Chapter 20
Superhuman
Jake and Sherry shared all the new information they attained with Piers and Helena [as well as Steve and Claire] via video chat. The four were definitely unnerved by the events unfolding around them but each was more than willing to fight for their cause. Deborah had yet to awaken but Helena was adamant that she definitely would. Jake implored her to ask as many questions as she could to her sister before getting into the emotional parts – implying how important it was that Deborah provided more ammunition to seal Simmons fate.
After the two left the game room, they came face to face with Wesker and the news he was about to deliver wasn't pleasant.
"Jake, Simmons has gone missing." he said grimly, his lips thinned afterwards.
"No one can find him? I find that hard to believe, especially since he's so important." Jake retorted irritably.
Sherry agreed with him, "This just has to be a ploy or something. He could be hiding until the storm blows over."
"Unfortunately for him we have no intention of letting the storm end until he is caught and in custody." Wesker said and turned to leave. "My son, I insist that you two remain here where it is safe. I understand your friend is in need but you must ask yourself, is Miss Birkin's safety worth the risk?"
Jake frowned a bit and looked to Sherry; she smiled hoping to offer support. "… Alright dad, whatever you say."
Helena sat in the room with her sleeping sister. She quietly watched her steady breathing and listened to the repetitive beeping from the machines monitoring her. If Deborah didn't wake anytime soon she feared Simmons would zoom in on them and steal her away again.
She sighed, willing herself to calm down. Piers, Claire and Steve had gone out to get some snacks from the corner store. Helena volunteered to stay behind and keep an eye on Deborah.
The lovely brunette lowered her face to her palms; her elbows resting on her knees. "Come on Helena, get it together. Everything will be fine… I think." she told herself this countless times but she just couldn't maintain confidence in her words. Her sister could remain this way for months and there was no way she could impose on Claire for that long. Eventually she and Piers would have to return to his apartment and then be reduced to daily visits back and forth for extended periods.
Either way, she felt like she was infringing on the maternal red-haired woman and using her hospitality excessively.
"Deborah…" she whispered. "Please wake up, we need you to stop Simmons… and I need your smile…"
Silence.
Helena chuckled bitterly, it was as if she expected her words to breathe life into her sister so suddenly but that was all wishful thinking…
"Helena…"
Helena's head snapped away from her hands to the bed-ridden body before her.
Deborah was looking at her, her brown eyes tired and weary, her breath slow and even.
She was alive.
She was awake.
Helena sprang from her seat to her sister's side, tears streaming down her cheeks. Deborah blinked rapidly as she tried to ascertain whether she was dreaming or not. Her sister was with her, hugging her and she felt sore, stiff and achy all over. "H-Helena…? Is it really you?" her voice was hoarse and her throat felt dry.
Helena cupped her face, smiling brightly despite the river of tears cascading from her eyes. "Yes! It's me Deborah! I'm here and you're safe now! We're finally together again!" she cried, hugging her sister tightly to her, paying no mind to the machines and IV's connected to the younger Harper.
"I-I can't believe it…" Deborah managed and soon her waterworks began as well.
The sisters grasped onto one another for dear life, thanking the heavens above for the blessing they were bestowed. During this time, Claire returned with Piers and Steve; Helena hollered for them to come quickly to the room and they all were astonished to see Deborah sitting up in her bed, eyeing them all with a mixture of confusion and affliction.
"She's awake!" Helena exclaimed crying and laughing joyfully. She hugged Piers tightly and pointed to her sister. "Look! She's awake, Piers! She's finally awake!"
Piers mouth was agape – he loosely embraced his girlfriend before slowly approaching the bed, clearly in complete disbelief. Deborah squint her eyes at him and a small smile graced her pretty features. "P-Piers? Is that you big brother?"
He nodded slowly and let out a loud laugh before wrapping his arms around her. Helena came up behind him to hug them both and they all laughed [though Deborah and Helena were crying as well]. Piers kissed Deborah's hair lovingly and pulled Helena to his chest for her to cry some more. Though he shed no tears, he was visibly delighted that the two Harper sisters were reunited – both alive and both safe from harm once again.
Claire looked to Steve and he descried she was close to tearing up. Steve circled his arm around her waist and pulled her to him to weep happily on his shoulder. He had to admit, seeing the sisters together again after the hell Deborah had been through, it gave him hope.
Maybe they could actually stop Simmons now. Maybe – just maybe they could end him before he tried anything else.
The four waited around Deborah as she stuffed her mouth with food Claire brought from the kitchen. It was almost disturbing to see a girl eat like a little piggy but then again, she hadn't eaten in a long while [from what she told them].
They were all anxious to ask questions but Helena; disobeying what Jake asked of her; demanded that her sister be given a moment to truly rejuvenate before they hounded her with questions. Once the girl finished pigging out on her food, she shyly pardoned herself for being 'unladylike' while Claire took her dishes back to the kitchen.
"Debbie," Piers started, sending a cautious look to Helena. She glared at him but Deborah placed a hand on her sister's to assure her she was alright. "What happened to you? I know this is sudden but so much has happened…"
Deborah flinched from the question, her eyes darted everywhere. "I… don't think you would believe me if I told you."
"Why?" asked Helena.
"Because it's so crazy…" she whispered, lowering her head.
Claire returned from the kitchen, "Then let's start small." She intervened with a gentle smile. "Hi Deborah, my name's Claire and you're in my house… do you remember how you got here?"
Deborah blinked at her, "Um, no I don't…"
"Do you remember what happened before you woke up here?"
"Erm… not really." she replied.
Claire asked to switch seats with Piers so that she could get closer to her and he complied. She took Deborah's hands in her own and took a deep breath. "Okay Debbie, let's try to relax as best as we can. You're safe here so you don't need to keep anything from us. Whoever did this to you cannot harm you anymore… Just talk to us, okay?"
The woman nodded slowly and Claire smiled, "Good, now… close your eyes…" Deborah did as she was told. "Do you remember how you got here? Tell me about the last faces you saw before you woke up and saw us… anything distinct? Or if it's easier, you can tell us what the last thing you saw was – maybe a building or street name, whatever you feel you can offer."
The younger Harper furrowed her brows a bit, thinking hard on the question. Helena almost intercepted to assert that all the Simmons drama could wait but her sister spoke up, "I remember waking up… and seeing a doctor. I heard talking… and then nothing…"
"Did you recognize the voice?" Claire gently urged.
"It was… father." Helena felt her blood begin to boil. "I remember… wait – I remember two other people. A little boy and a girl with blonde hair…"
"She must be talking about Sherry and Marlowe," Steve whispered to Piers. "That means she remembers the incident in the hospital."
"The boy hit father and hurt him so I sat up and told the girl to leave… I remember people rushing into the room and father shouting again… he was angry like he always is. I tried to ask what was wrong but somehow I blacked out again…"
"You're remembering, good girl. Now, what happened after that?"
"I woke up and I… was an ambulance. I remember looking at the machines… I blacked out again and when I opened my eyes… I-I can't remember… I-I think I… I just wandered around for a long time but I wasn't in the ambulance anymore. Everything was so dark and there wasn't anyone around – not a sound to be heard…"
"Sounds like Spencer..." Piers noted aloud, he turned to Steve. "Could Simmons have tried to take her to Spencer to hide her? Or maybe…"
"Maybe Jake was right and there really is something to hide there." Steve finished for him.
"Did you just say… Spencer?!" Deborah started loudly, startling everyone in the room. She was trembling suddenly, her eyes wide and her teeth chattering. "P-Please… I don't wanna go there!"
"Okay! Okay, calm down!" Claire pleaded, taking her hands once again. "No one's taking you to Spencer. I promise…"
"What happened in Spencer, Deborah?" Helena asked suddenly, almost like she was demanding an answer.
Deborah was shaken up; she shook her head in rebuttal. Helena knew sister was in distress, but if something happened to her in Spencer, she needed to speak up. "Deborah, what happened to you in Spencer City? Did you see something? You have to tell us."
Everyone was silent, waiting for the woman to respond.
The youngest Harper bit her lip. "There's a lab… under the old mansion in Spencer City."
Her answer was bone-chilling; everyone in the room felt cold and fearful. "A lab? You mean an actual laboratory?" Piers echoed hesitantly.
Deborah nodded slowly. Claire spoke up, "Have you been there or is this something you heard?"
"I was there." Deborah confirmed wearily. "Father… took me there…"
"What did he do to you?" Helena growled out.
"Helena please –"
"I don't want to hear it!" she shouted angrily. "I'm sick of you making excuses for that piece of trash and calling him our father! A father doesn't take advantage of his daughters! A father doesn't abuse his daughters! Whatever he did to you, he has to pay for it! Now spit it out already!"
Piers went to calm her down while Deborah reverted to a tearful breakdown. Helena felt instant regret – she didn't mean to bring her to tears. "I'm sorry Debbie. I didn't mean to –"
"No, you're right." she interrupted, facing her lap in discontent with herself. "You've always been right. I've always been making excuses for him when he just continued to beat me and treat me like garbage… I just wanted to have a family like we did before mom and dad died. I thought we could one day attain that with him… but I guess I was wrong. I was wrong and stupid."
"Debbie you're not stupid –"
"Yes I am, Helena! I keep defending him when all he does is hurt us! It's because of him that I'm like this…" she began to weep again and Claire rubbed her back tenderly.
"Deborah, you remember everything, don't you?" Claire asked gently. When the young Harper nodded, the others were flustered with her. "You've been trying to edit out scenes of what Simmons did to you to defend him, weren't you?" Another nod and sobbing, "Okay, well that's alright Debbie. We forgive you… please, tell us what happened – and start from the beginning."
"B-But, it all sounds so c-crazy." she hiccupped.
"Sweetheart, we heard about super humans and special DNA type of shit recently." Steve cut in dryly. "There ain't much we would find crazy anymore."
Deborah was hesitant but she finally took in some air and began to open up. "It all started the day of my Spanish exam. I went to the library to study and a good friend of mine showed up to talk to me. This friend… I met him during one of the times I went to visit fath – I mean Simmons. He wouldn't let me into his house to talk so I sat on the porch, waiting for him to come outside. While I sat there, a man came down the street – he was really tall and muscular. I realized that… Simmons wasn't coming out anytime soon so I figured I would just walk home and as I was standing up, the man revealed himself. I recognized him from one of the many… jobs I did for fath – I-I mean, Simmons."
"He never asked for service… but he was always nice enough to buy me food or something. I was young when we first met but now that I'm older he's still so pleasant. He told me he would walk me home that day on when we first met and he did. While on the way there, he told me he no longer worked with Simmons and that he was there to warn me to stay away from him. He said he was up to no good and would surely have me killed…"
"From that day on, he showed up every now and then to check on me and scold me to stop trying to play family with Simmons but I was hard headed. Simmons kept making me work for him and suddenly he was injecting me with something. I don't know what it was but it made me full woozy and then invincible… though it was temporary. After he gave me the injection, he would beat me over and over…" her voice cracked as she choked back tears. "Every time he finished, he would say… another failed experiment."
