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.

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Chapter Seven: Hanged Man

The terrace was quiet as Chris and the others uneasily regarded the bird creature with baited breath, both opponents waiting for the first move from the other side.

"How do you want to do this?" Jill asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked. "Kill Rodan before it kills us!"

Joseph nodded. "Fine with me," he said as he raised his Mossberg, smirking. "Who wants chicken?"

Chris watched as he fired, the blast catching the creature in the shoulder, causing it to stagger back with a squawk. Leaping high into the air, the strange beast flapped its powerful wings, flying off the terrace some distance away before letting out a loud piercing shriek.

"Looks like I hurt it," Joseph said with satisfaction as he cocked his weapon.

Just as he was about to fire again, Chris raised a hand.

"Wait," he said. "Do you hear that?"

The Alphas looked quietly around, listening. It started off as a series of distant flaps and flutters, like someone shaking out a thick dish rag, done with a rhythmic beat. Casting his eyes around the terrace and at the trees below, Redfield unconsciously cocked his head to the side as he strained his ears as the sound grew louder. It sounded almost...tribal.

"What is that?" Joseph asked.

Jill looked around, narrowing her eyes. "It sounds like...crows," she said.

It was then that Chris finally heard the cawing, the beat becoming cacophonous and angry.

The orange and purple sky started to darken as an enormous flock of crows flew toward the mansion, the air alive with dozens upon dozens of birds as the moon shined above.

"Jesus, look at them all!" Joseph swore.

Chris felt his ears hurt from the awful racket. Swarms upon swarms of crows were dotting the air, their caws mixing with the rhythmic thumping of their beating wings as they circled protectively around the strange bird creature.

"Open-fire!" Chris yelled.

The Alphas obeyed, firing upon the thick cloud of crows and their master, the blasts striking several of the former from the sky. Crows dashed from side to side, some darting toward the trio as they fired. A couple were already dead as they slammed beak first into the wall and floor around the survivors. One dead crow slammed into Joseph's shoulder, knocking him off balance as he fell to the floor with a yell as he accidentally discharged his shotgun into the door behind them.

"JOSEPH!" Jill yelled as she fired.

The Omni Man struggled to get to his feet when the bird creature suddenly swooped right in and grabbed hold of his shoulders with its feet, lifting him up into the air as crows darted protectively around it.

"HELP!" Joseph yelled as he flailed around. "HEEEELP!"

Chris aimed his weapon and fired, but there were so many birds that it was practically impossible to get a clean shot on his captor. Lifting Joseph a few feet off the ground, the creature slammed Joseph down hard onto the floor, causing him to let go his shotgun with a grunt before picking him up again.

Hanged Man's ear piece went off as it lifted the Alpha into the air.

"Hanged Man Type-041, what is the meaning of this?!" His master's voice said angrily at the other end. "Your orders were to not engage with S.T.A.R.S.! Cease and desist immediately!"

Before it could comply, the creature felt a sharp pain in its side, causing it to shriek.

Jill watched as the round caught the creature, forcing it to let go of their coworker and fly off as he fell back down to the floor, her pistol smoking. The Alphas gathered around Joseph, firing in all directions as they picked him off the ground.

"There's far too many! We need to retreat!" Jill yelled.

"NO!" Chris yelled. "This bastard murdered Forest! It must die!"

"We don't have enough ammo, Chris! We'll get it next time!"

As Chris opened his mouth to respond, there came a moan. Turning back to the railed terrace ahead, he watched in horror as Forest rose back to his feet, his eyes pale and dead.

"No..." Redfield murmured.

Hanged Man's earpiece went off again, causing its ears to flutter and wiggle.

"It seems he has been contaminated," his master spoke. "Collect the subject and disengage from the battle immediately."

Giving a nod of affirmation, the creature swooped down and folded its wings together, gliding toward the zombie, the claws of its hind legs outstretched and ready.

