DISCLAIMER: Sadly, I do not own anything related to Resident Evil or its affiliates.
Assault Shotgun: The Richard Aiken Story
I
Thunder
The helicopter ride seemed to be taking forever. Richard Aiken, member of Raccoon City's Elite S.T.A.R.S. Bravo team, let his head rest on the cool metal of the helicopter as he tried to keep himself in check before the mission started. He seemed to do this whenever there was a dire situation at hand, a situation where he'd either have to be on his feet or fear the worst.
Yet something was still unclear to him in his mind: why exactly were the S.T.A.R.S. being deployed in the first place? The grizzly murders that have been taking place the last few weeks were ones that made people raise an eyebrow, sure, but why send the elite before the police? Richard didn't like thinking of himself so highly, but for all he knew this was just a routine check where he and his team would just stroll in, put some cuffs on a couple of crazies and call it a day. Didn't that seem like a job that Raccoon P.D. was capable of? Why throw in a Statue of Liberty play in the first quarter of a game?
"Hey," Richard felt someone nudge him, causing his eyes to flutter open. He looked to his left and noticed the pearly whites of Forest Speyer glaring in his face. "You all right, man?" he asked, letting his smile fade into a modest grin.
Richard nodded and returned his grin. "As good as I can be, brother. Just another day, huh?"
Forest Speyer was a stand-up kind of guy, a guy you can actually trust when the shit hit the fan. Although he has a very childish and nonthreatening demeanor, Forest is actually a force to be reckoned with, whether he has a weapon or not. A master of close-quarters-combat and an expert sniper, he had saved Richard on more than one occasion when missions chose for the S.T.A.R.S. to go into "hostile negotiations". He lugged around a Milkor MGL, a semi-automatic multiple-shot grenade launcher designed to bring hell upon whoever was on the receiving end of its fury. Add all those to the fact that Forest was one of the more conditioned officers, regularly hitting the gym and bragging about his lean, muscular physique in the break room, and you got one top-notch soldier fighting beside you.
"I hear ya," Forest returned, stretching his arms out and letting out a big yawn. "I just think it sucks that we have to check this place out in the dead of night, you know? Not for nothin', but the woods gives me the creeps at night."
Richard laughed. "And just when I thought I had you all figured out, Forest."
Forest replied by flashing his famous grin, then turning his gaze to peer at his other squad mates, one of whom was missing.
"To be completely honest with ya, though," Forest began, sighing and grinning at Richard once again. "I kinda miss Frost."
Forest was talking about Joseph Frost, an old member of Bravo team who was recently promoted to Alpha by Albert Wesker. Although the entire team had no idea why Frost was promoted before the others-possibly due to his lack of taking things seriously even when a mission started-jealousy was not going to allow anyone to second guess Wesker's authority. In truth, the others were happy for their comrade, but his presence was well missed by the rest of the team.
"It's not like we'll never see him again," Richard laughed. "If shit goes wrong with us, you better believe that Joey will be right there looking for us with Chris and the others. So quit being a little bitch and get your head in the game."
Richard let out a big sigh after his laugh and scoped out the rest of the chopper. Sitting across from him was Kenneth Sullivan, a cool and composed type of guy who always kept a mellow head even when things got heated. Richard was glad whenever he got paired up with Kenneth; for such a quiet guy, Kenneth was sure a funny one when the ball got rolling.
Kenneth looked over at Richard and nodded to assure him that everything was all right. Kenneth wasn't one to have small talk before a mission started.
The man sitting next to Kenneth was Enrico Marini, captain of Bravo team. Enrico was the type of man that boosted everyone's morale, although he lets his arrogance get the best of him at times. Sometimes, Alpha team leader Albert Wesker lets Marini take control of both Alpha and Bravo teams when he himself is unable to attend to missions due to paperwork and a busy schedule. It is also well-known that Marini is jealous of Chris Redfield and Barry Burton, both members of Alpha team, and assumes the worst when thinking that one of the two men will assume his position in the future. Richard was never sure where these paranoid feelings manifested, as Wesker trusted Marini and always treated him as second-in-command of Alpha and Bravo.
Edward Dewey was sitting shotgun with Kevin Dooley, an R.P.D. officer who took Dewey's place for some missions when the Bravo team needed a navigator. Dewey was the Barry Burton figure of the Bravo team, the big man with a warm heart that looked out for his teammates as if they were his own family. He is a dedicated soldier and a decent man who'd put his own life on the line to save his teammates and has on several occasions.
