Choosing sides

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Claire Redfield stood on the helipad as the chopper touched down. She was practically hopping from foot to foot she was so impatient, though she was having to shield her eyes from the wind being whipped up as she did so. Leon Kennedy, hero or no, was about to get a piece of her mind, and then some! Letting himself get caught up in a kidnap rescue? She didn’t care who it was, that wasn’t who HE was. They were supposed to be fighting bioterrorism, making the world a better place.

“Oh, so that’s how we’re doing this? Your way or not at all?!” Jill roared. “Don’t tell me I don’t want this when you won’t even let me see the fucking list!” She was toe to toe with Chris now, and Leon would know it was never a good thing when these two disagreed.

Al didn’t need the update. It was something else he had left Elizabeth with; he had hacked her phone. This was what he wanted; he wanted his two former best agents at odds. He wanted the chaos and the fallout of it. He also knew Chris well enough to know he was hard headed enough to just do what he wanted anyway. He played along nonetheless.
Keep poking, maybe he will explode. was his amused reply.

"I swear to god Jill! You might as well ask my goddamn sister to join!" Chris snarled, waving the papers over her head. "It won't happen! This is safer, smaller, and less likely to turn into a Wesker situation. That's all we need with nut jobs still out there." He finished by slapping her on the head with the file. 

Elizabeth related this part to Al and asked him if he'd come pull her out of the burning rubble of the building Jill was going to make of it. Shed seen Jill angry. She expected death.

The time to truly fear Jill Valentine, was when she was silent. The gears would tick in her head and she would plot the perfect retribution. This was that moment. Chris had never understood that Jill had her own Wesker out there. Nikolai had been taunting her that news of his death was false. He was simply waiting for a time to use her to gather more combat data. Chris could say what he wanted, but to patronise her like he was now? He had just signed his own death warrant. “Fine.” That was all she said as she turned and left the room. He wanted his dictatorship? He could have it. She was done being treated like his second in command. Chris had never been hunted. He didn’t know why she still tossed and turned in her sleep.

Leon opened the door to the apartment he shared with Claire and groaned. "Can we just run away? I mean the whole robin Hood thing is looking great right now." He moaned as he yanked off his shirt and headed towards the hamper with it. "Do we need to have your brother tested, by the way? He scares me."

Elizabeth decided not to go home that night. Getting lost in a haze and then dragging herself there seemed better. 
She found the first seedy bar she could and stuffed her phone in the glove box. Tonight was a great time to forget screw ups and bad decisions.

Claire was sat in the window, her knees hugged up to her chest as she simply stared out of the glass. She had been crying. Claire rarely cried. Chris had truly wounded his baby sister the night before, then she had found out about their secret meeting. The meeting even Leon had excluded her from. “Why run away with someone who is apparently useless.” She whispered.

“That is not the look of a happy woman.” A man at the bar commented, signalling that he wanted two shots of whatever it was he was drinking. “Who hurt you?” He added, his accent giving away his Russian roots.

Leon knelt in front of Claire. He reached out and tucked his fingers through her hair. "Don't listen to him. He's worked up about being in charge. You know how much he hates that. He told me yesterday he just wants to have family and go fishing. He said he resents everything about this." He kissed her temple and then her lips. "It's okay. He'll see what you're worth. And if he doesn't...then make him."

"My stupidity." Elizabeth said, glancing at the man who sat down beside her. "And I'm very happy thank you. I just finished Moby Dick before I came here. I've been trying to finish it off since the Marines! Worse than the Russian Vodka my cousin gave me for Christmas last year!" She added, a teasing sparkle in her vivid green eyes.

“Like you did? You think I don’t know you just came from a meeting with them that you kept secret from me?” Claire asked, turning her face away to prevent any further coercion with kisses. “He treats this like HIS mission… he forgets what we ALL survived.”

“Ah… Russian vodka that is rarely made in Russia.” The man replied with a grin. “Personally, I prefer scotch, you know what you’re getting with that..: never is it paint stripper.” He added.

