Resident Evil: Blacklight

As we descended the long staircase, the oppressive silence of the corridor weighed on us. Then, my eyes caught a figure sprawled across the damp floor—a creature I wished I'd never have to see.

Its grotesque, overturned body lay motionless, legs unnaturally bent, and its slightly furry abdomen glistened in the dim light.

"A giant spider…" The words slipped from my lips in a hushed gasp as my feet froze in place. An involuntary shudder ran through me, and before I knew it, I had stepped back toward the staircase.

Rebecca's hand pressed lightly against my back, stopping me. "Alex, relax. It's dead." She said, trying to reassure me.

I nodded, but the knot in my stomach tightened. It wasn't just the spider—though its sheer size was enough to churn my gut. "Yeah, but if there's one, there's more ahead."

Rebecca's expression faltered for a moment, her face twisting in disgust as her gaze lingered on the spider. "I mean, yeah, it's…abnormally big. A lot of legs. A lot of eyes…" Her voice trailed off before she forced herself to look away, shaking her head to compose herself. "You know what? Let's just keep going and not think about it."

We carefully passed by the creature, my steps as light as possible, though my skin crawled just being near it.

Billy crouched beside the spider, frowning as he inspected it. "Something's not right." He muttered.

"What is it?" I asked, stopping in my tracks.

"Someone killed it." Billy pointed to the creature's abdomen. "See these cuts? Precise and clean. Whoever did this knew exactly where to strike."

Rebecca leaned closer, her expression shifting from fear to curiosity. "Could it have been one of Umbrella's soldiers? Not all of them might be dead."

Billy shook his head, standing. "Doubt it. These wounds are fresh, and the soldiers we've seen didn't exactly strike me as skilled survivors. Someone else is here. And they're good."

I glanced around the dim hallway. "What about the guy I told you about? The one I saw at the train?"

Billy scratched his chin, considering it. "It's possible. If he's managed to stay hidden this long, he'd have to be someone experienced. And dangerous."

Rebecca's brows furrowed. "So, we've got some kind of super-soldier ahead of us, just waiting to strike?"

"Pretty much." Billy crossed his arms. "So, keep your guard up. Whoever they are, they're not messing around."

"Never planned otherwise." Rebecca replied with a weary sigh, the weight of this place clearly starting to get to her.

"Hey, don't worry. With the three of us, nothing's going to stand in our way." I offered a reassuring smile.

Billy raised an eyebrow and smirked. "This coming from the guy who said he'd stay far away while me and Rebecca handle the giant monsters?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. I couldn't exactly backtrack on what I'd said earlier.

My silence earned a soft laugh from Rebecca, her spirits visibly lifting.

"C'mon." I sighed, eager to move past the embarrassment. "Let's keep going."

…

As we trudged through the damp corridor, we came upon a metal door to our right. A quick attempt confirmed it was locked, so we moved on, stepping carefully past the lifeless bodies of more oversized spiders.

Though their grotesque forms still sent a shiver down my spine, I couldn't help but feel a flicker of gratitude for the unknown soldier who had taken them down.

Eventually, we reached the end of the hall, where a wooden door hung precariously from its hinges. As I pushed it open, the loud creak echoed through the corridor, shattering the silence.

"So much for being quiet." I sighed, stepping into what appeared to be a small study.

The room was cluttered, with overturned bookshelves and a desk crammed with papers and broken equipment. To our left, a barred window offered a glimpse into the adjacent room—a dimly lit space with stone walls and flickering torches.

"This place is starting to look more like a dungeon…" Billy muttered, peering through the bars.

"Is that the end of this place?" Rebecca asked, moving toward the sturdy wooden door on the other side of the room.

"Hope not." I replied. "We haven't found a way out yet, and there's nothing left to search upstairs."

Rebecca grabbed the handle and tried to push it open, but it didn't budge. "It's locked." She grumbled, stepping back.

"Let me try." I placed my hand on the handle and pulled. Nothing. I tried to lightly push, but it didn't give in. "Yep, it's definitely locked."

