Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Resident Evil.

RE8IDENT EVIL: RISING

Chapter 03:

Reunion

The elevator came to a complete stop. The doors opened slowly as they stepped through. This floor was empty not a single enemy in sight. Their eyes searched the area; it was some kind of containment ward. It was dark but they could hear banging from trapped infected. They could hear Lickers and Hunters clawing at their prisons.

"Leon," Claire whispered. "You notice anything." Leon searched around figuring out what had Claire so worried. There wasn't a single corpse to be found here; they never made it this far. This was a first, the lights kicked on. They could hear clapping echoing throughout the room. They aimed their guns at the source of the sound. It was,

"This really is a special occasion," Natalia stood in a protected room watching them from above. The glass was bulletproof. Next to her, there stood two cloaked figures. "I'm sure you already noticed that you are the first to make it this far." She smiled at them; her eyes on Claire. "You have once again exceeded my expectations. You truly are a Redfield."

Claire lowered her handgun in shock. This wasn't a hologram, it was really her. Their target was standing right there. "Natalia, I know you're in there." She reasoned trying to weaken Alex by bringing Natalia forward. "It's me Claire, You probably don't remember but," Claire felt her body become heavy like something was crushing her. She dropped her knees aching in pain.

"It was a nice try," She said with a smirk her eyes still glowing red. "Natalia is no longer here. I'm in complete control. If that was your plan, you had better think of a new one." Alex increased the pressure on her forcing her to the floor.

"Here's a new one," Leon pointed his handguns at her. "Surrender Alex, it's over." He knew his guns wouldn't pierce the glass. Regardless, they had her; there was no way for her to escape them. They would corner her every time she tried.

"You are so right," She laughed. "Leon," Alex's eyes turned red as she took control over Claire's body. "It is over." Claire aimed her handgun directly at his head. Leon started shaking as his body started to move on its own. "This game has carried on long enough; you bore me." Leon aimed his handgun at Claire's head. "As I said before," Alex began laughing horrifically. "You're both going to die down here."

"Leon," Claire's voice was shrouded in fear, her entire body shaking; her eyes filled with tears. She was staring at the man across from her line of fire; her handgun aimed directly at his head. It was Leon and no matter how much she fought she couldn't adjust the aim. Alex was controlling her every move. She was using every bit of strength she had had not to pull the trigger but it was being forced on her.

Leon was faced with the same crisis. As much he tried to fight back; his entire body was under her control. He didn't want to shoot Claire especially not if it meant killing her; regardless of his desire to spare his partner, his friend. His finger was still pressed on the trigger of his handgun. He couldn't move it or redirect it eventually he would fire the bullet hit her directly in between the eyes. Her blood would be on his hands. Claire would be dead.

They had held this position for what seemed like hours trying to fight back. She was too strong; their strength was starting to submit to her will. "I can't," Claire shook her head at her partner as her finger started to move. "You're going to have to dodge it." Claire added still trying to fight her though it was a losing battle.

"Claire listen," Leon spoke calmly trying to force his body to move for if that bullet shot off. He would die without question. Though it was no use his body was held in place by Alex's control. It would be impossible to dodge especially being held pointblank. "You have to fight it." Claire shook her head he could sense she was at her limit. Sadly so was he, neither of them could fight her much longer. It was checkmate.

"I told you," Alex smiled at them innocently in enjoyment. She increased her hold them her eyes flaring red as she did. The sound of two gunshots echoed throughout the room.

The lights went dark; Leon panted frantically having used every ounce of strength in his body to deter the shot. The bullet grazed Claire's cheek as she did the same. They had survived barely, "Claire, you okay?" He asked still shaken up.; she nodded. "Let's retrieve Alex and get out of here." They rushed after her cutting her off. "Don't move." He pointed his handgun at her. "I told you Alex; it's over," He reminded her.

Leon and Claire aimed their handguns at her. The bodyguards that were at her sides went to step forward to shield her from the bullets. Alex held her arms in front of them making them stay put. Even at gun point she wasn't scared. "Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield," Alex put her hands behind her back. "The survivors of Raccoon City; isn't this quite the reunion. I'm afraid, it's been cut short." Her eyes flared red forcing them back with powerful telekinetic push.

