A/N: Dedicated to fire.elve
Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil Zero; don't sue me XD
Trust and TeamworkBilly pushed the heavy double door open. After all the trouble they went through to unlock the doors blocked by the knights' swords there'd better be something important worth their effort. Like an emergency exit. He really wanted to leave this zombie-haunted mansion as soon as possible. Well who wouldn't? But not only was he worried about his well being instead even more about Rebecca's. For some reason he felt the need to protect that girl.
Being worried about a cop – so much for his criminal career. At that thought a wry grin spread over his face though it quickly vanished as he noticed Rebecca's stare.
"What's wrong?" She asked cocking her head slightly a distrustful shimmer in her green eyes. Oh yeah, still not trusting the bad boy.
He shrugged. "I was just thinking how nice it'd be if we finally found the exit."
Her lips curved ever so slightly upwards that Billy wasn't sure if there was a smile or if he was rather imagining it, but when they entered yet another gloomy corridor whatever had been there quickly became serious again. Seriousness mingled with maybe a bit disappointment.
"Doesn't look like we're going to leave anytime soon." The girl stated flatly. Because of the way her shoulders sagged when she said that Billy sort of wanted to cheer her up even though he was pretty sure she wouldn't appreciate it but since she looked so young he couldn't help but feeling like her protector – it didn't matter that she probably thought of him as a murderer on the run.
He'd better get going before his involuntary partner felt the need to reprimand him. Oh the joys of teamwork…
Xxx
The expensive carpet muffled the sound of their footsteps making sneaking about easier. Rebecca couldn't deny that she really had hoped to leave this wicked villa. At least she couldn't see any foul creatures nearby, which was considering the circumstances an improvement of their situation. However after only some meters the hallway made a sharp turn to the right so that she couldn't regard it as safe just yet.
Holding her gun tightly, ready to shoot anything suspicious, she carefully moved forward only to have Billy step protectively in front of her, signaling her with a small almost apologetic smile to be a good girl and stay behind – at least that was how she interpreted it. Acting like this the S.T.A.R.S.-rookie found it hard to imagine him as a merciless killer… But wait she didn't have time for such thoughts right now. It would only complicate the matter.
Setting her jaw firmly she quickly followed him surveying the remaining corridor when she saw a large double door to the right and a small door at the end of it to the left side. Those were about the only other exits because there weren't even any windows in here, only window-like hollows in the stonewall.
Two doors – two of them…
Making up her mind she turned to her partner saying, "It'll be faster if we spilt up. So you take the left door and I'll take the right, got that?"
Billy raised an eyebrow obviously not liking the idea but he didn't object. Probably he didn't want to argue with her. Coming to think of it – she had sounded pretty bossy right now. However she couldn't bother being nice to a convict… even though she felt mean for thinking like that.
Confidently she pushed the heavy door open brandishing her Beretta in a semicircle before entering completely allowing the door to slam shut behind her. Billy didn't follow her.
The room was pretty tidy – too tidy thinking of the living dead populating the mansion. Not that she was going to complain about a room without monsters in it… Apart from that it had the same expensive, extravagant furniture – whoever built that house had had definitely too much money and not enough common sense to do something better with it than wasting it for this deathtrap.
A large chandelier illuminated everything with a yellowish light. Black and white tiles were forming a huge chess board with pieces almost her size. It looked as if the white side was going to win since there were only the black king and a black pawn left.
Four shots interrupted the dead silence that had that settled onto this room making Rebecca almost jump. Startled and surprised alike she began – for a second only - to worry though then she reminded herself that Billy was more experienced and perfectly capable of looking after himself. Absolutely no need to worry.
So she didn't take her walkie-talkie because she was anxious or something she just wanted to… make sure – yes she just wanted to make sure there weren't any dangerous creatures left she had to be wary of.
"Billy? You – Did something happen?" She asked raising her voice a little when she noticed she was whispering.
"Met three zombies but I took care of 'em." She heard him say. "Do you want us to regroup?"
What did that mean? Did he think she was scared all alone?
"Have you searched through the room yet?"
"No Ma'am." He answered almost mockingly.
"Then do it. Over and out."
Now Rebecca felt a little stupid for calling Billy – they were trapped in a mansion full of nightmarish monstrosities, naturally they'd sooner or later run into two or three of them. Sighing at her own silliness she walked across the oversized chess board to the desk opposite to the door.
It had a stack of papers on it, a lamp and some books but what caught her attention was the small chess board. Except for the white king all the pieces were standing in the same formation. Inside a villa full of sick riddles that had to mean at least something, right?
Frowning as she approached the tall white king the S.T.A.R.S.-recruit decided that it was worth a try and pushed the heavy piece forward. Now it might've been good if Billy was here, after all he stronger. Not that she needed his help. No it would've just been… convenient. When she had moved it one square she went around it trying to pull it though she would've preferred shoving but one of the two rooks was standing there too close leaving too little place for her.
However the king's smooth surface didn't make it easier and after she had merely moved it at all it happened – her fingers slipped and she involuntarily let go, losing her balance and falling backwards. Her back hit the second rook that was standing diagonal behind her moving it from its original place and causing an unsettling click.
Yet before Rebecca could worry what kind of trap she just had activated the answer became painfully obvious as green gas emitted from the ground making her eyes burn and causing a coughing fit. With watery eyes she stumbled over to the door. She had to get out of here!
