Chapter Text
"Ah!" Leon cried out, stumbling back in alarm as what he had previously mistaken for gunpowder in the sparsely lit storage room clearly was not. The bottle's plastic factory label was stained and peeling, making it hard to read, but it resembled the same containers he had already come across numerous times before all around the station. Yet, when he opened it, a white powder burst up into the air as if it were primed to explode. Whether it was some tasteless prank or a defective chemical that was poorly placed, he couldn't tell but as that powder hit his face, it was too late for him to draw away. He held his breath, but could not shield his eyes in time.
They burned. It was the kind of burn he could only associate with swimming too long in a pool with too much chlorine in the water. A chemically sort of burn that hurt worse when he tried to open his eyes, but he had no water to rinse it out with and no medical personnel to seek help from. He tried to use his sleeve to clear the powder away from his face to no avail. He could only assume it was all over him.
"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" The rookie cursed over and over again as his mind raced. Mentally, he tried to remember which direction the dark room was in, hopeful that some sort of chemical cleaning station might be there. He was at least thankful enough that he had cleared this hallway already but the eerieness of walking it completely blind was still incredibly terrifying. Each step was slow and meticulous as he mentally mapped the floor out in his head, trying to visualize everything he may run into along the way so he could confirm he was headed in the right direction. Sliding his hand along the wall with his knife securely in his other, he inched his way out into the hallway, feeling the disgusting sticky and crusted evidence of all the death that clung to the walls. Brain matter, blood, among many other indescribable substances that accompanied this figurative and at times, quite literal, shitshow.
After several cautious steps, he felt his boot catch on the leg of a dead body he had cleared maybe an hour earlier. It still startled him just the same, pitching him forward a little as the rookie was forced to catch himself. His stomach swooped, his heart leapt up in his throat and threatened to choke him with the thunderous weight of his fear. Leon held perfectly still, listening, waiting for something to make a sound. Only rain pattering on the windows outside as a distant storm built up and rolled across the sky. Leon took another step.
Slowly, painstakingly, agonizingly, he inched his way along the wall. What should have only taken him two minutes to reach felt like it took him an entire hour at this rate. Every minute that passed by only furthered that fear that he'll be attacked again by whatever creature decided to wander back this way. When he reached the window at the end of the hall, Leon took a few quick steps, hands extended in front of him to find the railing of the stairs. Once his fingers felt the smooth sturdy wood, he was a little more at ease as he crept that last little bit around the other two dead bodies he put down next to the door leading to the office and dark room.
Once inside, he felt this great wave of relief wash over him. It was shortlived. The lights worked in this room. What little of its presence started to shine through his closed eyelids was almost too painful to bear. His lids fluttered, determined to get the problematic debris out but it was inevitably a failure. Slowly, he inched his way towards the desk, nearly tripping on the wood when his boot hit it hard enough to send him forward. His hip found the corner as it painfully dug into the tender spot with the force of his weight against it. He braced himself with a grimace and shoved himself upright, steadying his posture before he started the tedious task of disarming and undressing himself.
He didn't know what the extent of the powder's contamination was, so all of his upper body garments had to come off. His weapons went first, each piece laid out carefully, cautiously, on the desk then his kevlar vest followed. He dragged it up over his head and laid it out. His arm and shoulder padding, then the button up shirt. He left his white undershirt on for the moment, certain it had remained clean enough due to all the layers he wore already. That and, without it, he would start to feel really cold and exposed around here.
His gloves came off to join the rest of the pile before the rookie officer made his way towards the dark room. He didn't need to bother with the light as his hands searched for anything that could function to help him clean up. As he groped around at the walls, he finally found what he was looking for. He vaguely recalled seeing it the last two times he came in here with the lights on, but trying to pinpoint it exactly was a little hard. Leaning closer, Leon felt out the two little spouts of the eye wash station located against the back wall by the door as his hands searched the frame for the petal trigger. He lined his face up with the spouts and gave it a few pumps. Cold saline solution gushed out with the force of his pumping motions, encouraging him to continue as it sprayed his eyes and cheeks. Leon slowly tried to open his eyes despite the pain it caused him to do just that, and kept pumping the petal with his hand. The solution hit the sensitive surface, drawing a groan out of his chest.
