It took one outbreak within the civilization of Raccoon City to change the lives of a select few forever. An incident in which the entire population had been infected with the T-Virus, turning them into all types of horrible monsters. From there, the rest was history.
Years passed by, and Leon Kennedy was placed on assignment in South mission was to find a man by the name of Javier Hidalgo.
He wasn't alone however, he was joined by his friend and ally, Natasha Romanoff, better known as Black Widow. She had opted to join Leon on this assignment, not just by Nick Fury's desire, but also because Leon needed a partner he could trust on this mission.
Even then the two weren't alone. Another US Agent had accompanied Leon and Natasha for this outing to South America, one who had only heard stories of Raccoon City, but knew little to nothing about it.
Leon walked through the jungles of South America, trying to manage his endurance of the hot sun with Natasha right beside him, the woman looking just as if not more uncomfortable.
"You already look exhausted," Leon commented. "Don't tell me you're already done with this?"
"Oh be quiet," Natasha said. "I'm not one for hot places. Keep in mind that I'm from Russia, it's usually much colder."
"You've been in the states for a while though, haven't you?" Leon asked.
"It's still not pleasant," Natasha said. "Let's just get this over with. You have information on the guy we're after, right?"
"Yeah, Javier Hidalgo," Leon said, pulling a picture out. "Apparently he's pretty famous for his extravagant lifestyle. He suddenly disappeared sometime back, but apparently reports say he tried to approach Umbrella about something."
"Wonder what it was?" Natasha asked.
"Not sure, but we'll find out," Leon said. Seconds later a butterfly landed on his shoulder, taking him by surprise. "Huh, how cute."
"Guess it likes you," Natasha said.
Unknown to the two, a snake was slowly approaching the two, with its eyes set on Leon. As it inched closer, Natasha took note of the reptile, her worry growing.
"Leon, watch out!" Natasha warned as she pulled a knife out.
Just as Leon turned around, and before she could strike, someone had beat her to it. A man pulled a knife out and impaled the snake, saving Leon from getting bitten. He lifted the snake up by the knife while casually drinking water from a bottle.
"So, you think these B.O.W.s actually exist?" The man asked as he tossed the snake aside. "Oh right, you said you faced them before." The man tossed Leon the bottle as well, rather rudely on top of it.
"We have, actually," Natasha said. "Didn't anyone tell you about the Raccoon City incident?"
"They just said the town went to waste, nothing about B.O.W.s," The man said. "Especially these so-called zombies."
"I'm sorry, is this weird to you somehow?" Natasha asked. "Especially in a world like this?"
"Go easy on him, this is hard for anyone to believe," Leon said. "Some people still don't think aliens exist."
"Anyone who honestly believes that must be living under a rock," Natasha said. "Especially considering years ago the world was saved by alien hedgehogs."
"Even I would barely believe they existed, if I hadn't seen them for myself," Leon said.
"I suppose I should count myself lucky," the man said. "I get to work with a member of The Avengers. Personally, I would have preferred Captain America, but beggars can't be choosers."
"Easy Krauser, Black Widow is tough in her own right," Leon reminded.
"I don't doubt it," Krauser said. "Let's just get this mission over with."
Natasha rubbed her head in annoyance, "Why are we working with him again? Who is he exactly?"
"Jack Krauser," Leon said. "A soldier with the U.S. Special Operations Command. He has quite the resume of accomplishments."
"Doesn't exactly answer my question," Natasha said. "He's just a generic grunt compared to us. Fury already has me working with you, someone who has the same experience as Krauser if not more."
"Someone's high on herself," Leon teased.
"I'm just speaking objectively here," Natasha said. "If we needed more backup, Fury could have sent Clint to help us. Or even Claire, she's capable. She proved that not only in just Raccoon City, but Rockfort Island too."
"Funny you bring that up, I've heard certain rumors about what to expect out here," Leon said. "I hope Clint got you caught up on that whole ordeal."
"Well that has me almost worried," Natasha said, then glanced at the man ahead. "I still don't get why we're working with Krauser. Somehow he doesn't even believe in B.O.W.s"
"Guess to him, things B.O.W.s and Cryptid are all the same," Leon said. "Hopefully reality doesn't hit him too hard."
"Our guide is in the village up ahead," Krauser said. "He'll take us to Amparo where Javier is hiding."
"He's not the only one," Natasha said. "Apparently Interpol sent an agent from China to help as well. She'll be waiting for us near the village entrance."
