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 Twenty-Nine: Troubled
Barry had just opened the door when he saw Richard hoisting Wesker's form.
"Richard!" He exclaimed in surprise, rushing to his side. "Jesus, what the hell happened?!"
Richard grunted as he adjusted his grip on the Captain. "Captain Wesker was attacked by some giant freak wearing armor."
"Is he okay?"
"Yeah, he's just knocked unconscious."
'Too bad,' Barry thought darkly.
Taking his eyes off Richard, he looked around the hallway.
"Where's the kid?"
Richard shook his head. "He's stayed behind back in the main hall to fight the thing."
Barry whipped his head back to him. "What?!"
"He wanted to give us a chance to escape."
"Does he have anything with him to deal with it?"
Richard shook his head. "Unless he's packing a bazooka in that fancy coat of his, I don't think so. I think all he's armed with is a pistol."
"Jesus, the kid is gonna get flattened!" Just as he turned to the hallway that Richard came from, Barry paused mid-step, an idea forming in his mind.
"...Barry?" Richard said uncertainly.
Turning around, Barry faced the Bravo. "...Richard, let me take Wesker."
"But-"
"I'll take over," Barry interrupted, grabbing Wesker's unconscious form, carrying him bridal style. "Don't worry, I'm strong enough to take care of the two of us. You go and see to it that that kid doesn't end up getting killed."
Richard looked uncertainly at him.
Barry gave him an assured nod. "It's alright, Richard. I can manage. Off you go. And Richard?"
"Yeah?"
"No heroics."
Richard saluted him. "Will do. Take care of Captain Wesker."
As the Bravo departed, Barry turned his attention over the unconscious form of his commanding officer.
"Don't worry, Richard. I will."
Rebecca grunted underneath Star's shoulder, the two of them staggering through the corridors.
"We're almost there, Star," the medic assured as she adjusted her grip.
They wandered six feet when Star slumped down to one knee.
"Come on, Star!"
The albino shook his head weakly. "I-I can't."
"You can do it, Star."
"I can't go any further. I'm sorry."
"Okay," Rebecca said as she carefully lowered him against a wall. "It's okay. Don't worry. We'll just have a minute to catch our breath, alright?"
Star winced sharply as she placed a hand on his ribs. "Ow! Ow!"
Rebecca drew her hand away, her eyes full of concern. "Oh God, I'm sorry! Does that hurt?"
He nodded weakly, wincing with each breath, his arms folded around his chest as he sat against the wall.
"Let me open up your coat and shirt so I can see how bad the damage is," Rebecca said as she unbuttoned the clothing. Once she finished, her eyes widened with worry. "Oh God!"
Part of the albino's chest was all black and blue!
"You poor thing, no wonder you're hurting so much!" Rebecca said as she shrugged off her backpack. "What on earth were you thinking fighting that thing all by yourself?! Why didn't you pick up your radio or use your pistol?! Why didn't you run?!"
Star groaned.
"I-I didn't have any ammunition left. I wanted-" He winced, exhaling with some difficulty. "I wanted to buy some time for Officer Aiken and Father so that they would be able to escape."
"At the cost of your life?!"
"Yes," the albino answered, grimacing. "Even-even if it costed me my life."
She flicked him between the eyes.
"You idiot, you should have just run," Rebecca scolded before letting her eyes soften, a small smile curling from the corners of her mouth. "You're sweet, though."
She fished through her backpack, taking out some bandages along with some green herbs.
"What's that?" Star asked, pointing to the latter.
"You remember those special herbs that I mentioned to you during our walk together? That are native to this area?"
Groaning, he nodded. "I do."
"Well, these," Rebecca said, raising up the plants for him to see, "are green herbs. They have special properties that can help with healing. They're not a cure-all, mind you, but they can, however, help you reduce the swelling and repair the damage to your ribs."
Taking out a plastic bowl, she started to break off some leaves and ground them up with a wooden pestle. Once she was finished, the medic took out a bottle of water and started to pour.
"What-what are you doing?"
"I'm just making this into a balm," Rebecca said as she started to stir with a spoon taken from her backpack. "Once it's ready, I'll apply it onto you. It's going to sting like hell, but trust me, it will help."
She stirred for three to four minutes, watching as the contents of the bowl became a thick paste.
"How-" Star winced as he swallowed, "how did you manage to escape?"
The medic shrugged. "The door just opened by itself."
"Just-just like that?"
"Yeah."
"You touched-you touched a switch or something?"
Rebecca shook her head.
"No, it just went up by itself. I don't know what had happened." The medic inspected the paste carefully, then nodded, looking back to him. "Okay, it should be ready now. I'm going to need you to take your coat and shirt off, just so I can apply the balm and put the bandages on."
Star winced as he complied with her request, shrugging the coat and shirt off and letting them fall to the floor.
"Lean forward."
The albino obeyed, slouching forward from the wall as she started putting on some plastic gloves taken from her bag. Pulling the glove on with a snap, Rebecca then scooped up some of the paste, testing it with her fingers. Once she was certain of its texture, she then carefully and gently smeared it onto a section of Star's chest, the albino yelping as he flinched.
"It's okay, it's okay!" Rebecca said soothingly as she applied more, gently massaging into his skin, making sure that she didn't press too hard on his sensitive ribs.
