Alyssa looked bleakly out the window from the third-story floor of the hospital. It was typical Racoon city weather, which was rain. Though she refused to look at it, below were the seven or eight zombies attempting to break through the front door of the hospital, and not succeeding. It had been three days so far. One would think that they would have given up by now. But then, no one ever said that zombies were smart.

With a small sigh she dug through her purse to look, once again, at the vial she had retrieved from the hidden lab they had escaped from three days ago. The vial had a reassuring glow to it, and looking at it after a while could easily be hypnotic.

She had no idea what the vial was for, or what it could do. Only that it was very important. It was the reason that Umbrella had infected and killed every single member of Racoon city for. It was a reason they had destroyed the lab they had escaped from only just in time. And, it was the reason why they had murdered her friend, Jimmy Chapman. Umbrella wouldn't stop until they found the vial. Alyssa knew that there was a good chance that she had placed all of them in considerable danger. Alyssa closed her eyes. All she wanted to do was to get out of the city. To find her husband. And, to tell everyone the truth about what had happened. The vial might be the only means of securing those plans the next time they ran into Umbrella again.

She wondered if she was carrying the same depressed look as she entered the research laboratory five minutes later. She had in her hands bowl of soup. "I brought you some food," she said.

From the table George Damien only glanced at it briefly, then turned his attention back to the microscope. "Thanks." He made no move to touch it.

She sat down next to him. "Any luck?" she asked.

George only shook his head, his attention completely fixed on whatever he was doing. They had spent the last three days in the hospital, mostly due to the fact that George had needed time to recover from his transformation. Alyssa recalled every moment she had spent, worried that the cure he himself had created wouldn't work. That he wouldn't be human again. And, Alyssa thought hesitantly, he wasn't human now, either. He had changed, that much was certain. But changed into what? Alyssa wasn't sure. Blood work had shown that the T-virus cells had stopped progressing, but hadn't been destroyed. Hearing about the death of Yoko had upset him a great deal, and he mostly kept to himself. But it was more then that, too. Alyssa looked down and sighed. A lot more. Though he showed no outward appearance of what he had been before-no yellow eyes, and his teeth had miraculously changed back- an accident had occurred on the first day which greatly disturbed her.

It had happened while George had been searching with David for supplies that had been packed away. George had been rummaging, alone, in the cupboard of a hospital ward when the ventilation shaft broke apart and a zombie had dropped from the roof. George carried no weapons at time, and his hand had just been reaching for a bar of steel propped against the wall, when the zombie brushed right past him and left. It made no move to attack. Alyssa might have dismissed that as pure luck, when the same accident happened again later, and again.

Now George was able to walk freely among the halls, which opened a lot of benefits in terms of supplies. But it was still disturbing. Even though he had gotten a great deal of sleep, his face looked like he needed a thousand hours more. And sometimes, when Alyssa thought she wasn't looking, he would stare at her very oddly.

'As if we didn't have enough problems,' she thought with a small sigh. So far, neither George or David knew about the vial. While George might have been able to identify it for her, at the moment, he had enough problems to last a lifetime. And simply put, she didn't trust David. No, come to think of it, she didn't trust either of them. George had just changed too much. And there was a third reason too. She was a journalist. This was her find, and no one else's. She would be the one to figure it out.

-----------------------

George waited until Alyssa had left before returning to the microscope. The Daylight cure had worked for him, at least partly, but, while it could be replicated easily, it wouldn't work on anyone else. The white cells of the body had to be completely saturated first with the T-virus, and by that time, you were dead. He had tried the formula on a random group of zombies, without any luck at all.

George looked up slightly, his blue eyes narrowing. His senses had been triplicated along with the transformation, sharpened to detect other things. He could hear Alyssa's heartbeat even though she had already taken an elevator to the second floor, along with David's and a handful of others. He looked at the wall. Even though his eyes could not see the actual blood on the wall, he could smell it. It was only a few changes that had come along with what had happened.

Three days ago, George had been infected with a mutated strain of the T-virus.

The end result hadn't been that he had simply died and come back as a zombie. He had physically changed. And while he was cured of said problem thanks to the compound known as Daylight, the formula was incomplete. Part of him still remained different. Part of him thought differently, too.

Well, at any rate there was no point in staying here any longer. George stood and exited out of the door.

He knew he was waiting just outside the hall, but it still made George jump when he heard the snap of a lighter behind him.

"How is she?" David asked, lighting up his cigarette.

George nodded. "Tired. I think she wants to find the shelter soon."

"Well, she's not the only one."

George turned to walk away.

"So what do you remember of the last two days? Anything?"

George turned back.

"You don't remember trying to attack us on the train?"

"Should it matter?" George asked.

"If you do that again, go all zombie and all, I'll kill you. All right?" David replied calmly.

George shook his head, greatly disturbed all of a sudden. "I"m not sure if you

even can."

-----------------

Cold water flowed over her shaking hands.

Alyssa's eyes were closed. She could still picture, over and over again, Jimmy falling backwards, shot full of holes. Herself being powerless to stop anything, all the while trying not to scream and reveal where she was.

She looked up in the cracked mirror and noticed, for the first time, how matted her hair was. She touched the bruises on her face, almost in wonderment. With the faucet she carefully washed away the grime out of her hair. She still had her cosmetic kit in her bag. She brushed up her lipstick, and make- up. Alyssa checked her appearance again. Now she looked almost half-way decent.

A sudden clatter made her turn around. There was no one supposed to be here. That was the reason she had come down here in the first place. Another sound, which made her hold her breath. The first thing they had done upon arrival was to clear out the hospital of any zombies by throwing them out of windows. But they might have missed one or two....

Slowly, she took out a handgun from her bag and removed the safety. She stepped out of the bathroom. The lights ahead provided only a very dim resolution. She stepped forwards, the nurses station to her right. She was so close to the sound now. She could see....

A human, typing frantically on the keyboard. He wore a white lab coat, and had green eyes which stared intently at her through his thick glasses.

Alyssa relaxed. "Dr. Weiss," she greeted. "You just...startled me." She put the handgun away.

Dr. Weiss smiled slightly. "I'm so sorry, my dear. I just wanted to get some last files." He straightened. "By the way, you should know that we've evacuated most of the hospital staff in the tunnels I told you about.

"Thank you," Alyssa said, clasping her hands. "And what you've done for George

too! He wouldn't even be alive if it weren't for you and your staff-"

"Alyssa," Dr. Weiss said, moving closer. "It's time for you and the others to be leaving as well. I just got a call from my sources. Umbrella knows that you're here. They're coming."

Alyssa paled. "When?"

"Anytime now," Dr. Weiss replied. "We have to leave immediately."

Alyssa swallowed. "All right. What about the sample I gave you of? Any findings on that?"

Dr. Weiss paled a little. "I know what it is. The vial you picked up has the same complex structure of the T-virus. I have heard about it, and never thought it to be true. I don't have time to explain in full detail, but it is essentially a zombie-killer." He gripped her shoulder. Hard. "Listen to me, Alyssa. You must never open it. Or worse, use it on yourself or someone else."

"Why?" Alyssa demanded.

Dr. Weiss was about to reply, when footsteps interrupted them. David and George approached. "We're ready to go whenever you are," David said, shouldering a backpack.

"How did you know we were here?" Alyssa asked.

George said nothing, but his eyes had a strange look to them. He looked past them.

The lights suddenly flickered out.

"Probably the zombies on the basement level knocking out the generator," Dr. Weiss said, but he didn't sound too hopeful.

"No," George said, his blue eyes starring out the window. "Umbrella's here."

----------------

Through the pounding rain the commander stared through his binoculars at the windows. Beside him were fifty Umbrella officers. Waiting to go. The commander couldn't see his targets, but he knew they were inside. "They're in there."

"Should we go in sir?" a man asked next to him.

"No," the commander replied. "First we'll flush them out."

--------------------

George grabbed his leather jacket and put it overtop of his dark blue sweater as Dr. Weiss pushed the elevator button. It didn't work. "We might have to go down through the emergency hatch to the basement level to re-start the generator-"

"No time," David replied. "We'll take the stairs."

Dr. Weiss stared at him. "We didn't clear the first level of zombies."

David took out his handgun and made sure it was loaded. "We'll have to risk it."

Dr. Weiss stared at them and saw that they were all in agreement.

George looked to the right. He could see everything happen in slow motion as the glass windows shattered at the end of the hall. Everyone else recoiled in shock. Five Umbrella officers

dressed in black climbed in through the windows.

George stepped forwards. "Get out of here," he said. Nodding, David and Dr. Weiss ran down a side passage. Alyssa stayed behind him with him, fumbling in her purse for her gun.

"Surrender immediately or we will kill you!" one of the officers said. Three flashlights shined in George and Alyssa's eyes.

George said nothing as he stepped forwards. Quicker then Alyssa could follow, he took out a gun and fired. Two officers immediately went down. "Take them down!" one of the other three shouted.

Two of them lifted their assault rifles as a third rushed towards George. The man's fist came flying towards his head. Calmly, George caught it in his own hand, and squeezed his fingers just a little. The bones in the man's hand snapped, one after the other. The man dropped and fell to one knee, gripping his hand in shocked pain. With his other hand George reached forwards and broke the man's neck with one movement. All this happened in only a few seconds, seconds the other two men took to lift their assault rifles. George grabbed the fallen man with one hand and threw him towards the other two. All three of them collapsed with a spray of

bullets as Alyssa screamed.

With an enraged snarl the third man struggled to his feet and took out two knives. He hurled them at George. From George's perception, he could still see them coming towards him in slow motion. That knowledge did him little good, however. He was in an enclosed space. He dodged to the left, but not fast enough. The first one sliced across his cheek. The second one caught him in the shoulder. George grimaced in pain and fell back against the wall. With a small cry George yanked the knife out of his shoulder. Then, his blue eyes burning, he hurled the knife at the remaining officer. It went right into his brain. He fell with a small gurgle.

Alyssa turned to him in astonishment. "Are you all right?" she whispered in concern as both walked towards the windows.

"Yeah," George winced, as Alyssa touched his shoulder. Her hand came away red, but as she lifted it away from the wound, both of them watched as the tissue around the wound immediately fused together. Within moments the wound was healed.

"George..." Alyssa didn't know what to say. "It's like...you're not human..."

Another window shattered, and something rolled to the ground between George and Alyssa. George stared at it through the darkness.

Grenade.

"Alyssa, get back!" he called out, shoving her away.

The grenade exploded, blinding George and knocking him momentarily senseless. Just before he was knocked unconscious he could feel the whole room shatter around him. Assorted items instantly caught on fire, and quickly spread.

-----------------------

"Come on!" David snapped as he and Dr. Weiss hurried down the steps.

"But...what about the others?"

"They'll have to fend for themselves."

David kicked away the crudely-made barricade they had made apart to protect them against the zombies. Thanks to the lights being off, he couldn't see much except for the very bottom of the stairwell. Waiting at them were eight zombies gathered. They cautiously approached one step at a time.

Dr. Weiss swallowed. David took out his handgun and aimed.

"There's...so many of them," Dr. Weiss said, backing up against the wall. "Too many."

"We'll have to kill them all to get past," David replied. "Are you up for this?"

"Frankly, no. I've never even fired a gun in my entire life."

"Fine, whatever. Just stay out of my way, all right?"

--------------------

George lifted his head. He couldn't see Alyssa through the smoke, smoke that was rapidly growing. He coughed and turned his head. Half of the room was in flames, and he had to get out of there. He struggled to his feet. "Alyssa!" he called out, but he couldn't see her anywhere. There was a doorway which she might have escaped from, but a literal wall of fire prevented him from following. A burning beam suddenly fell to the ground beside him with an explosion of ash, making him jump.

Something did step out from the wall of fire, though. An Umbrella agent appeared, took out a handgun and fired. George dodged, avoiding the bullet only just in time. He ran out into the hall through the other door, the agent in close pursuit. But George's hybrid ability gave him unnatural speed and strength, and he soon lost the agent. He hurried to rejoin David and Dr. Weiss.

----------------------

David coughed as he braced himself against the wall. Hard. It had been tough taking down eight of those things, and he was covered from head to toe with blood. Not any of his, though, and that made him more then a little grateful. He looked up in the darkness. It occurred to him that eight bodies lay before him, and no sign of Dr. Weiss.

David glanced around, searching. A shadow moved against the wall.

"Dr. Weiss?" David called out, and stepped forwards. "That is you, right?"

Dr. Weiss didn't reply, still hunched over the wall. It was definitely him though, judging from the white coat and thinning black hair. David touched his shoulder. "Hey, I'm talking to you-"

Dr. Weiss whirled around, his teeth bared. He bit David in the arm.

David winced, took out his handgun, and shot Dr. Weiss in the head. The scientist crumpled to the ground. David touched his bloodied arm and looked up in horror. "s***," he whispered.

---------------------------

Her eyes wide, Alyssa walked through the empty room, the gun in her hand. The moment the grenade detonated a wall of fire had separated her from George, and she was forced to retreat out of the room through the door behind her, and a few rooms after that until she was sure she was far away from the fire. Now she was where she assumed to be the staff longue. She had been this way, many times, but with the lights off it looked horribly different. And, during all of those times she had been alone.

But not now.

There was someone waiting for her, sitting in a plush chair. It was a man with dark brown hair and brown eyes. He wore a military jacket with a commander insignia and smiled as she approached. "Hello, Alyssa."

Alyssa recognized him, of course. He was in the underground base. He led the tactical unit which, among other things, killed Jimmy.

"You seem so nervous, Alyssa. Far different from the confident, young reporter I remember."

"Why shouldn't I kill you right now?" Alyssa asked, her voice quivering with anger.

The commander stood and looked out the window. "I can understand why you would. It was us, after all, who engineered the T-virus. We who unleashed it upon the city. We killed thousands of people. Or, so you have been told. Would you believe me if I told you that all of this was the result of a very tragic accident." He turned from the window. "We had only meant to study the T-virus for its potential medical benefits. Never to use it! We're not some nameless evil you can put your hate on. We're normal people, just like you, who are doing everything in our power to stop this from spreading to anywhere..and anyone else." The man looked back towards the window. "I know you don't believe me, but I myself lost my wife the day of the Outbreak. Her name was Joanne." He turned his head. "And that's the truth. My name is Eric."

