Hello, dear readers!
Hope you enjoy it, and don't forget to drop by discord!
This is an invitation for my discord server, where we can share thoughts and other stuff about some of my fanfiction.
I share teasers of chapters, answer random questions (if you have them) and overall interact with everyone! So feel free to drop by! Use the link below or DM for more info
_discord._gg/wr48UmENbx
(eliminate the _ when used.)
45. Jill
The office was a frenzy of chaos of soldiers working in the case of the mall. So far, they had not found anything, except for speculation, that linked the attack with one of the terrorist groups on the most wanted list.
The sterilization protocol of the area was still in process, and the damage report was not pretty, but considering the situation, the attack could have been worse. Jill had just returned from her meeting with Terra Save agents. The rapid response of the group had prevented the loss of innocent lives. To her surprise, she discovered that the mall had been one of the places included in one of the pilot plans that Claire had created shortly before her disappearance. The office was in a frenzy of soldiers working in the case of the mall. So far, they had not found anything, except for speculation, that linked the attack with one of the terrorist groups on the most wanted list.
Jill sighed and took a sip of her coffee. It wasn't the best cup she had ever tasted, but when she was in the office, there wasn't much to choose from, except for the nasty coffee from the machine. The soldier took the USB and connected it to her computer. The memory contained the security videos inside and outside the building, and Jill hoped to find something useful, so she spent the next couple of hours going through it.
"Good morning…" Barry yawned, sitting at his desk, "Busy from early morning, huh? That can't be good for your pretty face."
Jill smirked and looked at the man with a frown.
"Well...I have to work…"
"Of course. Those fuckers aren't catching themselves…" Barry growled, "but please tell me you're not drinking that shit water they pretend us to think is coffee…"
"Do I have any choice?" Jill joked, moving the offending cup in front of her.
"Pff...you're lucky I think of you kids." Barry laughed, placing a paper cup on her table, "Freshly brewed and some muffins from Kathy…"
"Oh, yes...you're a blessing…" Jill said, taking the cup and taking a sip. Now that was real coffee.
"Huh...where's Chris?"
"He was sent to escort Rebecca to her new location. You know she's starting to work on a new project with Kennedy's wife."
"Hah...Kennedy's, huh?" Barry smiled, "Those two look good together…"
"Yeah, even if it doesn't amuse a certain person too much."
"He'll live through it. I heard from Kathy that he's taking her to a Christmas party."
"A Christmas party?"
"Yeah...that's why they were in the mall yesterday. She needs a dress. It seems that it is one of those corporate fancy parties."
"We usually skip those...but she deserves a little break. From what I see, she's been really busy the past few years. I doubt she's been to many parties."
"Yeah, let the girl have her fun."
"too bad she couldn't get a dress…" Jill said, resting her chin on her palm.
" Ah, don't sweat it, she could be wearing one of the rookie soldiers' muddied suits to that thing, and she would still look gorgeous. Ask Kennedy. I'm pretty sure I'll catch him drooling about her one of these days. "
That made her attention deviate from the screen and stare at Barry.
"So you noticed? I thought I was imagining things, but he seems a little…"
" Madly infatuated? Nah, I've seen those eyes before and his head over heels about her. Believe me. I've seen enough of the world to see it."
"Oh good, I thought I was biased."
"Nah, it's pretty clear. If Chris wasn't the mule he is, he would have noticed too."
"You don't look concerned."
"Why would I? As long as she's well cared for, that's enough for me. Kennedy is a good guy."
"Yeah…" Jill agreed.
She would be really happy if those two ended up together for real. Claire deserved it.
" Talking about the Kennedys…. Any plans for Christmas?"
"Since you're asking, I assume Clara called you." "She might have mentioned something.."
Claire had made clear that she wanted everyone around for the holidays, and almost like a real just married husband, it seemed that Leon was happy to oblige.
Jill didn't remember the last time she had felt the holiday season, but when Claire called her to "persuade" her to join, she had found the idea unexpectedly pleasant.
"It would be nice...and since Kennedy seems to be wrapped around her finger, I guess that idea will happen."
"You think Leon is spoiling her?"
"For God's sake, if I were him, I would spoil her too. After all that shit that happened.
Jill nodded. It was reasonable, considering those two - Chris and Leon - had suffered the most when she had been thought dead.
" Any luck with that? "
" Nothing. I haven't seen any suspicious movement in the footage nor anyone planting the bombs or anything.." Jill sighed, frustrated.
She had reviewed the whole footage before the attack in hopes that she would see something useful, but it was already an hour past the attack and nothing.
She checked another couple of frames, and suddenly, she saw some familiar faces.
"Oh, the cameras caught footage from Leon and company."
"Oh? Lemme see that."
Barra pulled a chair to her desk, and both began to watch the footage. They saw the group moving stealthily around the building and avoiding confrontation with the B.O.W.s. Claire was the one leading, and Jill felt her stomach twist at the idea of how familiar she seemed to handle the situation.
"Makes you wonder what the hell she went to, huh?"
"What?"
"Clara?"
