The green gas billowed from beneath the black pawn, but thanks to his gas mask, Javier was unharmed. However, he was the only one in the room with protection. Concerned for Rebecca and Billy, he yelled a warning to them.
"Get away from there!"
Javier quickly pushed the black pawn back into its original position, and the gas stopped flowing.
Rebecca and Billy immediately grabbed the hems of their shirts to cover their noses and mouths and squeezed their eyes shut. It was the correct move, as the gas was not only harmful when inhaled but was also an irritant that could cause eye damage, from redness and excessive tearing to blindness or permanent injury. During the World Wars, before gas masks were common, soldiers would bury their faces in the dirt like boars to minimize the effects of chemical weapons.
Despite their quick thinking, the two were still suffering from the gas's effects. After the air cleared, a pale Rebecca and Billy gasped for breath, then began to dry heave.
"Rebecca, Billy! Are you two okay?" Javier rushed to their side, his voice filled with concern. He didn't want his mistake to harm them. He knew if they were out of the picture, he would be in a much more difficult position.
"We're fine," Rebecca said, shaking her head. "Thanks for the warning. We only inhaled a small amount that seeped through our clothes. It just made us feel sick, so we're lucky."
"I can't believe this room has such a dangerous trap. Was Dr. Marcus trying to kill anyone who tried to uncover his secrets?"
"Javier, get the green medicine from my bag. It's the same kind I gave you before. I brought plenty. Give a vial to Billy. It'll make us feel much better."
Javier didn't hesitate. He pulled out a few vials—red, green, and yellow—from Rebecca's bag. She really was a resourceful pharmaceutical genius. He helped her drink the green vial, then handed one to Billy. After a few moments, their complexions returned to normal, and they felt re-energized.
While they rested, Javier finished the puzzle alone. This time, he was careful not to touch the black pieces. He only moved the white pieces back to their original positions. With a click, the chessboard on Marcus's desk slid open, revealing a hidden compartment.
Inside, he found a black book, similar to the Book of Goodness. This was undoubtedly the Book of Evil. When he opened it, he found the missing wing for the black statue. The white statue had angelic wings, while the black statue had bat-like wings.
Next to the Book of Evil was another book, a diary signed by Marcus. Javier was amused. "Who keeps a diary?" he thought. "Don't they know it can be used against them?"
But he quickly realized why. As a brilliant biologist and one of Umbrella's founders, Marcus was a narcissistic genius. Such people are often lonely and isolated. They have no one to share their triumphs with, so they write them down in a diary, not only to satisfy themselves but to be discovered and admired later. It's the classic tsundere behavior of a "normal" genius.