"I didn't keep it a secret..." Leon got up and moved to the bed. "I thought you knew. I would never do anything to hurt you..." Try as he might nothing else came as he dropped back onto the bed, except for the name, Ada.

"I knew it!" Elizabeth said excitedly. "Then what do you say we drink to the Scots?" She grinned, holding up her glass to him.

Claire was watching Leon’s reflection in the glass. The young woman had always been rather adept at reading people, and right then Leon was screaming that he was merely humouring her. “So if I told you there was a cell of Umbrella left in Japan, and I was flying out tonight… you would be fine with that?” Claire knew she was capable, but Chris had managed to shake the young Redfield’s confidence in herself. Was it not enough that she had survived so much without relying on either of them?

The man grinned in reply and clinked his glass against her own. “Does beautiful girl have a name?” He asked, though his eyes grey eyes seemed to be hiding something; he already knew her name.

"That's fine." Leon mumbled. He turned on his side and snored softly. "Whatever makes you happy, Ada." He grunted, kicking off his pants. Having done this he began to snore loudly. He was deeply asleep now.

"My squad called me Lizard." She said, waving at the bartender for more drinks. "We can go with that." She told him as they were handed the next round.

Leon would still be alone in the bed when he woke the next morning. Claire had already had a bag packed when he had found her the previous night; she had simply wanted him to accept her usefulness. Hearing Ada’s name rumple past his lips had changed only one thing; she wasn’t coming back. On the nightstand was the STARS issued combat knife Chris had once given her, that she had used to save Leon’s life when they first met. In the trash was something a little more personal; She had cut off her ponytail. Claire would be halfway to Japan before Leon even realised she was gone.

“Lizard?” He asked with a smirk. “As in adorable little geko who always smiles?” He teased, gesturing the bartender simply leave the bottle. “So… you have a squad? Is that what women call their friends these days?” He knew the truth, Elizabeth didn’t need to know that though.

Leon panicked when he saw the ponytail in the trash. His mind ticked through what he'd said to Claire that night but nothing came to mind. He called her phone but when she didn't answer, he called Jill. He was already yanking on his clothes and heading out the door.

Elizabeth shook her head. "My whole squad was lost in a..." She took the bottle and took a deep drink. "My Sargeant told one of the grunts to shoot a group of villagers who weren't infected. When he..." She paused and smiled. "I'm not drunk enough for this, Russian. How about you give me a name or a sob story?'

“What do you mean she’s gone and her hair is in the trash?!” Jill hissed once Leon had arrived at her apartment. “Shit…” Jill pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes and took in a deep breath. “I knew this would happen! That asshole!”

“Nik.” He replied simply, refilling her glass. “So… you’re ex military?” He asked, pausing to lift his own glass to his lips.

"I can't get ahold of Chris either." Leon sighed. "Did he ever get over himself last night? Tell me you guys are over things." He pulled out the knife, handing it to Jill. "Please...I need her..."

Elizabeth woke up in her apartment with a hangover from hell. She wasn't sure how she got there but she knew she and Nik had spent the remainder of the night drinking and sharing war stories. Then somehow it had turned into songs from their squads. She didn't remember much past the one about the woman with the third nipple on her forehead.

“Oh we’re over alright.” Jill snorted, though her gaze lingered on the knife Leon held a beat too long. At first, she reached out for it, then allowed her fingers to curl in on themselves and her arm to drop back to her side. Claire never left that knife anywhere. She had risked life and limb to reclaim it when she thought it lost. Jill’s own fingers hovered over the golden lighter that still sat in her pocket; her own Redfield talisman. “What did you do…” She finally breathed.

There were several missed calls and messages on Elizabeth’s phone; all from Al. He already had wind of the trouble brewing in the RC survivors family, and he needed more detailed intel from the woman he thought he could string along indefinitely.

