A/N: So I was thinking and bored, and it came to me. Umbrella HAD to have a PR to cover up any incident because anything else would be under Spencer, and Ashford, and the other founders. So they would have to have someone hired, and that was very good at deceiving the public. Of course, this is going to be an OC fanfiction with a lot of cameos, and it will lead up to present times.
Chapter 1: Meeting the Public
January 2nd, 1997
Heels clacked against the tile floor as a young woman made her way outside of the Umbrella's main buildings in the country. Long dark hair straight down her back as she made her way to the podium. Her skin was a little tan due to her heritage but still pale due to the lack of sunlight. Painted red lips and makeup did expertly from years of practice. She straighten out the flashcards in her hand that were blank, and actually there for show. Her smile revealed straight white teeth.
At once the blinding lights of multiple new teams flashed all at once. It took a little over a half hour, but within the first ten minutes she had them eating out of the palm of her hands. The remaining time was just feeding the public bullshit mixed with truth. Half-truths were always the best information to give to any crowd. It was to the point where she bullshits everyone else in her life. When she was done she turned on her heels and walked back into the building, and security eventually escorted news team off the property.
The woman sighed, and despite graduating early from the university in public speaking she was still relatively young. Just turned eighteen that summer, and still looked very young in appearance, which was actually her strongest suit. People believed appearance first, and words second. That was why she took very good care of her health.
She walked straight to a door and walked in only glance just down the hall. The labs that were just beyond the office she was heading was something she shuddered at the thought of going back there. "It went well Lord Spencer," She said to the man sitting at the desk. Her boss directly. "The incident is well forgotten," She assured him as she sat down in the chair in front of his desk.
"I saw the news report," He said, and the woman stared intense suspense. This was her first job, and this could set her for life if she did a good job the first public relation conflict. "They did as you said, they ate up every word you said." There was a slight smile playing along his lips. She held in a sigh and smiled at him.
"I am very pleased that you liked my work," she told him.
"Very much so, Ms. Smith," He agreed, "You may leave, of course, we will let you know when we need you."
"Of course," She smiled, as she stood up smoothing out her skirt. "I will be just a ring away," She said in her most charming voice. She turn on her heels and left his office without another word. She walked out of the building and went straight home.
When she got home she threw her purse on the counter and kicked off her heels. She was approached with a contract, and she agreed. It was just too good of an opportunity to pass off. She would be set for life after getting this job. The controversy that she was hired on for to begin with was something she heard a buzz with from people she knew. However, they were very quick to fill her in on any and all information she needed to tell a convincing lie.
The fact that she knew the company's deepest darkest secret made her very nervous. She knew that this was something she would have to remain as useful or die. As long as Umbrella was in need of a PR, then she will be in need. She was certain she was the very best in that regard. She sighed, as she collapsed onto her sofa and curled up. She looked at the notes that she was provided by some of the scientists. The name Wesker was at the top of it.
His paperwork was very clean and dumbed down for her understanding. She honestly didn't take much offense to it science was something she was interested in, but it wasn't her strongest field. The public relation was her field, however. She read through the bulk of it, before placing it in a safe. She shed herself of her dress suit and headed into the bathroom to take a long hot bath.
She sat in the hot water with her back against the wall of the tub thinking about all the possibilities that could come from these experiments that they were doing in those labs of theirs. There was a small feeling of regret, and something even less than the regret… fear. What would happen to her if she was to become expendable to the company? Clearly, she knew too much, and they would fear that she would use her abilities to inform the public of what they were doing.
You are thinking way too far into this, her inner voice told her, but she and this little voice were well acquainted. This was the very same voice that normally caused her toss caution into the wind, and often got her into trouble if she listened to it. Learning the hard way, she knew better and ignored the voice. If I have thought about it, then so did they. She assured herself and climbed out of the tub after leaning forward to unclog the drain. She wrapped the towel around her frame, and despite the warm atmosphere she felt a cold shiver run along her spine. What she had reassured herself with was not reassuring at all. She forced herself to walk into the bedroom of her small apartment to get dressed in a baggy t-shirt, and shorts to crawl into bed. She sighed, and looked up at the ceiling. "What did I get myself into?" She asked herself as she eventually made herself take a nap.
She woke up with a start as she climbed out of the bed and grabbed a stool to look through the peephole. She peered through it, and there was a man she had never met in casual yet formal clothing. He was wearing a black dress pants, and a plain black turtleneck.
"Good afternoon," she offered as she opened the door, and he just walked into her home. Her chin jutted out as her eyes narrowed to glare at the man. However, her face instantly smoothed out as he turned to face her. She turned to face the door and closed it.
