Alex arched an eyebrow as she took in their new surroundings. They appeared to be standing in some kind of prison, although Alex didn't remember this being on the maps she had been forced to memorize. Now that Alex had led them from the Mansion, their next priority was to set the entire facility to blow up, find Claire, and get the hell out of here before the fireworks started.
"This is one creepy place, I tell you what."
Chris nodded and started to say something, when a muffled sob interrupted him. It was coming from the room to Alex's right and Alex quickly put two and two together. After all, there was more than one way to get to this hallway, Alex had simply taken the most direct route from the lobby.
"Claire?" Alex rapped her knuckles on the heavy steel door. "Claire is that you?"
"Yes." Her words were hoarse and cracked. "Alex?"
"Yea, are you alright?"
"Yes but…but Steve…"
Claire trailed off into another fit of sobs and Alex didn't need to hear what had happened. Sometime between the time Claire had parted from them, until now, Steve had gotten killed. Alex tried the door handle, wrenching it back and forth. It was locked. She stepped aside and motioned at Chris.
"Maybe you can get it open."
Chris nodded, tucking his Beretta behind his back. Chris gripped the handle in his right hand and leaned back slightly. There were two loud clangs as he put all his weight behind each shoulder ram. The door shook, but would not give. Chris backed up, preparing to try a third time, when a key card slid into the hallway from Claire's side of the door.
"It's key card for the self-destruct computer." Claire's voice sound slightly more steady than before. "If you set the self-destruct, maybe the door will unlock."
"That sounds right." Alex murmured, tapping her chin. "At least that's the way the system is usually set up."
"We'll be right back Claire." Chris scooped up the card. "Promise."
"Ok."
Chris turned to Alex, who nodded and pointed to a small alcove at the end of the hallway.
"That way."
Wesker was in one of the lower labs, observing every move Aaron and Redfield were making, and pacing back in forth the small room like a caged animal. He was still agitated from the confrontation between himself and his little sister.
A loud clang drew his attention to the monitors. Aaron and Redfield were in the holding area and from the tone of the conversation, so was Redfield's baby sister. There was a few seconds of discussion and then Redfield and Aaron continued down the hallway to a small alcove and stairway.
Wesker flipped through the security channels until he found the one he was looking for, a picture of Redfield and Aaron standing on a large steel mesh platform. There was several more seconds of conversation and then they both disappeared through a sliding steel door. Wesker didn't need to switch cameras to know what they were doing and just where they were going. Aaron and Redfield were going to blow up the facility.
Wesker watched the monitor, waiting to see the two of the emerge from the security room and hear the computer start its self-destruct countdown. What he saw instead, was Aaron come running through the door, speed across the platform, and rush down the stairs, taking them two at a time.
"What in the world are you up now?"
Alex spared no energy as she raced through the holding area and crashed through the door back into Alexia's lab. She was severely pissed with herself. She should have known they would need a password to start the countdown. She had worked in lab security long enough to know that simple little piece of information and yet it had completely slipped her mind. However, it was a problem that would soon be easily remedied.
When she and Chris had first come through here on their way to the floor below, Alex had spotted a file sitting on one of the consoles. She had quickly thumbed through it and, at the time, had not deemed it important. Of course now it was important, because inside she knew it held the secret to the pass code she and Chris needed.
She slid to a stop in front of the console and snatched up the file.
"Alright, I know it's in here."
The Ashford family's most important secret is kept at this lab.
As a safety precaution, I have installed a self-destruct…
Alex skipped ahead a bit. "Yea, yea, I know that."
By using the elevator…
…one should….
…escape from the lab easily…
"Oh come on, get the relevant part you rambling asshole!"
…I have used the name of my beautiful ancestor for the activation code.
Glory to the Ashfords,
Alexander Ashford
"Yes!" Alex dropped the file on the floor and grabbed at the button on her radio. "Chris, you there?"
"I'm here."
"The activation code is Veronica."
"Are you sure?"
"Trust me on this. Kent made me learn the entire freaking history of this screwed up family, it's Veronica."
"Alright…hold on…"
Alex crossed her arms, her right foot tapping nervously as she waited. Just as Alex was beginning to think she might have been wrong a siren went off and the overhead intercom came to life.
