Bloody chlorophyll splattered over the kyōki no hana plants as the creatures shrieked in pain and fury. Still, they shuffled forward, their root-like feet scratching loudly with every step.

"Let's whack some weeds," Jake declared.

The trio fanned out, each taking on the creature closest to them.

Leon fired one gun at the monster's neck, the other at its chest. The creature shrieked and reared back, but it rallied despite its wounds and rushed at him furiously. Leon dodged its reaching arms just in time, causing it to fall over into a row of plants.

The creature quickly righted itself and lashed its vine-arm at Leon, wrapping it around his neck like a whip and dragging him backward. Leon gasped and groaned as it constricted his neck tightly. He dropped one gun and groped for his knife desperately.

Snatching the blade out of its holster, he severed the appendage. Wheezing, Leon spun about to face the screeching creature and shot twice into its gyrating proboscis. The screeches ceased abruptly, and the monster collapsed, a dark pool spreading from its corpse. Coughing, Leon yanked the remnant of the bloody vine off of his bruised neck.

Around him, his friends still struggled against their foes.

Jake charged at the monster before him, dealing a powerful blow to its trunk. The creature hissed as it stumbled backward, countering the attack by flailing forth its vine-like arms and flogging him across his face and chest.

Jake swore as the hard appendages lacerated his skin. He ducked as the monster swung again. Skirting around it swiftly, he fired two shots to the back of its head. The high-caliber bullets penetrated the leathery flesh, destroying it at last.

Sara had been backed into a corner as the creature assailing her began flailing at her violently. It had successfully wounded her, landing a gash across her back as she leaped out of its path.

Crying out, she unleashed a series of quick shots from beneath a table. The monster lashed an arm out at her, seizing her wrist. Sara struggled against it in an effort to maintain her grip on her gun, but it only tightened its hold.

Sara's fingertips crackled with electricity, and she forced out a burst of energy. The creature immediately recoiled, shrieking as it drew back its singed limb and dropped to the floor.

Leon's eye was immediately drawn to the flash of light. A surge of concern rushed through him as recalled the incident with the serpent-woman. "Sara, be careful!" he called. "Don't push yourself!"

In response, there was a loud crash as Sara rolled out from beneath the table and swept a set of plants onto the wriggling creature on the floor. It hissed furiously as the pots shattered upon it. Before it could rise again, Sara ran around to where it lay and fired two shots into its head. After convulsing for a moment, the monster went rigid.

Jake straightened up, swiping away the blood that streamed from the cut across his cheek. "Eh, that wasn't all that bad, actually," he said.

"Sure; piece of cake," Sara remarked dryly.

Leon shook his head, looking around anxiously. "No, wait… There were four. Where's―"

He stopped as he noticed drops of yellowish ichor dripping down on Jake's shoulder. He looked up immediately to see the last B.O.W. clinging to a light fixture.

"Jake, look out!" he shouted.

Leon shoved Jake aside as the screeching, clicking creature pounced from its perch.

Sara and Jake exclaimed in consternation as the monster knocked Leon to the floor, overwhelming him with its flailing appendages. 

Leon cried out as the creature impaled his shoulder with its proboscis. He felt something sharp eject into his wounded flesh from the horrid mouthpart. Still clutching his knife, he managed to plunge the blade into the proboscis even as Sara and Jake fired several rounds.

The monster shrieked and thrashed momentarily before going limp on Leon. He wrenched the knife out, causing a stream of watery blood to pour out over him. Leon groaned in pain and disgust. 

"Oh, God, Leon! Are you okay?" cried Sara rushing over to him.

"I think so," he replied. He struggled to shift the hideous corpse off him, but the searing pain in his shoulder halted his efforts. 

Jake seized the body and heaved it aside. He offered Leon his hand and helped him sit up.

"Thanks for the save," he told him.

"Sure," Leon replied wearily. An overwhelming wave of exhaustion suddenly washed over him.

Sara dropped to her knees beside him. She analyzed the deep puncture wound. "What the hell is that?" she gasped.

Leon glanced at his shoulder to see a large black thorn embedded in his flesh. "A… thorn?"

Jake knelt before him. "Shit. That's a big thorn."

"I felt it shoot out of that thing's mouth," Leon said, somewhat breathlessly. "I think it's coated with venom.  It's… working pretty fast."

Sara took hold of his arm and studied his shoulder, taking care not to touch the affected area. "Dear God, it's festering."

A strange, greenish white substance mingled with the blood seeping through Leon's shirt.

