Mentholated

Summary: The cigarette started it. It burned at first, and then caught into an inferno. If not for that mentholated cigarette, she wouldn't be here. RE4 LuisOC

Prologue

A.N/Disclaimer--A choppy little beginning to the coming story. Essentially giving you what's going on with the characters in it. I don't own RE4. All OC's are mine.

Truth of the matter was that he missed Madrid. The women, the city streets, and not to mention the widely available cigarettes. Compared to this stinking village, Madrid was heavenly. Rotting filth was hard to find in the city, and none of the inhabitants were infected with Los Plagas. Tied up in that wardrobe, Luis Sera had plenty of time to reflect on what he could have done better..

"Menthol, Luis?"

"You know me too well, Alice."

He took the offered cigarette quickly, scanning the Spanish-American woman he had been spending the past few days with. Something about her kept him around longer than most women he actually managed to steal away. Maybe it was her dark skin and hair, counterbalanced by the different colors of her eyes. Perhaps it was that intoxicating hourglass figure of hers, top heavy rather than balanced. Not to mention the fact she was an all-natural beauty.

She smoked too, and that was a large plus. She did not pry and rather respected his privacy. When did woman like that exist? He pondered on that question as he lit the thin mentholated cigarette, taking a quiet breath of foul air as she spoke again.

"When do you leave Madrid?"

"One month from now. Why do you ask, Senorita?"

"I don't really have a job back in the states, and if money's an issue I can certainly pull some from my father… I'd love to stay," Her smile lit up as she mused.

As if to keep his attention on her idea, Alice leaned back from the bar and turned her chair to face him. Luis flicked the ashes off of his cigarette, wondering if he was dreaming.

"Now that's the first time a woman's offered to stay with me, and not the other way around," He winked at her suggestively. She only smirked in return. "All my bills are paid for this month already, but any extra cash for us would be great.."

"Then its settled. I'll cancel my hotel room and bring my things over to your apartment!" Alice cheerfully downed her Grey Goose Martini.

Behind the cloud of smoke, Luis cheered inwardly. For the next month, he would be living with a beautiful woman. It all seemed a bit rushed, but he preferred to enjoy life before he left for his new job. A month of string-free bliss, full of smoke, sex, and liquor appeared to be on the horizon. Lucky for him, all of those things had come in the package.

If he had known what would happen to him, Alice might have been his highest priority.

If he had known anything about his subject before the research started, he would have had the chance to say no. Would he have said it? Yes, he decided, but only if Alice would have stayed longer.

Outside the Village

"So, Are you two both looking for your President's daughter?"

"Heh, not only no, but hell no." A woman replied.

Next to Leon, a woman who might have been a year or two younger than him sat cross legged, staring out the window. She had been the one who answered the policeman in the front passenger side seat. She was pale for a Spanish woman and had just about the worst temper either of the policeman had seen in awhile.

"Then what are you here for?"

"I'm looking for my sister, she came out here searching for her Madrid lover boy."

"What's your sister's name? I might know her," The driving policeman laughed.

"She isn't a whore!…If that's what you're implying.."

Leon sighed softly in his seat, preferring to stay out of the conversation. The woman beside him was loud when provoked, and he did not doubt she had good aim with the hand gun strapped to her thigh.. He happened to notice how high up her leg it was, and he shook from his head any following thoughts. Little too early into the mission to start the perverted streak.

"His name is Luis. Met him at the club nocturno where our parents met. Kinda of nostalgic, in a way. He's great, at everything! We smoke the same cigarettes, drink the same martini's, enjoy the same movies. I've never had so much fun! Even Brandon didn't keep me occupied this much!"

The woman beside Leon sighed as her sister's words rang through her head. All she had was a name. She knew he smoked, and apparently drank on occasion. If she found him, she would find her sister. That is, if Alice was not dead yet.

I'm coming, Alice. Little sister Victoria is coming for you.

It was cold, wherever Alice was. She could not see, but she could hear. Footsteps. Someone was close.

"This is the girl from his pictures, Salazar. I wonder how she knew where to look.." The voice was diabolical and haunting. She would probably hear it in her nightmares, depending on how her night went.

"Her name is Alice Ortega-Green. Apparently, she's been married," this voice was almost squeaky, but mostly annoying," Legally a Spanish citizen.."

"Look at those eyes.."

"What about them, Lord Saddler?"

"Two different colors. It is usually a sign of genetic variation."

Alice blinked, and sight slowly returned. Above her stood a short little man dressed like Napoleon and edging in to look at her. He bent over, and she swore he might fall on her.

"Do you plan to experiment with her?"

"Yes. Bring the injection."

Luis… If only you could tell me what they were doing..

"The man you're looking for ran away from us, and we're going to use you to bring him back. You see, Luis Sera is rather invaluable to our research of the Plaga. Once he knows you are an incubator for the parasite, he will come dashing in to save you…That is, if he loves you." The short one, apparently named Salazar, taunted her.

She could only protest by wiggling in her restraints. Her mouth had been taped shut, her arms and legs bound. There was simply nothing she could do. Whatever they would do, she would have to deal with. It was hopeless, and Alice Ortega knew that much.

Hopeless. Hopeless like I was.

The taller man, dressed in purple and extravagantly decorated robes approached her with a lavender colored concoction. Within it was a tiny egg, just small enough to squeeze through the needle at the end of the vial. She bit her lip as well as she could and closed her eyes. She hated needles, muchless needles as large at the one about to enter her neck.

Despite the tape, one could hear her scream.