Hello!  I'm so flipping sorry that I haven't updated for God knows how many months!  Writer's block came and went but then school turned into a Nazi concentration camp, so I didn't have time!  Once again, I am so sorry!  And SukiSaki person!  I am still scared at how you guessed correctly on what would happen in the 3rd chapter!  Oh!  I have a new disclaimer! 

Disclaimer:  I don't own Resident Evil, Enya, and other stuff that might come up, but I DO own Liana, Surguru, Chloe (EVIL COMPUTER WON'T LET ME MAKE AN ACCENT MARK!), Jason, Yirga, Naoto, Nzusku, Tom, and Lauren!  Kate will still be in this, but I changed her name to Liana!  Just a heads up since I invented new characters!  Try to guess which one is Fangora!  And the name Fangora came out of my messed up mind, so IT'S MINE! 

I won't annoy you anymore with an excessively long author's note, so let's get started!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 4

Viral Infection

            Rebecca and Billy stood in stunned silence while Fangora watched them, waiting for a reaction.  Rebecca dropped the paper, her mind debating with itself on what to do and believe.  "Y-you're a bio-organic weapon?" Billy questioned.

            "Yeah," the enigmatic girl answered, "I understand that it's hard for you to believe.  I can hardly believe it myself, but it's true."

            "What do you know about this T-Virus?" Rebecca asked.

            "About an hour ago, I woke up in a test tube filled with some type of fluid that looked like water," she started, "I woke up not knowing who I was, where I was, why I was there, or how I even got in the capsule.  I smashed out of it easily and found some clothes in a locker.  I tried getting into the few computers that were still working, but they were all locked up with passwords.  The information I know came out of file cabinets.  The T-Virus, or Tyrant-Virus, was created for use in creating B.O.W.s like me.  The virus usually turns people into zombies and increases the host's size, stamina, and strength."

            "But who is making the virus?" Rebecca interrogated. 

            "The Umbrella Corporation." Fangora answered.

            "Wait a minute," Billy commented, "How is that possible? Umbrella is a pharmaceutical company."

            "That's exactly what they want everyone to think," Fangora informed, "The whole pharmaceutical thing is just a lie to blind the world from the truth.  They don't help people at all!  I'm living proof of that!  Everything you've ever fought here is a result of the virus!  They are all weapons created by Umbrella.  Most not intentionally though."

            "What do you mean?" the young officer asked.

            "Apparently, the virus leaked and all of the monsters were set free.  Every employee here is now a zombie.  They are a result of the leak.  I don't know how it happened though."

            "What monsters are we up against besides zombies, dogs, leeches, scorpions, and centipedes?" Billy asked while checking his ammo and putting the shotgun back in its holster.  He had 10 pistol and 3 shotgun rounds left.  Fangora shrugged and Rebecca suddenly got a horrendous headache.  She shut her eyes tight and held her forehead.  She felt nauseous and dizzy as her knees gave out from under her causing her to fall to the floor.  Her spontaneous pain and weakness startled Billy. 

            "Whoa," Billy knelt down and put a hand on her shoulder, "What was that?  Are you okay?"

            "What happened?" Fangora quickly asked. 

            "I'm not sure," Rebecca answered blinking, "I'm okay now.  I just got a headache and felt nauseous and really weak for a moment."

            "When were you first bitten?" Fangora inquired. 

            "Uh, at least an hour ago.  Why?"

            "And you never took any anti-serum?"

            "No.  I never found anything like that.  I just used some first aid spray and herbs to heal the wounds."

            "You're infected!" Fangora exclaimed. 

            "What?!" Rebecca yelled in fear. 

            "That's how the T-Virus is transferred."  Billy and Rebecca glanced at each other, both scared and not wanting to believe. 

"No." was all Rebecca could breathe out.  Billy shook his head and stood up, turning his back on the girls. 

            "In that case, I'm infected too.  I can't believe this." he commented, crossing his arms. 

            "Believe it, Bill.  Just the smallest bite or scratch will infect you.  Symptoms start about an hour after infection and get worse as time passes.  They include nausea, dizziness, aching, blurred vision, and weakness.  Then you will start to run a fever and vomit with your flesh feeling hot and itchy.  Lastly, you'll pass out and all body heat will eventually be lost as the flesh becomes pale and start to rot."

            "STOP!" Rebecca suddenly managed to cry out to her.  She had been holding that plea inside her ever since the B.O.W. started telling her of the terrible fate she would suffer.  Her life started flashing before her eyes through the blurry, minute, wet orbs of liquid that dripped down her face.  Rebecca suddenly thought of Edward and nearly screamed out loud with the thought of becoming like her twice-fallen comrade. 

