CHAPTER TWO
He had been at this for hours. Stalking through the wintry woodland silently, his only weapons being his modified handgun with laser sight and the skills he had spent the last seven years honing.
The ground was covered in a thick layer of snow and it crunched each time he took a step, his bare feet frozen to the point of numbness but he ignored it, pushed it to the back of his mind along with all the other complaints his body had. The last few months he had suffered greatly, endured beating after beating and now he was here, stranded in the middle of the wilderness, fighting to find his way back home.
Leon S Kennedy paused and listened as a soft beep sounded from the clearing directly ahead. He had to remain still until the mechanical sentry passed. It hovered past him no more than twenty yards away scanning the area for signs of life, specifically, his life.
The small mechanised guns were unmanned drones, operating on a sophisticated program and linked to a powerful AI back from the base he had just come from. But it wasn't the software that he was afraid of; it was the weapons they carried.
All he had to do was avoid them and reach the end of this enclosure.
As it passed Leon started walking once again, picking up speed gradually, his momentum carrying him across the rough terrain, each step he placed his feet carefully, making sure he felt the ground, bending his knees slightly his whole leg acting like the suspension of a car. He travelled smoothly and silently despite the speed he was now running. His breathing was controlled, eyes focused on the area ahead, clear and cast in shadow. He threw himself as the mecha turned around to begin its return patrol. He knew its movements, its routine. As intelligent as the AI was, it still followed a pre-programmed patrol and Leon had counted the six seconds in his head as he sprinted by it. He rolled once and was laid flat against the snowy ground on that final second. He waited until the mecha had once again passed behind the tree line before getting up and sprinting off into the woods.
He had been at this all night but surprisingly he was not tired in the slightest and despite his current state of undress, he did not feel the cold. The torn jeans he wore were his only protection to the elements and they were now soaking from his constant battle through the snow.
A large wire fence came into view and Leon pressed against one of the many trees at his disposal for cover. He was out of breath now and he had to brace himself for this final push. It was strange he knew what was to come. Like he had done all this a thousand times before...
He shook his head, clearing it of such confusing thoughts, but the feeling of déjà vu never quite left him.
Leon swallowed and preparing his weapon he bolted, breaking away from cover at a break neck speed. He had always been strong and fast, but this...what he was doing now was unreal. Everything around him seemed to operate in slow motion.
The first mecha jumped up out of the snow upon detecting movement but before it could activate its primary weapon, Leon fired once aiming for the small red tracking laser at its centre. With no way of seeing and its inner structure being torn apart by the bullet the strange little machine literally popped, piece of debris littering the otherwise perfect snow.
A second emerged and Leon dispatched that in much the same way. Before it fell he jumped stretching himself as much as possible, falling down and rolling once again in the snow following the momentum, the tumble bringing him into the right space, his body in the perfect position and his gun fired, the aim precise.
Leon let go of the breath he was holding. His gun still primed in that ready position as the area was suddenly flooded with light. He flinched trying to shield his sore and tired eyes from the intensity of it, but it was no good. It was clear he had been found but he didn't flee, he couldn't.
Because he wasn't supposed to...
As his eyes adjusted to the change in illumination, Leon stood and slowly put his weapon down as another figure approached. Clad entirely in black and wearing specialised sunglasses the tall blond was applauding, the motion slow, the sound almost sarcastic.
"Well well, Mr Kennedy appears to have beaten even your time, Ada. . ." The women to who Wesker was referring to stepped from the shadows, tall and athletic she carried herself confidently in that mysterious seductive way Leon had first been attracted too. He watched as she stood by Wesker her dark brown eyes studying Leon intently. He wished he could get close and beat them both down but, the device fixed to his chest prevented him from doing anything but Wesker's will. Leon didn't understand it and there were huge holes in his memory, but over the last three months he had been able to gather enough to know that he was in serious trouble.
"I told you he was good." Ada stated her voice like velvet and sounding pleased with herself. She stood with her hands in the pockets of a short leather jacket lined with white fur. The jeans she wore tucked into the knee high black heeled boots, but what he noticed first and foremost, was her wicked smile. Leon felt his anger rise, but unless he was told to act he couldn't.
