Chapter Seven: Showdown in the jungle
'It'll be my pleasure' said Zack, he reached out with one pale hand and took Lilia's chin in his hand. 'You truly are a beautiful specimen, perfection in a woman, just what I like'
'Were here to kill each other not get married' Spat Lilia angrily pulling her head away from him.
'Such a shame, what a team we could make' sighed Zack
'This is so the typical movie scene where the bad guy offers the good guy a chance at becoming evil, easy way out and all, why don't they get it? Not interested' Said Lilia crossing her arms.
'You are a strange woman indeed' said Zack quietly.
'Not the first time that's been said' said Lilia smiling sweetly. She stepped back from him and stared him straight in the eye. 'Now bring it on before I go to sleep' Zack laughed loudly and before she could move she felt herself flying across the jungle, she hit the ground hard but she was on her feet in a split second. Her survival instincts were kicking in, the virus was taking control and she was letting it, there was no one around to harm if she lost control. She could feel it pulsing inside her, the thing she so feared and felt repulsed by yet the thing that powered her, she could see the world in a blur of colour yet she could feel and hear everything perfectly. She swung out with her arm and it connected with Zack's face. He jumped back and wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth, he stared at his hand disbelievingly.
'Interesting' He said quietly staring at her. 'Very interesting.'
'Very interesting indeed' Said Lilia raising her arms above her head and arching her back like a cat, she took a step forward and shook her hair that had fallen loose out of her face, she looked almost wild, her hair messy and unkempt, her eyes glowing and the feral snarl on her face. 'You think you can get away with all this shit you and Genevieve are doing, you'll get your judgement someday, maybe even today' Zack laughed out loudly. Lilia ran at him and kicked him hard in the face, his head snapped back violently and he shouted in pain, he grabbed her by the front of her top and threw her as hard as he could, she stumbled across the grass but kept her attack coming as she punched him in the face, his nose was bleeding and he looked worried. She smiled at him and closed her eyes as she felt the virus take almost complete control of her body, and it wanted to kill Zack, she felt blood thirst like she'd never felt before, the jungle around them was already on fire, amber and scarlet flames licking up into the sky which was thick with smoke, they were in some sort of flaming arena. Zack reached into his leather vest and pulled out a flick knife, he lunged at Lilia and stuck the knife into her rib cage. She ignored the pain and the blood pouring from the wound, the knife still sticking into her she jumped at Zack and fan kicked him, he fell backwards onto the grass and she sat on his chest restraining his arms with one hand, she was wild and she wanted him to die. His blue eyes were afraid.
'I'm sorry Zack' Lilia whispered 'You were just like me at some point and now look what they did to you,' She hit him hard and was about to raise her own knife to kill him when something inside her clicked. She couldn't do it, she couldn't kill him. She stood up and looked around her, the wind was blowing her hair all around her and she could feel the heat from the fire.
'NEED A HAND' Said a voice from above, she looked up, there was a helicopter with Ada, Leon, Jill and Chris, they lowered the ladder to her.
'Hurry Lilia' Said Leon who was piloting, 'The smokes clogging up the engine' Lilia leapt up and grabbed the ladder and the helicopter rose above the island and the fire. The last Lilia saw of Zack was him lying on the grass in the flames. He was pure evil but the fact she couldn't end his life herself showed she still had her humanity despite the virus. She watched the island burn from the sky, the flames engulfing their latest hope at defeating evil. Lilia managed to climb into the helicopter before passing out from the wound in her chest.
'Ada I've got to pull it out' said Jill her face pale and worried. Ada was terrified as she watched her best friend grow pale from blood loss, the knife had clearly pierced something vital in her heart and if she didn't heal quick enough she'd die. Lilia's beautiful face was pale and her eyes were shut, she looked dead already. Ada was scared to lose her. She's saved her from death so many times and she still fought so hard for their cause despite the fact that AUCOS was struggling to piece together any evidence against Genevieve, all they could do was destroy the monsters that rose, and close any labs they discovered. They were just so clever at hiding everything. She watched Jill pull out the knife, a spray of blood hit Jill in the chest, Lilia was turning grey.
'Lilia?' Said Jill 'Lilia breathe!' She shouted pumping on her chest. 'Oh my god Ada' Jill said quietly 'I don't know what to do'
'We need to land' Said Leon 'she needs a hospital'
When Lilia finally woke up she knew she was in hospital and she knew from the pain in her chest that the stab wound had almost been fatal and would have been too anyone normal. Sat around her bed with ashen faces were Leon and Ada.
'Leon...Ada?' Said Lilia 'I'm not dead then?' Ada smiled widely and took Lilia's hand in her own 'Nope, we did nearly loose you, and you saved us all again'
'Shame about the evidence' said Lilia 'As soon as I'm out of here were getting drunk and drowning our sorrows'
'Is that all you two think about?' asked Leon shaking his head. 'You nearly die and getting drunk is next on your priority list?'
'Blatantly' Said Lilia giving a weak smile and drifting off to sleep again.
