A/N: For those who want to read ahead of the Webnovel schedule, you can read up to Chapter 108 on my Patreon.
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The Resident Evil arc is now complete on Patreon, and the MCU arc is about to begin.
*****
At City Hall — Umbrella's temporary camp site.
Alice, Jill, and Selene moved like wraiths through the darkness.
SHHKT.
A soldier's throat opened silently as Alice slipped behind him, her blade gleaming once before vanishing back into the gloom.
She caught his body before it fell, lowering him gently to the ground before disappearing again — like a ghost.
Jill wasn't as silent, but she was just as efficient. She crept up behind another soldier and CRACK! — snapped his neck with one clean twist.
His weapon clattered softly against the pavement as she dragged the body into cover.
As for Selene — you didn't need to see her to know where she was. The screams said enough.
A burst of gunfire echoed — RATATATAT! — then suddenly stopped, cut short by a wet crunch and the sound of metal buckling under impossible force.
One Umbrella trooper was lifted off his feet as something dark and clawed tore through his chestplate. Another was crushed mid-step, blood splattering across the barricade as his ribs gave way to the invisible jaws of shadow.
Terri peeked out from behind a concrete wall. Her camera still hung around her neck — its lens cracked, the screen shattered — but she refused to let it go.
To show the world what she recorded in this city.
To show the entire world the crimes of Umbrella.
Luke noticed her. "Still carrying that thing?" he asked with a faint smirk.
Terri looked down at the damaged camera, brushing away the dust from its lens with her sleeve. "Yeah. Someone has to tell the truth," she said softly.
Luke sighed, his expression turning faintly bitter. "You really think that'll change anything? Even if the entire world saw that video, Umbrella would just call it fake. They'd deny everything — and the public would believe them."
"The world believes those in power… not the truth."
"Maybe not. But at least someone has to try," Terri replied.
Luke glanced back at her and smiled faintly. "Heh. Guess that's why people like you still matter."
"And Peyton, you should take care of Angela. Kids shouldn't watch this," said Luke, glancing back at Peyton. There was a bloodbath going on not far from them — so yeah, kids really shouldn't watch this.
Well, yeah, Peyton got babysitting work.
"What worse can she see now? She already saw her friends eating each other in school," Peyton replied, shrugging.
"You got a point, but still — babysit her."
"Excuse me, mister?" Angela's small voice called as she reached out, tapping Luke lightly on the back.
Luke turned, his expression softening into a smile.
"What, are you eager to meet your dad? Don't worry. After we take care of the bad guys, you'll meet your father," he said, giving her a reassuring grin.
He liked obedient children — kids who didn't make a fuss, like Angela. Even in a situation like this, surrounded by chaos and fear, she was calm. If it were another brat, Luke was sure they'd be crying their lungs out by now.
"Are you a superhero?" Angela asked suddenly, tilting her head curiously.
"Huh?" Luke blinked, a little thrown off by the question.
Why did she think that? He wasn't wearing any tight suits or flashy costumes like those weirdos who enjoy being in the spotlight. He looked like a perfectly normal person with no mental issues.
A superhero, huh? He admired them, sure — but he never wanted to be one. It was a thankless job.
You could save people a hundred times, but the one time you messed up, all that honor and respect would vanish. The same crowd that cheered for you would turn around and find faults the next second.
That's why heroes were rare. In any world.
Most people didn't really respect them — they just liked having someone to blame when things went wrong.
If you save a city, the public claps; if one building collapses in the process, the same people call you a menace.
Governments use you when it's convenient, then discard you when the headlines change. The media turns you into either a symbol or a threat, depending on which story sells better that week.
Luke had seen it too often — in his own world and in others. Being a hero looked good in movies, but in real life, it just meant living under constant judgment.
"No," Luke said finally with a small chuckle. "I'm just a normal person with some superpowers and a little bit of a helpful nature, that's it."
"But still, you're great! You can jump high and run fast — that's so cool!" Angela said, her eyes lighting up.
"Thanks," Luke replied with a faint grin. "But you're also very brave. You survived all this, all alone, surrounded by monsters. That makes you even braver than me."
He meant it.
"If I were in your situation," Luke added, glancing at her gently, "I doubt I'd stay as calm as you."
Honestly, he wasn't lying. When he was a kid — a little timid, chubby, and easily scared — he'd probably have been zombie fodder by now.
Then an explosion came.
"Those three are having too much fun," he muttered.
***
At the same time, on Cain's side—
"What the hell is going on?!" Cain shouted, storming out of his tent as the distant rattle of gunfire and explosions echoed through the compound.
"Sir! Enemy attack!" one of the soldiers yelled, his voice barely audible over the chaos. The remaining five men quickly formed a semi-circle around Cain, weapons raised, trying to shield him as they guided him toward the evacuation helicopter.
But before they could reach it—
BANG! BANG! THUD!
One by one, they were gunned down. Blood sprayed across the concrete as their bodies fell in succession.
Cain froze, eyes wide, watching his escort drop dead in front of him. The sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the smoke.
"Hey, does anyone know how to fly a helicopter?" asked Selene, looking at the chopper with a blank expression. She clearly didn't.
"We killed all the people and now you ask?" Jill shot back, raising an eyebrow. She paused, realizing a second later that she didn't know how to fly one either.
Alice just smirked slightly. "Don't worry, the pilot is in the chopper."
Cain saw the three women approaching — one of them he recognized immediately as Alice. The other two were unfamiliar, but it didn't matter.
What mattered was that he was completely screwed.
He glanced at the distant skyline. In less than thirty minutes, the nuclear strike would hit Raccoon City.
No way to call for help. No way to run.
Cain swallowed hard, muttering under his breath, "I'm royally fucked."
*****