The albino squirmed and grimaced under her touch.
She frowned. "Stop squirming so much."
"It burns and itches."
"Just give it a moment, it'll go away. Try to focus on something else in the mean time."
Rebecca scooped up more of the paste and carefully applied it to his chest and back, making sure to spread it carefully and massage it into his skin. Minutes passed as the two silently sat together, the albino wincing as she touched every sensitive part on his torso.
"I have to say," the medic spoke up, "that was really cool what you did back there. Making that thing stumble with one punch?" She glanced up at him curiously. "How did you do that?"
Star shifted uncomfortably on the floor, wincing as she touched his sensitive sides.
"It's called the 'one-inch punch'," he answered. "It was a move popularized by Bruce Lee."
"Is that right?" she said in surprise.
"Yes."
"Huh. I didn't take you for a Bruce Lee fan."
"I'm not," he replied. "Years ago at my school, there used to be a gym teacher by the name of Mr. Cameron who was really into martial arts and Bruce Lee. A huge fan! On Fridays in the afternoon he would occasionally have a Bruce Lee movie club, but hardly anyone ever went. People were dismissing it as...um...'chinky shit'."
Rebecca frowned. "Sounds like the people in Arkham are real pieces of work."
"Hm," Star hummed. "Usually I was the only one that went. It was fun. The popcorn was always burnt, but it was fun watching those films."
"What movies did he play?" she asked interestedly.
"'Enter The Dragon'," Star nodded. "I remember kind of liking it. I can't remember the others."
Rebecca continued with her work.
"Was he nice to you?"
Star shrugged. "He was...decent, compared to the few people I interacted with. Granted, he flinched whenever we made eye contact and seemed somewhat perturbed by how I looked, but he seemed rather impressed with my skill in martial arts at that age, even enthusiastic in my learning more." He smiled slightly, a tinge of pride flashing in his eyes. "Called me a prodigy."
"Really?"
"Yeah. So, I ended up learning a couple of techniques from him and have been practicing them ever since."
"Well that was nice of him! He must have liked you enough to have taught you that."
The albino gave a conceding grunt with a partial shrug. "I suppose."
Rebecca looked up at him curiously. "Did you go into any martial competitions?"
"A few," he admitted.
She smiled up at him. "I bet you won all the trophies and prizes!"
"Some. I have a couple of trophies and medals back at home, but Mother was worried about my getting hurt and wanted me to focus more on my studies. She...didn't want me to become some sort of hooligan and go out and cause trouble and, well...look for fights."
Rebecca glanced up at him curiously, raising a brow.
He shrugged. "I admit to being...a...little competitive on occasion. Not just in martial arts."
She sensed a 'but' coming. "But..."
Star swept his hand through his hair. "...Well...Mr. Cameron...had some vices. More specifically gambling. He used to play Poker with some of the students, betting with real money. We played a couple games together from time to time, but eventually he stopped playing with me altogether when I kept winning and taking more and more of his money."
He snickered at the last part, as if reliving the memory, wincing slightly. Lowering his smile, Star shifted in discomfort.
"He would...also...sometimes involve students in pugilistic activities and encourage betting pools outside of school in New Orleans. If a fighter won, he'd let them have some money. I...well..." The albino cleared his throat, looking around distractedly, trying to avoid her eyes, "um...participated in...one or two such excursions..."
As he muttered the last part quietly, Rebecca gave him an accusatory glare and frown, folding her arms together.
"I know, I know!" Star said defensively, shrinking under her gaze. "In retrospect, it was the dumbest thing that I've ever done, but in my defense, I was an impressionable kid looking for companionship and...well...I had...kind of looked up to him. Kind of."
Hearing that explanation made the medic's eyes lose the harsh glare, the frown lessening.
"Plus," he continued, "...I did inform my Mother, and when she heard what I did, oh, believe me, she had more than made it clear that I had messed up. She then informed the school about what Mr. Cameron was doing, and once they found out...well, you can imagine the response. Mother didn't inform them of my involvement, but she made it perfectly clear to me that she didn't want me to hang around with him anymore. She didn't want me to get hurt, nor did she want me to hurt others and get expelled from school, if not grow up into some sort of thug and land in jail. So, out of respect for her, I stopped going to martial arts tournaments altogether. I still practice, but nowhere near as much as I used to."
Dropping the frown, the medic focused on her work and continued placing on the balm, making him wince.
"Sorry," she said.
"It's fine."
"I bet those fights were nothing compared to this one, huh?"
He scoffed slightly. "What, getting smacked around by a ten-foot giant in armor? Definitely not. None of them ever resulted in me getting hurt this badly."
The two of them fell back into silence.
Finally, just as Rebecca was finishing up massaging in the last bit of balm into his back, he spoke again.
"I'm...sorry..." Star said softly.
Glancing up from her work, Rebecca saw him giving her a sad look. "For what, Star?"
He looked down in shame.
"For letting you down," he said in a quiet voice.
She shook her head at him, placing her hand on his gloved limb.
"You haven't. Don't be so hard on yourself, Star." Rebecca placed the bowl away, then started to wrap a bandage around his torso. "Even though what you did was reckless, even downright stupid..." She gave a small, reassuring smile, "it was brave. Probably the bravest, and coolest, thing I've ever seen anyone do. Even for someone who in all likelihood could be a complete stranger."
