#sxjasu

[hapaadai]

All Shook Up

Part 3, Rating: M (still mostly PG-13)

Sherry Birkin x Jake Muller

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters. They are original from the Resident Evil Universe and Resident Evil 6 game. I am using them purely for personal entertainment and writing practice. A number of in-game quotes will be borrowed. This is my take on what happened in the game. And maybe after~

Once at the shack, the two barricade the door and start a fire in the fireplace for them to warm up. The winds outside have picked up more and a blizzard starts. Unsure what to do, the two occupy themselves separate from each other. Sherry goes over the data chips on her phone, double checking, triple checking--doing anything to relieve the tense silence in the room. Jake paces around before he sits on a nearby table. He glances out the frail, glass window that looked ready to shatter at any moment against the howling cyclone. He mindlessly pulls out his lighter. Open. Close. Open. Close. He’s seen storms like this before, growing up. Only thing you can do is sit it out till it blows over. 

By this time, Sherry had started her own pacing. She looks over her shoulder and catches Jake’s gaze. She turns away and instead approaches the fire, arms crossed. Jake grunts as he slides off the table, moving opposite of her, towards the window. 

Having had enough, Sherry walks briskly to the door. Anything to get me out of here. I can’t stand being stuck in this place.

“I’ll go get help. It can’t be that much further to the rendezvous.”

It takes Jake a second to register before he rushes to stop Sherry. No you idiot! Too late. She carelessly yanks the door open, letting the numbing gale into the shack, nearly blowing her over. Thankfully, Jake managed to catch her, wrapping his arm around his wrist as he slowly forces the door closed. He turns and gives her a reprimanding look. She looks back up at him, eyes apologizing for what she did. Jake gazed into her round, youthful eyes as he held onto her as she gazed back. In the flickering of the light, his eyes were the color of the burnt charcoal in the fireplace. Quickly, Jake snapped back into reality as he gently released Sherry from his hold. Embarrassed, they both turn away from each other. Sherry, feeling helpless, slumps down against the wall, rubbing her arms and legs to keep them warm. Jake looks over and sees her solemn expression, before walking over and sitting beside her. 

“So, you always been like that? The whole “healing” thing?” He gestures.

She sighs, “...My dad was a...scientist.” She grasps her knees close to her chest. “He was working on B.O.W.s when I was exposed. Luckily, I was treated with the vaccine before it was too late.”

 “But the virus adjusted and adapted.” She sighs. “It’s been a part of me ever since.”

“What happened to your father?” Jake asks. 

“...His research killed him.” She responds, flatly. His head jerks slightly in surprise. “By the time he died... his body had mutated so much he wasn’t even recognizable.” 

And I thought I had it tough. I never knew Pops but Jesus.. Clearly fazed, Jake shifts a bit and lowers his voice as he apologizes. 

“I’m sorry..I-I didn’t mean to...”

“That’s all right.” She exhales before adjusting her position to face him. “Besides, I didn’t walk out of it empty handed.” 

“Yeah, you got super powers.” He jokes lightly, a small grin forming on his face.

“That’s not what I meant. The people who saved me, Leon and Claire, are the closest friends I’ve ever had--they’re like the family I never had. I lost both my parents in Raccoon City and they pretty much took me in and help raise me.” 

“Claire is that BSAA guy’s sister, right?” His voice was soft--kind. 

“They risked their lives for me back in Raccoon City.” She rolls her head back to look at the ceiling. “I guess I’m still just trying to live up to their example. Never giving up no matter the odds.” 

“Hmph.” Jake responds, taking the information in. Guess she isn’t just some spoiled princess like I thought. He takes a moment before speaking again.

“Raccoon City was years ago. I remember hearing about it in the news. What was it like in the thick of it?” He prods curiously. 

“Let’s just say I don’t think I would be alive if not for Leon and Claire. I wasn’t just exposed to the virus--my father injected me with it.” Her expression hardens. “And my mom, she died trying to protect me and get the cure. Fortunately, before she passed, she ran into Claire.”

She turns to Jake again. “I should’ve seen it coming honestly. They never cared for much beyond their research. I mean, to have your own father use you as a guinea pig? My mother was a little easier to forgive, my dad, well..” 

“Anyway, after everything died down. I was taken in by a government official and locked away. I was carrying a virus with capabilities that a lot of people wanted, so I barely went out.”

“The people were nice enough, but I felt more like a pet than anything. I was given a lot of what I asked for and in return, I had to participate in a number of studies and tests--very few of which were fun.” She continued. “The only people I could really talk to--people who cared--were Claire and Leon. Beyond them, I didn’t...I didn’t have anyone. It was really lonely, y’know?”

Jake studied her as she recounted. Her eyes had seemingly darkened, as if there was an intense depth he hadn’t noticed before. Against the orange red hues of the fire, her eyes glimmered with a vibrant blue, reminiscent of the ocean. Then, a drop--she had tears welled up in her eyes. Jake’s face softened at the sight, yearning to reach over and comfort her, but not sure if he should. 

After quick deliberation, he reaches and presses his thumb against her cheek, brushing the stray tear off. She looks up at him, just now realizing that she had started crying. Ashamed, she pulls her head away and wipes her face, sniffling. He backs off, pressing his back into the wall behind him. 

“...I’m sorry you had to see that..” She whispered. 

Silence. A few moments pass as the two sit there next to each other, speechless. The fire begins to die out a bit as the night carries on. Jake hears Sherry starting to shiver and looks around the cabin for more firewood to throw in to keep it going. Unable to find anything, he lifts up an arm and calls to her.

“It’s cold, you’re gonna freeze like that. It’d be easier if you just sat...closer.” 

She turns to look at him. He’s turned the other way out of embarrassment. She can just barely see the tinge of pink on his face as she scoots closer. Is..is he blushing? That’s actually kind of cute, she smiles to herself. She moves just a bit closer in compliance, but not close enough for warmth. 

He looks back and sees her still shivering ever so slightly. He rolls his eyes and shifts closer, wrapping his arm around her, pressing her head against his chest. 

“This close, dummy.”

As he held her, she felt smaller and more frail than he expected. He was amazed that she could handle herself so well despite the way she seemed so fragile. He could smell the sweet scent of lilac in her hair--subtle, yet intoxicating. Subconsciously, he rests his chin on her. 

Now Sherry could feel the warmth forming on her cheeks, and proceeds to further hide her face against his chest. Pressed so close against him, she could smell the musk on his shirt, accompanied with the scent of gunpowder. He felt warm and strong as she was wrapped up in his arms, again, strangely feeling safe there. 

