(A/N) And we go on and on...
Disclaimer - This story was written with AI Dungeon just for fun, meaning that some stuff was written by me and others were written by the AI. This results in OOC moments, especially in James' case, and chaotic energy in general. It's also why my writing style is different since this is mostly AI generated.
I also do not own these franchises or their characters. Silent Hill belongs to KONAMI, Resident Evil belongs to CAPCOM, and Final Fantasy IX and NieR:Automata belong to SQUARE ENIX.
Chapter 15: Tall Oaks Cathedral
"Heather!" James gasped aloud, as he began to sprint faster towards his car. "Heather is one of the test subjects for the V-Virus?!"
"Yeah..." 9S sighed. "Not willingly of course. She was abducted in her apartment after she returned home from the mall. Her father was killed before she got there..."
James shoved his walkie-talkie into his pocket and got into his car.
"They killed her Dad?" he asked incredulously, turning to look at 9S who had his jaw clenched.
"Unfortunately..."
James placed a hand on his shoulder and gently squeezed.
"We'll get him."
9S nodded with a small smile. "Yeah..."
James started the engine and left the parking lot.
"Do you know where the trial is taking place?" James asked.
"Tall Oaks Cathedral, or should I say underneath Tall Oaks Cathedral," 9S replied.
James drove to the address given him by 9S. It was a large cathedral complex, but James didn't see a parking lot or a driveway anywhere.
"What's our plan?" James asked.
"We can enter the cathedral through the front door since it should be open for another hour," 9S stated. "Then, we'll have to find a secret passage to get us underground, find Simmons, stop his plans, and save Heather."
James nodded. "Let's do it."
They drove to the front of the cathedral and James parked the car. They got out and James led the way to the front gate.
James opened the gate and slipped through. The gate slammed shut behind him, making James grin.
"What?"
James shrugged. "I don't know, it just felt...good."
James led the way down the path and past the statue of Jesus. A few parishioners were sitting on the steps leading to the front door. James waved to them.
"Hello, hello!" he said. "Sorry to barge in, but we need to get to the trial. Do you guys know where it is taking place?" He gestured towards the cathedral.
The parishioners blinked in confusion.
"A trial? What trial?" one of them asked.
"What my friend is trying to ask is have you seen a man pass through here?" 9S spoke up. "He took my friend's wallet and we need to get it back for obvious reasons."
"Umm... most people have returned home for the evening," one of the parishioners said.
"We've only seen Mr. Simmons recently," another said.
"Yes, that's him!" James exclaimed. "Did he have a girl with him? Blonde with brown roots, no older than seventeen..."
One of them nodded. "Yes."
James' heart skipped a beat. "Is she safe?"
"She is, but she looked frightened and sad," the parishioner began to explain.
James clenched his fists. "Thank you."
"Is there anything else you need?" one of the parishioners asked.
"No, we're okay. Thanks for your help," 9S smiled as grabbed James' hand and entered the cathedral. James followed him inside.
The cathedral was magnificent. James had never seen anything like it. There were stained glass windows everywhere; more than James could count. There was an enormous marble altar with gold trim, statues of Jesus and the Apostles, candles, and a fancy crucifix.
"Why would they use a place like this for experiments?" James wondered.
"It's a perfect cover," 9S said with a hint of disgust. "Who would guess that a place of worship has something inhumane going on underneath it?"
James sighed. "You have a point... if we're going to stop this mad man, we need to find a way into the heart of the beast."
"That's one way of putting it, I guess..."
"Wake up, asshole!" a gruff voice said, making Piers jump.
He opened his eyes and found himself lying on the hard floor in some sort of cellar.
In front of him were two men. One was a burly man with a beard and the other... was a man who looked identical to Piers himself. The man with the beard stepped forward and assessed Piers.
"How are you feeling, my friend?" he asked. "You've been out for a while."
"I've been better... Do I know you?"
The man chuckled. "No, you don't. I'm the Father Féval, the leader of this little expedition."
"The leader?" Piers asked.
"Yes, that is what I just said..."
Piers' eyes widened in realization.
"Wait, you're a priest?" he asked incredulously.
The man nodded. "I was ordained a long time ago."
"And who's that?" Piers asked, pointing to the his clone.
"His name is Piers Nivans. He's a student of mine back at the University."
"What do you think has happened to me?" the other Piers asked.
"I think you're dead."
Piers #2 frowned. "I'm not."
The man shook his head. "No, I'm pretty sure you're not."
Piers frowned and looked around. "Where are we? And why does that guy have my name and face?"
"I'll explain," a different voice said. "But first, let's go over the rules."
Piers looked around and spotted a third Piers standing by a table. He held up a photograph.
"Is that your daughter?" Piers #3 asked.
Piers stood up.
"What is going on?!" he demanded.
"Easy, tiger," the Father Féval said. "It's all part of the experiment."
Piers' eyes narrowed. "Experiment?"
"Yes, to find out what's in the hearts of men," the priest replied.
Piers' eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "You're a monster!" he shouted. "You're... you're not a real priest!"
"Well, I'm not really a vampire either," the priest said.
Piers raised his fists. "I'm not gonna let you get away with this! If you had just asked me, I would've told you! Now I want my stuff back! My wallet! My watch!"
"Don't get your hopes up, Piers," the Father Féval said.
I don't know where all the Piers clones came from. Also, Tall Oaks Cathedral isn't accurate since I haven't played Resident Evil 6 in a while so I forgot what it looked like. So I just let the AI fill in the blanks.
Improvements are appreciated, please tell me what I did right, wrong and how I can improve. If you would like, you could also favourite and follow this fic, as well as suggest areas of improvement, which I guess is the same as the first sentence. R&R and thanks for reading!
