RE Armageddon: Part III- Gaining Strength

by striker

Now reformed, the S.T.A.R.S. team is drawn into a deadly trap where they are not the only targets. Please read and review.

4. Mixed Feelings

Disclaimer: Resident Evil is property of Capcom. This story is a non-profit work of fiction that I wrote based on the game series. In other words Capcom, don't sue me.

Resident Evil: Armageddon

Part III- Gaining Strength

Chapter 4- Mixed Feelings

Written by: Striker

The helicopter flew through the early-morning sky. Inside the occupants had fallen asleep. It was a long, dull flight over the Atlantic. Hunk and Jeff had taken turns piloting the copter. Now it was Hunk who was at the controls. They had stopped for fuel first in Dublin, Ireland, then at a fuel ship that was stationed at sea. The fuel gauge now read less than a quarter of a tank. Hunk was glad that it would only be ten minutes until they landed. He looked over at Jeff.

"Hey buddy, get up. We're almost here."

Jeff groaned as he stretched. "What time is it?"

Hunk looked at his watch. He had set it to Atlanta's time zone before they lifted off. "Seven thirty-five."

"Damn, that early." Jeff rubbed his eyes. "I hate jet-lag. It's a bitch to have to get used to different times. When does Nicholai want to meet with us?"

"As soon as we touch down. He said that he would be waiting for us at the landing zone. Do me a favor, wake the others."

Jeff nodded. He turned to the back. He spoke in an airline announcer's voice. "Attention passengers, we will be landing shortly. Please buckle your safety belts and make sure your trays are in an upright and secured position."

"Why the hell do you feel that you have to do that?" Jess asked, letting out a big yawn. "You sound like Rick."

"Hey," Rick said, sitting up, "I sound much better than him when I do it." He glanced over at Max and Kelly. "Aw, quick, someone get me a camera. This is a Kodak moment." They were next to each other. Kelly had her head on Max's shoulder while he had his arm around her waist.

Janet awoke to Rick's voice. Her gaze shifted from Rick, then to the couple, then back to Rick. "God damn it Rick, can't you leave them the hell alone." She smacked Rick hard in the arm.

"Oh no, the she-beast awakens." Rick said.

Janet balled her hand into a fist. "I'll she-beast you."

Jess leaned over to Ada, who had woken a few seconds earlier. "If you ask me, I think Janet and Rick have something for each other. They fight like a married couple."

Ada laughed as Janet snapped her head towards Jess. "What the hell did you say?"

Max and Kelly woke up at the same time. They quickly separated from each other. They both caught the end of Janet's ranting.

"I wouldn't marry that asshole if he was the last man on Earth."

"For once I agree with you Janet. I won't marry you if I was at gun-point." Rick said.

"Settle down children, we'll be in Atlanta soon." Jeff said.

Ada turned to him. "How long?"

"We'll be there in… Hey Hunk, how long?"

"Five minutes." Hunk replied.

Jeff nodded. "Five minutes."

Max looked around the copter. "So, you guys ready? I know I am. We take those survivors out and we'll be heroes."

"That's if we take them out." Jess said. "Remember what Hunk said, never underestimate your opponent. They can easily kill us too. Remember that."

"But we have surprise on our side." Kelly argued. "They don't know that we're coming."

Ada looked at Kelly. "Surprise only works once. Even that may not be enough. These people are used to surprises. It's one thing to be confident, it's another to be over-confident."

"Get ready you guys," Hunk said, "We're coming in."

The Umbrella base was situated in an old warehouse in the outskirts of the city. It was a large building with a makeshift helipad built at one end. Armed guards were patrolling the grounds, searching for anyone foolish enough to try and break into the base. Various vehicles lined one side of the warehouse. A river boarded the other side. The helicopter circled two times before setting down.

Nicholai stepped outside, shielding his face with his hand. He waited for the rotor to stop before approaching the copter. "Welcome to Atlanta ladies and gentlemen. Please don't mind the weather. The humidity here is terrible."

Hunk approached Nicholai and saluted. "Sir, as you ordered Agent #407 and my team are here. We are ready for your orders."

"I like your attitude Hunk. Spencer picked you personally for this mission. Your last mission in Raccoon put you in good favor with our boss."