Chris saw the creature heading toward Forest.

"No! NO!" He cried, waving his arms. "GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

Ignoring his pleas, the bird man plucked the undead Bravo off the ground by the shoulders, carrying him up to the sky.

"FOREST!" Chris yelled as he fired his weapon, his shots missing the creature as it flew higher and higher into the air, followed by a thick, cloudy trail of crows.

Lowering his weapon, Redfield watched helplessly as they disappeared into the distance, fading entirely from view, the caws long gone. The only sound he could hear now was his labored breathing and the wind.

"I'm going to get him back," Chris said, his eyes hard and determined.

Turning around to face the door, the Alpha Point Man was stopped by Jill.

"Chris," she said, shaking her head, "there's nothing you can do. Forest is gone."

He opened his mouth to argue, then paused as her words struck him to the core. He wanted desperately to believe that his friend was still alive, that he could be saved.

Surely there was something he could do?! Even if he was undead, there's always the possibility that some part of Forest could still be alive! Wouldn't there?! Surely he could be cured?!

That was when it hit him.

No. Face it, Chris - he's gone. There's no point in living in denial any longer. Nothing you can do will bring him back. If he isn't food for that...thing, then chances are high that the human part of him is gone.

"Shit," he whispered, then yelled, "SHIT!"

Facing the terrace again, the Point Man swept his hands through his brown hair. Pulling his hands away, he kicked a nearby wall in frustration, causing Jill to flinch. Turning back to the front of the balcony, he stared off into the distance, letting out a heavy sigh of regret. Staring off in the direction where the creatures had gone, he didn't bother looking up as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Chris," Jill murmured.

Chris said nothing, his shoulders slumped. "I should have gotten here earlier," he said quietly. "If I had gotten here sooner he'd still be alive."

"If you had gotten here sooner you would have been dead," she replied. "There was nothing you could have done."

He looked down, unconvinced. Looking to Frost, Chris nodded. "You okay, Joseph?"

"Yeah, just a little sore," Joseph waved. "Just a few bruises, that's all."

"We should probably get Rebecca to look at you to make sure and patch you up," Jill said.

He grunted in reply.

"Someone is gonna need to tell her the bad news about Forest," Frost added.

Chris nodded grimly as he picked his radio up from the floor. "I'll do it."

Jill put a hand on his arm. "It would be better if we told her in person," she said.

The Alpha Point Man looked at her, then gave a slow nod in agreement. Giving one final look to the landscape ahead, Chris then turned around. "Let's go."

Rebecca pressed herself against the floor, peering underneath the statue. Shaking her head, the medic stood up and dusted herself off.

"I don't see the emblem under here," she said.

Star frowned as he scanned the floor. "Where could it have gone? The last time I saw it, it was still in the statue."

"Well it's not there anymore," Rebecca replied. "Did you take it by any chance?"

"How?" The albino said incredulously. "I was standing beside you the entire time! There's no way on earth I could I have crossed over without you not noticing."

She nodded. "True." The girl let out a sigh. "Well, unless we happen to find that thing, it looks like we're both stuck here."

Shrugging off her backpack, she took out Trevor's diary along with the one given to her by Chris.

"See if you can spot anything in there," Rebecca said as she handed the latter to the hooded figure. "There has to be something that tells us how to get out of here."

Opening them up, the teenagers scanned through the pages, checking and double-checking for some hint, reference or clue about this room.

"I don't see anything that makes mention of this spot," Star said, shaking his head.

Rebecca frowned. "Neither do I."

"I see a reference to some sort of creature in here, though," the boy noted. "A "skinned gorilla", apparently."

"I saw that too."

"A skinned gorilla..." he murmured. "Do you think this is in reference to the lizard men we encountered?"

She shook her head. "They look vaguely ape-like, but skinned gorillas? I don't think so."

Star's mouth curled grimly. "So another damn monster we haven't seen yet."

