A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall
By evolution-500
Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.
Cover created by NaiveWriter aka Multifreak99 and coloration by evolution-500
WARNING: This story contains violence, coarse language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.
Chapter Forty: Overload
The cavern was dark and still as electricity flickered and danced around Curien's metallic form, the air producing an audible throbbing hum before violently tearing with a resounding crack like thunder, the spiked ring around him endlessly turning.
"It's time."
Clenching his mechanical hands, Curien's eyes flared, the sun-like emblem on his chest glowing and crackling as he remained suspended in the air, the ring's movements growing faster and more erratic with each spin.
Concentrating as hard as he could, he watched as the chamber's lights and monitors flickered, the earth around him rumbling as unimaginable power coursed through his being, his nerves and muscle crackling.
On the surface, the esoteric form of Curien Mansion quaked and trembled as all creatures great and small unsteadily tried to retain their balance, with some falling over, while the more intelligent and self-aware of the bunch started to flee, scampering away in fright at what was to come.
Holding out his arms, Curien's body glowed hotter and brighter with each passing moment as he summoned up more and more power, feeling as if his very being was being scalded on the sun's surface.
He resisted the urge to scream as he felt every part of him burn, his mind focusing on the quantum disruptions in both his universe and in the others.
Finally, Curien let out an agonizing roar that echoed throughout the entire cave as unimaginable power was released, a whitish-blue hue erupting from his body and channeled directly into the ring.
Jill and Rebecca paused in their steps as all of the lights in the building started to flicker, growing hotter and brighter by the second.
"Huh?"
To their surprise, they heard a number of loud clicks as various doors started to unlock, the noise accompanied by the sounds of generators coming to life.
Joseph and Chris were making their way through a tunnel when some of the lights started to flicker.
"Aw hell, now what?" The former commented as he glanced around with the shotgun in hand.
Chris looked down to the pool that they were wading in, tapping Joseph on the shoulder.
"Hey." He then gestured to the water as it started to recede. "You seeing this?"
Joseph grinned. "About time! Looks like somebody found a way turn it off."
That sentiment was cut short as the tunnels suddenly came alive with inhuman shrieks from all directions, startling the pair.
"The fuck's that?!"
Jill felt goosebumps dot her flesh as various screams and roars cried out in unison, the sounds causing her and Rebecca to jump in fright.
"What's happening?!" The latter panicked. "What's going on?!"
Jill swallowed. "I don't know," the older woman shook her head as she anxiously held tight onto her pistol, her face covered in a thick layer of sweat, "but whatever it is, I don't like it!"
Jesus, there were so many voices! So many sounds, all crying simultaneously, some close, some distant.
"What is this, a stampede?" Jill murmured, her heart thudding repeatedly in her ribcage, her adrenaline spiking along with her fear.
Great, just what they needed - a horde of monsters, and from the sounds of it, a very sizable one.
Swallowing again, Jill checked her pistol. "We're going to need to find some place to take cover, and fast!"
Retreating back up the corridors, the two women bolted side by side in fright.
As they retraced their steps back, Rebecca risked looking over her shoulder, only to suddenly pause, grabbing Jill's arm. "Jill, wait!"
"Rebecca, we don't have time-"
"Listen!"
At first, Jill was going to give the medic a piece of her mind and voice her annoyance, if not outright scold her, but as the older carefully listened to the cries throughout the dormitory, she suddenly froze.
Those cries...they weren't the calls for a hunt.
It was something much, much worse.
Looking shakily back to Rebecca, Jill scrunched up her face in confusion before turning her head back to the sounds' direction.
"What's happening to them?" she wondered. "What's going on out there?"
Rebecca squirmed. "I don't know, but it's so horrible! I just wish it could stop!"
"Horrible" was putting it mildly; never in Jill's entire life had she ever heard anything so utterly haunting to listen to.
They were not the cries of fury or hunger - they were screams of agony.
Something was killing them.
The caverns were filled with screams.
Covering their ears with both hands, Chris and Joseph winced as they heard the hellish racket all around them.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING?!" The latter shouted. "WHY ARE THEY ALL SCREAMING LIKE THAT?!"
"I DON'T KNOW!" Chris snapped back. "FUCKING HELL THAT'S LOUD!"
Clenching his mouth, the Alpha sharpshooter scrunched up his face as he and Joseph continued to cover their ears.
