Chapter 35: Prelude. Project Rebirth

"She's...?"

"I'm... What?" Jake and Sherry chimed together, not believing Albert in the slightest.

Wesker sighed at the pair, and walked over to a panel on the wall near to the computer he was standing at when they'd entered the room, and pressed a button.

"Doctor Wendel... I need your assistance."

Sherry moved towards Jake, feeling wobbly legged. Was this the truth? Had she gotten pregnant by Jake? There were too many things going through her mind; would the child be normal? Would it be mutated past human recognition? Would Jake want a child? Would he leave her? She was on contraception, how could this have happened? Was this really happening?

Not too long later, the metal door opened again, one the Doctor's from the large laboratory now appeared in the door with a smile, nodding to Jake and Sherry before turning his attention to his boss.

"You called?" His accent was German, he was around 5ft7", had brown hair that was greying, and dressed in a suit with a lab coat over the top, the worn Umbrella logo also situated on his breast pocket. The Doctor's eyes were also brown, and wore black framed glasses, he actually didn't look like a menace like the previous Doctor they'd met.

"If you would, Birkin's child." Wesker breathed with a small impatient huff, walking back over to his computer to continue staring at the DNA strands.

"Of course," The man chimed with a smile, and a bow of his head. "My Name is Doctor Klaus Wendel, head of Project Rebirth."

Jake and Sherry nodded at him, but also frowned at the mention of this, 'Project Rebirth', were they meant to know what it was? They would ask later, there were more important things to know.

"You have an explanation of how I'm supposedly pregnant?" Sherry asked, eagerly. "I've been using contraception for many years, and since being with... my partner." She was hesitant, and careful not to name Jake aloud for his protection, but she figured they already knew.

"Yes, I have my theories about your pregnancy with Muller." Wendel spoke, his accent wasn't too deep, instead was soft and very polite. A definite change for Wesker's employees Sherry thought, having been exposed to the Scientist types since a young age. "We believe that because of the G-Virus within you, Miss Birkin, it has deemed any and all contraceptive's useless... Because as we know the G does have the most resolute intentions of reproducing, and in doing so I believe that any type of injective or oral contraception will be terminated by the virus. Perhaps, as a means to protect itself, thus allowing it to reproduce within another host, in this case, a human baby." Doctor Wendel explained, "Nevertheless, these are just our assumptions at this point. If my team, and Dr. Wesker could have a live subject to observe, dissect and the like we would know for sure." The man smiled warmly, his one hand scratching the back of his head.

"So you see," Wesker joined in, his smirk gone. "You are with child."

"How... Um, how long gone is she?" Jake asked, his heart a solid block of shock, as his mouth was as dry as the Sahara.

"4-5 Weeks." Doctor Wendel replied, "Estimated, as she isn't showing many signs yet."

Nobody spoke after that, at least leaving it a few minutes for the couple to have the news settle in, Albert started tapping on a few keys to the keyboard of the computer, and Wendel joined him to see the progress of whatever they were up to.

"Project Rebirth." Sherry said loudly, her voice was sharp and to the point, grabbing their attention. Jake didn't really take in what she had said, because he was still trying to wrap his head around being a Dad. "What is it?" She asked again to the two Scientist's, who turned simultaneously to gaze at her.

"It was the Project assigned to my regeneration." Albert replied with a slow blink, turning his head toward Wendel, who strangely smiled to him. "Some of my loyalists from old Umbrella and Tricell managed to acquire what remained of my body from that infernal Volcano." He was hot with animosity, and damning Chris with all his might in his mind and black heart for doing that to him.

"Sir, are you sure you should be telling them?" Wendel asked quietly, looking somewhat confused by his offering of free information.

Albert grinned, his yellow-red eyes gleaming behind his shades and cockily moved his head to the side, very Jake-like.

"They might not be alive for too long." He mused aloud, getting more joy from Jake's anger building visibly.

"You talking about yourself there, old man?" Jake lashed with sarcasm and a deep set frown, causing Albert's jaw to lock tight from his own annoyance.

"How did you survive?" Sherry asked curiously, putting a hand on Jake's arm to try and subside his temper. This information was valuable... if they survived the ordeal.

"I managed to crawl out the lava as my body was being burnt to nothing." Albert replied with an aggrieved scowl.

"His personal virus sped up the rate to heal at an incredible speed to keep him alive, but the severity of the intense heat was destroying it even so. Regrettably, the Uroboros was indefinitely eradicated, but with his last parts of being he still managed to get out of the magma." The scientist, come Doctor Wendel explained as Albert had fallen silent. "We who knew of his and Redfield's fight were on hand nearby should things come to a fatality; which things did. Once the BSAA were out of the area and unbeknownst to Albert's survival, we came in and took him away..." The man broke off to catch his breath, waiting for Wesker's acceptance to carry on which a curt nod followed.

