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 Fourteen: Oddities

Barry raised his trusty Colt Anaconda as he lined himself against a wall, peering from around a corner. Splotches of moonlight seeped through nearby windows, spilling out its rays onto the floor ahead of him. Thunder rumbled outside, the wind whistling a harsh tune.

The Alpha steadied his breathing as he waited, concentrating on his surroundings, his finger anxiously massaging the hair trigger of his weapon.

Barry had no idea why he was behaving the way he was. It had all started fifteen minutes after his departure from Wesker. At first, everything seemed normal - well, relatively normal under the given circumstances. As Barry progressed, however, the Alpha suddenly became aware of a...wrongness. It had been subtle, and yet, he felt it just the same. Giving the corridor a once over, he had merely shrugged and moved on, dismissing it. As time passed, however, the more palpable that feeling became. Barry tried to tell himself that he was being irrational, that his imagination was running wild, but...he couldn't.

Something was off.

Looking around, Barry tried to pinpoint the source of this uneasy feeling, but for the life of him, he just couldn't figure it out. And yet...his instincts were telling him, screaming at him, that he needed to find cover. Cocking his head to the side slightly, he strained his ears to hear some indicator to justify this sensation.

Something to suggest that he wasn't alone.

His lips tightening into a firm line, his eyes narrow slits, Barry waited a minute, then two, then three, holding his breath as he counted.

The wind moaned lowly, causing tree branches and shrubbery to scrape and knock at the walls and windows outside.

Remembering to breathe again, Barry lowered his weapon.

Just his imagination, that's all. Just- wait.

Barry concentrated.

Did he just hear something?

Barry looked around.

He could have sworn-

The Alpha sighed. Nothing but shadows.

This goddamn place was getting to him. Giving a dismissive huff, Barry continued onward.

Fucking Wesker.

Chris carefully pushed the door open, peeking into the room. A zombie was feasting on some guy's remains, its back facing him. Aiming his weapon, the Alpha fired, the round striking the back of its head, causing it to jerk forward. Pushing itself up, the undead creature drunkenly staggered around as round after round struck its dome. By the seventh round, it collapsed back down to the floor.

"All clear," he nodded.

Moving toward the fallen figure, the survivors stared at the bodies.

"Well," Chris started, "I guess we have to dispose of them now."

Nobody acknowledged what he said.

"Anyone have a lighter?"

Richard checked his pockets, then pulled out a small box.

"I have matches," he offered.

Chris exhaled. "They will have to do." The Alpha Point Man sighed, shaking his head slowly. "...I'm not looking forward to this part."

Taking in a deep breath, Redfield then lit a match, staring at the tiny flame.

He really wasn't looking forward to this part.

"...Well, here goes nothing."

Lowering himself, he proceeded to ignite the cadavers, then backed away.

As the fire slowly spread, the survivors started to cough and cover their noses, some of them making gagging noises.

"Oh my God!" Star gagged as he whirled around and retched. As he did so, others started to join him, turning away to avoid spewing on each other. Not a single person in their group was immune.

"Jesus Christ, that smell!" Frost swore, spitting onto the floor.

"I don't think I'm ever going to eat meat again!" Richard groaned.

At the mention of food, the group renewed their regurgitations. Several minutes later, once the fire died down and they ceased throwing up, the hapless survivors gathered themselves up, letting out disgusted groans in unison.

"God, we have to do that for every damn zombie we encounter?" Star shuddered. "That's horrible!"

"I know," Rebecca agreed as she wiped her mouth.

"There's gotta be a better way than this," Richard said. "There's no way I'm doing that again!"

"Yeah, fuck that!" Joseph nodded.

"It's either this or we let these fuckers mutate," Chris said grimly. "I don't like it any more than you guys, but it's necessary, so we'll need to get used to it."

Rebecca shook her head. "There's no way on earth I can do that. Once is far too many times for me."

"Same here," Star replied. "I don't want to go through that again."

The Alpha Point Man sighed. "I'll tell you what - in the event that I have to, I'll give you two a warning in advance and let you move away until it clears. Deal?"

