Central Street

A broad street that connects to Ennerdale, Euston, Park and various other streets leading into North and West Raccoon City.


Cathy's pumps continued to click, her bag close and her concealed weapon at the ready. She was planning to pick up a few things at a little shop not too far from the Station. She had to keep her cool however, and not act too suspicious as she progressed through the mostly empty Raccoon City streets. She could imagine that a number of these buildings were... crawling with those unknowingly infected. I gotta keep my cool... she repeated to herself. Been a while, but you can do this... think of Dad. She thought. That paycheck would be nice...

She headed towards the small shop in question, and decided to take the alley around to the back of the establishment when she noticed the 'Closed' sign flapped over the window. "Great, well at least I won't have to deal with anyone." She thought, looking around before climbing the chain link fence and slipped around to the back of the building. The gross scent of nearby rotting garbage made Cathy grimace somewhat. "Jesus, something died over here..." she says under breath, breathing through her mouth as she ambles her way to the back door of the building. She checked the knob, and confirmed her suspicion that it was locked, before she pulled a leather bound bundle of rather expensive looking lock picks. She began to fumble with the lock, and after a few moments that was all she wrote, and the door swung freely. She looked cautiously within the building before entering, closing the door behind her as she did.

The smell of leather and varnish, and dust slightly overwhelmed the previous scent of garbage and rot as she enters the antique store. She remembered seeing a few items of interest on display a few days ago she could use in the coming outbreak. She stayed away from the windows as she looked across the display cases. Old military gear and even some functional weapons were on display in the small curio shop. She could still smell that God awful rancid scent oddly, but tried to push it away from further distracting her. "Okay... I saw you around here somewhere..." she says in a whisper. The old man who worked here was a former friend of George Trevor, a big shot architect who built half this town and a lot of other places in Chicago, New York, Toronto... and the old man here also specialized in making specialized keys. She was looking for a particular set of keys, ones that could give her access to many places in Raccoon, and it would have been silly for Trevor not making spares. Granted, the powers at be may have done something with them years ago. She thought pessimistically, but had to push on that hope. Even if she didn't find any of the precinct keys, she could stock up on a melee weapon and perhaps a holster or some sidepacks, other supplies. She was thinking of stealing that Nanbu 14 to see if it could actually work... not that the ammunition would be at all procurable. If she survived this, she would perhaps have it rechambered for 9x19mm, and make it functional.

She continued to look underneath the counters and cupboards for the old man's safe. If the keys were anywhere, they'd be in there.

Raven, cloaked and hidden watched the woman enter the shop and start scrounging around, but to RAVEN himself, whom had entered only to rest and await the return of either his extraction target, or enough secondary targets to make destroying the RPD HQ worth the ammunition - he never expected to see whom had walked into the store.

His hand was on the handle of one of his .55 DAE's - an instinctive reflex. he eased off, and stood up. The floorboards creaked beneath the armor's tremendous weight. "VIPER....." he murmured, the vocalizer in his helmet barely catching it. "You're still alive?"

The RAVEN wrote:

Raven, cloaked and hidden watched the woman enter the shop and start scrounging around, but to RAVEN himself, whom had entered only to rest and await the return of either his extraction target, or enough secondary targets to make destroying the RPD HQ worth the ammunition - he never expected to see whom had walked into the store.

His hand was on the handle of one of his .55 DAE's - an instinctive reflex. he eased off, and stood up. The floorboards creaked beneath the armor's tremendous weight. "VIPER....." he murmured, the vocalizer in his helmet barely catching it. "You're still alive?"

When the floorboard creaked, Cat drew and turned her VP70 in the direction of the noise; all in one quick, fluid motion- her finger on the trigger about to fire when she saw the advanced armor, the materialization of the user as the optical camouflage faded away. She looked at the man who stood in front of her in the shadows of the shop, the light of the overcast day cast the only light through the shops bow windows, a suit of Samurai Armor and a pair of Katana on a stand beneath it- the armor's mask looking fierce and demonic.

