Disclaimer: Resident Evil is property of Capcom. I have written this story for my own amusement and the enjoyment of others without expecting to make a profit. Therefore, Capcom cannot bring any legal action against me. I hope.
Resident Evil: Armageddon
Part III- Gaining Strength
Chapter 9- Gamble
Written by: Striker
The men quickly made their way down the hall. Chris took a look at his watch. Forty-five minutes until Jill was to lift off. He knew his group had to be on the helipad before time ran out. He was taking a deadly risk. He had one shot; there was no room for error. This was one gamble he couldn't afford to loose.
"We're coming up on the storage room." Hunk said. "Be careful, that asshole could still be here."
The team ran down the isle. Leon and Rick checked to see if the Tyrants had taken the other route.
"All clear." Leon said.
"S.T.A.R.S." followed by a roar came from behind the group.
"Looks like those bitches are right on our ass." Ark said.
Jess looked at him. "You know Ark, you have a way of stating the obvious."
"Save the yapping for later." Barry said.
"He's right," Chris added, "We don't have much time." He led the others down the hall, remembering from the map how far the elevators were. The team reached the elevator doors. Chris punched the call button for the left door. The door slid open and the men filed in. Chris hit the button for B2. "Going down." He muttered to himself.
The doors opened. Jill, Jeff and the others rushed towards the two helicopters. They were both Chinooks and both had .50 cal. chain guns fixed to the right side. Jill was leaved that Nicholai hadn't of stolen one. Jill pointed at the copter before her. "I got this one. Jeff, take the other."
Jeff nodded and leaped into the cockpit. "Alright baby, work for me." He started flipping switches. One by one the cockpit lit up. He checked the fuel and oil. Both were good. The rotor slowly began to rotate. "Now we have to wait for our teammates."
Jill took her place in the cockpit. 'Think Jill think.' Jill steadied her thoughts and went through the procedure that Chris had taught her. She was rewarded with lights coming on and the rotor starting up. "Now they have forty-five minutes."
"I thought we started counting down on the elevator." Claire said.
"Well I decided to start when I got the helicopter running." Jill responded.
"I would have done the same thing." Ada said. "A little extra time won't hurt."
Claire turned to Ada. "Just what happened between you and Leon?"
Ada looked at the floor. "I used him at first, but after a while I guess I feel for him. He's a very charming and caring man. Why do you ask?"
"Because I'm his girlfriend." Claire replied. "He thought you died. He was torn up about it."
"One, you're a very lucky young woman." Ada said. "Second, I'm sorry for what Leon had to go through. I'll make sure to apologize WHEN I see him. Besides, I have James now."
"You mean Hunk." Jill said.
Ada shook her head. "That' Hunk's real name. Umbrella gave him Hunk as his code name. It was the same thing with my agent number. It helps to hide our identities."
"I guess we all have we all have someone down there that we want to see return." Jill said. "I only hope they make it out in one piece."
The elevator doors opened and the men poured out.
"From here we only have to go down this hall, make a right, then a left, and pass through three storage rooms." Leon said. "This should be easy."
"Don't be so hasty." Ark said, slapping Leon on the back. "Every time someone says that, bad shit always happens."
Rick looked up at the other door. "Hey guys, why is the other elevator coming down?"
Barry turned to Rick, then to the elevator. He could hear the elevator car descending. "Don't tell me those things know how to operate an elevator."
"We have to move now." Chris said. "Carlos, Barry, Jess, help me slow these Tyrants down."
The men aimed their weapons at the door. Hunk led the rest down the hall. "We'll meet at the first storage room. Don't get yourselves killed now." Hunk said.
"We'll be there." Chris replied. "Chances are that we may bring some company."
The elevator came to a stop. The doors slowly opened to reveal nothing. Jess stepped forward, looking around the interior of the elevator car. He stepped back with a confused look on his face. "Where did they go? This is getting too fucked up."
Suddenly a claw shot through the roof of the elevator. Jess jumped back as the claw withdrew. It came down again. The other claw punctured the roof. The Finished Tyrant then proceeded to tear a hole in the roof. The Nemesis dropped from the hole and began towards the four men. "S.T.A.R.S." It growled.
