The Past Revived

Reunion

Claire held her breath as her gun was within her tight grip. It was the same as it always has been for her as she could feel fear creep inside the back of her mind. With a single trace of movement from the empty halls she will shoot in response. Claire came across a door and opened it slowly to see a shade of black fly up the stairs. She steadied her breath and followed the shade. A door opened and closed ahead. She rushed in silent footsteps to reach a white door decorated in gold.

"Let's do this." Claire muttered as she burst through the door.

To Claire's suprise the residents looked at her suprised as she was. Claire saw children along with a woman clad in black breastfeeding her baby. Claire lowered her gun slowly at the sight before she was held by the throat from a blade. The woman behind her spoke in a quiet rage.

"Drop it." Her grip tightened on Claire's left arm. "Now."

Claire dropped the gun and Steve slid it aside with his foot. He pointed his gun at her before seeing her face closely. He lowered his hands.

"...Claire?"

"Steve..."

"Marianne let her go." Steve said.

Marianne hesitated for a moment before releasing Claire. Claire rushed to embrace Steve and Steve did the same.

"You're alive... I knew you were."

"It's thanks to them."

Claire looked at the nervous group as they eyed her suspiciously.

"She carries the same attire as those men did." Alexander said in distaste.

"It's ok. I'm not allied with them." Claire spoke. "My name is Claire Redfield."

"I have a hard time believing your alignment after they shot my brother. I don't care if you are this "Claire" Steve spoke of, those men shot at us with every intention to kill." Marianne sized up. "And the fact you wear their emblems means you might do the same."

"Please allow me to explain-"

"Explain to us why they wanna kill us when we did nothing wrong?!" Lysithea asked.

Donna held onto Dorian as he continued to feed from her breast. The children and mothers grew even more weary of Claire as she desperately tried to clam down the situation.

"Let her speak everyone. Stop pressuring her please!" Steve stepped in front of her before turning back. "Explain please Claire."

Claire nodded and began to tell them her story of the events before and now. The children and adults listened closely. As Claire finished she put a hand over her head.

"When they said to erase the hostiles they never mentioned any of you... they mentioned a man who is (F/N) (L/N). He was the main target for them. I didn't know there would be children among them..."

"Our father never did anything to them!" Lysithea spoke angrily.

"It's not what he did." Claire said. "It's what he is right now. They want to harvest and examine him to advance their research into this "mold" Umbrella discovered in Louisiana."

"Well they can't have him... he belongs... here with us!" Donna raised her voice. "He isn't theirs."

Everyone looked at her in suprise as they never heard her speak so loudly before. Her fierce eyes unfiltered as they glared into a distraught Claire. Claire could feel a knot form in her chest as Steve remained silent beside her.

"I only joined them for Steve... no harm will come to you or your family." Claire spoke. "Of that I can promise."

The room tension died down as they relaxed hearing her promise. However, they still grew weary of her when she clasped Steve's shoulder.