[Raccoon City Outskirts: Subway Tunnel]
The smell of scorched steel and smoke lingered in the tunnel like a bad memory. Everything was silent, save for the faint crackle of cooling metal and the slow hiss of leaking steam. Arlo's eyes fluttered open, blurry and sluggish, as if waking from underwater.The first thing he saw was Link's face hovering just inches from his own—ears back, tongue out, tail wagging nervously.
"Ugh… hey, buddy…" Arlo croaked, his voice raw like sandpaper.
Link barked softly, licking his cheek in rapid succession like a dog trying to wake his owner from a nightmare. Arlo managed a weak smile, then tried to push himself upright. The moment he did, his ribs lit up with pain like a lightning bolt ripping through his chest. He collapsed back to the cracked subway floor with a sharp grunt.
"Damn… feels shit I got my body slammed by the freight train," Arlo muttered through clenched teeth. Link whined, pawing at his side in worry.Arlo tapped open his HUD with a subtle hand motion—his vision flaring with the familiar blue-tinted interface. His health bar looked like a nearly-empty red vial hanging by a thread.
[HP: 17/145]
"Shit. No wonder I feel like microwaved garbage," he muttered. He reached into his inventory and pulled out a regular health potion—one of Marie's mixes. It glowed faintly like warm tea in the gloom of the tunnel.
---
Marie's Regular Health Potion 3X
Consumable, Potion
Description: This regular potion made from different magical ingredients that can restore Health Points in a much greater effect including broken bones and loss of blood
Effect: +250 HP
---
"One gulp. Just one… please let this not taste like actual vomit again."
[Status Effect: +250 HP]
Arlo downed the potion. It burned on the way down, then warmed his insides like fresh adrenaline. Moments later, a soft crack-pop sound echoed inside his chest and arms as bones realigned, tissue knotted itself back together, and pressure in his head eased.
Arlo sat up slowly this time. The pain was gone, replaced with a dull fatigue. "Bless you, Marie. Best damn alchemist across the multiverse." He glanced at Link. "Alright, now your turn."
From his inventory, he took out a small spray bottle—standard Pokémon Potion. He gave it a light shake, then gently sprayed the bruised areas on Link's flank. The spray fizzed as it made contact, then vanished into Link's fur, leaving behind only a soft glow. Link winced at first but quickly stood upright, tail wagging as he tested his legs.
"Glad you're still in one piece," Arlo said, patting the pup's head. "We're both lucky that explosion didn't turn us into roast beef."
He scanned the area. Twisted metal, derailed tracks, and broken glass surrounded them. Part of the subway train had crumpled like a tin can. Smoke still drifted lazily from the wreckage. No sounds of combat. No roaring monstrosities. For the first time in what felt like hours, the world was still.
Arlo stood up fully now and wiped soot from his jacket. His cane, scorched but intact, was strapped to his hip. The Pit Viper pistol was still holstered and his threaded cane is still on the scabbard, thank god. But his shotgun was no where to be found.
"Kendo and Emma…" Arlo muttered, eyes narrowing. "I hope you guys escape...." He reached for his [Analysis] and scanned outward, the only he could gather is that he is in a subway tunnel and it seems the wreckage was more devastated, he need more information for his [Analysis] to be useful. He'd have to search the old-fashioned way. He turned to Link.
"Let's find Jill. We're not done yet." Arlo said.
Link barked in agreement. Both of them began walking deeper into the tunnel, past the wreckage, toward the unknown shadows ahead.
...
Arlo and Link moved cautiously down the warped tracks of the tunnel. The farther they got from the wreck, the darker it became. Broken overhead lights hung like limp vines, flickering occasionally with dying voltage. The silence was unnerving, too quiet—even for a post-explosion wreck site.Link suddenly stopped in his tracks, ears high, tail stiff. He let out a short, sharp bark and looked back at Arlo.
"What is it?" Arlo whispered, immediately reaching for his threaded cane. Link didn't respond. Instead, he took off to the right, paws tapping against steel and gravel.
Arlo sprinted after him, boots skidding on broken tile. They zigzagged through the wreckage of what had once been a passenger car, its frame bent inward like an accordion. Link stopped at a pocket of collapsed beams and twisted metal. Lying there, barely visible under a broken sign, was Jill Valentine—impaled through the side by a jagged length of steel.
