Disclaimer: see part 1 for disclaimer.

The More Things Change…

By Random1377

Part 4 – Pyrite

Rebecca could not shake the feeling that something was dreadfully, dreadfully wrong.  Yes, it was late at night, and yes, they had someone on the inside… but it still felt-

"Too easy…"

"Hmm?" Chris murmured, looking back over his shoulder as Claire knelt in front of the lock on the main entrance and began working on it with a set of lockpicks not unlike Jill's.  "What was that?"

Rebecca unconsciously tightened her grip on the gun in her hands, wishing suddenly that it was loaded with something heavier than tranquilizers.  "I said this is too damn easy," she whispered, "we should pull out…"

Barry snorted.  "Losing your nerve already?" he grunted.  "That's not like you, Becca."

"It feels wrong," Rebecca insisted, "I won't-"

"Physical lock's cracked," Claire interjected, reaching into a pack slung under her arm and pulling out a small black box, "give me three minutes on the card reader."

Chris grinned.  "I'll give you four, but not a second more."  He turned back to Rebecca and shrugged, his expression turning serious as he said, "Look, I don't feel so good about this whole setup either, so I'm not blowing you off here, Bec… but there's lives at stake – Sherry's and Ambrose's – and we have an obligation to-"

"Oh spare me the speech," Rebecca cut in tiredly, "I'm just really jumpy – I'll get over it."

"Good."

Silence descended, and a moment later the light on the card reader turned from red to green.  "We're in," Claire announced, rising to her feet as main door slid smoothly open.

"Alright, I'll take point," Barry announced, stepping through the small cluster of people, "Kennedy, you bring up the rear."

"Got it," Leon nodded.

Man, that guy looks like he's ready to kick some ass, Rebecca thought as Carlos and Billy followed Barry through the gaping opening, totally different from when we were planning this.

"Everyone is, I guess," she whispered to herself as she followed Claire into the complex.

Yes, she decided, they were all different when they wore their 'game faces.'  The air of camaraderie that had been present in the planning meeting was still there, but it was subdued, muted… as if the weight of the situation would not quite allow for friendly banter or comforting smiles.

"I got two guards," Barry announced in a soft whisper.  "Currently facing away from us, either side of the hall… Cohen, you get the right side, I'll take the left."

"You got it," Billy mumbled, pausing to pull out a silencer and twist it expertly onto the end of his pistol.

Rebecca's feeling of foreboding only grew as the two guards slumped to the ground with a barely audible grunt.  Why were they facing… in?

Claire's thoughts must have been running along the same lines, because as they passed the guards she whispered, "Shouldn't they be looking the other way?"

"Well," Chris said slowly, "this is an HCF plant.  Maybe they were keeping something in?"

"I'm starting to agree with Rebecca," Leon murmured as they reached an X shaped intersection, "something is very, very wrong."

Claire stepped forward, walking up to Leon and looking him directly in the eyes.  "We're not leaving her again."

There was a moment of awkward silence as Leon did his best to meet the girl's eye.  "Of course not," he mumbled, finally looking away, "I just think there's more here than we can see."

"Isn't there always?" Billy quipped, looking to Chris.  "So which way?  Everyone agrees that this place gives off a really bad vibe, so let's do what we came to do and get the hell out."

"Amen to that," Chris said, pulling the map out of his pocket and consulting it.  "According to this, she's probably in one of the holding cells on the fourth level down.  There's an elevator bank right down this hall, and a set of stairs down the other one…" he looked around at the assembled team, "does anyone here really trust the idea of taking an elevator in this dump?  No?  Didn't think so.  Stairs it is."

They made their way down the hallway two by two, checking every door and hallway as they went for any lurking guards, but finding nothing between them and the stairway.  Chris took point as entered the stairs, his expression now decidedly troubled as he looked up and down before motioning for the others to follow.

God, I just wish whatever was going to happen would happen, Rebecca thought as she started down the stairs, it's the waiting that gets me.  Ghouls, zombies, hellhounds – bring 'em on!!  …just bring 'em on without making me so edgy that I jump at every damn shadow!

"Is it my imagination," Leon asked as they reached the third floor, "or is it getting colder the further we go down?"

