September 29th 10:15PM
LOCATION: Spencer Memorial Hospital
Having found the ID Card they needed, they start to back track on the path they had already came through.
Natasha quickly becomes aware that they weren't alone,
Being an assassin, she'd developed her own brand of a sixth sense for immediate danger and if the blood bath around them wasn't cause enough for concern, then what the Black Widow felt certainly was
"What's wrong?" Carlos asked as she froze before opening the next set of doors,
Carlos reached forward only for a giant claw to swipe at him through the gap in the door
"Ahh!" Carlos yelled in alarm,
Natasha immediately raised her assault rifle as the large B.O.W came into view.
She hadn't seen much like it, but from what she guessed it was another variant of the 'Hunter' she had already met the Hunter Gamma's in the sewers she suspected this was its better-bred cousin.
The creature was covered in some sort of genetically enhanced shell armour making it virtually impervious to any of her ammunition, the armour plates around it's face moved and twitched in a fashion similar to an arachnid.
Suddenly the creature emitted a loud roar 'echolocation?' Natasha wondered as the creature immediately became aware of the both of them,
Carlos and Natasha began to open fire on the hostile B.O.W, however it dodged their gunfire at an almost superhuman speed-
"What the fuck is that!?" Carlos exclaimed as the both of them quickly retreated back avoiding the B.O.W's razor sharp talons, after deciding that bullets weren't getting them anywhere Natasha rolls a grenade under the creature whilst Carlos kept firing.
The creature suddenly screeched and convulsed on the ground as it fought against the substantial amount of injuries that had been inflicted upon it, a tough fight that neither of them exactly wanted to do again
"Jesus Christ!" Carlos exclaimed, at least they now knew what had slaughtered the hospital workers.
They ran back to the other end of the first floor where they found themselves in a waiting area for one of the wards
"Uh- the nurse's stations should be through the door behind the reception" Natasha stated as she got out the ID Card, placed it into the card slot for the restricted door, the door thankfully unlocked at the presentation of the staff ID.
The new corridor had observational windows running down through the ward where she spotted the tape recording that they needed- and causing a lot of commotion inside the ward was two more of the 'Hunter' B.O.W's
"UGH- I really didn't want to fight two more of those thing" Carlos sighed like a child that had been asked to clean its room,
Natasha laughed "Carlos, just follow my lead and if we're quick those things shouldn't give us too much trouble" he nodded, he trusted that she knew what she was doing.
They continue to the end of the hallway where they find an access through a hospital storage room, they are forced to shoot the Zombies that had once previously been the hospital staff.
Natasha perched into a crouching position before the door into the hospital ward, Carlos did the same
"Ok follow my lead and be quick" he nodded the soldier in him was adamant that he follows the Black Widow orders, although he was beginning to think that she was more than capable of fighting every monster in this hospital by herself.
Black Widow slightly opened the door where the B.O.W's inside were making a lot of angry noise, she rolled a flash grenade into the room before the 'Hunters' could attack-
The creatures screeched at the sudden flash disorientating them completely for a moment-
"Quick, quick, quick" she muttered to herself as she darted inside the completely up turned room and quickly grabbed the tape,
"Flash!" Carlos yelled as he threw in another flash bang keeping the monsters stuck in a state of disorientation-
"Got it lets move!" she yelled as Carlos proceeded to throw in another Flash Bang to secure their escape.
Natasha waved the tape at him as they quickly raced back to Dr Bard's personal reception, the sooner they got in to that lab and got that cure the better Carlos would feel,
Natasha on the other hand couldn't shake this feeling in her gut,
Something was wrong- and the fact that she didn't know what really annoyed her, however she had no time to provide that thought with too much attention because as they found themselves back outside the operation theatre downstairs a group of Zombies furiously crashed through the large glass windows
"We so don't have time for this!" Natasha yelled as she ducked and rolled away from the decaying reach of the undead,
Carlos agreed as much as he wanted to clear the hospital room from the undead, he was acutely aware that Jill's time was running out.
Finally, they arrived back at the reception for Dr Bard's office and the voice activated door that kept them out.
Natasha placed the tape inside the recorder that she'd found behind the reception desk and quickly clicked play, she prayed that the voice recording contained the correct voice and words to bypass the intercom.
