Note: I'm back :D I had a smooth recovery, it was a good time out I really needed it.

Thank you to everyone who is still around.

...

Chapter 8. "The Embers of Brimstone"

"So according to this report, he should be around 27 now, his name is James?" Claire whirled the thought in her head. The room didn't have much detail to it other than loose junk. Nothing really either the identity of the owner of this room either. No mail or even a phone but she did get lucky by looking inside the bag. She found something an old article from a newspaper.

*Missing children's case is still shock among the residents of Raccoon city.*

By Lily Warren.

Fear has grown in the city and many parents were escorting their children everywhere, watching their every step, and a strange curfew has been strongly suggested by various watch groups. Other residents have expressed other measures on being able to protect their loved ones, such as fire arms. However in the end, two more children have vanished, which has now brought the total to nine.

Eleanor, a heart broken mother of one Ian Anderson, a four year old boy. "I just left my baby in his room sleeping peacefully for a five minutes and I heard the glass breaking and when I returned...he was gone."

Local authorities have been criticized on their handling of the situation. Current Police Chief Bryan Irons has constantly notified the press that there is not statement to be made at this moment in time.

None of these acts make sense at the moment, however the amount of skill involved is too thorough for just random abduction cases. So it seems the criminals are professionals, to be able to snatch a child out of his home like that and vanish without a trace. No clues were ever found about the whereabouts of anyone and... the rest of the article faded so much to the point it was unreadable.

"The hell!?" Claire whispered. "What did they do to these kids? And why are they...?" She sighed and looked down at her hand, remembering their meetings, and what she found out before. She took a moment to reflect from earlier.

"Okay, you're here for something than other than killing infected. They're the same like in Raccoon City, but this is too perfect. You could have been killing dozens of people but you avoid contact. SO that leaves me to assume you're trapped here as well?"

Hunk remained silent.

"I'll take that as a yes. So what I propose is that we work together until we can get out of this city. Not with those lizard things running around."

.

.

.

The plan is clear, eliminate everyone who knew about the experiment, about the children of Raccoon City, if Umbrella will ever raise from the ashes, it must be done. Here are some of the names I know so far... the rest were blank, like someone erased them.

'Oh my god! Someone doesn't want him to remember and just get rid of them both, or perhaps they're afraid Hunk and his comrade are going to expose these ugly secrets?' Claire slammed her fist on the steel desk then breathed heavily. Her eyes focused at Hunk's picture attached along with the paper.

'Who are you, Hunk or James or whatever your name is?'

She filled the bag with almost all of the files she found in there determinant to investigate more. She double checked the magazine of her gun by ejecting it. Judging from the weight, she knew that she was low at ammo and there was nothing left in her belt. "Oh great." Claire muttered as she left the room and walked down to meet up with the mercenaries.

Claire stopped for a moment in the hallway, she noticed a portrait of the silver haired man. She memorized his face, the clothes so she'll be able to describe to herself later. Past experience tells her that the minor details are what matters from here onward.

So much stress she went through. Something about the aura of her surroundings, it felt too familiar. She despised this feeling. If only she could return to Annie, get out of this hellhole and perhaps ride with Chris to Washington DC and start all over in a nice apartment. Just like how Annie suggested all the time in the past. Claire grimaced toward how she didn't appreciate Annie enough.

Still, Claire gathered enough information to show Chris. She sighed sadly and walked out of the dim-lit lab. There she saw Night Hawk push himself out of the receptionist room with Hunk follow close behind.

"What happened to you?" Nighthawk asked.

"Nothing." Claire crossed her arms, frowning. "Anything new on your end?"

"We have seen in one of the cameras, this place will be purged in a few minutes." Night Hawk grunted at the end of his sentence.

Claire just rolled her eyes and face palmed into her left glove covered hand in response. Her mouth slightly open then moved her hand away, she could almost feel the color draining from her face. "Again?"

"It happens. Just don't expect us to wait to save your sorry ass." Hunk nodded.

Claire opened her mouth to say something but Hunk just cut her off.

"This is war, survival is your responsibility."

Claire swallowed a lump in her throat and looked at Hunk. "Whatever you say, I'm not bitten so rest assured." she paused and waited for an insult to come her way, but to her surprise... nothing.

