Disclaimer applies.
6. Leon
Leon was not a person who liked to resort to punches as a first approach. Unlike Chris, who had a reputation for being hot-headed and quick to jump into a fist fight, Leon preferred to use more persuasive methods, avoiding direct confrontations unless it was strictly necessary. As a DSO agent, Leon knew that patience was a vital part of the job. He had learned that sometimes, the best way to get what he wanted was to be subtle and persuasive, and he prided himself on his ability to stay calm and cool headed in difficult situations. However, every now and then, he would come across "difficult" targets. These fools tested his patience, and he had to remind himself not to give in to the temptation to use force, as his dear brother-in-law preferred.
Juan Cortés had a long rap sheet that included everything from counterfeiting to weapon smuggling. Leon and Helena had been tracking him for weeks, trying to catch him in the act. They finally had their chance when they cornered him at a seedy nightclub. Now, Cortés was sitting in an interrogation room, sweating under the bright lights as Leon and Helena grilled him about his connections to the Malabrisas Cartel.
Leon knew that Cortés was a dangerous man, but he had dealt with his type before. The agent prided himself on his ability to stay calm and focused even in the most tense situations. However, when Cortés made a crude remark about Claire, Leon felt a surge of anger that he struggled to suppress.
How did he know about her in the first place?If the Malabrisas had spoken of his wife, that meant the Mobious was still keepíng tabs on her. The past years had been quiet, although Leon was still cautious, the lack of Mobius activity had given him hopes that the group had finally given up on Claire. Leon's heart sank as he considered the implications.
Cortés was oblivious to the fact that he had just crossed a line. He continued to smirk and make snide comments, unaware that he was digging his own grave. Leon and Helena exchanged a knowing look. They had dealt with enough criminals to know that sometimes, the best way to get the truth was to let them hang themselves with their own words, but Leon's patience was running out, and the man had not said anything useful so far.
"You're wearing off our patience, Cortes," Leon said, "Tell us about the Malabrisas's provider, and I will reconsider shredding you into pieces."
"I didn't know you were so aggressive, agente Kennedy," Cortes snorted. "Your reputation says otherwise."
"Well, I am growing impatient, and all the shit that comes out of your mouth is nothing but crap," Leon replied. "We know you know about the Malabrisas's trading partners, so stop beating around the bush and speak."
"What do you want me to tell you?" Cortes said, raising his hands."Pablo and his brothers did things their way. I don't know where they met those people, but they had money and resources and were willing to give it away for cheap."
"How cheap?" Helena asked.
"Very cheap," Cortes answered. "They didn't even ask for money, I think."
"No money? Then what did they get in exchange?" Helena asked.
"Look, amiga. I don't know. That was their business, not mine."
"Really?" Leon said,. "Then why did you receive those extra payments from the Malabrisasl?"
Cortés slumped in his chair, resigned to the fact that he had been caught. He had thought he was careful, but somehow Leon and Helena had managed to trace the money transfers between him and the Villegas. He knew that they were onto something, but he wasn't about to give up the game just leaned in, his eyes locked on Cortés's face.
"We are giving you a chance, amigo," Leon said, crossing his arms. "Use it wisely or you might regret it."
"You are threatening me! That's abuse!"
Leon couldn't help but snort in annoyance. He was sitting across from a drug dealer and weapon smuggler who had the audacity to talk about abuse. The man's words made Leon's blood boil, and he had to resist the urge to punch him in the face. Maybe Claire was right, and he was picking up some bad habits from Chris after all.
Cortés looked at Helena and groaned.
"Aren't you supposed to control your partner?"
"Hey, I saw nothing," Helena snorted, leaning back into her seat. "Besides whatever he would do to you, I'm sure you deserve it."
Cortes was clearly nervous now.
"Ah, fine. I'll tell you what I know," Cortes sighed in defeat. "I don't know where they met them, but there was this weird group. They never showed their faces and wore strange-looking masks all the time. They gave us the good stuff in exchange for people."
"People?" Leon asked.
"You were doing human trafficking?" Helena said disgustedly.
"Not me. No, no..." Cortes said, waving his hands. " All that was Matabrisas stuff. They said they needed people, and the Villegas gave it to them. It wasn't hard. Leon grumbled in anger and frustration. He had suspected that the Malabrisas Cartel was involved in the commercialization of the virus and possibly even Mobius' biological weapons, but the reality was even more heinous than he had imagined. The cartel had been providing the organization with innocent victims for their inhumane experiments. The thought made Leon's stomach churn.
