When the convoy of Humvees reached Anchorage, the sun had already dipped below the horizon, and the streets were engulfed in darkness. Price's vehicle led the way, carving a path for the others. He deliberately avoided the city center to avoid drawing attention from the undead that had settled in the ruins. Instead, the convoy moved along the outskirts, where the chances of encountering a horde were lower.
The journey had taken nearly twelve hours. Despite their early departure, they had made only a couple of short stops — to stretch their legs and switch drivers. Alex understood that not only his companions were tired, but the entire group was exhausted, not to mention whatever surprises might be waiting for them at the base.
Leaning forward slightly, he peered into the darkness and spotted the outline of the military base wall ahead. Squinting, he made out the shapes of soldiers.
"Looks like we've been spotted," Alex said, pointing ahead.
"I'm still amazed at how you can see so far, even in the dark," Cammy muttered, straining her eyes but seeing nothing.
"Just tell us — are they enemies or allies?" Saya grunted, nudging Alex in the ribs.
"Judging by the look on the guy's face with the binoculars, he recognized Price. I think these are the allies he mentioned," Alex replied calmly, still watching.
"And what if they're enemies? What if they're cannibals? I don't want to be eaten! I taste awful!" Shizuka exclaimed with a frightened look.
"If they're cannibals, we'll just kill them. Do you really think Alex would let anyone eat you?" Revy snorted, rolling her eyes.
Alex gave Shizuka a blank, thoughtful look. He still couldn't understand how someone could fear cannibals in a world crawling with zombies, demons, and necromorphs. Compared to those creatures, a regular human who ate their own kind was almost harmless. Rika, on the other hand, laughed when she heard Shizuka's fears, clearly not taking them seriously.
The convoy began to slow down. The lead Humvee rolled up to the military base, and at that moment, spotlights flared on along the walls, illuminating the area in front of the massive iron gates. The gates slowly began to open. Price, behind the wheel, immediately spotted his old friend standing there with a wide grin. He smirked in return and gave the signal over the shared channel for the others to proceed.
Price's vehicle went in first, followed by the rest. Inside the base, the convoy moved toward the designated parking area. Alex and the girls leaned out the windows, glancing around in surprise — the military base was surprisingly well-organized.
"Not bad. Everything seems to be running smoothly. Though it looks like they're having issues with supplies," Chiquita noted, looking around.
"They didn't have Alex, who was thinking one step ahead from the start and gathering resources along the way," Chun-Li added with a wink.
"Oh, it's nice to hear that," Alex laughed. "But to be honest, most of the credit goes to Brunhilde, Yuriko, Saya, and Koko. I was just making the plans."
Alex's words made Saya blush. Though she usually liked to boast, "Of course, I'm a genius," praise from Alex stirred different emotions in her — nervousness, joy, and a quiet sense of pride. She had long realized she couldn't compare to him, and even competing with Brunhilde wasn't always possible.
The Valkyrie carried a vast amount of experience, and it was no coincidence she was considered the leader — the one who guided heroes in battle. Saya dreamed of surpassing her, but after learning about Brunhilde's multilayered plan to protect humanity and avenge her adopted son, she understood — she still had a long way to go.
Alex, looking at the flustered Saya, couldn't resist and pulled his pink-haired know-it-all into a hug. He liked how she was slowly letting go of her habit of constantly showing off her intellect, though from time to time he still heard her say the familiar, "Obviously, I'm a genius."
He remembered how Saya once dreamed of going to Hogwarts, and the thought of her meeting Hermione made him shudder. A combination of two know-it-alls like that could drive anyone insane.
As Saya found herself in his embrace, she narrowed her eyes — she could tell from the look on his face that Alex was clearly thinking something about her. Without a word, she tugged on his cheek. Alex felt his face being stretched but pretended nothing was happening.
The convoy slowly rolled up to an open area suitable for parking their vehicles. The arrival of Alex's group in military-grade transport immediately drew the attention of those at the base — many began whispering, wondering who had arrived, and whether it was finally the long-awaited backup sent to evacuate them to safety.
Alex glanced over the soldiers and civilians. His mind focused on a single thought: how to get these people out without putting them in danger. The usual way was too risky. The road to the nearest shelter could end in tragedy. As he had told the girls earlier, in the worst-case scenario, he would just open a portal. If the people truly wanted to leave this place — he would help them.
Price was the first to climb out of the Humvee. His eyes immediately fell on a familiar figure in military uniform — a man standing with a broad smile on his face.
"John, long time no see," he said as he stepped forward.
