< Chemical Room >
The door to the small room opened quietly as Chris, Barry and Wesker entered, returning with the equipment they had found and the dreaded news of Forest's death and the new threat, the Hunter. During this period Rebecca insisted on using one of the two First Aid Sprays on Wesker's wound as he was still in critical condition. No one objected. Chris and Barry were quite relieved to see Jill awake and doing better. As the group settled down after a while Chris shared the bad news about Forest and asked Rebecca about the events she had gone through. Rebecca didn't answer immediately.
The air felt heavy as the atmosphere in the small room shifted.
The chemical room felt smaller with everyone inside it.
The mansion groaned somewhere above them, wood settling… or something walking.
No one spoke.
Jill sat upright, pale but conscious. Frost leaned against the wall, arms crossed. Barry stood near the door like a guard dog that didn't trust the room. Chris stayed in the center.
And Wesker stood slightly apart from them.
Rebecca felt it.
The distance.
She looked at him once. A silent signal passing between them.
He gave a small nod.
Permission.
Her hands tightened at her sides.
"There's something you all need to know," she said.
Everyone looked at her.
Not casually.
Carefully.
"I didn't just run into monsters on my way here," she continued. "Before the mansion… I was at an Umbrella training facility. An old research site in the mountains."
Chris frowned. "Umbrella facility?"
"Yes."
She swallowed.
"There was a researcher there. Dr. James Marcus. He was one of the founders of Umbrella. They experimented on viral strains. On animals. On people."
Barry's expression hardened.
"They were trying to refine something called the T-virus," Rebecca continued. "Trying to make it stable. Predictable. Weaponized."
Frost muttered something under his breath.
Rebecca forced herself to keep going.
"The facility was destroyed. But before it collapsed, I learned something important."
She paused.
This was the line.
She looked at Wesker again anxiously.
He didn't move.
Just watched her steadily.
"And I learned that someone inside S.T.A.R.S. was working with Umbrella."
The room shifted.
Chris's eyes sharpened.
Barry didn't look surprised.
Jill didn't move. She was watching Wesker.
Rebecca inhaled.
"It was Wesker."
Silence.
Not shocked silence.
Heavy silence.
Chris's eyes shifted toward Wesker.
Jill's expression didn't change, but something behind her eyes did.
Waiting.
Rebecca pressed on.
"Umbrella placed him in S.T.A.R.S. to gather combat data. To observe how trained operatives performed against B.O.W.s."
Frost stared.
"So we were lab rats."
Rebecca nodded.
"Yes."
The word hung in the air.
Chris didn't speak.
Jill finally did.
"Is it true?" she asked looking at Wesker.
Wesker finally moved.
He reached up.
Removed his sunglasses.
For a moment, he said nothing.
*Inside*
This is it. It's a do or die moment.
I have to convince them here that I am not the homicidal maniac Wesker was.
I really hope they believe me. If they don't… how do I protect them then.
"It is true." Wesker said looking away from Jill.
Barry looked ready to snap, but Rebecca jumped in before anyone had a chance.
"There's more," she said softly. "Umbrella didn't just recruit him."
Her voice steadied.
"They made him."
Now Chris blinked.
Barry's anger faltered just slightly.
Rebecca stepped back.
That was his part.
Wesker looked at each of them in turn.
Then he spoke.
"I was raised by Umbrella."
Jill's posture shifted.
"I was not recruited," Wesker continued. "Not persuaded. Raised"
He let that sit for a moment.
"I grew up in an orphanage that was sponsored by Umbrella. A front, Umbrella used the children in this orphanage as test subjects. Children with no records. No families. Perfect lab rats."
Rebecca lowered her eyes slightly. She had already heard this.
"I was one of the test subjects for the Wesker Project."
A look of shock was plastered on all of their faces.
"The test subjects were introduced to the Progenitor Virus for compatibility and adaptability. 99% of the subjects died… the few managed to bond with the virus. They were then trained, conditioned, tested, and molded to be Umbrella's perfect soldiers."
"Albert Wesker isn't my name."
The words landed quietly.
Rebecca felt Jill's hand tighten slightly on the blanket.
"It's the designation Umbrella gave me."
"Then who are you?" Frost asked, still recovering from the shocking revelation.
"My real name…"
He hesitated for a moment.
*Inside*
Say it damn it.
Just say your name. You have to. You can't keep hiding behind Wesker anymore.
Stop being a coward. If I really want to be a part of this world, part of her…
I have to be honest.
"…is Soren."
The name felt foreign in the air.
Chris looked confused.
Barry skeptical.
Rebecca looked surprised at the new information.
Jill…Jill stared at him.
Not at Wesker.
At Soren.
