Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil.

Let's get into the thick of it.

MOONLIGHT SHADOW HUNTRESS: *evil laughter*

Sundragon: You scared me I thought you were gonna stop reading! The quick death of S.T.A.R.S. was necessary, sundragon, otherwise the rise of our tyrant could not take place! Don't worry about Alex, that devil lives on only in SOM.

tvrs01001: William isn't oblivious to what power does to good men… but he might be oblivious to what his good friend will do with power.

Chapter 9: Become

Wesker slung a backpack over his shoulders, the supplies inside rocking together. Looking in the mirror, he lifted his white t-shirt and inspected the wound inflicted by the Tyrant. It was almost completely healed, the skin around it was pink and ropey, the scar tissue was healed in an almost crescent-like resemblance. The large scar was still tender to the touch but soon, it would become apart of him. Pushing his hair back, Wesker stared at himself in the pristine mirror, eyes as red as the blood beneath his skin. It was the only physical change he could take note of, everything else was the same. It was what was on the inside that separated him from the common rabble. The virus coursed through his body, intermingled with his blood, tying with his cells. It was now as much as a part of him as the skin on his back. Everything was going to according to plan and it almost made him smile with pleasure. However, he digressed. It was going to be hard to keep himself in the shadows, hidden from the public eye, and hidden from Spencer. The first whiff of him the old man got would be game over for Wesker. He would have to run for the rest of his life. What came next would have to be executed perfectly otherwise, everything he had worked for would fall flat on the ground. He would get into contact with Ada, she was waiting for him. After that, he would most likely head to a different state, or maybe even a different country. After that, he would compile every deadly virus known to man and use them to his advantage. Selling B.O.W.'s on the black market, roping other large companies into a contract with the devil. Wesker would become unstoppable, stepping over everyone on his way. One way or another, he would get there. He knew he would.

Taking one last look at himself in the mirror, he headed for the door. He was in a fresh t-shirt but still wore his black combat pants. He could smell the blood on them, a constant reminder of the events that took place only two days ago. He holed himself up in the bunker since then but he was running short on time. He needed to get into contact with Ada as soon as he could otherwise, he would be stranded with nowhere to hide. First and foremost, he needed to get the hell out of dodge. The door opened revealing darkness but his eyes quickly adjusted to it. They scanned from left to right, checking every direction. Sneaking quickly into a thick of trees, Wesker was crouched over slightly, one hand on the handle of his gun, the other wrapped tightly around the strap of his backpack. His movements were light, hardly making any noise. The sheen of his eyes could be mistaken for that of an animals. The darkness shrouded him but he had to make it onto a path soon. Heading north, according to his compass, Wesker could slowly see the city come into view below him. The noises rang in his sensitive ears, and the vibrance of the lights polluted the sky. Almost ten years of his life were settled in that town. He had created a separate part of himself there, someone who identified as Albert. He was not that same man, he was Wesker. There was a gap between his two demeanors, a gap that some could see and some could not. There were those that could not close the distance between his person and then there were some who could learn and preferred one or the other. Checking his watch, the time read 12:16AM. The city was small and everyone retired relatively at the same time. People would be off the streets and he could get ahold of a pay phone. Her knew her contact.

As he made his was down a steep hill, the city came into full view. He couldn't spend more than an hour inside the city before he would have to move, hopefully he could get ahold of Ada as quick as he could. She was reliable at doing his 'dirtier' work and Wesker could always count on her to come through. Ada was a sly and calculating individual and that was what drew him in. She had assets, fences, and she was dangerous. She was proven to be approached with high caution. However, as dangerous as she was, she would never dream of turning her back on Wesker. He made sure of that.

