☆, Fostering, the bond of partnership
The empty, dark corridor was silent except for the sound of footsteps. Jill, holding a gun in one hand and a flashlight in the other, her arms crossed, walked slowly ahead of Ye Xi and Angela. Ye Xi gripped Angela's small hand tightly, wary of their backs, afraid that zombies might leap out from behind them. Although Ye Xi's strength had greatly increased, it didn't mean her courage had grown accordingly; she was still the same Ye Xi who feared the dark and empty houses.
“Ahead,” Jill pointed to a room with a light on, “I saw a shadow flash by just now. This is the area LJ is in charge of on the first floor. Let’s go take a look. Ye Xi, watch your back.”
Ye Xi nodded and pulled the obedient Angela closer to her. "Don't worry, I will protect her well."
Jill's eyes sharpened. She leaned against the wall next to the door, stretched out a hand, slowly opened the door, and then quickly turned around, pointing the gun at the inside. Finding no danger, Jill waved for Ye Xi and Angela to follow.
The light in the room was slightly uncomfortable for Ye Xi, who had been in darkness for a long time, but she quickly recovered. Ye Xi immediately closed the door behind her and carefully observed the layout of the room. From the long white table and the chemical instruments scattered on it, she could tell that this was a laboratory. There were two other doors in the room leading to different places.
Jill opened one of the doors, behind which was a small storage room containing a human skeleton, numerous bottles and jars, and chemical experimental materials. After looking around and finding nothing amiss, Jill immediately turned and closed the door, only to notice Ye Xi staring motionless at the door they had just entered through.
"Run!" Ye Xi suddenly shouted, grabbing Angela and running towards another closed door. Only Ye Xi knew the extent of her panic—she saw a red creature rushing towards them; judging from its shape, it was a dog, a large dog! For Ye Xi, a large dog wouldn't be much, but she had Angela beside her to protect. Most importantly, she vaguely remembered the plot—Nikolai had been killed here by those zombie dogs!
"We need to settle Angela down first, then come back to rescue the others!" Ye Xi hurriedly pulled Angela along, ignoring her cries of pain. Reaching the kitchen, she opened a cabinet and practically shoved Angela inside, saying anxiously, "Angela, stay here quietly, don't move or make a sound! Jill... Jill will come looking for you later, so don't be afraid, okay? I have to go..." Ye Xi slammed the door shut and was about to run when a hand suddenly grabbed her ankle, causing her to fall to the ground.
"Damn it, I don't have time to waste with you right now!" Ye Xi drew her dagger and swiftly plunged it into the zombie's temple, then kicked it away and scrambled to her feet. Damn it, Nikolai, you little bastard, please don't get hurt! This damn conscience!
Ye Xi retraced her steps and saw Jill coming towards her. "Where are you going? Hurry up, I'm fine!" Jill reached out to grab Ye Xi, but froze in surprise the next second—Ye Xi's movements were so swift that Jill couldn't even see how she made her move before Ye Xi flipped her over with one hand on her shoulder!
This person… is not simple. Jill frowned, then quickly ran towards the kitchen. Earlier in the second-floor classroom, because Ye Xi and Angela blocked the doorway, Jill hadn't seen any other zombie corpses besides Taylor lying on the ground. Of course, she hadn't expected this seemingly frail woman to be so skilled. Why are all the women she's encountered lately so powerful? Jill pursed her lips, thinking of another person, the woman who had also surprised her with her sudden appearance—Alice.
As Nikolai was locked in a standoff with a zombie dog modeled after a Standard Doberman police dog, he suddenly heard a heavy panting sound beside him. He turned to look at the two identical zombie dogs that had suddenly appeared at the door, and a sense of foreboding washed over him. A feeling of resentment and despair welled up inside him. "Carlos, our brothers are dying one by one. It seems I'll have to die before you..." Nikolai smiled bitterly. It seemed he really couldn't get Ye Xi out safely, nor could he properly get to know her...
Nikolai slowly closed his eyes, the strength in his hands gradually weakening, but instead of the expected pain, his body felt lighter, and the zombie dog on his body was gone! Nikolai sprang to his feet, staring blankly at the zombie dog pinned to the wall with a dagger stuck in its head, and couldn't help but shudder—how much strength must it have taken to pin this huge Doberman to the wall?