"You expect us to believe that?" Barry said flatly.
"No." Soren replied calmly. "I expect you to doubt it. But at this point it's pointless to lie."
That surprised Barry slightly.
Soren continued.
"They assigned me to be a part of S.T.A.R.S to keep an eye on the activities of R.P.D as well as to keep Chief Brian Irons in check."
"What!" Chris snapped.
"Are you seriously excusing the chief of police of being corrupt?"
"He is much more than corrupt." Soren sighed.
"He has been under Umbrella's payroll for a very long time. He has…"
Soren hesitated for a moment.
"A very horrific fetish."
Soren looked at all their faces dreading the crushing news he was giving them.
"He kidnaped young attractive women, and he did despicable things and when he was done …he made them into trophies."
Rebecca, horrified, takes a step back.
Jill looks furious.
Barry and Frost look, shell shocked.
Chris's eyes, share as the edge of a knife looked at Soren.
"How long?"
"Umbrella has been covering his crimes for a long time."
"Not what I asked. How long have you known." Chris asked, getting more agitated.
Soren looked reluctant to answer.
"I was briefed on Chief Irons before I was stationed in the R.P.D"
Chris hands turned into fists, knuckles going white.
"And you went along with it," Barry snapped.
"Yes."
The answer came without excuse.
"I did."
No denial.
No deflection.
"I have no excuse to give. The only thing I can say is I'm sorry."
He looked at Jill.
"Sorry?"
Jill held his gaze.
Soren lowered his head ashamed to look at her, at the look in her eyes.
"Somehow this is starting to make sense." Frost said, attention snapping to him.
"All the news and reports we got about disappearances in the mountains, what did Irons do? Nothing. He kept dismissing our request to investigate."
Understanding seemed to hit every one of them.
"Guess we now know why."
"What about the mansion? Did you know what they had planned for us?"
Jill asked, a look of devastation in her eyes.
"I suspected what the mansion was. I confirmed it once we arrived. I knew Umbrella expected S.T.A.R.S. to die here."
The room felt colder.
"Then why are we still alive?"
Jill spoke quieter now.
That was the real question everyone wanted to know.
"Because I stopped following orders. I stopped being a good little soldier and started to think for myself."
He lowered his head and quietly said,
"For once."
"That's convenient. Why the hell should we trust you?"
Barry asked frowning his brows.
Rebecca stepped in.
"He saved me, I was surrounded by 6 red monsters, and he just rushed in with just a knife. Didn't hesitate, not for a moment."
Rebecca then looked at Barry and Chris.
"He came after you two, didn't he?"
Rebecca staring at Barry and Chris with raising frustration.
"Did you know that he was barely able to move after he killed the red monsters? But as soon as he found out you two were in danger, he rushed out again."
The room went silent again. The wait of what Soren had done mixed with his selfless efforts to keep them alive was weighing heavily on them.
Especially Jill.
"I won't pretend I'm innocent, I'm not. When this is over, I will answer for everything"
He looked at Chris.
"Arrest me."
Then Barry.
"Put a bullet in me."
His voice didn't crack.
"I won't resist."
That shook them more than it should have.
"But if we don't move first," he continued, "Umbrella will not let anyone leave."
He gestured upward.
"The Hunter wasn't random. It wasn't scheduled for deployment this early. I can only assume that Umbrella found out about my actions and have escalated."
Frost blinked. "You mean they're trying to kill us harder because of you?"
"Yes. They'll either want me dead or captured for reconditioning. There is something else."
Chris straightened slightly.
"There's an underground lab beneath the estate," Soren said. "That's where the research is centralized. That's where the data is stored."
Chris ran a hand over his face.
"This night just gets better."
"You'll have a choice. With our remaining supplies and ammo, we can try to make a break for the forest outside and with enough distance our radios should work. We can call for an evac."
Soren let the moment hang.
"Or?" Rebecca asked.
"We go underground," Soren said. "We shut it down. We extract whatever evidence we can."
"And then?" Barry asked.
"Then you decide what to do with me."
Chris looked at Jill.
Jill looked at Rebecca.
Rebecca held her ground.
Few moments passed as the team contemplated.
Chris finally spoke.
"We finish this."
He met Soren's eyes.
"Together."
Jill stepped forward facing Soren.
"If we do this, "she said carefully, "you're not our captain."
The words were calm.
Measured.
Professional.
But they landed like a blade.
For a fraction a second, something in Soren's expression flickered.
Not anger, not pride.
Something smaller, something… human.
He inclined his head.
"Understood."
His voice now much smaller.
*Inside*
Of course.
Why would she still care about…
I'm such an idiot.
Fuck, this really hurts like hell.
Jill continued.
