Irons' office had yielded little to help them on their journey, save for the badge-dongle Sherry had found for the STARS weapon locker. So instead they checked the other two doors leading out of the room.
One of them led down a small hallway to a storage room where various antiques were being housed. It was in this room that they found a parking pass they would need to get out of the station, hanging on a hook in a sectioned off part of the room that was locked via an electrical panel that had damaged parts that needed to be replaced.
Their prize in sight, they checked the rest of the room and managed to find a key hidden in the back of a picture frame that might be able to help them and a map of the station. With nothing else, they went back to the chief's office to think of a plan.
"It's like everything's set up to distract us." Claire muttered in anger. Knowing that the parking pass was so close but at the same time out of reach was more than a bit frustrating.
BJ nodded in agreement while twirling the newly acquired 'heart key' between his fingers. "Starting to look that way. Regardless, we need to find the replacement components for that panel if we're gonna get that pass. There's no guarantee that another one is laying around somewhere." he said before picking up one of the damaged components he had taken from the panel when he looked it over.
The metal wiring of both pieces had been fried, either from the storm going on outside or from some other means. And with how thick the locking mechanism was there was little chance of them kicking it open. Either way, they couldn't get into the locked room without fixing the panel.
"Where would we start looking?" asked Claire.
"What about this?" Sherry suddenly spoke, holding up a piece of paper.
BJ took the paper and read it over, finding it to be a memo about a repair man coming in to fix a few things around the station and where he was said to have left some parts laying around. "Where'd you find this, Sherry?" he asked his sister.
"On one of the shelves when you and Claire got that key. It looked important." replied the young blonde.
"It is." said the Marine before taking out the map they found and spreading it out on the table in the middle of the office. "According to the memo, the repairman that came by to fix some of the panels around the station left some parts in the event replacements were needed. Supposedly he left one in a storage room on the 3rd floor here in the east wing. It also said he went to work on the old clock tower. If things started going bad while he was working, chances are that he left the rest of his supplies there as well."
Claire looked over the map as he pointed out the locations. "So we need to hit up the storage room, then the clocktower. Sounds simple."
"Depending on how many locked doors we can get through and how many freaks will be between us and our objective." said BJ, looking over the map one last time. "We'll try the storage room first since it's closest. Then we'll work our way to the clocktower. With any luck we should be able to find the parts we need and get back without too much trouble."
"What can I do?" asked Sherry, wanting to help her brother and Claire however she could.
"I want you to keep your eyes peeled, if you see something that stands out let us know. But at the same time don't put yourself in danger. Okay?" the Marine explained, getting a nod from his little sister.
With a plan set, the trio left Irons' office. Using the heart-key to unlock the door and entered a stairwell. Remembering the map, BJ led the girls up the stairs to the next floor where various bits of furniture and painting equipment scattered around.
Taking the door on their left, they entered a large storage room with shelves covered in small crates and art pieces big and small. The set up being similar to a small maze, and with the lights being out making it more imposing.
Turning on their flashlights, Claire and BJ stepped through the door with Sherry between them. Covering as many directions as they could to avoid something sneaking up on them. But they didn't have to worry about that as their entry attracted the attention of a pair of zombies in police uniforms that were up there. Each coming from a different direction.
The older duo looked to one another and nodded as they each approached the closest undead. Claire ducked aside when the one she chose lunged for her, getting behind it to kick it in the back of the knee and dropping it to a kneeling position. From there the brunette drew her knife and stabbed it in the back of the head to put it down.
BJ didn't draw a weapon as he grabbed the zombie's outstretched arms, spinning it around and putting it in a headlock where he then snapped its neck. With the only threats out of the way they were able to check out the room unhindered. Coming up with a couple boxes of bullets and a few rounds for Claire's grenade launcher.
It was the small room in the back, unlocked by the heart-key, where they found what they were looking for.
Among a few random tools and other supplies, they found a small cardboard box that had one of the parts they were looking for. After pocketing the component, the trio left the storage room and went out the other door on that level, leading them out into the rain on the roof of the station.
The fiery wreckage of the helicopter that had crashed earlier could be seen not too far away. And sadly, the flames were blocking their only way to get to the clocktower.