"What did they do with the people?" Helena asked.
"How would I know? They took them and adios, no more of them."
Helena and Leon exchanged looks. They had an idea of those people's fate.
"You mentioned Claire Redfield," Leon asked. "What about her?"
"Ah the pretty lady, yes," Cortes laughed, and Leon had to resist the urge to kick him. "It seemed that the weird group wanted her around for some reason. From what I heard she lives in the USA and was difficult to catch. I supposed so they offered Malabrisas a nice payout if they could somehow lure her out."
"Lure her? How?" Leon said with a frown.
"How am I supposed to know?" Cortes answered. "That was Villegas's business, not mine."
Helena looked at Leon with concern. After spending several minutes interrogating Cortes, the two agents realized that he wouldn't provide them with any more useful information. The local police took him into custody. Leon knew that it was time to let go of his anger towards Cortes, as he was not worth the trouble. The two DSO agents decided to return to the hotel to discuss the information they had gathered. However, they were still at a dead end, and their search for answers continued. It seemed as though Mobius was still one step ahead of them. Mobius was too cunning, and they had proved, for three years, that they knew how to hide.
"These bastards," Leon sighed.
"What do you think about what they said?" Helena asked.
"About Claire? I had hoped that Mobius had given up on her, but this only proves that Chris and I were right about being cautious.I guess Claire will never be truly safe, unless Mobius is gone for good."
"Guess it's not gonna be that easy, huh?" Helena said, "Is it just me, or does this feel like a wild chase?"
Leon didn't answer. Yes, it was like a wild chase. Each time he thought he'd finally caught on Mobius, they slipped from his grip once again.
"So, what do you suppose they meant with luring?" Helena said casually. "I guess your brother-in-law and you have done a good job keeping Claire under tabs, if they feel like they can't touch her as long as she's home."
"I suppose we have," Leon sighed. "But Claire won't stand still. It will be a matter of time before she ends up in a risky situation…"
"Trouble maker, huh?" Helenas chuckled.
"Rather, too much of a noble. Claire disregards her own safety when she knows other people are at risk."
"That woman is too good of a human being."
Just as Leon was about to respond, his phone began to blare loudly, interrupting the conversation. He didn't need to check the caller ID to know it was Hunnigan on the line. Quickly, he answered the call, ready to hear what his contact had to say.
"Hunnigan," Leon instantly greeted. " Do tell me you have good news."
"I may assume, from your tone, that Cortes wasn't of much help, was he?." the operator answered.
"Oh, he was helpful," Helena said sarcastically. "He has a talent for making other people feel repulsed.."
Hunnigan chuckled at the comment.
"Well, good thing that I have better news for you. I managed to pinpoint the location from the footage you retrieved."
"That's awesome," Helena said, impressed. "You never cease to impress me, Hunnigan."
"I would love to take the credit for it, but I had some external help," Hunnigan replied. "You can thank Mrs. Kennedy for her excellent skills on endemic plant identification.
"Claire?" Leon said with a frown.
"Don't worry. I sent close-ups of the plants and nothing else. She didn't see the footage," Hunnigan replied. "The location is Luziâçari in the Northern Amazon Region."
"Well, that's specific," Helena said. "How did Claire know that?"
"This plant over here," Hunnigan replied, showing them the photo. "According to Claire, this is a Heliconia chartacea subs. fleuris. (1) It's endemic from the area."
Hunnigan gestured toward the screen, pointing out a photograph of a plant with long, slender stems adorned with lush, green leaves. But it was the flowers that immediately caught Leon's eye - their slender, curving shapes ended in brilliant bracts that almost seemed to glow on the screen.
The bracts of the flower were particularly striking, with a wing-like appearance that added to their exotic, otherworldly look. The vibrant teal color of the bract was a stark contrast to the bright yellow veins that ran through them, and the tiny violet flowers, creating a dazzling display that was impossible to look away from.
He wasn't surprised that the plant had been easily identified by Claire. She had an exotic taste for flowers, and this one was just that.
"Wow, your wife sure has a very singular set of skills," Helena snorted, patting Leon's shoulder. "How come she always identifies random stuff like that and uses it as geographic references?"
