Surviving

Chapter 7 - Finding the sample

Cleo's POV

I blinked slowly, watching as Leon stood up and towered over me. "I-I... well, I- "the words wouldn't leave my lips and Leon's angry stare made me shiver. I moved back slowly, hoping to put some distance between the two of us. He followed me, the anger clear in his eyes as I held my arms out, his toned chest brushed against my fingertips making my mind wander for a moment before I spoke quickly. "It's not what you think!" he snarled softly but stopped walking. My fingertips still brushed against his chest and I could feel his heart beating strong and steadily under them. "what is it then Cleo? What is the truth? Who are you?" My eyes looked back into his stormy eyes and sighed. "I'm Project Violet Virus..." One of my hands left his chest briefly and pulled out the file. "This... this is what Annette gave me. She was here when I... was experimented on. She helped me escape, her and her husband even after he had experimented on me." His mouth opened slightly, then a small chuckle left his lips making me look back at him as he gently took my cheek in his large hand. "that explains a few things..." I blinked slowly as he looked into my eyes. "the Violet is a good look on you Cleo." He smiled, then brought my head closer to him capturing my lips in a small kiss. Closing my eyes, I drop the file wanting to bury my hands in his hair as I pulled him even closer to me. After a moment we separated, looking into each other's eyes. "I...I think I love you Cleo." My eyes widen but I smile. "Me too Leon." I slowly break from our embrace, bending down to take my file before holding it out to Leon. "Look at it and don't lose it." He gave a soft nod, taking the file from me before sticking a thumb behind him. "don't forget your jacket." He teased softly making me giggle and run back to get it before meeting up with him in the main area of the NEST. "OK... I wonder where the G-Virus is?" Leon mumbled, waving his flashlight about in the slightly darkened hallway. He walked down it confidently allowing me to easily follow, both of our guns out and ready in case of a zombie attack. Leon stopped in front of a door turning towards me I gave a soft nod before he opened it allow us both to step inside. Everywhere I looked blood covered everything, looking around a bit better my eyes caught the site of a man looming over a body. Zombie... good god what in the hell happened down here. Leon gave a small gagging noise as the system spoke. Our menu is designed for your nutritional needs using our latest biological research. Please enjoy our tasty selection of healthy foods. I gave a small scoff and Leon smiled. "yeah right... seems like that guys enjoying it." I stuck out my tongue playfully at him before we both carried on down the hall and into a Reception area. I stopped after gently kicking a camcorder. Huh...? What's this? I jumped slightly as the system spoke again making Leon give a small 'pfft' at me. Dr. Li, your presence is urgently requested by Chief Cartwright in the East Area. I stood back to my feet swiftly, the camcorder in hand. "Hey Leon, something useful may be on this wanna watch it?" he nodded, plucking it from my hands as he watched the video. Once It had ended, he gave a small nod to the screen. "G-Virus is in the West Area." He looked at me and I smiled nodding. "Got it."

After moving slowly throughout the NEST, we stumbled into a room with mutant plants, scientists scattered about the room. Fear and anguish masked on their faces. "They died trying to fight what was here..." I looked at Leon as sorrow flooded his features, looking at all the death surrounding us. "Jesus... What happened here?" I shrugged softly then moved over to a computer and began clacking away at the keys making the system speak again. 'Senior Staff clearance required for computer access. Dispensing solution now." Then out popped a dispersal cartridge. I grab it before turning to Leon. "Let's keep this, we may need it to get the... big guy down." Leon didn't look in my direction, just down at the note in his hands. "Leon?" He sighed, "Everybody's turned... vegefied.... They keep coming back, again and again. Burn them all. Burn them until their whole body is black as ash. There's no other way." I gave him a side smile, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Looks like we need to keep our eyes peeled for a flamethrower." He nodded then moved over to leave the room making me follow him swiftly, walking into a freezer I pulled Leon's jacket closer around me with a shiver. "Who left the freezer open?" Leon joked making me give him a small dig in the arm. Moving over to the place where the cartridge could be filled up and cooled, we fiddled with the buttons managing to get the solution amount perfect and cooled quickly. "Let's get this back to the plants, maybe it can free the big guy?" I questioned Leon making him shrug but move back to the room we were in before. Placing the cartridge back into its place I step back looking out the window as the plant begins to shrivel up. I smile looking over at Leon then gave a thumbs up. "That did the trick." He spoke making me nod. Running back into the garden area of the lab, I drop down to the dead scientist in his hazmat suit. "Sorry big guy but we need this..." my fingers latched onto the man's wristband as the thud of feet makes me look up, my eyes widening as I quickly pulled the wristband free from the man and took off running past Leon. "Shit! Him again?!" Leon shouted to me as the Tyrant smashed his way into the room, stomping after us as we both all but threw ourselves down a shoot away from the tyrant. "Hopefully," I say as I stood up and brushed myself off being careful not to rub the leather of Leon's jacket too hard. "We won't be seeing him for a while." Leon nods and stands up after me looking around. "Hmm maybe this will take us back to the West area?" I shrugged slightly pulling out my torch, "Let's see."

