Chapter Text
1.
“What did I do? What am I going to do?!”
Rick was about to vomit… that’s what he was going to do.
He wished it was just that greasy burger he’d been eating that was turning his stomach, but the real reason was so much worse.
He’d hit her.
He’d hit some woman out here in bumfuck nowhere with his semi and he was about to throw up.
I can just keep going… no one has to know…
Rick shook his head.
No. No, I can't do that. She’s someone’s family. Someone’s friend! Oh god, why did I take my eyes off the road?!
He clasped his hands over his face in shame and despair, damning that radio station for cutting out and distracting him.
And damning himself for being so careless.
Gotta call someone… He thought as he turned back to his semi. Have to get on my radio and get some-
There was a piece of scalp stuck to the grille.
The shock of seeing that clump of wet hair was only trumped by the shock of hands grabbing him from behind.
Rick let out a scream as the rain beat down and his truck idled nearby, the woman’s bloody hair dangling in the rain.
2.
In the darkness, a beacon of light caught his eye.
A Mizoil gas station, the first one he’d seen in a while. Leon hadn’t planned properly and was running dangerously low on fuel and the gas station seemed to call to him from a dark empty void.
But something felt off… and as he neared, the sense of unease only grew.
Should I chance it? He thought as he took another look at his fuel gauge. Maybe I have enough to get to town…
The line hovering near the “E” told him otherwise.
Nah, better stop here. Not too familiar with Raccoon City. With my luck, I’ll run out of gas on a busy street while trying to find another gas station. Be a pretty embarrassing first day… He thought as he pulled his Jeep into the Mizoil station and parked at the nearest pump.
And a late first day at that. Why did they tell me not to come? Was it some dumb prank I fell for?
He sighed as he looked into the darkness ahead of him, barely making out his destination in the stormy night.
Hope I’m not actually late. Maybe some mix up with the paperwork? But why has it been so hard getting a hold of anyone?
As he turned off the ignition he heard a little jingle from his keychain. A gift from his now ex-girlfriend, it depicted a man fishing up a walleye with several trees behind him and VERMONT emblazoned at the top.
Letting out another small sigh, he absently tossed his keys into his jacket pocket as he got out.
They’d only been together for seven months and Heather had seemed supportive of him becoming a cop. Even if it meant he had to move and they would have a long distance relationship for a while.
But then he let slip that his parents were well off and had high paying jobs as a dentist and a lawyer back in New York. Apparently, she had assumed he had a much more modest background, somehow making it more ‘acceptable’ for him to be ‘just a cop’.
When she found out otherwise, she’d been baffled he’d taken such a ‘lowly’ job when he had the opportunity for something ‘greater’. Leon took great offense to this as he’d already heard enough of it from his own parents. To hear it from her as well had really stung.
God forbid he finally follow his own path.
So they argued and said stuff that couldn’t be taken back and she had left. And honestly, things hadn’t been ok between them for at least three months, the Vermont trip being an effort on his part to repair things. It ended up being merely a bandaid for an already doomed relationship.
He knew that now.
Didn’t mean it hadn’t sucked to go through it, though.
Oh well, gonna start a new life in Raccoon City. Probably for the best-
Wait…
“No one’s around?” Leon whispered, suddenly aware of how off his surroundings felt as he began to fill his gas tank. There was a County Sheriff vehicle parked haphazardly near the front of the convenience store, its door ajar and keys still in the ignition. The headlights of the cop car illuminated a hamburger advertisement as it flapped quietly in the rainy night, the scent of roadkill hanging heavily in the air.
“That’s strange…”
A loud noise coming from deep inside the dark store gave him a jump.
What the hell?
He put the nozzle for the gas pump back and began to make his way to the front door to investigate.
Maybe the power is out and they accidentally knocked over some display. He pondered as he looked around. Wait, no. The lights are working out here. Well, maybe? Their fuse box might be acting up or…
There were bloody footprints on the ground.
A cold feeling crept through Leon as he shifted his gaze back to the cop car before settling on the foreboding entrance to the pitch black store. He quietly backed up and opened his passenger side door, only looking away from the gas station to open his glove box and retrieve his gun “Matilda”.
