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Chris Redfield, Piers Nivans and a few other BSAA agents were on the hunt for a dangerous B.O.W. in the streets of China, a giant snake that appeared mostly invisible. It had grabbed one of their men just a few minutes ago, so the group was on high alert.
Chris paused when he saw a playground at the corner of his eye. It seemed out of place, among all this, and yet he found himself staring at it, feeling the urge to investigate.
"Captain?" Piers asked, unsure why they stopped.
Chris didn't answer right away, steel blue eyes narrowed as he scanned over the playground. Then, he saw something duck behind one of the slides. It wasn't the snake though, or one of his men, it was far too small and... pink? He shook his head, unsure if he saw right, but... There was a nagging feeling that he should go check it out.
"Go on ahead, keep an eye on the others and find that thing, I'm going to check something."
Piers frowned though, looking between Chris and the group of soldiers moving onwards. "But Captain, shouldn't we-"
Chris cut him off, glaring back at him. "I said, go on ahead. I'll meet up later." He ordered firmly, not taking no for an answer.
Piers didn't look happy, taking a second to decide if it was worth trying to argue with him further. In the end, he decided it wasn’t thankfully and followed Chris’ order. He didn't answer verbally, but he nodded, before he turned and jogged to catch up with the others.
Chris hummed deeply, secretly glad that the younger BSAA operative obeyed without too much fuss. He then turned his focus back to the playground, eyes focused on the blue slide. That's where he saw the movement, whatever it was. He kept his rifle ready as he approached, feeling thankful that the playground was fairly safe from the snake, since there wasn't any place for it to strike from without him seeing it coming.
As he neared the blue slide, he heard a startled squeak, then tiny footsteps scurrying away. He peeked behind it, through all the bars of the jungle gym, to see what appeared to be a tiny little girl peering back at him, trembling and fearful. He didn't get a good look at her before she scurried behind the yellow slide next. Chris lowered his rifle then, there was a child out here? How? Not that it really mattered now but it still took him by surprise. It was way too dangerous out here for a child to be wandering about.
"It's okay, you don't need to be afraid of me." He called out in an even tone, then waited a good few moments, but he did not get a response.
The BSAA Captain let out a sigh, before he looked at the jungle gym dividing the two slides of the small playground. Children would likely have to climb up the bars like a ladder to get to the top, but Chris was tall enough that he was able to just pull himself up, once he slung his rifle over his shoulder. All he had to do was reach up, grabbing the highest bar with both hands, then he just pulled himself up.
Once on top of the jungle gym, Chris peered down at the little girl at the bottom of the yellow slide, before he slowly crouched down, his feet on two bars at once. He tried to offer a friendly smile, but Chris couldn't remember the last time he smiled. He didn't really have a good reason most of the time, and even now the only reason he had was to try to comfort the poor tot.
She was so small, probably only being about knee high if they stood side by side. But she had big violet eyes and long blonde hair, wearing a green and pink dress, which was now tattered. She almost looked like a child out of a fairy tale. Chris could only hope that didn't make him the big bad wolf. It wasn't like he was going to hurt her, but he obviously scared her, understandably. He wasn't the most comforting sight and the rage he felt inside over Ada Wong wasn't helping.
It looked like he was making progress though as the girl timidly smiled back, her big eyes filled with hope as she gazed up at him. Chris felt a warm, fuzzy feeling form in his chest and he further softened his expression. He wasn't sure yet if it was okay to move though, so he stayed still as the child approached the bars, reaching up to grab one. It looked like she was going to climb up towards him and he started to reach down with one arm to help her up.
Suddenly there was the sound of distant gunfire from up ahead, where his men went. This spooked the girl and she let out a startled yelp, then ducked down and dove under the bars instead of climbing up.
Chris grimaced and closed his hand in a fist briefly, but he had to force himself to relax to avoid scaring the poor girl further. With a heavy breath, he jumped down on the ground again, landing with a heavy thud of boots on pavement. The girl tried to scurry through the bars, but ended up getting caught on one of them, which apparently had an uneven bur on it that snagged her dress by the right sleeve.
"Aaahh!" She exclaimed, trying to unhook it. If she calmed down a moment, she probably could have freed herself, but as she panicked, she only made it worse.
"Hold still." Chris said, his voice coming out a bit deeper than he meant to. But it worked, she listened and stopped, looking back at him.
