Notes:- So since this was such a short chapter before, I decided to remove the original and update it with some extra stuff! Enjoy!
The Facility Endgame
Chapter Eleven
Jill sat on the cabin's back stoop, looking at the sprawling forest in front of her. The early morning air felt calming and refreshing and with every deep breath she took, she felt her whole body relax. She'd woken feeling well rested, the events of the facility a million miles away. She'd crept down the stairs and helped herself to a glass of juice before deciding to sit outside and make the most of the beautiful morning weather. It hadn't surprised her that she'd been the only one who was awake. Carlos was still deep asleep when she'd left his side and the others were probably still tucked up in their beds. She'd been hoping to come across Chris or Claire so she could ask about Leon and Kevin. Both men had seemed in a bad way when they'd been taken to hospital.
She took a sip from her glass and leant back against the wooden beam of the stoop. She hadn't actually been asleep that long herself. Carlos had insisted they hammer out everything to do with the pregnancy and her evasiveness and it had been a long discussion. While he'd been understanding about her fears, he'd seen it as an insult that she didn't feel like she could talk to him about them. They'd talked at length and she'd apologised and finally the talk had come round to how they were going to deal with the baby.
Not being the most maternal and paternal of couples, they'd both considered whether or not they'd be able to raise a child. They'd discussed the pros and cons and finally, in the early hours of the morning, they'd decided that yes, they were going to keep the baby. Carlos had promised to be supportive and she'd promised to be one hundred percent honest with him from now on. She ran her hand across her stomach as she remembered how loving he'd been, how they held each other close and they'd made their promises and how stupid she'd felt for ever doubting him in the first place.
"Oh"! A voice from behind startled her out of her thoughts. "I'm sorry" Ginny apologised as she gently closed the back door. "I didn't think anyone would be awake…"
"It's fine" Jill replied with a smile. Ginny was dressed in one of Barry's huge t-shirts which she'd put on over her underwear to sleep in. "Have a seat" She added, nodding to the space beside her.
"Thanks" Ginny said as she sat down. She pulled her knees to her chest and tented the t-shirt over them which gave her the appearance of a small child. Jill knew that despite how welcoming everyone had been, she still felt lost in this strange new world.
"So what got you up so early"?
"I couldn't sleep in a strange bed" Ginny answered, keeping her eyes on the forest ahead of them. "Everything's strange to me now" She admitted. "I was going to try and find Maverick or Leon but I thought they might be asleep. I can't help worrying about what's going to happen to me"
"Ginny…"
"I know I don't have a family" Ginny's words were so sudden, so unexpected that Jill had to replay them in her head, just to check that she'd heard correctly. "I don't know if you found that out while you were back at the facility…"
Jill nodded mutely.
"They lied to me" Ginny explained. "They told me that my parents were very dedicated to the cause of Umbrella. I was told that they died in a freak lab accident and that I should be proud of them but they weren't real. Not in that way. They were just two staff members who were dedicated enough to donate their DNA so that I could be made. I don't think they ever wanted me to find out but I did. Nobody really watched over me so I learnt how to get in to most of the rooms I shouldn't have"
"And you found the file"?
"All of them" Ginny confirmed. She sighed and picked at the hem of the t-shirt. "I'm glad you all brought me here because I've always wanted to see what life was like on the surface but everything is so new and scary. I wish Maverick was awake…"
"You like Brad huh"? Jill said, her voice gently teasing. She looked at Ginny with a raised eyebrow. Ginny went bright red and smiled shyly before nodding. "Well I don't blame you" Jill added. "It wasn't so long ago that I liked him myself"
"Really"? Ginny look surprised.
"Yep" Jill nodded. "We used to work together and for a while I had the biggest crush on him"
"Leon's really nice too" Ginny continued. Jill's revelation about her old crush on Brad seemed to have opened the teen up a little. Her body seemed to have visibly relaxed and she had a big smile on her face. "It would be so cool if he could look after me"! She said excitedly.
"That would be cool" Jill replied quietly. She turned away from Ginny and looked back at the trees so that the teen wouldn't see the doubtful look that had crossed her features. She didn't want to say anything that might upset Ginny, but it was highly unlikely that Leon would be taking care of her. Jill was astute enough to know that Leon and Chris weren't ready for such a responsibility. It was less than a month ago that she'd gone out for dinner with Chris and, in a rare show of honesty and vulnerability, he'd opened up to her about the last few years and how hard it had been on himself and Leon. He hadn't felt like they'd been able to just relax and be a normal couple. He'd admitted to struggling with his drinking and horrendous nightmares and how Leon was struggling with his PTSD. He'd spoken emphatically about how he was beginning to feel like things were starting to turn around and they were able to start enjoying each other's company without the threat of Umbrella hanging over their heads. She'd jokingly asked him if they'd considered having children and he'd brushed it off immediately, firmly stating that while he saw children in his future, he wanted a good couple of years being free of any serious responsibility so that he and Leon could maybe travel and just enjoy each other.
Maybe things would be different now they'd met Ginny but somehow, Jill couldn't see Chris changing his mind. It was obvious that he wanted to do what was best for himself and Leon and while that may be something others would consider selfish, Jill firmly believed that they were well within their rights to be a little selfish considering everything they'd been through in such a short amount of time.