It stung terribly at first but then, after a few seconds, the worst of the burn started to abate. Unfortunately, the solution ran out before he was finished. He pumped at it more forcefully but only tiny little trickles managed to sputter up before it was gone for good.
"God damn it!" He hissed through his teeth. "There's got to be something else here."
Desperately, he searched his mind, trying to recall everything he had seen in this room the last time he was here.
'The sink!'
That's right. There was a sink. At the opposite end. He just hoped there was enough running water for him to finish cleaning up with. Carefully, he made his way towards the other end, fingers blindly searching for the rim of the sink when they met the cool metal frame. It took him a few more seconds to find the faucet knobs. He gave them a twist, they squeaked in protest with every turn as the rusty old metal was forced to function at his whims. The pipe gurgled, a hollow unnerving sound, before a trickle of water gushed out. It was short lived, foul smelling and clearly stagnant from sitting in the lower pipes for far too long. Another hollow ringing sound was the final swing of the ax for him.
'No water.' Leon could only imagine how many busted pipes contributed to the low pressure and mild flooding all over this building thanks to extensive damage from the monsters that roamed these halls. There were the showers upstairs but that area was prone to other things creeping around that he feared running into. The only other water source he could think of was somewhere across the building, and his chances of reaching it like this were slim.
Thunder rumbled. It shook the whole building with its aggravation as it growled like some beast across the sky. The rain came down harder upon the city. Leon shivered with the cold reminder that this storm was only just beginning.
'Wait- the storm!'
It was guaranteed to be safe clean water. Anything right now was better than getting chemical burns from having this shit all over his body. Shuffling back towards the previous room, he took his knife from the pile and crept his way back towards the door. There was a large window just on the other side of the stairs railing. He just had to climb outside for a few minutes, let the rain soak him down to get that shit off of his skin and then quickly climb back in before anything noticed he was out there. It shouldn't be too hard.
Getting the window open without breaking the glass was its own struggle, but eventually he found the small brass latch and flicked it to the side. The shutters swung open with more force than he expected with the howling wind of the storm beating against the side of the building. He jolted a little, surprised as cold rain splattered his chest. It soaked into the white cotton fabric of his shirt, chilling his already wind nipped skin. Bracing himself for the worst, Leon climbed carefully over the windowsill. It was even colder than he anticipated. He felt like he had dove into an ice bath as the pouring rain washed over him. It pelted his face and the exposed skin hard enough to hurt, feeling like borderline hail. He tilted his face up towards the sky and felt the water wash the warm quickly cooling tears down his face that leaked from his aching eyes. It didn't take much longer before he started to shiver.
He tried to open his eyes just a little, but the pain was still too much. His eyes fluttered firmly shut in protest. All Leon could do was wait and hope it'll get better on its own if he rests a little while. Surely it couldn't hurt to just take a little break. He could barricade the room and let his clothes hang out to try and dry a little in the meantime. Reaching back for the windowsill, a long rolling wave of thunder broke overhead. The lightning that preceded it flashed in Leon's face, driving a jarring white light through his eyes as the rookie smothered a pained cry. His cold damp hands cupped his face as the torrent of thunder rattled the whole building right to its foundations. He sank back until his shoulders were slouched against the wall as he breathed through the sharp stabbing sensation that pierced his skull.
The rain was unyielding. It drove bone aching chills through his body as it continued to pelt him all over. Leon's teeth started to chatter as he gripped the windowsill now for the second time and hauled himself over the ledge to the safety and shelter of the building. He managed to shut and latch the glass shutters, sliding the bolt in place. A cold unnerving chill raced down the officer's spine, making his back feel tight with an anxious knot forming inside his chest. It felt like something was watching him. He stilled completely and listened, ears straining for any sound or sign that he wasn't alone. Only the terrifying sense of something being far too close for his comfort filled his veins with an ice cold terror.
