Project S.T.A.T.I.C. Part 5: The Asylum

Beth walked alongside Jake and into the open courtyard. The heavy fog that had rolled in with the setting sun obscured the lights around the outskirts of the massive outdoor space. The outlines of the fences could be seen in the distance but only faintly. The surrounding buildings from the compound cast long shadows and added to the eeriness of the hospital turned prison was only amplified by the darkness that crept in around them. They had more room than they’d had since arriving on the island, but it was far from comforting.

“So we need to head to the top floor,” Beth sighed looking up, “Are you sure that’s where they’re keeping them?”

“That’s my best guess,” Jake shook his head, “Based on that video we found, it looked and sounded like they were keeping everyone on the top level. Plus, what we’ve seen on the ground floor has been primarily inmates and infected. The basement was home to a whole slew of glowing, fungus infused monsters. Ash said it was some kind of mutation of the parasites that happened whenever they were left to fester and grow in the dark for long periods of time. I’m betting that Murray is keeping them close to her office along with her other pet projects.”

“How did you say you managed to escape again?” Rebecca asked as they walked through the overgrown grass and weeds.

“Huh?” Beth asked, “The shutters opened up so I could get out. It must have been a malfunction or something; maybe a glitch in their security systems.”

“That Isley girl is the one in charge of their electronic systems, right?” Rebecca asked.

“Yeah, what’s your point?” Beth asked.

“This is the same girl that has an obsession with you, yes?” Rebecca continued, “The same one that has something of a vested interest in ensuring your survival.”

“Again, what’s your point?” Beth asked, growing irritated, “Or are you just asking stupid ass questions because you're afraid of the dark?”

“There is that sarcastic wit that won over my star pupil,” Rebecca rolled her eyes.

“Rebecca,” Jake sighed, already sensing the escalation starting between the two women, “Focus, please, we can’t afford to waste time bickering when our people are in danger. What are you getting at?”

“Fine, you are right,” Rebecca shook her head, “My apologies, Elizabeth, old habits and all of that nonsense.”

“Yeah, don’t sweat it,” Beth responded after a moment of tense silence, “So what were you trying to imply?”

“Merely that it isn’t out of the realm of possibility that this girl could have helped you escape,” Rebecca shrugged.

“Why would she do that?” Beth frowned.

“Because passion can drive people to act on impulse and break from their ranks and plans,” Rebecca replied, “It may be unconventional, but I broke several covenants with friends, women who were like sisters to me, because my heart did not align with what I was told. This girl may not be as far gone as I was whilst I was…battling possession, but you would do well not to underestimate the power of passion and impulses of the heart.”

Beth stopped and shook her head, “Do you seriously think that she’d be willing to go against people like Eva, Emily, and Murray?”

“If it is merely lust, then no,” Rebecca shrugged, “However, if there are feelings beyond lust bordering on love, then you would be foolish to rule out that possibility. I stabbed many in the back in pursuit of my heart’s desires, some literally I would add.”

“Tch, so you’re saying I’ve got a guardian angel?” Beth scoffed.

“That might be pushing things a bit,” Rebecca admitted, “While the actions may be beneficial in the moment, that does not mean they are without fault. Remember, they are still being motivated by selfish wants and needs.”

“I guess you would know better than anyone, huh?” Beth sighed.

“Hmph, I don’t need empathy to feel your disdain, Elizabeth,” Rebecca rolled her eyes, “I suggest you work on subtly when attempting to insult somebody you work with.”

“I wasn’t trying to be subtle,” Beth countered, “Unlike you, I don’t feel the need to underscore my frustration and disgust with backhanded, bullshit compliments.”

Jake sighed and shook his head. He had been hoping that they could have avoided this type of interaction between Beth and Rebecca. They’d made several strides towards progress with one another, but the stress of their current situation was clearly wearing what little patience they had thin. To an extent, he could understand how and why tensions were running as high as they were. They were stranded, trapped, and their friends were being held and tortured against their will. That alone would have been enough to push anyone to the brink, but now they’d lost Pam as well. However, there was a distinct difference between understanding and accepting. 

