A Star's Descent
By evolution-500
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 Ten: Vertigo
The trail back was long and arduous as the survivors crept along the platform past the torn container toward the fifth car. Moving cautiously over random bits of debris and some charred bodies, the results of Forest's enthusiasm with the grenade launcher, Rebecca looked away with disgust, keeping her attention fixed on Aiken and Star.
"What sort of plan do you have?" The latter queried.
Aiken blinked.
"Hm?"
"In terms of getting to the rear cars?" The albino specified.
Aiken shrugged.
"Just move fast and avoid any trouble." Came the reply.
"But what about the doors that the creature wrecked?" Star pressed.
The Bravos stood still for a moment.
"Damn it, I never considered that." said Aiken as he scratched his chin.
"That room just on the other side had a set of stairs. There must be an alternate route or something." Rebecca reasoned.
"Maybe." her coworker said with a nod before reaching for the door.
"Wait."
The Bravos turned. The towering albino shifted under their stares with discomfort as he stammered.
"In the event...in the event that something should happen to us, or the off-chance that we're too late...I just want to say that-that even though we started off on the wrong footing, it has been a pleasure meeting you and your team." he said in a quiet voice, his tone containing mixtures of fear, sadness, regret and, most noticeably, respect.
Hearing the genuineness of his words, Rebecca began to have doubts over whether or not he was responsible.
"You say that as if we're dead already," Aiken commented. "It's not over yet."
"I know that," Star replied, "it's just that death is indiscriminate. I-I just wanted to show my appreciation in the event that I'm taken."
Placing her hand on his upper arm, Rebecca smiled in assurance.
"We'll make it out of this, all of us." she said resolutely.
The statement resonated among the survivors, but it had a dimly hollow sound that Rebecca herself found no comfort in.
"We should get moving." Aiken said in a brisk tone.
She watched as the albino gave a slight nod in agreement.
"Hm." Came his response, his attention now fixed on the door as it opened.
Stepping through, Rebecca followed her fellow survivors back into the dark.
Traveling up the stairs, Richard Aiken and the others wove past knocked over tables, chairs, bodies and various sorts of smashed dishware before entering what had appeared to be the kitchen. Moving toward a wooden door on the other side, Aiken had just barely opened it when rotted hands clawed for his face.
"FUCKING CHRIST!" He shouted as he pulled back. The door swung open as a pack of undead, six males and two females, lurched hungrily toward him. Holding down the trigger of the submachine gun, Aiken sprayed a long stream of ammunition into the more sturdier ghouls, watching as they moved toward him, not even giving a second thought to the damage being done to their various organs. Even when some of the creatures walked headfirst into his barrel, they barely acknowledged any sort of pain, nor did the first head shot seem to stop them - it was usually the second or third shot that would put an to their miserable existence.
'And to think some fucker wants to use these as weapons!' He thought.
Turning to look over his shoulder, he watched as Rebecca fiddled with the submachine gun in her hands.
"Fire, damn it!" He cried out.
"I'm trying!" She said. "How do I -"
BATATATATATATATATATATA!
As Rebecca screamed in surprise, Aiken felt something brush past his cheek.
"SHIT!"
Looking over to her, he was ready to give the rookie a heartfelt expletive when he noticed the submachine gun spinning around in the air. As it clattered onto the floor, the weapon discharged in every direction.
BATATATATATATATATA!
Rebecca's screams sporadically punctuated each burst, causing Aiken's ears to hurt as he pulled her down beside him. Rounds ricocheted off walls and pans, shattering dishes and glass. A few of them punctured the floor next to the Bravos, making them wince and eliciting another panicked shriek from the rookie. Fearing the worst, Aiken carefully positioned himself over the girl so that his frame shielded hers. With his elbows pressing to the floor on both sides of her head, his hip raised, slightly straddling hers, he ducked down as chaos ensued.
