-One of the Lost-
Everyone's faces swirled. She sat on the ground outside the truck to gain her wits. They were talking too loud. Her headache was growing and she felt stuck in place.
"Because when he overcomes his leash, he tends to rampage," Gilford told those listening.
Chris, not Chris, may target bioweapons and their makers or users. Innocent people had gotten caught in the crossfire plenty. They'd have to live with that.
"This is Legend," Collins insisted. "Not whoever he might have been before."
"His name is Chris Redfield," Renny insisted, defensive.
"Legend," Collins said. "And Legend is apathetic. He doesn't care."
"Are you saying he's two people?" Arias questioned.
"No, nothing like that," replied Gilford.
Eva burrowed her face in her palms. She was tired. Noise that sounded like people getting out of the back of the truck reached her ears. She couldn't bring herself to show interest.
"Legend has no past," Collins said, sounding as though he was making shit up. "The constant injections and experimentation erased his memories. With it his emotions dissipated I guess."
Claire murmured close to where she was sitting, "He's not him without his memories."
The older looking sniper took the weapon from Collins. They seemed to be preparing to go. Wesker's boots appeared in her line of vision. She pointedly stood without looking in her dad's direction, turning toward Rebecca and Sherry.
"It was better than Archer could ever hope for," Krauser concluded. "An enemy made into an obedient, mindless soldier."
"Or planned for," Wesker said.
"When the control aspect of the drug cocktail he's regularly given is overcome, only the obedience recedes. He is still not who he was..I imagine." Gilford winced at words he hadn't said yet. "All he remembers is anger and pain. That much we've been able to ascertain upon numerous recaptures."
"Legend..?"
"That's right," Collins responded to Billy's utterance. "Legend is a bioweapon of extreme proportions. Incredibly difficult to kill, abnormally strong and fast. And..self-hating. Why else would he go after other bioweapon facilities and supporters at every opportunity he is free from Archer's control?"
"Maybe he remembers a part of his old life. He could be remembering how strongly he was against bioweapons! I mean is against!"
Their looks of sympathy pissed her off. The mercenary snipers shared about Melody's life after showing them the video. This Archer, Alex, whoever, wanted to use her premonition power but had minimal success as her power is mostly triggered by emotional cues. Difficult to achieve in a laboratory setting. She was combat trained for field use and the pair hired on as handlers worked with her. For Melody to ask for a favor, they must have showed her kindness.
Indeed, Collins told them the bioweapon was allowed a hobby of singing to appease and gain her cooperation. They expanded her cage to keep her happy. Archer recorded the songs in hopes of learning future incidents. And she slipped out of that cage with the help of the handlers to look for Chris. Instead of capturing him immediately, she remained near him for enough time to absorb his emotions and generate a song. Her predictions were accurate as far as Eva knew. What was going to happen was mega bad if so.
They parted ways pretty quickly. The two men hired to babysit a person they didn't realize was a prisoner were ashamed by the discovery. She could tell that much. They'd known his name was Chris; thought he volunteered for an experiment. Collins and Gilford did not know he was Chris Redfield until Eva told them. They left with Sheppard's body to keep pretending to be working for their boss. Gilford would say she never had opportunity to meet with anyone. Collins put a tracker on the dead woman's clothing for them to track to locate Chris.
She found water inside and drank slowly from the cup. Her dad was on to her illness. She needed to hold it together and appear in decent health as long as she could. The broken bones in her hand actually helped her to act like this was the reason she felt poor. It was the least painful part of her right now.
"We're getting him back, Eva. Don't worry," Rebecca reassured when they entered the parking lot to head out.
"I want to get home to my kids."
"Okay," Sherry responded, eager to lend support. "Let's go see them."