            "I'm sorry," Fangora apologized, "I was only telling you what I knew about the virus.  But don't worry!  There's a cure!  I saw it!  You just stay here and I'll get some for you two!"  Before Billy or Rebecca could say anything, Fangora turned and sped across the room.  She jumped over the dead centipede, and ran through the door to the outside. 

            "Come on, Rebecca," Billy grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet, "Let's go."

            "Why?  Fangora told us to wait here for the anti-serum!" Rebecca protested while wiping the tears from her face. 

            "Don't tell me that you actually trust that thing!"

            "As a matter of fact, I do!  And she isn't a thing!  She's still human!"

            "Oh yeah?!  And how long do you think that's going to last?!  Not even she knows!" 

            "SHE HELPED US BEFORE!"

            "AND DID YOU SEE WHAT SHE DID TO THAT THING!" Billy pointed to the huge corpse, "IM NOT WAITING AROUND FOR HER GO BALLISTIC AGAIN AND MUTILATE US!"  Billy turned his back on Rebecca.

            "But she's our only hope for getting the anti-virus!  Without her we'll-"

            "THAT'S BULLSHIT, REBECCA!"  Billy barked as he turned to face her.  Rebecca fell silent and stepped away from him.  For the first time, he scared her.  For the first time she feared he would kill her.  His eyes burned with anger and resentment as he followed her steps.  He seemed so much taller than her now. 

            "Oh no," Rebecca thought, "What's he going to do to me?"

            "I will never understand why you trust her."

            "B-but it makes sense!  It explains everything!"

            "There is no way in hell that I am trusting anything she says!"

            "But that doesn't make any sense, Billy!"

            "JUST SHUT UP, YOU BITCH!"  Billy gave Rebecca a hard shove to the stone floor.  She sat back up and looked at Billy with more fear than before. 

            "He's going to pull out his gun and shoot me isn't he?" she thought.  Rebecca could just imagine him pulling out his pistol and putting a bullet through her skull with an emotionless look plastered on his face.  Billy got down and grabbed onto the hips of her pants, "Shit!  I knew it!  He's going to rape me!  I should have shot him when I had the chance!"  Rebecca struggled and tried to get away from him.  He had to pin her to the floor to keep her under control.  Billy felt around her hips before he reached underneath Rebecca and slipped his hands into her back pockets.  His right hand got a grip on something before he pulled them both out. 

            "Don't freak so much, girl.  I just needed the key," Billy informed as he got off of her with the fire emblem key in hand, "I'm gonna get out of here.  If you want to sit around and get killed, fine!  See if I give a damn when Fangora comes back to dismember you!"  Rebecca watched him trot down the stairs and heard the door close below.  Her heart was filled with hurt, anger, worry and frustration.  For reasons she didn't understand why, she was mostly hurt by Billy's sudden outburst and felt tears trickle down her face.  Why did Billy's attitude cut through her so bad? 

            "Why should I care what he says to me?" she thought out loud, "Why should I worry about him anyways?  If he dies, the bastard will deserve it!  He can just drop dead and turn into a zombie for all I care!  So why am I worried about him?  Well, because he's saved my life before and I know I can't do this on my own.  But I have Fangora now to protect me, so why am I still worried about Billy?  Do I-no!  I can't!  But-but I have to save him as repayment for all the times he helped me!  He needs the anti-virus!"  Rebecca stood up and grabbed her 9mm Beretta and grenade launcher.  She stored her empty pistol and checked her launcher's ammo.  She had three rounds left in it.  She felt another wave of nausea and almost fell again.  She stood still for a moment to gather herself before she descended the stairs, "I just need to pull him back over here.  It won't take long."

            "Stupid cop," Billy thought as he used the fire emblem key, "What does she think she's doing? How can she believe Fangora?  This whole thing is ludicrous!"  Billy pushed open the door and aimed his low-on-ammo pistol in front of him.  The only light that even slightly illuminated the room was the light from the bloodstained hallway behind him.  A foul stench entered his nose as he slowly stepped inside, trying to make his eyes adjust to the darkness.  He could barely make out a line of bookcases ahead of him and cluttered desks with computers, open books, papers, and boxes everywhere to the left. 

