"The circus is on fire!"

But, you were past that now. Kinda. Not really, but you really didn’t have time to be hung up on it. You could do that later. Now, you needed to focus on saving Baby Eagle. You didn't really want to admit how long it took you to realize you were saving that girl Leon was talking about and not an actual baby eagle, but that was beside the point. The two of you walked cautiously through the church, looking for traps, keys, treasure, Baby Eagle, anything Leon deemed important really. 

You scrounged around on all fours, looking for clues. One of the benefits this form provided was that your sense of smell was better than the average human's. It wasn’t as good as say, a hunting dog's nose, but it was better than the average human’s, allowing you to pick up even faint traces of scent. It was the unfamiliar smell of pumpkin spice and expensive perfume that led you to the broken flip phone.

You picked up the pink piece of tech, examining as best as you could with your less than dexterous hands. The screen was broken, and the back had stickers that you couldn’t really read even if you tried. This seemed Leon worthy. 

You found Leon using a control panel to spin the three panes of stained glass, trying to make an image. “Yeah Pinkie?” He asked, not looking away from the puzzle. You chirped at him, dragging his attention away from the windows to look at what was in your hand. “Fuck,” He whispered as he took it from you, “that’s Ashleys Razr. You found this here?”

You were absolutely positive that it was a cell phone and not a razor, but you weren’t about to argue. You just nodded and pointed to the general direction of where you found it. Leon nodded back at you before looking back down at the broken phone. “Then we're in the right place.” He finally said, slipping the phone into his back pocket. He looked back at you. “I’ve almost got this window lined up,” he updated, “have you secured the perimeter?” 

You bubbled at him, having already made sure there wasn’t a villager in sight. “Good, that’s what I like to hear. We still need to hurry though.” As he spoke, he turned the red knob, sliding the corresponding window pane into the right spot. As he did, a previously closed gate opened up. The two of you looked at each other, then made your way to the alcove, and up the ladder you found there.

As soon as you were on the second floor, you heard the muffled cries of a terrified young woman. Being around Leon, you had discovered something about yourself- and that was that in this new form (and maybe your old one, who knows) you felt an overwhelming drive to protect the humans near you. So of course, you rushed to help whoever was crying.

Only to be stopped by Leon. “Pinkie, wait,” he said as he stepped in front of you, “maybe you should…hang back a bit. Let me talk to her first and…well, warn her.” 

Right. You’d been so caught up in the thrill of finding other humans- humans that could be your friends after being alone for so so long- you forgot you weren’t one anymore. And you never would be again. You nodded in agreement, but a particularly rough sob had you quickly breaking that promise. Not that Leon noticed, he was already opening the door. “Ashley? Ashley Graham! Are you in here?”

You felt like he could have maybe used a less cop like voice, but you didn’t really have enough time to think. Leon saw it coming, the flash of gold activating his training before he even had to think about it. He dodged Ashely swinging the candelabra. You, unfortunately, did not have Leon’s training. Ashley screamed as the metal made solid contact with the side of your head. 

Granted, it didn’t hurt very much, you may have been unfinished but you weren’t that unfinished. You still scuttled away from her though, because a threat was still a threat. That, and honestly you didn’t take very kindly to being attacked. Some distance felt like the best option. 

That didn’t stop her from going to go and whack you again, but Leon caught the candelabra this time before she could. “Hey, careful with that thing!” He warned, throwing it off to the side, “look, I’m here on the president’s or-”

Ashley looked at Leon, looked at you, unknowingly in a defensive stance, she didn’t like that, looked at Leon again, and ran for it, booking it out of the open door. Leon sighed and went to help you steady yourself. “Well, that went well.” He said. You did not agree. 

Leon followed the girl, and you followed closely behind. She looked back and finally said her first sentence. “Get away from me!”

“Ashley, my name is Leon Kennedy, I’m here to help!” He called to her. 

“Like hell!” She snapped back, “help wouldn’t bring that…that thing with them!”

Well that hurt. You and Leon exchanged offended glances, as if he wasn’t the one calling you a monster twenty minutes ago. “Hey, that thing has a name!” Leon said sternly, “and its name is Pinkie!”

You nodded a sharp affirmative. 

Ashley all but laughed. “I don’t care!”

“Ashley, you need to listen to me, it’s not safe!” Leon called, upping his speed to catch up with her. 

That was until she very suddenly stopped in front of a window. “What is that?” She asked, her voice now much softer than it was before. You and Leon came to stand next to her, looking out the window and seeing the horde of villagers approaching. 

Leon turned to the girl. “Ash-”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence. They were both struck with what looked like an unbearable pain. You stood and fretted over them, not entirely sure what to do. Luckily for you though, it was over just as fast as it started. 

Leon and Ashely looked at each other, Ashley visibly scared and Leon looking rattled himself. “What do we do?” She asked. 

“Your father trusts me,” Leon explained, “and right now, I need you to do the same.”

Ashley nodded, then gazed over his shoulder at you. “And…them?” She asked. Hey, she didn’t call you “it” this time, that was progress!

“You can trust them too.” Leon assured her, “Pinkie wouldn’t hurt a fly, unless the fly hurt them first.” You tried to smile at Ashley to reassure her. When that didn’t work, you showed her your soft belly like you had with Leon. But it only seemed to unsettle. 

She swallowed the air in her throat, and looked back to Leon. “What do we do?”

“Follow me.” Leon ordered as he snuck around the loft. You and Ashley followed his lead, trying to stay as small and quiet as possible as the villagers entered the church in search of your little group. Your tail curled itself into a striking position, ready to defend your new pet humans. Leon pointed to an alcove that you helped him and Ashley onto. He then led the three of you to an open window. He looked out to make sure the coast was clear, then nodded at you. 

You nodded back, crawling out of the window and down the side of the wall on all fours. It wasn’t all bad being part bug. You stood back up and reached your arms out.

Leon went first to show it was safe, jumping down and into your arms. You put him down gently, then reached your arms back out for Ashley.

She looked mortified. “No!” She whisper yelled, “No way!” 

“Yes way,” Leon prompted her, “don’t worry, Pinkie’s got you!”

She shook her head. “Can’t you catch me?”

“I mean, I can. But it’s going to be a way longer fall and a much harder landing.” Leon pointed out. You were seven feet tall, she barely had to jump if she just let you catch her. 

You stretched your arms a bit closer to her, trying to assure her you were a friend, not foe. Ashley still looked unsure, looking around for any other way to get down. And when no other option presented itself, she looked to Leon desperately. “Please!” 

When it became clear she wasn’t going to jump into your arms, Leon sighed and stepped in front of you, reaching his own arms out. Finally, she took a leap. When Leon caught her, they both grunted. Him from the impact of catching someone falling from nine feet up, and her from landing after taking said jump.  He let her down, rubbing his lower back.

“Thank you.” she muttered. Leon sighed and nodded, “Of course. Though I stand by the fact that Pinkie would have caught you.”

