Licking the hot blood of the tips of his fingers, Paxton Fettel smiled. For the first time in many years it was not a mocking leer or a sadistic grimace, but a genuine smile of one who had achieved something previously thought as unreachable. Freedom.
When he had realized that it was the E-001 that infected his host in France and thwarted his attempt to dispose of Redfield's gang of misfits, the weight of that horrific blunder was almost crushing.
Yet… with chaos comes opportunity and soon enough Fettel had realized that he could turn everything to his advantage. Report Redfield and his allies as slain and exploit their next move for his own benefit. Intimidate Sebastian into enlisting the Bloodfang's help. Convince Mia Winters to aid him by dangling the fate of her precious daughter in her face. Gamble on Eveline's predictable desire to use his plan as her way to get back at her tormentors. Finally, employ the little trophy he had kept all these years, ever since that Lanshiang debacle.
With chaos abound, so was the opportunity, and if he played his cards right, Fettel stood a decent chance at obliterating all of his foes, past and present, in one fell swoop.
And so Paxton Fettel did just that. With all pieces in place, he was - after all these years - free to make his own move and vanquish the enemy queen - finally freeing himself from the shackles that bind him for so long.
Nevertheless, Paxton knew that his job was far from done. He would not rest until he cleared the board of all the pieces that opposed him. And he knew just the tool that would get the task done. Which dear Mia will be all too eager to provide for him.
Giving the telepathic command to his two loyal bodyguards to follow him, Paxton proceeded to search for a little button underneath the desk of his slain oppressor. Finding it in short order, the bloodied man pressed on it, revealing a hidden passage that would lead him all the way to his next destination.
Chris Redfield had fought bioterrorism in all of its gruesome shapes since 1998 - before that particular term was even invented, in fact. With 25 years of strife behind him, the hardened veteran saw all the terrible faces that particular phenomena had to show. And while most aspects changed over the years - such as the weapon's delivery methods, contagion vectors, as well as the resulting B.O.W.s composition, numbers, intelligence - one thing remained an immutable constant.
As he would get closer and closer to the source of any particular outbreak, so would the mutated critters that stood in his way get progressively nastier and meaner, with a truly monstrous abomination awaiting at the end.
That one final monster itself could take a great deal of many different shapes; and rise up from several different origins. It could be just some particularly nasty B.O.W., cooked up in some lab. It could be an unexpected, hyper-enduring mutation - pushed far beyond its projected limits. Finally, it could be the person behind the outbreak themselves - forced to inject an unstable virus into their own body, whether out of desperation or delusions of godhood.
But regardless of the vast variations its powers, size and indeed, even origins could take, one thing always remained the same - the fact of its presence - barring the way before the end of a mission or a campaign. For 25 long years, it was the constant Captain Redfield learned to expect and eventually - anticipate. That one last extra-tough foe that stood between himself and a well-deserved break. This was one immutable constant in a sea of change that was the War on Bioterror.
This is why today, Chris Redfield - armed to the teeth with enough firepower to bring down a dozen tyrants, stood with his jaw hanging wide open and an uncomprehending gaze leveled against the unmoving corpse of his latest nemesis - the U.N. Secretary-General - the one person responsible for all this mess he had found himself in.
Likewise, Vesper Benedict stared back at the captain from her expensive armchair with an expression of pure incredulity etched into her dead face. The one woman who had successfully played the role of a puppet master for the entire world; the one woman who had orchestrated the rise of international mega-conglomerates such as the Connections and Armacham Technology Corporation; the one woman who attempted to take her shot at an actual world domination for herself and her cabal - was slain right in her luxurious office, deep inside the U.N. Headquarters in New York.
Judging by her frozen features, she had never expected her end to come from the one who had ended her - whoever she or he was. What was even more curious was the fact that her body was still warm to the touch - likely the woman was murdered mere minutes ago, with no culprit in sight, amazingly. No witnesses, nothing on the security cameras. Whoever the mysterious assassin was, they managed to kill Vesper and her six cronies and elude Chris' own men, who had the entire building surrounded.
The captain was not a particularly big fan of mysteries, yet he could do nothing but stare at the deceased husk of his nemesis. Even in her death, the man had to admit that for a woman in her fifties she possessed a striking beauty that would leave women half her age green with envy. A shame that her throat was ripped out as if a wild beast was set upon her.
