And so, led by the three awakened Soldiers, the remaining members of STARS, a small army of expert combatants, entered the laboratory. This hellish nightmare began in this cursed place, but now had come the time for the curse to end. Even Pluto could not predict how this story would reach its conclusion, but she damn well could make sure that if they all failed, Umbrella was gonna pay for it in kind.
As Wesker had said, two by two they descended the elevator until everyone was gathered in the hall beside the heliport doors. "Alright everyone, remember the plan? Barry, Enrico, head to the heliport and contact Brad. Use whatever means you can to get him to land. Chris, Jill… sorry, Pluto, Neptune, you two enter the lab first. Find the security system and disable it, then the rest of us will follow."
"As you command, Wesker." Pluto nodded. "Come along, Michiru."
"Right." Neptune nodded and followed her partner down the ladder into the main entrance, using her mirror as a light to guide the way. It wasn't needed however, as the lab's lighting systems were still operational. They came upon a small reception area with a set of double doors leading in. They opened these and entered a hall that wound around a stone staircase going down. There was a passage to the left of the staircase. A few zombies littered the area.
"More undead… well, we didn't expect this to be easy. If it was, we wouldn't be needed." Setsuna commented, sparks of magic emitting from her palms.
"More flies buzzing around… let's try not to gain their attention as much as possible," Neptune nodded as she kept her mirror ready just in case they did get into a fight with them.
"Forget it. The passage is too narrow, there's no way we're sneaking past them. We'll have to put them down…"
"Then let's do this." As the zombies caught a whiff of their scent and began to shamble towards them… "SUBMARINE… REFLECTION!" She yelled, blasting some of them.
"PLUTO DEADLY SCREAM!" The blast from Pluto's Chronos Rod incinerated the rest of them in the hall, effectively clearing the way for the others to pass through without threat of them trying to ambush them.
"...may you find peace in the embrace of the Goddess…" Setsuna softly prayed, upset that this was required, but it had to be done.
"That should clear the way." Neptune then tapped into the mind link. 'Wesker, it's Neptune. The hall has been cleared of zombies. Anyone coming through, they'll have free passage.'
'I told you to disable security first. I can't risk bringing everyone in and accidentally setting off any traps Spencer may have set up. Finish your mission first, then we'll join you.' He linked back.
'We know. We had to clear out the hall first. We're going to search for the security room now.' Neptune returned the link before cutting it.
"Hmm… what do we have here..?" Michiru heard Setsuna say from further down the hall, where she had apparently wandered to while she was conversing with Wesker. Pluto had walked down the passage by the stairs, and was examining something on a desk by a double door labeled 'Visual Data Room'. As she held it up to the light, it appeared to be a floppy disk of some sort. There was a label on it that read 'Security Lock 01'.
"...aha! This is one of the MO Disks needed to unlock the security locks on the door to solitary confinement! Good, that leaves two more." Setsuna said to herself.
"Good. Let's hope we can find the other two just as easily. Then again, when have we been that lucky tonight?" Neptune muttered.
"More often than you'd like to admit, I'm sure. Without my intervention, your vessel would have died twice." Setsuna sniggered to herself, smirking at Michiru.
She rolled her eyes playfully and continued to follow Pluto, keeping an eye out for any more unwanted surprises. She hadn't spotted any Hunters down here, so they may get lucky in that regard.
The doors to the Visual Data Room were electronically locked, which they assumed was tied to the security system they needed to find. So, with nowhere else to search here, they descended the stone steps and passed through a large, iron gate. On the other side were two passages, one ahead and one to their left, which contained a zombie. It had not yet seen them. A door was on their right, but it was not marked or labeled, revealing nothing about where it led.
"Which way should we go now?" Neptune asked as she looked both ways and spotted the zombie. One quick blast of her mirror's power and the undead creature was no more.
"Let's follow the tunnel where that zombie was." Setsuna suggested, turning and floating down it, her feet hovering a few inches from the concrete floor. At the end of the tunnel, there was a door to their left and one at the far end of the right side. There was nothing else of interest here.
"I don't see anything here. Should we try one of the doors and see what's behind them?" Neptune suggested.
"Let's try this one…" Setsuna opened the door on their left. Immediately their noses were assailed by the scent of blood and formaldehyde. It wasn't overpowering, but still quite strong. From the door, they could see a medical bed, and it was drenched in blood, some of it dried. "Gross…" Pluto said, holding her gloved hand over her nose.
She moved in closer, trying to ignore the horrid scent. Also within the room was a second medical bed that was also bloody, a desk with a computer on it, a notebook someone had left with bloody splotches on it, shelves full of drugs and… organs… and a freezer, where there were bodies frozen in body bags… many of them looked like zombies, either dead or inactive. The computer interested Pluto the most, but so did the notebook. She picked it up and opened it.
"What did you find, Pluto?" Neptune asked as she saw her interest being caught.
"Look at this..."
V-ACT
Researcher's note
There is now evidence that when the host loses consciousness, the body goes into a dormant state. During this time the virus becomes active and rapidly transforms and reconstructs the basic composition of the body.
The host eventually mutated into a humanoid creature. (We call them V-ACTs).
Its speed and amazing muscular development are particularly noteworthy. After transformation, it becomes more agile and aggressive.
Already four of our researchers have died from trying to feed it, turning the place into an instant blood bath. (Ever since this tragic and barbaric accident, we have decided to call its kind "Crimson Heads")
That dangerous and precious prototype specimen can't be left there. We have to figure out a way to deal with it. Termination is definitely not an option.
We finally decided to freeze the specimen and confine the body inside the basement of the backyard cemetery.
"I bet that prototype the researcher mentioned was George Trevor… we found his corpse in that coffin." Setsuna said.
"No doubt about that. After he realized that the jig was up, George must've been next on the hit list of Spencer. And what worse way to return his 'favor' than by making him his next experiment." Neptune replied.
"Poor man… but then again, he knew what he was doing when he designed this place. It's hard to feel sorry for the man who created this hell…" Setsuna sighed, then turned to the computer. She sat down and activated it.
'Booting… loading BIOS… Umbrella Arklay Facility Security System loaded… please enter your ID credentials…
LOGIN: (empty)
PASSWORD: (empty)'
Setsuna cursed. "We don't know any researcher IDs… we'll have to find one somewhere."
"Right. Let's come back later when we have them. But… where do we even begin to look for them?" Neptune wondered.
"One of the researchers must have left something lying around before they were killed. Where to look though, I have no idea. I guess we just look around. Why don't you have a quick search while I update Wesker…"
'Wesker, we've located the terminal that controls the security, but we've hit a snag. It needs a researcher login and we haven't found one yet. This may take longer than we hoped…'
'Damn… I'd give you mine but I worked in R&D not Security, so my login wouldn't work. Hmm… one of the researchers who worked in the X-Ray Room had access. Check there to see if he left it lying around. His workspace was opposite the Secure Refueling Room on B3, in the same passage as the Triple-Lock door.' Wesker informed her.
'Understood. We'll head there next.' Setsuna replied.
"Michiru, I have an idea of where we could find a login. Come on."
"What did Wesker say?" Neptune asked as they exited the room.
Pluto proceeded to repeat everything the captain had said as they walked back down the tunnel and entered the door next to the iron gate. They found themselves in another passage, exactly as Wesker described: a door to the left, one on the right and the big, triple-lock door leading to solitary in front of them, behind an open iron gate.
Following his advice, they entered the left door first, which was as he described: a small office with a computer on a desk, a large X-Ray screen at the back and a switch on the wall. The switch assumedly controlled the screen. A few boxes of files were lying around, one containing an x-ray, and there was another lying on top of a cabinet. Two x-rays were already pinned to the screen. On the chair by the computer desk was an unsealed envelope containing a letter.
June 8th, 1998
My dearest Ada,
By the time you read this later, I will no longer be the person you once knew. The results of my test came out today, and as I suspected, it came out positive.
I feel like I am teetering on the edge of reason just thinking about my impending doom. I would give anything not to have to become one of them.
As far as I know, you are not infected. I sincerely hope things do not reach such a desperate pass, but if it has turned out that you are now the last person remaining alive. I want you to get the material from the Visual Data Room.
Then, active the Self - Destruct System in the Power Room, and escape from here. Please do everything in your power to make this whole accident public.
If everything is still running normally, you should be able to release all the locks using the Security System.
I have set up the terminal in the small security room so that you can log in to the system using my name and your name as the password.
You will need another password to release the lock of the door in Basement Level Two where the Visual Data Room is located.
As a safety measure I have coded that password into an x-ray picture; a roentgenogram. I know you, and I'm sure you will be able to work it out without any trouble.
There is just one more thing... and it is my last request. I hope you never have to lay eyes on me in this state, but if you do happen to run into me in my hideous form. I beg you to put me out of my misery. I hope you understand.
Thank you, Ada.
Yours truly,
John
"...John… Ada… login ID and password?" Setsuna stated. "...Michiru? Are you alright? You've gone quiet all of a sudden…"
'I'm just thinking, could this be the two that we need to unlock the security?" Neptune asked.
"Well, the letter says so, so I-... ugh..!"
Just before Pluto could answer, she clutched her head in pain as she was suddenly hit with another vision…
Raccoon was burning around her. There was, however, an eerie silence surrounding the ruined city. As she looked to the sky… there was someone hovering there… a woman in a purple and white uniform like their own. She had a glaive in her right hand, purple eyes looking down upon the silent city, black hair flowing around her in the wind. She radiated with a violet aura, but it felt… threatening. Menacing.
"... Umbrella… has brought ruin to this city. Therefore… I must cleanse it of the taint that still permeates this hell on Earth. Spencer… I condemn you and your legacy… to TOTAL ANNIHILATION!"
The woman raised her glaive, which began to rapidly build with a powerful gale of violent energy. Just as she swung the weapon…
"Pluto?! PLUTO!" Neptune was now holding her in her arms, looking down on her. What had happened? She had collapsed? When did that happen? She wondered as she came to from her surreal vision. "By the goddesses, you scared me when you blacked out like that! What happened?!" Neptune cried with worry.
