A/N - Look, an update. hehehe

Just got RE Retribution on blu-ray the other day. Watched it, finished this chapter. Watched the deleted scenes... where most of the Mrod goodness is! Started chapter 5. Ahhh

Happy New Year, everyone!

Chapter 4

Darkness

Jerking out of her doze, Lori looked around frantically. "What was that?"

Luther looked at her strangely. "What was what?"

"You didn't..." The snowcat shuddered again, and bucked upwards, dropping back heavily to its treads. It bucked once more, its treads leaving the ice and tumbling sideways, throwing its occupants about like so much useless cargo. The people inside grabbed their aching heads and checked each other for injuries. Satisfied with each others' relative good health, the unspoken decision was made to go outside into the blowing wind and icy cold for answers.

Leon was already out of the driver's seat with a gun in his hand, and his constipated look had been replaced by frustration and worry. Seeing the man afraid scared Lori more than the tremors still shaking them and the snowcat. Alice and Luther were right behind Leon as he moved to the door, their own guns in hand, and calmly frightened expressions set in hard lines on their faces. They clambered out of the snowcat while Lori and Becky stayed mostly inside, poking their heads out to look around. Right away, the cause of their snowcat's sad state was apparent.

The smooth, black lines of a submarine's tower was breaking up through the ice. That strange red and white logo painted on its side sent waves of fear rippling through Lorraine. She knew that logo intimately, almost as well as she knew Alice. Both of which were impossible, yet still absolutely true. Lori's mind felt as stretched as it had back in college cramming for finals. Growling to herself, she pinched the bridge of her nose and willed the ache and strange, fuzzy emotions to go away.

A hatch on the side of the tower began to open, and Lori had an arm around Becky's waist even before Alice looked over her shoulder. Seeing Lori's preemptive hold on the curious girl, her lips twisted into a grim smile, and she nodded a silent 'thank you'. The tree-hugger was caught in Alice's gaze until shadowed figures began to appear in the sub's brightly lit, open hatch.

First out was a blonde woman, her bleached out hair pulled back painfully tight. She wore a ridiculous, purple, skintight outfit with her cleavage on display like a corner hooker. Between her round breasts sat a large spider-like, red glowing thing. Her exposed, pale flesh was flushing quickly in the bitterly cold weather. Twin gun holsters hugged her thighs, one empty, and below them, high, darker purple boots finished her odd look. Frigid pale eyes raked over Lori and company in a dismissive manner before settling on Alice with a predatory gleam. Behind her came a shorter woman in another revealing outfit.

She had better taste at least, Lori thought, admiring the silky red dress gracing the Asian looking woman. It was ankle-length, with slits up both sides to reveal strong, beautiful legs on top of clunky heels. What looked like a pistol holster was strapped to her right thigh. It was empty, and her arms were folded behind her back, thrusting her breasts forward. Dark eyeliner enhanced her delicately slanted eyes, which widened considerably when they met Lori's curious stare. Just as quickly, her features returned to a slightly snobbish and irritated expression. And behind her was the biggest surprise of all.

Becky tapped Lori on the shoulder. "She's not your sister, is she?"

Shaking her head, Lori muttered. "No."

A perfect copy of Lorraine had a vicelike grip on red-dress-chick and a gun's muzzle buried in the Asian's short black hair. Except, instead of Lori's casually cute look and tamed curls, the copy's raven hair was pulled back into a ponytail, rebel strands framing her frowning face, and her clothes screamed 'bad girl'.

Black combat boots. Black leather pants. Black mesh belt with a gun holster and several little pouches. Black vest, thick, with buckles at the sides and probably bullet-proof. Black fingerless gloves. Even her eyes appeared black in the dim sunlight. Dark. Very, very dark. Lori shuddered at the evil version of herself.

The copy met her eyes. For a second, the dark woman stalled, confused. Her eyes widened, her jaw slacked, and her hand holding her gun slipped down a bit. "Wha..."

"Stay on task." The blonde barked at Lori's twin without even looking back. Dark Lorraine snapped her mouth shut, settled her face into a deep scowl, and shoved red-dress-chick forward roughly.

Lori felt a growl deep in her chest. She did not like that bleach-blonde bimbo already.

"Project Alice." The bleach-blonde addressed Lori's mystery friend, her voice an almost monotone drawl.

"Jill." Despite her steady voice, Alice's eyes were sad, and her gun was aimed squarely at Jill's forehead.

