Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Ashley's POV

Ashley had been living in this world for several years now. As far as her conscious memory allowed she had always been Ashley Graham. But since when did she know her own mind? Where was the dividing line between before and after??

Her personal tastes has never changed. Her face in the mirror has never changed. Her voice was the same. What changed besides the name people called her?

She had different parents now sure, but they felt like her own. She barely remembered the distant fragments of her past life and that felt okay. Being Ashley Graham was different, but fundamentally the same. It was safe... and nice.

When her eyes first locked with your back in the church, she felt that constructed reality fracture. Her old life came rushing back at once, crashing like waves against the peaceful shore she had walked on for so long.

When you shot that man in the neck, eyes looking glassy and hollow, she felt something new inside.

You looked exactly like her sister. You sounded exactly like her sister.

But you didn't seem like you.

Your POV

What the fuck.

Luis kept struggling in the air, unable to put his lifted foot down. He was twisting his torso and waving his hands around looking like a phantom mime. He looked ridiculous.

You let out a loud snort.

"What are you doing?" you giggled as he shifted his weight yet again, groaning before he just gave up and hung there, panting in the rain.

"What does it look like?" Luis forced out a laugh. "Okay, very funny. I love magic tricks from beautiful ladies. You got me." His arms waved in the air, it was a rigid, fast movement he quickly aborted, dropping his hands stiffly back to his sides. "Now undo the voodoo senorita."

Voodoo? You couldn't even properly tie your own shoelaces on the first try last morning, let alone practice dark magic.

It's not if you wanted this to happen. All you said was stop, and he obeyed. He was probably joking with you, but the pale stretch of his face said otherwise. Did you really do this? But why would you have powers over Luis of all people? It wasn't like you were an almighty god, the villagers looked at you with hostility not devotion. A lot of them tried to take a chunk out of you.

"You about done?" Leon let out a sigh behind you. He was not as entertained by this circus trick as you were. He crossed his arms over his chest, fingers impatiently tapping against his biceps.

"I'm being serious! I can't move amigo." Luis's eyes darted towards Leon, pulling a face that you could only describe as a puppy left in the storm. The more you squinted, the more you could see a dog, was that weird? You already compared Leon to one before, maybe you shouldn't categorize every man in this video game by dog breeds. "Preciosa, could you please come here and help me? Maybe with a kiss? The little blondie can help too."

"I think we are okay standing here." Ashley cleared her throat. She reached out, taking your hand in hers and squeezing it tight. "It's not like she caused this, and weren't you the one who wanted to leave without helping?"

"Good point." Leon smirked, taking a slow step towards Luis. "Now that you decided to stick around, the least you could do is be useful."

"I will tell you anything you want after my leg can move." He glared back to Leon, batting his eyelashes. "You can try to move me amigo. You look strong enough."

Leon blinked back, his smirk deepened. "Happy to help."

Waiiiiiiit. Are they having a moment...?

This totally looks like a "help me stepbro I'm stuck!!" setup. Is Luis a secret BL route for Leon? Your man had a lot of options, that wasn't a shock, but wow. He knew how to play this field without even trying at all. Leon seemed like an awkward guy on the surface, but he sure knew how to attract hot people in this game. He was like a queen bee- king bee. Is that a thing? King bees?

Leon raised his leg on the side of Luis, and delivered a kick to his ribs. He raised a brow, when Luis didn't seem to move even an inch.

"Are you crazy??" Luis winced, clutching his side and glaring at Leon. "It's not working."

"Guess you're really stuck, huh." He slowly lowered his leg. "Maybe I didn't try hard enough."

"I'm pretty sure you did." Ashley interjected, her free hand coming up to clutch her chest. "Clementine." Your sister turned to you, lowering her voice so only you could hear, while Luis and Leon bickered in the background. "This is starting to freak me out."

"I don't know what's happening to him. This never happened before." You whispered back, shaking your head. You cast a nervous side glancing at Leon and Luis. You couldn't make out what they were saying.

"M-maybe he is right, and you did it." She let go of your hand, reaching up to gently cup your cold face. "You think you can undo this?"

"I just told him to stop!! I don't know how to 'undo' it!!" you stammered, flapping your free hand in an useless panicked gesture.

"Try something then." Ashley urged.

You met your sister's reassuring gaze and let out a shaky sigh. You glanced back to Luis. Leon was currently shooting you suspicious side glares. Were they talking about you? You didn't want Leon to lose hard earned trust. 

You cleared your throat. "Luis you can move now."

Luis fell face first into the mud. He let out a pained grunt, scrambling to push himself up from the puddle. Leon's eyes kept darting between you and him. Your eyes were kept firmly sideways.

"Whose little pet are you?" Luis asked. He sat back, unbothered by the fact that his clothes were now soaked, he brushed his wet hair out of his eyes."I recognize a bioweapon when I see one sweetheart."

"Bio what now?" Your eyes found their way back to the center, shooting a questioning look at Ashley, who looked just as bewildered as you felt. "I have no idea-"

"Try it again." Leon ordered.

"What?" Luis and you squeaked at the same time.

You stared at Leon like he had just suggested the craziest idea known to mankind. You did not want to experiment with whatever just happened, just to prove a point to him.

"Can't we find someone who is not our friend?" You started fidgeting with your fingers.

You wanted Luis to be safe. But a selfish, suffocating wave of relief washed over you. You could just straight up tell enemies to kill themselves. Though you were going to have to be hyper vigilant about your word choices for the rest of your life so you don't tell someone to fuck themselves in the ass in front of you. Now that would be a sight.

"He is not our friend. He is with Umbrella." Leon crossed his arms, glaring at Luis like he was worse than the parasites.

"She could be too. Why are you so sure that little missy here is innocent?" Luis pointed an accusing finger at you from the mud. "Just because she has a pretty face, it doesn't mean she is an angel."

"Excuse me? I was locked inside a basement and a man was ready to butcher me." You huffed, crossing your arms to start a staring contest with him. How dare he? What even is he accusing you of? You're taking it back your previous statement about him being friendly. He was a dick.

"So was I." Luis shot back unfazed. "This changes nothing."