Bits of debris pelted the upper and mid section of his back, sliding down his shoulders and sides. His body stiffening, Aiken waited uncomfortably.
Had it stopped?
It was impossible to tell due to the little banshee shrieking into his ears. His patience and sanity dwindling, all attempts to keep himself in control were tossed out the window as he lost his cool.
"SHUT UP!" Aiken finally yelled, causing her to flinch. "SHUT UP! SHUT THE FUCK UP! SHUT UP!"
In his tactless effort to quiet Rebecca down, he held her by the shoulders and had his face positioned mere inches over her own.
"Quiet!"
As the girl trembled under his grip, Aiken uncomfortably regretted the action. Breathing out slowly, he cast his eyes down.
"I'm sorry. Just...stop." He said.
Lifting up his head, he cast a glance around. The entire kitchen was a wreck. Bullet holes littered the walls, ceiling, counters, and so on. Whether by miracle or by pure dumb luck, the undead lay unmoving. The only figure left standing was the albino, who was looking around in every direction with wide eyes in a jittery manner, from the walls beside him to his own person. The expression that he wore was one of puzzlement, as if he was questioning how he had managed to survive such a fuck up.
'There's no way he could have survived that! He must be one of those things!' came the thought.
"You okay?" Aiken asked.
The albino looked over with eyes like saucers and gave a slow nod, his form tense. Aiken felt a tinge of pity. Monster or not, the poor bastard was literally scared stiff as a result of what happened. His legs were even trembling.
"...Can you get off of me please?" Came the quiet and embarrassed whisper from below, "I'm finding it kind of hard to breathe."
"Oh! Sorry." He replied.
Lifting himself up and helping Rebecca to her feet, Aiken grabbed the submachine gun from the floor. When Rebecca reached out to reclaim her weapon, he shook his head.
"Nuh uh."
"Please, Richard?" She pleaded.
"Rebecca, I like you, but you're not mature enough for this," he replied, turning back to the door. "Come on."
"Richard!" Rebecca cried out as he stomped off. Her features fell as she watched him disappear behind the door, unable to vocalize her apology.
God, how could she have been so stupid?!
Gesturing to Star to follow her with a wave of her hand, Rebecca moved through the doorway, too ashamed to even look or speak.
From the kitchen they moved into a dining hall, weaving their way past the dead, walking and unmoving alike. Rebecca wiped her brow of perspiration.
How many rooms were there on this train?
The number of doorways and corridors onboard seemed innumerable to the rookie. It was hard to believe that there would be so many rooms. Rebecca looked over to her coworker. From his expression, he seemed perplexed and troubled.
"Is something wrong?" She asked.
He gave a slight grunt.
"I'm lost."
The admission made Rebecca's heart stop as she heard the words leave his mouth.
"Are you sure?"
Her coworker didn't bother to answer.
Using every ounce of self-control to keep her composure, she inhaled slightly and tried to offer a small smile of encouragement.
"Well, um, I guess we-we should look around for a map," she said, her face straining with discomfort. "There can't be that many rooms, so we're bound to find an exit somewhere. And then-then we'll stop the train, and get help."
Even as she spoke, Rebecca could hear the desperation in her words. She was now clawing for even the smallest scraps of hope to be found in their current predicament. Her compatriots though, either out of respect for her optimism or for fear of raising doubts and testing their luck, merely nodded. Entering through the doorway to their left, the group wordlessly searched for a way out.
"Richard, we're going the wrong way! It's over here!" said Rebecca, pointing to a door at one end of the room.
"No we haven't." Aiken asserted as he entered through one at the other end, only to find himself staring down one of the hallways that they already came from.
The medic frowned, approaching the other door.
"I told-" she said before stopping, realizing that she was mistaken as she opened up a custodian's closet. "You." she finished.
A frown creasing along the corners of his mouth, her comrade turned toward another door.
"Maybe it's this one."