"Oh Shit," Arlo exhaled, his stomach dropping. "Jill… don't fucking die your the main character" Her face was pale, slick with sweat. The metal shard through her abdomen looked bad—deep, and dangerously close to vital organs. Blood had already soaked the fabric of her tactical vest. She was unconscious, breathing shallow.
Arlo didn't move recklessly. He activated his [Analysis], fingers hovering over his HUD like a surgeon prepping for trauma work. A soft hum resonated in his vision, and a translucent window opened before him.
[Analysis Skill Activated)
[Processing Jill Valentine data...]
[Analysis Complete]
[Jill Valentine ]
Status: Critical Condition
Wound Type: Penetrating abdominal injury (foreign metal object)
Vitals: Weak pulse, labored breathing, dropping rapidly
Recommendation: DO NOT remove shrapnel without first stabilizing with regenerative agent. Immediate extraction will cause massive blood loss leading to death within 45–60 seconds.
Suggested Procedure: Administer healing potion, then extract.
Arlo cursed under his breath. "Thank God for Analysis came in clutch."
Arlo didn't hesitate. He pulled Jill gently away from the wreckage and laid her flat on a more stable stretch of ground. Every second counted. "I need you to stay with me," he muttered, more to himself than her. He reached into his inventory and pulled out a Low Health Potion. The problem was obvious—she was unconscious.
For a brief second, Arlo hesitated. Then survival instincts kicked in. He popped the potion's cork, took the contents into his mouth, leaned down, and pressed his lips to Jill's. He forced the potion down, careful not to waste a drop.The moment the potion entered her throat, her body convulsed. Her back arched slightly. Blood frothed around the edge of the wound. Arlo braced her torso and yanked the shrapnel out in one swift motion.
The wound spasmed, then began to close—not entirely, but enough that the bleeding stopped. The potion's effect kicked in, knitting flesh, sealing blood vessels. Jill groaned faintly, her fingers twitching.
Arlo let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "You're too damn important to die here." Link sat beside Jill protectively.
Arlo reached over and patted his head. "Watch her. If anything moves, make noise."
Link nodded with a soft growl, crouching beside her like a sentry. Arlo stood and dusted his hands off.Now came the harder part—finding a way out. He moved down the far side of the tunnel and came upon a rusted metal hatch. The wheel on the door was jammed, covered in grime and dust. He planted both feet, gritted his teeth, and forced it to turn.With a screech and clank, it gave way. Arlo stepped through into what looked like a maintenance shelter—bare walls, busted lights, and old lockers. More importantly: space. A possible staging point or exit.
He took out his Pit Viper. No more surprises.Three zombies emerged from the west, crawling to their feet as if on cue. Arlo didn't wait. He fired three quick shots. Bang. Bang. Bang. Skull fractures. All down.
[EXP Gained: +300]
He moved to the northeast corner—two more zombies staggered toward him. He switched to his threaded cane in whip form and lashed the first across the neck, snapping vertebrae. The second lunged and got a bullet in the face.
[EXP Gained: +300]
Silence returned."Shelter secured," Arlo muttered, tapping his HUD. "Let's bring her in."
***
[Subway Tunnel: Dilapidated Shelter]
The Low growl of Link brought Arlo out of his sweep of the area. He turned, pit viper still aimed at shoulder height, as Link barked softly—short, sharp, but not in warning. Arlo followed his line of sight. Jill.
She was awake now.
Leaning groggily against the shelter's side wall, Jill's face was pale but no longer waxy. Her breathing had stabilized, and her eyes, though tired, were alert. Link stood beside her like a furry sentinel, his ears perked and tail swaying slowly.
Arlo sighed in relief, dropping down to one knee beside Link and ruffling the Pokémon's head. "Good job, buddy. You did great."
Jill's voice was scratchy but determined. "You saved me… didn't you?"
Arlo shrugged, trying not to make a big deal out of it. "Didn't really have a choice. You either die or I help in any way I can" But in Arlo's mind, You're kind of important to this world's future.
That earned the faintest of smiles from her, then a grimace. She clutched her side. "Damn… feels like I took a wrecking ball to the ribs."