She didn't know how much more she could take.
From the caverns and the dormitory to the mansion and all of its various surroundings, the silence of the night was broken by the terrible collective screams of their denizens as they all suffered in unimaginable agony.
Throughout the dormitory, and what seemed like the entire mansion grounds, Jill heard shrill screams and cries that echoed throughout the night, a horrible chorus more fitting for Hell's inner circle.
As the two women listened to the incessant cries, both Jill and Rebecca found themselves shaking where they stood.
The sounds were unbearable to listen to, so torturous and disturbing that it made the older woman tightly clench her teeth.
Beside her, the medic was grabbing onto both sides of her ears, her eyes tightly closed as she attempted to block out the sound, letting out a scream of her own.
"STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. "STOP IT!"
But the screams never stopped - for five damnably long minutes, the two of them were subjected to pure auditory torture, forced to listen to the creatures' intense suffering.
All around them, the lights flickered, glowing hotter and brighter, as if in connection to what was happening, before popping one bulb at a time, causing both women to let out startled screams, grasping onto each other in fright.
Light after light burst, sending bits of glass as the screams reached fever pitch.
Jill had no idea if there was some Umbrella-created mechanism in place or not, but regardless of the cause, it was a nightmare to deal with, for it sounded as if the creatures themselves were either being skinned or burned alive.
Just what in the world was going on?!
Finally, just when the screaming became unbearable, just when Jill couldn't take it anymore, the screams slowly fell one voice at a time, until they cried no more, a resounding collective hush falling over everything, allowing silence to welcomely return.
Trembling all over, Jill anxiously swallowed, not moving a single muscle, while Rebecca pulled her hands away from her head, the two women staring down the hallway in wait.
"...Is..." Rebecca rasped, licking her lips, "...is it over?"
The two of them waited, both women scared stiff.
Swallowing, Jill finally mustered up the courage to speak, her voice cracked. "I...I don't know. I hope...I hope so..."
What in the hell was that?!
In the tunnels, Chris and Joseph pulled their hands away as the screams died down, the two of them emotionally and psychologically battered, their weapons trembling in their hands, their eyes wide with fright.
"...What..." Joseph swallowed, "...What...the absolute fuck...just happened?!"
Curien let out a groan as he reached up to his metallic scalp, the wheel twirling around him as it attempted to siphon the nonstop barrage of data, his systems overheating, his form trembling as he carefully lowered himself back down to ground level on his landing pad.
Every part of him burned - his servers, his brain, even his very skeleton, despite it being reinforced with titanium, despite the cooling vents that his form possessed.
He had overextended himself again, and now he was paying the price for it.
Halting the wheel with a raised hand, he forced the ring to still, ceasing all movement.
Wincing, Curien fell to his knees with cry, prompting his servant to rush toward him. "My lord!"
"Stay back!" He growled with raising a hand, stopping Twenty-Six from approaching.
Steadying himself on a handrail, Curien struggled and trembled all over as he used every ounce of willpower that he had to keep himself from falling over, looking over to his servant.
"Is...Is the body ready?"
"Yes, my lord," Twenty-Six nodded. "Shall I commence with the neural transfer?"
"Do it. Commence with the procedure."
As the servant typed in the commands into a keyboard, Curien fell to his mechanical knees on the platform while numerous automated arms whirred in motion, with several latching onto the spiked ring in support while others plugged directly into his chassis.
Lowering his head, the last thing he saw were his metallic hands as he resumed a fetal position on the floor.
Opening his eyes, Curien sputtered awake, letting out several loud coughs as Twenty-Six hurried to his side.
"Easy, my lord," the latter spoke as he attempted to support him.
Shrugging him off, Curien gave his servant a dismissive wave. "Let me go, Twenty-Six. I'm fine."
"Are you sure, master?"
"I said I'm fine!" Curien retorted, causing Twenty-Six to flinch. Panting, the scientist wiped his forehead, letting out a deep breath before clearing his throat. "It is done. I've done what I could to repair the damage, so chances of reality folding into itself are nil, thank God."
"Your systems will need time to cool down, Lord Curien," Twenty-Six confirmed, checking the nearest monitor. "The amount of power that you've expended has nearly fried all of our equipment."
