The city of Paris glowed, even at night. The lights from various buildings streamed haphazardly through the hotel windows, through the blinds, illuminating some areas while dipping others into shadow. On the bed, a figure stirred, aroused by the light.

"Trinity," A soft voice said in the shadows, and Trinity sat up, looking over her shoulder at the woman behind her. She fought back a shiver as she looked her over; the woman's black outfit made her seem like part of the darkness, except for the pale bandage on her stomach and the green eye that seemed to glow, the pupil a slit. "Are you alright?"

The teen rubbed her blue eyes, wincing slightly at the pain when she did, her face pale. Her now-blonde hair was already falling from the loose ponytail she'd hastily put it in, and she pushed back a few strands. She felt frozen, despite her jeans and sweater and couldn't look the woman in the eye.

"…Y-yeah," She answered in a hoarse voice, sniffling slightly. "I'm…I'm fine, Kyoko."

"No, you're not," Kyoko corrected, stepping a little more out of the shadow, and again, Trinity fought back the chills. "You've been crying for hours. Why? Are you mourning over those men I killed?"

Trinity felt the old, familiar tingle of cold fear and instantly repressed it. She couldn't blame Kyoko for being so….nonchalant. So unfeeling.

She honestly didn't think that Kyoko could feel guilt.

She wasn't human.

Trinity's father was a researcher at the Umbrella facility located in New York. In fact, he was one of the head researchers. Before, Trinity had just assumed that he dealt with medicine, things like that. But ever since the events in July, she'd known that this was a lie. And Kyoko was further proof of this.

The teen fought back another wave of tears as Kyoko sat down on the bed beside her. She tried not remembering that day a week ago when her life had truly shattered into infinite pieces, but the memories rushed in.

The shouts of her parents. Her mother, sobbing almost hysterically. Her father, screaming and roaring in absolute fury….The sound of her mother then screaming in pain, moaning like some hellish banshee…The sound of a gun being fired, her father's hysterical pleas for forgiveness….

After that, all Trinity could remember for a while were Kyoko's arms around her, her warmth slowing calming Trinity down.

Just a little while later, Trinity stole some things from her father's study and ran away with the Tyrant. It'd been strange, all of a sudden running away like that. She'd never been an impulsive girl, always playing the good and model daughter, the daughter that they told stories about at parties, and then forgot she even existed.

Trinity didn't run away because of Umbrella; She'd run away because of what her parents had been arguing about.

Because…. She thought, biting her lip. Kyoko…they were going to—

She stopped the thought. She didn't want to finish it.

The teen had known Kyoko for nearly a year, ever since her father had brought her home one cold winter night. Back then, Kyoko hadn't looked as tame as she did now. She'd looked wild, dangerous, her good eye emotionless almost. Since her mother had been so busy with her own job of designing clothes and her father with his research, she had viewed Kyoko as at least potential conversation.

Then, her father had informed her that Kyoko was going to be living with them as Trinity's bodyguard of sorts.

From the very beginning, she'd known that Kyoko was different and not just because of her looks. She had rarely talked, rarely ate, slept, or do anything that classified as being normal. All she'd pretty much done was stand silently in Trinity's room, staring straight ahead. It'd been slightly unnerving. And when she'd asked her father about it, he just said that Kyoko was focused.

She accepted the answer until July. And when she saw Kyoko tear a man apart with her bare hands. It had happened so fast; some guy was trespassing on their grounds, and the next thing Trinity had known, Kyoko was sprinting out of her room and tearing into the man. It'd been bloody and brutal and terrifying. But what probably scared her most was when she asked Kyoko why she had done it.

Kyoko had replied with, "Why not?"

Trinity asked her what she was. And Kyoko told her that she opened her eye one morning and was in a test-tube.

Kyoko had told with a nearly dead panned voice about how she woke up and broke free of that container. How she slaughtered those scientists that had been staring at her with a mixture of admiration and complete fear. The only one she hadn't killed was Trinity's father, and that was only because he knew Kyoko's name. Kyoko herself had no memories whatsoever of before the test tube. None. But, her father had known things, and that was the only thing that saved him.