Krauser and Jake found their way back to the government SUVs. They carried duffel bags on both shoulders. Sheppard's designed S ammunition and stun guns, electric batons, and a very special stun gun called a Spark Shot. Arias warned them it had a lengthy charge time and the wires could snap, but on the pro side it packed high voltage for high damage. The gun used needle cartridges and wasn't a popular request, providing them a finite amount of shots. It was generous for him to give free of charge. Except it wasn't free of charge and Wesker would never tell her what the price was if she asked.
Claire selected the Spark Shot and weighed it in her hands. "This seems familiar."
"Have you seen it before?" Jake asked.
"I don't know," she responded, lost in thought. "Maybe."
On the road, Eva faded out of mind a while. She'd taken the backseat for the most privacy. Claire sat herself at the other end and gave up trying conversation after the first couple attempts. The dot on the tracker device was possibly leading them toward Denver. It was a lot of hours from here to there.
Arias supplied them with a few bulletproof vests and several assault vests. When she wouldn't choose, Wesker made her wear a stab proof one. Rebecca picked the same kind. Jake and Billy opted for bulletproof, deciding they'd be on the front lines. That left a bulletproof one which Renny wouldn't hear otherwise but for Claire to have it.
It wasn't comfortable wearing the damn thing. She'd put it on under her gray sweatshirt so it would fit, over her tank top. Her long jacket was heavy though, in addition to the vest. The ache in her muscles and the emotional weariness, not helping. She scrounged a little humor in the black vest when she wished to wear less of that color.
What she wished for and what happened were often very different things. Eva was beginning to understand it wouldn't be as simple as recovering Chris. She had to consider if she changed during the years in between his disappearance and reappearance, his change would be much more severe. No matter what happened next, her kids are amazing and she has them. It was okay. Really.
"Is it just me, or does Chris look exactly the same as he did six years ago?"
She blinked to better awareness within the car. Renny sat in the middle seat by himself, Krauser driving and Jake in the front passenger seat. Eva preferred any of them compared to her dad, who was currently driving the second vehicle ahead of them.
"I mean, besides his new psychopathic tendencies and less muscle mass in the arms."
Claire glanced at her and then Renny. "Chris doesn't age because of the virus. He told you that."
"Yeah, well, I thought he might be a little..crazy after everything he'd seen. Someone telling you they're immortal sounds pretty crazy."
Jake peered beyond his seat. "You know about Wesker."
"I don't know what I know!" Renny looked stupefied momentarily. "And..you know, I thought Wesker might be metrosexual enough to just look that good, no matter his age."
"I'm gonna be the voice of opposition."
Eva saw his eyes looking at her in the rear view mirror. She sensed what he was getting at before he said it.
"That isn't Chris anymore. Get it through your head. That's an Umbrella experiment at its finest."
Jake's expression darkened. "What are you doing, asshole?"
"Umbrella's gone." Claire straightened her posture, warily eyeing the man behind the wheel.
An argument brewing. Fantastic. She did not feel well enough for this.
"Yes, but their legacy lives on. Creating unlawful, monstrous things in order to make change. That thing isn't a friend to anyone. It'd rather see us dead than tolerate us."
She stared out the car window, watching the buildings passing by. This was a decent-sized town, tall buildings in an apparent business district coming in sight. Negative thoughts tore at the edges of her thoughts. How many towns like this did Chris destroy against his will?
"It's Chris," Renny began, tugging at his seat belt when it constricted his chest a bit too firm. "Not it. He. He's Chris. We're his friends. It's up to us to bring him back home. He spent his entire life saving people, including each of us. It's our turn to save him. He's still Chris."
"You know, I hate to say it, but Krauser's got something," Jake admitted. "Redfield might have saved all of us at some point, but he-not him-Legend, nearly killed all of us at some point."
"Shut up!" Claire glared, furious.
"I don't mean to start a fight, okay? But-"
"Hey!" Renny yelled.
"No!" Eva yelled, louder, and banged her good hand on the window for good measure. "Our mission is to stop the one who hurt him. There's nothing else to talk about."
