All my stories can be found at http://www.freewebs.com/andromedaabyss
Rating-Pg-13, as usual.
Spoilers: My resident evil stories. Nothing much else.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in Resident Evil. They belong to Capcom entertainment.
Racoon City-for the past four years it had been categorized as a quarantined zone due to a nuclear meltdown. Absolutely nothing was allowed in or out of the city for the next twenty-five years.
Which is exactly what one woman did. Without any hesitation.
To look at Racoon City was to look at several hundred kilometers of ash. Some of the buildings were still in a perfect set-up, waiting to be blown away by the next windy day. Umbrella had destroyed the city four years ago in the vain hope of destroying the t-virus. But the t-virus still lingered, even now. Alyssa could see the odd shuffling of a man or woman, technically dead but still breathing.
A zombie.
Most had suffered extensive damage from the missile attack-all with severe burns, most missing their arms or assorted limbs. Alyssa stayed clear of them. They didn't really interest her. What did intrigue her was that there was evidence of human life, too. Every single street she traveled was devoid of bodies. At first Alyssa had reached the natural conclusion that they were eaten by the zombies during the past four years.
Until one night when she found the cemetery. It was about six times as large as what it said on the map supplied to her by Umbrella. Someone had spent the past four years burying the citizens of Racoon City. Yet the very concept was almost unbelievable. Umbrella had ran thermal-scans over the city thousands of times-and found nothing. How was it possible?
The graves were crudely marked with names. It had taken some time, but she had found the names of those she was looking for. All of them, together in a row.
GEORGE DAMIEN, KEVIN RYMAN, CINDY LENNOX, YOKO SUZUKI, DAVID KING, JIM CHAPMAN, MARK WILKINS.
This would have horrified Alyssa if she hadn't searched the graves and found all of them empty. Not one had a body in it. Which meant some of them might still be alive, and wanted Umbrella to think that they were dead.
So Alyssa searched even further.
And found something.
It was quick, Alyssa granted the beast that. She had almost lost it twice. She checked her device and found that it had stopped to rest. She entered a half-destroyed building, a prospect that did not overly fill her with joy. It was, for the most part, dark and the roof could potentially fall on her head at any moment. Alyssa checked the readings. It was close. Very, very close. Alyssa put away the device and took out her gun.
She was afraid, of course. What she was doing was very dangerous. And after she found what she was looking for, what then? But she had to do this.
Something landed on her shoulder. Alyssa glanced to her left. A wetness. Drool. Alyssa looked up.
And found what she was looking for.
------------------
It slithered across the ceiling, almost invisible to Alyssa's line of sight. She had a lot of trouble recognizing him, which was understandable. Considering his mutation.
The Nemesis was smaller then she was, with massive teeth. It blended into the shadows very easily. She had been tracking it for the past eight days, ever since a lucky shot had placed a tracer on its left shoulder. This one was a more rare type of monster, and harder to predict.
Alyssa lifted her gun and aimed carefully. Inside the gun was a tranquilizer. Something that would put the creature out for hours. She squeezed the trigger. A miss.
"Shit," Alyssa whispered. She reloaded her silver gun. She was alone. She had no help. No back-up. She aimed again. At the last second the Nemesis darted into the shadows and she missed again. The Nemesis launched off the floor and landed on its feet. It was now looking at Alyssa with unquenchable hunger. It shuffled forwards, coiled to attack.
In her terror Alyssa dropped the gun and went for her pink purse. Her hand lifted a vial out. Alyssa hesitated. "Please. If you can hear me in there-I know that you have absolutely no reason to trust me, but please, do it just this once. This is the Daylight serum. I altered it to accept your DNA. This will help you!"
That struck something. The beast's yellow eyes widened a little and Alyssa actually felt brave enough to step forwards. The vial was in her hand. She was almost close enough. Almost....
The Nemesis lunged forwards, and for one horrible moment all Alyssa could see was its massive teeth. Instinctively she ducked, and stabbed the needle into Nemesis' chest. Another motion she injected the formula into Nemesis as fast as she could.
But not quite fast enough.
Its hand rebounded and slashed her in the shoulder. Both Alyssa and Nemesis fell to the ground. Alyssa looked up. Nemesis was out cold. Standing, Alyssa took a deep breath and brushed away a lock of blond hair out of her eyes. She eyed the scratches, but she wasn't going to be seriously effected by it. She had Daylight in her blood, and after that it was impossible to become infected.
--------------
Alyssa threw the creature into the small cage that was only half of her height and locked the door. She had planned all of this carefully. At the moment they were in an abandoned warehouse that was still preserved. The Nemesis lunged at her, jaws snapping, making Alyssa step back. The iron cage shook but held. It lunged at her again. And again. It then howled with pain.
Alyssa spent all of the night standing outside and smoking, watching the errie calmness of the streets. There were no sounds. No street vehicles. No people. Nothing left.
It was past dawn when Alyssa came back, sipping from a mug of coffee. There had been a radical change since she had left. Nemesis was gone. The man replacing it was practically skin and bones. His brown hair had grown out and curled over his eyes. His skin had darkened considerably, and not just because of a nuclear bombing. He wasn't dead, but he might be very soon. His eyes had turned blue, but those eyes were blank. Empty.
This was a very real concern. Alyssa knew that he was alive, but there were no guarantees that either his memories or mind would survive intact. She crouched down. "Do you remember me?" she asked calmly.
The eyes became panicked. Fearful. Lost.
"Do you remember who you are? The others?"
The man tried to speak, couldn't, and coughed harshly.
"You probably haven't spoken for some time. You need water. But first I need to know that you aren't going to do anything stupid," Alyssa said flatly.
The man stared at her in bewilderment.
Alyssa looked down. "I betrayed you. I left all of you because...well, because Umbrella offered me a better choice." Alyssa looked up at him, unexpected tears in her eyes. "Turns out that was a dead end. Now I want to help you. None of this is coming back?"
The man tried once again to speak, and this time succeeded. "No. Who is Umbrella? Where...where am I? What others? Where are they?"
Alyssa's face softened. "I was hoping you would know."
-------------------
Alyssa helped the man out of the cage and helped him find a change of clothes. "What do you remember of the last four years?" she asked him after she had found him some water.
"Four years?" the man echoed. What a stupid question. "I...I was..." He blinked. He couldn't remember...anything at all. About his life. He turned to Alyssa, suspicion instantly creeping into his mind.
"I didn't do this to you," Alyssa said quietly.
"Then...so what? What happened?"
Alyssa decided to put it as delicately as she could. "Racoon City was invested by zombies. Then bombed. You became one of them, or more specifically, a Nemesis. The soldiers reported finding your body. I guess the T-virus reanimated and changed your body long after the bombs fell. It must have taken a long time, based on the research, probably at least two years-"
The man stared at her. The explanation wasn't so complicated, after all. The woman was crazy.
"You were one of the few people who were carriers for the N-formula. Probably having speed, agility, extra sensory perception and you don't believe a word I'm saying."
"Can you blame me?" he asked.
Alyssa giggled. The noise was a cross between someone laughing and weeping at the same time. "Believe me, if I could choose between being insane and the rest of the world just...being wrong, I would take it. In a heartbeat. But it's the truth."
"Okay. Let's try and take this through steps." The man leaned against the crate. "Zombies don't exist. They just...don't."
"They were created by Umbrella."
"Deliberately?"
"No. It was originally a beauty formula. Removes the effects of aging. It had quite an effect."
The man stared at her, noticing how pained her face seemed to be, mentally. The hand holding her cigarette was trembling. She looked at the door. Following her line of sight, the man stepped outside.
He stared at the wastelands for the longest time, not saying a word.
Alyssa joined him. "A long time ago, it used to be a thriving city. Hundreds of people. Then something happened. Be glad that you don't remember. A virus infected the entire city. Everybody died, were reanimated, and became something else. Zombies. And what did Umbrella do? They decimated the city."
Alyssa turned her head. "And so here we stand. In ashes. Not a long has changed over the past four years. The streets are still swarming with zombies...and other creatures," she added.
"How could anybody survive here?"
Alyssa stared at him with a raised eyebrow. "You did. Thanks to me." A noise startled her a little and she turned to the left, one hand reaching for her handgun. She could see five bodies with environmental suits. There was a sixth man. Above him was a creature, one that might have been human once. It was noisily chewing on the man's back. Remarkably, the man was still alive and crying out in horror and pain. He looked up at Alyssa and the man standing next to her. Three pairs of eyes met. The Umbrella man reached out one trembling hand towards them.
The man next to Alyssa started visibly, his face pale. Alyssa only smiled a little, not surprised at all. "Welcome to Racoon City."
----------------
A few minutes later the man sat in the warehouse, trying to contemplate everything. "We should have helped that man."
"There was nothing we could have done," Alyssa said.
"That thing that was eating them...it was something like me?" the man asked.
Alyssa nodded.
The man said nothing, trying to understand all of this. He also realized what he had probably been eating for the past four years. "Oh God," he whispered, and retched in a trash can. It wasn't much, considering that he probably hadn't found much food as Nemesis.
"You've changed since I last remember you. I didn't realize..." Alyssa looked away. "You had been through so much."
"Wha-" What do you mean was what the man was about to ask. He had been in the process of wiping his mouth when his fingers touched something around the corner of his lip. A scar. A big one. And it didn't end at his lip. Holding his hand to his face, the man hurried over to the cracked mirror. He stared in astonishment. There were massive thick white scars running from one side of his face to another. Three scars. As though a claw had done it. Surprised, the man touched his stomach. There were scars there too, only deeper. "Um, what's my name?" the man asked.
----------------
Yoko was broken. Broken in body, and almost broken in mind. They had moved her out of her sleeping 'containment' to an empty circular room that had people starring down at her from the second-floor window. Yoko knew that they were looking at her, and didn't care. She didn't even stand up. She just lay on the cool ground.
There was an intercom in the room, and from it she heard a sigh. "Four years we have been doing this, Yoko. If only you could just give us what we want."
Yoko said nothing.
"Yoko?"
Yoko closed her eyes and didn't reply.
"I have brought you someone, Yoko. Someone you should be very happy to see. One of your friends, in fact."
Friends? Yoko opened her eyes. The door opposite her opened and something shuffled into view. Yoko gave an audible gasp of horror. It was David, but he had been drastically changed by the t-virus. He had mutated into a zombie. His eyes were yellow. How they had found him, she had no idea.
"Well, it's a reunion of sorts," the man amended.
Yoko struggled to her feet as David approached.
"Give me the t-virus."
Her eyes brimmed with tears. "No," Yoko whispered.
"If you care for this man's life, you will work with us, Yoko. Not against us."
Something was dropped to the ground between Yoko and David. A black gun.
"It has only one bullet in it," the voice informed her. "I suggest you use it well."
David shuffled closer. Yoko eyed the gun, and her mangled fingers, and turned away from the weapon. She didn't want to live, not anymore. If David killed her, then Umbrella would never have the T-virus. She deliberately started to walk away from the gun, wondering what the people watching her would think. Three steps. She could practically feel David's heavy breath down her throat. Four steps-
----------------
George took another sip of water. "So let me get this straight. I died...twice, and miraculously sprang back to life? Do I like, live forever or something?"
"You don't believe me," Alyssa said.
"Frankly, no. I still don't believe in anything you've said so far."
"Look outside," Alyssa challenged again.
"That could mean anything. Here, look-" George held up a paper from the table. "Nuclear meltdown. It says so right here. It looks like this Umbrella Company has everything well in hand. Maybe we should try to ask them for help."
Alyssa exhaled from her cigarette.
The lights suddenly plunged out around them. One after another. The room was pitch black.
"I suppose you're going to blame 'that' on the zombies, too," George pointed out.
Alyssa took out her gun. "They're smarter then you think. You stay here. I'll check it out."
George shook his head as she left. He heard shuffling behind him and turned around. "Hello?"
More shuffling. He could see the dim shadow of someone moving. It was a man, broad-shouldered and wearing a dark blue uniform. George stepped closer. "Are you hurt, sir?" He touched the man's shoulder.
