-Nova-

Outside Lebanon, Kansas

A warm breeze whispered across her skin. The air was dry, a lot of the grass was dry too. Skies were clear and the sun beamed down, feeling like it was specifically aiming to make her blind. She'd estimate the temperature was in the eighties. Standing amid green grass in a field, she looked to the gravel road and rental car parked much farther back. Jill thought a quiet approach best.

"Jill, do you see anything?" Barry asked, coming to stand by her shoulder.

"No, but he's here." She just knew.

Wesker used his accelerated speed to arrive at the spot they stood. "The village is derelict. Everyone's dead."

She felt tears prick her eyes.

Barry was shocked. "Chris killed them?"

"I don't believe so."

They both twisted to look hard at Wesker, who shrugged one shoulder. "The population was a little over two hundred and from the state of things, they'd been infected with C-Virus for quite some time."

Frowning, she started fast walking toward the village. "He killed the infected, but it isn't a good thing."

"Correct," Wesker confirmed. "They were consumed. By his wolf, and therefore him. It's essentially the same."

"It is?" Barry asked, clearly viewing the other man as undependable.

While they were updated on things during the flight, Wesker seemed to occasionally spout new information. She wouldn't be surprised if there was a lot he wasn't telling them. She ran a matter of seconds, stopping the moment she saw the wolf emerging from behind a house in the near village. It was the size of a house itself. A monstrous creature..with wings folded to the backside.

Her eyes were only for Chris when she saw him. He was closer to them, standing next to a tree. The tree was by a pyramid-shaped monument with a brass plaque. An American flag atop the monument was still for the moment. He noticed them about when he noticed two cars approaching on the road. The large vehicles were moving fast, wheels kicking up dust. Chris stepped onto the bench, spreading his arms and peering skyward.

The wolf halted travel, howling into the sky. A sky accumulating dark clouds blackening unnaturally. Jill had zero idea how they were doing it. She wondered whether consumption of C-Viral blood gave him such powers or he injected himself with the special dosage Alex Wesker created for his Legend project.

Why he would do either was the concern. Jagged lightning flickered across the sky, thunder rumbling. The cars drove onto the grass, heading straight for Chris's position. Had to be Rebecca and her vigilante team, not receiving support from the U.S. government, but not receiving any obstruction. She closed the physical distance between them, all the while thinking how tough it would be to reach him in a meaningful way.

"Chris!"

Her timing was bad. Thunder sounding directly overhead blocked her shout. She diverted attention to the cars as they stopped some yards off yet, doors opening. Tension in the air, complete lack of wind, the deafening storm without rain covered the sky in their immediate area. It felt like something building, an increasing danger.

"No! Keep back!" She looked at Wesker. "Don't let them appear threatening!"

He moved away to pass on her message, or so she hoped. From the photos Wesker shared off his phone, she recognized Jack Krauser approaching along with Eva Wesker. When Wesker reached them, Claire was getting out, needing Leon's assistance. Jill heard of her injury and that she shouldn't be moving around. But it was Chris. No explanation necessary.

However, Chris had some explaining to do.

"Chris!"

It went better this time. He turned to look at her, away from studying Krauser and Eva. Jill could see the blood tainted with virus coursing through his veins, creeping above his low shirt collar to the edges of his face. His own virus amplified by the particular drug, created glowing green irises. Blood-laced lips and more red where it trailed down his chin and shirt when he..drank out of people? He looked like somebody she might have to put down if he was too far gone.

"We can't save them!" Chris yelled at her before lowering the volume since they were separated by a mere three yards. "It's better this way."

"Save who, Chris?"

"Everyone from their pain. Everything must change to end it."

Thunder interrupted part of the reply but she thought she heard him question her presence. Maybe she just wished he did. She treated it as though he was curious to her living when she was believed dead.

"I am alive, Chris. It's me. Sin made me look like I was dying and dead when I wasn't. He was a monster who hurt a lot of people. You're nothing like him. You stopped him in the end, don't you remember? Chris, what are you doing?"

"Why are you here, Jill? You can't stop us. Go."

"Why should I go if your goal is to just infect everybody?"

He looked upward again. "The world must be unified. We will unify in death."

"That makes no sense!" Barry yelled. "Think about it! You're lost in despair. But it isn't all futile. It's not the end!"

Chris raised an arm and a lightning bolt struck the power line, almost showering them in sparks. The pole splintered and broke in half, lines breaking free and collapsing to the earth. Wesker shared suspicion Chris retained a sample of his dosage. But maybe he used it on the mutated wolf with spreading wings. Her former partner frequently looked toward the wolf as if he couldn't help looking, like he needed to. They had the same green eyes glowing. What if they were connected?

"Chris, do you feel anything?"

