NOVEL NEXT Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Marcus
(Editor's note: Small boss chapter, good reading and thanks for the support ^^)
We both step through a metal door, and a wave of stifling heat instantly envelops us. The incineration room is like an oven, the air dense and oppressive. Everywhere I look, leeches line the walls, ceiling, and floor, like a moving tapestry of slimy creatures.
The room is a veritable nest of activity, with no fewer than twelve leech nests, each pulsing with sinister life. The walls ooze with the moisture created by the creatures' presence, and the floor is a slithering mass of slithering bodies. The place resembles an organic hell, where every surface is alive with the disgusting life of the parasites.
My attention is suddenly caught by a sarcastic clapping of hands. I look up to see the younger version of Marcus striding along the platform, a wry smile on his lips.
"Welcome, my young friends," he said in a honeyed voice, his footsteps echoing against the metal. "I am delighted to see you."
The leeches seemed to react to his presence, swaying and quivering like a sea of living corruption. The sight of this grotesque spectacle and Marcus, radiating evil confidence, filled me with disgust and determination.
"You are my honored guests," he said with a piercing gaze. "After all, we are celebrating your death."
"I don't think so," I replied with a wicked smile. I drew my magnum with blinding speed and fired into a pipe above him. A concentrated jet of boiling steam poured over him, causing him to quickly mutate into a misshapen monster that vaguely resembled a leech.
Taking advantage of his transformation, I dashed at my top speed towards the armored door on the other side of the room. Throwing myself against the door with all my strength, I leave an impression of my body against the metal. The impact resonates through the room, vibrating the leech-covered walls.
I break free from the metal, my hands turning into masses covered in bony chitin in place of their previous claws. A storm of blows rains down on the door, each impact echoing like war thunder. Finally, the door gives way, opening a passage to the exit.
Gunshots ring out as I watch Enrico deftly dodge Marcus' monstrous attacks with his superhuman abilities. The monster's claws and appendages shatter parts of the room, shattering pipes and leaving deep gashes in the metal walls.
I charge through the room, collecting the leech nests that stand in my way, converting these formidable resources into additions to my troops. The nests vibrate and pulse as I absorb them, adding the creatures within to my army.
Marcus, now transformed into a vile mass of flesh and leeches, howls in rage, his tentacles sweeping the room with destructive force. A blow from him shatters a console, sending sparks and debris flying into the air. The walls shake with the impact of his furious assault, but Enrico and I remain focused on our objective.
As I finish retrieving the nests, I see Enrico closing in on Marcus, firing precise rifle shots that tear through the mutant's monstrous flesh. Each detonation sounds like a finishing blow, further weakening our foe.
"Enrico, keep moving!" I shout, preparing to deliver the brutal blow.
With renewed determination, I lunge at Marcus, my chitin-covered fists poised to strike.
However, I see Rebecca and Billy enter the room, stopping me from continuing my attack. My hands return to their original form as I grab a massive wrench to surprise Marcus, throwing him against a wall.
The two newcomers shoot the leeches closest to them as I also fire a Glock at the smaller creatures.
"Billy, Rebecca!" I shout to get their attention. "Run to the adjacent room and prepare the escape route," I say, narrowly dodging a sneak attack from the Marcus monster.
The monster's limbs resemble tentacles, allowing it to attack from several meters away with disconcerting agility. The mark on the metal wall is enough to convince the two that they will only be in the way if they stay.
Enrico continues to fire but with little impact on the creature.
"Captain, trade," I say, throwing an assault rifle in his direction as he hands me the shotgun. "Gerald, I'll help the two secure the escape route and prevent them from bothering you again," he says, seeing the ineffectiveness of his actions.
"Good idea, Enrico. Stay safe!" I reply, as he backs away through the gap I made.
"Rebecca, let's go!" Enrico shouts as he backs away. "Billy, cover her, I'll secure the back," he says, taking the tail of the group.
"Got it, Captain!" Rebecca replies, hurrying to the adjacent room even though she is worried about her friend.
"Rebecca. Don't worry about Gerald, he knows what he's doing," Billy added, following closely behind her, his eyes fixed on the surrounding creatures.
Enrico, taking one last look at the battle, nodded at me. "Good luck, Gerald. I know you can do it."
Enrico disappeared through the gap, I dodged the Leech Queen's frantic attacks, lighting a Molotov cocktail before throwing it towards the exit, blocking the leeches that tried to pursue Enrico.
"Now let's play," I told the creature, gathering speed to land a chitin-enhanced punch on it, sending it crashing violently against a wall. I passively absorbed the leeches that tried to attack me.
I rushed towards the Giant Leech again, dodging its attacks with unnatural agility. But a small bitter event breaks my momentum. The slippery mucus on the ground knocks me off my feet, and I feel a powerful attack from Marcus slam into my body, sending me flying against the burning incinerator. The pain is excruciating, my skin sticking and melting to the hot metal.
