A/N: After many hours and absences over time, I'm finally ready to put the second arc to the RE: Legacy story to bed. So no more interruptions.

Disclaimer: I don't own Resident Evil.

Chapter 36:

"At the end of the day, the goals are simple; safety and security." - Jodi Rell

They saw the aftermath of the explosion from ten miles outside the city, a black billowing cloud rising up with the morning light and hung over Raccoon City like a terrible storm or a bad dream.

Rebecca thought the worst from her seat in the middle of the SUV. They had been away for too long and after communications went down they had no way of knowing what was happening within the city.

David sat behind the driver's seat, stepping up the speed with his knuckles white on the wheel. For once, John didn't crack any jokes about what might have happened.

They all knew that it was bad; before Jill, Chris and Barry left for Europe. It became even more so when Jill had told them that Ethan had stayed behind to try and gather more intel on Umbrella's operations.

But the moment the lines had gone down and Raccoon was sealed off aside from US military, they had immediately loaded the SUV and double timed it from Maine. Wondering what they could do when they arrived.

But for the young medic, her only concern was Ethan. Was he okay? Did he manage to escape?...was he alive?

She didn't want to think about any of it, after watching two more of their comrades fall at the Caliban Cove facility the only thing she wanted was to be in her lover's arms again. Her chest ached at the mere thought of not seeing him again, praying that he would be there waiting for her. Alive and well despite the odds.

Ethan was well known for pulling off the impossible in their little group of rogues, and deep in her soul Rebecca knew that he wouldn't go down with out giving hell in response.

Her green eyes went back to the billowing mushroom cloud hanging in the air. There was no way Umbrella could cover this up, not if it looked this bad at a distance. She shuttered to think what the city itself look like right now.

John finally broke the silence, his deep, mellow voice uncharacteristically subdued. "Fail-safe?"

Davide sighed as he continued to drive forward, "Probably. And if there was a spill like the others reported, we're not going in. We'll circle the city and then call for help from Latham. Umbrella's gotta have clean up crews on sight by now."

He looked in the rear-view at Rebecca's broken expression. "We'll find him, Rebecca. If the stories you and Barry told me about him are even a fraction of the truth, he'll have found a way out long before things went to hell."

She nodded, swallowing the dry lump in her throat as they fell back into a tense silence. The dawn-touched trees flying past them as they drew closer to Raccoon...

...that was when they saw a small group of people staggering their way up the side of the road toward them.

A cop with a bandaged arm walked beside a young woman in shorts, both of them holding weapons in hand with a little girl wearing a pink vest that was too big for her between them. But it was the one leading them that caught her attention. Standing as tall as the cop with broad shoulders in an all black outfit with a weapon also in hand.

It was someone she knew well.

"ETHAN!" Rebecca shouted in elation and anxiety, "David, stop the car!" The captain was already in the process of doing that, coming to a stop a couple meters away from the group who looked to be ready to defend themselves as the medic shoved the door open and leapt out.

She stood there grinning from ear to ear as she looked at her lover who looked just as stunned to see her. "Becs?" he asked, his voice haggard from exhaustion as his sidearm fell from his hand. Rebecca ran at him full sprint, leaping into his arms and crashing her lips against his despite the dried blood and grime that caked his skin.

It took Ethan a moment or two before his arms locked around her petite frame and he kissed her back in equal frenzy. Taking in her taste, her smell and the feel of her skin after being apart for so long.

Pulling back, the traveler rested his forehead on the medics, looking into her eyes with a beaming smile. "God I've missed you." he said causing her to smile back just as brightly.

David stepped out of the SUV along with John, his lips curling at the scene before him. He knew Rebecca had been beside herself with worry when they heard about what was going on in Raccoon after they had left. To see her this happy finding Ethan alive was a bright ray of light in the darkened world around them.

As he got closer, the Captain took notice of the other survivors' appearence. All of them looking as though they had crawled through every circle of hell and still managed to live. Clothes torn and covered in blood, dirt and grime, cuts and bruises visible where skin was showing, and from the look in their eyes, especially the little girls', they had seen things the devil himself would have pissed himself seeing.

Whatever happened in Raccoon must have made what happened to them in Maine look tame in comparison. Yet Ethan looked to be taking it better than the others, most likely given his past experiences.

