Alright time for the next chapter, I hope everyone is ready because as of right now, the story is about to get going for real. We'll be seeing plenty of character interaction and the world itself will start to radically alter and change as the Age of Man comes to an end.
Broken Angel: Rising Demon
Chapter 3: Bio-hazard
July 25th 1998:
-Arklay Mountains, U.S.A.-
Riley's gaze passed through each level of the large mansion. The things she saw within were not exactly what one would call 'normal'.
"There is very little magic in those reanimated bodies." Kurama noted, as Riley's eye fell onto a shambling corpse in one of the hallways of the large complex.
As the Fox demon had said, the body held almost no magic within it. Focusing her gaze, Riley could only see the barest hint of magic residing within the cells of the zombie as it slowly dragged itself down the hall.
The body was rotting, and one of it's arms was missing. Quickly descending into that upper level, Riley appeared before the zombie. Now using her normal eyes to look at it, she found that this wasn't some form of necromancy.
The zombie turned towards her and let out a moan of pain as it began to shamble towards her.
"This thing shouldn't be like this. There is magic animating it, but it's almost like it's passively animating it. Like it's alive as a side-effect of something, rather then the magic being the main cause of it." Riley thought to herself and Kurama as the zombie closed in on her.
It reached out for her, grabbing her shoulder and lunching forward. Riley didn't do much as the zombie bit down on her neck. She could hear it's teeth crack and snap as it bit down with all of it's might. It's teeth though, couldn't pierce the Archdemon's flesh.
Riley drilled her fist hard into the zombie's side, shattering most of it's ribs. The creature didn't seem to register the strike at all, and continued to try and gnaw on her flesh.
Curiosity began to fill her, as she pondered this zombie's lack of care. Even Inferi registered damage to their bodies. Despite being undead, they had a minor level of self-preservation instincts.
Feeling the need to experiment Riley straightened the fingers on the hand she had just used to break the zombie's ribs. Using her hand like a blade she pierced into the zombie's side, cutting into it's flesh, pushing her hand past it's shattered ribs. There was very little movement in it's body. It's heart was beating very slowly, almost to the point where the number of beats-per-minute could be counted on two hands.
Riley grasped the beating organ with her hand, crushing it slowly, watching the zombie for any signs of pain. The creature didn't react. It merely continued to bite at her.
By now, it's teeth were broken shards, and it's gums were bloody, and bleeding heavily.
"You don't require a heart in order to live, yet it's one of your only organs that still works. You've also lost all restraints on your muscles. Your brain isn't stopping your body from hurting itself, hence the broken teeth." Riley pondered as she removed her hand and this time brought up both hands and placed them on the zombies head. Pulling it back so that she could look it in the face.
The creatures chomped at her and moaned, it's breath wreaking of death and decay. It's eyes were starting to turn a milky white, as it began to rot away.
Using Legilimency Riley pushed into it's head. She found no signs of a master. No orders. Nothing that would insinuate that this undead creature was the result of necromancy. All that she found was an almost insatiable desire for flesh. It didn't matter what kind. The creature's only biological imperative now, was to feast.
Retreating from it's mind, Riley offered it a curious look. She then began to apply pressure on it's skull.
Like an empty plastic bottle, the zombie's head collapsed under her strength. It bit and snarled at her the whole time, until finally she heard it's skull pop, and it's brain began to take on the onslaught of pressure.
Almost immediately after that, the creature ceased all movement and went limp. Riley stared at it, holding it up by it's head, as she watched what little magic that lay within it slowly dissipate, signifying that the creature was dead.
Riley dropped the corpse to the ground and stepped over it.
"Only the head, hmm?" Riley pondered as another zombie shambled around the corner. With a halfhearted toss, Riley struck the creature in the skull with a kunai. It fell to the ground and died immediately.
"They must require their brains in order to function. Everything else is simply unimportant." Kurama noted with a hum of curiosity.
Riley nodded at that and reactivated her Byakugan. She quickly continued her scan of the building, finding many strange things within the mansion itself. Most noteworthy of these strange things, other then the walking dead, were the various rooms that looked to either have no purpose at all, or be filled with traps of some sort, many of which had already been triggered.
Extending her vision downward, she found that the mansion opened up into an underground complex, filled with laboratories and more undead. Alongside them though were various strange creatures, all baring many similarities to the zombies, though not all of them were dead.
Giant spiders, giant snakes, giant plants… the place reminded her of one of Orochimaru's workshops.
Racing through the complex, Riley spotted several people making a break for it. These people weren't dead like the others. They were simply muggles, they looked like soldiers of some sort, or perhaps police.
They were being chased by a strange monster. It looked like a man, but it stood nearly eight and a half feet tall. It's skin was grey and a pulsating organ could be seen emerging from it's chest. One of it's arms had also mutated gaining a large claw. It chased after the few muggles, with the apparent intent to murder them.
Riley made a mental note to deal with it before it escaped, but made no move to help the fleeing muggles. For all she knew, they had created the thing, so it was no skin off her nose it they died to it. Instead she searched for the source of the demonic power that had drawn her here. It took a few moments, but she was able to locate it within the bowels of the complex.
Activating her intangibility Riley glided down through the floors and entered into a small lab. Inside it had been several desks, computers, and rows of what looked like a large glass tubes that had housed something once upon a time. One of these tubes stood out, as it was shattered, glass covering the floor, indicating that something within had broken out.
On the ground, was a man, he was wearing similar tactical gear to the fleeing muggles. He was blonde of hair with pale skin. He was covered in blood and it looked like he had been impaled. If Riley had to guess, it was the large humanoid monster that had done him in.
Demonic energy coursed through him. It was healing his near fatal injury and revitalizing his body.
"His coils are raw, new. He's never used magic before. Despite that, this one is strong Riley." Kurama noted as she used her Byakugan to watch as the demonic youki flooded his system, repairing the damage and filling his chakra network until it was full to bursting.
A small smile spread across Riley's face as her eyes fell upon the man's magic. His demonic youki was familiar to her. It reminded her of Eleanor and Zabuza. Both of whom had embraced their demonic sides and allowed their youki to overtake the rest of their magical system.
She watched, as his eyes slid open and the wound on his chest, finished healing. He slowly rose to his feet flexing his fingers as he did.
The man's eyes were obscured by sunglasses, but Riley could easily see the red glow that emanated beneath them. The man was momentarily distracted by his own reawakening, but he quickly took note of her presence, his eyes rising to meet with Riley's.
"Feels good doesn't it?" Riley inquired with a smirk.
"Who are you?" The man asked. His eyes stayed locked on her, but they drifted across her body, taking note of all of the strange abnormalities that signaled to him that she was not human.
Atop her head were a set of silvery horns. Her skin was a palish gray. What looked like tails could be seen swaying by her feet. Riley's wings were retracted into the form of a long coat, similar to the one worn by Minato Namikaze. This coat though was all black, and Riley used her magic to obscure the true form of her altered wings, so that the blackness of the coat did not twinkle with starlight. The man's eyes quickly returned to Riley's and he found himself taking note of the strange patterned eyes, and their purple hue that made him feel much smaller then he had ever felt.
