I'm glad I finally defeated that monster. However, I don't know what to think about all these improvements on me.
I look around and notice a few dried up corpses that I hadn't seen before. I barely thought to inspect the body of the one in the white coat when a vine comes out of my back to hold the corpse in front of me.
Unconsciously, I know how to control it, but that doesn't explain to me how it's integrated into my body since it came out of my back. I call Marcus who looks at me for a moment before closing his eyes and sighing.
"Gerald, could you have the decency to put on clothes that hide your anatomy better?" he says with such phlegm in his voice that I look to discover that my pants are mostly dissolved.
"Fuck, how many times am I going to have to put on other clothes, damn it!" I shouted, summoning a Zombie T that I stripped of its clothes before changing it into a Zombie Plant.
The situation could have been dire, but the sight of Marcus, with his exasperated professor look, contrasted sharply with the severity of my injuries and condition. My vine still held the corpse in front of me like a disjointed puppet, which only added to the absurdity of the scene.
As I tried to put my new clothes back on, I got tangled in the vines, stumbling and swearing while trying to maintain some semblance of dignity. Marcus looked away, probably to hide an amused smile.
"You know, Marcus, you could give me a hand instead of playing the judgemental spectator," I said, struggling with the shirt.
"I think you're doing just fine on your own, Gerald," he replied, his tone filled with undisguised irony.
Finally, after some contortions and a series of curses, I manage to put the clothes on. The entire scene ends with me standing, finally dressed properly, while Marcus shakes his head in amusement.
"All joking aside," I say, as Marcus also regains a serious face. "I defeated the plant and gained other abilities, one being the vine that came out of my back."
The vine disappeared, letting go of the body while I tried to put my clothes on, but Marcus had time to observe it despite his amusement.
"Yes, back to the vine, it came out of your right shoulder blade. However, when it came back into your body, it left no trace," he says, answering my unasked question as usual.
"Okay, but the problem is that she's as responsive to my thoughts as if I wanted to move a finger. That could cause me problems in society if it's discovered."
"Try making a request to your system. You told me it had put a limiter on your physical abilities," he said simply.
"System, is it possible to block certain abilities or put them on standby?" I thought.
"The host will have to learn to manage the vines on their own since they are considered full members. You have the ability to summon up to 8 vines. The ability Pollen and Thorns have been locked for now. Unlocking will be available with a simple thought."
I take a moment to absorb this new information. The system wasn't ready to give me a ready-made solution, but it had at least given me a clear direction.
"I guess I'll have to get used to these new 'extensions'," I said, trying to move the vine in my mind. It responded instantly, uncoiling smoothly before retracting.
"It'll take some practice, but I'll get the hang of it eventually," I added with new determination. "At least I have full control over the strength and speed of these new appendages."
Marcus nodded. "Practice will be essential. In the meantime, it's good to know you have partial control over these abilities."
I let the vine retract completely, noting that it did indeed leave no trace. "Looks like I'll have to be careful not to get too stressed out in public," I said with a wry smile.
"Absolutely," Marcus replies, his tone neutral again but with a glint of encouragement in his eyes.
With this new perspective on my abilities, I feel ready to face the challenges ahead. Complications and upgrades have become an integral part of my existence, and I had to learn to fully embrace them.
"Thanks for the info Marcus, by the way, you can study one of the plant's Bulbs but try not to destroy it, it takes 20 days to get another one and we don't know when it might be useful to me." I say as I send Marcus back into the factory.
I stay shirtless because the little exercise with the vine has torn my t-shirt again. "Honestly, whether in the movies or in the games, none of the main characters need to change clothes that many times despite all the crap they go through" I think as I take a key from the blouse of the corpse I had noticed earlier.
I go back to my daughter and her guardians. As I enter the room, Lisa runs towards me and trips, but she doesn't touch the ground as one of my vines quickly grabs her. She is lifted up quietly as my vine pulls her closer to me before I pick her up in my arms.