With a snarl the man lunged forwards. George withdrew his hand just in time and the man's jaw snapped against empty air. The zombie had no life in his pale face, and his eyes were yellow. Drool ran down his lips.
"Oh god," George whispered as the man lunged at him. George fought back, but without much luck. The man was almost twice the mass he was. George grunted in desperation as the zombie came closer-
-and reeled backwards. George jumped backwards with a cry. The zombie fell to the ground, a bullet in his back. George looked up at Alyssa.
"Sorry," she said. Alyssa approached the body with her gun drawn. She booted the man to one side. It used to be a janitor. Her face impassive, Alyssa aimed for the head and fired. George jumped slightly.
Alyssa looked up at him. "We should get going."
George nodded. "Right." He frowned and looked at his hand where little beads of blood were forming from where the zombie had scratched him. He looked at the corpse with a worried expression.
"Don't worry," Alyssa said with a small smile. "Once you've been cured of the T-virus, you can't get reinfected again. You're going to be fine." She raised her eyebrow. "Still don't believe in zombies?"
"We could have helped him. You didn't have to shoot him!" George said.
Alyssa shook her head. "Can't."
"What? Why? You did it for me!" George snapped.
"With the Daylight formula I used one that was salvaged from the University. It's the only one Umbrella had. There are only two people on this planet that know the secret to the Daylight formula. One of them is Yoko Suzuki." Alyssa's smile widened. "And she's not telling. The other is you. You see the difficulty." They both heard a noise. "We should get going. I don't have a lot of ammo left."
"What, you came by yourself?"
"Yes."
George stopped her. "Look, it's not that I'm not grateful or anything, but why are you doing this? I mean, how well do we know each other, exactly?"
Alyssa didn't reply for a moment. "I'm helping you because I'm the reason that all of this...everything happened around us. Including what happened to you." She looked up at him. "I was the one that told them everything about Yoko. And the Daylight formula. Umbrella didn't even know about it until that lab we escaped from. They tracked you all down, and it was with my help."
---------------
They walked through a part of the city that had partially been spared from the missile attack. A few buildings still survived. At the moment they were next to a playground. George pushed a tire still held on a charred rope before catching up with Alyssa. "So...um, how many people are in our group?" he asked her.
"Four. You met Kevin. Yoko was with us too. As far as I know David was turned into a zombie. I haven't heard anything about him. And then there was Cindy." She turned around. "The name ring a bell?"
George shrugged. "Should it?"
Alyssa smiled a little. She turned back and pointed. "Look there. See?"
George noticed one building that, though it was still standing, was severely damaged on one side.
"That's where the helicopter crashed. According to reports, she never made it out of there alive," Alyssa said. "That's where we're going to head next."
George shook his head. "It's been four years. Do you think we'll find anything?"
"That's what we're going to find out," Alyssa said.
"And then what?"
"Find anyone else, then I assume have a talk with Umbrella," Alyssa said.
George paused. "Is that wise?" he asked her.
Alyssa turned around, her eyebrow raised.
"You don't have any proof that Umbrella is the culprit. The first chance we get I'm getting out of this. I'm sorry, but it sounds like I have a life. You said I was a doctor once. Also I'm qiute sure I was married too. I want to go back to that life." George looked down briefly. "Besides, what can either of us do against a corporation that is as large as you say it is?"
Alyssa didn't reply as she walked towards the crash site. The helicopter was still there, even after all this time. Covered with dust. There were a few small fires burning. But no one in the helicopter, not after four years. George coughed once from the smoke. Then he noticed something along the corner of his eyes. Shadows moving. "Alyssa-"
Alyssa already had her gun out of her pink purse and was looking around.
The sound of multiple safeties being pulled back, and they were instantly surrounded. George didn't think they were Umbrella. They were wearing filthy clothes that were torn and were carrying assorted rifles. "I don't think we can beat them all, Alyssa," George pointed out.
"Drop the weapon, ma'am," one of then wearing a police uniform ordered. He was skinny and had blond hair.
Alyssa obliged. The gun fell to the concrete was a clatter. The other men and woman, eighteen in all, came out of hiding. Two of them searched Alyssa and George and a third was holding up some kind of device. "They're both clean, sir. No signs of the T-virus. But I am getting some strange readings as well."
"Humans? Alive? In this city? It's not possible," one of them said.
"It's true," Alyssa supplied quietly.
They lowered their weapons. "My name is Marvin. Marvin Branagh," the police leader introduced himself. "This is my police force. Or rather, it was. Now we're the rebels, you could say."
"Against Umbrella?" Alyssa guessed.
Marvin nodded somberly. "Yes. Who are the two of you? What are you doing here?"
"We're looking for some friends," Alyssa said. A flash of inspiration hit her. "Maybe you would know one of them...Kevin Ryman?"
"No, I'm sorry, I've never heard of that person before," Marvin said.
"Wait a minute. You told me that Umbrella had scanned the area with thermal scans and came up with nothing-" George said to Alyssa.
"We've been fooling their scans with satellite devices. You better come with us. We can have our men look you over." Marvin turned to one of his men. "Get on the horn. Tell Cindy that-"
"Woah, Cindy-" Both Alyssa and George said at exactly the same time.
"Cindy Lennox?" Alyssa demanded.
Marvin nodded. "That's right. Do you know her?"
George was about to reply, when he suddenly turned around. He saw men approaching. Men dressed in black uniforms holding assault rifles.
"Shit!" Marvin swore, as he and his man dived for cover. Alyssa grabbed George by his shirt and pulled him down with her as Umbrella opened fire. George snatched his hand away as a bullet landed there.
"Do you know how to fire a gun?" Marvin demanded.
"Sure as hell I know," Alyssa said, taking out a handgun. She tossed another to George, who fumbled for it. "Do the best you can," she ordered. She lifted herself from the cover slightly and fired. George did the same, but he wasn't a very good shot. He looked behind him as one of the resistance fell with a scream. It was clear that they were hopelessly outnumbered.
Alyssa suddenly fell backwards into George's arms with a short scream. She had been shot in the shoulder.
Marvin looked at him. "Listen to me-Umbrella has orders to exterminate us all! Take the path behind us! Get out of here!"
George nodded, and lifted Alyssa to her feet. They soon made it out of kill zone.
----------------
It was several hours later when Marvin made it back to the base, wiping his brow with a towel. Of the eighteen, only six of his men had survived. He entered the control room. "Two people wanted to see you, ma'am," Marvin reported.
"Really? What did they want?" Cindy asked, starring at the map.
"Unfortunately, I'm not really sure. Umbrella ambushed us again, those bastards," Marvin admitted. "They were probably more rabble looking for scraps of food."
Cindy made no comment, which is what Marvin had come to expect. If Marvin had heard that Cindy was once a shy, nervous waitress he would have never had believed it. Cindy was a tough-as-nails woman who had led all of them out of death time and again. She didn't have a personal life, and rumors were that her heart had died along with everything else in Racoon City.
----------------
Later that night Cindy was sitting in a room devoid of light. Her gun was in her hands with the safety off. The ghosts of the past came back to her, as they did every single night.
Hey Cindy, I'm only waiting to death over here!
What's wrong with you? Why didn't you shoot?
We're getting out of this. I know we will.
I love you, Cindy.
Cindy, go!
Look out, we're going to crash!
Cindy bowed her head, and closed her eyes.
-------------
; .; ; .; ; .; ; .; ; .; ; .; ; .; ; .; ;(Four years ago)
Cindy regained consciousness to the smell of burning. She had no idea how long she had been unconscious. Her mouth felt so dry and everything was so horribly hot. She could hear a small beeping in the background. Slowly she opened her blue eyes.
Half of her was laying face-down on the concrete. The other half was buried in black steel. Slowly and painfully she dug herself out. There were small fires burning around her. With a final yank she tore herself free. She wasn't entirely sure where she was and her vision was blurred. She blinked rapidly. Slowly, pieces started to come back. She touched her bleeding neck, and with a fearful gasp looked around for David.
Nothing. There was no sign of him. She limped to the front of the chopper, oblivious to the fact that eyes were watching her. The pilot was quite dead, having been decapitated. The co-pilot was crushed to death. With a small cough she turned around.
And screamed.
--------------
(Now)
Cindy sniffed, and stood onto her feet. She had a job to do, one that the resistance didn't know about.
A short time later, as the sun was starting to go down, she approached the Police Headquarters. She was carrying a large duffle bag and with her free hand pushed open the door to enter the building. It was pitch-black and eerily silent as she walked down the hall. The roof had caved in from the missile attack, but apart from that it was still standing. She looked to the left and right.
"Took you long enough," a voice remarked behind her.
Cindy turned. With a snap and hiss a cigarette was lit. The man's face was mostly covered in shadow and by his brown bangs.
"You got the explosives?" Kevin asked.
"As many I could spare," Cindy replied, dropping the duffle bag to the ground in front of him.
Kevin grinned as he opened it up and studied the contents. "This'll do. Wouldn't mind some more."
"I told you, it would be easier if you worked with us, Kevin."
"And I told you, I don't work in groups. Not anymore." Kevin zipped the bag closed and stood. "This should be enough to cover the whole museum. I assume you want to come, or something?"
"Do you really think I wouldn't?" Cindy asked.
Kevin smiled, and pitched his cigarette.
-------------------
Three steps. Yoko took another step. And-
-her courage gave out and with a shriek she ran for the gun. She picked it up and held it up to David's head. She pulled back the trigger and shot him between the eyes.
The zombie reeled backwards and fell backwards to the ground. With a shuddering gasp Yoko dropped the gun and cradled his head in her lap. "I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry..."
The zombie's eyes closed. For the last and true time, David was dead. She touched his gloved hand.
Maybe it was minutes, or hours later, when the voice spoke again. "Take her away."
----------------
Hours later Yoo was back in her cell, facing the wall. The doors opened, and someone stepped in. Another prisoner, maybe? Yoko didn't know. She was beyond caring.
Hands gripped her and lifted her up. Yoko closed her eyes, not willing to look at her captor. She was being led to another experiment, another horror.
She was carried for some ways before being deposited gently on the floor. "You're going to have to make your own way from here," a man's voice told her.
Yoko opened her eyes and gasped a little. She was starring at an open doorway. Leading to the outside world. She was seeing a setting sun for the first time in years. She turned.
A middle-aged man with glasses was starring at her. His face was hard. "Go. You haven't got much time."
"Wh-what are you talking about? Who are you?" Yoko whispered.
"I'm Ben Bertolucci. I was sent by a mutual friend to find you. But I can't leave yet. There's too much to uncover and I'm going to find out every secret that Umbrella has. Better then your friend, in fact. You're only a few kilometers from Racoon City. Stay away from Umbrella. Their men still patrol the streets."
"I-" Yoko began, still not comprehending. She closed her mouth. "Thank you."
The man nodded, and turned and disappeared back the way he came.
Yoko stared at the open star-lit sky, and her eyes brimmed with tears. "Thank you!" she whispered again.
------------------
With her broken sneakers Yoko stepped across the white field, awed by how decimated the city was. There were a few zombies around but they seemed to have suffered a great deal from the effects of the missiles. Most had to crawl. Yoko stayed away from them. It struck her how cold everything was. She shivered, gripping her green sweater tightly.
-----------------
Alyssa and George stopped running. George took in a breath of fresh air. "I think we're safe," he said.
Alyssa stepped forwards. "We're not safe anywhere," she corrected.
George gestured. "Maybe we should, ah, try and find this Cindy person-"
"George. Look." She pointed. "See it?"
George did. "A five-story building still standing without any damage. That's incredible."
"We'll camp there for the night. And try again tomorrow," Alyssa said. "Come on."
They both ran towards it.
--------------------
A few minutes later Kevin and Cindy stood outside of the five-story building. "Are you ready for this?" Cindy asked.
Kevin looked at the explosives. "As ready as I'll ever be, sweetcheeks." Considering what they faced in there. "Let's go."
