Beep beep beep.

"Mhm... not yet."

A fleeting groan passed through the lips of a familiar face, and a flicker of their eyes. As an obnoxious alert filled the vacant room that they inhabited.

Cursing a low mutter, the person in question rolled over, feeling the utmost of confusion as his mind began to reconstruct itself. Another flicker followed, paying way to find blue ocean eyes filling the pitch dark room.

Squinting their eyes, the figure became more apparent, revealing a male physic covered by mere bed sheets. As his mind began to clear itself up, it was as if a light bulb had appeared above his head, and the man jerked upwards.

Stumbling over as his previous memories greeted him with a flash, and a groan echoed through the room as he fell from the safety of his cot and to the cold tiled flooring.

"Alice..."

Y/N remembered, gasping, he reached up and cusped the first thing in front of him, which happened to be a small chair. He pulled himself upwards and gripped it, before he was finally planted on his feet.

He reached around slowly, wary of anything in the surrounding area, before his hand found the lightswitch in the room, and flicked it on.

Groaning at the intensification of the white light, Y/N pulled his left forearm to his sight, covering himself, as only the red phoenix tattoo could only be made out.

After a minute, Y/N pulled away, as his vision began to get used to it's assault. Before glancing downwards, revealing himself to be covered up by the white scrubs of a patient, wrapped loosely around his waist.

Looking lower, he spotted that the wound he had sustained from the shrapnel that had been patched up by Alice had been seen to. The burning itch and swelling pain that had been penetrating his leg before had vanished.

Inhaling a gulp of air to calm his nerves of the situation, and to assure himself of where he was, he looked around. It was his room. He recognised it all. It was his personal barracks in Raccoon City. The Hospital... The Umbrella Wing that cut off the rest of the area...

"Shit."

Y/N cursed as the realization hit him hard.

They had made it, he had made it.

But why didn't he feel safe?

Hours under the Hive, losing his team, his friends. Y/N sighed hard, and raised his hands to face and groaned.

'Alice... Matt...'

Memories assaulted him, reminding him how he got here. The Umbrella hazmat team and their security. How he had outnumbered, and beaten. Alice had been taken, and Matt had been injured, was he...?

'No, no. Can't think like that now. I just need to find them, find anyone. But...'

Muffling anything worthy he had to say, he let go and pulled his hands away, and moved around the room. He had to find something.

'Clothes, clothes would be good.'

He turned back towards the bed and found a stack of clothing situated next to it, atop a drawer. He almost scoffed as he picked up the black fabric and rolled it with his hands.

Bleep.

Now fully dressed in a black shirt and cargo pants, and tied up combat boots, Y/N exited his room and came face to face with the bright white corridors of the Umbrella Institution.

People of all kinds walked the floors, scientists and civilians followed on through, while guards patrolled the halls. Armed with tasers and batons, the same ones they had done him in with.

'Fuckers...'

Biting back a profanity to a nearby guard, Y/N shouldered it and took a right. His feet heavy under the tile flooring, and the people who barely gave him the time of day. Except the familiar guards that eyed him cautiously, their hands on their batons nervously as Y/N walked passed a duo of them.

Both of them covered head to toe in black, vests and ball caps with the insignia of the red and white Umbrella.

Stopping as he came at a crossroad of corridors and the guards that occupied them, he glanced towards the signs that littered the walls. Scanning them quickly, he got multiple directions, but not anything clear to him.

He had to find them. Alice and Matt. He had to make sure they were alright.

Y/N had no idea how long he had been out, if he had to guess, by the recovery of his injuries, at least a few days.

But the fact that nobody had come to check on him, perhaps a nurse or a doctor.

It was...

Suspicious.

'I need some fucking answers.'

As if the devil had answered his prayers, or the lack of them, Y/N immediately spotted a man coming towards him. Another guard, this one far more hardened and higher up than the jump up mall cops that eyed him.

The man stopped in front of them, eyeing him, before locking eyes that were layered with contempt, and loafing. Yet the unblinking wariness at his presence. They knew who he was, and it showed.