The outskirts of town were riddled with old homes that were lived in by some of the more 'problem' citizens of Raccoon. He would have to watch his back for firing a gun would only draw attention. Slipping over a fence, he landed as quietly as he could in a backyard. There was a light on above the porch and a rusty swing set creaked in the breeze. Scanning his surroundings, Wesker made note of the fallen and rotted fence across the yard that led out into an alleyway. Making his way through the yard, his boot came into contact with something hard. Wesker looked down and his eyes followed a bright silver chain into a large dog kennel. Clenching his jaw, Wesker moved slowly forward. He's had enough of damned dogs for a while. Below him, the chain yanked through the lawn and its keeper had woken from his nap. A large Rottweiler emerged from the chain-link kennel. It was the bulkiest animal Wesker had ever seen, its underbite crowned its lower canines, and its chain was not nearly enough to hold it back. It stared at Wesker for a few seconds before baring its yellow teeth and growling low in its throat, signaling its threat. Wesker stepped to his side slowly, he would try and make a run for it as soon as he had a clear path. The dog began to bark madly, pulling on its chain and standing on its hind legs, foam leaked from its maw as its anger spurred. Just then, Wesker heard a sound coming from inside the house. Someone was awake.

There was a large bang from inside and Wesker pressed his back agains the side of the house, just out of the light. The flimsily slider door flew open and a skinny man stumbled out onto the porch with a gun in his hand, pointing it into the dark.

"Shut the fuck up, you stupid mutt!" He yelled. Then, it was utterly silent for a moment and Wesker could have sworn the man saw him in the dark. Their eyes locked but he couldn't be sure if what he was seeing was real or just a trick of the darkness. His eyes strained to see in the dark as they scanned over his yard, the dog had finally calmed down.

"Is there someone out there?" The man asked with the slightest of trepidation.

Wesker felt like he had been holding his breath for hours, running would only get him shot at, and gunshots would get the police out here. That was last thing he needed. The man stepped down from the porch, arm still outstretched with the gun. The further he got from the porch, Wesker slinked from his hiding spot and crouched behind him. Wesker grabbed the mans arm and shoved it downwards and then against his back, disarming him. The gun fell to the ground and the dog began barking again, tugging on its chain as hard as it could. The man began to struggle as Wesker covered his mouth with his large hand and his screams were muffled. Shoving him to the ground, he put him in a blood choke as he struggled to get free. After he became unconscious, Wesker moved away from the dog. Making his way to the break in the fence, he could hear the chain creak… and then snap. Looking behind him, he only needed a single second to see the Rottweiler coming for him at full speed. Wesker hauled himself as fast as he could, exhaustion creeping into him. His body hit the ground and his head slammed agains the concrete of the alleyway. The dog went right for his jugular, its pure animal instincts kicking in. Wesker howled as he could feel his muscles being shredded and torn. The jaws of his attacker were clamped down hard and Wesker was sure they would not relent without force. He attempted to get on his hands and knees, but his body was still worn and the dog dug into him like a slab of meat. Wesker managed to reach behind him and grab ahold of its collar and gave the animal a swift tug. Its jaws came loose and with it, a hunk of Wesker's flesh did as well. Screaming in absolute pain, Wesker regained his footing quickly and widened his stance, ready to take the dog on. If he ran, it would give chase and that would only slow him down. The Rottweiler rose, shaking the blood and flesh from its face, and it bared its bloody teeth. It made its move as it ran for him, leaping into the air, Wesker grabbed ahold of its neck, wrapping his arms around it and did a swift turn, he brought the animal right down on its head, cracking its skull onto the ground. Heaving with exhaustion, Wesker collapsed onto the ground in a pool of his own blood. Again. Wincing, he needed to get up.

He needed to… but he couldn't.

XXXXX

"Get up." A voice said sternly.

He could feel someone pushing on his shoulder.

"Come on you have wake up."

Wesker's eyes cracked open and light invaded them immediately. Shielding them, he noticed it was morning. Then, everything came rushing back to him. The yard, the dog, the bite… rolling over on the concrete, his shoulder hurt like hell and he could still smell the blood on his skin. Squinting, he Ada Wong crouched in front of him. She was wearing a dark sweater dress and a white scarf. She had a briefcase handcuffed to her left wrist and her other hand was checking Wesker's forehead for a fever.

"Ada…" Wesker groaned.

She grabbed his arm and heaved him up. "Let's go." She said. She led Wesker out of the alley and there was a sleek black car waiting for them. She ushered him inside and she slipped in beside him.

