Chapter One
Though Forest was relaxed beside her, and apparently asleep, Rebecca Chambers was tense. Her first mission…and with a possibility of combat no less. They were investigating the bizarre murders plaguing Raccoon City as of late. They'd been traced back, so that they could only be coming from the forest. The STARS – or, more specifically, Wesker – had theorized that perhaps the murderers were hiding out at the Spencer Estate, which was why the Bravo team was currently flying over the forest in their chopper. Edward was flying, while Kevin was playing the searchlight about at near random.
Rebecca turned to a touch on her arm. She turned and saw Kenneth, leaning across the slumbering Forest, a grin on his face. "You look like you've swallowed some of my chemicals. That would be bad, you're the only one that knows how to treat you…what's up? Not still nervous, are ya?"
Rebecca immediately shook her head, then nodded slowly. "I'm really nervous…I'm scared. I don't know what we're going to find. What if I do something wrong?"
Kenneth smiled, eyes warm. "Good. If you had said you weren't nervous, I'd know you're a liar. Everyone's scared." He leaned farther towards her, actually supporting himself on Forest's knees. "Know I was. It never really goes away, but believe me, it's never as bad as you'll think."
The rain had let up a bit, but it was still really coming down. Rebecca stared out the window, watching the raindrops patter against the glass. It was sad, somehow. As a child, Rebecca had always loved rain, but now –
"Hey! I found it!" Kevin's shout was loud in the cramped interior of the chopper. Rebecca swivelled. Everyone but Forest, who still seemed asleep, stared out the cockpit window. The light from the searchlight beam illuminated a large, lonesome mansion in the middle of the woods, only about a kilometre from the helicopter. The forest went all but right up to the door. Rebecca was, frankly, impressed. There were windows on the house that were bigger than her apartment. As the mansion started to slide by to their side, Edward banked the chopper to the left. The machine growled as it struggled to perform the manoeuvre. Kevin looked up from the mansion, and Forest's eyes fluttered open at the sound.
Captain Enrico Marini leaned forward, arms resting on Edward's seat. "Find a place to put us down, Edward, if you can. Although that may be a trick, in this forest…"
The rules stated that the pilots had to be wearing their helmets and black goggles at all times, but in reality they were more of a hindrance at night. That was why Edward, unlike Kevin, spotted an open space in the forest right beside the mansion, and only about a minute in the chopper. "Taking us down, captain." Edward grabbed the joystick and eased it forward.
As the chopper was made to slow, another grinding noise came from the blades above them. This time more than Kevin noticed. Forest's eyes rolled upward, Edward shifted in his seat and Enrico went right out and said it. "What's that noise?"
Edward turned. His grey eyes were frowning. "I don't like it…we'll have to check it out when we get back to base. It doesn't sound good. I think we'll be okay, though – "
That, as if to spite, was when a blast came from above, at the rotor blades. The chopper was immediately knocked to the right, like a giant's blow, and immediately began to drop.
Enrico's fingers locked about his armrests. "Engine failure…" he whispered, eyes widening. He stared straight forward, into the back of Edward's head. "Emergency procedures!"
Edward could see the forest leaping up to meet him and froze. He could fly. He could land on a dime – but he had never crashed before. His hands tightened into gnarled claws on the joystick. He started to draw back, as if attempting to put distance between himself and the quickly approaching pines.
"Captain! Request permi – " Kevin shouted, before Enrico interrupted him. "Granted!"
Kevin switched control, and felt his old skill come back into him. Oh yes, back when he was stunt flying – that was when he learned how to do with something like this. He scanned the treetops, knowing he had seconds at most. The house was way too far off. He just needed a big enough space for the chopper –
There! The remains of some half-kept road that barely cut through the trees, but it was enough. Kevin banked sharply to the side, losing serious altitude, going dangerously low. Rebecca went tense as she heard leaves slapping against the landing gear, but then they were clear and Kevin fought to kill the momentum. It swung in midair, throwing the stomachs of the passengers wildly, and the edge of the rotor blades grazed the branches of one tree. The end points shattered, disintegrating, one blade completely fracturing into slivers. The helicopter spun, the tail hitting the trunk of a tree and tearing off, a reverberating smash that echoed throughout the body of the aircraft. That Kevin could even control the chopper in the slightest degree was nigh unbelievable, but with a cry of triumph and the slamming of the joystick to the side, the helicopter banked, curved in midair and regained a right-side-up position before it hit the muddy earth, sliding, and coming to an inappropriately gentle stop.