Her underframed glasses made her eyes look larger, full of shock at the sight of the man before her. She didn't know what to do, whether to lower her arm, or keep it trained- but she would have to choose quickly, as he did not teach hesitation. Not to his students, and to herself most of all. "Been a while... V..." she started, before catching herself. "...RAVEN." she says standing, gun still trained on him... before her hand slowly lowered. "...Master." she finished, removing her glasses with her free hand, her raven black hair falling over her shoulder.

Cathy McDonell wrote:When the floorboard creaked, Cat drew and turned her VP70 in the direction of the noise; all in one quick, fluid motion- her finger on the trigger about to fire when she saw the advanced armor, the materialization of the user as the optical camouflage faded away. She looked at the man who stood in front of her in the shadows of the shop, the light of the overcast day cast the only light through the shops bow windows, a suit of Samurai Armor and a pair of Katana on a stand beneath it- the armor's mask looking fierce and demonic.

Her underframed glasses made her eyes look larger, full of shock at the sight of the man before her. She didn't know what to do, whether to lower her arm, or keep it trained- but she would have to choose quickly, as he did not teach hesitation. Not to his students, and to herself most of all. "Been a while... V..." she started, before catching herself. "...RAVEN." she says standing, gun still trained on him... before her hand slowly lowered. "...Master." she finished, removing her glasses with her free hand, her raven black hair falling over her shoulder.

RAVEN himself raised his arms to the clasps of his helmet, twisting the pressure seal valves, creating a hiss as the pressurized compressed air within the suit was loosed, and mixed with the fetid air outside. Lifting the helmet from it's moorings, it unclasped with a click and RAVEN's short salt and pepper hair emerged, before his hard black eyes focused on her. The usually stoic and cold stare was gone. his eyes a little wider in sheer surprise.

"VIPER... They told me you were dead." he said, as he clasped the helmet behind him on his belt. "HUE and DIAMONDBACK said you threw yourself from the wall. SALAMANDER and DRAGON both nearly mutinied, saying that was a lie.... and T.HAWK nearly killed HUE with his bare hands until I broke them up... But, judging from your continued absence despite your survival, something else must have happened..." RAVEN's tone changed a little. "In any case, you do not want to be in Raccoon... Not anymore. You don't even want to be in the Arklay Region. There's a lot happening in this town, and it will not be around for very long."

The RAVEN wrote:

Cathy McDonell wrote:When the floorboard creaked, Cat drew and turned her VP70 in the direction of the noise; all in one quick, fluid motion- her finger on the trigger about to fire when she saw the advanced armor, the materialization of the user as the optical camouflage faded away. She looked at the man who stood in front of her in the shadows of the shop, the light of the overcast day cast the only light through the shops bow windows, a suit of Samurai Armor and a pair of Katana on a stand beneath it- the armor's mask looking fierce and demonic.

Her underframed glasses made her eyes look larger, full of shock at the sight of the man before her. She didn't know what to do, whether to lower her arm, or keep it trained- but she would have to choose quickly, as he did not teach hesitation. Not to his students, and to herself most of all. "Been a while... V..." she started, before catching herself. "...RAVEN." she says standing, gun still trained on him... before her hand slowly lowered. "...Master." she finished, removing her glasses with her free hand, her raven black hair falling over her shoulder.

RAVEN himself raised his arms to the clasps of his helmet, twisting the pressure seal valves, creating a hiss as the pressurized compressed air within the suit was loosed, and mixed with the fetid air outside. Lifting the helmet from it's moorings, it unclasped with a click and RAVEN's short salt and pepper hair emerged, before his hard black eyes focused on her. The usually stoic and cold stare was gone. his eyes a little wider in sheer surprise.

"VIPER... They told me you were dead." he said, as he clasped the helmet behind him on his belt. "HUE and DIAMONDBACK said you threw yourself from the wall. SALAMANDER and DRAGON both nearly mutinied, saying that was a lie.... and T.HAWK nearly killed HUE with his bare hands until I broke them up... But, judging from your continued absence despite your survival, something else must have happened..." RAVEN's tone changed a little. "In any case, you do not want to be in Raccoon... Not anymore. You don't even want to be in the Arklay Region. There's a lot happening in this town, and it will not be around for very long."