- The self-destruct sequence has been initiated. All doors are
now unlocked. All employees evacuate the facility…. REPEAT…
The self-destruct has been initiated…this facility will self-
destruct in ten minutes…All employees evacuate the facility… -
A smirk formed on Wesker's face as the intercom blared the facility's immanent destruction. He leaned a closer to the monitor and his smirk deepened as he saw Claire step into the holding area and then go running toward the alcove and the platform where her brother was now standing. Wesker slowly got to his feet and headed out the door.
"This time you won't be getting away so easily Redfield…"
"Claire!"
Chris hugged her as she came to a skidding stop in front of him. The computer was still blaring its warning and the siren was still going off, but for a few seconds both siblings forgot about that. After all the hell of Raccoon City and Rockfort Island, they had finally been reunited.
"Come on Claire, we have to get out of here."
As the two siblings turned to flee, something dropped from the ceiling and blocked their escape. Chris automatically stepped in front of Claire as Alexia lifted her head toward the two of them. Chris knew that if the armor piercing rounds Alex had fired into her during their last confrontation couldn't put her down for good, there was zero chance of him pulling it off with just a Berretta.
"Chris!" Claire grabbed Chris by the arm and swung him toward a pair of locks behind them. "Look!"
Chris studied the apparatus for exactly two seconds then sprinted to the far right lock. He quickly skimmed the instructions then glanced toward Claire.
"On three." Chris took a deep breath. "1...2...3!"
Chris and Claire turned the locks at the same time. There was a hum of electricity and the click of machinery as the weapon, the Linear Launcher, powered up. From his skimming of the directions, he knew it was going to take at least two minutes for the weapon to power up and become usable.
"Claire I want you to head toward the hanger, meet…"
"But Chris!"
"No buts." Chris reached out and spun Claire around to face him, holding her by the upper arms. "Meet up with Alex and the two of you head to the hanger. I'll be there shortly, I promise."
Slowly, Claire nodded. "You'd better be."
Claire spun around and ran for the stairs, sliding close to the railing to avoid Alexia. But, Alexia had other plans. The former Ashford turned into Claire's path and swung her arm toward the railing. A fire sprang up, cutting off Claire's escape.
"No!"
Just as Chris raised his gun, three shots rang out. Alexia stumbled forward and hit her knees, as she did the fire died down and went out. Chris looked toward the stairs and saw Alex framed in the doorway, her magnum still raised. She winked at him, her face breaking into a sly smile.
"Guess I just made it eh?" Alex took two steps forward and grabbed Claire by the wrist. "Come on honey, two's company, three's a crowd, and four is two too many. I'm sure Chris can handle the Ashford freak on his own."
As Alex pulled Claire toward the stairs, she glanced back at Chris and gave him an encouraging smile. Chris smiled back and winked. Alex nodded and disappeared out the door with Claire in tow…
Alex took the stairs two at a time, Claire just behind her. As she hit the holding area's hallway she glanced back.
"Don't worry, Chris will be…"
"Alex…LOOK OUT!"
Alex started to turn just as something slammed into her chest. It felt like a wrecking ball had just taken a swipe at her and hit it's mark. She flew backwards into the wall behind her, crashing into it with a bone jarring crack. As she hit, her head snapped to the side and her temple struck the jagged edge of protruding brick. There was an explosion of pain and her vision doubled. She slid down the wall, blackness darkening the edges of her conciseness. Through the haze she heard Claire screaming her name. Alex tried to respond, but the action seemed too much for her. Her body finally slide to the floor and toppled over face first…then the blackness closed in and took over…
Claire rushed to Alex's unmoving body. Her left arm was bent over her head, her right laying perfectly straight along the line of her body. Alex's head was turned toward the door they had been fleeing to, blood trickling from a gash at her right temple. Claire reached down and gently shook her, but Alex did not move…or awake.
"Why?" Claire spun, turning her grief to anger as she glared at the man behind her. "What did she ever do to you!"
Wesker said nothing, showed no emotion. He had not intended to hit Aaron that hard, nor had he intended for her to hit the wall with such velocity. His intention had been only to get her out of the way so she would not interfere and possibly get herself hurt and/or killed. But his plans had gone slightly awry.
