Chapter 20: The Calm Before The Storm
Steve along with everyone else stood in front of the rotting blood-soaked elevator that led to the simulation gym. Yumi on his left and Clyde on his right. "I got Yumi to check for bites and to put it in file that I wasn't bitten and then I come back to this!" Clyde gestured his hands at the mess ahead of them, pretending that he was not resting in his room hours after, same as Steve.
James, next to Yumi, spoke softly, "I checked the computer. Somehow, it thinks that there is a person inside the gym, so it unlocked the gate to the elevator." his soft British voice usually felt so soothing to listen but the words that left his lips left a rather upsetting feeling in everyone's stomach.
Jason, who stood behind steve spoke up, "So either there IS a person we are unaware of is up there, trying to get down here... Or..."
Steve finished Jason's statement, "Or the computer has glitched out and will, one by one, bring down zombies until they are all down here. Anybody have an estimation on how many zombies are up there?" his head turned lightly looking to Jason and Clyde. It was clear Steve was trying to strategize the situation ahead of them.
Clyde and Jason both looked to each other and shrugged as Clyde spoke up, "We must've killed hundreds of them up there! Every time I go up there, I count my kill to being at most, eighty kills. I've used the gym over a hundred times, too!"
"Same here," Jason spoke with a nod to confirm Clyde. "Me and Ada were the first to test the simulation out way back when, and back then, it was chock-full of them. I can safely say that the numbers had dropped drastically compared to how it was then. Me and Ada back then assumed that there was at most a million of them in total for all levels summed up. I would say that there is around five? six thousand?"
Steve looked away before he nodded to both of the beefy boys and sighed. Steve was planning it all out in his head again. It had been safe to assume that the zombies were old Umbrella workers from this facility. some did look like they were in lab coats but others had some bullet vests as well as padding. "How much ammunition do we have right now?
"Not enough to raid the upper levels," Clyde gave a stern tone to Steve already seeing what Steve was planning.
It was easy to see that Steve was leaning on the offensive plan to take the zombies out inside the simulation. There would be more space and could avoid close corners compared to waiting for them to come down and attack them. "Even if we were ready to take down as many an elevator could fit. This hall's a tight space. Any more than five zombies could get someone bitten. How many weapons are on the first level? Blunt objects. Anything sharp,"
Jason had a look of dread as shoved steve to face them all, "You're not going up there alone, Steve. Ok? We barely have a clue how many are up there, and the number we are guessing is way too much for one person! Even if that one person has some strength!"
Yumi looked to Jason, then to Steve, "Wait! What exactly are you planning, Steve?" Yumi spoke up as she crossed her arms glaring her sights to Steve, to which Steve stared the same to her. He genuinely assumed that everyone would agree with this plan since it was the most logical step to make in a situation this dire.
"Simple..." Steve spoke as he faced all of them, "I'll play offense while all of you take defense. I'll go up, level by level, and take down everything I can get my hands on, while you guys kill whatever I miss at the elevator. Look! I don't like it as much as anyone else, but do you real-,"
SMACK!
Steve felt a heated hand-shaped soreness upon his cheek. He blinked a few times to soak in what really just happened. Yumi rubbed her hand, not realizing how much it would hurt her hand after she smacked him. She looked mad. Infuriated, even, "You must really take us for selfish idiots if you think we're going to let that Hero shit fly! You have no damned clue how many are up there and how quickly they can corner you!"
"And you have no clue how high I can jump!" It sounded like a joke but he was serious. He was able to get himself out of a really bad situation by simply jumping up onto a ladder. Steve was also very happy of risking his own life over others. He's died before. He seemed to be perfectly fine not living in this world, knowing what type of world it turned into without him around. Steve glared at Yumi. His head lowered to keep his eyes on hers, "Does it really look like we have a choice other than this?"
"Yes!" Yumi barked out before she looked away in started thinking out her own plan. She stammered before talking out her thoughts, "We... We gather everyone who can't fight into the abandoned freezer in the kitchen! Uh... You, Jason, and Clyde take lead in assaulting the BOW's that come down here, along with anyone else willing to fight with you!"
