Chris pinched the bridge of his nose, yawning quietly to himself. He was tired and the injuries he had received at the hands of Wesker would probably not be helping his physical condition at all. Still he was in better shape than Alex, who was asleep in the seat behind him.
According to the coordinates she had given him, he would have to wake her up soon, much as he hated to. Considering all she had been through before his arrival, then finding out her brother was alive, it was no wonder she was exhausted. Briefly he considered leaving her asleep in the plane when they landed, but knew she would never forgive him if he did. He was not thrilled with the idea that if she awoke and found him gone, she would go wandering around on her own. He knew fully well she could take care of herself, but in her condition it would be difficult. Besides, if something were to happen to her while she was out searching for him, he would never be able to forgive himself for it.
"Are we there yet?"
Chris turned his head slightly at the sleep muffled voice behind him, doing his best to hide a smile. Alex yawned loudly and cracked her neck. She blinked several times, then leaned forward over his shoulder to look out the window.
"Right there." Chris nodded toward the drab gray building looming below them. "You have good timing."
"I try." Alex squinted, then pointed over Chris' shoulder toward an open roof. "There, that's the hanger."
As Chris banked toward the hanger they both saw the large cargo plane sticking out of the building. They didn't speak, letting the silence spin out for several seconds. They were both thinking the same thing, but not wanting to voice it. Finally Chris spoke up.
"That does not bode well."
"No, no it doesn't…"
15 Minutes later
"They're not here."
Chris nodded as Alex dropped out of the plane and landed nimbly, despite her injuries, on the catwalk below. It had been an early decision that Alex had to investigate the plane, due to the fact she would not be able to support Chris' weight enough to help him inside. It hadn't taken her long to discover Claire and Steve were long gone and, from the lack of blood, not seriously injured.
"I suppose is would be too much to ask if you know anything abut this facility."
Chris sounded hopeful, despite the look on his face. Alex straightened, sweeping a few strands of hair out of her face. She did in fact know the layout of this facility, thanks to Kent and his twisted plan for bringing Alfred under control. It had been yet another piece of information that he had required she learn in order for her infiltration to work.
"Yea, I know the layout. But the bigger problem is that they could be anywhere."
"Well, you know Alfred and Umbrella better than I do, any ideas?"
Alex had a fair idea of where they might be. But her guess rested entirely on the assumption that Alfred had gotten his hands on them after they had crashed. If they had simply wandered off on their own, her guess was out the window…leaving her and Chris up the proverbial creek with no paddle in sight.
"If Alfred grabbed them I know where they might be. I suggest we go with that assumption first and if it doesn't pan out we try something else."
"Sounds like a plan to me." Chris shrugged. "Lead the way Captain."
"Wow Chris I had no idea you knew what my Umbrella rank was."
Alex couldn't help but smirk at the blank look on his face. After several seconds of watching Chris, Alex finally broke down laughing. She wrapped it up quickly though, wiping tears from her eyes.
"Oh man Chris, that is hilarious."
"I am so glad my pure and utter confusion can bring you a moment of joy."
Despite the harsh words, Alex could easily tell he was trying not to laugh himself. She shook her head and started across the catwalk toward a nearby door. Chris quickly followed…
Wesker was not pleased, not in the least. Not only did it appear Alexia was awake, Redfield and Aaron were at the facility. Not to mention Redfield's own baby sister and her little boyfriend were running around somewhere as well.
Wesker slammed a fist into the control panel, making Larsen jump. Wesker ignored his fidgety Unit Commander and instead turned his attention to Aaron. He was betting that Aaron knew the layout of the facility, which was more than he knew, and that she was currently heading to where she thought Claire and her little boyfriend would be.
Knowing that Aaron was prone to using the same train of thoughts as he, she would also be betting Alfred would be close by. Wesker took that thought one step further by assuming that wherever Alfred was, Alexia would not be far away. So Wesker's plan was easily formed.
Follow his sister, find Alexia…
Alex shivered as she and Chris stepped into the dark and gloomy courtyard. Her knowledge of the facility had lead them through the most direct route to The Mansion, cutting through the loading room and monitor room to the elevator. Now here they were, the courtyard. She only hoped Chris wouldn't be too freaked out by the mansion itself.