He  took out the device he used to talk to his handler- the device you now knew was called a “Codex,”- and radioed into Hunnigan. 

“Roost, I’ve secured Baby Eagle,” Leon informed them.

“Good! And she’s okay?” Hunnigan asked, relieved. 

“Affirmative. But, Roost, there’s something-”

Hunnigan was having none of it. “Well done Condor One, I’ll dispatch a chopper right away.”

Leon panicked a bit. “Roost, you really need to hear the unsettling information from earlier.” He tried to say.

Hunnigan just brushed right past him. “I’m sending you the evac coordinates no-” It was then that Hunnigan looked up at the screen, just in time to catch a glimpse of you trying to hide from the camera. “Leon.”

Leon looked back at you, then to the screen. He knew it was serious if Hunnigan was pulling out the government names. “I can explain.”

“Leon.” Hunnigan said, a danger creeping into her voice that he had never heard before.

“Pinkie-” Leon stared.

“You named it?” Hunnigan cut him off. 

He paused, then shook his head. “No, I didn’t name them, the Merchant did.”

“THE WHO?” If you looked closely, you could see the grey hair forming at Hunnigan's temples. 

“The Merchant,” Leon explained nothing, “anyways, Pinkie is a friend. They saved me and were a major help in saving Baby Eagle.”

Hunnigan was quiet, unconvinced.

Leon continued, “They know the layout of the island well and have saved me hours of wandering around, they’ve helped in a few fights too. I know Pinkie looks scary, but I promise there are chihuahuas out there with more bloodlust than Pinkie has.” 

Hunnigan took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and counted backwards from ten. She did not get paid nearly enough for this. Finally, she opened her eyes again, this time scarily calm. “I’m dispatching a helicopter now,” She said matter of factly, “I’m sending you the evac coordinates, get there ASAP. And do not let anything bad happen to Baby Eagle.” That was a threat.

“Copy that.” Leon said, not wanting to push his luck.

Hunnigan took another deep breath and nodded. “Hurry Condor. The weather's only getting worse.”

🩻🩻🩻

The evacuation point was on the other side of the island. An island full of mind controlled murderous villagers that wanted the three of you either dead or converted. Getting to the extraction point wasn’t going to be easy for you and Leon, let alone Ashley. 

“Hey, can we stop for a minute?” She asked breathlessly as the three of you walked into a suspiciously foggy building.

Leon shook his head. “No, sorry. It’s too dangerous.” He didn’t really seem all that apologetic though. Quite the contrary, he looked too focused on getting the job done to be bothered by apologies at the moment. 

Ashley sighed and looked down. “Right, Got it.”

You waved a claw under her face so she would look up and see you. She jumped as you did. You held up your hands again, then slowly knelt down and chirped at her.

She looked confused. “What is it-”

“They.” Leon corrected. 

Ashley nodded. “They. What are they doing?”

“I think Pinkie’s offering you a ride,” Leon said, looking to you for confirmation. You clicked at him, nodding your head. 

Ashley seemed hesitant. “Uhm, no thank you…I can keep going.”

Leon noticed the way your shoulders sagged and your eyes looked to the ground. He felt bad for his sensitive not so little bioweapon. “Suit yourself!” He shrugged, “I need Pinkie to be battle ready anyway.” 

You felt a little bit better, knowing Leon cared enough to try and cheer you up. So you nodded and continued through the horde. 

It was no easy feat. You felt like you couldn’t take a breath without a villager trying to take your head off or grab Ashley. More than once you had to use your tail to leg sweep a villager trying to make a break with the poor girl. You had just gotten rid of one of those freaks with the cow heads when you heard it.

“Leon! Over here!” You looked over to see a Spaniard in the most god awful clothing trying to wave Leon over. 

Leon looked to Ashley, then the man, and groaned in defeat. “That way!” He said, pointing to the strangers stronghold, just beyond the village gate. The three of you sprinted to the exit. You, naturally, made it first, and waited for everyone to get in before closing the heavy wooden door. Leon stayed with you to lock it, knowing you weren’t the most…dexterous, creature around.

Your human companions made it into the house, just for the Spaniard to try and slam the door in your face. “Hey!” Leon snapped, “They’re with me!”

“They’re with you?!” The man gasped, and you used the confusion to slip into the villa and close the door.

“Yeah, they are,” Leon stated as he approached the man, “You’re not the only one who works with monsters Luis.” He growled as he pinned the man, Luis apparently, to the wall with his fist. 

Ouch. 

Luis raised his hands, somewhere between surrender and self defense, “Look, we all have a past! And some of us aren’t proud of it- Hey!” He suddenly changed the topic, “I see you found your missing senorita!”

Ashley finished catching her breath and gave Luis a side eye. “The senorita has a name, and it’s Ashley.”

“Luis,” the man nodded. 

“Great!” Leon gave a humorless laugh, “We all have names! Now,” he pressed Luis harder into the wall, “who are you, and why are you here?”

Luis strained his neck, trying to get Leon to loosen his grip. “All great questions, fantastic questions! But sadly…” 

Leon followed his eyes out the window, watching as the villagers started to flood in. He growled, but let Luis go. “Ashley, hide!” he ordered.

“In that case,” Luis laughed as he made his way over to a fallen wardrobe, “Perhaps your cute friend could give me a hand over here?” 

You stood staring out of the window, trying to form a game plan when Leon’s words cut through your focus. “Their name’s Pinkie.”

Wait, were you the cute friend?

“Pinkie…” Luis repeated, “how very…fitting. Can they give me a hand?” You rushed over, lifting the wardrobe as if it weighed no more than a thick book. Leon directed Ashley to the small cutout behind the piece of furniture, and you set it down carefully as she crawled in.

“Get ready!” Luis called, “They’re coming!” His eyes quickly darted to you. “And, you’re sure that friend of yours is on our side, yes?”

Leon looked at you, you looked at him, and you both nodded. “I am.” he said.

Luis jerked his head to the side then back, “Well. Let’s hope you’re right.”

Almost as soon as he spoke, villagers started coming in from left, right, and center. You had never seen a group of people so angry, or determined. Your claws slashed through them, like a sharp knife through cold butter. Some resistance, but never enough to fully stop you. Leon was kicking ladders down from upstairs, Luis was trying to keep the ones down stairs from flooding the upper level, and you had your hands full with another giant brute. You had to keep reminding yourself that these weren’t humans any more. You weren’t hurting people, you were just hurting monsters. Other monsters.

Monsters like you were.

The thought didn’t have time to linger in your head, as Ashley slammed open the backdoor. “This way, hurry!!” She yelled. You quickly ripped the head off the brute, shocked by even your own strength, and followed the others behind Ashley. You ran ahead, naturally faster than the humans, picking up the girl and carrying her under your arm like an American football as you ran under a raised gate. Leon and Luis weren’t far behind, with Leon taking just enough time to shoot the chain winch keeping the gate up, dropping it onto a villager like a makeshift guillotine. 