"She is not what you think she is." Your sister stepped in front of you. "I knew for a long time and she is not a monster, if that's what you're thinking."

"Your best friend here then hid a very dark secret from you. I've spent a long time around things people can't comprehend. Powers like that... " Luis leaned forward to rest his arms on his legs. "They don't appear out of nowhere."

"Jokes on you, I'm not infected!" You stepped a bit closer to your sister's back, still behind it as if it was a safe shield. "I even got hurt, and all I want is to go home."

"I never said you were." Luis raised a hand. "I don't think you're evil preciosa. I think you're scared, and scared people tend to hide things."

"But I'm not." You were starting to run out of places to look, and out of air to breathe. "This has never happened before. I don't know what's wrong with me."

Your eyes found Leon. For a second you thought he would say something. But he averted his gaze. You mirrored his move.

"I think this is my cue to leave before things get awkward. I have my own errands to run." Luis pushed himself out of the mud. he did a motion to dust himself off, stopping when he realized he was drenched to the bone. "Look at the bright side! If you run out of bullets, you can just ask the lady to tell them to drop dead."

"Shut your mouth Luis." Leon threatened, as Luis passed him.

He deflected with a dismissive wave. "I'm just saying! Remember the radio. I will be in contact."

After he vanished behind the trees. It was now... awkward as shit. No one spoke a word. Three sets of eyes stared at the ground.

"This could be a good thing though..." Ashley coughed out. She walked ahead, grabbing your hands to drag you along. You followed her lead "You could tell the parasite to die inside us or something."

"We have no idea how this works. I would rather not use it on you." You said quietly, as you walked past Leon. His eyes remained fixed on the dirt.

You dodged all his past questions, so his unease made perfect sense. You only fed him nothing but the truth though. You came from another world. You made that clear from the start. He needed to accept the fact and live with it. This magic trick just added evidence to the pile.

Your sister remained the strangest puzzle piece. You half expected her to freak out, a shouting match, ocean of questions about what the hell happened. But no. Nothing. You both could go home. Did that even cross her mind?

You needed to experiment with this newfound power. Maybe you could use it on yourself to test the limits, but you lacked the courage for that.

Leon trailed behind you two. He muttered into his earpiece, communicating with his handler about a doomed extraction in this horrible weather. It was expected, the game can't end until they get rid of this parasite. Or you could end it for them

Would that break the game somehow?

You threw a glance over your shoulder as your back burned under his gaze. Yep, you were right. He stared straight at you, refusing to break eye contact when you met his. You snapped your head forward. Yikes.

"Don't look at him." You sister yanked your hand and leaned in to whisper. "He likes you enough to get over... your new problem. But you have to show him you're hurt."

"Since when are you giving out advice? You had one boyfriend." you sighed. She was right, and you knew it. You stole every tactic from her playbook. She wrapped men around her finger with zero interest in keeping them.

"And dozens of girlfriends. You had what? One relationship in middle school?"

"Ugh. Stop it. I wouldn't even call that a relationship." The gaze on your back sent a shiver down your spine. "Why are we talking about this? Shouldn't you ask what happened back there? You took my side without asking a single question.

"Why are you surprised? I'm your sister. Of course I have your freak back."

"You don't have to call it freak, okay? It's rude." You raised your chin, faking offense. "...It's just weird that you know... You are not shocked."

Before she found an answer, purple flames flickered in your view. Bob!! He needed to hear about the shitshow you pulled off. He would be mad impressed, maybe even offer advice on handling powers. Since this all probably happened in the original game as well. Just with Ashley.

"Listen, if you haven't been freaked out yet, you will now!! I have to introduce you to someone." You picked up your pace, dragging her inside the little shack with the purple torch. Leon followed. Shit. You needed to introduce Ashley to Bob without your guard dog sniffing the perimeter.

"Can you ask um... Leon to step out?" You whispered into Ashley's ear, all knowing he was still watching you. You wished he would stop.

"Can we have a private moment please?" Ashley turned, offering Leon a reassuring smile. He stayed put. Did he truly think you would hurt your sister???? Oh... He lacked the sister context. You provided zero believable excuses for your cuddly behavior. You acted as if you two have been besties since the ice age, while you didn't even know who the president's daughter was in the first place.

"I can't leave. I'm sorry." He shook his head, water flying from his blonde hair. He leaned against the wall, closing his eyes.

You looked at bob who attempted a nonchalant act, speeding through his third weapon cleaning cycle in rapid succession. The awkwardness infected him too, despite his ignorance of the situation. You shot him a pitiful look. He returned it with a nod.

"Good day stranger! Miserable weather, eh? Care to browse my-"

"Not interested. I know you're part of this act. Do us both a favor and save your breath." Leon pushed off the wall. He towered over you, casting a long shadow. You never imagined Leon could look scary. "...You all think I'm an idiot."

You mouth went drier than in any of your nasty thoughts you ever had of him. "Listen-"

"I tried listening. All you do is lie."

"I told you the truth!!" You threw your arms up in anger. "I told you I'm not from here. What else canI say? I repeat it like a parrot, yet you refuse to believe me."

"Because you have no evidence, and I refuse to buy into this delusion of yours." His hands settled on your shoulders. "Whatever happened to you... tell me. I can help you."

As much as you wanted to melt right into his chest, you slapped his hands away. "I have all the evidence I need." You turned toward the merchant, who was currently making X motions with his arms behind Leon's back. "That guy is Bob, and Ashley is my sister. They are both from the exact same world I came from."

Bob facepalmed with the loudest slap you had ever heard. (and probably ever will) 

"They can tell you alllll about it." You crossed your arms, side eyeing your sister. Bob probably wouldn't say shit, but Ashley definitely could.

But your sister was dead silent. You nudged her arms slightly with your elbow.

"Don't tell me that out of all the times in your life, you decided this is the moment to be shy."

"I..." Ashley started, but the words died in her throat.

She bent over, as she started to struggle for air. She started coughing until her trembling hands were drenched in blood. She blindly reached for the wall for support, her knees buckling. Panic spiked in your chest, freezing you in place. Before you could even move, Leon abandoned your space, rushing to her side. He gripped her shoulders, keeping her from collapsing into her own blood.

