Chapter 67: The Cure.

William Birkin staggered out of the facility's main gate.

Under the harsh floodlights, his appearance came into focus.

The right side of his body had grotesquely mutated—swollen with veiny, crimson muscle fibers bursting through the skin, a massive eyeball embedded in his deformed arm. The left half was relatively intact, save for the lifeless, pale eyes that locked onto Sherry in the crowd.

"Roar!"

The monster let out a guttural howl, its entire form bulking up as if starved and now scenting prey.

It lunged, its monstrous right arm raised to obliterate everything in its path.

Malrick, standing at the front, didn't move an inch.

Compared to the towering mutant, his figure looked almost too small, too fragile.

The others instinctively tensed.

They all knew how strong Malrick was.

But after Annie's desperate warnings, even they had to wonder—could he really take this thing down?

In a flash, Ada and Marvin raised their pistols, ready to provide cover if things went south.

The fight was over in an instant.

William Birkin's monstrous speed was impressive.

But Malrick was faster.

He stepped in, twisted his body mid-air in a blur of motion, and landed a devastating hook.

The result was instant—Birkin's head exploded like an overripe melon left in the sun.

The entire group froze in stunned silence.

Malrick calmly withdrew his fist, his suit still spotless. He twisted his wrist nonchalantly as the headless mutant crumpled behind him with a sickening thud.

"How powerful was he, again?" Malrick asked dryly, glancing at Annie.

Her face paled with disbelief.

"You… you just made it worse," she stammered. "That'll only accelerate his mutation. He'll come back even stronger. You'd better—"

Before she could finish, Malrick turned back to the corpse and fired a heat ray.

In seconds, the mutated body was reduced to ashes.

A few flakes of carbon remained—and even those scattered in the breeze moments later.

So much for stage four or five mutation.

"What about now?" Malrick asked, his tone flat.

Annie had no reply.

She had spent days agonizing over whether she could kill William. Her resolve had faltered time and time again.

Now, she didn't have to decide.

That infuriatingly capable young man had taken the choice away from her.

Annie stared blankly at the carbon remains.

Like a sleepwalker, she stepped forward. Ada watched cautiously but didn't restrain her.

Everyone stood silently as Annie knelt beside the ash, gently scooping a handful and pressing it to her face.

Tears rolled down her cheeks, unnoticed.

"Mommy…" Sherry's small voice cut through the silence.

She approached hesitantly but didn't run to her mother. Instead, she clung tightly to Malrick's leg.

Annie didn't react.

She rose slowly and, without a word, turned and walked deeper into the facility.

No one stopped her.

Half a minute later, a single gunshot echoed from within the base.

"Mommy!!" Sherry cried out, her voice cracking as she clutched Malrick even tighter.

The truth was clear: Sherry hadn't received much love or protection from either parent.

Her father had become a monster that hunted her.

Her mother had nearly shot her in the name of preventing disaster.

Now, both were gone.

In every way that mattered, she had lost everything.

But she remembered what the Iron Man said—that the one who saved her was the man now beside her.

And so, she held onto Malrick like a lifeline.

He didn't say anything at first. He placed a gentle hand on her head.

This was too much for any child to process.

Words wouldn't help. All she could do was heal, in time.

"Let's get to work," Malrick said finally. "The area's clear. We need to start producing the vaccine right away."

He gave out instructions without hesitation.

"Marvin, Elliot—gather supplies with Jarvis. We'll need everything this place has."

"Ada Wong, do what you're here to do—whether that's stealing the G-Virus or something else, I don't care."

"Bud, you're with me. We've got vaccine development to handle."

He looked at Sherry. "And Sherry… if you're up to it, maybe bring everyone coffee?"

"One more thing—Jarvis, terminate any active self-destruct protocols. I don't want this place blowing up while we're still inside."

"Yes, sir," Jarvis replied.

Everyone nodded and moved out.

Even Sherry wiped her eyes, glanced toward the room her mother had disappeared into, then bit her lip and ran to the kitchen.

But Ada stopped Malrick before he could leave.

"You knew my identity was fake from the start, didn't you?"

"I did," he said without missing a beat.

"Then why let me tag along this far?"

"I heard you're a freelance agent. You work for whoever pays best."

"That's true."

"Interested in working for me? Saving the world and all that?"

She smirked. "You trying to recruit me? Sounds fun. I'll think about it… Malrick~"

She reached out to teasingly lift his chin with a finger—he dodged.

Unbothered, Ada smiled coolly.

"Nice meeting you. Thanks for the assist." She waved and walked down the corridor.

Malrick muttered, "Classic Ada. Still dramatic, even in her twenties."

He turned, grabbed Bud, and flew toward the research lab.

---

Elsewhere – Redstone Subway Station

As the train prepared to depart, Jill Valentine said her goodbyes.

"Jill, are you sure about this?" Carlos asked. "Stark's place isn't exactly around the corner."

"I know," she said, checking her ammo. "But he said he'd save the city. And I believe him."

Carlos sighed. "You always were stubborn."

"After what I saw him do, can you really still doubt him?" she asked, picking up her rifle.

"…He does look like a savior," Carlos admitted. "Alright. I'll meet up with you after my mission."

Jill raised two fingers in a mock salute. "See you at the precinct."

With that, she turned and sprinted down the burning streets.

---

Two Hours Later

"The airborne serum and vaccine for the T-virus are finished," Malrick said, holding up two red vials.

He handed them to Bud. "Test them on the mice. See if the airborne version holds up."

He had modified the virus for maximum effect. No longer limited to blood or fluid transmission, it could now spread through air.

In the original Resident Evil films, even the global pandemic strain of the virus was less potent.

Malrick's new strain had transmission capabilities approaching that of the future C-virus. It was a genuine world-ending threat.

Thankfully, he had also developed a vaccine that could be dispersed through the air—and locked its usage behind secure protocols.

---

Thirty Minutes Later

"Mr. Malrick," Bud said, "the tests were a success. The vaccine and serum worked on all the mice."

Jarvis added, "Projected variance in human trials is less than 0.3%."

"What's the effective range of the airborne vaccine?"

"Approximately 30 meters. Duration: under 30 minutes."

"Perfect. Marvin, tell the team to begin mass production immediately."

Malrick picked up another vial—this one, deep purple.

"And this," he said, "the new G-Virus serum. Start testing it as well."

Bud's hands trembled slightly. "You developed that too?"

"It's not airborne," Malrick replied. "No need for that yet. The G-Virus hasn't spread far."

"This is a strong anti-G-Virus serum. It can save anyone infected for less than 20 hours."

Bud exhaled in relief. "Understood. I'll begin testing right away."

Malrick took a sip from the coffee Sherry had made, then leaned back.

"Now… time for my own research."

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