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"Um...you wanna tell me where we're headed?" You inquired, scratching the nape of your neck as you stared out a pocket-sized window. It looked upon the endless ocean blue, thousands of feet above where no one could find you.
You were situated within one of Wesker's many private jets, the low hum of the engine deceiving with how fast you were traveling. A cold drink of your choice sat snugly in your hand, sipping it eagerly as you stared down your new teacher of sorts. He sat opposite of you, mulling through a magazine about climate change.
You gazed back outside the window, a ping of regret running down your back as you looked towards the direction that you assumed was back home. Life seemed to keep throwing punch after punch at you, even after you metaphorically threw in the towel. A constant rollercoaster of emotions; happiness, anguish. Friendships and new enemies. Anxiety and fear. All bundled up in one big package, assaulting you all at once.
"You think dearly of them, don't you?" Wesker spoke, though his eyes never left his paper. You nodded in response, traveling back to the moderately peaceful times of slacking off with Aizawa and being introduced to new people at the school. Even though multiple people seemingly respected you for what you were, there were still the seeds of doubts sown deep into the back of your subconscious.
"There is no need to worry about them. All will be taken care of in due time." Wesker reassured, albeit rather coldly. You huffed into your drink, taking a swig before finding something else to catch your eye.
Suddenly, Wesker put down his magazine, folding his hands together and resting his chin upon them. "You really care for them that much?"
You met his orange gaze, crunching the drink into a tin pulp. "They're the closest thing I've had to family in a long time. I've probably made them all worried about running away like that. Dumbass..." The last part was muttered so only you could hear.
Wesker gave a small titter in response. "To me, I do not see anything wrong. You are doing what you can do to survive, to grow, to gain power. Whether it be Umbrella, villains, or anything for that matter, you make it through. Though your mind may be muddled with feelings you have yet to experience, I believe you will grow into a fine being one day."
"Thanks?" You debated, deciding if it was a back-handed compliment or not. The images of Aizawa and Mustafu slowly left your mind, packed behind other problems that would have to be dealt with later. Live every day for what it was is all you could do.
"So...you mind telling me where we're actually going?" You inquired. Wesker had taken many, MANY precautions to make the escape to his private jet as covert as possible. No more phones, and the discarded, long-forgotten security bracelet Aizawa gave you.
"We are headed to a special kind of place..." Wesker trailed off. "It is vital for our expedition of power. Umbrella will not bother us here. At least, very little. It is a mission of utmost precision; in and out. We are looking for supplies and information that will not only bolster Uroboros but your T-Virus as well."
"We... are headed to Racoon City."
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"Ohhh...so that's how you got that scar," You noted, finishing up a conversation with Wesker as the jet door began to unlock. You were ushered forward by multiple guards wearing all black from the plane, people you inferred were under Wekser's authority. The bright lights coming from overhead posts blinded you, a stark contrast to the dark blue and black of the overnight sky. You could hear the crashing of waves from one direction, meaning you had been transported to some kind of dock.
"Have you seen anything on the news of what's happened here, in the good ol' U.S. of A?" Wesker questioned, a maniacal smile plastered on his face. You nodded a slow no.
"Then you're in for quite a surprise."
After talking with a few other black-clad personnel, you followed Wesker deeper into the heart of the city. Smoke was visible on the horizon, fires illuminating the sides of buildings in ways that reminded you of the U.S.J. Though calmer near the docks, it wasn't long before you ran into your first impediment.
"Is that a?" Your sentence was cut short when a gasping groan broke through the air. You blinked a couple of times to make sure you weren't having hallucinations, but as the raggedy humanoid turned to look at you on spindly legs you knew you weren't dreaming. Just like that one movie Aizawa had shown you.
"Zombies," Wesker finished the thought. A look of amazement flashed across his face or vexation; hard to tell with his polarized sunglasses.
Through foggy eyes the creature began to stride toward you, dragging one of its legs behind in a stereotypical zombie way. Its hands outstretched it came within spitting distance of you before it stopped. Head lurched forward, it sniffed the air around you before turning to Wesker and clacking its jaws.
Wesker tsked, a loud bang erupting before you could react as a hole was put between the eyes of the creature. You flinched as it sagged to the ground lifelessly, the glossy eyes now dull. Wesker slipped the handgun back inside his coat pocket, watching your response intently.
"It seems you share so much of a similar virus that it thought you were one of them. Interesting." He noted. You wiped off a few droplets of blood from your forehead and cheek that had been splattered there.
"I cannot say the same for me," Wesker concluded, pushing a broken-down car aside to the sidewalk like it was a piece of old tackle.
The more your duo walked, the more broken windows and busted cars became apparent. Pools of blood began to dot the sidewalks and apartment doors more often, fires seemingly sprouting from every crevice in every invaded space. The invaders themself grew more numerous, Wesker taking care of them with expert precision as they fell one by one. Wesker offered you a weapon as well, but you declined. You did not want to kill what was not needed.
