Here's chapter 2!
"Talking"
'Thoughts'
Disclaimer: I don't own RE.
Chapter 2:
Shock
11:16 A.M.
Amy's head swam. She felt that she on was cold, stone tile. She could hear people talking.
"Let's just go. I don't like just waiting here," someone whined. They sounded familiar.
"We can't leave her, though!" someone argued.
"It's survival, now," someone said calmly. "We simply leave people behind who would slow us down."
"… He's right," someone else agreed.
"I don't like the idea of leaving someone to die!"
"I agree with Rin. We should wait for her to wake up."
"I don't care!" Someone stood up. "I'm leaving!"
"Shut up! If you open that fucking door-" There was a crash.
Amy groaned. Her eyes fluttered open.
"Hey!" A petite girl appeared, her face filled with concern. "She's awake, guys!" The girl helped Amy sit up. "Are you alright?"
"… I- I'm fine…" Amy managed to say, feeling dizzy. She felt her head. There was a big bruise from when she had fallen. She looked around the room- there were six other people. She recognized three off the bat- Keith, Sam, and Crystal, another freshman. Crystal was one of those pretty-in-punk girls who loved picking fights. Amy failed to recognize the other three, though.
"… what happened?" Amy asked, the only thing she could think of.
It was silent for a minute. Then, one of the people she didn't recognize, spoke up. He looked like the handsome but dorky type. "Danny and I found you unconscious. We carried you up here to the attic along with the others."
"Oh, I-, thanks," Amy said gratefully, bowing her head.
"Don't mention it," he answered back almost tonelessly.
"Okay," Sam interrupted. She was near the door. "Can we go, now? Miss Sunshine's awake." Amy looked shamefully down.
"Once again," Crystal began. "If you open that door, I will take one of these chairs and bash you on the head," she hissed.
"Why, you…" Sam got up and glared at Crystal.
"Hey, break it up," Keith said. "There's plenty of me to go around."
"Keith," a boy with blonde hair with brown streaks spoke. "I don't really think now is the time." He looked over at Amy, who blushed. "He's like this all the time, isn't he?"
"Y-yeah…" Amy said. "Um… my name's Amy…"
The boy grinned. Amy couldn't help noticing he looked totally… hot. "Danny Remington. Sophomore."
"My name is Isaac Jones. I'm a Junior," the cute/dorky boy said.
The petite looking girl smiled. "I'm Rin Fuji. A proud Japanese who's a Junior, too."
Amy smiled nervously back. "Um, I-"
"Are we done playing Hi, my name is?" Sam said irritably.
"Calm down," Isaac said coolly. "It's too dangerous to go outside, if that's what you were going to suggest. The zombies are-"
"Don't use that word!" Sam cried suddenly, clasping her ears. "They… they aren't zombies! They're just regular people who… who-"
"What?" Crystal said, blowing a bubble from her gum. "What would you call them?"
Sam looked at her, horrified. "I just saw my best friends die," she whispered. "They're not monsters…"
Amy looked at her, her lip quivering as she remembered Eileen and Kristina. "Samantha…" she began.
"I don't want to hear sympathy, especially from you!" Sam shouted. "You… leave me a-"
Crystal suddenly slapped a hand over her mouth. "Shuddup," she hissed. "You hear that?" Outside, the group could hear the stairs leading to the attic, creaking slowly. Crystal and Sam backed away from the door.
Isaac picked up one of the spare chairs, and got in front of the group, holding out the chair. It was tense silence for a few seconds. The group saw the knob turning slightly…
"Anyone in there?" a soft voice asked.
The door creaked open to reveal a woman. She had her reddish brown hair pulled up into a small bun. She had a light-green long-sleeved shirt and black pants. Around her waist was a medical kit, and two gun holsters, one containing a gun. On her back, she had two guns strapped securely. In her outstretched hand, she held a gun. Her face brightened to see the group. "Is everyone alright?" She asked in a somewhat high-pitched voice.
It was an awkward silence. Until…
"Who the hell are you?" Crystal said, popping a bubble for dramatic effect.
The woman chuckled. "A bit feisty, aren't you? I'm Rebecca Chambers."
"Are you… a police woman?" Keith asked. "'Cause, a girl holding a gun is just damn sexy…"
Rebecca raised one eyebrow. "Sorry, kid. Go hit on someone your own age."
"Rejection…" Danny laughed. Keith simply glared at him.
"No, but," Rin began. "Really, who are you? Can… can you help us?"
Rebecca nodded, growing serious. "Things are getting bad outside. The infection is spreading farther and faster at an alarming rate. They won't be able to contain the infection this time…"
"This time?" Isaac said, raising an eyebrow. "There was a first?"
"Well-"
"There shouldn't even have been a first!" Sam suddenly sobbed. "How did it spread this time, then?"
