Chapter Forty-One: Stirring Macrocosms Pt. I

July 25th, 1998 | Hawkins, Indiana | Earth-1

His life had never spun so much in his entire lifetime. In the span of a single minute, the discovery of Raccoon City within this universe caused Harry Potter severe distress. He wasn't entirely sure what was real and what wasn't, and he wasn't getting any straightforward answers. Harry stood in the center of a local bar in Hawkins, Indiana. At his side was James "Jim" Hopper, the local police chief and Harry's pseudo father. He was connected to the artificial intelligence known as Athena, which Harry had acquired in the Forerunner structure within the core of Harvest. She was connected to the neural interface implanted to the back of Harry's skull, which allowed him to seamlessly connect with technology. Harry took a deep breath, unsure what to say to Athena's previous question. "I'm not ok. I'm far from ok,"

Athena paused. "I was under the assumption you were aware of the situation in Raccoon City,"

"Aware? If I was aware of the presence of Raccoon City in this universe, I would have gone there as soon as we returned," Harry told her, his mind racing. How had this happened? He scoured through his memory for quite some time, trying to understand just how and when this had happened. And then he began to remember. A year and a half before, when they - Harry, Jane "Eleven" Ives, Dr. Alyssa Truit, Valentine Wiggin, and the members of Knight's squads Echo and Tango - returned from their trips through the Multiverse, there had been hundreds of thousands of energy spikes occurring across the globe. At the time, Harry had summed it up to Multiversal energies leaking through into their universe. And he had been right. But it wasn't what he expected.

This was the same situation that had occurred with Hogwarts and the Triwizard Tournament fourteen years before. The wizarding world hadn't existed before that point - Harry had done extensive research - and then there it was suddenly, the people of that community asking him to participate in a tournament he remembered quite well. That event had been connected to a shift in universal energy that went unnoticed due to the lack of powerful satellites and sensor data. But with better methods to test energy outputs as well as universal energies, Harry was able to discover hundreds of unique readings occurring after their return. This event must have been one of those strange readings. Raccoon City had popped onto the map without warning, and everyone but his Multiverse-traveling group would remember it always being there.

So he was left with a few conclusions. Was every universe they visited in their trip through space and time going to leak into their own? Because if so, then Harry could expect to meet Andrew Wiggin and his friends again, as well as have aspects of his own original universe leak into his life. Harry shook himself free of his train of thought, his mind still racing from the implications of this new discovery. He was no longer in Hawkins but instead stood in his bathroom in the penthouse situated at the top of Marauder Enterprises Headquarters in Washington D.C. Harry was staring into the mirror, examining himself. His emerald green eyes were the same, and yet his hair had grown out down to his shoulders. He still stood at 6' 9" while weighing 304lbs of pure muscle, courtesy of the Spartan augmentations he received in the Forerunner facility.

While his thoughts were somewhat calmer now that he was home, he was still distracted. That is until a voice cut through the air behind him. "Are you ok?" He could see her through the mirror. His fourth wife, Valentine "Val" Potter-Wiggin, stood against the doorframe of the bathroom, her eyes watching him carefully. She too had received augmentations, so she stood at 6' 6" and 246lbs. Her blonde hair had grown out longer than before, and she had tied it back into a braided bun that seemed to fit her casual clothing very well. Val looked worried. "You're back early. Is everything alright?"

Harry shook his head. Nothing was alright. "No. No. Raccoon City. It's here," Harry told her. Val's eyes widened, her posture straightening as she stepped away from the doorframe. She moved to his side, taking his hand in hers. He continued. "And that's not all. It's all happening again. Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine. The Spencer Mansion. It's all leading to the outbreak in September. It's happening today,"

"Are you going?"

"Should I?" Harry asked, unsure. Val too seemed unsure. "I've already changed so much in this universe. I can risk changing things in this new timeline where Raccoon City exists, but...it was hard enough seeing them again when I got stuck there. Seeing them here again when they won't know who I am? I think that will be worse," Harry explained.

"But this gives you a chance to make amends with Claire. Giving you some needed closure after what happened with Mother Miranda," Val spoke, tracing her fingers along his arm. "You can go after her now. Stop her before she manipulates someone else to give what she wants," Harry frowned. Val made a good point. This opened a world of possibilities that couldn't be achieved in his past. He knew what was going to happen, and could help change things for the better. Not only that, but Harry could put an end to Mother Miranda and her children before she got her hands on another Sirius. Another slave to her twisted plans to revive her long-lost daughter. His eyes narrowed as he examined himself closer. He would change things. He would make amends. Just like Val suggested. "Harry?"