You finally felt like you could catch your breath. You leaned against the wooden wall, setting Ashley down and wiping nonexistent sweat from your forehead. You may not sweat anymore, but you still felt sticky from the humidity. It felt like the entire world was watching your ragtag group in silence, the only sound being heavy breathing and rain splattering onto stone. 

Then Ashley started coughing. Your head jerked to her, and you sensed it. A tingling at the base of your skull letting you know a plaga was nearby. At first you thought it was Leon's, but no. This one was stronger, closer to an adolescent than the fledgeling Leon had. 

You realized Ashley was infected too. “What’s happening to me?!” She gasped

Luis rushed over to her, grabbing her wrist to see the bright red there. “Is this the first time you’ve coughed up blood?” He asked. 

Ashley just nodded. 

“Wanna start explaining?” Leon asked. 

Luis shook his head. “The coughing, the blood. It’s all caused by something called…a plaga….you saw those people, right? They have the same thing inside of them that you two have. The same thing that made them, like that.” He looked over to you. “Pinkie here has one too, though, theirs is…diffrent.”

You had suspected before that you had one- it only made sense really. That being said, you hadn’t realized yours was special in any way. Of course, it made sense. You were completely different from the villagers. Still, having confirmation about it all was nice. You supposed.

Luis continued, “What you’re experiencing, these symptoms…they’re only the beginning.”

“Oh god, I don’t wanna be like them!” Ashley cried. 

Luis shook his head. “You don’t have to be. You are lucky, in the early stages, this parasite, the plaga, is possible to remove it. With a surgical procedure. All you need is some know-how. Oh yeah-”

He turned dramatically, opening his shirt so you could all see his scar, “And the right equipment.”

“You too?” Leon asked. 

“No worries,” Luis said, blowing past his question, “see, I have a plan.”

You rushed to Luis, starling him with your sudden dash. You chirped and hissed, pointing at yourself. Surely this could help you too, right? If all you had was what they had? Maybe you could be-

Luis shook his head. “I’m sorry amigo but what was done to you…is irreversible. Your plaga was mixed with a black liquid that made it something different. Something more powerful, more deadly. It should have taken you over, mind, body and soul- fusing into you. It should have turned you into a plaga yourself.”.  

He thought for a moment, rubbing the back of his head. “If I had to guess, I’d say something went wrong, and the plaga died midway through the process. It’s the only reason I could think for you to still be conscious. The fact that you are of sound enough mind to make your own decisions is nothing short of a miracle. As hard as it is, count that in your blessings.”

A blessing? Yeah right. Logically, a part of you knew it was silly to hope like that. But, that didn’t make the devastation you felt go away. You felt that horrible, thousand pound weight in your stomach again, a sinking feeling that made you want to find a rock to crawl under and die. The desire to cry, but the inability to do so.

Luis looked pained for a second, shocked with himself for feeling empathy for a…well you. “Aye, don’t look at me like that amigo…At least you survived instead of your plaga.”

With that, he spun around on his heel to face your companions. “You two, on the other hand, can be helped,” Luis continued, pointing at Leon and Ashley, “but you have to trust me.”

Leon shook his head. “What other choice do we have?”

 “Great! Then we’re partners.” Luis said as he started to walk off.

“Wait!” Leon called, “why are you doing this? Why are you helping us?!”

“Because,” the Spaniard shrugged, “it makes me feel better. I’ll contact you later.”

Leon rolled his eyes. 

While that was happening though, Ashley very cautiously approached you. “Are you okay?...Pinkie?” She asked.

The answer was no, but you nodded anyway. The last bit of hope you had of ever going back to normal was dashed, but there was still a future you had to think of. Like Leon said, he could get you a job with the DSO. But, you had to get out of this hellscape first.

Of course, Hunnigan radioed in at that moment. “I’ve got bad news, Condor. Your evac can’t land. Can you stand by?”

🩻🩻🩻

Running through the village outskirts was horrible, it felt like every step you took there was someone waiting to kill you. Fighting the chainsaw sisters was worse. Leon had hid Ashley in a locker while the two of you took care of the threat. You wondered who’s bright idea it was to give mindless killing machines chainsaws, but when you thought of it for more than two seconds- it made sense. “I am flattered!” Leon said after performing, what you were sure was, a pretty unnecessary backflip, “But I’m a one woman kinda guy!”

You wondered if he thought he was funny.

Running from Mendez though. That was actually hell. When he grabbed Ashley, Leon stabbed him in the arm, and you jumped up and dropped kicked him in the head. None of it phased him. It was the first time something that appeared so human just…tanked one of your attacks. Sure, El Gigante did similar, but you expected that from that goliath. Not from the seemingly regular old man. 

It left you with one choice, and that was to run. Run like the devil himself was at your heels- because he was. You grabbed Leon in one arm and Ashley in the other, sprinting to get away from the giant mad man. Leon shot at villagers both in front of and behind you, and Ashley just tried to keep her ears covered.

“Pinkie, the bridge!” Leon yelled as the villagers blew it up. You were already one step ahead of him, choosing to run along the scaffolding to the left. It was precise, even a small mistake and all three of you would be pushing up daisies in an instant. You started to hear the scaffolding break and crack under your weight. Dread filled your chest. The whole operation was about to come crashing down. Once in range, you threw Leon and Ashley onto solid ground, ensuring they were safe, and hoping that maybe you’d make it with a little less weight.

You almost did! But almost wasn’t enough. Everything collapsed right before you could make it to the other side. Your stomach leaped into your throat. This was it. Game over. Your life flashed before your eyes, or at least, the bits you remembered. Waking up in the lab, escaping the castle, meeting Leon. Wow, you really hadn’t done a whole lot.

It felt tragic in its own dark way. You closed your eyes and accepted your fate with grace.

A little bit too soon, as it would turn out. Leon was able to catch you, and with Ashley's help, the two of them pulled you up, saving you from certain doom. 

You all took a break to try and catch your breath and reorient yourselves. You struggled to get your heartbeat back to a regular pace. Turns out, almost dying really did a number on the old ticker. You huffed and shook your head, trying to ground yourself. It was quiet, all things considered. Just the sound of crickets and wind blowing through the trees. It was a rare moment where nothing was actively trying to kill you.

So of course, Leon had to break the silence. “Ashley, you’re the one he wants. If we see him again, you let Pinkie grab you, and the two of you run as fast as you can.”

You looked at Leon, tilting your head to the side. It was Ashley who said what you were thinking. “What about you, Leon?”

“I’ll do my job.” He responded. You didn’t like the sound of that. You didn’t like it one bit. You shook your head, getting his attention before pointing to yourself.

Leon got the message, but he didn’t agree. “No, you can’t stay and help. You need to protect Ashley. And no, you can’t fight him for me either. You can run faster than me, you can get her away faster.”