"We gotta get that thorn out," Jake said. He looked up at Leon. "You ready?"

"Yeah, do it," Leon replied, inhaling sharply.

Sara supported him as Jake took hold of the thorn. He tugged and twisted carefully even as Leon panted and groaned.

"Damn!" Jake exclaimed. "It's in deep!"

At last Jake succeeded in extracting the monstrous thorn. Leon grunted and moaned deeply as the thorn came free followed by a hot spurt of blood. An internal chill made him shiver.

Sara looked into his face anxiously. "You're getting pale! Maybe… maybe some health tablets would help, yeah?" she suggested.

Her voice sounded distant, the words only half intelligible. Leon forced his muddled brain to process their meaning. "No," he managed. "The tablets can't neutralize the venom. The tissue will start regenerating and trap it in the bloodstream."

"He's right. It'll just make things worse," Jake agreed.

"We have to at least bandage it, then. You're losing too much blood," Sara said.

She rummaged through her pack and drew the roll of bandaging. She proceeded to dress the ugly wound, her lips pressed into a grim line as she worked.

"Thanks," Leon whispered. He inhaled deeply, struggling to gather his thoughts. "We gotta find a way out of here," he said.

"Looks like we're still on lockdown. Our friend out there made sure of that," Jake said, standing up.

Sara finished her work. "Maybe there's a maintenance hatch or something," she said.

Leon began to rise, but his head swam. He swayed awkwardly. "Uhh… Shit!"

Sara grabbed his arm to steady him. "Leon, I'm so worried about you."

"I'll be fine," he answered composedly, despite his own misgivings. Fear slowly crept into him, but he refused to give in to it. This was certainly no time to break down.

Leon straightened up, ignoring the chill that coursed through his body, making him shiver again. His focused gaze fell on a pale glow issuing from the far corner of the room. In the dim light of the lamps, he perceived the outline of a door.

"Hey, there's another door in the back," he declared.

"Yeah? Well, what're we standing around for?" asked Jake. "I'm sick of this damn place."

"Over there." Leon carefully bent to gather his gear then led the way. 

"If we're on lockdown, it probably won't do much good," Sara said, watching Leon intently.

"Never know 'til we try," Jake answered.

Leon suddenly balked as the wall ahead of him seemed to melt, giving way to the grisly scene of Raccoon City in all its bloody and conflagrant horror. He watched in silent fury as the undead marched around the flaming wreckage of burnt-out cars and buildings. Blood-soaked corpses were strewn across the city streets, mauled and half devoured.

Behind him Sara and Jake were talking quietly, but their voices faded away, and all Leon could hear was the sounds of grunts, growls and guttural moans.

"Do you hear it?" he murmured darkly. "That's the song of the infected."

"What?" asked Sara.

Her voice registered as an inhuman snarl to Leon's addled mind. He spun around, aiming his gun at her.

"Leon, don't!" cried Sara, recoiling in horror.

"What the hell're you doing?!" Jake exclaimed. He seized Leon's arm and pushed it upward just before he could pull the trigger. Jake twisted his wrist and snatched the gun away from him.

Leon exclaimed in surprise at the sudden assault, but it instantly dissolved the hallucination. He stared at his friends in turn, the blood draining from his face.

Sara's eyes were filled with terror, and Jake watched him warily.

"I-I'm sorry," Leon stammered. "For a minute I was back in Raccoon City, watching the streets burn around the undead. It wasn't you I saw, Sara; it was a zombie."

The grow lights suddenly seemed dazzlingly bright, and the room reeled wildly. Leon struggled for air as excruciating pain shot through his shoulder and across his chest. He doubled over, an agonized cry erupting from his lips. Gasping raggedly, he toppled into a row of plants before collapsing to the floor, dazed.

"Leon!" Sara was beside him instantly. She gently cleared away the damp locks of hair clinging to his forehead and examined him. "Oh, my God! You're burning up!"

Leon sat up with some effort. He looked up at Sara dully, perspiration streaming down his face. His vision was becoming blurry and unfocused. Terrifying realization dawned on him. "I'm infected."

Sara gulped. "Oh, Leon… "

Jake stood over them, his expression severe. "It's not like that centipede or blob thing; we didn't get physically sick, and the effects were temporary. His symptoms are manifesting like wildfire, and they're getting worse."

"Jake's right," Leon acknowledged. He drew his second gun and his knife and relinquished them to Sara. "I'm losing control. I don't trust myself right now," he said. He bowed his head, drawing shallow, somewhat labored breaths.

