Leech-Shaped Hole in My Heart

by Ivyblade80

Betrayal. Revenge. These two words encompassed the very being of Dr. James Marcus, a man so filled with rage that his soul cannot rest until he destroys those who have wronged him. Even death was not enough to keep him from acting on his revenge. He has been given a second chance at life, and he fully intends to make use of it. Now, he will have his revenge on Umbrella...

2. The Founding of Umbrella

August 20th, 1966

"I'm relieved that you all were able to attend today." Spencer spoke calmly, glancing around at the men in the seats beside him.

"With how urgent your message sounded; it doesn't seem like we had much of a choice but to attend, did we?" Marcus replied, shrugging dismissively.

The group—consisting of Marcus, Bailey, Spencer, and Ashford—was currently seated at the large rectangular table occupying the center of the dining hall. A long white tablecloth was draped over the table, along with several small and intricately decorated grey placemats in front of each guest.

A candelabra lay in the middle of the table, each flame flickering brightly—no differently than the fireplace that burns fiercely across the room.

The chairs lining the sides of the table were rather elegant, ebony-colored with a graceful floral pattern embedded into the top, along with deep-burgundy cushioned seats.

A large candlelit chandelier hung above the table, each candle serving to coat the room in a soft glow.

The walls and floor were a bright and shiny white, standing in contrast to the deep green carpet as well as the light green door, which stood not far behind Marcus' chair.

The table—despite having so many chairs available—only currently seated four people. Marcus sat in the corner, with Bailey to his right side and Ashford across from him. Spencer sat at the end of the table, in the middle—the arrangement almost seeming to add to his importance.

The reason for this sudden gathering was because of the letter they had received from Spencer, just four days before. It was short—and very straight to the point.

Dear Marcus,

I have discovered something that I desperately must share with you and Ashford. It is of vital importance, so I ask that you clear your schedule of any plans. I am sending a private plane to pick you up; it will arrive on the 20th. I do hope you will be able to attend. I must stress, it is critical.

Sincerely, your good friend, Spencer

That was all the message had stated. It sure sounded important, as Spencer made sure to emphasize. But he had been so vague, whatever it had been about—Marcus had no idea. Still, he accepted.

Although, it's not like the message had given him much of a choice, what with a plane already set to pick them up. If he had refused instead…well, that pilot and Spencer both would probably not be very thrilled that day…

He also ended up bringing Bailey along too, seeing as the man was basically always hanging around him anyway. They didn't live together, but they had seen each other almost every day for the last few years. With that being the case, he figured he may as well bring him along.

Besides that, it would also be nice for Bailey to finally meet his friends. Although, Spencer actually didn't seem pleased with the unexpected introduction. He got over it quickly enough, at least.

On another note, he was happy to see Spencer and Ashford again. It had been years since their last get-together. If they had waited any longer to finally meet up again, he would surely forget what they even looked like!

Spencer's hair had been shorter than it was in their younger days, and it was also entirely grey by this point. His face had some faint wrinkles around the eyes and mouth, but overall he didn't look too old yet. His clothes were no different than they always had been, wearing a blue formal suit with his usual fluffy ascot. His clothing style must have been the only thing that didn't seem to change throughout the years.

Something that Marcus couldn't help but notice immediately is that unlike how it was in the past—when Spencer had smiled almost constantly—it now seemed that a permanent scowl was plastered onto his face. It was quite the contrast, especially considered that just a few years ago he still had smiled often enough. Now, it seemed almost as if he couldn't. It was quite strange; Marcus certainly hadn't expected it.

Ashford's face looked more serious and sterner now as well, yet his neutral expression did retain some of the gentleness it once had. He also aged very well, only a slight bit of grey in his short hair, and no noticeable wrinkles. He didn't dress very differently either, wearing a maroon formal suit fit for a dinner party.

Marcus supposed he probably didn't look very different either. His hair had been at the same length that it always was, just below his shoulders. It was starting to get a little grey near the top, but beyond that it was fine. He wasn't too wrinkled yet either, mostly just having slight bags below his eyes. He wore a simple brown suit, not too formal—but not too casual, either.

Marcus figured Ashford probably was aging the best out of them all, although he'd be a close second. Spencer definitely seemed to age the worst, already having the most wrinkles as well as the greyest hair—despite being the youngest of the trio.

Finishing his observations of his friends' aged appearances, Marcus continued speaking about the matter at hand.

"This was awfully short-notice, however. And you haven't told us the actual reason for this visit yet. You said that you discovered something, so I'm assuming it isn't a simple get-together, is it?" He crossed his arms, looking to Spencer.

"No, this is much more important than a mere get-together." Spencer spoke sharply, his voice quite stern.

"Yes, you spoke of its importance in your letter. So, what is this about, then?" Edward interjected, seeming just a tad impatient.

"Well…" He began, slowly peering around the room—until his gaze landed on the young Bailey. He then quickly looked back to Marcus, speaking quietly. "Marcus… You are absolutely positive that we can trust this man, correct?"

Marcus, almost seeming a little offended that this was being brought up again, nodded. "Yes, of course. I told you this earlier, did I not? I've known Bailey for years; we can surely trust him."

Bailey smiled faintly, happy to see his teacher defending him. Yet his smiled quickly faded, reverting to a small frown. "Of course, if it's too much trouble, I could sit this meeting out… I wouldn't want to intrude."

Spencer shook his head, waving his hand dismissively. "No, it's fine. If Marcus trusts you, then I will as well. Now then…" He spoke low as he looked around, making sure he had everyone's attention as he folded his hands together. "Have any of you ever heard of the Natural History Conspectus?"

"Oh, I have!" Bailey spoke up again, nodding. "That was the series written by Henry Travis, right? It was based on his exploration of Africa. He talked about all of the plants, animals, and the customs of the people that he had come across. It was really long, too. He wrote…seventy-something volumes, I think…" He mumbled, attempting to remember the exact number, to no avail.

"Seventy-two." Spencer interjected.

"Right, seventy-two!" Bailey said happily. "Although I heard that there were so few copies of the series in the world, barely anyone knows what was actually written in it—only general ideas."

Spencer nodded slowly. "Yes, that is true. But I know the full extent of his writing, because I have my own copy of the entire series."

Bailey's eyes widened, surprised. He was about to ask how he managed to obtain the copy, considering its rarity—but quickly stopped himself. It probably wasn't too hard for someone like Spencer to get a copy, after all.

"And is there something in this series that is of importance?" Marcus questioned, indifferently resting his cheek in his hands.

"Naturally, yes. That is why I've called you here." He spoke firmly, nodding. "Most of the story does not have any real value. Yet there is one particular volume that caught my interest. It speaks of a flower that Travis discovered, dubbed the 'Stairway of the Sun.'"

Marcus nodded. The name had sounded familiar, so he wondered where he may have heard about it before. After a moment, he remembered.

"Oh, I believe I've heard of that, actually… The flower…it was supposed to grant great power to whoever had consumed it, wasn't it? Most scientists were skeptical though—claiming that Travis had embellished his story for entertainment value, so the idea was largely met with disbelief."

"So that's what this is about…" Ashford mumbled to himself. He looked to Spencer; slight frustration visible in his usually calm expression. "We researched this years ago, as I recall. You're still on about it? I thought we were in agreement that it was a dead-end study—we were not able to discover anything that points to it being true."

Spencer nodded with a low sigh. "Yes, we did. But I have not forgotten about it. I cannot simply let such an excellent opportunity slip by. There is still a possibility of its existence, so I will continue to research it until I know for sure whether it exists or not."

Ashford only shook his head and gave a small sigh, prompting Spencer to continue. "Anyway, to Marcus' point… It is true, scientists largely discredited the story. However, I have different thoughts on the matter. I believe that those scientists rushed to judgement. Based on everything I've read on the matter—as well as from the rest of Travis' work—I do believe he was telling the truth."

He glanced around at their mostly interested expressions before continuing. "His work also states that the flower was an object of worship to the Ndipaya tribe—they did everything in their power to protect it. I believe that is enough reason to believe the flower itself has some sort of importance. And if that isn't enough evidence…" He trailed off for a moment, then resumed his point.

"It's also been said that there were several men in the tribe who did consume the flower. Some of them gained supernatural abilities, able to tear apart any foe with ease—and an extraordinary intelligence that allowed them to build structures so complex that even constructors of today would be stunned. However, the others that attempted to consume the flower…perished."

Marcus placed a hand on his chin, taking in the information. "Hm… At first glance, it does sound like nothing more than a simple fairy tale. However…" He mumbled to himself, thinking about the subject more deeply before continuing.