            He ran a hand over the wall next to the doorframe trying to find a light switch.  He grinned when he felt one.  He flipped it and muttered a harsh curse when nothing happened.  He knew at least one of those rotting beings was in the room, but he couldn't see because of the lack of light and he didn't hear any unearthly groans.  It was a possibility that the smell was the sewage that still clung to his pants and shoes.  At least that's what he hoped. 

            His heart pounded in his chest as he moved further into the shadow.  The smell got stronger with every step.  He gasped when he heard a moan and felt something grab his right ankle.  He swung his left foot and kicked the phantom zombie.  He sighed in relief when he heard the crunch of the skull fracturing and felt the grip loosen.  He pulled his foot free from the lingering hand of the corpse and continued forward.  He found his way to the bookcase and turned to his left where the light disappeared.  Billy picked up the pace a bit until he hit something.  His eyes went wide and he let out a high-pitched squeak.  The convict cringed and bent down a little.  He just slammed his crotch into a desk.  He tried to straighten himself up and suck in the pain in case a zombie came up behind him, but it didn't really work out.  He was startled when a flash of light blinded him. 

            "Billy?" Rebecca's voice sounded from the doorway, "Is that you?  You ok?"

            "Get that light out of my eyes, dumbass!" Billy screamed with a still high-pitched voice, which made Rebecca giggle a little as she lowered the flashlight. 

            "You slammed your crotch, didn't you?" Rebecca teased as she set her grenade launcher on the top of a pile of boxes next to her. 

            "Only because you're dumb enough to not follow me in the first place!"

            "I came back so you could wait with me for the vaccine!" Rebecca shouted angrily. 

            "Why are you so desperate to keep me with you?" Billy's voice was normal again and he was somewhat able to stand tall, "I thought you hated me." 

            "You're infected too and you need to come back with me so we can be healed!"

            "Rebecca!" Billy found his way back to her, "I don't need to go back and neither do you!"

            "But-"

            "We are NOT infected with ANYTHING!"

            "Yes we are!" Rebecca persisted.  As she did, she felt dizzy again and fell into the wall. 

            "Look, if you want to go back and wait for Fangora then do so!  But stop trying to drag me back up there with you because no matter what you say, I won't follow you!"  Rebecca sat for a moment after she recovered from her sudden pain to think about what she would do.  Billy just watched her with impatient eyes and crossed arms. 

            "What should I do?" Rebecca thought, "Should I follow him?  Maybe he's right about Fangora and I shouldn't trust her.  But there's so much evidence that leans to her favor!"

            "While you're sitting around thinking about it, can I have your flashlight so I can see what I'm doing in here?" Billy asked, reaching out his hand. 

            "Fine." Rebecca handed him the light.  Billy took it, turned away and clicked it on.  He held it under the barrel of his pistol as he walked back to the table that caused him so much pain.  He climbed over it and landed on another zombie's head.  He groaned in disgust when he felt coagulated blood squirt up his pants onto his leg.  He moved forward off the crushed head to the light switch next to the chimney.  He flipped it on and was relieved when he saw that no more zombies were in the room.  Rebecca stood up and started looking around the cluttered workstations for any proof to support Fangora's claims.  She was half hoping she wouldn't find anything, but found a handgun clip and slapped it into her empty Berretta.  Billy just put his pistol away and looked for anything to open the locked doors.  He was too scared to look for evidence.  If what Fangora said was true, he didn't want to know what was going to happen to him.  The answer had been trying to kill him for an hour and that was freaking him out enough.  He didn't want to show it, but he was terrified about everything at the moment.  Billy's eyes crossed over the moose head mounted above the fireplace and he spotted something on one of the antlers.  He couldn't see what it was from the height he was at, so he turned around and ran to the desk with the headless zombie beneath it. 

            "Hey Billy," Rebecca called from the other side of the room, "I think I found something."

            "What is it?  Another piece of paper to prove you're smarter than me?" Billy coughed as he dragged the decomposing corpse out of the path the desk would take. 

            "Possibly," Rebecca scoffed, "It's the assistant director's diary." 

            "What's it say?" Billy asked, which he mentally kicked himself for a second after.  He didn't want to know.  Rebecca started reading as he pulled the desk toward the fireplace,

" 'September 2nd

A useless bunch of trainees, as always.  Where does headquarters find these idiots?  We did get a couple of decent ones, though, so can't complain I guess.  William and Albert.  They might have a future.

September 25th

Scholar Will.  Practical Al.  They really are opposites.  And they're always competitive in everything they do.  There's something ruthless and cruel about them both...

