Resident Evil: Blacklight

As Coen and I were lifted by the creaking service lift, the dim light of a cramped storage room greeted us. Dust hung in the air, illuminated by a single flickering bulb, and the faint smell of mildew made my nose twitch. The room was sparsely furnished—a pile of rusted gears, a toppled grandfather clock, and a heavy layer of dust coating everything.

"Why does this place have to be so complicated…?" I muttered, stepping off the lift with a sigh, my boots stirring up clouds of dust.

"Instead of complaining, how about you put that energy into finding an exit?" Coen quipped, brushing past me.

"Right." I rolled my eyes, not bothering to hide my annoyance.

We headed toward the room's only exit—a heavy wooden door—when an ominous creak above stopped us both in our tracks.

"What was that?" I whispered, glancing at the ceiling.

Before Coen could respond, a sudden chittering filled the air. A grotesque blur dropped from above, its impact slamming me to the ground.

"Ahhh!" I shouted as the creature—a nightmarish amalgamation of insect parts—pinned me beneath its weight.

"Alex!" Coen's voice cut through the chaos, followed by the sharp crack of gunfire. The monster screeched as bullets tore through its carapace, and its body fell limp beside me.

"Ugh…it touched me." I groaned, letting Coen haul me to my feet. My skin crawled as I brushed myself off, trying not to gag.

"Don't exaggerate. You're fine." Coen said, smirking as he reloaded his weapon.

"Fine? You wouldn't say that if it jumped on you." I snapped, glaring at him.

He shrugged nonchalantly, already heading for the door. "If you say so."

I cast one last disgusted glance at the twitching insect. "At least it wasn't a spider." I muttered under my breath as I followed him out.

…

The balcony we stepped onto was a stark contrast to the storage room's claustrophobic gloom. Moonlight filtered through the mist below, casting an eerie glow on a small fountain in the center. A lone bench sat beside it, its paint peeling from years of neglect.

The sound of crows echoed in the stillness as we split up to search.

"Doesn't seem like there's anything here." Coen called after a few minutes of fruitless searching.

"Yeah…" I leaned on the balcony railing, peering down into the dense mist that swallowed the view below. The cold metal pressed against my palms as my thoughts wandered.

I could feel Coen's eyes on me before he sighed and walked over.

"All right, I'll bite. What's on your mind?" He asked, leaning beside me.

"Why do you think something's wrong?" I shot back, raising an eyebrow.

"Even through that blank expression of yours, it's obvious. I'm sure Rebecca's noticed too." Coen said, his tone casual but probing.

I frowned, suddenly self-conscious. "Is that so…?"

"So, are you going to spill it or not?" He pressed.

"I guess I'm just…worried." I admitted reluctantly, sighing as the weight of my thoughts spilled out.

"About what?" Coen stayed quiet, letting me explain.

"Everything. Seeing all these dangers—the monsters—and knowing there's more out there…I can't stop thinking about the rest of my team. And not being able to contact them just makes it worse."

Coen chuckled, his tone almost lighthearted. "That's easy to fix. We just get out of here."

I stared at him, confused.

"Work together, find a way out, and you and Rebecca can go help your team." He said matter-of-factly, as though it were the simplest thing in the world.

His words sank in, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"I see. Yeah, you're right. Instead of sitting around worrying, I'll see them for myself once we're out." I backed away from the railing, a small smile spreading across my face.

"Good." Billy nodded, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. He turned toward the door on the right side of the balcony. "Let's check this next room."

Before I could follow, a sharp cry made me whip my head around.

A crow perched on the railing, its beady eyes fixed on me.

"Hey, doesn't that crow look…unnatural?" I asked warily.

"Yeah, let's just go." Billy said, reaching for the door.

The bird let out another sharp cry and lunged, flapping its wings wildly as it struck me in the head.

"Ahhh! Again!?" I shouted, swatting at it as it clawed and pecked at my face.

"Craah!" The crow's cry summoned two more birds, which swooped down to join the attack.

"You good?" Billy asked, his tone betraying amusement as he stood by the door.

