[TWD x Resident Evil] — Chapter 548 - Preparing the Faked Death

Before Joseph could think further, the other Tyrant was already on him.

A massive hand shot out, seized Joseph by the collar of his Tactical Vest, and kicked him straight into the air.

"Help! Barry! Save me!"

"It's going to crush me to pieces!"

Joseph's legs flailed wildly in midair, his pistol firing blind.

The Tyrant tossed him without a second thought, sending him crashing into a half-drained indoor ornamental pool nearby. Murky water erupted in all directions.

Barry clutched his head and backpedaled, working his way into a surveillance blind spot while covering himself with his pistol.

"Fall back! You can't kill this thing! Our firepower does nothing!"

Jill pressed herself behind a load-bearing pillar, leaning out to fire two quick shots, her voice cutting through the chaos.

"Captain! Calling the Captain! We need backup!"

The second-floor corridor of the Spencer Mansion swallowed their voices whole — desperate cries for help, the ragged crack of pistol fire, all of it bouncing off the walls and dying there.

Inside the surveillance room, Wesker stared at the screen and didn't blink.

He watched Chris get slapped clean off his feet. Watched Joseph get flung like a rag sack. Watched Barry and Jill give ground step by step as the Tyrant pressed forward without slowing.

The tension he'd been holding since this operation started finally let go.

He exhaled. Long and slow. The Tactical Vest against his back was soaked through with cold sweat.

"There it is."

Wesker leaned back in his chair. Every muscle in his face unclenched at once.

This was the dominance a bio-weapon was built for.

Didn't matter how good your tactics were. Didn't matter how well-trained your team. Absolute power and absolute defense made all of it irrelevant.

He studied the real-time combat readout scrolling on the screen.

Impact resistance: perfect. Target acquisition efficiency: extremely high. Power output: at projected ceiling.

That data, stacked on top of the casualty records from the earlier test subjects, was more than enough to put together a compelling pledge of loyalty. Once H.C.F. leadership reviewed this report, they wouldn't hesitate for a second. A senior position would open up for him, no questions asked.

"I'm sorry, everyone."

Wesker's voice dropped to a murmur, aimed at no one.

"Your performance was outstanding."

"As thanks, I'll make sure you go quickly."

He straightened up and keyed the final command string into the master control keyboard.

[Arklay Sublevel Self-Destruct Sequence Initiated]

[Countdown: 10 Minutes]

A piercing alarm tore through every corner of the Spencer Mansion. Red strobe lights hammered in time with it, blinding and relentless.

Wesker stood, took one last look at the screen, his former subordinates still fighting, still losing, then turned and walked toward the door.

The stage for Albert Wesker was set.

A perfect faked death, in exchange for a ticket to a new life.

On Leon's modified laptop, Wesker's control interface was mirroring in real time.

Citizen Z's handiwork, obviously.

Nobody alive was better at breaking into someone else's system.

The red countdown light pulsed.

"He's triggered the self-destruct." Ada checked the time. "Ten minutes."

"Show's over. Time for the crew to pack up." Leon closed the laptop and handed it to Ada.

He picked up the walkie-talkie.

"Chris."

"This place goes sky-high in 10 minutes."

"Get everyone out through the back door. You and the Tyrants hold position for now — you need to be there. You have to see Wesker's faked death with your own eyes."

On the other end, Chris brushed wood splinters off his clothes.

"Copy."

"Honestly," he added, "that was more draining than an actual fight."

Barry hauled the grenade launcher off the floor and knocked the dust off the barrel.

"Let's go, let's go. I'm not spending one more minute in this place."

The two Tyrants moved out front. Jill and the others fell in behind them, walking easy, like they were taking a Sunday stroll through a park.

"Stay here and meet them when they come out." Leon looked at Ada.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"To collect our director's fee."

The biggest mistake of Wesker's life was treating everyone around him as a chess piece.

Today, someone was flipping the board.

The real show was only just getting started.

"One more thing, Ada."

"Go check if Sherry is still somewhere in here. We split up — move fast."

Ada nodded.

"Got it."

➤ Next: Bro, Are You Leaving or Not