AN : Where's the power stone, guys?
....
Rain continued to pour from the sky, washing over the streets and slowly sweeping away the blood that flowed along the asphalt. The sound of rain mixed with the distant echoes of chaos throughout the city.
Allen turned toward the half-naked woman and began to walk closer. The moment she saw him approaching, fear filled her eyes again—understandably so, after witnessing how effortlessly he had executed the gangsters just moments earlier.
"Ahh… p-please don't hurt me," she begged, her voice trembling.
Allen stopped immediately. He slowed his movements, then carefully stepped closer and crouched down until their faces were level. His expression softened, and his voice became calm and gentle.
"Don't worry," he said quietly. "I'm here to help you. I won't hurt you. Are you injured?"
Hearing his tone, the woman hesitated, then finally looked at him properly. In that moment, she could clearly see the face of the man who had saved her. Her cheeks flushed red, her fear slowly replaced by disbelief—as if she had just been rescued by a prince appearing in the middle of a nightmare.
"Ah… y-yes, thank you," she said softly. "I'm just a little hurt. I think I'll be okay. And… I'm sorry about how I acted earlier. I thought you were going to attack me like they did."
She hugged her torn clothes closer to her body, trying to cover herself. Her upper body was exposed and disheveled, bruises and scrapes visible across her skin, dirt and rain streaking her face and hair.
"Can you stand?" Allen asked, carefully observing her condition.
She tried to push herself up—but her legs gave out almost immediately.
"Ahh!"
Allen reacted instantly, catching her before she hit the ground.
"Looks like your ankle's sprained," he said after a brief glance. "It'd be better if I carried you so we can get somewhere safe. Is that okay with you?"
Without much choice, she nodded shyly.
"Y-yes… that's fine. Thank you… really."
Allen lifted her gently into his arms, carrying her in a bridal hold. The woman blushed deeply, embarrassed but relieved, especially as she realized his hands were supporting her bare waist and hip directly. Despite the situation, she felt safe in this man's arms.
The rain continued to fall as Allen turned back toward the building, carrying her away from the blood-soaked street and toward safety.
"By the way… may I know your name?" the woman asked softly.
"My name's Allen. Allen Winter. You can just call me Allen," he replied calmly.
"Allen…" she repeated, as if testing how it sounded. Then she nodded. "Ah, right. I'm Jenna Blake. You can call me Jenna."
As she said her name, her arms instinctively tightened around Allen's body, as if afraid he might suddenly disappear. Allen smiled faintly at her reaction.
"That's a really beautiful name," Allen said warmly.
Jenna's cheeks reddened even more at the compliment.
Not long after, Allen carried her back into the burger shop, where Claire and Svetlana were waiting. The bell above the door jingled softly as he entered.
Claire immediately noticed the woman in Allen's arms—a girl who looked around her age, half-dressed, bruised, and clearly shaken.
"Oh my god… are you okay?" Claire asked, rushing over with clear concern and sympathy in her voice.
"Hm… y-yes," Jenna replied with a small nod, though she still clung tightly to Allen, refusing to let go of him even for a second.
Claire paused for a moment, slightly surprised by how attached the woman seemed to be, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she gently checked Jenna's condition, her expression full of worry.
Meanwhile, Svetlana simply let out a quiet sigh and shook her head. Seeing yet another girl already captivated by Allen's presence was almost amusing to her at this point.
Another one, she thought to herself, watching the scene unfold with a faint, knowing look on her face.
"Alright, you should hand her over to me so I can help clean her up," Svetlana said calmly but firmly. Then she turned to Claire. "Claire, can you help me find some clothes here that she can wear?"
Claire nodded without hesitation. "Okay."
Allen carefully shifted Jenna in his arms and handed her over to Svetlana. However, Jenna instinctively tightened her grip for a moment, clearly reluctant to let go of him, her fingers clutching at his jacket as if he were the only thing keeping her grounded.
"It's okay," Allen said gently, lowering his voice to reassure her. "They won't hurt you. You're safe now."
