Writers block is a raging bitch. I'm not dead and neither is this story. Enjoy.
Hunnigan
Mike's laboratory was full of the usual suspects. Chris, Leon, Jill, Sheva, Mike and herself had all assembled to discuss what little they knew and had researched regarding Lauren Star. The group sat around Mike's 3-D simulator.
"Let's begin," Hunnigan said. "Fact 1: Lauren Star was recovered in Hope, Arizona during a bioweapon outbreak." The first image, a map of the United States of American displayed itself. The state of Arizona and the small town of Hope highlighted. "Fact 2: Dante was recovered during an isolated bioweapon outbreak, off the northernmost California shore. Nearly 2 weeks after Lauren Star." Another state on the map lit up.
"Fact 3: Vergil, Dante's twin brother, surfaced here at Delta Two, Colorado, shortly after Lauren woke up. Three weeks after the initial outbreak in Arizona," Leon said softly. A third state on the map lit up.
"Fact 4: Dante's bitch put almost three of my men in intensive care," Chris growled.
"Objective facts," Hunnigan retorted curtly. "Fact 4: Dante's partner was brought in for investigation, three and half weeks after the initial outbreak in Arizona. Her location was on the outskirts of LA. Fact 5: Outbreak occurs in the Twin Cities, Minnesota, nearly five weeks after Arizona." Hunnigan paused. "Fact 6: Nearly five more otherkin are resourced during or after the events of the Twin City outbreak. To date there are 7 known Otherkin, nearly 70, 000 civilian bioterrorism causalities."
"Raziel hosed us with another Otherkin and no documentation on nearly a decade of government funded viral immunization work. Other than the fact that we have the Serum to subdue Otherkin, we have a viral immunization for humans only," Jill added. "That's bleak."
"More so is the fact that Lauren is now our suspect number one. Having been spotted in six different cities globally, each city reporting few survivors," Hunnigan added. "Our next course of action, the reason I called you all here," Hunnigan cleared her throat. "We need Lauren detained. We need Raziel detained." A heavy silence fell over the group.
"We're not going to do that without the Otherkin," Leon spoke first. "Lauren nose dived off a the top of fifteen story hospital in Arizona. She walked away from it."
"Vergil ran up a skyscraper and leapt into the helicopter in Minnesota," Chris retorted, clearly annoyed.
"Rayne was an ally," Sheva spoke up.
"Trish wasn't," Chris shot back.
"You will eventually have to accept it," Jill commented qluiestly, catching Chris's eyes. "They're not mutated and they're not human. They can either be allies or enemies."
"They make me nervous," Mike said, speaking for the first time. The heavy glances of the gathering centered on him. Clearing his throat Mike brought up footage from the Minnesota outbreak. "Lauren is unsteady," Mike added, bringing up footage from the first recorded ETAP round.
"Mike has been developing technology to clarify their abilities," Hunnigan supplied as the ETAP footage rolled. Rayne and Lauren traded blows on the screen. "Theoretically we could categorize the threat level of an otherkin with further development of your ETAP bands. However, we run the danger of creating a segregated class of citizens if we pursue this."
"There's only 8 of them," Chris replied, with a shrug. "What's to categorize?"
"You don' t know that," Leon retorted. "There could be hundreds of them." Chris gave Leon a dark look.
"Freaks like them? You think there are hundreds of them? They don't even get along half the time. Hell, they probably kill each other for the fun of it."
"I've seen humans kill for the pleasure of it, 'Sheva's voice was quiet but firm. "How many humans have died for corporate greed alone?" Her eyes were placid as they watched Chris. "How many humans have we stopped that were no longer genetically qualified to be called human?" At that Chris grunted.
"Most of us get debriefed," Leon took up the conversation when Chris remain silent, "after an intense mission. No one here would question our commitment to ending Umbrella's research. We get the counseling help we need. How effective do you think Otherkin could be, as field operatives, if they had access to counseling and training services?"
For a moment Chris looked taken aback, as if he had never considered making an otherkin a member of BSAA. Of course he hasn't, Leon thought. Sheva and Jill exchanged surprised glances and Mike did his best to melt into his chair. Hunnigan thought about that. Political ramifications to hell, with otherkin packing a punch, bioterrorism would practically die overnight. Assuming there would still be a world to save at the current infestation rate of viral illness. Interesting. This was going to be a long debate.
