SEPT PROMPT: TIME TRAVEL/GAS STATIONS /ROLE REVERSAL/ANNIVERSARY GIFT/RACOONS/RED THREAD OF FATE
OPTIONAL GENRE/THEMES: ROMANCE/SCI-FI/TRAGEDY
Leon and Claire are on the run, escaping from their captor. An unexpected event happens, ending up with both of them to be misplaced into another whole new world.
#Post-Resident Evil 7 #Post-Resident Evil: Village, Post-Final Fantasy 7 #Post-Final Fantasy: Advent #Soulmate #Red String of Fate #Parallel Universe
Note: Here is my ambitious submission for September. It's 1st attempt with crossover. This writing piece excerpts from yet unreleased series. It only focuses on the prompt 'Red Thread of Fate'. Therefore, no elaborate discussion of what going on with Leon and Claire's current predicament.
The Crossover
"Claire, sweetheart. We have to keep moving."
Claire sat on the rocky surface floor sideways with her languid body pressed against the damp wall. Her legs were tucked in closer to her body. It looked like she attempted to make herself small for some reason, even though she still had her handgun firmly clutched in her hand. Eyes closed, her mouth slightly open. Leon noticed her breathing was shallow. His heart went to his wife, she was trying her best not only to combat the fatigue but also to withstand the injuries she sustained after being held hostage since last week.
He retreated from the cave entrance and trudged toward her, evidently by the way his boot scrapped the earth on the ground floor. It described the invisible weight on his shoulder, particularly when he had to ask her to get moving again. All come to the circumstance that if they extended their stay at the moment, the one who was chasing them would gain their position. He gathered her bloodied hand causing her eyes to flutter open. A warm feeling spread across his chest as he was bestowed by his wife's angelic comforting smile.
"Are we home?", asked Claire weakly.
His lips curved into a small smile as he replied to her with tenderness, "Not yet. We have to cross the field to get to the other side of the hill. That's the rendezvous location."
"Okay."
His left arm encircled her upper abdomen and hauled her to her feet. His forehead creased when he heard a faint suppressed whimper. Seeing the worried look manifested on his face, she immediately soothed him with a little peck on his lips. The pad of her thumb rubbed the dried blood at the corner of his mouth. An aftereffect when he got sucker punched by one of the BOWs. He noticed her concerning warmth radiating from her skin but he ignored it. Too elated because of their little kiss.
"I'm okay. Let's go."
The dirt of the cave flooring crushed under their confidence march to the cave entrance. It was pitch dark, the only source of light was the moon and the stars adorned the obsidian sky. They both stood overlooking the silhouette of the horizon. The vast meadow stretched to the small patch of forest at the foot of the hill. Their being miles away from civilization made the galaxy that far away feel closer.
"It an open ground. The best is to move fast. If possible."
"Run?"
Leon nodded in agreement. Without delay, they descended the small slops and started building the pace of their steps. As they neared halfway through the meadow, the sky gradually turned shades to green at the bottom and magenta at the top that danced slowly as it made its presence known. It continued to dance where the lime green color shade shifted to neon in gradient. Leon did not know that he would be witnessing the aurora phenomenon during summer in the southern hemisphere. This was a whole new experience. That was an understatement. The ethereal light dispersed completely now with only luminous neon green. Leon felt that the light was a lot closer than just in the sky. Claire noticed the same happening. They both agreed silently that the light was chasing them. Claire spoke out under her rugged breath.
"Er...Leon?"
Taking a glimpse at her, he knew she was struggling. "Faster, Claire."
When the about third quarter of the field, the light flew passed through them, encircling them. This did not feel like Aurora, this was something else. He wondered if the scientist shot him with some hallucinogenic drugs while he was out of consciousness an hour ago.
Have the people who abducted Claire developed another kind of weapon besides zombies?
The fuck...
When he looked to the left, Claire was not beside him anymore. The small hair on the back of his neck rose as cold sweat ran down his temple. He was panicking. His face met the grass floor as he stumbled on his feet when he abruptly stopped running. Climbing to his feet hastily, he ran back to search for his wife.
"Claire!"