"Oh! yeah"
The footage showed how the group had joined another group of survivors and led them to the level where they had met them. Everything looked fine until something happened, and the group stopped dryly. To Barry and Jill's horror, the monster began their attack, dragging away some of the survivors and leaving the rest in the middle of a frenzied fight. Everything happened so fast, Claire had suddenly vaulted to reach something but was caught by a creature, after some tense minutes of silence, they saw the creature drop her, and the young woman moved away to pull something. The creatures were paralyzed, and the group used that opportunity to flee.
"She got attacked? But the med report said she was fine."
"I know…"
Jill and Barry continued watching the footage. The monsters seemed to have frozen for a few minutes, and suddenly, one of them began to make erratic movements. Jill didn't know how to describe it, but the best qualifier she could give it was that it looked like some kind of seizure.
"Hey...wasn't that one the one…"
"It was… but what's wrong with it?"
The creature fell to the ground and seemed to squirm for a while before falling completely immobile. That was the creature they had found dead when the team had arrived. Chris originally thought Leon had killed it, but the agent had denied it. Now they had video evidence that the monster had died on its own.
However, Jill couldn't understand it; had Claire done something that could not be seen in the footage?
"What the fuck…" Barry said with wide eyes, "It just died?"
"It seems like it…" Jill said, "I just don't know...how or why?"
"You think she would know?"
"I don't know…."
Jill pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a weary sigh. Chris was going to make a fuss when he heard the news, and knowing him, he wouldn't stop demanding answers. The problem was that no one was likely to have those answers, except maybe Claire. But the situation seemed complicated with her, and really, Jill had no idea how they could touch the subject without accidentally touching a nerve.
"You know…" Jill said, "Let me handle this. I'll talk to her, but after the holidays."
"Are we telling Chris?"
"Not...yet. Leave it to me, okay?"
Barry seemed to hesitate. Eventually, he nodded and returned to his desk without saying anything else. The subject was not mentioned again during the rest of the afternoon, but both Jill and Barry could not get it out of their mind.
"Found anything in the security tape?" Chris asked.
She had received a call from Chris asking her to come to Claire's lab asap as it seemed that they had found out something interesting from the corpse. Jill, she wanted to speak to Claire anyway.
"Nothing useful… So what's so amazing that you wanted to tell me?"
"Come…"
Slightly confused, Jill followed Chris through the complex until they reached a room with a large glass window. Jill was amazed by the place. Not even Umbrella's labs had been so nice and cozy.
"There… "
Chris was pointing at something on the other side of the glass. Jill was a little confused at first. There was a body over the table. At a simple look, it seemed like an extremely famished person, but Jill soon notices something monstrously odd on its face.
"Is that…"
"Our corpse… yeah. Don't ask Mr what happened. Claire and the others just dropped a whole science mambo Jambo that I don't understand. The only thing I know is that apparently, that thing is almost human again."
Jill's eyes widened. The monster had turned back? Could it be related to Claire, too?
" Where is Claire? I'd like to talk with her. "
" She was doing something in the lab with Rebecca. "
" And why are you here? "
" Because…. "Now Chris seemed irritated," Rebecca told me she wouldn't be able to focus if I was around. "
" what why?"
" He asks too many questions…"
Jill turned in time to meet Leon, who was holding two cups of coffee.
"Leon!"
"Valentine. Coffee?"
"No, thanks. If I drink more coffee, I won't get a good sleep tonight."
"if it was the coffee in the office… you know that thing has no caffeine."
"No, Barry brought a full thermo from home."
"Oh, yeah, no more coffee."
Leon seemed curious, but he didn't inquire. Instead, he gave the second cup to Chris and began drinking his.
"You were banned too?" Jill asked teasingly, and Leon smirked.
"No, but I thought Chris would need company. After a month and a half, I'm already used to Claire entering her mad scientist mode, and I know when I should not interfere."
"Wise…" Jill laughed.
Chris was ready to argue, but he was interrupted by his phone. The man made a gesture and walked away to attend the call.
" He can be a handful." Jill chuckled, " I understand why Rebecca banned him."
" To give Claire a breath…" Leon shrugged, "she hasn't told us, but judging by her look, it worried her."
" You already know how to read her?"
"Perks of spending too many hours together…"
" You don't sound sorry."
"No, I find spending hours with her rather pleasant."
"I bet you do."
Jill tried to see if the agent had any sign that could reveal his real position about his "mission", but honoring his training, he had stood inexpressibly as expected. She wanted to support Barry's theory that there was some romance blooming between those two, but the agent's attitude was a little tricky to read. He cared for Claire, and he had some level of affection, but whether that affection had sentimental origins or just a simple friendship, she could not tell.
"Edward wants me to go back to HQ," Chris said, walking back to them.
"Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, it's just something about paperwork. Could you cover me here, Jill?"
That was just perfect, now she could speak to Claire without avoiding Chris.
"Sure. Leave it to me."
"Thanks, excuse me with the ladies, Leon."
"Sure… You can drop by the house later if you have time."
"I'll try."
"Want an escort out?"
"Nah, I'll ask Sanaya."
