Disclaimer: I do not own RE.
Heyo! Sorry for such a late update it's just that I didn't get a lot of reviews so I was feeling kind of down. BUT, I forgive and forget cause I know a lot of you have trouble reading and then getting back to me, which is totally fine! SOM will always be here when you get back :)
TanuSherry: Thank you!
MOONLIGHT SHADOW HUNTRESS: Read on and see what happens in this packed chapter!
Chapter 53: The Wesker Child Has Far To Go
Civil war. Like a snake writhing through and through it was here. Setting ablaze, striking down, and spilling blood. Under the overcast of the clouds that towered in, bodies were strewn onto the ground like mindless litter. Ears were met with shouts, like the yell of a dragon. Eyes were met with homicide, killing for survival but killing nonetheless. Bruised and battered they went, marching on against their kin. Fighting for themselves yet all the same, fighting for him. He was not God, he was not a King.
He was a man. A beaten and calloused type whose bloody knuckles showed the real fight. Whose brilliant red eyes showed the ever-turning struggle to stamp out the one who sought to defile him. For to war, they went for him. Enemy turning to empathy. That single word uttered by a leader, by a man who had seen the face of death himself, had asked. No command, no plead… just a simple utter.
"I can promise you survival…"
Here were those men.
The Preacher, The Warrior, The God, and The Fallen.
Wesker sucked in a breath of that pure country air, filtering through his body like the blood in his veins. His bones were tired, his muscles ached, but his heart was throbbing, adrenaline rushing like a storm under his skin. God wasn't going to cut him down today.
Alex rose like the dead from the grave and staggered for a moment before wiping the blood from his face away with the back of his hand. His flesh was covered in dirt and fresh blood unlike his brother who wore his like warpaint upon his skin. Marking each moment and each impact with a smear of dark, cracked ichor.
"I will not fall to you!" He roared with a crack in his voice. Quite a broken sound that Wesker reveled in.
"We shall see." Wesker replied calmly.
Alex came for him like a wave of violence, a crashing force that Wesker was already prepared for. His strikes were blocked, one by one, deterred by his solid arms. Wesker's eyes were sharp, watching every move with acute thought, and one, small slip by the younger Wesker caused an opening. His fist flew forward and hauled right into the middle of Alex's face, sending him flying yards back. He landed hard on his back, knocking the wind right from his lungs. He held there for a moment, hammered by the sheer force his brother had dished out.
Alex's mind reeled.
How could this be?
Standing to face his other half, Alex tore the tattered shirt from his back and let it sail to the ground. He stood in all his godless glory, the heat of the battle drowned from his ears as if he was submerged underwater. They faced off, ten feet of bloodied ground to separate them. Each set of eyes burning like the embers of a fire. Red to orange and both had teeth to bare. Like the invader of the pride, Alex sought to condemn his brother right from his spot, rip him from his throne that Alex so desperately waned after for more than thirty years. The old King was due for a beating and an exile. The proceeder was stepping in. Fists hardened by the fight and heart hardened by the abuse. The mother of all battles to be settled under this gray and falling sky. Each were gods amongst men, seeking justice for their pasts and seeking prospect for their futures. One dead and one to rise.
Alex made the first move, quickly closing the space between him and throttled Wesker with a wicked hook to his already damaged ribs. Wesker's hand shot out and trapped Alex's arm against him, spinning him around and twisting the limb in a very deadly hold. He could hear the bone creaking under his fragile muscle, threatening to snap at any moment. Before he had the chance, Alex used a leg to sweep Wesker onto his back and pinned him down, knees digging into his sides. Wesker used every ounce of weight he could muster to shake him, sending Alex peddling backwards. Wesker struck him in the side, the throat, and finally the knee, making the younger brother collapse. Each strike was delivered with acute precision, unlike any man could manage. Years of harsh training and rigorous discipline had made Wesker into what he was to this very day… A killer. A very dangerous killer.
