Italicized: POV/Flashbacks/Thoughts/Spell
Bold: Monster
POV: Harry Potter | October 1st, 1998
His battle with the deranged bioweapon had lasted all night. This new bioweapon was stronger than Nemesis. Smarter. Faster. It looked as if it knew him, something that made Harry anxious as they fought. The battle had taken them through the entire city, before leading them down into the sewers. They'd broken through a concrete floor in the Hospital, falling through floor after floor before hitting the ground in the warehouse. The man - who had taken the brunt of the fall - was momentarily dazed, giving Harry the opportunity to bash his face in. Harry had then decided to take it one step further, digging his claws into the man's chest, stabbing him in the lungs and possibly the heart. He had been surprised to see Jill well and fine alongside Tyrell, his joy apparent as he told them his plan.
He believed that Tyrell would make it in time, and knew that he and Jill could find Carlos and develop the vaccines in time to do what he needed to do. Harry had two plans. Plan A; use the two vaccines with a spell he'd learned about to cure the city, which may or may not destroy the whole city if he wasn't successful. Plan B; destroy the city with Fiendfyre, ensuring they all biological material was annihilated if the government weren't going to drop the nuke. Both plans were risky, but he had a feeling he could do it. He was much stronger magically than he had been back home thanks to the virus' in his body, making him believe he would be able to magically disperse the vaccine with the help of magic up to forty miles. If that was possible that it could work. Or it would kill all of the zombies. Good for killing all of them, but the nuke would have to be dropped anyway to ensure the virus didn't evolve. It would all fall on luck, and whether or not he could convince his magic to do something impossible for him.
Now, Harry and Jill Valentine stood in the Laboratory Hallway. Harry raised his wand, noting Jill's raised eyebrow and confused look as he spoke. "Back at the NEST #1 facility, I was able to find vials of both Adjuvant and Antigen samples. Seeing as that was only a backup storage facility, I'm sure we'll find more in here," Jill gave him a nod in understanding. With her in on the current plan, Harry aimed his wand and flicked it, casting his spell. "Cari Antigen sample" Without a map to press on, the spell worked a bit differently. At once, a blue line shot from the tip of his wand, going through the door to his right. Grinning, Harry spoke. "Come on, it's this way," Readying his Ravager, Harry and Jill stepped into the room.
There, they were met with four pale headed zombies and a single regular zombie, all wandering around within the 'Experiment Storage'. The two exchanged matching grins as they opened fire, both of their weapons training coming into use as the zombies dropped. Twelve shots to the head killed a pale head, meaning that Harry would take those with his rifle, though due to the imbalance between pale heads and a zombie, Jill was able to drop one of the four before the room was cleared. Jill moved around the room, picking up any supplies they might need, before letting out a deep sigh. She'd run out of pouch space. Lucky for Harry, he always carried extra pouch. Pulling one out of his own belt, he held it up to her. "Bottomless pouch. Store anything in it. When you want it, just reach in an wish for it,"
"Well...that's convenient," Jill commented as she strapped the pouch to her belt. She moved the things she wouldn't necessarily need there, while keeping her G18 handgun, Lightning Hawk magnum, and survival knife on her belt and holsters, while keeping her shotgun clipped to her back. Once the room was clear of items and enemies, Harry led Jill up the stairs and into the only room present above. Upon entering, they were met with a small room. There was a door on the other side, a few lockers, a bench holding a piece of paper, a bottle of gunpowder on a shelf on the south wall, and a sample storage container. And a single zombie, but that proved to be no trouble. The blue line ended at the sample storage box, highlighting only a single vial. Shit.
Jill pulled the box open, pulling out the vial as she examined it. Harry stepped towards the bench, picking up the memo as he began to read. It read;
Dear Dr. Emmerson,
I would like to formally request that the weaponry normally reserved for the Bioweapon Synthesis Team be made available for any employees interfacing with the admission and dismissal of test subjects.
These test subjects do not present the same levels of danger as our bioweapon products, but I believe that this weaponry authorization is advisable as outlined below.
Recently, some test subjects have developed a new mutation granting them very high regrowth abilities. Our team refers to these specimens as "Pale Heads." They have been appearing with regularity, but the specific cause has not yet been determined. We believe it may be as a result of Subject NE-001's blood, which has been stored here recently by orders of Dr. Spencer.