Wesker's eyes flicked to the unmoving form of his baby sister and he inwardly winced. His gaze then turned to Claire as she jumped to her feet and rushed him.
"You bastard!"
Wesker stepped to the side, grabbed Claire by the wrist, and spun her into him. Before she could react, he wrapped a well muscled arm around her neck.
"Calm yourself Miss Redfield or I will be forced to start the festivities earlier than anticipated."
From the stairwell came a deafening explosion and Chris rolled into the hallway seconds later…
Chris turned his attention from the empty doorway to Alexia. He took a step backwards as she threw her head back and her skin began to bubble. She was mutating again and this time it was into something that didn't look even remotely human. Wings ripped their way through the skin on her back and her legs disappeared. When all was said and done she looked like some horror writer's vision of a mutant dragonfly or flying ant.
Chris backed up again, bumping into the wall by the Linear Launcher as Alexia's wings beat swiftly and lifted her into the air. Suddenly the lock around the Linear Launcher released and the gun fell forward. Chris wrenched it from it's holder and swung it onto his shoulder. As the computer announced they only have five minutes to escape, Chris sited in on the flitting monster Alexia had become.
"Hold still you bitch…"
Alexia was quick and with the counter running, Chris knew he really only had one chance. One chance to send the bitch to hell.
Just as Chris was about to take the shot blind, Alexia dipped down and lined up perfectly with the launcher's crosshairs. He pulled the trigger before she could zip out of line again. The burst from the launcher took her right in the chest. She screamed as the energy built and expanded. Chris dropped the launcher and charged for the doorway, not wanting to be present when the ball of energy finally exploded.
Chris was knocked off his feet as the inevitable explosion occurred. He didn't have to look to know Alexia was nothing more than a few pieces of singed meat and body parts. He rolled down the stairs and landed at the foot of them in crouched position, his right hand braced on the floor.
"So nice to see you again Redfield."
Chris' head snapped up at the sound of that cold calculating voice. Wesker was standing a few feet away, Claire firmly in his grip. To the left of them was a large hole in the wall. It didn't take a genius to figure out Wesker had put it there. As Chris slowly got to his feet, he caught site of Alex. She was laying on the ground, unmoving, her magnum laying by her side. His eyes flicked from Alex to Wesker and all the anger he felt at the man doubled.
"You son of a bitch." Chris growled, tightening his fists. "You'd kill your own sister to satisfy your twisted plans?"
"The price of success is high."
Wesker smirked and dragged Claire through the hole in the wall. Chris stepped forward, intent on following him. But before he did, he kneeled next to Alex. There was blood caked along the right side of her face from a gash at her temple. Carefully he brushed aside a few strands hair and gently kissed her on the cheek.
"I'm sorry."
Chris got to his feet. His eyes narrowed as he sprinted through the hole after Wesker…
Wesker was waiting patiently as Redfield burst through the double doors into the docking bay. He was unsurprised to see the hate and anger in Redfield's gaze. For a long time, Wesker had watched the growing affection between Aaron and Redfield turn from something very much like siblings, into something far more substantial. It had been going on long before the incident at the Mansion and Wesker had not been pleased with it from the beginning.
"Let her go."
Wesker smirked and shoved Claire toward her brother. She stumbled over to him and Redfield immediately pushed her behind him.
"Alexia's dead you know."
"That's no matter, I have Steve's body to work with."
Claire leapt toward Wesker, her anger over Alex replaced with her grief over Steve. Wesker had to smirk, young love was such a foolish thing. Redfield grabbed her by the arm, pulling her back to his side before she could get herself killed.
"Claire get out of here, now."
Claire glanced at Wesker then back to Chris and finally nodded.
"Just remember your promise."
Claire disappeared through the doors, giving her brother one last look. Wesker shook his head as he stepped forward.
"You really are a heroic fool."
"You owe some debts Wesker." Chris glared at him. "I intend to collect."
"Really?" Wesker reached up and removed his sunglasses, dropping them to the ground as he walked forward. "I don't know where you get your confidence from Chris, but it is about to get you killed."
Chris was momentarily surprised to hear Wesker call him by his first name. But as those yellow eyes bored into his, he quickly got over it. He took a step back as Wesker advanced, lulling him into thinking he was afraid. His arm bumped a nearby stack of pipes and he grabbed one. Mustering all of his strength, he swung the pipe in a wide arc toward Wesker's head.