She didn't say a word to Ginny. She felt mean at letting her continue to hope for something that wasn't going to happen but she would've struggled to be that brutally honest with someone she knew well and who trusted her, let alone someone who was pretty much a stranger. Ginny had enough to cope with without having that dream dashed. Jill watched the young girl carefully as she stared at the beautiful scenery that lay in front of them. She didn't envy the uncertainty Ginny was feeling. After all, Jill was no stranger to uncertainty herself. Ever since her father was arrested and incarcerated, her life had been one long run of uncertainty. Yet another thing she had Umbrella to thank for.
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The room that had once housed the giant spiders contained nothing of interest or use, so at Brad's fervent insistence, they pressed on.
"Why the hell would Umbrella ever need giant spiders"? Brad asked, shuddering as Leon slammed the heavy double doors shut.
"I think with Umbrella it's a case of why not"? Leon replied. "If there's something around to experiment on then hell, you might as well" He added mirthlessly as they approached another corridor. This one was as generic and samey as the others but with a door at each end of it. Without even needing to think about it, Chris immediately steered them right and through a small iron door.
"It's amazing that you can still remember which way to go after all this time" Brad remarked as Chris marched onwards, this time down a tunnel with two off shoots, one to the left and one to the right. He turned left and they came to a service lift that was almost identical to the one back in the courtyard.
"It's not really something you can forget easily" Chris replied, pressing the controls for the lift. Brad nodded and visibly flinched, obviously waiting for some barb about how he wouldn't know because he ran away. To his amazement however, it never came. Chris' expression had turned grave. "We're almost at the labs" He said by way of explanation.
"And that's where you think we'll find him"? Leon asked. He seemed to have accepted that the unplanned, spur of the moment mission was going ahead and that nothing he could say or do would change Chris' mind and make him turn back.
"I guarantee it" Chris said as the lift began to move upwards.
The further up the lift moved, the more fresh air seemed to drift down the completely open shaft. Brad looked upwards and breathed in deeply, grateful to escape the damp fug of the tunnels. The only immediate worry was that the lift itself was making horrible high-pitched squeaking noises, making it sound as if it was on its last legs and that at any moment it could break and send them plummeting back into the dark depths below them. He glanced at Leon and Chris who didn't appear to notice the concerning noises. They seemed to be focussing entirely on each other. They were turned towards each other and Chris' already filthy hand was on Leon's hip. They were muttering in low voices, so low that even in the confined space of the lift cage, he couldn't hear them. Leon seemed to be doing most of the talking. His hand was on Chris' cheek, his thumb rubbing the older man's jaw line in what looked like a reassuring manner. It made Brad feel instantly uncomfortable, as if he was an intruder on an intimate and private moment between the couple.
It was a painful reminder of his own relationship with Anna. He fondly remembered each and every intimate moment they'd ever shared, from the moment they'd met in the years before they'd moved to Raccoon. They'd been the original college sweethearts although their first meeting had been far from romantic. He'd been playing Frisbee on the lawn with a couple of his course buddies and she'd been walking down the gravel path with her friends. He remembered every single detail about the way she'd looked that afternoon. He remembered her simple black jeans, her low cut green tank top and her soft black hair, falling in gentle curls about her face. She'd had two books tucked under her arm, one of them had been a Shakespeare text, the other had been one of her school books, a heavy tome on criminal law. He'd been so entranced by the vision of beauty before him, he'd caught the Frisbee and mindlessly thrown it and it had unfortunately hit her directly in the face. She hadn't been angry or even upset but he'd apologised profusely and offered to accompany her to the student clinic. She'd thanked him and he'd walked her there, all the while offering her crumpled tissues to help stem the flow of blood coming from her nose. He'd been mortified beyond belief but she'd been incredibly kind about it all and by the time they'd waited for the doctor and he'd walked her back to her dorm, they'd gotten to know each other and she'd said yes when he'd asked her if she wanted to go see a movie with him sometime.
Brad let out a long, probably audible sigh. He was pleased that he remembered so much about the love of his life but it seemed that every memory, no matter how happy and joyful, still caused him pain.
"Yo Bradley! You listening"? Chris' voice, so loud and brash within his memories, tore him from his reverie. He looked around and saw that the lift had come to a stop and that they'd arrived at another courtyard.
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Upon hearing the noises coming from the upstairs bedrooms, Barry had set about making breakfast for everyone. At least it provided an adequate distraction from the worry of Chris and Brad. By the time the others had come downstairs, the large wooden table was laid out with everything they could ever want to eat, eggs, bacon, waffles, pancakes and various boxes of cereal.
"Wow"! Claire exclaimed as she sat down with some difficulty. "I didn't know you were into cooking Barry"
"Oh um, well, you're my guests" Barry replied as he took a seat at the head of table and started to pass around a jug of orange juice. One look from the young woman told him that she wasn't buying it for a second but mercifully she didn't press him. Jill and Carlos didn't seem to be aware there was anything wrong but seemed to be much happier, grinning as Jill loaded Carlos' plate with bacon and eggs. Ginny was sitting next to Claire and helping herself to a waffle. She looked a lot more relaxed as she politely thanked Jill for filling her glass.