"Just great!" I yelled, grabbing one of the crows mid-air and flinging it into the mist below. The other two flapped wildly around me until I managed to wave them off long enough to slip through the door.

…

"Dammit, why'd they come after me? An easy target was standing right there!" I grumbled, glaring at Billy as I caught my breath.

"I'll choose to ignore that." Billy exclaimed with a plain voice. "Maybe they just don't like you. Then again, you're not exactly winning any popularity contests with humans either."

I glared at him. "I'll have you know I've got plenty of friends now. Though…you might be right about animals. Even when modified by that virus, they seem to hate me."

"Let's save the sob story for later and focus on what's ahead." He said, shaking his head as he ended the conversation.

I sighed and turned my attention to our surroundings, taking in the strange sight before us.

To the left was a large, empty pool, its floor covered in grime and debris. Inside, a massive animal cage stood. To the right, four rusted levers were embedded into the wall, chains above each one.

"Let's figure out what we're dealing with here." I said, stepping forward to investigate.

Billy moved past me, his boots echoing against the metal grating.

"I'll head further down and check things out." He announced, making his way to a staircase leading below.

"Shout if you get into trouble!" I called after him, leaping down into the empty pool. He shrugged nonchalantly.

"Sure." He replied flatly before disappearing from sight.

Turning back to the task at hand, I spotted a strange machine on the pool's right-hand side. Beside it stood the animal cage I'd noticed earlier. At the far end of the pool, a massive rusted grate loomed ominously.

"I'm starting to think this place wasn't designed for relaxing." I muttered under my breath, walking toward the cage.

Peering inside, I quickly spotted a red key lying in the center.

"Just who the hell leaves something like this here?" I sighed, crouching down and reaching through the bars. My fingertips brushed the key, but it remained just out of reach.

"Damn it." I muttered, my frustration growing. Before I could think of another approach, Billy's voice rang out from above.

"Found something." Billy called out, his voice cutting through the stillness. I turned to see him holding up a statue of an angel. Like the devil statue we'd found earlier, this one was headless.

"There were a few more of those insects." He added casually, "But I took care of them."

"Lucky break. Now we can check if Rebecca's hunch about the puzzle was right." Relief crept into my tone, partly because we'd found the statue and partly because I hadn't had to deal with any more of those disgusting creatures myself.

Billy nodded and pointed toward the staircase. "Speaking of Rebecca, I found a shortcut back to the main hall. We can meet up with her now."

"Just a minute." I called out, gesturing toward the cage. "There's a key under this thing, but I can't reach it."

Billy frowned, stepping closer to take a look. "Hmm…have you tried the levers over there?"

"Not yet. I was…just about to." I said, glancing away.

"Sure you were." He scoffed, heading toward the wall of rusted levers. He traced the chains leading to the cage, muttering. "This should do it." Grabbing the second lever from the left, he began to turn it.

"It's working!" I shouted, watching as the cage rose inch by inch.

"Hurry up and grab the key! This thing feels like it'll snap any second!" Billy warned, his grip tightening on the lever.

"On it!" I bent down and ducked beneath the cage, quickly snatching the red key.

"All right, you can let it drop now!" I called out as I backed away.

The cage slammed to the ground with a deafening crash, sending a puff of dust into the air.

"Good. Let's meet up with Rebecca." Billy said, pulling out his walkie-talkie.

As he contacted her, I heard a faint rustling from behind. My attention snapped toward the grated section of the pool. The sound was faint but unmistakable—something was moving.

Cautiously, I approached the grate, gun at the ready.

…

Billy's POV

"Rebecca, do you hear me?" I spoke into the walkie-talkie, keeping my voice calm.

It didn't take long for her reply to crackle through.

"Yeah, I hear you! Are you guys okay? Did you find anything?" She asked, her voice slightly distorted.

"Hmhm, found out Alex has a bad history with animals." I said with a chuckle. "We also picked up the other statue—the angel one. Plus, there's a red key, though we don't know what it's for yet."

"A red key?" Rebecca echoed, thoughtful. "There are a few doors with red knobs scattered around here. It might work on one of those."

"How do you know that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her sudden insight.

