A/N: Prepare yourself for the creepy, irritating Regenerators! Just writing about them makes my skin crawl. And don't get me started on the Iron Maiden! Thanks for voting in the poll on the situation with Claire. I will be closing it down and starting a new one soon. Let's just say it was a close one! Yay!
Resident Evil 4: A Twist in Reality
Chapter 34: The Boogie Man
Sheila backed away, too scared for her life to move. She knew that she should make a run for it, like in the game. But fear had immobilised her.
She looked at the Ganado in front of her, waiting for the dirty man to take action or do something. But it seemed like her, he was unable to do anything to save their lives. Or it could be that he wasn't as smart a she thought him to be. Either way, he backed away, allowing the sliding door to slide back shut.
Sheila gasped as the footsteps neared the door. Half of her expected for the creepy yet interesting music to start playing its haunting melody.
The door suddenly slid open. A whimper escaped the teens' mouth. The Regenerator was more horrifying in person. The creature's skin had a grey tint that glistened as the monster moved. The eyes were red with a certain spark that told her a story that ended with her grisly death. Was it hunger that she also saw? Makes sense, since its teeth was made to tear chunks out everything around it.
The creature wheezed as its eyes zoomed over to the Ganado. Sheila slowly inched her way over to the dead corpse holding the card key. The curtain around him prevented anyone to see him, including the girl. It was the same fear that told her to hide under the bed as a little girl that now told her to hide with the dead body.
Sheila heard the Ganado say something. The fear in his voice was not a good sign.
Sheila peeked around the corner, wishing she didn't. The monster was closer, moving its limbs like it was doing a weird attempt at dancing. Drool dripped from its long fangs as it stared at the pale Ganado. Then suddenly, just like a snake, it struck without warning.
The Regenerator roared as it reached for the Ganado. iIs long arms some how stretching farther than humanly possible. Its long fingers clamped around the frightened Ganado's arms. And with inhumanly speed, pulled the young man toward it, its arms wrapped around him tighter than a lover would do.
Unwillingly, tears of fear streamed down the girl's cheeks as the Regenerator sunk its teeth into the Ganado's flesh. The Ganado's scream of agony caused Sheila to hyperventilate. For that could have been her if she hadn't moved when she did.
Sheila finally looked away as the Regenerator tore a hunk of flesh. The way it fed was very close to a rapid dog. The image seemed to have burned itself in the teens eyeballs. She tried to focus on getting up and running, but her mind wouldn't stop replaying the scene she just witnessed.
I'm going to die! I'm going to die! I'm going to die! Oh God, I don't want to die!
The sound of chewing and groaning filled Sheila's ears. She covered her ears and tried to block out the sound.
Get a grip! You're not dead yet. Now get up! I said get up!
Sheila nodded, listening to... well, herself. She stood up, though her legs were shaky. Wiping away her tears, the scared teen peeked again. The Ganado was still alive, barely. His arms hung limply as the Regenerator feasted on his dirty flesh. Then suddenly, the parasite popped itself to the surface through the man's neck. It was a full grown adult.
The Regenerator ignored it, though that was soon changed. The parasite released its acid on the monsters neck and half of its face. The Regenerator hissed as it released its prey.
Oh crap.
Sheila felt like using every curse word known to man at that moment. Now she had to get past two monsters, both lethal and dangerous to her personal health.
She had to think fast. Looking down at the card key the corpse was holding, Sheila bit her lip as it came clear to what she must do. She had no choice in the matter. If she did get past the two alive, the possibility of more Regenerators now awake and roaming the halls was as high as it can get. And the only way out of this section of the base was the card key. Well, after she uses it in the machine that remakes it for the other door. Either way, she was in one of the crappiest spots in the game.
Sheila peeked again around the curtain, checking out the two freaks position. The Regenerator apparently healed quickly, the acid burns now healed over with new, ugly skin. Its long fingers were clamped around the parasites human neck. It roared as it began to attack with its teeth. Now was her chance to make a break for the door.
Sheila grabbed the card key. Taking a deep breath, the teen ran.
There was no stopping or looking around as she flew. Her adrenaline had kicked in which gave her the extra boost that she needed. Before she knew it, she had made it to the last door. Finally, she paused. Was she jumping from one fire to the next? Only one way to find out.
With trembling hands, Sheila grabbed the door handle and slowly opened the door.
R
Leon blasted the last parasite, its brown blood splattering the walls. He grunted as his broken ribs began to throb. Luis and him had encountered the armored Ganados, along with their little friends. It had resulted into a rough battle. Which as always, involved getting knocked around and barely surviving.
"That my friend, was not easy," Luis remarked.
"Story of my life," Leon replied as he sat down in the chair by a small wooden table.
"How's those ribs," Luis asked as he reloaded his gun.
"They're (grunt) doing better," Leon lied.
Leon smiled crookedly as Luis snorted.
"The girls can't be far now," said Leon.
"Why do you say that?"
"Because of the heavy security we just encountered. Think about it. We've recovered the two girls more than once and managed to kill his Big Cheese and his psycho mini-me. He's so close to completing his evil plan."
Luis nodded slowly. "He'd be an idiot to not take extra precautions."
Leon slowly got up, grunting as he did so. "Right. Like I said, we're getting closer to where they're being held."
The blond agent leaned against the table as a sharp pain pierced his rib cage. Luis reached out, but the stubborn young man waved him off.
"I'm fine. Just a little stiff... My God, what is that?"
Luis looked down at the dirty plates, just now noticing the strange and rotting substance covering the plates and table. Flies literally covered about seventy percent of the dried substance.
"That... I don't want to know. Let's get going."
Leon curtly nodded and preceded to take the lead. Cautiously, he lead Luis up the stairs, his Striker ready for any more interference. But for the moment, it seemed that the area was clear.
Then they heard a sound. The two edged closer to the door that lead to a area they had yet to explore. They froze. The sound was Ashley, yelling with all her might.
Throwing caution to the wind, Leon kicked the door open and ran inside. Luis was close behind him. They ran past some filing cabinets and crates, expecting to find Ashley. But instead, they found a security monitor system.
Leon slowly stepped forward, his eyes intently on the image on one of the monitor screens. It showed Ashley banging on a metal door, her face flushed from screaming and possibly crying.
"Da-n it! Ashley's there, but where's Sheila," Leon growled as he began to press certain buttons that would let him peek at different areas of the facility.
"She's not alone," Luis whispered as he leaned in to take a closer look at Ashley's screen.
Leon froze, watching with growing concern. A Ganado slowly approached Ashley from behind, face held a look of contempt for the young woman.
Ashley seemed to have noticed the noise behind her. She turned around, looking frightened.
"No, wait! Stay away!"
The Ganado grabbed the young American roughly, his lips curled into a snarl. Ashley struggled, though in vain.
The Ganado pushed her away from the door, looking like he enjoyed his power over the situation. Ashley yelped when hitting the floor, tearing the skin on her exposed knees and hands.