“Give her a break,” Ashley remarked from the side, kneeling in the grass, “Beth is dealing with worry and stress.”

“Yeah, and Rebecca is dealing with the same thing,” Jake sighed, “Pam was one of the only people still alive that considered her a friend. They were more like family than anything.”

 “Of course you’re going to take her side,” Ashley scoffed, running her hand through the dirt, “You know, Jake, there are certain terms that I struggled with when I first arrived in this new age; slang and the like were particularly challenging. However, since you and I have joined, I've come to understand several over the last year.”

“Why do I get the feeling that you're making an elaborate, albeit insulting, point?” Jake sighed.

“What sort of woman do you take me for?” Ashley feigned offense, “I was merely trying to explain that words and terms such as simp make more sense to me now. Your understanding of the word helped, but your living example has made it crystal clear.”

“There it is,” Jake shook his head, “That's subtle and mature, Ash. We're trapped in an asylum with a mad woman, our friends are being tortured, and you're cracking jokes and tossing insults.”

“You know I love you,” Ashley sighed, shaking her head, “But you have been stuck on this wicked witch since the night you…”

Jake grit his teeth in preparation for what he knew was coming, but took note of his other half's sudden silence. He paused and looked back, “You lose your train of thought?” he asked.

“Do you hear that?” Ashley asked, ignoring Jake's question.

Jake frowned and closed his eyes. It was faint, but there he could hear stumbling, uneven footfalls crunching the overgrown grass of the courtyard. It was barely noticeable, but thanks to Ashley's enhanced senses being shared with him, he could pick it out. Either there were several drunk orderlies meandering about, or the infected inmates had been let out. “Are you quite finished?” Rebecca scoffed, “Honestly, I had almost forgotten how utterly childish you can be, Elizabeth.”

“Go fuck yourself, Becky,” Beth snapped.

“Do not call me that!” Rebecca snapped back.

“Both of you, knock it off!” Jake hissed as their conflict continued to escalate, “Stow whatever this is between you two and focus.”

“Excuse me?” Rebecca asked in disbelief.

“He's telling us to shut up,” Beth shook her head, noticing how his friend's demeanor was shifting and changing, “What's up?”

“We've got company,” Jake shook his head, watching the fog in the distance for any silhouettes, “We need to find a way out of here before we either get pinned down and overwhelmed.”

Rebecca frowned and closed her eyes. She let her senses flow outward from her and through the expansive yard. She'd encountered enough of those strange, infected things roaming the halls to recognize their emotional state. They were essentially a blank slate with little more than ravenous hunger radiating off of them. It didn't take long for a massive wave of that same hunger to crash back into her. Her eyes snapped open and she took a step back. It was difficult to pinpoint an exact number of these things with her empathic powers. With humans, she had a far easier time picking out specifics and numbers. However, she could guesstimate, and her best guess was an inordinate amount of those things mulling about and making their way towards them.

Beth noticed the way that Rebecca shifted in a similar way to Jake. She decided to take Jake's advice and put her frustration and feelings on the shelf for the time being. Whatever issues she had with Rebecca paled in comparison to the threats within the asylum. She was torn between standing her ground and fighting whatever was heading their way or turning to run. Beth knew that their resources were finite at best on a good day outside of this madhouse, and within the walls things were worse. Her left hand rested above one of her holsters in case things took a turn, but she stepped back and looked around for a way out.

“How many do you think?” Beth asked Rebecca.

“I cannot get an accurate measure,” Rebecca frowned, looking back at Beth, “However, the hunger is ravenous and somewhat overwhelming.”

“English, please,” Beth sighed, “What does that equate to in layman's terms?”

“At least a dozen, likely more,” Rebecca rolled her eyes.

“Great,” Beth shook her head, “What’re you thinking Jake?”

“That we need to find higher ground before we get covered,” Jake answered, looking up, “We need an open window or something that we can use to get to higher ground.”

“They’re all barred, dude,” Beth pointed out, “And here’s a newsflash, we don’t have time to scout an open window. I can take down some of them, but gunfire is just going to bring more of them.”

“Surpsingly smart,” Rebecca canted her head, “As much as I loathe retreat, the wisest thing for us would be to fall back.”