"Uh…doesn't matter. Just get back to the hall, and we'll figure it out." She deflected quickly.

"Fine. We found a shortcut near the woman's statue in the hall—it's an open door. You'll find it easily."

"Got it! I'll meet you there." She said before ending the call.

Tucking the walkie-talkie back into my pocket, I glanced around, realizing I hadn't seen Alex in a few moments. My gaze finally settled on him, crouched near the pool's grated floor.

"What are you doing?" I called out, walking toward him.

He didn't answer immediately. Instead, his hand hovered near his gun as he slowly backed away.

"There's something in there." He said in a low, tense voice.

A chill ran down my spine as I listened. The rustling grew louder, joined by an eerie screeching sound that echoed from within.

Before either of us could react further, the grates exploded outward.

A massive centipede, its body a writhing mass of segmented plates and twitching legs, lunged toward Alex.

"Shit!" He cursed, diving out of the way just in time.

"Careful! I'll try to find a weak spot!" I shouted, raising my gun and taking aim.

The creature twisted and hissed, its mandibles snapping inches away from Alex's retreating form. My pulse quickened as I lined up my shot.

…

I hit the ground hard as the centipede's mandibles snapped at the air where I'd been a moment earlier. My grip on the devil statue slipped, and I heard it clatter across the pool floor.

'I've dealt with a lot, but oversized bugs? That's another level of hell.' I couldn't help but think, scrambling to my feet and eyeing the grotesque creature. Its segmented body curled unnaturally as it hissed and chittered, its legs clicking against the rusted metal grate.

"Go get it! I'll keep it busy!" Billy's voice barked from behind.

I briefly hesitated before taking action. Darting toward the statue, I saw Billy open fire. The sharp cracks of his handgun echoed through the pool as bullets slammed into the centipede's armored carapace. The creature reeled from the impact but wasn't fazed for long.

I snatched the devil statue and spun back toward the fight, clutching the figure tightly. Billy was still firing, backing up as the centipede surged toward him.

"Keep shooting!" I shouted, shoving the statue back into my uniform's pocket.

"I am shooting!" Billy snapped, emptying the rest of his magazine into the beast. One of his shots hit home, tearing into one of its antennae. The centipede screeched in pain, rearing back like a coiled spring before launching itself at me.

"Shit!" My hand shot to the SMG slung at my side. In one desperate motion, I raised it in front of me.

The centipede's mandibles clamped down with terrifying force, shearing through the metal of the SMG as though it were paper. The weapon shattered in my grip, rusted remains falling to the ground.

I staggered back, the monster pressing forward relentlessly. "Billy, now would be a great time for backup!"

"On it!" Billy yelled. I barely had time to move before he opened fire again, this time with a shotgun he'd pulled from his back. The blast hit the centipede square in the face, knocking it sideways and away from me.

I took a breath, my pulse racing as I tossed the useless remnants of my SMG to the floor. "Guess that's one way to lose a weapon." I muttered.

"No time for jokes! It's still moving!" Billy warned.

The centipede shook itself, ichor dripping from its wounds as it hissed furiously. It coiled its body, preparing for another lunge, but this time, Billy and I were ready.

"Flank it!" I called out, drawing my hunting rifle and circling to the right. Billy mirrored my movement on the left, keeping the creature pinned between us.

"Think it has a weak spot?" Billy asked as he reloaded his shotgun.

"I don't know, but let's make some guesses!"

The centipede lunged at Billy, who dodged to the side and fired another shotgun blast into its flank. The impact staggered it again, giving me an opening.

I fired several shots at its underbelly, where the armor looked thinner. Black ichor spurted from the wounds, and the centipede thrashed wildly, its tail slamming into the pool walls with enough force to send cracks spidering through the tiles.

"Keep it distracted!" Billy shouted, running toward the nearby machine.

"What are you doing?!" I yelled, dodging another strike from the monster's mandibles.

"Just trust me!"

He reached the levers and began turning one furiously. The chains connected to the rusty cage above rattled and groaned as the mechanism sprang to life.

