RECORD P2-05

Knew You'd Have My Back

Time seemed to slow.

Leon heard the unmistakable click of an empty chamber before he saw Jill’s eyes meet his.

That faint smile.

His stomach dropped.

"No…" The word escaped him before he even realized he had spoken.

The Tyrant raised its massive arm. "JILL!"

Leon was already moving without thinking.

He sprinted across the chamber, ignoring the debris beneath his boots, lowering his shoulder as he threw himself toward her.

He reached her just as the Tyrant’s arm came crashing down.

Leon slammed into Jill with all his weight, shoving her out of the creature’s direct path.

The blow meant for her missed by inches.

Instead, the back of the Tyrant’s oversized forearm caught them both.

Leon was thrown to the side, rolling across the concrete floor.

Jill wasn’t as lucky.

The impact hurled her through the air.

She crashed shoulder-first into the reinforced wall with a sickening crack before collapsing to the ground in a cloud of dust.

"Jill!" Leon was back on his feet within seconds, already sprinting toward her.

He never looked over his shoulder.

He trusted Chris and the others to keep the Tyrant occupied long enough for him to reach her.

He dropped to his knees beside her. "Jill!"

His gloved hands immediately began checking her for injuries. "Look at me."

For a terrifying second, she didn’t respond.

His pulse hammered in his ears.

Then she let out a quiet groan, her eyelids fluttering open. "...Leon…"

Relief washed over him so suddenly it almost made him dizzy. "Easy. Don't move."

His hands moved with practiced precision, quickly checking her for bleeding before carefully supporting her neck.

His thumb brushed across her cheek almost absent-mindedly for comfort.

He wasn’t quite sure if for his own or hers.

No blood.

No obvious fractures.

Then his eyes fell to her right shoulder.

It sat noticeably lower than the other. "Damn…"

Jill followed his gaze before letting out a pained laugh that ended in a sharp hiss. "I've… had better days."

Leon didn’t smile.

Not this time.

His jaw tightened as guilt settled heavily in his chest. "I'm sorry."

Jill frowned despite the pain. "For what?"

"You gave me your last magazine."

He couldn’t even bring himself to look at her. "And because of that…"

His voice trailed off.

Jill studied him for a long moment.

Then, despite the pain radiating through her shoulder, the corner of her mouth lifted into the faintest smile. "Knew you'd have my back."

Leon finally looked up and for just a second, the battle around them seemed to disappear.

Her words hit harder than any blow the Tyrant could have landed.

He shook his head. "You shouldn't have needed me."

"You came."

"I wasn't fast enough."

"You were."

Another roar echoed through the chamber, followed by Chris shouting orders somewhere behind them.

Jill winced as another wave of pain shot through her shoulder.

Leon carefully slid one arm behind Jill’s back, supporting her while his other hand gently stabilized her injured shoulder.

He studied the joint for a moment.

"Good news," he said quietly. "Nothing feels broken."

Jill let out a weak laugh that immediately turned into a grimace. "...There's bad news, isn't there?"

Leon gave an apologetic nod. "Your shoulder's dislocated."

He shifted his grip, making sure to support her arm.

"I'm going to put it back."

Jill looked at him, then down at her shoulder.

"...This is going to suck, isn't it?"

A faint, almost guilty smile crossed Leon’s face. "Yeah."

She took a slow, steady breath.

"Ready?" he asked.

"No." A tiny smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "...Do it anyway."

Leon nodded once. "On three."

She closed her eyes.

"One…"

His grip tightened just enough to keep the joint stable.

"Two…"

With one swift, practiced movement—

Crack.

Jill cried out despite trying to suppress it, instinctively grabbing the back of Leon’s tactical vest with her free hand.

He immediately steadied her as her breathing became uneven.

"Easy," he murmured. "I've got you."

She kept hold of his vest for another few seconds, waiting for the sharp pain to subside.

Only then did she realize she was still clutching him. "...Sorry."

