just as he about grab the handle.

"Everything alright, Red?"

The albino halted.

"I'm fine," he replied. "Why do you ask?"

"You seem angry," Coen said.

Star tilted his head in his direction. "I'm not."

The convict scoffed.

"Could have fooled me," he said.

Star said nothing as he reached for the handle again.

"You've fallen for her, haven't you?"

The albino's hand froze. "...I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me," Coen said quietly. "You're in love with Rebecca. I can see it plain as day. Even a blind guy can pick up on it."

Now it was Star's turn to scoff.

"Don't be ridiculous," he replied. "That's impossible."

"And why is that?"

"I'm...incapable of falling in love. It's not possible for me to feel it."

"Bullshit. You're human," Coen retorted.

The albino quietly processed his words.

It couldn't be.

...Could it?

Star frowned.

"But how?" he said, puzzled. "I've never been in love."

"Seriously?" Coen said in surprise. "Not even once?"

"Never," the albino admitted. "Even more, I've only known Rebecca for a few hours, which is why it's so...impossible."

Coen grinned.

"Well, well, well! It seems like Cupid had finally managed to hit you with a bullseye, Red!" he replied. "Believe it or not, all it takes are a few hours for that too happen."

A grim line formed on Star's lips.

"What I feel for her is irrelevant, Mr. Coen," he said. "Someone already has her heart."

"So what?" Coen said. "Since when should that stop you from trying? Not even the guy that she likes knows her feelings, so...where's the harm? Go for it, Red!"

The albino lowered his gaze. "I'm a realist, Mr. Coen. I know what my chances are. I know what the answer will be even before I ask the question."

"How can you possibly know?" The convict demanded.

"Look at me," Star said seriously. "Do you really expect her to fall for something like me?"

"Believe it or not, Red," Coen started, "you're not the ugliest fella I've ever seen. Granted, you're not perfection like yours truly, but you're nowhere NEAR as ugly as some of the dudes I've seen...and those guys were able to pick up five to ten chicks at a time! Even more, some girls find scars attractive."

"You exaggerate."

"I'm serious! One guy I know has a face like roadkill, yet he gets pussy every other day!"

Star curled his lip in distaste.

"I'm not interested in getting my leg over, Mr. Coen," he said in disgust.

"You know what I mean, Red."

"Even so, it still doesn't change my chances. The only thing I hope is that the man Rebecca loves is deserving of her affections...and that...she is given the treatment that she properly deserves."

"So you're just giving up?" Coen said with disbelief.

The albino growled.

"Even if I have, it's none of your concern," he said evenly.

"That's where you're wrong," Coen retorted quietly. "Being overly emotional or too preoccupied with something can cause people to become reckless and make mistakes, which in turn cost lives. I've seen it happen. I need everyone focused, you especially, Red. Now look, it's alright if you fancy her - I'm not going to begrudge you for feeling that way, - but you need to keep yourself in check."

"I don't intend to let emotion cloud my vision or judgement," Star replied.

"Good," the convict said. "One more thing. If you do something that gets her either hurt or killed, I'll clean your clock."

Star turned to look directly at him.

"You care about her," he stated.

Coen hesitated.

"Well...yeah," he shrugged. "I mean, I don't "love" her or anything like that, but...I do like the little shrimp. Just...keep her safe. If you truly love her, you'll fight for her with everything you have and see to it that she makes it out of here alive."

Star studied him, then nodded.

"I will," he promised.

Coen nodded back with a small smile and clapped him on the shoulder, then waved Rebecca down.

"Everything okay, Star?" the latter asked as she approached.

The albino was still for a moment.

"...Yes," he replied. "Everything is fine."

The medic studied him. "Are you sure?"

He nodded.

"Come on, guys," Coen said. "Just a little further."

As Star followed after him and Rebecca, he puzzled over his feelings.

Could he actually be in love?

* * * * *

Stepping back into the Reservoir Room, the trio made their way to the door at the opposite end when something launched itself from the water, startling them.

"JESUS!" Coen yelled as he leapt back out of the way.

Blocking their path, landing right where the convict had stood, was an enormous yellow frog that must have been two feet high and about four or five feet long. Turning to face the survivors, the amphibian ribbitted.

"You have got to be kidding," Rebecca said with disgust.

"Frog legs coming right up!" the convict said as he fired.