I kept firing, aiming for its face and antennae, anything to keep its attention on me. "Hurry up, Billy! This thing doesn't like me very much!"

"Almost…there!" He grunted as the cage lifted higher and swung overhead.

The centipede turned toward Billy, its body writhing in anger. "Hey! Over here!" I shouted, firing another shot that clipped one of its legs. The creature hissed and lunged at me instead.

"Duck!" Billy yelled.

I didn't think—just threw myself to the floor as the cage came crashing down. The metal bars smashed into the centipede, pinning its midsection with a sickening crunch. The creature screeched and flailed, its tail slamming into the ground as it struggled to break free.

Billy rushed forward, firing his shotgun point-blank into the centipede's exposed underbelly. Each shot sent more ichor spraying across the pool, the creature's thrashing growing weaker with every blast.

Finally, with one last ear-splitting screech, the centipede collapsed, its body twitching before falling still.

Billy lowered his shotgun, breathing heavily. "I'm actually starting to understand you. That thing was a damn nightmare."

"Was about time." I muttered, picking myself up and wiping ichor off my uniform. I looked at the mangled remains of my SMG and sighed. "Didn't even get to use it.* 

Billy smirked, shaking his head. "You can mourn your gun later. Let's get back to Rebecca before something worse shows up."

"Agreed." I said, looking at the two statues. "At least we got what we came for."

Billy nodded, leading the way toward the shortcut he'd found earlier. As we left the pool behind, I couldn't help but glance back at the fallen centipede.

Something about this place made my skin crawl, and I doubted this was the worst it had to offer.

…

Back in the main hall, it didn't take long before we met back with Rebecca at the women's statue.

"So, did I miss anything?" Rebecca asked after glancing at us.

"A giant centipede, no biggie." I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

"What? Like that scorpion from the train?" Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Exactly like that." I nodded. "Next time, you two can handle it while I relax far, far away."

"Don't jinx it." Billy chuckled.

Rebecca frowned, her expression shifting to concern. "Are you two really okay? I'm sorry I couldn't help."

"We're fine, Rebecca. Want me to strip so you can check?" I teased, thinking it could reassure her.

She choked, her cheeks flushing. "N-no, that's not necessary!"

Billy walked past us with a shake of his head. "Whatever this is, save it for later. Let's see if we can solve the puzzle." He positioned himself beside the statue.

"Ah, right." I coughed, snapping back to the task at hand and handing Billy the devil figurine.

"Moment of truth." He muttered, placing them on the scales.

Not even a second later, a soft grinding noise echoed below us.

"Looks like it worked." I commented as we descended the stairs to investigate.

"Who would've thought we'd make such a great team?" Rebecca said with a smile.

We quickly noticed the missing portrait, now replaced by a long staircase spiraling downward into darkness.

"Not exactly what I was hoping for, but it'll do." Billy muttered, eyeing the narrow passage.

"Let's check if the key works anywhere else first." I suggested, crossing my arms.

"Yeah, I've already got a few places in mind." Rebecca replied confidently.

"Oh? And why's that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

She flashed a cheeky grin. "C'mon, Alex, did you really think I just stayed here doing nothing?"

I opened my mouth to retort but sighed instead. "Guess I didn't."

"Where are the rooms?" Billy cut in.

"One's here on the first floor, and another is near the conference room upstairs. There could be more, but that's all I found." She gestured toward the right side of the hall.

We followed her through a door into a small dining area, a red door at the far end catching our attention.

"This is it." She took the key from me and unlocked the door.

"A…kitchen?" I muttered as the door creaked open.

"Well, that's underwhelming." Billy added with a sigh.

"For you, maybe!" Rebecca shot back with a grin. "I'm sure there's something useful in here." She tossed me the key before darting into the room without hesitation.

"Well, you are the medic after all." I muttered with a shrug.

"Go check the other room while I look around." She then instructed, already rummaging through cabinets.

Billy and I exchanged glances before heading back out.

"I'll look for any other locked rooms." Billy said before turning down a different hallway.

"Good luck." I called after him, heading toward the conference room.

…

The red door Rebecca mentioned stood right where she said it would. Unlocking it, I stepped inside, finding what looked like a faculty lounge.

