I hummed a little Carly Pearce, Jill always loved her music, and tapped my foot, trying to stay professional while my insides tore themselves apart.

She's so close, and I don't know what the fuck I'm going to do.

I felt a hand on my shoulder; Chris had snuck up on me; he was pretty sneaky for a big dude.

"You okay, Mike?"

"I, I don't know," I whispered.

He squeezed my shoulder, about to say something encouraging, no doubt, when the elevator slammed to a stop hard enough to throw us to the floor.

"What the fuck!" Chris growled, rolling and standing up, helping Sheva to her feet. I was up seconds later, scanning the edge of the platform for threats.

Chris got his answer a half a second later, huge claws gripped the edge, pulling hard enough to bend steel and bringing a nightmare into view.

The massive, black-armored beast looked like a cross between a spider crab and an Abrams tank. Deep-set red eyes glowed with malice as it looked us over, its vertical jaws split open, and a roar that shook the walls sounded; it reminded me of a passing freight train.

The massive BOW swiped at us with a scythed forelimb, and we scattered, rolling in opposite directions. Chris came up firing at its exposed mandibles; rounds pinged and whined off its carapace.

"Grenade!" Sheva shouted, firing her M79 right into the things face; the hissing pop told me incendiary round just before the thing was awash in flame.

It screeched but held firm,

"The legs!" Chris shouted, "Drop it into the shaft!"

I gathered my marbles and fired at the bits of exposed muscle; the thing screamed and collapsed onto the platform after a few moments of sustained fire.

"Forty going out!" I yelled, bringing the M79 up, fumbling with the HEDP round, finally sliding it home and snapping the launcher closed. I aimed right for its ugly face and fired, praying the grenade had enough time to arm.

A second later, I got my answer when the round exploded in its mouth, the thing rearing back and howling in pain. Its shell had cracked under the force of the blast, and as one, we opened up, hitting the newly formed vulnerable spot with everything we had.

"AT4!" Chris shouted as the thing collapsed again; he fired the 84mm rocket straight down its throat.

I thought that was the end of it when the thing surged forward, a claw snapping out and sending me flying into the console, something popped, and pain flooded through me.

Sheva was at my side in an instant, "Are you alright!?"

I nodded, feeling something shift inside of me, whatever bone was sliding painfully back into place.

Another explosion from in front of us and chunks of flesh and chitin flew through the air; the BOW finally gave it up, collapsing to the platform before sliding off, a stinking black blood trail the only evidence.

Sheva offered her hand and pulled me to my feet, "That was quite a hit, Kelly. Are you sure you're alright? Nothing broken?"

Her gaze was confused, questioning. I smiled at her, "Must be my lucky day."

She nodded, still looking puzzled but smiling all the same, "As long as you're not hurt."

The elevator started to move, putting an end to our chat.

Three floors down, we stopped, my heart started to pound, I wasn't sure, if I lived a hundred years, that I'd be ready for this moment. Chris walked up next to us as a pod separated from the wall.

I started to shake, the memories coming in a hot rush; it was only Chris's hand on my shoulder that kept me on the ground.

The pod finally stopped, ten feet from us, the hydraulics hissing as the door swung open, a cloud rolled out obscuring the interior for a fraction of a second. I leaped forward, my legs pumping as I closed the gap in a heartbeat.

Empty…

I grabbed the side of the pod, staring into the barren interior.

"No…" I whispered, followed by a scream, "FUCK!"

"Mike…It's…" Chris gently called out.

"What, Chris?! It's gonna be okay?! Fuck!"

I punched the pod, feeling my fingers break and knit back together like lightning, fed by all of my anger, "HE'S HAD HER FOR YEARS! THAT FUCKING ANIMAL HAS BEEN PLAYING WITH HER ALL THIS TIME AND WE DID NOTHING!"

I was breathing hard when I rounded on him; Chris just stepped up and hugged me, "I would've come for her, I would've killed them all to get her back, and now we're right back where we started…Again." My voice cracked at the end, all the fight rushing out of me. I was suddenly so tired.

"I know, Mike, and I would've been right there with you."

I sagged against him, "I'm sorry, man."

"Nothing to apologize for."