"You killed Jimmy," Alyssa whispered.

Eric shook his head slightly. "Another very unfortunate accident. Umbrella seems to have made a lot lately." He stepped forwards. "I want to make it up to you, and everyone else who survived this. A chopper is waiting for you outside." He paused. "We're taking you home."

----------------------

George hurried down the stairs to the second floor. David was waiting for him at the other side of the hall. "Here, come on!" he said. He pushed open the emergency exit. Alarms shrieked. They both ran down the stairs and opened the door leading to outside.

And stopped.

Agents were waiting for them on the other side. With assault rifles. As they fired George and David ran back through the door and up the stairs to the second level. The agent chasing George had caught up with them. George hit the man as hard as he could, snapping the man's neck with one blow. David bent down and unhook the assault rifle. "We've got to reach those tunnels," David said as more Umbrella officers entered the lobby on the first floor.

George shook his head. "I'm not sure how."

With flashlights the officers spotted them and fired upwards. David returned fire, and George grabbed David's handgun and fired with him. His blue eyes lifted briefly, searching. "There's about fifty more of them outside. We'll never make it out through here."

"So what do you suggest?"

"The other stairwell. Back this way," George gestured. "It's our only chance!"

---------------------

After at least a minute Alyssa blinked. She looked away, gripping her hands. "No. No I can't believe that you would do that for me-"

"We found your husband." Eric interrupted. He looked down as he opened a locket. "He sent this along as proof."

Alyssa hastily snatched it from him and lifted it. "This is his," she whispered. She felt her heart contract painfully. It never occurred to her how much she missed him....how maybe, the possibility of the real world wasn't so far away.

"He loves you and he wants you to come with him," Eric said pleadingly. "We're airlifting all the survivors out right now. After you is the shelter." He looked away. "Maybe then...we can explain."

Alyssa glanced up. "What about George...and David?"

"I'm sorry. We can't do the same for them. We have sufficient reason to believe that David is already infected. As for the young Mr. Damien..." Eric took a step forwards. "We've been studying his unique condition. The T-virus cells are dormant, but how long will that be? Any minute they could start up again. When it does, Mr. Damien will become a danger to himself, and everyone around him. We can't risk it and...I'm sorry."

Alyssa stared at the locket, not saying a word.

"Alyssa...there's nothing left for you here, except death. We're trying to help everyone. The same choice was offered to Yoko Suzuki and...look where it got her. She's dead. You won't survive any longer if you stay here. Please, come with us!" Eric smiled a little. "At the very least you can monitor our activities, and see the truth for yourself."

Alyssa closed her eyes, silent tears falling down her cheeks. She nodded.

"You'll...you'll do it?" Eric asked, the relief evident on his face.

"Yes," Alyssa whispered.

"Okay," Eric said, gripping her shoulders gently. "The nightmare stops for you right now. Look, do you have the vial? You can keep it if you still don't trust me, but it's very dangerous if it's not handled carefully."

"Yes," Alyssa said sniffing and looking down. "I have it," She opened the purse and fumbled through it with her hand. Her eyes widening, she yanked the purse wide open.

The vial wasn't there.

-------------------

Holding the glowing vial in his hand, George stared at the security monitor that displayed Alyssa and the Umbrella military man. And relayed everything they had said.

"Wow. Even I didn't see this one coming," David remarked.

George didn't reply. He held the vial up to eye-level and stared at it carefully. The last time he and Alyssa had talked, he had seen it poking out of her purse and taken it when she wasn't looking. He couldn't explain why at the same...but now it seemed like his intuition had saved him again. He winced slightly in the brilliant light, but more so from the pain in his mind then anything else. Whatever his condition the t-virus had made for him, the vial was strongly reacting against it.

David was interested. "What is it?"

"A weapon," George replied. "We need to get out of here with it."

"Assuming we survive," David glanced up at the screen. "What about her?"

George looked up. He didn't say anything, but his eyes were filled with sorrow and disbelief as he starred at the stammering Alyssa. His voice, however, remained as firm as ever. "We leave her."

-----------------

The basement door opened with a loud creak. David walked down the narrow steps. It was devoid of zombies, at least for now. The basement was an enclosed space, with a long, narrow line of water heading beyond David's field of vision.

David looked down at the small boat. "Guess that's how we're supposed to get out of here," he remarked.

"Wait," George said, stopping him with a hand to his chest. "There's something in the water. I'm not sure what it is." His blue eyes looked searching at the water.

David waited.

"It's another hybrid," George concluded.

"I thought you said all the hybrids had been destroyed at the underground base," David said.

"Somehow this one managed to escape. If that's true, then it's bad news."

A sudden, low groan made both of them look up. It didn't sound remotely human. Maybe it was just George's imagination, but he could see tentacles raising out of the water.

"After you," David motioned with a small smile.

George shook his head. "We need to find another way out of here." He looked

away. "If there is another way."

"There is only one way. Through the front doors," David replied, snapping. "To do that, we'll have to kill every single man and woman in the Umbrella force waiting for us! Not to mention any zombies that cross our path. Are you up for that? Because, you know, we probably won't survive."

George sighed. "I know. But I would rather take my chances with them instead of what's in the water." He glanced at David before leaving. "Trust me."

--------------------

The door burst open in the lobby, startling the twenty Umbrella men gathered there. They did a half- turn just as David emerged with his guns raised, mercilessly firing one bullet after another. Each struck true. George carried no weapons, but he didn't need to. He grabbed the shoulders of one man and shoved him. The man flew backwards, hitting the wall and was knocked out cold.

George's eyes drifted upwards. New instincts he could barely understand were warning him of a new threat-the fire. It had spread to a point where the third and second levels was completely engulfed. As a result the remaining zombies were being driven down to the first floor. Hoards of them were stumbling down the stairs, which explained why the Umbrella men didn't cut George and David down when they had the chance. It looked as though the Umbrella men were being rapidly overrun. George had very little sympathy.

In the back of his mind, George wondered if Alyssa had made it out or not.

George showed no mercy. He hit an Umbrella man in the chest, and struck another with the back of his hand. The man fell. George and David struggled towards the front doors. A zombie woman was reaching towards David. George punched the woman in the head with all of the strength, and his fist lodged straight through her brain and out the other side. His face etched in disgust, George withdrew his hand with a bit of effort. There were screams of agony and chaos all around him, and the fire was moving towards the lobby. George could actually see flaming zombies launching towards the Umbrella men. Coughing, George exited out of the front doors with David. It was devoid of Umbrella men as David and George stepped out. The rain had built up in intensity, but it was not enough to put the fire out.

George glanced behind him as they ran, and saw the roof of the hospital collapse in on itself.

Turning back, George and David stopped suddenly. Waiting for them ahead was

the Commander of the Umbrella force, with Alyssa standing next to him. Lightning flashed in the distance.

"So," the Commander said flatly. "All the struggles, all the fighting has finally led you to this." He held out his hand. "Give me the vial. Or the two of you die here. Right now."

George and David glanced at each other.

"I know you have it!" the Commander snapped. "Give it to me! Now!" Beside him Alyssa said nothing, her face pale but firm.

It was David who spoke first in a surprising show of emotion, "Alyssa, how could you do this!? After all that they've done!?"

Alyssa smiled, somewhat coldly. "Gotta get my interviews somewhere," she replied.

Clicks behind them. Eight Umbrella men had made it out of the burning hospital and had pointed their assault rifles behind them. Starring at them, David slowly tossed his guns to the ground.

They had lost.

George stared at the men behind him, and back at the commander. He bit his lip.

"George, just give them the formula! Then they'll leave you alone!" Alyssa shouted desperately.

Slowly, George dug into his pocket. His hand came up with the vial, which

illuminated all twelve of them with blue light. George lifted it, and hesitated.

The Commander leaned forwards. "Yes. Give it to me! Now!"

David stared at George and knew what he was going to do. He dived to the ground.

George's thumb pressed upwards, and the cap popped off the vial. He hurled the formula right at the Commander. It shattered against his chest in a cloud of smoke. Beside him Alyssa's vision literally exploded with blue light. Alyssa blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision.

What she saw made her gasp.

The area around herself, George, and David had literally stopped. George blinked and looked at the frozen rain in astonishment. Time outside of them was continuing normally. Only George noticed a change as he suddenly felt a little sick. Inside of him the t-virus cells rapidly started up again and consumed the normal cells as his blood pumped faster. Unknown to this fact, George watched as time suddenly resumed and returned to normal a second later.

The same could not be said of the Commander. The contents of the vial splashed all over his body. The commander howled and fell to one knee, his flesh literally twisting apart and building together in intensity. His teeth were set in a snarl, teeth that were in full view considering the contents of the vial had melted away half of his jaw. His muscles were bulging more and more until he was already twice the size of what he already was. Unlike George's transformation, which had taken days, this was progressing in seconds! George stepped back. "Run," he whispered.

He glanced at David. "NOW!"

They ran out into the empty street, the man's horrible howling still echoing in their heads.

Left behind, Alyssa could only stare with her hands to her mouth as Eric literally grew three times to what he was. The Umbrella officers looked at each other nervously. "Take him out!" one of them shouted.

They fired as one, hoping to end Eric's life.....

But bullets had no effect.

-------------------

George wasn't entirely sure how long they had ran on the road for, when they were abruptly stopped with spotlights shining down on their heads. David automatically took out his handgun and pointed it upwards. Taking a deep, gulping breath, George looked around. He had absolutely no idea where he was or what trouble they had landed themselves into now.

Clicks around him. George squinted, and saw that they were surrounded by at least thirty men dressed in black. "Umbrella men," he whispered.

"Can we get them all?" David asked.

George looked around, calculating. "No."

"Let me through! Get outta my way, now!"

George's blue eyes widened. He knew who that voice belonged to.

A figure parted through the crowd of soldiers. "Turn it off-turn that s***-a** damn light off them!" Kevin ordered, waving his arm. The light snapped off.

George blinked his eyes gratefully. "Thank you," he said.

Kevin gripped his shoulder, his face broken into a large grin. Apart from looking a little haggard then usual, the police officer hadn't changed one bit. "You made it." He then frowned. "Took you long enough. Do you always have to be so melodramatic, doc?"

Taking another gulping breath, George looked up at him.

"So this is the shelter?" David asked.

"Yep. Where's the rest of your team?" Kevin asked, consulting a clipboard. "Yoko and Alyssa?"

"Yoko's dead. Alyssa choose to betray us to Umbrella," George answered.

Kevin looked down, and noticed for the first time the bite scar on George's hand. Kevin set the clipboard down. "Does Alyssa know about the shelter?"

"She might. I don't see why-"

Quick as a snake, Kevin took out his gun and pointed it right at George's forehead. The other officers quickly followed. George made no move.

"Where'd you get that bite mark, George?" Kevin asked. "Thing is, this is a club by invitation only. No zombies allowed. Not even the people in the in-between stages."

"You're really going to kill me, Kevin?" George remarked.

Kevin smiled, and pulled back the safety. "We're not that close."

The other officers tensed, waiting to see what would happen.

George licked his lips, and decided that some fast explaining was in order. "Listen-"

"G-George?" a voice called out.

Startled, George turned around. His eyes widened. He had fought in dozens of battles where he was sure he was going to be killed. He didn't survive the underground laboratory, and had died alone, and later transformed into something else. But none of those things had hit him as hard as what he looked at now.

Cindy stood awkwardly alone by herself, her hands in her jeans. She stared at him with wide blue eyes.

---------------

George stared at Cindy for a long moment. He was acutely aware of Kevin's gun to the back of his head and his other senses told him that all the guns were trained on him, but he barely noticed.

Cindy glanced at the others. The barmaid was out of her too-small outfit and was wearing blue jeans and a blue blouse. "W-What are you doing?" she asked.

"He's one of them, Cin," Kevin explained.

Cindy met George's eyes. "Is that true?"

George shook his head. "No." He lifted his hand. "This scar is five days old. I found a cure."

Mutters all around him. George stepped forwards, ignoring them. They weren't important now. All that mattered was the one person in front of him. George gripped her hands. "It's me, Cindy," he said quietly. "It really is."

The astonishment was clear on her face, but she gripped his hands tightly. She hugged him. Tightly. For George, it was an eternity of happiness. She sniffed as they broke free. "You look so hurt."

"I've changed a lot," George admitted. "I'm not sure what I am, anymore." He looked up. "I thought you were dead!" He unfolded the blood-stained note he had kept from the lab and gave it to her.

Cindy read it over, once. "This isn't me...this isn't my writing. It wasn't me."

George smiled, relief etched on his face. He let the note drop to the ground into a puddle, glad to see it gone.

Slowly, Kevin and the others lowered their guns. "Is that true, Doc?" Kevin demanded, approaching. "Are you normal!?"

George managed a weak smile, Cindy still in his arms. "As normal as I can be."

Kevin stared at him for a long moment. Then his face broke into a grin. "In that case, welcome to the shelter."

---------------------

It was still nighttime. Holding hands, George and Cindy walked down the parking lot next to the police station. It really wasn't all that much, all things considered. There were a few people sitting against the wall, one of them smoking. Debris and garbage littered the concrete, and far off into the distance George could hear the sound of a police siren. "How many?" he asked.

"About fifty-three," Cindy answered.

George shook his head. "That's not a lot."

"I know. But it's all we have." Cindy lowered her head, then looked up at him. "I've missed you. You say that you've changed..but so have I to reach this place. I went through this burning hotel....if it hadn't been for Kevin showing up when he did, I might have been killed. I saw things that weren't even human." She looked away. "Now that we're here...I'm not even sure that we can do anything. I mean, there's no way out of this city, George! We've tried, but it's all been blocked off." She sighed. "We might never get out of here."

"There was always a possibility that we wouldn't survive, Cindy," George said, sitting down on a concrete edge.

"So what can we do?" Cindy asked.

George shrugged. He smiled, a rarity for him. "Talk. It's been so long since I've seen you, Cindy. We might not live tomorrow, but at least we have tonight. For tonight, I would like to know you a little better."