"Are you okay?" Leon asked her, but his sharp glare snapped directly back to you. He didn't trust you at all right now. "Damn parasite."

"Heh... Not this time stranger." The merchant rested an elbow on his cluttered counter, dragging his hand down his face with an exhausted sigh. "Do yourself a favor and step out."

This was the first time Bobby dropped his facade, his voice sounding... normal?? Leon blinked in surprise, turning to look at the hooded man. Slowly the tense line of his shoulders lowered.

"Please...." Ashley begged between bloody coughs

With one last conflicted look at Ashley, he gently let her go. Leon turned and headed toward the door. Before he left, he paused right next to you. His jaw clenched and looked like he wanted to scream at you, to demand answers, but he just swallowed it down. He pushed the door open and stepped into the rain, leaving you behind.

The very second the door clicked shut, Ashley's coughing instantly stopped.

She leaned against the wall, looking dazed and out of it. You hurried to her side, grabbing the hem of your shirt and gently wiping the smeared blood away from her pale mouth.

"I thought I was clear that you shouldn't tell him anything about me being from another world." Bob's voice was low now, cold enough to freak you out.

You whipped around to face him, the guilt twisting into panicked defensiveness. "I'm sorry! Shit hit the fan and everyone started accusing me of being a lab rat and hiding secrets... I panicked!"

Your sister weakly swatted your hands away from her face, signaling that she had enough of your babying. Funny how she always loved to smother and boss you around back at home, but hated it when you did it to her.

"Sure, throw us under the bus." His eyes smiled as he placed both of his hands under his chin. "Was seeing her get hurt because of your big mouth worth it?"

You blinked at him horrified. The smell of blood hit your nose, making your stomach turn all the wrong ways. No. You didn't cause this. How could you have caused this?!! The walls of the tiny shop felt like they were closing in, pressing the air out of your lungs.

"Hey I'm in the room..." Ashley muttered, leaning the back of her head against the wall. Her green eyes looked hollow, her skin was sickly pale. "Nice to meet you... Bob?"

"Likewise." Bob replied dryly. "I never actually thought 'Ashley' would turn out to be another one. Yeah... We really need a codename for us now. There could be more." He buried his face into his gloved hands.

"I don't know? Glitch bitches sounds cool." You offered with a weak shrug, accompanying the nervous words.

It sounded pathetic even to your own ears. 

Bob seperated two of his fingers just enough to expose one eye and stare blankly at you. "Jesus, that's awful"

"I tried okay! It's not like you had a better name." you deflected, wrapping your arms tight around yourself to hide your own trembling.

"How about... just glitches?" Ashley suggested quietly. It sounded like her voice was getting weaker by the second. She looked up at the merchant. "My sister told me this was a game... Is that true?"

Your forced smile flattened into a thin line as Bob shot you a judging glare. God, you weren't supposed to tell her that part either. You practically handed her a loaded gun.

"...Yeah." He sighed out, his shoulders slumping. "And she is the only reason I can even tell you this right now."

Ashley stayed silent. She stared blankly right ahead at the wall. Then down at blood crusting under her fingernails. Then... slowly up at you.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" She whispered with a voice that made you feel sick.

"I wish I was. But the bloody cough just shows you're just as restricted as I am." He extended his arms across the counter, resting his chin on his sleeves. "I couldn't speak normally for years before she showed up. You trying to talk to Leon about the real world just triggered the system's failsafe."

"No..." She breathed out, her hands flying up to clutch the sides of her face.

"Sis I think it's a good thing!" you pleaded, taking a desperate step towards her, needing to fix this. Before you go back the way it was before. "Once we beat the game, you might see mom and dad-"

"I don't give a shit." She snapped, her voice cracking as she gripped her blonde hair, pulling the strands. "I don't want to go back there."

You took a step back. You couldn't even fully process what she had just said, as she stormed right up to Bob's counter and slammed her bloody fist down on the wood.

"What happens when we clear this?" she demanded, her chest heaving as tears welled in her eyes. "Are you sure this is a game?"

Bob looked down at her fist, then looked back up at her furious face. "I don't know. But hey look, I have some pretty weird stuff if you want to take your mind off it. See, I have these cute cat ears-" He leaned down to dig around under his counter, clearly wanting out of this conversation.

"This is not a game. I'm telling you, this can't be a game." She yelled, raising her trembling fist, clutching it against her chest, right over her heart. "This cannot be a game, do you understand me?"

"Sis-" You turned to her, your pulse was louder than your words.

You were cut off by a glare so hateful, so utterly burning, that it stole the last bit of breath from your lungs.

"You talk so easily." She hissed, taking a threatening step toward you. "You know how miserable I was! Calling this all a game is just offensive, as I've been here for years, and it's very much real to me."

You hadn't thought about that. You had been treating this like a speedrun, joking your way through, because the thought of this being reality, was far too terrifying to process. You had stripped away the validation of her entire reality, reducing her pain just to make yourself feel better.

"I will prove that this is not a game." She stated suddenly.

"Sure honey, whatever floats your boat." Bob let out a nervous laugh. "But whatever crazy idea you're thinking of, it won't work."

Your sister's cold green eyes settled on him for a long moment, before shifting back to yours. They were shining with a terrifying kind of determination.

What did you just do?

You couldn't utter out a single word of apology, a blur of orange and blonde brushed past your shoulder. Ashley shoved the door open and vanished.

"That went well." The merchant shrugged, returning his attention to the crates under his counter.

"I have no idea what she plans to do."

Fantastic. Bob, Luis and Ashley all took turns scolding you. Leon waited on the other side of the door, undoubtedly preparing to deliver a lecture. Your chest still felt tight, but you knew your sister. If you rushed after her right now, you would just get smacked in the head. You done enough damage for today.

You needed some distraction. Anything would do.

"Before you go..." He placed something on the table. "I believe this will make your mission much easier."

You stepped back to the counter, narrowing your eyes. You picked the item up, running a thumb over the material. Why did it feel so real? Two plush cat ears attached to a sturdy headband. The synthetic fur matched the shade of Leon's hair.