He wasn't just anyone, he was Y/N L/N.

An Elite Special Ops Commando of Umbrella.

And they were right to be on edge.

"The Chairman has requested your presence in the control room."

Biting back his surprise, as his face gave nothing away, Y/N glanced back at the guards surrounding him, noticing their increasing anxiety that showed against the pressure of their batons, before he looked back at the main man in charge.

"Well, let's not keep him waiting."

--

He hadn't expected him to show up, not in person.

Not at all.

And that only made him feel even worse.

Subsiding any worry, Y/N gulped as he was led into a control room of the institution. His eyes were immediately greeted by monitors and personnel alike. Machinery and electronics hummed and wired as he was led further in, down a short layer of stairs, before he was stopped at another door.

When he entered, the door shut behind him automatically with a hiss. He didn't need to look back to know that the guards weren't following him, as only he was granted the audience.

Y/N took a step forward and took note of the room, there was tension in the air, and it was cold. Matched by whoever held the room as their base of operations, and he knew who.

Walking into the small spotlight, a small light overhead that shined down, Y/N was greeted by the array of dark monitors that littered the walls, and a single black leather chair that positioned itself before them, tucked in beneath the larger desk.

But that's not what he was focused on, no, he was gazing at the man in the room. The back of his commander's head that was so focused on the screens in front of him. His blonde hair was slick against his neck, and leather black jacket that fitted him like a glove.

Immediately, the hairs on Y/N's neck began to rise, as the silence dragged on, nothing but the hum of the air conditioner unit above them.

It was a game to him, the man liked to wait, to stand imposingly. As the men lower than him coward at his feet, in the fear of anticipation.

But not Y/N.

He was used to it.

"You called for me, sir." Y/N said as he slowly notched his hands around his back, connecting them automatically as he was trained to do no matter what.

He didn't answer, and a small part of Y/N deflated, as his eyes watched his boss intently, for anything out of place, for anything that was going to paint him a picture of what was to come/ But alas, Wesker was like ice, cold and harsh.

"I did."

It was a simple answer, but it had been said with such impassive meaning that Y/N had to fight from retorting, and just simply blinked.

"Would you mind enlightening me on why, sir."

There was a bite that time, the way he edged it towards him. It wasn't a suggestion, or a simple manner of speaking, it was commanding, frosty with his intent clear.

Y/N didn't have time for any of his boss's bullshit.

"You tell me."

Biting the inside of his cheek, Y/N almost rolled his eyes, as he stood as tall as he could, "You want my mission report..."

"And...?"

"...Sir." Y/N finished, as his nerves were beginning to unravel and his patience thinning.

As if the pissing match had ended, Wesker finally turned around, disclosing part of the screens ahead that had been blocked, and showed a screening of the Hive.

CCTV footage.

Turning his attention back to his mentor, Y/N gazed his blue eyes into the black shades of Albert Wesker that stared back at him, both controlling with unwavering attention.

Neither compromised, showing nothing but a blank canvas.

And Y/N was the same.

"I did as you asked." Y/N spoke up, calm in his wording as he made no move to say anything else, but silence from Wesker only pushed him forward.

"The T-virus is safe in Umbrella's hands. The Red Queen is back online and functioning. And..." Y/N paused, (something Wesker noticed) as his mind wandered back to the familiar faces of Alice and Matt in his mind,
"And the term of the attack has been discovered and the survivors recovered."

Even as he said the words, they sounded bitter like ash in his mouth as he fought the feeling to grit his teeth.

"The enemy combatants."

Y/N raised an eyebrow, watching as Wesker took a single step towards him, enough that they were close enough to pierce into each other's souls.

"Is that a question or—"

"The enemy." Wesker said, as he turned back around and proceeded to the monitors and screens in front of him.

Y/N made no part to move at all, as Wesker tapped away at a keyboard, before stepping back, revealing the screen and details on it.

Project Alice.

Mathew Addiison.

Their IDs and pictures were clear in view, showcasing their features and mountains of information that began to increase and spread across the monitors.

