"Boom...!"
There was no massive explosion; it was a flashbang. As the T-002 Tyrant pondered the strange object in its hand, an intense burst of white light erupted, followed by an ear-splitting sound wave. Like a brilliant firework, blinding white light instantly overwhelmed the Tyrant's milky-white eyes. The intense pain forced it to clutch its face. Blood began to seep from its eyes, a symptom of its severe photophobia.
The Tyrant's ears were also assaulted. A violent, pounding tinnitus instantly deafened it. With its sight and hearing completely disabled, only its sense of smell remained, allowing it to register the presence of new scents. However, the overwhelming shock from the flashbang caused its body's coordination system to seize up, leaving the Tyrant frozen in a moment of extreme stun.
Chris, rolling on the ground, was no better off. Though he was not at point-blank range, the flashbang's effects still hit him. Despite his defensive training—curling up, covering his eyes and ears—the penetrating light and sound temporarily disabled his senses. He crawled around, bumping his head on lab equipment, before staggering to his feet. He shook his head and blinked rapidly, trying to clear the hazy, darkened vision.
As his sight mostly returned, Chris wasted no time. He hauled the barely conscious Captain Enrico—who was still bleeding from his hand and coughing up blood—and sprinted toward the tunnel exit. He didn't look back; he knew the monster's stun would only last a few seconds longer than his own, and any delay would mean certain death.
"Thump! Thump! Thump—!!!"
They hadn't run far when Chris collided head-on with a group of figures.
"Bang!"
Chris was thrown back but quickly looked up to see Javier and the rest of the team. It was Javier who had thrown the final remaining flashbang.
"Where did Wesker go?" Javier demanded immediately, looking at the blood-soaked Chris and the nearly lifeless Enrico. Enrico's wounds and pallor were clearly Wesker's doing, though Javier was amazed the Bravo Team Captain was still alive, as the original timeline had him killed by Wesker's gun.
"Cough, cough. Wes... Wesker is the spy," Enrico strained, lifting his head. "He's not S.T.A.R.S. He was sent by Umbrella to monitor the police force. He lured us here to fight their monster and gather combat data to improve their bioweapons."
Enrico struggled to pull out a blood-stained photo—a picture of Wesker as an Umbrella researcher—and a roll of film. He revealed that he had already been to the Visual Data Room, cracked the password (confirming Javier's suspicion about the Ada Wong email), and retrieved the essential evidence: the film detailed all of Umbrella's bioweapon research, including data on zombies, Hunters, Hellhounds, and Tyrants. This was the proof that could topple the corporation.
"I'm going after Wesker..." Javier declared, his mind made up. "The rest is up to you."
He quickly unslung his tactical backpack and tossed his formidable M500 Revolver to Chris. Keeping only his Desert Eagle and the tactical knife from Enrico's sheath, Javier took off running toward the far end of the lab tunnel, chasing Wesker.
Javier was not going to stick around and deal with the formidable T-002 Tyrant—that was a job for the protagonists. Chris, Rebecca, and Jill were all there; he believed they could handle it. More importantly, he had a mission: he had to kill Wesker, even if the "Bioweapon God" would eventually resurrect.
Jill and Rebecca stared in utter disbelief as Javier, the man they had hoped would have a brilliant plan, simply abandoned them. Their confusion turned to fear as the T-002 Tyrant fully recovered from the flashbang's effects. Its eyes, still tear-streaked with blood, burned with barely contained fury. The monster was terrifying enough when calm; now, enraged, it seemed unstoppable.
With no other choice, Jill and Rebecca reluctantly raised their shotguns, bracing themselves for a brutal, up-close fight.
Chris, feeling slightly better now that he was armed with the M500 Revolver, felt a surge of confidence. The massive, powerful .50 caliber revolver, though unwieldy, was the "King of Handguns," designed to hit like a cannon. This was the tool for a monster hunt.
"Hey, monster," Chris taunted, a slight grin cracking on his face. "I didn't serve you properly last time. But now... try this. I promise I can blow your head off with a single shot!"
Chris, holding his "artifact," was no longer deterred by the Tyrant's fierce expression. Instead, he was filled with combat excitement, his dark muzzle fixed squarely on the Tyrant's head.
Duel in the Darkness
In the opposite tunnel, Javier was sprinting, determined to stop Wesker. He knew that if Wesker escaped back to the Raccoon City Police Department, his influence—combined with the corrupt Chief Brian Irons—could easily falsify their records, turning the S.T.A.R.S. team from heroes into "traitor spies" overnight.
Relieved of his heavy gear, Javier felt light and energized. The adrenaline of confronting a Resident Evil boss—a true bioweapon human—was exhilarating.
"Bang—!!!"
A gunshot cut through the darkness.
Javier's training kicked in instantly. He dropped into a prone position as the bullet whizzed inches over his head, sparking off the stone wall behind him. The shot had missed, saved by his immediate reflexive action.
"Heh..." a cold, familiar voice echoed from the shadows. "I thought it was someone reckless coming after me. It's just the new recruit. To be honest, your performance has been surprising, rookie. You helped us kill that Queen Leech, and now you've conveniently come here to die, saving me trouble."
Wesker emerged from the darkness, police pistol in hand, his gaze through the black sunglasses amused. Since injecting the Progenitor Virus, Wesker considered everyone, even excellent soldiers like Chris and Javier, to be mere rabble. He could likely take down the T-002 Tyrant himself if he wanted. His arrogance was earned.
Javier, however, matched Wesker's dramatic flair with his own brand of performative intensity. His voice adopted a sudden, gravelly tone.
"I came..." Javier began theatrically. "Yes, I know I shouldn't have, but I came anyway. Because I know this is destiny. What must come, cannot be escaped. So, I am here!"
Wesker stopped, momentarily baffled. He now realized that the S.T.A.R.S. team's shooting champion was not only eccentric but possibly unstable.
"Shut up!" Wesker snapped, annoyance replacing amusement. "I don't know what gibberish you're speaking. If you intend to stop me, try to measure your strength first. I will not hold back!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang—!!!"
Ignoring Javier's antics, Wesker rapidly raised his pistol and fired three rounds, aiming for Javier's head. The first shot had missed due to the darkness and distance, but now, at close range, Wesker was confident in his shooting—he was Chris's equal.
But as Wesker fired, Javier instantly drew his Desert Eagle. In a classic Western duel, Wesker fired first, but Javier was ready to answer. He pulled the trigger and flicked his wrist, causing the powerful Desert Eagle round to shoot out in a strange, arcing trajectory!