AN : Hehe, my updates have been getting fewer and fewer lately.
And all I can do is apologize for that. đ
.....
Meanwhile, in the northern area of the city, a capsule containing a Tyrant with the designation Code: Nemesis was dropped from a great height toward the ground.
Crash!
The capsule smashed violently into the surface, cracking the asphalt and sending dust and debris flying outward. At the same time, eleven other capsules, each carrying Tyrant units similar to the T-103 model, were also launched and slammed into the ground at different locations across the city.
One by one, the Tyrants began to awaken as their internal programming finished executing. Their massive bodies slowly moved as the restraints released, muscles tightening as artificial life fully returned to them. Within their coded directives, they were assigned several priority targetsâlocal police officers, a reporter named Benjamin, Chief Brian, military personnel working for the federal side, and most importantly, any surviving members of S.T.A.R.S. still inside the city.
These individuals were marked because they could become witnessesâpeople who knew too much about Umbrella's secrets.
Among those names, Allen was also included on their target list.
This operation was clearly orchestrated by Sergei, who had always been suspicious and distrustful of Allen from the very beginning. Even though Spencer had claimed that Allen was "Alex's man," Sergei paid little attention to those words. He never truly believed in Allen's loyalty, nor did he trust a man whose actions were difficult to predict.
For Sergei, doubt alone was more than enough reason to act.
And so, the Tyrants were unleashedâmarking the beginning of a far more dangerous phase for everyone still trapped within the city.
The Tyrants then began moving toward the locations where their assigned targets were believed to be. Anything that stood in their path was immediately treated as an obstacle to be eliminated. Vehicles were smashed aside, barricades were torn apart, and walls were reduced to rubble as the Tyrants advanced without hesitation. To them, destruction was not an act of aggressionâit was simply part of their programmed function.
Meanwhile, the Echo Six unit had successfully secured Dr. Muller at the designated extraction point. However, before the operation could be concluded, they received new orders from Morgan. The mission parameters were updated, instructing them to redeploy Tyrant Thanatos back into the combat zone in order to collect additional battlefield data. The objective was clear: gather as much combat information as possible, regardless of the risks involved.
Dr. Muller agreed to the plan without objection. He handed over the control tablet for Thanatos to one of the Echo Six operatives. At the same time, he kept his laptop with him as a precaution. It was his contingency planâif he were betrayed, he intended to use the Tyrant itself as a means of retaliation.
"This is incredibly ironic," Marisa said, her tone filled with disgust. "It looks like we're being forced to work alongside a biological weapon."
"We're just following orders," Jertingham replied, attempting to reassure his team. "So I'd appreciate it if you don't dwell on it too much, alright?"
Even as he spoke, Jertingham felt the same unease as the rest of them. The situation was deeply unsettling. The Tyrant was clearly not human in any sense, and the idea of treating a monster like that as a teammate went against every instinct he had as a soldier.
At the same time, Sienna continued observing the area through her night-vision scope.
After a moment, she spoke up.
"Captain, I'm seeing several civilians trapped on a rooftop. They look stranded and in need of immediate assistance."
There was a hint of concern in her voice.
All she could do now was hope that her captain would choose to deploy the team to help those innocent people before the situation grew even worse.
Hearing that, Jertingham immediately nodded.
"Alright then," he said firmly. "We'll move in from below and provide covering support while we wait for the helicopter to extract them."
Not long after, a barrage of gunfire erupted from the Echo Six team as they opened fire on the zombies attempting to reach the trapped civilians.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Hot rounds tore through the air, muzzle flashes illuminating the dark streets below as one undead body after another collapsed onto the pavement.
The team moved with practiced precision, clearing paths, covering each other's blind spots, and keeping the infected at bay as best they could.
Meanwhile, the civilians on the rooftop desperately waved their arms, some shouting for help while others simply stared in exhausted silence, having spent hours trapped with nowhere to run.
