"¡Es él! ¡El traidor!"
(BAM)
"¡Te atraparemos!"
"¡No lo dejes escapar!"
(BLAM)
"¡Te voy a hacer picadillo!"
(BEWM)
"Cerebros, cerebros, cerebros..."
(RAT-TAT-TAT)
Ganados, Zealots, a whole bunch of demons and sinners infected by the plaga. Luis had seen it all. The map he found had taken him to a fortress, something very similar to Salazar's castle. Albeit, a little smaller. And just like the original, the place was full of traps and the infected who recognized him...targeted him. Tried to kill him. He was no soldier, be at least he could fight worth a damn. He thought that being dead would rid him of feelings, such as exhaustion. But he was dead tired (no pun intended), and there were still no signs of the monsters who ruined his life.
"Ugh...Saddler..." He sighs as he leans against a wall, holding his TMP. "Te juro que te haré pagar por lo que hiciste. (I swear I will make you pay for what you did.)"
His search led him to something he hadn't expected to find. A monorail that was cruelly built, yet meant to hold dozens of passengers. Throughout his time here, Luis had his fill of dangers, but they weren't the greatest threat compared to what laid ahead. He knew that beyond the castle, just like on Earth, was the real fortress, the Island. That is where he would find Saddler, and if he's feeling lucky, he would be the one to run him through this time.
"I must admit, you've done tremendous work here..." That static-y voice made Luis quickly turn and pull his gun out at the Radio Demon, Alastor, who just seemed to keep appearing out of nowhere. "Though, I expect that this is not what you were hoping to find. No big welcome for your would-be killer, eh?"
"Why is it that you appear to be everywhere, ciervo?" Luis asked. "You're not...omnipresent, are you?"
"Oh, I wish. Then this place would be a little more better with me being everywhere, wouldn't it?" Alastor joked. "No, I'm just everywhere where I need to be at the utmost convenience. Take people like you, fighting the good fight and all that. And those you seek to kill, how they continuously evade you. Almost seems like they're preparing for something big."
Hearing that made Luis hesitant, pulling his gun away as he looked at the Radio Demon straight in the eye. There was something different about Alastor, his eyes were no longer dark red, but instead a rather sickened-looking yellow with orange irises. Luis could sense it, but he was hoping that he was wrong. For now, he would put that aside and focus on what he just said.
"What do you know about all this?"
"Only that I have a role to play, we all do, in this game made by that fake brit...He's the one behind all this and has had all the time he could ever have to unleash...a greater evil than any one of us could ever imagine possible."
"...Wesker." Luis figured it out.
"So...you know?"
"Of him. Never met him in person, but the man had connections in life. I never knew what I was signing up for, but it involved my research in genetics."
"Well, Luis. You and everyone else we have stashed back at the Hotel are pretty much on his list of loose ends. I'm sure he'll be expecting some resistance, but if we all want to make it through this alive, and barely in one piece...I suggest you hop aboard that train...do what you have to do when you reach the other side."
"You're not coming?"
"Like I said, I have a role to play in all this. But I will be overseeing you...just as not as Mr. Wesker is doing." Alastor said and Luis could see a tiny bit of blood dripping from his mouth. That feeling around the Radio Demon is never a pleasant one, knowing how dangerous he is. Luis could tell that it's worse now as he walks past Alastor and to the monorail.
"You have been truly helpful, señor alastor. But perhaps you should look after himself a little bit."
Alastor watched as the monorail took off, most likely heading to the same place where everyone else he sent was going. Before, at a split second, he was gone...
Vaggie and Steve continued to move throughout the facility, the whole place was starting to look like one big giant boiler room of a maze that just kept going on and on like a murderous nightmare. Delibated to the state of nearly falling apart, yet power can be heard flowing through the pipes that lines the walls. Where was it all going? What was exactly was this place? What were they powering? None of these questions, they really had in mind, for they were only searching for their friends. Loona, Octavia, Charlie. They were here somewhere and they two were moving up the levels to find them, getting closer with each floor they were forced to pass, and killing anything or anyone who got in their way. Vaggie only hoped that they didn't get lost, since Steve was the one leading them.
