A/N: And here come the flashbacks! Whatif-ifonly, if you're actually reading this fic, then what we discussed begins to bear fruit here... though the lack of birth dates for some of the characters does make things interesting. In any case, this chapter is going to be long, it's going to be interesting... and from here on in, things go very AU - as if they haven't already.
To those concerned about the lengthy gap between the previous update and now - I apologize. Real life is a bitch at present, and this update fought me at every turn as a result... but I fully intend to finish what I began.
Disclaimer: To all readers - see the prologue and first two chapters for appropriate disclaimers. The concept of Raccoon City being in New Hampshire is from Tani1's fanfic "Leon? A Word, Please?".
Additional warning: this is rated T, and for good reason. Then again, if you're a Resident Evil fan you should ideally be a teenager anyway...
Please offer feedback - it tells me if I'm doing this properly.
Resident Evil 6: Rampage
CHAPTER 4: CATACOMBS, DEBORAH, EXTERMINATION, (UN)FORGETTABLE
"Let me tell you about my team. Agent Morgan fought to protect his identity from the very people who could save him. Why? Because trust has to be earned, and there are very few people he truly trusts. Reid's intellect is a shield which protects him from his emotions, and at the moment his shield is under repair. Prentiss overcompensates because she doesn't yet feel she's a part of the team; she needn't worry. Every day, Agent Jareau fields dozens of requests for our team, and every night she goes home hoping she has made the right choices. Garcia fills her office with figurines and color to remind herself to smile as the horror fills her screens. And Agent Gideon in many ways is damned by his profound knowledge of others, which is why he shares so little of himself, yet he pours his heart into every case we handle. I stand by my actions, and I stand by my team, and if you think that you can find a better person for the job, then good luck." - BAU Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner, "Criminal Minds"
"It has been said that time heals all wounds. I disagree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue, and the pain lessens, but it is never gone." - Rose Kennedy
The quad-core was mere kilometers away from 75% completion, and only a few hours away from full reconstruction; the body and the mind had already found each other again, and were mere miles away from their heart. The spirit - the fire that had driven herself and (however unknowingly to her) the rest of the core for all that time - was mere hours away from being contacted once more... but would it be enough?
The time had come to find out.
The key card Carter found unlocked the passageway behind the Cathedral's secret entrance - a passageway which, in turn, lead to what looked like a series of jail cells, separated by large security gates. The trio looked around the first area, finding (besides the first gate and the cells themselves) only a three-digit security console and a few boxes of ammo.
"Wish I believed God was looking out for us right now," Leon mused, "But I think we're on our own."
"No kidding. This isn't looking too good..." Carter scowled, "What the hell did they keep here?"
"Prisoners... like Deborah." Helena's jaw clenched, "We've got to find her!"
"I know," Carter clenched a fist, "She's here somewhere - I know it."
"Gut instinct?" Leon asked.
"Actually," Carter chuckled, "Yeah. Since our friendship began I've always known when Helena and Deborah were nearby."
"Freaked us out something fierce, too," Helena recalled as she and Leon tried multiple codes on the keypad, opening doors (and clearing the rooms behind them, scavenging for supplies) until the main gate opened so the group could proceed to the next cellblock, "At least until Frank explained why he's like that."
(Flashback, June 2001; six months after meeting the Myers clan)
Flipping, cartwheeling, attacking imaginary foes with phenomenal strength and agility for a prepubescent, a twelve-year-old Helena was currently zoning as she practiced her acrobatic style of martial arts - her latest stunts leaving her standing tall and straight as she regained her focus on her surroundings... for the most part.
"He trusts you, you know."
Helena spun into a battle stance - and locked eyes with Carter's father, who (beyond a small smile) didn't even flinch.
"What do you mean?" Helena asked, relaxing her stance.
"My son," Frank's smile widened, "He trusts you and Deborah more than any of his classmates - it's especially noteworthy since he's known you less than a year. Treasure that - because one of the first things he picked up from me after what happened... was to trust carefully."
"I've learned the same," Helena replied cautiously, "I had a friend a couple years ago, named Jennifer - everyone called her JJ, and we were as tight as a pair of tomboys could be in a small town like that. We shared the same birth date, so we and our families celebrated together; Deborah loved JJ as if she were a favorite older sister, and she was practically a sister to me too... but then JJ's parents died, and later on her sister Katie committed suicide... it was a bitter blow to us all, and JJ herself focused almost entirely on her schoolwork and soccer as a result after it all happened. She forgot all about me, about Deborah... that and dad's death are mostly why we left."
Frank winced, and pulled the young girl he was quickly considering an unofficial daughter into a hug.
"She was grieving, Helena, for a loss that should never have happened. Her whole family was; Carter and I had to do the same regarding his mother... it's why we moved here."
"Do you think Deborah and I will see her again?" Helena asked, her voice muffled by Frank's muscular chest even as she expressed vulnerability to a man she was quickly coming to consider a secondary father figure.
"I know you will," Frank smiled, "Carter's uncle Eric is a detective in East Allegheny; he knows your friend JJ as well as anyone else there. When she realized what she did to you two - and she did realize it, Helena - she was livid with herself... pushed herself even harder than she already had; a few months before you met Carter, he went to visit his cousin Wes, Eric's son; the both of them had to intervene just so JJ wouldn't work herself to death. JJ fully intends to get out of that city, Helena - just like Carter wants to escape his own restraints and demons. I've got a feeling you'll all meet again under the most surprising circumstances."
"And what about Carter?" Helena asked, "How does he always know where Deborah and I are? It's... weird."
"He's in training, Helena - special training to become a soldier, a fighter... a survivor." Frank sighed, "I didn't want it for him... but you know my son."
"He is stubborn... and he does want to make a difference more than almost anything. It's refreshing, meeting someone like that," Helena smiled faintly, "So having eyes in the back of your head's part of the training?"
"It is," Frank nodded, "But Carter was like that practically from birth, and he's especially sensitive with that instinct with people he trusts completely... so far that list is down to me, JJ, Deborah, and you. Cherish that fact, Helena - he won't let any of us go. Not without a hell of a fight."
Leon smiled faintly as the story came to a close, recalling how he and Claire Redfield had developed a similar instinct and rapport with each other after their brush with death in Raccoon City.
"Sounds like your dad was preparing you to take up his mantle, Carter." the older agent noted. Helena, meanwhile, fondly recalled the conversation she'd had with her former mentor; her lips twitched as she remembered JJ's shock, years after the original incident, at the revelation of Carter's uncle being one of the detectives investigating her sister's suicide and her parents' deaths in a car crash - to say nothing of the revelation that Carter's cousin who had kept her from burnout to begin with was her highschool friend Wes Johnson.
"Sort of," Carter replied, "Actually, before dad began training me I trained myself. Meditation, Tai Chi, exercise, sound filtration to strengthen my hearing, sight range tests to keep my eyesight sharp... it was all the start to being the best I could possibly be, in body and mind, in order to make a difference in others' lives. That's the mantle dad wanted me to take up - not the military or government work. But I've wanted to make a real, positive difference ever since Indiana became part of my life, and especially after Wes and I helped JJ out... so here we are."
Carter suddenly turned to Helena with a grin on his face.
"And if I remember correctly, you and JJ did meet again, right?"
Helena started before looking Carter in the eye.
"How'd you-?"
"You'd be surprised what cases the BAU handles, Helena," Carter smiled nostalgically, "I never told you what happened to my mother in the end, did I?"
"No," Helena replied, "But what do that and JJ have to do with the BAU? I know she was their media liaison and is currently a damn good profiler in her own right, however unofficial the latter might've been for her back in the day, but that aside..."
