I'm sorry for such a huge delay...my internet is being a little bo-natch again. Anyway, here's chapter 22, which is the most chapters I've ever had in a story to date. I hope everyone still likes this story, because I've got a few thoughts on a parody of RE4 going on in my head. Damn my friend Jyce and his stupid, funny and sick ideas. There's going to be a whole backstory to the parody, but unfortunately I'm too lazy to actually publish it on Fictionpress. Sooner or later I'll have the moxy to do it.
EDIT: Thanks to HHOD for correcting my sucky-ass French. I feel humbled, because I come from Canada and I know a lot of people who are fluent in French, but I never bothered to stick with studying it, but whatever. I thank Hamster of Doom for her corrections...I was actually hoping someone would help me with it. Thank you.
Full Part 3 summary: After narrowly escaping death in Raccoon City, Isaac is captured by a mysterious government faction and is given a new chance to join the rebellion against Umbrella. Three months of grueling, nonstop training have passed since Isaac has heard from his friends from Raccoon and now he has honed his skills as a fighter. One afternoon he recieves a phone call from Leon saying that Claire is about to infiltrate the Umbrella Labs in Paris and he goes off to help. What he doesn't know is that the nights three quiet months ago are about to repeat themselves.
Disclaimer: Nah, I don't own Resident Evil. I would in part if I bought stocks in Capcom or something, but I don't have that kind of money.
(Chapter 22)
(North Africa, three months after Raccoon City Incident)
"Seventy-two...seventy three...seventy four..." I grunted. I watched the ground as the sweat dripped from my forehead and onto the concrete floor when my cell phone went off. I continued doing push ups with my right hand while my left fished into my pockets and pulled out the small device. I looked at it and saw Leon's number. I rolled my eyes and pressed the answer button. "Brown..." I grunted while pushing up.
"Isaac, I've just gotten a message from Claire...she's in Paris thinking about infiltrating Umbrella's Main Labs tomorrow night. I don't know who else to go to, and Claire specifically asked where you were. I know you have Chris' contact, so you would be the safest bet." Leon said. In shock I dropped myself onto the floor with a loud thump, my arms already sore anyway. I couldn't believe Claire has resurfaced, especially now. I had heard from Carlos that Umbrella's been doing major crackdowns on the survivors of Raccoon City, and were searching frantically for all of us.
"Paris, huh? Well, I'll try to reach her before then, but I can't make any promises..." I told him.
"I understand, but I'm just worried about her...I don't want to lose her like I lost Ada." He said softly. I rolled my eyes at the mention of the crimson clad asian woman's name.
"When will you understand that Ada was a spy only after the G-Virus?" I asked him.
"I'm just worried about Claire, okay? Please help her..." Was all he said before he hung up. I turned off my phone and got up, putting on a regular white shirt and headed for General Caldwell's office. He was my commanding officer, and basically the one person I had to convince into letting me leave the base for a few days. I knocked on the door, the gruff voice of my superior resonating through the door.
"Come in..." I turned the knob and entered the office, Caldwell sitting at his desk with his hands folded neatly on the mahogany wood. His face lit up when he saw me. "Isaac, my boy! I haven't seen you in weeks! Look at how you've changed since you first arrived! What can I do you for?" He asked with his southern drawl. I smiled and saluted him, a gesture he readily returned. He gestured for me to take a seat, which I did.
"I was hoping to get a pass to leave the base and go to Paris for a week. A friend of mine is in rather big trouble." I said. Caldwell nodded.
"Yes. The ever vigilant Claire Redfield. We've been keeping track of all the people you were connected to in Raccoon for a while now, including your friend Kris. He's rather good at BioChemistry, and we've been thinking of offering him a job as a technology researcher for the S. D. B. O. W. E. D." I laughed and waved my index finger at the older man.
"Oh no. Kris will refuse. He has a thing about working for America, it bothers him. But about Claire, you're right. I want to help her. She's a friend of mine and another friend's little sister." I said to him. Caldwell laughed.
"I don't see any problem with letting you leave, since the bracer on your wrist lets us track you down wherever you are. I can have a private jet ready for you in two hours. That should give you ample time to get your equipment ready, right?" Caldwell asked. I nodded in appreciation. "And maybe in return you'll give my daughter a chance?" He asked. I laughed out loud. Ever since I had got here, Caldwell's daughter Natalie has been trying to get me to agree to go on a date with her. I headed for the door.