"We gotta activate the fire-suppressant system to put out those flames." BJ said while pointing at the chopper wreck. "It's the only way we'll get back to the main part of the station."
"How do we do that?" asked Claire.
The Marine went over to a metal ladder and began to descend, "This way." The girls followed his lead and went down to another section of the roof.
When they stepped off, BJ immediately saw Sherry shivering. Holding her arms as she tried to stave off the cold rain around them. Without thinking twice he undid his uniform jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders, his dog tags clinking softly against the tan colored t-shirt he wore under it.
She practically swam in it, and the arms had to be rolled up a lot so her hands could be free, but at least she would be warm and dry.
Sherry smiled at her big brother before she saw the rain start to soak into his shirt. "What about you?"
"A little cold won't hurt me much. No worries, Sher." BJ waved it off before going over to the pump-valve that powered the fire-suppressant system. Pulling the lever, the trio watched a waterfall cascade down from a broken pipe above where the nose of the copter had gone through the building. Dosing the wreckage and putting the fires out in seconds.
When he was sure the fire was out, the Marine lifted up on the lever to cut the flow of water. "Now we're in business." said Claire, happy that things were starting to go their way for once.
They entered back into the station through a nearby door and made their way down the hallway on the other side. Turning a corner and taking in the cooling wreckage before them.
"Okay, we'll have to crawl under it to get to the other side." said BJ as he turned to the girls, "I'll go under first, check to see if it's clear. Then-" he was cut off when the loud screech of metal bending echoed around them.
Turning back to the copter, the trio looked on as the entire wreckage started to move. Lifting upward to reveal a lone man in a long black trench coat and a fedora, standing close to eight feet in height and holding the smoldering transport with only ONE HAND!
BJ took a step back, raising his shotgun with Claire following his lead with her sidearm. Neither saying a word. Whatever this man, this thing was, it was far from natural. That much was for sure, and they weren't taking chances.
The man raised his head, showing a pale face and cold, soulless eyes that zeroed in on their small group. His gaze flickered to each of them before locking onto Sherry who was hiding behind her brother and the young Redfield's legs.
With a shove, the copter was jammed into the wall where it stayed. Making an opening big enough for the man to pass through, his footfalls heavy and loud, shaking the floor beneath him.
"Stay back!" BJ ordered, bringing his shotgun up. The man continued as though he hadn't heard him. The Marine squeezed the trigger, his weapon registering loudly and the buckshot hitting his target's center of mass…
But the unknown giant didn't even stutter as he kept moving forward.
Racking the pump, BJ fired again with the same result. A third shot quickly followed. With the man closing the gap fast, the Marine went with the only plan that would work for them.
"RUN!"
The trio spun around and ran back the way they came, going back out into the rain. "Where do we go?!" shouted Claire.
"Back to Irons' office!" BJ called back before the door behind them exploded open and the giant stepped out. "Claire, take Sherry and get out of here!" he drew his sidearm and opened fire, aiming for the man's face and eyes.
"BJ-" Claire tried to argue.
"Claire GO! NOW!" the Marine shouted, leaving no room for argument as he tried to hold off the black-clad juggernaut.
The brunette hesitated for half a second before grabbing Sherry's hand and running to the ladder. Sending her up first with her right behind.
BJ's MK.23 clicked with an empty clip that he ejected and reached for a new one. But by that point the giant had reached him, swinging a massive fist in his direction that he had to dive out of the way to avoid.
Rolling back to his feet, the Marine slammed a fresh clip into his sidearm in preparation for a follow up attack...but was baffled when he saw the large man keep walking past him...toward the ladder the girls had gone up.
"HEY!" he shouted, peppering the man's back with bullets that had no affect on him as he began to climb the ladder.
BJ sprinted across the roof, drawing his knife in his free hand as he jumped up onto the giant's back. Stabbing the blade into his shoulder and firing into the back of his neck.
The unknown man grunted with each trigger pull, showing no other signs as he let go of the ladder and reached over his shoulder. Grabbing BJ's arm and throwing the Marine off. The strength behind the toss sent him rolling across the roof, his gun clattering across the wet ground while his knife remained where he had stabbed it.
