It firstly was supposed to be an Reader x CanonCharacter fanfiction, but it had soon developed into standalone, OC fanfiction. Story follows fate of Alexia Oda, thirty-year-old detective, sister to Joseph. She's strong woman that knows what she wants and will stop on nothing in name of protecting her family and friends.

After me thinking and some advice, I decided to change it from Reader to normal fanfiction. Change was on better, I hope.

Game: The Evil Within

Genre: Adventure, Horror, Romance, Family

Characters: Alexia Oda, Ruvik/Ruben Victoriano, Joseph Oda, Sebastian Castellanos, Leslie Withers, Julie Kidman, Marcelo Jimenez, Laura Victoriano/RE-Bone Laura.

Paring: Alexia x Ruvik

WARNING: AU - Joseph lives, Ruvik is an ally.

The Evil Within Fanfiction

Traps of Mind

Chapter One - Ruvik

Alexia peeked from behind half-collapsed wall carefully, gun in her bloodied, gloved hand. Joseph, her older brother, shifted behind her back, gulping. Even if she was the younger of siblings, even if she was a girl, she was always acting as an older, as leader. Joseph was always used to be Alexia's younger-older brother. But he had his reasons – he knew that she'd never abandon him, just as he would never abandon her. They both knew that, especially in this crooked world, staying together was the key to survival. That two is always better than one.

"Clear?" he whispered, scanning the environment before her, which was old, half-collapsed room, one of many in this building. They had to find a shelter, though. They were both tired.

"Seems so. But be careful, they may pop out of nowhere" Alexia whispered back, moving slowly, low on her knees, clinging to shadows. Silent rustles behind assured her that Joseph followed.

Alexia had already lost matter of time in this frightening, collapsed world. Here was no day and time seemed to flow slowly as they explored the area, sneaking in the shadows. Neither of them had any idea of where they were or what those creatures that attacked them were – and Alexia knew that she shouldn't think about it. She knew that others were here, though. Julie, the 'cat' – new girl in their three-people-squad and Sebastian, oldest in their group that often acted as a leader. She might've been worried about the girl, but she knew that Seb, as Alexia and Joseph were used to call him, will be fine on his own. It was only matter of time until they'll met him. But there was also this creepy doctor that gave her chills when Joseph found him for the first time in hospital, before ending here, and was with you back in the ambulance. And then, that young albino boy, Leslie, clinically insane. When he started shouting in the car Alexia saw the glimpse of a man in the corner, for mere second, but she had remembered some details. He was dressed in ragged, bloodied white clothes and he was burnt badly. And she carried no doubt in him being cause of this madness somehow.

When the ambulance fell and crashed, it knocked Alexis unconscious for a longer while. When she woke up, it was empty, but she knew that couldn't panic. And then, in one of collapsed buildings, she ran into Joseph, although he wasn't with you in the car. Well, it was still good that he was found.

"Sis, are you okay?" Joseph's voice snapped her back to the real world, if where they were now could be reality in and possible meaning.

"I was just thinking about what happened, sorry. Should be more focused on what's around" Alexia muttered, readying her weapon, as she heard low growls. "They're here."

"Yeah, let's kill some zombies" Joseph sorted. Alexia only chuckled and ran ahead, shooting her way through with her faithful pistols.

~•(x)•~

"Who are you?" he purred, crouching on roof of half-collapsed hut. His bloodied, silver, almost white eyes studied two human figures forcing their way through moving corpses. The man, Joseph, was within his grasp, he was to turn him into one of the haunted… And then, the woman came in and he lost all control over the situation. It was like she brought peace to that man and protected him from any influence of his world, of his mind. She reminded him of someone. They reminded him of someone. And then, sudden realization shot him.

She… She was… She was just like…

Laura.

Sister that protects her brother, that's allied with him. The one that brother can have faith in, the hope. Those two were just like him and Laura. And yet, different. When the fire aligned, Laura pushed him through the window to save him. That woman would grab her brother and jump out together, saving both her and her brother.

She intrigued him. Of all people that got into this world, she intrigues him and instead of focusing on his target, he focuses on that woman. But how was he supposed to not to? She was thrown into this crooked world, separated from others, and yet she remained calm and tried to fix things as much, as she could. Also, there was something off about her, but he couldn't say what exactly. Something there, deep within his mind, had been telling him that she might've been willing to help him. But how? Of what he saw, if she knew that he was behind him, she'd kill him. She was unpredictable.

~•(x)•~

"Have you seen the strange guy lately? One in white rags" Joseph asked, sitting on torn up carpet, checking his guns. They've found bigger, practically untouched from outside house and decided to shelter in it.

"The one with burns that appears and disappears like a ninja?" Alexia asked back.

"Yeah. I've seen him once or twice. He's different" her brother said as he reloaded guns.

"I had an ambulance ride earlier. Car crashed seconds after he appeared. I think he might be someone important here" she sighed, moving towards the window. "Clear of what I can see."

"Clear enough to get an half-hour nap?" Joseph asked, sitting heavily on the sofa.

"No" Alexia answered honestly. "But sleep, I'll watch over."

"You always carry our burden by yourself. Why you never take advantage of me, use my help, anything?" he asked as he laid on torn cushions. "You could've do this long time ago and I can be helpful…"

"Ow, come on Jossie" Alexia smiled. "You're hopeless without me and you know it."

"Do you have to be so cruel?" Joseph smiled, wrapping himself with a blanket he found earlier in this house. "Wake me up if something happens."

