A/N: There were a LOT of details sent to me about this, so please thank siberian74 for coming up with such an amazing prompt! c: The ideas were all her, I just wrote them up. x3 This should be a three part series. c:

"Spread out, cover all corners."

Boot clad feet scattered at the command as the men shuffled to survey the area in greater detail. The place was more open than they'd like, and things had been far too quiet to provide any comfort. It seemed dead, and that made everything all the more unnerving.

Guns were kept poised in place and at the ready for anything unexpected.

A variety of echoes ensued in a matter of minutes, all sounding through their earpieces to avoid unwanted attention and keep some semblance of stealth.

"Clear, sir."

"Clear!"

"All clear."

Chris felt his lips balance into a straight line, "Roger that..." It didn't make any sense. "Stay on guard, we're missing something." A series of confirmations resounded in return, and the Captain lowered his hand from his ear.

"I don't like this," Chris turned at the sound as his ATL slowed to a halt at his side, brow furrowed.

The only sounds were the distant shuffling of feet, barely audible. "None of us do." Chris uttered, as equally quiet.

There was a snap from above that had all the soldiers spinning towards it as a second followed, then a third just as quickly. There were shutters on the upper floor that opened themselves one by one as armed enemies poured out with no hesitation to pull their triggers.

That's when everything went to hell.

"Fuck, an ambush!"

"Get down!"

The radios flared with life at the sudden swarm of foes. There were a series of shouted commands as the men scrambled for cover to return fire, some of them spread too far out to regroup.

"Fall back! It's too open!" The Captain hollered as he dived behind a pillar to avoid the incoming fire. Piers followed next to him, crouching low beside him at the far side of the room to peek through the sights of his scope from around the corner.

Walker was the one to reply over the sound of gunfire, "There's too many blocking our way! We can't get to you!"

The booming echo of a familiar Anti-Materiel rifle resounding next to him had the Captain poking around the pillar with his own weapon raised. One quick succession of spurts and he retracted, just in time to avoid incoming bullets. "Damn it! Can you find a way out?"

"They're closing in! I think we can go back the way we came!"

Piers grunted at the voice, "We won't be able to do the same, Captain."

Chris felt his jaw tense, "I know." His finger went back to the earpiece, "Go! See if you can find another route and meet back up with us!"

"Yes, sir!" The men started to edge their way off the field to get clear.

"Captain, we can't stay here!" Piers insisted over the surrounding noise. Chris gave a curt nod, "Come on, there's a door to our left. If we run, we can break through. Go and I'll cover you!" He instructed, and Piers didn't need to be told twice as he dived out from behind the pillar with Chris rounding the corner to open fire and cause suppression.

The moment he was clear, Piers returned the gesture for his Captain so they could both slip free of the chaos together. A hard jerk of an arm had the door shutting at their backs, effectively placing a barrier between them and the enemy.

Piers huffed, "They were waiting for us."

"We should have known better," Chris gave an uncomfortable shake of the head as he stepped deeper into the next area with Piers at his heel. "We need to find a way to regroup with the rest of Alpha."

A blast from a room over paused them both in place, weapons raised in preparation. It triggered a chain reaction that had the building rumbling under their feet. Sprinklers above sputtered to life, and a downpour of rain soon washed over their shoulders from the pipes. The air around them grew cool and moist as their guns lowered under the lack of enemies. Small bits of debris jiggled loose from the explosion, and Chris didn't waste another minute before he was already moving again. "Come on. There's no telling how much time we have!"

"Right behind you, Captain!"

A few pillars managed to collapse, and the duo had to climb over top them to proceed forward. One particular slab of crumbled stone blocked a door half way, in which case the soldiers were forced to kick it inward and slip through one at a time. It was a tight fit, but both of them managed to squeeze by and into the next room.

It was a plain hallway, although the door at the end was made from thickened glass and undoubtedly bullet proof. One foot after the next led them down the passageway in a light run, with little choice remaining for them outside of finding a way back to Alpha. Chris tapped at his earpiece, "Alpha, report." A wave of static came through the link in reply.

"Andy, Carl?" Still nothing. Damn it.

