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 Ten: Yawn
Rebecca and the others glanced around as they pushed the door open. The room they entered was a long orange winding corridor with a lush red carpet, with a chair, dresser, and table immediately in front of them facing opposite each other, the latter holding some fancy dishware and a vase. To the right of the survivors was a door while the rest of the corridor continued on, curling to the left. Illuminated by some overhead wall-mounted lamps, the lighting had the effect of making everything seem downright hellish. The door itself was especially ghoulish, however, for scrawled - or rather, smeared, - across its frame with messy hand prints was a bloody message.
Rebecca and Star stepped toward it, studying the writing curiously.
"...'Beware...the..." the latter paused, squinting in confusion before continuing, "...Yawn'?"
Rebecca frowned. "That can't be what it says."
"It's definitely how it's spelled." The albino then looked at her. "Is yawning a symptom we have to look out for?"
She shrugged. "I don't know, to be honest."
"Bloody strange symptom if it is," Chris muttered.
"...I don't think it's referring to the disease," said Richard.
"Then what, Richard?" Rebecca asked.
"We'll find out soon enough," Chris answered ominously. "Come on."
Stepping through the door, the survivors found themselves in a grey L-shaped corridor with a massive pillar in the middle. Parts of the wall and the pillar itself were decorated with bits of bronze, the wallpaper cracking and falling off. Brown floors were covered in filthy grey carpets. Moving past the pillar as they turned left, the group approached a door at the far end.
The next room was a small connecting corridor that led straight to a small set of stairs with a landing and a wooden door up top. Stepping toward it, Rebecca and the others jerked back as a zombie emerged from the side, startling them.
"Jesus!" Chris yelled as he struggled with it. After a few minutes of wrestling, the Alpha Point Man managed to do a reversal, putting the creature into a headlock when there came a loud snap, causing Rebecca and Star to wince. After a whole minute passed, the body dropped indelicately face-first to the floor.
"I hate it when those bastards do that!" Richard said as he gave it a kick.
Rebecca looked around nervously. To the groups' left was a tight-fitting corridor with a door at the side. Looking back to the door ahead, the medic took a tentative step in its direction, then paused nervously as she caught sight of old dried bloodstains on the wall.
"Sooo," she began, "...which door do you guys want to open first?"
Richard nodded thoughtfully.
"How about...not the one with the bloodstain on it?" he suggested.
"Let's start with the other door first," Chris gestured.
The others nodded in approval.
Following him down the small corridor, Rebecca watched as Chris pulled the door open. Inside was a small, unlit and dilapidated dining room covered in dust and cobwebs with two shelves and four brown wooden chairs, two of which were lined up against a peeling wall. The other two were placed side by side in front of a small table in the middle of the room, which sat directly beneath a chandelier. On the table itself were some jars, dishes, bottles and various newspapers along with an unlit candlestick holder. Chris reached into his pocket and took out a lighter.
"Let's get some light here," he muttered. After several attempts at getting it to work, Chris flicked the lighter on, lighting up the candles.
Richard nodded approvingly. "That's much better."
Approaching the table, Chris pocketed some handgun ammo while Rebecca tried studying some of the shelves. Finding nothing interesting, she paused, then did a double-take. One of them has a frame hidden behind it, a possible door or passageway.
"Hey guys, I found something!" Rebecca called.
Moving beside the shelf, the medic started to shove it to the side. Once it was out of the way, she and the others entered the passageway, finding a large shelf.
"Oh. Never mind." she muttered, moving aside for Chris as he stepped toward it and pulled open its drawers.
"Hey, look at this!" he smiled, pulling out a box of shotgun shells. "Now if only we had a shotgun..."
"A shotgun..." Rebecca murmured. Looking up with a start, she turned to Star. "Star, do you remember that broken shotgun Gilman had?"
"Yes." he answered.
"What happened to it?"
He raised his chin, trying to recall. "...If I...remember correctly...you had it, Rebecca."
She blinked. "I did?"
He nodded. "I remember because you were the one who snatched it away from him."
Rebecca frowned. Where had she put it?
Her eyes widened.
"Oh no..." she muttered, slamming an annoyed fist down onto her leg. "I think I might have left it in the front yard outside!"
Chris patted her on the shoulder.
"It's okay, rookie," he nodded. "Besides, it probably would have been useless to us, anyway."