"AAAHHHHH," I groan as I pull myself away from the metal, leaving behind shreds of melted flesh. My skin regenerates quickly, but the burn is intense. I take a defensive stance, my arms covering themselves with a thick layer of bone to withstand Marcus' attacks.
My body reacts instinctively, each blow from Marcus resembling a furious storm, but the number of leeches dwindles as the fight continues. I release a Proto-Tyrant to occupy the transformed doctor, seeking a moment of respite to allow my flesh to fully regenerate.
The tingling sensation finally stops after a few seconds, signaling that my regeneration is complete. I join the Proto-Tyrant, who is having trouble holding back the Leech Queen due to her flexible mutation abilities. The fight between them resembles a ballet macabre, every movement filled with violence and chaos.
The Leech Queen's tentacles wrap around the Proto-Tyrant, seeking to dismember him, while he retaliates with powerful blows, trying to break her hold. I see my chance and rush towards them, using my speed to strike the creature with relentless force.
"I won't let you win," I whisper through gritted teeth. My blows are precise, each impact echoing like a clap of thunder in the incineration room. The Proto-Tyrant, now free of the Leech Queen's grasp, joins the assault, its sharp claws tearing at Marcus' monstrous flesh.
The creature howls in rage, its attacks becoming more and more frantic. Each blow of its tentacles is a storm of violence and desperation, seeking to crush me under its fury. I manage to bring it down using my speed and strength, dodging its attacks with deadly precision. The Proto-Tyrant takes advantage, launching itself at the monster with relentless determination.
With prodigious strength, the Proto-Tyrant plants its giant claw through Marcus' body, anchoring him to the ground. The ground shakes from the impact, and the creature struggles furiously, its tentacles whipping the air in a desperate attempt to free itself.
"Don't think it's going to end like this," Marcus growls, his bloodshot eyes fixed on me with fierce hatred. The fact that he can still speak surprises me greatly, but I grab him anyway.
DING
Patient 0 T-virus detected or Leech Queen, absorption will take 3 minutes.
Time will be reduced by 10 seconds due to the T-virus mutation bonus.
Time will be reduced by 40 seconds due to the significant injuries sustained.
180, 130,129, 128
Marcus struggles wildly, but I don't give him a chance. I bring out two more Tyrants, their massive figures emerging from the shadows. They lunge at Marcus, each digging their massive claws into his body, pinning him permanently. Their movements are synchronized, precise, each claw piercing the flesh of the monster with relentless force.
Time will be reduced by 20 seconds due to the significant injuries sustained.
110, 90, 89, 88, 87
Despite his frantic efforts, Doctor Marcus is at my mercy. His tentacles twist and contract, but he is helpless against the combined force of the three Tyrants. They hold him down, their claws deeply embedded in his flesh, immobilizing him completely.
"You will soon join the ranks of my subordinates," I say, to the immobilized creature. Marcus still tries to free himself, but his movements are increasingly weak, his resistance crumbling under our assault.
3, 2, 1,0
The monster's body disappears into the factory while I simultaneously store the tyrants after this fierce fight.
Patient 0 T virus detected or Leech Queen successfully absorbed available in the factory
Main enemy of resident evil 0: bonus being calculated
- Marcus genetic correction in progress. you have the young version of James Marcus as a unique summon. (Leech Queen ability)
- Leeches' ability to act in acquired cohesion. You can direct and inform by thought all creatures under your control within a limit of 2 kilometers.
- doubles the amount of leeches gained with each production of the factory.
Notifications postponed due to the fight.
Ding
You currently have 2684 "Leech" reinforcement possibility detected.
Do you want to halve the reproduction time of the "Leech": cost 1000 leech.
Would you like to double the overall abilities of the "Leech": cost 10,000 leeches. (not enough)
"No and don't mention it again, I'll check for myself if I can improve other creatures" I say as I prepare to summon Marcus to question him about interesting elements of the center but an alarm goes off.
"Fuck Birkins" I say while swearing that the self-destruction of the center will prevent me from collecting more useful elements.
I run towards the exit, but the elevator is not there. However, I see a rope that rises slowly, surely a gift from Enrico.
I grab it before running along the inclined wall, grabbing the rope at each semi-stop before propelling myself upwards again. When I see Rebecca watching me from the catwalk, I slow down slightly while continuing my ascent so as not to alert her.
"Captain, Billy!!" she shouts, almost jumping up and down. "Gerald, he's here!" she exclaims, pointing at me as I finally finish my climb, joining them on the rising platform.
Enrico and Billy rush over to me, their faces a mixture of relief and exhaustion. "Gerald, you did it," Billy says, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "We were worried about you."
Rebecca nods vigorously. "Yeah, we were really worried. Did you do well?"