"Well, despite the annulment my mother still had dad and I down as emergency contacts - guess she never changed the info," Carter's lips twitched in a wry grin, "so when LEOs in Illinois found a dead body, killed by a sniper, with those same emergency contacts and outdated contact information eight years ago, the BAU Alpha Team became involved and tracked us down. While her tech analyst teammate Penelope Garcia was the one who did the searching, JJ herself was the one who contacted us - for old times' sake."
Helena and Leon both grimaced as Carter sighed in obvious annoyance.
"I'm guessing the body really was your mother," the ex-RPD officer deduced, "What happened to her?"
"She was one of 11 casualties... of a Long-Distance Serial Killer: Phillip Dowd." Carter explained, "A sniper-turned-ER nurse, wounding people so he could get high on the thrill of saving them. The team's Unit Chief, Aaron Hotchner, and JJ's boyfriend-turned-husband, Spencer Reid - another Alpha Team profiler - were trapped in the ER, with a group of hostages held by that killer... dad and I among them."
"You didn't fight back?" Leon asked.
"Dowd had an assault rifle set to full-auto; I had no official firearms training at the time and thus no weapon of my own, dad had taken damage to his arm and shoulder that hurt like hell and had to be put in plaster and a sling so it'd heal properly; that was the only reason we were caught in that mess. We were both at a major disadvantage, and even if we hadn't been... we could both tell Agent Hotchner had a plan," Carter smiled wryly, "They don't let dummies reach high military rank, after all, or let them on government staff."
"When Hotch moved the hostages out of Dowd's line of fire," the younger agent continued, "it was obvious to dad and I that he and Reid were going to use some sort of weapon to take him down. We made a rudimentary plan on the fly in case their weapon failed; basically rush Dowd and shield the hostages with ourselves... but it turned out to be unnecessary."
"They beat him?" Leon asked.
"Textbook bait and switch," Carter chuckled, "Agent Hotchner gained a rapport with Dowd and played him like a fool's violin, letting Reid stealthily take the Baby Glock on his leg - and Reid did what he had to do to ensure the plan succeeded. All the while, dad and I were prepared to back them up, or even just block any stray gunfire with ourselves... and as thanks, we got a gift afterwards."
"Hotchner's Baby Glock?" Helena raised an eyebrow, "The one on your leg right now?"
Carter nodded, "Before we all left Illinois, I tried to give it back - but he gave me the ankle holster instead, and some advice."
"What'd he say?" Helena asked. Carter smiled faintly.
"Put bluntly, he told me to keep the gun. Being underage at the time, dad kept it safe until I was ready. When I got my civilian firearms certifications, the gun, untouched between the LDSK case and that day save for maintenance, came to me as it was always meant to - and when I joined the FBI years later, and especially when I aced my first firearms qualifications after joining the BAU with that same gun, big brother Derek Morgan had a shit-eating grin on his face and a 'we told you so' speech all lined up."
"And JJ remembered about me when you mentioned my name to her, right?" Helena smiled faintly, "I wondered why I was suddenly getting emails from her again awhile back."
"You can blame that," Carter chuckled, "on Penelope. She looked you up at the same time as us, as a favor to JJ - who only got the information after the fact, and has regretted pushing you away for years, Helena."
"I know," Helena retorted calmly, "I was twelve, Carter, and grieving over losing my best girl friend bar Deborah to something we couldn't fight."
Carter nodded, and picked up the thread of the story again.
"When the case was over, before the BAU went back to Quantico and dad and I went on to our next adventure, JJ and Reid met up with us for a chat - which turned out to be the first official meeting between dad and I, and 95% of the single strongest family I've ever seen..."
(Des Plaines, Illinois, November 2005)
"Captain Myers! Carter!"
Frank turned as he heard the media liaison (JJ, he recalled) calling him and his son; JJ's boyfriend - at least Frank hoped he was her boyfriend, with how obviously strong their bond was! - at her side.
Beside Frank, Carter turned as well; 16, lean, and fit... and with a scowl on his face for an instant, before he forced a kind smile in its place. For a whole host of reasons, he despised media-related personnel... but JJ was an old friend.
In Carter's eyes, the former East Allegheny soccer star was right up there with Deborah and Helena; the young survivalist could never despise them, no matter what.
"Agent Jareau - sorry, I mean JJ," Frank replied as an eyebrow rose on JJ's face and steel flashed through her eyes; she'd warned the Myers men to call her JJ once again, just like when they were younger, "I thought the case was closed now?"
"It is, Captain," JJ replied, "But I wanted to confirm something. You were both ready to back up Hotch and Reid in there? You've got an arm in plaster and a sling, sir - and no offense, Carter, but as tough as you are; as tough as you were when we were kids... you don't look like you can go toe-to-toe with ex-military."
"Don't let the lean frame - or the plaster and sling - fool you, old friend," Carter chuckled, "Dad's US Marine Corps, you know that; he can fight with no gear and stranded in the goddamn desert. He and Helena Harper both underestimated me at first; that's how I kept winning every spar I've ever had with them... at least at first. Our plan back there, given the lack of weapons, dad's arm, and your teammates' presence basically entailed rushing the bastard when his guard was down, and keeping the other hostages safe... at any cost. Even our lives if necessary."
JJ nodded.
"You know Helena?" the blonde media liaison asked, grimacing as regret flooded her body language, memories of her childhood best friend flaring up in her mind, "She and I were good friends... we lost track of each other around the time I met you and Wes."
"I knew her once; she's my best friend's older sister. Actually, that was one of my first fights with Deborah; that I'd leave her and Helena... like you did," Carter replied coolly, causing JJ to wince, "The both of them were pissed, but they understood, in the end, why you did what you did. You were grieving; it's something they and I get, believe me. I bet they'd love to hear from you - wherever they are."
"They moved again," Frank interjected softly as Carter's jaw clicked shut and his body language suddenly shifted from warm and chatty to cold and stoic, "almost four years ago. We haven't heard from them in half that time."
"I miss those two every day," Carter rumbled stonily, "I'm not just training with dad for myself - I'm doing it for them. To back them up when I see them again."
"'Back them up'?" Reid echoed, "Not 'keep them safe'?"
Carter's body language shifted back to warm and chatty as he barked out a laugh at the askance look Reid got from JJ. Frank bit back a laugh of his own as well.
"Doctor Reid," Carter scolded amusedly, "You should know better than to subscribe to such chauvinistic thoughts; your girlfriend has a badge and gun, dammit. Helena and Deborah Harper are not the kind of girls you keep safe. They are not shrinking violets; they can hold their own in life very, very well... and I bet they and your girl are all equally deadly when angry."
"Point taken," Reid shuddered semi-dramatically, his eidetic memory recalling how, during his recent lessons on football, JJ used some very... creative language. Reid also recalled the mental note he made to never, ever seriously piss her off - and then noticed a playful smirk ghosting over JJ's lips out of the corner of his eye, and the Myers men chuckling softly ahead of them.
"Lost in thought, doc?" Carter teased, "Your girl must be treating you really well - that or she's really scary."
JJ started at the second relationship reference in five minutes, throwing a sharp glance at the younger Myers male - Reid, on the other hand, blushed fit to make a tomato jealous.
"How'd you-?"
"I'm no full-time profiler - not yet," Carter grinned, "But I do know you, JJ, and I also know how to read people - very well, in fact. You two have a bond of solidarity, of love the likes of which I've only ever seen once before. It's inspiring."
