Crawling out of the dusty vents led me here, the disposal centre.
I huffed and patted the dust off my clothes before glancing around. This place was colossal. I was standing on a metal grid ledge, floating above a concrete pit. There were eight numbered tanks lining below and piping all over the place. Not to disregard the bulky yellow claw hanging from the ceiling.
The same colour theme seems to run around Umbrella as the railings had a tint of yellow on them. I leaned on one to get a better view of the weird place. It looked very much like an arena.
The facility was creepily quiet, but I was sure I had gotten away from Nicholai.
I relaxed my posture in the cold and conditioned environment. Just then, I spotted a door at a lower level. It was illuminated, and I got curious about what it hid.
My footsteps echoed like no other. Boots patting against the metal grate that lined my way. The smell of something pungent like acid made its way to my nostrils, making me cringe. I moved down the stairs and to the second floor before the quiet atmosphere was interrupted.
An eruption sound made its way through the door above me. The platform I stood on shook slightly. Then small flakes of cement fell from the ceiling. " I don't like that sound at all..." I stepped further away from the noise source.
"Did Nicholai chase me down already?" I asked in the empty space. My stomach was swirling with anticipation. " He wouldn't make such racket, right?"
The door burst open. The person who opened the door was someone I didn't expect. Jill stood a ledge above me, huffing profusely and trying to catch her breath. I felt myself sigh in relief that it was her. Then it hit me. She was running from something.
Pulling my hand to make a megaphone against my mouth. I yelled at the blue dressed woman to gain her attention: "Over here! what's going on?"
Jill's head snapped my way. Then she smiled, recognizing me from the shadows. She started crossing our distance, running across the grated way and down the stairs. She began speaking at the same time. " Nemesis is on my ass again. I'm trying to shake it off!" She informed me.
At the mention of the cursed creatures name, the ground shook again. This time for a different reason. The door and wall Jill had run through crumbled as Nemesis bashed its body against them. The door frame fell down to the pit with a clang as the monster charged at us.
It ran like a wild beast, roaring like a lion. It had mutated again. Its form was much larger, and so was its power. Sparks flew as its claws made contact with metal. The anomaly was definitely faster than before.
" Holy shit!"
I ran away from it as it lunged for Jill on the stairs. The force of its body made the metal stairs bend before the seams broke. The whole thing was about to fall, and Jill was still hanging onto it!
The first one to drop was Nemesis. But the beast didn't give up as one of its gross tentacles ripped the staircase down with it. The stairs slid down to the dump of a concrete pit.
Supercop fell down a level, almost falling to her demise below. Only her hands were visible from my point of view as she held on with all of her strength. " Jill! Hold on," I jumped to action, ready to assist my friend.
"Take the vaccine first. The city needs it!" Jill shouted at me as I neared her.
Hiding my gun in my waistband, kneeling for the tube. I reached my hand for it in haste to save my friend after. The hurry stopped really quickly. A familiar yet unwanted shadow pressed over me even with the low lighting. A bullet was put between me and the purple glowing vaccine.
I pulled my hand to me rather quickly, checking for any wounds. And at the same time drawing my gun with my other hand. Eyes flaming with hidden resentment.
" Ah ah, not so fast," Nicholai mocks me. He kicks the gun of my hand before kicking me against the railing. The barrel of his firearm was quickly pointing against my skull.
I suck in a breath as my bruised back is forced against metal. Pain spreads through my system. I desperately turn my head towards my gun hanging on the edge of the level. It tilts over, falling into the darkness of the pit. I grit my teeth, quietly plotting.
The arsehole opens his mouth now that we're comfortably in his control. " I don't think my lessons have been impacting the two of you," Nicholai empathizes the word lessons as he irks at the two of us. Why is he even bothering with us?
Nicholai proceeds to step on Jill's poor fingers. She yelps out in pain, one hand letting go completely.
"Now I know you can't put a price on life. But I'm the business to get paid. So let's make a deal!" Nicholai lowers himself to our level and glances at both of us. " Jill, Battle the beast. I record it, sell the data. And maybe I'll give you the vaccine. That is if you put on a good show," Nicholai quirks his eyebrow at her.
"Miss Lyn, you come with me. We have some... unfinished business," He tilts his gun towards the door at the other side of the circle. He stands up and coldly kicks Jill down to the pit. She falls, painfully rolling and landing on the concrete floor. Her grunts could be heard from where I was.