Clyde spoke up, "We would not have enough ammo to take them all out." He would have happily liked that plan if it were a more convenient situation
Yumi then glared at Clyde who blushed and looked away from Yumi as she spoke with gritted teeth, "Then we improvise! Make use of the chemicals in the lab." Clyde did not like it when a girl was upset with him.
James then spoke, "There are no acids in the lab that will dissolve human flesh fast enough to reach the brain. It would be a huge risk and a waste of resources." James spoke with a harsh tone to Yumi. He knew she did not want this for Steve but there really was no solution to make, but Yumi pursued with her already broken plan
"Then we use the alcohol in the lab to make Molitov's!" the more people declined her backup plan, the more frustrated Yumi had gotten. She almost looked as if she had tears welling up in her eyes. She could not bear losing anyone in this group, let alone Steve. A boy who had just received a second chance with life, happy to risk it all for their sake. It was stupid! Careless! selfless.
Steve spoke back. Calm and kind, "That would be a waste of good alcohol to patch up the scratches and cuts for when I return?" he gave a soft chuckle, trying to ease her nerves.
It did not help.
She turned and faced him directly, "THERE'S NO TELLING IF YOU'D RETURN!!" Yumi's hands clenched with her arms straight, pointing down. Her eyes shut tight in anger. Steve was shocked to see her care this much for him. Sure, it was obvious at this point that she liked him, but he was not expecting her to be willing to put everyone's life on the line for him. He could hear her heart racing in his ears. Yumi was close enough to hear her heart pounding. She did not want to see him dead.
For her sake, then. I'll make sure I live after this for Yumi's sake, Steve vowed to himself.
Steve gave a gentle smile as he reached to take her hand, "Yumi..." he gave it a small tug to let her look at him. her eyes opened. They were red and a tear slid down her soft cheek. It was breaking Steve's heart to see something like that on her perfect face. His smile looked sorrowful the moment he saw hers, "I am not planning to die here. I got too much stuff in plan for us after this. Still haven't gotten a date from you. I'm gonna make damn sure I'll stay alive for that," Steve flirted.
Yumi slipped a soft laugh before she wiped her face clean, "Shut up, idiot," Yumi spoke softly with a lowered head, "Just don't die, Steve." Yumi backed off and crossed her arms not wanting Steve to see her like this. It was cute, but he understood her.
Steve spoke with pride and seriousness, "I'm not going to die...". Yumi gave a nod. Steve looked to every to see if they were in agreement with the plan. They all looked to him. Jason, James, and Clyde all Stared to Steve and gave a nod in agreement. This was the plan. "...Ok. Yumi. Gather everyone and have each of them look for others and to have everyone lock themselves into the set of rooms on the farthest end, opposite to this elevator, Then return back here and help any way you can!" Yumi took a deep inhale and then looked to Steve, committed to the role he had given her, and gave a nod before running down the hall.
Steve then looked to James, "Gather all of the stuff you need to recover anyone who might get injured. When they come down the elevator, there's no telling how many will come down in one trip." Steve spoke calmly but behind his tone had demanding grime that lingered with every word that his lips. He was no longer thinking like Steve but was thinking what a strategist would think in this situation. The three men ahead of him saw this demonstration of a plan molding in their head. None of them showed hesitation or doubt. James gave a nod as he rushed his way back to the infirmary, then the lab.
Steve then faced Jason, who stood up ready for his orders, "Bullet vest. Long sleeve clothes. Duct tape. Anything you can find that can prevent a zombie bite hitting my skin. Your job is to make sure I have everything I need to come back alive."
"You got it!" Jason spoke as he walked into the armory.
Steve then turned to Clyde who looked focussed on his own thoughts. Steve took a step towards Clyde and spoke up, "What is it?"
His eyes glance to steve but shot back to his sight of thoughts, "I don't think you'll survive this."
