Chapter Text
Leon moves his way through the decrepit hallway with a practiced stealth, his keen piercing blue eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of life or danger. He pauses at a half-open door, his brow furrowing as he listens intently for any sounds. The house is a labyrinth of shadows and creaking floorboards, each step taken with a mix of caution and urgency. Leon's senses are on high alert, but there's an underlying frustration gnawing at him; something wasn’t right. The door was broken, it looked like it should have been a front door but instead, it was in the hallway. The painted glass was smashed all over the dusty flooring and there was a eeriy aura radiating from inside of the room. Clutching his handgun tightly in his hand, he raised and aimed his torch inside of the dark depths, but it seemed to show nothing more than an old, decrypted room.
Chris methodically checks each room along the hallway as he made his way forward to try and reach Leon once more, his strong frame and military training evident in his deliberate movements. He pushes forward and down the cluttered hallway with overturned furniture and broken glass. The smell of mold and decay is pervasive. He gestures for Ricardo to follow, his voice a low, commanding whisper. "Stay close and watch your back." he says, eyes constantly moving.
Ricardo was not as experienced in combat as Leon and Chris and so he was moving with a mix of anxiety and determination as he listens to Chris’ commands. He nervously glances over his shoulder as he realises that Wesker has been unnervingly quiet for a while now and that was when he was smacked in the face with a realisation. Wesker was gone. Every creak and groan of the old building sets his nerves on edge. He knows the stakes are high, and the tension is palpable… but what’s even worse was that Wesker was now gone from the group, and he didn’t even notice him slipping away. Nobody seemed to have noticed that he’d slipped away.
As Leon, Chris and Irving regroup in what appears to be the back bedroom, they still don’t seem to notice the loss of one member of the group. The room is in disarray, furniture covered in white sheets, a thick layer of dust indicating years of neglect. Leon is the first to notice something amiss in this room.
Leon crouches down, examining the floor. "Footprints," he mutters, pointing to a set of tracks that seem fresher than the rest of the room's dust-laden surface. “Someone’s been here…”
Nobody had seemed to notice Irving’s uneasy state, his widened eyes and nervous fumbling as he tried to find a way to bring up Wesker’s disappearance to Chris and Leon who were more worried about the location of the possible survivors.
Chris moved his flashlight, shining it along the hallway and noticing that there was a trail but they seemed to go off in multiple different directions, making it harder for them to track. His facial expressions seemed to harden upon that realisation, and he huffed.
“They could be anywhere.” Chris stated to Leon, casting a look over his shoulder at the blonde who seemed to still be searching the bedroom with a scrutinizing gaze.
“You’re right.” Leon confirmed, not even looking in his direction. “We need to stay alert… maybe they’re still alive.”
Irving was still fidgeting in the doorway like a child unable to speak up to his parents. He wasn’t sure how to bring up the topic without the two other men assuming that he had something to do with Wesker disappearing.
They push forward, entering a large room across the hall from the bedroom. It appeared to have once been a study or a library. Books are scattered across the floor, and the furniture is overturned. There was an enormous painting in the centre of the room of a creepy woman, with the words ‘Magna’ written beneath.
As they search the room, Leon suddenly stops, his eyes narrowing. He counts their group and then frowns, realizing something is wrong.
"Wait... where's Wesker?" Leon quickly says, looking over at the other three men.
Chris turns sharply, scanning the room with a hardened gaze. "He was right behind us. How could he disappear without us noticing?"
Irving pales, waiting to be blamed for assisting in the disappearance of Wesker but it doesn’t seem to come. Leon and Chris exchange a look of concern and suspicion. They know Wesker is not someone who would easily get lost or left behind, especially not in a place like this.
"We need to find him. Now." Leon quickly states, a deep-seated frown coming onto his features.
"Agreed. But we can't afford to split up. Stick together and keep your eyes open." Chris stated firmly, glancing over at Irving too. “Wesker’s one clever son of a bitch… and I don’t know about you, but I don’t trust him to not stab us in the back.”
The tension in the room escalates as they move back into the hallway, retracing their steps. The house seems even more ominous now, with the added threat of Wesker's sudden disappearance hanging over them. They continue to search, calling out for Wesker, but there is no response. The silence is deafening, and every shadow seems to move just out of the corner of their eyes. The realization that a powerful and unpredictable figure like Wesker has vanished without a trace adds a new layer of danger to their mission.
In the tense atmosphere of the abandoned house, Albert Wesker was once again proving why he was a master of evasion. Leon Kennedy, Chris Redfield, and Ricardo Irving, all seasoned operatives, were hot on his trail, their determination palpable. Yet, Wesker, with his preternatural agility and intelligence, had already planned his escape route.