"Seems that way," Rebecca nodded as she took back the diary from him and stuffed them into her backpack.

Star glanced over to the window, watching as the horror show in the next room wandered about aimlessly.

"If only those bloody creatures weren't there," he said in annoyance.

Rebecca hummed in agreement as she sat down against the wall, shivering as she put the backpack beside her.

The albino glanced in her direction, noticing her reaction. "Cold?"

She nodded again.

Taking off his red coat, the boy approached and draped it over her shoulders.

Rebecca smiled. "Thank you."

He nodded and gave a small smile back as he sat against the wall opposite her, facing the medic. As the teenagers studied their surroundings, Star squirmed.

"So...any ideas on how to get out of here?" he asked.

"Nope. You?"

"No idea," he shook his head.

"Well, that makes two of us." Rebecca then shifted in discomfort. In the next room, the creatures wailed and moaned a hellish choir, the souls of the damned given horrible voice. "...Star?"

He raised his eyes up to her. "Yes, Rebecca?"

"Do you think there's a God?"

He looked at her. "Why do you ask?" he queried.

She shrugged. "I just couldn't help wondering."

"Do you?"

"I...don't know."

As the silence returned, Star spoke. "Do you think there is such a thing as a soul?"

Rebecca shrugged again. "I don't know. I suppose so, although it's pretty obvious the people at Umbrella don't have one."

The albino scoffed. "Touché."

Rebecca leaned back against the wall. "Do you think there's an afterlife?"

Star studied her.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

The girl sighed. "With all these zombies and monsters running around...with all these people dying around us...it just...made me think about things, I guess," she answered. "I just...couldn't help wondering what happens next. What comes after. Like, when a person turns into a zombie, does their soul leave their body behind and move onto the next plane? Are they permanently stuck inside their own body, unable to move on unless someone puts them out of their misery? Are they...aware? Does a person's soul rot along with their body the more people they kill?...Or...does the soul die the moment they turn, leaving nothing behind but a husk?"

The albino youth nervously shifted in his seat as he considered her questions.

"A lot to think about," he commented. "What do you believe?"

The medic squirmed. "I'm not sure. To be honest," she began, "...I'm...kind of afraid of the answer to that question. If on some level they are aware, that some part of their...humanity...still exists, then I'd...I'd be no different than Umbrella. If nothing remains..." She shuddered, "I hate the idea of killing anything, let alone...justifying it."

Star nodded. "It is an insidious thing, indeed, this 'T-Virus'," he said thoughtfully. "Umbrella couldn't have chosen anything more horrible as a weapon. A weapon that can turn those dearest to us as weapons themselves...stripping them of everything we love about them, forcing us all into becoming murderers..."

He shook his head with disgust, "As much as I hate to give those bastards any form of credit, there is one thing I can acknowledge about them with certainty; they have the unfailing ability to bring out the worst in everyone and use it to their advantage."

Rebecca nodded, then regarded Star quietly.

"...Could you do me a favor?"

"Of course. What is it?"

Rebecca bit her lip. "I've been thinking about what Billy had said," she began. "You know those movies that he talked about? The ones about a group of people going somewhere and getting picked off one by one by someone or something? How it usually ended with a sole survivor or two?"

Star faced her uncertainly.

"...Yes?" he said, uncomfortable with the subject.

"...I was wondering if you could do me a favor...in the event that I don't make it out alive."

The albino stared, then averted his gaze.

"You will," he assured.

"How can you know that?"

Star said nothing at first. Looking up to the ceiling, he exhaled.

"I don't," he admitted, "but, with that said, though...you saved my life. Multiple times, in fact. I owe you a debt, and I intend on repaying it in full."

She shook her head. "You don't owe me anything, Star. I was only doing my job...although...some of the stuff I did was just due to pure...dumb...luck," Rebecca said, shrugging. "Besides, I didn't do all that by myself, you know? Billy, Richard, Captain Enrico...you. It was just all of us working together. I think you would have done fine without me, Star. You have the martial arts training. Me, I'm not an action hero like Sigourney Weaver or anything that exciting or interesting - at best, I'm just a geeky tomboy who was lucky, that's all."

