Doomsday Is Close At Hand [Leon Kennedy/Reader] (1/?)
Summary: You get a call in the middle of the night from your ex’s little sister begging you to return to the city that ruined your life. You agree to help her track down Chris, but a random twist of fate sends Leon Kennedy stumbling into your life instead. You don’t know what to make of him at first, but as you’re forced to fight the undead and uncover Umbrella’s darkest secrets at his side, you start to realize that he might just be what you’ve needed all along. Word Count: 4.3k Author's Notes: I've wanted to write for Leon for so, so long, but I could never settle on an idea until a couple of days ago. This will take place over the course of several games which I will add to the tags as I go along. I'm writing this as I replay the games. I hope you enjoy! And if you do, please let me know. This fic does have a playlist you can find HERE if you're interested! Read On AO3 // Fic Masterlist [coming soon] // Join a Taglist
There was a ringing in your ears as you tried to lift your head. Your vision blurred, smoke rising from the flames engulfing the buildings around you making it hard to see.
You wanted to get up. You should get up. But it felt like your body was weighed down by an invisible force, threatening to crush you against the dirt and gravel beneath you.
“Y/N!” A voice pierced the chaos unfolding around you. “I need you!”
Your heart was beating so fast you could feel it practically rocking your body with its pulse.
“Help!” The voice sounded farther away now. It wouldn’t take long at all before the person pleading for you would be out of your reach.
The ringing grew louder as the voice faded. You couldn’t see them, but you knew you would recognize that voice anywhere.
“Chris,” you gasped as you sat up, sweat making your shirt stick to your skin.
The fire and smoke were gone, but the ringing still persisted.
“Fuck,” you groaned when you realized it was because someone was calling you. You forced yourself to reach for your phone, twisting awkwardly to grab the receiver before the call could be turned over to your answering machine. “What?” You answered the phone, wondering who the fuck would wake you up in the middle of the night.
“Shit,” you heard the person sigh. “I did it again, didn’t I?”
“Claire,” you groaned, forcing yourself to sit up, the phone cord stretched far enough you had to reach out and pull the cradle closer so you wouldn’t have to worry about disconnecting the call. You managed to get a glimpse of your alarm clock and fought the urge to roll your eyes. “It’s four in the morning. What’s going on?”
“It’s Chris,” Claire said. “And I’m sorry to wake you up in the middle of the night again, but I think something’s wrong.”
You thought about your dream. Chris had been calling out for help. There was a sharp twist in your gut at the memory of hearing him cry out that he needed you. But it had just been a dream. It didn’t mean anything.
“What do you mean you think something’s wrong? When’s the last time you spoke to him?”
You sat up, letting your legs swing over the edge of the bed so you could put your feet on the floor.
“That’s the thing,” Claire said. “I haven’t been able to reach him in weeks. About two months.”
“Shit,” you sighed, leaning forward until you could put your elbow on your knee, the phone still pressed to your ear. “So, what’s your plan?”
“Well,” Claire started, her tone betraying the fact you were about to hate whatever she said next. “I know you said you never wanted to go back there, but I don’t want to do this without you. Chris listens to you. If we need to pull him out of the fire,” she let the sentence hang there, allowing you to fill in the rest for yourself.
“Raccoon City,” you surmised. You had spent years trying to forget the place even existed. It was the source of nightmares for you. It was the last straw signaling the end of your relationship with Chris.
It was a fucking cesspool of doom and ruin.
“I can go without you,” Claire prompted without speaking further, knowing you wouldn’t let her get that far.
“No,” you decided. “If you go, then I go.”
“Thanks,” Claire said, relief clear in her voice. “I’ll be there soon.”
“Claire,” you murmured. “Where the fuck are you?”
“Payphone outside the library,” she informed you before hanging up.
The library was only about a five minute drive from your apartment. With the way Claire drove, she’d be there in two.
“Fuck,” you groaned before forcing yourself to get up.
“Thanks for this,” Claire told you as you let her into your apartment. “Place looks good.”
“Claire,” you sighed. “Most people would wait until the morning before dropping in on someone.”
Claire didn’t say anything for a moment, choosing instead to stare at your couch with its worn fabric and squeaky springs.
