Rebecca, without a hint of hesitation, yanked the gas mask off Javier's face, pinched his mouth open, and poured the medicine down his throat. This fierce action made Billy Coen recoil a few steps, scared.
Just moments before, he had thought Rebecca was a very good medic, tough on the outside but soft-hearted, and genuinely concerned for those around her in critical moments.
But now it seemed… Billy Coen had been wrong; this little girl was a complete, unreasonable devil!
"Cough, cough—!!!"
After a tube of herbicide went down, Javier felt his dizzy brain clear up considerably.
He didn't know if the medicine was truly working or if he was hallucinating.
"Wait!"
"You two stop messing around. The train is still moving, but those two U.B.C.S Squad members are dead.
Who is driving the train? If it's unmanned, the train will derail instantly."
Seeing Javier and Rebecca still busy bickering, Billy Coen quickly spoke up to remind them.
It was only then that the three of them recalled their true purpose for coming to the cockpit car: to investigate why the Zodiac Train had suddenly started moving and who was driving it.
"Thump, thump, thump…"
"Thump, thump, thump…"
"Thump, thump, thump…"
Without hesitation, amidst the rapid footsteps, the three exchanged glances and quickly ran to the cockpit car, opening the iron door of the huangdao Train's cockpit.
"Clang—!"
The iron door opened, but the scene inside the cockpit left all three of them stunned.
Outside the window, it was still a stormy downpour with lightning and thunder, raindrops hitting the window.
However, there was no one in the driver's seat; only the wipers continuously clearing the rain and the train continuing on automatic pilot.
"How could this be…?"
"How is there no one in the cockpit? Could it be that the two dead U.B.C.S soldiers started the train and then left it on automatic pilot?
Where is this line going? Damn it… if it keeps going at this high speed, the train will derail.
We have to stop it."
Billy Coen looked at the empty cockpit and the increasingly fast train, unable to help but curse.
Because if such a high-speed train derailed and crashed into a mountain wall, everyone on board would instantly perish.
No one could withstand such a massive impact.
As for jumping off the train to escape? Was this a Superman movie?
"Don't panic,"
"Didn't you see there's a train driving manual conveniently placed here? It should have been left by those two U.B.C.S soldiers.
Otherwise, how would those two soldiers know how to drive a train? The military doesn't specifically teach how to drive this kind of vehicle."
"Hmm… let me see.
The train's braking system seems to be this push rod.
However… the brakes on this huangdao Train require one person to push the lever in the cockpit, and another person to push a similar lever in the tail car.
Tsk, tsk… what genius came up with this braking method? It'd be a miracle if nothing went wrong!"
Javier reached out, picked up the scattered train driving manual from the ground, and began flipping through it, unable to help but complain.
The huangdao Train was indeed just like in the game; braking required two people, one at the front and one at the back, to push the levers.
This added a bit of game-like fun, but it was very impractical.
In an emergency, who could instantly run to the tail car to push the lever? It would be a miracle if it didn't crash!
However, despite saying that, Javier had no choice but to comply, as their three lives depended on it.
"…"
"Rebecca, you and Billy stay here.
I'll go to the tail car.
Remember to use the walkie-talkie to call; we'll push the levers together, understood?"
Without hesitation, Javier took the black walkie-talkie from his shoulder, waved it in front of Rebecca, and instructed her.
Rebecca nodded, indicating she understood.
Immediately, Javier jogged towards the tail car.
The zombies in the entire train car had already been cleared out, so the path was unobstructed.
Within a few minutes, Javier arrived at the tail car.
Indeed, the tail car had an operating device similar to the cockpit.
"Beep, beep, beep…"
"Hello, Rebecca, can you hear me?"
"I've reached the tail car.
Now, let's push the levers together.
Starting the countdown now: Three, two, one!"
Taking out the walkie-talkie, Javier gripped the lever with one hand and quickly spoke into the walkie-talkie to Rebecca with the other.
As the three-count countdown finished, the two of them, as if telepathically connected, pushed the levers together.