Cindy hesitated, and smiled at him. It was a radiant smile. "I think I can do that."

The two of them held hands, once a barmaid and a doctor, and began to talk.

They talked until the sun rose.

-----------------------------

It was past midnight of the next day.

George sat by himself in one of the dormitories in the shelter. For the moment, he was alone, which was good. All things considering. He sat on the very edge of the lower bunk, thinking. For the past day everyone he had run into had been so relieved to have escaped and find the shelter. Cindy herself had said on more then one occasion, 'We made it! We're going to be okay!'

George wished he could say that the same was true for him.

He had been allowed to believe it for a day or so. That, through some miracle, everything would work out. He had worked with the others, helping to build up the shelter, attending to the wounded that were there. Then, only a few hours ago, he had fallen into an exhausted slumber and fell asleep.

He dreamed that he was outside on the streets, surrounded by hundreds...no, thousands of zombies all around him. They did not attack him, however, because he had already changed into one himself. All of them were looking up at the sky. Something was headed towards them that blotted out the sky...and then fire....and then....

Cindy.

With a start George opened his eyes to the crackling of a fire within a metal garbage can. He had fallen asleep against the wall without even realizing. His hand ran through the stubble on his chin and he stood.

And trembled. He gripped the table only just in time to prevent himself falling. He winced and rolled up the sleeve on his arm. The veins had turned jet-black. Concerned, he took a blood sample from his arm and ran it through a microscope. A moment later he looked up, his eyes starring at nothing. The T-virus had started up in his bloodstream again. He would only have few hours before it consumed him completely.

Now George sat on the edge of the bed, his head lowered. For the first time in his life, he didn't know what to do. His eyes looked at the handgun on the desk on more then one occasion. It might be the simple way to end this. It might be-

He suddenly looked up. His senses were alerting him to something. There was someone outside the shelter. In the street in front of the police headquarters. Waiting. Everyone else was already accounted for and the shelter had been locked down for the night.

-----------------

George pushed open the door and stepped outside. For once, it wasn't raining, but there was a strong breeze was in the air. Underneath the wind George could smell death, and decay.

Of the person that was outside, there was no sign.

George turned to leave, and stopped. Next to a tree was a large brown envelope that was fluttering in the grass. George bent downwards and picked it up. The front was addressed to him. George ripped it open and removed a short letter.

'Dear Mr. Damien,

You may not remember me, though I very much know you. I have been following your movements, including your work on a certain item called DAYLIGHT. By now you must have realized that the antidote you made was incomplete. I am also aware of your deteriorating condition and that you have very little time. I believe the two of us can be of great assistance to each other, Mr. Damien. I require you to come to the Racoon City University as soon as possible. The less people involved the better. If the issue of trust is holding you back, there is someone here waiting at the University that means a great deal to both of us.'

A friend.

Enclosed was a small sealed packaged. George ripped it open, and an object fell into his palm. George held it up. It was a blood-stained key, dangling from a thin golden chain. George stared at it, not believing, refusing to believe. He lowered the key. This had to be a trick. There was no other possible explanation...expect one. And that option was impossible.

And yet....George looked up, and stood. He went into the headquarters, but only to take a handgun from the spare weapons pile. He left alone. He couldn't bring down what had happened to him on anybody else.

----------------------

"He did what??" Kevin snapped.

"He just...left," Cindy said. "Without leaving a note or...anything." She looked down.

Seeing the look in her eyes, Kevin gripped her hands. Hard.

"Could the virus have started itself again? Maybe George just wanted to get himself as far away from us as possible," David remarked, cleaning his fingernails.

"Only one way to find out," Kevin stated.

"Don't we have our own problems?" David snapped.

"Yes. Yes we do. But we're still going." He glanced at David. "You got a problem with that?"

David said nothing. He just stood and walked away.

Kevin also stood. He noticed that Cindy's eyes were red. Kevin swore under his breath. damn it, he really wasn't very good at consoling. Still, he kept his eyes firm. "I'm sure that whatever the reason is, it's not you, Cin. We're find out in an hour, when it gets light."

------------------------------

Leaning against the wall, David bit off his glove and stared at the wound again. Fresh blood broke through the crust, only it felt...different. Almost slimy.

------------------------------

It was just after dawn. George encountered very little resistance as he approached the University grounds, and those he did meet ignored him completely. He paused only to stare at the massive cracked fountain in the center, now devoid of water. George looked up at the University. Beyond the gate was a five-story building. An impressive structure, George thought. He walked past the open gates, kicking away dead leaves as he went up the driveway. As he approached the door he wondered, idly, if this was the last time he was going to see the outside world.

The massive doors creaked open as George entered the University. Despite the fact that it was a sunny day, the light did not seem able to pierce the room very well. George experimentally tried the light switch and wasn't surprised to find that the power was out. He was in a massive lobby with two staircases spanning to the third level. Beyond that he could see little.

George turned on a flashlight. The beam pierced the darkness, but not the eerie silence. The students must have been evacuated a long time ago. He had assumed that whoever had left him the letter was going to meet him in the entrance. But there was no one. "Hello?" he tried.

Still, nothing. Not even his new senses could detect anything amiss. In fact, they couldn't detect anything at all. Had zombies even penetrated the University? He moved forwards, a handgun was in one of his hands, and a flashlight in the other.

George experimentally tried a door on the first level. It lead to a hall. George stepped closer. There was movement. It was a security guard, struggling to stand with the help of a chair...and failing. His legs had been badly eaten away. The security focused his yellow eyes at George briefly.

So much for zombies not being here. George lifted his handgun and fired into the security guard's brain.

---------------------------

Minutes later on the third floor George entered a small but comfortable study. There were decorate paintings on the wall, and statues of the campus' presidents lined up below them. A fire was burning quietly in the fireplace, providing the room with much-needed heat. And, sitting beside a desk, was a man with thinning grey hair. He looked up as soon as George entered. "Ah. George. Good. Your timing could have been a little bit better, but we deal with what we have. Please, shut the door behind you. We have much to discuss. And so little time."

George closed the door. Quietly.

"I apologize for not meeting you sooner, but my health...has not been the best of late. Oh, you have no need of weapons, Mr. Damien. I can assure you that I am not from Umbrella. In fact, I have been doing what I can to stop them. You and I have met before, though I must say that was so long ago you probably don't remember. I hope you don't take offense when I say that you look far different from the young, ambitious doctor I used to know. But then, a lot's happened since then, hasn't it? Especially to you."

George looked up.

"Yes, I have been following your every move since then. Starting from that bite in your hand."

George looked down at the scar.

-George was hurled against the sharp end of a desk next to a test vat. He turned around, desperately trying to catch his breath, when the zombie lunged at his back. George closed his eyes. He could feel its hot putrid breath running down his throat. George struggled in panic, trying desperately to get the thing off him. On the other side of the room, out of George's sight, the door burst open. Five zombie lurched into the room.

On some level George knew what was going to happen before it actually did. The zombie reached closer, its teeth poised to strike at George's throat. In his panic to stop the thing from ripping his throat out, George's hand attempted to back-hit the creature. He managed to hit it, but the zombie's mouth instantly clamped down on his hand. Blood gushed from between the corpse's teeth.-

George looked up again.

"And ending...here." The man lifted his hands. "For, Mr. Damien, this is the place where it'll all end...for good or evil. This will be the final battleground."

-------------------------

"Forgive me for being so melodramatic," the man added, pouring himself a glass of wine. "I just know certain facts that you do not. Maybe I should start from the beginning. My name is Peter Jenkins. You and I met briefly at Yoko Suvaki's father's funeral. One of the creators of the T-virus. I was another."

George blinked. Peter smiled. "Yes, I was partly responsible for what happened here. What do you expect me to say? Sorry it happened? That I would take it back if I could? I don't." He slammed the glass down. "The T-virus was supposed to be a medical breakthrough-it would have solved cancer! Solved thousands of diseases! So don't you dare judge me!"

George sat down, feeling weak all of a sudden. A sign that he was changing. "So instead of medical breakthroughs this happened," he said quietly. He looked up, truly curious. "How did you escape Umbrella?"

"I have my resources," Peter replied. "One of them being lots of money. This campus here. I run it. I created it years ago. Mostly though, I survived by being very clever. As you have."

George shook his head. "You said that there was someone here. Someone that would be important to us both-?"

"Ah, yes! Forgive me. We both have been tirelessly working for the past few days." He knocked on a closed door. "He's arrived."

The door opened.

George felt like he had been punched in the stomach. He couldn't speak. He could only stare. Facing Cindy was hard enough to believe. But this...

Peter gestured with his hand."Yoko, please have a seat."

Yoko did so, without even glancing in George's direction. George stared at her openly in astonishment. George noticed that there was a large, thick scar running from her cheek down her throat, and George assumed, down her body concealed by her clothes. No matter how hard he tried to meet her eyes she wouldn't.

"We don't have a lot of time," Peter spoke again, sitting down. "For, without sounding too melodramatic again, I believe that we three are the only hope this world has left."

--------

(Below Freezing Point)

With a startled shriek Yoko opened her eyes.

Her vision was blurred and she lay stretched upon the icy ground in a pool of her own blood. She tried to move and instantly regretted it. Her lip drew back in pain as tears swelled in her green eyes. There was no sign of what attacked her, or for that matter, the train.

The room suddenly shook around her. 'The missiles!' Yoko realized. She watched as the tunnel from which the train left collapsed in on itself.

"Help!" Yoko called out, but no one answered her. She placed her head under her arm as she was literally buried alive.

----------------------

(Now)

Yoko blinked away the memory as she listened to Mr. Jenkins. She was perfectly aware that George was trying to catch her eye, and ignored him.

Peter cleared his throat. "Dr. Damien, let me get you quickly up to speed. There is a cure for the T-virus. That much we do know. The formula you created was basically correct, but it was missing ingredients necessary for the entire destruction of the T-virus in your system. Thus, it started up again, though at a much slower rate. Based on our calculations you have twenty-three hours before it purges your system again. There is nothing we can do about that, but I thought you should know."

George needed a moment to absorb that. He put his glass down thoughtfully.

"Yoko and I have been working day in and day out to create an anti-virus, for everyone in Racoon city. And we had one."

George glanced at Yoko. "Had?"

Yoko looked away from him.

The scientist cleared his throat. "Yes. Well, unfortunately, some of my lesser-moralistic coleges were paid off by Umbrella, you see. The anti-virus is destroyed. We have to rec-reate it from scratch. Three key ingredients are needed, ingredients that are inside this very university and we need to get our hands on."

George immediately understood. "Ah. I see. You need a test subject for the anti-virus."

"Partly so. But these ingredients must be found with all haste, and we believe a man that has absolutely nothing to lose is the best person to do it." Peter smiled. "Let me make one thing perfectly clear, doctor-the cure probably won't save you. Our tests have already confirmed that. Your body has mutated too much for daylight to work. You are going to die soon, but first you must help us."

George stared at him.

"Umbrella knows that the three of us are here and should be arriving soon. Fortunately, because of you, they have far more pressing concerns to worry about."

"Like what?" George asked.

"The thing that you created in Racoon City Hospital using Umbrella's formula. You have essentially created a super-human, Mr. Damien, one that is invulnerable to any kind of harm. Umbrella is currently trying to neutralize it."

"Why would they do that?" George asked. "I thought this thing only neutralized zombies."

Peter smiled a little. "Umbrella doesn't like surprises. They have not had any success, I'm happy to say. We have been observing channels from Umbrella's headquarters. They plan to launch a missile attack upon Racoon City by dawn tomorrow."

George blinked, shocked beyond words. "What?" he said.

"Nothing will survive," Peter continued. "Soon all of this will be nothing more then ash."

George stood from his chair. The nightmare he had only just last night was starting to resurface. "We have to warn everyone...there are people waiting in the shelter to be airlifted out of here! We had confirmation-"

"Umbrella lied to you, once again," Peter said. "A false hope to keep anyone from trying to leave the city. There is no one coming to help you."

George said nothing for a moment, considering. Then, he grabbed his jacket.

"Where are you going?"

George stared at him as he put on his jacket. "You said I'm already a dead man. The least I can do is tell my friends what's coming."

Peter gave him an odd look. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about that." He gestured towards the window. "Have a look."

Puzzled, George moved to the open window and moved the white curtain open. Down below he could see Kevin, Cindy, and David walking in the courtyard towards the university. "Are you sure he went this way?" he could distinctly hear Kevin say.

"Your friends are persistent," Peter remarked. "Though I'm sure they go to their doom. Like perhaps, all of us. Racoon City cannot be saved. In tomorrow it will be nothing more then ash. And if that doesn't happen? What do you think you will do to them Your friends?"

George didn't reply-couldn't reply, because he noticed something else at that very moment. Namely a very large black helicopter coming towards them. Something launched from the helicopter towards them. George's eyes widened and he whirled around. He grabbed Yoko and hurled her down to the carpet as the room literally exploded around them.

---------------------

"Woah!" Kevin said as the side of the wall exploded from the missile. Automatically he took out his gun, and swore. Out of range. "Come on!" he shouted to the others, and ran for the massive doors.

---------------------

Half-blinded by the dust, George choked, trying to find Yoko. She was right underneath him. The windows shattered around them. Three troops entered with assault rifles. One of them spotted Peter and fired. At point-blank range Peter was dead before he hit the ground.

Yoko shrieked. George looked up at the officer baring the gun on them. He grabbed a piece of rubble from the ground and hurled it towards the man. It connected sharply against his forehead. George looked to the left and saw an open doorway, a room adjacent to the one he was in. He didn't dare try to go back into the hall. The danger of being shot down was too great. He grabbed Yoko's arm firmly and ran towards the open doorway. Both of them dived downwards into the next room as bullets exploded over them. George kicked the door shut. He looked up and saw that there was no lock on it.

Bullets exploded through the door. Yoko grabbed a chair and held it fast under the doorknob. One bullet went right through George's hand. He jerked it away with a grunt and stole a quick glance around the room. Just his luck. They were trapped in a bedroom with no windows or exit. They backed away from the door. George looked around, thinking hard but coming up with nothing.