"It's your imagination," Billy whispered back, feeling the need to keep his voice low for some reason, "feels fine to me.  Anyone else?"

Rebecca shook her head, as did the others, and Leon shrugged.

"Guess it's just me."

"Guess it is," Claire said flatly, giving Leon a narrow look.  "Or it could just be your feet-"

"Look," Leon exploded, bringing everyone to an abrupt halt, "I did my best, ok?  It was a hot lead, and-"

"You left her alone!" Claire shot back, her body shaking with rage, "you left her in your apartment to go chase some stupid fake info on another goddamned Umbrella base – after you promised… you promised taking care of her would be your top priority."  She took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to get herself under control.  "You-"

"It wasn't my fault," Leon managed to interject, his voice bordering on hysterical, "I left safeguards, I had Anders and Lucian in the damn house with her…" his shoulders slumped.  "It was only forty five minutes…"

Claire's nostrils flared as she pushed her way past the man.  "It was forty-five minutes too long, Leon."

One by one, the rest of the team filed past, keeping their eyes focused on the stairs as Leon clenched his jaw tightly closed and blinked rapidly, unwilling to let his emotions get the best of him.

"Hey…"

"What?" Leon sighed, wiping quickly at his eyes as Rebecca stopped in front of him.

"Let's go," she said gently, "let's bring her home, alright?  She can't stay mad forever, and if we can bring Sherry home, everything will be ok, right?"

Leon took a deep breath.  "Right," he nodded, trying to sound firm. "You're right."  He gave a short, harsh little laugh.  "I'm sorry," he chuckled, "I'm going all to pieces…"

Rebecca squeezed his shoulder, giving him a warm smile.  "It's ok… I understand.  Now let's go."

"Thanks."

Together, they caught up to the others, stepping boldly onto the fourth level.

**

"Tell me this isn't a trap…"

Rebecca shook her head as the group approached the only open door on the fourth floor.  "I try not to lie whenever possible," she muttered, giving Billy a sidelong glance, "you know that."

Billy shook his head.  "There was that one time," he said softly, "you remember?  You told me we'd always-"

"I said I try not to lie, Billy," Rebecca cut in, "and when I said that, I…"

"You what?"

Rebecca swallowed, glancing back over her shoulder to make sure no one else could hear them.  "I never meant to hurt you, Billy," she said seriously, "and I wasn't lying… when I said it."

Billy shrugged.  "Guess it doesn't matter now, huh?" he said calmly, "What's done is done and all that."

Impulsively, Rebecca said, "It does matter, Billy… it matters to me – a lot."  Gathering up her nerve, she added, "When this is over… let's talk, ok?"

"I wouldn't miss it," Billy whispered, 'accidentally' brushing his right hand across the back of her left, "for anything."

Ohhh now why did I do that? Rebecca scolded herself as Chris crept up to the side of the door and motioned for them to wait.  I promised myself we were through, so why-

"Chris," a voice boomed out of the open doorway, making everyone jump, "don't just stand there hiding in the shadows… come on in.  Bring your friends – we'll reminisce."

Chris bared his teeth in an unconscious snarl.  "Wesker," he hissed, gesturing wildly for everyone to back up, "I thought I smelled you here."

Wesker's laugh echoed through the wide hallway a moment before the door leading to the stairway slammed shut and locked itself.  "I'm being polite here, Chris," the man laughed, "there's no need to get all pissy… now be a good boy and do what you're told, I'm losing my patience.  I won't kill you – scout's honor!"

The S.T.A.R.S. arranged themselves in a tight circle, covering every attack path as Chris replied, "You dropped out of Scouts when you were eight, remember?  You told me that during the Bakersville rescue!"

"Ahh so I did," Wesker returned, his voice full of humor, "well I guess you'll have to do it just because there's nowhere else to run, little man."

"Is he right?" Billy murmured, trying to look everywhere at once.

"…yeah," Chris whispered, "there's another elevator bank down the hall a bit, but we'd have to go through this room first."

"Magnifico," Carlos muttered, hoisting his assault rifle a bit higher, "so do we go in hot, or do we-"

"Oh don't come in shooting," Wesker's voice cut in suddenly, "your little friend here might get caught in the crossfire."