Rebecca heard Chris' radio go off.
"Chris, are you there? Over," Jill called.
He raised the radio. "Chris here. Everything okay, Jill?"
"Joseph and I encountered a few zombies here and there, but we managed to evade them," she replied. "That's not the news we wanted to tell you, though - we found a note from Captain Wesker!"
Star whirled around the instant he heard the name while Rebecca's heart leapt.
'Please let my darling be alright!' the medic prayed. 'Please let him be alright!'
"Say again, Jill?" Chris called.
"I repeat, Captain Wesker's alive! Here's the message." Jill began to read the note, "'Special instructions for the disposal of dead bodies - We have new information regarding these "beings". They may appear to be dead but in fact they are able to come back to life. However, there are ways to prevent them from becoming active again. Currently there are two known methods to cease their resurrection. 1) Incineration. 2) Destruction of the head. If further methods are discovered, you will be notified immediately. Meanwhile to those of you who still have the will to live, oil has been placed on the first floor of the mansion. Take as much as you need. You'll need to find something to light it with, which you'll need to find by yourself. Stay safe.'"
Redfield sighed along with Rebecca.
'Thank you, God!' she gleefully thought. 'Thank you, thank you, thank you!'
"Glad to hear he's alright," Chris said with relief.
"Was there any doubt?" Joseph spoke from the background. "The guy's the Terminator - nothing can stop him."
Chris scoffed.
"Have you told Wolf yet?" Jill said from the other end.
"He's heard the news," the Point Man nodded in Star's direction.
"We'll keep looking around and let you know if we find anything else," Jill replied.
"Okay. Over and out." Chris turned to face Star. "Well, it seems the Captain is alright. If there's one thing I can say about your old man, he's a tough nugget to crack."
Rebecca watched as Star's body relaxed a little, the albino letting out a nervous exhale.
"Thank God."
Chris put a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry, kid," the Alpha Point Man smiled. "Your father is going to be okay. He's a hell of a fighter."
Star blinked in surprise at the gesture, then gave a small smile and an appreciative nod.
Giving the albino a pat on the shoulder, Chris nodded back, then turned to where they came from.
"Well, that seems to be all this place has to offer," he said. "Time for the next one."
As the group filed out one by one, Rebecca placed a hand on Star's arm.
"You okay, Star?" she asked.
"Y-Yeah," the albino nodded. "I'm just...glad that he's still alive."
She gave his arm a gentle assuring squeeze. "It's like I said, Star - just have faith. Hopefully everything can and will be resolved."
Star said nothing. Casting one look at the chandelier overhead, the albino youth sighed, then turned around, following after the others with the medic close by.
Once the survivors gathered at the foot of the stairs, Rebecca watched as Aiken climbed up toward the door and reached for the handle.
He shook his head.
"Locked," Richard called.
Reaching into her pocket, Rebecca dug around for a bit before finally pulling out the shield key.
"Try this," she said, holding it out to him. Taking the key from her, Richard gave an appreciative smile.
"Thanks, Rebecca." Looking back to the stairs, he climbed up, then inserted the key. "Hey, it fits!"
Once he finished unlocking, he tossed the key back to her, then faced the door, raising his pistol. The door was just barely open when he drew back, coughing and gagging as he closed it shut behind him.
"Good lord!" he wheezed. "What a smell!"
"What are we talking, mold?" Chris asked.
"Hell no," Aiken shook his head, hacking. "Jesus, it's like a rotting animal carcass! I wonder if this is where they store their beef or something. My God."
Once he finished, the Bravo took in a deep breath, waiting a few seconds before turning back to the door.
"Okay, here goes."
Pushing it open, Richard stepped inside, looking around carefully. When he looked to his right, the Bravo leapt back with a start and recoiled, quickly shutting the door behind him with a look of complete terror.
"Back! Get back!" he said quietly, his eyes wide like saucers. "Don't go into that room!"
"Richard what's wrong?" Rebecca asked.
Richard was shaking so furiously that he looked like a man having a fit. Opening his mouth, the Bravo looked as if he were either struggling to find his voice or to throw up. One word escaped from his lips,
"Snake!"
"A snake?!" Rebecca exclaimed in disgust, her features paling. Now she felt like throwing up.
"Big fucking snake!" Richard said as he quickly climbed back down.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Chris waved. "What are you so worried about? It's just a snake!"