"I'm done." She announced.

"Done with what? Oh I see, so the Redfield girl finally found what she seeks?" Hunk breathed and avoided looking at her.

"Hallelujah." Night Hawk continued with a chuckle and he held a hand up.

Claire mentally cursed, wishing to kick their asses so bad for this cold treatment. "I don't want to argue with you anymore."

"Works for me, move it now, we're not going to wait for you." Hunk stated as he walked past her with Night Hawk. To her surprise of on how the Red Merc could walk on his own now. 'Looking good, it must be the adrenaline if I had to guess.' She paid attention to Night Hawk's posture. 'Maybe they found a first aid kit.'

They paced up the steps. Hunk in the lead, Night Hawk in the center, and Claire watched their backs and made sure to constantly look over her shoulder. Hunk leading them to the right. In front of them was a set of elevators, part of the pathway that skirted the building covered with more white liquid things of the virus. It turned sharply, the turns were covered entirely by overgrown eggs and white things, giving the creepy feeling of a cave like place, and they were going straight a slimy version of hell. Hunk and his comrade were first, but Claire was able to keep up with them good enough. Her concern was directed more to the reappearance of bloated corpses bumble about. With a frustrated sigh, she had enough by all of these damned things. They appeared to be about thirty feet away and they just fidgeted amongst themselves.

Claire could see the men were talking with each other, but they were so quite she couldn't hear any words. Troubled by what she found out earlier, should she question Hunk about it, or keep it hidden and walk out with the files?

"There." Claire nodded head to a specific direction at a sign labeled 'Section H.'

It was a creepy corridor was long for some reason, she couldn't help but wonder why? Perhaps there is something covered by that white thing. To the right of the sign just ahead was what looked like a glass elevator, of all things. Hunk wasn't sure it was their best bet, but through there, they could get out to the town again and smell the air.

The door slid open, after Night Hawk pressed the button. Hunk placed his back to the right wall as Night Hawk did the left, a stagger approach so they won't possibly harm each other in a crossfire. Claire decided to stack up behind Night Hawk. Something unpleasant could burst into the hall. They just prepped for the wrong direction.

A fiercely high squeal of a creature rattled the area and it took place right behind the three of them.

"StooooPPP I'm HOMAN!"

Many strange words they couldn't figure out what it is. "Get a move on!" Hunk and Claire were about to ran to the elevator, but white liquid spread blocking the entrance, as a corpse fall down in front of the door. It even had a left arm wiggle about as it spoke more incoherent words. Its bloated corpse stood almost as tall to what the hallway could allow. The creature had a large gapping mouth with reformed ribs to function as teeth. It had blue hue skin which faded into a dark red to the left shoulder. Out of the shoulder, spouted out what appeared to be a person.

"Go Night Hawk, I'll catch up with you!" Hunk screamed. Claire eyes darted around the place, it seems like they're surrounded from the multiple voices. 'Not good.' she thought.

"It was nice knowing you." Night Hawk yelled back as the door closed.

"Good luck to you too asshole." Hunk lightly shook his head.

Through the dark the silhouette of the creatures appeared slowly, Hunk counted the number of 10 separated in both sides, coming their way. Claire took her gunfire posture and back tracked until her back touched Hunk's. "Well, we're in for a party huh?"

Hunk chuckled. "We're the guests of honor here." He took out both the gun and his combat knife. "Let's rock!"

Claire fired nonstop at two ooze creatures charging at them. One of them stumbled back from the punishment then it let its tongue slip out exhausted. She sprinted at it then bend down using the opportunity and kicked them as hard as she could.

A knife was twisted and torn out completely form an ooze's head as Hunk reached into his lower back pocket and took out the one spare magazine he had. "Use this!" she heard Hunk and the sound of bullets thrown in the ground behind her.

Again she did a slid like kick tripping the creature near her, adrenaline igniting within her body, and like and she caught the magazine and loaded her gun. It chambered the first round as Claire smiled for a second as she was tugged forward by several inches which caused her to lose her balance.

It was the giant mouth monster.