Leon's body went crashing through fences. He broke through at least six of them and finally landed into a pile of hanging steel pipes. The sharp pipes pierced his skin deeply luckily it wasn't fatal. He was pierced through his legs, his shoulder and his side. Each wound bleeding heavily. He was fighting to stay awake.

Claire was sent flying through several armored glass windows, a fence, and crashed heavily into a barbed wired fence which snapped. A stray wire hooked around her leg tightly holding her in the air. Her body was gashed from the glass and the wire on her leg was gripped tight causing more blood loss. Her eyes faded in and out as she dangled there still alive.

"Survive that," Alex smiled at them. "Do it," She motioned towards her body guards. They picked up their Gatling guns firing at the glass letting every contained enemy go. They followed her as the creatures came for them.

Leon forced himself to move as undead approached him. He ripped the pipe from his shoulder screaming out in pain. He dropped it turning his attention to the one lodged in his leg; He took a few deep breaths gripping onto it tightly. He pulled it out; screaming as he did. He reached for his handgun that was dropped nearby. He crawled over to it taking out the undead before they got him.

"You can do this," Leon looked at other pipe in his other leg. Hunters appeared and began walking up to him baring their fangs at him. He shot at them but they dodged every bullet jumping him. He grabbed a pipe blocking their claws as they split it in half in one attack. He switched to his shotgun getting a clear shot at it. The Hunter screamed loudly causing his ears to bleed. It collapsed to floor and as if summoned more Hunters appeared.

Leon continued trying to kill them off trying to spare some time to get that pipe out of his leg so he could at least move. Every time he did, they would scream and call more to avenge them. He heard a click and started reloading his shotgun. Hunters just wouldn't stop coming. He crawled backward grabbing the pipe in his leg. He quickly yanked it out throwing it on the floor as Hunters gathered around him. He got on his feet finally able to walk though it really hurt. He pulled out his assault rifle using the grenade launcher attached to it to kill a bunch of them. The ones he killed screamed summoning more of them.

Claire eyes shot open as Lickers prepared to chop her head off. She started shooting at them as they jumped at her with her handgun. She tried to free herself from the barbed wire holding her leg making her a swinging target. She screamed it was wrapped tight around her leg; the more she tried to more it hurt. She couldn't cut with her knife; she was stuck. All she could do was hope she had enough bullets in her handgun to protect herself.

The Lickers jumped at her as a group; Claire began shooting them down before their claws got her. Lickers gathered around all of them eager to end her. She kept fighting them off with bullets. Her vision started to blur as the blood loss was getting to her. She wouldn't stay awake much longer. She proceeded to fight until finally she blacked out. Her handgun dropped as she remained there motionless.

"Claire," Leon eyes peered away from his enemies as they continued to grow in numbers. He switched the rocket launcher firing it at them. The Hunters all screamed buying him very little time. Their unified scream was so loud it made him drop his knees in pain. He shook it off taking a shot the barbed wire holding her leg. The wire snapped just before a Licker got her causing him to land in front of Leon. He ripped the pipe out of his side and jammed into its head killing it. "That was the last one," He clinched his side as Hunters gathered again. Leon switched to his dual wielding Handguns shooting at them.

Claire landed on the glass cover over the quarantine area. She crashed into the reinforced glass so hard it started to crack. Lickers jumped down to get her while she was still unconscious. The glass started cracking more and more as they piled on top of it getting closer to her. Finally, it shattered causing her land head first into the Biohazard Containment Room.

The lights of the room flared red as an alarm sounded. "Biohazard detected, commencing complete sanitation in three minutes. All personal please evacuate immediately." The red lights beamed brighter as the alarm sounded over and over again. The message was repeated every minute counting down.

Claire's eyes started to open as she lied there on the ground in pain. The loud noises echoed louder making her head throb. She touched her head realizing it was bleeding from her fall. She moved away as the floor started to open up revealing a pit filled with boiling hot lava. Lickers were trapped in it being consumed by the lava. She was also surrounded by the undead. Claire noticed her handgun on the floor starting to fall into the lava. She caught it; the second she did an infected took hold of her wounded leg. She kicked him in the face with her other leg making him let go of her before he bit her or even scratched her.

Claire started getting on her feet only to be grabbed by an undead trying to force her into the lava. She pushed him off her and kicked him as hard as she could in the head. The barbed wire wrapped around her ankle added to the kick dealing extra damage that tore at his flesh. She screamed gripping her injured leg that she used to kick him. She did her best to ignore the pain; reloading her handgun.

