Niko headed quickly toward the elevators and the MRI building on the fifth underground floor, his heart pounding with anticipation and dread. Several minutes later, he arrived at the halls of the research hub. They were completely empty, casting a dark and unnatural atmosphere over the space.

“Klara? You there?” Niko whispered into the microphone.

“Yep, still here. I have to keep your voice channel open separately; otherwise, I will not get a good signal. The MRI is disturbing it, and it’s too far underground. The deeper you go, the more it might get disrupted.”

“Makes sense,” he muttered, nodding as if to reassure himself. As he walked, he soon reached the glass doors of the laboratory facilities, which led into a series of offices—one of them his former workstation. “Open, Sesame,” he said, pushing the heavy door aside. It slammed shut behind him.

“You’re welcome,” Klara said. “Also, I’m keeping an eye out for both of you while trying to keep the hacking undetected. Not so easy, you know?”

“I appreciate it is not. How are the hallways? I don’t see a bloody soul out here.”

“I don’t see anyone, either. But some of the security cameras are not functional.” Her voice crackled, the connection getting worse with every step. “Which is… weird for the world’s… largest company, no?”

“I guess once we moved NAPPA to Singapore, only a few people were left here, so nobody really cared. Still a bit weird, though. Wait…” Then he saw it—the familiar room where he had spent countless hours, his former lab. He leaned toward the closed door when he heard screams from the other side.

“Klara? Do you hear this? What the hell is going on in there?”

“The connection is shit, but… let me check.” He heard typing on her keyboard. “The camera inside isn’t working, either. But Niko… I strongly advise you not go inside,” she urged him.

“But what if someone is in trouble? What if it’s someone who could help us? I will just take a look. I have protection, after all.” He cocked his gun, pulling it close to himself.

“Niko, I… wouldn’t… Shit, I… Watch out! There are …”

“Klara, do you copy? What’s going on?” Niko whispered urgently.

Suddenly, he froze, his heart skipping a beat.

He turned around slowly, his eyes narrowing, as he spotted two shadows nearing the entrance to the research section that he had previously entered. He could hear their voices and their footsteps echoing, growing louder.

Shit! Niko thought. They’re coming this way. Without hesitation, he opened the door to his lab and jumped into the blackness inside.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, a grotesque scene unfolded before him. He saw an array of cages containing animals, apparently subjected to NAPPA’s twisted experiments. Monkeys, lions, insects, rats, and even different types of birds—each with glinting, unnatural eyes—prowled restlessly.

Harsh fluorescent lights illuminated their monstrous hybrid forms, highlighting the unnatural alterations that had been forced upon them—a lion with serpentine tails, monkeys with elongated limbs and claws, and birds with unnaturally sharp beaks and talons. Each animal bore grotesque augmentations and wore a metallic muzzle strapped tightly to its head. The sight was horrifying, leaving Niko momentarily breathless as he stared at the abominations before him. How could anyone be so cruel?

The animals seemed to sense his presence, their agitated movements sending chills down his spine. As he approached, they began to scream, roar, and screech louder, rattling the metal bars of their cages. The cacophony was deafening, echoing off the sterile walls of the lab.

“Shit, shit, shit,” Niko muttered under his breath, realizing the noise would undoubtedly attract attention.

He quickly holstered his gun and scanned the room for a hiding place.

Spotting the entrance leading to his former office, he rushed quickly and barricaded himself inside. His heart pounded in his chest as he waited, hoping he wouldn’t be discovered. “Fuck me, I shouldn’t have looked,” Niko muttered.

At that moment, he saw two research assistants in white lab coats coming through the lab door. They were talking animatedly, unaware of Niko’s presence.

“I’m seriously tired of Amanda having us working these insane hours. We’re always on bloody call. James do this, James do that…” the tall, skinny guy grumbled, rubbing his tired eyes. “We’ve been at it since dawn.”

The other assistant, a petite young woman with a determined expression, nodded. “Yeah, but think about it. If we can perfect these hybrids, we’ll make history. Do I need to remind you how huge this is?”

James sighed, dropping his bag on the floor and stretched. “I get it, Maria, but I’m seriously running on fumes. Even my NanoChip needs a break, you know?”

Maria shrugged, starting to unpack their equipment. “We all do. But NAPPA is counting on us. And remember, she mentioned Singapore if we pull this off.”

James let out a weary chuckle. “Alright, alright. Let’s get to work, you robot.”

“You grab the syringes; I will get the serums,” Maria commanded.

Niko’s mind raced as he listened. He couldn’t afford to wait any longer. He had to act before they could fully settle in and notice anything amiss.

He took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he needed to do. Then, with his gun drawn, Niko stepped out from his hiding spot. “Freeze!” he commanded, his voice firm.

The two researchers spun around, eyes wide with shock. Maria instinctively looked at the alarm button on the side of the room where James was standing, but Niko aimed his gun at her, stopping her in her tracks.