The Captain let his hand return to his weapon as they paused at the door to fiddle with the panel. Fortunately enough, it wasn't locked. Why seemed like an unimportant question given their predicament as both men entered through the parted passageway into another open area. More pillars and rows of much thinner glass walls. Not the best place to be.

"There's too much interference. We need to get outside, maybe the rest of Alpha already-" A blink of an eye was all it took. A sudden force from behind had Chris knocked forward and off his feet to collide with the wet floor. Full reflex kicked in as he slid over the surface, shifting himself into a roll with his weapon poised.

Piers had already acted the moment he'd heard the grunt from his Captain, instinctively swinging an elbow backward to connect with the foe - only to have them disappear in a cloud of black before making contact. A whoosh resounded nearby, and a boot was firmly planted against his stomach with enough force to send him flying. A fraction of a second later and a hand caught him by the arm in mid air, nearly dislocating it from his socket as his body slammed the floor. There was no time to react before he was kicked in the stomach, and the strength behind it threw him half way across the room. The impact was anything but gentle, and left him in a stagger after he climbed back to his feet. The ace coughed at having the wind literally knocked out of him before he lifted the barrel of his rifle down the span of the passage - the blow had knocked him back into the hallway that they'd come from.

A black shadow, blond hair. A glow of fiery orange inflamed in a visible rage, hidden behind the barrier of sunglasses. He was moving again, edging closer in a slow, threatening stride.

A spurt of gunfire released itself from behind the figure and made a collision with the panel on the outer side. The glass doors slid closed, effectively blocking Piers off from both his Captain and the blond. Immediately Piers lowered his weapon and sprung forward, one hand placed to the barrier only to find Chris in the background, rifle aimed at the broken panel. He'd shot it - why did he shoot it? He was trapped in there alone!

Chris pushed himself into a stand from the position he'd been knocked into earlier, finger twitching on the trigger as he eyed the blond, who balled his gloved hands into fists. "So be it," The voice was all the confirmation Chris had needed as the familiar shadow of a man redirected his attention toward him. Two flaring suns glimmered behind tinted shades with a threatening narrow to them, something made straight from nightmares.

"Wesker," The Captain seethed, a mixture of anger and surprise intertwined within the sound. "How did you-" He wasn't given any time to finish before the blond was gone from view, only to reappear behind him with a kick to the back of his knees that dropped him to the ground. An arm wove itself around his throat as Wesker loomed over his shoulder, tightening his hold. "Ignorant as ever, Christopher." His free hand jerked away the weapon to dispose of it by tossing it across the room and far out of reach. Chris clutched at the arm blocking his airway, using an elbow to jab at the blond's side in an attempt to get free. There was a hiss near his ear, and for a moment he'd wondered if somehow the attack had been effective-

But the just like that, Wesker rotated around Chris with a hand grasping a fistful of dark locks, now wet due to the water still flowing from above. A single jerk sent his head slamming forward into an awaiting kneecap that made the world spin. "You destroyed everything!" A second hit, and blood spilt unchecked from his nostrils. Wesker released his hold over the short strands of brown to raise his foot in a quick kick aimed directly under the Captain's chin. The impact forced him to his back again - any harder, and it could have easily broken his neck.

"Captain!"

The desperation within the voice that he'd loved so much had Chris blink until the dots along his vision faded away and he glanced to Piers, still effectively pinned behind the barrier that separated them. The younger man had a furrow to his brow and a tightness along his jawline, hazel eyed him accusingly for keeping them apart, but it was overlapped by his concern for his Captain. "Piers, get the hell out! Now! Just go!" A hand clutched over the front of his vest, using it to pull him up where the opposite one delivered a backhand across his cheek.

There was a pound against the glass, "No! I'm not leaving you like this!" Piers backed away from the barrier in search of another way through. It would take too long to circle around and find another route, they were already running out of time and every second they were separated was slowly killing him from the inside out. If Chris hadn't shut him off in the first place, they could have fought the tyrant as a team. They worked well together, they could have found a way!

Chris groaned at the reply as his head lulled back between his shoulders after yet another blow, this time from a closed fist. Piers needed to stop being so stubborn and get away. He had no idea what Wesker was capable of or what he'd do to Piers if he caught him. Chris let his tongue trail over his bottom lip before he spit to the side, hacking up a glob of blood that fell to the floor. "Damn it, Piers! That's an order, get your ass-" His words caught in his throat, a gurgle placed itself in their absence as a hand clutched over his air way.

