Vitamorte - Chapter 2: The Barrier
(A/N: I've been watching a lot of resident evil speedruns lately, so that inspired me to pick up this story again. No other explanation required cuz no ones gonna read it but me XD)
No warnings, but Leon is an overprotective hubby. Also it hit me that I haven't said where this would take place in the main timeline; it takes place between death island and re7
Chris knocked on the door.
A farmhouse wasn't what he expected for one of the best government agents and virus researcher. It was a nice place- a typical 2-story home with a lazy, old white shepherd lounging on the patio, a front yard with an apple tree and a swing, and no neighbors around for miles.
Perfect for privacy.
The dog lifted its head and wagged its tail.
"Hey, Milky," Chris chuckled, leaning over to pat the good boy on the head. "You're still kicking, huh?"
Milky panted and rested its head again.
"Who the hell is that? I swear I didn't order a-" The door swung open, revealing the one person Chris was hoping to avoid- Leon Kennedy-Kim himself. And it seemed like Chris was the last person Leon was expecting, too. Because he froze immediately at the sight of his colleague, lips curling into a fierce scowl.
"I thought I made it clear that I'm on break," Leon scoffed. "Whatever it is, I ain't hearing it until at least a month."
"Well, you're in luck, because you're not the one I'm here to see," Chris sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Is Sarah in?"
Leon stared at him, eyes piercing. "What are you-"
"Dad! Mom said pie's ready! C'mon, let's eat!"
Leon glared at Chris, but ultimately swung the door open. "Shoes off. We don't want dirt in the house."
Chris wordlessly obeyed, figuring that getting into Leon's good graces at the moment would get him better results. But as he shut the door behind him, he heard footsteps pattering in the room next door, and a head of blond hair popped out.
"Whoa, it's Uncle Chris," the little girl gasped, before she darted back in the room. "Zane, come on, Uncle Chris is here!"
He chuckled. Grace hadn't changed a bit since the last time he saw her. Still as energetic, bouncy and innocent as ever, a spitfire image of her mother with her dad's hair.
And then Zane walked out- tall for an 11-year-old, black hair, with Leon's piercing blue eyes to match. He smiled at the older man. "Hi, Uncle Chris. You look older."
"I feel older," he laughed, ruffling the boy's hair. "You got taller, I can tell."
"And hungrier. Boy tears through three bowls of rice like there's no tomorrow," Leon grumbled as he set out plates and cups. Grace finally snuck out to dash into the kitchen, giving Chris a small wave.
"...Are you here for work again, Uncle Chris?" Zane whispered, eyes fixed on the kitchen to make sure his sister was out of earshot. "More bad stuff?"
"Yeah." Chris sighed before patting Zane on the back. Kid was always too smart for his own good. "But don't worry. With me and hopefully your mom on the case, it shouldn't be too bad of a problem."
"So it's Mom..." Zane stared off into the distance before shaking his head. "Dad's not gonna like that."
"No, he isn't."
And speak of the devil, Leon reemerged from the kitchen holding a pitcher, and the very person Chris needed followed close behind, a large pie in hand.
"When Leon told me we had guests, I didn't realize I called the pest control," Sarah Kennedy-Kim cackled, setting down the pie to pat his shoulder. "What's the greatest bug killer doing in my house?"
"Catching rats," he sighed. "I could use a hand in getting a few strays."
She stared at him. Chris fidgeted under the intensity of her gaze.
"Really, now?" she finally said. Sarah plopped on a chair and cut some slices of pie, gesturing for Chris to sit.
Leon huffed, then passed over two hefty slices to the children, wordlessly motioning for them to head up the stairs. Zane caught on quickly, and after grabbing glasses of lemonade, prodded his sister to follow him up.
The two waited until there was a click of a door, and only then did Leon speak. "No."
"Leon-"
"Shut up," he hissed. "She left the field a long time ago, and for damn good reason. You want someone to risk their life, you ask me, but leave my wife out of this!"
"It's not that easy." Chris laid his palms flat on the table. "There's some shit going down in Chile. Some unknown disease is turning people into... something. Supergeniuses. Or freaks of nature." He leaned closer to the scientist. "I don't care whether it's a virus, parasite, or some other bullshit. You're the leading expert on this; I need you on this case."
Sarah hummed, but said nothing else for a solid second. Leon's brows furrowed.
"You've got Rebecca Chambers," she said simply. "She's a genius. Why not ask her?"
"I thought about it," he admitted. "But Rebecca isn't meant for dangerous field work. And more importantly..." He leaned forward, eyes fixed on the scientist. "She's not a gambler. Not like you are. I need someone who's willing to break the rules."
Leon scowled. Sarah shrugged, unfazed.
"Rebecca's fairly good at bending the rules." She poured a glass of lemonade and slid it over to Chris. "But I'll let it slide for now. What's the problem?"
"This." He slid over several pictures. Sarah picked them up and studied them, Leon leaning over her shoulder to take a peek. "Word has it that the disease that's infecting Los Duermos infects the mind- turns the people into-"
"Zombies." Leon waves his hand. "Mindless, dumb, bitches to take down. Shoot them in the head. Simple."
"That's the thing," Chris sighed. "They're not dumb corpses shuffling around. They're fully sentient, not driven by whatever virus or parasite is in their bodies. They're vastly more intelligent than they used to be. Apparently, a good chunk of them even act normally, going about their lives as they used to. But that's the lucky ones. The unlucky folks..."
She studied another picture. Her eyes narrowed. "Who the hell is..."
"Their bodies change drastically; it's like plastic surgery without going under." Chris pinched the bridge of his nose. "They all look the same. Man, woman, or child. They all look like Alex Wesker. With not even half the brains. They're mindless, dumb..." He looked at Leon. "Bitches to take down."
Leon scratched his chin. "It's like Simmons on steroids."
"No kidding." Chris leaned back in his chair. "You see why I need you now? We don't know what the hell is going on, and we need sharp eyes on the ground to get the info we need."
"An army of super geniuses and mutated Weskers..." Sarah mused. "Well, I guess-"
"Sarah," Leon whispered harshly. "This isn't a good idea. You know what happened last time."
She hummed. Chris looked at his folded hands.
"In his defense," she said, "I got kidnapped. It's not exactly field work in the slightest."
"But it still happened," he growled. "I'm not letting that happen ever again."
She silently took Leon's hand in hers, rubbing soft circles in his skin. He instantly softened, and brought her hand to his lips. Chris looked away, giving the couple a brief moment of privacy.
"How long do I have to decide?" she finally asked.
"Tomorrow morning. That's the latest."
She sighed. "I'll let you know by then."
Chris nodded; this was likely the best outcome he was going to get. He stood up and pushed his chair back in.
"Are you gonna finish that?"
He turned around to see Leon pointing at the untouched slice.
With a huff, he sat back down.
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A/N: when I was first writing this years ago, I couldn't figure out how to write this, but now it comes a bit more naturally