"Thank you sir. When is the briefing?"

Nicholai looked at the rest of Hunk's team. "They look tired. It's quarter to eight so I think your men should rest. The briefing will be in a half hour. I'll see you there." Nicholai turned and left for the warehouse.

Hunk turned towards his group. "Well, we have half an hour. If any of you want to work your kinks out, be my guess. Meet here at eight-ten. Dismissed."

The group scattered and headed for different parts of the base. Jeff stayed by the copter, helping the crew refill it. Hunk went inside the warehouse with Ada. They were surprised by what they saw. The place had been turned into an armory and communications center. There were men looking over maps of the surrounding area, marking places with different colored markers. Men were cleaning guns and checking other pieces of equipment.

Ada tapped Hunk on the shoulder. "This is amazing. I thought this would be a small operation."

"I guess these people we're after must be very dangerous. Spencer wouldn't waste this much effort if there wasn't a good reason for it."

"But there is." Hunk and Ada turned to see Nicholai watching them. "These are no ordinary people. These pests have single-handedly destroyed seven facilities in a time span of seven months. They are committed to destroying this company. So far, all attempts to kill them have met with failure. You are our last hope to eliminate these people before we are forced to use our new bio-weapons."

"What new bio-weapons?" Hunk asked. "I never heard about this before."

"That's because Spencer recently began this project about a week ago. He believes that these new weapons will get the job done. I want to prove that I can do this job without the aid of some genetically engineered freaks. Besides, if I fail, it will be my ass that is hung out to dry. I don't want that to happen. I don't want to sound dissident, but I believe that Spencer is a little off his rocker. I also believe that that bastard Wesker has some sort of hidden agenda. I can't prove it, but I don't trust him."

"Why the hell did Spencer make a deal with Wesker? He stabbed us all in the back. I thought he would be executed by Spencer." Ada said.

Hunk agreed. "Why would Spencer even trust him? That snake loves to double-cross people. It must have been good."

"It was." Nicholai replied. "Wesker exchanged valuable information about Bio-Tech for his job and his life. Spencer is so blinded by his own ambitions that he didn't even consider if this information of Wesker's is accurate. For the record, let's pretend that this conversation never happened. Now what kind of host am I? Would you like something to eat?" Nicholai led Hunk and Ada to a table that had coffee and other food on it. "Help yourselves."

Max stood on the riverbank, skipping stones. He had learned to do it when he was a kid. He flicked his wrist, sending the stone flying out onto the water. It skipped six times before going under. "Still got it." He said to himself.

"That was nice." He turned to see Kelly coming towards him. "When did you learn how to do that?"

"When I was a kid. My father used to take me to a lake not far from our house. He showed me a way to skip a rock six times in a row. That was a long time ago, before I joined Umbrella. I try to practice every chance I get."

"Can you teach me how to skip rocks?" Kelly asked.

"Sure. First you find a flat stone, like this one." Max held up a small, round, slightly flat stone. "You hold it between your index finger and thumb. You close your other fingers. Next you aim at the water, then flick your wrist and let go of the stone." Max demonstrated, throwing the stone at the river. It skipped three times.

"Let me try." Kelly found a small, flat stone and tried her luck. The rock hit the water and sunk. "Boy, that was bad."

"Don't worry, you have to practice. Try some more."

Kelly threw four more stones. Each one hit the water with a splash. "I guess I suck at this."

"Try one more time Kell. I'm sure you can do it."

Kelly tried one more stone. She flicked it at the water. It hit and skipped once. "I did it! I can't believe I did it! It skipped!"

"Good job Kell." Max walked over to a log that was lying in the gravel. He sat down and stared at the river. Kelly came over and sat next to him. He looked at her, then back at the river. "Hey Kell, do you think everyone's right?"

"Right about what?"

"About Janet and Rick being perfect for each other."

Kelly laughed. "I thought it would be about us."

"In a way, it is. We've known each other for six years, right."

"Right. We both joined Hunk's unit at the same time."

"You also know that for the last four years we have been getting close. Well, I think that maybe it's time we get closer."

"I know. I feel the same way. But don't you think we should wait until after our mission?"