"You don't make unilateral decisions anymore."
"Understood."
Her eyes didn't soften.
"And if I believe for one second you're manipulating us again – "
"Understood."
His voice now a whisper.
Jill studied him.
Long.
Searching.
A moment passed. Then -
"We shut down the lab," she said.
Barry studied Jill for a long moment.
Then sighed.
"Fine."
He pointed at Soren.
"But when this is over, we're having another conversation."
Soren inclined his head slightly.
"I expect nothing less."
The team didn't look unified.
They looked… decided.
It was enough.
The room fell into silence once again.
Then Jill inhaled slowly.
"Chris. Barry. Rebecca. Frost"
They looked at her.
"I need a minute."
Chris glanced between her and Soren.
Barry hesitated.
Rebecca understood immediately.
"Come on," she said softly, guiding the others toward the corridor.
Barry lingered a second longer before muttering, "Don't kill him," and walking off.
The room fell quiet.
Just the two of them beneath the chandelier.
Jill didn't look at him at first.
She crossed her arms.
Then uncrossed them.
Then finally turned.
"You couldn't have told me?"
Her voice wasn't loud.
That made it worse.
Soren held her gaze.
"No."
She flinched slightly.
"No?" she repeated.
"I didn't know if you would believe me. And if you didn't—"
"If I didn't what?"
He didn't answer immediately.
*Inside*
I would lose any purpose I have.
If I can't keep you safe, then what the hell is even the point.
Aloud, he said, "Then you would have turned your weapon on me. And I wouldn't have blamed you."
Her jaw tightened.
"That's not fair."
"I know."
"That's not your decision to make."
He didn't argue.
That frustrated her more.
She stepped closer.
"You stood there and told them your name wasn't even Albert Wesker."
"It isn't."
"Soren," she repeated quietly.
The name sounded different when she said it.
More intimate.
More real.
"You expect me to just accept that?"
"No."
She stared at him.
"You let me—" she stopped herself, swallowing. "You let me tell you how I felt."
That hit.
Harder than anything Barry had said.
Soren didn't look away.
"You weren't lying to me," she said. "Were you?"
He answered without hesitation.
"No."
That was the one thing he could say without twisting truth.
She searched his face.
"Then what was real?" she asked quietly.
"The part where I didn't want you to die."
The light flickered behind him.
"You think that makes this better?" she asked.
"No."
Silence.
Her voice dropped.
"I thought I was dying."
"I know."
"I told you how I felt because I didn't want to die with regrets."
Her hands trembled slightly.
"And now I don't even know who I said that to."
That's the wound.
That's the betrayal.
Soren took one careful step forward.
"You said it to me."
"Which one?" she demanded. "Captain Wesker? Umbrella's asset? Soren? Who am I standing in front of?"
He didn't hesitate.
"The man who carried you out of that graveyard."
Her breath hitched slightly.
"The man who bled half out in a hallway to get Rebecca to you."
She closed her eyes for a second.
"I didn't ask you to do that."
"I didn't need you to."
That broke something in her composure.
She looked away, angry at herself now.
"That's not the point," she whispered.
"I know."
Her voice softened despite herself.
"You should've trusted me."
That one hurt him the most.
*Inside*
I was scared no one would believe me.
I was afraid you would look at me like and see only Wesker.
Aloud, he said quietly, "I was afraid."
She blinked.
That word didn't fit him.
"Of what?" she asked.
"Of losing the only person who looked at me like I wasn't a monster."
The honesty was quiet.
No theatrics.
No raised voice.
Just truth.
Her throat tightened.
"I don't think you're a monster."
"You should."
She stepped closer again.
"If I thought you were a monster, you'd already be on the ground."
That earned the faintest ghost of a smile from him.
Then it faded.
"I don't know what to do with this," she admitted.
"I know."
"You lied."
"Yes."
"You manipulated us."
"Yes."
"You were working with the people who did this."
"Yes."
Every answer was steady.
Every one cut.
"And yet," she said quietly, "I'm alive because of you."
He didn't respond.
Because that was the one thing he didn't need to defend.
Her voice wavered now.
"I hate that."
He nodded once.
"That's fair."
Silence again.
Then she looked directly into his eyes.
Jill's voice sharpened, emotion cracking through restraint.
"If we survive this… if we get out…"
He waited.
"You don't get to disappear."
His brow shifted slightly.
"You don't get to martyr yourself. You don't get to decide you deserve to die for this."
He didn't answer immediately.
*Inside*
Deserve? No, but if it meant you got out of here...
He would.
And she saw it.
Not in words.
Not in posture.
In his eyes.
The certainty.
Jill's breath caught.
"You would," she said quietly.
It wasn't a question.
He didn't deny it.
