Hello, fellow readers! Here with yet another story that I recently thought about as a way to celebrate five years of writing since I joined back in 2013. So, what better way to celebrate than the very game that gave me the push I needed? Yep, time to start a new game with Resident Evil 4!
But what's different is he has a partner to join him on his adventure. If you're thinking that he might steal the spotlight, I respect Leon too much to do such a thing. This is basically if they thought of doing the partner system from five a game early with most of his own set of weapons to choose from like Ada.
Also in terms of a plot point, it would make sense for them to send a partner that also translate different languages just in case they go to foreign places.
I also won't be writing this like it's gameplay, so don't expect the special weapons to show up... except for one. I won't say which one.
Anyways, with the basics down, let's start the party!
Chapter 1-1: Prologue
Folk music played on the radio as the car drove down a secluded path through a forest. Two officers of the local police in the area were being escorts to the visitors who sat in the back. One of them looked out the window as their head leaned against their fist, bored at the drab environment around them.
He had short brown hair that had bangs on the right, going over his blue eyes and has pale skin. He wore a brown bomber jacket over a black 5.11 shirt that has a brown gun holster over his body, black fingerless gloves, blue pants with a gun holster on his right thigh, and black shoes. This man is known as Leon Scott Kennedy, one of the few survivors of the infamous T-virus incident in Raccoon City and is now working as a special agent for the President.
His partner had a similar look, though with some differences. The most obvious one is his appearance, which is short black hair with a light stubble beard, green eyes, and tanned skin. He wore a blue sherpa denim jacket instead, along with a longer sleeved shirt, full fingered gloves, and boots. Other than that, they had the same equipment. This is his partner on this mission, known as Cole Lockyer. He was mainly chosen to be his translator, but does have a record of being quite skilled.
"Why am I the one always getting the short end of the stick?" The officer in the driver's seat complained, getting their attention before the other officer turned towards them.
"Yo, who are you two really? You can tell us." He asked out of curiosity.
The two didn't really bother to respond to that, so the officer added to that. "You're a long way from home, cowboys. You have my sympathies."
Cole who was seated behind him chuckled as his partner spoke up, "Guess that's a local's way of breaking the ice. Besides, I already said why we're here, which is to find the president's daughter."
"OK, OK, just pulling your leg. I doubt you'll find anything all the way out here, though." The officer shrugged off.
"And I'm sure you boys didn't just tag along so we can sing kumbaya together at some boy scout bonfire." Leon retorted.
"Then again, the music isn't helping that case." Cole added.
"Oh, you crazy Americans. It's a direct order from the chief himself. I'll tell ya, it's no picnic." The officer said.
"We're counting on you guys." The two officers only shrugged in response.
The car then slowed down to a halt as the officer in the passenger side got out.
"I'm pretty sure we said no bathroom breaks once we drove off." Cole mentioned.
"I'd rather not have him piss his pants either." Leon said.
The driving officer held his cigarettes towards them to offer them one, which Leon waved his hand to decline and Cole simply shook his head.
"So, the info said that she was spotted in the middle of nowhere?" Cole wondered.
"Apparently, a witness mentioned seeing a girl that looked like her out here with a mysterious group." Leon recalled before letting out a chuckle.
"What?"
"Who would have thought my first assignment would be a rescue mission..."
"Eh, could have been worse."
"Like what?"
"The president getting kidnapped."
"That's just as bad."
"Which could have been worse."
The passenger door opened to show the officer enter back in, closing the door as he spoke. "Sorry it took so long."
The car accelerated once more as it drove down the path again.
Passing a large bridge, they moved a bit further before the driver placed the car in park.
"Just up ahead is the village." He said.
Leon looked out his window to see a smaller path up ahead. Maybe the village is beyond the fog?
"We'll go and have a look around." Leon said.
"We'll stay and watch the car. Wouldn't want to get any parking tickets." The passenger officer joked.
"Yeah, parking tickets." Cole repeated with an eye roll.
"Good luck." The driver said before the agents exited the car.