"Billy, can you force it open?" I turned to him.

"Why me?" He raised an eyebrow.

"...My shoulder hurts." I replied sheepishly, glancing away.

Billy sighed, stepping toward the door, but Rebecca stopped him with an excited grin. "Wait! I've got an idea!"

She crouched down, rummaging through her medical bag.

"What are you doing?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Making a corrosive agent to dissolve the lock." Rebecca said, her tone so casual it took me a moment to process her words.

Billy and I exchanged a glance, the confusion and disbelief mirrored in each other's eyes.

"And…how exactly are you going to do that?" I finally asked, my voice tinged with skepticism.

"It's pretty simple, actually. All you need is distilled water and sulfuric acid." She replied matter-of-factly, already rummaging through her medical bag.

"Wait, hold on. Where did you find sulfuric acid?" I asked as my brain struggled to keep up with this sudden chemistry experiment.

"The kitchen." She answered without even looking up.

"Why is there sulfuric acid in the kitchen!?" I exclaimed, my voice rising in disbelief.

Rebecca shrugged, not missing a beat. "It's Umbrella's facility after all." She pulled out a small container of acid and some distilled water. "I just need a sturdy container to mix this."

"Nothing here looks safe to use." Billy said, glancing around.

Rebecca frowned, then brightened. "It's fine. I'll use this." She pulled out an Umbrella medical spray canister.

"Give me your knife." She held out her hand expectantly.

I raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because yours is better quality." She replied,not missing a beat.

With a sigh of resignation, I handed over my combat knife, watching as she carefully sliced off the top of the spray canister.

Rebecca then began mixing the distilled water and sulfuric acid inside the makeshift container, using my knife as a stirrer.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, muttering to myself. "It's not like I was planning to use that knife anytime soon…"

Rebecca, oblivious to my internal grumbling, examined her concoction with a satisfied nod. "Alright, now step back! It's homemade, so you never know if it might have a premature reaction."

"Be careful." I warned, eyeing the bubbling mixture in her hands like it might explode at any second.

"I'm always careful." She shot back, her confidence unwavering.

Billy scoffed, arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. "Doesn't really seem like it to me." He muttered, though the concern in his voice betrayed his teasing tone.

Rebecca ignored him, focusing on the task at hand. With painstaking care, she poured the corrosive liquid over the lock. A faint hiss filled the air as the metal began to dissolve, the pungent smell of chemicals hitting us immediately.

"It worked!" She exclaimed, her face lighting up with pride.

"Nice job." I gave her a fist bump, still staring warily at the door.

"Not bad at all." Billy said with a nod.

"When did you learn to do that?" I asked, cautiously pulling the door open.

"I didn't. First time trying it." Rebecca said with a grin.

I froze, staring at her in disbelief. "The first time?"

"You're unbelievable." Billy sighed, shaking his head.

Rebecca crossed her arms defensively. "What? I had it under control!"

I looked her dead in the eyes. "Even geniuses can get hurt in their experiments. You don't have to risk yourself just to prove you're useful, you know."

Rebecca sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. "I just want to pull my weight, Alex. I don't want to be dead weight."

"And you do. You've been more than capable until now." I told her firmly. "But there's no point in doing your part if you're getting hurt in the process. We need you alive, uninjured."

Before Rebecca could respond, Billy chimed in with a smirk. "You should listen to him, Rebecca. It's clear he's saying this out of a place of love."

"Love?" I sputtered, clearing my throat quickly. "That's a strong word. We're partners—of course I care. But let's not get ahead of ourselves."

Rebecca glanced at me, her cheeks reddening ever so slightly, but she quickly turned her attention to Billy. "I get what he's saying, but I also know that sometimes risks have to be taken. We're not exactly in a situation where playing it safe will always work." Her tone was determined but tinged with awkwardness.

Billy chuckled, crossing his arms. "Man, you two are way too uptight about a little joke. But hey, what can I expect from a couple of kids?"