Wait, there are two more. Why did they suddenly go silent? Nikolai quickly pulled out a small knife from his leg pouch. As soon as he turned around, he saw Ye Xi, wielding two swords, coldly and effortlessly decapitating the two zombie dogs with a flourish of her blades. Her eyes, which had once shone like stars, became as cold as the unmelting glaciers of Antarctica, carrying a dangerous allure as she indifferently looked at the two corpses. Then, she slowly raised her head, and when those icy eyes met Nikolai's astonished and stunned gaze, the ice instantly melted, replaced by panic.
"I...I was seen...Damn it, how do I explain this? Oh no...it's happening again, this damn dizziness..." "God is my witness, Ye, this is the first time I've found a woman's fierceness quite endearing. I didn't believe Carlos when he told me this, but I never expected you to be so amazing." Perhaps noticing Ye Xi's bewilderment, Nikolai put one hand on his hip and patted Ye Xi's back hard with the other.
Ye Xi, stung by the slap, glared angrily at Nikolai, but at the same time, a surge of gratitude welled up inside her. She knew, of course, that Nikolai was helping her cover up her embarrassment, and she knew that Carlos and Nikolai were definitely suspicious or even wary of her, yet they hadn't done anything to harm her. Like Nikolai, who, knowing he couldn't be trusted, still comforted her—perhaps this was the unconditional trust between partners?
The dizziness, driven away by the pain, returned. Ye Xi forced herself to stay awake, walked to the zombie dog pinned to the wall, pulled out her dagger, and subtly stabbed it into her thigh as she slipped it into her leg pouch. Although she was writhing in pain inside, Ye Xi maintained her nonchalant demeanor. She looked at Nikolai's orange hand and frowned slightly: "You got bitten?"
Nikolai blinked, looking at his injured, bleeding hand. His eyes dimmed slightly, but he smiled at Ye Xi and said, "It's nothing, it's nothing. Maybe I got scratched by that zombie dog's teeth when I grabbed its muzzle. Ye, are you worried about me?"
"Get lost." Ye Xi rolled her eyes at him. "Look at the smug look on your face. I'm afraid you'll suddenly turn into a zombie and bite me."
"Hey, I know you're just shy, Ye Xi. It's okay, I understand." Nikolai patted Ye Xi's head like he was patting a puppy.
"Damn it, you bastard!" Ye Xi slammed her knee into Nikola's butt. "You want to die? Watch out, or I'll cripple you!" Ye Xi stared dangerously and lewdly at Nikola's private parts, her smile sinister. "You don't want the two sexy little wildcats you spent the night with?"
Upon hearing this, Nikolai immediately dropped his nonchalant expression, gave Ye Xi a serious salute, and said earnestly in the tone of answering a superior's question, "Report, ma'am, I was just joking earlier. I hope you don't mind. If you'd like, Nikolai of UBCS Third Squad is available at any time."
Ye Xi looked at Nikolai's bear-like appearance, her lips twitched, and she pressed his head down hard. Then she strode towards the door and said, "Angela has been found. Let's hurry up and meet up with that unlucky kid who's looking so miserable he's about to die."
"Hehe, Ye Xi, if Carlos hears you describing this, you'll get a spanking~~" Nikolai picked up his gun that had fallen to the side, caught up with Ye Xi ahead, and teased her a bit.
No wonder Nikolai is a villainous extra in the game and even more of a background character in the movie. It turns out it's because of his foul mouth! I really asked for trouble by going to save him! Ye Xi suppressed the urge to beat him to death and quickened her pace, trying to shake him off. However, because of the height difference, the long-legged Nikolai easily kept up with Ye Xi, who was walking straight ahead with her head down.
"Hey, Ye, the toilet's over there." Nikolai pointed to the toilet behind him.
"...If you're going, hurry up and go. Do you have to report to me just to go to the restroom? I'm not Carlos. I'll wait for you at the restaurant." Ye Xi rolled her eyes at him, her words utterly unforgiving.
"But why are you walking so fast? Isn't it just to find a toilet?" Nikolai asked with some doubt. If you could ignore his mocking expression, he actually seemed somewhat believable.