Curien let out a groan, wincing as he pulled the catheter out of him. "What of the security measures around my mansion? Are they still operational?"
"They are, my lord, but I'm afraid that our ability to monitor Spencer Mansion along with our being able to send reinforcements has been hampered. It will take roughly five hours before we can operate the gate and send our forces."
The scientist let out a deep-chested growl, grunting in discomfort as he pulled the hose out from his rear. "I was afraid of that. Still, it's not a bad position to be in. The Magician will be running out of battery at this point, so we do not have to worry about him for the time being. Nor will we have to worry about any more anomalies, thankfully."
Twenty-Six then tilted his mask upward. "Were you able to eliminate Tower, master?"
Letting out a frustrated sigh, Curien uncertainly shook his head. "I don't know, Twenty-Six. I've targeted all the creatures within the area, including the majority of those that had been contaminated, but there is always the margin for error." He exhaled. "I've done my part, Twenty-Six, but I'm afraid that from hereon, the survivors will be on their own. I just hope that they will be able to manage in the meantime."
Death surrounded them.
Everywhere Jill and Rebecca travelled, they found bodies of all shapes and sizes lying burnt on the floor, their forms scorched and blackened, leaving nothing behind except for a distinctive and unpleasant odor.
Covering her nose with her shirt, Rebecca coughed as she inspected the bodies by her feet. "I don't- I don't understand. What happened here? What caused all this?"
"Good question," Jill muttered as she waved the air with her gloved hand, trying to clear away the smoke and smell. "They all look like they were incinerated somehow, but how that happened, I have no idea." She gave the rookie a curious look. "What do you think, Rebecca? Could the T-Virus have resulted in...I don't know, spontaneous combustion or something?"
Rebecca shook her head. "Honestly, I wouldn't even rule anything out at this point. That's just how insane everything has become around here." She thoughtfully crossed her arms and held her chin. "Some of these look like electrical burns, but that doesn't really make much sense. Then again, what does in this crazy place?"
Jill scoffed. "No kidding." As she inspected the bodies of some undead, the older woman looked away. "We should check up on Gilman and the others and see how they're doing. I hope whatever happened here hasn't affected them."
"You think we'll find them and the others like this?" Rebecca nervously asked.
"You never know," Jill replied. "I hope not."
Navigating their way through the endless looping corridors and halls, the survivors retraced their steps back, looking anxiously around at the black scorched remains of the building's various monstrous denizens.
Rebecca quickened her pace as she tried to keep up with Jill, the girl glancing around the room with a mixture of tiredness, fear, and worry.
More than once she thought she saw something creeping into her vision from the corner of her eye, but when she looked in the direction where she thought she saw movement, she found nothing.
The hallway was entirely devoid of sound save for the humming of lightbulbs and her own footsteps, unnervingly still and calm, and yet, part of Rebecca found no comfort in it.
Rather than feeling relaxed, part of her was alert and hyperaware of her surroundings, so sensitive to even the slightest change that she found herself constantly on edge.
Taking a left, the pair suddenly froze at the sight of one of the dual doors ripped straight off from its hinges, the other shattered.
Exchanging nervous glances with one another, Jill and Rebecca readied their weapons, the two of them cautiously approaching as they masked their steps.
They were two steps away from the breakroom when Barry suddenly stepped out in front of them, the latter palming his face.
"Jesus Christ," he muttered.
Jill froze. "...Barry?"
Blinking, the big man whipped to his right, startled as he partially drew up his weapon before halting. "Jill!" He sighed. "God, you two scared me! I thought you were one of the creatures or something!"
"What are you doing here?" Jill demanded. "What happened to the other survivors?"
She attempted to push past Barry when the latter blocked her path. "You don't wanna go in there, Jill. Believe me, it's a slaughterhouse inside."
Rebecca felt a cold chill run through her at the words, the girl torn between wanting to break past the big man in order for her to see for herself and to not go inside, partially for fear that she would be unable to deal with whatever lay within.
Jill, however, proved to be the braver between the two of them, the former pushing past Barry, her footsteps disappearing into the room.
Rebecca heard the footsteps halt just three steps inside, a stunned and prolonged silence filling the room before echoing again with Jill's footfalls.
When she returned back outside, the first thing Rebecca noticed was Jill's expression, which was distant, frightened and haunted, as if she had seen the most horrific thing imaginable, her hands shaking.