Yoko removed her glasses. One of the frames had shattered. Without thinking about what she was doing she placed them on a statue. The click that followed made them both turn around.

-----------------

Through the secret passage George proceeded down a metal walkway, griping the railing with his newly-healed hand. "Hurry!" he said.

"Don't tell me what to do, Damien," Yoko snapped at him, shocking the doctor. However, now was not the time for a discussion. They both proceeded down a metal ladder, past a sparking cable, and through the passage which led to a dead end. George felt around until he came to a switch. He pressed it, and a secret door opened.

They were now in a study, but this time on the first floor. George immediately turned around. "Yoko-"

Sniffing, she turned around and slapped him. Hard. George starred at her, not even able to comprehend.

"You left me there!" Yoko burst out. "You left me there dying...and bleeding..." Her voice broke and she turned away, sobbing. "I woke up...I was on the ground...everybody had left..." She closed her eyes. "I was so alone..." Yoko was shaking. "So afraid." She turned on him, suddenly angry. "Did you even think to ask what had happened to me? Did you even stop to check on your way out!?" She cut him off before he could reply. "No. Because I had murdered all those people. I was just an answered problem for you, wasn't I?"

"Yoko...I didn't know. By then, I had turned into something else. Something I couldn't explain, something I couldn't even...understand." George turned away. "You'd think the memories would be murky for me....but...they weren't. I remember everything that happened. I remember the bodies falling. I remember myself killing that beast that..I thought killed you." He turned back to face her. "I wasn't human, Yoko. I wasn't even alive. Even when Alyssa rescued me...I was still dead inside. Because of what had happened to you. I was so sure you were dead.." His voice faded in astonishment. He still couldn't even comprehend. He touched her shoulder, just to be sure.

She jerked away and sniffed. "I had better bandage your hand before it becomes infected." She lifted his hand in blinked in astonishment. There was no marks. Not even a scar.

"I told you, I'm different now," George said as the only explanation. He paused. "We need to find the cure."

"For yourself, you mean," Yoko snapped.

George shook his head. "For everyone. You yourself are infected too, remember?"

Yoko said nothing, and looked down, tears forming in her eyes. Then, she shook her head and brushed past him. "Come on."

-------------

Several flashlights pierced the darkness of the lobby. The Umbrella men moved carefully, searching.

George stared from the open doorway. The stairs were right next to them, and the only chance to escape Umbrella would be to go up it. He gestured. Yoko nodded. She led the way, crouching down and crawling up the stairwell.

At the eleventh step the floorboard creaked under her hand.

One of the Umbrella men instantly turned and fired his assault rifle. Had Yoko been standing and not ducking, she would have been killed right away. Before the man could fire again George had reached his side and punched him in the face. The man fell to the ground, his neck snapping. George fired his handgun at two other officers and killed them.

Yoko straightened. Immediately another officer fired at her and she dived back down the stairs. George was on the man in an instant, grabbing his assault rifle, jabbing him once in the stomach, and strangling him. The man fell to the ground. Breathing hard, George caught a red beam on the floor and his gun flew upwards, firing on two men from the ledge. As Yoko joined his side the front doors burst open and sunlight poured into the room. George gaped in horror. At least five more officers moved in towards them. George and Yoko ran behind the stairwell as the doors shut behind the officers, making the room pitch-black again.

Experimentally, George poked his head out from the corner and he jerked back as several bullets exploded near him. He couldn't see very well and he hoped that the Umbrella officers had exactly the same problem. He heard one of them say something to another. The one who listened took something out of his belt and rolled it across the floor. Smoke came out of it and gathered rapidly. George looked to the right just as two officers took out two more.

"What is it?" Yoko asked.

"I don't know!" George replied, and immediately inhaled some of it. He coughed and it was rapidly becoming more difficult to see anything beyond the smoke. "We have to stick together!"

"I can't-" she said, and with a startled shrieked she was literally pulled away from him. George tried to hold onto her but couldn't.

"Yoko!" he called but he lost her in the smoke. George continued coughing. Whatever he was breathing in, it took away all of his strength. An Umbrella man wearing a gas mask suddenly appeared in front of him. With a snarl George shoved him backwards as far as he could. The man hit the opposite wall and collapsed.

George checked his gun. He only had one bullet left. The air was only getting thicker. He knew that he couldn't last much longer. He moved forwards.

Hands grabbed him and suddenly dragged him back. George fought, but couldn't break free. By the end he was so depleted that he couldn't breathe at all and had trouble moving. He was led into a passageway and he could see Yoko in front of him. The door slammed shut behind them. George and Yoko were dropped to the ground. Yoko was already unconscious. George struggled to look up.

The female removed her mask, and George knew who it was.

-------------------------

"Stun gas," Kevin said a few minutes later, pouring whiskey into two glass cups. "Umbrella's newest invention. One whiff and you're supposed to be out like a light." He handed George a glass. "Here."

George looked up at him in astonishment. Why is it that Kevin was always offering alcohol as the solution?

"It'll clear your system. Believe me, I know," Kevin said. "Besides, too good of a brand to waste here."

George took an experimental sip and felt better immediately. Without hesitation he chugged down the whole glass. Immediately his head began to clear.

Yoko looked fearfully towards the door.

Kevin winked at her. "Don't worry kid. There were more of us then there were of them. David and I gave them some of their own medicine. Heard radio chatter, though. More's coming."

George looked up at Cindy, who was starring back at him anxiously. George didn't know what to say to her. He settled for looking down.

Fortunately, Kevin had more then enough words. "So." The police officer plopped down on the couch and grinned his smile many found so charming. "You kids mind telling us what you're both doing here?"

--------------------

The mood in the small longue changed drastically as George told them in a shaky voice the missile attack and Yoko telling them they might have found a cure.

When they were finished Kevin was standing and shaking his head. David was starring at Yoko and Cindy was starring at George.

"s***," Kevin said, speaking for all of them.

"It's a dilemma," Yoko agreed.

"No, it's not. We get the Hell out of here without the cure," Kevin said.

"What?" George, David, and Yoko said in surprised unison.

"Look, I realize that some people in this room need it, but the danger of a missile attack is just too great. I mean, how long would it take us to find this cure?"

"I know exactly where the ingredients can be found," Yoko said coldly.

"And then what? How long would it take to create it?"

Yoko bit her lip. "To properly mix the compounds together the devices have to be operating properly. I would need eight hours to warm them up."

"What?" Kevin said. George blinked. That part he didn't realize.

"Still gives us lots of time," David said.

"Assuming Umbrella keeps its appointment. Do you trust them to do that?" Kevin checked the small clock on the mantle. It was ten o'clock in the morning. That would put them at six o'clock. He shook his head. "s***. I still say we leave it. We don't even know if this cure would work and we would be jeopardizing our chances to leave the city while trying."

"Easy for you to say. You're not infected," David said.

Kevin stared at him intently. "Oh, and you are?"

David blinked. "N-no. Of course not. Just thinking of other people in this room. Unlike you."

"We could be bringing hope to the world," Yoko said.

"If Umbrella levels this place into ash then the world wouldn't need any hope will it?" Kevin said. "And even if we make a cure then what? Do you have any idea how to leave the city? All the exits are barricaded off! It would take us all day to get through them!"

Yoko said nothing, looking down.

"Look, lady, what you're proposing is suicide. Oh sure, we might be nice and toasty by the end of tomorrow, but at least we can go out with the satisfaction of knowing that we didn't go out a zombie!"

"Maybe that's the best we can do," Yoko said glumly. "But we have to take the chance."

Kevin sighed. "Is this why you came, doc-doc?"

George was starring at nothing.

"Yo, doc. Earth to doc," Kevin said, snapping his fingers.

"It's coming," George said softly.

Something in George's voice made Yoko turn to face him. "What?" she asked.

George didn't reply. He looked up at David.

"The mutant? Are you sure?" David demanded, straightening.

George nodded. "It's near here. I guess it's tracking us."

"Why would it do that?"

George was thoughtful. "Maybe it thinks I can reverse whatever I did to it." He shook his head. "But I can't." He looked away. "It has to be stopped."

Kevin stared at both of them. "What in the Hells are you both talking about?" he asked.

-------------------------

The dusty incubator spun above Yoko's hands.

They had made it to the fifth floor without any trouble at all, but everyone knew that the situation could change any time. They were in a empty laboratory, each of them looking more then a little anxious.

"How does it look?" Cindy asked nervously.

Yoko slowly nodded. "Looks good. But we need to get everything else warmed up. David, would you mind getting that-"

"Doc," Kevin whispered, and gestured with his head.

The two of them stepped outside into the dark hallway. Kevin had his hands in his pockets. "I've known you to be many things, doc. But not a liar. So don't lie to me now. You're not really cured, are you?"

"I thought I was," George replied.

"How long do you think you can last?"

"As long as I have to in order to get the cure," George said firmly.

Kevin nodded, not really surprised. "I'm sure you also realize that our best chance to find the ingredients is to split off into three groups. And, I won't be going with you. Cindy will, partly because I figure you want to break this to her yourself and also because I honestly think you care enough to protect her in areas where I can't. But I will tell you, just so we're crystal-clear doctor. If you hurt that woman, I will hunt you down and make a pleasant thing compared to what I have in store for you. Deal?"

George nodded.

Kevin sighed and looked out the window. "This is turning into a rapidly crappy day. And it's the beginning of the storm. I can tell. I always have a sixth sense for these kinds of things. We're going to split up, and the next time we meet up again, we're going to have Hell on our tails. Not a lot of time for pleasantries. Assuming that we'll still be alive to even meet up again."

George blinked.

"This is like those horror stories, you know? In the end, someone's not going to make it out of here alive."

"So let's change the ending so that we'll all get out of this," George said firmly.

Kevin smiled and lit up a cigarette. "Always the optimist, aren't you? Want one? Oh I forgot, you don't smoke, do you?"

George took one. "I feel like trying," he said. Kevin lit one up for him. Immediately George regretted it five seconds later when he doubled over and coughed wretchedly.

Kevin laughed. "I guess being a zombie doesn't protect your lungs, does it?"

George straightened. "It's still the gas. Working in my system," he said innocently.

Kevin winked. "Yeah. Sure it is."

George stared at him, serious for a moment. "Thank you."

"For what?" Kevin asked, exhaling.

"You don't have to do this."

"Well, someone's gotta take care of you crazy people, I suppose. Guess that has to be me." Kevin smiled a little. "Besides, this is the most fun I've had on the force for five years. And I'm guessing it's a step up from whatever you were."

George smiled a little despite himself.

"I suppose it's too late for that offer to show you Racoon City, doc," Kevin added.

"That's okay. I've...seen enough of the city," George said.

"Some other part of the world then, if we're not too busy."

George nodded.

Kevin pitched his cigarette. "Come on. Daylight's wasting. Let's make ourselves useful."

--------------------------

Above the laboratory George and Kevin pushed up the metal grating.

Yoko nodded and climbed into the shaft after David. "The vents will take us straight where we need to go," she confirmed. "Do you remember my instructions and keycodes? Everybody?"

They nodded. "We'll meet back here in the laboratory as soon as we're done," Kevin ordered. "You have six hours."

"All right," Yoko said, and stared at George. She hesitated.

George approached her. "I never meant to leave you behind," he said.

Kevin stared at both of them impatiently.

Yoko's face tightened, and she shut the metal grating in his face. They could hear the distant sounds of David and Yoko crawling.

"All right," Kevin said. "Let's go."

----------------------

Since the basement was where they needed to go, George, Cindy, and Kevin headed down the stairs. Kevin suddenly stopped them. George looked down. He could hear it. Gnawing sounds. There were several zombies eating the bodies of the Umbrella men.

"Guess this place wasn't evacuated after all," Kevin remarked.

George reached out with his senses and looked up. There were several others above them on the balcony headed towards them. "Kevin-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Kevn replied. They faced about twenty of them in total. "Just like old times."

-----------

Kevin slammed the butt of his shotgun against the zombie's stomach, and swung it against her head. She fell to the ground and would have gotten up again if Kevin hadn't pumped the shotgun once and ended her life with a bullet to the head. From the other side of the room George fought furiously hand to hand. The fact that he was invisible to their radar didn't excuse him from the fact that they registered a threat if he hit them first. In most cases George was able to snap their necks on the first try. Sometimes, like in this case, he hadn't been so lucky. He was splattered with blood, none of it his.

Behind him Cindy backed away, pushing a lock of her blond hair over her ear nervously. She fired her handgun, desperately trying to make sure she had room to maneuver. Each bullet hit the skull of a zombie.

To the left Kevin didn't notice that there was someone behind him until it was almost too late. He turned around just as a woman slashed his arm with her fingernail. Kevin fired, and the woman fell. Turning back, he fired on the last three zombies. For a moment, there was silence.

George looked around frantically. "Is that all of them?"

"Yeah. Looks like it," Cindy answered.

George wasn't convinced. He looked around, searching. His senses were picking up something, but he could tell that everyone was down. There was no one else on the second story ledge.

Kevin touched the small scratch on his arm. "Dammit," he whispered. Feeling Cindy's blue eyes on his back, he slowly lowered his sleeve to cover the gash.

George started to walk carefully around, searching the bodies. This was starting to drive him crazy. It was like a buzzing in the back of his head. He was so intent in his searching that he didn't notice a red dot on the floor.

From the second story ledge the one remaining Umbrella officer lay with his stomach pressed against the floor. Slowly, with his free hand he took out a grenade from his belt.

Kevin noticed that George was looking for something. "What is it?" he demanded.

Cindy turned around in surprise.

"I don't-" George began, and froze. His eyes finally saw the laser beam, but he was unarmed. He looked up.

Instantly the dot jumped to Kevin.

Cindy turned around, the gun already in her hand. She fired.

The Umbrella man slumped to the floor. Dead.

Kevin shook his head. "Umbrella," he confirmed.

The live grenade fell from the man's fingertips and rolled off the ledge. It bounced into the air, George being right underneath it.

