Jack's POV – Facility Corridors
They walked in silence, the kiss lingering longer than it should have. For the first time in hours, the only sound was the low hum of emergency lights and the faint drip of water through ruptured pipes. Jack's pulse was still hammering, but not from running or fighting—because of Rebecca's lips, her words.
Then the System flickered across his vision:
[Viral Survival System]
[New Bond Milestone with Rebecca Chambers: Confession of Fears]
New Adaptation Unlocked: Calming Presence
Partner stabilizes neural activity. Viral abilities can be used for a longer period without losing control.
Jack blinked, letting the information fade. He already knew he couldn't shake Rebecca off anymore. This just confirmed it—he needed her.
He forced himself to look forward, to focus on anything but the warmth that still pressed against his chest. Rebecca stayed close, pistol raised, her other hand occasionally brushing against his arm as if to make sure he was really still there.
Then he heard it.
A scrape. A skitter. The sound of claws on metal.
Rebecca froze beside him, eyes wide. "You heard that too."
Before he could answer, the ceiling vent above them burst open. A shape dropped low and landed on all fours, eyes burning red. Its matted fur was slick with blood and chemical residue, its lips curling back to reveal jagged fangs.
"Son of a bitch…" Jack's stomach twisted. "They weaponized monkeys."
The Eliminator hissed and lunged.
Jack raised his M4 and fired. The burst tore chunks out of the wall as the beast twisted mid-air. It slammed into him, claws raking his shoulder, forcing him back against the wall. Rebecca's pistol cracked beside him, the shot grazing the creature's flank and driving it off long enough for Jack to steady his rifle.
More noises echoed down the corridor. Another vent cover hit the floor. Then another.
Jack's pulse spiked. "We've got company."
The shadows above shifted, and more Eliminators dropped one by one, surrounding them, their shrieks bouncing off the walls.
Rebecca's voice was tight, panicked. "There are too many!"
Jack gritted his teeth, planting his boots, rifle leveled. "Then we cut through them."
The first Eliminator slammed into Jack's rifle, knocking it aside with bone-cracking force.
Jack pivoted, driving his boot into its ribs and firing a burst point-blank. The creature shrieked and staggered, ichor spraying across the wall.
But the others closed in.
One scrambled across the ceiling, springing down toward Rebecca. Jack pivoted and opened fire, catching it midair. It hit the floor in a twitching heap, but two more surged in from the side.
They were faster than Cerberus. Smarter. They moved with a predator's cunning—flanking, probing, waiting for an opening.
Jack chambered another round, jaw set. "Stay close!"
Rebecca ducked low, her pistol barking, clipping one across the jaw. The beast screeched and swung wide, crashing into a wall. She lined up another shot, but the corridor was chaos—claws, screeches, muzzle flashes carving the dark into fragments.
Then Jack felt it.
A weight slammed into his back, driving him forward. Claws raked down his vest as hot breath hissed against his neck. Before he could throw it off, jaws sank deep into his shoulder.
Pain detonated through his body.
"Jack!" Rebecca's scream cut through the din.
He roared, slamming his back into the wall, crushing the beast against concrete. It yelped but bit down harder, teeth grinding against bone. Jack dropped his rifle, ripped a combat knife free, and jammed it backward into the Eliminator's side. Once. Twice. Three times.
The beast shrieked and finally tore free, staggering away with blood matting its jaws. Jack staggered too, clutching his shoulder—hot blood pouring through his fingers.
Then the world stuttered.
[Viral Survival System Notice]
Cellular Lockdown (Tier 1) — ACTIVE
Due to the Eliminator bite, the T-Virus has entered your body. Your immune system is triggering an emergency lockdown to prevent mutation.
Effect: Immune response amplified. Prevents T-Virus mutation.
Risk: Host cell fatigue after duration. Temporary effect.
Time Remaining: 02:00:00
Jack's vision flickered red. His body seized for an instant, every muscle locking before the System forced them back online. His wounds knitted faster than before, but the toll was crushing—like chains tightening around every nerve.
Rebecca rushed to him, eyes wide. "What's happening?!"
Jack forced a grim smile, panting. "Don't worry. I'm not turning like them—my immune system's just fighting off the strain."
He hefted his rifle again, blood still dripping down his arm. His voice hardened.
"Becca, we need to finish this fast. We don't have much time left."
The corridor had become a blur of shrieks and muzzle flashes. Jack swung his rifle in wide arcs, each burst tearing chunks out of the walls or flesh, but his breath was ragged now, his body straining under the weight of the lockdown.