"Did he ever say what he was injecting you with?" Claire asked.
Deborah shook her head, "I never even bothered to ask. I just did as I was told to please him. After a while, I realized I couldn't stand the beatings anymore. My friend, his name is Jack Krauser – he said he would try and help me to escape from Simmons on one condition… I had to promise to help him and others get him convicted and sent to jail for despicable crimes…"
"That Krauser guy, Jake did tell us that he was a rebel against Simmons." Piers affirmed and Steve nodded.
"You say he was a friend… you mean he wasn't your lover?" Helena asked stiffly.
Deborah blinked, wide eyed and shook her head. "Jack and I pretended to be in a relationship to fend off Peter. For safe measure, he said 'boys' are afraid of women with kids so he gave me permission to tell Peter I was having his kid." she giggled a little, "It worked too because he totally left me alone."
"So… you're not pregnant?" Piers pressed.
"Jack and I never slept together; he's like an uncle to me. Besides, do I look pregnant?" she humored.
Piers and Helena let out a breath of relief. She was never pregnant – it was all a lie to keep Peter from bothering her. "So, that guy was helping you get away from Peter and Simmons?"
Deborah nodded. "Yes, he's a lot like Mr. Hamilton – he was disgusted by Simmons and just wanted to help out."
"Wow, that's so nice." Claire mused with a smile. She was reminded of how she and Leon stepped in to help Sherry because they weren't pleased by her parents. Though upon learning of their reasoning behind it, Claire wasn't sure if she agreed with their actions but she would of course accept it as long as Sherry did.
"Jack eventually told me that Simmons was responsible for our parent's death, Helena…"
"What?"
Deborah nodded sadly, "Our parents found out about what he was doing and planned to tell on him… so he had them killed. They didn't die on a mission, he executed them. I didn't want to believe it but… I know it's true."
"I knew it…" she said dreadfully, "I always knew it…"
"As for Jack's problem with Simmons, well – Jack was definitely against Simmons… I decided I would stop pushing a relationship with the man under Jack's insistence and at first things were fine… until he somehow found out I was friends with Jack. He found out about our friendship the day of my exams… and that's when it all began. I had no idea he had someone following me… Right after Jack left me, I was pulled into the girl's restroom by someone in a mask. It was a man… he threatened me saying he was ordered to have me killed by Simmons. I was screaming so loud for help but no one heard me…" She started to cry and Claire hugged her, soothing her in a motherly manner.
"I managed to get away and I ran to my class. Mr. Sera dismissed the class so he could talk to me and he said he was a cop and if anyone tried to hurt me he would stop them. I stayed with him for a long time until these men in white shown up… they said they worked for Simmons and I had to come with them. Mr. Sera tried to stop them but they showed him a paper with a warrant for my arrest involving prostitution… I had to go with them."
"So wait, Simmons used a crime he set you up to do against you?" Steve asked; it all was strangely like a foreshadowing of sorts. Simmons used a crime she committed to have her arrested… could it have been to tarnish her name in case she helped out Krauser?
"Yes but he didn't take me to jail, he took me to… Spencer. I was thrown into a truck with a few more girls I had never met. We were transported into the forests of Spencer and through there we arrived at the old mansion. We didn't go inside the mansion, we were told to go down this old hatch around the back and it led us down into a laboratory."
"So… there's an actual lab beneath the old Spencer mansion in the forest?" Helena asked.
"Yes."
"That means you've gotten past the barrier." Piers added, "What was in the forest? Why seal it off?"
"Because of the leftover hybrids." she said slowly.
This made everyone fearful again. "Hybrids? What are you talking about?"
"Simmons continues to experiment on people after all these years. He tests people with his concoctions and if they don't work, he discards them into the forests where they continue to lurk." her voice quivered as she spoke.
"You're telling me that there are monsters in the forests of Spencer?" Piers asked incredulously.
Deborah hesitantly nodded. "Y-Yes… I've seen them. They're red and fleshy… they look so horrible." she whispered. "Simmons workers call them Bloodshots…"
"Oh my God…" Helena breathed, looking away as if she saw one with her own eyes.
"The experiments done on the other girls and myself were brutal, we were injected with something and then beaten time and time again while he waited for us to 'regenerate'…"
"The girls turning up dead all over the city, that was because of Simmons wasn't it?" Piers demanded. When Deborah nodded, he knew he finally had his suspicions confirmed. He knew all along that Simmons had done this.
"Holy shit… you don't think he somehow got hold to Sherry's blood do you?" Steve wondered aloud with trepidation. "I mean, she did say her regeneration ability is what Simmons is after."
Claire felt a pang in her stomach. "God… I hope not. She never said her blood was donated to Simmons, only Jake's and it's Jake's blood that caused the outbreak in Spencer…"
"Meaning Jake's blood is what makes those monsters Debbie's talking about." Piers realized with dread. "Well, we have confirmation of what's behind the barrier. With Debbie here we have our answers and the proof that we need."
"No…" Deborah said suddenly, shaking her head. "I'm not enough proof."
"What do you mean? You're the only survivor!" Helena asserted.
"Yes but… with my record and low status my experience means nothing. We need to find Jack. He can get us all the evidence we need." Deborah explained.
"I'll do you one better," Steve said rising to his feet. "We'll tell Jake about this and get him here. He can get his dad and the rest of those BSAA folks on this and put a stop to Simmons right now."
Piers followed his cousin out of the room. "Steve, wait – I need to make sure the phones aren't tapped first."
Claire gave Deborah another hug, "You did excellent. Rest here alright? I'm gonna make sure they can handle everything."
"Okay… thank you, Miss Claire." Deborah replied, watching the beautiful red head leave the room.
The only ones who remained were the Harper sisters. Helena had her head lowered and Deborah stared helplessly to her. "Helena…"
"I'm sorry Deborah… I'm sorry I didn't protect you." Helena cried softly.
"Yes you did, sis… I just didn't protect myself. I played like a fool and I suffered because of that but no longer. Now I'm gonna protect you and get Simmons put away for good."
"Deborah –"
"Go on sis, I'll be fine." she smiled softly.
Sherry and Jake tucked Marlowe in for the night, both planting a kiss on his hair before exiting the room. They walked across the hall into the luxury bathroom where they both settled into a nice hot bath. After soaking quietly for a while, Sherry broke the silence.
"Are you okay, baby? You're awfully quiet…" she said, kissing his cheek chastely.
Jake sighed, "No, I'm not okay. Don't get me wrong, baby girl – I could stay here all day – every day relaxing, looking after Mar and making love to you 'til my body aches like hell –" She giggled cutely and he laughed. "But I know in my heart that I gotta help Babe and Steve. I'd go alone and leave you and Mar here where it's safe but I prefer to know where the both of you are at all times... Damn it's so frustrating."
Sherry nodded solemnly, drawing hearts on his chest with her finger, her lips connected with his cheek. "I'm sorry, Jake… I know how you feel. I hope your dad and the BSAA can put a stop to this soon so things can return to normal."
"They will baby girl… eventually." Jake kissed her tenderly and as he pulled away, his phone vibrated on top of the fresh stack of towels set out for them a few inches away. Jake dried his hand before answering.
"Hey Babe, what's going on?" he greeted upon noticing the caller ID said 'Pig Girl'. Sherry moved closer, wrapping her arms around him and leaning on his chest. He wound his free arm around her waist to hold her there.
"Jake? It's Claire! I had to borrow Helena's phone because mine died… wait, why'd you call her 'babe'? Are you two –"
Jake growled, rolling his eyes. "It's a nickname – ya know, the pig movie from the 90's?"
"Oooh…" Claire drawled from the other line, "Heh, that's pretty funny… Okay well anyway, I was calling to let you know that Debbie's awake now –"
"She is?!" he interrupted with surprise, startling Sherry. He apologized and put the phone on speaker so she could hear. "When did she wake up?"
"Not too long ago. She told us that she'd been taken to Spencer city before she turned up in the hospital, you know the day she disappeared? Apparently she knows a lot about what's behind those barriers and it isn't pretty."
"You mean, she's the proof I need to push my father to check out the forest in Spencer?"
"Yep!" Claire chirped on the line. "Looks like you were right all along Jake. I hope you can convince your dad to get the BSAA on it immediately. From what Debbie said, the forest was crawling with what she called hybrid's created from experimenting with your old blood."
Jake was elated; he finally had proof! He couldn't contain his excitement – he started to laugh. He always had a hunch that since he was shown the scene in V.M that Spencer simply had to have some evidence left over but it was being overlooked because the incident happened so many years ago.
"Also I think some type of project was being done involving Sherry's blood as well."
This made the couple's blood run cold. "Claire, what do you mean?" Sherry asked nervously.
"Huh? Wait – Sherry's right there? I had no idea… Hi Sherry – mommy misses you –"
"Claire I miss you too, but what are you talking about? My parents never gave Simmons my blood." Sherry asserted.
"That's strange because Deborah mentioned a regeneration project or something where she was being injected with it and would feel woozy and then incredibly better and it was for a short period of time…"
"Jake…" Sherry looked at him with big watery eyes. "Remember how my… mother mentioned my great grandmother's blood going missing? You don't think he…?"
Jake knit his brows in thought, "I wouldn't put it past him. That's the only plausible explanation for it."
"What's going on?" Claire asked from the phone.
"Alright here's the deal Firehead, first thing in the morning I'll tell my dad and the BSAA what you told me and from there we're gonna see what we can do. In the meantime, try and get as much info as you can from Deborah."
"Gotcha," she replied. "You two take care and I love you SherBear!"
"Love you too Claire…" Sherry replied awkwardly. Jeez she's such a mom…
Jake hung up the phone and gave his lover a conflicted stare. "Let's call it a night cuz there's a lot to be done in the morning."
"Agreed… are you sleeping in my room with me?" Sherry asked.
Jake nodded and helped her out of the tub to wrap a towel around her. They slipped on bathrobes and exited the bathroom.
Jake met his father the next morning as early as possible. He was in his study as per usual with Chris and Parker and a few more troops – his face buried in paperwork as he discussed relevant matters with them. Once Jake entered, all eyes met were on him and he calmly approached his father.
"Boy do I have some news that'll knock off your shoes, old man." he said with a wide smirk.
Wesker beckoned him to have a seat which he accepted easily and began to share the information he received from Claire with everyone in the room. When he finished, the room was stirred with conversations varying from shock, fear and intrigue.
His father adjusts his shades before speaking, "So your friend survived the attack after all and is an authentic witness to Simmons crimes. While this is unexpected, it is direly welcomed."
"Yep – now, can we go raid Spencer city already? I'm willing to bet Simmons is hiding there too." Jake said, shoving his hands into his jean pockets. "We never know unless we give it a shot."
"It does sound promising, Wesker." Chris appealed gravely, sending Jake a nod. "With these new developments I can contact HQ and arrange for a full-fledged siege."