"Geez, who are these guys?" Leon muttered before closing the door, which caught the driver's attention as he rolled his window down.
"Did you say something?" He questioned.
"No." Leon simply answered before walking a bit ahead.
Cole catches up to him before the two get a transmission on their portable radios. When they answered it, they get a picture of who's contacting them.
The person was a woman with tanned skin, hazel eyes, and brown hair tied up neatly as she wore a pair of glasses and a business suit from what they could see.
"I hope you two can hear me. I'm Ingrid Hunnigan, I'll be supporting you on this mission." The woman introduced herself.
"Loud and clear. Somehow, I thought you'll be a little older." Leon said.
Cole had a small smirk as he caught Leon's comment, "Wow." He mouthed.
"So, the subject's name is Ashley Graham, right?" Leon asked.
"That's right. She's the daughter of the President, so try to behave yourself, okay?" Ingrid answered.
"Well, whoever the group is, they definitely picked the wrong girl to kidnap." Cole commented.
"Though, I doubt we're gonna get a warm welcome." Leon added.
"I'll try to get more information on them on my end as well." Ingrid said.
"Good, talk to you later. Leon out." Leon said before the transmission shut off.
The two put their radios away as Cole spoke, "Did ya really try to flirt with her?"
"Just a way to break the ice." Leon simply answered with.
"Yeah, sure." Cole didn't buy that as the two went on ahead.
The two looked around the area, seeing a couple of crows fly away as they walk down the small path. They noticed a large cabin with a stack of logs out front and has a truck parked over where one of the two paths lead, unaware of being watched from a window that had a hole to look through. Upon walking onto the porch, they see the door being slightly opened to their confusion.
"Wasn't it closed?" Leon questioned.
"Maybe they know they have guests." Cole guessed as he opened the door all the way while walking in.
Leon still felt uneasy about it, but followed him inside. There was a small hallway that had a bookshelf with various books stacked in a rather messy fashion. When they turn the corner, the sound of a fireplace crackled loudly for a moment as someone tended to it. Most likely the owner, Leon was the first to speak.
"Excuse me, sir?" He called out to get the man's attention.
Either he didn't hear the question or just ignored it, Cole decided to give it a shot as they walked over to him. "Disculpeme, senor?"
This time, the man turned towards them by going right for some reason to see them. Leon pulled out a picture of Ashley to show the man as Cole noticed his eyes were a strange red color.
"I was wondering if you recognized the girl in this photograph?" Leon asked, which Cole translated. "Reconoces a esta chica?"
The man answered in Spanish thankfully, but was in a rather aggressive tone.
"He said to get out." Cole translated in a simple phrase, surprised at the words spoken by the man.
"Well, sorry to have bothered you." Leon apologized as he puts the picture away.
"Lamento haberle molestado." Cole translated to the man, who simply turned away in response.
"Invited, huh?" Leon recalled.
"I've been wrong be-" Before finishing the sentence, they heard a yell as the man swung a hatchet at them.
Leon was quick enough to get the two out of the way in time, quickly getting up to his feet as he pulled out his Handgun.
"Freeze." Leon ordered, which the man completely ignored as he continued his approach. "I said freeze!" He repeated as a demand, but the man ignored it still.
Cole got to his feet, "No need for that, we'll just knock him out." He suggested non-lethal force, despite knowing the man is trying to kill them.
"Yeah, tell him that." Leon said as the man delivered a hard swing again, the two dodging to the side.
Cole was quick in kicking the man's knee to bend it before grabbing his head in a chokehold. Despite that, the man was actually strong enough to lift his bent leg while Cole's foot is on it and slam him against the wall. He tried to swing again, only for Leon to jump in and grab it to pull away. However, the man's grip was solid as the two got in a brief power struggle before Cole got him in a full nelson, forcing the man to let go of the hatchet.
Leon tossed it away as Cole tried to hold the man in place, but he just refused to submit as he swung his arms down to break the hold. He turns around to grab him, trying to strangle the life out of him. His grip was solid, making Cole panic for a bit as he couldn't keep his footing and the two fell on the ground. Right as they did, a gunshot was heard.
