Beware! Graphic Content Ahead!
Chapter III: Where Is The One That Can Save Me?
Alexia was becoming steadily very annoyed and even the beautiful architecture she had admired at first could not distract her from the bothersome feeling. It was only noon and already she had been asked more than a dozen times if she were lost and if she would like someone to find her parents. She would then coldly explain that she was quite well aware of where she was and that she was a student attending the university, much to the bafflement of whoever she spoke with. She could understand their confusion, she was only nine years old after all. But that still didn't mean she had to enjoy every time someone spouted the same overused concerned phrases. Not only had this been abhorrent but she found something else that she found slightly irksome. The child genius knew it was only the first day but the curriculum already bored her. However, she also viewed this positively. Her goal was to finish her schooling within a year, two at the very most (though that was not a desirable route). When accomplished, it would be easy to get the recognition she rightfully deserved from Umbrella and, of course, William Birkin.
And speaking of the dear doctor, Alexia had already found it in her fortune to notice one particular man who resembled him. It wasn't a striking likeness but she could see subtle similarities that were easy for her to pick out; anyone else probably wouldn't have noticed all. His name was Christian Everette and his magnetic charisma was a trait that was readily apparent to anyone within the vicinity of the dark-haired student. From all the information she had gathered of Birkin, he and Everette couldn't be more different personality-wise. Not to mention there was something about the man's inviting, insipid green eyes that made her feel disgust towards him in some part of her mind whenever he happened to catch her stealing a glance at him (much to her vexation) and that feeling wasn't born from getting caught staring. However, she still couldn't deny the fact that the two shared fairly similar facial and body structures and that was enough to gain Alexia's attention.
The girl was happy to let her mind wander to these thoughts as she strolled about campus, it distracted her from the many pairs of confused eyes openly gawking in her direction. She felt a vague happiness that she wasn't entirely sure was well-founded, after all they were two entirely different people. It just didn't seem right to experience that same emotion even if it was only a vague feeling. Alexia bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from smiling as her thoughts danced about in her mind like a gentle flurry of snowflakes. Don't. She chided herself mentally. He is not Dr. Birkin. They don't resemble each other that much and their personalities differ greatly. Regardless of her thoughts, the corner of her mouth were still threatening to tilt upwards. Still… I suppose…
Her mental chatter was then interrupted. "Hey, hold on sec, kiddo." A male voice spoke as she felt a large, warm hand place itself on one of her dainty shoulders. Her first reaction was that of anger at the unwanted nickname until she turned around to face the person to whom the silky voice belonged. Unsettling jade eyes stared down into young eyes that shone like sapphires. The scathing words that she had prepared died on her lips as she stared at the man before her, who was smiling at her in the most gentle manner she had ever seen; there was a tenderness in that single expression that she didn't ever recall receiving before. "I wanted to ask you something but you just kept walking. I guess you didn't hear me then, did you?" He had a simple way of speaking compared to Alexia but just like the intellectually gifted child, the man had a certain quality about him that demanded the attention of everyone within earshot of his alluring voice.
Alexia stood silently for a moment, she wasn't about to risk sounding as shocked as she felt (though she felt is very begrudgingly, of course). With a silent deep breath, she replied, "My apologies, I'm afraid I was rather lost in my thoughts." The older man had a shadow of confusion pass over his face at hearing a child speak in such a formal way. "Also, I would it appreciate it very much if you would not refer to me as…" She stopped for a moment recalling the inane term that had been used as an address towards herself, she continued on with some disdain in her voice. "'Kiddo'… again. My name is Alexia Ashford."
"Ah, it has a nice alliteration effect." It wasn't said sarcastically or even in a mocking fashion but rather it was said in a way that it felt more like he was making a proposal of marriage to her. It made even Alexia fight to keep any sign of a blush on her face under strict control, not to mention it left her wondering how such a simple sentence produced such a reaction from her. "Well, then Miss Ashford, I'm sorry. I promise I won't ever do it again. And while we're talking, might as well get all introductions out of the way. I'm Christian Everette."
"I know," Alexia replied automatically, "You seem to be quite popular among… many people." By 'many people' Alexia meant everyone. Everyone that she saw Christian interact with so far had immediately fallen under his spell. She was reluctant to admit it but even she felt like she was being pulled in by his irresistible charm. "Now, you had a question to ask me, did you not?"
"Oh right!" Christian replied, a slight shocked remembrance added to his usual tone. "I'm kind of lost. Do you know where the chapel is?"