Rebecca sighed. " Please be quiet. There are still zombies. I'll answer your question, though. The virus was spread through the air."
"Then…" Danny began thoughtfully. "Why're we still…?"
"The airborne virus isn't as potent as the real virus, which is obtained through blood of the infected. The airborne virus can only affect those with especially weak immune systems by releasing a hallucinatory effect in the air, making the person feel things that aren't there, thus creating a total-shut down of the body. While the body is "dead", the virus cells come in and infect the other cells. In effect, you've got a walking corpse."
"That sounds like something out of a movie…" Rin said, trailing off.
"Yeah, I've heard that many times," Rebecca chuckled quietly. "Anyway, if no one's hurt, we've got to get moving. Staying in one place would be suicidal."
"What do you mean?" Sam cried. "I'm not going out there with those- those freaks!"
Crystal ran a hand through her dirty blonde hair, inhaling. "Alright, you stupid ho, I'm pretty sure a few minutes ago, you wanted to leave."
Sam crossed her arms. "N-not anymore! I don't want to get eaten!"
"Sam… you're not going to get hurt." Everyone turned to Amy who had suddenly spoken. "I won't let you get hurt…"
Sam looked at Amy for a few seconds, then whipped her head around. "I don't need your help. Stop acting like you actually care."
Amy nodded. "Okay… I understand…"
Rin put her arm around Amy comfortingly. "You don't need to keep helping her, you know that, right?"
"I know…" Amy said quietly.
Rebecca looked at the small chestnut-haired girl. "Are you okay… sorry, what's your name?"
Amy looked at Rebecca. "Amy Taylor."
Rebecca said, surprised, "Amy… Taylor?"
"Yes, um, does it sound familiar or something…?"
Rebecca shook her head. "No… sorry. Thought it did for a second…" She cleared her throat. "Anyway, before we get a move on, anyone know how to properly use a gun?"
"I do," Isaac said.
"So do I," Danny said. "I go shooting with my dad sometimes."
"I can," Crystal said. "My parents are police."
"Anyone else?" Rebecca said, looking at Keith. "I'm sort of surprised you don't."
He shrugged casually. "I'm more of a fist-fights guy."
"Not with these zombies. You can't be. Let me remind you," Rebecca said in a tone that commanded everyone's attention. "This isn't a game. Not a movie. You can get hurt, and you can get killed. Even the tiniest scratch from them can infect you. The tiniest drop of blood from an infected on an open wound can turn you into one of them."
"That's a hell lot we have to watch out for…" Keith said.
"That's why," Rebecca said as she passed out her spare guns to Danny, Isaac, and Crystal, "I'm giving those of you who can't use a gun, a knife." She fished around in one of her holsters. She pulled out two knives. "Who thinks they can handle these?"
"I can," Keith said, taking one.
"I think I'd just actually slash a "normal person" on mistake," Rin laughed. "So, I'll pass."
"Honesty is a virtue," Rebecca chuckled. "Amy, did you…?"
"Well…" Amy's breathing was unsure as she looked to Sam.
"Don't start with me, Amy," Sam said hotly. "Just take the damn thing."
Amy grabbed the knife with one shaking hand. She held it in front of her, trying to calm herself.
"Is everyone set?" Rebecca asked.
"Yeah, however, I have one more question," Isaac said, cocking his gun.
"Yes?"
"Where exactly are we headed?"
Rebecca looked at them grimly. "As far away as possible. If this incident is getting covered up like the last time, then the longer we stay here, the longer our chances of escaping are screwed."
"Escaping…?" Crystal began. "You make it sound as if they've locked us down…"
"Not exactly. To "cleanse" the infection, their favorite way of dealing with things is wiping them completely off the earth."
"You don't mean…" Danny said, trailing off.
"They're gonna go nuclear?" Crystal said, undaunted.
Rebecca nodded. "I doubt it'll work, but, knowing them, they'll do anything to keep control."
"By "them", you mean the government," Isaac stated as a matter-of-fact.
"Not exactly-" Rebecca was suddenly cut off when she heard a woman muttering softly downstairs. Her voice was low and indistinct, but something about it was almost… comforting.
"… Get down…" Rebecca said faintly.
"W-what?" Amy stammered, the color draining from her face.
"GET DOWN!"
Someone suddenly grabbed Amy's waist, and they thudded to the ground as gunshots tore through the windows. Glass crashed to the floor as bullets pounded through, the noise unbearable. Screams of confusion ripped through the air as Rebecca shouted, "C'mon! We've got to get out!"
"I'm not moving!" Sam cried, clutching her ears.
"Move it, bitch!" Crystal yelled, roughly grabbing Sam's arm.
"I'll smoke her out!," Rebecca screamed, getting out a smoke grenade, nearing the door. However, even before she could pull the pin, a hand grabbed her arm.
