Chapter One: The Beginning

Note: Thanks to the reviewers! I was really shocked to see so many so fast. Please keep them coming. By the way, you can read normally now.

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Deep Within An Isolated Umbrella Laboratory.
Hell has broken loose...

"Oh..Oh my God! Subject T has escaped! Oh, shi-"

The burst of gunfire, along with the spark and explosion of the computer console cut short Lara's words. The amber haired woman's head snapped to the side, just in time for her to take in the gruesome sight that had begun to play out below.

The north wall of the holding cell had been completely decimated, leaving nothing but a cloud of dust and a slab or two of the cement that had been between two thick sheets of steel. Subject T stood mighty, eyes blazing with an undeniable bloodlust. Grinning wickedly, he squeezed the head of the man he held in one bulky hand, harder and harder. Screaming for mercy, the man began to flail and fire his pistol wildly, bullets ricocheting off walls and machinery.

Soon, though, his screams were cut short, the pressure on his head so intense that he fell unconscious. Subject T either didn't notice or didn't care, and to Lara's horror, he continued to squeeze until the man's head crushed between his fingers and claws like a piece of rotting fruit. Blood sprayed and dripped to the floor, chunks of tissue dropping heavily every few moments.

Lara gagged, blue eyes wide in terror and disgust. Trying hard to force the bile back down her throat, she looked to the left, to the door that adjoined the two consoles that overlooked the holding cell. In a flash, she realized that the man that lay dead outside the cell must have been her friend and co-worker, David Greene. Eyes wide in a new sorrow, she remember that David kept a spare gun in his desk. Fighting back tears of pure panic, she stuffed her hands into the pockets of her semi-dirty labcoat, breath coming in short gasps as she dug around for the key. A voice from overhead startled her, and she looked up towards the speaker, the harsh and metallicy voice ringing in her ears:

"All staff must evacuate immediately. There is an X-Virus leak in sector two. All staff must evacuate. Doors will seal in five minutes."

A shallow cry of disbelief escaped Lara's throat, her already wide eyes becoming more so, nearly bulging now. That announcement could mean only one thing: Subject T had gotten to the second floor storage room. Stopping her frantic search for the key, she let her mouth fall open as something clicked in her mind.

"Ohgodohgodohgodohgod... The virus is LOOSE down here.."

Another wave of panic spread over her in a barrage of pins and needles, and a cold chill ran down her spine.

" Okay, fuck this.." She breathed, turning and striding to the main door, the entrance to her own console, and just as she reached out for the handle, the door behind her clicked and swung open. The girl who had opened it looked around quickly and shakily, muttering incoherently about the "monster." She made her way up behind Lara, who was distracted by the act of putting her key (which she had finally found) back into her pocket. The girl growled softly, and as Lara whirled to face her, she was greeted by the girl's hands on her chest.

Gasping in shock as she was shoved roughly backwards, Lara pinwheeled her arms for something to grab onto, struggling to keep her balance. Meanwhile, the girl brushed past, running for the elevator with her long blonde hair flying out behind her. The console doors slammed shut, both of them, and that last jolt knocked Lara off her feet. Her head slammed against a sharp corner of one of the ugly grey counters in the little room, and bright bursts of color flashed before her eyes. Moaning softly in the pain that coursed through her, she made one last desperate grab for the door handle, but missed and fell to the floor face first. She writhed on the ground for a few more moments, until the blossoming red that filled her vision faded to black and unconsciousness washed over her.

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Well, well.. THAT has to suck... See the button down there? It's for reviewing.. Please PLEASE use it...