Alright, here's the next chapter for everyone. Sorry it's a little late, I just got surgery to repair my eardrum, so I've been relaxing these last few days, and kinda out of it, due to the pain meds.
I would like to point out a correction from the previous chapter, there is actually three remaining Akatsuki members, not two. I forgot that Deidara was still alive. So that actually leaves Hiruko, Hidan, and Deidara as surviving Akatsuki.
Anyway, here's we goes. This chapter will cover a lot of the events of Resident Evil 2/3, though some events will be skewed a bit due to the involvement of Riley's faction. Anyway, hope everyone enjoys. :) And as for those not truly interested in RE, please be patient, as these chapters also sets up future conflicts and developments. Hope you all enjoy yourselves and have some fun.
Broken Angel: Rising Demon
Chapter 4: City of Pain
September 18th 1998:
Riley's Home, London:
"Is it really that bad?" Daphne inquired.
Across from her sat Gaia, whom was quietly sipping on some tea. In truth it was actually nearly bedtime, though for Gaia, it was already partway through her morning. She had simply come to Britian to spend the morning with her fellow mates, and meet with Itachi to discuss certain business in regards to a situation that was slowly growing more dire in the Elemental Nations.
With the latter part of her purpose complete, Gaia was now at Riley's home, intent on spending an hour or so with her fellow mates to discuss things, before she returned to the Elemental Nations to continue her day.
The two were sat at a table in the kitchen, with them was Madara, Izuna, Kaguya, Hashirama, and Tobirama.
"Yes. At first it was only in the immediate vicinity of the battle against the Ten-Tails. However as time progresses, residual dark energy is flowing out into the nearby lands, causing negative side effects in the people that live there. We're already receiving reports of an increase in violence, and we've noted a rise in animal attacks, as even the wildlife is starting to become affected by the presence of demonic Youki." Gaia explained.
"Demonic Youki is a dangerous thing. Even now, over a year later, it's still corrupting everything in that area. Have you spoken with Riley about it?" Hashirama asked.
"Yes. After an investigation she's found that the majority of the dark energy is some form of corrupted nature energy. It's not leftovers from her or the Ten-Tails. It seems their battle corrupted the laylines in that area, and now nature itself is turning twisted, and I think its spreading." Gaia answered, her tone, heavy and solemn.
"Perhaps you could do something about that brother?" Tobirama noted, earning a thoughtful look from Hashirama.
"Perhaps. Pure nature energy can suppress demonic Youki to a certain degree, but this isn't purely demonic youki. Dark nature energy is much like the magic we found in Orochimaru's Curse Marks, or in his experimental Inferi. It does similar things to people and to nature that Demonic Energy does. I'd have to investigate and see if I can reverse the effects or at least slow their progress." Hashirama stated after a moment of thought.
"Perhaps there is something you can do, though I highly doubt it. The effects seen in the Elemental Nations are simply the small-scale variant to what would happen to a world successfully conquered by demons. This Dark Nature Energy is the end result to a planet becoming a dark world. The battle between Riley and the Ten-Tails scarred the Earth, and triggered the transition in that area. The question isn't how to stop it, the question is how far will it spread before it does." Kaguya stated, her tone heavy, and direct.
"Is there no way to reverse such a thing?" Tobirama asked.
"The only way I know of to reverse such damage, is to heal the scar, and cleanse the dark energy from it, allowing the world to heal naturally. The process of doing this however, is outside of our abilities. It would require a being, on a similar level to one of the Bijuu, but with access to Holy magic." Kaguya responded, her eyes fixing the Kazekage with a look that held a warning, one that Gaia interpreted as not trying too hard to fight this, as it was something outside of humanity's ability to combat.
"So we'd need an angel in order to heal the damage? Well, unfortunately most angels would be more inclined to fight Riley then spend any time trying to heal our world, and I'd rather not invite such a conflict to our world if it can be avoided." Gaia responded, earning herself a nod of agreement from Daphne, and from Hashirama.
"For now, Lady Kazekage, I would strongly advise that you begin evacuating people from that area, and install sensor-types to keep an eye on things and keep track of the spread of this energy. It shouldn't take more then a few years for the development of this scar to stabilize and for the spread of this energy to halt." Kaguya offered.
"I see. I'll take your suggestion into consideration, my lady. For now though, I think it's time for me to head back." Gaia responded as she rose to her feet. Everyone else rose as well, offering their farewells to the Kazekage in turn.
"You sure you don't want to hang around? Riley's bed is awfully comfy." Came the inquiry from Daphne. Gaia offered her a smirk, which Daphne mimicked in reply.
"I know a trap when I see one. I have responsibilities that supersede my personal desires. So unfortunately, I'm going to have to decline." Gaia responded, earning a snort of amusement from Daphne, as the two shook hands.
"Give the others my regards." Gaia asked, earning a nod from her fellow mate. The Kazekage then offered her future in-laws a nod before removing her own personal portkey and vanishing from sight.
A few quiet moments passed as the group shared contemplative looks. It was finally Izuna who spoke up, breaking the silence.
"What does it say when this all starts happening at once? We have terrorists carrying out attacks in the Elemental Nations. Now we have this dark nature energy pouring out across hundreds of square kilometers, doing gods only know what to the people there. What's next?" He voiced, a look of concern marring his face.
"It's a sign. An omen of a dark future." Madara noted, his words drawing a nod of agreement from his wife.
"Something terrible is coming. Luna saw it in a vision. A great flood awaits us in the future. I think this is all just a buildup for it." Daphne stated, earning curious looks from her extended family.
"Another prophecy, like the Day of Wrath?" Hashirama inquired.
"Riley thinks so." Daphne responded.
"If a Seeress is seeing things, then that does not bode well for us in the coming days. I would strongly advise that we begin preparations for this 'great flood'. Lest we find ourselves drown in it's wake." Kaguya stated as she rose and began to depart, an air of cold separation about her, that was seemingly a constant for the former goddess, nowadays.
"She isn't wrong. We must prepare. We should begin the construction of resource caches in the highlands, so that they'll be safe from this flood. We should also look into the possibility of moving the Hidden Village. If a great flood is coming, then having it on the water, may not be the best idea." Tobirama stated.