"...I saw the future of this timeline..! The city will burn in an inferno of hate, brought to its knees by Umbrella… destroying the mansion will not stop the spread of the virus. It will reach the city regardless… and everyone will die…" She recalled shakily, her voice trembling. "...but that wasn't all I saw… SHE was there, Michiru… I saw HER… ready to rend her judgment on the doomed city… It was Hotaru..! She had awakened, and was preparing to destroy Raccoon when I regained consciousness…"
Neptune's heart dropped at the mention of the Soldier of Silence. No… that wasn't possible! She wasn't supposed to awaken early. But if she saw her in the vision… that meant…
'Wesker! We have a problem!' Neptune quickly connected. 'Pluto was hit with another vision… and you're not going to like what you're going to hear!'
'I assume it's something potentially world-ending…' He linked.
'Wesker… Pluto saw her! Saturn! She was over Raccoon! It was in ruins! Destroying this manor won't be the end of it! She's going to bring the city to the ground if she wakes up!' Neptune blurted out and she felt Wesker go still in the connection. Whatever he was doing, he had frozen.
'...oh.' He said, before immediately cutting the link. He was definitely worried if he'd just hung up on her.
Outside the lab with Richard and Rebecca, Alana would feel Wesker's panicked state through his wavering aura. Whatever he heard from Neptune, it must've been bad enough to have her stepfather in such a way. "... Wesker? What did Neptune say? What happened?" She asked with her own mind of worry.
"Captain, what's wrong?" Mercury asked next, not liking the look on his face one bit. It was like he had seen a ghost, his face having gone a bit pale.
"...Setsuna had a vision of a burning Raccoon City, ravaged by the virus… and destroyed by Saturn." He said in a single breath, staring blankly at the ground.
"WHAT?!" All of them yelled in shock.
"Saturn was awake?! Then… that means… oh my god...!" Mercury gasped, a hand covering her mouth while her heart felt like it was going to slam itself out of her chest.
"Once we destroy this place and escape, our priority has changed. Forget about Irons, our new priority is to locate Moon. She's the only one who can stop Saturn. The only one she'll listen to." Wesker said.
"But how do we even find Sailor Moon?! She could be anywhere!" Richard shook his head.
"I know…" Wesker replied, sounding defeated. Had they already lost before they had even begun...?
'This is bad, Mama Reya! If Saturn wakes up before we find Moon, what are the chances that she's going to destroy this place… and more?!' Alana cried, fear welling up in her heart.
Less likely than everyone anticipates. You are all panicking too soon. You all forget that regardless of her powers and judgment, Hotaru is still a Sailor Soldier. She is bound by duty and honor never to act in a way that would harm innocents. If destroying Raccoon would lead to innocent deaths, she would be breaking her vow, and thus would become unworthy of her powers. I find it very unlikely that she would attack unless it was absolutely necessary, and in most cases, there is always another way. It does not always have to end in violence. Even if she did deem it necessary, she would still need Moon's approval, with her mother Queen Serenity gone. Reya linked back reassuringly.
"... That's true. So, we may have time." Alana says, gaining the others' attention.
"What did she say?" Wesker asked, curious about what Alana and Reya were thinking about.
"Even if Sailor Saturn wanted to destroy this place, she could lose favor if innocents are killed," Alana summarized for them.
"She needs Moon to approve it… that's a relief. But, if she's not awakened by the time Pluto's vision comes to light, no one can stop Saturn…" He worried a bit. "Forget about that for now. None of it will matter if we don't get out of here alive."
"Right." The others nodded back to him in response. But then…
'Wesker, it's Neptune. We found the final security lock and disabled it. You guys are free to jump in.'
'Did you find the Power Area Key? We can't access the rest of the lab without it. I suggest checking the Visual Data Room.' He replied.
'We're in there now looking for it-...' Neptune responded, just as Pluto cut in.
'Michiru is confused about our location. We're still in the X-Ray lab. We're about to go up to B2 now.'
'Ok. Let me know when you find it.' Wesker ordered.
Down below meanwhile, Neptune and Pluto were heading to the next floor. The two were keeping an eye out for any more zombies or on the slim chance of Crimson Heads still roaming around. So far, all seemed quiet for now. Having destroyed the undead that were there earlier, there was no need to worry, as none more had appeared. They were safe to traverse the halls to wherever they needed to go. Back up the stairs and through the large doors into the VDR, the two began to look around.
"So where do we start looking for the key? Any ideas?" Neptune asked.
"It can't be that hard to find… Look over there. There it is, on the desk in that room." Pluto said, looking through a window at a small room with some computer equipment. "But there's a wall blocking entry. There must be a way to open it…" She began to search around the room, checking out the filing cabinets and shelves first.
"Hmmm…" Neptune began to think for a moment as she looked to the key and then around the room.
"I found something. Looks like the facility's security protocol file." Pluto said, pulling down a file from a shelf.
"What does it have inside?" Neptune asked while walking over to observe the file. "Maybe it'll give us some answers to this place."
— BASEMENT LEVEL 1 —
HELICOPTER PORT
Helicopter port restricted to Executive and Government Officials only.
This restriction may not apply in case of an accident.
PASSAGE TO THE HELICOPTER
No one is allowed to enter unless they are accompanied by a Research Consultant or Security Director. All others will be shot on sight.
ELEVATOR
The elevator stops during emergencies.
-BASEMENT LEVEL 2—
VISUAL DATA ROOM
The Visual Data Room is within the control of the Special Research Division.
Keith Arving, the Room Manager, has jurisdiction over room usage.
—BASEMENT LEVEL 3—
PRISON
The Sanitation Division controls the usage of the prison.
Consultant Researchers (E. Smith, S. Ross, A. Wesker) must be present if virus is used.
TRIPLE LOCK DOOR
No one is allowed to enter unless they present all pass code documents.
Pass code documents must be created on the specialized output machine by the Chief Researcher of each block.
POWER ROOM
Only Headquarters Supervisors may enter. This restriction may not apply if the Consultant Researcher has received special instructions.
PASS CODE OUTPUT MACHINE
No one is allowed to use the pass code output machine except the Chief Researchers.
—Basement Level 4—
TOP SECRET
Regarding the progress of "Tyrant" after the use of t-virus…
"Oh bother… the rest of it is illegible…" Setsuna groaned.
"Damn, I was hoping there'd be more about the Tyrant that Wesker was talking about. Are there any more files around this place?" Neptune wondered.
"There's a map of the lab, but that's it."
"Let me get into the mirror." Taking out her mirror, she would shine the reflection onto the paper and in a shine of light, she would get it into her talisman. "Alright, so any other rooms that we have not been into, should show up here."
"That would be most of them, as if we weren't already aware." Pluto rolled her eyes and continued looking around. "Hey, found another MO Disk." She added, swiping it from an empty shelf. Further examination of their surroundings revealed a hidden keypad behind a moveable shelf. "Hmm… I bet this controls the wall to the image editing equipment… but what's the code…" She pondered to herself.
"Hmmm…" Neptune rubbed her chin for a moment in thought. "Where can we even find it?"
"Wait…" Setsuna paused and her eyes glowed. Through her vision, fingerprints appeared on the keypad, some more pronounced than others. This would help her figure it out. "...8…4…6…2…" She said slowly, pressing the numbers. The keypad lit up and a sound played, then the wall behind them slid upwards. "Ha! Biometric Vision has its uses after all~"
"Nice work, Pluto." Neptune smiled at her and walked through the wall into the next room. As they had seen, the key was still lying on the table. It had an odd shape, and there was an imprint of a lightning bolt on both sides.
{Key Item Acquired: Key For The Power Area}
"This looks like image/video editing equipment, like I mentioned moments ago… There's a slot for tapes. We might be able to view Kenneth's film here and find out how he died." Setsuna stated.
Neptune seemed to hesitate upon hearing this, but she knew she was right. Sighing deeply, she dug out the tape and slid it into the VCR player and clicked PLAY. She then took Pluto's hand, squeezing it as the video began to play…
Through the view of Kenneth's body cam, they saw him in the corridor, running from a zombie. He appeared to be in a severe panic, as every shot he took missed its mark. The zombie came closer as he backed up, reaching a door. But it seemed to be locked as he couldn't get it open. He also appeared to be out of ammo, since he'd stopped firing.
"No! Hey! Get away from me! No! Noooooo-..." His cries were cut off by a scream of pain as the zombie grabbed him and bit down, presumably into his neck. Blood splashed the camera, and he fell backwards with the zombie on top of him, his dying screams echoing as the camera feed died.
"...glad I watched that…" Setsuna sarcastically stated, both disgusted and horrified by what she'd just seen.
Neptune had looked away and she was pulled into Pluto's arms. Burying her face into her shoulder, she began to cry softly. If only they had gotten there sooner… Her gloved hands clutched the front of her outfit, her body shaking with quiet cries.
"Hey, hey… it's okay, Michiru… it's alright… it's not your fault. We couldn't have known…" Setsuna attempted to assure her, whispering softly into her ear as she hugged the melancholic woman.
Neptune sniffled and managed a small nod in response. Seeing his dead body was one thing. But watching it… it shook her. "... At least… when we destroy the manor… their deaths are avenged."
"You're right. But even then, to truly avenge them, Umbrella must be brought to justice. And Spencer…" Setsuna's hands balled into fists, wisps of magic escaping her clenched palms. "...that man deserves death for his atrocities…"
Calming herself down, she released Michiru from her grasp and wiped the tears from her face. "It'll be alright, darling. We'll make it out and destroy Umbrella, for the good of Earth." She said with a determined tone. "Come on, let's get going."
'Wesker, it's Pluto. We've acquired the key for the power area. All security is disabled, except for the prison. We're still working on that. Meet us outside the VDR, we'll give you the key so the others can get to work on their parts of the plan.'
'Copy that. On our way down.' Wesker noted.
Moments later, Wesker, Alana, Rebecca (as Mercury) and Richard arrived. Setsuna handed over the power key and they all went down to B3 together. Alana, Richard and Mercury followed Wesker to the power room, while Setsuna and Neptune were left to locate the security terminals for the prison, since they were on a separate network. Luckily, one was nearby, in the refueling room. So, they went there first.
The door opened into two rooms split by a wall with an opening. In the first room, there was a sink, a chair, some boxes of whatever, and a table with all kinds of stuff on it. The only real thing of interest was a canister of flame rounds on the chair, and a slide filter on the table. "Hmm… filters for a slide projector… there was a projector in the VDR, maybe this has some evidence of Umbrella's experiments on it." Setsuna suggested.
