A sharp repetitive ringing startled Sanders out of sleep and he looked around blearily before coming across his phone that had appeared on one of the two side tables. He answered before it finished ringing,"Hello?"

"Sanders, I'd like you to come to my office. Quickly. I would like to discus something with you." Wesker's smooth drawl replied. In a spike of paranoia Nik was fully awake, did he know?! Luckily he didn't have to answer or attempt to say anything as Wesker had already hung up on him. Sitting up and changing into the clothes provided to him in a neat pile, Sanders settled his nerves on his way to the upper floor where Wesker awaited him. He rapped on the simple door before opening it and stepping into the gloom of the office. "What is it sir?" he inquired. Wesker didn't turn from his computer's expansive screen,"I want an update on your condition. Have you recovered? Any ailments? New symptoms?" Wesker bombarded him.

Sanders blew out a breath quietly, oh, right, it was about him, not what he was doing. "Huh. Well..." he flexed and twisted a bit,"Actually, I feel pretty good. Other than that, I think I'm good- but, uhh..." Nik trailed off. Should he say something about the freaky dreams? He certainly wasn't going to tell Wesker his nightmares came to life. "What is it?" Wesker probed. "Been having nightmares... Of things... wiggly freakish things." He muttered, half heartedly explaining what he had experienced. "Hn." Wesker uttered and finally turned the computer off before swiveling around to face Sanders. Without the light of the giant screen the room might as well have not been lit. "I have no doubt they will pass." He followed up as he descended his chair and strode toward the left side of the room to a dark mound he hadn't noticed in the near blackness.

The lights slowly brightened as he came up to what Sanders now recognized as a woman bound to a chair. His eyes widened, this could be nothing but trouble. It didn't take him but a second more to put a name to the face in the chair, it was his captain of team Theta! "Wesker- why is Tatyana here?" He breathed. The darkly clad blond caressed her cheek,"By my estimated timeline I believe it's time we see what you can do Sanders and I know how much you trust Tatyana so I thought I would invite her to join you." The brunet sidled from foot to foot, down casting his eyes from the scene,"I don't know..."

"You don't have to, come." Wesker stated beckoning Nikolai closer. Looking back up, Sanders crossed his arms and frowned, he was shaking with excitement yet unhappy that he wanted this. "We can do this the hard way Sanders." Wesker mused, his hand moving to grasp her chin. "Have you ever heard what it sounds like when a neck snaps? We can find out right now." Sanders stepped forward, "What?! No! I- don't." He shuffled forward then, joining Wesker by his captain's side. "What do I do?" Nik mumbled, he didn't have to be told, his eyes were already down cast at her face. The gloved hand receded from Tatyana's chin,"What feels right, lean closer to her face, you will know what to do." The blond instructed. Sanders didn't hesitate after being told what he should do. His hands cradled her head as he leaned down until they were sharing the same breathing space.

Wesker watched silently as the other man drew his unconscious victim into a kiss that seemed harmless at first, then Sanders opened his mouth wide and Wesker traced the muscles of the brunet's throat with his eyes. The column twitched and moved, something under the layer of flesh moving independently. Tatyana's jaw descended and Wesker watched the same movement of muscles under her throat's skin as well before Sanders arched down on to her as his throat contracted repeatedly. A larvae slithered between one body to the next before Sanders pulled back slightly unsealing their lips and revealing just a trace of flesh connecting their mouths. A hand grabbed brown stands and pulled him away from his victim making a thrill of panic race down his spine. The parasite tried to whip cord back into it's host but a second hand grabbed hold of it before it left the new host.

Sanders twisted in Wesker's grip, hands wrapped tight around the wrist that had hold of the parasite. The blond wasn't phased in the slightest from the panicked struggle and after a few patient moments Sanders stopped trying to free himself and the monster crying out incessantly in Wesker's firm grasp. Once the boy had gone docile, Wesker examined what he had hold of. His eyes traced the strange four-pronged mouth-like cluster of bony 'fangs' that had allowed him to keep hold of the slippery flesh tube. Every inch of muscle was soft, light pink and glistening. Veins and arteries made red and purple nets under the skin and as he pulled the end of the parasite slowly out of Sanders' body, he had to marvel at how far it came away from the host. It had to be 2 1/2 feet, maybe even 3, though, he couldn't be sure as Sanders was struggling again, pushing up towards Wesker's other hand and dragging the wrist closer to his mouth as much as possible. Wesker finally let go as Tatyana sputtered awake and started gasping and coughing on the larvae. Sanders crumpled to the floor in front of her as his bruised parasite slinked back inside him as she became fully conscious.