"I'm going to Raccoon City," Harry resolved, turning to face her. "Immediately. I'm going to assist with the current situation and won't return until it's dealt with. Tell the others," With that, Harry placed a kiss on her cheek and left the room. He pulled out his standard-issue Quickware - a wrist device with unlimited data and internet access from anywhere on the planet - and opened a direct call to Alyssa Truit. She responded immediately with a smile. "Alyssa. Prep a Fireship for me in Hangar Bay 07. I'm heading to Raccoon City,"

Alyssa raised an eyebrow through the holographic call. "Raccoon City, sir? As in the viral zombie outbreak Raccoon City? The one that doesn't exist?"

"Check again. Do you remember all of those energy readings we received after we got back from our Multiversal escapade? It was another universal shift. The same shift occurred in 1984 when the magical world suddenly appeared out of nowhere. I'm pretty sure the shifts will bring the universes and timelines we visited into our own. So we can look forward to seeing zombies, Lusitania and the Pequeninos, and all of the alien creatures prophesized to kill humanity," Harry explained. Alyssa turned away from the call, no doubt looking through their data collections from January of 1997. After a few moments, she turned back to the screen with a thoughtful expression. "Did you find it?"

"I did. The readings match the same ones emitted in 1984, or at least the remnants of the '84 readings. But it's only slightly different. Something to do with the difference in universes, most likely. But there are similar readings that appeared across the globe. Five-hundred and sixty-one readings to be exact," Alyssa replied. "If what this says is true, then Raccoon City won't be the only thing popping up that we weren't aware of. I've got a Fireship ready for you in Hangar Bay 07. How would you like it outfitted before you get down there?"

Harry thought for a moment. This was the Arklay Incident in the Spencer Mansion. The only survivors at the moment would be Barry Burton, Rebecca Chambers, Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Brad Vickers, and their captain Albert Wesker. The traitor. "Have my MJOLNIR armor transferred to the Fireship alongside six sets of Marine armor - four male and two female - and throw in the standard weaponry for each armor set,"

"Ok. MJOLNIR armor, six sets of Marine armor - four male and two female -, six plasma rifles, six hard light pistols, and a set of grenades each," Alyssa summarized. "It's all being transferred now and should be waiting for you down in Hangar Bay 07. Are you sure you don't need backup on this one?"

"No. I'm the only one in the world that has any experience facing the types of creatures in the Arklay Mountains. I'm not putting your or anyone else in danger trying to fight these things," Harry replied. Alyssa gave him a nod in understanding and proceeded to sign off of the call. Harry now stood in one of the many elevators positioned in the center of the Marauder Enterprises Tower, his destination being Hangar Bay 07. When he arrived in the Hangar Bay, he set off for the closest Fireship that was signed 'L. Potter'. He stepped on board, closing the ramp behind him as he climbed into the pilot's seat. After activating the ship, Athena spoke into his head. "Want me to drive?" With a shrug, Harry removed the small AI chip from the chain he kept around his neck and pressed it to the neural implant on the base of his skull. He then reached down and inserted it into the ship, connecting Athena directly to the ship's interface. "Destination? Raccoon City. Sit back and enjoy the ride,"

Harry didn't sit back and he most certainly did not enjoy the ride. After all, it only lasted a few seconds with FTL (Faster than light) travel. In the span of a minute, he now hovered over the Arklay Mountains, something he thought he would never see again. "Spencer Mansion insight. Would you like to land on top of the building or at the entrance?"

"The roof. But scan the building first. Search for anything that isn't a zombie,"

"Give me a moment," After a few seconds, Athena appeared over the console of the ship, her hands on her hips as she addressed him. "There are currently zero non-zombified life signs within the structure. Would you like for me to try again?"

"No. Don't bother," Harry stepped up to the wall at his right, punching his fist against it. The panel on the wall slid away to reveal Harry's MJOLNIR armor - labeled '001' - as well as his hard light rifle and pistol. After a few minutes, Harry stepped out of the small compartment wearing the suit, the pistol magnetically attached to his thigh while the rifle was attached to his back. "We're too late. Mid-day. They left early this morning. Use the modified Time-Turner to take us back to the early morning. Say...3 am," Harry grabbed hold of the railing, his eyes peering towards the front windows of the Fireship. A bright blue thin layer of light surrounded the ship and then disappeared. It was dark outside now. They had gone back several hours.