Chris let out a steady breath then, this was going to be uncomfortable, but luckily he had knee pads. He lowered himself to the ground, on his hands and knees, then carefully crawled into the jungle gym, under one of the slides and into the largest gap in the bars. Said gap was still obviously not meant for large men decked in military gear, but he managed to get through far enough to reach the girl.
As he approached, he heard her let out a scared whimper, and he felt a heavy stone of guilt settle in his stomach. "It's alright, I won't hurt you, okay? I just want to help." He said, not nearing any closer and just watching for her reaction.
She still looked nervous, but eventually nodded, her tiny shoulders less tense, though she still faintly trembled. "O-okay mister..." She said in a timid, small voice.
He knew this was the moment of truth, it was a tiny thing to free her sleeve, but it would hopefully form a bond of trust if he did it without scaring her any further. With another steady breath, Chris offered a warm smile as he slowly reached towards her with one hand, inwardly cringing at the sheer size difference. He felt like a giant to her, and she probably would agree. He could easily pick her up with one hand, but all he did was use two large, but very careful fingers to lift up her sleeve off the snag. Then he let go, freeing her.
From here, she had the advantage, to a degree. It'd be easy for her to scurry off and he'd still be stuck down here in this jungle gym definitely not built for the likes of him. He'd free himself eventually, all he had to do was carefully back out, which would be like backing up a semi truck in a tiny, crowded parking lot but he could do it. By then though, who knows where she would be.
The girl rubbed her arm and checked the sleeve, looking surprised. She then looked back to Chris, a smile on her face then. He silently prayed that nothing would happen to make her lose that smile this time. His eyes briefly closed, and thus he didn't see her approach him.
Suddenly Chris felt a soft, desperate weight on his neck and shoulder, so he turned his head slightly to look at what was happening. The girl was hugging him, one arm wrapped around the front of his throat, while the other was across his shoulder, her face buried into the nape of his neck. She was so tiny he could barely believe it, easily half the size a child her age should be. He wasn't sure why that was, but it stirred powerful protective instincts in him. He swallowed dryly, feeling his neck muscles shift under her arm as he tried to remember what he should do.
"I-I'm s-scared, mister..." She whispered in response, fear evident in her tone. Luckily she was on his right side, which didn't have his earpiece.
She was shivering still, but gripped him with all her tiny might, which wasn't a lot, but he could feel how tense she was. With a genuine, touched smile on his face, Chris lifted his other arm to rest his hand on her back, making sure not to apply the full weight of his arm because that'd be way too much. But despite his gruff, brutish appearance, Chris knew how to be gentle and he hoped what he was about to say would help.
"I know, and you have every right to be. But if you can trust me, I'll keep you safe."
The girl hummed softly and nuzzled into him further, the motion was almost ticklish but he kept his composure. It didn't stop him from smiling though, a warm and gentle expression on his face as he took a deep breath, having not realized he was holding it since she touched him. The girl giggled then, it was weak and quiet, but unmistakable from this close.
"What is it?" Chris asked in a low voice, trying to soften his tone from his usual deep, gruff tone.
The girl almost seemed to snuggle into his neck further and he finally took note that she felt a bit chilly to the touch. Perhaps she was cold?
"Nothin... You just look kinda stuck." She said, probably referring to his awkward position on his hands and knees, barely fitting between the largest gap in the jungle gym.
"I'm not stuck." He replied with a light huff. But he still was smiling, hopefully making up for his voice wanting to slip back to a more growly, firm tone.
The lighthearted moment ended pretty quickly though, as before the child could reply, the both of them heard more distant gunfire. Chris heard a fearful whimper follow and a more desperate nuzzle into his neck. He was pretty sure at this rate, she'd burrow a hole right into him if she could.
Wait a minute... That gave him an idea, a way he could keep her safe and hidden from this mess. It was going to be a bit tricky to present the idea to the poor girl though.
"Hey uh... I need to catch up with my men and help them-" Chris started, but the child cut him off before he could continue.
"Please don't leave me!" She pleaded, tiny hands grabbing one of his straps tightly, or as tightly as she could.
"Shhh, it's okay, I'm not going to." Chris said comfortingly, using his one hand to gently hug her a little closer to him. "I am going to bring you with us. Me and my teammates are members of the BSAA, do you know what that is?" He added.
The girl didn't respond right away, but he could feel her relax a bit under his hand. He assumed that was a good sign and waited a few more moments for her reply.