Once we had made it to the West area, we came across a room with a tape recorder. "Hmm..." Leon looked around before producing a tape. "Here, you watch this, hopefully the G sample's up here..." I gave a small nod, taking the tape. "Looks like this is Mr and Mrs Birkin's Lab." He nodded and walked off in search of the G-virus while I played the tape. The time and date of the tape read '09/22/1998. 23:45.'

An umbrella soldier speaks to someone "Got eyes on the G-virus" another soldier speaks back to him. "We're going in." They all rush the Doctor as he finishes closing his briefcase, handling it with care under one arm. "Doctor Birkin, you'll come along with us quietly." He says as a look of anger crosses William's face as he speaks. "You think I didn't know you were coming? This is my life's work! I'm not handing over anything!" The other soldier who wasn't recording speaks this time. "We have our orders, Doctor Birkin. I'll ask you one more time..." William begins to pull out his gun but the soldier recording immediately shoots him, killing Mr Birkin. "Stop! Hold your fire!" Another soldier turns to the one recording and gives him a shover. "What the fuck were you thinking!? Our orders were to bring him in alive!" He shouts before pulling out a radio and turning it on, instantly talking to someone on the other end. "We're in, sir, but we had a snafu." His head turned towards the camera before back to the floor. "Target resisted, we had to take him out." He paused. "That's correct, sir. Roger that. Just the samples then." He ended the transmission and then picked up the case that contained the Virus and the soldier shouted a 'Let's move!' as the video ended.

My eyes widened as the video tape came from the machine. "So...someone else also has the samples?" Leon shouted me quickly, making me jump and run to his aid. "Hey Cleo, I think i've found the samples." He gestured to the space in front of us but my eyes land on the blood next to the area. "this was where they killed William... so where is his body?" My eyes turned to Leon as he moved forward with a shrug, "Probably one of the undead that we've killed." I nodded as he pulled a test tube up and out of the space. "Huh... that was easy." I gave a small giggle as he winked at me. "Alright, now back to Ada." I nodded and we both began to leave the area as the system spoke. 'Attention: Unauthorized removal of a [Level 4] virus detected. Facility lockdown initiated. Self-destruct sequence will begin when lockdown is complete. "Great!" I shout over to Leon as the mutant breaks through the roof, one of his arms huge and it groans loudly. Leon and I both raise our guns in unison as Leon frowns. "You again." Footsteps make me look back quickly to see Annette limping towards us. "Move" she calls as she raises her gun. "He's mine. This has to end." She shot the thing with sometime of serum that began to weaken it. Leon's gun never left its target, but his attention did turn to Annette. "What the hell's going on!?" He shouted as Annette spoke again to the beast. "Sorry, William. You left me no choice." William!? She shot the mutant again as it fell to the floor, defeated. Leon lowered his gun slowly, moving over to Annette. "You called this thing 'William'. Why?" She turned to look at us both sadness cloaking her features. "It shouldn't have been like this... its Umbrella's fault - this whole mess." She confessed making me wrinkle my nose slightly as I moved forward. "You're Umbrella, too. You're telling us you weren't involved in this?" Her gaze caught mine as she sighed. "Yes... But we never meant for this to happen." She confessed making me frown as Leon spoke up again. "Then tell us everything – right from the beginning." Her eyes travel to the floor as she explained that William after being shot had injected himself with some of the G-virus, the thought alone had made me angry. The man who had helped Wesker make me into what I was now had been stupid enough to inject himself with this virus, causing so much destruction in his path. "So you made this monster?" Leon questioned making Annette shake her head no. "We made the G virus, but we never intended this to- "Leon cut her off with anger in his voice. "You can spin it any way you want. You're still responsible." William suddenly woke up and picked Annette up in one of his meaty clawed hands then threw her against the wall before beginning to mutate as I ran over to Annette, calling her name. "The hell!? Shit!" Leon shouted as Annette slowly rose to her feet and pushes a button making me stop and look at her, she gave a small nod as Leon shouted at her. "What're you doing!?" Annette leant again the control panel as she shouted back. "We can't let him get away!" Leon nodded then turned to me. "Alright... we end this here!" I nod and smile as the system spoke again. '[Class A] breach detected. Lab quarantined until target is neutralized.