Rebecca and I whipped our heads toward him in unison, glaring. "We're not kids!" We snapped in unison.

Billy just grinned wider. "Then stop acting like it. Out here, there's no room for hesitation. If something needs to be done, we do it—no second-guessing, no overthinking."

His voice turned softer, but his tone remained just as serious. "But at the end of the day, every single one of us has to make it out of this alive. We're not just fighting for ourselves after all." His gaze turned sharp, carrying a weight that silenced both of us.

I felt the weight of his words settle over me. He wasn't wrong. I could see Rebecca was just as shaken, her expression momentarily unsure before she straightened her back.

"You're right." I finally said, nodding slowly.

Rebecca clenched her fists, her resolve hardening. "I'll be more careful. But that doesn't mean I'll hold back or let myself drag you two down."

Getting back on track, we began searching the room for anything useful. It didn't take long to realize it was futile.

The room reeked of rust and decay. Rusted handcuffs were embedded into the walls, and strange, twisted instruments lay scattered across the crumbling floor. It was clear this place had been used for torture, but despite the unsettling sight, nothing useful caught our attention.

"What should we do now?" Rebecca questioned in disappointment, glancing around the room.

"Maybe we missed something further back." Billy suggested, though his tone lacked conviction.

"We didn't. There has to be something here." I refuted, unwilling to give up, my eyes scanning every crack and crevice of the nearly collapsing room.

"Just let it go, Alex. This place is falling apart, we're not going to find anything." Rebecca tried to persuade me, nodding toward the holes in the ceiling.

Her words made me focus more on the state of the room. Everything was clearly old and barely holding together, but one section of the wall stood out. The bricks were looser than the rest, as if they'd been hastily placed.

I approached it, curiosity driving my movements, and began prying the bricks loose. Piece by piece, they came away, revealing a hidden panel with four switches and a scale at the top.

"Knew it!" I grinned, proud of myself.

"Huh..." Billy muttered, stepping closer to examine the panel.

"We can start the power from here, right?" Rebecca asked, leaning in to get a better look.

"Yeah. Then we can get back to that metal door." I nodded.

"But we don't know which switches work." Billy pointed out.

"We have to get the arrow all the way to the red part." I said, pointing at the scale. "We can just guess which switches to flip."

I started flipping switches at random, but nothing happened.

"Don't think that'll do any good." Billy chuckled behind me.

"It'll take a few tries. Just wait." I scoffed, focused on the task.

Rebecca stepped closer. "Maybe I should try–"

Before she could finish, I flipped the final combination: up, up, up, down. The arrow on the scale shot to the red part, and the panel lit up with a satisfying beep.

"Yes!" I cheered, stepping back proudly. "First try!"

Billy and Rebecca stared at me, unimpressed.

Clearing my throat, I backed away awkwardly. "The door should be open now." I mumbled.

…

??? POV

Watching the facility's surveillance monitors, I couldn't help but chuckle. The three pests had survived far longer than I'd expected.

But it didn't matter.

"You're wasting your time." I muttered, a grin spreading across my face. "I've already claimed this place for myself, which means you're trespassing...and I'm very territorial."

My eyes shifted to another monitor. On the screen, one of Umbrella's most successful experiments began stirring in its cage, its restraints failing as the power flickered back to life.

I laughed, the sound echoing in the empty control room. "Let's see how long you last."

…

Alex's POV

"C'mon!" Rebecca urged, heading for the exit, but the sudden sound of rapid footsteps brought us to an abrupt stop.

"Where is it coming from?" She asked, her voice tense, her eyes scanning the room.

"Above." I gestured toward the holes in the ceiling, my gut twisting as the noise grew louder.

"Rebecca, don't stand so close to—" Billy's warning came too late. A pale blur dropped from above, aiming straight for her.

"Look out!" Billy lunged, shoving Rebecca out of the way just as the creature—a grotesquely mutated monkey—landed on him. Its claws latched onto his shoulders with terrifying strength.