"Are we getting any closer?" Vaggie asked. "I'm getting sick of all the freaks we've been facing."
"Octavia was said to have been around this level." Steve said, looking around. He could see that not only pipes lined up the walls, but some sort of vegetation as well. Roots that were green and scaled, were definitely not natural to Hell, but Burnside couldn't shake off the feeling that he knew of this stuff. Not to mention the heat; don't get me wrong, they're in a boiler room, it's Hell, it's bound to be hot down there, but the heat was exceeding from the plant. Vines were hanging overhead and Vaggie herself was getting a bad feeling around them, that they were being watched by something connected to the vegetation.
It got worse when Steve suddenly raised and grasped the sides of his head in pain, biting back the urge to scream as he felt like something was trying to root its way into his mind as he growled, his nails sharpening, his mouth full of fangs and his eyes glowing red. Whatever it was nearly caused him to mutate into the hulking form of his that he despised dearly, but he resisted the change and fell to his knees, growling at the pain. Vaggie was still there for him, and grasped his shoulder, and though he tried to shake her off, she wouldn't leave him.
"Steve! Steve!" She said to him, as she watched him slowly revert to normal, breathing heavily. "...Are you okay?"
"...Not really...but I'll be fine." Steve said through raspy breathing. Though, after that horrid feeling, Steve had his life flashing before his eyes. And only one word came to mind. "...Veronica."
"Huh? Who's Veronica?"
"Not who...what." Steve explained as he got back on his feet, holding his pistol. He continued to lead the way but was now bracing himself against the wall, not looking too good. "Remember...when I told you...about my life?"
Vaggie recalled everything Steve told her. She could never forget a story like that, it's was one of the craziest things she's ever heard.
"Uh...you were imprisoned on an island by the Umbrella Corporation, dealt with the crazy siblings, zombies and monsters, got exposed to a virus that made you-ooooohhh. There it is."
"The virus was called T-Veronica." Steve explained. "After the Matriarch of the Ashford Family. Their bitch of a heiress, Alexia...she did this to me...she sent me here...and now..."
"You think she's here? And messing with your head?"
"If I see her and her twit of a brother." Fangs started to reappear in Steve's mouth again, but Vaggie once again put her hand on his shoulder again.
She said to him "We will get her, Steve. But we have to focus on saving our friends, just like you said."
"Yeah...yeah...right." Steve said, but Vaggie was still concerned. If they were getting closer to Alexia, then he might lose control of himself. "I'll take lead this time, okay?"
"Sure..." He then allowed Vaggie to get ahead of them. But then, Steve took a moment before saying something else. "Vaggie...Octavia...may have been exposed."
And that is never good to hear.
"Let's hope you're wrong. Come on."
They continued to move until something was heard, the sound of metal creaking and grinding, ready to snap. And it was getting closer as Vaggie and Steve, as the latter turned around and then widened his eyes before tackling Vaggie a set of vines came out of nowhere and tried to stab them, but Vaggie quickly took out her sword and cut them off. But then, they both looked to see all the vegetation, roots, vines, and all, were very active and...targeting them, which led to only one thing in mind.
"Run!" Steve yelled as they got back on their feet and ran away from all sources of Veronica-infected plant life, which were tearing apart the entire place while they were after them. Things got worse when sickle-shaped arms started bursting through the walls, slicing through them as if something was definitely targeting them. They were barely able to escape, running through a side door before the entire place became destroy and no longer accessible.
Their situation was being monitored from within, by Wesker as he sat by a familiar face he attended to use some time ago. Alexia Ashford had joined the man's cabal through an uneasy alliance, hearing his promises of grander and sharing a common interest for revenge against the world that destroyed them. The Veronica Virus was powerful, manipulative, moldable, and able to grow like the greatest of plants. But Wesker was barely impressed with the virus, taking what he needed from the small sample that was from Steve Burnside, who he wanted to see torn apart after his capture. Parts of his lair, he entrusted to those who joined him in his question, which is why the Veronica Plant overtook that section the two had escaped from. They were already halfway through Ashford's trap as Wesker looked over to the corrupt heiress beside him, not looking too pleased through his sunglasses.
