Somewhere not far off, a military helicopter flew past, bearing the emblem of a familiar company and a container suspended beneath it. So Ada has left the city—assuming everything went smoothly. Considering the kind of woman she is, the only possible incident would have been on her way to the Red Queen, if hunger had gotten the better of her. I'm surprised she didn't pounce on the Hunters' corpses back then—unless the virus had mutated more strongly under some influence and became more selective in its diet—or rather, in the nutrients it deems useful? Anything's possible. We'll find out in three days.
I dashed toward the plant. And as I drew closer, I noticed another helicopter—this one without any logo, but fitted with mounted weaponry up front. Unfortunately, from this distance I couldn't tell exactly what kind. Still, it was obvious enough. If canon holds true, Zinoviev is escaping on that very machine. But then why do I see an empty pilot's seat and two lights glowing inside the cockpit? That makes no sense.
Fine. If I remember correctly, I miscalculated slightly—I've got maybe thirty minutes, an hour at most. Best to pick up the pace.
Reaching the plant's walls without slowing my momentum, I leapt. I've never launched myself that high before! Yet even from this height, I saw no red lights at my destination. I wonder why? Was I too far away, or had Jill and Carlos somehow manage to die?
No—nonsense! Carlos, maybe—no great loss—but Jill couldn't have died… because canon! I admit, that's a weak argument, but I want to believe in its truth. Otherwise, far too much will go off the rails.
At that moment, other concerns arose—the force I'd poured into the jump was fading. Normally that wouldn't matter, except I still hadn't reached the evacuation platform where those two—and with Yamata, three—were supposed to depart.
I thrust my arm forward and managed to catch the edge of the fence—though "fence" is hardly the word. It was the proper outer perimeter wall. My arm gets violently yanked, a faint echo of pain flares up, and my body slams hard into the concrete.
Unpleasant… very!
I grabbed hold with my other hand and heaved the rest of my body up in one motion, dropping down already on the other side. Another slight twinge of pain—I'd landed flat on my back on a steel beam that had no business being there. The beam dented into the asphalt, and the ground around me cracked in a two-meter radius. But it hadn't been pleasant for me either. My hide might be impenetrable, but the bones inside had taken a hit—thankfully not to the point of fractures.
Grunting slightly, I rose and surveyed the empty helicopter zone. The nearby plant facilities on the far side of the platform were just as deserted. Strange!
A burst of acceleration, and I was at the doors. I tore the steel door out by the frame and stepped inside.
What devastation!
I moved on, leaving the useless room behind, and entered the chamber housing the gauss gun. Only—I didn't see Nemesis's body anywhere.
No way. Yamata, Carlos, and Jill couldn't have lost to him. Maybe they just haven't made it here yet?
Circling the electronic installation and various devices, I stepped into a corridor sloping downward. Dead zombies littered the floor, one of them practically embedded headfirst into the corridor's wall paneling. Considering that when Jill arrives there are only supposed to be two monsters on this base, the conclusion was obvious—the corridor had already been cleared by Yamata.
But then, where was she now? And why were there no signs of a battle with Nemesis in the room behind me? Not even shell casings or a drop of blood!
I descended the slanted corridor and activated the door—already hacked open by someone obvious. Another confirmation that my partner had been here, and another question added to the pile.
The door slid open—and almost instantly slammed shut again. That's what I call reaction speed!
Pivoting on my heel, and I was already sprinting back toward the gauss gun! Behind me, the door was ripped off its frame and crushed into the narrow corridor walls by a creature moving on four limbs. It vaguely resembled an ant and bore tentacles across its acid-slicked body.
So—the third form.
But why now? Don't tell me Jill and the others slipped through before this thing evolved in the acid vat?
I lunged for the gun, only for the indicator to inform me it was discharged.
Right. I remember!
I bolted back toward the first power unit—but no such luck. I don't know what happened in that room before I arrived, but the power block had been crushed.
Are you kidding me? Do I have to fight this monster by hand?!
And where the hell is Jill, who was supposed to face this thing? And Yamata and Carlos, who should've been nearby?
Only now did I realize who had been piloting that last helicopter I'd seen before even reaching the plant—and who the passengers were. If Yamata had been here, locked doors wouldn't have stopped her. And as for who would win between her and Zinoviev, that's not even a question. It's all so painfully obvious—they've already flown out of the city!
Damn it… what am I supposed to do now? At best—if I'm being wildly optimistic—I've got half an hour left! An unkillable monstrosity on my tail, and even with all my acceleration, there's no way I can outrun the blast radius—let alone escape the city.
Maybe I should just give up?
Stop! Cain, you didn't go through all this—survive this godforsaken city, recruit Ada Wong, and even partially restore your body's sensitivity, just to "fold your paws" and die—whether to the creature's tentacles or a missile!
(End of Chapter)
P@treon: /SadRaven
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