“Don’t move,” Niko warned, darting his gaze between them. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I will if I have to. Just stay where you are.”

James and Maria exchanged nervous glances but didn’t back down.

“What are you doing here?” Maria barked, stepping forward. She looked like a wild animal, ready to attack.

“Whoever you are, you’re not getting away with this,” James said defiantly. “We won’t let you ruin everything we’ve worked for.”

Niko kept his gun on them, as he suddenly felt years of frustration and anger boiling over. “What you worked for? What the fuck have you worked for? This is my fucking company! Have you become the fucking Umbrella Corporation or what? What is this madness?” Niko motioned at the animals, their noises growing louder.

“Advanced prosthetics or enhanced physical capabilities,” Maria replied calmly. “At some point, human soldiers are not going to be durable enough, even with NanoChipM.”

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“Maria, why do you …?”’

“Shut up, James! Don’t you see who we have here? We have a celebrity in the building. This is one of NAPPA’s founders.”

“Holy shit, you’re right. This is Professor Tesic himself. Should I get out the champagne?”

Niko had had enough. “Just let me pass, and I’ll let you live.”

He noticed James’s gaze nervously shift to the side, where the control desk with an emergency button was located.

“Stay back!” he yelled, but James ignored him and lunged toward the desk.

Then, everything happened very fast. Without thinking, Niko fired his gun. The bullet hit James in the chest, causing him to collapse with a cry of pain. Maria screamed and tried to grab some syringes from the table.

Suddenly, Niko could see clearly what he needed to do. He noticed a fire extinguisher mounted on the wall, just behind the bench. He aimed and fired, the bullet piercing the extinguisher and causing it to explode with a deafening bang. The room filled with a thick cloud of white powder, obscuring everything in sight.

Using the distraction, Niko sprinted toward the door, desperate to escape. But before he could reach it, he heard the alarm blare, its shrill sound echoing through the SPA facility.

He turned around and saw Maria, her left arm and leg hit by shrapnel from the explosion. Blood seeped through her fingers, her face contorted in pain, but despite her injury, she had managed to hit the alarm button. “You fucking bastard,” she screamed at him through the wailing sirens.

“Shit!” Niko cursed. He had to run.

As he reached the door, he saw her limp toward the cages, her hand hovering over a large red button. “No!” he shouted, but it was too late.

She pressed the button, and the cages began to open, releasing the animal hybrids.

The monstrous creatures, their eyes glowing with unnatural intensity, emerged from their enclosures, their movements fluid and predatory. The lion with serpentine tails and armor-like scales hissed menacingly. Five monkeys screeched wildly. Two owls flew out, cawing, their wings augmented with metallic feathers and talons that glinted ominously in the light. Rats with scaly skin and large fangs darted around the room.

“Kill him!” Maria commanded, her voice filled with malice.

Niko’s heart raced as the hybrids turned their attention to him. He fired at the closest one—a monkey with razor-sharp claws—but it dodged nimbly and lunged at him. He swung his gun, hitting it on the side and sending it sprawling, but more creatures closed in.

He ran toward the door, but the lion hybrid blocked his path, its serpentine tail whipping toward him. Niko ducked just in time, the tail smashing into the wall behind him. He rolled to the side and out into the hallway, firing blindly as he moved, trying to keep the creatures at bay.

“Come on, Niko—think!” he muttered to himself, desperately looking for a way out, when an idea struck him.

Abandoning his attempts to fight, he holstered his gun and sprinted toward the door leading to the MRI building, the grunts and caws of the hybrids echoing ominously behind him.

He burst through the door and found two researchers in lab coats sitting at the control panels of the MRI device. Without stopping, Niko sprinted past them, almost tripping in his haste. With his last bullets, he shot at the window to the MRI room, shattering the glass. He leaped through the broken window, adrenaline pumping through his veins.

Before the researchers could react, two monstrous monkeys pounced on them, tearing them apart in a frenzy of screeches and blood. Niko didn’t look back.

He pushed through his fear and exhaustion, heading straight for the 21 Tesla MRI device in the center of the vast, factory-like building.

The animals, hot on his heels, followed him through the broken window and into the MRI room. Niko tripped and fell hard onto the floor. As he turned around, he saw the creatures rushing toward him, reminiscent of a relentless horde of Rakshasas, hunger in their eyes.

Just as they collectively lunged at him, the powerful magnetic field of the 21 Tesla MRI drew in their metal-enhanced parts. The creatures were violently yanked toward the machine, their metal muzzles and augmentations ripped from their bodies, killing them instantly. The headless bodies of the hybrids twitched and convulsed on the floor, blood pooling around them.

Niko lay there for a moment, panting heavily, the horror of the scene burning into his mind. Then he forced himself to get up, the metallic taste of blood still in his mouth, causing him to puke on the floor. Brushing off the bodies and the debris from himself, he made his way to the MRI control room.

