Chapter One: Freedom

Xandred always adored the beginning of Autumn. The air seemed to become crisp and cool, the breezes beginning to form in the air and the leaves slowly began their descent to become brittle and shift into different warm tones ranging from red to yellow before they fall upon the ground in clusters. The sky seemed to hold an air of relaxation as it offered the idea that the horrible summer's heat was finally beginning to retreat. The low hum of his car's engine roared to life as he turned the key in the ignition, his green eyes shifting to the side of his passenger seat, peering through the passenger side window and into the clear glass doors of the gas station he had stopped at just beyond the edge of Raccoon City, taking in the sight of bustling customers and panicking register workers before casting a small smile and eventually pulling away and out of the gas station.

Originally the red-haired male had lived in Padanaram, Massachusetts for most of his life, the only time he had lived somewhere else was when he moved down to Florida to attend university and then medical school. So, in all reality this entire situation would be setting him in a city where he had no friends and no family, he would be alone in one of the third largest cities in America, and the thought absolutely thrilled him yet terrified him. He was thrilled because for most of his life he had spent his days locked inside his families own house with his two older brothers and their three dogs, his time being spent studying for his classes or reading several books at a time. He never truly had a friend since he entered middle school, he became so wrapped up in his work and studies that he lost the connection he previously had with other human beings. He supposed his mother and father didn't help, his father being a well loved and adored preacher who tried to force him to begin his studies into priesthood, and then his mother urging him to focus and become a doctor.

He was thrilled because now he had the opportunity to live his own life and existence, to be able to pick and choose his own path without the constant pressure of being his mother and fathers child, without the constant bubbling pits of depression that overwhelmed him for the past five years of his life when he made the realization that he, a pastures son, was gay. The sudden memory of the day he had realized his true sexuality caused a fearful shutter to race down the length of his spine, his eyes slamming shut as he pursed his lips and shook his head, his hands gripping the steering wheel before him as he held his breath. He lived the past five years of his life in the shadows, doing as he was told and acting the part of being the perfect son to the perfect Christian family. Now he was free, he no longer had to go on dates with the gender he found no sexual nor romantic attraction to, he could be himself- although he knew he could never truly live his life outside of the shadows, he had to be careful that no one from his old hometown would discover the truth. He still needed to hide under a hidden veil, albeit a much smaller one.

Shifting his attention back to the road, Xandred watched as the scenery flew by, his green eyes open wide from excitement and intrigue from behind the thickly framed glasses he wore upon the bridge of his bulbous, pointed nose. As he passed a large sign that held the phrase, 'Welcome to Raccoon City! Home to Umbrella Corporation!' written in big, blocky white letters and the well-known logo of the global pharmaceutical company taking up nearly half of the board. It only took five more minutes of driving until he finally arrived inside the depths of the city, his breath halting as he drove behind a line of cars, his eyes watching as thousands of pedestrians made their way through the city streets, the line of parked cars at parking meters gaining his attention the moment he spotted the meter maid ticketing a car that must have not paid the meter on time. He made a mental note to avoid parking with parking meters since he tended to forget things rather easily.

'It's a beautiful day in Raccoon City folks! With an all-time high of 70 and a mild breeze of 65 the day is set for greatness!' The radio played on in the background, the red heads attention diverted to taking in the surroundings of the city life he had never experienced—it was all so new to him. In Padanaram life seemed to move slowly, they had no large skyscrapers and no bustling streets—the town had only been founded just over eleven years ago, before it had been just an acre of land that his parents had owned. Before homes and schools had been formed around them, Xandred and his brothers would often have to catch a bus several hours before school just to make it on time. Their family was the patriarch of the small town, having been there first. The land surrounding their home was purchased, and they watched as the town was built from the ground up—it was rather beautiful. 'Now I have a very special guest for you all today, with S.T.A.R.S officially formed we have been blessed with the opportunity to meet the man in charge, Chief of Police Brian Irons!'

Suddenly Xandred's attention shifted back to the radio, his lips parting slightly as he reached forward, turning up the volume on the radio as he leaned back into his seat, pulling away from the red light he had been stopped at and turned down twenty first street, his attention focused on the radio. He was aware of Brian Irons, yet he was interested in just what was going to be said about the team he had been accepted onto, excitement coursed through his veins. After a short applause, the radio voice spoke once more, his tone filled with apparent respect and excitement as he introduced the police chief- obviously S.T.A.R.S has been on the public's mind for quite some time.

'Thank you for having me, George,' a new, unfamiliar voice spoke suddenly, automatically causing Xandred to purse his lips in a surprised little frown, his eyebrows shooting up ever so slightly as he drove through the streets, doing his best to drive accurately and correctly amongst the city streets. 'Yes, as we all are aware the day has finally come for S.T.A.R.S to join the enforcement. Their skills will be directly aimed to tackle more strenuous situations ranging from drug busts to hostage situations.'

