A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall
By evolution-500
Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.
WARNING: This story contains violence, coarse language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.
Chapter One: The Suspect
Redfield levelled his weapon as he moved inside, checking his corners for hostiles. Joseph followed close behind, his Mossberg steady as the duo glanced around, the door closing behind them. They were six feet in when the Point Man abruptly stopped, his attention focused on the body of a chubby man in his thirties near a ruined table. Approaching the fallen figure, Chris kneeled down and studied it, then raised his radio.
"Captain, do you read? Over," he said quietly.
"Ten-four," Wesker crackled. "What's the situation?"
"We're in some sort of dining hall," Chris answered, "but it looks like a table had been pretty smashed up by a fallen statue. We've also found a body, looks like a civilian. Caucasian, mid to late thirties, overweight with a hole in his head. Looks like he was killed execution style."
"Damn." A sharp intake of breath later, the radio continued, "Keep your guard up and revert to radio silence. See if there's anyone or anything else you can find. Good luck. Over and out."
As Wesker lowered his radio, Jill heard a clatter to the right, causing her and Barry to draw up their weapons.
"What the hell was that?" the former said.
"I'll check it out," Barry volunteered as he raised his trusty Colt Anaconda.
Jill frowned. "It's dangerous going alone. I'll come with you."
Wesker raised his pistol. "Alright," he nodded, "I will stay and secure the area."
Jill nodded back. "Be safe, Captain."
Chris peered into the next room. Outside was a corridor with a small square section to the left with two chairs and a coffee table with a lamp, what looked to be a tea room, with a door a few feet away from them. Stepping cautiously toward it, he whirled around toward the other end when he heard someone yelling.
"What the hell?" he whispered.
He tilted his head again, listening.
"That's Kenneth!" Frost whispered. "The filthy bastards must have gotten their hands on him!"
"It sounds like it's coming from in here!" Chris pointed to the door facing the one leading to the dining room. "Come on!"
The Omni Man grabbed the handle, then frowned.
"Damn it, it's locked!" he muttered.
Kenneth yelled again.
"What the hell is happening to him?!" Frost muttered, his face dripping with sweat.
"I don't know, but we need to get to him as fast as possible," Chris said as he got into a stance. "On three. One. Two. Three!"
The duo slammed their feet into the door. Nothing.
"Again," Chris said determinedly. "One. Two. Three!"
They slammed their feet into the handle.
"One more time. One. Two. Three!"
Jill pushed the double doors open, her hands sticky. Glancing around, she studied her surroundings. The room appeared to be an exhibition room or art gallery with blue marble tiles and wallpaper with overhead lamps that shined on some very expensive looking paintings that covered the walls. In the center of the room was a ten foot stone statue of a woman holding a vase, the sculpture entitled "Woman Drawing Water". At the left hand side were a pair of red curtains that were drawn open, while to the right was a brown wooden door. A portrait of a girl sat on a wall between the two paths.
Stepping inside with Barry, the Alphas raised their weapons, carefully moving past the statue toward the left path, the double doors closing behind them.
'Nice paintings,' Jill thought to herself. Whoever lived here certainly had a lot of money. A small part of her felt a little envious.
Drawing close to the wall with the painting, the B&E specialist readied herself when there came a knock outside the wooden door. Barry raised his Colt Anaconda, his eyes narrowed slits as he eyed the door.
Jill reached for the handle, only to find it wouldn't budge.
"Locked," she said quietly.
"Well, looks like it falls to you, Jill," Barry said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of lockpicks.
Jill frowned as she snatched them away from his fingers.
"You stole one of my lock picks?!" she said heatedly.
He raised his hands defensively. "Whoa! I didn't steal, I just borrowed," he said hastily as he rubbed the back of his head, a sheepish grin forming on his face. "...I, uh, forgot the key to my locker and couldn't get my sandwich out. Sorry."
