Chapter 1: Terragrigia
Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.
Changed my plot as I felt like it was moving a little bit too slowly so here is the newer story. I hope you enjoy this. Rate and Review :)
The small building which functioned as the headquarters for the BSAA was buzzing with activity as news of the recent incident hit them. Clive R O'Brian walked towards a desk surrounded by three agents, members of the Original Eleven along with him.
"MacRae, Jill, Chris, fall in" he said and the came towards him.
"Sir" they said in unison.
"We're been deployed to Terragrigia as advisers to the FBC. Basic weaponry only" the Director said and they all nodded.
"I really think they should let us help out" the British agent said and the others nodded.
"We're allowed to defend ourselves, just not actively take part in the fighting" Jill explained.
"Yeah, which is pretty pointless considering that the three of us have more experience that any other person when it comes to getting rid of these bastards. When are we going to be making more of a difference?" Chris asked as they walked to the armoury.
"I don't know. However we can still help in some way" Jill reasoned, keeping them calm.
"Well, at least we can help out in some form" MacRae said, opening the door.
The three of them picked up a thigh holster and a utility belt each, as well as a hip pouch with room for at least five magazines. They grabbed the BSAA standard side arm before going to the changing rooms.
"We're so not equipped for this at the moment" MacRae realised, looking at his uniform.
"It'll take time before we can get decent stuff" Jill said from her cubical.
MacRae dressed in a grey hooded t-shirt with the BSAA logo on the right sleeve, a pair of combat trousers and walking trainers and he put on a simple tactical vest. He slipped on his gloves and then his weaponry and belt before leaving the rooms.
"All available agents, please proceed to the heliport for immediate dispatch" O'Brian said over the comms.
(Heliport)
They got up to the roof where three helicopters were preparing to take off and the three were quite surprised to see O'Brian waiting in one of them. They climbed into the same chopper and took their seats whilst the door was closed.
"You're coming with us, sir?" MacRae asked.
"Part of the conditions for our involvement in the incident is that we work with the FBC. General Lansdale stated that he needed to work with me to coordinate our efforts" he explained.
"I thought we couldn't help all that much?" Chris asked with a raised brow.
"You'll be helping with evacuation duties on the roof. Civilians are been sent there" he explained.
The helicopters lifted off and headed away from the United Kingdom, where their headquarters were located for the time being. The Director pulled up a schematic of the city, which was flashing red in several areas.
"This is the city" he began. "The red areas are the worst effected sections of the city. The FBC HQ has already been breached although the Command Room where we'll be meeting with several other members of the FBC and General Lansdale is relatively safe. You will then proceed to the roof with caution so you can begin evacuation of civilians as they arrive" the Director explained and they nodded.
"What are our other duties?" the Brit asked.
"Treatment of non-infected. Here" he said, holding out three ear-pieces.
"I'm guessing these are tied into FBC channels for use later?" Jill asked.
"No. They're tied into my own frequency. You are three of my most trusted agents. I want constant status updates from you at all times" he said and the others smiled at him and nodded. "Get some rest, we have a long battle ahead of us" he said and the Brit did just that, green eyes slipping closed.
(Terragrigia)
MacRae was gently awoken by Chris who merely grinned at him, before sliding the door open and peeking outside. His silence spoke volumes and a small smell of smoke hit him, piquing his interest and he got up, standing behind the larger man, a hand on his shoulder.
"Oh my God" he said in shock.
"We're in for a long few days" Jill said behind him.
Smoke rose from the aquapolis as many fires raged out of control. Helicopters were surveying the airspace around the city and the road which linked the mainland to Terragrigia was totally locked down by FBC operatives.
"Those poor people" the Brit whispered silently.
"Okay you three, be ready for drop off" the Director said and they retook their seats.
They landed on the rooftop of the FBC headquarters which was lit up in the night, an orange glow still cast over them from the fires. An older man in a suit approached them and he went straight to the O'Brian.