"S.T.A.R.S. this amigo." Carlos opened fire, aiming for the legs. Several bullets tore through its left thigh. It roared in either pain or annoyance. Jess joined in, hitting the right thigh. The Nemesis backed off while holding its legs. The Finished Tyrant stomped passed the Nemesis. Barry aimed at its right kneecap and fired his Colt. The round entered, causing major damage. The Finished Tyrant Dropped to one knee, clutching its injured knee it pain. Chris pulled out his shotgun and fired at its chest. The Tyrant fell backwards. Chris looked at both Tyrants. They both seemed weaker than before. All the injuries combined with loss of blood were finally beginning to take its toll on them.
"You're not so perfect after all." Chris said. He turned to the others. "Let's get going. We can't afford to fool around. We don't have much time." The group ran off to join the rest of the party. After a few seconds, the Tyrants pulled themselves up and slowly plodded towards their prey.
Jeff looked at his watch. Only thirty-five minutes until he had to lift off. "Come on guys, you should almost be to the security room by now." Jeff was nervous as hell. If it weren't for the fact that he needed to start up the helicopter, he would be down there with his friend. "Come of Jimmy, don't let me down. You better get your ass up here and it better be fast."
"You concerned about your friend?" Jeff turned around to see Rebecca staring at him. "I'm worried about mine too. Chris, Leon, Barry, Carlos, Ark, I hope they all make it out of this alive, especially Carlos."
"Is he your boyfriend?" Kelly asked.
"Not really." Rebecca responded. "Kind of. It's not official, but it's almost there."
"I'm worried about Max." Kelly looked towards the door. "Just yesterday we were just friends. This morning everything changed. We became official. Rick was right after all. Too bad Max and I couldn't have done this sooner."
"At least you did." Eliza said. "At least if we don't make it, you know he cares about you."
"What about you?" Rebecca asked Eliza. "Have you ever had a boyfriend?"
Eliza shook her head. "No, I never got into dating. Most of the boys in the schools I went to cared only about looks. They couldn't give a damn about a girl's personality. I also spent more time on my studies. I was at the top of my class when I graduated. Ever since, I've been so wrapped up in my work that I never thought of asking anyone out. The funny thing is that after today I'll be out of a job."
"So will we." Janet said. "We'll also be on the run. From what Nicholai said, Umbrella won't stop until all of us are dead."
"I always thought that I would retire from Umbrella." Jeff said. "I also thought I was on the right side. I can't believe that Umbrella used us or would make creatures like those Tyrants. If I see Nicholai again, I'm going to kick his ass into next week."
"I guess your team wants Nicholai just as bad as my friends want Wesker." Rebecca said.
"You mean the traitor Spencer brought back into Umbrella?" Janet asked.
"Yes, I do." Rebecca clenched her fists. "That traitor stabbed my team in the back. He caused my friends to die. That's why most of us are fighting, to avenge our teammates' deaths."
"If you're talking about Albert Wesker," Eliza said, "I think I know something about him."
Rebecca looked at her. "How do you know him?"
"He was my boss." Eliza said. "He oversaw the entire project. He expected daily reports on what we were doing. If you ask me, he was intimidating. He was the one who got me transferred here. He said I wasn't productive enough."
"We'll get both those guys." Kelly said. "But first we have to wait."
"You're right." Jeff turned back to the cockpit window. "For your sake guys, you better make this fast."
"This is it." Chris read the name painted on the door in yellow lettering. "We set this, then get out."
"One small problem," Leon said, "We have two big freaks blocking the way we came."
"Don't worry senor, we wasted them." Carlos patted Leon on the shoulder. "That Nemesis can barely walk."
"Neither can that other Tyrant." Barry added. "I blasted its
knee to bits."
"Enough talk." Hunk said. "We don't have time to be having this little
discussion. Let's just set this timer and get out."
