Getting the keycard to the parking lot was almost as big of a pain in the ass as seeing Leon's face. But just almost. Seeing his little smirk whenever he killed a zombie faster than Thea, or she just stumbled over something in the dark, it made her want to punch him in the face. Because every time Thea saw him as a human being for once, he always had to remind her why she hated his guts.
And then the fucking tyrant showed up. Like they didn't have enough things going on already.
They were beaten up, thrown around, and a possible concussion on Thea's behalf as they stumbled towards the parking lot, currently trying to escape the tyrant that ran behind them, breathing down their neck.
"We are kinda fucked, golden boy!" Thea yelled over her shoulder, not even glancing back as she feared her feet wouldn't carry her fast enough. There were not many things that scared her, but the thunder-like steps of that fucking mountain of a bitch shook her to her core.
"Don't call me that!" Leon retorted, barely dodging as the tyrant threw a piece of concrete at them. Her heart started beating more rapidly, the risk of a heart attack taking her out bigger than the chances of a date at this point.
Thea was the first to burst through a dark door, landing them in the parking lot. She let out a thankful sigh, her feet finally coming to a halt. She thought she would never see the ugly grey walls of this place anymore. Even the heavy breaths of Leon behind her didn't annoy her that much right now, she was just glad they survived this.
"Thank fuck-"
The tyrant blowing through the wall cut her words, concrete flying off in every direction. She barely had time to dodge a piece flying towards her head, her legs bringing her away from the mountain of a beast out of reflex. And even though Thea was quick, the tyrant was much faster, landing a blow on her left side and sending her off flying several feet. It felt like she flew around the world and back, an abandoned police car finally breaking her fall.
The air got knocked out of her lungs, and her head fell against the concrete floor, seeing stars behind her eyes. She would've laid there for a few more minutes to catch her breath, but the thundering steps approaching her snapped her eyes open, her arm reaching for the pistol holstered on her thigh.
Squinting her eyes, Thea ignored the burning pain that made it hard to breathe as she pointed her gun at the tyrant. Her hand shook as all of her strength got knocked out of her, and its confident strides caused fear to rise in her chest. Maybe this is it. Maybe this is the way she'll die.
Thea cocked the safety off and gritted her teeth, fighting through the pain. Even if she'll die at the hands of this bitch, she will go down fighting.
That was until its head dipped forward like it was slammed in the head. The ringing in her ears started to clear up as she furrowed her eyebrows, watching as the tyrant slowly turned its head around, looking behind.
That's when she spotted Leon Kennedy, pointing his gun straight at the tyrant's head, his jaw clenched.
"Fucking dammit, Kennedy," Thea breathed out, her hand falling on the ground, her pistol suddenly weighing tons. "Get the fuck out!"
"I'm not leaving you!" Leon yelled back, firing another shot, straight in its head again. The tyrant turned its attention away from her, heading straight for Leon this time. Stubborn bitch is going to get himself killed.
Thea tried to push herself off with her hands, only for them to give under her weight, landing back on the floor. With a desperate cry, she tried to find a grip on the car next to her, her hand gliding over the dented surface her body made. She couldn't even stand up, she was light-headed and there was not much chance she could hit her target by how hazy her eyes were and how badly her arms shook.
She was useless. And now she's going to pay with Leon's life for her weakness.
She watched with horrified eyes as the tyrant's hand shot out, grabbing Leon by his neck and lifting him in the air. His gun landed on the ground with a loud clank, his hands desperately clawing at the large hand around his throat.
Pulling herself into a half-sitting position, she pointed her gun at the tyrant, releasing two shots into its back, but seemingly it did nothing. So, Thea fired off a few other shots, desperately trying to catch its attention but it only turned its head to the side, looking into her eyes as it tightened its grip around Leon's throat, a choked gasp escaping him.
What do I do what do I do what do I do
The loud roaring of a motor caught her attention, headlights shining their way. Thea had to shield her eyes to try and make out what it was. Before she could succeed, the car ran at full speed into the tyrant, ramming it straight into the wall with the sickening sound of metal pressing against concrete.
And Leon was nowhere to be seen.
"Leon?!" Thea called out, way too tired to try and hide the panic in her voice. Biting down on her bottom lip, she finally gathered the strength to push herself onto her feet, her knees buckling slightly under her weight.
With her right-hand tightly wrapped around her gun and the other holding her side where the tyrant landed its blow, she stumbled around the SWAT car that just rammed into the tyrant, her heart beating so fast it might just jump out of her chest.
Just as she got around the van, the door of the driver's side opened, and the woman in the trenchcoat - Ada, as they learned her name - jumped out from the car, her heels clanking against the floor.
"This is getting old..." Ada sneered at Leon, her head turning to look at Thea's crippled form, leaning against the side of the van. Ada continued to walk away, pointing a finger at him and the girl. "Saving your asses - that's twice."
"We were handling it just fine," Thea bit back, making a face as Ada walked past her. She watched with a frown as Leon sprung to his feet so easily, jealousy deep down eating her heart. Maybe she wasn't as tough as she thought.
"I didn't realize you were keeping score," Leon commented, following Ada. But instead of walking past her as the woman did earlier, he stopped by Thea's side, dipping his head down to look at her. "Are you okay?"
She really wasn't. Her entire body hurt like a bitch, breathing was hard and she was pretty sure she got a concussion. Maybe even a few broken ribs. But her ego took the biggest bruise out of all of them.
"Just peachy," Thea forced a smile on her lips, which looked more like a frown. "I'll be fine, pretty boy."
His head tilted to the side, his hair casting shadows over his face as he did so. The fiery glint in his blue eyes made her smile a little more genuine. Even though he towered over her hunched-over form, she didn't feel threatened.