Trinity sighed heavily, leaning against Kyoko's shoulder, tired of the nostalgic feeling that was governing her. She wasn't quite sure just what Kyoko was, but it didn't matter. And, despite the things Kyoko had done, she was attached to her. She trusted her. And if Kyoko hadn't come with her, she would have never made it as far as she did.

"I know you had to kill them," She said softly. "But that still doesn't make it right."

"They wanted to kill us," Kyoko replied. "I had no choice. It was either kill or be killed."

Trinity just sighed again, looking at the bandage wrapped around Kyoko's lower stomach. It was speckled with blood from where one of those soldiers had got her with a bullet. Kyoko hadn't really seemed to care, but the way the wound had been bleeding had made the teenager nervous, so the tyrant just pulled the bullet out, cleaned it, and put a bandage on it (Trinity had not been present when Kyoko pulled the bullet out.)

Sure, it'd heal in about a day, but now with two companies after her, she couldn't take any chances. Kyoko was pretty much the only reason she was alive. It was bad enough with those Umbrella thugs after her, but now, with these other guys….

She hopped off the bed, walking over to a small duffel bag beside the bed. Stooping down, she very carefully pulled out a silver cross hanging off a chain, then a biohazard flower on another chair. She heard Kyoko start hissing very softly and shuddered herself.

"I hate that thing…" She growled, referring to the cross. "It makes me sick…"

"I know it does," Trinity agreed quietly, understanding that it wasn't the actual cross that made Kyoko sick. It was what was contained inside it. Body shaking, but hands steady, Trinity gently twisted one of the cross points, until she screwed it off and pulled out a red vial which glowed eerily.

Kyoko bristled more, bearing her fangs slightly. Yes, Trinity had stolen important files. But that wasn't just it; she'd stolen the damn virus. Along with it's anti-virus. In essence, this new virus that her father and Umbrella had been creating was now in the hands of a scared fifteen year old girl.

In her mind, Trinity ran what she had learned from the files; she had practically memorized them. This virus was called the Crimson Virus, C-Virus for short. If a person was infected, they would experience a complete hemorrhaging of the body before complete death. As far as Trinity could tell, it meant that a person would bleed from every pore in their body. The file then went on about how the infected would then rise as a V-Act. AKA Crimson Head, and also talked of the severe mutations it could cause in plants and animals.

A hellish virus from a hellish company.

And Trinity was holding it in her hands.

Kyoko positively hated it, loathed the very sight of it. She didn't know why, but it seemed to offend every single one of her senses. She wanted to throw it, to smash it, to get rid of it. But, Trinity hadn't told her to, and it somehow seemed important to her. So, until the teen gave the word, the vial was off limits.

But that didn't mean she had to hide her hatred.

Trinity sighed softly. In truth, she wanted to get rid of this vile substance. But, she didn't know how. And until she did, she was stuck with it.

How hard life was going to be when he father finally figured out that she had it. She knew that Umbrella didn't know from the lack of big guns they were sending after her. "He won't notice," She reassured herself. "Not for a little while longer….and by the time he does, me and Kyoko will be gone from here. He's…too busy with…Mum…"

A pang of pain, followed by depression. "Damn it, stop thinking about it!" She reprimanded herself harshly. "It's not going to change anything…Not ever…" She carefully put the virus back into its place inside the cross, putting the biohazard necklace on. She turned to Kyoko, who had retreated back into the safety of the shadows.

"What are we going to do, Kyoko?"

"Run until we collapse. Or, stand and fight. It doesn't matter to me. Either way, blood will flow."

Trinity sighed, laying on the bed and curling into a ball. "I thought so," She murmured. "…'Night, Kyoko." She refused to speak after that, forcing herself to fall into an uneasy sleep filled with bloody bodies.
------------------------------------------------------
Across the city, just as Trinity was drifting off into that troubled sleep, Chris Redfield was stepping out of a cab, wincing as he did so. He thanked the driver in careful French before turning to the huge hotel in front of him.

Anyone who knew him months ago would barely recognize him as he was. Even those who knew him after the mansion incident.