“No objections here,” Jake nodded, turning back, “Come on and keep your eyes peeled for anything we could use to get to higher ground and get an advantage.”

“Copy that, lead the way,” Beth said, waiting to turn until Jake passed by.

Jake brushed past both Rebecca and Beth and blindly led them deeper into the courtyard. His eyes scanned the area for anything that they could use to get away from the infected stumbling around looking for a meal. They could have tried to hide in the overgrown grass, but he knew that wouldn’t work for long. They’d inevitably be discovered by the horde unless they could find a way to get off the ground. There various shaded pavilions scattered around, but they wouldn’t provide much in the way of cover or protection from the encroaching horde.

“Jake, there’s more this way too,” Ashley warned, kneeling across from where he and the others were running, “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it would be nice to have the witch’s spells at our back.”

“We can’t afford to push things too far too fast,” Jake shook his head, trying to find the best means of escape, “What about the roofs of the pavilions?”

“So we stand and wait for them to surround us?” Ashley scoffed.

“It’ll give us a chance,” Jake sighed, formulating a plan, “Listen to me, both of you.  We’re going to split up, but don’t get too far from one another. Get to the roof of one of those shelters and try to stay low.”

“Then what?” Beth asked, “That’s just going to get us stranded and separated.”

“At least someone among us has sense,” Ashley scoffed.

Jake ignored his other half and addressed Beth, “Stay within each other’s line of sight, alright? I’m hoping that we can use the higher ground and vantage point to find a way for us to get out of the damn yard.”

“This is ridiculous,” Rebecca scoffed, extending her hand and conjuring her winged familiar, “We are going to get ourselves killed if we continue to run blind.”

“Then let’s get to higher ground and plan from there,” Jake shook his head and prepared to break off, “We make this up as we go along, like always.”

“Fucking improv,” Beth sighed, turning to the left, “How many times has it screwed us in the past?”

“Fifty-fifty,” Jake replied, continuing straight.

“Idiots, both of you,” Rebecca rolled her eyes despite following the lead of her allies and turning to the right.

Jake and Beth pulled out their grappling guns and fired them at the nearby shelters nearest them. The cables from their guns shot out and the hooks latched onto the overhang. They were pulled upwards and towards the roof. The typically faint snap of the cable as it retracted seemed much louder than usual as the sound of shuffling, moaning, and groaning as the infected shamblers got closer. They landed on top of their respective shelters and quickly fell into a crouch. They looked out across the field to see if they could get a more accurate count on the infected that were creeping closer.

Meanwhile, Rebecca used her long legs to cross the courtyard and towards a nearby pavilion. Unlike her compatriots, Rebecca didn’t have the advantage of one of the grappling guns. She wasn’t overly fond of their impromptu plan, but she didn’t have a better one. She rolled her eyes as she got close to the pavilion and jumped forward. A pair of royal purple, ethereal, skeletal wings appeared behind her and propelled her forward into the air. Rebecca was carried upward and landed gracefully on the flat roof. She crouched down and peered out over the horizon.

Jake had watched Rebecca’s ascent with a tepid amount of awe and amazement. He could feel Ashley’s disgust at his admiration, but she was thankfully keeping her thoughts to herself. He didn’t stare long as those skeletal wings disappeared into an ethereal mist behind her. He glanced to the side to see Beth scanning their surroundings with her guns out. While Beth and Rebecca were watching their surroundings, Jake turned his focus to figuring out a way for them to escape. They couldn’t afford to expend too much energy and resources making a stand here and now. 

The fog was making it difficult to see through, but Jake could see the outline of the fences in the distance sealing them in. Beyond that, he could see the large walls of the hospital. The windows were nearly all barred shut, and the ones that weren’t likely had shutters in place. However, he was fairly confident that if they had time they could bypass either the bars or the shutters. The sound of hissing, snarling, and moaning was growing as the infected bunch of patients got closer. 

The first group could be seen making their way through the fog. Jake frowned as he noticed a slight glow cutting through the fog. “Are those?” Jake trailed off with a deep frown.

“The same ones from the basement,” Ashley shook her head, “Do you still have that stone the witch gave you?”

