Trepidation ║Leon Kennedy x Female Reader

Chapter 3

"You're safe for now," reassured the man who had saved me. Quickly, I scrambled away from the door and collided with Leon, who steadied me while I caught my breath. He nodded appreciatively at the cop.

Looking up at my savior, I discovered a tall man in a cop uniform, his hand tightly clutching his side, blood seeping from the wound. His face bore an expression of grief and pain, the cop uniform reminds me of the one we had attempted to rescue. Disturbing images of the officer's body being torn apart flooded my mind—his agonizing screams, his insides spilling across the floor as we struggled to pull him to safety. Unable to contain the rising nausea, I staggered away from Leon, finding solace near a potted plant where I expelled the contents of my stomach.

Once I'm done and I've calmed down, the cop introduces himself as Marvin Branagh. Leon introduces himself as well. I wipe my mouth and straighten up. "Y/n," I say.

Leon, still on the ground, looks at Marvin with a pained and almost guilty expression. "There was another officer... we couldn't... we couldn't," Leon trails off and looks down, visibly ashamed that we couldn't save him. Marvin limps over to Leon and offers him a hand to take. Leon accepts it firmly, and Marvin pulls him up off the floor. "I'm sure you did what you could," Marvin looks at Leon and then at me.

After helping Leon up, we all walked over to the statue, and Marvin handed Leon his uniform. I suggested shyly that Leon change behind the hospital curtains situated behind the couch where Marvin was sitting. As Leon was changing, Marvin handed me a hip pouch to complete my outfit. I smiled at him, appreciative of the extra space for future storage.

While Marvin typed on his computer, I decided to examine what looks to be a goddess statue, noting the circular spaces and wondering about their purpose. Before making a closer inspection of the statue, Leon stepped out from behind the curtain and asked Marvin, "Does anyone know what started this?"

I turned around to face Leon and found myself gaping at him in his uniform. He wore a purple dress shirt under an R.P.D bulletproof vest, complete with elbow and knee pads and the same hip pouch I had. I admired him for a few more seconds before I turned my attention to Marvin who was already looking at both Leon and me. "Not a clue," he said, "but honestly, all you need to know is that this place will eat you and your partner alive if you aren't careful."

Leon swiftly checks and loads his gun, stating, "Yeah... Well, I was supposed to start last week, and I got a call to stay away." Glancing at him, I realize that I don't know him well. But surprisingly, I already feel a strong connection with him. Why do I already trust him so much? Why do I want to learn more about him, to ask simple questions like his favorite color or his hobbies and know the answer?

Breaking me from my thoughts, Leon waves his arms around and emphasizes, "Wish I'd come here sooner." While he checks his radio, Marvin reassures him, "You're here now, Leon, that's all that matters." Marvin takes out the journal retrieved from the deceased cop, and with determination, Leon marches over, stating, "Okay, Lieutenant. I'm ready." Marvin looks up at him, his gaze serious, "Hopefully, you'll find a way out of this station. That officer you met earlier - Elliot." Focusing on the journal in Marvin's hands, I add, "So that was his name." They both look at me, momentarily forgetting my presence due to my silence.

Marvin nods, then they both return to hatching a plan. Marvin points to the bloodied journal, stating, "He thought this secret passageway might do the trick." Handing the journal to Leon, Marvin ensures he has a clear vision of what to look for. I join them, peering over Leon's shoulder.

"This is good news," Leon declares after examining the journal. "Yeah," I respond, "that means we can get you out of here and to a hospital." Marvin hunches over in his seat, insisting, "No, I am not the priority here." I frown, placing my hands on my hips. "We're not just going to leave you here."