"It could be possible that the flower contains some sort of chemical—a virus, perhaps… If the stories about those who consumed it are true, it most likely has a very low rate of successfully assimilating with the DNA of the host. If it were able to succeed, however, it could have altered their DNA to the point of changing their own physical and mental capabilities—even potentially enhancing them to extreme levels…"

Nodding, Spencer began. "Yes, that is—"

"That sounds very plausible, Dr. Marcus! What an astute observation, not that I'm surprised!" Bailey exclaimed eagerly, looking towards Marcus in his excitement—who only smiled sheepishly in response.

Spencer's scowl grew at the interruption, but he simply sighed and resumed his statement. "As I was saying…" He sent an icy glare towards Bailey, who gulped in unease. "That is a good theory, not so different from my own. Which brings me to the point of this visit…"

"Don't tell me… You aren't actually considering going to Africa to find this mysterious flower, are you?" Ashford questioned; eyes wide in disbelief. "Even if it sounds impressive, going there would be much too dangerous. You may die, all for the sake of obtaining something that may be nothing more than a fairy tale. You can't be serious…"

"There's that lack of initiative I remember so well." Marcus joked teasingly, chuckling afterwards. "Come now, Ashford. Wouldn't you love the chance to actually discover this potential virus? Imagine the possibilities with it! Honestly, if it truly can alter someone's natural abilities in such a way… It sounds very similar to my ambitions in my younger years."

He smiled warmly, fondly remembering the past. "I always wished to create some type of substance that could grant a permanent improvement to strength as well as intelligence… This virus sounds like it could certainly be a great basis for that ambition, if utilized properly."

Ashford sighed, placing his hand over his forehead in exhaustion. "Perhaps so, Marcus. But what about the risks involved?" His expression turned grim. "The story itself said that the flower is protected by the Ndipaya tribe. They worship it, for heaven's sake! Do you really think you'd be able to pry it from them, if it even exists?"

"Does that mean you won't be joining us, Ashford?" Spencer questioned coldly, not seeming all that concerned with whether he joined them or not.

"I… No, I suppose I am not." He shook his head, crossing his arms. "Besides, I am much too busy with my family duties and my own research, anyway. But…" He began, a faint smile forming on his lips. "If you two are going, then I suppose I can't fully disassociate myself from the plan. If you are able to discover this flower, and you find that it does indeed have your magical virus, then I will help fund the plans. We could make research facilities in order to properly explore the virus as well, if needed."

Spencer nodded, a small and rare smile on his expression. "Excellent, that will be a great help." His usual frown then returned as he looked to Marcus. "So, I suppose you and your student will be joining me on this excursion?"

Marcus looked to Bailey, who grinned with two thumbs-ups, and then nodded. "Yes, I do suppose we will." He smiled happily, thinking about the possibilities that this trip could possess. "My… I had never expected to travel all the way to Africa in order to find a flower that may or may not contain a virus that grants superpowers. I do hope my old bones will be able to make the trek, though."

Bailey chuckled as he shook his head. "Don't worry, Dr. Marcus. I'll be there to help make sure you don't die."

Ready to move on, Spencer clapped loudly, gaining everyone's attention. "Wonderful, it seems we have reached an agreement, then. I don't wish to delay any longer than necessary, so we will leave soon. On the first of next month, I suppose. Marcus, Bailey, you will need to return home and pack anything you may need. It is very hot in Africa, as you must know, so make certain that you come prepared so that you won't end up dying of a heat stroke." He seemed to be glaring at Marcus as he said the latter sentence. "We will meet on the plane on September 1st."

With that, their plan was set. The three had returned home, with Marcus and Bailey packing anything they might need for the journey. They made sure to pack light clothes, water bottles, and also journals that they could use to take notes. Ashford on the other hand, had went back to England, preparing the funds that the group would need. Spencer had already made most of his preparations beforehand, so he was mostly able to relax as he waited for their departure.

---

September 1st, 1966

Spencer had come to pick up Marcus and Bailey in a rather small airplane, seating only twenty people, minus the pilot. Of course, twenty seats were not necessary for this trip. Only eight seats were in use— three for Spencer, Marcus, and Bailey, along with another five for the security guards that would be accompanying them.

Marcus initially hadn't expected to see the security, but he quickly realized it was necessary. After all, they may have some run-ins with the Ndipaya tribe. Or any hostiles, really. And two old men plus a young man—all with no actual combat experience—wouldn't exactly get very far in a fight. They were scientists, not soldiers.

The plane ride was going to take a while—seventeen hours, to be exact—so they had a lot of time to waste.

Spencer had been sitting in his luxury seat indifferently, barely moving a muscle. With how still he had been, Marcus had thought he might have dozed off. But no—he was wide awake. Marcus figured that he must be too excited to sleep, or…well…do anything.

Marcus, however, had been sitting and calmly reading a book on virology. He had read it before, but it was a good one, and he could use the refresher for the task ahead of them.

Bailey had been sitting beside him, not doing anything except randomly interrupting Marcus' train of thought on occasion to interject some statement or another—usually something along the lines of wondering what they'll find. After a few minutes of silence, that's precisely what Bailey had done…again.

"So what do you think the flower will look like? Will it look like a regular flower? Or will it stand out more? Or maybe, it won't even look like a flower at all!" He questioned excitedly.

"I really can't say." Marcus set his book down to shrug impassively, something he'd had to do for most of Bailey's assertions on this trip. "Travis' book may have mentioned something about what it looked like, though. Perhaps Spencer would know." He gestured for Bailey to ask the man sitting across from them.

"Ah, um…" Bailey took one look at Spencer, who had looked so miserable that if looks could kill, Bailey would surely be dead.

Gulping, he quickly shook his head. "You know, that's okay, actually. I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise." He smiled sheepishly.

Marcus rose an eyebrow at the sudden change in attitude, with how abrupt it was. Perhaps Bailey was just being shy, although that didn't make sense—he never had been shy before. Or maybe he's only nervous around rich people, or…something. Marcus mentally shrugged, figuring it wasn't a big deal.

Bailey seemed to remain quiet after that, only making small talk every now and then. He would often seem like he was about to say something, but then quickly stop himself. Marcus wasn't sure what that was about, but he just chalked it up to him being really excited but not wanting to come across as annoying for talking too much.

Not that Marcus really minded the excitement—he was pretty eager too. And with how silent Spencer was being, as well as the guards, it was nice to hear some dialogue. The only reason he was sure Spencer was even still alive is that he would eat whenever the flight attendant brought him food, along with the occasional sip of his wine. Marcus had always expected a road trip with friends to be a lot noisier and more thrilling, but apparently he was wrong.

The hours on the plane dwindled by slowly, feeling like it would be an eternity before they arrived. Marcus had been so bored that he ended up falling asleep after a few hours, time finally beginning to rush by as he slept.

"Attention. This is the pilot speaking… We have arrived, please prepare to disembark." A monotone man's voice echoed throughout the plane, as it had done the first few times he made his announcement. Finally, the words pulled the doctor from his slumber.

His eyes slowly opened as he yawned and stretched his arms, feeling somewhat sore from the uncomfortable sleeping position. He turned and noticed Bailey had been asleep too, lightly snoring.

"Bailey, wake up. Bailey!" He shook his shoulder a few times, with no success. Marcus sighed. His pupil sure did know how to get his beauty rest…

"All right, Bailey. I suppose we'll just be leaving you, then. It's a shame, but oh well. I hope you enjoy the trip back to America…" Marcus grinned mischievously as he stood, noticing the man beside him suddenly opening his eyes wide in surprise.

"W-wha… Wa-wait a minute!" Bailey frantically looked around in a panic, before noticing his teacher's smug grin. He then settled down, sighing in relief. "Jeez, Dr. Marcus… You could have given me a heart attack!"

"Possibly, but it wouldn't be as bad as the heart attack you'd have if we really did leave you." He shrugged dismissively before looking around, noticing the empty seats. He crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. "Is Spencer already off the plane? He certainly didn't waste any time."

"I guess he wouldn't. Didn't you see how excited he looked during the whole flight? He looked like he was positively jumping for joy. I'd be surprised if he didn't dive out of the plane before it even landed!" Bailey snickered at his joke, with Marcus giving a light chuckle as well.

The two then disembarked from the plane and noticed that they were in a large spacious region of a bright green forest. There was just enough space for the plane to have landed.

Spencer had already been standing outside, speaking with the security guards around him. Marcus and Bailey approached them.

Turning to the two, he spoke quietly. "I see you're finally awake. I was just briefing the guards on our objective here."

"As you know, we are searching for the Stairway of the Sun. We are in the Kijuju region of western Africa. Travis' work did not say the specific location of the flowers—only that they were located within a cave somewhere in this region. We will, naturally, need to locate them before we can begin the most crucial step of our plan."