"Okay. I love you, too, bro" she sighed and sat on the carpet, but it wasn't long until Joseph felt asleep, calmed by her presence. With nothing else to do, Alexia checked the window if it's closed properly and took another tour through the house to ensure that they took any useful stuff they could find. Without her almost signature jacket of black leather that she left on the floor near to the couch, and with only one of her pistols. She really liked those guns that sometimes made her feel like she's Lara Croft. This woman from one of her favorite games used that type of guns as well and both, in real life and in game those were her favorite pistols.

Light suddenly flickered, temperature fell down drastically. Alexia hit the wall with her back, holding her gun up, alerted of all sudden changes. Something flickered on the left and in less than a second she was pointing gun at boy clothed in white rags. His burnt face seemed calm, but there was surprise in his silver, almost white eyes. Why did she call him 'boy' in her thoughts? Maybe because he seemed younger than she? There was no way though that he could be older than twenty years old, maybe twenty four maximum. His bare chest was burnt badly, marks covering more than half of it. He was about Alexia's height, maybe a little taller, but less than an inch. Alexia was, even though she was half-Asian breed, tall for a woman for American standards, being taller even from her brother. And, dear lord, he was so thin. He seemed so fragile. Alexia was certain that he also weight enough for her to lift him with an ease.

"Who are you?" they both asked in the same second – he, curious, and she, hissing.

"You first" Alexia said without any will to put her faithful gun down. The man might've seem fragile and weak enough for her to knock him out with one punch, but life taught her to never underestimate threat. Especially, when this treat could teleport.

"Why me?" he titled his head, smiling playfully, visibly testing Alexia's patience. Something she lately suffered great lack of.

"Because I have no time for playing with you" she growled, backing into a corner. She might've cut herr way out 'just in a case', cornering yourself, but she had also her back covered.

"You say 'play', but aren't you just afraid?" he asked, making Alexia smirk.

"You think I'd be afraid of poor crippled kid?" she snorted. "There's a big difference between fear and rage" she noted. And suddenly he was right before her, holding pistol down.

"You…" he growled.

"Are you going to introduce yourself or what?" Alexia hissed of all sudden, less than inch between their faces. He seemed surprised of her reaction, if not shocked.

"You're really not… scared of me?" he stuttered, probably never before facing such opponent.

"No, I'm pissed at you. That's a difference" she hissed, her cheeks flushing redder and redder as rage started slowly to boil in her veins. "This difference makes me want to kick your balls instead of running" Alexi'a head launched forward and only sudden teleportation of boy saved his forehead of being hit by hers. She couldn't help victorious smirk on her lips.

"I've never met such a case as yourself" he whispered. "Nobody had ever… Ever…"

"Been pissed at you?" she smirked. "Am I to know your name anytime soon or not?"

"I'm Ruvik. And you?" he said, almost politely, carefully walking towards her.

"Alexia" she said.

"You're detective, right?"

"You're one curious kid, aren't you?" she said, lowering weapon and putting her left hand on her hip. "Is there anything you want from me?"

"Nothing in particular, really. You just seem interesting" he smirked. "I carry no ill intention towards you" he assured, holding his hands up. Alexia only rolled her eyes, walking past him towards what seemed to be a room. Broken furniture, torn materials and dust everywhere. Quiet rustle of cloth assured her that Ruvik also followed, though she heard no footsteps.

"Is that all?" she asked, not really paying attention to the boy.

"Technically" he answered casually.

"Where are we?" Alexia asked then, looking at him, but the boy only shrugged. "What happened to you?" she asked again, another topic, nodding on his burn scars.

"Ever heard of Victoriano family?"

"Yeah, their house burned years ago, ten if I'm correct" Alexia said, scanning the area around her, searching various shelves and containers. "It was then?"

"Ten years, huh…" he muttered. "No, it was years before that. I was ten or so, we were playing in a barn, me and my sister. Villagers put the fire" Ruvik answered sincerely.

"Why did they?" Alexia asked, suddenly curious.

"Because my parents were buying and managing land they claimed as theirs, I think" he shrugged. "My sister pushed me through the window, but she burned in process."

"Oh…" Alexia said. "Did they knew that there were children inside?"

"Perhaps not, or perhaps they set fire because we were in there. I honestly don't know" he sighed, following Alexia as she walked to another room, finding nothing in previous. "How would you act?"

"What?"

"How would you act if you and your brother, Joseph, were in this situation?" Ruvik asked.

"How do you know Joseph is my brother?" Alexia suddenly turned around, standing up. "How do you even know his name?" her eyes flinched as she faced Ruvik. He remained calm, though.

"I know a lot" he shrugged.

"You…" and then sudden realization enlightened her. "You fucking stalker. Don't you have anything else to do?" she asked, crossing her arms on her chest.

"No" Ruvik answered with a smirk, not minding the accusing tone of hers. "But answer my question, if you may."

"Get out, of course. Even in a barn full of hay fire don't spread with speed of light or sound. We'd have little time to get out and beat shit out of those villagers" Alexia answered sincerely.

"And if you were a ten-year-old kid?"

"Who says I couldn't use forks?" she asked as if it was something obvious, making Ruvik chuckle.

"You are really interesting person, Alexia. With a strong spirit." And then, he was suddenly in front of her, his scarred lips touching her ear as he whispered: "Don't lose it."

And he was gone before Alexia could react. You're one weird kid, Ruvik, she thought, as she continued to explore the house. But I look forward to our next encounter.

Though she knew that he will be there.