"My name is Riley. Riley Narumi Gryffindor Slytherin Ravenclaw Uzumaki Senju Uchiwa Black." Riley offered with a polite bow. The man tilted his head at her, taking note of all of her last names, and her distinctive accent, which sounded British but there was something off about it. Most likely that had something to do with some of her obvious Asian traits.
"I see. If you'll excuse me. I have some business to attend to." The man stated as he turned towards a computer console.
Riley stood patiently while the man typed some things on the computer. Through nearby speakers she heard a recorded female voice declare that a self-destruct system had been engaged and that all personnel should evacuate.
"Damn. You will pay for this, my lady." The man stated as he drove his fist into the monitor of the computer, smashing it into smithereens.
Riley stared at him for a moment before a hiss caught her ear. She turned, just in time to see some sort of creature come rushing at her from the darkness.
This creature looked to be a crossbreed between a human and a fly. It was all black, with fly-like wings, and walked on multiple legs. It was vaguely humanoid, but obviously a mutant of some sort. (1*)
It came barreling towards her. She heard the man turn and draw his pistol, aiming it at the creature.
Riley shifted, right as the beast reached her, and with a smirk, she kicked it square in the chest, sending it careening across the room. Right into the far wall. The wall panels buckled from the force and the creature went limp. Another creature came rushing at Riley from the side. It leaped at her, intent on slashing her with it's arms. Riley swatted the blow with her hand and seized the creature by the face. Lifting it into the air with one hand, with a twitch of her wrist, she jerked it's head sideways, severing it's spine and causing it to go limp.
She then casually tossed it aside and turned back to the man. Just as she did, another similar creature fell from the ceiling. It jumped at her, but before it could close the distance, one of her tails lashed out and split it in half, almost perfectly, right down them middle.
"Amazing… Such power." The man stated as he allowed himself to relax.
"You'll find these simple creatures are nothing compared to me. Or you for that matter." Riley stated.
"Is that so?" The man inquired, sounding almost amused. "You said your name was Riley? I am Albert Wesker."
"Albert Wesker. It's a pleasure. You and I have much to discuss." Riley offered as more of those creatures burst into the room from the door.
Wesker watched her as she threw her hand in the direction of the door, sending a glowing aura of energy racing away, as if she had just pitched something. It struck the center most creature and what followed was a huge shower of blood.
"How did you do that?" Wesker asked, very much intrigued by what he was seeing.
"Magic." Riley responded with a smirk.
The man stared at her for a moment, his eyes narrowing. "A non-believer, or a man of science?" Riley asked, sensing that he didn't believe her.
"Both." He responded, earning a laugh from Riley.
Riley continued to laugh for several moments. Again the door burst open, and two more of those human-fly hybrids rushed in.
Intent on proving her point, Riley extended her hand. The two creature were halted in their movement and lifted into the air.
"As a man of science, you trust what your eyes can see. Allow me to show you that magic is real." Riley offered as she drew her wand. With a slashing motion, Riley unleashed a Cutting curse that cut off one of the creature's legs. She then pointed her wand at it, and fired a Skin Melting curse at it.
Albert Wesker watched with fascination as the exoskeleton of the Chimera type B.O.W. bubbled off it's body. Within moments, bones, organs, and muscle, fell to the floor in a fleshy pool.
The other chimera hissed with rage as Riley turned towards it. She slowly approached it, making motions with her wand, causing it's individual limbs to snap off and go flying across the room. Soon it was left nothing more then a body and a head. Drawing a line across it's mid section with her wand, Riley turned towards Wesker and offered him a smirk.
He watched as the Chimera split in half, or more so, it's exoskeleton split, as did it's bones and muscles. He watched as the lower half of the creature, slowly sunk to the ground while the upper half lifted up to the ceiling. Connecting the two sides was a long string of intestines.
The way they moved, defied gravity, and he watched with rapt attention as Riley brought up her wand and tapped it to the intestine. He watched as the flesh became covered in scales, and the upper half detached. It fell down to the floor before rising back up, a hiss, emanating from it.
Much to his amazement, she had turned the creature's intestines into a boa constrictor.
"Have I made a believer of you yet?" Riley inquired.
Wesker stared at the snake for a moment. Then another. Finally he turned his eyes to hers and delivered a very Daphne-like smirk. "It would seem we do have much to discuss."
"Good to hear. Shall we depart?" Riley inquired.
"Yes. We'll need to move quickly if we are to make it out in time." Wesker stated.
"No need to worry." Riley stated as she offered him her hand. He stared at it for a moment, obviously wondering what she intended. After several moments of contemplation, he took it. Once she felt him grasping her hand, Riley held him tight and lifted into the air. Much to the man's amazement and amusement they floated up through the levels of the facility until they were passing through the mansion and then finally they were outside, lifting high into the air.
"The ability to fly, as well as intangibility, can be quite useful at times." She said to him as they drifted away from the mansion.
Wesker nodded at that.
A few moments later and Riley set down about a half-mile away from the mansion. They could still see it in the distance. Deciding another showing would be fun, Riley held up her hand, and formed a powerful Fireball. Wesker eyed the ball of flame that formed in Riley's hand. Riley then turned and started away from the mansion, casually tossing the orb over her shoulder as she did.
It flew high up into the sky before arcing down towards the mansion. Wesker watched as it descended, and his eyes widened in amazement as it slammed into the roof of the mansion. For a moment nothing happened, then the entire mansion erupted in a massive explosion. It wasn't controlled or directed in any way that would indicate that it was the facility's self-destruct. No, this explosion lit up the sky, setting hundreds of surrounding trees aflame.
The entire mansion was vaporized by the explosion, not even wood fragments from it's exterior, survived. With a casual wave of her hand, this woman had destroyed the entire mansion complex, as if it was nothing.
"Much to discuss indeed." Wesker thought to himself as he turned and followed after her.
The two of them walked in silence for several long minutes before finally they reached a small hill that offered them a look over the mountains. In the distance, disappearing over the horizon they both spotted a helicopter, heading away from them.
"Hmm… so they survived." Wesker noted aloud.
"Friends of yours?" Riley inquired.
"You could say that. I am happy they survived. I look forward to our tear-filled reunion." Wesker responded in a drawl, almost Lucius-like manner.
Riley could tell just from his tone of voice, that this reunion was not exactly going to be the happy kind. Not that Riley really cared. This was her child. If she was right, based off his hair, and the way he had smirked earlier, Riley would venture to guess that he was hers and Daphne's.
"Wow… what is that three for her now? Who would have thought that Daphne would be the one with so many kids? We still haven't found any for Fleur yet. Three for Daphne, two for Katie, one for Luna, one for Gaia, and one for Kaede." Kurama noted.
"Yeah… I'm just as surprised as you are. Daph being the one with all the babies, is really surprising. My money was on Fleur, or Kaede." Riley thought back.
"Well I'm sure when the time comes you'll get that chance." Riley responded as she turned to him. She offered him a once over noting the blood stains on his uniform, and around his mouth.
With a wave of her hand, she scourgified him. Removing the blood.
"What did you just do?" He asked.