"Of course," Wesker drawled and stood from his chair. "I will have to come along with you, I'm afraid."
"Why?" asked Chris.
"If the information my son received is valid, you and your assembly will need the antidote William and Annette have been working on over the last decade. Upon exposure to the air, it will defeat the monsters created by my son's blood. It is important that this is administered before you begin the onslaught as the creatures will surely tear a whole through your army without it."
The mention of Sherry's parents caught Jake's attention. They had stationed themselves in a guest room, set it up with a variety of machines and other high-tech gizmos since their arrival and remained there – only emerging for meal time and even then they were reclusive. The only good thing about their distance was the relief it brought Sherry; though she retained that she was no longer afflicted about them, it was obvious that wasn't the truth.
"So Sherry's parents have to go with you back to London?" he asked.
"No they will be staying here. However, you, Miss Birkin and Marlowe will have to come along for safe measure."
Meanwhile, Sherry and Marlowe were in their room going over some Finnish nouns. She had pulled out a large white dry eraser board and wrote words for the young Wesker to translate. Just as they were finishing up, a knock came to the door. Sherry pardoned herself and quickly darted for the door to respond.
She opened the door and visibly stiffened when she saw her parents standing there. "Sherry, forgive us for showing up without notice but there's something we'd like to speak with you about…" William said meekly. "If you would please come with us."
Sherry hesitated, she glanced back inside the room to Marlowe and he was quietly reading and studying Finnish nouns just like she instructed for him to do. A few moments later she sighed, "Mar honey, I'm gonna step out for a moment. Finish studying that list of nouns and I should be back in a few, alright?"
"Okay!" he beamed and returned to his studies.
Sherry smiled to him and took in some more air before stepping out of the room to follow her parents. They led her into the family room since it was clear at the moment and each took a seat on the couch though Sherry sat some safe distance away from them.
The small blonde woman was less than pleased to be with her parents. She forgave them but that didn't mean she wanted to be around them often. She wasn't sure how to feel about them, what to say to them or what to do; she preferred to just be away from them and living her life like she was before.
"Sherry, we won't keep you for long… there's just something we wanted to give you…" Annette said, reaching into her back pocket.
Sherry watched her mother pull a golden locket shaped like a heart from her pocket and present it to her. She wavered, debating should she accept the gift or reject it. She wasn't used to attaining gifts from them. "What's… this?" she asked, pointing to it.
"Remember when I told everyone that your blood is weak against a Wesker's?" William started, simpering to her. "Well, your mother and I developed an antidote. Should you get exposed to their blood, all you need to do is swallow it and you'll be fine."
Sherry was perplexed. "What does that have to do with the trinket?" she asked.
"It's a locket," replied Annette. "The pill is on the inside. Please, wear this as a camouflage so that no one will question it." Sherry slowly took the locket into her hand and stared mutely at it. "This way, in the event of disastrous circumstances, there's plan B and this will surely throw Simmons for a loop."
Sherry opened the locket and observed the small purple and blue pill within. It was just small enough to fit inside the tiny charm. "That locket belonged to your great grandmother." William said, "I hoped it would please you to have it."
The petite blonde was at a loss for words. They created an antidote… to protect me from Simmons. And this locket belonged to my great grandmother – the only female Birkin before me. She raised her head to stare wordlessly at them. That's so… kind of them. "You really made this… for me?"
They nodded, warm smiles gracing their features. "You are a beautiful woman, Sherry. You've become such a powerful force and we just want to help you… with this little antidote, we hope we've done a little to provide assistance." said William.
They really do care… they came here for me. "We've… been through hell." Sherry began. "I ran away from you because of the hell brewing within me. I was struggling to keep going every day because of you. When I finally got away and came here, I felt true happiness. I feel like I've come a long way from a girl with so much inner turmoil and fear. Believe it or not, I owe it to the men of the Wesker bloodline that I've become who I am now. So, when you first shown up, I felt nothing but bitter anger again, I felt like my past would forever haunt me…"
Her words seemed to cut deep into her parents, they lowered their heads in shame. "But once I learned the truth, I felt at peace… I finally feel at peace. I finally have an answer as to why I was treated the way I was and while it doesn't please me in the least bit and I actually find your reasoning to be inept… It makes me feel a lot better knowing that you're willing to change and do the right thing. You came here to help me… you've given me a remedy to protect me…and while this may shock you… I think this is all I really need."
"All this time I've been helping others yet I still felt emptiness within me. While the Wesker's have made me stronger and turned me into a fighter, I've helped these people become one as a family again. I guess the last thing left for me to do is to restore my own family."
She stood from her seat and approached them with a shy smile, "May I… hug you?"
"We don't deserve your forgiveness Sherry…" William lamented quietly, Annette agreed.
Sherry fastened the locket around her neck. "But I do forgive you… And I'd like to hug you for once." she could feel herself tearing up.
Her parents hesitantly nodded and she wrapped her arms around them both. "Thank you…" She said.
They were warm, with freckled skin just like herself. The petite blonde dropped her head onto her father's shoulder. She realized he smelled like lavender and her mother smelled like chamomile, Sherry had the distinct fragrance of lilacs - those were three flowers that embodied healing... They were her birth parents… and she was their daughter.
For the first time, the Birkin's cried together. They cried as a family.
"Honey… I've got bad news…" Piers started, sitting beside Helena and Deborah with a sigh.
"Aww, he calls you honey now!" Deborah squealed excitedly. Now that she was better, she was able to leave the room but still struggled with walking.
Helena blushed, "H-Hey! Shut up!" she retorted indignantly before shyly reverting her attention to Piers. "What's up?"
"I've gotta meet Chris and the BSAA at the airport. There's a briefing I need to hear so… I have to leave. I'm sorry, sweetheart."
The lovely brunette scooted closer to him and touched his arm gently. "Hey, I'll be fine… it's you I'm worried about. Why is the BSAA here?"
Piers closed his eyes to collect himself. "It could be because of Jake. I'm certain he told them about Debbie's statement and that must have really given them the start they needed. I'm sorry sweetheart, I have to leave in the next hour to help…"
Helena was visibly bothered, "Can I… come with you?"
"Out of the question," Piers responded quickly. "You're safer here."
Deborah saw her sister saddening from the news. She assumed that over the time she was away, Piers and Helena must have truly bonded and their love for one another was heartwarming. Her sister was never an openly emotional person [though she was hot-tempered and definitely impulsive] so seeing her gaze desperately to Piers was a direct indicator to the younger Harper that Piers had managed to break her cold shell and nourish the sensitive being within.
"I'll give you two a moment…" Deborah said, slowly sliding from the couch to stagger slowly back to her bedroom.
"Do you need help walking?" Piers asked, rising to assist her.
"No, no I'm fine, I'll tread along the walls for balance. I've gotta start walking eventually so let me give this a try." she insisted with a smile.
The couple watched her disappear into the hallway. As soon as she was gone, Helena threw her arms around Piers and snuggled into his chest. "I… don't want you to go…" she said softly.
Piers held her tightly against him, "I know and I'm sorry but I've got to help out to make sure you're safe."
"If you really have to go, I understand… but I –" Piers kissed her tenderly and they enveloped one another in a desperate attempt to stick together.
"Take care of Debbie," Piers told her once they parted. "Hopefully I won't be gone too long…"
"But Piers, I thought you weren't in the BSAA anymore?" she asked, following him to the front door.
He slipped on his coat, feeling through his pockets to find his car keys. "The only time former members are contacted is if there's something really big in the horizon." he explained. "And since Jake told the BSAA about Simmons, I'm certain that's why." he glanced over his shoulder to her, his hand lingered over the doorknob… "Wait for me, Helena." he said softly.
That pulled at her heart strings; she wiped at her tears and embraced him once more, burying her face in his back. "Promise me you'll come back."
"I swear I will. I always come back to you, don't I?" he humored to ease his rising stress.
Helena sniffed, nodding into his back. He turned and kissed her forehead gently before stepping outside into the winter air. "Piers!" she shouted when he reached his car. He gazed to her and she took his breath away; her eyes were puffy from crying but he still thought she looked absolutely beautiful. "I… I love you."
He smiled warmly, "I love you too, sweetheart. I'll be back, I swear it."
Helena stood at the doorway long after he left and remained there until Claire emerged from the basement, felt the cold air in the house and raced over to force her inside. She wrapped her in a blanket to get warm and hugged her, rocking back and forth to soothe the distraught woman.
"Shh now, it's alright… he'll be back." Claire solaced, resting her head on top of Helena's and humming. Piers told her beforehand that he would be leaving but he dreaded telling Helena for obvious reasons. Her brother called him two hours ago and the poor guy spent those two hours debating how to tell his lover about it. Claire sympathized with the two and now that Piers was gone, Claire decided she would do anything to help Helena find some calm.
Just then, a knock sounded at the front door alerting the redhead to answer it. She excused herself from Helena's side to answer. Her cerulean blue eyes peeked through the peephole and she saw two familiar silhouettes; Leon and Ada. She unlocked the door and allowed them inside.
"Sorry for coming so late," Leon apologized sheepishly. "We should have shown ourselves the day she woke up but we were following a lead."
Claire rolled her eyes at Leon, "No 'hello' or 'hi Claire'? Jeez, you're so rude."
Leon let out a dramatic sigh, "Excuse me, hello Claire, how does it go?" he said with words laced with sarcasm.
She wasn't amused and scoffed at him, turning her attention to Ada. "Hi Ada." she greeted quietly.
"Good afternoon, Claire." was the Asian beauty's response.
Leon glanced over to the couch and saw a forlorn and quiet Helena. He furrowed his brows a bit in question, "Helena? Are you alright?" he started to approach her after handing his coat, scarf and gloves to Claire to hang in the closet. He sat beside her and she remained motionless. "I would have thought you'd be overjoyed to see your sister alive and well…"
Claire closed the closet and came to join the rest just as Ada did. "She's more than happy to see her sister okay but Piers had to regroup with the BSAA and she's worried ya know?"
"Ah," Leon deduced with a short nod. "Well, I'm sure he'll be back soon… He's been with you all this time right?" Helena nodded despondently and he smiled, "Don't worry kiddo, he'll be back for you.
"Yep because men are only good for two things and that's supporting us and worshipping the ground we walk on." Claire said with a big grin, intent on teasing the hell out of the blonde agent. Ada casually high-fived the woman while smirking at her partner, clearly amused.
Leon rolled his eyes and let out a huff of mild irritation, "I'll give you that one but have you forgotten that if it weren't for men you couldn't have kids?" he deadpanned with a straight face.
Claire was taken aback, his words rang logical. "He's got a point there." Ada chimed in, "But we're steadily digressing when there are important matters to be tended to. Since we are on the topic of children, I must ask you Miss Harper… did your sister turn out to be pregnant?"
Helena sighed. I've gotta be strong for myself and Deborah. Besides, he'll be back for me, he's always here when I need him. "She's not pregnant thank God. She said she and that Krauser guy tricked Peter so that he would stop making advances on her."