“I just have a bad feeling about this,” Claire finally broke her silence. “And I can do this alone. But you know Chris almost better than I do.” She turned to look at you. “I’ve known you for over half my life. I trust you and I know that if something’s wrong, then you’re the person I want in my corner.”
It was your turn to stare at a random spot in the room, unable to meet her gaze.
Claire knew what Raccoon City meant to you. If she was here asking you to brave the shithole, then you knew it was for good reason.
“We’ll leave tomorrow after breakfast,” you told her. “Get some sleep,” you added, gesturing towards your couch. “We should make it there by tomorrow evening.”
“Thanks,” Claire said, moving to set her bag down beside your couch.
You had never known if it was coincidence or by design you ended up less than a day’s drive away from the city that had stolen your life. It had kept you close enough to Chris that you saw him a couple of times a year. He drifted in and out of your life like a ghost whose hauntings you yearned for when you started to feel the creeping sense of loneliness that ate away at you. Late night diner catchups and occasional phone calls had become normal for the two of you. It was enough to fill the void he left in your life, but never enough to sate the intimacy you craved. It always left you wondering what your life would have been like if you had just agreed to join Chris in Racoon City. But a part of you knew that it wasn’t really where you belonged.
And as years passed, you came to the conclusion that he wasn’t really who you belonged with either.
Dread clouded your every thought as time passed. You felt like time skipped forward in an effort to torture you, wanting to send you back to the place you hated more than anything.
“So,” you said, drumming your fingers on the steering wheel in a poor attempt to abate the restlessness that plagued you the closer you got to Raccoon City. “What’s the plan?”
“I think we should check the police station first. Maybe he’s just tied up in work or a case or something.”
“And after that?”
“Maybe he’ll be at his house,” she guessed, shrugging her shoulders. She leaned forward in her seat, attempting to get a better look at the sign looming on the horizon. “Ten miles to Raccoon City,” she read. “You sure about this? It’s not too late to back out.”
You couldn’t help but laugh, shooting her an incredulous look. “Where was that attitude before you decided to call me?”
Claire looked conflicted for a moment before she sighed. “You’re fucking with me.”
“If I didn’t want to be here, Claire, then I never would’ve left my place. I want to help you. And Chris,” you added. “Even if it means drudging up a lot of painful memories.”
It was your turn to try to lean forward to get a better look at something that was in the middle of the road.
“What the fuck,” you breathed.
“What is that?” Claire wondered, shooting you a worried look.
“It’s a blockade,” you answered. There were two cement barriers blocking the road, preventing you from continuing down the road. A sign on the blockade said: ‘No Entry Permitted By Order Of The Military.’
The apprehension you felt in the back of your mind since your nightmare went from an irritating buzz to a blaring siren of caution.
“Why the fuck would they block the road?”
“I don’t know,” you said, glancing into your rearview mirror before making a choice. “But I know a backroad,” you decided. “Maybe it’ll get us close enough to figure out what the hell is happening here.”
“I haven’t seen anything on the news about them blocking off the city,” Claire told you.
“It’s never a good sign,” you muttered as you backed your car up enough to turn it around. There was a gnawing certainty in the pit of your stomach, giving voice to all the worries crowding your mind.
You didn’t want to tell Claire what you were really thinking.
If it had been two months with no contact from Chris and the military was blocking access to the city, then was Chris even still alive?
You pressed your foot down on the accelerator, needing to know one way or the other whether Chris was okay. You felt a cautious sense of hope as you sped down the backroad. It was more of a dirt path that would eventually emerge from the woods to a road behind a row of houses. There weren’t any signs of another blockade, but you still tried to keep a careful watch on your surroundings.
“Watch out!” Claire warned just before your front tire hit a pothole.
You held on tight to the steering wheel as you tried to prevent the car from swerving. The impact was jarring enough you jerked forward in your seat, your breath leaving you in a rush as the seatbelt dug tight into your neck and chest.
“Fuck,” you hissed as you glanced over at Claire. “You okay?”
Claire nodded her head before letting out a deep breath. She brought a hand to her chest as she forced herself to take another deep breath.
“I think that took about five years off my life.”
