"You stay home and wait for news from Matt. I'm going to meet two survivors... They witnessed a rampaging blue-skinned ape near the Acre Mountains last night."
"I suspect it was a biological weapon developed by Umbrella Corporation—the Tyrant!"
Kevin's expression shifted at that. He looked strange. "Those two survivors wouldn't happen to be Leon and Claire, would they? One man and one woman?"
The policewoman in a tank top and light blue denim shorts immediately stopped opening the door and turned around in astonishment.
"What a coincidence. They weren't the only witnesses last night..."
Kevin took a deep breath, weighed his options, and seriously suggested, "I'll go with you. Maybe I can help."
Going out meant risking capture by Umbrella. The price was indeed steep, but it was worth it!
Morning in Raccoon City was still filled with peace and quiet, without the slightest hint that disaster was approaching.
Although Umbrella Corporation conducted the occasional routine inspection, the soldiers did not obstruct the few remaining troublemakers from S.T.A.R.S. They merely gave them a symbolic check.
Kendo Gun Shop! This was the place! Jill drove the black SUV into the gun shop's garage with a beautiful drifting turn.
"Sister Jill!" Once the policewoman had parked, Emma, the Gun Shop Owner Robert's daughter, bounced into Jill's arms with an affectionate cheer.
"Come in..." The bearded man in a yellow-and-black striped work shirt pushed open the side door and walked over. After looking around to make sure no one was nearby, he waved Jill inside.
The policewoman nodded slightly, dragged a large suitcase out of the trunk, and hauled it through the side door into the basement.
After once again checking the surroundings, Robert closed the shop, flipped the sign to Closed, then picked up the freshly brewed coffee and headed into the basement.
Meanwhile, the nervous and guarded rookie cop Leon and the girl searching for her brother, Claire, sat at the table in uneasy discomfort.
Jill pulled over a chair and sat down, casually opening the suitcase. A black figure suddenly sprang out of the cramped space, gasping for breath.
"I was suffocating! I thought you were trying to murder me!" Kevin, stuffed into the suitcase and dragged along for the entire trip, was finally free. He eagerly stretched his limbs.
The scene drew little Emma's curious gaze, but Kevin won the girl over with a stuffed toy he had borrowed to curry favor. She quickly became affectionate toward him.
When his gaze landed on the shocked young man and woman in the corner, Kevin smiled, waved, and greeted them.
"Well, you two are here too. Looks like we can have a proper catch-up now."
"You can rest easy here. Umbrella's reach doesn't extend onto my turf."
Gun Shop Owner Robert came down the stairs, sounding utterly domineering. He placed several cups of hot coffee before everyone, then led away his daughter Emma, who was clinging to Jill.
Jill added sugar cubes and creamer to her coffee, stirring gently as she explained why she had chosen this place for their meeting.
"Robert is an expert at modifying firearms, and he supplies weapons for our S.T.A.R.S. team. He's absolutely trustworthy!"
Leon and Claire, still unable to sort through the sudden turn of events, nodded instinctively. Then their eyes filled with confusion again, unsure how the conversation would proceed.
"I'll explain the current situation. I asked my friend Sergeant Peyton to get you out of the holding cells at the police station."
"As for why, on one hand, I'm Claire's brother Chris's colleague. We're both part of S.T.A.R.S.'s Alpha Team, so I have an obligation to ensure your safety. On the other hand, I..."
Jill glanced at the person beside her, who was acting like a wise old man, paused slightly, and reorganized her words.
"...More accurately, we are very interested in what you two experienced last night."
So this policewoman had accepted him. Not bad. A very good start. A smile spread across Kevin's lips.
But as the two across from him continued recounting the events of the previous night, Kevin's expression grew increasingly grave.
PS: In the game, Gun Shop Owner Robert's daughter Emma was infected with the T-Virus. Unable to bear killing his daughter, the owner finally fired a gunshot. The ending was bleak and tragic, with little suspense left.
Come to think of it, why did he feel that if the original male protagonist Leon never showed up, all these NPCs would survive...
What could he say? Wasn't Leon truly worthy of the nickname "Three Lights Leon"?
"Someone broke into the core laboratory of the underground Hive last night, intending to steal T-Virus samples and genetic weapon research data?"
After Claire and Leon conveyed the secret they had accidentally overheard to Kevin, a dark light flickered repeatedly in the boy's eyes.
