Chris stiffened beside me, Jill and I just looked confused.  As far as we knew,  Steve had been murdered.  Yet here was Claire saying this Tyrant was Steve?  The same Tyrant that was currently backing me into a corner?  I gulped slightly, drawing my gun as I aimed, “Bit of help here?” I asked, my voice shaky.  It was Claire who pulled me to her, “Steve stop!”  

Oh yeah as if he’s meant to understand?

Instead, he swung his axe and I crumpled, pulling my friend down on top of me as the monster staggered, giving me enough time to roll over and get up.  Vaulting myself onto it’s back, I clung to his neck as it flailed madly.  Automatically, I reached for my combat knife, only to have it shot out my hand.  

“What the fuck Claire!?”  Chris’ angered yell echoed through the lab as I was thrown against the wall, yelping as my back crunched.  Curling into a ball, Jill leapt forward, only to be backhanded across the face.  I was in the process of getting up when I was squashed under the flying girl.  Chris was still glaring at his sister when I finally managed to stagger to my feet, “For Christ’s sake, now is NOT the time to have a fucking argument, DO SOMETHING!” my yell caught the tyrants attention as he made a grab for me again.

Today really wasn’t my day.

Luckily this time, Chris was ready to come to my rescue as he tackled me round the waist, causing me to hit the floor yet again.  That’s it, I blatantly REFUSE to get up again.  I shall just sit on the floor and commentate.  Or I would, if I had the time, but noooo, there’s an axe aiming for my head.  SO instead of getting comfy, I roll out the way, getting to my feet.  With all the rolling about I’m doing, I’m surprised I’m not dizzy.  I patted my holster, panicking as I looked about, spotting my gun lying on the other side of the room.  

Bloody perfect.  Jill’s down, Claire’s frozen in shock and Chris’ bleeding.  Am I the only one left!?  Fuck.

Okay Taylor, calm down.  You’ve fought a Tyrant before.  Granted it wasn’t as big, or as strong as this one but still.  Mentally I started formulating a plan, then scrubbed that idea and looked about.  There was a lap desk in front of us, if I could get Chris to distract ‘Steve’ then maybe I could slide under said table to get my weapon?  I dived over the table, bending down to grab my gun when I flew forward, smacking chest first into the wall.  I grunted in pain as I realised I was pinned down with something.  

Everything was fading, I could hear screaming in the background, more gun shots and eventually I slid down the wall as the green, bloodstained tentacle slid out the hole it had made in my shoulder.

Then there was nothing but darkness.


<i>~Meanwhile, four floors above~</i>

There was a crash as several armed police officers broke through the main doors to the facility.  Leon looked about him, clutching his black tail as he headed for the main computer at reception.  Using one hand, he managed to find out where his friends were before heading down the main stairs towards the labs.  He held up his hands to stop the men behind him, an older man appearing by his shoulder, “What’s the situation?”  “Detective Horvath, my friends are in there…” is all Leon managed to say before he pushed the door open.  

The sight made him want to throw up.

The Tyrant lay on the floor, now in his human form, naked and bloody.  Jill Valentine was lying unconscious on the floor, his arm twisted out at an odd angle.  Chris Redfield was propped against the wall, hand on his bleeding side, breathing shallow as he held his untouched sister, who sobbed into his chest.  It was the blonde in the corner, that caught Horvath’s attention.  He was lying at an odd angle, face down on the floor in a pool of blood.  One arm was bent up above his head, the other out at the side.  He half ran to the boys side and rolled him over, the boy’s eyes were closed, his face grey in color, almost corpse-like.

But the scar on his head made him unmistakeable.

Soon enough, all members of S.T.A.R.S were loaded onto stretchers and hauled off to Allegheny.  Horvath knew he’d have to call the family, after all, Justin was practically dead.

<i>~Allegheny General~</i>

“Where is the little asshole!?”

I groaned, my blue eyes opening slightly as I tried to make out my surroundings.  That horrible antiseptic smell filled my nostrils and I almost didn’t make it over the side of the bed before I started to vomit.  Profanities escaped my chapped lips as I looked up at Debbie, who looked horrified at my appearance.  My once alive looking face, now gaunt and dead, my blue eyes, hollow, the fire in them long since gone out.  My arm was in a sling, the bandage on it was blood-soaked and stung like hell.  

“Hey Deb…” my voice was hoarse, as if I hadn’t used it for a while.  I could vaguely remember what had happened.  The Tyrant.  The blood.  The screams.  It seemed so unreal, as if it hadn’t happened to me.  The doctor said I was lucky Leon and Horvath got there on time, otherwise I’d be dead…or worse.  See, turns out the tentacle that almost killed me, infected me with the T-Veronica virus.  Not enough to cause any mutation but enough so it was obvious.  Then again, I’m not meant to know that.  I’m meant to have been asleep when that was said to my mother, damn I’d have made a great actor.

“Sunshine?”

He’s here?  I sat up and looked at the door.  Shit, he looked almost as bad as I did.  The circles under his eyes and the dazed look in his hazel eyes, “B…Brian?”  I muttered, holding out my good arm as he threw himself at me, tears pouring down his cheeks, soaking my gown at the collar.  It must be hell for him, almost loosing me twice in the space of four months.  It was then I swore never to leave him again.  

The bitch of a nurse started shooing everyone out, much to my horror, leaving me alone again.  The lights were switched off and I knew I had to sleep.  Hell, I could sleep when I was dead.  Suddenly, pain in my stomach.  I groaned as I doubled over, “Shit…” I hissed, biting down on my lip to hold back the pain filled screams before I rolled over onto my side and threw up bile again.  Only there was a slight problem.

There was blood in my bile and that’s never good.  

Then it struck me, no wonder I was feeling like shit.  I had the T-Virus AND the T-Veronica Virus in me.  Why’s the room spinning?  I’m falling, faster and faster.  Why’s it so dark?  I can’t see, can’t move.  I’m not here….

Why the fuck is the machine flat lining!?