The night was thick with rain as Leon S. Kennedy drove his sedan toward Raccoon City, the windshield wipers struggling to keep up with the downpour. His first day on the job as a rookie cop felt surreal—he had expected a quiet shift, but something felt off. His radio crackled with a warning: “Residents advised to avoid Raccoon City due to…” The signal died, and Leon frowned, his unease deepening.

Ahead, a flickering gas station sign caught his attention. He pulled over, sensing something was wrong. As he stepped out into the storm, a figure caught his eye—a young woman, soaked to the bone, standing under the awning. She was clutching a backpack and looked just as out of place as he felt.

“Hey,” Leon called, his voice barely cutting through the rain. “You alright?”

The woman glanced at him, wary but not unfriendly. “Yeah, just passing through. You?”

“I’m Leon Kennedy, with the RPD. First day,” he said, flashing his badge.

“Claire Redfield,” she replied, tension in her voice. “I’m looking for my brother. He’s with S.T.A.R.S.”

Before Leon could respond, a crash echoed from inside the store. The door swung open, and a man, bloodied and disfigured, stumbled toward them. His milky, lifeless eyes locked onto Claire. She gasped, but before she could react, the creature lunged.

Leon instinctively drew his gun, firing a shot that barely slowed the thing. “Stay back!” he shouted.

The man—no, it wasn’t a man anymore—rushed them, growling and snapping. “Shoot the head!” Claire yelled. Leon aimed again, this time hitting the zombie square between the eyes. It collapsed with a sickening thud.

More sounds came from the back of the store—more zombies. “We need to go,” Leon said urgently, grabbing Claire’s arm.

Just as they reached the door, a truck careened into the station, the driver slumped over the wheel, blood splattered across the windshield. “Move!” Leon shouted.

The explosion sent them both flying, debris scattering across the rain-soaked ground. Dazed, they picked themselves up, and Claire met Leon’s gaze.