Disclaimer: Go back to Chapter One.
'Overcome by your moving temple,
Overcome by this holiest of altars,
So Pure, So Rare,
To Witness Such an Earthly Goddess.'
Magdalena – A Perfect Circle
XxXxXxXxX
She groaned loudly, causing the pounding in her head to intensify. Alice tried to turn over but her intentions were restricted. The metal she was lying on clanked with her every budge, belts held down her arms and legs. She was restrained and she didn't like it one bit.
She kept shifting, hoping to at least loosen the belts, but to no avail. Alice sighed.
"Fuck…"
That's when the crashing caught her attention. Her head shot up towards the sound, drafting her eyes towards a cream colored door.
Crash!
Silence.
Crash!
The sound seemed to increase each passing moment. Alice remained still. Sweat began to bead on her forehead.
The door began to vibrate, the metal of the door against the metal of the hinges created an annoying scraping sound. The noise continued for quite some time until finally, there was a pop and the door was no longer there. Alice released a breath and began to move around.
White eyes peered into the room and stared straight at her. Its pale skin was illuminated by the white walls while its green trench coat blended almost perfectly with the darkness that loomed outside. It opened its mouth but no noise came out. Alice stared at it and it stared back. But suddenly it moved away from the door, letting what little the outside light had to offer, pour into the room. The brunette let out a solemn laugh and threw her head back in relief, but it didn't last long. Footsteps echoed around her and once again, Alice went silent. Her head shifted downward and azure eyes landed on dark sapphire. The newcomer had dusty brown hair that barely covered his eyes. His light brown jacket made his form somewhat bulkier that what it really is, but still showcased his fluid movements; a black rifle was nestled snug in his arms.
He regarded Alice for awhile, cocking his head to the side.
His eyes seemed to be trained on her chest. She looked down and noticed what had caught his attention. Beside the new garb Umbrella had decked her out with, there below her clavicle, was the Umbrella insignia, seemingly claiming her once again, as their property. She looked back up at the man.
"I'm not…" He held his hand up, cutting her off. He flung the rifle to behind his back and made his way towards her.
"I know. We came to several rooms like this, people wearing identical outfits, claiming not to be Umbrella but we got jumped. That's why I waited," He unfastened the restraints, allowing Alice to fully pick herself up, rubbing her arms in the process, "sorry for the scare." Alice smirked.
"Abernathy?" The brunette twisted her head.
"Pardon?" The man shrugged.
"Your name?" Alice quirked an eyebrow, a smirk plastered on her face.
"Alice, actually." The man laughed.
"Apologies, it just said 'Abernathy' outside the door." Alice waved a hand in front of her face in a non-caring manner. The man held out a hand to help Alice off the table, she gladly took it and was guided to the floor. She dusted herself off and placed her hands on her hips, staring at the other with her.
"I didn't catch your name." He looked at her while brushing some loose strands of hair out of his face.
"Leon S. Kennedy." Alice nodded.
"Pleasure."
"Same." Leon reached behind him, pushing his jacket off to the side. He grasped a pistol and handed it to Alice. She held the weapon loosely. A mighty fine .45.
"We should get going." He headed towards the door, awaiting Alice to follow him.
Minutes pass with them walking down the quiet hallways. Bodies were strewn about, both long dead and nicely fresh. Leon and Alice hadn't spoken since freeing the brunette, but curiosity finally had gotten the better of her.
"What was the thing that opened the door?" Leon turned towards her but continued on walking.
"A tyrant. I've had that one since the Raccoon City incident. Found him in an abandoned laboratory. He follows voice commands but sometimes her shorts out and gets kind of feisty."
"You were at Raccoon?" Leon stopped and fully turned around.
"Yeah, I was a rookie cop, first day on the job too. I was stuck in the police department, along with a couple others. Myself and two others were able to escape, though we decided to go our separate ways, myself heading West while she moved more towards the South-West." Alice pondered for a moment.
"She?" Leon nodded.
"Two she's actually. One being a child. From what I gathered, the kid went with another group of survivors while Claire continued south." The brunette's eyes widened. She wasn't sure if she heard that correctly.
"Claire…Redfield…?" Leon's eyebrows perked up.
"Yeah! You know her?" Alice nodded slowly.
"In Nevada, she had a convoy there. They traveled to Alaska, with what little survivors were left, and we soon made our way to Los Angeles." Leon looked at her and remained quiet, knowing that there was to be more to this story.
"I…don't know where she is now. We got attacked by Umbrella and…" The images of Claire on the ground, screaming in pure agony, holding down what little remained of her knee. Her screams tore through Alice's ears, causing her to shut her eyes tightly. "And…everything just went…dark." Leon stayed silent for a few moments, letting Alice's words sink in.
"Umbrella might still have her, but not at this building. Knowing your history together, they'd keep you as far away from each other as possible. Come on, we've got to get going."
It was desolate outside. Quiet and unnerving, but the sun was shining bright. More bodies caked the sidewalks and streets but there were no undead roaming about. There was so much strain in the air though, Alice seemed to almost choke.
A couple hundred feet ahead of the two were others, the beast that had opened the door leading to Alice's rescue and a tall man in a red jacket. Leon brought two fingers to his lips and let out a long whistle, gaining the others attention. The man in red turned around and waved them over. Leon looked back at Alice and nudged his head forward, in a beckoning 'follow' movement.
The tyrant and the man in red waited until in place until Leon and Alice were close enough to see the whites of their eyes.
"Leon…" The man nodded.
"Barry, good to see you still alive." Barry shrugged.
"Not much can keep an old man like me down." The tyrant groaned beside him.
"I'd like you to meet Alice," Leon moved aside so Alice could shake the bearded man's hand, "she was the one in the room."
Barry had sullen eyes and a scraggly face, but he smiled happily as he took her hand in his own. His receding hair line was what truly gave away his true age. Alice smiled back and caught what he was looking at.
The insignia. He let go of her hand and leaned forward to get a better look.
"You're Umbrella property, huh?" Alice frowned.
"Umbrella still seems to think so." Barry rose back up and scratched his chin.
"Bah, no matter. You seem dandy enough to trust to me." Barry smiled again, erasing all tension that had built up.
'I guess there really is some hope left in this world' Alice thought.
XxXxXxXxX
The brace on her leg made moving difficult, let alone barely possible, but she pushed herself. She had to leave…and now. The building was falling apart all around her, the pillars crumbled and walls barricaded many of the rooms. The dust entered her airway, throwing her into a coughing fit. She began to pant wildly. Out. Out.
Claire needed to get out.