"We've managed to push the Hunters out for the time being" he explained.
"Where do we need to go?" he asked, getting right to the point.
"The Command Room is located on the ground floor of the building. Don't forget, your agents will be coming with you for the briefing" he said, and then turned to them. "General Lansdale, Director or Commissioner of the FBC" he introduced, holding his hand out to shake.
"Agent Jill Valentine" was the simple introduction.
"Chris Redfield"
"MacRae Williams"
"Shall we?" the other asked, voice barely audible over the combined sounds of helicopter propellers and sirens as well as the ever-present sound of gunfire.
(Command Room)
"All FBC agents are to be dispatched to the worst affected areas to engage the B.O.W's and send any surviving civilians to designated evacuation areas. BSAA agents will be assisting in treating the wounded and evacuations. Direct all questions on the B.O.W's to Miss Valentine, Mr. Redfield and Mr. Williams" he said, gesturing to the three who nodded. "You have your duties, go" he said simply and they dispersed.
"You three. A temporary medical station has been set up on the roof" O'Brian explained.
"Yes sir" MacRae spoke for the three of them.
"Go, and good luck" the Director said.
(Back on the Roof, Medical Tent)
"What have we got?" MacRae asked as an injured FBC operative was brought in, supported by his two colleagues and he was close to losing consciousness.
"Massive laceration to his abdomen as well as a stab wound from a claw" Jill explained.
"Chance of infection?" he asked, bringing him onto a medical bed.
"No fluid transmission, from what we can tell" Chris said, laying him down gently. "It's a right shit storm out there" he added and the other nodded. "We noticed shattered glass on the way up, what happened?" he asked.
"I was bringing up a civilian and one of them broke through. Took a lot of bullets to put it down" the Brit said with a grimace. They remained quiet as he began to treat him, the others doing their best to keep the injured man awake.
"What's his prognosis?" another operative asked.
"We need to get him out of here. I want him on the next medevac out of here" he said seriously.
"There's a space on the helicopter that's getting ready to go" the operative said and he gave a nod, the operative wheeling him out of the tent. Three more wounded, each one still conscious but still badly wounded.
"We're gonna need more medics in here" the Brit said, tapping his headset. "Director" he said.
"MacRae, what's happening?"
"We've got more and more wounded coming in and there aren't enough medics up here to take care of them all. Advise" the Brit replied.
"See what the severity of their wounds are. Treat the most severe and evac the rest to the mainland, I'll see what I can do about getting you more assistance but don't hold your breath" the other said and the Brit sighed.
"Let's get to work" he said.
(Two weeks)
He was running on fumes at this point. He, Chris and Jill worked through many nights with only two hours of sleep to get wounded civilians and personnel out of the city. However, the ominous lack of survivors, both civilian and FBC personnel was starting to worry him.
"Agent MacRae, this is General Lansdale" his radio chirped, shocking him awake.
"How can I help you sir?" the Brit asked, trying to keep the tiredness out of his voice.
"Director O'Brian is currently busy now so I'll relay this order. You, along with Agents Redfield and Valentine are to be shipped out" Lansdale said and the others brows shot up.
"Sir?" he asked wearily.
"You have your orders MacRae" the General said and the communications cut abruptly.
"What was that all about?" Jill asked.
"We're been shipped out. O'Brian has ordered the first group of BSAA agents to leave Terragrigia right now. Guys, we're about to abandon the city" he said and the two looked momentarily shocked before angry.
"What?! There are still people out there" Chris said but MacRae's despairing look told him all he needed to know. "It's a final order?" he asked.
"General Lansdale himself seems to back it up. We're on the first chopper off this roof where we'll be transported to a small town on the mainland" he explained, holstering his now emptied weapon which he used to kill a few Hunters.
"And you're just gonna agree to this?" Chris asked.
"What choice do we have? We're don't have the equipment to help" Jill reasoned.
