Chapter 26: Love Psalm
„If you could rewrite our life any way that you please
Would you tear out the pages of our memories?
Would you take back the pain and all the hurt we create?
Or could you be satisfied with the love that you've made with me?
So we rewrite our lives, but it's not what we think
In the chaos we dance as we stand on the brink
Always one change away from makin' ourselves complete
The world will perish in flames and I'll watch as you fade from me
We write our love psalm" – Love Psalm, Akira Yamaoka
She is in shock. Unable to speak, her mind refusing to believe. He turns his attention to the monster. Pushes it back. Holds his fist tight, red glow gathering around it. The punch emits an explosion of red light. The creature staggers back. Its giant arm forms a fist, punches him. Wesker guards with his arms. Alex kneeling on the ground behind him. He moves fast, tackles the monster. Sends both of them into the hallway, further collapsing the doorway.
The creature beats its log like limbs against his back. The arm pinned under it. He grabs its head and slams it into the floor. Again and again. It's not dead yet. Its skull is hard. Finally something cracks. But he had not noticed it got its arm free. Only feels it when it's too late. He is lifted into the air and throw into a wall. The monster follows up, running at him, the punch sending him into the next room. He feels something go into his shoulder, a piece of rebar from the wall. He is on his back, on the floor feels blood in his mouth. It hurts to move. He gets up, pull the piece of rebar out, it has gone straight thought. Blood oozes out of the wound. He grips it tight, dashes out thought the hole, attempting to stab the creature with it. Aims for the giant eye. It sense the attack coming turns around, its massive limbs swinging at him. It connects, he feels his ribs break upon impact but he managed to stab it. Not where he planned, it's imbedded in the side. The creature is trashing about, clearly hurt. Wesker tries to move out of the way as it's flailing about. Massive limbs hitting the walls, the ground. It shakes. Then he feels himself fall.
Alex hears the fight outside. Her mind begins to race. How was it even possible? She was certain that Eliot was a real person. But then she remembers the dreams. Albert telling her he can't see her anymore. "It's not forever, just for a long time." that's what he said. Then there was that dream with Eliot. Saying he felt like he was going to die soon. The truth was, he did die. His heart had stopped. They had tried to revive him. She was sitting outside the operation room. She heard the electro shocks. After four minutes he was declared dead. And then when they were preparing to take him away, he woke up. He had been dead and then he came back. Everybody was surprised. He fell back into being unconscious right after but still alive. It was after that that Eliot began to change.
She feels tears well up in her eyes. How could she have been so blind? She feels saddened, realizing that Eliot did indeed die. He died to save her. She had never believed in special dreams. Dreams that tell the future and such nonsense. But now it seems like hers did. The dreams in that room held more meaning than she previously believed. All the people she had seen in that room were people she knew and they also people who she knew to be dead. The in between, is what he called the place. Between where? She wondered.
A part of her is happy. After all he is alive. But she is concerned, afraid. There is a sound accompanied by the floor shaking. She wonders if the whole place will collapse on top of them. Getting back on her feet she moves thought the small space between debris that are blocking the doorway. There is a hole in the wall, but an even bigger one in the floor further down. Like the floor had been tilted downwards. Another floor beneath them. She hears a roar, sounds of a fight still going on.
Wesker feels lightheaded, the bleeding isn't stopping. The monster isn't giving up the fight. The floor collapsed from it thrashing around. He gets up, the creature already charging at him. He notices some of the rebar from the floor sticking out. The creature charges him. He grabs hold of the shoulders. The force is pushing him back. At this rate he might be the one who ends up impaled. He channels it again. Punches it in the head. Red lightning explodes. It's dazed. Now it the only chance he will get. He turns them around. Starts pushing the monster, hand dragging its head along the wall to keep it dazed. It lets out a pained cry. He pushes it towards the exposed spikes of rebar. It struggles, the metal starts going in but the creature seems to be aware of what he doing. It struggles so hard he can barely hold it with his strength. He knows he won't last much longer. Channels it all into one final hit. Punching in the chest. The bright explosion sending back, right unto the spikes. But it's not dead yet. Only immobilized. Its arms still moved around, the giant hand trying to grab him. This thing is ridiculously durable. Wesker know he is really pushing it. But at this rate it will either bring down the building or break free. This is the only time he can deal the final blow. Feels his body screaming, the red pulse in his veins come with pain. His fist pierces the skin, grip the heart. Then he releases, an explosion of red and crimson. Blood and flesh burst out of the hole in its chest. It's still now, not moving. The creatures didn't seem to be able to regenerate. He pulls out his hand, covered to the shoulder in blood. Collapses to his knees. Muscles retracting, shrinking down to normal. Blood still oozing from the wounded shoulder. He feels cold.
