.....
Later that night, at a bar in Raccoon City, Allen arrived together with Michaela. She was walking while clinging to Allen's arm, using him for support so she wouldn't fall. Her legs were still trembling, making it hard for her to walk properly after what they had done earlier. Allen didn't seem bothered at all—if anything, he calmly adjusted his pace so she could lean on him more comfortably as they entered the bar.
Inside, the atmosphere was lively but relaxed. Soft music played in the background, mixed with the low hum of conversations and clinking glasses. That was when Allen spotted Cindy behind the counter, clearly in the middle of her shift. When Cindy noticed Allen walking in with Michaela hanging onto him, she immediately smiled and stepped out from behind the bar to greet him.
"Hey, Allen. You finally came. Everyone's been waiting for you," Cindy said cheerfully as she approached him.
She gently grabbed Allen by the arm and guided him further inside toward a table where Rebecca, Hera, and Aphrodite were already seated. The three women were casually chatting while enjoying glasses of non-alcoholic juice.
"I'll get back to work for now," Cindy added with a grin. "I'll join you later after my shift is over."
Before walking away, she leaned in without hesitation and kissed Allen on the cheek.
That simple gesture immediately drew several glances from around the bar. A few patrons—who had clearly been admiring the beautiful waitress from afar—looked noticeably disappointed now that it was obvious she already had someone special.
Allen, however, remained completely unfazed, simply giving Cindy a small nod before she returned to work.
After that, Allen took a seat with the girls, while Michaela carefully settled down beside him.
"Ohhh, looks like you two were having a lot of fun earlier. No wonder you're late," Aphrodite teased with a playful smile, her eyes glancing toward Michaela, who was still having trouble walking properly.
That alone was enough to make Michaela's face flush red. She lowered her head slightly, clearly embarrassed.
"I-I'm sorry… this is my fault," she said softly.
"Oh, Michaela, you don't need to apologize for that," Aphrodite replied warmly. She moved closer, gently taking Michaela's hand in hers. "Besides, we're family now. There's nothing to feel ashamed about."
Michaela looked a little relieved at that, managing a small smile.
Not long after Allen spending time chatting and drinking with his women, Kevin and Leon entered the bar.
Both of them looked worn out, their shoulders heavy with exhaustion—clearly the result of a long shift at the R.P.D., especially with the strange and disturbing cases they'd been dealing with lately.
When they spotted Allen surrounded by the girls, the two immediately walked over.
"Hey, Allen. Looks like you're enjoying yourself," Kevin said with a tired grin.
"Oh, and hello, ladies. Sorry if we're interrupting your time together," he added politely, greeting Allen's women in a friendly manner as well.
"Well, it's fine," Aphrodite replied with a smile as she shifted slightly, making room so Kevin and Leon could sit beside Allen and chat with him.
"Hey Kevin. Hey Leon," Allen replied casually. "You guys here for a drink?"
"Yeah, something like that," Kevin answered. "Just trying to relax a bit after work."
Before the conversation could go further, another familiar face appeared.
"Hey, Allen. Long time no see," Mark said as he approached.
"Oh, hey Mark. How've you been?" Allen replied.
"I'm doing fine," Mark said with a calm smile.
Rebecca, who had been quietly observing the conversation, leaned slightly closer to Allen, obvious curiosity written on her face. That was because Mark was still wearing his work uniform, complete with the Umbrella logo on it.
"Who is he?" she asked softly.
"Oh, that's Mark Wilkins," Allen explained. "He's the head of security at Spencer Memorial Hospital. Don't worry, he's a good guy."
"Oh…" Rebecca responded, nodding in understanding.
She was just about to ask more when the atmosphere in the bar suddenly shifted.
*Bang*
The door creaked open again.
A homeless man stumbled inside, his clothes filthy, his movements stiff and unnatural. The smell that followed him was unpleasant, and the way his eyes wandered around the room made several patrons uncomfortable.
Aphrodite and Hera immediately noticed the homeless man.
"Tsk… we should leave. Now," Hera said quietly, her tone sharp with unease.
She instantly stood up and moved toward Rebecca, while Aphrodite—sensing the same danger—carefully helped Michaela to her feet, supporting her gently.