He paused, crossing his arms. "I suggest you prepare yourselves. Not only for this heat and the long trek, but for any possible attacks from the Ndipaya tribe as well. We likely won't run into them for some time, but it's best to be on guard at all times. So, are you ready?"

Marcus, wiping a bead of sweat that already formed on his forehead, nodded. "Yes, I suppose I am."

---

October 13th, 1966

"Ahh, I can't believe it! He really did it! He left us!" The young man exclaimed in between pants of exhaustion as he slowly heaved the older man across the grassy terrain—his shoes heavily dragging through the dirt and leaving a distinct trail.

He continued his angered rambling, causing the man he was dragging to wake up, tiredly mumbling. "Huh, hm… Oh, Bailey…what are you doing complaining so early in the morning..?" He murmured groggily, slowly lifting his arms to rub his eyes.

"First of all, it's late afternoon. And second, what do you mean, what am I doing?" He asked, annoyance evident in his voice as he looked down at the tired man. "I'm trying to lug you across this forest, thanks to your good friend Spencer ditching us!"

"Oh…is that so." He mumbled in realization, slowly starting to remember the circumstances that led to this moment.

The trio have been in Africa for a little over a month, spending each day wandering through lush forests and sandy terrains, all in an attempt to find the cave that contains the Stairway of the Sun.

Suffice to say, the journey was excruciatingly tough. Not only were the terrains absolutely exhausting to travel across, but the group had constantly needed to evade attacks from the Ndipaya tribe, who were not so happy to see the intruders in their territory.

On one hand, it was a good thing that they began to see the tribe, it meant that they were slowly but surely getting closer to finding the location of the flower. But on the other hand…it was pretty terrifying.

The tribesmen were not technologically advanced, choosing to fight with spears and homemade weapons rather than the guns of the modern age. That did put the group at a slight advantage, since Spencer's security guards were armed with firearms. Although that didn't mean it was entirely stress-free. The tribesmen refused to go down without a fight, even when guns were introduced.

Marcus in particular had a very close encounter with an enemy spear and his eye, the shock quite possibly shaving ten years off of his life. But thankfully, they had escaped most of their bouts with only a few scratches, the rest of the damage merely being on their mental health.

Yet as dreadful as the relentless attacks were, they weren't the reason that Marcus was being dragged through the forest by his angry student. That situation was instead caused by Marcus' extraordinary intolerance for the heat.

He had tried so hard to remain cool, to fight the elements as best as he could. He dressed in a thin safari outfit—a sun-shielding hat included. He tied his long hair into a ponytail, and he drank plenty of water, also opting to remain in the shade whenever possible. But despite this, he was sweating bullets—the hot sun beating down on him and rendering him defenseless.

Eventually, it had gotten to be too much. He passed out.

Although, this wasn't the first time he had done so on this trip. It had been about three times now. Usually one of the security guards would carry him whenever it happened, but evidently that wasn't the case this time.

As he recalled, Spencer did say after the last time that he would end up leaving him if he kept it up. Marcus thought it had been a joke, but…looking at his current predicament, apparently he was quite serious.

Standing up straight, Marcus stretched, feeling very refreshed now that he had taken a long nap. He turned to Bailey with a smile. "Well, thank you for carrying me. I feel much better now."

"Well, I don't!" Bailey crossed his arms, still looking very peeved.

Marcus scratched his head, frowning sheepishly as he attempted to think of something to say that would make his student feel better. "I…I apologize for passing out?"

Bailey sighed, shaking his head. "No, don't apologize. You can't help it, I know that. I'm not even mad at you, not at all. What I'm mad about is Spencer." He looked away, a frown forming on his expression. "He just…left us! You're his friend, right? Who would do that to their own friend?"

He turned back to Marcus, his frown growing. "I wouldn't mind so much, but in this situation, we could very possibly die. You're one faint away from dying of a heat stroke, and the Ndipaya tribe could be anywhere around us, ready to attack! We don't have any weapons, and he didn't even leave a single guard to defend us. What are we supposed to do?" He questioned, fear evident in his voice.

Marcus nodded, deep in thought. Bailey was right, the conditions were definitely hazardous, and it wasn't the best idea for Spencer to leave them while they were so vulnerable. Still, there was only one real option here.

"You're right, that wasn't very wise of him. But for now, we'll need to continue walking so that we can catch up with him, first of all. Come, let's not delay too much." He motioned for Bailey to follow as he began walking forward.

"I guess…but…" Bailey had been looking at the ground rather dejectedly as he began to walk. After a moment, he sighed, resuming his thought. "Dr. Marcus… I…I have some concerns about Mr. Spencer."

Marcus turned to his student as he continued to move, raising an eyebrow at the sudden statement. "Oh? Well what are they?"

He didn't speak for a few seconds, carefully thinking of how to word it in order to not upset his teacher. "Ah…well… I didn't want to say anything, since I know he's one of your closest friends. But ever since I met him… Well, to put it simply, something about him feels…off."

"Off? Off how, exactly?" Marcus questioned, wondering what his student had been getting at.

"Well for one, he abandons you in the middle of an African forest after you pass out, quite possibly leaving you to die." He noticed Marcus nodding, prompting him to go on. "And…I don't know. I just don't…trust him. He always seems so serious and angry all of the time. And I kind of don't feel like he has your best interests at heart. Like…he's only really worried about himself. Even with this whole trip, he didn't seem very happy about you joining him. He just…didn't care. But despite that, he also made it a point that you basically had to come, going by that letter he sent you in the beginning of all this…"

He crossed his arms, sighing. "I don't mean to sound so pessimistic, or mistrustful. I mean, I didn't have a problem with Mr. Ashford when I met him. But something about Mr. Spencer just…it gives me the creeps." He looked to Marcus with a frown, expecting to see his teacher responding angrily. Instead, he was laughing.

"You make a lot of good points there, you know. And I must admit, Spencer has become very different over the years. If you had met him when he was younger, you would swear that he was a different person." He smiled as he remembered the past.

"He was much nicer back then, always smiling, joking around… Yet my younger self complained about that kindness, always assuming he had some ulterior motive, some nefarious scheme planned." He frowned for a moment, sighing. "I feel I was too judgmental, then. I had desired to remain so isolated that I simply judged everyone for their worst trait, driving all of them away. I was so convinced that I would never need anyone, never need friends…" He smiled sheepishly. "To be honest, I was a brat."

Bailey stared on in confusion, unsure of where this story was coming from, as well as being surprised at how different his teacher and Spencer must have been in their younger days. Noting his uncertainty, Marcus continued.

"Well, to get to the point here… You sort of remind me of myself, when I was your age." He then thought about the implications considering what he previously said, and quickly shook his head and waved his arms. "Oh, not that I'm saying you're a brat! You're not—far from it, in fact. And you're much friendlier and more positive than I was."

He sighed. "Back then, I was always complaining about everyone, making rude yet usually clever comments about them. I didn't have any friends, either, though that isn't a surprise. And I was horribly cynical, too…" Shaking his head to move on, he continued. "In comparison, the two of us would be polar opposites."

Bailey gave a somewhat weak smile. "Really? That's certainly hard to believe. You're so nice now, I can't imagine you ever being like that… Then again, you still do make rude yet clever comments about people, and you still are pretty cynical, sometimes… Maybe I can imagine it, actually…" He placed a hand on his chin, wondering if his teacher really is all that different now.

Marcus nodded with a chuckle. "Yes, well… I suppose in a way, I haven't changed too much…" He then warmly smiled, resuming his original point. "Anyway… I was unable to trust people back then—I always pushed them away. But once I did start to trust, becoming friends with Spencer, Ashford, and you as well… I'd say it has made me a better person."

He then gave an indifferent shrug. "But again, I cannot deny that Spencer is acting differently these days. He does seem almost emotionless, in a way. I can't say I recall him making a single joke this entire trip, something that he did so often in our youth. But…" He trailed off, crossing his arms. "We all change eventually. As I've said, I used to be very different, as well. So perhaps Spencer has just stiffened up over the years. He likely has a lot of serious duties, being an earl and all. I suppose I wouldn't blame him for becoming colder, more detached."

Bailey nodded, still a faint frown on his expression. "That does make sense… I guess I might just be thinking too deeply about it. Mr. Spencer has been your friend for all of these years, so if you trust him, then I should as well. Although…" His frown grew. "I don't know if I'll ever like him."

Marcus nodded with a chuckle. "I don't blame you. It took me many years after becoming his friend to actually start liking him."

