Disclaimers: I don't own Resident Evil or its characters, nor do I make any money off them. Also this is my first fanfic and I don't have spell check so sorry.
Chris
The echo of their footsteps was putting Chris Redfield on edge. The long hallway seemed to amplify their every step as though to spite Chris' desire for a quiet approach. The stone flooring of the estate, coupled with the even steps delivered by the pair's boots had forced their advance to slow down in order to minimize the sound created by the BSAA agents. This close to their objective Chris wanted nothing to go wrong.
Luckily the sound of the rain pelting the estates walls and the occasional roar of thunder from the storm outside helped to disguise some of their movements which made their exploration of the estate to at least proceed at a slow but bearable pace.
Chris quietly closed the door to the room they had just sweeped as a stroke of lightning flashed causing the shadows in the old estate to somehow grow darker. The woman to his right seemed to almost jump. His partner's features were tight as she gave him the nod to continue on. He gave her a little smile, which she returned but didn't quite manage to make sincere. Chris could hardly blame her. Along time ago both Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine had reached the conclusion they held no love for mansions, estates, palaces, or castles of any kind. They both were on edge tonight.
Too many bad memories, but hopefully we'll be able to take another step towards ending our nightmares tonight.
Only one room left to check, the library. They started off towards that end of the large dwelling.
They were in the estate of Ozwell E. Spencer, a former founder and president of Umbrella. Chris and Jill had spent years trying to hunt Spencer down and make him pay for his crimes, for all the dead of the Raccoon City, and the many more since. In the two decades the partners had spent fighting Umbrella and bioterrorism they had brought many of those responsible to justice. All except two: Spencer and their former S.T.A.R.S captain Albert Wesker. Tonight Chris intended to make Spencer answer for his crimes and hopefully get clues to the location of their last quarry.
Joseph, Forest, Enrico.......The names of the fallen S.T.A.R.S members Wesker had personally killed or lead to their deaths had become a litany to Chris long ago.
Chris and Jill had received a tip a week past from an old acquaintance that worked for the US government that someone matching Spencer's description had been seen traveling through a small European town towards private estate off in the nearby mountains. The two had wasted no time in arranging transportation and heading off on their own to determine the truth of the intel, not even informing the BSAA of their plans. Anytime the BSAA had recieved any information on Spencer they had always seemed to be one step behind, arriving only found an empty residence. It had happened enough the Chris hadn't been willing to take the risk and report the lead at all.
Spencer has the money, he just need to find someone to buy and apparently it didn't take him too long, the question is who though.
Jill cocked her Beretta, signaling to Chris the doors 10 yards away was their target. He glanced back at her to indicate her understood. Over nearly a decade of having Jill Valentine as his partner had led to them to develop a strong understanding of each others body language that allowed them to communicate easily. Smoothly they leaned up against the door and he looked at her once more, catching Jill's blue eyes with his own gaze. He found her ready and with but a quick nod of his head the silence they had been maintaining disappeared.
Each slamming one of the double doors open the ran to the room with their weapons ready to cut anyone or anything down.
Chris would have been lying though if said he was ready for what he found. Down near the end of the elaborately decorated room, just before the windows that lead to a magnificent view of the mountains outside was an emtpy wheelchair. Lying next to it was an old man in a pool of blood with a hole in his chest the size of a hand......Spencer. It was not the dead founder of Umbrella that brought shock to Chris' system but the tall man that stood gazing out at the view below, with his back turned. The blond hair gave away the man's identity even before he turned around, red eyes shining through his sunglasses as though in answer to the lightning storm outside.
"Wesker," the name left Chris' mouth like an oath. Chris fired as Jill's own sidearm went off. They must have emptied half their clips for all the good it did them. Wesker moved like the monster he was and Chris' eyes couldn't even follow the movement. It was too fast. Wesker reappear for a second then was gone again as he reappeared closer. Suddenly his former captain was thrusting his arms down in a bone hurting grip forcing Chris to drop his weapon. An elbow hit him in the stomach followed by an uppercut to the jaw that launched him off him off his feet into the air only to land on his back.
Jill kept firing and Wesker seemed unconcerned, dodging each shot with inhuman speed moving ever closer to his partner. Suddenly Wesker disarmed her and slammed Jill into the wooden pillar behind her, her legs over a foot off the ground. Smug satisfaction on the man's face, struggle on Jill's face has she tried to break free to take a breathe.
Get off her you bastard.
Adrenaline hit Chris like a welcome breeze on a hot day, and he was moving, concern for himself gone. He slammed his body into the other man with enough impact to surprise him. Jill dropped to the floor, as Chris spun throwing a straight with enough force to put a hole in a wall only to find air left by Wesker's evasion. Chris didn't give any quarter throwing follow up blows only to have the first deflected. The second rushed to meet his enemy's face only to find it stop an inch from its target. Caught by Wesker. Wesker smirked applying pressure that made his hand scream in pain before spinning underneath Chris's arms the forcing them down to give him a clear punch to head. Chris used the force of the blow to spin himself around launching a kick in response. Also caught.
He's too fast, think Chris think.
Gun fire entered the air and suddenly Chris was flying through the air by a powerful push beforce landing in a heap. Jill, hold on I'm coming. Chris was already running when he heard the click of an empty clip. Wesker seemed almost surprised by how quick Chris has responded but unfortunately not surprised enough that Chris' attack was again blocked and countered by a fist that spun him around.
