Despite having been vacated by the king nearly two months prior, the palace is running as if it is any ordinary day. That is not to say Jill has even an inkling of the goings on within the palace, but there is no denying that this building is the precise opposite of abandoned.
His Righteousness has wasted no time in recruiting some of his army in the maintenance of his palace. Jill watches in resigned dismay as undead go about the hall lighting candles and dusting furniture. Apparently even the leader of an undead army can't stand an untidy home.
"Good evening, madam." A skeletal man with a crooked smile approaches her, the bite on his neck left unabashedly present. "We were beginning to think you'd abandoned the city. But His Righteousness knew best, as ever before."
Jill shakes her head, uncertain if she should speak or stab the creature.
"Come, he awaits your presence." The man turns on his heel and walks in the direction of the nearest staircase. Jill holds her sword firmly as she follows him through the building. Her eyes dance along the golds and fine silks adorning each and every crevice of the palace. Were this any other circumstance, she'd be honored to walk the halls of the king's fine home, in such an instance as this, however, it feels entirely tarnished.
They come upon the throne room where the undead man holds the door open to her.
Jill passes by him in silence as she unceremoniously enters the chambers. She finds herself in the throne room, everything from the rugs to the windows overlooking the gardens some four-stories below are magnificent and grand beyond comparison.
A warm wash of nerves floats through Jill's skin, tingling the tips of her fingers as she takes a turn about the hall. The marble floors click beneath her feet and echo off of the impossibly high walls, this feels more like a dream than a battle ground. She recalls the sentiments of Colonel Burton one night long ago, A battlefield is so rarely on a field. More often than not, it is a parlor which has the honor of hosting such intimate things as brawls.
Jill turns towards the voice with a grimace, "What's a performance without a pretender?"
General Wesker balks at the comment. "Why it is no show at all, we've got a fool lined up for later on in the production, my dear. Worry not."
He sits in the throne with his last syllable the smile on his face is that of the cat who got the cream.
"So this, farce then, it's orchestrated I take it?"
"Indeed."
"By your hand, I presume."
"My, my, what a clever little pest you are."
"And what should I call you in our current state, hm? Conductor? King?"
"God." He responds.
"Such a simple word you'd think it truth."
"Honesty is funny in that way." Jill watches the sneer on General Wesker's features grow before he speaks, "Come now, Miss Valentine. I thought you knew more than I could ever know."
"I am always willing to further educate myself with the opinions of others, and I find myself lacking clarity as of late."
He takes a seat upon the throne while she inches closer. "Did I not make myself clear in my intentions?"
"Which intentions? The one where you plan to take over the world with the undead? I believe that was made clear, what I lack comprehension of is the reason I have been called to your side."
"You still believe them to be undead, and that is where your beliefs are flawed. They are not undead, at least those within my control are not. They have the privilege of finding themselves are under my influence."
"And those who aren't?"
He chuckles, "They are undead."
Jill lets out a low growl, "And therefore you too must be infected, in order to control them."
"Oh you do think so often, and that is precisely your problem. Infected is hardly what men call empowered, enlightened even."
"We will have to agree to disagree on that front, I'm afraid." Jill says.
"You've yet to ask the most interesting question of all, what is holding your tongue?"
"I beg your pardon, I know not what you speak of." Jill entices him further. He sits forward in his chair with a positively wretched grin.
"Why did I call you here, don't you wish to know?"
"I've my own theory on the matter." Jill recalls Mia's voice at the mention.
"It's all very simple, Miss Valentine, I cannot make up my mind on how best to kill you." He says with a chuckle, "I could always frame you as a martyr, the one last hope for humanity falling to God's rightfully chosen ruler. Should I make a show of it all? Or is it better to have you fade away into the obscure depths of human history?"
Jill wonders if she should be honored that this man seems to think she is the only one capable of ending his plans. He'd called her humanity's last hope, what could have brought him to such a conclusion she isn't certain, and she isn't entirely convinced it matters.
But there is still something amiss within his statement that has Jill doubtful of his words.
"Why? What am I to you but a thorn in your side?" Jill takes another step forward as she speaks. "You singled me out to begin with, for what purpose?"
"That was my doing, darling." The distinct voice that joins their conversation nearly startles Jill out of her skin.
"Mrs. Wong?" Jill manages the name as the woman reveals herself from the shadows.
"I'm so glad you decided to join us, after what happened to that trite little maid, I thought we might have scared you off." Mrs. Wong laughs as she approaches Jill. "But of course not, I should have never doubted you."
"You…" Jill cannot manage to speak as she tries to process this revelation.
"Me." Mrs. Wong loosens the strings on her cloak to reveal her finest sparing clothes. Jill wonders if she had them commissioned for this very moment.
"How are you involved in this?"