"Reading people and his surroundings is a trick he picked up from this old jarhead," Frank smiled, "We won't say anything, JJ - you just get back in contact with the Harper sisters. I'm sure the same means you used to find us will help you find them."
JJ nodded, before a thought came to mind.
"Don't you want to get back in contact with them too?"
"More than almost anything," Carter replied, "But dad and I have survival training to finish first... I know they're tough, but this training is intense even for us - I won't bring them into it too."
"The shoulder's from a screw-up while training at Willow Haven Outdoor Survival School," Frank grimaced, "I messed up climbing a tree, of all things; made a bad landing after trying to flip onto my feet. It was repaired through first aid and then damaged again by an incident during our break here - hence the sling."
JJ cringed, remembering some bad landings she'd taken in her soccer career as a teenager; particularly from practicing bicycle kicks... those falls hurt.
"Well, we've got some business to take care of - and then we'll all be heading home," JJ explained, nodding to Reid - who pulled out what Carter recognized as a Glock 26.
"Doc, what-?" the young survivalist choked on his own words, "Is that-?"
"The gun Hotch gave me, that I used in the hospital, yeah," Reid nodded, "He told me to keep it, but... I think it'll be better in the hands of someone who'll actually train to use it well. Someone like you."
"You're trusting me with FBI gear?" Carter asked skeptically, "Why?"
"Call it a hunch," JJ smiled, "Since you're friends with Helena, you know she plans to work for the government - maybe even with the FBI?"
"Of course," Carter nodded, "It's all she talked about after her father was KIA. I might end up following her, sooner or later."
"In which case you'll need the Glock," Reid replied, double-checking the safety of the gun in question to confirm it was active, "Statistically, over 70 percent of the U.S. government's forces use some sort of Glock as a primary or secondary sidearm; practicing with the Glock 26 will only help your training and eventual application to the FBI Academy."
As Reid held out the handgun - unblemished besides one missing bullet in the clip - Carter reached his hand out... and hesitated.
"And if I don't go into government work?"
"Then you have something to remember, forever, the day you met the BAU," JJ's smile widened, "The day you and an old friend from East Allegheny crossed paths once again."
"The day I started the path to reconnecting with the best friends a lonely inner-city black kid ever had?" Carter grinned back, "Reforming our Quad-Core?"
"Exactly," JJ replied, "Hopefully it won't take one of us overworking for all four of us to meet again, but for now... this is yours, one way or another."
At JJ's nod, a gleam flashed through Carter's eyes... and he nodded to Reid, who placed the Baby Glock in his hand.
As his son expertly twirled the handgun, Frank smiled and then looked to JJ - before noticing the rest of the BAU team walking up behind her and Reid.
"Thank you, Agents," the USMC Captain's smile widened as he looked over what was clearly, even then, a close-knit team... a family, every bit as much as his lost Marine unit had been, "All of you. You've put an end to another serial killer, avenged the death of my wife where I could not... and given my son and I hope for humanity again."
"It's what we do, sir," the dark-skinned Agent Derek Morgan replied.
"Because nobody else can, right?" Carter grinned at the man who, appearance and all, could've passed for his older brother - before scanning through the group and (through his ID, visible on the breast of his black suit) finding Unit Chief Hotchner.
"Look, Agent Hotchner..." Carter cleared his throat, "As appreciative as I am that your teammate's trusting me with your gun, I can't accept this. It's Bureau gear, your gear - and I'm not an agent or even on your team."
"Not yet," Hotchner deadpanned, a smile ghosting over his face, "But if you want to be, you can be - when you're a little older, a little more experienced, and you get through the Academy."
"You have the skills to be an incredible agent, Carter," Jason Gideon, the team's Senior Supervisory Special Agent replied from next to Hotchner, "And an even better profiler. Not everyone treats the FBI with respect... not everyone remembers we're only human. More to the point, no normal 16-year-old is ready to give his life to save the innocent - but you do treat us with respect, you do remember we're only human, and even while clearly scared you were prepared to back us up in every way possible. For that, we owe you."
"I'll keep that in mind, Agent Gideon," Carter smiled after reading the senior agent's ID, "But I still can't accept this. Dad and I were just doing what anyone else with our skills would've done."
"That's very noble of you to say, Carter, but you know that's not true; many with your skills would just take care of themselves," Agent Hotchner replied, "Besides, like Jason said, we owe you - and you need that Glock more than Reid or I do. You're in training to survive - to even carry a weapon - and you'll need every edge you can get to finish that training."
"And what you need, Agent Hotchner," Frank chuckled, "is new shoelaces - your old ones took a beating back there; they're horribly untied."
"Thank you, Captain," Hotch smiled faintly as he kneeled down to retie his shoelaces... and pull a surprise for the fledgling survivalist from underneath his slacks.
"You'll need this as well, Carter," Hotch explained, holding up the ankle holster he'd just unstrapped from his lower leg, "It goes with the gun."
"You're sure this is alright?" Carter asked one last time, taking the ankle holster in hand and sheathing the gun in it.
"Hotch and I will talk to the Director first thing after our return to Quantico," Gideon replied, "We'll let him know that a promising young survivalist and future FBI applicant we encountered during a case is in possession of a BAU-issue weapon, with our blessings. He'll put together permits for you and your father; Garcia and JJ will ensure you get them. All you two have to do is sign the papers and send them back to us."
"You'd do that?" Carter gaped, "For us?"
"For one hell of a Marine? For his son?" Morgan grinned, "For a couple of good friends? You're damn right we will."
"When Garcia tracked you two down she also looked up your father's military history," Agent Elle Greenaway explained from beside Agent Morgan, "Through that we found reports from daily physicals, a series of files about various missions he's been on... you've been a soldier a long time, haven't you Captain?"
"Ever since I was Carter's age; that was... back in '78 that I first signed on," Frank smiled, "That's how I met Sierra; she was a nurse and a Lance Corporal in the first unit I was in after I turned 18. We dated in secret after our first mission together - at least, until the higher-ups found out. Thankfully - miraculously, really - they didn't split us up after that; we were the same rank at the time, took promotion at the same pace... we were partners. Whenever the USMC was called into battle after we hit Master Sergeant, we both lead our squad together... it was an interesting arrangement, but it worked until she was honorably discharged."
Carter chuckled as his father told the same old story to the seasoned FBI Agents; how Frank Myers, a poor, hard-working soldier with little to lose and everything to gain, had signed on to the USMC at age 16, faking his real age to do so... and two years later, met a young, feisty, dark-haired Lance Corporal Sierra Hamilton, and eventually married her, giving birth to Carter in '89 after Sierra was honorably discharged from the USMC. JJ, Reid, and Morgan had looks of nostalgia on their faces as the story continued, knowing that - for the most part - however unconfirmed (in Morgan's case), however long it took (JJ and Reid), their stories paralleled the one being told in many ways.
The Agents and the young survivalist also realized how cathartic the experience was for the grizzled soldier; as he told the story, the lines in his face seemed to disappear, and the light - dim, but never extinguished - returned to his eyes in full as he recalled the fiery, vibrant, active woman he married... the same woman who, through their son, still remained in his life.
"You loved her a great deal," JJ noticed, "It's written all over your face."
"I did... the human part of me always will, and the soldier within me will miss having her at my side in battle." Frank replied, "We were partners in every possible way... but ever since she started changing, ever since we divorced and she vanished seven years ago, I knew this day would come. Carter and I, we've had plenty of time to prepare... and while one can never fully prepare for something like this, we'll grieve in full when we get home."
"Seven years ago..." Reid murmured, "Raccoon? New Hampshire?"