Alexia herself wasn't very religious, she found religion interesting but didn't really have any faith in any sort of higher being. She really wasn't entirely sure what she believed in since she had never really bothered to ponder upon a subject that she didn't care to spare some time for. However, she still knew where the university's chapel was located. She had taken upon herself the task of memorizing the Princeton campus to avoid being lost as Christian was. "Yes. It is-"
"Could you take me there?" Christian interrupted the young blond before she could rattle off directions. Alexia glared at him in anger for having her words disrupted. Christian couldn't help but shrink back a bit under the scrutiny of her powerful gaze. "Sorry but I'll probably just end up getting myself lost if I try to find my way there by myself." He apologized, adding a slightly helpless note to his voice. Alexia just nodded stiffly before walking off without a word. Christian followed beside her, that infinitely benevolent smile returning to his lips.
We're close to the Lewis Thomas Lab so… we must head north-west in order to get to the chapel. Alexia thought to herself, imagining a mental map as the two walked in silence towards their destination. The little girl simply stared resolutely ahead, she absolutely refused to look up at Christian whose own gaze she could feel trained solely on her. He is most likely thinking that I should not be here. More silence stretched between the two, suffocating them both though neither paid any attention to such tension. Alexia wasn't bothered by the quiet, however she was bothered by the blatant staring she could see from her peripheral vision. The young Ashford was quite fond of being the center of attention but for some reason she couldn't help but feel inexplicably uncomfortable. If he wishes to say something to me he should just say it already.
As soon as she thought that, Christian then spoke as if he had been reading her mind, "How old are you?"
I knew it. She sighed in unhidden exasperation. Clearly, she was a child so was it really necessary to be asked that as well as the other questions she'd been bothered with? It was of no consequence what her answer was, the reaction always seemed to be the same. "I am currently nine years of age." She answered, trying to make her voice sound as civil as she could but a tune of annoyance still sang through her words. Alexia finally looked up at Christian as if challenging him to ask her yet another asinine inquiry.
However, his expression simply seemed thoughtful and vaguely pleased yet at the same time it was mixed with some darker emotion that Alexia couldn't seem to place. "That's amazing. I don't think I've ever heard of a kid going to university." He murmured, more to himself than to her. A hush descended upon them once more and Alexia found herself feeling oddly relieved that he was no longer looking at her. Eventually, Christian spoke once again, asking curiously, "What do you plan to do once you're finished here?"
"None of your business." She replied immediately but then regretted it, knowing that her response had been unnecessarily rude. "Forgive me. I am not one to engage in casual conversation. But even so, I do not see a point in telling you as I highly doubt that it could be of any interest to you." Relating future ambitions to a stranger did not seem to be anything more than a waste of time, which was the most notable reason as to why no one knew much about the girl (except for her brother). Her personal tastes and habits were for her to know alone, no one else had any reason to know of her life on a personal level. She, in return, did not desire that sort of information of anyone else either, with the exception of course of that certain doctor.
Christian chuckled quietly at her response with a gentle happiness; a low and pleasing sound. "I've never had someone talk to me so formally before. Though when you say those kind of cold words, they sound endearing." Alexia remained silent as she denied the flush lightly painting her pale face. "But I'm curious to know. I mean, what exactly does a kid genius do after finishing university?"
Alexia didn't speak for a few moments, deciding whether or not it was all right to tell Christian. She was certain she would gain recognition throughout the world as being the youngest head researcher ever. He would most likely know eventually anyway. "I want to work for Umbrella."
"That pharmaceutical company?" Christian asked with a little surprise, though really in his mind it did seem like a logical route for the girl to take. Alexia simply nodded as the chapel came into view ahead of them. It was a majestic building made of stone with windows of stained glass, encompassing a feeling that was Gothic in nature. She could have left and gone back to Pyne Hall and back to her room, but it was such a breathtaking structure Alexia decided that she wanted a closer look of the chapel. "That's a pretty high profile company. Why do you want to work for them specifically?" He was pretty sure that Umbrella's rival companies would love such intellect working for them.
"My grandfather co-founded the company. It just seemed fitting for me to work for them." She replied easily though she was all too well aware of what a heinous lie that was. While she spoke all her mind could think to scream very rapidly was, William Birkin! You look like him. Did you know that? Anyway, I want to finish attending Princeton as soon as possible and work for Umbrella. Then I can finally meet him. Yes, I know… I haven't even met him yet, shameful isn't it? Oh well, I am just so excited. I hope this year goes by fast. And if I have to stay here for more than a year I'll… Alexia immediately put a stop to her child self and the incessant juvenile words she spoke. Never would she allow herself to speak such nonsense aloud (as true as that nonsense might be).