"I assume you've read my reports, you are up to date," He stated, and she had to keep her face from going cold.
"Assuming that you are the Wesker that wrote them, then yes I have," She answered. She felt tense and uncomfortable with this man in her home. He was an attractive man, and would be more attractive if he took off his glasses, but he was also very standoffish, demanding, and dominate. He towered over her by at least a foot since she was barefoot. He not only knew it but used it to his advantage.
He did, however, smirk at her response to his statement. "Good," was all he said as he looked around her apartment, and his expression exposed his disdain. She rolled her eyes.
"Is that all you wanted to check in on," She asked him, it was a bad habit bad mouthing those who made her nervous. She couldn't see his eyes, but she could feel them upon her.
"No," He told her, "Where are you keeping the paperwork?" He asked her, and she sighed as she moved past him making as much of an effort not to touch him as she walked to her safe. She walked into her den and slapped the top of it. "You may want to rethink that," He offered.
"What exactly do you suggest," she snapped back at him. She was told by Spencer to keep it somewhere safe.
"Burn them," he told them, "No one expects you remember the contents of research anyways." She stared at him, and already tired of him being in her house. "If someone from another company finds out that you have this, and they know you're the face of the company now. They will take the information."
"Either way I'm in danger," She snapped at him and smirked played at his lips. "If lets they know I know what you all are doing down there in those labs of yours, then I don't have the paperwork then they'll just take me," She told him as she opened up the safe, and taking out the paperwork to toss them in the fireplace. "So either way I'm screwed, because if I tell them then you'll come after me."
"Well you're smart enough, I'm sure you can talk your way out of it," he replied with a smirk. She glared at him. She wasn't very worried about that, but she would have to give some information. "After all, with all the lies you told the public I'm sure you could convince them easily."
She listened to him vaguely as she lit a match and tossed it into the fireplace using the paperwork to start the fire. He stalked back to her front door, and she followed after him. "You will be checking in with me every once a week at my office. I'm your supervisor."
"Spencer told me he'll call me if they need me." She protested, and he turned to look at her. She backed away from him.
"Lord Spencer has assigned me as your supervisor. I expect that you will dress appropriately upon me giving you any updates." Then he was gone. She cursed as she pulled up the stool again to watch him leave. She shivered in a momentary anger before storming back into her room. She crawled under the sheets, and she stayed under the sheets until she cooled down. Once she was calm she flipped the sheets off of her body and looked at the time. She sighed as she sat up, and got dressed for the night out. She wasn't sure what exactly she was going to get into, but she was still young after all. Maybe one of the clubs. She thought to herself.
She pulled on a silver night club dress that fitted her perfectly, and stopped before mid-thigh, and found the heels to match. She spent the next hour curling and adding volume to her hair. She spent some time on her makeup before heading to her car. The drive was short to the city and even shorter to find a club. Raccoon City was no big city, but they still had young people. She found a parking space a couple blocks down and made her way to the club. She was too young to drink, legally, but there were always guys she can con into buying her drinks. After all, why let under twenty-one in if that wasn't the point.
She was carded and let into the club. The music was decent but through bad speakers. She made her way to the bar, and flirted with a guy, and got him to buy her a couple of drinks. The drunker she got the better looking he became, but in the end she lost him in the dance floor. She was free unless Umbrella needed her for anything specific, or an occasion. She didn't know if that meant she would be dragged to their events, but she didn't want to risk being out too late and missing a call. She wandered outside and was making her way back to her car when she noticed a car was following her, and she turned around to face the vehicle as it slowed to a complete stop.
Any intoxication that was in her veins drained as soon as she saw Wesker. She shifted uncomfortably before she gained her confidence back. He was alone so he walked up to her like he owned her, and in a sense in his mind he did.
"What are you doing out here," He asked her accusingly, "Have you been drinking?"
"A bit," She answered, and was proud that her voice wasn't slurred. She wasn't very drunk anymore anyhow. His arm reached out so she would have more balance, but his grip was to the point where she would have bruising for sure the next day. She grimaced, as her back hit the wall.
"I'm assuming that you will not be driving home," he said, and she nodded in agreement.
"I was just going to sleep it off in my car." She told him, and maybe if he wasn't around she would have attempted to drive home. But now she wasn't sure how that would go. Then again, it wasn't always bright to do that to begin with anyhow. She came through when Wesker was snapping his fingers in front of her.
"Come with me." He ordered her, and he opened the passenger side. It was always bad when everything was still when she realized how drunk she still was, and maybe she could survive an encounter with Wesker. She slept the entire way back until Wesker woke her up. "Move." He ordered, and at the moment she complied willingly. He led her with a hand on her back, and then she realized that she wasn't at her place. She pushed back against him, and he pushed back against her weight.