"So he wasn't her boyfriend either?" Helena shook her head to Leon. "Hmm, well alright. We do have some bad news though…"
"Oh boy…" Claire breathed wearily, sitting on the armrest of the couch.
"Are you all aware that Simmons has gone missing?" Ada said cautiously observing them for distress.
"Yeah, Jake told us." Claire said. "Doesn't matter because with Deborah's account of what he put her through, his fate is sealed. Plus, Jake and his father are mobilizing with the BSAA to investigate her words – at least that's what Sherry texted me and said."
"What's going on?" Steve asked, emerging from the hallway with his arm around Deborah to steady her.
"Agent Wong, agent Kennedy…" Deborah awed with wide eyes.
"You look a lot better from when we first brought you here," Leon said with a smile. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm getting better." she replied with a simper. "I can't thank you enough for saving me from Spencer… "
"Oh… so that's how you got here." Steve mused.
"Steve, bring her over here so she can sit with her sister." Claire requested and he conceded, allowing the young Harper to hug Helena.
"You're not truly safe yet but we're here to protect you." Ada announced. "With Simmons MIA, we need to make sure you're safe at all times. He could appear at any given time with the few workers that remain loyal to him and wreak havoc."
"But Steve has bodyguards all over the neighborhood." Claire said. "And if you're so concerned for her safety, why not put her in the witness protection program?"
"Simmons is directly involved with the government – it's too risky." Leon responded gravely. "We could have her put in the program and within the next day he could have her terminated…"
Deborah gasped and Helena rubbed her back to calm her. Ada sighed, "Even with your men out on the field, I'm not too sure they will be able to do much when it comes to Simmons." she said to Steve.
Steve frowned, "Fine, I'll have Carlos and David meet us here." he said, dialing numbers on his cell.
"What about Sheva? She's pregnant and without Carlos there to take care of her she'll have to come too…" Helena said with uncertainty. "I don't think she should be stressed out…"
"No choice. It's gotta be done." Steve said with a shrug.
Helena found his demeanor to be indifferent but said nothing; evidently he was just as wired as the rest of them and trying to maintain himself before caving under the pressure. However, she completely disagreed with him involving a pregnant woman into these terrible circumstances.
But I guess we do need all the help we can get…
Sherry sat in-between Marlowe and Jake on the plane; they were surrounded by BSAA agents and troops all prepared to wage war on Simmons the moment they land in London. Marlowe was strapped in his seat, quietly sleeping away this dreaded trip. Poor thing wanted to remain in Finland with Stephanie but he had to come to remain in protective care.
Jake was silently staring out the window, his thoughts wandering and he felt anxious. He couldn't wait to bust Simmons and see him rot in prison for his crimes. He didn't want him to get the death penalty, he wanted to see the man suffer like he made his victims suffer. Sherry had her head resting on Jake's shoulder while she fiddled with the golden heart locket inside her shirt. She tucked it there so it wouldn't be too obvious.
To say she was nervous would be an understatement but she was willing to be strong for everyone. They were going to neutralize Spencer city and she would have to join them in order to remain safe.
That said, she couldn't help the feeling of dread in her stomach… something was wrong.
"We should be there pretty soon." Jake said suddenly, "You alright?"
"Y-Yeah," she replied, hurriedly removing her hand from the locket. "I'm fine."
Jake glanced at her, she looked tired and he assumed she was. "Sleep baby girl, I'll wake you when we arrive." he whispered, kissing her hair.
Sherry sighed, deciding she was probably better off resting so she could be ready when they landed. "Okay, thanks baby." she mumbled, drifting off to sleep soon after.
Piers arrived at the BSAA's London airport base just as everyone else landed. He resided inside the camp; a tall white tent of sorts that had numerous equipment inside among other supplies. He greeted former teammates and friends alike while waiting for one in particular. Seeing the tall, burly figure he respected as a friend and leader, he approached him, now clad in full BSAA attire just like the others.
He saluted his old Captain, Chris with a slight smile when he entered the tent. "Captain," he greeted with a nod. "Good to see you're in good health."
Chris returned the gesture but followed up with a bro-fist. "Same for you kid."
At his side was Jill, Piers knew her from his many visits to Chris' home in the past; Jill was always there cooking for him or being a workout buddy. He wondered briefly did they ever take a serious route with their relationship but now wasn't the time for frivolous matters such as that.
"Jill, it's good to see you again." he said with a smile.
"You too." she grinned and ruffled his hair some. "You're so handsome now – I'm sure that girl you were always going on about is pleased with your boyish charm isn't she?"
Piers felt an ache in his chest at the mention of Helena. He wondered was she safe and it bothered him. She was tough as nails and had skills but he still wanted to keep her safe. Jill observed his downcast demeanor and quickly apologized. "No, it's fine." Piers said, shaking his head. "We're together now but… duty calls."
"Can't tell you how many times those words pissed off Jill…" Chris said with a sigh, Jill smiled at him. "I'm glad she finally got used to it and I'm glad you're getting your life on track buddy."
Piers nodded appreciatively and looked around at the many other soldiers piling into the camp. His hazel eyes widened when he saw a woman with short blonde hair and a much taller male with a buzz-cut. The woman was carrying a child in her arms as she glanced about meekly, following the man wherever he would go.
He was floored, "Sherry? Jake?"
Sherry's watery eyes met his and she approached him with a big grin. "Piers! Oh my God are you here to help out the cause?" she asked, hugging him with one arm, the other cradling Marlowe.
"Yeah, I am." he replied with a smile. He observed Marlowe saluting him and he returned the gesture kindly. "Why are you two here?"
"We had to come because of my dad." Jake interrupted with mild irritation. He knew Sherry was his girl and that Piers was obviously crazy for Helena but he didn't like other guys touching her.
"You I can understand being here because whatever we're about to do, we need the strength but Sherry and Marlowe… is someone going to be appointed with the task of protecting them while we handle our mission?"
"Most likely I am but I dunno yet." Jake shrugged nonchalantly. "They should be about to –"
Just then, Wesker emerged signaling for everyone to gather around for the briefing. Piers excused himself and went to join the rest of the troops and Jake started towards his father, pulling Sherry and the uneasy Marlowe along with him.
Claire was in the kitchen preparing dinner while Helena and everyone remained in the living room. Her house had never felt more crowded. There was Helena, Deborah, Steve, Leon, Ada, David, Carlos and now Sheva… eight people – nine when she counted herself! She understood that this protection stuff was serious business but why stake out at her house?
If I weren't a generous person, this would have been a serious problem… Claire thought, letting out a breath of mild frustration.
Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door. Claire volunteered to answer and when she peeked through the peephole this time, she noticed some unfamiliar people. She hesitated, stepping back from the door as they knocked again. Leon realized something was wrong and swiftly moved to her side.
"What's wrong?" he asked in a hushed tone.
"I've never seen these men before…" she said, pointing to the door as they knocked a third time.
Leon glanced out of the peephole and frowned. "This doesn't look good. Everyone, you might want to get ready."
"Remember the plan." Ada whispered to everyone.
Suddenly the door was kicked open and Leon managed to tackle Claire to the ground just in time. Helena scooped her sister into her arms and rushed her to the room beneath the stairs right before the home was raided by an army of men in white tuxedos. She shut the door and instructed her sister to lock it from the inside.
Steve rose to his feet in an instant, already armed with duo submachine guns, he pointed them at the invaders. Carlos and David were at his side, also armed while Sheva ducked down behind the couch for cover and to stay hidden. Ada calmly aimed her machine pistol at the intruders just as Leon sprang away from them, shoving Claire behind his back.
"Who the hell are you?!" Claire hollered angrily. There were men breaking into every window and door of her residence and while it was a temporary abode, she still wasn't happy with them barging in like vagabonds.
"They work for Simmons!" Steve announced, his focus on the group straight ahead.
"You'd better start talking or there's gonna be hell to pay." Leon said, removing the safety from his Blacktail handgun.
One of the men in particular came forward. "Agent Kennedy, agent Wong, you'd be wise to stand down. You are not the target of this raid. Steve Burnside, David King, Carlos Oliveria, Sheva Alomar, Helena and Deborah Harper – you are all under arrest."
"Under arrest for what?!" Helena asked furiously. They were not arresting her sister – they'd have to take her out first.
"Prostitution, street fighting and racing, vandalism, shall I go on…?" the man said with a smirk.
"Digging up their dirt just so they don't pose a threat huh?" Ada chimed in with sarcastic amazement. "That's so like Simmons to be so pathetic and desperate."
"Fuck that!" Steve retorted. "We're not going anywhere with you shitheads!"
Guns were aimed everywhere, Helena felt herself beginning to sweat. There was no way this wouldn't turn violent. Simmons crew had semi-automatic guns galore, she feared her sister could be harmed.
"Hold on…" she started slowly, holding up her hands in submission. "We'll come with you." Everyone glanced at her cautiously. "Put your guns down!" she shouted to everyone, slowly they complied. "Where are you going to take us?"
"That's confidential." the officer replied.
Helena swallowed hard, glancing at Ada. The woman nodded to her and Helena prepared to do what she needed. "We're willing to go with you." I hope you know what you're doing Ada… she thought.
"Very good." he signaled for his men to approach and cuff them. A few broke through the door to Deborah's room and pulled her out. Helena begged them not to hurt her as everyone except Leon, Ada, Claire and the still hidden Sheva were cuffed.
"Steve!" Claire shouted after him, worriedly.
He glanced at her and smirked but was hauled out of the home in handcuffs. Claire thought it was all suspicious. Once the officers left, Ada snapped her finger and Sheva emerged from behind the couch, her pretty features serious.
"Ada, are you sure this will work?" Leon demanded an answer.
"Of course it will, we're going to follow them." she replied calmly. A bewildered Leon followed her out of Claire's violated abode, Claire and Sheva slipping on their coats and trailing behind.
"You wanna tell me what the hell we're supposed to do?" Claire asked with a deep frown.
"Leon, you drive." the Asian beauty said, tossing him the car keys. "Miss Sheva, you got the keys to your boyfriend's car don't you?"
"Yes, I do." she said, holding them up.
"Good girl."
"Hello?!" Claire fussed with a red face.
"Claire," Ada began calmly. "Let's not stall or we could lose them. You're going to drive that car and we're going to follow them. Here…" she placed a device into the redhead's hand. "This device responds to the tracking device I placed on Helena earlier. I have the one that tracks her sister. You two should make sure you follow the car with Helena as I'm well aware of what they're planning."
"How?" Claire and Leon asked.
"I tapped Simmons phone." she said with a smirk. "How else?"
"Wow, Ada… you're really something." Leon said with a smirk.
"So what are they planning?" Sheva asked, rubbing her swelling belly as a means to calm herself.
"I overheard Simmons trying to throw us off but he's not the only one able to dig up dirt on people. He's aware of how many people can get him convicted, in particular, he's concerned about Deborah. He's not taking her to jail or anything, he's taking her to Spencer. If she's there and Simmons is too, that's grounds for an immediate arrest."
