Disclaimer: I don't own Resident Evil or any of the characters, and I certainly don't make any money out this

Disclaimer: I don't own Resident Evil or any of the characters, and I certainly don't make any money out this! The end is nigh! I never thought this was going to be finished, but here it is! Hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 21 Weak and Powerless

"Claire?" Chris said, his voice panicked.

There was no response from the woman who was lying motionless in his arms.

Chris shook her gently; he seemed afraid that he would hurt her slight frame. She seemed so small and delicate now.

"Claire?" His voice cracked.

There was still no response, so he shook her again, harder. Chris wrapped both arms around his sister and squeezed hard, inhaling sharply. Leaning backwards, he clenched his eyes shut, fighting the tears that were threatening to expose him.

"Chris…let her go. Let me take her."

Chris looked up to see Carlos' face. The other man was knelt on one knee next to him.

"Chris…" he repeated softly. "Let her go."

Chris nodded and gently eased Claire's body off of his lap and onto the floor.

"Chris…I…I…" Leon took a step toward Chris, but the older man stared at him coldly. "It was an accident. I didn't know she was there. I swear…" Leon held both hands up in a sign of submission. "I never asked for this Chris. To be brought back. I didn't want this to happen. That's why I…why I…wanted to die here."

"Carlos – take Claire back to the chopper." Chris's voice seemed un-naturally calm.

Carlos looked up. "But what about…"

"Just do it." Chris replied.

Carlos eased Claire's limp body onto his shoulder and he stood up. "Don't do anything stupid Chris." he said as he turned and made for the S.T.A.R.S helicopter.

Easing himself upright, Chris took a deep breath and slid his finger onto the trigger of the semi-automatic rifle that was hanging from a heavy duty canvas strap around his shoulder. He turned to face Leon, aiming the gun in the younger man's direction.

"Are you going to kill me now Chris?" Leon asked.

Chris stood still, arm outstretched, his weapon still pointing in Leon's direction.

"I said…" Leon suddenly cried out. His body doubled over while he wrapped his arms around his torso. His fingers dug into his sides and his whole body began to convulse violently. "You…have to…kill me Chris…please!" He fell forwards onto his knees, hiding his face. "I…I can't hold it back any more."

Chris remained still, his eyes fixed on the man in front of him.

Leon looked up directly into Chris's eyes. "Please Chris…do it. DO IT NOW!"

"Leon." Chris's voice was calm and controlled. He swallowed. "Leon – you're coming back with us. We're going to help you."

Chris took a small step forwards, but Leon countered with a backward shuffle on his knees.

"I've never left a man behind, and I'm not going to start now."

"Just go Chris!" Leon pleaded.

"No." the other replied defiantly.

"I…hurt her. I'll hurt you too. All of you!"

Chris shook his head.

"Yes, I will. I told you this was my last mission Chris. You said…"

"I don't care what I said!" Chris's voice was no longer calm. " We can help you. Jill has the antibodies for Lazarus in her blood."

"I said I'm not coming back!" Leon shouted with frustration. "You need someone to stay here and blow the tanks. You can't do it from the chopper. This is my job."

"No. I'm not going to repeat myself. You're coming…"

Leon cried out again, louder this time, his back arching and his arms flailing backwards before he finally fell forwards onto his hands. His eyes closed and he became still.

"Leon?" Chris took a tentative step forward. "Leon, speak to me."

There was silence as Chris stared at Leon's motionless form.

"You always thought you were better than me, didn't you Chris? You never thought I was good enough for Claire."

"What are you talking about?"

"You always thought you were better than Carlos too, didn't you?"

"Leon..."

"You never really liked Carlos, did you?" Leon looked up at Chris and grinned.

"Leon…why…?."

"Is it because he's a better soldier?" Leon pushed himself to his feet in one fluid movement.

"I know what you're trying to do Leon. It won't work."

"Or is it because of Jill?" Leon sneered.

"This has nothing to do with any of them."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Enough of this crap Leon, you're coming back with me and that's an order."

"An order?" Leon laughed. "Who the hell put you in charge of the S.T.A.R.S anyway? Keller? The guy who's been working for Wesker all along and you didn't know? Very smart Chris, very smart." Leon goaded. "You're no leader, just a fool with a vendetta. You've led us half way around the world chasing ghosts for years, and then you let that Umbrella psychopath in... I mean...what the hell were you thinking?"