"Project Alice and Mathew Addison." Wesker repeated their names as he turned to face Y/N, who until now, had fought to fight off the surprise on his face as the screens turned to black and then back on to show CCTV footage of the Hive.

Hours on hours of footage, their footage. Matt breaking into the mansion, Alice waking up and the team itself breaching in. On and on it went, playing back in a loop.

"Because I was gonna steal it. I was your sister's contact."

Perhaps he should've been mad, angry that it was her, that it wasn't just Spencer who had been the cause for this. She was partially to blame, she had had the intent to steal it. But she hadn't meant for anything like this to happen. She had wanted to help people, she wanted to stop Umbrella, and really, Y/N couldn't blame her for that.

No matter how hard his mind battered against his heart for retribution.

"You betrayed her."

Even now, he could see that same confusion across Alice's face, that echoed pain in her eyes that only he could make out.

"I don't know."

The one that showed she was really contemplating that maybe, just maybe, she was the reason, that it was all her fault that everyone had died. If only she had stopped Spencer before it was too late.

'It's not your fault... Don't do it, don't blame yourself.'

Y/N was so focused on the screens, taking the vulnerable state that Alice was in, as he took another step ahead that he missed the almost smirking attitude of Wesker passive face.

The screens continued to play on forward, it was as if he was watching his life through a camera. Watching as it faded passed, his every moment, both hard and vulnerable flashed in front of him, and that's then Y/N realised.

"You've been watching us all this time..."

There wasn't an accusation in there, no anger, no malice. Just realization that cracked him, something inside that ached against him.

It was... disappointment.

Y/N turned back to face Wesker, and narrowed his eyes, and exhaled to calm himself, "Why?"

Something flickered behind Wesker's shades, something that Y/N couldn't tell, but it was there all the same.

"Ever since the Red Queen came back online." Wesker clarified for him, giving a slight nod. "I watched as your progress unfolded. I needed to see if you were ready."

"Ready for what?" Y/N said, feeling a chill fall down in his spine in spite as he felt a double meaning behind his mentor's words.

Without saying anything, Wesker reached into his jacket and pulled out a tablet, a PDA as such, and began typing away for a few seconds, before a ping alert bounced off the tablet and to the screens in front of them.

Y/N turned back, and watched as the screens changed and faded out, and revealed Y/N's ID and photo. Along with his credentials and status.

Y/N L/N. Umbrella Special Forces, Level 9.

Status/Rank: Captain.

Promotion achieved, welcome aboard, Captain.

This time, Y/N couldn't stop the widening of his eyes and yet only managed to stop the gaping of his mouth as his hands tightened at his side.

Wesker came up beside him, and stared back at the screen same as him.

"Despite your discourse to save your team, you still managed to recover the T-virus and the antivirals without delay." Wesker explained. "And for that, a promotion is earned."

For a minute, Y/N stood wordnessly, too focused on the monitor ahead of him to really think of anything less, before he lowered his head, and sighed.

"I disobeyed an order."

"You took an alternate route." Wesker insisted.

Y/N looked back up and turned to look at Wesker who was more focused on the screen than him, "I lost my CO down there, the rest of my team. I'm the last of 'em."

"And yet you survived." Wesker announced, turning to glance at Y/N who stared back at him. "And secured the two enemy combatants with you, but not without unrest. That deserves a promotion, you deserve one."

'Deserve...? I don't deserve it.'

"...Thank you, sir." Y/N managed to say without the bitter taste beckoning him.

Wesker merely nodded, and turned back towards the screens, and crossed his hands behind his back, signaling that was finished.

Y/N himself narrowed his eyes, and fought the fist that tightened at his side, and finally relented, before saluting his Commanding Officer. He turned and began to walk away, only to stop when his mind began to wander and voice his concern.

"What'll happen to 'em?"

He had expected silence, yet his answer was far worse.

"That's classified."

Silence only followed, and Y/N turned around to face the back of Wesker's head once again.

"Where are they?"

He was pushing it, and he knew it. But Y/N had to know, he wouldn't be able to sleep, to continue on as if nothing had happened.

Like a Black Ops.

