Reanimated Humanity

Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil, and I do not make any money from these writings.

Author: RaveEchidna

Resident Evil 5- Reanimated Humanity

Chapter: 4

The unknown possible B.O.W. had surged and swarmed crawling over the chain-link fences and from windows. Without looking back the agents scrambled down the garbage littered street seeking any kind of shelter or escape from the mob bent on spilling their blood.

A sharp turn brought them down into an ally and an empty building, Chris slammed the door closed and barred it. His wide shoulders and black pressed against the door. His eyes drifted over to Sheva whose eyes were too wide, her nostrils would flair and she toed at the ground shaking her head, her motions reminded him of a skittish horse. –Not good, you need to get your shit together girl.¬-

Chris tapped his head set flicking the radio channel back open, with luck Kirk might have an update. “Kirk, come in you bastard, the locals are fucking hostile and we had to bust some heads in, please tell me we’ve got something like a contingency plan for mess.”

The radio crackled before the signal cleared and Kirk’s voice issued out of the ear bud. “You’re going in like shit Red, roger on the locals but you’re orders are still standing. Watch your ass buddy I’ll see what I can do about trying to get you some kind of support.”

Chris cut off the radio connection with a few dark and mumbled curses. The longer this mission was taking the worst the odds were that were being stacked against them. –And the mission just started-

“Our orders are still standing? What does that mean? Was HQ expecting something like this? If they were, why aren’t we better equipped?” she asked her head shaking and her small fists were planted on her hips.

Chris couldn’t look her in the eyes he didn’t have anything like an answer for her. If HQ had been expecting this then that would have meant only one thing, they were expendable. He brought his foot up and into their only exit. The metal door groaned before it banged open. “It doesn’t matter we have a job to do.”

A new room greeted them, with new sights that were just as horrible as anything they had seen so far; on a rust stained cutting board a brain was left splattered and unattended. Gobs of unknown meat and guts were spattered over the floor and the walls and the smell was something that made Chris’s stomach tie into knots. He struggled to pull his eyes off of the carnage, a small part of him finally understood why Chambers had decided to become a vegetarian.

Time seemed to drag like a broken legged cat as they moved closer to their new objective point. They were to meet once more with Fisher and one of the other teams and discuss the deal underway before plotting out their next actions, if they didn’t plan properly they might be the ones to trigger a new outbreak.

Chris set his jaw and ignored the rats and creaking ladders they encountered underground even if his heart slammed against his ribcage when one of the mangy twenty inch beady eyed things ran over his boot taking a moment to lick at the bloody stain that had been left by the man that had become host to whatever kind of crazy ass mud ball that had been jammed down his throat.

Once they entered the open air again his breathing became easier. His dark eyes scanned the sun baked streets rippled coming in and out of focus the heat of the day was quickly approaching the perfect temperature to fry eggs. He cast a sideways glance to Sheva approving at least of her stance and the fact she still had her pistol at the ready. He nodded to her the motion long and drawn out.

Together they entered the building that was to be the next check point their guns sweeping the room nearly blinded by sun. Deliberate blinks helped their eyes adjust to the darkness. They were alone. The large man’s heart sank and worry needled clawed his guts, nothing good could come of an empty check point.

Sounds; roaring and garbled grunting in the strange language of this land drew Chris’s eyes to the window. Keeping his movements slow and in shadow as best he could he drew closer hoping to get a better view at what had disturbed the locals.

In the oppressive heat, what looked to be the entire population of the village had gathered their fists pumping the air, jabbing pitchforks and broken bottles to the sky as if to make the thin wisps of clouds bleed. On a make shift stage a man walked his motions almost cartoon like as he spoke with such passion. Chris had no idea what the man was saying he didn’t need to the only thing he needed to know was the man was stirring up the enraged looking mob. The unknown leader figure bellowed into his megaphone.

Chris’s eyes widened as the crowd split. Frenzied hands had knotted into the loose layers of their contact’s clothing. Cloth ripped and small streaks of blood shown bright crimson in the harsh light of the uncaring sun as he was hauled onto the stage and forced to kneel his head resting on a crate that had been hastily pulled into place.

The dark haired gunman’s heart sank even lower as his mind started to add together the factors presented to it. Fisher was a dead man.

“May Allah piss on you all and the fleas of a thousand dead camels infest your pubic hair, you don’t know what you’re talking about!” the stocky man hissed and spat as he struggled against the groping hands had held him down without mercy.

Sheva mouth parted a few times her eyes were locked on the barbaric display. “That’s our contact, Redfield we have to save him we can’t just—”

Chris saw her bunch up and the slight tilting of her body. His free hand moved quickly landing on her shoulder and yanking her back quickly. “We won’t be able to help him, and he knows it.”

“Oh my GOD.” Sheva’s voice was on the edge of braking a hand moving up to cover her mouth and prevent a scream of sheer horror from leaving her and giving away their position.

