Thank you very much, David S. I'm so happy I caught your attention this far. So be patient with me a bit.

Thank you, Saito 87. Yep, Nighthawk is the light of the story, the one who brings a smile over the troubles. :)

Yeah, I agree with you there. Since I wanted to focus on Hunk and his brother, I wanted to keep going and create an O.C. that could be the main villain. It's kinda tough, but I'm glad it's working fine for the story. It's indeed very tiring to read about the same villains.

Chapter 17. "Humanity."

Hunk crossed his legs over the bed, with a map spread wide before him. His left foot would tap for every twenty seconds or so. Nighthawk usually attributed it as some sort of concentration technique or that he's just energetic for the moment. It's been 3 hours since they returned from causing a fire in that hotel. Hunk cannot sleep, not until he makes sure of his next move.

Revenge is sweet.

A sea of green grass waved gently in the wind. A small house was next to a small dirt road on the outskirts of a small town. The countryside does have its perks, but the duo was not picky on the standards for a safe house.

The house creaked and did not have working electricity. A window on the upper floor was cracked and such. So everything had to be disposable. Also, Nighthawk lost the coin toss on who would pick the next safe house.

In other news, they should have simply let him go if they no longer needed his services.

Nighthawk whistled as he clicked the keyboard. Searching more of The T-Abyss virus and what does it have to do with anything? Luckily when everyone in Umbrella had to go underground. That meant that the non-level-headed types did not change their passwords and I.D. information, which Hunk copied into a private server. Nighthawk was able to hack quite a few employees' accounts inside that lab in the town, and now it is easy for him to log in and look through things. Maybe there is a recurring theme of such.

Just the occasional not safe for work images that the co-workers would have saved in their workplace computers. An arms dealer was in contact with one of the security teams to smuggle some of the B.O.W.s. Yet what confused Nighthawk the most was the maintenance costs for some of the facilities in the furthest places. Why would someone develop a base in Antarctica for some absurd reason?

There was one that caught Nighthawk's attention the most. There was not much for the water creatures that didn't just mean infecting fish with the T-Virus. Granted, the stuff that rots in the ocean is not something that could impress a buyer. But, Abyss was a code name that would be mentioned every now and again.

Abyss...

Nighthawk leaned away from his computer and stretched his arms to the ceiling. He glanced to his right to see the hotplate with a rice cooker slowly brimmed with heat. Sucks that he forgot to get soy sauce to have with that rice. He shook his head lightly and pondered on the undertaking of an aquatic-based virus.

Sure, it would benefit the defense, but that could spread completely into drinking water and of the like. Harder to contain overall. Nighthawk chuckled to himself after the crap show Raccoon City turned out to be when rats got their little diseased-filled fur to spread.

'Maybe the Abyss virus wasn't meant for the ocean after all?'

The Federal Bioterrorism Commission confiscated whatever data they could find on Umbrella. So the ones who would know the most would have been them.

Nighthawk browsed through the image files of what the test subjects appeared to transform into. He went down to look more at the concept, their thoughts of how it could be. They look human in shape. However, their body is large and looked strong that could take anything. Their human face is still intact.

They even planned their clothes and possible gear. It reminded him so much of the good old days when Mr. X was unleashed in Raccoon City.

"They failed miserably." Nighthawk continued. "They turned into something like a sea monster."

Hunk rolled his eyes and gazed at him. "What does this have to do with us? The plan to kill their remaining soldiers?"

"Everything, actually." Nighthawk sighed and turned the laptop. "We and the other survivors. I guess the FBC wants all those who know of the research and to keep it under wraps. On the other hand, who knows, this could be stuff that didn't make it into the black market. Something is fishy with FBC. You better warn Vector."

"They're all underground now. I have no method of contacting him in the first place." Hunk rolled his shoulders. "By the way, your rice is burning."

Nighthawk's eyes widened as he moved the laptop out of his way, and he jogged to the hot plate. "You could have warned me!"

"I just did." Hunk watched Nighthawk frantically take a plastic fork to stir the white rice. The steam puffed out in his face. He touched the side of the rice cooker, and he flinched at the pain and nearly dropped the rice cooker.

"You're a jerk." Nighthawk turned the hot plate off. Then, with a paper plate, Nighthawk dished his meal out.

"I know." Hunk sighed and focused back again on the map before him. "It's a price we must pay, huh? Like a game of chess, and the king wants to sacrifice his soldiers one by one."

Hunk reached for a shopping bag that was by his side. He pulled out a small black bottle and waved at Nighthawk. With a gentle toss, Nighthawk caught the bottle then he read the label. 'Soy Sauce.'

Nighthawk rolled his eyes as he looked forward to the meal now.

"I wonder what would benefit Wesker from helping us?" Nighthawk murmured.

