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Meanwhile, as Allen and Leon were heading to their patrol area, Allen suddenly asked, "Leon, can I ask you something?"
"Hmm? Sure, what is it?" Leon replied.
"Why did you choose to work as a cop? Well, you know this job doesn't really pay that well," Allen said. To him, there were plenty of safer and more profitable jobs out there, and being a police officer carried a lot of risk for not much reward.
"As for that…" Leon paused for a moment, then smiled faintly. "You could say it's because of a childhood dream. Ever since I was a kid, I often imagined what kind of person I'd grow up to be."
"One day, I saw something that changed everything for me. A man was holding a woman hostage at knifepoint in a supermarket. The woman was crying, begging for help from the people around her."
"But no one stepped in. Everyone was too afraid to get involved — afraid they'd get hurt themselves. The people there panicked, and a few just tried to talk the man down, hoping he'd let her go."
"Then, out of nowhere, a police officer who happened to be shopping there quietly moved behind the man and grabbed his arm, disarming him before anyone got hurt. The officer arrested him right there."
Leon chuckled softly, his tone nostalgic. "That moment made me realize what I really wanted. I just want to make a difference for people — to help them when they're in trouble or in danger."
"Hmmm, that's quite an interesting story. I didn't expect you to have such a noble heart, Leon, and I guess this job really suits you," said Allen with a nod — he genuinely thought Leon was a good person.
"What about you, Allen? Why did you decide to work in law enforcement? I've heard from some of the other members that you're actually very rich and even own your own company," asked Leon, a bit curious himself.
That question made Allen a little confused about how to answer, but since he's the type who doesn't really feel embarrassed about anything, he decided to just be honest.
"Well, I joined the police because I wanted to accompany one of my wives who works in S.T.A.R.S. You could say I joined because I was just bored, haha," Allen said while laughing.
Meanwhile, Leon was speechless at Allen's brutally honest answer. He was also a bit confused — was it really that easy to get into a special tactics unit? He had always heard that recruitment for S.T.A.R.S. in Raccoon City was extremely strict.
Still, Leon figured it was better not to ask how Allen managed to get in. Something told him that if he did, he might start questioning his entire life choices.
Yeah… deciding not to ask was probably the smartest choice Leon could've made — because hearing that Allen might've gotten into the tactical rescue unit through connections would've definitely wrecked his mental state.
A few moments later, while Allen and Leon were talking, the sound of their patrol radio broke through the conversation:
[Dispatch, over radio]: "All units, shots fired reported near 5th and Broadway. Any available unit, please respond."
"Hmm, looks like we've got another case to handle," Allen said to Leon.
Leon quickly nodded, clearly agreeing and ready to respond to the 911 call.
Allen reached for the radio inside the car.
Allen: "Dispatch, this is Unit 9-Alpha. We copy. Can you tell us what's actually happening out there?"
[Dispatch, over radio]: "We received reports of an intoxicated individual threatening civilians with a handgun. Witnesses say he's already fired several shots toward nearby people."
Allen: "Copy that. We're en route to the scene. We'll call in if we need backup."
The sirens blared to life, and their patrol car sped off toward the scene of the shooting.
When they arrived at the scene, they saw several civilians hiding inside nearby buildings, clearly shaken by what had happened. The suspect, still visibly drunk, was rambling to himself in the middle of the street.
"Why won't anyone believe me? I told you—up in the Arklay Mountains there are monsters! They attack people and eat them alive! But you all said I'm crazy, said I'm hallucinating!" the drunk man shouted, taking another swig from the bottle in his hand.
Allen shook his head slightly as he listened to the man's nonsense.
"Suspect's armed and drunk… that's never a good combo," Leon muttered, sliding a fresh magazine into his sidearm.
"Yeah," Allen replied calmly, eyes locked on the suspect ahead. "Just keep your head straight. We go in slow, check the situation first. If we can disarm him without force, we'll take him in safely."
