STOP. STOP. STOP. PLEASE. STOP. DON'T DO IT. PLEASE DON'T MAKE HER DO THIS.
Despite the pleas echoing around her no one but her can hear it as she is forced to step forward as the lights shine through the window highlighting the prisoner below. In the years it's been since Jill last saw her Alice has grown more beautiful. And she is totally rocking the dark hair. Jill loved her blonde, but the new hairstyle only enhances Alice's natural beauty. "Project Alice why did you turn against Umbrella." It's her voice. It's her saying it but it's not her. It's that fucking computer. The one Alice told her about. The one that killed everyone. It's controlling her through this thing on her chest. Has been for months now. Ever since they captured her outside of Boston.
"Jill," Alice asks softly eyes wide in disbelief at who is looking down at her. At who has captured her and brought her to this hellhole. Who led the slaughter of the people under her projection. Fuck she killed so many people on that boat and sentenced more to a fate worse than death. But it wasn't her. "Jill is that you."
Yes. She wants to say. Yes, it's me. I'm trapped inside my own body. But I'm here. I'm with you. That's what she wants to say. Instead, someone else's words come out. Someone else's questions.
"Project Alice why did you turn against Umbrella." Her voice comes out a little more forceful this time. Jill isn't sure if it's the Red Queen making that decision or if it's the strain she making trying to fight back.
Alice shakes her head taking a step forward closer to her. Her pale green eyes with shades of blue searching her own. Jill has always loved Alice's eyes. During their time together they would always seem to flicker between a deep blue and pale green. You could never really tell what Alice was feeling from her facial expressions. She always seemed to be in control of that never giving anything away, but her eyes never lied. Jill could always tell what Alice was feeling just by looking at the emotions gazing back at her. "Where are Claire and Chris. Where is K-Mart. Where are the others from the ship."
Claire Redfield. That name falls from Alice's lips fondness that makes Jill feel uneasy. When getting ready to attack the ship Claire was ranked as the second most valuable target. Intelligence from within Umbrella named her one of Alice's weaknesses. Her and a blonde teenager named K-Mart.
What kind of name even is that. Who the fuck goes around telling people their name is K-mart. Does she hang out with Walmart, Starbucks, and Target.
The young blonde being a weakness Jill can understand. Alice has always been loving and caring around kids so her and this K-mart being close doesn't surprise Jill at all. But the way it was stated that Claire was Alice's biggest weakness makes Jill feel sick. Rumors of the red-headed woman being Alice's lover feel like she is being kicked in the chest every time it is brought up.
Nothing has ever been proven about them, but rumors don't begin from nothing.
Did discussions about her and Alice happen as well. After Raccoon City and Detroit did Umbrella, employees come together and looked at the two of them as potential lovers. Or did they look at Alice and Carlos. Maybe LJ. Does she want to know about what they might have said about the two of them. What they planned on using her for before Alice vanished without a trace and Umbrella lost all interest in her.
Was she once said to be Alice's greatest weakness.
Her puppet master doesn't like Alice's question. Jill can feel her body moving to press down on a button. Suddenly the room she is in is darkened and a horrific screeching sound penetrates through the glass. It hurts her ears hearing it like that never mind being in the room with it. Internally Jill winces at the sound.
That wince turns into full-blown panic as the realization of who's in that room feeling the full effects of the devastating sound. She's tortured people via this technique before. It causes them unfathomable pain. Mix that with sleep devastation and you have a sure fire way of breaking someone down emotionally and mentally.
Screaming. Alice is screaming. She is making Alice scream. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I can't stop it. She can do nothing but watch in horror as Alice collapses to her knee's hands covering her head in an attempt to block out the ear-piercing noise.
"JILL," Alice screams through the pain. "STOP PLEASE. JILL STOP." Alice doesn't scream. Alice doesn't beg. At least not like this. But Jill quickly shoos those ideas away. Now is not the time for that. Not while she is currently torturing Alice.
I'm trying. Jill wants to scream back at Alice. Wants to tell her that it's not her doing this. She would never do this to her.
Alice is lying on the floor curled up in a ball. She looks so weak and vulnerable right now. Something that doesn't suit the amazing badass who drove a motorbike through a church window and killed three lickers like it was nothing. Pain radiates on her face and Jill hates herself for being the cause of all this.
The screeching comes and goes allowing time for Alice to regather herself only to destroy her again and again and again. She can do nothing but watch in agony as Alice screams and withers on the bright white floor. This goes on for days. Never allowing time for Alice to sleep. No food is delivered letting Alice starve in order to help weaken her. The tiniest amounts of water are delivered but that comes from a hose meant to soak Alice and keep her cold.
Jill thinks this is her own form of torture as well. For resisting and fighting against her master's control she is the one forced to inflict this pain on the woman she loves. Because she does love Alice. Not that she ever told Alice that. Their relationship never really involved talking deeply about their feelings for one another. They just were what they were. They never talked about it to each other. To LJ or Carlos. What they were to each other was like an unspoken thing.
That's not to say she isn't aware of Alice's feelings for her. Of her affection and dare she say, love. There was something between them. Some tender that made all other worries disappear when they were together. The slow kisses building in passion as they worshiped each other bodies under the cover of darkness away from prying eyes and questions. The way Alice held her closely afterwards planting soft lazy kisses on her neck and shoulders. How soft and gentle she was almost as if she was holding some precious in her arms. Something she feared would be ripped away from her.
The sound turns off once again, but Alice doesn't relax now freed from the head rattling noise. Instead, Alice remains curled up on the floor. Jill notes how the brunette shivers as she hugs herself trying to stay warm. The pathetic piece of plastic clinging to her offering little to no warmth and barely obscured the view of Alice's naked body.
It's just as bad as that lab coat Alice was clutching to her skin when they rescued her from the Detroit facility. Only then Jill was able to wrap her own coat around the shivering woman and hugged her close offering whatever warmth and comfort she could.
God how does she wish she could do that again.
"Project Alice who do you work for." The interrogation begins once again. Alice doesn't reply though. She stopped talking a few days ago. No matter what is asked of her Alice just sits or lays there staring blankly ahead. Until the pain comes as punishment for her vow of silence. "Project Alice who do you work for."
Jill already knows the answer to that. The clear and obvious answer. Alice works for no one. She has no hidden agenda other than protecting those around her. From what she's gathered Alice remained off of Umbrella's radar and let them be for years after the outbreak began. She only waged her war against Umbrella after Claire Redfield's convoy was attacked. But even after that she just took out the Japan facility because Wesker was hiding there. After that was done, she went right back to Claire only to find out Umbrella had attacked her and the convoy.
Claire who unlike her had managed to escape Umbrella's grip reunite with Alice kill Albert Wesker and liberate the Arcadia from Umbrella. For a few hours. Until Jill and her legion of soldiers appeared killing and capturing everyone she could. Including Alice, K-mart Chris Redfield, and Claire Redfield. Yet somehow Claire was able to overpower the guards holding her and forced the helicopter to crash and escape them once more. Even now they have no idea where the red-headed leader is other than the American continent.
And if Jill didn't feel such jealousy for the escapee's place in Alice's life and her ability to break free of Umbrella she would be impressed with the younger untrained Redfield.
Alice pushes herself upright glaring up to her. "Jill," Her voice comes out hoarse and strained through clenched teeth. "Why are you doing this." She yells demanding an explanation from her. One she can't give.
The screeching comes back. As do Alices screams.
Something isn't right. One moment she is standing guard over Alice. The next everything was black. She still couldn't move but she no longer felt the Red Queen's hold over her. Jill couldn't tell how long she was like that trapped in the darkness the only sound being that of her own breathing before everything turned back on.