"We lack good weapons and we're dealing with a new virus. We can't fight" MacRae said before softening his look. "I want to stay as much as you do. We can't abandon this place just yet, I get that but at the end of the day, orders are orders" the Brit said, heading to the heliport.
"Come on Chris" Jill said quietly, putting a hand on his shoulder and following him.
"General Lansdale, this is Agent MacRae. Myself and Agents Redfield and Valentine are evacuating from the city" MacRae said after tapping his headset.
"Acknowledged, Agent MacRae. Thank you for helping" the older said.
(One Week Later)
They had a clear view of the city on the beach, watching all of a sudden as intense light suddenly encompassed the city. They had heard that the Regia Solis was going to be put into effect and they watched the devastating effects of this contingency.
"Never had I saw light as so evil" MacRae said softly.
"This is so wrong" Chris added to his sentiment.
They watched as one of the taller structures began to collapse before crashing into another one of them and dragging it down with it. Explosions could be seen erupting across the solar panels that were along the outside the city, and the highway had partially collapsed as well.
"And just like Raccoon City, Terragrigia is no more" Jill said and MacRae got up and walked away.
The other two agents watched as the central tower of the city began to collapse as steam rose from the entire area around the city. They then followed the Brit back to one of the small hotels that they were staying in, finding MacRae with his head buried in his hands sat on the bed. Chris whispered in Jill's ear.
"I'll talk to him" he said and she raised a brow.
"No offence Chris, but you're not the type for heart to hearts" she said seriously.
"We've both known him since Raccoon. For him I know how to heart to heart" he said and she gave him a small smile.
He walked over, very aware of the shocked cries from everyone nearby, the walls were thin and he knew that quite literally. He sat next to him then and MacRae regarded him with a weak smile and the larger man felt his heart clench.
"You're going to comfort me? Chris, you have the emotional capacity of a tea spoon" he said, tears in his voice.
"For others, maybe. But I've known you for years, Mac" he said, hand on his shoulder.
"Chris, I appreciate this, but nothing can comfort me after witnessing the destruction of another city because of Umbrella's viral legacy" he said and soon the hand shifted to his other shoulder, putting him in a one-armed hug.
"A lot of people lost there lives to that legacy" Chris agreed.
"Yeah, and we're powerless to do anything. The three of us, survivors of Raccoon" he said, bitter.
"We did everything we could, given our limited equipment and movement" Chris comforted.
"We should've done more" he said, almost as bitter as an old man. Chris could hear barely audible sobs coming from the younger man, making it clear that this war was still having a massive effect on him. He wrapped his other arm around him and buried the Brits head in his chest.
"Next time, we will" Chris said softly. "MacRae?" he called and the other looked up at him.
"Yeah, Chris?" was the reply.
"What you did these past two was good, brilliant even. You saved a lot of people, both civilians and many of the injured personnel. You even got in a few good kills, just remember all of the good things that you did to help those people" he advised and he felt the other nod against his chest. He held him a little tighter, and within five minutes, he could hear that MacRae's breathing had softened just as Jill walked into the room.
"It would seem I was wrong" she said quietly and with a smile.
"This one's hit him just as hard as Raccoon City" Chris said with a frown.
"It's hit a lot of us Chris. Us in particular because we couldn't do as much as the FBC not to mention we're no stranger to this sort of thing. It doesn't get easier" Jill said, heading towards the other bed, a single. "You two share for the night, he'll need the comfort" she said softly, casting a warm smile at the younger agent.
"Good night, Jill" he said with a small smile.
"Good night, Chris" she replied, flicking the lamp off.
He gently woke the Brit who looked with at him with tired green eyes and cast him a sheepish smile with a pink tint dusting his cheeks. He merely smiled in return and shifted to the other side of the bed, the Brit climbing in behind him.
"Sorry for falling asleep on you" he apologised sheepishly.
"It's no worries" Chris said with the faintest amount of amusement.