"Is such a thing possible? Relocating a hidden village, I mean?" Izuna inquired, glancing at his brother.
"I've seen a city that floats in the sky, and a city the survives beneath the waves, I highly doubt anything is impossible in this world of ours. One need only the will to make it happen." Madara replied sagely, earning a nod from his younger brother, while Hashirama hummed in agreement.
After a few moments, Hashirama rose to his feet and turned towards Daphne. "I'm heading out to speak with Itachi. Once done I intend to head out to the Elemental Nations and take a look around. I'll leave a clone behind to look after the orphanage, but if you or one of the others could swing by occasionally to check on things, I'd appreciate it."
"You think you might be able to do something?" Daphne inquired.
"I'm not sure. I trust Lady Kaguya's assessment of the situation, but I want to make certain that this is outside of my ability to fix before I turn my attention to other options." Hashirama responded, earning a nod of understanding from Daphne.
"I'll let the others know. I'm sure Kaede will keep things in order while she's visiting her brother, and I'll have Riley keep an eye on the place whenever she has some free time." Daphne responded, earning a thankful smile from Hashirama.
"I'll go with you brother. Perhaps we can see about sealing away the dark energy, if it's at all possible." Tobirama offered, earning a nod from his elder brother.
"Good luck you two. Send word if you find any solutions." Madara stated, earning a nods from the two Senju brothers before Tobirama placed a hand on Hashirama's shoulder and the two vanished in a flash.
"You think they'll find anything brother?" Izuna inquired.
"I doubt it. But Hashirama wont rest until he's at least tried to help. Perhaps he can mitigate some of the damage, but I doubt it will be easy to fix this." Madara responded with a sigh.
"Well, I'm going to retire. Goodnight you two, I'll see you tomorrow." Daphne offered after a moment. Both brothers offered a glance and a nod of confirmation as she turned and exited the room. The two remained there, both in quiet contemplation about this new source of distress.
Upstairs Daphne arrived to find most of her fellow mates finished up getting read for bed. The only one still dressing down was Fluer, Kaede, Luna, and Katie were already in bed.
"Did Gaia leave?" Fleur inquired when she spotted Daphne enter.
"Yes, she's headed back to Suna. Where's Riley?" Daphne answered.
"Not here. I assume she's off training or perhaps she at the hidden village with Itachi." Came the response from Katie.
"Is somezing wrong?" Fleur inquired.
Daphne gaze her a look and was about to reply when she decided not to. Out of all of them, Katie was the only other one to have a job that might involve her in this new pain-in-the-ass that was developing, as Katie worked for the Legion now. Daphne, as the head of Hellsing was also involved, but the rest of them, were basically civilians. Daphne quickly made the decision that it was best not to worry them with this. They were already dealing with Luna's newest prophetic vision of some sort of great flood, and that was on top of the Day of Wrath. Adding this to the mix would just bring unneeded stress. So she just offered Fleur a smile and shook her head.
Daphne could tell that Fleur didn't buy it, but she must have understood that it wasn't something that involved them so there was no need to press for more info if Daphne felt uncomfortable sharing.
Daphne was quick to begin undressing and preparing for bed, meanwhile in a neighboring room, Kaguya Uzumaki Ootsutsuki stood at her window staring up at the moon. Hidden within the sleeve of her robes was her faithful servant and extension of her will, Black Zetsu.
"What are you thinking mother?" Black Zetsu inquired.
"Yes, what are you thinking?" Madara inquired as he entered the room, stepping up beside Kaguya.
"This world is so loud. It's so much more filled with life then when I ruled it. There's so much more to it now. So much more for them to take." Kaguya responded.
"The Ootsutsuki will come for us one day, and when they do, we'll be ready to deal with them." Madara responded.
"I wish I had your confidence Madara. My kinsmen are so powerful. Even after I became a goddess I still feared them, and the power they held. I do not wish to see them take my family's legacy. I do not wish to see them take my home." Kaguya stated, her voice heavy, and foreboding.
"They wont. If they choose to show their faces here we'll end them. And if they somehow make it past me, then they'll have to deal with our granddaughter. Do you honestly think your kinsmen are stronger then her?" Madara replied, giving Kaguya a sideways glance, his Rinnegan shining in the darkness of the room.
"No. I don't think they are. But they're older. Much older. And unlike me… they know how to fight." Kaguya responded turning to meet his glance.
"You worry too much." Madara noted with a shrug and sigh.
"And you do not worry enough." Kaguya responded, narrowing her eyes at him. Her actions earned a smirk from Madara, whom enjoyed seeing her getting worked up.
"All we've ever done with magic is use it to kill each other. We're not ascended beings, or great philosophers, we humans are warriors. We are killers, at the core of our beings. If these Ootsutsuki wish to conquer this world, then they will face the resistance of billions of people, some of which are powerful magicals in their own right. Your kinsmen will fight tooth and nail to take this world from us, and if they succeed, then in my mind, they've earned it. So I wont worry about it. Either we'll win, or it wont be our problem anymore." Madara responded, earning an uncertain look from his wife.
"Again, I wish I had your confidence." Kaguya stated as she turned back to the window.
"I do believe you once said my confidence bordered on arrogance. Why don't we just let me be the overly confident one and you be the realistic one? And we'll keep each other from doing anything overly rash." Madara offered, earning a snort of amusement from Kaguya.
"Very well. I'll make sure that giant head of yours, does not grow any larger, and you can go on reminding me that no matter how terrible the odds, the world will always be filled with fools who think they can beat them." Kaguya responded turning back to him. Madara smirked and nodded placing an arm around her and guiding her towards their bed.
Not far away, at the same time, Riley sat on the edge of London bridge, overlooking the river. She was under her Invisibility Cloak so no one noticed her as cars drove by.
In Riley's mind she was replaying what she had seen flash through Luna's mind. Each image was stretched out now, appearing and holding in place as Riley went over it, part by part, to ensure that there wasn't anything she missed.
"It looks to me like one or both of the Ice caps melt." Kurama noted.
"They don't just melt. It looks almost like they're destroyed." Riley thought back.
"Yes. That would be an overwhelmingly effective way of culling humanity's population." Kurama stated as she played the image of cities vanishing beneath the waves in her mind.