"The wonders of eating dog food, I suppose," he remarked dryly.
She snorted, then let out a hearty laugh, the medic caught completely by surprise by the response.
"If that's true, maybe I should consider stocking up on some kibble if I find any," Rebecca grinned.
A small smile formed on one corner of Star's mouth. "Dog food, the ultimate performance enhancer. Maybe I should have offered some to our giant friend with the axe along with a friendship bracelet."
The medic giggled as the absurd image of the creature skipping happily through a field as it stared admiringly at its friendship bracelet appeared in her head.
"Maybe," Rebecca smiled as she continued to work. "You're funny. I think you might be getting too many blows to the head, Star, just because your sense of humor seems to be improving."
He snorted.
"Heaven forbid. Or perhaps it's just karma," Star groaned.
As she continued winding up the bandages, he spoke again, his voice quiet and serious, "I'm-I'm sorry for not being able to save you earlier. For letting go of you. I should have...I should have tried harder."
Rebecca looked up at him in surprise, her smile gone.
"Hey, it's alright," she said quietly as she waved her hand. "It's not your fault."
He lowered his eyes.
"When you-when you disappeared," he started, wincing with each word, "I-I tried to get help. I tried to find someone, anyone, but everyone-everyone was gone. I'm sorry."
She gently shushed him. "Hey, it's okay-"
"It isn't." Violet eyes met green ones, the former full of guilt and sadness. "When you all disappeared...I didn't...I didn't know what was happening. I-I thought that my worst fears were coming true. I..." He lowered his eyes, exhaling softly, "I was going to leave."
The medic sat still, not saying a word as she allowed to the albino to get everything off his chest.
"I-I was so..." he licked his parched lips, "...afraid. I-I didn't..." He swallowed weakly. "I-I didn't want to hurt you. I never- I never...wanted...to hurt you. I would never hurt you. I thought- I thought that by leaving I can avert whatever it was that Umbrella wanted me to..."
He trailed off, looking away. Rebecca studied Star's scarred eyes, listening intently.
"...What changed?" she asked, carefully resuming as she looked back down to her work. "What made you decide to stay?"
Star exhaled as he looked down to the floor. "I saw Father."
Upon hearing that, Rebecca paused with the bandage in her hand and looked back up to his scarred features.
"I saw him in the main hall," he elaborated, staring off into space. "I was on the second level, but he didn't see me. When I saw him, I-I was afraid that I would be enacting Umbrella's plan, that it would be a replay of 'Oedipus' all over again. I became convinced that it would be so, for the next thing I knew, he was surrounded by undead. Just as I was going to leave and try to put as much distance between us as possible, he...fought back."
Rebecca saw Star's strange eyes shine in admiration as a small smile formed on the albino's face.
"He was...amazing," he admitted quietly. "I've read tales of heroes overcoming impossible odds. Heracles and his famous labors. Perseus and Medusa. St. George overcoming the dragon. Watching him...he was very much like those heroes of old that I so admire. So confident. So controlled, and disciplined. He was like a modern day Theseus, but with police attire and blonde hair instead of red." He paused. "Uh, Theseus in the myths was described as being tall with long red hair."
"Ah."
Rebecca continued working and listening.
"When he finished, I watched and waited, fearful of what would happen next. Only...nothing happened." He scoffed, shaking his head. "You can't imagine the sheer...relief I felt in knowing that my actions are in fact my own. I saw in him the kind of man I wanted to be."
As he said that, he gave a small and sad smile, full of wonder and reverence for the S.T.A.R.S. Captain.
"So that was why you were so eager to fight that thing," Rebecca said. "You wanted to impress him."
The smile faltered.
"Well...yes. Partially." Star's smile fell as he sighed. "The other reason was...because..."
He paused, then looked down to the floor, his eyes cast in shadow as his shoulders sagged gloomily.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Rebecca asked softly.
The albino said nothing as he sat there with downcast eyes, his expression one of worry.
"Come on, Star," Rebecca urged. "Talk to me. Please."
Star remained motionless, clicking his tongue distractedly. Finally, the albino breathed.
"...I'm...I'm losing my mind," he confessed.
Rebecca blinked in surprise at the admission. "What-what do you mean?"
Star lowered his chin, his eyes focused on the floor. "I've been...seeing things. Horrible things. Impossible things. Things that would have driven a person mad. I saw myself in the canals of Venice with a man named James, but that's...that's crazy! I've never been to Venice! It wasn't a memory from my childhood, it was...it was as an adult." He frowned. "It was like I was seeing a life from an old film reel, seeing a life that I had lived in some previous existence, like as if I were..."
Star stumbled, running a hand along his jaw and chin as he struggled trying to find an appropriate word for the experience, "...Like as if I were...reincarnated, or something along those lines."
Rebecca listened intently to the albino as he shook his head, allowing him to continue. "I saw rooms change and warp in impossible configurations, with walls and doors breathing and laughing. Rooms hanging upside down. I saw people being killed brutally."
Lifting her eyes upon hearing that detail, Rebecca spoke, "Who? Who did you see getting killed?"
Star sighed.
