Author Note: Continuation to Secrets and Flies that starts three months after the end. Love, betrayal, suspense and action are on the menu for this story as we watch our favourite band of Umbrella renegades give it their all too hopefully bring a final end to their hellish lifestyle. To do that, assistance will be required from some, unconventional characters...

I do not own the characters & this will be very different from any RE movie and/or video game plot (to date)

Please read & review as you wish!

B.

Update 05-July-2021: Updated with minor corrections to match changes made to Secrets & Flies.

Calm Before the Storm

- 11 -

- The White House -

The inside of the President's home was no longer fit for groups of tourists led by young, intelligent tour guides. It was a staple of a young American's education to be bused with their classmates to the White House gates, ushered around on one of these tours, and hope for something cool and interesting to happen so they could brag to their friends back home. Now the halls were filled with barricades of sandbags, soldiers with assault rifles and frantic faces. The emergency lights were on, casting eerie shadows on the once expensive carpet destroyed by muddy army boots. Pebbles and stones fell from the ceiling with every rattle of another explosion going off outside.

The group followed single file as a solider directed them down the maze of halls never open to the public. When they approached the weathered, white washed doors to the Oval Office he allowed Alice, Leon and Ada inside, but that was it. The guards halted Chris and the rest of the group in their tracks, the doors closing once more.

"What the hell, we're with them!" he yelled, trying to shove past the guards.

"Orders are for Abernathy, Kennedy and Wong, no one else Sir." one of the guards replied.

Chris was about to take a swing at them when Jill placed a hand on his shoulder, "Easy Tiger," she whispered with a smile.

"Don't you think this whole thing is horse shit Jill?"

"I do, but fighting these people is not the answer. Based on what defenses are up, I'd say the battle is best left against the abominations outside."

Chris backed down, turning to face the group. Some looked exhausted, other's looked bewildered. If they were going to earn their keep then they needed to find somewhere to regroup and await orders. He was never good at following orders, it was how he ended up in that cell in the prison in Los Angeles to begin with. He disobeyed his Captain, went rogue and got himself locked up in a cell because some inmates thought it would be poetic justice to lock up those better than them. There was no way, not with his sister, Jill, and the rest of his crew's lives hanging in the balance, that he was going to make that same mistake again.

"Where are the barracks?" Chris asked.

"Northwest side of the White House grounds. Johnson will take you there."

- Alice -

Just as the doors closed behind her, Alice could see the disappointment in Claire's eyes. It was a look Alice never wanted to see again. She had hoped risking her life to become a monster was a fool proof way to avoid disappointing the woman she loved, but instead it was what fueled it. With everything that was about happen, it was quite possible she'd never get her back again.

"Alright Wesker, I'm here." Alice called.

Her eyes were burning into the high back leather chair at the head of the desk, turned to face out the window. He was admiring the situation he had created, past that metal slab wall lined with gun turrets and snipers, constantly firing and dying in a last ditch attempt to save humanity.

"Why were there six other stowaways aboard the helicopter?" he asked, still not turning in his chair.

"You're going to need more than me to stop whatever the hell is over that wall."

Wesker turned, his fingertips pressed into one another, eyes glowing red behind the over-sized, black tint glasses. "I don't like surprises Alice." he muttered, his chiseled jaw line and gelled blonde hair made him look like a plastic module of a defected Ken Doll.

"That makes two of us, now what the hell is going on here?" Leon demanded.

The novelty of being his arch enemies errand boy had finally wore off. Alice smiled, glad to know the true renegade in him was still willing to break free. Ada remained silent and still, her shoulders back, arms at her sides as if in a military march. It was evident she still swore allegiance to the bastard even if they no longer worked for Umbrella.

"Thank-you Ada, Leon, for bringing Project Alice here. As of now you are no longer working for me, but for her." Wesker replied.

"What!" Ada protested.

Alice raised her eyebrow in skepticism. There was no way Wesker would willingly step down as leader of the human race. He had made himself President for God's sake. There had to be something he wasn't telling them.

Alice crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes. "Nothing you say, comes without a price," she remarked.

Wesker stood from behind the desk. For the first time, the three of them were able to see his stiff, crippling movements. The only skin exposed under his jet black get up was his face and neck. It still looked youthful, but when he removed his gloves, the true state of his appearance came to light. Leprosy spotted, translucent skin covered his hands and fingers. From across the room, Alice was able to see the veins and blood vessels coursing up his forearms. He then removed his glasses showing yellowed, raccoon eyes.