Athena spoke once more. "I've redone the scans, and I'm picking up five non-zombified life signs within the mansion. Three are below the structure in an underground lab. The fourth is in the structure basement, and the fifth is on the top level of the mansion near the roof. Would you like me to mark them on your HUD?" Harry - who was pulling on his MJOLNIR Mark VII helmet - gave her the affirmative, watching as his HUD lit up with five distinct figures. They were below him. Grabbing the shrunken case filled with the six sets of Marine armor and their weapons, Harry punched the ramp controls. Extending his hand, the chip stuck within the ship's console flew out of its socket and into his hand. After inserting the chip into the suit's neural interface. Harry turned back to the now open ramp.

"Wish me luck, Athena," Harry took a step forward off the ramp, falling forward off of the ship as he descended towards the mansion. He was heading straight for the closest target, the one near the roof. Extending his arms, Harry spun around from his once nose-diving position, his feet now positioned down towards the ground. And immediately a ton of pure metal and muscle slammed through the ceiling of the mansion, crashing through two floors before landing down in a stairwell leading up and down. Covered in dust and debris, Harry took a moment to wipe himself off before peering up. The woman he saw through his HUD - who he assumed was Rebecca Chambers - was a floor above him. She was lying on the floor unconscious. How had she not been woken up by the noise he had made arriving?

Shrugging his shoulders at the question, Harry sprinted up the stairs, coming across no opposition as he reached the next level. He stepped into the hallway leading to Chambers' position and was finally met with opposition. A zombie. The first zombie he had seen in fifteen years. With the use of his hard light rifle, the zombie faded into dust with a single shot, giving Harry freedom to enter the room where Rebecca Chambers lay. When he stepped into the room, he spotted her instantly. Rebecca was lying face-first on the ground, facing away from a man clutching his stomach. He was dead. Harry walked forward, kneeling down beside the young woman - who was only 18 despite her background in science and medicine - as he placed a hand on her back. "Rebecca Chambers?"

The woman stirred at the sound of her name, slowly turning to face whoever it was that had called her. It wasn't until she saw him that she woke up completely. Rebecca screamed, reeling back in fear as she drew her pistol. She even shot him a few times, before noticing how her bullets just bounced off his armor. Then she stopped, suddenly coming to her senses. Rebecca examined his armor, her gaze fixed on his left breast, where his serial number was located. Lowering her pistol, Rebecca let out a deep sigh. "You...you're Harry Potter,"

"Yes. I am,"

"What are you doing here?"

"I received Bravo Team's distress call seven hours from now. I came as soon as I could but found the mansion abandoned. As per protocol, I reversed time to assist in your escape," Harry replied. He extended his hand out to Rebecca, who instantly grabbed it as he helped her to her feet. "There are five other survivors within the mansion. Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Barry Burton, and Albert Wesker. Chris Redfield seems to be closest - residing in the basement - while the others are located inside a secret laboratory beneath the structure. Are you injured?"

Rebecca peered down at herself, no doubt to look for any unfelt wounds. Harry too examined her, his HUD dancing with light as Athena scanned her. Harry hadn't met Rebecca in the previous universe, seeing as she had left Raccoon City after the events that transpired to get her to the mansion. She was only a few months into college when Harry left. Rebecca had short, light brown hair that fell only an inch or two from her ears and light green eyes. She wore a brown choker around her neck, a tight forest-green t-shirt under a white and green tactical vest. She stood at 5' 3", weighing only 93lbs. Rebecca shook her head, peering up at him. "No. I'm fine. Just a few scrapes and bruises,"

"Good," Harry set down the case he held in his hand, opening it to reveal six shrunken Marine armor sets, six rifles, six pistols, and twelve grenades. "Take one of each and two grenades. If we're going down to the basement, I'm sure we'll meet quite a few bioweapons on the way. I don't want you to be a bit, especially in that t-shirt," Rebecca frowned, peering down at herself once more. She seemed to understand immediately. Her t-shirt stopped at her shoulders, and her gloves stopped at her wrist. Her arms were exposed to all zombies that wished to bite her. So, Rebecca pulled off her vest, tossing it to the side as she reached down for the Marine armor. Harry turned away, using his time to speak with Athena. "The others. Are they still downstairs?"

"Of course. Mr. Redfield hasn't moved from his position, and the other three downstairs still seems to be discussing something," Athena replied.