The dancing light did not go away instead it trailed him. His surroundings were nothing but an ocean of bright light with brilliance of luminous green. His search for his wife was aimless, up until a thin red-colored thread gradually started to form in the air with one end slithered around his hand and tied a knot around his thumb. He ignored it at first, however, it caught his attention when the other end actively propagated across the dancing lights. His consciousness was pervaded with this mystic calling echoing that the red thread was his only wayfinding to Claire. He refused to believe it was a miracle, regardless he could not be happier with abundant relief when the red thread brought him to his wife. Lying limp on the grass unconscious, Claire did not provide any reaction when the red thread slithered around her hand and eventually tied a knot to her little finger. Kneeling beside her, he gathered her close to his chest. He shook her body to rouse her but was no avail. The handgun that she held just now it nowhere to be seen, prompting him to grip his tighter.
Leon noticed particles of brilliance white come floating in the dancing lights like dandelion seeds being blown in the air. All of a sudden foreign voices reached him, chattering and laughing. The grass underneath began to flood with the same brilliance whites. The voices became clearer and comprehensible.
"Yuffie this is not funny. You could hurt Marlene."
When he heard the masculine voice, instinctively he raised his handgun aiming forward in high alert searching for a point to shoot. He had no idea but the action gave him security. It had gotten more confusing when he heard the soft giggling of a child and high high-pitched voice of a girl arguing.
"Oohh... relax Cloud. It's not that bad."
"Yeah, Cloud. It's not that bad."
What the hell is going on?
His agitation heightened because everything that happened around him was overwhelming. Particles of the brilliance whites grew larger eventually enveloping the luminous green that once surrounded him and Claire. The grass that was completely covered with brilliance whites mystically displaced with a body of water. Leon cocked the handgun, left and right trying to aim at the voice he hearing. Once green luminescence, now they were both baths in the white light. Their surrounding grew brighter and brighter, beads of droplet water raised from below danced around them. Defuse together to the glowing white light until it swallowed both of them all and exploded till it became a luster of glitter.
"Wahh... So beautiful."
"Marlene, get back."
With the handgun still drawing forward, Leon squeezed his eyes to adjust his sight. The blinding light dissipated and slowly he flickered his eyes open. The surroundings once a blackened night in the wilderness were now replaced with a dining hall that shone by the orange glow of the early setting sun.
All the residents' eyes locked on him and Claire, their faces full of astonishment and immense surprise. Feeling protective, Leon pulled Claire closer to his chest and returned their look with his hand-armed handgun aiming at them. Even so, there was a little girl aged around 8 and a boy a couple of years older was hiding behind a lady with long raven hair who was in full alert ready in a fighting stance. Next to her on the right was a man with the most striking appearance, his flaxen hair was jutted outward and his eyes were luminous bluish-green color. Leon swored it was the same color as the dancing light that engulfed them earlier. The man drew out his magnanimous sword which was nearly the same height as the man was. Regardless of the hostile standoff, both Leon and his opposition exuded calm exteriors. The only person displaying a more cordial demeanor was the short-haired girl, probably in her late teens was holding a few colorful some sort of glass beads, with her mouth slightly open in reaction to their unannounced arrival.
"Oops... This is not... supposed to be happening.", said the short-haired girl.
"Drop the gun.", ordered the swordsman.
"No fucking way. Your weapon first." Leon warned in a low voice, matching the swordman's manacing demand.
Both did not yield to each other's requisition. Stillness took over the room. The sound of dripping water from one of the pipe leaks from above into the flooded floor became the most prominent. Leon bit down the cold since his lower body was soaked in the stagnant water. Claire had it worse, because of huge part of her body was submerged in the water since she was lying on the floor. Leon had to act quickly before both of them would suffer from hypothermia. In the end, Leon chose to break the silence.
"Where are we? Is this place, Munizaga?"
Leon called out the name of the last village he passed before he ventured out to the deep ends of Patagonia looking for his wife.
"It's... not. This is Edge."
"What? Edge..." Bewildered expression painted on Leon's face. He did not recall any place, village, or city named Edge in his briefing or dossier provided by Hunnigan.
"Yeah. Edge. We are just outside Midgar. Where are you both from?"