The astonishing rate at which these Pale Heads regenerate makes it difficult to deliver a lethal blow with standard weaponry. If any sort of system failure were to occur within our facility, we would be woefully underprepared to defend ourselves.
For this reason I would like to request that high-powered weaponry capable of subduing the Pale Heads be issued to all of our employees working in shipping and processing. This will ensure that, in the event of an emergency, we will be able to quickly eliminate the threat and evacuate safely. Thank you very much for your consideration.
Shipping and Processing Manager, Gabrielle Reed
Harry frowned. His blood was in the facility, and an accident had resulted in his blood mutating test subjects into those 'Pale Heads'. Shaking his head, he turned to Jill, who was watching him. She raised up the vial, and spoke. "Didn't you say we need one for a single vial of vaccine? We don't have enough for two,"
"Yes we do," Harry replied. He plucked the vial out of her hand, and clutched it tightly. 'Geminio' he thought. A second vial appeared out of thin air, dropping down as Harry swiftly caught it. It was filled translucent yellow liquid, just like the first vial. "Two vials, two Antigen samples," He spoke, placing them into his pouch as Jill smiled, clearly relieved that he had found a solution. Holding out his wand once more, he recast the spell. "Cari Adjuvant sample" The blue line appeared once more, instructing them to go into the other door that they hadn't entered yet. Once they entered, Harry and Jill were met with an empty room, the blue line going through the wall. Shaking it off, Harry cast an explosive charm at the wall, putting up a shield last second as the wall blew, letting them into the...Experiment Room. The location in which one would combine the samples to make the vaccine.
The line took a sharp right out of the room and onto a balcony, which overlooked small room leading into the 'Machinery Room'. "So...you go first or I go first?" Harry asked, motioning to the fifteen foot drop. Jill glared at him, before jumping the barrier, dropping down as Harry quickly cast a feather-light charm at the floor. She landed without making a sound, looking up at him as he dropped down as well. He conjured a ladder, positioning it on the balcony to give them a way back up, only earning him another glare from Jill. Chuckling to himself, the two moved into the Machinery Room, turning to the left to find an elevator leading down. Jill entered the elevator, pressing 2F as Harry stopped dead in his tracks. His head spun around as the roof caved in, a creature falling onto the ground. Nemesis.
"Get down to B1 and turn on the power in the server room. Then take the elevator back up to 2F, the Adjuvant sample is located there, take the other samples," Harry spoke, holding up a magical shield as Nemesis' tendrils slammed into the shield. He tossed the two samples to Jill, who easily caught them as she placed them into her own pouch. "Stay safe, Jill, and get the vaccine. If I can meet back up with you in the Experiment Room, then I'll copy the second sample so you can make two. If I don't meet you there, make only one and I'll copy the vaccine itself,"
"Can you handle yourself against him?" Jill asked.
"I've been waiting for a while to face this bastard," Harry replied with a grin. Jill gave him a smile and a nod, before hitting the button 'B1'. The elevator door closed, leaving Harry alone with Nemesis as the two faced off. Harry growled, growing into his second form as his claws, teeth, and spikes expanded. Nemesis had lost all intelligence he held in his first form, and merely let out a roar as the two ran towards each other. They collided, spinning around as Harry slammed Nemesis into the wall. He cast an explosive curse at the creature, sending Nemesis through the wall, flying down and hitting the ground. Harry jumped down after it, letting out his own roar as he looked around. They were now on 'B2', the bioweapon Disposal Chamber.
Jumping down onto the ground beside Nemesis, Harry grabbed the creature by the neck, flinging the bioweapon around before tossing him into the wall. This was followed by a leap as Harry landed directly on top of Nemesis, slamming his fists into the creature's face before he was kicked back. He fell onto his back, letting out a pained cry as Nemesis got on top of him. Only Nemesis didn't start out with punches. The creature slammed it's claws in Harry's chest, pulling down as it tore apart Harry's torso. His magic reacted instantly, firing out at Nemesis, who was sent flying into the air, hitting the ceiling before falling once more. Taking the chance, Harry sent two cutting curses as the beast, one missing completely while another cut the creatures left arm straight off. Getting to his feet, Harry stepped back, ready to go for another round as his chest and abdomen began to heal.
