Pop Goes the Weasel
The door you guys enter through leads into a dark, dreary area, lit with only a red light a little ways ahead of you. Hopefully it's not something that requires another keycard.
There's an area straight to the right of you as well, one that's just as dark and doom like.
Leon leads you to the right first which makes sense considering that if there's anything down there and you go straight, then it can sneak up behind you both with ease.
There's no much down the hall, but the corridor it leads to has a blue herb for you to grab. Which you do, and you shove it in your drawstring bag then turn towards the next door.
"So far so good." You whisper, waiting for him to push open the next door.
His hand splays along the door as he pushes it open slowly, mumbling in return, "Keep your guard up."
Of course.
The first thing you see when he opens the door are a bunch of kennels, and the first thing you smell is rotting flesh. Typical. You'd thing you'd be used to it by now given that you and Leon had been smelling nothing but death all damn night.
And then the barking starts, and the slamming of metal.
Leon points his gun towards the sound instantly, only to breathe a sigh of relief when he realizes that they're stuck.
"Don't worry, they can't get out."
They can't get out?
Oh.
The reality of these monsters situation pulls at your heartstrings instantly, a sad frown tugging at your lips, "Poor things..."
Your utterance causes Leon to look at you inquisitively, although you're surprised he even heard you with how loudly they're barking and snarling.
"They must've starved to death down here. They were abandoned," You explain sadly, looking down at your weapon, "and now they're monsters.
"Just like everything else in this damn station." He agrees, understanding your point aptly. "I think we should probably..."
You look at him with a deepening frown, knowing immediately what he means, "O-Oh, okay."
"Well, no you don't have to-"
Before he can finish his statement you raise your weapon and fire 3 shots into one of the kennels, much more ruthlessly than Leon or even you were expecting. It may seem heartless, but you're starting to get the hang of this. That, and you've come to realize that you're going to have to become more comfortable with your weapon, and with firing on things that once had a life, a soul, and feelings.
Leon doesn't comment on any of this, though. Instead, he does the same.
You kill the 3rd, and last, dog in the top middle kennel, then reload your gun. "Better to prevent a potential problem then deal with it at a bad time later." You grumble, looking to your brown-haired companion for confirmation.
"Yeah... I'm sorry for making you do that." Although if anything, you made him do it. "We've come a long way."
"And we have a long way to go still, it seems like." You add dejectedly. "Let's keep going."
"Yes ma'am."
The two of you went through that right wing fairly quickly, the only things of note you found being a diamond key to the station and a flashbang grenade. There were some monsters inside the morgue where you found those things, but they were easy to deal with all in all.
In no time you're going back the way you came, ready to tackle the straight hallway ahead.
The silence inside the halls is deafening, each scratch, creak, and settling of the building making your heart jump in your chest. It's always been quiet, but this down here is a whole other level.
There's a shooting range just behind a door to your left with nothing in the main area but some car keys to vehicle '7439.'
You were momentarily hopeful that you could perhaps drive the car through the shutter, but a note next to the keys confirmed that they're broken and can only lock and unlock the car.
Bummer.
"Should we dump the key?" Leon asks behind you, reading the memo over your shoulder.
You think it over briefly, but ultimately decide against it. "It couldn't hurt to check for anything useful inside."
He nods then walks further into the room and looks around.
Your pockets are full you realize when you go to shove the key into them, so, not wanting to go through them at the current moment, you tail behind Leon to give it to him. Only, when you open your mouth to ask if he'll take it, he pulls the new diamond key out of his pocket to open the right door.
Well, you'll just do it for him then.
As he inserts the key into the lock you reach down and slide the key into his right pocket closest to you, your fingertips lightly brushing his hip.
Immediately he tenses up, blush spreading across his cheeks, but he doesn't say anything.
You retract as soon as you're done but for him it's as if you took years to do just that simple thing, savoring it almost.
All is still and silent.
And then you clear your throat.
"Leon? Are you... going to open the door?"
"Uh, yes! Of course." He turns the key and the door opens, finally.