Minutes counted by as they searched hopelessly. Doors creaked and slammed as they were repeatedly opened and closed, the occupants wandering in and out of rooms as quickly as they could. Through their continuous cycle of opening doors, Rebecca wondered if someone was watching and laughing at them.
The final straw came when she and Aiken approached the last door that they were able to explore. Could it be a way out?
Hands trembled excitedly as they grasped hold of the knob and flung it open. Greeting them mockingly ahead was another door, while running adjacent to their position was a long hallway that seemingly stretched infinitely into the shadows at both ends. What made it even more frustratingly depressing, though, was the certainty that they had already explored this area. Slamming the door hard to his latest failure, Rebecca watched Aiken growl in frustration, brushing his hands through his hair in an exasperated manner.
"What the hell! Where do we go?!" He exclaimed.
"No..." Rebecca said in a quiet voice as she stared at the one door that had been so full of promise.
"No..."
Her heart sank as she began to realize how lost they were.
"No..." she repeated, her voice cracking.
They have gone through dozens of doorways, but no matter which one they took, they always ended up back where they started.
"No..."
All of the fear, stress and exhaustion weighed down on Rebecca, causing her legs to buckle underneath her weight and collapse onto her knees. Holding her sides, she began to weep.
"Rebecca? What's wrong?" Aiken asked with concern.
"We're going to die here!" She sobbed.
"No! No we're not-"
"We're going to die!" She wailed.
"Rebecca-"
"I WANT TO GET OFF THIS FUCKING TRAIN, BUT WE CAN'T!"
"We'll find a way off, Rebecca. Please, pull yourself together, we need you!" Aiken said firmly, grabbing her shoulders. "Just think about what you're gonna do when you get home. I know you're scared and tired, I know that. Please, just bear with-"
He was interrupted by a loud moan, the sound coming from behind the door that he had slammed mere seconds ago.
"AHHH GOD, CAN'T WE JUST HAVE A FUCKING MOMENT?!" He said aloud.
She was too lost in her own despair to hear his footsteps departing from her, let alone hear the door open. She stared down at the floor, her eyes and cheeks burning hot as she cried. It wasn't until she heard Aiken scream that she looked up and wiped her tears away.
Watching her comrade backpedaling to her position before collapsing onto the floor beside her, Rebecca saw the terror in his features. A series of soft thuds caused her to turn around. As she did, she screamed.
Stumbling toward them in marionette fashion, the thing eyed them hungrily, its mouth stained red with gore. Frantically crawling back along the floor, Rebecca tried to put some distance between it and herself, but it kept limping forward with its arms outstretched.
"Don't come any closer!" She cried out, hoping some part of the man that she knew still remained. It kept moving forward, seemingly uncaring for what was being said.
"Please! Please don't come!" She whimpered.
There came a sharp crack as its chest spurted clouds of red, causing her to scream as the thing shimmied back in some bizarre dance with each shot. Its head perishing in a crimson mist, the body fell indelicately to the floor. Holding her hands over her mouth and trembling like a leaf, Rebecca cried with renewed vigor. Beside her, Aiken stared with incredulity. His face pallid and damp, he glanced down at the submachine gun within his shaking hands before tossing it away, as if repulsed by the weapon.
Neither stirred from their position on the floor, their attention fixed solely on the nightmare in front of them.
As Richard Aiken stared at his latest kill, there came an uncomfortable numbness as he looked upon its form.
Christ, he was just barely getting used to the idea of dead people coming back to life. He should have expected this to happen, but it was still such a shock to him all the same! When he had opened the door, his brain barely had the time to process what he was seeing. By the time it had, he vocalized it with a startled scream, for standing there was Edward Dewey!
Aiken fidgeted nervously, searching his pant pockets for a pack of cigarettes. Finding nothing, he looked over to the rookie, trying to find words to comfort her.
But how could he?
