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Leon had told him he'd likely be placed with Professor Chambers. He'd elaborated more explaining while he'd personally never met the woman he had heard a lot about her. She was ex-STARS, Luis had shuttered at that, and she worked with anyone in the bioterrorism sector.
He'd likely be strapped to her in some form of house arrest. Luis thought he'd be able to live with it. Sure enough Leon's guess had been accurate, and he'd been shipped off across the states to some lab.
He'd been walked in like some criminal which wasn't exactly wrong… He didn't know what he expected but seeing the small woman glance up at them wasn't it. She was smaller than even Ashley. Adorned in a lab coat and a pair of glasses, her brown pixie cut kept her hair out of her bluish green eyes.
“You must be Luis.” She said as she walked over and eyed him.
“Si, and you must be Professor Chambers, I'm enchanted."
She just raised an unamused eyebrow before looking past him to his guards. “Well, you can go. He's here, you've done your job I can deal with him from here.”
He blinked at the steel in her voice. Sure enough, she was obeyed and soon the others left leaving just the two of them.
“Well Luis, your first task is to get me a coffee. I expect a caramel macchiato with extra whipped cream and chocolate chips.”
Luis blinked at her for a moment after she turned her back and went back to what she was doing previously. After a moment she glanced over her shoulder.
“Well?”
He just nodded, “Whatever you desire.” He agreed then turning on his heel to go find her some coffee.
And so that's what he did for the next few weeks. He was kept busy running errands for her. Lots of coffee runs and other small tasks. He'd also been chastised thoroughly for trying to light a cigarette.
He'd jumped about a mile when he'd flicked his lighter on and she'd barked.
“DON'T YOU DARE LIGHT THAT IN HERE!”
He'd fumbled so badly he dropped both the lighter and cigarette. His hands also immediately went up in surrender.
She turned once more back to her task like she hadn’t almost given him a heart attack. “Those things will kill you.” She huffed annoyed.
He chuckled lightly as he collected his things from the floor and put the cigarette behind his ear. “You sound like Leon.”
“Oh?”
“Si, he said the same thing to me when we met.”
“Well, he was right.”
And that had been the end of that. He'd been informed he'd only be allowed to smoke outside. Which should have been a given.
It was a month later when Rebecca finally started asking him questions about his past. He'd stiltedly explained his regrets and the morbid curiosity and intrigue that had led him here.
It was Frankenstein's monster in a way, the draw to create new life without the forethought for what it would bring. He'd not really understood until he'd been extracted from Raccoon right before things started going really bad. He'd only realized when the city had been wiped out.
From there he'd run to Spain to escape Umbrella. Only to end up looped in with the Plaga research years later with the same draw and identical result. The only difference is he realized beforehand but couldn't stop it. Not with his life being held over his head.
Rebecca hadn't said much in regards to her opinion, but she seemed to understand. In fact, the only thing she'd said was not to fall for it again. He'd just laughed and promised he had no intention to. He was simply here to create cures and help now. It was the least he could do.
After that he'd been actually invited to help with her work. Running labs, tests, creating mockups, and brainstorming. She was wickedly smart and he was happy to say he could follow along just fine.
They bounced off of each other perfectly and he was amazed to realize just how in sync they were. She too seemed amused by the whole thing when he'd finished her thought. Though she was thoroughly unamused by his attempts at charming her. But he was sure he was winning her over because she stopped rolling her eyes at it a two and a half months in.
It was six months in when he found himself sitting outside with a cigarette in hand. Numerous butts lay on the ground from his previous ones.
He just needed a minute just….just a minute. Rubbing at his eyes as he took another puff. It was back the fucking Plaga somewhere else and now others were dealing with it. He knew theoretically it was still out there that Ada had taken the amber.
But this wasn't from that this was different…new, not an offshoot of what was in the amber. That made it all worse however because that means it got out a different way. It made him somehow feel more and less guilty. On one hand he wasn't to blame for it, but on the other hand…how?
How did someone get another sample and had they taken his research? He hadn't shredded it, he should have shredded it.
He stubbed out his current cigarette and fished out another. He barely registered Rebecca sitting down beside him. He doesn't acknowledge her and she doesn't speak. They just sit in silence as he lights his new cigarette and takes a puff.
He's halfway through it before she speaks.
“You know now is your chance to do what you told me you wanted to.”
He scoffs. “There is no cure for that parasite.” He spits out like a curse. “It gets to a point of failure, and you are simply dead.”
She hums.
“You should hate me.” He says without prompting because it's honestly one of the things eating him alive.
She blinks at the side of his head confused. “What do you mean?”