You managed a laugh before your headlights flickered and the car started to slow to a crawl.
“Shit,” you grumbled as you hit the dashboard, as if that would manage to do anything.
The car lurched to a stop just as the headlights died, leaving you surrounded by darkness.
“Fuckin’ piece of shit can’t work with me for one fucking second,” you muttered to yourself as you tried to turn the key in the ignition with absolutely no luck.
“So,” Claire said, turning a worried look your way. “I guess we’re walking.”
“Guess so,” you agreed before reaching for the glove compartment. You popped it open before grabbing the gun you kept inside.
Claire huffed out a surprised laugh. “Chris give you that?”
“Taught me to use it too,” you told her.
“Wouldn’t happen to have another one of those in there for me, would you?”
“No,” you answered before handing it over to her. “But you can hold on to it if it’ll make you feel better.”
“You know just how to make a girl’s night,” she said before rifling through the glove compartment. She snagged the box of ammo you kept stashed inside before gifting you with a strained smile. “Ready to hit the road?”
“One more thing,” you said before you reached for the lever that would pop open the trunk of your car.
You got out of the car and walked to the trunk. There was a low sound just off to your right, prompting you to freeze in your tracks.
It sounded like a growl.
You could hardly see anything. There weren’t any streetlights out here and the trees were tall enough to block most of the light from the moon.
You hurried to the trunk of your car and opened it, hastily grabbing the flashlight you kept there for emergencies.
A beam of light swept over the surrounding trees, finding nothing to alert you to any danger that might be encroaching on you and Claire. You did another scan, catching something reflecting back at you. It was there and gone in a moment, but it was enough for you to decide that you needed to get the hell out of here.
It could have been a trick of the light. It could have been just your imagination. But for a moment you swore you saw a pair of eyes staring back at you from the darkness.
You were about to shut your trunk when something caught your eye.
You freed it from your trunk before walking towards Claire where she was waiting for you near the passenger side door.
“A crowbar?” She asked, glancing down at it gripped tight in your hand.
“Don’t ask,” you said. Your neighbor had loaned it to you when your window started sticking during the summer. He never asked for it back, so you never returned it.
“How far away are we?”
“Few miles,” you guessed. “Might even see some hint of civilization soon. If we’re lucky.”
“Let’s hope we’re lucky, then,” Claire said before launching into a story about one of her professors.
After half an hour of walking, you could see a light in the distance. You could also see someone hunched over in the middle of the road.
“Wait,” Claire cautioned, holding up her arm to stop you from walking. “You see that?”
You were standing far enough away that you couldn’t get a clear picture of the scene unfolding before you, but it was enough to tell you it wasn’t anything good.
The figure was bent over someone else. The stranger on the ground was still, but the other turned to look at you and Claire. There was blood smeared around their mouth and their skin had a sickly, grey pallor. Half their upper lip was missing and there were three long scratch marks marring the side of their face.
“Claire,” you said as the person got to their feet and started to stagger in your direction.
Claire raised the gun, leveling it at the other person.
“Don’t come any closer,” she ordered, keeping her grip on the gun tight enough to hold it steady.
You knew Chris had taught you and Claire how to defend yourselves. It was the only way he could stomach leaving the both of you behind. But now as you watched Claire shoot the stranger in the head, you only hoped whatever fate had befallen the stranger hadn’t also happened to Chris. It was a sick thought that you or Claire would have to use the defense lessons he gave you years ago on him.
The shot should have been enough to take care of the monster. But when you saw the stranger stir before attempting to get back up, you knew whatever was going on would require a lot more than just one bullet to the head.
“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” you told Claire before grabbing her arm.
You pushed yourself to run fast enough to get by the stranger before they could get back up.
As you passed the other stranger on the ground, you could see that half their torso had been torn out. Their eyes were staring sightlessly up at the night sky between the trees, but their limbs were beginning to twitch, signaling a return you didn’t want to be around to witness.
After what felt like hours, you broke through the trees, Claire right on your heels.
The road had let you out exactly where you remembered. There was a row of houses just in front of you, but they looked nothing like you remembered.
