-Diplomatic Approach-
Chris waited for death to come but it never happened. A woman approached the two at a run and slammed her boot into the side of Wesker's head, sending him veering away. A hand reached down to help him to his feet and he found himself face to face with his partner.
"Sheva!" he exclaimed in grateful surprise.
"Looks like I got here just in time, partner," Sheva said with a smile.
The two turned to face Wesker, who was glaring at the BSAA agents with pure hatred. A realization lit up her eyes and she looked at him again.
"Chris, I have a way that may stop him but someone needs to hold him still."
Sheva handed him a syringe. "It's a Progenitor-based serum. He needs this specific dosage to keep his virus stable and to maintain his strength."
He eyed the serum in his open palm. A single injection would stop him?
"The only chance we have is to give him an overdose. It should act as a poison according to the document I found," Sheva explained.
Chris sealed the syringe in his hand and nodded to her. "Okay then, I'll keep him busy and you inject this."
He gave the syringe back to the other agent. Chris intended to explain the plan to the others but Wesker was done waiting for them to make a move. He strode straight for him and this would be painful.
He pulled his knife out and assumed a defensive stance. It became a very familiar exchange of Wesker avoiding his attacks and succeeding in dealing damage to him. Chris tanked the hits, knowing he would be feeling them prominently later.
Unfortunately, his inability to relay the plan had others try to get involved. The FBI agent and Jones tried to intercede in his defense when Sheva sneaking up didn't seem beneficial fast enough in their eyes. Wesker shoved him away and spin kicked the federal agent to the ground. Jones grew wary seeing that and hesitated an attack with the element of surprise gone.
This could work in his favor. He moved in on Wesker slow but he noticed and elbowed him in the chin. Ow!
He blinked tears from his eyes, ignored the pain. Wesker was turning on Sheva, who carried something that belonged to him. He couldn't let him get away.
Chris lunged and wrapped his arms around Wesker from behind. He got an annoyed and impatient growl for his action. Every ounce of strength went into pinning his arms to his sides. He was stronger than him and currently twisting and squirming to break the hold.
A moment was all they needed. Sheva hurried to them and plunged the syringe into Wesker's chest, injecting the contents. Once the fluid was injected, he released him and went to stand by Sheva to see if it worked.
Wesker grunted in pain, staggering. He fell onto his knees and bent over in pain. He tore the syringe out of his chest. Chris figured these were signs it was working.
"Did it work?" Sheva asked, watching Wesker.
"I think so," he replied, sounding confident despite having his doubts.
Wesker got to his feet and stumbled. He clutched his head and started screaming in agony. The noise was inhuman and horrible, sounding more like a wounded animal than a man. He fell back onto his knees from the pain.
He lifted his head to glare furiously. He snarled at the group, irises glowing red. Chris stood in front to take his attention should he attempt retaliation.
"What have you done?"
He glanced up and Eva Jane was there, standing on the second floor. Not bothering to take the stairs, she vaulted over the railing and landed on the floor below. Straightening her knees that looked like they were paining her from the jump, she ran to Wesker and knelt by him. Placing her hands on the sides of his face, she looked in his eyes. She was frightened and worried.
"Are you okay? What's wrong?"
"Eva? What are you doing? You know Wesker?" he asked, his eyes wide in disbelief.
Breathing heavily, Wesker moved his eyes from Eva to Chris and then back to her.
"So Chris and his friends have been the ones you keep running off to see."
"Eva, what's going on? How do you know him?" Chris demanded, starting to get angry in his confusion.
Wesker pushed her hands away from him and struggled to his feet. "Let's finish this."
"Don't be stupid," Eva said.
When he tried to take a step forward she placed a gentle hand on his chest. "Don't."
Surprisingly, Wesker paused and stared down at the girl with green eyes. They truly were the brightest eyes he'd ever seen. He had to know what was between them. What was the relationship? How was there a relationship?
"This is what you wish?" he asked.
"It is."
She turned to Chris, who was staring at her along with the others.
"How do you know Wesker?" he asked again.
Eva didn't seem too happy about the situation. She was reluctant to tell whatever it was she held back. He waited through the beats of silence, rapidly growing impatient.
"Because he's my dad."