"How'd you-?!" Frank started, biting his tongue before he blurted out classified information - even back then, just after the Harvardville Airport outbreak, few people knew of any military involvement in the Raccoon City Incident.
"He's read the government reports; we all have - but he memorized them too, right up to the present," Gideon replied, calming the Marine to the best of his ability, "Don't worry; we won't say anything. We're under oaths of secrecy just as much as you are," Frank sagged in relief; Carter looked at the Senior SSA cautiously.
"Thank you, sir."
"Speaking on the record, take the Glock - we'll make sure you're free and clear regarding that," Hotch flashed a rare, stoic smile at the two survivalists, "Off the record... good luck, gentlemen. There'll be desks at the BAU with your names on them once you're ready - and don't forget, any friend of JJ's is a friend of ours."
"So until you get those desks at the BAU, feel free to call us," JJ threw her old friend and his father a much brighter smile, handing the two men a business card each with the BAU's contact info on the front - and each Agent's name and cell phone number on the back, "If you both ever need anything, anytime. I mean that. We'll back you up somehow come hell or high water - and you can tell Helena when you see her that I mean that too," she added to Carter, "This team won't leave you in the lurch like I left her back then... and when I get back in contact with her, I will get on bended knee and beg forgiveness if need be. You and she will have at least six good friends, who aren't leaving her life without a fight this time."
"You're giving your word, JJ?" Carter asked.
"I am," the Media Liaison replied.
"JJ never makes a promise she can't keep," Reid nodded.
"Then write down our numbers once you get them, Agents, and pass 'em on to any new teammates you get before we arrive," Carter chuckled, "Because I'd say you've gained a couple good friends yourselves."
This time, the grin that was sent JJ's way was true, genuine; full of fire and life - and with that true grin sent her way, the Media Liaison knew the BAU family-to-come had, however distantly and (for the moment) unofficially, gained two more members.
That only one would survive long enough to officially join the team would be a very bitter blow.
"Couldn't you call them for backup?" Leon asked, "They're not rescue workers anymore than we are, but..."
"Believe me," Carter interrupted with a grimace, "I thought about it. Having any one of my buddies from the Bureau - BAU A-Team, Red Cells, my buddies in Indiana, Zoe from Boston, even seeing if my good friend Ashley from the Child Trafficking Task Force is available... having any of them here with us would be incredible backup, Leon, but at this point it's unrealistic. We could contact any one of them, yes - even Ashley - but even with the Bureau's fastest transport there's no way to get any of them here for backup before the area gets razed to the ground. You know it'll happen; that's how Raccoon ended up."
"Damn," Helena sighed.
"Yeah," Leon scowled briefly, "But we can get to them after we find Deborah and get out of here, right?"
"Of course," Carter nodded, "At the very least I can contact the BAU, let the team know we're all alive and safe."
"They knew you were coming to Tall Oaks?" Helena asked.
"They knew we both were, Helena, thanks to Garcia." Carter confirmed, "When we get Deborah and get out of here, I'll call them - and you and Deborah are gonna be with me when I do."
"JJ?" Helena breathed in surprise.
"Yup," Carter grinned, "JJ and Chief Gideon will be the first two I'll call; I need to check in with him, she'll tell the team what they need to know, and between the both of them and the Director - who I'll have to check in with as well once we're outta here - they'll get the clearance to send the BAU Alpha Team where they need to go so they can help us. Granted, we can't take everyone - but a few of them including JJ can fight just as strong as we can; we'd be fools not to bring at least one of them along."
"Be sure to tell them to come armed - they'll need a lot of ammo." Leon advised. Carter nodded, and the trio pressed on through the prison cells and the labs that followed, killing zombies and monsters as they went. However, unknown to the Agents, their greatest challenge in Tall Oaks was just ahead.
Deborah Harper was waiting - and as that realization sunk in, Helena and Carter's eyes hardened. Deborah, Helena and Carter had let each other down too many times over the years, hurting each other, friends and family along the way... but as long as the people she loved still breathed, Deborah wouldn't become a casualty of the C-Virus without a fight.
They wouldn't allow it.
After navigating through the prison cells and the maze of rooms and offices that followed, the trio entered a lab. Finding a videotape of something called "Project Ada" noticeably threw Leon, causing him to glare at Helena as the video ended.
"Is this what you wanted to show us?" Leon growled.
"No!" Helena retorted, "I thought..."
"That Deborah would be here?" Carter finished softly. Helena nodded wordlessly.
Turning away from the screen, now full of static, and examining the Chrysalides within the pods nearby, Carter scowled.
"She's nearby; I can feel it... we've just gotta keep our heads, and keep looking." the younger Agent mused softly before looking at Leon.
"So that woman, or whatever - you know her?" Helena asked Leon.
"Kinda, yeah..." Leon answered absently as he typed codes into a nearby console. Code 201 unlocked and opened a nearby door that had barred the trio's path.
"I don't know if that was Ada in the video..." Carter mused as the group moved on, battling through a series of puzzles made easier with Carter's presence, "Dad met her in Raccoon too - during his escape from that nightmare - and several times during his military missions. In all those encounters she didn't look like she came out of a Chrysalid; on the contrary, she looked as human as any of us. Her eyes were different from in the video too... Ada's eyes were stoic, yes, but they had a kind of warmth to them. Whoever that was in the video... her eyes were ice-cold, like she'd do anything or kill anyone to achieve her goals."
"We'll worry about that later," Leon retorted as the group finished the puzzles, meeting at the entrance to some sort of jump chute minutes later as they fought off a horde of zombies, "Right now you have an old friend to introduce me to, remember?"
Carter nodded as steel flashed through his and Helena's eyes.
"Let's move!"
And so the three jumped down the chute, one by one, Carter moving last as he gave the other Agents covering fire. After jumping down the chute himself, Carter landed in an underground passage next to the two other Agents.
"Catacombs," he groaned, "Great. Can't the bad guys be more creative?"
"I hear that," Leon grimaced, "So Helena - why can't you fill us in yet?"
"Because you probably wouldn't believe me," Helena admitted, "That's why I want to show you. And when I do, you'll have all the answers and proof you need."
Carter frowned; something sounded... off, about that answer. However, he remained silent as the trio pressed forward; it wasn't the time to beat that dead horse.
"So back at that lab... that tape..."
"With your friend on it?" Helena asked, "What's the story on her anyway?"
"She met Claire and I in Raccoon," Leon revealed, "Probably around the same time Frank and his team hit the Dead Factory. She saved our lives several times - particularly against the Tyrant sent for us."
"There's more to the story, though," Helena pressed, "Isn't there?"
"If you want full disclosure, Helena," Leon retorted calmly, "you should supply it yourself."
"You're right," Helena conceded, "That's only fair, I guess."
A little further in, the trio found a gate, behind which lay a curvy, beautiful brown-haired young woman in a well-worn blue dress; she was sitting cross-legged in what appeared to be a meditative trance. Carter's eyes narrowed; there was something familiar about the woman... and the trance she was in.
"Meditation... that's my self-control trick, and I only taught it to a single person..." Carter muttered, the nagging familiarity giving him déjà vu, "Helena, is that-?"
"Deborah!" Helena cried upon seeing the other woman, confirming her friend's theory, "C'mon - let's break this gate down!"
And so they did, Carter and Helena moving in an eerie synchronization afterwards as they jumped a gap side-by-side, crossing a small bridge after that to reach Helena's sister... the heart of their group.
After twelve years apart, the quad-core was now three-quarters complete.
Hearing a familiar voice call her name shook Deborah out of her trance, causing her to slowly open her eyes... and the first people she saw made her smile, albeit very tiredly, especially as she realized she was being held by a muscular young man who, for all his changes, still gave her the same feelings of warmth, safety and security as when they were meddling kids.
