While Alice's ability to pick up on the infected wasn't as fine-tuned or powerful as Rain's, she could feel when it was present in someone or something on a massive level, and Rain was just that: massively infected.

If creatures such as zombies or lickers were near, it was like cold water trickling down Alice's spine.

If Rain was near, it was like... being outside in a pleasantly warm breeze. The sensation sort of rolled over her.

When Alice finally felt that warm breeze again, she knew she was getting close.

TESTING ROOM 09.

She removed her baton from its holder as she scanned Baker's badge, entering and taking out the trio of researchers inside with ease.

There was a large tank up against the far wall that was filled with blue fluid. She shifted her attention to it, documents dropped by the last guy she dealt with still fluttering to the floor as she rushed over.

Behind the glass, she could see her partner. Her heart practically burst in her chest. She was relieved, happy, and angry all at once.

DESIGNATION: PROJECT RAIN || THREAT ASSESSMENT: LEVEL 0

If not for her retinal implants and virus sense, she might've briefly thought it necessary to get a closer look and make sure. Not only was more than half of Rain's face covered by a respirator, but someone had apparently thought it necessary to shave her head and give her a buzz cut.

Similar to how Alice was kept, Rain had numerous tubes sticking out of her and metal braces holding her upright. Though, unlike the braces used on Alice, Rain's seemed to be less to simply keep her in place and more to restrain her. She appeared to be asleep.

"I told you that I'd find you," Alice murmured, touching the glass. "Let me get you out of there."

She jogged around to the desk and pushed the researcher, now unconscious in his seat, out of the way of the computer so that she could get the purging process going.

An alarm started to sound. Green lights flashed above the tank as it slowly drained.

With a series of key presses, Alice shut the various feeds off. Sedatives, muscle relaxants, and a bunch of other drugs that she didn't recognize.

As the fluid got down to Rain's shoulders, she began to stir. There were a few weak attempts to lift her head. Then, she jolted hard, eyes snapping open and chest heaving. The braces rattled as she struggled against them.

"Hold on, I'm still working on getting those to release," Alice said.

Rain's gaze darted over to her and remained there, rapt. For the most part, she settled down.

The bands around her wrists opened. She yanked the tubes out by the fistful.

Her midsection was released next. She took off the respirator.

Once her legs and shoulders were freed, she collapsed against the glass.

DESIGNATION: PROJECT RAIN || THREAT ASSESSMENT: LEVEL 4

Alice unsealed the door and quickly moved to catch Rain when its absence made her keel forward further. "I've got you."

Rain's bare skin was feverishly warm against Alice, whose crop top and fitted shirt became damp down the front with the way she was pressed bonelessly against her.

"You alright? How're you feeling?" Alice lowered them both onto the metal flooring. The bony protrusions of Rain's spine stuck out more than they should have beneath her flesh, vaguely bringing to mind the thorns that ran down the backs of certain reptiles.

Alice grasped Rain's shoulders and carefully pushed her off so that she could meet her eyes, letting her touch linger once she was positive that Rain was fine with it. She noticeably cooled off, staring at Alice with a borderline blank expression.

DESIGNATION: PROJECT RAIN || THREAT ASSESSMENT: LEVEL 6

"Hey." Alice's brow creased in worry. She hesitantly cupped her partner's cheeks. "Can you understand me?"

No response.

"Do you remember who you are? Rain?"

Rain twisted her head in Alice's hold and pushed her face into her palm. Her pupils dilated. For a moment, Alice thought that she was about to feel the burn of those fangs for a second time.

Instead, moving surprisingly fast, Rain took her wrist and removed her hand, inspecting it. Her grip was firm. Where the pitch-blackness of her talons ended, there was a greyish, corpse-like color that faded before her elbow.

"...Do you remember who I am?"

She took interest in Alice's damaged fingers, which she had gone ahead and shoddily wrapped up with gauze.

"I got hurt on the way over," she explained. "It's fine."

Rain let out a disbelieving grunt. While it wasn't remotely close to resembling any word in the English language, it did perfectly convey one. Bullshit.

'Okay. She definitely understands and remembers me.'

She pulled on the bandana tied around Alice's wrist.

"Yeah, that's yours. Do you want it back?"

A squeeze and an uncaring huff. Keep it.

Alice had no issue with that. If she were being honest, she didn't really want to return it.

She bit the inside of her cheek, quite a few but not all of her worries dissipated. 'She probably just needs some time. She was out of it and had trouble speaking after Cain made her take that extra dose of the virus, and... unfortunately, I'd be surprised if they haven't been administering more to her here.'

"Well, let me give you something to wear." She went to take the lab coat off a researcher since Rain was completely naked.

...Except she couldn't reach it because Rain wouldn't let go. Alice tugged a few times. The other woman continued to maintain her grip.

Alice pried her off, earning herself a displeased growl.

"You're going to want this. It's cold outside." She removed the desired clothing article from the unconscious man and got it on Rain, doing up the buttons for her when she had trouble. "I think I've cleared all the guards out of here, but I don't know for sure and we ought to not linger any longer in case I haven't."

Alice helped her to her feet. She seemed far steadier already, but Alice decided to keep a supportive arm around her waist anyway.

Thankfully, they didn't encounter any trouble that Alice couldn't take care of with more than a couple of shots on the way out.

Rain went stiff whenever they passed by spilled blood, but she never even tried to stray from her side.

It felt like ages, but there were probably only about ten minutes between them leaving the testing room and making it to the SUV.

"Let's get out of here." Alice promptly got both of them into the vehicle, started it up, and took off down the road.

As the distance continued to grow between them and the facility, she let out a breath that she didn't realize she was holding.

"I have normal clothes for you, but we should probably wait until we get a little further away before I stop so you can put them on." She may or may not have stolen them from some big-box stores. Alongside underwear, there was a pair of black jeans and a t-shirt, a solid grey flannel, and brown hiking boots. "Unless you wanna put them on in the back—"

Rain spared a single glance toward the backseat and made her decision. She clumsily released her seatbelt, climbed over the center console, and crawled into the back.

"Alright then. It should all fit you."

There was a fair amount of fumbling before she leaned, fully dressed, over Alice's shoulder.

"Hi," Alice said. "Oh, this is for you, too." She grabbed a black baseball cap sitting on the dashboard and put it on Rain.

She immediately shook it off like a cat with a paper bag stuck on its head.

"Hey, come on now. You and I are currently fugitives from one of the biggest corporations in the world. It's best to keep a low profile." It was perhaps a tad hypocritical of Alice to say since she had spent almost three months going around wrecking Umbrella's shit, but the point stood regardless. She picked the hat up and placed it on her again, deciding to be annoying by pulling it down over her face in the hopes of eliciting a different reaction.

There was nothing verbal, but, "Huh. Funny how I can't see your eyes but I can still tell that you're glaring at me." Alice readjusted the bill and was met with the scowl that she was already envisioning. "It looks good. You should leave it on."

As Rain moved away, she did.