She squirmed. "And..." the medic said slowly, "and I'm kind of worried...that...my luck is going to run out soon."

"Don't say that!" Star said sharply.

"It's true, Star, which is why I want you to do something for me in the event I end up becoming one of those things."

He shook his head.

"That will not happen. You will make it," he said in a low and determined voice, his mouth clenched. "You will get to see your mother again. I will make sure of it. Even if I have to fight through the entire bloody mountain and starve, I'll make sure you that you live through this. She needs you."

The albino looked like he was trying to keep himself in control, but his eyes were watery.

"Star," Rebecca spoke, "if I don't make it...if you happen to outlive me and manage to escape this place...tell-tell my mother that I'm sorry and that I love her. That...I'm sorry for failing her..."

Star looked down to the floor.

"I...am not...going...to let you...die," he said quietly, straining to utter the words.

She exhaled softly. "It's alright, Star. It's okay. You can't control everything that happens, Star-"

"Maybe I can't, but I am not going to sit idly by and let it happen!" he retorted. The albino's eyes then softened and drooped, "Otherwise...it would be the ultimate obscenity..."

Rebecca blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Star trembled. "...The idea...of my outliving you...fills me with dread, Rebecca."

The Bravo medic stared at the albino, taken aback by his words. "Why?"

He faltered, his voice lowering to a hushed volume. For a moment, the albino seemed almost younger. Smaller. More vulnerable, even. "How...can I meet your mother...and explain to her...why...I let...something...so pure and good...be destroyed...while a hateful, blackened thing such as myself...continues to exist in your stead?"

Rebecca's eyes softened as she shook her head.

"Star...you're none of those things," she said in a matching tone and volume. "You're a good person. A kind person...and...I trust you. It's because I do that I want you to help my mother and tell her those things for me in case I die or...become...one of...them. Promise me that you'll do that for me...should that time come."

Star sat quietly, his eyes staring to the floor.

"That time will never happen," he vowed. Closing his eyes, the boy's certainty faltered as he exhaled, "But...with that said...I'll do so...on the condition that...you do likewise for my mother...in the event that it's you that makes it out instead of me."

Rebecca nodded. "I will," she promised.

The albino nodded back, then fell silent once more.

Sighing, he glanced impatiently around. "...I wish this damn thing would open already."

"Yeah," she nodded in agreement.

The teenagers waited awkwardly in the passage when they heard movement outside. Looking to the passage entrance, they pushed themselves off the floor and approached the wall.

"Hello?" Star called.

Nobody answered.

"Can anyone hear me? We need help! We're stuck!"

Rebecca opened her mouth to call out when the room around her spun, her vision darkening as she stumbled and swayed.

"S-S-Star!" the girl choked out.

Star looked back to her. "Rebecca?" he said nervously. "Rebecca what's wrong?"

Rebecca rolled her eyes back as she fell backward.

"REBECCA!" Star yelled frantically as he caught her in his arms, his pulse through the roof. He then looked back to the passage entrance. "HELP! HELP! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP!"

The person said nothing outside. Instead, they casually tested the keys on the piano.

"IF YOU CAN HEAR ME OUT THERE, PLEASE! LET US OUT OF HERE! WE'RE STUCK IN A WALL! YOU CAN OPEN IT BY PLAYING MOONLIGHT SONATA ON THE PIANO!"

Still no answer.

"FOR GOD'S SAKE, PLEASE! THERE'S SOMEONE HERE WHO NEEDS-"

He heard a moan, then looked back to the girl in his arms as she stirred.

"Rebecca?! Rebecca are you okay?!" he said.

Rebecca's eyes fluttered, then opened. At first, Star felt a surge of relief, but that quickly passed when she looked up at him.