Alex finds a set of stairs leading down. It's been quiet for a few minute minutes. She felt the pulsing stop. He would not pick up the phone. She runs, making turn after turn unto she finally finds it. He is leaning against a wall, stinging down on the floor. There is blood on the ground.
"Albert!?" she feels panic.
He moves slightly. She kneel beside him. Notices the wound. He slowly turns his head towards her.
"It's not healing." She notices.
"I think I've burned it out." He says.
"We need to stop the bleeding." She says. "I saw a med room on the way here."
He says nothing. She puts his uninjured arm around her shoulder. He struggles to breathe. She tries to recall where she saw the room. Trace her steps her back.
"Leave me here." He says. "I'll slow you down too much."
"No." She says. "There are thing still out here."
She can sense them. One is just around the corner. It's moving closer. Coming towards them. She tries to keep calm but deep down she can feel it- fear. She places him down against the wall. He turns he head, sees the creature emerge. Looks at her, expecting her to run away.
Alex closes her eyes. There is only one though, one feeling that exists. It's fear. She cannot lose him, not again. She feels it grow, consume her, overpower everything else. It comes alive. The familiar presence of her original self. Alex placing a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes glow, purple and white. She strikes, swift and deadly. Ripping the creature in half, holding it in both hands. Blood streaming down her face and on the front of her clothes. She turns to him, smiles. He looks surprised.
It reacts to fear. That was how she made it. She wasn't one to get scared easily. Death did not scare her. Neither did pain. Or something jumping out of the dark. She had lived her worst fear already. But now that fear was threatening to become real once more. Losing him was the only thing that still truly scared her.
She manages to get him to the med room. Finds some medical supplies to clean the wound with and bandage. He sits there quietly, eyes closed. A million things going thought her mind. Questions she wants to ask. But there will be time for it later. She cleans the blood from her face.
"It broke a few ribs." He says once she is done with the shoulder.
"I'll take a look." She's being calm, precise.
He tries to keep his face still when her hand touches his left side but it still contorts into a pained expression. She had removed his shirt to get to the shoulder. Starts bandaging him to keep the bones from moving too much. At least until they can get a proper hospital.
"I couldn't find any painkillers." She says.
"Don't worry about it." he says.
"Stay here." She says." Rest. I still need to do something here. Then we can get out. I'll get to you a hospital."
She break into a run. Mind racing. Part of it is the adrenalin, the rush still pulsing in her veins. So much needs to be done but time is short. She gets the notes from the lab, proof of what happened here. Finds some files on the kidnaped students. Sees the picture of the boy with the red headband. His name was Kenny. A hockey player. She grab the ethanol and a lighter that was in the room. Looks for the room with the flowers.
The hall leading up to it is decorated like a cave with paintings. They depict the ritual involving the flowers. Freedman's body is still there, flowers starting to grow over it. Consumed by the things he adored. She pours it over his body and lights it up. Takes one flower and put's it into her bag. The fire spreads to the flowers, their vine like leaves act as a bridge for the fire to move from one part to the other. Rocks carved and filled with dirt, even a miniature waterfall. A replica of the cave. Now all gone up in flames. Whoever destroyed them did the right thing, she thinks. Perhaps she should go back to Africa and burn the Stairway to Heaven, so nobody else could use it to make monsters. How many more flowers like these exist in the world? She can only wonder.
Alex goes to the security room, makes sure the footage of the fight is erased, so nobody knows that He is alive. Checks the map for an easier way out. With how much injuries he suffered going up to the first floor than walking through most of it to the elevator was not an option. She does locate a second elevator that's on the bottom floor.
He doesn't look any better. The bandages are a little soaked with blood. He isn't healing. It concerns her, the realization that he can't beginning to sink in. He refuses her support, despite clearly being in pain.
"I found another way out. It's much closer." She says.
He pulls on the jacket, chest still bare. She feels around. There are still some creatures around but further away.
"It's clear for now." She says, opens the door.
She walks first, he follows.
"That's a pretty handy ability." He says.
"I know. I've only just discovered it myself. Tonight in the forest." She admits.
"A mutation?"
She shakes her head.