"I do hope this isn't too complex a story for you to follow. My father created the T-virus. I married well to change my name and fund my own projects, I'd say I've done well for myself." She points towards the horizon where smoke billows above the city.
"For what purpose could you possibly-"
"Purpose! What a word, and oh so very unnecessary. It's simple things, isn't it? Money, power, control, all the while playing make believe that I am in fact a god? It's far too much fun."
Jill feels the heat of rage begin to build within her. "Fun? You caused this for fun?"
"And why not?" Mrs. Wong shrugs. "I am the real face of the Anti-Christ you seek. And, might I add, I dislike such a moniker greatly."
"So, you hold the strings for the purse and the operation."
"Don't forget those for my kingdom." Mrs. Wong reveals a glimmering gun from its holster.
"You are more than a monster."
Mrs. Wong gives her a sympathetic sort of look as she approaches, "Oh Robert has tainted you, such a pity, you'd have made a wonderful general for my army."
"You had hoped to recruit me?" Jill can't help but laugh.
"It was a thought, yes, and I've many of those. I've a great many thoughts on how best to kill you as well. I don't think even my imagination can fathom the wonder I'll feel presenting your corpse to that bastard father of yours, however."
"You intended to kill him then, you wanted him in the city." Jill says it, but still finds herself in disbelief.
"Of course I wanted to kill him myself, but killing you will be the next best thing. Robbing men of all they care for in this world, crushing ones spirit is better by far to killing their mortal body."
"What could he have possibly done to you that warrants such hatred?" Jill asks.
Mrs. Wong tuts her tongue walking yet closer, then places the barrel of the gun just beneath her chin. The cold metal tilts Jill's gaze to meet the even colder eyes of Mrs. Wong, and a smile of pure amusement.
"Many things, most of which a starry-eyed child could never understand. You needn't worry about such problems as those, you'll be free of your father's burden soon."
Mrs. Wong snarls, quickly using the gun not to shoot rather to smack Jill, scraping her cheekbone enough to draw blood.
"You've made fools out of every man in this damn country, but you won't make a fool of me." Mrs. Wong promises.
A gun shot rings out, but it is not Jill who receives the bullet, instead Mrs. Wong stumbles away, gripping her shoulder.
"I was getting to you Chris, could you not wait one moment?" Mrs. Wong growls.
Jill finally gathers herself enough to bear her sword and ready her gun while Mr. Redfield enters the room. His gun is still raised as he enters, a scowl deep set in his features.
The General finally comes to attention, as if beckoned by the harm done to his mistress.
"Oh Chris, you'll be sorry for that." The Generals voice is lower than usual and a rumble in his chest emerges in his tone that Jill cannot quite place.
"Indeed, my lovely general is testing out our newest toy. I do hope you'll enjoy playing with it." Mrs. Wong takes another step back as General Wesker begins to stalk towards him.
"Any doubts that you're a liability, now?" Jill cannot keep the comment to herself as she raises her gun.
"Not the time." Mr. Redfield bites back, taking a shot at the General.
General Wesker evades the bullet completely, shocking Jill as she takes her own attempt at a shot. The man dodges this second bullet with just as much grace as before. At first, Jill blames his quickness on a trick of her mind, there's no conceivable way a human could possess such dexterity.
It isn't until he dodges two more bullets and he stands before her that she fully recognizes Mrs. Wong's meaning. Whatever infects the General is not merely mind control, it's power unthinkable and horror incarnate.
Jill feels his hand wrap around her neck, the immediacy of the fear she feels nearly blinds her to any action she performs. She can hear herself choking, is aware of her feet kicking as he lifts her off the ground, but she's convinced that nothing could break his iron grip.
Jill sees the butt of Mr. Redfield's rifle smack into the side of General Wesker's head, the relief of air flowing back down her throat once more brings tears to her eyes. A burst of pain envelopes her knees when she hits the floor, her vision blurs but she manages to remain conscious.
The sound of gunfire is undeniable, even in the moments it takes her to regain her bearings. Never in her life has she encountered such an attack, and the realization makes her red with fury. She takes in her surroundings once she's able, watching Mr. Redfield's fight with the General, studying their movements as they both engage in swordsmanship.
Just as she begins to rouse, she turns her attention to Mrs. Wong sitting on the throne, enraptured by the chaos she's caused.
Jill unsheathes a dagger and sends it flying towards Ada, the woman barely moves in time to avoid being stabbed and she glares ruthlessly in response.
"What? Is the General too much for you little dear?"
"Face me, unless you really are the coward I once named you as." Jill snarls.
"Are you trying to taunt me?" Mrs. Wong stands with a flourish.
"You had hoped your lover would wear me down so that you could take the killing blow. You know I've defeated you once before in combat so you will not face me, that is surely a coward's way." Jill spits, approaching the throne with the sentiment.
