A Game of Hide and Seek

When two groups kept fighting against each other without having any progress on their objective, they had only one choice to pick. Either work together or risk everything to fall apart. That was what caused The Hand and Hydra's secret task force to sign a momentary truce, forcing them to join hands and heads. And now, the guy who proposed the truce was walking toward them.

They were currently outside of the hospital's ground, transporting boxes of equipment and research data that belonged to Umbrella's NEST facility into a truck. The truck would then brought all of them to a chopper parked somewhere inside the city which was only known to The Hand's members. Hydra didn't need anything from the facility anymore because the supercomputer, which was the current Arnim Zola, deemed the virus to be useless. Instead, they were prioritizing another mission, a recruit mission.

"Are you ready, boys?" greeted Nikolai, as his figure appeared behind the entrance of the parking lot.

The Hand's current team leader, as if annoyed for his late appearance, snorted, "What took you so long? Don't you know, we have no time left?"

"I'm ashamed, my business was more complicated than I thought," said Nikolai. He then asked, "So? How is it going on your sides?"

The reply came from the mouth of Brock Rumlow, the Hydra's Team Leader, "Although, it went smoothly, we got companies."

He pointed at the small monitor in his subordinate's hand. In the monitor, Nikolai could see a locked room, and inside it were Jill, Carlos, and Barry. They were blocking the door that would lead to the main lab where the researchers develop the cure for the virus.

"It really is difficult to kill these cockroaches, isn't it?" snarked Nikolai. "Let's go kill them, and destroy the cure."

"Wait, don't we need the cure as well?" muttered The Hand's team leader.

Nikolai halted on his step and glanced at him. He asked, "Which one is more lethal, a plague that could be healed, or the one that couldn't."

Nikolai's reprimanding eyes made him hesitate to answer, "...the one that... couldn't...?"

"Yes, of course! Your employer wanted a weapon, right? Why do you want something that would nullify its purpose?" replied Nikolai, tapping the poor guy's forehead with his finger.

The Hand's team leader felt insulted, but he couldn't do anything against it. The man in front of him held the upper card. He had what they want, and he needs to comply as long as he could get it. But it didn't mean that he would just stand still once it was over. 'Just wait, you bastard. I'll end your life with my own hands,' he thought.

As the truck departed, twenty men, including Nikolai walked into the elevator, while Winter Soldier and a few more men would be waiting for them on the other sides.

Boom!

However, when the door was closed, they heard an odd explosion outside of the building. They could also feel the tremor, it was very close. Although they didn't want to think about it, everyone knew that the thing that exploded earlier might be the truck that was transporting their goods.

"Shit! What happened!?" exclaimed Nikolai. But no one could answer him as all of them were also in confusion. He had a bad feeling about it, and the appearance of a familiar figure answered his suspicion.

Edward walked from behind the entrance, with guns in both hands. Before the door was completely shut, he pointed his finger at Nikolai and drew a line with his thumb along his neck. The door closed, and the elevator went down, but Nikolai was still recalling the previous moment like a broken cassette. Sweat drenched his back as he knew there was no way out of it. Either he pushed through the underground facility, or climb up through the elevator's shaft.

"Fuck!" cursed Nikolai, while looking at everything around him.

The elevator was built in a way so that it could accommodate two big trucks, side by side. It didn't have any wall either, only fences that act as a barrier. It also didn't move vertically like a normal elevator, but diagonally while a staircase could be found on the side, but it could only be used by one person at a time.

Nikolai pulled his gun and shot at the Elevator's control device on the corner, stopping it on his track. He proceeded to jump to the stairs and run downhill, ignoring the commotion from The Hand and HYDRA's members.

"Shit! I knew it would be like this." groaned The Hand's leader, he turned toward his frozen subordinate and scolded them, "What are you doing? Follow him!"

The HYDRA members were calmer in coping with the sudden change in the situation, allowing them to make a decision a step faster than the Hand's members. They didn't take the stairs route, but immediately jumped and landed on the ledge under the elevator.