Leon nodded, understandingly. "And you and I are gonna follow the car she's in from a safe distance to avoid detection but we will rescue her."
Ada nodded, "Now as for you ladies, your job may prove a challenge. You need to tail that car that has Helena and the boys. Find any means possible to stop them from reaching their destination."
"Where are they planning to take them?" Claire asked, taking the keys from Sheva.
Ada hopped into the passenger seat while Leon started up his car. She leaned out the window just as they were pulling off, "A warehouse – they're going to execute them."
Claire clenched the keys in her hand and quickly helped Sheva into the passenger seat. "We'd better move." she said, sliding into the car and once the engine came alive, she burnt rubber in the opposite direction of Leon and Ada. "Which way does the device say to go?" she asked Sheva.
Sheva observed the moving green dot on the screen, they weren't too far and judging from the info Ada gave, the destination point was pretty far away. They had time to stop them. "Make a left up ahead and keep straight! And step on it! I can't lose my baby's father even if he is an idiot!"
"I can't lose anyone!" Claire explained, stepping hard on the gas and the car sped up to 90mph once they hit the freeway.
Sheva reached into her purse and pulled out a M92F handgun. "I'll shoot the tires – that should do the trick!"
"What?! But you're pregnant!" Claire replied, dumbfoundedly.
"True, but firing a gun's no challenge for me!"
Claire smirked, "Heh, well okay big momma!"
"Just get close enough to them that I can aim for the tires! And don't worry, I won't overdo it!" she said with a smile.
Claire could see the chrome 2013 Chevy Impala up ahead, she grinned with excitement. "I'm on it!"
The briefing was over and everyone was getting ready to move out. Jake and Piers were listening to Wesker go over the plan pertaining to Marlowe and Sherry's safety. Sherry was behind them, sitting at a chair and tickling Marlowe to alleviate his anxiety.
"Flash!" someone shouted suddenly.
Sherry rose to her feet with Marlowe in her arms and was unable to shield herself from the intense flash of light that blinded her temporarily but she did succeed in protecting the child from it. She doubled over, blindly rubbing at her eyes – waiting for her body to heal itself. "Mar! Get Jake!" she cried out, not even sure if he was still there.
"I will!" he confirmed and raced off into the flurry of soldiers cursing and trying to recover. Jake wasn't too far away and he reached his big brother just in time because once the effects wore off of everyone, the whole camp went up in an uproar.
As soon as Jake recuperated, he blinked rapidly at Marlowe, registering if he were actually there. "Mar? Where's Sherry?!" he asked desperately.
Marlowe tugged him a few feet away to where she was…
She was gone.
"Sherry?!" Jake cried out for her, a panic overtaking him.
"We're not alone." Wesker's voice sounded out powerfully among the hysteria in the camp.
He ripped away the white tent over them.
The outside was littered with Simmons agents, their white tuxes and black shades stuck out in the coming of evening. Piers was beside Jill when the flash went off, he helped her to her feet and aimed his rifle at anyone to dared to advance. Jill had her own Px4 handgun ready just as he was.
Jake crouched down, pulling his brother to his chest to shield him in case of any shots firing. "Sherry!" he shouted for her again, sniffing the air for her scent. She's close!
He heard the muffled sound of screaming, his ears perked in every direction as he listened. He yelled for her once again and this time he heard his name. "Jake!"
He turned just in time to see Sherry being thrown inside a white car with one of Simmons agents.
Jake's advanced abilities kicked in immediately. "Sherry!" He called after her just as the car began to speed off. You're not taking my girl… His eyes turned ophidian.
"Let's go get Nanny Bear, Jake." Marlowe said, Jake saw that familiar solemn look to his younger brother.
Mr. Hyde… "Marlowe… hang onto me and don't you dare let go." he instructed, the bellowing of a reptile behind his words. "We're following that car."
Marlowe silently climbed onto his back, wrapping his arms around his neck tight enough to not choke him. "Let's go."
In a flash, Jake disappeared, startling Simmons' agents. They didn't have a chance to defend themselves as they were assaulted in a flurry of bullets by the BSAA in their moment of weakness. One of the men escaped the barrage and tried to climb into his truck but Wesker appeared behind him and threw him to the ground in an instant.
"I'm afraid not, dog." he growled.
Piers had crouched in front of Jill to protect her from bullets [just in case]. The two took out many of the agents and once the dust cleared, he helped her stand. "What the hell were Simmons agents doing here?!" Chris shouted, storming over to the trembling man Wesker held by the nape.
"W-We w-w-were –"
"Spit it out, damn you!" Chris roared, grabbing the man by his collar.
"Wesker!" Jill shouted worriedly, "Jake is missing! And so are Sherry and Marlowe!"
Piers looked around frantically, "Could it have been Jake that startled the agents?" he asked her.
Jill shrugged and Wesker approached her calmly. Chris dragged the frightened agent over by his collar and threw him into the center of the crowd of BSAA agents forming around. "What did your men do?" Chris demanded, aiming his rifle at the man.
"W-We had t-to take the B-Birkin girl t-to S-S-Spencer c-city…" he shriveled up on his side in fetal position.
"What luck, we're on our way there." Wesker said with a smirk.
Chris snorted at the fallen agent and kicked dirt at him. "Let's move out everyone! Now!"
Piers bolted towards the HMMWV he would be sharing with Jill, they both piled in and started in the direction of Spencer city along with the other vehicles. Jill was driving and maintained a steady speed as they followed the others. The uproar of police and ambulance sirens echoed across the city suddenly, catching Piers' attention.
When they arrived to the motorway they reached a congested overpass and Piers gazed out of the window when he saw a familiar car speeding ahead of them. He used his binoculars to observe the license plate.
"Carlos?" he wondered aloud.
"Who?" Jill asked, her eyes focused on the road ahead.
"Nothing…" he mumbled, observing a little closer. He made out a redhead with a long ponytail and an olive-skinned woman, she looked pregnant… "No way…!" he started aloud.
"What is it?!" Jill pressed again, eyes darting from the road to him.
"Jill – Claire is in that car up ahead!"
"Are you sure it's her?" she asked. "Because that's a little crazy even for her fiery personality." she chuckled a bit.
"Positive! She's a speedy little devil when she wants to be!" he adjusted his binoculars to see who she was chasing. He could see many people in the back seat of the car she was tailing. Adjusting his binoculars again, he realized he was looking at Steve, Carlos, David and… "Helena?!"
"Piers what the hell is going on?!" Jill asked with growing irritation.
Piers ignored her for the moment to contact Chris over the radio. "Captain! We've got a problem!"
"What is it?" Chris responded on the other line.
"Simmons agents have four people in the back their car and your sister is tailing them, she's going like 90mph." Piers explained, watching them cautiously.
"What?!" Chris shouted in shock. "So you can clearly see it's her?!"
"Definitely! Plus she's speeding like a bat outta hell – that's definitely your sister!" Piers confirmed.
"You and Jill go help her!" Chris demanded, "Once you've settled that matter, we'll rendezvous with you in Spencer!"
"Copy that, out." Piers dropped the intercom and turned to Jill. "Helena's the girl I'm always talking about."
"Okay Piers but what does that have to do with Claire –"
"She's in the backseat of the car Claire is chasing." Piers responded. "Pull over and I'll drive."
Jill nodded. "You are the best driver in the group, aren't you?"
Piers would have smirked at her flattery but he was too fixed on one thing and one thing only. Don't worry Helena, I'll save you.
"Shit! We're being tailed!" the driving agent alerted to his partner.
"Drive faster, moron!" the other spat, glancing frightfully back and forth.
When the agent kicked his engine up to 100 mph, Claire kept her speed up as she neared the car, Sheva leaned out the window to fire and hit the back tire with ease. Helena and the men in the backseat let out sounds of agony as the car began to spiral out of control. "What was that?!" David asked with uncharacteristic surprise.
"That had to be my lady." Carlos said proudly.
Luckily they were near the exit of the motorway and the agent driving the car took the exit straight into a town. The car was rapidly losing control and it scraped against a brick wall, knocking off the passenger side mirror before coming to a screeching halt. Pulling a gun from his tux, the driver hopped out of the car and began shooting at Claire and Sheva.
"Get down!" Claire shouted, ducking behind the dashboard to shield them from glass.
While this was going on, David kicked out the back door on the driver's side, freeing the others from the car. They stumbled out, hands restrained behind their backs but they were unharmed. The agent on the passenger side had to crawl over the driver's seat after them. He quickly slid out, attempting to stop them but Steve kicked him in the chest and knocked him to the ground.
"Oh no, my car!" Carlos whined, observing the bullet holes along the front of his car. "She's ruined!"
"Hello! What about us?!" Claire fussed.
"Thanks for coming!" was his sarcastic reply.
The agent with the gun aimed for the Helena and the rest but just as he did so, Helena saw a large military vehicle headed straight for them at high speed. "Look out!" she shouted but her warning was too slow – the HMMWV ran over the armed agent and quickly came to a stop. The other agent saw the rising threat and made a bolt away from the bunch.
"Hmph, coward." Helena snarled.
The drivers of the HMMWV jumped out. Claire was surprised to see Jill approach them with a grin. Beside her was none other than Piers. "Jill! Piers! Boy are you two a sight for sore eyes!" she beamed.
"Piers...?" Helena raced over and threw herself at her lover, managing to tackle him to the ground without her hands. She kissed him and pulled away to smile. "You came for me…" she whispered in disbelief.
"I always will." he said softly.
"Alright lovebirds," Jill started with a smile, taking a sharp tool from her pockets. "Let me get those cuffs off of everyone so we can go."
Ada and Leon tailed the car containing Deborah to the outskirts of Spencer city's forests. The barrier was thick but they clearly saw the entry point the agent's used.
The dark tunnel within the old rail yard.
Leon stopped the car and they got out, coming around the front entrance. "I don't suppose you're afraid to go in?" he dryly trifled.
"Not at all – what the?"
A flash appeared in front of them and the two found themselves staring into the ophidian eyes of Jake Wesker. On his back was his little brother Marlowe.
"Well, well – it's Wesker junior…" Ada said with a smirk, she eyed Marlowe for a moment, "And little Wesker junior."
"Jake, what are you doing here?" Leon asked, taking his hand away from his gun. He was startled by the man's reptilian eyes and almost shot him.
Jake frowned, "Simmons took Sherry here." he replied darkly.
"He what?!"
They were interrupted by the sudden sound of automobiles and directed their attention to the army of BSAA vehicles approaching. They stopped in front of the four. Wesker and Chris stepped out of their trucks quickly, coming to meet them and eventually the other troops followed suit. Shortly after that, Piers and Jill arrived in their HMMWV along with Helena, Claire, Steve, Sheva, Carlos, and David.
"Did you… call for back up or something?" Leon asked Ada.
"I was about to ask you the same thing." she replied.