"Fine by me, as long as she doesn't slow us down," Krauser said, walking ahead.
"Tch, if anything, you better not slow her down," Natasha turned to Leon. "Let's go."
"Right behind you," Leon said, joining Natasha.
The three made their way closer to the town in Amparo, with Leon sticking closer to Natasha while Krauser walked on ahead, keeping an eye out for any wild animals.
Leon also kept an eye out, but for different reasons. After all that he's seen over the years, he does not want to take any unnecessary risks.
Natasha was also slightly concerned, the rainforest was usually dangerous enough on it's own. The idea of any of these animals turning into infected monsters definitely had her a little on edge.
"Pick up the pace, you two," Krauser called. "We don't have all day here."
"Funny, I don't recall anyone appointing you the leader here," Natasha said.
"The Amazon is not a place to dawdle," Krauser reminded. "Pick up the pace or next time, you won't have anyone saving you from a snake."
"I think I can handle a snake," Natasha said, scowling at the man.
"Come on, no bickering," Leon said. "Remember, we're a team, we have to stick by each other."
"Funny, the boss said you've always been a loner type, yet you seem all clingy with that girl," Krauser said.
"That girl is Black Widow of The Avengers," Leon said. "If I'm going to trust my life with anyone, it's her. She and I have a history of teaming up."
"Not that Leon can't handle things alone," Natasha said. "But it's good to have someone watching your back."
"Tell me then, what's an Avenger like you doing with two army grunts?" Krauser asked. "Shouldn't you be off saving the world from bigger threats?"
"This is a potentially big threat," Natasha said.
"Please, this Javier guy may be a high profile threat, but I doubt he's an Avengers level threat," Krasuer said.
"It's not him I'm worried about, it's who he is potentially involved with," Natasha said. "Even small time thugs start somewhere. Wilson Fisk didn't become The Kingpin overnight."
"Is he still causing trouble in New York?" Leon asked.
"Of course, fortunately guys like Spider-Man and Daredevil keep him reigned in," Natasha said.
"Spider-Man...he's been involved with this stuff a number of times as well, hasn't he?" Leon asked.
"Rumor is that Albert Wesker wants a sample of his blood," Natasha said. "But Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine are keeping an eye on things. Jill especially wants to keep Spider-Man safe."
"Of course, they escaped Raccoon City together," Leon said. "Too bad we don't have Spider-Man by our side though, we could use his super strength."
"Don't worry, I see someone who's capable enough in her own right," Natasha said. She pointed ahead to a woman wearing a blue shirt, brown stockings and white hair buns.
"Is that the girl?" Krauser asked.
Sure is," Natasha turned to Leon. "You remember her, right?"
"Of course, Special Agent Chun-Li," Leon said. "This is quite the feat, I didn't expect to see her involved in all this."
"She's been looking into this case herself," Natasha said. "So she offered to join us in this now four person squad."
"Is she good?" Krauser asked.
"Well yeah. Haven't you ever seen the World Warrior Tournaments? With guys like Ryu and Ken?" Leon asked. "Chun-Li is a Top Level Street Fighter."
"Never took note of those tournaments," Krauser said. "I've been more fascinated with the King of The Iron Fist Tournaments though."
"Not a bad alternative," Leon said. "Those tournaments just seem shady somehow, even more so than the World Warrior ones."
"I'll admit that Kazuya Mishima isn't exactly a trustworthy looking guy, but you can't deny his skill," Krauser said.
"Talk martial arts later, let's not keep Chun-Li waiting," Natasha said.
"Of course," Leon agreed, following Krauser and Natasha.
Chun-Li stood near the village entrance, an eerie feeling taking over her body. While she had only just arrived, she couldn't help but feel like there was something deadly waiting up ahead.
"Chun-Li!" Natasha called, getting the attention of the woman.
"Black Widow!" Chun-Li greeted the group with a respectful bow. "It's a pleasure to see you again."
"You know you can just call me 'Natasha'," The woman said.
"Right, of course," Chun-Li took note of the men, specifically the former RPD Cop. "I recognize you, Agent Leon Kennedy, survivor of Raccoon City."
"That's me," Leon greeted.
Chun-Li turned her attention to Krauser. "I don't think I know this man."
"He's a Special Forces soldier," Natasha said. "His name is Jack Krauser."