And for a moment. A split moment Jill was able to lift her own head. To have control over her own body before it was snatched away from her again. But for a split moment, she was free. Now all she has to do is figure out how that happened and pray it happens again giving her enough time to save herself from this hell.
Her head snaps to the video feed which blares in alarm as a figure stands in the empty hallway looking up and down for any means of escape. Alice is out. She's free. Jill feels her heart leap at that feat. Someone how Alice has managed to escape her cell. She shouldn't be so surprised though. Alice has made a habit of escaping from Umbrella.
And boy does she look good in that suit. The sleek black material hugs Alice's body showing off her lean body giving her that hardcore warrior badass look that would have lesser men and women drooling after her. Not Jill though. She would never drool over someone. Just look in high appreciation.
But she does wonder where the hell that suit came from. It's not standard issue yet seems to fit her body perfectly. Was that hidden away in her cell. How.
Then again how does Alice do anything she does. She's a walking wonder. Jill's very own Wonder Girl.
The Umbrella controlled part of her doesn't hold the same sentiment towards this newest development. Fear runs through her as she feels her counterpart's annoyance and rage as Alice smirks up at the camera. "Scramble all security teams." She orders funneling the soldiers under her command up and after Alice. She looks back at the fed as Alice moves further down the hall uncertain in her movements. "And sweep the corridor with the laser grid."
Run Alice. Run. She screams in her head desperately praying for some divine intervention that Alice can hear her and flee while she still can. Jill's gaze is ripped away from the surveillance feed as the operator activates the laser grid.
Alice can look after herself. Jill has to remind herself as she is forced to march away from watching Alices attempt at an escape. Not before catching a look at the fish net style laser pattern rushing towards the ex-Umbrella agent.
She can remember Alice telling her about what happened down in the Hive. Quiet words spoken into her chest as she held on to the woman opening up about all the shit that went down in that underground laboratory. The laser defense the Red Queen activated killing four of Alice's friends. Including Shade and Medic. It killed Vine and Bowie as well, but Alice wasn't as close to them as she was to the rest of the until. Those two came in to replace Morgan and Wolff after they were reassigned. Alice joined the security branch two months after that working at the known and open to tourist facility in London.
From the sounds of it, Alice enjoyed working in England the most out of all the countries she has been to. And she wouldn't shut up about how good the British Army was going on to say she could see how such a small nation was able to take over the world. They may be little but god are they skilled and a force to be reckoned with. Alice had then kissed her lovingly before smirking and said just like you.
Which in turn earned her a light jab to the stomach. Not that it deterred her from chuckling earning another hit.
Then after London, she was transferred to a private one in Sofia. Bulgaria had never really been a place she had thought about going to. But Alice seemed to like it for her brief time working there before taking over as head of security in Kyiv. When talking about her time there it was the first time Jill realised that Alice wasn't American. Well, she is but not fully. Her father is American, but her mother was Ukrainian, and she was born in Kyiv when her father was establishing the Umbrella Facility there. Alice classes herself as both.
You can't tell from her accent. Most of the time. But sometimes she's very tired, angry, or passionate about something the accent will slip out. Just like the language. Another thing she didn't know about Alice until then was that she speaks eleven languages. Eleven. She barely remembers any of the Spanish and she took it for five years.
Following her stint as head of security back in her birth city she landed the role at the Hive. Thus, starting her down the path that brought the dead back to life and the world to its knees. It also brought her and Alice together so some good did come of her transfer.
Which isn't saying that she blames Alice for all this. The T-Virus escaping the Hive wasn't her fault. No matter how much Alice would argue otherwise it wasn't her that realised the virus. That was Spencer. It wasn't her that killed everyone. That was the Red Queen. Nor was it her who reopened the Hive after it was secured and locked down trapping the virus and the infected inside. That was Cain and Issac. All Alice did was manage to survive while others died. She tried and tried but no matter how hard or fast she was it never seemed to be enough to protect everyone. It's just a harsh reality of this shitty world they all find themselves living in.
Back when they were together Jill lived for these types of conversations. The ones where Alice would let her guard down and open up about herself. The ones where she showed her trust for Jill by letting her in. By trusting Jill not to walk away after learning about the person Alice is like others had done before. That was how Alice showed she cared.
She remembers one time when Jill was mid-conversation about some crazy thing she did back at the S.T.A.R.S Academy when Alice stopped her and thanked her. It was strange and she was very confused as to what Alice was thanking her for. Alice offered her a small smile and thanked her for opening up to her. How she knows how uncomfortable it makes her to talk about herself, but Alice appreciates her taking the chance not only to open herself up to Alice but for letting Alice slowly let her guard as well. That she appreciated that about her.
Jill noticed the way Alice hesitated over using the word appreciated. Like she wanted to say a different word but changed it at the last second. She has an inkling as to what word Alice was so uneasy about using. Or at least she hopes she knows what the word is. The same one she couldn't manage to say either. The thing that laid between them but was never touched upon.
According to Alice the biggest communication problem in relationships is that we do not listen to understand. We listen to reply. And she was forever grateful that Jill listened to understand. To understand her. To understand and stay with her. To allow them to be like this.
Alice was sweet and timid when she said this. Showing the side of her that isn't the witty badass who knows more ways to kill someone with a pen than most people know cooking recipes. Jill had wanted to say something. Anything in response but found that the words couldn't put meaning into what she was feeling. Instead, she kissed the blonde and hoped her actions spoke louder than her words ever could.
She remembers the nervous flutter that taunted her heart when Alice called what was between them a relationship. That acknowledgment about that they were to each other flooded her with relief that Alice on some level held the same feelings as her.
Grabbing her own weapon Jill leads her team to hunt down Project Alice. Please be ok. And please be faster than me.
There is a traitor in their group. Somebody is helping Alice escape. That can be the only explanation as to how Alice managed to escape her cell and get changed into that killer outfit. Good. She wishes it was her though. She wishes she was stronger. Wishes she could fight back against this thing on her chest. Wishes she could control her own damn body. It's her's why can't she control it. Why is she hunting Alice down.
Jill's body moves around the room inspecting each of the men and women under her command. Could it be one of them. Have they broken free of Umbrella's brainwashing. Maybe an old memory came back, and they remembered who they used to be. The people Alice used to know and trust.
"How did she get out." Shade asks once the scan of the hallway and cell were complete. The same Shade One James who trained Alice. Who was her captain during her time as a commando. The same man Alice told her was like a father to her after growing up with the abusive fucker she shared blood with. Shade who went down with Alice into the Hive to investigate what happened to all the workers and shut down the Red Queen. Even when Alice has no memory and was lost and so confused with everything going on Shade still took the time to comfort her. To look out for her.
The Same Shade Alice had watched being sliced into a hundred different pieces in that god forsaken laser room.
If Shade remembered who he was to Alice, then Jill has no doubts that he would have helped her escape.
Eyeing him she continues circling the room. "She's obviously getting help. We have a traitor in this facility." Now only if the traitor could get this thing off her chest. She can make sure Alice gets out of here. She needs to help Alice get out of here.
"Security systems were shut down for two minutes ma'am" Carlos states to everyone once the check comes in. Carlos. The man who fought side by side with her and Alice back in Raccoon City. The skilled former soldier who helped craft the plan to sneak into the Detroit base and rescue Alice. He worked his old contacts and managed to get them forged papers and helped LJ steal an old Umbrella USV which was meant to be scrapped after being in an accident. They had just slapped a new paint job on it and paid a questionable mechanic to fix the battered car up as best as he could.