"Callete," the Ganado ordered. (TRANSLATION: QUIET! or SHUT UP!)
Ashley gave the soldier a dirty look, but didn't dare to utter another word. Leon narrowed his eyes, anticipating when he could get his hands on the arrogant soldier.
"Well, at least she's in one place for the moment. Now, let's see if Sheila is near by,"
Leon began to switch to different rooms and parts of the facility. At first, it seemed that they wouldn't find the young troublesome girl. Then, they happened upon the medical area. Luis groaned.
"What the hell is that?"
"The Regenerator," Luis choked out. "And it's slowly heading her way."
"Turn around, da-n it! Go through the doors behind you! We got to go!"
Leon ran to the door, not hearing Luis's pleas to stop and listen.
"Leon! Wait, you don't know what you're getting in to!"
"It doesn't matter Luis! That thing was too close to spotting her. We've-"
"What's all that commotion about Strangers? Keep that up and you'll might as well turn yourselves in to Saddler."
Leon stopped for a brief moment, walking toward the Merchant. "Sorry, but I don't got time to stop and chit chat. Got a girl to save," Leon replied before briskly walking ahead.
"Wait! There's some-"
But the merchant didn't get the chance to finish. For the Garage door opened as Leon and Luis came into view around the broken window. Two Ganados lit their dynamites, then tossed them toward the visitors.
"Oh crap," Leon muttered before rolling back toward some cover.
R
Sheila gulped, hearing the heavy breathing just around the corner. It seemed that she just didn't wake up one Regenerator.
The breathing seemed closer than it did a minute ago. Did the creature hear her close the doors or something? She thought that she was being quiet, considering her fearful state of mind.
Either way, her options weren't good. If she went back, a Regenerator and possibly a adult parasite will be waiting for her. If she stayed where she was, either the Regenerator in the hall would eventually find her or the one in the autopsy room would bust the doors from behind her down. Then of course was her last option. To take a mad dash for the freezer room... Where yet another Regenerator would possibly wake up.
The teen swallowed the scream that wanted to escape. She tried to push her fear away, telling herself that her heroes were on their way. Maybe... Possibly...
Sheila wiped the tears away, preparing herself for her possibly last run. Her adrenaline was still in high gear, so she wasn't exactly afraid of tripping or something stupid like that. She was too pumped up to let a little inconvenience like that to get her killed.
The wheezing was definitely closer. She was sure of it. Her choice was now absolutely certain. Running would be the smartest thing to do. Even if her legs at the moment suddenly felt like led.
Touching the grenade in her pocket, Sheila took a deep breath. Then she ran.
As she rounded the corner, the teen collided with the tall monstrosity. Its low growl caused her body to go numb. She and the monster wobbled unsteadily, but did not fall. Long cold fingers wrapped around her throat, and then lifted her off the ground. Sheila's eyes widened as she fought for air. She was now facing the creature at eye level, her feet moving frantically in the air.
Sheila stared into its shining red eyes. All she could see was death, her death.
The Regenerator roared as it slammed her down to the ground, releasing her throat. She coughed violently as she gasped for air. Her throat felt like it was on fire and raw as her air ways opened up.
Sheila held her throat with her left hand as she meekly tried to crawl backwards. But the Regenerator wasn't done with her. Not for a long shot.
It knelt down and grabbed her left hand and yanked her back. Drool dripped down its chin as it wheezed. The teen moaned as she began to thrash her body around, trying to break away. The monster roared as it quickly bent down to go for her neck, going for the kill.
Sheila had her grenade ready. She jammed the grenade in its open mouth. The monster stopped and bit down, its teeth sinking threw her tender right hand.
Sheila screamed while yanking her hand out. The teeth had went deep. Just looking at her hand made her head spin.
Sheila quickly scrambled away, holding her injured hand close to her body. The monster seemed preoccupied with the strange metallic thing in its mouth. Then... BOOM!
The head splattered around the surrounding area. The body shook violently, then slowly it began to recover. Tentacles whipped around, as the flesh began to reconstruct itself. Sheila grunted as she scrambled back to her feet and began to run.
She ignored the heavy breathing ahead as she opened the double doors. The small light above the freezer room beckoned her as she stumbled toward it, the blood loss causing her to be disoriented.
Sheila grabbed the door handles and pulled. But they wouldn't budge. A cold sweat moistened her brow as the panic crept in. She began to push and pull, whimpering as the cold doors wouldn't budge. Then she remembered the key.
"Stupid... Regenerators! Made me forget," Sheila hissed as she shakily put the key card through the key slot.
There was a short beep sound before the sound of the door being unlocked. Then a low growl from behind her made the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end. Without a moment to spare, Sheila opened the doors and ran in.
R
Leon cursed as he failed yet again to kill the dynamite throwing enemies. Whoever was controlling the garage door was smart enough to shut it almost immediately after the Ganados threw their explosives.
Leon and Luis were able to get in a few shots, but not enough to break the two crazie Ganados concetration. The determined agent was becoming agitated. He didn't have time for this.
"Well, now what do we do," Luis muttered as another blast against the small wall with the broken window caused it to shudder.
Leon shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe if we create a distraction-"
"A distraction? And exactly how are we going to do that?"
"I don't know, Luis!... (Boom!) Maybe you can (Boom!) run out there and (Boom!) get their attention."
Luis gave the agent a incredulous look.
"Listen, I just need you to distract them long enough for me to... I don't know, throw a grenade or something at them. Come on Luis! We don't got much time," Leon said with an intense gaze. Luis looked torn.
"Fine! Let's do it," Luis conceded with a hint of anger.
Leon nodded and began to open his case up, intending to grab a grenade. Then he stopped, getting a different idea.
"What are you doing," Luis whispered as he watched Leon close his case.
"Don't worry about it. Just go and create the distraction."
Luis hesitated, then left the wall. He began to jump around, shouting curses at the closed Garage door in Spanish. Meanwhile, Leon got his Sniper rifle ready.
The door opened revealing the two men with the sticks of dynamite. One laughed while pointing at Luis. His compadrae took out his lighter and lit the fuse, chuckling darkly.
Leon took the shot, his aim right on the money. The Ganado dropped dead from his head shot. Unfortunately for his buddy, the dynamite was still lit. The garage doors closed, leaving no escape for the lone Ganado.
BOOM!
Both men stayed still, holding their breath. After a few moments, both relaxed.
"It worked."
"Surprised?" Leon asked with a smirk.
Before Luis could respond, the garage door opened again, revealing three crossbow snipers. The Spaniard raised his gun, aiming at the middle one. His confidence was running at zero when he saw the three aim their crossbows at him.
"Leon," Luis hissed.
Suddenly, their was a tiny sound. Like a pin dropping. Then a grenade was tossed toward the three snipers. The middle one began to shout, motioning to his left to close the shutter. The shudder did close, but not before the grenade slid in with them. Sound of panicked screams were heard before the explosion.