She tried a few attempts on words as she struggled against her bonds along with the larvae inside her before stilling and breathing harshly. "Wesker?" She sputtered, confused. "Morning Tatyana. Apologies for this rude awakening." He didn't sound apologetic in the slightest. She found Sanders shortly after but her gaze quickly returned to the blond looming on her right. "What is all this?" She tugged her right wrist. "Safety precautions. You are a fighter after all." As he said this he was kind enough to untie her from the chair. She rubbed at her wrists feeling rather queasy. "And what were you doing Nik?" She inquired sharply. Wesker answered before Sanders had fully opened his mouth,"Sharing his seed with you." On instinct her eyes darted to her clothed form, outrage in her eyes. "Not like that dear. You and the rest of Theta will be trying the performance enhancing virus Sanders is trying. His trial run has been successful so I brought you in." He rephrased. "Unconscious?" She practically snarled. "As my lead B.O.W. collector who is off the grid, you have no say in what I will be doing. Enjoy these perks regardless of permission." He mused and made his way back to his chair. Tatyana was known for her cool head but what Wesker had said could enrage anyone and she nearly blew her top, luckily, Sanders was quick to keep her off the chopping block. "I'm sorry." It was rushed and he wasn't looking at her but it made her pay him attention over the better-than-everyone tyrant looming over them. "He threatened to kill you if I didn't do it."

"What did you do." She demanded in a hushed tone similar to his raspy whispers. "It's like that las plagas thing back in the early 2000s-"

"LAS PLAGAS?! YOU ARE- I- What the FUCK did you get into Nikolai?" She more or less screamed at him in the quietest tone possible. His ears flushed with heat, this whole mess was embarrassing. "If you two are finished..." The two of them snapped back to Wesker. "Sanders, you've done well through this test and as you aren't a mumbling, aggressive mess by now I'll expect you to keep it together. Your quarantine with Kennedy will end tomorrow. Tatyana, as you've just come on board to this new enhanced way of living, I expect you to partner with Nikolai if you feel abnormal. He will know how to help if something is wrong." Through his little speech his subordinates' expressions gradually changed from upset to calm. "Sanders. Keep that gift among Theta only, if I find our next step for humans out among the rest of us you will find yourself on the autopsy end of this test."

Nik went pale as a sheet. "Y...Yes Wesker..." He managed before he glanced at his partner in this, anything was better to look at than the oppressive shades of Albert Wesker. Their time together was near spent with Wesker ready to send them on their way when Tatyana abruptly hacked up blood into her hand. She grimaced at it while Sanders drew closer to her. An uncomfortable sting followed her next few breaths and then exhaustion came on so suddenly she nearly swooned right into Nik who was ready to catch her should she need it. Rubbing her biceps, she shuddered but remained standing. "Both of you head back to the medical wing, Sanders, she'll be taking your room for the night while you return to your sleeping quarters." The brunet nodded and lead Tatyana away. His thoughts focused solely on how dead he was when Wesker found out about the others.

- T - G - T:V -T:A - C - E -

As the days passed things returned to normalcy, as if Leon wasn't among them or a new breed of parasite wasn't spreading around like the flu. Things were changing even if only a few knew it. Theta became Wesker's favorite focus group as time went by but by the time he was watching them with his own eyes it was just a little too late.

Like an abandoned toy, Leon spent his time stuck in the belly of the base on the medical floor. He honestly hated it here. As days drug themselves by he became acutely aware of how trapped he was. His options were very limited even with his super human abilities and he hated that as well. Honestly, these days 'hate' had become his favorite word. Ever since Nik had vanished nearly a week ago he had no one to talk to so he found himself alone even with other people in the same room. That wasn't what bothered him, he could live alone, it was how south his emotions dove. He had never known such negativity in his life and it cycled back to anger every time.

Now, for example, he was minding his own business in the rehabilitation ceter getting a decent work out. You would think hauling your head over a metal rod higher than you are tall would keep your brain busy, not for Leon. He wasn't keeping track of the times he went up and down, his mind focused on escape, how much he wanted it. He couldn't have it though, everything was stacked against him from the people ready to stop him at every turn if he tried to his aggrivating super human condition that went to shit if he wasn't skin to skin with Wesker. He still marvelled how he had squeezed out of this mess even for only a few short minutes.

