"...Stay right where you are." His voice is low and raspy, almost cracking under the strain.
"Leon..." The woman to his right whispers his name, her voice just as petrified. Leon swallows hard, his aim wavering, the zombie edging closer and closer with each passing second.
"Leon...!" Helena calls again, this time her voice coming out in a frantic yelp.
"I said don't move!" Leon's voice is nothing but a huff, a bead of sweat dripping down his face. "Don't make me..." The only light in the room comes from a small lamp in the corner, half illuminating the space in a dark yellow shade. The zombie continues to make his way towards Leon, blood from his previous victim dripping down his mouth as he moans.
Then, suddenly, the zombie halts its approach, turning away from Leon, and setting it's sights on Helena. It all unfolds in slow motion, as Adam Benford lunges, a growl pushing past his lips as his outstretched arms reach for the woman.
"LEON!" Helena stumbles back, crashing into the wall, then onto the floor.
"NO!" Leon screams. He paints a bead on the monsters head with his pistol, his fingers tightening around the trigger.
"MR. PRESIDENT!"
BANG!
The body plops to the floor, now truly nothing but a lifeless husk. Blood squirts from the hole in his head, splashing across Leon's face, the crimson liquid painting his cheek.
Helena is still the ground, her breaths are erratic, coming out fast and shallow as she stares at the corpse in front of her.
"No..." She whispers. "How could this of happened...?"
Leon's own breathing isn't anymore calm, and his hands won't stop shaking.
"Mr. President..." He mutters. "Adam..."
The agent can't divert his gaze from the corpse. The corpse of his best friend, lying cold and dead on the ground, a bullet nestled inside his skull... a bullet courtesy of Leon S. Kennedy.
No... no he shouldn't think that way. It wasn't his fault. And as Leon stares down the body of his best friend, he can feel a burning rage building up in the pit of his stomach at who was responsible.
It was the same person responsible for the death of Marvin Branagh, as well as the rest of the Raccoon City police force. What caused the president's death is also what influenced Jack Krauser to join the dark side. Ashley Graham's abduction, Jill Valentine's kidnapping, even Raccoon City's decimation. It can all be traced back to one source.
"Umbrella."
Leon looks down, his teeth clenched as he thinks about his next move. If what Adam told him before he died was true... if this Neo-Umbrella really did exist, and they attacked Tall Oaks... the world could be facing another Raccoon City.
"Helena." His voice is soft as he speaks, but still stern.
"It's my fault... oh god, it's all my fault." He can hear her cries, but he knows she's not talking to him.
"It's not your fault Helena."
"Yes it is!" She nearly screams, and as she stares up at Leon, the agent can see the tears glistening in her eyes.
"I was assigned to protect him, my mission was to make sure no harm came the president's way. And I... I've failed."
"No Helena, you didn't fail." Leon crouches down, now eye to eye with the woman. "You never even should have been assigned this mission in the first place. No one should have! This day wasn't supposed to even happen." He brings his hand up to her face, holding it gently. "But because of Umbrella, it did. And now it's our job to make up for it." The agent stands, reloading his gun as Helene looks on at him. He looks down, and outstretches his hand.
"Are you with me?"
Author's Notes
Not as good as my Chris one but hey, whatcha gonna do. Hope you enjoyed all the same!
