XIII

Reckoner

Jill was now pushing herself to run, run faster then ever before. It did not matter to Jill Valentine just how long it would be to get to the apartment of Chris Redfield, but Jill had to hope, believe that she would not arrive there too late. When Dracula said he would kill those Jill cared for, Jill's thoughts immediately went to Chris, and something told her that Chris would be the first on Dracula's list. The moon up in the sky was in a beautiful crescent shape, a natural beauty which Jill had no time to stop and admire. Just beyond the dark and thick clouds above sat the moon, looking down as Hell had come to earth for Jill. It was a large patch of the sky which had no clouds, the moon stuck out of the patch, lighting Jill's way, the moon acting as a beacon of light, guiding Jill back to Raccoon City.

The red rain fell hard onto the ground and the gravel beneath Jill's boots was beginning to become more slippery. Even with a slip and fall Jill would not allow herself to give up in trying to stop Dracula. There was no time to make any mistakes, she would only have one real chance to stop Dracula, at least stop him from hurting the one she cared for the most.

Dracula had flown above the tree line, by now Jill had figured that he had already entered the city itself, all while Jill was still on a fast track back to the city. Still running as fast as she could, still running through the bushes in pitch blackness, with nothing more then the crescent moon above guiding her.

Chris had just finished removing his dark green boxers as he turned on the water faucet. The water pressure kicked in and the faucet shut off, the shower head turned on automatically a second after. Chris placed his hand under the water and checked the temperature. Too cold. He increased the warm water and then stepped away from the shower and moved to the mirror positioned neatly above an off-white, fake marble sink. Chris looked into the mirror, long and hard, now seeing someone completely different then he did a few months back, before the infamous Mansion Incident.

Chris had been around so much death lately, so much destruction done in so little time. It was overwhelming really, and there was no way he would get used to it. No matter how much one is around death, never can they truly be used to staring at death in the face. This is what Chris did everyday since he first got involved in the slashing murders, in truth being vampire murderers. Chris was out there, making a difference killing the undead creatures. Most all had been vanquished, and now only one vampire remained. Dracula.

BANG! Something in the living room crashed, Chris turned to the bathroom door sharply and then grabbed a towel and wrapped his lower body up. Beneath the towel Chris had grabbed, was his 9mm S.T.A.R.S. custom handgun, now equipped and loaded with silver bullets. Chris turned off the weapon's safety and then positioned himself, holding the 9mm close to the right side of his face. With the shower still running, the water now warm, steam began to slowly take over the small bathroom. Ever so slowly, Chris moved toward the bathroom door, he placed his ear on the door and then listened in to hear if whoever, or whatever, made the crashing noise was still there. He waited, and then waited a bit more, but heard nothing other then she running water from the shower head behind him. Chris swallowed his collected saliva, he knew that he was being summoned out of his bathroom.

Chris took a single step back from the door, and with his 9mm at the ready, he opened it quickly and jumped out of his bathroom, his 9mm swinging in every direction, ready to fire with a silver bullet. Yet there was nothing more but darkness to welcome Chris Redfield. He looked around his hallway with his eyes now, not his weapon, and slowly he moved down the hall with weapon in hand, moving silently in the dark. In the distance, Chris could hear the howling wind accompanied by the sound of falling rain, red rain. A cool breeze blew through Chris' hallway, evidence that something was open in the living room. He was not too far now, not too far from the corner of his hall which lead into the living room. Chris waited for a moment, gathering a bit more courage to turn the corner. Dealing with a human was so much more simpler then dealing with a zombie, or a vampire. Chris exhaled and then turned the corner quickly, weapon ready.

Nothing.

The living room was completely empty aside from his things, yet the door was wide open, the many locks Chris had on his door were all broken. The red rain outside his apartment was falling hard on the concrete outside, some of the red rain splashed into Chris' living room carpet. He looked out the open door, wide-eyed, he realized he was not alone in his apartment, he was sure of it now, and he had given the intruder the upper hand by having his back to his living room and the hall. Behind him something moved, Chris found himself frozen for a moment, he held his 9mm tightly and then spun around with his 9mm ready to fire, "Chris!" shouted a female voice. In that split second Chris knew who owned the voice, Jill Valentine, Chris quickly withdrew his weapon and then let out a sigh. A sigh of frustration and relief. Jill was nervous still, after having a 9mm with silver rounds pointed at her. Chris turned away from her and slammed the front door shut, "Dammit Jill—I could've shot you!"