"I don't owe Wesker anything." Hunk replied sharply.

A notification ringtone echoed through their small room from Nighthawk's laptop, the sound loud enough to tell him that he got a message. Nighthawk set his plate down.

"Huh?" He was confused about who could message him now at this hour? He moved the crosser and clicked it open. The message was titled. Play the game. And there was a video attached there.

"Ah, Hunk, check this out." He waved at him worriedly. Hunk pushed himself to the side of the bed and focused on the screen.

Nighthawk clicked the video, and it took a moment to buffer.

A scene unfolds before them of a woman blindfolded, hands and legs are pinned with rope. "Say the name." Someone spoke in the video.

The woman stirred slightly. Nikolai appeared and grabbed the woman by her ponytail. "Say the name, now!"

Hunk and Nighthawk exchanged looks for a moment before looking back at the video.

The woman's lips trembled as she struggled to find her voice. "Hunk." She said quietly. Nikolai smirked and looked straight at the camera.

"Dear Hunk. We have your girl. If you don't want her to die, come meet me inside Sergei's facility in Russia. Or are you too much of a coward?"

Nighthawk was speechless at first, unsure what to think of all of this. Calmly, he just scooped his plate up to continue eating. "What a load of shit, this is true-"

"I'm going after her." Hunk interrupted.

Nighthawk shrugged. "Excuse me?" As he watched Hunk stand up and go for the weapons bag.

"You're serious?"

Hunk rummaged through and pulled his chosen weapons. He placed them on his bed and went for the uniform. "I am." He simply answered.

The large worm charged once again, but he saw the flash of a gunshot behind him this time. Much to his surprise, it was Claire. She sprinted in and stood between him and the worm. "That's a big worm." She shouted until her gun clicked with the last of her bullets.

"Why did you come here?" He mumbled.

She took off her jacket then tore it into several strips. "Come on, stay awake," Claire whispered.

Nighthawk came in closer and touched Hunk's shoulder. "Who the hell are you, and what did you do to James?" The pilot chuckled. A sound was both confused and happy.

Hunk raised a hand up as he didn't want Nighthawk to get too close. "I owe her, and that is all you need to know. We were hunting down Nikolai anyway."

"Ooookay?" Nighthawk dragged out his tone then paid close attention to his body language. The last time he ever saw him like this was with...Kristen! He wanted to ask more. Does he remember what happened to her? Is he still holding on to guilt?

Hunk adjusted a latch of his uniform and the final strap of his mask perfectly. "Hurry up and change."

"Do I have to?" He rolled his eyes. Hunk just stared at him silently, a gesture he knew all too well.

Nighthawk took the last bite of his rice and shook his head. "Right, boss." He made up his mind to save the questions for later, maybe after Nikolai paid the price.

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.

Hunk buckled up next to the co-pilot seat and took a breath. Nighthawk checked the engine and the radar. He had to make sure everything was working fine. This was Nighthawk's personal helicopter. It was modified to perfection. None of that standardized bullshit.

"You remember the location of Sergei's facility, right?" Hunk asked through the headset.

"Yes, don't worry, you know more than anyone that I have the best memory." Then, Nighthawk started to descend to the sky.

The helicopter went well for a while until sudden lousy weather overtook them. It began to swing from side to side, and Nighthawk was a little troubled in controlling it, not like he had never faced an issue like this before.

Hunk stared out on the horizon and remembered a conversation he shared with Claire.

"That is it. What are you? Why are you like this?" The smile vanished from Claire's face and went into a defeated posture.

"Force of habit, I never leave anyone behind. I'm in no way agree with your golden rule. If I can save one life, then I will do good no matter what. This is what makes me human.

'You better be alive, Redfield.' Hunk thought to himself. 'You are not the type to let someone else walk all over you.'

During the long flight, Hunk stared out; the ocean appeared like a meadow. The early dawn color gave the view an even more majestic feeling.

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.

.

It was around nightfall when the two finally reached Sergei's facility. Through the fast-approaching darkness, they could see the silhouette of creatures approaching and following the helicopter.

"It seems we have a special date with hunters, eh?" Nighthawk teased. "Not my kind of women, oh well."

"Shut up and find a landing point." He rolled his eyes.

The wind blew harshly as Nighthawk slowly landed on a nearby hill. The strength of the router blades had pushed the snow and created something that resembles a tornado in shape.

Nighthawk turned off the helicopter engine. "Jesus Christ." He whispered. Hunk jumped off and pulled his S.M.G. and handgun.

The snow was like a mini hurricane of snow and ice. Everything is dark and blinding at the same time. He can barely see anything around him because of the blowing wall of white.

Nighthawk did not want to risk using a headlight; otherwise, it could give away their position.