"Well at any rate, it looks like the plan worked out perfectly." he observed Piers helping Helena out of the military vehicle, Steve and his bodyguards exiting shortly afterwards with Claire. "All that's left is to rescue Helena's sister."
Wesker approached the two agents, a frown was behind those sunglasses of his. "Leon Scott-Kennedy, Ada Wong…" he began with a nod of acknowledgment. "To whom do we owe appreciation for your presence?"
"We're here on business matters of our own." Leon responded. "I don't suppose you're here to help our cause?"
"We have come to eliminate a rodent, you may know him by the same of Derek C. Simmons."
Ada chuckled a bit. "He's got bad blood with everyone it seems. It should please you to know we're after the same thing."
"In that case, we should work together." Chris said, emerging from behind Wesker – armed with an assault rifle. "Word has it that on the other side of this concrete barrier is a colony of monsters…"
"Our sources say that too." Leon stated.
"Well, we're gonna break this wall down and prepare to unleash a counteractive that will hinder whatever's there. After we scourge the premises of any infected, we're moving in – our target is the old mansion."
"Sounds like a plan." Ada cut in. "However, we are here to rescue someone and I don't think the mansion itself is where they're being kept…" she glanced at her GPS tracking device, it seemed they were taking Deborah underground as the signal was growing weaker by the minute. "I think our best bet is to try going underneath the mansion."
"She's right," Steve said approaching the group with Claire beside him. "There's a laboratory accessible through the backyard. There should be a hatch you guys can enter."
"Claire, I'm glad you're safe but this isn't a place for you to be –"
Claire held up her hand. "I'm just here for support, Chris. I'm not gonna get in the way I promise. By the way, this is Steve Burnside – his father works for the Canadian government and he's here to help out."
Steve nodded, "Simmons is after a lot of people and I'm here to make sure he's stopped. Hell, the bastard tried to have me killed." he rolled his eyes. "That's taking things too far."
"He will see to it he exterminates any threat to his ambition. You are not the first or only one he's made an attempt to silence." Wesker said. "Most of the time he succeeds in his endeavors. It's grand to witness his plans fall through."
"Let's get going already!" Jake roared suddenly, alarming everyone. "He has Sherry and if he hurts her I'll –"
"My son, you must calm down." Wesker interrupted, coming to place a hand on his shoulder. Jake glared darkly to him but he was unfazed. "We will be moving in shortly."
"He's got Sherry too?" Claire cried out worriedly.
"No worries! We're moving in now!" Chris shouted. "Everyone, get in formation!"
The BSAA all lined up behind him and Wesker, guns ready. Steve pulled Claire out of the way, Carlos, David and Sheva stayed behind the troops. Jake quickly handed Marlowe to Claire – asking her to look after him. He turned to Helena and she came to join him.
"What are you doing?" Jake asked sharply.
"My sister's in there." she explained with a frown. "I'm joining fight – I'm not gonna stay behind!"
Chris growled under his breath, "What's the problem?" he wasn't pleased with all the interference occurring suddenly.
Piers intercepted immediately, "Captain, her sister's inside and she would like to help our cause."
"Out of the question!" Chris dismissed, turning away to resume his position.
"Captain, please – I will keep an eye out for her but you have to believe me when I say she can handle herself." Piers insisted.
"She really can." Claire and Sheva added with a laugh.
Chris let out a dramatic sigh and went on about his business. Jill smiled to them, "That's his way of saying 'sure'."
Piers smiled to Helena and she came to his side, intent on sticking with him. He reached into his pocket and handed her a Picador handgun. "Do you know how to –"
"Heh, I shot Peter with a gun like this once…" she mused, removing the safety.
He sighed, I'll take that as a yes.
Steve approached Ada and Leon while they clung to wall in preparation for the coming raid. "I'll stay out here and keep an eye on things. David, Carlos and I will protect Claire, Sheva and Jake's little bro. Good luck in there."
"Thanks, it's been great working with you kiddo." Leon said with a smirk.
Jake and his father stood in front the concrete wall, they were going to break it down and allow the BSAA to toss in their neutralizing agent before they rushed in; that way none of the monsters inside would cause casualties. His father asked if he was ready and he conceded.
With a quick thrust forward, their fists collided with the concrete wall – it crumbled on impact. The soldiers were in awe but Chris demanded they all maintain their focus.
As the dust and debris slowly settled, silence surrounded them. There wasn't an audible resonance to be heard; straight ahead was a thick fog blanketing the forest of the damned. Helena narrowed her eyes, zeroing in on a silhouette in the distance – tall and masculine; it looked like a person from a far but her trained eyes observed an irregular method of movement...
Wesker realized he had to fall back; his vision was impaired and he'd only be in the way if he advanced. Jake could see better than his father but the trees looked blurry… however, he was fortunate to notice that figure slowly approaching them.
Jake tackled his father out of the way as it sprang at them. The BSAA fell into disarray as more of the monsters escaped to advance on them, knocking them to the ground. Some people were shaken badly and thrown against walls, others were punched square in the face or worse bitten.
"Sheva! Claire! Get back right now!" Steve roared and the girls raced towards the BSAA's vehicles with Marlowe safely in Claire's arms.
Jake helped his father to stand and they sprang into action, crushing the monsters with brute force. Chris was knocked down by a creature and tried defending himself with his rifle but he was saved by a free bullet fired. He glanced back to see none other than Helena. She helped him stand up and smirked with pride.
Chris offered a small smile, "Heh, I'll never doubt civilians again."
Piers helped his fellow soldiers and Jill offered a helping hand. Steve, Carlos and David were taking out some on their own while Ada and Leon flawlessly eliminated the ones threatening them.
"Finn, Marco! Use the neutralizer now!" Parker instructed while fighting off one of the monsters.
The soldiers did as they were told and hurled three large orb shaped canisters into the forest. When they hit the ground, a yellow mist escaped in a burst of light and every other monster inside the forest never got a chance to escape – they collapsed to the ground, dead.
"It worked!" Jill observed with a grin. "Excellent!"
Chris came to stand beside her. "Yeah, now all that's left is to finish off the ones out here. Stick with me, Jill – I want to make sure you're safe."
Jill offered a wide smile, "I could say the same for you, mister."
The alliance began to tear apart the monsters, finishing them off with a flurry of bullets and melee's [on the Wesker family's part]. Meanwhile, Sheva, Claire and Marlowe hid beside a large tank vehicle. Sheva realized the bullets were scattering dangerously close to where they were and a light bulb went off in her head.
"Claire," the redhead turned to her with Marlowe crushed against her for safety. "We can hide inside this tank if we can get the door open." She pointed to the hatch atop the tank.
"I'll get it." Claire volunteered, she handed Marlowe to Sheva. "Please, just watch him for a moment while I release the lock." Sheva nodded and Claire climbed up the side of tank to grip the hatch and pull on it. "Dammit! It won't budge!" she fussed.
"I can open it." Marlowe stated with a smile.
Sheva raised a brow. "But you're just a –" She was shocked when he easily escaped her grasp to climb up beside Claire.
"Marlowe –"
"I'm stronger than I look." he said cutely and rubbed his hands together before gripping the door and yanking it open with little effort.
The women were stunned; their eyes were wide and mouths hung open. "O-Oh… um… Good job!" Claire managed with a sheepish grin.
"You're my Nanny Bear's mommy so that means you're my grandma." he beamed.
Claire blinked but blushed a bit, "But um, Sherry's not your mother Mar…"
"I know but she's like my second mommy and Jake's like my second daddy. That means you're my second grandma."
The redhead was shocked by that but she smiled warmly, planting a kiss on his hair. "I'd love to be your grandma." she said kindly though there was a slight twitch to her face.
Sheva was grinning, trying to keep herself from laughing at her friend. She's trying so hard not to be disturbed by being called a grandmother at 30 years old. "Hey grandma, you mind giving me a hand so I can climb up?" she snickered.
Claire growled but helped her anyway, "I'll remember that when I'm babysitting your kids! I'll tell them all about how their mommy makes fun of their grandma and they'll hate you forever!"
Sheva laughed while climbing into the top of the tank, slowly descending the ladder to the inside. Claire pulled Marlowe into her arms again and got ready to follow her but a heavy impact a few feet away from them stopped her in her tracks. Claire's breath caught in her throat when she found herself staring at the most grotesque obscenity.
The creature looked as if it was a human at some point but its skin was removed and all that remained was muscle. The face was distorted with the teeth in complete deformation, its ribcage was cracked open and it bled excessively.
"Claire! Hurry!" Sheva shouted from below.
She couldn't believe what she was seeing. As soon as it laid eyes on them, it leapt and Claire immediately shielded Marlowe as it neared – but it never reached her. She saw a flash and was shocked to see Jake snapping its neck – killing it instantly.
"Hi Jake!" Marlowe greeted cutely.
"Jake! Thanks for coming!" she beamed happily, letting out a sigh of relief. He looked at her and she rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't dreaming. "Jake… your eyes are like a… alligator? Crocodile? Some type of reptile."
Jake huffed at her, "Hey, Mar and sorry Claire, I didn't mean to startle you. Go on inside the tank where you'll be safe. We're about to head into the forest so I won't be able to look out for you."
"Got it…" she said quietly. "Tell Steve and Carlos that Sheva and I are in here so they won't worry."
"Be careful, Jake..." Marlowe said meekly from Claire's arms.
Jake sent him a small reassuring smile, "I'll bring her back little guy, I promise." He encouraged Marlowe to climb down first and he did. Afterwards, he looked at Claire. "I'll let them know where you are. And about Mar… well, he's stronger than he looks so if push comes to shove, he can take care of you, but I'd prefer if you kept him out of danger." He helped her grab onto the ladder.
Claire smiled, "Oh I know, trust me if it weren't for him, this door wouldn't be open." she chuckled. "I promise I'll keep him safe, you promise you'll bring Sherry back to me safely." Despite his eyes frightening her a bit, she could still see Jake behind them and he was still the man her 'daughter' fell in love with.
"I will."
"If you can do that, you have my blessings to marry her and give me little ones to squeeze with love and affection."
Jake chuckled and thanked her. "I'll take you up on that." he said. She gave him a warm, loving hug before descending the ladder down into the tank and he shut the door behind her. Even in a crisis, she still smiles… just like Sherry does. He frowned, feeling that sense of loneliness without her beside him and fear for her safety; he could feel anger boiling within him. I'm coming for you Sherry… Just hang in there.
Piers and Helena walked up to him, the other BSAA troops had gone ahead inside the forest to exterminate whatever was leftover of the monsters. Ada and Leon were waiting for them by the opening. "Come on, Jake." Piers said.
Jake jumped from the tank and they all raced over to the agents. "We're going straight for the mansion's lab." Leon explained. "Ada says her radar just lost signal, that means we have to hurry. I don't know if Deborah and Sherry are together but let's pray they stay safe until we make it."
"Alright, let's do it." Jake growled.
"Let's go save my sister and my girlfriend." Helena said.
Jake slowly looked at her. "You have Piers now, leave my girl alone."