Luis turned around, expecting to see Leon. Instead, he saw the red eyed merchant. He was shaking his head at the whole situation.
"Sometimes you strangers need to stop and listen! Otherwise I wouldn't have to stop what I'm doing and go and save your reckless arses!"
Leon slowly walked up, looking a bit sheepish. Luis mumbled something about Leon and looked away. The merchant sighed.
"Now, if you will listen, I've got something that would not only interest you, but will save your life. Let's just say that you're getting tactical with the situation! Heh! Heh!"
The merchant took his heavy pack off and pulled out the Tactical vests. Leon's eyes widened.
"I figured ya would be needing these. I'll sell it to ya for a great price."
R
Sheila shook violently as the cold seemed to freeze her through and through. The cold air stung her bare legs and arms. Especially her face. Living in Georgia did not prepare her for this freezing temperature.
She tried to walk, but the floor a tad slippery. Yet another thing the game forgot to show. Reality was so different than games.
After struggling to gain her balance, the teen proceeded forward. The air was foggy and not so clear. She could make out the shapes of the failed Regenerator experiments hanging on the meat hooks. A chill that had nothing to do with the freezing air went down her spine. She was glad she couldn't make out their faces clearly.
Must... find... key machine! So... cold!
Sheila walked toward the east toward the open door. She walked sluggishly inside, cracking a smile when seeing the strange machine. After a few moments of trying top find where she put the key, Sheila successfully placed the key in the slot.
That should do it... Okay, why isn't this thing working!
"Come on! Why aren't you working, you piece of crap!"
Sheila examined the machine. There were different buttons in different colors. None had the word 'Start' on it. Frustrated and cold, Sheila eyed the cryogenic freezer device in the corner. If she turned the device off, then the cold air would stop and things would start to melt.
Though she would love for the cold air to sop, she was worried about the Regenerator. In the game, he woke up when Leon took the Infrared Scope. But here in reality, things could be way different. Like causing the boogie man to defrost which in turn wakes up to spread its freaky horror. That wasn't what she wanted. Her little plan was to wait for Leon there so that she wouldn't have to face these things alone.
But the possiblity of freezing to death was looking like her immediat future that would soon happen if something wasn't done. Any longer in the cold would cause some serious damage. Besides, it would be easier to deal with the machine with no freezing air zapping the oxygen from her lungs.
Sheila nodded at her decision and decided to turn off the cold air. She walked to the tiny corner and presses the red button. Hopefully it was the right one.
The temperature began to drop. Sheila's breathing became easier. Each intake of air was easier and didn't feel like sharp knives piercing her lungs.
"The others so owe me for this," Sheila mumbled as she walked back to the machine.
Sheila noticed that there was a flashing yellow button. Could that be it?
Holding her right hand close, Sheila hesitantly pushed the yellow button with her left hand. A strange sound came from the odd machine. After a few seconds, the teen began to wander if she pressed the wrong button. Then, the yellow flashing button flashed green. The key card popped out, ready for use.
"I am so good," Sheila purred.
R
Leon and Luis silently walked into the Regenerator's domain. After buying both Tactical vests and forcing Luios to wear one, Leon decided to go on.
He listened to Luis giving a brief description of the Regenerators. And sadly, he didn't exactly have the equipment that would help him kill them. Neither did the merchant, unfortunately.
So now, they were going in, hoping to use what they had to at least save Sheila and escape the almost invincible monster.
The first sign that they were one of the creatures was the sound of its heavy breathing. Leon tightened his grip on his trusty Striker, hoping to find Sheila still alive. If he didn't...
Leon froze, spotting a Regenerator standing about six feet away. It wasn't really doing anything but stand there... and wheeze. The scene reminded Leon of the zombies he encountered not so long ago.
He studied the situation. It was really dark with only a light here and there to show the current surroundings. So it was possible for them to sneak by. Well, that is if the hallway wasn't so narrow. Confrontation with the large monster was inevitable.
Leon gave Luis a small nod. The Spaniard did not look thrilled at all.
Taking a flash grenade off of his belt, Leon pulled the pin and threw it. A bright flash lit up the dimly lit hall.
"Move," Leon ordered. Both men ran past the roaring monster. Leon quickly kicked open the double doors, running toward the freezer room.
Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed Luis and yanked him several feet back. Leon turned around, hearing his companion scream.
The monster's red eyes seemed to glaze over as it gave Luis a strange look. Then it roared and tried to sink its teeth into his left shoulder. It growled when the armor deflected its attack.
Luis struggled and tried to pry himself away from its body. As he struggled, he came across something squishy that blended in with the rest of the Regenerator's body. He found one of the parasites.
Luis gritted his teeth as he sunk his fingers into the parasite, causing the Regenerator to cry out in pain and surprise. Leon ran over and began to beat on the creature with his trusty Striker. The monster released Luis, staggering back about two feet.
Leon grabbed Luis's arm and led him back to the freezer doors. The sound of heavy breathing to their right had Leon cursing all scientists.
"How many of these things are there," Leon growled.
"Many, amigo. We need to-"
The freezer doors opened up, startling the two men. Sheila didn't wait for the two to say anything. Instead, she grabbed Leon's hand and pulled him inside. Luis quickly followed. The teen then quickly slammed the doors shut, turning instantly away from the dried blood stain covering both doors.
A pair of strong arms inveloped the teen, causing a bright smile to light up her pale face. Leon was warm and... his chest was hard as a rock. Pulling away, the teen smiled at the tactical vest. It looked great on Leon, especially in real life.
"You're freezing," Leon said with concern.
"And she's hurt," Luis added as he held her injured right hand. Sheila tried to ignore the pain as she expressed her relief to see the two older men.
"You guys just don't know how happy I am to see you! I thought for sure that it was game over for me. Those freaky things really know how to bite."
"I know. And they can do much worse. Leon, I need your first aid kit."
"Here... What is that?"
Sheila didn't bother looking at the dead experiments hanging on the hooks. She already got an eye-full when running into this death trap. Those long, razor and crooked teeth of the failed experiments were another thing on her 'Scar Me For Life' list. Sheila gulped when the memory of her current encounter with the boogie man replayed in her frazzled mind.
"This is the freezer room for the facilities failed Regenerator experiments. As you can see, we had a lot of problems with the genetic structure of the parasites and the human hosts," Luis replied as he sprayed Sheila's bloody hand. She yelped as her hand burned and stung as the medicine began its work.
"No kidding! I thought nothing could surprise me after Raccoon City. But this... Poor souls."
"Luis, why is there frozen grown parasites here?" Sheila asked, looking at one of the dead creatures that was on top of one of the dead bodies. Luis didn't answer right away as he bandaged her hand.
"There was an accident," Luis answered at last. "Somebody forgot to make sure two of the hosts were truly dead when putting them in here. That little mistake had caused several of the facilities best to be slaughtered. One of the other scientists who was lucky enough to survive turned the temperature down before escaping, saving the rest of us from exposure. Well, for the time being."
