Noah scanned the crowd, searching for any familiar faces from Resident Evil he could trust. Suddenly, a group of people in white lab coats, each with a red-and-white Umbrella badge on their chest, hurried past him.
Leading the pack was a man with ash-blond hair and glasses.
His posture was rigid, despite his thin frame. He moved with purpose, as if weighed down by some invisible burden.
His eyes had that sharp, analytical intensity typical of researchers—the kind of look that belonged to someone always calculating and obsessing over every detail.
Following him was a woman, around thirty-five, who still looked incredible. Her hair was swept to one side, and she carried herself with a cold, intellectual confidence that highlighted her impressive figure.
She moved less like a scientist and more like a runway model, drawing attention from everyone nearby.
As Noah watched the group make their way straight to the hostess, Katherine Warren, he immediately guessed who they were.
The man in the lead had to be William Birkin. And the woman behind him was his wife, Annette Birkin.
Noah sighed inwardly. He hadn't expected two of the most important characters in the franchise to show up so casually.
One of them was the architect behind the Raccoon City disaster. If the U.S.S. team hadn't tried to steal his research, the T-Virus never would have leaked, and the city wouldn't have become a graveyard.
Thankfully, William didn't show any signs of mutation—yet. If he had, Noah wouldn't be standing here analyzing the situation; he'd already be running for his life.
While Noah was lost watching the people in lab coats pass by, he didn't notice Emma walk up beside him.
"Why are you staring at them like that?"
Emma's question snapped Noah out of his thoughts.
"What do you mean? How was I looking at them?"
Noah asked, genuinely confused.
"Hmm. Kind of like how you look at people sometimes, but this time it seemed more complicated. Maybe you looked a little scared? Or like you wanted to stay far away from them?"
Emma struggled to put her feelings into words.
Still, for a ten-year-old to notice so much from just a quick look was impressive.
And she was absolutely right.
Noah wasn't just scared; he was confused, too. Why was William even here?
Logically, William should have been in the lab, micromanaging his research and keeping any leaks under control.
Instead, he was here, right in front of Noah—a guy with zero combat skills whose only plan for surviving zombies was to run.
It gave Noah a headache.
Even if Umbrella was sponsoring the banquet, it still made no sense for William to be showing his face in public like this.
These people in lab coats were Umbrella's most valuable assets, carrying the company's darkest secrets in their heads.
If they told even a small part of what they knew, the consequences would be very bad.
He couldn't understand why such important people would risk appearing in a crowd like this.
"Yeah, I don't really know why I'm scared either. Maybe it's just because they walk so aggressively!"
Noah joked to lighten the mood, but then he crouched down and looked Emma in the eye, his expression turning serious.
"We're here to relax, so don't worry about me. But I need you to promise me something: if your dad or I aren't with you, never go near those people in lab coats."
"Why?"
Emma looked confused. She recognized the uniforms. To locals, these people were the city's elite—they funded its construction and even paid for this party.
So why was Noah telling her to stay away?
"Because..."
Noah hesitated. Telling her the truth would only terrify her—and she probably wouldn't believe him anyway.
"Because those people are scientists. They're always busy—they spend all their time working on important things. If we bother them, we might interrupt something big."
Noah forced a smile as he said it.
Inside, though, he was cursing himself.
For humanity? Yeah, right. None of them were good people. They were all sinners, every last one.
Emma nodded, as if she understood.
"Okay, I'll listen! Now come with me to the playground!"
"Where's Boss Kendo?"
Noah realized Kendo had already wandered off.
Of course. Kendo had only gotten Noah a ticket so he could use him as a babysitter while he went to have fun.
Emma pointed with her small finger.
Noah followed her gaze. Sure enough, Kendo was downing a cocktail in one gulp and immediately grabbing another.
He was drinking and chatting animatedly with a burly man standing next to him.
Noah could tell—Kendo planned to party hard today.
Noah was about to mentally roast his boss when he suddenly recognized the burly man beside him.
Bearded. Built like a tank. All muscle, but a bit leaner than Kendo.
Noah was so excited, he could barely speak.
It was Barry Burton.
It seemed Barry was at the banquet as an undercover bodyguard, ready to handle emergencies and protect the VIPs.
This was huge news for Noah.
If Barry had worn plain clothes, Noah might not have recognized him right away.
But Barry—with that build, that beard, and that haircut—was unmistakable.
Perfect. The first potential savior had appeared.
If anything went wrong, Noah's first move would be to sprint to Barry and stick to him like glue.
Wherever Barry ran, Noah would follow.
It was the only strategy he trusted.
When Emma saw Noah's eyes glaze over again, she tugged at his hand.
"Come on! Take me to the playground already!"
Who could resist a little girl's pleading?
Noah stood up, took Emma's hand, and started walking toward the edge of the banquet.
As they walked, Noah kept his eyes on Barry for a few extra seconds.
He needed to memorize Barry's outfit and location.
Just in case everything went wrong and he had to find him fast.
"Watch where you're going, little one."
Even though Noah was holding her hand, Emma skipped around and accidentally bumped into a woman nearby.
The woman had short red hair and sharp, alert eyes.
In the second she spoke to Emma, Noah noticed her size up his position and scan the perimeter like a trained guard dog.
"I'm sorry, ma'am! I'll be careful."
Emma lowered her head apologetically.
The woman smiled at Emma, signaling it was fine, then stepped around them and walked briskly toward the center of the banquet with a stride that screamed "military."
Noah watched her walk away, sensing a distinct soldierly vibe.
He couldn't quite place it, but she was disciplined, serious, and moved with purpose.
Maybe she was a well-trained mercenary. Who knew?
It definitely wasn't Rebecca.
It wasn't Ada.
So which female character was left...?
Who could it be?
Noah stopped guessing and followed Emma to the playground at the edge of the banquet.
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