Inside is only a roll of film and a red herb, nothing too crazy although you're eager to test that film and see what secrets it holds.
This room is simply the stock and checkout area of the gun range, although it's unfortunate that there's no guns or parts back here. You'd think that this would be one of the only places to have that stuff. Besides the armory of course.
Well, enough of that then.
"Come on."
Leon exits the room and holds the door for you (what a gentleman), and once your out he goes straight to the adjacent door.
It opens, and then he's attacked.
A very dead officer falls through the open door as if it was simply waiting for him to open it, mouth stretched open an almost inhuman amount awaiting a soft bit of flesh to bite into.
And right after this one another comes stumbling forward, growling at you both animalistically.
Leon struggles with the first one, it's mouth dangerously close to his neck, but you're afraid to shoot so close to his head.
So instead you lunge forward and shove her side as hard as you can, successfully making her slip off of him and slam into the wall.
In that instant of relief Leon draws his weapon and shoots the second in the head, internally grateful when his head explodes upon impact. And in the same moment, you shoot the attacking officer in the side of it's head while it's down.
"Fuck!" You hiss when it starts getting back up still, firing another shot that still doesn't complete the job.
It lunges at you, grabbing at your leg and opening it's big nasty mouth to take a chunk out of you, but before the final chomp another bang resounds in the small hallway, and the once hungry jaw has been blown clean off.
It falls to the ground and doesn't move again.
"That was way too close!' Leon exclaims, reaching up an unsteady hand to run through his hair. "I can't believe you tackled that thing."
Despite the humorless situation, you laugh. "Just trying to live out my football dreams, I guess."
He laughs, a win in your book, but it's short and breathless. "You just keep saving my ass. I thought that was my job."
"We can take turns." You shoot back, patting his shoulder with shaky hands.
As cucumber-cool as you may seem, you most definitely are not. And neither is he.
"I'll be the damsel next time, okay? Keep it even." You finish, dropping your hand from his (nicely built) arm.
It's a funny bit, but not one that either of you actually want to live out. "Well, lets just hope that neither of us need anymore saving."
Amen.
---
That room proved to not be all that worth the trouble besides the 4 shotgun bullets you found. It's definitely helpful, but worth the near death experience? Maybe not.
But even so, it happened and now you've got more shotgun shells in the arsenal.
You exit the gun range area and move on to the last part of the area, but all that's left is a still locked door and a bunch of metal bars that remind you of a jail cell. Which they very well might be.
Leon tries the red-lit door all the same, cursing with annoyance when it doesn't budge. "They locked this place up tight."
Every damn thing has some sort of lock, mechanism, or missing piece. It's the fucking worst.
"I guess we're on to the next area then." You sigh, turning and heading back the way you came. "This place is ridiculous."
As much as he'd like to disagree, it's true. Whether it's because it used to be an art museum or just the fact that whoever built and renovated the place was way too paranoid, it sucks all the same.
You exit the door and do a quick glance around to make sure the area is still safe, and when you hear and see nothing you step out fully into the room.
Leon steps out next to you, reloading his gun also, then takes a few strides forward.
"Well, the last room to go is the one that woman went through." He muses.
"Maybe she's still in there." You sure hope she is. Something tells you she's a good person to have around at a time like this. "But... I still haven't found Alex. What do we do if we find the way out, get through it all, and I still haven't found her?"
"Don't lose hope yet. We will." He looks at you with a somber smile, trying to be comforting. "If we haven't found her by the time we've made our way out, then I think it's fair to believe that she might've even made it out too. There's gotta be other groups of the living out there even people who escaped the city. "
He's probably right, although the logic is slightly flawed. You still want to believe it.
"I just hope that wherever she is, she's having a much easier time than we are." The thought that she's out there somewhere not suffering and waiting for you fills you with a newfound sense of motivation, wanting nothing more in this moment than to make it back out to her.
Leon steps closer and pulls you into him, hugging you delicately and comfortingly. "We're going to find her, and we're going to get out of here."
An affirmation very much for the both of you.