"You'll have to do better than that."
Chris' eyes widened. Wesker had blocked the pipe with his forearm, bending it almost completely in half. Before he could react Wesker shoved the pipe aside and spun into a round house kick. Wesker's heel struck him in the jaw and sent him flying. He hit a nearby stack of pipes and rolled to the floor. Wesker was on him in seconds, jerking him up by the back of the shirt.
"Well? What do you think of the power I got in exchange for my humanity?"
Chris would have responded, had he been given the chance. But Wesker was apparently not interested in Chris' opinion. Because before he could say a word, Wesker punched him in the face. Chris reeled from the hit, stumbling backwards. Wesker hit him again and again Chris stumbled, now with blood running from a cut to his mouth. A hit to the stomach caused Chris to double over, coughing and struggling to breath. Wesker laughed and grabbed him by the hair, pulling him straight.
"It seems your words speak louder than your actions."
Wesker pulled his arm back and down, then brought his fist up with all his power. The blow connected with the bottom of Chris' chin and again sent him flying. He hit the floor a few feet away on his back, his head smacking painfully into the concrete. He couldn't have moved if he wanted to, his whole body felt like it had been put through a cement mixer. The only thing Chris could think of, as Wesker prepared for the final blow, was that he had told his first lie to Claire…he would not be able to keep his promise…
Claire ran down the hallway and scrambled through the hole in the wall, her eyes darting to the steel door to her right.
"Claire…"
Claire stumbled slightly as she spun to her left. Leaning against the wall, holding her side, was Alex. She looked like death warmed over, but she was alive.
"Alex…you're…you're alive!"
"You can call it that I suppose." She leaned forward glancing through the hole to the hallway beyond. "Where is Chris?"
"Wesker…"
"Shit…Claire head to the plane."
Alex pushed away from the wall and moved past Claire, through the hole, to the hallway.
"But Alex, you're in no condition…"
"Don't worry Claire." Alex's voice was tight and determined. "If I have to drag him out of there by his hair, I'll make sure Chris gets to that plane."
Claire started to argue, but when she saw the look on Alex's face she snapped her mouth shut. When Chris got that very same look, there was no talking him out of whatever he was planning to do.
"Alright, but you better come back."
Alex smiled slyly. "Awe, does that mean if I didn't you'd miss me?"
"Alex…"
"Yea, yea, I'll be back." Alex started down the hallway, breaking into a sprint. "I promise."
Claire shook her head, turning toward the door. She was hearing that particular sentence a lot today, the question was, would any of them be able to keep it?
Alex pushed back the pain and moved as fast as she was able. Her head throbbed, her right arm felt numb as the pain from the dog bite decided to make it's presence known again, and she believed she had at least two fractured, if not broken, ribs. She was also torn about just what she was going to do. Despite having been knocked into a wall and left for dead, she couldn't bring herself to believe he had intentionally tried to kill her. After all, he was her brother.
Alex heard Albert's voice behind a set of double doors then the sound of something heavy hitting the floor. She pushed the doors open and was immediately stunned by what she saw. Chris was laying on the floor to her right, trying to sit up. Albert was crouching a few feet away to her left, looking smug. Neither of them had spotted her yet and she doubted it would change what was about to happen even if they had. Albert was preparing for the final blow, he was going to kill Chris.
Alex looked at the scene and her mind reeled. Albert was her brother, Chris was the one person who didn't condemn her for what she had done. Albert had raised her, Chris had saved her life. She loved them both, but she had to choose…she had to betray one of them…
Alex's eyes flicked the ceiling above Albert's head, then to a lever on her left. Taking one last look at Albert, she dashed to the lever and jerked it down…she made her choice…
There was a loud rattle of clanging metal. Albert's head snapped up, as over a ton of iron girders rained down. Even with his powers he had no chance of escape. Alex turned her gaze away as the girders hit the floor with a crash, burying her brother.
"Chris."
She ran to where Chris was still struggling to stand, not even once glancing at the pile of girders. She helped Chris to his feet, her face etched with worry.
"Are you alright?"
