7
Claire and Leon dispatched the dog-lizard quicker than the first, this time directing all their firepower towards the exposed brain.
"Come on," Leon said after the pair took a moment to catch their breath. "Let's go back to Marvin and see if he has any idea where the last medallion might be" Claire nodded back, and the pair made their way through a door that led onto a library. Only a few zombies lingered that the pair dealt with quickly. Finding a key on one of the larger tables, Claire moved to the door that led onto the lobby, unlocked it, and pushed through. "Marvin!" she called out, as she made her way hastily towards his position. He was starting to look very tired...and pale. At her call, Marvin managed, "I'm...here"
Claire looked at the injured man. "Marvin," she said, "do you know anything about a statue being moved?"
Marvin closed his eyes for a moment and took in a pained breath. "Yeah...yeah. I remember that. It was a pain for them to move..."
Claire asked, "Do you know where they took it?"
Marvin placed a hand on his ribs and coughed. "On the east side... there's a small workshop. There is a road that leads that way in from the main street, but that was barricaded, so... you're gonna have to go through the building."
Leon then asked, "Past chief Irons office?"
"Yeah," Marvin replied, coughing. "But be careful; I heard those damned Lickers screeching again."
Claire thought the name sounded better than Leon's 'dog-lizard...' "Unfortunately, we've already met the slimy bastards," she replied.
Marvin heaved a sigh and said, "I should have warned you about those things." Then he lay back on his side. "Its just that, my mind is starting to wander." Leon put a hand on Marvin's shoulder and whispered, "Hang in there, buddy."
Claire stood and looked sadly down at Marvin.
He doesn't have much time...
Claire said "I wish we could help him," as she watched Leon stand up and start making his way toward the opposite stairwell. "Me too..." Leon replied sadly.
The pair made their way cautiously through the east side of the building until Leon suddenly stopped and went towards a door. Claire could hear classical music coming from within and watched as Leon knocked on the door. "Chief Irons? Are you in there, sir?" he looked at Claire, and she shrugged. Leon tried the door, but it was locked. He knocked again with the same disappointing outcome. "Let's go" Leon finally said as he turned towards the stairs leading up.
Claire said, "He must have gotten away," as they began their ascent.
"Yeah. Maybe," Leon replied, as he reached the top. "Or he's locked in there for another reason..."
The young cop then turned to a door on his left and Claire followed him out into the rain, which had turned into a steady drizzle. The pair took a minute to look around, noticing the front of the mangled helicopter that had smashed its way through the building earlier. The fires burning low now after the downpour. Claire made her way to a ladder just in front of the pair, leading onto the large open rooftop just below, and after she had descended she noticed that to the left of her was another stairway that led back down to ground level.
Claire called up, "That's gotta be the way to the workshop," as Leon began his descent. As he made his way down, there was an unnerving groan coming from the ladder. Leon held his breath as he continued down, relieved once both feet were firmly on the ground and said, "Okay, let's check it out
The pair approached a boarded-up door, where faint moans could be heard coming from within.
Claire sighed, "Let me guess..."
"Yep. That must be the workshop" Leon said.
"Great..." Claire spat, as Leon inspected the barrier. Leon gripped the wooden beams. "Help me get these out," he said, and with Claire's help, he began pulling the boards free. The guttural moans of the zombies on the other side grew louder, and a sudden banging on the door made them start.
As the banging became more violent, Leon commanded Claire to back up, leaving one board loose. It wasn't long before the undead smashed their way through, and Claire and Leon opened fire on the several undead that pushed their way through. Once all was still, Leon and Claire made their way into the small workshop, where they spotted a proud, marble unicorn. The last of the statues
Claire placed the medallion in her pocket and glanced around the room, seeing Leon check the chamber of his firearm. After reloading, he said "We're going to have to try and find some more ammo; I'm starting to run low."
"Roger that," Claire replied as she turned back towards the exit "But I'm hoping we won't need much more once we get out of here"
Leon glanced toward the sounds of moaning coming from the streets as they left the workshop. "We've still got to get through the city," he said, following Claire toward the stairs leading back up onto the rooftop. "There's a weapon shop not far from here… Maybe if we can get close, we can stock up."
Claire turned to the young cop, "We should start searching all the rooms on our way back as well. It's a police station after all."
"We don't just leave that stuff lying around, you know," Leon said, smirking, as the pair crossed the area where the helicopter had crashed. Claire gave him a grin back when she stopped and looked at a door to her left. "Hey, the fire's out. Do you think we can get through that wreck now?"
Leon put a hand on his hip. "It's worth a look; it'll be quicker that way." He approached the door, and Claire followed closely behind him.
Once inside, Claire sighed and said, "I guess that's a no." After looking at the mangled body of the helicopter blocking their path, the pair turned to leave. Suddenly, heavy footsteps caught their attention, and they turned back toward the sound, just in time to see something pull the wreckage up and out through the shattered wall with no effort at all.
A hulking figure of a man stood in the now-cleared hallway before them.
Claire exclaimed, "What the hell!" after taking in the giant's strange appearance. It was like looking at the world's strongest man. Only this man, or more accurately, this Tyrant, was about seven or eight feet tall, with pale blue-gray wrinkled skin, and a haunting stare that cut into Claire's soul.
Leon raised his firearm as the monster suddenly advanced without a word. The young cop shouted at the giant to stay back as he retreated. However, the Tyrant paid him no mind and advanced. Leon and Claire opened fire at it, but their shots bounced harmlessly off the Tyrant's coat, with bullets aimed for its head being just as ineffective.
Leon suddenly shouted at Claire, "Go, run!" and he pushed her back towards the doorway, both making it through just as the Tyrant took a huge swing with its massive fist. The strike caused the wall to tremble from the force of the blow.
The pair ran across the rooftop. Claire turned back towards the doorway. "What the hell!" she exclaimed. "I shot it right in the face. It didn't even flinch when I blew its stupid hat off!"
The door suddenly flew off its hinges after a mighty kick from the relentless giant. Leon and Claire opened fire again, aiming for the Tyrant's head. It approached the pair, and suddenly picked up speed. Claire and Leon dove to opposite sides of the monster as it smashed another fist into a wall.
Leon rolled into a crouch and started firing. He shouted to Claire, "Don't let it hit you!" And quickly reloaded. She called back urgently, "You don't have to tell me twice!"
The Tyrant turned towards Claire, and she opened fire again. "Come on, you bastard! Just die already" Claire let it get a little too close, and she felt the wind from its fist as she dodged to the side.
Shit!
Claire turned just in time to see the Tyrant suddenly stumble forward after Leon's bullets continued to make contact with the back of it's head. The giant stopped suddenly, dropping to a knee and blocking the doorway. Leon approached quickly, gun trained on the menacing threat and asked, "Is it dead?"
Standing beside the young cop, Claire watched the Tyrant. Noticing the slightest movements within its large frame. "It's still... breathing?" she said, unnerved. The pair started to take slow steps backwards away from the giant monster when they noticed it had started to flex its fingers.
"Go," Leon whispered under his breath. "Go! Go now!" He pushed Claire ahead of him toward the ladder. Claire ran and made her way swiftly up. When she reached the top, she turned just in time to see the Tyrant getting onto its feet. Leon was halfway up the ladder when the sudden sound of straining metal caused him to push even more speed into the climb. It wasn't enough, though; the ladder finally gave way, crashing back toward the rooftop alongside its passenger.