He wanted to break the silence, but each time he tried to open his mouth, a lump formed in the back of his throat, causing his lips to close for fear of vomiting again. The door behind him creaked loudly, causing the two to twist around to see the albino entering.
"I'm sorry, I came as quickly as I could-" he said before pausing, taking note of their conditions. "What happened?"
Still unable to find his vocals, Aiken gestured to the horror that lay in front of him and his coworker. Glancing at him questioningly, the albino approached their position. Now mere inches from them, Aiken saw his eyes shift toward the thing, a look of startled puzzlement etching itself onto his features.
"What in the world?" He uttered, "How did he get up here?"
"There must have been a staircase or a door that we missed." Aiken said while turning back to Edward.
As the albino stared downward, murmuring a quiet apology to the deceased, Aiken narrowed his eyes with suspicion.
"Where were you?!" He asked in a sharp tone.
Turning to meet his gaze with his own, the albino gestured to the rear doors.
"I had to remain behind to mark the doors that we had already visited." He explained.
The Bravo blinked.
"What do you mean?"
"When Theseus wandered into the Labyrinth, he used a ball of twine to help guide him back. Having no ball of twine myself, I was using my pen to mark the doors in numerical order," the albino said as he held up a ballpoint pen before hesitating, "although I did press rather hard into the surface..."
Rearing his head back, Aiken stared at him.
"Did you mark this door?" He queried, directing attention to the one before him.
"Did you see a number?"
"No..."
"Then we haven't gone through it." The albino stated matter-of-factly.
Aiken glanced back at the door in wonder before letting out a dry laugh. The albino stared at him, no doubt wondering if he had gone mad.
"Officer?" He asked with uncertainty.
The Bravo shook his head. "To think that all of this aggravation could have been avoided..." he trailed off. "I was ready to pull my own hair out."
Turning back to thank the albino, he watched as he anxiously fingered the hilt of his swords. "What's wrong?" Aiken asked.
There came a long pause before he decided to speak.
"...Am I going be charged with vandalism?"
"That's what you were worried about?!" Aiken exclaimed. "I was sweating my balls off worrying about being lost and this train crashing, and you're worrying about that?!"
The albino said nothing, his mouth drawn in an anxious tight line.
Letting out a scoff, Aiken waved him off. "Forget about it. Come on, Rebecca."
"What's the point?" she asked in a defeated tone.
He scowled.
"Rebecca, now's not the time for this." He said impatiently. "Let's. Move."
"But what then?! What will the difference be between now and then?!" She demanded, her eyes red.
"We'll worry about that when we stop the train. Things will get better, I promise, now let's go!" Aiken snapped.
"Better?! Look around, Richard!" Rebecca gestured to the mess, "How are things going to get better?! "
The Bravo opened his mouth to respond, but hesitated. What could he possibly say to assure her? Ever since arriving, things have gone to crap. Sweeping his hand into his hair, Aiken gave an exasperated sigh, trying to find something to say.
Taking the exhalation as a cue, the albino lowered himself onto one knee. Using the other raised limb as support for his hands, he stared at the pitiful creature in front of him, studying her. The Bravos waited uncomfortably as seconds passed. Glancing up to the girl's tear-stained face, he spoke.
"The encounter with him has hurt you more than can be realized." the albino said quietly, gesturing to Dewey's deceased form with a glance. "Seeing your comrade...in this state,...it has raised doubts within you,...about your own chances of survival,...your own...future, your own... abilities...in-in protecting the ones you care about. There lies the grim specter of failure,... and you are afraid,...not only because others could fall victim to this malign fate...but because this could be you,...and you fear the possibility that you could end up hurting others. I am not telling you to be unafraid. I am not Teiresias, so I don't know if things will get better between now and then. We can only hope things will improve..."
"And that's all we have." Rebecca scoffed. "Hope is such a splendid thing."
He nodded.