"Unfortunately sir, I've got no time right now. Maybe when I get back." I said before walking out. I headed for my personal weapons locker. More like my personal weapons case. All there was inside was the rifle I was given inside the lab by whoever the hell saved my life, and my personal favorites, the modified Desert Eagles. I was given versions of the Desert Eagles with the same firepower as the fully upgraded fabled "Broken Butterfly" but with twice the amount of bullet capacity and firing speed without sacrificing the reload speed, and for added flair I would load them with hollowpoint bullets. One hit in the chest and your lungs, heart and maybe part of your liver gets F.U.B.A.R. Just the way I like it. I made sure to have extra rounds and magazines with me in the case, then moved to the hand to hand weaponry.
I packed my custom made combat knife, the weapon custom fitted to my hands and was ambidextrous, switchable between hands. I packed the duplicate into the case as well, getting ready for anything. I put on some regular street clothes and hefted the case, heading out of the room. There was a sudden noise of air rushing behind me. I quickly ducked and rolled out of the way, opening the suitcase and pulling out one of my knives. I recognized the large oddly shaped knife and the burly body, the man in question tossing his knife into the air over and over.
"You've got some reflex there...hard to believe that you're only eighteen, but inborn skill doesn't beat experience, twerp..." I sighed and got back up, holding my knife tightly.
"Still angry, huh? Does it bother you that much that I'm younger than you? I'm still a trainee, so what satisfaction does it give you?" I asked in exasperation.
"None...I just think children shouldn't be allowed here. They could get hurt..." At the word 'hurt' the blonde rushed forward and swung his knife at me again. I barely dodged the tip of his knife, and I blocked the next swipe with my own blade, taking a chance by grabbing his hand and kicking the light haired man in the face, knocking him backward a little. He hit the bed harshly, a loud grunt of pain ringing in my ears. I relaxed my stance a little.
"Jack...no one on this base is the best...not even you. Leave me alone. I've got work to do..." I told him. Jack laughed.
"Mission? I thought trainees weren't allowed to see any action before their training is complete?" He mocked. I shook my head.
"Unlike some people on this base, I still have a life beyond this. A friend of mine is in danger, and I have permission to go help. So, if you'll excuse me, you're delaying my flight." I told him respectfully. Jack was a scary, obsessive guy, but he was still one of my superiors. I turned to the door, but the sound of his boots hitting the ground quickly alerted me of his next attack. I spun and swiped the knife upwards, blocking his blade from hitting me. In a quick succession, I let the knife go and made a small clockwise pivot, grabbing the knife's hilt with my left hand and brought it down at Jack's face, a small spray of blood alerting me to what I had done. He hit the ground holding the left side of his face.
I turned my back and apologized. "I'm sorry, but I didn't think you wouldn't have been able to stop it in time. I'll take the blame if you want me to, but I won't be here until a week from now. You should get the cut looked at." I said before putting my knife back into the suitcase and walking out. Outside, Caldwell was waiting to lead me to the landing strip. "Cadet Krauser is in my room. I accidentally gave him a cut on his face. You should get him looked at." I told the older man. Caldwell looked back at my my barrack, confused.
"You shouldn't take offense to Krauser's attacks. Before you, he was the fastest developing Cadet we had." Caldwell said to me. I shrugged. I shoved that to the back of my mind. Claire was the only person I really needed to worry about. She was a friend, and an ally. She was my friend's little sister, and I wanted to make sure she makes it out of wherever the hell she is safely. The wind began to pick up as we got closer to the jet, the jacket I was wearing billowing around while the white button up tee underneath made almost no movement. I got into the small plane and bid the General farewell, before the stairs pulled up and closed, the Jet moving forward and finally lifting off. I contemplated my actions before getting bored and falling asleep.
(Paris, France. sunset.)
I slipped on the warm coat and wrapped the matching scarf around my neck and ears. I stepped out of the airport, ready for the gust of freezing wind I knew was coming. I sighed in pleasure as the frigid temperature hit me, having been in the burning African sun for three months straight. I was finally able to cool down my heated blood. I quickly got into a cab and gave them directions to the inn I was going to be staying in.