🌔🌕🌖

Sara took Leon's weapons, steely panic gripping her as the horrifying truth set in. At the rate the infection was spreading within Leon, it wouldn't be long before he would succumb to it.

"What the hell do we do now?" Jake grumbled, pacing agitatedly.

Sara glanced down at Leon. She had been looking to him for guidance, relying on his expertise for snap decisions. As she studied him now, Jake's question felt like a millstone on her chest. What were they to do?

Sara gently lifted Leon's head and gazed at him as if she could find the answer merely by looking at him. He regarded her stoically through a cascade of sweat-matted hair. His vivid, silvery blue eyes gleamed determinedly despite his haggard countenance. Even now those eyes still burned with the intensity of his warrior's spirit. Sara drew a touch of strength from the sight. Leon would never give up without a fight; neither would she.

"We'll find a way out of here and look for an antivirus," she asserted. "It wouldn't make sense to create a virus without synthesizing a cure for it as a fail-safe against a possible incident within the facility. If the virus was developed here, I'm sure an antivirus would've been, too."

Leon smiled slightly. "That's my girl," he said.

Sara returned the smile wanly.

Jake halted his pacing and looked down at Leon and Sara thoughtfully, hands on his hips. "Yeah… Not much of a plan, but I guess it's the best bet we've got."

Sara rose. Leon started to rise, but his knees gave way. She caught him before he could fall again. 

"Ugh… Damn it!"

"I'll take him," Jake said. "You check out that door."

"Okay."

Jake slung Leon's arm around his neck, half lifting, half supporting him. "All right, Hero. Let's get you on your feet," Jake said. "C'mon, I got ya."

"Gee, thanks. I didn't know you cared," Leon quipped.

Leon's wit gave Sara a small sense of hope while drawing a tear to her eye. She brushed it away impatiently. This was no time for tears; she had to focus.

Jake huffed. "Yeah, well, don't get used to it," he answered. He smiled wryly, however, despite his sardonic response.

Leon chuckled in reply.

Sara went up ahead and inspected the door. It read: "Testing Lab". There was an electronic reader beside it.

"Looks like we need a key card," she said frustratedly.

Leon reached into his pack and handed her the electronic ID wristband. "Try this again."

Sara glanced at his face briefly as she took it. His pupils were dilated, and his eyelids drooped. "Please, hang on," she whispered.

Leon nodded. "Mm-hm."

Sara's eyes flicked over to Jake. Surprisingly, his impassive pale blue gaze was replaced with a look of grim concern and doubt. It mirrored the sentiment she was strangling fiercely.

She returned her attention to the reader and passed the wristband over it. A bright green light flashed and the lock disengaged.

Sara exhaled tremulously, considering it a small victory. The door slid open easily, and the trio passed through into the laboratory.

"Maybe… maybe there's something in here," Sara said.

She looked around the lab anxiously, searching for a sign of the needed cure. A cruel voice in her mind whispered: "If there's a cure."

Sara squelched the thought and sought on. She caught sight of a laboratory refrigerator filled with tubes marked in Japanese.

"Jake, will you read these?" she asked.

"I doubt I'll find one that says 'plant virus vaccine' on it," he replied. But having helped Leon into a nearby chair, he obliged.

Sara watched anxiously while Jake opened the refrigerator and analyzed its contents. At length he shook his head and turned to her.

"Nothing but plant DNA samples and other weird stuff," he announced disgustedly.

Sara bit her lip until she drew blood. She glanced over to where Jake had seated Leon. The chair was empty.

"I think I see an exit over there." Leon's enfeebled voice came from across the lab where he leaned heavily against a broad window, staring through it.

Sara exhaled quietly in relief, surprised to see him standing.

Sara and Jake came up beside him and followed his gaze. Sure enough there was an anteroom filled with protective equipment. Beyond that was a door.

"Nothing in here; we might as well move on," Leon said enervatedly.

"I'm with you," Jake agreed. "There's gotta be something out there."

Tamping down her fear, Sara drew her gun. "Take care of Leon. I'll take point," she said.

Sara led the way while Jake took charge of Leon. She came to the door, halting instantly at the sight of an electronic sign flashing warning red text.

"No… Please, don't tell me!" she cried.

"Damn it! The entire area is locked down!" Jake barked.

"Only internal rooms are accessible," Leon stated. "We're trapped."

Sheer panic made Sara snap. "No!" She kicked the door furiously. 

