Story: Zirconia

Chapter Twenty: Trepidation

"My anxiety doesn't come from thinking about the future but from wanting to control it."

― Hugh Prather

Claire -

The stream of cuss words exiting my mouth was less than ladylike.

I'd dropped a screw and then slammed my hand and head moving to try and get it, nearly toppling my bike over completely. I sucked at the cut that had ended up near my wrist while still murmuring incoherent insults at the offending bolt and general situation. At least there hadn't been oil or grease on that part of my skin. I walked over to clean and bandage the offending cut, wincing at the peroxide. This would be easier if I had someone else here...but no, Wesker was still off playing super fucking villian or whatever.

"This sucks…" I hissed between clenched teeth as I used my perler whites as a second 'arm' to wrap up my wrist. I finished fixing up the injury and walked away from the makeshift garage, leaving the bike modification unfinished. My heart hadn't been in it when I started and I definitely didn't want to keep at it now.

I'm bored and lonely, now I get to add 'in pain' to my list of complaints.

No wonder he'd wanted to leave me an opening to get the hell out of here if I couldn't handle it. Just being completely isolated was way harder than I could have predicted. It wasn't as though I was Miss social, but I'd always had some close friends and I rarely went a day without talking to someone at least in passing. On a phone if not in person. Here I didn't have that option...not really...if I tried to call or message anyone they could tell Chris and something could be traced here. I had talked in a couple random chat rooms but that wasn't the same...I couldn't really talk about what my real issues were.

Though I had complained a little I'd kept it vague enough. Now a girl biker chat room I'd joined under a new name presumed I had a military husband that was deployed. It helped a little with the anxiety of solitude, but I couldn't talk about anything real. It had to be a smokescreen. Even if I could safely bust out: 'well my boyfriend is possibly off making bioweapons this week and I'm sad' - I doubt anyone could relate, and that few would be overly willing to even attempt empathy.

Perhaps I was a little nervous too, I'd made it through the first week of being here by myself fairly well. It had gotten difficult the past two days, as though I was spiraling out of control. He would return soon though and change things, it was like the world's gravity altered to a new position once he was in a room. I'd be able to center myself again once he got back.

I ignored the computer and phone that could let me talk to someone even if I was tempted to talk to Moira. It'd been almost three weeks since I'd vanished from the party, it wouldn't be wise to contact her. I knew they would be worried, that Chris would probably be the most concerned...but I couldn't have both sides of this. I had decided I'd stay with Wesker, and I meant it. I was stir-crazy right now, but it wouldn't always be like this. Once he trusted me with more information I might be able to go with him on these outings.

I had almost reached the steps when the door above slammed open. I paused near the bottom, frowning. No one should be here…

"Claire!" The voice surprised and terrified me as I heard steps storming into the building above and on the steps. What the hell was Leon doing here?

Wesker -

"The progress is adequate." I commented after we finished touring the Tricell facility and reviewing the current state of the Uruboros virus. The percentage of bodies that could successfully merge with the virus was still lower than I'd like yet consistent enough to be reliable. "The merge numbers need to be up a few more fractions to reach that final percentage point before we can move forward."

"Not to worry," Excella purred, her tone of voice matched with the lustful expression on her face. She rubbed her hand along my arm fondly, unaware of the disgust she inspired. "My researchers are some of the best Tricell has to offer, some were even formerly on Birkin's team that helped with the T-Virus. We'll get it done on schedule, possibly even sooner. We're already ahead of projections."

"Arguable." I remarked, relieved when she turned to click some buttons on her laptop to bring up numbers. "We're not exactly where you hoped on the merge numbers, but they jump incredibly when it comes to those that have been tested with the inoculations. Exponentially compared to how long a subject has been exposed. If we start making sure the people that should survive are inoculated soon, there would only be a small amount that fails to evolve if they're prepared properly."

"That is ahead of expectations. Good." I nodded at that. I hadn't started the research just to help pick the survivors. At least, not to the degree that Excella believed. The fact that I could pick a dozen or so tolerable humans to make the transition was a side effect of making certain Claire had her best chance. I'd been getting her adjusted for years, and while she was a personal project, the numbers were looking rather good for those we chose to make it through.

"Do you want me to press that forward to the next step?" She asked, typing.

"Yes. We should begin the preparations as though we won't end up facing delays." I agreed. "If I'm not still needed, I have my own projects I would like to see finished before supply lines become difficult to maintain."

"You didn't want to stay? The hotel is paid through tomorrow." She leaned back to give me a once over. "I thought you were flying in the morning?"

"With timelines moving swiftly, I'd rather have everything accomplished so there is little point in wasting time." I returned, glad she didn't press the issue. I had always taken efficiency seriously, and she had her own work so I was able to get away without her trying to force her way into my bedroom.