"Better close that mouth before I put my boot in it, Chris," Wesker snapped, referring to the gawking stare he was incapable of removing at the moment.
"Wesker, you have a kid?" he exclaimed, incredulous.
"Is it really so hard to believe, Chris?"
"Yeah!" he blurted, and once the first word was out he couldn't seem to keep himself from talking. "I can't imagine you having sex with anyone. You were always so..strict. Uh, very work-oriented and not big on the casual or taking it easy kind of personality."
He blinked, hating his mind was trying to concoct scenarios in which Wesker got it on with a woman. His nose wrinkled, annoyed when a picture of a naked Wesker appeared for the third time. Just, no. Wait. Did he sound like he was saying he imagined Wesker having sex in the past?
"Not that I imagine you having sex with people," he clarified. "I don't. I wouldn't. I, uh..."
Wesker, the jerk he was, would have let him continue babbling like an idiot. Only now that he ceased vocalizing his thoughts did the other speak.
"I was human once."
It all dawned on him then, why he saw familiar things in the teenager. "I did see something of him in you, Eva. You answer your phone like he does, and you never show your emotions like him. Shit. You even dress the same and make similar expressions when you talk. I can't believe I didn't realize sooner. I knew I heard some of your comments before. It's because I heard Wesker say the same things!"
"Congratulations, Chris. I'm glad you have half a brain," Wesker bitterly retorted.
He tried to walk a step but ended up stopping, wincing in pain while clutching his side.
"Dad!"
Eva wrapped her arms around him and Wesker leaned on her for support. She turned her gaze to Chris, tears threatening to emerge from her usually calm demeanor.
"What have I told you about calling me that?" Wesker muttered, irritated.
She ignored him and worriedly checked over his outward physical condition.
"What did you do to him?"
"They gave me an extra dose of my serum, Eva. I'll be fine once my body adjusts."
"But those doses are supposed to be precise! Are you sure your body will be able to adjust? What if it doesn't? Dad, maybe-"
Wesker chuckled, causing her to stop talking. He smiled at her. It was the first time Chris had seen the man smile without menace or smugness attached to it in a long time.
"Don't worry about me. I can't die that easily."
He wiped away a tear trailing down her cheek. Embarrassed to be crying in front of him and an audience of spectators, she wiped the tears from her eyes. Eva quickly regained a calm composure.
"Good. 'Cause you remember your promise, right?"
Wesker shook his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
She stared long and hard at him and then a smile broke out across her face.
"You jerk!" she uttered, laughing, and playfully punched his stomach, careful it barely touched him. "Don't pretend!"
A smile crept onto Wesker's face. "Of course I won't forget. I did promise, didn't I?"
"Yep," Eva said, still smiling.
Chris was stunned speechless. He could see the obvious affection and love these two held for each other and he couldn't believe it. Wesker was a monster and incapable of love. It was what he convinced himself of over the years to make it easier on his conscience to hunt the man with the knowledge he would have to kill him.
He always told himself Wesker's humanity was gone and only a hollow shell of the man he had known was left. But here before him, all those beliefs meant nothing. He could see human emotions in Wesker's eyes.
Hadn't he said he was saving the world through Uroboros? Perhaps the man really did believe he was somehow doing the right thing through his actions. It just didn't seem feasible. It was such an insane action.
Chris was frustrated at being perpetually confused about what was going on in this strange place.
"Why didn't you tell us Wesker was your dad? You lied to us about your name," he accused.
Her smile faded and she looked at him, relaxed. "I told you my name is Eva Jane. You didn't ask whether Jane was my middle or last name."
He grumbled under his breath how that wasn't the point and then remembered why they were all there. David was dead. This damn place killed other good men too.
Retrieving Wesker's gun, he pointed it at the man. "Where's Uroboros? I won't let you kill billions just so you can have your so called perfect world."
Sheva followed her partner's lead, aiming her weapon at Wesker. Eva moved to stand protectively in front of her dad, arms spread out as if to block them from him.
"No! You're supposed to help him!"
His gaze narrowed on her while everyone else reacted in stunned puzzlement.
Wesker raised an eyebrow at her words. "Beg your pardon?"
She ignored him, focusing on Chris. "Wesker is doing this because he doesn't think he has any other choice. He thinks he's a monster and he has to act like one but he really isn't! He's sweet and kind... He's a good man."