"Okay," She cleared a path to the exit as the floor opened more and more. The lava pit was growing in size. "Made it," She tried to open the door and escape; it was locked tight. She noticed it a numeric pad next to it. She needed pass code to get out. Claire reached into her back pocket for her phone; it was smashed by her fall and useless to her now. She couldn't text or call Leon to tell him she needed a pass code.

She checked the room hoping to find numbers somewhere but there was nothing but undead everywhere. It had to be where Leon is. "Leon," Claire screamed he couldn't hear her. It as if his ears were damaged. "Leon," She called again; no response. The undead started to close in on her; she shot at them securing her spot by the door. She fired a grenade round nearby him causing a huge explosion; the shot hit a Hunter killing it. Leon turned around looking at her. She pointed at her phone so he could see it was broken. He nodded throwing his phone to her. Claire typed her message tossing the phone back to him.

Leon checked her message and carried on. He avoided the Hunters as they chased after him. As he moved around he checked the rooms for hints to the pass code. Leon began his search in the room where Alex watched them from above. There was nothing, he stared at the room Claire was in taking notice of an engraving above the room. He examined it with his phone discovering it was a number. The first digit; he nodded searching for the others. He stopped taking notice of another engraving; another digit. Two more left. The Hunters appeared in front of him cutting him off from his path. He took them out with his machine gun and kept going as they screamed for back up. He came across another engraving; third digit, one left. He started searching the busted cages for the last number while steering clear of enemies. Finally he stumbled across the final digit written on the wall in front of him.

"Got it," Leon started to input the code into his phone and toss it to Claire. He threw it only to have it caught by a Hunter as the creature crushed his phone right in front of him. This action angered him; Leon waited for the Hunter to attack. He evaded it as it jumped making it collide into its allies. He grabbed a fuel canister pouring it on them. They chased after him as he stumbled across incendiary grenade. Exactly what he needed; he tossed it at them burning the Hunters alive.

Before they could get out a scream; he shot their throats. The room was clear now he needed to get that pass code to Claire. He checked he had only one clip in his handgun; the rest of guns were out of bullets courteously of the Hunters; he had an idea.

Claire continued picking apart the infected. The floor was opening more and more; lava pit was nearly taking up the whole area. She was running out of time. She noticed bullets fly passed her; Leon shot an infected three times and it fell into the lava. Why three? Claire gasped figuring it out. She entered the number on the pin pad. Next, Leon continued the process as she entered the numbers given to her. The door opened; she escaped just before being consumed by lava.

"Leon," She regrouped with him seeing he was hurt. "Let's get you patched up." She checked her first aid it was out of supplies; herbs, she could use herbs. Not as effective but it would at least stop the bleeding.

"Thanks," Leon rested as she treated him; she used mixed herbs on his wounds to stop the bleeding. She focused mostly on the wound on his shoulder so he could hoister his handgun better. He was going to need it.

Claire treated herself as well; she removed the barbed wire from her ankle and used herbs to stop bleeding. She used last of them to treat the wound on her head stopping bleeding from there as well. This wasn't a lot of help but it would work for now.

"Alex," Leon reminded her; she nodded and they pursued her catching her just before she reached the elevator. Claire shot a passed her missing her head barely as a warning shot.

"Don't move," Claire warned prepared to shoot her. Leon pointed his handgun at her as well. This was it; they had her.

"You actually survived," Alex turned around facing them. "Now you've managed to catch my interest." She motioned towards her bodyguards that stood next to her. "Take care of them," They ripped off their cloaks revealing that both of them were the creature that resembled Mr. X.

Their faces looked fleshy and green with stitches across their left eye. The visible eye was solid white no pupil whatsoever. Their mouths stretched out revealing gums and sharps fangs. They were dressed in tough leather their bodies large and muscular. They had purple tentacles draping their shoulder. The more Claire and Leon looked at it; the less it resembled Mr.X but still if it wasn't him. What was it? She also had two of them.

The monsters let out viscous, grumbling; growl. Both of them armed themselves with their Gatling gun and began firing off bullets. Claire and Leon quickly took cover behind area they arrived from. The steel door was no longer standing; it collapsed as the bullets ceased. The bullets had pierced through the door and marked the wall behind them.