"I agree." Chris opened the door. "Barry, you and the others stand guard." He entered with Hunk followed him inside. The two men approached the control consul. "Let's light this place up." The two men began to go through the sequence. Chris looked at the screen. It had a message displayed with an option.
ENGAGE SELF-DESTRUCT Y/N
Chris turned to Hunk. "Ready?"
Hunk nodded. "Set it."
Chris hit the Y key on the keyboard. An alarm sounded, followed by a familiar female voice. "Thirty minutes till complete destruction of this facility. All personnel please vacate premises immediately. Self-destruct cannot be deactivated."
"Why do they use a woman's voice for this?" Chris asked.
Hunk shoved the door open. "Who knows and who cares? Time to move."
Chris followed Hunk and joined the others. "We have thirty minutes, so let's get moving. I don't want to be stranded here."
Max looked down the hall. "FUCK!" He yelled. There stood the Nemesis. "I thought you guys said he couldn't walk!"
"We were wrong." Jess said.
Chris whipped out his shotgun. "Time to end this." He ran up to the Nemesis and pointed the shotgun right at its face.
"S.T.A.R.S."
"Damn right." Chris sneered. He pulled the trigger, the shells slamming full-force into its face. Its head snapped back as its body lifted off the floor. It the ground with tremendous force, cracking the tiles. Chris holstered the shotgun and wiped the blood form his face. "Move."
The party passed the Nemesis' still form. Rick looked down to see its face an unrecognizable mess. "Damn, he really fucked up its face."
"It wasn't pretty to begin with." Leon said.
The group made it to the first storage room. They stopped when they saw the Finished Tyrants standing in their way.
"This is bullshit." Carlos said.
"No kidding." Barry replied. He shot one of the pipes, causing white steam to shoot out and into the Tyrant's face. While the beast was occupied, the team ran past it, trying not to inhale the steam. They made it through the other two storage rooms. They stopped to catch their breath. They were shocked to hear "S.T.A.R.S." echo behind them. "At least we're by them."
Chris looked at the controls for the door. "If only we could…" He noticed that the light was on. "I thought that the power had been shut off."
"The security system must have come on when we set the timer." Hunk said. "I believe it's a safety protocol."
"We could use this." Chris ran back into the room. He looked at the tanks. The labels read HYDROGEN- CAUTION: FLAMIBLE. Chris started to turn the valves, causing the gas to pour out into the room.
"What the hell are you doing?" Ark asked.
"Setting a trap." Chris replied. "Hunk, does anyone on your team know how to hot-wire a that door."
Hunk turned to Rick. "Rick, get on it." He turned to Chris. "What are you going to do?"
Chris ran up to the door. "I'm going to fill the room with hydrogen gas. I want Rick to be able to close the door we came through. When those Tyrants come into this room, we need to ignite the gas and shut this door."
"How's that going to stop those Tyrants?" Max asked.
"Ever heard of the Hindenburg? I learn very quickly in the Air Force that a hydrogen explosion is no joke. That room goes, and those Tyrants are history." Chris looked around. "I don't suppose any of you have a grenade."
Hunk produced a grenade. "For special occasions."
Rick finished working his magic, rewiring the control panel. "All set. Just give me the word."
Chris motioned for everyone to move beside the door. The Tyrants emerged from the hall and stepped into the room. Chris gave Rick a signal. Rick pushed a button and the door the Tyrants stepped through slammed shut. The monsters looked back before turning back to Chris. The Nemesis' face was oozing blood, some flesh and muscle stripped away to reveal the bone. The Finished Tyrant's right side was blistered from the steam. Chris looked at Rick. Rick had rewired the control panel to close the door on their side. He gave Chris the thumbs up. Chris pulled the pin and tossed the grenade into the room. He moved next to Rick and covered his head. Rick pushed the button and the door closed. The Tyrants looked down at the grenade seconds before in exploded, igniting the hydrogen. The door was blown off its track and crashed to the floor, followed by a fireball.
"Let's move." Chris said. The team ran for the elevator, leaving the raging inferno behind them.
Jill looked at her watch. "Come on, you don't have much time." She had heard the warning for the plant. With the self-destruct system activated, the whole team was running out of time.