She looked at her Master's face for the first time in a year. A very long... and painful year. He was a handsome man in his youth, when she was a child, but age and warfare had aged him. They had seen a lot together, and to Cat, the man was practically a second father. His real name... was a secret between herself and her father. She didn't know how to react, between cry or hug, or look away in shame. The mention of HUE and DIAMONDBACK made Cat wince, visibly shuttering as her mind went back-

"Oh God please st-aahp! AH!! Somebody help!" VIPER screamed as she felt her face pushed hard against that concrete wall, the Atlantic's salty air chilling her to the bone as it washed over her exposed body that the grinning HUE and DIAMONDBACK leered at, DIAMOND holding her in place.

She gripped the edge of the cabinet's counter and shook her head at the memories. "HUE..." She says in a low, grim whisper, as if revering the name as the lowest form of life on earth. "So... thats what the cocksucker said... huh. Could have been more original.." she says, her eyes hidden by her long dark bangs, her lips a flat, expressionless line. "Eight months, twenty three days... All I could see were those gutless bastards..." She gripped her pistol tightly. "So thats what he said. Heh heh heh... thats the bullshit he said, and they actually believed it all! You believed it..." Her laughter died, and her smile faded. A tear rolled down her cheek. "I suppose in that excitement, HUE forgot to mention he also raped me? Nah, I'm quite sure he didn't mention that, nor how DIAMONDBACK had HUE's sloppy seconds before bashing my face into a wall or how about the knife wound to my stomach before tossing me over Rockfort's retaining wall?!" She says, pulling up her dress, not caring that she flashed her panties, a healing scar across her lower abdomen from where HUE stabbed her fully with her own knife... it was only Gods will and the luck of the Devil that it had missed her vital organs when Jack had found her floating in the ocean. She dropped the hem of her dress, letting it fall back into place. "Remember, my father had an accident? We didn't know if he lived or died. The company told me to forget him, that he was my 'old' life, and that he would die anyway. I couldn't find you, so I decided to grieve alone. HUE and DIAMONDBACK found me, and they used that against me... they literally double teamed me Vic-." She paused, biting her lower lip, her eyes filled with tears as she recalled the event. "I should've killed them. Both. But I couldn't, I let them get to my head. I failed you, as much as I failed myself. But maybe it was for the best this happened. I'm no longer with the company... that life is behind me. VIPER's dead." She said, raising her head. Her unique brown eyes were watery, and her brows furrowed, her face overall determined and fiery. "I'm aware of the leak. Umbrella fucked up big time...nooooo surprise..." she said in a bored tone, with a bit of venom in her voice.

Cathy McDonell wrote:

She looked at her Master's face for the first time in a year. A very long... and painful year. He was a handsome man in his youth, when she was a child, but age and warfare had aged him. They had seen a lot together, and to Cat, the man was practically a second father. His real name... was a secret between herself and her father. She didn't know how to react, between cry or hug, or look away in shame. The mention of HUE and DIAMONDBACK made Cat wince, visibly shuttering as her mind went back-

"Oh God please st-aahp! AH!! Somebody help!" VIPER screamed as she felt her face pushed hard against that concrete wall, the Atlantic's salty air chilling her to the bone as it washed over her exposed body that the grinning HUE and DIAMONDBACK leered at, DIAMOND holding her in place.

She gripped the edge of the cabinet's counter and shook her head at the memories. "HUE..." She says in a low, grim whisper, as if revering the name as the lowest form of life on earth. "So... thats what the cocksucker said... huh. Could have been more original.." she says, her eyes hidden by her long dark bangs, her lips a flat, expressionless line. "Eight months, twenty three days... All I could see were those gutless bastards..." She gripped her pistol tightly. "So thats what he said. Heh heh heh... thats the bullshit he said, and they actually believed it all! You believed it..." Her laughter died, and her smile faded. A tear rolled down her cheek. "I suppose in that excitement, HUE forgot to mention he also raped me? Nah, I'm quite sure he didn't mention that, nor how DIAMONDBACK had HUE's sloppy seconds before bashing my face into a wall or how about the knife wound to my stomach before tossing me over Rockfort's retaining wall?!" She says, pulling up her dress, not caring that she flashed her panties, a healing scar across her lower abdomen from where HUE stabbed her fully with her own knife... it was only Gods will and the luck of the Devil that it had missed her vital organs when Jack had found her floating in the ocean. She dropped the hem of her dress, letting it fall back into place. "Remember, my father had an accident? We didn't know if he lived or died. The company told me to forget him, that he was my 'old' life, and that he would die anyway. I couldn't find you, so I decided to grieve alone. HUE and DIAMONDBACK found me, and they used that against me... they literally double teamed me Vic-." She paused, biting her lower lip, her eyes filled with tears as she recalled the event. "I should've killed them. Both. But I couldn't, I let them get to my head. I failed you, as much as I failed myself. But maybe it was for the best this happened. I'm no longer with the company... that life is behind me. VIPER's dead." She said, raising her head. Her unique brown eyes were watery, and her brows furrowed, her face overall determined and fiery. "I'm aware of the leak. Umbrella fucked up big time...nooooo surprise..." she said in a bored tone, with a bit of venom in her voice.