Wesker laughed. "You touched a nerve, it seems, Miss Wong."
"It's my specialty,"
"Quite." Leon watched as Wesker bid him to approach before waving in a team of two medics to check the government agent over. "We've gone as far as we can go here."
"So what now? Do you think he's ready?" Leon became oblivious to the medics fumbling around him, checking on the cursed thing embedded in his chest. What did Ada mean? What was he being prepared for?
All other thoughts became drowned out and he heard Wesker in his mind. It was uncomfortable, like having an intruder in your home, but he couldn't shake him out.
"There is one way to find out." Wesker answered the female assassin and with a single snap of his fingers, Leon understood what the former STARS leader wanted.
In the blink of an eye Leon was sailing towards Ada, right hand balling into a fist as he launched himself high into the air ready to bring down on her. Ada was fast and agile and the blow missed her, but not by much. No sooner had Leon landed than he was up and running again, he closed the distance Ada had managed to put between them and was sending blow after blow her way. She was fast and strong however and each attack was either blocked or dodged.
His thinking had become primal and he was very much aware that Wesker was still inside his mind, feeding him images and thoughts that would normally make the good natured man cringe. But so much had been done to him, the beatings the interrogations and now to find out that Ada, had all but sold him to this fate…
Yes he wanted revenge. He wanted to hold that slender neck in his hand and crush it till no life remained. So driven was he by the fury he felt only satisfaction when his fist finally connected with Ada's stomach, the Asian spy not quick enough to avoid the constant barrage of attacks. As she doubled over, Leon grabbed her by the throat and pushed her back till she was slammed into a tree.
He had her were he wanted her. He had her and he wanted her.
All those years ago when they shared that kiss. He had dreamt of tasting those lips again. So pure, so full of care…and nothing like the thoughts vying for dominance in his mind.
No not his mind.
Leon shook his head and the red haze that had clouded his vision before subsided. His fingers unfurled allowing Ada to breathe once more and he backed away.
He wouldn't commit those dark deeds. Not on her, not on anyone. Those thoughts, those emotions, they weren't him.
He frowned feeling a familiar tightness in his chest as Wesker reined him in. Leon felt the little control he had managed to snatch was now stripped from him and he turned and headed for the van parked nearby.
"You have the answer to your question, Miss Wong." He heard Wesker sneer, following behind his puppet. "It seems you are still some use to me, for now at least…"
Josh turned the wipers on full speed as the slow gentle snowfall turned into a full on blizzard. He had been driving for the last two hours and the closer they got to their destination the more his carefree attitude dispersed. He was all for having a good time and joking on with his comrades, but he was also every bit the soldier he had trained to be. Sheva was pulling on her body armour and strapping it into place while Chris attempted to contact his sister once again. It was clear Chris was worried, but this distraction could put the mission and the rest of them at risk. Josh shot Jill a knowing glance and he knew she understood since she too was doing her best to try and get Chris to settle down or at least turn the phone off.
"We'll be there in ten minutes." Josh stated firmly.
"She's still not answering…"
"Chris!" Josh's tone had changed from everyday Joe, to hard-ass CO and Redfield seemed to snap out of it.
"I know!" He snapped back, but Josh knew Chris had got the message. The phone was turned off and then thrown back into the bag.
"Ten minutes and we still need to come up with our strategy."
"Do we have Intel on this place?" Jill asked when Chris closed his eyes, obviously trying to get his mind on the here and now.
"I've got a local map." Sheva said as she pulled open her laptop. "Apparently it's all farm land. A main building with multiple stories, a barn and another structure, possibly to house vehicles."
"That's great but what about recent activity?" Chris asked rather curtly but Sheva took it all in her stride, clicking once more to bring up another image.
"I've also managed to pull thermal imaging in and around the area over the course of the last week. There has been some interesting activity, especially surrounding the barn. But the entire area is showing much warmer than anywhere else for miles…what could cause that?" She looked to Josh who could only shrug his shoulders, but Jill cleared that up for him.
"An underground facility."
Sheva nodded. "If that's the case we need to do some serious reconnaissance in order to get inside without being detected."