"Helena?" the younger Harper sister breathed, looking into her sister's brown, near-hazel eyes - eyes identical to her own.
"Thank goodness!" Helena smiled in relief, holding back tears.
"Carter?" Deborah blinked owlishly, turning to look at a face that for the most part remained unchanged over twelve years away from her. Despite the stronger jaw line, the evidence of a recent shave, the close-cropped military-style buzz cut and the more muscular form, Deborah still recognized her childhood best friend... her beloved Carter Myers.
His eyes were still the color of dark chocolate, and despite all his training they were as expressive as ever.
"You're alive," Carter breathed, his voice low and husky as a lump formed in his throat, "Deborah, I can't believe it... you're alive! I almost gave up hope we'd ever find each other again, especially when Helena said you were down here!"
"I fought as hard as I could, Carter; here and everywhere else I've been... for you," Deborah replied softly, looking between her childhood crush and her big sister as her arms went around Carter's neck, "Both of you. But Simmons, his guards... they still beat me."
"As long as you're still alive and they didn't... violate you," Helena smiled faintly, "It's okay."
"Even my fighting technique isn't invincible, Deborah," Carter added, "As long as you're alive and fighting, we'll get you out of here and find a way to fix the rest. Did they give you anything - needles, drugs, anything at all?"
Deborah nodded silently; Carter bit back a curse.
"They didn't sedate me, rape me or anything like that... but they did give me one injection. C-Virus, they called it; I've been fighting it off," Deborah revealed, "using the meditative tricks you taught me... it's caused the zombies to leave me alone. Where's your dad?"
Carter sighed, "Dad's KIA, Debbie. He was with the President; we were meeting at Ivy University for a conference, but the conference was attacked... both of them were infected with the gaseous form of the same crap Simmons' goons gave you - but neither of them could fight it off in time."
Deborah grimaced.
"Damn... I'm so sorry, Carter."
"He went out doing his duty," Carter replied softly, "That's how he wanted it. And he wanted me to find you too; wanted us to finish the job we started as kids."
"Taking care of each other?" Deborah smiled tiredly, lowering her arms, "It'd be my honor, Carter... but the C-Virus is sapping all my strength. For the moment, I can't walk with you."
"Then I'll carry you out," Helena offered.
"And I'll cover you both," Carter replied forcefully, his eyes shining with confidence, "Even if zombies do avoid you, there's no guarantee everything else here is affected like that - and we've still got to get you a vaccine. We're not leaving you here, Deborah; I'm not losing you again!"
"Thank you... both of you."
As Helena picked her up, carrying her piggyback-style, Deborah's smile was as full as she could make it under the circumstances.
"Anytime. Get your zone back, old friend," Carter replied, "Fight this bug like you fought pneumonia when we were kids, and you'll be just fine."
"Who's the other guy?" Deborah asked tiredly as her eyes went half-lidded, causing Carter to smile sheepishly as he realized his rudeness.
"Our partner here is Special Agent Leon S. Kennedy, of the Department of Security Operations," Carter introduced the older agent to his once-lost love, "Leon, Deborah Harper - the reason for Helena's actions, and why I'm here with you."
"The famous Deborah Harper," Leon smiled faintly, "It's an honor to meet you."
"Likewise," Deborah replied tiredly, her focus ever-increasing on fighting the virus.
"Let's get her out of here," Helena interjected, "Then I'll tell you everything - I promise."
Leon nodded; he and Carter both took out dual handguns as the trio-turned-quartet moved forward.
However, Carter was the only one who noticed Deborah stealthily (if tiredly) slip a note into Helena's shirt as they moved; an action that left him deeply concerned even as the catacombs began to fall apart.
"Dammit..." Leon rumbled, "The ceiling's caving in!"
"Hang in there, sis!" Helena encouraged, "We're getting you out of here!"
"We didn't find each other after twelve years for you to die now; hell, we've still gotta get out of here and call JJ," Carter smiled even as Deborah turned her head to look him in the eye and smile back, "Fight that virus, Deborah! I'm so proud of you... you're so strong; you always have been! Use that strength now!"
"We're gonna get you home, Deborah," Helena finished, "Don't give up!"
As the foursome moved through the catacombs, Leon and Carter fighting off zombies en route, a squawk of static went off in the Agents' comlinks.
"Leon, Helena, Carter - where are you!?" Hunnigan asked, "I can't pinpoint your position at all!"
"Carter here, Hunnigan. We're under Tall Oaks Cathedral; found some sort of lab attached to the church, and some really old catacombs attached to the lab," Carter responded, "We've found a survivor too - Helena's sister, Deborah."
"What?" Hunnigan asked, shocked that any civilian could survive that nightmare, "What the hell is going on down-"
Static cut off the rest of her reply.
"Hunnigan, come in!" Leon barked, "Ah, dammit!"
"The rocks must be scrambling our signal," Carter mused as the group kept moving, the men rotating between covering the group and pushing barricades out of the way, "Let's keep going - maybe we'll pick her up again."
Suddenly, as the group reached what looked to be some sort of ancient arena, Deborah let out a low groan; her teeth clenching as she fought off a doozy of a headache.
"Deborah?" Carter asked, "You ok?"
"Headache..." the younger Harper grimaced, "Bad one..."
"Hang in there, Deborah!" the FBI Agent encouraged, "You've never let a mere headache stop you before!"
"You're right... don't worry, Carter - 'm not gonna stop fighting..." Deborah replied, smiling tightly through the pain as she regained control over it. Suddenly, a crossbow bolt flew seemingly out of nowhere... targeting the Harper sisters. Moving as fast as he could, Carter stood in front of them, facing the sisters as he took the bolt instead... right in the backpack, causing the bolt to crush itself against some seemingly indestructible alloy with a loud crunch. Despite the block, Carter still grimaced as pain shot through his shoulders from the impact.
"C-Carter!" Deborah gasped in surprise as Leon turned towards the direction the bolt had come from, raising his guns as he scanned for targets. Carter, meanwhile, unclipped the pack to check for damage... and reduce the strain on his now sore shoulders.
"I'm ok, love," Carter smiled up at his childhood beloved, "This pack's reinforced with a lot of tough metals and supplies, courtesy of the FBI and my dad."
"You got in, huh?" Deborah flashed her old flame a grin, "I knew you would."
"Special Agent Carter Myers of the FBI, at your service," Carter's smile turned into a grin of his own, "Did I mention that I'm working with the same team that avenged my mother?"
"You're in the BAU?" Deborah smiled tiredly, "Nicely done... I'll have to give your teammates a proper hello when we're out."
"That's my girl," Carter chuckled, discarding the only item that had been damaged by the crossbow bolt - one of multiple portable repair kits on the pack's back end, a kit which the bolt had pierced clean through before crunching against the backpack's steel-reinforced frame - before re-strapping the pack onto his shoulders and turning with both his Sig Sauer handguns raised.
"Now, who took that shot?"
"Ada!" Leon gasped as a dark-haired woman in an open-collared red jacket, black cargo pants and heeled boots appeared from the shadows. Carter's eyes narrowed as he recognized the brunette from old combat footage of his father's.
"Ada Wong," Carter grunted, "So you're the one who helped my dad out of Raccoon City."
"You both look like you've seen a ghost," Ada replied wryly, "How is Frank these days, Carter?"
"Dead," Carter replied flatly, "Because of whatever this Simmons guy Deborah mentioned had a hand in. Speaking of which, give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right here for trying to shoot my girlfriend! What in blazes was that for - and what the hell is going on here!?"