"Ready," Leon readied his handgun being only weapon he had to fight these things; He needed more ammo. Claire nodded readying her handgun. They started firing at them from behind cover, their bullets seemed to have very little effect on them. The creatures let out another growl hoistering a rocket launcher on their shoulder. They fired both rockets at the same time; Leon and Claire quickly moved to safer location as the rockets nearly obliterated the area. This created a huge cloud of smoke; they used to get the upper hand on them. Together they shot the same creature with their handguns trying to keep him pinned.

Suddenly, the bullets traveled through the monsters skin and dropped from his finger tips to the floor. He was unaffected by any of their shots. The monsters were both unarmed having used up their firepower. Instead both let out a loud roar and sprinted in their direction. They hoped to stop with pursuit with gunfire but he ignored every shot running faster toward them. Once he was close; Leon kicked the creature; the monster endured the hit like it was nothing. He roared loudly at Leon hastily snatching Kennedy by his throat dangling him in the air.

Claire tried to help her partner only to be cut off whenever the second one punched her. The impact of his punch was so fierce; it knocked her handgun out of hands. She began to shake off his brutal attack attempting to get on her feet. While she was down; he picked her by her throat choking her. She was being held in the air just like Leon. What the hell are these things? The monster growled as bloody sharp tentacles emerged from his sleeve. Claire gasped; he was going to jam those into her face and kill her. She quickly took out her knife and stabbed his arm making him free her. He went to grab her again but she ducked and rolled behind him picking up her handgun. She started shooting at his back as it faced her; the monster turned as its hand began to change.

"What the," Claire stepped back as more bloody tentacles emerged long enough to used as whips. He swung at her with those sharp vicious whips; she evaded them and resumed shooting at him. Out of nowhere, a tentacle latched to her ankle. She gasped as she was lifted into the air and slammed onto the ground roughly.

Leon finally slipped out of the monster's tight grasp on him. The creature tried to grab him once more; he eluded it getting behind him and shooting him. The monster turned around walking towards him. He distanced himself from it as he fired at him. The monster dashed at him with a punch; he evaded the attack staying on the attack. The creature moved towards the steel railing snapping it wielding long sharp pipe as a weapon. He swung at him violently with the pipe; Leon evaded every strike. He was caught by surprise when a tentacle emerged wrapping around his ankle. The Monster tugged making fall to the floor and he was dragged over to him.

The Creature forced the sharp edge of the heavy pipe into Leon's chest. He grabbed just before it could trying to prevent it. This monster was so strong; he couldn't compete in terms of strength. This was a losing battle; instead, he moved out of the way. The pipe jammed into the ground instead. Leon kicked him only for his foot to be grabbed by him. The monster threw him onto the hard floor walking closer to him. Leon managed to get back on his feet only to be struck by Claire who was thrown at him aggressively by the other one.

Together they fought to get on their feet. The monsters continued to pursue them; the second they were standing once more. The monsters' sent a long sharp tentacle at them moving so fast it caught them by surprise. It pierced both of their chests infecting them both with a deadly virus. The second it entered their system; their bodies felt weaker. Regardless, they still had to fight. Alex was right there they were so close, they couldn't let up. Claire and Leon pulled out their knives and chopped the tentacle that pierced their chest cutting themselves free.

Claire switched to her grenade launcher realizing she needed more firepower to hurt these things. She fired at them with flame rounds but they rushed passed them like nothing. Leon quickly climbed on one of the monster's back stabbing him in the shoulder with his knife. The other one grabbed him throwing him on the floor.

Leon sprung to his feet; he evaded the monster's heavy punch and countered with a kick. It retaliated backhanding him so hard he slid across the floor. Claire shot at them with grenade launcher trying to keep them off Leon while he recovered. The monster used its whip like tentacle to grab her; she evaded only to be whipped by it instead. She ignored the damage as the other one ran at her. He grabbed her throat throwing her at Leon who just got up.

They struggled to get back on their feet. It was no use; they couldn't move the virus had weakened them. Their body felt woozy and fragile; each attack was more fatal than the next. "Leon," Claire tried to move as the monster approached him. She watched as Leon was lifted into the air by his throat and punched in stomach vigorously. The impact caused him to black out as he was draped over his shoulder. Claire gasped the other one grabbed her. "No," Claire clinched her throat as the monster choked her out. Alex stepped forward her eyes staring directly at her.

"Let the experimentation begin,"