Leon gently shook his head. "Don't be."

His gloved hand came up to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing away a streak of dust without him even realizing it.

Jill leaned ever so slightly into his touch.

For just a moment…

Neither of them moved.

Neither of them spoke.

The battle around them faded into distant echoes—gunfire, shouting, the Tyrant’s roar—all swallowed by the single moment they shared after so much time apart.

Then Chris’ voice cut through the chamber. "Leon! Move!"

"Can you move?" Leon asked, still supporting her.

Jill nodded once. "Give me my gun."

Leon picked up her gun and checked it out of habit before meeting her eyes. "It's empty."

Jill glanced at the weapon for only a second before letting out a quiet sigh. "...Right."

Before either of them could say another word, Mitchell stepped over, slinging his rifle behind his shoulder.

"I've got this."

He drew his sidearm and held it out to Jill, grip first.

"I still have my rifle. Take it."

Jill accepted the pistol with a grateful nod. "I owe you one."

Mitchell smirked. "You can buy me a beer after this."

Leon helped Jill back to her feet, keeping a steady hand on her until she found her balance.

"You good?"

She carefully rolled her shoulder once.

It still hurt like hell, but it held.

"It'll do."

She gripped the unfamiliar gun, her determined gaze settling on the Tyrant once more.

"Let's finish that son of a bitch."

The corner of Leon’s mouth lifted.

"There she is."

Across the chamber, Chris fired another controlled burst at the Tyrant before glancing over his shoulder.

"Glad you're done flirting!" he shouted. "Get back in the fight!"

Leon couldn’t suppress a smirk. "Didn't look like you needed my help."

Chris snorted, never taking his eyes off the Tyrant.

"Less talking. More shooting."

Leon raised the gun, a renewed sense of determination settling over him. "Now that, I can do."

Within seconds, the five of them fell back into formation.

Chris held the center, drawing the Tyrant’s attention.

Leon and Jill spread out to either flank, creating crossing fields of fire.

Mitchell and Derek secured the rear, ready to exploit any opening the creature gave them.

For the first time since the fight had begun, they were fighting as one again.

The Tyrant roared and charged once more, but this time it met a wall of coordinated fire.

Chris drove it back with controlled bursts to the chest, forcing it into Leon’s line of fire.

Leon immediately exploited the opening, targeting the creature’s damaged joints with practiced precision.

Jill covered his advance, each shot buying him another step.

Mitchell and Derek flanked the creature, pinning it down whenever it tried to break through.

The Tyrant fought with desperate fury now.

Every movement had become slower.

Less coordinated.

Its damaged leg buckled beneath its own weight.

"Now!" Chris shouted.

Leon didn’t hesitate. He sprinted forward, closing the remaining distance.

The Tyrant swung one last time.

Leon ducked beneath the massive arm, planted one boot against a fallen slab of concrete and fired three rapid shots straight into the creature’s exposed brainstem.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

The Tyrant staggered.

Its enormous body swayed for a heartbeat before collapsing onto the concrete with a thunderous crash that echoed through the entire mountain.

Silence followed.

Only the sound of heavy breathing remained.

For several long seconds, nobody lowered their weapon.

Chris was the first to break the silence.

"...Target neutralized."

Only then did the team slowly relax.

The nightmare was over.

Chris was the first to lower his rifle.

"Everybody good?"

A chorus of tired nods followed.

Leon glanced around the devastated chamber before looking toward the reinforced blast doors at the far end of the laboratory. "We're done here."

He holstered his gun. "We destroy the facility."

Nobody answered.

Chris looked around the room one last time. "What about the evidence?"

Leon answered without hesitation. "We've seen enough."

Chris frowned. "Have we?" His eyes searched the room. "There has to be something left. The research, servers…the personnel."

When Leon remained silent, Chris turned toward him.

"You found something back in the archive."

It wasn't a question.

"I saw you."

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