"Hey, where's Chris? I figured I'd be slapping his hand away from the bacon plate by now" Jill said as she poured herself some cereal. "And Brad. I thought he slept down here last night"
"Oh, I think he took Chris to go and visit Leon" Barry replied in his best flippant tone.
"They could've waited" Claire said, sounding grumpy. "I wanted to get back to Kevin this morning"
"I'll take you" Jill replied.
Barry suddenly felt blind panic course through his veins. If Claire and Jill went to the hospital, they'd no doubt drop in on Leon and he'd tell them Chris and Brad hadn't been there. Claire was already suspicious and he was sure it wouldn't take her long to work out what was going on.
"You should be resting Claire" He said as firmly as he could muster. "I'm sure its what Kevin wants"
"He's got a point" Carlos thankfully agreed, nodding significantly at Jill who blushed and looked away quickly.
"You could always call the hospital to see how he's doing" Barry added. He didn't like the way Claire was looking at him, levelly, with one eyebrow raised like she just knew something was going on. Barry sighed inwardly, with her shrewdness, she'd make an excellent BSAA agent.
"I'd like to go see Leon" Ginny piped up, draining her glass.
"Well then it's settled" Claire said adamantly. "We'll go to the hospital" She turned to look at Barry. "Unless you have any further objections"? She added. "Oh shit…" Her face suddenly screwed up as she hunched over the table, her hand across her stomach.
"Are you ok"? Jill asked as Claire stayed hunched over, breathing heavily.
"Yeah…yeah" She replied through obviously clenched teeth. "Junior here just likes to get a bit violent sometimes…Jesus"! She exclaimed again.
"Ok, now we're definitely going to the hospital" Jill said, standing up. "Carlos, you bring the car round to the front door. Ginny, you go get Claire's coat, it's hanging up in the porch. Barry, go get her overnight bag just in case"
"It's fine" Claire replied, trying her best to sound reassuring. "It's probably nothing. I've read the books, it'll just be Braxton Hicks contractions. It's too early to be the real thing" She finally sat back up, her face flushed. "I'll do as Barry suggested and get some rest" She looked around the room, Barry was half in and half out of his chair, Carlos was in mid-reach for the car keys and Ginny was in the process of getting her coat. Jill was standing beside her, her expression an odd mixture of calm and worry. She would've laughed if it wasn't for the alarming wetness that she suddenly felt between her legs. "Oh crap. I think my waters just broke"!
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Chris tried to tell himself that he felt a lot calmer after Leon's persuasive 'talk' but in reality, he wasn't. The mere thought that he could see Wesker again incensed him to the point that he wasn't sure of how he might react. The rational part of his brain itched to listen to Leon and tell him that of course there was no way that Wesker could be alive after how they'd taken him out but the part of his brain that still struggled to deal with the Mansion Incident and everything afterwards believed that with Albert Wesker, anything could be possible. The rational part simply couldn't fathom a logical reason as to how he would've survived been chopped to pieces but Chris wasn't going to let that deter him from his current quest.
A tiny, very secluded part of his brain had never quite gotten to grips with the fact that it hadn't been his bare hands that had killed his former captain but Leon's. Throughout all the years of chasing the S.T.A.R.S traitor across various countries, the one thing that had kept Chris sane was the knowledge that some day, he would be the one who would finally put an end to it and kill the bastard. Maybe that was why he desperately wanted the sighting to be true, maybe he wanted that chance again, the chance for him to end things as he always should've done.
Of course, he'd never said anything to Leon. The younger man had had his own reasons for wanting Wesker to die by his hands and Chris didn't blame him in the slightest. As he lead the way through the courtyard and down yet another lift towards the labs, he wondered if either of them would ever fully heal from the scars that Wesker had inflicted. It pained him to think that the bastard would have such a lasting effect on them. More than anything in the world, he wanted to break free from his past and be who he wanted to be, not who he felt he had to be. Chris Redfield, saviour of the world and destroyer of Umbrella's messy leftovers.
His stomach churned as he departed the lift and stopped in front of the main door that lead to the labs. If anyone had told him that he would standing here again then he would've asked them what they were drinking and if they'd buy him one. He felt as if he knew this place inside out and consequently, he hadn't had a chance to actually think about his surroundings as he'd lead the way. He was really here again and absolutely nothing had changed. The room was still essentially a concrete box that was totally undamaged by the blast that had rocked the mansion to its very foundations. The walls, the ceiling, even the floor was the same cold, imposing grey concrete. Gone was any of the showy pomp of the mansion. This was the part that nobody was ever supposed to see, clinical and soulless, the very manifestation of Umbrella and its staff.
"So this leads to the labs"? Brad asked. Chris nodded. He would never ever admit it, but he was glad that this time he wasn't alone. Instead of wandering through unfamiliar corridors, searching for his fellow S.T.A.R.S and wondering if they were even alive, he had the advantage of knowing exactly where he was going and he had two people by his side.
"Where next"? Leon asked. He was standing by a set of large double doors which dominated the entire back wall. There was a sign nearby that stated the door was an emergency exit only and should only be used in a '1st Class Emergency'. A border of yellow and black stripes surrounded the sign. Leon shuddered involuntarily. He knew exactly what sort of an emergency a 1st class emergency would be.
"Down there" Chris nodded towards a thick steel ladder to the left of the double doors that lead further down.