----------------
Yoko walked by herself on the street. "I'm in hell," she thought. "I'm in hell and the nightmare won't stop."
-----------------
George and Alyssa hurried up the stone steps. George glanced at the sign at the front of the building. THE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. He opened the door into a dark, empty room with red carpeting. "Hello?" he called out. "Anybody here?"
"This must be reception," Alyssa remarked.
George spotted a leafy plant on the table and grabbed it. He yanked it out of the pot and studied the red leaves. "Yes." He looked up at Alyssa. "Come here."
A few minutes later George looked up from his work to the sound of thunder from outside.
"You sure this is good for me?" Alyssa asked.
"Yes. It'll help stop the bleeding. Prevent infection," George replied.
"So it's starting to come back?" Alyssa asked as George rolled down her sleeve.
"The doctor part of it is," George said. "At any rate."
"Anything else?"
George shook his head. "I'm starting to think that's maybe a good thing, based on what I"ve seen so far." He dug around in his pocket. Whatever clothes Alyssa had looted for him actually had change in it. "I'm going to get something to eat. Do you want anything?"
Alyssa shook her head. George turned and climbed up the stairs to the second floor.
More thunder. Alyssa noticed a registration book. She decided to sign it with her good hand. No real reason-just because she wanted to. A sudden noise made her look up. She turned. "Hello?" she called out.
No answer. She immediately grabbed her gun and removed the safety. She walked down the hall.
----------------------
On the second floor George found a vending machine. He put the coins in the machine. Immediately the chocolate bar jammed. George hit the vending machine. Nothing happened. He didn't have any more coin. "Hm."
A minute later the glass shattered. George tossed away the fire extinguisher and took out some food. While he was eating George looked up and saw an archway. On it was a plaque that said HISTORICAL EXHIBITS. He decided to explore a little. He had always been into museums from what he remembered.
He walked through the archway and down a hall with tanks to either side of him. It was dark but there was still lighting. On one of the tanks was a button that was still lit up. George smiled a little. Amazing that the museum would still have power even after all this time. He pushed the button. THIS MUSEUM HAS OPERATED FOR FORTY-ONE YEARS AND HAS HAD DONATIONS FROM ENGLAND, FRANCE, AND THE NETHERLANDS, he heard a female voice tell him. ALL OF OUR EXHIBITS HAVE BEEN FOUND FROM MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO, AND ARE THE ACTUAL REMAINS OF LONG-EXTINCT SPECIES.
Still smiling, George didn't notice the dark tentacles reaching for him in the tank behind him.
- ------------------
Sniffing, Yoko limped down the street. The moon suddenly came out of a patch of clouds, and Yoko gasped when she looked up. The whole street was illuminated. Almost in front of her was an actual building that was still standing. For a moment Yoko hesitated, then walked towards it.
- ------------------------
George jumped backwards as he heard the sound of something thudding against glass. It was a tentacle from a massive plant reaching for him. It connected against the tank a few more times. The glass started to crack.
George stepped back until his back was pressed against another tank. He turned to look at it. It was a fish tank, but the fish were...twisted, and deformed. Several had chunks missing out of them. Seeing George, they immediately swam towards him and started bombing the glass.
----------------------
It was dark in the room that Alyssa entered. She stepped hesitantly forwards. "Hello?"
No one answered but Alyssa did hear something. A noise...like something dropping to the ground and rolling away. As she moved closer, her hand touched something soft. She glanced to the right and snatched her hand back with a cry. A lion was starring back at her. Alyssa's heart lurched in fright, and she forced herself to calm down. She glanced at the sign. ANIMALS TODAY! it said. The lion had to be stuffed. With a relieved sigh, Alyssa turned and started to walk away.
A sound made her pause. The sound of nails scraping against metal. Alyssa turned back to see the lion move. She noticed how unusually yellow its eyes were. "No," she whispered as the lion sprang at her. Alyssa was already running for her life.
As she turned around the corner she drew back against the wall in horror. There was an ape chewing noisily on a human corpse. It looked up at her.
And shrieked.
-------------------
Meanwhile, George was facing his own problems.
The glass shattered as snapping vines reached for him. George scrambled to his feet and ran blindly forwards, tripped over something, fell off the small cliff down one level...
...and landed in warm water. Sputtering, George looked around. He was in the middle of a swamp. He struggled to his feet.
'WELCOME TO HISTORIC SETTINGS OF OUR WORLD! WE ACTUALLY HAVE DNA SAMPLES AND AUTHENTIC SPECIMENS FROM THAT TIMELINE'
"No shit," George said, not in the least bit in a good mood. He slapped a mosquito on his arm. "Ow." He looked up and noticed that there were a lot of bugs around.
He slapped the back of his neck. "Argh!" he frowned. "What the hell...?" His hand came away with a bug a quarter the size of his hand. He looked up as a virtual cloud of bugs came at him. George flailed about blindly, trying to do something, anything, to get them off him.
---------------------
In the reception level Cindy and Kevin were setting charges quietly. The silence between them wasn't even remotely comfortable. They had both changed, hardened. And after the night after the missile attack...Kevin shrugged inwardly. There just wasn't that much to talk about. Not after what had happened...and what he had done.
The silence was broken with the sound of gunshots upstairs.
Cindy looked up. "There's someone here."
Kevin took out his handgun. "I'll check it out. You stay here." He hurried up the stairwell. Cindy watched him disappear before working on the charges. Her head snapped up when she heard another noise, like a small scream. This time it was on the first level. She decided to follow it.
-----------------
Even with the bugs snapping around him drawing blood, it would have been very hard to miss the water around George shifting, and something very large racing towards him. George caught a glimpse of it-a snake of some kind, infected by the t-virus. Quickly George took out his handgun. It was almost impossible to focus, but he had too. Three shots and the snake was dead.
After a moment George got out of the swamp. The bugs didn't follow him. George went into another dark archway. There had to be some way out of here!
He bumped squarely into something in the darkness and jumped backwards. Then he gasped in relief. It was a statue of an American soldier, made by wax and not by centuries-old DNA. Giving another relieved sigh George turned around. It looked like he was in American history. That he could deal with.
He walked on, oblivious to the fact that another soldier stepped away from the cover of the wax impression, dressed entirely in black and carrying the insignia of Umbrella. His red sniper beam pierced through the darkness as he followed George.
---------------------
On the second level Kevin approached the broken tanks slowly, his boots crunching against the wet glass. The fact that the plants were alive came as no big shock. The entire frigging museum was alive! But if there was actually someone human around...
When it came to luck, Kevin truly believed that he was the luckiest son-of-a-bitch to ever exist, and that was before the Outbreak even started. He could play poker with the best of them and he defeated every type of zombie that came his way. No one could hold a candle to him (with the possible exception of George and Yoko. God knew how many times they had cheated death). It came to him as only a little surprise that he had survived the nuclear devastation with nothing more then a sunburn to show for it.
He had not, however, survived the t-virus. He became a zombie, plain and simple. And what was the first thing he did? Why, he went after his friends of course.
------------------
(Four years ago)
With a half-choked sob Cindy ran down the street. They were still in the aftermath of the missile attack, and buildings were literally collapsing around her. Rubble exploded from behind. Cindy turned around, the rain drenching her clothes and her hair.
Kevin climbed out of the rubble. His wrist was broken and hung at an odd angle. Other then that, the former policeman was unharmed. He lurched forwards, and Cindy noticed that his eyes-once brown, now had a sheen of yellow she had grown to know so well. He didn't recognize her, and wouldn't stop until she was dead or worse, like him.
With a gasp Cindy turned and ran. She didn't see the man dressed in black until she smacked right into him. Both fell to the ground. The man had been carrying a suitcase and he didn't bother to pick it up as both struggled to their feet.
Another pointed with his gun. "There's one! Kill her!"
Cindy didn't stop to think. Her foot lashed out, kicking away the gun. The Umbrella officer instantly drew his knife and slashed at her. Cindy ducked. He slashed at her again. Cindy dodged, and punched him twice in the chest and once in the head. Cindy, who had believed for so long that she was helpless, was startled to see her punches do some damage. The man stepped backwards just as Kevin rounded the corner. Instantly Kevin bit into his neck. The man screamed.
In her terror Cindy didn't realize that she had grabbed the spare gun out of his hoister. She fired twice and the man fell into Kevin's arms with two short bursts of blood.
The other officer brought his gun to bare. Cindy twisted around with a cry and shoot him in the head. He fell as well into a puddle. Cindy swallowed, her body shaking.
Then Kevin approached her, his lips red with blood.
Cindy gritted her teeth. She aimed the gun at Kevin and pulled the trigger.
Absolutely nothing happened.
Cindy stared at the gun in disbelief. Click. She tried again. Click. It was out of ammo.
Her eyes searched for a weapon and spotted a silver briefcase. She scrambled to it and opened the case. Inside was an oddly-shaped gun. As Kevin came at her Cindy yanked the gun out and shot Kevin twice in the chest with the gun.
Two small vials hit Kevin and he fell backwards. Cindy stared at the silver-gun-not entirely sure what it was for. She tossed it away.
More missiles exploded around the city. Cindy knew that she had to run, to find cover, but part of her had to make sure that Kevin really was dead. She approached his still body, terrified by what she would find.
-------------.
(Now)
Kevin had reached the kitchen area. By this time the food had rotted away, leaving a repulsive odor. He approached the area slowly, making sure that he checked hidden areas for zombies.
The door opposite him suddenly opened, and a man with an assault rifle stepped through and immediately pointed the weapon at Kevin. "Drop it."
His face impassive, Kevin let his handgun drop to the stove.
"How many of you are there?" the Umbrella officer demanded.
Kevin shrugged. "Just me."
The officer eyed him suspiciously, then turned on his radio. "This is unit five requesting backup in museum-oof!"
With his right hand Kevin had gripped the handle of a saucepan on the stove top and smashed it against the man's skull. The man fell backwards, clutching his bloodied nose. He grabbed his handgun, but Kevin reached his first and shot him twice.
----------------------
George made it back to the hallway near the entrance when he suddenly heard more gunshots on the second level. "Alyssa," he remembered. He ran past the reception lobby and back up the stairwell, two steps at a time
---------------------
Hundreds of miles away a silver-haired man was starring at the computer screen.
"Sir?" his secretary inquired behind him. "You've been starring at the same screen. For hours."
"This is a pivotal moment," the Umbrella agent replied. "We have had so much good luck already." On the screen was a map of the museum, and on that there were five moving red dots amongst a scatterment of green dots. The silver-haired man tapped the one on the bottom. "That would be Yoko Suzuki entering the building now."
The secretary looked up. "Even if you are right, sir, it's been four years. If I may ask, what makes you think they'll band together?"
The silver-haired man smiled and sipped from his cup. "They have to."
---------------------------
The door creaked open and Yoko poked her head inside. "Hello?"
There was no reply, but Yoko heard noises in the distance. A snapping sound, followed by a distant cry.
"Hello?" Yoko called again. Her eyes spotted something on the counter. A handgun. Yoko rushed forwards and grabbed it.
------------------------
Alysas noticed that there were thick green veins that ran twisted under the Ape's skin, and the creature stared at her with yellow eyes. It leaped forwards at Alyssa. Alyssa moved to one side. Just then the lion appeared from around the corner and in one motion tore the ape's head clean off. Gasping, Alyssa scrambled backwards into an open field with dim lighting. The lion tensed, about to leap-
-there was a deafening explosion, and the lion collapsed to the ground, blood trickling from its back. Alyssa looked up.
Cindy reloaded the hunter's rifle from the balcony above. The lion tried to stand. Cindy shot it twice in the head.
--------------------
Panting, Kevin walked down the hall. Umbrella was here. That was never good news. A sudden instinct told him that someone was behind him. Kevin whirled around, his gun already in his hands.
George was standing right behind him, also pointing a gun.
It took all of Kevin's self-control to not shoot the man facing him. It couldn't be real. No frigging way this was real or even remotely possible. Either Kevin was going insane, or this was a trick of Umbrella's. Swallowing, Kevin tried to make himself shoot. And couldn't. His fingers had frozen up.