'How can you be so sure that by enacting S.T.A.R.S our crime rates will disperse? How can we be sure that the proper tactics will be made? What will be holding them to such standards and skills?'

A sudden silent pause filled the radio, the silence causing Xandred's spine to straighten as he gripped the steering wheel, his eyes focusing on the radio as he drove, his gaze shifting from it and back to the road so he could avoid a collision and break the very law he was meant to enforce. Why wasn't he saying anything? They were the best of the best they could-

'They are the best of the best,' Iron's finally spoke, his tone almost thoughtful and firm as he spoke, 'Only those that represent the highest skill level were granted entry to the team, believe me when I say that Raccoon City is in the running for a brand-new beginning! The beginning of the end of the recently risen crime rates—Raccoon City will live and thrive into a new era of peace!'

Little did any of them know just how absolutely wrong the very statement was. Raccoon City wouldn't survive, peace would never thrive. Only war and pestilence.

Standing in the middle of his first apartment in the very heart of Raccoon City, just a short five-minute drive or twenty-minute walk to the police department, Xandred felt a wave of nausea overwhelm him. Sure, he had dreamed of this very moment for so many months now, the idea of living on his own and making his own way in the world openly called to him, yet now that he stood in the almost barren apartment, he found himself slightly sickened. He had never lived alone before, he never had to purchase his own grocery's, pay his own bills, or even decorate an entire space without his parents or brothers intervening in his choices. This was all foreign to him, and it made him wheezy. Dropping both of his suitcases to the ground, the red head pursed his lips as he took in the small area before him.

He couldn't necessarily afford a studio apartment; his father had offered to pay the first year of his rent in a one bedroomed condo, but the medic denied the offer- if he were to live on his own and gain his first taste of independence, he wanted it to be completely true and free. He couldn't depend on them anymore, he refused to. He found his little studio to be rather quaint, as soon as he walked into the door he was greeted with a small living area, a small loveseat couch pressed against the wall, a single floor lamp beside it and tv stand several feet before it. Connecting to it was his 'bedroom', a small room enclosed by a half wall that seemed to mock an air of privacy. A bed sat pushed against the corner along with a single nightstand at the end that wasn't pressed against the wall and a small looking closet sat on the other side of the section, opposite of the bed. To his right sat a small dining room nook with a small square table and a few chairs and connecting to that stood a small, outdated kitchen. Finally, the bathroom sat in the junction between the living room and the bedroom, a small wide door that sat firmly inside the wall.

Offering a small smile, the young male made his way to where the light switch sat and flipped both of them on, watching as the lights that sat amongst the ceiling of the kitchen and living room come to life, there wasn't a light in the bedroom area, yet that really didn't surprise him all that much. Outside the window that sat amongst the wall his bed was pressed against the sun had finally begun to set, enveloping the streets in a small amount of darkness before the lights suddenly flashed to life, giving the red head a rather beautiful view of the scenery below and the skyscrapers that sat beyond his window. Shuffling himself into the kitchen he searched the cabinets and was happy to discover that a few glasses had been left behind- he washed one out first of course, and quickly filled it with tap water, downing it in an instance before wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his black long sleeve shirt. Setting down the cup on the counter, Xandred took it about himself to slowly explore his small apartment, his attention only being diverted when a sudden voice echoed from outside of his door.

"God damn it!"

Startled by the sudden outburst, Xandred found his actions halted, his hand pressed haphazardly against the frame of the doorway that led into the bathroom he discovered to be rather tiny, his eyes landing on the front door of his apartment. Lips pursed the red headed individual shoved himself away from it, his footsteps light and almost non-existent as he pushed forward against the carpeted flooring before stepping over two of his bags, opening the front door and poking his head out, eyes scanning each side of the hallway until he finally landed on what he assumed had recently caused the noise. A rather tall male stood outside a door a few feet away from his own, figure lanky but not lacking signs of muscle, messy brown hair sat matted against the other's forehead. The other wore clothes that were seemingly soaked, mostly the grey shirt that bore the words, 'U.S Airforce 'in big, bold print on the back.

Stepping outside the doorway, Xandred cleared his throat as he took a few steps forward, stopping almost immediately when the other snapped around, his fists clenched as his wild brown eyes shifted to interrogate the smaller red head, his gaze softening almost immediately as a breath was pushed from his lips and his body sagging almost immediately. With a sigh pushing from the other males pale, thin lips a wave of amusement overcame Xandred as a soft chuckle pushed itself from his lips as he shook his head, offering the other an amused look, who in turn shook his own head with a faint laugh coming from his lips.