When the rescue helicopter finally arrived and lowered its extraction line, the reality of the situation became painfully clear.
Only a small number of civilians could be evacuated.
Several others had already succumbed to their injuries, having been bitten by zombies long before help could reach them.
Their bodies lay motionless on the rooftop, beyond saving.
The outcome left the members of Echo Six visibly frustrated. The silence that followed the extraction was heavy. They all knew the truthâif they had arrived just a little sooner, more lives might have been saved. That realization lingered with them as the helicopter pulled away, leaving behind yet another reminder of how unforgiving the city had become.
Even so, Echo Six continued moving forward, advancing from building to building as they swept through the area, searching for anyone who might still be alive. Every doorway, every hallway was checked with caution, weapons raised, eyes sharp. The city offered little mercy.
When they encountered a family who had clearly been bitten, the members of Echo Six felt a sharp pain in their chests. Among them were childrenâalready infected. Seeing that was far harder than facing any monster.
"Hello," Jertingham said, his voice steady despite the situation. "We're special forces. We're here to get you out."
He took a step closer, lowering his weapon slightly.
"Come with us. We'll evacuate you from this place."
"No, sir⊠it's too late for us," the man replied while tightly holding his daughter. "We've already been bitten. You should go."
His voice trembled as he continued, "We won't be ourselves for much longer. I don't want to put you in danger when that happens."
The pain in his words was unmistakableâespecially as his daughter's condition was already worsening. Her eyes were unfocused, her movements sluggish, the signs impossible to ignore.
"Daddy⊠where's Mommy?" the little girl asked softly.
The man swallowed hard.
"She's in the next room, sweetheart. You should rest now. It's already late," he said gently, forcing calm into his voice.
Watching this unfold, Sienna felt her heart sink. They had arrived too late. There was no saving the girl anymore, and she knew it.
The man then looked back at them.
"Please⊠leave. At least let us rest here in peace."
Jertingham nodded silently, clenching his fist tightly before turning away. Without another word, the team withdrew from the building.
Not long after they had moved a short distance awayâ
Bang!
Bang!
Two gunshots echoed through the night.
"Damn itâŠ!" Sienna shouted in rage, kicking a nearby trash bin with all her strength. It slammed into a wandering zombie, crushing its body against the wall.
Seeing Sienna's outburst, Caroline quickly stepped in, placing a hand on her shoulder and trying to calm her down. Meanwhile, Jertingham and the others remained silent.
They felt it too.
In a city like this, sometimes the worst wounds weren't physicalâthey were the ones that stayed with you long after the gunfire faded.
"Is there a vaccine that can stop this from spreading any further?" Morris, the team's medical officer, asked, his voice tense but controlled.
Hearing that, Sienna immediately thought of Allen. He did have a formulaâshe knew that much. But the thought of dragging him into this, of putting his life at risk for something this dangerous, made her hesitate. She stayed silent.
Caroline seemed to reach the same conclusion. The idea of Allen crossed her mind as well, but when she noticed Sienna's quiet expression, she chose not to say anything. The unspoken understanding hung heavily between them.
"We'll head to the hospital," Jertingham finally said. "Maybe we can find some leads there regarding a vaccine."
Without wasting time, Jertingham activated his communicator and contacted command.
"Command, this is Jertingham of Echo Six," he reported. "We're currently operating near the hospital. Requesting permission to move in and search for information related to a possible vaccine for this outbreak."
There was a brief pause before the response came through the static.
"Permission granted," the voice replied. "However, we also expect you to restore the generator in that area if possible. Be advisedâthere have been reports of unknown hostile entities near the hospital. Prepare for combat."
"Understood," Jertingham answered firmly. "Thanks for the warning."
The transmission ended, and the team exchanged brief looks. A hospital meant answersâbut in a city like this, it also meant things far worse than zombies might be waiting for them.
The Echo Six team began moving toward the hospital. As they advanced through the ruined streets, the air suddenly shook from a massive explosion.