"Careful, Lisa, I told you I'd get home safe," I say with a big smile. The little girl climbs like a kitten, curious, to look at my bare back, searching for the vine.
"Daddy, where did the plant go?" she asks, looking at me curiously.
"I don't know," I say as I pull out a vine to go around Lisa before touching her back. "Behind you, I think," I finally say with a laugh.
Lisa bursts out laughing, quickly turning around to try to catch the vine that wraps around her like a play vine. I playfully wiggle the vine under her nimble hands, letting her grab it briefly before gently pulling it away, starting the cycle over again.
"Daddy, it tickles!" she cries with a laugh, trying to keep up with the vine's rapid movements.
"You'll have to be faster, sweetie," I say as I continue the little game.
The Zombie Gs watch the scene with impassive expressions, but I can sense their slight confusion. Zeus, meanwhile, watches with his piercing eyes, almost as if analyzing the situation.
Lisa finally catches the vine with both hands, squeezing it tightly. "Gotcha, mystery plant!" she says triumphantly.
"Well done, Lisa," I say as I stroke her hair. "You're faster than I thought."
She smiles at me widely, her eyes shining with joy. "Thanks, Dad! I'll always catch you and your mysterious plants."
I hug her, feeling the warmth of her small body against mine. "I have no doubt about it, my dear."
I carry her as I head towards the Jordans, Steve and Zeus. I bring out the 8 vines from my back, easily grabbing the weapons of the 4 G Zombies while simultaneously hitting the giant eel in three places.
"As you can see, guys, I'm different now and I think we're going to have to review our training. I'm glad I didn't bring you with me because what I faced was on a whole other level," I say as I hand my men their weapons back.
"Okay, boss, but whether it's us," Jordan said, pointing at himself and his clones, "or Steve, we're not really soldiers. I think that for the next escapades, you should find real trained soldiers to make them your elite troop."
"Yes, I understand. You have superhuman abilities and that's it," I said, patting Lisa who seemed to think I was angry. "Anyway, you'll have tasks more in line with your qualities when we get back to town."
Lisa looked at me with wide eyes, worried. "Dad, are you angry?"
I shook my head and smiled at him. "No, sweetheart, I'm not angry. I'm just thinking about the best way to organize ourselves for the future."
Steve, ever the pragmatist, intervened. "Maybe we should adopt a more flexible formation. You in the center with Lisa, protected by a defensive circle. The Jordans and I could form a first line of defense, while Zeus can stay back for strategic interventions."
One of Jordan's clones adds, "And we could use our abilities to lead the way and scout out the dangerous areas before you commit, boss. We can absorb the initial shocks and let you handle the more serious threats."
I nod, considering their suggestion. "That's a good idea. You're more adaptable than conventional soldiers. Steve and the Jordans on the front lines, Zeus supporting the rear, and me in the center with Lisa. We'll stay mobile and ready to adapt to any situation."
Lisa squeezes my hand tighter, reassured. "Okay, Dad. We'll be a great team."
I smile and hug her. "Exactly, sweetheart. A great team." I turn to my men. "Get ready, we'll continue exploring, but this time, we'll be better organized. Let's go."
Thanks to Marcus' leech clones, we've discovered a hidden entrance to the library. The huge metal door looks intimidating, but I don't know what security is in place. So I use the key I picked up to open it.
We find ourselves in another underground passage, slowly moving along the corridors until we come across some cells. If I remember correctly, when I was playing with Jill, Chris was locked in there.
My gaze falls on a shirtless man, doing push-ups. When he sees us, his face lights up and he approaches the door, taking a reasonable distance.
"Hello, can you free me?" he asks, looking at my men before stepping back when he sees Zeus.
"Dad, why is he afraid of Zeus?" Lisa asks, holding out her hand. The giant eel comes to have its head petted.
The man's confused look makes me and my men laugh before I manage to calm down.
"Let's start at the beginning, my dear sir," I say, leaving Lisa with Zeus and Steve. "What's your name and what are you doing in an Umbrella cell?"