RAVEN's face darkened as he was made aware of the full extent of HUE and DIAMONDBACK's betrayal. "I was not made aware... The day after you vanished, I was transferred from Rockfort to Special Projects, where they 'Promoted' me to Monitor. Though not without my own leash of a kind. They took my wife and son as insurance. Made sure I didn't dig too deep into incidents I was not assigned - including yours. Upper management and the Execs apparently had need of those two - among others." Raven said bitterly before doing a sweep of the shop with his eyes and ears.

"The leak, originated by Marcus going rogue, then exasserbated by Birkin following suit is not the only issue. There's several other factors at work here, including Spencer sending in a NEMESIS T-Type in after any remaining members of S.T.A.R.S still in the city. The old man is deathly afraid of being exposed and losing his precious superhuman serum. He's come to depend on Albert Wesker far more than he should. Only problem is that Wesker missed his chance. Feral sealed himself in the GIGA's lab. Sanchez's virus and the perfect host are in there with him... I would say this is my chance to break ranks, but I have to follow their rules or my family dies."

RAVEN placed a hand on Catherine's shoulder. "You didn't fail - You were betrayed, just as I was. I have one more thing to teach you..." he said, as he drew one of his handcannons, and flipped the handle to her, along with a pair of extended mags of .55 explosive tipped armor penetrators, along with one of his HF blades. "I may be Umbrella's weapon, but you will be the shield who protects the innocent in my stead. Yes, even if it means killing me in the process. When the time is right, you'll know what to do."

The RAVEN wrote:

RAVEN's face darkened as he was made aware of the full extent of HUE and DIAMONDBACK's betrayal. "I was not made aware... The day after you vanished, I was transferred from Rockfort to Special Projects, where they 'Promoted' me to Monitor. Though not without my own leash of a kind. They took my wife and son as insurance. Made sure I didn't dig too deep into incidents I was not assigned - including yours. Upper management and the Execs apparently had need of those two - among others." Raven said bitterly before doing a sweep of the shop with his eyes and ears.

"The leak, originated by Marcus going rogue, then exasserbated by Birkin following suit is not the only issue. There's several other factors at work here, including Spencer sending in a NEMESIS T-Type in after any remaining members of S.T.A.R.S still in the city. The old man is deathly afraid of being exposed and losing his precious superhuman serum. He's come to depend on Albert Wesker far more than he should. Only problem is that Wesker missed his chance. Feral sealed himself in the GIGA's lab. Sanchez's virus and the perfect host are in there with him... I would say this is my chance to break ranks, but I have to follow their rules or my family dies."

RAVEN placed a hand on Catherine's shoulder. "You didn't fail - You were betrayed, just as I was. I have one more thing to teach you..." he said, as he drew one of his handcannons, and flipped the handle to her, along with a pair of extended mags of .55 explosive tipped armor penetrators, along with one of his HF blades. "I may be Umbrella's weapon, but you will be the shield who protects the innocent in my stead. Yes, even if it means killing me in the process. When the time is right, you'll know what to do."