Alex, on his knees had only a brief moment to raise his eyes only to see Wesker's bloodied fist coming directly towards his eyes. He moved his head a mere inch, the punch striking nothing but air. A rookie mistake. Alex took hold of this opportunity and grabbed Wesker's arm, pulling him with pounds of force towards the ground, his face colliding with the cold stone. Alex got to his feet quicker than a blink and loomed over his slowly recovering brother. Wesker raised himself, feeling as though he weighed a thousand pounds. Alex allowed him to stand, taking a single drought of pity on his brother. The differences between them could now be seen as Wesker's eyes focused on the younger. As the days went by, so did Wesker. He got older with every passing hour, strength dwindling until it would be nothing but a tiny spark, nothing worth to light a fire. Years of being broken had finally broken him. The virus had coddled him like a child, taking care of his body for nearly fifteen years. It was apart of much like the very blood pumping through his veins. Every day was like a walk in the park yet, as the days became longer, so did the living. His body could not deny aging, it could only slow it down. It was still ever present, just a thought in the back of his mind. He watched his life flash before his eyes, every single memory like pictures on a television screen, fading in… fading out. He could hear the birds amongst the shouts, the coming storm amongst the gunfire. He felt one with himself again, but that did not last. Alex was circling him now, like a predator to prey, watching every twitch and every blink.
"How does it feel to lose?" Alex asked.
"I have never lost." Wesker deadpanned.
Alex held a finger to his lips, smiling wickedly. "I would deem it wise to not speak too soon, Albert."
Wesker's hands clenched. "And I would deem it wise to quit your taunting."
"You cannot best me, brother. It is simply not apart of the plan." Alex's circling had come into a closer proximity.
"Perhaps not apart of yours." Wesker mused. "But I have an agenda. Living."
"Then I'm afraid your appointment with life is to be cancelled. Enough mucking around, then." Alex chided. "Let us see which Wesker child has further to go."
Alex made a swift move, kicking Wesker in the chest, sending him peddling back into the side of a shed, the paneling cracked from the heavy and inhuman impact. Wesker smirked a little, clapping in such a taunting manner. This hit was hard but his was going to be harder. Alex threw fierce left and right hooks, each avoided by a simple bob and weave. He grabbed Alex by his shoulder, throwing him to the side, causing him to get off balance just enough for Wesker to strike him with a few jabs on his neck and shoulders, trying to render the muscles useless. Each of Alex's attempts to hit were blocked with steady arms and technical discipline. Wesker's elbow came up and collided with Alex's temple, dazing him and causing him to double over. Wesker took the opportunity to put his brother in a hold, head locked under his iron arms. His knee came hurdling towards him, striking him harshly several times in the gut and ribs. Wesker pushed Alex away from him and the daze from the temple seemed to still be intact. They circled each other, dissecting every move and every tiny twitch the other made. Each were purebred fighting dogs, ready to tear out each others jugular. Alex rushed him, a punch with deadly accuracy but it was blocked, yet again by Wesker's perfect combat diligence. Wesker stepped to his side, a mistake that could not be forgiven as Alex jabbed him in the ribs and pronounced a heavy kick to his chest, sending him into the side of the shed again. Alex rushed him but Wesker was already prepared for this move set. He darted forward, under the oncoming fist and used his body weight to knock Alex in the back, making him slam against the shed. His turn, however, wasn't fast enough and Alex was already recovering. He ran for him, ducking and picked Wesker up off the ground. He body slammed him into the dirt, and very primitive way of fighting was now being established. This was no longer by the book, this was street. Dirty and unconventional moves that only the underground sanctum of fighters would use.
Wesker scrambled to get to his feet before Alex was already landing powerful hits upon him. And they hurt like hell. There was hardly any room for recovery but that was the point, wasn't it? Wesker had to think quick and act even quicker. He saw an opening as Alex readied himself for another barrage of punches and ducked around him. They were now toe-to-toe, making sure that their hands were ready and their fists were sharpened like claws. Alex charged like a ram, knocking him back and turning him around for a perfect window of time. As if his deadly move was progressing in slow-motion, He jumped into the air, sailing forward like a cannon ready to fire and Wesker only saw the oncoming threat from the corner of his eye before he couldn't see anything at all. Alex's punch was sheer force. Cracking Wesker directly on the jaw, and it sent him cashing to the ground, completely dazed and in mass amounts of pain.