She pushed the double doors open and stepped inside the lavish lobby, behind her she felt Chris stiffen. It was really no wonder, after all Alexia had modeled the mansion after the Spencer Mansion. For Chris this was a nightmare come back to life.
"Are you alright?"
There was a moment of silence. Alex turned to glance at Chris, looking slightly worried. Chris on the other hand looked angry and determined.
"I'm fine, where…"
"Hello! Is someone there?"
Now it was Alex's turn to stiffen. She easily recognized the voice, it was Claire. Chris bolted past her and cut left under the staircase. Alex quickly followed. She came to a skidding halt when she saw Claire locked in a small cell, built right into the staircase itself. Chris jerked at the cell door, mumbling under his breath. For being locked up, Claire looked particularly calm.
"Um, Chris, I've already tried that…several times, it doesn't work."
Alex cleared her throat, to keep from laughing out loud. Chris in the meantime was glaring at his sister, while Claire just smiled back. All in all it was quite an unusual family reunion.
"Well, excuse me Claire for braving countless zombies and a Bandersnatch to come to your rescue."
Claire tilted her head looking puzzled. "What's a Bandersnatch?"
While Chris pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to stay calm, Alex produced a large ring of keys from one of her many pockets. Alfred had presented them to her shortly after 'discovering' she was his long lost sister. Supposedly it had keys to both Rockfort Island and the Antarctic Base. She flipped through them, finally finding one that looked to match the gold bars restraining Claire.
"Excuse me." She gave Chris a slight nudge, inserted the key, unlocked the door, and pulled said door open. "Congratulations, you have been sprung from jail."
"Alex?"
"Yes Chris?"
"Why didn't you tell me you had a key?"
"You didn't ask."
Chris sighed, throwing his hands up in defeat. Alex glanced at Claire then shrugged. Claire shook her head, gave Alex a warm smile, then threw her arms around her big brother. Alex chose to make a subtle retreat back out to the foot of the staircase, giving the siblings a little privacy. It hurt Alex to see the two of them together, reminding her of how she and Albert used to be…before…
Wesker was moving swiftly. He had momentarily lost sight of his sister and her would be protector after they had passed through the loading room. Fortunately, Aaron still had the radio she had taken from one of his agents. What she didn't know was the radio had a tracking device in it. Even if she was out of sight, he could find her.
He shoved the tracker into his back pocket, smiling slyly as he stepped into what looked to be some kind of garden or courtyard. Directly in facing him, several feet away, were two large double doors…
Chris and Claire soon joined Alex near the foot of the stairs. She looked slightly uncomfortable, perhaps even a bit emotional, but her sunglasses were still atop her head so Chris took it as a good sign. A sign that she was not so uncomfortable as to try and distance herself from the two of them. He thought he understood why she feeling the way she was. Him and Claire had an excellent relationship, while Alex and Wesker's could only be described as dysfunctional.
"Well we found the long lost sister." Alex nodded toward Claire. "Where's the little boyfriend?"
Claire started to retort that Steve was in no way her boyfriend, when a loud scream shot through the lobby like a bullet. Seconds later a door opened above them. Alex pulled her magnum, aiming for the upper balcony. Chris unslung the AK-47, pushing Claire slightly behind him. There was a tittering laugh and a young woman stepped into view.
"Well it certainly is the day for dead people to come back to life."
Alex's tone was bitter and cold. Claire flicked her eyes from the woman to Alex, then back again.
"You mean that's not Alfred?"
"No, it's not…trust me on this."
Alexia uttered a tittering laugh, staring down at the three of them like they were insignificant bugs. No doubt, in her eyes, they were. Alex clicked the hammer back on the magnum, keeping Alexia in her sights.
"Where, Ms. Ashford, is Steve?"
"Young Mr. Burnside is currently enjoying my private attentions." Alexia's gaze moved from Alex to Claire. "Perhaps you should come and take a look for yourself."
Before Chris could stop her, Claire bounded up the steps. Alex made a grab herself, but managed only in pulling off Claire's vest as she rushed past. Alexia disappeared through a nearby door, just as Claire reached the landing and started across the balcony. Alex started up the stairs, just as Chris blew past her reaching the landing in seconds. What happened next was beyond anything the three of them had yet experienced.