"They should at least be on the elevator by now." Claire said. "The last place had a shorter countdown and we still got out with a few minutes to spare. They'll make it."
Jill looked back at her watch. "They just better make it fast."
Chris smacked the button, the elevator doors opening. "It shouldn't take us any more then fifteen minutes to get to the roof." Everyone piled into the elevator. Chris got in and was about to hit the button when he saw something that made his blood run cold. "Can't be." At the end of the hall stood the Tyrants, still smoking from the fire. Chris hit the button for B1.
Leon turned to Chris. "This is not good. Those things should be barbeque by now."
"Take about built to last." Rick said. "We may need a rocket launcher for those boys."
Chris was about to talk when another warning came over the PA system. "Twenty minutes till complete destruction of this facility. All personnel please vacate premises immediately. Self-destruct cannot be deactivated."
Chris looked at his watch. "That means we only have ten minutes."
Jill stared at the elevator doors. "They only have fifteen minutes."
The elevator opened and the occupants shot out. They broke into a mad dash for the other elevator. "When we get to the other elevators, we take both. I don't want those Tyrants following us up to the roof." Everyone agreed, not wanting to fight those monsters again. The made it to the elevators. Chris pushed both call buttons. The men stood by the doors, waiting as the elevator cars descended to their level. They could hear the Tyrants drawing near. The doors finally opened. The group split into two. Chris looked at his watch as the elevator began to climb. "Three minutes."
Jill looked at her watch. "Eight minutes."
"Two minutes."
"Seven."
"One."
"Six."
Chris closed his eyes. "Times up. We didn't make it."
Jill turned to Claire and Ada. "They have five minutes left."
"Shouldn't of mess with those Tyrants. I should have just
got you guys out of there." Chris turned to his friends. "If it means anything,
I'm sorry."
"At least this plant will be destroyed." Barry said. "I just wish I could tell
my wife and girls goodbye."
Leon looked at the floor. "Claire lost Steve, and now she's going to loose me. Not only that, she's going to loose her brother too."
"Maybe they're still waiting for us." Ark said.
Carlos looked at Ark. "Don't count on it."
The elevator stopped and the doors opened. The sight of the two helicopters still on the roof greeted Chris. Jill jumped from the cockpit, happy to see the guys still alive. Chris ran towards the helicopter, yelling over the sound of the rotors. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE?"
Jill pointed at her watch. "YOU STILL HAVE TWO MINUTES LEFT."
"THIS PLACE GOES UP IN SEVEN. WE HAVE TO MOVE NOW." Chris took his place in the cockpit. The others split up. Leon, Barry, Jess, and Hunk climbed into Chris' copter. Max, Rick, Carlos, and Ark jumped into Jeff's. They were about to lift off when the door to the stairs exploded. The badly burned Tyrants stepped out.
"What did you do to them?" Claire asked.
"You don't want to know." Leon replied.
"Great, first elevators and now stairs. Can't Umbrella make these things dumber?" Barry asked.
Hunk turned to the other copter. "USE THE CHAINGUN TO BRING THEM DOWN!"
Carlos understood and grabbed the chain gun. Jess got behind his. Chris and Jeff both positioned the copters so the guns faced the Tyrants. Carlos and Jess opened fire. The .50 cal. rounds tore through the Tyrants, ripping them to shreds. The Nemesis' right arm and left leg got blown off while the Finished Tyrant had a hole drilled into its abdomen. It fell to the ground, its guts spilling out. The Nemesis also fell, its body in death spasms. The Tyrants finished, the copters left.
"Jill, I told you to wait forty-five minutes for us and then leave." Chris said. "Why were you still here?"
"With all due respect," Jill answered, "You never told me when I should start counting. I started counting after I got the copter going."
Chris sighed. He knew he would win this argument. Another thought entered his mind. He turned to Hunk. "Hunk, I believe you have a walkie-talkie. Think I can borrow it?"
"Sure." Hunk took his walkie-talkie off his belt and handed it to Chris. "Here you go."