"Indeed, it is. But, with that said, there are people who are relying on you." Pausing momentarily, the albino glanced over to Edward's body, "Do you truly wish to wait around and allow this to happen?"
The girl sat quietly for a moment, taking in everything that was said. Sniffing, she slowed her breathing and wiped away her tears.
"N-no." She replied.
Reaching out to her with his large gloved paw-like hand, the albino held it in offering. Placing her hand in his, she climbed back onto her feet and cleaned herself up. Wiping her eyes, Rebecca turned to face him, looking down in shame.
"I-I'm sorry, Richard." She said quietly, "I was just-"
"Stress, I know," Aiken smiled reassuringly as he gave her pat on the shoulder, "don't beat yourself up over it."
Rebecca looked away, embarrassed and uncomfortable.
"Could you keep this between us?" She asked.
He gave her with a mock-confused expression.
"Keep what between us? I didn't see or hear anything." He replied with a wink.
A small smile formed on the rookie's lips.
Sobering up, he scooped the MP.5 from the carpet.
"Come on, let's get out of here."
Moving toward the door, the group approached Edward's remains one by one in order to pay their respects.
"Rest easy, buddy." Aiken said quietly with a slight salute.
As he stepped past, Rebecca came forward.
"I'm sorry." She whispered, looking down with sadness. "Be at peace, Edward."
After she departed from the cadaver, Aiken turned the doorknob when a slight creak caused him to turn around. Kneeling down beside the body was the albino as he stared upon its unmoving form. Fishing around briefly in one of his coat pockets, he reached out and placed his hand onto Edward's chest before pulling away, leaving a pair of silver quarters directly over the heart. Whispering something inaudible, Aiken leaned to his coworker.
"What did he say?" He quietly asked.
Rebecca's eyes furrowed.
"I don't know, but to me it sounded like 'May you find peace in the ih-lee-sium fields.'" She answered, trying to phonetically sound out the foreign word.
Aiken blinked.
"'Ih-lee-sium fields?'"
She shrugged.
"Another word for heaven?" The medic suggested.
Nodding, the Bravos fell silent as the albino rose to his full height and approached their position.
"Ready?" Aiken asked.
Receiving a nod from both coworker and prisoner, he began to turn the handle.
Creaaaaaaaak.
Rebecca watched as Aiken stepped through with submachine gun raised before following after him. Closing the door behind her, she moved aside as Star scratched into its surface before looking around all sides of the intersection, cursing the builders of this damned train for making the corridors so identical to each other. Hearing the hinges squeaking followed by wood slamming shut, she turned to see Aiken shaking his head with disappointment.
"Just private quarters." He said. Moving over for Star, they waited until he finished marking the door. Gesturing to the right, her coworker pointed down the hallway. "I think we're getting close. Let's check down there."
Stalking into the shadowed corridors, Rebecca followed after them, hoping that there was still time.
"Oh my god."
Rebecca heard the gasp escape from Aiken's lips as he stopped cold. Stepping over to his side, she was about to ask what the matter was when she saw it - a large, putrid mass made up of thousands of tiny bulbous shapes that ran along the walls, floor and ceiling.
"What is this?" She wondered aloud.
"Eggs," Aiken said with a stiff tone, his voice becoming laced with panic as there came an audible crack, "and they're hatching! RUN!"
One by one the miniature orbs started to burst like pus as she and the others twisted around to flee. Dashing down the shadowed corridor, her legs and feet sprang from the wooden floor, her heart and adrenaline working on overtime as she heard what sounded like waves lapping behind her.
'Almost there, almost there, just don't look behind...'
From one of the marked rooms at the intersection ahead of them, it came, eliciting a startled cry from Rebecca and a loud "FUCK!" from Aiken as it appeared.
A thing with disproportionately long limbs and sickeningly green skin, the creature moved out from the doorway with an awkward and rubbery gait in its step, stopping just right in the middle of the hall, leering at them.