You hug him back of course, burying your head into his chest much like you did before.
Thing's were so different yesterday. You were on the road listening to the radio. Worried, but still content not knowing what fucked up shit was going down in Raccoon City.
Ignorance is bliss, you suppose. But ignorance also gets you killed.
In an instant you remember the car key you found in the gun range, excitement filling your chest at the thought of finding something useful.
"The car key!" You suddenly exclaim, breaking away from his comforting hold and reaching for his pocket to swipe the key you put there.
Before you can shove your hand into his pocket he grabs your wrist, face pink for some unknown reason, and turns his side away from you defensively. "I-I can get it!'
And he does. He fishes in his pocket for the small broken key, embarrassed by the thought of you waving your hand around in there for an extended amount of time like he did, and presses the unlock button.
Oblivious to his internal struggles you make a beeline for the indicated vehicle which is facing another in the left-most corner of the room.
Leon doesn't bother scolding you for running off, vaguely trusting of this room and it's safety, and instead follows after you rather stiffly.
Once at the car you reach for the trunk first, popping it open and pleasantly surprised to find some sort of black gun part on the inside. You don't know what it is or what it does, but you pick it up and present it to your partner enthusiastically.
"Look!"
Upon seeing it his eyes light up, a smile warming his dirty yet sweet face. "A gun stock!" He accepts your offering eagerly and begins to attach it to his gun, pausing though halfway through.
His excitement drains away, and you cock your head curiously. "What's wrong?"
"I just realized that this thing is a huge waste of ammo." He grumbles, slightly annoyed. He takes the part back off and shoves it in one of his pouches instead. "It's pointless."
Another major bummer. But that's this whole night.
"W-Well that's okay. Better to have it if we need it the not need it and not have it." It's your attempt at making him feel better even though the issue appears slightly silly, but it helps all the same.
"It's fine. This is far from the worst thing to happen tonight."
Very true.
You dip your head in acknowledgement, then take a step away from the open vehicle. "Let's keep moving. The sooner we've made some progress the sooner we're going to feel better."
And with that, you make your way to the remaining green-lit door, waiting at the entrance for Leon to catch up.
"I'll go first." He re-affirms, as if you were going to do anything different. He'd bite your head off if you tried.
"Of course."
Given that the FBI lady took this path he doesn't take an overly cautious approach to opening the door, although he does keep his weapon out as he pushes it open.
Predictably, there is no immediate threat when the door is opened.
On the pleasant side however, this is probably the most well lit area you've come across down here thus far. Well. Besides the death arena where you fought that weird mutated human-monster.
It looks like the holding area, your guess sprouting from the multiple metal bars acting as the door and office separating the outside world from the inside.
You can only guess what horrors lay inside. All the forgotten inmates left to starve and die. Or perhaps they used it as an area to hold the infected until they lost control of the parking garage.
You can't be sure, but you can be weary.
The only thing inside the check-in office is a half full box of bullets, a ten count just for the two of you.
Since Leon uses the most bullets you hand them off to him to keep for a quick reload, but another once-over of the room proves that there's not much else to be seen.
While you look around Leon finds the map for this lower area, looking over it intently before securing it in his belt for easy access.
Next up: the jail cells.
Right through the metal door is the first body of the area. It's dead-dead, most likely killed by your mystery woman, and lootless.
He has no gun, no bullets, no nothing. You can't help but wonder where all the weapons around have gone to.
You see another entry point down the hall and choose to jog over that way to test it. It looks locked, and it is.
As much as he wants to chastise you for running off, the area is so clearly clean that he decides against it. No point in nit picking at everything you do, the last thing he wants is to diminish your confidence in case something happens to him.
Those dark thoughts flit through his mind as you return to his side, but he shakes them away once you're back.
"Locked." You confirm quietly, looking over his shoulder down the dark, celled hallway. "Figures, when do we ever get to go anywhere that has actual lights."
"Well last time we did, we got attacked by a mutant. I almost prefer it." He jokes back, rolling his shoulders to prepare for another dark trek.