Silence descended. Renny twisted in his seat, glancing at her and Claire. He sat back proper, rubbing his jaw.
"I've been thinking..."
"Don't hurt yourself, Ren."
He ignored Claire, continuing, "You didn't consider the rule of prey?"
"What's that?" Krauser asked.
"So you've been tracking him down, searching him out every time, right?"
"Right."
"Certain prey become offensive and deadly creatures when hunted." Renny looked surprised none of them appeared to see what he meant. "Did you ever think maybe he might hunt you?"
"You mean us," Eva corrected petulantly.
Something weighing a couple hundred pounds dropped on the roof of the SUV. Eva shrieked unintentionally, ducking in her seat and peeking upward. There was an indent and they could hear metal protesting as the person or creature moved forward. Walking on the roof of a car moving thirty miles an hour. Right.
Not really thinking, she rolled down the window and poked her head out. She saw someone in black combat clothing twirl off of it toward the foremost vehicle. Chris slashed a tire and the rim and axle flew off. The tire went flying and the car flipped several times.
"Shit!"
"Fuck!"
Krauser tried to avoid the upside down SUV spinning on its roof to a stop. He didn't succeed and his swerve smashed the right side of the vehicle into it. Jake and Claire were trapped on that side, doors crunched inward. Nobody looked hurt. She checked to be sure.
"Everybody alright?"
"Y-yeah. Yes."
"Yup."
"Was that Chris?" Renny questioned in disbelief.
Krauser opened his door. "It was. Get out everybody. Watch your asses."
Eva struggled out of her door, holding her arm carefully in the sling. Claire shuffled out after her and Renny was already on the outside moving to recover the two bags stored on the middle seat. She searched for Chris. It didn't take long to see him.
"Billy!" screamed Rebecca, numerous bullets slamming into her husband's chest, knocking him to the ground.
Moving away from the car, she crouched when more gunfire reached her ears. Chris had gone to the opposite side of the street to attack Wesker with his sword. She didn't see Sherry anywhere. Renny grabbed her arm, pulling her along with him to the sidewalk, calling for the others to move.
"Hell no!" she yelled, realizing that large wolf was rushing the upright car from a fair distance.
But fast. Claire seemed clear as the creature collided with the rear of the SUV. It flipped and the woman scurried to throw herself as far as possible. The massive weight fell on her. Jake ran forward, kneeling to figure a method to free her. She was pinned.
Krauser approached to trade places with him. "Help them. I've got the super strength."
Jake barked a quick laugh. "I was better off as a mercenary. Should have signed a contract before this shit."
"You kinda are a mercenary," Eva said, scanning the bag closest to her and crouching. "Go check on Sherry!"
"Right, right." Seeming to get his thoughts collected, he went, mumbling about the things he did for women.
Rebecca still sobbing, was fighting to get it together. She was relieved to watch Billy finding his feet, out of breath yet alive. Bulletproof vest. Awesome. Eva became distracted upon sight of the man in the black ball cap on the prowl.
Jake was with Sherry, hurrying away from the wolf. Chris took notice of the retreat and responded by raising a gun he held at his side, firing four times. Her brother wore a bulletproof vest as well, which didn't help the hot metal piercing his legs.
Cursing inwardly, no time to waste, Eva brought out the Spark Shot. She racked a slide of needles on the top where it went, praying she did it correct. Her husband, her love, her problem.
Billy stood next to her, taking the weapon out of her hands. "Your hand, Eva. You're making it worse."
Grimacing from the pain she'd been working to ignore, she paid careful attention to his aim. "Shoot when I say."
"Alright then." Billy lined up the shot, estimating Chris's speed and movements while he fought Sherry, Wesker, and Rebecca at the same time.
Renny removed a regular stun gun, striding past her. She maintained her focus on the present matter. A glance told her Claire was freed of the car but lying in the street. Krauser was moving on, circling the wolf growling at him.
She saw her target spot. "Now!"