Helena shrugged, "Just because I have Piers doesn't mean she still isn't my type, big guy."
Jake and Piers sighed in union, shaking their heads at her. "Some things never change…" Jake said and Piers agreed with him.
The five of them raced inside the dark forest, Jake following the rest at a steady pace since his vision wasn't the best. They kept forward until they could see an old dilapidated mansion, the concrete steps crumbled, the door was in shreds and the estate was literally falling apart from the inside out.
They came around the back of the mansion to find more dying trees and the foul stench of death. The odor came from the small well a few feet away. Leon voiced out that it was probably the dumping site for bodies now and Ada agreed. They found the hatch and opened it up to find a set of stairs. Ada volunteered to go first, followed by Helena and then the men entered, slowly closing the hatch behind them.
Simmons' agents threw Sherry into a small dungeon-like room and forced her to change into a medical gown. It was thin, tying at the sides and there was a split in the front, exposing her cleavage. They allowed her to keep her underwear on but even her shoes and socks were taken. The room was cold with its concrete floor and four walls. There was simply no way for her to warm herself.
Sherry was terrified of what was to come but tried hard to remain positive – she knew Jake was coming for her, she just prayed that Simmons didn't get to her first. She decided that for the time being, she would cooperate with them but if she saw a moment to escape, she wouldn't hesitate.
The delicate woman looked down at the locket around her neck. Her parents were smart to give her something that was so closely resembled jewelry that it avoided detection. Strangely enough, she felt safe with it on – it was her last resort of defense; it was a gift from her parents…
We may not ever have a strong family bond, but I truly do forgive you. Her delicate fingers grazed over the smooth surface and a smile came to her face.
She was startled when the door opened and two of Simmons agents entered, tossing someone inside before quickly leaving and locking the door behind them. Sherry started towards the person, it was a girl and she looked strangely familiar.
Wait a second… "D-Deborah?"
Deborah looked up at her, struggling to pull herself from the floor. "Who are you..?" she asked. Sherry helped her sit up, slinging her arm over her shoulder and wrapping an arm around her back.
"My name's Sherry, I'm a friend of Helena." she told her, helping her rest her back against the wall closest to them. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine…" she breathed, letting out a sigh of relief when she was backed against the wall. "Wait, I recognize you – you're the girl who was after my father that day in the hospital… Er – I mean, Simmons – not my father, sorry."
Sherry held up hands up, "I'm sorry about that –"
"Don't be… he's no good. I know that now so… thanks for trying to help me before."
Sherry managed a small smile, "No need to thank me… I'm just happy you're alright." she leaned against the wall beside her. "You've been here before, right?"
"Yes," Deborah replied, facing her lap. "This place is a hell hole."
"What's gonna happen to us?" the petite blonde asked, bringing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.
"Nothing good…" said Deborah. "I hope my sister comes for me… you said you know her, right?"
"Yeah, she used to flirt with me but I think she's moved on to Piers now." Sherry tried to sound humorous but she just came off depressed. "I'm sorry, I'm trying to stay positive but this is scary…I'm sure your sister will come. We'll be rescued – we just have to be patient and have faith."
"I'm scared too and I'm trying Sherry but I've been here before and when I was, I was beaten so many times… It's a miracle I'm not permanently damaged... We are hopelessly vulnerable in here." Deborah explained, a few tears escaped her and she was visibly trembling.
I must have healed her wounds that day in the hospital. Sherry thought quietly. "We may be cornered but we can still defend ourselves." she said softly.
"How? We're so much smaller than those guys!"
Sherry huffed and offered a small smile to Deborah, "After all of the training my boyfriend has put me through, I'm pretty sure we can take them down and make a run for it." she turned and put her hand on the other woman's shoulder. "But here's the catch, we have to be smart about it and I need you to be my guide once we get out."
"You have a plan?" Deborah was shocked – how could she have an idea of what to do already?
Sherry smiled, "I wasn't sure I could pull this off alone, but since we're together – I'm sure we can do it."
"Okay… so what's the plan?"
Two of Simmons agents came to the holding cell, they entered the room and were shocked to see that Deborah was alone.
"Where is the other girl?!" they demanded, roughly pulling her to her feet.
Deborah was terrified and shook her head quickly. "I-I don't know!" She looked past them at Sherry – she was above the door, clinging to a wooden beam on the ceiling.
Sherry nodded to her and Deborah tried to distract them, rabbling about her escaping with a hidden key and other lies. When Sherry gave her the thumbs up, Deborah pointed out the door. "There she is! She just ran that way!"
"Keep an eye on her, I'll go find her." one of them said, racing out the door and shutting it behind him.
The agent gave Deborah a cruel grin, "You better be telling the truth, or otherwise… That pretty head of yours is getting cut off."
Sherry quietly climbed down from the ceiling and crouched down, advancing on the man while his back was turned. Only one shot at this… Right on time, Deborah powerfully kicked the man in the groin and darted out of the way as Sherry seized the moment that he crumbled down to quickly run up behind him and push him into the wall, his head collided with it loudly and a cracking sound was heard. He slid face first to the ground, out cold.
The girls high-fived, "It worked, Sherry! We actually did it!" Deborah cheered quietly.
"We're not done yet," Sherry said solemnly. She crouched down to search the fallen agent and was pleased to find a weapon… it was a gun. She didn't know how to use it but she was sure she could threaten the other guy with it. "We have to knock the other guy out too. Otherwise they could alert some more goons and we surely will be doomed if they do."
"Okay, so what do we do?" Deborah asked, watching Sherry observe the gun with caution and obvious hesitance.
"We wait –" the distinct sound of shoes clattering towards the room made her grow silent. "Stand there – I'll get in the corner and we'll ambush him when he enters."
Deborah nodded and stood nervously in front of the unconscious agent, Sherry ran to the corner, the gun in her shaky hands.
Agent entered quickly, staring with horror at Deborah. "The hell did you –"
Sherry swiftly knocked him in the back of the head with her gun, he cried out and stumbled forward. Deborah kicked him between the legs like she'd done to the other agent and he doubled over. Sherry pulled his jacket over his head and the girls twirled him to make him dizzy. Once he was completely disoriented, Sherry gave him a forceful roundhouse kick, knocking him down to the ground with a thud.
He was out like a light.
Wow… I'm much tougher than I thought! Thanks for all the muscle cramps and agonizing training sessions Jake! She thought happily and then proceeded to raid the downed agents' pockets. She found cell keys, another gun and a baton. She handed the other gun to Deborah and kept the keys and baton in her hands with her own gun. "Alright, you've been here before – mind showing me the way out?"
Deborah grinned, hugging her quickly, "It would be my pleasure."
The girls escaped their prison and quickly made their way through a long corridor of many more cells. Deborah led the way and Sherry was beginning to think their journey would never end. Finally, a tall metal door was in sight. Deborah informed Sherry that it was the way out of their nightmare. They pushed open the heavy steel doors and stepped out into the laboratory.
The laboratory was huge with monsters lined up in tanks around them as they walked – all appeared to be in some sort of cyrostasis. To their left was another steel door and straight ahead was an endless hall filled with more of the monsters in tanks.
"Oh my God…" Sherry whispered; her eyes were wide in horror. She observed the creatures in each tank with ill ease. "So the legends were true after all… Spencer city actually has monsters…"
Deborah was also in discomfort, "I've seen them many times and I still can't bring myself to stare at them without feeling my insides threatening to come up."
"I can see why; come on, let's get the hell out of here." Sherry said.
"Where do you think you're going, Kitten?"
Sherry and Deborah whirled around to see none other than Derek C. Simmons. He stood before a crew of five armed men, aimed and ready to fill them full of holes upon command. The girls held up their hands to surrender but they were openly displaying their disdain for the man in charge.
"I'm not your kitten, Simmons." Sherry spat bitterly, "You can capture us but Jake and the others will come and I'm sure they will tear you limb from limb."
"Is that right?" Simmons chuckled; he appeared amused by her statement. "And how do you propose they find this place? No one has entered the forests of Spencer city in years. I'm afraid your little proposition is baseless and dubious."
The sudden flashing of red lights and alarms sounding off startled everyone in the area. Simmons spun around and demanded an answer for the sudden uproar. One of his agents ran towards him from the steel door on the left – stopping before him in a fit of coughs and deep breaths.
"S-Sir! The lab has been invaded by…" he panted exhaustedly with his hands on his knees.
Simmons snatched him up by his collar, "Spit out you piece of shit! Who has invaded my lab?!"
"T-The BSAA has b-broken through the b-barrier to the forests… A-And Agents Kennedy and W-Wong are i-in the l-laboratory! A-And they're not a-alone – they brought W-Wesker's son a-and two m-more people!"
"What?!" Simmons threw the man to the floor and began to kick him in his ribs. "You worthless scum – all of you!" he roared, throwing accusatory gestures at all his agents. "How could you let them get in here without knowing? Don't just stand there like imbeciles! Go – now!"
"Or you could help our cause." Sherry spoke suddenly, alerting the fearful agents. "Simmons' judgment day has come. If you defect now there may still be a chance for you to elude punishment for working for him. Think about it, would you rather be killed or arrested for standing with a man who beats you and treats you less than human? Or would you rather join us in ending his nightmare reign once and for all?"
The agents appeared torn between the two options. Simmons let out a haughty laugh, "You poor naïve bitch." he spat, "They wouldn't dare turn their back on me! I will destroy anything that threatens my ambition! When I become immortal, nothing will stop me! I will be a superhuman beyond your wildest dreams – then and only then will you see a true reign of nightmares!"
His agents must have found this offensive [and rightfully so]. They immediately ran to Deborah and Sherry, their guns aimed at Simmons. This infuriated the former inheritor of Spencer's legacy, he couldn't believe his control was fading. All of his former allies had deserted him…
"It looks like your loyal crew isn't pleased with your sick, freakish fantasy Simmons." Deborah said with a grin and Sherry agreed with her statement.
Simmons began gritting his teeth with seething rage. "So… it has begun." he growled, shooting the two women an alarmingly furious glare. "Let's see if they can save you before I finish you off."
Sherry furrowed her brows in thought. What is he talking about? He's all alone… He can't take all of these men on by himself.
"Simmons!"
The agents of Simmons turned around to find themselves staring at four armed individuals and one with some eerily frightening eyes.
Jake, Ada, Leon, Piers and Helena had finally arrived.
"Jake, Leon!" Sherry shouted with glee; She and Deborah immediately ran over to them. Sherry buried her face into Jake's chest while Deborah hid behind Piers and her sister, thanking them both for coming.
"Glad to see you two are okay." Leon said, maintaining his focus on the league of men ahead.
Jake removed his coat and gave it to Sherry – she gladly put it on. "Don't fire on the agents – they've defected from him." she said. The legion of men relocated to stand behind the others, their weapons fixed on the lone man standing before them.