Jake paused for a second before he remembered the little stones that Rebecca had given to him and the rest of their group. “Yeah,” he nodded, pulling it out of his pocket.

“Gunfire is foolish and should be a last resort,” Ashley said, “However, magic might be a smarter play here. The effects of the dampening field should be lessened in the open here. Tell that ogre to deal with them.”

“She’s a little busy,” Jake said, looking over at his ex as she knelt on the roof.

“If she’s as great as she likes to pretend then she can multitask,” Ashley pointed out, “Get her attention, Jake. Otherwise, we are going to be pinned here before we can find a way out. I don’t give a damn how she does it, but she can possibly divert these things before they surround us.”

“Alright, alright,” Jake sighed, grabbing the little square and holding it up, “Rebecca, can you hear me? Is this thing on?”

Rebecca had been watching the surroundings and waiting for a sign from her winged familiar when the stone hanging from her neck sounded off with Jake’s voice. She grabbed it and held it to her lips, “It is always on, dear. What is it? Have you found a way for us to move forward?”

“Not yet, but we’ve got a problem,” Jake replied, “Remember those fungus covered things we ran into in the basement? I don’t know if Murray has let them out or what, but we’ve got a crowd of them moving towards us.”

“And?” Rebecca shook her head.

“And I was hoping that you could maybe do something to deal with them,” Jake replied.

Rebecca frowned and tried to figure out a solution. “Is this you, or is this your parasite?” she asked, trying to figure out what she could possibly do.

“Does it matter?” Jake asked.

“I suppose not,” Rebecca sighed, “Fine, but focus on finding a way out and staying alive while I save us yet again…”

“She’s such a charmer,” Ashley scoffed, “How could I have ever been so blind to what you see in her. She’s so kind and nurturing, not to mention unbelievably humble.”

Rebecca was more than a little annoyed. In the span of only a few hours, she’d been trapped, had her powers shackled, and lost her friend to the wiles of a mad doctor and her insane projects. She was trying to remain calm and patient, but her nerves were getting the better of her with every agonizing second that passed. She’d sent her raven out to search for a way for them to get out of the courtyard, but she had to focus to connect with it. However, there was one spell she had that she could use; provided she could muster the strength to cast it.

Rebecca held out her hand and conjured a ball of violet energy. She held the orb in her hand for a moment and focused on the spell. She had expected to feel that familiar strain pushing down on her back, but it never came. The fresh air and distance from the confining, suffocating walls and minerals within them was giving her a slight reprieve from the fatigue and exhaustion. She smirked at the feeling of freedom and weightlessness that washed over her as she turned her hand around and threw the orb at the ground near the encroaching horde. 

There was a brilliant flash for a second as the orb practically exploded and took shape. It lasted for the briefest of seconds before the light took shape. A floating spectral duplicate of Rebecca appeared with a long scythe in her hands. The spectre didn’t have legs; instead a lengthy, wispy trail drifted above the ground. Unlike Pam’s summoned minions, this was far more simple minded and singular. It had only one directive, attack and distract. Rebecca’s eyes flashed white as she pointed at the approaching group. A pulsing ring shot out from her finger and landed among the approaching horde.

Beth had watched the brief exchange and had even overheard bits of it from the stone in her pocket that she’d all but forgotten about. She watched as the strange reaper-like version of Rebecca appeared and started to drift towards the group of glowing patients that Murray had unleashed. She watched with morbid curiosity as the spectral reaper followed the pulsing ring that Rebecca had sent flying from her fingertips. It carried the lengthy sickle reminiscent of death incarnate towards the horde. She clutched at her pistols in nervous anticipation, but refrained from squeezing the triggers. It took more effort than she cared to admit to pull her focus away from the reaper creeping closer to the crowd.

Beth shook her head and reached into her pocket to grab the stone Rebecca had given her. She ran her thumb over it and smiled behind her mask as she thought of the charm that Pam had placed on her collar so long ago. That smile disappeared as she forced herself back to reality and brought the stone to her lips, “Are either of you seeing anything?” 

“Nothing useful,” Jake’s voice replied, “I can see what looks like a bridge in the distance, but I’m not sure how well that’ll work out for us.”