He’d gotten her several months ago and swore he was a better shot with her than any other gun. That didn’t seem to be the case with anyone else though. Leon figured she was just picky.
Matilda in hand, he made his way forward.
The rain and his own footsteps were all he heard as he drew closer and closer to the front door. He was sure he was alone but it felt like a thousand eyes were on him…
All watching him make what could be the biggest mistake of his life.
‘Stay away Kennedy, just stay away’. His mind flashed to the phone call he’d gotten a week ago as dread began to seep in. Even as his fear began to rise, he pushed forward. If someone needed his help then he needed to get in there and do what he could.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open. He was met with a mostly dark room, a flashlight on the ground the only source of light.
“Hello? Anybody there?” he asked, quieter than intended. There was a soft sound in the darkness that he couldn’t quite make out.
Reaching down, he picked up the discarded flashlight to get a better look around. The place was in disarray, various snacks littering the floor and no clerk at their post.
And there were more bloody footprints.
“Somethings not right,” he whispered to himself as he took several steps inside.
Yes, very astute Officer Kennedy. Why, keep this up and you’ll make detective in no time…
He shook away his thoughts and turned left at the last aisle, noting a door to his right. The beam from the flashlight lit up the back way and revealed a man sitting on the ground, hand on his throat and blue shirt covered in blood.
Oh no.
Leon rushed forward and knelt next to the man, unsure of what to say or do.
“You alright?” Was all Leon could muster to ask.
The man, who looked to be the clerk, pointed to the door next to them. Dim light flooded through the doorway and Leon could see droplets of blood leading in.
Whoever did this must be in there. Gotta take care of that quickly then get back here and help this man.
“Don’t move… I’ll be back”, he said as he stood, readying Matilda. The clerk weakly nodded, his labored breathing deeply worried Leon.
Stay safe, I’ll hurry. He thought as he stepped cautiously through the doorway.
The back room was long and led to the right, bottles and crates strewn about on the floor. At the end was a door that sat open, what lay beyond it was shrouded in darkness.
As Leon took a step toward the open door, he heard a muffled commotion coming from inside.
Sounds of a struggle.
He sped up, preparing himself for whatever lay ahead.
Ok, you can do this. He thought as he jogged forward, his footsteps partially drowning out the sounds from inside the room.
Might be a guy with a knife… Do what you have to. He thought while swallowing hard. You got this, Kennedy.
“Stop moving!” grunted a male voice as Leon pushed the door aside, entering the room.
He was able to make out a fellow officer with a tan County Sheriff uniform pinning a man with black hair against a wall. They were in a storage area, shelves of food and products obscured the rest of the room.
“Officer, you need help?” Leon asked as the cop struggled with the suspect.
“Stay back sir, I’ve got this!” the officer shouted as he turned his attention to Leon. No sooner had those words left his mouth, the man’s assailant knocked him off his balance and grabbed him.
The officer let out a surprised shout as the other man pushed him to the ground and fell on top of him. Leon’s heart jumped into his throat as he felt frozen in place.
Oh fuck! Gotta shoot- no, too close together- Leon thought desperately as he tried to aim his gun. Why the fuck did I distract him?!
The deranged man buried his face down to the officer's neck and Leon could hear a terrible ripping sound as the officer screamed in pain.
“Get off him, right now!” Leon shouted, his mind unable to comprehend what was happening.
What… what do I do?!
The black haired man snapped his neck to the side revealing a trail of blood and gore being pulled from the flailing officer’s neck.
Leon’s eyes widened as the officer begged for help, his voice gurgling with blood.
…oh my god-
“Help… me…” the officer whispered one last time before his body settled to the floor and went limp.
Matilda shook in Leon’s hands, his limbs feeling a mile away. In a trembling voice, he barely managed to whisper, “What the fuck?”
As the words fell from his mouth, the crazed man turned to him. Leon gasped as a destroyed face looked up at him, blood and gore hanging from his mouth.
What…?
The man’s skin was pallid and torn, eyes empty and white, an inhuman wail rising from deep inside his gore drenched throat as bits of flesh fell from its open mouth.
Leon’s breathing hastened and he took a step back, dawning horror worming its way through his brain.
I’m looking at a dead man… His grip tightened on Matilda. Two dead men…
The thing before him pushed itself off the officer and began to stand.