"This is no ordinary snake, Chris!" he shook his head.
Star approached.
"What kind is it?" he asked.
"I don't know, but it's enormous, with huge-ass fangs!" Richard replied.
Rebecca shook.
'It's like in my dream!' the medic dreadfully recalled, her color fading.
"H-How large?" she queried, nervous about the answer.
The Bravo spread his arms wide open.
"That's the size of its head from side to side." he indicated.
Star and Rebecca exchanged nervous looks.
"What?" Chris smiled disbelievingly. "Oh, come on!"
Aiken shook his head.
"No, no! It's absolutely true, Chris!" he said lowly, giving nervous glances to the door up top.
Chris gave him a doubtful look. "Richard, come on. You're exaggerating. Let me take a look."
Just as the Alpha was about to climb up the stairs, Richard grabbed him by the arm, shaking his head furiously.
"No, please don't, Chris!" he pleaded.
Redfield pulled away. "It's alright, Richard. I'll take care of it."
Rebecca watched in dread as he climbed up to the door, then drew it open.
"Now, let's see where GOOD SWEET CHRIST!" Chris suddenly jerked away, startled as he hastily shut the door. Looking back to her and the others, Rebecca watched as he stared at them all with a look of alarm.
"I warned you," Aiken glared.
"It's huge!"
"No shit, Sherlock!" the Bravo hissed.
Star stepped forward. "I want to see."
Rebecca nodded, swallowing nervously. "So do I."
Pushing the door open, Rebecca peered inside with Star and the others. The room seemed to be an attic of some sort, a large spacious area with overhead ceiling beams and columns with thick layers of dust and spiderwebs everywhere. The smell was just awful, so awful that the survivors had to plug their noses with the collars of their shirts. Lying sprawled beside a fireplace at the end with its back facing them, however, was a massive mound. Rebecca stared open-mouth.
"Oh my God," she whispered.
Copperish in color with patches of green, the animal had diamond-like scales with various lesions, tumors and sores sprouting from parts of its body. From its size, the snake must have been forty feet long with a head the size of an SUV car hood, looking as if it was big enough to eat a person whole.
"Look at it!" Star gaped quietly.
"Any idea what kind of snake this is?" Aiken asked nervously.
"From the teeth, I'd say it's a viper of some sort," Star noted. He then looked to Rebecca. "What do you think, Rebecca?"
The medic took note of its features, looking at the tail.
"It looks like some mutated form of Northern Pacific rattlesnake, but the tip of the tail is completely rotted off," she whispered. "Look at all those tumors and sores on its body! I wonder if it's in pain..."
Aiken raised his weapon.
"What are you doing?!" Chris hissed, grabbing his arm.
"Just going to put it out of its misery," Aiken whispered.
"Don't!" Rebecca waved. "Let's go outside to discuss this."
Chris nodded.
Aiken frowned. "Fine."
Pulling back, the survivors quietly closed the door behind them, casting one final glance to the snake.
Rebecca watched as Chris pinched the bridge of his nose.
"This just keeps on getting better and better," he muttered.
"What are we going to do about it?" Aiken asked.
Chris frowned. "What can we do about it, Richard? We don't have enough ammunition."
"Maybe we should call for backup," the Bravo suggested. "I bet a combined effort can take that thing down!"
"Why do we even have to kill it?" Star asked.
The survivors looked at him incredulously.
"Excuse me?" Aiken exclaimed.
"You heard me," the albino nodded. "Why not just leave it alone?"
"What are you, nuts?! Have you seen that thing?!"
"It's not bothering anyone. For now, anyway."
"Yeah, but what about when it gets hungry?" Chris said pointedly.
"Snakes have a slower metabolism than other species," Star explained. "They can go for weeks without food."
The survivors stared at him.
"What? I watch the Discovery Channel," the red-draped albino said innocently.
Rebecca frowned.
"Even if that's true, Star," she nodded, "it's still an infected animal. We don't know what else the T-Virus has altered in its physiology, plus, even if it's locked up securely, there is always the threat of some animal or insect consuming its waste, shed skin or discharge from a popped pustule."
Star looked to the floor, troubled and uncertain.
"...I just don't like the idea of committing senseless, unprovoked violence," he said disapprovingly. "Especially when it's so...unnecessary."
Rebecca put a hand on his shoulder.