George stared back at him, not entirely certain what was going on but knowing enough that his life was in danger.
"There has to be a rational explanation for this," Kevin whispered.
"Do I know you?" George asked.
"There went the rational explanation," Kevin said.
----------------------
George and Kevin walked down the stairs as Alyssa and Cindy met up with them in the lobby, followed a second later by Yoko. For a moment, all five could only stare at each other in astonishment and wonder. Nobody seemed to know what to say.
Cindy took one glance at George, and her eyes dimmed. "I'm sorry, I must have confused you for someone else."
"No, you haven't," Alyssa said. "It's George. Alive and well. Just with the slight, inconsequential handicap that he doesn't remember who he is."
Yoko's face twisted in fury. She took two steps towards Alyssa. "You!" she shrieked. She took out her gun.
"Woah!" Kevin said, grabbing her just in time.
"What are you doing here? You betrayed us! The only reason I was captured in the first place is because you told us where we all were in the first place! You selfish bitch! You-" Struggling, Yoko broke free of Kevin's grasp by elbowing him in the jaw but George caught her just in time.
"Listen!" he snapped. "Miss..." He looked up at Kevin for clarification.
"Yoko," Kevin supplied, massaging his jaw.
"Yoko. I don't know what happened-"
"David's dead. David's dead and I shot him because he had turned," Yoko said through her tears. "Because she told them where he was too!"
George blinked. He had no idea who that guy was. "Um..."
The doors suddenly burst open, and eight men dressed in black stepped through and opened fire. George reacted instantly. He grabbed the blond hair woman who was closest to him by the waist and pulled her backwards as bullets exploded past them. They both scrambled for cover. Kevin dived over the reception desk.
Yoko stayed exactly where she was, frozen to the spot.
"Shit," Kevin said. "George can you reach her?"
"Can't!" George said. "I'm pinned down!" George took out his handgun and glanced once at the blond-haired woman. She was just starring at him, and George couldn't understand why. Oh well, can't figure it out now.
"Shit," Kevin repeated. "Oh, screw it." He ran from the desk and grabbed Yoko. He hurled her behind the desk and to the ground as the men open fired again.
George's gun jammed. Swearing, he tried to fix it, couldn't. "Ah, might need some help here!" he shouted.
Something fell into Kevin's hand. An explosive. It was on the desk. He had the detonator switch too. Quickly he rigged the charge. "George, when I tell you, you and Cindy run. Don't look behind you." A final twist and the charge was set.
George nodded. He and Cindy ran as Kevin threw the charge. It exploded a minute later, incinerating the Umbrella men.
----------------------
It was several hours later.
They were near the docks. Cindy and George had been talking since they left the museum. Kevin was sitting on a broken stump starring at the dried abyss which used to be the lake. Yoko didn't want to talk to Alyssa, so she decided to talk with Kevin. "Thank you," she said.
"Don't mention it," Kevin replied. He was smoking and his brown eyes seemed haunted.
Yoko sat huddled on the ground. "It's getting cold now. It's been so long...since I was cold."
Kevin didn't reply. Yoko sighed. "So. Four years, hm?"
"Spent most of it digging those graves. Helping the resistance," Kevin said. "The museum was next on my target, because, well, of the creatures in there. You guys arriving and Umbrella crashing the party pretty much changed those plans." He glanced once at George. "He's got it lucky. He doesn't remember a single thing. Kind of a wuss now, though from what I remember. And it's hurting Cindy."
Yoko released a breath, and tears trickled down her eyes.
Kevin glanced once at her. "I'm sorry about David. He was a good man."
"When I saw Alyssa...I was just, so furious that I couldn't move. Not even when Umbrella arrived. If it hadn't been for you...I would have died."
"Don't celebrate just yet," Kevin said. "If they had really wanted to kill you, they would have." He looked at her. "Think it's just a coincidence we're all here? Umbrella wants us alive for some reason. We're being set up."
"So...what do we do?" Yoko asked.
"We rest for the night." He said, looking at the half-decent warehouse they were next to. "Figure it out tomorrow."
----------------------
It was an hour later.
George slowly opened his eyes and looked around. Everyone was asleep in sleeping bags they had scavenged. Not even Kevin looked awake. Quietly, George got out of his sleeping bag and hurried outside of the warehouse.
Kevin's eyes flicked open.
George hurried to a payphone and lifted it. If anything about Umbrella was right, they would be monitoring all available channels, including phones. "Hello?" George asked. "Hello, are you there?" Still no answer. George sighed. "Look, if no one's going to answer I'm going to hang up this-"
A sudden click. "Yes, we can hear you."
"Who are you?" George demanded.
"I think the important question is who are you and what are you still doing in Racoon City."
"Can you get me out?"
"Yes, yes, yes. Of course."
George closed his eyes in sweet relief. "My name is George. Dr George ..Damien. I have no idea who I am beyond that. I've lost...all memory."
"Are there others with you?" the man continued pleasantly.
"Yes, but I don't have any idea who they are. They said that you caused..." George glanced around. "All this."
"Really."
George turned back to the phone. "Did you?"
A small chuckle. "Do you really think we would be capable of such a horrific act?"
George closed his eyes. "No. I'm sorry-it's just, I need to get out of here!"
"Yes."
"I'm not like the others! I'm not infected! I'm not-"
"Dr. Damien, calm down. I understand your situation. We're sending a helicopter even as I speak."
"Thank you."
"Where are you?"
George provided them the location of the warehouse.
"Excellent. We'll be along very shortly."
George thanked him, hung up, and looked around. He shivered a little.
--------------------
The silver-haired man smiled. "Always nice to tie up lose ends." He looked up. "Alert the men. We might have found our civilian file again. Find everyone there and round them up."
--------------------
A hand touched his shoulder, making George jump and turn around.
"What are you doing?" Kevin asked.
----------------
The helicopter traveled silently to the remains of Racoon City. Inside the helicopter were eight men wearing Umbrella uniforms. "To think," one mentioned. "That all of this happened in only a week."
A short time later a helicopter arrived at the designated warehouse. The Captain gestured to the pilot. "Stay here. We'll be back momentarily."
------------------
"Well?" Kevin asked, folding his arms. "I'm waiting."
"I was-" George began.
-------------------
(30 minutes ago)
"Sure is cold out here," George said. It was a pretty lame thing to say, but his companion hadn't spoken a word to him at all. "Considering the nuclear devastation. It's a wonder we haven't been exposed to any radiation yet."
"Umbrella created the missiles," Cindy supplied quietly. "They were designed to have no radiation effects. They wanted to be able to enter the city afterwards."
Mutual silent for a moment. "So, does Umbrella know about the resistance?"
"They might. So far we've killed anyone whose seen us, but if they sent a transmission..." She turned to face him. "I'll be honest with you, George. There isn't much hope. Umbrella...took away all of this."
They resumed walking. "And what about you and me?"
"What about us?" Cindy asked, a bit uncertainly.
"Well, every time you look at me it's as if...well, like we have some history together."
"What does it matter now?" Cindy snapped. "You don't even remember. You don't know who I used to be." She turned away, tears in her eyes. "And now? Everything's changed. Everything's so different. I had so much. I didn't realize it. And now-everything's gone. Now I only want to see that company crash and burn."
"Cindy," George said, gripping her arm. "You're right-I don't know you. I try to think-and all I'm getting is holes. But I can tell that you're a good person, and if there is history between us, I want to hear about it."
Cindy's blue eyes softened, and she gripped him. "I'm just glad to know that you're still here."
Still hugging her, George closed his eyes. Neither of them noticed the man in the shadows raising his gun.
George's eyes flew open and he jerked in surprise. A trail of blood ran down his hand. From Cindy's back. Cindy's eyes were wide with shock. George lowered Cindy to the ground. He spotted the soldier and reacted instantly. He took out his hunting from his boot and hurled it at the man, aiming for his head. His aim was a little off, however, and it struck the man in the shoulder. The man crumpled backwards with a cry, and the gun fell to the concrete with a clatter.
"Kevin!" George shouted. "Kevin!"
"Wha..." Cindy whispered.
Kevin ran towards them. "Here, cover that guy!" he snapped to Yoko, giving his handgun to the girl. He joined George's side. "Cin...oh no...not Cindy." He brushed away a lock of blond hair.
"It went right through her back," George said.
"Can you fix it?" Kevin demanded.
That kind of damage without any equipment. Yep, you bet I could, George through. "I...I dunno-"
Kevin gripped him by the shirt. "Can you help her or not?"
George couldn't speak. But Kevin saw the despair in his eyes and turned away from him. He stood and walked over to the man that Yoko was covering. He took out his spare handgun. "You're going down, man-" he started.
"Kevin, no! He's not from Umbrella!" Yoko shouted.
"What are you-" Kevin began, then noticed that the man had no uniform. "Oh."
-----------------
They laid her down on the table. Cindy was shuddering from fever. Yoko and Kevin had tied up the man in the corner, who was giggling.
"She's dying," George said. "I'm going to n-need some light."
"Yeah," Kevin muttered. "Yeah, you've got it."
They found him a lamp. After a moment George shook his head. "No. I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do. I can't stop this-"
"What do you mean, you can't!" Kevin exploded. "You have to!"
"There's nothing I can do!" George said. "Not unless you want me to severe her spine in half looking for the bullet! And even then...she's lost too much blood for me to try. I'm sorry-"
"Balls you're sorry! You didn't know her! Not like I knew her-" Kevin closed his eyes, breathing hard.
A strange sound made them look up. Rasping. Cindy was coughing up blood.
"Oh Jesus-" Kevin said.
"The bullet must have gone through her lung," George said.
Kevin stared at him, then took two steps towards the man they had tied up. He ripped the duct tape off his lips. "You. Why the fuck did you do this?"
Remarkably, the man was still laughing. "You're infected. All of you. Have to wipe out the impurities. Have to wipe everything out before you start again."
Kevin had rolled up the duct tape, and tossed it to the ground. "He's insane. That's why he shot Cindy."
"There's no one left," the man whispered. "No one left but me."
Kevin glanced at the briefcase they had found along with the man. "What's in here?" he asked. He snapped it open.
George didn't pay them any intention. He was only starring at Cindy, gripping her hand.
Kevin picked up a single vial of green liquid.
"The t-virus," the man said with a crazed smile. "Maybe, just maybe the last one left in existence. Salvaged from an underground lab. Umbrella has thousands of soldiers looking for more. If they find a single vial...it'll be the end."
"Why? Why is it so damned important?" Kevin demanded.
"I've been monitoring their transmissions. They plan to infect other cities as soon as they find one. Test run number two."
"Oh God," Yoko whispered. "That's why they needed me."
George looked up from Cindy as an idea flashed into his mind. He went to the briefcase and took the vial.
"What are you thinking?" Kevin demanded.
"The t-virus cures dead cells, right?" George said. "Cindy's already cured of the t-virus. We might be able to use this to help her!"
Surprising, Kevin stepped right into his path.
"Well, get out of my way!"
"Sorry, doc. It might work. Or it could turn into a zombie."
"Yoko said that the Daylight formula cured her!"
"We don't know that for a fact! She's not going to get any better then this."
George tried to side-step Kevin without much luck.
"I'm not going to let her last memory being turning into one of those things. Or of us shooting her. Cindy deserves better then that."
"Why are you trying to stop me?" George demanded.
"I was one of those things. I know what it was like. And so do you."
George hesitated. "I have to try anyway."
Kevin said nothing, which George took for acceptance. He moved to Cindy's side and gripped her arm. "Cindy, I know this is going to hurt, but we have to do this," George said quietly. He squeezed her hand.
"NO!" the man bellowed. With a single thrash he was free of the bonds. "You cannot do this! It is defilement! It is-"
With a single motion Kevin took out his gun and shot the man in the face. Yoko jumped slightly.
George put the t-virus in Cindy. She moaned a little.