"Sorry for the shout," the other apologized with a faint flush coming to his cheeks as he cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his head, obviously embarrassed, "I went to the gym downstairs but I forgot my keys in my apartment...the doors locked so I have to wait for the landlord to come and let me in."

" Really?," Xandred spoke, his voice slightly raising in pitch as he peered towards the other in slight surprise, his eyebrows raised before a soft smile graced his lips in sympathy for the other male who currently sat soaked in sweat and had a slight odor- though Xandred wouldn't be the one to make it obvious that the other smelled, he couldn't necessarily help it at the moment, " I didn't know they had a gym here, although I didn't really get the chance to read up on the place, I needed to rush to move in for my new job here." He spoke gently, his eyes slightly averting down the hall, taking notice of the rather nice view of the skyline at the end of the hall.

A moment passed between the two in slight awkward silence as the sweaty male seemed to take notice of his smell before a cough pushed itself from his lips as he shifted on his feet, eyes slightly shifting back down towards Xandred's bright green eyes before he was offered a smile. Xandred found the smile rather nice and true, the warmth that radiated from it caused a sudden heat to rush through the others frame, not from attraction but from how kind the other seemed to be.

"You said you moved here for a job?" The other spoke suddenly, breaking the silence between the two men, offering a new opportunity for them to get to know one another as they seemed to await the arrival of the landlord that Xandred had yet to meet, " I messaged Edwin before you came out, he should be here soon but I have time to talk... I'd prefer it honestly; I can't stand the quiet and I'd rather make friends here than go about not knowing anyone at all."

Smile deepening, Xandred nodded his head in appreciation for the other's question: "I agree with you on that, I came from Massachusetts so I don't really know anyone around the area or the state, so I'd be happy to chat," He spoke truthfully as he was thankful for the other's presence. He had spent several hours driving from his hometown with no one to talk to other than the occasional phone call from his mother when he arrived at a rest stop or a hotel on the way, so this conversation was highly welcomed.

" I got a place on the new S.T.A.R.S team, nothing major really," Xandred spoke, taking in the slightly shocked expression the other held on his features, a light in the other's eyes that the red head wasn't necessarily expecting but he continued, " I know, that look is what I was expecting- I'm not there for the tactical or actual fighting areas, I'm just the medic. I'm not really sure what team but I'd assume B.R.A.V.O since they're not as high as A.L.P.H.A-"

"No no no!" The other suddenly shouted as he waved his hands around in front of Xandred's face, a wide open smile on his lips as he offered the other a nod before holding out his hand for the other to take, " The name's Chris Redfield, S.T.A.R.S member to be," He spoke, earning a wide eyed stare from the red head before him, their eyes locking for a moment before the smaller male finally offered him a wide smile in return and their hands clasped together in a firm, welcoming handshake.

Xandred couldn't believe the irony of the situation, he had just met one of his future teammates on a complete fluke, both of them sharing the same apartment building just a few doors down from one another. Gripping the others hand in his own, the red head took note of how warm the other felt against his own pale skin, taking in how Chris was much tanner than he was, meanwhile he had the complexion of a snowman. Chris looked the part to be in S.T.A.R.S and judging by the others shirt, he also had the proper background to be on the team, meanwhile it left Xandred silently judging just why he had even gained a place on the team.

"And don't say that buddy," Chris spoke as he released the others hand, placing his hands at his hips as he stood proud and tall with a close eyed smile, "you got accepted on the team for a reason, you obviously have the talent and the background to get on. They don't let just anyone join the team you know!" The brunette reassured the younger male, obviously aware of the fact that Xandred had been questioning his own worth to be on the team.

" Thanks Chris," Xandred spoke gently as he moved his hands back to his frame, shoving them inside the pockets of his pants as he shifted on his heel and peered over his shoulder, taking in the sound of footsteps thudding up the stairs that led to their floor of the apartment, his eyes catching the glimpse of a small elderly male whose head sat with slightly balding grey hair, " I'm assuming that's the landlord, so I'll leave you two to get your situation sorted. It was nice talking to you, the name's Xandred by the way!"

"It was a pleasure, Xandred," Chris smiled towards the other as he reached out and patted the other roughly on the back, chuckling when the other jumped forward from the impact but quickly straightened himself out, " And yeah that's Edwin, he's nice but he can be an old bastard at times. See you at work tomorrow?"

" See you at work," Xandred smiled gently as he nodded the other, taking a step back and turning away from the other, feeling eyes burning against his back before they shifted back towards where the older male had begun walking towards Chris, Edwin sending Xandred a welcoming smile before his eyes shifted back towards Chris before a snarl graced his lips.

"You always do this!" The old male suddenly shouted, a thick accent cutting into the air that Xandred couldn't quite place, "always forgetting your keys so you can go workout and then calling Edwin to come to the rescue! Your work is not even showing, you still look like a small twelve-year-old girl!"