Still, as the shock from the fact that the final monster of today was slain before he had even had a shot at her wore off, Chris felt a certain - most definitely unhealthy - disappointment, as if someone cheated him of his well-deserved kill. Then again, a measure of relief was there as well - as even the hardened veteran was not truly looking forward to battling some enormous acid-spitting mutant once more. Maybe this was his gift for the silver anniversary of battling bioterrorism - a bloodless victory, for once.
Nobody had contested their team as they demanded entrance into the U.N. HQ - not with several platoons of U.S. Marines backing them up. All the human guards had immediately yielded to the joint B.S.A.A. and U.S. government authority, with the rest of the security measures shut down and even Replica Peacekeeper units standing down.
And now, deep inside the HQ in a restricted area that was normally open only to the SecGen and her closest cronies, nothing but death was there to greet the captain. The manipulative bitch that so loved to pull at the strings from behind the curtain, as well as her cohorts were all murdered in cold-blood - without alerting the rest of the building.
"Well, shit. I guess I can throw away that little questionnaire Hunnigan came up with…" mumbled out Leon, similarly dumbstruck at this bedazzling turn of events. Shaking off his own shock, Chris simply shrugged his shoulders, before reaching for a smoke. As far as the large captain himself was concerned, that bitch had to die absolutely no matter what, but something told him that he was not going to be shaking hands with her murderer.
"I am not sure exactly who we should be thanking for a job well done, but not the worst outcome, all in all. Let's hope that it will go as smoothly for the Bravo Team, as well as for Charlie and Delta." muttered Chris, before taking a drag from his cigarette.
Even if their primary target was already dead, Ethan's team was still unaccounted for. They should've already reached the top floor of the Empire State Building and hacked the Relay, but so far there were no communications from them.
Moreover, Charlie and Delta teams - which included Bela and Daniela, respectively, were in the process of apprehending the American and Russian delegations, which should be already infected by the E-002s at this point - according to the deceased defector. If they were lucky, not only the diplomats themselves could be safely incapacitated and cured, but the Connection's handlers arrested and B.O.W.s themselves neutralized… in a hopefully non-lethal manner. They were just fucking kids, after all… much like Eveline herself once was.
Assembling uncorrupt B.S.S.A. personnel, gaining the president's confidence and going through a meticulous day of planning and hand-picking loyal agents led them all for this one final multi-pronged but simultaneous confrontation which would hopefully see this whole conflict resolved. But now, with his own foe dismantled just like that, Chris couldn't help but wonder if all they did was in accordance with someone else's plan…
Who could pull on a puppet-master's strings?
"Captain, you'd want to take a look at this…"
Lieutenant Mark's solemn voice broke Chris out of his musings. Chris knew the man for quite a few years - Mark Turner was a man of few words but his strategic mind was a credit to B.S.A.A. North America branch. With a no-nonsense attitude and unflinching character, the fact that he spoke with such cautious intensity implied that whatever happened was quite serious...
"Руки убрал, блядь! Ах ты сука, да ты знаешь кто мой зять!? Я тя мразь запомню… "
Daniela didn't speak Russian, but she was fairly certain that the bald, bespectacled Russian diplomat was not too pleased about being manhandled so roughly as a B.S.A.A. specialist forcibly took the skin samples with his scanning device.
The rest of the Russian delegation was no less verbally-combative, yet nobody actually physically resisted the B.S.A.A. specialists, not when they were supported by several armed FBI agents and fully equipped U.S. Marines.
Daniela herself was not exactly sure what her job was and truth to be told, she did feel a little anxious from being surrounded by so many unfamiliar faces. Yet her two-piece gray suit was incredibly lovely and the redhead was sure about one thing. She would be keeping it. A terribly out of place bright yellow tie was her own last-minute addition to her outfit and while the majority of those who were present here gazed at it in slight befuddlement, Daniela just knew that it worked perfectly on her. Anyone who told her otherwise would not be getting her home-baked cookies after this mission was done.
Admiring herself in a mirror, Daniela mentally commended her impeccable fashion sense while also secretly hoping for someone else to verbally praise her.
"Moderate levels of Type-XR mold infection…" mouthed a B.S.A.A. specialist as he inspected the result that was displayed on his device - earning himself a glare from the Dimitrescu daughter. That mumbo-jumbo did not sound like praise to her!