"God this place is so fucked up" Leon muttered as he strode over to the ladder. "I don't know how the hell you coped the first time"
"I didn't did I"? Chris replied. "Not really"
"None of us did" Brad said darkly. "Isn't that why we're still fighting"?
"God, just shut up Bradley" Chris rolled his eyes expressively as he disappeared down the hole. Leon shot Brad an apologetic shrug as he followed.
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Barry anxiously paced across the tiled corridor of the labour ward. He wondered how the hell everything could go wrong in such a short amount of time. Only a few minutes ago, Claire had been rushed into a hospital room in the beginnings of premature labour. Jill and Ginny were in there with her now whilst Carlos had been sent to Kevin's ward to let him know what was going on. Barry had excused himself from the room, making up some nonsense about going to fetch hot drinks for everyone. It wouldn't be long before Claire would be calling for Chris and Barry still had no idea what he was going to say to her. He supposed that if he told her the truth, she couldn't exactly go charging after him but he didn't want to cause her any undue worry.
He wondered if times like this was the reason that Kathy had begged him to retire from the BSAA. In the early days, she'd been totally supportive, understanding his need to continue fighting the good fight with his colleagues. In recent years however, she'd been telling him to step down and let Chris or one of the others take over. She'd try to tempt him away from his work with promises of exciting trips and cruises but he'd always resisted and it had often led to arguments between them. She said he was getting too old to be under so much pressure and the stress wouldn't do his health any favours. As he rubbed the bridge of his nose to try and ease his pounding head, he was beginning to see her point.
"Where is she? Where is she"? Kevin exclaimed as he practically flung himself at Barry. The younger man was looking a lot better from his stay in the hospital. Jill's makeshift dressing had been replaced by a neat round eye-pad.
"She's in there" Barry replied.
"It's too early"! Kevin squawked. "Oh crap, oh crap"! He ran his hands through his hair and exhaled deeply. "Shit! Right! Calm yourself Ryman…" He muttered to himself as he pushed the door to Claire's room open.
"Hey man, you ok"? Carlos clapped Barry on the shoulder as he approached. "You look like you've got the weight of the world on your shoulders"
"Fine, fine" Barry replied quickly. "I'm just worried about Claire"
"Yeah, crazy huh? I'm gonna go and find Chris. I figure he's still in Leon's room"
"No"! Barry bellowed, so suddenly that Carlos almost jumped out of his skin. "You go and be with Jill! I'll go and get Chris"
Carlos nodded, looking completely dumbfounded but luckily he didn't argue. Barry hurried off down the corridor before the younger man got a chance to question him further. If he wasn't beginning to panic before, he certainly was now. He knew he should just be honest and tell the others where Chris and Brad were but it didn't seem advisable, especially not with Claire suddenly going into labour. He figured that nobody would welcome the added stress of knowing that Chris had gone haring off on some crazy self-imposed mission, no doubt with Brad tagging along for good measure.
He knew from having a chat with Chris the previous night which ward Leon was on and he strode over there as quickly as possible. He knew it was stupid but a part of him hoped that Chris and Brad had returned and were sitting with Leon in his room. If not, Barry decided, then he would open up to Leon and let him know exactly what was going on. The younger man still had a lot of contacts outside of the BSAA and maybe he could help organise something.
A quick glance at the whiteboard hanging on the entrance of the ward told him that Leon was being nursed in a side room. Barry's hiking boots squeaked on the polished floor as he made his way to the correct room, trying his best not to draw attention to himself. He wasn't sure if it was even visiting hours. He knocked lightly on Leon's door and let himself in. He almost jumped out of his skin when he saw a nurse in the room instead of Leon. She had her back to him and was making up the empty bed with fresh sheets. At the sound of Barry entering the room, she turned around.
"Can I help you"? She asked politely as she continued to fuss with the crisp white sheets.
"I was looking for Leon Kennedy…" Barry explained.
"Aren't we all"? She replied. She plumped the flat-looking pillow and turned around to face him. "He disappeared either late last night or early this morning. I came in an hour ago to change his drip and there was no sign of him" She sighed heavily. "So if you find him, you should tell him he needs to get back here so we can continue his treatment"
"Oh…er…well, can I just collect his things"? Barry asked, rubbing the back of his neck. He cursed inwardly. Brad had obviously beaten him to punch when it came to enlisting Leon's help.
"Of course" The nurse flashed him a smile. "I'm just about done here anyway" She nodded politely and excused herself. Barry didn't want to collect Leon's things. He knew that nobody had had time to bring him any personal possessions. He sat down in the hard plastic chair that was beside the bed and leant his head against the wall. He needed time to think, time to work out what the hell he was going to tell the others when he returned to Claire's room.
"I believe you may be in need of assistance"?
Barry looked up suddenly. He knew that clipped voice from somewhere but he wasn't quite sure where. A man had appeared in the doorway. He was tall and slim and looked to be in his late forties. He had pure white hair, slicked back with gel. He was dressed casually yet stylishly, in a black turtleneck sweater and dark jeans. He smiled as he adjusted the black wire framed glasses that were sitting on the end of his nose.
"Barry Burton, good to meet you at last" The man continued in his brisk English accent. Barry must've looked as confused as he felt because the man grinned at him and shook his head. "Terribly sorry. How rude of me! It's me, Dennis. We've spoken on the phone recently regarding the events in New Arklay"?