BOOM!
A fireball erupted in the distance, followed by smoke and debris scattering across the road. From the heart of the explosion, a man burst outârunning at full speed. He was wearing an R.P.D. police vest, his movements frantic, desperate, as if something horrifying was right on his heels.
Seeing this, Sienna immediately sprinted toward a corner, taking cover behind a wrecked vehicle to observe the situation from a safer position.
"He looks like he's from the Raccoon Police Department," Marissa said, narrowing her eyes.
"WaitâŠ" Sienna added, raising her binoculars. "Something's chasing him. That thingâ is that an Umbrella Tyrant? And⊠is it carrying a rocket launcher?"
Her voice wavered slightly. A Tyrant wielding heavy weaponry was something none of them wanted to face.
Jertingham and the rest of the team saw it clearly now, and the sight made them tense up instantly.
"Alright, everyone," Jertingham ordered. "We're engaging that Tyrant. We're not leaving that man behind."
Without hesitation, the team moved into position. Marissa, Sienna, and Caroline split off, quickly setting up makeshift traps and choosing firing angles, preparing for a coordinated attack.
Meanwhile, the man being chased was Brad, the Alpha Team pilot. He had just returned to Raccoon City, searching for any remaining S.T.A.R.S. members still trapped in the city. He had come back for themâRebecca, Kevin, and Allenâhoping to get them out alive.
Guilt weighed heavily on him. For too long, he had been a coward. He had abandoned his teammates during past missions, fled when things went bad. This time, he had sworn to himself that he wouldn't run away again.
But the moment he arrived and tried to contact the others, that monster appearedârelentless, unstoppable.
Brad had tried to fight back, firing his handgun again and again, but it was useless. The small-caliber bullets barely scratched the Tyrant's thick, inhuman skin.
"Help! Anyoneâplease!" Brad shouted desperately as he sprinted toward the main road, lungs burning, fear clawing at his chest.
"Hurry! Over here!" Jertingham yelled, stepping out from cover. "We're a military special forces unit! We'll protect you!"
Seeing them, Brad felt a surge of relief wash over him. Gathering the last of his strength, he changed direction and ran straight toward Echo Six, praying he hadn't been too late.
"Thank goodnessâŠ" Brad gasped, barely able to stay on his feet. "I'm Brad, a pilot from the Raccoon City branch. Pleaseâyou have to help me. There's a horrifying monster chasing me. Be careful⊠normal bullets won't even scratch that thing."
Those words alone were enough to send a chill through the team. Brad had clearly reached his limit; his breathing was ragged, his legs trembling as exhaustion finally caught up with him.
"If that's the case," Sienna said calmly as she raised her sniper rifle, "then we aim for the eyes. Let's see if that monster is really immune to bullets."
Without hesitation, Sienna moved swiftly toward a nearby building and climbed up to the rooftop, taking a high vantage point. She lay prone, steadying her breathing as she waited for the Tyrant to emerge into her line of sight.
Then she saw it.
The massive figure stepped forward through the smokeâtowering, unnatural, its presence alone suffocating the air around it. Sienna adjusted her scope, centered the crosshair directly on its eye, and squeezed the trigger.
BANG!
The shot rang out sharply through the street.
But at the very last second, Nemesis reacted. Its head shifted unnaturally fast, and the bullet only grazed the side of its face, tearing through flesh but failing to land a lethal hit.
Everyone froze in shock.
That thing had dodged a sniper round.
Slowly, the Tyrant turned its head and locked its gaze directly onto Brad. Its posture stiffened, muscles tightening as if responding to a deeply ingrained command buried within its code.
"S.T.A.R.SâŠ"
The voice was deep, distorted, and utterly inhuman.
The monster raised its rocket launcher, aiming it straight at Brad.
"What the fuckâŠ" Sienna muttered, her skin crawling. "It can talkâŠ"
The realization sent a wave of dread through everyone present.