Bailey chuckled this time, but his expression soon turned grim. "Uh, maybe we should try to hurry and catch up to him, though… I may be imagining things, but I feel like I can hear a tribesman shouting in the distance…" He shivered, looking around warily.

Marcus—who had looked eager just a moment before—suddenly grimaced. "Yes, ah, let's pick up the pace, shall we?" His voice shook as he immediately began to speed-walk—Bailey following right behind.

---

December 4th, 1966

The group had been beyond depleted, each one of them looking as though they were about to keel over from fatigue. Marcus had been laying on the cold stony ground of the narrow corridor, panting heavily. Bailey was standing beside him, gulping a bottle of water down to the last drop. Spencer concealed his fatigue better than the others, but even he was noticeably sweating and panting as he leaned against the wall. The guards were all standing straight, although it wasn't hard to see that they were exhausted as well, each one consistently taking deep breaths.

If they had thought the Ndipaya tribe with their spears and cheaply-made weapons were going to be the most difficult part of the trip—they were dead-wrong.

They had faced countless traps throughout their journey through this cave, with the first being a large room where giant flaming spheres ran rampant, nearly crushing the group along the way. And as if the thought of being crushed wasn't enough, the spheres would explode just as they were about to make contact—adding to the terror that they had already felt.

Then there had been another room where it was a sort of maze, they needed to find and pull chains attached to statues in various parts of the enormous room in order to reveal the path. But the room was so large and dark, it was easy to get confused and forget which way they even needed to go.

Then there was the room where the tribe had used strange machinery that channeled the power of sunlight to shoot highly concentrated beams at them. One shot would have been enough to incinerate a person where they stand, and the beams moved quite quickly.

And finally, there were several rooms where the group needed to rotate mirrors so that they would line up in a way that the sunlight would hit the actuator, allowing the lift that would take them downward to function. And of course, like the previous room—the sunlight was quite concentrated. If it had hit someone in the group, instead…they'd be gone.

Beyond his exhaustion, Marcus was in complete and utter disbelief. He had no idea how they had even managed to survive even half of what they had just been through. They were a group of mostly old men; it should have been downright impossible for them to accomplish anything of the sort. That was like some sort of action movie adventure! Yet somehow, they did it.

It did help that the guards were with them, though. They were able to take out some of the tribesmen that had been operating the traps, causing the traps themselves to cease. He only wished they could have done so sooner; it certainly would have saved him from a few close calls…

Standing up straight and moving to the center of the corridor, Spencer spoke. "All right, we all have had time to recuperate. Let us continue onward."

He walked forward to the end of the thin corridor. The exit had been concealed by a large rock, with a slight opening at the edge. He gestured for the guards to get to work, and two quickly nodded and stepped forward, working together to roll the boulder away.

To everyone's amazement, they now stood in front of a large dais adorning the center of the large room—a small plot of bright red-orange flowers growing above and around it.

Marcus, stepping forward, gasped in awe. "Could it be… Have we finally found the Stairway of the Sun?"

Spencer nodded, confidently crossing his arms. "I believe we have. This is what the Ndipaya had been so determined to keep us away from. There's no doubt that we've found what we've been searching for."

Bailey had been grinning brightly, eager and exhausted to the point that he was very close to fainting. "I can't believe it!" He exclaimed cheerfully. "Come on, what are we waiting for? Let's go get the samples!" He stumbled forward into a run—almost running over the others in the process—excited to get a closer look.

"Wait! Make sure you don't touch them!" Spencer shouted in annoyance as he ran forward.

Marcus smiled warmly at all of the excitement. It had been three long months, but they finally had accomplished what they came to do. If they were able to locate the virus within these flowers, then everything they had been fighting for would be worth it. They couldn't get the samples and get back home soon enough, he thought, as he slowly walked forward to join the others.

"You know what to do. Pick as many flowers as you can." Spencer demanded, looking to the guards, who immediately went to work. "We'll test the flowers for the virus, and if we successfully locate it, we'll return home as soon as possible."

"Ahhh, I can't wait… I wanna sleep in a warm bed again, instead of sand and rocks." Bailey sighed in relief, fantasizing about the thought of being back home and away from the dreadful conditions that they had been stuck with for so long.

Marcus nodded with smile. "I feel the same. I do wonder, though." He looked to Spencer, his smile fading into a slight frown.

"How do you propose we leave this place? Will we need to return the way that we came from? I certainly hope not. In case any more tribesmen show up, they surely will be eager to avenge their fallen brethren. And honestly, I'm not so sure my heart can take any more of their spears and crazy traps…" He sighed with deep exasperation.

Spencer nodded, placing a hand on his hip. "Yes, I'm aware of that. We will need to scout the rooms ahead and see if we're able to escape from them. If we can, I'll call the airplane back to pick us up there. If not, we unfortunately will need to deal with the tribe again."

He sighed, his eyes suddenly becoming intense and almost deadly. "However…I'm not in a very merciful mood after all that we've been through. For their own benefit, they should hope that we don't run into any trouble. If we do…I can't promise what will happen to them."

His tone had been so sharp and cold, Marcus and Bailey immediately tensed up. He definitely seemed to be implying something extreme. They couldn't blame him for being mad; the tribe had certainly put the group through a lot. Still, they weren't expecting such a severe threat so suddenly. They wondered if he would really go through with it—but didn't dare say a thing.

"Speaking of… You, over there." Spencer called to one of the guards, gaining his immediate attention. "Go ahead and scout out the room ahead. Come back and tell me if it leads to the outside, or if it's a dead-end." The guard nodded and quickly walked forward to the corridor across the room, soon vanishing out of sight behind the large dais.

"Lord Spencer, I've retrieved the samples." Another guard spoke as he approached Spencer, holding up several bags, each containing the flower.

"Excellent," he uttered as he put gloves on and took one of the bags from the guard. Turning to another guard that had been carrying a large black bag, he nodded. "Set the microscope up." With a nod, the guard got to work, opening his bag and pulling out a decent-sized electron microscope.

After about ten minutes, the microscope was set up, resting on a lower level of the dais, almost as if it were sitting upon a table. Spencer promptly stepped forward, carefully removing the flower from the bag with his gloved hands and cutting a small piece of the stem off. He proceeded to do the rest of the steps needed to prepare the sample. Fixation, dehydration, and then drying. Finally, he carefully placed the sample onto the slide of the microscope and placed the cover slip over it. He looked through the eyepiece for almost a full minute, before smiling and turning to Marcus.

"Well? Take a look." He gestured for the man to come over, which he did.

Going by Spencer's smile, something that he had rarely seen these days, Marcus was already sure that he would see something great. And to no one's surprise, he was right.

Looking through the eyepiece and adjusting the magnification, he saw the small grey particles clumped together, particles that were much too small to be cells. He grinned in amazement. He definitely was looking at a virus, no doubt.

"It would seem our prayers have finally been answered—our journey fulfilled." He declared proudly, smiling confidently. Turning to his student who had been watching from the distance, he called him over, gesturing for him to look through the microscope.

Bailey had already been grinning ear-to-ear, knowing what the results must have been. He practically dashed forward, immediately taking a look through the eyepiece. His face somehow became even more amazed than it already was as he stared in awe. He looked back to his teacher after a few seconds. "This is amazing, Dr. Marcus! We've finally done it!"

As the two celebrated for some time, the guard who left to search the cave eventually returned, walking to Spencer.

"Lord Spencer, I've checked the rooms. There are several rooms ahead, eventually leading to the outside of the cave, along with the ocean. There should be enough room to land the plane on the cliff. No enemies have been spotted on this path, either."

Spencer nodded, feeling a sense of relief. "Perfect. It seems we're all set, then. Let us make haste. We will be returning home."

---

February 12th, 1967

They had returned to Spencer's European mansion, the same one that Marcus and Ashford usually would visit. They didn't know originally, but apparently he had conducted a lot of his own research in this mansion, using the basement levels as a sort of lab. That's where Marcus and Bailey spent most of their time during this endeavor.

Marcus had been at the lab table, staring into the microscope intensely. After a few minutes, he sighed and turned, deeply frowning.

"It's not there. The flowers do not contain the Progenitor virus."

His fear had come true. After bringing the flowers back from Africa—after the absolute torture they had suffered while there—they immediately got to work in cultivating the flowers here. Their growth had gone without flaw, they grew very strongly and in a swift amount of time. Now, they were finally ready to be tested for the virus—Progenitor, as he had named it—in which they didn't have it.

"What… You must be kidding, right?" Bailey nervously smiled as he stepped forward, looking into the eyepiece himself. His false smile quickly faded as he stared at the sample, no longer any room to doubt his teacher's assertion.