"Dennis"! It was Barry's turn to grin now and he sat up and shook the elegant hand that Dennis proffered. "You have no idea how good it is to see you"
"Yes, I assumed my appearance would be welcome" He looked around the room. "I see you've discovered that Leon has gone against the hospital's wishes and removed himself from the premises"
"You know"? Barry replied.
"Yes. Leon phoned me shortly after he made his escape from this room" Dennis explained with a heavy sigh. "He said he was in need of some transport so I dispatched one of my agents to provide him with a helicopter. Of course, Leon being Leon, he didn't provide me with any explanation but given current circumstances I assumed he was heading for New Arklay"
"Yeah" Barry nodded. "Chris high-tailed it as soon as my back was turned. I figure Brad was the one who told Leon"
"Ah, Mr Redfield. He seems like a headstrong fellow" Dennis smiled. "Although somewhat foolhardy. I would've liked to have kept his and Leon's involvement in this to an absolute minimum but never mind, best laid plans and all that"
"I never should've told him" Barry flopped back into the chair guiltily. "I've known Chris for years and I should've known he would've gone running off…"
"Yes, Albert Wesker seems to be Mr Redfield's Achilles heel" Dennis replied. "And obviously Chris is Leon's so wherever Mr Redfield goes, so does Leon" He sighed heavily and shook his head as if he was clearing it of any negative thoughts. Barry wished that he could do the same. "There's no point driving ourselves mad with what could've been" He continued, looking pointedly at Barry. "What we need is a plan of action and, if you don't mind me taking liberties, a plan of action is something I already have"
"Well" Barry stood up. "It's plenty more than what I've got right now and I gotta say, I appreciate you coming all this way just to help us out"
"It's no trouble at all" Dennis waved his hand dismissively as he led the way out of the room. "I dare say when matters concern Leon, I'm prepared to go beyond the call of duty"
"He's talked about you a couple of times" Barry said as they walked back down the corridor and exited the ward. "He seems to have a lot of respect for you and you seem to care about him a hell of a lot"
"Yes, Leon is one of my dearest friends" Dennis replied as he continued to lead Barry down the corridors. "I've always had somewhat of a soft spot for him which has been to my detriment more than once" He smiled slightly but didn't explain. "I was pleased when he settled down and found Chris. Despite some quite obvious flaws, it's clear to see how much Chris cares for him and loves him"
"Speaking of Chris, his sister's in the labour ward" Barry nodded towards the correct corridor. "She's been asking for him"
"Ah I see. And therein lies your dilemma" Dennis nodded sagely and stopped for a moment, obviously in deep thought. "I would hasten to emphasise the importance of not telling the truth although woman in childbirth aren't as delicate a creature as most men seem to believe. When my dear wife was giving birth to our daughter she did some significant damage to my hand" He winced at the memory. "I think your best bet at this juncture is, to use a common vernacular, to fob her off"
"That was what I was thinking" Barry replied. "But Claire's a smart girl. She already knows there's something fishy going on" He regarded Dennis for a moment. He'd only spoken to the guy a few times on the phone but he was getting the distinct impression that he was somebody he could trust. He seemed to care a hell of a lot about Leon and in Barry's books, that made him ok. He did wonder however, if all English men had a preference for using such complicated sentences.
"I should tell her that Chris is resting" Dennis suggested. "Perhaps that he's asleep in Leon's room and you don't feel right disturbing him after everything he's been through"
"Sounds like a plan" Barry nodded, stroking his beard. "I'll offer to go back in a couple of hours or so and hope to hell that they've got back by then"
"Well you see, that was where my plan comes in" Dennis replied. "I was rather hoping that you'd fancy a little trip, perhaps shake off some cobwebs we may have accumulated by sitting at our desks"?
"You mean, you want us to bring them back"? Barry asked incredulously. He'd never even thought of doing something like that. He'd taken a back seat from missions for so long that he never even considered going to New Arklay himself. The more he thought about it however, the more appealing the idea seemed. What with everything that Kathy had been saying to him, he'd been conscious of the fact that he wasn't getting any younger and watching Chris and the others tear around facilities made him ache to do the same. It had been so long since he'd done the 'dirty work' of a mission that he forget about the addictive adrenaline rush and the feeling of accomplishment that came with knowing that you'd done something to rid the world of evil. Why sit around worrying about Chris and the others when he could do something proactive?
"I was rather intrigued to see if I still have it" Dennis added with a smirk. "And, as I previously stated, anything I can possibly do for Leon, I will"
"Well then" Barry grinned. "What the hell are we waiting for"?
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"You fucking ass Kevin Ryman! You complete and utter fucking ass"! Claire screamed as she grabbed hold of Kevin by the collar of his t-shirt. He was standing at her side as she rode out another painful contraction. Despite everything the doctor had done to try and slow down the labour, things were progressing at a worrying rate. All they could do was give her drugs to help the baby's lungs develop before allowing her to give birth.
"Now sweetheart, don't be a cliché" Kevin replied, stroking her sweaty forehead. "You always said you wouldn't be one of those women who screams abuse at her husband"
"That was before I realised how much squeezing something the size of a watermelon out of the opening the size of a lemon would hurt"! Claire shot back. "God dammit"! She screwed her face up in pain and panted heavily. "It's too early Kevin"!