"Look at the bar, shit dude he's bending it like it's made of paper."

"Why does Wesker let freaks run free if they just bust everything up?"

Leon's unfocused gaze narrowed as his pupils thinned to just a sliver of black. The conversation he had unintentionally listened in on was between two men on the other side of the room looking his way. His arms uncurled from the bar and he dropped to the ground. Try as he might his attention had locked on to the pair in the rehabilitation center that had no taste for him. It shouldn't bother him, not everyone would like him, they were allowed that. Yet as he toweled off the sweat from his workout the beginnings of a snarl were edging his lips back. He admitted being stuck in the medical wing was starting to test his composure. With the intent of removing himself from the conversation he couldn't put down, he crossed the gym for the exit.

"Tck." One of the two men scoffed as he passed. The small noise made it perfectly clear he loathed Leon's presence. It also snapped the ex-agent's composure like a brittle twig. "What is your problem?" Leon snapped, stopping short on his way out to stare frigidly at the two. Both men stood straighter at the call out, the one that hadn't made the noise just shook his head and backed down. The other one, sporting braces on both knees scowled at him. "Nobody was talkin' to you snake eyes. Calm down and keep walkin'." He snorted, playing off the fact he had been caught grouching at someone else.

He was usually so cool headed but now Leon felt his temper threatening to scald him. "Not talking to me, just about me. I don't know what your beef is with me but it's really fucking stupid to talk about it when I can hear everything." His words seethed in a threatening manner. His opponent looked surprised for a moment, he had no idea Leon could hear conversations from across the room. The soldier didn't back down though, Leon was threatening but his pretty features took the edge off his overall danger level. Which was usually the downfall of anyone who went up against him. "I wasn't aware you were a snoop as well as a freak. My bad, I'll make sure to shout so everyone else can hear too." He sneered. Leon's muscles bunched as if he would lunge at the injured man. A hand clapped the other man's shoulder, "Haiden, man, you gotta stop. He's weird OK, we get it. He's going to punch you out of existence if you don't shut the fuck up. How are you going to even walk straight again if he kills you over this?" His companion interjected trying to defuse the situation.

'Haiden' shrugged his shoulder, glaring down his opponent. Leon returned the glare with a firm stare, neither man budging an inch. "Dude, look around..." The other man whispered. Leon glanced away, curious himself to know what was so attention drawing aside from their quarrel. More than half the people in the gym had turned to look at the three of them but something was off, the ones that were watching were ringing them, staring them down with blank expressions. It felt wrong, unnerving, like being surrounded by a cult. Even most of the staff for the area was zoned in on them. Leon glanced back in time to see Haiden shudder. The blond didn't have an explanation for the weird ring of gazes but he somehow felt like he had the upper hand now.

Turning away, Leon decided he was done here. The confrontation ended there for him but as he made his way out the ring of on lookers disbursed with the staff zeroing in on the two problem men while the others scattered around the room to the few men and women not paying attention to the fight. The thing about floor 6 was that it had very few cameras which made the parasitic infestation running rampant spread without no one the wiser at this point. As the two were grabbed and assimilated the seven that had approached them backed off, returning to their posts while the distractions ended their conversations with those they had been talking to. The two men gazed at the double doors Leon had left through before matching each other red eyes for red eyes. As their irises returned to normal coloring they turned in unison and went about their lives. There were two new friends waiting for Leon.

- T - G - T:V - T:A - C - E -

"Hey stranger." Leon sat up from the computer he was at. The greeting felt familiar, had someone used that often toward him? He shook the idea off more interested in whom had spoken, it was Nikolai, a smile uplifted his cheeks. "Back again? I thought for sure once they'd released you you were never comin' back." Sanders grinned. "Can't get rid of me that easily. So what are you doing?" The brunet leaned in closer," You find the porn yet?" He whispered, grinning. A grin started on Leon's face as well," Are you serious?" Sanders stood back up,"100% There's women down here but they're all prudent. Man's gotta have an outlet around here." Nik stated, crossing his arms. Leon hummed, yeah, that was true. His expression turned sour as he noted he was the outlet for the big boss around here. Speaking of Wesker, Leon hadn't seen the man in what? Eight days? A week? Maybe that whole touchy feely thing was a load of crap. He hoped so, Wesker was a terrible thing to be physically chained to for the rest of his life. "Leon?" Burgundy eyes glanced up at Sanders,"Huh?" He mumbled.