Hearing that, Jenna finally relaxed. Slowly, she loosened her arms and allowed Svetlana to carry her instead. Svetlana supported her with ease, holding her securely as she turned and headed toward the small bathroom at the back of the burger shop.
Claire followed closely behind, already scanning the place for spare clothes or anything suitable that Jenna could wear. Meanwhile, Allen stayed where he was for a moment, watching them disappear down the hallway, a faint sense of relief mixed with lingering concern lingering in his expression.
After they finished cleaning Jenna up and gave her a change of clothes, Allen could finally see clearly just how beautiful she was. She reminded him of a very young Jennifer Connelly—soft features, expressive eyes, and a natural elegance that was hard to ignore. Without realizing it, Allen found himself staring. Her slim figure, standing around 5'7", combined with her graceful posture and modest yet attractive curves, made her undeniably captivating.
"…Hmm, Allen, how long are you planning to stare at Jenna like that?" Claire said, her tone clearly displeased.
Allen blinked and finally turned his gaze toward Claire. "What?" he replied innocently, feigning ignorance. "Is there something wrong with the way I'm looking at her?"
Claire clicked her tongue. "Tsk." She turned her face away, folding her arms as if she had suddenly lost all interest in continuing the conversation with him.
Jenna, who had noticed the exchange, shifted uncomfortably. She tucked a strand of damp hair behind her ear and offered a shy smile, her cheeks faintly tinted red. "I-I'm sorry if I'm causing trouble," she said softly.
"You're not," Allen replied quickly, his tone more serious now. "You've been through a lot. Get some rest—you're safe here."
Claire glanced at him again, clearly unconvinced, but she didn't argue. Instead, she sighed and walked toward the counter, muttering something under her breath.
Svetlana, who had been watching everything quietly, simply shook her head with a knowing smile. To her, this kind of situation was already becoming all too familiar.
Svetlana sat back down at the table, resting her elbows lightly on its surface. "So, what now?" she asked calmly. "We've added one more person to the group, and Jenna is injured. She can't move around much."
Her words highlighted the problem they were now facing. Traveling was already dangerous enough, and having someone who couldn't walk properly would slow them down significantly. If even one of them fell behind, it could put everyone at risk.
Allen leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as he considered their options. There were evacuation points scattered across the city—temporary helicopter pickup zones set up for civilians. One option was to leave Jenna at one of those evacuation sites and then continue their journey afterward. The other option was to bring her along with them, but that would mean constantly protecting her while moving through dangerous areas, putting both Jenna and the group at greater risk.
Honestly, Allen didn't feel particularly conflicted. He could handle either situation.
"Hm... in that case," Allen finally said, breaking the silence, "we'll head to an evacuation point first. We can leave Jenna there so she can get out of the city safely. After that, we'll continue on our way."
Claire looked up at him, clearly relieved by his decision.
"That's probably the safest choice for her," she said softly.
"Is that okay with you?" Allen asked, turning his attention to Jenna this time.
Jenna, who had been sitting quietly nearby, hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"I... I think that's fine," she said. "I don't want to slow you all down."
Svetlana gave a small approving smile.
"Then it's settled. We'll move carefully and get her there as soon as possible."
With the plan decided, the group began preparing to move again.
And this time, they decided to use an abandoned car left on the street so they could move more easily through the city toward their destination. Traveling on foot would take too long and leave them exposed, especially with Jenna's condition.
Allen checked the car briefly, making sure it was still usable, while the others kept watch. Luckily, the keys were still inside, as if the owner had fled in a hurry. With a bit of luck on their side, the engine roared to life.
"Good," Allen said as he got into the driver's seat. "This will make things a lot faster."
Claire helped Jenna into the car carefully, making sure her injured leg was comfortable. Svetlana took the passenger seat, her eyes constantly scanning the surroundings.
With everyone inside, the car slowly pulled away, its headlights cutting through the rain-soaked streets. Wrecked vehicles, abandoned buildings, and the distant groans of zombies passed by as they drove on, heading toward the evacuation point—hoping the road ahead would stay clear, at least for a little while longer.
.....