Immediately, a piercing screech of brakes erupted on the train tracks!
"Screech—!!!"
The braking system engaged, and sparks flew instantly across the train tracks.
However, due to the excessive speed, it was impossible to stop immediately.
The train continued to hurtle forward, its wheels instantly derailing and flipping sideways, sliding into an underground tunnel…!
Goodness, looking at the overturned train, Javier's expression froze.
He instantly clung tightly to the iron pillar in the tail car.
He had forgotten about this… In the storyline, if the train was braked, it would instantly overturn and rush into the underground tunnel of the Cadre Training Institute.
This seemed no different from derailing and crashing into the nearby mountain wall, except for a bit of cushioning…
Damn it, it just turned into a train drift—!
Chapter Sixteen: Sacred Flame of Exorcism
Cadre Training Institute—
"Bang—!"
"Boom—!"
With a series of loud bangs, the entire huangdao Train violently crashed into a dark tunnel, causing intense vibrations that nearly collapsed the tunnel.
Fortunately, there was ample buffer space within the tunnel; even though it derailed, the entire huangdao Train did not instantly crash into a wall and turn into a heap of scrap metal.
"Cough, cough…"
A cloud of smoke and dust rose in the tunnel.
Amidst a series of coughs, Javier, who had suffered some minor scrapes from the impact, slowly crawled out of the derailed train car.
It was too messed up; the entire car had derailed.
Although he was fine, the sudden situation had been too dangerous.
If he hadn't grabbed the iron pillar in the tail car, Javier might have truly kicked the bucket.
"Hey,"
"Rebecca, Billy, are you two alright?!"
Having just crawled out of the overturned car, Javier shouted towards the huangdao Train, which looked like a ruin.
Rebecca and Billy Coen were at the front of the train, and if there was an impact, the front would certainly bear the greater force.
So, Javier was very worried that something had happened to the two of them.
But soon, Javier felt he had worried too much.
After all, these two were protagonists; how could there be a plot where they were killed by a vehicle?
They always killed vehicles; how could a vehicle kill them? That was simply wishful thinking.
As expected, "Cough, cough…"
"Javier, we're fine.
Are you? You weren't hurt either, right!"
On the other side of the overturned car, Rebecca slowly helped Billy Coen walk out.
Although there was nothing seriously wrong, Billy Coen, the big man, had accidentally injured his leg.
After all, the impact was too great, and he was limping on his left foot.
"I'm fine,"
"But we've arrived at a very extraordinary place: the Cadre Training Institute.
If I'm not mistaken, this should be where the Umbrella Corporation researches viruses.
There are likely more zombies here, so we must be even more careful and vigilant."
Seeing that Rebecca and Billy Coen were fine, Javier breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Then, he looked up at the underground tunnel in front of them, reminding them with a serious expression.
Following Javier's gaze, Billy Coen and Rebecca also looked up.
They saw the Umbrella Corporation's iconic logo, a red and white umbrella, largely engraved on the wall of the underground tunnel.
However, that being said, the Cadre Training Institute had actually been abandoned for many years.
Only a few research projects were still ongoing.
After Marcus, the director, was killed and Spencer, the president of the Umbrella Corporation, obtained the T-Virus, the Cadre Training Institute basically became useless, so it had been abandoned for a long time.
The underground tunnel was even covered in dust and cobwebs, and there was no trace of anyone.
Even William, Marcus's proud student, did not choose to research viruses here but instead moved to the safer underground of Raccoon City to research his G Virus.
There was only one set of stairs leading to the upper level in the entire underground tunnel.
The retreat path behind them was blocked by the overturned huangdao Train at the tunnel entrance.
Since there was no retreat, Javier and his two companions had no choice but to continue upwards.
"No choice…"
"We can only keep going.
You two follow behind me; I'll lead the way!
Watch both sides and make sure you don't get pounced on by those zombies."
"Oh, and Billy, take this to protect Rebecca.
Don't tell me you don't know how to use this old antique.
Although the model is old, its power is still quite sufficient."
Javier looked at the two injured people behind him and calmly instructed them.