He gestures sporadically around. “Everything! I'm the reason your friends were hunted down. I'm part of the reason why a city no longer exists. I'm to blame for the current Plaga issue.”
“I don't think that last part is true.”
“How would you know?! I was one of the best they had. My research is a step-by-step guide on how it works. I was too much of a coward to fight.”
She sighs and plucks the cigarette out of his hand. He finally turns and glares, but he's ignored as she stubs it out
“What I think is you let your ambitions get ahead of your sense. You have blood on your hands that is undeniable, but not as much as others. You also feel regret and that's more than most.” Then out of left field she tacks on. “You know Leon's been hunting down umbrella people on his own time. All that man does is work from what I'm told.”
She turns to face him fully now and he begrudgingly meets her gaze. He's confused and absolutely lost, but she seems to be getting to her point.
“But do you know something interesting? Most of those scientists have started on their own schemes. They're trying to reimagine the virus and make their own spins on it. You to my knowledge are the only one who's doing anything to combat it all.”
Luis just stared at her stunned, and she continued mercilessly.
“So no, I don't hate you and I don't think I ever will. In fact, you have the potential to do so much good. All you have to do is try, which you already are! You're brilliant and have helped me more than I could have ever imagined When I was first informed about this arrangement. We've made basic vaccines for some stuff now, and we are sending the agents into the field without that worry. I couldn't say that before.”
Luis truly didn't know what to say, just blinked at her as it all washed over him.
“Look, I know the current situation is hitting a bit too close to home. But if there's anyone that can get to the bottom of this it's you. So stop moping and help fix it, because I promise you that's the only way you'll feel better.” She stood then and offered out a hand.
He took it and was surprised and was surprised at the strength as she helped pull him up.
“What is it that Leon calls you? Don Quixote, right? Well come on brave knight you have people to save.”
The bright smile she gives him feels better than any cigarette, and he can do nothing else but follow her inside.
It's an uncountable number of hours later. They'd been working constantly since they re-entered the lab. He isn't sure how long it's been, but he knows it was light when they started and the sun now was just rising again.
“Dios mio… I need a smoke this is…”
“Go ahead.” She waved him off.
He paused. “What?”
She looked over her shoulder. “Go ahead I don't care anymore, but I need you here.”
“In here..?”
“If I have to repeat myself again it's going to be a no.”
He just lit his cigarette and did his best to make sure she didn't get any smoke in her face. She seemed to appreciate it if the small nod she gave him was any indication.
The sun was going down by the time it was done. They were both barely functioning and Luis was ready to collapse and sleep for at least a day. Rebecca had simply stumbled over to a corner and pulled out a mat. Luis blinked at it dumbly and she waved him over.
“Neither of us could drive if we wanted. Come on, we're crashing here for a few hours.”
He just trudged over shucking off the lab coat. Rebecca had already done the same with hers and was making herself comfortable. He sat down beside her his eyes already heavy.
“Small mat.” He observed.
She huffed clearly already half asleep. “Just keep your hands to yourself.”
He chuckled as he laid down with a yawn. “Of course princess, wouldn't dream of it.”
He was out a moment later flat on his back with Rebecca at his side curled up away from him.
He blinked awake some time later and noticed a weight on his chest. He looked down confused and blinked more at the sight of Rebecca curled into his side, her head on his chest. He chuckled despite himself and the grumbled noise she let out almost had him chuckling again.
He squinted over at the clock, two in the morning. Hadn't she said only a few hours? Well to be fair he was still utterly exhausted, but he wanted another cigarette…he however wasn't about to wake Rebecca. He sighed as he dropped his head back to the pillow, a few more hours then actual decisions could be made. With that he let sleep take him once more.
He stirred once more when he felt movement. He cracked his eyes open only to lock gazes with Rebecca.
“Good morning sleeping beauty.”
She blushed slightly and looked away as she scrambled off him.
“I didn't-”
He shook his head as he sat up. “Oh I don't care princess.”
“Shut up.” She grumbled as she straightened out her clothes.
He stood and contented himself with pulling out a cigarette. “Come on, I need a smoke, let's get out of here.”
She looked over at him again and raised an eyebrow. “It's four.”
He shrugged, “I needed a smoke two hours ago, besides didn't you say we'd only stay to sleep off the worst of it?”
She sighed, “Yeah come on.”
She picked up her keys and bag. He followed along at her heels, fidgeting with his lighter as she locked up the lab.
“I'm going to be transferred somewhere else soon.” She said without prompting.
“I'm going with you, Si?”
“Of course you are, I'm your jailer.”
“And what a darling one you are.”
She shoved him with a hand. “Watch yourself cowboy.”