"It doesn't help that most of the world's population lives on or near the ocean. The ice caps melting instantly would release a monstrous tsunami that would drown hundreds of millions at least. Though that number could be much higher." Riley mused earning herself a sigh from the giant fox.
"Well luckily for us, we have access to the technology to build a city under the waves, and one in the sky. So pick your poison and let's start building." Kurama noted, earning a rueful chuckle from Riley.
"You know me Kurama, I'm more about prevention then avoidance. If I can stop it from happening, then we'll be better off." Riley responded to his statement.
"I know that Riley. But in the case of a flood like this, Rinne Rebirth wont work. You may be able to bring the people back, but all you'll end up doing is drowning them again. There is no fixing this, if you fail to stop it. Setting up measures to mitigate the damage is far more important then just trying to prevent it." Kurama stated, as Riley let out a sigh.
She could imagine it in her mind, whole cities vanishing beneath the waves, and staying that way for days. Some places would remain under water indefinitely. People who were drowned beneath the waves, could be resurrected by Rinne Rebirth, the issue came in the form of them being revived where they fell.
Rinne Rebirth had some very powerful repositioning elements to it, if the body of the person in question couldn't be revived where they fell. For instance if a man was crushed under a boulder, and then brought back, his body wouldn't appear under the boulder, it would appear next to it, fully healed. Water was a different story. Because water was fluid, and therefore malleable, a body could be revived in it, so long as the pressure wasn't so great that it prevented the body from being fully healed. All that reviving someone under the waves would accomplish is drowning them again.
So stopping the flood was the only way to ensure that people survived. If she failed, then she had to have backup plans ready. In theory she could utilize seals, barriers, or even Kamui to remove the water, and prevent the flooding, but there was no guarantee it would work during such a tumultuous event. She'd have to run tests in Kamui to see if she could manage it. If that wasn't possible, there was the possibility of holding off the waters, with some sort of physical barrier, like a massive ice wall, or something of the like to keep the waters back while the coastlines evacuated. Again that presented it's own issues. For instance, most of the worlds population lived near the water. And with all of them fleeing inland, that could also cause massive resource shortages, that could lead to greater conflict such as wars.
No matter which way this was sliced, if Riley failed to stop the event in it's entirety, then at the least, millions would die, and countless more would be left despondent by it.
These thoughts filled Riley minds for the remainder of the night.
-Pentref Cysgodian Hud, London. September 18th 1998-
"Thank you all for coming." Itachi stated. Before him sat a team of twenty-four legionnaires. Many of them former Leaf shinobi, though a few ex-Death Eaters were among them.
"You've all been selected for an operation that'll commence tomorrow 0600 hours. The operation is as follows. You are to infiltrate a top secret research base, owned and operated by the international pharmaceutical enterprise, Umbrella. This base is located in America, deep in the heartland of the country, beneath Raccoon City. The Base is called the NEST. Your mission is to infiltrate the facility, extract VIPs, technological assets, and biological and viral samples." Shikaku Nara informed the group, earning steely looks from the collection of hardened veterans of the Fourth Great Ninja War.
"Your primary target is this man, William Birkin." Itachi stated, as he motioned towards a wall where a projector came on and shown the group an image of William Birkin's face. "He's a lead virologist for Umbrella. According to our intel he's developed a new viral agent known as the G-Virus. William has grown disillusioned with working for Umbrella and is seeking escape. As far as we know he contacted the US military to gain their assistance, we are going get him before they get the chance, or Umbrella silences him."
"Given his knowledge of the situation, your team leader for the duration of this assignment will be Doctor Albert Wesker, some of you may have seen him around. He has intimate knowledge of the facilities within Raccoon City, as well as Umbrella's operations therein. Doctor..." Shikaku informed them, gesturing to the former Umbrella scientist whom stepped forward before the team of legionnaires.
"As was stated, our target is William Birkin. The man is one of Umbrella's leading scientists, and he'll be an invaluable asset to the Legion in the coming years. He will be located within the NEST alongside his wife and fellow scientist, Annette Birkin. His young daughter Sherry is also within the city, these two will also need to be extracted, if we are to guarantee Doctor Birkin's cooperation." Wesker explained to them, earning several nods from the group, as images of Annette and Sherry popped up on the projector.
A hand raised in the crowd, coming from Kiba Inuzuka.
"What do we need a virologist for?" Kiba inquired, some of his fellows sharing in his curiosity. Despite the warrior nature of many shinobi, the art of using disease rather then poison, was still a rather simplistic ideal in the Elemental Nations
"As some of you may suspect, Umbrella itself is not a rival, nor is it a competitor in our business. Doctor Wesker here is a former employee of Umbrella and worked for the viral weapons division. He personally developed several strains of highly lethal biological agents that Umbrella is attempting to and has already succeeded at, weaponizing for use in warfare. Doctor Wesker suggests that it could be as little as five years before we start seeing these Bio-organic Weapons deployed on battlefields by various groups, not limited to state-run militaries. We're talking terrorists, rebels, pirates. William and Annette Birkin will prove quite valuable to our own research into biological and viral weapons. Their knowledge will not only aid us in developing our own weapons, but countering Umbrella's. That is why while your primary mission is to extract these three assets, your secondary and tertiary assignments will surround the capture of valuable research, specimens, and weapons, for us to study. Umbrella is not yet our enemy, but given the role they play in this new and dynamic theater of war, we are choosing to launch a preemptive strike to cripple their operations within the states. This operation will open the doorway for future strikes to further hinder and cripple Umbrella's ability to control the Bio-weapons trade." Itachi explained to them, earning more nods from his men as they understood their purpose far clearer.
This was a preemptive strike. This Umbrella had done nothing to them yet, but it stood as a powerful player in future wars, and they now had the opportunity to strike out at them from the shadows.
"What will be done with the NEST, commander?" Came the inquiry from Ino Yamanaka.
"Once targets have been successfully ex-filtrated, and all secondary objectives have been completed, you will initiate your tertiary objective. If at all possible, the base is to be neutralized, upon completion of your mission." Itachi answered, earning a nod from the Yamanaka heiress.