"Affirmative." Josh said as he pulled their ride up and off the road into a dark secluded area of the tree line and got out, quickly hiding anything that could be seen of it. The snow falling at least partially helped him in this task as pretty soon the vehicle would be covered in a blanket of pure white.
By now Chris at least had managed to pull himself together and turned to the group loading his weapon. "Alright, first we scout the area. We need to find out where the entrance to this base could be. We'll split up and each take a sector but we regroup before we make a move." They each nodded and adjusted their earpiece testing each device respectfully and once happy they set out.
Ada glared at the back of Wesker's head willing it to explode. She always knew she was living on borrowed time by working with this man but she didn't really have any other choice in the matter. The trick he had pulled back at the training ground hadn't come as any surprise and if Leon hadn't managed to regain some control she would be dead right now. Leon was a deadly government agent now, but he still had a heart of gold and a soft spot for her, a trait she had taken advantage of more than once.
She regretted ever opening her mouth about the tough time she'd had in recovering the Las Plagas sample from Spain, divulging information she thought at the time was harmless, but it seemed Wesker had deemed it important. She didn't know but it was around that time his team had developed this form of mind control and he was just itching to get hold of worthy subjects.
The first being Jill Valentine. Her 'programming' had been the initial test run and while it had worked, there were clearly some bugs to iron out. The fact that Miss Valentine was once again free of Wesker's control being the main problem. But other than that there was the cost of running such a project and the fact it had consumed so much time, meant more of the quickly dwindling Umbrella funds had taken a dent.
Ada wasn't sure how Wesker had managed to convince their employer to extend more of those funds and this lonely base to train up another subject nor was she exactly sure where he'd been during the last two months but he had been in a seriously bad mood upon his return. It was then Ada knew her time was almost up…
She had stood by as Leon was abused and his mind assailed. Hideous images and psychotropic medications had left the young agent reeling and utterly confused. She hadn't enjoyed it at all; in fact she blamed herself for his current condition. Wesker had taken her report of Leon's interference in Spain as a glowing recommendation and she had been kicking herself ever since.
They entered the barn of the abandoned farm and waited as the hidden elevator was called. Leon was following with no will of his own, his blue eyes unfamiliar once more to Ada who quickly turned to Wesker as they rode to the lower levels.
Once they departed the elevator Leon was quickly taken away back to the lab, still walking in his bare feet which were red and bleeding from his earlier training. Ada still couldn't believe that pain and discomfort were barely even registered by the guy in his current state of mind, but it just proved how strong this control was. If this secondary test proved to be a success there would be nothing stopping Wesker from creating an army of assassins doing his bidding.
"So is that the only use you have left for me?" Ada asked as Wesker entered what could only be referred to as his office and she followed. "My death at your puppets hands?"
"What better way to be sure he's ready for the assignment?" He smirked and sat down in the high backed leather chair, spinning around to face the many screens all displaying various positions around the globe as well as the exterior of the base itself. "Seriously, Ada. Do you really expect to be of any use to me once this experiment proves to be a success."
"Of course not." She chuckled softly, the sound bitter. "I guess I should pack up and leave while I still can."
"I'm not stopping you." He turned back around to face her. "In fact, I'm fairly sure you've known this was going to happen right from the start." She managed to keep her expression neutral. "So why have you not left already?"
And suddenly Ada's time was up. Wesker was now questioning her motives and anyone in that position never lasted long. She met his steely gaze with her own, slightly un-nerved by the eerie glow behind those dark glasses…
…the unease was suddenly broken by the sound of a perimeter alarm and much to Ada's relief, Wesker was once again more interested in the screens behind him.
"We have an alarm." Sheva spoke softly into the comms and one by one each of them paused to check which of them had triggered it. Sheva knew it hadn't been her, she hadn't moved for the last five minutes as she had been watching the activity around the barn.
"Negative here." She heard Chris respond.
"Ditto." That was Jill.
"All clear here."
"So then who set off the security system?" Chris asked and Sheva could only shake her head.
"That's the least of our worries." Jill came in once again. "I've had a visual on Leon; he was heading into the barn a minute ago. Wesker was with him."