"Your efforts are failing, Alexia. Even one of your continues to elude you easily."
"Mind your tongue, Wesker." said the crazed countess. "If our places were switched, I doubt you would fare any better. It is all a matter of patience and timing. I trust that it will not take long for my experiments to have their way with them."
But Wesker was not convinced as he stood up and looked at her straight in the eye. "You cannot leave anything to chance. We both learned the hard way that these nuisances never grow tired of ruining our plans."
The Bandersnatch and other mutations under my command will put a stop to them. I swear it."
"They better. Otherwise, you'd be damn sure that they're slown down long enough to see my objective is complete. Saddler and Salazar have already arrived, Miranda and Eveline have finished securing their side, Carlota and Alex finished containing their projects, as well as the Abyss monstrosities. And of course, we still have Birkin and Marcus working on every sample of the viruses we've retrieved."
"And the rest of the infected across this realm?" Alexia asked.
"As far as I know, 79% of Hell's Population have already been infected. The Remaining Overlords and Royal Families have held themselves up in their domains. But they won't matter for much longer, not went everything falls into places...and rises up."
That was good to hear for Alexia, as it was just about everything she would ever dream of happening. She may not be Queen of the world, but revenge will soon be in her grasp, and in the grasp of the Cabal. Just like Wesker said, a new Genesis is approaching, and it starts...at the end. However, those feelings of long-deserved achievements when Alfred Ashford arrived, not looking as happy as her sister was. Wesker continued to look stoic as he turned to meet Alfred in the eyes.
"Have you found it yet?" He asked Alfred, who sadly shook his head.
"We checked every section of that damn town, leveled buildings, and ripped through the manor in search of it. The book is not there."
"Unfortunate. We're running out of time." Wesker said through silent fury. "The day that the inhabitants of this realm fear the most draws near, and without the book, we will have to wait a little longer, providing we secure our dominion over this realm."
That is when Alexia butted in once more before Wesker could rip her brother apart. "Perhaps we're not looking in the right place. If the book was not with the Ars Goetia, than perhaps Prince Stolas had hidden it amongst other Royals, or with the vermin he familiarized himself with. We already have one of them and his beloved daughter in captivity."
"Of course..." That is when Wesker realizes something. "Once the bird realizes this, he may come flying over to retrieve them, using the book as his means of transportation."
"How will we arouse him to do so?" Alfred ask. Wesker merely smirked.
"I have an idea..."
Said idea happened to be a messenger bird...or in this case, a messenger Kipepeo, a flying plaga mutant beast that was massive and was sent the way of the hotel. Unfortunately, this led to the attention of the Hotel's Snipers, who wasted no time trying to shoot it down. Forest, Eddie, Angel Dust, Vortex, anyone who was close by a window wasted no time sending streams of shots over at the monster. Nobody at the hotel was taking chances the moment they saw a zombied, parasitic, mutant beast. They had the place sealed up tight and looked for any survivors who were lucky enough to make the trip. Receiving barely any people every other day, the Hazbin Hotel was one of the few strong safe havens in Pentagram City.
But as they managed to get a few shots off at the Kipepeo, they failed to realize that it was throwing something at them, something that was holding in its tail tendrils. And upon its death, that thing was flung from its grasp and was sent towards the wall of the building.
"Incoming!" Eddie called out as they braced themselves when it felt like the entire hotel was shaking. The thing went right through the wall and the people inside barely got out of the way when it started crashing between floors. It stopped somewhere in the middle of the building, as Enrico rounded up the fighters, calling them via radio.
"All units! That thing landed on the 10th floor! Southside! Get over there and surround it!"
It didn't take long before the S.T.A.R.S. Members and anyone else who could use a gun got over there and saw the thing that landed. It looked like some kind of capsule, a large cylinder that was entirely metal and heavily sealed. All guns were trained on it as Joseph slowly shuffled over to it.
"Joseph, I don't think you should get too close to that thing." Brad said, trying to reach out to his teammate, while also keeping his gun trained on the capsule.