Enrico looked up immediately. "Bravo Team! Report! Status!"
Kevin reached up and scratched his hair, under his helmet. "A-Okay, Cap'n."
Edward pried his fingers off the joystick and settled into his chair. "Solid."
Richard blinked, checked himself, and found himself uninjured. "I'm all right."
Kenneth looked sharply to the side. "Rebecca? Rebecca!"
Rebecca weezed, arms hugging herself tightly, head between her knees. She hadn't even heard the report. Suddenly she felt strong fingers clasp her by the forehead, pulling it back and up. It was Forest. His high forehead was furrowed, his crystal eyes staring into hers. He held up his other hand, moved it back and forth. Rebecca followed it with her eyes before noticing everyone else was staring at her. She blushed, and held up an OK sign. Forest turned and gave a thumbs up of his own before releasing his hold.
Enrico nodded. "Good. Edward, check on the chopper, would you?" Edward nodded and exited the chopper. Enrico turned to the rest of his team and was about to say something.
When a chorus of "no" came repeatedly, immediately afterwards, from outside, it cut off whatever the captain was going to say. Enrico, becoming increasingly alarmed, began to shout in response. "What? What is it?"
The windshield of the chopper had a large gap in its center, allowing Edward's voice to float faintly in over the soft pattering of rain. "Oh, man…Captain, you're not going to be happy about this. Oh, my god…the bird's trashed. It's all out of shape, the tail is gone…all our rotors are bent. One rotor is gone. This thing is never going to fly again." There came a tortured moan. A rain-soaked Edward came into view in front of the windshield. "I don't know what we're going to do…but we're sure not flying out of here."
Though Forest was relaxed beside her, and apparently asleep, Rebecca Chambers was tense. Her first mission…and with a possibility of combat no less. They were investigating the bizarre murders plaguing Raccoon City as of late. They'd been traced back, so that they could only be coming from the forest. The STARS – or, more specifically, Wesker – had theorized that perhaps the murderers were hiding out at the Spencer Estate, which was why the Bravo team was currently flying over the forest in their chopper. Edward was flying, while Kevin was playing the searchlight about at near random.
Rebecca turned to a touch on her arm. She turned and saw Kenneth, leaning across the slumbering Forest, a grin on his face. "You look like you've swallowed some of my chemicals. That would be bad, you're the only one that knows how to treat you…what's up? Not still nervous, are ya?"
Rebecca immediately shook her head, then nodded slowly. "I'm really nervous…I'm scared. I don't know what we're going to find. What if I do something wrong?"
Kenneth smiled, eyes warm. "Good. If you had said you weren't nervous, I'd know you're a liar. Everyone's scared." He leaned farther towards her, actually supporting himself on Forest's knees. "Know I was. It never really goes away, but believe me, it's never as bad as you'll think."
The rain had let up a bit, but it was still really coming down. Rebecca stared out the window, watching the raindrops patter against the glass. It was sad, somehow. As a child, Rebecca had always loved rain, but now –
"Hey! I found it!" Kevin's shout was loud in the cramped interior of the chopper. Rebecca swivelled. Everyone but Forest, who still seemed asleep, stared out the cockpit window. The light from the searchlight beam illuminated a large, lonesome mansion in the middle of the woods, only about a kilometre from the helicopter. The forest went all but right up to the door. Rebecca was, frankly, impressed. There were windows on the house that were bigger than her apartment. As the mansion started to slide by to their side, Edward banked the chopper to the left. The machine growled as it struggled to perform the manoeuvre. Kevin looked up from the mansion, and Forest's eyes fluttered open at the sound.