So it was clear that the conversation was done, Leon stood up. “Come on, we still gotta find somewhere safe.” His words hung heavy in the air. It was clear neither you nor Ashley agreed, but it was just as clear it wasn’t up for debate. You nodded, and stood up with Ashley, following him into a decrepit old slaughterhouse. Leon at least was pretty sure the risk of seeing the Big Cheese there was slim. 

 So of course that freak just had to make an appearance, bursting through the wall and knocking Leon out of the loft.

“Leon!” Ashley yelled. 

Mendez turned to look at you both. His eyes narrowed on you. “You’re helping them?” 

Before he could continue, Leon shot him. Which, didn’t do much, but he did turn his attention back to Leon. “Pinkie, take Ashley and run!” 

You didn’t need to be told twice. You quickly grabbed Ashley, and tried to run somewhere safe. Ashley screamed and argued, slamming her fists against your armored arms. Despite that, you ran further into the woods behind the slaughterhouse, not stopping until you came across a quiet clearing. It was there you deemed it safe enough to put Ashley down.

“Take me back!” She demanded, “We have to help Leon!”

You shook your head. The only thing the two of you would do is get in his way. 

Ashley growled, “Yes!” She demanded, “Come on! We have to! What good are we if we just leave him?!”

You sympathized with her, you really did. But you stood firm. Leon would find you once he handled the threat. And he was going to handle the threat.

He had to. 

Ashley yelled in frustration, throwing her arms down in a huff, before sitting on the ground. She pulled her knees to her face, trying to hide her tears. “This sucks!” She whined. She could say that again. “I’ve never felt more useless…” She could say that again too.

You sat next to her, unsure how to comfort her. You rubbed the back of your neck as you looked around, then looked back at Ashley. You scooted closer to her, hoping that maybe she’d find comfort in not being alone.

She looked up at you and sniffed. “God, you're freaky,” she huffed, “your eyes, they’re just…too human.”

You looked down, bringing a single claw to rest under your eye. You weren’t sure how to feel about that. On one hand, you were actually a little bit relieved that something, anything, about you was still recognizably human. It felt like maybe you did have one last connection to who you used to be. 

On the other hand, you really didn’t appreciate being called freaky.

Ashley noticed she’d upset you and sighed. “I’m sorry,” she finally said, “I-I don’t mean to be so awful, I just…” She sighed. She would later tell you that she had never been good with words.

You understood though. She was going through a lot. You patted her back to try and comfort her.

“I-I’ve never been in a situation like this,” she confessed, “My father was a senator before he was president, I’ve almost always had body guards, or secret service, someone around to protect me…I’ve never felt so…unsafe.”

You tilted your head at her.

“I know what you’re thinking,” she laughed- but there was no humor to it, “‘If you’ve always had body guards, how’d you get kidnapped?” right? That’s what you’re thinking?”

You nodded. So far, it sounded like these guys sucked at their jobs.

She took a deep breath. “When I left for college, I told my dad I didn’t want any guards. I didn’t need protection anymore, I wasn’t a little girl. I could handle myself. Boy, was I wrong…”

She shook her head. “I just, I wanted to feel normal! Ya’know? I was so tired of feeling different all the time. Having armed guards around you all the time doesn’t just build a wall between you and danger, it “protects” you from your peers too…”

She looked over to you, only to find you listening intently. “Do you know what it’s like to feel different like that?”

The silence was deafening as Ashley realized who she just asked that question to. Oh god, here she was complaining about her stupid first world rich girl problems, and you were…well, the two of you definitely didn’t have the same problems.

Before Ashley could apologize, you shook your head no. You? Feel different? Nooooooooooo, never! Perish the thought, you’ve always been the very model of normalcy, could she not tell?

She laughed softly at your little joke. “Man, you must be a different sort of resilient to still have a sense of humor after all you’ve been through. Well, after all I’m assuming you’ve been through…”

You shrugged. You could laugh about it, or you could cry about it. And quite frankly, you were done crying. Ashley sniffled and rubbed her eyes. You heard her stomach growl. You wondered when the last time she ate was. It had been many hours at the very least. 

So, you stood up. “Hey, where are you going?” She asked, really not liking the idea of being alone. She didn’t have to wonder for too long though. You went over the small stream nearby. “What are you d-?’ 

Before she could finish her question, your claws flashed into the water at lighting speed, coming out with a fish perfectly skewered on it. You looked at your catch with pride, handing it out to Ashley. 

She looked confused. “What do you…do you want me to eat that?”

You nodded.

“Oh, Pinkie, I appreciate the thought but…It’s kinda raw.”

You tilted your head. So? Humans ate raw fish all the time. You saw Leon do it. 

She looked very unsure. “I don’t really wanna eat raw fish…” 

You looked at her quizzically. Was she not hungry? Was there something wrong with this fish in particular? You were about to make some questioning sounds when a gunshot shattered the relative quiet. Both yours and Ashley's heads snapped to the sound. Logically, you knew it was Leon, but still.

And that’s when Ashley saw it. Smoke rising over the tree tops, almost darker than the night, an orange glow illuminating it being the only way to really make out the inky shape. 

“Pinkie, look!” She gasped while pointing, “That’s the slaughterhouse Leon's in!”

Okay, so maybe he did need help after all. You stood up, then kneeled down, offering Ashley a ride on your back. This time, she accepted, hopping on and wrapping her arms around your neck for dear life. You took off at full sprint to the burning building, stopping just short of jumping through a glass window with Ashley on your back. You broke the window open with a powerful stab of your claw. 

Ashley leaned to the window, still on your back. “Leon! This way! Hurry, this whole place is coming down!”

Leon’s head snapped from the disgraced, mutated remains of Mendez to Ashley. He looked confused for a split second, before a burning log fell from the rafters and almost hit him. He rolled away, dodging the fire by the skin of his teeth. He didn’t really have time to question what the two of you were doing here, he was just happy you showed up. 

Leon jumped out of the window just as the slaughterhouse came crashing down around itself. Ashley hopped off your shoulders, and the three of you patted out the embers on his clothes as best as you could. 

Leon huffed out a deep breath. “Thanks guys,” he said as he got up. “That fire’s sure to get their attention though. We gotta keep moving.”  There was only one path left. One that led to a creepy, old, most definitely haunted castle. A castle you were familiar with. The one you were, for lack of a better term, born in. Fantastic. 

Before the three of you left though, you looked down at the raw fish, still skewered on the claw you didn't break the window with. You chipped at Leon and Ashley, getting their attention. 

“Yeah?” Leon asked.

You held the fish out to Leon, hoping maybe he’d at least appreciate your efforts.

Leon looked down at the fish in (or rather, on) your hand, then back up at you. “Oh, I'm not hungry, you can go ahead.”

Ashley's stomach grumbled again. “Um, I am.”

Leon looked back at you. “Why didn’t you offer it to her?”

You were offended and guffawed. You threw your free hand in the air, gesturing wildly between you and Baby Eagle.