To Hunk's right, something broke through the snow wall. A Hunter lunged at him, and he fired half of his magazine into it. It rolled to the side as two more Hunters broke through. Although the snow wall would make the Hunters' vision better even in the dark, Hunk shot the closest one in the jaw and with the handgun head, which moved to the side. The third one tackled Hunk from behind, and as the claws were raised to attack.

A small grey concussion grenade rolled out of the helicopter, and a flash of blinding light assaulted the senses of the Hunter. Hunk pushed up and moved to the side, and blasted the Hunter away.

Hunk waved Nighthawk off, and he nodded. Then, he pulled the helicopter down to land.

He went over the path going down, a trail of footsteps behind him. He could feel his breath freezing. Still, he didn't feel much pain. A ghastly figure of the facility was before him in the distance. Hunk still remembers when he visited this place, there should be a way inside through the tunnel. There is a secret door also within the place.

Hunk holstered his handgun.

Nighthawk followed behind. Through his goggles, he can see the hunters charging their way. "Move it. I can handle them just fine." Nighthawk pointed out.

"Roger that." Hunk replied and went forward.

Once he was close enough to the place, a sound stopped him for a moment. A sound of hissing and growling. Hunk's eyes darted around to locate whatever watched him, but it was too dark to see far. He moved his gun. Eventually, something jumped at him, a creature with a hunched back. The skin looked rough, scaly, and challenging.

"I don't play with amateurs!" Hunk mused and twisted his weapon, allowing reflexes to finish the job. The weapon flickered from what little light there was while the creature's claws slammed into his weapons with a clash with their bloody steel claws. Finally, however, the Hunter charged even foreword and gave Hunk a punch hard enough to send him flying.

Hunk landed on his chest and cried for a moment. Then, "Damn it." he whispered and pushed himself up, ready for the monster.

Hunk smiled widely under his mask, his feet planted wide apart, the line of his body perfect. He started it firing, and swiftly he jumped down and fired upwards over the creature's eyes.

Until the Hunter fell lifeless under his foot. He took a moment to take a breath and regain his composure.

The mercenary proceeded toward the facility when he heard multiple steps and sounds. "I know it. He must have something fun planned for me. Right, Nikolai!" He shouted the last words and prepared. He observed the dog's movements.

The shadows moved uncontrollably, circling him, ready for attack.

Two figures growled and jumped toward him. Immediately Hunk fired with both of his guns non-stop, where the dogs breezed through the air with bullets embedding themselves in the flesh, blood spilled out and stained the clear snow.

He could sense them behind. So swiftly, he dodges a charging dog by jumping and roll to his side. Then it charged over him and two bullets from his pistol. Hunk took a knee and stood up shortly afterward.

The empty magazine was ejected into the snow.

Once the dog fell, silently followed it. He waited for a second before he jogged toward his goal. Unfortunately, the path he went for didn't have any doors as far as he could see, though he remembered the tunnel's route.

In the midst of it all, he heard the sound of Helicopters in the distance approaching. "Must be them."

He kept walking to the other side. Finally, he went right and down the steps. The area down was covered in snow, stained with something black mixed with sands. Though he didn't care much and he went for the path, he spotted earlier. There he saw the ladder going down. Hunk rolled his eyes, and he jumped down to the dark.

He landed on the ground, his body trembled, feet first, then forced his weight forward and rolled off the impact. The rubber of the boots clattered on the bits of rock and snow. Several bits of snow fell behind him, but he was in too much of a hurry to brush it off.

Down in the tunnel, he found himself cornered by zombies. A large smile broke across his face almost casually; he ducked down, avoiding their hungry hands. He gave two zombies a forceful shove in the wall's direction with a kick to the first and elbowed the next.

The soft and rotting skulls split open. He shrugged off the bits of the flesh and noticed a zombie on the floor attempting to crawl at him. Hunk took a step forward, and much the force he could generate, he punted the head so hard. The zombie's head snapped back completely.

He took out his MP7 submachine gun and fired at two more, making them spill their guts all over the ground.

Hunk then fired at the legs of the others with the help of his pistol, launching a barbaric attack that entirely almost tore their legs out, and he took the chance and left them crawling on the ground in confusion. He used a flashlight strapped to his chest to see what was going on around him.

He was left with two choices. Hunk frowned at the thought, but still, he was not backing down. He paced through the sewer water while remaining alert to his surroundings. Luckily he reached the door without the need to shoot anything.

He wanted to open the door; however, his sensing kicked in. He almost could hear the sound of footsteps moving about. He smirked at the thoughts of the idiot trying to take him off guard.

Hunk slowly touched the handle, his machine gun in his left hand. Then, through the tension, a hand swiped over his face, and he quickly touched his forearm and forced the man out toward him. "Make one wrong move, and you will die."