"Don't worry, I'm being as careful as possible." The Alpha Team Doberman said, slowly reaching out towards the thing.
"Frost, I'm serious!"
"Don't get closer, man!" Kenneth yelled.
"Don't touch that thing!" said Richard.
"Well, what are we supposed to do?! That thing just dropped into here! We can't just leave it alone!"
"Uh, yes we can, man!" said Angel Dust. "In fact, why don't we all leave this place while that thing's in here and find somewhere else to hide?"
Then Jack Baker walked up to the spider "And you really think we're just gonna up and find a new place to hide on such short notice?"
"Well, I'd rather not be here if that thing hatches. You got that, slimeball?!"
"Enough!" Enrico yelled out, getting them to stop before anything could go down. "We can't afford to leave this place, but we have to do something about that too!" He points at the capsule. "We need to find a way to isolate this room and figure out what to do about that thing."
"How do you suggest we do that?" Edward asked.
A few minutes later, they boarded up all open areas around the room but had a barricade semi-open enough so that they could barely interact with the capsule...using a long wooden stick that was made of a broom and a mop...something that Niffty was gonna want back after this.
"This is one of the dumbest we've ever done in our lives." Forest Speyer said, helping to maneuver the pole with Edward.
"We literally went headfirst into a zombie apocalypse." Edward replied. "How worst could things get from here?"
"You really shouldn't ask things like that, Eddy." Brad said while his gun trained through a tiny gap.
When they finally got the pole close enough to touch it, that is when the capsule reacted, air could be heard seeping out of it as the top part started unscrewing itself like a can. The S.T.A.R.S members quickly closed the place back up and watched from outside as the capsule opened itself. But no poison gas, no viruses seemed to escape from within the capsule as soon as it was completely opened. Though, they couldn't make out what it was, the three of them could barely make out something shiny inside.
"What is that?" Brad asked.
"I don't know." Edward answered.
"So, what are we gonna do?" Forest asked then.
"Are we guys done?" Asked Niffty, who had shown up out of nowhere due to her speed, startling them. "I could really use my broom and mop back now."
"Nifty, the capsule just opened and we don't what that thing inside it is!"
Edward then began to assess what to do. "I'd we keep it under quarantine for a few more days, and if there's no reaction-"
"Okay, enough waiting." Niffty interrupted. "Either this kills me, or it doesn't. I'm going in." And that is when she zoomed past them and headed inside the room before they could stop her.
"No, wait! Niffty-!"
It was too late. Niffty already had her hands on the item. A device of some sort, square-shaped, stainless, looked very high-tech and futuristic. Though, she could make up something that was written on it. A name.
"It's says it's for Stolas."
The device was later placed at a table, where it was presented to Stolas, unsure what to think about it as everyone who was armed also surrounded him in case that thing turned out to be a trap.
"Why would someone send this for me?" He asked.
"We don't know." Enrico said. "But we doubt it's anything good if they had to crash it through the hotel."
"I say we just blow the thing up and leave it at that." Angel Dust said, pointing his own gun at it, but it was pushed away by Edward.
"That thing that threw it in here knew exactly what it was doing. Trashed part of the place, sent a message, and one specifically for someone who has some influence."
Considering that Stolas was a Royal, and had access to some very powerful magic, as well as the fact that they attacked his manor, it's safe to assume that whoever's behind this wasn't done terrorizing him yet. This deeply concerned him, for he already allowed his daughter to go off and try to assist the others, who hadn't reported back yet. A message for him, it was something he could not ignore. Reaching out, he touched the device at its side, where there seemed to be a button, and that is when it activated some sort of holo display. The footage it showed was the silhouette of a familiar figure whose voice could then be heard.
"Attention, Prince Stolas Ars Goetia. If you are watching this, then I will make this simple enough for you to understand..."
Angel Dust leaned forward to touch the hologram, but Brad slapped his hand away. He and the rest of his S.T.A.R.S. Teammates almost instantly recognize that voice.
"Is that...WESKER?!" Joseph said in surprise.
"I told you guys who stabbed us in the backs." Enrico said with great content towards former fellow captain.