Within seconds of pressing play a soft woman's voice spoke -
"All I wanted to know is what the documents were doing in your office in the first place" another male voice quickly followed
"Who do you think you're talking to, I'm god damn Nathaniel Bard" the intercom bleeped as the red light changed to green, the arrogant doctor stating his name in the recording had been the key.
Unable to switch off the recording Natasha much to her annoyance had to leave it playing
"I'm the best biologist you'll ever meet you bed pan changing waste of a nursing degree. Of course I have connections higher up, of course the military consults with me on projects higher up beyond your comprehension, so stop wasting my time with your nosey questions"
Natasha angrily gritted her teeth, she wasn't sure now weather she would kill him or save him, right now she edged towards killing him
"I- I'm sorry" the nurse wordlessly stuttered
"You didn't read the documents did you?" Dr Bard nervously asked
"No, I shredded them just like you asked" the nurse quickly responded
"Good, good, if that's all you can go back to wiping your patients asses, that's what they pay you for right, and polish my shoes"
Natasha and Carlos blankly stared at each other clearly thinking the same thing 'did they REALLY need to save this asshole?'
"Yes sir" the nurse silently responded
"I bet you know a lot about polishing don't ya, now fuck off and don't say a word to anyone"
The recording abruptly ended, Carlos released a breath he'd been holding.
Natasha pocketed the recording as possible evidence she could use later,
Lucky for the doctor right now she cared more about getting her hands on the sure than she did over murdering another sexist misogynistic pig.
Before they approached the now unlocked lab doors Black Widow could have sworn that she heard loud footsteps, but as they entered the dark lab it almost seemed empty to Carlos, but Natasha quickly noticed the open window on the other end of the room
"Fuck!" she angrily hissed, they were too late.
At first Carlos didn't understand the Avengers reaction, but then he turned around the office chair that had a figure slumped in it, he saw the blood then he saw who it was.
"Bard" Carlos whispered, the doctor had been shot execution style where he sat in his chair
"Tyrell- Bard's dead, he's been shot" Carlos spoke into his Walkie Talkie whilst Natasha angrily paced back and forth
'Fucking Nikolai' she thought to herself, it was not a mystery at all to her who had been responsible.
This was a clean and brutal execution similar to how she had been trained back in the Red Room- back in Russia,
"Shit! And the Vaccine?" Tyrell anxiously
"I don't know, but we're looking" Carlos stated, Natasha hoped that they'd intruded in on Bard's assassin before he could find it.
She touched the body of the doctor 'Still warm' she was convinced that Nikolai had quickly evacuated the way he came in when he heard them outside 'Coward'-
"Well look harder! There's got to be a computer right!" Tyrell exclaimed through the comms,
Black Widow's attention diverted to the lab's main computer terminal, she just prayed that the bastard hadn't had the chance to go through it.
They approached the only active computer screen which displayed the red and white log of the Umbrella company,
Black Widow immediately inputs the hard drive given to her by the tech squad at S.H.I.E.L.D if there was any security in place,
She would be able to breakthrough it as well as download the contents of everything on the terminal.
As the security on the computer collapsed in seconds and an email immediately popped up on the screen, it must have been the last email Bard sent before he was killed.
The email proved to be very interesting reading- it was addressed to a State Senator named Greg Tester, the contents of the communication contained some VERY incriminating evidence as the Doctor attempted to plead with the Senator to organise an extraction from Raccoon City, without Umbrella finding out.
Natasha closed the email knowing that it was all currently being downloaded on her USB what she hadn't been expecting was the recording that quickly followed-
"This is VCR Chief Nathaniel Bard, September 29th 11pm"
Natasha checked her watch, this recording had been made at most twenty minuets ago, she kicked herself for not being quicker-
"I am acutely aware that my time's running out. I hope this recording is found by the Black Widow, whom I know is in the city"
Carlos looked at the Avenger whose sharp attention was fixated on the screen and the Doctor that was speaking directly to her-
"And I hope Ms Romanoff- that by making this recording that you'll be able to bring the truth to light and maybe restore some small shred of honour to my name"
Although she didn't like the scientist she hoped to get his message made public 'This is just like Hydra all over again' the thought to herself as the recording continued,
"All of Raccoon City's suffering began with the release of a biological weapon known as the 'T-Virus' my employer the Umbrella Corporation engineered this Virus and ordered my team to develop a vaccine, which we did Ms Romanoff I was honest when I told you the sample is stored here in the lab, I trust you'll locate it, the rest is stored underground"
Natasha glanced at Carlos the U.B.C.S soldier was being hit with the sudden reality that the company that sought him for employment in their private military were in fact the bad guys.
