Resident Evil: Code Genesis
Disclaimer: For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.
"Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."
-Christina Baldwin
"Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."
-Rig Veda
By: VampireQueenAkasha
"Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"
-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica
Chapter Fourteen: Barely Gripping Reality
Atlantic City, New Jersey
CRASH!
The sound reached Wesker and the others and they hurried into the kitchen, where Kirk had backed himself up into a corner, eyes wide in disbelief and hands raised against an impending threat. Rose was moving toward him, her back hunched and her head clutched tightly in between her hands. A thin trail of spittle dangled from her chin and small moans rumbled from her.
The air was heavy with his fear and his smell, as far as Wesker could notice. There was something else as well; an animal rage that he had been familiar with in his time experiencing Tyrants face - on.
"What's going on in here?" Jonas gasped.
Kirk held out a trembling finger and pointed directly to Rose. "She attacked me!" he cried, nearly hysterical in his voice, "She tried to attack me!"
"Say what now?" Krauser didn't sound all too convinced about that.
Wesker looked over at Rose and furrowed his brow at the scene playing out before him. Either he didn't believe Kirk, or he was trying to figure out the numbers in his head. He took a step forward and cocked his head at Rose's trembling form.
"Rose, what is it?" he asked.
Rose's eyes flew open and they were a bright, blood - thirsty red, the tiny slits narrowed in the center. She was gritting her teeth and slowly slumped to the floor; low, haunting moaning sounds escaping her. Kirk was shoved roughly aside as Wesker moved to her aid, kneeling in front of her on one knee. He caught the worried looks of her friends and shook his head.
It's not good to have them constantly at worry … he thought. They will only make things difficult later and I cannot afford any hesitation.
"This virus derived from my own is still very young, a child breathing its very first, you realize," he explained to them. "Certain little things are going to set it off during the earlier stages of its development. That's why I wanted to teach her the importance of keeping it under control before something like this did happen and she hurt herself or others unnecessarily."
"Things?" Krauser said.
Wesker nodded and looked back down at Rose. "Yes. It could be anything, really. The hyper sensitive metabolism could slip out of her control should she be confronted with anger, frustration, and even the mild intimidation of any verbal threat." He smiled somewhat. "One of many reasons why I find it best to purge human emotion to avoid such trivial matters."
That was enough for Beth to point a finger in Kirk's direction and equally accuse him of saying something or doing something to have set her friend off. She glared at him and brought her face inches from his in a rather menacing position.
"What did you say to her now?" she demanded, nearly shouting.
"ME?" Kirk shouted, eyes bugging out so suddenly. "She was the one who attacked me! She could have killed me!" He sounded terrified, sorrow - stricken, and furious, hot tears prickling the corners of his eyes. "Why are you yelling at me?"
"BECAUSE YOU LOOK AWFULLY GUILTY RIGHT NOW!"
Wesker gave them a look. "Hush!" he ordered. He looked down at Rose, watched the frightened, animal grimace on her face. She was looking around wildly, nostrils flaring, breath coming out from between her teeth in short, rapid gasps; he slowly raised his hands to brush hers from her head. He cradled her face gently and brought it up to meet his gaze.
"Rose … I want you to find my voice," he told her, in a strangely soothing tone. "Don't be afraid of what's happening to you. We'll slow this down together if we must."
The others watched the connection between the two, not sure whether to be surprised or confused. If it helped Rose find herself again, they would not make any attempt to interfere. Kirk just stayed silent as he watched, rubbing his arm and sniffling through his dampened nose.
"W - Wesker … it … hurts … " Rose struggled to find her voice and her sanity. Her eyes wandered around the room wildly, as if she couldn't see anything in front of her. "It … why does it hurt … ?"
All she could see were the shapes of her friends meandering and melting like a thick globule mass of sentient blobs. She could hear Wesker, but he sounded so far away and everything was hurting. Her head felt like someone was pounding on it with a jackhammer. Why was it hurting again? He said it would end … Why was it happening again?