"This operation must be carried out with extreme precision. If we are caught, there is little stopping the Umbrella scientists from unleashing whatever B.O.W.s that are stored within the facility. There is also the risk of contamination. One of Umbrella's main focuses is research on a viral pathogen known as the T-Virus. The Virus itself has remarkable mutagenic effects. Umbrella is working tirelessly to harness control over the virus, and have developed a multitude of Bio-weapons using it as a base. We must be quick and precise if we are to complete this mission without suffering from contamination." Wesker explained.
"You'll deploy to Raccoon City in the early morning hours and scout out the city. Find the entrance to the NEST and plan out your mission. I want this handled smoothly. Take your time. Prepare, and remain focused. Infection with the T-Virus will surely lead to your deaths, so I would strongly advise against hand to hand combat. Use your knowledge, and keep an eye on each other. I expect to hear good things upon your return. If you have any more questions, direct them towards Doctor Wesker, or Lord Nara. Otherwise, you are all dismissed." Itachi finished the briefing and turned to head out.
-Raccoon City, USA. September 19th 1998-
The next morning the unit deployed to the states. Drawing American currency from Gringotts, and utilizing portkeys, they made it to the heartland of the US, in only a few moments. From there, Wesker led the group towards Raccoon City. Normally cars or planes would be needed to expedite such a journey with the speed of Shinobi and with broomsticks, they were able to close in the city by the time the sun came up in the states.
The first thing they did upon arrival is buy out a medium sized hotel room in cash. Only two of them were needed for this, and the rest simply snuck into the room after the purchase was made. They intended to use the room as their base of operations for the duration of this assignment.
Once they had a foothold, the Legionaries began their reconnaissance.
For the next few days the group would scout out the area and the would prepare a plan to infiltrate the facility, capture Birkin, and his wife, as well as any other scientists they could get their hands on, and then they would plant special storage seals all throughout the facility. Since the facility lay beneath the city, destroying it outright was not possible as that would cause major damage and civilian casualties to the city above. The facility did have a self-destruct mechanism that was supposed to destroy the facility without damaging the city above, but there was no guarantee it would work as intended, and even if it did, massive underground explosions would have alerted the population above. This mission was meant to be secret. Get in, get out, and ensure that no one knew the Legion was involved.
So the group came prepared with specialized storage seals placed on tags. These seals were designed, upon activation, to release a large quantity of alchemist acid. Much like how Riley had designed an inferno based bomb tag, the legion had taken to stockpiling special storage seals with weapons, and magical tools such as this alchemist acid.
With the aid of individuals such as the First and Second Hokage, along with Riley, the Legion was able to take relatively small quantities of substances such as these acids, and utilize Yang Release to multiply the substance with pure magic. Much like how Hashirama and Tobirama could create their favored elements from nothing but magic, they could use the same ability to multiply certain substances, that weren't overly complex, using these same abilities.
To ensure that there were little to no civilian casualties, they chose to flood the facility rather then bomb it. Once they had captured all necessary VIPs, specimens, and equipment, they would use a clone to seal the facility and then flood it with the acid, killing every living thing still remaining, ruining any equipment left behind, and erasing all evidence of their time there.
Not long after they began their recon, Kiba's team approached Wesker with some information they had recovered.
"The hospitals are filling up with sick people. There are reports of strange monsters in the river." Kiba informed Albert and Kabuto.
Both men shared a look with one another. "It sounds as though the virus has escaped." Wesker noted.
"Is it possible it made it's way down from the Arklay mountains?" Kabuto inquired.
"Such a thing would not surprise me. Though it is also possible this leak came from the disposal facility. Or it may have even come from the NEST itself. The situation here seems to be steadily declining. If symptoms of the T-Virus are already showing up in the people here, then there is a strong possibility that the area has been contaminated." Wesker stated as he turned his gaze over to the window and stared out at the city.
"Perhaps Umbrella has already made it's move to try and stop Birkin from defecting." Kabuto suggested.
"If that's true then he's likely already been killed. If so we'll have to revert to our secondary assignments and try to get out hands on the G-Virus." Wesker responded.
"Well… we should continue scouting the area, and prepare for our insertion into the NEST. If the virus has already escaped then we'll have to proceed with extreme caution." Kabuto offered, earning a nod of agreement from Wesker.
For the rest of that day they continued to scout out the city finding more and more evidence that the T-Virus was polluting the area.
-Raccoon City, USA. September 23rd 1998-
Things were quickly spiraling out of control. On the second day of their time in the city, the Legion found evidence that the USS was also present and conducting their own reconnaissance mission.
The USS or the Umbrella Security Service, were Umbrella's attack dogs. According to Wesker they were sent to handle dirty assignments such as assassination or sabotage. If they were in the city, they were most likely looking for a way into the NEST to try and apprehend or kill William Birkin.
Knowing this, the group became much more rushed in their plans. Each day that went by, more and more came to light, revealing that the T-Virus was starting to reach epidemic proportions. By now there were countless people in the hospital, and many of the injured were showing signs of infection.
The Legionaries began to move much faster in their recon as they scouted out not only entrances to the NEST, but also the state of the city, as well as a number of Umbrella facilities that were established on the surface, including the disposal plant, the docks on the river, the Police Station, and the makeshift labs in the hospital basement.
Despite the group knowing that this was a delicate operation and knowing they needed to plan accordingly, the rapid escalation of violence in the city forced their hands and in the early morning of the 23rd, the Legionaries entered into the NEST utilizing Earth Style Ninjutsu to tunnel a way into it.
Twenty-four men were deployed on this assignment, led by Wesker and Kabuto. The unit was split into three specialized groups, that would then each be split in half, forming two twelve-man units. The first group was the recon group which held their sensors, and scouts. The second group was support, which would handle capture of specimens, equipment, and personnel, and the third group was the attack group which would handle disposal of threats. The two units were designated based off of the phonetic alphabet, with the unit one being Alpha, and unit two being Bravo.
Both units entered into the facility at the same time. Alpha's goal was to locate the VIPs in William and Annette, while Bravo team would plant the seals, and accomplish their secondary goals.
They had chosen early dawn to launch their operation in the hopes that many of the researchers were asleep and wouldn't hear them. Due to the facility having metal walls and corridors, the earth style abilities were only stealthy up until they reached an exterior wall. Then they would have to punch through it.