Christian wasn't really informed as to Umbrella's history; so the name 'Ashford' hadn't really meant much to him when Alexia had first introduced herself. "Wow, I didn't realize you had ties to the business. It's good that you already know what you want to do. I really have no idea since I'm not really all that interested in molecular biology." He commented with as slight shrug as they were becoming ever-closer to the beautiful chapel.
"Then why did you choose to study it?" She questioned. It seemed odd to her when it cost quite a bit of money to attend Princeton, not to mention the other things required for admission. Given his natural allure and heavenly voice, she figured one of the arts programs would be better suited to him. But who I am to assume something like that? I do not really know him at all. I'm sure he must have his own reasons for studying molecular biology just like I have mine. It made her wish she could retrieve her words from the tranquil air.
Christian simply shrugged again in response and stopped walking, standing before the large structure looming over them. "So what do you think of the chapel?"
"The architecture is absolutely stunning." She breathed looking at the stone building with masked awe.
"Yeah, I think so too." He lowered his gaze from the sacred place and turned his vision towards Alexia. "Thanks for showing me the way but I already knew how to get here."
Alexia quickly moved her eyes from the chapel to Christian jade eyes. "You already knew? Then why did you request that I show you how to get here?"
An innocent yet playfully devious smirk placed itself on the man's features. "I'm not exactly as clever as you are. So how else was I supposed to talk to you?" Alexia blinked a few times in shock. It wasn't the first time someone wished to have her acquaintance but since it was Christian her pleasant blush from before came back and intensified, for no reason she could understand. Was it just because he happened to share similar features with Birkin? At the same time, it made her feel unfathomably repulsed, spreading though her entire body as if the feeling was crawling around like many insects beneath her skin. To Christian though, all he saw was an embarrassed yet flattered young girl. "Even though you seem to like acting like an adult, you're a pretty cute kid. Anyway, I have to go now." He flashed her another kind smile and gave quick wave before walking off. "See ya, Lexi."
Alexia didn't say a word of farewell, simply staying silent. Lexi…? No one has ever called me that before… But at that moment she didn't particularly care about the nickname since it was her emotions that she was focusing on. She felt… strange. And she couldn't ascertain whether it was a good feeling or a bad one.
Weeks passed by and the foliage on the trees were beginning to turn lovely warm hues of orange, red, and yellow. In that time, Alexia and Christian were slowly creating the only friendship Alexia had ever known. Although, she hadn't intended for the relationship to form she was secretly quite happy to have gained a friend in Christian. Happy to make pleasant memories with someone every time they listened to the Arch Sings at Blair Hall, took strolls by the Fountain of Freedom, met by the Mather Sundial, hunted down certain books in the Firestone Library together, wandered the campus simply admiring the old buildings, or when Alexia helped Christian study Biostatistics or Neurobiology at the Frist Campus Center. All of it became ingrained into their thoughts.
However, despite her time spent with the man, she was still proceeding through her major at such an incredible rate that none of her professors knew how to keep up with her. They were beginning notice that it seemed that the child was teaching herself the curriculum along with the lectures she attended. When one of her instructors questioned her about her ambitious study habits she merely responded with, "I am not to be bothered with the fact that my fellow classmates cannot seem to grasp concepts that are rather elementary to one such as myself. I will not let their lower intelligence hinder my timely completion of my study here." Already they were contemplating on letting her take the GRE and moving onto graduate courses.
Christian also easily noticed that she was far more advanced than anyone else taking their course. 'Advanced' didn't even seem to be the proper word or strong enough to convey just how much her intelligence outmatched that of everyone, including the professors. Although the façade he showed her (not to mention everyone else) was one that was immensely entrancing, his true personality was one that was a great deal more sinister. Alexia's intellect left him feeling the strong pulls of jealousy, an emotional wildfire that was ridiculously simple to ignite where Christian was concerned. He hadn't yet acted or shown any sign as to his envious nature. But on the day of the first snowfall, instead of going to the Holder Courtyard with some of his other friends he spent time with Alexia at Blair Hall, listening to the harmonic sounds that filled the building. It was there that Alexia informed him of her nearing completion of her undergraduate courses. And it was there that his envy reached its breaking point.
He had left her with a delicate and genuine smile upon her face after congratulating her with a sincerity that seemed positively angelic, as if he should have donned a halo and a pair of pure white wings to go along with the gospel melody surrounding them. He had returned to his lonely yet strangely extravagant dorm room back at Lockhart Hall where he shifted through his constantly replenished stash of various bottles filled with strong alcohol. Making himself a drink, he began to think about what the pretty young girl had told him. He was quite fond of Alexia but that affection didn't destroy his selfish ways. How could it be that a child could be succeeding so easily in life whereas he was constantly on the verge of falling apart?