You forced your mouth to curve into a wicked grin, pushing down the rising lump in your throat. "Are you kidding me? Is this a kink of yours?"

"No."

"How much is it?" You inspected the headband, turning it over in the candlelight. You would sell your soul, your firstborn, and a kidney just to hear that man let out a meow.

Okay, maybe not in his current state. He probably hated your guts right now. But you could smooth things over. You HAD to. Leon was a smart guy; he would forgive you sooner or later. How could you even apologize for something you didn't understand yourself?

"He earned it a long time ago. It's free." Bob shrugged, grabbing a rag and returned to his obsessive weapon cleaning routine. What a neat freak.

"You're acting rather strange." You noted, unzipping your bag to deposit the holy relic inside.

"Says the girl drooling on my floor." Bob countered, shooting you a look of exhaustion. "You should go before Ashley does something stupid and gets herself killed."

"Right." You pushed the door open, the dampness outside hitting your face. "Thank, by the way. For everything."

He didn't bother responding, so you stepped out and pulled the door shut.

Shit. You forgot to mention your voice thingie. Maybe next time.

The rain had finally downgraded from tsunami to depressing drizzle. Leon was nowhere to bee seen. Neither was Ashley... Did those two just ditch your ass????

You slapped a hand over your holster to make sure your gun was still there and started marching along the wooden fence. Wherever they went, they had to have squeezed through here.

They couldn't have gone far. You wasted what? Five extra goddamn minutes of your life with Bob, and now you had to play hide and seek with your now crazy sister and Leon.

If some creepy parasite tentacle hentai monster managed to get their grubby hands on Leon before you could force those cat ears onto his head, you were going to nuke this miserable village into a fucking crater.

Well... Grab Ashley first, secure the hot agent, then drop the nuke.

Lucky for you, they weren't far. They were leaning comfortably against the gate, chatting with small smiles. Whatever evil plan your sister had made up in her mind, she buried it fast. Or maybe that's just what she wanted you to think.

Who wouldn't be horrified to find out their entire life was a scam? You really shouldn't have said anything. She probably had a new family here... Did she get a new sister too? There might be a 'this world' version of you running around somewhere, but she looked genuinely surprised when she saw you.

As you approached, the conversation died down. Your sister's smile faltered and Leon's eyes darted between the two of you again. You could bet money he was going to interrogate you about the whole sister comment later, just maybe not right now while the tension was so thick.

"I checked past the gate." He glanced at Ashley, before settling his eyes on you. "Not clear, but manageable."

Ashley opened her mouth, closed it, and cast a sideways glance at you. "...Leon?"

He looked over.

"I think I will stay here."

"What?" Leon's brow furrowed and you shot her a weird look too. Why didn't your sister want to come? If it were you, you would rather die than be left behind. (Even though it already happened to you)

"I don't feel so good." She gave him a weak smile, brushing a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "I think I should rest a little."

"Do you think staying here alone would be a smart idea?" You smiled at her like you pitied her, fully aware of the game she was playing. Her puppy eyes held no power over you. She felt fine, fine enough to walk at least, so why did she want to stay behind? She definitely heard Bob say that even he couldn't break the system's rules without your physical presence. "I'm sure you can think of a better plan."

Her eye twitched a little, but her fragile smile remained glued in place. "What if I cough up blood again... I don't want to slow anyone down."

"I'm sure Leon could carry you on his back if it's necessary." you hummed, watching her fake smile strain at the edges. You were taking Bob's advice to heart. You wouldn't help your sister do something stupid.

Ashley turned to Leon, pressing a hand to her forehead. "I really-"

"Nothing some green herb can't help with!" You practically sprinted to her side, reaching into your bag, you scooped out a handful of green herb and slapped the bitter weed right against her mouth. "Gosh you look more alive already! Look at those bright cheek colors!"

Leon's face was annoyed and confused at the same time. Nothing new since you and Ashley reunited. You flashed him a toothy grin. He returned it with an uneasy look, turning to shove his shoulders against the gate. "Problem solved. Let's move."

The second Leon wasn't looking, your sister reached out and yanked a fistful of your hair. You glared at her.

Petty bitch. She wasn't going to win this. You sent her a confident, mocking smirk, which she returned with a menacing glare. Ooo, so scary... No. She looked like a mouse.

Leon held up a gist, motioning for you to be quiet and sneak. Ashley huddled behind a barricade near the gate, while you crept forward to take cover right beside Leon. He pressed his back against the wood, not sparing you a single glance.

"When will you finally talk to me?" you muttered, clutching your handgun tightly, as you peeked around the side of the wall. Leon was right, the patrol ahead was manageable. Maybe this was the perfect time to practice stealthy takedowns.

...But what if your sister was right?

What if Bob is wrong, and these people were very much real?

Nausea washed over you. Your heart pounded like crazy. You clutched the grip of your gun harder, until your knuckles started turning white.

What if they were real people?

Did you just kill, like ten people today?? You didn't... right?? You weren't a killer.

But that man's screams back in the woods... they sounded so real. His pain seemed so visceral.

Your hands started to shake, the gun trembling in your grip. A cold sweat broke out across the back of your neck.

Did those people have feelings? Were they normal before? They were disgusting, terrifying monster now, for sure, but you still killed them.

But they were trying to kill you, so what's so bad about it?

It is bad. IT IS BAD. You're bad. You aren't better than them.

But that's not true! You're better! You're doing this for the greater good!

What even is the greater good? Beating people to death so Leon fucks you raw out of gratitude?! That's all you actually care about, wasn't it? You are so fucking selfish.

"Clementine are you okay? You're breathing very hard." Leon's low, hushed voice snapped you out of your spiral. You blinked rapidly, trying to clear the static from your vision.

"Y-Yea, just you know... Stupid thoughts."

"You're shaking."

"I get anxious that's all." You forced a shaky breath out. "Not that you care, right? I'm just a liar, after all."

"...I never said I didn't."

You slowly turned your head his way, but he still kept his blue eyes locked on the enemy patrolling ahead. 

"Have you ever used that power on me?" he asked quietly.