I headed toward the helipad with swift steps, not wanting any other interruptions since I'd already called and arranged to leave early. Excella wouldn't be delighted, but she'd not be suspicious. I'd appreciate her intellect more if she ever thought to keep our relationship professional. Then, she'd convinced herself somewhere she was one of the people that would survive and that those she hand picked would join mine. She wouldn't make it to be disappointed about my making sure her exposure was a placebo.

I climbed onto the plane,nodding to Jill and picking up the headset to put on more from habit than need, gesturing for her to get into the air. I was ready to be back. Claire might even be surprised if I managed to arrive this early. She'd been quite the well-behaved little kitten, I was looking forward to making her purr.

Claire -

"Leon?" I was shocked and confused at the blonde that came around the corner, gun at the ready. He looked me over and frowned.

"Claire. Is he here?" He asked, moving closer. "Was he keeping you trapped down here?"

He knew this place belonged to Wesker?

"How did you find me?" I asked nervously. "Is Chris here?"

"No, Chris is at another facility in Russia, we're rushing all three at once." Leon explained. "There was video at the party and someone that matched Wesker's build was there. He went up to the roof after you and a guy we found dead. We got intel about his hidey holes from Ada. When we got the intel about them we weren't sure if this is where he'd be holding you. Or which one it would be."

Three? So they didn't know about his other ones. The one I'd been at before, this one, another one in the states? Wesker was going to be livid…would he think I was in on it? Then, he had to know I didn't know about the stateside location. I'd never much cared for Ada…

"You all right?" Leon asked. "Are there threats here?"

"Not now." I remarked lightly, not really welcoming this 'rescue'. "You have to get out of here."

"Claire, you mean he'll be back soon?" Leon glanced up the steps, reaching over to grab my hand and pull me toward the stairs. "Evacuate everyone! We should get out then, this was always a quick in and out mission. We have firepower, but not what we should to take on a tyrant level B.O.W."

It wasn't until we reached the top that I stopped him, frowning at the men still searching the rooms. Was Leon serious, he brought extra men here? Did he know what Wesker would do? Did I? I knew it wasn't good. The scream that echoed from outside the building spurred me to pull away and shake my head at him.

"I, no. I mean you need to leave, now. That isn't a local causing your men to scream." I stated pushing him toward the backdoor. "You all have to get out before he comes back."

"Then let's go, there's a helicopter up the road." He pulled me with him toward the door and I had to grab the frame to stop him from dragging me.

"No. Just you all. Please. I might be able to stop him from following." I said, hesitating to add that I'd be saving their lives. He had no idea what Wesker was really capable of...none of them did.

"Claire, are you serious?" Leon was frowning at me now. "You are refusing to leave the weird secret lab of Albert Wesker? Do you get how that sounds? How it looks?"

"Yeah, I am but I'm sure Chris will do a poor job explaining it…" I scowled back. "It's complicated, but you need to go."

"Too late." The words made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. The aggressive turn of his voice was something that promised pain. Agony rolled in just after the comment finished, a booted foot meeting with Leon's face with such force that the sickening crack of his jaw echoing through the air told the story of more than one fracture. Leon sailed away from where he'd been holding my wrist several feet into the air.

Then, several things happened at once. I tried to cry out for everyone to stop even as gunfire echoed out. The black figure that had appeared long enough to connect a foot to Leon's face vanished only to appear near Leon while he was still airborn, an uppercut to his spin throwing him further upward. Another swift movement and Wesker's boot was connecting to his chest to throw him right back to the ground. Leon's body cratered the cracked earth of the back yard, the force of impact spider webbing away from his body. The blonde didn't twitch and the black clad figure was gone again, the air around me displacing and pushing my hair back as Wesker rushed back past me toward the other members of the BSAA that had come.

All in the course of my trying to cry out…

"Shit, Leon!" I ran toward the special forces member. He hadn't had a chance against Wesker, I heard more shots and slams from the house behind me as I rushed over to check his pulse. It was there, but he was unconscious and his body was bent at a nasty angle that was concerning as to how extensive internal damage could be. "You fucking idiot…why didn't you just listen?"

I wasn't even sure where to start, several of his parts were probably broken and his jaw was unhinged and to the right where the brutal opening of Wesker's assault had pushed it. Shit, shit, shit...why hadn't I considered that they would want to save me? That they might try? The gunshots had stopped, but that just meant the whole team Leon had brought with him was dead or dying...broken at the very least.

"We don't have time to stay here. Come get ready." Wesker's voice was colder than I'd heard it in a while other than the short utterance before his attack.

"Wesker." I glanced toward him, frowning at the orders. "You...he's gonna die if we leave him here."

"That is preferred." Wesker retorted. "If there's nothing here you want, I'll start the self-destruct sequence now."