"Sara, stay calm," Leon said quietly.

Before Sara could make a frenzied reply, the lights suddenly flickered, and the electronic sign went green.

Everyone remained silent for a moment, exchanging glances.

"Someone released the lockdown," said Jake. "We'd better not wait around to see who did us the favor. Let's move."

The door slid open, and Sara looked out cautiously. A wide, empty corridor stretched out ahead before branching out into left and right turns.

Sweeping her gun about, Sara stepped out. Satisfied that the coast was clear, she motioned to Jake to follow her.

The three made their way carefully through the hall, their progress hindered as Leon stumbled along.

As they approached the bend of the corridor, a figure suddenly rounded the left corner and stepped out in front of them.

They beheld a silver-masked woman wearing a black kimono pantsuit beneath a stark-white lab coat. Her grizzled black hair was tied back in a tight bun.

Immediately, Sara and Jake trained their guns on her.

"Please," the woman said softly. "Hold your fire."

"Wait," Leon said weakly. "That… that's the woman I met in the secret tunnel."

"Mystery woman, huh? I don't care much for those. Bad experience," Jake remarked.

"Who are you?" demanded Sara.

"I am called Oiwa," the woman replied. "And I am the only ally you have in this hell. Come with me if you want to save your friend."

"Why the hell should we trust you, lady?" Jake asked, eyeing her dubiously.

"Because if you do not, he will turn. I can help," Oiwa answered.

"W-why would you help us? You're one of them," Leon said hoarsely.

"I need your help to end this madness. It has gone much too far," Oiwa answered.

Sara glanced at Leon, desperation clutching at her heart. He was languishing rapidly. She turned her gaze on Jake. 

"Fine," he said grudgingly. "Not like we have a damn choice."

Sara turned on Oiwa. "If you cross us, I swear you're dead," she vowed.

"As far as I am concerned, young woman, I am already dead," Oiwa answered calmly. "Come. Ask no more questions; we must be quick and silent."

After a moment's hesitation, Sara followed the mysterious woman, Jake and Leon trailing behind. Dozens of questions flooded her mind, but she bit her tongue to hold them back.

At last they came to a door. Oiwa raised her wrist to the electronic reader. A low beeping sounded, and the door opened, revealing yet another laboratory.

Oiwa led them inside then headed to a refrigerator at the back of the room.

Sara looked about at the various tables covered with myriad equipment. The sight of the cabinets and the surgical table in the center of the room brought back terrifying memories of her own infection only two years before on Halcyon Isle.

"So… this is where the virus was born, huh?" Leon said, taking in the room as well.

"Yes," Oiwa answered simply. "Get him on the table."

"What are you giving him?" asked Jake, leading Leon to the table.

"I helped create the virus," Oiwa replied. "Now I will see it destroyed. I have synthesized a cure for it in secret. This is the antivirus prototype, but it should work."

" 'Should work'?!" Sara exclaimed.

"It is the best and only option I can offer," Oiwa responded. She turned to the three, an auto injector filled with violet fluid in her hand.

Sara's uncertain gaze flicked from the injector to Leon. He was bathed in sweat, his face pallid; lips bloodless. Most alarming of all was the sudden change in his eyes. They were fixed in a vacant, lusterless stare. He blinked sluggishly. The sight was heart-wrenching.

"Okay," she assented. "Then you'll tell us everything that's going on here?"

"Yes."

Sara bit her lip nervously as Oiwa approached Leon whom Jake was assisting onto the table. His head hung low, and he appeared to be losing consciousness even as Jake handled him.

Suddenly, Leon's head snapped up. His eyes glowed a phosphorescent green, and his handsome features were marred by a menacing snarl. Before Sara could warn Jake, Leon dealt him a sharp kick to the sternum.

Swearing in surprise, Jake stumbled backward into Oiwa, knocking the auto injector out of her hand.

Leon leaped off the table and lunged at Jake, but Jake had rallied. He received Leon quickly, blocking his blows.

Sara watched in horror as the men traded shots while Oiwa crawled across the floor toward the auto injector.

She forced herself out of her petrification. "Leon, stop!"

Sara charged at Leon, tackling him and forcing him up against a glass cabinet. She looked into his face as they grappled fiercely with each other. There wasn't a ray of recognition for her in those eerily glowing eyes.

Leon struck out at Sara, raining blows on her which she parried with what speed she could. The virus was making him stronger and faster. Fortunately, her own genetic enhancements aided her in keeping up with him.

