"Get ready to enter the Hive," Captain James ordered in a firm voice.
Through the hidden entrance beneath the villa, they descended a metallic corridor until they arrived at Umbrella's underground rail line. A long, dull silver train stood silent in the dark, hiding grim secrets inside.
"Check the train. Rain, you're up," said Captain James.
"Copy that, Captain," Rain Ocampo replied quickly before climbing aboard to conduct a thorough inspection.
Meanwhile, Reuel moved off on his own, approaching the opposite side of the train. His eyes scanned sharply—searching for something: the antivirus. He knew exactly where it should be, based on the original storyline of Resident Evil. He needed it—because even though the powers of the Emperor of Mankind had begun to integrate, his body wasn't fully synchronized yet. One zombie bite without protection… could mean death.
After checking several compartments, he found a small equipment case. Inside were two vials—one containing a bluish-green liquid, the other red—the virus and the antivirus.
Without wasting time, Reuel sent the case straight to the system room using a coded command only he knew. Secure.
A few seconds later, the power came on—the train vibrated softly. Rain must've activated the system.
Reuel calmly stepped onto the train. The underground corridor was cold and damp. He opened a system panel in the sleeve of his jacket, pulling out a military coat from his private storage space. Then, he walked over to Jill Valentine.
"Here you go, my beloved wife. It's chilly down here," he said, offering her the coat.
Jill gave a small smirk, then accepted and put it on. Her gaze flicked briefly toward Alice, sitting not far away.
But Jill's expression shifted when Reuel offered another coat—this time to Alice.
Son of a bitch… she thought. Just finished flirting with me, now he's hitting on another woman.
"Thank you," Alice said softly, her eyes resting on Reuel for a moment before drifting back to the ring on her finger—her face showing confusion, as if trying to remember something just out of reach.
Suddenly, a loud metallic sound echoed from the end of the train.
CREEEAAAK—KLANG!!
The rear train door slammed open violently. A man tumbled through, making everyone reflexively raise their weapons.
Reuel recognized the face—Spence Parks, Alice's fake husband, the man responsible for the viral outbreak in the original story. Things were starting to follow the film's route, he thought.
"J.D., check him," Captain James ordered the team's medic.
J.D. shone a flashlight into Spence's eyes, raising three fingers. "How many fingers do you see?"
"Three…" Spence answered weakly.
"Your name?"
"...I… I don't know."
"Captain, he's stable," J.D. reported after further examination. "Likely exposed to nerve gas from inside the Hive. It's causing temporary amnesia."
"He's probably Umbrella staff who managed to escape this far," Kaplan added while checking data on his terminal.
"Bring him with us."
As the train came to a halt, Alice couldn't hold back her curiosity. "Where exactly are we going? And what is 'The Hive'?"
All eyes turned toward Captain James.
"Tell them," James ordered Kaplan.
Kaplan nodded, then activated a holographic display from his portable computer.
"The Hive is an underground research facility owned by Umbrella. A while ago, there was a viral leak down there. The Red Queen—the facility's AI security system—locked the entire place down automatically. We were sent in to investigate."
Everyone fell silent for a moment, absorbing the information.
Jill watched them speak one by one, then finally turned to Reuel.
She didn't say a word.
But in her eyes, it was clear—there were a lot of questions waiting for answers.
James gave a short, firm order. "Grab your gear. We're opening the Hive's main gate."
The mercenaries moved quickly, lifting heavy equipment crates. Meanwhile, Reuel turned his gaze toward a surveillance camera mounted in the corner of the room—its red light glowed, recording. The Red Queen already knew they were coming. Reuel raised a hand, giving a small gesture toward the camera—as if speaking directly to the little girl inside the system: Wait for me. I'm coming for you.
The main gate slowly opened, and Matt Addison was pushed forward first in a defensive formation. Reuel and the others followed, entering the pitch-black corridor that swallowed the light.
As they stepped deeper inside, emergency lights flickered dimly to life, casting long silhouettes across the concrete walls. A medic pulled out a detector and scanned the air.
"No hazardous substances," he reported briskly.
Some of the soldiers began working to unlock access to the elevator. Thin smoke curled from the scorched system. The lift was broken.
"We'll have to take the stairs," one of the mercs grumbled.
"Status?" Captain James asked without looking back.
"The Red Queen's already detected our presence," Kaplan replied, eyes fixed on his monitor.
"Who's the Red Queen?" Alice asked, still sounding confused.
"Central AI. She controls the entire Hive system," Kaplan answered quickly.
They began climbing the emergency stairwell to the next floor. There, a horrifying sight awaited them: a trashed laboratory. Broken tubes. Liquid puddled on the floor. Scars of a long-past battle etched into the walls.
Alice looked around. "What happened here?"
"Five hours ago, the Red Queen killed the entire staff and locked down the Hive," Captain James replied flatly.
"Oh my God… why?" Alice shivered.
"That's why we're here. To investigate and shut her down."
From up ahead, Rain Ocampo called out suddenly, "Captain. There's something here."
Everyone moved closer. Inside a cracked culture tube, a naked woman floated in the fluid, her skin bluish, parts of it peeling away.
"Poor woman…" one of the mercenaries murmured.
"All right, we stick to schedule. Let's move," James ordered, trying to keep the squad disciplined.
But they were halted by Reuel's voice—sharp, yet calm.
"Don't move yet. Look at this."
"We don't have time, Reuel. She's dead. There's nothing to see," James snapped.