"This isn't my home," She muttered as she tried to push against his resistance.
"Clearly," He said as he ended up grabbing her by her arm, and leading her into his home. It was more of a struggle to keep up with him than struggle against his grip. Time was fading oddly, and she was in his house on a couch in a matter of seconds. She sat up and swayed slightly. He toss something at her and yelped as it made contact with her skin. It was a shirt and shorts. "Get dress," He ordered her, "The bathroom is down the hall on your left."
She mumbled but obeyed as she got up and made her way down the hall. The bathroom was clean as could be, and it either meant that he hardly used it or was as particular about this as everything else. She discarded herself of all of her clothing except her bra, and underwear. She was relieved to be out of her heels as she cracked her toes in relief. She sighed, as she pulled the shirt over her head and took a second to use the toilet. She groaned, and he probably wasn't going to let her leave anytime soon.
For good reason too, as she was relieving herself she realized that she was still very drunk. How embarrassing will it be to wake up the next day, and have this man look down on you? She snorted, as she wiped herself, and flushed the toilet before washing her hands. She looked down at the clothes, and was nervous suddenly to wash her face with them on.
She decided to wash her face with just her bra and underwear on, and jumped when there was a knock on the door. "Is everything alright?" He asked her.
"I'm fine," She answered, "Just cleaning up." He didn't say anything she only heard him walk away from the bathroom. Rude, she thought to herself, and finished cleaning up, and pulling on the clothes. She balled up her dress, before rejoining him out into the living room where there was a large black comforter, and a pillow. She crawled into it without much more of his bossing her around.
She fell asleep almost instantly.
The next morning she could hear an alarm go off from where she was asleep. She sighed, and saw a glass of water on the end table, and drank from it gratefully. She was lucky to make it out from last night without a hangover. She stood up, and stretched before she saw Wesker walk out into the living room.
"I image you're feeling much more sober," he noted, and she nodded. "Good, I will take you home after I finish getting ready for work."
"That won't be necessary," Astrid protested, "I can get my own cab to my car." She told him, but was silenced for a moment when he glanced over her from his shoulders. "I'm going to have to get my car one point or another." She stood her ground.
"Fine, go." He said, and she moved quickly before he could change his mind. She was out of his door, and dialing a number for a cab.
The cab got there in about ten minutes, and she was relieved that he hadn't left the house before the driver got there. She paid him once he drove her to her car, and made it home an hour later. She sighed, as she locked the door behind her.
"I'm not doing that anytime soon," She muttered to herself. She took off the clothes that Wesker had lent her, probably didn't want her tramping about in the barely covering dress she was wearing. She started the laundry, and he seemed like the type that wanted what was his immediately.
She walked over to her answering machine, and saw a handwritten message.
I expect you to meet me at my office at noon today.
"Wow, his handwriting is so neat," She said more impressed with that than the fact that he had broken into her home. She tossed it on the kitchen counter.
She jumped in the shower. She stayed under the hot water for a couple of minutes before actually begin cleaning herself. When she was done she dried her hair, and styled it in curls. She used enough hairspray for a couple of hairstyles, and ran a brush through so it would look more natural. She then went into her make up routine, and did it with a natural beauty with very little make up applied to her eyes. After she was satisfied with her appearance she went to figure out she could wear for this meeting. She was certain it would be brief, but still he was blatantly clear on how she should dress, plus she may see her boss again.
She looked at the time, and if she left now she would be about fifteen minutes early.
I could live with being early. She thought to herself as she grabbed her keys, and locked up behind her. She climbed her car, and drove to the Umbrella facilities. She walked in, and they gave her a badge so she may enter the inner sections of the Umbrella facilities. She looked at the map, and she still got lost trying to find her way to Wesker's office.
Eventually she gave up, and walked into one of the training sections, and there were multiple men practicing. She heard one lone whistle, and she had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes. Eventually one approached her, and he was tall. His white blond hair was cut into a buzz cut. His grey blue eyes piercing her for information to why she was there interrupting their training.
"Can we help you?" He asked her, and his voice was low, and smooth. But there was a professional coldness behind it.
"Yes," She said with a nod, "I'm afraid I'm a bit lost, and I'm trying to find Albert Wesker's office. Do you-" She trailed off noting some of their cold expression regarding the name. She cleared her throat.
"Yes," the man answered, "Let me show you where his office is." He said as he started to head to the door. He didn't even bother with putting on a shirt, which was fine with her for all she cared. He was a damn good looking man.
"Thank you," she said, and followed after him. "I assure you that once I know where it is the first time I won't bother you again." She told him, and he looked down at her and nodded. It was a quiet five minutes, but before she knew it she was standing in front of a door with A. Wesker on it. "Thank you again." She said as she held her hand for him to shake.