It wasn't long after entering the facility that it became apparent that the situation was worse then they feared.
Many of the scientists were found to have been mauled and eaten by various B. .
"The USS must have gotten here first." Kabuto noted as the unit made it's way through the facility.
"It would seem so." Wesker hummed in agreement.
Each one of the Legionaries was decked out in paramilitary gear, including tactical vests, and pants. Long-sleaved shirts, balaclava, thick gloves and boots. Draped over each member was the telltale cloak of a Dementor. The unit was armed with shotguns, handguns, MP5s, shuriken, kunai, and bomb tags, alongside personal weapons such as wands and the like.
With each passing day the Legion resembled something more akin to a modern military force. They learned how muggle armies worked and operated, they learned how they trained and how they equipped their forces. They took the best aspects of as many armies as they could and incorporated them into the Legion's training. Members of the Legion became skilled in the utilization of many different forms of weapons, as well as the operation of various vehicles. With each passing day, the skillsets of the Legion expanded, with some members even knowing how to fly airplanes or helicopters if they needed to.
All of their training centered around preparedness, even if they could run faster then most land vehicles, that didn't mean they shouldn't learn how to use them. The more the Legion took from their muggle counterparts, the more they were able to adapt with magic to become something unique and unseen before in human history. The Legion was dedicated to becoming the greatest military force in the history of mankind. Better then any magical or muggle army that had come before them.
It was with this mindset and training that allowed them to react with extreme precision even in high-tensity situations.
A roar was heard as a large bipedal lizard came tearing at them from the end of a hallway.
Their point-man, quickly dropped the beast by channeling his Earth element into the bullets of his MP5, and peppering the creature with them. Despite the bullets being small, the Earth magic, enhanced their mass delivering much greater force to the target upon impact. Couple that with hollow-point rounds, and most living things were absolutely demolished by even a short burst from the weapon.
The only sound to accompany his firing of the weapon was the sound of bullets zipping through the air. Both pops that would usually occur during the firing of a gun, were muffled by special runes and seals to ensure that the weapons fired without noise, even if they weren't equipped with suppressors.
"Now what is this?" Kabuto inquired as the unit passed by the downed creature.
"It's a Hunter. One of the BOWs being developed here. It either escaped or it was unleashed." Wesker noted, as he passed by it, offering it little more then a cursory glance.
The unit continued through the facility finding more corpses and escaped monsters. Utilizing stunners they were able to capture a few of the beasts and place them into storage scrolls so that they could be studied at a later date. Eventually Wesker led them to the main security offices where they were able to get a look into the computers. What they found recorded from the security cameras, was that earlier that morning USS infiltrated the NEST and confronted Doctor Birkin in his labs. Before they could take him into custody he tried to pull a gun on them and was subsequently shot. The USS then took a briefcase from him that from the looks of it, contained viral samples. They then fled the area.
Not long after they departed the room, the still living Birkin injected himself with a viral agent he had on his person, and began to rapidly mutate into a monster that then gave chase after them.
"Well that's unfortunate." Wesker noted.
"We'll have to put him down if we come across him." One of the Legionaries noted.
"Possibly not. If we can capture him, maybe his mind and spirit can be recovered." Ino Yamanaka stated, earning a curious look from Wesker.
"She's right. During the fourth great ninja war, Lady Riley resurrected her fallen comrades from the dead. If we can capture Birkin, we might be able to restore his sanity and give him a new body to work with." Kabuto informed his colleague.
"Very well. Then we'll continue on mission. Bravo team will be dispatched after William. Head to his labs and start tracking him, he can't have more then a few hours head start. Capture him if at all possible. Alpha team will take over dealing with the NEST. There are still survivors for us to deal with." Wesker commanded. Kabuto nodded and took off to lead Bravo team after Birkin while Wesker led Alpha team deeper into the facility. According to the security cameras, a small group of scientists had cordoned off a part of the facility and were trying their best to survive. The BOWs were making things very difficult for them as they continued to launch attack after attack against their position.
Inside one of the sealed off labs, Annette Birkin was working, with everything going to hell, it was her intention to leave the NEST and get the hell out of the city. She could hear clawing at the door leading into the laboratory she was currently held up in. A handful of surviving scientists lay scattered about the room, each one trying to think up something productive to assist them in their current situation, however most were unable to do more then cower.
The scratching grew more intense until it suddenly stopped. They then heard a shriek of pain from the other side of the door. Annette paid it little mind. More then likely it was one B.O.W attacking another.
A few moments later and they heard the systems activating for the door controls. Annette's eyes widened as she grabbed a nearby pistol and aimed it at the door, as several of her colleagues shot to their feet and moved away from the door.
A moment later it slid open. Annette was halfway through pulling the trigger when a cloaked figure rushed into the room, machine gun at the ready. The figure moved much faster then seemed natural, and as soon as it spotted Annette, it aimed it's weapon at her and fired a single shot.
The bullet hit the outer edge of the pistol and went flying over her shoulder, while her gun, jerked sideways, and broke, a shower of sparks, momentarily disorienting her.
In a movement that was too fast for her to follow, the cloaked figure rushed across the room, seized her by the arm, and held it firm behind her. It then grabbed her other arm, preventing her from struggling or escaping.
By the time she had regained her bearings, she was held in place by her unknown assailant.
She blinked a few times, wondering if it was just her disorientation that had made it seem like this person had moved so fast. Her eyes came to rest on the door as a dozen or so more figures entered into the room, weapons at the ready. They were all dressed the same, all except for one, his only differentiating feature was that he wore sunglasses beneath his balaclava to hide his eyes.
He was the only one without a weapon raised and he slowly approached her, his eyes locked on her the whole time.
"Annette, it's been too long." Came a ghostly familiar voice, that caused her eyes to widen.
"You… you're supposed to be dead." Annette muttered in disbelief.
"Exactly." Wesker responded as he glanced around at the surrounding scientists. For several moments he analyzed them, determining if any were of worth.
After a moment he gestured to his subordinates, whom quickly began rounding everyone up.
Annette was slowly released as Wesker gave a nod towards her captor. She rubbed at her wrists but kept her gaze focused on Wesker, knowing exactly who this was, even beneath his facemask and glasses.
"I came here for William." Wesker stated.