Chris just stared at him, his face blank. He knew that wasn't Leon speaking, but he wondered if there was an element of truth to his words. Had he been using the S.T.A.R.S – his friends and even his sister, to settle his personal vendetta with Albert Wesker? Had he risked their lives for nothing? Ever since that fateful day at the Spencer Mansion in the Arklay Mountains ten years ago, thoughts of bringing down the Umbrella Corporation and Albert Wesker had all but consumed him. Umbrella was gone and Wesker was dead, but he wasn't feeling the euphoria he expected. He didn't feel a burden lifted from his shoulders because he knew now that there would always be someone, or something, to take their place. Because of this, all that mattered to him at this point in time was getting the S.T.A.R.S to safety. And that had to include Leon.

"What's the matter Chris? Truth hurting a bit eh?"

"You don't understand Leon." Chris struggled with his words. He forced the hatred he was feeling for this man to the back of his consciousness. Every fibre in his body told him that he should kill him after what he had done to Claire, that he should exact his revenge while he had the chance. But this man wasn't lost. He could be saved, he just knew it. He wasn't going to lose anyone else. He swore to himself that he would die before he would let another one of his men fall in vain.

"Oh, I understand alright. But I'm better than you now. And I'm going to show you just how much better I've become."

Leon's eyes narrowed before he pounced, propelling his full weight forwards. Chris instinctively raised his weapon to protect himself, but then Leon effortlessly yanked the weapon from Chris's hand and thrust it into his throat while forcing him backwards into a large steel container. The metal reverberated loudly with the impact. Leon began to slowly push the cold metal of the gun further into Chris's throat, restricting his air supply. Chris inhaled sharply, but he was unable to feed any air to his lungs that now felt like they were about to explode. Chris tried to push the gun away, but Leon was too strong and his own strength was rapidly leaving him. He had underestimated just had strong Leon was. He felt weak and powerless against him.

"Leon…" Chris wheezed. "For…God's sake…I…can't…brea…"

Neither Chris nor Leon noticed the figure that had approached them, and was now standing a few metres away. There was a sharp intake of breath before the figure spoke, his voice rough and pained.

"Leon – stop."

Both Leon and Chris turned to the side to face the shrunken figure of General Oscar Keller. For an instant, Leon loosened his grip as he stared at the man in confusion. Chris used the distraction to punch Leon square in the jaw with all his remaining strength. Leon's eyes seemed to roll backwards in their sockets before he stumbled backwards and crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

Chris coughed and rubbed his neck. An angry red line had appeared where Leon had pressed the gun to his throat. "Everyone wants to kill me today." he moaned.

After taking several deep breaths, Chris looked up in Keller's direction. "I thought you'd run away."

General Oscar Keller took a few steps closer to Chris and put a hand on his shoulder. "As much as I hate to admit it, I nearly did. But I just couldn't do it."

Chris shook the general's hand off his shoulder and shook his head in disbelief. "You finally developed a conscience? Well, congratulations." he said sarcastically.

Keller looked down. "You have to go."

"What?"

"You were going to blow the tanks, right? Then let me do it. You take Leon and go."

"Why? Why are you helping us now? How do I know you aren't setting us up again?"

"You have my word Chris."

"You'll die. You do realise that, don't you?"

"I don't deserve to walk away from this. All of this…is my fault. I could have stopped it a long time ago, but I chose a different path. I thought I was doing the right thing, but I was wrong."

"And you think doing this will make it everything alright?"

"What's done is done, there's nothing I can do to make it all right again. But you have to survive Chris. You'll never know just how important you are. The S.T.A.R.S need your strength for what's coming."

A small explosion at the far side of the rig, followed by semi-automatic gunfire, made Chris flinch. He realised that the S.T.A.R.S helicopter was coming under attack. It was an easy target while grounded on the helipad.

"You have to go Chris, now. More of them are coming and they won't let you escape."

Chris took a deep breath, lent forwards and hoisted Leon's inert body over his shoulder. His legs almost buckling under the weight, he gritted his teeth as he fought back the latest wave of pain to envelop his body. Although he couldn't see it, he sensed the blood pouring from the open wound on his shoulder at a greater rate than before. Holding onto Leon with one hand, he realised that he was starting to lose the feeling in his fingers. He felt cold and his eyes struggled to remain focussed. He knew that his body was dying. The S.T.A.R.S helicopter was less than fifty metres away, but it had never looked so far.

"Be careful of Senator Ephraim Carter. He's a very powerful man, in more ways than you can imagine."

