Chapter 3: Cuffed Up

Rebecca grumbled to herself. She couldn't believe that man! She would show him! And afterwards, she would arrest him! She stomped up the stairs to the next level of the car. She came into a diner car where, again, there was death and blood everywhere. Many of the windows had been busted, and now a cool wind was sweeping in. Some dead passengers lay on their old plates, and Rebecca noticed dead leech-like creatures everywhere. Aside from that, there was also slime everywhere, and it made her grimace. What did catch her eye though was a normal man sitting in the back. She felt her heart flutter, relieved to have found a survivor.

The older man looked wounded or tired. Rebecca quickly ran over to him. She put her hand on his shoulder, trying to reassure him.

"Sir? Sir, are you alright? I'm here to help you."

The head of the man tried to look up at her, but then it suddenly twisted away, and the loose head tumbled to the floor. Rebecca screamed, jumping back. That wasn't the end though. The man's body became alive with slimy leeches that molded and flowed together to move like one large organism. Rebecca watched in horror as it morphed into a zombie-like man.

Rebecca aimed her gun and fired. Both shots blew chunks of leech aside, but the creature still came for her. The monster slung its arm, and Rebecca realized that it stretched abnormally. She dove to evade it. She fired more shots. The last one slammed home in the right eye of the man's skull. The leeches fell apart, collapsing like marbles to the floor. Just as Rebecca was feeling relieved, she realized the leeches were flooding for her like a river. They swarmed around her feet, crawling up her form to consume her. Rebecca tried to fight them off, but it was useless.

She heard gunfire. Some of the leeches were blown from her body and around her feet on the floor. The slimy creatures crumbled away once more, only this time they decided to retreat and not attack anymore. They slipped out through one of the broken windows and were gone.

"Are you okay?" Billy asked, bending down next to her.

Rebecca looked up at him, surprised that he was here to help. She was more surprised to hear that he actually sounded like he was worried. All she could do since she was still recovering from the shock was give him a thumbs-up. He half-smiled at this, and helped her to her feet.

Before either one of them could say anything, they started hearing someone sing. They were singing opera, and it slowly filtered into the diner car from the broken windows. Rebecca and Billy looked outside, seeing a barely visible silhouette atop a cliff overlooking the forest.

"Who's that singing? And is that a guy or a girl?" Billy asked, glaring.

"I don't know. I think it is a guy. Does it matter?" Rebecca grumbled.

"Alright, Miss Snippy. I just saved your life, remember?"

"I need to arrest you!"

Billy grinned at her, shrugging his shoulders. "Alright, doll face, alright. If you want to arrest me so bad, then here." He grabbed the dangling end of the handcuffs he had on his left wrist and suddenly slapped it to her right wrist. "There ya go."

"What the?! We can't get stuck like this!" Rebecca barked.

"Relax, sweetheart. I got the key."

Rebecca beheld him with a small glare. "Then why haven't you taken the cuffs completely off yet?"

"Seriously?" Billy scoffed. "Look around, girly. There are zombies and monsters everywhere! Do you think I had the time?!"

Rebecca glanced away. "I guess you are right about that. But I still have to take you in."

"How about we just focus on getting out of here alive by cooperating, hmm?"

"Fine, just get us out of this," Rebecca sighed, pointing to the locked handcuffs.

"My pleasure, doll face."

"It's Rebecca!"

He chuckled as he pulled the key from the back pocket of his jeans. He went to unlock the metal cuffs for good, but the train gave a sudden, sharp shutter. The both of them were thrown against the window frames, where the small key was flung outside the window. They didn't even have time to think before the train jerked again, and then it started moving freely along the tracks, speeding up.

"Oh, shit," Billy cursed.

"You dropped the key?! We can't remain like this!"

"It wasn't my fault!"

"You had them in your hands, didn't you?!"

Billy growled deep in his throat. "We can't worry about it now. We have to stop the train!"