She sighed. "You and your sandwiches," she muttered as she turned to face the door. Kneeling down, she inserted the picks into the keyhole, feeling around. After a minute or two, the duo heard an audible click. "And...done."
"Way to go, Jill!" Barry cheered. "Another victory for the..." He paused. "Uhh..."
Jill grinned as she stood up. "Need help?" she said playfully.
"I got this!" the Weapons Supplier insisted, his brows scrunching up as he tried to think of what to say. "Another victory for the...Master of...unlocking...things..."
He trailed off as she raised a brow.
"...'Master of unlocking things'?" she repeated. Barry pouted as Jill patted him on the shoulder, the woman grinning, "You silver-tongued devil you. You always did have a way with words, Barry."
"Oh shut up."
Jill laughed when there came a sound from the room to the left, causing both Alphas to jump up in surprise.
Looking to Jill, Barry signaled for her to check it out. Nodding to him, the Alpha raised her weapon, then pushed past the curtains.
Stepping into a red room, with red wooden floorboards and wallpaper and white ionic columns, it appeared to be some sort of storage room based on some of the paintings lying around. Taking a left, Jill jerked back with a start.
"Whoa!" she said, startled.
Standing in front of a shelf that had various ceramic, marble and stone busts and paintings was a demon.
A towering figure with a skeletal frame, a pair of huge three-clawed hands and strange bird-like (or fly-like) feet, the creature had pale blueish-grey skin, with a pair of steel chrome horns on the top of its bald scalp.
Protruding out from the sides of its head were long pointed ears, its long, wiry body partially covered with a metallic chassis that had strange hexagonal grid-like markings all over it.
A pair of pronounced pauldrons similarly marked adorned its shoulders, giving it an imposing look.
One monstrous hand was draped over its left shoulder pointing upward, the other tucked underneath, pointing to the floor. Parts of its arms and legs were armored while other parts were barren, revealing what looked like exposed muscle, hoses and wires.
Seeing the latter, Jill lowered her weapon with a sigh.
'Jesus it's just a sculpture!' she thought with relief. 'Albeit a very scary-looking one...'
"You gave me quite the scare, big guy," she smiled.
The statue stood still, not responding to her. Feeling emboldened, Jill approached it, raising her chin up more and more the closer she came.
"Wow, you look absolutely incredible!" she marveled. "Whoever made you deserves a pat on the back! You are HUGE!"
The statue silently loomed, staring at her with cold, pale white eyes.
Jill swept her gaze along its body, studying its handsome humanoid face and long pointed ears.
A long scar ran from one side of its brow down its cheek, while the other side was badly burned.
The visage was impassive, and yet...the Alpha couldn't help sense something. She could only describe it as a sort of concealed ferocity, like a tiger waiting to pounce onto its prey.
Reaching a hand out, Jill curiously poked it in the chest. Looking up at the sculpture, she smiled.
"You are by far the coolest thing I've ever seen!" she commented.
"Jill, are you okay?" Barry called from outside.
"Yeah, I'm fine, the room's clear," she called back, not taking her eyes off the statue. "Barry you have to check this out!"
"What is it?"
"You got to see this!"
She heard Barry's heavy footsteps as he approached.
"Holy-!" The Alpha cut himself off, leaping out of his skin.
"What do you think, Barry?" Jill said, impressed. "Isn't it cool?"
"It's...something," he commented uneasily. "Does this mean that the cultists live here?"
"With this thing here, it would seem so," the B&E specialist shrugged. "It looks so real. What do you think it's made of?"
"I have no idea," he shook his head. "Latex?"
Jill raised up her radio. "Captain, are you there?"
"Ten-four," Wesker answered. "Everything okay?"
"Affirmative," Jill replied. "Barry and I are in some type of storage room, but I think we might be in the cultists' lair - we found a massive statue of what looks to be some sort of demon or demonic god."
There came a lengthy pause.
"A statue, you say?" Wesker spoke again. "Can you describe it?"