His guise of self-confidence suggested otherwise of course, but that's all it was: a mask. Christian was worlds different than the persona he put forth in day-to-day life. In reality, Christian was a lazy, self-centered alcoholic whose memories plagued him in ways that compromised greatly the well-being of his sanity. If those memories didn't exist or the events that created them didn't happen, he often wondered if he would've been more like the self-assured person he invented for himself? However, those internal struggles of regret were not what concerned him.
Picking up his special knife, he flopped down on the couch, lightly dragging the memento's blade across the fabric of the armrest, and lost himself in thought as he sat in the darkness while lazily watching the snowflakes that drifted down from the blackened sky. Why did everything have to go right for that little girl? Did she even know what disappointment felt like? Never once had he seen any sort of misfortune befall her. What right did she have in walking about with such an air of aloofness and, from time to time, one of sadness? What could possibly make her feel unhappy? With the life she lived, she should have been walking around being downright ecstatic.
That's when an idea started slowly forming in the man's mind. Just like every other human she too deserved to experience the acrid taste of failure. And where better to strike her than where her academic career was concerned? But he wondered how he should go about such a feat. He definitely could not outdo her with his own limited intelligence against her expansive knowledge. No, he needed to use the gifts allotted to him. That gift, he knew, lay in his ability to captivate those around him and manipulate them as he wished. Alexia however seemed to be able to resist most of his enchantment simply using her determined willpower. Someone else would need to be the victim of his charm. And he soon decided upon his target. Professor Valentina Svargas, a woman that was enraptured with Alexia's genius but was just as enthralled by Christian as a person, thus seemed easy enough to bend to his will.
It was the very next day that Christian decided to follow-through with his plan. He stayed after that day's lecture, waiting until everyone else had filed out of the room (telling Alexia he would meet with her later) and only the two of them remained. After he silently locked the door, Christian looked at the woman thoughtfully as she shifted through various papers, unaware of his lingering presence in the room. Valentina was a woman in her early thirties with fiery red hair and green eyes. But unlike Christian's eyes, Valentina's were the coloring of shimmering emeralds; bright with knowledge, confidence, and vitality. If his attentions did not already belong to another, he was sure that there was a good possibility he would have sought to gain more intimate relations with the pretty professor.
Quietly, he casually sauntered over to the woman, only offering a small smile when she looked up once she noticed he was standing there. "Oh, Mr. Everette!" She exclaimed in a hidden fluster. "Is there something I can do for you?"
"Actually there is, professor." He murmured in reply. "I have something to ask of you." He decided that it was best not to waste time and not give Valentina the chance to think logically. Seduction was best executed quickly so the lust that clouded all thought did not clear and afford time for retreating to reason. So he removed the papers from her hands and closed the distance between them, placing one hand on her hip and letting a few fingers sneak their way beneath her pink blouse, allowing them to rest on her soft skin. With the other hand, he gently tipped her chin upwards and gazed directly into her eyes.
"What are you d-…?" Valentina demanded with a tremble in her voice but it was easy to tell that she fully understood what he intended to do. Even if she hadn't, it was made very clear within the next following moments. Christian pressed his lips softly to the older woman's before sliding his tongue into her mouth, meeting with no resistance from the instructor. Gently exploring her mouth, he moved his hands away from their positions and began to slowly undo the buttons of her top then threw it aside.
Breaking away from the tender kiss, he started to lightly lead a trail of warm kisses up her jaw until his lips were close to her ear. "Valentina," His whispered intimately, sending a shiver of delight to shudder through the woman and made her feel lightheaded, "I want you to do something for me." His speech took on a husky tone, giving a devilish sound to his angelic voice.
"Anything." She whimpered helplessly as she felt his hands travel up her sides, feeling like hellfire traveling across her skin.
Christian smiled, pleased at how smoothly his plan was going. "I want you to make Alexia Ashford feel unintelligent for once. I want you to make her to fail this course." He explained slowly in a murmur. This was where he expected there might be a little bit of persuasion needed but he was wrong.
For Valentina Svargas, at that moment, could only vaguely remember who the Ashford girl was. Smart and young, that was all she could remember. "Of course." She breathed in submission. All she cared about was the close proximity between Christian and herself, the way his gentle hands felt on her body, the feeling of his hot breath on her exposed skin…
How can this be happening? This is completely impossible! I… I am the most intelligent person I've ever known… I… there must be some kind of mistake… Alexia lay very still on her bed, her face pressed into a white pillow as she gazed out into the cloudy nighttime sky out the window across the room. She was completely baffled by the news she had received from the red-headed professor earlier. She also felt extremely angry and vaguely depressed. She couldn't think of any logical reason to why the professor that thought so highly of her would grade her so badly. Never in her life had Alexia had such a disappointing mark in any subject, let alone one she held great interest in.
