Resident Evil 2: Moondrop Blood (Leon Kennedy x OC)

{•Chapter Sixteen•}

"Not that helpful, but it'll do," Leon exhaled.

He swiveled on his heels to place the plugs but went wide-eyed when he saw Gwen standing a few feet away with a gentle smile etched across her face. "Can I help?"

"That depends. How're you feeling?" Leon questioned.

"Much better. I don't feel nauseous anymore from the poison and I can breathe perfectly fine."

"It was poison?" Leon had no clue. Now that he thought more about her symptoms, poison was the only plausible answer he could find. He recollected reading a document in the station regarding herbs and their properties. The blue had been the only one able to cure poisoning. "I'm glad you had some blue herbs. I was afraid I was going to lose you."

"I'm always prepared. I've got plenty of green, red, and blue herbs with me. Now that I think about, I wonder what would happen if I mixed blue herbs with my blood..."

Leon grabbed her hand before she could retrieve the glass vial from her pocket, staring intently into her crystalline eyes. "No more cutting yourself. As much as your blood is helpful with injuries, I don't want you to use another drop."

"I... I can't promise that, Leon. If my blood can save you or anyone else, I will use it." Gwen broke eye contact for a second before locking her gaze back with the blonde's.

Leon closed his eyes with a heavy sigh before opening them. "I was afraid you'd say that."

The couple was silent, the stuffy air between them suffocating. They placed the plugs in the correct panels and the mechanical lock was released, the door now open and allowing them access to the garbage room.

"Hey, Leon." Gwen called out to her lover.

"Yeah?"

"Did you watch the tape?"

"No, not yet. I was waiting for you to wake up," he replied.

Before leaving the monitor room, the duo popped the tape into the cassette player and watched as the television screen came to life with a bright flash.

*****
"Please... Oh... please... stop... S-Stop!" A weak voice begged. An open briefcase laid before the pleading man and the sound of gunfire was all that could be heard. "Don't... don't... no... no... no!"

A soldier appeared on the camera feed, the man trying to back away as he lured something towards him while unloading an entire clip of ammo. "Over here, you freak!"

The firing continued until it was accompanied by a bloodcurdling scream from the soldier as he was attacked by whatever he was taunting. "Don't hurt him... Don't hurt him...!" The man on the ground begged over and over again as the soldier's body fell and the monster he was shooting prevailed.

Rats scurried from their hiding place and slurped on what appeared to be a shattered vial that held a strange liquid.
*****

"The virus..." Leon muttered as the tape ended.

Gwen glanced up at the officer. "Do you think the rats are the reason the virus spread through the city?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if they did," the blonde replied. "Rats have been known to spread plenty of diseases. I wouldn't put this virus past them."

"I wonder if this means Annette really didn't release the virus..."

"Could be. But why would Ada lie about something like that?" Leon wondered, meeting Gwen's gaze.

"I... I don't know, Leon."