"You... you protect people from m-monsters, right?" She asked, turning her head slightly towards his ear.
"That's right. We're going to finish our mission here, then we can safely extract you out of here. I just need you to trust me to do something to keep you safe." He didn't have the time to risk explaining his idea to her, he needed to get back to his men as soon as possible, but he didn't have the heart to force the process.
The child slowly nodded into his neck, before speaking. "I trust you, as long as I'm safe from the scary monsters...."
Chris gently patted her back now. "You will be, but let me know if you want me to stop." He said, wanting to give her that option at least. Granted, if she did make him stop, he wasn't sure what he was going to do that would help her just as well. He shook it off and figured he'll cross that bridge if it comes.
With a deep breath, the BSAA Captain decided it was time to proceed and hoped for the best.
He leaned his elbow on the concrete so that his right arm held his torso slightly up off the ground, which was going to be important. Then with his left, he gently wrapped his hand around the girl's back, carefully lifting her away from his neck and angling her in front of his face. To be more exact, his mouth. The man's jaws then opened wide and he scooped the girl's legs up first inside, figuring it would be nicer if she wasn't upside down when sliding in. Though with him being on his hands and knees, his stomach was currently horizontal.
The girl's eyes went wide, probably from surprise, hopefully not fear though. He tried not to open his mouth wider than needed, just enough to gently ease her inside. Chris didn't want to delay, but still gave her ample time to speak up if she wanted him to stop. However, so far she stayed quiet, seeming to be alright. So Chris went ahead and softly gulped.
There was a slight discomfort in his throat from that, with the girl being just a bit too big to normally swallow. He had to resist the urge to gag, which he managed well enough from the nasty things he had to encounter over his time with the BSAA. Currently, the child kept still, her tension lessening as moments passed. It seemed she was okay with this, which was a great thing for both of them. She'd be safe in his belly, hidden behind all his gear and his vest. It was easily the safest place she could be right now, at least until he could actually get her out of this city.
Chris closed his eyes to better focus on his insides, making sure not to tense his muscles too tightly while he swallowed a second time. That all but finished her up, her arms having slid inside, against her sides and now her head and shoulders rested in his mouth. His hand was no longer needed, so he used it to help his other one hold himself up and not squish her under his weight. He gave her one last moment to speak up, but he didn't hear anything, so he swallowed a third and final time.
The front of his neck bulged out a bit as the girl slid down. Then she basically vanished behind his chest, but he could feel that tightness inside, putting light pressure against his heart and lungs. He winced slightly, it didn't hurt, but it was a little uncomfortable. Thankfully it passed soon enough and now a warm, comfortable weight settled in his stomach. After that, he couldn't help the brief, content hum that came out. The process of swallowing her wasn't the most comfortable, but once she was safely inside, he felt pure warmth within himself.
Before he could check on her though, his earpiece buzzed to life.
"We can see where the B.O.W. went. It's huge, Captain, be careful getting here." Piers said, sounding concerned.
He carefully used one hand to hit the button on his earpiece, his other making sure to still keep his stomach up off the ground.
"Roger that, keep your eyes peeled." Chris said firmly, before he lowered his arm and then prepared to navigate out of the jungle gym, precious little cargo all nestled away safely in his gut.
It took some effort, like he feared. He had to crawl backwards, since there wasn't enough room for him to turn around. The girl surprisingly kept still in his stomach, he hoped it wasn't because she was frozen in fear.... Concerned for his passenger, Chris paused and allowed one hand to sneak its way behind his vest of grenades and gun mags, to gently rub the small lump in his belly.
"You're alright in there, don't be scared." He gently told her, his voice still holding a firm edge from talking to Piers, but he tried to soften it for her sake.
That earned him a few soft wiggles in his belly, which were arguably kind of adorable. "You p-promise?" Her muffled, meek voice asked from within. She didn't sound too distressed, but perhaps a little nervous.
He felt a pang of guilt and let out a sigh. "Yes, I promise. Trust me, this is the only way to assure your safety." He assured her.
"O-okay I b-believe you... Thank you, mister." The girl replied, sounding a little better once she thanked him.
Chris gave the poor tot another soft rub, hoping it was soothing for her. Then he continued backing out, finally clearing his head from the final bar, allowing him to stand up.
