The Prodigal Child

And here as he opened his eyes….Zeno saw this girl that looked so much like the man in his memories. Zeno looked awful himself. Being revived with his head reattached yet also captured by the government wasn’t going to let him look his best.

His voice was very raspy and painful as he spoke, his now blue eyes watching her with caution.

“ If you don’t have anything for me then you can leave.”

Leave him to rot in his new cage….

( @prctctype ) ( Heya! Thanks for the follow! :3)

There was something so terribly confusing about looking at the man sitting before her. When she had asked to see him, to speak to him, she hadn't truly been sure why she wanted that. Sherry didn't know what it was about seeing him brought into custody that left her so shaken. Maybe it was the fact that the face she saw was one she had spent her childhood considering a friend. At least, for a while. Until every part of her world crumbled right from under her feet. The one adult she knew that would actually indulge her silly little questions had the very same face as the man she's currently locked eyes with. The room feels small, suffocating, as if all the air is being pulled from her lungs. Clearing her throat, the blonde sits up a little more straight. The child she used to be has so many questions. The woman she is now is fighting not to ask them.

Sherry requested that the guards stay outside the room. So, in this moment, it's only the two of them.

Hearing the rasp in his throat as he speaks tugs at something in her chest. Logically, she knows better. This isn't Albert. But, unfortunately for her, she's often the type to ignore logic and go with her gut. With her heart, even. How often have her coworkers warned her that it was going to end up being the thing that got her killed?

As if remembering the reason the reason she was here, she lifted the water bottle to show him. A small smile touches her lips, the lines around her eyes showing her age as she unscrews the lid of the bottle. Reaching out, she pushes it towards him on the table between them before retracting her hand. Even as she asked them to be left alone, she isn't naive enough to believe there isn't a team watching every second of the live feed in the room right beside them. If she gave any indication this wasn't going well, they would be in the room in seconds. She didn't want to accidentally trigger a response that wasn't needed. Yet.

"It's not much, but I thought some water might help?" Sherry, his head was reattached. You think water is going to help that? "Listen, I know you don't know me. Or, I suppose you do but you don't. And I don't know you but seeing you sitting here is." She takes a deep breath, adjusting once more in her chair. "I think you're well aware of why seeing you here is so strange for me." She finally whispers, looking up to meet his eyes once more. Eyes that were still so frustratingly familiar.

"I've told the guards that they're to report to me if you need anything."

He had had some kind of a life, even if it was under the veil of lies.

Zeno though had only known life in a prison. He had been born in the same laboratory that his "father" had been killed in, isolated and trained since infancy to be a "better" copy of the man that had died in agony in the heart of a volcano.

At the offer of the water bottle, he just looked....so confused. He was an adult but without the Progenitor virus....he was so young. Younger than Sherry was, despite the baggy clothes that he had been put in by his creators.

He had never been offered kindness, been treated like a person. It was like a caged zoo animal having the doors opened wide into the wild.

As for who she was....

" You're Sherry Birkin. Child of William Birkin, creator of the G-Virus strain and.....former associate of Dr. Albert Wesker..."

She was also associated with....someone else. Someone Zeno knew about and.....maybe a part of him wished to meet. If only under better circumstances.

".....The Connections has been observing you since.....since your father passed. They had me read all your files."

He knew why she would find him unnerving to see.

"....You can still call me Zeno if it's easier. Christian I want to make it legally my name. Zeno.....it's always been a nickname. My name was Number 26...."

Name....designation. Just part of a set....so rare that he was all that was left.

But.....Zeno had to say something. If there was a difference between him and his bastard of a father....it was that Zeno still had the empathy intact inside him.

And.....regret.

Considering her adoption of the cloned girl, Grace would be more accepting towards them.

"Alright. Guessing that would just be between us?" Nicknames were usually just between two people or more people. Depending on the person, a deep bond was needed to create one.

Huh? An apology? That's rather unexpected.

As for why he was apologizing....

"....I know I'm not a good man. I can make all the excuses in the world as to how I didn't have a choice....but ultimately....I was the one that hurt you. I hurt you thinking that......that was the way things were. That was how I was taught the world worked.

Through fear and pain....

You didn't deserve what I and Gideon put you through. I'm sorry."

".....Leave me behind. That's what happens to bioweapons that fail."

Although in Zeno's case, he'd have probably been dismembered further anyways or had his body burned. No traces.....no evidence that he even existed....

"No really. I'm joking. He's great."

At the suggestion of clothing, it was like a veil fell off. Zeno’s blue eyes noticeably sparkled as he forced himself to suppress the emotions that dogged him since creation.

“ I’ve…..tried my hand at designing clothing. The Connections never let me explore it and they made me dress the way they wanted.

…….Can I show you some sketches?”

Zeno answered with his usual deadpan snark towards Leon. But Zeno was here to ask Leon something that was eating at him.

Part of him…knew the answer. But he needed to hear it to confirm the suspicions that had haunted him since he was taken into government custody after the Connections revived him.

“…..How long am I going to be under surveillance?”