"I think it's something else. They are not born from the same virus after all. Whatever bacteria lived in those flowers were not the same as the T-virus."
She sees Natalia up ahead by the elevator.
"The coast is clear." She gives a thumb up.
Alex just smiles at her. It's clear that Albert can't see the girl. They get in and the elevator begins to go up. He slumps against the wall. She begins to feel tired. But also happy. The door opens and they are in a large office. Freedman's she realizes. She helps him out. The door is locked. She looks around for the key. Notices a gun on the table. The elevator closes. A wall slides back into place. The portrait of Spencer on it, on the other one is Freedman's. They seem to be having a stare down. She glares at the painting.
"This is all your fault." She says to the picture of Spencer.
Albert seems to notice it now. He sits on a chair by the wall.
"You're supposed to be dead, and here you go creating another mess. When will it end?"
She wonders. When will she be able to just live? This mess, they were supposed to go a party, have some fun, and get drunk, maybe make out in the backseat of the car. Then she looks at Albert. She was happy that he was back, worried about his injuries so the full realization slipped her. But now it has come around and hit her like a truck. He is back.
The dreams she had. They told her of his return. It all happened like she had dreamt it. Them, making love on the table, the dance. Him taking another from. And then him leaving. "It's not forever, just for a long time." He disappears from her again. Tears begin to fall slowly on the papers. It's dark in the room. She finally remembers who the man in front of her is. What kind of man Albert Wesker is. The Tyrant, the would be God. Then endless hunger and ambition. The serpent that would devour the world in its hunger. And she feels fear. He will do it again. Remake it. Cause another disaster like this, perhaps several. He is a wanted man, people want him dead. People want to know what he knows, they want his power. There is no chance for peace or happiness. Only hunger, and power and ambition. And then that hunger will consume him like it has in the past. He will die again. He will die, forever? And she will be left to mourn him once again.
He struggles to keep his consciousness. Feeling weak. He is vaguely aware of Alex searching the room for the key.
"Tell me something." She says, her voice sounds strange.
He raises his head.
"What do you plan to do now that you're back?"
He focuses his vision on her form. Suddenly the lights come on. And he can see her clearly now. she is holding a gun, pointing it at him.
"Will you seek revenge against Chris Redfield? Restart Uroboros? Cause another mess like this?" her hands are shaking, tears flowing down her face." Because if you are. I'll kill you right here."
He looks absolutely shocked. She doesn't pull the trigger, doesn't know if she can. She doesn't want to. But losing him again would be too much. This way she could at least prevent it. Shoot him and then herself. He doesn't answer, he looks almost scared. She is crying, her hands holding the gun shake. Before can speak something hits against the door. They hear voices outside. Another hit, the door is breaking.
Alex lowers the gun.
"Were in here!" she shouts." We're trapped!"
The door breaks open.
"Alex?" Claire is one of the first people she sees.
"Claire." It's the first time she has called the woman by her name.
Claire looks confused, mostly because of the way she looks. Short black hair, dark make up, now messy. Clothes soaked in blood. She gives her a stern almost angry look.
"I had nothing to do with this." Alex says." I swear. It was supposed to be party and nothing else."
The men pick Him up.
"He is badly hurt. We need medical transport." One says into the ear piece.
"What happened here?" Claire questions.
She takes out the journal and files from her bag, hand them to Claire along with the flower, Spores and blood sample.
"Don't inhale anything from it. And keep it out of sunlight." She says.
Claire nods. Looks over the journal. Notices the picture of Spencer on the wall. Then gives Alex another questioning look.
"The elevator to the lab is behind it." She says. "We already burned the rest of the flowers. And once you've found a way to reverse it, make sure they destroy it."
"Don't worry about that. " She says, still skeptical.
She sits in the car. Waits for Claire to finish talking to people. They took Eliot or at least they think so, to the hospital. She feels drained, ready to drop. Claire finally gets back into the car.
"You and that guy, what was his name again?"
"Eliot." she says
"Right. You were pretty thorough. There isn't much left for us to do, aside from the cleanup. And with the samples you got making a cure for the infected should be possible."
She is too tired to realize the woman is giving her a compliment. Her mind focused on other things. What will come next?
She falls asleep on the ride back. Wakes up in her room at the Burtons. Cid curled up next to her on the bed. Her body feel heavy. The light of early morning coming in thought the window. She sit's up slowly. Somebody changed her clothes. The thought makes feel uncomfortable. Her hand moves to the tattoo. Cid lift's up his head, yawns, and reaches out a paw. She smiles, scratches the cat under the chin. He purrs a little, then goes back to sleep.