Bullets pierced its hide to no effect. Opening its mouth, the creature shot out an impossibly long tongue than wrapped around the medic's leg, pulling her down with a shriek.

"REBECCA!" Coen yelled.

* * * * *

Rebecca struggled as she tried to wrench herself free. Aiming her weapon, she fired into its tongue. Click.

Shit shit shit!

Gunfire echoed as the medic struggled at her belt. Grabbing hold of Star's sword as she was being dragged toward the creature's hungry gaping cavernous maw, Rebecca lashed out and cut the creature's tongue, causing the mutated animal to jerk in pain as the organ retracted back into its mouth. The animal hopped forward when something darted out from the water, catching it midair.

Rebecca stared open-mouthed at the newest arrival.

"What...the..." Coen breathed.

"It can't be..." Star murmured.

Rebecca couldn't believe it, either.

"A hydra?!" she exclaimed.

From the pool, five eyeless heads attached to long serpentine necks about three or four feet thick rose above the survivors, holding the frog in one of its mouths twelve feet in the air. The rest of the beast's body was forty feet long, dark, and, by Rebecca's estimates, probably five feet wide. Their attention fixed on their captured prey, the serpentine heads snarled and roared, hungrily snapping at their latest find and at each other greedily. Four of them were pinkish bronze in color, looking like the intestines of some giant that were somehow endowed with life and given teeth, while the one in the center was cerulean and horned, reminding Rebecca of a dragon. The heads hungrily fought each other over their captured prey as they wrenched at its limbs, pulling it apart to the medic's disgust. Blood stained their mouths and the water as they feasted.

"Why is there a hydra down here?!" Rebecca said.

"Maybe it got lost on its way to Tokyo!" Coen remarked. "Let's get the hell out of here before it decides we're next!"

* * * * *

Star stared at the creature before him in disbelief. A hydra. A beast that Heracles supposedly had slain in one of his labors. As Star studied the eyeless heads, a word sprung from his lips.

"Tower."

Startled, the albino blinked repeatedly.

Where had that come from?

"RED, MOVE!"

The moment he heard Coen, he rushed after them to the door at the other end, sliding unsteadily before suddenly slipping, kicking his feet up into the air as he fell down on a grate with a crash and a grunt.

"STAR!" Rebecca yelled as she rushed to his side and checked on him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah!" he groaned as she and Coen picked him off the floor. Once he was on his feet, Star hurriedly collected his bags.

"Come on!" Rebecca called as everyone rushed to the door...only to find it locked.

"Come on come on come on!" Coen said as he hammered his fist against it. "OPEN THE DOOR! OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR!"

The creature finished its meal with a crunch and a gulp, then turned its heads in their direction.

Star watched as Rebecca nervously swallowed.

"Marcus," she called, "if you're in there, please let us in!"

"NOW!" the convict yelled before turning around to fire upon the hydra. Bullets ricocheted off ineffectively off its body, making him let out a slew of angry curses.

Rearing back one of its heads, the beast lunged when a shot rang out, causing it to jerk back with a roar of pain.

Blinking, Star glanced down and saw the pistol in his hands, the barrel smoking. As he stared down the barrel, the albino felt a sudden pain in his head, causing him to wince as he held his forehead.

* * * * *

The hydra loomed over him and a man in a formal grey suit with dark brown hair, a long straight thick nose and a squarish face.

"What is it?" he called, his weapon trained on the creature.

"Just shoot the damn thing!" the man in grey said as he open-fired.

* * * * *

"The door's unlocked!" Marcus' voice called. "GET IN!"

Snapping back to reality, Star let go of his temples, put away his weapon and grabbed his bags and hastily followed his companions through the automatic door, narrowly avoiding having a chunk bitten out from him as one of the heads lunged. As the door closed behind them, the beast wailed in frustration as it pounded relentlessly to get inside, then gave one final howl as it stopped.

The survivors panted furiously, eying the door, then turned to face Marcus.

"About time," Coen muttered, causing the youth in white to give him a glare.

"What he means," Rebecca stepped in, "is thank you. You did us a favor out there."

Marcus seemed to have accepted her words, then nodded.

Star studied their surroundings. It was a dark room illuminated by the blue screens of three monitors in one corner, while the other side was painted yellow by the lights of some specimen jars. At the furthest end was a door to the left and a set of stairs leading down to the right.