Before George could even think to react, Kevin took out his gun and fired upwards, hitting the grenade. It was an incredible shot, one that George with all of his new-found skills couldn't match in a million years. The grenade bounced backwards and detonated. George, Kevin, and Cindy stepped back as the stairwell exploded into a living fireball. It collapsed into ash, but fortunately did nothing more then that.

"We won't be going that way again," Kevin said.

----------------------

Yoko supplied them with keycodes to a room that led to the elevator. The three of them went down to the basement level. The elevator jerked to a stop, and Kevin peered cautiously out. He slowly walked out, George and Cindy right behind them. They were in a pitch-black empty passageway with a metal door to one side.

"Well, this is it. Your stop," Kevin said. "Mine is further down. You guys have what you need?"

George and Cindy looked at their weapons.

"It's not much. But it should get you through."

The three of them were silent.

"So this is it. The end of the line," Kevin said. "You know, it started with the three of us. We've all changed more then a little since then."

George laughed a little, as did Cindy. That was the understatement of the decade.

He hugged her tightly. "You be careful now, you hear? Don't hesitate to shoot anything that moves."

"I will, I promise," Cindy said, hugging him back just as tightly.

Kevin broke off from her, and looked at George, who was looking at the floor. For a moment, there was an awkward silence between them. "Doc."

"Kevin," George returned, refusing to meet his gaze. He sighed inwardly. He knew that he wasn't even human anymore, and that the former police officer, who would have cheerfully put a bullet in his head hours ago, wanted nothing more to do with him.

But Kevin surprised him by gripping his shoulder hard. Surprised, George looked up. "That goes for you too, doc," Kevin said. "Be careful. Don't give in, no matter what."

"The same for you," George said quietly. He was reminded eerily of Kevin's words-'the next time we'll meet up again, we'll have Hell on our tails.'

Kevin nodded, and with that, he went back into the elevator, his blue eyes disturbed.

"Be careful," Cindy said.

Kevin nodded, and the doors closed in front of him, leaving Cindy and George alone in the dark passageway.

They looked at each other.

------------------

Yoko and David crawled along the ventilation. "The labs shouldn't...shouldn't be too far from here," she said, and paused. Sweat was gathering on her forehead. The heat was turned on very high and she felt like they had been crawling for hours. More then anything she hated enclosed spaces. She thought she had died in one.

David rested along with her. He stared at her. "So. You're alive."

Breathing hard, Yoko looked up at him. "Yeah, I kinda noticed."

"So why did you want to come along with me? Did you think I left you behind too?"

"I know it sounds strange, ut...I don't know these other people."

"You know Georgy."

"Not anymore," Yoko said firmly.

"So how come you didn't die?" David asked, sounding completely uninterested.

Yoko hesitated, biting her lip. She really didn't want to live back to those moments, when she had to crawl her way along the floor until- "I was rescued. By Umbrella."

"And they just...let you go," David said, waving his gloved hand to emphasize. "The creator of the T-virus, and they just let you go."

"Yes," Yoko repeated firmly, though her gaze didn't hold for long.

David inhaled. "Well. It seems like someone is still keeping secrets, Yoko Suzuki."

And with that, he crawled past her. A moment later they exited out of the shaft into an empty corridor. "We should-" David beagn.

"Look, I was ordered to be here!"

David frowned. "What?"

Yoko shook her head and stepped past him. "Umbrella wanted me here so I could stop anomalies. One is the T-virus mutant."

"Why?"

"Because Umbrella believes that the T-virus mutant is powerful enough to survive a nuclear blast. They're not sure if anything can destroy it. The Daylight formula might." Yoko was crying. She didn't want to tell anybody this but she was tired of keeping secrets.

"You said two anomalies. Who else?" David immediately knew. "Ah. George."

"When....Umbrella told me that George had become infected with a mutated strain of the T-virus and was reacting...differently then anyone else, I refused to believe them. Now I see they were telling the truth."

"So what is what you were going to do? Kill him? And then what? Kill everyone else?"

"Umbrella wouldn't let me leave the city until I did," Yoko said, shrugging. "I mean, what did I owe you guys? You certainly didn't come to my rescue."

David stared at her. "Huh. You realize that if anyone else knew this they would never trust you again."

Wiping tears away with the back of her hand, Yoko didn't say anything.

"I used to believe in you guys," David remarked. "When we were in that freezing lab, I honestly thought all of us were above selling out. But then Alyssa did. We almost lost our lives, and I realized that I was sadly misinformed. The only one of you three that doesn't fit my criteria is George. He was offered a way out too, and he didn't take it." David paused. "It must ne so easy to say that his condition has made him a stranger, but that's bullshit. He's the only one of you I do recognize." David stepped forwards. "You sold out, Yoko. You say that you're different from the woman who lost her memories. You're wrong." With a final nod, he stepped past her.

Yoko sobbed.

-------------------

George pushed open the metal door. It creaked very loudly. For a moment the two of them walked in silence, when Cindy gave a startled noise. George whirled around, his hand on his gun.

The ran scampered away.

"Rat," Cindy explained with a small smile.

George smiled a little as well. "That was the first time in the bar-" His smile froze. "Cindy, get away from the rat. Its blood is saturated with the t-virus."

Cindy quickly stepped away from it. She looked up. "How do you know?"

"That's how the T-virus must be carried in the first place. Through the rats."

"George...how do you know?" Cindy persisted.

George looked down, unable to meet her eyes.

"Why did you leave?" Cindy whispered. She looked down. "Was it because of me-"

"No!" George said, looking up. He grabbed her shoulders. "Cindy-don't you ever think that! I left because..."

George's blue eyes widened as he remembered the nightmare. The missile attack. Himself turning into one of those creatures, attacking everything in sight just like with Yoko, David, and Alyssa before. He didn't even know who he was at that point. He had lost everything, including his own memories. His humanity. And it was so close to happening again.

"What?" Cindy demanded.

George closed his eyes. He slowly released her, and took in a deep trembling breath. "We're wasting time," he said. He hurried down the tunnel.

Cindy followed after him, wondering what it was she did.

-----------

At the same time as everyone was traversing the various levels of the University, Umbrella was facing a war on its own.

The man watched with amused eyes from one of the rooftops of the

university. He was well aware of the situation and the people within its wall. Daylight was trying to be found, and the man wanted it to be found. Not that the doctor or anyone else would be willing to part with it once they found it. But the man watching from the rooftops would have never allowed them to go this far if he wasn't a hundred per cent in control of the situation.

But there were three unknown variables, and boy oh boy was he looking at one right now.

The former commander of Umbrella's military force had changed quite a bit. His muscles had grown five times as thick. He was taller too, stretched so that he towered above the officers currently shooting at him. The mutant had lost all of his hair and his lips had thickened and stretched below his teeth in a permanent sneer. One hand was normal except for the extra thickness, the other had turned white and was stretched and turned, representing a club more then anything else. The Umbrella force were desperately fighting for their lives, not that the silver-haired man watching cared even a little bit what happened to them. He turned around, certain that the T-mutant would win. He mulled over the other uncertain variables. The second was the doctor, of course, and there was a third, unknown to anybody else. The man had heard reports of a scientist locked away in the university, one that had gone insane. The silver-haired man knew that this scientist would meddle with the lives of those trapped within. Perhaps help them to escape. Which, of course, could not happen.

---------------------

The remaining four officers fired as one, but their bullets were not strong enough to penetrate the T-muant's thick hide. The beast lumbered towards them, eyes glazed vacantly, droll falling from its lips. Even now it tried helplessly to talk. "Eeeerrrr Oooouuuu-"

One of the Umbrella officers, a woman, was sobbing a little as she struggled to reload her assault rifle. Zombies she could handle. Not this. Nothing could survive this. She turned from the pillar.

And the T-mutant was right in front of her. In her terror she dropped her assault rifle and turned to run.

The T-mutant's normal hand shot out and went straight through her chest. The woman screamed before falling in a pool of her own blood.

---------------------

George's head jerked up sharply.

"What is it?" Cindy asked, very hesitant.

George didn't reply. He looked up at the ceiling. The T-mutant was very close, outside the very walls. Unfortunately, George couldn't do a thing about it. For the moment.

"George?" Cindy persisted.

"I'm all right." He gestured. "Come on-we're almost out of the passageway."

They stepped into a large cavern with train tracks. They both stared at the destroyed train that was half off its railing.

"This is where the students were supposed to have evacuated."

The two of them stared at each other for a moment. George walked until he reached the very edge of the half-way point of the room. Beyond that the floor had literally caved in, presenting a bottomless abyss. The train was teetering towards the abyss. But the safest and only way was to go onto the train and cross that way.

-----------------------

They made their way down the train, a sparking cable being the only illumination. On the half-broken seats were students. Dozens of them just...slumped and with various bite marks. Their eyes were closed as though in slumber.

"Don't touch any of them," George warned. "They may be dead, but their bodies are still alive."

Cindy nodded. George led the way, maneuvering past the sparking cable. He was careful not to knock any of their knees, and Cindy move to do the same.

Halfway into the train Cindy stopped. In the middle of the aisle sat a girl, surely no older then Yoko's age. Half of her head had been chewed away. Cindy stared with a mixture of awe and horror and wonder. Surely she couldn't be alive...her hand reached to touch her she?

The girl's one remaining brown eye snapped open. She hissed, somehow deep in her throat.

Cindy screamed in startlement and moved backwards, touching someone in the process who wrapped his arms around her. The girl gripped her wrist.

George whirled around. "Cindy!" he called, touching three people by accident. They grabbed him, effectively preventing him from reaching Cindy. One of them bit right into his arm and wouldn't let go. George grunted in pain. Red blossomed through his sleeve.

With a half-sob Cindy took out her handgun and half-turning, fired into the brain of the teenage boy behind her.

George shook off the girl biting him, grabbed the boy in front of him, and hurled him through the glass window into the abyss below. The train suddenly lurched, making everyone stumble to the right. One teenager went right into the sparking cable and was electrified. All the zombies in the train were waking up. Doing a half-turn, George fired his gun into the crowd, desperately looking for Cindy.

The girl was still clutching onto Cindy's wrist. Her eyes starring in pity, Cindy put a bullet through her head. George moved to join her, shoving away a zombie that was in his path. They continued firing, and they didn't stop until he was sure that every zombie was dead.

Silence for a moment in the train. "Are you all right?" George asked.

Cindy nodded, and her eyes focused on something. "George...you're bleeding," Cindy whispered.

George looked down at his arm. "I'll be okay," he said. "I've got enough T-virus in my system to not even worry about this."

"But you said...you were cured," Cindy said, stepping forwards.

"I thought so."

That single sentence confessed everything, and Cindy finally understood. George would refuse to meet her eyes.

"What's it like?" Cindy asked softly.

George paused. 'I see the world in so many colors now," he replied. "It's amazing...and scary at the same time."

Cindy hesitated, and touched his shoulder gently. "Are you still the same man I met at Willy's bar six days ago?"

George met her eyes now. "Yes," he said firmly. "But Cindy, I don't have a lot of time left. That is why I left you. I just...I didn't want you to become involved. Or hurt." He broke away.

Cindy smiled a little. "I'm already involved, silly."

"You're the only one of us who isn't infected," George persisted. "I don't want that to change. Ever. I'll go out happy that nothing happened to you."

Cindy took his hand. "We'll face this together," she said.

George stared at her in disbelief.

The train suddenly lurched violently. Cindy fell into George's arms. The two of them both ran out of the train. Never stopping, George took out his gun and fired at two zombies approaching. They fell. George and Cindy dived to the ground just as all of the train collapsed into the abyss.

George's gun shifted to the right as instinct warned him of another threat. He saw that it was only a small wasp's nest stuck to the ceiling. Not that he was fond of wasps, but they were hardly life-threatening. He put away the gun and helped Cindy to stand up, gripping her by the waist. "Are you all right?"

Cindy nodded. "Yeah. Just...shaky." She released a breath. "We should find you the cure!"

George nodded and turned to go.

"George," Cindy said, stopping him. She smiled. "It'll...It'll be okay."

George stared at her. "I hope so," he said, and returned her smile a little. "Come on."

They exited out of the cavern into a small passageway which ended in a metal door. George punched in the code.

Absolutely nothing happened.

"Wrong code?" Cindy guessed.

George punched it again with no result. "There's no power coming to this door." He tried the door handle. That was locked too. George slammed himself against the door itself, with no result. "Dammit."

"George," Cindy said. "Look." Beside them was a metal locker. She pushed at it. "Here, help me with this."

George moved to help her. Between the two of they, they shoved it aside, revealing a ventilation grating. George shook his head. "It's too small for me."

"But not for me," Cindy said. She bent down.

"Cindy, there's other zombies waiting on the other side," George warned.

"I'll be careful," Cindy promised.

"Make sure that you do," George said. His eyes were filled with worry.

Cindy went through the crawlspace. As soon as she reached the other side she took out her handgun. There was only soft blue light coming out of the passageway. There were assorted office rooms joined to the passage. Cindy checked them carefully over with her flashlight.

-----------------

From outside the door George paced impatiently. He checked his watch. It was noon.

--------------

Cindy's flashlight immediately picked up the words GENERATOR Rom. Her breath becoming frost in the cold air, Cindy tried the handle.

It was locked with a conventional lock.

Cindy shivered and wondered what to do next. She completely missed the glass window behind her, or the three zombies clawing to get through.

-------------------

George looked up when he heard the sound of glass shattering, followed by screaming. "Cindy," he whispered. He tried the code with no luck. "Cindy!?" He tried the handle with no more success.

Another scream.

George pounded against the door. "CINDY!"

--------------------

Cindy backed against the wall, raising her gun. She fired at the crowd of zombies approaching her. There didn't seem to be an end to them, but she wasn't afraid. A long time ago, she might have been. But she saw too much, had grown up too much, to be afraid of what happened next.

One thing was for sure-she was not going to go out as one of them.

-----------

David was making his way down the hall when Yoko hurried to catch up with him. "Wait!" she demanded. "I'm not...I'm not like that!"

"Whatever. I"m just calling it as I see it," David replied.

"And that doesn't bother you!?"

"Look," David said, turning around. "Let's make one thing clear. None of you are my friends, all right? We're survivors. I personally don't care what you are, if that eases your conscience a little." He continued to walk.