Something had definitely gone wrong with Alice!
Although he did not know the cause, she had probably already been taken under control.
Everything was a mess! The now utterly chaotic course of events gave Kevin, who had once possessed foreknowledge, a terrible headache.
Meanwhile, his worry for Alice continued to ferment inside him.
But at this moment, he had to remain calm. The difference in strength between them and Umbrella Corporation was simply too great.
If he wanted to rescue Alice, he could not take even a single wrong step. Clearly, he no longer had the capital to start over.
While Kevin frowned in thought, Claire also learned from Jill that her brother Chris had safely gone to England to investigate genetic weapons. She let out a relieved breath.
Then Leon exchanged information about mutants with Jill, his senior in the police force, and roughly understood what he was facing.
"Why not report this to the director?"
The rookie, unable to grasp the situation, asked in confusion. He clearly had no doubts about the integrity of the RPD.
"Director Alons's fat belly is filled with the profits Umbrella Corporation sent him. Who do you think sold S.T.A.R.S.'s movements to Umbrella?"
Kevin pulled out a blank sheet of A4 paper. While patiently explaining, he took out a ballpoint pen, wrote RPD on the paper, then crossed it out.
The waters of the Raccoon City Police Department ran far too deep! Umbrella had infiltrated it most severely, so it could not be relied upon as outside support.
Besides, Director Alons Brian, the fat director, appeared to be a model crime fighter and friendly public official. In private, however, he was a pervert who loved making and collecting specimens.
Those specimens included people!
"What about Mayor Warren?" Leon, who carried dreams of justice, naturally could not believe Raccoon City hid such an enormous conspiracy.
"Large-scale construction across Raccoon City requires the mayor's personal approval. Do you think he wouldn't know about some of Umbrella Corporation's unusual activities behind the scenes?"
Kevin wrote down the mayor's name, but did not cross it out immediately.
For the sake of political achievements, Mayor Warren had turned a blind eye to Umbrella Corporation's illegal construction projects.
However, unlike Director Alons, he had not indirectly participated in Umbrella's human experiments. He retained some bottom line, making him someone they could still win over.
More importantly, this Raccoon City official had a fatal weakness. If they seized the right moment, they could pry loose Umbrella Corporation's overt forces.
For now, though, it was better not to contact him.
"Then who can we trust?" Leon felt somewhat defeated. He did not understand why, after coming to Raccoon City, he could no longer do the right thing.
A moment later, Kevin raised the sheet of A4 paper. His expression was calm and composed, while the previously blank page now bore a clear relationship map.
Among Raccoon City's military, police, and government departments, the surviving S.T.A.R.S. members, Jill's military officer friends, Leon, Claire, and even the mayor whose stance remained unclear were all people they could recruit...
Within Umbrella Corporation, Alice, whose whereabouts were unknown, Lisa, who was fleeing, and Dr. Charles, who was clearly dissatisfied with Umbrella, could also be won over...
As for outside support, the unknown faction represented by Ada Wong and the BSAA Kevin belonged to might still have value to exploit...
This clear and comprehensive map of forces almost sorted out Raccoon City's tangled situation. The three listened thoughtfully.
However, to reduce unnecessary trouble, he had given Sister Wang an identity everyone knew well: an FBI agent.
With a specific direction, process, and objective, the future became something they could look forward to.
Kevin and Jill openly discussed the various biological weapons Umbrella Corporation possessed. Kevin, who had related memories, even added the strengths and weaknesses of these different types of mutants.
The task of recruiting more people into the ranks opposing Umbrella also became practical and feasible with everyone's contributions.
"Everyone, even if you plan to save the world, you still need lunch first. Mary makes pretty good grilled patties and vegetable soup."
Just as the four were immersed in their heated discussion, Gun Shop Owner Robert brought his daughter Emma over and placed the prepared food on the table around which they sat.
Kevin and the others snapped back to their senses, and the hunger in their stomachs reminded them that they needed energy.
However, the other three subconsciously turned their questioning gazes toward the youngest young man present, as if waiting for him to make the decision.
His earlier display of insight and planning, combined with Jill's endorsement, had faintly made Kevin the leader of their little group of four.
"Go ahead and eat, everyone. Saving Raccoon City is important, but we can always make time for a meal."