Sheva just watched us; I silently thanked her for understanding that this was between Chris and I.

He patted me on the back and let me go, "We'll get her back if we have to tear this place apart."

I sniffed and nodded, not knowing, and not for the first time, what I'd do without these people in my life.

"Alright, brother, then let's keep going."

A voice interrupted his answer.

"Chris Redfield and Mr. Kelly? It must be my lucky day."

We all spun, the console had lit up like a Christmas tree, and a woman I didn't recognize smirked at us from the video call, an absolutely gorgeous woman that radiated imperiousness.

"Excella Gionne?" Sheva almost spat the name.

Gionne…the head of Tricell…

I found a new target for all that anger, smiling a little dangerously as I walked towards the screen, "Ms. Gionne, a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance."

"Likewise," She purred, her eyes tracking over me.

Chris and Sheva were looking at me like I'd lost it.

"I'm flattered to hear that you've heard of me, and your reputation certainly precedes you. Understand please, that when I ask you this, I do so with the highest respect."

She gestured for me to continue, one perfectly plucked eyebrow arching.

"Oak or Pine?"

Her face changed from playful to a little confused before the mask went back up, "I'm afraid I don't understand."

My smile spread, almost grinning at her, "Terribly sorry. I mean a Coffin. Would you like me to bury what's left of you in Oak or Pine? Because if you don't tell me where Jill Valentine is, and turn yourself in to the UN, then it's just us," I gestured to Chris and Sheva.

"And you aren't going to like how that plays out. It will be messy, painful, and, most of all…Final."

Her smile never wavered, "Oh, to have such confidence, even if I knew where Miss Valentine was, where's my motivation to divulge that information? Your empty threats? I don't feel very threatened…" Her sultry voice trailed off for a moment, "I'd suggest you head back from whence you came; this will not end well for you or your friends."

The screen went black.

"I've never wanted to hit someone so much in my life." Sheva snarked.

"Right?" I agreed.

"That was…weird." Chris added, "She had no reason to contact us other than to let us know that she was involved; you'd think that she wouldn't want this to come out. So two reasons, either something is going on that would make her involvement moot, or…."

"She has us right where she wants us and is confident we won't be telling anyone." Sheva finished.

I nodded, "Either way, I don't like it; we've gotta push. Jill and Wesker are still out there."

Chris nodded, Sheva mirroring him.

Wordlessly we stepped off the platform and moved across the catwalk; the door at the far end slid open with a hiss as we approached; Chris and Sheva cleared it while I kept an eye out for anything sneaking up on us. We pushed forward into an almost factory-like area; blast furnaces lined the far end of the room.

Body bags were being fed in at a steady rate.

"Fuck this place," I whispered.

The ambush came seconds later.

The corridor lit up as rounds pinged and snapped over our heads; we dove for cover behind anything we could find, an RPG streaked by and detonated impotently. Chris leaned out and fired a long burst at the Majini, trying to flank us.

"Grenade!" Sheva called out, cranking the M79 off into the crowd. The grenade detonated, showering the Plaga hosts with fire and shrapnel.

Chris pulled back into cover, "We need to move before they overrun us!"

I leaned out of cover and found the asshole firing RPGs; I split his head open with a double-tap and leaned back in, "You're not kidding!"

Sheva fired a long burst, and the incoming fire slackened.

"GO! Chris shouted, and we were up and moving.

We pushed left, hurdling conveyor belts and crates as rounds zipped after us.

I caught my foot on a body bag and went down, rolling across the floor and getting to my feet; a round smashed into my Peltors, knocking them off my head as I ran.

Too fucking close.

I hurtled after Chris and Sheva as they disappeared around a corner; the hallway was relatively quiet after the battleground. Chris was at the end of the corridor, slamming his fist on an elevator call button.

The doors slid open almost immediately, and I thanked the good luck fairy as we piled in.

"Mike, you're bleeding." Sheva's gaze was fixed on a spot on the side of my head.

I reached up, and my hand came away sticky with drying blood.

"Fucker clipped me, just a graze, no worries."

She stepped closer, "Let me have a look."

I leaned closer, letting her get to the wound.