Taking another leap forward, Harry grabbed Nemesis by the shoulder, slamming his claws through Nemesis' torso before pulling upwards. The creature screamed in pain, its spit flying into Harry's face as the wizard pulled his arm out. Gripping Nemesis' present arm, Harry swung the arm around before throwing the creature towards the wall once more, tossing an explosive curse at the wall behind Nemesis as the creature was sent flying forward. Jumping into the air, Harry banished down, watching it hit Nemesis as the bioweapon was slammed into the ground. Dropping down, Harry slammed his claws into the side of the creature's face, pulling down into Nemesis' neck before he pulled them out.
Peering down at the creature, Harry watched Nemesis wriggle and writhe, before collapsing entirely. Shaking his head, Harry flicked his hand, a flash of green hitting Nemesis. There was no visible physical reaction from Nemesis, letting Harry know the creature was dead. Returning to his normal size, Harry repaired his torn suit, before looking up at the whole in the wall. He apparated into the Machinery Room, strolling towards the elevator before hitting the button. The elevator was unresponsive, before it slid open. Harry stepped in, hitting '2F'. The elevator rose, taking fifteen seconds to reach the second floor before the elevator door opened. It revealed a lit up hallway. Jill had reactivated the power. Good.
Stepping out of the elevator, Harry pulled his Ravager from his pouch, aiming it down the walkway as he stepped into the only door to the left. Entering the room, he was met with a single pale head, two zombies, and two Ne-a parasites. Jill hadn't been in this room yet. No doubt she was taking the elevator up to the second floor as we speak. Stepping into the room, Harry reached down and picked up a second memo. He read it;
Senior Fellow Dr. Frankl,
Please allow me to send my heartfelt congratulations to you and your colleagues at Umbrella Europe for completing Nemesis, a truly remarkable achievement in the field of bioweapons research. The success of Subject NE-001 was astounding, but introducing a parasitic organism into a Tyrant's brain to gain external control of it? How can I not marvel at such a wild idea!
However, from a medical perspective, I must emphatically state my disapproval of this shift away from established Umbrella policy. By turning to the use of parasites, you are setting a dangerous precedent.
Viruses can be kept in check. I believe an effective vaccine can be developed for any virus on Earth (with abundant funding and a bounty of samples, of course).
Can you say the same for parasites, however? Doctors have tried in vain to develop a vaccine for malaria. Parasites like Plasmodium are far more genetically complex than the T-Virus, and to think they will submit to control is utter folly. While you have Subject NE-001 under control with the use of external control implants, it is a hazard that such devices could be easily damaged.
Perhaps, in your country, consumers are willing to buy automobiles with no brakes, but here in America, they know better.
Then again, I recall you have a degree in economics, so no doubt you've already devised a brilliant marketing strategy to win over the naysayers.
I look forward to your talk at the forum in Berlin next month. In the meantime, I shall be exploring medical solutions to this hubristic problem you've foisted on us.
Sincerely, Nathaniel Bard, PhD
Harry shook his head, dropping the memo. Bard had been aware of the safety issues, and had been correct in the fact that the uses of parasites were dangerous, and he was an example. Turning to the sample storage box, Harry cast an "Alohomora" at the box, watching it click open to reveal a translucent silver vial. A single one. Harry sent a "Geminio" charm at the vial once more, summoning the second vial to hand as he grabbed the original. Turning, Harry acted on reflex, dodging to the left as a bullet hit the wall. At the door was one Nicholai Zinoviev, his magnum aimed at where Harry's head had been. Shaking his head, Harry frowned. "You are a peculiar case, Mr. Potter. I have been having trouble pinpointing anything about you. A true enigma. And I will be rewarded greatly if I were to introduce you to my employers,"
"Bloody hell...did you think that would work?" Harry sent a banishing charm at Nicholai, who was sent flying back into the balcony across the room. Jill Valentine ran towards the barrier, peering down as she turned to face Harry, who held up the two vials. Jill smiled, entering the room as he spoke. "Nemesis is taken care of. He won't give us any more trouble. Take the vials," Harry told her. He grabbed her wrist, placing the vials into her hand as she gave him a nod, placing them into her pouch as they turned to the barrier. "You trust me, Valentine?" Harry asked, stepping up next to her as he motioned to the balcony that the ladder was located on.
