Chapter 9 - New Beginnings

Man is the animal that has made friends with the fire.
~ Henry Van Dyke

If you're going to play with fire, you are going to get burned. It is as simple as that. Sometimes it's worth the risk to see something, so beautiful, so absolutely free and reckless under your control. That is, until you take it for granted. Do that and it will take advantage of you, eating at your skin mercilessly.

But always keep in mind it is better to do something than not and wish you had. Regrets will continuously eat at your mind.

That morning started like I suppose any normal family's would. I woke up to the smell of breakfast being cooked. I dressed myself and went straight out. Leon was cooking in the kitchen which amazed me, to say the least.

"You can cook?"

"Yeah. I had to learn because I need to survive off of something other than fast food."

"It smells amazing."

"Wait until you taste it."

"I dunno if I can wait that long."

"Then taste this."

I walk over to his side and he hands me a piece of bacon right out of the pan. The colour is perfect, not to mention the smell. I hold it over my mouth and shove the entire piece in, and chew. My eyes widened and I could feel it. "This is amazing!" I said between chews.

He chuckles. "I know." He finishes up and we chat once more over breakfast about whatever, just one constant conversation. This couldn't last forever and both of us knew it, and that topic eventually came up. "So, when do you have to leave?"

"Technically, I should have been there yesterday, but I took the scenic route. I have to leave as soon as possible so I can actually return, hopefully with findings." I knew this was a lie because I wasn't going to return at all.

"Ah. Well, best of luck to finding things."

"Thanks. I'm going to need all I can get."

After we finished eating, I tried to help him clean up but he wouldn't let me near the dishes, and was threatening me to stop. I asked him for a ride and he agreed, leaving all the dishes where they were with the cooling food.

We drove to the airport in relative silence. When we got there, he actually gave me a hug goodbye. I must say that letting go was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. He watched me to my jet and watched me take off.

Were my eyes actually burning from tears? No. Couldn't be. Ice cold spies do not cry. They don't have feelings.

It was only a matter of hours until I reached my goal, which I was not entirely sure of. After however many hours of riding in aircraft's, I was finally at the entrance of the Umbrella base once more. This time was different. I knew where I was going. I knew what I was doing. I was going in a spy and coming out a traitor.

The door was already open, so I led myself in. Somehow, I knew exactly where to go, as if some other force was driving me to my destination. I walked through the main hall and into the correct corridor and to the right door and it swung open easily at my touch.

I felt my stomach knot up as I knew what was going to happen. I shut the door behind me, walked up to the computer, already glowing an unnatural blue colour, and hit enter. I clenched my teeth as the floor room began to drop. Why I hated this feeling so much was anyone's guess.

When it finally came to a rest, I was so relieved. I shook it off and walked out of the door. They always made me feel so unsafe. That ordeal was over so I walked towards the computer. The room was still completely dark except for the huge screen looming over me.

It must have recognized my movement because it blinked to life and Wesker's form was watching over me. "I see you have returned. I assume you have accepted the project seeing as you are here. This shall be your new home and everything is already set up and ready to go. I suggest you start immediately because people will be looking for you in a matter of days. To your right is the laboratory, and the left, the living quarters. Go to the lab, turn on the computer and scan your hand. The next video will play and inform you with all you need to know."

The screen switched to black as the entire place lit up with white light. I had to shield my eyes because it was so bright. When they finally adjusted, I was able to see the entire place for the first time. It was open and so huge! There was enough room to hold a soccer match or three, and it was all lined with equipment that was next generation and probably never heard of. Most of the space was filled with huge machinery that I really didn't know the purpose of. Papers were strewn all over the place holding an infinite amount of possible information.

The computer wasn't hard to find. It near the back of the room, against the wall. I didn't want to touch anything yet seeing as I might accidentally ruin or break it. The computer itself wasn't hard to turn on at all. Everything was built into the large monitor, making everything easy and simple.

The power button was dead centre on the front. I pressed it and it lit to life, temporarily blinding me once more. I blinked away the bright light and took at look at the screen. An umbrella symbol was spinning in the top, right-hand corner. The screen was giving off an ungodly crimson glow. In the centre was a black box asking to prove the personnel by placing a hand in the box. I complied and it began to scan my hand, which took a matter of seconds. Identification complete. Welcome Garrett Wong. I'm already programmed into the computer… He must have had his eyes on me for a while know…

Wesker's image flashed onto the screen and the automated message began to play. "Now that you've activated the main computer, there is some explaining to do. First of all, I started a project a long while ago. It's a new type of B.O.W. An altered human which should be complete by now."

His voice paused while a huge metal cylinder, on the wall adjacent to the one the computer was on, started humming. The metal covering began to move to the sides revealing a glass container. A human form seemed to be inside. The lights flashed on and lit up a completely naked blond girl. I looked away fast, feeling heat rush to my face. What was this guy up to?

"Her name is Sherry. By age of years, she should be 36. Thanks to the advanced viral research, I have found a way to slow the aging process, cutting it in half. Therefore, she is 18 even if she has survived for 36 years."