Christian had tried to cheer up the unhappy girl but she deflected all his efforts and retreated to her dorm after her explosion of anger erupting towards Valentina. She had immediately crawled in her bed upon her arrival in the simple but private living quarters and had stayed there as the hours dragged by. She knew it was only one course but even one class was one too many for her to be doing poorly in. 'Poorly' was never an adjective that had ever been associated with herself and she was not pleased with it now having some semblance of relevance in her life.
She had briefly wondered if she should inform her father in one of their bi-weekly correspondences or bother ranting to Alfred in her frequent letters to him. But she was still in too much shock to even pick up a pen or a piece of paper to scrawl any words of the distressing news. She also felt sporadic waves of denial, which would be countered by self-doubt, but another wave would later return. Perhaps she's jealous of my superior intellect? … No, no… that couldn't be it… She did not show any signs of having any envy in her… Professor Svargas even seemed to be… upset upon telling me… She didn't want to think of anything too specific about the event, …about it…
She sighed sadly, closing her eyes and burying her face deeper into her pillow as she began to feel the strong pull of sleep beckoning her. I wonder what Dr. Birkin would think… ? Would he be as furious as I was when I found out… or… She noticed that her stomach began experiencing an odd sinking sensation that wasn't enjoyable, …would he be disappointed in me? She shook her head as if the thought would simply fly away from her mind with the action but no such thing happened. It just stayed there, floating idly. But since there is no possible way he would know… he simply must not care at all… In a way, it wasn't a horrible thought but it was by far not a comforting one either. Not wanting to think about her misfortune anymore, Alexia let herself drift off into troubled sleep.
The next morning, she wrote the two notes for her family members before heading off to the Frist Campus Center to check her own mail before she delivered the letters. She turned the combination lock the required amount of times, stopping on the correct numbers, then opened it. There was only a solitary letter sitting there, waiting to be opened and have its contents read. She lazily retrieved it from it place in the small box and opened it without bothering to look at the address, simply assuming it to be a letter from someone in her family. However, she almost dropped the other items in her other hands upon seeing the familiar symbol on the page, the white and red logo of Umbrella. Immediately, she began to read it with great haste. It read:
Dear Miss Alexia Ashford,
It has come to my attention that you excel greatly in your current major of molecular biology at Princeton. Due to this, your skills would be very welcome here at Umbrella Corp. Normally, I would not hire one so very young and especially in such a line of work however your grades would be exceptional even if you were a full grown woman.
Now, I am readily offering you a station of employment within the company as soon as you finish your schooling. I assume that you will want to finish before joining the company. The title that I wish to bestow upon you is that of 'head researcher' at your father's lab since all research there seems to be at a stand still. Some fresh ideas from a young lady like yourself could prove to be very valuable to the company.So, if you are interested in accepting this proposal then please respond to this letter as soon as possible.
Respectfully yours,
Lord Ozwell E. Spencer
Alexia had to keep herself from outright sprinting to a table to immediately write a response, whipping out a pen and piece of paper from her bag almost violently. She didn't care if her father had begged Spencer to consider her as an employee or if Spencer spied on her, she almost didn't care at that moment whether or not her reply to the offer was formal or not. However, she tried her best to answer in a polite and concise manner while conveying her enthusiasm to work for the company but tried not to seem to eager either.
It seems everything might be able to work out to my favour despite the slight mishap with professor Svargas. She tried to fight the smile threatening to brighten her face but she kept it in stoic check as she finished up preparing the third letter she needed to send. And as she dropped it off to where it needed to be in order to be delivered, all she could think was, Dr. Birkin… I'll finally meet him.
Much time passed between that joyous day and the day that would prove to be a nightmare. In the months that had sped by, Alexia had righted her previous unacceptable marks in Svargas' class by getting the woman fired from her job for wrongfully giving her a low grade. Alexia had also been moved on to her graduate courses, which she studied with great fervor. The girl had also informed Christian of the important letter she had received from the well-known company. She noted with some confusion that while the man had seemed to genuinely congratulate her, he had avoided her for a little while after that, then returned with his usual friendliness as if nothing had happened. Aside from that slight strange occurrence, the year had been going quite well.