"What was that thing?" Rebecca asked.

Marcus frowned.

"I don't know," he answered. "If it's one of Umbrella's creations, I've had no knowledge of it."

Tower. The word lingered on Star's mind as he looked over to Rebecca.

"You still have my manuscript?" he asked.

The Bravo medic nodded.

"Yeah, it's in my bag," she said. "Why?"

"Could you look through it? I-I thought I recognized the creature."

Rebecca shrugged off her backpack, took out the manuscript and started to flip through the pages. Star watched as her eyes scanned through the pages, then stopped.

"I found it!" she said. "'Tower Type-8000'."

"Does it say anything about it?" Coen asked.

Star watched as she shook her head.

"No, nothing, I'm afraid," Rebecca answered regretfully.

"May I see it?" Marcus asked as he put on a pair of latex gloves taken from a box on the table.

Rebecca hesitated, then handed it over to him. The survivors watched as he studied the drawings, his brows knitted in fascination.

"Incredible!" Marcus murmured.

"So what do you think?" Coen asked.

The white-robed youth frowned.

"When I...Marcus was head of this facility, Umbrella was looking into making a viable weapon through viruses," he said. "This...Magician Type 0...I've never seen anything like it..."

"Is it Umbrella?" Rebecca asked.

The clone sighed.

"In my opinion, no," he answered. "Then again, William is full of surprises. It does bear some similarity to one of his specimens, though. So, perhaps."

He closed the book and handed it back to Rebecca.

"There is a lift through the door downstairs," Marcus said as he took off the latex gloves. "Follow me."

Star warily observed the youth in white as he departed. As Rebecca finished zipping up her bag, he and Coen approached the moment the clone descended down the stairs and exited through the door below.

"I don't like this, Rebecca," he said quietly.

"Give him a chance, Star," the medic said quietly back. "If he does something, we'll be ready."

Coen frowned.

"Will we?" he said with a doubtful expression.

Star watched as Rebecca quietly pondered herself that question.

"We don't really have much choice," she answered honestly. "Let's just...wait and see what happens."

"We're going to get screwed," Coen muttered.

"Pray that we don't," Rebecca replied in a hushed voice. "Come on."

With that, the trio began their descent down the steps. As they descended into the unknown, Star thought about that vision and the man in grey.

* * * * *

Through the door, Rebecca found Marcus waiting for them in front of a massive generator that hummed and rumbled noisily.

"You took your time," the latter said impatiently.

"My shoe was untied," Rebecca lied.

Marcus interrogatorily glared at the others. "And what were your excuses?"

Star narrowed his eyes.

"We didn't want to leave Rebecca alone," he said simply. "There are other creatures around here that we have to worry about."

The white-robed youth watched them, then conceded.

"Point taken," he replied. "Come."

Circling around the generator, the survivors followed Marcus and passed by a set of valves, then stopped before a door that was tucked away in a niche behind the generator itself. On the left hand side of the door was a magnetic card reading device that had a glaring red light on the top. Raising up his hand, Rebecca watched with disgust as a metallic card oozed its way up from the middle of Marcus' palm through his skin. Pulling it with his other hand, the white-robed youth inserted it into the slot.

Nothing.

Wiping it on his robe, Marcus tried again. The light flashed green, causing the door to open as he tossed the card away. Pushing open the door, he held it open for them.

"This way," Marcus gestured.

Stepping through, Rebecca and her companions followed the former Umbrella researcher down a stretch of ground with chain-linked fences on either side toward a door at the very end. Steam hissed nearby from some vents as the survivors warily watched their guide. To the medic, there was something surreal about this entire thing; being guided by a dead man, a dead man entirely composed from leeches through some industrial nightmare no less...it was bizarre.

'Star was right when he said it's like "Dante's Inferno,' Rebecca thought. Only Dante didn't have to worry about Vergil turning on him, let alone eat him.

Once they were at the door, the four stepped inside. Upon seeing what lay within, Rebecca paled.

"Jesus Christ," Coen swore.

Hellishly illuminated by flames that flickered through some doorways and burst flaming pipes nearby, there were leeches everywhere. Hundreds, perhaps even thousands of them. On the ceiling, on the walls, all over the floor, on ladders, platforms and catwalks up above - they were all over the place, coating everything in thick viscous-looking slime. Marcus smiled at them.