After barricading the door, he turned on the computer, the screen flashing up brightly. Then he put in the USB drive with Kuryakov’s modification software, and the screen flashed again—the program had opened.

“Come on, come on,” Niko whispered as he heard banging on the door. “Great, how many more of them are there?” His fingers flew over the keyboard, each keystroke echoing in the tense silence. The screen displayed a progress bar, each passing second feeling like an eternity.

10%

The alarm system still blared outside with flashes of red light. Gunfire and shouts echoed down the corridor. The guards were up front.

20%

The banging became louder.

“Damn it! Can the door hold this?”

30%

“No, the door will not hold.” It was already moving in its frame. “Time for plan B.” Niko took out his gun.

“That’s just my luck—only one bullet left. Time for plan C.” He holstered his gun back in his waistband.

50%

“Shit, I don’t have a Plan C. Why don’t I have a plan C?”

The door was already beginning to splinter under the relentless pounding of the guards.

60%

Niko grabbed a crowbar from the emergency toolkit mounted on the wall. At that moment, the door gave a final, ominous creak. Sweat dripped down Niko’s forehead as he positioned himself behind a support column, crowbar in one hand and gun in the other.

70%

With a deafening crash, the door burst open, and three heavily armed guards stormed in, scanning the room.

“Check the room. I will turn off the MRI,” one of them shouted.

Niko held his breath, waiting for the right moment. As one guard turned his back to check the other side of the room, Niko lunged forward, striking the nearest one in the head with the crowbar. The guard crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

The second guard, a lean man with a shaved head, whirled around, raising his weapon. Niko swung the crowbar at the guard’s gun, knocking it out of his hands. They grappled, trying to regain control. Niko kicked the man’s knee, sending him crashing to the floor. Before he could get up, Niko swung the crowbar again, hitting him hard in the ribs.

The third guard, a huge, burly figure, realizing what was happening, turned around and fired his weapon. Niko dove back, instinctively pulling the lean attacker with him through the window and back into the MRI compound. The bullets intended for Niko struck the guard in the back. They both tumbled through the window, landing hard on the floor.

Niko quickly pushed the limp body away and scrambled to his feet, running deeper into the room. The third guard followed, his eyes trained on Niko.

80%

As he got closer, Niko felt the intense pull of the MRI on the crowbar he held. The plump assailant aimed and shot again, but the bullets were deflected by the magnetic field, missing their target. Frustrated, he discarded his gun, drew two batons, and slowly closed in on Niko.

Niko noticed the man’s calm demeanor despite the extreme magnetic pull. Panic flared in his mind. Shit, this guy doesn’t have a NanoChip? Well, there goes that plan. His thoughts raced, desperately seeking a solution. Then, a realization. The batons must be non-metallic! This could be his advantage.

90%

Niko circled to the side and slowly moved toward the exit, trying to reposition himself, allowing the guard to come slowly between him and the MRI. Both men were tense, panting heavily and unwilling to make the first move.

As they aligned, Niko felt the magnetic pull on the crowbar growing stronger; he could barely hold on. The time was now.

“They say knowledge is power,” Niko said with a smirk. “How about a crash course in physics?”

95%

The guard advanced, batons ready to strike. Niko, feeling the magnetic field tugging harder, let go of the crowbar. The metal object shot toward the MRI like a missile, stabbing the guard through his torso. The guard’s eyes widened in shock before he collapsed, spitting blood.

99%

“Holy shit, that worked!” Niko turned around and sprinted back toward the control room. He felt a slight shame over his lame last words to the guard, but also a weird sense of pride.

“Meh, nobody will know, anyway.”

100%

The screen flashed, indicating the upload was complete. Niko jumped toward it and pressed the final command.

A deafening hum filled the room as the MRI, as planned, started emitting a powerful magnetic field.

Two guards sprinting down the hallway toward the control room suddenly collapsed, clutching their heads in agony.

They did it! The NanoChip control was broken, at least in here.

Niko slumped against the wall, panting. The immediate danger was over, but he knew this was not the end—he still had to find Priya and get out of this hellhole.

Niko limped back through the eerie hallways, stepping over the lifeless bodies of guards and animals. As he neared his old office, he heard whimpering from inside.

Maria, the lab assistant, was cowering on the floor, her body trembling. “Why? Why…?” she sobbed, her face hidden behind bloodied hands. She looked up briefly as Niko entered, her eyes widening in recognition before she resumed her desperate wailing.

Niko regarded her with pity and disgust. He slowly pulled the gun from his waistband, feeling the metal cold and heavy in his grip. He placed it beside her, the one bullet still in the chamber.

Maria stared at the gun, her sobs growing quieter. Without a word, Niko turned and walked away.

Forgiveness was not something he was in the mood for.