Silence again--but this time, comfortable. They hear the dying fire crackles and the winds beat against the glass. Calmly thinking about their conversation, Sherry lets out a small spiteful chuckle. Jake looks down at her.

“You may have been immune, but from the looks of it--you got super powers too.”

Ever since he injected himself, he never really thought of about it. Considering all that they’ve gone through and without much protective gear, they should’ve been seriously beat up, if not dead. He knew he was strong, but never this strong. He glanced down at his hands in disbelief. 

“Guess that makes two of us.” She continues. “...We’ve gone through so much and we’re gonna keep fighting. Like I said, ‘no matter the odds’.” 

They stare into each other, almost losing themselves in the depths. By now, the blizzard has died down and all they can hear is each other’s breathing. Jake pulls away first, flicking his eyes to the side, as if listening for something. Sherry, confused, pauses to do the same. There’s a faint sound of an engine outside. Suddenly, Jake presses himself on top of her, shielding her as bullets rip through the shacks wooden walls. Speaking of odds.

Her eyes widen at the gesture. What..what’s going on? He pushes himself off of her, rushing to the window, weapon ready. Sherry gets up and follows him over, pulling her gun out. 

“Looks like we got some party crashers.” Jake comments, gesturing at the J’avo outside. “But this cabin’s invitation only.” 

Outside, the assailants open fire once more as the two press themselves against the cabin walls. They find their opening and return the fire as several enemies try to climb in through the broken windows and the roof. Sherry and Jake do what they can to keep the attackers out, before they’re completely surrounded. 

Then, one of the J’avo plants an explosive on the side of the cabin, blowing it open, giving Jake and Sherry more space to maneuver. The two step outside and in that instant, there’s a loud rumbling sound coming from the tops of the mountains behind everyone. They all look to the source of the sound and see rolls of snow speeding down the mountain towards them. Fuck. Avalanche, Jake thought.

“Let’s get out of here!” Sherry shouts as she climbs onto one of the enemies’ snowmobiles, pointing to another vacant one. 

“Punch it, before we get buried alive!”

Jake rushes off and jumps on, revving the engine as they head off, narrowly escaping the piling snow. Fucking idiots. Of course that explosion was gonna start this shit.

Heading down the mountain, the snow chases their tails closely behind, curving along the mountain, nearly pushing them off the edge. 

“The whole mountain's coming down! God must really hate us today!” Jake scowled. They reach a wider portion of the mountain and shift right as the avalanche closed in on their left. 

“We'll make it, just keep going!” Sherry responds. “Anyway...I don't hate you!”

“Oh great. That helps!” He answers, sarcastically. But I guess I’m glad she doesn’t.

The ride gets bumpy as the pair move further down the mountain. The snow just misses them as they drive into the opening of a cave. Still accelerating, Sherry and Jake shoot out the other end of the cave with the frozen powder close behind. In front of them, giant ice cliffs start breaking into pieces, falling apart as the duo ride onto them. Avoiding the collapsing ice, they push onwards until they hit a cliff.

“Jump!” Sherry exclaims, readying herself for it. She glances over and nods at Jake, who’s also readied himself. In unison, the two jump off the snowmobiles and roll onto the adjacent cliff, running into what looks like an abandoned mine shaft. As they run, the snow inches from their heels, Sherry loses her footing, grabbing onto Jake who instinctively reaches and helps her stabilize. Barely making it, they tumble into the mine, safe but buried in by the snow. 

“Are you okay?” Sherry asks. They get up, brushing the snow off. Behind them, ice piled in the entrance cutting off their only exit. 

“Don't worry about me. I'm built like a tank.”

“Fine, I won't. Let’s go.” She finishes, curtly. Why did I say that?

Then don’t ask? Jake thought to himself. 

With no other way to go, they travel deeper into the mine. The two come across a hall of shattered ice that crackled loudly underfoot. 

“Wow, nice acoustics.” Jake remarks. “Watch your step.”

At the end of the tunnel, Jake and Sherry run into a door. Upon opening it, they see the clawed monster in the middle of an open space. It stood still as if listening for something to approach. This bastard is still alive? The two quietly duck for cover as a door in the distance opens, revealing a random, terrified civilian. Next to him, an insect-looking creature hovered over, suddenly changing color. As if signaled, the clawed monster rushes towards the poor civilian and throws him across a field of ice, killing him instantly. 

“I think he's using those bugs to sniff us out.” Sherry whispers, pointing to more of them along their path. Sneaking along, the duo crush the bugs as they navigate the mine. Jumping down from a nearby ledge, the two accidentally set off one of the bugs, signaling the clawed monster. A roar can be heard from afar.

“Shit! He’s gonna find us!” Jake muttered, looking around trying to figure out what to do.

Sherry spots a nearby dumpster and frantically gestures Jake over. “Quick, hide!”

Jake jumps in first, then Sherry, who lands on top of him. In an attempt to get her off, Jake pushes against her gently, not paying particular attention to his hand placement. 

“Keep your hands to yourself!” She hissed, face pink as she tries to moves off of him, clutching herself. Before he gets a chance to respond, Sherry covers his mouth with her hand, peering out the crack of the dumpster behind him. The clawed being charges in, looking around for them, oblivious to the dumpster inches from his reach. Jesus she’s close. The fur of her coat was close enough to tickle his face. In front of him all he could see is her chest rise and fall as she breathed. Mildly flustered, he pulls his gaze away, pressing his fist against his mouth. 

Sherry and Jake hold their breaths as the monster twists around, looking for them before turning away, given up for the moment. Once out of earshot, the two exhale, relaxing slightly.

“Hey, you were the one rubbing up on me.” Jake starts as he climbs out. “Besides, what makes you think you're my type?” 

She looks up at him, annoyed. “I would shoot you if I didn't need you alive.”

He glances back at her before turning away, coughing to hide his embarrassment over what had transpired. She squints at him to focus. Is he actually blushing? Then she turns away, realizing just how pressed up against him she was. She shakes it off before moving on. 

The two soon hit another door, leading to another area with ice scattered all over the place. He shouldn’t be able to hear us here right? The pair tentatively step onto the ice. As it cracks under their feet, the clawed monster busts through the wall, giving chase again. Really?? Sherry and Jake slide through a crawlspace, putting them just out of the creature’s reach, allowing them to get away again. 