"Always so protective," The blond drawled as he stepped over top of the Captain, one black clad leg placed on either side of the muscular figure while he leaned in. "You've forgotten who you belong to, Christopher." Chris thrusted a meaty fist forward, allowing knuckles to collide with older features. There was a snap as the glasses broke and skittered free, forcing the blond's head to the side. A low growl resounded from the tyrant as he turned back to Chris, ominous orange eyes bore holes into brown. "You could have been part of a better world, but instead you chose to ruin it!" Chris grasped at the hand as it squeezed further and his world started to blur. He could just barely feel the brush of shared breath between them at the close proximity, and he hated what it reminded him of.

"Let him stay and see the hold I have over you," Chris hardly had the time to register the words before a pair of lips descended over his own; rough, forceful. He writhed under the touch in search of a way out, only to have a fist collide with his ribs and force him to release a strained cry, almost inaudible from the lack of oxygen and pressure over his throat. Wesker took full advantage the moment Chris opened his mouth at the pain, enough to give his tongue access to possessively lavish the moist depths.

From afar, Piers was seething with rage at the sight and at the helplessness bestowed upon him. "Get off him, you son of a bitch!" He screamed from the other side of the barrier, even while knowing it would do no good. "Captain! You have to fight it!" In a last ditch effort, he reached for the panel on his side and pulled its protective cover from the wall to reveal wires, all in an attempt to hack through. Maybe he could still manage it from his side - he had to get back in there, he couldn't leave Chris with that psychopath! Especially after what he'd just witnessed. Deft hands got to work in a rush; he was running out of time.

By now, Chris felt his eyes start to roll back and his skin turned a different hue as the grip over his air pipe kept a firm hold. His own fingers were losing their strength and started to fall away as the world darkened. What he didn't expect was for Wesker to release him and part their mouths so his aching lungs could suck in desperately needed oxygen. He coughed and sputtered, panting at the sudden overflow of air that burned his lungs.

Wesker licked over his own lips, enjoying the taste of iron from the Captain's broken bottom tier before he closed the space between them a second time, and Chris clutched fistfuls of leather to try and push him away. He couldn't deny the old feelings that resurfaced - the ones he wished for so long had meant something and had been felt in return. But Wesker was a monster, a wretched, narcissistic bastard who got off on hurting him; on shattering every part of his soul into tiny little pieces he'd then proceed to step on. Chris hated it, how there was still something left over even after such a long time, and after all the pain that the blond had caused.

But he had Piers now - and Piers was there, calling out to him, pleading that he do something to stop what was happening. Chris had hoped Piers could understand why he'd done it; why he kept them separated. The moment he'd realized it was Wesker attacking them, he knew the blond wouldn't hesitate to hurt Piers; especially given their relationship, and how badly it would destroy Chris to lose the younger man. He just wished that Piers had listened and turned the other way so he didn't have to witness everything that was happening.

Wesker retracted, and a gloved thumb replaced his mouth over the Captain's lips, tracing along the small crack in them that leaked crimson. Brown eyes fluttered to watch fiery orange as Chris inhaled sharply. Would Wesker kill him after everything? The Captain had no doubts that he could; in fact, he fully expected it. Especially considering just how badly his body throbbed from earlier abuse. He needed a distraction, some method he could use to put a good amount of distance between them or potentially damage Wesker in some way. But he would have to close the distance first, and he could hardly stomach the thought.

He had to do it. There was no other choice.

Although reluctant at first, he was left with nothing else. Chris took it upon himself to chance the risk; he closed the gap by being the one to join them at the lips, and Wesker momentarily stilled at the curious suddenness. The tyrant was smart, but his ego was bigger; only a few seconds surpassed them before their tongues tangled in a familiar dance.

There was only one option from there; Chris slid an arm behind him in search of his knife. He hesitated as soon as his fingers were curled around the hilt and a familiar wave of emotions washed over him. The overpowering essence of the man dominating the inside of his mouth was hard to resist. He couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic, and it disgusted him to no end after all that happened. Yet, he'd have been lying if he ever said that he didn't miss their time back in S.T.A.R.S. when Wesker's role there was nothing but a perfectly placed lie... Or if he said he hadn't dreamed of the blond. It wasn't right; it hadn't been, not since the day he found out who Wesker really was.