"I wish it were a joke." He sighed as he took a seat, holding his head in annoyance. "Well, I suppose we'll need to go and tell Spencer. Great…" He muttered, deeply disappointed by this turn of events.

Bailey nodded, frowning weakly. "I suppose so…" He mumbled as he looked away. "So…what do you think the problem could be?" He looked back to his teacher, hoping he'd have some helpful wisdom.

Marcus shook his head with a half-shrug. "I really can't say. The flowers certainly had the virus when we tested them in Africa, but now…they don't." He thought back to their growth conditions, continuing. "They grew without any problems. They had plenty of sunlight, a good amount of water. Yet here we are, no virus."

Marcus figured he might sound a bit too gloomy, considering this was only their first attempt at growing the flowers. Still, after all of those months they spent in Africa, nearly dying almost every day—he was hoping for some good news. No such luck, though.

"That's true, but…" Bailey spoke softly, understanding his teacher's grief. He then gave a weak but cheerful smile, trying to lift the man's spirits. "Don't fret already, Dr. Marcus! It's true, these flowers were a bust. But we still have plenty more seeds, so we can just try again!"

His smiled softened as he continued. "There's a ton of things that could have gone wrong. There might have been too much sunlight, or not enough. Or even a drop too much water could have messed it up. There's also the soil conditions and temperature to think about, too. We'll just need to try again, change things up a little."

Marcus listened attentively, then nodded. "Yes, that is true. I certainly don't intend to give up yet, that's for sure." He smiled faintly, before then giving a small sigh. "There are so many possible combinations for their growth conditions, however. We can try to match it to how it felt in that cave as best as we can, but we very well could run out of seeds before we make it perfect. Granted, we have a lot left at the moment, but it's still a possibility."

Bailey nodded. "You're right about that... I'm a little worried, myself. But there isn't much else we can do, right? Worse comes to worst, we'll just need to go back to Africa. It'll be a pain, for sure… But we can just think about that when the time comes, or if it comes." His smile grew as he tried really hard to be optimistic. Not just for his sake, but Marcus', as well.

"I suppose you're right. But ah, oh well..." He waved his hand dismissively. "If we must return to Africa and yet again fend off the tribes and their ridiculous traps and ploys, then this time—I'll bring a Gatling gun." He joked to lighten the mood, already feeling more optimistic about their next steps in regard to the virus.

Bailey chuckled, nodding eagerly. "Oh, bring one for me too! And maybe a rocket launcher, while we're at it."

"Will do." Marcus replied with a chuckle. "Now then, I suppose it's time to tell Spencer the good news, hm? He'll be thrilled, I'm sure."

---

March 23rd, 1967

"That's no good either, huh…" Bailey disappointedly mumbled as he looked through the microscope, then turned and crossed something off of the clipboard he had been carrying.

"Another batch, and still no Progenitor virus. It's been over a month, and we've had no developments whatsoever. Not even any minor ones…" Marcus grumbled in annoyance as he placed his hand on his cheek. "We've done everything we could to match the exact conditions of that cave, and there's still nothing that came of it. I'm beginning to think this is a pointless endeavor. The virus simply will not grow in these flowers." He crossed his arms, quite irked.

Bailey sighed before frowning deeply. He understood his teacher's frustration, he really did. It takes weeks to grow these flowers, so for them to finally be ready and then not have the virus… It was aggravating, to say the least. He was pretty upset about it, too, though not as visibly as his teacher.

They've planted several batches of the flowers, each with different growing conditions. Sunlight, water, soil, and temperature being the main factors they focused on. But in each of those groups—nothing had changed. They didn't contain the Progenitor virus. Unfortunate, yes, but they had to be more patient.

"I know you're upset, but please, Dr. Marcus. We have time, there's no need to rush to conclusions." He set his clipboard down, leaning against the table. "We know that the flowers did contain the virus in Africa, so if it was possible there—it should be possible here. We just need to run more tests."

"Well why are we wasting so much time planting such large groups of the flowers, then?" Marcus waved his hand in annoyance. "It doesn't make sense. We're going to run out of seeds in no time, at this rate. We should plant smaller groups of the flowers, and more groups overall. We'll be able to test more conditions at once, and then we won't waste as much time. Three groups at once is simply not enough."

Bailey frowned. "I don't think that's the best option… It's plausible that only one flower out of the group could contain the virus, so we need to check all of them to be sure. And if we don't plant enough, then it's possible that we could end up having almost perfect conditions—only to have planted too small of a group—limiting the potential for success."

He sighed, continuing. "And if we have too many groups going on at once, it will be much too difficult to test every flower out of every batch. It will just become overly confusing. It makes more sense to do it the current way."

"But if we need to spend years upon years simply trying to get the virus to grow, rather than already having it—we'll never even have time to research the virus itself!" He complained, his frustration growing. "If we continue like this, we'd have been better off just staying in Africa to research the virus, where it actually already exists."

"Oh, because constantly being attacked by Ndipaya while we're doing research is a much better alternative, huh?" Sarcasm was evident in Bailey's voice as he crossed his arms. "Have you forgotten already how many times we almost died while we were there? There's no way we could ever work with the virus while we're there! We're definitely better off trying to grow our own flowers—frustrating though it may be…"

He sighed and calmed himself somewhat, attempting to be more reasonable. "Honestly, Dr. Marcus… I understand your concerns, I really do. I'm worried about the direction this research is going in, too. But…maybe you should take a break from the research stuff, at least for a little while. I think it's getting to your head." He frowned, continuing. "I think it's getting to both of our heads, really. We've both been working nonstop these days. It's no surprise we're getting a little stressed out…"

Marcus sighed in exhaustion, finally calming down. "Yes, I fear you may be right..." He mumbled sadly. "You know that we cannot afford to take a break, however. It's crucial that we are able to replicate the virus so that we may begin our actual research on it."

Bailey opened his mouth to respond but stopped when he heard the distant footsteps of someone approaching. It was Spencer—who probably heard everything—looking as grim as ever.

"Is there a problem here?" He asked wearily.

Spencer hadn't spent much time with the duo throughout their endeavor to recreate the virus, so he would just check in every now and then to monitor their progress. They weren't sure what he had been doing while they were working, but he seemed awfully busy most of the time. He was usually always on the phone having some sort of important-sounding conversation, or just nowhere to be found altogether. Marcus and Bailey were curious about what he had been up to, for sure, but knew better than to pry.

"Just a little disagreement, nothing of importance." Marcus spoke with an indifferent shrug. "Aside from that, as you can imagine, there's nothing new to report. We still hadn't had any success in recreating the virus."

"I see..." Spencer muttered, not seeming all that concerned. Walking to a nearby chair and sitting, he resumed. "Well, that aside. I came here because I have a proposal. Why don't you both take a seat?"

The two sat, both staring at the man in confusion. Noting this, he resumed. "Marcus, you may remember this from our youth… Do you recall what I said when you, Ashford, and I first became friends?"

Marcus rose an eyebrow at the statement, crossing his arms as he tried to remember. After a moment, he spoke. "There were a few things, I'm sure… Uh, I suppose one of them was…" He continued to wrack his brain for anything of importance, finally remembering something. "Oh! There was that one thing you mentioned. It was about us someday starting a company, or something of the sort, I believe..."

Spencer nodded. "Indeed, that's it."

Marcus continued to stare at him, confused. "Er… So…what? You want to start a company? Now?" He frowned, not able to understand why Spencer would bring this up now, of all times. "How would we start a company now, while we're still trying to figure out how to actually recreate the virus? This isn't a very opportune moment."

Spencer shook his head, leaning back further into the chair. "No, I assure you, this is the perfect moment. After all, money is important. It makes the world go around, and it funds the research that we're doing…"

The two still looked confused, so he frowned and continued. "In case you're not understanding… A company would help to bring in funds, which would allow us to further our research. I'm thinking of a pharmaceutical company. We would do the usual, selling pills and medicines—those sorts of things. This would in turn fund our research. Do you understand?"

Bailey was the one to speak up this time, frowning. "But isn't this an awfully big move, considering we don't even have the virus yet? It would be absurd to start a company to fund our research, only to find out we aren't able to recreate the virus anyway. It would be pointless!" He sighed, continuing. "I mean…I do think we'll be able to recreate it…eventually. But as of now, I don't see the value in starting a company. Our current research can't possibly cost that much…"

Spencer instantly sent a cold glare towards him. "You would be very surprised, then…"

Marcus, sensing the new tension in the air, spoke again. "Well, I don't care either way. You can do as you like. As long as I can continue my research into Progenitor, I'll be content."