The shot struck full on, rooting him in seizing motions. He delivered the entire payload. Eva sighed at his rapid recovery, and despised the lines appearing on his neck and the lower portion of his face. The control element forcing him to try and murder them. The poison making him Legend.
An elbow jammed into Rebecca's assault vest, propelling her backward and off her feet. Chris spun and shot at Sherry, who dropped flat. He came for Wesker then, and she was confused to watch him pummeled. Losing it, she drew her handgun and fired. A round clipped his shoulder and was paid no mind.
"Chris!"
She shot and hit the arm connected to that shoulder. The arm kept drawing back to strike again. She walked closer, shooting his hand.
"Chris! Look at me!"
He wanted to keep assailing her dad. The bullets were Sheppard's special brand. It was having an effect. Chris staggered aside and she visually checked Wesker's condition. He was bloody, but breathing. He'd taken a few bullets from his opponent, explaining the lack of self-defense. He needed time to heal and to ensure the stability of his virus to recuperate strength.
Renny fired the stun gun into his neck. Chris went down to his knees, grasping at the metal prongs causing electricity to shock his system. He lifted his head, glowing green eyes seeking someone to harm. Dark veins marred his complexion as the chemical surged overtime to lock the human under its command.
Not this time. Chris was not one of the lost. He wouldn't die and he wouldn't kill any of them. His gaze sought her father struggling to stand upright. He dragged his sword off the ground and brought it above his head as he stood.
"Stop! Look! Chris! Chriiiis!"
He glanced toward her and she holstered the gun quick, reaching out for him. She didn't want to appear threatening. Her desperation was obvious and bad enough in her opinion. Chris's eyes swiveled from her face to her hand.
His brow crinkled. "E-Eva."
What. What?!
"Chris!"
"Eva!"
"Holy shit!" Renny almost stumbled off his feet in shock.
She gasped, a projectile hitting him in the chest. Sniper. A good one at that. She couldn't identify which roof behind her the shooter was on. Gilford and Collins wouldn't resume their retrieval duties, would they?
Chris was still in a fractured state, repressed personality emerging. Whatever was in that dart seemed to be undoing the tiniest seconds of freedom he had. Unacceptable. No way.
"Chris!"
He was backing away from them, looking pained. "Rr-r-run!"
He pulled a knife and stabbed himself in the ribs beneath his vest.
"Chris, no!" cried Rebecca.
"Run!"
Wesker was there, dragging her along. She knew why. The drug was overtaking him, forming him into a nightmare enemy. She couldn't leave him.
Not everyone was with them. Were they okay? He was charging at them, so those left behind shouldn't be at risk for further attack. She counted. Renny, Billy, and Sherry were on the run. That would mean Rebecca, Krauser, Claire, and Jake weren't among them. Chris was fast on their tail.
For the first time, she remembered it was broad daylight and there were people around. This Archer didn't care about witnesses? He would assault them out in the open? He-?
She dug in her heels and her dad halted to find the reason.
"He's gone!" Renny said before she could voice the same thought.
They'd traveled a couple blocks. The people going about their ordinary day were staring at the sight of them uncertainly. Eva could hear shouts and cries coming from the direction of the crash. Sirens sounded in the distance.
He was gone. Again. Tears welled in her eyes. Wesker kept them moving, saying they'd find the hospital. They turned into a crowded side street filled with vendors and shoppers. Sherry led onward, determined to reach that appointed destination.
Eva raised her head and Chris was walking to her. His cap brim was pulled low and his shoulders hunched. There was no sword she could see and he wore a long coat over the rest of his attire. It was him. But it couldn't be. How could he be there among normal people?
A knife stabbed her in the chest. The tears leaked down her cheeks, soaking her face and neck. Chris continued walking on by, mixing into the crowd. Wesker noticed something wrong. Wonderful.
She and Chris were never meant to be. Eva glorified him when he died. She knew that. Oh it hurt. She just wanted to go home and hug her babies.