"Officer Redfield. I saw him getting..." He shut his eyes and shuddered. "It's too horrible to describe!"
Reopening his violet orbs, he stared to the floor. "I saw him die. Multiple times, along with Officer Valentine and Father. Sometimes I have visions of a woman named Amy. I don't know who she is. Until now I've never heard that name before. In a couple of visions, someone...murders her. In another, I saw a child's father getting killed. I'm not sure if he had been accidentally shot or if a zombie had killed him."
Rebecca straightened. "Wait, there were zombies in your visions?"
"Yes," Star answered. "In the vision for Venice, the whole city was swarming with them. I remember the man James mentioning a structure - 'Sunset'- 'Sunset Bridge.'" His eyes sadly drooped. "I..." He swallowed. "I...I also...saw you...die."
Rebecca felt her breath hitched in the back of her throat, her hear pounding in her chest as his words struck her with such intensity.
"What-what do you mean you..." she swallowed shakily, "...saw me die?"
"I saw you die. You were just wandering the halls calling for help," the albino elaborated. "When I saw you, I was so relieved, but...that changed when you kept calling. At one point you just went...right...through me."
"Through you?" she repeated, scrunching up her brows in confusion.
"Yes, like a ghost! She- well, you-" He growled in exasperation as he tried to find the proper words. "It was you, but yet...it...wasn't."
Rebecca blinked. "I don't understand."
The albino shrugged. "It's like...it's like looking at a...different version of you or something! One version of you had a mole on her cheek and had 'Mary' as a middle name, while another had red hair. There were so many versions, all of them dying horribly. I-I even saw a zombified version of-"
He trailed off, shuddering as he looked at his own gloved hands. "I felt...I felt you die in my arms..."
Rebecca swallowed back bile.
How horrible!
"How did I...I mean, how did they-"
"Don't ask me that!" he said sharply, startling her. The boy hesitated, his eyes and tone softening, shaking his head in refusal. "Please, don't. I don't want...I don't want to describe it. I don't want to describe the various ways you were..." He shuddered. "Seeing you die just once was too much for me to handle. Please don't let me relive that."
Rebecca stared at him for a few seconds, then finally nodded.
"Okay." The medic glanced back to her work, trying to avoid thinking about the manner in which she died. Trying to avoid the thought of herself being a zombie.
"So what else happened?"
There was a lengthy pause as the albino recalled everything that happened. Then, reluctantly, he spoke again.
"...At one point," he continued from where he left off, "...I found myself locked in an insane asylum in a strait jacket, where guards were accusing me of murdering you along with everyone else." His lips turned into a grim, straight line. "There were...there were even...moments where...I...I was suddenly back on the Ecliptic Express again."
Rebecca shook her head. "That sounds terrifying!"
Star shook his in response.
"Worse. At one point, I-I..." The albino struggled to speak, as if fearful of what Rebecca might think or how she would react. Taking in a deep breath, he gathered his courage, then let it spill, "...I was...killing everyone. The passengers on the train. All of S.T.A.R.S. Father. You."
As Rebecca gave a wide-eyed look of alarm, he raised a hand, trying to calm her. "But-but I swear I never meant- it...it was like I had no control! I wasn't in control of myself! I saw myself doing these horrible things, but I couldn't..."
Star placed a hand over his mouth, his eyes tearing up as he looked down to the floor.
"...Do you want to know why I came here?" he asked weakly.
Rebecca said nothing as she allowed him to speak.
"...All my life...I've been wondering what kind of a person I was. What kind of person I was going to be. I thought...I thought that by coming here I would..." He exhaled, "...see...the kind of man my Father was, and that way I can see how I would turn out. Even if he completely disowns me, at least I would be able to proudly point and say to myself 'That's where I come from! That's what I want to be!'. Only...I don't know what it is that I want anymore." His lips were pursed. "I thought that by coming here I would finally have the answers that I was looking for."
Star remained motionless as he swallowed nervously.
"...But now...I'm afraid of what I might find. I can't..." He shook his head, exhaling softly in frustration, his form tense, "I can't even tell what is real anymore. I don't...I don't know what to make of these visions. I don't know if I'm going insane, or if this is a sign that I am one of Umbrella's experiments, and...I'm scared."
Rebecca watched the boy as his shoulders sagged.
"I'm afraid of the truth," he admitted in a hushed voice that sounded more like a whisper. "I'm afraid of what I might learn about myself. I'm afraid of becoming...someone else. I'm afraid of becoming...something else. I'm afraid of the possibility that people are justified in their being so afraid of me. My biggest fear, though?" Star raised his violet eyes to meet hers. "...I'm afraid of the possibility that I'm not human, that I don't have a soul of my own. I'm afraid of the possibility that I never had one in the first place, and that all this time I've been...living a lie. That I've...been...deluding myself into thinking I'm something I'm not."
Rebecca gave him a sad, pitying look, her mouth parted.
Star swallowed again.
"I thought that if I were to fight that thing that I would be able to prove to myself that I'm as brave and heroic as Father was, that I do have a soul of my own, that I am human, but..." He shook his head, "...all I've been doing since I got here was letting everyone down. All I see is death and madness where ever I go."
Tears started to trickle down his scarred eyes.