The teenagers looked at each other, then back to Chris, nodding.

"Deal."

Chris nodded back. "Alright." He gestured to the door ahead. "We're almost there, guys. Just stay strong."

The survivors turned away from the charred remains, disturbed by this new experience.

Pushing into the next room, Chris paused.

"Something wrong, buddy?" Richard asked.

Redfield pointed to the floor ahead of them, drawing gasps and murmurs. It was stained with blood.

'Had this been here this entire time?' he wondered.

"What the?!" Rebecca gasped.

"Jesus, had it always been that stained?" Joseph muttered. "How could we not have noticed that?"

Rebecca looked like she wanted to faint.

"So much blood!" Richard murmured. "Is this all Kenneth's?"

At the mention of their fallen coworker, Chris then recalled Star's description of what happened, which in turn made him recall that experience in the dining hall. That creature.

Turning around to face the albino, Chris scrutinized the youth.

Star swallowed nervously. "I swear...I didn't do this." It sounded hollow, as if he were trying to convince himself just as much as he was trying to convince the others.

"Then what did happen here?"

Star looked at him. "I already told you."

"You're sure you're not responsible for this, Junior?" Joseph said uncertainly.

The albino shook his head.

"There is no way I would have been able to do so," he replied. "I would...never do such a thing."

"...You said that this "Magician" thing was responsible, right?" Chris asked.

Star nodded. "Yes."

"Are you sure you saw it?"

The albino silently glared.

"Just be straight with me, kid," Chris said. "Did you kill him? Just tell me the truth."

Star was still for a moment, then answered in a quiet voice, "...It was a quick glance, but I saw it. One moment he was standing there, the next...he was gone."

The survivors exchanged nervous looks with each other.

Chris studied the bloody pool. It's possible, he reflected, that the kid had a psychotic break and just killed the guy. Or perhaps that zombie with the axe had killed Kenneth, as Barry had suggested. He refused to believe that that...Magician thing...that ordeal, had actually happened. Swallowing, Chris gave a wave.

"We should get going, guys," he spoke. "Come on."

As they departed, Chris' boot pressed into the blood-soaked floor.

Chris' eye twitched at his latest discovery. "Goddamn it."

Upon returning to the west terrace, the survivors discovered the doghouse in ruins. There was blood everywhere.

"The hell happened here?" Joseph asked.

"I'm guessing that bird thing ate the dog," the Alpha Point Man replied.

Joseph sighed as he took out the dog whistle.

"Well, I guess we don't need this anymore," he said. Rearing his arm back, the Omni Man was just about to throw it away when Rebecca put a hand on his arm.

"Wait. Can I have it?" she asked.

Joseph blinked. "Why?"

Rebecca shrugged. "It could still come in handy."

Joseph gave her a curious look, then gave a nonchalant shrug back.

"Whatever. It's all yours, rookie," he said as he casually tossed it to her.

Chris watched as Rebecca caught the whistle and stuffed it into her pocket. Once she finished, he turned to address everyone.

"We need to find that dog collar. I need everyone to spread out and see if it's around here somewhere."

"Yes, sir!" Rebecca saluted a little too enthusiastically. Feeling everyone stare at her, the girl timidly placed her hand back down. "Um...sorry."

Chris gave a wave. "Don't worry. Everyone stay in sight."

The survivors separated, wandering along the terrace as they searched every corner.

'I hope it's worth the effort.' Came the thought.

Rebecca wandered around, squinting at the floor.

"Where is it?" she muttered aloud.

Did the bird creature take it? If so, then they'll need to find it, and Rebecca wasn't looking forward to that.

"See anything, Star?" Rebecca called.

When he didn't answer, the medic raised her head and looked around, then paused as she spotted the albino. His back facing her, Star was staring out at the terrace.

'What's with him?' she wondered. "Star?"

No response.

"Star?"

"What's going on?" Chris asked.

"I don't know," Rebecca replied. "Star?"

When he failed to answer, Rebecca began to worry and started to move toward the edge of the terrace, approaching the albino as he stared blankly down to the ground below.

"Star?"