Not even breaking stride, Aiken fired the submachine gun, holding the trigger down before shoulder-checking into it. "FUCK! OFF!" he cried out as he pushed the creature back into the room from which it came. Rebecca can hear the wave lapping closer behind her as she kept running. The door was drawing ever closer. Now only two feet away from it, Rebecca felt something brush slightly along the back of her exposed ankles, causing her to shriek just as Aiken tackled the door open. Practically flying through, she was greeted by a burst of cold air and rain as she skidded across the carpeted floor, still screaming with disgust. "GET THEM OFF! GET THEM OFF!"Rebecca shrieked as she ran around like a maniac, "THEY'RE ON THE BACK OF MY LEGS, GET THEM OFF!"
"Rebecca, stand still so I can see!" She heard Aiken say with irritation after slamming the door.
Stopping for a moment to brush the back of her legs, she gave a shudder and scream of disgust before running off again, all-train of thought lost.
Richard Aiken scowled as he tried catching up with Rebecca, but she was so damn quick. Each time he thought he had her, she would turn sharply off into a different direction.
"GRAB HOLD OF HER!" He yelled to the albino as she rushed toward him.
With a swiftness startling for his height, he glided forward, reached out and grabbed her by the shoulders.
"LET ME GO, IT'S ON ME!" Rebecca screamed, tears pouring down her face as she struggled in his grip.
"Officer Chambers, please!" The albino pleaded.
"IT'S ON ME! I'M INFECTED!"
Aiken wiped the sweat from his brow as he caught up to them. "Like a chicken with its head cut off!" he said between pants. "Hold still so I can take a look-"
"There's no need to, she's not infected!" The albino said abruptly as he struggled to restrain the small girl. "Please, stop!"
Whether it was out of defeat or a lack of energy, she ceased her efforts, giving Aiken the chance to bend down and check as she whimpered.
"Where did you feel it?"
"On my ankles..." she said, her voice cracked and barely above a whisper.
Getting back up, he shook his head, gesturing for the albino to release her.
"Nothing there. It's okay, there was nothing there!" Aiken said in a soothing tone.
"Leave me." She whispered, her shoulders sagging as she stared at the floor.
"What?! Why?!"
"I'm going to turn into one of those things...leave me...please!"
"I am not leaving you here." Aiken said in a quiet voice.
"Then kill me."
The words brought a deep chill to Aiken's heart upon hearing them.
"I don't...I don't want to be like Edward...I don't...I don't want to die...but I don't want to be like that...I don't want to hurt anyone."
"You won't." the albino spoke. Aiken stared at him, curious by the certainty that he had in his tone.
Looking up at their captive, Rebecca glared.
"How can you be so sure?! It touched me! I felt it touch me!" she spoke in a cracked voice.
"You haven't." the albino replied.
Tightening her fists, she angrily raised her voice to him, "I KNOW WHAT I FELT-"
"It was my coat," he explained, "I had been behind you when we were running. I had wanted to see how close they were, so I looked over my shoulder. The movement must have caused part of my coat to shift against your leg, because when I heard you scream, I turned just in time to see the hem flutter back to the side."
Absorbing this information, she was silent for a moment before lifting her gaze to meet his.
"You are not just saying that?"
"No. As I told you before, I am forbidden to lie." He said before giving a slight bow, "I am sorry for the hell that I put you through."
Pausing to take in what he said, Rebecca's form loosened.
"Thank God," she said, "thank God."
"The news gets better," Aiken added, "I know where we have to go now."
"What?" She blinked. "Are you sure?"
Aiken's eyes narrowed with grim certainty before turning back to view the room they were in. Realizing that she just ran in blindly, she followed his gaze before letting a gasp. Though barely lit, greeting the trio was the view of a bloodied and wrecked bar room. From two gaping holes in the ceiling, spittle drizzled onto them as they made out the tattered remains of the scorpion.