The door to safety was right there. Just a few short steps away. He wasn't sure if he was willing to risk it. For all he knew, this creature could be one of those licker monsters. Any sound, any sort of movement and he was as good as dead. A cold draft ghosted across his spine as an errant wind howled against the window. It rattled ominously as another blinding bolt of lightning cut across the sky. Leon squeezed his eyes shut even harder, smothering a whimper in his throat. A pair of large hands fell to rest upon his shoulders as he was seized by his soaking wet shirt. The water dripped between the creature's large monstrous fingers as the officer was hauled right up and off his feet. His hands flew to grapple the thick meaty fists that held him there. They were cold and clad in a tight leather, just like the rest of what Leon assumed was its arm. Like a giant man.
A heavy grunt rumbled out of the monster's chest. The hot breath curled against Leon's cheek for a few seconds before it grew cold again. He braced for pain. For the inevitable bite of massive teeth tearing into his throat. He considered his options, of reaching for the knife on his belt but the tight hold on his shoulder made it impossible to drop his arm to reach it. He was helpless. Completely at this creature's mercy, and he wouldn't even get a chance to see what sort of nightmare fueled monstrosity had the pleasure of taking his life in this hellish place. A strangled sound left his throat as he hovered there, dangling with his feet above the ground, while the monster-
It didn't attack yet. Occasionally the warm breath would grace his cheek as it….studied him? Leon squirmed, the cold droplets of rain water fell from the ends of his soaking wet hair sending shivers through his whole body. His fingers gripped the creature's arms as tightly as he could to try, though futile as it were, to alleviate some of the tension in how it held him.
"Please." The sound slipped out of his throat. Barely a squeak quickly overlapped by the massive rumble of thunder above. His shivering worsened until his teeth were chattering with the series of chills running through his whole body. Slowly, the hand on his left shoulder drew away as the rookie was lowered until his boots were back on firm ground. He still couldn't reach for the knife like this but it let him grab at the remaining arm that kept a vice on him. The creature's free hand pressed against his face, not too forceful but terrifying all the same as Leon sucked in a deep breath and held it. What felt like a thumb brushed over his cheek causing tender shocks of pain where the skin felt sunburnt. A hiss slipped through clenched teeth. The touch rose along his jaw towards his eyes. The first brush of fingers near his left eye caused Leon to flinch his head back with a gasp.
"No!" He blurted without thinking. "Stop!" The creature paused, the weight of those fingers hovering near his temple as the cold moisture dripped down his face. After a few thunderous heartbeats hammering away at his ribcage making everything feel tight and panicked, the pressure near his eyes returned. One large finger brushed at the swollen tender skin, dragging a sharp cry from the officer as the creature tried to make his eyelid open for some strange reason. Pain like an icepick digging into his skull burrowed into his eye as the cold air and dampness started to creep in. His eyelid fluttered reflexively, fighting the attempts to make them open against their will.
"Aaahh!" Leon pulled his head back as far as he could to get away from the probing touch of the creature. Hot tears spilled down his face as he heaved large gulps of air and breathed through the discomfort.
"STOP! PLEASE!" He begged, the volume rising substantially as if his pleas could challenge the storm beyond these worn and bloodied walls. The hand on his face withdrew it's attention from his eyes and instead brushed its fingers through his soaking wet hair. Leon felt like his knees were going to give out or he was going to be sick. He didn't know what would come first.
His eyes ran rivulets of tears down his cheeks, dripping off of his chin in the face of the renewed agitation. The strange creature had some weird fascination of sorts as he combed back the rookie's hair from his face where it dangled down in front of his eyes. His forehead felt a little bit naked with the new messily slicked back style. A moment past before strong arms encircled his hips before hoisting the young officer up over its large sturdy shoulder.