The two of them had shed their trousers, sleeping in their shirts and boxers, with Chris pulling up the quilts to chest level. He then opened his arms, earning a questioning look from him.
"Come here" he said and the other merely smiled, before entering his embrace.
"Where's all this coming from" he asked, head laying on his chest.
"This whole incident hit us all pretty hard MacRae. We all felt useless. We need each other to tell us that we are not useless, to tell us that we are capable and to keep us calm" he said and MacRae gave a soft chuckle. "What?"
"Who are you and what have you done with the emotionally awkward Chris Redfield?"
"Why do you all think I suck at emotions?" Chris asked in exasperation.
"We're men, Chris. Emotions have never been our forte and that's how we're generally stereotyped. I, however, know you're good at knowing what to say" he said warmly, before snuggling in even more. "Oh, and you're a brilliant hugger" he added, earning a chuckle.
"Thanks. You know you can talk to us if you need to right?" he asked and he nodded.
"You and Jill are my survival buddies for Christ sake" he said with amusement.
"Well I should hope so" Jill piped up from her bed and the other merely made a face at her. "Let's get some sleep guys, O'Brian is debriefing us three tomorrow" she said and the others agreed, soon falling asleep.
(Dream)
The footsteps were getting louder as scaled feet ran towards him, their vicious snarls not that far behind him. He ran up the stairs towards the elevator which would soon take him to safety, though he turned ready to fire only to find that his gun clicked on empty.
"Oh please no" he whispered, picking up the pace.
"You failed us" a disembodied voice of a random person said.
"I tried to save you" he protested through heavy breaths.
"And yet most of us are dead. Because of the very monsters that chase you" the voice replied, then joined by a more commanding one, no doubt one of the FBC operatives.
"Why didn't you fight?" it asked in malice.
"You think I can with a pistol?" he asked in exasperation. He then realised that the stairs seemed to be endless and more footsteps had joined the other two and were getting louder as they caught up to him. "What do you want from me?" he asked in desperation.
"For you to know the pain that we felt" the FBC member said.
The creature finally caught up to him, swiping at his leg and cutting through the material of his clothes and breaking the skin in a jagged wound. With a yelp, he fell up the stairs, slowly crawling as the Hunters continued to approach him, claws raised.
"Please, don't do this" he pleaded, hoping that the Hunters would register something.
"Know the pain" the two voices said in unison.
The creatures were right by him then, and he was looking into the dead yellow eyes of the reptilian creatures that he remembered haunting Raccoon City. They lowered their claws and he sighed only to scream as one dropped to his knees and started to feed...
(Reality)
He shot up out of bed, his chest heaving as a cold sweat cascaded down his features. He felt a small phantom pain where the Hunter was supposed to have attacked him and he buried his head in his hands.
"MacRae?" Chris called sleepily.
"I'm sorry. I woke you" he said, voice muffled. When he shot up, he likely jolted Chris a little and he knew that instead of the heavy sleeper who took naps at his desk in the Police Department, he was now a light sleeper due to the monsters that kept him on his toes.
"Bad dream?" he asked and the other nodded.
"Understatement" the Brit replied and soon Chris reached up and pulled him back down.
"Remember this, Mac. We're safe now. The ones we saved are safe now and there is nothing that can get you here, not whilst me and Jill are around" he said, placing his head beneath his chin and tightening his hold on him.
"Thanks Chris" the other said warmly. He suppressed a blush when he felt lips press a gentle kiss to his forehead.
"It's no problem" he repeated. "Now sleep, we're going to need it" Chris said.
It was just like that time when the three had moved in together following the Raccoon City Incident and the whole collapse of Umbrella. MacRae was still relatively young and Raccoon City had quite the effect on him. It was customary to hear the Brit waking up, a scream waking them up from their own nightmare filled sleeps, though they were better at dealing with them. They'd alternate between calming him, each having their own techniques to do so. Jill would hold him in her arms and sing softly to him to calm him down whereas Chris would just hold him protectively. It helped keep the nightmares away for both, but it seemed that fresh ones spring up from time to time.