The question felt like a slap. For what possible reason would you need to use a mind control voice on him?!! You wanted authentic romance, not a brainwashed puppet. You would never force anything on him. The offensive absurdity of it bubbled up as a breathless laugh in your throat.

"How would I use it if I didn't even know I had it?" You shook your head, leaning your head against the wood. "You know what? If this voice thing actually works... I command myself to die right here and right now if I knew that I had this beforehand, and if I ever used it on you."

Of course... Nothing happened.

Leon turned his entire body toward you, his gun hovering frozen in the air.

You looked at him weirdly. What a funny face he was making. You couldn't even describe it properly. His eyes were dilated, his mouth twisted into a trembling, conflicted grimace.

"Why would you wish death upon yourself?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"At least now you know how far I would go." You gave him an unapologetic smile.

He didn't answer. He just stared at you for a long second, his eyes flashing with something akin to horror. He dropped his hand to his thigh, holstered his gun and took out his knife. So he planned a quiet approach like you. He spared you one last conflicted look before stalking towards a cultist while you hid behind the barricade.

You needed to stop carelessly killing people. Maybe just shattering their knee was the ethical compromise here? It helps Leon, and it keeps your conscience clean. You holstered your gun yourself, and dug around in the mud, arming yourself with some suitably hefty rocks. Pacifist route it is.

In the distance, Leon was dragging a limp woman's body into the shadows. You set your sights on a lone man holding a torch. You had watched Leon do this a dozen times. The tutorial looked simple enough, clamp a hand over the mouth to muddle the scream, then deliver some force trauma to the skull. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Your previous rock throwing distraction worked like a charm, so you stuck to the classics.

A prickling sensation crawled up your arms as you crept between crates. By the time you readied the rock, the tingling reached your fingertips, turning your hands to blocks of ice.

Stupid anxiety. Just breathe.

You threw a smaller rock against a box. As planned, the enemy grunted and shuffled toward the noise. While he was busy inspecting it, you crept up behind him, reached around and slapped your hand over his mouth. You raised your remaining rock ready to deliver the knockout blow.

What you forgot that humans possessed teeth.

Apparently, you lacked Leon's superhuman reflexes, agony flared across your palm. You ripped your hand back with a gasp, cradling the wound against your chest. The dickhead had clamped down so hard he actually broke the skin!

While you were busy staring at your own blood in outrage, you failed to realize your enemy was unfazed. He lunged and tackled you right into the mud, his weight pinning you flat against the ground.

Fuck.

Rotting breath washed over your face. His filthy hand clawed at your skin, his thumbs aggressively digging toward your eye sockets. You grabbed his wrists, your arms trembling as his muscle mass overpowered you. A panicked grunt tore from your throat. He was drooling saliva all over your cheeks, the suffocating heat and sweat of his body crushing the air straight out of your lungs.

A pathetic tear slipped down your face. You couldn't breathe. You couldn't push him off.

"Die."

The word escaped you in with a sob, just as his thumbs brushed your eyelashes. The villager's spine arched, blood erupted from his nose and mouth, splashing directly across your face as the parasite inside him rapidly ruptured. He collapsed into dead weight.

You let out a yelp, shoving at his limp shoulders. You scrambled back through a puddle, kicking your legs until your back slammed into a barricade. You sat paralyzed in the mud. You sucked in frantic breaths as you stared at the corpse, then down at your own trembling hands.

You killed him. You didn't even have to touch him, and you killed him.

You threw an arm over your eyes, tears leaking out as you dragged your sleeve across your face, trying to wipe away the stench of blood. The bite mark on your palm throbbed with stinging heat.

Game or not, this was real. He was dead.

You forced yourself to your feet, your legs shaking like jelly. Maybe you could command one of them to be rid of the parasite without dying. Your vision blurred as you stumbled away from the barricade, stumbling blindly out into the open path without checking your corners.

A hand grabbed your wrist, pulling you behind a pillar. You flinched hard, but the chest which collided with yours was familiar.

"What the hell are you doing?" He hissed, he scanned your blood soaked clothes. "Is that yours?"

"I..." You stared blankly at the blood caking your shirt. "No. Most of it isn't."

His expression softened as he took in your trembling form. "Where are you hurt?"

"He bit me."

His face hardened back into its default setting. He shoved the collar of your shirt aside to check your neck, then squished your cheeks together tilting your head left and right. "Where??"

"Ohm my phalm." you managed through squished duck lips.

He dropped your face and stared at the hand he was currently holding.

"The other one..." you clarified.

Without letting go of the right hand, he grabbed your left. You stared at the angry teeth marks, your stomach churning. You didn't feel like a powerful protagonist anymore, you just felt sick and dirty.

"It's not Raccoon city..." He mumbled into your palms, sounding so haunted you barely caught it. He cleared his throat, his posture straightening as his voice returned to its standard pitch. "Why did you go alone?" 

"I just... wanted to see if I could fix this." You whispered watching him. He traced the edges of the bite, his thumbs flexing your fingers to check for nerve damage. Leon dropped your uninjured hand, digging into his pocket. He fished out a clean roll of gauze and began wrapping the fabric over your torn palm.

You watched his hands work, the adrenaline leaving your system. You glanced over to where Ashley was hiding, her blonde hair was visible, which was terrible for stealth but great for confirming that she was safe.

Leon finished tying off the bandage. You hadn't really been paying attention to his nursing skills, mostly because your brain short circuited when he looked up through his wet bangs, catching your eye. You felt your face heat up.

"...I take it that you're not angry anymore?" you asked soflty.

"I was skeptical. But I've seen enough to believe you weren't making things up." He took a slow step closer, shifting his weight. His gaze pinned you in place. "Be honest with me. That's enough."

"About everything...?" The words barely scraped past the lump forming in your throat.

His eyes were searching yours, stripped of their usual walls. He was asking for your absolute truth... And there was only one secret left beating against your ribs.

"Everything." he murmured as he reached up and wiped some blood of your face.

The tenderness of the gesture, placed right on top of the brutality of what you had just survived, was overwhelming. You dragged in a shaky inhale, your lungs burning. Your pulse was roaring so loudly in your ears you were sure he could also hear it. Here goes nothing.