"Rose, don't focus on the pain," Wesker encouraged, "Focus on my voice and don't let it go. Hold onto that and hold tightly. Keep hold of your reality. Don't let the virus control you. You control it! You are its master and its leader." He could see into those flaring red eyes, watched the raw horror and pain cross her features. "Hold onto my voice, Rose!"
Rose's shaking hands reached up to seize his wrists tightly; she held him so tightly, the nails began to dig deep into his flesh, piercing the leathery texture of his gloves. Fresh, red blood began to ooze from the tiny wounds, but Wesker barely even flinched from the inflictions. His gaze still kept itself locked onto her eyes, unflinching and intense.
Meanwhile
Jill and Chris hurried down the streets, a horde of zombies hot on their tail. Chris was looking around for a place to take cover. He spotted a suitable place; a grocery corner store just up ahead.
"Jill, to that store!" he shouted.
"I'm on it!"
She quickly hurried, following him into the general store before she was inches from her own demise. They hurriedly slammed the doors shut behind them and instantaneously rushed to block the door by pushing a metal shelf in front of it. The sounds of zombies outside as they attempted to get into the shop was nearly deafening. Jill and Chris took a few steps back.
"Chris to HQ, there were more of them than we thought," Chris said, through his headset. "This whole town's gone to hell, we need backup."
"Roger that. Stay sharp out there, Chris. The mission still stands." Came the automatic reply from a man Chris didn't recognize.
"How do they expect us to continue in these conditions?" Chris groused, furious, "It's insane. We're going to be killed out there!"
"Kind of reminds you of our time at S . T . A . R . S . , huh?" Jill murmured, quietly.
Chris made a sound that was neither amused nor serious.
Jill cocked her head at the sound of steps around the rows of shelves. Besides "Hell" by Squirrel Nut Zippers playing on a radio in the distance, there was some one or something else in the shop with them. She gestured quietly for Chris to follow her as her held up at the ready. They slowly approached the corner of the shelves and jumped out.
It wasn't a zombie of any kind but rather instead was a shaking, filthy man with a handgun leveled at their heads. He looked exhausted, like he hadn't slept in days and he was wearing a business suit that was covered in blood and dirty.
"This is my spot!" he hissed, "Get your own!"
Jill looked a little pissed. "Hey! We're not going anywhere," she said, "There are hundreds of those things out there."
"That's not my damn problem!" the man snarled, "This is my spot!"
Jill took a step forward, an attempt to subdue the man with a non - violent intimidating action. "There's plenty of room for all of us in here, you know."
"I don't give a damn if 40 anorexic women could fit in here!" the man raged, nearly screaming.
If he kept that up, they would be heard by the creatures outside and this verbal exchange would not make any bit of difference then.
Chris decided on a more subtle approach to prevent an unnecessary quarrel. "Look, do you have any idea what's happened here?" he asked. "Who got hold of the T-Virus and let it out?"
The man chuckled angrily, hand still shaking as he pointed the gun to both of them back and forth, watching them carefully. "What's going on?" he snapped, repeating Chris with sarcasm in his own voice. "Hell, how should I fucking know what's going on?" He chuckled again, breath trembling and voice broken. "I was out last night and there was a damn bright light in the sky, okay? All I know it that when I woke up the next morning, my damn wife tries to eat me!"
That was the strangest thing Jill and Chris had ever heard; the part about the light anyway. The undead sightings were nothing that they hadn't been used to already, to say the least. They looked at each other skeptically, thinking about that before they looked back to him.
"A bright light?" Jill said, "What kind of bright light?"
The man scowled angrily at her, eyes widening to near insanity. He shot spit from his lips and flicks of snot from his nose as he shrieked at her. "What other fucking light could it be?" he nearly screamed.
Chris held out two hands reassuringly. "Okay, look, take it easy;" he told the man, gently. "We just need answers, that's all. We're with the BSAA and we want to figure this out just as much as you do. So we don't want any trouble. All we want to do is help you and anyone else that we can, alright?"
The man's eyes began to fill and he moaned in anguish, dropping himself against an ice cream cooler. "I don't know!" he sobbed, rubbing his forehead with one hand. "I don't know!"
Jill looked at Chris. "Okay, he definitely needs our help," she told him. "We have to get back to HQ to take him in for questioning. He won't survive out here in his state."