Another B.S.A.A. agent spoke out next - a young woman with pink hair tied in a bun - Daniela liked that one, she sure knew her fashion! "Slight-to-moderate here - doesn't seem like the infection is complete… the E-002 could still be around."
The Russian Permanent Mission to the U.N. in New York was a rather large building, with lots of rooms and offices. It would be a pain in the ass to search it all, floor by floor, and now Daniela was not so sure that volunteering for this operation was such a smart thought on her part. Bela had said that these E-002 could be dangerous, and the Dimitrescu daughters had a natural resistance to its influence - therefore making them the perfect counter if the E-002 would prove hostile. Bela had then proceeded to volunteer to assist the team that would take the U.S. delegation into custody, with Daniela parroting her older sister.
And that's how I got this boring gig while Cassi gets to spend some quality time with Ethan, Dion and Uncle… while doing fun spy stuff! Urgh!
Bemoaning her boring predicament, Daniela huffed in indignity, before being approached by some FBI agent. The cleanly-shaven and athletic-looking man was a cutie, there was no doubt about that, making the redhead cheeks tint pink once she had noticed that he was checking her out, as well.
Maybe it's time to give this relationship thing another go… I will never forget Elian, but I am better now. Stronger. In control of myself. Perhaps I can finally leave my horrible past behind? For real, this time?
Unfortunately, the cute agent didn't get a chance to offer her a well-deserved compliment, as the squad's communication officer suddenly yelled out, "We've got visual confirmation on E-002 and its handler - Yuki Momochi! Fifth floor!"
That was Daniela's part. To find that poor kid that was turned into an E-002 Bio-Organic Weapon and neutralize it in a non-lethal manner. While normal humans were vulnerable to its mold-based infection abilities, the Dimitrescu daughter had no such weaknesses. If she could not earn her praise through good looks alone, she would do so through valorous deeds!
Cassi and Bela ain't the only badasses in the family! I am a badass, too!
"Badass." whispered under her own breath the redhead, hyping herself up. The agent next to her glanced at her with a weirded-out expression, but before he could say anything, all hell broke loose.
"Убить их всех!" roared out the bald Russian diplomat before headbutting the B.S.A.A. specialist with an unexpected ferocity, causing the shorter man to fall right on his rear, with stars in his eyes.
"Shit! The E-2 took control! Take em' down gently!" cried out the pinkette, before having another diplomat tackle her to the floor.
Several other delegates that were previously standing around with grumpy expressions suddenly leapt into action, grabbing every item that could serve as a weapon and assaulting the closest operative. The cute agent next to Daniela got treated to a table lamp being hurled right into his face, while Daniela herself got smacked across the face by a baseball bat of all things.
"Ouch!"
Taking a step back and yelping in pain, the redhead immediately sensed the beast inside of her rearing its fangs. It wanted out - to rip and tear this offending mortal. As well as everybody else in its immediate vicinity.
It's fine. I'll handle it myself.
With a growl, the monster retreated back in - placated, for now.
With a growl of her own, Daniela easily caught the next swing of the bat, before tearing it from the hands of its owner and breaking it across her knee. A normal human would be forced to do a double take upon seeing a slender girl like her performing such a feat of strength, yet the mind-controlled zombie instead attempted to claw at her eyes, while drooling from his open mouth.
A knee to the zombie's groin - with Daniela's impressive strength behind the blow - should've caused the man to collapse in pain, yet apparently the mold infection that took over his body also turned off the pain receptors, since the diplomat merely grunted in annoyance, before punching the redhead right into her mouth.
"Gah! Alright, that's enough out of you!"
Actually annoyed now, the youngest Dimitrescu proceeded to grab the zombified man by his expensive shirt and with a grunt of effort, hurled him right into a nearby wardrobe. The sound of splintering wood that followed was lost in the chaos of the ongoing melee, as the rest of the agents attempted to subdue the zombified diplomats without actually killing them. The FBI agent took a pause from nursing his bruised head to send an appreciative wince her way, clearly impressed with the way Daniela dispatched the diplomat. Blushing slightly, the vampiric girl couldn't help her erratic mind and wondered whether the cutie liked his women stronger than himself.
A small vase smashing into the wall next to her head was enough to break the redhead out of her flirty musings. She had a job to do, after all.
Giving the cutie agent a playful wink, Daniela proceeded to transform her lower body into its swarm form. While she could've lent her formidable strength in incapacitating the mind-controlled delegation, her true target was on the fifth floor - so that's where she was going next, as she fluttered out of the open window.