"Is that so?" Reuel turned to face him, eyes locking with James in a defiant stare. "Do all of you think the same?"
Alice eyed him with suspicion. "Reuel, do you know something?"
"Just watch, and you'll understand."
Jill Valentine stood beside Reuel, studying the tube carefully. Doubt began to cloud her expression.
And then—
The woman's eyes snapped open. Her mouth stretched wide, growling silently, and her hand slammed against the inner glass wall.
"Jesus Christ!" Matt stepped back.
"What the fuck is that!?"
The formation instantly scattered. Guns raised in a panic.
Reuel stepped closer, unfazed, his voice still calm. "Well? Do you believe me now?"
Captain James glared. "You knew about this?"
"I did."
"Who the hell are you? How do you know all this?" James aimed his pistol directly at Reuel's chest.
Click.
Jill Valentine pointed her gun at James, quick and unflinching.
"Drop your weapon. Now!" she barked.
In an instant, the entire room became a standoff—everyone pointing guns at someone else.
"Lower your weapon and ask first," Alice said, trying to calm things down, standing in the middle with both hands raised.
"Jill, put your gun down," Reuel said calmly, still locked in a staring contest with James.
James, after a few tense seconds, finally gave a small nod. "Stand down."
The others followed suit.
Once the tension eased slightly, Reuel spoke. "That's a zombie. She used to be human. But after being infected with Umbrella's virus… she changed. Died, then came back without a soul."
Alice stared at him, horrified.
"Wait… what do you mean 'not human anymore'?" Alice asked, her eyes fixed on the woman inside the tank.
"That," Reuel said, pointing at the undead figure behind the thick glass, "...is no longer human. There's no one alive in this place anymore—except us."
"What?" Matt exclaimed. "You mean... hundreds of people here are now—zombies? That's insane!"
Reuel looked at Matt for a moment. He knew the man was searching for his sister. So he just gave a slow, solemn nod without saying a word.
Then, with a heavier tone, Reuel turned to the armed squad. "All of you... are test subjects too. You were sent here to test the limits of the infection."
"What?" several of the mercenaries shouted at once.
"Bullshit!"
"You're out of your mind!"
Their outrage exploded, a mix of fear and confusion.
"Don't believe me?" Reuel's eyes narrowed. "The company you work for—Umbrella—knows exactly what it's doing. They develop bioweapons. The Hive is their primary research facility. And when the outbreak happened, they didn't send you to save anyone. They sent you... to see if you could survive."
"Then why make us the lab rats?" Rain Ocampo stepped forward, her expression hard as steel.
"Yeah, what the hell is all this?" another shouted.
Reuel sighed.
"Do you even know what a zombie is?" he asked.
"A weak-ass creature that goes down with one shot. Nothing special," one of the mercs scoffed.
"Easy to kill, huh?" Reuel let out a dry, bitter chuckle. "Try getting bitten or scratched by one—see if you're still laughing after you change."
"What? A bite... causes transformation?" James asked in disbelief.
"Yeah. That's the only way the virus spreads. So don't let them touch you. Etch that into your brain."
Silence fell. The tension tightened.
"This is all bullshit!" one of the soldiers yelled. "Fucking madness!"
"Fuck this!"
"I'll kill every last one of those freaks if this is real!"
The squad started to spiral. Emotions ran wild. Anger, fear, panic—chaotic and directionless.
James turned to Reuel, more composed this time. "Why do you know all this?"
Reuel stared back. "Don't ask how I know. I won't answer. But trust me—I'm here to help you."
He knew he couldn't just say, "I watched the Resident Evil movie in a past life." Who would believe that?
James finally took a long breath. He knew he wasn't going to get a straight answer out of Reuel.
Then, one of the squad members whispered, "Are we... still carrying out the mission?"
"Mission, my ass," someone else muttered. "We've been abandoned."
"We need to get the hell out of here!"
One by one, panic began to set in.
"You can't leave," Reuel cut in, eyes on a nearby monitor. "The Red Queen's been watching us since we entered. She won't let anyone out alive."
"What? Why?"
"The Red Queen was built with one core directive: prevent the virus from reaching the surface. That means… she'll kill anyone who's a potential carrier. Including us."
And even if you do make it out, Reuel knew—it wouldn't matter.
"Out there? Umbrella's waiting. But not to save you. To... recycle you."
He paused for a moment, then added, "If you come across a zombie, remember one thing. Shoot them in the head. Otherwise, they don't die."
He lit a cigarette. Took a long drag, then exhaled slowly.
"Now it's up to you. Move forward… or rot slowly in the dark."
The mercenaries exchanged glances. Doubt clouded every face. No one knew who to trust.
Finally, James spoke. "How do we know… that anything you've said is true?"
Reuel turned his gaze to Jill Valentine. "Do you believe me?"
Jill didn't hesitate. "Of course. Otherwise, why would I have come here with you?"
Reuel turned to Alice. "What about you?"
Alice shook her head slightly. "I... I'm not sure. But everything you've said so far makes sense."
Reuel grinned wide. "Two beautiful women still believe in me." He stepped toward them, placing one hand on Jill's shoulder, and the other on Alice's.
"Fuck off," Jill snapped, knocking his hand away harshly.
Alice brushed his hand off in silence, clearly not amused. In her mind: I don't even know who the hell you really are.
Reuel just chuckled and tapped his nose, saying nothing more.
Meanwhile, Matt Addison and Spence Parks stood behind the group, unnoticed. Background characters in a storm that was about to erupt.