Claire and Leon both tensed.  "Bastard," Claire whispered, "Wesker, if you've hurt her in any way, I'll-"

"Come now, Miss Redfield," Wesker said, his voice losing its playful edge, "torture is amusing, certainly, but with a subject so young and in such… questionable health, it's not a good idea to push-"

"Ahh!!"

Abruptly, Claire broke from the formation and raced through the door.

"Damn it!" Chris shouted, "Claaaaire!!"

"Guess that's it then," Billy grunted, dashing after the two Redfields.

The others all followed, charging headlong into a huge, disk-shaped with a door at the far end… and a small chair, with a set of broad shackles, in the middle.  The chair was occupied by a sickly looking girl of about seventeen.

"Sherry!!"

"Uh uh!" Wesker, standing behind the girl, said warningly, "Mustn't touch… there are rules to the little game we're about to play."

"Screw your rules," Rebecca said boldly, bringing her pistol around to bear and alternating between Wesker and the shorter, unfamiliar woman at his side.  "Let her go!"

"Hail, hail," Wesker said jovially, ignoring Rebecca's demand and focusing on Chris, "the gang's almost all here, eh Chris?  And new faces too!  How delightful."  He nodded to Billy and Carlos.  "Mister Cohen, Mister Olivera… so nice of you to join my little S.T.A.R.S."

Before either of the men could reply, Leon stepped forward, his face heavy with disbelief.  "A-Ada…?  Ada, is that you…?"

The woman turned her head slightly, her dark sunglasses facing Leon as she coldly replied, "Hello, Leon."

In the chair, the girl let out a soft groan.

"What have you done to her?" Claire demanded, her hands clenching and unclenching at her sides as if she longed to grab the girl up and hold her close – or wrap them around Wesker's throat and throttle him until he fell lifeless at her feet… or both.

"It seems the inclement weather has given her… a bit of a cold," Wesker said with mock sadness.  "Viruses are so opportunistic, don't you think, Doctor Chambers?"

"What did you give her, you sick freak?" Rebecca asked, trying not to see the look of longing on Leon's face as he kept staring at the woman.

Something happened between those two, she thought, trying to relax her grip on her gun so she did not accidentally fire, Damn it – we should have taken more time swapping histories!!

"Nothing incurable," Wesker said easily, "our… superiors wanted her kept alive, but weakened, so-"

"Ada," Leon cut in, taking a step forward, "Ada, come on… this isn't you… right?  You're good, deep down, I know you are – I saw it!"

A faint trace of a smile flitted across Ada's face.  "I'm not that person anymore, Leon," she said softly, "now step back, please; the rules of the game must be outlined."

Leon shook his head, taking another step forward.  "Come on, Ada," he said urgently, "don't do this… help us, Ada, I know you're-"

"This is the last warning you'll get, dear Leon," Ada said with, a note of true regret in her voice, "step… back."

"Ada, I-"

"I warned you."

Rebecca gasped as a gunshot rang out.  I didn't even see her move!!

"Leon!!"

Claire rushed to the man's side as he let out a cry of pain, clutching his right hand… where a small, perfectly round hole was just starting to drip blood onto the floor. Sherry's eyes widened, focusing on the blood as a small, desperate moan slipped past her lips.

Ada slowly re-holstered the gun she had produced in the span of a heartbeat, and spoke as calmly as a librarian reciting the decimal code for a research book.  "Now, from this point forward you will be playing a little game.  It's called 'live,' and it revolves around your ability to make it out of this complex alive.  Our company is in desperate need of combat trained personnel upon which to test their toys… and since you so obligingly wandered in here, I can't think of a better group of test subjects."

"You have five hours," Wesker picked up, patting Sherry on the shoulder as he grinned down at Leon and Claire, "then, as you should have guessed, this facility will undergo self-destruction."  He winked at Chris.  "You should know how those systems work, Redfield, you've set off enough of them in your time."

"We are familiar with your weapons," Ada said calmly, "and the subject of ammunition was discussed quite heatedly in the planning meeting for this exercise.  One faction pointed out that, to make it fair, you should be supplied with heavier weapons… or you would be dead inside five minutes.  The other faction argued that you are all military personnel, so you would be coming in with the weapons you would normally have, and adding others would skew the test data."