It was early on a gorgeous spring evening and the Ashford girl walked about the campus in a content manner after deciding that she deserved a small break from her endless hard work. Unfortunately, the girl hadn't been well-versed in all the various traditions that took place within the university. That day was April 24th or more commonly known to the student body as 'Newman's Day'. Alexia didn't realize that on Newman's Day it was tradition for students to attempt to drink twenty-four beers within twenty-four hours. But it was easy to perceive the many intoxicated people stumbling around her, holding bottles or cans of the frothy liquor. It was bothersome, to say the least, that her tranquil stroll was broken up by drunken mumblings and random shouting. She wasn't opposed to alcohol itself but she was opposed to the ridiculous behavior it could cause.
Wanting to avoid an outburst of annoyance when she was supposed to be relaxing, Alexia turned around to head back to her dorm. Instead of meeting with the previously clear path, she met with Christian standing before her. A small smile crossed her lips in greeting but slowly dissolved just a little as she caught sight of a bottle hanging limply in his grasp. "You cannot seriously be taking part in this idiocy." She stated bluntly in an unimpressed tone.
Christian motioned with the bottle slightly and slurred while returning her smile, "Tradition." He took light swig of the bottle and Alexia surmised that he must've been fairly far gone considering his speech patterns, body movements, and the blood-shot look in his eyes, not to mention the fact that it was eight in the evening and it seemed he'd been keeping up with the hours very well in terms of bottles. He eyed her warily for a moment (succeeding in making Alexia experience once again that odd uneasiness she still sometimes felt around him) before he asked, "Hey, wann' hang out-at my room?"
Alexia's first reaction was to feel dubious as to Christian's request but then dismissed the inkling of any ill intuition. She never admitted to him or vocalized it in any way, but she trusted the older man more than she had ever trusted anyone else besides her brother. So she answered along with a nod, "All right. Your room is located at Lockhart Hall, correct?" Alexia decided that spending time with one drunk instead out in a campus full of them was a much more agreeable situation. Also she was somewhat curious to see what kind of dorm Christian had gotten. He'd mentioned that he had no roommate at all and that the large dorm was sometimes akin to a lonely apartment. Alexia's own dorm was also a single room but her room was small though it was still to her liking.
"Yeah, les' go." Christian mumbled drunkenly as he wandered off towards the hall where his dorm was located, leading Alexia towards the small beautiful building. Christian fumbled with the door and attempted to blink his vision into clarity as Alexia tried her best to wait with patience. At length, the man eventually managed to stumble into the living quarters and Alexia followed in after him, closing the door behind her. As Christian went about the living room area placing the items in his hands where he deemed them (not even bothering to turn any lights on), the young girl looked around the large area. Christian had been quite right in saying that it was more like a large apartment than a dorm. For one person it was more than enough room. The room even had enough space for a fireplace! "You can si' down. Wann' me to make ya something' to eat?" He asked in his strange speech, though he still seemed to be holding onto that blessed voice he possessed.
Alexia sat down on the black couch that faced the regal fireplace. "No, I am not currently all that hungry. In any case, are you sure you should be cooking in your current state?" She inquired, looking over her shoulder towards the kitchen area.
"I'm fine." Christian replied as he moved various dishes around the area but then stopped what he was doing abruptly. "Hey, Lexi wanna tour of the place?" He questioned, exercising as much control over his voice as he could manage. He knew he would probably never get to have a chance like this ever again, so why not take the opportunity?
Alexia looked around the entirety of the conjoined living room space and kitchen section. There were only two other doors aside from the one they had entered from and the girl could only assume that one led to a bathroom and the other to a bedroom. She started to get a feeling like her thoughts were trying to pull her towards them, to listen to them. They were telling her to leave. To leave immediately. But without just cause to do so, the girl just shrugged. "Certainly." She replied politely.
Christian then went to a door located to the right of the couch and motioned for her to follow him. She got off the couch despite that the growing dread that was pulling at her violently like a game of tug of war. The dark-haired man opened the door and signaled for her to go in, "Ladies firs'." Alexia just smiled at her friend before entering the darkness of the room. She scanned about the room, making out some silhouettes in the descending darkness. It was a nice room though not that big in comparison to the rest of the place. But Alexia didn't get the chance to appraise the room any further for suddenly everything became a whirl of motion as she felt arms wrapped around her body, leaving her very little time to struggle. As soon as everything came to a halt, Alexia could feel the blankets of the bed beneath her and as for what was above her, all she could see were a pair of pale green eyes.
"Christian, what are you…?" Alexia began, keeping her voice as steady as it would be normally. She refused to let the strange circumstance override her control over her nerves.