Captain Enrico Marini leaned forward, arms resting on Edward's seat. "Find a place to put us down, Edward, if you can. Although that may be a trick, in this forest…"
The rules stated that the pilots had to be wearing their helmets and black goggles at all times, but in reality they were more of a hindrance at night. That was why Edward, unlike Kevin, spotted an open space in the forest right beside the mansion, and only about a minute in the chopper. "Taking us down, captain." Edward grabbed the joystick and eased it forward.
As the chopper was made to slow, another grinding noise came from the blades above them. This time more than Kevin noticed. Forest's eyes rolled upward, Edward shifted in his seat and Enrico went right out and said it. "What's that noise?"
Edward turned. His grey eyes were frowning. "I don't like it…we'll have to check it out when we get back to base. It doesn't sound good. I think we'll be okay, though – "
That, as if to spite, was when a blast came from above, at the rotor blades. The chopper was immediately knocked to the right, like a giant's blow, and immediately began to drop.
Enrico's fingers locked about his armrests. "Engine failure…" he whispered, eyes widening. He stared straight forward, into the back of Edward's head. "Emergency procedures!"
Edward could see the forest leaping up to meet him and froze. He could fly. He could land on a dime – but he had never crashed before. His hands tightened into gnarled claws on the joystick. He started to draw back, as if attempting to put distance between himself and the quickly approaching pines.
"Captain! Request permi – " Kevin shouted, before Enrico interrupted him. "Granted!"
Kevin switched control, and felt his old skill come back into him. Oh yes, back when he was stunt flying – that was when he learned how to do with something like this. He scanned the treetops, knowing he had seconds at most. The house was way too far off. He just needed a big enough space for the chopper –
There! The remains of some half-kept road that barely cut through the trees, but it was enough. Kevin banked sharply to the side, losing serious altitude, going dangerously low. Rebecca went tense as she heard leaves slapping against the landing gear, but then they were clear and Kevin fought to kill the momentum. It swung in midair, throwing the stomachs of the passengers wildly, and the edge of the rotor blades grazed the branches of one tree. The end points shattered, disintegrating, one blade completely fracturing into slivers. The helicopter spun, the tail hitting the trunk of a tree and tearing off, a reverberating smash that echoed throughout the body of the aircraft. That Kevin could even control the chopper in the slightest degree was nigh unbelievable, but with a cry of triumph and the slamming of the joystick to the side, the helicopter banked, curved in midair and regained a right-side-up position before it hit the muddy earth, sliding, and coming to an inappropriately gentle stop.
Enrico looked up immediately. "Bravo Team! Report! Status!"
Kevin reached up and scratched his hair, under his helmet. "A-Okay, Cap'n."
Edward pried his fingers off the joystick and settled into his chair. "Solid."
Richard blinked, checked himself, and found himself uninjured. "I'm all right."
Kenneth looked sharply to the side. "Rebecca? Rebecca!"
Rebecca weezed, arms hugging herself tightly, head between her knees. She hadn't even heard the report. Suddenly she felt strong fingers clasp her by the forehead, pulling it back and up. It was Forest. His high forehead was furrowed, his crystal eyes staring into hers. He held up his other hand, moved it back and forth. Rebecca followed it with her eyes before noticing everyone else was staring at her. She blushed, and held up an OK sign. Forest turned and gave a thumbs up of his own before releasing his hold.
Enrico nodded. "Good. Edward, check on the chopper, would you?" Edward nodded and exited the chopper. Enrico turned to the rest of his team and was about to say something.
When a chorus of "no" came repeatedly, immediately afterwards, from outside, it cut off whatever the captain was going to say. Enrico, becoming increasingly alarmed, began to shout in response. "What? What is it?"
The windshield of the chopper had a large gap in its center, allowing Edward's voice to float faintly in over the soft pattering of rain. "Oh, man…Captain, you're not going to be happy about this. Oh, my god…the bird's trashed. It's all out of shape, the tail is gone…all our rotors are bent. One rotor is gone. This thing is never going to fly again." There came a tortured moan. A rain-soaked Edward came into view in front of the windshield. "I don't know what we're going to do…but we're sure not flying out of here."
