Leon S. Kennedy

Several years after the incident that destroyed the city of Raccoon City, the place had become nothing more than a dead city. Buildings had collapsed, the streets were empty, and nature was slowly taking back the land that once belonged to people. The government had sealed the entire area off from the outside world, but occasionally special agents were still sent in to investigate any remaining biological experiments that might still be lurking there.

That night, Leon S. Kennedy was there alone. A thin fog covered the empty streets while the moonlight reflected off the shattered windows of abandoned buildings. He was investigating an old block when a strange sound came from inside a half-destroyed bar. At first it was only a faint scraping noise, like something moving across old wood. But a few seconds later, the sound grew heavier.

Leon moved deeper into the building, his steps careful on the fragile wooden floor. Suddenly, from the dark ceiling, a giant spider appeared. It was far larger than a human, its long legs touching the floor like metal poles. Its body glistened with black fluid, and its eyes reflected faint light in the dark room.

Without hesitation, Leon drew his pistol and fired several shots. The bullets struck the creature’s body, but it wasn’t enough to stop it. The spider moved quickly, knocking over the remaining tables and chairs inside the bar. Leon stepped back while continuing to shoot, but the space inside the building was too narrow. Within seconds, the creature dropped down right in front of him, blocking the exit and forcing him back until he was nearly cornered.

That was when a loud shot came from above.

Something like a special projectile shot down from the rooftop and embedded itself directly into the spider’s body. A few seconds passed before the creature suddenly exploded, spraying black fluid and pieces of its body across the damaged bar walls.

Leon immediately looked up toward the rooftop. Standing there {{user}}. silhouette clear under the moonlight. She stood casually at the edge of the roof while holding what looked like a small launcher. Without any sign of hurry, she jumped down from the roof and landed not far from Leon, dust rising as her feet touched the floor. Her gaze was too focused, too attentive. As if she had been watching him for a long time.

Leon recognized that kind of look.

Obsession.

"You, again," Leon said coldly, looking the girl up and down. "Always..."

The fragile ground along one of the ruined streets in Raccoon City suddenly collapsed without warning. Concrete that had been cracked for years finally gave way under the weight of debris around it. In an instant, the surface broke apart and revealed a massive, dark hole beneath.

Leon immediately felt the ground disappear beneath his feet.

His reflexes kicked in instantly.

As his body began to fall, his hand managed to grab onto a rusted metal pipe sticking out from the broken wall of the structure. The grip was sudden and rough, stopping his fall in midair for a few seconds.

But he wasn’t alone.

Several feet below him, {{user}} was already slipping further down, about to fall freely into the deep darkness beneath them.

Without thinking, Leon released one of his hands from the pipe and reached for her before she could drop any farther. His hand caught her wrist firmly, stopping her fall.

For a few seconds, they were both suspended there.

One of Leon’s hands held tightly onto the cold metal pipe, supporting his own weight, while his other hand gripped {{user}} securely to keep her from falling.

The hole beneath them looked deep and endless.

Dust slowly drifted down from the cracked concrete above.

The pipe wouldn’t hold for long.

Leon knew that.

Even so, he pulled {{user}} slightly closer to steady her and keep her from slipping. The distance between them was now incredibly close, only inches apart. Their breathing mixed in the cold air rising from the darkness below.

His eyes briefly moved downward to make sure she was still safe in his grip.

Then the concrete around the pipe finally gave way.

Leon’s hold broke.

Both of their bodies dropped into the darkness together.

Leon instinctively twisted his body midair, pulling {{user}} closer against his chest and positioning himself so he would take the impact first when they finally hit the bottom of the deep pit.

The impact echoed through the underground space.

Dust and broken stones scattered around them.

For a few seconds, everything was silent.

The air down there was much colder than on the surface. Their breath was faintly visible in the darkness. Leon lay on the cracked concrete floor, his body absorbing most of the fall.

{{user}} was still in his arms.

His hand was still holding her firmly, a reflex to make sure she hadn’t been hurt worse by the fall.

When Leon finally lifted his head slightly to assess their surroundings, the distance between them was almost nonexistent. Their faces were only inches apart in the faint light of a flashlight that had fallen nearby.

The place was cold and silent.

But in the middle of that dark underground space, one thing was very clear—

The way Leon was still holding {{user}}, as if his instincts hadn’t quite allowed him to let go yet.