Sorry this took a while, but I've finally finished Chapter 3! School's been bugging me a lot lately. Yes the title sucks. Honestly I couldn't think of a good title, laziness overcomes me.

Thanks for the reviews, I highly appreciate it. :)

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Chapter 3: A Hint of Hope

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Alexia Ashford…

The harsh cold of the winter woke me up amidst the tremendous amounts of rubble that lay around me. I scanned around, and in any direction I look, everything was in shambles and ruins. All my work, all my research, gone in an instant, just like that, from the filthy hands of Chris Redfield.

That pathetic and insolent wretch… I wish I could just have him in my hands right now, crushing the very life out of him as he squirms and begs for mercy. Ah, that would be enough to satisfy me from my inconceivable anger that I'm feeling right now.

But one thing I knew was that everything was going according to plan.

I'm sure that Steve knows very well that the T-Veronica virus was inside of him, but in fact, I gave him my very own blood, the same blood that has been frozen for nearly fifteen years, and now, a very part of me lingers inside of him, waiting for the opportune moment till I, Alexia Ashford, would finally be the true queen of this world.

I will finally get my revenge after what they did to my most humble and most loyal servant, Alfred… I could not, in anyway, imagine his undeniable death, but certainly, he died for my sake, the very sake of my being, and I shall not let his death go without certain punishment on his murderers.

Before this year is over, my plan shall finally prevail, and everyone shall bow down before me like the worker ants they are. I could add an exception for those two Redfield siblings, though. Perhaps a quick execution for the both of them would be quite pleasurable.

I wandered off to the endless field of snow through a small opening, and there, I saw it. Another snowmobile... a vehicle that Claire and Steve drove with the hope of getting to that Australian outpost, but I simply thwarted their intention of freedom by allowing one of my pets to attack them.

I turned it on with ease, and then rode off to the Australian outpost. I'd like to hear those people at that outpost scream when I slowly eliminate them all.

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There was an unnerving silence between the three of us; Claire's sapphire eyes were completely fixated on the bleak, damp road ahead, Sherry was napping soundly on my broad shoulders, while little old me was gazing outside the window, looking at the lush, verdant flora that were scattered throughout the scenery.

I let out a muffled chuckle one time when I remembered Claire who had also slept peacefully on my shoulders when we crashed into that facility… I kind of thought it would be our very first kiss. But Claire just had to destroy that romantic moment of ours by waking up, but I did feel slightly embarrassed though, trying to kiss her like that while she was unconscious. I was just trying to abuse that perfect opportunity… And it backfired.

I thought that Sherry being asleep would be the perfect time to try and have a casual conversation with Claire, but not a single word left her dry lips ever since we left that gas station. Sure, she released a simple yawn or a long sigh at certain times, but that was it, nothing else but the sound of the rubbing tires on the hard cement and the roar of the old engine.

Somehow, discouragement has started to overtake my mind, hindering me from trying to have at least a practical conversation, maybe concerning about our relationship with each other. I knew very well that Claire might bring out that "other" terrible topic, about me being some freak of nature, and surely, it is the very reason for this sudden discouragement.

After hours of waiting, the sight of a bustling city caught my eye. I had no interest in finding out what city it was, all I wanted was to lie down on a comfortable bed and recharge myself from all the energy I've lost from a near-death experience with Wesker.

The truck came to an abrupt stop just right in front of a small apartment building in the middle of the busy city. Coincidentally, Claire and I stepped out of the truck simultaneously, and afterwards Claire went on to the back and picked up her luggage. I, on the other hand, stretched out my arms and legs that were locked on at the same position for nearly the whole trip.

It's been months since I last smelled the foul stench of a city, and I had a sudden desire to just return to that prison I once belonged. Honestly, the soothing air on that island could actually be a hundred times better in clearing up my sinuses than this polluted air that city people call "oxygen".

Claire passed by without even taking a single look at me, carrying her luggage to the entrance of the apartment building. But I could see her hands, giving me a signal to come follow her. Sherry climbed out of the truck a few seconds later, and imitated my stretching. Her now-buoyant face made me grin unexpectedly.

"Come on you two, don't keep me waiting!" Claire yelled, and I could effortlessly discern her voice from the hundreds of sounds that were flowing through the street. At last she talked, and it was still the very same voice from before. I could still recall that event when she yelled my name in that Antarctic Facility when I mutated into something what she called a "tyrant", and almost murdering her with my own hands. I tried my best to just ignore that memory, but somehow it keeps pestering my mind.

Claire took the lead and went upstairs as she held the frail hand of Sherry, her blond hair now held up by a stylish pink hair band that she recently wore before I got to the entrance. Once we got to the desired floor, Claire removed her hands from Sherry's and brought out a small piece of paper from one of the pockets on her pants.

She glanced at it and swayed her head back and forth, looking at the apartment numbers one by one. Finally, she stopped by a chestnut door with the number twenty-six attached. She crouched and started moving her hand around the small opening under the door, and when she stood up again, she was holding a small silver key with the same number as of the door.

"That isn't a very good place to hide a spare key, don't you think?" I pointed out to Claire, saying my very first words since we left that gasoline station. "Yeah, but at least we got in, right?" she explained, her eyes locked onto mine. She grinned at me, and I replied back with a simple smile as well.