Sherry and Jake find themselves now in the open field they originally spotted the monster, who once again stood in the middle, with a bug hovering close by. Trying to get through the door the lost civilian came through, they realize that the keycard they need, is in the dead man’s hand, opposite from where they were. They set up a plan to distract the monster, with Jake planting bombs, and Sherry sneaking in when they go off. Giving each other the signal, Jake sets off the bombs, which in turn sets off the monster, who runs over to the source of the explosion. Avoiding the bug that was left behind, Sherry bends over and snatches the keycard out of the civilian’s hand, running back to meet with Jake. 

Still unnoticed, the Sherry hands over the keycard to Jake, who quickly swipes it through the door’s scanner. Unfortunately, doing so set off a beeper as the door opened, loud enough to draw the attention of the clawed monster. It ran straight for them as they rushed through the door, closing it just in time. Not wanting to wait around, they head to the end of the hall, reaching another door. Just as they start opening it, they hear the monster trying to break in. After opening their door, they see another in the subsequent room. Just how many freaking doors are there??

The two hurry through a few more rooms with doors before they finally hit an area with a large drill sitting in the middle. Sherry and Jake nod at each other in acknowledgement before jumping onto the drill and starting it up, waiting for the creature to break down the last door. The moment it does, the pair launch the drill into the monster’s chest, knocking down the wall behind him. Although clearly in pain, the monster pushes back against the drill. Jesus, what does it take to kill this guy? Sherry and Jake keep pushing the creature back through a series of walls before it ultimately pinning the creature against the cave wall, drilling it until it stopped moving. The two slide off the drill and head towards the mouth of the cave.

“There it is! That’s the rendezvous.” Sherry says, gesturing to a small town just a bit farther from where they were. Outside, it was finally morning. The sun light glittered on the white snow. Compared to the night before, the mountain was calm and quiet--too quiet.

Suddenly, several J’avo come out of hiding and open fire on the two. Sherry and Jake do what they can to hold off the oncoming attack, but the J’avo start slowly closing in on them. The two are so focused on gunning down the enemies in front of them, they don’t realize the enemy behind them. 

Sherry turns first, only to be greeted with a heavy swing that sends her spiraling in the air, landing in the snow yards away from where she originally was, unconscious. A second too late, Jake turns to find her already on the ground. He instinctively starts to rush to her, only to be greeted with the same fist she was, and to be pummeled to the ground. This bastard still isn’t dead?? Weak, he tries to push himself up, looking over at Sherry out cold in the snow.

“C’mon super girl.” 

The monster overhead steps down on him, holding him down. He looks up and sees a woman approaching, looking down at him. She wore a dark blue dress, low-cut in the front, black boots, and a striking read scarf. Her hair was cropped short and was jet black. He might’ve guessed she was Asian, but couldn’t say for sure. Upon closer examination, he recognized her--she was the one who gave everyone the shots that mutated his platoon. 

“You know, those shots of yours pack one hell of a punch, lady.” He groans sarcastically as the monster applies more pressure on his back. She stops and stoops down to reach his eye level. 

“So, you’re Wesker Junior.” She states, openly ignoring his comment. 

“Wesker? You lost me.” He gestures.

“Albert Wesker was a colossal imbecile, a fool who tried to destroy the world.” She continues, waving her hand dismissively. “He was also your father.”

Jake jerks his head up, despite his current restriction, to look at her. 

“What?”

“Which makes you heir to a very special blood type.”

After her last comment, she stands up and walks away, leaving Jake with no answers to the many questions he had running through his mind. She signals to the monster, who nods in reply. Jake looks up at it before it stomps down on him, knocking him out completely. 

Notes: God I wish I coulda done more for this part. The best part is coming up just because there’s so much time without canon story that I can play with~

Again, this fanfic is mostly for me, but please feel free to send any constructive criticism so that I can better my writing and hopefully put out things for people to actually read. <3

[hapaadai]

All Shook Up

Part 2, Rating: M (still mostly PG-13)

Sherry Birkin x Jake Muller

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters. They are original from the Resident Evil Universe and Resident Evil 6 game. I am using them purely for personal entertainment and writing practice. A number of in-game quotes will be borrowed. This is my take on what happened in the game. And maybe after~

Sherry and Jake make way, walking outside before running into a pack of soldiers. Sherry jogs up ahead, drawing the attention of the soldiers. She quickly whips out her badge and flashes it to them. Jake follows a few paces behind

“Sherry Birkin, National Security!” She states. The soldiers lower their weapons. Among them, a man comes forward, likely their senior officer. He glances at her badge, then back at her. His face is mixed between confusion and realization.

“Sherry Birkin? You were in Raccoon City.“ The man says. Sherry puts her badge away and looks back at him, bemused. Jake leans against a nearby car as he watches the two converse.

“How do you know that?”

“Claire.”

Sherry takes a step then pauses. She thinks for a moment before it dawns on her.

“Wait...are you..Chris?” Her expression lights up.

“My sister’s told me all about you.” Chris responds. Sherry feels her heart just barely twinge from excitement. Chris Redfield, Claire’s big brother! Of course he would be here. The energy is light, but short. Another officer approaches Chris, pointing at Jake in the distance. Jake crosses his arms and looks away.

“Chris, that man is a wanted insurgent.” He says. Sherry glances at the man. She steps in as to block his view of Jake.

“Yes, he’s a mercenary. But right now he’s under the protection of the U.S. government.” She glances over her shoulder at Jake. “He’s no threat to the BSAA.”

“Unless someone pays me to be” Jake interjects, setting the accusing soldier off. Unamused, Jake looks him in the eye.

“What did you just say?” 

“What?” Jake retorts, clearly giving sass. The younger officer steps forward, ready to charge. Chris rests his hand on his shoulder, shaking his head. He whispers, “Stand down, Piers.”

“...Nothing.” Chris calls out to Jake. 

In that moment, all the soldiers check into their radios. 

“Alpha Team, copy.” Chris answers. The BSAA soldiers glance at each other as they the report from their HQ before looking overhead to a helicopter bringing in a giant B.O.W. before dropping it near the BSAA vehicles. The monster was as tall as a building and was covered in flayed flesh.  Upon release, a fleshy portion of its back--a bastardization of an umbilical cord, perhaps--was pulled out. As it lands, it releases an ear piercing roar. It was slow moving, but its swings were enough to send a truck flying into the air.

“We’ll talk later. Right now, you need to find cover.” Chris says, facing the pair. Sherry, Jake, and the rest of the soldiers run into nearby buildings trying to find cover, only to run into more of the mutated mercenaries. As everyone fights off the J’avo, one of the BSAA soldiers runs up to one of the artillery guns. 