Though she felt a heavy grip held her ankle, harshly she slammed on the ground, the creature pulled her backwards and up. She grunted and fired at the creature while she's upside down, trying to move. She caught of glimpse of something that had her feel sick to her stomach. A bluish arm spouted out of the body and dozens of bones freely arranged themselves to and a bone chilling sound occurred… teeth of a bone chainsaw spun around. She needed to avoid the saw-like arm coming, eager to carve up flesh.

Panic took over her, though to a luck, her aim caught the eyes of the shoulder head and it dropped her down on her stomach. It would hurt a lot if she bothered to care at the moment.

She flipped in her back and shot the large corpse again and again, though two more ooze corpses has cornered her. With her left arm she caught the knife and sliced, the things legs.

Claire took the chance and pulled herself away from them. Right in the front she saw Hunk try to bring down the creatures around him.

'It's like they never end.' Claire frantically thought.

It was then that Claire rolled one her back for several feet while Hunk kicked an ooze away from him and then he walked backwards. Claire eventually stopped then immediately got back on her feet. The oozes and the giant one were grouping up for an assault.

Hunk and Claire stood side by side.

"Got any ideas?" Hunk asked.

"You're the merc, you tell me." Claire retorted.

"I got one, but it'll put you in the most danger." Hunk wiped the blood of his knife on his left sleeve.

"Why don't I find that comforting?" Claire replied.

"Save your jokes when this is over. Just be prepared and just run at me when I shout at you." Hunk checked to see if his knife was still sharp. It was on mid end but not at the tip. Not a good sign… sure guns need bullets but blades need to be sharpened.

Hunk fired several bullets to have the oozes stagger and several in the giant one. He noticed something peculiar happen then it just helped him on the decision of his rather admittedly half-baked plan.

"How much do you weigh?" Hunk asked.

Claire dropped her shoulders and gave Hunk a raised eyebrow. She just wanted to utter seriously? At him.

"Grow up." Hunk reversed his knife for the incoming attack.

As soon as Hunk said that the creature began to move again to see it advance. Hunk and Claire prepared for their own counter attack. Hunk reversed his knife again then tossed it with complete effort to the charging creature for it to land near the center of the shoulder bodies' heart. Knife throwing was not his thing but desperate times…

It cried in agony and it stopped moving and snapped its top part to the pair. Underneath the blade was a river of blood.

"We have to go for the heart!" Hunk sprinted forward.

Hunk charged completely toward the creature. Since he didn't have his knife, Hunk instead used his fists to shove away an ooze that blocked his path. That didn't stop the ooze to swipe its claw at him and it grazed his left shoulder. Claire still had no idea what Hunk was rambling on about or how he become suicidal. A loose bone pierce the skin and propelled itself outward in an attempt to impale Hunk. He didn't move out of the way fast enough so it wedged itself in his body armor. The chainsaw arm swung downward and Hunk just jumped forward to avoid it completely as the stood face forward to Claire's direction as well.

"Now!" Hunk shouted.

Claire just noticed what he did. He created a path.

"Argh!" Hunk grunted to himself as he crouched down and cupped his fingers together. Claire sprinted completely forward at Hunk. Claire shot an ooze in the head as she ran at Hunk. When Claire reached Hunk she used her left leg on his hand and he lifted her up. Claire jumped up so she was at eye level with the shoulder body and she drop kicked the knife for it to dig deeper in the creature. Once the giant creature lost its balance, it was ready to topple over, that meant that Claire had plenty of footing to use as she slid down for her legs at the stomach. She pointed the gun directly into the creature's face and she unloaded the clip.

The creature slammed into the ground as Claire was thrown forward but rolled on her back then out of control as she ended up on her stomach again…

There wasn't a whimper of pain while blood seeped out of the creature then dissipated into a puddle of bloodied water.

Claire got to her feet again to see Hunk pull the spike of his armor them used it by sticking it inside an ooze's tongue. She looked at the puddle again to see Hunk's knife, she sprinted in his direction while kicking Hunk's knife in is direction. It skipped on the metal floor for Hunk kneel down for it. Claire covered him by kicking an ooze in where a sternum was supposed to be.

With the biggest threat being taken care of, the two sprint down the hallway before the adrenaline wears off. It wasn't that long as when a door offered a way out.

They kicked the door open and it gave away without any much pressure, revealing a big office space, only cubicles were scattered around without any tubes like the room before. Hunk breathed and sat on his knees cleaning his knife, his gun is officially empty, and the chances of survive has decreased more.