The silence confirmed it.
Her jaw tightened — not in anger now.
In fear.
"Don't," she said.
His expression didn't change.
But something in him shifted.
"You think that makes this easier?" she continued, voice lower now. "You think throwing yourself in front of everything fixes what you did?"
"It's not about fixing it."
"Then what is it about?"
He held her gaze.
He didn't answer at first.
The sound of distant thunder was faint.
A moment passed. Then –
"You."
The word landed between them, raw and unguarded.
The wind moved faintly through the broken window behind him.
Jill's composure faltered for the first time.
"That's not fair," she whispered.
"I know."
"You don't get to decide that for me."
"I'm not deciding," he said quietly. "I'm stating a fact."
Her eyes searched his face again — not for lies this time.
For intent.
And what she found there unsettled her more than anything else he'd confessed.
Not manipulation.
Not calculation.
Determination.
Unfiltered. Unhidden.
"You're not allowed to make that choice alone," she said.
His brow shifted slightly.
"If it comes to that—"
"It won't," she snapped.
He stopped.
She stepped closer, forcing him to focus.
"You don't get to decide your life is expendable."
"It isn't to me," he said quietly.
"To you maybe not. But to Umbrella? To those things? You'll throw yourself at them every time."
"Yes."
No hesitation.
That answer made her look away for a moment.
She exhaled slowly.
"You scared me," she admitted.
"Which part?"
"All of it."
Her voice dropped.
"The lies. The truth. The way you talk about dying like it's just another strategic option."
He didn't interrupt.
"And now this," she said softer. "Looking at me like you've already decided."
He finally broke eye contact.
For the first time since this started.
"I don't know how to do this halfway," he said.
That was the most honest thing he had said all night.
She studied him.
"You don't get to carry this alone," she said.
He didn't respond.
"You don't get to protect me by sacrificing yourself without asking."
He lifted his eyes again.
"And if I ask?" he said quietly.
Her lips pressed thin.
"Then we decide together."
That landed differently.
For both of them.
Silence stretched.
Then she stepped back slightly.
"We're not done talking about this."
"I know."
"And you're not my captain right now."
"I know."
"But you are still the man who carried me out of that graveyard."
His shoulders eased just a fraction.
"That's enough," he said quietly.
She shook her head.
"It's not."
She turned toward the corridor.
"And for the record?"
He waited.
"If you ever decide to die for me without consulting me first…"
There was steel in her eyes again.
"I will bring you back just to yell at you."
A faint, almost invisible smile touched his mouth.
"Understood."
She started walking.
Then paused.
Without turning back, she said softly—
"Don't make me regret believing you, Soren."
The use of his real name hit deeper than any accusation had.
He didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
She walked out.
The door closed softly behind her.
Silence returned.
For a moment, he just stood there.
Breathing.
Alone.
*Inside*
She didn't walk away.
That was more than I deserved.
He exhaled slowly.
Adjusted his sunglasses.
And then –
DING!
The sound wasn't external.
It came from somewhere behind his thoughts.
Cold.
Precise.
Inhuman.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: SIGNIFICANT PSYCHOLOGICAL THRESHOLD ACHIEVED.]
[HOST IDENTITY DISCLOSURE CONFIRMED.]
[FUTURE VARIANCE INCREASED.]
[CONTAINMENT PROTOCOLS PARTIALLY LIFTED.]
For a second nothing happened.
Then –
It felt like something uncoiled inside him.
Not pain.
Not pleasure.
Release.
Heat spread through his bloodstream like molten metal.
Muscle fibers tightening.
Nerves sharpening.
His breathing slowed automatically.
Vision clarified.
Every sound in the mansion became distinct.
Wood contracting.
Rebecca's footsteps down the hall.
Jill's voice, low, speaking to Chris.
His pulse.
Stronger.
Faster.
Alive.
He flexed his fingers.
The movement felt lighter.
Cleaner.
More efficient.
*Inside*
So that's what you were holding back.
He didn't smile.
He didn't celebrate.
He understood something important.
This wasn't a reward.
It was escalation.
And escalation meant
Things were about to get much worse.
Slowly, deliberately he stepped toward the corridor.
*********
[Author]
Hope everyone is enjoying these long chapters. I wanted to say It has really been amazing seeing the engagement and feedback from all of you. I did notice everyone wanting more chapters and to be honest I feel the same way so I wanted to announce that I will be putting in more time into this novel. Therefore I will be uploading 3 chapters a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays) starting next week. I hope that helps with the consistency and frequency of this novel as I really want to share this story with everyone. I have really cool stuff planned for ARC-1 of this novel.
Also it would mean a lot to me if we could make this one of the more popular RE FanFics.