"C'mon, you're a clever girl, what d'you think?" He murmured as he brushed some of her golden locks away from her face as he smiled but it wasn't in his usual friendly and charming manner, instead it was a lecherous smirk. Alexia felt her stomach flip-flopping in disgust and denied fear, a level of repulsion she wasn't ever aware she could experience physically. It was then that she realized why those jade eyes unsettled her. There was something about them that made them perfect for leering and seducing, making you feel vulnerable and shamed. She wanted to scream, she really did but nothing seemed to want to escape from her throat. At the same time, she also didn't want to show she was afraid.
"Lexi, d'you like bed-time stories?" The girl didn't say a word. "Well, I'll tell ya one anyway." He leaned over her and opened the drawer to the bedside table then retrieved an object that gave a small glimmer in the dying sun. He closed the drawer and then showed her the item. It was a knife. A tantō to be exact. It had a black hilt decorated with gold just above and the entire blade seemed to be stained with blood. "This shouldn' be here, know why? 'Cause this is actually evidence of a double homicide." Christian explained and Alexia's sinking feeling only increased, beginning to show in her expression. "Oh don' worry, Lexi. I've never used it on anyone yet. No, this is my reminder of that day. I bet you wouldn't understand what it's like to watch the two people you care most abou' kill each other, huh?" He regarded the knife thoughtfully for a moment as if reliving the painful and damaging memories. "These tantō are used mainly for stabbin'. So guess wha' my mum did with this?" He made a few stabbing motions toward Alexia, who focused only on staying silent. "Then my dad shot her right here," he gently placed the dull edge of the blade right on her forehead, "An' then they were both dead."
I cannot lose control, stay calm. Alexia took a deep breath and forced her voice to start working once again as the man removed the blade and placed it in his left hand. "Christian, I…"
But he interrupted her as if she hadn't even spoke, "I won't hurt you, Lexi. You do make me pretty angry sometimes but I jus' can't seem to ignore your blue eyes, your pretty hair, how you smell…" Christian dipped his face into the crook of her neck, kissing her soft skin sweetly. He started to undo the buttons on her shirt beginning from the bottom. Alexia truly thought she was going to vomit but couldn't move, paralyzed by all the negative emotions. Then it seemed she suddenly remembered that she was still technically merely a nine year old girl despite her mature mental age. For whatever reason, that seemed to jumpstart her panic.
First, it began with a little hyperventilation until it quickly escalated to her thrashing around and screaming as loud as her voice would go. Obviously not wanting to get caught, Christian decided to silence her with a kiss. But, of course, that only made things worse. Her eyes began to want to water. No! No, crying! You're stronger than this! Just close your eyes… now pretend it's Dr.Birkin… …No! He would never do this! No! No, this is wrong! NO! She tried to push the man away from her small body but since he liked to frequent the Stephens Fitness Center and was an adult male, he had more strength than she did. I am not letting this happen! Not to me! She thought defiantly as she began to reach around her, grabbing the first thing her fingers touched. An uncapped pen.
Christian pulled away upon feeling her grab something but just as he opened his eyes to look he soon had a pen plunged into his right eye, bursting the blood vessels in the choroid, and letting the crimson fluid paint his face. As he screamed in agony, trying to swing his knife madly, Alexia rolled onto the floor and escaped from the room. Once out of the room she looked around for some sort of item of defense. She wasn't going to just run away. Not one soul got away with doing something so foul to an Ashford. Her eyes landed on the black iron fire poker, sitting innocently in its holder beside the fireplace. She lunged for the make-shift weapon right away and then faced the door to the bedroom where the painful howling was beginning to die away.
Christian soon stumbled out of the darkness of the room. "Alexia… why?" He pleaded almost like a broken child, his face streaked with tears and blood.
Alexia's grip tightened on the iron held in her fingers and a darker expression covered her face. "Why? Well, I would think that much would be obvious." She growled venomously. No turning back now. "I cannot believe I put my trust in such a despicable, worthless being. Desperate and superficial. I am ashamed to think I wasted my precious time with someone as wretched as you. I cannot think of anything more lowly than attacking a child for a life you only wish you had. You're an absolute waste of a human being."
Christian's heart seemed to break and yet at the same time healed, as if he had needed someone to tell him those words. He needed affirmation that he was exactly as he thought he was, not what everyone else perceived of him. It ended his long-battle with indecision. He wanted it now, that death she was willing to give him. In so many words, she had stated what he already knew. His life was not needed in the world. He dropped the tantō to the floor and removed the writing utensil from his eyeball, though it hurt more than any other physical pain he had known before (aside from the initial stabbing). "Okay, Lexi." He outstretched his hands toward her, beckoning his angel of death towards him. "I'm ready."