It felt nice being vertical as he stretched his back and rolled his shoulder. He then felt the small girl in his stomach shift to the change of gravity, adjusting so that she was upright again. After giving her a few more moments to get settled, he readied his rifle and started walking along where he saw his men go earlier. As he walked, Chris figured the poor child deserved a bit more of an explanation.
"I'm sorry for the sudden, uh... development. We're dealing with a dangerous B.O.W. that-" He was cut off when the B.O.W. in question struck from a hole it previously made through a trash heap between two buildings to attack earlier.
The serpent's jaws snapped at him, aiming to grab him. Luckily, he saw it in time and dodged to the side, landing on his back to avoid squishing the child under his own weight. Chris then aimed his rifle and fired at where he saw a weird shimmer. The thing was invisible most of the time, but if he looked closely, he could see the invisibility breaking a tiny bit, showing dense, scaly skin. Blood sprayed from the impact and the creature let out a pained hiss, before hastily retreating.
Chris took a moment to recover, taking a few heavy breaths and trying to get his heart to calm down. One hand instinctively rested over his middle, before giving her a comforting few pats. Then, his passenger briefly wiggled again with a bit more strength.
"Are you okay mister?" The small girl asked, sounding genuinely worried.
Once he was sure it was gone, at least for now, he slowly stood up and brushed himself off. Chris had to remember that the poor girl was only as safe as he was, so he had to watch himself better. He'd be lying if he didn't admit her concern was a little bit touching though.
"Yeah kid, I'm alright." Chris answered, using his free hand to give her a few gentle belly rubs under all his gear again, hoping it was soothing to her.
The girl moved inside again, but this was a different kind of movement. He tilted his head, trying to figure it out, taking note of the softer motions, followed with a muffled, but happy sounding giggle.
"What... are you doing?" He asked as he started to walk again, keeping his eyes on their surroundings. Something about the snake's attack made him revert to his more usual, gruff self, with survival instincts kicking in. And knowing that snake was likely the creation of Ada, his eyes narrowed, a growl threatening to rumble in his throat.
However, his question earned him another giggle and the strange movement got a little stronger. It wasn't wiggling though, it was- "Sorry mister, it's just... really warm and snuggly in your tummy." She admitted in a shy, but happy tone.
Snuggly... She was snuggling his insides, he supposed that was a good thing? Even if it was a bit weird. The girl then gave another happy snuggle and Chris himself smiled slightly soon enough. Even if it was a little weird, it was still endearing and he was glad that she felt comfortable enough to do that and be happy in his belly. Granted, she wouldn't have to be in there if it wasn't for Ada and these monsters she created.
"It's fine." He said, with a bit more of a gruff tone than he meant to. Chris winced, there was no reason to be stern with the child, none of this was her fault and she wasn't one of his men.
He cleared his throat and quickly spoke up again, trying to soften his voice for her. "You're not scared?" He asked, it sorta being an open question about him, her situation, him having swallowed her whole and everything else.
She went still then, before shifting lightly. "I was kinda scared at first..." She admitted and Chris felt a bit more guilt. "But I remembered your promise about keeping me safe, and when that monster came.... I felt safe, I feel safe."
Chris drifted slightly while listening to her and shook his head. He had to focus, if he didn't, it could mean both of their deaths, and far worse to follow. With a slight growl, he frowned and pushed onward, looking for wherever Piers and the others went. It didn't change that what she said was sweet though. Weird? Yes, very weird, but admittedly cute regardless. He stayed alert this time, but he still found time to answer the child.
"It's good that you feel that way, it might be awhile before I can let you out." He told her, hoping that wouldn't change her opinion.
His response was another happy snuggle, judging by the giggle that followed. "That's okay! Do what you need to do, mister, I'm fine in here." She responded, but before he could say anything, she spoke again. "Oh, what's your name mister?"
He wasn't sure if he really had time for pleasantries, for as he rounded another corner, he found another one of his men... Dead. He clenched his jaw and let out a sigh, seeing the guy practically torn apart. He looked away and glared at the obvious hole the B.O.W. slithered away into.
"Oh.... you don't have to say if you don't want to, it's okay..." The girl from within said, sounding a little sad, but accepting. Only problem is, he realized his frustration probably seemed like it was directed at her, and it wasn't.
"Chris Redfield, and it's fine, I just... well, it's nothing you should know." He wasn't about to describe the ugly details to the poor tot, she didn't need to know. All she needed to know was his frustration was never directed at her.
