"I just want to have time to take my revenge—and not put you in danger while doing it. You see, I'm infected with a prototype virus."
As I said that, I stopped shielding my eyes and, deliberately, slightly opened my mouth as well. The pistol in the girl's hands wavered for a moment, then steadied again.
"Handsome, right? For now, I still have control—but I don't know how much time I have left, or what comes next. My goal is to get to someone in the corporation, and I don't have much time for that. So, with a clear conscience, I'm leaving the girl with you. I couldn't abandon her on her own, but with a protector like this—" I nodded toward the alligator's tail protruding from the tunnel, "—I can leave Sherry here. By the way, I think she's infected too, just with something else. When she fell into the trash compactor, I lagged behind a bit, and when I got down here, I saw the monster retreating."
"I see. Thank you. I'll verify your information… but is there really nothing that can be done?"
If Claire's first words referred to the information about the Birkin family, the last was clearly about my situation. It almost made me feel ashamed to deceive her.
Though I wasn't deceiving her. I really was infected with a prototype. And if we didn't get out of the city, not only me—we were all doomed, with maybe a couple of days at best. And my goal was the truth as well. Those vivisectionists would answer for everything.
"No. It's not a pure T-virus—otherwise I'd already be a mindless zombie, and there's no vaccine for it. And you can't really call it the G-virus either; I don't resemble the monsters it create(anymore). But the changes are continuing. I can feel them. I'd rather not harm a child—or a charming lady." I shrugged.
"Oh really? It's not that easy to harm me," Claire replied lightly. "And you'd be safer with us. Besides, judging by your own words, we need to go to the local laboratory anyway. Maybe we could find a vaccine for you too." She tried to reassure me again. No—now I really was starting to feel ashamed.
"Not that easy?" I went into maximum acceleration, crossing the three-meter distance between us in a single, fluid motion. "Are you sure? Even now, I'm already dangerous. And I don't know how long I'll be able to remain human—inside or out."
Claire stared at me with widened eyes and swallowed nervously, finally grasping the real danger I posed. Even if it were only my speed that was so monstrous, she herself, judging by her expression, could hardly believe it.
"I don't want to lose control and end up killing you both. Maybe after I get my revenge—if there's time left—I'll look for a vaccine. But that will be later."I speak with my eyes closed, as though weary.
"I understand. Good luck, Cain!" Claire calls out, already speaking to my back.
Well, that was that. We'd met, made a relatively positive impression—and most importantly, if I really did lose my human appearance later on, I'd have proof that I was still me, citing this strange virus that hadn't touched my mind. Why not? Wesker had something like that. Almost.
"Thank you. And good luck to you and the girl as well," I replied without turning around, leaping up onto the higher tunnel floor where the alligator's corpse lay.
Now it was clear why its blood hadn't flowed toward me. That carcass was easily twenty meters long—from its mangled head to the tip of its tail. Apparently, my attraction didn't work at that distance, and only its head had been damaged. I accelerated again and lunged toward it, practically plunging into the pulpy mess.
Ah. Control over my body finally returned. Before that, I'd felt like some kind of cripple—one leg limping, torso almost immobile, my head unable to turn to the left. Birkin had done a good job knocking me down from the clouds.
Continuing to draw in the blood—most of which was clearly going toward regeneration—I stepped back a little and sliced into the softer section of its scales with my claws, where the heart should be. Oh. Almost my size. Perfect!
Working my claws even harder, I carved out an opening and, more to steady my nerves than for any other reason, took a breath, plunging inside and settling in. Through the existing circulatory system, I began pulling every last drop of crimson fluid from the monster's body.
I don't know how long that little pastime lasted, but by the time I dragged myself out—now this was real overload, though I'd drained the entire monster—Sherry and Claire were gone from the fairly wide range of my illuminated vision. Instead, two other women had appeared.
"I told you it was him sitting there." Yamata said, crossing her arms over her chest—apparently that counted as a greeting.
Well, I'm here. But where were you two? Claire made it here without you. And yes—she's the one you were supposed to be escorting." I mirrored the Four Eyes pose as I leapt down, landing squarely opposite them from the slit carved out before the feast.
"Um… well… you see…" Katherine started.
"Spiders," Yamata said simply, giving a brief shrug.
And there it was—the difference between a professional, who sums up the situation in a single word, and a former civilian.
(End of Chapter)
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