"Drive." Ada demanded to the man at the wheel. The car sped away and began to leave Raccoon City in its rearview mirrors. She looked to Wesker who was slouched in the corner of the car, body leaned heavily against he door, head pressed against he window. His white shirt was soaked in his blood, backpack shredded at the top, his face covered in dry ichor. He looked pathetic, if Ada were to say so herself.

"How did you find me?" He asked.

Ada crossed her legs and set the silver briefcase atop them. "I've been tracking you." She said simply.

Her response made Wesker bristle and he sat up. "What?" He seethed.

Ada chuckled at his sudden offense. "Easy there, tiger." She mused in her velvet tone. "Will asked me to keep an eye on you. Said he had a bad feeling."

"William asked you to babysit me?" Wesker scoffed.

Ada shrugged. "At least someone has your back."

He did not answer her then. Ada had seen Wesker rise to power slowly, but he was always under the thumb of Spencer. Now, she had watched him cast away everything he had lived for, everyone who had lived for him. He turned his back on the city behind him and every person in it. She found herself in some sort of relation to Wesker for she had done quite the same thing once. She had friends… she had family. But she abandoned them too. Abandoned them because she though that she could do better. Thought that she could best the world. Now, she had watched herself rise to power slowly, but she was still under the thumb of Albert Wesker. What a shitty deal she had made with the devil.

"Where are we going?" Wesker asked quietly, the rumble of his voice sending shivers down Ada's spine.

"Antarctica." Ada mused. "I've set us up with an organization called HCF. They're looking forward to meeting the man who cheated death."

"Details." Wesker rumbled.

Ada settled into her seat and readjusted the case on her lap. "They're a host capture force. They rose to power a few years after Umbrella. They contacted me wanting to collect your body for their fence."

Wesker remained silent.

Ada smiled. "I told them that you weren't for sale."

"How sweet of you." Wesker retorted sarcastically.

"So then I told them that the virus was going to bring you back and that you'd be a very useful addition to their organization. They have a deal going down right now. Something about that Ashford Family."

Wesker's brows furrowed. "The Ashfords?"

Ada shrugged. "They said that the family is crumbling but the daughter, Alexia, was injected with the T-Veronica Virus almost fifteen years ago."

"She died." Wesker responded coldly. "In some kind of accident."

"Apparently not." Ada said. "There have been a few sightings of her on the island."

"So we're bounty hunters now. Is that it?" Wesker asked with a quip in his voice.

"Hey you're lucky I even bothered to come and get your sorry ass." Ada retorted. "And yes, for right now. If you wanna play dead, you have to stay under the radar for a while."

She was right. Wesker just hated admitting that Ada was always right. She played her cards right and that was a valuable yet dangerous skill that Wesker sought. He needed more people in his life like this woman sitting next to him. He needed calculating, devious, and violent individuals. The rabble of others was incompetent, they were lower than him now.

Ada tilted her head at Wesker. "Did you break that girls heart?" She asked quietly. He knew who she was referring to. He just didn't want to talk about her.

Wesker remained as stoic as he could. "Yes." There was almost inaudible crack in his voice.

"Did you love her?"

"No."

Ada sat back in her seat and turned the other way. She knew Wesker. It seemed as if the man was incapable of human emotions and sometimes, it seemed as if he was the epitome of cruelty. But somehow, there was still a part of him that hadn't been damaged by Umbrella, a part of him that hadn't been stripped and then rebuilt. She doubted that anyone could feel any sort of affection for him but that girl, Claire Redfield, had somehow been able to ground him. If she were here right now, Ada would give her a gold star. However, now Wesker was a ghost. He forced himself into a lifestyle of running until he could surface again. And like a shark lurking beneath the water, it would only be a short time before someone spilled a bucket of blood and the shark would come.

XXXXX

"Despite the recent and solved murders outside of Raccoon City and into the forest, bodies are still continuing to show. More on these events will be revealed on the newscast today at five."

Claire sat up from her curled up position on the couch, her heart nearly stopped in her chest when she heard those words. She scrambled for her cellphone and it rang just as she was reaching for it.

It was William.

"Hello?" She asked frantically.

"Claire listen to me." The man sounded just as shaken as she was. "Don't go outside."

Claire rushed to the window in the living room. The street was silent and ominous. It was almost five, usually families would be greeting each other from a long day of work. Children would be playing in front yards. No one was in sight.