'Her eyes...what's wrong with her eyes?!' he wondered.

One of the things that made Rebecca so attractive to the albino were her eyes; staring into them, it was like stepping into a forest, full of life and energy. Staring into Rebecca's eyes had a sort of strange rejuvenating effect on the albino. Now, though...it was inexplicably...different; even though the girl herself looked unchanged, her eyes didn't shine like it used to. In fact, nothing of the mischievous spirit or warmth she possessed were present, if at all. Instead, she looked up at him with dull cold eyes, her expression like stone.

'What's happened to her?'

Withdrawing his hands, Star watched Rebecca as she stood there, staring up at him.

"Rebecca?" he said quietly. "Rebecca, are you alright?"

She didn't respond. Outside, the mystery person started to play an unknown tune on the piano*. Turning to the entrance, he listened to the song, tilting his head to the side in concentration as he tried to identify it. Unable to do so, the albino curled his lips in disgust. Although the song sounded almost classical, the tune was cold and sinister...and yet...something about it made Star's body stiffen and on edge as the music started to build and swell.

Feeling something caress his cheek, Star glanced back in surprise to see Rebecca touching his face, causing him to let out an involuntary shudder of disgust. Even her touch felt wrong...

"Rebecca what are you doing?" he said as he gently pried her hands away.

Grabbing his chin, the medic turned his face to the side as she suddenly licked his scars. There wasn't anything romantic or erotic about this; the moment her tongue touched his face, it created a visceral reaction of disgust that surprised even the albino himself as he pushed her away.

"Rebecca STOP!"

As the girl stumbled backward, she looked up at him and smiled. God, even her smile wasn't the same! It was a cruel smile, a cold predatory grin that looked out of place on the girl's face. Rebecca never smiled that way, not even when she had pretended to be on Kenneth's side.

"What's the matter, little Star?" she said in a voice that wasn't hers. "Don't you want to fuck me?"

Star eyed the abomination before him, his hair standing on end.

"Rebecca," he said hoarsely, "if this is a joke, it's not funny."

"Rebecca" laughed.

"'Twinkle, twinkle, little star,'" she sang,
"'How I wonder what you are!'"

"Stop it," Star said quietly, his skin paling.

"'Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.'"

"Stop it, Rebecca," Star repeated.

"'When this blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, through the night.'"

"Rebecca, please stop this," he pleaded.

"'Then the traveller in the dark
Thanks you for your tiny spark;
He could not see where to go,
If you did not twinkle so.'"

Star eyed the girl in front of him, appalled and terrified.

"...Who are you?" he demanded.

"Rebecca" merely smiled.

"'Though I know not what you are,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.'"

The girl's grin widened as she took out her pistol.

"Let's play a game, little Star," she sneered. "It's called 'Who gets to die first?'"

"Stop this, Rebecca!" he yelled, eying the weapon in her hand with alarm.

"Will it be you?" She raised the weapon, aiming it at him.

"Rebecca, let's talk," Star said cautiously, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "Put the gun down."

The medic then pointed it at herself, still smiling.

"Will it be me?"

"Rebecca please!" he yelled.

"Ah ah ah!" she finger-wagged. "Not until you decide!"

"Point the gun back at me! Rebecca I beg you, please point the gun back at me!"

"Rebecca" laughed, the sound cold and obscene, a bastardization of the Bravo's medic's voice.

"How pathetic," she said. "Oh how I enjoy watching you suffer, little Star! I have been waiting for this moment for some time! Now you shall have a taste of the pain that I have endured!"

Her finger started to squeeze the trigger.

"REBECCA DON'T! NO!" Star screamed as he ran toward her.

Click.

"Rebecca" blinked in confusion, then snarled as she tried pulling the trigger again. As Star shakily took the weapon from her, the albino let out a sigh of relief. Apparently she had the safety on.