"I know, Star," she said. "Neither do I. If it were up to me, I'd leave this thing alone and hope it never bothers us. By the same token, though, Umbrella infected it and left it up here for God knows how long. It's clearly suffering."
Star digested her points. Exhaling, his shoulders sagged.
"Damn," he said quietly. Sighing, the youth nodded. "You are right, I'm sorry." Looking to the door upstairs, his lips curled in disgust. "Bloody Umbrella!"
Rebecca nodded in agreement, then turned back to Chris. "So what do we do?"
She watched as Chris pondered the question.
"Which of you had some experience with snakes?" he asked.
Star and Aiken raised their hands.
"Okay. Have any of you handled snakes before?"
Rebecca watched as the albino took his hand down.
"Any suggestions, Richard?"
Aiken looked curiously to Star.
"You said that you were bitten when you were a kid, right?" he asked.
"Yes," Star nodded with a look suggesting uncertainty as where this was going. "Three or four times on the ankle."
"So in theory you should have some immunity to its bite."
The albino scowled.
"That's not how mithridatism works," he replied.
Chris blinked. "Mithri-what?"
"Mithridatism," Star repeated. "It's the practice of building a resistance to poisons in the hopes of building immunity. While certainly it's possible to build up a tolerance over time to snake venom, it's a slow and gradual process. Even if I have theoretically developed a tolerance to the venom from one species of snake, I am pretty certain that doesn't mean I am immune to the bite of another species."
"Not just that," Rebecca spoke up, drawing their attention, "but I'm also worried about the damage those fangs could inflict without the venom. I mean, they're practically as long as railroad spikes!"
Redfield frowned. "Any other suggestions?"
"Perhaps we could apply something to the door to discourage the damn thing from getting any bright ideas and try to leave," Aiken shrugged.
"Sounds like a great idea," the Alpha nodded. "Now comes the next question - with what?"
Rebecca watched as Richard raised his eyes, knitting his brows together.
"Let's see...um...I heard that garlic and onions are very useful snake repellants. Cinnamon is also supposed to be effective, along with sulfur powder, vinegar-"
Star frowned, drawing his attention.
"What?" Aiken demanded.
"While I am no herpetologist myself, I'm pretty sure none of those are effective snake repellants," the albino replied.
"Well according to my neighbor they worked on a rat snake!" the Bravo retorted.
"With all due respect, Officer Aiken," Star said patiently, "but what works with one species may not work on another. As far as I am aware, there isn't one sure method for repelling all snakes."
"Do you think it could work?" Chris asked.
The albino considered it, then shook his head. "...Well I don't know. I doubt it, but... I suppose it wouldn't hurt giving it a try."
Rebecca felt Chris' eyes on her.
"Rebecca?"
"Vinegar..." Rebecca's eyes widened. "I think there may be some in that dining room back there."
"I'll go check," Richard volunteered as he headed back down the corridor.
"Would poison work?" Chris asked.
The albino looked thoughtfully to the floor.
"I don't know, to be honest," Star replied. "We have no idea if T-Virus-infected animals can even be affected by poison. Assuming that it can, though...I have no idea how much would be needed, especially for something as large as that snake."
Rebecca tapped her foot as she pondered the problem.
"We could try lowering the temperature and freeze the damn thing, but there's two problems."
"And what's that, Rebecca?" Chris asked curiously.
"For one, I have no idea where the temperature controls are around here," she answered, "plus, I'm worried it might try escaping into some other room."
"But surely it's secured in there!"
"Star and I heard something shuffling around in the walls and ceiling earlier, so, unless there just happens to be another snake slithering around that we don't know about, I think chances are that it's managed to find a way to navigate itself around out from that room."
Aiken came back, holding up a bottle of vinegar. "Got it! I'll go sprinkle some on the door."
Rebecca watched as he climbed up the stairs, unscrewing the bottle as he did so. Once he was on the top landing, Aiken started to douse the floor and door with the bottle of vinegar until it was completely empty.
"Okay, that should keep Mr. Snake away for a while." Aiken said assuredly.
He took one step down when the door crashed into his back, knocking him onto the floor. Filling the entire frame with its gigantic bulky mass, the snake lifted its head into the air, its forked tongue flicking around as it stared down at the survivors. Rebecca stood there, staring up shakily, not moving a muscle. She watched as the animal slowly drew its head back, opening its fanged mouth so wide that the creature looked like it was...yawning...