No… I fell asleep on the road. This is a nightmare.
“Freeze, I’ll shoot!” Leon shouted, his voice shaking.
No… no I am looking at a normal human. He’s on drugs-
The creature fully stood up, the details of its horrid face illuminated by the flashlight.
-Really fucking bad drugs. He can’t be anything else! He can’t be a-
The man lurched forward, rotting hands held out, soulless eyes locked on Leon.
A shot rang out and the creature stumbled back as the bullet struck its left shoulder, faltering for a moment as its left arm went slack. Any pain it must have felt was ignored and any humanity it had before was long gone.
With hardly any hesitation, it reached out with its working arm and took another unsteady step toward him.
-zombie.
Finally accepting what he was seeing, Leon squeezed the trigger two more times. The first shot going wide and hitting a wall and the second hitting the creature in the chin, collapsing its jaw inward. Most of the jaw fell away leaving only a piece on the right side and its tongue hanging limp in front of its throat.
Fear rose in Leon as the creature closed in, his hands increasingly unsteady.
Fuck fuck fu-
He pulled the trigger again and the bullet struck the rotting creature in the tongue and through its throat. With a gurgled moan, it stumbled backwards and collapsed with a wet thud on top of the slain officer.
For a moment everything was still.
His gun and flashlight still aimed at the rotted man, Leon breathed heavily as he desperately tried to gather himself, realizing that his life would be forever changed from this point on.
Nightmares were real.
And he was in one.
What… what the hell is this? A zombie? He thought as he stared at the dead man. How the hell am I going to explain this to the Chief-
A loud slam from behind made Leon jump. Looking back, he saw that the door where he had left the clerk was now closed.
“Hey! What’re you doing?” he shouted as he made his way through the long room to the now closed door, leaving behind the horror in the storage room. As he reached it, he gave the door a push to no avail. It was shut tight.
“It’s over. Open up!” he shouted as he gave the door a knock. “Why won’t you…?”
A low moan from the other side was the only response he got.
Oh, that's not good… Leon thought as he took a step back.
A window? No… Wait! Wasn’t there another door? He thought as he recalled the layout. It looked like it might lead from…
His head slowly turned back to the storage room.
Oh…
The outline of the dead men were barely visible in the darkness, the sense of being watched flooded back through him with great intensity.
Well… shit.
Leon briefly paced near the closed door before swallowing his fear as best he could and making his way back to that hellish room.
I can do this. I can do this…
He reached the doorway, his flashlight illuminating the floor near the dead men. Reluctantly, he shone the light on the zombie’s face.
Its head was propped up against the officer’s body and its dead eyes seemed to be watching. A chill crawled up Leon’s spine.
Even though his body begged him not to, Leon forced himself inside and looked around, all while keeping a close eye on the corpses on the floor.
Shelves cast eerie shadows along the wall and Leon swore he could hear breathing coming from all corners.
Stop it! Keep it together.
The beam from his light moved along the right side of the room revealing-
There!
-a door. Relief flooded into him as he pushed past some shelves and grabbed the handle.
Locked. The damn thing was locked.
Leon let out a long sigh. Look, the key has to be here somewhere right? Just gotta stay calm and look around. Which unfortunately means…
His gaze turned back toward the dead men, the zombie’s head seemingly tilted more to the side than it was before.
…I have to step over them.
Leon worked up his courage and stepped up to the men, standing over them for a moment, expecting hands to grab for his legs at any second.
But nothing happened.
Both remained still.
He took a deep breath and stepped over them as he used a nearby shelf for balance, accidentally knocking a can of chewing tobacco to the ground. The sound made him jump and hurried him along in moving past the men.
“Fuck! Fucking hell…”
Leon did his best to calm himself down, wondering if his heartbeat would ever return to normal.
After a moment he took in his surroundings. He was between a few shelves that seemed to form a narrow walkway leading to…
“Yes!”
A key hung on the wall next to a desk and several pin-up posters. He rushed forward and took the key in his hand, holding it out before him triumphantly.
“Found you-”
There was a low moan from behind him.
Leon’s smile dropped. The hairs on the back of his neck stood as he clutched the key close to his chest.
Bringing his flashlight up, he slowly looked behind him.