He just wasn't made for that.

"You're out of line."

Y/N fought off his anger at his refusal, and tightened his fist to stop himself from lashing out.

"My team died down there." Y/N said calmly, so calm that even Wesker was impressed at his restraint. "My friends, people I've known for years. I think I have the right to know... sir."

The tension in the air was cold, so cold that it was like blizzards fighting against each other. There was no hope, Y/N knew it, the chance of getting any answers were--

"They're being taken care of."

And that was the only answer he was giving, as the man's voice was hard, pushing, something that told Y/N to back off or suffer everlasting consequences.

So he did.

"You'll report to the barracks at 09:00 hours." Wesker said, his voice stopping Y/N at the door as he was about to exit. "There you'll be outfitted and re-transferred. That is all"

Y/N stood momentarily at the door, contemplating if to say anything else, but he sighed instead out of frustration, and shoved up his doubt and anger and walked out, not paying anyone else attention as the door closed with a hiss.

Marching out of the control room as the others silently eyed him, watching him like a hunter did a prey.

But inside, Wesker watched through the monitors as they switched over to CCTV of the Hospital and revealed Y/N walking out, his face impassive, but his figure trembling with unseen, boiling rage that only Wesker knew how to hide.

And Wesker was no fool, there was no turning back, he knew what was going to happen, and in the end, it hardly mattered in the grand scheme of things.

But, Wesker actually sighed, and flicked his finger to the side of his jacket, the small noise alerting something from inside the room.

A figure came walking out of the dark shadows of the other room, the door hissing closed as they stepped through.

It was a man in a black uniform, Umbrella insignia on for all to see. Dark black hair and brown eyes, clean shaven, olive coloured skin and an imposing psych to those weaker. The man himself scored a scar that ran down the side of his cheek, and lastly, a familiar tattoo on his left forearm, the Red Phoenix.

"Watch him."

—

'Son of a bitch.'

He had expected it, he had expected it all.

And yet, he was still pissed beyond all measures.

The minute Y/N exited the control room, he could tell they were watching him. He wasn't a fool. The way the security cameras hidden out of sight, but peering from under the spotlights.

But the personnel were worse.

He could practically feel their stares on him as he walked the corridor back to his quarters. They didn't stare any longer than a few lingering glances but it was there.

They didn't trust him, and quite frankly, he couldn't blame them. But it didn't stop it from hurting any less.

Sighing as he walked on through his quarters, Y/N stopped and stood as the door closed behind him. He took the time to observe around his room, listening intently for any sounds.

Despite what he had shown in the Hive, Y/N wasn't any commando. He was an infiltrator and Security tactician. He specialised in stealth tactics, close-quarter combat. But he was set for squad based combat, frontline stuff.

That's why he had been signed over to the team prior those two years ago. After the New Baghdad incident.

'Gotcha.'

There was a slight faint hum. Something a regular person wouldn't know what to listen for, but he did.

Y/N moved steadily across the room, and stopped at the base of his bed, and reached forward to grip the light stand next to it, atop a small table that occupied nothing but a phone charger and a power plug. He reached up and under the light and began removing the lightbulb carefully.

After it was unscrewed, he turned it around and examined it. And immediately found what he was looking for.

A small spy bug, Umbrella made, a little electronic device that they used to spy on rivals and personnel alike.

Y/N merely let out a grunt and placed the lightbulb back in the lamp and returned it to it's original holding, and then he turned back to face the room.

They were listening in. They had seen the CCTV footage, at least Wesker had. That means they could've seen the—

'Shit.'

Did Umbrella know about Alice and Matt's, and more importantly, Y/N's talk at the end. Before the team of scientists had busted through the doors and took them away by force.

If so, why was he still around. Surely it would be just better to get rid of them all?

Y/N sighed and rubbed at his jaw in frustration before letting his hand fall to his side, as he sat down on the edge of his bed.

'If they know about the conversation then they're definitely not letting them go.' Y/N thought, as he recalled their last conversation. 'I need to find them.'

"It doesn't have to happen again. We have the T-virus. We can expose Umbrella for what they really are."