"I see, well it's good to meet you soldier," Chun-Li greeted, holding her hand out.
"Yeah, good to see ya," Krauser said, paying no mind to her gesture and walking along. "Come on, we got a job to do."
Natasha furrowed her brow in irritation, "That was not very respectful."
"It happens, some soldier types can be a bit too rugged," Chun-Li said. "Even Guile and I didn't get off to a good start, and he's one of my closest friends now."
"Any chance we can replace Krauser with Guile then?" Natasha asked. "Or you can contact Cammy White."
"Guile's busy with his own mission," Chun-Li said. "Cammy probably wouldn't mind coming, but right now, things are tricky with Delta Red. Apparently the English Government doesn't want to get involved with a potential T-Virus problem."
"They might have to eventually," Leon said. "But, we'll respect their call for now. The four of us are enough for this little adventure, now let's go do what we set out to do."
"Yeah, you're right," Chun-Li said.
"Hey! Hurry up!" Krauser called, much to everyone's annoyance.
"Pain in the ass," Natasha commented as everyone followed the soldier into the village, unaware of what's to come.
Upon going through the village gates, all four were quick to notice just how empty this part of civilization was. An eerie silence that brought a level of discomfort to the quartet.
"Pretty quiet around here," Krauser noted.
"Yeah, where is everyone?" Leon asked.
"I've been wondering that for a while," Chun-Li said. "When I came to scope the village out earlier, I didn't see or hear any of the locals."
Natasha looked around, and spotted some flyers on the wall. "What's this?"
"What's wrong?" Leon asked, taking note of the flyers as well, detailing pictures of lost girls. "Missing Girls?"
"Yeah, seems like quite a number of young girls have just disappeared," Natasha said, this revelation startling Chun-Li.
"Missing girls?" The woman asked.
"I did hear rumors that young girls had gone missing around these parts, I wonder if it's connected to any rumors about Javier?" Natasha asked.
"For his sake, he better not be connected to that," Chun-Li commented, a hint of venom in her voice. "I can only imagine how worried their parents must feel."
"If they're even around," Leon said, looking back out into the village. "As it stands, it seems like there's more than just girls missing. It seems like there's no one left in the village."
"Something's wrong," Krauser noted. "It smells like a battlefield."
"...You're right," Natasha said. "Something definitely happened here. Something ominous."
"At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if many people in this village are dead," Krauser said.
"That would be terrible," Chun-Li commented. Suddenly she heard some footsteps, the woman quickly turning to whoever was coming. "Who's there?"
The group spotted an injured man slowly stepping toward them, one who could barely keep himself up.
"He looks hurt," Krauser noted, then walked over to the guy. "Hey, you alright? What happened here?"
"Krauser, stay back!" Leon warned. The man had lunged to attack Krauser, but Leon was quick to shoot him in the head, killing what he had become quite easily.
"Didn't see that coming," Krauser commented, shaking off the attempted attack. "For a moment, that man didn't even look human. He looked more like-"
"A monster?" Natasha asked. "Now you know what we're dealing with."
"...So, this is what Umbrella's virus does?" Krauser asked, lightly kicking the corpse.
"Stay away from him, headshots don't always kill these things right away," Natasha warned.
"That's unexpected to hear," Krauser said.
Leon seemed a bit concerned, "Is it me? Or did that one seem different?"
"Different how?" Chun-Li asked.
Natasha heard some moaning, then turned around to spot more incoming zombies. "Talk later! Open fire!"
Leon quickly aimed his handgun and fired, with Krauser assisting. Natasha pulled out her submachine guns and fired at some more oncoming zombies.
"Where did they all come from!?" Chun-Li asked.
"You fire one bullet, the others hear," Leon said, firing away. "I hope you brought your own gun."
"Of course," Chun-Li said, pulling a handgun out. "I never really use it much since I rely on my Kung-Fu more but-"
"My advice, don't take any unnecessary risks," Leon said. "Just shoot them and only get in close if you have no choice."
"Or if it's safe," Natasha kicked one back and fired. "Ammo can dwindle quickly in times like these. You have to use logical thinking."
"I fully intend to," Chun-Li aimed her gun and fired at the zombies, taking several out with quick headshots.
"We better find that guide before it's too late," Krauser said.
"Right, let's hurry," Leon said as the four ran through a nearby ally toward what looked to be a bazaar.
Unfortunately they came across many more zombies, and worked together to shoot down their enemies.
