Disclaimer: I'm only going to say this once; Resident Evil and all associated characters are property of Capcom Entertainment. Criminal Minds and its associated characters are property of CBS; the Criminal Minds character referred to in this chapter is a version of a canon character from a specific Criminal Minds fanfic series written by FFN writer Whatif-ifonly (ID 2684698); the series is referred to with the author's permission, and this fic does share the same universe as that one.

This fic, despite character labels, is not slash, yaoi or anything of the sort. Any romance is straight in this story.

The OC Carter Myers is of my own design; please let me know if you wish to borrow him.

Any references and/or subtle crossovers to any other shows or media are the property of their respective owners - and a warning for those who hate such shout-outs and crossovers; there will be plenty, so if such things aren't your style, turn back now. (However, to those who like such things, virtual cookies to those who can guess the most!)

Information on MOLLE (pronounced Molly) can be found on Wikipedia; it is a real-life military-based design concept which I do not own.

I am not making money from this story (unless reviews count); I simply write this for my own enjoyment.

Any similarities between this and other fanfiction are neither intended nor meant to cause offense - please PM or email me with any concerns of this nature you may have.

Other than that, enjoy - all personal notes are at the end of the chapter.

One more thing! Please offer feedback; it tells me if I'm doing this properly.

Resident Evil 6: Rampage

PROLOGUE: AIDING OLD FRIENDS

"The villains here are the ones who use the virus. But worse than them are the ones who made it. Years ago, our lives were changed forever... by the virus from Umbrella Corp. Umbrella collapsed... but their viral legacy continues to spread." - Leon S. Kennedy, "Resident Evil: Degeneration"

"The greatest good you can do for another is not to share your own riches, but to reveal to him his own." - Benjamin Disraeli

From the moment they'd met as children, Helena Harper and Jennifer Jareau bonded, over a shared desire to improve and enrich themselves and others - but there was one other, a young boy who both had connected with, who shared that desire; a boy who, years later in another lifetime as a young man, would ignite the fire in their souls and others once more... the fire to make a difference, to do good, to stop the madness to the best of their ability in the time they had. Let this be the beginning of a part of their story.

Gritting his teeth in sheer determination, Carter Myers tried to push himself up after his face-first meeting with the pavement - but the survivalist's arms gave out with every effort, to his annoyance.

'Getting real tired of this shit!'

Opening eyes the color of dark chocolate, his vision met a blur of shambling bodies ('Zombies, no doubt', some stubborn part of his mind noted), fire... and bullets. All of which miraculously missed hitting him or his friends, hitting the infected instead as they were fired from a helicopter above... a helicopter that Carter could've sworn was piloted by a familiar face, as he saw a red-shirted woman at the helm during a turn.

'Ada Wong - the real Ada Wong...? Shit - things must be bad if she's supplying us covering fire.'

Blinking away the fatigue and taking a deep breath, the man clenched his jaw and fought the urge to gag - the smell in the air was one of blood and smoke, mixed with remnants of the blue cloud that had flooded the city hours beforehand; it reminded the man of his life before Tall Oaks, all the blood he'd smelled (and spilt) in Tall Oaks itself as the city fell... and all the blood he'd smelled and spilt before then, in his training to become what he was.

Growling softly and shoving the memories aside ('Deal with your damn conscience later, Myers, and GET UP!', that same stubborn voice in his mind roared), the man looked around... and his first sight was US Secret Service Agent Helena Harper, semi-conscious, badly wounded, sprawled face-down on the pavement. Next to her was DSO Agent and founder Leon S. Kennedy - who was on one knee, looking at Carter with an expression of concern, hoping another ally or two in his lengthy fight against bioterrorism hadn't fallen.

"Carter," Leon muttered, his deep voice scratchy with fatigue, dryness and age even as the helicopter turned its searchlight on the group, "Can you hear me? Can you stand?"