"Edwin do not even start with me today."

Snorting at the conversation, the red head decided it best to go back into his apartment, shutting the door and locking it, still able to slightly overhear the conversation going on outside but unable to make out the words being said. Shaking his head, the red head kicked off his shoes and stretched out his body, listening as the bones cracked from the movement. Deciding to finish unpacking his things later on in the week or possible month, the red head leaned down and opened his bag, taking out his pajama bottoms and a black shirt before zipping it back up and leaning both of his bags up against the back of the couch.

Moving across the room he pushed open the bathroom door and set his clothes down on the sink before turning around and pushing open the shower door, his hands reaching down to turn on the water until it reached the perfect temperature- he preferred hot showers so the moment steam began to flow into the bathroom and fog the mirrors was the moment he finally reached his preferred water temperature. Undressing himself, the red head stepped inside the shower and pulled the door shut, hissing softly as he felt the hot water suddenly splash against his delicate skin, his eyes shut and head lulled back as he let out a soft sigh of relief as his muscles began to relax and his body leaned back against the shower wall.

Running his hands through his hair, he swore softly when he realized he had forgotten to grab his shampoo and body wash from his bags. Deciding to avoid getting out of the shower to go and grab it, the red head continued to let the water run against his frame, enjoying the white noise it provided. Taking this as the time to think, Xandred let his mind wander as he rubbed his face and body, scrubbing away at the skin and removing the dirt from his frame. His thoughts wandered back to Chris, the male he had met a few moments ago. He wasn't infatuated with the male; he just couldn't get over the idea that he had already run into one of his teammates. Chris was nice, he had a sense of ease about him that made Xandred open to talk about things with him, open to be around him without fear of judgement. He could only hope that the others would be the same, mostly the Captain, whomever it may be.

That soon shifted his thoughts to how work would go tomorrow. It would be all of their first days on the team, so he assumed there would be at least some kind of get together activity for them to get to know one another or at least build some sort of connection. He was worried that none of the others would really like him, that they would simply be putting up with him to ease his nerves. Worried that they would question why he was even present when he didn't have any military training in the slightest and he barely managed to make it through college with a decent track record. How had he even managed to snag the job? What made him stand out amongst all of the other applicants? None of it made sense to the young male, though nothing ever did. He always doubted himself, he knew that, but this was to the extreme. He truly didn't feel that he was worthy or skilled enough to be here, yet here he was, apparently worth it.

Reaching down, he shut off the water and stepped out of the shower, his body standing before the sink directly across from the shower, his hand reaching up to wipe away at the collected steam against the reflective glass. Peering at himself from the reflection, Xandred ran his fingers over his soft baby face, he had never been able to grow facial hair, not a single strand had ever made itself present on face and he found himself okay with that. He despised facial hair, it seemed scratchy and uncomfortable, the mere thought of it being present on his skin sent a shudder down his spine. Quickly he shifted away from his reflection, his hands moving quickly to throw on his clothes before he exited the bathroom and made his way to his bed, shutting off each light in the apartment as he went.

Throwing himself against the bed, Xandred stretched out as he turned his head to the side, peering out the window that sat beside him, his small body turning to lay on his side as he placed his hands under his head to act as a pillow. He would need to go out tomorrow to pick up small things such as food and pillows before he came back home, but then he would also need to get the rest of his things from his car. Groaning at the thought of all the work he would need to do tomorrow, he shook his head and shut his eyes, his breathing slowing down ever so slightly as he relaxed against the rather comfortable bed he had been left. As his breathing slowed, Xandred found himself finally at rest, his lips parted with a small line of drool running down the corner of his mouth, his snores filling the empty apartment.

He was beyond excited for his first day tomorrow, it would offer him a life of freedom that he had never experienced before he arrived at Raccoon City. This was the path he had decided to take, his heart pounding the moment he chose it, yet little did he realize that he had taken the path that would lead to the beginning of the end. Everything he would grow to know, and love would take a turn he would never be able to prepare himself for..

Hello! Thank you so very much for taking the time to read my first fanfiction on this site! I used to publish a few stories, one of the more well known ones being the little title known as ' A Vampire's Bite '! I lost that account several years ago and I had originally planned to rework it but I didn't want to risk others assuming and accusing me of copying another person's work and taking credit for it sooo that more than likely will never be happening unless I can regain that account back :(. But I hope you enjoyed my work and PLEASE feel free to leave me CONSTRUCTIVE criticism if need be! I don't necessarily have the entire story planned out but I do have scenarios I wish to have pan out as we go along! I cannot give a set update time period due to my workload known as college but I'll try to update at least twice a month if I'm able to! That or even once a week if I can! Please let me know what you think! Thanks again!