Chris brought the blade forward in a quick jab... But a hand caught him at the wrist before it could break flesh. A reverberating chuckle passed between their mouths, "And here I thought you knew me better than that." He was right. Chris should have, and he already regretted it. In an instant, Wesker was on his feet and pulled Chris up with him while he squeezed the wrist in his grip until the blade was dropped to the floor. The blond nudged it with a foot so it would slide far off to the side with the discarded gun from earlier.

That's when a gloved hand made its way back around the Captain's throat where it lifted him off the floor, much like in the years prior. Chris grunted, and his feet were left to dangle in the air as he was raised up. Fiery orange turned at the sound of opening doors; Piers managed to break through and held his weapon poised at the tyrant. "Put him down! Now!" Strong, protective.

Wesker tsked, "Too late, I'm afraid." Ominous suns redirected themselves back to Chris and returned to narrowed slits. "You'll never have him." A sudden thrust of his arm sent Chris flying where his back collided against the edge of a pillar with an audible crack as the force had him bounce past it into a pane of glass. It shattered under his weight, a thousand shards pierced through the air and his own skin as he hit the floor with a thud, unmoving.

"Chris!"

Never in his life did Piers Nivans ever miss what he aimed for, but each bullet released from the barrel of his rifle hit nothing but air as the tyrant dodged and flipped around them as though it was some sort of twisted game. It wasn't until the fourth shot that Piers had actually paused, hazel eyes raised from the position at the scope to stare at Wesker in a mixture of uncontrolled anger and sheer distress at the situation.

Another blast activated somewhere behind the walls, causing more rumbles to tear through the building. If it hadn't been unsafe before, now it was. Wesker allowed the edges of his lips to curve in a knowing smirk, and Piers resisted the urge to shoot again solely due to the inability to hit what acted as some sort of phantom menace. "I believe we've reached a conclusion." The blond paused to eye the limp body off to the the side, "Unless you'd prefer to abandon him in favor of revenge."

The words had the ace glancing off toward his Captain. The man still hadn't moved - it barely looked like he was breathing!

There was a shuffle as Wesker turned on a heel to leave, and hazel snapped back toward the tyrant with his rifle still aimed in place. "Stop!" He commanded, but Wesker only chuckled as he stepped toward a doorway, presumably on route to an exit.

Piers clenched his teeth with a finger hovered over the trigger. Damn it, they didn't have time for this. He wanted the blond dead after everything he did, after everything he tried to do. But Chris... Chris was hurt. With his decision made, Piers lowered his rifle and swung it onto his back as he turned in a sprint, boots forming audible splashes through the gathered liquid over the floor as he approached his still Captain. His stomach churned long before he'd crouched down next to him at the sight of crimson that blended with the water.

"Captain!" Piers was practically pleading as he checked for a pulse; feint, but present. Dwindling. No, no, no - "Chris! Don't do this, not now!"

Another explosion nearby had the ace throwing himself over the body of his Captain protectively as it blasted through the wall, shaking the roof around them. Piers gasped, "Come on, Chris! Wake up!" Deft fingers combed through short and wet locks, willing the older man to open his eyes.

He didn't move.

He hardly breathed.

Piers felt his heart hammer up a storm in the confines of his chest cavity. He reached for his earpiece, hopeful that by some magic force it would start working. "Alpha! Can anyone hear me?" Another rumble had debris scatter around them, much too close to the duo as the building shook. "Damn it! Andy! Ben! Someone answer! The Captain's been hurt!" The nearby pillar threatened to topple over, and Piers had to act quickly as he pushed himself to his feet and dragged Chris out of the way barely in time to avoid the stone as it crashed to the floor where they'd just been moments ago.

Piers heaved, clutching to the larger frame like a lifeline as the water still managed to sprinkle around them despite the destruction. Normally spiked bangs dampened over his forehead, nearly drooping into his eyes as he pulled at the muscular frame, almost slipping in the water due to the constant rumbles. "Ngh... We've got to get out of here. I need you to wake up!" A stone slab fell next to them, shattering into small rocks that shot at them. The force tore holes through clothes and skin, but Piers found himself throwing his body over his Captain's at every turn. "Wake up, Chris!" He chanted again, "Please wake up..." He needed to know Chris was okay, he needed to know that those brown irises would reopen and that they could move past this.