Leon looked to Ashley. “Ashley, what are they doing?” He asked.

She rubbed the back of her neck. “Well, Pinkie might have kinda maybe caught the fish for me and tried to offer it to me.”

Might have kinda maybe?! That was exactly what happened!!

“Then why didn’t you eat it?” Leon asked.

“Because I don’t wanna eat raw fish!” Ashley groaned, feeling like the only sane person in the world. She looked at the fire, then Leon. “Will you cook it for me?”

“We really should keep mov-” Leon sighed and cut himself off. Ashley was giving big puppy dog eyes that reminded him a little too much of Sherry. He didn’t have it in him to say no.

 “...Fine, what the hell.”  He sighed. He couldn’t find a good roasting stick, but considering it was already nicely skewed on your claw…

“Pinkie, hold still.” He said as he guided your arm out, using you as essentially a glorified kitchen utensil. You would have been mad, if you weren’t fascinated by the entire process of what was happening. He turned your wrist, cooking both sides. You had to admit, it smelled much better now.

Once Leon told you the fish finished cooking, you ripped it in half to give to your little humans. They took it gratefully, neither one remembering the last time they ate.

“Thank you.” Ashley smiled.

Leon nodded, “Yeah, thanks.”

They watched the fire with you. It was strangely beautiful, watching the embers dance against the dark sky. It was a quiet moment, and a well needed break from all the chaos. 

Ashley yawned and rubbed her eyes. “Gosh, I’m so ready to be home…” She muttered, then looked at her shoes, “I miss my dad.”

You patted her back and Leon nodded. “Don’t worry Ashley. We're going to get you home soon, we just have to find a safe place to wait for evac.”

“What about the...thing inside me?” She asked, fearful tears starting to fill her eyes.

Leon reached over you to put a gentle hand on her knee. “We’ll take care of that too, I promise. You just gotta have a little faith, okay?”

Ashley sniffled back a cry and nodded. “Okay. You’re right, we’ll figure it out. We have to.”

Her words hung in the air like the sword of Damocles swinging over all of your heads. There would be no real way for any of you to know the consequences that would come with walking into that castle. But even if you did, it probably wouldn’t have stopped you anyway.

🩻🩻🩻

🩻🩻🩻

🩻🩻🩻

Your life six months ago looked very different from the one you lived now. Six months ago, you were scavenging for scraps and hiding from monsters. Six months ago a random blonde asshole (said lovingly) waltz into your life and nearly died. Many times. 

Six months ago, you helped save the president's daughter. You snuck through an almost empty castle, met Leon's situationship (and did NOT like her vibe), fought more ogres than you even realized were on your little island, and was reassured by the Merchant you were doing a good job many times.

You also protected Leon as he held a dying Luis. You lost a good chunk of your tail in a fight with an actual verdugo. It was terrifying to think that was a fate meant for you. You also dragged Leon and Ashley to the lab to remove their parasites. You and Leon both held Ashley's hand (well, she more just kinda held your claw, but it’s all the same,) while she screamed through the procedure. You got Leon onto the operating chair once it was his turn, and protected Ashley from horde after horde of Ganados while Leon took care of Saddler. 

By the time the three of you got on that motor boat off the island, Leon was ready to actually, physically, fight someone to make sure you were taken care of. And you were! 

For the most part.

“For fucks sake, why am I always on bug manicure duty?” The nameless agent in front of you grumbled to himself as he filed down your claws. Much like many creatures, yours would get overgrown and painful without regular maintenance. “One of these fucking days, it’s gonna snap and kill me, and then everyone will be sorry!”

“I don’t think so,” A familiar voice said, “Pinkie is a sweetie.”

“And you know they can understand you, right?” Oooo, you knew that voice too! You looked up and chirped happily, seeing Leon and Ashley walk into your enclosure. After everything settled down a bit, Ashley started volunteering to come and provide “enrichment” twice a month. And Leon always tried to make regular visits. 

They weren’t the only ones either. Yeah, most of the staff here treated you like a liability, but a shocking amount of them also clearly had compassion for your blight. There was more kindness than you thought in the world.

The agent doing your nails paled as he saw Leon, a DSO legend these days, approach. “O- of course sir! I’ll try to be more considerate of it.”

Leon's eyes narrowed. “Them.”

The agent's eyes bulged. “R-right sir! Them. I’ll be more considerate of them! I was actually just finishing up! Let me get out of your hair.” The man rushed to finish up your former thumb nail, then rushed out of the enclosure. 

“Well, he seems nice.” Ashley said sarcastically. 

You bubbled and chirped at her, letting her know you didn’t really care. 

She laughed, “You know Pinkie, you’re surprisingly laid back for a bioweapon.”

You gave that terrifying simulacrum of a smile that Leon and Ashley had come to find themselves endeared by. 

“So,” Leon started as he went to sit in one of your comfy, therapeutic chairs, “how are you liking the new set up?”

You gave a happy hop! Doctor Martinez, a bioweapons expert, had pointed out a few weeks ago how barren your enclosure was. Just a bed and some zoo quality pet toys. Leon and Ashley had been advocating for a while to get you an upgrade, but Doctor Martinez had the pull to make it happen. 

The new place was fabulous! You had a memory foam bed and chairs that were easy on your joints, a radio, a tv, they’d even allowed you a pet!

Well, kinda. A rat had gotten into your enclosure once, and after you started leaving some of your food out for it, the creature would jump up and cuddle with you sometimes. You had named him Henry.

Ashley laughed, “I’m glad you like it! They even put pictures up!” she said as she looked at some of the artwork that was on your wall. You bubbled at her and ran around in a circle. 

“Wait…” She looked in disbelief, “Did you make these?” 

You aggressively nodded yes.

Leon chuckled. “Oh, you didn’t know? Yeah, Pinkie’s gotten really into Bob Ross recently.”

Ashley looked at you, both impressed and quizzical. “How do you hold the brush?” She asked, knowing your dexterity was limited.

You squealed happily, going over to your little art corner and grabbing a paint brush. You showed her how you held it with your mandibles, them giving you the precision needed for fine details.

“Holy shit.” Ashley gasped.

“Where there's a will, there’s a way.” Leon shrugged.

Ashley shook her head. “You surprise me everyday Pinkie, you know that?” You nodded happily. 

She grinned at you, and then her eyes lit up. “Oh! And how’s the new prosthetic?"

You looked back at your tail, giving it an experimental swish. You’d lost a little less than half of it fighting the fully formed verdugo. You remembered watching it fall as it was sliced from your body. Before the pain really hit, you remembered thinking “wow. I really am undercooked.”

After Leon handled the monster, he bandaged you up as best as he could and you carried on. Not like there was really another option. Since that day, you’d been working with Doctor Martinez to make a new prosthetic tail. It took a lot of trial and an ungodly amount of error, but you were finally sure you had gotten it right. You bubbled at your humans, swishing your tail around to show them how agile you were, and stabbing a pillow on your bed to show you were still strong. 

