A/N: Hiya! I present to you the second chapter of this fic. This will bring out the characters we already know and love, but it will still pay very close attention to Korina due to the fact this is her story. Korina is still recounting the events of Raccoon City, as she will for the next couple chapter.

This chapter already has a lot going on, so I couldn't find anywhere to add any like happy or joking scenes. So a severe lack of those here again. Despite that, I hope you enjoy and review!

The nightmares continued throughout the night, enough that even Agent Mac grew weary and just stayed awake. Korina tries, truly, but... all she can see is her home being ripped apart. The fires, fed by the death and destruction, that roared in her ears and heated her skin. The dead that didn't care they were on fire as they moaned, groaned, and slowly disintegrated. The lickers who would lay beside them cats. She finally began to get in decent sleep when Agent Mac shakes her shoulder.

Before going to the hotel, Korina really hadn't noticed much about the agent who is, more or less, interrogating her. Her skin is as dark as night, and her hair is puffed out in an afro that seems well taken care of to Korina. A particular sternness lines her features, making her more like a serious matriarch than a grandmother. A woman of great integrity and grit. Agent Mac. It's strange for Korina to see her now, though she doesn't quite understand how or why. Maybe it's because she should be dead.

"I'm sorry, but it's time to continue," the agent says, actually sounding guilty about waking her up.

Korina sits up, finding she finally reached the four hour mark. In the police department, she wasn't even getting thirty minutes. "Sure thing... where did we leave off?"

"You watched them from the window?"

"Yes... After I would put Polo to bed. It was difficult, but he would succumb to sleep eventually. You know teenage boys."

"You're incredibly lucky that worked out for you."

"That's debatable."

"You're here now, aren't you?"

"..."

"Where did you go after leaving your home?"

"We ran a few blocks and then out into the street, where we ran into a rookie cop. Then we went to the RPD."

She didn't know what to do or where to go, only that they had to keep moving. If they stopped for even a second, there was no promise of what would happen. Korina was hypersensitive, head on a swivvle and sometimes snapping so quickly to sounds she would make herself dizzy. Polo was whimpering quietly, but his hand clung to hers in a way it hadn't in years.

Korina found a dark spot that was at least relatively safe. Safe enough for a word. "Polo, are you okay?" she asked, turning to him. It was in that moment Korina realized he was nearly her height. When had he grown up so much? She didn't- just last week he was at her chest. What the hell-

"What are we going to do?" Polo asked, tears rimming his eyes. She tried not to let it affect her too much.

"We're gonna get the hell out of here, that's what. I need you to follow me, alright? Do everything I say, without question, and keep quiet. Okay?"

Polo wasn't so agreeable. He always liked to be independent, always stood out from the crowd in order to do something by himself. She could count on one hand how many times he asked her for help, and she could name those instances with surprising accuracy. They argued over the proper way to turn a television off once, simply because Polo didn't like using a remote to help him turn it off. So when he mumbled "okay" Korina felt her core plummet.

Korina paused, and she pulled her brother close to her. A hug. When was the last time they had done that? "I'm gonna take care of you. I promise, Polo." She didn't know how. She had no fucking clue how. But she had to do it. She didn't get him out when she should have. Now they were stuck in the middle of all of this, with no visible route out. Yet. Korina would make one herself if she had to. She would die before she let her little brother die, and she needed him to know that. Maybe he needed to know that too.

Her hair raised at the sound of a groan. Something was disturbed. Korina placed herself between her brother and the noise, lifting the crossbow she still held. Before she could pull the trigger and let the bolt fly, someone else had taken it down from behind with a bullet. If it could use a gun, it was obviously not an it and very much alive. Which could be bad for her if this very much alive thing wanted her to hurt. Korina let her bow drop, keeping a protective arm around her brother.

"Are you two alright?"