"Your 'girlfriend' is infected with the C-Virus," Ada replied, "Beyond that," she turned to Leon, "It's complicated."
"Always is with you spy types," Carter grumbled, lowering and holstering one gun as Leon followed suit, "We're trying to get her out of here - to save her! Absent the virus exhausting her energy, Deborah's holding it off just fine!"
"But there's no C-Virus vaccine!" Ada retorted calmly.
"Not yet," Carter replied, "But there's more than one way to fight a virus; we've got a method to buy time until a vaccine is created. We're going to get her out of here and use it - and Helena and I will not rest until a vaccine is found and given to Deborah."
"For now," Deborah grimaced, her grip on her sister's shoulders tightening as a headache flared up again, "I've got to be put on ice... it's the only way."
"Maybe," Ada conceded as the ceiling shook once more, "But this isn't the time or the place for plans - these walkways, this 'arena', they won't hold. We need to get to the lower levels."
"Let's get moving, then." Carter grunted, "Deborah? Can you stand?"
The stumble into Carter's side when the younger Harper tried to stand served as an answer unto itself. Ada's uncharacteristic offer to carry Deborah down was even more surprising.
"I owe your father a great debt," Ada explained upon noticing Carter's wary expression while he searched her eyes, "He was one of a handful who helped me escape Raccoon... just as much as I helped him. Since I couldn't save his life from this, I'm helping to save yours - and your girlfriends'."
"I understand," Carter nodded, ignoring the verbal tense mix-up, "Thank you, Ada."
After the group got to the lower levels, Helena told her story... and ended with a similar promise as she had made in another lifetime.
"Simmons and his goons harmed my sister - they weren't supposed to do that; they gave their word! I'm gonna make him pay for this...!"
"We both will," Carter nodded, his expression cold and body language filled with rage, at Simmons and Helena both... until he looked to Deborah, and his expression softened.
'I love you, Deborah... always.'
"Why the hell would Simmons do all this?" Leon asked.
"Long story,"Ada replied shortly, as her comlink rang.
"We're up against the people who really run this country," the spy explained, "in a very dangerous game; and if you don't play your hand right..."
Firing her hookshot, Ada vanished once again - leaving Leon stymied momentarily before he reached for his ringing comlink and got the surprise of his life.
"Did I hear my name?" a refined voice asked silkily over the comms after a few seconds of conversation, during which Leon managed to warn Hunnigan to exercise caution. Standing to flank Leon, the Agents observed Chief Security Advisor Derek C. Simmons step into range of the communication system's camera.
Behind Leon's back, out of range of the cameras on his phone, Carter and Helena gripped hands tightly as Deborah looked on from in front of the trio, also out of range of the comlink as she leaned on a nearby post. Tired as she was, she could still read Helena and Carter like a book... and what she found wasn't good.
"Agent Kennedy, Agent Myers," Simmons leaned down into the camera's full range, "The President spoke highly of you both."
"Likewise," Leon replied, "He told me you two and Captain Myers had been friends for 30 years."
"Or acquaintances, at least. Dad didn't speak of you much before Raccoon City, but he always had a... colorful description of you, sir." Carter chuckled, recalling the choice words his father had used to describe Derek Simmons over the years. A smile ghosted over the National Security Advisor's face for an instant before he continued.
"Tell me," Simmons asked, "Is it true you three were the only ones present at the time of their deaths?"
A twitch in Carter's jaw muscles as his smile collapsed was the only reaction exercised, before Leon beat him to asking a very important question.
"What are you saying?"
"Well, you must be aware that the three of you are suspects in this attack?" Simmons asked in turn. Carter scowled, and gripped Helena's hand even tighter.
"What!?" Helena growled.
"Agent Harper," Simmons explained, "At the time of the attack you had abandoned your post, leaving the President vulnerable. And you, Agent Myers, were late to your post for reasons unknown. You must admit such behavior is... suspicious."
"You son of a bitch!" Helena retorted heatedly before Carter could stop her, "You're the one who planned all this!"
"With what evidence could you base such an outrageous accusation?" Simmons shot back, "I am the National Security Advisor. It's my job to prevent terrorist attacks... not cause them."
"YOU LIAR!"
"Helena!" Carter growled, glaring at his old friend - who he'd never seen in such a state. Fiery dark eyes glared back for a moment before Helena realized just who she was glaring at, and looked away as Carter focused once more on Simmons.
All the while, Helena and Carter's hands remained linked in a white-knuckle grip.
"We have testimony from a survivor of the attack on Tall Oaks, found at Tall Oaks Cathedral," Carter replied stoically, "She mentioned you by name; said you injected her with something called C-Virus."
"If you all feel so strongly about your innocence," Simmons replied, completely ignoring Carter's response, "You should have no problem turning yourselves in."
With that, the comms were silent.
"Well," Carter grimaced, "Looks like we're Public Enemy #1. Great."
"I'm gonna make him pay!" Helena snarled.
"We all will," Carter nodded, "But first we've gotta get Deborah out of here... gonna be tough to help her without government resources."
"Can we count on the BAU?" Leon asked, "Because if not... looks like things just went from bad to worse."
"We can count on my friends, yes," Carter nodded, "They've bent rules for teammates before; Director Fickler's influence is... massive, in that sense, and Gideon, Hotch and Rossi are no slouches either. But getting out of the city to do it won't be easy."
"I can... fight off the virus as long as you need me to," Deborah grimaced, stumbling into Carter's arms, "That's no problem. But it can't be forever."
"I know, Beautiful," Carter replied, holding Deborah gently as he used his old nickname for her, "We're gonna take you to my other teammates; they can put you on ice and watch over you until we finish this. We'll find a cure for you in no time - and then we can finish the plans we started as kids."
"As much as I wanna help you fight Simmons later on," Deborah replied, exhaustion continuing to lace her voice, "I understand."
"Good. Take this, Deborah; it's got water mixed with healing herbs that'll keep up your strength 'til we get you to safety," Carter smiled, handing her his hip flask and helping her clip the attached holster to a belt on her dress, "Drink it down slowly, ok? You don't wanna get sick."
Sipping from the flask, Deborah nodded and sealed it in the holster when she was finished. With a surprising (to her as much as anyone) burst of renewed strength, she took Carter's hand and stood tall.
"You're sure you don't want Helena or me to carry you?" Carter asked Deborah in concern as she tested her ability to stay balanced, releasing Carter's hand and moving into a brief kata before stopping to conserve energy. (1)
"Just keep that water coming, Carter," Deborah smiled broadly as she confirmed she could move and fight, "As long as you have more of it, I can hang on until this is over."
Later on, Deborah groaned as she held onto Carter's shoulders, the FBI Agent holding onto a large piece of debris; to his annoyance, his treasured survival pack had been torn away in the water en route out of the catacombs by a shark-like B.O.W. that he would later learn was called Brzak - though thankfully anything of great value had been transferred to his battle belt and combat vest before the associated water antics had started.
The water-based healing cocktail Carter had given Deborah earlier allowed her to keep up with the Agents, using Carter's Baby Glock in combination with her own acrobatic self-defense skills to do an incredible amount of damage to the enemies they encountered, at least for a young woman only trained in the basics of firearms use. However, the water the group had later been forced to swim and slide through - to say nothing of the battles to get through the catacombs themselves - were taking their toll on the comparatively untrained young woman.
"When I said 'keep the water coming'," the younger Harper sister grumbled, wiping a stray lock of sopping wet hair out of her eyes, "That wasn't what I meant."
"I hear ya, love," Carter grimaced, "Dammit, that was a very good bag!"