"Wait a damn minute," Chris snapped. "Who ever said they were in any way fighting for-"
"The greater good?" Jill asked sardonically.
"They never said they were even interested in this line of professional work," Chris retorted hotly. "It's a choice, a lifestyle, and not one a lot of people embrace. For damn good reason!"
"Are you going to ignore what damage they can do?" Mike interjected quietly. "Kararov had a point in detainment. A lot of people out there agreed with him."
"So you sandbag them?" Jill demeaned, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "Either join or die? That's not a choice."
"I am not working with them," Chris retorted vehemently.
"You're scared," Leon replied quietly. At that Chris's eyes pinpointed Leon's.
"Not all of us are fuck buddies with them." Silently, Leon shook his head.
"You're out of line," Jill reprimanded Chris. "Way out of line." Sheva's gaze darted between Chris and Leon.
"Oh come on," Chris scowled. "You cannot-"
"She needs blood to survive," Leon clenched his teeth. "She doesn't eat food like you and I. Water-"
"You mean we are her food," Chris snapped.
"You keep running your mouth, Chris," Leon said warily, leaning forward to put his elbows on his knees.
"Yeah Leon?" Chris's eyes narrowed. "You got something to say?" Leon shook his head, tiredly.
"Clearly, this is not a cut and dry topic," Sheva interrupted in a calm voice. All eyes focused on her. "Ethics like this have been debated over my home country for years. The question is: would you apprehend a friend? If so, why?" Sheva leveled her eyes on Chris and Leon. "the answer ist that it is situational. It isn't a question of if all Otherkin are friends, clearly they are not. Very few neighbors get along. Nor do countries, for that matter. However, it would seem we have an exclusive club of Otherkins here at Delta Two. They all know one another. I can't imagine, being as it is, that communities of Otherkin are thousands deep, or even hundreds." Sheva paused. "We found one, and half a dozen more came running. That alone would suggest a very small community of limited numbers."
"They didn't need numbers to murder-yes, murder," Chris shot a look at Leon, "several hundred well armed, well trained soldiers."
"Lauren and Vergil agreed to work with us," Jill countered. "they were cleaning house in the Twin Cities at a faster pace than any of us have ever operated at. If the goal is biohazard clean up, then Lauren and Vergil not only did our jobs. They did our jobs better than we could."
"They are lethal!" Chris hissed, still unconvinced. "Why can't you see that? They could go on a lark and we would be defenseless!"
"You're being paranoid!" Jill snapped, turning to her partner.
"No he isn't," Mike's voice was quiet. The room turned to the plus sized programmer. "They are leathal. Half the ETAP readings I have indicated that we've never seen any of them actually tap into their-whatever you call it." Mike gestured in the air. "Whatever biomechanics that make them so strong and fast." He blinked, pausing.
"What do you mean?" Jill asked, prodding Mike to continue.
"I mean exactly that," Mike began. "The ETAP readings I've been taking now show that the Otherkin are at their lowest biothermic levels since I began recording ETAP. Even during their sedation under Karkarov," Mike coughed, fumbling over the name. "Even during the…experiments…their ETAP was a steady medium. The Quietus only really began to have a detrimental effect once the supply was cut."
"You've been recording information on the Otherkin," Jill said slowly, "without their permission or knowledge." Mike paled, swallowed hard and nodded. "That is beyond unethical."
"I told him to," Hunnigan said. "We are at war, there is a precedence for it."
"Then why would you-?" Jill began.
"Start a humanitarian and ethics debate over Otherkin?" Hunnigan finished for her. "Simple. You are all humanitarians. That's your job title, regardless of the hardware holstered at your hips. If humanitarians have this hard of time swallowing the idea that the monsters under our bed are real, then what about the rest of humanity?" Hunnigan gestured, waving a hand out. "We don't know enough. It is as simple as that. Where was Lauren her whole life? What kind of life did she lead? Did she know Raziel prior to her stay here at Delta Two? If there is a conspiracy here-which there could possibility be-how would we even know? Let alone stop it?"
The silence that fell over the room was almost tangible.
"What would you have us do?" Sheva demanded finally.