"Looks like he's really gone up in the world since last time." Brad added, knowing that there was always something about him, but Chris and Jill only ever vented out what they saw that night to the begrudging police chief who didn't seem to listen.
"I guess we finally know who's behind this." said Richard, not liking one bit where this was going.
Wesker continued to talk through the device. "As of this moment, your daughter and her associates have been captured by my forces. If you wish to see her alive again, you will come to me. With. The Book."
"Book?" Angel Dust asked. "What is he talking about?"
"My Grimoire." Stolas simply stated before Enrico turned to explained. "It was something that Wesker's been sending people to find. Apparently, it's something very important if he wants his hands on it."
The Prince glared, for this was something he was not prepared for. Octavia was the joy of his life, and he's been putting her through more danger than he failed to admit throughout this entire catastrophe. Now this man, Wesker, wanted him to practically trade his life for her. Whoever he was did not matter to Stolas, for he willl make him pay, one way or another.
"I have traced the coordinates of my location onto this device, making sure that it will only correspond with you. So don't think of trying to bring anyone else with you. I'm sure you can figure out how to use it magically, as you prefer. Don't make me wait...and don't try anything yourself...that will be all."
And with that, the holographic display had shut itself before the device started showing a blinking down on a circular screen, pinpointing the location Wesker spoke about. It was off the grid, resonating somewhere far from the city. Stolas could feel a source of arcane energy coming from the device, which he believed could be used to transmit the coordinates to himself. Now all he needed was the Grimoire. At the snap of his fingers, the book appeared in his hands before flipping to the page where the portal spell could be found. With the most serious expression on his face, he readied himself to make the trip.
"He'll kill you. You can't do this." Enrico said as Stolas turned to see that everyone was looking at him with great concern.
"He has my daughter..." Stolas replied in a low tone. "I care little for what happens to me so much as she is safe."
"But for the Book? You'll be giving him exactly what he wants!" Brad yelled.
Husk then butted in with a bottle in hand and said "These guys are right. They know this Wesker bloke to be a double-crosser, the reason why they're all here."
"You need to rethink your strategy Stolas, or you'll be risking everyone's life."
"...You heard what he said. No one else can come. Otherwise, I'll be doing that regardless. Now, unless you'd rather pick a fight with me, you will stay out of my way..."
Every survivor in the Hotel has had their share of monsters and viral-infected demons by now. They'd rather not take their chances with a Royal Demon Prince who's suffering through heartache, so they backed off and watched as Stolas pulled the energies from the device, conjured a portal, and used said energy to show the location he was being sent to. They were darkness on the other end, but Stolas took his chances and began stepping inside, taking the book with him. The portal closed and everyone around the room was left in awe, frozen from what they had witnessed.
Cherri came from one of the halls, holding an ATM-4 Rocket Launcher over her shoulder, polishing it a little as she hummed a tune. But then, she stopped at the sight of everyone frozen in place.
"What did I miss?" She asked.
After having survived that nightmarish boiling room with the T-Veronica infected vegetation, Steve and Vaggie eventually encountered other mutations that were infected with that symbiotic T-strain. It was more horrific for Steve, as every so often now, he was suffering from flashbacks of how this virus turned him into a monster, with some of the abominations they were gunning down bearing a strong resemblance to his original hulking mutant form. Vaggie was deeply concerned for him, as he looked like he couldn't get his head on straight, surrounded by many things he had a symbiotic connection to.
"Steve...maybe you should rest for a bit." She said to him. "You're not looking too good."
Right now, Steve was hunched over, bracing against the way and breathing heavily as his eyes were flashing red. He looked like he was in pain, pain that they inflicted on their enemies, yet he felt it many times over. Shaking his head and giving himself a few whacks, Steve faced Vaggie, wanting to keep a strong.
"We can't stay here...nowhere is safe...if we stop moving." He told her.
"You look like you can barely stand on your feet, Steve. Just let me take the lead and-"
"I'm fine!" He said loudly through breaths. The two faced each other and Steve took deep breaths, not wanting to tumble.
"Steady yourself..." She told him, and Steve took a moment before taking the lead again.