Rebecca wanted to strangle the man, but she knew he was right. It was an accident that he drop the key, and now they had more important matters to deal with. They would just have to get through this stuck at the wrist. Rebecca knew she was going to be embarrassed once she found the rest of her team, and they noticed how the cuffs were. And on another note. It was going to be hard enough to survive this nightmare. How the hell were they supposed to survive like this? Stuck together?

Well, I guess if we don't make it out alive, it will be because we couldn't survive these horrors…or each other.

"Alright, doll face. Let's go!"

While Rebecca was still in thought, Billy suddenly jerked her along, dragging her for a moment before she could regain her footing. She glared up into his smiling face. Oh how she was in trouble. Sure they were going to work together, but Rebecca had the uncanny feeling that Billy was going to drag her tiny ass everywhere just for fun.

I hate to say it but…I really do think this day could get worse. It has already become the worst of the worst. Can't stop now, right? She had to be snide with herself. It was the only way she was going to stay sane.

Billy led the way down the stairs of the dining car. Rebecca had no idea which end of the train was which. As Billy headed for the car door that would lead to the back cars where Edward died, Rebecca tried to go through the door across on it in the opposite direction. They were jerked backwards by each other and almost lost balance. Billy glared at her, and she glared right back.

"What are you doing? The front of the train is this way!" Billy barked, pointing to his door.

"Well excuse me! I just wandered onto the train by accident! How am I supposed to know where the front of the train is? It was dark and the train went out of sight both ways!"

"That is why I am leading."

"I never said you were leader!" Rebecca barked.

"I know, but I said so."

She stomped on his foot.

"Ouch! What was that for?!"

"I am an officer, therefore I have power over you."

Billy laughed. "Let's arm wrestle and see who really has power over whom."

"Just go! We need to stop the train!"

They went through the car door. This section was empty, and so they continued on. The next car had one more zombie, wherever it had wandered from. The thing limped for them with loud moans. Rebecca went to the left and Billy to the right. It didn't work out too well, especially for Rebecca, who just ended up getting dragged along with Billy. Billy aimed his gun and fired. The bullet hit home in the skull and blew a big cavity. Blood went everywhere and the creature fell dead to the floor.

"We are going to have to learn that we can't get too far from each other," Billy sighed.

"I agree. We are also going to have to learn not to drag our cuffed partner around like a rag doll," she grumbled.

"I can't help it," Billy replied, slightly smiling as they walked for the next car. "You are so light. What do you weigh? Fifty pounds?"

"Hahaha, you are really funny," Rebecca answered dryly, even though she smiled anyways.

Rebecca slowed to a halt as they came to the next car door. She scowled upon remembering Edward. Her heart fell, knowing that just hours earlier they were all fine and happy. Even Captain Enrico had been in a good mood. None of them were expecting this kind of nightmare.

"Rebecca? You alright?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah…I'm fine, it's just…"

Billy put his free hand on his hip, looking from the door to her. "Just what?"

"One of my comrades died in there in front of me."

Billy looked away from her, but she didn't miss the flash of distress in his eyes, as if he felt sympathy for her. Rebecca knew she had to be strong and just go through the door. There was nothing that was going to bring Edward back, and she needed to move on.

"If it will help, you can close your eyes and I will guide you through," Billy stated, checking his gun. "That is, if you trust me."

Rebecca smiled at his words. Even though he was a criminal, Rebecca felt as if Billy was being sincere. She could see it in his eyes. She shook her head though.

"Thanks, but I think I will be fine."

He shrugged and they went through the door. The broken windows were letting cold rain spill in with a strong wind. The lights and pictures on the walls swayed with the motion of the speeding train, creating more unease in Rebecca. The train was going way too fast. They needed to get to the front and stop whoever was running the train. As fast as the train was going, it could easily derail if something came up. Rebecca looked out a window as they passed, seeing only blurred, foggy forest. She was probably miles away from the rest of Bravo Team now.

They came around the corner. Rebecca saw Edward's body still laying there dead against the wall. The dead zombie dog was also on the floor, its carcass creating an aroma of death in the hallway.