Six months was enough time for Chris to establish a company. He resented every moment of it. He also resented the fact that he was alone. Jill barely spoke to him. Claire was MIA. Leon had gone into the field, refusing to speak to anyone. At least he had his cousin. At least Elizabeth was there with him to pick up the slack and break the silence. But he was never really sure what she was talking about.

For the most part Elizabeth ignored Al. He had burned her deeply. Once in a while she sent him messages to tell him the latest gossip, but as things progressed with Nik that had begun to change. 
She and Nik had gotten very close, even sharing stolen kisses at her front door for what seemed like hours. He understood her nightmares. He adored her for her. It was rare. She was happy.

Six months was a long time for Jill to be alone. She had been twenty two when she and Chris had met, and they had rarely been apart in all that time. The last time they had been apart… she had gotten infected and nearly died. It was something she still had nightmares about, snd he was no longer there to hold her and tell her the Nemesis was gone.
She had to do it though, for Claire’s sake. She had to disappear like Claire did and hunt the root of the corruption. Jill didn’t have the backing of a company behind her, and after the way Chris had treated her last time they spoke… she didn’t think she would be welcome in the new company she had been watching him build from the shadows anyway.
The problem was… she wasn’t as invisible as she thought; a ghost from her past was watching.

Nik had out considerable time into winning Elizabeth over. He knew about ‘Al’,and also knew his true identity. It simply made it all the more delicious to know he was beating his rival. As far as Nik knew, ‘Lizard’ was clueless of his true identity, or his work within her personal files.

Chris was doing everything he could to track down his sister. He was doing so much of it, he was even forgetting much of his personal grooming. He threw himself into the different missions. He contacted Jill when he could, leaving her messages of love. He doubted she would read them. 

That night the two of them were again sitting at their favorite bar, this time at a back table. They were playing a Russian card game and yelling loudly over the results. These were her favorite nights. It was made better when Nik suddenly leaned over and pressed his lips to hers.

The messages broke Jill a little more each time she listened to them. She never stopped loving him, that wasn’t why she left. He treated her like he thought himself somehow better, simply because he was male. Though neither of them knew it yet, the t-virus antibodies in Jill’s system had already made her more than she was before Carlos saved her life.
Claire was still out there though, and as much as Jill knew the other woman could handle most things… she didn’t want her to be alone. Jill continued to track Claire, following rumours of a group calling themselves ‘Terrasave’, who at most were no more than political activists right then.

“You cheat, Lizard.” He breathed against her lips before leaning back into his own seat. “I am impressed you think I wouldn’t notice.” He added with a grin, raising his glass to her in appreciation.

Leon sat across the table from Jill, covered in dirt and blood. "Ada was there. She had yet another virus. Those things were everywhere." He rested his head on the table. "Stupid thing was, Krauser was there too." He had a particularly nasty wound on his side. Unlike, Chris he was happy to have it looked at. "Tell me you've heard from Claire. You didn't tell her it was me, did you?"

Elizabeth smiled, her dimples deepening. "Guess where I learned it?" She purred, plopping herself into his lap. "So...I have a favor. I need a partner. Are you available?"

Jill shook her head sadly. “I’m sorry Leon, It’s starting to feel like maybe Chris and I taught Claire a bit too well…” She breathed. “I followed the lead you gave me, but she was already gone.” She exhaled loudly and rubbed at her tired eyes. “Let me patch you up first, I have something I need to ask you, and… you won’t like it.”

Nik arched his brow slightly, grey eyes filled with what Elizabeth could easily mistake as amusement. “Intriguing… I like it.” He purred, his fingers slowly tracing up and down her slender thighs as he held her in his lap.

Leon sighed. "As long as it gets my mind off her." He stood and pulled up his shirt, showing Jill the open gash Ada had left him with. "It's just a flesh wound. Nothing to worry about. But Chris... Have you talked to him lately? He's been acting strange." 
He didn't even bother to hide the braid of hair he had tied around his gun belt. He knew his best friend of all people would understand.