Chris began to walk towards the helicopter, placing one foot slowly in front of the other. He tried to pick up his pace and run, but he no longer had the strength. He felt like he was walking waist deep in a viscous fluid, every molecule impeding his progress.

"Chris…"

Chris stopped, but he didn't look back towards Keller.

"I have no right to ask, but I want you to do something for me." Keller inhaled loudly. "My family, my…children and grandchildren. Don't let them know about me, what I did. They don't need to know anything about Lazarus. Please let them keep their memories. I know I don't deserve it, but they don't deserve to know what their father did. They've already lost their mother…" his voice trailed off into silence.

Chris clenched his eyes shut and took a deep breath, but then he continued his slow, languid pace towards the helicopter without responding, and without looking back.

--

"Claire – you stay with me, okay! Do you hear me?"

Rebecca Chambers filled a large syringe with clear fluid and injected it directly into a vein in Claire Redfield's arm. She then attached an oxygen mask to the red-haired woman's face who was quietly murmuring something inaudible.

"Is she going to make it?" Jill asked. Jill was crouched down next to the canvas stretcher that Claire was lying on.

Rebecca shook her head. "It's a deep wound; she needs surgery as soon as possible."

"But is she going to make it?" Jill pressed.

"We have to get back to headquarters."

"Rebecca, tell me!"

"I don't think I can bring her back a second time."

"Then we keep her awake. Keep talking to her Rebecca. We've got to keep her with us."

"Where the hell is he?" Carlos Olivera was leant against the inside wall of the helicopter, close the main door, with a weapon readied in his hands. "We have got to go!"

"He'll be here Carlos. Just give him one more minute." Jill pleaded.

Suddenly there was an explosion outside that made the helicopter shake. Jill's eyes darted across to Rebecca who looked straight back at her with concern.

"Right, that's it. We're leaving…" Carlos made his way to the front of the helicopter to where the S.T.A.R.S pilot, Justin Haines, was sitting. The young green-eyed man looked nervous as he continually checked and re-checked all the readings on the instrument panel in front of him.

"Let's go Justin." Carlos ordered.

Justin nodded and began to press a sequence of switches. The helicopter propellers began to rotate faster.

"No – wait!" Jill shouted as she stood up and moved to the front of the helicopter. "We have to give them more…"

Jill was interrupted by a single heavy thump on the helicopter door. Her eyes darted to left towards Carlos who immediately ran back to the door, his gun ready.

There was another thump on the door, this time it seemed harder and louder, more desperate.

Carlos placed his spare hand on the metal handle. "You ready?"

Jill nodded and aimed her weapon at the door. "Do it." she said calmly. "Open the door."

Carlos pulled the handle and the door slid open. His view was momentarily obscured by smoke and floating debris held in the updraft from the helicopter. A hunched figure stepped forward.

"Chris!"

Chris Redfield stepped forward into the helicopter and fell to his knees, exhausted. Carlos and Jill rushed forward and eased Leon's unconscious body off Chris's shoulder, and placed him gently on the floor.

"Secure him. He's going to wake up soon and…" Chris grimaced and his hand unconsciously reached for his injured shoulder.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing Chris. I mean, I know it's Leon and all, but bringing him back with us in this state…"

"We don't leave anyone behind Carlos." Chris glanced at Jill. "Not when there's even the smallest chance that they can be saved."

Carlos nodded. "Justin!" he shouted towards the front of the helicopter. "Let's go! Now!"

The S.T.A.R.S helicopter shuddered as it slowly left the ground. Chris slowly knelt down beside Claire who was still lying motionless on the canvas stretcher. Rebecca was still tending to the knife wound on Claire's upper chest.

"Is she…" Chris swallowed hard. "Is she…"

Rebecca briefly looked up at Chris and gasped. He was deathly pale and shaking, his clothes covered in blood. The wound on his shoulder was open and bleeding profusely, the dressing hanging tattered and torn.

"Oh my God Chris, you look like…" Rebecca leaned forward to inspect his wound, but Chris waved her away.

"Look after Claire first." he said. Rebecca noticed he struggled to speak. "How is she?"

"She's fighting. She's strong and healthy – if anyone can make it through this, it's Claire."

A tear formed in Chris's eye. He made no attempt to hide it.

"Chris - let me take care of that wound." Jill said as she beckoned him to sit on one of the benches attached to the interior helicopter wall.

Chris virtually crawled across to the bench and struggled to lift himself up. Noticing this, Jill moved behind him and helped him up.