“Alright. I’m setting charges now! Echo Team needs to land and I need you to keep those B.O.W.s off of me!” He calls out, pulling explosives out of his pack. More and more of the J’avo pour in, keeping everyone’s hands full. 

“Alright, Finn. We’ll cover you!” Chris answers.

“Chris! Let us give you a hand!” Sherry exclaims. She roundhouse kicks one of the J’avo off the edge of a building she climbed into. Unable to look over, Chris responds. 

“Out of the question! You need to get to safety!” 

“I can handle myself, plus you need the help anyway!” She calls back. Running by, she can hear Jake muttering to himself in minor irritation. The duo cover each other as they take down more and more enemies. Jake shoots several of the attackers from another building before quickly shooting one behind himself point blank. Sherry then takes that enemy and proceeds to slam his head against a nearby wall. Suddenly, another grabs ahold of her from behind. She struggles against him, kicking and jabbing her elbow wherever she could. Jake turns to see her, then runs up and grabs the J’avo’s face, smashing him to the ground, releasing Sherry. Jake sticks his hand out to help her up. She takes it and props herself up. She looks Jake in the eye and nods her thanks.

“You need to take care of that huge B.O.W.!” Finn shouts. Everyone soon turns their attention to the huge creature, ready to attack. Immediately opening fire, the monster takes several hits before being knocked back and down. 

“Chris! We’ll take care of the big one!” Sherry exclaims.

“Thanks for volunteering me for the job, babe.“ Jake quips, somewhat waiting for a response.

Before anyone could react, Sherry takes advantage and jumps onto its back. Quickly looking around, she finds a spike sticking out of its body. She grabs on and yanks the thing out before shoving it right into its exposed point. The B.O.W. cries out and writhe in pain, trying to pull the spike out. Sherry jumps off the creatures back and distances herself.

“Keep shooting! I think it’s working!” She yells as she runs away from the monster’s grasp as it gets up. Following suit, Chris copies Sherry and stabs the creature a second time, killing it. 

On her way back to the group, she continues to knock down any one in her way with a variety of attacks. One of them decides to run at her. She continues sprinting, before sliding between the attacker’s legs, popping up behind, and shooting him in the back of the head then kicking him away. Watching from a distance, Jake unconsciously nods his approval. Wow. He could barely keep his eyes off of her. She finally regroups with everyone in a new building and catches Jake staring. 

“What are you gawking at? Pay attention!” She scolds, shooting a B.O.W. charging at Jake. Finally shaken out his daze, he turns and leg sweeps the assailant. He refocuses and continues taking out more J’avo as Finn plants the charges on a second gun. Sherry dashes around as she dodges her attackers before finding cover, giving her a second to breathe. Was he staring...at me? She looks over at Jake fighting. He manages to catch her gaze and she turns away embarrassed. No way. He’s just making sure I live so he can get his money...right? She blushes as her thoughts run wild. Her eyes widen, then shut as she smacks herself in the face. Get it together Birkin. This is not the time or place. She inhales, readies her weapon, then returns to the fight. 

Climbing over a nearby structure, another giant B.O.W appears. 

“It’s the one we lost earlier!” Piers calls out, firing in its direction. Jake notices that, unlike the first one, this one didn’t have an exposed point. Once the charges go off, the group moves and the monster follows. Unknowingly, they lead it into some electric wires. This shocks the creature and knocks it back. Jake then uses this moment to jump onto its back. He sees that where the fleshy area would have been, is a metal pole like object. Grabbing on, Jake pulls on it until he feels something move. As he keeps pulling, the others notice the recognizable fleshy part being revealed. Once fully exposed, they open fire and Jake jumps off. 

“The charges are ready!” Finn shouts. “Everyone get to cover!” 

The soldiers and the pair move away from the blast radius as they try to finish off the huge monster. The charges go off. The BSAA soldiers listen on their radio before moving away from the B.O.W. From the sky, Echo Team launches missiles at it, hitting its exposed point, killing it instantly. 

After Echo Team lands, Jake and Sherry meet up with Chris and the rest of his team. Chris lets them know that a helicopter is ready to take them where they need.

“Thank you so much for your help.” Sherry states. She looks back at Jake, whose expression is as indifferent as ever. She shrugs it off. Chris takes a moment and squints at Jake, who is already walking away.

“Hey!” He calls out. Jake turns around. “Have we met?”

Jake shrugs and answers, “You jarheads all look the same to me, pal, sorry.” He flashes a sarcastic grin before turning back around. Still aggravated, Piers again reacts. Chris blocks his way, dismissing him. Chris looks back at Jake.

“My mistake. Have a safe flight.” He nods at Sherry before she runs off. 

It’s sunset and the helicopter ride is quiet. Sherry and Jake are across from each other. Jake gazes out the window while Sherry sits on the phone with her superior. She steals looks at Jake here and there as she continues her conversation. His expression is more relaxed, but she can sense that he was still on edge--waiting. The warm sun gently hits his face, lighting up his hair, matching the fiery sky, contrasting against his stone-colored eyes. The shadow cast accentuated his jaw, adding to his masculinity. Sherry wasn’t sure if the warmth on her cheeks was from the sun or not. Reorganizing herself, she remembers something.

“There’s something I need to run by you.” She says into her phone. “Mr. Muller is requesting compensation for his cooperation...” She looks up at Jake again. 

“Fifty million dollars.” 

At this, Jake’s head turns to face her. He walks over to a bench and sits across from her as she finishes up her conversation. He looks at her. 

“So...we got a deal?”

Sherry sighs. “Yes, we have a deal.” Jake laughs and claps his hand together. Well that was the easy. He remembers the patch on his arm and strips it off. Guess I won’t be needing this anymore. 

The helicopter is quiet again. Sherry looks out the window, off to the horizon. Jake now stared at her. The descending sun shone on her, softening her image.  She sat forward, knees together. He could see the light blush on her face as she brushed her hair behind her ear. She subconsciously bit her lip in thought. In the light, her eyes gently glowed. After taking the image in, Jake sits back and looks down at his lap, before speaking. 

“By the way, that guy that you were all chummy with back there...” 

“You mean Chris?”

“That’s the one.” Pause. 

“What about him?” Sherry asks. He glances off to the side, thinking, then waves his hand dismissively. Sherry looks at him, confused.

“Forget it.” 

Sherry returns to her view and lets her mind run. What would he want to know about Chris? He doesn’t know...does he? She furrows her brow. If he doesn’t know...then why? She takes a breath.

Jake cracks his knuckles and fidgets a bit. Shit. Was that weird? His eyes flick up at her. I mean, they were pretty friendly. Did you see the way her face lit up? He thinks to himself. He shakes his head. Its none of my business.