"I love the optimism..." Steve said softly, as he crossed his arms, "Help me get all of the ammunition out of the armory as well as the weapons and guns," Steve said as he walked to the armory door. Clyde groans as he followed. He clearly did not want to agree to this plan. Steve opened the door and looked inside. Jason was in there setting up a bullet vest and padding. Jason glanced over. the room had the same boring white all around the walls and ceiling and ceiling lights, but the room looked like a small locker room for a swat team. Lockers with cages that reveals a few guns of all sorts. Steve could see a sniper rifle, three shotguns, eight pistols of all sorts, three assault rifles, and then his two sub-machine guns. Steve could not know what type of bullet they used, nor what how heavy they probably were. He was already used to everything feeling light and easy to use. Steve would probably never know what it's like holding a gun that would make his wrist or shoulder sore. In this one moment, he felt glad he could respond to the recoil of a gun very well.
Steve entered the room and began grabbing the boxes of ammunition in the lacker next to the caged guns and started stacking them in a box nearby at the corner of the room that looked as if it was used to prop the door to stay open when they restocked the room. Clyde followed and stood next to him grabbing the ammunition and helped him as he spoke, "You cannot seriously expect me to let you go in there alone."
"There's no telling if I will be alone inside the gyms," Steve said, uncertain if the computer had really glitched or if someone was trying to enter the building through the roof. Clyde paused. the thought had not occurred to him until just then. Steve continued, "Has the gym's computer ever done this before?"
Clyde's eyes were wide at the sight of Steve as he took a second to respond, "...It's never done this before in the whole time I have been here..."
"Then, it's safe to assume that at least one person is up there, and I need to kill as many BOW's to make sure the elevator does not bring them all down for us in the near future," Steve said as he lifted the box of ammo and carried it to the hall near the elevator, as Clyde followed with a pack of guns scooped over his arms. Steve continued as Clyde started to stack the guns, "When I was up there, I thought I saw someone running past the barn to the cabin. I figured it was a zombie, but moments after, I learned zombies don't exactly sprint from one spot to another."
The look on Clyde showed how he felt. He was a bit pissed that Steve had not told him immediately, but knew this was the first time were to encounter and that he is a stubborn guy. Clyde figured that Steve wanted to see a zombie on his own before Clyde could kill it. That IS what had happened, essentially. "So, we turn off the elevator. Keep it up there and not use it again!"
Steve glared over to him and scoffed softly, "You of all people should see how dumb of an idea that is. At the very least, there are over a thousand of those freaks up there and that elevator is held by cords, not cogs. It's also wider than most elevators. If we turned off the levator at a level with plenty of them inside, they would find their way to the elevator and it would the numbers would build up and eventually break and fall. If the majority of them don't die upon impact, there would be somewhere between eleven to twenty zombies on the bottom level, in a small and narrow hall, that leads to all of our rooms," Steve gave a sigh before he walked back into the armory. He walked to the padding with determination. He grabbed the vest and started to put it on himself as he spoke, "The guns and weapons are all next to the elevator. If it's in the morning, you are the only one who we would all depend on to kill them all, and if it were to happen at night..."
He grew silent at the idea of them all unaware of the zombies crawling in the hall seconds away from eating them in their sleep. Steve spoke, "I don't like the odds of surviving either of those circumstances. Plus! I don't exactly trust you with a gun unless you're by my side."
"Says, the Demon..." Clyde blurted out while he stood at the doorway of the armory. He watched Steve zip himself and strap the bullet vest onto his body. Steve ignored the comment. Clyde walked over to Steve and sat at the bench in front of Steve.
He was seeing Steve's perspective at this point. If this was not a computer glitch and if this was some random individual. would be for the best if Steve went up there If this intruder or intruders was not the BSAA. Steve killing all the zombies while also getting himself killed could get them a better chance to turn in the other innocent people of this building quietly and calmly to the custody of the BSAA. In the worst-case scenario, they would serve life in prison. Other than James, Clyde was certain they could survive a life of that. Clyde, however, would rather die than to be stuck in one place for the rest of his life, "What guns do you need?" Clyde's voice was defeated and quiet.