Though what Zeno was actually asking Leon to was…

"sorry, i've been pretty busy, got bosses on my ass." paperwork gets shuffled around, the question being avoided for as long as possible. after a minute of silence leon stands and walks around his desk, leans against the edge facing the other.

"I don't have an answer to that. likely, forever. higher ups don't trust that you won't go running back to the connections, or cause some kind of incident. you're dangerous." it's a valid concern, one leon wouldn't even argue with. he knows it's not what zeno wants to hear, though.

But it was a dream….nothing more.

Zeno’s blue eyes looked crushed but he worked hard not to let it out.

“…..Understood.”

Zeno wasn’t the only one of his kind that had existed….he was just the only one who survived.

Zeno blinked in confusion for a second. He’d always called himself Zeno. But….

“…..My code name is…White Fang. But….”

This was embarrassing to admit….

“….If I could choose my name, I’d be Christian.”

Because he liked the name Chris.

Chris wasn’t shocked because he had talked to Zeno about this before. And he wasn’t surprised that Wesker’s clone kid had a reaction to his own name. But seeing Zeno like this was like seeing Albert if he had opened up and asked for help.

"Guess you really care about Chris now; to call yourself that." Grace replied with an awkward chuckle, "Mind if I just call you Christian then? Just don't wanna jumble who's who up."

"....You can still call me Zeno if it's easier. Christian I want to make it legally my name. Zeno.....it's always been a nickname. My name was Number 26...."

Name....designation. Just part of a set....so rare that he was all that was left.

But.....Zeno had to say something. If there was a difference between him and his bastard of a father....it was that Zeno still had the empathy intact inside him.

And.....regret.

(From Wesker)

Zeno looked awful. He had been doing so good so far….,things were finally looking up. He had his brother, his father…..he finally had a family.

But then….one of the agencies grabbed him. He didn’t know which one but ultimately he didn’t care since they were all the same to him.

Now….what came back from that experience was a shell of Zeno. His blue eyes looked so faded and empty, like he had suffered through agony after agony.

Zeno looked at his father with pain in his eyes. He looked so pale, so weak.

“….Government agency. I….I don’t know which one….”

His hand shook as he lifted up his sleeve to show scars….surgical.

Zeno had regressed to how he got after the Connections showed their disappointment in him….if he remained quiet and unseen the discipline wouldn’t hurt as much.

At Grace’s apology, his fingers gently squeezed hers, his voice coming out ragged. Like he hadn’t spoken in a very long time.

“It’s okay……I’m used to it.”

He was used to being treated like this. Being treated like a human though…..that was something alien to him. Chris though saw that Zeno was probably hitting his limit and motioned for him to go keep a look out for anyone that might have seen them.

Zeno nodded and immediately went into watch dog mode as he took his position outside in the shadows.

Chris was quiet for a moment before he spoke again.

“……He legally doesn’t exist. There’s no record of him existing. So for the BSAA and DSO…..he’s just property. He can’t be free but…..he’s part of the Hound Wolves now. At least he won’t be alone anymore.”

What freedom he did want, he won't be able to have while under the custody of BSAA and DSO.

"Then...what do I call you if I can't use your name now?" Grace asked, guess even whatever the man she's known as Zeno doesn't get the ability to name himself. "Or is it just a code name? Like the rest of the Squad?" She never knew if they have actual names or not.

Zeno wasn’t the only one of his kind that had existed….he was just the only one who survived.

Zeno blinked in confusion for a second. He’d always called himself Zeno. But….

“…..My code name is…White Fang. But….”

This was embarrassing to admit….

“….If I could choose my name, I’d be Christian.”

Because he liked the name Chris.

Chris wasn’t shocked because he had talked to Zeno about this before. And he wasn’t surprised that Wesker’s clone kid had a reaction to his own name. But seeing Zeno like this was like seeing Albert if he had opened up and asked for help.

" I could ask the same of you."

Zeno sensed that there was something under the surface with this girl. Though he had read the files on the Dimitrescu family and their connection to the fungal mold.

“….A dog on a leash doesn’t realize he’s captive. For me, that was my norm since birth. I went from a cage in a basement to what you see now. But…it doesn’t change what I’m supposed to be.” As for what he could offer her. “ What do you desire, Lady Dimitrescu?” He doubted anyone had ever asked Bela what she herself wanted in life, rather than what someone else told her what she wanted.

Bela was quiet, a faint crease forming between her brows. "...Perhaps," she said at last, her voice thoughtful rather than argumentative. "....some leashes are so carefully fashioned... one mistakes them for purpose."

Her family had served Mother Miranda for decades. Loved her. Revered her. Bela herself had never questioned the path laid before her. She had been raised to become her mother's heir, to preserve House Dimitrescu, to continue the legacy entrusted to her. It had never felt like captivity. It had simply been...Life.

His question followed before she had fully settled that thought. And for perhaps the first time in their conversation, she had no immediate answer. No one had ever asked her that. Duty had always come before desire. She had always known what was expected of her.