Just as the creature dived toward them, Chris fired, knocking it back as it gave a loud shriek.
"RUN!" he yelled as he helped Aiken up from the floor.
The survivors sprinted out of the room, the creature in hot pursuit as it slithered after them, bullets bouncing off its hide and popping pus-filled blisters open. Making their way back into the pillar room, Rebecca turned her head to see the snake chasing after Star as he ducked around the column, the animal hungrily snapping its jaws, narrowly missing him.
"Star!" Rebecca yelled.
"Get out of here!" Star shouted back as he rounded the pillar, ducking low to avoid the reptile's bite. "I'll try luring it back!" Turning to face the snake, he waved his arms in the air, yelling at it. "Hey! Hey! Hey, over here! That's right! Come and get me!"
She watched as the red-draped albino ran back to the attic, the serpent slithering after him as he bolted. Following after the pair, the survivors watched as the snake single-mindedly pursued him up the stairs. Just as Star reached the top, the reptile lunged.
The moment he saw it lunge in his direction, Star quickly dodged to the side, the animal just barely missing him.
A satisfied smirk crept its way up the corner of one side of the youth's mouth.
'Sorry, but I'm faster. Better luck next-'
The thought was cut off when the albino felt himself jerk forward with a startled yell, crashing down onto his side as he was violently yanked by his left arm.
'What's going on?!' his brain demanded, trying to figure out what happened. Had he miscalculated his timing?
Before the boy had a chance to think, he felt himself being roughly dragged along the floor, causing him to cry out before suddenly finding himself being hoisted several feet in the air with his feet dangling. Looking back to the entrance, he watched as the survivors returned back in.
"HELP! HELP!" Star yelled as he struggled. "It's got me!"
Rebecca worriedly watched as the albino swung helplessly around from the animal's mouth.
'What happened?' she wondered.
Looking to the youth's left arm, she discovered the truth of what had occurred; while he had been quick enough to evade its bite, one of his bags had ended up getting ensnared in one of its damn fangs.
"Star it's got your bag!" Rebecca shouted, pointing to the bag. "Let go of it!"
"I can't!" he shouted back as he wriggled, trying to pry himself loose.
"Let go of the bag!"
"No!"
"It's not worth your life, you idiot!"
"It has my clothes and research notes for my thesis!" Star called back.
Rebecca scowled. That stubborn-
Raising her weapon, she tried to aim, but because the animal was constantly shaking about, it was difficult to get a proper shot. If she wasn't careful, she could end up hitting Star instead.
Lowering it, the girl took a step forward when she felt Chris' hand on her shoulder, holding her back.
"Rebecca what are you doing?" he demanded.
The medic wrenched herself free. "I'm going to save Star."
"It's too dangerous, Rebecca!" Chris protested.
Looking back to the snake and the albino, she studied them, trying to figure out the best method of getting the latter off unharmed.
"Don't do it, Rebecca!" Chris warned.
'Maybe a little weight can help get Star's suitcase loose,' came the thought.
Rebecca took in a deep breath, kneeling low. This was a bad idea.
'Just imagine it's a swing,' the medic thought determinedly. It's a giant swing, not a snake.
This was a really bad idea.
"Rebecca-"
Running toward the giant animal at full burst, the medic jumped up and grabbed Star by his waist, causing him to let out a surprised grunt and look down to her.
Worst. Idea. Ever.
"What are you doing?!" Star called.
"I'm trying to save your life!" she called back.
"Let go! You'll get killed!"
The snake shrieked as it violently shook its reptilian head back and forth. Now they were both swinging wildly.
Chris watched as the two teenagers screamed, Rebecca hanging on for dear life as she squeezed her arms around Star's midsection.
"You gotta be fucking kidding me!"
Hearing Joseph's voice, he turned around to see him and Jill staring open-mouthed at the sight.
"Don't just stand there, guys!" Aiken snapped. "Help them!"
The S.T.A.R.S. members raised their weapons and took aim when there came a crash.
"What the hell?" Chris swore as he and the others wobbled unsteadily.
The floor buckled as something rose from underneath, knocking them off their feet. Looking back up, Redfield's eyes widened in alarm as a gigantic eyeless serpentine head emerged from underneath, roaring loudly.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" Aiken shouted. "Another one?!"