It was definitely a chop shop they used. But needs must and they needed the car to look real if they had any hope of making it inside the compound. He was cheap and didn't ask questions about what they were doing which suited them just fine.
Carlos did irk her a bit with the small crush he harbored for Alice. The puppy dog eye he would send her when she wasn't looking. The way he always smiled more when Alice was around. More than once Jill had wanted to slap him for the way he tried to flirt with Alice. How she wanted to make it clear that Alice was hers. She had tried to leave marks on Alice's neck and chest as a clear indication that she was not available, but Alice's stupid super healing wiped the trace of any mark within hours.
Don't believe Alice when she says that when Jill first found this out about this she sulked and got all grumpy at not being able to leave a clear message on Alice's skin. She did not sulk nor was she grumpy. She will admit to being a little disappointed but that's it. Whatever else Alice says is a lie.
Carlos might have helped Alice to escape if he remembers the months, they all spent together. And apparently, he and LJ met back up with Alice when they were traveling with Claire Redfield and her merry band of survivors. Like what are the chances of running into someone in the middle of a zombie infested desert. So not only did Alice, Carlos, and LJ three out of the five members of the original zombie fighting gang manage to reunite they even replaced her with that damn red head and had their own blonde kid with them. But then they had to go and get themselves killed as well before she could find them all again.
She's not bitter about that. Not at all. Why would she be bitter about that.
"What about control." She asks filled to the brim with agitation. Not all of it being channeled from the Red Queen at Alice managing to slip through their hands again.
Rain steps forward to answer the question. Yet another person from Alice's past who might be willing to risk everything to free the tall brunette from this hell. Ever since she had first met the umbrella commando Jill has been very impressed with her skills and how she operates.
Of course, she also has the memories Alices once shared about her best friend who followed her into the Hive and ended up becoming infected. Alice had nearly broken down in tears when telling her about how she thought Rain would be okay. How they managed to find the antidote. The same one they saved Carlos with. How they thought they were safe from the fucked up mess left behind in the Hive and that the four of them would be able to get out.
Only for that dream to shatter when the licker arrived instantly killing Kaplan, infecting Matt, and how Rain still turned into one of the undead even with the anti-virus in her system. How in the end none of them managed to escape.
When being told about everything that happened in the Hive, she could hear the fear and terror Alice experienced during those hours underground. For her when Raccoon City was overrun with the dead, she was terrified but having Alice around made her feel somewhat safe. Having someone who understood was what going on and how to handle things made the whole thing less scary and more bearable. She couldn't show fear. Not while Peyton was injured, and Jerri was overwhelmingly terrified. She needed to be the strong one. The one to stay calm and help Alice protect everyone.
But Alice never got that. Her first time dealing with the virus was spent without the memories of who she was. Surrounded by people she had no recollection of watching them all die one by in different horrific ways. The betrayal of Spence and Umbrella at the end. To be experimented on only to wake up from that hell to find yourself right in the middle of an even bigger outbreak. How Alice kept it together she doesn't know.
Alice admitted that sometimes it felt like everyone who went down into the Hive died down there. That she died down there.
"We still can't raise them." Rain answers looking to her for orders on what to do next. Jill supposes it makes sense for whoever orchestrated this would make sure that central control wouldn't be able to locate Alice immediately and make it, so she was trapped. If you are going to try and break out of one of the most secure bases in the world you would make sure you can't be trapped.
Capture if possible. Terminate if necessary. The orders come and Jill can almost feel her heart drop. Terminate. No. No. She can't. She can't kill Alice. She won't. Come on damn it take control Alice needs you. She tries to fight it.
Her struggle means nothing in comparison to the device digging into her. "If control isn't answering something must be wrong. Let's move out." A chorus of Yes Ma'am fills the room that once held Umbrella's most dangerous enemy.
The fastest way to the control room is through the Tokyo simulations area. These bastards have simulations of every major country capital and are still working on experimenting on the T-Virus. Those fuckers ended the world, and they are still not happy with the results and have to keep trying to control it. When will they learn that they can't control it and start focusing on how to this mess they started instead.
The whole cloning aspect is creepy. Having all those lifeless bodies staring at you is beyond unsettling. Seeing the countless ways in which clones of Alice have died is something that will haunt her forever. Having to be the one to shoot the zombified version of Alice is a sight she will never forget. Just another form of punishment by her overlord for not giving in completely.
Entering Tokyo dozens of infected clones turn towards her and her group. She wastes no time in giving the command to open fire on the infected cutting them down one by one as they make their way across the testing environment.
It's only when they reach the connecting corridor after they have felled most of the undead does Jill notice the pile of bodies near the door. Leaving her people to finish cleaning up the area Jill inspects the bodies. Gunshots through the head. Blunt force trauma to the skull and snapped necks. Alice was here. The Red Queen must have activated the simulation here in order to kill Alice. But Alice fought back taking out a dozen infected with her before managing to get into the control room.
Seeing the damage Alice left in her wake a flicker of a smirk appears on her face without her knowledge. How she wishes she could have seen it. Alice has never been more in her element than when she is killing undead. Her slick moves are something of a sight to witness. With unparalleled skill agility and precision even without her powers, Alice is a remarkable fighter. She's gutted to have missed Alice back in action.
She can feel the camera on her. Sees how it moves to lock in on her. Whoever is in the control room isn't with Umbrella. Looking down the lens she swears she can almost feel Alice on the other end. Is Alice watching her now. Have their roles reversed. She tries to apologize with her eyes hoping Alice can read them. Hoping she has some semblance of her true self reflecting into the camera. Prays it is Alice watching her. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry my love.
The last of the gunfire breezes past her as her loyal soldiers regroup at the door with her. The sense of someone watching her disappears and she knows that Alice is gone again. "Get this door open." She demands towards Rain who moves forward with her torch to break it open.
You better be long gone by then Alice.
Ada Wong is the traitor. That was surprising news but the recording of her executing all of the control staff is pretty damming. Relief that Alice has an old friend backing her up. Someone who can handle themselves perfectly well in a fight. She's personally never seen Ada fight, but Alice always spoke highly of the woman. And that speaks volumes about just how good Ada really is.
The woman in question has always stayed away from her. She noticed the curious looks but never put too much thought into it. If she was in Ada's place and the head of security at one of the most important facilities was someone under the control of this device, it would draw her curiosity as well. She just always assumed it was Ada securitizing her seeing if the Red Queen did have complete over her or not.
Now she thinks maybe Ada was planning on something like this. A rescue mission and wondered where she would fit into it. Would the risk of trying to free her be worth it or not. Apparently not as she only released Alice. As angry as she is at the thought of not being worth the risk Jill can't help but agree with Ada's decision. If trying to remove this from her put Alice at risk, she would willingly be left behind. All that matters is that Alice gets out of here.
The Red Queen alerts them to the fact that Alice and Ada have made it through the New York environment and are growing closer to the exit. Jill hurries her people along wanting to get this room back under their control.
Shade is the one to point out the various missing weapons from the room's gun storage. She wants to scoff at that. Of course, Alice and Ada would arm themselves to the teeth. How else could they hope to make it out of here with the Red Queen tracking them. The hundreds of undead ready to be unleashed upon them in a second or the dozens of armed soldiers chasing after them. They would need a whole armory in order to make it through all of that.
But even then, with only the two of them fighting their way through the different test environments the odds of them making it out of here alive aren't in their favour. This place was designed with the sole purpose of making sure nothing escaped by accident. With all the experiments taking place they couldn't risk anything breaking free.