The reunited couple separated as the other two approached them, "Ethan, good to see you still with us. We heard things had gotten bad." David said shaking the younger man's hand.

"Bad doesn't even begin to describe it." the traveler replied shaking his head, "Raccoon City's dead, the infected and rampant BOWs own it now. Umbrella's lost all control and the military will most likely find a more drastic solution to handle things...there's nothing left."

The Captain nodded grimly before regarding the other survivors, "At least you all made it out."

Ethan nodded back before looking at the others, "It's all good guys, their ex-STARS like me. This is David Trapp, former Captain of the Exerter branch. Rebecca Chambers, the medic stationed in Raccoon with me as well as my girlfiend. And..." he looked at John who grinned.

"John Andrews, heard a lot about you, Mercer." the large man said holding out his hand and shaking the teen's.

The traveler motioned to the people with him, "This here is Leon Kennedy, now former RCPD officer. Claire Redfield, Chris' little sister. And the little one here is Sherry Birkin. We all worked together to escape."

David sent a curious look at Ethan, "Birkin?" he asked before turning his attention to the girl. The traveler sent him a not-so-subtle look that said they'd talk about it later before looking back at the city in the distance when the sound of small explosions echoed their way.

A war still being waged in the ravaged streets.

"Look, We'll give you guys the complete rundown of what happened when we get somewhere safe. Preferably as far from here as possible." said Leon turning his attention to where Raccoon was as well.

"Agreed, everybody mount up and lets get rolling." the Captain said as they all headed back to the SUV and piled in. John fishing out a few blankets from the back while Rebecca got out the medical kit to treat injuries. David turned the vehicle around and headed in the opposite direction.

Everyone got comfortable, or in Sherry's case falling asleep as they left the burning city behind them. Ethan leaned back in his seat, head resting on back as he rested his aching legs. He smiled when Rebecca joined him minutes later after treating the others, head nuzzling into the crook of his neck as they sat in comfortable silence.

The war with Umbrella had taken a new turn, but now that they were together again they stood a better chance at weathering the coming storm. They just needed to regroup and figure out their next step before moving forward.

And the corporation wouldn't know what hit them...

X EPILOGUE X

Trent had his hands full for most of the day.

Listening in on the spindoc meetings, arranging for media sympathy with a few of their bought networks, and explaining the difference between HARMs, the air to surface missiles that the army had used on Raccoon, and SRAMs to the three heads of White Umbrella.

Jackson, in particular, was unhappy that the larger tactical missiles hadn't been used; he didn't seem to understand that a deliberate nuclear incident within the United States had to be kept as small and contained as possible. Ironic, that a man with so much wealth and power could be so oblivious to the reality he had helped create.

It had been a week since the situation in Raccoon City reached critical levels...and it had been a few days since the US Government along with the President gave the green light to use a tactical missle strike to put the infection down hard.

An extreme measure, but with the death toll so high and the threat of the virus spreading beyond the city limits options were far worse. And now that the disaster had been put to an end, the political, economical and media fallout was even bigger than the blast that claimed the city itself.

And Umbrella had almost nowhere to hide from the public scorn when all evidence pointed to their involvement.

Trent finally had a few moments to himself in the early evening, after a final review of the Watchdog reports. He took a cup of coffee out onto the balcony of the rooms he used when he was at the DC offices. The brisk twilight was refreshing after a day of recycled air and fluorescent lights.

From twenty stories up, the city below seemed unreal, sounds distant and features blurred. Gazing out at nothing in particular, Trent sipped his coffee and thought about all he'd witnessed in the past few days from the shielded privacy of his home. Umbrella's few dozen stationary remotes in Raccoon had had nothing on the satellite pirate that piped information to his private screening room; he'd been able to follow the events happening within the city better than they ever could hope for.

Ethan Mercer, the young man was every bit the resourceful engima he expected him to be. His knowledge and skill giving him the needed edge to not only survive the nightmare that overshadowed Raccoon City, but also ensured the survival of Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield and Sherry Birkin.

The events that brought them all together would undoubtedly cause the older of the two to join the fight. They were just as determined and filled with hatred for Umbrella as the ex-STARS, he couldn't have a asked for better.

He was satisfied with how things were progressing. As far as he could tell, no one in the company had the slightest inkling of who he really was or what he was doing. The three most powerful men in Umbrella relied on him more and more every day, completely unaware of his agenda.

