Being a cop means being helpful. At least in Leon S. Kennedy’s head. And from the looks of it, only in his head.
He didn’t mean to get involved. Already late for his first day at work, he got himself into racing (within the speed limit, of course) to Raccoon City, only to realise he’s almost run out of petrol. Stopping off at the Mizoil Gas Station to fill up on it, by complete accident, he happened to overhear the conversation between the Sheriff and some girl with a motorcycle he pulled over.
“The sign said 90 mph,” she snaps, folding her arms over her chest.
Leon scoffs at her confidence, knowing perfectly well it said 80.
“Even if, miss, your speed was over 120,” the Sheriff answers and gives her the ticket.
His hand froze on a nozzle. The audacity of that girl to even put up a fight on it.
“Two hund- Are you kidding me!?”
Okay, maybe he should step up before it resorts to fisticuffs. With a sigh, he puts the nozzle back and comes up to the two. “Sheriff, Officer Kennedy, may I interrupt?”
The Sheriff gave him a tired look but motioned for him to continue.
“Ma’am, was there a reason for that speed?”
The redheaded girl sizes him up. Leon gives himself a right to assume she’s around his age. Probably younger, though.
She bites her lip, taking her time to answer. “If I say there was one, I’m free to go?” she finally asks with fluttering eyelashes.
“This doesn’t work like that, miss,” the sheriff scoffs.
“You look kinda young for a cop,” she suddenly changes the topic with suspicion.
“And you look kinda young for a roadhog, miss…?”
The girl slightly lifts her chin. “Claire Redfield.”
Leon almost misses the realisation in Sheriff Cortini’s eyes.
“Alright, Miss Redfield, how about I give you a caution, this time, and you promise to drive safely?”
Leon turns his head sharply, not believing his ears. However, he does not get an opportunity to say anything as Claire Redfield smiles brightly at them as she goes to her motorcycle.
“Haven’t seen you around, kid,” Cortini says. “You’re new?”
“Yes, today’s my first day, actually.”
“Ha!” He patted his shoulder. “Good luck in Raccoon City, rookie, you’re gonna need it.”
Leon S. Kennedy, we're putting you on a very special case for your first assignment.
Your mission is...to unlock your desk! The key to your success is in the initials of our first names. Input the letters in order of our desks.
There are 2 locks- 1 on each side of your desk. Make sure you get them both.
Basically, your first task is to remember your fellow officers' names, but you figured that much out, right?
Good luck, Leon.
By the way, it might take a little work to get Scott to give you a straight answer.
Lieutenant Branagh
Leon focuses his eyes on the paper a little bit longer than he should, causing him to crash into someone around the corner.
“Watch where you’re walking, rookie,” a woman holding two coffees hisses.
“Ah, sorry… Wait!” he calls after her.
The short brunette turns to face him. “¿Sí? You need a guide, kid?”
“Uh, are you by any chance one of the officers who sit in the west office? It’s empty and I kind of can’t open mine.”
She gives him an amused look. “Ay, cariño. You’re late, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, everybody is probably around or on the patrol, sooo…” And then he sees the literal stars on her uniform.
“García, S.T.A.R.S., so sorry, niño, can’t help, don’t have time.”
“Cam, be nice,” a third voice joins.
Right behind Leon stands a young woman in a medical apron. Holding a bunch of files she points in the direction she came from. “Told you I’d be in the observation room.”
“No, you said- Okay, take your damn cup, Bonita, I’m gonna be diabetic from the smell.” García quickly goes to her and hands her the cup. “And I am nice, you see, I was just chit-chatting with our rookie here.”
He finally snaps out of a fog in his mind and realises that he should introduce himself. “Leon Kennedy,”
“Oh, we know,” the new woman says with a warm smile. “Rebecca Chambers, chemicals expert. Do you need any help?”
“I… ugh…” He scratches the back of his neck. “I need some of my officemates' names. To open my… desk…” And at the end of the sentence he found his excuse lame.
“Yeah, don’t worry it’s standard, Valentine had the same mission last week, poor thing.”
García scoffs. “As if she’s not a B&E specialist. It was a piece of cake for her y she wasn’t late.”
Leon feels the redness from his embarrassment coming up his neck. “I was actually…”
“Oh, it’s okay!” Chambers laughs. “My dear Camila here will be more than happy to show you around.” She slaps her girlfriend on the lower back.
The Latina almost chokes on her coffee. “¿Qué? Oh, no, no, no, jeva, I’m not doing the babysitter job. Wesker has me already on Val-”
“Yes, you are. Officer Kennedy feel free to go to any of us if you need something, bye!” The smaller woman gives García a half-hug with both of her arms busy and goes back to where she came from.
Camila mutters something in Spanish under her breath. “Listen, rookie, me piro, ese es tu maletín, help yourself, detective.” She turns on her heel. “¡Adiós!”
“Gracias,” Kennedy mutters back when she was out of sight.
He always liked playing the detective, but now it was getting frustrating. Walking back to the office afterwards, he thinks about the clues left in there. And then, he sits at his closed desk, noticing a small note attached.
i am nice :>
David Ford
Elliot Edward
Neil Carlsen
George Scott
Marvin Branagh
Rita Phillips
ps. it‘s the last time rookie, some of us has real job, sabes?
pps. if you wanna gossip sometimes come visit us upsta~
The last word was unfinished as García must have been caught red-handed by somebody here.
“I wanted to write upstairs with a little juego de palabra, but Becky came to check up on me, so I had to go,” the woman looks at him from the door.