"Le Chateau Rouge, Montmarte sil vous plait...(Translation: "The Red House, Montmarte please.")" I said to the cabby.
"Parlez vous francais, monsieur? (Translation: "You speak French, Mister?")" The cabby asked as we drove off. I shook my head.
"Un peu...(Translation: "A little.")" I replied. The man laughed. I smiled and looked out the window at the lights and sights of the European city. Things were beautiful here. Things here were almost maudlin with pseudo joy. Families walking together and laughing, getting ready for Christmas and whatnot. Couples leaning protectively into each other, sharing intimate secrets and feelings with each other. Friends walking together in camaraderie, fortunate to be able to find familiar warmth and support in the freezing cold. I stared at them longingly, remembering a time when I had friends and a beautiful girlfriend, but six months had changed all of it.
I was a recorded dead man, a government killer, and alone. So much for a normal life. In the span of six months I had lost my virginity, lost a girlfriend to another man, lost my job, got chased by numerous kinds of mutants and zombies, was nearly killed by a giant with an humungous claw about four times, lost an eye, dodged a train exploding, and was legally dead to the world. All in all I'd say I've lived a pretty fruitful life. Suddenly the taxi dropped to the side a little, the cabby forced to stop.
"Merde...(Translation:"Shit")" He got out of the car and looked at the tires, telling me that two of the tires had gone flat. I smiled and shook my head.
"Non, c'est bien. (Translation: "No, it's okay.")" I told him I'd walk the rest of the way, since the inn wasn't too far from here anyway. I paid him my fare and went on my way. I had passed Rue Cherise when I caught a glimpse of a young, ponytailed brunette in a red coat. I kept following her before I heard the sounds of snow crunching under boots quickly. I scanned the scenery beyond me before taking off. I quickly looked back to see two black clad men with Umbrella insignias following after me into the alleyway. I kept running, turning corners until I lost them. I ducked into a dead end alleyway, opening my suitcase and pulling out one of my handguns. A sudden and loud noise alerted me of a tiny little homeless boy shivering and hiding behind one of the trashcans.
I got up quickly, closing my suitcase and grabbing the small boy, hauling him under my right arm and out of the alleyway. I scanned the alleys and finally found an open emergency fire exit door open. I quickly glanced at the small boy under my arm, and saw that he was too terrified to even make a noise. I put my gloved finger to my lips to make sure he stayed quiet. He nodded, clapping his hands over his mouth. I smiled and made a run for the door, the footsteps getting louder and louder. I quickly and carefully ran into the fire exit and closed it, running up a small set of stairs to my left to the next landing. I set the little boy down and covered one of his ears with my hand and covered the other one by pressing him up against my side. I gestured for him to close his eyes, which he did forcefully.
I quietly waited for the two agents, holding my Desert Eagle out and pointed at the wall adjacent to the door. I knew they had seen me, and it was just what I wanted. I flinched for a moment when a bullet blew through the lock on the fire exit door and a boot crashed through. Suddenly the two agents ran in blindly, guns drawn. In an instant of seeing them I opened fire upon them, three bullets to each of them in a triangular pattern. I was required to make perfectly sure that my targets were dead, so I patterned all my shots into a scalene triangle. A bullet to the heart, a bullet to the brain, and a bullet to the right lung. Absolutely no chance to walk away from that, and that was what was required of me. This was my job now.
The two men dropped, heads hanging limp and leaning dumbly on the open door. I turned the small boy away and spoke to him in broken French.
"Petit garcon...regardes moi..." I commanded. He opened his eyes and looked fearfully at me. "You must forget what you have seen, orLaIncorporation Umbrella tetuer a..." I said to him. He nodded, getting the bits and pieces of what I've been saying. "You musn't remember mon visage, pour it will bring you luck that is beaucoup mal." I said to him, hoping that he will understand. I gestured my words to the best of my abilities to try and get my message across, and finally he understood. I pushed him towards the opposite direction, slipping three hundred franc into his back pocket. "Go...quickly..." I urged him. He nodded, running away and leaving me to decide what to do. I should just leave them here. Umbrella would certainly be able to cover this up too. I nodded and ran down the steps, carefully avoiding the pools of blood forming around the bodies when I saw the small white piece of paper in their front jacket pockets.