"Fine..." Your hands trembled so much you had to ball them into fists at your sides. You looked up, locking onto his eyes. "I like you..."

Time seemed to stop. Leon's breath got caught. His thumb lingered against your cheek, and for a heartbeat his eyes flicked down, almost shyly, to your lips.

Oh god.

NONONOo. You were NOT ready for this (yet). The raw intimacy was terrifying, crashing into you right when you felt the most monstrous and vulnerable. Every single alarm bell went off in your brain. You had to defuse the tension before you actually exploded. Your brain scrambled for a life raft, any life raft, and you chose the worst one floating in the cesspool of your subconscious.

"...r," you squeaked out, your voice cracking horribly as the syllables dragged. "...ass."

Silence.

The soft, vulnerability in his expression vanished, freezing over into something numb.

"....................Seriously.....?"

Oh no.

His eyes were dead. So dead. You had just witnessed the exact moment a man's soul forcefully evict itself from his body.

You buried your burning face in your palms, wishing the earth beneath your legs would crack open, swallow you whole, and digest you over a thousand years. FUCK. WHY DID YOU SAY THAT? You could have just let him kiss you! You could have been MAKING OUT with Leon. Who even confesses their undying love while standing twenty feet from dead body??

"I mean you asked me to be honest!!" you stammered through your fingers, the words tumbling out in a uncontrollable rush. "So I am being honest! And I think it's very round and cute and-"

"Please stop."

"You see I-"

"You can be less honest." He blinked, his facial muscles working overtime as he forcibly regained the composure he had lost during this agonizing conversation. He turned his head away, rubbing the back of his neck. "Go do your experiment. I will check on Ashley."

Without waiting for another word from your stupid, self sabotaging mouth, he was already walking past you, his long strides carrying him swiftly toward your sister's hiding spot.

You stood there, shaking. You tried to joke to protect yourself, but all you did was ruining the moment. Why did you even try to confess if you were going to panic like a coward? Would you like it if someone looked deeply into your soul, being all cutesy and kind, and then they comment on your ass?

Gosh, you're sick.

You shook your head. You might actually be going crazy with all these voices you keep hearing inside your head. You squeezed your bandaged hand harder. All this flirting with him isn't even the real you. You're weak.

He wouldn't like you.

You walked out of your hiding spot and marched towards the enemy. When he noticed you, he raised his weapon and started charging. How should you phrase this? Maybe you should've come up with a script before you decided to show yourself.

"I command the parasite in you to perish." You pointed a finger at him, giving a questioning look. This was the best you could come up with. You had too much on your mind.

He was still charging towards you. You hastily dodged out of the way, panic settling in. Did it not work?

Oh, it did. Just not the way you wished it would've.

His body started to inflate, as if he were some kid of meaty balloon. The parasite inside him was dying, but it was taking the host down with it, rapidly expanding. His arms, his chest, even his head started getting like five times bigger. The skin stretched so tight it turned purple.

His eyes fell out of their sockets as his skull got small for them to fit, dangling by wet red strings against his cheeks. His jaw tore open, his mouth stretching wide. The only time you saw something like this was when Madleen from middle school got stung by a damn wasp on her lip, but this guy looked like a fucking pufferfish. He took one agony filled look at you.

"Wait, I don't want you to-"

You couldn't finish your sentence... or close your mouth, he popped.

Right into your open mouth.

The sludge hit the back of your throat. You choked. Your knees slammed into the ground.

Your stomach lurched. You clamped your hands over your mouth, but the gag reflex was instant and out of your control. You leaned over the mud and threw up. You heaved until your ribs ached, expelling vomit. You retched again, your throat burning like fire. You coughed, spitting thick strings of saliva and blood into the dirt. The stench was everywhere. You felt so fucking dirty.

Tears welled up in your eyes and spilled down your face, tracking through the blood on your skin. You couldn't catch your breath. Everytime you tried to suck in air, you tasted your mistake, sending your stomach into another painful spasm.

A high pitched ringing pierced your eardrums. You pressed your dirty palms against your ears, trying to block the sounds threatening to make you deaf.

Fuck this. Fuck this all.

You stared blindly at the puddle of your own puke and scattered chunks of intestines around you. You saw something orange in your vision, it had to be your sister. Through the ringing of your ears you could vaguely make out Leon saying something to Ashley.

A slap landed across your cheek. Your head snapped to the side.

"Snap out of it!"

Your sister's yell cut right through the ringing. The static dialed down. You still couldn't bring yourself to look at her. She was so fucking right. She could drop her entire mastermind crusade about proving this was reality, because the proof was painted all over you.

But this just proves your voice is magical, hello?? Where else does magic exist if not a video game?

Please. Just shut up for one second.

You dragged your gaze upward to meet Ashley's face.

"What did you do?" She demanded, grabbing your shoulders, guiding your upper body away from the puddle of vomit. She gave you a firm, grounding shake. "What the fuck did you do?"

"...I asked his parasite to die." you choked out between sobs. "I guess I didn't count on him exploding." You shook your head. She stopped shaking you as her hands slowly left your shoulders.

Ashley squeezed her eyes shut, turning her head away to process the horror. Beside her, Leon's boots shifted in the ground. He took a hesitant step forward, reaching a hand out to grip your shoulder, but Ashley intercepted him, grabbing his wrist.

"Let me handle this. I know her best," she told him firmly.

Leon stopped, He gave a tight nod, lowering his hand and stepping back to give you space. Though his gaze never left your trembling frame.

Ashley dropped to her knees right next to you. She placed a warm, steadying hand flat on top of your head. "Which is your favorite month?"

You blinked through your tears, your brows knitting together in confusion. "What?"

"Which is your favorite month?" She repeated the question, maintaining eye contact.

Why was she asking this right now? Your brain scrambled to process the random question, forcing the panic to hit the brakes. You loved summer, but the sweltering heat always took a toll on you, so that was out. You loved winter, but the coats ruined cute outfits. Spring brought pretty flowers, but autumn had the beautiful changing leaves. And you were adopted in October...