Jill smiled, nodding. "You had the chance to get out of the city. But you came back. I'm willing to trust you, Harry,"
"Good. You're gonna jump this barrier, and I'm gonna carrier you across the room onto that balcony. That clear?" He asked.
"Crystal," Jill replied. She backed up into the room, getting into a stance of preparation as she sprinted forward. Jill jumped, clearing the railing easily as she began to fall. Harry cast a levitation charm on her, pulling her up as she landed on the balcony. Jill spun around, smiling as she motioned for him to follow. Harry grinned, clearing the railing once more as he sent a banishing charm at the ground. He was sent into the air, and was a few feet away from the balcony until a feeling of pain shot through his torso. Harry fell, slamming down directly into the ladder as he fell to the floor. Quickly getting to his feet, he cast a healing charm at the gunshot wound before spinning around to find Nicholai, grinning from ear to ear as he smashed a bright red box on the side.
Pulling a lever, Nicholai slammed his fist into the red button, before turning around and sprinting out of the room. Harry was going to follow, but was interrupted by an alarm that rang through the facility. "Self Destruct sequence activated. Countdown had begun. Evacuate the premises immediately. Lockdown activated. T-Minus 10 minutes" Harry looked up at Jill, her eyes widening as he sent a banishing charm at the ground. He shot up into the air, landing on the balcony beside Jill as the two ran into the Experiment Room. Jill placed the two Adjuvant samples into the left side of the vial wheel, pulling out the two Antigen samples as she placed the two vials into the right side of the wheel. "Access Denied" The computer spoke.
"There's got to be some sort of override key in here," Jill commented.
"Accio Override Key" Harry cast. Immediately a USB drive flew at him, directly into his outstretched hand as he tossed it to Jill.
"I need to be around you more often," Jill said. "That magic of yours comes in handy,"
"Yeah, but I can't over-use it. To much magical output and I'll burn myself out. Probably pass out too. That's why I carry guns. To limit my usage of magic to ensure I don't pass out in combat," Harry explained as Jill inserted the override key. She began to work through the mix of high, medium, and low, trying to figure out the code as Harry picked up a piece of paper beside the console. It read;
On the Roles of Antigens and Adjuvants in Vaccine Synthesis
Dr. Nathaniel Bard, Chief Researcher, Spencer Memorial Hospital
To most efficiently synthesize a vaccine, both an antigen and an adjuvant are required. The antigen produces an immune response, while the adjuvant increases the effects of such responses, leading to increased antibody production. By combining samples of these two ingredients, one can create a potent vaccine base.
By processing this vaccine base with our proprietary equipment, a larger batch of vaccine can be created with astonishing ease. What's more, my latest antigen and adjuvant samples yield unprecedented rates of antibody production, producing more than 1,000 times the yield of traditional materials.
This not only makes it an effective vaccine, but also a potential way to eliminate existing infections.
Harry frowned. He gripped the memo in hand, before frowning. "Medium, High, Low," Harry spoke.
"What?" Jill questioned, turning to him.
"The combination. Medium, High, and Low. Try it," Harry replied. Jill shook her head, but imputed the code. The wheel spun around, pulling a single vial of each down before the computer spoke. "Synthesizing vaccine...Synthesis complete. Please remove the vaccine canister" Harry smiled, watching as a pink vial rose from the main chute. Jill removed it, and handed it to Harry, who placed it in his pouch. She put in Medium, High, and Low once more. The wheel spun around once more, pulling in the last vials as the computer spoke once more. "Synthesizing vaccine...Synthesis complete. Please remove the vaccine canister" The second vaccine rose from the chute. Jill grabbed it, and held it out to Harry.
"Hold onto it. If I were to lose mine, a backup is appropriate. And vise versa," Harry replied. Jill gave him a nod, clipping the end of the vial to a clip on her belt. She turned to Harry, who spoke. "We need to get down to the Main Access elevator. That will get us to the roof. From there, I can work my magic. Pun intended," Harry explained, earning a small laugh as Jill shook her head. "Luckily for us, I've been to the disposal chamber, and thus can get us there quicker. So...grab on. We're going to be apparating," Jill sent him a glare, obviously remembering her experience with apparating in the past. Jill grabbed his arm, stepping up to him as the two held a brief exchange of eye contact. With the turn of his heel, the two disappeared in a POP!