October 7th

Got a sudden call from the Director.  It was to tell me to encourage a rivalry between those two!  It's the first time since this Training facility was built that Director Marcus has ever shown interest in anything other than his research.  Well, whatever.  Orders are orders.  I'm going to have them tearing at each other's throats.' "

"I see," Billy reacted as he stood up on the desk. 

"So do you believe now?" Rebecca questioned as she coughed heavily.  Billy sighed and reached up to the antler. 

"Why should I?" he questioned as he grabbed the small object with his right hand and stepped down onto the floor. 

"Doesn't it seem a little bit odd to you that this company is encouraging ruthlessness and rivalry between employees?"

"This is a pharmaceutical company, genius." 

"So?"

"This 'Al and Will' hated each other, so they obviously wanted to outdo one another.  This company is always trying to find cures for diseases.  So by encouraging the competition between them, they would work longer and harder for a cure for cancer or something!  It was for a good cause!"

"What are you talking about?" Rebecca was getting very frustrated, "First you deny that we are infected!  And now you're denying every piece of proof that this place wasn't as wonderful as everyone thought it was!  You're denying that this T-Virus exists!"

"This looks like a needle for a clock.  Do you know what to do with this?" Billy calmly asked, showing her the object.  Rebecca shoved it away from her face.

"Stop ignoring everything!  There IS a virus!  And we ARE infected!" 

"Shut up." Billy started getting aggravated.

"The proof is all around you!  It's been trying to kill you for the last hour!"

"Shut up!" Billy stumbled as he felt dizzy for a moment.  He was even more afraid than before.  He kept telling himself that it wasn't true, that it was just a coincidence. 

"See?  You're showing the first stages of infection now!  You're in denial!  Why won't you admit the truth?!"

"I said SHUT UP!" Billy screamed as he slapped Rebecca across the face with his free hand.  As he did, the handcuffs around his left wrist hit her and cut her right cheek.  Rebecca's held her stinging and bleeding cheek as she stumbled back and turned into the desk she found the diary on.  When she caught her balance again, she turned to Billy who quickly advanced on her.  She gasped in fear and clumsily got on top of the table in attempt to get away as she silently sobbed.  Billy grabbed her ankle before she could stand. 

"Stay away from me!" Rebecca begged as she looked away from him. 

"Shut up and listen!" Billy ordered, "I have had enough of you trying to fill me full of bull about how screwed we are!  From now on, you're going to do what I say with no questions asked!  If I hear one more word from you about the virus that doesn't exist, your injuries will be beyond the cure of first aid spray!  You understand?"

"Yes." Rebecca said quietly as she slowly nodded with a quivering chin.

"Good," Billy said as he released her, "Now tell me where to use this."  Rebecca took the needle out of his hand and examined it.  She thought for a moment when she remembered the document she found in the room with the crank. 

" 'The security entry code shall be 8:15.' " Rebecca quoted while taking a deep breath. 

"What?"

"That's what that paper said in the room where I found the crank." Rebecca reminded as she gave the needle back. 

"Yeah?  And?"

"I found a grandfather clock that was missing the minute hand."

"So you put this minute hand into it and you set it to 8:15 to open the two doors with the clock symbol on them?"

"Exactly." Rebecca confirmed as she wiped some tears off her face.

"Okay.  So where is the clock?"

"We have to pass through the centipede roo-" Rebecca was cut off when Billy grabbed her neck. 

"No." he growled. 

"I swear I'm not lying!" Rebecca quickly exclaimed.  Billy looked into her eyes, with his left hand still around her neck.  He smiled at what he saw: fear.  She wouldn't dare lie to him now. 

            "Fine," Billy released her again, "Lead the way."

            "Thank you." Rebecca breathed as she got off the table. 

"Ah!  Not yet!  I saw you sneak that ammo into your gun.  Give it up," Rebecca quickly reached to get it, "Slowly!"  She followed his orders and he put the clip in his pocket.  She started for the door and tried to stay as far away from him as he would let her, "Don't stray too far from me.  Just remember that I'm the one with the ammo in my gun." Billy reminded as Rebecca picked up her grenade launcher and walked out the door.

            The hostage hiked up the stairs with Billy aiming his pistol at her back.  She had never been so scared before.  The person that she had been forced to put her trust into was now threatening to kill her and there was no way she could defend herself.  It was too risky to even try.  The last time she had gone against him was on the train after Enrico contacted her.  He could have slit her throat the instant he had her under control, but he didn't.  His continuous actions of protecting her afterwards had made her willingly begin to trust him.  She never thought he would lose it and turn on her.  He had never really threatened her life, but now he was.  Rebecca felt so betrayed.  How could he do this to her?  Why was he doing this?  And what will happen after she opened the clock doors? 