He took a deep breath, trying to word his next sentence without hurting or scaring her. "It's not you, you're fine. A lot has happened to me and my team and if I don't stop this B.O.W. soon, things are going to get a lot worse." He paused, before realizing he should try to comfort the blow a bit before his words sunk too deeply.
"But don't worry, we will stop it, and the one who caused it all." That one being Ada Wong, but he wasn't going to say that, because he knew he couldn't say her name without dropping his 'friendly' demeanor. He already noticed a deeper tone in his own voice and wasn't sure how much he really helped.
Chris let that linger as he pressed on, tempted to call Piers on the radio and get some directions. As he started a soft jog, he felt something new. It wasn't the girl wiggling, or her weirdly adorable snuggles, this was a different feeling. It was one small pinpointed pressure against the roof of his stomach, moving in a soft circle. The pressure didn't hurt, in fact it felt soothing to him and he couldn't help the brief, deep hum that rumbled in his chest while he aimed down the sights of his rifle, expecting the snake to attack again.
"I'm sorry mister Redfield but don't worry, I'm okay... I'm not worried, you're big and scary when you want to be. That nasty monster doesn't stand a chance!" She encouraged him, followed with a giggle, and then that strange pressure got a little stronger.
Then it clicked, as he rubbed his own belly to comfort her earlier, she was... sort of returning the favor. He wasn't sure how he felt about being called big and scary, but he supposed it fit. Chris finally let himself laugh a little, it was tired, weary and quite brief, but it was there.
"What's your name, kid? And you know you can just call me Chris." He asked, wanting to be able to call her something besides child or kid.
That comforting pressure stopped, replaced with her earlier soft cuddles. He missed it, but her presence in general was calming. The fire that burned within him turned into a dull sizzle, from the raging fire it was before meeting the girl.
"Oh, okay uhm... Chris then. I'm Lilly! It's nice to meet you!" She chirped happily in response after a moment of confusion.
He snorted lightly with a brief laugh, then paused, hearing distant talking, recognizing them as his men. He wanted to reunite with them, but wanted to say a few last things to the girl.
"It's good to meet you too. I don't know how you survived, but as I promised, I'll do everything in my power to get you out here when I can." He said to her, slipping back to an older time, when he wasn't so driven by rage it was all he could see. It was like he was wearing red tinted glasses and gradually she pulled them off. Now he could see what really mattered, saving and protecting people. Plus, stopping B.O.W.s and their creators.
"There you are Captain! Who are you talking to? And... Did you just laugh?" Piers suddenly asked from behind and somehow he didn't know the younger man was even there.
Chris now leapt about thirty years back, feeling like he was caught by his sister doing something he probably shouldn't, like going down a slide while standing. He whirled around to face his partner, hoping he couldn't somehow see Lilly. It was highly unlikely, given how snug it was inside, and all the gear on him, but he still couldn't help but feel self conscious. What was he even supposed to say?
"He was talking to me!" Lilly chirped out from within his stomach and Chris could feel his heart dropping to join her inside.
Piers had a totally blank look on his face, but Chris could see his eyes focusing on the now suddenly ever so interesting rows of grenades, magazines and medical supplies over his chest and stomach.
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The younger operative wasn't sure what his Captain did, but he heard this young, small girl voice come from his direction, somehow. At first he thought it was on the radio, but it didn't sound right. It was muffled and came directly from Redfield's middle. He narrowed his eyes slightly before he looked back up to Chris's face, which didn't tell him much. He had a frown, as he always did, but his head was slightly dipped, which was strange.
"Who was that?" Piers asked, sounding a bit more accusatory than he meant to, but he let it go.
Chris was a hard man to stand up to. Each time Piers did, he fully expected to be grabbed and thrown across the room. He had a fierce temper and immense strength, a dangerous combo. Truth be told though, despite how intimidating Chris was, the man had never seriously harmed him, even when they disagreed.
Piers kept a stern, straight face as he always did while confronting his Captain. However, inside, his heart hammered away and normally he'd find himself holding his breath, only releasing it whenever Chris would look away. This time though, he didn't see that rage, he didn't see a man struggling with the urge to punch him thirty years forward. Instead, he saw a man that almost looked... ashamed? He watched then as Chris opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off.
"I'm Lilly! And who are you?" The girl asked, sounding quite happy, strangely enough. And yet, she still sounded as if she somehow spoke from... inside of Chris? But that didn't make any sense whatsoever. Her voice was muffled though, like it was coming through various layers.