"I know Honey but you heard what the doctor said, Junior's got an excellent chance. Premature babies aren't the danger they used to be" Kevin said reassuringly.
"You fuck off you one eyed bastard"!
"Wow" Carlos looked shocked. "I never thought I'd hear Claire sound so much like her brother"! He grinned at Kevin until Jill shushed him violently. He winked at Ginny who giggled uncertainly.
"Where is that good-for- nothing oaf"? Claire demanded, seemingly ignoring Carlos' implied insult.
"Barry's gone to go and get him" Jill said, taking hold of Claire's other hand. "He'll be back soon"
"Yeah and then you can verbally abuse him" Kevin added, planting a loving kiss on Claire's forehead. "Is the contraction going away"?
"For now" Claire nodded. "He better get here soon. I don't want him to miss the birth of his nephew"!
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"Would you look at that"? Brad said as soon as he stepped off the ladder. "More grey concrete! Guess the designers ran out of imagination back at the mansion huh"? He added as he swept his eyes around the room; which was, essentially, the same as the room they had just left. Grey walls, grey ceiling and a grey floor only this time, it was lit with tube lights that were built into the walls. The lights had a sinister, sickly glow and they cast large, looming shadows in the corners of the room. It made Brad feel distinctly uneasy, almost like there was something lurking in them, ready to jump out and attack.
"Bradley, do you not remember what I just said to you regarding the whole shutting up thing"? Chris asked. "As if this isn't annoying enough! I swear, if you really do join the BSAA, I'm requesting a transfer cos I sure as hell don't want to work with you again" He snapped. He almost, not quite, but almost, regretted his own words. But there was no way he could tell Brad that he was actually pretty glad to have him on board. He figured that Brad had as much right as he did to want to be here to end things, especially after he'd told him back at the facility about his wife. But Chris had a reputation to uphold and there was no way he was going to get all smushy and sentimental with Brad Vickers. When he'd first met Brad all those years ago, he'd been young and immature and Brad had been an easy target for his childish pranks. Then everything had changed, Brad had run away and Chris and the others had been forced to grow up fast. Chris knew that there was a lot more to Brad's story than he was letting on and that if he actually gave Brad a chance, they've probably be able to develop a good bond and an even better friendship. The stress of recent years however, made it a whole lot easier to slot neatly back into the role of Brad's tormentor than his friend.
"Chris, don't be an ass" Leon said wearily. He turned his attentions to a small metal door at the end of the room with a red light above it. "We could still turn back y'know"
"Yeah but we're not going to" Chris replied firmly. "I can't believe how little this place has changed. I'd have figured the explosion would've caused some damage but it looks the same as it did back then"
"Maybe it's been rebuilt" Leon suggested. "Maybe Wesker had it rebuilt. We both know what a fan he is of blasts from the past" He added bitterly, remembering both the mansion and the Raccoon City that had been in the Antarctica facility.
"Only one way to find out" Chris said, pushing open the door and leading the way into yet another dull, grey room with a staircase to their right that led downwards. To their left was an offshoot, a small corridor with a set of double doors that could be clearly seen at the end of it.
"The visual data room" Chris said moodily.
"Sounds…" Brad started to reply but quickly realised that he actually didn't have any comment to make. "Scientific" He added quietly, flashing a cheesy grin at Leon who simply shook his head in an exasperated manner.
"That was where I first found out that our beloved Captain Wesker was working for Umbrella" Chris snarled. He could visualise the room itself perfectly, a large brown meeting table sat in the centre of it with a roll down projector screen and projector at one end. It was on that screen that he'd seen slides including one that revealing the man he thought he could trust was really a double agent. "Wouldn't surprise me if he's set up operations in there. He's a sucker for nostalgia…" He muttered, more to himself than to the others. He set off walking towards the door, carefully measured strides, preparing himself for what he knew he was going to find on the other side. His hand reached for his gun. He'd sensibly decided to take his magnum. He reached the doors and with one careful, calculated kick, they flew open and he leapt through, his gun at the ready.
The man at the end of the room didn't flinch. Gone was the large table and projector screen, replaced by an oak desk, pushed up against the wall with a grey filing cabinet next to it. To the right was a small camp bed with grubby looking sheets. To the left was a sink with a battered looking fridge next to it and a camping stove perched on top of a rickety old table. Chris barely took any of this in, instead focusing all of his attention on the man who stood with his back to him.
"Shit…" Leon cursed as he too caught sight of the man dressed all in black, his blonde hair neatly slicked back, his elegant frame showing no signs of fear from the sudden intrusion.
"Turn around" Chris commanded, pointing his magnum directly at the man's head. His heart was pounding a fierce tattoo in his chest. He didn't want to take Wesker from behind. He wanted to look into the bastard's eyes as he put a high calibre bullet through his brain. "Turn the fuck around"! He repeated.
"Is that…" Brad started to ask but Leon shushed him. Anger coursed through his veins at the thought that somehow, Wesker had survived the brutal attack he'd delivered back in Antarctica. If Chris wasn't about to shoot him in the head then he sure as hell was.
The man turned around, his dark sunglasses reflecting the dull tube lights that were fixed into the walls. Leon heard the click of Chris' magnum as he removed the safety and he was about to do the same when he realised that the man that was standing before them wasn't Albert Wesker.