Chris held up a hand for quiet, pressing his comms into his ear and listening for a moment before his face changed, a tornado of emotions blasted through him in a flash. I watched his fists clench.

"Redfield? You goo-"

He cut me off, "Wesker."

Now I was all ears, " Where?"

"I don't know, but my comms just picked up a conversation between him and Gionne, something about Ouroboros, whatever the fuck that means. If I can hear him, he's close."

"Then let's go kill the fucker," Sheva snarled

Sheva really was an amazing woman.

The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open; we pushed forward and out onto a catwalk. I was about to reaffirm my desire to murder Wesker with a fucking olive fork when a round snapped off the railing, and just like that, we were fighting for our lives again.

We finally crashed into a quiet room; the Majini had hammered us the whole goddamn way, the holes in my gear from near misses spoke to just how close we'd come.

"Fuck!" Sheva braced her hands on her knees, "I am going to get absolutely shit faced when all this is over."

"Seconded," Chris added with a smile.

I tried to join in, but I felt like lead weights were holding me down, keeping me from feeling truly happy, even after all the near-death experiences.

I scanned the room, all stainless steel, and clinical precision.

"Guys?"

They both looked up at my voice.

"The hell is this place?" Chris asked

I panned my rifle over the consoles and up to what looked like an observation area, stepping forward and cutting the blind corner.

"Contact," I whispered.

A vaguely humanoid figure sat in a chair, the chest slowly rising and falling. Manacles held it in place.

My bells were ringing loud now.

A snap sounded, and a voice rang through the P.A.

"Nice of you to join us."

Chris snapped his rifle towards the threat; Excella Gionne was slow clapping from the observation port.

This bitch.

I added my barrel to the argument, letting my rifle's reticle rest on the bridge of her perfect nose. I barely noticed the cloaked figure standing next to her.

"Gionne…Last chance before I turn your head into a fucking canoe. Where's Jill?!" Chris growled.

She shook her head, a condescending smile still plastered on her face. "I already told you, you'll have to incentivize me…properly."

I scoffed at the innuendo, keeping my eye on the fire in the corner of the room.

Sheva was a little more vocal, "Why don't you grace us with your presence, and I'll fucking incentivize you."

Gionne just laughed, " Oh, I'll think you'll have your hands full with your new friend, Ta, for now." She flipped us a two-fingered salute and sauntered out of the room, the cloaked bodyguard at her back.

Almost as if on cue, the figure began to twitch violently, blood running down its face. We all opened up on it, not taking chances.

We might as well have thrown snowballs at a freight train. Ebony tentacles ripped through its skin, encircling what had once been a man, twisting and changing him into something else entirely.

"What the fuck!" I shouted.

"It's the same thing that killed Alpha!" Chris called back, "Don't let it get ahold of you!"

We fell back, and the thing advanced; I flipped the selector to full auto and hammered it every chance I got. Sheva dumped grenades into it, but the thing kept coming.

A voice, cold and clinical, came over the P.A.

"Warning: A Biohazard threat has been detected, countermeasures unlocked!"

Something chimed from the far side of the room, a panel lighting up.

"Is that a fucking flamethrower?"

When Chris spoke, it sounded like he was grinning, "Ya know, Mike, I believe it is. Cover!"

"Covering!" Sheva and I called out as one.

Chris thundered across the room, dodging tentacles the whole way; he snatched the unlocked flamethrower and waved to Sheva and I, We cut around, keeping the mass of tentacles at a distance, drawing it right to him.

I changed magazines and tossed Sheva, my bandoleer of grenades; my M79 lost somewhere along the way.

We'd barely gotten alongside Chris when the monster came within range; Chris cut loose with a jet of flame, pelting the creature with it, a wild grin on his face.

Of course, he was enjoying himself, fucking lunatic.

The monster retreated, but we just kept hitting it, dodging its return strikes.

Finally, something important burned inside, and the tentacles waved wildly, its death throes denting metal and cracking glass as it flailed. Chris kept the heat on until it melted into nothing. With a heaving breath, he tossed the empty flamethrower to the ground.

"Fuck…That was better than going to the movies." His face was blackened in spots; what wasn't was a shiny pink from the heat, that grin still on his face.