To destroy the organization, from without and within, to devastate its leaders' lives and deliver them to justice; to help organize an elite army of men and women committed to Umbrella's downfall, and to guide them as much as he was able in their quest.

If his methods were complicated, the reason was simple: to avenge the death of his parents, both scientists, murdered when he was a child so that Umbrella could profit from their research.

Trent smiled to himself, taking another sip from his mug. It sounded so melodramatic, so grandiose. It had been almost thirty years since his parents had been burned alive in the alleged laboratory accident.

He'd left the pain behind long ago, his resolve, however, had never faltered. He'd changed his name, his background, given up any hope of ever having a normal Life and regretted nothing, even now that he shared responsibility for the deaths of so many.

Of course, he wouldn't have been able to get this far without help.

At that moment, a chiming sound resonated from his pocket. Using his hand to take out the communication cube that had been given to him, he activated it and smiled when he saw his friend and confidant on the other end.

"I received your report," said Oracle. "Everything's turning out as well as expected. Perhaps even more so."

"Indeed," replied Trent, taking another drink. "I just got intel regarding the T-Antigen and G-Virus sample getting into the US Government's hands thanks to the special operation units stationed in Raccoon. This, in conjecture with all of the evidence they managed to collect on top of the city's destruction will have Umbrella with both feet in the grave."

The benefactor nodded, "The destruction of the city could not be avoided, and now the Government know of the theat Umbrella possesses. Their intervention will take too long, however, Umbrella has taken root in too many locations. That is where the STARS and their new allies come in."

Trent hummed in agreement, "They certainly are capable. And they possess the needed drive to end the corporation no matter the odds." he looked at the image within the cube, "Mr. Mercer seems to be adapting well to the scenarios being play out around him. Hopefully it will be enough to face what will be coming next."

"I have much faith in him," replied Oracle. "He's proven time and again that he can handle the impossible and turn any situation in his favor. He is the wildcard needed to ensure that Umbrella falls."

"Are you intending on telling him of his true parentage? Or the contents of the serum you gave him while in Raccoon City?" asked Trent, curious.

"That time is quickly approaching, and when it does I will keep no secrets from him." said the benefactor. "But right now he needs to focus on helping the others bring down Umbrella, the added stress on his mind could cause him to make mistakes. Ones that will cost him greatly."

A cool breeze wafted through the air as Trent turned his attention to the streets again, "With his intelligence, he may figure things out on his own before then. He has already met his mother, albet when she was younger, but nonetheless."

Oracle nodded again, "Like I said, when the time comes I will keep nothing from him. He deserves to know the truth, but only when the time is right. Your partnership has been invaluable, Trent."

"As has yours, my friend." The man replied smiling. "I'll contact you when there is any changes within the company." The call ended soon after that.

It was getting dark. Far below, streetlights were flickering on, sending up a soft glow that would radiate out into the night sky like a halo above the city. In its own way, it was quite beautiful.

Trent finished his coffee and absently traced the Umbrella logo on the side of the cup with his fingers, thinking about darkness and light, good and evil, and the shades of gray that existed in between everything.

He needed to be very careful, and not just to avoid being discovered; it was those shades of gray that worried him.

X

In an undisclosed location, a lone figure sat looking at an array of monitors before him. Watching various news reels along with lines of data that were displayed, eyes scanning from each one rhythmically as the sounds of heeled shoes clicked on the floor behind him.

"You did well, despite your misjudgements." he said as a tired and bandaged Ada Wong stepped out of the shadows and approached him. Holding out his hand as she placed a vial baring the Umbrella logo on it into it.

Bringing the vial to his shielded eyes, he turned it slowly as he examined it from all sides. "A tissue sample with Birkin's G-Virus. Our organization is now one step closer to our goal."

Albert Wesker lowered the vial and looked back at the bank of monitors, a blade of a smile spreading across his face.

END OF ARC 2

A/N: And so marks the end of this part of the series. I've already started on the next arc which will derive from the game plot and more into S.D. Perry's work. And if anyone has read her books like I have, they know what is coming. But for those that hadn't you're in for a hell of a time.

Stay tuned, the next part will be posted within the next week! Until then send your reviews and let me hear your voices.