"Yeah, about that," Arlo said, checking her pulse visually again. "You were unconscious. I had to improvise." He decide not to tell her what really happened.Jill blinked, then chuckled weakly. "Thank you for the help"
There was a beat of silence before she looked at him again, suddenly serious. "Kendo. His daughter. Are they…?"
Arlo cut in before the worst could take root. "They're fine. Or at least, they should be. Before I I was thrown by that monster, the passenger car ahead of us detached. They had enough time to escape."
Jill leaned back, exhaling deeply. "Thank god…"
Arlo stood, his posture easing as the moment of calm settled."Anyway, the radio's still jammed. But I think if we move to the upper passage I unlocked, you'll be able to reach Carlos."
She nodded, pulling herself up with a wince. "Good. We need to regroup. Carlos might have more intel on Bard's location."
"Then let's grab what we can before we bounce," Arlo said, scanning the shelter again. He popped open one of the old lockers and found a small cache of 9mm ammo. "Bingo. You still using your handgun?"
Jill walked toward him slowly. "Yeah. That and whatever else I can scavenge. We're way past picky."
Arlo tossed her the ammo. "Catch."
She caught it one-handed, smiled, then pulled out her radio. "Carlos, come in. Carlos?" All she got back was static.
Arlo gestured toward the stairwell leading to the higher corridor. "Signal might be better topside. Let's move. But stay sharp—this place may be 'secured,' but our undead residents might be more outside the shelter."
Jill grinned. "Welcome to Raccoon City."
...
Arlo moved quietly through the dim interior of the shelter, scanning every corner with methodical precision. The flickering emergency light overhead gave the space a rusty-red hue, like something out of a survival horror loading screen. It smelled like dust, oil, and old sweat — a place that had been used as a safe zone but never intended for long-term survival.
On the west side of the room, nestled beside a broken wooden chair, Arlo found it: a M3 shotgun, scratched and slightly scorched, but still in good condition. He knelt down, ran his hand along the barrel, and gave a half-smirk. "Well, you're not as fancy as the Benelli, but you'll do."
Right next to the oil barrels nearby, he spotted the unmistakable bulk of an MGL Grenade Launcher. "Now that's firepower," he muttered, lifting the launcher with both hands. The weight was familiar — heavy, purposeful. It had seen action, but the chamber was clean. No residue. Unused.
Jill was checking her gear near the entrance when Arlo approached and offered the launcher to her. She blinked at the weapon in surprise, then looked at him. "You sure? This thing's not exactly a standard issue gift."
"You'll make better use of it than I will," Arlo replied, shrugging.
"Besides, I've got a new friend." He lifted the M3 shotgun and gave it a pump. The satisfying click-clack echoed through the shelter.Jill hesitated, running a hand along the MGL's cold frame. "You think it'll be enough to slow that thing down?"
Arlo's expression darkened slightly. "It better be. That monster's got tunnel vision for you. You saw what it did to that train car. You're his objective. So yeah… carry the bigger stick."
Jill looked away briefly when he mentioned Nemesis, her jaw tightening for a second. "Right," she said quietly. "Then I'll make every shot count."
They scavenged the rest of the room in silence. On the northern wooden benches, Arlo found a box of mine rounds, their dull green casings catching the dim light. A few more were discovered tucked into the southeast corner of the shelter, stashed beneath a half-torn duffel bag.
Arlo handed them to Jill, who tucked them into the sling pouch across her hip."Rounds, launcher, sidearm," she muttered, mentally checking off her gear. "Feels like I'm ready for a massive fight."
"Good," Arlo said. "Because the way out of this rat maze is through exit tunnel."
Jill nodded, securing her gear. "Carlos will probably head there once he figures we're alive. If we can hold out long enough, maybe we can regroup." Arlo turned to Link, who had been sitting by the exit like a disciplined Rockruff. "Link, ready?" Link gave a sharp, determined bark. Tail stiff, stance locked. Always ready.
Arlo gave Jill a final glance. "Let's move. Stick close, check corners, and don't hesitate to use that launcher."
Jill smirked, just a little. "Don't worry. If that freak shows his face again, he's getting a rocket in the teeth."
With that, the three of them exited the shelter's steel doors and stepped into the Clock Tower Plaza.