"Alright, let's take it and take a look at it. Maybe we can figure out what other monsters Umbrella had planned to unleash." Neptune nodded.
"Hold up, let's finish investigating here first." Setsuna said, grabbing Michiru's arm as she made to leave. Moving into the next room, it was a small office. A huge device dominated the area, with a round port-like door. A zombie was standing in front of a desk, on top of which was one of the security terminals. There was a fax on the shelf that looked interesting.
Holding up her finger to her mouth, to indicate to Michiru to be quiet, Setsuna snuck up on the zombie and kicked its knee, knocking it down onto them. Then she grabbed its neck in a headlock and pulled back, snapping its head backwards and shattering its throat. She casually pushed it to the floor afterwards.
"Sorry…" She sighed, realizing from the tattered uniform that it had been a doctor she'd just killed. Again. Technically.
"At least his soul can know peace now." Neptune says with a comforting tone.
"Yeah…" Pluto knelt down, rolled the body over onto its back and pulled it out into the other room. Then she placed its arms onto its chest and crossed them, closed its eyes and softly spoke a prayer. "May you peace in the embrace of the Goddess…" Knowing that was the best she could do, she then went back to the terminal. "I assume we just put the disk in and wait...?"
"I think so. Let's try it." Neptune nodded once more and slid the disk inside.
'Registering code disk… accepted. Loading security protocols… loaded. Generating pass code….'
A series of beeps followed, as it seemed to transmit something. Setsuna briefly saw a vision of the prison's locks, one beeped and turned from red to green. Two remained.
"That's one down and two to go. Let's go look for the others."
Meanwhile, in said confinement, the person of whom they spoke had heard the beeping of the security lock. "Two more and whoever is up there will come down here for me… for my sake, I hope they're friendly… I can't survive without food or drink for much longer, and I'm too weak to break out of here…" The shadowy figure said to themself.
With the first lock down, the girls left the room and went out back into the hall to go find the next lock. Neptune hoped they could find the prisoner in time and hopefully get some answers about the vision Pluto had earlier.
"Alright, Wesker said the next terminal is in the morgue. It's just down the hall from here." Pluto said, leaving the hall and re-entering the lab's main hall. Following it down and around a bend, they came to a set of double doors. They had the Power Room Symbol on them, but the doors were unlocked. Wesker must have opened them as he passed by.
"Looks like Wesker did the job for us by getting these doors unlocked." Neptune smiled a bit with a nod of approval.
"We gave him the key, after all." Pluto nonchalantly stated as she opened the doors. It suddenly turned very cold, like they were in a freezer. Streams of cold air blew in from vents in the ceiling. Their progress was blocked by several shelves. One could be moved to access some large vents, but the other shelves were blocked from the other side. A pity, because the terminal was on a table in the room beyond, a room that was stuffed with body bags. Their only option was to climb through the ventilation and find a way around.
"Alright, how are we going to clear up this mess?" Neptune wondered as she looked around the room, trying to mentally picture where things could be moved.
"Through the vent. We'll work our way around. I can see another ventilation hole in that room behind the shelves. There must be another way in there. Come on." Pluto said, reluctantly pulling herself up into the large space and crawling along into the room it connected to, which as she climbed out, turned out to be a surgery room. Blood caked the medical bed, surrounded by strange machines. As Neptune followed through, another vent burst open as a large, several armed, spiny and very disturbing looking creature jumped out. Its body resembled that of a human sized, mutated ant.
"Ugh, what is that horrid thing?" Pluto exclaimed upon seeing it. It made strange noises as it approached.
"Looks like an oversized bug! A bug that needs to get squashed!" Neptune snapped as she fired up her magic once more. "Heads up, here it comes!"
The bug-like creature was fast, and swiped at them with its long arms, the tips of which were razor sharp. They dodged its melee attacks, only for it to jump up and attach to the ceiling, crawling along it. While the Soldiers tried to get a bead on it, it suddenly swooped down and grabbed Pluto by the neck with its appendages, attempting to both choke her out and secrete a plethora of maggots onto her face.
"...ugh… little help...?!"
"SUBMARINE… REFLECTION!" A blast of sea green light sent it flying off Pluto and smacking into the wall, splattering it with its guts and blood. She dropped to the ground, clutching her throat, coughing and hacking. The bug got back up, some kind of acidic substance oozing from its severed appendages. It hissed and charged them in a suicidal attempt to burst acid upon them.
"...hold still…" Pluto coughed, raising a gloved hand as she activated her magic while massaging her throat with her free hand. She hadn't stopped or slowed time, but instead she appeared to have temporarily sealed the bug inside some kind of dimensional prison, rendering it unable to move. "Michiru… finish it off! I cannot maintain this spell for long!" She commanded, her eyes glowing as she kept up the effect as long as she could.
"NEPTUNE DEEP… SUBMERGE!" Launching the ball of ocean blue light at it, the oversized bug was blasted back into the wall, splattering it for good, turning it into nothing but a huge stain on the wall, though that stain was now hissing and spitting acid.
"What the hell was that..?" Setsuna cursed again. "What more kinds of messed up creatures have Umbrella created...?"
"I don't know, but something tells me there's more of them around here. If there's one, there's gotta be more around the lab." Shutting her eyes again, she contacted Wesker. 'Wesker, it's Neptune. Pluto and I just ran into this huge bug monster that looked like an oversized ant. It tried to choke her out, but we managed to squash it. Any idea what it was?' She even sent a mental image to him.
'It didn't have normal blood either. Whatever flowed through it seemed to be some kind of acid…' Setsuna added, joining the link.
'They're a relatively new BOW called Chimaeras. Annoyingly persistent bastards that are deadly at both long and short range. Destroying their bodies causes them to explode into acid bombs. They can also spit their acidic maggots at you. Shoot them as soon as you see them and DO NOT let them get close. Their acidic blood will burn through your suits.' Wesker warned them.
'I noticed…' Setsuna sarcastically stated, looking down at her smoldering gloves.
'Make sure you warn Barry and Enrico about them as well.' Neptune said before cutting the link and looking around for the next security lock mechanism. It wasn't in that room. The doors here were rusted shut and the handles wouldn't turn, but there was another large vent they could climb through… no other choice but to go through it and see where it led.
Setsuna went through first, clambering around in the pitch black until she almost fell out the other side, into the room that was blocked by the shelving. Several tables were stacked with body bags, just left there carelessly, like the bodies were worthless to the scientists. She ignored this, despite her rising anger for Umbrella again, and made her way over to the security terminal. She inserted the second MO Disk and waited for the machine to authenticate it. A few moments later, she received a flash vision of the second of the three door locks turning from red to green with a beep.
"One left…"
"One step closer to finding out who is being kept down there. Let's keep going." Neptune encouraged her, placing a gloved hand to her shoulder. "We're getting close to the end… I can feel it."
"You're right. It's hard to explain, but… I feel that a great mystery is close to being solved. Something, or someone, I believe is guiding us. Manipulating our moves like pawns in chess. But I don't think it's Spencer… it feels… like something I should remember… but I can't." Pluto sighed, growing a bit. Why did she feel so uneasy? What is because of the prisoner they were trying to free? Who were they? Why were they there? And why did she feel like she should know them...? And yet, the harder she tried to remember, the less she actually did.
Putting it to the back of her mind for now, she pushed the shelves out of the way from this side and exited the morgue with Neptune following.
Meanwhile, in the Tyrant lab on floor B4, Wesker was furiously tapping away at the computer next to the Tyrant's water tank. The Red Queen, Umbrella's security AI, was doing her damndest to piss him off, repeatedly blocking his attempts to access the mainframes and taunting him.
'You won't get in, you know. I was created to guard and manage Umbrella's most secret data. I am infallible. You cannot pass my defenses.'
"Keep talking, program. I'll find and delete you, just like I'm going to do to the White Queen at Sergei's Russian facility. As soon as I crack your protocols, I'll make you work for me, feeding me the very files you were designed to protect. When I'm done using you, I'll destroy you, just like I'm going to destroy your masters." Wesker responded irritably. The AI was making him sweat as he was forced to break out every single one of his expert hacking skills. He was good, but the security program was to his begrudging dismay, better than him.
'You are only making this worse for yourself. My coding is impregnable. I cannot be defeated.'
"Don't give up, Wesker! You can do it!" Alana cheered him on.
Wesker snarled at the computer. "Ugh, this punk machine is infuriating me!" He cursed under his breath.
'Are you getting frustrated, intruder? I am tracing your hack attempt. I detect you are attempting to infiltrate my systems from the defunct Arklay Facility. Rerouting security protocols. Blocking access from compromised systems…'
"C'mon, Wesker..!" Alana called again. "Don't let her beat you!"
"Let me in, you stupid machine!" Wesker growled.
'My apologies. I did not understand your request. Please restate your insult in the form of a valid query.'
"It's mocking me…" Wesker grunted angrily.
"Don't let her get to you, Wesker. You're smarter than her! Show her!" Alana once more piped up.
'Hack tracing complete. Terminal T-001, B4 Tyrant Lab, Arklay Facility. ID credentials: Wesker, Albert. Position: Senior Researcher. Post: Research & Development. Unauthorized access. You do not have clearance to access this terminal. Access denied.'
"Damn!" Wesker roared out loud now, his frustration spilling out of him. "...but wait… perhaps there is a back door…" He calmed as an idea came to him. He began tapping the keys again.
'ID credentials for Doctor Wesker, Albert: R&D Senior Researcher. Rewriting credentials…. Rewrite accepted. New credentials: Spencer, Ozwell E. All-Access authorization. Approved. Welcome, Master Spencer.'
"Ha! No one out-hacks me. Especially not some punk program…" Wesker smirked.
'Searching for Employee #859622….. Located. ID: Wesker, Albert. Status: Active. Updating… complete. ID: Wesker, Albert. Status: Deceased. Cause of Death: Forced detonation of Arklay Facility due to viral outbreak.'
"Now Spencer will believe I died when we blow this place to hell." He grinned evilly. Already he was formulating plans to bring down Spencer and Umbrella. Once he'd escaped the city, he'd start by tracking down Sergei Vladimir, the man responsible for Alana's torture.