"Huge. About nine or ten feet tall with metal horns, wires and giant claws," Jill answered.
"Interesting," he murmured on the radio. "Keep your guard up - if it's an idol, chances are it's of some value to the cultists."
"I don't know if it's an idol or not, Captain," she said truthfully. "If it is, it's not like one that I've ever seen."
"Did you encounter any guards?"
"Negative," she answered. "We haven't seen anyone yet."
"Don't let your guard down," Wesker warned. "It's possible there may be someone close by. Stay safe, Jill. Over and out."
Lowering her radio, the B&E specialist continued studying the massive figure.
"So lifelike..."
Staring at its scarred face, Jill raised a hand up, reaching out. She was just about to touch it when there came a loud moan from the next room, causing her and Barry to whip around with weapons drawn.
"You hear that?" she said quietly.
"Yeah. Let's check it out," Barry said as he raised his weapon and headed back out.
Looking back to the horned figure, Jill smiled.
"Well, duty calls," she said. "See you around, handsome."
Dropping the smile, the B&E specialist narrowed her eyes as she turned around, her weapon ready.
The door flew open. Somewhere Kenneth screamed while another person yelled for help.
"Kenneth!" Frost yelled. They heard a loud thump, followed by more screaming. "Jesus what the hell is going on?!"
"Come on!" Chris urged.
Pushing into the next room, the duo found themselves in an F-shaped corridor with wooden floorboards and green fungal wallpaper. Turning to a door to their left, Chris flung it open.
"Kenneth?!" he called. Pulling back into the F-shaped corridor, the duo proceeded further down and went into a small alcove with a door.
"Kenneth?"
Inside was the stone bust of a tiger.
Moving back outside, Chris frowned.
"Where the hell is he?!" he muttered.
As if in answer, Kenneth screamed again.
"It came from down there!" Frost pointed to the door to the left at the end of the corridor. Upon reaching it, the duo tried to turning the handle again, only to also find it locked.
It was then that Kenneth's screams reached a new level of intensity as he let out bloodcurdling wails of terror and agony.
Joseph looked around, his features withdrawn and haunted.
"Christ almighty, what the fuck are they doing to him?!" he said shakily.
"Help me get this door open!" Chris grunted as he slammed into it. Drawing back, the duo continued to slam into the door, all the while Kenneth screamed bloody murder.
'Jesus, it sounds like those bastards are skinning him alive or something!' The Alpha Point Man thought gruesomely.
After several minutes of ramming at the door, Kenneth's screams abruptly stopped, causing Chris' heart to sink.
Please God no!
"Come on, move faster!" Chris said determinedly.
Three more kicks and the door gave way, revealing a long hallway that curled to the left. Stepping cautiously through, the Alphas approached a door close by. Frost raised his Mossberg, his finger on the trigger as Chris reached for the handle when there came a loud yell followed by a grunt further down, forcing them to draw up their weapons. Edging down with their backs to the wall, the two rounded a corner, peering out.
"Holy shit," Joseph whispered.
Standing further down at the end of the hall beside a staircase leading upstairs was a giant of a man, the biggest Chris had ever seen in his entire life, clad in a long red leather coat that had a raised collar and hood. A pair of silver pauldrons were worn on both shoulders, giving the coat a sort of Medieval look, each marked with some sort of symbol, one of the pieces slightly cracked at the bottom.
The figure was, by Chris' estimates, seven feet tall, with a rail-thin, though lean frame, reminding the Alpha Point Man of either a scarecrow or a big cat, like a panther. His arms were freakishly long and thin, with huge, paw-like gloved hands that had brass rings around each digit, the tips adorned with black claw-like decorations.
"Jesus, look at the size of him!" Joseph gaped in awe.
"He's a big fucker," Chris agreed.
The former squinted. "What is that symbol?"
"What symbol?"
"The one on those shoulder plates," Joseph replied. "What is that, a cross?"