"That's not possible." Sheva muttered in complete shock.
"I told you, he's not human…" Jill countered and for a minute there was a long silence. "This has to end. I'm going in there…"
"Jill, wait." Chris appealed; obviously scared he would loose his partner once again.
"No Chris, it's gone on too long. I'm going to take him down, once and for all."
"Hold it there, Miss Valentine." Josh spoke up. "We can make our move soon. We didn't trigger that alarm; I know that because I'm looking right at the one responsible. Security is already moving out to intercept. We can take advantage of this distraction."
"Good thinking Josh." Chris responded. "Jill, Sheva. Move out. Meet Josh and I at the barn. Like Jill said, this ends today."
Wesker studied the screen, the one that showed the intruder. It hadn't caught a very clear image, but it was safe to say they definitely had a problem. Yet it wasn't one he wanted to dirty his hands with. As far as he was concerned, he had a minion for a reason.
He smirked with self satisfaction as he picked up the phone and dialled the laboratory.
"I want Mr. Kennedy ready for live field exercise now. And double the dose. I want results this time." He didn't wait for confirmation; he simply slammed the phone down and turned.
He knew he would not find her there and that was fine. He didn't expect Miss Wong to hang around after so narrowly escaping his inquisition. Right now he had more important things to worry about and as he stood, his right arm starting to twitch. It had not been the same since Africa, not since he had taken Uroboros into him. It was there still, slumbering beneath the surface of his skin and slithering within his mind. The only reason it did not assume control of him was because they wanted the same…they wanted to spread and extinguish the weakling human race from the face of a world brutalised by their constant thirst for resources.
It was this drive that had saved them both. While Wesker couldn't understand exactly how he had managed to live after the two BSAA agents had launched two rockets at him as he swam amidst a fiery pit of lava, he wasn't about to take this second chance for granted. Still, he had been curious…
It wasn't until he returned to the US and assumed command of the project he had spearheaded that he was able to fathom how he had managed to survive.
Wesker was now heading towards the laboratory, still lost in thought as he peered down into the room that held the one and only Leon S Kennedy. Wesker was incredibly impressed with the agents abilities and once he had been conditioned, like Jill, those talents had improved a hundred-fold. The Government Agent was the key in understanding how Wesker was still breathing as during the many months of interrogation and torture, Kennedy had disclosed his full involvement with the Las Plagas parasite in Spain and it was one particular detail that Wesker had connected to his own miraculous survival.
The Las Plagas had survived for decades in fossils and upon their extraction, had taken root in the lungs of those working in the mines as they were excavated. The simple fools incubated the parasite until it was once again strong enough to take control. Uroboros was no different.
Wesker could remember as the incredible heat beating him down into the cold empty confines of death, Uroboros began its slow retreat into his body as it fought desperately to regenerate. And then he woke, pinned and confined in rock close to the coast at the foot of the very volcano that had almost become his tomb.
Wesker found himself smiling at the memory. While he'd been in incredible pain upon his initial awakening, he realised there and then, he truly was, invincible. He couldn't wait to tell Chris…
His bright red eyes once more focused on the image of Leon below in the holding area. The agent had been stripped of those tatty jeans and was now completely naked. His pale skin was marked by the occasional bruise, most of which had been inflicted by Wesker himself and he now took great pleasure from those memories. Kennedy was stronger than he had previously thought a strength that stemmed from a flawed sense of honour and justice. None of which had helped the agent during his stay here.
Kennedy was quickly kitted out in a durable body suit, designed to offer the most protection at vulnerable areas of the body while at the same time being flexible enough to allow the man to move at his top speed. It showed every bit of his lithe muscular, but not overly so, body before he was then equipped with belts holding ammo, a gun and a combat knife, the later Leon was especially deadly with.
The white and grey suit was topped off by a hooded trench-coat, the sleeves of which had been ripped off and the frayed shoulders left Leon's arms exposed, making the equipment affixed to them via straps easily reached. The coat hung open loosely around the mans' slender frame and the hood kept much of his face in shadow, making him almost unidentifiable. The only clue it was him was the light brown hair that was only partially exposed as it hung over his eyes, making his features even more obscured.