After the horrors and shocks of the Antarctic, Chris had figured that things could only get better. Sure, he had defeated Alexia and saved his sister, not to mention destroying another one of Umbrella's precious labs. But did all that truly matter after the humiliating defeats at the hands of his former Captain? A man who, by all means, should be dead? Who Chris had watched being impaled with his own eyes? He'd hit the bottom, so the only way to go was back up, right?

Right?

Wrong. Claire had slipped into a deep, deep depression that nothing could snap her out of because of Steve's death. Rebecca had gone missing, while he kept in touch with everyone else. Wesker was still alive. And to top off this wonderful and uplifting list, Chris was hurting. Badly, and on the inside. And it was so ironic that he had survived two viral outbreaks.

But, his body was starting to give.

The last fight with Wesker left him with broken ribs, internal bleeding, and a slight case of pneumonia. Since he'd been running off of pure adrenaline after that pipe exploded and saved him from a worse beating, he hadn't even noticed the horrible pain until he was in the cock-pit of the jet and spitting up blood.

The doctors had been amazed he was moving, let alone flying a plane.

Technically, he should have been resting back in the States. While he was a little better, there'd be no stopping trains for this Superman. But, there was one thing that had torn him away from his warm bed, and that was Jill Valentine. She'd asked him to come to Paris to see her.

Chris had always tried to convince himself that he wasn't attracted to the ex-thief, that they were just close friends. But…when Brad had came back and flew them away from that hell of a mansion…and Jill had leaned her head against his shoulder… Chris had never been so happy. And he accepted the fact that he was in love with Jill.

Still, he was surprised at the overwhelming hatred and jealousy he had felt when he first met Carlos. The man's cockiness about Jill and how he went on about how he saved her life by giving her the anti-virus made Chris feel more homicidal than when he thought about Wesker. Luckily, Jill had assured him that Carlos was naturally arrogant at first, but a good guy deep down. And that nothing had gone on between them. He'd been relieved; Even then, he hadn't been in exactly good shape to fight another man for her affections.

What are you waiting for? A voice gently asked him, and he shrugged. Come on. Don't keep her waiting, Redfield. She called for YOU. She wants to see YOU.

Chris just nodded as he slightly limped inside. The hotel clerk was American and surprisingly helpful, telling him that Ms. Valentine had informed them of his arrival and gave him her room number and the direction of the elevator. He was nervous as he took it to the tenth floor. But it was a refreshing boyish nervousness. And it just seemed to grow as he walked down the hall and stopped at her hotel door.

He knocked softly, and the door opened slightly. "Yes?" A familiar voice asked softly, and Chris felt a surge of warmth.

"It's me, Jill," he said softly, smiling. "It's Chris." He heard a sigh of relief as the door opened and he walked in.

"I'm so glad it's you," She said, and he laughed, turning when the door closed.

"Of course it's me!" He teased lightly, another sentencing coming out but dying on his lips when he looked at her.

It was Jill, of course, but she looked….different. Sweeter, kinder almost. She still had that strong aura of her, but she looked almost humble. Innocent. Like an angel. Her hair had grown out down to her shoulders, her bangs framing her face. She was wearing a simple black tank top and jeans, a star-like scar on one shoulder from where Nemesis had infected her. Her face was free of make-up, her eyes so full of anguish that it hurt.

"…Chris…" She said softly, in a shaky voice. Without a word, he strode over to her, instantly pulling her into his strong arms. And before he could even think, he began kissing her. It was gentle and timid at first, but deepened when she kissed back. God, he had wanted this so badly, and it was just as sweet as he imagined.

They didn't separate until minutes later, panting softly, foreheads pressed against each other. "I missed you so much, Jill…" He whispered in her ear, kissing her neck, her hair. "So much has happened…" She nodded, kissing his own neck and clinging to him like she never wanted to let go.

It was when it began to get heated that Chris felt that hated rumble in his chest, that sharp pain in his lungs. He tried holding it back, but it threatened to choke him, and he pulled back from her, covering his mouth as a deep and painful cough erupted. As the deadly pains pricked his system, it sapped at his strength until he was so weak that he couldn't stand up much longer.

"Chris!" Jill cried, leaning his body against hers a little when he stumbled slightly.