Something about the man felt wrong… far too wrong.
The lively atmosphere inside the bar slowly faded, replaced by an uncomfortable silence, as if everyone in the room could subconsciously sense that something terrible was about to happen.
Allen could only shake his head in irritation, annoyed that his brief moment of relaxation had been interrupted by what was obviously a zombie.
Leon, meanwhile, immediately felt uneasy the moment he noticed the homeless man's strange behavior. The way he staggered around, the unnatural stiffness in his movements, and the faint growling noises coming from his throat—it all felt disturbingly familiar, far too similar to the bizarre cases they had been dealing with lately.
His instincts immediately screamed danger.
Before Leon could react, one of the bartenders stepped forward, clearly trying to handle the situation himself.
"Sir, if you're here to cause trouble, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," the bartender said as he approached the homeless man, who appeared to be slumped motionless on the floor.
Leon's eyes widened.
"Hey—don't get close to him!" Leon shouted.
But it was already too late.
Grrrraaah!
The man suddenly jerked upright, revealing bloodshot eyes and a twisted expression before lunging forward. His teeth sank deep into the bartender's neck. Blood sprayed violently across the floor and nearby tables as the man screamed in agony.
"Aaagh! Please—help! It hurts! Are you insane?! Let go of me!" the bartender cried, desperately trying to push the creature away.
Panic instantly erupted inside the bar. Customers screamed and rushed toward the exit, knocking over chairs and tables in their desperation to escape. Rebecca and the other women quickly moved closer to Allen, their faces pale with shock.
At that moment, Cindy returned carrying a tray of drinks—only to freeze in horror at the sight in front of her. The tray slipped from her hands and shattered on the floor.
"kyahhhh!" she cried, running toward him, terrified after seeing her coworker being torn apart right before her eyes.
"Leon, don't just stand there—shoot him!" Allen shouted. None of them were armed, and the situation was spiraling out of control fast.
Leon snapped out of it.
"S-Sorry!"
He raised his handgun, steadied his aim, and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The bullet tore straight through the zombie's head. The creature collapsed instantly, lifeless, its body hitting the floor with a dull thud.
Allen and Rebecca rushed to the bartender's side. Allen quickly checked his pulse, his expression darkening.
"He's dead," Allen said grimly.
Before anyone could process what had just happened, low groans echoed from outside. More shadows pressed against the windows. Drawn by the gunshot, several zombies had begun converging on the bar, their distorted figures visible through the glass.
"They're coming," Rebecca said nervously.
"Kevin, help me block the entrance!" Allen ordered.
Kevin immediately moved, pushing heavy tables toward the front door. Allen slammed it shut and wedged furniture against it, reinforcing the barricade as loud thuds began pounding from the other side.
Allen stood up and regrouped with the girls, positioning himself between them and the growing chaos.
Kevin and Leon moved quickly, trying to secure a safe route out while calming the people still trapped inside the bar, telling them to stay quiet and not panic.
"Cindy, does this bar have any weapons we can use?" Allen asked, his voice firm despite the tense atmosphere.
"Ah—yeah, wait!" Cindy replied.
She hurried toward the back room and returned moments later carrying a Glock 17, apparently left there by the bar's owner for emergencies like robberies or violent incidents. Along with it, she also brought several sharp objects—an emergency fire axe and whatever else she could quickly find.
"This is all I could get," Cindy said as she handed the items over to Allen.
"That's enough," Allen replied calmly.
He took the pistol and immediately handed it to Rebecca for protection, while keeping only the fire axe for himself.
Not long after, Kevin returned together with Leon, while Mark worked to calm the civilians who still hadn't managed to escape yet.
"We found a way out through the back door," Kevin said.
Allen shook his head. "Too dangerous. There are too many zombies out there. And with civilians like this, it won't be safe—most of them can't defend themselves if they're attacked."
Before anyone could argue—
Bang!
Glass shattered. One of the windows burst inward as several zombies forced their way inside, one after another.
Bang!
"They're coming in!" one of the customers screamed in panic.
