The creature sat in the glass cage.

It used to be human. In fact, it used to be one of Wesker's test tube offspring.

  "Neman." Jake practically hissed the Edonian name for a demon under his breath.  Its appearance had startled him. 

Jake stared, he wasn't sure if he was switching between awe or shock. The tube of glass was at least two inches thick. He, Jake knew he had been a man at one time, looked out of the tube with suddenly interested eyes. It stood up. It was tall, taller than a foot by the Ustanak in the room. Its skin was a glossy gray, stretched taut over well-developed muscles. Whatever clothing it had once worn hung in tatters around its waist. The fingernails had fallen off and been replaced by retractable claws. Even the feet had them. It was as if Wesker had crossed a human with a hairless feline. Its eyes were in place but were a shiny black. Jake knew many Edonians believed in demons, as Edonia was a fairly superstitious country. This fit the bill entirely. It scrutinized him. Jake had the feeling that intelligence lurked there, more so than any in this room possessed. It opened its jaws and yawned and two rows of pointed teeth greeted Jake. He took a step back vaguely under the impression that he was the one being observed and the creature could leave anytime it wanted to. Holy Shit, I need to get Sherry out of here.

The Ustanak waiting on the other side of the group glanced Jake's way and as Jake met its eyes he saw fear there.  Maybe even it knows they've gone too far this time.

"What was that you said?" Wesker responded, turning around interrupting Jake's panicked round of thoughts.

"Neman," Jake said. "It's an Edonian word for a demon...because that's what the fuck that is."

"Aren't we a bit superstitious?" Birkin, or rather his clone, came up beside Wesker and smiled patiently at Jake. "I admit this isn't what we were going for, but THIS, THIS creature is amazing."

Wesker spared him a glance before turning back to Jake. "Why didn't it work on him?"

"It worked rather well."

"You know what I mean, William."

Birkin sighed. "I am not sure, is there someone it did work on?"

Wesker eyed Jake rather pointedly. He heard the click of a handgun behind him and knew that a guard had put a bead on him. Not that he needed the reminders. Sherry was still trapped in that room to keep promoting his good behavior.

"He's my son," Wesker said to Birkin. Birkin froze and eyed Jake again. "I was beginning to wonder why you kept him around, he's not a scientist and he doesn't work with the guards. But he doesn't resemble you so much. I wouldn't have guessed. And he's older, what did you do have a fling as a teenager?" Jake had never heard anyone talk so flippantly to Wesker, he was a little stunned.

Wesker looked uncomfortable for the first time simply responded with. "In a manner of speaking."

Jake, however, was surprised. He caught a lot of flak for resembling Wesker and here Birkin was saying he didn't resemble him? He would have loved the guy if he didn't know his history. Birkin turned to him holding his hand out. "Hold out your arm, Jake."

Jake held it out after a warning glance from Wesker. His eyes flicked back to the tube and noted the creature in the cage watched the scene with interest placing it's clawed hands on the glass, its black eyes taking in every detail. Again Jake was disturbed by the thought that the creature could easily escape if it wanted to. He wondered what it was waiting for.

Wesker jabbed a penknife into his arm suddenly and Jake who had been paying more attention to the creature in the cage yelled when it went through. Birkin, however, surged forward with interest latching onto Jake's wrist as Wesker pulled out the knife again. It was deep but the hole began to close up instantly in front of his eyes. "Incredible." He whispered completely awed.

Jake jerked his arm away.

"So why didn't it work on the pilot?"

The pilot? Jake briefly remembered the pilot who had kidnapped Sherry, mostly him screaming as the Ustanak carried him off. What had Sherry called him? Andrew something-or-other?

"That's what I want you to find out William," Wesker said. "What is different between Jake here, and the others."

"The others, you mean they all look like that." Jake indicated the creature in the cave. Wesker gave Birkin a sharp glance, his eyes narrowed. He took a step forward for the first time physically threatening Birkin.

"All of them, Birkin?"

"No, not all of them," Birkin pushed his glasses up his nose. "Anna refused the shot. It's a good thing she did."

Anna? Jake filed the name away for later. So there was at least one test tube sibling still out there, maybe more...

"Jake, what did you call it?" Wesker was staring at him, his face pensive.

Jake's attention, however, was drawn to the creature in the glass tube. He uttered an oath in Edonian as comprehension dawned on him. It was standing at full height. Was that... Andrew?

"Just a moment!" Birkin ignored the creature completely as he jabbed a needle into Jake's arm. 

Jake's fist swung out in response as Birkin drew blood. But it was caught in the air by the Ustanak barely inches from Birkin's head. It had been a clumsy swing on Jake's part, he was too discomfited by the idea that the man he'd seen earlier helping Wesker was potentially the creature in the cage.