"I-I didn't-" Swallowing again, the albino's gaze locked onto the ground, his voice cracking, his lip trembling, "I-I didn't want to hurt anyone...I didn't- I never wanted to hurt you..."
As Star tearfully trailed off, Rebecca leaned forward and gave him a hug, the albino crying softly.
"Hey, it's okay, Star," she whispered reassuringly. "It wasn't real. It's okay."
Rebecca gently shushed him, placing her hand on his shoulder as she comforted him, giving his shoulder a small assuring squeeze.
"Hey, it's okay. It's okay," she said quietly. "You haven't hurt anyone. It's okay. It's okay. Don't worry! You haven't let anyone down!"
Star remained still, his form shaking.
"I would have..." he said in a quiet though emotional voice, "...I would have gotten you out of that crypt if it hadn't been... I shouldn't...I shouldn't have let go...I-I never meant to let go-"
"I know." Lifting her head from his shoulder to look at him, Rebecca gently placed a hand onto his cheek. "I know. I know you would have helped us, that you would have done anything to help us. I don't blame you for what happened. It was not your fault."
Sniffling, the albino suddenly froze, then looked up at her slowly, pulling away from her hand, looking at her with wide, watery and frightened eyes.
"Star?"
"...How.." He said slowly and uncertainly, "...how do I know that you are real? How do I know this isn't another..."
He trailed off again, looking at her with such fear and uncertainty.
Rebecca sighed. Lifting up her hand, she honked him six times on the nose to the tune of 'Shave and a Haircut', then flicked him between the eyes on the seventh note once she finished.
"Does that answer your question?"
He sat still, then let out a quiet, slightly relieved and tired laugh, the albino wincing. "Ow! Ow."
"Careful," Rebecca said as she resumed her work. "I'm almost...annnnd, done." She raised her eyes. "Does that feel too tight?"
Star shook his head slowly.
He wiped his eyes, then cleared his throat in embarrassment, averting his eyes from hers.
"I'm-I'm sorry for that embarrassing display," he apologized, his voice low.
"Hey, it's fine, Star!" She assured, putting her hand on his pauldron-clad shoulder. "Really. You don't have anything to apologize for. Because you're right, we've been dealing with so much awful and insane things these past two nights. None of us could have anticipated being in this mess, fighting zombies, giant snakes and God knows what else. Don't blame yourself for all this death and destruction, Star - if anything, blame Umbrella for what they've done." She gently squeezed his shoulder. "You are not a monster. Monsters don't cry or get scared. Monsters don't feel pity or empathy. If you were a zombie, why would other zombies and monsters attack you? Wouldn't it be more likely for them to ignore you?"
He sat there, contemplating her words.
"Also," she continued, drawing his attention, "I don't think you're going crazy. Like, at all."
Hearing the certainty in her words, the albino turned back to face her with a questioning looking on his face.
"Why? What makes you so certain?" Star asked curiously.
Looking around nervously, the medic checked her surroundings, watching and listening before leaning into Star.
"I saw him," she whispered into his ear.
The albino furrowed his brows in confusion.
"'Him'?" he repeated.
"Him. The Magician," Rebecca said the last part very quietly.
Star's eyes widened in alert, his mouth parted as he suddenly glanced around their surroundings.
"What makes you so certain that you have?" he said slowly.
Biting her lip, Rebecca conspiratorially looked around, then looked back to Star, quietly telling him everything that had happened to her following her sudden disappearance. She left nothing out, going into detail the odd experiences she and the others have been having, her encounter with Lisa and the hunchbacked girl's odd reactions, how she seemed to hear a voice that wasn't there, to Rebecca's own pulse-pounding encounter and chase through the forest.
Once she finished, the two of them were looking around at the dark and empty corridors, staring down into them with a newfound sense of terror and apprehension, as if afraid that the very shadows would come alive and punish them for speaking of what lurked within.
Star swallowed anxiously.
"...Assuming that it is in fact the Magician," he said quietly to her, his eyes scanning for some hint of the strange being in the environment, "...how is it able to do all of this?"
Rebecca shook her head.
"I-I don't know! That's just it, I have no idea how it's able to do the things that it does! Maybe-"
She licked her dry lips. "The best possible explanation that I have is that it somehow creates hallucinations, perhaps by emitting some sort of powerful hallucinogen, but that-that doesn't account for everything that I've seen it do."
Star shifted in his seat, eying the hallways.
"...What do we do?" he asked quietly. "How do we stop it?"
Rebecca raised a hand, shrugging, completely at a loss.
"...I don't know! I have no idea how we can possibly deal with something like that!" The girl folded her arms around herself, shivering as she looked around with frightened eyes. "I'm scared, Star. I'm absolutely scared."
Star nodded, his eyes equally fearful as the two of them stared out into the shadows. "So am I."
As the two of them stared off into the dark, his eyes suddenly widened in remembrance and realization.
"Ah! I actually saw it myself!"
Whipping her head back to him, Rebecca looked at him surprise. "What?! You have?!"
"Yes! Yes, I remember now!" Star said excitedly. "It was- it was when you were using that dog whistle to get my attention earlier! I saw him sneering down at me! He was- he was urging me to- to kill myself! I-I actually managed to shoot him!"
The medic straightened. "You did?!"