The zombie’s head had fully turned to the left, its tongue hanging to the side, eyes wide and unblinking.
It was looking at him.
Leon felt like his knees were about to give out.
Another small moan emanated from its throat as it raised its head, dead eyes locked on Leon as it sat up and moved out of sight into the darkness behind a shelf.
It was between him and the door.
…shit.
Leon readied his gun and waited, the urge to run and hide was palpable.
I have to get out of here!
He walked forward slowly, using all his willpower to keep from running for the door.
Where is it? Where is it?! Where is it?!
The shelf to his left crashed toward him, its contents spilling to the floor. Leon jumped forward, nearly tripping on the dead officer and accidently firing another round into a bag of chips. Before he could recover, rotting hands grasped his jacket.
SHIT!
The zombie let out a gurgled moan as it pulled his arm toward its destroyed mouth. He shoved back hard, knocking the creature off its balance. It fell against another shelf and lost its grip on his jacket.
Leon bolted to the locked door, ramming the key in and turning it. Doing his best to remain calm as the zombie recovered behind him, its footsteps getting closer and closer.
Finally, the door swung open and Leon jumped through just as he felt fingers touch his shoulder. His skin crawled as he slammed the door behind him.
Relief flooded into him as he took a moment to breathe. Phew. Ok, I’m out. It’s all good now-
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of multiple moans and cries, snapping him back to attention. Several feet in front of him was the now zombified clerk and to his left was another zombie knocking over merchandise as it neared him.
Oh fuck… run!
Leon sprinted through an empty aisle towards the coffee and wine section as more moans could be heard outside.
Oh my god! How many?!
He turned to run down another aisle when he felt something hit him on his right side.
“Gah!” he shouted as a falling display stand knocked him off balance, a third zombie moaning as it clawed at him.
Stumbling his way toward the glass door, he just made out several more zombies outside.
How many more?! How am I going to survive this?! He thought just as a flash of red appeared just outside the door.
And his life changed once again.
3.
“I’ll be back as soon as I find Chris.”
Claire adjusted her red leather jacket as she stepped back out into the cool night. Being in the phone booth had been a relief from the rain and the slightly putrid scent that hung in the damp air.
God, did someone hit a cow? Ugh, musta been the whole herd…
The phone call she’d been on had been quick but… mildly unpleasant.
Her dorm mate, Elza, had been chastising her for coming all the way out here to look for Chris. The girl was starting to sound a lot like Claire’s older brother and it annoyed her to no end.
She’d dealt with Chris being overprotective the past couple years and didn’t need another person like that, she could do just fine on her own. Besides, it’s not like she hadn’t brought protection in case some creep got way outta line with her.
“Why does everyone think I’m going to get in trouble?” she mused, giving her holster a quick pat.
A loud bang from inside the Mizoil gas station snapped Claire to attention.
The fuck?
Two more bangs rang out, followed shortly by a third. Then nothing.
She stayed motionless, finally noticing how messed up the surrounding area looked. She’d been so focused on calling Elza that she hadn’t really surveyed her surroundings and now was giving herself a mental kick for not being more observant.
Ok, what the hell was that sound… and why does it smell so damn bad out here?!
The putrid stench she’d mostly ignored earlier seemed to be getting stronger, more noticeable.
Claire took a few steps toward the Jeep that had partially obstructed her view. Feeling a sense of impending doom, she pulled out her revolver.
I’m just being cautious here… surely it’s nothing-
A cop car parked at a weird angle came into view… And what looked like bloody footprints stained the ground.
“What the…?” she whispered as she looked around the area, taking a moment to try to see inside the dark gas station.
Did I just walk into a crime scene? Should I-
A sudden crash behind her gave her a jump. Readying her gun, she whipped around, only to be greeted by some drunk who had walked right into her motorcycle and knocked it over.
Oh this motherfucker!
Claire stomped toward him, the potential crime scene momentarily forgotten as a flash of rage welled inside her. “Nice going asshole. Better not be scra-”
The man raised his head, his left eye hanging out of socket and his nose and a portion of his rotting face were gone, Claire able to see the inside of his head through his tattered flesh. Letting out a low moan, the man reached for Claire only to fully trip on her motorcycle and land with a thud at her feet.