"You checked out, are you alright?" The younger man asked. Leon tipped his head away," Yeah, I guess, being stuck down here in a 5 star prison is still shitty. I might not remember what I did before coming here but I know I like to keep moving." Nik smiled. "Hey then, I can help with that." Leon looked at him, eyes searching the other man for lies. "I'm here to get you out. Wesker decided you were done hanging with the cripps." The man next to Leon at another computer grunted, clearly offended. "So, ready to join up with Theta?" The brunet asked excitedly.

Leon stared at him, was this for real? Sanders must be some kind of God send, he was moving up in this hell hole. "Get me outta here." He stated as he abandoned the computer to stand with his companion. They headed out for one of the sign out receptionists before catching an elevator up to Recreational. Sanders lead them up to a small group of three men and a woman who was talking to them as if she were their commander.

"Capt'n!" The woman in charge turned around as Sanders called to her. "This is him." Nik stated as the two came to stand among them. Leon and Tatyana sized each other up both having an appreciation for the other just by looks alone. "Welcome to Theta Leon. I'm team lead, my name is Tatyana." She introduced while offering her hand. Leon shook it firmly,"So Wesker wants me in an ops unit that actually leaves this place? The whole time I've been here it's been pretty clear he wants me to stay." Tatyana shrugged,"I can't vouch for the big man's reasons but I do know you would make a better asset out completing missions for him rather than stewing in this facility." Leon had to give that to her, he didn't know what to do with himself down here but if he was with these guys they would give him a purpose. "Here, meet Theta." She said as she turned a sweeping hand toward the men behind her.

"Hello Leon." The first to greet the blond was a man in his mid thirties. He was lean and shorter than Leon with caramel skin along with an amazing thick beard. "I am Raziq." The other man put a hand to his chest and half bowed. Leon couldn't place the man's accent, was he from the middle east somewhere or maybe around India? He didn't get to think much on it as the man next to Raziq pulled him upright,"Quit bowing we all know you aren't that polite." Leon guessed this one was British or at least lived there for some time by the way he pronounced his English. A large hand was jabbed at Leon,"Call me Logan an' don't piss me off, I'm the ass-saver around here." He grunted somewhere between friendly and hostile. Leon shook the large man's hand with less vigor than Tatyana's before they parted. Good, he already had one of them threatening him, he liked Logan already. The last man didn't offer a greeting or his name. As Leon sized the stout tanned male up they made eye contact. "That's Quintu, he doesn't really speak English but that's never stopped us before." Sanders chimed in.

"Bon vinutu." Quintu finally said though Leon had no idea what the man had said to him. Once the meet and greet was through Tatyana and Nik stayed with Leon for a more in depth chat while their teammates either left the gym or sat down to a machine and started pumping iron. "Well. That was fun." Leon mused. "What does Theta do exactly?" He asked looking over at the olive toned beauty. "Our unit is one of two that is tasked with acquiring B.O.W.s as Wesker needs them. Phi seems to have casualties none stop so you can imagine our work is quite dangerous. Other than yourself, Sanders here is our baby and I will tell you now I pride myself on getting the mission done and keeping my men alive." She summarized. "Though I hear you're super human, I'm sure Logan will have a run for his title as 'ass-saver' with you in Theta." Her lite tone brought a smile on. "Apparently. I've been in a hospital setting 90% of the time since Wesker snatched me up." Leon hummed, he was more than ready for this change of pace. This was more than likely a test as well, to see if he'd blow the coop.

Leon was honesty considering it. Freedom. The very idea excited him but something in the depths of his mind told him if he left and tried to return to what he had once had freedom wasn't what was waiting for him. It troubled him, thinking about it, no one would want him back now that he was a monster. He still had his humanity, thank god, but he felt different around humans. Not the right fit, not quite right and he didn't like how people judged him over the slight difference in his appearance. Most around the facility had ceased their ridicule or at least wised up to not doing so in his general presence. He asked a few more questions after that and once satisfied with Tatyana's wellspring of answers she departed from her subordinates.

