Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters – they're Capcom's. I'm just having fun with 'em. Don't sue, k?

God's Child
A Resident Evil Story

By Riot Siren

Prologue

Who calls this child to walk on her own?
Who leads her down this treacherous road?
She's dancing to a song we can't hear

Sweet little angel
Whose child are you?

Come dance with me

God makes us dream
But won't set us free
God calls us dance to songs we can't hear

The song of the vampire
The glory of love
This is our kingdom
But look what we've done!

Come dance with me

-"God's Child," David Byrne and Selena

October 1, 1998

A federal office building somewhere in Washington D.C.

"Do you have any relatives?"

The blond girl didn't answer. She was unmoving and unresponsive, just as she'd been for the past half-hour, sitting on a broad windowsill with her knees drawn up to her chest, her eyes cast down, staring at nothing. She was dressed in a dirty school uniform, over which she inexplicably wore an adult-sized red leather vest that looked like it was made for motorcycling.

Lieutenant Wilcox had only been given a brief summary of the girl's situation, but it was more than enough information to make him feel sorry for her. She was named Sherry Birkin, and she was one of a handful of survivors of the devastating Raccoon City pandemic that had occurred just days before. How terrible it must've been to watch all her friends and neighbors get sick and die. Had she seen her parents die too?

Wilcox wondered if he should tell the girl the latest news: At dawn that morning, Sherry's hometown had become a huge smoking crater, destroyed on the order of the President himself to prevent the pandemic's spread. He furrowed his brow and decided against it. She'd been through enough already. Wilcox also knew that Sherry was here in Washington D.C. with her guardian, another Raccoon City survivor, to be handed over into someone else's custody. He'd been asked to sit with Sherry while his superiors negotiated with her guardian—a man named Kennedy, Wilcox had gathered—in the other room.

The new guardian, who the lieutenant had yet to lay eyes on, claimed to be and old friend of the girl's dead father. Wilcox had no children of his own, having devoted his life to his military career. But it seemed to him that an orphaned child would be better off with a relative, any relative, than some family friend.

He tried again. "Hon, please tell me. Do you have any family?"

This time the girl looked up at him. "I really don't," she said softly. "All my grandparents are dead and both my mom and dad were only children."

He was taken aback, and hoped for her sake that this "family friend" was on the up-and-up.

"Well…" Wilcox began, wanting to offer some words of comfort. "We're all God's children, so that means you'll never be alone. Not really."

Just then the room's door swung open and Wilcox's superior officer and a man he could only assume was the "family friend" entered. The guardian Sherry had arrived with less and an hour before was nowhere to be seen.

"All right," the superior officer said. "Everything's wrapped up."

"Where…where's Leon?" Panic rose in the girl's voice as she got to her feet.

But Wilcox was surprised at how quickly her expression changed when she set eyes on the newcomer. He was tall, looked to be in his late 30's and was handsome by just about any standard, with light blond hair and a rather pale complexion. Eastern European descent, certainly. Perhaps German. He was dressed in a stylish dark suit and wore sunglasses even though he was indoors, making him look every inch the sinister "Man in Black" the public so often associated with government agencies.

"I know you!" Sherry blurted out. "You've been to my house for dinner!"

"Indeed I have." His voice was smooth and urbane. The man smiled at Sherry, which put Wilcox at ease.

"So," the superior officer continued. "I'll give you regular updates on Kennedy's progress and pass along intel on your people of interest. Security will see you out. Good seeing you, as always."

"As always," the blond man echoed, and the two shook hands. Wilcox's superior officer motioned that it was time for them to leave.

As the two men walked out the door, Wilcox cast a backwards glance at Sherry, who had crossed the room as was standing in front of the blond man. Wilcox watched as he knelt in front of the girl. Although the blond man now had his back to Wilcox, he could see him raise a hand to his face and remove his sunglasses.

Wilcox turned back to face the empty corridor, content that all was well. But just before he rounded the corner and left Sherry Birkin behind forever, Wilcox hear the girl say something very strange—something he would remember for a long time.

"Wow…What happened to your eyes?"