That was before they ruined the world though. When they tested what different viral outbreaks would do to the population before showing the world leaders and had them buying their biological weapons to earn a profit. An arms race where no country comes out on top. All sides having the same weapons to ensure peace was kept. A standstill designed to make Umbrella rich as they kept creating more and more weapons to keep their pockets filled.
Ada better have a good plan on how to get out of here. Given the time she has spent here, it would be safe to assume that Ada knows this facility like the back of her hand which gives her an advantage on navigating through the giant complex. Does Alice know the layout of this place. Given her history, Jill wouldn't be surprised if she was aware of this place and or had come here before. Maybe together the two of them have a chance of getting out of her after all.
"Intruders detected." The Red Queen appears turning all the camera feds to a group of five heavily armed men making their way through the submarine pens. Jill cheers on the inside at the sight. Help. Alice has help coming to make sure she escapes. They will clear a path for Alice and Ada to make it to the elevators. Five more walking armories to ensure this mission goes off without a hitch.
The odds of Alice getting out of here have just shot up.
Yet she does have to wonder where Alice or Ada found these guys. They must be with Ada since everyone from the convoy and ship were either killed or captured. Well, everyone but Claire Redfield. Is she the one who organized this.
No. if that was the case Alice's companion would be leading the team down here. Claire would never let someone else go and save Alice. At least from the reports on the other woman that would be the case. Wesker before he turned out to be a traitor and was killed by Alice, Claire, and Chris described her as a leader who leads by example. Alice's greatest weakness wouldn't be sending somebody else to do the job. She would do it herself to make sure it was right.
Claire would lead it to be reunited with Alice faster.
Shaking her thoughts on the younger Redfield from her mind Jill leads her team through the New York enclosure trying to cut down the distance between herself and Alice. Stumbling upon the charred remains of the two Axemen has her and her whole group looking on in disbelief. The Axe wielding bioweapons are some of the strongest and toughest experiments created by Umbrella. It takes an entire highly trained team and hundreds of bullets to take one of those fuckers down.
Yet here Alice and Ada managed to do that with two Axemen hunting them down. The damage around the bodies and shell cases speak of a battle. One that Alice and Ada managed to win in record time.
The burnt bodies act as a deterrent to the squad of soldiers going after the two traitors. If they managed to do that to some of the most dangerous monsters around, what would they do to them. Internally smirking Jill pushes her people forward.
That smirk disappears when an update appears to them. According to the Red Queen Alice and Ada have remained holed up not that far ahead of them. Why did you stop Alice. You needed that head start to make it out of here before we caught up. What could have possibly been so important that you would risk getting caught. You were almost there. Why did you stop.
They take point around the house. All guns aimed at the door waiting for Alice and Ada to emerge. What could have caused Alice to stop here. It doesn't make any logical sense. When you're trying to flee from somewhere you don't stop off. You keep going until you're free. So why.
That question is answered a few moments later when Alice exits the house faltering in her steps when she spots the small army gathered outside waiting for her. It's not just the fact that she's been surrounded that makes Alice halt in her steps. Jill watches as her eyes flicker from each of her unmasked soldiers. Sees the way Alice looks a everyone from her past. The betrayal and pain reflected in her eyes at seeing the people she had once cared about most being nothing but pawns to be used against her. The people she loved most being tasked to kill.
The sadness she looks at Shade with no doubt remembering the man she came to love and respect. The man who made her shitty life a little better and encouraged her to be who she is. Not who her father wanted her to be.
Rain her best friend who she always felt she had let down the most. How the commando's death stuck with her the most out of everyone she feels she let down. Who she had tried so hard to save and thought she had until she turned, and Matt put a bullet through her skull.
Carlos who had joked and made Alice feel more human after all the stuff Umbrella did to her. The man who refused to be afraid of her when her powers developed and always looked on the bright side of life. Inspiring hope in their little group and made Alice smile more often than not.
The way she looks at Jill is by far the worst. The sight of Alice looking at her like she has lost everything that matters with no hope in her eyes rips into Jill's chest and for a moment it feels like she gains some control back before the Red Queen reacts its control over her. Locked inside her while Alice is sending her a heartbreaking look. One she never wanted directed towards her.
Alice's eyes glance down to her chest when the spider shaped device lays before re-meeting Jill's eyes. She can see the deep self-hatred in Alice's eyes. How she feels as if it's her fault that Jill is now in this position. The guilt clouds her eyes as she begs Jill to forgive her. Not that It's Alice's fault.
What happened to her had nothing to do with Alice. She was the one who decided to investigate the rumors of an Umbrella base near Boston. She was the one who slipped up and got herself captured. That had nothing to do with Alice. In fact, if it wasn't for her past relationship with the now brunette Umbrella would have just killed her. Not used her as a way to gather more information on the ex-project. Alice is the only reason she is alive.
Movement next to Alice catches her attention and the feeling of trepidation of what is to come fills her. A child. There is a child holding on to Alice's hand. A child who has the same hair and eyes as Alice. "Mommy." The girl who couldn't be older than seven or eight mutters tightening her hold on Alice's hand. Oh, Holy fucking shit. Alice has a child. Fuck. Alice brings the child closer to her body. Ready to shield her from the on hail of bullets.
Memories of another child they had tried to shelter from the world come to mind. Angie who was so brave and kind. Who was put through so much trauma at such a young age. Who they couldn't protect forever. Who ran out of anti-virus while they were hiding from Umbrella and avoiding the dead. The child's death was the first nail in the coffin of their group. No one really knew how to handle the young girl's death. Each feeling like one of their own limbs had been severed off.
They had tried to find more anti-virus. Alice led them to two different umbrella facilities which they destroyed after taking as much anti-virus as they could. But it wasn't enough. The facilities became harder to attack. The number of dead grew too much and they were limited on supplies. They failed Angie. And that lay heavily on each and every one of them.
It wasn't much longer after her death that they were caught in an Umbrella ambush leaving them scattered from one another. That was the last time she saw LJ and Carlos. The last time she would see Alice while she was still herself. Not this computer automatised pretender she is now.
Capture, if possible, terminate if necessary is repeated in her head.
"There's a child here," Alice says breaking eye contact with Jill scanning the soldiers spread out in front of her. Looking for any means of escape. She talking to buy herself time. Time to figure a way out of this. A way to protect the child she has seemed to have adopted. Behind her Ada does the same thing.
Rain swings back on forth on the swing not a care in the world as she checks over her gun. "Your problem, not ours."
Alice scoffs at hearing this. "All heart. You haven't changed a bit." Her words come out bitter but there is an underlining of hurt threaded through her words.
Rains glares towards the escapee. "I don't know you, lady." She resorts back annoyance filling her words as she straightens up readying herself to attack. This time Alice visibly winces at her old friend's words.
A wince that only grows when Shade steps closer. "Now surrender or die." He gives her former daughter figure a choice. One that causes Alice to breathe in sharply. From what Alice told her about her real father he would have said the exact same thing to her. In fact, he did when Alice first turned away from his influence. She didn't fall in line with his demands then either.
Alice raises her hands up showing she is unarmed. Makes a show of surrendering. Because that's all it is. A show. Alice would never surrender. Not to umbrella. Jill remembers the last time she saw Alice do a movie like this back in Raccoon City. She remembers but the Red Queen doesn't.
The moment Alice walks past Ada the Asian woman draws her gun and fires into the gathered crowd taking out three soldiers before she or her team can react. Alice grabs the child and pushes her back into the house with Ada covering her as they retreat to find protection from the on hail of bullets she and her team fire upon them.
Bullets fly from both sides and despite her side having more people to take aim at the two women holed up in the house it seems as if it's they who are losing. Ada and Alice seem to be avoiding their bullets while they fire kill shots into her soldiers as they fall one by one. Behind her a car explodes, and she can hear the screams of some of her men who were caught in the wreckage.