This new opportunity should have uplifted his spirits but Leon felt just as unhappy prior to Nik coming to the rescue. "Let's go introduce you to Theta's sleeping quarters. It's not Wesker's private quarters but it has to be better than the sterile nightmare you were living with earlier." Leon nodded to the suggestion. They traded from the fifth floor to the seventh and walked down a new bunch of halls. There were letters engraved on each door they passed but they were lost on Leon as he didn't know much about the Greek alphabet. They passed by several symbols before coming across θ which apparently was Theta's. Each letter had two doors to which Nikolai came up to. "This one's ours." Nik stated as he motioned to the left door. With the swipe of a key card they entered and Leon got his first look at one of the two lounges Theta could rest and relax in. There were feminine touches around the room prompting the question,"We're sharing with Tatyana?"

"Yup."

"Does Wesker not care about bunking both genders together?" Leon asked. "Uhh, well, kinda? Roomies are dictated by sexual preference around here, mostly." Sanders supplied. A barbed silence stretched between them making the brunet uncomfortable,"Why am I staying over here then?" Sanders blinked and looked at Leon. "Wesker said it would be appropriate- I uhh, okay, well uhh, s-sorry." Nik stumbled into an apology. The way Wesker had said it, Nikolai was sure Leon preferred men, or, at least didn't prefer women. Leon's tone had dashed his confidence big time but the younger told himself Leon wasn't off the table just yet. "It's fine. Should I go to the other room?" Leon continued, edging them away from the awkward subject.

"I don't have the card for that one... Wesker made it clear he wanted you over here." Nik chewed his lower lip. "Do you still have the card Wesker gave you?" Leon wondered, searching his pockets he did find the card the receptionist returned to him. "It'll work on this door if you ever need in." The blond looked at the bland key card. "Hold on, I want to try it on the other door." Leon stepped out of their room and swiped his card through the other reader. It blipped green twice before unsealing the door. "Huh." Continuing his rampage, Leon shut the door and stepped over to the next closest door. He swiped the card there too. The door blipped green twice again and opened for him. "It really does work on five, six and seven." Sanders reached around him and shut Phi's male dorm. "You won't go around abusing your power will you?"

"Ha, sorry. I just can't believe Wesker gave me an all out pass around the joint." Leon marveled. "Well, not everywhere." Nik interjected. Leon put the card away, that was true, it just worked on the social and populated floors. They returned to their dorm. Nik was about to gesture around the open floor plan before Leon spoke up. "Are you really...?" He didn't finish, finding it hard to tell if he really wanted to know. Green eyes glanced at him, puzzled by the cliff hanger. "Am I?" Leon looked at him, steeling himself. "Gay. Are you gay?" Leon looked totally uncomfortable after getting it off his chest. The smile he saw wasn't what he expected. "I identify with that more than being straight. I guess I'm bisexual? I still remember the time with my prom date but have you ever sucked dick? He's practically putty in your hands." Leon colored at the description, he hadn't expected Sanders to go there.

"It really gets under your skin, sorry. You're my type Leon but... I can't even think about it if it makes you look like that." Nikolai stated and pointed to Leon's cringing expression. His nerves buzzed in him like a swarm. Sanders was interested and that type of guy. His nerves died as he looked at the younger man's worried frown. Nik wasn't Wesker. He wouldn't force them together. It would be okay. "That's... touching. Thanks, I guess." The situation smoothed out as Nik went about showing off the commodities of their place. "We're not going to get to enjoy this much, Wesker said we're shippin' out now that you're with us." The brunet finished. Leon smiled, good, no time for weirdness to ensue.

"Will you give me a chance?" Leon blinked. "What?" He stared Sanders down. "To win you over. I... I don't know how you feel or what you've been through but I was attracted to you the first time we met." Nikolai was so true to his desires. Leon rubbed one of this upper arms awkwardly. The brunet waited impatiently, he hoped this amazing man wouldn't shoot him down. "Let's not talk about this. I... don't know how I feel about it." He settled on that answer and looked back to see how Nik took it. There wasn't a smile but he wasn't frowning either. "Alright." Between the two of them Leon decided he couldn't stick around. He left Sanders to think about the not-quite-a-refusal and made off to explore though he would spend most of the time thinking about the idea of them.

Pretty sure I meant this to be two different chapters but they both seemed too short for my liking since I haven't updated in what? Two years 'n' some change? *sigh* Freedom from writer's block is so amazing.

Thank you Black Fox34, ladysakura31 and Anna605 through your daisy chain of begging and interest for the next chapter I didn't give up through all the re-writing and loss of this chapter's progress. I hope you've all enjoyed this. 'Til next chapter guys. :)