She listened, and closed her eyes. "Those bastards..." She sighed, before looking at the offerings. She slowly shook her head. "I can't accept those, I'm on assignment and they'd make me stick out like a sore thumb." She pushed them gently back to him. "Umbrella or not, I could never kill you. Even if it was an order, its one I can never allow myself to follow." she says, turning to the safe she was going to pick. "I need to find the odd shaped precinct keys, George Trevor's locks are nigh impenetrable to lock picking, and I need to get access to some of the rooms within the station. The owner of this shop has the spares." she explained, not wanting to divulge too much of her own mission. After all, they were technically on opposite sides of the playing field now.

Cathy McDonell wrote:She listened, and closed her eyes. "Those bastards..." She sighed, before looking at the offerings. She slowly shook her head. "I can't accept those, I'm on assignment and they'd make me stick out like a sore thumb." She pushed them gently back to him. "Umbrella or not, I could never kill you. Even if it was an order, its one I can never allow myself to follow." she says, turning to the safe she was going to pick. "I need to find the odd shaped precinct keys, George Trevor's locks are nigh impenetrable to lock picking, and I need to get access to some of the rooms within the station. The owner of this shop has the spares." she explained, not wanting to divulge too much of her own mission. After all, they were technically on opposite sides of the playing field now.

"Whatever it is you're planning, whatever the mission.... it cannot be more important than this. In seven days time, the President of the United States, George Sears, will launch code Double X, and liquidate this city to prevent the infection from spreading and breaching the quarantine zone. the city will be struck by no less than four thermobaric warheads simultaneously. 'Operation: Bacillus Terminate' they call it. This will be their one chance to kill the BOWs, including the perfect host.... Listen." Victor's eyes took on a look Catherine had never seen before. that of the tired old man he had become. "There are good people in this city... I believe Kaz would have fought for them if he could... But, if you can reach the host, and he is still himself, he might be able to change everything."

The RAVEN wrote:

Cathy McDonell wrote:She listened, and closed her eyes. "Those bastards..." She sighed, before looking at the offerings. She slowly shook her head. "I can't accept those, I'm on assignment and they'd make me stick out like a sore thumb." She pushed them gently back to him. "Umbrella or not, I could never kill you. Even if it was an order, its one I can never allow myself to follow." she says, turning to the safe she was going to pick. "I need to find the odd shaped precinct keys, George Trevor's locks are nigh impenetrable to lock picking, and I need to get access to some of the rooms within the station. The owner of this shop has the spares." she explained, not wanting to divulge too much of her own mission. After all, they were technically on opposite sides of the playing field now.

"Whatever it is you're planning, whatever the mission.... it cannot be more important than this. In seven days, the President of the United States, George Sears, will launch code Double X, and liquidate this city to prevent the infection from spreading and breaching the quarantine zone. the city will be struck by no less than four thermobaric warheads simultaneously. 'Operation: Bacillus Terminate' they call it. This will be their one chance to kill the BOWs, including the perfect host.... Listen." Victor's eyes took on a look Catherine had never seen before. that of the tired old man he had become. "There are good people in this city... I believe Kaz would have fought for them if he could... But, if you can reach the host, and he is still himself, he might be able to change everything."

(ooc: fixed your reveal of the destruction of the city in the above quote... which is convenient you should know such... anyway, its actually a week till destruction, not three days )

"It is important, Master. I am fulfilling my end of the bargain. I owe them. The connections they have alone will be able to safeguard my father and allow us to slip under Umbrella's radar. They're good at it, as you can clearly see." She says presenting herself. "Thats my reward if I'm successful, but if I fail the task, its more than just my life that will be at risk, more than the city itself. The city is worth sacrificing, but I cannot..." She couldn't reveal any more. "I need to get back to my mission... you should do the same. I need to find those keys. You always told me to finish what you start, and I'm in too deep to start quitting now." She replied, turning to the safe again, and went to picking at it with her advanced lock picks. As it was, she could just shoot the damn thing now. She was pretty sure no one was in the shop aside from herself and Raven. Outside, the streets were still quiet, and misty. She didn't know when the virus carriers would start showing up, so she needed to act quickly!