"Octavia's this way...we're close to her now...come on."
They continued moving forward and fought through more monsters and infected until they came across a heavily sealed room. Gunning down the security guards that were either side of the door, the looked through a small window that showed within the room a capsule ahead, with someone in there, under cryo-stasis. But they weren't getting in there without some kind of code and Vaggie was baffled by the control panel in their way.
"I've never seen anything like this." She said before turning to the weary-looking Steve. "Maybe we can try and find something to blast it open. Another weapon, or..."
"No...stand aside." Taking the console, Steve typed in something he knew was bound to be the password, "V-1126". The door opened after that and Vaggie was bewildered.
"How did you...?"
"This place is built like the Antarctic Base that I died in. Everyone is of the Ashford's design...and two assholes as still predictable."
They stepped in and saw the capsule holding Octavia. Steve saw the panel and immediately worked on getting the Princess thawed out. After pressing a few buttons, they deactivated the chamber and stood back as air seeped out before the prisoner inside suddenly woke up and gasped for air. Octavia was awake and the two wasted no time opening her up and getting her out. The young Owl Princess collapsed in Vaggie's arms when they got her out, and she was wearing nothing but a medical gown and with bandages over her right arm.
"We got you, Octavia." Vaggie said, cradling the weary looking princess, who could barely keep her eyes open while also coughing. Steve twitched, not looking so good as he could sense something. His worst fears being realized as he looked at Octavia.
"You two...I never thought I'd get out of there." the Goetia Princess spoke through heavy breathing.
"We're gonna get you out of here, don't worry." Vaggie was starting to lift Octavia to carry her with surprising strength, but the Princess seemed better now, her breath steady and her looking less pale.
"I-I-It's okay. You can put me down." She said, much to Vaggie's surprise, but she complied and did so, allowing Octavia to stand on her feet, not looking ready to fall over.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah...I actually feel pretty good. Though...I'm pretty warm."
God knows how long they've been stuck in this place. Chances are that Octavia's not been under the ice for a while. But considering Steve looked ready to throw up, he had to let it be known.
"Vaggie...she's infected." He said, but heads turning to him. "I can feel it...surging within her."
"You're saying she has the same virus that you're infected with?" she asked, both ladies looking very concerned.
"Alexia must've administered it herself...just like she did me...we gotta get out of here."
Octavia then said "You don't have to tell me twice." And they started to get out of there as fast as they could. But before they could leave the section they were in, their path was suddenly blocked.
"I don't think you will be going everywhere, my dear little guests."
Standing in their way was the lethal virologist herself, Alexia in her hideously beautiful flora and fauna-like glory.
"Now that you're all together, in one place...tonight's new game of oblivion can properly begin."
"ALEXIA!" Steve roared and charged at the woman who ruined his life, but Ms. Ashford merely raised her hand toward the boy, and he stopped dead in his tracks, feeling as if something was choking him. The virus within him left him symbiotically bound to Alexia, and as long as she is its progenitor, then Steve remains at the mercy of her power.
"Ah, Prisoner 267. I had almost forgotten about you." Alexia spoke in her taunting high-british tone. "A part of me always believed that you were a waste of Veronica's gift, so willing to resist us..." She slowly closes her hand and tightens her fist. "I see nothing can change my mind."
"You...bitch!" Steve struggled to get out. "You...did it to me...destroyed my family...and for what?!"
"You know...what." Alexia replied in a darkened tone. But then, she was shot at by Vaggie and Octavia, who Vaggie gave her Blacktail to.
"Stay the fuck away from him!" the one-eyed demoness roared as Steve gasped for air and made his way away from Alexia, but then Vaggie was caught off guard by a sudden stream of fire that had come out of nowhere. The sound of a fluid dripping could be heard right before the flames burst. And that's when she noticed Alexia's bleeding yet steaming arm.
"This is no concern of yours, Subject 5. You are most likely needed elsewhere. Dr. Wesker had told me that you'd be in a frenzy searching for Princess Morningstar."
"Charlie...where the hell is she, you root-covered bitch?!"