"You fucker!" I growl at Nicholai. I was done with his bullshit.
Flipping my hand sideways, I push the gun off my face. Then I knee Nicholai straight in the ribs, as hard as I could muster. At that moment, I felt something crack in his side. It must have been a rib.
Nicholai hisses in pain as my knee lands on his side. The vaccine rolls of his hands. Unlucky for me, he recovers fast from the blow. He swings at me with his gun hand. I block with my right hand as the guns handle hits against bone. Adrenaline clouded my mind as I tried to counterattack with my left.
There was no strength in my injured arm resulting in me flying off my feet. Nicholai effortlessly pushed me off my poor footing. I fell down against the railing. The back of my head burned with the impact, no longer trying to get up.
I panted and saw an explosion coming from the "arena". Nicholai picks up what he dropped before marching over to me. He was furious. I could see it in his posture.
He lifts his foot and slams it down on my injured shoulder.
I screeched in absolute agony, wanting life to end right then and there. I'm pretty sure everyone on a five-mile radius heard me.
Stars and black spots danced in my vision from the trauma.
My brain was barely hanging on to the thread called consciousness.
My voice swirled around the open area, making its way to Jill's ears. She turned her head, panic evident in her eyes as she heard the younger voice. She clenched her fists and continued battling Nemesis with newfound rage.
Nicholai wickedly smiled at my state, and I stared up at the ceiling to prevent him from seeing the pain in my eyes. I couldn't sense my arm and shoulder anymore. What if I can never move my hand again?
I was frightened out of my wits with the thought of losing the entire arm. I felt nauseous and despondent of my current condition.
"Now that you have calmed down. I believe you have something that belongs to me. Let's head to your friend so we can exchange, shall we," Nicholai motions up with his gun, fiddling with the vial in his hand. He was obviously proud of his work. Especially with the amount of money, he was going to receive.
When he saw no movement from my end, he decided to take it into his own hands. His hand rips me up by the collar of my hoodie, forcing me to stand up straight or I would be strangled. Nicholai presses his gun to my spine and pushes me to walk.
I comply, and we start our walk to the door I was so curious about.
Just before we completely disappeared from our main heroes view, a smooth voice rings from the speakers. Carlos had appeared in the monitor room, completely obvious to the situation below. He doesn't see me.
"Jill, is that you?" Carlos asks through the announcement system. My eyes try to see his face, but we're too far gone. The blue door behind us closes firmly.
I'm so relieved Carlos is alright. I sigh with a small, pained smile on my face.
On the other side of that door, Jill continues to battle Nemesis. When she hears Carlos through the system, she loses her focus for a few moments. She turns to look above, yelling back at Carlos.
"You're OK! Have you seen Y/N?" Carlos asks Jill. He looks down from the high monitor room, not really knowing how to help the Supercop. He doesn't know much of the controls, and there's only one switch he distinguishes from the others.
Jill dodges a blow from Nemesis, firing a few bullets to its head before she could answer Carlos's question. " Yes! She was here just a while ago! She seemed injured," Jill yells loudly so the man above can hear her.
Carlos nods his head firmly. "Jill, lookout!" Carlos yells as Nemesis jumps at Jill again.
While the battle pushed forward, I was taken to a white hall behind two sets of doors. It had an overview of the situation. I could see that Jill was beating Nemesis to the ground. I found myself looking at the stacks of equipment on the other side of the hall. There was a big grey case that contained a BIG weapon.
Out of the blue, Nicholai pushed me harder. I lost my footing and stumbled. "Hey, watch it," I protested. My eyes still trailed back to the big gun. " Keep going," Nicholai casually pushed me again.
Next up was another mechanic door to a smaller room. It opened, and Nicholai forced me further in. He finally let go of me, keeping his gun in view.
I lifted my eyes from the ground, looking over the room. There stood Zev. My best friend. Alive and breathing.
He didn't realize I was standing in the room. His eyes were focused on the battle that could be seen from a small window.
What surprised me was that Zev didn't seem to be restrained in any way. He didn't have anything that would need him to follow Nicholai. Yet here he was.
I watched Zev very closely. He had severe burns on his arms, dancing along his skin and slithering up his sleeves. Half of his face was bandaged, and his eye held a sad hue on it. His hair still had the signature peachy-pink dye on them.