Jill notices how Alice kills those around her but never takes aim at her. She shoots at Carlos Rain and Shade but not at her. Even now it seems like Alice is still trying to protect her. Refuses to hurt even when she should in order to better position. If the roles were reversed Jill probably wouldn't be able to take the shot either. Nonetheless, Alice should take the shot at her because should her body get in the position to kill her there is nothing, she can do to stop it. Alice may show her mercy, but the Red Queen wouldn't do the same for her.
Rain moves next to her as another soldier passes her a rocket launcher. Jill feels her stomach drop at the sight of Rain taking aim at the already battered and destroyed house. She wants to stop her. Give the order to put the deadly weapon down and instead return to their guns offering Alice and Ada a better chance of defeating them.
Hopelessly she watches as Rain pulls the trigger and follows the rocket's path into the house. The blast devastates its surroundings and reaches up to the roof of the dome. With a heavy heart, Jill leads what's left of her team into the remains of the house looking for their targets. Her foot crunches on something that isn't wood, and Jill looks down to see the tattered remains of a photo frame.
Lifting the picture up and turning it to face her Jill is greeted with the picture of a younger looking version of herself and Alice wrapped around each other with huge grins on their faces. Jill's heart drops as she takes in the image remembering when it was taken. The dark background of a nightclub Alice had dragged her to a few days after they escaped Detroit. Alice had wanted to do something where she could just forget about everything that happened for a night and have fun.
LJ had taken the photo of the two of them dancing together as the rest of the world faded away from them enclosing them in a little bubble of each other. They later ended up fucking in the club's bathroom when LJ left them to order more drinks. By the time they remerged LJ was drunk and dancing with some random woman not paying attention to the fact the two of them had disappeared together. LJ took more photos that night of all three of them, but this is the one Jill kept for herself and kept with her until Boston.
Umbrella stole this picture from her. Stole the memory of that night. Of them. They've tainted it just like they have done with everything around them. Just like they did with Alice.
"Ma'am we found one." One of her soldiers calls out. Jill looks over to where a small crowd has gathered a hole in the ground guns pointing down and two of them reach down pulling a dust covered body from below. Ada.
Without thinking about it Jill pulls the picture out of the frame and tucks it into her deeper chest to stop it from falling out. She is unaware that she tucked the photo over her heart. "Any sign of Project Alice."
"Negative Ma'am," Carlos replies coming in through the back. "It seems she fled out the back." Relieved at the fact that once again Alice has escaped them, she orders Rain to secure Ada before continuing forward aiming to reach the submarine pen. Alice has a head start but still needs to get through the Moscow environment where the Strike Team sent to aid her is being held back by the Red Queen.
Walking down the fake street something small catches Jill's eyes. She almost missed it. And looking at it now she kind of wishes she had. Small drops of red stain the floor. Drops that grow in size the further they walk.
Blood
One of them is bleeding. Either Alice or the children accompanying her are bleeding. One of them was hit. Jill feels dismayed at the thought that it was one of her bullets that inflicted this upon one of them. It couldn't have been one of her's right. Please don't let have been one of her.
Either way one of them is hurt. Which means they will be slower in moving. It's a race to the elevators and anyone could win it at this point.
Turns out it's Alice and her team that reach the exit first. They were free and clear of the approaching security team. They would have made it out of here had it not been for the Red Queen cutting all power to the lift stopping their ascent to the surface.
Naturally, it's her that arrives first on the scene. She had pushed ahead of her team at the sound of gunfire. Ahead of her Alice stands facing some light blond haired man. They seem to be having some kind of disagreement. A tall black man stands a little bit behind them with his back to Jill watching the man and woman argue. Whatever Alice and the blond disagree on seems to be resolved as Alice pushes past him looking towards the black man for a second. He flashes her a charming smile obviously agreeing with whatever point she was making.
They haven't noticed how she is approaching them. Or the fact that her team has appeared behind her. She takes aim at Alice. A simple shot on a group of unsuspecting people. It would be easy. So easy to shoot Alice in the back. A bit poetic as well if you think about it.
Jill can feel her arm raise the gun locking in on Alice. Alice who still hasn't noticed their arrival. Jill screams and rages as much as she can against the movement. Anything to stop what is about to happen. Her arm raises up and takes aim. Her team falls into a defensive position behind her ready. And Jill fires the first shot.
But just as she pulls the trigger, she manages to twitch her hand slightly. It's only slight but it's enough to cause the bullet to go off course hitting the man next to Alice instead of Alice. The man falls back against the wall clutching his arm and Alice whips around to face her. Their eyes meet across the battlefield as bullets are unleashed from both sides. Everyone ducks to the side hiding behind pillars and gunfire is exchanged between the two parties.
During the chaos, Jill sees three of the men who came to rescue Alice popping out from their hiding spots cutting down her men. But she doesn't see Alice doing the same. Nor does she see the child. It would make sense for Jill not to see the kid. Who would want to put a child in the middle of a gun fight. Maybe they have her hiding away on the elevator. But that still doesn't explain Alice's absence.
Since when does Alice shy away from a fight. The raven-haired woman is usually the one leading the fight. The one to put down most of the attackers. So why isn't Alice fighting. To the right side of the elevator, Jill spots the boots on the floor indicating a dead body hiding behind the wall. Alice... No. No. It can't be Alice.
Jill tries to think about what other explanations could be behind why Alice isn't fighting and why it seems to be the intruders are down from four fighters to just three. Every possible reason to push away the idea that it's Alice who is lying prone on the ground.
Whatever reasons she might have come up with are interrupted when the gunfire coming from the intruders dulls down. Now only one person seems to be holding the hallway. Are the others down. Did they fall back. Is that where Alice is. If they are trying to escape, they would need to take the elevator up. It's the only way out. So, it would make sense that someone was working on getting that working again. Is that Alice's job. Did the others drop back to their only means of escape because Alice is nearly done. Will they regain power and make it out of here after all.
"Bring out the prisoner." She calls out ordering her people to stand down. Rain appears pulling out Ada who levels a glare at each of them but shows no fear for her own life. Shade calls out for them to surrender of Ada will be executed.
Silence reigns for a few moments before a man who is heavily bleeding from the chest and face steps out from his hiding spot hands in the air with a cigar in his mouth. God would she kill for a smoke right about now. Nodding towards two of the guards they open fire on the man. He falls backwards to the ground landing with a quiet thud.
Just as she was about to move forward to close down on the last few members of the failed rescue party the man in a red vest jacket sat back up into a sitting position firing four last shots off before he was gunned down again. Next to her Shade drops to the ground blood gushing out of his chest. A shocked expression on his face.
Jill herself is startled by Shade going down that she freezes. Her people push ahead but she remains in place watching as Shade takes his last few breaths. The sounds of shots firing echo around her. Gritting her teeth, she narrows her eyes at Ada as if this was all her fault.
An explosion goes off somewhere above her. Looking behind her she can hear it. They must have set bombs on a timer on the surface and at the entrance to the submarine pen to cover their escape. The sounds of domes collapsing in on themselves. A rushing noise steadily growing closer. Water
Shit.
"Move." She screams to her people grabbing Rain and Ada guiding them and a few others towards the closest submarine. The water is quickly gaining on her and she locks the latch to the sub behind her just in time. Only a few of her team made it to the Sub. Carlos wasn't one of them.
The survivors manage to get the sub working as the whole facility is destroyed and escape from the wreckage of what was Umbrella's most important compound. She has to give it to the small band of survivors Alice is with. They managed to plan this very well. Rescued Alice and wiped out the cloning facility with only a few men and Ada.