Steve glanced up to him and saw a look on Clyde's face telling Steve that he was going to get a punch in the face pretty soon. "You want me to stay because I'm a good asset to this group. Not because you like me."
"What... guns... do you need?" Clyde was done arguing. It was clear at this point.
Steve had a moment as he looked to Clyde. At that moment Steve gave a small nod to himself. He won the fight, but of course, he felt bad for upsetting Clyde. The vest was done, so he started putting on the pads. Swat style kneepads and elbow pads. They did not use velcro, like how kid-sized pads did. These used some sort of belt-like locking mechanism. It was easy to learn how to strap them onto his joints, "I need an assault rifle with three extended mags," Steve's eyes met with Jason's who had returned with rolls of duct tape, a black sweatshirt, and police-style shoulder padding, "I will also like a shotgun with as many shells you are willing to lend, a pistol with as many magazines that I can hold, and my Mac 11's," the amount of firepower he had demanded made it clear he was already coming up with a plan in his head on how to kill the zombies up there. He really was finding reason and determination to survive this. Even if his chances were getting slimmer the more he thought about it.
Clyde stood up and started to get his guns and ammunition set up for him. Jason walked to him and smiled gently, "Can I have a turn to try to back you out of this? Yumi would get pretty pissed at all of us if we did not at least try," Jason scoffed as he gave Steve a hand to stand up. Steve gladly took the hand and was lifted with ease.
Steve chuckled and smiled, "If I make it back, I'll happily say that you did try, but please. Don't." Jason nods gently and he hands Steve the Sweatshirt he had. It did not have a hood but a turtle neck. Steve lifted the thick neck and looked at Jason, hoping he had an explanation to such a unique style.
Jason glanced at what Steve was signaling him to look at and laughed softly, "It's Ada's, dude."
Steve's eyes widened as his expression soured into a look of concern. He had never seen her wear something so thick. Throughout the whole time, he had been awake, it's been winter. He was also concerned to know that his shirt size matched with Ada's. She is tall, for an Asian female in her late forties. The sweater was also stretchy somewhat, so he was certain it would fit him. "Before I slip this on... I'm gonna need your help wrapping tape on my 'ceps and wrists."
Jason gave a nod. He only had three rolls of duct tape so they were going to need to use it sparingly. Steve extended his arm as Jason then unrolled a line of tape, which gave that notorious ripping sound. The sound was almost a cliche for signaling people that something is being fixed or modified. If it is a cliche, it's accurate. The tape bonded to his skin as Jason started to wrap the tape around his bicep and tricep in four to five layers. The smell of duct tape lingered in the air and he could smell that industrial warehouse scent. It reminded Steve of his father when they were in the garage, building a cart for the child-friendly cart race the school made him do. He missed his dad. A gentle and calming smile grew on his face. Jason was done with that part and worked on his wrist. "I need gloves first!" Steve interrupted Jason's work on his wrist.
Clyde's head lightly turned to them and degloved his own and tosses them at Steve. Steve caught them easily. They were a type of tactical gloves. The index and middle fingers of the gloves were removed probably for a better grip on the trigger of the gun. "Thank you, Clyde," Steve spoke but all Clyde did was lightly wave his now naked hand at Steve as he continued to fill his guns with ammunition. Steve slipped the gloves on. They were warm and somewhat soaked in Clyde's hand sweat. Steve did not want to make a big thing out of it. in a situation like this, He's just happy he is getting gloves.
Jason continued on taping his arms and in no time they were finished. They still had a roll of duct tape on them so Jason used it to layer his legs. Steve's outer side of his thighs and his calves were covered in tape. Probably a smart choice to make. Everything is protecting his chest and his upper half. He figured he would need his legs as free as possible for the best of mobility, but a layer between him and hungry teeth would be for the best.