"What the fuck," Leon stated, reaching for his gun at his hip.

"You're dying aren't you?" Alice asked.

Wesker put his glasses back on, attempting to stand as straight as he could while using the wooden desk for support, "Yes Alice, it looks like you're finally getting your wish." He looked to Ada and frowned, "I'm sorry, please forgive me."

Alice eyed Ada noticing she was trying her best to keep face. Her bottom lip was trembling slightly while she shifted in her stance to keep her mind on task. That therapy session was something Alice would need to figure out at a later time.

"The Red Queen, she has more power than one could imagine. Like so many others, I too am a slave to that bitch, and she's decided to make an example of me as to what will happen to anyone or, any thing that disobeys her." Wesker explained settling back into his chair once more.

"I led a team of operatives over the wall a month ago thinking that I'd be able to withstand her powers. I was wrong. She forced me to kill my men and inject myself with a new serum. This X-Virus has a sole purpose of inflicting a slow, yet painful death to anyone who receives it."

"Tough break," Alice quipped.

"I've accepted my fate, and maybe because I'm dying I had an identity crisis. No harm in making a last ditch attempt to get into heaven, if that exists."

"I think you'd have do to a lot more than become a martyr to get into anyone's good graces." Leon replied.

"I'm sure you're right Mr. Kennedy, but knowing that my time is rapidly coming to a close, I did the only thing I could think of. The only hope we have to kill The Red Queen before she decides to use this X-Virus on the uninfected." Wesker explained putting his black leather gloves on once more.

"You think I'm the one?" Alice asked.

"You've proved time and again Ms. Abernathy that no matter what Umbrella does to you, you don't give in. Raccoon City, Nevada, Russia, if anyone stands a chance, it's you."

Leon looked to Alice, "What makes you so different than anyone else?" he asked.

"When Umbrella experimented with the T-Virus on me years ago, I bonded with the virus at a molecular level. I don't mutate like those creatures out there, but I develop special...abilities."

"If The Red Queen knows you're her only true enemy, she'll use anything against you to take you down." Ada stated with a scowl. "It was a mistake to bring your friends here."

Alice changed the subject, "What if I can't stop her?"

"Then we're all dead anyways." Wesker stated coldly while explosions sounded outside, shaking the White House walls once more.

- The Barracks -

Angela sat on the edge of one of the cots, her shoulders slouched forward, eyes glossy and staring off into the distance. Claire sat beside her, grabbing the young woman's hand, feeling just how cold and clammy it was. This was the first time since leaving The Arcadia she thought they had made a mistake. The poor woman was a mess, first loosing the father to her child in Mexico, then battling for her life against the same the same people who caused her to loose the one thing she could take from this chaotic world. It was devastating, and Claire felt like the poor girl was only here because everyone's afraid of what she might do if left alone.

"Angie, are you okay?" she whispered.

"I'm fine." Angela replied without moving her head, trapped in a catatonic state.

Chris was pacing back and forth, his cheeks hot pink with rage as Jill and K-Mart were trying there best to keep him under control. Waiting was painful, and being treated like a prisoner was more demeaning than anything, but right now it was their only option. Sometimes Chris's steroid infused muscles impaired not only his own judgement, but other's too.

"Chris you need to stop acting like a bull in a china shop." Jill remarked, grabbing her lover by his broad shoulders to stop the pacing.

"How can you, actually how can any of you, sit by idling while Alice runs this into the ground!" Chris yelled, startling K-Mart.

"You need to trust her. She's never steered us wrong before, hell she's saved all of our asses, yours included. We deserve to give her the benefit of the doubt." Luther replied.

Chris snorted, "Alice has done nothing but cause pain and suffering to us since The Arcadia was attacked the first time. Haven't you noticed wherever she is, Umbrella isn't that far behind? Maybe she's still working for them and her whole plan was to get us here to be executed, the last bit of resistance to the Umbrella empire."

"You've fucking lost it. Alice would never do that to us." Jill snapped.

"Oh really? Why did she feel the need to run off to get herself infected again? Why did she bring Umbrella to our doorstep? Why-"

"She could've killed me, killed all of us and she didn't." Claire interrupted as Chris turned to look at his sister. "Alice might be unconventional at times, but she still always has our best interests in mind. I've seen her infected before and yes, it does change her, but not to the point of killing the people she cares about."

It was then Claire realized she may have been a bit rough on Alice. Yes she felt betrayed, but she also never gave her a chance to explain herself fully. Come to think of it, none of them have. It wasn't long after Alice's return that Umbrella had attacked, bringing Leon and Ada to whisk them off to Washington. No one has actually given Alice a chance to talk about her actions.