"Removed the blood stains. Blood is a bitch to clean." Riley answered with a chuckle as she stepped to the side. Wesker glanced down at his chest, noting that the blood stain was now absent, as if it had never been there to begin with. After a moment he followed closely behind her. The two arrived at a set of logs which, without so much as a gesture, Riley transfigured into wooden chairs.
"Have I done enough to convince you?" Riley inquired as she sat in one of the chairs and offered him the other.
Wesker stared at it for a moment before reaching out to touch it. Feeling the wood beneath his finger-tips sealed it completely for him. There was something at work here. Something that he had once thought no more then a child's fairy-tale.
"Where to begin?" Riley stated as Wesker sat in the offered chair. He removed his sunglasses and stared at his own reflection on the lenses.
He could see his own glowing red eyes. And he could feel the power that was coursing through his body. Before he had been stabbed, he had injected himself with an experimental virus, given to him by probably the only man in the world, Wesker would call a friend. He knew the virus had been responsible for his return to the living, and that it was fueling him now. He was quite curious to test what his body could do now, but his curiosity in that regard was almost non-existent when compared to the vast world of mystery he had just been introduced too.
Magic.
The idea alone was preposterous and yet. Here sat a practitioner. Albert Wesker had no answer for the things he had seen her do. But he intended to get some.
His eyes drifted to the inside of one side of the glasses. The logo of the company he had worked for, for most of his life, resided there. With a devilish smirk, he crushed the glasses in his hand and tossed their remains away.
He may have been denied most of the research data from the facility, but now, sitting before him, was a possible treasure trove of information he was quite certain his former colleagues had no way of knowing.
"Tell me about this magic." Wesker asked as he turned his eyes towards her.
"Magic is a difficult thing to explain. The easiest way, is to simply say that it is the see-all, end-all, of existence. All things in creation came from it. Be it time. Space. The physical realm. Matter in general. From magic, all things came. That is the easiest way of explaining the force that we're dealing with here." Riley offered earning a nod from the man.
"I assume there are others like you. Practitioners of magic." He stated, earning a light chuckle from Riley.
"There are no others like me. Of course there are people who practice magic. But none of them are me. I am to them, as you are to an ant. And I mean as you are now." Riley responded. She could tell the man was very interested in what she was saying.
He was a man who craved power, and he respected it. Yes, she'd get along splendidly with this child.
"By your own admission, you're a man of science. I'm assuming that means you've heard of the multi-verse?" Riley inquired, earning a nod from him.
"Well to a certain extent, it's true. There are alternate timelines, and realities, similar to our own, with different permutations for every possible outcome. None of these timelines intersect however. All of them start at the beginning and will end at the end. There are no branches, no spider web of possibilities. There is only the different times. Like going from one race track to another. In another time, you and your siblings were attacked when you were children. One of your sisters has the ability to open tears between one reality and into another. Without meaning too, she sent you and your siblings to other times, creating new timelines, where you naturally existed there. Your sister came to me and asked that I reunite all of you." Riley explained to him.
"And why would you agree to that?" Wesker asked.
In response, Riley's jacket peeled off her body and unfolded into her wings. Wesker's eyes widened as the two sets of wings formed and stretched out, while Riley smirked at him. "Because in the timeline you came from, I was one of your parents."
Wesker was silent as he stared at her wings. He was silent for several long seconds as he digested this information. This could possibly be the answer to one of his oldest questions. Slowly he reached for one of the pockets on his vest.
Riley's smile grew. She knew full well what he was reaching for. "That version of me, gave each of her babies one of her feathers. It glows with a dim fire, and for reasons you don't understand, you can't seem to lose it. Despite what you claimed to believe, I knew you had some suspicions about magic. After all, this defies science, so what else is there?"
Confirming her suspicions, Wesker removed a small black feather from one of his vest pockets. This feather looked just like her old wings, and was just like the rest of the feathers shared by her children. She wondered if the change in her wings was a sign that she was different from the Riley that had helped to sire or birth all of them, or if that meant she would change her wing's appearance in the future. It was an interesting thought.
To further prove her point, Riley reached out with one of her tails and allowed the end of it to hover near the feather, causing it to glow brightly with fire.
"I was born human. But I gave that up, when I was little more then a child. Here I stand now, a full-blooded demon. You are my son. A half-demon. When you arose from your near death state, your demonic half is what repaired most of the damage. I can feel something has been done to your human half, and now both parts are working in tandem to make you stronger then ever before. I felt you awakening, and now I'm here to offer you a place in this world. I can help you. I can teach you about yourself, show you how to wield magic and use it for your own designs. I can aid you in your goals if you so desire. If you'll allow me, I will show you the true extent of your powers." Riley offered to him, her own eyes bleeding red as she spoke.
"I suspect this will be the start of a very interesting relationship." Wesker noted after a moment. Riley allowed herself to chuckle at that. Much like Zabuza, this man didn't need parents. What he needed was answers, answers to questions that had plagued him since his birth. That was fine by her. So long as her children were happy, it didn't matter what they needed from her.
-Land of Wind, Elemental Nations. July 28th 1998-
Kankuro no Subaku stood over the corpses of a dozen bodies. The scent of death, permeated the room. Were he not a veteran shinobi, he'd have gone stumbling out of the room, gagging and vomiting, at the sight and smell of the horror around him.
"They left their mark again." A Suna Jonin stated as he approached Kankuro.
"Send word to the Kazekage. Let her know that the unknowns have struck again." Kankuro commanded as his eyes locked on the far wall of the room.
Drawn in dried brown blood, was a crooked warning. 'We will rise.' written there.
His colleague nodded and left the room, while Kankuro continued to glare. Someone was making a play for power, and he had a sneaking suspicion of who it was.
-Sunagakure Elemental Nations-
"They've struck again." A Suna ninja reported to Gaia.
"I see." Gaia responded, her face impassive, and her eyes cold and calculating.
"Lord Kankuro believes it's the work of Iwa rebels. He thinks the ones who abandoned the village before we attacked, are returning now with the intent to free their subservient brothers-in-arms and gain revenge on us." The Suna ninja added, earning a nod from Gaia.
"Send word to Kankuro. Tell him he is to return to Suna for a debriefing." Gaia commanded. She earned a nod and bow from the man as he turned and left the room.
Standing by her side was the Third Kazekage, who's gaze matched her own.
"It took them a while." He noted after a moment of silence.
"Nearly eight-thousand Iwa ninja disappeared without a trace before the fall of Iwagakure. They took with them the last of Iwa's war golems, as well as a multitude of important scrolls and documents. Many of their village's secrets lay within those scrolls. We knew they'd be planning something. We knew they'd come back." Gaia responded, a hard look in her eyes.
"And now they've turned their blades on innocent civilians. These aren't rebels. They're terrorists. Violent, murderous, psychopaths. They must be hunted down and destroyed." The Third stated, earning a nod of agreement from Gaia.
"Once Kankuro returns I will put him in charge of a task-force. This group will be put in charge of hunting down and destroying these criminals. I will also send an inquiry to Kumogakure and Kirigakure. We'll see if they've noticed any strange activity in their own countries." Gaia informed him.