Broken windows and doors hanging off hinges were what you first noticed. Blood smeared on side paneling and movement between the houses was next. There was a low groan before a figure stepped out into the pool of light cast by the streetlights. It looked just like the other one in the woods.
Half-dead and bloodied, a snarl working its way free from its mouth.
“We can’t stay here,” you told Claire.
“Right behind you,” Claire promised.
You kept running in the hopes you would find a car to steal or a house with a living person inside. But everywhere you looked, there was death and destruction.
“Watch out!” Claire yelled just as one of the undead tried to latch onto the sleeve of your jacket.
You brought the crowbar up, shoving it into their mouth before it could close down on your shoulder. Claire kicked the back of their knee, sending them to the ground. She grasped the sleeve of your jacket before pulling, setting you off running again.
“I think there’s a gas station just up this road,” you recalled. “Maybe we’ll find a car there.”
“Got it,” Claire said, keeping the gun held in front of her.
You were grateful when you spotted the gas station in the distance. As you got closer, you noticed a jeep parked at the pumps and a cop cruiser with its doors open, but no one else in sight. There was a trail of blood leading towards the entrance of the station, quashing any hope you had that it might be a refuge.
“The cop car,” you pointed out to Claire. You glanced inside, spotting the keys in the ignition. “We should take this one.” Claire opened her mouth to respond, but she was cut off by the sound of a gunshot.
“That came from inside,” Claire said. “Maybe there’s someone in there who needs help.”
“Claire, wait,” you tried to stall her. You didn’t want to leave someone stranded, but you could also see the faint outline of more of the undead starting to approach the gas station. Your need to protect Claire and get her the hell out of here was quickly outweighing any instinct to help a stranger.
“It could be Chris in there,” Claire reasoned with you as she reached to open the door of the gas station. It wasn’t Chris on the other side of the door. It was a stranger with his gun already aimed at Claire. You were standing at her side, so you automatically reached out to yank her out of the way just as the stranger yelled for her to get down.
He fired his gun once Claire was out of the way, taking down the bloodied walking corpse that nearly managed to grab her.
“Thanks,” Claire told the stranger.
“Don’t mention it,” he said as he stepped outside of the station. He kept his gun aimed at the rest of the monsters slowly converging on you. “Not that I’m not glad to find a friendly face or two, but I really think we should get the hell out of here.”
“Agreed,” Claire said before turning her gun on the closest threat. “Got any plans?”
“One,” the stranger said before nodding towards the cop car.
“Then let’s go,” you said before rushing towards the car.
You had to strike down one of the undead in a bid to get into the backseat of the cop car. You had ushered Claire towards the front passenger seat, since the door was already open. But when you tried to open the door to the backseat, one of the ravenous monsters tried to grab you.
The stranger from the gas station was quick to shove it away before towing you to the other side of the car. He brought his gun up and shot the closest creature, allowing you both enough time to get in the car.
“Fuck,” Claire breathed as the stranger pulled out of the parking lot. “That was close.”
The stranger huffed out a laugh. “You’re telling me.”
“Is this your car?” You wondered, meeting the stranger’s eyes in the rearview mirror. You didn’t like that you ended up in the seat behind him, but you couldn’t deny it would give you an advantage if you needed to get the jump on him in the event he turned out to be a psycho.
“Not mine,” he answered.
“You have any idea what’s going on here?” Claire followed up with, glancing curiously at the stranger.
“Just got into town,” he said. “I’m supposed to start at RPD, but I’ve got a feeling that’s not gonna happen.”
“Are you a cop?” Claire asked, a tiny bit of hope finding its way into her demeanor. “Because my brother is and he’s why I’m here. We were actually on our way to the police station. I’m Claire, by the way. Claire Redfield.”
“Leon Kennedy,” he introduced himself. He met your eyes in the rearview mirror again, seemingly unsurprised that you hadn’t taken your eyes off him. “And you are?”
“Y/N,” you answered.
“Nice to meet you,” Leon said before focusing back on the road. “You two picked a hell of a night to drop by for a visit.”
“I haven’t heard from Chris in months,” Claire explained. “But now I guess I know why.”
“Well, I hope we find your brother at the station.”