Turning his attention to the shoulder pieces, Chris studied the symbol that featured prominently on them.
"I don't think so," he whispered slowly. "I think that's a...star?" He stared at it for a long time, then nodded. "Yeah. An eight-pointed star."
His back facing them, the suspect's attention was fixed on something upstairs. Staining the wooden floorboards were various body parts and blood, while staring lifelessly in Chris' direction beside the wall to the right was Kenneth's dismembered head.
"We're too late," Frost said with quiet regret.
"Wait," Chris pointed. "Look over there."
Lying on the floor a few feet away, untouched by the bloody carnage and seemingly unconscious, was a girl.
"I think that's the newbie," Chris said.
Joseph raised his shotgun, aiming it at the figure in red. "I'll take him out."
"No!" Chris hissed, pushing the weapon away. "You might hit her!"
Looking to the floor, the figure quickly scooped something up and pointed it upstairs. Chris' heart pounded in his chest, hammering into his ears, threatening to climb out. Lowering the weapon, the hooded giant turned in the girl's direction, taking a step toward her.
Oh no you don't, motherfucker!
"I got this," Chris whispered.
Stepping out from the corner, he carefully and quietly walked down the hall toward the figure. Once he took four steps toward her, the giant started to kneel, causing the Alpha Point Man to quicken his step. When the giant bent over her, Chris bolted, dropping all pretense of stealth.
'You're not getting her, asshole!' He thought.
The floor creaked as he ran. As the hooded figure glanced up from the girl, he started to turn. It was now or never. Letting out an angry challenging yell, Chris swung his right fist with all his might, his knuckles catching the mysterious figure in the eye just as he turned.
POW!
Hearing a satisfying crack, the Alpha Point Man watched as the red-cloaked figure fell to the floor, his body skidding along the ground.
"That's for Kevin, you son of a bitch," Chris said haughtily.
Behind him, he heard Joseph running to catch up. Seeing the figure sprawled out on the floor, the Alpha Omni Man let out a whistle.
"Nice one," he commended. "I think you might have knocked the fuck out of him."
"Check and cuff him," Chris pointed. "I'm going to check on her."
"Okay," Joseph said as he approached the figure in red.
Chris studied the girl. Wearing a green short-sleeved shirt and pants with a white vest, she looked to be the same age as his sister Claire, if not younger, with an oval face that had a short nose and chin with soft cheeks and pink lips, reminding him of a pixie, with short brown hair cut like a boy's.
'Poor kid,' he thought pitiably. From the condition of her clothes and her person, she looked she had been through a lot; not only was the former cut, torn and dirty in places, she also had a bandage wrapped around her forehead.
I hope it's not serious.
He checked her pulse, then sighed in relief. Pulse was normal.
"Hey," he tapped the floor. "Hey rookie! Are you okay?"
She groaned.
"Yo Chris!" Joseph called.
"Not now, Joseph," Chris snapped.
"Chris you've got to see this!"
Raising his eyes up to make a retort, the Alpha Point Man paused, startled by the sight before him as Joseph pulled back the red hood. Although the red-clad figure had a short yet thick mane of silver hair, he was little more than a boy.
Stepping away from the rookie, Chris approached, curious and intrigued. Grabbing a handful of the fallen figure's hair, he gave a tug upward, testing it. His brows knitting together, he started to feel the rest of the youth's face along with his long pointed ears.
"...It's real," he murmured in surprise.
"I know, right?" Joseph nodded. "I thought he was wearing a mask."
"No kidding," Chris said as he studied the youth's face.
The boy was handsome, very handsome in fact, in a dark, old-world aristocratic and wolfish sort of way, if not slightly androgynous.
With his chiseled angular features, thin lips, pronounced cheekbones and chin, along with his slightly long, sharp yet perfectly straight nose, he looked like a white marble sculpture brought to life, although an imperfect one. Deathly pale, the youth had two pairs of very nasty-looking facial scars, one pair running horizontal along his cheeks beneath the eyes, while the other pair ran over and under the eyes themselves, giving him a vaguely clownish appearance.