"Edward," she sighed, looking away as they passed his body. She kept close to Billy as he led the way. They came to the door at the end of the hallway that needed a card to unlock it. The dead train employee seemed to have slumped even more since the last time Rebecca was here.

"I don't know about you, but the idea of seeking out a tiny card on this train doesn't exactly thrill me," Billy heaved.

"I agree, but how else are we going to get through?"

There came a moan. The train employee was suddenly moving to get to his feet. Billy pushed Rebecca back as he aimed his gun. There was no way Rebecca could aim her gun now with Billy jerking it forward to aim his own. Her gun was holstered at her back. She could reach it easily with her left hand, but would need both hands to shoot the weapon. Billy killed the creature, letting his arms lower as the zombie crumbled to the floor.

Rebecca stared down at the dead zombie, again feeling the shock and confusion. The man had been dead, so how the hell was he getting up alive? What was causing these monsters? Her head was swirling with thoughts, and then she felt someone grab her from behind. Yelping, she immediately felt instinct kick in with her training. She shoved the man off of her just as she and Billy spun to face the enemy.

"Edward?!" Rebecca cried, realizing it was her comrade.

Edward's only response was a hungry moan as he swayed in front of them. Rebecca was frozen, even though she had her gun aimed already. She just couldn't pull the trigger.

"Rebecca! Shoot him!" Billy yelled.

She couldn't shoot her own comrade. Her own conscience tried to argue with her, saying Edward was already dead and gone. He was not the monster in front of her. Before Rebecca could react, she saw Edward reach out to grab her once more. Billy was quick to move, jumping up and grabbing onto a vertical beam on the ceiling. He vaulted his body forward with so much force that the kick Billy did to Edward's face caused the zombie's head to burst open. Edward fell backwards and remained still on the floor, blood spilling out from his skull.

Rebecca could only gawk as Billy dropped down. Rebecca felt the pressure on her right arm cease. From Billy's jump, her arm had been torn upwards, almost lifting her off the ground as well.

"Are you okay?" Billy asked.

Rebecca didn't answer him. She looked from Billy to Edward back to Billy. She struggled to keep her emotions in check. They needed to stop the train. They needed to survive this.

"You are too young to be seeing this kind of stuff," Billy sighed, shaking his head.

"No, I'm not. It's just…" "How old are you anyway?"

"I'm eighteen."

"How did you get into S.T.A.R.S then?"

Rebecca shook her head. "It doesn't matter. We need to stop the train."

They turned back to the card reader as it flashed. Rebecca saw the door to the left of them that read 'Conductor's Office'. Rebecca tapped Billy, and he looked over at her. She pointed at the door.

"Maybe there is something in the Conductor's Office that can help. The card may even be in there!"

It was Rebecca's turn to drag Billy forward. She checked the door, relieved that it was open. They entered the small office to find wet papers all over the floor and desk. Rain flew in from the broken windows in here. Rebecca went to the desk, searching for anything they could use.

"Hey, look. There's a ladder up there."

Rebecca turned upon hearing Billy. He was pointing up at the folded ladder that looked as if it led to the second floor of the car. Billy pushed a switch that was near the ladder, and it slid down. They glanced at one another, then they worked together to climb up to the top. They came out into a bar. Billy figured they came from the bartender's bunkroom, who was also the conductor. The walls were lined with fancy sofas, and the floor was given much room with gold and red carpet. It was probably free for dancing, they thought.

There was a door to the back, so they headed that way. A huge hole was torn into the ceiling, as if something had ripped the metal upwards to get out. They under it, feeling the humid wind and cold rain slip in. As they were nearing the door, they heard a strange cry. A force struck the train, making them fall forward.

"What the hell?" Billy growled.

Something large and very sharp tore through the ceiling, barely missing their heads. Rebecca gasped, dropping to avoid the pinchers. As quickly as it had come, the things disappeared above them. The creature above them cried out again, and it passed over them with much weight. They followed the steps, realizing it was heading for the giant hole.