The man's grip faltered as his head was now bleeding blood from a hole in his head. But despite that, he got up to his feet and turns toward Leon who has his Handgun drawn. The man then let a horrific scream as he tried to lunge at him, only for two more shots to be fired into his head. The man's corpse fell to the ground, muttering two words that were strangely in English.
"Lord Saddler..."
Cole was bewildered at what just happened, "That man... that man isn't human."
"Yeah..." Leon was able to utter in response before hearing a truck engine outside.
The two were quick to get to the window that was facing the front of the house and saw the truck drive off with a couple more of the townsfolk walking towards the cabin. They couldn't see much due to the fog and trees blocking the way, but they heard the police officers panicking and the two vehicles colliding before hitting the bridge, destroying it before they fell to the river below.
"Shit!" Leon simply said before their radios got a transmission.
Answering it, they see Ingrid on the screen again as she spoke. "Is everything okay?"
"There was a hostile local. We had no choice but to neutralize him." Leon answered.
"And we have more surrounding the area." Cole added.
"Get out of there and head to the village. Take whatever measures necessary to save the subject." Ingrid ordered.
"Understood." Leon and Cole said simultaneously before the transmission went off.
Putting the radios away, the two walked back to the fireplace to examine the man. He looked normal, except for his eyes that were eerily red in color.
"What's with the eyes? Is he possessed or something?" Cole questioned.
"One thing I do know, he's not a zombie." Leon simply said in response.
"Zombie? Like those undead corpses from the T-virus incident?"
"Yeah. Except the fact this man can appear like us, that makes them more dangerous."
Leon sees the stairs going up in the next hallway, "We can look outside from above."
Cole looked at the corpse one more time before the two went, only stopping as they caught a gnarly smell coming from under the stairs. Curiosity getting the better of them, the two walked to the opening at the end of the hall to see a ghastly sight.
Skulls piled in shelves with countless maggots crawling throughout, cobwebs in the corners as Cole tried not to vomit.
"Dear god..." He muttered out.
"Looks like they've killed a lot of people. Hope Ashley's okay." Leon said.
Cole then pulled out his own pistol, which was a Five-Seven, and walks pass Leon to go up the stairs with him following behind. Still trying to not vomit, Cole reached the top and looks out of the window to see two of the villagers outside. He remembers seeing three total, which means the third one is somewhere that can't be seen.
"OK... they wanna kill people like this, we'll return the favor." Cole then aimed his pistol at the window and had his sights on one villager.
He pulls the trigger, hitting the bullet into the skull of the target. But like the first man, he was still standing and even threw a sickle all the way up to the window. Cole and Leon move to the sides as the sickle crashed through and stabbed itself in the wall. The two then caught movement from below and see the third villager had actually entered the house already.
"Sneaky bastard!" Cole insulted as he fired his pistol.
Two bullets hit the man's chest, but he kept going as he ran up the stairs.
"Move!" Leon ordered.
Cole did just that, moving out of the way just in time as Leon delivers a roundhouse kick into the man's head. The attack was strong enough to knock the villager back down the stairs, no doubt seriously injuring him at least. When he hit the bottom, they saw the other two had entered the house as well. The villager Cole shot earlier was angry and threw another sickle at him, making him dodge to the side with Leon as the two were now in the corner where a table was placed.
"We'll use this!" Leon was quick with his thinking as the two grabbed the table.
They look over the railing to see the villagers, including the one that fell earlier, were walking up the stairs now. The two nodded at each other before tossing the table over the railing, hitting the trio over the heads and fall back down again. At the very least, it would buy enough time for the two as they went down and passed them to run out of the house.
Now back outside, the two stopped for a moment to catch their breath.
"This seems like it was planned." Leon brought up.
"Planned? You're saying they were expecting us?" Cole doubted.
"Think about it. We show up with our transportation as those three hide behind the truck with one other person who drives it to knock the cops off when we enter the house." Leon explained.
Thinking about it, it would make sense. But, that still leaves one question.
"How did they know about our arrival?" Cole wondered.