"Blow their heads off!" Krauser ordered, taking a few out with some well-timed headshots, ensuring it would be enough to kill them.
Chun-Li fired at a few, turning to ensure they weren't ambushed, and kept up her offense. "These things are a lot creepier than I expected."
"You get used to it," Natasha said, killing a bunch. "Not sure if that's a good or bad thing though."
"It keeps us alive!" Leon said, shooting a few more.
"Not bad, comrades," Krauser said, taking one out. "If this is the most Umbrella's virus can do, we've got nothing to worry about."
"Don't get too comfortable," Natasha warned, firing away at the last zombie. "Anything can happen in a time like this."
"I don't suppose anyone has a census report?" Chun-Li hoped. "Might give an idea of how many zombies we might come across."
"This village doesn't seem as big as Raccoon City, so hopefully not a lot," Leon said as everyone continued down the alley. "That being said, it's still more than enough to take out anyone who's not paying close attention."
"Figured it wouldn't be that easy, but I think we'll be fine," Chun-Li said. "Let's just stick together and-"
A zombie lunged at the fighter, with Leon quickly shooting it dead, this encounter briefly startling Chun-Li.
"Are you hurt?" Leon asked, going to check on the woman.
"I can't believe I almost let myself get killed," Chun-Li commented, then turned her attention to Leon. "I'm fine, thanks. I owe you for that."
"You'll get your chance to return the favor," Leon said, gesturing Chun-Li along. "Come on."
"I'm right behind you," Chun-Li said, following Leon.
As they came across another section of the town, they found themselves surrounded by more oncoming zombies. The four fired away, keeping the zombies at a safe distance away from them. They came across an ally, one Leon gestured everyone through.
"This way!" Leon ordered as everyone kept firing as they continued their retreat.
There was a fence blocking the way, but it mattled little as each of them hopped over, starting with Krauser, the man making sure the coast was clear. Natasha and Chun-Li were next with Leon going last.
"This is one hell of a mess we're in," Krauser said.
"And it's only just the start," Natasha said, stepping back the moment the zombies attacked the fence. Their combined force broke their way through, once again in pursuit of the quartet.
"I got this!" Chun-Li channeled her chi. "Kikoken!"
Using her abilities, she blasted the group of zombies, killing them instantly, and impressing everyone.
"I feel so much better having you around," Leon said. "Never did an assignment like this with a super powered person."
"Technically, Clint has powers," Natasha said. "He's keen eyed."
"I mean someone with actual super strength and stuff," Leon said. "Like how Jill Valentine had Spider-Man and Gambit."
"If you can do that, then we can save a lot of ammo," Krauser said. "You lead the charge and we just keep you covered."
"This kind of thing takes up energy," Chun-Li reminded. "Not that I'll run out too fast, but don't expect me to do everything."
"We won't, this is a team effort," Leon said, leading everyone through a nearby gate. "Come on, we still need to find that informant."
"Hopefully he's still alive," Krauser said. "Especially with these things hiding just about everywhere."
"With any luck, he found somewhere safe to hold up," Chun-Li said.
As they went through the gate, they were ambushed by a pair of giant spiders, startling the group as they opened fire, killing the spiders within seconds.
"I don't suppose that's the local wildlife, is it?" Krauser asked.
"Spiders this big don't exist in South America," Chun-Li said.
"These are also products of the T-Virus," Natasha said. "Leon and I saw a bunch of them in Raccoon City."
"So, those are B.O.W.s too?" Krauser asked. "What a pain."
"From what I've heard, even Spider-Man hated these," Leon said.
"I don't blame him," Natasha said, then heard the gate fly open. "What's happening?'
Three zombies ran at the four, Natasha gunning two down with Leon finishing off the third.
"Sneaky punks," Krauser said, the man then taking a closer look at the zombies. "Wait..."
"What's wrong?" Leon asked.
"These men have snake tattoos," Krauser said. "I saw these in the reports. "The mark of Javier's men, the Sacred Snakes."
"His own men got infected?" Chun-Li asked.
"Looks like it," Leon said. "What is Javier doing with this virus?"
"Was this even intentional?" Natasha asked.
"Hard to say," Chun-Li said, then turned toward a pathway. "There's a village up ahead."
"That much water doesn't look normal, even for a city built on a river," Leon said.
"I bet it's Javier's doing," Krauser said as they walked across the pathway. "Son of a bitch probably opened the water gate."