"My wife is a biology nerd. That's why" Leon said. "I guess we should check that lead. The trail here in Colombia has fallen cold anyway. Hunnigan, we will need a plane to Luziâçari."
"Unfortunately, it's too far into the forest. The village is secluded in the jungle. You will have to take a plane to Modoura, the largest city, and then head to Caraçari. You may find transport to Luziâçari there."
"Talk about complicated routes," Helena said with a frown. "No surprise they chose that place for their testing, then. No one would ever think of looking out in the middle of the jungle."
"Well, Mobius shines for their wit, so I won't say I am surprised," Leon said, shaking his head. "Okay, we'll do just that, then, Hunnigan."
"All right. I'll make the arrangements for Modoura. I'll send the information I have to you so that you can review it on the way."
"Thanks, that will come in handy."
As Leon pocketed his phone, a small smile played at the corner of his lips. He couldn't help but be grateful for his wife's unwavering and often unintended support, even from miles away. But as the warmth of his gratitude faded, a pang of sadness settled in his chest. The thought of Claire being so far away made him miss her even more.
"And sometimes I wonder how you ended up marrying such a smart woman," Helena laughed.
"Because I'm lucky," Leon snorted. "And you were one of the ones supporting us when she was posing as Clara."
"Yeah,that's true. So you can thank me," Helena laughed. "Too bad she didn't stay on the DSO, huh?"
"You know Claire isn't an agent. Her heart is in other things."
"Yeah, she's more into humanitarian stuff, I know. I only say it is a pity." Helena sighed. "You really should try to call her."
"Yeah, maybe."
The journey to Modoura airport was anything but smooth, as the tropical storm had hit earlier than anticipated, causing turbulence throughout the flight. The plane carrying Leon and Helena was forced to circle the airport several times before finally receiving clearance to land. But their troubles were far from over.
As they disembarked from the aircraft and made their way through the terminal, they were met with a chaotic scene. The airport was packed with people, all of them seemingly in a state of panic and distress. Complaints filled the air, adding to the already stressful atmosphere.
Leon and Helena exchanged a worried glance, both of them acutely aware of the tension in the air. Something was clearly amiss, and they couldn't shake the feeling that they had landed in the middle of a crisis.
"What's going on?" Helena said with a frown.
"I don't know, but it doesn't look good, and I have a bad feeling."
"Let's not be paranoid," Helena tried to sound optimistic. "It's raining oceans out there. Maybe the roads are closed or something."
"Let's hope you are right. Let's see if we can figure a way out of here and..."
As Leon's phone began to ring, Helena let out a derisive snort and made a comment about how it always seemed to be Hunnigan calling them whenever they needed her. She joked that they must have a secret way to summon her without even realizing it. Leon couldn't help but chuckle at her remark as he picked up the phone.
"Hunnigan," Leon greeted her. "Always the person I want to hear."
"Flattering, but we both know that's not true. I am sure there is someone else you'll prefer to hear," Hunnigan said. "I hate to ruin the mood, but we have problems."
"If you're talking about the storm, we already noted that. It might be difficult to find transport to Caraçari, now."
"The storm isn't the only problem..." Hunnigan replied. "Reports came in a while ago that Caraçari is currently under a suspected terrorist attack orchestrated by a local rebellious group called Fogo Salvagem."
"Terrorist attack," Helena said. "Tell me there are no BOWs involved."
"Unfortunately, I don't know," Hunnigan replied. "It seems that all communication with the city got cut off."
"Cause?" Leon asked.
"Undisclosed," Hunnigan answered, "But it is probably because of the storm."
"Well, I guess we'll need an alternate route," Leon shrugged.
"Yes, I am...What?"
"What's wrong, Hunnigan?" Helena asked.
"Give me a minute..."
Helena and Leon exchanged confused glances as they were abruptly placed on hold in the middle of their call with Hunnigan. It was strange for her to do so randomly, and Leon's gut feeling of unease only intensified.
As they waited for Hunnigan to return to the line, a heated argument among a group of locals inside the building caught their attention. Without a word, Helena and Leon silently agreed to step outside for some fresh air and to assess the situation.
The surroundings were ominous and dark, with only intermittent flashes of lightning illuminating the area. Leon couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss, that danger lurked nearby.
"She's taking a long time," Helena observed. "I hope nothing bad happened."
"Yeah, a terrorist attack now. How lucky we are."