You may have forgotten that the agent from earlier put a guard on your new prosthetic, covering the blade and making it essentially harmless. No doubt a measure to keep the humans around you safe, even if you would never hurt them. Your tail hit the pillow with a soft thump, barely even unfluffing it. 

Well, that was embarrassing. 

The two clapped and cheered for you anyway. “Nice! Finally feeling balanced again?” Leon asked. You nodded to him. It had been a rough few months without your tail, but now that you had it back, you felt like you could finally close that chapter in your life. 

Ashley smiled warmly before going to sit on your bed. “Sooooo, shall we begin?” She asked, holding up a book.

You bubbled excitedly, hopping on your california king sized bed behind her, and then wrapping yourself around her body. You couldn’t exactly read on your own, you tore the pages of a book more often than you turned them. But, you still loved literature and stories. It was why you always looked forward to Reading Time with Ashley!

She looked over to Leon. “You wanna stay? We're just getting to the good part.”

Leon considered it for a moment. “What are you guys reading?”

“Pride and Prejudice! We just got to the part where Mr.Darcy tried, and failed, to propose to Elizabeth.”  Ashley smiled.

Leon shook his head. “Nope! I couldn’t even stay awake when we had to read that book in high school.” He started to stand up.

“Oh come on!” Ashley pouted, “We never get to hang out!”

You also made a pathetic, sad, wet sound, asking Leon to stay.

He groaned and ran a hand down his face. “Ugh. Fine, I’ll stay,” he grumbled as he sat back down. He eyed you up before getting too comfortable though. “Pride and Prejudice? I didn’t realize you’d be into that Pinkie.”

Ashley lit up. “Oh, you didn’t know?” She turned to you, “You haven’t shown him your folder of literary analysis?”

“They’re what now?” Leon asked.

Ashley nodded. “Yeah! I thought you knew!”

Leon was baffled. “Why would I know that?” He looked at you. “How the hell do you write literary analyses?”

You pointed over to your desk, showing him the modified keyboard made not only to accommodate your limited dexterity, but also withstand your claws.

He shook his head. “No, Pinkie, I meant that you didn’t know humans ate their food cooked six months ago, but now you-” He paused to lean over and look at the document you had opened- "Apparently you have some very strong opinions about Macbeth?” 

You clicked at him and nodded aggressively. You weren’t sure why those things were mutually exclusive. You could be a bit naive and still understand the themes of the destructive nature of unchecked power and the psychological toll of grief that were heavy in the play. You contained multitudes, it just so happened some of them were smarter than others.

Leon held up his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright you got me! Color me impressed.”

You nodded less aggressively now, happy he’d seen things your way.

“I gotta say Leon,” Ashley smirked, “I do find it a little funny Pinkie would have done better in English class than you.”

Before Leon could argue further, she started reading. You curled up, cozy with your favorite humans. Working with the DSO was far from being all sunshine and rainbows- in fact, most times it was a stormy downpour and whatever the opposite of a rainbow is. You’d only been with them six months, and you’d already been sent out on more missions than you could count. Some more successful than others. 

But, it was moments like these that made saving Leon that day all worth it. Where you got to lay in your temperature controlled room with your two favorite people, and listen to Ashley calmly read to you about 1800s social etiquette. You were starting to like this little life. It wasn’t perfect, but it was yours. 

You weren’t sure how long it had been since you woke up. This new form of yours didn’t really need to sleep, and you spent so much time in hiding that you couldn’t really keep up with the sun cycle. You wandered through the trees, your body protesting every other step. You weren’t sure what you were supposed to be, but something about this form felt…half baked at best.

You looked at your hands, malformed and disfigured. Your thumb, pointer, and ring finger had extended to become grotesque claws while your middle finger and pinky shriveled into useless nubs. Something told you they weren’t supposed to be there at all. You felt the soft pink spot on your belly, one of many where the chitin didn’t fully harden or form at all. Whatever you were, you weren’t complete.

Your spiked tail swished behind you as you walked. The mandibles that grew where your mouth once was struggled to try and make some form of tune as you attempted to hum to yourself for comfort. All that came out was a soft chirping sound. You wished you knew what you had done to deserve such a cruel fate. Maybe then it wouldn’t feel so unfair.

Finally, you made it to your destination. A little cliff that overlooked the lake. It was normally a quiet place. Normally.

Today though, it was your front row seat to your very own munus. You watched as a man far paler than any you’d seen before struggled against the monster of the lake. You’d heard locals call it Del Lago. You didn’t know much about the creature, only that you had seen the people of the village feed it failed experiments. It wasn’t lost on you that you would have been fish food, had you not found that hole in the crumbling cell they put you in.

You watched as a blonde man threw harpoon after harpoon at the creature. You rubbed the tips of your claws together, softly chittering anxiously. You were sure his boat would tip over at any moment. A cold lump swelled in your chest as you watched, hoping for the best for him. It wasn’t like the villagers to give Del Lago a living meal. You wondered if maybe, just maybe, he was like you?

You didn’t have too much time to dwell on it though. You cheered (well, you came as close to cheering as you could) as you watched the man kill the beast. A joy that was quickly stomped out of you as you watched him collapse on himself. From where you were, you couldn’t really see what happened, but you could tell he wasn’t in the best shape. It was a feeling you knew well. 

It was decided. You made your way to the lake, remembering how you had wished for a friend when the nightmare started for you. One good thing about your new form was that it was fast, and strong. You made it to the lake in no time, swimming to his boat. The swim back was a little harder, pushing the glorified raft to shore, but you made it work..

You looked down at the man, fretting over him almost like a concerned mother. At first glance, you’d think he was dead. But, you could still hear his soft breathing. There was hope for him. He was soaked, which wasn’t really a shock all things considered. You could see the faint grey lines running up and down his arms and face. No doubt that black liquid was flowing through his veins. You gently placed the underside of your chin against his forehead, and the heat of his fever nearly burned the soft underbelly you had there.

That’s when you heard them. Ganados yelling in Spanish to find “The American.” It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know who they meant. Your body acted before you even fully processed what you were doing, picking the man up and quickly scurrying to a nearby abandoned boathouse you knew would be safe.

It was one of your more frequented hiding places, so once you arrived there was already a small bed of gathered hay there waiting for him. You’d scrounged it up and used it as a bed before. Or, tried too, before you realized this form didn’t sleep. You laid the man on it, and finally got a closer look at him. You realized he had weapons, and was more fit than any other human you’d seen before. You could tell immediately why the cult wanted him.

His sleep wasn’t restful. He twitched and jerked and mumbled under his breath for the entire time he was knocked out. At one point his sleeping body even threw a punch, causing you to jump so hard you’re pretty sure you touched the ceiling. It made you aware of the fact that yours probably wasn’t a face he’d want to see when he woke up. So, you slunk into the shadows you had become so accustomed to while you waited for him to wake.