Directing her chimaeric body upwards, Daniela stopped to hover on the fifth-floor level, while frantically gazing through windows to find her target. She didn't need to look too hard, however, as the tell-tale sound of automatic gunfire - coming from her right - was enough to provide all the direction she needed.
Using her arms to crash through the glass window, Daniela was inside the building once more and her soon-to-be solid feet touched the floor moments later. Breaking into a sprint, the vampiric progeny powered through the hallway and approached the large office where the commotion was taking place.
A single Marine was firing his M4 carbine chaotically while trying to stumble backwards - an inky black tentacle piercing him right through his unprotected calf. The man didn't get far, as whatever coursed through the oily tendril pumped right into his bloodstream, forcing the Marine to drop at the floor and grunt in agony.
Not thinking twice, Daniela swiftly unslung her sickle from its place at her waist and rushed to slash at the disgusting tentacle - cutting it off and causing most of it to retract back to its source, with the rest quickly crystallizing and crumbling to pieces.
Pausing for a second to glance at the Marine, who now appeared to be unconscious, Daniela was prepared to proceed forward, but a couple of fully-equipped B.S.A.A. Exterminators stomping their way inside the office caused her to firmly turn around and extend one palm up in a clear 'stop' motion. These men in fully enclosed protective suits and gas masks; armed with heavy flamethrowers, were the very definition of the organization's lethal approach. Now that the E-002 has proven to be hostile and dangerous, Daniela was the poor kid's last chance for survival.
"Let me handle this, please!"
At her earnest voice, the two bulky men traded glances, before the left one gave her a nod.
"Good luck, ma'am."
The soldier's voice, coming through his helmet, was more mechanical than anything, yet Daniela still felt both reassured and surprised. Nobody had ever called her that way and moreover - she never expected these strange men to wish her luck. She had lived her whole existence with the notion that humanity at large wanted to do nothing but exterminate her… and now she was working with them… against her own kind.
Adjusting her yellow tie, the redhead burst into motion, quickly making her way across the large office space. A B.S.A.A. specialist crawled away from her goal - a similar tendril impaling the man right through his shoulder. Not even stopping, Daniela merely slashed her sickle across the vicious tendril, cutting it off.
The reaction to her presence was instantaneous and soon a different tendril rushed out to meet her, snaking right around a corner in an attempt to impale her leg - only to pass right through the buzzing swarm that took the place of her limb in a blink of an eye. Giggling with mirth, Daniela returned the favor by slashing the tentacle, only for several more to appear.
Informed in advance that an E-002 prototype could generate such tendrils in excess of its own body mass, Daniela decided not to fight her way through the forest of tentacles, but simply swarm through. Assuming her partial insect form, the redhead swiftly fluttered through, even as tentacles started to hurl random office items at her in a fruitless bid to slow her down.
In mere seconds, she had reached her goal - the E-002 and its handler, standing next to a locked entrance to a service stairwell of some kind, as well as several more incapacitated agents lying around.
The handler was a youthful and strikingly beautiful woman of an Asian descent, while the E-002 Bio-Organic Weapon turned out to be a young girl - no older than ten - of Caucasian descent, making Daniela gulp at the thought of fighting a child. Well, as much of a child that thing could be, considering that at least eight inky tendrils were aggressively protruding from her small body - hovering over the girl akin to a pack of menacing snakes. Still, the redhead had to try diplomacy first, so she yelled out, "Just surrender! The others will not hesitate to put both of you down!"
Ignoring Daniela and fumbling with the service stairway door, the Asian woman spared Daniela only a fleeting glance before shouting at the young girl, "Don't just stand there, Sarah! Defend me! Kill her!"
The tiny girl gazed at Daniela with pity in her large blue eyes, as if she didn't really want to hurt her, yet whispered out a simple, "Yes, mama…" before attacking with all of her tendrils simultaneously.
While dodging a single such tendril was a child's play for Daniela, the same could not be said about eight of them at once. Moreover, for whatever reason, her own unnatural body's instinct to disperse on contact with a threatening object was not activating from these vicious tendrils and the very first barrage of blows saw Daniela dodge four of them, cut down one more - only to be struck by three - into her left calf, right thigh and lower abdomen. One blessing was that the Dimitrescu daughter was immune to the mold infection itself - unless digested, so the tentacles were limited to inflicting raw physical damage upon her frame.