Alex gasped as a huge tentacle burst through the wall and crashed into the balcony. Alex toppled backwards, snapping the back of her head painfully against the marble tiled floor. Claire screamed and managed to jump to the other side of the balcony, landing in front of the door Alexia had disappeared through. Chris, on the other hand, was not so lucky. He went crashing to the floor, along with several pieces of the balcony itself.
"Chris!"
Claire was on her hands and knees, leaning over the edge of the far right balcony, where the connecting balcony had once been. Alex pulled herself up rubbing at the back of her head as she moved around the remaining staircase. Chris was laying flat on his back, his left leg pinned under several pieces of debris. Alex kneeled, glancing briefly at the blood on her hand from the head wound, before carefully helping Chris extract his leg from the debris.
"I'll live, go after Steve."
"But Chris…"
"Just go, I'll catch up with you."
Claire nodded as Alex pulled Chris to his feet. Alex grabbed Chris' Glock from the waist band of his pants and tossed it up to Claire, along with two clips. Claire gave her an appreciative smile, scooped up the gun and clips, then disappeared through the door.
"Well, Alex, now what?"
"I have…"
Alex turned sharply toward the double doors. She had heard footsteps. As she stared, the knob slowly turned. She wasted no time, pushing Chris toward one of the large columns that supported the remaining balcony. Alex dove under the staircase, her head barley peeking around the corner as the knob finished its turn and the door opened…
Wesker stepped into the lobby, not very surprised that it resembled the old Spencer Mansion. The destroyed upper balcony was a bit of a shock though. From its appearance the damage was fairly recent, most certainly that was the loud crash he had heard from outside. Which begged the question, just where was his sister when all of this damage had taken place and where was she now?
"So many guests today."
Wesker snapped his head to the young woman who had seemed to materialize from thin air. She smiled down at him, fingering a red stone chocker around her neck. He'd found Alexia, now to get a hold of her.
"Ms. Ashford." Wesker smiled gracefully, swallowing his pride by giving her a slight bow. "If you would be so kind as to join me…"
Alexia's tittering laugh cut through the lobby, making even the seasoned Wesker's blood run cold. From under the stairs, Alex tensed, her finger tightening on the trigger of her magnum. Chris remained stock still behind the column, waiting.
Alexia stepped forward, moving slowly down the red carpeted steps. Wesker moved to his right, watching the young woman warily. He had no idea what the virus would have done to her. Even with his power, Wesker was going to be cautious.
The smile never left her lips, even as her body changed, turning a sickly mixture of gray and green. Her clothes suddenly burst into flame and fell around her to the floor…now nothing more than ash. Wesker's eyes widened only a fraction of an inch as she underwent her transformation. When she reached the lobby floor any semblance of her former human self was gone. Oh the shape was still that of a human woman, but that is where the resemblance ended.
She raised her right arm and Wesker had one split second to dive out of the way as something flew toward him. It was blood and where it landed burst into flame. He rolled backwards, flipping his arm out to put out the flames that had erupted from a speck of blood touching his shirt sleeve. He heard something behind him rustle and saw Redfield standing behind him and slightly to left.
"We meet again Redfield."
"Yea."
Both of them were now pinned near the wall, with Alexia advancing toward them…
Alex raised the magnum, leaning out around the stairwell. She could easily get a bead on Chris or Albert, neither of which she wanted to kill. The only part of the now mutated Alexia she could site in was part of a shoulder. However, the gun was still loaded with armor piercing rounds. A shot to the shoulder could possibly put her down. At the very least is would distract her.
Saying a silent prayer, she squeezed the trigger. Alexia spun to the left and Alex found herself face to face with one very pissed off mutated snob.
"Shit…"
She pulled backwards just as Alexia flicked her arm toward the stairwell, blocking the opening with flames. Soon enough the debris from the upper balcony and the stairwell itself caught fire…
As soon as the shot was fired, Wesker bolted for the doorway. He escaped into the Garden, his temper flaring. His first shot at obtaining Alexia had gone worse than he anticipated. His second chance must indeed go better than this first meeting.
A smile spread across his face as he thought of Redfield fighting that thing and in all probability, losing. As Wesker strode out of the Garden toward the elevator the thought that it had been Aaron, not Claire, that had saved his life didn't cross his mind…
When Alexia had turned her attention to Alex, Chris had quickly moved to the far side of the stairwell, hoping to pull Alex out from under there before she got roasted alive. However Alexia had other plans.