"I told you, Jill," Barry sighed. "It's nothing like I've ever seen, and I've seen things on the job."
Holding a hand up to her mouth, Jill gagged and scurried off down the hall, causing Rebecca to wince as she heard the former throw up into a potted plant.
Looking back to the room, Rebecca attempted to look inside when Barry pressed a hand onto her shoulder.
"Don't," he warned. "Trust me, rookie - some things are not worth seeing."
Looking up at the older man, Rebecca opened her mouth to make a retort when she caught a glimpse of the room inside.
It was very brief in its duration, perhaps less than a fraction of a second, and yet, what lied within hinted at something so grotesque that even Rebecca at her most prepared wouldn't have been able to handle it.
Looking back to Barry, Rebecca quietly nodded and backed away, turning her attention over to Jill as she returned, wiping her mouth with the back of her gloved hand.
"Sorry about that, Barry," the latter apologized.
Barry waved her off. "Nah, don't worry about it. It's a lot to deal with. You handled yourself better than most."
Rebecca then looked back to him. "Why did you come here, Barry?"
Barry exhaled. "I wanted to take cover. There had been a hell of a racket goin' on, so much so that I thought there was a stampede or something. I thought that if I ducked in here I would board the place up, but Christ, the noise in here was even worse!"
"You heard it too?" Jill queried.
"Yeah! Any idea what's going on?"
Rebecca shook her head. "We found a lot of creatures in here dead. Something burned them alive, but we have no idea as to the cause."
"That right?" As both women nodded, Barry looked back to the entrance, tilting his head slightly. "Well, from the racket that I heard outside, it sounded like whatever was happening in here was also occurring out there at the same time."
Jill hummed as she crossed her arms and stroked her chin. "Strange." She then looked over to the medic. "Do you think this could have been Umbrella's doing?"
Rebecca frowned. "I don't know. Honestly, this doesn't make any sense. If Umbrella had this kind of power, why did they wait until now in order to use it?"
"Maybe to show simply because they could," Jill grimly suggested.
Rebecca exchanged disturbed looks with her, the two of them shifting uncomfortably.
Shaking his head, Barry exhaled. "This damn night keeps getting better and better. If only I had shown up earlier to help those poor people." Letting out a despondent breath, he huffed. "Damn it."
The three survivors stood still in the hallway, lost in their thoughts as they all observed a moment of silence, paying respect to the civilians that they let down.
Rebecca watched as Barry crossed himself and nodded before looking back to his fellow S.T.A.R.S. "I take it neither of you have heard from the others yet?"
"We haven't," Jill confirmed. "Rebecca and I were barely getting started with this place, but so far we haven't seen nor heard from anyone around here." She shifted in discomfort. "That said...we found Enrico."
Barry blinked. "Enrico? Is he...?" Jill shook her head, causing his eyes to droop. "I see...damn." Running a hand over his mouth, he shook his head again. "What happened? One of the creatures?"
"No, actually," Jill said in a slow and calculating manner, carefully watching him. "Someone shot him."
Lifting his eyes up in alert, his head whipped back to her. "Shot him?"
"Yes."
"Did you see who did it?"
Jill shook her head. "No. He got away before either of us could see who it was."
Rebecca watched as Barry swallowed, the big man sweating and shifting on his feet, looking uncomfortable.
"I see." Clearing his throat, he tugged at the collar of his shirt. "So then, what do you intend on doing now? I was thinking of checking out the tunnel outside."
Blinking in confusion, Rebecca furrowed her brows. "Tunnel? What tunnel?"
"When I was making my way here, there had been a waterfall outside that had just suddenly turned off and revealed a hidden tunnel behind it," Barry explained. "I had been a little too preoccupied with getting away at the time to know what's in there, but since things seemed to have calmed down at least a little, I thought I might give it a look and see what I can find. What about you two?"
Rebecca shared an anxious look with Jill before looking back to Barry. "We're still searching the building ourselves. We haven't checked the lower levels yet due to the fact that the floor beneath us had been flooded."
"So you're looking to drain the floor beneath us?"
Jill shrugged. "It would be a start."
"Want me to tag along?"
Jill shook her head. "Nah, I think I'll manage with Rebecca."
"You sure?" As the two women nodded, Barry shrugged. "Alright. If you need anything, radio me if you can. Stay safe, you two."