The mob of villagers parted like the Red Sea as a figure lumbered through them, his bulk and body were unreal. –A tyrant?- Bloody hooks and spikes stuck out of a body dominated by scars and thick lines of muscle. A burlap sack covered the imposing wall of meat’s face, dragging behind it was crude ax the head of which was probably the same size of Agent Kennedy’s little black hybrid car.

The equation in his head completed when he saw the mammoth ax arch blurring as it came down. The blow was enough to shatter the box and send Fisher’s head into the crowed of now cheering locals.

Sheva stood transfixed at the window her lips parted, before her eyes the body was stripped and savaged leaving only gleaming bones and grizzle to dry in the glaring sunlight. The back of her right hand pressed against her lips she swallowed down bile and acid a reedy sound of fear left her. The unknown man in glasses barked out orders blooded maws turned and hellish eyes landed on the window. They saw her and she back pedaled into the solid bulk of Christopher. A shrill bleat of fear was ripped out of her. –This cannot be please let this be a nightmare.-

“Shit,” Chris growled and gave his newly appointed partner a light shake to snap her out of her panic. He jerked his thumb at some free standing empty shelving, it wouldn’t be much of a deterrent but it was something, and it would buy them seconds of time that might mean the difference between life and death. He grunted as he started to push them in front of the windows some of which were already boarded up. “Sheva we need to keep it together if we’re going to make it out of this mess alive.”

Christopher’s hands shook only slightly when the shelving was smashed and the frenzied swarm oozed into the room, they had weapons, they could fight, plan and gang up, they were not zombies they would scream in pain if they were shot or cut into, and warm red blood pooled from their bodies, if it wasn’t for the occasional drool or gore slicked lily mandible that would burst past their thick lips Chris would never had thought his attackers were anything less than human.

The desperate combat slowed as the number of combatants dropped to a mere handful. The gunman’s fingers tingled as he clicked the radio back on. “Kirk, come in man! The fucking locals are going bat shit, they fucking ate Fisher, the town’s gate is locked and we’re cornered we need backup as of yesterday!” He had to holler over the gunshots of his partner and the dying screams of the worm infested populace.

“Aw shit man, I got it, stay frosty, I’m on my way!” Kirk’s voice held a note of grim determination, and Chris knew that the man would come even if he w as ordered to stay on the ground. Kirk was in his mind a damn good man.

Chris nodded his head a trace of a smile on his lips warming his voice. “Backup’s on the way Sheva we just got to sit on the kids until our fly boy gets here.”

“How can you be making jokes at a time like this?” she asked her expression sour. “If he doesn’t get here soon we’re not going to make it.”

The dark eyed man shook his head, he was getting the distinct feeling that Sheva would never become hip to his ‘jive’ and that if they made it out of this mission alive he would have to place a request in with HQ that he not be partnered with someone that was unable to pull the battering ram out of their ass during dire situations. He was considering asking her –Why so serious?- when a section of the roof caved and more of the crazed locals fell through the gaping hole like thrashing hail stones.

“Look out!” the sharp cry was enough to make Chris pivot just in time to avoid taking a jagged bottle to the ribs. His free hand pulled back and he planted a cruel jaw shattering hook to his attacker’s face.

“We need to get the fuck out before this turns into the Alamo or some shit like that.” Chris snarled as his eyes skimmed over every exit. –Another window? I so don’t need this shit.- This time he didn’t have to grab Sheva she was moving along side of him. Her long legs lashed out now and then to send the grabby bastards flying.

The chiming of shattering glass was still ringing in his ears when the world suddenly shook. Sheet metal and chain-link fencing was sliced like butter kept at room temperature and the air whistled and gusted from the force of the impact. Chris was sure one of his fillings had been shaken loose. “Holly fuck!”

The ax welding nightmare stood, his massive chest heaving as he loomed over Christopher. The gunman had to throw himself out of the way and tuck himself into a roll to avoid the deadly arching swing of the weapon.

“Chris there’s too many of them!” Sheva’s voice cried out in his ear, he couldn’t see her in the curing riot of villagers.

“Stay cool Sheva we’ve got backup coming!” he snapped at her. He’d worry about feeling bad for snarling at her later, right now he needed to stay focused on survival.

Time and bodies bled as Chris cut his way through the blur of angered faces trying to dismember him. Occasionally he would catch the flash of his partner’s lavender shirt or he would feel her brush past him, sometimes they would let a few rounds of ammunition change hands as they worked their way through the crumbling shanty town.

“Shit, Chris, Sheva, hope you’re leaving some of those fuckers for me, I’m on my way with some killer party favors, just hold tight.” The chopper pilot’s voice was almost frantic with excitement and worry.