"No, I want to get him help. You said you wouldn't attack people I cared about if I came with you. Even if they attacked you." I hissed back. "Give me your phone!"

"I said I'd leave Chris out of it." He returned, though his voice was less stoney. He pulled his phone to toss it to me. "Make it quick, I have a few things I have to gather and we're moving out."

I managed to catch the phone but he was gone by the time I did, back inside. I scowled, but at least it was something. I dialed the local emergency number. "Hang on Leon…"

Wesker -

Ineffectual would-be knights…fossils from a dead era.

Why was it the former members of Raccoon City police departments were always in my hair?

We were close to landing when I got the security warnings that several of my safehouses had been breached. From the ones hit I supposed it could have been Claire, but she hadn't seen the one they'd hit in Chicago. Nor had St. Louis been hit. It was a pity, these were some of my better retreats. Deadly for the fools that had thought to attack me...more or less hit the place where Claire was currently being housed. Did they really think I'd let them walk into my home without some sort of repercussions?

The first three didn't even see me coming. The last of the fools probably had a vague impression that their death was coming, amidst the moment of fear before they met their end. The second group spotted me in the front and opened fire, but that just inspired me to deal with them even faster. I took a few shots, but nothing that was critical was damaged. I was more frustrated by the damage to my safehouse than my person. One of those things regenerated. It was easy to ignore the pain, rushing the remaining shooter as I heard the commentary from near the back.

"Please. I might be able to stop him from following." Claire sounded spooked, scared. Did she mean she'd stop me? She hadn't been in on this then…she was fearful for them, not me.

"Claire, are you serious?" The boy scout that had been a thorn with Ada. Why was it that all the women seemed to have a thing for Leon Kennedy? "You are refusing to leave the weird secret lab of Albert Wesker? Do you get how that sounds? How it looks?"

I grit my teeth as I took a combat knife to the shoulder, reaching up to snap the man's head. Generally, I would have preferred to find out more, torment some information from them, but Claire was still my priority.

"Yeah, I am but I'm sure Chris will do a poor job explaining it…" She was saying. "It's complicated, but you need to go."

She would still see him saved after this insult.

"Too late." I remarked, wanting her to be aware of what was coming before my steel toe boots fractured the boy scout's jaw. The strike threw him into the air faster than any mere human could follow. Claire started to scream, but I was already off the ground, following up with a strike to his spine. Then a second kick to the boy's chest to rocket him into the ground. I heard the click of a clip snapping into place, meaning I'd missed some of the men inside. I left the broken boy to finish exterminating the pests.

Another fool tried to shoot me, I ducked to the side only to wish I'd taken it as I heard my espresso machine shatter. I'd liked that one. I was on top of them before they could shoot again, bending their gun barrel back then slamming them in the face with it. Blood went everywhere from the assuredly busted nose, but that was the least of their concerns since I'd taken out the knife I'd been stabbed with earlier to bury it in their skull. I huffed at the mess, though I'd have to burn this hideaway it was still frustrating.

My ire wasn't improved by seeing Claire lingering over the boy scout. He wasn't conscious, and it would be just as well if he never was again. I knew she was bothered, but I didn't particularly care at the moment. My voice was colder even than usual when I spoke up. "We don't have time to stay here. Come get ready."

"Wesker." She scowled at me from next to him, her hands marred with his blood. "You...he's gonna die if we leave him here."

"That is preferred." I pointed out. "If there's nothing here you want, I'll start the self-destruct sequence momentarily."

"No, I want to get him help. You said you wouldn't attack people I cared about if I came with you. Even if they attacked you!" She snapped, her voice unsteady. "Give me your phone!"

"I said I'd leave Chris out of it." I remarked, hesitating after her voice broke. If she thought I was completely heartless, she wouldn't stay with me. I tugged out my phone to throw it to her. "Make it quick, I have a few things I have to gather and we're moving out."

I disliked that Claire's presence always managed to inspire mistakes, I knew I should let the fool die. That we should move out without any warning to emergency channels that the enemy could be monitoring...but I also knew how quickly her view would turn if I didn't let her have this. It was the lesser of two evils allowing her to try and get him help.

Even if he survived, he wouldn't be much better off than the rest of the vermin that had trampled over my possessions. I headed into the basement to finish a few things and take a data disk before starting up the self-destruct.

End Chapter

This is moving along. Edging ever closer to our finale. Wanted to do a little more action after some of the quiet. (Poor Leon) Hopefully I'll be able to keep posting weekly chapters now that I'm getting close and have most of the roughs squared. Life has been busy or I'd of gotten this up sooner.

-Aura

To my readers/reviewers:

Stay safe, plague free preferably. The only viruses any of us want are the ones we read about in Resident Evil fanfiction.