            Her thoughts were interrupted when Billy jabbed her in the back with his gun when they were in front of the giant corpse.  "Climb over." he ordered.  Rebecca tossed the grenade launcher over the downed beast and grabbed the chain that was still around its neck.  She put her feet against the dead flesh for stability.  Her strength was rapidly diminishing.  It felt like she was trying to climb over a mountain.  The "mountain" was only seven feet tall though.  She dared not fall or Billy might get frustrated and hit her again, maybe worse.  She barely made it over the top.  She sat down to catch her breath as Billy started climbing. 

"His strength hasn't started draining yet," Rebecca thought as she looked at the head of the defeated beast she sat upon.  The cuts that Fangora made were deep.  The cop remembered back to the battle that took place not long ago, "She lost control for a while.  She could have killed us both easily if she wanted to."

"Get down." Billy told his prisoner.  Rebecca obeyed by scooting over the side on her butt so the impact wouldn't be as harsh.  It still was, so she had to roll away.  Billy easily jumped off and landed on his feet.  Rebecca was so weak she had trouble getting to her feet again.  Billy grabbed her upper arm and roughly pulled her back up, "Stop being such a wuss!  You're slowly me down!"

"Oh, hurry up Fangora!" Rebecca silently pleaded as she grabbed the launcher again and opened the door to the outside.  All of the killer birds that chased Rebecca earlier were in pieces on the cold ground.  The little B.O.W. apparently took them out.  As Rebecca led Billy to the door, she started to feel hot and itchy.  Her adrenaline ran higher when she remembered what the second stage of infection was.  She refrained from scratching at her skin, knowing it would only make it worse.  She was about to tell Billy, but she stopped when he jabbed her again with his gun. 

"Keep moving!" the convict barked.  She did as he said once more and led him through the door to the clock. 

"He sees the clock," the girl thought, "When he eases up to put the needle back, I can hit him and take his gun!  Right!  Everything will be fine!"

"Put it in." Billy instructed as he put the needle in her hand.  Rebecca paused in frustration that her plan would be harder to pull off.  She turned her back on him and faced the clock.  She stalled as she looked at the needle. 

"This thing is pretty sharp," she pondered, "I could use it as a knife to weaken him then I could-"

"Don't even think about it!" Billy threatened as he put the barrel of the gun against the back of her neck. 

"Think about what?" Rebecca asked trying to sound innocent, but obviously was startled by the feeling of cold metal on her. 

"I see the way you're looking at that needle!  Try anything and you'll get a bullet in your spinal cord!"

"Damn it!" Rebecca cursed under her breath, "He's onto me!  There's no way I can take control now!  By the time I get another chance, I'll be too weak!"  Rebecca put the needle into the clock and set it to 8:15.  Her head throbbed as a loud gong erupted from the clock and the large gears started turning.  She dropped her powerful weapon and stumbled against the wall, covering her head as the gong echoed in her brain.  Everything seemed to be burning hot.  Sweat oozed out of her pores as her temperature rose.  There was no way she could fight Billy now with a growing fever.  Billy yanked her up again. 

"Come on.  We've got more work to do." He stated, not noticing how sick she looked. 

"We?" Rebecca questioned, "Why should I go with you?  I am not of any more use to you.  I already opened the doors like you asked!"

"That you did," he answered with a smirk, "But you have the grenade launcher and I can't carry that and everything else.  Besides, it's not like you'll try to kill me with that.  If you did, you'd just kill yourself too in the process."

"As you wish." Rebecca answered with as much sarcasm as she could, considering her condition. 

"By the way, don't drop it again," Billy gave her the grenade launcher, "You wouldn't want to set it off, would you?  Lead the way."

"You know where the clock doors are."

"True, but I can't have you behind me," Billy explained as they entered the cold night air again, "You might try to attack me and get away."

"Well, we certainly couldn't have that."

"Stop the sarcasm, whore, and keep going!"

Whore?  That name got to her the most.  She tried to hold back another storm of tears as they entered the centipede room again.  She didn't know why that comment hit her so bad.  Maybe it was the straw that broke the camels back.  Why was Billy acting so cruel?  Rebecca knew the answer: fear.  He was just as terrified about inevitably turning into the living dead as she was.  It was amazing what fear could do to someone, physically and mentally. 