Leon didn't answer, mainly due to one of the villagers yelling as he and the others ran out of the house. Leon and Cole quickly ran back to where the bridge was to gain a vantage point against them. Holding out their pistols, they opened fire on them. The bullets flew as they hit the knees, chest, and arms of the villagers to slow them down. Despite it working, they had to reload real soon and the villagers were still coming.
"Reloading!" Cole called out.
Leon covered him as he does. Cole removed the empty magazine, looking at it for a brief moment before tossing it back. Once it hit the ground, one of the villagers slipped on it as Leon shot the other two in the head to stun them.
"Reloading!" Leon called out.
It was now Cole's turn as he covered him, shooting the downed villager twice to take him out as his previous target threw a sickle at him again. This time, Cole timed his shot to then shoot it out of the air and followed up with another bullet flying into the skull that kills the man. The last villager standing lunged with his pitchfork, Leon moving from behind Cole to shoot the man's arm to knock the pitchfork off course and stab the ground.
"Now!" Cole ordered.
He then moved around the pitchfork as Leon stomped it further into the ground to prevent its use. Cole delivers a right hook to the villager's head to stun him with Leon following up with a straight kick to knock him back. Cole then finished the combo with a powerful clothesline that took the villager out permanently. The two let out a breath as they then remembered the collision from earlier.
The two went back to see the aftermath of the crash, tire tracks in the dirt as the bridge was gone and dark smoke came from the river below. They looked over the edge to see the vehicles in the water, stuck in the rocks as Leon spoke.
"Oh, no..." He muttered.
Cole stayed silent, wondering how this could have been avoided. However, compared to how tough of a time they had with the villagers, the cops would have a very slim chance of even running.
"Come on, we have no choice but to keep moving." Leon reminded him as he walks to where the truck was parked.
Cole stayed to take one more look down below before following Leon. Once they got there, a small hut was next to the path that strangely has a typewriter on the table along with a green herb next to it.
"Wow, haven't seen this antique in years." Cole commented.
Leon sees it too, but was more focused on the herb as he pulled out his herb kit. "Think it still works?" He asked about the typewriter.
"Has paper, so I would guess yeah." Cole answered.
He then started typing on it as Leon made the herb in a powder form to use in one of the spray vials. Once he was done, Cole finished typing and pulled out the paper to then fold up after Leon puts the vial in the kit.
"What did you write?" He asked out of curiosity.
"Just a basic summary of what happened. Since these people are old school, we might find more of these and we can have a report to take back." Cole answered as he pocketed the folded paper.
"Good idea. And if's that the case, we can find more of these herbs they have." Leon pointed out.
Cole places his hand on the back of his neck as he sighed, "Something tells me this isn't the end of the hostility around here."
"Then keep your guard up. Now, it's a fight for survival."
"...Yes, sir." Cole understood.
Once they equipped their pistols, the two left the hut and went on the path that leads to the village, now knowing what their situation entails.
And done! Impressive how the intro fills a basic chapter by itself.
So, what I have shown that I'll be doing in this story:
The Ganados are very resilient, able to take several bullets and even survive a basic headshot. However, they'll fall after taking too much damage either from melee attacks or bullets. Environmental hazards also factor into damage scaling.
Speaking of melee, I'll be using the expanded options from five. Those are the high attack, middle attacks, and low attacks. Middle ones can start a three-way combo that has a powerful finisher that'll kill the opponent. There are also grapple breakers and counters.
The typewriter will be here to "save" their progress and record their encounters. If these were canon, it may have been the Kennedy Report that five mentions. However, this doesn't mean I'll be ending the chapters at these points, only when it seems appropriate.
The herbs will act like special plants that heals wounds faster than an average human, but not instantly. Combining more than one or even different ones increases these effects.
I'll also be naming these chapters a bit differently. The story will follow the chapter checkpoints as the game, so next chapter is still numbered 1-1. Once we reach the checkpoint, it'll change to 1-2 and so on.
Other changes will be explained as the story progresses, so any questions you have now may be answered later.
Thanks for reading, I'll see you in the next one!