"I guess October? I don't know? Why are you asking me that?" You tilted your head, looking from Ashley's intense stare to Leon, and back to your sister."I-"

"Okay I love October too." She interrupted smoothly, her thumb brushing of dirt from your forehead. "But my favorite month is the one you were born in."

No matter how hard your mind tried to fight it, the warmth in your chest won out. A small, wobbly smile formed on your lips. "What a sappy thing to say."

"I thought you liked shitty things like that." She wiped a lingering tear from your cheek, grabbing your uninjured hand and pulling you up from the dirt. "We should move. It's not safe staying in one place."

"The smartest thing I heard from your mouth in a while..." You scoffed weakly, wiping the back of your hand across your mouth to clear the taste of acid.

"I should've just left you sitting in your own puke," she rolled her eyes, her tone softened. "Don't think too hard about what happened here. We will find a different way to get rid of these parasites without using your... gift."

"I won't ever use it again." You stared at your own hands, terrified of the power resting in your vocal cords.

"That would be stupid." Ashley stated, as Leon pushed the gates open to the next area. "It's very useful."

"I don't want to hurt any of you." You kept your voice quiet, shrank back slightly, creating a distance between yourself and Leon.

"Then don't use it on us!" She locked her arm tightly through yours. 

Saying the next area was "a bit bigger" would be an understatement. The village was mostly just shacks, but this place was a confusing mess of wooden structures built on the side of a cliff. You stepped onto the bridge that stretched over the drop. Up above, there were a bunch of tall watchtowers, but thankfully they were empty.

Leon maintained his distance at the front of the formation, his gun raised as he cleared every blind corner. You wondered what ran through his head. You should just sit down with him and talk. Really talk.

But right now, you possessed bigger problems. What the hell were you supposed to do with this voice?? It was an unpredictable hazard, but Ashley was right. If you could help them progress without turning humans into bombs, you would.

As you walked further in, the place stayed empty. You could hear villagers talking somewhere in the distance, but you couldn't actually see anyone. Fences blocked off the entire area, and wherever there wasn't a fence, a solid rock wall did the job. It was quiet, but not the good kind of quiet.

You followed Leon past a few more empty buildings until you hit a massive gate lit up by two torches burning on either side.

"Looks like we need something." Leon inspected the hole on the gate closer.

Your sister pinched the bridge of her nose. Stuck in a maze, until you found the key. At least the lack of enemies offered a breather. Your bones ached with exhaustion. Your muscles trembled under the adrenaline crash. Using that command took a bizarre toll on you.

Leon turned away from the locked gate. He dragged a hand through his blonde hair. "Stay here and catch your breath. I will look for the key."

"I don't think-" You forced your spine straight, ready to protest. You lacked the willpower to fight, but the idea of failing to protect Ashley, if an enemy dropped right in front of you terrified you.

"Good idea." Ashley nodded, cutting you off before your spiral. "We will be okay."

Leon gave a firm nod before vanishing.

"You're a mess." She sighed, digging into the pockets of her jacket. "I thought therapy was working for your panic attacks."

"I guess that was before.... I made a man explode?" You hummed dryly, watching her pull out a folded linen handkerchief "And before you insisted this was all reality."

"I might be wrong. Looking at your state, I think it would be the best if you stick to your ideas and me to mine." She raised the fabric to your cheek, wiping the blood from your skin. She lacked any gently touch. You knew she only conceded the point to save your sanity. You smiled despite the rough scrubbing. "As much as it feels real for me, it doesn't have to be real for you. If this is over, you might have the chance to go back but... I wish to stay."

Your smile faltered for a fraction of a second, but it stayed in place. "Yep. I know."

She was healthy and had a strong body. She was free to do everything her old life robbed from her. You could easily picture her future in this world, and all you saw was a genuine smile on her face.

"Will you go home...?" She asked, pulling the stained handkerchief away.

"I don't know. I try not to think about it." You broke eye contact, staring into the dark. "Let's talk about something else."

She shifted uncomfortably. She rolled her eyes, fingers reaching up to pinch the fabric of her sleeve over her arm. It was an old nervous tick.

"I really want to apologize. You did what you had to do to survive out there..." She blew out a frustrated breath. You knew she hated apologizing. "Don't get me wrong, I still think killing is horrible. But if that's what it takes to protect yourself from getting ripped apart, so be it. I just wish that parasite killing trick worked smoothly, so we could actually save these people."

She paused, pinching her arm harder. "I know you will hate me for saying this, but you need to test your voice's boundaries. Maybe you could try using it on things that don't involve living people?"

"Like what?" 

Ashley tapped her chin thoughtfully. You stared at her, the gears turning in both of your heads. You exchanged a sudden wide eyed look.

"The key!" you both pointed at each other, your serious face breaking into matching, identical grins.

"Great minds think alike." You nodded to yourself smiling.

"You were just lucky." She shook her head.

"Well... Here goes nothing." You opened your bandaged hand in front of you. You cleared your throat feeling stupid. "This is awkward."

"Aside from being awkward, why don't you eat that green weed? Your hand is still injured."

"I like how Leon took care of it." You smiled to yourself, looking at the neat technique. Poor guy. He must've done a lot of these to be so good at it.

"You're such a simp." She placed a hand on her hips. "Enough stalling. Just do it."

"Okay..." You focused on the empty space above your palm. "I command the key to this door to be placed in my hands."

Your hand dropped from the weight of the key, which turned out to be a crank. Your hand hurt a bit, you should've just healed it like your sister said.

"I guess what's left is to call over Leon." You gave your sister the crank, who got herself busy with fitting it into the gate while you searched around your bag, finding the radio Leon gave you. It didn't give you good memories of all. It reminded you of the man in the woods, the way you fell.

But worse than that was the immediate embarrassment of your last conversation with him. You genuinely tried to confess, panicked... and the rest is history. You wanted to dissolve into a puddle.

Best to pretend it didn't happen!

You clicked the button, raising it to your mouth. "Hi... Is this thing working? Hellooooo?"

Only static hissed back. You bit your lip, your thumb hovering over the button to try again, when a voice crackled through the speaker. "Yes it's working. Stop yelling into it. What happened?"