Doing his best to shake it off, BJ looked up and quickly rolled aside when a large fist came down and put a crater in the ground where he had been.
The giant pulled his fist out of the roof, but not before the Marine managed to nail him across the face with a hard punch.
BJ stumbled back, holding his hand after feeling as though he had just struck a brick wall. While the man only had his hat knocked off his bald head. Reaching down and picking it back up, the giant put the hat back on casually before coming at him again. His slow, but powerful swings forcing the Marine to dodge to avoid getting flattened.
The thing was strong, but slow. He needed to use that as an advantage.
Avoiding another big punch, BJ pulled out his shotgun and fired at the giant's head. The buckshot tore into the side of his face, but once again he showed no signs of pain other than a deep grunt.
Right as he chambered another round, the Marine felt pain suddenly explode through his body. One of the giant's almost tree trunk sized arms swung out and caught him in the stomach, all the air in his lungs and a little blood rushing out of his mouth as his feet were lifted from the ground and he was sent flying. Coming to an abrupt stop when his back slammed into the brick wall behind him and hitting the wet ground a second after.
Dazed and unable to draw breath for several moments, BJ raised his head. Doing his best to blink away the blurriness as the giant went for the ladder again. Climbing it quickly to the next floor.
Gritting his teeth, the Marine staggered back to his feet. The pain in his torso dulling slightly as he stumbled across the roof, gathering his dropped weapons before quickly following after the giant. He had to stop it before it got to Sherry and Claire.
Climbing the ladder, BJ went through the door that had been practically torn from its hinges in time to hear gunshots and loud crashing from the floor above. Running down the steps, reloading his shotgun along the way, he entered Irons' office to find it in shambles.
The taxidermy animals were in pieces along with a good portion of the furniture. He found Claire laid out on the floor by the shattered table in the center of the room while Sherry screamed from the corner with the giant bearing down on her.
Without hesitating, BJ fired a shotgun blast into the large man's back. Making him turn around and give Sherry the chance to run around him and kneel beside Claire who was starting to come around.
The Marine kept firing, hoping to nail a weak point. But each shot didn't find any purchase as the giant crossed the distance in three long strides and grabbed him by the throat. Lifting him off the floor effortlessly and began to apply pressure.
Knowing full well the thing could snap his neck like it was a twig, BJ thought fast. Going for broke, he dropped his shotgun and drew his sidearm, firing point blank right into the giant's right eye.
That got a reaction. The giant's head snapped back and he grunted loudly, dropping BJ to grab at his face.
Not wanting to waste this chance, the Marine grabbed his shotgun then grabbed Claire and Sherry and ran. Going down the stairs, along the same path they had been going on before and putting as much distance between them and their pursuer as they could.
The station flew past them as they kept moving, not stopping even for a second before they found themselves back in the main lobby of the station on the second floor.
"What...What the fuck...was that thing?!" Claire gasped between deep breaths from all the running they had done. Holding the railing in front of her to stay upright.
"No goddamn clue. Whatever it was, it wasn't anything natural." BJ replied, eyes locked on the door they had just come through and praying they had lost the thing. He turned to Sherry who was shaking like a leaf. "You okay, Sherry?"
His sister nodded, "It...It almost got me. Claire got hurt trying to stop it."
The Marine turned his attention to Claire who waved him off, "He tossed me through the table back in the chief's office. I'm okay though, I'm tougher than I look."
"I know the feeling." BJ said in agreement, hand going to his still sore midsection. He was honestly surprised that he didn't have any broken ribs from the hit he'd taken. "We'll take a minute before moving on. We still need to reach the clocktower."
They went down the steps to the ground floor. The first thing Claire and BJ noticed was that Marvin wasn't where he had been when they went through the secret passage under the Goddess statue. But they did see a trail of blood leading away from the bed he had taken up to the other side of the lobby behind a stack of crates.
A low groan was heard before the officer who had helped them stumbled out into the open. Only now his skin was pale grey with the familiar clouded eyes of the undead.
Claire showed a look of despair at the man's fate after all he had done for them. She raised her weapon to end his suffering when BJ reached out and lowered it.