I quickly grabbed it, careful to not let any hair or fibers of mine fall on their bodies and ran back out into the winter night. I was suddenly perplexed by the situation. How did those guys know where to find me? Did Umbrella find out I was still alive, or did someone tell them? I shook my head and banished that thought. Either way, I was treading on thin ice now, and I had to plan out my moves more carefully as of this moment. I ran down the alleyway but froze when a bullet crashed into the brick wall just in front of my face. I turned my head and saw a large man bearing the Umbrella insignia holding a smoking gun. I grunted and dove out the way, staying low and dodging the bullets the large man fired at me. I ducked behind a dumpster and opened up my suitcase, putting back my Desert Eagle and grabbing both of my knives. I waited out the gunfire until finally his clip ran empty, and I saw my chance.
I ran forward, knives pointing downward in my hands. The man quickly threw away his gun and picked up a large steel pipe, holding it like a bat. He swung the pipe horizontally at me once I was in range, hoping to bash my skull in. Unfortunately for him, he failed as I ducked low under the pipe and then quickly jumped over the next swipe, spinning and bringing my heel out to collide with his face. He staggered back and regained his footing, staring hatefully at me as he spit out blood mixed with saliva. I hopped backward to dodge his next swing, landing on the ball of my foot and pushing forward with my knives ready to cut a swath through this opponent. Suddenly I felt a fist collide with my stomach, throwing me back a few feet to the ground. I opened my eyes in a daze and saw the huge man bring the pipe up behind his head.
I spun my feet in a clockwise helicopter motion, tripping the man and bringing him down to the ground. I jumped back to my feet and quickly tried to stab the man in the heart but he caught my right hand with his left, holding me back. What he didn't see was the second knife, which was brought down into the side of his torso, breaking through his ribcage and tearing at his right lung. He let out a gasp and choke of bloodied pain as I pulled the knife through his body with all my might, fucking up his lungs, ribs, liver, and finally cutting into the heart. I relished in the feel of his blood trickling down onto the knife and ultimately onto my hands. He let out one more pained choke before he lay limp on the ground, blood slowly dripping from his open mouth and open chest. I got up, wiping the blood off of my knife and hand with his suit and placing it back into my suitcase, resuming my trip to the hotel I was supposed to be staying at.
I emerged from the alleyway in front of a dingy French dive, the street lined with motorcycles and a bunch of rice rocket bikers standing out in front. I walked forward and threw my leg over the two wheeled contraption, kicking the jumpstart. The engine roared to life when suddenly a man with a very French Accent yelled at me in English.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing? That is my motor cycle!" He yelled as he came over. I ignored him and twisted the throttle, driving up onto the sidewalk and riding down the street. "HEY! THAT KID STOLE MY BIKE!" I could hear him yell. I chuckled and turned the throttle faster, turning corners and finally getting to the international highway. I turned onto a gravel road and found a small trail to keep the bike hidden in, turning off the engine and walking the rest of the way to the restored inn just down the road.
I opened the door and walked into the lobby, using my non-bloody hand to ring the service bell. Suddenly a plus sized woman paraded into the room, jovial and chatty. I told her that I was looking for a room for the night, and paid her the staying fee. She nodded and led me to a room upstairs. She asked if I needed anything, which I said no. I was tired, and I needed sleep. She nodded and left, after which I walked into the connecting bathroom and washed my hands. My cover has already been blown, so I had to be on my guard all the time now. I sighed and stripped my clothes, getting into the shower and taking a well needed bath.
After I was clean, I got out and put on some fresh new sleeping clothes from my suitcase and grabbed the small piece of paper in my front pants pocket, the one I stole from the two Umbrella Agents. I hopped into bed as I read the paper out loud, the text in English, surprisingly.
"Agent Gant, Agent LeMarc, and Agent LePine, you're being asked to track down and capture a person we have been searching for. This certain person has divulged intimate secrets about our company and could mean our downfall. The target's name is Isaac Brown. Our informant in the government suspects that he will go to Paris in an attempt to save another survivor of the Incident in Raccoon three months ago. You three must intercept him and capture him, dead or alive." The note read. On the bottom of the note was my picture and all my last known vitals, which were still pretty accurate. The only thing that changed about me was my eye, which was silver and had an almost ethereal blue glow. I smiled and crumpled it up, tossing it into the trash bin and layed down. I slid both my Desert Eagles underneath my pillow and fell asleep.
