As soon as we left the sewers, explosions were heard. The colors of orange, yellow and red were all around as the BSAA and the rebels fought. The only thing keeping us alive was a wall with steel bars between us.

We couldn't help but think that this is going too far. But now with Jake in our hands, things might finally turn for the better. But that still doesn't mean that getting him out of here would be easy.

We quickly made our way outside, avoiding the main conflict of the two parties. A military helicopter suddenly appeared hovering in the direction we were heading. Without hesitation, it opened fired upon us. Particularly, Jake.

"Goddamn BSAA. Why the hell are they shooting at us?!" Jake shouted as we all got enough time to hide behind a wall.

"You're still dressed up just like the Jua'vo!" Sherry answered, checking to see if the helo was still there.

It soon lost interest and left. We proceeded only quicker. It wasn't long before a hostile mercenary stumbled itself upon us. It was only instinct to shoot him down since he had a rocket launcher aimed at our direction. Just as we neutralized him, more began to spawn out from buildings.

"Let's go! This is a waste of time!" Sherry announced just as I was starting to aim my gun as the nearest target. Then I remembered something. Something that might buy us all time.

"Knock-knock. Who's there?" I said, halfway smiling as I opened my pouch behind me. "EXPLOSIONS."

With that, I threw a grenade at an estimated place where it might explode when there are most enemies in its radius. I didn't look back to see the limbs of our enemies explode as we ran on. This was getting intense. Even for me.

-

"Alright, first thing's first," Jake started as we reached a certain house that looked pretty secure. Good, we needed a breather. "I want two hundred thousand up front, another two hundred when this is over. Oh, and BOW's, those are extra. An additional grand. Each."

Sherry and I looked at each other, wondering how we're going to break the news for him. I was about to just say out flat that he's Albert Wesker's son until Sherry went first.

"We're not here to hire you."

Jake looked confused and our eyes locked once more. I swear every time he looks at me, a flashback of what I recall was Albert's face smirking at me comes into my mind.

"Why are you here?"

I needed to say something. Something to shake me back into the real world. That Albert Wesker's dead and now his son is all we need right now.

"Your blood." I finally let out.

"Tch, what are you, the Red Cross or something?"

"No."

"Look, those.. 'Things' that attacked us," Sherry continued, backing up my statement. "They were all exposed to a new virus called the C-Virus."

"Uh-huh." Jake still looks pretty uninterested and look like he paid no attention whatsoever.

"The same strain you just took a dose of." As Sherry said that very sentence, a feeling of bewilderment hit Jake like lightning. "It didn't affect you because you've got the antibodies.

I was too busy looking at Jake's reaction to this. I had never seen Wesker react to such emotions so this is probably the closest I can get to at least imagine him confused.

"Right now, we're racing against a global bioterrorist attack and we needed a vaccine yesterday!"

"We need you, Jake," It was my turn to talk to him. "We need your blood."

No one spoke for a while. Just the sound of explosions, gunshots and screaming were the noises that numbed the atmosphere down. Jake was contemplating, for sure.

Sherry and I exchanged glances. Does a mandatory responsibility like this really need a long deliberation. I mean, a job like this to save the world? You should say 'yes' immediately, right? Well, I guess I gave it much thought as well when Sherry asked me to go with her on this task.

"Fifty million dollars." He finally said, smirking.

"What?" Sherry asked.

"Cash. Non-negotiable," Jake elaborated. "That'll get you one pint."

-

"Why the hell does he need money for?!" I muttered to myself but enough for Sherry to hear as Jake got ahead of us.

"I don't know but just give him what he wants. As long as he comes with us." Sherry whispered back.

Jake stops and takes one look at us. Sherry and I stiffened up at the thought that he might have heard our conversation about him. Don't tell me he's sensitive or something. He didn't say anything but let us see what the problem was.

"Is there another way?" Sherry asked as we all looked at the broken road leading straight down into the river a hundred feet below.