"Yes!" Star nodded, growing even more excited. "Yes I did! I shot him and he made this horrible noise and he just-" He shook his head, a look of astonishment on his face, his mouth parted. "...He was...so...fast! I've never seen anything move so-"
The albino winced as he clutched his chest, letting out a pained groan.
"You're getting overexcited," Rebecca said as she took hold of the herbs, breaking a couple into smaller pieces and placing them up to his mouth. "Here, eat this."
Groaning, Star glanced down at the offered plant, then raised his eyes back to her.
"Is it...is it safe to eat?" he asked uncertainly.
"It is," Rebecca assured as she raised up the pieces to his mouth. "Go ahead."
Looking down at the offered leaves, then back to her again, Star took the plants and put them into his mouth, his eyes springing comically wide open like a cartoon character's.
For a moment, Rebecca almost expected the reaction to be accompanied by some sort of sound effect like "BOING!", causing her to shake with laughter. Biting her lip, the girl tried to force it down, her form shaking as she tried to hold it in.
Star scrunched up his face, making a slew of disgusted expressions, the albino sputtering, coughing, groaning and gagging, causing Rebecca to slowly lose control, little by little.
"Aw!" He winced, causing Rebecca to burst into a fit of laughter. "What- aw!"
"I know, it's disgusting, right?" She giggled.
"That's an understatement," he coughed. "Oh, God, what-what did you make me eat?! That's-that's-"
"Awful?"
"Not even 'awful'. That's- that's...loathsome!" The albino said as he sloshed his tongue around in his mouth and made more repulsed expressions, making her laugh some more.
Taking in a deep breath, Rebecca exhaled as she recollected herself and offered him a bottle of water.
"Here, wash it down with this. They taste awful, I know, but trust me, these herbs will help repair the damage along with any internal bleeding."
Taking it, Star opened it up and took a long gulp, then wiped his mouth.
"Thank you."
Rebecca winked, giving him a thumbs up.
"One other thing." Lifting up his chin, Rebecca let her green eyes meet his strange violet feline orbs, looking seriously at him. "Even if you aren't human, that is not going to affect how I see you. It is not going to stop me from helping you. No matter what happens, we'll make it out, and we'll find the answers. Together. That's a promise."
A cheeky smile appeared on her face, her green eyes gleaming mischievously. "Even if it turns out you're an alien from Planet Swalloo."
Blinking a few times, Star chortled slightly.
As she pulled her hand away, Rebecca looked down at the bandages, studying her work carefully. "How do you feel?"
He opened up his mouth, then looked down to his ribs.
"I...feel...better actually!" Star said with surprise.
"Great!" Rebecca beamed. "Let me help you get your shirt and coat back on."
Grabbing the pieces of clothing from the floor, she carefully helped him slip his arms through the sleeves, then buttoned up his shirt.
"I don't suppose this stuff can help with my scars, can it?" Star asked curiously.
She frowned. "Maybe when they had been fresh. Given the severity, though, they'd still leave a mark."
"Is that right?"
"I'm afraid so."
Star sighed. "Damn."
"But," Rebecca said slowly as she took back the bowl and scooped up some paste with her gloved fingers, "that said, the balm can definitely help with that bruise on your eye and that cut on your lip."
As she applied the balm onto his cheek, Star winced.
"It's okay," she said quietly. "You might want to close your eye while I do this. You don't want to get this gunk in there. If you do, let me know so I can give you some water to wash it out."
Closing his bruised eye, Star obeyed, allowing her to continue. Moving her fingers in slow gentles circles around his cheekbone and brow, Rebecca gently massaged the bruised flesh, rubbing the balm into his skin.
As she massaged his cheek, Rebecca watched as the albino relaxed in front of her, his breathing slowed as she heard a contented, full-chested, almost cat-like purr.
Pausing, the medic blinked in surprise, causing him to look up.
"...Did I just...?"
Rebecca nodded slowly.
As she did so, Star's eyes flew open in alarm as he reared swiftly out from her hand, almost slamming the back of his head against the wall behind him.
"Oh God, I-I'm sorry!" Star sputtered embarrassedly, his face flushed red as he swept a hand through his hair and spoke really fast. "God, I-I am so sorry! I swear I wasn't trying to be a creep or anything, I honestly didn't mean to do that!"
Rebecca giggled as she raised up her hand in a placating gesture. "It's fine! It's okay, really! Granted, it was a little odd, but it was also kind of cute."
The albino blushed as he averted his eyes, trying to avoid looking at her.
Scooping some balm from the bowl with one finger, Rebecca raised her hand and reached out.
"Let me just finish with this, and then you'll...be..." Taking a small dab with her index finger, she then started to massage over the cut on his mouth, gently caressing his upper lip and cupid's bow. "...done."
As she drew her hand away, Star raised his eyes to meet hers, then gratefully nodded. "Thank you."
Rebecca smiled, giving him a thumbs up.
"So, what do we do now?"
"We should get back to the storage room where it's safe," she said as she took off her plastic gloves and placed away her things.
Star groaned. "Again?"
Rebecca shrugged. "Afraid so."
The albino grumbled to himself, pouting in annoyance. "I'm beginning to hate that room."