He stared at her.

"Sad? Angry? Happy? Anything?"

She glanced toward Eva, who appeared eager to speak but was holding it in. She knew the plan as well as Jill did. Jill was his oldest friend; someone he always trusted.

"Is the animal your friend, Chris? Do you communicate?"

He rotated his arm to point at the wolf. "Nova is with me. He feels for me. And it hurts."

"See! You are feeling. But you're drowning, Chris. You feel suffering and pain because you've been suffering and in pain. That's not all you feel though. Nova is preventing you from feeling what you should."

"Look around! Corruption is everywhere. The wealthy, politicians... We need to purge everyone to save them. Death ends it. It'll be quiet again."

"Chris! You aren't feeling, are you?" Eva asked, crying silent tears. "You shut off your emotions. It's why your behavior is..just wrong! That wolf! Nova lets you do it, am I right? But it's impossible to change completely. You're you, asshole! Wake up!"

His bland expression didn't falter. "Nova's eaten. We're ready."

Jill felt dread and acted on it. "Everyone, keep back!"

Leon figured out the growing danger. "Stay back! That animal's infectious!"

Krauser moved in when the wolf began rising into the black sky. Lightning flickered, thunder boomed. Its howl emerged in a roar. The air continued to feel so dry, still, foreboding.

She was impressed and irritated witnessing the mercenary climb a wing to get thrown on a furry back. He had a knife out and did his best to run for the head of the creature. Krauser was buying time. The creature was the key to this potential outbreak scenario. Nova would release the virus from skin pores. They witnessed a translucent orb surround the animal. A pulsating outline signaling a charge which would complete and burst.

The knife seemed to stab into the neck of the wolf, and with a head toss Krauser was thrown off. Sharp teeth chomped at him, creature lunging in reaction to the wound. He was effective at distraction anyway. She settled on how time was running out and it was on her to save everybody.

"You're our only hope to survive this!" Jill shouted at Chris.

"It's a way to be truly free."

She should have seen it from the beginning. "You have to feel. Not only bad, but the good too."

Nova ascended, hovering aloft, waiting. For Chris? He hopped off the bench and strode toward the creature, answering her speculation. Jill drew her gun. It'd been a long time since using one. She was confident she could respond per past experiences. She aimed.

"I'll put one right between the eyes."

Chris stopped moving, turning to her. She took a page out of his book and betrayed no emotion.

"I'm not going to argue or barter or fight with you. If there's nothing of the real Chris left, then there's no point."

He started forward, menacing, calling her bluff. A bullet skimmed his eye, bloodying the socket and causing it to clamp shut. He'd barely dodged it. Jill switched her cold gaze to Barry standing a couple yards behind, gun still aimed. He met her eyes. He didn't look apologetic, although remorse was evident as he lowered the weapon.

Jill searched for Chris's eyes, or, eye. "If my Chris is inside..." She smiled kindly. "You always used to say, as long as there's something worth fighting for, you'd fight. If you won't even fight for yourself, then Legend wins. Alex wins. Your friends will die. Your family will die. Everyone you've protected and fought for your entire life will suffer. If you're no longer any of the Chris I know and love, I'm going to shoot you."

"You won't."

"I have to!" she burst out, desperate it was almost too late.

His eye darkened. "I've seen the depravity of humanity. The true face of it. I'll see it gone!"

"You sound like Wesker."

"I've done more harm than Wesker ever has. There's no redemption for me."

It sounded as though he was suicidal, not ready to end it for the whole damn world. If Nova amplified emotions, a single depressive episode could lead to psychosis, and apparently the desire to end the planet's population. Interpreting his words literally, he seemed to believe Wesker had been redeemed, or could be? That had to mean he wasn't without hope, despite his world-ending endeavor here.

Jill glared. "That's crap. You're not a helpless zombie or some other infected beyond saving. You're still human, a person. No one's ever too far gone to come back, to be better. The ones people say aren't worth it, those people are just people who gave up. If they want, there's always a way back."

He stared, unblinking. "For what?"

His confusion sounded genuine. Her heartbreak was absolute. This was so much worse than when he struggled to wake her from P30 control. She couldn't control her actions but knew what she was doing. With him, he could control his actions but didn't know what he was doing, and didn't realize that was the truth. Not entirely.

"To do the right thing, Chris. Like always. It's what we do." She smiled through her tears. "Don't you trust your partner?"

Nova landed heavily, shaking the ground. Growling at Krauser, who moved back gripping a combat knife in either hand which he'd been using for defensive maneuvers, the mutated wolf shifted its giant body in Chris's direction. Chris didn't have to look. He reached out and his hand found the furry cheek to stroke.