"Yes, my children," he called. "Daddy is home!"

The leeches parted with each step he made toward them. Rebecca watched as he turned around to face her and the others.

"Come," he said. "They will not harm you."

Swallowing nervously, it was Rebecca who took the first step, followed closely by Star as he eyed the slithering bloated bodies around them, then Coen. As Rebecca cautiously glanced about, she felt something drop onto her shoulder, causing her to give a startled shriek.

"REBECCA!" Star yelled as the convict raised his revolver.

"It's fine! It's fine!" the medic assured, raising up her hand. "It's just a loose screw! Everything is fine. Everyone calm down."

'Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Rebecca!' she thought to herself. 'Everything is fine! You're in a room with a dead man composed entirely of leeches and you're surrounded on all sides by the rest of his brood! Everything is fine-didly-dee!'

Rebecca felt a nervous hysterical laugh bubble its way up, but did everything in her power to keep it down, for if it had, she was afraid that she would never stop.

This was an awful idea. No, scratch that, it was the mother of bad ideas, coming down here and trusting Marcus.

As the survivors stepped toward him, the leeches feel away until they all pushed right up to the walls. Turning away, Marcus guided them to a pair of heavy doors with two panels on either side. Rebecca watched as Marcus approached it and took out an odd-looking pair of keys, then gave him a startled expression look as he suddenly stretched out his arms and placed the keys into the slots, turning them at the same time. Once the door opened, Marcus whipped around to face them.

"Go," he said. "Leave this place."

Rebecca hesitated. Could this be a trick?

Seeing her expression, the former Umbrella researcher/clone sighed.

"You will not be harmed," he assured. "Now leave."

Rebecca nodded.

"Thank you," she said respectfully.

Marcus nodded back. The survivors quietly exited the room and studied their surroundings. Ahead were a couple of shelves that had some First Aid sprays and bandages, while to the side was a lift that led up a very long slope. Approaching the former, the survivors replenished their supplies.

"Okay, I'm all stocked up," Rebecca said as she zipped up her bag. "I'll just wait for you guys on the platform."

Coen pocketed some ammunition and followed her to the platform. "I'm about done here, anyway."

Rebecca watched as Star gathered some bandages, stuffing them into his cases. Once he finished closing them, the albino proceeded onto the lift. Just as Rebecca was about to pull down the lever on the console, Star raised a hand.

"Wait."

The medic hesitated, then watched as the albino turned to face Marcus as he stood outside the door, watching them.

"Before we leave, shade," Star called, "there is one thing I would like to know."

Marcus looked at him curiously.

"And that is?" he said expectantly.

"The men who betrayed and killed...your father...could you tell us their names?" Star queried.

The white-robed youth sighed.

"Birkin," he replied. "William Birkin and Albert W-AAUGH!"

Marcus' face disappeared as something punched straight through his head, startling everyone, causing Rebecca to scream and green blood to splatter onto the floor. Protruding out were five long claws made from solid steel. Marcus' body shuddered as something lifted him off the ground, then tossed him aside.

"It's time to go, Rebecca," Coen urged. "NOW!"

Pulling down the lever, Rebecca felt the platform jerk as it started to climb up the slope, studying this newest horror as it stepped into the light.

The creature was clearly a zombie of some sort, but it possessed certain characteristics that made it distinctive. Clad in faded blue jeans that were worn and torn with age, the creature wore a smooth-plated featureless metal mask that had a pair of slit eyeholes for it to see through, and had long, filthy, wild and crazy-looking hair that stood up on end in all directions. Shoeless and bare-chested, it had an emaciated frame with rotting green skin that was wrinkled with age, reminding Rebecca of a mummy. The forearms were what drew the medic's attention and made her pause; bound together by a series of buckles, the arms were skeletal-looking and clearly mechanical, with various wires, pistons and other machinery, its hands consisting of just clawed thumbs with four stubs for fingers that had ten inch long knives at the end.

"It's like Freddy Krueger fucked Jason Voorhees and produced a rotten undead baby," Coen muttered aloud.

Raising its bladed fingers to inspect Marcus' green blood, she watched as a long purpled tongue snaked out from beneath the thing's mask and tasted it, licking the knives clean, smacking its lips audibly.

"Ugh!" Rebecca groaned.