Star was still as the memory came to him.

He was standing on the top balcony of the hundredth floor inside a grey building, coolly observing the white tiled marble foyer down below.

They were coming. A man and a woman were making short work of the defenses that guarded the entrance.

Clenching his swords, he climbed up onto the rail.

It was time.

"Star?"

Star blinked, looking around in confusion. "Wha?"

Rebecca studied him. "Are you okay?"

What are these visions?

"Y-yes," the albino said hesitantly. "I'm fine. I just...it's nothing. Sorry."

Chris watched as Rebecca opened her mouth to respond when Richard called.

"I got it!"

Turning to face him, he saw the Bravo holding up the dog collar in the air.

"Finally!" Frost sighed.

Chris nodded appreciatively as Richard approached and handed him the collar. "Thanks, Richie."

"No problem," Richard nodded back.

Rebecca sighed. "Okay, we got the dog collar. Now the next question - what now?"

Redfield opened his mouth, then paused, frowning.

"...Good question." Raising up the collar, he started to examine it, tilting it at different angles before suddenly noticing something. "That's odd. There's a switch here."

Pressing it, he watched as part of the collar flicked upward revealing a...coin?

"The hell?" Joseph muttered.

Taking the coin, Chris examined it under the light. A strange-looking coin with an octagon carved into the center.

"Weird," he commented. Noticing a switch, he pressed, then watched as a key distended out from the coin itself.

Redfield blinked. "Uhh…" He and the others gave each other perplexed looks.

Star stared. "...Did...the coin just...suddenly become-"

"Yeah," Chris nodded, completing the thought.

"So, the dog collar can turn into a coin, which in itself turns into a key," Joseph deadpanned.

"Yeah."

Rebecca shook her head disbelievingly. "Got to love Umbrella. Only they could come up with something so stupid and redundant."

Chris shrugged. "Well, at least we got a key."

Star chuckled. "Just watch, it turns out the key isn't really a key but rather a gun."

The Alpha Point Man scoffed. "Wouldn't that be handy."

"I bet it turns into a robot like a Transformer," Rebecca said jokingly.

Chris examined it again to make sure, then shook his head.

"Nope," he affirmed. "Just a key. Now we just have to figure out where this goes. Let's check the other rooms."

The first room the survivors found themselves was a winding corridor filled with mirrors. Two of them had been shattered by what looked like gunfire, but it was the bloodstains in front of a door that drew Chris' attention. Kneeling down, he studied it curiously.

"I wonder what had happened here?" he thought aloud.

Straightening himself, Redfield then gestured for everyone to follow him through a door, proceeding on in their endless journey.

In the next area was a grey room with a set of stairs leading upward. Beside the door was a set of medieval armor with an inscription on the shield.

Star frowned. "'Death is only the beginning.'"

Joseph nodded. "Oh yeah, I have a really good feeling about this," he said sarcastically. "How about you, Chris? Feel anything? No? Well, let me tell you, buddy - from the tingling in my balls, I have a really, REALLY good feeling that we are well and truly fucked."

"Joseph shut up," Chris snapped. "Let's take it slow. For all we know we're panicking over nothing."

Climbing up the stairs, the survivors found another set of armor to the right, one that had a bladed and spiked shield with another ominous inscription.

"...'Death is the true essence of bliss,'" Star said distastefully.

"Christ, this Spencer guy is nuts," Richard muttered. "Full-blown fuck nut."

"He really seems to be obsessed with death," Rebecca shook her head.

Chris glanced to the floor, then kneeled down. There were a pair of parallel tracks indented into the ground.

"...Are these...tracks?" he wondered.

The survivors looked down in surprise, murmuring amongst each other.

"The hell?"

"Why are there tracks here?"

"What purpose could they possibly serve?"

"Do you think there's a secret tunnel around here or something?"

Chris studied the tracks curiously, shaking his head. Place just keeps getting stranger and stranger. The tracks extended all the way down to the other end of the corridor, curling to the right. Walking slowly along the trail, the survivors followed where they lead. Turning right, they continued on until they all stopped before a raised segment of flooring with a key inside.