"S-Sorry…" He apologized, straightening a little, gasping in sweet air by the lungful. He gave a shaky smile, though it started to fade when Jill saw the crimson stain on his hand. She looked at him, horrified, as his vision started blurring. "Jill…I think…I need to sit down…"

As soon as the words left his mouth, his knees buckled. He would have hit the floor but Jill caught him, leaning him against her and setting him down on the bed. "T-thanks…"

"What's wrong with you, Chris?" She asked softly. "You aren't…infected…are you?" He shook his head, closing his eyes as she stroked his brow. Her warm hands felt wonderful. "You're burning up…"

Chris gave a short laugh as the dizziness passed. He opened his eyes, locking them with the brunette's.

"Talk to me," She whispered. "Please. It's been months."

"Why'd you want to see me, Jill?" He asked, avoiding the question. He tried sitting up, but since it hurt, he didn't bother. "I mean….I'm not complaining…but…"

She smiled slightly. "I…was lonely," She answered truthfully. "I've missed you. It took me nearly a month to find you…And then we had to go our separate ways again. And…when you went to rescue Claire…I didn't hear from you. I thought….I thought you had died…Or worse." His heart skipped a beat when he saw tears in her eyes. "I lost you once. I don't want to again." He reached up, wiping a tear from her cheek.

"..And yet, here I am."

"And in a shitty condition."

They both burst out laughing, though even that hurt him. It didn't matter though. She looked a little happier. They lapsed into a comfortable silence until Jill crawled on the bed, sitting on her knees and putting his head in her lap, beginning to gently stroke his hair.

"Tell me what happened," She begged quietly as he closed his eyes and opened them. "Why you're limping. Why you're coughing up blood. Everything. Please."

Chris stayed silent for a moment, looking into her eyes and took a deep breath, taking on the task of telling her the painful memories of the Antarctic.
------------------------------
Albert Wesker actually felt better now that he was out of the HCF headquarters and on the plane. He felt more relaxed, though his body was surging with adrenaline as he read the file that the stewardess had handed to him. God, he couldn't help but hope that Kyoko was more of a challenge than Umbrella was making her out to be. As usual, they considered her a failure. But that was probably because she was different than other Tyrants. She was unwilling to let those dogs control her. But, she was like him. She could think, make decisions, had intelligence.

Wesker couldn't ask for a better opponent.

Hope you're worth something, pussy cat, he thought, sipping some vodka as he looked at the picture in the file. She didn't look like a Tyrant at all. The only thing that gave away any hint of not being human was that slitted green eye. God, Umbrella is so stupid, letting this one go, letting her become a simple house pet, in essence… And, she's infected with such a strange strand of the T-Virus…

According to the file, Kyoko had once been a researcher in Italy. Unfortunately for her, she was attacked by a black panther she'd been testing on. It nearly tore her chest and back wide open, removing her eye. But, the virus in the large cat hadn't killed her. It had mutated her DNA. Before the mutation could get extreme, they managed to put her in a large test-tube, therefore able to observe and maintain the virus. The attack had left her in a comatose state.

This lasted for a few years until she just woke up. And when she did, she nearly killed all the scientists. Minus one Mr. Bryant.

Serves 'em right, he thought, frowning slightly, putting his chin on his hands. If I woke up in a test-tube, I'd be pissed too. Of course, I probably would have blown the place up…

Wesker closed the file and flipped it into the set next to it, stretching out his legs. He was just about to catch a quick cat nap when his cell phone started ringing. He opened one eye, glaring at it through his sunglasses. Reaching for it, he made a vow that if it was Maria, he was going to take control of this aircraft, turn it around, fly it to HQ and slam it into his lovely boss's office.

"Wesker here," He answered in a monotone and felt a slight sense of relief at the laugh that greeted him. "Kain. I left an hour ago, and it took you this long to call? You're getting slow. "

Kain was one of the few humans that Wesker had any amount of respect for and didn't want to rip apart. The young Australian man was high maintenance, a mechanical genius, an expert assassin, and also a double agent. He certain didn't look or sound like it, though; He had the looks of a model for some clothing line. Then again, those who looked innocent also were the best double agents.