The man shook in fear, but he did as he told. It seems he was in his late thirties. He was wearing a white coat like a doctor.

Hunk forcefully kicked his abdomen, making him slam at the wall. Once again, he put his sub-machine gun over the man's forehead. Finally, Hunk knelt down a little and waited for him to talk and tell him.

"Kristen is waiting for you." The man heaved the words.

"What!?"

The man smirked. "You still remember her, right?" He said and raised an eyebrow at him. "Come on, Mister Death. Don't you think it's time to face your past?"

'Mister Death is about to die.'

Hunk slammed his gun over the man's head, making him lose consciousness. He walked forward toward the steel door. The ground before him now appeared cleaner, and a brighter light was up ahead.

He opened the door and found himself in a large hall with several metal crates and a balcony up where a path leads to an elevator.

Hunk heard a moan as he looked to his right and saw zombies approach him.

"Ah, nice." He whispered. Nighthawk busted through the door and threw a small grenade at them.

Hunk & Nighthawk locked eyes, and it seemed like thought was passed between them. Finally, they nodded to one another.

Nighthawk drew his knife and dived toward the zombies, slicing through them, flickering and rained blood. While Hunk drove forward, his own submachine gun and combat knife flashing through the air. He hacked and shot the exposed flesh of the zombies with all the force he could muster. In one wide swing at the abdomen had a hole that had the body stumble forward. While they were preoccupied with the force of his attack, Hunk gave them a forceful shove in Nighthawk's direction. For his part, he had bent down slightly while doing a wide-sweeping kick to cause the zombies to slam harshly against the ground. He fed grenades to two of them, and he rolled back in a hurry to avoid the explosion.

The explosion was loud enough to echo through the entire place for a moment before the smoke cleared.

"So, what's the plan?" He asked.

Hunk sighed and tapped his shoulder. "We separate. I'll go up, and you go down. Radio me if you find Redfield. Get her out, and I will go after Nikolai."

"Roger. Good luck." Nighthawk replied and ran past him to the front, so he could continue and search the place.

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.

.

Claire felt her head spin, her vision was painfully blurry, and she could not exactly make sense of what was happening. She stayed still on the cold ground. She tried to move her hands and learned she was tied.

"No..." Her head jolted to the side as she tried to feel awake.

"Wake up, sleeping beauty..." She heard a muffled voice in front of her.

"Who… what?"

Once her vision cleared, she saw a grey wall in front of her and a figure. Nikolai placed his hand behind his back. "Where am I?" She asked sharply.

However, she felt a severe chill in her bones.

"Welcome back," Nikolai spoke.

"I demand an answer right now," Claire shouted with all the strength she could muster.

"Unfortunately, darling, you must have to be here for our plan to work."

"What!?" She looked at the ground as if she was trying to process what she just heard. Nikolai took a picture frame from the table and brought it close to her face.

"Miss Redfield, meet Kristen. The traitor."

Claire stared at the picture carefully. A girl seems to be in her teens, and she has dark red hair and pale skin.

She wore what appears to be military-style clothing. Heavy Kevlar vest and belt equipped with weapons.

"Had your records not been there to confirm your existence. I would assume you as a twin or had slight surgery done." Nikolai commented. "With your help, we will go further with our plans."

The girl in the picture had emerald eyes. She was in what seemed to be a wooded area, standing alone.

There is no doubt, Claire does resemble this girl.

"Wait, what does she have to do with anything?" Claire felt her bearings return to her with clearer vision.

Worried beyond belief of what she's mixed with exactly. Silently cursing her bad luck.

"All in time."

"If you think I will allow you to use me like this. You are mistaken." Claire frowned in his direction. Then, she moved both of her legs up and kicked his chin. The force of her sudden move made the chair shake, and she fell on her back harshly. She moaned in pain and started working on her hands as much as possible.

Nikolai rattled back in pain, still smiling, however. "Feisty one." He said and pulled her back up roughly. He tapped the top of her head and went out through the door.

She heard him talk to someone and then the sound of the door been locked.

Claire saw a glass of water on a small table in front of her, and she couldn't help the smile that broke across her face. Claire started moving the chair to the side, doing her best to remain close to the table.

After a harsh pushup, she was able to position herself exactly with her hands touching the table. She put all her weight to push the table, and the glass fell. Claire barely held the glass over the edge.

A sigh of relief escaped her lips. She pushed the glass roughly over the table, shattering it into large pieces. "Yes," she whispered and started working to free her arms.

"Rope… seriously?" Claire got to work.

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this :)

I know I have been really late in updating, but I'll try my best to update again next week. You have my word. I'm not abandoning this. :)

Special thanks to my beta reader, The95will.