🩻🩻🩻

You had lost track of time. All you knew was that it was dark outside when the man finally jerked awake, bolting upright faster than he probably should have, all things considered. He rubbed his eyes and temples before looking around. “Where the hell am I?” he muttered to himself as he stood, checking to make sure he had all of his equipment. If you had dog ears, they would have perked up. 

English. He was speaking English! You felt a small tingle of hope as you heard the familiar language. You had picked up a little bit of Spanish here and there just by being around it, but you were by no means fluent. It was more alienating than you realized, not even being able to listen in on conversations. You were happy to finally have someone you could understand.

He took another good look at his surroundings, but it left him with more questions than answers. “How the hell did I get here?...” He asked no one in particular. You still decided to answer his question. Slowly, you came out of the shadows.

Not slowly enough though. A bullet buzzed right past your ear, barely missing your head. You panicked, and scrambled back into the safety of the dark corners of the boat house. It was too late though, the American was aware of you now, and you were firmly in his crosshairs. 

He approached you, weapon drawn. “Identify yourself.” He demanded. And you would have if you could have, but you didn’t even know your own name anymore. Not to mention you couldn’t speak through your mandibles. That also didn’t help. 

“I’m not asking.” The man said, authority dripping from his voice. So, you gave it a shot, but all that came out as a gross bubbling sound. It was then a bright light flash banged you, burning your eyes as you tried to hide them behind malformed hands.

“Oh, another monster. Just what I needed.” The man nearly spat as he readied his weapon. The word "monster" struck something deep inside you. A raw, exposed nerve as tender as the pink parts of your skin. It sent a sick pit of darkness to your stomach, and put a wet weighted blanket on your shoulders. You knew it was true, but you so badly wished it wasn’t. 

You couldn’t even cry, your tear ducts having shriveled away. All you could do was shake, and bubble pathetically. The American cocked his head at you, taking in your pitiful display. 

“Come out of the corner.” He demanded. You hesitated, still scared of the weapon in his hand. Still, you obeyed, gradually inching out of your safe corner. You made sure to stay down on all fours as you did so, knowing your full height would probably get you shot. The man walked around you in a circle, examining you as if he was a scientist  you were under his microscope. 

He came to stand in front of you again. “You look…diffrent.” He settled on. You cocked your head at him, then in a very deliberate manner as to not spook him with sudden movements, you put yourself into a more upright sitting position. You showed him your exposed weak points, hoping he knew you were trying to tell him you meant him no harm.

He blinked at your little display. His body seemed to relax a bit, but the gun stayed up. “Can you speak?” He asked. You made an awful screeching sound in response. 

The man flinched as you did. “Okay, okay! I get it, you can stop that!”  He said as you quieted down. He thought a moment, before speaking again. “Nod your head yes or no, got it?”

You nodded yes. “Good.” The American said. And then the questions started.

“Did you bring me in here?”

Yes.

“Was it because Saddler told you to?”

No.

He really wished he could ask why. “Do you know your name? Actually, do you even have a name?”

No. Well, actually… You tilted your head to the side and looked up in thought. Did the name The Merchant gave you count? You weren’t sure, so you went with the safe bet and shook your head no again.

Leon narrowed his eyes, not fond of the uncertain response. “Do you remember anything about your past?”

No again.

He realized he had gotten off topic. There were more important questions to ask. “Are you with the Illuminados?”

You were genuinely offended by that, almost violently shaking your head no. You knew it was a valid question, but you still weren’t happy with the accusation. 

He kept his gun pointed at you as he reached into his back pocket, pulling out a picture of a familiar girl. You knew her! Well, you knew of her, you’d seen the villagers transport her to the church. “Do you recognize this girl?”

Yes!

“You do?”

Enthusiastic yes!

“Is she in the Church like I suspect?”

She was last you checked, so you nodded yes again.

The man was quiet for a second, clearly thinking about something. Finally, he opened his mouth. “Can you help me get the key to the church?”

You looked down sadly, then shook your head no. You had seen the shrine where they kept it before, but you had no idea how to actually get the damn thing. The man sighed, then finally holstered his gun. “Well, worth a shot.” He muttered. 

Just as he did, a device in his pocket rang. He took a final glance at you, before pulling it out. “Leon!” A female voice rang out. So his name was Leon. “Your last transmission was three hours ago, where have you been!”

“Welllll,” Leon started, glancing at you over the tech in his hand, “Are you in a mental state that’s capable of receiving information you may find troubling?”

“No.”

“In that case I’ve just been busy. Don’t worry, I won't let it happen again.” 

“And the Church?”

“Still looking for the key.”

“Copy that. I’m glad you’re okay. Roost out.”

And with that, he put the device back in his pocket and started to walk away. A small panic ran through you as he did. You didn’t want to be alone again. So, you did what any half formed monster would do- you followed him. 

Once Leon noticed what you were doing, and it didn’t take him very long to, he stopped and turned to you. “No. I don’t need a tag-a-long,” He said sternly.

Buuuuuuuuuttttt he didn’t pull out his gun. So how serious could he have really been? Once he started walking again, you followed once more. He turned back to you. “I said stay.”

You screeched at him, then shook your head no. He took a step back,fully hating that sound. “Fine, fine!” He snapped. “Can you hold our own in a fight?”

You nodded excitedly, tail swishing behind you as if to emphasise your point. Leon nodded. “Fine. Then come on.” You chirped excitedly, following him out of the boat house. You had a deep desire to be around people, but the people around here weren’t safe to be around. There was something soothing about finally being able to sate that desire. Leon gave you a side eye as the two of you walked together. “You know, weirdly enough you’re not the scariest thing that has followed me around. You’re probably the nicest though.”

🩻🩻🩻

Following Leon around had proven to be…challanging to say the least. You still weren’t entirely sure what he was doing here or why he had a plauga in him, but what you did know was that he seemed to be a magnet of sorts for trouble. You were still limping after a fight with El Gigante, though somehow your weak sense of pride was more wounded than your body was. It felt like a dog had been more helpful in the fight than you were. Not even a modified dog, just a regular old dog with a bad leg.

Leon must have noticed. “Hey, come here,” he said, gesturing with his hand for emphasis, “Let me see your stomach.” You did as he said with little complaint, standing to your full high to let him see your bruises. He made a clicking sound, pressing his tongue to his teeth that you tried to replicate. That earned you a look, one that told you that you probably shouldn’t do that again. Leon didn’t say it out loud though, he just reached into one of his hip pouches.

“Looks like you got pretty banged up,” He said as he showed you an aerosol can, “ This will help, but you gotta stay still. Got it?” You nodded, then fought the urge to flinch as the cold spray hit your exposed skin. It was only uncomfortable for a moment though, leaving you feeling right as rain after it faded.

You gave Leon a quizzical look. “First aid spray,” He explained, throwing the can aside in flagrant disregard for the environment's wellbeing, “The boys  back at the lab spent forever reverse engineering it from the one Umbrella used to make.”