"Watch yourself! We need to-" Redfield was cut off as another eyeless head came roaring out, followed by another, and another, and another. "What...the..."
Five eyeless heads attached to long serpentine necks about three or four feet thick rose twelve feet in the air above the survivors, the necks attached to an immense dark body.
"You have got to be fucking joking!" Jill swore. "This has to be some sort of joke!"
Chris stared in amazement. It was a hydra! A goddamn hydra, like in the 'Jason and the Argonauts' movie he and Claire used to watch as kids! The beast's body was forty feet long and, by Chris' estimates, probably five feet wide. Four of the heads were pinkish bronze in color, looking like the intestines of some giant that were somehow endowed with life and given teeth, while the one in the center was cerulean and horned, like a dragon.
As the heads rose to their full glory, they unleashed a loud, bellowing roar that made the survivors flinch.
"Where did King Ghidorah come from?!" Joseph yelled as he uncovered his ears.
"I don't know, but we need to keep that thing away from those kids!" Chris said as he fired his weapon, the others joining in at this new arrival.
Round after round pounded into its hide with little to no effect as it continued toward the survivors.
"It's not working!" Joseph yelled as he fired his shotgun. One of the heads reared back and lunged toward Chris, the Alpha Point Man ducking out of the way. Chris felt the air displaced as it moved past him, staring at its skin, wincing at the awful stink of its body as its head pulled back, continuing toward them.
"Its skin is too thick!" he yelled. "See if you can find a weak spot!"
He watched as one head lunged for Jill, the others snapping hungrily at the S.T.A.R.S. officers as it slithered seemingly in a slow, deliberate manner.
Before anyone could react, the hydra lunged toward the snake, their multiple heads biting into its neck and body, causing it to let out a pained shriek. Star and Rebecca screamed as they swung wildly from side to side, narrowly avoiding the hungry maws as they tore all around them, their bodies slamming into their armored necks. Tossing its head back in a violent arc, screaming as it was being eaten alive, the injured serpent suddenly whipped its head to the side, throwing the teenagers toward the survivors, the youths rolling along the ground with a grunt. Chris ran forward, kneeling over them.
"Are you two okay?" he asked worriedly. Rebecca winced as she gave a thumbs up. Helping her up, he then turned to Star. "How about you, kid?"
The albino groaned. "A little sore, but I'll live."
Looking back to the snakes, he was surprised to find the two ceasing their efforts. The hydra was curling itself around the other, its tail wrapping with the injured one's tail. It no longer seemed hostile.
"What's going on?" Chris wondered, puzzled by this shift in behavior.
Star got to his feet, turning around to see what he was talking about.
"What is it doing?" Jill asked.
Star paled. "Oh God..."
"What?" Aiken asked.
"I think-"
"What?"
Something slipped out.
The survivors stared blankly ahead.
Jill blinked. "...Is that-"
"Don't. Even. Say it," Chris groaned.
"Ew!" Rebecca said, looking away in disgust.
"This is something you'll never see in a monster movie," Joseph muttered, staring.
"God, I think I'm going to be sick!" Aiken groaned.
The survivors continued to watch.
"...Why the hell are we watching this for?!" Aiken demanded. "Let's leave already!"
"Not until we finish this," Chris said determinedly. "If we let it go, it will breed."
"But they're two different species!" Star protested. "There is no way they can possibly produce offspring!"
Chris aimed his weapon at the exposed part. "I'm sorry, but I can't take that chance."
Firing, he watched as the hydra reared itself up, shrieking, blood oozing along the floor. Darting toward the fireplace, the hydra disappeared, leaving its injured mate behind. Looking back to the other, Chris and the others watched as the animal weakly moved, trying to get away. From the injuries, it didn't have much longer to go on, its movements sluggish.
As Chris raised his weapon again, he paused.
Even though this creature was extremely dangerous...he couldn't really hate it. It was an animal, an unfortunate victim of Umbrella's. At first, Redfield felt like a hero; after all, wasn't this the sort of thing heroes had done in books, movies and comics all the time? To fight the monster and save the maiden? Back at the office, Chris used to imagine this moment, doing something exactly like this, fighting off a giant monster, lion or bear with Jill in his arms, and in those daydreams Raccoon City would be cheering him, proclaiming him to be their savior and hero, with Jill and Claire looking proudly on.
