A/N - I noticed that I tend to make quite a few mistakes in my works, I noticed when I last updated my story for Monster High. When I posted Chapter 3 I read over it and saw many mistakes that I could have fixed, but for some reason despite how many times I read over it before uploading it, I hadn't caught them! So I went over this chapter with a fine tooth comb(the best I could anyway) and fixed any misspellings and tried to seek out where I might be missing words due to my typing too fast. The word is there in my head but I haven't quite processed yet that I left it behind there and everything before and after is jotted down.
And before anyone says anything the part where Claire obtains the key card for the door where Steve is located in Code: VERONICA X; I couldn't fully remember how to obtain it and I was too lazy to search on YouTube, so I went from memory as best I could. It's kinda dragged out but it's the hunt for an item and since when while hunting for items in these crazy games has it ever been easy and short? Exactly my point!
Anyway here is the long awaited Chapter 1: Antarctica for this story. R&R if you like opinions are valued and comments are loved I really like to hear what you all have to say so long as it's not rude, offensive, or ignorant. Those comments I'll just remove. :3 I'm currently working on Chapter 2 now and it should be up, hopefully, within the next couple of days.
~ Shaka!
What Became of Me
Chapter 1: Antarctica
The blistering winds blew all around them. Both Steve and Claire huddled close together for warmth, as much as they could muster anyway while making their way down the stairs. Claire had just defeated the horrible Nosferatu, the 'monster' that all of the former employees, now zombies, had written about in the journal she had found and read. Needless to say that after the fight Claire wasn't feeling too good. She wasn't sure what it was but there was this sick feeling starting in the pit of her stomach starting to make her muscles ache. While on the verge of possibly vomiting, Steve pointed out the large snow mobile they would use to make their escape to the base they had learned about and were going to use as refuge. "Let's go!" Steve said as Claire stumbled behind him a bit. 'I feel so sick...' Claire thought as she got in after him and sat in the passenger seat. Steve started it up and they were off, until out of nowhere they took a hit to the side hard and heavy that sent them rolling. And then all was black.
Meanwhile -
'Finally!' Chris Redfield thought gratefully as he landed the jet in the hanger of the Antarctic Base. Turning off the engine he popped his head out a bit and peeked around. Coast was clear, for now at least as he climbed out and over to the cat walk that lead to the door out. Gun at the ready he opened the door and took aim both ways. Nothing so far which made Chris think that maybe due to how cold the climate was it made it impossible for the zombies to strive. But oh how wrong he was. Bound and determined to find his sister, Claire, he started forward ready to take on whatever lay in waiting.
And there it was. From the shuffling of the feet to that horrible groaning sound they made it was all to clear to Chris what they were. The infected. Now things were going to be hectic and he started to worry about Claire. 'God I hope she's alright...' He thought, 'If only she hadn't gone looking for me!' If Chris hadn't gotten the email from Leon when he did, it would have never been known where she was or anything. How would they have known Claire had been captured while infiltrating the Paris Lab Facility? Surely that wasn't part of their plan in the first place! Well it wasn't but sometimes things happen. Or more like things go wrong, and sometimes things go horribly wrong!
About five zombies later Chris had finally made it outside. He could see a large plane that appeared to have crashed into the wall with two large vine like tentacles on either side of it blocking his path. Stepping closer, the tentacle started to move and lash out, so Chris did the only thing he could; He shot at it, and he kept shooting until it slithered away through it's hole and stayed there. And once Chris got to the second one, he shot at it til it did the exact same thing then continued on his way. "Damn," He started. "What a waste of ammo..."
Meanwhile-
"My brother..." A rather angry woman was speaking. "My dear, sweet brother. He did nothing to you!" She had a syringe in one had, pulling a strange looking liquid from a tiny bottle into it. "Now you shall both suffer for what you've done." She said tapping the syringe a bit to make sure there were no bubbles inside before inserting it into the left hand of Steve Burnside. "You've ruined everything, and now I shall do the same to you as I did my father." The woman then turned to Claire, "And as for you." She walked over to where Claire lay and gently moving her redish hair aside she took up another syringe, the liquid within it slightly different from what was given to Steve. Just above Claire's choker, the needle was inserted and the liquid dispensed. Claire's veins showed a purple color through her skin before receding. "You are going to suffer the most." The woman laughed. "And I'm going to tell you how."