Throwing the government agent a thumbs-up (albeit a very tired one after the impact they'd all suffered), Carter slowly stood up alongside the older adult - and grimaced as he noticed the preying undead around the trio. The grimace on his face worsened as he noticed Helena was in no shape to fight off the coming foes; she was now on one knee, between the DSO founder and Carter himself, shakily aiming her gun at the flames ahead, her eyes unfocused even as Leon tried to talk her out of what was clearly a very stupid move.

Trusting Helena's fate to Leon's capable hands for now, Carter reached to his sides, patted down his reinforced maroon flight jacket and black battle vest, and after finding his remaining tools, supplies and weapons intact, quickly unsheathed everything he could one by one for a cursory check of their condition. The survivalist's eyes narrowed in determination before he sheathed the battered multi-tool and mini-flashlight on his belt, and (after a cursory check) replaced each of his survival knives in the opposing waist sheath on his web belt before checking (and subsequently sheathing) the knife and Glock 26 strapped to his legs (left and right, respectively) under his grey cargo pants.

'Sharp as ever, gun's in good shape with a full clip, and all of it is - miraculously - still intact... lucky us.'

Checking the contents of the MOLLE compartments on his web belt, and the modernized pair of Sig Sauer P226 Elite Dark handguns he'd been gifted by his dad, Carter was also thankful to note that the belt, its reinforced compartments and their contents (which, among other things, included a hip flask, a smart-phone with a built-in radio, handgun ammo and a portable knife sharpener) had held strong, surviving the impact; furthermore, the Sig Sauer guns were reasonably intact despite events and the clips weren't totally empty. Nodding at the guns before holstering them in waist holsters near the knives, Carter helped Helena to her feet - letting her lean on his shoulder - before he locked eyes with Leon.

"We should keep moving, Leon - Helena needs medical attention, and this ain't the place to give it," Carter told the government agent, concern for the third member of their group slipping into his voice. The young survivalist's eyes drifted to the ex-CIA agent for an instant, softening as the care and concern he'd felt for her ever since their original childhood meeting became visible (a moment so brief that even Leon's skills barely caught its appearance) and then hardening again as he took stock of their situation.

'Surrounded by hostiles, low on ammo, wounded ally, no backup... shit, talk about a bad position. Even Dad and his late teammates would've had trouble here.' the former laborer mused as he saw Leon nod.

"Let's move - this way." Leon said, holding up his Wing Shooter handgun as the trio moved. Carter took point with slow steps, watching the enemy with extreme vigilance even as his hand tightened around Helena's shoulders. The enemy was slow, true; however, cold and hard experience had taught the group that underestimating them was a fatal mistake whether or not Leon Kennedy had them covered.

Moving under hanging debris ahead and forward into the alleyway, Carter lifted Helena into his arms just as the weak wooden boards they'd stepped on gave way almost too easily under their combined mass. Landing on his feet, falling to one knee and barely keeping Helena off the ground, Carter grimaced as his very bones burned from the landing with fatigue fighting his very willpower for dominance.

Leaping forward and landing ahead of them, Leon helped Carter to stand, ignoring Helena's exhausted pleas for them to abandon her as her old friend continued carrying her in his arms.

"When we get a chance, Helena," Carter growled softly in her ear as the duo limped forward behind Agent Kennedy, "You and I are having a nice little chat."

"After all we've been through, it'd be a waste to quit now," Leon added softly as the group reached a hastily - and badly - barred door. Ignoring the metal pole nearby - which Leon almost grabbed to pry apart the barricade with - Carter instead shattered the barricade with one solid kick, allowing the trio to proceed ahead into a small relatively safe-looking area where Leon decided to have them all rest up.

"Let's take a break - there's gotta be herbs or a first-aid kit here somewhere." Leon mused.

"Forget about me. Just go," Helena murmured tiredly as Carter set her down before sitting down himself. The FBI agent-turned-antibioterror-fighter looked at the US Secret Service Agent and glared, hard, before cutting Leon off from his own refusal.

"What the hell are you on about, Harper? Do you really think we found JJ again, found each other again after over twelve years for me to just walk away? Do you think we made all those plans for after this shit's over for nothing?"