Lastly was the newest member of the S.T.A.R.S. Bravo team, eighteen-year-old Rebecca Chambers, a girl far greener than anything in the forest they were just passing. She served as the team's medic, a proclaimed prodigy who was an expert in medicine and biology. However, the girl lacked any field experience, as this was her first assignment with the team, and it seemed as though the jitters were getting the very best of her much too soon. Richard was in his early twenties, but Rebecca was still a kid, something that irritated Richard. The girl was decent enough; pretty, had a great personality, but her age and demeanor was something that will definitely become a liability in the near future, and Richard would be damned if he'd put himself in danger to save her.
Who are you kidding? Richard asked himself. You know if something big is heading for the girl you're going to be there to take the brunt of the blow. Telling yourself otherwise isn't going to change anything. What would Janice think of you now? Big Brother Richard failed to save her from getting killed and is going to allow it to happen to someone else? Even after the promise you made to Bridgette?
Richard was referring to Bridgette Jones, his former lover. Richard had written her a letter explaining his actions for joining and remaining with S.T.A.R.S.. He no longer wanted to feel helpless to save someone in need, as he did for his baby sister, who perished when an armed assailant had robbed their home when he was younger. Bridgette had left him not long after the letter was written, not because she didn't love him, but because she knew that in his line of work there was always a possibility of not returning once he set foot outside their home, and that was something she could never accept.
However, Richard did take a special liking to Rebecca, and it seemed like the two were starting to hit it off. However, Richard had something against dating people from work, and the girl was still a kid. He'd broken many hearts in the past, and she seemed too pure for him to defile her in any way.
Rebecca looked over to him and smiled. Richard gave her a quick glance back and looked outside the chopper, brushing her off. He didn't do it intentionally; he just didn't like to get in a happy mood before a mission started. As much of a nice guy as Richard is, he always liked when his adrenaline pumped his veins and anger filled his blood. It truly was on the battlefield where he has shown his true colors as a man who doesn't fear death nor pain, and will do whatever it takes to succeed.
BOOM!
The nose of the chopper was spewing smoke. Richard gripped one of the safety harnesses above him and looked to the front of the chopper where Kevin and Edward were trying to figure out what the problem was. He wasn't exactly "well-informed" with the specs of helicopters, but if he had to take a guess, he would say that the engine blew out, something that could potentially be a fatal problem.
"What the hell was that?" Enrico asked, quickly getting up from his seat and walking over to Kevin and Edward. "Everyone grab a safety harness! Dewey, what's going on?"
Edward looked back to Enrico and told him of the situation at hand. The front panel's lights were twitching and the panic light was flickering on and off. "Engine failure! We're bottoming out!" he exclaimed, trying to sound as calm as possible. "Emergency landing! Take 'er down, Dooley!"
"You got it!" the R.P.D. officer yelled, bringing the helicopter to a steady hold as they quickly crashed down to the earth below. The nose of the chopper was obliterated; pieces of steel and sheets of metal littered the crash-site. Richard felt the stinging sensation hitting his head as a small trickle of blood fell from his forehead. The pain in his forearm from holding the safety harness was excruciating as well.
Good thing the seat belt actually worked.
"Is everyone all right?" Enrico asked, the Bravos giving a "yeah" or a nod to assure him that they were. "All right, people! We seemed to hit a little snag, so let's pile out and check our situation."
"Yes, sir!"
"Dooley, I want you to stick around and get Alpha on that radio. And if you can, try to see what exactly went wrong with the chopper. I was sure that it passed inspection earlier today."
Dooley gave a stern nod and looked to Marini with confidence. "Yes, sir! I'll try my best! You guys just be careful out there!"
As the rest of the Bravos piled out of the helicopter, Rebecca took a second to give Dooley a thumbs-up, Dooley returning the favor with a stern salute. "You just be careful, Kevin," Richard could hear Rebecca say as he and Forest went off in their own direction.
"Check the current position we are in and investigate the area," Marini ordered, splitting off in his own direction and leaving the Bravos to secure the area themselves.
"You scared yet?" Richard asked Forest, who shrugged and shook his head.
"This ain't the time to fuck around, man; this is some serious shit."
Richard, knowing Forest was right, nodded and shouldered his customized shotgun and aimed forward. Richard carried the Remington 870, a pump-action shotgun used primarily by law enforcement. He had Joseph Kendo, personal friend of Barry Burton, play with the specs of his shotgun in order to increase range and round capacity. Joseph Kendo also customized the sidearm of the S.T.A.R.S. unit, calling it the Samurai Edge, a customized Beretta M92FS. "You think any of these fuckers are out here?" Richard asked, waiting for his comrade to come up with an answer but heard nothing.
The other Bravos were completely out of sight; only Richard and Forest were in this secluded area. The cool July night's air was so thick that you can feel the humidity, only making them sweatier as they walked. A dense fog hindered their sight significantly.