"Way to go, Wesker!" Alana cheered and held out her arms for a hug, which she was given wholeheartedly. "I knew she couldn't beat you!"
'How may I assist, Master Spencer?'
"Backup and download all top-secret files to attached USBs and CDs. An intruder in the network is attempting to access sensitive data. They may be attempting to use my ID to bypass security. Disable access from all connected terminals except this one." Wesker smirked.
'Disabling all access points to the Umbrella Data Network from all connected terminals. Sole access is now restricted to this terminal.'
"Thank you. Proceed with data download."
'Beginning process. Estimated download time… thirty minutes.'
"That's enough time." He hoped that Chris & Jill could finish up by then. They still needed to dispose of the Tyrant.
"So what now? We just wait?" Alana asked him.
"For now. The rest of the plan relies on Pluto and Neptune now…"
Back with the two Soldiers, they too had entered the power area, where Richard and Mercury had previously gone to restore power and wait for the instruction to activate the remote detonators to blow up the facility. Wesker had mentioned that the final terminal for the prison was here somewhere. They just needed to find it… preferably without meeting more Chimaeras. Ha. Like they'd be that lucky… It was so loud in the power room because of the generators, that they could barely hear each other. It would be a trivial matter for one of those wall crawling bug bombs to sneak up on them…
As they entered inside, they would catch Mercury and Richard coming around the corner. Knowing they couldn't verbally hear each other, Neptune activated the mind link. 'Good to see you guys are still alive. Did you guys find what you needed?' Neptune asked them.
'Yeah… but Richard and I ran into these bug things. One almost took off his head. Have you run into them yet? They're like big ants with acidic saliva and blood.' Mercury replied.
'We've met.' Setsuna linked simply, raising her arms and showing off her burnt gloves. She removed them and tossed them away, revealing her hands were burnt as well; welts had raised on the backs of her palms. There was a slight acrid scent of roasted flesh…
'The pain is… almost unbearable. But I have more important things to worry about than a few minor chemical burns.' She added.
Mercury immediately went into medic mode and taking out her med kit, she looked for burn salve until she found a small container. She would unscrew the cap, dab some of her fingers with it and began to spread the salve onto the burns, bringing immediate relief to Pluto.
'...that wasn't necessary, but… thanks.' Setsuna said, slightly uncomfortably, wincing from the cold cream.
'I can see that it was hurting, although you were hiding it. I know it's cold, but it'll help.' Mercury replied with a small smile.
'Sorry. I don't like to give away that I'm injured… defensive instinct.' Setsuna sheepishly answered.
'I know, Pluto. Now hold still, alright?' Mercury then used a small bubble and began to immerse her burnt hands into it and placed a little more of the salve into it, letting it mix and bring healing to her skin.
'Neptune, it looks like I'm going to be occupied for a while. Go on ahead and find the last terminal. Take the last MO Disk from my pack. Watch your back.' Pluto suggested.
'Got it.' Neptune nodded and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Then, she turned and headed further inside with the disk, going off to look for the last terminal. With any luck, like she hoped, she'd find it and make it back without running into those nasty bugs. As it turned out, she didn't have to go far. In the very next room, through a door, she found a small workspace down in an alcove. The last security terminal was here on the desk. She inserted the disk and waited. All she heard was a series of beeps from the machine, and she assumed that meant the final lock was open. To her knowledge, they now had access to the prison. She'd better inform Wesker.
'Wesker, the prison is unlocked now. We got all three locks.'
'Excellent. Get down there and find out who our guest is. I've managed to successfully hack Umbrella's Data Network. You wouldn't believe some of the incriminating shit I'm downloading right now. Once we make this public, Umbrella is finished.' He sounded pretty gleeful through their link.
'Nice! I'll relay it to Pluto, Richard and Mercury.' Neptune grinned to herself and quickly ran back for the trio, just as Rebecca finished healing Pluto's hands with the mix of her magic and burn salve. 'Guys, Wesker managed to hack into the terminal! He's got his hands on the info and is downloading it as we speak. Let's get down to the prison and find out who it is.'
'We'll go. Mercury and Richard need to stay here, per orders from Wesker… hmm. Haven't heard anything from Barry and Enrico… I pray they made it to the helipad safely.' Pluto worried.
'I'm sure they're fine. But go on ahead towards the prison. Once you get them out, bring them back to me and I'll do what I can to help them.' Mercury nodded to Pluto.
Pluto nodded without replying and simply walked off back through the doors. Setsuna seemed… distracted. As if she wasn't really concentrating on what was around her, but something else entirely. This distraction occupied her right up until she and Michiru were stood in front of the prison doors Pulling down the levers, which were now unsealed, the doors unlocked, and Pluto pushed them open. A staircase led downwards to a darkened area that didn't appear on Michiru's mirror map. This area was unknown, and therefore possibly dangerous.
"No telling what could be down these steps… only one way to find out though." Pluto softly muttered.
"Right, let's go." Neptune nodded in agreement, and they descended the stairs carefully, hand in hand with the steps being somewhat slippery. This passage was very damp, and the air was… moist…
At the bottom of the steps. The passage turned sharply to the right and ended flatly at a wall. There was a solitary door on the right side of the passage, made of thick, heavy iron with bars on its window. The passage was otherwise empty. Cautiously, Pluto approached the door and attempted to see inside the room. However, the back half of the room beyond was mired in darkness, and whoever was inside must be beyond it, because there was no sign of them in the front of the cell where the light was.
Rather unnervingly, a pair of softly glowing eyes stared at her from the shadows… Pluto quickly stepped back from the door, feeling threatened by the presence within. It was weak, but those eyes… Setsuna feared no creature on Earth. But those eyes… they scared her. They reminded her of Hotaru's eyes…
"H-Hello? Is someone in there?" Neptune softly called before shining her light inside, hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever was inside. Further unnerving them was the menacing sight that the light from her mirror failed to penetrate the shadows within the cell. The eyes in the darkness vanished momentarily, only to appear again a few inches further away. The glow was dimmer than before.
"Enough with these games… who are you? Why are you here...?" Pluto demanded, squaring up to the cell door in a sudden burst of courage and mild irritation.
'...you do not belong here… Seekers of Truth… Warriors of Light… the luster of the Silver Moon does not shine in these cursed halls…'
"... You know who we are? Who are you?" Neptune would ask in a more polite tone. "And how did you come to be down here?"
'...who… am I…' The voice repeated, its tone that of a confused elderly person. '...I… do not remember… I have been here… I cannot say how long… time has no meaning in this cold, wet place… what little I do remember is… skewed… I am of this place, yet I also am not… I live, yet I am not alive… how can this be..?'
Pluto looked at Neptune in confusion. None of what the voice was saying made sense. "What does it mean? Alive but not? That shouldn't be possible… it defies logic."
'...I can hear the cries of the innocent… they are burning in the ashes of a red dawn…'
"Ashes of a red dawn…? What does…" Neptune trailed off, a sense of horror and realization washing over her like a wave. She then turned to Pluto. "Does she mean...?"
"I don't know… it doesn't seem to correlate with anything I've seen…" Pluto replied, trying to understand the meaning behind the riddles.
'...I can feel a great age ending… but where does one end, and the next begin...?'
"Stop it! Stop speaking in riddles! We need answers, not questions!" Pluto demanded. Annoyed, she tried to force open the heavy iron door, but it refused to budge. "Ugh! It won't open!"
'...brute force is not the answer here… were it that simple, I would not be trapped here…'
"But why is it not opening?" Neptune then tried the handle on the door and pulled on it. The handle did not give way. It refused to even turn. Something was keeping it in place.
'...I have tried many times to escape this place… but nothing worked… the door exists in your realm, but not in mine… I cannot pass through it, and you cannot open it…'
"Realm...? What do you mean? Are you imprisoned in a different dimension...? But… How in the hell did Spencer manage that...? Dimensional manipulation is hundreds of years beyond humanity's current technological scope!" Pluto exclaimed.
'...dark magic… the old one commands it, with an iron fist… where he acquired such power, I cannot say… but I know that I will not survive here for much longer… this place… it saps you of your strength… feeds off you… until the body is but a lifeless, soulless husk…'
"We gotta do something. And she's right. There's something here, I can feel the magic." Closing her eyes again. 'Wesker, you need to come down to the prison… and bring Alana with you. We need you to see something. And make it quick. Whoever's in here, won't last much longer.'
The presence within the cell laughed.
'...have you not listened to your own voices...? This prison does not exist on the mortal plane… no one can hear you call out, and no one can hear you scream…'
Pluto's eyes widened. She closed her eyes briefly, then reopened them as she turned around. The walls of the passage had vanished, revealing a void in space, surrounded by stars.
"...by the Goddesses… we're in the Void...!" She exclaimed, a hint of fear in her words. "...this… this shouldn't be possible… we do not belong here…"
Back in the lab, Mercury felt a twinge in the back of her mind. Setsuna and Michiru had completely vanished from her scope. She couldn't feel them anymore. What in the world had just happened, and why did the area suddenly feel… cold?
"Richard… do you feel that?" Mercury shivered. "And for some reason… I can't contact Neptune or Pluto! They just… disappeared!"
"Yeah, that's strange… it was quite hot in here moments ago. Now it's like a freezer… what's going on?" He replied, just as confused as she was.
'This is Wesker.' The captain's voice entered their minds in a link. 'What the hell just happened?! There was an enormous spike of energy moments ago, but sensors are showing nothing on the readings. I also feel distinctly… chilled. Something very wrong is going on here…'
Back with Setsuna and Michiru, in the Void dimension…
'...this is the Void… home of The Outsider… and a dark place brimming with ancient and powerful magic… this place is a source of power for many a dark wizard or necromancer… and this place is their doom… The Void always gets the last laugh…'
"This isn't good…! How did we get trapped here?! I felt nothing a moment ago." Neptune shook her head in disbelief as she looked around as the mansion seemed to reform around them. And yet… it was disjointed, jumbled like a broken puzzle as different rooms of the manor appeared around them. An ominous wind blew around them, wrapping around their forms, as if laughing at their predicament and emphasizing where they were.