"That's enough, Rebecca!" Star said, his face damp with sweat, his throat constricting, his chest feeling like his insides were being squeezed.

The girl looked at him with a horrifying expression of fury and hatred, a look he had never seen before on Rebecca's face, not even when she talked of Marcus, nor even when she talked of her hated father. Just as she opened her mouth to make a retort, Rebecca let out a strangled cry of pain.

"Rebecca?" he said in confusion.

The girl fell forward, her eyes closed.

"REBECCA!" Star yelled as he caught hold of her again, carefully lowering her to the floor. "Rebecca?! Rebecca?! Rebecca are you okay?! Please say something!"

The medic stirred, then opened her eyes.

"Star?" she said, puzzled.

"Are you okay, Rebecca?" he asked as he eyed her nervously.

Rebecca groaned as she massaged her head. "What happened?"

"Don't you remember?"

She shook her head.

"I remember blacking out," Rebecca answered. "Why? Did something happen?"

Star studied her, carefully. Her eyes and voice seemed to have gone back to normal.

What on earth was that? Was she infected?

'Don't be ridiculous,' he said to himself. Diseases didn't make people behave that way. T-Virus certainly didn't; if she had been infected, she would have tried to attack and bite him, not taunt and play games with him like that.

Rebecca didn't seem to be schizophrenic, nor did it seem like she had multiple personality disorder... and yet...what he witnessed was so utterly abnormal.

"Out of curiosity, Rebecca," he began slowly, working up the courage to ask, "...are...are you on any sort of medication?"

She blinked. "Um. No, not at all," Rebecca replied.

'It must be the head injury from the crash,' he rationalized.

Perhaps damage had been done to the frontal lobe, which was the part of the brain responsible for motor function, problem solving, spontaneity, memory, language, initiation, judgement, impulse control as well as social and sexual behavior. That could explain what he saw.

'Could she be getting worse?' he wondered worriedly. If so, she needed to see a doctor immediately.

"Star?"

Hearing his name, the albino shook himself from his thoughts.

"Star, did something happen?"

He hesitated. "Yes. You were...behaving strangely."

Rebecca pushed herself up. "What do you mean?"

Star regarded her curiously. "Truly, Rebecca, do you remember nothing at all of what you said or did?"

"No, not at all. Why?" she said honestly. Rebecca's eyes then widened in alarm. "Did I hurt you? Oh God I did, didn't I?"

Star smiled. To hear and see the warmth in her voice and eyes return was such a reassurance to the albino.

"No," he answered. "Well...for a moment it seemed as if you were about to."

She lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry," Rebecca said in a quiet voice.

Star kneeled down beside her, putting a hand onto her shoulder.

"I'm just glad you're alright," he said. "I was so worried about you."

"I wonder if the train crash gave me brain damage," Rebecca said as she anxiously ran her fingers along the bandage on her forehead.

"I'm not sure," he said honestly. "You seemed to be very steady and coordinated on your feet."

She then raised her eyes up to him. "Star...I'm scared."

He gently squeezed her shoulder. "So am I," he nodded, "but...I promise...no matter what happens...if you ever need me...I'll be by your side."

Rebecca looked at him sadly. "Why? I'm a potential burden and danger to you and everyone here. Why would you want to be anywhere near me even after what I did?"

"You're not a burden. You never were." As Star stared into her green eyes, a war waged within him.

'Tell her how you feel,' one side urged.

'No, don't!' The other argued. 'Now isn't the time!'

'You're alone. She will be spared any sort of embarrassment.'

'No you wouldn't! Do you expect her to feel flattered that a literal circus freak has fallen in love with her?! You will only mortify her.'

'But you're not thinking impure thoughts about her. What you feel isn't lust, but love, chaste and true.'

The albino closed his eyes.

'Yes,' he thought, 'I love her. But...if I were to confess and she rejects me...I'll lose her friendship. I value that too much.'