Yoko stared after him. "Must be hard," she whispered.

David turned around again. "What?"

"Being alone. It must be really terrible.

David raised his eyebrow. "It's what you are too. Don't pity what you already are." With that, he continued walking.

----------------------

George's blood was smeared against the metal door. His shoulder was bruised and almost felt broken, but George was sure he was making some headway breaking through. He hoped and prayed it wasn't just his fevered imagination. He kicked at the door again, and again. It finally broke open, and George stepped through. He faced a virtual crowd of zombies as he opened the door. At least ten of them. He didn't think. He grabbed the nearest one by the neck and hurled her against the wall. She left an impression in the concrete as she slid to the ground. George could dimly hear gunfire at the very front. He took out his own gun and joined in the fighting.

At the front Cindy continued firing desperately, but she was being rapidly overrun. One slashed downwards with his fingernails and cut into her leg. Cindy screamed once and fired. She shot through the man's head. George didn't stop until every zombie was dead and he was at Cindy's side. The former waitress was backed against the wall, her small body trembling.

"Are you all right?" George demanded, touching her arm.

Cindy nodded, her face looking very tired. "Yes."

George wasn't convinced. He moved around, searching every part of her.

And found the cut on her leg. And worse, he could feel the t-virus inside of her.

Cindy smiled weakly. "Guess you caught on."

George didn't reply. He slammed his fist against the wall in anger. He turned away.

"It was bound to happen," Cindy said, touching his shoulder.

George folded his arms. "This happened because you came after me."

"Do you think I regret that for a moment?" Cindy asked gently, forcing him to face her. "You said it yourself. We're going to find the cure. For me. For you."

"I don't want to lose you, Cin," George said, the emotions plain on his face.

Cindy smiled. "And you won't. And I'm not going to lose you, okay?"

George stared at her for a long moment. Finally, he took her hand. "Okay," he said.

Still holding his hand, she turned and gestured. "Looks like we didn't need the generator working after all."

In response, George kicked the door open, making Cindy jump slightly. "We'll need it for the elevator. Could you start working on it? I'll be right back."

Cindy nodded and moved to do so. George went into one of the offices and found what he was looking for-a medical kit. He took off his leather jacket, wincing a little as he touched the purple bruises on his arm. He found a syringe full of blue liquid and was about to inject it into his own arm.

He paused and looked up.

Why wasn't his body healing itself? It should have by now. George stood for a moment, pondering. His body was constantly changing from the T-virus. That might be why he lost that one ability. He still had the strength and the ability to detect other things. But for how long?

And what exactly would he change into by the end?

Those were question that George didn't want the answers to. Nor did he want to try and find out. Even with all of his extra abilities that came from the t-virus, he couldn't protect Cindy. If he turned into something else...if he turned on her....he would despise himself to the end of his days. He set to work on bandaging his arm.

-------------------------

David was in the hallway, and to his left and right were glass walls. "Looks abandoned."

"It is. This is what I used to find the Daylight cure," Yoko replied.

"Reminds me of that freezing lab we were in," David said, entering one of the labs. His eyes lifted as he heard a twittering noise. He looked up. "You experimented on animals?"

"All kinds. Mice. Sharks. Wasps," Yoko said with a shrug.

Sharks? David thought in bemusement.

Yoko was searching around. "I was desperate to find a cure. I tested everything." Her sneakers crunched against broken glass.

"Does that include people?" David asked.

Yoko didn't reply to that. "A long time ago I made the cure for profit." She smiled a little at David's look. "I remember now. I remember who I was. What I did."

"What you're still doing," David added, turning away from her.

"Look-" Yoko began, and her green eyes widened. There was a red dot in the back of David's head. "DOWN!" she screamed, diving on top of him. David grunted in pain. He had smacked his chin against the table on his way down. Glass showered both of them from the resulting gunfire..

David shoved Yoko away and reached for his gun. He fired at the Umbrella officers.

Yoko pulled him down. "What are you doing? You can't take them all down!"

"I can try," David snarled, and stood up again.

There was nothing Yoko could do, so she closed her eyes and plugged her ears as more glass shattered. When she opened her eyes and moved her hands there was silence.

Shaking a little, Yoko stood. She looked around in clear astonishment at the twelve fallen officers. "Wow."

David smiled a little. "I've always had a lot of luck when it comes too..." he paused and suddenly winced. He crashed backwards into a table.

"David!" Yoko whispered.

David removed his hand which was drenched with blood. Trails of blood were running from his chest. "Maybe not so lucky," he mumbled through numb lips.

He fell in Yoko's arms.

----------------------

A few minutes later George and Cindy took the elevator which reached the upper level. They were in a passageway which ended in a large metal door. As Cindy moved to press the button that would open the door George stopped her.

"We're almost there," Cindy pointed out.

"I know, but-"

Cindy smiled thinly. "Let me guess-spidey sense is telling you that there's something waiting beyond that door?"

George shook his head. "There's something, but I'm not sure what. Can't you hear it?"

Cindy listened carefully. "It sounds like buzzing," she remarked.

George thought so as well. He pushed the button, and the doors opened for George and Cindy. They both stared, not without some apprehension.

--------

They were in some kind of storage room with a freight elevator in the center. A yellow siren flashed in the room. George and Cindy entered the room cautiously. They looked up.

They could see black shadows moving, but they were so high up that they couldn't tell for certain what they were. "We have to go up there, don't we?"

George nodded. That's where Yoko said the lab to the V-poison would be. They entered the freight elevator. It wasn't very sturdy, and there was nothing that would protect them if they fell off. George and Cindy both had weapons drawn as the elevator lifted.

"Umbrella will be here soon," George mentioned.

Cindy gripped his arm in alarm. "Look! They're flying towards us!"

George looked up, blinking in astonishment. They were giant wasps. Instantly Cindy and George were firing upwards, but bullets didn't have too much of an effect as one wasp flew towards them. Each of them was almost as big as Cindy with a stinger extending eight inches. A wasp flew between them with its stinger poised. George and Cindy moved back. George had a chance to see its massive eyes as the wasp took off again.

The next moment George and Cindy were literally assaulted by hundreds of tiny wasps, still infected with the t-virus. It was like a thick cloud had surrounded them. Instantly George's hands flew around him, trying to get them to back off. That didn't prevent him from being stung half a dozen times. Cindy screamed and fell off the edge of the platform. Her hands caught onto the metal just in time.

"Cindy!" George called out, and winced as a stinger just brushed past him from a giant wasp, cutting into his arm. He fell to his knees. There were at least five of them, ready to inject his body with venom at the first opportunity. Another stinger dropped only a centimeter near his hand. George jerked his hand away and scrambled to where Cindy was. He gripped her arm. "I've got you!" he shouted. He was completely oblivious to the wasp which flew towards him, a stinger aimed for his spine.

"George!" Cindy warned.

Almost too late. George took out his handgun and fired, shooting off the singer. He didn't bother to look as the wasp flew off. He helped Cindy climb up onto the platform, each of them gripping the other tightly. The platform stopped at the upper level. They stood, the smaller wasps flying off.

Cindy looked around in astonishment. The entire laboratory had been converted into one massive beehive. They could only see small fragments of the walls and floor.

George gripped her and pointed. "Look. Behind that glass case. That's what we need."

Cindy could see it. A vial of the v-poison was right inside. "It seems so far away."

"I know-and look. There are five wasps right above it." George was starring. "Cindy, you're going to have to get it from the other passage. I'll draw them off."

"Are you sure? It's-"

"I'll be okay," George said automatically. In reality he wasn't so sure. He was already infected, but an eight-inch needle through him wasn't going to improve his day in the least. He gestured at a closed door on the upper level. "When you're done, make for that door. I'll cover you."

Cindy nodded, a bit uncertainly. She edged towards the passageway.

George took out his gun. He had only a few bullets left. He lifted his gun and fired. The bullet went right through one of the wasps.

Immediately they flew towards him.

Cindy closed her eyes and willed herself to not look at his retreating form. She opened them again and focused on her objective. She stepped forwards, her boots squished against wax. There was a nasuating smell coming from the passageway. She really hated wasps. Not only that, but she was deathly terrified of them. That was why she fell off the platform in the first place. But she could never admit so to George. She was almost near the case now. With a wince on her face she opened the glass cabinet and took out the V-poison. She held it in her hand and looked up.

There was a wasp heading towards her, only this one was different. It had a red stripe and a neon-blue stinger. Somehow Cindy knew that this was the Queen. And if she was scratched by the stinger, it would mean her death.

Cindy turned and ran, pocketing the V-poison. She climbed up the metal steps, yanked open the wooden door and ran through.

And shrieked as she started to fall.

Behind her George instantly grabbed her with one arm, holding her tightly. He slammed the door closed with the other hand. The entre wall was blasted away, revealing a long drop into the ocean. It was already getting dark. George automatically checked his watch. Four o'clock. The wind tore furiously through their bodies.

They heard a loud crash behind them and turned their heads at the noise.

"Cindy!" George shouted.

"I know," Cindy replied. "There's no way back! We don't have a choice."

George nodded. The V-poison was in a sealed case and would be protected. He looked down. "There's something down here," he said. "Something not human. Plus it's a very long drop."

"We'll make it," Cindy said, tilting her head to stare at him. "I know we will."

His brown hair blowing in the wind, George nodded. He gripped her tighter. 'Why can't I admit, even to myself, how much I love her?' he thought. "Don't let go of me. No matter what!"

And, just as the door opened, they both plunged off the cliff.

--------------------

George plunged into freezing water. He didn't know how far he was, only that it was too dark to see anything clearly. There was no sign of Cindy. George swam furiously and broke the surface. One of his thrashing hands caught onto something solid. A metal grating. George pulled himself up, dripping with water and shaking from the cold. His arm was burning painfully and the bandage was soaked through. "Cindy?" he whispered.

Np reply. "CINDY!" he screamed.

Two eyes stared back at him, and George drew back with a cry. It looked like a shark, only horribly twisted and mutated. George glanced behind him and saw another shark behind him in the waters.

Cindy waved. "George!" she called out. She was on the steps leading up to the house.

George hurried across the platform to join her. They climbed up the small steps. George glanced briefly at the setting sun.

Cindy suddenly paused, and George glanced at what she was looking at. His breath caught in her throat. He said nothing but took her hand.

In front of them were bodies. At least seven Umbrella officers. Most of them were torn apart in half.

"Zombies?" Cindy asked.

"No. This is the work of the T-mutant," George said. He looked back at the sky. "We don't have a lot of time left."

Cindy nodded. "I shouldn't pity them, but I do."

"They're dead, and we're not," George said. "That's the way it's going to stay."

----------------------

They entered through the front doors back into the main lobby. George only glanced briefly at the level of the destruction. Cindy took out the V-poison to confirm it was still there and was already making for the door.

"Cindy," George said. "There's something I want to tell you. I'm sorry that you're here. I did everything I could to make sure that you weren't. But...I'm glad that you're with me." He smiled and touched her shoulder. She looked like Hell. They both did. "Maybe we do have a chance."

Cindy didn't reply, but smiled and hugged him once. Briefly. "We'll find the cure, George. I know it!" She turned away and started to walk towards the door.

George's blue eyes widened. He sensed it happening before it actually did. The glass window on the third story window broke apart. George gripped Cindy by the waist and pulled her backwards as the T-mutant landed in the space where Cindy was. George and Cindy both fell backwards.

Glass rained on George as he straightened up into a sitting position. Standing in front of him was the T-mutant, his lips curled in a sneer, and his eyes glowing with the first real emotion since utter confusion-hate. It was waiting. Waiting for George.

George helped Cindy to her feet. "Cindy, get out of here. Climb the staircase. It won't follow you."

"G-George?" Cindy whispered.

"This is between him and me," George replied.

---------------

With a grunt of effort Cindy had climbed up the broken stairwell. She made it to the second-story ledge and starred down below.

The T-mutant's eyes stared at George with a hateful intensity. 'You did this to me', they seem to say. The T-mutant launched his fist at George. George caught it in his open palm. He noticed that the mutant's fingers were now shaped to form claws. For a long moment they stayed that way, George grimacing with effort. Then, with his free hand George punched the T-mutant in the chest. With a surprised look of pain the T-mutant stumbled backwards. George followed through with two more punches to his chest and gave the T-mutant a vicious uppercut. His blow had enough force to smash through a concrete wall, but all it did was make the ex-commander's head snap back, blood dripping from his upper lip. He glared at George.

A drop of blood fell from George's clenched fist.

The T-mutant advanced now, the ground shaking with every one of his steps. He lurched clumsily with his clubbed hand. George avoided it easily, but was caught unprepared when the T-mutant's free hand slammed against his shoulder. George flew backwards, hitting the opposite wall. The T-mutant took two steps forward just as George got to his feet. George was only just able to dodge to the left as the T-mutant's fist slammed straight through the wall in an explosion of wood, a shard of which cut into George's face.

The T-mutant retracted his arm just as George stepped backwards. They both hit each other at exactly the same time. George felt his nose break and himself fly backwards as the T-mutant was hurled to the floor. George got to his feet first. George knew he needed to act fast. This thing, whatever it was, needed to have a power source. George was guessing his heart. George's hand plunged straight into the T-mutant's bare chest. The T-mutant roared and gripped George's arm, but George was relentless. His fingers closed around the T-mutant's heart.

The T-mutant's knee connected with George's chest and he tumbled backwards, the heart in his hand. It was black and shriveled and had not been used in quite some time.

The T-mutant's good hand shot out, gripping George's throat. He stood at the same time.

George gasped for breath. His hand slammed against the T-mutant's arm. Nothing. George punched him again. The T-mutant winced slightly but did not release his grip.

-----------------------

Above Cindy saw what was happening. She also saw something that George couldn't. Sticking in the muscled back of the T-mutant was a vial with green light. With shaking hands and with her golden bracelet bouncing against her wrist, Cindy took out her handgun. She aimed. Very, very carefully. And squeezed off a shot.

The green vial shattered. The T-mutant arched its back and bellowed-but did not die as Cindy would have given everything to believe. Instead it dropped George and turned towards Cindy.