I whispered his name under my breath.
He heard me, and his green eye sparkled in the sight of me. Even when I was beaten and battered. A happy "Hi," was what he answered to me.
"I thought I lost you forever", I spoke, making an attempt to approach Zev. But Zev steps back for some reason. I frown at that.
"Now, now. You've seen the evidence. Give me the vial Miss Lyn," Nicholai's voice turns cold at the end, and he motions forward with his hand.
Shaking off my backpack and opening it.
I take the vial out of the grey safety pocket and carefully hand it to him. Nicholai examines it before hiding it in his vest. I nervously glance at him, afraid of two things.
One, he finds out it's not Jill's blood. Two, what comes next now that the deal is done. Nothing ever is this easy with the snake.
Nicholai turns to us with an almost disgusted look across his features." Thank you for your co-operation, it was a pleasure doing business. Unfortunate for you..."
Nicholai pulls the trigger on Zev. I slap my hand over my mouth, terrified that we die to Nicholai.
Zev clutches his leg in pain as blood begins to flow down from under his hands. He falls down to his knees, yelling from the pain. I hurry to his side, pulling off my hoodie to help with the bleeding on his thigh. I tie it around Zev's leg, making him grunt in pain.
" -our business deal is over. So, I no longer have a use for the two of you. Don't take this the hard way," he smiles at us, ready to get rid of two more people.
I once again stare at the snake with resentment. I try my best to look like I'm not afraid to die.
I unconsciously press harder on Zev's injury. He grips my hand firmly, knuckles turning white, cutting off the blood circulation of my hand. He makes desperate eye contact with me. "Please..." Zev whispers.
The barrel of Nicholai's gun shifts to my head instead of Zev.
Haven't we been in this situation already?
Nicholai pulls the trigger to the barrier.
I close my eyes, not ready to die just yet.
The sound of the automatic door opening pauses my death scene. I open my eyes, one at a time.
Jill stood at the door, gun drawn on Nicholai. Him mirroring Jill and her actions. Gun pointing at her rather than two of us.
"You let them go! And give me the vaccine, you greedy son of a bitch!" she yells. Jill's eyes glance my way and then at my bleeding friend on the floor.
"Oh, no no-no-no. I can't have my little captives escaping with my money. Now can I? Drop the gun or is shoot Miss Lyn right now," Nicholai deadpans, pulling the firearm my way.
A cold sweat comes over me as my eyes dart between the two armed persons. The room was easy to read. No one played around anymore, death knocking at the doorstep.
The game had reached its end.
A moment of uneasy silence passes us like an old snail. It slithered its way to victory over everything that could have been.
But of course, that wouldn't be an exciting end. No, the story doesn't end in here just yet.
The wall on my right crumbles to small pieces, and a tumour like a creature slides through. Acid pours in the space, making it smell pungent and ironic.
Zev and I fly out of the room into a new hall slightly above the blob. Jill falls, and Nicholai stumbles into the same space as us.
All of us watch in horror as the tumour opens up like a wildflower in the morning. Fleshy tentacles shoot out to secure the ugly monstrosity. It smells so bad that I almost throw up from the smell alone. Not to mention the outlooks of that thing.
I grip onto Zev to pull him out of harm's way as he couldn't walk anymore. He grasps onto my arm, pulling me down to his level. "Just go. Save yourself," Zev smiles at me.
The moment back at the subway flashes in my eyes. When we promised to retake the pictures in my photo album. The photo album is in my backpack, pressing against me as we speak.
"Have- Have you ever seen something so incredible. I'm so unfortunate to not have time to collect the data from this. But as you know. Can't put a price on life," Nicholai interrupts us before scurrying to the next set of doors.
What a fucking weasel. Flees every time troubles start.
I see him leaving us, and I can't make a decision.
Zev cannot go on his own, but this city's lifeline is getting away with Nicholai. Every second I think about it, the missile strike is getting nearer. I panic and look at Jill dealing with the morphed Nemesis.
"Jill, Do you need help?" I yell at her over the railing.
She immediately answered:" No! I will deal with this. The vaccine is more important. We don't get time!"
Seems like I was left with a choice.
A) Chase down Nicholai and make the future.
B) Help Zev to safety and deal with the past.
Hi! How are you?
The next update might be delayed as Im on family trip for the week. I hope you guys don't mind. I plan on making it up by updating two chapters next time!