Hey there. The Heisenberg survival route kicks off now. Heisenberg's downfall was simply underestimating Miranda, losing most of his Soldats to the Lycans and the Mold, and above all, lacking sufficient forces. So, what if he teamed up with that guy...?
This is an IF scenario from Chapter 30 - Devastator [Trial of Strength]. I hope you enjoy it.
It was a path that diverged with just a slight shift in the gears. For Karl Heisenberg, the options had always been defeat at Ethan's hands or death fighting alongside him against Miranda. This is one of the roads where he survives. The branching point comes after he'd resolved to join Ethan against Miranda—right when Ethan was knocked down by Heisenberg and reunited with Chris.
"You're not the one who killed Mia—I know that. Heisenberg told me."
"Heisenberg?"
"Yeah. We teamed up. To get Rose back."
Chris's face twisted from shock to fury as he closed in on Ethan.
"What the hell are you thinking, joining forces with that guy!? He's Miranda's lackey!"
"Then why didn't you explain things sooner!?"
['Damn right!']
"I figured you'd butt in if you knew! Involving civilians complicates everything! But teaming up with Heisenberg of all people...!"
"Heisenberg wants Miranda dead. That's why we joined forces. Since you wouldn't talk, I had no other options. To get Rose back, I'd ally with a villain if I had to! The enemy of my enemy is my friend!"
Outmaneuvered, Chris paused to think. In the original timeline, he'd have declared no alliance with Heisenberg. But here, swayed by Ethan's reasoning, he questioned him with a mix of doubt and acceptance.
"...By the way, what was that Molded-like form earlier, and the girl's voice?"
"Oh, that's Eveline. I've been keeping it secret, but ever since that incident, I've been haunted by her apparition."
"What?"
"It's not just a hallucination—she gave me the power to Mold my body. That's how I've survived this long."
"...Hard to believe, but I saw and heard it myself. Can you communicate with Eveline?"
"She says you need to ingest my cells. Basically, drinking my blood would work best."
"...I'll pass on that."
Chris pondered deeply. Ethan and Eveline tensed, fearing elimination—they knew they were Chris's enemies. But their worries were unfounded; Chris was acting as Ethan's friend.
"...Fine. If you're set on allying with Heisenberg, then Hound Wolf will back you up too. I heard Leon once teamed with a Ricker-controller to take down a Tyrant. Teaming temporarily with a B.O.W. to crush a greater evil isn't a bad move. Those Soldats in the factory might be key to beating Miranda. I was planning to blow it all up, but I'll hold off."
"Chris...! You sure?"
['With not just Heisenberg but Chris on our side, we're unstoppable!']
Ethan's voice rose in surprise, while Eveline clapped in delight. Chris continued with a wry smile.
"You're combining forces with Eveline, your former enemy, so there's no point in me being stubborn about it. ...Besides, I wouldn't abandon a friend just because they're a B.O.W."
"I owe you. Leave convincing Heisenberg to me. He won't like it, but I'll talk him into it."
['Ethan can handle it, and I've got his back! Oh, wait, he can't hear me.']
"I'll convince my team. Take this secure phone. Call me once you've persuaded Heisenberg. If he refuses, we might end up fighting each other."
"Got it...!"
Ethan nodded as he took the phone from Chris. Chris then glanced at the self-propelled gun he'd been tweaking—one equipped not just with a cannon but even a chainsaw. Eveline's eyes sparkled at the sight.
['Whoa, that's so cool!']
"What's this?"
"A polymer-based self-propelled gun, immune to magnetism. I was prepping it to take on Heisenberg myself, but... if we're allying with him, it'll come in handy. Take it."
"You're doing too much... I feel bad."
"You've got your own plans, so you might not need it, but more firepower never hurts. I'll link up with my squad before joining the fight. Don't die out there, okay?"
['I won't let him. I'll keep him safe.']
"Eveline says she won't let me die. ...And I have no intention of leaving Rose behind."
"Good. Use that elevator to get out. Good luck."
Chris pulled out his phone to contact his team, while Ethan boarded the self-propelled gun, operating it just as Chris had taught him before. He rode the elevator up with Eveline, heading back to the surface.
Ethan's Side
"Whoa, look at you—back already, and riding something nostalgic!"
Heisenberg, waiting by the elevator on the surface, let out an impressed whistle. Chris had mentioned it was Heisenberg's own creation.
['How dare you drop us underground like that, you bum!']
"Sorry, that was my bad—forgive me, Eveline. But yeah, that thing'll be useful for our alliance. It was scrap last I saw, though—how'd you fix it?"
"I ran into Chris underground."
"What?"
Heisenberg's face soured at the truth. This was the moment. To beat Miranda, I had to convince him.
"Tch, that gorilla bastard was lurking down there? I'll send the Soldats after—"
"Hold on. I talked to him... Heisenberg. What if we teamed up with Chris's squad to take down Miranda?"
['Chris is strong—teaming with him makes us unstoppable!']
"Don't joke. Getting shot in the back would ruin everything. Nah, it wouldn't kill me, but if it turns into a three-way mess and Miranda slips away? We can handle it ourselves—no need for his help."
"Are you sure we can?"
"What?"
Heisenberg had a point. Pulling in someone you're at odds with is different from allying with me. But the uncertainty was real.
"Miranda can mimic anything, right? Her powers are unknown variables. You don't have a full grasp on them either, do you?"
"...That's true."
['Even if we corner her, she'll flip it with some hidden ability. I know how that goes.']
"Better safe than sorry. Chris is a B.O.W. expert. He'll shine against Miranda."
"But he botched killing her once. You expect me to trust my back to that?"
"Botching it means he won't underestimate her next time, right? This gun was prepped to take you down—he knows you inside out."
"That's fair, but..."
Heisenberg looked torn. He got the mutual benefits. Weighing risks versus rewards, probably.
"What happens after we borrow Chris's power and beat Miranda? Won't I get captured?"
['Yeah, that's likely.']
"No, you... haven't killed anyone, right? I heard the Soldats use corpses. There should be room for leniency. ...If it comes to it, I'll help you escape. You want freedom, don't you?"
"Yeah, I'm done serving anyone. But if you're offering to aid my getaway... I might consider it. I trust you."
Heisenberg smirked cynically. Eveline and I exchanged glances before facing him again.
"Then...!"
"Fine, I'm in. I'll team with that gorilla bastard until we crush that damn Miranda. You got his contact? Tell him—if he tries anything, I'll smash him and his crew first."
['That's the spirit!']
"Yeah. I'll pass it on."
And just like that, the alliance was set: me and Eveline, Heisenberg and his Soldat legion, Chris and Hound Wolf. Miranda, brace yourself. We're coming with the ultimate force imaginable.
Revealing Eveline's presence lightly unlocks this route. The precedent of Leon allying with a Licker-controller enables this joint front.
An alliance unseen in the original or this story: Ethan & Eveline with Heisenberg & Soldat legion, plus Chris & Hound Wolf. And for good measure, the polymer self-propelled gun that didn't appear in this tale gets added. The "Miranda Must Fall" coalition is complete.
Hope you'll look forward to the next one. I'd appreciate ratings, comments, typo reports, etc. The more feedback, the faster I write!
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