"Billy!" I yelled, pulling out my gun, but the creature moved faster than I could aim. It sunk its jagged teeth into his shoulder.

"Aaah!!" Billy cried out in pain, his knees buckling slightly under the weight of the animal.

My gun roared as I fired, the bullets striking its head. The mutated monkey twitched violently before collapsing to the floor, lifeless.

"Billy, are you okay!?" Rebecca rushed to his side, her hands already reaching for her medical bag.

Billy grit his teeth, his face pale. "Not exactly my best day, but I'll live."

"Stay still. I'll take care of it." Rebecca instructed, her tone brisk but concerned as she began disinfecting the wound. She worked quickly, her hands steady despite the tension in the room.

"Thanks." Billy muttered, wincing as she wrapped a bandage around his shoulder.

Rebecca shook her head, offering him a small, grateful smile. "I should be the one thanking you. That could've been me if you hadn't pushed me out of the way."

"Don't sweat it. That's what teammates are for, right?" Billy chuckled, though his voice was strained.

"I'm sorry. I should've acted faster." I muttered, guilt tugging at me as I stared at the dead creature.

"C'mon, me getting hurt isn't the end of the world." Billy said with a smirk. "We're gonna have to take risks here. Rebecca said that herself."

Rebecca sighed. "I'm not sure I stand by that anymore."

"Too late. We all promised to put our all into this, so that's what I expect." Billy responded with a grin.

Before we could continue, a beeping sound came from Rebecca's walkie-talkie.

"Are the others contacting us?" I asked, hope flickering in my chest as Rebecca finished patching up Billy and handed me the device.

"Rebecca, Alex, can you hear me? Over." The captain's unmistakable voice crackled through the static.

"Yes, sir. Over." I replied quickly, relief flooding through me.

"Alex, have you two located Coen?" Enrico asked, his tone sharp.

I froze. Rebecca's eyes darted to me, then to Billy. His expression remained neutral, his gaze fixed on the ground.

"Alex, answer me." Enrico pressed.

After a moment of hesitation, I forced the words out. "...No, sir. We're still on the lookout."

"I see. Don't let your guard down. Over."

"Captain, wait! Have you managed to contact Edward?" I asked urgently before he could end the transmission.

"No. But that's not unusual. He always ignores the comms when he's focused on something." Enrico replied, sounding mildly irritated.

"What about the others? Are you all together?"

"The rest went ahead toward the old mansion. I stayed behind to investigate some odd tracks." Enrico explained.

"Captain, listen to me." I interrupted, my voice rising with urgency. "There are monsters in these mountains! We're in a facility owned by Umbrella, and there's a virus infecting everything! Don't go to the mansion!"

"Monsters? Alex, if this has something to do with what I found out at the station…" Enrico trailed off, his tone skeptical.

"It's true!" Rebecca chimed in, her voice shaky. "We've seen them with our own eyes!"

Enrico was silent for a long moment. Finally, he sighed. "I don't know what you two think you've seen, but I'll keep my eyes open. Stay sharp. Over."

The line went dead.

Billy was the first to speak, his tone quiet but edged with resignation. "Seems like he doesn't believe you."

"Yeah…" I muttered, the weight of the captain's skepticism settling on me. "Let's just keep moving." Turning away, I started toward the door.

"Right," Billy agreed, falling in step behind me.

I stopped after only a few steps, realizing Rebecca wasn't following. She stood frozen, staring at the floor, her expression conflicted.

"Rebecca, let's go." I called, trying to sound encouraging.

Instead of moving, she looked up, her voice trembling. "Do you think…they'll really be okay?"

Her question hung in the air, heavy with doubt. I hesitated, meeting her gaze, and in that brief moment, words failed me. I wanted to tell her yes, to give her the reassurance she needed. But the truth was too uncertain.

Rebecca didn't wait for my response. She continued, her voice breaking. "Enrico doesn't believe us. Why would he? If I were him, I'd think the same. But because of that, they…they'll…" Her words faltered, tears welling in her eyes.