Lifting its head in their direction, the tongue retracting back as it watched them, the creature sharpened its bladed hands. Once it finished, the creature straightened itself up, then slowly walked toward the edge of the platform.

'This one isn't like the others,' Rebecca thought.

From what she had seen so far, Umbrella's zombies would move with a shambling and stumbling gait, kind of like in the Romero movies, which would sometimes make aiming a pain in the ass. This zombie, if that was what it was, was very different from that; it stood upright and moved steadily and deliberately, possibly suggesting some form of intelligence.

"YEAH! YEAH!" Coen shouted to the masked creature. "FUCK YOU! YOU CAN'T DO SHIT, BRO! YOU CAN'T DO SHIT!"

Stopping at the foot of the platform, the thing ducked down, then suddenly leapt very high up into the air.

"HOLY-" Coen cut himself off as it attached itself onto the wall like a gecko. Looking back at the survivors, the masked creature started to pursue after them with a surprising agility and athleticism as the platform rose, its movement reminding Rebecca of either a lion or cheetah running on its side.

"You had to taunt him!" Rebecca said heatedly.

"How was I supposed to know it could do that?!" the convict retorted.

The creature was edging closer. It was at that moment that Rebecca suddenly caught a whiff of the thing's odor, causing her to gag and cover her nose.

"Oh my god!" she said disgustedly.

The smell was so awful that she had wanted to turn away. Even the usually stoic Star was wincing and was trying to cover his face with his collar and hood, dropping his bags.

"Gah! Sweet baby Jesus, that smell!" Coen coughed.

"Whoever or whatever he is, he absolutely reeks!" Star said, his eyes watering. "Oh God I think I'm going to hurl!"

Rebecca nodded in agreement. It was an incredibly acrid smell, like feces and spoiled meat that had been left in a desert somewhere.

'Just don't breathe through your nose,' she mentally told herself.

Leaping high into the air again, the creature landed onto the platform with them, then raised itself up.

"Who are you?" Rebecca asked.

The creature said nothing. If it understood, it gave no indication. Holding out its arm in a straight line, the zombie merely folded the arm back, the knives poised as if ready to strike, making its intentions perfectly clear to everyone.

Coen raised his revolver.

"Oh yeah, this guy is real friendly!" he said sarcastically. "Hey, how ya doing? I'm Billy. Let me introduce you to some friends of mine!"

With that he fired. The creature dodged quickly to the side, then charged forward with both arms stretched out behind it and slashed wildly in all directions, the knives tearing into the convict's jeans and shirt as he twisted and sidestepped the creature's strikes. As the creature focused its attention on Coen, Star threw a thrust kick, his boot connecting with its head, knocking it over the rail.

"BE SURE TO SEND US A POSTCARD, DICKHEAD!" Coen yelled as it fell to the chasm below, then nodded to Star. "Thanks for the save!"

The albino nodded back, then glanced over the rail.

"What was that thing?" he asked.

A loud crash drew the survivors' attention upward. A vent fell off, revealing five more like it.

"Fuck me," Coen swore as the platform continued to climb.

The survivors aimed and fired as the masked creatures pursued, climbing rapidly along the walls. Coen hit one, sending it careening down, while another was caught midair by Rebecca, knocking it into one of its brethren. A third had its arm dismembered by Star, causing it to slide down and dangle pitifully along the wall.

More started to appear, leaping onto the platform.

The survivors ducked, dodged, weaved and fired their weapons as they avoided getting skewered.

"I'm out of ammo!" Coen said as he pulled out the sword and slashed frenziedly, cutting off heads and limbs.

"Same!" Star called as he got into a stance, punching, kicking and throwing his opponents over the rails.

"I'm out, too!" Rebecca said as three masked creatures slowly approached her.

'What do I do?' she thought worriedly when a lightbulb went off in her head. 'Wait. I got it!'

Taking out a First Aid spray can and a lighter from her backpack, she raised up both items defensively.

"Don't come any closer!" she warned. The creatures continued toward her.

'This is a really bad idea,' she told herself. As they took another step, she pressed the spray and flicked the lighter. A huge fireball engulfed the three creatures, causing them to shriek and flail about.

"OH NO!" Rebecca cried.

'What have I done?!' she thought.

The flaming wretches writhed about for a minute, with two tumbling over a rail while another collapsed onto the ground. Rebecca turned away, repulsed and horrified by what she had done.