It was time for that black sweater. Steve slipped in on. Instantly he started to feel a bit warm. The facility was very much a cold area, but with all of these layers over him to protect his body, he was certainly going to sweat out whatever he ate the week before. Maybe sweat out the mashed potatoes from the day before. That was when Jason tried to slip the shoulder padding. Steve was finally feeling a shift in weight. "No. I can't wear this. I won't be as fast with it on," Steve knew how dangerous not having shoulder pads. Jason looked at Steve. Jason's eyes widened and showed a bit of disbelief in what he had just heard, but he didn't argue.
There was a large amount of awkward silence between the three. Steve noticed it but had no idea what to say other than his goodbyes. They all knew what this was. They were not making sure that Steve comes back alive. They were making him last as long as he could, up there. "How many levels do I have to go through?" Steve calmly said as he waited for Clyde to give him his weapons.
Clyde gave a sharp exhale, "There are five levels before you reach the rooftop. Since you survived the fifth level with me, it's safe to say, you will find the first three levels pretty easy. They all have different environments, but I'm certain you knew that already."
Steve gave a nod as he was checking his new attire and was seeing how sturdy it was moving around, "Exactly, that's why I'll be starting with the fifth level and go my way down."
Both Clyde and Jason turned their heads and glared at Steve. Steve knew damn well what they were going to say, so he spoke before they could, "If I have the proper knowledge to my surroundings, I'll be able to fight back with a better chance. I know where to avoid and where to not turn there. If I kill the largest mass and get rid of the smaller ones later, I can come back knowing damn well I didn't miss any of them!" Jason kept looking at Steve, wishing he had an argument, while Clyde gave a simple shrug and went back to filling in magazines.
Steve felt comfortable with his armor but wished he didn't feel as bulky. That was when he realized he had no weapons to use when he ran out of ammo, "Oh! I need a weapon to hit them with."
Jason sighed as he realized that he was being ignored. He thought for a moment and spoke up, "That fire escape ax that Yumi was talking about," at that moment, Jason walked off out of the armory. Steve watched him and felt some sort of shame. Steve did not want Jason to think that he will be returning. He and Clyde are the two who are most honest with him, but Steve wanted some hope to be conveyed, so Yumi would not doubt Steve's promise.
"OK..." Clyde spoke up, "You are now very well-armed. You know the rule by now," he said as he started filling the magazine pockets with magazines for the pistol. he lifted the sweater over Steve's head like a bully as he did so, "Don't fire a bullet unless you aiming for the head. If you don't have time to aim, shoot their legs. It'll make em' stagger and give you time to pull back."
Steve adjusted the sweater to be over his chest but quickly removed the sweater and the undid the bullet vest. Steve then slipped the sweater on and then put the bullet vest over the Sweater. Steve knew he looked weird if he had the vest under the sweater. Steve momentarily forgot he had asked for long sleeve clothing when he was putting on the vest. Clyde looked at him wondering if he could continue filling his body with ammunition. Steve gave a nod and Clyde continued, "Pistol ammo on your sides, AR ammo on your chest," he then walked back to the table and grabbed a belt-like strap, full of twelve-gauge shotgun shells. It looked to have at least fifteen. Clyde placed it over Steve's right shoulder. Steve felt uncomfortable with it on him like that. It made him feel so unbalanced. Just one small thing like that was making him lean towards his side. Steve removed and had the strap attach to his belt straps. Steve was able to adjust it to fit his waist.
Clyde picked up a pistol off of the table. It was already in a jest black holster. The holster was nothing he had ever seen before. It was made of some sort of plastic and it looked as if it had no lock. This look of confusion must have been visible on his face because Clyde then hung it upside down to show that it is locked in place. Clyde then handed the holster and gun to Steve as he spoke, "There's a button you need to push down with your thumb when you need to take it out."
Steve tilted his head in confusion before he looked down at the Holster, "huh?" he examined the holster to see between the slip that clips onto his pants, and the pistol was a red button attached to the holster, "...Ohh. Ok," he said as he attached the holster to his right pants strap.