Chris nodded and glanced down at his wrist watch. "Sure thing," he replied. "But we don't even know when they're going to be here. We just have to hold up here until we get our next orders."
A sudden scratching sound halted all three of them in their places. The sobbing man sniffled, stopped and glanced up toward a ventilation shaft posted just over his head. Something big moved behind the vented plate, a low hissing filling the air.
"What's that sound?" Chris whispered, eyes wandering over to Jill.
Suddenly, the plate flew cleanly off from the screws holding it into place and a thick, wet tentacle shot out of the vent, moving downward, circling the man's throat tightly. He screamed and gagged, his hands releasing their grip on his weapon just as Jill and Chris rushed over to help him.
"What the hell?" Jill cried, horrified.
The two looked up as they played tug-of-war with the poor man in an attempt to free him from whatever it was that had him in their clutches, looking into rows of dagger-like teeth and a fleshy pink brain jutting out from a pinkish, sloth - like head. It was snarling and swiping down with its claws for its prey.
"HELP MEEEE!" the man screamed, through chokes and gags. His face began to turn purple.
Chris aimed his pistol over the man's head and attempted to shoot at the monstrosity that was known as the Licker, attempting to free the poor man from its deadly grip. A bullet struck the Licker's shoulder and the beast let out an unholy scream, but refused to release its prey. Fresh blood oozed out of its shoulder wound and dripped onto their faces.
"Fucking shoot it!" Jill screamed, at Chris.
One final tug and the screaming man was sharply yanked from the two BSAA fighter's grips. They collapsed to the floor from the force and looked back up to the vent, listening to the screams as they faded into choking gurgles and soon, died into nothing.
"Shit!" Chris cried.
The rough, satisfied sounds of the creature feeding on meat spurred the two back outside, hurrying as fast as they could before it could return for a second helping of them both.
"What did he mean by, strange light?" Jill gasped, through heavy breaths as they ran.
Chris thought about that for a brief moment. A strange light could have meant anything; a flying vehicle, a passing satellite. But it began to make him question just what was hovering over this city before it went to zombie hell. It had to have been someone in the black market business to be able to do something of such a great magnitude.
"I don't know, but I think that our best bet right now would be to investigate the research center first!" Chris told her, "then maybe we'll have something on this terrorist attack."
Jill shook her head and stared at him sadly. "Why do I have the feeling that this wasn't a terrorist attack?" she mumbled, softly.
Chris caught that and glanced over at her thoughtfully. He had a sick feeling in his stomach that she may have been right.
O
"We're going to have to leave … "
Beth turned to Wesker in disbelief as soon as the words left his lips. "Yeah and where are we supposed to go, Wesker?" she snapped. "It's a nice idea as is, but we have to think of how we're going to get to where you want us to go and…"
Rose was in the bathroom doing something that they could not see and she called back out to them. "My dad has a working RV in the garage!" she hollered back to them.
Wesker smiled smugly at Beth, satisfied with that response. "Ah, now do you see?" he said. "It will all work out perfectly in our favor. Umbrella had several; bunkers stationed all across the country. There are a few bases that I know of that have been untouched even after all this time."
"It's true," Krauser added, standing along the wall and watching the windows carefully with his weapon tightly in his arms, "I remember one located at the Hoover Dam during one of my missions working for that government shit - stain, Kennedy."
Wesker turned and walked into the bathroom to see what the woman was doing, looming over Rose as she pulled back her eyelids. He heaved a sigh and shook his head impatiently. They didn't have time for her to worry about her eyes right now.
"Rose, what are you doing?" he asked, curtly.
She blinked and tilted her head. "Is there any way I can eighty - six the eyes, Wesker?" she said. "I don't want to scare anybody." Wesker started to speak and she held up a single finger without looking back at him. "And I'm not wearing sunglasses at 7:00 at night!"
Wesker cocked his head with a low, impatient rumble in his throat. He leaned over her, his head close to her ear and he picked up her reading glasses in one hand. He gave her a smile that suggested that he was up to serious trouble.
"Tell me, Rose," he said. "Do you own contacts by any chance?"