"You think he expected us?" Leon asked.
"Who knows?" Krauser said. "But, I'm starting to doubt that our guide is still alive."
"If we're not careful, we won't last long either," Leon said.
"Just stay on the path, and away from the water," Natasha said. "The virus can affect aquatic life too."
"Sounds creepy," Chun-Li said, then noticed something moving out of the corner of her eye. "Hello? Anyone there?"
"Did you see someone?" Leon asked.
"I thought I did," Chun-Li cautiously approached the window. "Hello? If anyone's in trouble, we can help."
"Behind you!" Krauser fired at a zombie that attempted to ambush Chun-Li. The sound started to attract more monsters, each of them running toward the group with malicious intent.
"Let's keep moving!" Krauser ordered, providing some cover fire as everyone continued down the path.
As the group continued along the path, they came across yet another problem. One not zombie related, but still a detriment to their survival.
"Great, the river took the bridge out," Krauser said.
Leon looked around for a solution, then took note of a nearby house, "We can go this way." He then noticed something else that was troubling. "Stay clear of the water, I see something in there!"
Natasha took a look herself, noticing a school of fish swimming their way, "Damn, it's a group of Piranhas."
"Those things are trouble enough without the virus," Chun-Li said. "Let's try to stay clear-"
"Crap!" Krauser pulled out his knife and sliced an oncoming piranha that leapt out of the water. "That was close."
Leon shot another that came out of the water, "Hungry little bastards those things are."
"This is going to make me afraid of going back into the water," Chun-Li said.
Natasha turned around to see some oncoming trouble, "And that could make you afraid of land!" A horde of zombies were incoming. Natasha opened fire against them, "Pain in the ass!'
"Get inside, now!" Krauser ordered, everyone quickly leaping into the nearby house.
Once inside, Chun-Li was quick to spot another spider. "Watch out!" Without thinking, she fired at the monster, killing it instantly.
"Can't let your guard down for even a second," Natasha said.
"Tell me about it," Leon said, taking a look around the house. "Hey, I see something." He walked over and found a shotgun, the man taking a second to check if it had bullets or not. "It's completely loaded, and there's some extra shells laying around." He turned to the others, "Uh, does anyone else want it though?"
"You found it, you keep it," Krauser said. "I'm fine with what I have now."
"Thanks," Leon said, loading the weapon and strapping it on.
"Was Raccoon City like this?" Chun-Li asked.
"Pretty much," Leon said. "One wrong move, and it's over. But, on the bright side, at least it's daytime. I had to survive these zombies at night the first time around."
"Enough dawdling, we gotta keep moving before those bastards sniff us out," Krauser said.
"Yeah, let's hurry," Leon said, leading everyone out of the house.
They continued on a path along the river side, having gotten a new way across thanks to Leon's quick thinking. However as they traveled, they heard the groans of a man in pain.
"You hear that?" Krauser asked.
"Yeah, someone's hurt," Natasha said, the woman picking up the pace. "Double time it!"
They ran inside a nearby school, finding an injured man on the ground, with a lot of blood around him.
"That's our guide!" Krauser ran to assist the man, checking on his injuries. "Hey, what happened!?"
"...It was...a girl..." the guide said.
"A girl?" Krauser asked. "What girl?"
"She brought...devils to this village," the guide explained, the man barely able to talk though his injuries. "She escaped...Javier's mansion. I helped her. But then she..."
The man went silent, confusing Krauser for a moment. "Javier's mansion? Where is she now?" The man went limp, much to Krauser's frustration. He checked his pulse, finding nothing, "Shit, he's gone."
"Damn..." Natasha lamented, Leon and Chun-Li feeling just as guilty. "Still, who is this girl he was talking about?"
"Wish I knew," Krauser said. "All we know is that she escaped from Javier's mansion."
"Yeah...you think it was one of those missing girls?" Leon asked.
"The sacred snakes traffic organs on the black market," Krauser explained, disturbing Chun-Li. "So it definitely could have something to do with one of them."
"They do what?" Chun-Li asked.
"You heard right," Krauser said. "This isn't a mission for the faint of heart."
"It's terrible, but it is a money making scheme for these guys," Natasha said. "They know that some people need transplants, so they charge what they can at the expense of desperate people."
"The things some would do for money," Chun-Li said.
"Unfortunately," Leon said.