"'May whoever take this emblem find peace in death,'" Star read the inscription.

The albino reached for the key when Rebecca slapped his hand.

"What was that for?!" he hissed.

"Haven't you ever seen 'Indiana Jones'?" she retorted. "Oh gee, a key with an ominous message written. I wonder if it's booby-trapped?"

Star opened his mouth to respond, then frowned. "...Good point."

"We still need it, Rebecca," Chris replied.

"Do we?"

Redfield tried to say something, but stopped.

"I...don't know," he conceded.

"Let's just check the door at the end and get out of here, okay?" Rebecca said nervously. "I don't want to hang around here."

Chris nodded. "Sure thing."

Approaching the door, he grabbed hold of the handle. Locked. Getting into a stance, he started to kick the door.

"I'm going to need some help!" Chris called.

Moving beside him, the survivors started to kick together, the door swinging open after the fifth attempt. Giving the grey corridor a final glance, the survivors slipped through into the next area.

Rebecca stared at the massive library they were in.

"My God!" She gasped. "Look at this place!"

There were multiple rows of shelves all around the survivors, with hundreds or thousands of books. The room was so large that it hand an extra level on the second floor with a wall-mounted ladder. From the titles, a lot of these were books on biology, chemistry and philosophy.

"Must be nice to be filthy rich," Joseph muttered.

"No kidding!" Star said in amazement. "Look at all these books!"

Rebecca watched as the albino put his suitcases down and approached a nearby shelf, scanning the rows before suddenly pausing.

"It can't be..." he said quietly.

"What?" Rebecca asked.

Pulling a book out from the shelf from third row, the hooded albino opened it up and examined its inner cover.

"...I can't believe this!" He gasped. "One of the original 1895 volumes of 'Natural History Conspectus' by Henry Travis in pristine condition!"

"Who?" Chris said in confusion.

"Henry Travis," Star repeated. "One of the seven inheritors to Travis Enterprises?"

Rebecca shook her head. "Doesn't ring any bells, I'm afraid."

"I think they underwent a name change, but I can't recall what it's called," the albino shrugged.

"What's so special about the book, Junior?" Joseph asked.

"It's a very rare title!" Star exclaimed. "Travis had spent thirty-five years in Africa and had compiled all of his experiences and knowledge across 72 volumes."

"Was it popular?" Chris asked.

"Not at all. Travis' brother had let it slip that supposedly a lot of his accounts were fabricated, and as a result they were dismissed by the entirety of the scientific community. There were rumors that supposedly the reason for his doing so was so that Travis Enterprises would corner the market by keeping the knowledge contained within for themselves, but I'm not entirely convinced, to be honest. Whatever the truth of the matter was, it had died with him - Travis ended up suffering from depression after the failure of his book series before ultimately committing suicide two years later."

Joseph whistled. "Damn, that's rough."

"So, what makes it so valuable?" Rebecca asked.

"For one, the series had only been given a limited publication," Star answered, "and because of that, there's only a handful of these. One copy of 'Natural History Conspectus' alone had been sold for over four million dollars."

"Four million?!" Chris gawked.

"Yes."

"You're sure, Junior?" Joseph asked.

Star pulled open the cover and pointed inside. "The publisher listed here had collapsed in 1905. This is their insignia. Even more, the series never had any reprints. I myself had spent years trying to find a copy, even a reprint, but I never had any luck."

"Plus his mom is a librarian," Rebecca spoke up.

The albino hesitated. "Well...that too."

The survivors stared.

"So...this is what four million dollars looks like," Joseph murmured.

Star stared at the book in his hands.

"...Why would Spencer leave something so valuable lying around in this place?" he wondered aloud.

Chris shrugged. "Perhaps he's so arrogant and wealthy that it didn't matter."

The albino frowned. "But a rare commodity such as this? What's stopping his employees from taking and selling his things without him noticing anytime they wanted to?"

Rebecca nodded in agreement. It didn't make sense.

It was then she recalled the Training Facility.

"...I think I know," she spoke up.

All eyes turned to her.

"Star, do you remember that room in the Training Facility, the one with all of the TV screens?"