As Chris turned around Jill Valentine gave him a hug. The hug was tight and she held him close to her, her body still so warm and soft. Chris' mind set was thrown off by such a gesture given to him by Jill, but after a brief moment he embraced her and allowed his weapon to fall onto the carpet. Both of them, Chris and Jill, allowed themselves to remain in the hugging position for a few moments longer before Jill backed off and looked into Chris' eyes, "I had to know you were alright, I had to be sure that you were safe—more then anyone else." said Jill, her eyes all teared up. Chris looked back at her, a bit confused. Jill Valentine turned away from him and moved toward a window to look out at the falling red rain, "Dracula is indeed alive and well. I had an encounter with him at Potter's Field. Dracula told me that he would kill the ones I loved most just as we killed his nest..." Jill turned back toward Chris, "I had to make sure that you, of all others, were safe."

Chris found himself speechless, no word, not even a mutter nor whisper, nothing escaped the mouth of Chris Redfield. He was touched. Of everyone she had gone to him, he was most important to her. Chris licked his lips in an effort to kept them from getting chapped, he opened his mouth to speak, opened his mouth to finally confess his own feelings for Jill. Yet he remained with his mouth open as Jill's cellular phone rang. Jill brought out her phone but did not answer, she looked over at Chris, to see if he would tell her what was on his mind. But he didn't, Chris closed his mouth and smiled. Jill smiled back and then answered the phone. It was just after Jill answered her phone, Chris could see the expression on Jill's face change from happiness to utter shock and fear. She hung up the phone, looked at Chris and then headed out his door, "Jill." said Chris from inside his living room. Jill paused with his door opened and turned back to him. Both stood silent and looked into each others eyes. Chris remembered something just like this once before, only now the roles were reversed. He smiled at Jill, "Take care." he said, Jill smiled back, understanding the reference he was making. She walked out of his living room and shut the door behind her, leaving Chris alone in his apartment, alone with his thoughts and his confession to her.Everything was a blur, but David Fox was aware of the fact that he was no longer with Rebecca Chambers in his office at the police department. His vision was nothing more then a blur, and he could feel nothing, not hear anything either. There was a taste in his mouth, a sickly sweet and bitter taste. David shut his eyes and then opened them once more, slowly his vision was beginning to return. All the blurriness was beginning to get sharper, and now he could see furniture and electronic equipment around him. David grunted, closed his eyes hard and then opened them, and it was at this point he realized that he was hanging upside down in a room. As David made an attempt to move he felt his hands tied to his back and his legs were strapped together and he was hanging from a single rope tied onto the ceiling. The room was dim in light, and cold from the air outside. There was only one way out of the room, and it was through a small arch, an arch which had revealed the falling red rain outside, the thick dark clouds, and the bright crescent moon outside.

David struggled a bit longer, trying to get out of the position he was in when he suddenly heard a voice, "I would not waste your time trying to escape, your fate is already sealed Mr. Fox." The voice was deep and raspy, David looked around in any direction he could, "Who's there?!" he desperately called back. For a moment there was no reply, no noise other then the falling red rain outside. David looked at the arch and then noticed a thick red mist slowly seeping inside the room. The way the mist had moved, it was impossible. Slowly it moved closer and closer to David and then it stopped just in front of him. The mist slowly began to build itself up toward David's eye level, and then it took the shape of a man. The mist faded gently, and a tall man appeared in the mist, a man in a long and dark coat. Dracula.