"Jesus christ!" He hissed as the hard edges of the creature's frame met his gut. His arms dangled over the back as one hand cupped his rear end for better stability. The firm hand that easily groped both of his ass cheeks in the same caress was as startling as it was mind boggling. As they vacated the hallway, Leon felt his knife which was the last form of defense he had against these monsters, get pulled off of his belt. He listened for any sound of it getting tossed aside but the heavy groaning footsteps of the large man like monster were too loud to hear much of anything else. Any attempt to wiggle free was fruitless. He didn't know where they were going, what this creature was, or even what it was going to do with him. He was honestly too afraid to ask.
Leon's shivering started to get worse and then there was light beyond his eyelids. A sickly orangish tan light. It took him a moment to realize they were possibly back in the main hall of the police station. It didn't comfort him much when even this faint light hurt him. He buried his head in his hands and whimpered against the creature's back. Its hold on him loosened a little, then he felt his body being dragged down until he was cradled in the creature's powerful arms. A hard flat surface met his legs then he was resting on what he recognized to be one of the cots that were tucked behind the receptionist center. The sound of crates rustled around him as the creature pawed through the large heavy boxes.
The officer folded his arms around himself and kept his head tucked down close to his chest to avoid the worst of the light. His nose ran as he sniffled against the cold. The shivering had yet to stop. Leon jerked at the loud thump of a crate getting tossed aside. It grated on his nerves as questions filled his mind. What exactly did it want with him? What was it looking for?
A thud of a boot before his spot stirred his attention back towards the creature's presence. A glove pressed against his neck. Something cool and leather like a belt strap encircled it.
'Fuck! No!' Recognition clicked in his brain as the buckle was synched down. His hands flew up to stop it as he kicked his leg out and flailed against the creature. His fingers overlapped the leather in a panic when something else puzzled him. The strap wasn't long. It had a small flat metallic placard and a clip attachment for-
For a K-9 badge.
This wasn't a belt it intended to strangle him with. This was one of the dog collars left lying around from the kennels. The strap wasn't made too tight before the creature buckled it securely in place. Leon felt his face heat up at the realization.
'Is it- am I just some pet to it?' He had half a mind to be pissed off but what good exactly would that do? He still wasn't sure if it understood anything he was saying or if it was simply guessing his feelings based on the noisy reactions he made earlier. What even was this thing? It baffled him.
There was a bit more rustling around, then a weighty click lightly tugged on the end of the collar. Leon's fingers followed it to find a handler's leash attached to the D-ring.
'Great.' He huffed. The only thing he could hope for was that this meant he could walk around on his own two feet instead of constantly being carried like a sack of potatos.
Another loud thump hit the floor. Leon could only imagine how much more trashed this area looked after the creature finished rummaging through everything. A minute or two later, something was dropped into his lap. One felt….dry and very much like a sweatshirt of some kind. He ran his fingers over it until he found what felt like what may have been an RPD badge logo over the breast. The other thing was something Leon had only ever seen in training but never actually used. A mylar blanket.
He took his wet shirt off and tried to wring it out the best he could, letting all the water drip out from between his fingers into a puddle between his boots. When he felt like he got it as dry as he could, and between wincing at the tender burnt feeling that dotted the tips of his fingers, he pulled the shirt back on over his head. Then followed it with the RPD sweatshirt that was at least two sizes too big on him. He had to fish the leash out from where it was hidden under his clothes to avoid any awkward snagging before wrapping himself up in the thermal foil emergency blanket.
There were a few more noisy thumps, this time further away as the creature scoured just about every crate and case in the room. Leon's shivering had just begun to abate when those heavy footfalls returned to his side with their ominous thump thump thump. The creature hardly made a sound. A soft grunt greeted the rookie as the large hand brushed along his cheek to once again try to pull his bangs out of his eyes. Leon held completely still. The fear clenching his heart never really fading. How long would this gentle act continue? How long until it snaps and decides to kill and eat him?