"Piers." He responded through pure reflex, looking between Chris's face and his chest, struggling to decide where he should be looking.
"She was hiding in the playground." Chris finally said, shoulders tense, but not aggressively, moreso... defensively. Like he expected Piers to attack him.
He didn't understand why, but then again there were some important bits that he didn't understand about this whole situation. For example, he said she WAS hiding in the playground, but obviously not anymore.
"Where is she now? Did you..." He trailed off and walked closer to Chris, who visibly tensed even further. "... Stuff her under your vest?" Piers asked as he moved to Chris' side, trying to get a look behind his vest.
That earned him a choked, surprised sound from his Captain and a muffled giggle from the child.
"No silly! He-" Lilly was about to answer, but Chris cut her off.
"Let me explain it to him." Chris told her while Piers noticed the much more gentle tone he used with her, with just enough firmness to let her know he was serious.
A long enough moment passed where it seemed that Lilly listened. Then Chris let out a heavy sigh, before he slowly reached out to grab Pier's arm. He didn't move away, not sensing any danger or hostility from the bigger man. Instead, Chris gently led Piers away from the others, who were stopped and watching the two of them, waiting for orders. He made sure they were not in a spot where the snake could ambush them, before he let go and fully faced Piers.
Chris spoke first. "Let's make this quick, for everyone's sake." The more they lingered separated, the more at risk they were after all. Piers narrowed his eyes though, unsure how he felt about the cloak and dagger, but waited for an answer.
"She's inside of me, but she's safe-" Chris said, but Piers felt a knee jerk reaction to open his mouth.
"Inside you?! What does that mean?" Frankly, Piers had a dreaded feeling that he knew exactly what that meant, but he wanted to hear it confirmed before he thought about that for too long.
Chris pinched the bridge of his nose while Lilly let out a muffled giggle. "I'm in his tummy!" She exclaimed from within, apparently, the Captain's stomach.
Okay so she listened to Chris for about two minutes, not that Piers could really focus on that. Instead, all he could focus on was the swarm of questions that flooded his mind, like why the girl sounded so happy about having been devoured alive, and how she was even still alive and healthy inside, and what possessed his Captain to devour a child. Chris winced, before sighing again, probably not wanting it to come out so suddenly.
Piers gaped a few times, like a fish underwater, before he finally blurted something out. "Why?"
It wasn't the most important question on his mind, but it was the easiest to ask and it was important to know Chris's intentions for the girl.
"To keep her safe. We can't afford to always be watching her and risk her wandering off. This way, she'll be safe and we will know where she is at all times." Chris answered instead of the child, which Piers oddly found himself thankful for because he was starting to dread Lilly piping in and slamming him with what was going on.
Chris also had some good points, Piers didn't have a lot of experience with kids, but what little he did have, he found them to be quite difficult. At least this way, she was... contained. He was still quite confused and a little disgusted, but he could tell Chris meant well and she was alive. Really, that's all that mattered in the end, it was their job to keep civilians safe by any means necessary. Plus the kid amazingly sounded happy and fine with her situation.
"If you can hold off on the questions until later, we should go." Chris suggested, his tone probably the most gentle it's ever been towards Piers. It was a suggestion and not a firm order, for starters.
Piers agreed, he didn't like Chris leaving the group from the start and the more he asked questions, the more at risk everyone was at, including the poor girl. He trusted Chris enough to know he wouldn't intentionally hurt the child, so the rest of his questions could wait.
"Okay, yes uh, let's go." Piers stammered, still rattled about the whole thing as he waved a dismissive arm, then turned and started to walk back to the group.
Before he could get out of earshot though, he heard Chris speak to Lilly.
"Try to stay quiet, alright? We don't need everyone knowing you're in there right now." Chris said, which was another good point. Piers was amazed at how much he found himself silently agreeing with him about this.
"Okay, I'm sorry I got you in trouble with Mr. Piers." The girl said, followed by Chris letting out a snort. The Captain was hardly in trouble with Piers, it's not like he could do much about it, but he thankfully didn't want to anyway.
He didn't answer though, none of them exchanged any further words about it as they both regrouped with the rest of the team.
"Alright everyone, there's a dangerous and intelligent B.O.W. out there, stick together and don't do anything stupid. Let's go." Chris commanded in his much more usual deeper, louder voice that got everyone's attention.