David's eyes widened and Dracula smirked with his long fangs showing themselves, "You seem shocked to see me Sergeant Fox. Did you think that perhaps you did kill me, when you rigged explosives above the field, killing my family." Dracula moved behind David, away from his view. The only thing David could do now was wait, wait and see what Dracula would do. There was movement behind him, David could hear Dracula picking up something, and then walking back. He came back into David's view, holding a golden cup, a chalice. Dracula placed his hands on David's neck, and then only a single finger. Using his long and sharp nail, Dracula gently dug his nail into David's throat and slowly sliced David's neck about three inches. His blood slowly began to pour and Dracula held the chalice beneath the blood, allowing it to collect.

"I will not simply give you a quick kill, nor will I give you the honor of becoming a minion of mine. I shall bleed you slowly, and then kill off all the others who aided you in the murder of my family. Especially..." Dracula turned around as he had heard something move near the arch entrance. Standing there at the entrance, with a smile on her face, was Jill Valentine, "Do you mean me?" she asked, raising her 9mm and firing it. The silver bullet his Dracula in his left shoulder causing him to drop the chalice onto the floor. David's blood spilt everywhere. Dracula moved back, grabbing his shoulder in pain. Jill could see that the bullet had an impact on him, there was, what looked like smoke, coming from the bullet hole.

Jill moved in deeper and continued to open fire, but now Dracula was aware of her and not completely caught off guard, now he fought back, dodging her silver bullets made specifically for the dealing of vampires. The action was fast and fierce, as Jill tried shooting Dracula as he seemed to teleport around the room. Just before teleporting in front of her as she ran out of bullets. Jill used the butt of her weapon to smack Dracula across the face, he took the blow with a smirk and then smack Jill, knocking her against a wall. Dracula threw himself on-top of Jill, Jill then answered him back with her own punches, the gloves she wore were made specifically in case a fight like this were to occur. The knuckles of the gloves were tipped with silver. The punches were effective, Dracula was taking the blows hard, Jill then used all her might to punch him a few more times before kicking him off of herself. Dracula fell backward and then quickly scrambled to his feet. Jill rose from the floor slowly, still badly hurt from the single punch Dracula had landed.

Dracula's shape changed before her eyes, his skin blackened and his eyes reddened. His ears grew longer and his toes tripped through the boots he wore. His nails turned into long talons, his pale skin had turned into a thick black fur, his eyes began to glow a deep blood red. His ears had transformed into bat-like ears, and Dracula had ripped through his clothes as long wings sprouted from his back. Dracula looked into Jill's eyes and screeched, he drooled as he screamed, and he revealed his fangs, now much longer then they were before. Jill stood in awe and shock, looking at Dracula, completely helpless. Dracula turned to the arch and then flew out. Jill watched Dracula fly away, her instincts told her to follow him, but that's when she remembered the reason she had gone to the Clock Tower in Raccoon City, David. Jill turned back to see David hanging upside-down from the ceiling, his throat partially cut. Jill pulled out a combat knife from her boot and jumped up, slashing the rope holding him up. David fell to the floor with a thud, Jill used the knife to cut him free of the ties which binded him. David was motionless. Jill placed her hand on his neck, he still had a pulse, he was still alive.

Jill picked up her cellular phone and dialed Rebecca's cell, she moved toward the arch and watched as Dracula was flying away into the red rain. Rebecca answered, "The Clock Tower, David's here and needs medical attention... no I don't have two minutes!" Jill hung up her cell and then turned back towards David's body as she heard him move. David sat up and held his neck, his voice was now raspy, "You have to catch him Jill. You can't let him go." he said, Jill looked out the arch, "But I can't fly." she said, David coughed up blood and then spoke to her again, "You can do exactly what he can, the only difference is that you're not a full vampire, you still have human emotions, you're not a monster."

Jill knew he was right, though she was bitten by Salina Dawson, she never actually died from her attacker. Jill smiled at David and then looked out the arch, she sighed, hoping David was right. Then Jill jumped out of the arch, and found herself falling toward the ground fast, passing the balcony on the Clock Tower roof, Jill was falling. Time seemed to slow down completely as Jill closed her eyes.