"You think these terrorists are planning something for them as well?" The Third inquired, sending a look towards her.
"No. But I wouldn't be surprised if they've recruited some help from rogue elements within those countries." Gaia responded.
"I see. A wise course of action then." The Third stated with a nod.
"Send for Lady Yugito. I have a request of her." Gaia commanded one of her Anbu. Giving a nod, the kunoichi vanished from sight.
A few moments later and Yugito Nii was standing before Gaia. In had been nearly two months since the woman came to live in Suna. This was part of her circulation as ambassador, she would be stationed out of Suna for five months, then five months in Britain and then return to Kumo for the remaining two months, before restarting the cycle.
"Lady Kazekage." Yugito offered in greeting.
"Lady Yugito. As our ambassador from Kumo, I have an inquiry I'd like made with the Raikage. The Iwa rebels have struck again. This time killing over a dozen innocent civilians. I'm forming a task-force to hunt them down, and I'd like to see about sharing information with Kumo. I'm sending an envoy there tomorrow, and I wanted to ask if you'd oversee the mission, and return with the Raikage's answer." Gaia explained.
"Of course, Lady Kazekage. I'll see to it that the Raikage is made aware of the situation. Was there anything in particular you wanted to know?" Yugito inquired.
"I simply need for them to be aware of the situation. And to keep an eye open on their own nations. I wouldn't put it past these rebels to try and gather support from rogue factions within your own borders." Gaia explained, earning a nod of understanding from Yugito.
"You can inform the Raikage that I'll be sending word to Kiri as well. And I'll also send a message to Britain, letting them know of the situation here. If things begin to escalate, this situation may call for the formation of a joint task-force." Gaia added, earning another nod.
"I'll make sure that the Raikage and the Kumo council are aware of the severity of the situation. I'll be ready to depart with your men by tomorrow. Was there anything else?" Yugito responded.
"No. You're free to leave." Gaia answered, and as quick as she appeared, Yugito turned and left.
"We need to put an end to this quickly. I will not have the hard-fought peace we've established, end after barely a year of existence." Gaia stated to her predecessor.
"I agree." The man responded. A cold, calculating gaze, marring his face.
-Sunagakure, Elemental Nations. July 30th 1998-
It was early in the morning when the Kazekage was drawn from her sleep by the feeling of a hand sliding beneath her shirt.
She caught the hand, as her eyes snapped open, and a playful giggle filled the air.
"Jumpy?" Riley inquired, her Rinne Sharingan glowing dimly in the darkness of the room.
Gaia let out a sigh as she released Riley's hand. A moment passed as Riley resumed her advance, taking Gaia's breast in her hand and sensually fondling it, her thumbs drifting across the nipple, causing it to stiffen.
"You know you could always show up before I go to sleep." Gaia noted as Riley lifted her shirt and began to kiss at her belly.
"True, but then I couldn't fill your dreams with such pleasure." Riley responded, as she continued to kiss her way lower and lower.
Again Gaia sighed and this time she sat up and scooted out from under Riley. When Riley moved to pursue her goal, she placed a hand on her face and locked eyes with her.
"We have some things we need to talk about." Gaia declared, earning a pouting face from Riley.
"Can it wait?" Riley asked, undressing her mate with her eyes.
"Riley… I know it isn't your favorite thing in the world, but for just a moment, can you pretend to be an adult?" Gaia responded.
"Ouch. Alright, alright. I get it. Business before pleasure." Riley stated with a sigh of her own. One of her tails reached out and clicked on a small lamp, set next to Gaia's bed. The lamp dimly lit the room, as Riley shifted herself to the opposite side of the bed. Due to Gaia's bed being in the corner of the room, Riley was able to sit against the wall.
"A part of me wants to chastise you for pouting, but I can't help but find it flattering." Gaia noted as she positioned herself so that she was sitting next to Riley. Both of them now staring out over the empty room.
"It helps that it's not exactly childish to pout about getting blue-balled." Riley joked, earning a snort of amusement from Gaia.
"I assume you arrived here early because the Lord-Commander got my message?" Gaia stated after a few moments of silence.
"Yeah. He told me about it. I wanted to see how you were doing. Ask if you needed any help?" Riley informed her as she turned her gaze towards Gaia.
"I think we can handle it for now. But I appreciate your concern and I still have your kunai if I need to call you here quickly." Gaia responded, earning a nod from Riley.
"We'll find these bastards. We'll deal with them, and then the Elemental Nations can finally know peace." Riley stated.
"I know we will. It's just a matter of time." Gaia agreed.
A few moments of silence passed as the two woman stared at each other. Finally Riley smiled. "I found another one of my kids."
Gaia's eyes widened in surprise at hearing that.
"Really?" Gaia asked of her.
"Yes. His name is Albert Wesker. He's a virologist, formerly a member of the pharmaceutical company, Umbrella." Riley offered.
"A virologist? I assume that means he studies disease?" Gaia inquired.
"He does. Even helped to design a couple of nasty ones. He's one of Daph's kids. Cold. Calculating. Ruthless. Highly trained. A skilled fighter, on top of the multiple doctorates. A prodigy, if I had to put a word to it. I found him when he awakened his demonic power. It surged through him and I felt it from across the sea. I brought him back to Britain, let him meet his family." Riley explained.
"And?" Gaia asked.
"Seems, more intrigued then anything else. If I had to guess, I'd say he was never one for family. He's selfish, like me. He only really cares about his own interests. Much like Zabuza, he's a full grown man. Has his own goals, has his own ambitions. After the touching family reunion, I introduced him to Itachi. After a chat, the Lord-Commander offered him a job with the Legion. Albert accepted the position as the only real other scientist we have working for us is Kabuto Yakushi. So they're working together now. Honestly I think they're in love. Both have a fascination for the others work, and both are very interested in delving into the secrets of the magical world and learning all there is to learn. I don't think Albert's slept since I brought him to Britain." Riley answered.
"I see. Well, I'm happy for you. I hope you and he can develop a working relationship." Gaia offered, earning a gentle smile from Riley.
"I'll be whatever they need me to be. If they need a mother, I'll be their mother. If they need a father, I'll be their father. If they need a friend, I'll be the best friend I can be. And if they need a partner, then I'll raise all sorts of hell with them." Riley stated as she stared off.
Gaia stared at her, obviously very thoughtful, from hearing Riley's reply.
"She's like that with everyone. Not just her children. Look at her with her mates. She treats them all differently. She is what they need her to be. With little Luna, she's her rock. With you and Daphne, she's your partner. With Fleur she's her true love. She's a chameleon. She adapts to become the best person for each of her loved ones." Shukaku noted to his host. Gaia subconsciously nodded at that. Kurama also nodded at hearing that. The close proximity allowing both Bijuu to hear the other.
"It makes me wonder though. She's a chameleon with all of us. So… who is she really, when she's not adapting?" Gaia thought back.
"You know the answer to that already, Gaia." Shukaku stated after a quiet few moments passed by.
