#diclonius

He hesitated a second before slowly opening the file. The first page contained an ID photograph. A little girl, maybe six years old, blonde hair, blue eyes, a small pair of horns protruding from her head. The resemblance hit him like a bullet. She looked enough like him to make him doubt. The shape of her eyes, the same expression he'd seen every time he'd looked in the mirror after Raccoon City. “What the hell…” His voice barely came out above a whisper. It was the expression of a child who had seen too much. He turned the page.

SUBJECT ORIGIN: Offspring of Agent Leon S. Kennedy.

Genetic abnormalities are likely caused by cumulative exposure to multiple viral agents and parasitic organisms. Subject successfully acquired at birth.

Leon stopped breathing. The words blurred together. Acquired. Someone had taken her. The room suddenly felt too small. His grip tightened around the folder. Further pages detailed years of experimentation. Neurological tests, behavioral conditioning, pain tolerance studies, and containment reports. Every page made his stomach twist. And then he found the latest entry.

Subject removed from the facility by Victor Gideon. Current status: Missing.

A loud crash echoed somewhere deeper within the complex. Leon immediately drew his gun. The sound had come from nearby. The flashlight swept across the doorway. After a few seconds of pure silence, another small noise echoed across the building, like someone shifting their weight. Leon stepped into the corridor. “Hello?“ No response. The beam moved slowly through the darkness. Until it landed on a figure. A child. You stood at the end of the hallway, barefoot, thin. The oversized hospital shirt hanging from your frame nearly reached your knees. For several seconds, neither of you moved. You looked terrified, like a cornered animal without escape. Leon lowered his weapon immediately. “It's okay.“ Your eyes flickered towards the gun. He holstered it. “I'm not going to hurt you.“ You took a step backward. The movement was small, instinctive. The small gesture hurt Leon more than he expected. Because he already knew who you were but judging by the fear in your eyes, you had no idea who he was.

Something invisible suddenly slammed into the wall beside him. Concrete exploded with the impact. Leon barely managed to avoid it. His training kicked in immediately, moving his body in mere instinct. The realization of the vectors struck him instantly, just like every single report he read about this case talked about. Your eyes widened. You looked far more terrified than he was, as if you hadn't meant for it to happen. “I'm sorry.“ You whispered. The words were so quiet he almost didn't hear them. “I'm sorry.“ Another crack appeared in the wall. You immediately covered your head with your arms, curled into yourself, waiting for someone to tell you that you were a monster. Leon felt something twist painfully in his chest because nobody should have learned that reaction at your age. Especially not his daughter. “It's okay.“ Your head slowly lifted. His voice remained calm and gentle, the same voice he imagined he would have used if he'd been allowed to raise you himself. “You didn't hurt me.“ You stared at him, confused. Nobody had ever said that before. Leon could see it in your eyes. The realization nearly knocked the air from his lungs because for six years, while he had been fighting monsters around the world, his daughter had been trapped in a cage. And no matter what it took, he was ready to end that suffering tonight.

The thought repeated itself in Leon's head as another alarm suddenly erupted throughout the facility. Red emergency lights flooded the corridor. For a moment, you flinched so hard he thought you were going to run away. But instead, you remained frozen in place watching him, as if you still hadn't decided whether he was dangerous. “Can you walk?“ Leon asked. You hesitated a second before barely nodding. “Good. Stay close to me.“ You immediately shook your head. The response was so automatic it almost surprised him. You were clearly scared of what would happen if you trusted him. Leon swallowed the frustration at everyone who had done this to you, building in his chest. “Okay,” he said softly. “Just stay where you can see me then.“ You seemed more comfortable with that. The two of you moved through the corridors together. Well, 'together'. You walked several steps behind, like you expected him to disappear into thin air or attack you like everyone else did. Every few minutes, Leon caught you staring, only for you to quickly look away whenever he noticed. The deeper you both moved into the facility, the more signs of recent activity appeared. Spent shell casings, blood, broken containment units… Victor Gideon's people had definitely been here. And judging by the damage, something had escaped.

A low growl echoed from a nearby room. Leon immediately raised his gun. The creature burst through the doorway. A malformed B.O.W with too many limbs and teeth ran towards you as gunfire filled the hallway. The first shots staggered it, the second burst tore through its shoulder. The monster kept coming. You let out a frightened sound, making the whole hallway shake. Invisible force slammed into the creature again and again until the monster was completely smashed against the wall. A heavy silence followed. You stared at the destruction, horrified. “No.“ The word came out trembling. “No no no no…” The walls around you cracked as the air distorted. Leon immediately recognized the signs. The vectors were responding to your fear uncontrollably. You backed away from him when he tried to calm you down. “I'm sorry.“ Another crack split the floor. “I'm sorry.“ You repeated with tears filling your eyes. “Hey.“ Leon lowered his weapon. “It's okay.“ He added softly. “I hurt it.“ You said, gripping your hair. “It was trying to kill us.“ Another invisible impact shattered a nearby pipe. You squeezed your eyes shut. “They always say that.“ The words slipped out before you could stop them. Leon went still. “They said I was helping.“ You looked terrified the moment you realized what you've just admitted, as if you expected punishment. Leon crouched slightly, trying to seem less threatening. “You don't have to apologize for surviving.“ You stared at him. The sentence was clearly unfamiliar. Eventually, you continued walking, this time a little closer. Not much, but enough for Leon to notice.

Hours later, you finally reached the surface. Cold night air greeted you, and for the first time in years, there were no walls around you, you simply stood there staring at the sky. Leon watched quietly. You looked amazed, like you'd forgotten stars existed. His chest tightened at the thought that they've stolen both of you six years of life. A helicopter landed nearby. The wind from the rotors whipped through the clearing. You immediately tensed, and the invisible pressure in the air returned with your fear. “They're taking me back.“ Your voice was barely audible beneath the noise. “No.“ Leon said. “You don't know that.“ You complained before he could say anything else. “You work for them.“ You added. Leon didn't answer immediately because you weren't wrong. As far as you knew, every person who had ever worn a badge, carried a weapon, or worked for the government had hurt you. Why should he be any different?

Slowly, Leon removed his handgun and placed it on the ground. Then his knife, and every visible weapon he carried. One by one. Until he stood completely defenseless. You stared at him, confused. “If I wanted to force you to go somewhere,” he said quietly, “that would be a pretty dumb thing to do.“ The corner of your eyebrows furrowed. Nobody had ever given you a choice. The helicopter crew remained inside waiting. Leon didn't look at them once, he was looking at you, waiting for your decision. After several long moments, you took a hesitant step forward. The vectors remained still as you walked closer to him. This time, you weren't controlling them, you were simply not afraid for the first time since you could remember. Leon didn't move. Eventually, you stopped beside him, close enough to see the exhaustion lingering around his eyes, the dirt in his leather jacket, and the dried blood on his gloves. Your fingers curled around the sleeve of his jacket for a second. Leon glanced down with something softening in his expression.