(The next morning, eight o'clock in the morning.)
"Non! Ne metuez pas! Sil vous plait!" I woke up to the concierge's scream. Suddenly there was a gunshot, and one more pained scream before everything went silent once again. I quickly and quietly got up, pulling out my Desert Eagles and stuffing one of them inside the suitcase while holding the other one in my right hand as I slipped underneath the bed facing the door. Everything was still dark out, and the only light came from the light inside my bedroom. There were frantic footsteps, and the door flew open. I watched as footsteps entered the room, then saw the lightbulb. I aimed and fired at the glass lighting fixture, the glass exploding in a shower of sparks and shards as chaos ensued.
I quickly closed my left eye and let myself see only through the right eye. Everything turned a low blue colour, and the agent's bodies looked around frantically. I aimed and fired at one agent's ankle, the man screaming and falling to the floor. He saw me for a split second before a bullet crashed into his head, spraying blood, brain, and bone behind him. The other agents began firing wildly, but couldn't see where the bullets were coming from. I waited once more, when there was another pair of legs walking past the bed. Using my right hand, I quickly slammed the butt of my handgun into his shin, cracking it and forcing him to drop. I quickly fired a bullet into his head as well, silencing him.
The last must have known where I was, so I pushed up against the bed frame with my bed and flipped it over, the mattress knocking the agent down to the ground. I ducked as he fired a bullet at where he thought I was, then retaliated with three bullets of my own. He let out pained gasps as the bullets hit him, choking on his blood. I surveyed the room, then grabbed my suitcase and old clothes and ran downstairs. As I passed through the lobby, I saw the hunched over body of the concierge, the woman staring down at the floor with a bullethole in her head. I shook my head and apologized before pushing the front door open and walking through the snow to the motorcycle I had left in the wooded trail. Umbrella must have me under surveillance all the time if they knew where I was...they could be anywhere. I had to be careful. I got on the bike and jumpstarted it, riding off into Paris. I needed to find Claire.
(That night, 8 pm.)
"...Be careful Isaac. Keep your communicator on at all times so I can tell you where and when to go once you're inside. My father wants to consider this your first proficiency test." Natalie told me through the com link. I nodded as I waded through the sewer systems.
"Okay. So keep hidden, keep quiet, and keep following orders. Got it. If I get through this alive maybe I could thank you with some Parisian souvenirs?" I flirted innocently. Natalie cleared her throat, no doubt flustered.
"Oh really? How about some wine?" She whispered. I laughed and nodded as I continued through the drainage pipe.
"Sure...and maybe some frogs legs?" I whispered suavely. She giggled.
"I'm holding you to that..." She said determinedly.
"I'm a man of my word, my lady...but try and focus on the task at hand right now." I said to her.
"Right...now you should be coming to a fork. Take the left pipe." She told me. I looked ahead and just as she said, there was a fork in the sewer. I turned left and followed the rest of her directions until she told me to stop. "You're right under the lowest level. There should be a manhole nearby." She said to me. I looked around and saw beams of light cascading down into the darkness of the sewers. I gripped my Desert Eagle tighter, ready for a fire fight. "I've done a scan of the room above you. You're clear." She said through the ear phone.
I put my gloved hand to the grime covered underside of the manhole, hesitant to go through. "Nat...make a scan of the entire building, and keep me posted, alright?" I asked.
"Already three steps ahead of you there, cutie. I've got a quarter of the building done, I should be finished in another forty-five minutes." Natalie said. I nodded.
"Thanks." I thanked her. I pushed the metal cover up and aside, climbing up into the white, sterile room and replacing the manhole cover on the sewer hole afterwards. Everything was silent as death, and the scent of sterility was really getting to me. I quickly pressed up against the wall underneath the surveillance camera and unsheathed one of my combat knives. I tossed it upwards, the blade slicing right through the wires and the box, allowing me freedom to sneak through this room. I looked over to the door and headed for it.
"Wrong choice, honey. You'll be going through the vents to the hangar. Intelligence agents in the building have told me that Claire's been captured. You'll want to intercept them and help her escape, right?" Nat asked with a bit of a jealous tone. "You'll be stowing away in the plane Claire is in and we'll pick you up from wherever you two are..."