"Take care, Barry."
With that, Barry departed, leaving Jill and Rebecca alone.
The latter waited several minutes, listening to his footsteps receding before finally hearing the distinctive sound of a door opening and closing.
"...You think he's gone?" Rebecca quietly questioned.
"I don't know," Jill answered, her voice equally hushed and low. "Barry's been acting really cagey lately. Something's definitely up with him."
As Jill glanced back to the shattered door of the breakroom, Rebecca nervously swallowed. "D-Do you think that-that Barry...killed them...and then covered this up to make it look like one of the creatures did it?"
Rebecca watched as the former pursed, considering the question.
"I like to think no," Jill said slowly and uncertainly, "but...given the fact that Enrico had mentioned there being a traitor...well..."
As she trailed off, Rebecca carefully looked around, feeling slightly paranoid about their surroundings.
"Shouldn't we...well...confront him about this?" Rebecca asked. "He knows something."
"He does," Jill agreed, "but we should clear this building and make sure there aren't any other survivors in need of help first before confronting him. Better safe than sorry."
Tapping her on the shoulder, Jill raised her Samurai Edge, primed and ready as she navigated her way through the hallway.
Looking back to the ruined door, Rebecca despondently sighed and followed, wondering what else they were bound to uncover.
He didn't know how long he had wandered for, nor did he know where in the hell he was.
The tunnels seemed endless, a looping labyrinth of perpetual cold and darkness, every corridor looking the same as the last with little to no differentiation.
More than once Star found himself back at where he started from, causing frustration to build up within him.
Everything, including the settings and time itself, became a blur for Star, his vision bleary, his eyes drooping as he struggled to stay awake, his mind a hazy fog that slipped in and out of consciousness.
He flinched at the slightest sound, and sometimes when he was not looking, Star could have sworn something moved from the corner of his vision.
Of course, that was assuming that he actually did see something to begin with and that his over-exhausted mind was not playing tricks with his vision.
He didn't know where reality began and where dreams ended, for the two have become spliced so seamlessly together that it became difficult to discern one from the other.
Once or twice he ended up stumbling and leaning against a wall, sometimes holding onto one of the latter for support as his mind flickered with visions of a different life that bled into his memories, making him feel dizzy and disoriented.
Once or twice, Star found himself drifting off to sleep, only to suddenly wake up upon hearing the slightest noise, though how long he had ended up being out for, he had no idea; for all he knew, it could have been a few minutes to an hour.
Possibly several hours, if he were being truly honest with himself.
His stomach growled and protested loudly, so audible that it drowned out a lot of the drops.
Groaning, the boy palmed his face, rubbing his eyes with the back of his gauntleted hands.
'Stay awake, Star,' he told himself. 'This isn't the time nor place to sleep.'
Wincing, the albino straightened, taking in his surroundings, only to furrow his brows in confusion.
The hell?
Strangely enough, he hadn't encountered any creatures down here, although he always kept his guard up and dared not to hope that he wouldn't encounter any trouble.
Still, the discernible absence of creatures was rather off-putting, if only because Star expected an encounter or two.
As he turned down a tunnel to his left, Star suddenly froze as he heard the noise.
Screams.
Hundreds of horrible screams that surrounded him, echoing far and near simultaneously.
Rolling his eyes upward, Star stumbled backward and fell, his vision fluttering as the whole world spun and shook around him.
He was thankful that the water seemed to have been drained, but that didn't make the fall any less comfortable as he crashed indelicately in a heap.
Pushing himself up onto his hands and knees, the boy violently retched, spewing until his stomach was completely empty, nausea setting in before collapsing weakly to the floor on his side, trembling and shivering all over.
As his consciousness dimmed, the last thing he thought about was his mother and home back in Arkham, along with how he should never have taken this blasted trip.
"Kid! Hey, kid! Wake up!"
Letting out a groan, Star's eyes fluttered open, wincing at the bright light overhead.
"O-Officer Redfield...?" he murmured, his throat dry and cracked as he spotted the Alpha kneeling over him.
"Jesus, Junior, you look like hell!" Officer Aiken swore beside Chris, looking down upon him.
As he attempted to sit up, Chris placed a hand on his chest. "Easy. Just relax. What happened?"
Star swallowed, rasping, "I-I fainted."
"You fainted?"