Clyde scoffed. He found it hilarious that a boy as ignorant as Steve had the best chance of surviving these levels. Jason came back the moment Clyde strapped two combat knives onto Steve's belt. In Jason's hands, was a fire escape ax. It looked like any other wood chopping ax but this one had a pick in the butt end of the blade. Steve's best assumption on what it was designed to be for, is the shatter windows. For his sake, it's designed to pierce undead brains. Jason walked to Steve and slipped the arm of the ax behind the belt attached to his pants on the back end of Steve's left hip.
Jason gave a sigh as he looked away to see Yumi peaking out the door, "... You can still back out of this, Steve. We can think up a better plan together."
Steve checked his outfit one more time to see how mobile he was inside of it. It was heavy and straining him, but he knew, in time it would get lighter. From either his body adapting to the weight gain or the bullets being used up and leaving his attire. As Steve checked the durability of the tape on his arms as he spoke in a chuckle, "You really think I would commit this far to going up there just to back out now?" he gave Jason a reassuring smile. Jason simply tilted his head and gave a serious expression, showing he was being serious.
Steve's chuckled wavered when he noticed it was time to be serious, "Look. I can't stand idly by... I can't let these freaks fall one by one while I come up with something that might not even work. I should do what I know best at the moment and fight them, protecting and helping all of you. I'm not being a hero or anything like that. I just don't see any other option that would cause less death. You all need sleep... I can last longer than all of you without it." Steve was right. He knows how much of the gap of strength he has with everyone else at the ground level of the facility. He knows exactly how long Clyde would last, and he can easily guess how long Jason would last.
Clyde was silent as his face solemnly nodded as he walked out fo the armory with Clyde. Steve was the last to leave the room. He stood there in front of the three he admired most. Clyde, the powerful yet stubborn man who taught him so much in such a short time, Steve could not help but respect him. Jason, the man who was by his side when he was at his weakest and helped him find a calming smile whenever everything was pretty grim. Yumi, the ever so optimistic girl that just radiates such loving positive energy to him. Steve gave a calm smile at the sight of them all looking worried and bitter to see Steve take on the mission.
Clyde handed Steve the requested assault rifle and shotgun. Both guns had straps but the assault rifle's strap was partly elastic. The rifle also had a drum magazine attached to it instead of the other extended mags on the left side of his chest. It rested firmly at his hip with the strap over his shoulder. The shotgun was a standard home-style twelve-gauge with a black rubberized lightweight stock. It rested on Steve's back. In the attempts to make the room feel less awkward he presented himself in a classic superhero pose, "How do I look?" The silence around him was so quiet, for a brief moment, Steve thought they left the room. He just made it more awkward. Steve broke his pose and nonchalantly, walked over towards the gateway of the elevator.
Yumi was about to run to him but Jason had placed his arm ahead of her, preventing her from moving ahead. Steve entered the elevator and looked at everyone with a smile, "When I return, I wanna full course meal! No more sandwiches!" he smiled brightly and lightly chuckled at his own dumb comment. In the sobering sadness that emitted everywhere in the hall, Steve saw her smile lightly. Yumi had given an innocent and gentle smile back at Steve. Stev could tell. She was rooting for him.
Steve pressed the "level five" button and maintained the smile on his face before them. His orange eyes, for once, looked so kind and gentle to his friends. The elevator started to lift. Steve was keeping his smile but the moment Yumi's smile quivered and she wiped a tear away, he spoke, "Make sure your smiling when I return!"
The moment the roof closed off the sight of his friends staring up at him, Steve's smile broke as he fell to his knees. He was going to die. He was going to die in an hour if he was lucky. He forced his hand upon his mouth to prevent them from hearing him cry as he reached his destination.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Noah_J_Dean
Noah_J_Dean This will be a month break before the good stuff happens! This is where I am at as of August of 2020. I struggle very much with writer's block so forgive me but I want to give my all with the next chapter. I will be sure to keep my readers posted and be sure that they will be well rewarded with their patience. Thank you so much for reading this far into the story and I promise to continue and make it as great as I can make it. We are only scratching the surface of what I have in store.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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