"You're right, Hannibal," Price replied with a grin. "I was starting to think you'd kicked the bucket. With everything going on in the world, I couldn't get in touch with you. Lucky for me, I knew where to look — turns out I was right."
Next, Alex stepped out of the vehicle. His gaze fell on another group of familiar faces… far too familiar. He was once again surprised, even though he was sure nothing could truly shock him anymore. Standing before him were characters from another time layer — the legendary A-Team.
Price's old friend turned out to be Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith. Standing beside him was the charming Lieutenant Templeton "Faceman" Peck, and not far off, the man with a crazy gleam in his eye and a permanently odd expression — Captain H.M. Murdock, known to all as Howling Mad. And finally, the most intimidating of them all — Sergeant Bosco Baracus, known to friends as B.A. Fierce, muscular, and always ready to throw fists — he was, as always, in top form.
"So how'd you end up here, John?" Hannibal asked, clapping Price on the shoulder. "Weren't you supposed to be dealing with things back home?"
"Long story," Price replied, lighting a cigar. "Short version — we were sent to extract a group of scientists from Hong Kong, but lost contact with command. Luckily, another team picked us up."
"Better tell us where you got that armor," Peck interjected, eyeing the gear worn by Price, Ghost, and Soap. "That's definitely not standard issue. Looks way too futuristic."
"Our leader made it. After we were picked up, we became part of a very unusual group. Led by a young guy… a very interesting one," Price said with a smirk, blowing out a puff of smoke.
"And who is this leader of yours?" Hannibal asked with a squint.
Price nodded toward Alex, who at that moment was coordinating his team, preparing them for some well-earned rest. Tomorrow would bring new objectives. The team was carefully unloading gear and supplies from the vehicles.
Hannibal looked at Alex with interest, though a hint of skepticism flashed in his eyes. The rest of the A-Team exchanged glances as well — their expressions said it all: "Too young."
However, Price's brief account of how Alex had managed to get his group halfway across the world made them reconsider. What impressed them most was that all their gear had been created by this guy.
Hannibal recognized two more familiar faces in the crowd — Chiquita and Lehm. A smile flickered across his face, but it was quickly interrupted by Murdock, who excitedly pointed toward the mech-wolf:
"Holy crap, they've got a robot wolf! That's awesome!"
"Don't touch it. Don't even try," Ghost said calmly without even turning around. "Unless you want to end up tied up, beaten, and hanging from a tree."
"And why's that?" Baracus asked, surprised.
"Because the ones riding that wolf don't like being touched," Soap chuckled. "They might look cute, but they're deadly as hell. Those four have slaughtered more than a few hundred undead and demons. Better keep your ass away if you want to keep it."
Soap and Ghost's words raised more questions than they answered. After wrapping up the organization of his team, Alex decided to go and meet those in charge of the military base. He chose Saya to accompany him — the other girls clearly weren't too thrilled about listening to dull logistics and supply discussions.
First, Alex planned to set up a proper resting area, and only then deal with the current situation on base. He and Saya made their way toward Price, Soap, Ghost, and the A-Team.
"Glad to see Price's old friend is alive and well," Alex said as he approached. "But judging by your faces, things aren't exactly smooth around here."
"So you're the Alex John was just talking about," Hannibal replied with a slight smirk and a nod. "For a young guy, you seem pretty capable. And yeah — you're right. We've got more than our fair share of problems."
"If you don't mind, we'll need a place to rest first. Then we can talk about your troubles. We came all the way from Unimak — it wasn't an easy trip," Alex replied, gesturing toward his team.
"Of course," Hannibal nodded. "Peck, take our new friends to the empty barracks — let them get some rest after the road."
As Peck walked off with Alex's group, Hannibal gestured for Alex, Saya, Price, Ghost, and Soap to follow him. Alex gently touched Saya's hand to catch her attention. She looked up, and he silently gestured around them, as if asking her opinion.
He had already noticed that the base was clearly struggling — most likely with supplies. Saya got the message: adjusting her glasses, she began surveying the surroundings, pulling a notebook from her pocket. As she analyzed what she saw, she began jotting down notes to determine what kind of help the locals might need.
Alex gave a satisfied nod as he saw how focused Saya was. Soon they reached the command building, and Hannibal invited them all inside. Alex sat down next to Saya, waiting for the others to take their seats.
"Before we get to specifics, I'd like to understand the current situation — on the base and in the city," Alex began, starting the conversation.
"What's there to say?" Baracus cut in with a heavy sigh. "The city's completely overrun by the undead. Step outside the perimeter, and they come swarming from all directions. Because of that, we've got supply shortages. We're almost done eating those damned World War II rations… Taste like crap, but better than an empty stomach."
