A/N: Bonus chapters will kick back in after the reset—but damn, you guys absolutely smashed it by hitting 150 power stones! 💥🔥 You're unstoppable!
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Spencer's Mansion – Courtyard
The courtyard was silent save for the ragged sound of their breathing.
Moonlight spilled across cracked stone tiles and wild overgrowth. A fountain stood in the center, long dry, its angel statue toppled and broken, one wing jutting from the weeds. The night air was damp, carrying the stink of moss and rust.
Jack groaned as he pushed himself upright against the wall, blood drying in streaks down his back. Glass shards glittered around him, slowly sliding free of his skin as his body knitted itself back together. Jill reloaded with sharp, deliberate motions, every muscle still tense.
Neither spoke. Not yet.
Above them, the broken window gaped open like a wound in the mansion's side. The Tyrant's silhouette had vanished into the dark. It hadn't followed. That, somehow, was worse.
Jack spat blood into the dirt, forcing a grin through the pain. "Well… nice evening for fresh air."
Jill slid a fresh mag into her pistol, her eyes never leaving the shadows. "Save the jokes. We're not out of this yet."
Jack pushed himself upright with a grunt, glass crunching under his boots. "Hey, we're alive. That counts for something."
The silence stretched. The courtyard lay still, moonlight washing over the broken fountain and cracked stones.
Then the silence broke.
A faint rustle at first—like leaves brushing together high above. Then a scraping sound, claws dragging over tile. Jill turned, pistol sweeping the tree line.
The noise stopped.
Jack's Viral Sense burned, a low, gnawing pressure in his skull. His gaze flicked skyward. "Something's watching us."
A shriek ripped through the night—high, piercing, unnatural. It echoed off the stone walls, disorienting, impossible to pin down. Jill winced, covering one ear for half a second, then whipped her pistol toward the fountain.
The waterless basin rippled with dust as something enormous shifted overhead.
A shadow unfurled against the moon, wings stretching wide enough to blot out the sky. The giant bat clung to the courtyard's tallest wall, its talons sunk into cracked stone. Its body twitched in the moonlight—scarred flesh, torn membranes, eyes glowing faint red.
It hung there too long, upside down, head cocked at an inhuman angle as it regarded them.
Then it screeched again, louder, vibrating the air in their lungs.
The beast dropped from the wall like a falling boulder, wings snapping open with a thunderclap. Wind blasted through the courtyard, whipping Jill's hair and nearly knocking Jack to his knees.
It didn't strike yet. It circled once, massive wings stirring the air into a storm, as though savoring the hunt.
Jack tightened his grip on the combat knife. "Of course it's a bat… why wouldn't it be?"
The bat's screech rattled the stones beneath their feet. It swooped low, talons outstretched, clipping the fountain with a crack of stone. Jack shoved Jill aside as the beast roared past, its wings kicking up a storm of dust and dead leaves.
"Split up!" Jill barked, rolling to one side as Jack darted behind the statue's broken wing.
The bat dove again—this time straight for Jill. She fired three sharp shots from her pistol, muzzle flashes tearing the dark. Sparks bloomed against the beast's hide, but the rounds only enraged it. With a screech, it slammed down, claws hooking into her vest and shoulder.
"Jill!" Jack sprinted from cover, but the creature was already lifting her off the ground, wings beating like thunder. Jill thrashed, kicking at the beast's belly, still firing. Her pistol jammed, the slide locked back.
The monster climbed higher, dragging her skyward. Jack knew he had seconds before Jill was carried off into the trees.
"Dammit!" Jill hissed, trying to free her arm. She looked down at Jack, teeth bared in frustration.
"Take it!" she shouted, dropping the jammed pistol toward him even as the bat hauled her higher.
Jack leapt, catching it. The weight was solid, balanced. His eyes flicked to the side for half a second—an engraving along the slide, clean and sharp even through scratches: S.T.A.R.S. R.P.D. Special Team. A custom piece. Jill's piece.
He racked the slide, unjamming the weapon. "Perfect. This is all I need."
He spun, raised the pistol, and let his Reflex Response guide his hands. A grin flashed across his face, savage and sharp. His heartbeat synced with the weapon in his grip.
Bang—bang—bang.
Three rounds punched into the bat's wing joint. The creature shrieked, reeling, its grip loosening. Jill tore free and dropped, wind rushing past her ears.
Jack sprinted forward and caught her in both arms, startled by how light she felt. Though his injuries still burned, he barely registered the weight at all.
Jill stared at him for a heartbeat before the world snapped back into place. "You can put me down now."
Jack shook his head once, then lowered her to her feet. Jill extended her hand toward him. He frowned, confused—until he realized she wanted her pistol back.
He handed it over. This time, however, Jill pulled Jack's confiscated M9 from her belt and pressed it into his hand, along with two spare magazines.
"Don't make me regret this," she said, voice tight but softer than before.
Jack smirked, checking the chamber on his old pistol. "Wouldn't dream of it."
The giant bat circled high above, ragged wings stirring the air into violent gusts. Its screech rattled the walls of the courtyard.
Jill steadied her pistol, stance low, eyes tracking its movements. Jack checked his mag before sliding it back into his M9, the familiar weight bringing a grim smile to his face.
The bat tucked its wings and dove.
"Left!" Jack barked, and both moved in sync. Jill rolled to the fountain's base while Jack sprinted right, sliding behind a broken statue. The bat slammed into the courtyard with bone-jarring force, claws ripping stone apart where Jill had just been.
"Move!" Jill shouted, firing two quick rounds into its head. The shots staggered it, forcing the creature to recoil with an enraged screech.
Jack vaulted over the shattered fountain rim and lined up a burst. His M9 barked—bang-bang-bang—each bullet striking along the bat's chest and wing membranes. Black blood sprayed in the moonlight, but the beast still lunged.
It swiped a massive wing like a club. Jack dove, the gust knocking him off his feet and slamming him into the dirt.
"Jack!" Jill's voice cut through the chaos. She fired again, her rounds slamming into the bat's exposed underbelly. The beast screeched and staggered, giving Jack the moment he needed.
He rolled to one knee, eyes darting. His hand closed around a chunk of broken stone. As the bat reared back, he hurled it with unnatural force, Viral muscle driving the throw. The rock smashed into the creature's jaw, snapping its head sideways.
"Nice arm," Jill muttered, sliding into cover beside him.
"Guess I missed my calling," Jack grinned through blood.
The bat shrieked, wings beating furiously as it rose again. The gusts whipped the courtyard into chaos, scattering weeds and rubble.
Jack reloaded fast. "We've got to ground it."
Jill nodded. "On my mark—suppress its wings."
The bat dove again, claws reaching for them both.
"Now!" Jill yelled.
Jack and Jill fired together, their rounds stitching across its left wing joint. The membrane tore, blood spraying. The bat howled in pain, spiraling down, one wing hanging uselessly. It crashed into the courtyard, shattering the fountain's base in a rain of stone.
The monster flailed, snapping blindly, wings thrashing. Jack ran ahead. He planted his foot, dug his weight in, and drove a savage kick straight into the creature's skull.
The impact was like striking oak. Bone and cartilage crunched; the bat's head snapped sideways with a wet, final crack. It convulsed, wings thrashing once, twice, then sagged, collapsing in a ruin of torn membrane and broken stone.
Jack stood over the corpse, chest heaving. He wiped the blood from his mouth and glanced at Jill.
"You fight like a lunatic," she said flatly—but there was respect in her tone now.
Jack smirked, sliding his M9 home. "And you shoot like a damn machine. Not a bad combo."