POV: Jill Valentine
Jill stumbled a bit as they appeared within the 'Disposal Chamber'. She was thankful that Harry was holding her, keeping her from falling onto her ass in lightheadedness. After a minute, Jill regained her composure, separating from Harry as he glanced up at the walkway above them, leading straight to the Main Access elevator. Pulling out her magnum once more. "So...I'm assuming you don't want to apparate up there?" Harry asked. Jill immediately shook her head, turning to Harry as he frowned, looking up at the walkway. After a moment, Harry turned to her. Jill didn't expect him to grab her around the waist, nor did she expect for him to suddenly shoot up into the air, wobbling slightly as he moved his hands left and right. She resisted looking down, placing a hand on his chest to keep herself steady as the two landed on the walkway.
"That was...weird," Jill commented.
"Are...you ok?" Harry asked. Jill frowned, looking up at him. She immediately went a bit red, realizing that her right arm was still wrapped around his left shoulder and her left hand was on her chest. Yet his arm was off of her waist. Jill immediately separated herself, nodding to herself as she clocked her magnum. Harry let out a laugh, shaking his head as Jill muttered to herself a dozen curse words. The two moved down the hallway, entering a room with a supply crate that she quickly ransacked, pulling out supplies before the two moved into the second hallway. They rushed forward, only for Nicholai to jump out of a supply closet, pointing his magnum directly at Jill. "You both have provided me with such valuable information. And for that I thank you,"
He was about to shoot when the wall began to fall apart to their left. The collapse sent Jill and Harry falling down into the Weapons Testing Area. Both of them shot to their feet, aiming their respective weapons as a giant blob fell onto the floor. It slithered out into the middle of the room, sprouting open life a flower as gooish arms shot out of the blob, sticking to the roof and the walls as a giant head popped out of the blob as well. Harry visually tensed, his eyes widening. It was Nemesis. Alive and completely fine. He had entered another form. "Have you - Have you ever seen anything so incredible The data on this would be worth millions! But, uh, you know how it is - city's about to explode - And you can't put a price on life. Good luck!"
"Nicholai!" Jill screamed as the man ran off.
"Jill!" Both Jill and Harry turned towards the walkway once more to find Carlos, holding his rifle in hand.
"Go after Nicholai! He has information we need!" Jill shouted.
"What about you two?!"
"We're running out of time before this place blows!" Harry exclaimed as the computer system reached seven minutes.
"We've got this," Jill added.
"I know you do," Carlos replied, giving the two a nod before running off after Nicholai. Turning around, Jill spotted a large steel box located behind them. "Right here," Jill spoke, stepping up to the box, before hitting the blue button on the side. "Opening compartment" The box slid open, revealing a large railgun.
"You hit it with that, I'll hit it with everything I've got," Harry spoke.
"Now we're talking," Jill replied with a smile as she heaved the railgun around, charging it up as Harry pulled out his wand. Once the charge was complete, Jill fired. The blast shattered Nemesis' exoskeleton, with Harry casting a magical spell that cut off three of Nemesis' many arms. He did this multiple times, before Jill spoke. "The generators aren't fully rebooted," Harry nodded, swishing his wand as one of four generators returned to their respective location. He did this again and again, until Harry had rebooted the last generator. Charging the railgun once more, Jill watched Harry cut off more Nemesis arms. She fired again, the blast ripping through Nemesis' back as its spine became shattered.
The blob fell forward, slamming into the ground with a THUMP! as Harry continued throwing spells at the blob. He turned to the generators, rebooting them once more without a word as Jill thanked him with a nod. Jill stepped forward, slamming the barrel of the railgun into the creature's mouth. She began to charge it once more. "Come on, asshole. Next time, take the fucking hint," She fired, the railgun blast ripping through Nemesis like a needle to jelly as a large hole appeared through both Nemesis and a dozen walls behind it. Harry turned to Jill, and spoke. "The ladder's through the body. Take it up and get to the Main Access elevator. I'm going to make sure this asshole stays dead,"
"Just...make sure you get out in time," Jill spoke, grabbing his arm as Harry gave her a nod. Smiling, Jill turned and ran through the hole in Nemesis, turning to the right to find a ladder leading upwards. She began to climb the ladder, climbing up onto the catwalk as she looked back and down to the room. A jet of red flames was shooting out of his hands, roasting Nemesis' body to a crisp as the blob began to incinerate. Moving through a set of sliding doors, Jill moved down the Main Access Tunnel, moving towards the Main Access Elevator. She slammed her hand onto the top button, the elevator rising up through the facility as Jill pulled out her magnum once more. She aimed it at the door, ready for anything that was outside by the roof.