"Dig," Hunnigan said. "We are step behind, a day late a dollar short and we will be up to our eyeballs in the very thing we were established to prevent if we don't get it together soon. Whatever Raziel cooked up, it has something to do with Lauren. We need information. I have names and dates and addresses. I need more." Hunnigan drew herself up. "What I say next doesn't leave this room. Your orders will be for you only and you will be briefed independently of each other. You may or may not have a partner for support. Do we have an understanding?" The agents were quick to fall in line. Hunnigan glanced to Mike. Nervously, Mike nodded his agreement.
"Very well."
Vergil
His stomach hurt. It always ached-at first-in the cold and in the heat, in the dark and the fire, in the ice and the pain wrought hallways of hell. For a long, long time he deliberately forgot what it was to feel. Buried deep within himself, he let things die, culled out any weakness both within and without. A sort of numbness was quick to latch onto him. He lost who he was, while the darkness surged around him, eating away at anything he let go of. Such was the cost of becoming the lore of demons' nightmares. White bitterness caught at his throat. It was cold; he was remembering what 'cold' was. Remembering what it meant to be weak, to be human. But that changed. When he met her, it all changed.
The smell of cigarettes was cloying. It clung to her-her hair, her breath, and her clothing-like an invisible sickness, destroying the sweet smell of her scent. He could smell her before he saw her. It was surprising that she would smell that way, underneath the cigarettes. Especially considering the bitterness etched in her heart. A normal human's scent would have waned and weakened with time. Her scent was enough to take ones breath away, elusive yet aromatic. The bitterness of the wind flushed out any trace of it. The cold returned, yellow feral eyes glared at him in the darkness.
Black waves crashed ashore. The moon laughed cruelly as it watched, playing light tricks in its star-studded seat above. Down her side, a thick viscous waterfall of crimson champagne slowly painted her pale, bare skin. Her clothing, what remained of it, was nothing more than a failing weir. A terrible knowing reflected in her eyes. She knew. Without a doubt she knew. She was dangerous, untrained and powerful. More powerful than even her new awareness afforded her. A threat. He knew how to deal with threats. … … …However…
'You knew,' she accused him, her mouth like a knife blade. 'You always knew.' He had no answer for her. Around them, the snow fell, crystalline angel tears. For the angels did weep that night, high in their heavenly deathbeds. It was both a herald and a harbinger. The last true, few remaining of their kind rose up ethereal to take their place among them. They wept for the hybrid kin who would never know rest. They wept for Lauren. Little Lauren, her humanity diminished, her holy purity sullied. Surely if he had not been damned before, he was now, to sully the soul of a human in such a way.
Demons did not care for damnation; they were indifferent to it. Humans however, understood loss, pain, and sacrifice. And he, with blood running down his hand, felt the loss and the pain then. He had always understood sacrifice, or so he thought. The tragic comedy of his existence. That he would damn another to his own fallen path to prolong the inevitable. It was writ in blood. Centuries ago. This was in keeping to the accord. While she must walk her inevitable path, so must he if they were both to be saved. She may never understand. However he was indifferent to her confusion-her sacrifices-but not immune to it. The worse damnation of it all; he was far from immune to it.
Then the waves crashed upon the shore. Lauren was no more. Blackness had swallowed her whole. He waited until there was no trace of her in the churning waves. Until the sweetness of her scent had been brushed aside and crushed by the wind. She was beyond his reach, and had made it clear that even if he were to extend a helping hand, it would not be accepted. His hand burned and he paused on the cliff edge. He tilted his head back, looking to the stars. Fires burned, an infant lay dead in the ashes. Angels, demons, and humans all laid slain upon the dirt of the earth. All he could hear was the desolate wail of the wind. It was not over. It was far from over. That much he knew.
"Hey," Dante prodded his arm with a push, "get up." Blinking Vergil woke up. Taking a breath he glanced to his twin. Dante raised an eyebrow. "Stop dreaming," he said after a moment. Dante wore a wife beater and grey sweat pants, the standard go to he'd worn since they had awoken in that hole.
"Only if you were to do the same," Vergil retorted, rising to a sit. The room was quiet and empty. The book he'd been reading was on the floor. Vergil remembered the nightmare. It was surprising that Dante would have sensed it, even with the repair of their twin speak.