Then, the helicopter jerks. Both of them stand up and look around. 

“What was that?” Sherry questions. Jake starts checking every window.

“My gut's goin' with something bad.” They follow the sound before hearing a slam against one of the doors. “And here it comes.”

The door rips off, revealing the clawed B.O.W. that chased them earlier. Sherry, Jake, and one of their escorts begin shooting at it. 

“That thing is after you two, isn't he!” The soldier exclaims. 

The monster reaches in and tries grabbing Jake. He shoots it in the face. The gunfire in the helicopter starts a fire. The soldier opens one of the other doors and calls to the pair. Outside is another BSAA helicopter.

“Jump to the next chopper!” He shouts.

Jake readies himself as he helps throw Sherry across. She sticks the landing. Jake runs and jumps for it. Halfway across, the destroyed helicopter explodes. The explosion pushes Jake onto the new helicopter, barely holding on. Sherry hurriedly pulls Jake up as the monster starts shooting at him. He has a fucking gun?! Jake thought. 

On the new helicopter, Jake and Sherry see turrets ready in the back. The two run for them and get ready for the monster to attack. Hanging on a helicopter of his own, the creature opens fire. The pair hide behind the guns, waiting for the moment to strike. The monster pauses for a second--they shoot back. Instead of aiming directly at him, they shoot at the helicopter that he’s on. Right before the helicopter goes down, he jumps onto an adjacent one. Who the hell has the money for all this? 

The two shoot at the second helicopter, avoiding the creature’s shots. Before long, the helicopter starts to spiral out of control--unfortunately towards Sherry and Jake. The blow knocks them both off their feet. Looking up, they see the monster latched onto the open end of the helicopter. They pull out their guns and keep shooting at him. A gas tank manages to roll in front of them and Sherry shoots, blowing the monster off the helicopter, however, causing them to slide out of it as well. They hold onto the edge as the chopper starts to spin. Sherry points out and parachute rolling towards them, which Jake grabs before pulling Sherry with him. 

He shrugs the parachute on as he and Sherry free fall. Sherry grasps onto him, clutching tightly. She presses her face into his body, hiding it from the lashes of the freezing wind. Jake pulls the latch, opening the parachute, slowing down their descent. 

Above, they hear the helicopter explode into pieces, falling down into the tundra below. Of the debris, the rotary wings come falling as well, still swinging with the momentum from the blast. They barely miss the pair, but managed to clip the parachute, slicing it clean, allowing Sherry and Jake to drop into the snow covered mountains below.

Moments pass before either awake. Jake blinks his eyes open first. He groans in pain and feels a weight on his body. Still gaining consciousness, he looks up to find Sherry on top of him. He notices his hand feel wet and flips it to face him. Blood. He’s seen it plenty of times before--but this wasn’t what he was used to. It takes him a second before he realizes it isn’t his blood--it’s Sherry’s.

He gasps at the realization, then sits up, nudging her off of him. He stares at her as she lies in the white powder, looking for confirmation of any consciousness. She can’t be dead. No way. He looks around touching his chin, mind racing as he tries to figure out what to do. He turns back to her. She grunts awake--then in pain. She cringes as her senses return to her. She feels a numbing pain in her back. Sherry opens her eyes to see the blood beneath her. Weak, her arms give way, gently collapsing back into the snow. Jake tries to keep his composure. She looks up at him.

“Pull it out.” 

“No. You’ll bleed to death!” He refuses softly. His voice revealing more concern than he intended. He shifts closer to her, waiting.

She begs him with her eyes. Please. He takes a moment before hesitantly reaching for the large shrapnel sticking out from her torso. This thing is almost as big as my chest. She’s gonna die! He looks back at her in hopes she changed her mind--her expression doesn’t give. 

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

He grabs ahold of the metal and begins to pull it out. It comes out slowly, pulling Sherry up with it. She gasps for air as it finally comes loose, making her crash down again. Her hearing numbs and her vision blurs as she pants, out of breath. A sudden burning sensation rushes through the gaping hole in her back. She feels the icy winds whip against it, giving no satisfaction. She moans in pain as she props herself on her arms and knees.

Jake watches her, clueless at what to do. He looks at the wound, wincing at the thought of how painful it must be. Wait. Is that thing closing? He squints in focus. Her wound shut in less than a minute. 

Her pain slowly begins to fade a bit as she feels the gash heal. She pants heavily, exhausted from the pain. The cut may have healed, but she can still feel the damage, albeit a fraction of the amount, done to her body. Relaxing a bit, she looks at Jake, who’s overwhelmed by what just occurred. 

“What the hell...?” He says, trying to collect himself. She should’ve died right there. He looks at her more intensely. 

“You want to tell me what the hell just happened?” He questions. His emotions stir--he’s relieved that she’s okay, but he definitely needed some answers. 

Sherry shakes her head as she rolls it back, still recovering from everything. She breathes a bit before answering. 

“Long story.” She manages.   

“Yeah? Maybe its your blood they should been testing for vaccines.” He quips. 

“They already did. More than I could stand.” She responds, pushing herself up, looking Jake in the eye. He looks away, guilty at the mention of it. Mostly regained, Sherry spies something in the corner of her eye. The data chips! She hurriedly crawls over to the small flash drive buried in the snow. Attention drawn, Jake looks at her as they both stand up. She opens her hand towards him.

“There are three more.” She explains. “We need them. They have everything we need to make a vaccine! I have their general location down on my tracker.” 

“Alright super girl. Let’s get looking.” Jake sighs in resignation.

The two begin scouring through the snow. The sun was dipping low and the sky darkened. The cold was hardly bearable. Trying to keep themselves distracted from the freezing temperature, Jake speaks first.

“So you’re an agent, huh? How’d that happen?” 

“I knew people. Plus I figure it’d be a good idea to contribute to the world somehow. Help make it a better place.” 

“Like finding the people who carry cures, I got it.” 

“How did you come to be a soldier of fortune?”

Jake pauses. He hadn’t thought about his past in a long time--and with good reason. He wasn’t particularly fond of his history. He took a moment, contemplating whether or not to tell her. If she knew where to find him, she might already know, her superiors seem to have plenty of intel on him. I’m either going to die here or get fifty million dollars. Might as well spill, he thought. He looked at her as she waited for a response. 

“I was born in the States, came here at a young age with my mom. Edonia is where she grew up.” He starts as they continue their search. Jake bends down as he comes across one. He picks it up and analyzes it, before gently tossing it over to Sherry. Two more.