You felt a twinge of sadness every time a body plopped against the cracked concrete. You were once in a position such as these people; a zombie, a ghost of your true self. An odd metaphor between the living and the dead, but you felt it suited you.
After dispatching another small horde of zombified civilians, Wesker led you to a landmark building with the giant letters R.P.D. posted out front. A large gate sat in front with the motto, "We do it." across the metal. Not needing to be told so, the T-virus within you took hold, changing your arms and bending the gate in two like a straw. Wesker entered first, bearing straight for a reception desk and logging in to the computer.
You saw his usual stoic expression turn into a slight frown, a small huff following suit. "I need you to find me a keycard on a high-ranking officer personnel around here. You should have no problem with that. I'll stay here and see what else I can dig into. Let's just say this is part of your...hero training. Yes. That will suffice." His hands tapped diligently away at the keyboard.
Sometimes you wondered if the man was talking aloud just to hear his own voice. Before you left, however, he threw you his gun with a fresh magazine, not that it was really needed. He said it was for the "effect", or something along those lines. You sighed and took it anyway.
Gazing at the giant statue of a lady in cloth triumphantly holding a flag, you began to rummage room after room, finding an odd amount of typewriters everywhere. At one point you also came across an odd-looking bobblehead with an outrageous mustache, which you had the sudden urge to smash.
There was still a few zombies clad in police uniforms wandering the halls of the abandoned police department, which you dispatched easily with your fists. Sifting through their belongings yielded no results, as it was either rookie cops or unlucky souls that found themselves at this place.
Trudging up to the second floor you came across a bathroom of sorts with an electronic gadget that appeared all too much like an explosive strapped to the grimy tile. Ripping it from the wall you realized it had no batteries. It clunked to the floor as you readied a savage fist.
"Here goes nothing," You mumbled, reeling back before slamming through the shower tiles. The wall crumpled in front of you like nothing, dust billowing out from the giant fracture. After dispatching another helpless zombie that wandered into your grip, you made your way through a hallway where an unsightly quadrupedal monster was currently stalking. It turned around to answer your echoey footsteps. A giant tongue slithered out of its jaws, the rest of its figure sporting an exposed brain, giant claws, and even heftier hands.
It launched at you before you had time to react, sinking one of its claws deep into your shoulder. You grunted slightly, before grappling the creature by the neck. Its elongated tongue shot out of its mouth and grazed your cheek before you gritted your teeth. Grabbing the tongue with your free hand, you ripped it completely from the creature, before slamming it into mush on the floor.
"Ow...bastard..." You grimaced, seeing the newly acquired wound slowly regenerate. It left a sizable hole in your bodysuit, but nothing major. If only your hero costume wasn't back at school...
Throwing the door open into an adjacent room, you began to hunt through the different desks and drawers inside the room. From what you gathered on the appliances and the giant insignia of the S.T.A.R.S. emblem on the back wall, this could be none other than the main S.T.A.R.S. office.
You gritted your teeth when thinking of that. You did not understand why so much hate flowed throughout your body at those five letters. You had never met these people before and yet, they made your mind go into a crazed frenzy. You took deep breaths to calm yourself, all while staring daggers into their insignia.
A beeping notification at one of the far-back desks caught your attention. Sauntering to the machine you were stuck staring at a little pop-up box that kept blinking green. Hunting and pecking on the keyboard slowly, the tiny box opened up to show a man in a white lab coat moseying around in a circle in an unknown room.
"Um...hello?" You asked, breaking the static silence. The man's head snapped over to you, rushing forward before putting his face very close to the camera.
"Oh thank god. Do you know how long I've been trying to reach somebody?" He seemed relieved, a slight smile before molding into a frown. "Wait a second...who the hell are you?!"
"I'm (Y/N), a hero in training," You declared, puffing out your chest slightly. "What can I help you with sir?"
"Hero in trai- the fuck kinda joke is this?" He stammered. "I'm trapped in a goddamn hospital, surrounded by every kind of abomination, and I'm talking with some kid?!"
You stared blankly at the man before he sighed. "Look, just send in S.T.A.R.S., they're gonna know what to do."
Your fist clenched at the word. "Not sure if you could tell, but since I'm here...R.P.D. is completely overrun."
"Then figure it out!" The man in the lab coat snapped. "Find someone with higher authority, tell them it's Dr. Bard. They should know me."
"I'll see what I can do," You nodded.
"Do it now and do it quickly!" Bard urged. "Umbrella's gone crazy. They're killing all the researchers! I am the only one who knows how to make the vaccine to stop the zombies!"
"Uhm...I hate to be that guy but-"
"Whatever it is, it's trivial! Just get me someone who's capable of getting me the hell out of here!"
With a sour face and a push of a button, the man in the computer vanished, leaving you to stare back at your reflection. Your brows furrowed, mulling over obstacles through your head.
"Do people here in the Americas not have the vaccine similar to back home? Is this another one of Umbrellas' tests?" You asked about the empty room, the static from the powered computer being your only answer. "Wesker should know what's going on here."