He stared at her like she had lost her mind. "Good? He's a monster. Wesker kills without remorse. He's trying to spread a virus that will murder billions of innocent people!"
"The experimental virus changed him. His sensitivity has decreased exponentially, which causes him to have trouble distinguishing what is morally acceptable and what isn't. The virus made him that way."
"Simply ridiculous," Wesker said. "Do not defend the unspeakable actions I have committed. I was fully aware of the choices I made and I do not regret them."
"See!" she exclaimed. "The fact he knows they were unspeakable acts proves he retains his humanity despite the virus!"
Didn't that make this worse? A guy with his humanity wanting to end humanity kind of sounded like someone suicidal, yet mad enough to try and take everyone else with him.
"Eva..." Wesker began.
She continued to defend her father regardless of his opposition to it.
"He may have done terrible things but he also did good things. He destroyed Umbrella's research data which was the key to destroying that evil corporation and exposed himself to testify against them."
"Umbrella's erased data..that was you..." Chris uttered.
He was genuinely shocked by this revelation and wasn't sure how to feel. Without the data destroyed, Umbrella never would have fallen so quickly.
"And can any of you tell me you've never done anything bad? Huh?"
He held up a hand for her to stop. "Look, get to the point."
"Help him. Ask him to stop his plans for spreading Uroboros."
The BSAA agent gawked for the second time in a short period. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Yeah, if only it were that easy!"
Wesker stooped to retrieve his sunglasses from the floor and put them back on. He turned and fixed his gaze onto Chris, calm and collected in disposition.
"Well now, Chris. Why don't you try a diplomatic approach? It couldn't hurt."
He searched Wesker's face, trying to see what he was thinking. It was impossible. Even without sunglasses, that man had always been a difficult person to read.
"Wesker, I don't want to play your games.," he informed the older man, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features.
Red eyes flashed behind dark shades as they bore into him.
"Just ask, Redfield."
The use of his last name caught his attention. With enormous hesitation, he lowered the gun slightly.
"Okay... I would certainly appreciate you not slaughtering billions so you can continue walking about like the pompous asshole you are."
A disapproving growl emerged from Wesker's throat. "Without the sarcasm, Chris."
He rolled his eyes. "Fine. Could you not spread Uroboros around the world, thereby infecting and killing innocent people?"
They stared at each other and after a lengthy moment, the other spoke. "Very well."
Chris nearly choked on his own surprised reaction. "What?"
Before he could react, Wesker closed the distance between them. He pulled the BSAA agent close so he could lean in and whisper into his ear. "I do this for Eva, not you. Understand?"
His nemesis released his shirt and arm. He stared. "Uh, yeah... I..guess?"
Wesker smiled. "Good boy."
The hateful glare returned. "But there's nothing you say that I can believe. I can't trust you."
Chris wanted it to be clear he didn't fully believe Wesker was going to up and change. Why would he do such a thing? For his daughter? He didn't know the full extent of their relationship but he didn't trust Wesker to be one capable of unconditional love, even for his own child.
The other man tilted his head to the side a little like he often did, placing a hand to his chest where the needle stabbed him in discomfort.
"No..." Wesker said. "You cannot."
This comment did the complete opposite of calming his nerves. Though the next words out of his mouth were definitely more settling.
"The crates by the door you entered through contain ammunition. You should find what you need in there."
Sheva went to investigate with Jones and Agent Anderson. Chris stayed where he was to keep an eye on Wesker in the event he tried anything. A minute ticked by in complete silence.
"My gun?" Wesker asked, extending a gloved hand outward.
He handed the gun over despite his reservations. If Wesker wanted to kill him, he had no doubt Wesker could take the gun away at any moment and shoot him. Actually, he wouldn't need a gun to end him.
As a BSAA agent who trained to put on a lot of muscle, thinking it would counter Wesker, cold reality seeped in. It told him it wouldn't be the case as much as he wanted to believe he could hold his own in a fight. When the opponent had superhuman abilities, it kind of ruined any hope of that ever happening unless he had help.
Wesker holstered his gun. He inclined his head toward his daughter as a sign of visibly listening when she started speaking.
"Now Chris, I tried to tell you before. My father, er... I mean Wesker, thinks he saw old friends of yours."