She had the choice to leave them on The Arcadia while she went to Washington, a chance to abandon them again and she didn't. If it was so easy the first time, why didn't she do it again? There had to be a reason they were here. Instead of pointing fingers they needed to work together, because whatever the hell was over that wall can, and will tear them apart limb from limb.

"What made you change your mind?" Chris asked.

"You and your moronic ways! I'd rather trust her than follow you to my death." Claire snapped.

"She could've killed me and she didn't." Jill replied.

Chris sighed, "I know Jill, I was the one who helped her get you free of that bug, but that doesn't-"

She pressed her fingers to his lips to silence him, "Do you know what I did while I was under their control?" Chris shook his head. "I was once Chief Security Officer Valentine with a single objective; eliminate Project Alice. It didn't matter who I killed, or what I did as long as it was to bring down Alice. I failed and thank God I did because I honestly believe she's the only one who's capable of getting us out of this once and for all."

Jill removed her fingers from his pursed lips, awaiting the backlash and anger. Instead he remained silent. She looked from one person to the other, even Angela was staring at her instead of the green tarp walls. Everyone knew Jill was attempting to put her life back together, especially Claire who actually befriended the woman after swapping stories of being under Umbrella's control, but the truth was still startling.

"Who told you that?" Claire asked.

"Ada, on the helicopter ride here," she saw Chris roll his eyes as she stared him down, "I know she could be lying, put a wedge between us since clearly she's not a fan of Alice, but you didn't see the happiness she had in her eyes when she told me that. It's the truth, I'm sure of it."

Luther nodded, "She'd have no reason to lie. If we turn on one another, it only gives an advantage to whatever the hell is on the other side of those walls."

A low grumble of agreement filtered through the group, even from Chris. K-Mart's eyes lit up as Alice, Ada and Leon pushed the flaps to the tent aside, returning from their conversation with Wesker.

"So, what's next." Chris barked.

"Wesker's dying," Alice announced, awaiting the cheer of excitement from the group, but instead it was stunned silence, "I wouldn't believe it myself if I didn't see him in person. He's claiming The Red Queen did it."

"How?" Claire asked.

"Something called X-Virus. Quite frankly, I don't give a shit what it is, but if it can take him down then there is no telling what it can do to us."

No one decided to call Alice on that one. Everyone in the room had personally seen what type of powers Wesker possessed and knew first hand what he was capable of doing. Alice stepped further into the circle of her crew, looking from one person to the other as she continued,

"He's put me in charge, believing that I'm the only one who has even a chance at taking The Red Queen and her army down." She stopped, staring at Chris. "As of right now, you do exactly what I say and nothing more."

Chris gritted his teeth and gave a curt nod. For once he knew when not to pick a fight. Alice smiled happy that once of her strongest member's acts of defiance wouldn't cause concern.

Jill stepped forward, "Whatever you need us to do Alice, we will."

The rest of the group agreed, displaying alliance with the women they outcasted no more than an hour ago. A drastic shift occurred in the group dynamic while they were in the Oval Office with Wesker, but right now she didn't have time to try and figure it out.

"Thirty Military personnel in six armored vehicles are coming with us over the wall. We need to gather artillery, ammo, and explosives to take with us. According to Wesker, her base of operations is 5 miles from here. The Pentagon." Alice explained.

"How fitting." Claire chided, "ETA?"

"Wheels up in thirty. We'll meet at the hanger across the field where the armored trucks are stationed."

Everyone nodded, breaking out into pairs to start gathering supplies. The only one who didn't move was Angela. She remained on the edge of the cot, her eyes glossy. It was amazing the young woman had any tears left to shed.

"Angela, why don't you stay here, we can have someone look after you until we return." Alice whispered.

She snapped her head, bearing her teeth at the thought of being left behind, "I'm going with you. They're going to pay for what they did to me and my father. His reputation was dragged through the mud because of their greed. I want to be at your side when we confront that bitch and finally kill her for good." Angela snapped.

Alice knew it was a bad idea, but she didn't have the heart to tell the woman she would stay behind. Instead she just nodded, patting Angela on the knee before getting up to gather supplies for their trek over the wall.

T.B.C.

Be prepared for explosions, fighting and big baddies that go bump in the night in the next chapter!

Hope you all enjoyed! Please let me know what you think :)
Always open to suggestions/comments/concerns/praise/ etc.