It had been two weeks since the Zoo Island case. The government had been incredibly disappointed that they couldn't pin the incident on Genevieve. They truly had no evidence against her or any other company. They couldn't do anything they were relying on AUCOS their specialist group. They were happy with Lilia destroying Zack and had given them even more money to carry on investigating into their company. Lilia true to her word had recovered quickly; disappointed she had heard nothing from Wesker. He'd gone back to not caring and she'd gone back to trying not to think of him which was even more difficult. She was currently out on the town with Ada, work had been quiet, and no more labs had been discovered, no more trouble caused. Most of the last two weeks had been filling out paperwork about the incident and Lilia hated it even more than ever. They were in Trance, the hippest club in town and Lilia was making up for lost drinking time with a bottle of vodka in one hand a shot glass in the other,
'Let's dance' Said Lilia dragging Ada up from her bar stool, Lilia was wearing a pair of Weskeresque leather trousers and a tight long-sleeved purple top, her hair was curled and her makeup dramatic, Ada was wearing a short skirt and long-sleeved top, her hair was up. She was on the tequila. They could drink Leon and Chris under the table but even they were feeling tipsy. Jill, Chris and Leon were sat across the club in a quieter part chatting.
'I bet they are being really boring and just talking about paperwork' Hiccupped Lilia 'It really wouldn't surprise me, 'Ooh Jill did you fill in section A of part twelve of book three of the case?' Ada laughed loudly and clasped her hand to her mouth. They made their way to the dance floor, Lilia and Ada started dancing to the heavy club song, Lilia snaked her hips to the music, she could see most of the men on the dance floor watching them. That's when she noticed someone incredibly familiar at the bar. It was Wesker. He was staring at her almost mesmerised. Ada saw him as well and frowned, she carried on dancing as did Lilia trying to ignore his gaze.
Wesker had escaped the island samples intact. He was in an uncharacteristically cheery mood and had decided to take Meredith out to a club. Clubbing wasn't his scene but she was enjoying herself, she was beautiful but someone else had him mesmerised on the dance floor. Lilia. She truly was perfection. She had a pale oval face with almond shaped eyes a strange purple blue colour that shone bright with her spirit and laughter. Her full lips were curved up in a smile and her black hair fell in glossy waves around her shoulders, she was beautiful in an unusual but incredible way. Wesker couldn't help remembering the feel of her lips on his. He wasn't a good or kind person, he wasn't good at feelings and his research came before anything but he couldn't help admiring this woman who had him completely intrigued with her strange personality and mesmerising beauty. Meredith came over to him and grabbed him around the waist kissing him on the mouth. Wesker pushed her away and pushed his way out of the crowd. He'd lost sight of Lilia. He left through the back exit and was shocked to see Lilia, she was leaning casually against the wall her head back, a cigarette in one hand, and he didn't know she smoked.
'I didn't know you smoked' was the best thing he could think off.
'Fuck off' she replied, or slurred. She was completely drunk. 'I don't' She added 'I don't even know where this cigarette came from; I'm celebrating not dying, again. Not that you'd know because you buggered off and left me to die. Again. I had to handle Zack, alone.'
Wesker already knew. He'd been afraid to face Zack so had left the island in the hope he'd burn. He hadn't thought of Lilia, he thought she'd be ok and his concern for her had been outweighed by his desire for Zack to be destroyed. He'd almost hoped they'd destroy each other which was completely against his feelings for Lilia.
'If you expect to me to say sorry' Snarled Wesker 'you're mistaken, it's a shame you didn't die'
'You know what you don't even surprise me anymore.' Said Lilia 'I get it, you're a heartless evil bastard, point proven, now leave me alone' Wesker made his way over to her and stared at her questioningly, she was very drunk, he leaned forwards and before he knew what he was doing he found himself kissing her, she responded and then as if she realised who she was kissing she grabbed him and threw him across the alley, ashamed and hurt, the beast inside flared up and he rushed at her and hit her hard, her head smacked the wall and she looked surprised as she blinked at him, some blood trickled down the back of her neck. She shook her head and wiped it away. Her eyes were wide with the hurt of it. She just turned on her back. Wesker walked away from the alley and when he reached his car he sat inside it and buried his head inside his hands. He'd done so many evil things that couldn't be redeemed, how could someone as soulless as him ever feel anything again, and yet he felt so human sometimes. He didn't know who or what he was.
'I'm drunk, and Wesker's a dick and I'm bleeding' said Lilia as their group walked back to Leon's place. They were crashing over at his. Leon and Ada were holding hands. It seemed like after the island experience something had happened between them but Lilia was too drunk to ponder it.
'Me too' laughed Ada, 'I think Leon's just holding my hand in the hope I don't fall over' the two of them giggled stumbling in their high heels.
'I can't believe you two are supposed to be responsible for saving the world from the t virus' Said Leon shaking his head 'Some hope humanity has'
'Hey we've done a good job so far' Said Lilia 'come on whose dead? You aren't, I'm not, it's all good' Leon frowned at her.
'Yeah it has to be said' Said Chris 'We are doing a kick ass job of at least keeping damage minimum.'
'Yeah' Said Lilia and then fell quiet as if she couldn't remember what she was saying.
'Ada,' said Leon, they were in his bedroom and Ada was semi passed out on his bed, her black hair fanning her hair, her makeup smudged. 'Ada' He nudged her gently.
'What Leon?' She asked 'I love you' He said quietly, Ada looked up at him, suddenly looking a lot more awake and sober
'I love you too' Said Ada 'I've realised something and that is that life's too short to live for 'what if''
'Does that mean what I think it means?' Asked Leon 'And you're not just saying it because your drunk?' Ada reached up grabbed his face and pulled him into a kiss.
'It means exactly what you think' she whispered as she pulled him down to her.