"Maybe we can go around it?" I suggested, looking around for any other routes to take. There's a pole right above us but that wouldn't get us anywhere. There are stairs on the other side of the road leading up to a ladder from here. The ladder is folded and none of us could reach it even if one of us gave a boost. "There's a ladder up there."

"Excuse me, ladies." Jake said, gently pushing me aside. I was appalled, sure, but also wondered what he was going to do.

With that. He leaped into the air, gripping the pole and swung himself on the other side, perfectly executing a double flip in mid-air. Just wow. That's something you would see in a circus. Then I realized. We'd all be good in a circus if it weren't for the National Security.

Jake went up the stairs leading to the ladder and kicked the ladder down for us to climb on. "I'm not leaving until I get my money."

-

So far so good. Teamwork is probably our strong point for now. But our motives are different. Way different.

"By the way," Jake started suddenly as we got next to each other. "I didn't catch your name."

I was shocked. Then I realized that, yes, I haven't introduced myself. "The name's Laura."

"Not much of the talker, are ya?"

I gave him a glare which my former self might have always given to everyone around me. Little are the changes I have developed in four years. I opened myself a bit with the help of Sherry and I'm still coping with my fear of heights and needles.

"That's good, I guess." I looked at him, waiting for his explanation. "That means never having ties to anyone so that it's easier to let them go, right?"

"Yes, and you're not doing a very good job at that right now." I was totally pushing him away from me, treating him as if Wesker was still alive and it was him before me right now. The last thing I need is a memory of him that would send me to a sudden impulse of rage.

He was about to say another cocky sentence until Sherry shushed us up. "Guys, you hear that?"

We listened. We could hear screaming in the distance. The.. Near distance. The sound of water sloshing towards us made us lift our guns up. A group of mercenaries opened fired as soon as they saw us. We, in turn greeted them back with the same hellfire.

Suddenly, this huge figure came out from the shadows, killing those mercenaries that were once alive and shooting at us. The thing was huge and barely looked human at all. Its pale skin shone under the afternoon sun and it's black weapon of a hand weighed heavily on its arms.

One mercenary was still barely alive as he tried to crawl away from the monster that killed his teammates. It wasn't long before the monster caught it's prey and executed an attack with its mechanical arm. Needles. Oh, God.

I fought the urge to scream though I was certain nothing came out. The back of my mind was telling my knees to wobble and any moment longer, I would have passed out. The mask-covered beast set its eyes on Jake and was soon charging at us.

"Run!" Sherry finally shouted, jerking my arm hard. Thank God for her.

"Eat this!" Jake said aloud, shooting a gas tank beside the monstrosity. We barely made enough distance between the explosion as the force still pushed us away from where we were.

"Thanks for the warning!" Sherry sarcastically said, checking to see if I was OK.

"Uh." Jake pointed to the flames that engulfed the area to see that the huge BOW was still standing and still in one piece. The beast now ran at us in full speed and we couldn't help but turn to the opposite direction and bolt.

The BOW was gaining on us. Fast. I saw in the distance, a huge stack of barrels that lay dangerously on top one another. I got out the last of my grenade, estimating the time where we could all be safe and that thing on its knees, bring that tower of barrels down with it. I threw it, Jake and Sherry seem to be a bit surprised but nonetheless still run.

And we all made it past the danger zone. Another second or two, the grenade exploded and we didn't look back. But we can hear the barrels fall and the monster howl in defeat. We made sure to run another fifty meters before we could call it safe.

"What the hell is that?!" Jake said, panting as we stopped inside a house to catch our breath.

"Whatever it was, it wasn't too keen on us leaving!" I replied, having overcome the 'needle' scene.

"You almost blacked out there, Laura." Sherry said, taking a look into my dilating eyes.

"Yeah, if it weren't for you, I might have lost it. Thanks."

"Is there something I need to know here?" Jake asked, a sense of impatience in his tone.

"N-Nothing. Come on, let's go." I said, moving on like nothing ever happened. I don't ever want to pull a scene. Ever. Something like that could send people in body bags. And I'm doing this for Sherry's sake. The last time I went berserk, I didn't recognize the people I used to.

I don't want that.