"Don't do it, Rebecca," a voice said calmly.
A tall woman approached them, her face grim. She had short brown hair and a face that looked suggested she was younger than she really was. She had a dark blue and black shirt on, an emblem on the side of one of her sleeves. She had on light tan pants and gray boots. She had a gun in one hand and a belt full of supplies around her belt. She looked at Rebecca, her face darkening. Outside, the bullets had stopped and it was eerily quiet.
"Rebecca… just stop," the woman said, still clutching Rebecca's arm. Rebecca remained silent.
"… Please, stop!" Rin cried suddenly, dashing forward. Isaac grabbed one of her arms. "Isaac… what're you doing? Rebecca tried to help us and now you-"
"Quiet," Isaac said. Rin fell silent, glaring at him. Isaac looked at the brunette woman. "What do you want with us?"
"Not you. Her," the woman answered. She looked suddenly tired.
"Let her go!" Rin cried. "She's done nothing wrong…"
The brunette sighed sadly. "Are you sure about that?"
"What… what do you mean?"
The woman looked at Rebecca. "Did you know there's a cure to the zombie virus?"
There was dead silence.
The woman kept talking. "It would have been possible to heal those infected, but…"
"But what?" Sam screamed. "My friends… my only friends would still be alive if-" She broke down into tears. No one bothered to comfort her, not even Amy.
The woman looked at Rebecca. Rebecca looked back at her with a steadfast gaze. "Jill… don't tell them."
"You've gone too far, Rebecca," Jill said, returning her attention to the rest of the group. "About one year ago, we had a steady supply of the antivirus. Manufacturing and producing them was simple enough. Then… one day, someone broke in and hacked all the files containing research on data concerning the antivirus. They destroyed the machines needed to produce the antivirus, took all samples, and took the ingredients most important to making the antivirus. In a matter of days, every base containing anything concerning the antivirus had been infiltrated and swept through."
"That's horrible…" Danny said, upset. "Who could've done that in such a short time…?"
Jill looked tiredly, almost, sadly, at them. "First and foremost, the person had to have pretty good experience with and thoroughly researched the virus. They knew exactly the ingredients needed to eliminate the T-cells in a body. In other words, they needed to be a good biochemist. Second, the person obviously wasn't alone. It was a group of people who had done this."
"Did you catch who did this?" Keith asked. "Or, at least one of them?"
Amy looked at Jill, fearing the answer. 'How are the others so ignorant to the culprit?' she thought unhappily. 'Obviously, the person responsible is… '
"We caught footage from one of the bases," Jill simply said.
"Who was it?" Sam shrieked.
Jill looked away from their faces. "The person had been careless."
"You're not telling me who it is!" Sam shrieked again, standing up. "Tell me who it is, or so God help me-" She grabbed the knife out of Amy's grasp. "I will cut you down where you stand!"
Jill and Rebecca said nothing.
"Empty confidence," Isaac said calmly. "No one feels threatened. Put down the knife."
Sam looked around, the faces whirling. She gasped for breath. "No… TELL ME!" She dashed forward, her knife raised, her eyes blinded by hatred-
"I did it."
Sam stopped, looking at Rebecca. "R-Rebecca? You… stole the antivirus?"
Rebecca nodded, her face holding the look of hidden shame.
Sam gritted her teeth as tears spilled out. "I… I almost trusted you… if it weren't for you… MY FRIENDS WOULD STILL BE ALIVE!" She ran forward again, ready to hurt, even kill, for revenge.
"Samantha!"
Before anyone else could do anything, Amy leaped in front of Rebecca and Jill, spreading her arms out. Sam skidded to a stop, but not before her knife slashed away a bit of Amy's face.
"A-Amy?" Sam stuttered.
Amy stood in front of her shaking. "Stop it, Sam… just stop…"
Sam fell to her knees, the knife clattering to the floor.
Danny ran over to Amy, holding her up. "I don't think it's that bad," he said soothingly.
"I'm okay…" Amy said, blushing slightly.
Jill turned to Rebecca. "Give it up," she said, then, almost as a plea, "Please."
Rebecca closed her eyes. "… Okay."
Jill sighed with relief, and turned to the rest of the group. "I'll take you guys with me. It'll be safer at base. I'll take care of your cut, too," she added, nodding at Amy.
The group said nothing.
Jill took out a radio. "Valentine to base," she spoke. "I've got some survivors with me. Also… I've got Rebecca Chambers, ready for arrest."
Rebecca looked forlornly at the floor.
At that moment, Amy couldn't feel the cut on her cheek at all. All she could feel was that the whole situation was wrong. And she felt she was part of the problem . 'Rebecca… she can't be guilty. If she's not though,' she thought, 'then, who is?'
She was afraid of the answer.
Well, there's chapter 2! I wanted to add a bit of a twist to the story… :)
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