She tilted her head away suddenly, and I didn't notice that I was just standing there, captivated by her elegance. She jabbed the key inside the keyhole and twisted, unlocking the door.

The apartment looked pretty normal for a twenty-four year old anti-bioterrorism agent; it had a snazzy couch with a wooden table just in front of it, a twenty-one inch television, and an ordinary dining table and kitchen.

The only things missing were the good old décors like some paintings or picture frames, but otherwise, it was an average American home, too average for a guy like Chris.

"Well, we'll probably be staying her for quite a while, so go ahead and make yourselves at home," Claire said as she hung her jacket on the coat hanger just a few inches from the front door.

Sherry went straight ahead and grabbed the remote, jumped on the couch after removing her sneakers and turned on the television like a simple child entering a luxurious hotel room for the first time.

Claire went to the kitchen and brought out a loaf of bread from the cupboard, and two jars, one of peanut butter and one of jelly. I couldn't really think of eating right now, but I could feel my stomach protesting as I stared at the tasty looking sandwiches she was making.

"Claire, do you know where the bathroom is?" I asked her. I'm still a bit dreary from the trip, and I could sure use a wash. "It's beside Chris' bedroom, the very last one from the left," she directed.

"Okay."

I followed what she said and ended up inside the bathroom. I turned on the sink and washed my face, and then I ran my fingers through my hair, with the intention of looking neat and tidy. After drying myself with a towel, I left the room and joined Claire and Sherry on the couch as they feasted on the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that Claire made.

I grabbed myself one and started munching after I sat beside Claire. Honestly though I would prefer a real sandwich, with all the energizing meat and vegetables, but it's not like I could scrounge myself up with a few bucks to buy myself one.

"Steve… About those two agents," Claire said with a clear hint of nervousness.

"I swear, Claire, I wasn't responsible for killing them," I immediately retorted, not allowing her to completely finish her statement, "Wesker ambushed us, and, those two agents couldn't get out of the car in time before it fell off that cliff."

"I wasn't going to ask you if you killed them or not," Claire said, "It's just… They'll blame you for it, and we don't have sufficient proof at all for your innocence. You'll become a wanted man in a matter of days, Steve. I don't want that to happen."

"Don't worry too much Claire," I said cheerfully, "Everything's going to be all right, we'll get through all of this. Just relax, okay? There's no need to fret too much."

After a moment of awkward silence between the two of us, the telephone rang. Claire stood up after gobbling up the rest of her sandwich and answered it.

"Redfield residence," Claire said through the phone. I could hear low murmurs coming from the phone as Claire listened, and then I could see her very face lighting up after a few seconds. "Really?! Thank you so much Chris, we'll head there right now." Claire hung up, and she turned to me with a joyous expression on her face.

"Chris said some doctor in a nearby hospital might have an idea. Let's go Steve. He's just a few blocks away from here." After taking her jacket from the coat hanger, she quickly turned to Sherry who was busy watching the TV. "Sherry, wait here. We'll be back in a while, but if you're hungry you can whip yourself up some more sandwiches, the bread and jars are just inside that cupboard." Sherry nodded obediently.

Without anymore hesitation, we went downstairs and went straight to the truck. I could feel my heart racing inside of me; I've never felt so excited in my life, not even when that fateful event where we were just a few kilometers away from land when I was still on that jet with Claire.

But still, a small amount of worry continued to exist inside of me. Surely, how would anyone know about the T-Veronica virus? I thought only the four of us-including Wesker-were the only people who knew about the virus that isn't diseased or completely gone from the face of the earth like Alexia?

There was only one thing I could do though: trust Chris. He wouldn't try and risk me and Claire if he just sends me to anyone, just because that person could have some knowledge about this virus. It's more than likely that we could meet an advocate of Wesker, and when that happens, there's a possible chance that I won't be able to protect Claire successfully. My throat immediately became heavy at that thought. Claire's death is just, unthinkable, especially for the likes of me.

Claire hastily turned the engine on, and drove off. She swerved immediately to the right, almost hitting a stop post due to the truck's sheer speed.

"Claire calm down! Don't be in such a rush!" I shouted through the noise of sudden beeps and honks of various cars from the annoyed drivers that we passed through the street.

"Sorry," she apologized, and started to slow down. I sighed heavily.

Before long though, we finally arrived at a hospital. After parking the truck at a non-occupied space, we climbed out of the car and went to the entrance. Before we were able to enter the double-doors though, a man called Claire's last name.

"Redfield?" The man called. He stood up from the bench a few inches away from the door, and started to head towards us.

This man had a neatly-combed hair, and he was wearing a doctor's gown. Of course, my first impression would be that he was a doctor based on what he wore, and I would definitely be right.

"Chris told me about you two. I think I could help you two. Follow me." He entered through the double doors and Claire and I followed him without any second thoughts. The doctor knew Chris, and surely, we could easily trust this man.

As we entered through the empty elevator, I guess Claire couldn't help but ask. "Could you please tell us your name?" she asked, not even with a hint of shyness.

"The name's George Hamilton, Ph. D," he held out his hand to Claire, asking to shake hands, "Call me George. I survived the Raccoon City incident as well, just like you."

Claire stood there, frozen, and her eyes opened wide.

-End of Chapter 3