Alex nodded — exactly what he had expected. Yet what surprised him most was that on the way to the base, their group hadn't encountered a single enemy. It looked… suspicious.
He thoughtfully stroked his chin, considering possible solutions. The simplest option would be to unload some supplies from his inventory to replenish the base's stores and avoid starvation. After that — clearing out the city and gathering anything useful.
Saya gently tapped him with her pen to get his attention. Alex looked at her, and she showed him her notebook. She had neatly written: "We need more information first. There may be demon nests in the city. Acting blindly is dangerous."
Alex nodded again — wise, as always.
"Well, Alex, do you already have a plan?" Ghost asked, drawing his attention.
"Sort of," he answered. "But first, I need to ask our new friends a few questions before we start taking action."
"Then ask away," Hannibal said, folding his arms across his chest. "If John trusts you and calls you the leader — I'm ready to trust you too. For now."
Alex nodded and pulled out his phone from his pocket, then activated a projection. Images appeared in the air before them: demon nests, the demons themselves, members of the Marker cult, the Red Marker itself, inscriptions in its language, and other alarming scenes. Alex wanted to check if any of the base's residents were followers of the Marker cult. If there were, they would need to be eliminated quietly to avoid extra trouble—especially considering the demon nests that had to be dealt with first.
Hannibal, Bosco, and Murdock stared at the images with obvious interest.
"Those… demon-like things. We've seen a couple in the city already. But what about the rest? What's that obelisk? And who are these people?" Hannibal asked, pointing to some of the photos.
"They're cultists," Soap interrupted. "They worship this Marker. A nasty and damn dangerous group. We've wiped out a few of their squads, but unfortunately, there are too many of them all over the world."
"A cult?.. John, don't tell me cults have popped up now too? And who or what is this Marker?" Hannibal frowned, looking at Price.
"I thought you already knew," Price sighed. "Apparently not. It's a long story, but briefly: it's another reason why our world is going to hell. The Marker turns people into necromorphs — creatures that look like they've been turned inside out. Disgusting and extremely resilient. Luckily, they only live near Markers. But there are over a hundred such obelisks worldwide. And even so, we've only managed to destroy a few."
"Is it really that serious?" Bosco muttered, raising an eyebrow.
"Let me explain briefly," Alex interrupted, preparing to start his story.
At that moment, Peck entered the headquarters.
"Hope I didn't miss anything?" he asked, looking around.
"Just in time. Sit down, Peck. They're about to tell you a bedtime story," Murdock smirked, patting the chair next to him.
"Get lost, Murdock. Your jokes suck as always," Peck grumbled, sitting down.
Alex waited until everyone settled down and looked at Hannibal, asking with his eyes if they were ready to listen. Receiving a nod, he began. The story was brief, without unnecessary details, but comprehensive enough. He told how long ago a meteorite carrying the Black Marker fell to Earth, and that was when the real nightmare began.
Team A listened attentively. Even in the shortened version, the story sounded dark and troubling. Hannibal shifted his gaze to Price, as if seeking confirmation. Price nodded: everything Alex said was true.
"That's the situation," Alex finished. "Now, to the point. Have you noticed anything among your people or the civilians that resembles these symbols? Maybe in the city?"
"Fortunately, no," Peck replied, leaning back in his chair. "If things are really as you describe, then these cultists are a living nightmare."
"One less problem," Alex nodded. "Now, about the demons. Guys, have you seen any nests in the city? Any traces?"
"Nothing like that so far," Hannibal answered, smirking slightly. "But if such nests really exist, judging by what we know, they're not something pleasant."
"Not seeing doesn't mean they're not there," Ghost intervened. "Alex, I think it's worth checking the city tomorrow."
"I agree, but first — the supply issue. People at the base shouldn't go hungry," Alex confirmed.
"And how do you plan to solve our food problem? Pull it out of thin air?" Murdock grinned, rocking in his chair.
"Bingo," Alex said without blinking and pulled a crate of supplies right out of thin air, placing it on the table.
The crate dropped with a muffled thud in front of everyone. Silence fell in the room — Team A members stared at it, shock on their faces.
"Alex, you and your tricks again? Now you're pulling food out of thin air? What's next?" Soap chuckled.
"Hey! Where's the admiration? This is, damn it, a spatial inventory! Compared to this, all the world's scientists are cavemen with sticks," Alex said with mock offense, raising an eyebrow.
"After everything you've already shown, it's not that surprising," Ghost calmly replied. "We've long realized your tech is beyond our time."
"You could at least react like these four. Look at their faces — it's like their brains short-circuited," Alex snorted, nodding toward the stunned Team A.