But it didn't happen. They were alone, secluded from the rest of their unit in a building prepared to collapse on top of them. Tightening his grip over Chris, Piers realized that he had never been more afraid than he was in that moment. Not for himself, but for Chris - if only he'd have tried harder or been faster, he could have prevented what happened. Chris would still be awake and in a better condition, not a limp weight in his arms.

Piers was also determined, however. If Chris had any chance of being okay... It was resting on his shoulders. He couldn't let him down, not like this.

So, Piers dragged him. Deft hands clung to the heavier frame, and the ace pulled Chris through the rippling water as the building caved in around them bit by bit. He would get him out, not matter what he had to do.

Piers didn't know how many times he'd come close to faltering or guiding them the wrong way, but his resolve was as strong as ever. The beating of his heart kept adrenaline pumping through his veins, and he used every ounce of it to pull Chris with him through each doorway. He focused on keeping the man in his arms alive; it was all that mattered. Guilt still flooded through his senses like a bad disease, but it helped to drive him further.

It was unknown how much time had gone by, and it felt like the world was dying around them with every taken step. But by some miracle, Piers had managed to find an exit just in time. Shortly after they'd went through, the passage collapsed behind them. So close, any more wasted time and they'd have been trapped in there and left to die. Piers swallowed hard as he panted through the exhaustion, body aching in protest from the combination of bruises and overexertion.

But they were both alive.

Piers paused to catch his breath, body collapsing next to his Captain. His fingers reached back out in a second search for a pulse, only to find that the gentle beat was too slow, too soft. It was fading. "Chris..." Deft hands clutched to the front of his Captain's vest, squeezing fistfuls of the material as if his hold alone would keep Chris there with him. "We're almost through this! Stay with me, you can't just-... You can't..." Piers nearly choked on the words as he craned his neck, head placed over the span of the muscular chest. "Please don't do this," He uttered against the fabric.

"Nivans!"

That voice...

"Nivans, what the hell hap- Jesus! Carl, Ben, get over here! The Captain's out!"

Piers should have felt a wave of relief - he almost had - but at the life of the man under him dwindling so close to the end, he couldn't feel anything other than concern...

And the agonized wonder of what he'd do without Chris.

Piers lifted himself off of the older man as a series of hurried footsteps came closer. All of Alpha had made it out... For now. It wasn't a guarantee with Chris dangling near the edge. "Hold on, Chris..." He muttered as the men reached them.

"Shit, he's not breathing! Call it in! Hurry!"

Everything became a blur after that, and Piers could feel his heart threatening to implode as it tied itself into a knot.

Seven hours. Seven fucking hours waiting for just one update.

All of Alpha were scattered among the chairs in the waiting room, growing more and more impatient with every added hour. The doctors hadn't said much about anything.

They didn't even know if Chris was still alive.

Jill had come down with them the moment she'd heard, and she was just as worried as the rest of them. Piers hadn't talked about the details; he never uttered a word about Wesker. Not yet. He still couldn't stomach the sound of that name on his own tongue. The men had asked questions, and so had Jill, but he found ways to avoid them. When he couldn't do that anymore, he settled on just ignoring them. Eventually, everything died down to an uncomfortable silence.

Piers had never felt so alone.

The sound of a cleared throat had everyone raising their heads to greet the doctor. "I'm afraid there's no simple way to put this..." She hesitated under all the watchful eyes around her, desperate to know more.

"Is he alive?" The tone snapped through the air like a barbed wire, and Piers couldn't bring himself to care as he rose from his seat.

The doctor sighed, "Yes, but that's the only good news. Aside from a lot of scrapes and bruises followed by several broken ribs... There was some extensive damage done to his spine."

"Will he recover?" It was Jill's turn to question her.

There was a soft shuffle as the doctor fidgeted. "We never like having to give news like this. Honestly, there's no way to tell if he'll improve or how well. Right now... Captain Redfield has lost all function of his body below the neck. We had to put him on a mechanical ventilator because he no longer has the ability to breathe on his own."