"You did the right thing Chris." she whispered in his ear.

"Did I?" he asked, seemingly unsure of himself.

"Yes you did." she replied. "You always do."

--

General Oscar Keller was standing on the rig platform, a small handgun in his left hand. He was staring straight ahead at a series of massive stainless steel gas tanks. His hands were trembling and beads of sweat were leaving a sticky trace along the side of his face. A large gust of wind made him turn his head and he saw the S.T.A.R.S helicopter slowly lift up from the helipad and head for the horizon. A number of soldiers were firing their weapons at the helicopter, although their bullets bounced harmlessly off the reinforced steel fuselage.

Oscar smiled sadly. "Good luck, Chris." he said quietly.

"He's going to need it." a female voice replied.

Oscar spun around to see who had just spoken.

"Elisabeth! What…."

His eyes opened in horror as he inspected what was left of her body. Her left arm was missing and deep cuts were visible over nearly every inch of visible flesh. The left side of her face was severely burnt and her left eye was swollen closed.

"Oscar." She slid to the floor. "I'm a bit of a mess."

"What happened to you?"

She laughed, but the laugh quickly turned into a sob. "It doesn't matter. I don't think Lazarus is going to get me out of this one."

"No, I don't think it will." Oscar said apologetically.

Elisabeth sighed. "So, you're going to blow this place up."

Oscar realised it wasn't a question, moreover it was a statement.

"So we're going to go together then, Oscar?"

"We started this together, so it's only fair we finish it together." Oscar said.

With a great effort, Elisabeth pushed herself to a seated position and leaned back against a toppled metal crate. She grimaced as her clumsy movements pulled at the wounds that covered her body. Oscar walked across to Elisabeth and sat down next to her, his mature body creaking with the effort. She slowly turned her head to face him.

"Can I ask you a question? And you have to give me an honest answer."

Oscar nodded.

"Am I real?"

"You look very real to me."

"That's not what I mean." Her breathing was slow and laboured. "Am I the real Elisabeth Badley, not a clone, but the real person?"

"You should know the answer to that Elisabeth."

"Yes. I think I do." She looked down at her hand that lay motionless in her lap. "Oscar…"

Oscar didn't reply. She noted that he was staring at the S.T.A.R.S helicopter as it attained what seemed like enough distance and altitude to escape the impending explosion. He raised his arm and aimed his weapon at the gas tanks.

"I'm sorry Oscar."

"Sorry?"

"Yes." she replied quietly. "We came so close. I guess I just didn't think things through. They were better than I thought."

"None of that matters anymore Elisabeth." His finger twitched on the trigger.

"No, I suppose it doesn't." she said wistfully. "Not where we're going anyway."

Oscar closed his eyes and pulled the trigger. There was a brief delay before he heard Elisabeth cry out next to him and he felt an intense heat tear at his face. Then he felt nothing.

--

The S.T.A.R.S helicopter lurched heavily to one side and the propeller blades made an un-nerving grinding sound. Jill and Chris grasped the heavy canvas netting attached to the helicopter walls in order to steady themselves.

"Justin – what's going on?" Carlos shouted towards the cockpit.

"We got caught in the shockwave. Don't worry. We're clear."

Chris let go of the canvas netting and glanced towards Carlos who was kneeling next to Leon. Leon was lying silently on the floor, his eyes tightly closed, his pale face and blond hair streaked with congealed blood. Carlos was in the process of tying Leon's ankles and wrists together with plastic cord.

"He's not going to like this." Carlos said as he pulled the cords tight.

Chris pushed himself off the bench and knelt down next to his sister, much to Jill's annoyance as she was about to dress his shoulder wound. Claire's eyes were half-open.

Chris smiled. "Hey." he said gently, trying to hide his relief.

"Chris." she murmured quietly. Chris had to lean right down to within a few inches of her face in order to hear her voice. "Is it over?" she whispered.

Chris took hold of her hand and squeezed it gently. "Yes." he replied. "We made it Claire. All of us. We all made it."

Lacking the strength to sit upright any longer, Chris lay down on the metal grille floor next to Claire, without letting go of her hand. Chris's exhaled loudly before his eyes closed and he fell into a deep sleep.

"I knew we would. Chris…"

There was no response.

"Chris?" Claire's eyes darted to the right where she saw her brother lying fast asleep, a peaceful look on his face. She smiled and her eyes also closed. "We'll talk later."