Chris seemed reluctant to leave, but he sighed and walked off defeated. Jill watched him walk away, shaking her head. Sometimes, Chris could be such a kid.
"Well, someone doesn't look happy, does he?"
"He'll be pouting the rest of the day, but Barry can handle him." Jill laughed, "Good timing, however. I wanted to talk with you, Leon."
"Me?"
"Yeah, I was reviewing the security footage and saw what happened with Claire."
Leon seemed impassive, but the look of realization hinted to Jill that the agent knew what she meant.
"The med team report said no one suffered serious injuries." Jill said softly, "but that thing caught her strong enough to cut her in half."
"She was seriously injured when we fled the scene," Leon said sincerely, and his voice was clear… Regretful? "It was my fault. I should have been looking after her."
"You were having your share of troubles, I saw it." Jill said, shaking her head, "I'm not blaming you, but if she was injured, why did the med team ignore it?"
"They didn't. Claire had regenerated by the time of the check-up." Leon replied, "They just found a small cut."
"Regeneration? Are you serious?" Jill asked, shocked. She hadn't expected that explanation, "How?"
"Not sure. Claire was looking through it but didn't want Chris to know yet."
Jill nodded. She knew Chris's temper well enough to know how the soldier could react to the news and could understand why Claire would choose not to tell him unless it was necessary. Jill, however, was worried. Claire being safe was a good thing, but how bad could the implications of a regenerative skill become?
"Does she have any idea of what it is?"
"Speculation, as she calls it."
Jill nodded. She didn't expect an answer and Leon's expression suggested that the speculations weren't all that positive.
"Oh, yeah. You might want to know, the creature that we found dead was the one that attacked Claire."
"So she was the one who killed it. I should have guessed…"
"You don't sound excited about the idea."
"I'm not, especially if it…"
But Jill didn't get the if. The door of the lab opened, and Hiwamura stepped out. The Asian doctor looked around the corridor and smiled at Jill.
"I would assume Mr. Redfield has left?"
"He was called back to HQ. I'll be taking his place," Jill answered.
"Of course. Welcome, Ms. Valentine."
"Please call me Jill," she said, feeling a little uncomfortable with the formality, " Is everything okay?"
"As okay as it could be, I suppose. Please come in."
The lab was modest compared to some other labs that Jill had seen before, but well equipped. It had what it needed to do the job, and that itself was impressive. Claire was sitting in front of one of the machines, working diligently. Rebecca was reading something on a desk that wasn't too far from her. Both women turned to look at her and smiled.
"Oh, Jill! I was expecting Chris…" Claire said.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you. He was called back to HQ and left me here instead." Jill smiled, "but I'm sure you won't miss his presence for a while."
" It might be a good thing he isn't here…" Rebecca chuckled, "Chris and patience don't get along most of the time."
"That's an understatement…" Claire sighed.
Jill couldn't help but notice that Leon had discreetly slipped to Claire's side and was whispering something to her. The auburn head looked at him with an expression that Jill couldn't read.
"We found something interesting…" Rebecca said, tapping her data tab.
"I assume it has to do with what you found in the database," Leon said, looking at Claire.
"Just when did you become so smart?"
"I've always been smart…"
"And sassy…" Claire chuckled.
"I learned from a certain woman…" Leon replied.
Jill saw Claire laugh for a moment, but her smile soon faded away. She suddenly looked tired and less cheerful than she usually was. Even with how little Jill knew about Claire, mainly on behalf of Chris and Barry, that discouraged gesture did not go unnoticed before the soldier's eyes.
"Are you alright? You don't look too well."
"Oh, no...I'm just fine." Claire shrugged, "Tired...maybe."
"Maybe you should take a break…" Leon suggested, but Claire shook her head.
"I could take this as a break. I am not doing anything."
"That's not what I meant."
"I know…" Claire sighed, "It's fine. After I finish this, you can take me home."
"What are you doing?" Jill asked, and this time it was Rebecca who answered.
"Well, long story short. We found something that could potentially turn around the tides against these new BOW's. It's called a Virophage. A virus that manages to hijack and then basically dismantle another virus."
"Well, it sounds like a good thing, right?"
"Yeah, it's great," Rebecca said, "I mean this virus infects infected tissue and stops the virus from propagating and at the same time releases something, we are hypothesizing that it might be a toxin that "eats" away mutated tissue as well. "
"What does that mean?"
"It destroys all the mutated tissue." Hiwamura replied, "In our guy's case, the virus hijacked infected cells and stopped the virus from propagating and creating new mutated cell tissue. At the same time, it degrades all the preexisting mutated cells. It seems that mutated cells are the key to their regeneration abilities."
"So when they get infected with that thing...they can regenerate, and they become killable." Leon concluded, "I'm liking this virus…"
"Oh, believe me, there are other reasons for you to love this virus…" Hiwamura snorted.
Claire rolled her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Ignore her…"
"So, what is it? You said you found a full match."
"Yeah, I did…" Claire sighed. "It's mine…"
"What?"
"The virophage. It's mine; it's my virus."