She didn't respond - speechless in the wake of the pain, as well as the shock of Carter actually berating her.

"No? Then you listen to me, and listen very well. Do you remember what I told you when all this began, back in Benford's office? I said I'd stay with you to the end, no matter what; this," the survivalist motioned to their surroundings with a hand, "is not the end! We're not giving up the fight, and neither are you - we've all come too far; we're too close to finishing this round of bioterrorism bullshit for quitting to be an option! I will not leave you in this place or any other place - don't you ever, ever ask me to do that again, do you hear me!? Not now, and never again will I even think of leaving you behind - because goddammit, Helena, I love you. You and me are a team to the bitter end, no matter what; don't ever forget that!"

Helena's eyes widened as she looked her one remaining true childhood friend in the eye, memories of their struggles thus far flashing in her mind's eye. Carter Myers was a survivalist and FBI Agent, attached to the BAU's A-Team - he wasn't a BSAA soldier like Piers Nivans and Chris Redfield. No, aside from the FBI training Carter was just a mostly normal man around her age, slightly taller than Leon with a hint more visible muscle, close-cropped hair, and coffee-colored skin. Carter was one of two men (the other being Leon) who had stood by her from almost the beginning of the Tall Oaks disaster - but unlike Leon, Carter stood by her even longer than that, looked past her reputation with the CIA, past all her transgressions, and trusted her from day one, even more so after their reacquainting. The memories came, one by one, going all the way back to their first ever meeting when Helena was a kid, Deborah was uninfected, and the Harper sisters and Carter were best friends... and then it stopped, leaving the duo's eyes connected as untold volumes of emotion shone in them.

As Helena's eyes began to glimmer with unshed tears - which she fought back, remembering her last promise to Deborah - she could only watch Carter forcibly break their eye contact and fight to regain his own control after such a passionate outburst. Leon's eyes burned through Carter, trying to figure out just what had set him off, but he found nothing; the other man refused to meet his gaze, instead looking at his own steel-toed/steel-plated combat boots.

"Carter," Helena grimaced, before smiling weakly as she tried to stand, "You're right; I'm sorry. Guess Frank and Deborah would be pretty disappointed in m- ah!"

Cutting off her apology, clenching her jaw as waves of pain visibly shot through her body, Helena could only watch as the same man who had berated her pessimism an instant before hurried to her side without hesitation, grasping her right hand tightly in his left as his right arm helped guide her back to a sitting position.

"Gonna need that hand... to shoot, Carter..." the Secret Service Agent joked weakly, fighting the pain as Ingrid Hunnigan contacted the group right at that moment. As Leon explained the situation to Hunnigan, Carter adjusted his grip on Helena's hand, making it gentler, softer, focused on giving his childhood friend all the comfort and protection he could under the circumstances.

"Not yet you won't, Helena; you're too badly injured right now. Until Leon finds something to heal your injuries, I'll cover you." Carter responded softly as Leon and Hunnigan's conversation ended, "Leon - find that kit. I'm tired and sore, not wounded; I've got your back."

"Thanks, Carter." Leon smiled faintly at the younger man, before beginning the search at a nearby parked Hummer. Breaking into the vehicle and finding enough healing herbs to heal the bulk of Helena's injuries, Leon returned to the others - though Helena refused to let go of Carter's hand.

"Too many good agents have died here today," Leon mused sadly, yet determinedly as he looked Helena in the eye, "You're not getting added to that list."

"Not this time," Carter added softly, gently squeezing the Secret Service Agent's hand, "We all lost family back in Tall Oaks; people who we loved more than anything on Earth. Deborah, Dad, President Benford... in one way or another they're all gone, Helena; and we - I - am not gonna lose you too. Fight, dammit; fight and win, and they'll always be proud of you - never disappointed."

"Guys..." Helena breathed, before her eyes widened as she looked behind Leon - causing the DSO founder to turn, and Carter to look up to see a single, shambling zombie; the remnants of the dead body Leon had encountered while tracking down healing items for Helena.