"What do you think about that?"
""I don't know," said Leon, his voice heavy with concern. "From what I know about this region, there's been a lot of conflict between the natives and non-natives. It's not quite bad enough to be considered a civil war, but there are guerrillas and rebel groups that seem to be pretty active in these parts."
Helena nodded, her own worries mirrored in her expression. They were walking into a volatile situation, and they needed to be prepared for anything
"Well, you seem to know far more than I do."
"Claire actually worked here for a while when she was still with TerraSave. She mentioned it to me once or twice before. It was during Claire's early years as an active TerraSave agent," Leon explained. "She was stationed here at some point to provide health aid to the people affected by the constant conflicts. I remember her mentioning it once during a chance encounter we had at the time."
"And you still remember it. I can't believe you two didn't hook up together earlier."
"We had our differences at some point. That complicated things a bit..."
It had. He still remembered that argument. Naturally, they'd patched things up later on, but their disagreement had been hard on both of them.
"Is there a place in the world where Claire didn't visit?"
eon let out a small laugh. He knew firsthand just how active Claire had been as a TerraSave agent before she became the Chief.
"I have no doubt that Claire has explored some of the most remote corners of the world during her time as an agent," Leon said with a smile. "She's probably traveled more than Chris and I combined."
Helena scoffed, but she suddenly frowned.
"Wait, now that I think about it. If the communications were cut off, how did they report the attack?"
Leon hadn't considered that possibility, but Helena's observation made him realize the severity of the situation. If communications had indeed gone down, then there would have been no way for anyone inside the city to report the situation to the outside world.
"Leon, Helena..." Hunnigan voice called.
"We are here," Leon said. "What happened?"
"You guys have new orders."
"What? What do you mean?" Helena asked.
"It's Hopkins's direct order," Hunnigan replied. She seemed rather upset. "You have to go to Caraçari on a rescue and extraction mission."
"What? We need to investigate the Mobius trail on Luziâçari," Leon said. "I'm sure some other agents will be available for that..."
"No, Leon. There is no time. Even if we dispatch an agent, it might be too late by the time they arrive on site."
"If it was Hopkin's direct order, the person who needs rescuing must be important. Who is it ? The president?"
Hunnigan let out an ironic snort.
"I'm afraid this person is much more important than the president in Leon's eyes."
"What do you mean?"
The bad feeling in Leon's gut felt heavier.
"The region had been experiencing an unprecedented outbreak of an unknown disease that was wiping out the cattle population," Hunnigan explained. "The WHO suspects the illness could be zoonotic, so they've called for a research team to be sent to the area and identify the cause..."
Leon's unease grew as Hunnigan continued her briefing. He couldn't shake off the feeling that something was not right. The mention of the WHO and the outbreak of an unknown disease killing cattle, all seemed too coincidental. In his mind, the echo of Cortes's voice sounded: "luring." It was a word that had stuck with him ever since his encounter with their questioning from earlier. He knew better than to ignore his gut feeling.
"The Minister of Health assigned an American team to lead the research," Hunnigan continued, "but according to Agent Fabiani, who was his contact in FOS, he lost contact with the team 45 minutes ago, around the time of the first terrorist attack in Caraçari. The last message received suggested that they might have found evidence of potential BOW activity along with the report of rebel attack."
Leon's heart sank at the mention of BOWs. He knew all too well the danger they posed not just to the people in the region but also to the entire world. His inner alarm was ringing loudly, and with growing apprehension, he asked the question he had been dreading to ask.
"Who did they send to investigate?" Leon asked, with a growing sense of unease.
Hunnigan paused for a moment before answering, confirming Leon's worst fears. "The team was composed of Dr. Saya Hiwamura, Dr. Dhriti Sanaya, Eng. Grant Wallace and..." she hesitated, knowing the impact of her next words.
"And...?" Leon prompted, clenching his fists.
"Dr. Claire Redfield," Hunnigan finished, watching as shock and concern washed over Leon's face. Helena, who had been listening in, also looked stricken.
Leon's heart skipped a beat at the mention of Claire's name. He should have seen it coming. Claire received that research project out of nowhere, the sudden outbreak of terrorism in the region where Mobius had a foothold, and now her team was missing in action. He wasn't usually paranoid, unlike Claire, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that all of this was connected. It seemed too convenient for it to be a mere coincidence.