Without meaning too, Gaia felt memories flood to the forefront of her mind. Images of the burning Wind Capital, and of Riley, and her full demon child, butchering the entire invading army. Riley's face twisted in demonic glee as she hunted down the Tsuchikage.
The thought nearly sent a shiver up her spine. She didn't mean to think of Riley that way. She hated when those thoughts came around and painted Riley as a monster, despite the fact that she was a tried and true monster.
"It's alright my love. I am a monster. You don't need to feel bad about seeing me as one. I just need you to know that I'll never let that monster near you. I'll be whatever makes you happiest, and I'll keep the monster away." Riley thought to herself as she heard the thoughts that drifted through Gaia's mind. The two were sitting right next to each other, their arms touching. And with that contact, came the inner voice of her beloved bride-to-be.
The two remained together for the rest of the morning, continuing their discussion as the sun slowly crept over the horizon.
-Pentref Cysgodian Hud, Britain. July 31st 1998-
"Fascinating." Albert Wesker hummed to himself as he read through another file. Surrounding his desk were a half dozen stacks of files, all detailing various aspects of magic, or various magical creatures, some even detailed information on Shinobi.
"I've always wondered what it would be like to be an outsider looking it. Most of us have lived with magic our entire lives. Even then, many are simply unable to comprehend the full extent of it's power. I can't imagine what it must be like for you." Kabuto Yakushi stated from his own desk nearby.
Both men were some of the few scientists within the hidden village. That distinction essentially made them heads of the fledgling division. Despite coming from entirely different worlds, both Albert and Kabuto shared a lot in common. Both were skilled fighters. Both were geniuses in their fields. Both were ambitious men. And most importantly, both held an innate desire to explore new areas of science and discovery. To know what others only ever dreamed of knowing.
Both men found they had a bond in their common pursuit of knowledge and power. The Legion wouldn't have been Wesker's first choice for a new home. It wouldn't have even been in his top ten. Had it not been for the revelations he had gained from his sire, he wouldn't have been caught dead in an upstart program such as this.
Of course, now that he was here, Wesker found that he had made the correct choice in agreeing to work for the Legion. It was small, and young, but it did not lack in ambition, power, or resources. Riley was wealthy and was more then happy to donate vast sums of money towards whatever projects her children were working on. When he had inquired about her riches, she had simply smirked and told him that she held both a Philosopher's Stone, and the ability known as the Creation of All Things Technique. With the former she could turn any substance into gold. And with the latter she could create anything her mind imagined. While Riley's wealth was finite, she had the ability to create limitless wealth. In truth she actually didn't need to buy most things. She could use her magic to casually make things that were too difficult or expensive to buy, or she could use her immense magical know-how to circumvent technological requirements to create things that she needed.
To prove that money was truly of no issue, when Wesker agreed to join the Legion she donated ten million galleons to their fledgling science division, and ten million to the Legion itself. According to Kabuto, the going exchange rate for Galleons would mean that, that ten million was roughly two-hundred-and-fifty million, in US Dollars. And Riley held hundreds of millions of Galleons from all of her families, as well as the investing done on her behalf by the Gringotts Goblins.
Money truly was of no issue for Riley, and due to her aid in financing the Legion, it truly wanted for very little. If they needed to build new structures or get new equipment, more often then not, they could either just make it with magic, or steal it, because many of them were shinobi and they were good at that.
So despite their organization being small. They had limitless wealth, few moral boundaries, which Wesker appreciated, and they had a very healthy ambition. It came as a surprise when Wesker met the leader of the Legion. A young man who wasn't even twenty-five yet. Itachi Uchiha. A man with an incredibly keen mind. A great deal of patience. And most importantly, a clear understanding that the world was not all sunshine and rainbows. The Legion was an army, and they needed every advantage they could get. Itachi Uchiha was a pacifist whom strongly believed in things like deterrents.
Wesker's great-grandfather, Madara Uchiwa, he was a deterrent. His great-great-grandfather, Hashirama Senju, a deterrent. His great-great-uncle, Tobirama Senju, another deterrent. His own sire, Lady Riley, perhaps the greatest deterrent of them all. The more deterrents they had, the less likely people would rise up to fight them. Itachi understood that all people feared suffering and death. If the possible war was so awful and so terrible that the aggressors couldn't bare to face it, then there would be no war.
Itachi hated war, but he understood that it would happen, whether he wanted it too or not. So the best, most noble, most kind thing he could do, was end it as soon as possible. If all it took was a single act of torment to end the war, Itachi would do it happily. The Americans proved that during WWII. They could have invaded the Japanese mainland and continued the war for months, even years. Or they could slaughter a few hundred thousand civilians in the blink of an eye. Both options were terrible. Both options were inhumane. Both options could be seen as evil. But one of them ended the war immediately.
Two bombs. Two cities. Two hundred and fifty thousand people. Or months of continued bloodshed. Months of horror, death, disease, and further atrocities. It wasn't about right or wrong. Both options were wrong. But one ended the war. That's how Itachi saw. He knew wars would happen. He knew they'd be terrible. So the best way to save lives and end war, was to make the conflict so horrible and painful that the enemy's spirit broke, and they threw down their blades and surrendered, rather then continue to face annihilation. Pride kept wars going. Hope kept wars going. Destroy both, and the enemy would surrender.
Admittedly, this was Itachi's own point of view. One he developed from a childhood of war and fighting. But there was wisdom in it. At least, Wesker thought so. If the Legion was willing to use whatever advantages they could to win the wars as fast as possible, then Wesker would happily oblige them.
Before coming here, Wesker had plans. He had particular goals. Now though… now those plans were on hold. He needed to know the extent of his newfound powers. He needed to know the extent of magic. He needed to know his new limits. Once he did… then he could begin his work once more. Then he could rise out of the shadows of his former employers like a phoenix reborn.
-Kamui, August 5th 1998-
The blow came swiftly and Wesker let out a snarl as he dropped to a knee. He heard footsteps racing towards him, and quickly threw back his head to avoid a kick from his younger half-sister Eleanor.
In a swift motion, he grabbed her outstretched leg and punched her in the back of the knee. She let out a hiss of pain, as Wesker followed up by kicking out her other leg from beneath her. He was successful in forcing her to the ground, though he was unable to pin her as sent a bolt of lightning out from her fingertips, that arced against the side of his face, momentarily blinding him, and shattering his sunglasses.
Eleanor was quickly on her feet, as Wesker let out a chuckle and tossed his ruined glasses to the ground.
"You're getting faster brother." Eleanor noted with a smirk, her glowing red eyes, matching his own in ferocity.
"Even for one so young, your powers are impressive." Wesker noted with a keen eye.
"And you're learning quite quickly. Keep this up and you'll be as powerful as Zabuza soon." Eleanor offered to him as well.
"It truly is amazing the extent of what even a simple magical being can do." Wesker mused aloud, earning a nod of agreement from Eleanor.
"Yes, and we're far beyond simple magicals. I've seen the extent of human limitations. I've seen what Lord Hashirama can do when he's actually trying, and it truly is amazing, but at the end of the day, he's still only human." Eleanor agreed.
"I once sought to understand the limits of human perfection. Now I find that humans are far in a way inferior to beings such as us." Wesker responded as he cracked his neck.