She once read about a man who was bitten by a snake.  He saw the pattern and coloration on the scales and heard rattling.  He was sure that he had been envenomated by a rattlesnake.  He had a panic attack and almost died!  It turned out that the snake gave him a dry bite.  The reptile that bit him wasn't even a rattler!  It was a harmless gopher snake whose species have a similar pattern and coloration and a reputation of impersonating rattlers.  The man's fear and paranoia nearly put a halo above his head. 

This concept could put Billy in the right.  He would say that the reason why his hostage was sick was because of her subconscious mind believing that it was infected by a crazy virus. 

However, Billy's sudden attitude change leaned to Rebecca's favor too, along with Fangora and other proof of the virus's existence.  The man who was bitten was affected physically by fear, but Billy was affected mentally.  His fear caused him to deny everything and be physically and verbally abusive towards Rebecca.  That and his mental disability, being a convicted mass murderer. 

"If only Fangora would come back with the anti-virus," Rebecca thought as she wiped sweat from her sickly face and started down the stairs, "Then Billy wouldn't dare lay a finger on me.  Fangora would protect me and Billy is afraid to oppose her."

"Stop slowing down!" Rebecca's aggressor demanded as he jabbed her in the back with his gun again.  She was so achy and sensitive at this point that she cried out at the exaggerated pain in her spine, causing her to lean forward too much.  She stumbled and collapsed on her side, falling down the rest of the stairs.  Every impact from landing on the small steps quickly brought unusually big and painful bruises on her torso.  She landed on her grenade launcher, knocking half the wind out of her.  Billy rolled his eyes and descended the remainder of the stairs as Rebecca gasped for breath.  He pushed her over on her back with his foot.  She looked like such a helpless damsel-in-distress who would never fight back.  The ex-marine smiled at her hopeless state.  It was taking forever for her to catch her breath.  She was a pretty little thing too.  Billy wrapped his arm around her back and pulled her to her feet again.  She didn't even shiver when he licked the side of her neck. 

"Careful, baby," Billy smirked, "Don't hurt yourself too much.  We still have work to do."  Rebecca still couldn't answer if she wanted to.  She staggered out the door with Billy close behind.  Just next-door was the first clock room.  The ill girl finally caught her breath as she struggled to turn the knob.  She forced a small grin, thankful that her theory of replacing the clock's needle was right.  But then, if she wasn't right, what were the gears doing? 

"Well, in a place like this you never know." Rebecca thought.  The knob twisted 45 degrees and the door creaked open as Rebecca stumbled inside the small room.  It was another conference room with a large oval table and bookcases full of documents that didn't seem to be of any interest.  Books were scattered on part of the desk and on the carpet in front of a fireplace that was the only source of light in the room. 

The police officer tried to scream, but it came out as a weak groan.  Four zombies stumbled towards her.  The light of the flames behind them illuminated their bodies, making them look like demons from the darkest corners of Hell.  Rebecca tried to raise her grenade launcher before they got too close, but she barely had the strength to even hold onto the implement of destruction. 

"Move it!" Billy ordered, "You're in my line of fire!"  With one hand he pushed her into the wall beside the doorframe.  His zombie-like prisoner slid to the floor after impact with the decorated wall.  As Billy opened fire on the abominations, Rebecca's aches and pains grew worse.  Four shots rang out and the quartet of zombies collapsed with a bullet in their heads.  She coughed hard a few times into her hand.  After the girl's horrendous coughing ceased, she started catching her breath when she felt something wet in her palm.  The inside of her mouth tasted sweet.  She looked at her soiled left palm and spied a dark liquid flickering in the light of the flames: blood. 

"What did you hack up there?" Billy's voice inquired, "The Horrendous Loogie of Doom?" Rebecca couldn't answer as she started coughing again and felt bile rise into her throat. 

Billy picked up a second microfilm (Microfilm B) off the mantel of the beautifully crafted marble fireplace and stored it in his pocket.  He saw a paper on the table behind him.  It was a verse of poetry.  He picked it up and read it aloud as the burning sensation in Rebecca's throat got worse. 

" 'The Moon bows to the Earth

The Earth swears loyalty to the Sun

And the great Law of the Sun

Governs all things. 

This itself is the keystone,

The pointer to glory

All our hands

Cannot open the door to the heaven.'  Well, that makes no sense.  Any clue as to what it means, girl?"  Billy winced as he heard the guttural sound of vomiting.  He dropped the paper and turned to see Rebecca on her hands and knees, puking a growing puddle on the carpet.  What scared Billy about it was the amount of blood that was mixed in with the yellow barf.  Billy felt another stroke of nausea and weakness.  The last one only stayed for a moment, but this one lingered for at least a minute.  The young man fell onto his side and cringed as his head throbbed.  Rebecca finally stopped throwing up and lay on the floor next to the large puddle of her stomach contents, acid, and blood.  She gasped for air like a fish out of water. 