Wesker exited and headed down into the holding area picking up the complete dose of the elixir that was required to ensure the man stayed firmly under his control. The lab assistants got out of the way. He could have let them administer the drug but Wesker took great pleasure in pushing the three inch needle into Kennedy's neck. The man didn't flinch. He hadn't been told to after all.
"We have intruders. I want them eliminated." And with that, he drove the plunger down; there was a soft grunt from the man before him as the cold medication flowed into his bloodstream. Wesker smirked as he watched Kennedy's eyes the pupil of which dilated fully leaving not a trace of the original blue colour.
He removed the needle slowly and stepped back watching as Kennedy strode from the room. It was time to return to his office and watch the show.
"We've got incoming." Came Sheva over the earpiece and both Chris and Jill quickly took cover. They had almost made it to the barn where the entrance to the facility lay when her warning came in loud and clear. She was their long distance cover, while Josh was securing them a way out. Chris wasn't sure exactly what the African BSAA agent was up to, but he had faith in his abilities. "I have a visual." Sheva continued after a moment.
"Wesker?" Jill asked and Chris put his arm out holding her back surprised when he felt her tremble. He shot her a knowing look which naturally she ignored.
"I don't think so. I can't tell who it is."
"Who ever it is, we'll wait till they leave, they head inside the facility. Leon is our priority." Chris said making sure Jill understood he was mainly addressing her.
"Then you have a problem." Sheva came in again. "Because they're not leaving."
Jill peered around the tree she was currently taking cover behind, Chris was behind her peering around the other side, both armed and ready as they laid eyes on the figure Sheva had alerted them too.
The guy was barely visible thanks to the colours he wore. The white and different shades of grey made him blend in perfectly with the snowy scene.
Jill's eyes narrowed as she assessed the danger, something she had been taught to do when she worked for the Raccoon City S.T.A.R.S. He carried very few weapons but there was something about the way he held himself…
"Who is this guy?" She heard Chris ask as he seemed to sense it too.
"Who ever it is, we're never going to get in there without being seen now." Jill took the initiative and stepped from cover, aiming her weapon. The modified handgun packed quite a punch and the clip size was one of the largest. Chris as always was by her side doing the same. He knew the score, they had to get inside and to do that they had to get past this guy one way or another.
"BSAA, drop you weapons and stand aside." Chris called as he and Jill closed in slowly.
The man did not move. He just stood there perfectly still unperturbed by the fact that two armed agents had their sights trained on him. Jill frowned not taking her eyes off him as Chris edged closer.
"I said, drop your weapons and…" In the blink of an eye the hooded man had gone from still as stone to running top speed towards them. Both Chris and Jill had fired a number of times but the man moved too fast and unpredictably that even Sheva from distance had the same trouble. Before either of them could pull out their combat knives Chris had taken two heavy blows to the mid-section before the unknown assailant raised his knee catching Chris' jaw. By now Jill's partner was stunned so that the next kicked sent him flying back into the snow. Jill glared at the hooded man but reacted just in time to avoid the first attack sent her way.
She still possessed some of the strength she had been granted in Africa and was now tumbling gracefully out of harms way. She could sense that her attacker was closing the gap fast and as she landed on her feet a second time her right hand reached for the knife as she arched her back once more, powerful legs launching her body back. She felt her foot connect with something and the soft grunt that followed indicated she had manage to stagger the man.
Her tumble continued her left arm acting as a pivot to carry her through the summersault while the knife was now securely in her hand, edge facing outwards. The attacker had drew his own blade, sensing her motives which annoyed Jill no end but she continued with her attack, bringing the blade up quickly, following the natural curve of her arm as she once again stood straight.
The sharpened edges clashed the sound loud but brief as all at once both blades were moving once again. This time Jill was on the defence as the hooded man lunged for Jill's gut, the tip of the knife clicking the fabric of her body warmer, if she hadn't have moved back when she had, her guts would have been a steaming pile in the snow.
This guy was deadly and fast, he literally made her feel like and old woman. Again his right arm lunged for her, knife sat almost comfortably in his hand that twisted slightly with each thrust. Jill managed to block the next attack with her own blade but she couldn't move quickly enough as he slashed across and up towards her face. She leapt back but the edge had cut her cheek and as she landed and came to a stop, she felt the blood flow, warming her cool skin.