Rage clouding Carter's expression as Leon backed up to Helena's left side, the younger man released Helena's hand and stood tall, body poised for action, gun cocked and aimed at the target with his right hand, his empty left hand reaching for a survival knife just in case bullets weren't enough...

Helena blinked as she came to a realization, looking up at Jennifer "My friends call me JJ" Jareau, her old friend and fellow government agent who she was sharing the story with, as part of their reconnecting after over twelve years apart. Deborah Harper was there as well, laying on a loveseat nearby as she listened to her sister's tale.

"Hold on... this is the wrong page. Let's go back."

She began turning pages in a leather-bound journal, speaking as she went even as JJ had an astonished look on her face at the events described to date.

"We're going back to the start of this crap; June 29th, 2013 - and to an old friend. Carter Myers, an outdoorsman and survivalist of (to my chagrin) some degree of fame, he had also joined the FBI - and to Deborah's shock, and mine, he'd been assigned to your team in the BAU."

"Helena, JJ already knows that; heaven knows I worked with her often enough! Tell her the big news!" the young FBI Special Agent bellowed playfully from the kitchen nearby. Helena rolled her eyes and shared a grin with her sister and the blonde FBI Supervisory Special Agent, as they all searched for the ending to Helena's first log entry regarding her adventure. Helena continued to speak as they searched.

"Carter was also the man who - alongside Frank Myers, his father - President Benford invited to talk at the reception/press conference being hosted in that very university. The same conference and reception whose security I had sabotaged to try and save my sister - and the same President, guarded by government agents Leon S. Kennedy and myself, who Carter was late in meeting for pre-event talks. Though to this day, Carter has never revealed what he wanted to talk to the President about..."

"Must've been really private if he didn't tell you, or any of us," JJ mused softly. Having already met Carter through their BAU connection and a case over eight years before that connection was created, JJ - and by extension, the BAU Alpha Team - were good friends with the younger, lower-ranked FBI Agent and (these days) both the Harper sisters.

"Probably," Helena conceded, "Anyway, this was the same President I had witnessed truly enter zombiehood by devouring Frank Myers... who wasn't just Carter's dad, but a father-figure to Deborah and me as well. He was our mentor for a time when we were all kids, and he was also Carter's only remaining kin after the Raccoon City Incident. Frank Myers showed Deborah and I more care in a year than our own father did in a lifetime, and was in a zombified state because of my actions... a fact that hurts to this day."

JJ winced in sympathy, recalling her own past pains as Helena herself continued her story, her eyes dark and haunted.

"When Carter encountered the four of us - Leon, myself, the zombified President and the equally undead Frank - Frank's corpse nearly attacked me as I froze in fear, shock and disbelief, forcing his own son to save my life even as Leon ended the President's own state of zombification.

With a headshot each, DSO Founder Leon Kennedy and survivalist-turned-FBI Agent Carter Myers let their respective sole father figures rest in peace... but the nightmare wasn't over. It had only just begun."

A/N: After two years, the muse has returned! Though not in the way I expected... damn you, Resident Evil.

Anyway, inspired by a few fics I've read (one self-insert included; laugh if you dare) and the sheer awesomeness of the latest game, I've decided to return to Resident Evil fanfiction for the time being - which hopefully, after years away from the fanfiction side of the fandom (and fanfiction in general) won't create the same result as my previous efforts. Anything not mentioned in-chapter in this story will be covered in flashbacks, vignettes, or otherwise went down as in canon.

This fic presumes you, the reader, have a working knowledge of the plot of the Resident Evil 6 video game and the Criminal Minds universe - so if you don't, read a summary or two, or start playing the game/watching the damn show; things will make a lot more sense.

After the revamp this fic has gone through and some incidents with my last few stories, I feel the need to repeat from the disclaimer above - any similarities between this and other fanfiction are neither intended nor meant to cause offense; any concerns of this nature can (and should) be discussed with me via private message.

Now that the rant - legal and otherwise - is done, let us enter the adventure. Read and review, please and thank you!