“I need one of you to pick a window,” Rebecca spoke in a curt and annoyed tone, “Pick it, commit to it, and let me know which one.”

“What are you going to do?” Beth asked.

“Create an opening for us,” Rebecca answered, “Now pick a damn window!”

“Fine, that one!” Beth snapped, pointing at the window on one of the nearby towers.

“Good girl,” Rebecca spoke in a condescending tone, “I want you both to be ready to move on my command.”

“What exactly are you planning to do?” Beth asked.

“Improvise,” Rebecca replied, holding out her hand to guide her familiar, “That and getting a little bit of exercise.”

“Rebecca,” Jake said, hoping to dissuade her from whatever she was planning.

Rebecca paid him no mind as she brought her winged companion soaring back around. It wasn’t the most ideal or stealthy way for them to make their next move, but it had been their idea to make things up as they went along. The reaper clone of herself had been slicing and cutting through the glowing infected one by one. She’d seen enough from her raven to know that there were more of those fungus infested closing in from the opposite side of the courtyard. They couldn’t afford to waste more time or resources scrambling. Those things carried spores that could infect them if they got too close; at least that was what that repugnant Ashley had warned.

Her raven swelled and began to ignite as it turned around. Its wings began to burn as it approached the nearby tower. It opened its mouth and let out a piercing screech. Rebecca’s eyes continued to glow as she sent her familiar crashing into the upper story. A brilliant blaze of purple fire erupted as the bird slammed into the wall and an explosion went off. The foundation of the building shook and the resounding boom drew the attention of the monsters lurking the grounds, the inmates locked away, and likely the rest of Murray’s staff. The smoke billowed upwards and blanketed the area just before the klaxons began to sound off.

Jake had watched with nervous anticipation as the walls to the upper floor were blown open. “I suppose that’s one way to deal with a blockade,” Ashley rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, “A foolish and idiotic way is still a way.”

“What happened to subtlety?!” Beth shouted, “Are you trying to let them know what and where we’re going, you idiot?!”

“Oh, how silly of me,” Rebecca scoffed, “Was I truly the only person to notice the copious cameras and surveillance equipment in every corner?”

“Oh yeah, how stupid of me,” Beth scoffed, “Let’s just announce to the big bads and asshats exactly what we’re fucking planning!”

“What’s done is done,” Jake cut in before their argument could heat up further, “We have our opening and we shouldn’t be wasting time arguing about it. There are bound to be more of those things coming, and I’m sure that Murray is going to be sending her forces towards the breach in her walls. Rebecca, I hope you’re ready for a fight.”

“It puts distance between us and the rest of these infected monstrosities,” Rebecca defended her decision, sensing the disapproval from Jake and Beth, “Rest assured, I have barely scratched the surface of what I am prepared and capable of.”

“Yeah, let’s see how tough you are once we’re back in those damn walls,” Beth snapped.

“Enough,” Jake sighed, grabbing his grappling gun, “Save it for when we get out of here and get our friends back. Beth, let’s get ready to move.”

“Fair enough,” Beth huffed, following Jake’s lead, “The clock is officially ticking down now before that freak in the coat shows back up. We’re gonna need all the help we can get to stop her and stop the fucking doctor.”

“Then I suggest we stop talking and start running,” Rebecca chimed in, “Grab your little toys and let us be off.”

Jake and Beth were quick with their grappling guns and fired them towards the opening. Their cables shot out and locked into place before pulling them up and away from the encroaching hordes. Rebecca took two steps forward before leaping and conjuring her wings once again and propelled herself into and towards the breach. They landed through the broken mess of rubble, debris, and glass and into a large and expansive hallway. There were small fires that were still smoldering and burning on the ground as they landed, but things were eerily quiet in the wake of the sudden destruction.

The deafening sound of silence yawned and stretched throughout the hall in an uncomfortable manner. The sounds of flames flickering around them were the only sounds outside of their beating hearts. Unlike the halls they’d been wandering and roaming on the ground floors, there were no moans, groans, shuffling, or shambling echoing throughout the halls. The trio stood up and looked around to get a sense of where they’d wound up, but each of them felt a tension creeping in the back of their minds. The old saying of it being too quiet came to mind as they looked around.