Tracing his fingers along the horizontal pair first, then the vertical pair, Redfield studied the marks curiously, then paused.
"What are you-"
Drawing back the youth's upper lip, Chris blinked in surprise to see sharp teeth with canines.
"Well," he said slowly, "I think it's safe to say he's one of our cannibal buddies."
"Jesus, look at those chompers!" Joseph muttered. "They look like something you'd find on either a dog or a wolf!"
Pulling his hand away, Chris stared at the unconscious figure in bemusement.
"Who is this guy?" he wondered.
"According to his ID," Joseph spoke, handing him a thick black wallet, "his name is Jack Wolf, age 18. He's some sort of university student from Arkham, Louisiana."
Chris looked through the wallet curiously, studying its contents.
"Arkham?" he repeated.
He had heard all sorts of stories about that place. Originally located in Massachusetts, the town had relocated several times following the Depression before settling in Louisiana. Why was anyone's guess, although there were rumors that the area they resided in was the very spot that the notorious Cthulhu cult had haunted back in the 1920s. Figures that this guy would be from there.
"Long way from home," he mused.
"There's something else, Chris," Joseph said grimly. "I found this in his pocket."
Glancing up from the wallet, the Alpha Point Man froze. In Joseph's hand was a Samurai Edge, but he knew whose handgun it was.
"That's..."
"I know," the Omni Man nodded.
Looking back to the youth, Chris clenched his fists. Rolling him indelicately onto his back and handcuffed arms, the Alpha Point Man pocketed the youth's wallet and started to shake him by the shoulder.
"Hey!" he yelled. "Hey wake up!" Chris then slapped his face. "I said wake up!"
The youth groaned, his eyes fluttering opened dazedly as he winced, trying to adjust his vision.
"What the fuck?" Joseph gasped.
Chris stared, his mouth gaping open in shock at the sight that stared up unsteadily at him. The whites of the albino's eyes were strangely violet and luminescent, the irises slightly lighter in color, but the pupils were what caught Redfield's attention; rather than being rounded, as was typical for a regular person, they were elliptical, reminding the Alpha of either a cat or snake.
"What is wrong with his eyes?" Joseph murmured to Chris, who could only shrug.
Wincing, the albino tried to push himself up.
"Wha? What's going on?" he slurred as he looked around. "Why can't I move my arms?"
"Relax, you're in handcuffs," Chris spoke.
Upon hearing his voice, Chris watched as the albino raised his head and opened his mouth to speak, then suddenly paused.
"Wait a minute," he said slowly, his voice becoming steadier, "...you're Chris Redfield."
Redfield blinked in surprise. "You know me?"
"No," the youth answered, "but I read about you in the Latham Weekly. You're Alpha Team's Point Man."
He then looked over to Joseph.
"And you're Joseph Frost," he said excitedly, "Alpha Team's Vehicle Specialist!"
Chris and Joseph exchanged confused looks with each other.
"I think you might have hit him a little too hard, Chris," the latter said.
"If the two of you are here," the albino said slowly, "then...that means..."
As he trailed off, a look of alarm started to spread across the youth's face.
"Just figuring it out now, huh?" Joseph quipped. "Yeah. That's right. S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team is here, and we're going to kick the ever living shit out of your cultist buddies."
The youth blinked in confusion.
"'Cultist buddies'?" he repeated. Looking at them both questioningly, the albino's eyes suddenly widened in realization. "N-No! This isn't what it looks like!"
"Sure it isn't," Joseph retorted.
"I'm not a cultist!" the albino insisted. "This is a horrible misunderstanding!"
"Really?" Chris said lowly. "So it's just pure coincidence we find our friend dismembered at your feet?"
"Yes, that's right!"
The Alpha Point Man brought up Edward's gun. "Where did you get this? What happened to the man that owned this weapon?!"