Kevin looked at George. "If this doesn't work...it'll be your job to take care of it."
George glanced at the handgun in Kevin's hand but made no comment.
----------------------
(1 hour later)
Kevin waited outside of the warehouse, trying to be able to ignore Cindy's screams. And failing. He smoked ten cigarettes, one right after another. It was the only release he had. At the moment, the screams sounded less then human. They sounded like she was dying. Kevin wiped away the rain from his forehead and closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, he looked down below at the charred destruction of Racoon City. And just think, Umbrella caused all of this, Kevin thought. They'll cause it again.
--------------------------
"Cindy-" George said, pinning her down. "Listen to me. It's going to be okay. It's-"
Cindy's eyes glistened with yellow, and she bit down on his arm. Blood flowed between her teeth.
George screamed.
----------------------
"Doc?"
George opened his eyes as Kevin's hand hit his shoulder. He groaned inwardly. He couldn't believe he had fallen asleep. But then, he hadn't slept since Alyssa had given him the antidote. He stretched and immediately looked at Cindy. She lay still. George stood and touched her hand.
"How is she doing?"
"She's not out of the woods yet. I managed to get the bullet out," George said. "There's nothing more then I can do for her."
"Doc...we need to not let this happen to other cities."
George nodded. "I agree. If you're right, and Umbrella is wanting us alive for some purpose, then we need to take the fight to them." He glanced at Cindy. "Most of all, Kevin, I can't afford to lose her. Not again."
Kevin noticed him touching her hand. His eyes flicked up. "You remember. Since when?"
"Since the moment Cindy was shot." George met his eyes. "This won't be easy."
---------------------------
George waited until everyone appeared asleep before strolling outside. If Umbrella really was setting them up, then according to Yoko they might be on constant surveillance, including thermal imaging. It had to look like he was doing this by himself. He made his way to the telephone and dialed the number.
Hello?" George asked. "Hello, are you there?" Still no answer. George sighed. "Look, if no one's going to answer I'm going to hang up this-"
A sudden click. "Yes, we can hear you."
George completed the phone call to Umbrella and hung up. He turned to see Kevin starring at him. "What are you doing?"
George didn't reply.
"Well, I'm waiting."
"I was making the phone call!" George said.
"You couldn't have made it inside? It's fucking cold out here," Kevin complained. "So did they buy it?"
"Of course. We should have a few minutes before they get here."
"Then let's get ready."
--------------------
"Targets are still not in sight," the Captain said as his men made their way inside the warehouse. "Continuing search."
One of men pointed. "There."
Sleeping bags. In the middle of the room. There were bulges in them. The Captain gestured, and the men moved silently towards them, assault rifles pointed. The Captain stepped forwards and yanked the sleeping bag cover off one with his free hand.
There was a dozen timers in one, counting down. :05:04:03:02:01
------------------
George, Yoko, and Alyssa watched from a safe distance as the warehouse exploded. George was kneeling with Cindy in his arms. Yoko stepped forwards. 'How much more death?' she wondered. 'When does it end'?
Behind them Alyssa was smoking a cigarette, starring at Yoko.
-----------------------
"Woah!" the pilot shouted as the warehouse blew. He hurried out of the helicopter, his assault rifle raised and shaking slightly. He stepped forwards towards the burning rubble. He turned on his radio. "C-Command? I've...lost my team. No sighting of the civilians-"
"Look behind you," Kevin said.
Gulping, the pilot turned his head.
The next second the butt of Kevin's handgun connected against his skull, and all lights went out for him.
------------------
The pilot, whose name was Earl, slowly opened his eyes with a groan. His head hurt like hell when the cop had clunked him over the head. He tried to move and found that he was tied up. Struggling proved to be useless. Earl leaned his head back against the wall and resisted an urge to scream. This was only his second day working at Umbrella, for crying out loud! So far he wasn't doing too well. He vaguely noticed that there were people in the room with him. He strained to listen. Oh good, they were arguing. Maybe he could gain an advantage.
"I can't believe you're asking me to do this!" Yoko snapped at Kevin as she walked away from him. "When you first mentioned it I thought...I thought you were kidding!"
"Come on, can't you do it or can you?" Kevin demanded. "This isn't a game, little girl. We can't afford to go all moralistic. I'll get it one way or another, Yoko. Even if I have to hunt down a zombie to collect a sample. Saliva to blood, I believe that's how it is?"
"Don't you think I don't know how serious this is after everything I've been through?" Yoko demanded. She turned around and faced him. "Every year of my life has been dedicated to preventing what you are asking me to do. To even ask it...it means that you have no respect for me!"
"Well, you did start that plague that wiped everyone out."
Yoko paled, and was about to slap Kevin. The former police officer grabbed her arm. Gently. "I'm kidding," he said. "I'm kidding. Loosen up a little, will you?"
Yoko folded her arms and said nothing.
"Look, we need an edge against these guys. They want the t-virus so bad, I say we give it to them. Can you make up a batch, or not?"
"I won't be the cause of another Outbreak," Yoko said softly. "I won't be responsible for the destruction of anyone else."
"Yoko, if we go in there unprepared, they'll cut us down without hesitation. But if we mange to infect the base first, you and George will be the only two people who know a cure. Then we'll call the shots," Kevin explained. "Umbrella will have quarantine measures in place to make sure that the virus doesn't spread anywhere. And it's the only good plan we've got. Otherwise, they'll try and spread the disease to other cities. So it's your choice to make, Yoko."
Yoko said nothing for a moment. Then she shook her head. "No, I'm sorry-I just can't do it! I can't create the disease and use it to hold them hostage. I wouldn't wish that on anybody. Not even Umbrella."
Alyssa snorted and walked away. She exited the room and the door slammed shut behind her.
Yoko glanced up at hesitantly at Kevin. "Do you think...that makes me weak?"
"No," Kevin said with a sigh, sitting on the counter next to her. "I don't think it does. You are who you are, and not even Umbrella could have changed that." He shook his head. "It certainly hasn't been easy. In fact it's been one long nightmare. There are times when I thought that it would be easier to just lie down and not get up again."
"What kept you going?"
"Well, you need a token good-looking guy in this group. Plus if someone falls down and hurts themself someone has to laugh their ass off at them." Kevin smiled a little. "And, everyone here needs to have someone that believes that we're going to make it out of here okay. Even if that said person doesn't believe it himself." Kevin stared at her intently. "There are reasons, worthwhile reasons for living. They're not easy to find right now, but they're here."
"Even after all of this time?" Yoko asked.
"Even after," Kevin said. "You know, I'm still thinking about...microwave food. An apartment by the ocean. Still continuing police work. Stupid stuff like that."
Yoko hesitated, and touched his hand. "It's good to have those dreams," she said.
The process took two hours as Yoko carefully prepared the quantities in a half-desecrated chemical lab. George and Kevin had gone out to find the necessary ingredients. Yoko worked with deliberate care and precision. Finally, she turned off the equipment. "All right. It's done. Three vials of the t-virus."
Kevin held out his hand. Reluctantly Yoko gave one to him. "I still think this is a bad idea," she said slowly. "But I trust you to do the right thing with this."
"Thank you," Kevin said. "I'll let the others know that we're ready."
"All right." Yoko looked around and shivered. "This place must have belonged to Umbrella. The logo's on the floor. The walls."
"Yeah, and the sooner we'll get away from this place, the better." Kevin put the vial in an inside pocket in his jacket and smiled. "Don't worry. I'll keep it safe."
"You're forgetting one thing," Alyssa said. "Does either of you even know how to fly a helicopter? Kevin?"
"Not in my training," Kevin sighed. He glanced at the man tied up in the corner, trying very hard not to be noticed. Kevin grinned and clapped the man on the shoulder. "Here's our volunteer right here!"
Kevin walked past the cold hallways to another room. "George? We're almost ready to go," Kevin said.
George didn't reply. He was gripping Cindy's hand. The former barmaid was laying on a table. Unresponsive.
Kevin folded his arms. "How is she?"
"Good. She's doing okay. Still not quite out of the woods yet," George replied.
Kevin coughed. "You know we can't take her where we're going. I've called the resistance. They're going to look after her."
George still didn't reply. Kevin shook his head. "I guess I'll leave you to say goodbye, then." He exited out of the room.
George said nothing for a long minute. He sat on the stool next to Cindy. "I'd like to think that I'm ready for anything, Cindy. But not this. What we're about to do goes beyond any hypocritical oath." George smiled faintly. "But I guess I'm beyond being a doctor too, right? Just as you're beyond being a barmaid." He looked down. "Kevin gave me a choice. He said that I could stay with you. Or go with them. But I'm the only person aside from Yoko who knows how to make the Daylight serum. I wish I could say that it was an easy choice. I'm not even sure if we're even going to make it out of there alive or not. Everyone is agreed that if anyone should survive, it should be you." He touched her hand. "Looking at you now after four years...it's like a dream. It still is. And if there is one thing Umbrella has shown me, is that dreams don't come true. They can't." He looked at her, eyes filled with sorrow. "So there's no reason to even hope." Another moment of silence. Then, George leaned over and kissed her forehead. And stepped out of the room.
Kevin was waiting for him outside. "Come on," he said.
George was about to follow, and stopped. To his right was a sealed door with a small slot to see through. There was also a small plaque next to the door. PROJECT ALICE, it said. George tried to peer through the slot but it was too dark to see anything. He wiped away the glass with his sleeve and-
"Yo!" Kevin snapped, clearly irritated. George blinked and backed away. He followed Kevin.
--------------------
Alyssa was walking down the hall by herself when a noise made her jump. Her cell-phone. With a roll of her eyes she took the phone out of her purse and turned it on. "You've got a lot of nerve," she hissed.
"Oh, relax. The plan is working exactly as it should. We knew that there would be a few cases where you would have to...improvise."
"Improvise? You mean shoot at me?"
"All the more credibility. And it worked, better then we had hoped. All targets are almost exactly where we want them. Thanks to you and your stellar performance. Umbrella thanks you. I...I thank you. You know that I would never allow anyone to hurt you. I love you."
"I love you too," Alyssa said with a smile. "I just don't want to be here."
"Soon. You're almost done. We'll see you very soon."
The phone clicked off. With a sigh Alyssa put it back in her purse.
-------------------
The glass door opened. Instantly Kevin's gun was in the man's face before he could step through. "Who are you?" he demanded.
The man rolled his eyes. "Marvin. I'm with the rebels. Twitchy, much?"
Kevin smiled and lifted his gun. "Can't be too careful nowadays. Cindy's down the hall and in the room to the right."
Marvin glanced at George, Alyssa, and Yoko, who were gathering their gear. "So you're actually going to do it? Attack Umbrella headquarters?"
"Well you know what they say. The best defense is a good offense and blah blah whatever. You got a reason other then slowing us down?" Kevin demanded.
"Not at all," Marvin said. "Just saying, that takes guts. More guts then what I have, admittedly."
"Well, we have issues," Kevin said.
"Take care of Cindy," George said, grabbing his backpack.
Marvin's face became serious. "You can count on it. She's my commanding officer."
"Good." Unexpectantly, Kevin held out his hand. Partly in surprise Marvin took it. Kevin suddenly twisted his hand, revealing a massive bite mark on Marvin's arm. "How long have you had that for, Marvin?" Kevin asked, his tone neutral.
Marvin winced. "Three hours. A little pick-me up from getting here." He looked up at Kevin. "I stand by my word."
Kevin released him. "You better."
"Or we'll come after you next," Yoko added.
---------------------
A few minutes later the helicopter took off from the ground.
George stared bleakly out of the window.
"Cheer up. You'll see her again," Kevin said.
George glanced at him.
"I mean, so far it's taken more then an apocalyptic wave to separate you two."
George nodded. Somewhat reluctantly. "So what's the plan?"
"Get in there. Spread the virus." Kevin said, loading his weapon. "So long as there aren't any screw-ups, we'll be fine."
Alyssa stared out of the window, not saying a word.