The albino hesitated, "You...think there are-"

Rebecca nodded.

"What are you guys talking about?" Chris asked.

"Security cameras," Richard said simply.

An uncomfortable silence fell across the survivors as the implications of that word dawned upon them.

Star anxiously glanced around before speaking in a low voice, "...Do you think we're being monitored as we speak?"

"It would make sense if we were," Rebecca replied, "or rather are. You said it yourself, Star- what's stopping Umbrella's employees from stealing something valuable? If, however, they were being watched all the time, with all of their activities recorded..."

The survivors nervously regarded the various dusty bookshelves, walls and ceiling, like mice trying to catch sight of a lurking snake.

Exhaling, Chris anxiously tugged at the collar of his shirt as he wiped the sweat off from his face. "...Let's look around and see if we can find anything useful."

As the group dispersed, Star remained where he stood, staring down at the book in his hands in indecision.

'I could really use the money,' Star thought. 'Plus, I have always wanted to read this. Maybe Spencer wouldn't pay no mind if I-'

He then stopped himself from completing the thought, horrified at what he was doing, at what he was contemplating.

What was he thinking?!

Star's face fell as he looked down guiltily.

"Star?"

Hearing Rebecca's voice, he looked up. "Uh, yes?"

"...Are you okay?"

He didn't say anything.

"...What's wrong?" the medic asked, her green eyes searching his for an explanation.

The albino was quiet for a moment, then looked away.

"...Nothing. It's nothing," he replied. He paused as he felt Rebecca's hand on his arm.

"Be straight with me," she said quietly. "What's the matter?"

Star uncertainly looked around.

"We're alone, you don't have to worry," she assured. "I won't say anything. Not if you don't want me to. What's wrong?"

The albino hesitated, unsure of whether to answer. He exhaled.

"...I...just...can't help wondering about my...inner nature," the red-clad youth answered. "I've never told anyone this but...I've...always wanted to be a hero."

He winced, regretting his choice of words.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with that," Rebecca said. "On some level we all want to do something heroic. What's the problem?"

He looked down sadly. "...Is it possible for...a villain...to...become one?"

Rebecca looked at him incredulously.

"How can you say that?!" she asked.

He frowned. "Never mind."

"No, don't just "never mind" me. What is going on?" Rebecca demanded.

Star lowered his eyes sadly.

"I can't help feeling as if...as if...…..there is a sickness in my soul...that is, assuming I even have one. Last night...I have killed...and now...I am contemplating theft," he said as he looked to the book in his hands. "...I don't know if this is a sign that I am evil, or this is a sign that I am slowly but surely becoming evil...and...I'm absolutely terrified."

Rebecca sighed. "Look at me."

Star obeyed, then blinked as the medic reached up and flicked him between the eyes.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"For being a dumbass," she replied. "You're not evil, nor are you becoming evil. You're just scared, tired and hungry, that's all. As for this," Rebecca then took the book and placed it back onto the shelf. Turning around to face Star, she dusted off her hands and smiled. "There. Problem solved."

As she walked past him, the albino watched her, then glanced back to the book.

Exhaling, he shook his head grimly.

"If only it were true. If only it were that simple," Star said softly.

Sighing, the albino moved down the aisles, his mind troubled.

Barry was still as he listened.

...There!

Drawing his weapon, he pivoted around, aiming down the barrel.

Nothing.

"I swear someone had been following me," he muttered.

Turning around, Barry continued on down the corridor. Behind him, shadows stirred restlessly.

Richard indifferently glanced around at the various book titles. A lot of it seemed to be chemistry-based, although there was the odd book on philosophy. Rounding a corner to the right, the Bravo paused as he saw a hard cover book on the floor.

"What the hell?" he muttered in surprise.

Kneeling down, Richard picked up the item, blowing dust off from its jacket, wiping spider webs away with his arm. Once he finished, the Bravo stared at the book, perplexed by the image. What were the odds that he would find a book here that had a picture of Chris and Jill on the cover?

He studied the title, then read it aloud.

"...'Resident...Evil'?"