"Y-Yes."
Chris frowned. "Stay still, okay? I'm just going to check you over."
Star watched as the police officer started to feel around his scalp and head, checking his gloved hands to make certain that there wasn't any blood.
He felt along for several moments for any sign of bleeding or deformity.
Finally, Chris exhaled in relief. "No bleeding, nor are there any indications of any other injuries." He then reached down. "Do you feel well enough to stand up?"
Star winced as he reached up, taking Chris' hand. Climbing back onto his feet, the albino staggered slightly, causing Joseph to catch him.
"Easy, big guy," the latter nodded. "I got you."
Once Star got his bearings, he pulled away from the police officers, nodding appreciatively. "Thank you."
Chris nodded back. "No problem, kid." He then gave a concerned look. "Listen, have you seen Richard?"
"I have," Star answered, his tone softening as his eyes lowered to the floor. "He...He didn't make it. I'm sorry."
The albino watched as the police officers stood in silence, the latter exchanging dark looks.
Palming his mouth, Chris turned away to face a wall.
"God damn it!" He yelled, punching it.
"We had also found Officer Marini as well," Star spoke up, drawing their attention, "...but-"
Joseph frowned, dipping his head. "Yeah. We know."
Star blinked in surprise. "You do?" As the S.T.A.R.S. members nodded, Star's shoulders drooped along with his eyes. "I see."
The trio stood in silent mourning, listening to the constant drips of water.
Swallowing, Star spoke up, drawing their attention. "So, what do we do now?"
Pursing his lips, Chris closed his eyes, sighing. "I'm calling it in. Jill was right, we should have gone to the roof earlier. Let's link up with the others and find a way out of this shithole."
Joseph checked his shotgun. "Sounds good to me. Come on."
It was the smell of burnt flesh that Star picked up on.
Sniffing the air, the albino coughed as he covered his nose. "Ugh! Do you smell that?"
"Yeah," Chris nodded, waving his hand around in the air. "And it's only getting stronger up ahead."
Sloshing through ankle-high water, the trio pushed forward, until they came upon a vast open area.
"Jesus Christ!" Joseph gasped.
There were bodies everywhere.
Bodies of every kind of creature imaginable, human and non-human, all of them spread out and charred.
Staring in shock, Star looked around in every direction, startled by the sheer volume.
"What..." he nervously swallowed, "...what happened here?"
Joseph glanced uneasily around. "What do you think, Chris? Electrocution caused by loose wire?"
Chris frowned. "If that's the case, why haven't we been electrocuted?"
"Maybe Lady Luck decided to roll in our favor and short-circuit whatever generator is around here," Joseph suggested.
Star frowned, looking at the dimly-lit light bulbs overhead. "I don't see any electric wire anywhere if that's the case."
"Probably buried underneath these bodies. At least, I hope."
Moving through the pile, the survivors carefully navigated their way over the remains, although occasionally Joseph or Chris would cuss as they inadvertently crushed a creature's skull or two under their boots.
Looking around in awe, Star stared at the various creatures, noting their various shapes and sizes.
"Something catch your interest, kid?" Chris spoke up.
Star swallowed. "N-No, it's-it's just...I've never seen some of these creatures before."
"Which ones?"
"The ones that look like...humans spliced with insects," Star gestured.
"The Brundleflies?" Joseph spoke up, tapping one's head with his boot.
Star's brow furrowed. "Pardon?"
"Never mind," Chris waved. "But yeah, this was definitely one hell of a cookout."
The albino shifted in discomfort, looking nervously over his shoulder. "Could this be an Umbrella clean-up crew?"
"I don't think so," Chris replied. "I don't smell any napalm or kerosene."
As the survivors waded through the burnt cadavers, one gruesome sight made Star give pause and stare even longer than he would have liked; at the far wall was a large mound that the albino initially mistook to be a burned tree or bush with various crumbling branches.
Moving toward it, Star's eyes widened, the youth coughing as the smell of singed flesh assaulted his nostrils and tastebuds.
"L-Look at that!" He coughed, pointing to their grisly discovery.
"Is that the hydra?" Joseph questioned.
"Looks like it," Chris nodded. "...Or...what's left of it, anyway."
The survivors stared up at the charred remains of the fallen creature, its many heads blackened and unrecognizable.