Oh… that’s a zombie. Uhm…
Claire paused for a brief moment then bent down towards the struggling man and asked, “Sir, is this a movie set?”
He let out a frustrated moan and reached for her foot. Claire casually took a small step back out of his reach.
Is this a movie set? Really Claire?! He smells like roadkill. That wiggly eye looks real. What are you doing-?
More moans drew her attention and she looked up as the man continued to struggle on the ground.
Just beyond the shadows of the surrounding area she could make out movement of what looked like a dozen people, all moaning and shambling and stinking-
-And rotting and dead! Claire, this is your brain and I’m telling you to move!
“Oh look, you have friends. That’s nice.”
That’s nice?! Her brain screamed.
“Just a, uhm…” Another loud bang came from inside the store. “Just a heads up everyone, but I do have a gun so… if this is fake… maybe… stop?” She pleaded as she aimed her gun at the wiggly-eyed zombie as he got to his feet.
Claire! Those are gunshots you’re hearing! There is blood on the ground! He’s between you and your ride! Snap out of it and fucking RUN!
The zombie made another lunge at her and she fired a round into his stomach, surprising herself more than it seemed to surprise him.
He merely stumbled and continued his advance, rotting hands reaching for her, a loud moan roaring out of his disgusting infected mouth.
“Oh, uhm… bye,” Claire said abruptly and bolted to the supposed salvation of the gas station.
Well Claire, what the hell have you gotten yourself into this time?!
She sprinted past a couple of the wiggly-eyed zombie’s friends as she nearly flew to the front door, connecting with it and almost falling into the intense darkness inside.
And then she saw it.
A gun.
Pointed at her face.
The only thing that could possibly have stopped her mad dash.
“Don’t shoot!” she pleaded as she threw up her hands, the raspy moan of a zombie directly behind her.
Please, I just wanna find Chris! Don’t put a bullet in my brain-!
“Get down!”
Claire dropped at the man’s command and heard the blast of a gunshot and the sound of the zombie collapsing behind her. Looking back, she saw a twitching zombie on the ground near the entryway, a bullet hole between its eyes.
Claire looked at her savior as he stepped out of the darkness. He was young, not as young as herself but maybe not by much. He also looked like he was doing everything he could to conceal his fear.
She wondered if she looked the same.
The young man took a quick look back into the darkness he’d emerged from before pulling the door shut as Claire got to her feet.
“You ok?” He asked as she got a better look at his face. His blue eyes were wide and a lock of dirty blond hair clung to his forehead. He was also quite handsome and Claire couldn’t help finding his features very appealing.
Oh hey, not bad …
She snapped herself back to reality, Neither the time nor the place, Claire. Get your hormones in check.
“Yeah, I think so. Thanks,” she finally answered as a slight flush touched her cheeks.
“You can thank me later, when we’re safe,” The man said as he nodded towards the horde that Claire had momentarily forgotten about.
The group of zombies had shambled closer, blocking off access to their vehicles.
“Holy shit,” she whispered as fear pushed away any flirtatious thoughts that still remained.
They’re between us and our way out… Maybe run into the store and-
Her thought was cut off as a zombie slammed into the door behind them, its horrible face visible through the glass.
We have to get out of here-!
“Come on!” The young man yelled as he ran for the cop car, dodging the swinging arms of a zombie. Claire made for the passenger side which, luckily, still had its door open.
“Get in!” He yelled as Claire gave a nearby zombie a good shove.
I hope the keys are in there or else we’re lunch.
They both hopped in and Claire slammed her door shut as a zombie with long hair reached for her. The door snapped off two of its fingers and they rolled down Claire’s arm, falling between her seat and the door.
She resisted a shudder and buckled herself up as the man started up the ignition.
Oh thank god!
“Hold on!” the man shouted as the car shot backwards.
Zombies zoomed past her window in what felt like the worst theme park ride she’d ever been on and she gripped her seat for dear life as they turned around. The man managed to get the car on the road and shot off toward Raccoon City.
Oh good, he’s going my way. What luck… She thought wildly. Too bad we’re in a horror movie. Think I should place a bet with him over what we’ll see first? The Wolfman or a Giant Space Slug?
Claire shook the thoughts away as they sped toward civilization and, hopefully, Chris.
4.
