Silence.
A suffocating, deathly silence.
Rebecca stood frozen in place, her face filled with disbelief, as rigid as the corpses scattered across the lab floor.
The Tyrant's chest had been blown open, a massive hole tearing through it. Mero stood there with a faint smile, rifle raised, as if that moment had been etched permanently into her mind.
"He… killed that monster so easily?"
Rebecca stared, stunned, even pinching her own cheek.
"Am I dreaming?"
The recoil of a Barrett M82A2 was enough to break bones and dislocate joints in a normal person.
Even though it was designed as a shoulder-fired anti-materiel rifle, Mero's stance had been anything but proper.
And yet the recoil had looked almost… nonexistent.
Rebecca took a sharp breath, her eyes wide, trembling slightly from the surge of emotion.
Then, before she could fully process it, the Barrett roared again.
A blinding flash burst from the muzzle, expanding outward until the thunderous shockwave echoed like the birth of fire itself.
The Tyrant T-001 twitched.
Not to rise again.
Its head exploded under the second shot.
A finishing blow.
Rebecca nodded faintly to herself.
That should do it.
Mero, however, showed no surprise.
If even the Barrett M82A2 could not finish it, then the Tyrant would be defying the very limits of a carbon-based organism.
After all, the rifle in his hands, with an effective range of 1,500 meters, could punch straight through light armored vehicles.
As the blood mist settled, Mero looked down at the motionless corpse.
He frowned slightly, then pulled a red canister from his waist.
The thermite ignited the moment it touched air.
A thick, burning mass clung to the Tyrant's body, melting downward in a violent cascade.
Flesh blackened, liquefied, and peeled away with a shrill, almost screaming sound.
Enhanced muscle tissue softened like wax.
Blackened bone twisted, warped, and broke apart under the intense heat.
"All done."
Mero walked over and took the camera back from Rebecca, his bright eyes filled with approval.
"Not bad at all. For someone who said she couldn't film, this turned out great. A bit of editing later and it'll be perfect."
He lifted the Barrett and casually slung it back over his shoulder.
His easy praise echoed in Rebecca's ears, but she was still lost in shock.
Deep down, she even felt that it made sense.
Only someone like him could move so freely in a place swallowed by death.
It took her a moment longer to fully recover, though her gaze toward him was still filled with disbelief.
The battle had wrapped him in something like a veil of hope.
"Heh… nicely done."
Ada's voice came through the earpiece, light and pleased.
"We've got exclusive combat data on a prototype Tyrant. I'll make sure the buyer pays top dollar."
Mero nodded. He had no objections.
It was not that he trusted her negotiation skills.
It was that, in the eyes of their client, she had more than enough charm to secure the best price.
Rebecca's curious gaze lingered on him as she tightened her grip on her pistol, maintaining a natural level of caution.
They were strangers, after all.
But there was no hostility in it.
"Thank you… really," she said, then suddenly paused. "Wait, you're hurt!"
"I'm a medic with the Raccoon City Police Department's S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team. Let me treat your wound."
"It's nothing. Just a scratch from a fragment."
Mero reached up and touched the small cut on his face.
Then, right before Rebecca's eyes, the wound began to close.
Rapidly.
Her breath caught.
That was not human.
"What… are you?" she asked quietly. "And what's your connection to this place?"
Someone like him, standing in a laboratory like this… it was impossible not to wonder.
"You want to know who I am?"
Mero smiled lightly.
"I currently work for the National Security Council."
It was a convenient lie. One he used when necessary.
Rebecca's expression brightened immediately.
They were both working for the same country. Different departments, but still allies.
"Are they investigating Umbrella too?"
"Let's not get into that," Mero said, waving it off. "You've gathered quite a bit of information yourself, right? Once you get out, make sure at least a couple of media outlets report what Umbrella's been doing."
As he spoke, he put the camera away.
Rebecca stepped closer, enduring the lingering pain from the fight.
"Are you going to continue investigating this facility? Our team was sent here for the same reason."
"So… you want to come with me?"
Mero rubbed his chin. It took him only a moment to read between the lines.
"Is that… possible?" Rebecca asked carefully, looking up at him with hopeful eyes.
Mero smiled faintly.
"Sorry. I'm not a babysitter. I don't work for free. I still need to make money and retire early."
Her expression fell instantly.
Then she seemed to think of something.
"What if I pay you?"
Mero crossed his arms.
"I'm not that easy to hire. How much do you have?"
"Ten thousand… no, wait…"
"How much? One hundred thousand?"
Mero took a deep breath, suddenly serious as he stepped closer.
"My lady. I owe you an apology. I judged you too quickly."
"I thought you might be struggling just to pay rent and utilities."
"Didn't expect you to be this well-off."
In an era where the average annual income was around twenty-six thousand dollars, and median household net worth hovered near twenty-one thousand, having one hundred thousand in savings placed someone among the top five percent.
"So here's the deal. One hundred thousand dollars, and I guarantee I get you home safely."
His blunt honesty seemed to make Rebecca a little flustered.
She hesitated, as if wanting to say something, but unable to.
Mero did not give her time to overthink.
He took a breath and raised his voice.
"Officer! At a time like this, what are you hesitating for?"
"Money can buy comfort in life, but it can't buy life itself."
"If you die here tonight, none of it matters."
"You're here to investigate Umbrella, right? Dead people don't write reports."
"But I won't die. And I can get you out."
"Come on. Hand over your savings."
"I'll take you out of here."
"And together, we'll expose Umbrella's crimes to the world."
Rebecca froze for a moment, caught off guard by his sudden intensity.
Then her eyes flickered.
"Y-you… I…"
Her heart pounded.
As if making a decision, she took the note he handed her… and signed her name.