Whoa…

"Her DNA has been infused with a perfected G-Virus and T-Veronica Virus. The G-Virus provides rapid healing of any wounds in a matter of seconds. The T-Veronica Virus is a plant based virus that lets her control, well, plants. Her blood is especially important. If it at all touches oxygen, it will ignite, thus controlling fire as well. Now, seeing as the conflict with healing and bleeding, I have found a way to get around this. The G-Virus repairs the skin on the outside, never letting her skin become a sickly green colour. She will never transform into a monster. The T-Veronica Virus is altered to get around this. It doesn't affect the skin whatsoever. This way, she can continue using the blood that her body will keep creating at an almost impossible rate. She will be able to burn forever is she so wishes and never fear for her life. I know this is a lot to take in, in such a short time, but it has to do with the plan I have for you. I need you to take a sample of her blood and use the altered viruses with the Progenitor virus. Seeing as you have the same genetic make up as me, it should fuse to your DNA giving you power beyond that of anything that has ever been done. You'll have the full effect of everything that Sherry has with the added abilities of the Progenitor. The Progenitor has all the effects that I had on myself. From all the training you have had, you should know what they are by now. Now take the samples and make the Super Virus. Take a sample of her blood, inject it into the machine behind you and the rest should already be set up. Let it run over night, and tomorrow around noon it should be finished. Oh and one last thing. Some of Umbrella's other competitors know of this location and are trying to break in and steal the information. I am leaving it up to you to protect this place. There is something to help you with it though. An alarm system is already set up to watch and detect whoever enters this facility. The controls for it are on the main computer in the entrance way. Don't do anything stupid to get this place discovered."

With that, the screen went back to the Umbrella main screen. From here, hundreds of files on absolutely anything could be accessed. Oh the things to be discovered… But first I have to deal with Sherry.

I went back to the tank and forced my self to look at her face. It was actually quite beautiful. I looked around for somewhere to put her but there was nothing. How did Wesker do this? First things first, I had to get her out.

A big red button was in the center of a control panel looking thing on the tank. Here goes nothing. I pressed it and automatically something went off. A computer screen to the side of it that I hadn't noticed before had gone off. Several things showed on that screen. IV Automatic Shut-off. Sedative Automatic Shut-off. Automatic Draining.

I almost jumped at the siren that went off as the fluid drained from the containment tube. As soon as all the liquid emptied out the glass opened up and oxygen rushed in. Her form fell over onto the floor in front of me; all cords that were attached were now hanging limply in the tube.

I was quite frozen in place. What could I really do? I couldn't leave her body here on the floor… What if she woke up like that? That would be one hell of a way to wake up. I bent down and picked her up wedding style. It took a hell of a lot of self control to not look over her gorgeous body.

I really had nowhere to put her so I decided the sleeping quarters even if it meant my bed. I walked through the living area until I found the rooms. There were quite a few of them, all equally furnished. I gave her the first one which was lavished in gold and red furniture. I put her on the bed and covered her up in the thick red quilt so I wouldn't be tempted to look. Her long blond hair fit in with it so well…

I needed to get a blood sample from her before she woke up, though. No more staring. I went straight back to the lab and searched for a syringe and rubber band, both of which were kept in an area near the machine that was supposed to make the Super Virus. I gotta come up with a better name for that.

I went back and drew the blood sample, careful not to expose it to any oxygen. I didn't need any flaming blood on my hands. When I had collected an entire syringe full, I headed back to the lab. There was no need to patch her up seeing as she healed herself quite fast.

I went up to the machine and was instantly baffled over what to press. Why must they make these things so hard to operate? Lucky for me there was a sheet on what to do beside the mechanism. I pressed a series of buttons and finally the cover opened and I placed the needle inside. The lid shut automatically and it began to make a low whirling noise. The screen on the front glowed In Progress. Nothing to do but wait. Speaking of which…

My mind was partially on Sherry, but first and foremost, the all-knowing database. I opened it up and a world of possibilities was at my fingertips. First things first.

Ada Wong. Pages upon pages showed up. Wow. Most of it was on missions and the files that were filled afterward. I skipped to the last ones. 2004 was the last time that Wesker had heard from her. She delivered the Las Plagas sample, and disappeared directly afterwords. Wesker had learned that it was a fraud, but was too far along with his plans in Africa. He ignored it for now because she was going to be the first one he destroyed once he perfected the Uroboros Virus. He hadn't gotten that far due to Chris Redfield and his partner Sheva Alomar. She was so close to being killed…

The next thing to search up was Leon Kennedy. He had one hell of a profile on him as well. Wow. Talk about having famous parents that never got recognized. I scanned over it until I ran over something quite unexpected. The Raccoon City incident. He had been recognized by the U.S. Government and had been manipulated into being an agent in exchange for Sherry Birkin's safety. Could this possibly be the same Sherry?

I continued reading to find that she had been taken by an Albert Wesker. She had completely disappeared and no one has heard of any word of her since. I checked out her profile next. It turns out that this was the Sherry Birkin that the world had lost. Wow. Just wow. What more could I say? I couldn't do anything. Time couldn't be changed back. I felt so sorry for her. Being taken at such a young age, and experimented on. Does she even remember anything? What is her last memory? To have that much childhood taken away due to all that horribly unlucky turn of events… it's just so bad.

Sounds a hell of a lot like my life, without the genetic experimentation. I would have to ask her things when she got up. No upsetting her because she probably has no idea that she is now fused with the viruses.

Who next? How about Kyle…

Okay. I have a lot of explaining to do. Life has just been so freaking busy. And I and having troubles with friends and things. Nothing to worry about. So, no. I did not discontinue this story. And no. I have not died. I know this chapter is a little droll and kinda ish boring, but did you like the little twist I did put in there? Teehee. I hope so. Anyways, life is still super busy so don't expect me to update every freaking week. If I take my time, I'm just actually having to get a life. Yay. *cough* sarcasm *cough* Anyways, I hope this is enough to stop most of you from wondering if I've crossed over. Until next time, xXNAXx. R&R