Fair point. You'll take the cold dark over a well-lit ambush any time.
Just as quietly as before, the both of you begin to creep down the hallway.
You're unsurprised to find those undead populate some of the cells, full of forgotten convicts, or even those who were undead long before the imprisoned began to die.
They remind you of the dogs from the kennels earlier: stuck and just waiting for the moment they're free to sink those rotting teeth into something warm and fleshy. Into one of you.
"Should we shoot them?" You whisper from just next to him, eyeing the dead female next to you wearily. "Just in case?"
Leon continues to tip toe forward but doesn't reply right away, considering your words before ultimately deciding for it. "Yeah... we should."
Better to lose the bullets now then your lives later.
At his confirmation you take a step towards the first cell holding the dead woman, noting the way her long, grey arms stretch through the bars desperately in hopes that you'll wander too close so she can take a chunk out of you.
Together the two of you take out 3 of the undead, and it's only once the last shots have rung out that the most unexpected thing happens.
Someone calls out.
"H-Hey? Hello? Who's out there!?"
You and Leon share an immediate look, eyes wide with surprise at the sound of someone alive actually being down here.
The voice is distinctively male, and it sounds relieved at the notion that there is someone else down here with him.
After the shared look Leon and yourself make a beeline towards the source of the call out, neither of you too concerned about checking each corner and crevasse given the fact that if there were any loose down here, they'd be attracted to whoever is around the corner.
You both round the left turn and there it is, a well-lit cell sitting alone in the corner occupying a single man.
Said man is standing up in the middle of his cell, staring out into the dark abyss until you both materialize in front of him.
He holds a cigarette in his left hand, the other hanging clenched at his side. His eyes go wide when he sees you, then he exclaims, "I don't believe it. Real humans!" He steps closer to the bars and places his free hand on top of the vertical support bar above the door, "Hello humans."
It's endearing and slightly excited, but you both remain weary.
The first thing that pops into your head spills from your mouth before you can think, "How long have you been down here?" His home cell definitely isn't the preferred place to be in this mess, so he must've been down here a while.
"Long enough. Are we the last ones alive?" Interesting question, but you can understand why he asked.
"No, no. There's a few of us." Leon assures quickly, although you're not entirely sure about the validity of that statement.
Sure, there's a few, but of those few includes: you, Leon, Marvin, that mystery FBI lady, and this guy. You don't know if that really counts, but you don't argue.
"Oh, that's good news, I guess," he pauses, glancing down at Leon's uniform briefly, "Unless, of course, Irons sent you."
Irons? Where have you heard that name before?
Leon recognizes it, however. "Irons...? You mean chief Irons? Is he still around?"
You glance at your partner then look back at the man looming at the iron barred door. Something is weird about this.
The man shakes his head and chuckles humorlessly, "Who cares. Hopefully he's some ones dinner by now."
"What do you mean by that? Is he the one who locked you up?" You question, eyebrows furrowing inquisitively.
He looks down at you, scoffing at the thought. "Yes. He's the bastard that locked me in here while everything was going to shit."
"Well, I'm sure he had a good reason for that." Leon sounds slightly defensive, although not entirely believing of his own words.
A good reason for locking someone up in the midst of an apocalypse? You're not so sure about that. Unless he's some sort of vile criminal murdering left and right for no reason, you hardly see the point in it.
"He did." He takes a drag of his cigarette while nodding, taking a few steps away from the bars. Once he's done breathing that shit in (you never liked the smell of the smoke), he tosses it to the ground and elaborates. "I was about to blow the whistle on his dirty ass. I'd have done the same thing, I guess..."
He sounds genuine, but you refrain from speaking and instead look to Leon for his reaction.
However before anyone says anything else, there's a loud creek from the way you two came.
All heads instantly snap in that direction, your hearts dropping to your free at who the hell that might be.
Suddenly the man's body language changes from confident to a little more twitchy, shoulders rolling as he dances from foot to foot. "Hey! Look, I'll make you guys a deal." He steps closer and brandishes the thing around his neck, a parking pass, and continues. "Unlock this cell and I'll give you this. There's no other way out of that parking garage! Believe me."
