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*****
"Well, now that we saved her, should we leave this hellhole city?" asked Jill, exhaling sharply. Her voice carried that tired edge â the kind that comes after seeing too much blood and smoke in one day.
She didn't want to stay in this fucked-up city any longer.
The others clearly shared the same opinion. Everyone just wanted to get the hell out of this apocalyptic city , take a proper bath, and eat something.
"Yes, we canâ huh?" Luke suddenly turned his head, his expression shifting.
"What is it? Something strange?" asked Alice, instantly alert.
"A helicopter is coming this way," said Selene, her tone calm but precise.
Terri perked up, hope flickering in her eyes. "Is that a rescue?"
"Less chances," said Alice dryly. "Umbrella wouldn't let a rescue helicopter come this far. It's probably an enemy craft."
Luke smirked â that familiar grin that usually meant trouble was about to start.
"Well," he said, voice low and edged with mischief, "does anyone here feel like screwing with Umbrella and ruining their plans?"
***
Meanwhile â high above the ruins of Raccoon City â two Umbrella helicopters cut through the smoke-choked sky, spotlights slicing across the burned-out streets below.
Inside, the rhythmic hum of rotors filled the troop bay. Soldiers in black tactical gear sat in tight formation, their weapons resting between their knees.
Cain's voice crackled over the comm line â cold, sharp, and commanding.
"Your orders are to capture the individual on your screen without harming him," he said.
The tablet mounted on the bulkhead displayed Luke's face â alive, unrestrained, and dangerous.
"As for the others with him," Cain continued, "except Project Alice, you are authorized to eliminate any obstacles."
One soldier raised his head slightly. "Sir, what about Ashford's daughter?" he asked, tone clipped and professional.
Cain didn't hesitate. "Kill her. Except for this new subject and Project Alice â everyone else is expendable."
The words hung in the air like a death sentence.
Silence followed, broken only by the metallic clicks of safeties being disengaged.
In the control room, Kane leaned back, eyes fixed on the live feed streaming from the helicopters. His fingers tapped the desk slowly as he replayed a particular file â Nemesis's battle with Luke.
A human⊠matching Nemesis blow for blow. No augmentation. No T-Virus serum. Just raw, unexplainable power.
He wasn't afraid of Luke. He was fascinated.
A human who could do that was worth more than any bioweapon in Umbrella's arsenal.
If they could isolate the source of his strength â the why behind it â Umbrella could create soldiers that were perfect, obedient, and unstoppable.
That's why Cain had given the order himself: capture him at all costs.
"ETA â three minutes to target. Raccoon City Elementary School." reported the pilot.
The soldiers gripped their rifles tighter, glancing one last time at Luke's image on the tablet.
Then suddenlyâ
One of the pilots frowned, squinting at the horizon. Something shimmered faintly in the dark â a glint of metal slicing through the fog. At first, he thought it was debris, maybe a pipe or antenna thrown up by an explosion.
But it wasn't falling. It was coming toward them.
And fast.
The pilot's eyes widened. "What theâ?!"
Before he could finish, the "debris" slammed through the air like a cannon round â a metal pole spinning end over end, whistling like a jet.
"SHIT! Evasive maneuvers!" he shouted, yanking the controls.
Too late.
WHOOSHâCRAAASH!
The pole ripped straight through the windshield, impaling the cockpit like a spear. The co-pilot's scream was cut off instantly as sparks exploded from the console.
The helicopter lurched violently, spinning out of control. The rotors clipped a nearby building â KRAAANG! â and the entire craft erupted into a BOOOOM!, fireballing mid-air.
The second helicopter's soldiers watched in shock as flaming debris rained down into the ruins below.
"Holy shit! What the hell just happened to Alpha bird?!" yelled the co-pilot, gripping the console.
The squad leader leaned forward, his voice sharp through the comms. "All units, alert! Enemy attack! Ready weapons â I repeat, engage combat mode!"
Machine gunners swung their weapons toward the ground, scanning through the smoke. The nose-mounted rockets clicked into active mode, targeting systems beeping as they searched for movement.
"Who the hell could hit us from that range?" one soldier muttered, checking his scope. "There's no anti-air left in this damn city."
"Doesn't matter," the leader barked. "Find the target and fire on sight."
Thenâ
"Hi."
The voice didn't come from the radio. It came from outside.
Every soldier froze.
A figure clung to the front of the cockpit â a man, grinning through the wind and darkness like it was nothing.
The pilot's breath caught. "Wâwhat the hellâ!?"
Luke smiled from the other side of the glass, hair whipping in the wind. He gave a small wave. "Nice view up here."
For a heartbeat, nobody moved â just disbelief and panic blending together.
Then Luke tilted his head slightly and pointed at the pilot. "By the way⊠you really should've brought seat belts."
His stone-coated fist punched through the cockpit like it was made of paper. The reinforced glass shattered with a deafening crack, and air howled into the cabin.
"OPEN FIRE! OPEN FIRE!" the squad leader screamed.
RATATATATAT!
Bullets ripped through the cockpit, ricocheting off metal and glass.
Luke grabbed the pilot's vest, yanked him clean out of his seat, and tossed him into the night. The man's scream vanished into the wind.
The co-pilot tried to stabilize the craft, but Luke was already gone â pushing off the hull just as the helicopter spiraled out of control.
Seconds later, it exploded in mid-airâ BOOOOM! â lighting up the ruins below like a second sunrise.
Luke landed on a nearby rooftop, crouched down and calm, watching the wreckage burn.
"Umbrella really needs to stop sending toys after me," he muttered, standing and dusting off his jacket.