Rebecca and Barry were in the squad car in front of Chris, they were riding with two other officers, all of them heading toward the Clock Tower at over sixty miles per hour. They were on the hunt, each and every one of them trying to catch David Fox's captor. The Clock Tower was fast approaching when suddenly the squad car in front of Chris hit on the breaks hard, Chris was forced to do the same, but his car was not stopping, the red rain had caused his tires to give and Chris found his car sliding. There was a brief second before Chris' car slammed into the rear of the squad car, causing the police vehicle to move forward a few feet. Glass from the front windshield, and the back window the squad car, flew everywhere. Chris' airbag did not deploy.

The squad car in front of Chris had stopped because of the oncoming trolley which was moving fast, the squad car did not stop in time, and instead was hit hard by the trolley. Chris could only watch in his blurred vision as the vehicle Rebecca and Barry were in was slammed into by the trolley and tossed aside like a toy. The trolley itself was unharmed and the break screeched just as the two collided. The squad car was thrown backward and it slammed into a large oak tree.

Chris got out of his vehicle as quick as he could and dashed toward the wrecked squad car, he did his best to open the read driver side door, but found it impossible. Rebecca was in the backseat, motionless and covered in blood. The driver was completely contorted, the passenger's left half was covered in blood, and Barry, though not seemingly injured, was also motionless. His friends, it was almost impossible to tell if they had been killed. Chris pulled on the handle of the door, but it was jammed. In the distance he could hear the sirens of other squad cars, he knew that help was coming, but would that help arrive on time? He turned his attention to the tall Clock Tower ahead, and just as he looked up he noticed something, someone, jump out of the roof. Close squinted his eyes in an attempt to see, "Jill!" he shouted as her features came to him. Jill was falling, falling right out of the Clock Tower. A shot of adrenaline went through his body as he saw Jill falling to the floor. He shouted out her name, and then her body disappeared behind the wall of the courtyard in the Clock Tower grounds.

The squad cars rounded the street corner and were approaching fast, Chris spun around and waved at them for help. His attention went back to Jill and that's when he felt a sudden gust of wind. His eyes opened wide in wonder and awe, Jill Valentine was there in the air, flying with white wings, white wings being stained by the red rain. The wings would have looked like that of an angel, but the red rain had tainted them. Jill said nothing to Chris, she paid no attention to him or the wreck he stood by. Jill just simply flew by, almost as though following someone or something. Chris knew he had to follow her, no matter what, he had to follow her. He ran back to his car and started it back up, he backed up and drove off, following Jill as she flew out of the city.

Dracula was just in front of her, not too far away, and Jill knew that Dracula was completely unaware of her following him, Dracula had no clue Jill could fly. The odd fact was, neither did Jill. As Jill flew using her new wings she looked down at the city and could see that some people looked up in complete shock. Jill was their savior, she was their guardian angel, protecting them from the evil that was Dracula.

The red rain continued to fall hard, and Jill could already hear thunder in the distance. There was a flash of lightning, and then there was another. It was though the weather had too prepared for this final battle between good and evil. Jill looked up into the sky, her only chance was to fly higher then Dracula and get the upper hand. Jill was completely oblivious to the small car following them out of the city and into the Raccoon City Forest. Jill flew high, as high as she could, until she was right on top of Dracula. She swooped down as fast as she could and then caught him, landing a hard right punch to the back of Dracula's head.

The bat-like Dracula let out a screech just as the thunder roared and lightning flashed before them, Dracula turned and answered her with a few punches of his own. Both of them were in mid-air doing battle, a fight to the death. One of them would be dying that night, and Jill was prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for the city, for Chris. Jill was so deep into the battle that she still did not notice the car, driven by Chris Redfield, following them as they fought in the sky. Dracula grabbed Jill by her shoulders and screamed, "Your blood shall be mine!" Dracula used his fangs and bit down hard into Jill's neck, he began to suck onto her, sucking her blood, sucking the life out of her. Jill screamed out as the fangs broke the skin and entered her. The pain was overwhelming, and she could feel herself being drained of everything. As lightning flashed Jill got a brief look at where she was, just atop the ruins of the Spencer Mansion. This was her opportunity. Jill kneed Dracula in the stomach, causing him to lose his bite. Jill grabbed him by the chest and then brought him down to the earth. Dracula screeched aloud, the screech loud enough to be heard by Chris driving the vehicle off-road now. Jill was falling fast, she closed her eyes just as the ground was in front of her. Then both of them hit, she lost her grip of Dracula just before she hit the ground. Jill's body bounced off the floor and she rolled aside in the mud.