"Ok, I'm done," Rebecca spoke. Harry turned around, grinning beneath his helmet. She had gotten undressed and dressed very quickly. She now stood in the International Armed Forces standard issue Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform. Rebecca wore dark green fatigues, black-armored combat boots, ballistic armor around her torso, shoulders, hands, and lower legs, and a helmet fitted with tactical goggles. She was completely outfitted to be an IAF Marine. Harry was impressed. After attaching her rifle and pistol to her back and thigh, Rebecca turned to Harry with a determined expression. "What do we do now?"

"As I said, we make our way down to the laboratory beneath the mansion and rescue your colleagues for extraction,"

Rebecca raised an eyebrow. "Extraction. I'm assuming you have one of those dropships of yours on the roof?"

"A Fireship," Harry corrected, turning towards the door leading out into the hallway. His rifle raised, he pushed it open. Nothing. "The hallways clear. Follow me and watch my six. If you spot any trouble, let me know and I'll handle it. Don't play the hero. This is an extraction mission. No need to go after every zombie that passes us in a hallway," Harry explained. Rebecca gave him a nod and followed Harry out of the room into the hall. The two stepped into the stairwell where Harry had landed, going downward step by step before reaching the landing.

"You fell through here?" asked Rebecca, motioning up to the hole in the ceiling.

"Yes,"

"Are you...alright?"

"My suit is made of pure metal that weighs a ton. I'm fine," Harry answered, continuing down another hall. He quickly dispatched the few zombies blocking their path to the door at the end of the hallway, before leading Rebecca into another stairwell. The endless traversing of hallways, large rooms filled with large chandeliers and tables, and stairwells continued for quite some time before the two of them finally reached the basement. The only thing blocking them from getting through was an odd puzzle, one that required several missing pieces to complete. "Hand me a grenade," Harry spoke, holding out his hand. Rebecca was quick, removing one of her own grenades from her belt before passing it over. He activated the hard light grenade and pressed it to the door. Harry then turned back to Rebecca. "You ready?"

She gave him a nod in response, turning her back to him as she knelt down. Harry placed himself over her, shielding Rebecca as the grenade went off, spraying metal and wooden debris all over the place. When the smoke cleared, Harry got to his feet, helping Rebecca do the same as they turned to the basement. There was a single room with a row of doors around the right and left sides. Opposite of them was an elevator, which seemed to go down to the laboratory below. Chris was in the furthest cell to the left. Harry stepped up to it, balling his hand into a fist before punching the lock on the door.

Upon opening it, Harry and Rebecca were met by Chris Redfield, who had his fists raised ready for a fight. At the sight of Harry, he stepped forward, only to stop when he spotted Rebecca. His hands fell to his side, relief passing over him. "Chambers?"

Rebecca gave the man a grinning nod. "Yep. Hey, Chris,"

"Are any of the others -" Rebecca shook her head, a look of deep sadness passing over her. Chris sighed, understanding immediately that Bravo Team was gone. Chris motioned to Harry. "And this guy?"

Rebecca raised an amused eyebrow. "Harry Potter. The original Knight. Owner of Marauder Enterprises and one of the Heads of the IAF?"

"Right. What are you doing here?" asked Chris.

"I received Bravo Team's distress signal," Harry replied. He tossed the case full of Marine armor sets and weapons to Chris, who easily caught it. After placing the case on his bed, Chris opened it. "Armor and weapons that will protect you from anything in the laboratory below. Get dressed and arm yourself. Chambers and I will be waiting outside," Chris grinned, pulling out one of the hard light rifles. He was examining it when Harry closed the door to the cell, giving Chris some privacy to get dressed into the Marine fatigues and armor. It didn't take long for the man to dress, and soon Harry and Rebecca were joined by Chris Redfield, his hands wrapped around the hard light rifle. His new favorite toy.

Lowering the rifle, Chris spoke. "What's the plan?"

"We get down to the laboratory and extract Jill and Barry. Wesker isn't my priority,"

"What? Why?"

"Wesker is a traitor. He's working with Umbrella," Harry replied, tapping the button beside the elevator named 'Sub-Level 03'. Three stepped into the elevator, watching as the door slid shut. While descending, Harry explained. "He brought everyone from S.T.A.R.S here to eliminate them. No doubt he's preparing to kill Jill and Barry as we speak. I won't let him succeed,"

"How could you possibly know this?" asked Rebecca.