The door opened to reveal a set of stairs leading up to the roof. Jill climbed the steps, noticing that the helipad was occupied by a helicopter and Carlos, who lie on his back, his gun at his side. He'd been knocked out. "Oh no..." Jill voiced, running towards Carlos, kneeling down beside him as she grabbed onto his vest. She checked for a pulse. Jill was about to sigh of relief, but was unable to as someone kicked her in the back. She was sent to the ground, but with her grip on her magnum, she spun around on the ground, pointing her weapon at Nicholai, who quickly kicked the gun out of her grasp. "You're not going to stop me. Oh, what is that?" He pointed beside Jill, who turned to see that the vial of vaccine Harry had entrusted her with had fallen off of her belt.
He fired at it, the vial shattering as the vaccine spilled everywhere. Jill screamed, stumbling towards it as she looked back at him. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?"
"Don't know. Don't care. My client ordered me to reduce Umbrella to rubble. And what's better than that but to reduce its original home to dust?" Nicholai asked. "Ten minutes until missile impact" The city speakers called out. Shit. They had launched it anyway? Had Tyrell made it to the military base on time? "Ah...the missile has launched. And that is my cue to leave. Good-bye, Miss Valentine. A shame you didn't listen to me when you had the chance," Jill was about to reply when Carlos shot to his feet, slamming into Nicholai as the two launched into a full on brawl. Jill got to her feet, grabbing Carlos' pistol as she aimed it at the two.
By than, Carlos had gotten Nicholai in a hold, but not enough for Jill not to hit Carlos as well. "Jill, shoot him!" Carlos yelled.
"I can't! I'll hit you!"
"Do it! You have to! There's no other -" Carlos was brought to an abrupt stop as Nicholai's neck suddenly began to bleed, life leaving the traitor's eyes as his head fell to the ground. He had been decapitated. Turning to her right, Jill saw Harry, his wand sticking out of his pocket with his hand outstretched. At their wide eyes, he shrugged. "Cutting curse. I'm good with it. Never would have hit you," He told a slightly worried Carlos, who dropped Nicholai's body. "Shit," Harry spoke, motioning to the helicopter. Jill turned, and found that the the 'cutting curse' had hit the fuel tank, fuel flooding out of the vehicle and onto the asphalt. "Sorry about that,"
"What now? The vaccine's gone," Carlos pointed out.
"Nope," Was Harry's simple replied as he pulled the second vial from his pouch. "Always come prepared,"
"What are we going to do with it?" Jill asked.
"What am I going to do with it? You two are getting out of here in case neither of my plans work and I'm blown to hell," Harry spoke. He pulled out a small jewel, tossing it to Carlos, who easily caught it. "We've got seven minutes until the missile impacts the city. That means I have six minutes to work my magic. So grab hold of each other, and say Portus. You'll be sent to our safe house outside of the city. Find Leon Kennedy or Claire Redfield. They'll give you a run-down on the situation, a shower, fresh clothes, food. The whole shebang. Once I'm done - either saving or killing the city - I'll try to get back,"
"Try?" Jill asked.
"Like I said. Magic is draining, and what I'm going to do is big. There's a chance I'll probably pass out...and get blown to hell. But if I don't pass out, I'll be back," Harry replied.
"You better. I'm getting used to how convenient your magic is," Jill spoke, not liking the idea of leaving him behind. Harry chuckled, shaking his head as he motioned to Carlos.
"Get her out of here. You know, before she tries to be selfless and stay behind with me,"
"You've got it," Carlos replied, placing a hand on Jill's shoulder. They all three said their goodbyes, before Carlos muttered the word 'Portus'. The two disappeared in a spiral of black, with Jill feeling a tug in her navel as she was yanked through space-time. She felt her feet slam into the ground, though she was somehow able to remain standing as the blurred vision corrected itself. Looking around, Jill found herself in a regular home - a large home, but nothing special - surrounded with people. There were a dozen people in the living room, all eating meals, talking casually, or even playing board games to waste time. In the backyard through the door to her left were a few children running around playing tag. And in the kitchen where she stood were four people sitting at the table.