"Don't worry," Price chuckled. "They'll get used to it soon enough."
Alex just shook his head and looked back at Team A. He was already used to people not being surprised by his abilities. Those who had traveled with him for a long time stopped paying attention to such 'tricks' — usually just saying, 'Ah, well, that's normal.' He sighed, and at that moment, a portal opened beneath the crate of supplies, which smoothly vanished inside it. Only then did Team A finally come to their senses.
"Well, you really pulled that off, magic boy. I haven't seen tricks like that before," Hannibal was the first to speak, quickly recovering from his surprise.
"That's just a small thing," Alex waved it off. "Alright, where's your warehouse? I'll top it up a bit so nobody starves. Tomorrow, we'll deal with the city."
"No problem. Eating only army rations — even for us — is too much. Bosco, show the guy to the warehouse," Hannibal addressed his comrade.
Bosco nodded and motioned for Alex to follow him. Alex took Saya's hand, and the three of them headed toward the warehouse. As the trio left the room, Hannibal glanced at Price, who was sitting with a faint smirk on his face.
"Funny. John, you never said this guy was that capable," he said, curiosity evident in his voice.
"You don't even know half of it," Price replied calmly, lighting a cigar.
"For example?" Peck asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Have you ever seen an entire island get blasted to hell? Or one man turn an entire city to ruins? Well — Alex did that. Our group has plenty of strong fighters... but Alex is, damn it, a living anomaly," Soap answered, crossing his arms.
Hannibal raised his eyebrows skeptically, trying to process what he had just heard. Price noticed his friend's confusion and, deciding to clarify, began to recount Alex's story from the very beginning. They had enough time, and the conversation also brought back memories of the old days.
Meanwhile, Alex, Saya, and Bosco walked down the corridor toward the warehouse. Bosco occasionally glanced at Alex, clearly intending to ask a question, but Alex was busy talking with Saya. He was interested in her ideas and plans regarding the base.
Saya handed Alex her notebook so he could review her notes himself. It contained two proposed courses of action: the first — to evacuate people from the base to their settlement if they wanted to leave; the second — to use the military base as a foothold for advancing toward the USA, since the main goal was to reach Raccoon City, where the Evil Corporation's main headquarters was located.
Alex took a pen and made a few edits — more tweaks than changes. When finished, he showed the result to Saya, who nodded in agreement.
"There's the warehouse. I guess you'll show your crate tricks again," Bosco said, opening the doors.
Alex nodded and glanced around the warehouse. The next moment, he began "unloading" crates of supplies and useful provisions, filling the warehouse to the brim.
"Bosco, how are you on ammo? Same problem?" Alex asked without looking away from his work.
"It's pretty grim," Bosco sighed, shaking his head.
Alex silently nodded and, along with the food, started pulling crates of ammunition out of thin air. While unloading, one question piqued his interest:
"How did you guys end up so far from home?"
From Bosco's words, he learned that Team A had arrived here on a mission. But just as they were preparing for the operation, the zombie apocalypse began.
"Hannibal took command of the base. At first, we managed to hold on, but every day it got worse. Foraging missions became more dangerous. Some groups never came back, and as soon as we stepped outside the base perimeter, we were immediately attacked. After that, Hannibal ordered us not to leave the perimeter anymore," Bosco said with a heavy sigh.
"He did what was wise… but at the same time — naive. Not knowing who you're dealing with, the end will be the same," Saya said quietly, adjusting her glasses.
"What do you know, girl?" Bosco shot her a look.
"More than you think, thug," Saya retorted. "Haven't you heard the saying: 'He who controls information controls the war'? From day one, Alex has been gathering data from all over the world. He monitored the situation, ensured our safety, and trained people in defense. That's a lot more than just sitting at the base waiting for help. He gave people a chance."
She gave Bosco a cold look. He said nothing, only twisted his lips.
Alex sighed and gently stroked Saya's hair to calm her and prevent the argument from escalating. However, Bosco just waved his hand, not trying to argue — he understood there was truth in the girl's words. After saying goodbye to him, Alex and Saya headed to the barracks where the rest of their group was already staying.
When they arrived, Alex noticed a few guys smoking by the wall near the entrance. He nodded at them in greeting and entered inside with Saya. In the barracks, they started looking for the girls and soon found them in a separate room, away from the others.
No sooner had Alex stepped over the threshold than they bombarded him with questions about the situation at the military base. He had to briefly explain that Anchorage was holding on for now, the situation was relatively stable here, but they still needed to conduct reconnaissance to ensure safety. However, that could wait until tomorrow — for now, it was better to rest.