I smile, out of breath but determined. "Yeah, everything's fine. Marcus won't be a problem anymore."
Enrico, still on guard, glances around us. "Well done, Gerald. Now, let's get out of here. There's nothing holding us back anymore."
Rebecca smiles, tears in her eyes. "We really thought we wouldn't see you again."
I smile back, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I told you, I won't let you down. Now, let's finish what we started and get out of this hell."
The four of us exit the elevator and arrive at a warehouse. The sounds of explosions echo below the elevator, adding urgency to our escape. We quickly leave the warehouse, our hurried footsteps echoing in the oppressive silence.
After reaching a hill some distance away, we turn to admire the explosion of the research center. The flames and debris rise at the same time as the dawn, lighting up the landscape with a warm glow. We sit down in the grass, finally taking a breath.
After ten minutes of soothing silence, we start to get up, feeling the weight of our mission slowly dissipate.
"Billy, give me your dog tag," Enrico said, holding out his hand. "I'll keep my word," he said as Billy ripped off his dog tag and handed it to the captain.
I hand him a Glock. "Be careful, there are still critters around," I said before we shook hands.
"It was an honor to meet a man like you, Officer King," Billy said with a look of respect.
"Thank you, Billy, and goodbye," Rebecca said as she hugged her fellow sufferer, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
Billy returned the hug. "Thank you, Rebecca." He took a few steps away, his face a mixture of gratitude and sadness.
"Thank you all," the ex-con said as he walked away in the opposite direction of Racoon City, his steps heavy but determined.
A sense of melancholy washed over me as I watched Billy walk away. We shared moments of terror, courage, and solidarity. The bonds we formed in those difficult times will remain with us forever.
Rebecca, Enrico, and I stood on the hill, watching Billy disappear into the darkness. The silence was heavy, but filled with emotion. We know that each of us bears the scars of this experience, but also a new strength, a new determination.
"We must continue," I finally say, breaking the silence. "We still have work to do."
We return to our initial landing point and gunfire alerts us. The three of us run to see our teammates struggling with zombie dogs.
Forest Speyer, Edward Dewey, and Richard Aiken fight off a pack of ten dogs while Kenneth J. Sullivan and Kevin Dooley lie on the ground, their wounds bleeding profusely.
"Gerald and Rebecca, go to Kenneth and Kevin," Enrico orders as he joins the fray, spraying the canines with a hail of bullets.
Without missing a beat, I kneel down next to Kenneth and Kevin, who are unconscious and badly injured. I quickly bite the two men's hands, watching as their wounds begin to heal almost instantly. I use the same technique as with Rebecca and Billy when they were infected, without storing them in my factory, but by reinforcing them with the G virus.
The dogs are quickly taken down by the combined fire of our teammates. Rebecca rushes towards Edward, almost making him fall by jumping into his arms. "Rebecca!!" he says as he grabs the girl, a smile of relief forming on his face.
Edward, like Enrico, is a G zombie with all his faculties and memories. He smiles tenderly as he rubs Rebecca's back, the young woman being considered the little sister of the unit. Everyone is very attached to her.
I take advantage of the ability I obtained to explain to her through thought to behave as before with me.
"I'm so happy that Gerald managed to cure you," she says, silent tears streaming down her cheeks as she hugs Edward.
Edward responds by holding her tightly. "Thank you, Rebecca."
Forest, having shot the last dog, turns to us, out of breath but relieved. "We had a close call, guys. Thanks for the support."
Richard helps Kenneth and Kevin up, their wounds now healed. "This is incredible, Gerald. You saved our lives."
I nod, feeling the weight of responsibility and camaraderie. "We've all done our part. Now, let's get ready to leave. We've had enough trials for one day."
Enrico joins our group, quickly checking on everyone. "We need to move. The gunfire must have attracted more creatures. Let's get ready to leave."
Rebecca, still clinging to Edward, whispers, "I'm so glad you're here, Edward."
He replies with a reassuring smile. "And I'm glad you're safe, Rebecca. Let's go. We all have a home to go."
"Kevin, how's the chopper?" I ask the lead pilot.
"I think it's repairable but I was attacked by those nasty beasts luckily Edward came back and pulled me out of a tight spot," he says as we walk in the direction of the chopper.
Enrico approaches Richard before questioning him. "Did you manage to contact Alpha Team?" he asked.
"No, Captain. My equipment is out of order after an encounter with a group of crows. I should have died at that moment because I had no more bullets but Forest appeared telling me to run away."
"I really thought it was the end but a strange thing happened" Forest said as he joined the conversation. The crows that were going to end up killing me flew into the sky and I swear I saw a man with two flying creatures attracting the crows." he said as he swore to the captain.
I smile discreetly, happy that my preparations have paid off but I still decide to tease Forest. "Normally, we don't drink before a mission, you know?" I say making everyone laugh.