Alexia wasn't sure what her words had changed in Christian but she wasn't about to lose resolve. Quickly rushing toward him, she swung the fire poker with all her strength towards his shins but not finding any real satisfaction in the sickening crack the action produced. Christian fell to the floor, screaming in distress. "I'm sorry." He choked out before Alexia started blindly bringing the iron into contact with him again.
"Shut up!" She shrieked at him, her voice wavering dangerously. Why was it that it was now that all she could think about was all the good and happy memories they shared together? "Don't say a word!"
Christian didn't listen to her request though and continued to speak. "Thank you for everything, Alexia." As the stoker was raised above her head, ready to strike again, she watched him speak and in that moment, in the darkness, he looked remarkably like William. She hesitated for a moment but her body reacted before her mind seemed to command her arms to lower the weapon to hit the victim of the blows again.
Dr. Birkin… I… I… As blood began splatter everywhere, tears began to roll rapidly down Alexia's small face. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She just kept screaming the same thing over and over again as the rod connected again and again with Christian's body; arms, legs, abdomen, head. But even through Christian's shouts of anguish, all Alexia could see was William's mangled body. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Her attacker's body lay still and she soon dropped her weapon to the floor as she too sank to the floor, landing numbly on her knees. She crawled over weakly to the broken corpse and gathered it in her arms, getting herself covered in gore. "I'm sorry… I… Dr. Birkin… I… Why?! Why did I do this?!" Her body shook with sobs and adrenaline and panic and sadness.
That's not Dr. Birkin. A small but mature voice whispered in her mind. It seemed even in extreme situations, Alexia couldn't let go of her logic. That is Christian. A filthy, inferior being. He sexually assaulted you if you can recall. She shook her head. "Dr. Birkin would never do that to me!" She insisted to herself as she rocked with the body back and forth. Of course, he wouldn't but Christian did. "Christian?" Alexia then looked down at the body, studying the face closely before quickly dropping it to the floor as she was finally drawn back to reality. She stood up abruptly and began to pace. What do I do now? I'm covered with blood, there's a body on the floor, and many people must have heard what was happening. She paced for a few more minutes, letting the repetitive steps lull her into a semi-tranquil state of being. Father. He is the only one I can depend on right now. Unfortunately.
She went to Christian's phone and dialed the number for her home back in England. As the phone rang, she detachedly stared at the body she had been previously mourning and instead began thinking how sinfully simple it had actually been to extinguish a life. Although her reason was now in control, the infatuated child was still crying and wailing in her mind. She paid it no heed though as she calmly explained to her father what had happened. Luckily for Alexia, Umbrella really desired her intelligence and that the company also happened to be good at covering up such incidents without any negative repercussions. However, legal repercussions should have been the least of Alexia's worries.
Alexia finished all her schooling in Princeton, earning herself a PhD in molecular biology. Not only that but she also had the highest marks of her class. She had been interviewed by newspapers and now she was sure that many (including her dear doctor) would know of her superior abilities. She was even pleased with the newspaper clip itself:
A 10 year old girl genius graduated at the top of her class, from a prestigious university.
The international corporation, Umbrella Chemical Inc., offered the position of head researcher.
All of this had pleased her greatly however all of her happiness could not keep away the nightmares that visited her every time she slept. All she could keep seeing over and over, was not Christian, but Dr. Birkin being the one receiving her brutal attacks. Her perception of reality had become blurred as well. Times she had spent with Christian she sometimes instead remembered it taking place with Dr. Birkin though part of her knew that she had never met the man so she knew it could not be possible. Still she couldn't help but wonder every time she awoke, I won't kill him as well when I meet him, will I?
First off, sorry this took so long but it's a long chapter so it was worth the wait… right? Anyway, some things to clarify.
1. I chose Pyne Hall because the picture I found of it reminded me of Raccoon University from Oubreak. XD Plus, it also had single dorm rooms.
2. Christian Everette and Valentina Svargas are mine. -glomp OCs- I was just too lazy to come up with new characters so I just subbed them into this story.
3. I tried to be as accurate as possible with my information on Princeton. I don't really know anything about university, let alone the specifics to the university featured here. All my researching is also why it took so long to get to this chapter up. X.x;
4. Started titling my chapters (if you didn't notice XD) because I wanted to add in my mock soundtrack for this somewhere. XD I'll add disclaimers and such at the end of this fic.
5. Thanks to MA-121 for the idea of the tantō!
6. Newspaper clip is courtesy of Capcom. :)
Anyway, I think that's all for now. Leave a review if you like. Now onward to the next chapter!