Chapter Text
Prologue - Anonymous Tip
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It was cold and quiet.
Those were the few things he thought of on the three-hour-long drive to the Gardenview Educational Center & Museum, a mouthful, he also thought. Why build an art studio and educational building so far from the city? Hell if he knew.
He looked away from the road, glancing around for the first time in what felt like forever. Turning on the overhead lights, his eyes landed on the car's dashboard and internal clock, reading 1:12 AM.
Reaching forward, he fiddled with the car's radio; finally deciding to do something about the brain-numbing silence, settling for a station that aired jazz music. Not his favorite, but it was better than nothing.
Agent Leon S. Kennedy was given this assignment on rather short notice. But orders were orders, and he was the last to complain about being sent on a field mission, no matter how mundane it seemed. He, however, knew better than to underestimate.
》GARDENVIEW PARK - 5 MILES 》
At last, the park the Center resided in drew near, if the worn-down sign he passed was anything to go by.
"Right after I turn on the music, of course." He thought outloud, slightly offended, and took the next turn off the highway, navigating his way through neglected roads until the large stone arch that served as the park's gate approached.
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Public parking was just before the entrance to the park; it was on foot from here. Not that he minded, he needed to stretch his legs anyway. That, and he couldn't be bothered to find an alternate route.
Parking haphazardly in the abandoned lot, he shut off the radio, its use short-lived, unbuckled himself, and turned off the sedan. He closed his eyes and sat there for a few minutes, forgetting how focus-demanding and exhausting long drives could be.
Taking a deep breath, he let out a long sigh and opened his eyes, mind less foggy, and vision sharper.
He leaned over, opening the glovebox, where his flashlight, combat knife, and radio lay. He placed the knife in a sheath strapped to his left shoulder under his coat; it was an M-9 Bayonet, his melee of choice because of its significance, handed to him by a dying veteran officer during his first and last night on the job at the RPD.
He grabbed the radio next, stuffing it in one of his many pockets. The flashlight was last; he was gonna need it if he wanted to find his way through the park.
Now ready, he quickly unlocked the trunk and opened the door. As he stepped out, the full brunt of the night's cold hit him, making him readjust his coat.
His right hand then drifted to his pistol, which had already been sitting in its holster on his hip. It was an SG-09 R "Silver Ghost" chambered in 9mm. Drawing it, he removed its magazine and checked if it was loaded; it should be full, but you never know. Satisfied, he replaced the magazine, cocked it, turned the safety on, and holstered it.
Walking around to the trunk, he opened it, finding his bag and briefcase. He was instructed to open the case only after he arrived at his destination. Inside, hopefully, would be the answers to his odd situation.
Upon opening the steel case, he was greeted with documents regarding the nearby Center and further mission details.
He had been sent here due to a recently received anonymous tip, which, if true, would reopen a cold case and link it back to the Umbrella Corp.
Umbrella was the pharmaceutical company that had been responsible for the tragic fall of Raccoon City, the very same tragedy he had unwillingly participated in. Safe to say, they were extremely dangerous and were under heavy investigation and surveillance.
So dangerous, in fact, that the U.S. Government itself had created a unit that was specially trained to deal with Umbrella's illegal research and experiments, or to stop them before they could release said experiments upon the public.
Either way, his current mission was to enter the allegedly abandoned Gardenview Center and search for any sign of Umbrella's involvement.
With this in mind, he strapped on his bag, which was packed with essentials and extra ammunition.
Raising his flashlight, he clicked it on and started reading.