"Go to hell and get kicked by a f***ing horse!" Ye Xi clenched her fist, took a deep breath, and was just about to give Nikolai a leg kick that would leave him crippled, when she was interrupted by a loud "boom." Nikolai also dropped his smirk, exchanged a glance with Ye Xi, and then pulled her towards the source of the explosion.
"Carlos, Carlos, can you hear me? Please answer." Nikola pressed his earpiece anxiously, trying to contact Carlos. "Damn it, don't let anything happen to you!"
Seeing that he hadn't received a reply for a long time, Nikolai suddenly pulled off his headphones, quickened his pace, and tightened his grip on Ye Xi's hand.
When Ye Xi heard that Nikolai had not been able to contact Carlos, she couldn't help but feel a little panicked—had he been blown away by the legendary butterfly wings?
Nikolai didn't speak, but gripped Ye Xi's hand tightly with his injured hand to prevent her from getting lost. Blood stained Ye Xi's hand, but Nikolai seemed oblivious to the pain. His teammates had left one by one, and although he maintained a frivolous smile and jokes, it didn't mean he didn't care; he was merely using this vulgar method to mask his vulnerability. Now, if even his last teammate was gone…
“It’ll be alright,” Ye Xi patted Nikolai’s hand, unsure whether to comfort him or herself. “Carlos is lucky. Even God wouldn’t be so fond of bringing him to his side right now.”
Nikolai glanced at Ye Xi silently, then forced a smile: "Yes, he'll be fine."
The feeling of having teammates who were laughing and joking together just a few hours ago dying one by one in front of you or at your own hands is just... Umbrella Corporation is really fucking cruel...
Nikolai and Ye Xi quickly arrived at the restaurant. In the dim light, they almost immediately spotted the five people inside, including Carlos. Upon seeing Carlos, Ye Xi and Nikolai both breathed a sigh of relief. "You're still alive! Why didn't you answer earlier?" Nikolai walked over and punched Carlos.
“Answer? Oh, sorry, my headset seems to be broken.” Carlos pulled the headset out of his ear and then smiled at Nikola, “Don’t be nervous, don’t be nervous,” he patted Nikola on the shoulder, “and thanks to the antibody in Angela’s hand, I’ve already recovered.”
Hearing this, Ye Xi took a closer look at Carlos. The faint orange color at the bite mark on his arm was gone, and his complexion had improved considerably. The color on his arm would probably disappear soon… Ye Xi nodded to herself, then said to Angela, “Angela, do you still have antibodies? Nikolai was also infected.”
“There’s one more.” Angela immediately handed the antibody to Ye Xi. Without saying a word, Ye Xi grabbed Nikolai’s arm and jabbed it down hard, not caring how thick the needle was.
"If Miss Ye Xi hadn't reminded me, I would have forgotten... Ah, gently, gently, my princess!" As expected, Nikolai grimaced in pain, but he couldn't do anything to Ye Xi, so he could only swallow his anger.
Perhaps this scene looked familiar, because Carlos grinned broadly and said, "Ye Xi, you'd better not become a doctor in the future, or your patients will be tortured to death by you."
"Any objections?" Ye Xi shot him a sharp look.
“No, no, Your Highness,” Carlos replied with a smile, mimicking Nicholas’s tone.
"Yes, Your Highness, the coachman and the knight wouldn't dare to have any complaints against you." Nicholas cracked his knuckles, then gave Carlos and Ye Xi a warm bear hug: "The three of us, from now on, must live well!"
Hearing Nikolai's simple and honest words, Ye Xi felt a lump in her throat and almost burst into tears. Watching Carlos and Nikolai chatting and laughing, she suddenly felt that if she had such companions, the apocalypse would mean nothing.
Just as Ye Xi was immersed in the happiness of this sudden friendship, a slightly suspicious voice rang out: "Ye Xi...you are...that Ye Xi?"
Ye Xi froze—oh no, she'd forgotten Alice was here too!
Author's Note: Actually, life would be so much more fun if I had a partner like Nikolai, so he didn't die, even though he's completely different from the one in the game (facepalm, begging for support and comments, I'm a good person and really don't want to curse).
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