"Still, our reports did say there was no concrete evidence linking the two," Krauser explained.
"Well now that our guide is dead, she might be our only chance to find Javier's mansion," Leon said, the man looking outside. "There should be a boat by the Church."
"Let's go then," Natasha said.
As the four began to leave, they heard a strange noise behind them. Turning around, they saw a large tentacle retreating into the water, with the guide's body now missing. The only thing left being his blood.
"What's going on!?" Krauser looked to see where the man last was. "Where's the body!?"
"Careful, it looks like there's something in the water," Leon warned. "I doubt it's those Piranhas."
"What else could there-" Natasha's questioning was interrupted when an amphibious monster leapt out of the water, surprising everyone. "Shoot it!"
Leon and Krauser each opened fire, killing the monster within a few shots.
"Wha...what in the world was that!?" Chun-Li asked.
"A frog like creature..." Natahsa commented. "I seem to remember a report about those from Raccoon City. Former UBCS member, Carlos Oliviera encountered them with The X-Men member Gambit, and his would be wife, Applejack. They were said to be similar to the Hunters in the Spencer Mansion that Chris Redfield ran into, only aquatic. Hunter Gammas."
"Glad I didn't run into those," Leon said.
"What difference does it make then and now?" Natasha asked.
"Back then, I would have been a lot less scared," Leon said.
"Less? Are you scared now?" Krauser asked.
"You say that like it's a bad thing," Natasha said. "We're fighting dangerous monsters, who wouldn't be scared? You'd have to be a fool not to fear your own mortality."
"Soldiers can't afford to have fear," Krauser said. "Whatever's scaring the three of you right now needs to go. Otherwise you'll end up dead."
"Krauser, without fear, we would be dead," Natasha said. "There's a blurry line between being fearless, and being stupid."
"Never tackle a situation without fear," Chun-Li said. "Tackle a situation despite your fear. That's what courage is after all."
"Fine, let's just go before we end up surrounded by those undead freaks," Krauser said, making his way out of the school.
"We should follow his lead," Leon said, gesturing the girls along. "Come on."
The group walked along the wooden path, hoping to find the best route to the church. However getting there was proving to be a task in of itself.
"The Church is probably over there," Krauser said, gesturing to the distance.
"Which way should we go?" Leon asked. "Left, or right?"
"Left, it has a sturdy path," Natasha pointed out.
"Right, that might be better for us, now let's go," Leon said, leading his group down the chosen path.
They passed by more of the houses, many of them submerged in the water. It wasn't a pleasant sight, most of this group feeling sympathy for the townsfolk.
"To think, these people were just living normal lives before all this happened," Chun-Li said.
"They're the ones who suffer first when catastrophe strikes," Natasha said. "Which is why we do what we must to prevent this from continuing."
"Honestly, I can't say I have high hopes," Leon said. "The trials in Raccoon City weren't enough to stop this from continuing. Umbrella's been causing more trouble since then."
"How many reported incidents have there been since then?" Chun-Li asked.
"About a month or so after Raccoon City, we found reports of an Umbrella on Sheena Island, a civilization off the coast of Europe," Leon explained. "Under my request, a friend of mine, Ark Thompson, was sent to the island to investigate the facility. An outbreak occurred shortly afterward, but Ark managed to fight his way out of the island, and rescued a pair of kids in the process."
"Shortly after that, an incident occurred on Rockfort Island," Natasha added. "My teammate Hawkeye and another Raccoon City Survivor, Claire Redfield, got caught up in that. It was one big mess."
"This is definitely troubling, but thankfully the incidents seem to be quickly resolved," Chun-Li said.
"Hopefully this can be as well, if at least to keep the virus from spreading," Leon said. "Otherwise-"
"Hey, watch out!" Natasha pulled out some guns and shot at some oncoming piranhas.
"These things again?" Chun-Li fired at them herself, then felt something grabbing her leg. "H-hey!'
"Chun-Li!" Leon saw that a Hunter Gamma grabbed Chun-Li by her ankle. Acting quickly, he pulled his gun out and fired at the monster.
"We need to run!" Krauser warned as more Piranhas started coming.
The group continued on until they arrived at the end of the walkway, right in front of a blue house.
"We're going to have to jump in," Krauser said.
"In there? With the piranhas and those other things?" Chun-Li asked.
"We don't have much choice!" Natasha said, jumping into the water, everyone else following, including a reluctant Chun-Li.