(Temporary Briefing Room)
"I wanted you three shipped out under the pretence of been at that town to receive the evacuees from the city of Terragrigia. That and I needed people to make the report on the actions that we did if some of us had perished. We were lucky" O'Brian said. "How are you?" he asked, noting how tired they looked.
"We were up for days with only a few hours in between. Other than that, we're fine" MacRae spoke for them.
"Time well spent. You made a massive difference that might not have been made" O'Brian said.
"Nothing compared to what we might have made had we remained" MacRae noted bitterly.
"We didn't want to risk losing you guys. The FBC are going to cordon off the whole coastline that surrounds the city, meaning this town will be evacuated. Just in case the virus has managed to make it this far, even in a small amount" he reported and they nodded.
"Any casualties?" Chris asked.
"None. We were confined to the upper levels so escaping was easy" O'Brian said. "The only thing that needs to be included in your reports are the survivor statistics both civilian and FBC as well as personal accounts of injuries witnessed" the Director said.
"You got it, sir" Jill said and then he looked at all three of them, concerned.
"I recommend getting some sleep on the chopper. I'm also giving you a days leave to rest up" he said, tone almost fatherly.
"Thank you, sir" they said in unison.
The three of them downed a cup of coffee and ate a light breakfast before heading to their shared room to collect their weapons as well as clear up after themselves. They looked out of the window and at the ruins of Terragrigia.
"Atlantis does exist. In the form of Terragrigia. The Lost City" MacRae said.
"Destroyed by a cataclysm" Jill agreed.
"And lost to the ocean" Chris finished. They finished tidying the room up, leaving a small tip for the staff to take before the inevitable evacuation. The sound of choppers flying overhead was an ominous sign that there was nothing left to do now, and with a sigh they left the room.
(Back in the UK)
A whole block of apartments was cleared around the BSAA Headquarters to allow for agents and all technical and support staff to be within walking distance. The chopper landed on the room and all of the agents walked back in, tired and ready to head home for the day and sleep. The news was on the main screen and they stopped for a moment to watch.
"The FBC conducted final search and rescue operations early this morning around the site of Terragrigia, the search turning up no additional survivors. If you are just joining us, a massive attack took place in the floating city of Terragrigia, caused by the bioterrorist group Il Veltro, a radical group opposing the city's development. Following a three week campaign to regain control of the city, the FBC and BSAA pulled out of the city and the city's solar matrix, the Regia Solis was turned on itself, totally incinerating the city which has collapsed" the reporter explained.
"Let's go" Chris said, and they headed out of the headquarters.
Their apartment was literally next to the headquarters and they walked in with a sigh. MacRae went straight to his room, Jill and Chris watching him with concerned expressions.
"I'll see you guys in the morning" he called down.
"Good night" the two replied in unison.
He shed his clothes, changing into a pair of grey, thin, loose fitting trousers and he went into the small bathroom which was joined to his room. He looked in the mirror and took in his appearance.
His usually bright green eyes were tired and he could've sworn they looked old, and his defined features looked just as tired as he felt. The outside of his eyes were black and one could swear his facial hair had decided to have a growth spurt.
"Bloody hell" he muttered to himself, running a hand along the scar that spanned along his shoulder and down his upper arm, a wound he wanted to forget.
He left the bathroom and climbed into his double bed, burying his head in the pillows and pulling the quilt up and over his shoulders, hoping for a better nights sleep. He could faintly hear the soft footsteps of his two friends pass by, though they faded quickly as the embrace of sleep claimed him.
Chris opened the door quietly, peeking into the British man's room and he spotted his head poking out of the quilts. His eyes were closed, his breathing quiet and overall his face looked relatively peaceful, given the circumstances. However, he could put money down and win if he made the bet that the Brit would be awake that night and unable to get back to sleep.
