Chapter 1: Unexpected rescue

Piers POV:

The underwater base was falling apart around us. A voice repeated "unable to support water pressure." Captain Chris Redfield and I ran to the escape pods. The C virus took almost all of my energy and I'll be damned if I let it take my humanity before I made sure the captain was safe.

I could feel the virus intruding every thought I had. I had to fight the urge to kill the man I wanted so badly to save. But I couldn't, I wouldn't let myself, not to the man I look up to.

I felt my mutated right arm throbbing for me to use it. My head was cloudy and I was weak and dizzy. I stumbled and fell, groaning as I tried to maintain my sanity and hold in the pain, causing my captain to come next to me and help me up again.

"Piers! God dammit..."

Between moans, I managed to choke out a "No, just go."

"No! I'm gonna get you out of here. J-Just hang on!" Chris said as he lifted me, causing the groans to become louder as a stabbing pain ripped through my chest.

We ran through doors upon doors as water spilled in and the ceiling fell apart. Eventually, we came to the emergency escape pods.

"Stay put" the captain ordered as he sat me down to deal with the escape pods. I was panting, trying to stay in control. Chris came back to my side almost immediately. "See that? I'm gonna get you out of here." I just nodded as he went back to work with the pods. My arm throbbed again, the virus was getting stronger. I could feel its hold on me increase. My head span and all I wanted was to die already. I looked down at my BSAA patch, weakly ripping it off. Looking at the bloody patch in my hand, I felt something in my stomach twist. Oh the irony...I turned myself into the very things we hunt to make sure the world and my captain were safe. I did it for them...

"C'mon...c'mon...got it!" the captain yelled as he readied the pod. The door opened and Chris returned to my side, kneeling down. "Here we go, Piers. We're getting out of here." I nodded as he helped me up.

NoI thought you're getting out of here. I pushed him away, my patch in his hand. He looked down at it in confusion.

There were so many things I wanted to say. That I wish I could go with him, continue my work at the BSAA. I wished I could tell him how much I appreciated his support and that he was the best captain a man could hope for. That I knew he was a hero.

But I couldn't speak.

Even if I wanted to.

There is no longer a place for me in the BSAA.

With my good arm I pushed him into the escape pod and quickly closed the door.

"Piers! What are you doing?! God dammit! Listen to me! There's still time! We can get you out of here!" Chris started pounding on the glass franticly. But even for a man his size, it did nothing.

I shook my head. Times run out for me captain.

I went over to the launching panel.

"Piers! What are you doing!? Open the god dammed door! That's an order!" His voice had more urgency than command in it and I just ignored it. I wanted to die while I was still in control. God knows what will happen if I went with him.

I lifted my good hand to the switch.

"Piers no! You can still make it out...GOD DAMMIT, PIERS!" His voice sounded urgent.

Goodbye, Captain. I thought as I pushed the leaver. I went over to the window as he was pounding against it.

"No! Piers open the god dammed door! Piers...no..." he looked at me, defeated.

I shook my head. I held my head up and smirked, nodding slightly.

Eyes to the sky, Captain. Goodbye Chris.

The pod then launched, the last thing I heard was Chris shouting my name. Things continued to rumble and fall apart around me, but my eyes never left the lights pod. There was no hope for me and I knew it. The vaccine wasn't even made yet, and even if it was I wouldn't be able to hold on to my humanity for much longer. This is how it should be. How it has to be.

Suddenly, Haos decided to show his ugly face again, attacking the escape pod.

I gathered all the energy I could muster, the electricity running through my body. All that power, focused into my mutated arm. He wasn't getting my captain.

Chris chose me to be on his team for my aim and proficiency as a sniper. I was about to prove him right once again. I aimed and released, lifting my arm and releasing a bolt of lightning. It hit its intended target and Haos released the pod, exploding in a burst of underwater fire as Chris slipped away to the surface.

He was safe.

I felt my heart skid and got weak, pain inside of my chest, the virus reminding me why i was dying. I groaned as I got to one knee, clutching my stomach with my good arm. Here is where it ends for me.

"So that's Chris Redfield huh? How sweet." A woman's voice said. It couldn't be Ada, but that tone...

I looked up, panicked. She couldn't be alive.

"Behind you." The voice said. I turned around a little too quickly, my head spinning. I shook it to clear it and glared at the woman in front of me, which was quickly replaced by shock. Not Ada. But someone familiar... She had unnaturally bright crystal blue eyes, fair skin and long dark red hair, bangs slightly covering one eye. But her face was the smug grin Ada had on. My face returned to its glare. She was in all black, black combat boots that reached to her knees and a long jacket opened to reveal a really tight looking vest.

"Calm down...I'm not going to hurt you. Piers Nivans, right? You look like you went through hell and back. And the mutation on your face...eww. You looked a lot cuter in your profile picture." She joked as she took a step towards me. I took two steps back.

"Stay...there," I huffed. "Who-who are you?!" My voice cracked in the end, making it sound like a growl.

"Let's just say you and Chris just helped make my job a lot easier...and now I owe you. I work for neo-umbrella. I was assigned to terminate Ada's clone. Since I know her best, only I was qualified." She took a step closer.

Wait...CLONE!?

The confusion must have shown because she nodded and closed the distance between us, that smirk still placed on her face. I swung my mutated arm to swat her away but she easily dodged and sweep-kicked me, making me land hard on my back, the already low air ran out of me. I winced in pain, unable to move much.

"Don't make this harder than it has to be," she said calmly as she stood over me and took out her phone. She dialed a number and held it to her ear. Whoever answered didn't even say hello. "There's been a change in plans. I need you to pick up a...package for me. He will be holding the two samples I owe. He's been infected. I'm drawing a sample and giving him a blood dose. My minds made up. Drop him off at BSAA headquarters. Write a note addressed to Claire Redfield on my behalf telling her to give him to her brother."

She paused for a minute. I could only hear her side of the conversation and it bothered me for some reason. I tried to get up. The virus was begging me to use it. To have all that power in the palm of my hand. If I used it I could take her out easily...no I couldn't. I wanted to die human. I groaned as another wave of pain hit me, causing a look from my red haired problem. "I'm staying in China. My gut is telling me something's up...and I'm finding out what."

There was another pause. and the red haired woman just said, "I'll be fine," as she removed the device from her ear and pushed a few icons.

When she was finished she looked at me and smirked a little wider. I glared again, trying to get myself up, only to be pushed back down by a heavy boot.

"Down, and stay still, we don't want to make this hard, now do we?" She commanded, pulling out a needle. Before I could fight my arm throbbed and I held on to it, moaning. The red-head then stuck me with the needle, quickly drawing blood. Just as fast, she covered it and put it in my chest, pocket, along with two others. She then used another vial to draw blood from herself. Afterwards she looked at me, the grin wiped from her face. It was replaced by something else. She was serious, those blue eyes looking at me intently. Why the hell were they so familiar...

"This might hurt a bit but...here goes nothing..." She muttered as she injected me on my mutated arm. I yelled in pain as I felt my muscles throb, my arm mutating once again.

"What...the hell...did you do?!" I yelled, glaring at her as I held my arm tighter as if it would ease the pain.

"I'm saving your life." She muttered. She then grabbed me a little too easily as she pushed me into an escape pod. "You're welcome," she smiled as she closed the door and pushed the lever.

"WAIT! I yelled as I slammed face first against the glass. "Who are you?!"

The pod charged up and began to move. Just over the roar I could make out "Camellia."

And I blacked out.