BLAM! The T-mutant's left eye exploded. The T-mutant cried out in certain pain and anger. With his good eye he stared at Cindy in astonishment.

'I hope you fear me,' Cindy thought coldly. 'Because I can take out the other one.'

For one moment the T-mutant hesitated.

Which is exactly what George needed. With a cry George slammed the beam of wood against the T-mutant's head. The beam exploded and the T-mutant dropped to one knee.

George stepped forwards, to press in for the kill, when his senses alerted him to another threat, this one coming from the balcony. He looked up to see an Umbrella officer dressed in black pointing his sniper rifle at Cindy. She hadn't noticed.

George did, and he didn't hesitate. He took out his gun and fired upwards. The man died.

But George knew what would happen next..

The mutant lifted his grossly twisted hand and swiped downwards at George. George was fast enough to dodge the first blow, but not the second, which dug into his side. George's vision exploded with pain. It was hard for him to breathe, and he needed to think. But he couldn't, he just couldn't-

The next swipe went into his left shoulder. Blood stained the floor with red. With his clubbed hand the T-mutant smacked George's head. George fell, hitting his head again against part of the broken stairwell. George reached for his handgun, the only weapon he had left to him.

The T-mutant's bare foot slammed against George's wrist, breaking it. George cried out in pain. He was now beyond all coherent thought. He was going to die. He looked up.

The next blow was aimed for his face.

George's vision dissolved in red.

----------------------

The T-mutant looked up from George's still form to Cindy who had given a terrified gasp and backed away. The handgun slipped from her hands.

The T-mutant leapt up, and landed on the balcony in front of Cindy. She looked down and grabbed her handgun. With a swipe of his hand the T-mutant knocked it aside. He grabbed Cindy by the throat and hurled her over the edge. She landed with a sharp thud next to George. She cried out, gripping her hip. She looked to the left and right but couldn't see the T-mutant anywhere. She began to hyperventilate and stole a fearful glance at George. Pools of blood had formed around him and she couldn't see him breathing. With trembling fingers she reached for his hand.

The T-mutant landed in front of her, wood splintering between his feet. Cindy cried out and stood shakily to her feet. She was without a weapon. She did an act born purely out of desperation.

She ran.

-----------

Cindy backed up against the wall in the small study. She could hear the T-mutant, but the hall had to be too small for him to even enter! Her eyes spotted a handgun underneath the couch. She dived to grab it and stood again, shaking. She could hear him coming closer...and closer...and...

The wall literally broke apart as the T-mutant entered, lips still curled in a sneer. Cindy lifted her gun and fired five times. The bullets dug into the T-mutant's flesh and small trickles of blood came from the wounds.

That was all.

Cindy shuddered in fear. That's when she noticed the secret door that was in the wall. It opened a hidden passageway. Gripping her hip, she ran as fast as she was able to through it. As she stumbled down the hall she passed a sputtering cable and when she proceeded to the end, where there was a ladder and a passageway off to the right. She could hear the T-mutant right behind her. Why hadn't he caught up with her yet? It was as though he was toying with her. Cindy didn't turn around to look. She didn't dare. She climbed up the ladder.

A hand gripped her by her shoulder and threw her backwards. Cindy slid across the concrete floor and looked up in fear. The T-mutant was right in front of her. Cindy scrambled to her feet as the T-mutant slowly approached. He lunged at her with his clubbed hand and she dodge out of the way, shrieking. His good hand scratched her cheek. She was backed up against the wall and didn't have any way to maneuver. She was cornered! She-

With a snarl etched on his face George thrust the sparking cable at the T-mutant. The T-mutant spasmed from the voltage but George was caught in it as well. He gritted his teeth as the currents ran through them both. Killing them. With an explosion of light they were both hurled backwards. The T-mutant flew down the tunnel. George slammed against the opposite wall.

Cindy ran to his side just as she saw the T-mutant run off the passageway to the right. Cindy realized that George was very seriously wounded and had lost a great deal of blood. And all they had done together was irritate the mutant. She looked up at the passageway, her eyes shadowed with fear. Off in the distance, she could hear howling. Cindy touched George's shoulder. "George? George!"

George's eyes flicked open, and his lips parted in a brief smile. "Cindy. I'm glad you're here."

"You can heal yourself, can't you?" Cindy whispered. "Yoko said you could!"

George closed his eyes briefly. "No, Cindy. Not this time. I'm dying."

Cindy stared in horror.

"I know. I've felt it before...when I became one of those things. This is dying. It's strange. I would have at least thought I would have been around to see the bombs fall..."

"No!" Cindy shrieked in horror. "Stop talking like that!"

"You did everything you could, Cindy," George whispered. "But the virus would have killed me. Daylight couldn't..." He paused for breath. "I'm glad I could go out this way. Human."

Tears fell unchecked down Cindy's cheeks.

George focused his gentle blue eyes on her. "Cindy. I was always afraid to tell you. I love you. More then anything I wouldn't have traded anything for the last three weeks."

Cindy sobbed.

"I did all I could, Cin. The rest is up to you. I'm just..." His eyes were dimming. "I'm just a little tired..."

"George?"

The last remaining strength he used to touch her cheek. "Cindy. You are so..." His eyes froze.

His hand dropped against the wood.

She touched him once. Hesitantly.

Nothing. No reaction.

Cindy sobbed on his body, her gun falling to the floor. She couldn't remember the next few minutes very well. She recalled crying. She recalled smashing a vase against the wall in her anger, and horror. Finally, she took off his leather jacket and placed it over George's still body, after closing his eyes. Then, with her handgun in her hands, she walked back to the lobby and to the elevator, every step she took making her feel more sick. She stepped into the elevator. The doors closed behind her.

Tears ran down her smudged cheeks silently. She pushed a button that would take her down to Kevin's level.

The doors opened to complete anarchy. There was furniture broken with blood smeared and claw marks along the walls. Just as the elevator doors opened Kevin emerged, practically bathed in blood. He was shooting at some kind of creature that was coming towards them. Cindy had no idea what it was, except it seemed to resemble some kind of toad. She fired once, and the toad flew backwards.

"Nice one, Cin!" Kevin cheered as he entered the elevator.

"Have you-"

"Yeah, I got it. Come on, let's go!" He glanced once at her. "You alone?"

Her grief-stricken face was answer enough. Kevin's face softened and he hugged her. Tightly. "I'm sorry, Cin. I'm just...I'm really sorry."

------------------------

Unknown to them at the time the lobby doors burst open, and several dozen officers ran into the complex. Led by the silver-haired man. "Third floor. Now. Kill anyone you find."

-----------------------

"Do you think the others are alive?" Cindy asked.

"Guess we'll have to see," Kevin replied, reloading his gun. The doors opened, and Kevin and Cindy entered the empty hall. They walked down the hall that would take them to the lab. With a slight hesitation Kevin opened the door.

Yoko was sitting on the counter and smiled when they entered. It was a beautiful smile. David was waiting beside her, heavily bandaged underneath his leather jacket, but alive nevertheless.

As they approached Yoko looked down, her hand briefly touching David's. "I'm not the person you think I am," she said. "Umbrella ordered me to kill you all. But...after what we had all been through I couldn't...I just couldn't." She hesitantly looked up at his face.

David didn't reply. "Hey," he greeted.

"Hey," Kevin said. "Got the P-base?"

David lifted it. "Yeah. Got yours?"

Kevin nodded. "Well, the machines should be ready."

"Doc isn't with you?" David asked.

Kevin glanced at him sharply. "No."

"He saved my life," Cindy whispered. "He-"

"Yadda, yadda, yadda, it's a shame. Gez, I was just curious," David said, standing up. "Here's a thought. Let's go get the cure."

"What's the hurry?" Kevin demanded. "You're not infected, are you?"

David lifted a radio. "Picked up a transmission. There's about fifty-odd guys headed here this very minute."

"Oh god," Cindy whispered.

"Not to mention the fact that we still have to figure out a way to get out of here," David added.

Kevin said nothing for a moment, then slowly nodded. "All right. Let's finish what we came here to start."

------------------

Yoko mixed in the ingredients carefully and turned on the machine. "Once we have the cure in our system, it will be impossible for any of us to become infected again. I designed it that way."

"What a relief," David muttered.

Kevin didn't reply. He was intently watching the doorway. The lights flickered out from the hall, and then the room they were in.

"Umbrella's knocked out the generator again," David remarked.

Yoko shook her head. "The incubator has its own power source. Shouldn't be a problem."

Kevin took out a cigarette and lit it up. He exhaled and noticed that his hand was shaking. He glanced at Cindy. Her face was ashen and she was starring at nothing. "Cin?"

Cindy didn't reply. She just stared at nothing.

"Cindy?" Kevin tried again.

Still no reaction. Kevin gave up and returned to his cigarette.

A moment later Yoko gave a short cry. "Oh no!"

Kevin turned, pitching the cigarette. "What? What is it?"

The incubator had stopped turning. Yoko tried to reinitialize it without any success.

"Oh, for f***'s sake, COME ON!" Kevin shouted, slamming his open palms against the incubator. Even David looked more then a little stunned.

"Kevin!" Yoko snapped, her small hands on his broad shoulders.

Kevin shook his head. "Sorry. I'm-sorry." He looked away. "Okay, think. What could do this?"

"Is it a problem with the output?" Cindy asked.

"No," Yoko said, examining the device. She looked up, her face hard. "Someone turned it off. Deliberately."

"Who would do that?" Cindy demanded.

"And why?" Kevin added. He turned. "Yoko-"

Yoko was gone.

Startled, Kevin looked to the left and right. It was as though she had blended into the shadows. "Where'd she go?"

--------------------

Yoko had run out of the room and to the only possible place that someone could have turned off the machine. She entered the room on the same level.

And looked around in astonishment.

She had rarely been in this room before, and not for quite some time. Yet it had been changed. Where there had been a massive storage space, the space was now filled by...something. Yoko stepped forwards and moved away the clear plastic curtains. She was in an isolated ward, hidden away for some purpose.

A purpose she still had yet to discover as she stepped through. There were eight metal beds in front of her. Tied on most of them were zombies. Zombies that had been horribly twisted and mutilated. But there were also Umbrella officers. They had been surgically experimented on. Most were already dead, but a few had been left to die. Yoko experimentally lifted an arm of one of the Umbrella officers, and let it drop. It flopped back to the bed.

She looked up. She could see an open doorway, as though it was waiting for her. She stepped through into a smaller room. At the very end was a man typing on a keyboard from his computer. An overhead projector had been turned on but had nothing on it. On the chalkboard were equations of the T-virus.

The man finished tying as Yoko stepped closer and turned around. "So. We meet again," Greg greeted her. "Come on in. I'm almost finished here. As are we all."

Yoko didn't know what to say. She was too speechless with shock.

"It's nice to see you again, Yoko, especially considering how much Umbrella had to stitch you back up. I was sure you were going to die."

"Mr. Greg. Or do you have a last name?"

"Does it matter?" Greg stood, holding a cup in his hands. "We'll all be dead so soon from now. Names seem so unnecessary. I was wondering whether or not I would see you again, Yoko. I just never expected us to meet like this...here, of all places. Umbrella has demoted me, you see. To die along with you." He coughed slightly. "I went to that underground lab to offer you a choice, Yoko. And you didn't take it. That surprised me. When I left, this had happened." He lifted his sleeved arm, revealing a bite mark. "I'm infected with the t-virus too. Soon I'll be dead. Unless I am brought the Daylight cure so I can continue with my work."

"Your work....those zombies...those people you killed..." Yoko whispered.

Greg smiled. "I infected them with mutated strains of the T-virus, but very few, the late Mr. Damien among them, could carry the virus to full term." He shrugged. "More work I had to do for Umbrella. Even now."

A moment of silence between them. "You could have had it all, you know," Greg said. "Do I have to tell you that? Now you're here. But there's still a chance for you, Yoko. A chance for us both.

"No," Yoko said. "I've been down that road before. I won't help you. I'm not...like you." She looked down, her hands nervously clasped together. "Not anymore."

"Yes you are. Or were. Regardless, you're going to bring me the formula. Or I won't turn on the machine for your friends again. Why, the only reason that any of you lived at all is through my intervention! Find me the cure, Yoko, or all your friends that are still left will spend their final hours playing with the T-mutant. Is that what you want, little one?"

"I have a better idea," Kevin said, stepping through the doorway. Behind him was Cindy and David. "You're going to leave her alone. And you're going to give us the damn cure. Now."

"Oh yes. The cop," Greg sneered. He stepped forwards. "I'm afraid though, that your contract has long since-"

His head suddenly exploded in red. Blood smeared on the projector, illuminating the ceiling with crimson. Yoko screamed.

Too late Kevin saw the red line of a sniper rifle coming from the ventilation grating. He took out his handgun and fired uselessly.

The red line moved to Cindy. "Move back!" Kevin shouting, pushing Cindy away. The line moved to Yoko. David elbowed her sharply to the right and she crashed into the desk. The bullets fired harmlessly into the ground.

Kevin stepped forwards. At first David had assumed that he was going to check whether or not the scientist was alive. Instead Kevin moved past him and pushed a switch underneath the desk. "There. The power's back on!"

The firing from the sniper rifle continued. Cindy jumped backwards with a cry.

"Everyone get out of here!" Kevin shouted and they all retreated into the other room.

The silver-haired man smiled and lifted his radio. "Move in. Kill them."

-----------------

David lifted the radio. They had all heard the message.

"Give me that," Kevin ordered and shoved it in his belt. "Come on-we have to go!"

"Wait!" Yoko said. She was starring at the pillar. "What are these?"

They joined her. On the pillar was a timer with a flashing red light. It was counting down from five minutes.

"s***," Kevin said.

David fingered the wiring. "They must be on every level."

"No time. Let's move," Kevin ordered. They stepped out into the hall. As they rounded the corner several officers with assault rifles fired. They were pinned down.

"We don't have time for this," David said from behind Kevin.

Kevin gestured at the open doorway. "You can make it to the lab from here. Work on a cure."

"No! Kevin-" Cindy began.