The man nods and takes a deep breath. "My name is Pascal. I'm a security guard at the underground lab. I pissed off a superior who injected me with something before locking me up here. It's been three days and I haven't been hungry or thirsty since the injection, but my body has become what it is now." He shows off his ultra-developed muscles and runs a hand over his bald head.
I watch him carefully. "Three days, huh? And you say you haven't been hungry or thirsty?"
Pascal nods. "Yeah, that's it. My body has changed drastically in the space of three days. I've lost my hair and my muscles have grown to an incredible extent. I don't know what they injected me with."
"Hmm," I said, thinking. "This looks like another one of Umbrella's twisted experiments. Okay, we'll get you out of here. But know that if you show any hostility, you'll have to deal with my friends here," I said, pointing to Zeus and the G Zombies.
Pascal backed away slightly, raising his hands in a peace sign. "I'm not hostile, I just want to get out of here."
"Very well," I said as I opened the door to her cell. "Welcome to our merry band. I'm Officer King, but you can call me Gerald. The Triplets are all called Jordan, a joke from their mother, I guess."
"Hey!!" they shouted simultaneously, making me laugh.
"This one's name is Steve, and the giant eel is Zeus," I finished introducing myself.
"Dad, you forgot me!" Lisa shouted, grumbling, her arms crossed.
"Oh, my mistake," I said with a laugh. "My little princess here is called Lisa King."
She put on a wonderful smile at my introduction and even greeted Pascal politely. Pascal seemed a little taken aback by the situation, but he smiled at Lisa.
"Nice to meet you, Lisa," he said softly.
"We'll see what we can do for you," I said, holding out my hand to shake it.
Pascal nods before shaking my hand gratefully. "Thank you, Gerald. I'm truly grateful for your help."
Ding
Perfect fusion of T-Virus and human detected, subject is cooperative, and T-Virus bonuses are sufficient. Obedience granted, betrayal impossible.
Would you like to make Pascal the default clone for Zombie Ts?
"Yes," I thought as I smiled at my new teammate.
"Here," I said, handing him one of my rations. "Even if you're not hungry, you'd better eat something."
"Thanks," he said, gulping down the nutrient solution.
"Follow us and stay back, you never know what might happen."
Lisa looked at Pascal curiously. "You're going to be nice to Dad, right?"
Pascal smiled slightly. "Yes, little one. I'll be nice. Thanks for freeing me."
"By the way, Pascal, do you know the layout of the lab? I'm looking for evidence to incriminate Umbrella and also destroy this mansion full of abominations," I said, before Lisa distracted me by gently tugging on my sleeve.
"Dad, can't we keep this place? The mansion is so pretty," she says with her big, bright eyes.
"Sorry, honey, but this mansion belongs to someone bad, and Daddy can't have it, even if he wanted to," I say, looking at her tenderly. She pouts a little, becoming even cuter.
Pascal then intervenes: "As for your question, I know a few strategic points, and if you want, I can even tell you where to find the deed to this mansion and part of this mountain. The document is blank so Spencer can clear his guilt if need be."
Lisa's eyes light up again, and she exclaims: "Daddy, you'll really be a king with a castle of your own!"
I laugh softly, stroking her hair. "We'll see, my princess, we'll see. But for now, we need to focus on our mission."
Pascal smiles, clearly touched by the dynamic between Lisa and me. "I can show you the way to Spencer's office. That's where the deed is probably hidden."
"Thanks, Pascal. Any help is welcome. Let's go," I say as I cautiously walk down the hallway, Lisa still at my side.
Lisa squeezes my hand, looking around curiously. "Dad, when you're king, will I be a real princess?"
I smile as I look up at her. "You'll always be my princess, no matter where we live. But first, we have to get rid of these bad guys."
"Promise?" she asks with a hopeful look in her eyes.
"Promise," I answer firmly, determined to protect my daughter and put an end to the horrors of this mansion.