Chapter 97: Nemesis
We arrived at the Westwood Theater under the oppressive weight of knowing what loomed ahead. Jill was the first to step out, identifying herself as a S.T.A.R.S. member to the sniper stationed on the rooftop. Once cleared, we entered the theater, its dilapidated interior serving as a grim reminder of how fragile our defenses were against the horrors outside.
Jill provided an update to the S.T.A.R.S. team regarding the situation. She explained the nature of the virus and its mutation to air-borne and Umbrella's ongoing interference. She also mentioned the tactical nuclear missile that is set to eliminate any evidence of the outbreak and conceal Umbrella's secrets.
As they deliberated, I noticed it first—the faint tremor in the ground. My enhanced hearing picked up the sound of heavy footsteps long before anyone else. The tremors grew stronger, each one punctuated by the crunch of rubble. A guttural growl echoed through the air, sending a chill down everyone's spine. Nemesis had arrived.
The ground shook violently as he came into view, his hulking form framed by the glow of distant fires. His grotesque face, stitched together like some horrific patchwork, glared at the theater. In his hands, he carried a massive minigun and a rocket launcher, both glinting menacingly in the firelight. As he stood in front of the theater his grotesque form was even more menacing in person: muscles bulging unnaturally, his stitched-up face a grim reminder of Umbrella's twisted experiments. The minigun and the rocket launcher in his hands were ominous as he surveyed the battlefield, searching for his targets that he is remotely receiving commands from Umbrella stationed outside the city under the supervision of Major Cain.
I was the first to move out of the Theatre and stood right in front of Nemesis with my sword drawn in my right hand and its blue blade glowing with brilliance.
"Target acquired," his guttural voice boomed, locking onto the S.T.A.R.S. officers.
The sniper on the rooftop aimed and opened fire at Nemesis but the armor suit was too strong for his bullets to do any damage. In response, Nemesis raised his left hand and fired the rocket launcher. The warhead screamed toward the rooftop, its deadly payload certain to obliterate the sniper.
The moment Nemesis fired the rocket launcher the sniper thought he was done and tried to escape and soon he heard the sound of bombardment but even after a few seconds he didn't feel the pain of being blasted that he was expecting to feel. Without thinking of why he didn't die he rushed down to meet up with his teammates.
A few seconds back the moment Nemesis fired the rocket launcher. The energy in my body moved along my right hand channeling my energy into my sword, I swung swiftly with precision. A glowing arc of blue energy shot from the blade, slicing the warhead in half like butter. The halves veered off course, exploding harmlessly on either side of the theater.
I believe this was a strong demonstration of my abilities, which compensates for the missed opportunity of an epic entrance. I could sense the audience's admiration for the scene, which brought me a sense of happiness. However, I maintained a serious expression, not wanting to undermine the display of power intended for the members of Umbrella and their buyers, who were watching everything through the eyes of Nemesis.
Nemesis turned his full attention to me. His growl deepened, feeling a high level of threat from me, and he launched the remaining three rockets in rapid succession. But it was his bad luck that I was his target. My glowing blade moved faster than the eye could follow, cutting through each warhead with ease. in a similar way.
The explosions from Nemesis's failed attacks rippled through the street, the fiery blasts lighting up the smog-filled night. Each strike of my glowing blade sent shockwaves of energy into the air, illuminating the battlefield with flashes of brilliant blue. The spectators—Alice, Jill, the S.T.A.R.S. team, and even Terri with her camera—watched in stunned silence. I could feel their awe, their disbelief at the display of power. Even Umbrella's operatives, watching through Nemesis's cameras, must have been shaken.
Nemesis stood unmoving for a moment, his grotesque visage locked onto me. His AI-driven mind was calculating, and adapting, but it lacked the creativity to counter such a power.
I could hear Cain's anger at me for spoiling his plans and ordering his staff to give the order for Nemesis to eliminate me at all costs. But I know what his true feelings were he just wanted to capture me and experiment on me to discover the source of my power and to weaponize it.
Nemesis roared, raising his minigun. Its barrels spun, preparing to unleash a storm of bullets, but I moved first.
I can easily avoid those bullets but those behind me in the building will perish without a doubt. So I slashed my sword against the ground, summoning a wall of blue flames in front of me. The bullets melted as they struck the inferno, they melted due to the high temperature and fell down on the floor. In just a minute Nemesis fired all 5000 of his rounds forming a pool of molten metal in front of me.
As Nemesis was out of ammunition I put out the wall of flames and with a single swing of my sword, I unleashed another energy blade. It struck Nemesis with devastating force, cleaving him in half at the torso. The hulking creature collapsed, its upper body slamming into the ground.
I approached his twitching form, my glowing sword casting eerie light on his grotesque face. Looking into his lifeless eyes, I muttered, "I'm coming for you next, Umbrella." With one final strike, I plunged my blade into his head killing it effectively, and igniting the body in blue flames.
Turning around I slowly walked back toward the theater, Nemesis's corpse was consumed by the fire, reduced to ash in seconds. The flames burst in one final, brilliant explosion behind me before fading into the night, as I sheathed my sword. Behind me, silence reigned, broken only by the sound of my boots against the pavement. Creating an epic scene for my audience.
Inside the theater, the survivors stared with a mix of shock and respect. The message was clear: I wasn't just a survivor—I was a force to be reckoned with.
Alice leaned against the wall, her lips twitching into a faint smirk. "Show-off," she muttered, though there was admiration in her voice.
Jill stood near the center of the room, her blue eyes locked onto me with an intensity I hadn't seen before. Her stoic S.T.A.R.S. demeanor had cracked, replaced by a look that was softer, more human with desire filled in her eyes. Terri, clutching her camera like a lifeline, seemed equally hungry for me. I mean which woman wouldn't want such an overpowered man to protect her in their life?