As the trio cautiously advanced through the dimly lit corridors, their footsteps echoing off the decrepit walls, Wesker silently maneuverer through the shadows. He slipped through a narrow doorway just before they entered the hall that he was in, remaining unseen and unheard. His acute senses picked up their conversations, allowing him to stay one step ahead. He could hear them calling out for him, but he paid them no mind, he was trying to figure out what secrets this house held. After all, as far as his intel went, this house had nothing to do with umbrella or tricell… and he was ridiculously well informed on those matters.
Moments later, Wesker found himself in front of a toolshed that was clearly blocked by a heavy chest of drawers. It was a simple barricade and a pathetic one at that. With a casual display of his superhuman strength, he effortlessly broke down the door, splintering it into pieces and sending the chest crashing to the side. The noise was loud, but he paid it no mind, confident in his ability to handle whatever came next.
As he stepped inside the toolshed, his sharp eyes quickly adjusted to the gloom. To his surprise, he spotted two people. It was clear it was Lauren and Vani, the very survivors from the camera footage that Leon, Chris, and Ricardo were now desperately searching for. Their eyes widened in shock and fear as they saw him, but Wesker’s expression remained inscrutable. He had found them purely by accident, yet this turn of events could be turned to his advantage.
“Interesting,” Wesker mused, his voice cold and calculating. “It seems I’ve stumbled upon something useful.”
Lauren and Vani exchanged frightened glances, unsure of what to expect from the enigmatic man before them. They didn’t know who he was, but they knew from one look at him that he wasn’t your average sort. After all, he’d just broken down a barricaded door like it was nothing. The shock on their faces is evident, but before they can react, Wesker’s cold, calculating mind processes the situation. This unexpected discovery could serve as a valuable bargaining chip or a strategic advantage.
The tension in the toolshed is palpable. Lauren and Vani's eyes are wide with fear and confusion, not knowing if Wesker is a friend or foe. Wesker, however, remains unfazed, his eyes narrowing as he assesses their condition and considers his next move. The sounds of the others approaching can be heard in the distance, but Wesker remains composed.
Meanwhile, in the house, Leon, Chris, and Ricardo heard the commotion from the toolshed and began to make their way towards the source of the noise, unaware of what was taking place in that direction.
Wesker, sensing the impending arrival of his pursuers, swiftly formulated a plan. Wesker stood in the doorway of the toolshed, the splintered remains of the door scattered at his feet. Lauren and Vani were still huddled behind a work bench, their eyes wide with fear and confusion.
Wesker’s icy gaze fell upon them, assessing their condition and calculating his next move. He stepped forward, the dim light casting an ominous shadow across his chiselled features.
“Who are you?” Lauren managed to stammer, her voice trembling. She was still clutching onto the arm of Vani who was still armed with a rusty spade, her eyes darting nervously between Wesker and the doorway.
Wesker’s lips curled into a cold, thin smile. “Names are inconsequential,” he replied smoothly. “What matters is that you’re both alive, and it seems I’ve found you before the others did.”
“Others?” Vani asked, his voice barely above a whisper and filled with confusion. “Are you here to help us?”
Wesker’s smile widened, but there was no warmth in it. “Help is a relative term,” he said cryptically. “Your fate depends on what you can offer me.”
Lauren’s eyes narrowed slightly, a spark of defiance igniting within her, she’d never liked those that tried to manipulate people and it caused all initial fear to vanish from her system. “We don’t have anything to offer. We’re just trying to survive.”
“Survival is a game of leverage,” Wesker replied, his tone almost conversational. “And right now, you two are a very valuable piece on this board.”
The distant sound of footsteps approaching caused Lauren and Vani to tense up, the memories of that skinless demon still fresh in their minds. Wesker turned his head slightly, listening intently. He knew time was short.
“Listen carefully,” he said, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. “There are other people in this building. Their names are Chris Redfield, Leon Kennedy, and Ricardo Irving. They are not your friends. They’ll use you to achieve their own goals and discard you when you’re no longer useful. Stick with me, and you might just make it out of here alive.”
Vani swallowed hard; his eyes filled with uncertainty. First there was some supernatural thing trying to kill them and now there were people here to do the same thing. “Why should we trust you?”
Wesker’s sunglasses shielded eyes bore into Vani’s dark eyes, Wesker’s gaze was unyielding. “Because right now, I’m your only chance. Do as I say, and you might just survive the night.”
Lauren glanced at Vani; her expression conflicted. The sounds of the others drew closer, and the urgency of the situation weighed heavily on them deciding.
“Fine,” Lauren said finally, her voice steadying as she answered for herself and Vani who had immediately turned his gaze to her with knitted together brows. “We’ll go with you. But if you try anything, we’ll fight back… and I’m not against stabbing someone with Vani’s spade.”
Wesker’s smile returned, a predatory glint in his eyes. “I wouldn’t expect anything less. Now, stay close and follow my lead.”
With that, Wesker turned and moved towards the back of the toolshed, Lauren and Vani trailing behind him. The game was far from over, and in this deadly cat-and-mouse scenario, Albert Wesker intended to stay one step ahead of everyone else.