"Of course. We are half-demons, and we are mamma Riley's children. Even if at our best we held one-one millionth of her power, we would still be stronger then any weapon mankind has ever produced." Eleanor responded with a devilish smirk.
"An intriguing thought." Wesker responded, as he readied to continue their training.
As the two were about to rush at one another again, one of the distant mountains was suddenly and violently torn asunder by a massive explosion.
A blinding white light covered most of the mountain's peak and massive torrents of lightning arced off of the sphere of light, tearing across the landscape, splintering many towering tree and ripping up the ground.
A single moment passed as both Eleanor and Wesker were nearly thrown to the ground by the shock-wave that tore passed them, and it was immediately followed by an ear-shattering kaboom.
The ringing in their ears held for nearly a full minute before subsiding. By the time it did, the explosion had faded, and the mountain-top was gone.
"Amazing." Wesker noted, his statement earning an awed nod from Eleanor.
Not far off, Madara Uchiwa and his younger brother Izuna, sat resting from a very long sword duel. Both were eyeing the now vanished mountain-top with amusement.
"She truly is your granddaughter elder brother." Izuna noted with a snort of enjoyment.
"Hmph… she's a spitfire today." Madara agreed.
"I'd say she's being rather tame today. Usually when she brings us here to train, she disappears over the mountains and all we hear from her for a week in a near unending series of explosions." Izuna stated with a chuckle.
"True. She's been spending more time recently learning to hone her abilities, rather then expand them. She's already more powerful then anything else in our world, so instead she does the intelligent thing and breaks her back trying to gain just a bit more control over her powers." Madara agreed. In the time since the end of the war, Riley had spent the majority of her training time doing two things. Learning her new limits, and honing her control over her powers.
Both tasks were unspeakably difficult. Despite it being over a year since then end of the War, and thus with the use of Kamui, well over five for Riley, she was still having difficulties getting her control back to what it once was. It was incredibly slow going, luckily Riley was patient, and dedicated. She found peace in laborious tasks, and which served as a great benefit in her current endeavors. The Nine Tails had openly admitted that he believed at her current pace, it would take Riley another hundred years in Kamui to get her control back up to what it was before she had absorbed the Ten-Tails. She'd be closing in on two-hundred-and-fifty years old, by the time she could finally return to learning new abilities, and gaining new powers. That was why she was taking these training trips more often.
With that current goal in mind, Riley had been trying for two to four weeks in Kamui every day. Occasionally she'd go for longer, which shaved time off, but if she kept up that schedule, then it would take her less then three years in the real world to complete her training in this regard. And Riley wanted to ensure her control over her powers was back up to near perfect, before she began planning how she would go about making her mates into her paths.
Madara and Hashirama still assisted her in her training, despite their newfound freedom, it just simply wasn't as often
In the sky high above the eviscerated mountain, Riley hovered. Even now, after all the time that had passed since the end of the Fourth Great Ninja War, Riley was still testing her limits. Not only how far she could go, but how easily she could hold back. Riley barely had to flex her powers, to cause such devastation. She truly was on the level of a god now.
"It's still not enough." Kurama noted, earning a subconscious nod of agreement form Riley.
"I know. If I want to guarantee our survival when the day of wrath comes, I need to get stronger. I need to make sure my allies are stronger. The more power we have, the more we'll be able to do when that day finally comes." Riley stated aloud, her gaze hard and filled with cold calculation.
After a moment of pondering she repaired the mountain with little more than a thought. She then turned and glided down to a large lake that sat outside of what would typically be the zone of inhabitance in Kamui. This lake, or perhaps sea was a better word for it, simply stretched out into the far distance, it's end disappearing from sight.
Once Riley was at the edge of the lake she held her hand out and began channeling her power over gravity. Slowly and with careful precision, water began to rise up before her. She extended a hand as if she was reaching out for the sphere as it began to drift away from her and grow in size. This was one of Riley's many control exercises, using gravity to pick up and then maintain a sphere of liquid. Usually it was water but Riley occasionally experimented with other elements in a liquid state to test her control. The point was to make the sphere as large as possible, while maintaining it in a liquid state. Riley could easily condense the sphere of water and crush it into a ball of ice, or even crush it further down into something more, but that wasn't the point of this exercise. The point was to maintain the water as a liquid, while holding it to the shape. That enhanced her control, slowly but steadily. Riley would do this several times over creating upwards to ten titanic spheres of water, some reaching tens of miles in diameter, and then she would meditate and simply maintain it for as long as she could without losing control over or putting too much power into it.
And while Riley focused on this, she'd send clones to either train her family, her mates, or her friends. Or she'd send them to study various things or develop new spells or jutsu.
Riley hadn't learned many new abilities in the time since the end of the war, but most of the ones she had learned, came from training with Lady Kaguya. The Reincarnated Rabbit Goddess was in no way a warrior. She was powerful and had a number on incredibly overpowered abilities, but she wasn't a fighter, nor was she overly skilled.
Despite that, Riley learned what she had to teach with gusto. She learned how to harden and manipulate her own hair, much like her tails. She could make it near impossible to cut through, and as sharp as razor wire. She could extend it if she wanted too and grab hold of opponents. She could even pierce them with strands of her hair, which was one of the twists Riley had put on the ability. In combat she could extend her hair and have it expand and elongate, she would then use magic to harden it and then unleash the near one-hundred-thousand individual strands as an area-of-effect attack, sort of like a ranged touch-attack.
Riley had originally been less then enthusiastic about the idea of using her hair as a weapon, as her tails served basically the same functions, but with the development of this ability, Riley could use these strands like a literal sea of piercing spears. A single hair was so thin that it was near impossible to kill someone by piercing them with it, which is what made it so sadistic. Riley could use her hair to pepper a wide area, skewering a handful of targets with it, she could then either use the individual strands as cutting wires and slowly and delicately slice through a person, causing immeasurable pain. Or she could even channel the elements through it. Riley found the most sadistic being fire, as in some cases, depending on the concentration of hairs, a single target could be pierced upwards to a hundred times by these hair strands and that meant a hundred points of contact for fire to burn into their bodies and through their internal organs, muscle, bones, and nerves directly.
It truly was a sadistic invention, add that onto the ability to harden and then launch individual strands of hair like a sea of needles, and the ability to collect strands together into blade like instruments to hack at opponents, and it became a ferocious and incredibly versatile school of magic.
And as was a constant for Riley, redundancy was her bread and butter.
Other techniques Riley learned from her grandmother was how to utilize the All-Killing Ash Bones. Which allowed her to further weaponize her bones and even utilize some of the Kaguya Bracken Dances with the Ash Bones, when the technique was activated, anyone pierced or cut would immediately begin to break down at a molecule level. It was an instant kill move for anything that required a body. So any being short of a true magical being like a demon or an angel, would be near instantly killed if Riley used the ability on them.
Another ability Riley had taken to learning and mastering was the Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack. An ability which allowed her to manifest large chakra fists to strike at her opponents with unspeakable power. To test the ability in battle she had used it against Madara while he used his Perfect Susano'o. Much to both of their surprise the ability shattered his Susano'o with almost impossible ease. When focusing this ability, along with her Byakugan, it became one of the few techniques that fell into the category of 'Ultimate offense.'