"How are you able to fight off the virus so effectively?" Leon asked the younger Harper sister, "Ever since Carter gave you that flask, you've been normal again... well, human at any rate."
"I mixed some of the herbs we collected and some water purification tablets into the water that was already in the flask," Carter explained as Deborah smirked at Leon, understanding his jibe, "It won't stop the virus - nothing but a true vaccine can - but it should buy time. According to information from the BSAA, herbs helped Captain Valentine fight her infection with the T-Virus in Raccoon, at least until Carlos Olivera found her a vaccine; furthermore, a friend of mine from training was infected in Raccoon as well, with the G-Virus; she lived - herbs helped buy her time until that vaccine was found as well. Healing herbs are two for two on fighting the infection that I know of; hopefully they'll score a hat trick and do the same for Deborah now, until we can get back to Quantico."
"Will it be enough?" Helena asked, "Most of your supplies were in your survival kit."
"Half of them, yes; nothing irreplaceable, though - I transferred the valuables to my vest at the Cathedral, just in case. Besides, I have another kit," Carter replied, "It's full of the same stuff and sitting in my condo at Quantico. Unit Chief Hotchner and his wife keep an eye on the place for me, since they're still sub-leasing a condo right next door."
"I hope it's got more herbs," Deborah grimaced, channeling all the focus she could into fighting the virus, "I can't keep this up forever."
"Hang in there, Beautiful," Carter smiled faintly, turning so that as he kicked his legs he could wrap Deborah in a two-armed hug, "We're almost there."
Suddenly, a fleet of fighter jets flew over their location... heading for Tall Oaks.
"They're...!" Deborah gasped as Carter swam them both to dry land.
"Sterilizing the area," Helena grimaced as she followed the couple.
"And destroying the evidence." Leon finished.
"Prime." Carter grunted, holstering his Baby Glock and hip flask as Deborah handed them back.
"How could he?" Helena breathed. Suddenly, the Agents' comms rang.
"Thank god you're still alive," Hunnigan sighed in relief.
"Where's Simmons?" Leon growled.
"After speaking with you he left - in a hurry."
"Shit!" Carter cursed.
"Where did he go?" Helena asked.
"As he was leaving he was talking to someone on the phone; he didn't sound too happy."
"Any way to find out where he went, ma'am?" Carter added.
"Don't worry; I've got a tail on him. He's on his way to the airport right now where his private jet is preparing to leave for China."
"China?" Leon murmured.
"Why would he go there?" Carter asked.
"Take a look at these," Hunnigan replied, sending images to the Agents' phones.
"What happened?" Helena asked as she scrolled through the photos - which were gory and grotesque as ever... and set in Waiyip, China.
"Another bioterrorism attack," Hunnigan answered, "The BSAA confirmed it was the same one used in eastern Europe six months ago - called the C-Virus."
"'C-Virus?'" Leon echoed.
"That's what Simmons infected Deborah with," Carter growled, throwing a sidelong glance at his childhood beloved as she sipped from a second canteen he'd given her, containing the same cocktail as the flask she'd finished.
"We saw cocoons just like that here!" Helena realized. Looking at each other, the Agents formulated a strategy while closing their phones, reaching for their earpieces.
"We need to stop Simmons and take him into custody right away." Leon ordered.
"We have no evidence beyond Deborah Harper; her word won't be enough against the National Security Advisor," Hunnigan replied sadly, "And right now the rest of you are at the top of their list of suspects."
"SON OF A BITCH!" Carter roared.
"No..." Helena growled.
Looking over the group, Leon could only come up with a single strategy to complete their objectives: stopping Simmons and safely getting Deborah to a cryo chamber.
"Listen, Hunnigan," Leon asked somberly, "I need you to fake our deaths. All four of us - can you do that?"
"What?" Helena breathed even as Carter nodded, the FBI Agent quickly understanding Leon's strategy.
"Of course," Hunnigan replied, "But they'll figure it out eventually. What are you going to do?"
"We're going to quietly contact some old friends of Carter's; get Deborah to safety, grab some fresh clothes and supplies, maybe squeeze some rest in there too." Leon replied, "And then... we're going to China."
The senior Agent looked on at the mushroom cloud that represented the results of what he knew was Mission Code XX... the same Bacillus-Terminate operation that had wiped out Raccoon City fifteen years ago. At his side, the Harper sisters and Carter also looked on... and as a group, they made a promise.
The three Agents would make Simmons pay for what he'd done... and when she was well again, Deborah would train, hard and fast, to join her old friend in future challenges. No longer would she allow herself to be the damsel in distress - not in matters like this. Not with Carter Myers back in her life!
But for now...
"Okay, guys," Deborah looked at her sister and her best friend, "Where to? I can't go with you... not without a vaccine."
"Which we don't have," Helena replied sadly.
"Like Leon said, I've got some old friends in Quantico; my teammates at the BAU. They're gonna help us out; they've got a cryo chamber that'll buy us time until a vaccine is made." Carter replied as he typed in and dialed a number on his phone, setting it to speaker, "I just hope the boss' number is still the same; been awhile since I used it..."
"Gideon," a gruff voice on the other end of the line grunted.
"Section Chief Gideon, this is Special Agent Carter Myers," Carter replied formally.
"Carter," Gideon replied, all gruffness gone from his voice; indeed, the smile was audible, "You're okay? We heard Tall Oaks was attacked; had to fight JJ tooth and nail to keep the BAU out, especially once Jack confirmed the attack was biological... using Umbrella's old viruses."
"Good thing he did; even better you all stayed away. Tall Oaks was attacked by a bioterrorist, Chief... and you won't believe who it was once I tell you." Carter grimaced, "I don't know if insurance will cover the loss of half my gear and my SUV, but I'm glad you kept the team out of there. Tall Oaks was hit hard; 90% of the city was infected at last check... and that was before the remaining 10% started dying in the ensuing chaos."
"President Benford?"
"KIA, along with the rest of the city... and my dad. Mission Code XX was just applied minutes ago." Carter replied somberly, "Agents Harper and Kennedy barely escaped with me - and we found Deborah there too... she's alive."
"I'm glad you three survived, Carter, and that you found your friend. Equally importantly, I'm sorry about President Benford and your father; they were good men. The BAU will probably have a wake in your father's honor later on; we'll definitely be having one for Adam." Gideon replied, "For now, how can we help?"
"Deborah's been infected with the C-Virus - the bio-weapon used to attack Tall Oaks," Carter explained, "The only reason she isn't a casualty herself is because she was injected with the virus' liquid form. Her body's showing an incredible natural resistance against it and she's fighting it off even further using every immune-control trick I could teach her over the years... but it won't last forever, and the bastard who did this has framed the rest of us for his crime."
"So you need help getting Deborah to the local C.C. until a cure is found," Gideon deduced.
"Yes, sir; we also need help on another matter - one that I can't discuss over open comms," Carter replied, "Can you scramble the team; get the jet out here?"
"I'll have to talk to Jack," Gideon replied, "But it shouldn't be a problem. We can meet you in the nearest town - get you back home and then wherever you need to go."
"Sounds like a plan," Carter nodded, "Nearest airstrip's not that far south of our position; we'll head over there immediately."
"Before you go," Gideon replied, "There's someone here who wants to say hello."
"Forgive my rudeness, but make it quick, boss," Carter replied, "Every second counts here."
"We know, Carter," a familiar female voice replied over the comms. Helena and Deborah both jumped as the sound of their old friend's voice rang over Carter's phone.
"JJ?" Deborah gasped.