The Red Queen managed to survive, however. It must have transferred itself to another facility as its orders still come through. Above them, one lone vehicle is driving away. The sub begins to rise cracking up the ice.
One last showdown between Umbrella and Alice's team. Just when they thought they managed to get away.
Stepping out of the submarine standing across from her and Rain in a united line in front of a turned-over snowmobile is Alice and the two men. Both sides don't say anything as they approach until they are only a few meters apart. Three on one side three on the other. A clear line in the ice separates the Umbrella fraction from the resistance.
Freezing cold wind brushes past each of them whistling loudly over the silence of the two sides as they seize each other up. Snowflakes fall all around them and if it wasn't for everything that has happened and will happen it would be very pretty to watch. Old derelict ships creak frozen in the ice. The anticipation builds and all six of them can feel it. Their blood burns aching to attack but no one dares make the first move.
The blonde man focus rests solely on Ada. The corner of his lips tilting upwards. "Told you she would have a plan." He says with smugness as his eyes drift to Alice for a second before darting back to Ada.
Alice herself hasn't drawn her attention away from Jill since the moment she opened the submarine's latch. A stubborn look of defeat and hope is shared between the two lovers. They both know what this means. By the end of this encounter either Jill will be free of Umbrella whether that may be from Alice ripping this thing off of her chest or Alice having to kill her still releasing her from their hold and giving her peace. Or Jill will be the one to end Project Alice once and for all.
It all comes down to this moment.
Alices nods to herself her teeth catching on her lip before she addresses Jill directly. "Only the two of you." She questions eyes narrowing in suspicion.
Jill can see it. How Alice is thinking of every possible scenario that will come from this situation. How she can turn it to her advantage. Three vs two does land in her favour but from the sound of Alice's voice, she knows something is up.
Jill isn't holding a gun and Rain holds only a small pistol. If this was to be a final stand type of fight surely, they would have brought more weapons. Unless they had something else up their sleeve. And that is what Alice is looking for. The thing that puts this back in Jill and Rain's favor. For she knows they wouldn't attack like this unless they were sure they would win.
Knowing this Jill smirks towards Alice. "It'll be enough." She warns before breaking eye contact with her love. Inside Jill is screaming as hard as she can doing everything in her power to stop this. To do anything that can help Alice.
She's done it before. Small breaks in control. Watching Alice on the other side of the camera. Smiling when seeing how Alice is still one of the best fighters she knows. Slipping back into her own body for a second when faced with Alice outside that house. Taking the photo of the two of them. Making herself miss the shot. Throughout all of the day, she has been able to take moments of control back. Now all she needs to do is do that again. Jill has never been a quitter and she will fight as hard as she can against the Red Queen's demands to protect Alice. Even if it ends in her own death.
Next to her Rain pulls out a syringe. "The Las Pragus Parasite." The blonde male states identifying the substance as Rain injects herself with the virus making her nearly invisible in a fight. That was the missing piece Alice was looking for. The thing that turns the tide to the Umbrella's side advantage.
The moment Ada hits the ground the final battle begins.
Blondie and the bold man instantly raise their pistols unloading their clips into Rain while Alice aims her two submachine guns towards her. Charging towards each other Jill propels herself off the ground doing a series of flips dodging the incoming bullets that are fired around her. Jill lands perfectly in front of Alice kicking her guns out of her grasp.
Alice wasn't really aiming to kill her. If she was she wouldn't have missed. Not that many bullets at close range. Her ex swings her arm to hit her but Jill ducks under it grabbing hold of the thick coat which Alice twists out of freeing her from Jill's grasp.
Jill doesn't notice how Alice keeps hold of the coat for a few extra seconds to grab something hidden from inside as the two women spin away to face each other again. She does notice when throwing away the discarded coat that Alice is now armed with two ice picker blades. Strange choice in weapon but Alice is nothing if not adaptable. Jill pulls her own staff out and Alice watches in disbelief as it extends and spits out its serrated ends.
Facing off against Alice is the nightmare Jill had been dreading ever since she was captured. This is why Umbrella kept her around. Pushed her body to its maximum potential. Downloaded all videos of Alice's previous fights into her mind so she could anticipate her every move.
Claire Redfield might have been declared her greatest weakness, but she was created to be Alice's downfall. Because in the end, even Umbrella knows Alice won't be able to kill her. Won't be able to bring herself to do that. Just like how she couldn't kill Matt after he was put through the nemesis program. Alice would never harm or kill the people she cares about. Even to save her own life.
Gunfire continues in the background. Not that Alice or Jill pay attention to that. They remained locked on each other. Jill tries to show Alice how sorry she is for all of this. A sad dejected look crosses Alice's face for a split second. Before it passes and they engage each other once again.
It's ok. I'm sorry too.
They rush each other the sound of metal clanging against each other as they trade blows. Attacks blocked and parried. It's during this short exchange when a few freckles of blood drip into the snow staining it red. Inside Jill swears knowing it was Alice who was hit with the stray bullet. Alice who is fighting with a potentially deadly wound. If it's still bleeding like this, it wasn't a simple graze.
Alice seems to be favouring one side revealing which side she is hurt on. Something which Jill capitalises on aiming more attacks there forcing Alice on to the defensive and leaving her open. On the other side. With a quick swing of her staff, Jill lands the first hit on Alice's face. Blood drips down her cheek from the small cut. Inside Jill curses herself for not being stronger. For harming Alice.
Alice takes the hit in her stride unleashing her own attacks back on Jill gaining some advantage in the fight bringing her to her knees and kicking away her staff. Now defenseless Alice could have gone for the kill. But she hesitates for a second. And a second is all she needs to flip Alice over and take control of the fight again. She slams Alice hard into the ice feeling it falter but not break.
That is why Umbrella kept her alive. Alice had the chance to end this fight with a swing of her blade. But she didn't. Even now she still refuses to hurt Jill. And Jill hates her for that. For being so stubborn that she is risking her own life in a hopeless endeavour to protect her old lover.
Jill does everything she can think of to stop herself from killing Alice. Her body is screaming at her to reach down and snap Alice's neck while she desperately tries to suck in the air that was ripped out of her lungs from the force of being slammed into the ground. She rages against the movement holding back her arms.
It's a brief pause. An offer of respite to Alice who quickly regathers herself slashing at her legs trying to bring Jill down to the ground as well. Easily stepping over the swing she runs for her staff ripping it out of the ground throwing it at Alice who rolls out of the way before running back towards her. Alice's hand put pressure on to her bleeding wound. More blood turns the snow red where she stands. They go back to trading blows and until Jill spots a crack in Alice's defence delivering a power kick to Alice's stomach launching her back and smacking her off of the turned over vehicle.
Jill looks amazed at the power she had for that kick. It's the same amount of strength Alice had when they first met. No doubt a boost from the control device drug that is being pumped throughout her body. She knew she was stronger, but she wasn't aware it was this much. That is so awesome…ly not good for Alice. Her excitement at the prospect of having super strength evaporates when she remembers who that strength is being used on.
The umbrella side of her is disappointed with how easily Alice went down. She feels herself shaking her head goading Alice back into the fight. A taunting jab at her which annoys Alice who stands up more determined than ever.
This time It's Alice who rushes forward striking to stab the device on her chest and end this. Unluckily for both of them, Jill manages to block that attack and the two go back to trading blows. Alice's breathing becomes more labored the longer this is dragged out for. Her skin becoming paler by the second, yet she still carries on. And Jill's admiration for the woman grows higher.