"Bravo Leader to Team, Rebecca found something. Head northeast of the chopper. Over."
Richard and Forest both nodded and ran back in the direction they had come from. As they made their way to the rest of the Bravos, they noticed that they were the last to show.
It seemed to be a smoking Jeep that was turned over. The letters "MP" were written on both sides of the doors, marking it a military policeman's jeep.
"Jesus…" Richard said, discarding the Remington and kneeling beside the Jeep. "Thing looks like it was torn inside-out. Look at these tires; they look like they were chewed apart."
Richard heard Rebecca gasp, causing him to snap a look back. Enrico discovered the body of a Military Policeman who seemed to be slumped in his car seat. His face was torn apart; a huge gash was seen across his face, disfiguring the soldier.
"Hmm? What happened?" Enrico asked, kneeling down and inspecting the corpse further, all the while Rebecca found a file not too far from the crash-site.
"Court order for transportation. Prisoner: Billy Coen, ex-lieutenant, 26 years old. Court marshaled and sentenced to death July 22. Prisoner is to be transferred to the Ragathon Base for execution."
Edward stepped up to Rebecca and took the file from her. "Those poor soldiers. They were good men that were only doing their jobs and this scum murdered them and escaped!"
"All right, everyone!" Enrico said, taking the file from Edward and skimming through it quickly. "Let's separate and survey the area! Our friend is brutal and ruthless. Keep your guard up!"
Richard quickly looked to his left and saw that Rebecca had gone off in her own direction. He really wanted to go to her side and make sure she was safe, but Richard wasn't known to disobey orders. He looked over to Forest and nodded. "Don't forget to bring the fuckin' thunder," he said, extending his fist, Forest connecting it with his.
"You know it," he said, lifting up his Milkor MGL and disappearing from view.
Now that Richard was alone, he slung his Remington forward and aimed in the foggy distance. He was shaking in his boots; the cannibals weren't the only things he needed to worry about now; he knew that whatever chewed those tires apart was most certainly inhuman. And although he was armed, the escaped convict, Billy Coen, was now armed as well, as both MP were stripped of their weapons.
So now I have guys who want to eat me and a crazy guy with a nine trying to put a few slugs in my ass. Great. Just great.
"B…Lead…to…eam…"
It was Enrico's voice that suddenly brought the radio to life. His voice was followed by a few gunshots and a few ghastly growls. It seemed like there were more worries that plagued Richard's mind than he had thought.
And from the corner of his eye, he could see a glowing pair of yellow eyes glaring at him from the distance. Richard simply aimed forward and said, "R.P.D.! Identify yourself or I will be forced to fire!"
Silence.
Richard saw that the glowing yellow orbs faded into the night, and although he kept his guard up, he could feel that he was being surrounded by something. Just then, from out of nowhere, a creature flew out of the fog and lunged at Richard.
"Oh, shi…!" Richard exclaimed, only to have a bullet nearly zipping by his ear and nailing the creature in the side of its head, the creature's body missing Richard's by mere inches.
As the ringing in his ears ceased, Richard turned around and saw Forest in his firing stance with his Samurai Edge and its smoking barrel. "Move!" he shouted, ejecting the magazine from his Beretta and slamming another one home.
"What the fuck is going on?" Richard asked in pure terror, only to have his friend tug on his arm and motion him forward.
"These things are everywhere, man!" Forest shouted while trying to catch his breath at the same time. "Ran by the chopper to get Kevin, but the things already got to him. He's dead, Rich! Kevin's dead!"
"What the hell is chasing us?"
"They're Dobermans, man! Not any ordinary ones, but bigger! I've never seen this shit before! One of them managed to clip my arm, but I took that fucker out with one shot! The captain radioed us and told us to make a run for the factory up ahead! Said that there should be an entrance that would lead directly to the mansion we're supposed to investigate! That's where we're heading now!"
Richard looked at Forest's forearm; it was torn to pieces it seemed, and a few good layers of skin looked like they were ripped off. "Jesus…shouldn't you put something on that arm? It's really going!"
"Nah, I'll be fine!" Forest said. "I'll take care of it once we're inside and in the clear! Come on, buddy; we're almost home!
Richard could hear the terror in his friend's voice. He…they didn't expect for any of this to happen. With Kevin dead, Forest wounded, and the rest of the S.T.A.R.S. Bravos separated, it seemed unlikely that any of them would be saved.
But hope still lingered in Richard's mind. Alpha, he thought. Alpha team is gonna come and save us…they just have to…
{break}
Author's Note: I've read a lot of stories about Richard Aiken and his own path going into the Resident Evil series and I thought it was time that I jumped on the bandwagon for it as well. Hopefully it turned out okay. Thanks for reading all! Look for more soon!
- Wild