For a moment there was only the sound of falling rain, Jill slowly got up, holding the side of her neck Dracula had bitten. She turned to her side and saw Dracula, impailed by a large piece of sharp wood sticking out, an old part of the mansion which had once stood. Dracula screamed and tried desperately to get himself off, but he had no strength. He continued to scream, and then he stopped. His body began to smoke up and his fur, his skin, began to disolve. Dracula looked over at Jill, still screaming, and then he was no more. Nothing more then a skeliton. The skull of Dracula rolled over to Jill's boots. She looked down at the skull, lifted her boot, and then crushed it.

Moments later Chris got out of his vehicle and approached the ruins of the mansion, shouting out for Jill, he passed by the large sharp wood Dracula had been impailed on, he stopped only briefly to see the remains of the Dark Prince, and then he continued search for Jill, screaming out her name. Jill was further in the forest, the rain had stopped completely and Jill was gasping for air. She leaned against a tree, feeling herself weaker now, What's happening to me? It feels like... like I'm dying. I... Jill fell to her knees, and then fell on her stomach just as Chris ran up behind her. He threw himself onto the floor beside her and then held her in his arms, he placed her in his lap and turned her around. Her eyes were closed, and the warmpth had faded. Her neck covered in blood, he cried out her name, and then screamed it.

She was dead.

Three days had passed since Dracula's death; Chris stood in the center, behind him was David Fox, on the left was Rebecca, and on his right was Barry. The four were surrounded by other members of the Raccoon City Police Department, including the Cheif of Police and the Mayor. All of them stood in silence, looking at the black coffin with an American flag neatly folded on it. The sun in the sky was bright, and there was no cloud in the sky. The priest spoke heavenly words, but those words fell of deaf ears. Chris was not paying attention, his thoughts only focused on coffin.

There were others in the crowd, other then Jill's friends; she had family and members of the United States military. Jill's work in the Delta Force gave her full benefits, but yet her will stated she wanted to be buried in Raccoon City. Slowly the coffin lowered into the cold earth below, and in time, people began to leave. David Fox placed his hand on Chris' shoulder and said nothing. He exhanged looks and then left with the other officers. Chris, Rebecca and Barry stayed behind to pay last respects to their fallen friend. Rebecca looked around Jill's grave, "She's with them now." she said, making a reference to the other graves beside Jill's belonging to the other Special Tactics And Rescue Service members who had perished during the Mansion Incident. Rebecca turned and walked away, now leaving Chris and Barry.

Barry remained silent, he could feel that Chris was blaming himself for the fate of Jill. Barry gave Chris a pat on the back, "Don't blame yourself Chris, no matter what you feel you could have done—there's really nothing more you could have done. She did what she had to do. For all of us. She gave her life for all of us." Chris smiled and turned to Barry, "I know that Barry... I just can't believe I'm actually standing here."

Barry said nothing and Chris knelt down beside the grave and grabbed a small pile of dirt and dropped it into the grave. Barry turned and started to leave, but then paused and turned back to Chris, "You know we did it Chris, we stopped Dracula and his army. This is a victory."

Chris got up and turned to Barry and smiled to him, "Then why does it feel like I lost?"

I know she did everything she could for us, she sacrified her life for all of us. Not just the police, not just the citizens of Raccoon City, but for the world really. Jill saved us all. But now she's dead and I, as well as a few others, are forced to take on Umbrella alone. It's hard for me to say, but I know that Jill Valentine was a vampire. Yet now I know, there are such things as vampires...

In the darkest time of the night, as the owls called out to one another and the crickets did the same, deep in the graveyard was the gravestone of Jill Valentine. The air was still and quiet, a soft fog hugged the moist grass. Then something moved. Again. Then again. A hand popped out from the cold earth, and then a head. Soon an entire body came out from beneath the earth. Jill Valentine held her hand out at the full moon above.

but not all of them are evil.