Chris turned it on. "What line would Nicholai be on?"
"Line 6." Hunk said. "Why?"
"I just want to give him a little message." Chris switched to line six. "One he is not going to like."
Nicholai stood several miles from the plant. He was waiting for his pickup to arrive. He had deactivated the security system so it would be easier to destroy the plant when he had to. He had radioed in that he was in trouble. He said his team had been lost in combat with the enemy. He said he had barely survived and escaped after killing off the rest of his enemies. This was far from the truth. He had waited until the Tyrants had left before going to the elevator. While the traitors were fighting for their lives he had walked out the front door. From there it was only a quick jog to the pickup point. Now he waited, content that his plan had worked. He started to laugh before a familiar voice came over his radio.
"Hello Nicholai. Didn't expect this, did you?"
Nicholai grabbed his walkie-talkie. "Redfield. How did you survive my trap?"
"Simple, we worked together." Chris looked at the others and smiled. "Hunk and his team say hi, as do mine. It was tough, but we all managed to make it out in one piece. Nice thing that you decided to leave the copters."
Nicholai seethed with rage. "You may have escaped, but the building remains. The virus will spread and you will be blamed."
"Oh, now that you mention it, I'd find some cover very soon. You see we managed to not only kill off those Tyrants, but we also set the plant to explode." Chris looked at his watch. "So in a few seconds, that place is going down."
Nicholai caught a glimpse of the building just before it exploded, send debris raining down and a huge fireball upwards to the sky. He was beside himself. All his planning had been ruined. Now he would have to face Spencer's fury. The only thing worse would be Wesker's mocking insults as he took over the mission. "Listen Redfield, you have made a grave mistake. One that you will pay dearly for."
Chris' expression became serious, his voice biting. "Now you listen. You are the one who made a serious mistake. You infected all those people just to kill us. That was uncalled for. As for your plan, it failed, just like every attempt to get rid of us has failed. Ever since I got to Europe Umbrella's bloodhounds followed me. Each time they tried to take me out, they failed. I spent almost five months running, as have my friends. Well that is about to stop. I'm not running anymore. Tell Spencer if he wants to play, I'll play. Tell him I'm coming for him. Tell him the S.T.A.R.S. are coming for him. Nos Verdonya asshole." Chris switched off the walkie-talkie and handed it back to Hunk. "They'll all pay."
Nicholai threw down his walkie-talkie and stomped on it. He looked up into the sky to find the helicopters. He stopped two black dots flying into the distance. He narrowed his eyes. "They'll all pay."
Author's Comments: Damn, what a way to end the cliffhanger. Looks like the S.T.A.R.S. are ready to kick ass. Some running, some shooting, some explosions, and a little suspense make it a killer chapter. By the way, how'd you like a reference to the Hindenburg? In case you don't know, the Hindenburg was one of the early blimps that flew. That was when blimps were filled with hydrogen instead of helium, like they are now. Hydrogen is very flammable. It catches on fire easily. The Hindenburg for some reason got ignited and exploded in a gigantic fireball. Many people died and after that all blimps were filled with helium, which isn't flammable. Nice history lesson huh? Guess you can learn something new by reading. Well, with this chain of events the S.T.A.R.S. team may have gotten some new recruits. Spencer is going to be pissed. Also I apologize for my Russian. If I spelled it wrong, I'd appreciate if someone gave me the correct spelling. Time to see what happens next.
In the next chapter the team returns home with a few new guests. Looks like we need more beds. Plus, will Hunk's team stick around or go off on their own. What about Leon and Ada? Will these two come to terms with their reunion? Will Steve come back as well? (Yeah right. I think that would be pushing things a little too far. Seeing as how he was turned into a monster by Alexia, shot in the heart by Claire, and then vaporized when Chris dropped da bomb on the base, he can't get any more dead than he already is. Of coarse how Wesker survived getting impaled by the Tyrant and then escaping the mansion before it went boom is also something I find hard to believe, but that's just me.) See what happens in RE Armageddon: Part III, Chapter 10- Clean Slate.