A giant scorpion the size of a vehicle came crashing down through the hole, hissing while thrashing its arms and tail. Billy and Rebecca jumped to their feet. They were immediately backing up against the door, shock completely taking over them.

"What the hell is that?!" Rebecca barked.

"It looks like a giant scorpion to me! Now we now what made that hole, huh?"

"Through the door!"

Rebecca threw open the door. Billy glanced back at the scorpion, and then followed. After slamming the door behind them, it was immediately crashed through with the monster's tail. They didn't stop, running around the corner of the hallway, only to come to a sudden halt. More leeches swarmed the way, crawling all over the floor, walls, and ceiling. There were thick piles of slime all over.

Behind them, the scorpion was tearing down the wall. Billy grabbed Rebecca's arm. "Don't worry about them, we have to run through! I hope you don't mind a little slime!"

He pulled her across. Rebecca ran with him, watching as the leeches leaped for them and tried to grab at their ankles. Their boots crushed the little creatures effortlessly. There were stairs, and they followed. The found themselves back onto the first floor of the car just before the hallway where Edward had died.

They caught their breaths. Billy glanced up the stairs. The top floor became silent, and he wondered if the scorpion had ceased trying to follow them.

"Okay, I guess we aren't going upstairs anymore," Billy stated.

"You have a smart remark for everything, don't you?" Rebecca grumbled.

"Sorry, doll face, but it is the only way I can stay sane now."

"Ditto."

They headed back to the hallway with the card reader. Edward's body remained still along with the other zombie. They avoided the Conductor's Office and went to the back door.

"Hey, it's no longer flashing orange. It's green!" Rebecca said, pointing to it.

"It must be unlocked then." Billy put his hand on the handle of the door, but then hesitated. He glanced over at Rebecca. "But how?"

Screams erupted on the other side of the door. They were the screams of live people. Billy didn't waste any time. He burst open the door and the two of them came outside to the engine walk. By the time they ran around the engine, the leeches were crawling away from two soldiers. Billy and Rebecca bent down to investigate.

"Do you recognize these guys?" Billy asked.

Rebecca shook her head. "No. And I guess you don't. They must have opened the door. But why are they on the train? Did they start the train up, you think?"

"I don't know, and I don't care. We need to get to the front."

Billy got up. Rebecca had no choice but to follow his wrist. They hurried to the control room. The control panel sat in the dark with only a few buttons glowing. It was completely empty, but they didn't miss the flashing message on the train's computer.

"It says we have less than four minutes until the train reaches some kind of facility. The speed is going to cause it to derail!" Rebecca yelled.

"We need to set the manual brakes!"

In front of them, the train's headlights shone only a few feet to nothing but blurry darkness. The tracks were winding left and right, making the train shutter on its own tracks. The both started looking for the manual brakes. The control panel was large.

"It's here, but it says there is a set at the rear of the train!"

"We don't have time to go all the way back. We need to just do the front, and hope for the best!" Billy argued.

"But!"

"Look, it's one set or none!"

Billy was right. They didn't have time to make it to the back of the train. She nodded. Above the manual brake system, the computer flashed red with the word Emergency. Rebecca didn't know the code, but realized it was a math equation. It took her no time to figure it out and put the code in. Billy pulled the hard lever down. The train gave a screeching jerk, throwing them back into the panel. Another force caught the train, and this time they fell to the floor, Rebecca landing on top of Billy. They had no time to think before the front engine was suddenly flipping and crashing through a dark tunnel. The glass shattered, raining sharp shards everywhere. The last crash sent an explosion that made them go black.

Phew! That chapter was hard for some reason! I think maybe because I have to change a lot because they have to stick together instead of splitting up like normal in Resident Evil 0. There will be many areas I will have to change for that reason, but I do hope it is for the better of this particular story! Sorry for the lack of the Stinger fight, lol. I just couldn't figure out how I was going to have them defeat such a large monster with so little firepower and such. Don't worry, all the other bosses I will try and put in there, lol. As difficult as this chapter was, I still had a blast! I hope all of you enjoy it! Thank you for reading and reviewing! XD