"Claire?" Leon asked, his voice shaking slightly. "Are you sure?"
Hunnigan nodded gravely. "I'm afraid so, Leon. We have reason to believe that Claire and her team may have confronted BOWs. The group was accompanied by Julianne Kirkland and a local man named Carlos Oliveira. He was acting as a security escort for Claire, under Hopkins's command."
Leon was unfamiliar with Oliveira, but he felt relieved that Hopkins had assigned a bodyguard to protect her. However, this did little to alleviate the anxiety he felt about Claire and her team's disappearance. They were still missing, and the situation was starting to feel increasingly dire.
"Where were they last reported?" Leon asked.
"Their last reported location was at the TerraSave Medical Center in the city center. That's where they established their headquarters and where agent Fabiani last communicated with Wallace," Hunnigan informed Leon.
Leon's mind raced with thoughts of what could have happened to Claire. He felt a lump forming in his throat and tried to swallow it down. He had to stay strong for her, but he couldn't help the flood of emotions that were overwhelming him.
"We have to find them," Leon said firmly. "What's the plan?"
Hunnigan nodded. "We're working on it, Leon. We need to get you and Helena on the ground in Caraçari as soon as possible, but since communications are dead,there is no way to know how the situation is within the city."
No, there was no way to know whether Caraçari had become another Raccoon city or Tall Oaks, or if Claire and her team had managed to stay safe and sound, wherever they were.
"I know it might be wishful thinking, but do you think you might be able to connect to Claire's phone?"
If Claire had gone to Caraçari under Hopkin's command, it was safe to assume she had received a satellite phone from the organization.
"I already DSO gave them satellite phones before leaving, but the signal is really bad. There is a chance I won't be able to contact you at all after you enter the city."
"Ok,that can't be the storm then. Weather conditions don't interfere with satellite devices" Helena reasoned. "A jammer?"
"It could be," Hunnigan said. "But it would have to be a very good jammer, and frankly, I don't think the local rebels would have access to such tech."
"Nor would they have access to BOW," Leo replied. "They probably have a sponsor. Do we know what kind of BOWs there are?"
Claire was meticulous. If she had made the report of the BOWs she would have told the type right away.
"According to Wallace's report, they didn't know," Hunnigan answered, shaking her head. "It seems it was an isolated case that came into the lab by chance and attacked them. They hadn't had time to identify it before the rebel attack began."
"Ok, so it isn't the rebels using BOWs then," Helena said. "That's good news I guess."
"If it wasn't introduced by the rebels, it had to come from another source, which means it is either an outbreak like Raccoon city or it was released, like in Tall Oaks."
"I'm afraid that you are onto something, Leon." Hunnigan sighed. "We had no further contact with Wallace after that, so we really don't know how the situation is in the city."
"Send us all the information you have, Hunnigan," Leon said. "Helena and I will go to the place and if those bastards have touched a single hair on Claire's head, don't mind me if I shred them into pieces."
Hunnigan nodded.
Leon and Helena's journey to Caraçari was a grueling one, worsened by the relentless rain and treacherous road. The three-hour drive felt like an interminable test of endurance. Despite Hunnigan's multiple updates, the situation remained bleak. The city was unresponsive.
Restless and guilt-ridden, Leon couldn't help but wonder if he could have done something to prevent this situation. Perhaps if he had contacted her earlier, Claire would have confided in him about the WHO project, and he could have persuaded her to reject it. The Northern Amazon Region was a perilous place, and the presence of Mobius only added to the danger, but there was no way that Claire could know about Mobius involvement in the area.
Leon's worst fears were confirmed as they entered the city. The scene was worse than he could have ever imagined, with buildings ablaze, corpses littering the streets, and overturned vehicles. As they continued through the chaos, they encountered the first of the BOWs. These creatures were different from any monster they had faced before. Some still retained their animalistic appearance, while others had degraded to a point where it was difficult to discern their original form. Their twisted and unnatural appearance was a far cry from zombies, but it was clear that they were not too far from becoming one.
The ferocious animals showed no mercy towards anyone, whether it be civilians, police officers, or rebels. It was evident that if the rebels were responsible for unleashing them, they had no means of controlling the beasts.
"What the hell is happening here?" Helena groaned, shooting a creature that they suspected had once been some sort of monkey.
"I don't know. I've never seen anything like this before."