She quickly crossed the distance between them, causing Chris to back up several steps. He fired a short burst from the assault rifle, but the bullets only seemed to piss her off. However there was at least one shot that drew her attention and it hadn't come from him. Alex's magnum was loud in the lobby and the bullet ripped through Alexia's middle, leaving a rather large hole in its wake.
Alexia turned, flicking her arm. Chris saw Alex barley duck out of the way as a sheet of flame blocked the only remaining opening under the staircase.
Alex coughed, the smoke and heat finally starting to take its toll. Both ends of the little opening were blocked by flames, which were now trying to consume the staircase itself. If she didn't figure out how to get out she was going to suffocate from smoke inhalation or get fried. Neither choice really appealed to her.
Outside her perilous position she heard the assault rifle go into full auto. Chris at least was drawing Alexia's attention away from the prospective prey under the stairs. Finally Alex did the only thing she could. She ripped her shirt open, sending the buttons flying in all directions, and pulled it up over her head.
"This is fucking crazy…"
Chris dropped the empty clip and was slamming in a second when something suddenly came flying through the sheet of flames that was licking it's way around the opening of the staircase. Alex hit the floor hard in an awkward roll and came up with her magnum drawn and pointed at Alexia. The shell took the mutated woman in the chest. She staggered a few steps and toppled over, unmoving. The flames she had left immediately died down and went out.
"What a bitch." Alex mumbled, standing up.
Chris did not fail to notice the severely scorched and now completely un-wearable shirt she left on the floor. He also did not fail to notice that she was wearing only a black lacy bra, which was embarrassing the hell out of him. Alex didn't appear to notice the effect she was having. Instead she walked over and gave Alexia a harsh kick in the ribs.
"Well, the bitch ain't standing now." She turned, running a hand through her now unbound hair. "What?"
Instead of answering, Chris undid the buttons of his shirt, yanked it off, and held it out to her. This of course left Chris wearing only a white tee-shirt.
"Here."
Alex actually looked confused for second, before finally realizing that her…uh…ballistics were in plain view and being barley contained by a very skimpy, very lacy black bra. She blushed a deep shade of crimson and took the shirt sheepishly. Clearing his throat, Chris turned slightly as she slipped it on and buttoned it up.
"We have to find Claire."
"Yea." Alex finished with the shirt, brushing her hair out of the way. "You do realize we're going to have to blow this place to hell and back."
"I figured as much." Chris fell silent for a moment, then cleared his throat. "Alex why the hell did you do that?"
"Do what?" Alex looked extremely confused as she did her best to push the hair out of her eyes. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Shooting Alexia like that, Wesker was…"
Chris fell silent as Alex's face contorted into shock, then anger. Anger so raw that she looked precisely like Wesker. As she spun around and scooped her sunglasses up off the floor, Chris understood what was wrong. Alex thought he wanted to know why she hadn't shot Wesker. As much as it pained him to admit it, he had actually wanted to know why she had taken such a dangerous shot, with her brother so close to her target.
"Alex, all I meant was…"
"Save it." Alex's tone was clipped as she slide the sunglasses over her eyes. "We need to find Claire and Steve. That painting at the top of the stairwell leads to the hallway she disappeared to and, incidentally, the door Alexia made her appearance from."
Alex kneeled and grabbed the chocker from where it lay at the foot of the stairs. She tossed it to him.
"We need the ring Alfred was wearing and an earring their father was wearing. Since Alexia experimented on her father, I assume he is no longer human." Stooping, Alex pulled a butterfly knife from her boot, she had found on one of the dead HCF agents earlier. "I suggest we split up."
She coldly tossed him the spare radio she had clipped to her belt, the hands free radio from the HCF agent was still tucked in her back pocket, and headed toward the doorway. Chris couldn't' have spoken or tried to explain, because there was no way Alex was going to listen. She stopped at the door for a moment and Chris was shocked to the core when she suddenly grabbed the back of her hair into a tight grip and sliced through it with the knife. Her hair went from below the shoulders, to jaw line in less than three seconds.
"I'm on channel three."
The slamming door was like a shotgun blast in the silent lobby…