"No mistake, it's a Nemesis!"
Nemesis—Chris knew the name. Jill had told him about that terrifying night in Raccoon City, facing a relentless hunter built from a Tyrant.
"They unleashed a monster like this to reclaim that BOW!" Chris turned to Li Yexing. "What's the plan?"
"The gangs' reinforcements are coming. Let them stall it. Local forces will show up soon. You contact BSAA for backup. I'll take Lilith and run!"
Per Operation Raccoon City, stopping a Nemesis required at least a hundred regular troops with heavy firepower. This monster looked far worse than Raccoon City's. Li Yexing didn't expect the gangs or local forces to hold it.
Chris shook his head. "No, I'm sticking with you. Can't let that group take her back!"
He pressed his earpiece, connecting to HQ. "Base, this is Chris. Repeat, this is Chris. Biohazard crisis in Roples. An extremely dangerous BOW is in town. I'll send coordinates. Target's highly dangerous. We need heavy firepower support. Repeat, we need heavy firepower!"
"Base received. We'll negotiate with Roples' government forces. Hold on, Chris," HQ replied. Chris turned to Li Yexing. "BSAA needs local approval to enter. HQ's handling it."
"Let's move, Chris. It's time to run."
Gangs flooded the street, firing all kinds of weapons at the Nemesis. Local forces arrived too, their patrol unit gone silent. Armored transports rolled in, soldiers in uniforms jumping out, joining the gangs in a unified assault. They didn't know what they were facing.
Another rocket hit, blasting a transport, soldiers, and gangsters into the air. The Nemesis's Gatling gun tore through the open street, mowing down people like wheat. Bullets only dented its black exoskeleton. RPGs ricocheted, explosions barely fazing it.
"T-Lilith—!!"
Its tracker signaled the target moving. The beast roared and charged, its heavy exoskeleton and firepower not slowing it. It plowed through the bullet storm, smashing vehicles, red tendrils from its armor piercing and tearing anyone in its path. The army retreated in panic; the remaining gangsters charged, roaring, only to be crushed by this war machine.
Nothing could stop it.
…
Chris's face was grim. Local forces couldn't stop this monster. BSAA backup would likely get approved soon, but even they'd struggle, with heavy casualties.
"Don't stare. Follow me. We'll stick to narrow alleys. That thing's too bulky—it might get stuck, buying us time," Li Yexing said, patting Chris's shoulder.
"But no cover means we're sitting ducks if it sets up its gun at the alley's mouth," Chris said, shaking his head.
"Trust me, I know this terrain. We won't stay in long alleys. By the time it aims, we're gone."
Chris nodded, seeing no better option.
So, BSAA's star fighter Chris followed a third-rate Asian merc from some Eastern European backwater, with a silver-haired, red-eyed, killer BOW girl, weaving through alleys. Soon, the gunfire faded. They stopped in a narrow alley to rest. Chris contacted HQ, reporting the situation and detailing the monster's weapons and tactics.
Lilith tugged Li Yexing's sleeve. He turned to her.
"Scared," she whispered.
"Don't be. We'll handle it," Li Yexing said, ruffling her hair. He pointed at Chris. "See him? He's a pro at fighting these things. With him, we'll take that big guy down."
"Really?" Lilith looked at Chris, eyes sparkling.
"I'll try," Chris said, wanting to say "no way," but her hopeful gaze forced a weak smile, uglier than a grimace.
Seeing Chris's face, Lilith whispered to Li Yexing, loud enough for Chris to hear, "He's not reliable."
Chris's face got uglier.
Then, Lilith looked up. "It's coming."
Li Yexing and Chris tensed.
"Where?" Li Yexing asked.
Lilith stood still, then grabbed his hand and ran back. Chris followed instinctively. A crash followed—the wall where they'd stood collapsed, debris flying. The black-armored Nemesis burst through, emerging from the dust.
"T-Lilith—!!"
It roared, turning to chase, but the narrow alley slowed it. Scraping walls and shedding rubble, it raised its Gatling gun.
"Turn! Turn!" Li Yexing shouted at the gun's whir. Lilith pulled him right into another alley. Chris dove, barely dodging the bullets.
"Told you," Li Yexing said, yanking Chris up. "We circle it. It can't catch us." He grabbed Lilith's hand and ran again.
"Pointless. It smashed through a wall," Chris said, trailing. "How's it tracking us without line of sight?"
"Blame some asshole researcher who put a tracker in her," Li Yexing spat. "They sold us out."
"Miss Kelly wouldn't," Lilith said.
"Then why's it chasing us nonstop?"
As they spoke, the Nemesis reached the corner, gouging walls. They hit another fork.
"Turn! Don't let it aim!" Li Yexing yelled. They veered left.
"This alley's too wide—it'll catch up!" Chris shouted.
"No problem. See that building? We climb!" Li Yexing turned to Lilith. "You first!"
Lilith sprinted, leaping onto the roof. Li Yexing and Chris ran side by side, the monster closing in. It stopped at the alley's mouth, raising its rocket launcher.
"T-Lilith—!!"
With a deafening roar, it fired. Li Yexing and Chris jumped. Lilith grabbed Li Yexing with her right hand, Chris with her left, yanking them onto the roof. They rolled and leapt as the rocket hit, obliterating the building. Fire erupted, debris flying. They crashed onto the street—Chris rolled, cushioning the fall; Li Yexing clutched Lilith, her arms shielding his head. They tumbled, slamming into a green military transport.
Li Yexing felt broken. With Lilith's help, he stood, then saw the street packed with over a hundred local soldiers—snipers, machine gunners, RPGs, grenade launchers, transports blocking roads, even a tank!
"It's in there, coming out!" Li Yexing shouted, pointing. Soldiers moved fast, an officer barking orders, another reporting the target's position via radio.
The hundred-strong force deployed, facing the collapsed building.
Heavy footsteps neared through the smoke, then stopped.
Silence fell, only breathing and crackling flames audible.
A roar erupted. A burning rubble chunk flew from the smoke toward Lilith. Li Yexing tackled her, the debris flipping the transport behind them.
The terrifying figure stepped through the flaming ruins, into the soldiers' ambush.
"What the hell is that?" the officer gasped, despite hearing about it. The monster's inhuman pressure crushed every soldier's nerves.
"Fire!" the officer roared, suppressing fear. Bullets, RPGs, and grenades pounded the Nemesis, heavy machine guns unleashing metal storms, sniper rounds hitting its mask. Under the concentrated firepower, it staggered back.
"There's a chance!" Chris grabbed his gun, ready to join, but Li Yexing stopped him.