Simmons didn't look too good; he was hunched over, panting excessively in what may be interpreted as rage. Jake balled his fists and started to tremble from his need to pound the man's face in. "You made your biggest mistake trying to use Sherry – funny, the one thing you searched for all these years is the one thing that brought about your downfall."
The demented man let out another haughty laugh, "Oh spare me that you wild heathen! You're nothing but a waste! Your blood … you don't deserve it! You're ungrateful and incompetent – you and all of the other monsters hiding behind human skin! Those creatures out there…? That's what you really are! Monsters!"
Sherry gripped Jake's arm gently, sending him a small smile as she held his hand. We are not monsters, we're just different. Like you told me before… You're no monster, you're just different – and so am I.
Her thoughts had brought comfort to him; he took in some air and shot a hard look to the man ahead. "I don't believe in monsters," he started slowly. "I believe in people – sick, crazy ass people. You call us monsters yet we aren't the ones terrorizing people and abusing their lives. When I see what you've done to these people, I don't see them as monsters – I see them as humans… turned into monsters by a real monster. And that monster is none other than you, Simmons – because if you had died instead of your predecessor, the world would have been a better place."
"You dare call me a monster, Jake Wesker?!" He was furious. Simmons reached into his pocket and everyone removed the safety from their guns, ready to fire whenever. He pulled out a cell phone and laughed at them, "Look at you all – terrified of me yet I'm just a mere human. I'm no monster – I am simply immortal!"
"And how do you intend to gain immortality, Simmons? By using advanced human blood to further your own strength? Have you been blind to the fact that every time you've attempted this and used it on innocent people that it's backfired and just wreaked havoc?" Sherry asked.
"Face it Simmons, you're no immortal – you're just a fool with a dream beyond your own body and mind." Leon snapped.
"The only reason why he's calling our kind monsters is because he's jealous he wasn't born as special as we are." Jake smirked, taunting the man. "Damn Simmons, don't hate on folks just because you're not as great as we are. You're all alone and you always will be."
Simmons was gritting his teeth so much now that it looked as if he would shatter them, "You act as if I cannot call your father, Jake. I'll have him come bail me out of this and I'll be invincible again. I'm not alone – I still have –"
"You still have your fantasy world, but that's about it."
Emerging from behind the others, Wesker approached Simmons with the other BSAA troops surrounding him, ready to fire. "You've lost, Derek." Wesker said calmly.
"What is the meaning of this?! You are one of my strongest allies – why are you turning your back on me?!" he demanded with bloodshot eyes.
"I've never enjoyed working alongside you, Derek. You are what we all refer to as a nuisance. Your insistence and selfish conquests have brought nothing but shame upon Spencer's legacy, in fact we intend on eradicating you from this world and erasing your ties to his legacy altogether. You are not immortal Simmons, and your crimes stop here."
A series of hysterical chuckles escaped the mad man, he crouched over, chuckling like a jackal. The alliance watched with caution as he slowly composed himself. He held up a needle, startling everyone once again. He giggled some more and removed the cap from the tip. "You may have taken that Birkin bitch away from me, but I've always had a backup! …William's grandmother…"
Wesker frowned behind his dark shades, "You retrieved them…" he growled.
"I thought you said they were hidden?" Chris asked.
"The location was supposed to be kept in confidence by Spencer… at least that's what we assumed."
Simmons let out a manic hearty laugh, "I found them a while back… I've already given myself a dose of that blood… Now, I will administer your son's blood and let's see the effects! I'll surely be a God!"
"No! Stop!" Leon shouted.
But it was too late.
Simmons injected himself with the vile of Jake's blood and doubled over in agony. He kicked and thrashed about on the floor, his body twisting up into painful positions, everyone watched with horror as his eyes began to bleed and his teeth started to fall out.
"He's… he's dying." Helena said slowly; a mix of confusion and worry on her face. "Will he transform?"
"No," Wesker said, "He's such an imbecile that he forgot the Birkin blood is weak against the Wesker. And with the Birkin blood inside him, the Wesker blood is attacking it and destroying him from within."
"So, we're just gonna let him die?" Piers asked angrily. "He needs to suffer for his crimes! He needs to be put away to think daily of what he's done. Death is too easy for him."
Sherry glanced back and forth between the alliance and Simmons' distorted body, the life slowly fading from him. She grasped the locket on her neck containing the antidote her parents gave her. He needs to face his crimes. It's necessary…
Jake watched with fright as Sherry darted over to the man, he sprinted for her and pulled her away in an instant. "What the hell are you doing?!" he demanded.
"Piers is right!" she explained, fidgeting and trying to get out of his grasp. "He needs to go to jail, not die! For all the people he's harmed, he needs to face the people and be convicted by them before he meets judgment in the afterlife." she opened her locket and revealed a small pill within – the antidote to neutralize the Wesker blood's effect on a Birkin.
"What is that?" Jake asked her.
"It's an antidote my parents gave me in case Simmons tried to inject me with your blood, Jake." she told him. "It's supposed to stop your blood from killing a host of the G-virus. Obviously Simmons is not a Birkin but he said he's injected himself with my great grandmother's blood and therefore it's inside him. For some reason the effects aren't like yours or Marlowe's effect on humans… but either way –"
"It must be because your virus only works on the women in your family." Jake concluded, "Therefore it's not gonna work on Simmons."
"But since your virus is within him now, the effects are still fatal." Wesker finished, "Perhaps that antidote will save his life."
"Do we really care if he lives or not?" Chris wondered aloud bitterly.
Piers glanced at Helena and Deborah, the oldest Harper had her arms wrapped around her sister. She turned to him, "Piers, you told me that you captured those scumbags that killed little Mai, remember? Well, I want Simmons to face the courts and see what he's done to all these innocent people, my parents and my sister. You and Sherry are right, he needs to suffer for the rest of his life. If he's killed now, that's the end of it. We need to see this through and have him arrested."
Piers smiled and turned to his captain, "Sir, I think we all want to see him face justice. If he dies here, it's all fruitless."
"We all came together to catch this shithead because he put so many of us through hell. He's turned human beings into damned creations, kept secrets from the government by deceiving others and killing witnesses… and he's ruined families." Jake said quietly. "We can only move on… if we put this bastard behind bars."
Sherry smiled, nodding to everyone else. Wesker approached her and volunteered to administer the antidote and she easily handed it over. Everyone held their breath as he forced Simmons mouth open, dropping the pill inside. Simmons' unnaturally twisted body seemed broken beyond repair – they wondered was it too late.
Silence enveloped the alliance as they waited for him to return to normal.
It seemed like hours had passed when in reality it'd been only a minute when his body slowly began to unwind; first his legs and then finally his arms, neck and finally his torso. He gasped desperately for air, panting and coughing as he tried to push off the ground and stand.
Once he stumbled to his feet, Ada and Leon moved in; Ada cuffed him while Leon read him his rights. He finished with a smirk, "Let's see how immortal you really are, Simmons… because the life sentences you're about to face are surely extensive."
When everyone exited the laboratory and reached the outside, the BSAA's vehicles were already waiting for them. Sherry could see a nice amount of troops hauling away corpses and creatures into trucks with cages. Steve and his bodyguards were helping with the cleanup.
Simmons was forced into a BSAA army vehicle along with Ada, Leon and Chris who would be driving them back to London. Before they left, they tossed their keys to Helena so she could drive their car back to her place.
Jill walked up to Piers and grinned, "I'll drive back, you… take a ride with your girlfriend." she said kindly, pinching his cheek.
"Are you sure?" he asked. She nodded and he reached into his pocket for the keys to give her. She started off with a wave and he headed straight for Helena. "So, do you mind if I hitch a ride with you and Debbie back to London?"
Helena threw her arms around his neck, kissing him gently – when she pulled away, a small smile graced her lovely features. "Does that answer your question?"
Piers blushed, hugging her tightly. "Yeah, it does Honey." Deborah came up to the two and they embraced her as well, sharing with the youngest Harper that they were overjoyed that she was safe.
"Let's go home now." Deborah said cheerfully, "I'm hungry and you get paid a lot Piers so I'm expecting high-quality Chinese food. I'm serious – I'm so ordering all the sesame seed chicken I desire and you're buying!"
He laughed heartily, putting her in a headlock and ruffling her hair. "Anything for you little sis!" he put his other arm around Helena's neck and kissed her forehead sweetly. "Let's go ladies." he said and they hopped into one of the vehicles. They would ride in it until they were outside the forests where Ada and Leon's car was.
Piers sat between the sisters, planting frequent kisses onto Helena's chestnut tresses. He took in some air and released it. It's finally done… and they're safe.
"We did it, Piers…" Helena said softly, leaning her head on his shoulder. "We made it. And we're all finally … together."
He buried his face into her hair and sighed, "Yeah… we'll always be together, Honey – I promise."
Back at the mansion, Sherry and Jake watched as Wesker oversaw the completion of all extractions of infected beings. She reached over and held his hand tightly; she was trembling from the cold but she couldn't contain her emotions at the moment.
"It's over…" Sherry said softly… "We got him…" she turned to Jake with tears glistening in her watery eyes. "We don't have to hide anymore. We're free."
Jake smiled warmly and wrapped his arm around her waist. He kissed her chastely on the lips, feeling his body calm from her touch. He felt relieved that she was safe and with him again – she meant the world to him and he would be nothing without her. Some feet away, Claire and Marlowe were helped from the tank by Steve. The beautiful redhead waved to them with a bright, cheery smile on her face. Marlowe was in her arms and he was beaming as well.
"Come on you two!" Claire beckoned loudly, "We're leaving!"
Sherry giggled, pulling Jake with her towards the tank. Jake helped her into the top and she climbed down the ladder, hugging and kissing both Marlowe and Claire, they were all crying tears of joy and eventually Sheva joined in on the emotional display. Marlowe [being the young, charmer he was], tried to alleviate the women by suggesting they hug him because he was a great stress reliever. They laughed and showered him with the affection he so eagerly craved.
Jake stopped before climbing inside; he turned his attention to the bright full moon in the sky. He took a moment to admire the once dark, eerie forest come to life under the moonlight. The former deathly silence was no more, Jake was surprised to find himself hearing crickets and suddenly the sound of birds. It was as if Spencer city was about to reawaken. Jake wondered was it the evil that warded off all the life forms…
Simmons was finally caught, he was in cuffs and the evidence against him was overwhelming. There was nothing more to worry about – no reason to remain locked away or hidden. The forest was free of Simmons' evil; he, Sherry and Marlowe were free of him as well.
"Yeah… we're finally free." he said, gazing at the moon with a small smile. "We're finally free."
A/N: There's chapter 20! I hope you liked it! Next chapter is the final chapter, I hope everyone will stick around to see it end.
Btw, I used the bloodshots from RE6 in here because I'm saving my own grotesque monsters for my next long running fic lol.
I'm gonna try my hand at doing a semi-canon fic because I've always done AU but I think I can pull off canon… it's worth a shot to try something different.
Thanks for the support everyone, I'll update soon and we can close the book on this fic together. :D
See ya soon!
-Vio