"We can't waste the ammo. Or risk having that big asshole hearing it." he said when he saw her questioning gaze. Since his knife had been left in the giant's shoulder, the Marine had to put the former officer down another way.
Meeting the zombified Marvin head on as he started to lumber toward them, BJ sidestepped when he lunged and tripped him. Now sprawled out on the ground, the Marine kneeled on his back and grabbed his head, a sharp twist and a crack and he went still.
Sighing through his nose, BJ carefully rolled Marvin's body over. Crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes. It wasn't much, but it was the best he could do for the man given the situation.
"Thanks for all your help, Lieutenant." he said before standing up and turning to the girls. None of them said a word as they made their way out of the lobby in the direction of the clocktower.
They would mourn the man and the many others that had died there another time. Right now they still had to escape. And with another, large, obstacle in their way they needed to work fast before this place became their tomb.
X
A/N: Given that I have so much time to work on things as of late, and since I've been playing the remakes for RE2 and 3, I decided to go a step further. Even though I won't be posting a new story for a while, I started laying the ground work for one that adds onto this one that involves another OC joining STARS Alpha team and being in a relationship with Jill with events leading up to the first game all the way to the third and beyond.
Before I end this installment, I will share with you a small teaser of this new story that will conglomerate into a whole different series.
"Chopper's right there, com'mon!" Gabe shouted as he and Jill ran across the top floor of the parking garage. The loud thrum of the aerial transport's propellers echoing loudly in the night.
They barely reached halfway when the tail of the helicopter exploded, sending it into a deadly tailspin that had the two former STARS diving out of the way. The transport hit the ground and exploded, sending them both slamming into the side of a parked car and leaving them dazed.
Gabe coughed, staggering to his feet and reaching out to his companion. "Jill, you okay?!" he said loudly over the ringing in his ears.
Jill nodded, gritting her teeth and holding her side where a large bruise was probably already forming. She looked past him and tensed, "Shit."
Spinning around, Gabe cursed as well when he saw a hulking form stepped out of the shadows on the other end of the parking garage and began making its way toward them. "What the fuck is this thing?!"
"Gabe!" Jill shouted as she yanked open the driver's side door of the car they were slammed into. Tossing out the dead driver and getting behind the wheel. Her companion ran around to the other side and got into the passenger seat as she tried to start the engine.
"Dammit! Come on!" Jill shouted, trying and failing to get the car to turn over with little success. Gabe smashed out his window and drew his Colt M1911, firing on their pursuer who was closing in fast. The .45 caliber rounds finding purchase, but doing nothing to slow it down.
"JILL!" he shouted, reloading his weapon when the clip ran empty.
"I'M TRYING!" JIll shouted back just as the engine roared to life. "Now it's my turn BITCH!" she slammed the stick shift into place and slammed on the gas. The car shot forward, tires squealing on the asphalt as it crossed the distance and slammed into the large figure in all black.
Metal crunched and glass shattered...but to the horror of the duo it did little as their attacker managed to stop the car with its bare hands.
Through the tears in the black mask covering its face, a pale, soulless eye leered at them before driving its hand through the windshield. Grabbing Jill around the neck and began strangling her.
"LET HER GO ASSHOLE!" Gabe roared, aiming his reloaded 1911 at the things head and emptying the whole clip into it. The creature grunted with each bullet that penetrated its skull, but it's grip on the woman remained unyielding.
Jill gagged and choked, but managed to keep her foot firmly on the gas pedal. The car's engine roared and tire's burning before it took off with the one holding her on the hood.
There was a loud crash and suddenly they were airborne. The monster sent flying one direction while they went straight down and slammed into the street. The duo being thrown around inside the car as it rolled a couple of times before landing on its roof.
Inside, Gabe groaned. His whole body ached from head to toe from the crash and everything else that led up to that point in the last hour alone. With herculean effort, he managed to roll onto his side. Finding the face of the woman who had become the center of his whole world laid out beside him, illuminated by the fires burning outside.
Through the pain, he thought back to when all this had started. How he had gone from the marksman of STARS Alpha Team to being wanted dead by the corporation that pretty much owned Raccoon City.
Back then things had been simpler, and he realized he should have cherished those days while they lasted.