He was young. Early twenties, fresh out of the police academy from the looks of it. Incredibly attractive with a trim body, and a face that held a mild amount of baby fat. His hair was somewhere between brown and blonde, with a side part that let it fall around his face. Right now he was sweaty, so that hair stuck to his face where it might ordinarily work much better for him looks wise. The same as any other rookie fresh out of the academy. Korina had seen plenty of rookies come and go in Raccoon, having been so close to the Douglas family. The Douglas. Where was Officer Raymond?

Polo swallowed, and Korina could feel it occur to him for the first time that he was big enough to have a weapon too. "We're... alright enough," Korina answered, wary of the rookie. She didn't know anything about him, nonetheless what his real intentions were in helping her and her younger brother, two people who presumably would be of little to no use in this particular situation. A situation with dead bodies all around.

Still, he tried. "I'm a cop-"

"A rookie cop," Korina corrected, "and not with any of the other officers. When did you even get here?"

He was taken aback, as if he didn't expect it from her. Korina couldn't blame him. She had her pastel blue skirt on still, and a white top that was frilly and almost ornamental. She probably looked as young as her brother. But she was very much three years older. "I just got here actually. Do you know how to get to the RPD from here?"

RPD? What could possibly be there? Maybe Officer Douglas, and if he was there, he probably had another way out. But that was a big maybe, and it would bring them directly into the center of the city. It might be more difficult and more dangerous to get the hell out. Korina answered, "I do, but it's unlikely anything's there."

"I still have to check. I can better protect you from there too." He moved closer and stuck out his hand. A show of trust. "I'm Leon Kennedy."

Korina stared at the hand and looked back in the direction of her home. There was nothing left there. If her mother was gone, so was her father, and the dead would be infesting it soon enough. And that monster- that monster would rip apart her home. She could only go forward. That was the only true direction. "Korina Pachis, and this is my brother Polo." She took his hand, and she grasped it firmly like her father taught her.

"Good shake," he said amicably, with a smile, and she tried to ignore how solid his own hand was. "Are you from Raccoon City?"

"Born and bred," she answered before hearing more groans and- the skittering. They needed to be quiet. Silence was their greatest tool today. Maybe not an ally, but a tool to be used at their discretion nonetheless. "We have to go. It's not safe. Polo, stay close."

"Okay," he said, and Korina paused. She turned him around and pulled out the small handgun from one of her pockets. She turned him again and pressed it into his hand. The metal was cold, unfeeling of the reason for its probable use in the next few hours. Still, Polo was wide eyed as he started, "Why-"

Korina grasped his chin, made sure he was seeing her and only her. "It has five bullets. If you have to, use four to save your life. Use the fifth to..." She had to swallow. She was really telling her little brother this. This was too fucked up. "To take your life. They bite you, and it is all over. There's no respawn, no second life. If you don't have to use it, then don't use it. But if you do, save that last bullet. So it'll hurt less."

For them both. So he wouldn't become what their mother had, and so he wouldn't have to feel the bite. It hurt. It had to hurt. Korina kissed her brother's forehead before taking his hand again. It was sweaty. Probably her fault. "It won't come to that. I promise," Leon said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "You take point, and I'll watch the back."

"Fine. But stay silent. You'll get us killed if you don't."

"We made it to the police department, but by then, everyone was gone. All of the main doors were locked so we had almost no way in. It was dumb as shit luck that we found someone else Leon had met and urged to the RPD. She was with him when he entered the city, looking for her brother. I told her he was on an extended vacation, that no one had seen him in months. He was a member of S.T.A.R.S. so I only knew him by word of mouth, but it was a big deal around the station when the program was cut after a mission gone terribly wrong. An alarm went off, like it was a goddamn dinner bell... and there were too many for me to protect my brother."

"Is that how he... passed?"

"No. We helped him up and over the fence. The barbed wire on the door had gotten fucked up somehow, probably by way of a monster. But I didn't think about that. I thought that I needed him safe... and that was what mattered."

"Hey! Claire!"