"Well, you've been longer in this business, so it's safe to say these are new BOWs."
As they approached the medical center, they were forced to fend off a pack of mutated feral dogs. The building was shrouded in darkness, and as they stepped inside, the scene that greeted them was one of utter devastation. The floor was littered with debris: papers, chairs, utensils, and even clothes. But it was the corpses that caught Leon's attention - both human and animal. Many of the human remains showed signs of predation, leading Leon to believe that they had fallen victim to the animals.
"Someone has been shooting at them, look. Handgun, a 9 mm," Helena said, examining the corpses. "Claire, maybe?"
"She doesn't carry weapons, believe it or not," Leon replied. "If this was her, it isn't her gun."
As they made their way down a darkened corridor, the officers were suddenly jolted by the piercing screams and the sound of gunfire. Helena and Leon shared a quick glance before rushing towards the source of the commotion. They found a man with dark curly hair and an unflinching demeanor fending off a swarm of birds that were relentlessly attacking a group of terrified nurses.
"We have to help," Leon said, and Helena nodded.
The agents swiftly aimed their guns and opened fire, the sharp sound of bullets echoed through the hallway as the flock of birds plummeted to the ground, their wings no longer flapping. After a couple of tense minutes, the last of the birds lay motionless on the tiled floor.
"Thanks, pal," the man gasped.
"No problem," Leon answered. "Are you all ok?"
"I think so. Você está bem? (are you ok?)" The man asked the nurses in the native language. The group nodded nervously. "Bom. Vá para o porão. Você estará seguro lá (Great. Head to the basement. You'll be safe there.)
The nurses nodded and rushed to the stairs, disappearing from sight.
"Is it alright to let them go alone?" Helena asked.
"I cleared up that path just now. It is safe," the man answered. "Thank you for the save."
"You're welcome," Leon answered. "Are you a local?"
"No, I'm here for work. I don't know what the hell is going on. One minute I'm trying to put down a bunch of reckless rebels and the other those animals came out of nowhere and began attacking everyone. It's an apocalyptic caliber chaos."
"We noticed," Helena asked. "How long has it been like this?"
"Fogo was causing trouble. It was their usual thing, making noise demanding for the foreigners to go away. Then they got a little violent. It was after the first bombing that these things came around."
"They brought them?" Leon asked.
"I wouldn't know, but seeing how panicked they were, I'd say no. I'm Carlos, by the way," the man said, offering his hand to Leon.
"Carlos Oliveira?" Leon asked, his voice trembling slightly as he shook the man's hand.
"You know my name?" Carlos replied, surprised. "I don't think I've met you before."
Leon's heart began pounding faster in his chest, a mixture of relief and anxiety flooding through him. If this was Carlos Oliveira, then Claire had to be somewhere nearby.
"No," Leon said, "We are DSO agents that were sent to assess your situation. This is my partner, Helena Harper, and I am Leon Kennedy."
"Wait? Kennedy?" Carlos repeated, and Leon saw the realization in his eyes. "As in Claire's husband Kennedy?"
The reference made Leon smirk. Part of him felt a wave of relief as Carlos confirmed that he knew Claire.
"Yes, Claire is my wife, and I'm here to find her. Where is she? Is she safe?"
" You arrived at good timing," Carlos said. "She's on the fourth floor. I was going to find her."
" Fourth floor? What's she doing there alone?" Helena asked.
"That's a long story," Carlos sighed, his eyes flickering with worry. "Claire wasn't feeling well these past few days. Saya got her into one of the private rooms for some rest and IV fluids, you know. Keep her physically away from work so that she actually rests? Fogo began causing a fuss so I came down to deal with it, and then this mess happened. I've been trying to reach her but it's been pure chaos over here." Carlos's tone was heavy with guilt, and Leon could sense the weight of responsibility that the man felt.
"Indisposed? Is she alright?"
"She was doing better when I left her."
Leon became worried as soon as he heard Claire had been sick, but he would address that once he had her safely by his side.
"The rest of the group is safe, right?" Leon asked, his voice laced with concern.
"Yes, they're all down in the basement. We set up a lab down there with an independent power plant, so there's still electricity. Luckily, the creatures seem to be afraid of the light and haven't gone down there," Carlos replied.
"Scared of light?" Helena questioned, puzzled.
"It's possible they're LyMorphs," Leon groaned. He turned to Helena with urgency in his eyes. "We have to find Claire immediately. It's Mobius behind this."