Cathy McDonell wrote:(ooc: fixed your reveal of the destruction of the city in the above quote... which is convenient you should know such... anyway, its actually a week till destruction, not three days )

"It is important, Master. I am fulfilling my end of the bargain. I owe them. The connections they have alone will be able to safeguard my father and allow us to slip under Umbrella's radar. They're good at it, as you can clearly see." She says presenting herself. "Thats my reward if I'm successful, but if I fail the task, its more than just my life that will be at risk, more than the city itself. The city is worth sacrificing, but I cannot..." She couldn't reveal any more. "I need to get back to my mission... you should do the same. I need to find those keys. You always told me to finish what you start, and I'm in too deep to start quitting now." She replied, turning to the safe again, and went to picking at it with her advanced lock picks. As it was, she could just shoot the damn thing now. She was pretty sure no one was in the shop aside from herself and Raven. Outside, the streets were still quiet, and misty. She didn't know when the virus carriers would start showing up, so she needed to act quickly!

(OOC: Lol, well that's the planned event that was mapped out ahead of time to cover umbrella's tracks. As a Monitor, RAVEN would be privvy to that knowledge to ensure it happens as scripted.)

RAVEN looked on for a long moment, before his wristcomp beeped at him, he checked the message from Warden Raymond, and cross checked it with orders from on high, and SHADOWFOX's reply. The old veteran placed his helmet back on his head, and engaged his stealth device - leaving behind a note for Cathy, should she bother to look.

in it, it would read 'Catherine, I do not intend to remain collared by Umbrella. I must find a way to break the chains that bind me to them... but I fear that it may already be to late for my family. The evidence of them still being alive has been doctored. Even so, I cannot stop the missiles... Raccoon City is already finished. If you believe in the merits of your mission, then do it, and then escape this place. I do not know if I'll make it out myself, so if you need to, in 5 more days, my mobile operations center will be open to you. The code will be your old codename. Use the truck and whatever you find therein as you will. Goodbye.

~Victor

Cat picked the lock, somewhat slower than she would have usually if not for the distraction... a very welcome one. "Vic... I need to do this. You're a second father to me. You don't know how happy I am to finally see you. But we know what happens when the Company is involved... I'm sorry if I come off as a bitch, but... I really am happy to see you again, Master-" She paused, turning to face him when she realized he was gone. She stood up, looking around. "Dammit..." She frowned, bowing her head slightly, when she noticed a slip and picked it up.

The RAVEN wrote:
RAVEN looked on for a long moment, before his wristcomp beeped at him, he checked the message from Warden Raymond, and cross checked it with orders from on high, and SHADOWFOX's reply. The old veteran placed his helmet back on his head, and engaged his stealth device - leaving behind a note for Cathy, should she bother to look.

in it, it would read 'Catherine, I do not intend to remain collared by Umbrella. I must find a way to break the chains that bind me to them... but I fear that it may already be to late for my family. The evidence of them still being alive has been doctored. Even so, I cannot stop the missiles... Raccoon City is already finished. If you believe in the merits of your mission, then do it, and then escape this place. I do not know if I'll make it out myself, so if you need to, in 5 more days, my mobile operations center will be open to you. The code will be your old codename. Use the truck and whatever you find therein as you will. Goodbye.

~Victor

She closed her eyes, welling tears again, the note tightly gripped in her hand. "No more tears..." She told herself, wiping her eyes. She found a book of matches by the cash register and lit the note before tossing it into the trash. Umbrella didn't need to find out. "You're not dying here old man..." she grumbled, checking the content of the safe, and smiled at the fortune before her. A set of odd shaped keys for the precinct, less ornate than the real thing, but it meant she didn't have to solve any odd puzzles. She pockets them, before noticing an armpit holster with two pouches on each side. She slipped the item on, and sighed with relief. The infected wouldn't be roaming the streets in hordes yet. According to the Umbrella Operation Reports they conducted with the Mansion, it would eventually come to such. "I don't want to be caught up in that..." She thought, checking the shop for anything else of worth and use. A military bag, and a WW2 era Combat Knife which she doubted had much fight left in it. Still, was worth a chance.

Upon returning to the street, she decided on where to head first. The station was still quiet, and sneaking in would mean having to deal with living officers of the law... she knew panic would eventually lead to the station so she figured she may as well lie low till the infected became more prevalent, and use them as a smoke screen.