As his coworker looked to him, perplexed, Aiken gave a slow nod, answering her unasked question before pointing to something ahead.
"There's a ladder just over there, it leads down to the Conductor's apartment. From there we can get down to the main floor." he said, "I have no idea how much time is left, so let's hurry before we have any more problems."
Nodding in agreement, his companions hastily followed after him toward the rear of the bar. One by one they descended, the rookie following behind.
Exiting out from the Conductor's apartment, the trio hastened down the familiar hallway toward the rear. Slamming the door behind, moving through the Employees' Resting Station, Rebecca helped Aiken slide the other one open before stopping abruptly, startled by the damage done to the next compartment.
"What happened here?" She asked.
"I'm guessing that the leeches did this." Aiken said with a shrug.
"They did." Star affirmed. "Every surface they touched would dissolve. I think they secrete some sort of acid."
Aiken made a face. "Christ, just what we need."
Staring at the dissolved glass, Rebecca recalled the sound of that wave that had relentlessly pursued after them, shuddering at the memory. Looking around the room, she found herself puzzled.
"What about these marks?" Rebecca asked.
"What marks?" The albino asked in confusion.
"These." She said, gesturing to the various burns across the walls, floor and ceiling. "They don't look like acid burns. They came from in here."
He hesitated.
"Perhaps that creature back there was responsible." Star suggested as he nervously fingered the hilts of his swords. Seeing the tips of the albino's gloved fingers delicately caressing their handles, Rebecca found herself anxiously regretting the fact that not only she was feeling a little more comfortable with him, but also that he was armed and free. She had not forgotten the physical prowess that was displayed earlier, even though it had been out of self-defense. If it weren't for the fact that she and Aiken were armed, Rebecca was certain that Star would be more than capable of disabling and killing them if the occasion called for it. So far he had been very cooperative and patient with them, but it was difficult to determine if they were the virtues of a kind soul or the artifice of a disturbingly talented killer of men. She prayed that the former was true.
Lifting her eyes from his hands, she nodded slightly.
"Maybe." She answered, trying to keep the nervousness out of her voice.
Star stared down with thought before lifting his head.
"I'll just grab my bags." He said.
Following him toward the rear of the car, Rebecca watched with Aiken as he bent down and scrupulously checked a pair of large black suitcases. Satisfied, Star gave a nod.
"I found them."
"Could you open your luggage?" Aiken asked.
Glancing up at him, the albino hesitated.
"What for?" he queried.
"Just open it up so we can view its contents."
"No."
Rebecca blinked, surprised by the sudden refusal and bluntness of his tone.
"Mr. Wolf, I need you to open those cases." Aiken said with authority.
"I'm not carrying anything illegal." Star asserted.
"Then why are you refusing?"
"Because it is private!" the albino snapped, causing the Bravos to flinch. Hesitating, he looked down as he continued in a calmer tone, "My apologies for that outburst, but I can't let you view its contents."
"And why is that?" Aiken asked suspiciously.
"I can't tell you."
"Not a good enough answer."
"It's an extremely personal matter." came the cryptic response. "Only one member of the S.T.A.R.S. team has the right to see."
Rebecca looked up shakily.
"M-me?" she squeaked.
He shook his head.
"No, not even you." Star replied.
"Then who?!" Aiken demanded.
The albino remained silent, refusing to answer. Rebecca stared at him. What was he trying to protect?
"You know what, to hell with your obscurity." Aiken said with annoyance as he approached his suitcases, "I'll see for myself."
His fingers brushed against the handle when Star grabbed him by the wrist, causing Rebecca's heart to jump and reach for her sidearm. Looking up to the gloved hand's owner, Aiken leveled his gaze. Rebecca saw the anger in her coworker's eyes. It looked as if he was trying to muster up every ounce of control to keep himself from breaking Star's hand.
"Assaulting...a police officer...is...a serious offense." he said in a low and threatening voice, raising the hairs on the medic's neck, "Let. Me. Go."