"Oh yeah, we are opening the gate. You don't have to search around anymore." You shrugged, a nervous habit he couldn't even see. "You can come back to us."

There was a brief pause.

"Do you feel better?" he asked. The sudden sincerity in his voice made your stomach flip. You glanced over at your sister, who was currently wrestling with the crank. Thanks to her.

"Yeah... Sorry about what happened." You managed to say out.

"We should talk." He replied immediately.

"We are talking." You deflected, forcing out an airy laugh.

A chuckle crackled through the radio. "You know what I mean."

You felt yourself shrinking, your shoulders hunching up toward your ears as you squeezed your eyes shut. "I'm sorry."

"I want to know more about you."

A rush of warmth ran into the center of your chest, so intense you wanted to launch the radio straight into the air. You stared at the little device, your heart pounding with a different rhythm than the panic from earlier.

"Me too." you whispered into the receiver.

He didn't say anything back. The channel clicked off.

You dropped the radio back into your bag. Taking a steadying breath before you faced your sister, she already opened the lock on the gate.

You didn't have to wait long for Leon, he was either close by, or he jogged here, because it was quick. He stepped ahead and placed both of his hands on the gate opening it wide. It was a bit weird that no enemy came after you, and you didn't even want to ask if he has dealt with any.

"They use so many gates for no reason at all... I bet there will be a gate at the end of this." Ashley muttered, walking a few steps ahead. She was on edge.

The scenery changed a lot, the wooden fences gave away to the stone walls. The rain completely stopped. The sad trees you realized you had missed returned, looming over the dirt path. Overgrown weeds reached up past your waist. And naturally, it wouldn't be a complete set piece without another ruined house blocking the path. The roof was caved in, the wall riddled with holes. A mess of scaffolding blocked the ground floor entrance. You didn't have to be a genius to see the intended path was to climb to the roof and drop in through the hole.

So that's exactly what you did.

Leon hauled himself up first. He dropped into the dark interior.

"Come on," he looked up.

Ashley went next, sliding down into the dark. Leon caught her, setting her on her feet. You swung your legs over and dropped.

The impact jolted through your knees, but Leon absorbed most of the momentum, steadying you against his chest. His eyes locked onto yours focused, his grip on your waist twitched.

He quickly let you stand, pulling his hands away.

The interior of the house was a dump. Rotten floorboards, thick cobwebs. And only one way out. Leon leveled his gun at the padlock securing the exit and pulled the trigger. He then kicked the door open, freeing the path.

Guess what was outside? A gate.

Leon pressed his body weight against it, forcing it open.

"All right. Come on."

You exchanged a tense look with your sister and nodded. You all should've just barricaded yourselves at the merchant's shop and waited for Luis. Speaking of Luis...

"When do you think Luis is going to-"

Before you could even turn your head, a hand grabbed around Ashley's. She screamed as she was yanked backward, her boots dragging through the mud.

"Ashley!"

Leon was a blur of motion. He drew his knife and lunged forward, driving the blade into the giant man's arm.

The towering priest didn't even flinch. The blade sank into his flesh, but he just stared at Leon with hollow eyes. With a bored grunt, the giant backhanded him. Leon launched through the air, sailing a good ten feet before he slammed into the ground. He let out choked gasps, struggling to drag air into his lungs.

Ashley scrambled away, rushing to Leon's side to help him up. You were left standing dead center, staring up at the men built like... hm.... built like a double decker bus. He looked right through you. You were a bug to him.

He angled his back to you, walked over to the gate you had just passed through, and grabbed the metal latch. He twisted the iron, closing the only way back.

"Your soul requires cleansing." He rumbled, his voice vibrating in your chest.

"That could be true..." you breathed out, as you squared your trembling shoulders."But I command you to be under my rule."

He slowly turned his head. He just stared at you with that dead eyes.

"D-Did it work?" Ashley stammered as she tried to help Leon, who was forcing himself to his knees, spitting a mouthful of blood into the ground.

"I don't know!" You took a desperate step back. "I command you to sit!"

He didn't sit.

Instead, agony drove itself directly behind your eyes. You gasped, stumbling backward as liquid rushed from your nose. You slapped a hand to your face. It came away smeared in blood.

"Yep, he is not friendly." You yelled, walking backward.

"Run!" Leon yelled.

The quiet didn't last long, Villagers poured over the walls, bursting through the windows of a ruined house ahead. You were so hyper fixated on your existential crises that you ignored the most basic rule of gaming. The quiet empty area was always a boss fight. It's a game after all that became reality.

Ashley grabbed your hand, fingernails biting into your skin, and yanked you forward.

"Why didn't it work?" Ashley screamed, dragging you through the mud as a pitchfork buried itself in the dirt inches from your leg.

"I don't fucking know!"

You snapped your head over your shoulder. The giant was stalking forward, his long trench coat snapping in the wind, unfazed by the chaos.

"I command your parasite to die!" you shrieked at him.

Nothing happened

"I command YOU to die!"

You felt so sick your knees buckled. The world tilted. The blood pouring from your nose doubled, running over your lips and dripping off your chin. Your brain felt like it was swelling against your skull.

Up ahead, Leon fired a shot into a red explosive barrel. The shockwave rattled your teeth. Half of a flaming torso hit the ground to your left. You closed your eyes shut, your chest having in panic. You couldn't look. If you look, you were going to break down.

Closing your eyes was the stupidest thing you could have done.

The connection of Ashley's hand was ripped away from yours.

Thich fingers locked into the roots of your hair. Pain exploded across your scalp as you were hoisted into the air. You let out a horrific shriek, the sound of your own hair ripping from the follicles were horrible.

The giant raised you up until you were dangling at his eye level. He stared at you with apathy.

"Drop me!! Fucking die! Go fucking blind!" You screamed, kicking into his chest. It was like kicking a brick wall.

Through the tears of pain blurring your vision, you saw Leon, with his gun raised. His finger squeezed the trigger.

The giant didn't dodge. With one fluid motion, he simply shifted his arm to the left, jerking your suspended body directly into the bullet's path.

The bullet hit you.