Lori bit her tongue to keep her questions to herself. She reminded herself that she needed to keep the kid safe and couldn't do that if she started babbling Without a doubt, the bitchy blonde would shoot her just for the fun of it.

"Just the two of you?" Alice questioned.

"It will be more than enough." Jill's arrogant confidence shimmered with truth. To Lori, it reminded her of walking into a bathroom that someone had just crapped in. Horrible and unavoidable.

Leon whispered to Luther. "I told you she'd have a plan."

Shaken from her putrid thoughts, Lori wondered what the hell he was referring to.

"Project Alice, lower your weapon or Ada Wong dies." Stated Jill. Lori's twin smirked, and it made the gentle woman itch to rearrange that smug face.

Alice delayed for a few breaths. Her arm quivered, then lowered slowly.

"Drop it."

She tossed the gun toward the bleach-blonde bitch. Dark Lorraine drew something from her pocket. It shone in the bright lights of the submarine, and Lori gaped when she realized it was a strange syringe of some sort. The dark woman seemed hesitant to use it, given she held it up and took a long, deep breath that pissed off the purple wearing blonde.

"Do it, Sergeant Ocampo."

Ocampo. Lori shivered with goosebumps, feeling the name bounce around her skull, and Alice looked over her shoulder at Lori. Those green eyes of her's spoke volumes before the lids closed over them, and Alice returned her gaze to the unknown trio of women. Lori saw her twin eyeball Alice for a moment before meeting Lori's own gaze. Something passed between them, and Dark Lorraine might have dipped her head at Lori, but she couldn't be sure, the idea of it was too ridiculous.

Then the injector was at the black clad woman's neck. Its needle slipped into her flesh, and she grimaced as she slowly squeezed the trigger.

Leon spoke into the cold atmosphere. "Must be the serum that Wesker told us about."

"What?" Alice demanded, slightly breathless.

"The serum was created based on the work of someone named Dr. Isaacs. It supposedly echoes the physical effects of the T-virus without actually infecting the individual. Speed, strength, regeneration, all amplified."

Luther grunted. "Great. So we're screwed."

Jill's spider-thing glowed brighter, and her arrogant smile lifted.

"Shit." Lori muttered, pulling the kid closer to her.

The needle withdrew from Sgt. Ocampo, and she rotated her neck, eyes closed. Those dark eyes reopened, and a smirk grew on her too-familiar face. She carelessly tossed aside the injector. Lori's eyes tried to track the soaring metal. A fluff of disturbed snow obliterated her view just as Ocampo swung the butt of her pistol into the Asian chick's neck.

The woman in the silk dress collapsed to the ice, unconscious. Guns appeared in the good guys' hands and they started shooting at the Umbrella bitches. Ocampo dropped her pistol as her body jerked with the impacts while Jill marvelously dodged and weaved her way to Alice. The guns ran out of ammo, but the dark woman was still standing. Blood ran from numerous holes where her vest couldn't protect. Ocampo's smirk reappeared. Little lumps suddenly appeared and dropped out of those holes. The bullets, Lori realized.

"Oh, shit. Fuck. Shit." Lori squeaked.

Snarling, Jill tackled Alice.

Her sentiments were echoed by the guys as Ocampo's wounds healed, and she barreled toward them. Lori's mind caught up to the danger of the situation and yanked herself and Becky down into the relative safety of the snowcat. They could hear the clash of flesh, grunts of pain, and shushing of disturbed snow.

Becky sniffled and whined in fright.

Lori wrapped herself around Becky, hoping the others could handle themselves while she did her best to protect the little girl. Outside, more gunshots blasted stupidly loud, and bullets clunked against the snowcat's undercarriage. Each impact had little Becky shivering and clinging ever tighter to the equally terrified woman.

"Shh." Lori whispered to the deaf girl. "It'll be okay." Maybe she was talking to herself, she mused, trying to keep her own fear under control.

The gunfire stopped. Lori looked up to the open door, and so did Becky. They listened to the sounds of fighting. Fists and curses were flying freely. Lori wondered how much Becky's implant allowed her to hear. Their eyes met. She wondered what would be worse, hearing everything, or nothing at all.

Someone was thrown against the snowcat with a loud CLUNK, sending both girls jumping back in surprised fright. Through the front window of the snowcat, they saw Alice's form crumpled on the ice. Becky clambered away from Lori and out of the vehicle, yelling for her mother.

"Shit, shit, shit." The tree-hugger cried before chasing after the little girl.