None of those words meant anything to you, especially not in that order. You were just happy to feel better. As you got back to your feet, Leon continued. “That was our last one. Lucky for us, I know a guy.” You chirped curiously at Leon, following him to this mysterious ‘guy he knew.’ You were honestly excited to meet more humans, hopefully ones that wouldn’t be scared of you.

Until you saw the familiar blue glow of the natural gas fire. This may not be a new human, but it was a human you were excited to see none the less. You ran ahead, ignoring Leon calling after you. “Hey, wait! You’re gonna scare him!”

Leon rushed to catch up, only to be greeted by the sight of The Merchant calmly talking to you. “Aye, well done by the way!” The Merchant said to you, “That mange-y mutt's been making all sorts of mess around, glad ya finally took care of em.”

It was then The Merchant turned to Leon, looking at his confused face. “Oh, ‘ello stranger! Don’t mind me, or the big ‘un, just another of my…associates.”

“You know that verdugo?” Leon asked. 

The Merchant straightened up a bit as he realized Leon knew you too. “Of sorts, of sorts. And I see you do too! Heh, no surprises there, I figured you two would sniff each other out sooner or lata’” He shrugged.

Leon approached the table, giving you a weary look. “What do you know about them?” He asked. Leon wouldn’t say it outloud, but it was eating him alive knowing next to nothing about you. You were following him around after all, and while you proved to be helpful for now, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t prepared for an upcoming betrayal.

The Merchant leaned forward on the table, looking Leon up and down. “A bit here, a bit there. Hard earned intel Stranger, the kind that doesn’t come for free. Or cheap.”

Leon fought the urge to roll his eyes. He considered just leaving it alone, going about his shopping and then getting a move on with his mission. But…he couldn’t. He justified it by reminding himself that he would be bringing this creature -you- around Ashley, and therefore he needed to know you were safe to have around.

So, he reached into his bag, and produced an elegant mask, one inlaid with three glimmering red rubies. He tossed it onto the Merchant’s table with little fanfare. “Will that cover it?”

The Merchant seemed to be genuinely shocked as he took the mask, inspecting the gemstones to insure they were real. “My my Stranger! I gotta say, I wasn’t expectin’ this kinda…curiosity from ya. Ya always struck me as more o’ a type to not ask questions that don’t need askin’,” He said as he put the mask away. He looked over to you. “Look atcha Pinkie! Makin’ friends whereva’ you go.” You bubbled happily.

“So what do you know?” Leon asked

“Precious lit’le,” The Merchant confessed, “That creature followin’ ya around, Pinkie as I like to call ‘em, looks ta be another sorry sod that got snatched. One o’ the ‘pure bodies,’ as those cultist loonies like to all ‘em.”

Leon tilted his head, leaning in a bit. “Pure bodies?” He asked.

The Merchant nodded. “Ye, one o’ the ones that can, “accept the blessin’” whateva’ that means,” The Merchant took a break to cough before continuing. “And Pinkie, well, Pinkie musta had the purest body o’ em all. Only the best get what Pinki got given.”

Leon nodded, taking in all of the information. “So, who were they before?” He finally asked.

The Merchant simply lifted his hands in the air. “Who’s ta say. Could’a been a prince or a paupa’, cult don’t care none. Alls that’s safe ta say is whateva’ these folks had in mind for Pinkie, it clearly failed. Pinkie’s been skitterin’ around ‘ere for the better half o’ the last year or so, showin’ up here or there. Seems ta have taken quite the shine to you though!” The Merchant laughed as you stood behind Leon, as if you were his body guard. “Look atcha, stealin’ hearts whereva’ ya go!”

The Merchant laughed as Leon rolled his eyes. “Now, didja jus’ wanna talk ‘bout ya new friend, or were ya looking to buy?” The Merchant asked.

Leon got his shopping done quickly. A first aid spray, a gun tune up, and a knife repair. The knife repair and tune up were going to take a little bit of time, leaving you and Leon to sit on a few boulders while you waited.

“So,” Leon asked, “Do you remember anything about who you were?”

You shook your head no, looking down sadly. You wished you did. You wished you had any connection to who you once were, to the human you used to be. You thought about it a lot, actually. Were you a good human? You liked to think you were.

Leon nodded, then continued. “For whatever it’s worth…I’m sorry. No one deserves…this.”

You were frozen. Your mind and body feeling and thinking a thousand things all at once. You had never even really thought your situation was worthy of an apology, it was just the way things were. It never fully occurred to you that you deserved an apology. You knew you were wronged, but a simple ‘sorry,’ wasn’t going to fix it.

And yet, some deep primal part of you was almost soothed by the act of someone, anyone acknowledging that what was done to you was wrong. That it shouldn’t have happened. That you lost something fundamental about you, and the least anyone could do was apologize for taking that away. 

Leon continued, “I know it’s literally nowhere near equivalent, but, I kinda think I get it. I wasn’t given much choice in my, uh, career path. I was forced to become a DSO agent, and I think that might have killed something inside of me. It definitely makes it hard to relate to people that aren’t agents. Like I said, it’s not really comparable, but…I think on some level I get it.”

He was right, it was nowhere near equivalent. He was still fundamentally human. No one changed his body, no one took away his memories, no one turned him into an outright unfinished monster. And yet, something about him even trying to relate, to empathize, felt..endearing. You bubbled softly at him, letting him know you acknowledged and appreciated his attempts to understand.

Hesitantly, Leon reached out a hand and patted your back. You almost jumped. It had been so long since anyone had shown you any form of affection, that you had completely forgotten what it was like. It felt…warm, even though your thick exoskeleton. 

“Maybe when we get out of here, you could help us,” Leon offered, “I can’t promise working for the US government is going to be all rainbows and roses, but they’ll keep you comfortable. And there will be humans around, I’m sure they’ll assign you a handler. I’ll even put in for the position if you want. What do you say? Sound good?”

You looked at him with wide, unbelieving eyes. No one had been this kind to you, ever. And to be shown such human kindness after knowing him for so little…You felt a familiar feeling in your stomach. The need to cry. It was a feeling you’d grown familiar with since your transformation, one that haunted you with the reminder you were unable to cry.

This time though, this time it felt different. It felt happier than the other times. You chirped and bubbled happily at Leon, causing him to laugh. He knew it was going to be a hard sell, getting the DSO to accept a bioweapon agent. But, he was also confident  could throw his title around and make it happen. President Graham would owe him one after saving his daughter after all. 

But he had to save Ashley first. “Stranger!” The Merchant called, “Guns all ready fer ya, knife too!”

Leon stood up and looked at you. He jerked his head in the direction of The Merchant. “Come on. Let’s get Ashley and get out of this hell hole, yeah?”

You nodded aggressively and bubbled happily. Nothing had ever sounded better to you. Maybe you’d never get used to this form, and maybe you’d never really feel human again. But for the first time since you woke up, you felt a glimmer of hope.