Chapter Fourteen:

Page had stopped by one of the last stasis tanks before the foot of the staircase. Peter not once moved as he watched her. His eyes were wide and his senses were alert. He wasn't going to let her out of his sight.

"You were given a direct order," He sternly called out to the young female.

Page crossed her arms and stayed quiet.

"What is that soldier doing here?" Peter questioned. "Don't tell me you've had a change of heart."

"I haven't," Page called.

"Then what is this?" Peter shouted as his voice boomed throughout the large cave-like room. "I thought I could trust you!"

"You can and you will." Page replied taking a step onto the staircase. Peter held out the remote and shook it.

"I should just let these monsters kill you." He started, "However I'm afraid that I might need you." Peter looked out into the room for Hernandez but he couldn't see him. "Listen, soldier," He shouted, "Make any movements and I will unleash the most terrifying nightmare of your filthy life!"

"And I will kill your mutated ass!" Hernandez shouted back making sure Peter could not see him. The soldier had stealthily run towards another stasis tank getting close to the staircase. If he couldn't kill Peter, then he would sweep him off his feet, literally.

Page took another step and Peter's rage was boiling. "Where is Arynn?" she asked.

"Ah now I see," Peter replied as a cunning smile formed on his face. "You're too late. The process has already begun and the offspring will come."

"Process…?" Hernandez whispered to his self as he crouched down behind another stasis tank seconds away from Peter's steel stair ledge.

Tripper took the lead as he and Arynn walked down the long quiet corridor. They did not know what to expect or even where they would end up. Arynn knew that if she saw Peter, she would kill him. This was a promise that she was going to keep no matter the situation. There would be no more delays between her and the mutated scientist's demise. As they turned a corner, they caught sight of a group of zombies eating away at a female corpse. One that was gnawing at the dead woman's arm looked up and saw them. It crawled over the dead corpse and pushed away another zombie to get to the soldier and woman. When the entire group realized that Arynn and Tripper were at the beginning of the hall, they all slowly limped and dragged their lifeless limbs over to the duo.

Arynn held out her knife while Tripper stood ready for some hand-to-hand combat. Arynn ran towards the group killing her way through. With every infected individual she came in contact with seconds later they were either missing a limb or missing a head. Arynn stopped from outside the group and watched as Tripper punched his way through the undead individuals. He broke necks and dropkicked a zombie fatally against the wall. Arynn looked on in awe. She was amazed at how agile and strong the soldier was. Whatever Peter gave Joe the effects were stunning. Arynn wondered if Tripper's DNA had stabilized and would the anti-viral serum relieve him of his infection. She didn't want Joe to be like her or to be abnormal. She wanted to him to be normal and the same man that she met back in Raccoon City.

Tripper ran up to Arynn leaving a trail of dead zombies behind him. He stared into the woman's eyes and took her hand.

"Whatever happens, we take Peter down and the rest of Umbrella, I promise." He said. Arynn simply nodded.

"And Tricell…" She whispered.

"No." Tripper replied.

Arynn looked at the soldier carefully. Tripper's attitude had change dramatically. He let go of her hand and started to walk ahead. Arynn followed attentively. Something wasn't right.

"We can't take Tricell down." Tripper said.

"And why the hell not?" Arynn blurted.

Tripper stopped short and turned to face the woman. He grabbed her by her arms.

"Arynn, there's a lot that you don't know about me…about my team."

She could feel the intensity of his eyes and his uneasiness.

"The government has used Tricell as its leading consultant in advanced medicine for years". He started, "We were sent to Raccoon to recover all research, experiments, and destroy unrelated material. We were supposed to take you back to Washington where Tricell officials would run tests on you. Do you know what they were looking for?"

"A…cure…" Arynn replied folding her arms.

"Correct. Umbrella may have created you and caused the outbreak but Tricell needed you to end it and continue where Umbrella left off."

"So what's holding you back?" She angrily asked.

"Peter." Tripper said, "Tricell couldn't trust him. They wanted intel on his most secret projects."

"Let me guess…" Arynn replied unfolding her arms and staring into Tripper's. "Your team was supposed to retrieve info on Ashford's research…"

"Yes." The soldier answered.

"Did you get everything that you needed?" She asked.

"Almost…" he replied thinking back to the old archive room in Raccoon City where he encountered Dorus. "I couldn't find all of the information on your…offspring…" He said.

Arynn looked away and started to walk. Tripper grabbed her by the arm before she could take another step. He stared hard into her eyes trying to read the woman for what she was and what she was meant to be.

"If I can't take you back to Washington, then give me a sample of your blood. I can declare you deceased and you can start over again."

"No." She quickly responded. "I don't want to start over again. I am f****ing done with starting over again." She looked away. "Tell your officials that!"

"You don't understand." Tripper replied.