"Chris wait"! He called out. "It's not him"!
"What the hell are you talking about"? Chris snarled. "Of course it's him! I'm gonna blow the bastard's brains out"
"I'm not the man you seek" The man said in a voice that was old and grizzled, totally unlike Wesker's smooth velvety sneer. Leon lowered his gun. The man's face was far too lined to be Wesker's. His eyebrow's too heavy, his jaw too square, his lips too thin. Chris however, still seemed determined to shoot.
"Who are you"? Leon relaxed slightly. The man had fooled them all. It was obviously this man who'd been spotted entering the ruined mansion's grounds. From a distance he looked a lot like Wesker and it was only when you saw his face that you realised it wasn't him.
"My name is Professor Miller"
"You're gonna have to give us a lot more than that buddy considering you've got one hell of a pissed off guy pointing a magnum at your head" Chris barked.
"You'll have to excuse me" Miller replied. "I'm blind" He explained, tapping the sunglasses.
"Why are you down here"? Brad asked. He glanced worriedly at Chris who still hadn't lowered his gun.
"I've been trying to finish the work that Albert started a couple of years ago" Miller answered. "I believe you're already aware of his plans to achieve symbiosis with our viruses"
"Our viruses" Chris scoffed. "You mean his. You're just another one of his lackeys" He spat. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now"
"I don't need to" Miller answered stiffly. "I know you won't. Albert has told me a lot about you Christopher Redfield. I'll assume that's who you are. I can't imagine many other men named Christopher who would take the time and the effort to come down here. I know you wouldn't kill an innocent man"
"But you're not innocent are you"? Chris replied. "If you're helping Umbrella you're as guilty as the rest of them"
"Then surely Sherry Birkin was just as guilty was she not"?
Without any warning, Leon launched himself at Miller, rushing him and causing him to crash to the ground. Before the older man knew what was happening, Leon landed a heavy punch to his face, shattering the sunglasses. Miller struggled against the stronger man, fumbling with the pocket of his black trousers. Chris watched in horror, aiming his gun at the struggling men but not shooting for fear of hitting Leon. Every single drop of blood within his veins turned to ice as he saw Miller take a syringe from his pocket.
From seemingly out of a nowhere, a gun shot rang out and Miller slumped to the floor, a neat bullet hole in his left temple. Chris turned to look at Brad who stared at his own smoking gun in disbelief.
"I just shot a blind guy…" He said, sounding shocked.
"Nice job" Leon said, sitting up and wiping his lip which had been split during the scuffle from one of Miller's flailing arms.
"Grown some balls eh Bradley"? Chris clapped him on the back. "I like it"
"But he was blind…" Brad was still staring at the gun in his hand. "He couldn't even dodge"
"Well to be fair Brad, people who have full eyesight can't dodge bullets so don't beat yourself up" Leon replied, getting to his feet and dusting himself off. He grabbed the syringe from Miller's clasped hand. "T Virus" He said darkly, holding it up. "You saved my life Brad, you should be proud of that"
"So…is that it"? Brad asked, holstering his gun. "Are we done here? I mean, that guy, the one I just shot, that'll have been the guy those witnesses saw right"?
"Definitely" Leon nodded. He carefully placed the syringe on Miller's desk. "We'll get in contact with Barry, arrange to have this place destroyed once and for all, especially if there's virus samples in here"
"No" Chris suddenly spoke up. "We're not done"
"What the fuck are you talking about"? Leon demanded. "Of course we're done! He was obviously the guy those witnesses thought was Wesker"! He said, nodding at Miller's dead body.
"I don't buy it" Chris shook his head, clamping his arms across his chest. "He was hiding something and we would've probably found out if Bradley hadn't have been so trigger happy"
"If Brad hadn't have been so 'trigger-happy'" Leon argued back, making air quotations with his fingers. "I've have been injected with the T virus! You're just clutching at straws because you don't want to believe that Wesker's dead! And why is that huh? What's your problem? Are you pissed off that it was me who killed him? That you didn't get there first? Is that why we're down here risking our lives"?
That was exactly the reason that Chris wanted to press on. Well, part of the reason anyway but he wasn't about to admit that. He glared at Leon who was staring at him, waiting for a response. Brad was lurking behind him, obviously uncomfortable and not sure whether he should get involved or not.
"Chris you need to let this go" Leon continued when the older man didn't reply. "Wesker's dead and you need to get over it. I know this whole Umbrella business has been a major part of your life for so long but it's over now. Please Chris, just let it go"
"How dare you"? Chris shot back, his eyes suddenly blazing. "How about you just let Sherry go huh"? At the look on Leon's face he nodded smugly. "Yeah, I thought so. Not that easy is it? You've got no right to be telling me to let things go when you're still driving yourself mad over a death that happened ages ago"!
Chris felt all the air in his lungs suddenly rush out as Leon rushed him, slamming him hard against the concrete wall. His lover's face almost looked ugly, an uncharacteristic snarl, like a gruesome slash, was pasted across his face.
