After some time for everyone to rest and recuperate, and for Chris to regain control of his emotions, everything was packed up and put away. Wesker distributed special Bags of Holding to each person, and they gathered up anything of use within the room, since they knew they wouldn't be using it again. Then they left and walked around the back of the staircase in the main hall, where the gate Wesker spoke of was located.
Here, Chris inserted the two emblems, and the gate unlocked. A low moan and scraping of chains emitted from below. "Lisa's there. It appears she is waiting for us… Chris, Jill, go on ahead and investigate. If it is her, neutralize her by any means necessary. We can't all go there, there isn't enough space. We're counting on you." Wesker ordered.
"We'll take care of her. Wait for our signal. We won't be long." Chris replied, balling his hands in fists, wisps of magic fluttering away from his closed palms. "Let's go, Jill."
Before you lies the door to your destiny.
Open it?
Chris took a breath and exhaled heavily, then pushed the gate open. Steps beyond it led downwards, slowly turning from a standard corridor into a rocky tunnel. This tunnel then led to a wooden walkway that ended at a door. Passing through the door revealed a short tunnel that ended at a ladder going down, surrounded by lit candles. Someone was below, appearing to examine a stone object in the middle of the platform beneath them. Jill climbed down first and was surprised to see that Barry was the one skulking around. He seemed to be trying to open a stone sarcophagus. His back was turned to her.
"Barry? What are you doing here? How did you get here?" Jill asked, getting his attention.
He swung around, surprised by her sudden speech. "Oh! Jill! I didn't hear you climb down here… I haven't seen you around for a while… I was worried…" He made small talk at first, but then suddenly pulled his revolver from behind him at her.
But thanks to Jill's new instincts, she quickly disarmed him with a few chops, making him drop his gun. When he tried to scramble for it, he felt a watery knife at his throat, making him slowly back off and turn towards the Deep Sea Soldier, whose eyes were glowing sea green with her hand outstretched. "Don't even think about it...!" She threatened. "Now then… Why turn your back on STARS? What are you up to?!"
Barry quickly held up his hands in a pacifying stance. "Jill, wait! Believe me, I didn't want to do it, I swear! I didn't have a choice!" He tried to explain, fearing for his life and rightly so. Jill was pissed.
"DON'T LIE TO ME! Prove that you're innocent in all this! We had comrades die and you were NEVER around!" Jill hollered now, more water knives being made as her anger grew, aiming for his body.
Barry was about to reply, but conveniently for himself, Lisa decided to show up at that exact moment, shuffling through the archway behind the coffin. She smashed the statues next to the archway and a portcullis shut behind her, sealing them in. She screeched at them and slightly changed before them, tentacle-like appendages bursting from her body. Seeing this, Barry turned back to his companion, both desperation and fear in his voice. "No time to explain! Jill, hand me my gun!"
Jill looked between Barry and Lisa and made her decision. "Don't try anything stupid and you won't die. You still have A LOT of explaining to do," She hissed and tossed his magnum to him. "Michiru!"
It's time we put her out of her misery! Michiru agreed.
However, Jill's initial hesitance gave Lisa time to close on them, and when Barry turned to fire upon the monster, she swung her chained arms at him, knocking him off the platform.
"BARRY!" Chris yelled, diving for the edge and just barely grabbing his arm in time. "I've got you! Jill, keep that bitch busy! Keep her away from us!"
"Got it! Let's go, Michiru! NEPTUNE PLANET POWER!" When Lisa went towards Chris, the sea green burst of light drove her back as Jill transformed. "Alright, Lisa… you want rest, I'll give it to you! Come over here!" She hollered to the mutated woman.
Lisa moaned at her, and screeched when Neptune attacked her. However, it didn't seem to do any damage. All she seemed to be doing was angering the mutant, even as she moved around the small space available.
"Jill, the stones! Push them off! She seems to be protecting the coffin! Unseal it!" Chris told her as he tried to pull Barry back up.
"On it!" Neptune nodded and jumped away in time as Lisa swung at her. All she had to do was keep her occupied. Grabbing her mirror, she aimed it at the first statue. "SUBMARINE… REFLECTION!" A ray of light slammed into the statue, sending it over the edge and releasing one of the chains on the sarcophagus. "Time to see what's hiding in there...! Three more! Hey, Lisa! Over here!" She then dashed the other way.
The mutant hissed and screeched as Jill attacked the stones. Unable to follow quickly enough, Lisa jumped clear over the coffin and slammed her arms onto the platform, narrowing missing Jill. She recovered quickly and swung for Jill again, almost striking her. Once more, Jill was quick on her feet and dodged the swings. Ever since she had gotten these powers, she had never felt so strong or agile in all her life. When she first met Michiru and learned the history of the Sailor Soldiers, she felt like… for once, she could truly do some good for the world, once she made it out of the mansion. She aimed her mirror once more and shot at the second statue, sending it over the edge, just in time to dodge again as Lisa tried to strike her with her new tentacles.
"Sorry, I don't swing that way!" She taunted her.