Wesker shook his head as Claire finally managed to bandage Leon's hand.  "But of course," he said sarcastically, "your noble nature brought you in here with tranquilizers instead of real bullets, so the data was again affected."

"The result?" Ada continued, "A compromise.  When the exercise begins, you will be supplied solid ammunition for your firearms – as much as you can carry… and once that it exhausted, you are on your own.  We felt it would be fair to-"

Ada was cut off as a knife tore through the air, burying itself to the hilt in her chest.

"Ahh, Miss Valentine is with us," Wesker said merrily, "Nice of you to join us, Jill."

The S.T.A.R.S. cast around the room, looking for any sign of their associate, but found nothing.

"Are you enjoying the sneaksuit we let you 'steal'?" Wesker asked, turning his attention to the doorway the others had come through.  "It's such a useful toy for skulking about, isn't it?"

"But so limited when it comes to combat," Ada sighed, reaching up and yanking the knife from her chest.  "Now we know you're here.  You have lost the element of surprise – and rest assured that if you draw another weapon… I will kill you where you stand."

Chris hissed as the wound in Ada's chest closed, leaving only smooth, pink skin.  "She's like you," he whispered, looking at Wesker.

"HCF's finest," Wesker nodded, "and now that you know that little detail, I'll give the final rule: we are not to harm you once the game has begun."  He laughed as Chris shook his head in disbelief.  "Oh, it's true," Wesker said happily, "our job is to lay out the rules, then leave you to your duties.  Our superiors don't think you'll make it past the fifteenth floor, but, just in case…" he showed all of his teeth, "we are permitted to relieve you of your earthly burden should you somehow manage to make it all the way up to the surface."

"How Christian of you," Rebecca spat, "but we're on the fourth floor… and we're not planning to go down any further."

"Ahh plans have a way of changing, don't they?" Wesker asked, stretching languidly, "and now that Miss Valentine is with us," he tapped one of the buttons on his long black coat, and the door behind the S.T.A.R.S. slammed shut.

"Your first test – to earn your ammunition," Ada said quietly, "is now.  Say hello to one of our latest pets… she's only a Beta-class, but she should provide you some entertainment."

Wesker tapped another button on his jacket, turning for the opposite door as the shackles on Sherry's arms and legs sprang open.  "You have sixty seconds until you arrive at your destination," he said smoothly, "I would recommend taking care of your 'problem' in thirty.  Good day."

Together, the two HCF employees stepped through the opposite door; pressing a plate on the other side and making it slam shut.

Silence filled the room as everyone stared at the girl.  "Hu… huhhhhhh…" she groaned, rising to her feet and standing unsteadily in front of the chair.

"Sherry," Claire whispered, helping Leon to his feet and taking a step towards the girl, "are you ok?  We came to-"

She cut herself off as Sherry abruptly dove to the floor, snorting and grunting as she quickly lapped up the small pool of blood that had fallen from Leon's hand.

"God…"

Sherry lifted her head as Leon gasped, fixing him with a bright, hungry stare.  Then she smiled… and her lips kept opening wider, and wider, and wider, splitting down to the back of her jaw as her teeth elongated.

"Take her down!!" Chris shouted suddenly, bringing his own gun to bear, "It's not her – it's a goddamn monster!!"

Everyone brought their weapons up as the thing crouched on all fours, its gaze never leaving Leon's as it prepared to spring.  Before anyone could pull the trigger, however, the room gave a sickening lurch, sending the entire team off-balance.

"We're dropping!!"

Rebecca's horrified announcement was followed a second later by a nerve-shattering screech of triumph as 'Sherry' leapt at her prey, her jaws snapping and her fingernails extending to become three inch long claws.

The game… had begun.

Continued…

Author's notes: yeah, I know it took a while to get this chapter out… but hey, no one reviewed chapter 3, so I didn't think anyone really cared that much.  *shrug*

Pre-read on this chapter was by the ever-patient Adiabatik, the paragon of Resident Evil fanfiction excellence. ^_^  Thanks, love.

Feedback is welcome on any site with reviewing capabilities, or by e-mailing me directly at random1377@yahoo.com