"REBECCA LOOK OUT!" Star yelled.

Rebecca felt the wind knocked out of her as a masked creature tackled her to the ground. The Bravo shrieked as she grabbed hold of its wrists, trying to keep it from stabbing her. Coen lashed out with a kick, his boot connecting with its head, knocking off its mask as its head violently jerked to the side, its body rolling away.

"Are you okay, Rebecca?" Coen asked as he reached out for her.

The medic gave a thumbs up as she was pulled to her feet. More masked creatures climbed onboard.

Coen growled. "WILL YOU GUYS GIVE US A FUCKING BREAK ALREADY?!"

He hacked furiously away while Star threw one to the ground. As the creature struggled to get up, Rebecca swung her foot into its dome.

Rebecca did not consider herself physically strong. At five foot three and ninety-three pounds, the idea of her being equivocal to anyone like Arnold Schwarzenegger in terms of raw muscle power was laughable, so when the creature's head suddenly detached from its body and sailed across the air like a soccer ball, the medic couldn't help but stare in shock. Of course, her reaction was nothing compared to Star's; just as he was about to grab one of the masked freaks, the decapitated head landed right into his hands at that exact moment, causing him to let out a startled scream, which in turn made Rebecca scream, the dismembered head bouncing about between his hands in the air.

Approaching the screaming albino, Coen snatched the head from him and started to whale on the other creatures with it before whipping it violently at another.

As Rebecca watched the two men deal with the creatures, the medic heard a sharp intake of breath nearby behind her. Turning around, Rebecca watched as the creature that Coen kicked rose up onto its feet. Raising its head, a skeletal face with white eyes and receding cracked lips stared back at her. Twisting its lips into a hideous grin, the creature lumbered in her direction. Rebecca backed away, pulling Star's sword out from her belt, raising it up defensively with both hands.

"Get away! Get away!" she whimpered.

The creature lunged.

Rebecca screamed as she swung with all her might, catching it across the face. She felt and heard the blow, a crack, causing it to stumble and disappear over the rail. As she and the others looked around, the survivors found themselves alone. Rebecca trembled and panted furiously as she held the sword along with Star and Coen, their clothes cut and torn in places.

"Is anyone injured?" Coen asked.

"No," Star swallowed as he tried catching his breath.

"What about you, Rebecca? Are you hurt?" Coen called.

Rebecca shook like a leaf, not answering.

"Rebecca?" Star said.

Dropping the sword, the medic collapsed to her knees.

"REBECCA!" the albino yelled as he and Coen raced to her side, the two kneeling down.

"I-I don't know how much more I can take," Rebecca whimpered, tears running down her face.

"We're almost out of here," Star said. "You have been doing amazingly."

"You really have, Rebecca!" Coen agreed. "Honest to God you have! When I was a rookie, I had pissed myself on my first mission! No joke! Just be strong for us a little while longer. Just a few more-"

The lift suddenly halted. The trio raised their heads and looked around. They weren't even close to the top. They still had several hundred feet to go.

"No, no, no, no," Coen muttered as he and the others raced to the console, jerking at the lever repeatedly. "Come on come on come on!"

Rebecca stared, dread clawing at her heart.

"No," she said in a small voice.

"Come on, you bastard," Coen said between grit teeth as he gave the console a smack. "Work!"

Rebecca's lip trembled.

"No," she repeated.

"WORK!" the convict yelled as he repeatedly yanked on the lever. "COME ON, YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT! WORK!"

He started to kick it.

"STOP IT! STOP IT!" Star yelled as he dragged Coen away. "That isn't going to do anything!"

"Well what do you suggest we do, Red?!" the ex-Marine retorted. "We're stuck here!"

"Maybe we can try climbing," the albino said.

"What are you, nuts?! We can't climb up that!"

"It's better than just sitting here waiting to die," Star said evenly.

"That's a two-three hundred foot climb," Coen pointed to the top. "We have nothing to keep us from falling. If someone slips, that's it. Are you willing to take that chance and risk lives?"

Rebecca watched as the albino stared silently at the ex-Marine.

"Well?"

Star sighed.

"No," he said dejectedly, then looked to Rebecca. "What do you think we should do?"

The medic drooped to the floor, collapsing down onto her knees.

"There's nothing we can do, Star," she said defeatedly. "We're trapped here."