Now, only the ten men left, all of them was trying to move toward the staircase when suddenly, the elevator's steel door was smashed apart from outside. Thankfully the elevator already moved away from the door, if it didn't, there might be some casualty caused by the flying doors. Three figures stood side by side as they watched their enemy's splitting away.

"I'll leave the crooks to you," muttered Edward, before jumping to the staircase. His eyes didn't even move toward the other, only on Nikolai who was running away.

"Damn, now I'm just a side character? Well, not that I'm complaining or anything," replied Wade while pulling the two katanas strapped on his back. He tossed the duffle bag which then landed on the head of the poor team leader, knocking him unconscious. The Hand's member proceeds to pull out all kinds of weapons, firearms, swords, knife, baton, etc.

Too bad, their enemy was much nimbler and faster compared to a group of headless chickens. John didn't follow Edward but glanced at the HYDRA's member. He planned to stop them to let Edward focus on Nikolai. He took out a knife and a handgun before he dropped on the ledge and moved forward.

Just like that, each of them now faced different opponents, although for others it seemed hard to fight against multiple people, they weren't just some normal people. Wade, although a little bit chatty, was fast and nimble. His sword skill was the best among the best, compared to the other professionals on his level. But The Hand's members won't run away just because their enemy was much better than them.

"Let's have some fun! Don't stop resisting!" shouted Wade before jumping to the closest opponent, hacking and slashing.

John Wick's prestige couldn't be doubted either, having a mutant power only known by him and the one person he loved the most, was enough to make him a major threat. As if taking a walk in the park, he just walked toward the direction his enemy run to, the exact opposite of the way Nikolai run to. But the ones waiting for him were not only the HYDRA members but also the infamous Winter Soldier.

"I really want to smoke, but I'll hold it for now." He calmly checked his weapon before continuing. "I heard you all are aiming for him. Let me warn you..."

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

In a flash, five people who were sneaking under the dark shade, planning to intercept him, fell on the ground. If not for the handgun's barrel in John's hand, still smoking from shooting, they might think that another enemy was hiding elsewhere. They didn't see the gun moved at all, only the sound before their teammates fell.

John then continued, "...Never, ever, in your goddamn mind to think about harming him."

The pressure that John released was enough to put weight on their shoulder. They gulped as John took a step toward them.

======

Edward was still following Nikolai, but the latter seemed to know better of the layout of this facility. After taking a few turns, Edward lost sight of Nikolai's whereabouts, but Nikolai was completely trapped like a mouse inside a mousetrap. It would just be a matter of time until he'd be found.

It was then, when Edward entered a hall, that he heard the voice of Nikolai. "What a stubborn kid you are, Edward."

Bang!

Edward didn't even hesitate and immediately shot in the direction of the voice. However, the thing he hit was a speaker, not Nikolai. Even though the speaker was now destroyed, it was only one of the countless speakers installed inside the facility. Nikolai continued, using other speakers, "Aren't you curious, Edward, of my identity?"

Knowing that shooting the speakers wouldn't do anything to him, Edward focused himself to find Nikolai's hiding spot. It should be nearby.

"Ignoring me, aren't you?" muttered Nikolai, acting sad and disappointed. "Well then, I'll just talk and tell you a little story. Don't you wonder, why the virus suddenly spiked and caused a major infection spree after a few days of stability?"

Edward's step was put to a halt. He already knew the answer. It was Winter Soldier. Or so he thought...

"Hahaha... It was funny how everyone thought that it was the metal armed boy that caused it. Well, he did indeed had a part in it."

"Did you cause it?" asked Edward. "Why?"

"Oh... finally, I have your interest." Edward could imagine Nikolai smirking on the other side of the speaker. "Well, let's not rush to the finale, let me deliver the pilot first. Don't you know when you arrived, we planned to have the outbreak happen? It should have been perfect, if not for that damned HUNK, getting in my ways."

"So the outbreak was planned from the start?" wondered, Edward, but his words were transmitted to Nikolai.

"Exactly. After the mansion incident, my employer couldn't see any future for the company. It would be a matter of time until the world found out, so why not use it for her own purpose?" replied Nikolai.

"Her?" muttered Edward.