By now Chris had managed to get up and close in on him. The hulk of a man moved quickly despite his size, but it wasn't fast enough as the slimmer more agile man escaped, tumbling back landing perfectly and sheathing the knife after twisting it in his hand. It was almost like he was toying with them and Chris at least had had enough.
"I've got a clear shot." Came Sheva over the earpiece and Chris nodded. Hopefully he wouldn't be able to dodge this if he didn't see it coming. The next second seemed to last an eternity once the shot rang out…
But even that bullet missed as another hooded figure appeared from no where to push their enemy to the ground.
"I don't believe this!" Chris declared as he raced forward to restrain at least one of them before they recovered from the fall. He opted for the new arrival, grabbing her by the back of the hoodie. She yelped and kicked out trying to get free, but there was something about the voice…
He frowned and as the hood fell down, he realised.
"Claire!" It was truly a shock, neither of them expected to see Chris' younger sister here.
"Look out!" Sheva called to them and they turned back to the unknown man, who by rights should have been dead. If Claire hadn't interfered he would have been sporting a hole in the head, rather than the shoulder. He seemed completely oblivious to the injury, moving as though there were not a thing wrong. Before Jill knew it, his gun was aimed right at them. In the split second that followed, Chris pulled Claire behind him taking the shot to the torso.
Jill screamed, angry as her partners blood sprayed and stained the pure white snow. Before she knew it she was unleashing a devastating assault on the hooded terrorist. First a high kick, knocking the weapon out of his hand, no sooner had she drew her long muscular leg back than it was snapping forward, striking the mans face. His head snapped painfully to the side and she heard him grunt as blood burst from the side of his mouth.
There was no pause in her attack as Jill, angered by the situation continued to hit back and the next kick was aimed at the back of his knee. He bucked, going down only to meet her knee face on.
"You son-of-a-" She grabbed a fist full of the mans hair, the hood having slipped down. She pulled him back to his feet ready to slam the palm of her hand up into his nose. "Oh no…" She said softly as she noticed just who it was she had hold of.
"Jill, please don't. It's Leon!" She heard Claire plead but Leon was no longer in danger from her, it was Jill who was now in trouble as Leon snapped out of the daze she had managed to inflict on him and now found herself on the floor, having to roll to avoid a heel slamming down into her face.
"Damnit!" She cursed as her roll finished just beside Chris and she got a hand under him while keeping her sights on Leon who prowled menacingly, creeping towards his own weapon. "Chris?"
"I'm fine…" He ground out and managed to get back to his feet. "What the hell Claire…"
"No time to explain." The young brunette was dressed in some kind of tactical field suit, wearing a padded glove that protected her injured wrist, not to mention was a pretty formidable weapon in close combat as it appeared to carry more weight, like a more streamline boxing glove. Now that Jill thought about it, the suit looked a lot like the one Leon was wearing. Coloured to suit the backdrop of the snowy woodland.
If the situation hadn't been so dire, Jill might have demanded an explanation there and then as there was really no way to be sure Claire wasn't also brainwashed. Well there was one way, and Jill had every intention of checking as soon as they got their next break. She just hoped that Claire didn't kill them in the mean time.
It was almost too good to be true and Wesker smirked as he realised the sickening irony of the situation. He had barely escaped with his life the last time he encountered Chris and his annoying bitches and now here they were, some how alerted to Umbrellas involvement and another secret facility.
He would have cursed his luck but he was actually pleased to see them and as he replaced his darkened glasses, he was running through the facility, not to escape them, but to confront them. He'd almost killed Chris the last time when he had Jill as his puppet, but she had been strong enough to resist his control. But the procedure had been perfected and while Kennedy still showed signs of resistance, the high dose of serum currently in his system would assure Wesker of complete control. No one was that strong willed.
As Wesker made for the surface, he found himself shedding his coat and then shirt. He wasn't the only one who wanted revenge and the Uroboros that was once tranquil within his body, came to life.