"I can take care of myself! Go!" Kevin shouted. As soon as they were gone Kevin took out a grenade. He removed the pin, and rolled it across the ground towards the Umbrella officers. He jumped out of the corner, firing.

From the lab Cindy shrieked when she heard the explosion. The entire room shook. Turning around, David could see smoke rapidly gathering. The explosion had started a fire which would soon consume the entire building.

Four minutes.

--------------------

Kevin stared impassively at the fallen officers around him. All of them were now dead, but fire was now rapidly spreading and there was now a massive hole in the ground, cutting off one of two escape routes. Before he rejoined the others, however, there was something Kevin had to do.

Kevin lifted the radio and turned it on. "Listen to me. I know you all can hear me. If you value your lives, you'll leave now. You've got at least one bad-assed T-mutant to worry about, plus me and my exploding toys. But that amounts to nothing because you've got a house that's going to blow in three-and-a-half minutes. Your employer wants us dead, and you're only a means to slow us down. He doesn't care about you, but by all means, don't take my word for it. However, if you want to leave, go now." Kevin paused, and added. "I for one won't think any less of you. That's not even possible." He turned off the radio.

-------------------

Kevin went back to the lab just as the incubator started up again.

"What's taking so long, anyway?" David snapped.

"It needs half a minute for the ingredients to synthesis." A vial came out. Kevin took it and gave it to Yoko. "Here."

With shaking hands Yoko took it. She jammed the needle into her arm and applied the formula. She closed her eyes in sweet relief.

Another vial came out. Kevin gave it to Cindy, not without some immediately relief. "Here, Cin."

"Thank you," Cindy said. She looked away. "Everything might be okay now."

The door burst open and one Umbrella officer opened fired with an assault rifle. Everyone took cover-Cindy behind a desk, Yoko under a table, and Kevin behind the machine. Kevin checked his watch. Three minutes. He took out his gun and squeezed off a few shots. "I don't have a clear angle!" he shouted.

Another vial came out. Kevin snatched it out of the machine. "David!" he called. David was right around the corner. Kevin tossed it to him. There was no other choice.

David caught it in his hand and held it close. The Umbrella agent fired again. A stray bullet hit the vial and the glass shattered in David's hand.

"We don't have time for this!" Kevin roared. "Yo, the building's only about to explode!" He turned to the doorway.

"Did you take it!?" Yoko asked.

David wiped the glass shards away with one hand. "Yeah, I took it," he replied.

"Cindy?"

"I'm fine!" she called, and cried out in surprise when a bullet came closet to hitting her.

Another vial came. Kevin grabbed it, almost getting his fingers shot off from another spray of bullets. The machine, however, didn't survive. It exploded with a shower of sparks.

"Oh no!" The machine's broken!" Yoko said.

Kevin aimed carefully and fired. The man fell. Finally.

"Did you take it?" Yoko demanded.

Kevin nodded as he stealthily pocketed the Daylight formula. "Yeah. I'm good," he lied. "We should get moving."

---------------------

They ran down the burning hall. The fire was everywhere and it was hard to see. "I know an exit! It's this way!" Kevin shouted.

Yoko stepped forwards. The ground suddenly collapsed under her feet and she fell through a hole. She grabbed the edge only just in time. David ran to grab her. Kevin moved to help but a burning beam stopped him.

David grabbed her arm tightly. "Yoko, hold on!" he shouted.

Yoko stared at him. "I thought you didn't care," she said. She coughed wretchedly from the smoke.

David's grip on her tightened. Suddenly the floor caved in again, and David lost her. "No!" he cried out. He pitched and would have fallen too if Kevin hadn't caught him at the last minute by the back of his jacket.

"I've got you, hold on!" Kevin snapped, and with a grunt of effort hauled David upwards. David's eyes were fixed in horror. His last memory was seeing Yoko crash through the floor below until she-

"Hey!" Kevin snapped, punching his shoulder. "Wake up! We've gotta go!"

"We have to find her! We can't leave her behind!" David exploded.

"You think I want to?" Kevin snapped. "Come on!"

David shook his head in misery and followed him.

-----------------------

Yoko had collapsed through two weakened floors before landing in the lobby. She lifted her head and touched her arm, which was broken. Her entire body ached from the pain. She burst into tears.

She looked up and knew, just knew, that the other three were headed for the exit. 'They're leaving without me again', she thought. A burning beam crashed next to her but this time Yoko didn't care. Still, she struggled to her feet. She coughed from the smoke and turned-

-and gave a startled shriek when something grabbed her from behind.

"Here she is, boys!" a rough voice said triumphantly. "The one person we needed the most."

"No!" Yoko sobbed, for she knew who these men were. Her sneakers skidded against the ground. "Nooooo!"

The Umbrella men closed in around her.

---------------------

Kevin kicked open the side door and coughing, all three of them ran out of the building, just as it exploded.

Just out of range, Cindy, David, and Kevin turned around to view the devastation. For a long moment there was silence.

"The sun will be up soon," David remarked.

-------------

David turned away, his eyes looking for a way to escape

And finding nothing.

Because no matter where he looked, there was zombies. Thousands of them. The explosion must have drawn them here. Thousands of men, women, and children.

"Ugh," Cindy gasped, stepping back in horror. David reached for his gun. Kevin did nothing. He knew that he was facing incredible odds and that his survival wasn't likely. But then, time and again he had beaten the odds. Once more didn't matter.

A spotlight shined down on them, making all three start.

-----------------------

The two men were called Henry and Gary. They had originally been firefighters, until the Outbreak. But whereas most people fought to get out of Racoon City, they fought to get back in. Time and again they did everything they could to airlift survivors out of the city away from Umbrella's radar. They would find as many as they could, refuel, and come back. It was their fifth time returning when they noticed the explosion. "Hey, Gary. Racoon City University! Now!"

Gary moved to comply.

It was there they found thousands of zombies, too many to count.

And, they found survivors.

-----------------------

"YOU THREE DOWN THERE!" A voice called out from an intercom. "WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND PICK YOU UP, BUT WE CAN'T LAND HERE. WE'll MEET YOU BY THE MAIN GATE!" With that, the helicopter flew off.

"Who are they?" David wondered.

Kevin punched his shoulder. "Our saviors." He gestured. "Come on!"

They ran to the right, away from the zombies, and they ran through the front gate. The helicopter had already landed next to the fountain.

"We're going to make it!" Cindy cheered. She was the last to leave the courtyard, her face masked with exhaustion.

Something suddenly jumped off the wall behind her and landed in front of her with an explosion of dust. It was the T-mutant. He had been dealt a great deal of damage. His one remaining eye was milky white and he was covered with burn marks. In some cases his flesh had melted away entirely, revealing the bone. Despite having no vision, he seemed to know exactly where Cindy was and roared with pain and hatred.

Cindy just waited expectantly. She wasn't afraid. Not anymore. She knew that she couldn't defeat this creature and if this was her end, so be it.

The T-mutant lunged for her with his clubbed hand. Cindy dodged. With his free hand the T-mutant scratched his iron fingernails into her arm. Cindy shrieked in pain. He moved so fast that she couldn't see where he was. The T-mutant slashed one more time.

Just within the reach of her vision she heard the fountain continue trickling.

Blood flowed and gathered from the back of her shirt. Cindy collapsed to the ground.

------------------

Kevin had almost made it to the chopper when he turned around. He wasn't entirely surprised to see the T-mutant standing in front of Cindy's fallen body. I guess he didn't appreciate having a building dropped on him, Kevin thought, smiling a little. "Come on!" he shouted to David.

David moved to follow, when a shudder ran through his body. He braced himself against the side of the plane.

Kevin continued running, and, never stopping, jumped up on the T-mutant's back and with one motion snapped his neck. The T-mutant fell to the ground, and stood a moment later.

"Oh, come on!" Kevin snapped. "Unbelievable!"

He realized how close he was to the T-mutant. The T-mutant reached for him...

...and fell to the ground.

"Hey!" David whispered in pleased delight, holding a handgun. "I got him!"

Kevin nudged him slightly to make sure that the T-mutant was really dead, and focused his attention on Cindy. "Cin, you all right?" he asked, helping her to stand.

Cindy groaned.

"Oh..." Kevin said, looking at her back. "That looks really bad. Come on, let's get to the helicopter.

------------------

The helicopter started up again as Kevin escorted Cindy to the chopper. Kevin glanced at David.For a moment, their eyes briefly met. Kevin nodded. No words were even necessary. David looked away and sighed a little. He got into the helicopter.

For a moment, there was only Kevin and Cindy. "You should go," Kevin said with a gentle smile. It was pained. "And fast. Before it's too late."

"Wait-you're coming too, right?" Cindy demanded.

Kevin looked down. "No. I'm not."

"I don't-" Cindy began.

Kevin opened his hand.

The vial was there, but it was empty of the antidote. Not a drop remained. For a moment Cindy couldn't comprehend. Then she did. He had used it on the monster while she wasn't looking it. That was how they were able to defeat him.

"I never took the cure, Cin. I figured we were going to meet this guy again. George told me earlier that the Daylight formula might stop it." Kevin forced a weak smile. She noticed how pale and tired his face was. "Guess it did."

Cindy looked down, refusing to meet his eyes.

"You understand, don't you? I can't go with you. It's just too dangerous."

"No," Cindy whispered. "Kevin...I've lost everything. I don't want to lose you too!" Grief choked off her voice and she stared at him. "I...can't...do...this...alone."

Smiling a little, Kevin touched her hand. "Yes, you can. You have to. The world has to know what happened here. You have to do it for everybody who started out on this little adventure. Who tried to not only survive but make a difference too. Everyone has to know that hope does exist. A cure." Trims brimming in his eyes, Kevin looked away. "This is my home. I'm not going to leave it."

"Cindy, we've gotta go!" David shouted, slamming his side shut. He suddenly winced and gripped his side.

The pilot stared at him in surprise. "Are you all right?"

"Fine. Shut up!" David snarled, looking down.

Outside Kevin and Cindy were holding hands. He looked down at her. "You have to go now. Or else they'll leave without you."

Cindy could only shake her head, silent tears falling down her face. "No," she whispered.

He let go of her hands. "Go, Cindy," Kevin said. "This is what I want."

"No! I don't care! I want to stay with you!"

"Cindy, come on!" David shouted.

Kevin's eyes widened, because he could now feel the transformation starting to happen. His veins were starting to blacken in his face. "GO!" he screamed at her.

Bursting into tears, her hand covering her mouth, Cindy turned and fled for the helicopter. It felt that with every step her heart broke a little more. Tears falling down her face, she barely noticed as she sat down next to David.

David reached over and shut her door. "Okay, go!"

The helicopter took off.

Kevin watched upwards as it left, his eyes filled with sadness. He couldn't see it, but Cindy was starring down at him until he became little more then a blur, her fingers touching the glass.

"I'm...I'm sorry, Cindy," David whispered.

Cindy screamed, more tears falling down her cheeks.

Tears that were reflected in Kevin's blue eyes.

-------------------

The sun was starting to rise. It was probably going to be a cloudy day, Kevin figured. He walked alone out onto the road, noticing how quiet everything was. His face was calm, accepting.

After a minute, the bombs started to fall.

Kevin saw them come out of the sky. At that point the streets was cluttered with zombies. They didn't attack him, however. It was as if they too understood what was going to happen. Kevin closed his eyes, his brown hair parting in the dry wind, as the bombs exploded around him. Whatever happened next, it would be okay. He wasn't afraid. A feeling of immense heat.

Then he was consumed.

--------------------

Wordlessly Cindy looked out the window. She watched as the missiles struck, shattering buildings, as though they were no more then glass. 'Goodbye George,' Cindy thought. 'Kevin...Yoko...Mark....Goodbye.' She closed her eyes, tears falling from them.

"It's finally over," the pilot remarked. "Thank God...if there is a God."

David lifted his pale head, his eyes yellow. He lunged for the pilot.

"Hey what-" the pilot said. The helicopter swerved. "Get him off me!"

The co-pilot reached for him. David hit him with the back of his hand. The co-polit smacked against the window and cracked the glass. Immediately the air was being sucked out.

"Help!" the pilot shouted.

"David, stop-" Cindy began.

David turned and bit Cindy on the neck. Red blossomed from her neck and splattered against the windshield. She struggled to break free.

The pilot saw that they were headed straight into a building. "No!" the pilot screeched, desperately trying to keep the helicopter steady.

The helicopter crashed into the side of the building, caught on fire, and exploded. Cindy shrieked once-

-then silence.

---------------------------

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AUGUST 2008.

"Are you sure the scanners aren't picking up anything?" one man asked another. He and the other five were wearing environmental suits.

"Slight levels of radiation. Nothing hazardous," his partner said. "Still no signs of life here. Nothing human, at any rate."

"This is ridiculous," the first agreed, shifting his boot through the ashes. It had been four years since Racoon city had been utterly destroyed. There was nothing but ash everywhere. They were literally standing in a field of white. "Where are we now?"

"According to the specks, a university of some kind," his partner said. "Looks like this is where the civilian file ended."

"No survivors?" the first asked, shifting through the rubble.

"Not one of them made it out that day," the partner confirmed.

The first man's hand made contact with something. He lifted it out of the ashes, interested. It was a gold key stained with blood.

He didn't see something behind him until it was too late. When he turned, the last thing he remembered was himself screaming.

---------------------

The silver-haired man was typing quietly in his office, finishing his final report to Umbrella. It mostly consisted of people that had aggravated the company-Jill Valentine and Claire Refield chief among them. But there were other people too-George Damien, Yoko Suzuki, Cindy Lennox, Kevin Ryman, and David King. Hardly significant but they deserved a footnote at least, the man thought with a twisted smile.

Just as he was finishing his final chapter there was a knock at his door. "Sir?" the secretary asked, somewhat nervously.

The man looked up. "What is it?"

"I'm sorry to bother you, but..." she took a deep breath. "There's something down there, sir. Something the scanners didn't pick up. Something alive. Whatever it was killed five of our scouting party. The sixth...didn't make it either, but he was alive long enough to write a message." She handed him a note.

The man took it, and glanced at the message briefly. It was only two sentences.

The first was NEMESIS.

The second was THEY'RE COMING FOR YOU.

THE END.