"Well you're a bit late for that. USS broke in and killed him. Before that he unleashed the hunters to try and stall them, only succeeded in getting most of us killed." Annette responded with a bit of ire.
"Yes. I saw that on the security monitors. I also saw how he injected himself with what I assume to be his newly developed G-Virus." Wesker informed her, earning a surprised look from Annette in response.
"No… he… shit. Where is he now?" Annette asked in response.
"He gave chase after the USS team. More then likely he wanted revenge. I have another team hunting him down. Once they're finished with their task, we will collect your daughter and you'll be coming with me. I have a business proposal for you and William." Wesker stated, while Annette looked at him with concern.
"You just said that William injected himself with G. If he's already started mutating then not even the Anti-virus can save him now." Annette said to him.
"You've finished work on the Anti-Virus?" Was what Wesker asked in reply.
"Yes, but it wont help him if he's already mutated." Annette responded, with a shake of her head and a mild glare.
"The anti-virus is unimportant in William's case. We have other means of returning him to his old self. Before we depart this facility you will turn over all relevant data, as well as specimen samples. If at all possible, you will also show me how to synthesize the G anti-virus. Do these things, and I will not only save your life, and that of your husbands. But I will ensure your daughter's safety, and ensure that the three of you have a life after all of this is over." Wesker stated in a very direct and commanding tone. Annette looked nervous as she glanced over at the other surviving scientists, most of them were scared out of their minds and simply stood shaking as they were all clustered together.
"What about them?" Annette asked.
"They will be offered their own chance at a position within the organization I work for. Now… shall we get to work?" Wesker responded. After a moment, Annette, seeing no other option, nodded.
Around the same time not far off, Bravo team stood around the corpses of several members of the USS. It was obvious that the mutated Birkin had caught up to them already and had slaughtered them.
"Do you have his scent?" Kabuto inquired to Kiba.
"Yeah I've got it. Just try and keep up." Kiba responded as he led the unit deeper into the sewer system beneath Raccoon City.
Several hours later, Itachi heard his name called out through the Gravemind link. Closing his eyes and focusing he found himself drawn into conversation with Kabuto Yakushi.
A new benefit of utilizing the Gravemind as a mean of communication, as it's powers grew and developed the creature learned how to link the minds of those that it was connected too, to allow them to communicate seamlessly with one another. This allowed the Legion to use it instead of radio systems ,which could be intercepted, to communicate with each other.
"What is it?" Itachi asked.
"Just delivering an update commander and getting your new orders. Our mission has taken a few turns. Umbrella security forces succeeded in injuring William Birkin and in retaliation he injected himself with the G-Virus and mutated into a monster. We succeeded in tracking him down and a dementor drew out his soul, leaving just the mutant body left to rampage. We tried to kill the creature, but I strongly suspect that it survived when we threw it down a pit. The T-Virus and G-Virus have both escaped into the Raccoon City water and sewer systems and contamination seems to have already set in, prior to our arrival. We succeeded in acquiring Annette as well as several scientists, and we've gathered equipment and BOW samples from the NEST. Within an hour we'll be ready to flood it. We also managed to get our hands on the G Anti-Virus, that Annette Birkin has named DEVIL. Once finished in the NEST we'll destroy the complex and head up to the city to acquire Sherry Birkin. With all of that in mind, new information has come to our attention and we require an update for our orders. With contamination levels rising like they are, I'm anticipating a city wide pandemic within the next few days. We still have secondary missions to complete but the situation is becoming much more dangerous then first anticipated. What would you like us to do?" Kabuto laid everything out so far.
"I see. I'm assuming if you've acquired William's soul then you intend for Riley's assistance? If so then I'll let her know and send her out to the city. As for your secondary assignments, see the Birkin family to safety first and foremost. Once they are safe, you may proceed with your secondary assignments as you see fit. As of right now, we are not cleared to actively assist the civilian population, but if things are as bad as you say, then perhaps now is the time for us to use our connections with Hellsing, and contact the US government to offer our aid. We have to complete our work within the NEST first though. Ensure that your primary missions are complete before noon, your time. At that point I will get the process started of approaching the Hellsing organization and the US government." Itachi ordered.
"I'll let captain Wesker know." Kabuto responded as he 'disconnected' from their communication. Itachi did as well, opening his eyes and staring intently at his office door. After a moment, he once again drew upon his connection to the Gravemind to call out to Riley.
In an instant she appeared in his office via the Hiraishin.
"What's up?" Riley inquired.
"The situation in Raccoon City is becoming volatile. William Birkin was infected with the G-Virus. The Legionaries managed to remove his soul with the assistance of a Dementor. I'm assuming they think you can revive him without needing to cure the virus. I'm going to get in contact with Daphne, and see if we can offer our aid to the US government. It sounds like a lot of innocent people are in danger. The teams I sent are almost finished with their primary objectives, and are ready to scour the remaining Umbrella locations within the city to see what else they can acquire. I'm asking you if you'll head out there, see what you can do with Birkin, and maybe see if you cant slow this thing down. According to Kabuto, both the G and T viruses are in the Water supply now. Annette Birkin has developed an Anti-virus for G. Kabuto didn't say as much, but I'm assuming that simply having the anti-virus isn't going to help us much in this case. I need you out there." Itachi explained the situation to Riley whom listened carefully.
Riley offered him a nod, and then shifted her appearance to look how she used too before becoming the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki. She even covered her eyes with a henge so that she would appear normal. She then summoned the Dementor King to cover herself.
"Say no more. I'll head out there and see what I can do. I'll also try and help the people if I can. You let me know though if we get the green light. Maybe have Daph contact the US Magical Congress, see if they can speed things along. And if they ask how we know about what's happening there, just say that I could sense it. I'm sure by now most of the world's magical governments have heard of me and know that I'm not exactly, 'normal'." Riley stated as she turned and left the room, earning a steady nod from Itachi as she departed.
Itachi stared off for a moment, as he pieced together the best way to go about this. Unlike here in Britain, the Magical and Muggle parts of the US government were not affiliated with each other until after the second World War. When the Magical Congress decided to aid it's muggle counterpart in facing off against the Nazi's, the Japanese, and most importantly, Grindelwald.
Though they now interacted and worked together, the American magical community was still vastly more segregated from non-magicals then most other nations.