"Trust me. I have a lot of very useful information," Harry answered. "The point is, Wesker isn't to be trusted. When I get the chance I'm going to kill him," The door to the elevator slid open to reveal the third sublevel of the mansion. Within the room were dozens of tubes holding an odd variant of the Tyrant. On the other side of the tubes were three people. Albert Wesker, Jill Valentine, and Barry Burton. Wesker was lying on the floor, suffering from a gunshot wound, while Jill and Barry faced one of the largest tubes in the room. The water inside slowly drained away before the Tyrant broke out. Getting to his feet, Wesker let out an evil laugh.

"Jill and Barry together...in hell!"

The Tyrant took a step towards Barry, who raised his magnum into the air in defiance. "You wanna piece of me?"

The Tyrant seemed to actually consider and turned instead to face Wesker, whose face fell. "Wha-? Premature..." The Tyrant backhanded Wesker, sending the man to the ground before turning back to Barry and Jill. Barry rushed forward to kick the bioweapon but was swatted away like a fly into several nearby servers. He fell to the ground in a daze, leaving only Jill to face the Tyrant. Jill fired a grenade from her grenade launcher at the creature, but it seemed unaffected. Harry raised his rifle, and with the squeeze of his trigger, he fired a dozen shots into the Tyrant's head. That seemed to work, seeing as the bioweapons head began to suddenly fade away in golden yellow dust. After a few moments, the Tyrant was gone.

"What the hell?" Jill asked, turning to face Harry with her grenade launcher in hand. At the sight of Chris and Rebecca, Jill lowered the weapon slightly. "Chris? Rebecca? You two are ok,"

"We are. Thanks to him," Rebecca motioned to Harry.

"You killed it. With a few shots. That's impressive," Barry had gotten to his feet, clutching his shoulder as he stepped next to Jill. Harry didn't answer and instead stepped towards Wesker. He raised his rifle to the man's head but was unable to pull the trigger when he felt the butt of a rifle slam into the back of his head. Harry turned and was met by Chris Redfield. He was pointing the rifle at Harry's head. "Stand down, Redfield," Harry advised.

"No,"

"Chris. Stand down. Wesker's a traitor," Jill spoke, raising her hand in an attempt to stop Chris.

"Even if that is true, we can't just kill him. We need to turn him in," Chris replied.

"I'll do what I like, Redfield. You'll find I'm doing you a favor," Harry turned back towards Wesker, only...the man was gone. He disappeared. Shit. Lowering his rifle, Harry turned back to Chris, who also looked confused by the sudden disappearance. "Great. He's gone. But the mission continues. This is an extraction. So -" Reaching into his furthest left pouch, Harry removed a small pencil. At the confused expressions from everyone but Rebecca - who Harry assumed knew he was a wizard -, Harry continued. "- we'll use this to get back up to the roof. There, you'll find a Fireship. Board it and don't wait for me. I've got to ensure this place is locked down and safe for examination,"

Barry scoffed. "Lockdown? Examination? Why not destroy the place and get rid of everything in here?"

"Because this place has a metric ton worth of information regarding Umbrella, its experiments, and its corruption. I'm going to lock down the mansion so that my people can scour it for any information we can find. Then we'll take it to the authorities. Hopefully, Umbrella will be gone in the next few years," Harry explained. He hoped to end the corporation earlier, but Harry was aware that the court processes would take much longer than a year. So, he kept his hopes at a few years. Maybe five. Extending the pencil, Harry motioned for them to grab it or him. "This is a portkey. A magical creation. When activated it will squeeze us through space and time in order to take us directly to the roof. Understand?"

"Magic. I've heard a lot about that. Never met a wizard in person though," Barry spoke. Harry frowned. After thirteen years without the Statute of Secrecy, it surprised Harry to hear that some people still hadn't ever met a wizard or witch in person. But without complaint, Chris, Jill, Rebecca, and Barry all grabbed hold of the pencil or Harry, waiting patiently for Harry to say 'Portus'. When he did, the five of them were pulled by their navels through a small slipspace portal unseeable to the naked eye, funneling through the tunnel before being spat out onto the roof. Harry landed on his feet, but the others - who obviously weren't well versed in magical transportation - fell to the ground.

Chris and Rebecca - who were wearing the Marine armor that seemed somewhat useless now that they hadn't used them - got to their feet first, the armor taking most of the fall. Jill and Barry though got up slower, groaning in pain as they got to their feet. The Fireship was only a few feet away, its ramp open to accept them. "Get on board. I'll meet you all back at the Raccoon City Police Department,"

While everyone else stepped towards the Fireship, Chris stayed behind. "How are you going to lock this place down? Build a wall around it?"