Kevin's half-joking, relaxed tone gradually eased the tension in the other three, and they began enjoying the food the owner had provided.
After eating a few bites, Jill gently patted little Emma on the head.
Then, with something on her mind, she walked into the storage room beside the stairs. Looking at Robert, who was busy tending to them, guilt rose in the policewoman's heart.
"Robert, I'm sorry for dragging you into this..."
The owner stopped washing dishes and slowly turned around. His voice was low, his expression solemn, and his tone carried a trace of comfort.
"Jill, this isn't your fault. Kenneth, Edward, Foster... So many people have died..."
"The living have to keep living. There's nothing shameful about that, but we should at least give those old friends an answer."
For Gun Shop Owner Robert, nearly every member of S.T.A.R.S. had maintained a good relationship with him.
Being able to try out his firearm modification work on their weapons had always been one of the few pleasures in Robert's life.
After knowing them for so long, he should do something for these old friends.
"The crisis Raccoon City is about to face is far more serious than I imagined. Arrange for you and Emma to leave as soon as possible."
"I'll speak to Sergeant Peyton at the airport and have him reserve seats for you to leave Raccoon City."
Jill pulled out a lady's cigarette and placed it between her lips. Tilting her head, she used the flame Robert held in his palm to light it, then took a hard drag of nicotine.
"Jill..." The owner was somewhat moved.
The policewoman skillfully flicked ash from her cigarette, her expression solemn. "Don't refuse. This is the only thing I can do for an old friend."
Robert nodded slightly. "All right. In a couple of days, I'll close the business and take my daughter to England for a vacation..."
"By tomorrow night at the latest!" Jill patted her old friend on the shoulder and took one final deep drag.
The nicotine made her muddled mind clearer. The policewoman then turned and left the storage room.
Just as Jill stepped out through the side door, she saw Kevin slowly lower a black phone. The string of encrypted characters displayed on its screen made his expression change drastically.
"It's a distress signal! Matt was intercepted by an Umbrella Squad and is trapped near the vagrant camp, 1.5 kilometers from Raccoon City."
"What's the plan?" Jill looked grave. Things were indeed developing in an even worse direction.
Kevin's expression darkened, but he did not answer immediately, because this was not yet the worst possible outcome.
The incident site was 1.5 kilometers from Raccoon City, with relatively open terrain. It made it convenient for Umbrella Squads inside the city to rush over, reinforce the blockade, and intercept them. It was practically a hunting ground built for capture!
An intense sense of danger seeped from that string of encrypted characters.
"This fight will require enough manpower. I'll contact the surviving S.T.A.R.S. members right away!"
When Kevin failed to respond for a long time, Jill frowned and prepared to move up the plan to contact her surviving teammates.
"If you want to win, you need to learn how to attack instead of blindly defending. Understand?"
Kevin pressed a hand on Jill's shoulder, then picked up the clear relationship map with his other hand and flicked it with a bent finger. His formerly gloomy expression gradually brightened.
"If we just have a brawl with these bratty Umbrella lackeys, what kind of result can we get?"
"At a time like this, we should beat up their parents first!"
The three fell into confusion, unable to understand.
"By the way, Emma, you still have class at Raccoon City Elementary School this afternoon, right?" Kevin turned toward the little girl beside him and asked with a smile.
After receiving an affirmative reply, a dark and scheming smile bloomed at the corner of the boy's lips.
PS1: Leon is also known as Three Lights Leon. The three lights mean monsters wiped out, beauties conquered, and teammates ruined. It is a nickname players gave protagonist Leon Scott Kennedy in the Biohazard Crisis game series. He also holds the honorable titles of Vehicle Killer and Bystander Nemesis.
PS2: Time for some fancy maneuvering. Also, thanks to everyone who checked in yesterday. I didn't expect so many people to be reading. Thank you.
I'll keep working hard on updates. If anyone knows Biohazard Crisis well, could you write a long review?
"Kiddo, help me pass along a message. Once you complete the mission, I'll reward you with a Häagen-Dazs ice cream cone!"
Kevin crouched down, patted Emma's little head, and proposed the deal with a grin.
The little girl swallowed. After receiving her father's permission, she nodded eagerly. "I want strawberry flavor!"
Kevin smiled and bumped fists with Emma to seal the deal, then whispered a string of words into her ear.
Before you continue