Chapter I.

Poor, poor Joseph.

It was a usual day at the S.T.A.R.S. office. Well, if you can call the work of a special police unit member usual, that's it. Chris Redfield was working on some case about the murder on Madison street, yawning silently and stretching his arms time to time. He was bored to death – all words and letters were jumping in his eyes like mad, teasingly changing into various bad expressions. It really pissed him, so Chris just put the file away and leaned on his desk, closing his eyes. Those ordinary days in S.T.A.R.S. really were boring. Extremely boring. He knew that several minutes later Joseph will storm into the office, shouting "Pizza, anyone!?", then Barry will chuckle and say "One pepperoni pizza to me, please!", then Richard Aiken from BRAVO will run in and ask: "Who said 'Pizza time!'?!" After that Wesker will say in his usual monotone voice politely as ever: "Can you both please shut the fuck up thank you for listening, Joseph will spat "You welcome" and sit on the desk, fixing his legendary red bandana. It was the original scenario of life of the S.T.A.R.S.

Well, he was right. Partly.

Yes, Joseph stormed in as usual, but instead of yelling about pizza, he stopped in the middle of their little office, panting and rolling his eyes, and then blurted out breathlessly:

- Guess what!???

Chris lifted his eyes and looked at Frost in slight shock.

- What? No pizza?.. Or you just wanted to say that after our last order there's no pepperoni left?..

Joseph shook his head, rolling his eyes even more.

- Then what? An earthquake? A storm? Your girlfriend dropped you?..

Joseph devilishly looked at Chris.

- Oh no Redfield. My private life is my private life, but even if my girlfriend dropped me, it meant that I at least had a girlfriend. Be jealous, Redfield, the only girl that you have in your life is your sister.

- Maybe I don't need a girl?.. – replied Chris coolly.

Joseph jumped, crashing into his desk.

- What!? Don't tell me you're a g…

- No, that's not what I meant! I meant that I just haven't yet met a girl that I would fall in love with. – said Redfield, throwing an ash tray at him. If Joseph wouldn't have caught it in the last moment, he surely would be without any brains left by now.

- Hey, Redfield, you know that throwing things in your friends isn't good?.. And it proves my theory that you just need a girlfriend!..

- Okay, okay, so Joseph, what were you about to tell?..

Joseph snickered.

- Changing the subject, Redfield?.. Well, whatever. Anyway, I was about to tell you something extremely exciting!..

- What is it, Frost? A new number of Playboy is already for sale?.. – teased Richard, glancing into their office.

- Shut up, Aiken, you're too young for reading that kind of journals. Everybody knows you have the X-Men comics hidden in your table. – Richard's cheeks flushed and he disappeared, planning his revenge.

Joseph snorted and continued:

- So, I was about to tell you that…

- Frost! Where is the report about the Robinson case?.. – asked Wesker dryly, lifting his head from the papers and eyeing Joseph murderously. Frost slammed his forehead with his palm and yelled:

- On shit, I totally forgot! Cap, can I write it tomorrow!?

- Frost, Irons will burn you alive if you won't give the report on this case to him today! And he's going to curtail your salary as well as mines too!

Joseph cursed under his breath and started his computer on. Then he began to type the report with an incredible speed, cursing time to time when he made a mistake.

Wesker returned to his work.

- Joseph, if there will be more than seven mistakes in one sentence I'll blow your brains with my favorite "Deserted Eagle" – commented Wesker, not looking at Frost. Joseph became pale and frantically started to search for any mistakes in his document. After he checked it nearly five times he looked at Wesker in vain and asked:

- Captain, I, um… How do you write "report" – "raport" or "report"?..

Wesker grunted and murderously stared at Frost. Poor Joseph squeaked and nearly drooped under the table, his only desire now to become as smaller as possible.

Chris sighted and returned to work.

But something wasn't right.

Wait. Irons already had that report about the Robinson's case. Barry had already written it.

Why the hell then Wesker wanted Joseph to write it again!?.. He forgot? Or he just didn't want him to tell them that "extremely exciting" thing?.. But why? And what was Joseph about to tell?.. Surely something important if Wesker was so intent on shutting him up. Damn it, Chris Redfield was dying from curiosity.

And Wesker was one son-of-a-bitch.