(Later That Night)
MacRae shot up with a gasp, hand clutching at his chest as though he had been wounded in that exact spot. His chest was heaving and sweat cascaded down his torso as he regained control of his breathing, and he stood, walking out of his room quietly. His feet padded along the soft carpet, and he remained unaware of a neighbouring door opening. The Brit walked into the kitchen and he put the kettle on, making himself a cup of tea, retreating into the living room and flicking a lamp on, staring out at the city.
"MacRae?" a tired, male voice said and the Brit turned to regard Chris.
"I didn't hear you coming down the stairs. You're getting good at stealth" MacRae said with a false grin. "I'm sorry if I disturbed you" he said softly, noticing his darkened eyes.
"You should be sleeping" Chris said, ignoring his apology.
"I know" was the soft reply, so soft it was barely audible.
"Terragrigia?" Chris asked knowingly.
"You would think that I would at least be more used to things like this, what with having survived something a lot worse. I suppose part of me will never get over Raccoon City, over everything that I... we've been through" he said, bringing his legs up.
"You can never get used to it" Chris said, coming over to sit next to him.
"Could've fooled me. You and Jill are better at it" MacRae said and Chris shook his head.
"In truth, we aren't. When we were in that mansion we were going on basic instincts, and that was to survive. The reality of the situation hit us when we got home" Chris said and the Brit remembered.
(Flashback)
The sun was high in Raccoon City as the S.T.A.R.S chopper returned to the police station. MacRae waited with Irons as the chopper landed and the doors swung open. Rebecca came out first, her face streaked with tears, dirt and blood and Barry, who had dirt and blood over him as well. His arm was wrapped around Rebecca's in comfort.
"What happened?" he asked in concern.
"Trust me Mac, you're much happier not knowing" the larger man said.
The Brit approached the helicopter and he looked inside, finding only two more inside as well as Brad who got out, jibbering as he did. He saw Chris in one corner, his face white and Jill, who was crying quietly.
(End of Flashback)
"The truth is Mac, we never get used to it. We save our sadness, our grief, our fear, until we reach our sanctuary. We never leave a mission feeling happy, quite the opposite" he said and MacRae took everything in.
"I always thought you two were so composed" the Brit said, putting the mug on the windowsill.
"You're young Mac. Compared to you we are" Chris said. "So what was the dream about?"
"I was back in Raccoon with Jill, headed for my home before going to the Police Station. My family had said they'd meet me there and we'd seek shelter and await rescue. I get home, my family..." he's close to losing it already and Chris reaches over and pulls him into a hug.
"Forget I asked, I'm sorry" Chris said, pulling the throw that was on the back of the sofa over the two of them. "Shh, now" he soothed.
"You're never like this with anyone" MacRae pointed out and Chris chuckled, a rumble going through his chest and MacRae sighed.
"I guess I have a soft spot for you" he said, large hands gently stroking his hair.
"Yeah, well it's nice" MacRae said, snuggling closer.
"I get a cuddle buddy, so it benefits me" Chris said with a grin and MacRae looked up with a warm smile. "Get some rest MacRae" he said.
He didn't blush this time when a pair of slightly chapped lips pressed a kiss to his forehead, instead he felt all warm and tingly. If Chris was like this when it came to emotions these days, then he was glad he had a chance to see this softer, gentle side of him. The man can hold a gun and kill loads of monsters, looking quite intimidating with his stature and musculature. However, the arms that will likely crush someone if given enough force became his protective blanket and he was glad that he could bring that out of Chris. With a small smile, he pressed a small kiss to the man's chest and the hold seemed to tighten around him. In these arms, he felt safe. In these arms, he felt like nothing could get at him.
Okay, so obviously my pairings have changed. I thought I'd see if I could analyse a persons mind after a particularly devastating event in a persons life. Rate and Review :)