"You really need to talk to somebody, Chris," I uttered as I grinned back.

Sheva had other ideas. She'd been watching him since the thing died, now she covered the distance and kissed him, hard. I watched his eyes widen before they drifted closed; Sheva deepened the kiss, damn near taking him off his feet.

I cleared my throat after a long moment, "Um, guys? Power-mad asshole's still out there with my ex-fiance."

It had just slipped out, and it hurt more than I ever thought it could.

They came up for air, smiling at each other. Chris was beaming at her before he seemed to remember where he was.

"Right, sorry, I uh…"

I forced a smile, "No worries, happy for the both of you, hope you get to work out all this rampant sexual frustration after we go kill some people."

Both of them looked sheepish, "Yeah," Sheva whispered, trying to keep the smile off of her face, "We should go."

I moved to the pressure door, and they stacked up behind me. I didn't blame them; I knew all too well how fast attraction and love came at you.

We pushed up the staircase and emerged onto a series of catwalks. They wasted no time in rolling out the red carpet. A round snapped off the concrete wall between Sheva and Chris.

"Contact Right!"

We pushed up the stairs; the Majini hadn't been a problem; we'd swept them out and kept moving, through a construction site brimming with Lickers, that had been a little bit hairier, and into this ancient-looking stone corridor. A massive door greeted us, and we stacked on it. I waited for the squeeze from Chris, getting it a moment later.

We breached, all my bangers were gone, so we swept the room the old fashioned way. Gionne stood at the far end of the room; the statuesque woman didn't seem to have a care in the world. I snapped my rifle up.

"Hands! Show me your fucking hands!"

I crossed the room quickly, the virus giving me that extra boost, fully intending to beat Jill's location out of this smug bitch.

Something thumped to the ground to my right, and a crushing blow snapped my rifle in two and sent me flying.

"Mike!" "Chris yelled, firing at whatever had hit me as I slammed into a pillar, feeling a rib break and feeling it knit back together just as fast. I popped off the ground like Jason Voorhees; someone was gonna pay.

I liked that rifle.

Let it all go…

I did what Becca said, breathing deep, dropping all my barriers, and letting the adrenaline that comes with being in combat flood through me.

Time almost stopped, my muscles thrummed with unshed energy, and I looked for whoever had fucked around.

They were about to find out.

Chris and Sheva moved like molasses in November; the figure whirled and danced, hitting them at every angle in a ballet of impacts that made me wince.

Wesker.

I waded in, sprinting as fast as my enhanced form would let me. The closer I got, the more I realized that it wasn't him; it was the same cloaked figure that had rescued Irving and eluded us at the dock, a smaller, more lithe form, almost feminine.

I threw a punch as soon as the opportunity presented itself, fully intending to knock this thing's fucking head clean off.

Until it whirled around and caught my fist, sliding back a little from the impact, a red lensed mask stared back at me, a vicious glare that radiated malice.

Someone fired a shot that knocked the mask off and sent the thing spinning away, backflipping to rest at the far end of the room before I could get a good look at its face.

It's moving as fast as I am.

Oh good.

A very familiar laugh echoed around the room; rage filled my blood as I immediately recognized its owner.

Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear.

Wesker clapped as he walked down the staircase, "Very good Chris, even after all these years, you continue to… impress. And how are we, Kelly?"

"C'mere, and I'll show you." My voice still carried edges of the virus, a little deeper, my speech coming a little too fast, but I'm sure I got my point across.

He chuckled, a low, evil sound, "Disagreeable as ever, it's good to know that some things never change."

Our cloaked friend swayed back and forth like they were in a trance. Gionne popped out from behind a pillar, a smug smile on her face as Wesker reached the bottom of the stairs.

"It really has been too long, and here I'd thought you'd forgotten about us. It pains me, gentlemen, truly."

I caught the emphasis, but Chris spoke first as he helped Sheva to her feet, "What do you mean us?"

Wesker shook his head, a mocking smile on his face, "Someone you know very well is here with me."

I growled, "Cut the shit, you self-indulgent prick; I had enough of your egotistic mess eight years ago, now it's just getting repetitive."