Korina didn't know her. She was standing on a balcony of some sort, wearing a red jacket with black pants. They were good for her figure, but Korina could tell they had a different job as well. "Leon!? I'll be right there!" She descended quickly, almost running, as Korina tried to lock on the door. Of course it was locked. And of course she didn't have a key for it. "We really gotta stop meeting like this," Claire said, and from here, Korina could see they were perfectly good for riding a bike. Jayden wanted one. "And who's this?"

"Korina Pachis, and my brother, Polo." A fire started somewhere near the stairwell. The helicopter crash was starting to burn.

"Are you alright?" Leon asked, attention directed on Claire. "Police chopper... it came outta nowhere."

Korina was afraid of what it meant. Something had to take that chopper down. "Yeah, I'm fine." It probably wasn't anything small either.

Polo gestured to the door. "Any chance you have the key?" he asked, hope in his voice. Korina tightened her grip on him, well aware he was tired of this already. Not that she blamed him. All four of them probably were.

Claire looked down at it, then at him. Surprise flashed on her features, like she was just seeing how old he really was. Because he was young. Thirteen is such a weird age because people expect thirteen year olds to act like an adult but they lack experience, knowledge, and other fundamental things adults just have. But there was no level of experience and age to prepare anyone for what was happening. And he just looked... so much younger. Her voice was soft, genuine, as she answered, "No... I don't... I'm sorry. It's good to see you, to meet you. I'm Claire Redfield. How are you holding up?"

He was watching behind them, but he had enough mind to answer, "I'm alright. Korina's with me." He squeezed her hand, and Korina tried not to be too distracted by those words. By the utter faith in them. "She'll take care of me."

"Hanging in there," Leon answered. Korina didn't bother, instead keeping an eye on the dead too, and searching for anything monstrous.

"Helluva night, huh?"

"Wait, Redfield? Like Chris?" Korina asked, and Claire nodded her head. It made sense now, seeing as some of their facial structure was very similar. Noses, shapes of their mouths, even the way they carried themselves was similar. They were probably close growing up, that or their parents took the same approach to them both, and they both took it the same way. "Talk about someone I wish were here. I'd be able to rely on at least someone..."

Claire and Leon exchanged glances. "Korina, you've got us," Leon said, almost like a promise. "Same for you, Polo."

Polo didn't say anything, and he jumped when an alarm started going off inside the RPD. Korina cursed internally, watching all the dead come to life and come for the fence. It wouldn't them back forever. Even now it was giving way to them. "Claire, is the RPD safe?!" Korina demanded, throwing herself against the locked door. "Is it?!"

"The dead are in here too, but I stand a better chance than you guys right now." Honesty. Not what she wanted to hear, but far better than a lie.

"Leon, help me get him over." Shit. They were coming. "Polo, listen to me. Listen to me."

Polo was shaking his head. His whole body was shaking, but his head he meant to shake. Polo begged, "I don't want to- Don't make me-"

"Listen to me!" Korina held his arms to his side. "You're not safe out here, and I can't make it through this being worried about you, alright? Go with Claire, listen to her, and find somewhere the dead ignore. A room they just don't enter. I'll come for you."

"But if you're not safe, then I can watch your back! Don't treat me like a kid, Korina! Let me help!"

"You wanna help me? Then help me by staying safe!" Korina felt her voice get rougher. "I failed you once, Polo. I should have taken that doctor's car and gone to the nearest city, but I took you home instead. I was stupid, and now look at the danger we are in. Go over there so I know you're alright."

Leon shot two of the nearest ones, and Korina knelt down with her hands cupped together. Polo's gaze fought hers still, but she saw resignation in his shoulders too. He set his foot down in her palms. She lifted him as high as she could, and shouted, "Leon!"

The rookie cop shot another one to be safe, and he helped to lift Polo the rest of the way so he could climb over. "We gotta go," Leon told her as soon as Polo landed on the ground. He began running off, but Korina simply grabbed his arm. He was annoyed by the action, but Korina had a reason. Everything she had done recently felt like it had a reason. She was beginning to miss high school somehow.