Hissing in pain, Daniela pulled out her dagger and letting out a feral scream of rage started to slash her way through the forest of tentacles. More tendrils came to meet her mid-way, carving up her flesh and smashing her flies, yet Daniela found a shocking amount of strength surging out from her core, powering her limbs and allowing her to ignore the pain.
Cleaving through several more tendrils, Daniela was finally within melee range of the girl. One swing of her sickle and she could've easily beheaded the mutated child and end the threat. But Daniela was done with murdering innocents. Never again. Instead of going for a practical solution, the redhead let loose a desperate plea.
"Just stop it, Sarah! I want to help you!"
The girl hesitated for a second and that was all Daniela needed. Dropping her sickle, the vampire reached for a shock collar that was attached to the left side of her waist and in a blink of an eye had it snapped closed over the mutated girl's neck.
As the paralyzing current from the collar spread out across her tiny body, Sarah screamed in pain and soon collapsed in a heap, making a pang of guilt run throughout Daniela's own heart. She hated to subject this poor child to such agony, especially since seemingly not so long ago she herself was incapacitated by electricity. But she did it for Sarah's own good. It was better than the alternative.
Several bullets wheezed through Daniela's head, interrupting her musings and momentarily stunning her - until her brain reformed.
"I am never going back to prison!"
The handler's piercing shriek made the redhead growl in rage. What kind of a monster would turn a little girl into such a terrifying weapon, condemning her to a life of death and misery - as someone's tool, no less? Chris was right - prison was too good a fate for such filth…
Ignoring the pistol bullets that pierced through her intangible body, Daniela slowly walked right towards that callous woman, while muttering something that put mortal fear on her beautiful face.
"Don't worry - you won't."
The handler was quick to realize Daniela's deadly intentions, if her suddenly timid frame that was pushing hard against the unyielding door was any indication. The pistol cluttered to the floor, empty and forgotten.
"Wait, d…"
She didn't get to finish her plea, as Daniela's sharp fangs were soon tearing right through her jugular, spilling the vital fluid freely and cutting any cries for mercy short.
Consumed by hatred, Daniela did not let the body drop until she had drained the majority of its blood - ensuring death. The process likely took several minutes, even though it was just a blink of an eye for the vengeful redhead. These people had attacked them; kidnapped their mother - only to turn innocents girls and boys into weapons of terror. They deserved no mercy. Moreover, for Daniela herself, this was almost cathartic - once a helpless girl who had allowed her mama to get abducted, she was now an instrument of vengeance and justice.
Satisfied with her grim feast, Daniela allowed the exsanguinated corpse to tumble to the floor. Turning away from it, the youngest Dimitrescu was immediately confronted by several pairs of terrified eyes which beheld her blood-soaked visage. Monster - they screamed at her. Still, none of the assembled soldiers and agents decided to interfere, either out of fear or out of comprehension of the righteousness of Daniela's bloody deed.
"Damn..." Glancing down at her own suit, once pristine in its gray colors, Daniela saw it colored dark red from all the blood that had spilled on it; black splotches of her own blood marred her pants. Even her beautiful tie was now crimson. Still… It was all worth it.
Surrounded by unheeded murmurs, Daniela picked up the incapacitated Bio-Organic Weapon that was named Sarah and proceeded to push her way through the crowd of B.S.A.A. soldiers, FBI agents and Marines alike - determined to get this innocent child to safety. Cradling the girl close to her chest, Daniela would be damned if she'd allow any more harm to befall this precious little thing.
Leaving the building and getting into a B.S.A.A. vehicle, Daniela was driven on their way back to their own HQ - back to her mother and people who could hopefully help this poor child.
A young woman in B.S.A.A. uniform immediately took her place next to the redhead and started applying first aid gel to her numerous injuries. With her task done and her wounds tended to, Daniela let out a relieved sigh and a "thank you" of gratitude. After a job well-done, the blood-soaked Dimitrescu gave the building behind her one last glance while having only one personal regret.
Pity I never asked that cutie agent his name...
Still, now that she was out of there and having little control of the future, the youngest vampiric sibling couldn't help but think about the other teams.
At least I got the job done… I hope it went just as smoothly for everyone else. Cassi, Belli, Ethie, Uncle and even Chris! Be safe, please!
Consumed with worry for her friends and family, the bloodied redhead tenderly caressed the girl in her arms.