"W," you called out, making your way back to the main hall. Eyes lingering on the imposing statue for a few seconds, you felt something tap your shoulder before jumping around with a heavy hook swinging in the air.
"Watch where you swing that thing. Your reactions are slow," Wesker jeered, dangling a keycard on a long keychain.
"Don't flippin' scare me like that!" You berated, ready to slap the smug look off his face.
"Either way, we've found what we're looking for," Wesker stated, guiding you over to the computer at the secretary's desk. Upon its screen was a laid-out map that twisted and turned, the layout of it all quite puzzling.
"The sewers?" You read aloud the headline, grabbing a printed version that Wesker had already developed. "What's waiting down there for us?"
"Supposedly, a scientist and virus researcher was tinkering on down there. It holds a vital part of Uroborus that I must acquire for my plan of action. I believe it will also hold key parts to advance your T-virus. Think of it as an 'upgrade'."
"Yucky..." You gagged, the phantom smell of wastewater crawling its way up your nostrils. "In other important news, I just had a lovely chat with someone in the S.T.A.R.S. office. Said his name was Doctor Bard. Do you know him?"
"No idea." Wesker deadpanned, and you appropriately facepalmed.
"Well, he was also saying something about Umbrella killing their researchers, and that he was making a cure for the T-virus here. Do they really not have the cure like in the homeland?"
"That seems like a very Umbrella thing to do," Wesker noted. "Maybe it is for a test of sorts. To see how a part of society would react to the outbreak. I'm not sure the vaccine Japan Pharmaceuticals would work though since this is different, and even so..."
"It's back on my hero costume..." You groaned. "Do we really have to go into the poopwater though, I literally just cleaned thi-"
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"This sucks..." You held your nose tightly, sloshing through the sewage with Wesker at the head. "I'm definitely burning these clothes."
Wesker had the map out in front of his face when he suddenly stopped. Splashing behind him with mumbled curses, you waited for his command as the sewers became completely silent.
The brick walls that winded like snakes were coated in grime and mildew, and a myriad of immense spherical sewer grates lined the walls in front and behind you. There was a deep gurgling sound emanating from somewhere, but the echo of the underground area discharged was making it hard to pinpoint.
"A quick lesson in reconnaissance," Wesker abruptly voiced, turning on his heel in the murky brown. "Find out where the sound is coming from, or you're going face first into the bilge. Got it? Great! Hero training starts now!"
"Uhhh..." You went silent as Wesker's intense gaze bore holes into your forehead, harkening intently from the unusual chords that slinked the walls.
"In front?" You squeaked uncertainly when Wesker took in a long, agonizing breath. "In front." You set more resolved, squaring your shoulders.
"Bingo!" He smiled malevolently, slamming the wall nearest to him with a fist. The sewer grate in front busted off its hinges, and out slunk a deformed amphibian monstrosity.
Giant abscesses of foggy muck punctuated the creature's blue-tinged skin. Muscular hind legs led to webbed claws, while its malformed arms were reminiscent of chicken wings. A long reptilian tail molded into its back, leading up to a few spikes on its spine. It had no visible eyes to speak of, but its froggy face was as wide as a garage door with a giant row of teeth to boot.
After its mighty flop, the creature shook off the sewage it had accumulated upon itself before facing you and Wesker. The was a sickening cacophony of cracks before the creature's mouth unhinged into four separate mandibles, showing even more rows of fangs.
"Ew! Ew! Kill it with fire!" You screeched, transforming back into Nemesis and shooting out your tentacle in the creature's direction. Flicking your wrist around, the tentacle wrapped its way around the exposed mandibles like a lasso before clamping them all together. The monster's muffled howl echoed off the sewer walls as it was dragged towards Wesker before being flung like a ragdoll behind you.
Its motionless body lolled to its side, but for the added effect you whipped out the firearm Wesker had previously given you and unloaded a full magazine into its head. You breathed in heavily, wiping the cold sweat that collected on your forehead to join the flow of water below you.
"I hate this place..." You mumbled, trudging further down the tunnels before you reached a small ladder. Wesker led to the forefront once again, opening a door at the top that awaited you both. You were instantly hit with the cool atmosphere of a laboratory, shelves lined with vials of different substances stored inside large open glass fridges. You found ourself wandering to a back desk with a mountain of papers upon it that threatened to spill onto the ground.
Skimming through, you heard the clink of glass upon glass as Wesker presumably was going through the flasks and bottles on the other side of the room. Tracing your finger along the passages, you gathered that whatever scientist working here had an extravagant asphyxiation on the frog creature you had disposed of moments ago.
A sharp pain in your shoulder brought you back to reality, only to find Wesker standing at your side with an empty needle in hand.
"What th- did you just stab me?!" You snapped. "You know I don't like needles asshole!"
"Do not worry," Wesker smiled. "You'll see the results soon enough." In his opposite hand was a vial with contents as black as night, which he swiftly tucked into his inside pocket.
"You got what you needed then?" You responded, rubbing your arm where the needle was injected softly.
"Precisely. Now, let's get out before this whole city is destroyed."
"...What?"
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- Toilet_Watur