Claire let go of her gun and laid down on the ground allowing herself a little moment to rest, she felt every inch of her body hurt after all over. She felt her waist wound flame up again, she felt the sweat in brow drop down to her eye. She took a moment to brush it sweat out.

Just in the moment to close her eyes for more than a blink, comforted her. For real she wanted to close her eyes and fall asleep for just a moment, but not a chance if she wanted to get out of here alive.

She heard a sigh, "You're bleeding." Hunk broke the silence, he shook his head and returned his focus on the knife.

"I don't care." Claire tilted her head at the hole torn into his armor from the bone the giant creature used on him. "Not looking good there yourself."

"It's nothing, just wedged into the armor." Hunk decided to reaffirm the straps to his uniform before they went on the move. The claw attack earlier felt more like a paper cut and he didn't worry about it.

Claire breathed, and placed her hand on her forehead, her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. "I cannot stop thinking of what you said before."

Hunk put down the knife and looked in her direction again. Claire continued, "After Raccoon city, I just had this thought in my mind, all of how Umbrella should be punished, all of them are nothing but an evil people who don't deserve mercy. I'm the hero, the good woman who will save people."

"Why are you telling me this?" Hunk asked.

Claire closed her eyes, "Just shut up and listen." She pushed herself to a sitting position, her eyes looked directly at his crimson lenses. "I don't know who you are anymore."

"Again, why are you telling me this?"

Claire frowned and held her breath. "Shut up James and listen I have to say..." Claire wanted to say that was a mistake on her part, but she knew what she was doing. Hunk flinched at the name then he paced toward her in a slow terrifying steps. Her eyes stayed focused at him while her hand searched for the knife from her belt.

Hunk hovered over her. "What did you just call me?" his voice was so cold, it frightened her to the core.

She wanted to speak, but her tongue was at hold, there is limits and Claire knew she went passed them and brought his bad side. In a calm manner, Claire used the wall to help support herself into standing up again. She opened her mouth several times but nothing came out.

Claire didn't see that coming he jumped at her and held her throat tightly raising her up the wall in a death grip. "Speak you bitch, where did you hear that name!?" The lenses revealed just on how uncharacteristically calm she was. "What do you know of that!?"

Claire struggled, she could feel her pulse in the neck and his hands. "I...hav..." Hunk let go of her neck and she leaned back to the wall coughing for several seconds.

Once she looked up a knife pressed at her throat. "Start talking."

"Back in the Birkin's-like lab, there was an office. I found file talking about you..." she paused and took her breath. "And the missing children of Raccoon city. Your name is written down, your age and codename group, there was a picture attached in there. That's all I know."

His fist came down in the wall way too close to her, a strong punch broke through the wall, where she could swore she tasted hints of iron in her mouth. Claire grunted and hold swollen waist. While Hunk walked away, his back facing her. He started to walk back and forth like an angry wolf ready to attack and she knew better to not be strong good girl, there is a time to brave.

Though her recklessness took over once again. "So it's true, all of it. You're..." he came in again with his hands at her collar.

"Shut the fuck up! My name is Hunk, the Merc who has never fail a mission. No one can escape my wrath." Hunk held the collar of her shirt tightly. "If anyone ever find out these information I'll kill you."

Claire nodded slowly, and a strange pat on her head followed. "Never try your luck with me anymore, Redfield."

Hunk walked in front of her and stopped. He looked over his shoulder.

"Final warning."

Though despite of everything this got her more curious , why did he react like she just touched a nerve? ' Is he running away from his real Identity, why?' Claire thought, the usual anger within her heart was gone, it was all replaced with curiosity-tiredness and claustrophobic all at once.

"I'm sorry." she was able to whisper.

Hunk looked back at her," Did you just...apologize?"

"Yes." Claire answered without a hint of shame.

"Whatever we had to move. There should be a stairs we could use."

Claire waited for him to walk in front of her, thinking how the hell his mood change just like that in mere seconds? she opened the door to check the hall outside, think what they could do.'I had enough I just want to get out of here.' she thought.

Thank you for reading, I hope you liked this. I know it's short, longer chapters are coming.

Special thanks to my beta reader The95will.