"What the fuck…"
The B.S.A.A. driver's panicked voice was enough to bring Daniela out of her pondering about the future. Something was wrong.
It would take a considerably acute mind to be able to make a split-second decision to fake one's death, especially during the chaotic conditions imposed by an unexpected ambush.
Fortunately, Bela Dimitrescu possessed exactly such a mind and therefore was able to immediately assess the fight her group had gotten into as unwinnable. Even as her human comrades were falling all around her - cut down by overlapped zones of gunfire that were clearly prepared in advance - Bela realized that she only had two valid options.
The first one was to assume her swarm shape and flee to safety. The second option was to fake her own demise by collapsing to the floor alongside the rest of her human comrades - in a bid to learn the identity of her assailants… and perhaps lay a nasty surprise of her own for them.
And so, with an actress-like skill, Bela tumbled to the floor once a number of bullets went through her intangible shape, only hoping that her attackers would not perceive the lack of actual injuries on her body in all the chaos.
Laying still, the oldest Dimitrescu sibling had to fight against her better instincts as her human allies perished all around her. Cries of agony and screams of the dying completed the morbid cacophony of piercing shrieks of bullets and ricochets, as well as weapon discharges themselves. She knew well that she could do nothing to turn the tides around, despite her unnatural powers - the ambush was simply too meticulously executed, with both positional and numerical advantage for the opposing side - leaving no chance of survival for the mixed group of U.S. Marines, FBI agents and B.S.A.A. operatives that assaulted the U.S. Mission to the United Nations - expecting to meet a number of diplomats and an E-002, and not an army of well-armed enemy soldiers.
Letting out a single tear of grief for her newest human compatriots that she had volunteered to assist, Bela just lay on her belly and her face kept down... waiting.
It took only around ten seconds for the gunfire to die down completely, with all of the Anti-Connections coalition men and women cut down. While the hostile troopers were clearly well equipped and trained, Bela wondered just who exactly were these people and how did they know to expect them here. Did someone betray them, again?
Not completely satisfied with being blind to her surroundings, Bela detached a single keen-eyed fly from her body, allowing her to observe the area, while still playing a corpse. Unfortunately, the vision that was granted by a single insect was a poor substitute for her human pupils - as it lacked both focus and range - forcing Bela to direct it to approach a single enemy combatant, that was but a blurry shape to it until it got close.
The hostile trooper was armed with an assault rifle, but what was interesting was a full kit of NBC gear equipped on him - gasmask included. Bela was no human soldier, but she knew enough to figure out that such burdening equipment was not deployed for no reason. Her dark blood chilled in her veins as she considered the possibilities these men might have for equipping such encumbering suits.
Before she could ponder on that more however, several shots in her immediate vicinity were taken - likely executing any wounded combatants from her side that showed movement - almost making Bela herself lurch from her spot. Thankfully, her composure won over and the blonde woman did not budge an inch.
The cruel, gas-mask muffled laughter that followed the callous executions implied that the hostile troopers were either some kind of Black Ops unit or a mercenary outfit - most professional soldiers did not revel in wanton slaughter, as far as she knew.
After a couple of more seconds of making sure nobody else but them moved, the soldiers started exchanging brief communications with each other, with Bela listening in carefully.
"All clear inside."
"Good."
"This one looks like the FBI agent in charge - carry him upstairs."
"Yes, sir!"
A couple of heavy combat boots stomped next to Bela's head, before the unmistakable sound of a heavy object being dragged across the floor implied that the soldiers did as told. Bela had no idea what they wanted to do with the deceased Special Agent-in-Charge Grant Howard - the man in charge of the Charlie team, so she simply dismissed that line of thought and focused on further chatter.
"Cops are gathering outside."
"Irrelevant. Units A, B and C - proceed with the second stage."
"Roger that!"
"Double check your masks - viral bombs are a go in T-minus sixty."
Viral bombs!? Shit!
"VIPs are heading down in four minutes. Cars ready?"
"Affirmative."
VIPs? Here? Could be either Mia or that Yuki woman...
Considering her next move carefully, Bela kept to her spot while chatter that was uninteresting to her ensured. Soon after however, the whole area started to get enveloped in a thin, bluish mist, causing the blonde woman's heart to skip a beat in fright. Rationally thinking, Bela considered the likelihood of her being susceptible to a man-made virus to be low, yet she was afraid, nevertheless. Still, the chance to intercept these so-called VIPs was a tempting treat, so the woman kept still, even as the potentially-deadly mist filled her lungs.