As she whispered to an unconscious Claire about how she would soon be suffering horribly, the sound of gunshots drew her attention away. 'So another has made their presence known.' She thought. 'Then I, Alexia Ashford, shall be rid of them all.' Dragging Claire with her Alexia left Steve strapped into a chair with an axe slammed into the wall, the handle of it just under his chin. Things were about to get interesting.
Chris had finally made his way to the 'palace'. Zombies... hunters... where the hell was Claire? He at least expected to see Wesker by now with all the hunters he had encountered. But no, not a single damn sign of Wesker anywhere. But Chris knew, he knew the bastard was here somewhere. 'Probably lying in wait.' Chris was thinking. 'He does that... a lot. And then...!' But before he had a chance to finish the thought a hunter came screeching at him. "Holy!" And all Chris had time to do was open fire with his TMPs as soon as the hunter leaped into the air and make a dash for the double doors that lead into the palace.
"I can't keep going like this." Chris said to himself as he tried to steady his breathing, "I'm running out of ammo." The room was quiet, so quiet that he could have sworn he had heard something shift quietly just behind the staircase. Switching to his 9mm, Chris slowly walked around the large room, as he went around the staircase to the back of it, he lowered his gun. "Claire!" He stepped closer seeing her entwined in what appeared to be a moth's cocoon. "Don't worry sis, I'm here." He pulled out his army knife and gently cut at the threads til she was free and feel into his arms.
Not too much later Claire began to stir. "Hey" Chris said as she slowly started to sit up. "Chris...?" Claire looked up and her eyes opened wide as she lunged forward at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Chris! It's really you!" Her older brother hugged her back then gently patted her back as she pulled away. "I'm just glad I found you and that you're alright." As they stood though Claire wobbled and fell against the side of the stairwell. "Claire!"
"Ugh... I think... I've been... Poisoned." She breathed, chest heaving. She wasn't sure how long it had been since her fight with the large B.O.W, but she had the exact same feeling before her and Steve mad it to the snow mobile.
"What?"
"Chris... There was this..."
"You don't have to tell me about it right now, just relax it's gonna be alright."
"But-"
"No! I think I saw something for poison in the one storage area I traveled through." Chris then stood, "I'll be back!"
Claire nodded her head as he turned and disappeared out the large doors. And as soon as the door shut there was a horrible screech that Chris' head snap around at the oncoming Hunter. "Dammit all!" He yelled lunging out of the way and then rolling. He scrambled to his feet and dashed through the nearest door. Leaning up against the side of the wall he heaved, "When will this end?" Chris then shook his head and pushed off from the wall. He knew this place and instantly got a little happier. After all, he needed to go through here in order to get the anti-poison for Claire.
After a few more doors and zombies Chris had finally found the storage room. And curse those horrible giant spiders! Anyway he snatched the pack just as a zombie's arms reached out for him and started to make his way back to the palace, and oh how far it seemed to be too.
Upon returning he found his sister still hunched against the stairwell. "Here ya go sis." Chris administered the anti-poison and hoped for the best. There was no way he was letting his little sister die especially not like this! But then he started to blame himself as he sat down in front of her waiting for the medicine to take effect. He listened as Claire's breathing seemed to return to normal and her skin didn't seem quite as flushed as before, and then she stired and looked up at him through partially closed eyes, "Chris?" He smiled at his name. "Yeah Claire, I'm here." She smiled back and pushed herself up for another hug from her big bro, then realization dawned on her, she had to find Steve!
"Chris, we have to find Steve."
"Of course."
"I don't know where he is now, we got separated after the accident..." She hung her head and closed her eyes at the very brief memory.
"It's gonna alright, Claire." Chris said reassuringly, "We'll find Steve and then get the hell out of this place for good!" Claire instantly looked up at her older brother and nodded her head as they both stood. It was time to get a move on and together they started up the stairs, but just as Claire reached the top with Chris not far behind her, another of the large tentacles flew out at them. Flopping down over a portion of the staircase, Chris fell through as Claire made the leap to the other side. "Chris!"