"You and me both," she nodded, strapping on her backpack. "But, by the same token, it's a safe location that has a bed and plenty of medical supplies that will allow you a better chance at recovery. Let me help you up."
Pushing herself off the floor, she reached down and helped Star up to his feet, placing an arm around her shoulder while placing her own carefully around his thin frame for support, continuing on down through the various halls.
A few minutes later, as they made a turn to the left through an open doorway, Star started to waver unsteadily on his feet.
"...Star?"
"Um, Rebecca," he said uncertainly, "...are...are there side effects to those plants? I feel...I feel funny..."
Raising up her eyes to meet his, Rebecca studied him.
His eyes were starting to lose focus, his pupils dilating.
"Oh no," she murmured in realization.
Star drowsily looked down at her. "What's...happening?" he slurred.
Rebecca adjusted her grip on the albino youth as she steadied him. "God, I'm sorry!" she apologized. "I didn't take your condition into consideration! I never thought of your potentially being sensitive to the herbs! I am so sorry, Star!"
Star wobbled and wavered, his eyes fluttering as he started to lull to the side, forcing her to grab hold of him.
"Come on, Star," she pleaded. "We're almost there. Just stay awake for a bit longer, okay? We're almost there!"
The albino slumped and slackened as Rebecca tried to adjust her grip, the girl grunting with exertion as she tried to haul his tall and heavy form.
"Star? Star!" She gently tapped his face, causing him to jerk his head up. "Come on, Star, stay awake! Just stay awake long enough so I can get you onto a bed, okay?"
The duo wobbled through the corridors, weaving from side to side as Rebecca grunted beneath the albino's weight.
Giving a goofy, lopsided smile, Star dazedly and lazily lolled his head back, staring up at the ceiling.
"Sooooo pretty!" He giddily chuckled as he reached for something that wasn't there.
His body drooped, causing Rebecca to let out exerted grunts as she tried to catch him, the girl struggling underneath his weight.
"No offense, Star, but you're really heavy," she said between grit teeth, her face flushed red as she propped him back up onto her shoulders. Hefting him up, Rebecca's eyes widened as she lost balance. "NO NO NO-"
She was cut off as she found herself sandwiched against the wall, with Star's form pinning her against it.
Letting out a muffled gasp, Rebecca readjusted her grip, struggling to get back up.
"Hello? Is someone there?"
Looking up to where she heard the voice, Rebecca rasped, "Richard, I need help!"
As he rounded a corner, Richard gave a look of startled surprise.
"Holy- here, let me help, rookie," her teammate said as he hauled Star's form off her, draping the albino's arm around his shoulder.
Adjusting her grip, Rebecca took in a deep breath and exhaled, swallowing, her lungs burning.
"Thank you, Richard," she panted tiredly.
"No prob, Rebecca," Richard nodded before turning his attention to Star himself. "What's up with him?"
The medic wiped her forehead. "He's-he's having a reaction to the green herbs I gave him."
"Is he going to be okay?"
"I think so. We just need to get him to a bed so he can sleep this off." Raising her eyes, Rebecca looked back at Richard. "What happened with Captain Wesker? Is he okay?"
"Barry took him," Richard answered as they wandered through the corridors, almost partially dragging the dazed Star. "Man this guy is heavy!"
Turning his bleary, unfocused eyes in his direction, Star goofily smiled at Richard as he reached up and patted the latter's head.
"Your hair looks so funny," he slurred as he patted and played with the Bravo's hair.
A tic formed on Richard's brow as it twitched. Giving an annoyed huff, the communications specialist smacked away Star's fingers.
"Stop that."
Star lightly laughed in response, his eyes drooping.
The survivors swayed through the halls, going through various doors and passages.
As they rounded a corner, just a few feet away from the stairway and the supply room, Star barfed onto Richard.
"AW WHAT THE FUCK?!" Richard yelled in annoyance and disgust as he felt chunks go onto his shirt, vest and back half of his head and hair. "SERIOUSLY?!"
"He didn't mean to do it, Richard," Rebecca said, the girl wincing at the acrid odor.
Wiping his mouth with the back of his gloved hand, Star's eyes teared up, ashamed. "I'm sorry!"
"Hey, it's okay, Star," Rebecca nodded, patting him sympathetically on the back. "It happens. Let's just get you inside."
Once they were in the storage room, Star had completely passed out.
"Careful! Careful!" Rebecca grunted as she and Richard carefully lowered the albino onto the bed, placing him on his side.
Straightening themselves up, Rebecca groaned as she straightened her back.
"Thank you, Richard. That was very much appreciated."
"No prob," Richard said as he gave her a thumbs up. "I just wish he hadn't barfed all over me."
Rebecca frowned. "You know he didn't mean to."
"Yeah, yeah."
Turning their attention to the sleeping albino, the two of them watched him as he slept.
"Man, that stuff really knocked him out, didn't it?" Richard commented.
"Yeah." Rebecca then looked around, a frown forming on her face. "Where's Captain Wesker? Shouldn't he be here?"
Richard shrugged. "I'm guessing Barry ran into a little trouble and is hiding out in one of the other rooms." He turned to face her. "Listen, do you have any bottles of water I can use to get this shit out of my hair and clothes?"
"I got you covered." Taking off her backpack, the medic took out a bottle of water, handing it to him.