A silver haired man with a strong jaw line and blue eyes sat at the head of the table. He wore an RPD uniform, though she didn't recognize him. No doubt he had been hired during her suspension. The woman to his right had brown hair - almost red in the sunlight - with bright blue eyes. She wore a black tank top, a red leather jacket with an eagle on the back, and blue jeans, with a silver feather pendant hanging from her neck. The man across from her to the was...Robert Kendo. So he had made it out of the city He was out of his usual striped shirt and jeans, but now were black jeans and a black hoodie, which was down. His face wasn't bloody like before, and his face was free of the cuts that had been there before. And the girl to his right wore a white stainless dress, had blonde hair, and brown eyes. Jill recognized her as the Mayor's daughter. Katherine Warren.
At their sudden arrival, the cop, brunette, and Kendo all shot out of their seats, pulling out their weapons as they pointed them at Jill and Carlos, who immediately raised their hand in surrender. "We were sent here by Harry. Said you guys were housing survivors?" Carlos spoke. He had no doubt learned Harry's real name from Tyrell over the radio.
"Harry sent you?" The brunette asked, before lowering her gun. "Jill Valentine? Carlos?" She asked.
"Yeah. I'm assuming you're Claire Redfield? Chris' sister?" Jill asked.
"He mentioned me?" Claire asked, before shaking her head. Jill wasn't sure if she was referring to Chris or Harry. "Yeah, that's me. This is Officer Leon S. Kennedy. That's Robert Kendo, and that's Katherine Warren," She explained, pointing towards the respective people with each name.
"It's nice to meet you two. Harry told us a lot about you," Officer Kennedy spoke, putting his gun into his holster as he extended his arm for a handshake. Jill and Carlos accepted it and accepted Claire's.
"I'm happy to see you got out," Kendo spoke, placing a hand on Jill's shoulder as he smiled.
"All thanks to Harry," Jill replied. It was the truth. Without the helicopter, she and Carlos would have been trapped in the city. He got them out.
"Where is Harry?" Claire asked.
"Stayed behind. Said he was going to either save the city, blow it up, or get blown up with it," Carlos replied.
"What?!" Claire exclaimed. "He can't just stay behind like that? He should know that the cities already gone. While there are survivors left in the outer limits, there's no way he can get them all in five minutes,"
"He said he was going to do something big with his magic. Something that might exhaust him. I think he's going to try and disperse the vaccine now. That would prevent the virus from evolving. Though I have no idea how he's going to stop the nuke," Jill explained. They all sat in silence for a moment, mulling this over. Jill was concerned for Claire. Her brother had gone off to Europe, she had gotten into all of this mess in the city, and now she seemed very distressed to find out Harry remained behind. Kennedy appeared deep in thought, occasionally looking out towards the group of children. Kendo was cursing to himself, and Katherine was staring up at the corner of the room, where a TV sat.
There was live footage of Raccoon City. There to watch the nuke drop. Jill was caught off guard with a blue translucent dog ran through the wall, stopping in front of her as it spoke. "Hey guys," It...was Harry's voice. "So, this is a one way Patronus, so I can't hear you but you can hear me. It saves energy to do it this way, so here we go," He took a deep breath. "Leon. Claire. Jill. Anyone there. I need you to do me a huge favor. Two huge favors actually. Two large ones. The first is simple, and I'm sure you would do it anyway, but I can't help but ask...make sure Sherry is safe. If I make it out of here, I'll take care of her. I've been left on my own without a choice before. If she want's to stay with me, then I'll accept her in a heartbeat. But if I don't make it out...make sure she's taken care of. I would hate to see her end up like I did," Harry explained.