Wiping his forehead, Joseph spat. "Damn, that's a nasty way to go!"
"Is it me, or does it seem to be missing some heads?" Star questioned.
Chris frowned. "You're right. I don't see the big horned head anywhere." He squinted at the ground beneath it. "Why are there so many dead snakes?"
Joseph scowled. "Who cares?! We should get out of here and count our blessings. Who knows? Maybe Lady Luck will continue to smile down on us."
As the survivors took a right past some charred zombies, it appeared in front of them, causing the three of them to halt and stare.
"...Or not," Joseph deadpanned.
"You and your big fat mouth," Chris growled, eying this new adversary.
About four or five feet tall, the creature was short but had a wide frame and a vaguely simian outline, with long muscular arms that had three fingers and an opposable thumb on each enormous hand, the digits lined with razor sharp talons.
It barely had any sort of neck at all, just an ugly squat toad-like - or perhaps snake-like - head that almost looked as if it were fused together with its shoulders, just slightly protruding outward, giving it a vaguely cobra-like look. Green and heavily muscled, reptilian scales glinted in the dim light as it walked cautiously out into the arena on its hind legs on triple-jointed, three-toed clawed feet, flexing its clawed hands as it let out a loud shriek, revealing sharp teeth, its back textured and ridged like a crocodile's.
"Looks like Lady Luck has given us the finger, fellas," Joseph commented, his shotgun leveled at the creature. "Any ideas what the hell this thing is?"
"I don't know," Star answered slowly, his eyes focused on the reptile. "Rebecca and I encountered others like it earlier. We call them lizard men."
Letting out a noise akin to a purring chuckle, the creature stomped forward with claws raised.
Joseph responded in kind, blasting it off its feet. Hopping back up, the creature charged and prepared to jump when the Alpha cocked his weapon and fired again, its dying shrieks echoing through the tunnel.
Cocking his shotgun, Joseph loaded in two fresh shells. "What d'ya think, Chris? Think Umbrella secretly wanted to start their own theme park with these things?"
Chris scoffed. "Wouldn't that be something?"
The trio lifted their heads as they heard more shrieks down one of the tunnels.
"Aww, shit," Joseph swore. "Looks like we rattled the monkey cage, boys."
"Let's get out of here. Now!"
Uttering nothing more, the trio turned around and quickly departed.
He stood in the shadows, feelings of satisfaction and relief flooding through him.
Finally.
It was troublesome that he had to wait for so long, and though his battery was close to being depleted, at least for now he wouldn't have to worry about Curien's interference.
Pale eyes glimmered in the darkness, his metallic horns shining as a rumbling growl escaped from him.
It was a shame that the abomination wasn't dead...at least, not yet.
Still, he was patient - it was only a matter of time, and with the sun rising soon, he would be able to re-energize quickly.
Of course, he was still shackled by Curien's programs, but that was a matter to worry about for later; for now, he would use this opportunity to recuperate.
Once his battery was recharged, he would move onto the next stage of his plan.
Settling near a transformer, the Magician crouched low, curling into a fetal position as he jammed an electrical wire into a slot on the back of his neck, his systems shutting down as he entered sleep mode.
Author's Notes: And that concludes this chapter. My apologies for the delay, everyone. Admittedly I was feeling a little burned out, but I feel better now, and I'll be close to finishing off this story. As a side-note, it's come to my attention that a new "House Of The Dead" movie will be made by Paul W.S. Anderson, who also did "Mortal Kombat" and the "Resident Evil" movies. While I am excited by the news as a fan, I do have to admit to being a little disappointed that it's not going to be based on the first game with Chariot, Magician and Hangedman; according to the interview on Deadline, the movie will be based on HOTD3, which is kind of curious imo.
Buuuut, that being said, based on the interview that he and his producing partner Jeremy Bolt gave on Deadline, they do seem to understand the nature of the series and creatures quite well, which makes me kind of hopeful as a fan.
Granted, it is always possible that he might screw it up somehow, but considering the last movie by Uwe Boll was such a fucking disaster, it's not hard to make a movie that's better than that dreck. Here's hoping that the next HOTD movie is actually good, if not great.
Also, shout-outs to NaiveWriter aka Multifreak99 for creating an awesome cover for this book and to Egyptianmaus for her continued help - thank you so much, guys! :D
Stay safe and healthy, everyone!