"Alright..." I agreed. I looked around, then saw the vent on the wall. It was big enough for me to go through, but just barely. I made a running jump towards the vent, grabbing the grate with my left hand and bracing myself with my legs. I used my combat knife to remove the screws in each of the four corners one by one. I let myself fall back to the ground once the grate came off, then ran and jumped up again, grabbing the vent entrance with my hands and using my newly earned arm strength I pulled myself up into the metal vents. I crawled through the metal, Natalie telling me where to go and when to proceed.
"The hangar entrance should be only a few meters away from your position, but you'll have to exit the ventilation system to get to it." Natalie said to me. "The hallway is clear for only a thirty second interval every four minutes, that is when there are no guards making their rounds. You've got to get out of the vents and punch in access code 32546 and get in, without anyone noticing you." Nat warned. I nodded, seeing the vent grating. I slowly crawled toward it, then quietly and carefully placed my feet on the grating. I watched carefully for the guard, and saw him making his way down the hall. Thirty seconds. Thirty seconds between saving Claire's life and getting myself captured and possibly killed.
Nat gave me the signal to go, and I quickly kicked through the vent grating, landing on my feet and facing a white sliding door. I quickly punched in the access code into the keypad beside the door, the door sliding open. I quickly scrambled into the hangar, finding the place relatively empty. I ran behind one of the planes when someone tried to look at what had caused the door to open, then quietly crept to the plane Natalie identified as the plane that had Claire inside. I quickly and quietly entered the plane through the cargo door, finding a bunch of crates and metal containers labelled as rations. I looked around and saw one of them open, a large amount of white rice in it. I became frantic as I heard someone coming, and jumped into the crate, digging into the rice to hide myself. I held my breath as I heard the muffled footsteps stop, then the loud booming noise of the crate being closed. The footsteps then passed by, then the pilot doors closed.
I quickly climbed up to the top of the rice, gasping for air and spitting out the little grains that got stuck in my mouth. I quietly began to speak.
"Nat...are you sure Claire is in here?" I asked. I heard an exasperated sigh and suddenly a hologram appeared, projected by the earpiece connected to my communicator.
"This is a surveillance camera of the plane interior. Claire is just past the crate you're in and unconscious." Natalie said to me. In the hologram, Claire was slumped against the wall, unconscious. I nodded, then sat and waited, the hologram turning off. I felt the plane rumbling, then finally the aircraft took off.
I began to quietly play with the grains of rice, every so often glancing at my watch and looking at the time. Finally, I fell asleep in the rice, my head above the surface so I didn't choke on anything.
(Six hours later, Rockfort Island.)
I mentally berated myself for being so stupid. I slept too long! I slowly and silently crept down the halls of the complex, having woken up in the large warehouse where they kept the rations. There were hardly any guards around, which was understandable, since it was still dark wherever the hell I was in. They must have knocked off a few hours ago. I found my way to the outside, surveying the land and seeing the whole island. On the southwest corner of the island were large sea to air cargo planes, and over on the mountain was some sort of large castle. I had found myself in their Military Facility, which also served as their research facility. To the left of the veranda I was on, there was a bunch of snake vines coming up from the ground. I was about two stories from the ground, which wasn't that high really.
Suitcase in my left hand and a desert eagle in my right, I hopped up onto the railing and leapt off. I hit the ground with an audible thud, cushioning my fall by bending my knees. I had to find where they're keeping Claire, or things were going to end up a lot worse for the both of us. I began to run down the hill toward the piers, hoping to find a clue as to where Claire was being held. I quickly ducked behind a bush when I saw a pair of guards pass by.
"Six months have really changed you..." I heard a familiar voice. My eyes widened at the sound of the person's voice and spun around.
"No...way..."
(End Chapter 22)
Cliffhanger! Not really, because I think you all know who the person is. Anyway, I've got to rethink this whole portion of the story and figure out whether or not I'll be making a sequel that is almost as long for RE4 and what I think happened in the six years after the events of Code Veronica X. Maybe the people who still read this story can help me decide.
Would you want to see what Isaac does during the six years before Leon went after Ashley? Or should I just stop after this story is finished? Read and Review, and be sure to tell me what you think about a sequel.
Edit: Thanks once again to HHOD for her help with my crappy French, I'm glad she helped me out. Next chapter is dedicated to her and Squirrel for her intelligent opinions.