Rose shrugged and nodded. "Well, yeah, I have them ... but I don't really like to wear them that much because they tend to irritate my - "
There was a low snapping sound and her eyes grew wide. Wesker had snapped her glasses cleanly in half with the end of his thumb. He discarded the pieces into the trash can and smirked.
"Oh. Look at that. Now you do." he told her.
Rose stared at them both in the mirror, her mouth gaped in shock. He chuckled softly at her and she grunted in disbelief. "You broke my glasses!" she protested.
Wesker shrugged one shoulder. "You threw me into a wall."
Rose pursed her lips with irritation and turned around to face him. "Look, Wesker … " she began.
Wesker held up one hand, gesturing for her to keep quiet for a moment. She stared at him curiously as he smiled at her and this time, there was nothing mocking about it. Instead, he held out one gloved hand to her.
"Shall we?" he said.
Ah, he meant to practice some fighting styles with him. What a way to get him to avoid a fight with her. He felt that it was a more constructive way to ease her frustrations and learn all at the same time.
"Sure," she said, turning to go, "But don't think I wouldn't pass up the chance to toss you into the wall again if you ever piss me off."
He chortled. "Gracious, Rose," he murmured, snarky, "What an enchanted world you live in ... "
The two went to the roof and began to practice proper Martial Artist kicks and punches. It would have been easy for Rose if she hadn't been kicked in the face several times from his demonstrations and his only excuse was that he had to show her 'the real deal'. Wesker took it slow at first, showing her how to execute her moves properly. He only gave her one chance, so she had to learn quickly.
"Slow. Attack slow," he instructed, pulling her wrist into an appropriate punching posture. "Attack. Slow." He sighed and shook his head impatiently, moving behind her and placing both hands on her waist to adjust her stance. When he was sure she was in the proper stance, he smiled. "Now … attack."
Rose lunged at him in a flurry of kicks and punches, each in which he blocked with everything that he had. She swung her leg up to strike his head and he easily wrapped one arm around her ankle, responding to her flabbergasted expression with a sly smirk of his own before he wrapped his opposite arm around her wrist as well, twisting and sending her spinning through the air. She landed with a dull thud and a sharp cry and he smiled down at her.
"Good," he told her. "Now, time for a drink."
The two walked over to a set of chairs where Wesker picked up a bottle of red wine. He opened the cork with ease and poured himself a glass. He offered some to her, but instead, she took the entire bottle and began to chug most of its contents down. Wesker stared at her, brows raised.
"What?" Rose said, licking her lips. "You think that just because I am a lady, I can't handle my alcohol?"
"No. I'm not entirely surprised, actually." Wesker murmured.
Kirk was coming up the stairs to view the two on the roof. He sat down and listened in on what they were saying. It wasn't right to eavesdrop, but he couldn't resist the urge, especially after hearing what Jonas and Beth had joked about the other day.
"Hey, Wesker," Rose said. "May I ask a question?"
"I suppose so." Wesker replied, taking a drink.
"Why did you make me like you?" Rose asked. "I mean I'm grateful that you saved me and all, but why did you bother to do it? You don't like me that much. You never have since the day we met."
Wesker glanced at her skeptically from behind his glasses. She always had to find a deeper meaning to a simple way of him repaying her for saving his life. That was how human beings were, particularly women. "Who told you that?" he asked. "Because I tend to teach you your place quite often that means that I do not like you? Those emotions are for weak little fools who spend most of their time weeping when they could be solving the problem at the same time."
Rose smirked. "Why can't you just answer my question?"
Wesker exhaled with irritation and placed his empty glass down at his side. "Rose, consider it payment for you pulling me up onto the ship and bringing me back to life, regardless of intentions or not. So just be grateful for that."
He was dodging the question it seemed. Rose smiled and tilted her head back with a soft chuckle. Wesker glared at her now.
"What's so funny?" he demanded.
Rose laughed softly and waved him off, pretending like she hadn't even laughed at all. "Nothing." she said.
Wesker was getting annoyed at her and it clearly showed through a tightening of his lips. It was getting bothersome. He hated having himself being the butt of amusement and not have himself understand what the reason for it was. He showed his teeth at her.