Leon, Kevin, and Rebecca immediately opened fire, dropping the zombies one by one. But there were too many. Worse still, grotesque shapes began crawling through the broken windows—giant cockroaches and massive insect-like creatures, skittering across the floor and walls.
They were being surrounded.
"Cindy, is there another way out?" Allen asked sharply.
"Yes—there is!" Cindy replied after a moment of thought. "We can reach the roof from the third floor using the stairs. The rooftops are close enough that we might be able to jump from one building to another… or we can use the emergency stairs over there."
Allen nodded. "Alright. Everyone, move. Now."
He took the lead, carving a path forward. Behind him, Hera and Aphrodite supported Michaela as they moved. Michaela clenched her teeth, clearly frustrated—her body was still exhausted, trembling from the intensity of what she'd gone through earlier, leaving her barely able to keep up.
Gunshots echoed behind them as Leon and Kevin provided cover fire, holding back the undead long enough for the group to push toward the stairwell. The bar was descending into hell, but for now, they still had a chance to escape—if they moved fast enough.
As they were all moving toward the staircase, Bob—Mark's friend—was suddenly grabbed by the dead bartender who had already turned into a zombie and was bitten hard.
"A-ahhh!"
"No, Bob!" Mark shouted as he immediately opened fire, shooting at the zombies to try and save him.
But Bob shook his head despite the pain. "Go, Mark. Don't come any closer. I'm done for… I've been bitten. I'll probably turn into one of them," Bob said through clenched teeth.
"No, Bob. I won't leave my friend behind," Mark replied desperately.
"Go! I'll try to hold them back," Bob shouted, raising his weapon and firing at several approaching zombies to buy them time.
Meanwhile, up the stairs on the third floor, Allen suddenly heard the screams and gunfire echoing from below. He stopped in his tracks, his expression stiffening as he realized what was happening downstairs.
"Allen, the door's locked—what do we do?!" Leon shouted, slamming his shoulder against the metal door with no effect.
"Move back," Allen said calmly. He took a single step forward, then drove his foot into the lock with full force. Bang!
The door burst open, the hinges screeching as it flew inward and crashed against the wall.
This naturally left Leon a little shocked by the way Allen had kicked the steel door open, making him realize just how strong Allen really was.
"Alright, everyone get inside. It's safe here—for now," Allen said after quickly scanning the room to make sure there were no infected inside.
He was about to turn back to help Mark and Bob when Rebecca grabbed his arm, stopping him. "Allen, wait. I brought these earlier—just in case."
She pulled out several syringes filled with a pale-blue liquid from a small medical pouch. 'Vaccines.'
"Thanks," Allen said as he took one of them, briefly leaning in to kiss Rebecca on the lips before turning back to the others.
"Here, you two take these as well," Rebecca said, handing syringes to Leon and Kevin. "If you get bitten, use them immediately."
"Got it. Thank you," Leon said seriously.
"Yeah, this might save our lives," Kevin added with a nod.
Without wasting another second, Allen rushed back down the stairs.
The sounds of gunfire and the groans of the undead echoed from below.
He charged straight into the chaos, cutting through the zombies blocking the path, driving his axe into their skulls one after another.
"Bob, right?" Allen shouted as he reached them. "Come on, move! Don't worry about turning—I've got a vaccine for you."
He shoved the syringe into Bob's hand.
"Th-thank you…" Bob gasped, immediately injecting himself despite his trembling hands.
Mark grabbed Bob and pulled him toward the stairs. "Move! I've got you!"
"I'll cover you!" Allen shouted, stepping between them and the approaching horde.
He kicked one zombie backward into the others before driving his axe upward into another's skull, the bodies collapsing into a bloody heap.
From above, Kevin shouted,
"Allen! Everyone's up here! We're ready to block the entrance!"
"Hold on—I'm coming!" Allen replied as he violently shook the axe to clear the blood sticking to the blade.
He sprinted up the stairs just as more zombies began pouring in behind him.
The moment he reached the third floor, Kevin and Leon immediately slammed the door shut. Together, they shoved a heavy cabinet and several pieces of furniture against it, barricading the stairwell entrance.
The pounding and snarling continued from the other side, but for the moment… the barricade held.