Piers was still tense, his brain trying to imagine that there was a small child nestled under all those layers of gear, muscle and... actually in the Captain's stomach. But he tried to push the thoughts aside and focus on the mission at hand as he followed closely behind Chris, with the others behind him.
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It's been a bit of a wild venture for Lilly, who was now finally able to relax in the soft, snug belly of Chris Redfield. She was a bit scared of him at first, he was pretty big and intimidating after all. But he proved to be quite gentle with her and cared about her wellbeing. She could tell he was a bit on the gruff side, probably because of his job. He fought monsters after all, and won! He would have to be a bit scary to do that. But now, Lilly put her full trust in him. She did not fear him in the slightest now and only felt comfort and safety in his tummy.
Lilly smiled in the warm darkness, curled up in a loose but comfortable ball, eyes closed since she couldn't see anything anyway. His stomach rocked in a soothing manner as he walked, a feeling she got used to since he carried her from the playground. But now she knew they were also accompanied by Chris' friends, like Mr. Piers and whoever the others were. She never got to see Piers, not yet anyway, but he sounded younger than Chris and called him Captain. Lilly guessed that Chris was probably the leader of the group, which hopefully meant what he says, goes.
She still planned to keep quiet, as he asked. They might not understand that Chris was just protecting her in his tummy and might even try to hurt him if they thought he was evil. She didn't want that, the idea made her curl up in a smaller ball with a small pout.
Thankfully, unless she literally started bouncing off the walls, she should be able to move as much as she wanted. She remembered his bulky vest and all the stuff on it, she doubted anyone could see her under it if she kept quiet. So with a soft murmur, she snuggled into the squishy, dense belly walls around her. They were plush enough to give her plenty of cushion, like an enclosed water bed. But behind the softer tissue, the girl was surrounded by a dense layer of unwavering muscle, something she could feel if she pressed against the walls hard enough. She could also feel it passively, the support and stability of his gut, even as he started to jog, those muscles held her and kept the ride from being dizzying.
It also kept the free space she had relatively small, but she didn't mind really. Given her size, the space she had was about right for her. She could still stretch a bit if she needed to, or loosely curl up, but the stomach walls did have a habit of closing in softly to cuddle her. Lilly couldn't help the cute giggle that came out when they did just that, lightly wiggling in return.
Then, the stomach tensed up entirely when Chris got into a fight. It did that before, when that big mean snake tried to get him and he dodged it. She guessed it was because of the tension of being attacked, the muscles around her closed in, holding her more firmly. It never hurt her, it just took her free space and lightly squished her, like a tight and protective hug.
She heard muffled gunfire now, but from inside of his tummy, it wasn't so scary. Even when he fired his own gun, it was a little louder, but not enough to cause any harm. It did however send small vibrations through his body, and thus, through her too. Caused by the recoil against his shoulder probably. Oftentimes the girl would find herself letting out an accidental giggle from the strange feeling, but thankfully nobody could hear it while they were shooting.
Before she knew it, the fight was over, and Chris' muscles relaxed around her, giving her more space. She smiled again, listening to his heart, which was beating pretty fast, but it was still soothing. It was in rhythm, each beat was filled with life, and hinted at the sheer size and power of Mr. Redfield. His breathing was a lot the same, with deep, heavy breaths supplying them both with air, each breath causing her whole world to softly expand and contract. It was all a steady reminder that she wasn't alone anymore. Someone was right here, all around her, carrying her safely inside of him.
In any other context, feeling such motions all around her may have been unnerving or creepy, but in this sense, all Lilly felt was comfort. Such comfort that she didn't realize she was dozing off as Chris spoke to his men. She was too tired to make out the words, but his voice rumbled around her with strength, confidence and authority. It was different from the way he spoke to her, his voice was softer, filled with concern and care. She could still hear that now, towards those who looked to him for leadership, but it was less noticeable as he explained to them their next step in their mission.
As they set off again, Lilly was just about fully asleep, letting herself sink into the soft belly around her, not minding as the walls closed in or his muscles tensed. She was safe, Chris will keep her safe, so she didn't have anything to fear anymore. She had been through enough excitement now that the poor girl needed to sleep. If she was lucky, by the time she wakes up, Chris' mission will be complete and she could go back to her family.
With one last happy hum, the young tot drifted off to a peaceful slumber, with faint little snores coming from the BSAA Captain's belly.