Chris turned back only to see Jill flying across the room and into a book case. Chris' anger flared and he threw himself at Wesker. With Jill apparently out of the fight Wesker gave him all his attention. Wesker hit him again with that bone breaking force once, twice, dazing him. The room spun and suddenly he felt himself lifted into the air. Pain exploded through out his head and back as he was body slammed. He could dimly hear Wesker's growl and he felt himself moving only to have new pain hit his back and head as he was thrown into the floor.
He tried to focus but for the life of him, Chris couldn't seem to find anything to center his thoughts on and clear his confusion. He felt himself be lifted by his jacket. He tried to struggle but it was naught.
"NNNNNOOOOOOOO"
A woman's scream of pain brought Chris to. Jill.
He saw her then running as if her life depended on it straight towards him....and Wesker, as the other man said something he didn't quite catch while he moved his arm back into what Chris knew would be his death strike.
What are you doing Jill! Run away while he's distracted.
Like a gunshot her intention him. No. Jill collided with them and the sound of shattering glass brought fear into Chris' life like never before. Chris Redfield had lived with fear for years now. It was an old friend. Still he wasn't prepared for the terror that raced through his heart. Blindly as he was still propelled through the air he reached for her leg. Praying to grab her before gravity enforced its law. His hand met something.
Got you.
Violently Chris hit the floor at the edge of the shattered window. His hands holding her leg. His right arm was forced down onto the jagged shatter glass from the window. It took all his mental will to force himself not to let go as the glass tore into his arm. Suddenly he found himself sliding out the window and had to catch himself by bracing against the wall with his legs and then he saw why.
Just as he held on to Jill's leg, the monster that haunted his dreams held onto her harness that was fit around her shoulders. Wesker holding on to Jill as desperately as Chris was. The weight of both of them edge them ever closer to the fall below. Panic set it.
He heard Jill's voice from below. "Chris, let me go its the only way!"
"Undo your belt and harness, I won't let you go," he yelled back.
"I can't reach the buckle," her voice was laced with a fear he was experiencing all too keenly.
A nasally voice full of mockery drifted up "Come now Chris, is this anyway to treat your old Captain? I have the strength to hold myself her all day, maybe we should stay like this until you either pull us up or your arms give out and you watch us fall. I might live, Jill though...."
Chris's rage returned to help override his fear. "I'm going to finish you today you bastard, leave her out of this!"
Chris's arms were on fire, from the weight of the two dangling people hanging outside the estate's windows, he also felt the glass continue to cut into his arm as keep trying to hold onto Jill's leg. He was straining his body beyond what it could take in his state. He needed to think of something soon. Pull them up and Wesker would just finish the job he started. Let Jill go and......that wasn't an option. Even now he could hear her pleading with him to let her go, telling him it would be ok.
Come on Redfield, you've been spending the last 3 years hitting the gym with all your free time. This is why you built those muscles, hold on and figure something out.
Suddenly it hit him through his dazed mind. He had fought Wesker once before. It had been years ago, when he had been trying to find his sister. He had been outmatched then as now. He remembered the shock of finding out Wesker had survived the Arklay mansion, and floored by his virus granted strength, toughness, and speed. Wesker had seemed like some supervillian, he had even been fast enough to run up walls.
He's doing exactly what he said. He could probably run right up Jill's body but he is waiting for me to drop her, just so he can taunt me with the guilt. Well lets see how fast you really are.
Wesker had been fast enough to run up walls but not so fast that Chris hadn't been able to follow his movements. Chris became very aware of the combat knife on his jacket's front, faced downwards for quick access. If you ever asked Chris Redfield what he thought his area's of expertise were he would tell you three things. 1. Flying Jets 2. Killing BOWs and 3. Pissing off his superiors. He was about to do two of those three.
Faking a sob he spoke in a cracked voice. "Jill, I'm so sorry. I don't have the strength."
Wesker's smirk suddenly turned to a growl and he pulled himself up towards Jill's body in a flash as though doing a one-handed pull up. He seemed to sprint up her body, eyes flashing ferally for the kill. Tightening his grip on Jill with his right hand he let his left move shoot towards his knife. In one motion it was free and he buried it into Wesker's eye. A scream erupted from the blond man as he flailed about in agony. Using his right arm he swung Jill away from the now falling man so he would be able to hold onto nothing this time. Chris felt the shards from the window cut up his arm as he swung her away and watched Wesker fall to the abyss below.
Gently, Chris pulled his partner up making sure she would avoid the glass that rimmed the edges of the broken window. At last she was inside, she was safe. He pulled her towards him. Jill's eyes were wide with fear, her hair was blown from the wind but his eyes drank in her features all the same.
"Sorry if I scared you," his voice sounded hoarse to his own ears.
She silently hit his arm, though there was no force behind it. It was hit a friend gave to another for worrying them, though the act seemed an automatic response since she still seemed too frazzled to manage much else. Slowly he scooted over to the wall to be able to lean up against it as he held her. Finally the toll on his body took hold and he felt his vision start to dim. Surprisingly as unconsciousness claimed him his thoughts were not of the satisfaction of finally causing Wesker pain, but instead were of a pair pale blue eyes.
Check back soon for chapter 2.