You're miliseconds away from agreeing when Leon lays down the law.
"Sorry, I can't do that. I have to talk to the chief first."
"Leon-" There's another crash that sounds far away that makes you pause.
At your disapproving tone the man looks from the direction of the noise to back at you frantically, deciding that you're the one to plead with instead of the man next to you.
"Hey, come on. We're all prisoners here, you get that. I know you want to let me out, just tell him-"
Another screech makes him jump, and he starts to back away from the bars anxiously. "Shit, it's coming."
Fuck, that's the creepiest thing you've ever heard.
You stare at him with wide eyes, looking to Leon next to you uncertainly, and the frantic man throws his head back and keeps walking backward as he realizes you won't do anything on your own. "Fuck, come on! Don't be assholes, ok? You need this!" He lifts it up and shakes it for emphasis. His back is practically pressed against the wall, and he punctuates with, "Just get me the fuck out of here!"
And then a huge arm breaks through the wall, causing you and Leon to stumble back as it grabs hold of the prisoners face.
He screams and strangled scream, grabbing uselessly at the hand gripping his head.
Leon draws his gun, but it's useless. He can't shoot without risking hitting this guy.
The arm drags him up, up up, breaking brick and mortar in it's path as it applies pressure to his head. He screams louder and louder, and then his head explodes.
It literally explodes. Pops like a gusher.
His screams instantly stop, and his body is dropped to the floor like useless trash.
You slap a hand over your mouth, eyes so wide they might just pop out of your skull like they just did his. You can't say anything, or even think of anything.
"O-Oh my god-" Leon breathes, looking through the bars as if what just happened wasn't real. How could this be real?
You can't even look at the body, your eyes never leaving the dark grey hand as it retreats; the figure it belongs to also disappears and you can't make anything else out from behind the smoke and darkness.
As if this isn't enough to overload your senses, the sudden click of high-heels appears just to your right which cause both of you to draw and turn towards the source.
"Who is that!" Leon demands with his finger on the trigger for once.
You're relieved to see that it's just the FBI woman.
"It's just me. You can put those things away." She struts up as if you both hadn't just witnessed like, the 8th more traumatizing thing you've ever seen.
"W-What just happened?" You stutter out as she joins your side in front of the cell, looking inside to see what exactly you're both gawking at.
Leon gestures towards the mess and tries to explain to her, "It all happened so fast, we don't... we don't..." He doesn't finish his sentence and just looks to her to say something.
She scans the scene, then looks at you, and then at him, "I told you to get out of here. You don't want to end up like Ben, do you? Or for her, to?"
A little insulting that she's insinuating that he's in charge of you, although that's not entirely false either.
"You know him?" Leon asks, glancing at his mangled face before looking away just as quickly.
"He was an informant. Had information of use to my investigation." She sighs as she says it, arms crossed over her body in a very disapproving manor.
Then that means...
Your heart drops guiltily.
"Then what he said was true?" The brown-haired rookie cop asks, guilt immediately eating away at him too.
To be fair, it's not like there was anything you could've actually done for him in the moment. The power is out, and neither of you have the keys for this place.
The dark-haired woman doesn't respond, dropping her arms back to her sides as she begins to walk away again.
Without thinking you grab her arm, mouth twisted into a frown. "Wait!"
She stops abruptly but only looks down at your hand, glaring up at you after she does.
You let go instantly, feeling a little bad for just snatching her arm like that, but thankfully Leon fills the silence.
"You can't just keep walking away from us! You haven't even told us your name."
Very true, although neither of you have done the same.
He introduces you, then himself, and the woman just keeps staring silently.
Is she thinking about what to say, or is she just pissed at you two?
She leans forward past you, looking at Leon blankly, "Find a way out Leon, before it's too late. Then we'll talk." She turns and begins walking away again, and this time you both let her go. Before she disappears, however, she throws out, "The name's Ada."
And then she's gone again, leaving you staring at her retreating form.
Okay she's kinda hot actually.