Chris looked into her eyes, then pulled her into a hug. She winced slightly as his tightening arms put pressure on her broken ribs but she said nothing.
"I thought he'd killed you."
"No." She said quietly as he finally pulled back. "Bit banged up, but still alive."
"You didn't…"
Alex started to tell him that she did have to do what she did. But as she opened her mouth to explain, the girders shifted. Alex slowly turned her gaze from Chris' face to the pile. Her eyes widened as the girders shifted again. A second later Albert stood up, shaking his head. He stumbled slightly as he walked away from the girders, his gaze falling on Alex. Chris gently pushed Alex behind him and straightened.
Suddenly an explosion rocked the installation. Alex glanced at her watch, their time was up, the self-destruct had started. All three of them stumbled as a second explosion hit in the very room they were in. A nearby gas tank, at least ten feet tall, ripped away from the wall and fell between Albert and Chris.
"Come on."
Chris jerked Alex toward the double doors and pushed them open. But before he could pull her through, Alex stopped and looked back. Through the fire she could see Albert's face. The two of them stared at each other, looks of sadness and loss flickering over both faces. For the briefest of seconds Albert was the man she remembered before Umbrella and Alex was the sister Albert had raised. Then it was gone and Albert's face once more donned a daunting smirk as he looked past Alex to Chris.
"You've got a lot of dumb luck Redfield." Albert's gaze shifted to Alex. "But next time we meet, Aaron won't be around to save you."
Chris pulled her through the door as Albert's deep laugh echoed behind them…
As Redfield and Aaron disappeared through the door, Wesker spun around and walked toward his waiting sub. He was relieved to see his sister alive, though more than a little disheartened at her choice. He had thought she would be smarter than that, smart enough to choose the winning side.
"You always were the sentimental one, Bunny." Wesker mumbled as he stepped onto the sub. "And a romantic fool, let's hope it doesn't get you into trouble."
Wesker disappeared through the hatch and a few minutes later the sub exited the hanger…disappearing out to sea…
Chris and Alex ran down the hallway and crashed through the door. They both skidded into the emergency elevator as more explosions rocked the installation. Alex glanced at Chris and gave him a weak smile, he smiled back, anxiously watching the elevator's decent.
The elevator stopped and just as Alex and Chris stepped out, an explosion ripped through the shaft. Both of them were blown off their feet and over the railing. Chris landed on the nose of the jet, on his stomach with his arms dangling over one side of the nose and his legs dangling over the other. Alex tumbled into the pilot's seat, her feet hanging out of the cockpit and over the right side of the plane and her head wedged between the seat and the control yoke. Claire jumped up from the copilot's seat behind Alex, looking worriedly at both of them. Chris coughed several times and turned to look at his sister.
"Hey, don't I always keep my promises?"
"Yo." Alex lifted her left arm and gave a thumbs up sign. "Told you I'd get him here and I didn't even have to drag him by the hair."
The plane lifted out of the hanger just as the last of the explosions started to rip through the facility. Alex looked out the window as the installation was shredded. She was in the copilot's seat with Claire as Chris flew the jet. He circled the installation once then pulled away, checking his coordinates for their destination.
"Chris, you're still going to try and stop Umbrella aren't you?"
Alex turned from the window. Claire didn't sound angry or accusing, it was simply a question. Despite this, Chris shifted uncomfortably.
"I'm sorry Claire, I…"
"Well then, this time you're not leaving me behind." Claire leaned forward and flicked Chris in the back of the head, a sly smile. "I'm coming along to help."
"Claire." Chris sighed heavily. "I am not going to put you…"
"Might as well not argue. From the set of her jaw I'd say you're not going to win."
"What about you?"
"Me?" Alex smiled. "Well I am currently unemployed. I suppose I could work on the right side of things for once. Besides, you need someone like me. I know lots of stuff about Umbrella, I have experience with all of their BOW experiments, I'm an excellent shot, I'm immune to the T-Virus, and I look really cute in a STARS uniform."
Claire turned her head, giving Alex a strange look as Chris blinked rapidly from the front of the plane. Alex shrugged.
"What?" She then smirked. "Oh come on, you can't tell me this shirt doesn't look cuter on me than it does on Chris."
Seconds later, as the plane banked, the cockpit broke out into laughter…