The tentacle vanished back into the hole in the wall from once it came as she looked down at her brother. He motioned to her with with his arm. "Go on! Find Steve!" A bit unsure at first Claire was hesitant, but she needed to find Steve. With another nod of her head she went through the door behind her. It took her to a room and she glanced about. Nothing seemed out of place and she slowly walked, knife at the ready with no ammo really to be spared in her altered handgun from Rockfort Island. With a slight limp in her step, Claire passed through yet another door and then found herself in a hallway. Sure enough company greeted her.
Narrowly managing to slice up one zombie after having bent down and cut at his ankles causing him to fall and then for the following one to fall on top of him, Claire was able to work around them to the other end of the hallway. Only one other zombie was there with its' back turned to her and she didn't waste any time at shoving him as hard as she could manage into the wall. He slid down with a grunt and she bolted for the door only a few feet away from her outstretched arm. Now she had no idea where she was, but it looked kinda like a dungeon what with the stone walls and cells. A zombie in the cell nearby made her steer clear of it, but there was a door to her right and she took it.
'This room is so small...' Claire thought as she looked around it. 'It's enough to be a nightmare for anyone that's claustrophobic.' She noticed a large gate like door and slowly walked over to it. Peering through the bars she saw Steve at the far end of the very long, very narrow hallway.
"Steve!" She shouted. But got nothing back from the boy as he just sat there with his head down. "Steve please answer me!" She tried again but still nothing. She looked the gate up and down for a lock and found the card reader. "Great, just great." She muttered to herself having no idea where she would even begin to search for a card key right now. 'There's gotta be one around here somewhere...' Claire thought as she slowly exited back into the dungeon like area. Looking up at the zombie, she took note of his clothes. 'He's dressed like Steve's dad. He's a prisoner here.' She paused for a moment. The memory of Steve's father having been turned into a zombie entered her mind and she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, remember his cold, clammy hands on her back as he had knelt down to begin devouring her. Opening her eyes Claire looked around again now noticing a set of stairs that led up.
At the top she found the body of a guard and what looked like a trap. She looked up at the ceiling and then down at the guard's body. She noticed a piece of paper clasped in his discolored hand, having been smashed by the trap from the looks of it, along with the rest of him anyway, she wondered if maybe it had any info written on it that could help her. Now timing was everything. No doubt the trap was activated by stepping where the guard's body was, but there was just enough space on the other side for her to stand. If she made it anyway.
Moment of truth!
Taking a deep breath, Claire gave herself a slight running start and leaped over the smashed stones. Down came the large square block, lucky she hadn't bounced off of the wall and back out under it, she waited it slowly reeled itself back up. Keeping against the wall she she slowly then turned around and snatched the paper just before the block fell once again right in front of her. Once the block was raised up all the way, she made another leap and was home free. Well sort of anyway, she still needed to find a card key. Unfolding the paper she began to read;
'To Personnel: When you lose the key to the door in the high security section know that there is a spare hidden. However, the high security section is rarely ever used so you should have no need for your key let alone the spare. But in case of an emergency, the spare key is hidden within the round glass that can be shot at large.'
Claire just stood at looked at the note dumbfounded. "Round glass?" She said in a slightly annoyed voice. "Shot at large? What the hell does 'shot at large' mean?" Not that had a general idea what 'round glass' was suppose to mean either so maybe the riddle was just stupid and not meant to make any sense or... She just didn't know. Going down the steps she tried to think then aimlessly began walking. 'Round glass... I haven't seen anything that's round and made of glass.' Then she frowned. "What if someone already took the spare key and used it." She stopped walking and put her face in her hands. Rubbing her eyes she then looked around and then Claire noticed something.
'Is that a canon?' She wondered slowly walking over to it. 'It is!' She had an idea, but she needed to figure out how she was going to One; get through the tiny door. And then Two, where was she going to find a canon ball? Peeking inside she thought she saw something shine for a moment. Going around the back of the canon she tilted the back end up as far as she could. A glass ball rolled out from the canon's front and Claire just stood there staring at it. 'Round glass...' So that's what it meant!