When Billy recovered, he saw Rebecca staring back at him.  The last drops of blood and puke mixture dripped from her lips along with the sweat that pored down her face.  Rebecca couldn't say it, but Billy knew what she was thinking, "Please take me back before it's too late."  The ex-marine finally saw the reality.  Everything was true.  He was a fool for denying everything and now Rebecca was paying for his mistakes. 

"Okay," Billy muttered, "Let's go back."  Rebecca was like a vegetable.  She was too weak to move at all, but she still was somehow able to hold onto her grenade launcher.  Billy slung her over his shoulder and carried her out of the room the way he would carry the injured men in his unit out of a battlefield.  He opened the door to the stairwell and began trotting up the stairs. 

"Fangora!" he called out, "Fangora?  You here?  Rebecca's in bad condition!  She needs help now!"  Billy reached the top of the stairs and set her down.  He ran around the corner to where the centipede lay.  Where was Fangora?  She said she knew where the anti-virus was.  Where did she run off to?  Billy climbed on top of the dead monster and was about to jump down when he heard screaming coming from the balcony outside.  A loud screech echoed with it.  What was going on out there?  Dust fell off the wall next to the door to the balcony as something slammed into it.  He recognized the screaming.  It was the screaming that erupted from Fangora's mouth when she lost her mind during the centipede battle. 

"She's totally lost it now," Billy thought, "If she gets in here, we're dead!  But if we run, we'll die from the infection anyways and become more of the lifeless shells!  If we run, we might have a chance to find the anti-virus.  It could be laying around in the other clock room!" Billy turned and jumped off the centipede as the noises from the outside continued.  He slung Rebecca over his shoulder again and ran as fast as he could down the stairs and out the door to the main hall. 

Billy stopped to think for a moment after he closed the door to the stairwell.  He remembered where the second clock room was according to Rebecca.  He continued on and started down the stairs of the main hall.  He winced when Rebecca vomited again.  Luckily it was projectile puke so his pants weren't stunk up anymore than they already were. 

Billy started feeling hot and itchy.  He picked up the speed when he realized he was entering the second stage of infection.  As he came to the bottom of the main hall's stairs, a faint voice sounded behind him. 

"B-Billy?" it was Rebecca, "Where..are we?  Why is it so dark?  I…can't…see..anything."

"Oh God!  She's gone blind! Fangora failed to mention that along with the bloody vomit." Billy thought. 

"Where..are we?  Why is it so…dark?" Rebecca questioned using the last bits of her strength, "Did the..power go..out?"

"Best to not scare her anymore than she already is." Billy advised himself. 

"No.  The power's not out.  This is just another dark room." Billy lied.  Rebecca stayed silent after that as they entered the door to the hallway where Rebecca got attacked by the leech monster. 

Fortunately the room was nicely lit from lamps on the ceiling.  Billy cautiously stalked down the corridor, fearful of the nearly invincible leech mass coming out of nowhere.  He turned a corner, his gun raised and ready.  He sighed in relief when nothing came around.  He saw a door, but it wasn't the clock door.  The alert victim walked through it and a terrible stench ran up his nose.  He set Rebecca down on her side and continued around the corner, trying not to breathe in.  There weren't any undead creatures, but the stench came from urinals, sinks, and toilets that hadn't been cleaned in a while.  Billy's vision started getting out of focus again and he felt a fever coming on.  There wasn't anything of use in the disgusting bathroom with some caved-in stalls.  Then he remembered Rebecca had already been in the bathroom and didn't find much except a leech monster and some herbs.  He wiped sweat from this brow, feeling his temperature increase.  He went back to check on Rebecca's condition. 

"Hey Becca," he stated, kneeling next to her limp form, "Can you hear me?  You've gotta stay awake, okay?" No answer from the girl, "Rebecca?" Billy touched her shoulder.  Her body was paling and cooling down quickly, "Rebecca!" he turned her onto her back.  She was unconscious and didn't seem to be breathing.  Billy put his ear up to her mouth and listened for her exhale.  It was there, but faint.  He felt the pulse on her neck.  It was slowing down, "Don't you go dying on me, Chambers!" Billy ordered as he struggled to pick her up again before he left the room. 