Alexia smiled "I'm sure you'll be given the privilege to see her soon. In the meantime, I have someone to show the 'other one' here." She looked over to Octavia before walking forward and presenting someone else that was with her. Much to Octavia's surprise...it was Stella, her mother. She looked saddened, her were behind her back, like she was trying to hide something.
"Mum?"
"I...I'm sorry, Octavia...she said she would protect you...from this."
"Come now, Madame Stella. We both know there is no point in lying to your own daughter." Alexia said. "After all, the moment you heard my proposition, you jumped on it like the insects I used to experiment with."
Hearing that left Octavia shocked "...What?"
"Oh, that's right. I pulled her away before she could explain. See, Dear Octavia, your mother never gave up her desire for revenge against her loathsome husband. And I, a woman who's always in need of subjects for experimentation, offered her the means to seek her rightfully earned retribution."
"That's a fancy way of saying she sold out to you." Steve said as he held his neck.
"Why don't you show them, Dear Stella?" Alexia then raised her hand towards her and Stella could feel herself forced to raise her left arm to show that it was turning green and rooted with open, bleeding pores, that were also igniting as the burning blood dripped from it. The three were horrified by this, now knowing that Stella did this willingly to herself. Alexia merely admired her handiwork.
"Mum...are you insane?" Octavia asked in a horrified state.
"I believe that question is already answered." Alexia said. "Now, I'm sure Mommy Dearest would be delighted to spend some time with her beloved little daughter here. Isn't that right, Stella?"
"Please...she doesn't deserve this!" Never did anyone thing they'd see Stella Ars Goetia beg for the life of her daughter. And she spends so much time, berating her husband about he's fallen from grace. Yet, here she is, holding her burning arm in pain as Alexia looked down on her...
"You no longer have a say in this, Stella. You're mine to do with as I wish." She then turns to the three. "I'm only told to slow you down before Wesker can finish his plans, and I will do so in any way I see fit."
Steve, despite all the pain the virus was making him feel, had enough strength to point his gun at Ashford.
"Alexia, I swear to God I'm gonna make you pay for everything you've done!" He growled.
"I will be long gone before you are ever given the chance, 267." Alexia said as the steaming and pain from Stella's arm grew worse, for she was biting back tears and looking ready to collapse. "And as far as I'm concerned, you will already be destroyed in but a moment."
Next thing they saw, Stella literally burst into flames as the virus fully took hold of her. She screamed in pain as the three, especially Octavia, stood in terror at the sight of it. She was becoming another at Alexia's disposal as the Ashford heiress made herself scarce.
"Goodbye, my dear little lab rats. None of you will ever be missed."
"ALEXIA!" Steve was about to go after her until a stream of vines blocked his path. Stella's screaming subsided as she then stood in a new mutated form; much like Alexia, her skin paled, and her left arm, pelvis, and right leg were covered with green leaf-like scales and vines while also leaving her, midriff, left leg, and right arm exposed. Her hair also became like leaves, overlapping her back while also covering part of her face, as she opened her eyes to reveal that they were now glowing bright, yet sickening yellow. Se looked at the three as nothing more targets, for she had become another weapon unleashed upon them.
"Mother..." Octavia whimpered before Steve tackled her out of the way when green, pointed tentacles came at them. With the Mutated Stella attacking them, they were forced to retaliate and Vaggie did not hesitate in unloading a mag from her KRISS Vector. The bullets did hit their mark, but Stella barely seemed phased as she threw her combustible blood at her, Vaggie barely getting out of the way and forced to put out the tips of her hair.
"Steve, get Via out of here!" She yelled, reloading her gun and continuing to fire. Steve complied and held onto the shaking Princess while also firing at Stella from a distance. But she may as well have been as strong as Alexia, taking all the firepower and just continuing to shoot whatever practically fell from her body. The next flames nearly hit Octavia by her feet.
"No! Mummy! Please!" Octavia cried as Steve held her close.