"You could say that. I'm going to use a runic array to construct a shield around the premises. Once that's done I'll ensure that every bioweapon within the mansion isn't a threat. This mansion will be safe for my people to enter when I'm done with it," Harry explained. Chris seemed to accept the truthful explanation, and turned towards the Fireship, climbing on board before taking a seat next to Jill. Harry examined the group for a moment. Chris and Rebecca were covered in Marine fatigues and armor, and by now they had taken off their helmets. Barry Burton was wearing black pants, brown boots, a white shirt with the 'S.T.A.R.S' logo on the left shoulder, and a red tactical vest covered in pouches and straps used to hold his guns and knife. And Jill was wearing dark blue jeans, black boots, a thigh holster for her pistol, a belt covered in pouches, her own S.T.A.R.S t-shirt, blue shoulder pads, and a blue S.T.A.R.S beret that she used to tuck in her long brown hair.

Once they were all situated in the Fireship, Athena remotely closed the ramp, sending the Fireship into the air away from the mansion. Harry grabbed hold of the nearest rock he could find, pulling his knife from its sheath as he proceeded to carve a runic shield array into the stone. With it completed, Harry tossed the stone to the ground and watched the work it did in placing a shield around the mansion. With that done Harry cast a quick diagnostics charm to determine the number of undead in the area and was satisfied to find that the shield had worked. The entire mansion and its premises were clear of any zombies, giving the research and military teams that would soon be swarming the area free space to roam. After casting a quick Patronus, Harry disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.


July 25th, 1998 | Raccoon City Police Department, Raccoon City, Missouri

Harry Potter reappeared moments later on the roof of the Raccoon City Police Department's helipad. He was no longer in his armor. After a moment, his gaze fell on the city below. A grin passed over Harry's features. It was exactly as he remembered it. But it was peaceful. The way it had been before Umbrella 'accidentally' released the T-Virus into the city. The Fireship appeared in a flash of blue light over him, descending down slowly towards the helipad. It landed, the ramp opening to reveal the surviving S.T.A.R.S members. Chris and Rebbeca had gotten out of their armor, but they still had the hard light weapons strapped around their shoulders and within their thigh holsters. All of them had grabbed one weapon each, no doubt very interested in how they worked.

Barry Burton stepped out first but stopped short upon seeing Harry. "How the hell-"

"Shadow travel. One of my many abilities," Harry replied with a shrug. "Keep the guns. Consider them a gift from me to you all. But I would advise you to keep them on plasma mode and stun. Plasma will melt your opponent's skin. Hard light mode will incinerate them to dust. Unless you want murder charges pressed on you for a single shot, I would keep it on stun,"

Chris gave Harry a nod, switching his rifle from 'Hard-Light' to 'Plasma' and proceeded to switch the Kill-Stun knob to 'Stun'. "Right. Noted," After watching Chris do it, the others followed suit, doing the same with their pistols. After some time, Chris stepped forward. "So...what are you doing here?"

"I figured I would help with the explanation to Irons. I'm sure he would love to hear it from me," Harry replied.

"Why do I get the feeling you're hiding something?" asked Jill.

"Me? Hide something? Never," With that, Harry stepped away from the group, opening the door leading down into the main building. There, he moved down the staircase to the roof. Harry entered the building, moving down the second-floor east hallway with ease. He was making his way around the art room when the rest of the group caught up to him. Passing the receptionist desk, Harry moved right up to the Chief's Office. He didn't bother knocking and instead opened the door to find Chief Brian Irons sitting behind his desk. "Chief Irons,"

"I'm busy," The man said, not caring to look up from his paperwork.

"I don't necessarily care," Harry replied.

Iron's lowered his pen, an angered expression crossing over his features as he looked up to face Harry. "Excuse m-" The man stopped short, finally noticing who it was standing in front of him. At once Irons got to his feet, trying desperately to straighten his tie. "Mr. Potter. I'm sorry for that. I didn't expect you to come in person after my letter,"

"Letter?"

"I volunteered this department to be the first department in Missouri to be a part of your weapons and training programs. I sent it in last week, and wasn't expecting you to respond in person," Irons explained.