Claire had given the name LysMorphs to the BOWs developed by Mobius, which combined the T-Lyssa and T-Morpheus strains. These creatures were particularly sensitive to light, and that made them easier to identify. If the LysMorphs were responsible for this outbreak, then it was clear that Mobius was involved in some way. Leon and Helena exchanged a worried glance, knowing that they had to find Claire and the others as soon as possible.
Guided by Carlos, Leon, and Helena made their way to the fourth floor, braving through several attacks by aggressive animals along the way. Despite the danger, their skills as trained shooters made dealing with them relatively easy.
The fourth floor loomed in front of them, a foreboding and ominous sight. The stench of death hung heavy in the air, and the silence was broken only by the sound of their footsteps echoing through the empty stench of death and decay grew stronger, and the darkness seemed to thicken around them. They had already encountered vicious creatures on their way, but this was different. There was a lurking presence, a predator watching them from the shadows.
As they moved cautiously down the corridor, they heard the sound of shuffling and snarling. The hairs on the back of their necks stood on end, and their hearts raced with alarm.
"Shit, they swept everything," Carlos said sadly.
"Where was Claire?" Leon asked.
"Her room was..." Carlos said, turning around, "Oh shit..."
As Leon approached the door, his heart rate accelerated. The sight of the gaping hole made his blood run cold. Drops of blood and fur clung to the ragged edges of the splintered wood. Despite the potential danger, Leon couldn't contain his worry for Claire and rushed inside without hesitation.
The room was in complete disarray. The once-neat hospital bed was overturned, and the curtains were ripped from their tracks, strewn across the floor like shredded rags. Debris and broken furniture littered the room, causing Leon to navigate his way around the wreckage. But to his mounting anxiety, there was no sign of Claire.
Suddenly, the silence was broken by the sound of rustling. Leon's heart pounded in his chest as he quickly turned, his gun raised and ready to fire. Out of the shadows emerged a massive black figure, pounding towards him with incredible speed. As it drew closer, he could see that it was a mutated monster, possibly once a panther, but now a twisted and terrifying creature with matted, blood-stained fur.
The patches of tissue that seemed to fall off its body only added to its grotesque appearance, while its jaws hung open with thick strings of saliva dripping from its teeth. Its razor-sharp claws scraped against the floor, leaving deep gouges in the tiles as it charged towards them with an intense hunger burning in its eyes.
The agent reacted quickly, his instincts kicking in. Without a second thought, he reached for his trusty handguns and began firing at the panther. The sound of gunfire echoed through the hallways as the bullets pierced through the animal's flesh. The panther roared in fury, turning to face Leon. With lightning-fast reflexes, Leon dodged the large cat's leap and delivered a powerful kick, sending it flying back into the hallway.
Carlos and Helena, who had been following behind, rushed forward to assist Leon. The panther, now enraged, lashed out at them with its sharp claws. The three agents worked together, firing their guns and dodging the animal's attacks.
The panther was fast, darting around the room, avoiding their shots. It leapt towards Carlos, who managed to dodge at the last second, firing his gun as he did so. The panther howled as the bullet grazed its side.
The trio regrouped, each taking a defensive stance, as the panther circled them, growling and snarling with its empty dead eyes. Leon's heart raced as he stared down the mutated panther. He felt a sense of urgency to take it down and find Claire. He raised his weapon and aimed at the creature, hoping to end the fight quickly. The panther lunged forward, its claws reaching out to swipe at Leon. He dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack.
Helena and Carlos joined in, firing their weapons at the creature. The panther roared in anger as bullets struck its body, but it didn't seem like they did much to slow it down. It circled around them, searching for an opening to strike. Leon felt his adrenaline pumping.
As the panther recovered from its attack, Leon saw an opening and fired his gun. The bullet hit the panther's chest, causing it to stumble back. Helena took this opportunity to shoot it in the head, and the panther fell to the trio were in the midst of a fierce battle with the panther when they heard a sound from behind. Suddenly, Claire appeared, holding a knife, or to be more precise a scalpel, and threw it with precision, hitting the panther right in the back.
The panther howled in agony and started to contort on the floor. It was then that Leon realized that Claire had most likely coated the blade with the antiviral. The biocide began to take effect, and the creature started to degrade rapidly. Within a few moments, the panther had turned into a lifeless, mutated heap.