Kain worked for both Umbrella and HCF, spying on both and using the information he gathered to his advantage. Wesker was just about the only person to know this, but he wasn't going to rat Kain out. He respected Kain, respected the fact that though he actually enjoyed being around Wesker, his only loyalty was to himself. Plus, his extremely extensive knowledge and connections weren't bad things to be able to get with just a call.

"Don't complain to me, mate, I was busy!" Kain explained, his accent slightly heavy on the phone. "What'd I do, interrupt your sleep, or stop you from nailing that cutie stewardess?"

Wesker chuckled, actually able to tolerate Kain's jokes. "Tell me what I need to know, Kain," He said, getting straight to the point. "Since I can't count on my lovely boss for even a damn address."

"Aright then, mate…" There was the sound of papers being shuffled. "Whoa….This sheila's a looker…."

"Time is of the essence, Kain. Stop jerking off."

"For your information, I was NOT jerking off. I'm just undressing her in my mind." There were more shuffling papers. "Okay, Wesker, I got some good news and some bad news. The good news is that I have the address the hotel they're supposedly at right now. Bad news is that A) We're not even sure if they're still there. B) If they ARE still there, you're going to have to deal with the fact that civilians may get involved if you and our shiela have a…conflict of interest. Now, I know you really don't care, but the last thing you need right now is some publicity. Don't need to go an' piss off your boss even more."

The blonde felt a twinge of annoyance. It seems like his fight with Maria was already common knowledge. He shouldn't have expected any less. "I can handle myself," He replied in a lazy tone. "Maria may be my boss, but if I wanted to, I could break her pretty little neck, no sweat. But, she's not even worth that small effort."

"That may be true, but still be careful, mate," Kain warned. "Sheila's like her have a nasty habit of coming back and biting you in the arse. Besides, you forget that she has the entire team of scientists at this headquarters under her thumb. And, we don't know what she's capable of. Just be careful."

"I'll take it into consideration."

"As long as you're aware of it, mate. Anyway, if I were you, I'd just grab the files. Umbrella wants em as bad as we do. And they got a head start."

"Maria wants the girl, too. Trinity."

"Save yourself some grief, mate, let her get away. Say she died." Kain's voice was unnaturally tense. He was extremely cheerful most of the time, but right now it was extremely obvious what Kain thought of his boss's orders to Wesker.

"What about the woman? The…tyrantess, as we should call her. Even if I leave the girl alone, she'll still have the files. I highly doubt that our little Trinity will just cough them up after going to the trouble of stealing them and running away."

"Do what you want, mate, just giving an opinion." His voice was normal again. "Maria doesn't care about anything really but the files. Why she wants the girl is beyond me, and why she's passing up this tyrant is REALLY beyond me. But, hey. Do whatever you want."

Wesker only listened half-heartedly as Kain gave him the address and some other minor details, the young man caught it. But, instead of being angry, he was amused.

"You're excited, mate, eh?" he asked, laughing. "When was the last time those scientists let you spread your wings?"

Wesker had pretty good control on his tyrant instincts and urges, but he couldn't completely suppress them. He had to do something to satisfy the violent urges and blood lusts that take control of him every now and then. Especially when he was stuck at the headquarters and busy with things besides viral weaponry. And, ever since the Antarctic, he'd been busy with Steve, unable to get out and just stretch his muscles a little.

He was on edge, and Maria had made it worse, made him do irrational things, like shooting that mirror. Though, on the flip side, seeing the terror on the guard's faces when they checked to see what had happened had been absolutely worth it. That feeling was kind of killed when they sent little Sherry to "check up on him." It didn't matter, he'd assured her that he was fine, and those guards were on his black list.

Wesker shook his head slightly. He didn't like thinking about Sherry, not before a mission. He got…distracted. And that was the last thing he needed.

"..It's been too long," He answered Kain finally, grinning like a predator. "I can't say that I'm not looking forward to it. Just hoping it'll be worth it."

Kain laughed again. "I'll keep in touch," he said, chuckling. "Have fun, sweetheart!" He hung up, leaving the tyrant to his thoughts of fire and blood.