Was it like Marvin was, this half feral, half human thing that was steadily losing its humanity to whatever infection had spread all over this city? He was afraid, and Leon felt he had more than ample reason to be. The gloved fingers fell away from his cheek, gently brushing his chin to make his head lift just a fraction before the creature took hold of the leash and secured the heavy duty leather strap in its grasp. It gave a gentle tug to inform Leon that it was time to get up. He at least appreciated the warning as he pushed himself to his feet. His shuffling steps were slow as his boots bumped and tripped up on all these boxes that weren't here several minutes ago. The creature appeared to notice the issue, growing impatient, it scooped Leon up around the waist and held him what felt like bridal style in its arms as it proceeded to carry him through the disaster mess the main hall had become.
Leon couldn't tell what direction they were headed, only that once they were clear of the mess, the rookie was allowed to stand on his own two feet again. Seemingly reluctant to let him go, the large man lowered the officer back down so his boots touched and proceeded to lead him, slowly, through the building. Leon held his fingers out to find where exactly the larger man was at and kept one hand against his back and followed his footsteps like some weird apocalyptic trust game. The leather leash dangled between them as they walked together through the massive building. The strange monstrous man only stopped briefly for a few seconds every now and then to turn his attention back on Leon. His large leather clad hand would find its way to Leon's cheek or jaw, gently caressing the tender skin around his eyes as if trying to check on the damage, before once again carding his hair out of his face. When it was satisfied that the officer was alright, it would resume it's path through the building.
The rookie was baffled by the seemingly loving display of care and affection directed at him by this monstrous being. He couldn't wrap his head around it, but the fear he clung so tightly to was slowly starting to crack and fray. He tried to keep it close like some kind of armor, but another part of him was so desperate for something kind to cling to after losing Marvin and he hasn't seen Claire since the first time they split up. As much as the idea of running away from this creature sounded like the most sane and sensible course of action in any other circumstance, Leon was forced to face the harsh reality that without functioning sight and no weapon to fight back with, he was as helpless as a lame rabbit being thrown to wolves.
Click clack click.
Clack clack click.
Or in this case, it would be lickers.
Leon tensed, halting his steps completely when he heard the telltale sound of those ceiling crawling fuckers creeping around in the path ahead. He gripped the leather leash between his fingers hopeful that whoever or whatever this thing was that had taken him like a trophy pet wouldn't drag him towards these monsters like a pig to a feast. The leash popped free of its grasp as the heavy thump of footsteps continued forward. Leon didn't dare move a single muscle. He was still wrapped up in the mylar blanket like a human burrito, which was very accurate for how he currently felt with all the flesh eating monsters lurking around this place. He had only just started to get the feeling back in his chilled skin from the cold rain that had drenched him right down to the bone. His fingers tightened their grip on the edges of the blanket where the two ends met over his sternum, drawn tightly over his shoulders.
The creature gave a deafening roar that made Leon flinch. The licker screeched, but it's cry was short lived and punctuated by a wet squelching sound that thumped a hard surface. Distantly, another screech quickly closed in on their position. The licker's fast paced claws clicked and scraped the ceiling overhead. It was so close, Leon could feel the rustle of air from its movements stirring the slowly drying strands of hair atop his head. He held completely still, breath lodged firmly in his lungs as he waited for the licker to keep going. It did not. It screeched jarringly in Leon's ears. It took every ounce of willpower, discipline and self restraint he had not to budge even as it's monstrous cry left his ears ringing painfully through his skull. The only movement he allowed himself was to tighten his fingers against the mylar blanket. He held the foil fabric so tight, he thought his fingers would bleed and the tender red, swollen tips around his nail beds would tear from the force alone.
Clack click clack.
Screeee
Thump thump thump thump THWACK!
There was a loud clattering sound of metal and wood colliding together with a hard body. The big monstrous man that accompanied Leon let out an ear piercing roar as something wet was smashed with a mighty stomp that made the boards beneath their feet quake. Leon felt his knees start to go a little weak.
It was then that he remembered he was still holding his breath. The room started to spin around his head in a dizzy rush as he dragged in a large gulp of air followed by another. He flinched away with an alarmed yelp when the cool leathery touch of the creature's hand caressed the side of his face. He stilled as the monstrous man ran his gloved fingers through his hair, drawing the messy strands back out of his face once more. A low humanish sound rumbled in his chest, one of approval, as if it were pleased to see Leon unharmed. It was an incredibly strange feeling for the rookie officer.