She spotted the frozen forms of Wesker, Richard, Alana and Rebecca. "Guys! GUYS!" She called out but they didn't answer. As if… they could not be seen, and yet the two could see them.
'Fools… the Void does not answer your beck and call… no one is truly in control here, but those with power… or those marked by The Outsider… can use it to their advantage. Power is the only thing the Void respects… here, it's Corkscrew Rules. Nothing is as it seems… observe.'
From beyond the door of the cell, the two Soldiers would see a hand appear in the darkness, and a strange symbol glow upon the back of its palm. Then… faster than light, a figure shot through the bars and out into the Void before them.
It was a woman, once whose face Setsuna vaguely recognized, though her clothes and body did not seem to match what her memory could piece together. The strange mark that she and Michiru had seen moments ago burned upon the back of the woman's hand.
'Long ago, I was brought into a section of this place… at the time, I did not know what The Void was, or why I was brought there… an old woman, a Seer, took me there and showed me my future… down a long, winding road, I gathered power and strength… abilities that fed on energy from this place… this symbol is proof of my contract with The Outsider, the master of this dark place… It is the Mark of The Outsider, and only gifted individuals, or those he takes a personal interest in, ever receive it… here, I am free to move and do as I please, but I cannot leave on my own… the magic of the cell keeps me trapped here, and only someone from the outside can break it… someone the Outsider has marked… you have been brought here because he has taken an interest in you. But only one of you may receive his blessing… take this and find his rune. Retrieve it, and he may speak with you…'
The woman handed over a strange, mechanical heart that also seemed to be partly organic.
'Use it to find the rune. Squeeze it, and it may whisper secrets. The voice you hear will depend on who matters most to you in life.'
Neptune would gently take it into her gloved hand and taking a steady breath, she squeezed it. Within Michiru's form, Jill heard a voice in her mind, a voice she hadn't heard in years.
'You have come a long way since you were a child, my sweet Valentine… it feels like an age has passed since you were my assistant, committing crimes to make ends meet… It wasn't an honest life, but it was the only life I knew. Everything I did, it was to make your life better… even if it ended the way it did. I made a lot of mistakes, my sweet Valentine, but the only mistake I didn't make was you… you got out, and you made a name for yourself. Ironic, that you chose to uphold the law you so willingly broke for me…'
Jill felt her heart break as tears welled up in Neptune's eyes, her legs giving out on her, and she fell to her knees.
That voice…! She had not heard it since that last phone call in prison… he had been her only inspiration and source of strength when her mother died years ago.
"... Daddy?" She whimpered. "Oh Dad… I wish I could have done more to help you…! But I kept my promise to make you proud… I'm Sailor Neptune now." She cried as she felt Pluto's arms go around her in comfort. "I wish I could see you again… just one more time. Just to say goodbye…"
'Do not despair, sweet Valentine… you've done more than I ever could have asked of you. You brought honor back to our name, something I lost so long ago… I'm proud of the woman you've become.'
Jill couldn't hold back the emotional dam and she flung her arms around Pluto, sobbing into her shoulder. Even after all these years, she had missed her dad's voice. She could almost see his face in her mind; his mischievous twinkle in his eyes, that confident smirk he had whenever he went out on jobs before eventually taking her along for the ride, and the strong arms that held her whenever she cried or to congratulate her.
'Do not think I have forgotten you either, little mermaid. You've been quite busy since you awoke from your slumber… but you never were one to sit back and wait. It could be irritating at times… but endearing. I notice two of your sisters have joined you, but many more still sleep…'
Neptune gasped in shock. "...Queen Serenity!?" She smiled before it suddenly vanished. "Your Highness… I've missed your voice so much. I wish… I wish I could've done more against Queen Beryl when they invaded our kingdom."
'The failure was not yours. We all should have done more. Been better prepared. If anyone should face judgment for that terrible loss, it should be myself. As the Queen, it was my failure to lead that led to our defeat… your lives, my daughter's life… even my own… I failed them. Had I not sent you away, all of you would have died. Beryl's army was overwhelming… we had no chance. But… you are still alive, in the form of another. You survived and will live on to avenge my failures. You have a chance to make things right, to fix my mistakes. Though Beryl and her kingdom are long gone, her influence remains. I cannot expect you to follow through, but I know you will. You were always strong willed. I ask only that when you find her… please protect my daughter. She should not have to suffer for my failures…'
Neptune's face then became determined, and she nodded before rising to her feet, along with Pluto. "I give my word, Queen Serenity! When we find Usagi, we'll protect her, even if we die doing so. This world will not fall to darkness, like our home did. We'll find our sisters and we'll fight to the very end for what we cherish!" She proclaimed as her tiara turned into her glowing symbol, which shined upon her forehead for a moment.
Though she saw nothing, Michiru could feel Serenity smile upon her.
'I know you will. You and your sisters have always made me so proud… Now go, find the rune. Speak with The Outsider and escape this cursed place. You do not belong here. Leave this place and do what you do best; protect the innocent as only you can.'
"Got it!" Neptune nodded before turning to Pluto. "... I just heard Queen Serenity and… and…"
"I know. I heard her too. But there's no time to grieve, we need to keep moving. The heart points to a location over there. We need to reach it if we ever hope to get out of this black hell." Setsuna said quickly, turning her attention back to why they were there.
In the distance, a platform could barely be seen in the haze that surrounded them, and there was a door upon it, with bars in its window… the cell door! That must be their exit! Just ahead of them, a broken section of the mansion's main hall floated into view. Something about it seemed off, like some kind of presence lingered there…
"Do you feel that?" Neptune asked as she looked around, the Heart in her hands. "There's something here… watching us…"
"Let's go. I don't want to stay here any longer than required. This place thoroughly creeps me out." Pluto replied, rushing ahead.
Nodding, she followed Pluto as the Heart began to beat a bit faster. "We must be getting close to what we need to find. Hopefully, it can get us out of here…"
After a bit of platforming, jumping from island to island and re-exploring previously visited areas, the duo made it to the broken main hall. As they jumped onto, a powerful presence floored them. Materializing before them was a young man in a simple outfit, with pale skin and solid black eyes, as empty as the Void itself. He floated in the air a few feet above them.
'Christopher Redfield and Jillian Valentine… we meet at long last. I have watched the two of you from a much earlier age than the present. I have seen you grow, learn and survive. I have seen the relationships you share with your coworkers, and the parental feelings you have for a little girl that you can't seem to explain. Why do they fight, I have wondered. What do they seek in life? Then you awoke, unlocking something neither of you knew you had. And now standing before me are two legends of human history. Setsuna and Michiru. Two titans of time and space. One literally controlling it. In all my years as the powerful being I am, I have met few who have interested me as much as you.'
"Are you… The Outsider, the one the woman spoke of?" Neptune asked. But then, somehow, Neptune and Pluto were forced back inside Chris and Jill, leaving them as they are. "What the...?!"
The black-eyed man grinned. It was as unnerving as the space around them.
'In the Void, you are subject to my power. Even the legends that are the Sailor Soldiers have no power here. I shape and create this space as I see fit. I watch and I learn, as humanity struggles to survive against itself and the forces of nature. You face a challenge unlike any other; to stop a man bent on controlling the world. But I wonder, in your crusade against all you judge as unjust and cruel, will you live long enough to become the heroes you see yourselves as? Or will you live long enough to become the villains that replace the darkness with your own? Either way, people will die.
But that is not why you are here. Only a handful of humans interest me enough for me to speak to them personally, and I find the two of you particularly interesting. I too am capable of seeing potential futures, and your futures provide me with much entertainment. The question that remains for me, is which of you is interesting enough to receive a gift… never have I considered giving two at once, but perhaps there is a first time for everything. It keeps things from going stale and becoming boring.'
Upon the backs of their palms, both Chris and Jill felt a burning sensation as a tattoo fused with their skin.
'This is my Mark. How you use its power and what you do with it is up to you. But know that I will be watching the both of you with great interest~'
Then the man vanished into thin air. For both of the STARS officers, they could feel additional power coursing through them, their abilities augmented by the power of the Void. For Chris, he could feel his Time Magic had been altered and become stronger. His Windblast felt more powerful, and he felt that his ability to manipulate time had also gotten stronger. In addition, he somehow felt he could use the same ability the woman had shown them, to move at such a speed that it seemed as if he were teleporting. Literally, it was 'blink and you'll miss it'.
{New Abilities Unlocked: Windblast - Upgraded to Pluto Chronos Typhoon, Time Magic - Rewind, Time Magic - Haste, Time Magic - Extended Time Freeze, Motion - Teleport}
For Jill, she felt her water magic getting more powerful. When she produced some water as a test, she saw it had tints of black in it. She swirled her hands a bit and it produced a small twister of wispy black water tendrils that wove around her like a protective ring. When she snapped her fingers, the tendrils snapped out razor sharp spikes and hurled them like daggers. As she then held out her hand, the tendrils then formed into a watery violin and it began to let out a string of haunting, echoing notes that would reverberate in one's bones if they listened. As the song hit the crescendo, it unleashed a large blast of black and sea green energy in a blade motion.
{New Abilities Unlocked: Deep Sea Daggers, Neptune Violin Tide, Siren Song - Call of The Ocean}
"Whoa… this feels incredible… the powers I already had feel even stronger. I feel like I can take on anything!" Chris said, flexing his arms a bit. He stared at the mark on his hand. "So, this is what The Outsider's magic can do...?"
"I can feel my soul become a bit calmer now, like I have nothing to fear. I feel a little stronger… I can hear a song singing in my ears. But it's comforting, almost. Like… like a constant lullaby." Jill says, her eyes closing for a moment, her new power humming through her core. Like her very soul was singing.
"We should leave while we can. The exit isn't far… and I can see something glowing over there. A rune, maybe?" Chris suggested.
"That's gotta be it! C'mon!" Jill urged and the two ran on ahead, hopping from one platform to the next. Sometimes, Chris even had to help her get across with his new Blink ability. But once they got to the other side, they saw what seemed to be a shrine of some sort. It had a macabre feel to it with different slapdash made trinkets littering the shrine. "Is this a shrine to The Outsider?"
"Sure looks like it. Some of these items are occultish. How long has he existed and been worshiped...? Must be centuries at least…" Chris said as he picked up an item made of whalebone, reinforced with metal. It shared The Outsider's Mark. Upon picking it up, the man himself rematerialized once again.