Hitting Alice's over cheek to match the mark she left on the other side. Alice responds by throwing her pick at Jill making her bend backwards to avoid it before swiftly moving back on to attack the one weapon down Alice who can't keep up as well with her attacks.
Why did you throw it like that. It doesn't make any sense. What were you thinking.
Jill presses this new development and forces Alice to the ground her staff poised over her head. Alice uses the pick to latch onto the bottom of her rotating blade stopping the pointed end from killing her. Alice stares into her eyes and Jill is pleading with Alice to stop trying to save her. To fight back and save herself. Alice's eyes narrowed at this before turning to her chest.
It takes a second for Jill to realize that Alice planned this. She purposely put herself in a vulnerable position to better position herself to rip that drug pump off of her. The Red Queen must sense it as well as when Alice moves to rip it off Jill's other arm comes down forcing Alice to intercept the punch instead. The pointed tip of her staff then extends forward, and Alice barely manages to avoid losing an eye.
Seeing she has lost her chance for the moment Alice pushes her off of her followed by two swift kicks meaning to disordinate Jill instead of harming her. Annoyed that Alice isn't attacking with her weapon Jill wants to scream that Alice should be focused on herself not protecting her. But no words come out.
And even if they did chances are Alice would ignore them anyways.
Jill then manages to disarm Alice of her only weapon flinging far off to the side lost to the snow. Panic now fills her as Alice stands hurt bleeding and unarmed against her. Nonetheless, Alice keeps dodging her attacks moving with a snake like flexibility to avoid any lasting damage and even managing to catch her staff under her arm behind her back which is really impressive.
Now both unarmed Alice looks at her chest. This is an opportunity to free Jill from Umbrella's control. One she won't back away from.
Jill jumps out of the way spins and kicks Alice in the back sending her tumbling towards the car. Unbalanced. Alice's feet struggle to keep up with her falling body. Jill chases after her the tide once again turning to her side. Grabbing her arm before she trips spinning her around and trapping her in a headlock aiming to snap her neck.
Thankfully Alice is strong enough to break free of this holding kicking out Jill's knee and flipping her over. But this puts Jill in the prime position to knee her in the face repeatedly. Stunning the dark-haired woman.
Jill can feel how weak Alice is becoming blood loss is taking its toll on her. Jill aims her next few hits into that area looking to cause more pain and hurry the bleeding along. Punches her in the face which dazes her even more and makes her stumble backwards. Jill pushes on landing more hits on the now fully exposed and defenseless Alice up until she elbows her in the head knocking her to the ground. Out for the fight.
STOP. STOP. STOP. PLEASE. STOP. DON'T DO IT. PLEASE DON'T MAKE HER DO THIS.
Desperately Jill tries to gain even a smidge of control back as she seizes Alice by the throat lifting her up off the ground. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. The Red Queen appears in her ears. "Terminate Project Alice." Alice who can't breathe under her grip. Eyes begging Jill to stop. Jill who can do nothing more but watch in pure horror at what she is doing. Feeling that sick smirk on her face as she does it. The caterpillar treads start moving picking up in speed as Jill forces Alice's head closer and closer with the intent to crush her skull under their force.
Fight back. Jill screams in her head. Why aren't you fighting back. Alice does nothing but keep eye contact with her as her impending doom comes closer other than grasping for air. Unknowingly Jill's eyes soften towards Alice in the mere moments before she kills her. Jill's emotional torment cracks Umbrella's control. "I'm sorry Alice." A quiet whisper escapes from Jill. "I love you. And I'm so sorry. Forgive me."
Alice reacts by using this moment of weakness to grab at the spider on Jill's chest. Jill's eyes flicker back and further between their usual grey blue and the Umbrell logo. With the last bit of strength, Alice manages to get the damn thing off as it feels like Jill is suddenly hit with a thousand volts of electricity that has her following to the ground. Her body uncontrollably twitches as the drug and control are purged from her system.
Once the blazing pain stops burning her from the inside as it feels like lighting is striking every cell in her body Jill sucks in a deep breath before choking as her lungs forget how to breathe without a computer telling her what to do.
Opening her eyes in between sharp gasps for air Jill's hand reaches for her chest. A stinging pain greeted her as she felt little bumps on where the device's legs embedded themselves into her skin. Failing over on to her stomach Jill slowly regains control of her numb limbs.
Control.
She's in control again. No more orders coming into her head. She can move as she pleases. Talk for herself. Her mind is clear of all Umbrella and Red Queen influence. Sheer relief and joy fill Jill as she lifts her head looking around for the woman who managed to free her.
Only the sound of more gunfire greets her as she watches Alice and Rain charge at each other. Everyone else lying unmoving on the ground. The eyes of the man she shot in the arm protecting Alice look back at her hollow and lifeless.
Tearing her attention away from the deceased friend of Alice she looks up to watch as Rain bats the gun out of Alice's hands and performs the heart stopping open palm move on a vulnerable Alice. A gritted animalistic howl slips off Jill as she struggles to get to her feet. Her body still remembering how to obey her.
Alice sucks in deeply struggling to breathe as she falls down to her knees. She has to help her. A slight feeling returns to her legs but it's not enough to stand never mind fight. Urgently Jill looks around her praying there is something she can use to help Alice. In front of her Rain kicks Alice in the chest sending her flying back into a snowbank where Alice stays down.
Spotting the gun, she disarmed from Alice earlier Jil forces her body to crawl towards it ignoring the intense pain radiating through her at every movement. "Al... Alice." She gasps out hurling the weapon to her love with the last of her strength. More gunshots follow in its wake but Jill doesn't have the strength to lift her head and see the outcome.
Believing in Alice is all she can do as her head rings as if she's experiencing the worst hangover of her life. And she's had so bad ones in the past.
Times seems to slowly pass as more of her body is willing to listen to her commands. Jill somehow finds the strength to look up as Alice collapses to the ground. Alice's head rolls to the side facing her with a blank expression as her eyes slowly close. Dismayed Jill slowly drags her body over to Alice. The sound of a helicopter sounds above her but is drowned out by Jill's panicked calls of Alice's name.
Once in range of Alice Jill reaches out gently stroking Alice's face. She wishes she wasn't wearing this bloody catsuit in order to be able to feel Alice's soft skin under her fingers. "Alice." She whispers cradling the injured woman onto her lap. Shallow breathes being the only sigh of life on her savior. "I'm sorry." She sobs out feeling everything hit her at once. Leaning forward Jill rests her head on top of Alices. "I'm so so sorry." Her hands weave through dark hair offering Jill some form of comfort. "I didn't want to hurt you. I'm so sorry Alice."
Two shadows fall over them. Fearing the worst Jill looks up almost expecting Rain or a horde of infected to be charging down on them. Except it's Ada now wrapped in a large coat and the blonde guy the latter eyeing her with anger and suspicion. Ada however nods at her and brushes her hand over blonds.
Leon then turns to the abandoned vehicle climbing back inside as more soldiers appear around them. One of them tries to take Alice out of her arms only for Jill to lash out at them not wanting anyone else to touch her. Ada kneels down next to her trying to calm her but it's the pained cries of a child screaming for her mother as the blond man carries her out of the snowmobile that halt her actions.
Blinking back tears Jill allows the strangers to remove Alice from and rush her inside the helicopter. The dirty blonde-haired child following quickly behind them with the man helping her. Ada helps Jill limp towards the air transport, but everything feels too heavy for her.
The last thing she remembers is Ada shouting for someone called Leon before she was claimed but the tranquil peace the darkness was offering her.
Drifting back to the land of the living everything hurts but she supposes things could be worse. A shiny silver blanket is wrapped around her providing some warmth against the bitter cold that is soaking into her skin.