"They're powerful, too powerful. We wouldn't stand a chance, you know that. But... I won't give up, and neither should you two."

Y/N lifted himself up and stood tall, weighing his options as his mind fought against his heart, and vice versa.

Umbrella was his home, his life, his job. The only thing he had ever known from a young age, and now... They were bugging his room, questioning his loyalties. They had captured his friends, doing god knows what to them, and Y/N was well aware what Umbrella did to their prisoners.

'Fuck!'

Y/N groaned and held his face in his hands. This was his fault, he shouldn't have gotten involved. He shouldn't have gotten attached to people he knew he wasn't going to see again. But he couldn't help it, he just couldn't.

But then his heart thumped and ached, his mind went back to those final moments in the Hive. Everything that had happened, what Umbrella had done. Their experiments, their abominations.

If the T-virus ever escaped...

Y/N's hands dropped to his side, and the soldier looked towards his quarters, the clear white and red Umbrella that stood above the alcove of his bedroom. Then towards the door leading out, his exit, a way out.

Could he really...

'Fuck it...'

—

'You've always been a curious little bee.'

Thought Wesker as he watched through the cameras of the hospital. Watching as Y/N exited his room and down the corridors.

If it were anyone else, they probably wouldn't notice anything out of character for Y/N. As the man walked past the security checkpoints of guards patrolling the hallways.

But Wesker did, he trained him, mentored him, knew him.

The man wasn't going to back down, even if he was only trying to sate his curiosity. Wesker knew one the truth was revealed, there was no going back.

Through the CCTV, Wesker watched as Y/N stopped dead ahead at one of the control rooms leading into one of the subject areas.

Where the testing and experimenting happened.

Where just happened to be one of his newfound friends being held.

Wesker narrowed his eyes behind his shades as Y/N pulled away from the centre, and took off towards the cafeteria.

"He knows he can't get in without the proper clearance."

It was the exact man who had been called over by Wesker, the one with the same Red Phoenix tattoo, but who now sported a black mask covering his face, hiding his features.

"I'm aware." Wesker's frosty tone had the man shutting up almost immediately. "Let's see what you have in store for us, Y/N." He said to himself as he watched him enter the cafeteria.

For a few minutes, the soldier only took a tray of food and sat down among his peers, guards and scientists alike pinning for grub. Y/N himself only ate sparsely as he watched the room, eyeing each person who came in.

'Always has been perceptive.' Wesker thought as he watched Y/N rise from his seat, and towards the exit of the room, as the man's eyes caught someone. 'Now who have you found?' Another man followed in, an older man with blonde hair who Wesker knew very well.

'Dr. Alexander Issacs.' Wesker hummed. 'Bold, Y/N. Let's see if you can pull it off.'

He gazed through the camera as Y/N walked up to Isaccs as he was too busy talking to a colleague, and bumped into him, causing the man to stagger as Y/N steadied him.

Wesker watched as he apologized and patted him on the back, and ignored the scowl from the good doctor. But he was arrogant, and too focused on getting away from him that he didn't notice Y/N swiping his keycard and ID from him.

In a way, despite everything, Wesker admired Y/N. A lot, probably more than he was willing to admit. He had a special spot for Y/N. And was even proud, as he watched him flee the cafeteria as if nothing had happened.

"Do you want me to stop him, sir?"

Wesker didn't respond, he only gazed through the screens at Y/N as he finally made it back to the hallways and towards the electronic controlled door that led into the testing site.

After a few moments of silence, Wesker shook his head and leant back in his chair as Y/N entered into the lab, having used the keycard and himself disappeared from the camera screen.

"No." Wesker responded, slumping his shoulders ever so slightly. "If Y/N wants to play this little game, then he will. Besides, who am I to say no."

"Dr. Issacs won't be pleased."

"He is a hard man to please. But after today... I'm sure Dr. Issacs will be more than satisfied with what he'll receive."

The man only raised an eyebrow at his commander, before letting go, and asking a question, "And what's that, sir?"

"A test subject."

A/N: Part II is next!