"Wait." Korina addressed Claire now. The redhead nodded, paying attention. "The dead aren't the biggest problem. There's this monster- you'll know it when you see it. It's blind, and it's attracted to noise, so when you see one, be as silent as possible. If you have anything you can throw, use that to distract it. It is dangerous- more dangerous than the dead-"

"We have to go, Korina!"

"Korina, go!" Polo shouted, his eyes glassier than normal. He didn't want her out of his sight, but she was happy he saw the need for it.

Korina reached through to touch his sleeve one more time. "I'll be back for you," she promised before lifting her bow and killing someone who had been in one of the dark corners, one Leon hadn't seen. She looked down at it, then at the duo. There wasn't enough time to throw it over. But she wanted to, very much. They could use it for the monster.

Leon tugged her away from the gate, and Claire pulled Polo back too, further into the RPD. Away from her... But he stopped long enough to say, "We're gonna make it. All of us." It was comforting in the strangest way. A promise he couldn't hold on, but one that he tried nonetheless.

"It took time to get into the RPD for me and the cop. When we did, it was more dangerous than we could have imagined. The dead were everywhere, just like outside, only the outside was open and the halls of the RPD were narrow. They could gang up easily, trap the living, do whatever they wanted really. It made me nervous for Polo, especially when we couldn't find the other survivor anywhere for a while."

"Did you ever find Polo?"

"Yes. Though, maybe it would have been for the best if I didn't. But we're not there yet. We found another survivor first, one that you would be particularly interested in. One a lot of powerful people probably wouldn't want you to find. And, more importantly, there was another monster created from a different virus. They call it Golgotha Virus, or G-Virus. The cop was the first one I know of to face it in the way he did."

Korina was afraid of the RPD now. It was absolutely infested, with more dead than anything else crawling all over the damn place. The two had developed a system of sorts after Leon found gear in a locker. It was a bit loose on him, but he insisted the fit was fine. Korina was inclined to agree- even loose, he still looked damn good in it. But he took point, insisted on the being the first to face anything, and Korina watched his back and the rear, making sure nothing followed them.

They needed a break. They hadn't had near enough time to rest yet. And this bag was heavy enough it was starting to slow her down. Korina looked around them. "Swing a right," she murmured, finding a boarded up window. Leon did, but there was nothing but a small hallway and a door. "Should be the dark room. They use it for developing photographs for cases."

Leon opened the door and checked for anything threatening, but there was nothing. It was a room they just ignored. Korina had noticed some rooms were almost forgotten by the dead and the monsters alike. Perhaps they were drawn to each other, she didn't know. Korina set her bag on the ground near the door, sagging from the relief of being without it. "Sorry, I need a break," she murmured, sitting down on the floor.

"I understand. I need one too," Leon said in response, placing himself against the desk and sinking to the floor himself. It was silent for a half minute, the two of them just trying to catch their breaths, have a moment that wasn't stuck on survival mode. "We should get to know each other, since we're here now. I think we'll be spending a lot of time together before this is over."

More than likely. And knowing more about him wouldn't hurt her, but it might help her. "Probably," she laughed and smoothed out her skirt. It was becoming more annoying as time went on, as were her flats. She shook them off and massaged her feet, trying hard to maintain decency in front of the rookie. "I have to know. Why Raccoon City? You seem like you could have gone anywhere."

He was young too. And while Raccoon's local university had a lot of prestige, he had to know the girls would only ever view him as a cop. Dating might be difficult, despite how good he looked. Because he was handsome, and that was a fact Korina hadn't had time to fully digest and appreciate. He chuckled and replied, "Seemed like the city needed help. It's crime rate is unusually high, and it was even higher in the last few months."

"Regretting your decision?"

"Not at all. Even though its gone to hell, I'm still helping people who need it. Probably more than anyone else out there." Leon studied Korina, and she knew what he was finding. Some frilly dressed girl with a crossbow and a huge bag full of guns and ammunition for those guns. She should unpack it and equip herself while she had the chance, but she was enjoying the time to breathe. "How old are you? You can't be much older than fifteen."