Sara noted Jake advancing behind Leon. "Don't! Stay back!" she shouted.

Taking advantage of her momentary distraction, Leon seized her arm and twisted it behind her back. He shoved her face-first into the cabinet. She could feel his hot breath against her neck as he growled ferally in her ear. He pulled her gun out of its holster.

Desperate, Sara rammed her elbow into Leon's stomach then whirled around to face him, grabbing hold of his arm as he staggered backward. They struggled intensely for several seconds as she strove to disarm him.

"Damn it, Sara! I've gotta stop him before he kills you!" Jake yelled.

"I said don't!" Sara snapped.

Steeling herself for her next action, Sara abandoned the contest for the gun. She punched Leon's stomach hard. As he doubled over, she rammed her knee into his abdomen.

Leon roared, more in rage than pain. He raised the gun to shoot her even as he straightened up.

Sara summoned her power from the depths of her being, ignoring the sorrow that threatened to shake her resolve. She couldn't afford to hesitate; Leon had to be subdued.

Orange electricity crackled from her fingers. She thrust forth her hands against Leon's chest, sending a bolt of electricity coursing through his body. The gun fell from his hand as he convulsed violently for an instant.

Sara withdrew, panting. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she stood regarding Leon apologetically.

The preternatural glow faded from his eyes, and he stared at her with an unbearable look of bewilderment and fear. Sara started when Jake came up behind him, pinning his arms to his sides in a bear hug grip.

Leon did not resist. His wild gaze flitted about in confusion and panic as though he had no understanding of what was happening. His lost expression made Sara heartsick. It was like looking at a stranger.

Oiwa came up beside Jake with a syringe and quickly injected it into Leon's arm.

"That's not the antivirus. What're you jabbing him with?" Jake demanded. 

"A sedative. He is erratic, and will become violent again," Oiwa answered.

Leon glanced at Oiwa listlessly as she delivered the dose then looked back at Sara. Presently, his eyelids began to sag drowsily, relieving her of his disconcertingly befogged stare. He slumped slowly in Jake's grasp.

"Get him on the table," Oiwa directed. "I must treat him immediately before the virus nullifies the sedative."

Jake lifted Leon over his shoulder and carried him over to the table where he laid him down carefully. "You good?" he asked Sara, glancing over at her.

Sara wiped her eyes. "Yeah."

She stood beside Leon, gazing at him with both love and dread. He writhed restlessly, the virus within him countering the soporific effects of the sedative.

Oiwa approached quickly and administered the antivirus to Leon. He gasped and grunted, his eyes flying open wide. He thrashed about wildly as his body strained against the drugs. 

Jake seized his arms, holding him down lest he fall from the table in his uncontrollable fit. 

"C'mon, Leon! Don't let this thing beat you!" Jake shouted over his cries.

After several agonizing seconds, Leon went limp, panting and moaning exhaustedly before succumbing at last to the tranquilizer.

Oiwa stepped back. "It is done," she said.

Sara tore her eyes away from the insensible Leon and looked up into the eerie silver mask concealing the woman's face. Oiwa. Why did that name sound familiar?

"Maybe now you'll answer a few questions for us," she said firmly.

"Yeah; like how you happened to have an antivirus dose handy, and why you're playing the Good Samaritan for us," Jake added.

A low tone sounded, and Oiwa hurried to a computer on the opposite side of the lab. 

A feminine voice came through the computer speaking in Japanese. Sara understood nothing, but the voice sounded authoritative and angry. Oiwa answered briefly.

"What're they saying?" Sara whispered to Jake.

"The woman's been looking for Oiwa. She's pissed because the facility 'intruders' are nowhere to be found. Oiwa's telling her she hasn't seen anyone."

Sara frowned in puzzlement.

Oiwa returned to the group. "I cannot answer your questions now," she said. "I am wanted. Osakabe and Kuroki doubt my loyalty; I must be careful."

"So what the hell happens now?" asked Jake.

"You stay here and watch over your friend. I shall return as soon as I can. You will be safe here for now," replied Oiwa.

She glanced at Leon. "It does not seem that he is rejecting the antivirus. You should clean the wound to prevent bacterial infection."

Having given this recommendation, Oiwa retreated.

"Wait!" Sara called. "At least tell us―is Hana Matsuo still alive?"

Oiwa halted. She glanced back over her shoulder. "There is no more Hana," she said, her voice heavy with grief. "Now there is only Osakabe."

With that, she hurried out of the lab.