“Thanks,” Claire told him. She glanced over her shoulder at you. ‘Cut it out,’ she mouthed, cutting her eyes at Leon.
You shrugged your shoulders. You couldn’t help that you didn’t trust him. You didn’t know him and you certainly didn’t want to have to depend on him.
You only took your eyes off Leon once you noticed the sign on the side of the road.
‘Welcome to Raccoon City. Home of Umbrella.’
You rolled your eyes before glancing out the window, searching for a distraction.
“Got a history with this place?” Leon asked, drawing you out of your memories.
He was watching you in the mirror again and you wondered if it was because he also didn’t trust you or for an entirely different reason.
“Unfortunately,” you decided to say.
“Well,” Leon sighed as he turned on the street leading towards the police station. “I don’t think that’s about to change.”
As you grew closer to the station, you could hear a pre-recorded message projected from speakers urging citizens to head for the police station.
Rows of cars lined both sides of the street, leaving Leon only enough space to drive between them.
“I don’t like this,” you said, trying to get a better view out the window.
“What if it’s only us?” Claire wondered, glancing back at you. “What if there are no other survivors?”
Before you could try to put her at ease, Leon spoke first.
“It’s a big city,” he reminded her. “We just got here. I bet there are people at the police station. Including your brother.”
“God, I hope so,” Claire sighed, allowing her head to tip back against the headrest.
“Shit,” Leon said, drawing your attention to the blockade in the middle of the street.
“That’s not our only problem,” you told him.
The streets surrounding the station were swarming with the undead. One of them hit the driver’s side window, startling Leon. Another was clawing at the glass next to your face, trying to get to you. More and more were converging on the car, hoping to reach the fresh meals inside.
“Back up,” Claire ordered, turning to look at Leon. “Get us the fuck out of here.”
“Okay, okay,” Leon said, glancing over his shoulder to try to get a better view behind him.
You noticed his eyes go wide just before the world around you began to brighten from the set of headlights barreling towards the car. You managed to look out the rear window, catching sight of the huge truck heading right for you.
“Hold on!” Leon yelled just as the semi truck crashed into the row of cars before managing to hit the trunk of the cop car, sending it careening forward.
The car began to skid along the pavement before it hit another car, bringing it to a halt. The semi-truck wasn’t far behind, causing a pile-up of cars in the middle of the road.
The smell of smoke reached you before you saw the orange glow of flames erupt from the hood of the car.
“Get out!” Claire shouted as you saw her dive out of the passenger seat.
You tugged on the door handle but it wouldn’t budge.
“Fuck,” you cried as you hit the window with the palm of your hand. Before you could panic any further, Leon opened the door and hauled you out just as the car exploded. You hit the ground with Leon, scraping your hands on the asphalt beneath you.
“Shit, shit, shit,” Leon chanted before he was urging you to get up. “Run,” he said as you stumbled to your feet.
You barely managed to make it a few steps before the truck blew up, sending you back to the ground. Leon ended up thrown into the side of a car from the blast, a cry of pain leaving him.
You were quick to your feet, reaching out to help him up.
“Claire!” You called, turning to see a wall of fire separating you from her. At least, you hoped she she was on the other side. You didn’t want to consider the idea that she might not be alive anymore. “Claire! Answer me!”
“Claire!” Leon joined you. “Are you alright?” One torturous second gave way to the next as you waited for any confirmation that Claire had survived.
“I’m okay!” She called across the flames. “I’m alive!”
“Thank fuck,” you said before you tried to rush forward. There had to be a gap in the flames where you could cross over to Claire.
“Are you fucking crazy?” Leon asked as he reached out to grab your arm, pulling you back. “You’re going to get yourself killed.”
“She’s my friend,” you told him, attempting to free yourself from his hold.
“And we’ve got some other friends headed our way,” he pointed out.
That was when you noticed the horde of undead braving the flames to make it to you.
“Just go!” Claire yelled. “We’ll meet at the station.”
You didn’t want to leave Claire behind. You wanted, more than anything, to find a way to get to her.
But as Leon tugged on your arm again, finally prompting you to turn and run with him, you realized that if you had any hope of reuniting with Claire or Chris, then you were going to have to survive.