"I'm sixteen. I turn seventeen in March. Sophomore year." She saw a slight crinkle in his brow and offered, "I was held back a grade in elementary school because my math skills were absolutely horrible. They weren't sure I would pass the next year if I went on. My parents agreed."

Leon was quiet when he asked, "Where are your parents?"

Korina pushed down the emotion she didn't have the time for. "My dad was at work in the university. He had a class he was teaching, so who knows where he is now. Mom... mom's corpse was on the floor in front of the door, last time I saw her. Polo almost got bit by her... I had to-" No, she didn't have time for that. She had to be strong now more than ever, and crying was not on the list of things she could do. "She's not coming back. She's gone."

"I'm sorry." Korina shrugged and pulled the bag towards her, sitting on her knees to maintain decency, and began picking it apart. She couldn't make eye contact with him, because she knew he would let her break. And that was for a time when she was safe and out of this hellhole. "Hey, let's look around for supplies in here. Maybe they'll have pouches for your ammunition."

She nodded and picked herself up, checking the lockers. She found more ammunition that she threw Leon's way, practically forcing him to take it. There was nothing to help her carry everything. But Leon called, "Korina. What size do you wear?"

She answered his question with a shrug. Most of what she wore she made herself, or her grandmother made it for her. It was hard to find clothes she liked in the colors she preferred, and there was just some sort of pride in being able to make one's own wardrobe. The only challenge Korina never stepped up to was Homecoming dresses, opting to find one in the stores. "Why?" she asked.

He pulled out a pair of jeans, and a jacket with a decent amount of bulk. It was raining outside now, which meant it had gotten colder, too cold for her short sleeve shirt. It looked about the right size at least. Korina accepted the clothes and smiled at him. "Thanks, Leon." He nodded, and both of them looked towards the development room, but there was no door. "Uhm... I-"

"No, I'll just. Watch the door," Leon said, standing in front of the door and holding his gun up, as if to solidify the idea. Korina tried not to laugh at him, but she did genuinely appreciate the gesture from him. Korina turned her back to him and shed her shirt, quickly replacing it with the t-shirt the officer wore. She pulled the pants on underneath the skirt before shedding it, allowing it to fall to the floor with little resistance. They left shoes here as well, though not socks. Oh well. It would just have to work. "Done yet?"

"Yeah, I am." Korina looked around for something- anything to tie her hair back as she slipped off her flats and shoved her feet into the officer's shoes. The shirt was baggy, and the pants were a perfect size, but the shoes were just a half size too small. Korina decided she could suck it up. Leon held the jacket so she could slip her arms through, adjusting it so it was comfortable. It was huge too, so she cuffed the sleeves of the jacket like she saw Kelly do before.

Kelly. Korina hoped she was okay. But she doubted it.

They left the Dark Room and worked their way around the department, and Korina was surprised by how ridiculous it was to get everything to reach the underground tunnel from the museum days. She heard of them before, but she had never been down herself. Jayden used to swear they were the coolest thing in the world. Korina wasn't sure he had actually been down there.

The dead piled up on either sides of the hall, and there was always more. It seemed like they spawned from nowhere, like a stupid game.

Going down into the tunnel was easy, and Korina found herself relying more and more on Leon. He didn't seem to mind, instead taking it dutifully. Like he really didn't have much of a choice. And from what she could tell, he probably didn't have the heart to make any other choice. He wasn't a kid, but he was as soft hearted as one. He kept her sane. He kept her believing. He kept her alive.

"Help me move this," Korina requested, trying to lift a heavy shelf. She put all of her weight into it, but she could hardly move the damn thing. Leon came from behind and assisted her, but she knew he could have done it by himself with relative ease. "Thank you. You're a real help, Leon."