"Yeah, Deborah," JJ replied, "It's me. You ok?"
"I'll live, once I get a vaccine to this virus," Deborah grimaced, simultaneously holding back tears of joy, "I'm so glad to hear from you again!"
"Right back at ya, kiddo; we've got a lot of catching up to do once you're better," JJ's grin was audible, "Helena, are you there?"
"Would I be anywhere else?" Helena shot back wryly.
"On a cold day in hell," JJ laughed, "And even that probably wouldn't stop you. Listen, the team's getting ready now; Gideon's talking to the Director... I just wanted to let you all know, what I told Carter eight years ago still stands. We've got your back - no matter what. You can go to the ends of the Earth, straight into the depths of hell, anywhere, anytime; we'll be right there with you, one way or another."
"Agent Jareau, this is Agent Kennedy; have you heard anything regarding Tall Oaks through official channels?" Leon asked.
"Nothing beyond the usual, sir," JJ replied, "But an Ingrid Hunnigan contacted Section Chief Gideon right before you called... the news she had to give wasn't good."
Carter grimaced.
"That means our faked deaths have already gone through the system - and that my teammates didn't buy it, thank heavens." the younger Agent muttered to the others, "Hunnigan works fast."
"Deb, H... in case things get worse - I'm so sorry for what happened, what I did to you back in East Allegheny when we were kids," JJ added, "I was grieving, and took it out on you over and over... I should never have pushed you away."
"We understand, JJ," Helena smiled faintly, "and we forgive you."
"Heck," Deborah added, "We forgave you years ago. Then or now, we just want our sister back!"
"Well, the team's en route, so you'll have backup soon enough," JJ smiled, "See you in a bit, ok?"
"See ya soon, JJ," Carter grinned, "Thanks. And tell Jason and Jack thanks too."
"Will do... see you soon." JJ replied. The connection then went silent.
"You're on a first-name basis with your Section Chief and the FBI Director?" Leon raised an eyebrow.
"They and my Unit Chief are to me what Adam Benford was to you, Leon. And JJ's an old friend of mine - hell, she was a big sister to these two before I even knew any of them." Carter replied calmly. Leon nodded, understanding the spirit in which the comparison was drawn.
"Let's get moving," Helena nodded to the south. Leon followed the Secret Service Agent and stood at her side, with Carter and Deborah following in their wake, talking softly.
"Girlfriend, huh?" Deborah whispered in Carter's ear, referencing the group's earlier encounter with Ada. Carter smiled sheepishly, grateful that his dark skin mostly hid the blush on his face.
"I'd have asked you out when we were kids, if you hadn't moved." the FBI Agent admitted, "Wasn't really thinking about the fact I hadn't done when we crossed paths with Ada."
"I'm not complaining," Deborah replied, "Far as I've been concerned we've been together one way or another since you turned 12. Ask me again - officially - after you get that vaccine, ok?"
Smiling broadly, Carter nodded as the couple caught up with the DSO Agents - and then his inner profile took notice of Helena's rigid stance...
"You were so jealous," JJ grinned.
"I was," Helena smiled sheepishly, "First time that ever happened... I didn't know how to deal with it, so I clammed up. I buried my feelings for Carter and focused on taking down Simmons... making him pay for what he did. It was easier to do that instead of facing the fact I'd fallen in love with Carter too."
"A guy like him," JJ mused, "Good mind, confident, respectful, easy on the eyes, has a badge and gun... guys like that are rather easy for us to fall for, aren't they?"
A light giggle came from the loveseat nearby.
"Yet you had no reason to be jealous, Helena," Deborah grinned, "In the end we all got what we wanted."
Helena threw a wry look at her sister.
"Most of us, anyway."
"I'm in no hurry to find love anymore," Deborah smiled back, "Carter's still my best friend; he'll always be my best friend whether we're in love or not - and I'll meet the right guy when I'm ready. Right now you and I have a family again... which is really all I ever wanted."
"And what a family, Deborah," Helena chuckled, "18 FBI Agents from two branches of the BAU including the Director himself, four DSO Agents (if you account for Carter's freelance DSO status), connections with Interpol, the Secret Service, NCIS, the USMC and the BSAA... how did you describe Reid's situation with the government's agencies, JJ?"
"'Swimming in alphabet soup', I think it was," JJ grinned, "In a different sense, we seem to have the same trouble here."
"And yet most of those connections helped you in China, didn't they?" Deborah's smile grew to a small grin.
"They did, even if only for motivation in some cases; we wouldn't have won without them." Helena grinned back, "Wanna hear that tale too, Deborah?"
"Considering I was on ice for most of it," Deborah replied sardonically, "You'd better believe I want to hear the story."
"There's something I want to read first," JJ interjected, "May I?"
As the blonde FBI agent extended a hand towards Helena's diary, the younger agent fought the urge to pull the well-worn book away... and in the same instant, realized just what JJ wanted to read about. With that realization, Helena acquiesced and handed JJ the leather-bound book.
"Go ahead," Helena replied, "You want to know about what happened in cryo, right?"
"The only ones allowed into the cryo lab's core to put the heart of our group on ice were you, Leon, Carter, Hotch and Gideon," JJ recalled, "The rest of us were allowed as far as the nearest waiting room - and we all had to come down in two separate groups. By the time we all got there Emily was antsy as hell and wouldn't stop fiddling with her nails; before that, she and Morgan had to hold back Ashley and Zoe from barging further in themselves, and Gideon, Hotch, and the Director were clearly in agony after they came back out. They were all concerned for Carter; he's forged bonds of family with all of us, but besides Hotch he's closest to them... and to me. We all knew of his love for Deborah from the day he joined the team, and were all praying he wouldn't go nuclear over the situation."
"And you?" Helena asked.
"After Deborah hugged me and said goodbye... I was in shock," JJ admitted, "After over a decade I'd reconnected with the rest of what Carter called the Quad-Core - some of the best friends I've had in my life! - and one of them was willingly going into a state worse than death. Two of the others were seeing her off, and as much as I wanted to do the same... I couldn't. I froze."
"Kinda pissed you off afterwards, didn't it?" Deborah asked, sympathy lacing her expression.
"Yeah," JJ sighed, "It did. Especially later, when I was holding Carter as he cried; in twelve years he'd never cried... until then; it scared me. I want to read your perspective on this, Helena - so I know what happened to cause those tears."
The blonde then turned to Helena's diary, and began reading for herself from the point the BAU had picked up the three Agents and Deborah from Tall Oaks. Deborah and Helena, meanwhile, took up seats at her side, letting her know through their actions that they weren't going anywhere... that the nightmare was over for now, and they could all relax.
Carter observed his three closest female friends - his Quad-Core; one of the only reasons he had left for living the life he had - from the doorway to the kitchen.
The solidarity his friends were exercising made him smile as he went to check on the lasagna; especially as he recalled the entry in Helena's diary that the girls were reading. The solidarity that the Harper sisters were showing JJ right at that moment was the same solidarity they and the BAU had shown him in a little airport (and a big jet) just outside Tall Oaks. That batch of memories made the newly-promoted Senior Special Agent grin.
"Give it another few months, guys," Carter muttered, recalling how the Harper sisters, in an effort to not be away from their best friends any longer than necessary, had applied - and been accepted to - the FBI Academy, and had both finished training as hard (if not harder) than Carter had during his Academy days, tying with the bulk of his records, "We'll see Deborah and Helena on our team before you know it. With Blake on board now, and when Seaver and Hawkes come back, downsizing be damned - we'll be back to pre-Boston numbers before ya know it."
(1) A kata is a form of shadowboxing, used in most martial arts.