ꜰᴇᴀʀꜱ (ᴸᵉᵒⁿ ᴷᵉⁿⁿᵉᵈʸ ˣ ᴿᵉᵃᵈᵉʳ)

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 26

As the cable car rumbled down the dark shaft, Leon and Nikola stood side by side, watching the faint glow of the NEST facility grow larger. It seemed like they had the time to strategize for once. Leon broke the silence first. "So, what's the plan once we're inside? You seem to know a lot about this place. Got any insider info you're not sharing?" Nikola sighed, reluctant but knowing they needed to work together. "My.. superiors mentioned that we need an 'admin' wristband to access the key areas of the facility. It should be in the NEST somewhere, probably in the main labs or one of the higher-security sections."

Leon raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Admin wristband, huh? Your bosses certainly gave you more to go on than mine did."

His blood froze. NO! Nikola didnt know that. Nikola didnt know that he got bosses. Shit. She still thinks that hes just a Police officer.

"You have orders?", she said and raised an eyebrow. He started to sweat. "No I was just joking", he said nervously. Nikola chuckled dryly. "Well, they didn't exactly roll out the red carpet for me either. But if we find that wristband, we can get to the heart of this place."

The cable car jolted to a stop, and the doors slid open with a mechanical hiss. As they disembarked, Nikola was momentarily overcome with doubt. This didn't look like a lab. She glanced around and saw that Leon was having similar thoughts. "This is supposed to be their NEST? It looks more like... I don't know, a rock? A construction site," he said, describing the scene, still a bit nervously.

He was right, of course. "No... there must be more to it," Nikola said, lost in thought. She drew her weapon, ready, and began descending the yellow-marked stairs. Sure enough, behind a stone wall that had previously blocked their view, were white doors. Sterile white doors, just like one would expect from Umbrella. A female voice sounded, "For your safety, stand clear until the doors are fully open." She repeated herself a few times until all the gates slowly retracted upwards. The last one didn't open completely, but that didn't matter... They simply slipped underneath it. Once inside, the lights flickered and turned on.

Umbrella's NEST.

"Welcome to NEST. Enjoy your visit.", the female voice also extolled the lab and welcomed them. "Alright, what now super-agent?", Leon asked and searched the entrance with his eyes. Nikola glanced at Leon from the corner of her eye. He was competent, she had to give him that. More than just a pretty face, he had the skills and the guts to back it up. But she couldn't let him get too close. She had her own mission, her own reasons for being here, and they didn't entirely align with his. Still, there was something reassuring about having him around, even if she would never admit it out loud.

They stepped into the NEST's entrance hall, a large, open area lined with computer terminals and security checkpoints. The sterile, futuristic design did little to ease the tension simmering beneath the surface. "Alright, here's the plan," Nikola said, her voice all business. "I'll check these terminals for any useful information—maps, security codes, anything that can give us an edge. You scout ahead, see if you can find this wristband we need okay? Here take this but--", she said and took off her Wristband with the 'Visitor-Access'. She looked Leon in the eyes, searching for any sign that she could trust him. "See if you can find any upgrades for it. We'll need full access if we want... out of here."

Leon nodded, his gaze steady as he accepted the wristband. He could see the weight of her decision in her eyes. "I won't let you down," he whispered. Nikola held her gaze for a moment longer, then nodded. "I'm counting on you," she said softly. and watched as he adjusted the wristband. Leon gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll find the upgrades," he promised, his voice firm. Nikola nodded again, more to herself this time. "Be careful," she added hesitantly, her voice tinged with a rare hint of vulnerability. "I will," Leon replied, giving her one last look before turning to head down the corridor. Nikola watched him go, and turning to one of the computers.

Her fingers flew over the keyboard, accessing files and decrypting codes. She found blueprints, security protocols, and—most importantly—information on the admin wristband. There were various wristband chips with various accsesses. The higher your rank was as a researcher, to the more places you got access. Admin was the hightes. Apperantly, Annette Birkin was one of the researchers with this wristband.

Annette Brikin, when Nikola just heard that name she felt sick. She knew Annette. She had had several interviews with her regarding her research and also the myths that bioweapons were being created. Annette knew her and knew exactly what her plan and mission was. She could only hope that she didn't spill anything to Leon. And now, she was their only hope. They could only hope she wansn't long gone.

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After several minutes, Leon returned, a determined look on his face. "Found this.", he said and held up an electronic chip. "Is that--", she started with hope in her voice and walked around the computers. "No.. But I'm assuming that the actual 'Admin-Chip' is deeper in the facility. We just need that one in order to get on into the lab.", he said and gave her the new assembled chip wristband.

Nikola nodded, shutting down the terminal. "Let's go. The sooner we get that Admin-Thing, the sooner we can end this. They ran to the door, and the woman's voice echoed again: "Dr. Li, your presence is urgently requested by Chief Cartwright in the East Area."

"Looks like Dr. Li messed up," Leon remarked. Nikola remained silent as they entered an enormous, and when I say enormous, I mean it; an enormous empty room that seemed to drop hundreds of meters into the abyss below. "What the hell is this place?" Leon asked, looking around in confusion. Nikola didn't respond. Her superiors had shown her pictures of the facility, but even she hadn't expected it to be this vast. These people were insane.

Strangely, the bridge was already extended. "Come on," Leon called, beckoning her as he stepped onto the bridge. But Nikola's attention was drawn to a tape she had found on a corpse. It seemed the Special Forces had been involved here. She listened to the tape as she crossed the already extended bridge. It indicated that the virus was in the West Area.

Perfect. She could send Leon to the East Area to search for the wristband while she handled the virus in the West Area. This way he wouldnt find out that she ever got the virus. They could both escape without Leon ever discovering her true intentions, and he wouldn't confront her. And this friendship wouldnt break to its cores.

"Leon...," she called out.