Elizabeth slapped his hand away, shaking her head. "Watch it, comrade. You haven't made it to second base yet." She purred. Her emerald eyes glittering with challenge. 
"And you still haven't beat me at cards." She added, nipping his top lip. "So it's agreed? You'll be my partner?"

Jill had retrieved a first aid kit and crouched down beside Leon when she saw the braid on his belt. Her eyes lingered for a long moment until she realised Leon had asked her a question. “No, I haven’t.” She breathed as she ripped open a sterile wipe and began cleaning the blood away. “I have nothing to say until he realises having a penis doesn’t automatically make him the boss of everything.” She snorted.

“And I thought American women were easy…” Nik teased as his kissed her throat lightly. “I agree I will be your partner if you win the next game, that is all.”

"So what am I not going to like?" Leon grunted as Jill poured alcohol into the wound. "Don't tell me you want me to partner with Chris. I'd rather take to herding cats. Or riding a llama in a circus? Claire told me once I'd make a good clown." He was glad for the physical pain it kept his mind off of Claire. At least for a second or two

"Of course that's going to be happen! I win every game. You should just give in now." Elizabeth told him, leaning over to gather the cards.

Jill didn’t say anything for a moment, pretending she was focused on cleaning the wound, and not in truth thinking about Chris. “I want to go back to RC.” She finally blurted. “I don’t trust anyone else to come with me…”

“You win only because you distract me, woman.” Nik teased. “But I think I should know… what exactly is it you need a partner for?”

"Are you sure?" Leon didn't react the way he expected himself to. He simply looked down at Jill and nodded. "What's there that you need?"

The cards lay forgotten and the bottle of scotch was empty by the time Elizabeth got through why she needed a partner. 
When she was finished she simply looked into the steel colored eyes and waited for an answer. She'd never trusted anyone to watch her back. Nik had no idea what an honor she was bestowing on him.

Jill wasn’t looking up at Leon, again she busied herself with applying the field dressing to his wound. “Answers… closure… and end. Pick one.” She breathed, handing his shirt back to him as she got up to her feet. “I got wind of… things, still crawling around in what was left.” She sighed heavily and ran her fingers through her dark hair. “I felt the best of the blast, Leon. Carlos barely kept the bird in the sky, but… what if they didn’t destroy everything?”

Nik remained silent as Elizabeth explained the situation to him. He was doing his best not to grin. It was almost too perfect. “You believe you would be safe, with me?” He asked, revelling in the absurdity of it. A woman… safe with him? “What about that family of yours, they won’t try to stop you?”

Leon nodded silently. He'd wondered that himself. His nightmares of Birkin were not as easy to get rid of as he tried to pretend.
"Let's go." He said after no more than a moment or two. "What have we got to lose?"

"Chris is already there and I've seen Jill rifling through the files when she thinks no one sees." Elizabeth said. "And Claire...no one knows where she is..." She added with a sigh. "Truth is I doubt anyone will notice. I'm more or less a hired gun to my cousin. I'm useful only because I can hit a target from several meters away." She ran her fingers through her hair, the long red curls bouncing down her shoulders and back. "It's okay if you say no. I know you said you retired."

Jill was oddly quiet once they were in her car. The two of them had packed up whatever gear they could carry, and were now starting a rather long drive. “I wish I could give her back to you.” She finally breathed, clearly trying to think about something other than the crater she expected to find at the site of her old home.

“Retired makes me sound so old.” Nik teased, though he seemed somewhat preoccupied with Elizabeth’s hair. “It sounds like you don’t hold much trust in your cousin. Perhaps you should take a break from… family?”

"I was going to ask her to marry me." Leon confessed. "How does every part of my life fall apart like this? There was never anyone else. From the first minute I saw her I just knew. It's gone, Jill. All of it. And I don't know why."

Elizabeth nodded. It wasn't the first time she'd had that thought. She'd been staying because Al asked her to. But, some friend he was. Perhaps it was time she did something for herself. "Alright...what are you suggesting?" She asked with a wicked grin.