"He died," the albino answered, "but-but I swear I had nothing to do with it!"
"Then why. Are. You. Carrying. His. Gun. For?!" Chris snapped threateningly.
The albino opened his mouth, then paused, his eyes widening in alarm at the girl lying on the floor.
"Rebecca!" Pushing himself up to his feet, he started toward her when Chris roughly grabbed him by the arm and shoved him down onto his knees. "Let me go, I need to see if she's alright!"
"She's fine," Chris answered, causing the youth to relax a little. "How do you know her?"
"We met last night on a train called the Ecliptic Express," the albino explained. "She saved my life multiple times."
Joseph raised a brow. "She did, huh?" he said. "Then why did you try to rape her?"
Darting his head up to the Omni Man, the albino's eyes narrowed angrily at him. For a moment, Chris could have sworn that they glowed.
"How dare you accuse me of something so repulsive and disgusting!" He snarled, baring sharp teeth. "I'd never hurt her!"
"Then why is she unconscious on the floor?!" Joseph retorted. "Why is Kenneth dead?!"
"I don't know what happened to him," the youth said, "but you have to believe me, I had nothing to do with either!"
"You lying sack of shit," the Omni Man growled. "You know what I think we should do, Chris? I think a little payback is in order."
The albino looked up fearfully.
"Joseph, back off," Chris warned.
"I'm dead serious, Chris," the Omni Man seethed. "I say we get medieval on these fuckers. You hear me, freak?! Med-fucking-ieval! I am talking Old Testament, wrath-of-God-styled retribution!"
"No!" The youth pleaded.
"Yeah! Oh yeah!" Joseph sneered. "How'd you like that?! You killed our friends, and now you bastards are gonna FUCKING PAY!"
Yelling the last part, Joseph slammed the butt of his Mossberg into the side of the albino's head, causing him to cry out as he was knocked to the floor. Chris grabbed him by the arm.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" he snapped.
"He killed our friends, Chris!"
"I know that!"
The albino struggled to get up. "You're making a mistake!" He said as he sat up. "Please! Listen what I have to say-"
The youth's pleas were abruptly cut off as Frost lunged forward, slamming the butt of his shotgun into the side of his head again, knocking him out.
Chris checked his pulse. Looking up to Frost, he gave the Omni Man a heated glare.
"What the fuck were you thinking?!" he yelled. "He was trying to tell us something, and now he's knocked out cold!"
"Like he'd tell us the truth!"
"You didn't even give him a chance!" Chris snapped. "If we had gotten him back to the Captain, we'd have no problems extracting the information out of him! Christ, you didn't even read him his Miranda rights, dumbass!"
Joseph froze, considering his words.
"...Shit," he muttered, looking up at Chris apologetically. "I...I'm sorry, Chris. I just...I just lost it." He looked nervously at him. "...Let's keep this between us, okay?"
Chris frowned. "Joseph-"
"Please, Chris. I'm begging you."
The Alpha Point Man was quiet for a moment.
"Alright," he said, "but if you pull this shit again, I will report you to the Captain!"
"It won't happen again," Joseph promised.
"It better not," Chris said warningly. "I'll raise the Captain and inform him of our situation."
Raising his radio, the Alpha Point Man pressed the send button. "Captain, are you there? Over."
No response.
"Captain, are you there? Please respond. Over."
Nothing.
Chris frowned. "I'm not getting anything. Let's regroup with the others back at the entrance. I'll carry the rookie. You take him."
"Okay, got it."
Approaching the unconscious girl, the Alpha Point Man scooped her up his arms as carefully as he could, surprised by how light she was. She couldn't have weighed more than ninety pounds. Joseph grunted as he hefted up the albino by the waist, partially dragging the giant's feet.
"Goddamn this guy is heavy!" he muttered under his breath. "He looks so skinny, but he weighs a ton!"
"Quit your bitching," Chris retorted. "Let's get out of here."