And at that very moment, glass shattered beneath us with a sharp crash.
Dashing to the edge of the roof, I managed to catch sight of a barely recognizable figure—apparently launched from the upper floor of the building on the opposite side from us, taking advantage of the height. And the building we were standing on really was taller than the others. The ceilings were noticeably higher. That usually means it's either an educational institution or a hospital, since only structures of that type tend to have floors exceeding the standard height.
The body dove like a swimmer into a window slightly below in the building across the street, judging by the highlight rolling upon entry. A thunderous blast followed from that side, and a tongue of flame burst from the window.
Oh. Doubts gone—hello, Nikolai Zinoviev, the Russian with the Ukrainian accent.
But according to the events I… I flicked my eyes sideways at the Four Eyes beside me… we were witnessing, this was supposed to happen during the night of this very day. It was nearing evening now, sure, but definitely not night, as the sun, which had not yet touched the horizon, clearly indicated.
Then again, what's to stop events from straying from canon here too? I hadn't seen Nemesis's body at the explosion site. Evolution might not have been limited to Birkin alone. And if Nemesis had grown stronger, then someone had to run harder and faster to escape him, edging closer to their own infection.
Yes, I'm talking about Jill Valentine here.
And if that's the case…
I lower my gaze to my feet, carefully examining the building beneath us.
Now this was getting interesting! There was more than one highlight inside the hospital building. (Yamata and I certainly picked a convenient reunion spot!) So, according to canon, Carlos-whatever-his-last-name-is should be running around in there right now. Nikolai had just left the building…
So what are these three extra groups of people?
Judging by their gestures and the way the highlights were positioned, two groups were clearly armed—rifles or something similar—holding their weapons ready as if expecting trouble. There are Hunters in this building too, if I remember correctly. (Though that raises another question—how did they end up spread across the entire city when their numbers were supposedly limited to the underground lab?) But these two squads were far too tense for just that.
The third group—well, not a group at all—just a single individual. And definitely not Carlos, who had gotten back on his feet after the explosion, managing to leap aside in time. This lone figure was moving downward, not up, heading into the basement levels. And judging by the same highlight, it was a woman.
This was getting more and more intriguing.
"Don't even think about it! And yes, I don't know how, but you've managed to block part of your thoughts. But the rest still leaks out from time to time, so I heard half your monologue. The squad split into two groups? Most likely my old acquaintances. Don't forget they have a radar designed specifically to track us. After what happened to the previous teams—who may well have been guinea pigs—the device was definitely upgraded. I don't know if it can detect you, since you're drastically different from your earlier parameters. But me? I just caught up to your second evolution. I'll show up loud and clear.
"I won't ask how you know Carlos and Zinoviev—especially considering we ran into the latter ourselves while you were already on our tail. And Carlos is famous across the base for hitting on Bertha.
"I am curious about this mysterious 'canon' you keep mentioning—particularly what it even means. But right now, until I get your full test results—not just preliminary data—I'm not going anywhere. Since I can't leave you alone… and no, I am not your 'mom'! You sure you haven't been drinking any of Beltway's blood?
"Anyway, because you shouldn't be left alone, you're going to sit here obediently and wait until the analysis is done. WHAT? Who's the despot here? The commander? You?! Should I remind you which one of us lost their entire squad—what do you mean 'one-one, draw'?!?I swear, I could just…
"Fine, let's say I've calmed down. I admit it's hard to keep your mouth shut when these are thoughts, not words. Try to shut yourself off again—for I've started hearing every single one of your thoughts once more. And yes, I suspect that female figure might be the one I encountered at the warehouse.
"Where do you think you're going?! Sit. Down! Yes, I know it's just thoughts, not actions—but you're not the only one struggling to get used to mental communication. My reaction was as if you'd voiced an intent to act, not merely thought it. Anyway—let's drop it."
From the outside, the Four Eyes's monologue must have looked utterly insane…
"Hey!"
Yes, yes, my apologies for the "insane" part. Being a telepath is awful! If I had a choice, I'd gladly trade this ability for something else—even if it meant communicating through gestures afterward.
After another ten minutes—during which Carlos somehow managed to head for the exit, having first played a shoot out with Ada, their skirmish looking more like hostile negotiations.
The two squads climbing upward had only cleared the first and second floors, approaching the transition to the third. Curious, why the stairs? Did they want to avoid crossing paths with someone riding the elevator, or decide that two stairways were safer than relying on an electronic lift?
Ah. Right. They might also have considered my earlier stunt—when I finished off the last mercenaries mid ascent. If those had managed to contact the corporation during the ride, then repeating that mistake was out of the question. And a lift moving between floors could be seen as a psychological attack. Well, why not?
(End of Chapter)
P@treon: /SadRaven
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