Xxx
Billy watched the door close behind Rebecca before walking on. He didn't like all this splitting up. Sure, it was faster and he too wanted to get out of here as soon as possible but it was also more dangerous. Checking the ammunition left in his gun he pressed his ear against the left door hearing the characteristic moans of some zombies.
That's just what he had been hoping for – more monsters. Mentally he counted to three before he kicked the door open his gun reading firing as soon as he saw the zombie leaving a nice hole right above his eye and then aiming for the other two zombies that were lurking in the back of there room. One shot missed but the other two were deadly. Quickly he checked if there were more foes… He was alone.
His walkie-talkie crackled drawing his attention.
"Billy? You – Did something happen?" Rebecca had contacted him. Was that worry in her voice?
"Met three zombies but I took care of 'em." He answered looking at one of the zombies. "Do you want us to regroup?"
"Have you searched through the room yet?" Ah there was the commanding undertone again.
"No Ma'am."
"Then do it. Over and out."
Good thing no one was here to see that a little girl was ordering him about. Well he'd better get it done. No sense in complaining.
He was apparently in a doctor's room… sort of, with four beds with dirty – no bloody – blankets, cupboards with who knew what inside and shelves with a bunch of medical looking stuff. Oh and someone had had two potted plants with bluish leaves. If those were here for a better atmosphere then they didn't work.
Walking over to one of the lockers he picked up a random bottle. The part of the label that was still legible said 'Azelastinhydrochlorid'. Well he had no idea what that meant. It could be everything from cough syrup to poison. It would be better if he had Rebecca take a look at those things – being a medic she should be able to figure out more than he could, which was to say not a whole lot.
After looking through the room once more to see if there was something else he quickly strode over to the door, opening it, unsuspecting of what he was going to see. Rebecca stumbled out of the other room - a green trail of gas following her - coughing as she held onto the wall for support. In a split second Billy was beside her, putting one arm protectively around her slim shoulder and leading her away to the closest room, which was the one he had just left. Maybe not the best place at least the zombies there were already dead so it was relatively safe.
By the time they stepped over the threshold Billy was almost carrying his partner. With his foot he closed the door setting Rebecca down and letting her lean against one of the beds waiting for her to catch her breath again. He had a vague idea of what was going on nevertheless he needed Rebecca to tell him what was wrong.
While she was still panting her eyes already scanned the room resting on the corpses for a bit – probably making sure they didn't get any funny ideas about coming back to life – until they remained fixed on something in the backmost part of the room. Billy's worry was starting to increase.
"Rebecca?"
She didn't respond.
"Rebecca?! What happened?"
She blinked as if she had just noticed he was there and offered him a weak smile and managed to whisper, "Wasn't carefully enough – trap – poison." Her eyes wandered back to what she had been staring at. "Billy, those herbs…"
He nodded. "I got it."
Wasting no time he practically flew over to the shelf grabbing the bluish herbs and kneeling beside Rebecca again only a second later. With shaky hands she brought out her mixing set but it fell down as she had not the strength left to hold it anymore.
Billy picked it up and following her instructions he managed to make some sort of powder which Rebecca swallowed, drinking some of her water afterwards. Now all they had left to do was to hope that it would work for Rebecca had mentioned these herbs were good against many known poisons even though they were pretty hard to grow. At some point Rebecca fell asleep – she might've have fainted but he preferred thinking that she just fell asleep since there was nothing he could do about it anyway. So there was nothing left but to wait for her to recover… He hated waiting. He wasn't impatient or something like that but with nothing to do in situations like this it left too much time for thinking, too much time for doubt to enter one's heart and stretch the seconds endlessly.
Xxx
She felt like she was having a good dream only that she wasn't dreaming. It was warm, she was safe and she wasn't in some rotten, zombie-haunted mansion where madmen had created monsters worse than any movie-monster could ever be. A part of her wanted to stay like that not caring about the consequences, a smaller part of her though – the part you learned to listen to in your S.T.A.R.S.-training – was warning her, telling her to wake up, telling her that she had no time to sleep right now, right here.
Slowly the darkness drifted away, letting single impressions enter her mind. The cold hard floor she was sitting on, the queasy feeling, the warmth on her right side, the – wait, warmth? Where did that come from? Carefully she opened her eyes, noting that her head was resting on someone's shoulder, resting on the shoulder of the very criminal she had threatened to kill hours - days, weeks? How long had she slept? – ago.
When he found her awake his eyes were practically shining with relief. What a criminal, she thought sarcastically.
"Rebecca! How are you feeling?" The genuine worry in his voice made her smile in spite of still feeling all queasy.
"Better, I suppose. I think it'll be alright."
He nodded and stood up offering her a helping hand, which she gladly accepted. For a moment they only stood there a little awkwardly until she decided to move heading for the door.
"Billy?"
"Hn?"
She turned back to face him. "I owe you one. Thank you."
"Anytime." He scratched his head. "Now shall we get out of this mess?"
"Can't wait."
They both simultaneously started laughing, though they had no idea of what was so funny. With that and still smiling they left. By now Rebecca was sure Billy definitely wasn't one of the bad guys especially after he had saved he life – once again. She felt like she could really trust him and she didn't even care that she was siding with someone she was supposed to catch. Well what a great start for her career as a cop…
The EndA/N: Good? Bad? What do you think? Did I overdo the poison part? Come on leave a little review. Authors crave reviews – they keep us alive XD
Anyway I hope you've enjoyed reading. (I certainly didn't enjoy typing it but no one would be able to make my handwriting out so yeah XD)
Well thanks for reading and special thanks to those who review
See you around XD