"You're not so bad yourself, Korina," he said with a small smile towards her. He was exhausted. And more than that, he was afraid. Korina wondered if she looked the same, if she was scanning the area in front of her obviously too. Korina couldn't blame him as she took a few steps forward, holding her trusty crossbow.

That was when he jumped down. It took Korina a moment to process he wasn't human. Majority of his body was still very much human, even with the shredded clothes and obvious bloodstains. But his arm- holy shit, his arm was definitely not human. The muscles were bulging inhumanly, and the eye- it blinked at her as if she were nothing. "Korina!" She was pushed to the side before it reached out. The mutated arm was holding a pipe of some sort, and the nonmutated arm had Leon by the throat.

"Leon!" It charged, and it threw Leon to the ground. Korina barely had any time before she shot the bolt from her crossbow, hitting the juncture before its neck and mutated shoulder. Then it pulsed, growing bigger and bigger, and the body spasmed violently. Korina pulled her handgun from its holster, but it still beat Leon into the metal catwalk, the force bending and eventually breaking the platform. "LEON!"

But he took it in stride, recovering before the G-mutated man. "Korina! Stay up there!" he ordered when he saw her nearing the edge.

It was getting up. "I'll cover you from up here!" Leon was hurting. She could tell by the hunch in his back. Korina wished she had her bag- she had placed so many painkillers in there, including the healing green herbs that only seemed to grow around Raccoon City. Korina saw the bolt she shot break in half as he rampaged. Her crossbow would do nothing to this thing.

It had been close. There were many times Leon nearly died, that he was breath from being smashed by the monster. Some areas, Korina wasn't any help at all and would call him to move so she would be. Eventually it had taken enough damage, and it seemed to... throw itself down the side of the rail and somewhere Korina wasn't sure she wanted to know. Korina didn't want to think about it. A ladder dropped, and she gaped. Where the hell- why the hell-

"Someone must be watching us," Leon commented almost blandly. He started to climb the ladder, still very much hurt, and the adrenaline was starting to fade. Korina offered her hand when he was nearly to the top, dragging him back onto the platform. He was ready to go again, but Korina pushed him back down. "We have to-"

She shook her head. "No. You're hurt, and you'll only slow us down or get yourself killed if we ignore it." There had to be something. Something that she could use. "Stay here. I'm going to look for- anything really."

"Korina-"

She began walking away, and Leon hissed in pain when he tried to stand. "I'll be fine. I won't go too far," she promised over her shoulder, but it didn't make him any less worried as he watched her disappear around a corner.

"Seems like you and this cop got to know each other," Agent Mac observes.

"In a situation like that... you have to." Agent Mac encourages her further. "We had to trust each other. Have each other's backs. Part of that included getting to know each other. He was kind. He was helpful. He felt a need to help everyone he came across. That was how he gathered me, Polo, and the other survivor at the RPD."

Agent Mac is quiet. Korina hasn't seen her take notes in a while. "I'm glad," she murmured, "that that is the type of man you ran into. He could have been much worse."

"Yes... yes he could have." Korina was lucky. She wishes that luck had continued. "But he died down there. We thought one of them was down, but it wasn't. It bit right into him." A lie, but if he did make it out, then maybe they don't have him in custody like they have her. She doesn't want to implicate him into the mess she has made for herself. All of this could have been avoided if she weren't picked up on the side of the road.

"What was his name? We can put him down as a confirmed casualty."

Shit. She needs another name. "Marvin," she says, calling the first name she thinks of. "Marvin Presley." Oh, that is awful. She wants to slap herself.

Agent Mac nods. "I see. Well, let's stop for lunch. I can order you anything."

Anything? Korina hasn't thought about eating in hours. Days even. She didn't accept anything the officers gave her. It was mostly cheap burgers anyway. "Can I... can I get anything that's not a burger?" she requests.

The agent laughs, a graceful sound. "Sure thing. I'll be getting a steak. Have any preferences?"

"None."

"Okay. I'll get it ordered and go pick it up. You rest."