Max put his hand on Kelly's shoulder. "I think this may be the last chance we get. I don't know if we can complete this mission. Everyone says that these people are dangerous. If so, we may not survive."

"Don't talk that way. It's like you're giving up before the mission has even begun. We will get through this, like we always have. Remember that we're a team, we will work together to complete the mission."

"It's just that there's something I want to tell you." Max steadied his nerves. "I love you."

Kelly didn't know what to say. There were tears in her eyes. "I love you too."

Max smiled as he pulled Kelly close to him. They closed their eyes as they kissed. They went at it for a few minutes before pulling apart.

Kelly was panting. "What if anyone saw us?"

Max winked at her. "Let them talk. I don't care anymore."

They both stood up and embraced each other. They stood there for a while, happy to be together.

It was five after eight when Jeff, Jess, and Janet gathered in front of the helicopter.

"Damn," Jess said, "You should see the guns they have stockpiled in there. They seem like they're getting ready for World War III. And talk about heavy artillery. They must be planning on blowing something up."

"Probably the enemy's base camp. They want to be sure they get the job done." Jeff said. "I think that's overkill. They should at least try to capture them alive."

Jess looked around. "Where are the others?"

Janet pointed towards the river. "Max and Kelly went down there. Rick's inside, drooling all over the electronics, and Hunk and Ada are still touring the grounds. I say we just wait here."

Just then, Rick came out of the warehouse. "You guys should see the hardware they got here. It's a techno-junkies' dream come true. I don't care if they charge me with insubordination, but they will need a crow-bar to get me away from this place."

Janet rolled her eyes. "Leave it to Rick to get a hard-on over a computer."

"At least I don't suffer from permanent PMS." He shot back.

"That's it, I took your shit for long enough. This time I'm going to kick your mother-fucking ass!"

"Whoa there, don't do something you'll regret." Jess got between Rick and Janet.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to regret this." Janet was seething.

"Don't be writing checks your bitch ass can't cash." Rick said, getting into a fighting stance.

"Rick, Janet, cool it." Jeff looked at both of them. "Save it for the mission. We don't need you two killing each other now. What would Hunk say?"

"I would say that you're right." Everyone turned to see Hunk and Ada come from around the warehouse. "We don't need to be fighting each other. Where are Max and Kelly?"

"Here they come now." Jess pointed to the river. Max and Kelly were walking towards the group hand-in-hand. "I'll let you guess what they were doing."

The two joined the others. Hunk began to speak. "Very soon we will be briefed by Nicholai. I talked to him earlier. He wouldn't say much except that we cannot fail. We will be going up against a very dangerous enemy. I need you all to be on your best. Now all we do is wait for Nicholai.

"Then wait no more." Nicholai was standing at the door to the warehouse. "If you would, I would like to get this briefing under way. This way please." Nicholai lead the group to a section of the warehouse that used to be the security office. He sat down in a chair and began. "As you well know, the group we are to eliminate has picked a chemical plant near Gabesville, Kentucky. I learned of this from a mole I planted at an airfield a few miles from the city. Two of the targets had brought their helicopter in for refueling. My mole overheard their conversation. What I was told was reinforced by a call I received earlier this morning. It was from a friend of mine who works at the plant. It seems as though these survivors had someone on the inside. It seems that this person released the T-virus into the facility. Now the place is infected."

"My god." Ada gasped. "That's terrible."

"Who was it?" Hunk asked.

"A young female scientist by the name of Eliza Walker. We believe she was manipulated into helping our enemies by releasing the virus and compromising security. From the way things sounded, she released the virus last night. The plant is a complete loss. Your orders are to go in, eliminate the survivors and that traitor Walker, set the self-destruct, and finally evacuate the facility."

Jeff raised his hand. "Excuse me sir, but who are these people?"

Nicholai nodded. "Very well, you deserve to know who you're up against." He produced a list from his pocket and read the names. "Chris Redfield, ex-USAF and ex-S.T.A.R.S. Jill Valentine, ex-Delta, former thief, and ex- S.T.A.R.S. as well. Barry Burton, former S.W.A.T. team leader and ex- S.T.A.R.S. Rebecca Chambers, ex- S.T.A.R.S. and biochemist. Claire Redfield, Chris' sister. Leon Kennedy, former rookie cop. Carlos Oliveria, ex-U.B.C.S member, mercenary, and traitor. Ark Thompson, government investigator. These people are all extremely dangerous and should be handled with extreme caution."