His smile faded a touch but returned with a vengeance as he reached up and grabbed the cloaked figure's hood, "I might have something here that will finally shut you up, Kelly."

He wrenched the hood back, and it took everything I had to stay where I was.

Long blonde hair, pulled back in a ponytail, alabaster skin that carried no blemishes whatsoever…And huge blue eyes that emptily surveyed us, they held no rage or malice, no recognition.

My voice came out as a whisper; it was almost as if someone else was speaking as my world dropped away; no matter what I thought I'd feel when I saw her again, nothing prepared me for this.

"Jill? Honey?" I took a step forward, "It's Mike… Baby girl… it's me." I was begging pitifully, my old pet names for her poured out, everything else forgotten, but I didn't care.

Wesker snapped his fingers in front of her before leveling a mocking gaze at me when she barely reacted, "What is that saying…Oh, The lights are on, but no one is home. Until I do this, that is." He reached into his pocket, pulling out a tablet and fiddling for a moment.

Jill's eyes suddenly came alive, almost glowing as her gaze swept back and forth over us.

He turned her into a fucking BOW.

I tried again, barely containing my horror, "Jill…Jill, please." My voice cracked horribly, and I felt tears tracing down my face, no doubt leaving tracks in the grime and blood. I took another step forward, my hands raised.

Jill moved like lightning, leveling a kick that would've broken my neck like a twig; I let a soft sob out as she came, and the world started to slow. The pain I'd felt when she died was nothing compared to the pain of watching her come for my life. I caught her ankle, the power inside me coming alive, fed by my rage and sadness.

Wesker joined the fight, coming at the others with frightening speed.

I flipped Jill around and tossed her into the wall. Her cloak came free, revealing a bodysuit, sleek and light, and some kind of device attached to her chest. She hit the wall and planted off it, landing cat-like on her feet.

We circled each other as Wesker, Chris, and Sheva fought on what might as well have been another planet.

Three years later and we were still in our own little world.

She cocked her head, sizing me up; nothing left of the woman I loved stared back at me.

"Jill…Come back…Please."

She moved, dancing in and raining blows.

I caught an elbow to the side of my head, breaking my orbit, the vision on my right eye blinking in and out; I blocked a hard left, snapping my fist out and breaking her nose; a kick to her femur pushed her away. She surged forward, a backhand broke my jaw, and a vicious kick to my gut threw me back into the bricks, my shoulder dislocated from the impact even as my jaw healed, I threw my hands up against a haymaker to the ribs and threw a right followed by an elbow that sent her dancing away, blood pouring from what was probably a cut on her eyebrow.

Tears made it a little hard to see.

"Jill, stop this; I know you're in there, baby…"

She rolled in and kicked me in the face; a hard right hook broke three ribs.

Moon's Donut's was quiet, just a soft autumn day without any crowds; I watched Jill sip at her coffee, about to make a joke about two cops in a donut shop when I noticed she wasn't really looking at her book anymore; she kept glancing my way.

I turned the page of the paper I was reading, keeping up on geopolitics, "Something on your mind, Valentine?"

Is she… blushing?

Easy, Kelly.

She cleared her throat, "Not really…It's just been a great ride, Selection, going through the academy these past couple of months, I might not say it all the time. But…I'm really glad I met you, Mike.

I fought hard to keep my voice level and a blush off my face, shooting her a smirk over the paper, "Whatever did you do before I came along? I shudder to think."

She giggled a cute feminine sound that took me entirely by surprise.

Shock was written all over her face like she couldn't believe that had just happened.

"Did you just titter in my direction, Amelie?"

She hated her middle name; I thought it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard.

"Fuck you, Kelly." She growled, intimidating precisely no one as she blushed to her ears.

I chuckled, trying to calm my pounding heart, "It's been great, Jill, all kidding aside. I can safely say that meeting you changed my life."

Her smile could've ended wars…

Her snarl as she broke my arm was nothing short of vicious.

I ignored the pain and rolled into the tension, decking her across the mouth and sending her skidding across the floor.

"Goddamnit, Jill! STOP!"

I glanced behind me; Chris and Sheva were nowhere to be seen.

No backup.

If I wanted to live, I'd have to end this.

I could only end this by killing her.