"I didn't come here for that. I came for this," The door to Irons' office opened once more, and the surviving S.T.A.R.S members stepped in. At the sight of them, Irons smiled, clearly relieved. "Don't act so relieved, Irons. I know about your workings with Umbrella. Albert Wesker. William Birkin. Annette Birkin. Julian Tango. Oswell Spencer. And of these names ring a bell?" Irons didn't reply. His angered expression had returned, and his fists were balled up into fists. "You recently met with William Birkin, Oswell Spencer, and Albert Wesker three weeks ago. After the sudden disappearance of dozens of citizens, campers, and hikers in the Arklay Mountains, Umbrella was beginning to worry that the RPD - or more importantly S.T.A.R.S - would catch on and ruin them. So Spencer hired you and Wesker to keep the workings of Umbrella under wraps. And to keep S.T.A.R.S from uncovering its - as well as your - secrets. How much did they pay you? Eighty? Ninety grand? And that was just the first payment. Dr. Spencer is a very wealthy man,"

"But then it happened. Umbrella slipped. They miscalculated. They were spotted. And reports came funneling in of murderers in the Arklay Mountains. Spencer became worried. He knew that his mansions would become the prime source of investigation. And so he let loose the projects he had been working on, and he disappeared. It was then that you let Wesker take control," Harry explained. He had moved around the room, stepping up to the spinning globe that sat on a nearby stand. Harry flicked it once, spinning it for a moment before smiling. "Wesker and William Birkin hatched a plan immediately. A plan that would put an end to S.T.A.R.S, as well as the investigation against Umbrella,"

"Wesker sent Bravo Team out first. He knew the members of that team weren't as skilled as the members of the Alpha Team. So while they could hold their own against a few criminals and a possible riot, Bravo Team wouldn't stand a chance against bioweapons. Especially not the kind Birkin planned on releasing. So it came to neither Wesker nor Birkin's surprise that Bravo Team lost contact with the station. It was even less of a surprise to find that all but one of the Bravo Team died on that train. The only surprise was that the team's youngest member Rebecca Chambers survived," Harry motioned to Rebecca, who - like the others - was too surprised by the prospect of her bosses to speak or even move. "All that needed to be done was for Wesker to lead Alpha Team down to the laboratory of the mansion. There, he would kill them all using the Tyrant, and escape as the 'sole survivor'. And when authorities were to investigate the mansion, they would find it in flames. Nothing but rubble, ash, zero bodies, and an injured Albert Wesker. A survivor morning the loss of his friends,"

"That son of a bitch," Barry whispered.

"N-N-None of this is true!" Irons exclaimed. "You're lying!"

"I have proof, Mr. Irons. I've taken the liberty of cataloging, copying, and saving all of the phone calls, emails, and letters between yourself, Wesker, Birkin, and Spencer. They're all within the Marauder Enterprises database. You're done," Harry replied.

Irons shook his head. "No...No...No...I've done too much for this department - this town - to walk away now,"

He reached below his desk, pulling out a large magnum that he aimed at Harry's head. Only he didn't pull the trigger. Harry had his own 'Hard-Light' pistol drawn and aimed at the man's forehead. And the S.T.A.R.S members behind him had all drawn their rifles, aiming them at the former Chief. Harry smiled. "I accept your request, Chief Irons. As of this moment, the Raccoon City Police Department is accepted into our advanced law enforcement programs. And as such, the department is now under the direct control of not only the state of Missouri and the national government but also Marauder Enterprises and the International Armed Forces. As the Minister of Defense within the IAF, I hereby place you, Chief Irons, under arrest for your crimes. Lower your weapon and place your hands behind your back,"

"You can't do this. You cant!" Irons shouted.

He turned the gun on himself, placing it to his temple. Harry pulled the trigger, his hard light round slamming straight into the man's magnum. The weapon disappeared into golden dust, leaving Irons speechless. Stepping up to the man, Harry aimed his pistol at the man's head, speaking calmly. "Turn around and place your hands behind your back," Irons - terrified by the pistol in Harry's hand - spun around and placed himself against the wall, his arms reaching back as he brought his wrists together. Harry made quick work of attaching handcuffs around the man's wrist, before placing another pencil in the man's shirt pocket. "Portus," Irons disappeared in an instant, leaving Harry and the members of S.T.A.R.S.

Chris spoke. "So...you were telling the truth about Wesker," Harry nodded. "I just can't believe Irons was involved,"

"I never trusted the man," said Jill.