"Neman is a good name for the creature isn't it Birkin?" Wesker, ignoring Jake's reaction, stared at the creature who eyed Jake the whole time. 

Jake could only shudder. "Well, it's not winning any beauty contests anytime soon." He'd wrenched his hand free offering a short glare at the Ustanak like creature. 

The creature tossed its short blond hair. Now that Jake was looking he could definitely see Andrew Hardy's hair. But it was graying at the roots matching the pallor of the rest of its skin.

"I would love a pure sample of the G-virus to work with." Birkin, "And you said there was an infant? Could they be brought here?"

Jake snarled and moved forward grabbing Birkin by the coat and hoisting him into the air. Guns clicked again, the Ustanak moved forward before being stopped by Wesker.

"Listen here you son of a bitch, you stay away from my wife and daughter," Jake got out.

Birkin's eyes widened. "I see," he said glancing between Jake and Wesker. Wesker snapped his fingers and the Ustanak put a hand on his shoulder, giving him a painful warning squeeze. Even at 6'3" Jake was still dwarfed by the creature.

"Put him down Jake," Wesker said. "He's only going to figure out why this happened with the G and C combo, the Immortality Virus. We may need to run further tests. No harm will come to either of them."

Jake paused and slowly lowered Birkin to the floor. Then and only then did the Ustanak's hand come off. It moved away from him. Jake turned eyeing the creature, whose eyes followed the Ustanak across the room as it moved. He wasn't surprised to see the Ustanak keeping a wary eye on the creature in the tank.

Birkin was badly shaken but recovered quickly. "Of course not," he said as if Jake had somehow offended him.

"I think it's best if you went and saw them now," Wesker offered as if Jake wasn't a prisoner here. Jake could only nod visibly enraged. He glanced over at the glass tube again, he could have sworn the creature winked at him. It cocked its head at him and he shuddered. They had at least 8 more of these things in this facility.

Jake's ears caught the sound of nails on the glass before anyone else did. 

The Ustanak had a firm grip on his arm almost painfully wrenching as Birkin drew another sample of his blood. Jake had submitted knowing Sherry was still in trapped in the room. She might heal but she could still feel pain. He never doubted that Wesker would hurt Sherry for a second. After all, he'd put a knife to Jake's throat and cut it in front of Sherry. Jake had at that point understood exactly why Sherry had so many nightmares after her experience in China.

His eyes flicked away from the glass as he wondered briefly where the rest of the Nemans were. Wesker had most of the offspring and the transformation process had gone so terribly wrong they'd been sedated right away and put into secure holding. Jake had not been allowed to see that. There was at least one survivor, an Anna. 

Oddly enough Wesker was still trying to convince him that he needed to be on his side.

"Creating a world truly worth myself and those like me is worth the sacrifices I'm making."

"Well aren't you just full of good old fashion altruism." Snapped Jake. All those people turned into whatever they were?

"If you truly understood what I was doing you would be helping me, not hindering me," Wesker said not turning around.

"Kidnapping my wife and child? No fuck you." Jake replied, his hands balling into fists. The Ustanak's grip tightened painfully under his arm. Birkin didn't say a word. He was in his own world.

"One for the good of the rest is a burden placed on some people."

"Only because of bastards like you," Jake snapped. He paused, not really caring what Wesker said or did, only studying the room. Leon had said to give him time to get around so that's what he was going to do. Even if that meant he had to listen to Wesker prattle on all day. Wesker may have colored in terms of what was good for everyone, but he was the one who would be on top. 

This time Wesker did turn around and gave Jake a studied measuring look. Jake stared back, equally defiant.

"Jake, I understand that you might hate me, but in this new world, I'm creating...someone like you and Sherry would be welcome. You've already proven yourself worthy by surviving the C-Virus. Intentional or not you are here."

"In chains?"

"No, with me you'll be free to walk around."

"And my wife?" He glanced over at Birkin for a moment who had taken out a microscope and was studying the contents across the room.

"I need her DNA."

"Why?"

Wesker hesitated. "Her combination is unique like I said before." He made a motion and the Ustanak dropped Jake's arms. Jake remained where he was. Waiting, listening. Wesker took this for a small amount of compliance before continuing on. "Like I said before, I don't know if it's just her or the circumstances under which she acquired it."

There was a loud crack.

Jake tensed, even the Ustanak dropped his arm and stepped away.

The tube where the Neman was trapped in was cracked. The creature inside punched through the glass with ease, muscles rippling under its skin as it moved. Everyone in the lab froze.