“I don’t know who my dad is. Don’t care. Probably a deadbeat drunkard anyway. He never came around for my mom and all she ever did was pine over the bastard.” His face contorts into a scowl. “Anyway, we were dirt poor. My mom would work two--maybe even three jobs, and they wouldn’t be enough. Then, mom gets sick. Probably from over exhaustion, I dunno. We couldn’t afford the treatment she needed--she would’ve recovered just fine.” He pauses. 

“That woman was amazing, y’know? Raising a kid by yourself, working several jobs? I don’t know how she even had the time for me. When she got sick, I needed to find something to do. I was barely ten.” He stands still, frozen, reliving his past as he recited it. 

“I was a fiery kid, always itchin’ for a fight. Kids would pick on me and I would just send ‘em to kingdom come.” He sighs, looking up at the now black sky. “One day, a man came to our tiny apartment. Nobody liked him--he was an ass and always had his eye on my mother. We were late on our rent and the guy was pissed. He barged down the door and grabbed my mom. Said something about paying with her body. Instinct took over then boom--dead. My first kill.” 

Sherry stands up, looking over at Jake as he sorts through his memories. My first kill echoes in her head. She had assumed Jake would’ve been proud at the mentioning, but instead he looked disgusted with himself. He stared down at his feet, as he kicked around the snow. 

“Well that put us on the run. Murder ain’t exactly a good kind of thing for most people.” He says, half-joking. “Soon after, people started offering me money to take people out for them. I hated it, but it was that or die from starvation. Next I know, I started building myself a little reputation and with it, a sense of purpose. People were starting to fork over the big bucks for me to just off people they didn’t like.” He lets out a soft chuckle. “Anyway, I was too late. By the time we could afford it, mom passes away from the illness. Then it was just me and my hit list.” 

Jake punches a nearby tree. Snow falls from it, as does another flash drive. Sherry bends over to pick it up. She approaches Jake and gently rests her hand on his arm, as to give him whatever consolation she could.

“...I’m sorry.” She musters. There wasn’t much more she could do for him, but that didn’t make her feel any less guilty. She didn’t expect him to open up in the way that he did. He shrugs her hand off him and starts searching again.

“Whatever. It’s in the past now.” He says, dryly. “One more, right?” 

The two began searching again, the winds much more aggressive and frigid. Barely able to see, they notice a couple figures in the distance. Upon approach, they find the figures to be some kind of chrysalis, already broken out of. 

“They're J'avo, and they're encased in a... cocoon.” Sherry says. “When they hatch... well... it isn't pretty.”

Jake shudders at the thought. “I'm so glad I was immune to that shit they gave us.” 

Sherry bends down, combing through the snow as she looked for the final data chip. Jake follows suit. 

“It should be nearby!” She calls out. 

“Why is it always the last goddamn thing you need that you can never find.” Jake complains. 

He crawls around, feeling the ground for anything resembling the data chip. Not paying attention, he bumps into the cocoon. He looks at it for a moment, then grimaces at what he was about to do. He unwillingly sticks his arm into the empty shell and feels around. I’m gonna hurl. Finally, he feels something hard in his hand. He shifts it around, getting an estimate of its size and shape, before pulling it out, arm half-covered in an unknown substance. He exclaims triumphantly.

“Haha! I’ve found it, damn bastard.”

Sherry approaches and sees the data chip safely in Jake’s hand, although caked in slime. She takes it from him hesitantly, holding it only between her thumb and index finger. Alright, that’s all of em, she thought. The freezing winds pick up again and blow furiously. Sherry shivers, unconsciously leaning into Jake for warmth.

“Let’s go to that shack we saw earlier. I’m going to freeze to death out here.”

Notes: Yay~ baackstory. Alright, I tried really hard to extrapolate on Jake’s past, given what information was already canon. He opened up this time. Next time, it’s Sherry’s turn. (more or less.) 

If you’ve played the game, you’ll notice where I’ve started to diverge. The main events/cutscenes will still happen, however, reactions/response will become increasingly original. Sorry for more narration ^^;;

If you haven’t played the game, I recommend doing so whenever you can. The story is a bit lacking here and there but the game itself is pretty fun to play imo.

[hapaadai]

All Shook Up

Part 1, Rating: M (though this chapter is really PG-13)

Sherry Birkin x Jake Muller

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters. They are original from the Resident Evil Universe and Resident Evil 6 game. I am using them purely for personal entertainment and writing practice. A number of in-game quotes will be borrowed and/or altered. This is my take on what happened in the game. And maybe after~

Quietly, she paces down the demolished hall, wary of debris. Where is he? Peering into another room, she sees a group of guerrillas and mercenaries inject themselves with a syringe. Members of the group immediately groan and writhe in pain, falling to the ground, giving her the chance to sneak by. 

“Has it always been this damn cold?” He mutters. He walks into the open room, twiddling a syringe in one hand, in his other, an apple. He glances up through the caved-in ceiling, an overcast sky above. Sun light gently creeps through the decrepit building’s cracks and holes, its foundations just barely intact. Whistling, he saunters towards the remains of a pillar, sits, and inspects the syringe briefly before injecting himself in the back of his neck. This shit better be worth it. 

He sits for a while, waiting, while he let his thoughts roam. Nothing. He checks the syringe to see if there’s anything left. Empty. Resigned, he leans his head back against the pillar and waits. A metal plate in the next room over crashes down. Unfazed, he looks over to see another mercenary. 

“Is this stuff doing anything for you yet?” He asks, twirling the empty syringe in his fingers. “Supposed to be some kind of energy booster, but I don’t feel any different.” He flicks the syringe away and gets up, lightly tossing the apple in his other hand. The mercenary slinks closer to him, knife in hand. “Y’know,” He holds out the apple. “I think we should’ve asked for more money. A lot more.” The mercenary steps into the light and swings at him, cleanly slicing through the apple before getting stuck in the pillar. The mercenary’s face is completely distorted--his eyes bulging and shifted, several more protruding from his forehead, blood dripping from them. The deformed man snarls as he tries to pull his knife out. Once free, he attacks again but is blocked by the other.

“I’m pretty sure this wasn’t part of the contract.” The man says before deftly knocking the mutated mercenary into the pillar then grabbing his warped face. “But I am willing to renegotiate.” 

He then releases a volley of punches before twisting the mercenary and throwing him against the pillar, pinning him with a kick, before letting him collapse on the ground. 