With a sigh, he finally found the best answer to his pondering and reached out to contact Daphne. This would be a long process he knew. But it was time for the Legion to step forward from the shadows and offer their aid. This operation itself was proof of their new existence. While they were focused on benefiting from Umbrella's folly, the release of the T and G-Viruses had put a lot of people in danger, and because of that, the Legion was honor bound, as an ally to at least offer their aid in dealing with this growing catastrophe. Even if it was refused, at the very least, they'll have tried, which was more then most shinobi villages would have done.
Within moments, Riley had arrived in Raccoon City, having simply used Kamui to return to the Arklay mountains and then flying down to the city. She then quickly entered the NEST using her intangibility and her Byakugan to make her way towards her allies at a rapid pace.
She arrived to find all of them cordoned off in a lab. The doors were sealed and several of them were on guard, but none looked to be injured.
"What's up?" Riley greeted as she floated down from the ceiling.
"It's good that you're here." Kabuto noted, when he saw her. Wesker also sent her a glance from across the room. He was currently standing next to a blonde haired woman, who was working diligently on a computer. The woman offered her a surprised glance, she then shared a look with Wesker whom simply shook his head and motioned for her to continue her work. He then turned and headed towards Riley.
"The men claim that you can revive William without his body, so they recovered his soul utilizing one of the Dementors." Wesker informed her.
"They were correct." Riley responded as she glanced around at the Legionaries until one of them rose to his feet. His Dementor cloak leaped off his body and glided towards Riley, passing around her as she held up her hand. A moment later, it leaned over her palm and a small white light emerged from it's mouth and passed over her hand. The Dementor then retreated back to it's host while Riley stared at the light for several moments.
"Alright… let's work some magic." Riley hummed internally. Much as she had done with Voldemort, she utilized her demonic ability to form objects, to quickly construct a homunculus in the shape of a human body. Much like with Voldemort it would be tied to her, and she could end it with little more then a thought. Dark magic swirled before Riley, taking shape and forming into a body that resembled Birkin's from his picture. While the face was accurate, everything else would just be a close approximation. Within a minute she had finished. The whole time she was being watched by the Legionaries, Wesker, Kabuto, and Annette Birkin, who's eyes were wide in disbelief for the duration of the body's construction.
Riley then knelt over the corpse and pressed the small light into it's chest. She then constrained it there, using what she knew about soul magic to lock it into this homunculus. She then made a handsign and the eyes snapped open, and William Birkin took a breath.
"My god..." Annette muttered in disbelief at what she was seeing.
"Amazing." Wesker hummed, his eyes alight with fascination. Not far off, Kabuto was much the same, watching the scene play out with immense curiosity.
For several long moments William Birkin gasped and hyperventilated. For a time his eyes flickered rapidly back and forth. Finally he shot up to a sitting position, and glanced around. To him, it must have felt like he had just awoken from a nightmare.
"William!" Annette stated as she crossed the distance and knelt next to him, placing her hand on his shoulder as she did.
"Annette?" He whispered in disbelief.
"It's alright. You're alright." Annette replied, trying to calm him down.
"It seems they were right. With only his soul you were able to recreate his body from nothing." Wesker noted as he stepped up next to Riley.
"There are many aspects of magic that can be used to create a body like this. Components of the body that can be constructed with magic if you're skilled in particular arts. I could have taken the long way about this and used those methods to make him a body much closer to his original one. But we don't have time for that. So instead I simply utilized one of the special gifts I have, to create it through sheer willpower." Riley responded, earning herself a curious gaze from the man.
"Perhaps one day I will teach this gift to you. All of those like myself are capable of it, if they have the willpower to command magic in such a way." Riley added after a moment, earning a smirk from the man as he picked up her meaning. What she had done just now was a power tied to being a demon. Meaning this was a 'gift' that humans weren't capable of.
"William Birkin. We meed to talk." Riley stated after Annette was given the time to calm the man down.
"Hello old friend. I've come with a business arrangement you might be interested in." Wesker added, fully drawing William Birkin's full attention towards the two.
Later that day, Daphne was sitting outside of the office of the American Magical Ambassador. By her side was Walter, and Alucard was lurking somewhere about. Daphne was only slightly nervous as this was her very first action as the official head of the Hellsing organization, but she kept her nerves in check. This was her job after all, and she was determined to do it, and do it well. If Itachi was right, then a hundred thousand US residents could be in danger from a viral pandemic. They needed to get ahead of this situation and fast. She just hoped the ambassador didn't try to stonewall her or anything. She needed her offer to make it to the states, before this became a major catastrophe.
She had been waiting for nearly a half-hour by this point, but she felt that she'd be allowed in very soon. After all, even if Hellsing hadn't made much of a name for itself in recent years, Daphne was still Riley's wife, and when it came to the illusive hero of the Fourth Great Ninja War, people were very curious to interact with her, even if it was peripherally.
While Daphne had no intention of relying on her connection to Riley to make a name for herself, she wasn't about to turn down an advantage like this, if only so she could get her feet off the ground. Another moment passed when the door to the Ambassador's office opened and his secretary motioned for Daphne and Walter to enter.
"Greetings my Lady. I apologize for the delay I was just finishing up some pressing business. Do please have a seat." The American Ambassador offered quickly after shaking Daphne's hand.
He was a portly man, with sharp eyes. A seasoned politician with decades of experience in this particular field. He seemed overly kind, jovial even, but Daphne quickly sensed a veneer of falsity to that kindness. It was a front. An act to make one lower their guard. She adopted a pleasant smile and took her seat.
"I understand that the Hellsing organization has some business they wish to discuss with MACUSA. What can we do for you?" He asked, getting right to the point.
"As Ambassador to Britain, I'm sure you're aware of the role Hellsing once played as a safeguard to protect the statute of secrecy, both at home, and abroad. We offer our services in dealing with threats the world over. For a long time the organization entered a rut. Now that it is in my hands, I intend to revitalize it, and return it to it's proper role. I am here on behalf of the Cysgodol Legion. My Wife informed their commander that an incident has begun occuring within the heartland of the USA. A place called Raccoon City. The city appears to be in the beginning stages of a massive viral outbreak, that seems to be reanimating the dead. As of right now, we can only speculate on what the cause is, and why this is occurring, but as we are allies, and as the Legion has some experience in dealing with the undead, I was asked to approach MACUSA and offer our aid in assisting with this disaster." Daphne explained, earning a very surprised look from the man, which then turned serious.