As Billy traveled down the remainder of the hallway, his weakness and diminishing strength kicked in.  It was hard for him to distinguish what was a wall and what wasn't.  He stumbled against the wallpaper and nearly dropped Rebecca.  He eventually found the door and opened it.  The small room contained a map of the world against the wall to his right, a screen on the opposite wall, a few long desks with chairs, cluttered books, papers, a clip of handgun ammo and a slide projector on a platform in the middle of the room. 

Billy's vision was almost as bad as the zombies' that caught sight of him.  The undead could only see shadows at a maximum of ten feet away because of their clouded eyes.  The only difference between Billy's sight and the zombies' was that Billy could still see color instead of just shadow.  One curiosity was the question why was Rebecca was completely blind and the once-humans weren't.  Maybe it was the fact that Rebecca made her body work and the already dead probably didn't have much of an opportunity to fight back when they were still human.  Yes, that was probably it, seeing as how Billy's symptoms of sickness were speeding up because he was working the hardest. 

The still-conscious fighter aimed his pistol and pulled the trigger, squinting to see his attackers better.  Six bullets exited the barrel of his gun.  Half missed their targets, but the other three delivered fatal blows.  One bullet killed the closest assailant, via piercing her brain.  The other two defeated the last by boring small holes in his neck. 

Billy dropped to his knees when he felt bile rising to his throat.  Rebecca thumped onto the floor like a rag doll.  The ex-marine started coughing.  A sweet taste entered his mouth and he knew what it was.  The blood spattered from his mouth on the carpet.  More bile was coming into his esophagus and he got on his hands and knees, preparing himself for what was to come.  He vomited longer and harder than Rebecca had.  When he stopped, he didn't even bother to wipe what remained of the stomach acid and blood from the rim on his mouth.  He took the handgun magazine off the desk as he gasped for air.  He slowly clicked it into his empty pistol after he released the dry magazine.  He stumbled to his feet.  He had to keep going.  That's what he had been trained to do for eight years.  He couldn't just sit and wait to change into the undead.  If he was going to die and be one of them, he would go out fighting.  He would keep fighting until he found the anti-virus for himself and Rebecca or until he dropped dead. 

He looked at the projector and got an idea.  He pulled out the two microfilms and put the first one (A) in.  It showed an overhead view of the conference hall behind the "Justice" statue.  Billy put microfilm "B" in the projector and red numbers and letters appeared on top of the desks.  An MO disc and a picture of the conference room with the numbers and letters above the desks came out of the projector.  Billy thought for a minute and came up with a theory: If he put the MO disc in the stand at the front of the conference room, the computer in the stand would probably give him a code that would correspond with the numbers and letters above the desks in the picture.  Then, maybe, he will be able to find the anti-virus and save Rebecca. 

Billy put the two square objects in his pockets before he threw up again.  It took about a minute and a half to catch his breath once more.  When he did, he could barely stand up.  He walked to Rebecca and knelt by her side.  He touched her face.  It was stone cold along with the rest of her body, which was white as a ghost.  Her pulse and breathing were barely there. 

"Hang on, Rebecca," Billy muttered, "We're almost there.  I won't let you die.  Just hold on a little while longer."

"Fangora, why did you have to turn now?  We really need your help." Billy thought.  He picked Rebecca up once more and stumbled out into the hall.  He walked through as fast as he could which wasn't very quick at all.  He turned the corner and gasped when a leech monster formed in from of him and blocked the door to the main hall.  Before he could react, the thing's arm stretched out and slapped him hard across the face.  Before Billy dropped to the floor and fell unconscious, his last thought was, "I'm sorry I betrayed you, Rebecca."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ha!  I leave you at a cliffhanger!  Hee hee hee…it was so FUN writing the parts where Billy and Becca fought!  The next chapter shall come soon because I already have it written down in my notebook that I carry around with me all the time, so I just need to finish typing it and stuff.  And I know I got at least one person's hopes up on the ALMOST non-con!  But it didn't turn into one!  So I laugh at the people who wanted a lemon!  BWA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!  Oh!  And some theme songs for this chapter would be "One Step Closer" and "With You" by Linkin Park!  The songs are on the album called "Hybrid Theory".  And Linkin Park theme songs for characters!  "Runaway" for Billy, "By Myself" for Rebecca, and "Crawling" for Fangora!  They're all on Hybrid Theory.  Also, do you people recommend any fics for reading?  Now review, my wonderful minions!  Review and you shall receive the magic cookie of goodness!