"Rose … " he warned.
She just laughed harder at the warning sound, holding her nose with one hand. "Heh, I guess I understand now!" she joked, giving him a teasing punch on his shoulder.
He slowly stared down at the place where she had punched him and then back up at her with a soft grimace of intolerance. Apparently, he didn't share her sense of humor.
Kirk slowly sank back down the steps, avoiding being seen as the two got up to enter the house.
O
"Right, I'm leaving."
As soon as Kirk said that, everyone stared at him like he was insane. He was standing by the front door, slowly taking the barricades down.
"What?" Krauser snapped. "Are you nuts, man?"
Kirk continued to take the barricades apart, listening to the deafening sounds of moaning outside. He seemed determined to get away, no longer willing to watch the woman he loved fall for another man; if that was very much the case. He didn't care if he lived or died; this was too much for him.
"I'm not staying here," Kirk told them. "I'm going to run for it."
Beth shook her head in disbelief. "Kirk, don't go out there, it's suicide."
Jonas simply smiled and shrugged. He really didn't share the concern of the others; Kirk never liked him and vice - versa. "I think you should go."
Kirk stopped what he was doing and looked at them all. He grunted and shook his head, reaching for the shotgun and gesturing to the front doors. "We can all go out there together and make a run for it," he told them. "We can defend ourselves."
Rose stared at him angrily. "What do you mean 'we'?" she demanded.
Kirk stared back at her, equally pissed. "What the hell do you mean, Rose?" he snapped. "You and Wesker both are the same now, right?" There was a bitter laugh in his words that suggested more to them. "Since the two of you are so so great together, it shouldn't be too damn hard. You can take all of them down with a simple punch and kick!"
Rose blinked, letting that simmer before her eyes grew wide and she laughed in shock and anger. That's what all of this was about. His jealousy and bitterness toward Wesker because he believed that there was something going on. He really was crazier than she thought.
"Oh my God … You gotta be kidding me." she said, in a stunned whisper. "Is that what this is all about?" She gave Jonas a sideways glance. "Oh my God, Jonas please just shoot me in the head, will you? Please. For my sake and my sanity."
Jonas paused for a moment before he spoke, meekly. "Wesker will get pissed … "
Kirk scoffed and rolled his eyes, throwing his hands in the air. "Don't play the innocent victim here, Rose!" he nearly shouted, "You've spent the entire time with us being the biggest tease, and the cruelest woman there's ever been!"
Beth held up a hand. "Whoa!" she snapped. "Now I don't know what's up your butt, but you'd better get it out right now before I get angry."
"Maybe you had better calm down before someone gets hurt." Wesker suggested, with a cruel sneer.
"Shut up! Just shut up, you asshole!" Kirk shouted. "You've been nothing but a walking plague since the day we picked you out of the water!"
Rose took a step forward. "So are you saying that ... that our friendship was all just for nothing?" she demanded. "Is that what you're saying to me right now, Kirk? That because I didn't get with you, I'm supposed to be a cruel person?"
That faltered Kirk somewhat. Truly, now that he had heard it, she made him sound like a complete asshole. Maybe he was and maybe he wasn't, but a small part of him felt that this wasn't entirely fair on her. He paused for a long time before he spoke, attempting to fix it.
"Rose, listen I … " Kirk began.
Suddenly, the glass of the windows around Kirk shattered and hand shot through, seizing him tightly. Everyone jumped with shock and horror. Krauser immediately hurried to seize his weapon while the others rushed over to help Kirk out.
"No!" Kirk screamed, smacking at them to get them to go and save themselves. "No! No!"
"Goddamn it!" Rose shouted, struggling for all her worth.
Kirk winced and shrieked as several ravenous, bleeding mouths latched onto his body, tearing chunks of flesh and bone. Bits of blood sprayed the faces of those who tried to help him.
"Oh my God!" Beth wailed.
Krauser held up his machine gun. "Get down!" he ordered.
The two women ducked as a shower of bullets ripped through the air, tearing into the skulls of the zombies, splattering brain matter and blood all over the walls and floor. Krauser rushed up and delivered a wicked punch to the head of a still, twitching zombie.