Harry smiled. That sounded like Jill. "Your friend Brad was on his way back for you all when I arrived. Don't give him a lot of trouble. He was scared and he made a mistake. I sent him a Patronus explaining the situation, and he'll be back within the hour," He explained. Harry smiled, moving towards the door. He stopped at the handle, turning back to them. "Oh, and the program acceptance stands. I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot of me from now on," With that, Harry stepped out of the room, leaving the S.T.A.R.S members in the office.

Jill spoke first. "He's...interesting,"

"He's a problem. Unpredictable," said Chris.

"But he's also rich and the head of a very famous company and the minister of a massive military that functions across the entire world," Rebecca countered. "If he wasn't us to become the first department in the region to accept his programs, then I say we do it,"

"What do we get out of these 'programs'?" asked Barry.

"Well, a lot of things," Rebecca started. "We get new weapon stocks. Though most likely not these," She motioned down to their hard light rifles. "But weapons far better than anything Kendo can give us. We'll get new armor for the department. New vehicles. Supplies. Even renovations to the building if it's required. And if we're qualified enough and we volunteer, we can become members of his 'Knight' program,"

Jill frowned. "'Knight'? Like those men in armor, we see on the Nets? I thought you had to be Special Forces to be a part of that,"

Rebecca shook her head. "Nope. While it would be helpful if you were in some form of the military before you volunteer, it's not required. All you have to do is volunteer and pass a number of psychiatric and physical tests. Once you pass those and are accepted, you'll be sent to training with all of the others. I think it takes eight or nine months for training, but after that, you become a full Knight. You get your own armor, and best of all. You get augmented,"

"Augmented," said Chris.

"Yep. Didn't you notice how tall he was? He was wearing regular shoes and he was at least 6' 8" or 6' 9". And he has the muscle mass of a bodybuilder. It's because he went through ORION augmentations back during the Hydra Invasions," Rebecca explained.

Barry scoffed. "The invasions that never happened,"

"Because Harry Potter and his people went back in time and stopped it. The United Nations and the ICW even confirmed that they time traveled. Something to do with video evidence from one of the Knight's suits. But the point is, Harry Potter and two of the original Knight's squads received advanced augmentations developed in the future. They increased your bone density and muscle mass. They make you stronger, faster, smarter. More agile and quick thinking than any living human. From the public reports published by the IAF, Harry Potter can lift 1.6 tons without his armor on and four tons with it on. He can think as fast as a computer, and he even has an implant in the back of his head that lets him talk to artificial intelligence,"

Jill grinned, bumping Chris in the arm. "Hear that Chris? You can up your benching limit to two tons. Not bad, eh?"

"Well, Harry Potter's the only one capable of lifting that much," Rebecca explained. "Something to do with his magic, shadowmancy, and advanced nanites he had implanted into his bloodstream,"

"Right. The guy's strong, fast, smart, and cool. We get it. Get back to the augmentations," Barry instructed, looking annoyed.

"Okay, geez," Rebecca replied, slightly offended. "Basic training in the army usually only takes two and a half months. But the Knight's training program takes nine months - I think - because of the augmentations. The first four and a half months are to teach you all about the weapons you'll be using, the vehicles, equipment. As well as to make you physically fit for the augmentations, which take place halfway through training. After the training, they reteach you how to function. How to walk in your long legs, how to move in your larger, stronger, and faster body. But more importantly, they use it to train you in using your new armor. It elevates everything. Your strength, speed, reflexes, mental processes. Everything. They teach you how to use it without tearing yourself apart,"

"You can tear yourself apart?" asked Chris.

"That's why you need the augmentations. If just anyone tried stepping into the Knights' MJOLNIR armor, the speed and strength of the armor would be too much for your body. You would snap your bones into pieces by trying to lift an arm. But the augmentations level your body with the armor somewhat, letting you function with the armor on. That and the neural interface implanted into your skull connect directly to your suit,"

Chris still seemed unsure. "And anyone can volunteer for this?"

"Of course! But like I said, you have to pass a lot of tests. But I'm sure you would be able to pass them all Chris. You are the best of all of us. The numbers say so," said Rebecca.

"Right," Chris nodded.

"So...what do you all say we go get a drink while we wait for Brad?" suggested Jill. The others all gave her a nod in agreement. They could all use a drink after the events of the mansion. That, and they needed to process everything that had happened after. Wesker. The Tyrant. Everything with Chief Irons. And now the department would be brought under the wing of Marauder Enterprises and the International Armed Forces. For the members of S.T.A.R.S, life was going to get a lot more complicated. But some of them were willing to accept that. Some of them were ready.