He recuperated slower than he should have, still bewildered by how much strength had gone into a single hit. He clambered to his feet, stumbling a little as he did so. Alex did not hesitate as he slugged Wesker in the jaw, and then he brought both of his hands to slam over his ears, discombobulating him. Wesker swung a fierce hook but was blocked by Alex's arm and opened up his ribs for a heavy blow. He deflected another punch with his arm and brought his elbow to connect with the side of Wesker's face and then hammering down a punch in the same spot, surly dislocating his jaw. He was defenseless as Alex throttled two swift hits to his ribs, feeling them crack under his knuckles. Those jabs sent him stumbling backwards, a dangerously large opening for Alex as he landed a right hook to his face and then the final blow, a heavyset and leaping kick to the diaphragm. Wesker flew backwards and landed nearly unconscious on the dirt-covered ground
Alex stalked towards his brother's pain-writing form and loomed over him like a conqueror. He dug his shoe into his shoulder blade, feeling the tendons and muscles convulse under the pressure. Wesker howled in pain, trying to get out from under him. Alex bent down and grabbed a fistful of Wesker's hair and jerked his brother to a kneeling position, forcing him to look up at him. His face was smeared with blood, covered in dirt as well. He unsheathed the knife from his belt and bent over, pressing the cold steel against the fragile skin just covering that precious artery.
"Did you really believe that you could beat me?" He taunted, pressing the blade harder against the skin. "You were foolish even to try. Now a simple slice will deal what I have been trying to accomplish for years…"
Wesker's breath was harsh, his eyes watching Claire sock a guy right in between the eyes. She was caught in the heat of the moment as she shook her hand, reliving it of the pain. He smiled, a small micro-smile that could only be held to himself. She turned around, seeing him out of the corner of her eye… and saw.
Alex shred the blade across his flesh, slicing into it as a hunter would, rupturing the artery as blood sprayed from the ragged wound. The red of the crimson pool and the red of Claire Redfield's fiery hair were only the last things to grace Wesker's eyes as they fell, heavy lids closing upon a lifetime. Death had extended his hand and Wesker had finally fallen prey to his worst fear.
"You lost." Alex whispered into his ear.
XXXXX
"NO!" Claire's voice ripped through every single sound. Footsteps falling silent, voices finally hushing. A single word halted an army. The faces of many watched as Wesker's body hit the ground like bricks and as the dust settled, so did the many. This was a travesty. A mistake. This wasn't supposed to happen.
Claire's eyes were wide, ridden with tears that streamed down her face without a blink. The gun that held itself so heavily in her hands clattered to the ground and a sob, so choked and pained, escaped her mouth like the utter of weak, helpless child. Her body moved like a zombie, staggering over to his lifeless form that was now soaking in its own blood. Her knees crashed to the hard stone ground and her shaking hands reached out, touching his shivering skin. When her fingers felt the fading heat, she retracted as if it was poison. Hands falling into her lap, she hunched over him like a mourning statue, tears falling onto his skin.
"Albert please…" She whispered. "I know you're in there."
Alex did not move, his hand still clutched the knife as if he thought his brother was going to rise up from the dead. His blazing orange eyes were wild with the kill. It was everything he imagined it to be. There was a rush that tacked itself onto him, the smell of blood in his nose. Everything had fallen into place just the way he needed. Wesker was dead and the remainder of his plan could commence. He watched as that helpless and brooding woman hung over his body like a pathetic scene from a movie. He would allow her this goodbye. A single bout of empathy that he would condone only once.
Claire could no longer feel his hammering heartbeat. His chest did not rise and fall. His eyes did not open. Overcome by his worst fear. His time had finally run out and what a harsh and disgusting way to go. Every emotion racked her heart and her brain. Sadness, anger, fear… each one playing a different chord on her heart. Blood had spread on her still shaking hands and yet, Claire could almost say he looked peaceful. His face was soft, as if he were sleeping. And oh how she wished it was all that simple. Yet, Claire knew that he died fighting. Fighting for what he believed in. Wesker was corrupted into an alien life that she would never fully understand however, she could understand the facts. He was a killer, plain and simple. But after years of being what he hated, he had come and faced his destroyer. A demon sent by the devil. His very essence was that of the fight. The fight to live, the fight to rule, and the fight to lead. He was not a good man, nor was he a simple one but Claire could care less about what he used to be, rather she had the chance to love him as he was. A father, a friend, and a lover. Wesker was now untouchable. The wolves in his heart could now rest for an eternity.
A/N: Sorry this one is kind of short but it was pretty packed if you ask me! It's finals week and I'm studying hard for those! More to come, content and progress wise! I promise!