Lisa growled angrily and jumped at her, manacled arms raised upwards for an overhead smash. She missed the Sea Soldier again, but the force of her slamming down onto the ground unbalanced her, and she slipped off the platform. Now she was hanging onto the edge, with Lisa stalking towards her. Just as she was about to smash Neptune off, gunshots rang out and distracted her, as both Chris and Barry opened fire on the mutant and gave her time to pull herself up.
"Nice timing! Now then, let's finish this!" Neptune grinned as she flipped herself back up onto the platform. "Chris, get that other one and I'll get this one!" She then shot the third one off the platform, sending it down below into the darkness.
Angered, Lisa attacked and swung for her again, ignoring the bullets slamming into her back. Chris rushed forwards and shoulder tackled her, pushing her over the edge. However, Lisa managed to hang on.
"Jill, now! Get the last one!" He said, stomping on Lisa's hands and trying to force her off.
Nodding, Neptune aimed her mirror once more and shot at it, sending the last statue down and the sarcophagus lid slid open…
Lisa pulled herself up and, completely ignoring the three officers, approached the coffin. She reached in and pulled out a skull. 'Mo… ther…' Came her bellow in a deep, scratchy voice, before turning and falling off the platform into the abyss below. As Lisa fell to the darkness below, Neptune was watching her reflection in the mirror and saw a saddening sight; the little girl Lisa, now free of her blood-caked chains, cradling her mother's body in her arms as tears poured down her face. She was free… they both were.
"...what… the fuck was that...?" Chris exclaimed, sweat pouring from his brow, which he wiped off with his sleeve.
"... Lisa found her mother's tomb… and now that they are together again… they can be in peace…" Neptune whispered with her own tears streaming down her face.
Chris approached the coffin, inside was a now skulless skeleton. Wait, there was something else… a piece of an old photo. There was a woman on this piece, sat next to a child. Presumably this was Jessica and Lisa. There was a letter written on the back of it.
To my Lisa,
Day by day I can feel my consciousness drifting further away. The shots given to me by men in white clothes made some of mommy's itching go away. Today they gave me another shot saying it was "nutrition".
When they give me the shots mommy can think straight, but mommy's shocked and sad because mommy's unable to think of you all the time.
Mommy's afraid. Afraid of forgetting everything, especially the memories of you and daddy... What your faces look like, how we used to be together... They're all starting to disappear into somewhere dark in my mind.
Oh Lisa, I wish I could touch your face and hold you in my arms right now, so that I can hold on to our wonderful memories of you and daddy.
Lisa we can't stay here any longer, We have to escape!
Listen to me Lisa. Our chance to escape is the next time when we go to that lab together. We'll both pretend that we are both unconscious and when that man in white clothes is off guard that will be our chance.
When we're on the outside, let's look for daddy together. Okay sweetie? Be strong, Lisa.
Nov. 13, 1967
Jessica Trevor
"Jesus, this just gets sadder with each piece we find… how could Umbrella do this…" Chris muttered, anger building inside him again. Even Setsuna was disgusted, and it took a lot to get on her nerves.
Neptune shut her eyes, a gloved hand balling into a tight fist. Every piece of evidence that they find, she grew more and more pissed off at Umbrella. For all their talk of wanting to help people… it turned out they were nothing more than the monsters in the darkness. "Goddammit...! Those two did not deserve this!"
I have half a mind to curse Spencer for this… but I cannot do so no matter how much I desire it… the damage to the timeline could be catastrophic… Even so, I am… greatly angered by this atrocity… Setsuna stated, her thoughts laced with pure venom.
Same here… I am almost tempted to flood this cursed mansion… but we need the evidence first… Michiru chimed in.
That would be a waste of your powers. A flood would change nothing, moreover it would likely spread the virus even further. A terrible move on your part. No, this… monstrosity… must be destroyed. It cannot be allowed to exist, or others will find it, and the results could be worse. Setsuna rejected.
Sighing, Neptune turned to the others. "Alright… Lisa's gone. Let's just move on." She said, slowly reigning her emotions back in.
"Jill… about earlier… I'm really sorry. I swear to you both, I didn't want to fight you. I had no options left…" Barry began, holstering his magnum.
"What are you talking about? What do you mean you had no options?" Chris inquired.
Barry sighed. "...Umbrella directly contacted me before this mission began… or rather, Irons passed along the message. They… they have my family… I was told unless I cooperated, they would use my wife and kids as experiments… I couldn't refuse…"
"...you knew Irons was a mole...?" Chris looked surprised.
"I knew a lot of things I couldn't speak of… I couldn't risk Umbrella finding out and…" Barry trailed off, hanging his head and staring at the ground in shame.
"Fortunately for you, that is no longer a concern of yours." A voice above them echoed. Climbing down the ladder was Wesker, with everyone else stood on the platform above. "We heard the gunfire. Since it stopped, I assumed the fight was over. As for your family Barry, you don't need to worry about Umbrella. Once I got wind that they had convinced someone in STARS to turn traitor, I began running some investigations. My… contacts… discovered Umbrella was blackmailing you. I had them track down the facility where they were keeping your family and rescued them. Kathy, Moira and Polly are safe."