Sheila bit her lip, looking around the bloody place as Luis finished his work with her hand. The blood stains were every where, just like a Jason movie. The thought freaked her out, causing her already pale skin to turn a shade lighter. Feeling woozy, the teen began to swoon. Luis grabbed her.
"Whoa, don't faint on me now. You're going to be alright."
"What's wrong?" Leon asked.
"I'm fine. Really. Just need some iron." Sheila squeaked. "Can we go? I really don't want to stick around."
"Sure. But first, we got to look for some more medical supplies. Leon, check the cabinet over there." Luis said as he began looking mong the mess.
Sheila leaned against the doors, watching the dead Regenerators carefully. So far, no movement. Could it be due to Leon not grabbing the new sniper scope yet? Should she distract him and just forget about it? In the game, it was a very valuable tool in fighting the Regenerators and Iron Maidens.
"I'm going to check in here," Leon said as he entered the tiy space where the infer-red scope was held.
Sheila felt her heart begin to race. She had to make a decision soon. Feeling cornered by fates unlucky road, Sheila gasped, then pretended to faint.
"Sheila!" Luis cried out. Leon ran back and joined the Spaniard.
"What happened?"
"She fainted. I think she lost more blood than I realized." Luis answered as he looked at her pale countenance.
"This is not good! How are we going to get past those monsters while she's unconscious? She's not going to make it unless she has some rest." Leon said in a worried tone.
The guilt began to eat at the teen as the two were so obviously torn in two by the dilemma she created. Gathering her courage, Sheila decided to let fate continue with this especially scary part of the game. Opening her eyes, Sheila pushed away the helping hands.
"Stop fussing." she said grumpily.
"Don't get up. You need to rest." Luis said urgently. "You've lost allot of blood and-"
"We don't have time for that. We need to save Ashley. And I got the key to get us past this... freak show!"
"Where did you find that?" Leon asked. His surprise at her finding skills slightly stung her pride.
"Oh, who cares! All that matter is that I reconfigured it in that thingy in there so now we can get out of this creepy area," Sheila said as she showed them the key card. Both men gave each other a look.
Oops! Way to make them more suspicious of you! Dang it! Why can't I play the oblivious person better?
A sound over by the failed experiments stopped any questions for the time being. All three slowly looked at the back. A thud was heard. Sheila slowly stood up, her heart in her throat. Luis and Leon pushed her behind them as the body of one of the Regenerators pushed itself up, its red eyes zooming in on its prey.
"Oh, crap." Sheila squeaked.
"You can say that again." Leon muttered.
The creature roared, it's arms stretching forward. Sheila let out a scream.
R
Claire was sweating bullets as her brother played crutch for her as they finally made it to the complex. Chris left his sister leaning against the wall as he went to scout out the area.
"Da-n," Claire muttered. She gingerly touched her bandaged wound.
The medicine did heal her enough to stand without help. But walking was another story. Her brother worried that infection would settle in, even with the combination of the herbs. Claire kept the worry at bay, keeping her mind on light things. Such as food. Nice, steamy, hot chicken noodle soup. Or even better, a T-Bone steak! Ooh, the image of the meats juices made her mouth water.
"Okay, all is clear. Leon and Luis did a thorough job so far." Chris said as he came trotting back. Claire smiled.
"Ready for some more exercises?" Chris said playfully, though the mirth wasn't in his eyes.
"I was born ready. Let's go." Claire replied as she grabbed Chris's arm. Their slow process made her feel like an old lady.
"Do you think they found the girls yet?"
Chris shrugged. "I don't know. But knowing Leon, he'll rescue the damsels in distress in no time."
Claire heard the doubt in Chris's voice, but didn't comment on it. Truth be told, she was starting to feel crampy, grumpy, and sweaty. It was becoming a major inconvenience with her physical status being the way it was. She trusted Leon and Luis and knew that they would kill anything in their path, but that didn't mean that there wasn't any more freaky things of science lurking around.
Chris's concerned look got her going. "Stop hovering over me! I can take care of myself."
Claire's irritable mood seemed to just slide off of Chris's back like water on a duck's back. He took the lead, going extra slow for his little sister to keep up. No Ganado's insight. His only worry was when they would reach the kitchen. From the pasty tint to his sister's skin, they would be stopping soon, again. Something was up with her, he could tell. Call it sibling intuition or just plain instinct, something was most definitely wrong.
"I guess this is the kitchen area," Chris spoke aloud, stopping in front of the dirty, resturant like door. "You don't suppose that a nice slab of steak is on the menu?"
"Along with a huge Cesar salad and strawberry ice cream." Claire replied with a dreamy look in her blue eyes. At least she had kept her sense of humor. How either of them could joke or smile had to be a sign of the shock of staying up for over twenty four hours.
"I'll go first." Chris said suddenly, losing all humor. Flicking the safety off on the side of the Blacktail hand gun, Chris kicked the door open and jumped inside. He quickly passed the dirty watery sink, interring the kitchen. The smell and sight had him backing away, gagging.
"I guess steaks are on the menu." Chris said with disgust. "Pity to waste all that meat, letting it get rotten like that."
There wasn't much to explore. Just lots of cans scattered, a scorch mark of a man in the oven (Chris wasn't even going to go there), and of course a drying puddle of vomit. Well, at least one of the girls (or Leon and Luis) left a trail. Shaking his head, he turned to go back to Claire, only to find her standing there behind him.
"Claire! I told you I was going to scout out the area first!"
"It's dark and eerie." Claire replied. "This place is too silent and creepy to be alone."
Chris noticed her sweating getting worse as she favored her stomach, as if wounded there instead. "Claire..."
"Let's keep moving, Chris. I want to catch up with the others before anything else happens."
Claire passed her brother, slightly hobbling. Her injury was painful, but the cramping in her stomach and chest was worse. She couldn't let herself dwell on the fact, too consumed with getting the others through this safely and alive to take a look at her condition. If she did, she would remember what had happened back at the castle and the parasite growing within her body. For the egg had hatched, and the parasite within was already growing, though still tiny. Then again, maybe it is best for her to push past her limits, for Leon had the pills that would would slow the progress. It was too late to kill the parasite, but to slow it's growth would help save her life if they ever did get to Luis's miracle machine. But that's further down the road. On back to Sheila and the to guys who's name starts with L! Double 'L' team!... What? I got nothing cool to say other than that geek statement. (author smiles)
R
"Oh no you don't!" Leon thought as he quickly stuffed the barrel of his gun in the icky monster's mouth as it yanked him toward it's slimy body.
Regenterator blood and gore splattered the low hanging roof, glass and metal cupboards as tiny grey tentacles whipped around from the bloody stump of its neck. Leon was released thankfully as it waved it's arms in the air... Waving them like it just don't care! (I just had to add that!)
Sheila turned upon hearing the beep sound of the cold doors locking.
Crap! Crap! Crappity, crappity, crap, crap, crap!