Carlos considered himself lucky that the Black Widow hadn't shot him on sight when they first met- given the uniform that he wore if he was in her position, he wouldn't have trusted him
"-But those sons of a bitches on the board. They want to destroy it, they don't want the world to know what they've done so they're trying to erase any evidence that the virus ever existed"
The doctor in the recording looked around his shoulder as if he could hear something that couldn't be heard in the recording.
"Now I'm not a fool, I know they don't want me to-."
The doctor quickly turned off the recording, movement could be heard in the background as the screen went to black and the screensaver of the Umbrella Logo reappeared in the screen.
The silence could have been carved with a knife; Natasha stared quietly at Carlos who finally realised the truth-
"Oh god, you and Jill knew all along and yet you trusted me anyway".
Before Natasha could say anything else Carlos furiously punched the screen displaying the red and white logo of the pharmaceutical company-
"FUCK!" Carlos yelled as he glared at the cracked screen.
Natasha gently placed her hand on his tense shoulder, being angry about it wouldn't help anyone right now,
"Carlos-." She sighed as she pondered at what words would provide some comfort
"The best thing we can do at the moment is to find that cure"
She pulled her USB Drive out of the computer where it had finished downloading everything on the terminal, including that recording.
"Carlos, I give you my word that Umbrella won't get away with this. This should go some way to delivering that justice" Carlos nodded,
He was glad the Avenger came to the City, the city certainly needed some Avenging right about now.
A door behind them suddenly unlocked with a loud beep, the seal was seemingly triggered by the end of the recording-
"Is it here?" Carlos asked as they entered the freezing cold room,
The main freezer held a vial that contained a vibrant purple liquid- that had to be it.
Carlos took the vial labelled 'T-Virus Vaccine' and secured the freezing cold vial in his vest.
"Alright Jill hang tight" he was placing a lot of faith in this vaccine and the Umbrella scientists that made it
"T we've got it!" Carlos spoke into his comms as they departed from the cold room
"Good, I'm heading your way" Tyrell announced,
Natasha took one last look at the corpse of Dr Bard,
She pondered if he got what he deserved, but still the USB Drive in her pocket promised the man of a small shred of redemption, weather he deserved it or not-
Black Widow would make sure that it all went public,
"Be careful" a short laugh came back through on the transmission
"Careful! Have you seen this town? It'll be a miracle if I get there in one piece" Natasha wished Tyrell luck, he certainly will need it.
As Carlos and Natasha exit the office back out into the reception area when suddenly one of the Hunters from earlier crashed through the doors into the reception area
"NOPE! So, don't have the time for your shit!" Black Widow yelled at the monster,
Black Widow and Carlos both took off in a run back out of the adjacent door where coincidently a large group of Zombies flooded into their path, almost like they were trying to prevent them from returning to Jill.
"Nope, Nope, Nope." Natasha growled at the undead that attempted to tear them apart.
Carlos threw a hard punch knocking one of the Zombies into the others whilst Natasha expertly rolled and flipped, ducking under and over the undead arms that reached out to grab her
"I don't have time for this!" she yelled as her thoughts solely focused on Jill, the S.T.A.R.S officer was counting on them for this vaccine.
The both of them nearly collapsed out of the doors leading out of the main hospital and back into the main reception,
Natasha immediately retrieved her knife and cut the ties she'd used to seal the doors into the ER ward where Jill lay unconscious on the hospital bed.
Natasha took notice of how far the T-Virus had spread through the S.T.A.R.S officers' system, they were cutting this far too close-
"You're gonna be ok Jill" Carlos promised the unresponsive Jill.
Carlos placed the contents of the sample into a syringe, without hesitation he plunged the needle into her injured arm,
Natasha watched as the brightly coloured contents flowed into Jills system,
"Come on this shit better work" Carlos hissed.