He began to speak, but Daphne cut him off by answering the question she knew he was going to ask.
"Ever since sealing away the Ten-Tails, my Wife's sensory abilities have risen to an unprecedented level. This catastrophe is something she can easily feel, even from half a world away." Daphne said to him, earning a solemn nod from the man.
"I see. I will, of course, have to get into contact with my colleagues across the pond, and ensure that what you say is true. But I will pass on your offer to them if this turns out to actually be happening. I thank you for bringing this to my attention. If possible, I would like to ask that you inform Lord Uchiha that I will be in contact with him once I've gathered a response from my colleagues. Is there anything else?" The US ambassador replied, the concern on his face was unmistakable.
"No. Please keep me appraised of the situation. I will inform the Lord-Commander and ensure he is available for your reply." Daphne responded as she rose to her feet.
Walker and her were quickly out the door and marching down the hallway.
"Do you think the Americans will allow our help?" Walter inquired.
"No one likes having others step in and show them up by fixing their problems. With that being said, the Legion is a rival. They are something the Americans have never seen before. All they and the rest of the world have to go off of is stories of what happened during the Fourth Shinobi World War. This is an opportunity for them. If they do agree, you can be certain that they'll be watching us." Daphne responded, earning a smile from the old man.
"You're probably accurate in that regard ma'am." Walter agreed as the two headed back for Hellsing Manor.
-Raccoon City, USA. September 24th 1998-
"I told you already, she's not there. The house is empty." Kiba stated to the increasingly worried Birkin couple.
"Things on the surface are growing worse. With each passing moment more and more people are showing the preliminary signs of infection from the T-Virus. And our scans indicate the while active in the sewers, William's mutated form released several G-parasites." Wesker added, earning a tired sigh from William while Annette continued to pace, occasionally taking a drag from a cigarette.
"She must have gotten scared when we didn't come home." William stated after a few moments of silence.
"Okay, then where would she go?" Kiba asked. As the leader of the scouting team that was looking for Sherry Birkin, Kiba had been up to the surface twice now to try and locate the girl. First checking at the Birkin residence, and after finding nothing and returning he went back to check again, and this time try and locate something that belonged to Sherry to try and track her. The issue with that being that he didn't get more then a quarter mile from the house before her scent vanished amongst the millions of other scents brought up by the chaotic city as it slipped into anarchy.
"I don't know. We always taught her to stay away from strangers. We were always worried that someone may try to use her to get at our research so we always made sure she knew not to trust people she didn't know." Annette responded as she ran a hand over her head.
"We should be up there looking." William stated as he lifted his gaze to meet with Kiba's.
"Look man, I know this is rough, but if me and Akamaru can't track her scent, then she's most likely lost somewhere in the city. Running around aimlessly wont help anyone. You need to think… where would she go, if you didn't come home?" Kiba stated piercing William with a steady gaze.
Nearby Riley, and Wesker were listening to the conversation.
"Anything you can do to speed this along?" Wesker inquired.
"Were she magical, yes. People with magic, leave traces of it behind. If she had magic, an Aburame could track her with it's insects. Or I could locate her with my senses. The issue is that she's a muggle. Her magical signature is tiny. In the chaos of a regular city of one hundred thousand, it'd be a pain in the ass to find her. But this… this is getting worse by the moment. The Inuzuka is right. She's lost. And we need to find her if we're going to get them on our side." Riley responded.
"If she falls, you can revive her, correct?" Wesker inquired.
"Up to a certain point. I have a few abilities that can allow me to resurrect the dead. If I get their soul I can bring them back any time, just like I did with William. However… if they die and I'm not around to take their soul, then within a few hours it'll depart from this realm. Now… if the soul is still earth bound and I'm not there to get their soul but I know that they're dead, I can use a power called Rinne Rebirth, to bring them back, and restore their body to full health, even if I'm far away. But… if they've been dead for a while, and their soul is gone. Then I can still bring them back, but I have to trade a piece of my life force to do it. Humans cant repair their lifeforce with any sort of ease, and such damage will usually kill them. I can repair my lifeforce easily. The issue is, that the piece of my lifeforce sacrificed comes into contact with the soul I'm bringing back, causing it to become corrupted and become a demon. So if that happens, I can bring her back, but if we're not fast enough… it'll be as a monster. And I doubt those two will live long enough to realize that what came back isn't their daughter anymore." Riley responded in a low tone, making sure no one else could hear her other then Wesker.
"Fascinating." Wesker replied thoughtfully as he turned his gaze out across the room.
After a few moments of silence, Riley shook her head and stepped towards the Birkins.
"Alright… everyone listen up!" Riley called out, drawing the attention of everyone present.
"We still don't have clearance to actively aid the people here, so we need to stay in the shadows. I want four of you to remain here and guard the scientists. With the NEST cleared of hostiles, it's the safest place for them right now. The others are going up to the surface to begin handling the rest of our secondary objectives. While we're carrying out our assignments, our recon team is going to scour the city for Sherry Birkin. Start with the most likely places a kid would go for sanctuary. The hospital. The Fire Department, the Police Station. Town Hall. Places a kid would feel safe. Find her." Riley ordered, earning nods from the men and women around her.
"What'll you being doing?" Kabuto inquired.
"I'm going to try and stem the tide of the infection. If the dead are rising and causing chaos, then someone needs to buy the innocent some breathing room. I'll be going as an open clothes agent. Unaffiliated with the Legion. So from this point on, resume operations as you were previously. Focus on your missions. And lets get this done. Once the girl is found and your secondary assignments are completed, remove everyone to safety and drown this place." Riley commanded before vanishing in a burst of speed, intent on dealing with this situation, just like Itachi had asked of her.
-To Be Continued-
Alright this chapter and the followup are out at the same time. Sorry this took so long, I took a little brake along with my surgury. Sorry that it happened, hopefully I don't hit anymore snags. These two chapters are about 20,000 words so I hope you've all got time for it. Enjoy :)