"You can't kill it like-"
"We've been through this before! I know!" Leon shouted at Luis. "I'm trying to slow it down!"
This just wasn't happening to her! Sheila watched as Leon shot at the monster over and over, waiting for him to go get that Infrared scope. But he wasn't, and neither was Luis. Why weren't they doing what she did in the game? But reality is just as unfair as a game can be. Sheila knew that more than other people, and why she just now was re-realising that now proves that she is under a lot of strain. At least, that's what she tells herself as she runs into the northeast chamber, slipping on the melting, icy floor. Crawling toward the defrosted locker, she quickly murmurs an 'Ew!' at the dead adult parasite on the floor. She then stands and attempts to twist open the lock on the locker. Of course, it won't budge. Ice, as in reality, just doesn't melt that quickly as it did in the game.
"Stupid... weak... skinny... arms! Stupid... Twist.. in... Reality! Leon, Luis! In here!"
Her answer from the two heroes?
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Crash!
"Roaaaaaaaaar!"
Sheila turned around, then hesitantly tip toed to the open doorway. Leon and and Luis were on the ground, covered under a pile of dead Regenerators. Apparently, the dead freak was a wrestler in his past life or something. His or should I say it's red, glowing eyes zoomed in on her. She couldn't quit her silent mantra of 'Oh crap!"
"Guys! Get up!" she squealed as the creature suddenly launched itslelf in a uncharacteristic, half jog and half swagger toward her.
Running to the back of the small chamber, Sheila turned and tried with all her might to get the locker to open. She could have sworn that she heard the eerie song that happened when the Regenerator approached. It's breathing was heavier as it neared its prey. Sheila openly cried as screamed for the valve to twist.
Either the game decided that it was time to cut her a break, or God was working in mysterious ways; the locker door suddenly sprang open on it's own accord. Grabbing the Infrared Scope, she quickly turned around to go give the special addition to the agent. But her movement ceased when seeing her escape blocked. The creature stopped, seemingly to smile with glee as it now was just standing four feet away. It reached it's long arm and slapped her. The Scope was flung from her hands, smashed through 0the glass window and fell down to the ground near Leon and Luis, who were attempting to unscramble themselves from the dead experiments.
Sheila was getting tired of being slapped around by the enemy. And even more angry with the fact that she was yet again trapped by a Regenerator... Again!
"Leave me alone!" she screamed, covering her stinging and swelling cheek.
The monster reached down, it's vile stench making her gag. Acting on pure instinct, she quickly attempted to crawl between it's legs. For a moment, she had outsmarted the lumbering monster. But as she reached the door, two large, freezing cold hands clamped down on her ankles and pulled. She of course screamed, grabbing onto the edge of the door way for dear life.
"Will somebody kill this thing, please!"
The two men were now free. Luis spotted the scope and quickly picked up. "Here! This should help you see the parasites on its body. Shoot them all, you kill the Regenerator."
Leon quickly fumbled with his case, bringing out the sniper rifle. With quick but shaking hands, he took off his regular scope and replaced it with the heat sensing one. Luis ran inside the chamber and grabbed Sheila's wrists and began to pull. Sheila now knew what a Thanksgiving wishbone felt as two people pulled on the opposite ends.
Leon came into view and raised the sniper rifle, peering through the scope. To his dismay, the lens was cracked, giving him three Regenerator targets. "Da-n! The lens is cracked!"
"Just shoot!" Sheila screamed.
Leon did just that. The first shot missed, which earned him "I can't believe you missed that!" from the terrified red head. Growling, he readjusted his aim and nailed a parasite on the right shoulder. The Regenerator gave a started growl, releasing Sheila. She and Luis scrambled away as Leon fired again, again, and again.
As the creature rapidly became metabolically unstable, Leon slowly backed away, grimacing. The Regenerator then exploded into a pile of warm, sticky goo. Luis was holding and calming the quivering red head as Leon stepped out of the chamber, covered in the sticky goop that was a Regenerator just a second ago. He simply looked at Luis, not saying a word.
"Um, did I forget to mention that the creatures become unstable when the parasites die?"
"Nah, duh." Leon remarked.
Sheila looked up, eyes puffy and red from the crying. Seeing the state Leon was currently in, she burst out in hysterics. Leon scowled. Wiping a heaping hand full of gold like goo off his face, he wiped the offending stuff on the back of his pants.
"Did you find any bars of gold, Leon?" Sheila half jeered and half asked out of curiosity. She got a well earned scowl from the game character as he shook his head.
"We need to get going."
After calming down, the teen and Luis followed Leon over to the door. There was a beeping sound as the lock released. The danger was over... Not really.
"I really don't want to fight any more of these things. So let's look at the map and see if we can get out of her without any more confrontations." Leon suggested.
Sheila hated it, but she had to remain silent as the two looked over the map. There would be more Regenerators, along with the Iron maidens. But, as long as Leon had the rifle, they should be able to get through this... Maybe.
"It's the corridore right next this freaky freezer." Leon comented as he rolled the map back up. "It'll be simple as pie, as long as those creatures out there don't get in the way."
"Pfft!"
The two looked down at the short red head, who in turn shrugged. "Since when has this ever been simple?"
"Good point." Leon replied. "OK. Ready... Set... Go!"
Leon whipped the doors open and ran out. Just as in the game, there was some Regenerators. But Leon wasted no time, meaning what he said. He quickly killed the one in the corridor and led then down to the locked door that had the sign, "Flammable Liquid." Taking the key card, Leon used it, relieved that it worked. Entering, the three reunited companions now entered the garbage dump area.
They quickly proceeded down the next corridor. Sheila reached the door first, signaling for the other two to keep quiet. Neither questioned her as she silently opened the door. Of course, it creaked loudly. Wincing, she slipped inside, followed by her two rescuers. Tip toeing over to the control console, the three peered down through the dirty glass. Three soldier Ganados were just standing around, speaking a little as they stood guard. One was standing behind the blue dumpsters in the left south corner, another standing about two feet from the edge of the dump shoot, the other two where near another short corridor. Sheila grinned. Here was something she was definitely going to get to do.
She frowned when she spotted Leon examining the controls.
"Leon," she whispered. "Can I please do it?"
"Do what?" Luis asked.
Leon smirked. "Apparently, great minds think alike."
"Please, please, please!" she whispered excitedly.
"Sheila, using this thing to dump those thugs down the chute sounds great in a video game," Leon began to lecture, "but in real life, it wouldn't work."
Leon pulled a flash grenade from the clip on his belt. "But this should help do the trick. Luis, you shoot after I give the soldiers this surprise."
She crossed her arms, sticking out her bottom lip as the two began to leave. She seriously wanted to kick Leon Scott Kennedy's butt at the moment. Sure, the natural order of things would suggest that Leon's plans were for the best. Smart even. Simple, boring, but smart nonetheless. After all, the crane wouldn't be fast enough to catch the real life soldiers.