Barry breathed a heavy sigh of relief. He felt as if a huge weight had just been lifted from his shoulders. "...thanks, Captain… My family owes you. I owe you…" He said, wiping tears of joy from his eyes.
"Don't get too sentimental. We still have to finish this mission if you want to see them again." Wesker reminded him. "With Lisa finally gone, we can all make our way to the lab and proceed with the plan. There is a lift to the surface beyond that archway. We can only go up one at a time. It leads to a small courtyard with a fountain. The medals Chris and Jill found will unseal it, allowing us to access the lab elevator. We'll go down two by two." He informed them all, raising his voice so those above could hear. "Move out." He said, pointing at the archway.
Chris and Jill went on ahead, reaching the elevator first. Chris went up, followed by Jill, and then one by one the others followed. They all gathered outside in the fresh air, next to the fountain. Goddamn, it felt good to be out of those cursed caves… the cool, clean air had never felt so welcoming.
"Before we go down, I suggest everyone take a moment. This is likely going to be the last time any of us get to rest. We are probably going to be fighting for our lives down there, and either we succeed in the mission and escape, or we join our comrades in the embrace of the Dark Goddess…" Wesker said.
The others nodded solemnly at his words. If they died, they died together… as a team. And as a family. The three Scouts turned to one another and nodded. "Pluto… Mercury… are you ready?" Neptune asked.
"Let's do it." Rebecca nodded. "Ami?"
We fight together. Whatever we face down there, we do so as one. Ami nodded back to her. "MERCURY POWER!" In a flash of blue light, Rebecca transformed.
"I can handle whatever we might face… but for the sake of the others, I suppose I can let her shine too. PLUTO PLANET POWER!" A following flash of light saw Chris transform as well. Now the three Soldiers stood before the remaining STARS officers.
"Neptune, Mercury... we are the only ones awake, but we must perform our duties regardless. Without Moon to guide us, I will take charge. Remember our oath sisters, we fight for them." She pointed at their friends. "If anyone has to die, we will die first. No one else will fall before us, this is our promise to them. Now, let's go take care of business." Setsuna commanded.
The other two nodded back to her in response. As Neptune and Pluto went over to place the medals onto the fountain's holders, Wesker looked on with a bit of pride in his heart. Here, three of the legendary Sailor Soldiers were awake and ready to fight once more for their world. Shiala's words were coming back to echo in his mind; with the vault's opening, things were going to change in this world. And whatever was going to happen… he and the others were going to make sure it happened.
With the two medals placed, the fountain's base slid apart, pouring water into the abyss below. Steps were revealed, going down to a small elevator that looked able to hold no more than two people at a time. "This is it." Wesker said as they approached the steps. "Is everyone ready?"
"Yes, sir!" came the unified answer of the remaining STARS team, even from little Alana.
"Then the time has come… we must all play our roles. We are but pawns in Umbrella's chess game, but we will prove that even pawns can become royalty. Each of us has a part to play, a role we have been assigned as previously discussed. Now is the time that we show these miserable bastards what we are made of. We may be human, but we are strong of mind and body.
Whether we live or die tonight, they will know that men and women, good men and women, fought for what they believed in. That they fought for what was right. We will show their decrepit, old overlord that we are more than the sum of our parts. That humans hold a power of their own. A power none can take from us. The bonds we share will not be broken by the hardships we may, but instead be forged stronger by the fires of accomplishment. We will show that old bastard that while we are mortal, we are not weak.
This mansion has tested us, it has tried us, but we did not break. We did not surrender, and we will survive. We will escape this house of hell, and when we do, we will send a message to Spencer:
We know the truth. We are coming. We will not relent. We shall be ruled by no gods or masters, and certainly not by a pathetic, weaselly old man who thinks of himself as a god. We will find him, and we will prove how mortal a man he is. If he thinks himself a god, then we shall send a second message:
That before this is over, before the last one of us falls, even a god shall bleed for us, as we have bled for him."
"Well said, Captain Wesker." Pluto smiled. "Shall we?"
"Let's go, STARS! Let's bring this nightmare to an end, once and for all!" Mercury nodded fiercely.
"Let's." Neptune nodded as well.
"Time shall record our actions here. Whether this plan fails or succeeds, history will remember the attempt. We will leave a mark that will not be forgotten. Whatever happens here, in these final hours, shall shape the future as we know it." Pluto finished.
Together, they headed down the stairs and boarded the lift. Activating the switch, the lift descended slowly down. They were now headed into the heart of the Arklay Manor.
Alana whimpered a bit, feeling the familiar cold settle on her skin and clung a bit more tightly to Wesker's shoulders, having piggy backed on him since she couldn't see. Memories of those horrific days came flying back to her: memories of blood, needless cries, pleas on deaf ears. Her own body being pushed to its limits and beyond, just when she thought she couldn't take anymore… then came the bonding ceremony. She remembered the ritual room all too well…
But here, finally, in the very place it began, the nightmare was going to end.
One way or another.