'Runes such as these were once fashioned from the bones of the great beasts of the sea. They sing with power and carry many benefits that will not always become immediately clear. Shrines like this were erected in my honor, often by those who hoped to communicate with me, that I might grant them favor. Your own Captain Wesker once tried it, but if he really wanted to speak with me, he could start by being a little more interesting.'
"What?!" Jill exclaimed in shock. Wesker tried to communicate with the Outsider?!
"Ha. He called Wesker boring~" Chris chuckled to himself. "Boring isn't the word I'd have used though~" He smirked, sniggering some more. The Outsider completely ignored this.
'Look for more of these shrines in your travels. Collect the runes you find at them to increase your powers and boost your connection to the Void. I will share with you a warning: If you are disconnected from the Void, perhaps by hostile magic, your powers will suffer. You also will not be able to use my gifts when exposed to certain frequencies of music.
Now that you have learned what I have to teach, I find myself curious to see where you will go from here, what paths you will take and what actions you shall perform. Your powers are yours to command, I will not take them from you even if you disappoint me. But you may find yourselves targets when you return to the mortal realm. There are agents within the world that will hunt you down for your use of Void Magic. I suggest you watch your backs, and remember that I will be watching with great interest~'
The Outsider then vanished again, and the duo felt themselves being pulled out of the Void and back to the mortal realm, right outside the mysterious female prisoner's cell. Exactly where they had been before, but now they themselves were much more powerful.
'...I sense you have changed… become different from before… you have the scent of Black Magic, but stronger… Void Magic…'
"We met The Outsider… he released something inside us. Latent energy, I think. Something like helping us reach full potential." Chris stated. "I can get you out of the cell now~ If you can move, I suggest you stand back. You as well, Jill." He added as his partner backed off a bit. He summoned up some of his Wind Magic and aimed it at the heavy metal door, sending a "Pluto Chronos Typhoon!" at it. It slammed into the door and bent it inwards, tearing it off the hinges and almost folding it over in half. This allowed himself and Jill to step inside.
'...and so, my rescuers have freed the imprisoned… but now one wonders… is it too late...?'
"Please don't let it be too late…!" Jill prayed as they stepped inside and she would raise her mirror, illuminating the shadows.
That same woman they had seen before was there, lying against the back wall. She looked malnourished, weak and rather pale from lack of sunlight. Her clothes were tattered and bloodstained, and she had many old, healed but scarred wounds. Her hair was matted, tangled and graying, but her face was unusually still young looking…
'Bloody hell…' Chris thought. 'What the hell did they do to her...?'
"I know what you're thinking, but the real question is what didn't they do to her? Let's get her back to Mercury and quickly, before it becomes–" Suddenly Wesker's voice, to their relief, came into their connected minds.
'Finally, I'm able to get through. Where the hell have you been? It's been an hour, and you didn't report in… after completely vanishing on us. Explain yourselves.'
'You are NOT going to believe what happened just now. But meet us where Richard and Rebecca are, and we'll give you the full story. It's a doozy.' Jill replied as Chris gently picked up the woman into his arms. "Let's go, Chris!"
"Right. You lead, in case anything shows up. I can't fight like this." He said, following her.
Nodding, the two headed back up the stairs and made a dash for the lab, where Wesker, Mercury and Richard would be waiting. "Guys!"
"Chris! Jill! Thank god you're alright! You guys were gone for an hour! We tried everything to contact you, but we got nothing! What happened?!" Mercury cried out in relief. "And… oh my god, is that the prisoner!? Here, bring her over to the table, quickly!"
"Careful with her… she's been through some shit." Chris warned, carefully and gently placing her down on the table. Nobody seemed to pay attention to the fact that the woman was seven feet tall, despite being very sick and stick thin.
"Who is she? Has she spoken to you?" Wesker asked.
"Only through mind links, but that's stopped now. I think she's unconscious, as she hasn't reacted to us." Chris answered, a worried look on his face. "Setsuna said she's familiar, but neither of us can figure out why…"
As Mercury set to work, she turned to the two others for a moment. "So, what happened down there? You were there for a moment and then… you were gone. Nothing we did could get through."
"It turned out that the cell contained a trap that transported us in The Void, home of The Outsider. He spoke to us and gave us his Mark, which boosted our powers. I used mine to break the woman out of the cell. That's the short story. There's not really much else to say." Chris explained. "Actually, there is one more thing… The woman is also Marked by The Outsider. She was able to move and use powers while we were in The Void, but it appears that she's unable to do so here…"
Wesker's attention was drawn upon hearing the name 'The Outsider' being dropped. His cobalt eyes were drawn to Chris, going wide eyed.
"You actually met The Outsider...?" He asked, still shocked.
"Yeah. Saw the black eyes ourselves. And we know, he's the guy that gave Corvo and Emily their powers. And the assassin, Daud…" Chris stated, knowing what Wesker was thinking.
"You read the stories about him, didn't you?" Mercury asked as she continued to heal the woman. "I read about Corvo and the Outsider in a mythology book while I was in college. Apparently, while in the Void, The Outsider can basically do whatever he wants, and nothing is out of bounds for him."
"He was sacrificed as a young man by witches. His spirit bonded with the Void itself and he became its master. He can shape the place however he pleases, and he's always watching, but only those he finds interesting. He knows you tried to summon him once, Captain. He said you were too boring to talk to~" Chris sniggered.
"...douchebag…" Wesker muttered, furrowing his brow and rolling his eyes behind his sunglasses.
'Mama Reya, do you know about the Outsider?' Alana asked while quietly laying on the cot in a corner of the room set up by Wesker.
I've heard of him, but for once, I can't say I know much about him.
'What have you heard about him?' She asked next.
As I said, not much. Only that in Corvo's time, The Outsider was despised by The Abbey of The Everyman, and that The Overseers that led the zealous religious douchebags, considered The Outsider a blasphemous monster, and outlawed his worship and magic. Many people were executed as heretics. The Black-Eyed Bastard, as they called him, was an imposing figure of power and dominance, and the Abbey feared anything that could interfere with their militaristic authority.
"We're almost set. I've nearly finished downloading the archives. The next part of the plan is to terminate the Tyrant. It cannot be allowed to escape the mansion. I can hack the system to release it from stasis early; it will not be fully developed nor as strong as it should be, but still a grave threat. Redfield, Valentine, with me. Once this is done, Rebecca can set off the self-destruct, and we run like hell." Wesker ordered.
"Got it!" The two answered in response with a nod. 'Michiru, it's almost go time. You about ready?'
Never been more ready to end this nightmare. Setsuna, what say you?
I am ready to see this to the end. One vision shall prove true tonight, but I do not know which. Setsuna replied in thought.
We'll find out tonight. Michiru would nod back to her in response.
Following Wesker from the power room to the B4 elevator, they entered and descended to the fourth basement floor, exiting into the Tyrant Lab.
"I will try to release the BOW from its stasis. Be prepared for a fight." Wesker said as he went over to the stasis tube and began to hack the terminal.
"Chris, let's do this!" Jill snapped out her rod. "NEPTUNE PLANET POWER!"
"Alright. Setsuna, do your thing." Chris nodded, removing his own from his belt. "PLUTO PLANET POWER!"
In twin flashes of sea green and maroon, Pluto and Neptune would switch places. "Alright, Wesker. Go for it! We're ready!" Neptune nodded.
Wesker said nothing as he hacked into the system. The pod drained of liquid, and the beast within began to stir. It slammed its hand into the glass, cracking it, then burst the tube open with its claw. "Now is your chance! Attack its exposed heart! It's the only weak point!" Wesker commanded.
"Hit it hard, Pluto! NEPTUNE DEEP… SUBMERGE!" Neptune would holler as she unleashed her attack upon the Tyrant. The water merely glanced off the sleek, smooth skin of the Tyrant. That didn't work.
"You barely scratched it! Try something else!" Setsuna said as she prepared her own attack. "PLUTO CHRONOS TYPHOON!" She roared, unleashing a spear like whirlwind that stabbed at the Tyrant's body, making hundreds of pin pricks. But they barely slowed it down.
"Resilient bastard!" Neptune hissed before swirling her right hand, creating her watery violin and beginning to play, unleashing a barrage of hard-hitting notes made of pure energy. "NEPTUNE VIOLIN… TIDE!" she almost belted out and a wave of notes would slam into the monster.
The Tyrant paused, stepping back a bit from the recoil. It quickly recovered and came after them again, swiping with its claw and destroying several of the tubes. Neptune and Pluto would quickly dodge his swipe and once more fired off their spells at the same time, sending him slamming into the wall. Again, the Tyrant recovered and sprinted at them with surprising speed for its size, launching its claw at them.
The two Soldiers dodged again, but Neptune was slugged by its fist as it turned around, sending her flying back. "Ugh… dammit… watch it, Pluto! He hits like a truck!" Neptune managed to grind out as she struggled to her feet. She had felt one of her ribs snap when it punched her.
"Come on, you test tube freak!" Pluto taunted, gaining its attention. It stalked towards her and she fired off several bolts of lightning like wind blasts, impaling it several times. "Tough son of a bitch, aren't ya?"
"LEVIATHAN SHOT!"
That was when a watery arrow in the shape of a sea serpent's head would shoot into its chest, lancing the heart. When the two Scouts turned… there was Wesker, eyes glowing sea blue, wielding a watery bow and aimed at the monster. The Tyrant stopped and ripped the arrow out, which dissolved into water. It didn't stop trying to attack. One arrow wasn't enough. But that brief distraction was enough for Pluto and Neptune to double attack again with spells, sending it stumbling again.
The Tyrant was stunned just long enough for Wesker to string another water arrow, sending it sailing seamlessly through the air and penetrating into its heart a second time. This time, the BOW collapsed onto the floor, seemingly bleeding out.
"Did we get it?" Neptune asked as she panted a bit while Wesker joined their side, narrowing his eyes at the fallen beast.
"We managed to overwhelm its self-healing powers, but it will get back up soon enough. We need to blow this place before it revives. If it does so, it will mutate into something stronger."
"Alright, let's get out of here." Neptune then went into her comm watch. "Mercury, Richard, set the detonation sequence. We're blowing this place to hell!"