I took a step closer, forcing myself to meet her anguished expression. "They'll survive." I said, mustering every ounce of conviction I could find. "Just like we have. That's all we can believe right now."

Rebecca blinked rapidly, as though trying to fight back her emotions, but she didn't respond.

Billy stepped in, his voice softer than usual. "Rebecca, we need to keep moving. That's how you help them. Staying here won't change anything."

She took a shaky breath and finally nodded, her resolve returning piece by piece. Without another word, she followed us out of the torture room, the faint sound of her footsteps echoing behind.

…

We made our way back to the basement's hall, retracing our steps toward the metal door. The silence was thick, only broken by the echo of our footsteps.

"So…I know a thing or two about these zombie stories. Should I be worried about the bite?" Billy asked suddenly, casting a wary glance at the bandaged wound on his shoulder.

Rebecca shook her head, her voice steady but reassuring. "I don't think so. The bite wasn't deep, and I treated it fast enough."

Billy exhaled a sigh of relief. "That's good." He fell silent for a few moments before breaking it with a chuckle. "You two didn't exactly tell the truth back there. Don't tell me I'm actually growing on you."

"Let's save that talk for later." I replied, just as we reached the door.

Billy sighed faintly. "Yeah…good idea."

…

As we stepped inside, we were greeted by a few battered crates scattered near the walls, their surfaces stained and cracked, as though they'd been left to rot for years.

To our right, a thick metal door stood shut, and next to it was a large one way window.

At the far end of the room, two reinforced cages caught my attention. Their surface scratched and battered, as if something had tried to escape.

"What is this place?" Rebecca murmured, her voice barely above a whisper as her eyes roamed the room.

Billy squinted, his tone uncertain. "Looks like…some kind of combat room?"

While they speculated, a foul stench assaulted my senses. Grimacing, I approached one of the boxes, curiosity outweighing caution. With some effort, I pried the lid open, and my stomach churned at the gruesome sight within.

"What's wrong?" Billy and Rebecca joined me, the stench hitting them as they neared.

"Are those…bodies?" Rebecca's voice wavered with disbelief.

"Shit…" Billy muttered, his eyes darting around the room, suddenly on high alert. "This place…it's not just for combat."

We finally noticed the grim details we'd overlooked: the bloodstains smeared across the floor, the deep claw marks gouged into the walls.

"It's a testing ground." I said grimly, the words leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.

Rebecca's voice was tense. "We should leave." Billy and I exchanged a glance, both nodding in agreement.

We turned toward the next door, but just as we reached it, it slammed shut with a resounding clang. I spun around, only to see the door we'd entered through close as well.

"The hell?" I snapped, scanning the room for any sign of movement.

"Is someone trapping us in here?" Rebecca asked, her voice tinged with unease.

Before we could answer, a cold, robotic voice echoed through the room.

"Safety protocol activated. Efficiency combat data for MA-121 begins."

The air was thick with tension as the cages at the far end of the room began to creak open, their rusted hinges groaning ominously.

"Hide!" I barked, and we scattered, each taking cover behind the limited options the room provided.

Billy crouched low behind a crate, cocking his shotgun. "You two ready for this?"

Rebecca exhaled, her grip tightening on her handgun. "I guess I have to be."

"Not like they're giving us much choice." I muttered, my Samurai Edge in one hand and my hunting rifle slung across my back.

The sound of screeches filled the room, followed by the heavy thud of footsteps. My pulse quickened. Curiosity got the better of me, and I cautiously peeked out from behind the box.

What I saw made my stomach drop. Lurking near the cages were grotesque creatures—lizard-like abominations, their scales stretched over bulging muscles. Each of their four limbs ended in razor-sharp claws that scraped against the floor as they moved.

I quickly ducked back behind cover just as one of the creatures turned in my direction, its glowing yellow eyes scanning the room.

"Does this ever end?" I muttered under my breath, the sound of the creature's approach growing louder.