“Gracias, señora,” he smiles sheepishly, finally opening the desk.
She frowns at him. “Don’t overdo it, rookie. Your pronounciashion is tragic.”
As much as he wants to argue, he makes a simple decision to keep their friendship. “So S.T.A.R.S., huh? Must be pretty cool up‘stairs’.” He took a more comfortable sit.
She, on the other hand, comes up and sits at his desk. “I’m a vehicle specialist, rookie. Driver, mechanic, pilot, an expert on logistics.”
“Alpha or…?”
“Alpha. Used to be on Bravo, though. Chiquita with deadly sugar with coffee is on Bravo.”
“And everyone is so nice, or am I just special?”
She chuckles and points out the ‘WELCOME LEON’ sign above them. “You wish, kiddo. Wait till you meet Redfield. A real teddy bear, y’know?”
He also starts chuckling only to choke on his saliva. “Redfield?”
She nods a few times and pouts. “Redfield is… interesting case. Has a big heart, that´s certain.”
“Uh-huh. Somehow I believe that.”
They sit together until García decides her lunch break is over. “So, see you around, rookie.”
“Yeah, see ya!” he calls after her but gets ready to leave to find Lieutenant Branagh.
The first day was going uneventful until the Lieutenant decided to make him an errand boy and sent him to the S.T.A.R.S. office to deliver some paperwork for S.T.A.R.S.’s best pointman - Redfield.
Hobbling got him right in front of the office of The Special Tactics and Rescue Service. Leon raises his fist to knock but notices a movement to his right, which makes him stop.
The very same Redfield (was her name Clara?) stands next to him with a little smirk. “So, Officer Kennedy, how’s it going? Long time no see, right?” She pats his raised arm.
Leon swallows hard. “Ma’am, it’s my first day, I’m sorry if I behaved disrespectfully towards you.”
She just blinks, confused. “Oh-kay, officer. No offence taken. So you have some job in the ‘stars-full’ office?”
He forgot about the task the moment he saw her. “N-yes, actually. It’s for you.” He gave (almost showed) her the files.
She doesn’t take them at first, with some suspicion. “You sure?”
He gives her a short nod.
“It’s not another ticket, is it?”
Leon is speechless. Now it’s his turn to blink and look confused. “Lieutenant Branagh sent me here to give you this. I don’t know what’s this.”
A little stressed redheaded girl takes the papers and runs through them with her eyes. Leon observes as her forehead gains a wrinkle. “Well, I have no idea what’s this. Are you sure it’s for me?”
“He said to find Redfield from S.T.A.R.S. So I just guessed that since you’re a Redfield and the Sheriff seemed to know you…”
She's not wearing any uniform, though. Leon thinks about it for a minute, realising it might be her day off or something that didn't require any formal suits.
Her mouth falls open with a silent ‘ooh’. Then she clears her throat and straightens up. “Yes, thank you, officer. I was actually waiting for them. You... can.... get back to work now.”
Leon nods with confusion and retreats to his office for the rest of the shift.
Getting out of the station into the parking outside he sees García smoking in her car with her door wide open and some other woman leaning on a motorcycle next to her. Wanting to seem polite he lets his legs carry him to them to say goodbye.
“And here I thought there are so few women in the police,” he declares.
“You’re just lucky, Kennedy,” Camila chuckles and blows out a large cloud. “You’re like those magnets, you… uh, what’s the expression?” she looks up at the woman.
“Attract?” she answers curiously.
“No, wait… OH! You push them away,” she smiles mischievously.
“Ha ha, you’re so funny, señora,” he snaps.
“Oy, c’mon, mijo, here.” She puts out her cigarette. “Meet the newest queen of the kings, Jill Valentine,” she says her name with the French pronunciation.
But he knew that already. She was a living legend he was excited to meet the second he found out where he’s been assigned.
“Oh, shut it.” She rolls her eyes but smiles at the rookie. “It’s Jill. Valentine.”
She has a surprisingly strong grip for her petit form, Leon notices, shaking her hand. But then again a woman with such experience…
“So, I hope the boys didn’t scare you off the first day?”
“Well,” he awkwardly chuckles. “It was… okay. Surviving. Somehow. It’s… nice.”
“Buttt, I’ve heard you’ve met some real stars today. Our sharpshooter Redfield! Talk kid, what’s your impression?”
“Well, what can I say? Intriguing person. Looks younger than I would have thought.”
“Oh really? I wouldn’t say so,” Jill muses.
“Still, she’s… impressive.”
“Sí, sí, it’s the muscle- Wait.”
Leon blinks rapidly. “Yeah, Redfield… What’s her name Clara? Claire?”
The women just look at each other for a moment. Jill opens her mouth. Then shouts it. Doesn't break her silent conversation with Camila's eyes. After a second she bites her cheeks and says a quick goodbye, not wanting to be a witness to what is coming next.
And yet, García has all means to continue the subject. She still smirks at him, tilting her head sideways. “Yeah, you know she is kinda… attractive, wouldn’t you say?”
“She’s your teammate, García, have some respect-”
“Yeah, I’ve heard loud and clear, García.” The redhead appears behind Leon. “Really now, it’s unprofessional, officer.”
“Of course, sweety,” García salutes comically as Claire walks past them to her vehicle.
“See you around, rookie,” she smirks at him and puts up her helmet.
“Try not to break too many rules, ma’am!” he calls after her. “I may have to arrest you!”
Camila groans in the back, pretending to gag. “One more word and I’m gonna arrest both of you."