Meanwhile, not far from Spencer Memorial Hospital, Echo Six Team finally managed to repair the generator system in the area. To prevent further sabotage, they also set up several traps as additional security, ensuring Umbrella personnel wouldn't try anything reckless again.
After finishing their work, Echo Six moved out to check the surrounding area. Nemesis was no longer there. Only Thanatos remained standing in the distance.
The Tyrant's condition was terrible—its massive body was riddled with damage, and it appeared to be in a semi-dormant state, barely conscious. Whatever battle had taken place here, it must have been brutal. Judging from the destruction, the fight between the two Tyrants had been nearly even… but this time, Thanatos was clearly the one who lost.
"Command, this is Echo Six," Jertigham reported over the radio. "The generator is back online. However, Thanatos is heavily damaged, likely due to a recent engagement."
From the central command area, they attempted to contact Dr. Muller for instructions. After a brief exchange, Dr. Muller informed them about a special solution—a recovery compound capable of restoring Thanatos' condition.
Not long after, Echo Six received a response from Command.
"Understood. Good work," the voice said through the radio. "Proceed to Spencer Memorial Hospital and retrieve the recovery solution for Thanatos. After that, move toward Umbrella's NEST facility to secure evidence against Umbrella. We will dispatch additional military personnel to support your operation."
"Roger that," Jertigham replied.
He turned toward his team, who were taking a short break after the intense operation.
"Alright, everyone. New mission," he said, pointing toward the massive Tyrant in the distance. "We're heading to Spencer Memorial Hospital to fix that thing."
The team groaned lightly but stood up nonetheless, checking their gear and weapons as they prepared to move out.
Sienna, however, looked particularly unmotivated. She let out a long sigh.
"Ugh… I swear, after this city mission is over, I'm quitting the team. I don't want to take jobs like this ever again."
Caroline, who overheard her, simply shook her head, clearly used to Sienna's complaints.
Marissa, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? Thinking about retiring already?" she asked with curiosity. "So what's the plan after that? Getting married? Starting a family or something?"
Sienna nodded calmly.
"Yeah. Something like that."
Marissa froze mid-step.
"Wait… what?" she said, staring at her in disbelief. "I didn't hear that wrong, did I?"
"Well, you heard it right," Sienna replied casually as she continued walking, leaving Marissa standing there, stunned.
"Hey, wait up!" Marissa called out, jogging after her.
She couldn't help but feel suspicious—and deeply curious. Was Sienna really serious about settling down? And if so… who was the man she planned to marry?
Is it Allen? Marissa thought.
After all, ever since Sienna had approached Allen to gather information, she'd been disappearing more and more often, always with vague excuses.
Marissa moved closer to Sienna and leaned in, whispering into her ear.
"Hey… tell me, who is the guy? Is it Allen?" she asked, clearly trying to pry an answer out of her friend.
Sienna glanced at Marissa and simply smiled—calm, confident, and annoyingly quiet.
She didn't answer.
Marissa's eyes widened.
"Oh my God! So my guess was right all along!" she blurted out, her voice louder than she intended.
That instantly made every member of Echo Six turn their heads toward her.
"Right about what, Tweed?" Jertigham asked, raising an eyebrow at Marissa.
"Well, uh…" Marissa hesitated for half a second before deciding there was no point hiding it.
"Captain, looks like our party girl here finally fell in love with the target she was getting close to."
"Hahaha!"
The male members of Echo Six burst out laughing almost immediately.
A few of them even reached into their pockets, pulling out folded bills. One by one, they handed over hundred-dollar notes to Kimbala.
"Thanks, Captain. Thanks, Morris," Kimbala said cheerfully, counting the cash.
"Two hundred dollars total. Pleasure doing business."
Sienna's eyebrow twitched as she watched the exchange.
"Hey," she snapped, clearly annoyed now. "Did you idiots seriously make a bet about my love life?!"
The men ignored her completely, laughing even harder and teasing each other about the outcome of the wager, clearly enjoying the moment far too much.
Sienna let out an irritated sigh, rubbing her temple as she walked on ahead.
At this point, it was obvious—whether she liked it or not, the entire team had already made up their minds about her feelings.
And worst of all…
they weren't wrong.