"I told you to not call me that," Leon grumbled, his eyes searching her face. She decided to taunt him more as she let her head fall against the side of the van, the dim lights putting her smirk on full display.
"No, that was 'golden boy'. You lost your veto the moment you didn't flee when you had the chance. Which was fucking stupid, might I add."
"That's your way of saying 'Thank you'?" he furrowed his eyebrows, his voice getting lower with an octave. She didn't notice when did he got so close, their feet almost touching as she looked up at him.
"What you did was stupid," Thea said, her voice barely above a whisper as her eyes scanned his face. There were a few scrapes and cuts, some blood now dried under his jaw, previously dripping drown his neck. The hand of the tyrant already left its print on his skin. "And stupid gets you killed, pretty boy."
There was something in his eyes that was different than before. She thought she knew all of it: his eyes turned a mix of stormy blue with a hint of grey whenever he got angry. There was a casual glint in them whenever he talked with others, the blue in them burning a little brighter whenever he laughed. When he concentrated on a task, he always furrowed his eyebrows a little, his eyes turning the color of the calm sea.
But right now, they were dark, like the depths of the sea before the storm, an unfamiliar glint of fire hiding under the surface. This was unknown territory for her, and anything she didn't know already scared her.
Her heart beat heavily in her chest, the previous pain now gone and taken over by something else she haven't felt before.
"That's gonna leave a mark," Thea tore her eyes away from his burning eyes, glancing down at his neck. She could see clearly the place where each finger of the tyrant was, the skin already turning a slightly darker shade.
"It was worth it."
The sound of something moving snapped them out of it, now her heart beating loudly for other reasons. Thea stumbled away from the car, Leon reaching out and catching her arm as he pulled her away. Both of them watched with wide eyes as the arm of the tyrant moved between the car and the wall.
"Can't this bitch sit down for a minute?" Thea sneered, not noticing how her arm gripped onto his.
"Nothing dies down here," Ada sounded just as annoyed as she felt, Leon's arm snaking around Thea's waist as he pulled her away from the scene.
Thea opened her mouth in protest, ready to tell him off for manhandling her, but her eyes got caught in the sight of his other hand pointing his gun at the thing, his jaw clenching and muscles tensing under her touch. It looked like he was ready to shoot the thing and put a bullet in her, too, if she would annoy him right now.
But his tension got blown away, quite literally: the car Thea was leaning against to keep herself on her feet got blown up by the detonator in Ada's hand. The heat of the flames burned her face, her green eyes squinting into the fire as she tried to make out any movement.
There was none.
A breath she didn't even know she was holding left her lips, Leon's arm falling beside him as he watched the flames. She hated to admit it, but if it wasn't for his support, she would probably lie on the floor right now, the force of the explosion making her stumble nonetheless.
"That was fucking sick," Thea breathed, looking at Ada. She barely caught how the woman's lip twitched into a small smirk, it vanishing just as quickly as it came.
"I take it you have the key card?" Ada looked between them, Leon still a little startled by her. Thea poked his side with her elbow, urging him to snap out of it.
"Yeah, and this," he reached into his pocket, pulling out a recorder the found on Ben in the cells. The image of the riporter's mangled body made a chill run down Thea's spine. "I was hoping you could explain what's on it."
"Maybe... After I hear it. Let's get out of here."
"Good idea," Thea let out a sigh, more than eager to leave this whole hellhole behind her. She didn't want to see another police station for years.
Thea took a step forward to follow Ada, only to get held back by an arm around her waist. Her head snapped to Leon who looked down back at her, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. She shoved his hand away from her, her cheeks burning up in embarrassment. She didn't need anybody's help.
"You're in pain, lean on me," Leon offered, the sudden kindness in his voice and pitiful look in his eyes only pissing her off. Thea clenched her jaw as she took another step forward, pain shooting up her leg. She ignored it to her best knowledge and slapped his hand away that came to aid her.
"Don't touch me, Scotty," she sneered between her teeth, shooting him a look that could kill a man.
"Dorothy, you're slowing us down," he mirrored her attitude in no second, matching her pitiful speed as she limped towards the metal door of the parking lot.
"It's still Dorothea, dickhead. And I don't need your help," she brushed him off, biting down on her lip as she fought through the pain. God, that fucktard had one hell of a bitch-slap. "I'd rather die."
Leon snorted at her remark. Her hand shot out and punched him in his shoulder, him finally taking a step away and putting some more distance between them. He soothed a hand over the part she punched him, sending daggers with her eyes in his direction. Only to be greeted back with a shit-eating grin on his face.
"That's cute."
"Next one goes to your stupid face," Thea pointed a finger at him, her eyes following as he bit down on his bottom lip to try to hide his smile. She was tempted to execute her promise right then and there.
"Well, last time I checked nobody found my face stupid."
"News flash, nobody asked, nerd."
"You are just as big of a nerd as me, Eden."
"I'll rip your tongue out if you call me that one more time," Thea spat towards him, ready to throw hands.
"You told me that one every other day. Be more original, Eden."
"Oh, this is war now, Scotty!"
"At least you're not limping that much anymore," he flashed her a smile, Thea only now noticing that they were outside and her leg didn't even hurt that much on the way.
She stopped in her tracks, her fury vanishing with the gentle breeze that flew her hair out of her face.
Did he just piss her off so she wouldn't feel that much pain?
He said she was slowing them down, which was probably true, and when she was mad there was not one injury that could slow her down. Everybody that knew her through her academic years learned this, including Leon.
She wanted to punch him in the face. Again.
"You coming, Eden?"
"Fuck off, Scott."
"I can't, I have to stick with you."