"Albert was scarce to say anything but human at that point, and burnt down to bone in some places, yet breathing... I apologise Sir," He said looking to his Boss once more, "He was dead, or should have been but lived; much like the B.O.W's we created. He did not react to stimuli, nothing, comatose."

Following this, Wendel went into great detail about how Albert had looked much to Jake and Sherry's disgust, but Albert himself didn't seem to care, nor looked as though he was listening.

According to the Scientist, the Wesker that had dragged himself out of the inferno had no hair, barely any skin, charred and boiled in the most horrific ways - even his eye balls were charred to a point, only the red glow survived and had no eyelids.

All features from his face were bone, only some muscles on his jaws were intact as well as the gristle of his nose and ears. His body was horribly disfigured, skin melted as well as the charring blackness, his ribs and innards were visible for the most part, his legs and arms were mostly the same; like an abomination from a horror film. with hands and feet of just bone with minimal fleshy covering on the rest of the limb.

"If he was that burnt and almost dead, why didn't you just leave him to fucking die?" Jake asked with utter revulsion, finding a good amount of satisfaction from Wendel's shocked face, as well as earning a small smirk from his father.

"Boy! Do not say such things! Albert Wesker has always been-"

"Yeah, utterly brilliant." Jake cut in with venom, "I've heard all this shit before."

"And how is it you're standing here now?" Sherry asked again full of genuine interest, "In such bad shape surely even your virus wouldn't have regenerated you this fast."

Albert didn't respond with words, he just looked on to Wendel to tell the rest of the story.

"We made use of the Ashford's scientific findings." Wendel spoke with a proud smile, moving past Wesker who moved out the way for the Scientist to tap on the computer keyboard a few times, and a light shone from the back wall projecting an image of the cryo-stasis chamber in the giant lab below them.

"Wendel's team used Alexia's cryo-stasis method to help regenerate my body." Albert chipped in, his face turning into a crooked smile.

"Indeed," Wendel took over again. "We took the Ashford's stasis idea, and tripled it with enhanced liquid within the chamber." The man beamed, "We made a hashed copy of the virus which William Birkin supplied Albert back in Raccoon City, and put it into the liquid of the chamber."

The image from the projector changed, with a click of the mouse, showing the tank being occupied by Albert during the process of 'regenerating', his body was covered in a very fresh and pink looking tissue, looking very waxy, obvious to Jake's eyes of someone who had been scolded/burned by water and the skin in an early stage of healing.

"The process as we had hoped, helped abundantly in regenerating Albert back to himself, as well as it serving the purpose of refreshing his own virus which had suffered a great deal from the volcano."

What Wendel failed to mention was that Wesker's virus since the volcano had become under control for whatever reason, and he no longer needed the PG67A/W serum to keep it in check from mutating.

"From 2009, until late this year I have been in stasis, awaiting the day my regeneration had finished and my rebirth, so to say." Albert spoke up grinning like a naughty child who had raided the cookie jar, "4, almost 5 years I have been floating around in water, being conscious yet not being able to speak, but now I am back and ready to conquer with more vigour than before." His eyes turned a fiendish colour of red, and his voice darkened to a growl.

"Chris will be very happy to see you." Jake said in the sweetest girly voice he could muster, smiling like a saint in a icon painting from the most holiest of monasteries.

To this Wesker didn't speak, but his eyes became an even more dangerous red glow and growled despite himself.

"God damn," he whispered to the skies and smiled, "A fucking father..." He continued to think letting the happiness fill him, suddenly a crack of thunder and lightning snapped him out of the brief happy bubble, and panic settled back in.

He had no idea how to be a father, damn he wasn't even sure he was worthy of being one. He knew the way, but he faltered at every step already, hesitating as his toes hit the ground while he paced, his breath catching in his throat.

"We must talk." The cold British tone of his father's voice called through the courtyard, once he'd strode through the door from the underground in a long black leather coat complementing the rest of his black leather attire. "I require your assistance." Albert continued not waiting for Jake to reply, his face was a plain ice glacier, his eyes shaded by the dark glass of his specs as usual. "You know of my rebirth, and know of Alex, and of my ultimate goals from Chris, correct?"

"Yeah," Jake replied coldly with a scowl. "So what?"

"I must converge with Alex at his Organisations headquarters, he and I must discuss things now I have returned to this wretched world."

"So go do it, it has nothing to do with me, or Sherry." Jake spat back full of hate.

"Yes, but things might get a little... difficult." Wesker spoke, now pacing back and forth around. "Our ensemble could end in an onslaught." Jake felt like Albert was a vulture readying for an attack, his arms were folded behind his back and head held high as he sustained his pacing. The flapping of his long leather coat also seemed to make the scene more like he was in a unchained interrogation. "I am not at full strength yet," He carried on, now with a smirk playing on his handsome features. "I would need assistance."

"Then get someone else to do your dirty work." Jake huffed, trying to head for the door that led back down to the underground labs and small living quarters where Sherry slept, however ahead of his hand reaching the handle, he felt a hand on his arm stopping him dead.