Spencer smiled, clearly pleased with the response. "Splendid. I'm glad that you're on-board. I'll bring it up with Ashford as well. I have no doubt that he'll agree." He stood, dusting himself off. "Now then, I'll take my leave. Keep up the good work." He mumbled as he turned and walked away, eventually descending the corner and vanishing out of sight.

Bailey had been pouting, crossing his arms. After a few moments, he spoke. "Well, jeez. I guess my opinion isn't all that important." He dejectedly mumbled to himself, then looked to Marcus. "Are you really up for starting a company, Dr. Marcus? That sounds like a lot of work, considering we're already so busy with our research…"

Marcus shrugged, frowning. "It doesn't sound very exciting, but if we need the funding, oh well. Besides, it'll mostly be on Spencer to take care of it anyway. I'm sure my actual part in it will be minor—leaving me plenty of time to do my research, with all the funding I could possibly need." He grinned, figuring he was probably catching a lucky break.

Bailey smiled, nodding. "Yeah, you're probably right. Maybe it is a good idea, then."

---

April 15th, 1968

"Arghh, I can't believe this! I'm really not looking forward to having to go back there. We barely survived the first time; I don't want to risk my life again! We might really die this time!" Bailey whined as he paced back and forth, running his fingers through his long hair anxiously.

"Oh? Weren't you the one that was very calm and rational about the possibility of us needing to go back?" Marcus spoke with a mischievous tone in his voice. "Ah yes, I believe your exact words were that it would be a pain, but we would think about it when the time came. I do believe the time has come now, but you don't seem to be thinking about it very calmly."

Bailey stopped his pacing for a moment to send a glare his way, and then immediately resumed, not saying another word.

"Well, with that being said… I'm not very happy about it, either." Marcus mumbled glumly with an exhausted sigh.

With over a year of no progress, they realized that they had no choice but to return to Africa. For one, they needed to collect more seeds from the flowers, having run out last month. And they also figured they should try to research the flowers more—see if they could figure out what it is about that particular plot of land that allows the virus to grow.

Still, the trek would again be very hazardous. At least it might be easier to land closer to the cave this time, since they at least know where it is. They could land at the spot they departed from last time, which would let them avoid all of those awful traps hidden throughout the cave.

That is, if the Ndipaya aren't hanging around there. More than likely, they'll be somewhere in the cave, possibly right where the flowers grow. That would certainly add to the difficulty of the situation, which was where the problem arose. They likely have even more security there now as well, so avoiding injury would be quite tricky.

"I knew this day would come eventually, but…ugh… I really hoped it wouldn't. I've seen enough giant explosive fiery spheres and huge beams of sunlight to last one lifetime, or maybe even ten..." Bailey continued his complaints, with Marcus nodding in agreement.

"Still, I guess we shouldn't complain too much… We have to persevere, for the sake of our research!" He weakly raised his fist in the air, attempting to gain some confidence. It helped him, somewhat.

Marcus nodded once more. "Agreed. I suppose it's better to die trying than to have never tried at all… Although I suppose we technically did try already, since we did go there before…" He thought more about his statement before shrugging. "No matter. We just need to try again."

Bailey nodded, only then hearing the door slowly creaking open.

"If you're worried about the Ndipaya, then we'll simply need to remove them from the equation." Spencer spoke calmly as he stepped in, looking to Bailey.

Bailey's eyes widened, surprised. "Oh, you heard what we were talking about? I guess I was complaining pretty loudly, now that I think of it…" He then shook his head, instead focusing on what Spencer had actually said. "Wait a minute… Remove them? How?" He asked, concerned and perplexed.

Spencer sighed before taking a seat in the room. "We get rid of them, naturally. We chase them away."

Marcus rose an eyebrow at the statement, looking fairly shocked. "Uh, right… But do you even have the ability to remove them? We had several run-ins with the tribe during our journey, and they were not very fearful in the presence of guns. If they aren't afraid of firearms, what could they fear so badly that they'd just leave?"

"Everyone is afraid of something," Spencer began with confidence. "You need not worry about my methods. Simply rest assured, the tribe will be removed, and we will have plenty of land available to conduct further research."

Bailey crossed his arms as he thought about it. After a moment, he nodded. "I can't deny that it would be a huge help… It might be our only real option at this point, too." He turned to his teacher, faintly frowning. "What do you think, Dr. Marcus? Should we go for it?"

He nodded. "You're right, we don't have many other choices. One way or another, we need to go back there. It would certainly help knowing that we actually might not die in the process."

Upon hearing their responses, Spencer immediately stood. "I figured you both would agree. I will make preparations to chase the tribe away, then. It may take some time, so you may as well get comfortable."

With that, Spencer had turned and left.

Bailey sat down, thinking about what he said. "I wonder how long it'll be… Days, or months? Or maybe even years?" He grimaced, severely hoping it would not be the latter.

Marcus shrugged, picking up a nearby book and opening it. "Well, however long it takes… I suppose we will be taking a much-needed break, like it or not."

Bailey nodded, softly frowning. "I don't really want to, but I guess we don't have much of a choice…" He then shrugged, giving a small smile of relief. "Oh well, we probably could use some time off. Once we do go back to Africa, who knows when our next break will be?"

---

August 19th, 1968

"Aww… I lost again!" Bailey pouted, staring at the chessboard in dismay.

"I told you we don't have to keep playing." Marcus sighed, shrugging nonchalantly. "You've challenged me every day for the past week. I'm sorry to say, but I think you'll need a lot more practice before you can win against me." He tried to sound empathetic, but he was unable to hide the faint smug tone in his voice.

Bailey crossed his arms, continuing to pout as he glared at him. "Tomorrow will be the day I win, for sure."

Marcus shook his head with an indifferent shrug. He really didn't think that would be the case.

These games of chess were one of the ways that Marcus and Bailey had passed the time while staying at Spencer's mansion these past few months. They really didn't have much else they could do, after all.

It had already been four months, with no news of whether or not the Ndipaya have been driven away yet. So naturally, they had a lot of time on their hands.

When not playing chess with Bailey, Marcus spent most of his time reading. He enjoyed it, seeing as he hasn't had much time to read as of late—due to his research taking up so much of his schedule. And another good thing was that he had an almost endless selection of books to choose from, since Spencer had an entire library in one of the rooms. He actually thought he'd be somewhat disappointed when he does need to return home. He'd really miss that library…

Bailey would read often as well. Sometimes novels, and other times for research. He would often tell Marcus about everything he had studied, usually asking him tons of questions about it. And when he wasn't doing that, he spent some time exploring the mansion. It was so large and with so many rooms, he couldn't help his curiosity in wanting to explore it. Of course, this usually ended with Spencer scolding him and sending him back to Marcus, telling him to keep a better eye on him. Bailey had fun, though.

Of course, they would have already returned to their homes in Raccoon City—if they had it their way. After a month passed with no news about the Ndipaya, they thought it would make better sense to just go back. They could get back to their old lives for a little while, or however long it took for Spencer to contact them with an update on the status of the Ndipaya. Then once they received word from him, Spencer could just send a plane to pick them up and take them back to Africa. Everything would work out perfectly.

Yet for some reason, Spencer insisted that they remain at the mansion. He didn't give any particularly good answers—only that it would be more convenient this way. They didn't truly mind staying at the mansion, they certainly lived luxuriously while they were there. But they couldn't help but wonder why Spencer had insisted on it so much. They eventually shrugged it off and got used to it, but it was weird, nevertheless.

There was one problem Marcus had with staying there, though. Marcus had agreed to be a part of the company that Spencer was creating—Umbrella Corporation, as he had named it. But the problem was, instead of having the minor employee role as he was hoping for, Spencer had different plans for him. He wanted Marcus to become the first director of the Umbrella Executive Training Facility, located in Raccoon City.

Well, soon to be located there. It was still being built, but supposedly it would be ready soon, since Spencer had been working on it for the last few months. Apparently, it would be a facility where students are trained in order to become better employees for the company—something like that.

Marcus wasn't so sure about that, though. Sure, he's given lectures at universities and the like, but actually teaching? That wasn't something he was all that interested in. He told Spencer this several times, but he didn't seem willing to take no for an answer.

He always would bring up how Marcus is one of the co-founders of the company, so he should have a large part in it. Marcus thought that in a way—Spencer was trying to be nice, making sure to give his friend a high status in their company. But he didn't care about the status, the only real point of the company was to raise funds for their research, anyway.

He then thought that could have been another reason Spencer wanted him to accept so badly. If Marcus wants to make use of the great funding for his research, then he ought of work to acquire that funding. Being the director of the facility certainly would put him to work, no doubt. Putting it that way, he did think that he should accept. It would be fair, after all. But then again, how could he accept?