--------------------
Kevin was dreaming. In it he was back at his old police headquarters.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, soldier?" Mark demanded.
"What do you mean, what the hell am I doing?" Kevin snapped.
"Do you really think you're going to be able to take down Umbrella? A company that has existed since the nineteen-forties? A company powerful enough to order a missile attack on a whole city?"
Kevin sighed. "I have to, Mark."
"Oh, and when were you of all people turned noble and self-sacrificing? Mark leaned forwards. "Cut your losses, soldier. Run."
Kevin's eyes flicked open.
"You were dreaming," Yoko said quietly.
Kevin straightened and looked out of the window. He could see city lights on the very horizon. "Yeah I was."
"Are you worried?" Yoko asked. George and Alyssa were listening anxiously.
Kevin smiled and gripped her hand. He squeezed it gently.
The helicopter proceeded towards the city. Towards Umbrella.
----------------------
"Ugh!"
Cindy opened her eyes. She was laying on a flat surface and immediately touched the bandages on her chest. Lifting them up, she saw no wound. But she felt so incredibly weak. And thirsty. Cindy struggled onto her feet in the empty room and went to the faucet. She turned it on and took a drink. Immediately she saw a closed briefcase next to the sink. On it was an envelope with her name on it. Cindy tore it open, staggering a little.
Cindy,
George was sleeping so I snuck this message past him. Look, we're going somewhere, and there's a good chance that we won't make it out alive. It'll be up to you, Cin, to pick up where we left off. Show this to everyone. It's the only proof we have. Let them know who's responsible. Carry on our torch, so to speak.
All the best, Cin.
-Kevin.
In the briefcase was a single vial of the t-virus. Cindy picked it up carefully and stared at it for a long moment.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&For the first time in four years, all four of them saw a city again. In front of them loomed a massive building about fifty stories high. Umbrella. They would be over the roof within minutes.
"Come on, cheer up Earl! What's the worst that can happen?" Kevin asked, hitting the pilot on the shoulder.
"It's just...that I never imagined...killing my bosses on the first day," Earl stammered weakly.
"Well, there's a first time for everything." Kevin snapped the wire shut.
George leaned closer."Are you sure you know what you're doing?" he shouted against the noise.
Kevin loaded his gun and managed a small smile. "Sure I'm sure. And if I don't, you'll be the first to know." With that, he turned and jumped out of the helicopter. Attached only by the wire, he plunged straight down to the rooftop of Umbrella. At the last second he grabbed the wire, halting his descent. He unclipped himself and rolled through the air. He landed on all fours and glanced up. It was a mostly clear but windy night. He stood and waved at the helicopter once. With a flash of lights the helicopter veered off. Soon it was out of sight.
Kevin took out his gun. If he knew Umbrella, they would have motion detectors on the rooftop as well and probably had a whole squadron to meet him.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&"Sir," a man reported from the control room in the center of the Umbrella building. "Infiltration on the base. Shall we pursue?"
The silver-haired commander of Umbrella shook his head and sipped from his coffee. "No. Let them feel like they're accomplishing something."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Kevin faced no opposition as he walked down the hall, a fact which worried him. He went to the wall and pressed down the fire alarm. A silent alarm was triggered throughout the base.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&On the street in front of the building George watched as dozens of people ran past him. Less people that they would have to worry about. Seeing actual living men and woman around him, along with city cars, lights, and sounds, made him George out of touch with the world. Well, it was too late to think about that now. People were counting on him. All three of them climbed up the steps and walked right into the building through the front doors.
The receptionist stared at them in shock. "Wait, you're-"
George took out his gun and shot her once through the head. "Yoko."
Yoko shoved the woman's body aside and worked on the computer. "I'm sealing all entrances and exits. The whole building is locked down. No one can get in or out, including us. Looks like I can print off a blueprint of this entire area as well."
George was covering the only hallway. "What about Kevin?'
Yoko opened the security camera menu. "He's already bypassed the cameras. I'm not sure how he's doing."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Kevin opened the lab door. There were two scientists working on a dissected animal and looked up at him in shock. Kevin shot one man in the head. The other fell to his knees, whimpering. "Oh my god please don't shoot me!"
"Um...okay," Kevin said, and kicked him in the head. The man fell. Kevin grabbed his lab coat and ID tag and put both on. He tried to comb his hair as neatly as possible and exited to the next lab.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&George, Alyssa, and Yoko ran down the hall, still facing no opposition. "Here it is," George said, finding an almost invisible seam in the floor. He pried open the trapdoor. Below was a concrete level. The basement level. Yoko jumped in first, followed immediately by Alyssa and George. George closed the trapdoor behind them. Three flashlights flicked on.
Yoko consulted the blueprint. "All right. We need to go to the left. And we should hurry. Umbrella must know that something is wrong by now."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Kevin consulted his watch. He had only been in the building for five minutes. He swiped the ID card and entered the security office.
A single Umbrella officer looked up at him. "Hey, you're not one of us-" he began.
Kevin shot him once in the chest. The man fell to the ground with a gurgle.
"No shit," Kevin replied. He was glad that security was light so far. Kevin spotted the computer and went over to it. He wasn't good as Yoko at computers, but he knew a fair bit about hacking. A few minutes later he was rewarded with success.
SECURITY CAMERAS DISABLED.
SECURITY GRID DISABLED.
SECURITY LOCKS DISABLED.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&George, Alyssa, and Yoko had paused a moment to stare through a glass window at a group of zombies. At least, George assumed they were zombies. They seemed more human then anything else. More able to feel and express pain.
"Umbrella could never get the formula right," Yoko whispered. "Or the cure."
The door was suddenly unlocked. George could hear multiple clicks around them. The lights sputtered on and off. The three cast each other uneasy looks.
"Come on," George said. "Hopefully no one will notice." They continued walking.
"This is where some of the worst experiments are. Dozens of people mutilated and changed because of what I created," Yoko said.
"Yoko," George said. "You've already well-atoned for what you did."
"I'm not feeling guilty," Yoko protested, turning around. "I'm just saying. We should try and find a way to help them, if possible."
"Now that Kevin has the defense grid and turrets shut off, we'll have a lot more to worry about then helping them," Alyssa said.
"Through here," George said. He opened the now-unlocked door. "Beyond this room we should be able to infect the entire base and-" He looked up.
"Well?" Alyssa demanded impatiently.
George couldn't reply. He could only stare at the lightbulb above them that was swaying. Back and forth. Back and forth.
"George, what is it?" Yoko asked.
Now they could all feel it. The ground was trembling. As one, they turned around to face the new threat which awaited them. George swallowed painfully. And with good reason-the last time he had gone up against this thing he had ended up dead with a hole punched through his chest. Yet this was also clearly not the one he had faced last time. This T-mutant had blond hair and a shorter build. But same massive teeth. Same left hand stretched and twisted to resemble a club. Same glazed and horrified look in its green eyes.
"How?" Yoko whispered. "How did they make another one?"
George stood protectively in front of Yoko and Alyssa as the T-mutant lumbered towards them. "You guys go on ahead. I'll catch up."
"Are you sure?" Yoko asked.
"I'm sure," George said.
"But the last time you-"
George gripped her hand briefly. "Yoko, I'm not the one who's going to die. Now go!"
Yoko reluctantly nodded. "Come on!" she whispered to Alyssa. The two woman slipped through the doorway.
George took out his gun and fired. He knew that bullets would have little or no effect against the T-mutant, but he fired anyway to attract its attention. He ran down the hall to the right as the T-mutant chased after him, roaring in anger.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Kevin entered the empty office. Directly underneath the room was the viral research lab. He didn't have time to find a way down. He shot the window twice and watched the glass shatter.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&By this time the scientists in the viral research lab had heard about the intruders.
"Keep working," one ordered another.
"Do you think he can get in here?" the second asked.
The first shook his head. "No fucking way. The door is shut with a steel bolt. There are fifty men on the other side. No way he's getting in here."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Kevin took out the spare wire out of his pocket. He clipped one end onto the metal bar of the ledge. He leaned out of the window and looked down, the wind blowing through his brown hair. "No way was this in my training, Mark," he said, and with a deep breath jumped off the edge. He swung in a wide arch. Kevin took out his gun and shot through the glass, which shattered as he went through. Kevin held onto the carpet for balance and instantly shot the two scientists. By the time the guards outside had realized what had happened and opened the door Kevin had lit a flaming bottle with his lighter and threw it. And another. And another. Within seconds the entire lab was in flames. Kevin grabbed the spare gun off the desk and pointed it at the doorway as five people dressed in military camouflage entered. The officers wasted no words and opened fire with their assault rifles. Kevin returned fire and dived underneath the desk. A computer exploded, fell down next to him and rebounded against the carpet. Kevin took out a grenade and hurled it over the desk. One short explosion later Kevin stood. There was one officer left. Kevin reached for his gun first. He aimed, fired...and the gun clicked empty.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&George pushed open the glass door and closed it behind him. It was another empty lab. He took out his gun, aimed high, and fired. The fire alarm exploded and soon water rained down on him. Around him were test vats that were empty of creatures, and another metal door. George grabbed the axe off the wall and slammed it into the test vault. Water rushed into the room. George turned on all the faucets. By the time the T-mutant came the room should be half-filled with water.
Which, judging by the approaching noise, would be any second now.
George climbed onto the wooden shelf and took out his hunting knife. He cut away the power cords to the lights just as the T-mutant rounded the corner. A shock ran up George's arm because his hand was slippery. When his head cleared he glanced behind him. The T-mutant was only a few feet away. George tossed the sparking cord into the water.
The T-mutant roared in pain as electricity danced his body. He fell to his knees. The lights exploded and went out. The T-mutant, though clearly much in pain, was not dead. George didn't hesitate. He grabbed the axe and jumped into the water. He swung and hit the T-mutant's neck. Hard.
The T-mutant tried to scream but couldn't. Red blossomed the water. His clubbed hand swung wildly and connected with George's head. With a surprised cry George fell into the water.
A hand gripped his neck and held him under. The T-mutant. George struggled but it was no use. It was just too strong. George's vision became increasingly distant. He took out his hunting knife and slit the mutant's wrist. The hand released him. George broke to the surface, gasping and knife held ready.
The T-mutant stared at him for a moment...and fell over. Dead. Red stained the water.
George took a deep, exhausted breath as he dropped the knife. He didn't see the man pointing the gun at him until it was too late.
--------------------
Kevin swore a string of curses and ran right at the woman as she brought her gun to bare between his eyes. She fired...and also clicked empty.
For a moment both froze, marveling at each other's luck. Then the Umbrella woman stepped backwards and aimed a kick at his head. Kevin blocked with his wrist and threw a punch at her head. She dodged and kicked him in the chest. Kevin drew backwards, grunting. He rushed at her but she effortlessly flipped him to the ground. Damn, she was good. Kevin flipped backwards onto his feet facing her...only to be kicked through the open doorway. Kevin fell down the stairwell and hit the ground. Hard. Everything hurt. Quickly he took the spare ammo out of his pocket and loaded his gun. As the woman rounded the corner he fired.
The woman hadn't expected it. She slid to the ground, shot in the chest.
Kevin tried to stand and suddenly winced in pain. He opened his jacket and his hand came away with glass shards. Some of them had cut into his skin. The T-virus. "Shit," he whispered. One vial down. On him.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Yoko led the way down the hallway when the door in front of her suddenly opened. An Umbrella officer aimed his assault rifle at her.
Alyssa stopped. "Look out, Yoko!"
Yoko kicked the gun away. She punched him twice in the chest and aimed a high sweep kick at his head. The man joined the gun on the ground, knocked out cold.
Alyssa gaped at her in astonishment.
Yoko glanced up at her impassively. "Let's go."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& "I know who you are," the scientist said quietly, stepping closer. "I don't understand you."
Dripping wet from head to toe, George glared at the man. The room was sealed from both doorways. There was nowhere for the water to go.
"We're both scientists," the man continued. "What I'm doing will progress the field for hundreds of years! Perhaps save millions of lives. If you shut us down...it will be a catastrophe!"