Piers nearly collapsed on the spot as his legs felt as though they'd been reduced to mush. He stopped breathing as his heart pounded a worried rhythm in his ears so loud he'd have expected it to burst. It couldn't be happening, Chris couldn't... Not after everything they'd been through. He didn't deserve that - damn it, why did he have to separate them and play the fucking hero?

The news cut through Piers as though someone tore out his heart and placed it in a blender. It ached and throbbed in his chest cavity, and he wanted so badly just to rip it out and spare himself from the pain.

The doctor seemed sympathetic after seeing the look on his features, "I'm so sorry... It's too early to know if he'll ever get better. Even if he does, he may never have the same control over his body as he used to."

Piers swallowed, "I want to see him." There was a crack in his voice, unlike any sound he'd ever heard come from his own throat. Hurt, aching - so close to something resembling a sob. Everyone turned to him at the sound; some empathetic, others frowning. Jill lowered her head at the noise, it didn't take an expert to realize just how badly the news alone had damaged the ace.

The doctor hesitated for a few seconds before relenting due to the look etched over the sniper's face. The sight in itself was heartbreaking. "I'll show you to the room." She agreed, and turned to leave with Piers hot on her trail.

The men started to raise one by one, but Jill held up a hand to keep them from following. "Let him go in alone. We'll have time to visit after." She received curious gazes at the statement, but luckily the soldiers obeyed and returned to their chairs. "He needs this..." It was a soft murmur, inaudible to the men as blue eyes watched the retreating form of the ace.

Piers wasn't sure what he expected, or even if Chris would be awake; but when the door opened, Piers could have died on the spot and been more at ease than having to live with what he saw as the reality of the situation came crashing in.

"You know what to do if you need anything," The doctor said behind him as she slunk outside the door, allowing it to fall close behind her with a soft click.

Piers hesitated, body frozen on the spot at the sight of all the tubes and cords hooked up to his beloved Captain. He felt sick. Only the sounds from the heart monitor and ventilator filled the room as Piers forced himself to step closer until he could pull up a chair and sit at his lover's side.

"Chris...?" Hazel watched every contour of masculine features, wishing with all his being that Chris would wake up and be perfectly okay as though the mission had never taken place; as though it never had the chance to go wrong. It was a false hope, and like always, was quick to be extinguished.

Brown eyes fluttered, and Piers couldn't contain a soft gasp at seeing them again. He was so afraid that he would lose Chris... But maybe death would have been so much more preferable than his current state of being. Those familiar orbs found their way to the ace, confused at first, then startled as they widened.

Chris must not have woken up before for them to tell him...

Piers tried to calm him with an outstretched hand that found its way back to tangle inside the valley dark locks. "Shh," He soothed, trying to regain the strength of his own voice so as to not worry Chris further. He didn't do a very good job of it, "They... They said that you took damage to the spine." He had to pause as tone wavered, hitching slightly under the intensity of emotions he felt. "Chris, I... There's no easy way I can explain it. You've been paralyzed from the neck down. T-they don't.." A second pause to still his breathing. "They don't know whether or not to expect any improvements yet."

Piers had a hard time keeping his gaze leveled with his Captain's, but after hearing the words, Chris had squeezed his eyes shut tight. Disbelieving, perhaps. He reopened them with a blink, and Piers was sure the pain that he saw inside brown irises mimicked his own.

The ace retracted his arm to grasp a hold over the older man's hand where it was placed between both of his own. He sniffled, trying so hard to hold himself back from reaching a breaking point. "...You can't even feel this, can you?" Piers rubbed a thumb over the hand in his grip and watched as brown eyes slid closed. A silent negative.

Piers exhaled unsteadily, "I'm sorry, Chris." He lost all sense of control then, and didn't try to hide it as he clutched tighter to the hand in his grip and brought his head forward to rest against it. Finally, he gave in and his body shook with open sobs that he was no longer able to keep hidden. "I couldn't stop it. I couldn't-... I'm so sorry."

As much as it was killing Piers to see Chris in his current state, it was killing Chris all the same to not be able to comfort his lover. Water formed behind his own eyes where they dripped unchecked from their corners.

The two shared their suffering and it lasted throughout the entire night, with sobs both loud and quiet drifting between them over everything that happened.