Beth frowned behind her mask as she decided to take the initiative to move first. She couldn’t bring herself to stand around and wait any longer. If there was even the slightest chance that Pam was somewhere on this floor, she had to find her. She couldn’t do that if she continued standing still. “Elizabeth,” Rebecca hissed as Beth marched off, “Where, pray tell, do you think you are going?”

“I’m going to find Pam,” she replied without turning around, “Shit, at this point, I’ll settle for finding our friends, or-”

“Stop,” Rebecca warned, sensing something in the distance, “There is…something coming.”

“Yeah, no shit,” Beth scoffed, “Why do you think that I’m moving? You sounded the damn alarm for these bastards, and-”

“Elizabeth, please,” Rebecca cut her off again, “Hold your tongue for a moment and think. The alarms are not blaring in here, and where are the guards and security? Where are the screams of patients being tortured, mutilated, and played with?”

“What are you-?” Beth began as she tried to piece together what Rebecca was insinuating, “What are you getting at?”

“There,” Jake interrupted, pointing at the end of the hall where a few shadows were coming closer, “We’ve got company.”

Beth looked back down the hallway to where Jake was pointing. She spotted the same shadows that he saw. She guessed that there must have been at least four, maybe more, making their way towards them. She looked over at Rebecca and asked, “How come you didn’t sense them?”

“I…I am not sure,” she admitted, widening her stance and holding her hands out to prepare a spell, “I still cannot feel them. There is…something different about whatever these things are. They aren’t like those things carrying the parasites.”

“I guess this is another one of those mysteries we can figure out after we deal with this bullshit,” Beth sighed, holstering her grappling gun and drawing her handguns, “What the fuck?”

The first two came into view, and Beth was left at a loss for words at the sight. A pair of people, she couldn't tell their gender, slowly stalked forward towards them. Their faces were wrapped in bloody bandages, their eyes were bloodshot and wide, and many of their features were covered and obscured. They wore gowns like many of the patients, but they didn’t make a sound outside of their bare feet plodding along the floors. They moved slowly at first until they spotted the trio. Their wide eyes locked on the group before the first pair rushed towards them. That was where things took an even more confusing turn. They moved at an almost breakneck speed compared to the infected on the lower levels.

There were more of them marching and following behind them that seemed to pick up on their counterparts direction. They weren’t able to get a count on the number that was surging towards them before the first two were nearly on top of them. One of them leapt into the air and spun around with their foot aimed at Jake’s head. He was quick to bring his arms up to block them, but the one behind it moved forward with a low kick aimed at his shins. He was only barely able to avoid getting tripped by the mangled patient. He sidestepped to avoid the kick and threw a counter kick that connected with the side of its head and knocked it to the ground. However, it was quick to get back to its feet as though nothing had touched it.

“What the-oof!” Jake grunted as he took a surprisingly strong punch to the stomach from one of those things.

He stumbled back a few steps and prepared to fight whatever it was, but he never got the chance. A clawed hand cut through its chest and grabbed at it. He looked back to see Rebecca with her arm having shifted to the arm of a werewolf, but what was truly astounding was that the mangled patient seemed to be continuing to fight through the pain in a vain attempt to get to Jake. It was as though it didn’t feel anything even as it bled out. Even when Rebecca slung its still bleeding corpse to the side, it continued trying to fight its way back to its feet. Jake took two steps back and shook his head. He looked up to see a group of nearly a dozen of those things rushing towards them.

“Fuck,” Beth growled, firing a series of shots at the group, “We gotta go, now. Let’s just hope that this is the right fucking way.”

Bullets cut through the air and whizzed past the mutilated group. She’d managed to take down two of them, but the others easily dodged and ducked beneath them. She turned and took off running down the hall. Rebecca and Jake didn’t argue as they turned their back to the monsters. Rebecca was already starting to feel the effects of the lead lined walls, but she could still cast despite them. However, she knew that it wasn’t worth the strain. She had to hope that she and the others would run across their friends or a safe place. Once again, the trio found themselves running blind from more of the terrors of the asylum.