The girls agreed and started getting ready for bed. Before lying down, Alex contacted home to update the other girls on the current situation in Anchorage. He shared the details, wished them a good night, and then disconnected.
But no sooner had he put down the phone than he was immediately "caught" and pulled into bed — it was cuddle time, and there was no escaping it.
The next morning, Alex woke up first. The girls were still asleep, buried in their pillows. Carefully slipping out of the warm embrace, he took out his phone and saw it was only five in the morning. After the long journey yesterday, everyone was exhausted, so no one but him was planning to get up yet.
Stretching, Alex quietly stepped outside, breathed in the cool morning air, and with a wave of his hand, conjured a mug of hot coffee. Slowly walking along the base's wall, he picked a suitable spot, climbed up, and settled there, watching the city that was just beginning to wake. The morning sun was only just starting to paint the sky gold, and there was something peaceful about it.
"I see I'm not the only one who's been up since early morning," came a familiar voice from behind.
Alex turned around and saw Hannibal approaching him.
"Looks like it. I do like to sleep in, but it's hard to do that in an unfamiliar place. Want some coffee?" he asked, nodding toward the second mug that appeared beside him.
"Gladly," Hannibal replied, climbing up onto the wall to join him and taking the mug from Alex's hands.
Alex snapped his fingers as if pulling the coffee mug from his inventory and handed it to Hannibal. The latter accepted the drink silently, and both settled on the edge of the wall, watching Anchorage awaken. Alex glanced at his companion and once again noted how much he resembled Liam Neeson. There was something calm, confident, almost cinematic about him.
For a while, they sipped their coffee in silence, observing the city. Hannibal was apparently processing the information he'd received the day before. He had learned much more about Alex than he had expected, and now understood why his actions had made such an impression.
Suddenly, Alex caught a movement near the wall. Without hesitation, he threw a stone — it struck Imp squarely on the head with a dull thud. Imp had been trying to be stealthy, sneaking around the base's perimeter.
"What was that?" Hannibal squinted in that direction.
"A parasite. One of those small creatures. Didn't Price tell you about the demons yesterday?" Alex leaned back and took a sip of coffee.
"Briefly. He only mentioned they call you the 'false savior' and clearly hate you. But knowing John for so many years, I immediately figured he was holding something back. These things aren't just mutants. They're real demons, not zombies with mutations."
"Bingo. The details don't matter much. The important thing is they can be killed," Alex said calmly, spinning the mug on his finger.
"Can't argue with that. What's your group's plan for today?" Hannibal lit a cigar, and smoke slowly drifted into the morning sky.
"Nothing supernatural. First, we scout the city. We need to find out if there are demon nests. If there are, we'll destroy them. Then we'll act based on the situation: if there are survivors, we'll rescue them; if not, we'll clear the area of all the undead. The main goal is to turn this base into a staging point for further advance toward the USA. And then, an assault on the Evil Corporation."
"You think once the Evil Corporation falls, this will all be over?" Hannibal exhaled smoke without looking away from the horizon.
"For the most part, yes. Although there are still a couple of important steps to take…" Alex pulled out a cigarette and lit it.
"And what steps might those be, if it's not a secret?" Hannibal asked with interest, turning his head.
"That's my concern now. The main thing is to unite as many people as possible before the assault on Raccoon City. Everything else is on me. As usual," Alex said with a slight smirk.
"Hm... I wouldn't say it sounds like a perfect plan, but I think my guys won't mind," Hannibal said with a faint smile.
"By the way, I wanted to ask yesterday: how's your communication with other bases? Or is it completely dead?" Alex set the empty mug aside.
"We managed to get some connection going using old methods. Got information about the situation in other regions. In some places, it's really bad. And it seems someone named Chris Redfield has started organizing resistance."
"Oh, so Claire was right about her brother. Well, less work for me if someone else has taken up the cause," Alex nodded, smiling to himself.
"You know Chris Redfield?" Hannibal raised an eyebrow with interest.
"Not personally, but I know his sister very well. She came with us yesterday — along with three of Chris's former colleagues," Alex replied, flicking ash off his cigarette.
The conversation smoothly shifted to more peaceful topics. Hannibal didn't mind — a normal talk, without discussing the horrors unfolding around them, was almost a luxury for him. Meanwhile, Alex was already planning the next steps in his mind. If Chris really had taken on coordinating the resistance, it was worth passing that information to Claire and the others. And at the same time, finding a way to contact him and offer help with the assault on Raccoon City.
But all that was for later. Right now, Anchorage was the priority. And first, order had to be restored here.
To be continued...
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