That was a price I wasn't willing to pay.

I let my hands drop as she regained her feet.

"C'mon then," I whispered, tears rolling down my cheeks, "Finish it."

Something sparked in her eyes as she strolled towards me.

A smile worked its way onto my face through all the tears, pain, and loss. I stared into her blue eyes, and for a moment, I was home again.

"I'm glad it's you, Jill."

It was small, but her eyes widened enough that I caught it; her gait turned sloppy for a beat.

Turned out to be just the opening Sheva needed.

She burst out of the shadows and leveled Jill with a kick to the face, snapping her head sideways and dropping her to a knee; Chris grabbed her arms, pinning them behind her back.

"Mike, rip this fucking thing out of her!"

I sprinted the ten feet between us, grabbing ahold of the device and pulling with everything I had; I felt it slowly start to give; I pulled harder, pouring every ounce of my virus enhanced strength into getting it off of her. She was struggling now. Sheva joined Chris, holding her down, pained growls ripped their way out of Jill's throat.

"Fuck this."

I planted a boot in her stomach and leaned back, pulling with everything I had left; a couple of fingers broke, the pain flaring, and with a sharp crack, the infernal thing came flying off in my battered hands. I fell flat on my back, rolling to my feet and hurling the device into the wall to shatter, spraying a viscous red fluid all over the floor.

I was almost afraid to look at her, staring at the wall and slowly coming apart.

A husky rasp of a voice washed over me, breaking my heart even as it saved my soul like no time had passed at all.

"Mike?" The voice cracked softly.

Slowly… ever so slowly, I turned, green eyes met blue, she had a weak, shaking hand outstretched, tears ran down her face, beading off the suit she wore.

I didn't say a thing; I doubt I could have if I'd tried. I walked towards her on legs that were feeling increasingly weak; Chris had her cradled in his lap, looking at me with something akin to relief mixed with the sweetest joy.

I slipped to my knees in front of her. Her hand groped for me, and I caught it, feeling the warmth of her even through her glove. I pressed her hand against my cheek; she pulled away sharply and ripped the gloves off, running her bare hands up the sides of my face, her movements becoming more frantic as she grabbed for me. I leaned forward and pressed my forehead to hers. She pushed back weakly, our time-honored tradition.

Tears ran down my face, mixing with hers on the musty floor; neither of us spoke for a long minute. Jill finally broke the silence.

"I hit you…a lot. Hell of a reunion, huh?" She tried to smile and failed.

I felt like I couldn't breathe, but I finally got the words out, "Yes, you did; anybody ever tell you that you hit like a Mack truck?"

She laughed thickly, "Once or twice…Mike… I couldn't stop myself."

I shook my head, "I can handle a couple of broken bones…I thought you were dead, Jill."

She pressed harder, "I know."

"Did he…" I swallowed around the lump in my throat. "Did he ever…"

She shook her head, knowing where I was going, "Never."

A sob slipped out of me, I was shaking so hard my teeth were rattling, her hands on my face were chasing it away but not nearly fast enough.

Fear gripped me, and the words came in a rush.

"I, I would've come for you; you know that, right? If there had been any signs at all, I would have…"

The hands on me…her hands…tightened, "I know, I've known since the day we met. Don't do that to yourself anymore, okay?" She pressed herself tighter against me; the warmth of her skin was heaven.

Years' worth of self-loathing and uncertainty ran out of me; hearing those words was sweet salvation.

Followed by the cold bite of reality, I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and forged ahead, my mind screaming in protest all the way there.

"Jill, once we're out of here. I have to tell you…"

She pressed a finger to my lips and closed her eyes, fresh tears running down her face as she nodded, the weight of my words sinking in. Her grip tightened like she was trying to keep me from slipping away.

Jill kept her eyes shut, slowly collecting herself, "You guys need to go, stop Wesker. Kill that fuck for me."

I shook my head, Chris mirroring me, "No fucking way, we just got you back. I'll be goddamned if we leave you here."

Jill pushed herself up and away from Chris and me, regaining her feet shakily, "Not asking Mike, I can handle getting out of here. You guys need to stop him; he's planning something horrible with Ouroboros…"

"He's going to infect everyone."