Sheila touched the control with her bandaged hand, rubbing the joystick lovingly. It's not like the Ganados were the brightest light bulb in the bunch. Though the soldiers had a bit more brains then the pesky villager Ganado. Gulping, Sheila felt the urge to press the blue 'Start' button, crank up the crane and try to get her prizes. She was never that good at the cranes back at home, the toy ones... Not the real deal. Anyway, she never got a prize before in one of those stupid yet addictive games. That was another thing against her crazy impulsion. But this was a different world, dimension, game, whatever. Things weren't always as they seem.
Smiling, Sheila made her decision. After all, you only live once! Taking a deep breath, hearing the door close as the two oblivious men left her to take care of the pests, the teen took action. Pressing the button, the crane roared to life, and as she expected, the Ganados didn't notice or care. She grinned as she moved the crane, deciding that the dumpster guy would be first. She could hear the door swinging open as the two came running back in. Pressing a yellow button, she lowered the roof crane. The soldier Ganado looked up, his yellow eyes widening as the crane closed, grabbing him painfully.
Leon and Luis starred with open mouths as she easily moved the crane over to the dump area. His Ganado companions quickly began to fire their bow guns at the poor soldier. He screamed louder as one arrow buried itself in his ankle. Pressing the yellow button again, she released the Ganado, his screams echoing as he fell into the darkness below.
"Woo-hoo! My first crain prize!" Sheila cheered, not bothering to be quiet. "Now, let's go for Dumb-dumb number two!"
She moved the crane over the one two feet from the ledge, who was shouting at the crane, shaking his fist. Sheila rolled her eyes as she lowered the crane, snatching up her prey. Humming a little tune, she swung the crane over the dump and dropped her second prize. Now it was time for the two for one special.
These two were trickier and smarter. They would run around in circles, (Okay, they weren't that much smarter!) making sure to stay out of the devices shadow. Frowning, she stopped, and lowered the crane. She didn't release the yellow button, keeping the jaws open as it hung there, seemingly stalled. The two Ganados stopped, and hesitantly walked over to the device. One tapped it with his bow gun, then chuckled.
They looked up at the window and laughed, thinking that the enemy had no more juice. One even crawled under it, mockingly acting scared. His shorter but thicker companion joined him, all the while laughing. Sheila's lips curled into a malicious smile. Releasing the button, the jaws of the crane ensnared the victims, lifting them high in the air. They kicked their legs, dropping their weapons as they attempted to wiggle free. It was no use. Soon, they were dumped in the dump. Just like the game, the crane broke down after that.
Grinning form ear to ear, she turned and said proudly, "I'm number one!"
"She did it." Luis said. "The soldiers, they just stood there and... did nothing."
"Hey, two did run around in circles, I have you know!" Sheila retorted. "If it wasn't for my clever bait and trap, I'd still be chasing those two idiots."
"You know, you might have alerted the entire base to our presence." Leon said coldly. Sheila's joy suddenly dried up. "You could have gotten us killed!"
"Hey, Leon. That's a bit unfair." Luis said as he wrapped an arm around the suddenly crestfallen teen. "She was only trying to help. And look, it worked!"
"But it could have backfired as well!" Leon said, raising his voice higher.
"I saved you guys some ammo, though!" Sheila said, raising her own voice. She wasn't used to Leon being cross with her. "If anything, I saved your lives!"
"You should have done as you were told!"
Sheila's shocked look had Leon's angry seething to quickly disappear. Rubbing his face, he attempted to make amends. "Look, I didn't mean to yell at you like that. It's just been..."
"Crazy? Scary? Dangerous? Stressful?" Sheila offered, looking down at her feet. She snuggled closer into Luis's tactical vest covered chest.
"Yeah." Leon answered simply. Lifting her chin with one finger, Sheila found herself staring back into his beautiful, sky blue, grayish eyes. Her insides melted. "I'm sorry. Just... try to listen to orders when I give them. I wouldn't forgive myself if you were killed. Okay?"
"Okay." Sheila answered in a daze. If she thought she had a chance, she'd push Claire and Ada aside and kiss the guy. But that would probably be a bad move considering who he was.
Besides, it wasn't mentally healthy to develop a crush on a video game character... Now, if she can convince herself that fact, then maybe she can become half way normal.
"Good." Leon said brightly. He suddenly grabbed some of the drying Regenerator goo from his chest and put it in her dirty, tangled red curls. She gave a startled yelp, then glared at Leon as he chuckled.
"You big... big... doofus!"
Leon snickered, shaking his head. "Ah, I had to discipline you some how for disobeying me, cadet. Though, I have to admit, that was some pretty impressive moves you did with the crane."
What on earth had her melting over Leon like that a second ago? The crush was now dead. Gone. Obliterated!... Oh yeah, his smile and smirk was what did her in. And still does... DANG IT!
"Well, just for that, I think I'm up to tell another merchant theory."
Leon groaned as he lead the two down to the garbage disposal. The stench of the dump stalled Sheila for a short bit as they passed through. But she quickly kept up with the two men, ignoring her natural reaction to gag. Soon they entered the security room. Snooping around, Leon and Luis gathered some scattered ammo as the teen began cooking up the theory.
"Okay... So the merchant is from the future-"
"That theory has already been played out." Leon commented grumpily. Sheila pointedly ignored him.
"The far, far distant future. He's an intergalactic space explorer, like Star Track or somthin'. His job when sent visiting planets is to sell stuff, helping out people during important points in history. Like the Civil war or the American Revolution. His ship is waiting behind our moon as he helps us out. You know, trying to keep Saddler from infecting the entire planet. The catch is, he, the merchant, is now infected by the parasite. He's not allowed back on the ship, nor is he deserted either. He's taking a special serum that let's him be... normal, while being beamed all over the place by the ship to help us while at the same time hoping we'll find the cure."
Luis grinned as Leon simply scowled at the red head. "You were the kid that stared off into space during school hours, weren't you?"
"Only in my 5th grade year. How did you know about that?"
"Lucky guess." Leon mumbled. "This way."
"Get out your Striker. " Sheila warned. Again, with the looks. "Better safe than sorry, right?"
Leon did as she suggested, grabbing his shotgun Striker. Luis kept his Rednine handy, winking at Sheila as he opened the door to the next area.
R
"What the hell is that?"
"I'm just as lost on that as you are." Chris replied, looking at the security monitors. The two Regenerators were standing near the freezer doors, breathing... Creepy.
"Whatever they are, it's obvious that Leon and Luis were not able to kill them."
"Maybe they were in a hurry, or didn't see them. Either way, we got to get past them." Claire said, looking down at her calf with a scowl.
"There's no way you're going to be able to run, Claire." Chris argued. Claire rolled her eyes.
"Uh, hello? The merchant did give me a special on this tactical vest and flash grenades." Claire said as she waved one flash grenade in his face. "I'm all stocked up with these babies. We'll use them to blind Creepy and Creepier, then run like hell. Simple."
Chris flicked through the other monitors, hoping to find Leon and the others. He did. "Hey, they found Sheila!"