“What the hell’s going on?!”
Leon took his eyes off the rearview mirror, pushing the horrifying image of dozens of zombies following behind out of his mind. The rain was picking up and he made sure to turn the windshield wipers on.
“I don’t know,” he answered, ignoring the human-shaped shadows that seemed to lumber just out of reach of the headlights. “Hopefully, they’ll have some answers at the police station.”
Or maybe they are just as in the dark as us. Or maybe it's an isolated incident. Or-
“Wait, you’re a cop?” the young woman asked, looking away from her window to look at him.
It was his first good look at her. Young, pretty, light colored eyes and long brown hair done up in a ponytail. He found himself taken aback by her looks, nearly forgetting she’d just asked him a question.
Focus Leon…
“Yeah, Leon Kennedy. And you are?”
“Claire- Claire Redfield,” she answered, taking her eyes off him to look back out her side window. Leon could see something on the back of her red leather jacket, something with wings. There was writing as well, but he couldn’t quite make it out either.
A bird-? Doesn’t matter right now. Eyes back on the road!
The girl- Claire seemed to see something nearby but didn’t bring it to attention, watching it as they drove past until whatever it was was behind them.
Probably more undead. God, they’re everywhere… He thought before a sinking feeling hit him. Oh no, hope she didn’t know anyone back there…
“Live around here?” Leon asked carefully as he quickly buckled himself up. He hadn’t had time during their escape and he, admittingly, wasn’t the best driver…
“No,” she answered solemnly. “Looking for my brother. He’s a cop too…”
The Redfield name had rung a bell but Leon couldn’t place it. He doubted her brother had been anyone he’d talked to on his brief visit to the station, but the name was fairly uncommon so it had stood out.
Must have only heard it in passing. Hopefully he’s ok. Maybe waiting for her at the station.
“Well, it’s a good thing we found each other,” he said as a sign welcoming them to Raccoon City (home of Umbrella) came into view.
Home… This is supposed to be my new home too. Will it still be tomorrow?
Leon let out a small sigh, “I just don’t know what to expect any more…”
5.
She’d bitten him.
A dead woman had stood up after being hit by a fucking semi truck and bitten him.
Rick pushed the gas pedal down harder, the wind and rain pelting his windshield as blood dripped down his shirt. That cursed clump of hair fluttering wildly in the wind.
How could she bite so hard? How could she bite at all?!
Rick clutched his bloody wound and was met with a wave of lightheadedness.
Gotta get to a hospital. Feel so weird… So feverish.
A rush of fear cut through his woozy brain. Am I bleeding out?! Am I gonna die?!
He shook his head, shutting those thoughts down fast. He was out here all alone, the worst thing he could do was panic. Only way he was getting out of this was to just focus and get somewhere with people that could help.
Worryingly, the only person he’d seen on the road in the past half hour was a motorcyclist heading in the same direction he was. Worse still, he’d lost sight of them just before he’d hit that strange woman.
Shit… Wish I was home, even if I have to deal with Nancy’s nagging. Unfortunately, home was three states over and he needed help now.
Thankfully, there was a city nearby and, even better, he could see a Mizoil station coming up. Surely the clerk would be able to help… even if it was just to call an ambulance for him.
There, see? I’ll be ok. He thought as hope sparked inside him. They’ll take me to a hospital and fix me up. And later I can call in to that radio show and tell them about my crazy encounter so other truckers can have a laugh and… Why are all these people just standing around?
A dozen… Two dozen people stood outside the gas station and, more worryingly, in the middle of the road.
Rick slowed the semi but didn’t come to a complete stop. He was in pain and deeply worried about his bite wound but something was clearly off about this situation.
As he approached, the horde turned its attention toward him, several shambling in his direction. The motorcycle he’d seen earlier was lying on its side next to a phone booth. Bloody footprints scattered about.
Nope! Fuck this! Some weird fucked up shit is going on and I want no part. He pressed down on the gas.
Is it a cult? Some illness? Oh god, I can hear them screaming!
As he picked up speed his headlights illuminated a sign welcoming him to Raccoon City.
Drive my damn self to the hospital. Gonna give Nancy a call when I get there. Tell her I’m done with this damn job…
Rick sped off into the night leaving the cursed gas station behind.