Before the VIPs could show up, the sound of police sirens started to come from the outside, followed by an officer with a megaphone shouting the typical demands.
"You're surrounded! Come out with your hands up!"
Wasn't surprising that a massacre of this scale taking place in the middle of New York drew police attention, as the U.S. Mission to the United Nations was just across the U.N. 's headquarters themselves. Chris' team was likely finishing their own mission right about now and would soon come to avenge the butchered Charlie team. Would they walk right into this viral mist?
I have to warn them! Bela's first thought was quickly contradicted by the second, however. No… Chris is a professional. He will surely not be caught off-guard by something like this. And these soldiers seem awfully sure about their capacity to escort these VIPs outta here… I may be the only one in position to intercept them… as long as I preserve my element of surprise, that is. But wait… perhaps Evie could help?
Evie? Eveline?
...
The ghostly girl did not respond. Bela was not that familiar with this particular communication ability, just yet, so she could not tell whether Eveline was occupied elsewhere or simply chose to ignore her call. Regardless, the result was the same - Bela was on her own.
The next two minutes tested Bela's composure to its limit, yet she stuck to her pose, not budging an inch. After that, however, her efforts were rewarded, as her keen-eyed fly detected a large number of hostile combatants escorting three people. Bug-vision was not enough to allow her to clearly perceive facial features, yet the shapes were recognizable.
A small one - likely a child - very possibly the E-002 she had volunteered to capture.
A larger one - but still not as big as the majority of soldiers around - possibly a woman - Mia or Yuki, perhaps?
Finally, the biggest shape - a tall male, no doubt. Could be anyone, yet Bela felt uneasy from watching this person - even through her blurry bug-eyes. Something about him was… wrong. Was it blood that was smeared across his mouth - it was hard to tell through the fly's visual receptors, yet it seemed that way - as if this person was a twisted reflection of a Dimitrescu daughter after a feeding...
While Bela wanted to do nothing but to spring up right away, she knew that she would likely be no match against the twenty-something soldiers, in addition to this dangerous E-002 child and the unnerving male. She had to bide her time, yet again. But that didn't mean she would just let them walk into the parking lot by themselves - her inconspicuous fly slowly made its way to the woman, before perching in the hems of her shirt - out of sight, but not out of Bela's mind. Focusing her own senses on what the little fly heard, the blonde daughter could decipher the words the male spoke to the female, as they made their way to the underground parking lot.
"Your daughter will surely appreciate all the sacrifices you've made for her."
There was just a hint of mockery in his voice - which was unfamiliar to Bela.
"She will hate me for what I have done. But I don't care. At least she will be alive to hate me. That's all that matters, in the end."
Bela had only heard this voice once in her life, but that was enough to forever etch it in her memory. Mia Winters. Ethan's wife, who had led abominable experiments on Bela's own mother. Unforgivable.
"Ah, the bonds of a mother and her child. I know them well, believe it or not. It is not so easy to break them. Not easy at all…"
The previous mocking tint was exchanged for something that almost resembled respect in the man's voice. The trio and their escort soon descended down the stairways that likely led to the underground parking lot, but Bela could still hear their discussion in the back of her mind, though it was harder to discern individual words with the increasing distance between her fly and the rest of her body.
I must thank you, Mia. Seeing the expression of shock on that bitch's face when I tore her throat out… You have no idea how long I've been waiting for that priceless moment. And you made it all possible.
I still can't believe that she used just that neck-implanted bomb to keep someone like you on a leash… seems a little light.
Mia's surprised observation was followed by the man's cruel laughter, as well as an explanation.
I'll take that as a compliment. But you're right - that was just the secondary measure. But we have to thank your dear daughter - Eveline, for taking care of the primary one.
Eveline is not my fucking daughter… and what the hell do you mean by that?
Oh, that little girl turned out to be more resourceful than I anticipated… but a little mental suggestion and off she goes to hack ESB's psionic Relay - buying me all the time I need. I believe that your husband is fighting for his life, even as we speak - up there.
Ethan is in trouble!?
Bela felt like she had wasted enough time upon hearing that last part. Detaching a single more fly from her body, she saw that only three soldiers were left in the building's lobby, with the rest of them having followed the VIPs to the escape vehicles.
Three is a joke.