His skin literally crawled; thick black ooze seeping from every pore till his bare skin was partially covered in the slick protective excretion. His hands were covered completely, right up to the bicep, the edges of the tar like substance frayed, like it was clawing to reach higher.
Usually the creature would need to envelop a host completely to exert its will, but Wesker was already willing, after all, they wanted the same. This symbiotic relationship made them stronger than they could ever be if they were alone.
Wesker didn't even feel the cold as he emerged practically naked, the slick black coating he mostly wore protected him, touched him like a lover. The damp ground hissed as he passed over it and he smiled. He had a feeling it was probably down to the heat of the volcano, some kind of chemical reaction or adaptation of the Uroboros to withstand the incredible heat.
His skin tingled, as if the parasite was trying to reassure its host he was once again correct.
He stalked slowly towards the scene. Kennedy appeared hurt. A gun shot wound no doubt, but to his delight, Chris was also injured. He smirked.
"How very nice to see you, Chris." He continued his slow approach, relishing the looks in their eyes, especially Jill's. "Jill, I knew you couldn't stay away from me for very long." Her sudden scream of anger and frustration, excited him and Uroboros suddenly knew what pleasure felt like. He laughed, relishing the sensation and delighting as the parasite tasted it for the first time, adding to the intensity of it. "Jill, do you see what you do to me?"
"Wesker!" Something he said must have hit a nerve, but not from Jill. No, despite his injury, Chris was up and speeding towards him. Wesker wasn't worried and he dodged the great clod just as easily as he dodged the incoming bullets.
He was assisted by Kennedy, who launched himself at Chris in a bid to protect his master and once again, Wesker felt that thrill run through his body. He sped to and fro, dodging the shots fired from both Jill and Chris' sibling. He had no idea where she had come from, but no matter. It was an ace he had every intension to use. She might have gotten away from him on Rockfort Island, but not this time. Both Wesker and Uroboros agreed that the pleasure of killing the Redfield girl would by surpassed by the misery of her brother and they zipped in and out of sight, going too fast at times to be seen.
Now he had her. His fingers, squeezing her throat, her skin burning under his touch. Her scream sent shivers down his spine and the parasite could take it no more.
Suddenly his skin split and the creature within emerged, thrashing the air wildly as it delighted in the pleasure it shared with its host. Each tentacle emitted a soft amber glow were its own skin bore scars of its last battle with the BSAA.
A well placed shot pierced his wrist and his grip faded, dropping the struggling brunette. He turned, smirking in the direction the shot had come from but he couldn't see the sniper. His attention was drawn once more by Jill, though this time, he had to admit, maybe he shouldn't have pissed her off…
Chris had been so enraged by Wesker that the attack from Leon caught him completely by surprise. Chris had spent a lot of time since the 'Veronica' incident building himself up, there wasn't much that could really hurt him and so far only Wesker had been able to topple him. But Leon was putting up quite a fight. The man moved quickly and was agile with it. For the most part Chris was able to block the attacks but the injury to his right side was slowing him down and it made moving difficult and painful.
Leon was unrelenting, his punches impacted Chris' midsection while his long legs easily reached head height. The guy had undergone specialist training but that merely complimented the natural skills Leon already had. Chris could see why he had been a target for Wesker and his insane plan.
"Leon! Snap out of it!" He demanded blocking an incoming kick that was quickly followed by a punch. Chris caught Leon's wrist and twisted. The guy grunted as his arm was pulled the wrong way and now Leon's back was to him. Chris quickly kicked the back of Leon's leg, knocking him to his knees and one last twist ensured Leon wasn't going anywhere…
"Kennedy! Think about what you're doing." Chris thought he had him but Leon was far more resourceful than he had ever imagined. The sound of something rolling in the wet earth was Chris' first alert and he just managed to get his eyes covered and escape the worst of the flash from the grenade, despite his quick thinking he was easily dispatched by Leon, the government agent slamming Chris hard in the face with the butt of his weapon. The blow dazed the former STARS operative but it was thanks to Claire that he would continue to breathe…
Claire thought her days were numbered when Wesker grabbed her for the pain that followed felt like acid was eating at the skin he touched. She was vaguely aware of her choked voice as she attempted to struggle free and then without warning, she found herself on the floor, Jill coming from no where to intervene.