"Really? Let me see!"
Claire pushed Chris back, hogging the monitor. She frowned. "She looks pretty beat up... Whoa! Look at those spiky guys."
Chris leaned in, smirking. "Man, they have all the fun."
Claire scowled at her brother, who in turn tried to cover his tracks. "I mean, they have their fun, but not as fun as I am having with you... No action is.. fun."
"Save it. Let's go, already!"
The two eagerly and a bit more quickly, left.
R
"Leon! I'm here!" Ashley screamed as she beat on her cell door.
Leon and Luis rushed over, giving soothing and encouraging words. Slipping the card key in the mechanism, they found to their disappointment that it didn't work. Sheila joined them, giving Ashley a half hearted wave.
"Sorry, Ashley. Looks like we've got the wrong key." Leon apologised. The twenty year old sighed, and moaned pitifully.
"There's gotta be another one of those things nearby." Sheila offered, shivering as she remembered just who for some reason had one. The Iron Maiden.
"Ashley, I need you to listen. We're going to go find a key for this door." Leon said calmly, knowing that the blond was almost at her breaking point... again.
"No! Please, don't leave me again, Leon! You don't know what it's like being stuck with all these creeps!"
"Oh, save it, princess." Sheila grumbled, pushing Leon and Luis out of the way as she looked through the opening where's Ashley's unhappy face was peering through. "Try meeting up with a cold, clammy, razor sharp tooth Regenerator. And before you ask, you don't want to know what they are. They're on the 'Another Weird Monster' list."
Ashley nodded, noticing her bloody bandaged hand. "Will you stay then?"
On a normal occasion, the teen wouldn't. They didn't do so well alone together. But, this time, Sheila was willing to compromise. "Yeah. I'm feeling kinda woozy anyway. You guys mind?"
"Actually, I was going to suggest that very thing." Luis replied. "Though leaving you alone unguarded wouldn't be in your best interest.
"Here," Leon said, handing his Blacktail over while managing to hold his Striker at the same time. "Something to defend yourself with. Here's a box of ammo, and a flash grenade, just in case there's a whole mob... Remember, don't go looking for trouble."
Sheila saluted Leon, grinning. "Yes, Mr. Doofus."
Leon chuckled, then became serious. His mood swings really had Sheila on her toes. AS the two men left, Sheila and Ashley wished them luck. They were going to need it.
R
"Throw the da-n grenade, Claire!"
"Duck!"
Chris rolled out of the way as the third flash grenade went off. The two Regenerators screamed, leaning way, way back. Grabbing his sister's hand, Chris forced her to run with him as they went down to the corridor that led to the dump. As they closed the door behind them, the two gave a involuntary shudder.
"Note to self. Whenever we come across those freaks again, don't fight. Run. Run very fast. " Claire panted.
"I agree." Chris squeaked. "They were some tuft boogie men."
"No arguements there."
Chris heard Claire yelp as she attempted to apply pressure on her injured leg. Instantly, he was down and looking at the bandaged limb. Some fresh blood was there, but not soaking the bandages. Looks like the herbs were doing their work.
"Want to take a breather?"
"Yeah, I'm feeling kinda... winded." Claire admitted with an embarrassed nod. Sliding down, the two sat in silence.
"Chris?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think those things know how to open doors?"
Chris's eyes went wide. "You just had to mention that, didn't you?"
Claire smiled sheepishly. Her chest tightened, but not too bad. It felt kinda... constricted, but not much.
"Well, from what I figure it, some zombies can open doors, so why not these things. Come on, let's find some where else to take a breather."
Claire groaned as Chris helped her to her feet. "Remind me to thank Saddler personally for our lovely visit here."
"Oh, I will. And I'll be there to give my personal regards as well."
R
Leon and Luis found themselves in some kind of medical/experiment lab. And like the rest of the game, this area seemed empty too. How wrong you are if you think it is. As Leon opens the door where the lab table is, the sound of a door sliding catches his attention. He sees what looks like another Regenerator. Only, weirder. The creature spots them, and it's spikes flare out for a second. Leon quickly backed up, almost knocking Luis down.
"Crap! There's another one.. With spikes!"
"The Iron Maiden." Luis whispered as he and Leon backed all the way to the door. Leon handed Luis the Striker, quickly grabbing the sniper rifle from the strap over his shoulder.
"The Iron Maiden is much harder to kill." Luis explained. "Even when you destroy the parasites, it still doesn't explode like its cousin; not until you do enough damage."
The breathing was closer as the quicker monster appeared just outside the door. Leon raised the weapon, and waited.
The door was busted open by the monster as it entered the small corridor. Leon wasted no time as he fired. The crack in the scope had prevented him to miss a couple of times, but he got the job done. And just as Luis had said, it still kept coming after them, growling and extending its arms with wicked ease.
Luis knew that something had to be done, so he reached for Leon's belt and grabbed a grenade, then threw it at the monster. It screamed as the grenade went off, destroying one of it's legs. Tentacles whipped frantically as it regenerated, though not quite so fast. Leon got the idea and through one of his own. Luis began to fire the heavy Striker as the second grenade went off. Together, the two took out the creature.
Spikes and goo covered the spots in the wall and ground, but the job was done. Leon cocked his head a little as he studied the warm sticky mess on the ground. Bending over, he picked up a card key. Luis read the inscription on it.
"Storage Room Card Key... Huh. That's a weird place to put the key to Ashley's cell."
Leon nodded. "Don't question it. That's my new motto. Just go with the flow."
"Well, let's go-"
"Let's look around. This is a lab. There should be some more medical supplies, and maybe some more... medicine."
"How much do you got left?" Luis asked as he followed Leon toward the specimen area.
Leon looked grim as he answered. "Just enough for one of us. I'm thinking of giving one pill to Sheila, and one to Ashley. Will only one pill be enough for them, you think?"
Luis nodded. "Yes. Maybe we'll find some more medicine. I do remember experimenting on the cure in this particular lab."
"Among other things." Leon commented, tapping on one circular glass valve containing some lumps of flesh and tentacles.
"Sadly, yes." Luis replied as he rummaged around. After a short but intense search, they found some herbs, more bandages, and a small sample of the pills. There was four in the bottle.
"Ai, yi yi! Four? Sorry Leon."
"Hey, every little bit helps." Leon replied.
As the two began to leave, Leon pointed to another door in the small hall next to the lab. "Where does that lead to?"
Luis's expression lit up. "I think that leads to... the control tower!"
The two looked at each other, then quickly ran out the door. Crows scattered from their intrusion into the outside, but it was worth it. The merchant winked at them as they ran half way down the small bridge.
"Good to see you two alive, strangers. Did you find the girls?"
"Yes. They're both fine." Leon explained. "Ones locked up while the other is keeping her company as we scout out the area."
"Good. I also have some good news for the two of you. I've seen and sold some things to Zombie Killer and his sister. I think it shouldn't be long before you reunite."