"Ex-Air Force! Ex-Delta! A mercenary, and a government agent!" Rick exclaimed. "How come we didn't know about this sooner? I mean that Delta chick will be bad enough, but Air Force. I heard those guys have bad attitudes. This is going to suck."

"Settle down Rick," Janet said, "You may not have the balls, but I personally want Oliveria."

Nicholai laughed. "That's the spirit I want to see. These roaches may be good, but their luck has just run out. They will pay for what they have done, and I have complete confidence that you will see to it. You leave at nine. Get ready to leave."

"Yes sir." Hunk motioned for his group to follow him. He led them out of the warehouse and across the helipad. He led them to a spot he had picked during his tour. When everyone had gathered around him, he spoke. "What I'm about to say may be grounds for punishment, so if you don't want to hear this, leave."

"Go on." Jeff said. "We're listening."

"Very well. I don't like this one bit. This is too much of a coincidence. Isn't it funny how those survivors just happened to have someone who had access to the T-virus working at this plant? I think something is up, I just don't know what."

"I think this is odd too." Jess said. "I don't feel very comfortable about this whole situation."

"I'm wondering is this isn't some sort of setup." Ada said. "This sounds like the Spencer Mansion incident. I'm starting to think that the spill wasn't an accident. I also think that the whole deal with the U.B.C.S. is a load of shit too."

Hunk closed his eyes. "I know. A lot of strange things have been happening with Umbrella recently. I'm starting to wonder who the bigger monsters are, the creatures we create, or the people in charge."

"I heard what happened at Sheena Island." Max said. "I don't think that was an accident either. With all that's happened these past few months, I wonder if we're on the right side."

"Like it or not, we have a job to do." Janet said. "I say we get this over with, then talk about our conspiracy theories."

"Maybe you should open your eyes." Kelly said, staring at Janet. "Something is wrong here. One minute we're told one thing, the next minute something else. This is too much of a coincidence."

"I agree with Kelly." Rick said. "Seems to me that Umbrella's telling everyone different stories. From what I heard about Raccoon City being nuked, it was more like a cover-up than anything else. Umbrella seemed to have a different story for everyone."

Hunk looked at the ground. "It seems that Umbrella is covering things up. They've blamed everyone but themselves. I even read that they held the S.T.A.R.S. team responsible for the outbreak at Raccoon." Hunk looked around at his team. "What I'm saying is that maybe Umbrella aren't the good guys here. I also think that Nicholai is more involved with the Gabesville plant than he's letting on. Whatever the case may be I need to know something. Whatever happens, I need to know that you will follow MY orders without question."

Jeff stepped forward. "I think I speak for everyone when I say that we would follow you through hell. As far as we're concerned, you are our leader, and no one else."

"Thank you. Now lets get ready. One more thing, let's keep this conversation to ourselves."

The group started back to the warehouse. When they had left, Nicholai emerged from behind some crates. He had heard everything. "You're more correct than you think Hunk. It will be so unfortunate that your team will parish in that facility. As I said, you were the best."

Author's Comments: Coincidence my ass. It's too bad that Hunk's suspicions are all too real. It seems that Hunk's team also have their doubts about Umbrella. Too bad they're more right than they know. Oh, and how about Max and Kelly. Looks like love is in the air. How will this affect the mission, stay tuned to find out. We also know who the mystery person is. It's Eliza Walker from Resident Evil 1.5. Told you all the characters from Resident Evil would be in this story, even if the games they were in were never released, or finished for that matter. By the way, to all the women out there, my apologies. From what I have heard PMS is not laughing matter. If you do have a problem with this, I quote the First Amendment. FREEDOM OF SPEECH!

The mission is underway in the next chapter. The S.T.A.R.S. team finally sets out, but things go wrong from the start. Compound that with the fact that they have no idea that the T-virus is loose in the plant, and you're looking at some major surprises. See this and more in RE Armageddon: Part III, Chapter 5- Let's Try This Again.