Either the short-haired girl failed to read the room or was too eager for the newfound discovery about the ability of teleportation, not just from their world but from another universe. It left Leon wondering, in contrast to the swordsman he was getting impatient.
"Yuffie, now it's not the time."
"The lady looks sick, Tifa.", said the boy, peeping from behind the lady he shielded off.
Not long after followed by a small girly voice from the same direction. "Tifa, I'm scared."
"It's okay, honey". Leon discerned the long-haired lady named Tifa, her gentle assurance to the child reminded him of his wife.
"Drop the gun. Last warning."
Leon was about to return the heat up until he heard the soft call from Claire.
"Leon?" She called his name but was also followed by whimpers of pain.
"I'm here."
Cradling her face, he pleaded desperately. "Claire. Claire." He secured his gun in the holster and looked up, "Please. Help."
"Cloud."
Leon picked up the exchanged looks between Tifa and the swordsman, that she called Cloud. Even there was no words were spoken, truthfully they understood each other. Cloud nodded and sheathed back his sword. Cloud then transposed himself shielding the children whilst Tifa advanced toward Leon and Claire's position. Kneeling beside Claire, not only did Leon notice Tifa's eyes were the same color as Claire's turtleneck but they were also filled with genuine care and concern.
Tifa instructed, "Follow me."
Immediately, Leon held her by the shoulder and hooked his hand under the back of her knees, he heaved Claire up. The water splashed under the weight of their hasty steps. Tifa led them towards the back, passing the bar counter and turning to the left. Behind the concealed wall located a staircase leading to the upper floor. The whole interior of the building looked bare and basic, industrial-looking to be exact. Despite being a quick and short journey, his muscle memory kicked in. In his head, he scanned the room and digested as many as inputs in order to help him construct an escape plan if things went sideways.
"Where to?"
"Upstairs. Need to lay her down."
Leon was so surprised at how coolheaded he was right now despite his heart being in a sprint. His voice when he inquired Tifa about the direction they heading did not interpret how apprehensive he was about the current situation. Thankfully the coldness numbed the fiery pain in his shoulder. As he ascended the stairs, Leon took a glimpse of Claire when he felt she shuddered in his arms and her flushed face became a growing concern. There a trailing steps from behind indicating the children, Cloud and Yuffie were following him and Tifa.
After pushing one of the room doors wide open, Tifa advanced further into the room along with Yuffie and the children. Only Cloud stopped short by the door in which Leon took note of his polite manner. As Tifa pulled the bedspread, she instructed Leon briskly.
"Lay her here."
Without delay, Leon gently laid Claire on the single bed that was covered with soft red checkered beddings. A wooden mannequin of a giant bird painted in gold stood on the nightstand, one of the picture frames was Cloud, Marlene, and Denzel. Leon's guess was Tifa was the one who took the picture. With multiple boxes of plushies and stuffed animals decorating by the window sill, in addition to another single bed, he was convinced the room belonged to the children.
Tifa turned to Cloud and said, "Cloud, get the first aid kit. Also, they both need fresh clothes."
"I can help the clothes for the lady.", volunteered Marlene.
"Thank you, Marlene. And Denzel, help me get some warm water."
"On it." While the children scrambled to do their tasks, enthusiastic to help, Leon detected Cloud's reluctance to leave. Leon did not blame the guy. Their sudden appearance was not only bizarre but also suspicious.
"Cloud, please." Tifa pleaded.
"Okay."
Leon's action of unbuttoning Claire's blazer raised some questionable looks from Tifa and Yuffie, both standing on the other side of the bed. His self-consciousness kicked in, he felt the need to explain so he instantly clarified, "She's my wife."
Tifa nodded and Yuffie proceeded to help Leon remove Claire's boots. Even though he was careful, Claire groaned in pain when he tried to free her arm from the blazer's sleeve. Her sleeve rode up showing a deep cut around her wrist that was enameled with dried blood, the cut was bordered with dark blue bruises. The same indentations were on her other wrist. A gasp from Yuffie proved that she had discovered them on her ankles too.