The cross-like scars on the albino's face narrowed onto the Bravo like cross-hairs before relinquishing his grip.
Stepping back, he placed some distance between himself and Aiken, allowing the latter to continue with what he was doing. Glaring at Star, he looked over to Rebecca. Despite the fact that there were no verbal cues, she understood exactly what he wanted her to do. Giving a slight nod of acknowledgment, the medic leveled her sidearm with Star in her sights.
As Aiken slowly approached the suitcases, the albino remained still, his form tense, his face partially shadowed by his coat's red hood. Setting them both down onto their sides, the Bravo carefully pressed down on the locks until there came audible snaps. Opening the first case, he gave a slight whistle.
"Nice suits." He said admiringly.
Curious, Rebecca turned her head to see Aiken hold up a pair of hangers. On the first hanger was an elegant black suit completely devoid of wrinkles and stains, consisting of a pair of smooth and neatly-trimmed trousers, a double-breasted coat, tie and a white formal shirt. The second, though similar in style, was of a rich marine blue with a black tie. Putting them down to the floor beside him, much to Star's apparent annoyance, Rebecca watched as Aiken continued rummaging through. Though mainly consisting of clothes, all of which were neatly organized on a box that contained a pair of sleek black dress shoes, the suitcase's contents included a collection of books that seemed of eclectic fashion, ranging from the academic and in some cases philosophical to the more fictional and poetic. Squinting, Rebecca made out names like Foucalt, Hegel, Poe, Milton, Shelley and others that she didn't recognize. As Aiken placed them aside, Rebecca was surprised when he suddenly pulled out a small Gameboy along with a case from one of the side pockets. Glancing at the latter, she recognized it as Super Mario Bros., a game that she had frequently played at the arcade.
Turning to face Star, she raised an eyebrow, causing him to turn away, either out of embarrassment or anger.
"This one's clean." Aiken said aloud as he finished patting the suitcase down. Turning his attention to the second case, Rebecca briefly watched as he opened it up before returning her gaze back to Star.
"What the hell?"
Turning to ask what was wrong, Rebecca saw what he was staring at. Like the other suitcase, the contents were carefully arranged, but they were of an odder assortment, which included two containers of hair dye - one brown, the other blonde, - a pair of black sunglasses, a makeup kit, a container of cleaning cloths, cotton pads and a box of gauze bandages. The stranger pieces, though, were picked up by Aiken's fingers. Rebecca grimaced at the sight.
"Is that...is that flesh?" She stammered.
"No, it's latex." Her coworker replied, dropping them with disgust back into the bag.
"My scars." Star whispered in explanation.
Turning back to face him, Rebecca saw his form stiffen, his hands clenched. What made him especially pitiable was the look of complete and utter humiliation - with his pursed lips and slight pout, he looked like he wanted to cry.
"Now that you've seen what's inside, can I take back my bags?" The albino asked in a strained and impatient tone.
"I'm not finished." Aiken said coldly before continuing to dig through. Reaching in, he pulled out the last three objects - a sketchbook, a notebook, and a curious manuscript bound in vellum. He was just about to check the latter when the radio went off.
"Richard? Rebecca? Anyone there! Over!" Marini's voice shouted urgently.
The Bravo raised his radio.
"Aiken here."
"Are you and Rebecca there yet?!"
"Not yet. We had to make a detour."
"Then hurry up and get to the device already!"
"On it. Over and out." Aiken replied.
Lifting his head, he nodded to his companions.
"We need to go." He motioned.
"I'll stay and clean this up." Star said with an edge to his voice.
Rebecca looked at him.
"Star-"
"Go, I still have to check on something." He replied, turning his attention to the mess that Aiken made. "I will meet you there when I'm finished. I promise."
Watching as he went to work, Rebecca looked over to her coworker. Nodding quietly to her, the Bravos left the albino behind, focused on their task at hand.