"Thanks Rebecca," Richard nodded gratefully as he accepted. Unscrewing the cap, he was just to pour when Rebecca raised up a hand, halting him.
"Ah, you might want to do that outside," Rebecca explained, pointing to Star's bags lying on the floor, "just because you might get some of Star's things wet."
Closing his eyes, Richard sighed. "Okay."
He stepped outside the room, leaving her alone for a moment. Once he finished, he stepped back inside, his vest, shirt, face and hair all wet.
"Thanks."
"Anytime!" Rebecca winked.
She watched as Richard turned his attention over to Star. "How bad are his injuries?"
Rebecca frowned. "He sustained a couple of broken ribs, but the green herbs should be able to mend the damage. I think he'll be able to recover, but we might want to get him checked out at a hospital as soon as we find a way out of here."
"Hm." Richard grunted, his eyes not leaving the albino's red-draped form as it slept peacefully. Turning his attention over to her, the Bravo's eyes softened. "Listen, I need to get back and help the others. Will you be alright by yourself?"
She nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Besides, I need to stay here and keep an eye on Star's condition anyway."
"Okay. Be careful, Rebecca. If he causes trouble-"
"He won't," Rebecca interrupted. "Not only is he in no condition to do so, but...I know that he wouldn't."
Richard regarded her. "Do you trust him?"
Looking to Star as he lay on the bed, Rebecca nodded.
"I do." Lifting her eyes to face her teammate's, she gave him a questioning look. "Don't you? After all, he was willing to fight off that thing to give you a head start and buy you some time."
Richard winced at the reminder. "I know."
"Then what is this about?"
He ran a hand through his hair. "It's just...I don't..." Richard sighed. "We can talk about this later, okay? I need to get going."
Rebecca nodded again. "Okay."
As Richard went to the door, she called again, "Richard?"
Turning to face her, he looked at her questioningly.
"Stay safe."
Richard smiled, then gave her a nod. "You too, Rebecca. If you need anything, just use the radio, and I'll be right there for you."
"Thanks."
As Richard departed, Rebecca looked over to Star's slumbering form, watching as his chest rose and fell as he peacefully slept.
"Well, it's just the two of us again, back in this room."
Barry glanced around the bedroom in suspicion, his Magnum raised. Once he was certain that nobody was around to see and hear anything, that the room itself was clear, he carefully placed Wesker's unconscious body onto the bed before him.
Raising himself back up, Barry's hand gripped the Colt Anaconda, eying his Captain as he lied there on the bed, his tall form looming over Wesker's.
'Strange how vulnerable Wesker looks,' Barry mused to himself.
Never once had he ever seen the Captain in such a state. He looked still and peaceful.
Lifting his weapon, he aimed it at Wesker's still head, his forehead damp with perspiration.
'Do it,' part of him whispered from the back of his mind. 'End him.'
Barry's eyes narrowed as he moved closer, pressing the weapon against Wesker's forehead, his finger tightening around the trigger.
Do it. End him.
As Barry was about to pull the trigger, he suddenly thought of the albino, causing him to hesitate.
What are you waiting for? Just do it already. End him.
Barry wiped the sweat from his forehead, his pulse pounding as he tried concentrating.
'Just focus on the shit that he's done, that he's put you through,' he thought to himself.
He had plenty of reason to pull the trigger, after all - not only was this little shit responsible for taking them all to this hell hole, but getting him to do his dirty work by destroying any evidence that he came across in this place? Threatening him and his family? That crossed a line.
Tightening his jaw with renewed anger, Barry braced himself for the recoil of his weapon as his finger slowly pressed against the trigger.
The shot never came.
Grimacing, the Alpha struggled to stoke the fire within him.
He needed to do this!
For Kathy, Moira and Polly's sakes!
As long as this bastard lived, he, his team and family would all be in danger.
He could easily make something up to explain Wesker's death. A zombie had bitten him and Wesker had told him to-
A chill ran through Barry as he cut himself off.
'No,' he said mentally to himself.
Whether he lived or died, Wesker would have the last laugh.
He told him that if the men watching the Burton residence didn't hear from Wesker himself, they would be given the order to execute them. Without hesitation.
Barry knew he was going to regret his decision, but the truth was...he just couldn't.
He couldn't bear the thought of looking his wife and daughters in the eyes and knowingly lie to them. He couldn't bear the thought of looking the albino in the eye and telling him what a miserable piece of shit his father was, not when he was risking his own life to save him, even if he had never met him.
But even more, he was too afraid to cross that line.
Sure, helping another police officer with a mistake or two that they may have made, not completely unheard of, but murder?
That went against everything Barry believed in!
I am a police officer, not a murderer.
Lowering his weapon, Barry stared down at Wesker as he lied on the bed, the Weapons Specialist staring with a troubled heart.
"I am a police officer, dammit!" he swore quietly to himself. "I am...a police officer."
Even if Wesker was a crooked cop...he wasn't going to sink to his level.
Wiping his damp forehead, Barry turned away, facing the door before slumping down onto a chair beside Wesker, his broad shoulders sagging as he conflictedly massaged his brow with his hands, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"What am I going to do?" he muttered to no one, staring desperately up at the ceiling for answers.