"Damn, it's deep," Leon said, then tried opening a door in front of him. "Locked."
"I got it!" Chun-Li kicked the door open, making their way into what looked like a barn. "Come on!"
As they rushed through, some zombies came up from under the water, with some Hunter Gammas on the roof, coming in through the hole.
"Oh you have got to be kidding!" Leon and his allies opened fire, keeping a distance as they took down the monsters.
One zombie got in close, but Krauser was quick to use his knife to stab the zombie in the head, and kick it back.
Chun-Li hit one zombie with a double palm strike, sending it flying through a door as she used her gun for the rest of them.
One Gamma leapt at Leon, but he was quick to shoot it out of the wait. A second latched onto his arm, but Leon used his knife to cut the creature's tongue off and finished it off with a few more gunshots.
With the enemies defeated, this quartet was quick to make their way outside and once more toward the church.
"Let's go over that roof," Krauser instructed, leading the way to the top of a house.
Upon stepping on top of the structure, a Hunter Gamma had leapt up, blocking the path. The heroes were quick to shoot the creature, and more surrounding the area as they continued on ahead.
"There's the Church!" Krauser noted, gesturing to the Holy Building.
"I sure hope God has our best interest in mind," Natasha said.
The group quickly made their way across the narrow planks, careful as they could be to not fall into the water out of fear of either piranhas, hunter gammas or even an ambushing zombie.
They had fortunately made it to the church, but just as they got close, a giant monster had leapt out of the water and attempted to ram them, the heroes narrowly dodging.
"What the hell was that!?" Krauser asked in disbelief. He aimed his gun, keeping an eye out for the beast. "Where did it go!?"
"I think it's gone," Leon said, keeping his gun aimed too.
"That was terrifying," Chun-Li said. "Do these monsters usually get that big?"
"They do, we've seen it happen," Natasha said. "I don't know where that beast is but it's one more reason to stay away from the water."
"That might have been what got the guide too," Chun-Li said. "Everyone, watch each other's backs."
"We'll be fine, just fire off another one of those Chi attacks the next time you see that thing," Leon said.
"If I get a clear enough shot," Chun-Li said.
Suddenly more Hunter Gammas emerged from the water, one rushed at Natasha, but the woman was quick to kick it back and unloaded her submachine gun into it.
Leon grabbed a shotgun and blasted the remaining few, making things quiet again for the moment. "Damn frogs."
Krauser huffed in relief, then heard something strange, "Anyone hear that?"
Everyone stopped to listen as well, trying to see if they too heard anything.
"I think I hear it," Leon said. "It sounds like singing."
"I guess even a zombie apocalypse won't stop a Church Choir," Natasha said. "Talk about Divine Faith."
"Come on," Chun-Li said, leading everyone inside.
Once through the doors, they spotted the origin of the singing. A woman in a white dress at the end of the church hall.
"Sleep, my love, as the trees above, protect you from the dark. A great river will watch you as you dream until dawn."
"Her voice is beautiful," Chun-Li commented.
"Look," Krauser said, gesturing to what appeared to be a monster waiting in a hole full of water.
"Sleep my love...close your eyes..." The woman sang before falling unconscious.
Suddenly the eyes of the monster listening in changed from a calm blue fade, to an enraged red glow as it turned it's attention to the quartet of soldiers.
"Shit, where do I even shoot!?" Leon exclaimed in worry as he aimed his gun.
"This thing is huge!" Krauser shouted, taking the moment to fire at the monster. "How the hell are we supposed to kill it!?"
"Well, this will be fun," Natasha sarcastically quipped.
"I got this!" Chun-Li jumped to attack but she got whacked by the monster's tentacle and sent through the front door of the church and into the water.
"Chun-Li!" Leon went to help but he found himself barely dodging a slam from another tentacle as he rolled in and began firing his handgun at the monster. "Great!"
Having just been submerged in the water, Chun-Li managed to swim to the surface relatively quickly. However she immediately spotted trouble when she found some Gamma swimming her way.
"Of course," Chun-Li lamented as she pulled her gun out and fired at the monsters while trying to swim back to the platform.
Inside the monster kept slamming its tentacles down, trying to do as much damage as it could while the group kept firing.
"We have a better chance fighting this out in the open!" Krauser ordered, leading everyone outside the church.