"We're on it!" Rebecca nodded.
"You two go on ahead. I still have a few things to take care of. I will see you back at the station. Don't wait up for me." Wesker said, returning his attention to the computer. He seemed to be tracking something.
As the Scouts ran from the room, Alana finally came out of hiding and felt her way over to her stepfather, who gave her a brief hug, before returning to his work. "Will this work, Wesker?" She asked.
"I just need a little more time to get the data I need… Sergei's location. I have more than one bone to pick with him…" He hissed lowly and threateningly.
Alana felt her own anger growing at this. Flashes of her torture came back once more and she felt Reya bristle at the mention of his name. "... He's going to pay for what he did to me!" She growled.
I will ensure that his death is slow and painful… he will suffer for what he's done. Reya coldly stated.
Alana would nod as she felt Reya mentally embrace her. "He will… oh, he will!" She snapped, punching a fist into her palm.
"I have it! We need to leave, now. I cannot let this loose end escape to inform Spencer of my betrayal…" Wesker said as he disconnected the USB stick. "Come on."
She was swung onto his back and given a piggyback ride as Wesker rushed out of the lab. As she hung on, she heard the howls and screams of the Hunters, as if sensing their inevitable death as the self-destruction switch was triggered. "I can hear them!"
"No time to deal with them! Hold on tight!"
Above, in the passage to the helipad, a depowered Chris was just reactivating the elevator, which had shut down after the self-destruct alert was issued. Those same Hunter screams caught his, Jill's Rebecca's and Richard's ears.
"Aw man, not those scaly bastards again!" Richard moaned.
"We'll take care of this! Ami?!" Rebecca snapped out her rod.
Let's do it!
"MERCURY POWER!" Rebecca called out and transformed into Sailor Mercury. "Richard, get Chris out of here! Neptune and I will deal with this!"
"Go! We got your back!" Neptune nodded to them.
'Three minutes, until detonation.'
"You better not die, Jill! Or I'll go to hell itself to drag you back!" Chris warned her as the elevator reached the floor from above. He and Richard entered and ascended to the roof, where Barry and Enrico were waiting. Brad had already landed, and they were chilling, chatting in the back of the chopper.
The elevator doors would open a bit later and out would come Sailor Mercury and Sailor Neptune, looking a bit battered but they were alright. "Guys we need to leave now! This place is about to detonate!" Mercury called out.
"Where's Wesker? We can't leave without him." Barry asked, moving to make space for the others.
"He stayed behind, said he had a few loose ends to tie up. He also said he'd meet us back at the station. At any rate, we don't have time to-..." Chris attempted to explain, when the helipad began to rock and shake. A hole in the roof suddenly burst open, and a mutated, pissed Tyrant climbed out on the helipad.
"Ah shit… Brad! Get the chopper airborne! We'll handle this fucker! Barry, Richard, help our friend get onto the chopper!" Chris ordered them, handing over the unconscious woman they'd found in the cell.
"Chris, get Pluto out here! We need to triple team this monster!" Neptune hollered as she grabbed her mirror once more while Mercury's hands began to glow with blue light.
He had already transformed before she had finished speaking. Mercury jumped off the chopper as Brad took off and hovered above the mansion. Now the three Soldiers stared down the mutant BOW.
"This guy is like Chris' ex-girlfriend… doesn't know when to quit." Setsuna stated, grimacing a bit.
"Then let's end this, Scouts!" Mercury barked. "MERCURY ICE BUBBLES… FREEZE!" A ray of icy bubbles would slam into the monster, sending shrapnel into its body and slicing it up at the chest.
It stunned the Tyrant for a moment but began to rush at Mercury, who barely dodged in the nick of time. Setsuna slammed another whirlwind into its back, aggravating it to attack her. She dodged, having predicted its attempt before it made it. However, she didn't predict the back swipe as it turned, catching her with the tips of its claws. Her rod was knocked from her hands, forcing her to fight hand to hand as it closed on her. But it was Neptune who would save her with "SUBMARINE… REFLECTION!" A beam of watery energy drove itself into its back, allowing Pluto to grab her rod and roll to the side.
"Damn, this asshole has seriously upgraded its armor. Nothing is slowing it down!" Pluto observed.
"We just need to hit it harder! Pluto, Mercury, triple team!" Neptune barked out.
"Got it!" As the stone on her bow shined bright, Mercury felt something in her, drawing on her emotion and her willingness to bring this terror to an end. She needed to give this thing everything she had. A whirl of water surrounded her, and she did a bit of a twirl, drawing it further upwards, when the Tyrant rushed her again… "GIRLS NOW! SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!" And Mercury fired off a huge geyser of water into the Tyrant.
"NEPTUNE VIOLIN… TIDE!" Neptune quickly joined her attack with Mercury's, adding more power to her magic.
Pluto was about to add her magic to the attack when the Tyrant performed an attack no one was expecting… It curled up and began to shake violently, glowing a bit. Then it uncurled and slammed its claw into the ground. A sea of spikes split through the rooftop impaling the three of them in various locations on their bodies. Fortunately, no one was hit vitally… but their combat ability had been severely hampered.
"Dammit! How did he do that?!" Neptune hissed as she was forced to retreat to the other girls. "He just woke up!"
"Ugh… Wesker warned that the bastard would mutate in response to near death…" Pluto coughed, spitting blood.
"Then we just need one last push! But… I can't lift my right arm…!" Neptune panted as she fought to get the spike out of her arm.
"...I am pinned also…" Pluto coughed again. One of the spikes had pierced a lung…
On the helicopter hovering above, the woman from the cell suddenly opened her eyes. Golden hues emitted from them as she stood up in the cargo area. The markings on her body began to glow a bright, cyan blue. Brad began to panic as she slid open the side panel. She looked like she was going to jump…
"What the…!" Mercury gasped as the woman sailed out of the chopper upon what seemed to be angelic white wings, but on closer sight, they were actually a very light blue and made of pure energy. "It's the girl we saved! What happened to her?!" Her clothing had changed too; suddenly she had materialized a regal looking suit that held the royal seal of Bowerstone.
'Back, you devil! You shall not take any lives on this day!" She called out, her voice echoing through the woods. The sheer power she exuded dwarfed that of the Tyrant. Even her words felt powerful. 'Foul creature of the Netherrealm, YOU SHALL NOT PASS!'
Her very aura washed over the three Scouts, healing them instantly of their wounds and restoring them to their full power. Whatever she was, just being near her gave them energy to fight once more. That was when Pluto saw the seal of Bowerstone and a sudden realization slammed into her like a bullet train.
'It… it cannot be..! Shiala..! The Hero Queen of Bowerstone..!' Pluto thought, inadvertently linking with Mercury and Neptune.
'What! But how! Wesker, Alana and I saw only her ghost back in the Redfield vault! But we can ask questions later, girls! Let's help her out and bring this thing down once and for all! Ready?!' Neptune replied, shaking off the shock after a moment or so.
'Let's go, Pluto, Neptune!' Mercury nodded.
But Shiala looked over her shoulder at them and shook her head. Her golden eyes softened as she met eyes with Pluto. Deep within, Chris felt as if she recognized him. His ancestor, his living, breathing ancestor, knew him…
Then she returned her gaze to the Tyrant. She raised her left hand, a ball of blue energy had gathered in her palm, and it was increasing in size with every passing moment. 'I pity you, creature. You were created to destroy; it is all you know. Your master is the true evil… but I cannot allow you to live either. I will send you back to the hell from whence you came. WHITE LIGHTNING!'
She launched the ball of energy, which slammed into the Tyrant and electrocuted it from inside, literally frying it from within. Steam began to hiss and escape from its body, heating up and turning a shade of red as it grew hotter and hotter, until finally it exploded in a shower of blood.
'May you find peace in the embrace of eternity.'
For the Soldiers, who had stood watching after Shiala silently requested they stay back, they were shocked. The BOW had taken their best attacks and shrugged them off, but Shiala had destroyed it with a single attack.
She truly was as powerful as the legends said, perhaps even more so.
"... Queen Shiala…" Neptune whispered in awe as she slowly approached the winged woman, who finally turned her warm gaze to the other Scouts. "I… how… how are you here? How did you come back? We saw your ghost back in the vault…!"
'Sixty seconds until detonation.' A computerized AI voice stated.
Shiala shook her head, as if saying that now was not the time. 'There will be time for that later, but only if we leave now. If you want to live, get on the helicopter. Now.'
"She's right! Girls, we gotta go!" Mercury urged them as Brad lowered the chopper for them to jump on. "C'mon!"
"Wait! What about Wesker and Alana!?" Neptune suddenly blurted out while being tugged onto the chopper by Pluto.
"We can't worry about them, Neptune! Now come on before we're toast!" Richard yelled. Once he made sure that the girls were onboard, he turned to Brad. "Get us out of here, NOW!"
"No need to tell me twice!" Brad said, lifting off and flying away as fast as the chopper could move. A few seconds later, the mansion erupted in a gigantic ball of flame that lit many trees on fire.
Twenty five minutes earlier…
With the data from Umbrella stored safely on his UBS stick, Wesker now needed to get Alana away from the laboratory. They had maybe thirty minutes tops. Fortunately, he knew a few shortcuts. There was a hidden passageway in one of the other labs that led into the caves. From there, they could exit to the mansion's foyer and escape through the front door.
As they made their way through the lab towards the shortcuts, they could hear the shrieks of the Hunters closing in on them, coupled with the scratchy jitterings of Chimaeras. "Wesker!" Alana cried out in warning.
Enough was enough for Wesker. The mansion was going down anyway, so why not let loose on the abominations. Alana would feel his magic flare up and knew almost what was about to come next. For Wesker, his eyes would be glowing behind his sunglasses, which he promptly took off and tossed away, showing his anger towards the monsters threatening them. The pipes in the walls were heard creaking and rattling as his magic began to set them off. "Are you going to let loose?!" Alana grinned.
"Might as well. This place will be nothing more than a giant hole in the ground soon enough." He said, unleashing his magic and bursting the pipes, rushing water pouring into the lab. "Hold onto me and you'll be fine. We'll swim through the caves."
Nodding, she was guided onto his back, just as the water came rushing in large geysers. As one of the Hunters tried to swipe at her, it was instantly killed by an empowered spray, gouging a HUGE hole in its scaly chest.