"I..." she began, only to stop again. "....I don't believe anyone has ever asked me that." Her eyes lowered briefly before lifting to meet his once more. "Until recently, I would have answered with certainty." A faint smile touched her lips before fading just as quickly. "To serve my family. To succeed my mother. To preserve our house." She paused. "But that house is gone."

He knew what it meant to live life with a gilded leash and collar. A life that on the surface looked pampered but no amount of silk could hide the horrific scars underneath.

“…..I can give you what you wish.”

He was rich…..EXTREMELY rich. He had kissed enough ass at the Connections to earn some pull.

But Leon was a good friend and Grace had proven herself as tough as the rest of them with what she suffered through in the ruins of Raccoon City.

So when he was asked to help Zeno......he did it under extreme resistance and warnings that if the clone even blinked the wrong way he'd out him down just like his dear old "daddy."

But thankfully, months later......there was Zeno with Chris now and the older man gruffly but gentle nudged Zeno to go towards Grace. The clone looked at him with those crystal clear eyes and reassured by the Hound Wolf Alpha, he slowly approached. He didn't touch Grace, but didn't move to hide from her either.

He looked so subdued, broken down and slowly being pieced back together. But the way Chris watched him....there was regret in his eyes.

To think the BSAA could stoop that low.

One of her hands went to hold one of Zeno's; a thumb gently making circles in a soothing motion. Grace wasn't sure exactly what to do now. The cost of him being kept alive was this, and now it's to rebuild from here. Things can't exactly be how it was; nothing ever is.

"I'm sorry." Grace mumbled. Old habits die hard; Grace's self blaming seemed to never have an end in sight. Though with her attempt to save him, she still believed herself to be at fault. She won't force him to forgive her; he can do that whenever he wants to.

While Zeno himself had done horrible things, it's clear that sins of the father was also passed onto him through what treatment he endured. Grace could empathize with it deeply; having that happen twofold with her.

Zeno had regressed to how he got after the Connections showed their disappointment in him….if he remained quiet and unseen the discipline wouldn’t hurt as much.

At Grace’s apology, his fingers gently squeezed hers, his voice coming out ragged. Like he hadn’t spoken in a very long time.

“It’s okay……I’m used to it.”

He was used to being treated like this. Being treated like a human though…..that was something alien to him. Chris though saw that Zeno was probably hitting his limit and motioned for him to go keep a look out for anyone that might have seen them.

Zeno nodded and immediately went into watch dog mode as he took his position outside in the shadows.

Chris was quiet for a moment before he spoke again.

“……He legally doesn’t exist. There’s no record of him existing. So for the BSAA and DSO…..he’s just property. He can’t be free but…..he’s part of the Hound Wolves now. At least he won’t be alone anymore.”

“usually people knock,” leon said, looking up from his paperwork to make eye contact with zeno. the taller man was looming in the doorframe, clearly with a purpose.

leon sighed and put his pen down, rubbing his eyes to relieve the tension headache from all the little words on a page.

“something you needed?” his full attention was now on zeno, hands clasped on the desk.

Zeno answered with his usual deadpan snark towards Leon. But Zeno was here to ask Leon something that was eating at him.

Part of him…knew the answer. But he needed to hear it to confirm the suspicions that had haunted him since he was taken into government custody after the Connections revived him.

“…..How long am I going to be under surveillance?”

Though what Zeno was actually asking Leon to was…

Chris and his team managed to arrange a meet up in secret and Zeno was there too. He looked….so different. His hair buzzed short, his face thin and his suit was now replaced by combat gear.

He didn’t say much, though now it seemed like he responded more to his code name over his actual name.

White Fang

( @prctctype)

It had been sitting in the back of her mind. Being told that she did the right thing when really, she didn't. Her attempt to save Zeno was reframed as capturing some kind of prisoner. To her surprise, Redemption was allowed in remain her possession; though considering how much easier it made apprehending him without a gun on his person.

But she had to continue living; life goes on no matter what happens. And Grace has her daughter to look after, she has to take care of herself, she has to keep up with what few human connections she has. Grace can't wallow in regret; not like she was able to in the past.

When she had received a phone call from Chris to meet up, Grace had gotten everything ready. Who stood in front of her had placed the woman in shock. After a few moments of trying to recognize who it was he wanted her to see, the RCS scars made it more obvious.

"Y-You're...You're okay...!" Grace smiled in relief, though her body hesitated to approach. On if it really was safe to get in close range. The campaign she had done to convince Chris to keep Zeno alive had worked!

But Leon was a good friend and Grace had proven herself as tough as the rest of them with what she suffered through in the ruins of Raccoon City.

So when he was asked to help Zeno......he did it under extreme resistance and warnings that if the clone even blinked the wrong way he'd out him down just like his dear old "daddy."

But thankfully, months later......there was Zeno with Chris now and the older man gruffly but gentle nudged Zeno to go towards Grace. The clone looked at him with those crystal clear eyes and reassured by the Hound Wolf Alpha, he slowly approached. He didn't touch Grace, but didn't move to hide from her either.

He looked so subdued, broken down and slowly being pieced back together. But the way Chris watched him....there was regret in his eyes.