He seemed to contemplate it for a second, but eventually he grabbed a hold of her hand. "Don't mention it." He nodded, and walked off back to his training. She sighed, and knocked on the door.
"Enter," She heard his smooth voice sounded, and she entered into his office. It was neat, and with hardly any cluttered. He looked up to her for a second before returning to the paperwork in front of him. "Please, sit." He told her, and she obediently did so.
She crossed her legs as she sat back into the chair while he did his work, and she glanced at her watch. It just turned twelve. So she was exactly on time. Not her original plan, but being on time was better than being late.
After a moment he put his paperwork to the side, and rubbed his forehead before taking off his sunglasses. As she thought previously, he was a very handsome man without the glasses, and she felt her heart fluttered a bit in her chest. She mentally cursed herself for almost falling for a man with blue eyes, but they were her weakness. "You're on time, I like that," he approved.
"I would have been early, but I was lost within this hive cone of a facility." She told him as she waved her hand around for a second. She was still cursing herself that she was acting nervous around him, and tried her best to remember what an asshole he is. It worked, for a second anyways. Until he smiled at her comment.
"It's always fun to get lost isn't it," He asked her as he took out some paperwork, and handed them to her. She gingerly took them from his grasp, and looked through them. It listed a minor couple of incidents throughout the company. "Now, you don't need to do anything about that for the meantime. Umbrella's personal security team is very good in cleaning up the mess from the leaks." She nodded as she continued to look through the vast list of leaks.
"So I imagine this happens a lot," She asked him looking up, and he had his glasses back on. Her heart was able to ease at once.
"Leaks do happen with the work we do here." He confirmed her suspicions. "But as I have noted, U.S.S. is very good at what they do." She nodded at his comment. "Anyways," He paused looking at the time, "We are done here, and you may leave." He told her, and she stood smoothing her skirt out her skirt. "Same time, and day next week."
"Weekly," She asked astounded that he would waste his time unnecessarily.
"It's not ideal for me either," he told her, "But since your work with Umbrella is only when we need you to smooth things over with the public, and you still get paid a salary we need to make sure that you are still with the company." He told her, and it spiked her paranoia. She kept her face neutral, and nodded to him.
"Of course," she agreed even though the thought of them maintaining a monitor system on her was unnerving.
"Nothing to worry about Ms. Smith, as long as you behave and show up you will be fine." He told her. That did not assure her at all. "Oh, and one final thing," he said as looked up at her. "You will be going to the S.T.A.R.'s headquarter. I'm the captain there, and please do remember that it's an undercover operation. Make sure nobody is aware of my relation to Umbrella." She nodded, and turned on her heels to leave.
She did her best to keep her expression neutral as she made her way out of the facilities, until she made it to her car. She shuddered a sigh. No, I can't break down in the parking lot. She thought to herself. Keep it together until you get home. Run it off at the gym. She nodded with the plan she made and drove off.
She was more than relieved to see her home, and when she got in she made sure to change the clothes out of the washer into the dryer. That meant she would have to stay home until it was done, but at least she could read the documents, and burn them before she left.
She settled on the couch to read through the reports, and over all five documented leaks, and over one hundred reports of someone getting caught in whatever they were doing grasp. She shuddered. They were getting into something that danced on the line of horror movie, and fantasy.
"What the hell are they trying to do?" She murmured to herself as she heard the ding of the dryer. She got up and folded the clothes that Wesker had lent her, and set them off to the side. She got herself ready for the gym.
Before she left she burned the documentation of each incident as Wesker's suggestion. She could remember all of the information without it anyways. After spending an hour at the gym doing cardio, and strength training she went home to shower.
She looked at her apartment, and though her jobs previously paid well enough she certainly could do with an upgrade very soon. Since her lease was going to be up in just a couple months meant she could spend some time house shopping. Her being on Umbrella's payroll was ridiculous, but it meant they would pay anything at any cost to have their operations under wrap.
After another long shower, she climbed out, and pulled on some jeans, and a t-shirt. She debated again if she wanted to go house shopping, or even if she wanted to stay in this area. Once a week for a mandatory meeting with her superior, and whenever Umbrella needed certainly meant that she didn't have to stay in the area. She headed out to her car, and started the engine over. She decided against it, for now anyways.
She sighed as she found a couple of townhouse that she more than qualified for, and checked out a couple of houses that was for rent. Eventually she settled on a townhouse in the more secure neighborhood. She signed the leased, and secured the one she liked for her to move in a couple of months. She hoped that she would be able to rent from them for some time to come.