Everyone in the room let out a collective gasp, exhausted from the intense fight. The adrenaline that had been pumping through their veins slowly started to ebb away. Even Claire, who had just saved them all, seemed to have been drained of her strength.
Claire's body was wracked with exhaustion as she sank to her knees, gasping for breath. Her skin was slick with sweat, and it was evident that whatever ordeal she had been through while she'd been out of sight had taken a significant physical and emotional toll on her. She appeared completely drained of energy, with nothing left to give.
As Claire struggled to catch her breath, she suddenly heard a familiar voice calling out her name. "Claire!" Leon's voice was filled with concern as he rushed towards her. Claire's eyes widened in shock as she saw him hovering over her, worry etched on his face.
"Leon?" Claire said in a voice that was barely above a whisper. She shook her head slightly, as if trying to dispel the illusion before her.
Leon hovered over Claire, his eyes scanning her body for any injuries. He noticed a deep cut on her arm and his heart sank. It was clear that Claire had done it herself, using her own blood to coat the blade that had killed the panther. Leon's worry for Claire grew as he realized that her regenerative powers, which had saved her countless times before, were not working as they should. He gently took her injured arm in his hands and examined it closely, feeling a sense of helplessness wash over him.
"It's nothing," Claire whispered. Reading his expression.
"It's bleeding," Leon admonished her. "How is that nothing?"
Leon retrieved a handkerchief from his pocket and used it to wrap her injured arm.
"Well, that was quite a fight,." Carlos said, approaching them. "Nice shot by the way, Red. Always on target."
"Well, you were taking your sweet time. I couldn't sit and wait, could I?" Claire sighed.
"Yeah, things are crazy everywhere. I'd hoped it hadn't reached here, but I guess that was wishful thinking. This floor was a complete carnage."
Claire seemed a little sad about it.
"It was the ICU," she said, shaking her head. "What did you expect?"
Leon gently put his arm around her, helping her to her feet.
"God damn it," Helena sighed. "Any chance someone survived?"
"I don't know," Claire said, sadly. "What are you doing here?I thought you guys were on a mission."
Leon kissed her head before answering.
"We were, until there was a change of plans," Leon replied.
"He heard you and your team went MIA and there might be a BOW issue," Helena replied. "And here we are."
"You dropped a mission for that?" Claire asked. "Won't you get into trouble for that?"
"Hopkins gave a direct order, so, I am pretty much excused."
"Hopkins?"
"He must have received Wallace's message…" Carlos said. The man was looking out the window, trying to assess the situation outside. "He reported the incident with Ms. Obares, and Fogo before we were cut off the map."
Claire nodded. Leon soon noted that she seemed a little ill and pale.
"Are you ok? "
"Just a little queasy," Claire replied weakly. "I had to jump back into old habits after those infected animals appeared. They weren't pure LysMorphs, but they certainly shared some traits."
After two years, Claire had made significant progress in recovering from the post-traumatic sequelae she had acquired at Blackwell, but not all of it. Despite therapy and support from loved ones, she still struggled with anxiety and panic attacks, especially when confronted with darkness or other triggering situations. The current situation they found themselves in was undoubtedly one that could trigger her, and he could tell how exhausted she looked.
"We should move somewhere safer," Leon said. "I'm sure you have had it rough, Claire."
Claire gave him a tired smile, letting him know he was right.
" We should head to base," Carlos replied. "We set up an improv shelter for survivors down there."
"That sounds good," Leon nodded, "Do you think you can walk, Claire?"
Claire turned to him, intending to reply with one of her usual quirky responses, but she seemed to stop in her tracks suddenly. Leon looked at Claire, concerned. Her face had gone completely pale, and her eyelids were fluttering. Suddenly, she seemed to be struggling to keep her balance. He reached out to steady her, but before he could even touch her, she swayed, and her legs gave way beneath her.
Leon lunged forward, catching Claire before she could hit the ground. She was completely limp in his arms, and he could feel the heat radiating off her skin. He could see that she was sweating profusely, and her eyes were rolled back in her head.
"Claire?" he said, shaking her gently. "Can you hear me?"
There was no response. Claire was completely out, and Leon could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He knew that they needed to get her to safety, and fast. Without another word, he lifted Claire up into his arms and started carrying her towards the exit.
(1) Made up the subespecies :P