"This next favor goes to anyone as well. This isn't an immediate concern. Claire, go find your brother. Leon, follow the path you wish. Jill, do whatever you feel. But I ask you this...if you can...find a man named Sirius Orion Black. He's my godfather. I'm not sure if he's even here...but if he is, I would like for you to find him, and tell him I miss him, and that I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to save him back then. Tell him they forgive him...and that I hope he's well wherever he is. Just do this for me if I don't make it back,"
Taking another deep breath, he continued. "Well...this will all be worthless and too sappy if I make it out of here. But it's useful if I don't. So...yeah. Hope you all are well. I hope Jill and Carlos made it there in one piece. And...well...I wish you all the best," The dog disappeared into a cloud of mist, leaving the entire house silent and still as even those in the living room sat/stood stunned. At once, everything picked back up again. Unnerved and emotional survivors tried to distract themselves with continuing discussions and playing games, but Jill could tell Harry's sacrifice - death or not - affected them. Kennedy had placed an arm around an emotional Claire. Kendo had left the room shaking his head. And Katherine had gone out with the smaller children, no doubt hoping to distract herself from reality.
"You ok?" Carlos asked from beside her.
"Yeah...yeah. I'm fine," Jill replied. She'd lost people in the past. Her family, her whole squad. And in the end all she had was Chris, Brad, Carlos, and Harry. One was dead, one was missing, one was here, and the fourth was about to potentially sacrifice himself saving her - and everyone else's - home. Jill's eyes fell on the screen, and found that a timer had been added to the bottom left hand side. Two minutes. Suddenly, a cloud of pink popped up in the middle of the city, spreading out over the city. "He's doing it," Kennedy spoke.
Claire - who had been reading the newspaper to distract herself after the 'Patronus' disappeared - dropped it and looked up. They all watched as the pink cloud spread in every direction, covering the city from view as it continued to expand. The news man in the helicopter spoke. "Look at that ladies and gentlemen. We're not sure what's going on down there, but a thick pink cloud is spreading throughout the city. A deadly gas deployed to ensure maximum destruction? Or a vaccine dispersed in the hopes of stopping the missile strike? Who knows. But we've received conformation at the missile WILL strike no matter what, marking the end of Raccoon City and its history. However, it's legacy will live on in his event as well as what follows,"
One minute.
"The cloud has surrounded the entire city, blocking whatever goes on below from view. While we are outside of the blast radius, we are unable to see what is dispersing this gas. It seems that it has even reached the Spencer Estate outside of the city. If this continues, it will no doubt reach our copter here at PFBC. If that were to occur, we WILL have to evacuate due to the unknown origins of this gas,"
Twenty seconds.
"The gas cloud has stopped roughly thirty five miles outside of the drop zone for unknown reasons. While we are safe from the gas, we are unsure how it has stopped, where it is originating from, and how those dispersing it hope to achieve anything with the missile so close. Oh, speaking of which, there it is! Ten...nine...eight...seven...six...five -" The trail of a missile drew closer and closer to the city, arching down as the anchorman continued. "- Four...three...two...one...zero!" To everyone's horror, the missile hit the city. The reaction was instant as the mushroom cloud entered. Rumbling could be heard as the blast wave spread through the camera's view. The helicopter veered away, shaking violently as the blast hit them. The TV clicked off.
Jill turned to see Officer Kennedy holding the remote, dropping the remote as he turned away. He wore a resigned expression as he stepped into the backyard, his eyes on a young girl with short blonde hair. It must be Sherry. Jill herself fell back onto a seat, rubbing her face in shock. Carlos sat down across from her. Kendo was gone, and Claire was watching the screen in shock. Jill sighed. The girl had lost her parents, her home, her brother was missing, and now Harry too. They'd all known Harry on a small, yet large level. It was obvious Harry, Claire, Kennedy, and Sherry had been through a lot. It was apparent that Kendo was emotional at the loss, seeing as he couldn't bare to be in the room for the drop. And she and Carlos had been the first to know him post-Umbrella.
"So...what do we do now?" Carlos asked, looking around the room.
"I...I don't know," Claire replied. Jill looked up at the girl, and could see a few tears forming in her eyes. Shaking her head, Jill got to her feet, rounding the table as she pulled Claire into a hug. She didn't know Claire personally, but had learned all about her from Chris, and knew she was devastated at Harry's death. One more tragedy. Claire didn't even complain as she returned the hug, the two holding each other. Kennedy returned with a crying Sherry, and Kendo returned, being told the news by Carlos. Everyone was in a depressed mood. So depressed they never heard the pop.