The water from the shower runs black and red. Dried blood still on her body. Black hair dye washing out. She is somewhat grateful they didn't decide to bather while she was unconscious. She trusted Claire to be her warden, but that didn't mean she trusted the Burtons or anyone else. To them she was still a monster, a criminal. She was the same to them as he was. A grim reminder of the past she can never shake.
Her hair is back to being blond. A little more silvery but still blond. It's short, messy, all over the place. She slicks it back, neat a lot of hair gel and spray to keep it from standing up in weird ways. She looks like the old Alex did, when she was younger. She cut her hair because she looked like a kid, she wanted to be taken seriously. She was seventeen while most around her were in their thirties or older. But she isn't that person anymore.
It's quiet in the house. She takes one of Barry's shaving razors. Shaves a line off the side, just above her ear, expands it. It looks strange, a little punk, Lucy would say it looks sick. She isn't trying to impress anyone, just differentiate from her old self. Make sure she isn't falling into the same old patterns as before.
There are no messages on her phone. No calls. She decides to text Eliot's phone. "We need to talk." Waits. Wonder if he will reply. They took him to a hospital, but she didn't know which one. What will he think? What will he do? She that threatened him after all surely he will see this as an act of treason. Will he try to kill her? See her as an obstacle in his plans and just eliminate her? He is the one patterns she cannot break and in the end he might be the one breaking her.
She finally goes downstairs. Barry, Claire, Moira are in the living room. She doesn't really care. Would prefer to be alone.
"Alex." Claire looks at her."
"Morning. " She says.
"You've been asleep for two days and that's all you've got to say?" Moira says.
This seems to get her attention.
"Two days?"
"Yeah. You were out cold. We couldn't wake you up." Claire says.
She thinks on it. It was probably the strange powers that manifested. But she can't say that to them.
"Well it was an exhausting experience." She says calmly.
Claire goes to the kitchen to get another cup of coffee.
"Well." Barry says, still avoids looking at her." The B.S.A.A. were able to round up the infected students. And the first vaccines should be ready next week. Unfortunately the incident will be made public. Too many witnesses."
"But because of you it was stopped in record time. " Claire says, placing a cup of coffee in front of her
"Major casualties were avoided."
Alex takes the cup, turns away. This is making her uncomfortable. But then she remembers her hair is short and no longer cover up her face.
"She's blushing." Moira nudges Claire.
"It's not like I had a choice." She says
She knows she did. She could have ran and left it all to the B.S.A.A.
"We just happened to be there."
Claire nods.
"Well, it's a good thing you were there."
"You should consider joining Terrasave." Moira says
Barry chokes on his coffee.
Alex just shakes her head.
"Why not? You're a natural at this!" Moira says.
"It might look that way to you." She says. "But I've already spend one lifetime wrapped up in B.O.W. and viruses."
"Well. Regardless, you and your friend saved a lot of people. "Claire says. "Oh, and he's okay. They took him to a hospital in the next city. What happened to him anyways?"
Alex tells her how they got attacked by Kenny in his transformed version. How Eliot tire to fight him but got knocked around. The floor suddenly collapsed and the monster got itself impaled on the bars. She decided she would keep the fact that Albert was alive to herself. At least until she knew where they stood.
The weeks pass by. He doesn't pick up his phone. Doesn't show up at school. She had contacted the hospital and found out that two days after he was brought in, he just vanished. Her concern was growing. She even found the place where Eliot worked but they told them he quit all of a sudden. She checked the place he was renting- nothing. He was gone. She wonders if he will be coming for her.
Classes are over. She walks out of the building and sees him leaning against the wall by the entrance. Wearing all black, dark glasses over his eyes. Just the auburn hair that looks out of place. She is a little happy and also worried.
"Come with me." He commands
She does. He goes to a car parked just outside. It's not Eliot's car. This one looks new, all black. She gets in doesn't ask where they are going. He doesn't say anything. She keeps quiet. The silence is heavy. They drive out of town, they drive for a long time. it gets dark.
They finally stop. It' some remote place. Darkness has already set in. She can hear the ocean roar. The air is salty. He gets out of the car. Opens the door for her. She wonders if he really did plan to kill her. Bringing her to such a remote place. There are no lights around, no traces of people. He leads the way, to a sandy wild beach. She isn't afraid, just saddened by the thought. She looks out to the ocean. A storm is brewing in the distance. It reminds her of the beach on the island. The sight of the ocean or sea had always reminded her of the grief she felt. The vast emptiness of it being the only thing that seemed to compare to her sorrow of losing him.