"No! You don't understand," Arynn cried out, "I am no one's lab rat. Let's make that clear."

"You aren't, Arynn." Tripper quickly replied. "Your blood is more important than you know, right now."

She walked away slipping in the darkness. Tripper remained quiet and slowly started walking again. The one thing that he didn't want to do was lose Arynn's trust…at least not now.

Page stood with her arms up as she cautiously took another step up the stairs towards Peter.

"Let me have the device, Peter." She said stopping a few stairs away from the mutated man who was beginning to break out in a sweat. His hands were twitching and his eyes were jumpy. Something wasn't right and Hernandez could see it through the slits in the staircase.

"I can't do that," the man replied. "I have lost my trust in you, my dear." Peter sighed and started to ascend the stairs.

"Don't turn away, sir." She insisted. "I have something for you."

Page reached into her pocket while Peter kept his finger over the activate button.

"Don't try my patience…" Peter sternly warned minutes away from pressing the button.

Below Hernandez was ready to fire his shotgun at Peter's lower body from under the stairs, he just needed to wait for Page to get safely away. A surge of nervousness rushed over the soldier as he stood ready to take Peter out.

Page held out something small to Peter. The mutate man's eyes widened with intrigue. Hernandez couldn't see what was in the young woman's hand but He wondered what it was.

Arynn found an opening at the end of the hall. It's about time. She said to herself. Tripper joined her and she ignored him. The floor turned into a platform ledge leading to the huge cave-like enclosure, Arynn had seen hours ago. The stasis tanks remained undisturbed and the creatures inside showed no activity. All appeared to be functioning normally. As Arynn turned to step down the stairs, she immediately stopped. Tripper halted and stood firm.

Peter heard a noise and immediately looked up. He saw the woman and distressed Lead Commando at the head of the stairs. His eyes narrowed and met Arynn's with a sinister grin. Arynn challenged his glare evenly and dared not to look away.

"Glad you could make it," Peter replied sarcastically. "Is it done?" He called out.

"Yes…it's done." Tripper answered. Arynn turned to the quiet Commando. She was curious but didn't want to give away her position. Tripper looked at her then briefly looked away.

Hernandez narrowed his eyes. Who is that? He wondered.

"Good." Peter replied. "Finally, the world will see my creations and I will bask in their glory! The Ashford Family will once again reign over all!"

Arynn snickered as she took a few steps down the staircase towards Peter.

"Arynn. Stop," Page said, "He'll activate the tanks!" The young female pointed to the device in the mutated man's hand. Arynn nodded in compliance. She stood her ground ready for any sudden movement. She concentrated on the remote. Somehow she had to get it from Ashford.

"Now give me the vial." Peter commanded Page. She handed the man the small tube with the covered syringe attached. She stepped up to him and he signaled for her to get Arynn.

Page stepped up to Arynn and whispered, "Don't try anything. Give me your arm."

"Don't worry. I won't do anything." Arynn replied sarcastically.

Arynn held out her arm and Page quickly inserted the needle drawing out the woman's blood.

"Do you have it?" Page whispered as she leaned in closer to the woman.

"Have what?" Arynn whispered back.

"I don't have all day, ladies." Peter replied sternly. "Give me the sample." He commanded. "Take Arynn and meet up with my son."

"Wait." Arynn replied as she grabbed Page's arm and forced her to stop. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Just have it ready." Page whispered as she started up the stairs. Arynn narrowed her eyes. She looked down towards Peter and saw that he was about to inject himself.

As the needle pierced his neck, Arynn thought about Page's last words. What did she mean? The woman wondered to herself. The man injected Arynn's blood into his body and he instantly put away the syringe. Arynn watched as his arms twitched and his legs trembled. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead and low groans escaped his lips.

"Arynn…" he whispered in an inhuman voice.

"What the hell is it doing to him?" Hernandez shouted as he appeared at the foot of the steps.

"No" Page shouted as she turned back and saw that Peter was looking at Hernandez. "Drop the gun, Hernandez. He's going to push that button!"

"I'm not dropping anything." Hernandez replied aiming for Peter's head, "I'm taking him out."

"Stand down, Hernandez," Called Tripper from the top of the stairs.

Hernandez looked up at the missing commando and a slight smile formed on his lips. "Glad to see you again, man." He replied as he lowered the shotgun.

Tripper nodded.

Peter's height increased slightly and his muscle mass doubled. The clothes that he had managed to find in the medical facility were torn and ripped. The normal sized remote that he had been carrying now seemed smaller in his hands. As he took a breath he held out his arm towards Hernandez and pointed the device in the soldier's path.

Arynn's eyes widened and Page paused. "No!" the two women seemed to whisper and shout at the same time.

Peter pushed the button and instantly everything and everyone fell silent.