"Close it then," Dante shrugged,catching the tail end of his thoughts. "You opened it."
"I wasn't the one in need of saving," Vergil replied. Dante glanced over to him, silent. "You woke me for a reason?"
"The humans running this show want a word. I think they've come to a conclusion of some kind." Vergil shook his head disgusted. "You and I need to keep it buttoned up and our heads down," Dante said flatly, crossing his arms. It was Vergil's turn for a raised eyebrow. "You know they're going to use us. Shockingly, I don't think they want to give us puppies and kitties."
"You want to rely on them?" Vergil demanded briefly.
"To an extent," Dante replied. "We're weak, but give it some time…" Dante shrugged. "We'll heal. We won't need them after that."
"My dear brother not trusting his human comrades implicitly? It's rather devious for you to use human protection as a gambit."
"At this point I'd usually kick your ass, however," Dante shrugged. "We have better things to do."
"Is that so?"
"They have an idea were Lauren is," Dante paused. "The geek behind the Quietus made some kind of aura sensing machine. Don't ask me."
"And?" Vergil swung his legs over the edge of the couch. Dante stepped in front of his twin, his back stiff.
"Don't." Dante growled, glaring at his twin. Dante's voice was a hushed growl as he leaned forward to peer at his brother. Then the twinspeak kicked in. In the center of his mind Vergil could hear Dante's intent. You dream of her constantly. " 'Fascination' is an understatement Verg, you and I both know it," Dante finished his thought out loud. Vergil's jaw clenched as he tightened his grip on his sword.
"Be careful, twin," Vergil retorted icily. You fuck a demon created in our mother's image, the thought speech was a sharp whip crack. Dante took a breath, edges of reality were blurring about his person as he struggled to keep his annoyance in check. The skin change was aborted though, as the heat rising from Dante's skin died.
"Fuck it," Dante growled. His fist hit Vergil in the solar plexis, right in the dull ache of the scar Dante had given him. Vergil didn't deign to show his discomfort at the blow. It wasn't a true fight, just a love tap warning. "I did it once and I'll fucking do it again, Vergil, but you are going to listen to me this time." Vergil snarled, but Dante was already backing off, crossing his arms. His skin looked almost waifish pale under the fluorescent lights when he whispered next. "You're the only one, aren't you?"
Vergil didn't reply. Instead he clenched his fists and jaw, eyes narrowed. Dante didn't back down. Annoyed Vergil brushed past his brother. She needs you. She won't listen to anyone else. At that Vergil smirked. Dante appeared to age, his mouth going into a grim line at that.
And? It was a bitter reply. Vergil looked sharply to his twin, half turning.
"And?" Dante echoed, disgusted. "Do you even know why she went with that thing? Cuz I sure as hell would like to know." That kid was damn evil. You could feel it in that room verg. The walls were screaming with his aura. You know how much effort it takes to imprint your damn soul on a wall? "I may not know much, but that thing-that kid-it's not like it's gonna go well for her." And it'll be worse when-if-she gets back here with that fucker in tow. All that is beside the point...
"They want her. Dead or alive," Dante continued, glaring. "You know what they'll do to her. Hell, what they did to us will be daisy fields compared to-"
They wouldn't dare. The thought was a growl. Vergil started as his twin blankly. At that Dante cocked his head to the side.
"You think they'll even tell you if they get their hands on her?" Dante demanded. Why would they give you the opportunity to get close to her? Why would they give up that advantage to any of us? Dante's though speech was incredulous. If you think humans are a threat then why leave her with-
"They don't know any more than we do," Vergil cut off the thought speech. "They wasted time and any leads are long cold. When she comes back, they know what would happen if they-"
"Right. You'd what?" Dante cut him off. "Hobble down there and get tased into oblivion as you fail to skin change?" Dante shook his head. We are not strong right now. Dumb ass. Vergil growled.
"And I suppose you've given the matter thought."
Yes. Dante was smirking. It's something you'd appreciate.
"We find her first. We get to get her first. After a little training." It was Vergil's turn to tilt his head to the side, mirroring his brother. We get to Lauren we get to that evil turd of a kid and that fucking sickness of his. Vergil smirked at his brother.
"I'm listening, little brother."