#monster character

It becomes Leon's mission to get you out of the zone alive. His mind is his own, he hasn't lost his thoughts to an infection or transformation. And while he can think for himself, Leon will use this new body and strength to ensure you get out.

Leon becomes your certified protective guard-dog. Zombies and mutated bio-weapons don't stand a chance against him. You barely need to lift a finger to defend yourself. Before you realize there's a threat, Leon has decapitated it with his long, viciously sharp claws.

None of the aggression is shown when Leon is with you. Leon is devastatingly careful around you. Whenever you're forced into close proximity, he keeps his hands tightly curled into fists - hiding the claws into the palm of his oversized hands so there's no chance he cuts you. He moves slower. Always waiting for you to step around him or under him before taking a single step. He's covered in hard bone like armor now. So even a nudge from him feels like hitting a brick wall - he whines whenever you do happen to get too close and run into him. Those pale eyes so distressingly apologetic that you have to reassure him you're fine ten time over before he starts moving again.

Heaven forbid if you ever bleed because of him. A single drop of your blood sends him into a panic. It's so strong to him that he thinks you're bleeding out! But in fact you've just scraped your knee or palm on something.

Close proximity is dangerous to Leon. Not because he can barely fit inside a hallway now, but your scent is suffocating. When you're in open spaces, it's easier for him to deal with it. But when you're right next to him or in a small space with very little air flow, he can feel his mind clouding. Something stirs in his mind to get closer to you. And Leon finds himself leaning in - having to jerk his face away from you before you realize how close he has gotten in the last few seconds.

Twice Leon has found himself staring in a way that wasn't normal or acceptable.

When the terrain started to become more unstable, Leon offered to carry you over the worse of it. He was adaptable. Able to traverse the ruined zone easily with his long limbs and seemingly endless stamina. You sit in the palm of his hand, legs hanging between his fingers as he gently cradles you against his chest and climbs the crumbled buildings with unnatural ease.

When you need to stop to rest, Leon patrols the area while you sleep. Always returning when he hears a noise or creak, needing reassurance that something wasn't sneaking up on you. Eventually he can't deny the need to stay within line of sight of you any longer and curls up beside you. Keeping his body in-between you and any possible entrance that something could use to get to you.

Did I mention how gentle he is?? I'm going to mention it again. You trip or fall down a hole and Leon is helping you up with as much care as possible. You need to grab him rather than the other way around. He offers you a long, taloned finger and when your hands wrap around it he lifts you to your feet. Or when he needs to move you away from something, the back of his hand very, very gently nudges you in the direction he wants. He's so scared that his new body will hurt you. Leon doesn't know his own strength yet and he's still working out how to move properly with his new limbs.

Leon can't talk anymore. No more puns or one-liners - just soft grunts or growls.

Leon makes throaty clicks and growls whenever he tries voicing his opinion on something. You learn quickly that there are certain clicks for different reactions. Low, soft clicks are saved for you. Whenever he needs your attention, Leon lowers his head and his chest vibrates with the noise. When there's a threat, it's loud and rippling through a growl that makes the air around you shake if you're close enough. His expressions are the same. The slight eyebrow twitch whenever he wants to voice a joke but can't. Or the slight smirk of his lips when you say something that he finds funny. The concern in his eyes doesn't change. It's just emphasized by the slight glow in his pupils that came with the transformation.

You get separated once and Leon's howls can be heard through the zone. Long, haunting cries while he carves his way through zombies and mutations alike - seeking out your scent and listening for the any returning shout from you.

When you're reunited, he buries his face into your chest. Surrounding you in an awkward, but protective, embrace. It's not until he's looked you over entirely, sniffing and nuzzling, before he lets you go. Content that the scrapes and bruises aren't life-threatening.

Of course, Leon can't follow you out of the quarantine zone. The D.S.O would either terminate him or lock him up. And you both know what would happen to him if the government found out their best operative turned into a bio-weapon with a mind that could understand orders.

So, when you're safely near a D.S.O convoy, Leon leaves. Quiet and sudden. You turn to say something to him, maybe a farewell or a question of where he'd go - but you turn to find the path behind you empty. You call out once and it takes much of his strength not to immediately come to you. He disappears into the zone once more. Dedicated to finding and killing and surviving bio-weapons that might threaten the outside world.