Spencer expected to put this plan into action soon, likely as soon as the facility's construction is finished. But Marcus will need to return to Africa any day now, so it's not as if he could do both. Perhaps if their return to Africa doesn't take too long, he would consider it.

He had no idea how long the trip would take, though. They were primarily going to get more seeds and samples, but they also intended to conduct further research. That could take a while, so the training facility would just need to wait…

"Good, you're both here."

Spencer looked to the two of them as he arrived at the doorway of the lounge-room. They were sitting on the burgundy-red plush sofa, a chess board sitting on the low wooden table in front of them.

"I've been looking all over for you. I've brought good news." He didn't wait for a response as he sat in the black leather-clad lounge chair, facing them.

"And it is? Is it about the Ndipaya?" Marcus asked, raising a questioning brow.

Spencer nodded, folding his hands together as he sat. "Indeed it is. I've just received word that they have been successfully driven from the ruins." He then grimaced, looking away somewhat. "Well, only half of the ruins, to be exact. However, that half does include the location where the Stairway of the Sun grows, so I believe that is acceptable, regardless."

Bailey instantly grinned, leaning forward in his excitement. "That's more than acceptable, that's great!" He turned to his teacher, joy still evident in his expression. "That means we'll be able to go back and study the flower without any problems. We should get ready to leave immediately!"

"Yes, we certainly should. There's no time to waste." He smiled, already mentally beginning to plan the things he'll need for the journey.

"Not so fast, Marcus." Spencer sent a stern glare towards the man, slowly shaking his head. "I believe I have already mentioned this, have I not? I would like for you to remain in Raccoon City so that you may take over the training facility."

Both of the men had responded with a clear expression of shock. While they knew of Spencer wanting Marcus to take over the facility—he sure had mentioned it often enough—they didn't expect that to interfere with the trip to Africa. At least, not when Marcus hadn't even officially accepted the offer yet.

Marcus gave a faint frown, crossing his arms. "Yes, you have mentioned that. But I haven't even accepted the offer, as of now." He trailed off, his frown growing. "I'll admit that I was considering accepting, yes… But shouldn't it wait until after the African trip? We have been planning this for a while."

Bailey nodded vigorously in agreement. "Yeah, we can't just change plans all of a sudden. We definitely need to go back there, or else we won't be able to continue our research!"

"And you will," he began, looking to Bailey. "But Marcus will not."

Bailey's eyes widened, surprised by the sudden statement. "Huh? Wait, you want me to go alone?" He frowned, mumbling. "I'm not so sure about that… There's no way I could do all the research by myself, even if the Ndipaya are gone."

Spencer shook his head, waving his hand dismissively. "You won't be entirely alone. You will be accompanied by many security guards, and we will eventually have more employees, as well." Sighing, he continued. "Beyond that, it will be much easier this time. I will be having research facilities built at the site of the flowers. Although, they will take time to build, so you will be using tents for the moment. Still, it is better than nothing, is it not?"

He gave a slight nod, his frown remaining. "I suppose so, but still…" He turned to Marcus, his frown growing. "It would be really different without Dr. Marcus, though…" He mumbled dejectedly.

Marcus smiled sadly at his student, but before he could respond, Spencer continued.

"Yes, I'm sure. But you will be doing him a great favor by performing this task, don't you agree?" His lips curved into a slight smirk. "Not only will you be able to research the virus, sending Marcus any information you uncover, you will also be the one that sends him samples of the virus. He will be able to potentially change the world, all because of your help. Is that not what you want? Do you really wish to deny him of this possibility?" His smile grew, almost looking somewhat… unsettling.

Bailey gulped, stunned and somewhat disturbed by the wide smile he had never seen on the man's face before, along with his blunt words. Still, he did his best to ignore it, instead focusing on the main point.

"No, of course I want to help Dr. Marcus, but…" His tone was somewhat nervous, looking down for a moment as he carefully thought about what he would say. He then turned back to Spencer; attempting to maintain a more neutral expression. "I know you want Dr. Marcus to take over the training facility, but couldn't he still come to Africa before he does that? We surely won't be spending years there, will we?"

Spencer's usual grimace returned as he gave a small sigh. "I cannot say. It very well may take years. It may take a lifetime."

Marcus spoke up this time, his expression very serious. "But as scientists, we always are aware of the fact that our research could take years, or even a lifetime. So why should that stop me from going? I would be able to research the flower, as well as having direct access to the virus. I would be able to work more efficiently with the flower being so readily available."

"You would work more efficiently?" Spencer gave a horribly dry chuckle, shaking his head. "You could never work efficiently while there. You could barely manage to survive the harsh temperatures, never mind doing your research there."

Marcus instantly frowned, unable to argue it. He had forgotten about that aspect of the trip. The heat definitely would be an issue if he were to go. It would make him a serious liability…

Nodding, Bailey spoke. "Mr. Spencer is right about that." He smiled nervously. "It would be different if the facilities were already built, but there's no way that you'd be able to effectively do your research while we only have tents…" He trailed off, his smile fading.

Marcus remained silent for a few more moments, carefully analyzing the situation. Spencer definitely seemed set on the idea of Marcus remaining in Raccoon, along with Bailey going to Africa alone. And while this plan could work, it was still a very sudden change from their plans of before.

It was also almost as if now Marcus didn't have a choice but to stay in Raccoon, whereas in the past, Spencer made it clear that he would respect whichever decision Marcus reaches. What has changed since then?

As he reflected on this, he couldn't help noting how oddly Spencer had been acting lately. He was so adamant on this particular course of action, and he also had been strangely insistent on wanting them to stay at the mansion for these past few months, as well. Suffice to say, he was becoming intolerably pushy.

But perhaps that is merely how Spencer always is. He always had been somewhat bold, and he may have been fairly bossy on a few occasions. Yet something about this felt…different. Almost as if he had some sort of…ulterior motive…

Well, there was only one way to find out. He decided he would ask one last thing to determine Spencer's fortitude on this issue.

"It's clear that you wish for me to remain in Raccoon so that I may take over the facility. And someone, naturally, must go to Africa to take on the task of sending the samples and research. But…what if that person isn't Bailey?" He crossed his arms, staring at Spencer with resolve. "Bailey is my student; it makes the most sense for him to remain in Raccoon by my side. So why not find someone else to take up the assignment, instead? You have many connections, so it surely wouldn't be difficult to find someone else. And you intended to find more employees for the facility eventually, anyway."

Spencer gave a deep sigh, tapping his fingers on the arm of the chair in impatience. "It would not make sense to find someone else, as Bailey is more than qualified. And he would surely be of more value to you in Africa sending you the samples, rather than simply hovering around you in a lab room. Can you not understand that?"

"I do understand that, but that doesn't mean we have no other options. We could still find someone else." He shrugged indifferently.

"You're just being difficult now…" Spencer grumbled to himself in annoyance. "This is simply the best course of action. We would be able to proceed with our plans immediately. That is—if you would finally accept…"

As expected, Spencer seemed unwilling to make even a simple change to his plan. It was very strange.

Marcus would be willing to compromise and just go with this plan, truthfully. He didn't particularly like it, but he could accept it. Yet Spencer was unable to compromise in the slightest and could only give poor excuses as to why he can't make any changes to it. Why was he so dead set on this specific idea?

"You know, Dr. Marcus… Maybe you should just take over the training facility. You need a proper facility to conduct your research, so it would really be a great opportunity for you."

His train of thought was interrupted by Bailey. His eyes had widened—surprised by his student's sudden suggestion—but sighed and slowly nodded. "I do have some doubts, but…that is true." His frown grew, finally relinquishing. "I suppose I will accept this plan."

Spencer smiled, nodding. "I'm glad that you finally have come to your senses." He began, sitting up straight. "So we all are in agreement, are we not? Marcus will become the director of the training facility, and Bailey will go to Africa to study the virus, as well as to send samples of the virus to Marcus—along with any other Umbrella facilities we create. Understood?"

The two nodded, prompting Spencer to continue. "Excellent. In that case, you both should make plans to depart at once. Do not delay too long."

Spencer stood, looking to Marcus. "One last thing, Marcus. Before you return to Raccoon to become the director of the facility…cut your hair. You look like a goddamn hippie." With that, he turned and left.

Marcus was taken by surprise at the sudden demand. He frowned, grasping a few locks of his dark hair and staring at it. "What… I don't… Do I..?" He mumbled dejectedly.

Bailey shook his head, smiling sadly. "I don't think so. But then again, maybe I'm just biased. My hair is pretty long too…" He looked to his own lengthy ponytail laying over his shoulder, frowning. "Maybe we both do…"

That aside, they had a long and serious conversation—with a lot to take in. They both remained silent as they thought about it.