Mrs. Wong unsheathes her sword to face Jill. "You know nothing of cowardice."
"You are doing well to teach me." Jill lunges at the woman.
Sword clattering aggressively against each other, Jill bears down for a vicious battle. Their previous spat at the umbrella was mere child's play compared to the sheer brutality of this attack. A throne room should never bear witness to such intense destruction, Jill thinks on how this in many circumstances might be seen as desecration. A sacred space tainted by blood and the death of a false God, is such a strange scene, yet this is what is laid before her.
Still, her target is resilient, at first Jill does her best to mask her slight jabs and wayward thrusts of her blade. Then it becomes apparent that her opponent is steeled against her, the only way out of this incessant repetition is to somehow break the cycle.
Jill is far more exhausted than her counterpart from the hours of battle she's faced previously. Knowing this, Jill takes her chances, attempting to disarm Ada with a savage attack.
Brutally, Mrs. Wong deflects the assault grappling for Jill's sword in the frenzy. Jill hears the metal hit the ground but before she can search for where the weapon landed, Mrs. Wong's sword slices at her arm the burning cut is far more intense than it should be. Jill lets out a cry as she allows herself to panic thinking of all the poisons a woman like Mrs. Wong could be in possession of.
"Thank you for your excellent feedback, dear. I thought that this acid might be lesser than poison, but with a reaction like that I'm quite chuffed. Perhaps I should call for more, won't that be a delightful way to die?" Mrs. Wong then lifts her foot to kick Jill directly in the chest.
Jill slips back onto the floor, there's a sharp pain as her head bounces off the marble, rendering her incapacitated for a short period. It's long enough for Mrs. Wong to pin her hands to the ground and taunt her.
"Poor little darling, are you hurt?" She digs her nails into Jill's skin, but the younger woman refuses to react. "At least make this fun for me, scream for your life. Beg me not to do it, a woman like you shouldn't go quietly. Leave this world like the squawking infant you are."
"I'm going no where!" Jill spits at the woman above her, testing to see if her legs can move beneath the woman's weight. It's a fruitless effort, but she needs time to think of some way out of this. She does her best to fight back, even though it feels fruitless, like she is trying to punch and scream in the deepest depths of the ocean.
"You don't know what you're trying to do." Mrs. Wong attempts to reason with Jill.
"Whatever comes, I will manage, as always." Jill tries to thrash in an attempt to break free, but Mrs. Wong takes Jill's head and smashes it back into the ground.
"If you kill me they'll be mindless, they'll rampage the streets without a leader."
"Not when they're dead too." Jill promises.
"Another will succeed me." Mrs. Wong claims.
Jill shakes her head, "I'm afraid your name will be lost to history, an unfortunate consequence of undue behavior, madam."
Mrs. Wong jerks her knee into Jill's side and the latter woman has to bite back a shout.
"Hm, resilient little thing… Why don't we take a moment to observe your dear Christopher then. Maybe this will help you see what is proper behavior at this juncture." Mrs. Wong moves one hand to push Jill's head towards the nearby window.
Despite her want to refuse her attacker, Jill gives a wide eyed gaze to the scene presented to her. Mr. Redfield is held by his neck, General Wesker has morphed into a half-man half-creature that only legends could have envisioned. The General's arms belong on a beast, they're larger than his body with thorn-like spines protruding out of the black sludge replacing his skin. His morphing body reminds Jill of Zoe's corpse, but in reverse, gaining power instead of losing everything.
"Now, look at that, your little toy of a man fighting back against mine. That is what we should be doing, I wouldn't want to let you live too long after he's dead. Even I'm not so cruel as to leave you to that fate."
An inner, animalistic rage emerges from within the deepest depths of her then. She uses the hand released by Mrs. Wong to grapple for her necklace.
As soon as Ada recognizes what is about to happen, Jill has already smashed the bottle of poison against the left side of her face. The glass pools in her hand, but Jill can only focus on the site itself, she managed to catch most of the woman's eye and cheek. A dark part of her hopes glass imbedded itself in Mrs. Wong's eye, all she can hope for is this woman's agony.
Jill feels herself growl, digging her nails into her assailant's skin as if it will help to quell the rage within her. Blood and poison leak out between her fingers and Mrs. Wong begins to scream. It's a musical sound, that scream, and even as she revels in it, Jill lifts the woman thrusting her away.
Jill's body forces her to regain her bearings; gathering her sword from the ground then taking a long breath before even allowing her eyes to return to Mr. Redfield.
A guttural ferocious sound emerges from her, it sounds vaguely like no to her own ears. However, all of her senses are narrowed in on one goal, and hearing her own voice is inconsequential.
Running as fast as she ever has, Jill dives straight into the creature. Arms wrapping around his torso, the force of her body sends them toppling over and crashing out of the window.