"You are the only one strong enough to assist me." Albert said monotone, the smirk had faded and was replaced by a pained grin. Whether or not Wesker was pained by the fact he was asking someone for help, or pained by the fact he was 'trying to be nice' was left up to speculation, Jake just knew his Father couldn't be trusted either way.

"Well, I sure as hell ain't helping you." Jake said furiously, tugging his arm back from Albert's grasp, but couldn't get loose making his anger double.

"I may remind you I hold you and Sherry captive." Wesker snarled with delight, "And I already have plans for the new unborn, which will become part of my research." He provoked with openly.

Jake's arm flew from his grip, ripping his arm from his leather covered hand to be thrown backwards with force, the unsuspecting Wesker got the full force of his elbow to his jaw and staggered back a foot.

"I hope that hurt." Jake accompanied it with a sinister smile, "You won't blackmail me into helping you fuck face."

"Heh." Albert chuckled faintly, touching his jaw with a sparing almost human touch to his knocked jaw out of habit, not pain. "I did not anticipate that... And that is why I need you."

"I just told you asshole, I am not helping you!" His voice elevated and carried up through the conical shape of the funnel, hearing his father laugh rather genuinely and quite suddenly was pushed against the concrete wall, pinned down heavily with Albert's face an inch from his own snarling angrily.

"Do you not understand that I, WILL, kill Birkin for your unborn child. Or keep her and the child until my research and experimentation is done?!" Wesker snarled in the young man's face. "Just because it will have my DNA does not mean it isn't unsusceptible to my musing." He chuckled wickedly through his irritation, "I already have plans to do so." He persisted, only stopping because Jake was trying to push him off to attack. "I will not harm them if you help me." Wesker spoke calmer, ahead of smiling inwardly at feeling Jake's struggling stop. The boy would comply.

"And how do I know I can trust you?" Which he didn't, not at all.

"Take it as a gift from me for being absent throughout your life." Albert alleged with the most sincere face he could pull off, drawing backwards unpinning his son.

"A gift?" Jake asked sharply. "You will spare my child and partner... As. A. Gift." He renounced aloud, the words dripping with hot unbelief and sarcasm.

"I give you my word."

Jake shook his head in disbelief. His 'words', meant nothing.

"What do I have to do?" He found himself asking despite himself, nevertheless if Sherry and his unborn child were in as much danger as he'd implied, he had no choice.

"That will become apparent in time." Albert said he eyes aglow mockingly, not willing to give away of his tactics. "The only thing I can tell you is that we will soon be preparing for departure for Finland, and assuming you have agreed to assist me, you will do what I say and when."

"And if I don't help you, they're doomed?" He asked, watching as Albert turned his back grinning.

"A better word is damned, and dead." He laughed openly at his own words.

"When this is over, I will kill you." Jake seethed holding back his untameable will to murder his father right there.

"Of course." Albert nodded in an intimidating way, as if speaking to a 10 year old who had threatened to tell his mommy on him. Smiling more he left for the door to the top side ruined lab's, leaving Jake to reflect.

Soft rain fell from the grey sky as Jake stood still in the courtyard of Wesker's conical chimney, thinking of the choice he had to make; Help his father with Alex's Organisation meeting/fight and going against Chris? Or just turn renegade, and take them all on single handily, but risk putting his future family in the ultimate diabolical danger?

The answer was simple but he was so angry at his father; his own flesh and blood making him choose.

Yet he sighed, thinking it wasn't so surprising after everything he'd heard from the others about Albert's endeavours, as well as those freaks in China.

The freezing rain continued to spin around him in a delicate haze, he looked into a muddy puddle forming before him, contemplating again what life had brought him most recently.

He was an infected man truly, but not mutating, though he could now feel the virus' trying their best to work, but he could feel the surge of antibodies working; too strong for the contamination, and the growth of his power. He hadn't tested himself out yet to see how far he could reach, or what he could do due to the confinement they were in, but he could just perceive it.

Feel it.

His senses were quicker, he could move a lot faster than before, and had managed to score a hit on Wesker's face, something not many could accomplish.

As the rain became harder he thought of Sherry, and the baby. In his heart he already knew the answer to the problem, he just didn't want to believe what he already knew.

He was going to help Wesker.

I like Wesker smirking... He's hot - My confession of the day? Yeah I like to keep him smirking 'cos I can't really make Albert smile can I - shheeesh! That'd be... uncharacteristic.

*** What do people think of my idea of the Alexia stasis idea? I mean it's fiction so it can work, right? If not? Well lump it ;D

*** Also think of Wesker crawling out of that volcano like Terminator one creepy flippin arm with bone hands, corpse smoking and burned... MMMMMM! XD

I hope people are still enjoying this! Originally this Chapter was almost twice as long but I've chopped it down - don't worry it's the next chapter...
All ma love as always,
xXx