Bookshelves lined the north wall, their contents coated in dust. A fireplace sat along the west wall, flanked by tall windows, while a moose head stared down from above. The center of the room was dominated by a large table, overturned chairs scattered around its base.

I scanned the space, quickly spotting a box of submachine gun ammo tucked under one of the shelves.

"Rebecca's gonna love this." I muttered, pocketing the cartridge.

As I continued searching, something hidden beneath the table caught my eye. Kneeling down, I pulled out an old, dust-covered diary, its leather cover barely holding together.

"Now what do we have here?" I murmured, flipping it open.

…

September 2nd

A useless bunch of trainees, as always.

Where does headquarters find these idiots?

We did get a couple of decent ones, though, so I can't complain. Victor, Helena, William, and Albert. They might have a future.

September 25th

Scholar Will. Practical Al. They really are opposites.

And don't get me started on Vic—he's right in the middle, a mix of the best traits. I can't help but think If not for Helena, he'd already be at the very top.

Those three are always competitive in everything they do. But there's something ruthless about them…at least she manages to keep Vic in check, that's one good thing…I'd hate to see what he'd become otherwise.

October 7th

Got a sudden call from the Director.

He wants me to encourage a rivalry between William and Albert!

It's the first time since this training facility was built that Director Marcus has shown interest in anything outside his research.

Wonder why he ignores the other two, though. They could be useful.

Well, whatever. Orders are orders.

I'm going to have them tearing at each other's throats.

…

I couldn't believe it. It had to be talking about someone else. They couldn't…they wouldn't…

Were they truly involved in this? Did they really take part in this?

I didn't want to believe it, but deep down…I knew better. For years, they studied my powers. For what reason, I didn't know, but they had.

"Damn it…" I gripped the edge of the table, taking deep, shaky breaths.

Did I truly not know their real faces? Am I…the son of monsters?

My gaze dropped to my hands, trembling uncontrollably. Then, as if mocking me, sharp claws extended from my fingertips, a grotesque reminder of what I'd become.

"Run. You have to run." 

"...Right, in the end…she took responsibility. She showed remorse for it." I murmured, my voice steadying as I focused on her.

The memories came rushing back: her warm smile, the way she'd hum while cooking, the nights she stayed up reading to me when I couldn't sleep.

That's who they truly are, I reminded myself. Supportive, loving, caring people. The ones I admired. The ones I wanted to make proud. The ones who gave me life.

Gradually, my hands returned to normal, claws retracting as my breathing slowed.

I sighed, taking one last deep breath before carefully placing the diary back on the table.

"What's taking you so long, Alex?"

I jumped at the voice, spinning toward the doorway to find Rebecca and Billy standing there, both looking at me curiously.

"Rebecca?" I muttered, trying to compose myself.

"Found anything?" Billy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Just this." I tossed the SMG ammo to Rebecca, glad to have something to redirect their attention.

"Nice!" She beamed, eagerly loading her weapon.

"She looks way too happy about this…" Billy gave her a side-eye, earning a chuckle from me.

"It's not every day you get to use one of these!" She retorted with a grin.

"Anyway, how did it go for you two?" I asked, shifting the focus.

"Not great." Billy replied with a sigh. "Didn't find any more rooms like this."

"I did find what I needed, though!" Rebecca chimed in, holding up her medical bag, which was practically overflowing with supplies.

"That's good." I nodded, a small smile forming. "Now, let's get out of here, shall we?"

"With pleasure!" Rebecca said, spinning on her heel and heading back toward the main hall.

Billy followed with a grumble. "Hope things keep going smoothly from here on out."

"Don't jinx it." I called after him with a smirk, earning a faint chuckle from him.

…

As we walked in silence, I found myself watching the two of them. Remembering everyone I've met since arriving in Raccoon City, those who warmed their way in without me even realizing it.

Unknowingly, a soft smile crept onto my face. Maybe…maybe, despite my past, there was a brighter future waiting for me.

Yet, no matter how much hope I clung to, questions continued to haunt me. About my powers. About Umbrella. About my parents.