"So are you going to kill me, then? One scientist to another?" George asked, his hands raised. His eyes spotted the T-mutant's corpse floating in front of him.
"I won't if I have to...but you must be stopped."
George shook his head. "Sorry. Won't happen."
The man's thin lips tightened, and he fired the gun.
George dived underneath the T-mutant as the bullet pierced its unbelievably thick hide.
The scientist swallowed nervously. The room was too dark to see the water. The scientist looked to the left and right. "Where did he...he go?'
"Right behind you," George said.
The older man turned his head, and the next moment he heard a terrible sound. He realized, much too late, that it was the sound of his own neck snapping.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&On the uppermost level Kevin opened the weapon locker and retrieved a large duffle bag of explosives. After checking them, he went to the elevator shaft and clipped a device to the wire. He slid down to rejoin the others on the basement level.
Yoko and Alyssa were in the storage room. Around them was the heavy sound of machinery. Yoko was standing on a ladder overlooking a tank. "Are you sure no one can see us up there?" Yoko asked.
"As sure as we can be," Alyssa replied. "You sure you know what you're doing?"
Yoko didn't reply. Ever since the car accident so many years ago Yoko had only been aware of two things-pain mixed with a detached sense of guilt. Everything that had happened to her she had felt she had deserved. But most of all, she had felt so horribly alone.
Until now. Now she felt like she could trust and depend on the people she was with-outcasts like her. They had become like a family, and thinking about htings that way made the pain go away, at least momentarily.
Yoko let the vial drop from her hand into the pit below. She would not fail them, no matter what. She keyed in a few controls. "All right. It's done." She looked up when she heard a sound above her. She wasn't sure what it was. "Wait here," she said to Alyssa.
"No problem," Alyssa said.
Yoko climbed up the staircase to the upper balcony. To her relief the noise came from Kevin walking towards her. "Hey, how goes it?" he asked.
"I distributed the T-virus like you asked."
"Good. Then all that's left is to plant the charges and-"
Yoko spotted the red line of a sniper right behind him and twisted, moving in front of Kevin, one hand gripping his shoulder. "Get back!"
The sniper fired. Yoko shrieked once...and fell silent. She stared in shock of the bullet wound in her shoulder. She stepped backwards and fell. Into a massive tank of water.
Kevin didn't hesitate. He dived into the water after her. She was shot in the shoulder, but was unresponsive when he grabbed her. Concerned, he touched her neck and found no pulse. He pinched her nose shut and breathed air into her lungs. He repeated a few times. No reaction. Seeing this, Kevin grabbed her body and hauled her out of the tank. They both landed heavily on the ground, Kevin gripping Yoko's body. He lowered her to the floor and applied pressure to her heart with a patience born out of utter desperation. One. Two.
"Come on, Yoko. Breathe. Doc, where are you?"
Three. Four.
"Come on. Please."
When he hit five Yoko coughed water out of her lungs. "Someone shot me," Yoko whispered.
Kevin nodded.
"Asshole," she added.
Kevin laughed, partly in crazy relief. "That's the girl I know."
A shot suddenly clipped against his arm. Kevin screamed in surprised pain. The sniper above. Kevin's hand immediately went to his gun. Only to find that he had lost them. Yoko was hurt bad and losing a lot of blood. Kevin lifted his head. "Doc, where the fuck are you?"
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& "I'm busy!" George shouted against the gunfire. He was pinned down by multiple officers. He felt a light touch on his shoulder and glanced up at Alyssa.
"I went around," she explained. "There's too many of them."
"I know. I can't get past them. Oh, here," George said, giving her ammo. "It's the last clip I've got, but you probably need it more then me."
Alyssa nodded. Something landed between them. A grenade. George and Alyssa didn't think twice. They both scrambled towards an open doorway. The doors slid closed behind them and the room actually lifted. George realized that they were in an elevator. He hit the bottom button, but it was too late. They were going up.
"What is it?" Alyssa asked, standing.
"Some kind of private elevator," George replied.
They reached the very top. "All right," Alyssa said. "Let's go down. Yoko's hurt-"
George grabbed her wrist. "Wait," he said. He stepped through the elevator doors and stared at the plaque on the only door at the end of the hall with wide eyes. HEAD OFFICE, it read. "This is it. Where the corporation plans everything. Behind those doors, is possibly every single secret Umbrella has," George said. "Maybe even the creators of Umbrella itself."
Their eyes met in understanding. Alyssa took out her gun. "After you," she gestured.
George opened the door, and they stepped through.
Soft music played from a speaker in the corner. On the T.V was a news reporter telling a story about an attack on Umbrella headquarters. Their story. And in the very center of the room, behind a desk, was a man typing on his computer. He briefly looked up as George entered. "Ah, good evening. Just give me half a minute. I'm just finishing up a report."
George entered the room cautiously.
The silver-haired man gestured. "Your report, as a matter of fact. File number 2. It is quite amazing what normal ordinary citizens can do in such a small amount of time."
"Four years is not a small time," George said.
The silver-haired man smiled briefly. He turned off the computer and went to his cabinet. "Would you like a drink?"
"Not really," George replied.
"Well, you won't mind if I have one. It is after all, my office you've barged into." The man lifted the glass in a toast. "To Racoon city. A highly successful test run, if I might say so myself. And to the success of Umbrella. For however long it lasts." The man took a sip. "We can now move the test to larger cities."
George stared at the man in disbelief. "Maybe you don't understand. You've lost!"
"No, it is you who don't understand." The silver-haired man leaned back. "Would you believe me if I told you that every single step you have virtually made was planned out by my company? Including the attack on the building? You might immediately ask yourself why. The Outbreak on Racoon City was accidental, though still beneficial to Umbrella. However, there were still certain aspects that we couldn't control, for example eight certain civilians trying to do something that was far beyond their comprehension to understand." His voice turned to bitter ice. "But there was another aspect of it too. The media found evidence that Umbrella might have had a hand in the destruction of Racoon City. This we couldn't allow. And well...see for yourself." With a remote control he turned up the volume on the television.
"These are the same terrorists who are believed to be in connection with the sabotage of Umbrella's Racoon City nuclear power plant. All of them are armed and considered extremely dangerous-"
George stared at the television in shock. "You're blaming it on all on us."
"Far more believable then zombies existing, wouldn't you say?" the Commander said with a small smile.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Yoko cried out softly in pain. Kevin ripped off a bandage and wrapped it around her shoulder. "Hang on, Yoko, we'll get you out of here. It'll be okay."
Yoko shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. "No, Kevin. It's not okay."
Kevin looked up and saw what she meant. There was still the sniper up above. Kevin's eyes spotted his gun on the concrete ground a few steps away. He leaned forwards.
"Don't even think about it!" the sniper snarled.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&"Alyssa," George said. "Get behind me."
He suddenly heard the safety being pulled back and turned a little. Alyssa was standing to his left, the gun pointing at him. She smiled a little.
George looked down, accepting the fact that she had betrayed him. The Commander of Umbrella pushed a button, and the door opened. Five men stepped into the room, holding weapons.
"So you see, you really have lost," the Commander said.
George swallowed, and as quick as a snake, he took out his gun and aimed it at Alyssa. He knew that they would kill him within seconds, but he would go out with the happy satisfaction that he had taken her with him.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&"Drop the gun!" the man ordered.
"Fuck you," Kevin replied calmly.
"Oh, you're so going down!" the man screamed.
Cindy stabbed the needle into the man's neck and injected the t-virus. "No. You are," she whispered. She let the man drop to the ground.
Kevin blinked in astonishment. "Cin, what are you doing here?'
Cindy took out her gun and fired. An officer sneaking behind Kevin fell. Kevin jumped a little at the noise.
Cindy smiled and put away her gun. Kevin couldn't a remember a time when she looked more radiant, or more beautiful. "The T-virus gave me a full recovery. The resistance had a helicopter. I left not long after you. Since you can't seem to live two seconds without me."
"I guess you're right." The smile disappeared from Kevin's lips. "Cin, Yoko's hurt bad."
Cindy frowned. "Where's George?"
&&&&&&&&&&&&&George held his gun steady at Alyssa. "Alyssa, what are you doing?"
"Sorry, George," Alyssa replied, smiling. "Believe me, I am, but I was the one who set you up."
"You said that they had killed your husband."
Alyssa' smile widened and she glanced at the Umbrella Commander. "George, I'd like to introduce you to my husband. Very much alive."
"You preformed spectactularly, my dear," the Commander said. "Her future in Umbrella with me is assured. Unlike yours if you don't drop the gun right now."
George glanced at the men around him, and his eyes narrowed at Alyssa. He wouldn't resent the fact that both would die. On the contrary, he would welcome it with a small whimper of thanks. But despite the thoughts running through his head, his fingers froze on the gun.
"Well are you going to shoot or not, Mr. Damien?" the Commander asked, sounding bored.
Alyssa met George's eyes. "Not everything is as you believe, George," she whispered.
George's face was devoid of emotion. He had killed people in this very building, and as Nemesis he had certainly killed people. He had killed a child not a day after Outbreak had started. But despite all this he lowered his hand. Maybe there was still a little humanity left in him. Maybe he was still a doctor at heart. Whatever the reason, he didn't stop despising himself as he watched the gun fall to the ground.
------------------
The radio crackled to life with assorted cries of help. "The zombies are loose on level eighteen...we've lost rack of the T-mutant...I need back-up, now! Seal off levels sixteen to twenty-four. Kill anyone who dares to break free, human or otherwise..."
The helicopter pilot, whose name was Earl, switched off the radio, looking very puzzled. "I don't understand," he whispered. "I thought the people I led here were the bad guys..."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&Kevin duct-taped the explosive around the stone pedestal, his fifth so far. They were all interconnected. If one exploded, they all would. "How long should I set the timer for?"
"I'm not sure," Yoko said. She had sufficiently recovered enough to stand, but was able to do little more then that.
"How about twenty minutes?" Kevin hazard, holding the timer. "That should be enough time to track down doc and Alyssa and get out of here."
Leaning against the wall Cindy said nothing. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. She turned when she heard the sound of footsteps approaching. Umbrella troops. "Kevin!" she warned.
Kevin automatically took out two guns and fired as they approached. Yoko and Cindy ducked behind the pillars for cover.
Still firing, Kevin looked down and noticed that the bomb had not been set. He bent down and grabbed the timer. A bullet exploded near his hand, forcing him to drop it. With a growl of irritation Kevin took cover and fired again. He noticed with satisfaction that one of his bullets went through a man's neck.
"Kevin!" Yoko cried out, stepped out of her cover. One of her arms was twisted behind her back and there was a gun against her head.
And behind her, was Alyssa.
Kevin automatically stepped forwards.
"I wouldn't," Alyssa said. "Not unless you want me to kill her."
Yoko's eyes were filled with tears-but of betrayal, not pain. Her face twisted in anger.
Slowly, Kevin took out his guns and tossed them away.
Immediately an Umbrella soldier stepped forwards and punched him in the gun. Kevin fell to the concrete, gripping his stomach. He looked up.
The man kicked him in the face. Kevin choked on a tooth and coughed it out.
"Take them away," Alyssa ordered, tossing Yoko into the arms of a woman. The woman dragged Yoko out of the room. Yoko didn't even bother to hide her weeping. Another man grabbed Kevin by the back of his black vest and hair and hauled him away.
Alyssa jerked her head at the other two. "Go on. I'll take care of this mess."
The others left with no hesitation. Alyssa bent down next to the de-active bombs and pressed the timer. She quickly left.
The clock silently counted down from twenty minutes.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&A few minutes later Kevin, Yoko, George, and Cindy were tied up and sitting in a row in front of the Commander in Chief of Umbrella. "Hey doc," Kevin greeted.
"Hey," George returned.
One of the Umbrella men saluted the Commander. "The helicopter is waiting on the roof, sir."
"Excellent," the Commander said. "Any signs of the t-virus or the cure?"