She had asked him to kill her once. But he didn't. She wonders how ironic it would be if he did now.
"You wanted to one will bother us here." He says.
She wraps her arms around herself. Faces away from him.
"Remember that night when you found me?" her voice is quiet. "When I asked you to kill me. Why didn't you do it?"
He remains silent for a time.
"I couldn't." He simply says.
"Did you hate me that much?" she feels the flood of emotions threatening to break though. "You left me..
The moment those words leave her she can't stop anymore. The tears begin to flow.
"You left me all alone. Do you have any idea what that was like for me?!"
The anger, the pain, the grief. She looks at him, but he has the same unreadable expression. The dark glasses covering his eyes.
"I'm sorry." He says, tries to approach her.
She pulls away.
"And now you're back and you're going to do it all gain." She points her finger to his chest." You're going to do it all again and leave me to suffer! I should... I should just kill you know… and spare myself the pain…"
"What do you want me to do?" He looks almost defeated by her words.
"I want you to tell the truth!"
Lightning flashes in the distance. The storms is approaching.
"Tell me..." Her voice becomes quiet, almost a whisper." Did you ever love me?"
He looks shocked, the first genuine expression she has seen all night.
"Was I just a convenience to you?! A warm body whenever you needed it?! Just another whore in your bed…
"Of course not." He takes a step towards her.
This time she doesn't move away.
"You want to know what I want?"
He nods, slowly. His arms around her, holding her against him.
"I want a life with you." she whispers against his chest. "Not as gods, just us. No viruses or monsters. No Umbrella or Spencer. I just want a life with you. But Could you? Give up on it, and just be with me. Give up on power, on ruling the world… you will die if you do it again. Somebody will kill you, stop whatever plans you made. And I don't want to lose you again."
He places a kiss on the top of her head. Feels her shiver against him. She always wanted to know, but she was always afraid to hear the answer. Perhaps he did love her. But perhaps he loved power more. He is quiet. It frightens her.
"Aright." He says.
She looks up at him almost certain she heard it wrong.
"Alright." He says it again.
Lifting up her chin with his hand, placing a kiss one her lips. She opens up for him, lets him kiss her deeper.
"I mean it" She says, when he breaks away.
He has an amused expression.
"I promise." He says.
"If you break it. I will kill you myself." She looks him the eyes, despite the dark glasses.
"I know." He says.
Rain begins to fall on the sand. First just a few drops, that soon turn into a downpour. They run back to the car.
The backseat bends back, smooth leather. He puts a cover over it. Its looks almost like a bed. The engine works without a sound. The heating turned on. The cold drops of rain hit the roof. She lays in his arms. Still uncertain if she believes him. She wants to, desperately.
"I still can't believe you're alive." She whispers into his neck.
"Neither can I." He says.
"How did you survive? The volcano, Uroboros's weakness to head, getting shot."
"The virus managed to preserve my consciousness. Retain my memories. It survived but with a great cost. It became dormant for some time."
She considers his words.
"Well I worked for Markus. " She says." I've read the reports."
"As the lava cooled the virus must have become trapped in its dormant state. As to how it ended up in the ocean I can only guess."
She recalls the volcanic rocks at Eliot's house.
"No. don't tell me?"
He looks at her, laughs.
"Yes. I'm afraid our dear Eliot simply ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. The shards of glass that he cut himself on. It was the blood that awoke it from its sleep. And it began to infect him. I began to gain some lucidity but his immune system was trying to fight it off. The virus has lost much of its power."
"And if Eliot hadn't been shot, then…"
"He would have recovered and I wouldn't be here."
She feels sad for Eliot. Yet happy that Albert is back.
"He was a kind person." She says.
"He did like you.
"It wouldn't have worked." She says kissing him.
He raises an eyebrow at her.
"I'm already someone else's."
"Who's the lucky guy?"
"I'm kissing him right now." she pulls him into another kiss.
He deepens the kiss. Pulls her closer. She moves her hands down to his sides. He seems to have healed from his injuries. She stars pulling his shirt from where he tucked into his pants. Feels him chuckle into the kiss.
"So eager."
She slides her hand under his shirt.
"I've missed you so much." She says.
He flips them, she is pinned under him. Looks up at him surprised.
"We have plenty of time to make up for lost time."