"Partner... We save the world." The hint of a smile ghosted his face. "Because it's the right thing to do."

Jill carefully watched as he ran his hand along the soft body, walking to its shoulder. He pulled his sword and pierced it through the animal's chest sudden. The creature howled and Chris screamed their agony. How connected were they?

Pulling the sword out, he held it upright and lightning struck the blade, electrifying them both. Chris held on as long as he had to, convulsing horribly. His intent was obvious. Damage them to weaken them. The shock ended and he plunged the blade through Nova's brain, on through to the ground. Nova's howling roar cut short, a pitiful whimper its last sound. He appeared overwhelmed with pain, no longer screaming, choking on it instead. Jill swore she could feel the energy decreasing, aura of power released and clearing.

For a brief second she wondered if she was infected and swiftly forgot about it, as per usual. A field agent quickly learned to ignore the possibility of sickness in order to effectively complete the mission. Chris had immunity, and she kept a distance. No point worrying beyond that.

He was falling to his side and Jill ran to him. The wolf's body weight collapsed, quaking the ground again. Above the sky brightened, late afternoon skies returning. They aborted the catastrophic outbreak in its tracks. They convinced Chris he was loved and needed alive and able. Hopefully he realized that.

She held him, smile in place despite her pervading sorrow. "You sure know how to keep a girl waiting."

His green eye was duller, a more natural hue. "Funny coming from a dead girl."

"Yeah," she laughed weakly. "Sorry about that. Needed a break and then I didn't know what I needed. But I'm okay."

Chris peered up at her. "I don't think I am."

Jill caressed his cheek, pretending the drying blood wasn't distressing nor distracting. "Human greed causes things like this, like Umbrella. You were just trying to end human sin, like that Sin guy focused on. It's okay. If anybody gets it, it's me."

"Yeah. Sounds real sane." His voice came out soft. He looked exhausted.

"Nova prevented you from being whole, Chris. You weren't you. So it wasn't you who did this. Not really."

It was quiet a few moments. She saw Eva, Claire, and Leon cautiously approaching. When she looked back down, his eye was closed.

"Thanks, Jill," he murmured, and his breathing softened and evened, signaling he was unconscious.

"You are welcome, Chris," she replied, lifting her head. "Did you call for backup, Leon?"

"They're initiating a quarantine for Lebanon and the immediate surrounding area," he told her. "A perimeter will probably go up around the state's borders, roadblocks, until we know what we're dealing with."

Wesker appeared on her left. "Give him to me."

She frowned, clenching him tight.

"I can carry him." He wriggled his fingers for emphasis.

Relaxing her grip, she nodded assent, shifting to stand. Barry came over while Wesker lifted Chris into his arms and went on to bring him to the nearest vehicle. Claire tugged on Leon's arm and they altered direction to go where Chris would be. He said something to her about taking more medication when she made a noise of pain. Eva stayed put.

"Jill, are you okay?"

"I'm alright, Barry," she replied. "Eva, right? How are you doing?"

The girl shielded her eyes from the sun, avoiding looking at anybody. "Why would you pretend you were dead? Death hurts people. You of all people should know that."

She was caught off guard. "Uh, I..I know."

"It doesn't matter now," she said, lowering her hand and turning to leave. "The damage is done. We can't change that."

Morbid. Depressing. The woman definitely wasn't fine.

Krauser passed by, coughing a lungful before grinning. "Victory, comrades. Congratulations."

"Right..." Barry uttered in response.

It wasn't what she imagined, piling in the government loaned SUV. Sherry Birkin and a man named Renny volunteered to drive her rental. Wesker was going with the car Chris was in, as was Barry. Chris had been laid on the backseat, and Eva put his head in her lap, gently brushing his forehead and short hair. His legs rested on her own lap. Claire and Leon took the middle, dealing as they could with the situation.

The drive was long and the checkpoints a wait they didn't care for. Two people named Nivans and Harper met them at the Kansas border, providing a siren and escort for the remainder of their journey. It was good of them. Chris Redfield made a tremendous reputation for himself a decade ago. She also had. That was a lifetime gone by it seemed like.

Three hours into the drive, Chris woke and vomited blood, gasping and straining to spit it out. Eva comforted him, encouraging his body's rejection. Dry-heaving when nothing else would come up, she used the only available hand she had to continue caressing his face.

He fell asleep murmuring, "Nova... Nova..."

Jill controlled her stare to look out the window instead. She'd checked on her phone. The village they left behind had sixty families, two hundred and twelve civilians. There was nothing she could do for them but mourn for a time in her own thoughts. The highway view was boring but her mind raced. Chris's recovery would take a while, but he'd be okay. Some monster hurt him. She could blow away monsters with the best of them. Point her toward one and she'd shoot.