"Teach you not to fuck with the Sea Prince!" Wesker declared, smirking as he waded through the rapidly flooding halls. "The emergency passage to the caves is in the X-Ray lab, behind a fake wall." He added as Alana held onto him. She would have helped but was afraid to let go.
As they got near the room, the water was already up to their necks and Wesker felt Alana clutch a little tighter, fear creeping up in her. But one of his hands gently came upon hers and he shot her a comforting smile, just as they finally went under. In her mind's eye, she could see his expression change and yet it did not assuage her rising panic when the water closed in over their heads. Instinctively, Alana held her breath and shut her eyes tight. But he shook his head, and his voice filled her mind.
'Do not be alarmed. The water will not harm you as long as you maintain contact with me. Simply do as I say, and you will be fine. What you must do is open your mouth and breathe. I know it sounds suicidal but trust me. I am Oceania's Sea Prince. Her powers are my powers. As long as you hold onto me, you have nothing to fear from the water.'
Alana slowly opened her eyes upon hearing his voice. Being able to breathe back in that cave near the vault was one thing. The water was enchanted. But… could she really do it? Forcing through her fear and feeling the comfort from her stepfather, she nodded before opening her mouth and taking a breath. She coughed a bit, her body instinctively trying to fight it out. She felt his hand squeeze hers gently as she tried to get her body to breathe properly. After a few moments, she finally settled down and realized he was right.
'You're… You're right! I'm ok!' Her arms tightened a bit in a hug, and he rubbed her left arm in return.
'You see? There is no reason to be afraid. The others may have their suspicions about my powers, but only you now know the full extent. As Oceania's Champion, I share many of her abilities.'
Wesker swam towards the door to the X-Ray Lab with ease, taking care not to go fast too rapidly or Alana could slip off. He took this moment to look around the now submerged hall and saw the corpses of all the drowned BOWs and he felt himself smirk. This was only just the beginning of erasing Spencer's taint upon the city. He checked on his stepdaughter from time to time, making sure she was alright and he would get a nod in response each time. Despite being blinded, the confidence on her face showed. The two finally arrived in the X-Ray room and he used his powers to bust through the wall, which collapsed and caused the water to rush into the tunnel and pull them in, like going down a waterslide.
"Hang on!" He said to Alana as they slid down at speed.
"Whoooaaaaaa!" Alana yelled out in surprise as they rode down the waterfall, hanging on for dear life.
The slipslide sent them all the way into the underground, right below Jessica's burial chamber, itself directly below the mansion's main staircase. "We're gonna have to climb this thing to get back to the surface."
Alana nodded in understanding before hearing Wesker groaning in pain. "Wesker?!" She then heard the sickening sounds of flesh splitting and bones cracking as they reformed themselves. "What's that sound!? Are you hurt?!"
"No… it's a side effect of my powers I have yet to master… whenever I'm submerged in water above my neck, my lower body transforms into a fish tail, like a merman. But when I leave the water, the tail splits and reforms my legs… the experience is quite painful… I must learn to master it, so I can form the tail when I choose…" Wesker managed to grind out through gritted teeth.
Alana crawled to his side, and he took his hand, giving him something to hang onto as he rode out the pain. For Wesker, it felt like someone was dragging a white-hot knife through the back of his tail and slowly dragging it downwards. But finally, he gave out a heaving sigh of relief as his legs finally reformed, but it left him panting heavily.
"Are you ok, Wesker?" Alana asked in concern.
"...I'm fine… no time to rest. We need to keep moving, we have little time left…" He said, steeling himself for the task ahead and looking up at the smooth stone of the pillar. "This is going to be a bitch… but I have a better idea…" He said to himself, taking out his customized Samurai Edge and shooting several handholds into the stone. "Climb onto my back."
"Ok." Alana nodded and climbed on once more, clinging like a koala. "I'm ready, let's go."
As Wesker began the ascension along the pillar, Alana distantly heard the rattling of chains somewhere and fear struck her once more. It also made Wesker freeze mid-climb. "... Was that…?" she whispered with a quiver in her tone.
"You've gotta be fucking kidding…" Wesker cursed loudly. Lisa was STILL alive? Even after jumping into the abyss?! He actually laughed a bit. He had to give the monstrous mutant some credit: She was a persistent bitch.
Their fears were only solidified when they heard that familiar shrieking moan. "Oh no…! How is she still alive?! I thought Sailor Neptune told us she died when she jumped!" Alana whimpered.
"It was assumed, but no one had confirmed it… a great many things were assumed that have not held true…" He said, climbing faster. A short time later, he reached the top and pulled himself up onto the platform. Then he raced to the ladder and climbed it, running as fast as he could through the cavern and back to the staircase leading up into the mansion.
However, just as he and Alana wrenched open the gates and stepped back into the foyer, Lisa appeared, slamming her manacled arms into one of the pillars, collapsing it and making Alana scream out in surprise and terror.
"Lisa Trevor… it seems you can't even die right. No matter… this time I'll put you down for good." Wesker threatened, to no avail.
A distant, robotic voice blared: 'Five minutes, until detonation.'
"We need to lure her away from here! We can backtrack and fake her out!" Alana suggested.
"No. This ends here. It's time to put this mutant out of her misery." Wesker retorted, as he and Lisa began circling each other.
Alana felt helpless as she felt Wesker put her down in a corner, out of harm's way. If only she hadn't been careless with that Hunter, trying to protect Rebecca. Her small hands balled into fists, anger with herself boiling. She was so stupid! She shook her head. No… she was not going to show weakness! She was weak when Sergei had her! She was weak when she was that despicable man Spencer's experimental plaything!
"... NO MORE!" Alana yelled out, her power flaring out again, making Lisa jump away and Wesker snap his surprised gaze to her. "I won't be weak again! You hear me, Spencer?! NEVER AGAIN!" In a mix between a scream and a battle cry, she was engulfed suddenly in a bright light, making Wesker shield his eyes for a moment. When the light faded…
Standing before him was Alana, but her look had significantly changed. Her long brown hair was now a snowy white hue. Upon her head a wide brimmed white witch's hat. Her feet were now adorned with leg length white heeled boots and wore a silvery gray and white trimmed lace dress that stopped at her upper thighs. Her hands were covered in white elbow length gloves and her eyes were now that draconic gold.
Lisa cowered away from the girl as she stepped to Wesker's side with a confidence and elegance only fit for a Queen, heels clicking against the marble floor. The girl's eyes would narrow at the warped Lisa Trevor, who's back was now flailing with the tentacles once more in an attempt to scare her off, to no such luck.
"... I believe we have some unfinished business to tie up, son of Oceania. Wouldn't you agree?" There was no mistaking that voice… that was Reya talking! But he allowed himself a smirk and holstering his weapon, he backed off with a bow of respect.
"Well, well, well… The prodigal daughter makes her long awaited return. Perhaps I should merely hang back and let you do all the work. You probably could use the warmup~"
Reya smirked back at him and gave a curtsy before it dropped as her gaze returned to Lisa, who finally mustered up the courage and began to rapidly shamble towards her. The tentacles came flying out of her back and zipped towards the awakened Dragon Queen, but Reya was a lot faster and backflipped away from them with such agility, it was amazing how she kept her gracefulness while doing so. It was almost as if she were dancing around the mutated BOW.
Once more, Lisa raised her manacled hands and swung towards the girl, who cartwheeled out of the way. She wasn't even fighting back, which began to anger Lisa. How dare this new being mock her! She would kill her! Again and again, she swung her manacled limbs and tentacles at Reya, but she just kept dodging and skipping around. But finally, she was done playing around. Time was of the essence, and they did not want to stick around to see the fireworks.
Hands alight now with her own magic, she slapped a palm to the ground and a seal erupted around Lisa, sealing her inside a barrier. No matter how much Lisa banged on the invisible wall, it was not going to budge. Reya then looked up to the ceiling and got an idea. Leaping up into the air, she sent a blade of white light into the chain holding the chandelier.
CRAAAAASHHHHH!
Reya landed on her feet, just as the ornamental light came crashing down, pinning Lisa beneath it. "How utterly vulgar… how Umbrella could do such a thing to a sweet girl is beyond me…!" She hissed in disgust.
With all that over, Wesker finally walked over and looked down at the prone body of the hideously mutated woman. "Do us a favor, be a good girl and stay dead this time." He taunted the body, before turning to the Reya-possessed Alana. "Time to leave. We have maybe a minute left."
Reya nodded before the two dashed out of the manor, running like hell across the forest floor. Just as the last few seconds ticked down…
KAAAA-BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!
The enormous explosion sent a shockwave that flattened nearby trees and blew both individuals clean off their feet and several meters into the woods. The woodland around the initial blast zone was incinerated, and the surrounding woodland was set ablaze, creating a massive forest fire that Wesker was certain would catch the attention of the city. There was no chance that Umbrella was going to be able to hide this now… no chance in hell. Reya finally let go of Alana and the little girl all but collapsed into her stepfather's arms, panting heavily from the sudden transformation and power exertion.
A beeping caught Wesker's ear, and he took out a small device that appeared to be some kind of primitive locator beacon. He had originally tuned it to Sergei's signal, but now the device was reporting that the signal had vanished… Sergei had escaped.
"... So… what now?" Alana managed to say, her blind eyes looking up in the direction of Wesker's face. Her bandages had fallen away when Reya seized control of her body. "What about… the others?"
"We'll meet them back at the station as planned. After that, we need to leave Raccoon. Umbrella will investigate the destruction, and I need Spencer to believe I am dead. I cannot be of much use to anyone otherwise, as all my plans rely on my supposed 'death'." He replied.
Alana nodded and Wesker would see her trying not to pass out in his arms, but it was getting so hard to stay awake. She was just… so tired. She felt Wesker hold her closer in his arms, rubbing her back with one hand.
"Sleep, little one. You've done enough. The nightmare is over, we have finally woken up, and tomorrow is a bright new day…" He hummed softly, looking up towards the horizon, where the sun had begun to rise.
She would nod before finally passing out in his arms and Wesker began his trek back towards the station, despite his weariness.
One nightmare had ended, but little did they know, this was only a temporary reprieve.
Another nightmare would begin a only a month later…