Leon grinned as Luis sighed with relief. After buying some more grenades, the two ran over to the tower, taking the small lift up. It creaked and groaned, but didn't stall out. As the two stepped out, they notices the thick dusty layer covering the tower's glass windows.
"Looks like nobody has been here for quite a while." Luis said as they headed for the door. "Hopefully it works still."
Upon entering, their hopes diminished slightly as yet more dust covered the old control station. Running over, Leon looked over his shoulder at Luis, and tried to smile encouragingly.
"Cross your fingers."
Turning on the radio, lots of static filled the silent, still air. Reaching over for the speaker, Leon rotated the knob till he found a clearer channel.
"Hunnigan, anyone, do you read? This is agent Leon Kennedy, calling for backup. Do you copy that?"
Nothing. Leon attempted again. "Repeat, we need backup, asap. There is six of us, counting the subject of rescue. We need immediate evacuation, over."
Leon quickly gave the coordinates and the name of the island. Yet still, he only got some slight static. Leon slammed his fist on the controls. "Damn!"
"Do you think anyone heard you?"
Leon pursed his lips and shrugged. "Hard to tell. Maybe, maybe not. The scrambling they got going seems less way up here, but I can't be sure. We might as well keep being used to being alone out here."
Luis nodded. Leon then added, "And don't tell anyone that we made the call. I don't want to get their hopes up."
R
Sheila heard Ashley gasp as they heard the door slam. It sounded like it came from the opposite end, which crossed the two men from the list. Sheila gripped tightly onto the Blacktails handle, slowly edging her way over. Her heart was pounding faster and faster as the sound of footsteps came closer. Taking a deep, shaky breath, Sheila leaped into view and aimed the gun straight into Chris's astonished face.
"Whoa! Don't shoot, Red!"
"Aah! You guys!" Sheila squealed, wrapping her arms around Chris's waist as Claire rubbed Sheila's slightly, slimy head.
"Where's Ashley?" Claire asked.
"Over here!"
Sheila led them over to Ashley's cell. Her eyes filled with tears at the sight of Chris and Claire.
"Oh! You're okay!"
"Uh, I'm not so sure about that." Sheila said, looking down at Claire's bandaged calf. "How that happen?"
"Long story. First of all, where's Leon and Luis?" Chris asked, looking around. "Did they leave you guys here by yourselves?"
"They went to find the key to Ashley's cell." Sheila explained. "I volunteered to stay. Too tired to keep going."
Claire nodded leaning against the wall. She closed her eyes and sighed. "Me too."
"Well, lucky for you two, me and Claire killed a bunch of Ganados that were on their way here. Looks like Leon and Luis caused quite a disturbance."
"I helped." Sheila said proudly. Chris rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, knowing you."
Their little chit chat was cut to an end as Leon and Luis appeared. After some hugs and 'Are you alright?" questions, Leon showed Ashley the gooey key. Sheila grimaced. Yeah, the Iron Maiden seemed to be just as gooey as the Regenerators.
Sliding the key card in place, the jail cell opened. Leon opened the door, only to find himself suddenly being enveloped by a very happy blond. After coaching the crying girl off of him, he and the others filed inside the cell, checking her out and asking if she was hurt. Of course she was fine, and seemed genuinely glad that everyone was back together again. A breeze blew in the storage room, carrying a paper airplane with it. Claire caught it, and opened it. She frowned at the lip stick kiss on it, clearly from Ada.
"Here. It's for you."
Leon took the letter and read it. He and Claire shared a look. "There's going to be no way for you to make it."
"I'm better than I was." Claire argued. The others still had no clue what the letter was about, except for Sheila.
"Not from where I'm standing."
"Leon, there's no other option. Our quickest and only way out of here is by what Ada said in her letter. I'll just have to... be careful."
"Okay, what are you two talking about?" Chris demanded.
Leon gave him the letter. After reading it, he gave it to Luis, who in turn gave a disgusted snort. They wisely didn't give it to the curious blond, knowing what her view and answer would be.
"Claire's right." Chris said after thinking about it. "She'll have to... perform like the rest of us. Maybe butt first."
"Butt first?" Ashley repeated with a frown.
"Whatever, can we just go, please? While I'm young." Sheila said impatiently. Although Chris and Claire prevented the Ganados that would have attacked them when exiting the storage room, she still wasn't willing to tempt fate... Again.
"Yeah, let's get this over with." Leon reluctantly said, giving Claire a concerned look.
The group back tracked all the way to the dump sight. Thanks to Claire and Chris, they were now ahead of schedule of the game, not having to deal with a mob of Ganados. Sheila felt her stomach twist in knots as they looked over the ledge. Ashley covered her nose, looking down with a clear disgusted look.
"Ew! It stinks!"
"Sure does." Leon commented, then smiled at the blond. Her eyes widened as she finally realized what the discussion a little bit earlier was about.
"You can't be serious! I am not going down there!"
Leon grabbed Claire suddenly, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Actually, you are."
To Ashley's surprise, Chris grabbed her arm and dragged her with him as he leaped off the ledge. Ashley's screams could be heard as they fell down into the darkness below. A well muffled, 'Jerk!' was heard after they landed.
"You're next, Sheila." Leon ordered. Sheila grinned as Luis grabbed her hand and winked at her.
"Shall we, beautiful?"
"Oh, definitely yes!"
The two leaped off the ledge as Leon told the others to look out below. They heard Sheila's giggles as she and Luis called for the two to hurry up. Leon placed his slightly whiskery cheek against Claire's smooth one.
"You ready for this, Redfield?"
Claire felt her heart skip a beat at the close, intimate contact between them. She tried to keep her voice even as she leaned back in his arms, snuggling her cheek against his.
"More than you know."
Smiling, Leon turned themselves around where his back was facing the open space. "One... Two..."
Leon suddenly fell back with a wicked chuckled, Claire screamed. They fell with a thud on the squishy trash. Leon had took the most impact, protecting Claire from anything too hard on her injured body. It took him a minute to catch his breath, but he finally did, releasing Claire's struggling body.
"You forgot to say three!" Claire complained. Leon grinned as he slowly sat up with a groan.
"Three."
"Hey, what's that?" Ashley asked as she pointed to the lumpy object next to the couple. Sheila already had her hand ready on the gate lever, knowing exactly what it was.
"Oh, crap! Come on!" Leon said as he sprang into action, dragging Claire off the pile of trash. The being suddenly came awake, looking at the intruders.
"The Iron Maiden!" Sheila groaned.
A/N: It has been along, long, long, long, long, long time, hasn't it? Sorry. I've been busy, not to mention having computer problems the last time I posted for this story. Good news though. I got a brand new computer that shouldn't give me any more problems! Of course, publishing won't be as quick because I am really busy, not to mention caught up in a another particular story of mine. But no worries! I will never forget about this story, it is my first after all. As for the other Res fics, they'll be updated to. Any how, thanks for sticking with me so far everyone!