Rebecca's eyes flicked to him between shots—his veins had darkened, crawling out from the bite across his neck and arms. His wounds were closing almost instantly, muscles locking tighter with each strike, but every time he stumbled, she could see the strain. His body was healing—and breaking—at the same time.
He can't keep this up.
An Eliminator vaulted off the wall, claws flashing. Jack raised his rifle too slow—the lockdown dragging him down. Before it could land, Rebecca's pistol cracked, the round taking it in the throat. The beast collapsed in a twitching heap.
"Jack, focus!" she shouted. "They're driving you into the ground!"
He snarled back, his voice strained. "It's my body… Becca!"
Rebecca's mind was already racing. Brute force wasn't enough. They had to fight smarter.
Her gaze darted across the wreckage—toppled crates, shattered tanks, the dented pesticide sprayer still strapped to her back. The makeshift flamethrower.
She yanked it free, fumbling with the cracked fuel line and half-empty canister. The lighter flicked alive with a spark.
An Eliminator lunged. Rebecca spun, unleashing a torrent of fire. The flames washed across its fur, igniting it in a scream of burning muscle and smoke. The beast crashed into the wall, thrashing before going still.
"Come on," Rebecca growled, swinging the nozzle toward another. "Let's see how clever you are when you're on fire!"
The corridor lit up with fire and gunfire. The Eliminators shrieked and scattered, the flames breaking their flanking patterns, driving them into the open. Jack seized the openings, forcing his rifle to bear on exposed throats and joints. Each burst dropped another.
Rebecca pressed forward, fire spilling across the walls and ceiling, her wits forcing the beasts into predictable paths. "Keep them funneling left!" she called.
Jack gritted his teeth, understanding through the haze of pain. He shifted his fire accordingly, hammering the gaps she created. Between her precision and his brutal force, the tide finally began to turn.
One last Eliminator screeched and leapt at her. Rebecca dropped low, rolled, and fired the flamethrower point-blank. The beast erupted, crashing to the floor in a burning heap.
Silence fell. The flames hissed and crackled, smoke curling through the corridor. Rebecca lowered the sprayer, chest heaving.
Jack staggered, leaning against the wall, his rifle hanging loose in his grip. Black veins still pulsed faintly under his skin, his breath shallow.
Rebecca glanced at him, fear tightening her chest. He was still on his feet. Barely.
She shouldered the sprayer, her eyes locked on him. "We can't waste time. We have to move before more of them show up."
Jack coughed, smirk faint but sharp, "Remind me not to piss you off when you've got a flamethrower."
Rebecca rolled her eyes, but her heart was still pounding. "Just shut up and keep moving."
The flames sputtered out, leaving only smoke and the stink of scorched flesh. Jack slumped against the wall, his M4 hanging low at his side. His breaths came ragged, his skin pale beneath the flickering emergency lights.
Rebecca's stomach turned when she saw it—black veins crawling from the wound on his shoulder, spreading briefly before fading again as the flesh knitted shut. It wasn't human. It wasn't natural. But whatever it was, it was keeping him on his feet.
"Jack…" she whispered. "That bite—your body's not supposed to do that."
He shook his head quickly, cutting her off. "Later, Becca. We don't have time."
But she could see the strain. His shoulders hunched, his steps slower, as though every movement dragged chains behind him. He wasn't telling her everything—and the silence pressed heavier than the smoke.
Rebecca forced herself to steady her voice. "Then I'll tell you what we do have time for." She dug into her pack, pulling out the Umbrella file she had salvaged earlier. Her hand shook, but her eyes were sharp. "We need evidence. Not just to survive, Jack. If we walk out of here with nothing, Umbrella will bury all of this. And they'll keep doing it. To you. To others."
Jack's jaw tightened, but he said nothing.
Rebecca shoved the file back into her bag, resolve hardening in her chest. "We gather whatever we can. Research logs, experiments, anything that proves what Umbrella's been building down here. And when we're done…" Her gaze flicked down the smoke-filled corridor. "We make sure none of it survives."
Jack finally looked at her, exhaustion behind his eyes, but also something else—trust.
She stepped under his arm, bracing his weight with her shoulder. "You don't have to carry this alone. Not anymore. I'll make sure the world sees what Umbrella's done. And then we bury this nightmare."
In the distance, the corridor rumbled with a heavy, deliberate thud… thud… thud.
Jack lifted his rifle, jaw clenched. The fight wasn't over. And the clock was already ticking.
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A/N: To keep myself from burning out, I'm aiming to post one chapter a day. Each one will be at least 1,000 words, so you'll always have something solid to dive into. Thanks for sticking with me!