Kirk's body collapsed to the floor, twitching and spasming, bleeding from the bites and blood pouring out of his mouth. After a few moments of choking and gasping, he smirked at the others and waved them off with a single hand.
"Get to the garage!" he gurgled.
"Kirk!" Rose cried, desperately.
He flashed a bloody, weak smile. "Sorry I couldn't be a better man for ya', Rose … " he groaned. "So maybe I can be a … better dead one for you then." The zombies were pouring into the window and he snarled painfully at them. "GO!"
They hurried to the garage, Krauser dragging a screaming Rose and leaving Wesker standing there. He chuckled softly and held out a small device to the man at his last breath. Kirk took it and Wesker gave a small nod, indicating that he had understood what this was. There was a small red button at the end of it.
"It took some time. Erasing evidence was the only means of preventing others to know of what transpired here …" he told the dying man. "Do it."
Kirk grinned weakly. "You bastard … !" he hissed, just as Wesker rushed out. He watched as the zombies poured over him and he held up the device. "Come and get me, you fuckers!"
And with that, he pressed the button.
O
The entire Bedford home erupted into a ball of flaming debris. The resulting blast sent the others through the air with loud yells. Rose cushioned Beth's and Jonas' fall by throwing her body out in front of them and hitting the grass. Wesker landed gracefully onto two feet and Krauser tumbled through the air with a yelp.
"Son of a bitch!" Krauser gasped, glancing over his shoulder at the fire. "What the hell was that?"
Rose glanced back at her home, burning to the ground. Tears filled her eyes at the loss of that and her friend. Even though Kirk had said terrible things to her, he had still been her dear friend nonetheless.
The explosion was seen far out by Chris and Jill as they were standing over the corpse of the G beast that had once been Frank Head. Jill gave the creature a swift kick to its thick midsection before she even noticed the smoke in the distance.
"Chris!" she gasped, pointing.
Chris nodded. "They may be survivors out there, let's go!" He took off first, spotting a Jeep at the side of the street. He hurried into it, spotting the keys still in the ignition. Jill jumped in at his side and they drove off toward the smoke.
Pulling up to the smoking house, Jill and Chris noticed the flaming bodies of the zombies lumbering around them, looking for the people that had escaped. Jill's eyes grew wide in horror.
"Oh my God … " she gasped. "I think we were too late."
Chris shook his head, but his lips parted and his eyes slowly grew wide once he spotted a figure standing at the side of the debris. There was a man in black, glasses gleaming menacingly in the iridescent fire and blonde hair practically glowing; standing there with a smirk.
Jill and Chris watched him with breathless gasps. "No … " Chris moaned.
Wesker grinned at him, eyes glowing red behind those lenses. He raised a brow and gave him a quick, mocking salute before an RV blasted passed him and he jumped onto it, clinging to the railing as the vehicle shattered the fence surrounding the former house.
The two were stunned, watching as it drove away into the streets.
"It … it can't be … " Jill cried. "That can't be him!"
Chris' whole world nearly spun with pain. His throat closed up and his head felt like it weighed a ton. His hands shook against the steering wheel and he slowly looked at Jill, eyes haunted and widened.
"We need to make a call … !" he finally managed.
What ravages of spirit
Conjured this temptuous rage
Created you a monster
Broken by the rules of love
And fate has led you through it
You do what you have to do
And fate has led you through it
You do what you have to do ...
And I have the sense to recognize that
I don't know how to let you go
Every moment marked
With apparitions of your soul
I'm ever swiftly moving
Trying to escape this desire
The yearning to be near you
I do what I have to do
Rose shut her eyes and covered them with one hand, soft sniffling sounds escaping her as the RV continued down the dark, empty streets. To where, she wasn't sure. But right now, she didn't even care.
O
Note-Well, it's been done. Chris and Wesker have seen each other once more. All that and more very soon! This sad, yet beautiful song is "Do What You Have to Do" by Sarah McLachlan. Ahhh, I hope this didn't seem rushed to you. Did it seem rushed to you? I hope it didn't.