Part of him felt disgusted by his own cowardice, but what else could he do?

Star exhaled sadly.

'She deserves better.'

Rebecca watched Star's face in confusion. He looked like he was struggling to say something, as if he were debating with himself over something, his eyes sad.

The medic lowered her own as she began to fear the worst.

'There must be more to my condition that he isn't letting on about,' she thought.

"Rebecca?"

Lifting up their heads, the teenagers looked to the entrance.

"Wolf?" Jill called.

"Where did they go?" Joseph muttered.

"We're in here!" Star and Rebecca yelled.

"The fuck?"

"We're here!"

"It's coming from over there!" Chris said.

Rebecca heard a series of footsteps.

"Rebecca? Wolf?" Jill called.

"We're right here!" Rebecca called back.

"How did you get in there?!"

"You have to play the piano to get this thing open!" Rebecca said. "Just play 'Moonlight Sonata'!"

"Okay, got it!"

Rebecca heard the footsteps recede, then the piano as the tune was performed. After thirty-seconds of fluid playing, the song stopped. Rebecca watched as the wall rumbled back up.

"Finally," the Bravo medic sighed. Pushing herself up to her feet, Rebecca staggered, causing Star to grab hold of her and act as support. "Again this feeling..."

"Do you need help, Rebecca?" Star asked in concern.

"Just guide me over to the piano bench, if you please. Also, can you grab my backpack?"

The albino nodded and complied.

"Are you okay, Rebecca?" Jill asked the two as they exited the hidden room.

"I'm fine, I just need a moment," Rebecca waved as she was carried over to the bench. "I think the blow caused by Kenneth earlier must have caused me to faint."

"Do you mind if I take a look, Rebecca?" Chris asked.

"Can I sit down first?"

The Alpha Point Man nodded, helping Star move her to the piano bench.

Once she settled down into her seat, the medic gave a sigh of relief, then handed back Star his coat in exchange for her backpack as Chris examined her.

"Do you feel any deformities?" she asked worriedly.

He checked her pulse, eyes, then felt around her scalp.

Once he finished, Chris pulled away, shaking his head. "Just a small bump, but nothing serious," he replied. "You'll be okay."

The medic sighed, relieved.

"So how did you get stuck in the wall?"

"We were just playing music when this secret passage opened," Rebecca explained as she shouldered her backpack. "We went in to investigate, then just...got...stuck."

"You tripped some sort of security system?" Joseph asked.

"No, not at all," Star replied as he put the coat and hood back on. "The emblem in that statue down there had been removed, shutting us in."

"Emblem?" Jill repeated.

"Yes, it looked like a gold shield."

She raised her hand, showing the item in question. "Is this what you're talking about?"

Star took the emblem, studying it in his gloved hand.

"Yes! That's exactly it." the albino raised his eyes to her curiously. "Where did you find it?"

"It was just on the keyboard," Jill replied.

Star blinked in confusion. "But...how is that possible?"

"Well obviously you two placed it there," Joseph said matter-of-factly.

"That's impossible," Rebecca shook her head. "Neither of us touched it."

Star looked around, puzzled, then froze.

"What?" Rebecca asked.

The albino raised his eyes back to the others. "By any chance, were any of you down here by the keyboard earlier?"

Chris shook his head. "No, we were dealing with some sort of creature upstairs."

Rebecca watched as Star held his chin thoughtfully.

"Then...who was playing the piano?"

Jill shrugged. "Maybe Barry stopped by," she suggested.

"If he had, he wasn't being helpful," Star said. "I was yelling at the top of my lungs for whoever was out here to get us out from that room."

"Did the person say anything?"

"Not a word," the albino shook his head. He cocked his head to the side as he looked back to Chris. "You said you encountered a creature. A lizard man, I suppose?"

"No, a bird man, actually," Redfield replied.

Rebecca and Star exchanged puzzled looks with each other.

"Uh, sorry," the former said slowly, perplexed, "but...did you say a...bird man?"