"Will what's going on?" Claire asked with a quake in her voice.

The other line was silent for a moment. "Just stay inside, Claire. Please."

She grasped her phone tighter, fear rising in her gut. "Will please tell me!" Claire was shaken now, she could not stop staring out into the empty street. "I'm getting scared."

"There's been an outbreak here. People are gonna die. Those murders are going to escalate and soon, the whole city is gonna turn dead. No one is gonna what hit them."

"You can't stop it?" Claire demanded. "You can't do anything?"

"No." William muttered. "It's only a matter of time before night falls and the whole town is going to become victim to the virus."

Just then, the television station switched to an emergency broadcast. The blue screen wailed and large red letters spelled out "EMERGENCY BROADCAST. THIS IS NOT A TEST."

"Claire I have to go. I'll get ahold of you as soon as I can. For now, you need to get your things packed and get ready to leave as soon as I come for you. Do you understand?"

Claire nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Yes."

The line went dead and her attention was shifted to the TV. The station then became the local newscast, the anchor shuffling his papers around frantically, nodding at someone off screen.

"I'm Tom Bailey for Channel 9 News. This is an emergency broadcast. There have been reports of dangerous activity caused by a small number of individuals who show signs of being infected with some kind of sickness. It is not yet known if these reports are connected to the recent destruction and possible coverup of the Arklay Mansion. However, you are advised to stay inside your home and avoid all contact with the infected. We will remain on air as long as possible, updating you as quickly and efficiently as we can."

Claire could hear her heart hammering in her ears and she scrambled up the steps and into her bedroom. Digging around in her dresser, she retrieved Wesker's old gun and held it in her shaking hands. Her mind raced, this was just like a scene from a movie. Making her way back down the stairs, it was nearly dusk and she walked over to the window to pull the curtains. Peering out into the street again, she saw a man walking down the sidewalk slowly. His movements looked as though he was injured in the leg and his arms swing lazily from side to side. Her heart hammered in her chest again as the man looked directly at her, eyes cloudy, mouth dripping blood. He stared at her for a few more seconds before he began to clamber into her yard. Claire ripped the curtains closed and pressed her back against the wall. A few moments later, the man began to bang his hands on the glass, groaning loudly. She closed her eyes and her grip on the gun tightened. It went dead silent then and Claire slowly opened her eyes. She relaxed but only slightly, turning to peek out of the curtains, there was blood covering the windowpane, smeared crudely onto the glass. The man was nowhere to be found.

Letting out a breath, Claire placed the gun onto the coffee table and began locking every window and door in the house. Suddenly, a scream erupted from outside and Claire grabbed the gun from the table and unlocked the front door. Pointing the gun out into the road, her eyes searched for the source. It was still utterly silent and it procured chills down her spine. It was getting dark too and she could not bring herself to step off the porch. The street was dim, the lights in every home were off, the blinds and curtains pulled. And here she stood, in the silence with a gun pointed at nothing. Scanning the street one last time, she saw a figure lying down in the middle of the road. Without hesitation, Claire's natural instincts kicked in and she began running towards the form. She halted a few feet in front of it, making sure there was no one else around.

"Hey!" She whispered loudly. "Are you hurt?"

There was no response.

Bending down, Claire reached her hand out and touched their shoulder. Like they were struck with a sudden surge of energy, the woman, now that Claire could make her out clearly, shot towards her, arms outstretched, a bloody and gaping chunk ripped right from her neck. Claire backpedaled and landed on her back, scrambling for her dropped gun. Pushing herself away from the woman as fast as she could, Claire looked around her frantically as she saw two other figures slowly shuffling towards her. The woman hissed and screeched, her violent sounds squelched in her mouth as it mingled with what looked like blood surfacing to her mouth from her neck wound. Claire let out a strangled cry as the woman grabbed her ankle forcefully, trying to bring it towards her teeth. Using her other leg to strike her in the face, Claire's shoe knocked out some teeth and an eyeball. Resisting the urge not to gag, she lined up her shot and fired. The gunshot rang out through the empty streets and echoed like a calling siren. The woman lay flat on the pavement, blood pooling around her head. Claire's breath was harsh and labored, she began to have a panic attack. Getting to her feet as quickly as she could, she watched her back as the other two figures got closer. Running into the house, she slammed the door shut and locked it, wishing she could lock it twice. Her entire body shook and she dropped the gun on the floor. Sobs wracked her frame and she had the sudden urge to curl up and hide.