The strange large man withdrew his touch as he took back the handle of the leash to resume leading Leon through the building. Just as before, the creature waited for Leon's hand to rest against his back before continuing their slow walking pace. A cramped and cluttered hallway, a few brushes against machines and potted plants, and then a very tight crowded small back room. Leon gripped a filing cabinet with his free hand as he walked. A desk was close at his other side, then a metal rolling frame-
The watchmen's room. Officer Elliott. The stranger waited patiently for Leon to make his way through before resuming their pace down the hallway. He imagined they were bypassing the break room and headed for the stairs that would lead to the shooting range. Leon had to move even slower as he took the steps, gripping the walls and broken railing to ensure he didn't take a terrifying tumble all the way down.
'Where is he taking me? Is it out the parking garage?' That was very possible. It was the only other exit he could really think of to escape through. He just didn't know if they could get the security gate to open for them. Entering the shooting range, they were greeted by the raspy groans of the dead. Just like with the lickers, any infected that got too close to Leon became a sickening wet thump on the floor. The giant manlike creature was very thorough in his protective measures. The hallway beyond that was long, every step of their boots on the floor echoed. His companion's were far louder and more prominent than Leon's, easy dwarfing any sound from his clumsier steps.
A door opened ahead with a whiny squeak of its hinges after the extensive winding corridor. Leon braced himself against the cold wind that blew in from the parking garage. The storm started to abate a bit beyond these stone walls. The rain came down in a steady trickle that splattered the driveway beyond the slatted gate. The grip on the leather leash gave him a gentle tug. Leon's fingers snagged at the clip attached to the D-ring before a large sturdy arm encircled his shoulders. He was tucked close to the monstrous man's body as the other strong arm scooped his legs with an affirmative like grunt. Leon made a startled sound as his fingers panic grabbed for the leather lapels of the man's large leather coat. The other hand still clung to the mylar blanket ensuring it didn't slip away in the forceful movement.
"Where are we going?" Leon tried to ask, but the creature only grunted in his ear. The heavy footsteps echoed in the garage like the thunderous boom of the fading storm. The sturdy arms wrapped around him held him securely, giving Leon a gentle yet seemingly reassuring squeeze. Across the parking lot, another door groaned as the man adjusted Leon enough so the officer's head was against his sturdy shoulder. The arm that was around his shoulders had turned the knob as they entered another hallway. The rookie was puzzled by the change in direction. He would have thought they were leaving the station, where could he be possibly-
'The jail!' The echoing steps on concrete sounded loud in the officer's ears. The walk wasn't too long. The stranger stopped short suddenly and bent partially forward with Leon secured in his arms. A shuffle step forward then another longer gait that Leon could feel as the man's thigh pressed against the officer's dangling boot. The larger man bent over once more, lowering Leon as he went until he was resting on what felt like a cot of some kind. Leon's hand reached out for stability as he found the wall, then the metal connection of the frame to the cot itself. Leather clad fingers caressed his face, drawing his chin back in the opposite direction as the creature's touch gingerly carded his hair back out of his face once again. The leather leash dangled down against Leon's chest as the monstrous man tucked the mylar blanket firmly around his shoulders.
The officer was confused before he heard the metal door to the cell slide shut with a deafening and ominous click. Leon jolted upright, alarm ringing through every nerve in his body.
"Wait- no!" He didn't understand what was going on. The heavy thump of the man's footsteps began to recede.
"No! Don't leave me here!" The rookie shouted, rising quickly to his feet from the cot as he stumbled towards the metal bars. The blanket fell clear off his shoulders in the sudden lunge to his feet. His sore fingers encircled the cold metal of the bars as the monstrous man's steps reached the squealing hinges of the door vacating the jail.
"Come back!" A suffocating silence answered his desperate pleas. The terrifying realization dawned on the young officer now.
'I'm going to die here.'