"Yeah," Chris nodded, "but that's not the news I was going to tell you." He cleared his throat, "I'm afraid I have some bad news, Rebecca. It's...it's Forest."

Rebecca's eyes widened. "You found him?"

The Point Man's eyes fell. "We did. So did the bird man."

The girl lowered her eyes sorrowfully to the floor. "I see," she said quietly.

"I know it's a lot to take in, but we'll get through this, Rebecca," Jill assured. "Just stay here for a little while-"

Rebecca shook her head. "Honestly, after being stuck in that room, I'd feel much better if I got out of here."

"Okay," Jill nodded. "Well, maybe you two could wait back in the main hall while we check around the west wing for a bit. If you're interested, there's an art gallery that's worth checking out. Who knows? Maybe you two could find something there that Barry and I missed."

"We'll do that," Rebecca nodded.

As the Alphas turned around, Jill waved. "Stay safe, Rebecca."

"You too, Jill."

The Bravo medic watched as the rest of her coworkers disappeared through the doors. Once they were out of sight, Rebecca looked sadly away, folding her arms together.

"What's wrong?" Star asked quietly.

She shook her head regretfully. "I feel so helpless," Rebecca admitted. "So...useless..."

Star put a hand on her shoulder. "It's not your fault, Rebecca," he said softly. "Blame Umbrella, not yourself."

She shook her head sadly. "I know, but it's just...I let Forest down."

"You did your best."

"Well, my best wasn't enough," Rebecca said as she wiped her nose and eyes. Taking in a deep breath, she sighed. "Could I see the emblem?"

The albino complied with her request. Taking it, Rebecca studied the emblem curiously. On the shield were a pair of winged dragons that bordered an iron cross in the center, the cross emitting diamond-like shapes from its inner corners, which had the effect of making it resemble the Umbrella logo. Surrounding the dragons were some lettering, but Rebecca couldn't make out what it said.

"Any idea what this is?" she asked, pointing to the lettering.

Star peered at it. "It's Greek," he answered. "Oso ypárchei zoí, ypárchei elpída. 'While there is life, there is hope.'"

Rebecca scoffed. "Talk about karma," she muttered, stuffing the emblem into her pants pocket.

"Couldn't have come at a better time, in my opinion," Star said with some amusement. "Even though everything about this situation is awful...maybe we should heed its message and take heart in the truth behind it. Use it to help us push forward."

She shook her head. "I don't like it, Star," she said. "I get the feeling that the reason why Umbrella put it there was to deliberately mock us. Laugh at us. Like they're playing a sick game with us or something, just like they had with George Trevor."

The albino considered her words. "You may very well be right," he nodded. "That said, we only have two options. One is to stay here and wait for the end to come...or...we could move forward, fight as long and as hard as possible until we all find a way out of here."

"We could all end up getting killed," Rebecca pointed out. "Or worse."

Star nodded. "We could," he conceded.

"Even with that threat over our heads, you'd still want to move forward?"

Star looked at her. "To be honest...I'm terrified. I'd rather not wade through the bowels of this infernal place. But...I'm much more afraid of what would happen to you and Father. If doing so can save you both...even...even if it costs me my life...then...so be it."

Rebecca gave a sad smile. "You're sweet," she said. Pushing herself up, Rebecca tested her legs. "I think I'll be okay."

"Are you sure?"

She gave a thumbs up. "I don't like our odds," Rebecca said, "but I think we'd probably better our chances of survival if we were to find Captain Wesker. If anyone can get us out alive, it's him."

Star nervously exhaled.

As he did so, Rebecca, put a hand on his arm. "Hey. Don't worry," she assured. "I'm sure Captain Wesker will be pleased to meet you. Everything will be alright."

The albino regarded her quietly, then nodded.

Once he finished collecting his suitcases, the teenagers quietly left the bar, proceeding onward into the quiet night.