Then, he threw out the Winchester m1887 shotgun from his backpack.
This was the 'Sacred Flame of Exorcism' from the game, an old antique lever-action shotgun.
Although it wasn't as strong or convenient as a pump-action shotgun, there wasn't much difference in power.
The most famous scene of this gun was in Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator movie, where the tough guy wearing sunglasses, riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle, performed the famous one-handed spin-cocking reload.
The cool way of loading it left a lasting impression on countless people.
And precisely because of this, Javier had bought this Winchester m1887 from Hock.
After all, coolness was the most important thing!
"Ha…"
"I used to touch this old antique often when I was a kid.
It's truly nostalgic."
Taking the m1887 shotgun Javier threw to him, Billy Coen looked at the wooden gun stock and murmured nostalgically.
His father used to hunt with this gun frequently.
Billy Coen still clearly remembered his childhood, following his father to hunt wild boars.
Therefore, he was very familiar with this gun and felt a great deal of nostalgia for it.
"Hey, hey, Javier, what about me? Don't I get anything?"
Seeing Billy Coen inexplicably get a powerful shotgun, Rebecca, who was busy helping him, suddenly shouted with dissatisfaction.
She didn't particularly like weapons or firearms; she just disliked Javier treating her differently.
She wanted something too!
"You're a medic and healer; you don't need a weapon.
We'll protect you."
Facing Rebecca's temper, Javier reached out with his provocative hand and pinched Rebecca's little face, answering very calmly.
After all, it was enough for this girl to be good at her role as a healer.
And carry a weapon? Javier was very afraid that Rebecca might accidentally fire a shot and blow him away.
Now that the plot had begun, Rebecca's passive ability to increase her luck by causing the death of her teammates had activated.
Javier was currently completely unsure if he had protagonist attributes, so it was better to be safe and avoid being killed by this girl, Rebecca.
…
Meanwhile—
Cadre Training Institute,
Secret monitoring room,
"Hey, Wesker!"
"Someone has broken into the Cadre Training Institute.
Looking at their uniforms… they seem to be members of your S.T.A.R.S.
What are they doing here? Did the Raccoon City police department discover our virus leak?
Should we just deal with them?"
Just as Javier and his two companions slowly made their way to the upper level of the Cadre Training Institute, Wesker and William, who had been hiding in the secret monitoring room, had already discovered their whereabouts.
William instantly recognized Javier and his two companions as S.T.A.R.S members, so he quickly asked Wesker, who was the captain of the S.T.A.R.S.
After all, as mentioned before, Wesker was a double agent; even his position as captain of the S.T.A.R.S was just one of his many role-playing identities—
Chapter Seventeen: First Foray into the Institute
"They're all S.T.A.R.S members,"
"The woman is a rookie who just joined.
The man has a bit of a reputation, a shooting genius, but they're both useless.
Just two greenhorns.
As for the last one… he seems to be a wanted criminal.
Hmm, an interesting combination."
"As for why they're here? It must be because the Raccoon City police department found out about the Zodiac Train accident and sent the S.T.A.R.S to investigate."
Hearing William's words, Wesker leaned closer, looking at Javier and his two companions on the monitoring screen.
Wesker's expression paused slightly, but he didn't take them seriously, merely answering calmly.
After all, he knew the identities of Javier and Rebecca; they were just two minor subordinates of his.
One was a medic, and the other was a somewhat famous shooting genius, but what great things could they achieve?
Wesker had seen countless self-proclaimed ace soldiers flee in terror before the Umbrella Corporation's BOW.
Therefore, in Wesker's eyes, these people were no different from that rabble; there was no need to pay too much attention to them.
"Hmm?"
"In that case, do we need to deal with them?
After all, if we let them go… what if they escape and start talking nonsense?"
Seeing Wesker's completely unconcerned expression, William continued to ask, somewhat helplessly.
He wasn't as carefree as Wesker.
Now that the Umbrella Corporation's virus leak had been discovered, it would be troublesome if these S.T.A.R.S members went around spreading rumors.