"I've had it" Leon's voice was calm, yet dangerous. "Ever since she died all people have done is shoved it in my face. Out of everyone I never thought you would do it too and for what"? Leon's fist tightened in the material of Chris' t-shirt. "To prove your laboured point"? His face was barely an inch away from Chris' now. "Well fine Chris. You keep going, keep torturing yourself with the ghosts from the past but know this, I'm sure as hell not going to be waiting around by your side"
Leon released Chris completely and turned swiftly on his heel. He marched past Brad and made for the door.
"Fine Kennedy"! Chris shouted at his retreating back. "Fuck off! 'Cos that's exactly what you're good at isn't it? You fucked off to Spain when things got tough, you ran off and fucked a god-damn shit load of guys when you couldn't face up to your feelings and now you're doing exactly the same again. Well I'm doing something! I'm ending this! You're nothing but a fucking coward! And you know something? I'm glad I brought Sherry up because you need to know that by fucking off like this you're shitting all over her memory"!
"Wesker's dead you fucking asshole"! Leon yelled so loudly that it made Brad jump. "Brad, make sure this dickhead doesn't get himself killed ok? I'm going back to Barry's" He yanked open the door and prepared to leave.
"No" Brad replied. Leon slammed the door shut and turned to face him. "How about you both shut up for a second"?
"If there's anyone in this room that needs to fuck off right now Bradley, it's you"! Chris roared at him.
"Don't drag Brad into this" Leon snapped. "It's your fucking problem we're dealing with here"
"Guys. Shut the fuck up" Brad said, sounding uncharacteristically calm and in control. "Just listen to yourselves. I would've never dreamed of talking to Anna the way you guys are talking to each other. Have you forgotten that in the middle of all of this crap that you actually love each other? Chris, you did a really shitty thing bringing Sherry up like that. You don't even really have to know Leon to know how much it hurts him. And Leon, you're not blameless either. You don't know what it's like when someone you respect suddenly stabs you in the back…"
"I do actually" Leon interrupted.
"Well then you should understand what Chris is going through. Albert Wesker is a slippery snake of a man who's come back from the dead more than once, so can you really blame Chris for not believing it? Maybe that Miller guy was the person the witnesses saw, maybe he wasn't. For all we know, Wesker might be alive and hiding in this place. We're not gonna know unless we find out for sure. So how about the two of you shut your traps and we work as a team to get our answers"?
"Jesus Bradley. You really have grown a pair of balls" Chris said, sounding calmer. "A pretty big pair too" He added sounding almost, but not quite, impressed. Chris nodded at his ex-S.T.A.R.S colleague and focussed his attentions on Leon who still had his hand on the door handle although his body language was a little less certain. "I'm sorry" Chris apologised. "As much as it really pains me to say it, Bradley's right. It was shitty to mention Sherry"
"Yeah it was" Leon replied stiffly. "But I'm sorry too. I know you want your answers. I'm just tired of seeing you get hurt"
"Same here" Chris said. "That's another one of the many reasons I want to make sure he's dead. Because he hurt you" He shuddered as if he was suddenly plagued by the image of Leon being shot. This was enough for Leon to let go of the door handle and pull the older man into his arms.
"There now" Brad said happily, a huge smile on his face. Chris wrapped his arms around Leon and gave him a quick kiss before glaring at Brad.
"Alright Bradley, don't milk it" He warned teasingly. He gave Leon another kiss before releasing him from his hold. "Let's get this done. We're nearly at the Tyrant's lab now and since he wasn't here, that's the next obvious place he'd be. If he's not there then I'll accept that he's dead and we can have this place destroyed"
"Yeah! Let's do this"! Brad explained, pumping his fist in the air.
"Dork" Chris sneered. He nodded at the pair of them. "We need to go down those stairs we saw before we came in here"
Without any further argument from anyone, Chris trooped out of the room with Leon and Brad following closely. They made their way back to the stairs and headed straight down, their boots clanking on the metal grill of each step. The next corridor continued the grey concrete theme but this time showed signs of the explosion that had destroyed the mansion.
"There was a door here" Chris said, pointing to his right. Where once stood a set of stainless steel double doors, now stood a pile of rubble. It looked like the doorway and some of the corridor behind it had caved in, probably from the force of the blast. "It's left we need to go anyway" He added, turning left.
This corridor had also seen some damage and was now supported by some heavy looking scaffolding. There were large cracks in the concrete walls and the whole corridor seemed ready to collapse in on itself at any moment. Chris hurried down the corridor and turned right, walking past more scaffolding and directly underneath a large air vent that had mostly come away from the ceiling and was now supported solely by more scaffold poles. Chris jumped as he felt someone brush against his hand.
"Hey" Leon said gently.
"Hey there" Chris replied with a goofy smile.
"You know we didn't actually thank Brad for calming us down back there" Leon pointed out.
"Ugh, do we have to"? Chris moaned, rolling his eyes. "I think I'm allergic to being nice to Bradley. You don't want to see this gorgeous manly face disfigured by hives now do you"? He teased.
There was a loud clank following by a louder curse from Brad. Leon and Chris turned round quickly to see that he'd tripped over one of the scaffold's supporting 'feet' and had dislodged it. As he bent down to rectify it, Leon saw the air vent above him swaying ominously. Unaware of the sudden danger, Brad looked up at him and flashed him a sheepish grin. Before Leon could call out his warning, the air vent crashed downwards, bringing down a hale of concrete; which landed on top of Brad.
END OF CHAPTER ELEVEN