Quelling the Tempest

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Wesker watched her breathe, not on her own, but with the assistance of a respirator. She was far too weak to complete such a mindless task on her own, but that was her fault, completely her fault. Out of pure instinct to protect her partner, she had decided to interfere with his little spar with Chris, the spar that should have ended his life then and there. However, her intervention actually proved to be valuable. While it was true that he did not end up killing Chris, Wesker knew by taking away the one thing Chris cherished more than his own life would cause him so much more pain than by simply dying within his menacing clutch that was fueled with the years of anger and torment Chris had caused him. He had already annihilated almost all the S.T.A.R.S. members, and after taking down the seemingly formidable Chris and Jill, there would be no one who stood a chance to stop him from claiming the role of God.

Jill is certainly out of the picture, and Chris can just wallow in despair.

Wesker walked across to the other side of the laboratory where a limp woman was unconsciously resting on a white cot that could rival her pallid complexion behind myriad cuts and scrapes on her exposed skin. Her body, hauntingly still, was imprisoned by dozens of clear tubes pumping various substances into her in an effort to rejuvenate the ghost of Jill Valentine. Wesker examined her carefully, his eyes roving up and down, back and forth behind his black shades. Even though her face was marred by dark bruises and deep gashes, she was still eerily beautiful. Like her face, her body was also blemished with severe injuries for he had seen her completely nude, though, not by choice. They had both been on the brink of death after falling out of the Spencer Mansion, but by some miracle, he shortly regained his consciousness only minutes after the incident. Wesker inhaled deeply, remembering that fateful night as if it had just occurred. He had the chance to kill her. He had the chance to seek his long awaited revenge, but his twisted mind told him that the revenge would be twice as sweet if he kept Jill alive for his own cruel purposes and intentions.

And now, she laid helplessly before him, completely at his mercy. Wesker let out a short and shallow laugh, thinking what Chris would give to be able to see her in the disfigured state she was in right now. Wesker had no doubt that Chris may even sell his very life and soul just so he can witness his beloved partner. After all, he was the one who should have lost his life that night. Wesker seated himself at the edge of the small cot and glanced at the monitor beeping next to the respirator. Although it was going to take many months, Jill would eventually make a full recovery. Wesker could hardly wait for that day—the day when she would be one of his first test subjects for his Uroboros research. Yes, he would have to make sure to somehow broadcast it to Chris.

I wonder what it will feel like to see your partner become the very creation you are fighting against. It was a sick thought, but Wesker knew he was a sick man. That had already been established when he first worked with Birkin. Birkin was a twisted person as well, but the difference between them was that Wesker would continue to succeed after his rival failed. Had he not proven multiple times for more than a decade that he was truly fit to be God?

And in my new world, this little Valentine will be right by my side as my loyal servant…if she's fit and worthy enough to make it into my new world, that is.

He held her wrist in his palm, sensing her faint pulse beneath his fingertip. He brought his other gloved hand toward her face and brushed her bangs away from eyes, tucking any strands of loose hair that had fallen out of her broken ponytail behind her ears. Her lonely BSAA cap, stained with blood and mud, rested above the monitor with only the light beeps from the machine to keep it company. He wanted to burn that hideous thing, but it brought him a very welcoming sense of comfort to wonder what Chris would pay to have that despicable garbage in his hands so he could have the most tangible part of Jill Valentine in his possession. The thought of Chris on his knees, sobbing into the dirty cap upon realizing its owner would never be able to wear it again made Wesker chuckle lightly. It was such a small and insignificant item, but in his eyes, it represented the future downfall of BSAA.

His keen ears suddenly picked up on very soft whispers. Although they were barely audible, Wesker was confident she was muttering something beneath her breath through the slight movements of her lips behind the clear frame of the respirator. He could acutely see her pale limps scrunching together, murmuring a one-syllable word: Chris. He studied her desperate features and noticed her eyebrows were raised as if she were in deep thought or distress. Wesker scoffed. It appeared that even though the two were so far apart, one in the realm of the living, the other bordering the realm of death, their bond was still exceptionally strong. If he had had any traces of a human heart left, he would have felt just the tiniest tinge of compassion, but his humanity had long been stripped.

"So fragile, so pathetic. Humans are nothing but weaklings once they have been defeated. This is precisely why I choose not to become human anymore, and you my dear, shall join me in my new world to become an entity that exceeds the capacity of humanity. You should thank me for granting you the chance to become more than what you are now…a fool," Wesker spoke solidly to the unconscious woman. Although she could not hear him, he hoped his voice would somehow reach the Jill Valentine trapped beneath her incapacitated shell. He stroke her bangs gently and tenderly, his body completely calm and at ease without a single hint of rage. Just tranquility. He had to admit he was surprised. It was not very often that he would feel this way, especially in the presence of someone who had become a great obstacle that kept him from reaching his goal. His mind reeled approximately a decade backward when he had first selected Jill to be a part of S.T.A.R.S. He had sensed something special about her, and later realized she was too special. If he had known Chris and Jill would eventually become such an impediment to his ambitions, he would have eliminated both of them even before the Mansion incident.

But no one could predict the future, and no one, not even he could have predicted that at this very moment, he would feel tamed like a calm after an exhausted storm that had just wrecked everything and anything in its path. Come to think of it, he couldn't remember the last time he felt this serene. In the midst of his researches and his constant need to protect them, he had driven himself mad. He never stopped building layers upon layers of barriers around himself, fearing that if one were to be torn down, the others would collapse too in the domino effect fashion. It was truly a strange and foreign feeling. He almost felt human again. Almost.

"You are one special woman indeed, Ms. Valentine. No one has made me feel this way…and it's rather unfortunate that this will be the last and only time I will pity you. I am a monster, and I accept that. You can try to induce sympathy within me so I can allow you to see Chris again, but it will not happen. Do not mess with my mind, my dear."

A single tear trickled through Jill's close lid and down her bloody cheek before he saw her brows relax over her eyes, her features unanimated again. Wesker roughly brushed the teardrop away. He didn't need any weaklings in his new world. Leaning over, he planted a gentle kiss upon her forehead and whispered into her ear, "I hope you get better soon. I have much in store for you." Without glancing at her again, he stood up and walked toward the exit of the cubicle, passing by her saggy, blue, BSAA cap. Its scrunched form made it seem as if it were bowing to him, annoyingly crying out to him to reconsider the decision he had already made for its owner.

I really should burn that damn thing soon.

-End

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A/N: I wasn't sure what direction I wanted to head in for this fanfic. It just came together the way it did as I wrote. I think one thing I definitely wanted to touch upon was exploring Wesker's brief moment of compassion when he saves Jill. That is, maybe there's a slight chance that there was some goodness left in him, but eventually, he reverts back to his evil mean self, hehe. I'm not sure if I'm particularly happy with this piece. It's rather short, but at the same time, I did not want to be detailed on the unnecessary things. Well, please let me know your thoughts in a review. As usual, thanks for reading!