The plans that they had prepared months ago were now heavily altered. Instead of them returning to Africa together, Bailey would now go alone, sending samples of the Progenitor virus to Marcus. And Marcus would go to the training facility, managing the students as well as studying the virus. It was quite the change, one that neither of them particularly appreciated.

Sighing, Bailey was the first to speak. "Anyway… Classic Spencer. He always does know how to change the situation to his advantage, doesn't he?"

Marcus solemnly nodded. "I suppose he does. Although, I do wonder. What does he have to gain from this change? He has become so insistent on me working at the facility, and now for you to go to Africa alone…" He spoke in a whisper, leaning forward as he thought about the situation.

Spencer…what is it that you're hiding?

Marcus thought to himself, not daring to say it aloud.

Something about the entire conversation…the way Spencer spoke, even the way he smiled…

Marcus had the strangest feeling. It almost felt like…

…He should be very careful with what he says from now on.

---

September 15th, 1968

"Are you sure you've packed enough clothes? Enough food? Your toothbrush?" Marcus stood by the door of the Spencer Estate, questioning his student on the many necessities he would need.

"Yes, I told you, I have everything." Bailey chuckled as he spoke, amused by his teacher's constant questions. "Jeez, Dr. Marcus. I swear, you must be forgetting I am twenty-nine years old. I know what to pack!"

Marcus chuckled this time, sheepishly smiling. "My apologies. I just want to make sure you're prepared. You may be gone for a while, so it's important that you don't forget anything. You don't want to be on the plane halfway to Africa and then find out that you don't even have a hair comb, do you?"

Bailey nodded. "That's true. Speaking of, I have that too." He reached down and pulled his comb out of his bag, smiling confidently at his level of preparation.

"Ah, very good." He gently smiled.

With that, there was silence—neither of them saying anything for a few seconds, each one pondering what they could say. After a moment, Bailey was the first to speak.

"I… I sure do hope I can handle this." He began softly. "I haven't been on my own like this for like…ever. This is such a big task, I—"

"You'll do fine, I know you will." Marcus spoke quickly, cutting him off. "I know it must be nerve-wracking, but you have nothing to worry about. You're more than intelligent enough, you'll know exactly what you need to do and how to do it. But still, if you are ever in doubt—we can send each other letters. I'll gladly help you as much as I am able to."

Bailey nodded, smiling somewhat sadly. "I guess so, but I wouldn't want to bother you. You'll be so busy with your research…"

"Nonsense." Marcus spoke sternly as he shook his head. "No matter how busy I may become, I'll always have time for my number one student. And, well…my only student."

He nodded once more, smiling more sincerely. "Well…I'm glad for that." He remained quiet for a few seconds, before smiling sheepishly and then shaking his head.

"Besides, I shouldn't be so negative, anyway. It's not like we'll never see each other again. I'm sure I can take breaks, once things get settled in… Plus, there's no guarantee that I'll even be there for years, either. Maybe they'll find someone else to be the head researcher, and then I can go back to Raccoon—to work with you!" His words were cheerful, but his voice shook—and his eyes revealed an inner sadness.

Those words… Marcus wanted to believe them, he wanted to so very much. But…why did they sound so hollow? They were so empty; it was clear that Bailey hadn't truly believed them, himself.

Why was Bailey unable to believe them? And why was Marcus unable to shake the bad feeling that he had?

It was true—he couldn't possibly know for sure when Bailey would be able to return, or even whether or not he would be able to return. With that being the case, Marcus' sense of dread may have been with good reason. It was possible that this truly would be the last time he ever saw Bailey again…

He quickly pushed the thought aside. He couldn't let himself think like that, he wouldn't let himself think like that. He had to be positive. He would see Bailey again, no doubt. To think otherwise…would be too cruel.

"Yes, that's very possible. Very likely, in fact." He spoke reassuringly, as much for himself as it was for his student. "With your intelligence, there's no need for you to waste time simply sending samples to the other facilities. You should be in an actual facility, working with the virus yourself. And naturally, working with me as well." He smiled kindly, doing his best to hide his own doubts.

"Yeah, I hope so." He nervously smiled, looking away. His eyes then wandered down to his watch, noticing the time and mumbling. "Oh, that time already… I guess I should be going; the plane should be ready by now." He looked back, seeing the small plane in the distance seemingly prepared for takeoff.

"I… Yes, of course." Marcus muttered, the realization that his student really was leaving hitting even harder than before. He was unable to hide his frown as he stared at the man sadly.

This was it—Bailey was truly leaving. It was a strange feeling, really. He had only known the man for four years—which perhaps was a fairly long period of time in itself—yet it felt so much longer than that. He thought that he probably should have expected this. Bailey couldn't just hang around for him for the rest of his life, of course.

Still, he couldn't help his disappointment. He had no idea their separation would come so suddenly. Just a few weeks ago, they were preparing to venture back into Africa together. And now…Bailey would be leaving—on his own.

Yet despite his grief, he felt some sense of pride, as well. He couldn't be entirely sure, but he felt that it may be the joy a parent feels as their child finally grows up and leaves the nest.

Bailey would be leaving to embark on this task by himself, but it was a big step—one that would surely help him grow. So he may have been sad, but he was happy, too. It was bittersweet, as they say.

But now—it was time to say goodbye.

He struggled to get the next few words out—words that should have been so simple to say. After almost a minute, he finally mustered up the courage.

"…Well then… Goodbye…Brandon."

Bailey's eyes suddenly widened at the words, causing his cool and collected demeanor to immediately dissipate. Through the many years, he had never heard his teacher call him by his first name. With the sadness he already felt, now combined with his surprise—he was unable to stop himself. He frowned shakily as he threw his bag down and wrapped his arms around his teacher, embracing him tightly.

"…Goodbye…Dr. Marcus…"

While Bailey was never one to cry, tears began to well up in his eyes, spilling out as he hugged his teacher. He didn't care, either, because deep inside of him…he didn't feel like he'd ever see him again. No, he knew he'd never see him again.

He tried to be confident, he tried to be positive. He kept telling himself that they would meet again…but he knew better than that. He didn't know why or what would stop him—whether it was Spencer or something else entirely—but he just knew…he would never return to Raccoon City.

He knew…he would never see Marcus again.

Marcus returned his embrace yet remained silent. He knew that there was nothing to say, at the moment. Bailey simply needed to let it all out so that he could face his next task head-on—with confidence.

After a few minutes of sobbing, Bailey eventually let go; his eyes entirely red and puffy. He reached into his bag, pulling out a pack of tissues, then tried his best to deliver a smile—albeit a forced one. "Heh… I remembered the tissues, too…" He whispered to himself, using one to wipe his eyes.

He looked to his teacher, still smiling sadly. "Well…this is goodbye, then. I'll really miss you, Dr. Marcus."

"You won't need to miss me." Marcus spoke sternly, not an ounce of doubt in his voice. "Brandon… This is not the end. Far from it, in fact." He smiled confidently. "We will meet again, someday—I promise. Even if I must endure countless treacherous tasks in order to make that happen, I will do it without hesitation. Now, no more tears, all right?"

Bailey nodded, softly chuckling as he wiped his eyes once more. "Jeez…you don't have to be so overdramatic." He laughed again, more cheerfully this time. "Are you sure your old age isn't getting to you, Dr. Marcus? You might be getting a little senile."

Marcus chuckled, giving a slight nod. "You know, I just may be. But still, I am quite serious. I'll make sure that we meet again, so until then…take care of yourself. I'll see you next time."

"Yeah…you too, Dr. Marcus. I'll see you…next time." He sniffled, smiling sincerely. "Next time…" He repeated to himself, holding the words close to his heart.

As much as the doubt threatened to overwhelm him, he wanted to believe it.

He wanted to believe it, because Marcus said it.

If Marcus said they would meet again, then they would.

He believed him.

With that, he turned, beginning his walk to the plane in the distance. Marcus watched silently as he slowly became farther and farther away, eventually ascending the stairs of the plane. He turned, waving enthusiastically.

Marcus chuckled as he waved back, then gave a faint frown as the man entered the door—with it immediately closing behind him. Within minutes, it had started—accelerating and lifting itself off the ground, and flying slowly into the distance.

Marcus crossed his arms as he watched idly, deep in thought. After the plane was completely out of view, he sighed, his arms quickly falling to his sides as he gazed at the bright blue sky one last time.

"I won't disappoint you, Brandon. I'll never betray your trust, nor your hopes…I promise."

He turned, entering the door to Spencer's Estate. There was no time to waste, for it would soon be time for his own departure…

It was time to go to the Umbrella Executive Training Center—in Raccoon City.