Crawling over to the table, Claire grabbed her cell and dialed Chris' number. After waiting a moment, the call was dropped and the dial tone rang in her ears.

"Shit!" Claire shouted. She needed to get down to the police station yet she did not dare to go out there again. Even though it was a simple movie myth, Claire was sure that her gunshot would attract more.

And it did.

Looking out the window again, there were at least seven of them in the street, clambering about. Some looked 'fresher' than others while some looked as if they were a few days old, the rot on their bodies was worse and their wounds were infested. She shut the curtains and turned the television up, the news anchor looked pale as a ghost.

"It has come to our attention that there have been several casualties since the first sighting of these… I hate to say this but, zombie-like creatures roaming through the streets. Still, you are advised to stay in your home and if you come into contact with the infected, do not hesitate to act. This is not a test… this is not a joke. Soon the city will become unsafe and evacuations will begin. Until then, we will be staying on the air with you for as long as we can. God save us all."

Claire watched as the anchor hung his head and shook it, deep lines on his face forming. This was the end.

XXXXX

Wesker took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. Opening his eyes, he could see his reflection in the glass wall. Antarctica was a solitude he admittedly enjoyed. He had time to sharpen himself for whatever events would come next. He had Ada were assigned to watch activity on Rockfort Island, the last known whereabouts of Alexia Ashford. It chilled Wesker a bit though, the young girl had died in a work-related accident in a research facility on the island. She had been proclaimed deceased by her brother, Alfred. However, the leaders of this organization were certain that their reports were genuine and Alexia had been hiding all these years, sheltering the Veronica virus. His current position, however, irked him. He was not in charge anymore. Being ordered around by another force was simply aggravating. The only thing he appreciated was being in charge of his own private military group but even then, Wesker, ultimately, did not call the final shots. Despite that setback, he was determined to turn this place around and give them a taste of backstab.

With Ada by his side, the two would weasel in and take command of this base as quickly and conspicuously as possible. The two of them combined were a force to be reckoned with, they each held their own through multiple situations together and had come out the other side stronger. Ada was quick and conniving, she could gain ones trust as quick as she could slice ones throat. Wesker was devious and powerful, he could give any man a run for his money and a broken neck while he was at it.

Speaking of the devil, Ada opened the door to the training room just then. Wesker had his back turned to her.

"What was in that case?" He asked.

Ada smirked. "T-Virus samples."

"Where did you get them?" Wesker questioned.

Ada scoffed. "Where do you think? The punctures have healed over by now."

Wesker's jaw clenched. "Thank you for abiding by my consent."

Ada shrugged. "It was all in good faith, Wesker. I have a job to do."

Wesker turned around to face her, eyes burning like hot coals. " We have a job to do, Ada. Need I remind you that, once again, we are a team."

The woman laughed shortly. "Yeah… Just like the old days in the army."

Memories of those years came back to her suddenly and she wished she could forget them. Her and Wesker were sent to serve the US Army as spies. They worked through Umbrella, gathering information on strategic mission tactics and weapon purchases. The Army was promised chemical weapons in exchange for large sums of money. When they weren't sneaking around and procuring mass amounts of valuable information, they were seeing battle. Both of them were headhunters, killing or maiming enemy lieutenants and generals. Sometimes they would go as far as torturing them for information. It weakened Ada but it hardened Wesker. After their army days, they split up. Wesker moved on to captain S.T.A.R.S. and Ada just disappeared.

Ada grabbed Wesker wrist and he retracted slightly. "Look, Wesker I don't care what you did or what you've become. The only thing I care about it getting you back on the map."

Wesker stared at her intently for a moment, eyes blazing. "Right now you're the only person I trust, Ada. Keep it that way."

Ada smirked. "Come on, tiger. We have work to do."

A/N: So begins the apocalypse.