Another small part of Riley's training was learning to utilize the Truth-Seeking Orbs. When she had absorbed the Ten-Tails, she had gained Ten of them. More often then not, Riley kept them constantly manifested, she simply had them placed under the skin of her back. If one were to look at her naked back, they would see the Ten-Tails Coffin Seal, and around it, Ten pitch black spheres, which were actually the manifested Truth-Seeking Orbs, hidden under her flesh.
From Kaguya she learned that much like with Izanagi and Izanami if Riley ever lost one of Truth-Seekers, the only way to get it back was with an immense amount of magic. In this case, Riley would have to sacrifice one of the tomoe in one of her three eyes to regain one of the orbs if she lost it. Then she would have to wait a day for that tomoe to regenerate. Riley learned quickly that the loss of even a single tomoe in her eyes, reduced their power drastically. So she didn't want to go losing any of her Truth-Seeking Orbs. This was also the reason why someone with the Rinnegan could manifest Truth-Seeking Orbs but could not replace them.
Aside from learning about their properties, Riley learned how to shape them, how to use them offensively, and how to use them defensively. These orbs negated all basic forms of magic. Only Nature Energy infused abilities or pure demonic, or holy powers could contact them without being negated, much like the Chakra Receivers.
Kaguya had also promised to teach Riley as many of her clan's abilities as she could, once Riley had finished regaining full control over her power and completed her training with Hagoromo.
Aside from time spent training, Riley was slowly but surely spending more time with her grandmother. They were still a bit awkward around one another, but they were slowly starting to bond. One thing that was made clear between them though, was that if Riley was truly Kaguya's heir then she'd be the one to answer to the Ootsutsuki when they came to the Earth one day. So much of their time together involved Kaguya either teaching Riley everything she knew as an Ootsutsuki, or as an Uzumaki. And if she wasn't doing that, she was helping her to develop new techniques, or encouraging her to learn new abilities from others.
Kaguya wasn't the only one to teach Riley some new techniques. While Riley hadn't learned many new abilities in the time since the war, many of the ones she did learn actually came from Tobirama Senju. The man was a master of making new jutsu. In fact it was one of his hobbies. Riley learned from him and worked with him to develop new abilities, things that they could utilize when the Ootsutsuki came, or when the Day of Wrath finally arrived.
Needless to say, despite control being her primary area of study since the end of the war, Riley still continued to expand her repertoire of techniques and abilities, little by little, in preparation for the wars to come.
-Riley's House, London. August 15th 1998-
Riley and Kaede were quietly kissing each other after a short lovemaking session. Just a short little tryst to relieve themselves.
The two were enjoying the sensation of their kissing when a whimper filled the near silent room. Both separated, as Riley felt fear surge through her bond with one of her mates. Her head snapped towards where Luna lay, cuddled up to Katie. Luna was shaking and whimpering, obviously experiencing a nightmare.
Riley shared a glance with Kaede before delicately crawling over the slumbering form of Daphne, to reach where Katie lay spooning with Luna.
For several moments Riley simply thought that Luna was having the same nightmare she always did. The reoccurring memory of her mother's death, but it was just as she finished climbing over Daphne, that she realized this was something entirely different.
A strangled cry of fear escaped from Luna's lips and she desperately and subconsciously clutched at Katie. Her sudden jolting movement woke Katie from a dead sleep, and she quickly shot up, out of Luna's grasp, her eyes darting around the room for a moment before turning towards the whimpering form of Luna who was openly shaking, and crying in her sleep.
Even before Riley made contact with her, she could tell this wasn't the same nightmare. The memory of her mother's death, caused pain, and sorrow. This… this was terror. Riley had never felt one of her mates feel this before. She had never known them to feel this kind of fear. Riley's own heart, and demonic instincts screamed in fury at her mate's distress.
Then came the contact. As soon as Riley scooped the frantic young woman into her arms, she saw it. Through the bond that came with contact, Riley saw the nightmare that was causing Luna so much fear, and she quickly surmised that it wasn't a nightmare at all.
Images flashed in her head. Ice… vast continents of ice. And then… light… blinding light. Then came water, walls of water. Cities drowning. Billions screaming out in terror as the waves consumed them. Fear, pain, agony, unimaginable suffering. Pure terror as countless lives were seemingly snuffed out at once.
"Luna!" Riley snapped, her magic surging across the bond, snapping her frantic mate awake. Riley did nothing to hide the rage in her eyes. The magnitude of anger in Riley's gaze, was only comparable to the sheer terror and panic reflected in Luna's delicate blues.
Luna was trembling. By now everyone was awake. Daphne was sitting up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Fleur had shot up when she heard Riley snap. Katie and Kaede watched with concern as Riley cradled the delicate Ravenclaw in her arms.
For several long moments, everything was silent as Riley held Luna in her embrace. Luna's whole body shook, almost as if her very soul itself was trembling. The sheer panic in Luna's eyes… it made Riley sick to her stomach. She never wanted to see that look reflected in any of her mates eyes ever again. It made her angry, immeasurably angry. She wanted to lash out, to strike at the cause of Luna's distress.
But she couldn't because it wasn't real.
Seconds passed, then a minute, then two. Finally Luna's body stopped with it's violent shaking though she still continued to tremble a bit. Slowly she focused her eyes on Riley and for a moment the two stared into each others very souls.
Riley saw the sickness reflected in Luna's eyes. In a smooth motion, Riley turned herself, one of her tails grabbing an object off of the nightstands and transfiguring it into a bowl. The bowl was quickly placed right in front of Luna, a half second before she vomited.
"Oh, Luna." Katie cooed as reached out and placed a hand on the young woman's back.
After clearing out the contents of her stomach Luna pulled back. Riley thoughtlessly banished the bowl and its contents before pulling Luna into a tight embrace.
By now, all of her fellow mates were circled around the two of them. They shared looks of concern with one another as they watched Riley gently caress the top of Luna's head and whisper things to her.
The embrace that Riley had Luna in, there was something so possessive about it. Something powerful, and domineering, it was difficult to describe, but if it had to be explained, it almost looked like how many of them would expect Riley's 'mama panther' attitude to look like.
There was pure strength and comfort in the embrace. It was immeasurably powerful, almost like the world could go up in flames right now and that embrace would keep Luna safe.
They all could tell something was very wrong. Riley's demonic features were much more twisted then normal and the starlight within her wings was growing more intense.
"Shh… it's alright. You don't have to be afraid, I'm here." Riley whispered as she held Luna.
Fleur and Katie were in the right place to see the side of Luna's face, her eyes were wide and quivering and tears were streaming down her cheeks as she clung to Riley like a lifeline.
After several seconds Riley pulled away from Luna a bit, adjusting herself and taking her face in her hands. The two locked eyes as Riley leaned down and rested her forehead to Luna's.
"You're safe. It wasn't real. It was just a dream." Riley stated to her.
Luna stared back for several long moments before she closed her eyes. More tears began to slide down her cheeks, as she tried to compose herself.