“Did you take your dose?” A voice calls out. The man turns his head and sees a young woman run in. She had pale blue eyes, wide and brimming with curiosity and quiet vivacity. Naive with a strong sense of justice. Her expression was soft and she sounded a bit out of breath. She looked at oldest, twenty five. Small, but standing tall. In comparison, he was a full head taller than her. Her hair was a dusty, pale blonde--cut short, no longer than the nape of her neck. Whatever her age was, the gently tossed nature of her hair betrayed it. She wore a cream, fur-lined parka with a sky blue scarf. Her snow boots covered her faded green pants up to her knees. 

If she were the light, he the darkness. He had on dark jeans and a black shirt, covered by a black jacket with a bright red patch on his left arm with the image of a spider. His auburn hair was shaved down and contrasted with his eyes. They were grey and jaded and always aware. His face was hardened, adorned with a scar from under his left eye towards his jaw. He was strong--this much was obvious. He looked at her, then back at the mutant, who dissolved into ash. “Wouldn’t recommend it, though.” He utters. 

The woman checks her watch then looks back at him. “No question. You’ve got the antibodies.” She takes a split second to get a good look at him. Rough, but he was definitely attractive. Not now. You’ve got a job to do.

“Thank you very much--wait what?”

She walks over to the wall next to the pillar and opens up a garbage chute. She turns back towards him.

“You could be the key to saving this world, Jake Muller.”

He smirks and scoffs at the comment before turning his head to the door. The two see a group of mutated men running down the hall, ready to attack. Jake heads to the garbage chute, turning to the woman for a second.

“Better save myself first.”

He jumps in the chute. Before her turn, the woman pulls out her gun waiting to shoot the attackers. She adjusts her aim, fires, and hits one of them in the legs causing him to fall over and trip the others, giving her time to safely follow Jake. 

At the bottom of the chute, Jake lands in a sewer. Soon after the woman follows, falling over after losing her balance. Jake makes a comment to which she retorts. She brushes off the excess water from her clothes before pulling out her badge and flipping it open.

“Sherry Birkin. The United States--” she starts.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Good for you, but now’s really not the time.” He walks off. Following, she relays the information she can. 

“Those things up there were J'avo, they're the B.O.W.s the insurgents are using.” She explains. As they move out of the sewers, they see a war zone outside. Gunfire, explosions, soldiers being thrown across the area. 

“That explains why there's a shitload of BSAA troops here.” Jake comments watching the scene unfold.

“We need to get out of the country without drawing either party's attention.“

Taking the lead, Sherry opens a door leading to a path along the Edonian slums. Several guerrilla soldiers run around, firing their weapons at an incoming helicopter. Sherry pushes on after the soldiers are gunned down, Jake following. The helicopter notices and begins firing at Jake.

“Goddamn BSAA! What the hell are you shooting at?“ He shouted.

“Everyone in your platoon is one of those J'avo now! And you're dressed just like them.“ Sherry responds, ducking behind cover. 

There’s gunfire back and forth, guerrillas run out with RPGs in hopes to knock the helicopter down. It responds with rockets of its own, narrowly missing the pair. The two run through the slums avoiding the BSAA’s shots and taking out any enemies along the way. Buildings start collapsing and Sherry nearly falls through.

“It's fucking chaos out here.”

“We'll grab some cover. I'm supposed to get you out of here in one piece.“ Sherry answers. She knocks out several attackers. Well, she can definitely handle herself for someone that small, Jake thought, mildly impressed. Between the fighting, he took several glances her way. He watched as she defeated enemies both with her gun and in close combat. She’s a piece o’ work, that one.

Finally, the pair reach another broken down building away from the center of the fight to catch their breath. 

“Alright, first things first. I want two hundred thousand up front. Another two hundred when this is over.” Jake relaxes his trigger finger a bit as he watches through the windows. Sherry, perplexed, puts away her gun. Ah, right. Mercenary.

“Oh. And B.O.W.s? An additional grand. Each.” 

“I’m not here to hire you.” Sherry answers.

“What?” Jake finally pulls away from the window, looking at her. “Why are you here?” 

Sherry takes a moment, mulling over what she should say. She bites her lip and shuffles before speaking.

“...Your blood.”

Jake lets out a half chuckle before facing the window again.

“What are you, the Red Cross or something?”

“No, listen. Those...things that attacked us? They’ve been exposed to a new virus called the C-virus.”

Jake responds, looking around restlessly, barely paying attention.

“The same strain you took a dose of.” 

Jake whips his head towards her, pressing the area on his neck where he injected himself. His eyebrows furrow as he absorbs the information. I took shit...that could’ve made me one of those? A quiet moment passes before Sherry speaks again. 

“It didn't affect you because you've got the antibodies.” 

Jake nearly lets out a sigh of relief--just nearly. They weren’t out of this mess yet, and he knew they wouldn’t be out of it for a while.

“Right now we’re racing against a global bio-terrorist attack and we needed a vaccine yesterday.” Sherry continues. “We need you, Jake. We need your blood.”

Jake looks back out the window, giving him space to think. This wasn’t a gun and go job. He had the weight of the world riding on his shoulders. He’s just a merc, why him? Well, if the world needs it, might as well make a good penny out of it.

“Fifty million.” Jake starts.

“What?”

“Cash. Non-negotiable.” He continues. “That’ll get you one pint.” 

He looks at her, waiting for an agreement. Her face is clearly bewildered. Her eyelashes fluttered as she blinked furiously. Outside, the two can hear shouting approaching and more explosions set off. Their brief moment of safety was over. They vacate the room and head towards the mountainside. On the cliffs, a few J’avo are patrolling. Jake and Sherry quietly take them out before hitting a dead end leading to a drop down the cliff. Jake looks up and sees a pole hanging horizontally between the dead end and where they needed to go. Instinctively, he jumps up and swings across to the other side.

“C’mon! What are you waiting for?” He calls to Sherry. She looks up at the pole, then back at him, baffled. Of course he can do that. He’s so freaking tall.

“Do I look like a circus acrobat to you?” She looks around for another way, before running off. “I’ll find another way!” 

Sherry finds a way to the lower level of the structure. She takes out a few more soldiers before running into a broken ladder. Luckily, Jake is just in reach. She calls out to him for help and he jogs over. He bends down and lowers his arm as she jumps up to grab ahold. She’s light, he thought as he pulled her up. While she gets her footing, he places his hand on her back for support. Sherry feels the warmth of it. His hands are huge. She feels her face heat up as her mind runs wild.

Pushing on, the two can make out smoke and explosions on a bridge nearby. There’s more gunfire and shouting in the distance. 

“Looks like the BSAA have got their work cut out for them.“ Sherry comments.