"Yes, Alex Wesker, one of the survivors of the Wesker Project."

The moment he heard that name, a figure of a nasty hunched witch appeared in his mind. He knew her, after the fall of Umbrella, she was tasked by Spencer to develop a virus that would halt the telomere-shortening properties of human cells which made aging inevitable. To be infected by such mutagenic would allow him to be immortal.

But why she was involved with the outbreak? She never came out until the Revelation series, which would take part years after the incident of Raccoon City. What did I change?

"Are you wondering why she wanted to hasten the outbreak?" said Nikolai, interrupting Edward's train of thought.

Edward's advance suddenly halted by his word, confirming Nikolai's guess. He then said, "It was you, Edward, it was all for you."

If Nikolai could see through the helmet concealing Edward's face, he could have seen his baffled expression.

"You should've made sure to hide yourself properly when you were in Paris. Her eyes were everywhere, nothing could escape her grasp. And you Edward, just had to gain her interest." said Nikolai. He was snickering behind the speakers, having fun in teasing Edward

"Everything, from the start to now. The deployment of the six Tyrants, including Nemesis. All of them were for you."

"What an honor. What did this employer of yours saw in me, that he put me in a high pedestal," replied Edward, sarcastically?

"Well, I wondered about it as well, but I can't think of anything. That woman was too crazy that even I couldn't read her mind," said Nikolai. He then continued, "All she told me to do was to erase your pathetic way of thinking."

"My way of thinking?"

"Hope. Justice. Bravery. Sacrifice. I agree with her, in this crooked world, there is no need for such noble emotions. All she needs is effectiveness." said Nikolai. He paused before continuing, "that is why she sent Nemesis to keep getting in your way, taking the life of those around you. That is also why I sent the Tyrants to the police station, even baiting the zombies so it would take the life of William's little girl. But who knew an idiot kid suddenly barged out of nowhere, playing heroes. Hahaha....!"

Nikolai laughed maniacally, "You should have seen his face when he was bitten. It was so amusing, I even recorded it for a gift. Of course, it was for you."

From the speakers, Edward heard Michael's voice, "Run! Over here!" There was a bit of scuffle before the sound of him, screaming in pain, could be heard.

Edward clenched his fists, breaking the handguns in his hands into pieces. The sound of gritting teeth could also be heard if you perked your ears. Edward was fuming in anger. Madness and Wrath filled his eyes as he started running.

"NIKOLAAAI!!" yelled Edward.

"Hahaha... It was so much fun, I saw you running out with him in your back. Such a touching scene, I would have shed tears if not for the channel suddenly changing."

Edward arrived in front of double doors. He kicked it open, tearing it off. He was now in a gigantic hall, on either side there was a bunch of small tube-like object, the same size as him, connected to a weird looking weapon in the middle. As he looked around, he found Nikolai, standing on a platform, high off the ground. He wanted to immediately dash to him, but Nikolai stopped him.

"At...tatata... if I was you, I wouldn't charge right ahead," he said while taking out a communication device from his pocket.

"I swear, I'll fucking hang your body before torturing you until you beg for mercy," said Edward in a deep tone. He took out Blackbeard and aimed it at Nikolai.

"You have to choose better words to express yourself if you don't want someone to pay for it," said Nikolai, shaking the communication device. He proceeds to turn on the volume higher so that Edward could hear the voice in it.

======

"Is there anything you need, Miss BERTHA?" asked, Chris.

"Nothing, I was just going to check up on the girl. How's she doing?" asked BERTHA?

"Just like you see, she's still sleeping," replied Chris. "I hope she'll get better tomorrow."

"I prayed for the same," said BERTHA.

"Thank you."

======

Click.

The voice abruptly ended as Nikolai put the device away. Edward was shocked, Nikolai was threatening him to kill his family if something ever happened to him.

"Nikolai! I swear... if you put your hands on them..." said Edward, before he got interrupted again.

Nikolai smirked and snapped his finger, "Do you think that was the only card I have?"

Behind him, a woman was currently being held on gunpoint by a familiar man. It was Jill Valentine, and that man was...

"Barry?" muttered Edward.