Before she could act, however, a single one approached Bela's body and loudly noted, "Damn, this one looks fucking hot. Let's grab this bitch for the road, huh?"
"She is dead, Brooke. As we will be, if we stick around for much longer."
"That's the way he likes 'em, Taylor."
"Jesus, what a fucking degenerate. Let's get the fuck out of here!"
Bela has finally had enough. As this Brooke person came around and grabbed her by the ankles - clearly intending to drag her 'body' along in defiance of his compatriot's wishes - the blonde vampire sprung to life.
Showcasing incredible athletic grace, Bela swiftly rotated herself 180 degrees and with a lightning-fast maneuver had her feet locked behind the man's neck. Before he could even register the imminent danger he was in, the blonde vampire - with the help of her powerful arm and leg muscles - launched herself up to perch on the man's shoulders; with his head stuck firmly in between her thighs. Normally, only Ethan was privy to having his face so close to her crotch, yet for today, she made an exception - if only for a second. For a second was all it took for Bela to have her thighs jerking counter-clockwise with one thrusting forward and another backward - with more than enough force to produce that normally unpleasant snapping noise - which today sounded akin to music to Bela's ears.
Not waiting for Brooke's rapidly fading body to drop to the floor, Bela swiftly untangled her legs from his neck - only to use his torso as a platform from which she leapt at the second man. Taylor had a mere moment to tumble with his gun, as he stared at the rapidly approaching vampire. Unable to dodge, he was soon treated to a breath-stealing tackle that saw them both tumble to the ground.
As swift with her recovery as she was with her acrobatics, Bela was up in a heartbeat, not forgetting to tear Taylor's gas mask off - producing instantaneous results. The bluish mist invading his lungs was clearly not something that was particularly conducive to human health, as the man immediately started to choke while his eyes bulged out. Leaving the trooper to breathe in the vapors of his labor, the blonde Dimitrescu reached for her dagger - only to fling it with pinpoint accuracy - right into the last soldier's forehead.
And just like that, three well-trained men were slain in mere moments, without firing a shot. Despite violence never really being her preferred method of conflict-resolution, Bela couldn't help but deliver herself a mental pat on the back for her performance in this skirmish. Even Cassandra would've been proud, were she present to witness it.
Now apparently the last living thing in the lobby, Bela was keenly aware of the deathly silence that fell over the building - deafening in its contrast to the previous sounds of mayhem. No noise came from outside the building, implying that the assembled police had either retreated or suffered a grim fate once the bluish mist had reached them.
Still, there was no time to either rest on her laurels or ponder upon the human police's unenviable predicament, so Bela swiftly made her way to tail the VIPs, while reaching for her radio.
"Ethan, Chris?" Nothing but static. "Anyone? Shit!" The enemy troopers likely brought in a communication jammer of some kind, once again confirming the notion that Bela was in it by herself. No outside assistance was coming, as far as she knew. Moreover, as much as she worried about Ethan, she could do nothing to aid him, so Bela was forced to trust her lover to do his part, while she would do hers. Who knew where Mia, the mysterious male and the E-002 child were headed? She could not just allow them to leave.
Using her swarm shape to leap down the stairway, Bela was once again in proximity to her beacon-fly. Just in time for her to hear something that sent a shiver of both fright and hatred down her spine.
What do you want Dimitrescu for?
Even depleted, her shell possesses incredible regenerative properties. Not that you should care about any of that. You will get your daughter back. Just like we agreed.
Just like we agreed…
They were headed for the coalition's headquarters, where Rosie and Alcina were located!? How could they even know about its location? Chris had assured everyone that every single person was hand-picked for this operation for their loyalty.
More importantly, while Mia apparently just wanted her daughter back, this enigmatic male wanted Bela's mother!?
Breaking into a sprint, Bela had nothing but murder on her mind.
Over my dead body, you bastard.
Author's Note:
I thought it would be fitting to have Bela and Daniela, as being more empathetic sisters, volunteer to attempt to capture kids turned bioweapons alive. Wonder if Alcina would be receptive to the idea of having more grandchildren, though? :D
Elian is a sweetheart Daniela met (and murdered) during her two years in Cuba.
Gotta admit, after writing Cassandra as the most badass sister, its quite refreshing to portray both Bela and Daniela as kicking some ass of their own. Hopefully their respective scenes were enjoyable to read :)
Thanks for reading and stay safe out there!