“You don't know the half of it. Last I checked, my employers had a tank parked on the other side of the river.“ Jake responds, flatly. Sherry looks at his back, questioning whether or not he was being sarcastic. His lack of expression says otherwise. Are you serious? A TANK? She watches the fight as she rushes by, she bites her lip, anxious.

“The only way the BSAA are leaving that bridge again are in bodybags.“ Jake continues.

“No. You're wrong. They're more resilient than you can imagine.“ She retorts, although she doesn’t know if she’s trying more to convince Jake, or herself.

  Continuing, the two separate for a moment as Sherry runs through the mountain as Jake, along the cliffside. Exposed, a helicopter flies towards the cliff, opening fire on Jake. Ah, what the hell.

“I'm not one of those 'roided out freaks, you morons!” He mutters to himself, sprinting along the deteriorating cliffside, falling apart as he runs along. One of the J’avo shoots a rocket at the helicopter, giving Jake the chance he needed to run along and meet with Sherry, who, although out of breath, seems relatively okay. Jake glances just beyond her and sees J’avo strewn about before they dissolve. Wow. Well, uh okay. He was considerably impressed.

Moving on, they run into a door. As they open it, they see one of the mercenaries behind a turret, aimed right at them. Initially ready to fight, the two prepare to aim but lower their weapons as more of them come out, fully armed. Jake and Sherry, much to Jake’s dissatisfaction, sprint past the soldiers before running into yet another door leading into the tunnels. 

Once in the tunnels, they run into a fork. Sherry looks down both ends, trying to figure out the best way to go. In the distance, the pair hear an ear splitting scream that echoes down the hall. They look around, guns ready, waiting for anything to come. At that moment, a group of attackers come running in from the other side. The group opens fire as Sherry and Jake run in the opposite direction and reach a clearing in an alley. They turn to face their attackers after they hear one being thrown against a wall. From the corner, they see a huge disfigured shadow appear. It stood at least ten feet tall, barely short enough the clear the ceiling. Muscular--except for its one robotic arm designed as a claw. It pauses and looks directly at Jake, who opens fire, as the creature prepared to attack. 

Sherry starts off while Jake slowly follows. The two jump over an abandoned car. Jake, continues firing before taking aim at some nearby gas tanks.

“Eat this!” He yells, shooting at the tanks. The explosion engulfs the figure and startles Sherry back a bit. Mildly annoyed, she quips at Jake for his lack of warning. Jake looks back at the destruction with Sherry following suit. The two see the creature emerge from the flames, seemingly unharmed, before releasing a terrifying roar.

“Okay, we go with your plan.”

The two run down the alley as the creature chases them down, mauling down anything in his path. Jake and Sherry sprint and are lead to ledge. In a split second, they decide to jump for it, landing on a scaffold with loose wooden boards. The monster follows, breaking some of the boards, knocking Jake off his feet and blowing Sherry off the scaffold completely. In the process, she manages to grab ahold of a dangling pole, saving herself from falling to her death. Barely handing on, she calls out to Jake, who runs away from the creature. 

“It’s always something with women.” He shouts as he jumps off the scaffold, catching Sherry, and barreling into an adjacent window. As they crash through, he clutches her head to his chest and holds her tight. Everything happens too fast for Sherry to register, the only thing she processed in that moment was Jake’s warm, large body. With her body so close to his, she could feel the tone of his muscles in his chest and his arms. She could barely hear the increased rate of his heartbeat. Despite barely knowing him for an hour, she strangely felt safe. 

The two land in another building with the monster unable to follow. Jake fires a couple more shots before turning the corner. The creature climbs up the building, seemingly given up on the chase. After relaxing a bit, the pair wander the building and find themselves on the second floor of what would have been a courtyard, with an exit at the other end. They drop down from the ledge and start to make their way over to the exit. As soon as they reach the exit, there’s a large crash behind them as the ceiling caves in and reveals the monster coming down with it. As it runs at the two, who jump out of the way. Sherry and Jake open fire on the creature as it chases them around the building. Sherry sees a gas tank and shoots. As it explodes, it knocks the monster back, which in turn knocks a pillar down that crashes and causes the floor between the pair to cave and fall in, taking Sherry and Jake with it. 

Several floors below, the two land. They push themselves up and move forward, looking for a way out of the building.  

“I swear, this mission gets harder by the minute.“ Sherry says. “But at least you're still safe. We got a lot riding on us.” 

Jake grunts in response. 

“Three years ago, I thought I was gonna die in the jungles of South America.” Jake says. As the two walk through the building, they run into a storage room filled with mannequins. Jesus, that’s friggin’ creepy, Jake thought. He shakes it off and continues moving. Sherry stalls for a second, startled by the figures, before following close behind Jake. Looking back, she gently bumps into Jake. She looks up at his tall shadow, seemingly unfazed by the contact.

“Enemy had us surrounded. 'Fore I knew it, everyone on my team was dead. And I'd lost my gun in the scramble.” He continues. “This bastard comes at me with a knife. Probably thought I wasn't even worth the bullet.”

“Why are you telling me this?” She questions. She tries to get a look at his face. He seemed distracted--lost in thought as he told his story. 

“Dying on a blade is the last way you wanna go. Ugh, it's a bitch. Mercs like me? We don't get a say in how we die. That's just how it goes.“

“It's... kind of what you signed up for, isn't it?“

“Dying for money is one thing - that's my choice. But dying for no good reason? That doesn't sit right with me.“

Continuing through the building, Sherry and Jake run into a ladder leading to the surface. Jake leads Sherry up first, then follows behind her.

“So. You wanna tell me what that big friggin' behemoth was, and why he's trying to kill me?“ He asks.

“That thing is just like the J'avo - a bio-organic weapon created with the C-Virus.” She explains. “He's being used by a terrorist organization called Neo-Umbrella.” 

“Never heard of 'em.”

“They want to study the antibodies in your blood, and they don't care if you're dead or alive.“ 

“I was better off as a mercenary.“

“I'm not gonna let anything happen to you. The world needs you.“ Sherry says. She looks him in the eye. Her sky blue eyes, twinkling with hope and determination. He stares back--he knows she means it, but that doesn’t mean her superiors do. He pulls his look away.

“No no, not me. Just my blood.” He retorts. “Well, the world can have it. Long as someone ponies up the dough.” 

Notes:

I am terribly sorry that this basically feels like a narration of the game, but I will get to more of the characters thoughts and whatnot in later chapters/parts. 

Please feel free to send me CONSTRUCTIVE feedback. I would love to do what I can to create better content.