Seeing the dying monster at his feet...at this moment, the Alpha Point Man didn't feel like a hero.
At all.
On the contrary. He felt just awful.
Looking to the other survivors, he studied their gloomy faces as they stared down the fallen beast. Rebecca was crying as the snake painfully breathed, the animal twitching and shuddering. Even Jill gave it a pitying look as its breathing started to slow. Glancing back to his fallen enemy, Chris aimed his weapon at its gigantic slit eye, his finger heavy on the trigger. The attic was quiet and dark, but for a split second, it was disrupted by a flash and a bang. Once the snake ceased its movements and breathing altogether, Chris shakily turned his back away, trying desperately to keep his composure as he holstered his weapon.
Joseph whistled. "That was cold, man."
"It had to be done, Joseph," Chris replied, his voice barely recognizable to himself, trying to convince him as much as he was trying to convince himself. "It was dying. I was doing it a favor."
Keeping his eyes straight ahead, he pushed past the survivors.
Jill watched Chris as he walked on.
"Chris, are you okay?" she asked concernedly.
"I'm fine, I just want to get out of here." Chris replied. "I can't stand the smell. I'll meet you guys at the pillar room, okay?"
Jill could sense something was wrong, but the Alpha didn't bother to push, merely nodding. As he disappeared from view, she looked back to the others.
"Unbelievable," Aiken said as he shook his head.
"I guess we're officially monster hunters now, huh?" Joseph shrugged as he ran his gaze along the snake's body.
"Sure looks that way," Jill replied as she watched Rebecca apply some fresh bandages onto Star's shoulder, the albino's coat and shirt partially hanging from his scarred shoulders.
"I told you this would happen," the medic scolded.
"How was I supposed to know that I'd be dangling up in the air by a giant snake?" Star protested. As she finished, the albino buttoned himself up, leaving the coat open.
"You okay?" Jill asked as she approached the two.
Rebecca nodded. Star picked up his suitcase, his eyes narrowing in displeasure. Part of the bag was dark and soaked. Giving it a sniff, he cringed with disgust.
"UGH!"
"What?" Rebecca asked.
"That bloody snake has soaked the bag with its venom!" the albino growled. Opening it up, he studied its contents, his scarred face becoming grimmer. "Everything in here now stinks!"
"When we get back to the station, you can use the washing machine there," Jill assured.
Pulling out his clothes, the albino studied them. Some of them were torn. Taking out a bag of apples, he gave a sad look.
"My apples..." he pouted.
Looking back to his case, his eyes fell on a book, exhaling miserably. Stabbed straight through the center was a massive fang that had been dislodged from its owner's mouth.
"Goddamn it," Star sighed as he picked up the book. Turning the cover toward him, Jill watched as the youth stared for several seconds, blinking. A minute later, he put his hand up to cover his face, his whole form shaking.
Exchanging puzzled and concerned looks with the others, Jill watched as Rebecca gave the boy a worried look.
"...Star?" she asked hesitantly. Pulling his hand away, Star started to laugh. Jill gave a quizzical look to her, the younger girl merely shrugging before looking back to the albino in concern. "...Are you okay?"
He showed her the cover. Jill watched as Rebecca blinked several times, then giggled, the giggle eventually turning into full-blown laughter. The S.T.A.R.S. members glanced to each other as the teenagers roared in hilarity.
"Uhh guys? Is everything alright here?" the Alpha woman asked.
Star shook his head disbelievingly as he continued to laugh. "It-it had to be this book!"
"What?" Aiken asked.
Jill watched as the red-draped figure turned the book around toward them, showing the survivors the cover.
'A Farewell to Arms' by Ernest Hemingway.
At the sight of the title, Jill and the others burst out laughing, their voices echoing through the attic.
"I hated this book anyway!" Star said between breaths.
As they settled back down, Jill watched as Aiken approached, taking the book from him.
"Well," the Bravo shrugged, "at least you get a souvenir out of this."
Star curled his lip in revulsion. Grabbing hold of the tooth, Aiken jerked his hand back.
"Ow!"
"Richard are you okay?" Rebecca said worriedly.
"Yeah, I just scratched myself with this-"
No sooner had he said the words that Aiken started to wobble unsteadily on his feet, his color draining as he fell backwards.
"RICHARD!"