"Is this what it was like when I attacked Claire?" Steve thought to himself as he found a place far from the battle and rested Octavia against a wall. He had her grip the Blacktail in her hands firmly. "Just stay here and out of sight, okay? I'll be right back...I hope." He didn't like leaving her alone, but it was better than nothing as Steve got back in the fight, he and Vaggie circled the berserk Goetia Princess as she continued to either burn them or send tentacles at them. At some points, she would even charge at them and slash at them with newly grown claws at her hands, even sprouting dragonfly-like wings from her back or stinger-like appendages.
Vaggie wound up getting cuts on her arms while Steve got thrown into another wall.
"This isn't working! It's like fighting a goddamn Tyrant!"
"She's gotta have a weak spot!" Vaggie yelled, getting a shot of Stella at her back. "Try and make her lose some of her options!" And then, she dodged another ovipositor coming at her. Steve may have gotten the gist of what she was getting at, summoning his axe and waiting for another attack by the insane Mutant Bird. He watched and then struck as the stingers came for him, cutting off two of them as Stella yelled in pain and fury, sending an acidic substance their way.
"Guess she never runs out of tricks!" Steve said, getting out of the way and continuing to fire his guns.
"Just keep shooting her!" Vaggie replied as she deflected another stinger with her sword before slashing that off as well.
Stella seemed to be getting enraged, looking to be charging an attack before shooting a series of spikes from her body, forcing the two to try and get out of the way as the Veronica-infected vegetation continued to grow haywire around the place. All the while, Octavia was hiding and shaking, from fear, but also from the virus. She could feel it surging through her, and this area was making it worse, for she felt ready to burst into flames and wind up just like her mother. She didn't want it. Her life has been miserable thus far, but this was a nightmare she may never wake from.
"Make it stop...Please, just make it stop!" She whimpered before seeing Vaggie knocked off her feet. The demoness turned to Via and gave her a look of reassurance before getting back in the fight. But Octavia knew it was a losing battle, for her mother's rage fueled her power. She may as well be unstoppable...
"No...No! If she can do it...I can control it! I have to! I must stop her!" Raising her bandaged arm, Via concentrated and felt as the bandages burned away. Her arm was on fire, yet she felt more than just pain...she felt power, power she needed to unleash. Now. Running from her hiding spot, she saw that the mutant Stella was ready to finish Steve off before she went in.
"Via! No!" Vaggie called out, but she was ready for what she saw next. As Stella was about to bring down another stinger, Octavia got in front of Steve and attempted to block it with her flaming arm. Nobody was expecting the stinger to disintegrate in a fiery flash, a sign of Octavia unleashing her own form of Veronica's power.
"Octavia?" Steve was in shock when he saw the nightmarish green and flaming, bleeding pores coming from Octavia's infected arm. But that is when Stella let out a monstrous shriek that was more sickening than any more of her petty yelling before sprouting her dragonfly wings and flying through the ceiling. The fight was over...for now, and our heroes this moment to recover. But that is when Steve took Octavia by the arm, putting out the flames that sizzled in his grip.
"Don't ever do that again." He said in a low, almost growling down.
Octavia was a bit surprised by his reaction and took to it sarcastically "...You're welcome. And thanks for asking if I'm alright!"
Steve merely tightened his grip on her arm as he then said "The more you use that damn virus, the more you kill yourself! You're losing blood! Your body's burning! You don't have to worry about winding up like me, cause you'll be dust!"
"Steve! That's enough!" Vaggie then butted in, making him let go. "I know that this thing killed you, but there's no reason to-"
"Vaggie...look around you." Steve gestures to the destroyed section they're in. "This is the reality we're living in. The result of those damn things that did this to me and her." He points to Via, who was holding her arm. "And unless we stop it and kill that bitch, it's gonna happen to you, Charlie, and anyone else you care about! We have to go! Now!"
Vaggie could tell that the virus was no longer putting a strain on Steve at the moment; that was just all him, venting out. If he was serious about this, the girls figured it's be best not to question as they made their way out of there and continued moving...
Wow, this took a while to get back to. And it came out longer than I wanted. But I'm glad I did it. Hopefully, I'll be able to continue this and many other stories much faster than before. If you have any suggestions, I'm all ears.
Until then, keep watching...
- Light.