"Hey freak, come get us if you dare!" Natasha taunted, firing away at the monster. Surprisingly, instead of going after this group, the monster opted to jump back into the water from the nearby hole. "That's not good."
Outside Chun-Li was still seen swimming while trying to keep the Gammas away from her. Suddenly the monster swam past her, sending a chill down the woman's spine.
"That can't be good..." Chun-Li worried.
"Chun-Li! This way!" Leon called, providing cover fire against the Gammas.
"Where's that monster!?" Krauser shouted as he kept his gun aimed.
"Not sure, it went into the water, so it can pop out at any..." Natasha took note of the creature swimming fast toward Chun-Li. "There it is! Kill it!"
Natasha quickly fired her dual SMGs with Krauser's assistance while Leon kept his own cover fire, reaching his hand out toward Chun-Li. "Quick, grab on!"
Chun-Li reached for Leon's hand, but found herself grabbed by the monster, "Gah!"
"NO!" Leon aimed his shotgun at the monster's head. "Let go of her!"
Chun-Li squirmed a bit, maneuvering her arm just enough so she could reasonably shoot the monster, helping in damaging it long enough for her to be set free.
Falling back into the water, Chun-Li quickly swam for the platform, Leon being more successful in helping her up, "I owe you for that."
"Just help us kill this thing and we'll call it even!" Leon said, resuming his fire until the monster submerged in the water. "Where did it go!?"
Everyone stood close together, making sure that the monster wasn't about to sneak up on them.
"How did we lose track of something so big!?" Krauser asked.
"You'd be amazed," Natasha said, then heard something emerge from the water. The monster leapt at them, the group quickly leaping out of the way and firing at the creature, hoping to kill it.
"Why won't it die!?" Krauser shouted.
"These things take a while to kill," Natasha said, firing away some more. "Shouldn't be too much longer now."
The monster tried to swipe at them, with Chun-Li running underneath it's legs and then leaping to kick it, stumbling it back. "Keep firing, I'll weaken!"
The monster got in close but Chun-Li delivered another kick, knocking it further back.
"Nice moves!" Natahsa said, then ran in with a kick of her own to the creature's face.
"You girls are such show-offs," Leon playfully teased as he fired away on his shotgun.
The aquatic monster tried slamming down at the group, everyone jumping out of the way.
"This thing is too stubborn to die!" Krauser said.
While getting up, Leon saw an opportunity. "Shoot the bell!"
"Uh, is that a good idea?" Chun-Li asked. "What if we make God mad?"
"If we're truly sorry, he'll forgive us!" Leon said, keeping the monster back with gunshots. "But I think God wants us to live!"'
"Yeah, someone's gotta save the world from what's to come," Chun-Li said, then aimed her gun. "Open fire!"
The group began firing at the church bell, destroying part of the church as it collapsed on the monster. While this plan didn't kill the monster, it at least caused the behemoth to retreat into the water and swim away.
"Great, it's still alive," Natasha said.
"At least it's gone for now," Krauser said.
"Hey, let's check on that girl," Chun-Li urged as she and the others ran towards the young woman.
"Is she still alive?" Krauser asked.
Natasha checked the girl's pulse, waiting a few seconds before verifying it, "She's alive, but she's unconscious."
"We should wait until she wakes up," Chun-Li said. "If we leave her here, she'll be in danger."
"And if we try to move her without a proper medical diagnostic, we could do more harm than good," Natasha said.
"Still, was she just singing?" Chun-Li asked. "And was the monster listening?"
"Maybe it's a new way to calm them?" Natasha asked. "I'm not one for karaoke though."
"Same," Chun-Li said.
"Hey," Krauser said, getting their attention. "So, you weren't making this Raccoon City thing up after all, were you?"
"No, it happened," Leon said.
"So, you've fought these things before?" Krauser asked.
"Me and Natasha have," Leon said.
"Along with Hawkeye and a girl named Claire," Natasha said.
"Look...fill me in," Krauser said. "I need to know what you've been through. Everything."
"I'd like to know too," Chun-Li said.
Leon turned to Natasha, the woman shrugging it off.
"Might as well tell them," Natasha said. "We got time, and it might help them understand the situation."
"Alright, I'll start at the beginning," Leon said. "My fight against B.O.W.s all started in a zombie infested ghost town. Raccoon City."
Leon began to reminisce as he began to recall the Memories of a Lost City. Their fight was not done, but a reprieve was necessary, until full comprehension was met.