"We've searched them all, sir. They're not carrying anything," one officer said to the Commander, who actually had a name time on him. He was called 'Cliff.'
"Hm," Cliff took out his gun and moved down the line. He pointed it at Yoko. "Where is the t-virus?" he demanded.
Yoko didn't reply.
"I don't need all of you. Tell me where it is!" cliff ordered.
"Go ahead and shoot," Yoko goaded.
The Commander hesitated, then he turned his gun at Kevin and fired.
George's clothes were instantly splattered by Kevin's blood.
Yoko shrieked.
"Son of a bitch," Kevin mumbled, trickles of blood running from his shoulder. "That hurt."
With a growl the Commander took two steps towards George. "Tell me where you put the t-virus."
"What makes you think I will?" George asked.
With an ugly grin on his face the Commander moved down the line. He slapped Cindy. George's head snapped up as though he had been hit instead.
Cindy straightened and spat on the ground. "You're going to have to do a lot more to me then that."
"All right," the Commander said.
The next moment Cindy screamed. An awful sound.
Kevin bit his lip. George was wavering. Kevin could see it just by looking at him. Kevin knew that when it came down to the nitty gritty, George could last for an undefined amount of time. When it came to Cindy, however, George would last about eight to ten seconds.
On the other hand, Kevin thought with a trace of amusement. This should be fun to watch.
"All right," George said. He looked up. "We put it in the water supply."
The commander, who was in the process of taking a sip from his cup, spat it out. "You're bluffing!"
"Great thing about the t-virus," Yoko spoke up. "It's so adaptable. It can pass through blood. It can become a gaseous form. Or, when digested, it can have equally harmful results. Anyone who drank any water within the last half hour will be exposed!"
The Commander aimed his gun at her. "Tell me what the cure is!"
Yoko shook her head. "No."
The Commander nodded at a guard who kicked Yoko in the head. She fell backwards with a shriek.
As Alyssa walked past Kevin he felt something bounce into his hand. Automatically he clenched his fist. A key. He looked up at Alyssa, but her face was expressionless. Quickly Kevin struggled to free himself.
Cliff took out his gun and pointed it at the unconscious Cindy. "Last chance. Or she dies."
Kevin's hands were free. Without hesitation he stood and punched the first guard in the face. The man's jaw snapped back. Alyssa took out her gun and fired at the three remaining guards. As the fifth took out his gun George stood and head-butted him. The man fell. George kicked him in the head, snapping his neck.
"Alyssa, why?" Cliff demanded.
"Do I even need to tell you the reason?" Alyssa snapped. "You're a very evil man. Whatever we have, was never real!"
"So you were working behind the sidelines the entire time?" Kevin demanded.
Alyssa glanced briefly at him. "It's how I work."
"Even if you kill me, you will never get out of this building alive! You yourselves locked it down!" Cliff screamed.
"Oh, we have our own way of getting out of here," Kevin said.
The glass behind Kevin shattered, cutting into his skin. Their helicopter was hovering right behind them. In it the pilot had grabbed t he rope ladder and hurled it out.
Kevin only glance behind him and shrugged. "That works."
Cliff dived for his gun. Alyssa aimed and fired.
And missed.
"Take cover!" Kevin demanded. He fired back, but by then Cliff had disappeared out the back door and was gone. George turned and saw that the cure was gone from the table.
"Come on, we have to get out of here!" Kevin shouted.
Yoko leapt out of the window and grabbed the flapping rope ladder with a cry. Quickly she climbed up. Alyssa followed a second later.
George helped Cindy up to her feet. "Come on, Cindy, you have to go."
Her eyes fluttered and she looked up at him. "Wha...what-"
"I'm sorry, Cindy," George said. He kissed her forehead. "Kevin, I need some help with her!"
"Come on, Cindy, you have to move!" Kevin said as George handed her to him.
Cindy saw the flapping ladder and hesitated.
"It'll be okay!" Kevin encouraged. "Just grab it!"
Cindy jumped out of the window and grabbed the ladder only just barely.
Satisfied, Kevin turned. "Your turn, doc-" He only just saw George's retreating form as he ran out the back door. "Doc!" He checked his watch. Four minutes left until the bombs exploded. "Oh, fuck!" he snapped, and jumped out the window. He climbed up the ladder as fast as he could.
"Are we going?" the pilot asked.
"Like hell," Kevin snapped. "Go up. Towards the roof."
&&&&&&&&&&&&George ran up the stairwell until he came to the closed metal door. He tried it and found it was locked. For four years I've been doing this, he thought. I've died twice. I've seen thousands die. And everything, all I've done, comes down to this. Subconsciously he touched the key hanging from his neck, a key that four years ago Yoko had used to open a hidden level in a freezing laboratory long-since destroyed. It was a symbol of hope for them all. George kicked the door open. It revealed the Commander stumbling towards a helicopter, clutching his chest. George took out his gun and fired three times into the tank. On the third bullet the helicopter exploded. "There's nowhere for you to go!" he shouted.
The commander smiled a little. "No. It seems not. For either of us. Let me ask you one question-how did you enjoy the four years as Nemesis. Do you still think like one?"
"What's your point? As you said, it's long past time for games."
"My point is that you will never accept society for what it is. Not anymore. Nor will the rest of your friends. You will never be satisfied with living in a house. Eating in a restaurant. Whatever else you used to desire. You will only destroy. Like my creations. I hope you can come to terms with that. And the fact that you are no better then me." Cliff turned to face him, lifting his hand. "The T-virus has almost taken a hold on me. Soon we will both die when the bomb explodes."
"At least it's quiet," George remarked. "Peaceful."
Cliff staggered a little. "Give me the cure," he gasped.
"No." George turned away.
With a snarl on his lips Cliff took out his gun and aimed at his back.
Calmly, George took out his own gun and fired.
Cliff gasped in pain, gripping his bloodied hand. "If you should beat me, at least grant me a quick death," he whispered. He fell to the ground.
George shook his head. "You don't deserve it."
A second later Cliff slowly started to rise shakily to his feet. His face was a shade of light grey and drool fell from his lips. He lumbered slowly towards George.
George watched with a detached coldness. He side-stepped the zombie's clumsy lunge at him. The zombie flailed his infected hand at him. George caught his wrist, broke it, and twisted his arm behind his back. George placed his hand under the zombie's struggling chin, and for a moment he stayed that way, indecisive. He deserved a brutal death, but then George thought about the others-Kevin, Yoko, Cindy, Mark-people he would have probably never had even met if it weren't for the Outbreak.
Gotta give him that, George thought, an din one motion snapped the zombie's neck. The man fell to the ground. George set him down gently.
Time seemed to slow around George. He dropped the gun which skidded across the concrete. He walked over to the edge and looked down. He could see the first explosions at the bottom. George took a few deep, gasping breaths.
Hands gripped his shoulders. "Come on, we're down here!" Kevin shouted, waving his hand.
The helicopter came in closer. George vaguely gripping something flapping towards him as he felt hte heat start to build around him, blinding him.
They both lifted off the roof as it exploded.
&&&&&&&&&&&&It was five minutes later.
"Hey, doc! See that?" Kevin shouted in his ear.
George did. The sun was rising. The last time they had witnessed a dawn, they had all been separated, each one believing the other was dead.
"Any thoughts?" Kevin asked.
George looked up, where he could just see the barest reflection of Cindy. "One," he replied.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Once they were a suitable distance away, Kevin soon spotted a rooftop they could safely jump onto. "You ready? One, two, three, go!"
George and Kevin landed on the concrete. The helicopter circled around, its lights flashing. As it did so, George spotted the outline of smoke in the distance. "Are you worried?"
"Hm, me? Nah," Kevin said with an easy shrug. "But you know me, I only think two steps ahead. You're the thinking. So what do you say?"
Before George could reply the helicopter landed. Yoko and Cindy stepped out. Yoko wen t to the edge of the roof, starring at the smoke.
Poor kid, Kevin thought, wondering if this would help her find any peace. Probably not. He joined her by the roof.
George and Cindy stepped closer. "Hi," George said simply.
Cindy didn't say a word.
"Listen," George began. "I was thinking-"
That was as far as he got.
Cindy touched the cut under his eye, smiled, and kissed him. George returned the kiss with equal passion, holding her close.
After a moment they broke off. "No matter how many times you leave I just keep finding you again," Cindy said.
"Yeah," George said with a laugh. "Funny how that keeps happening." He glanced at Alyssa, who was watching them silently. He broke away from Cindy but still held her close. "Sorry about shooting you," he said. "I didn't know...I mean, I never even suspected-"
Alyssa didn't reply, but she nodded slightly.
At first, Yoko didn't even seem to register Kevin's presence. Then, some of her icy exterior thawed. "Thank you," she said.
Kevin stared at the smoke. "We did it. We defeated Umbrella." He paused. "Wow."
Yoko hesitated. "One of them."
That broke through George, Alyssa, and Cindy's quiet chatter. They joined Kevin and Yoko. "So what happens now?" George asked. "We'll be wanted no matter where we are. None of us will ever have a normal life ever again."
Kevin said nothing, contemplating it all. Finally, he turned to face him. "So why should we stop?"
"Go after the other branches?" Cindy asked.
"We've come this far," Kevin said. "Four years ago, it was about survival. After all that time, we were turned into something no on ever contemplated-a threat. Professionals who can get the job done. Who can never be touched by the t-virus or Umbrella again. I say we see just how far we can go."
Yoko said nothing for a moment. Then she smiled. "I'm in," she said, touching Kevin's arm. She looked up at him. "For David."
"I am too," Alyssa said.
Kevin nodded. "Good."
George was clearly hesitating, looking at Cindy.
"Come on, doc. We need you. We need you both."
George's grip on her shoulder tightened.
"You know we have to," Cindy said.
"It'll be tough. I can't loose you again," George said.
Cindy smiled and touched his face. "You won't."
Kevin looked at all of them and smiled. "All right. Good." He laughed as the sunlight touched his tired face. "Good."
And with that, the remaining survivors of Racoon City huddled together.
&&&&&&&&&&&(Five years later)
The face of a broadcaster came on, looking very grave. "This is Carolyn Diamond, reporting. Over the past five years, two branches of Umbrella have been destroyed due to allege terrorist activities. A third was added to the list last night resulting in hundreds of casualties. While Umbrella denies any cause for concern, five bodies were pulled from the wreckage that are believed to be the perpetrators. They have been identified as Kevin Ryman, Cindy and George Damien, Yoko Suzuki, and Alyssa Ashcroft. Again, Umbrella stressed that there is no need for further concern-"
The television clicked off.
"Thank you," Erin muttered at the bartender, putting down his drink. He had seen enough of that crap. He had come to the bar to get away from that stuff.
Another man had joined him at the bar. He was wearing a dusty leather jacket and had brown hair that covered his eyes. The newcomer was starring at his glass speculatively. "I take it you're not a fan of Umbrella," he remarked.
Erin raised his hands. "Hey pal, I'm not looking for trouble."
"You misunderstand me. I'm not one of those sleeper agents trying to root out the rebels."
"I don't know what-"
"Rebels that are trying to destroy Umbrella. At first we were only a small group. But you could say we ran into some friend since then." The man turned to face him.
Eric gasped. "You're the guy from the news! But the report said that-"
"Yeah. In Umbrella's dreams." Kevin smiled. "Nope. Sorry to tell them that we're all alive and well. And still fighting."
The man swallowed. "Don't hurt me, please."
Something in Kevin's eyes softened. "You don't get it. You're a part of this fight, whether you want to be or not. I'll give you some time to think about it. Call my friends if you change your mind." And with that, he slapped a card on the table and walked away.
"Hey-you didn't pay for that drink!" the bartender shouted.
Erin flipped the card over. On it was a telephone number under the name of an organization-S.T.A.R.S.
"But don't think too hard," Kevin added, opening up the back door. "In fact, I think you only have about ten seconds." He left, closing the door.
"Wha-" Erin wondered, when the glass window looking out to the street shattered.
And drooling, moaning people started climbing through.
THE END.