“Yeah, yeah, I hear you Kirk.” Chris chuckled tiredly as he pressed his back to a building hoping for a moment that he had given the big ugly the slip. He turned his head and he could see Sheva leaning against building as well. A light sheen of sweat glazed her mocha skin and she panted, at least she didn’t appear to be hurt.

The wall to the left of exploded out words massive hands covered in torn hide gloves stained rust red with blood pried open the rift torn into the wall the metal peeling back like a tinfoil wrapper.

-You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.- Chris scrambled away from the wall. He didn’t dare slow down to look backwards to see if Sheva was alright. His long legs carried him back into the open streets the sunlight burning his eyes and baking the sweat from his clothing. He knew that the creature wasn’t on his heels but on Sheva’s, maybe whatever was left of its mind found Sheva to be ‘pretty’ or maybe it just liked hearing women scream.

“Chris we need to take this guy out he’s never going to stop chasing us!” The accented voice of his partner was on the edge of sobbing, and he didn’t blame her. He’d been in her shoes before frightened and overwhelmed by appearance of something that defied all reason.

-We don’t have the shit to take something like that down!- Chris’s mind babbled franticly at him. If it was a tyrant type and it sure as hell looked like it, then that meant it could soak the damage from their hand guns, it would be like a bee stinging a bull, at best they would be ignored at worst they’d be charged and gored. His eyes rolled up to the sky, -God this is Christopher Redfield and I don’t like you very much, you prick.-

It was then that his eyes landed on the answer, and no it wasn’t a vision of a sobbing Virgin Mary. The answer came in the shape of a rusted and sparking transformer that hung by what looked like a few loops of duck tape and chicken wire from sagging power lines. “Sheva I need you to get him to charge at me. Just run along the power lines,” he called into his head set and he could hear her about to question his orders. “Just do it and whatever you do keep running.”

Her almond shaped eyes narrowed her head turned for what had to be the millionth time it was still on her moving far quicker than anything like should be able to move the head of its ax cutting a deep trough in the dusty street. –He’s lost his damn mind.- Yet she did as she was ordered to. Christopher Redfield was the man that had more experience than any other person in the BSAA when it came to handling and eliminating B.O.W. maybe he knew something she didn’t. Her entire body felt so alive it tingled and burned as her gazelle like legs carried her down the line of power lines. Her arms pumping her fingers were locked in a death grip around her pistol making her hand ache. She saw him her partner sort of half-assedly slouching his stance was messy as he brought up his gun. –What the hell are you doing? Bullets aren’t going to anything to that bastard!-

Chris felt her rush past him, it didn’t matter what mattered was the lumbering slab of flesh. His tongue traced over his dry lips and his finger itched. –Closer. Just a little closer you ugly son of a bitch.- He made himself breath he made himself wait.

Sheva spun mid leggy stride her mouth opened to scream at her partner as the man pulled the trigger two shots rang out completely missing the behemoth. “You id—” The insult died snuffed out with awe. Her jaw became slack as the word shook.

The faceless executioner never knew what it him one of the sharp corners of the lethally charged transformer became imbedded its self into his skull. Arches of burning light danced out of the rusted metal arching through cooking his body, the multiple iron nails and hooks turned his body into a circuit thirsty for the surging power.

“I thought I told you to keep running.” Chris hadn’t lowered his gun or taken his eyes off the cooking body of the fallen unknown B.O.W. His expression grim, “We still have company.”

As Chris spoke the remainder of the mob started to gather swarming like ants after a child had kicked over their hill. –Shit Kirk now is not the time for you to be spanking it where the fuck are you?-

Sheva pressed her back to his. “We’ll take out as many as we can at least before…” She didn’t finish the statement her voice broke a little she wasn’t ready to die.

The mob moved in an undulating wave the leader waved the megaphone around a light froth leaked from his lips. His raving orders were suddenly drown out but the steady beat of helicopter blades slicing the air.

“Sorry to keep you waiting lover, traffic was a bitch and I couldn’t do a damn thing with my hair.” Kirk’s voice crackled through the radio. “Take cover!”

Chris didn’t need to be told twice with his left hand he latched onto Sheva and yanked her though the riot thick crowd. Pain flashed through him as fists and improvised weapons pounded against him. He could taste heated copper in his mouth one of the bastards had gotten in a cheap shot. Chris didn’t listen to his partner yelling at him to let go that she could handle herself perfectly well. The only cover available was a condemned looking shack.

Two steps into the door, that’s all they had taken where the chopper unloaded into the crowed; blood, bone, and brain matter erupted in the air like some kind of gory pyrotechnics display.

Kirk’s co-pilot an unnamed kid that probably beat off watching the x-games hung himself part way out of the chopper an RPG balanced on shoulder. “Boom baby!” the kid yowled out in the ecstasy that came with wonton destruction as he pulled the trigger. Part of the gate and several chunks of various members of the mob seemed to evaporate with the sheer blasting force of the impact.