With Wesker distracted, Claire got up and picking up her weapon she fired twice at Leon. It pained her to pull the trigger but she had to do something and this was as much for Leon as it was her brother. Once this was over, Leon would never forgive himself if he actually seriously hurt any of them.
The shots were well aimed, never actually hurting Leon badly. The most he would have would be two new scars, one to his left thigh and another at the right side of his head. The later was what finally slowed him down and as he staggered back, Claire went to her brother's side and helped him up.
"You're hurt…" Chris ground out as he got to his feet.
"It's just a burn…he…he was hot…"
"Why thank you Miss Redfield." Wesker sneered, the look in his eyes sent Claire's skin crawling when she realised the context he was referring to. "You weren't too bad yourself…I can't wait for more."
"You son-of-a-"
"Chris, ignore him, how do we help Leon?" She asked of her brother who shook his head as if to clear it of the rage he felt.
"There's a device, we need to get it off him."
"Okay, where is it?"
"Should be his chest…" Chris was obviously torn as he looked from Claire to Jill.
"Go, help her." She ordered. "Leon's out of it for now, I'll work on getting this thing off him…" She cut open Leon's suit, finding the object that was responsible for her friend's behaviour. She paid Chris no heed as she gingerly placed her fingers at each end of the oval device and pulled. The man under her groaned softly and his brow furrowed. He was coming to. She had to do this quickly.
Ignoring the obvious pain it caused her friend, Claire pulled with everything she had…
Chris picked up his weapon and ran for Wesker once again. Jill was doing a great job, holding her own against the monster Wesker had become. She avoided the Uroboros tentacles with ease, fired her weapon when she got the chance to and shouting all kinds of profanities at the Umbrella agent. It was the most pissed off he had ever seen her and he made a mental note to never piss her off, ever.
He fired off five shots and two more came from Sheva who had closed in during the course of the battle, but was still well hidden.
The three of them on him slowly started to wear the monster down, but it wasn't that which made Wesker stop.
As Chris ran in, Wesker noticed his latest test subject was down…
Dizzy…
Something was wrong. Very wrong.
Leon tried to pull himself round, but it was hard. He might not be feeling the pain of the injuries, but they still affected him. The blood loss from the shoulder wound added to the disorientation of the concussion.
But that wasn't it.
His chest, it was on fire.
Leon again tried to pull himself together, tried to move his arms, use his hands to investigate the cause of this sensation, but they refused to cooperate.
His eyes were open, but nothing made much sense. Every thing was still spinning and it blurred when he tried to focus on the figure currently over him. He wanted to speak, inquire what they were doing. Then the conditioning kicked in as the fog started to lift.
She shouldn't be doing that. The device, he wasn't allowed to touch it, no one bust Wesker and the technicians…
"Don't…" He tried to command her but she just pulled harder and the sensation tore through his body and he suddenly felt very sick. It was strange, like his soul was being clawed out of him…removed…
His thoughts became chaotic, gone was the certainty, no more did he know what was real. Doubt was creeping in as the device and the wires that snaked beneath his skin slowly lost their purchase.
It hurt and with that pain, came the pain of a hundred other injuries.
The gun shots, the bruises, the cuts and…and the memories.
The memories hurt the most.
He screamed as the device finally gave up its hold and as Claire pulled and the wires slowly slid from inside, his scream became a choked sob which in turn became a sigh of relief as briefly the darkness claimed him…
It didn't last long, maybe a few seconds and when reality and all the pain came flooding back he saw who it was who had freed him.
"C…Claire?" He looked up at her weakly, chest burning, vision blurred but nestled close to her, her arm under him her free hand stroking his cheek.
"Leon…" She seemed relieved and it took a moment for him to remember why, but her tone changed quickly. "Can you get up?"
"I…"
He needed to rest, he was exhausted but…now was definitely not the time.
"Claire…look out!" With the little strength he had left, Leon pushed his friend out of the way…but he couldn't defend himself from Wesker…or the Uroboros that now lifted Leon from the floor.