"It wasn't a dream..." Luna muttered.
Silence filled the room for several long moments as Riley's gaze hardened.
"A prophecy?" Riley guessed. Luna nodded, as the surrounding women shared glances with one another.
Riley pulled Luna back into an embrace, cradling he,r and doing her best to provide the young woman with whatever strength she needed to recover from this.
"A vision of the end of the world. It was different from the Day of Wrath. Something else is coming." Kurama noted.
"I know. A great flood. I never knew that prophecies felt so vivid. I never knew it was this intense. Luna said the first time she saw a vision of the Day of Wrath she was ten years old. I can't imagine what it must have been like for her to see that, at that age." Riley replied to the mighty beast.
"I would say it's about time you get to work on that kingdom of yours Riley. It sounds like people are gonna need a place to go in the not to distant future." Kurama stated with a sigh.
"Your right. Somethings going on. Something we didn't foresee. We need to prepare for it. Just like we do for everything else." Riley responded to Kurama before turning her attention back to Luna.
"It's alright my love… I wont let that be the end of us. I swear I'll save as many as I can." Riley whispered over her bond with Luna.
She felt the Ravenclaw nod, and Riley held her just a bit tighter at that, her gaze lifting up to meet eyes with her surrounding mates. A silent conversation was held between them. It was apparent to the surrounding ladies, that Riley was finally done relaxing. There was a seriousness about her now, something that they hadn't seen since the end of the Fourth Great Ninja World War.
She was ready to put aside the quiet times. If the world was ready to get serious again, then so would she. And she'd ensure that all of her loved ones were ready for it as well. Come hell or high water, Riley would proved her might against whatever threats came. Even if that threat was the apocalypse itself.
-Pentref Cysgodian Hud, London. September 17th 1998-
"Lord-Commander." Wesker greeted the young Uchiha lord. By his side was Kabuto, and the newest member of their fledgling science division, Eleanor.
"I understand you needed to speak with me." Itachi stated as he lifted his gaze to meet with the obscured eyes of the ex-Umbrella scientist.
"Yes. In regards to a matter of importance. If our division is to continue to grow we need more staff. Qualified individuals with a certain level of prestige in their fields." Wesker began.
"I assume that means that you've brought me a list of potential recruits?" Itachi stated, sensing the point of this conversation.
"That we have Lord-Commander. Compiled here is a list of names, various researchers, scientists, and other brilliant minds that could be beneficial to the Legion if they were brought on. I'm assuming you don't have an issue with working with muggles?" Kabuto answered as he handed him a folder, filled with various personnel files on numerous individuals.
"You're suggesting we begin recruiting to the science division? Well I see no problem with it. And I have no issue working with muggles. So long as they can keep their mouths shut in regards to magic, I don't see an issue. Is there anyone in particular you wanted to look into first?" Itachi inquired as he read some of the names and occupations.
"Yes. An old colleague of mine. Brilliant man. His name is William Birkin. He's an Umbrella scientist, working on construction of a new viral pathogen, Code names the G-Virus. Much like myself he's come to see Umbrella as a dead end, and last I heard he was looking for a way out. He had intentions of selling G, to the U.S. military in exchange for his safety and the safety of his family. His wife is also a brilliant scientist. Recruiting both of them would be a valuable addition to our fledgling organization." Wesker explained. Itachi was silent as he quickly leaved through the folder until he arrived at the information on William Birkin. He was quick to read the various passages about the man, as well as information on him and his family that Wesker provided.
"Where is he?" Itachi asked without looking up.
"The NEST. A laboratory hidden beneath Raccoon City, not far from where Lady Riley found me." Wesker answered.
"What'll you need to retrieve him?" Itachi asked as he shut the folder and looked up at the three.
"A small strike team is all that's required. Thought getting him out would be a primary objective along with his wife and daughter, an incursion into the NEST would also give us the opportunity to gather information on all of Umbrella's B.O.W.s being worked on there." Wesker informed him.
"That information would be quite valuable to us. Knowing how these Biological weapons work will give us the edge in destroying Umbrella's if they ever see military action, and it would give us the opportunity to begin our own research into B.O.W.s. The T and G viruses are much like ADAM. Their ability to mutate tissue, when honed, could one day lead us to increasing the power of our own soldiers." Kabuto added, earning a nod of agreement from Eleanor.
Itachi was silent for a moment as he pondered the idea. Biological warfare was illegal in modern warfare, but such a thing was barely a noteworthy to the Legion. They fought alongside demons, and did unspeakable things. Shinobi did not turn down advantages due to morals. War was terrible. Trying to make it less terrible simply invited it to happen more often. As far as Itachi was concerned, the ideas of B. was a deterrent just like everything else. If this gave the Legion an edge in the wars to come, if the study of these viruses led them to creating more powerful soldiers then that meant that the Legion would have a greater chance to survive. Britain would have a better chance.
"What do you think?" Itachi asked aloud. As soon as the final word left his mouth, the space next to his distorted and out of Kamui, Riley appeared.
"I say… lets get a team ready and prepare a raid. If nothing else, these assholes in Umbrella sound like they'll be competition for us in the future. So… let's hit them first." Riley responded with a devilish smirk.
"Very well then. Prepare a team. Ex-filtration of VIPs. Extraction of valuable data, and samples, and sabotage of the Umbrella facility. Their loss will be our gain." Itachi stated, earning a nod from the four.
"Due to the delicate nature of this assignment, we'll need to be careful how we form this strike-team. Lets go and speak with commander Shikaku and get his opinion on it. If we're gonna do this, we're gonna do with the best possible chance of achieving all of our goals." Riley stated to the three.
"You'll leave for the US in three days. Good luck. Albert, since you know the area and have experience in operations such as this, I'm placing you in charge of this operation. Good luck. I'll expect to hear good things upon your return." Itachi ordered his voice calm and even.
"Three days then. Let us get to work." Wesker responded, his eyes flashing red as he and his fellows turned and headed out, all three being watched by the calculating gaze of Itachi, and the ominous purple glow of Riley's Rinne-Sharingan.
-To Be Continued-
Number 1: Resident Evil 1: Chimera
Alright there's the next chapter. If anyone was wondering why the mansion incident was so short, well it was because that wasn't all of the Resident Evil I was going to add. As I'm sure many of you have guessed by now, I'm trying my best to keep things tied to their original timeline. Everything worked out so nicely with Riley graduating Hogwarts in the early summer of 1998 that it just felt right to follow the timeline. I'll be sprinkling in visions of future storylines and foreshadowing as the story progresses. I wonder if anyone's gonna guess what Luna's vision was in reference too. Regardless, hope you all enjoyed, and I apologize for being a few hours late. I meant to have this our earlier but I couldn't figure out the right way to end it, so I was left struggling for a bit. Only an hour past deadline, I can live with that. Next chapter out before the 15th. Until then, hit me up if you have any questions, or if you wanna talk shop about the story, or make guessed to future events. I'm always willing to engage you guys if you wanna. I hope this was enough extra stuff that people who aren't familiar with Resident Evil, weren't simply left lost. Anyway, Later!