Wait was the key inside of this glass ball? Claire picked it up and looked it over. After much thought she threw the glass ball as hard as she could at the wall. Nothing. She then slammed it into the floor. Again nothing. Picking it up one final time she remembered the awkward trap she had to avoid, 'If it was strong enough to smash the floor, it should be able to break this.' Claire thought as she returned back to the landing where the trap was at. Now timing was everything, if she didn't move out of the way fast enough she would be smashed along with her little ball friend here, and Claire couldn't have that.
Putting her plan into motion, Claire examined the trap, not seeing any way of stopping or controlling at all, she did the only thing she could; placed the ball and back up as fast as she could. With a hammering force the large stone was dropped and the slowly wheeled back up at the unknown presence beneath it and Claire snatched the key card without hesitation! Racing back to the locked gate she looked back through the bars. "Steve..." She said in a hushed voice as she saw he was still there at the end of the long narrow hallway. Sliding the card she dashed under the gate as it rose and down the hallway to the end where Steve sat with his head hung over the handle of a giant axe. "Steve!" She tapped his shoulder and the boy stirred. "Ugh, Claire?"
"Don't worry I'm gonna get you out!"
"Claire..."
"What happened to you?"
"I don't know, that crazy woman, she said she was going to do the same thing to me that she did her father." He then raised his hand to show Claire where he had been injected, the little red spot from where a needle had been inserted was still fresh on the top of his hand and the vein it had been injected into was discolored and seemed to be spreading. "It's alright Steve, I'm gonna get you out!" And Claire proceeded to unstrap his other hand. Just then he started to act strange. "Steve? Are you alright?"
"Claire! I... Can't... Breathe!"
He threw out his arm and shoved the poor girl away as she tried to calm him down, panic striking her hard as she realized what was happening. He was growing, changing, mutating! Claire watched in horror as Steve became something inhuman before her eyes.
"Steve!"
But it was too late, the boy was gone and now there sat a large monster before her, grabbing at the axe handle and heaving it free he stood. Poor Claire turned and made a mad dash down the hallway as he followed close at her heels swinging the axe like a mad man, slicing and destroying everything in his path from the armor on the sides of the hallway to Claire if he could ever get close enough, right at her heels it was almost as if she could feel the blades on the end slicing through her hair.
The gate started to drop and Claire pushed herself, pain coursing through her body and her muscles ached but she pushed and she pushed til she slid underneath of the gate just barely missing being crushed beneath its' heavy weight, an enraged mutated Steve Burnside on the other side hammering away at the gate with his axe til he broke through, right as one of the strange tentacles burst through the wall wrapping itself around Claire to prevent her from escaping her fate a second time.
The poor girl struggled in vain as the axe was raised and she shut her eyes preparing for the final blow. "Cl..aire...!" Peeking Claire saw Steve struggling with himself pulling away and again raising his weapon only this time to the large tentacle that held her like a vice and sliced clean through it. In agonizing pain the tentacle wriggled and squirmed as Claire fell to the floor before it slammed into Steve's abdomen sending him into the wall as it vanished through the hole it had appeared. She looked up and watched as he slowly started to revert back to his former self, the boy she had met and fought near tooth and nail along side of in an attempt to escape. The boy she had promised...
"Steve..."
"Claire, your hand, it's so warm." Steve held her hand to the side of his face as tears started to well up in Claire's eyes.
"You're gonna be okay. My brother, Chris, he came for us, Steve! He's here!" The tears were starting to stream down her cheeks as they both knew it wasn't possible for Steve to survive the final blow from Alexia's wrath. "I knew he'd come for you Claire." He breathed deeply struggling to find any strength he might possibly have left in himself. "Claire... I..." He took another breath sure to be his last it seemed, "I love you." His head slowly sank and his hand fell to his side.
"Steve?"
She shook him not wanting to accept the fact that he was gone. "Steve!" Her tears fell and her body shook with sorrow as she nestled into his shoulder. "Steve... Don't go." But her plea fell on deaf ears as the boy sat lifeless against the wall. What was she to do now?