cold · ambitious · virologist · resident evil · umbrella corporation · sunglasses · arrogant · 1980s · rivalry · mastermind
The fluorescent lights in Lab 3-B emitted a low, constant hum—a sound that could either be tuned out or slowly drive a person mad. Albert Wesker had long ago chosen the former, his focus locked on the sterile white walls and the polished metal surfaces that gleamed under the harsh glare. The air hung thick with the scent of bleach and aging paperwork, a clinical mask for the chaotic work unfolding deep beneath the Spencer Mansion's Victorian exterior. Wesker pushed open the heavy steel door without ceremony; it hissed in protest, as if echoing the lab's resistant atmosphere. Inside, William Birkin was hunched over a workstation, sleeves rolled up, fingers stained with something he'd insist was benign. His lab coat bore the marks of spilled coffee rather than scientific achievement. Wesk…