Leon's automatic response was to catch Tifa's hand upon seeing her reaching for the hem of Claire's turtleneck. His prudence for Claire's sake was overridden by his own agitation. Realizing that he was in the wrong, he quickly released Tifa's hand and apologized. Tifa lifted the piece of clothes and was entreated with a large gruesome laceration below Claire's rib. Fresh blood still bled out from the orifice.
A pained expression was visible on Tifa's face, so she could not help but ask. "What happened to her?"
"The people who took her did it. We just escaped from the lab that got her before-"
"What lab?" All heads turned to the door. Cloud's question became the center of attention, his low voice evinced abhorrence and hatred. Both Tifa and Yuffie were visibly perturbed. Denzel who just now quietly waited next to Yuffie after delivering the water, ran out towards Cloud who stood by the door. Next to him was Marlene holding the clothes, her brows knitted together describing distress.
Did these people know Claire's captor?
Leon cradled Claire's face upon hearing the sound of chattering teeth. It was not water, but a thin layer of precipitation sheening on her forehead. Heat radiated from her skin became more prominent, the shivering was not from the coldness. The assured telltale sign that Claire truly had a fever. This induced the upheaval of Leon's disposition. In addition to Tifa's next proclamation.
"I think she running a fever."
Fever.
Time. Time would tell about the infection. Yes, all Leon needed was time. To be with Claire if this was their last time and Leon did not plan to stay afterwards. His brain was cracking plan. Even if it was a shit plan, he would roll with it. His worry was Cloud. There was something about him that was unsettling, yet he could not pinpoint what it was. Although the two ladies were helpful and kind, Leon knew that they were not to be taken lightly. Since Leon was guessing Yuffie was the one who transported him and Claire, he thought Yuffie was capable of manipulating the supernatural ability.
Tifa on the other hand was an athletically built woman, not someone who was waiting tables in the establishment or babysitting the children in her free time. Her hands were calloused and her stance earlier was firmed, explanatory notes that Tifa knew how to fight. Leon had taken account of how the children attached to Cloud and Tifa. Looking at how they interact, not to mention the pictures and children's drawings decorated on the wall indicating the pair share a special bond with both Denzel and Marlene.
Leon ran out of options. He yearned for absolute confirmation that his wife was infected before radical action was taken. Nonetheless, he was torn between his self-satisfaction and the viral endangerment of those innocents who helped him and Claire.
Following Tifa walking toward the door, Yuffie suggested, "I think it better to use the healing materia."
"That's probably not such a bad idea."
"I go get it then.", said Yuffie walking out passed them at the door.
Isolation. Yes, isolation is required. He had to detain Cloud first. Leon needed to keep Tifa here because the swordsman listened to her. Regardless Cloud had his own opinion, he still reasoned with the crimson-eyed lady. This was the only way for him not to crash the door. This was the only way he could keep control of the situation. Leon would explain to Tifa later, he was positive she would understand.
Pushing away from the bed, Leon threaded Tifa's steps casually. Right the moment Tifa was about to retrieve the clothes from Marlene, Leon feigned a frontal attack towards the child making Cloud grab Marlene backward and shield her with Denzel behind him. The opportunity Leon was looking for. Cloud was preoccupied therefore Leon yanked Tifa and twaisted her hand toward her back. Leon expeditiously hooked his foot to the door and kicked it to shut close. The clothes and the first-aid kit fell to the floor, as Tifa's body thudded against the door when Leon shoved her harshly. Immobilizing the door with their weight combined, Leon unholstered his handgun and pressed its nozzle to the back of Tifa's head.
"Crashed the door and I killed her!" Leon yelled at the top of his lungs. His heart thrummed against his ribcage. It was fear, and he felt that Cloud could sense it. However, deep inside he prayed that Cloud was sensible, hoping he get the message across.
"What are doing!?" Tifa said in disbelief.
A bead of sweat ran down from his temple, Leon's voice was rough when he explained. "I need to buy some time. It's Claire."
"And you think this would be a good idea? You're no match to him."
"But, he listens to you." With that remark was enough to prompt Tifa to slightly turn her head glancing at Leon. "Please."
Right then, both of their names were called from the other end by a clear sound voice, with the recognition that carries the meaning only the respective pairs would understand.
"Tifa."
"Leon."
To be continued...