Across from her Alice lies in a similar circumstance. Jill blinks once twice before everything that happened comes rushing back. Pushing the think tin like sheet off of her Jill moves to sit on the edge of the cot. Blood rushes to her head leaving her feeling lightheaded.
Something light but solid lands on her lap. "You should eat," Ada says drawing her attention away from Alice. "You're still suffering from the effects of the drugs. Eating should help you feel a bit better."
Far too tired to argue with the former Umbrella operative, she tears open the energy bar nibbling on the dry and bland texture. Across from her, the child is eyeing her with apprehension and fear. Not that Jill would blame her. It was only a few hours ago she was leading an assault team with the sole purpose of capturing or killing her mother figure.
A part of her. A very large part of her wants to move closer to Alice. To take her hand and make certain that she will be ok. However, she also doesn't want to make Alice's kid uncomfortable with her presence.
Alice's kid. Jesus Christ that is not something she ever really thought about. Alice is good with kids. She has a soft spot for them, and they seem to make her cold exterior melt within seconds. But she never really thought about Alice being a mother herself. It's a strange concept but oddly not that surprising.
She wonders who the father was.
Deciding to find out what is going on first giving the small child some more time with her mother Jill makes her way to the benches across from Ada and the blonde guy who is still eyeing her with suspicion. She sends him a passive glare back.
"Operative Wong." The formality automatically rolls off of her tongue.
Ada smirks in response to her slip. "Security Chief Valentine." She taunts back also earning herself a passive glare. "How nice to meet the real version of you."
Jill wishes she could say the feeling is mutual, but it really isn't. All she knows about the woman is that she extremely dangerous former Umbrella operative who until recently was still loyal to the fuckers who ended the world and imprisoned her and Alice. Trained to be highly manipulative and used to work with Alice. She doesn't trust the other woman but will give her the benefit of the doubt. For Alice's sake since she seems to trust her. "Where are we going." She asks instead wanting to have some idea on where they are where they are heading in case, she Alice and the Kid need to make a quick getaway.
"Resistance Headquarters." The blonde guy replies gruffly glaring harder at her.
Seriously what is with this guy. "And who the fuck are you." If he wants to be hostile towards her, then she will be hostile right back.
"I'm the guy who just lost most of his friends because of you and your team." He flicks his head over to the side behind where her cot was lying. A body no doubt the dark-skinned man who died fighting Rain lays wrapped.
The concept of bringing his body back with them is strange. Most people leave the corpses of their fallen to the elements not having the time to perform a proper burial.
Seeing her questioning look Ada informs of the reason why they are doing this. "It's for Alice," Ada states sending a sad look towards their sleeping friend. "She and Luthor were close." Of course, it's for Alice. Guilt builds at the knowledge of just how much Jill has hurt Alice. The body of Luthor being only one of the worst pains she could have inflicted upon the woman she loves.
The three of them settle into a comfortable silence all lost in their own thoughts as they fly to wherever the fuck this Resistance Headquarters is located. Movement from the corner of her eye has her looking over to where Alice's kid is leaning more forward. Standing to investigate Jill feels all the pressure lifted off of her shoulders seeing Alice awake and smiling towards the mini version of her.
Dropping in the seat next to the kid Alice looks away from her child stroking her cheek in a comforting manner to meet her gaze. Swallowing back the lump in her throat Jill reaches forward placing her hand on Alice's knee needing to feel her. Needing to know that this is real and not just some sick hallucination or snap in mentality due to that device. "Glad to have you back."
And it is. God is it good to have Alice back with her. She's been dreaming about this moment for months and for it to finally happen. It almost doesn't feel real. She savors the feeling of gently stroking Alice's leg with her thumb.
Alice's face softens even more. "Glad to have you back." She replies sending Jill one of her dazzling smiles that instantly has Jill smiling in turn feeling lighter than ever.
After everything that happened during the day, it doesn't surprise either Jill or Alice that Becky Alice's kid as she comes to learn from the two talking. She also learns that Becky is deaf which tugs on Jill's heartstrings even more. A protectiveness towards Becky begins to grow the more time she spends around her.
Anyways it doesn't surprise either woman when the kid eventually crashes. Since Alice was still hurt Jill picked up the sleeping girl and carried her over to where her cot was before wrapping her in another one of the thermal blankets before claiming the seat the girl ahs claimed. While doing this Alice was watching her with nothing but warmth and tenderness that had her heart skipping a few beats.
The moment she sits back down Alice is reaching out clasping their hands together. "I've missed you so so much Stargirl." The familiar nickname has Jill letting out a breathless laugh.
"I've missed you so much as well Wonder Girl." Closing her eyes Jill brings their joined hands up to her mouth laying a kiss on Alice's hand. "So so much." Keeping hold of Alice's hand she lays her head on top of her hand instead unable to keep her apologies at bay any longer. "I'm so sorry I hurt you, Alice. I would never do that to you. I... I couldn't control it... I'm sorry. I'm so so sor-
"You have nothing to apologize for Jill." Comes Alice ferocious interrupts forcing herself to sit up to be more on level with Jill. Using her other hand, she brushes against Jill's cheek waiting for the other woman to open her eyes. It takes a few seconds, but Jill does. A watery guilty look clouds Jill and Alice wants to take all that away from her. "I know you wouldn't have done that to me. Any of it. None of what happened was your fault Stargirl. It was Umbrella's."
"I almost killed you, Alice." She almost sobs out but keeps control of her emotions. Well, most of her emotions. If she can't stop the croaking of her voice at the memory of how close she came to killing Alice.
"But you didn't." Alice quickly assures her. "You managed to fight back against the Red Queen so many times and bought me enough time to get that thing off of you."
"You noticed that." She utters shyly.
"Your eyes gave you away the moment I looked up and saw you standing in that window." Jill wants to apologize again for all that but Alice cupping her cheek halts that thought. "Oh, and Jill, I love you too." Jill feels like all the air had been sucked out of her lungs at finally hearing those words from Alice's lips. But unlike before with the fight and device, this makes her feel good. Fantastic even.
The confession makes her swell in a way it never has before. Ways she would have mocked other people for being too sappy. The small girly part of her squealing in joy chanting she loves me over and over again. The normal part of her has her smiling wider than ever as she brings her head to lean against Alices. "How." That is all she manages to breathe out. How did Alice know she was in love with her.
Alice rubs her nose against Jill's. "When you were about to kill me, you told me you loved me. I would have said it back right away, but I was a bit busy saving both our lives." The two share a small chuckle at this.
Jill remembers thinking the words. Remembers wishing how she could have said them. But she wasn't aware she had somehow managed to actually do just that. "You do," Jill whispers needing the reassurance that this is actually happening. That Alice is actually in love with her. The lingering thoughts of Claire Redfield claw doubt upon her new found happiness. She wants to ask about Claire. Wants to understand who she is to Alice.
But those questions disappear when Alice replies sounding so sure and so full of love that even Jill can't argue with her on this. "Yeah, I do. I really do." Not needing to hear anymore Jill leans down cupping Alice's face and bringing their lips back together. It's a slow light kiss as the two women get reacquainted with each other filled with a loving longing making both of them smile. Such a vast difference from their first kiss back in Raccoon City which was a passionate frenzy mess of desperation both of them wanting to feel something over than the shit situation they found themselves in. Jill presses down a little harder wanting more.
Alice pulls back when the need for air arises. Both women are breathing heavily but make no move to separate from each other. Whatever is to come they will face it together. Both promising not to lose the other again. No matter what the three of them will be together when facing the horrors the world still has to throw at them.