Allen knew the priority was to de-escalate the situation—the man could easily harm someone if provoked.
Moments later, both of them quietly moved in from opposite directions, keeping a safe distance so they wouldn't become targets of the drunken man's erratic aim.
Of course, the drunk man eventually noticed Allen's presence.
"Who are you?! Don't come any closer—monster!" he shouted, his bloodshot eyes wide with panic as he raised his gun toward Allen, clearly mistaking him for one of the 'zombies' he had been raving about.
"Gun, gun!" Leon called out, quickly raising his weapon from behind, finger on the trigger—but he hesitated. Shooting a drunk, delusional man wasn't something he wanted to do unless there was no other choice.
"We're the police, not a monster! Can you put the gun down!. And maybe we grab some ice cream by the roadside after this — you know, just to make sure you don't end up completely wasted." Allen ordered firmly, aiming his weapon as well, ready to respond if the man fired.
But the man suddenly shot at them, forcing them to find a place to take a cover.
Bang!.... Bang!.... Bang!....
"Guess that means no ice cream for you, then."
Three deafening gunshots rang out. The suspect opened fire wildly, bullets sparking off walls and cars. To him, Allen and Leon weren't cops—they were monsters closing in.
"Shots fired! Shots fired!" Leon shouted into his radio, ducking behind a trash bin for cover.
Meanwhile, Allen took shelter behind a concrete wall, heart pounding but mind still sharp. Thankfully, the man's aim was terrible—every shot went wide—but the situation was far from safe. Civilians were still nearby, and a stray bullet could easily hit someone.
"Leon! You alright?!" Allen yelled over the chaos.
"I'm good, Allen! But what now? Should we wait for backup?" Leon shouted back, his voice tense. The situation was spiraling fast, and every second the man stayed armed, more lives were at risk.
Allen quickly started thinking of a plan, and by pure luck, he spotted a trash can lid nearby. An idea formed in his mind almost instantly.
"Leon! I think I've got an idea. On my signal, I need you to rush the guy and try to take him down," Allen said firmly.
Leon looked a little uncertain but trusted his senior completely. "Alright, I'm ready!" he replied from the other side, keeping his eyes on Allen to see what he would do.
In a flash, Allen stepped out from cover and hurled the trash can lid with incredible speed and precision. The throw was flawless—fast, clean, and dead-on target. Leon couldn't help but be impressed by his senior's accuracy.
Bam!
The lid struck the drunk man square in the head, making him stumble backward and lose balance.
"Now, Leon!" Allen shouted.
Leon immediately charged forward, sprinting across the street before the suspect could recover.
"Ahhh! Let me go! Don't eat me!" the man screamed in panic, still trapped in his delusion.
Leon moved fast, tackling him to the ground and swiftly cuffing his wrists with practiced ease.
Allen approached, lowering his weapon as he nodded approvingly. "Good job, Leon. Let's get this guy secured."
He grabbed the drunk man by the arm, hauling him to his feet and leading him toward the patrol car.
"Yeah," Leon said with a short laugh, catching his breath. "Didn't think that plan would work that perfectly."
Allen smirked slightly as they pushed the suspect into the back seat. "Sometimes, the simplest ideas do the trick."
Not long after Allen got into the patrol car, someone knocked on the window. When he turned to see who it was, he was surprised to find Katherine Warren, the mayor's daughter, standing there.
Allen rolled down the window and greeted her with a friendly smile.
"Hey, Katherine. What are you doing here?" Allen asked.
"I was just passing by," she said casually, her tone lively. "And I happened to see you guys in action. Nice work, by the way."
"Thanks… Oh, right, let me introduce you. This is my partner, Leon," Allen said, motioning toward him.
"Oh, hi! My name's Katherine, nice to meet you," she said, extending her hand.
Leon smiled and shook her hand politely. "Nice to meet you too," he replied.
They chatted for a few minutes before Katherine looked at Allen and said, "Allen, do you have time tonight to have a dinner with me?" Her tone carried a hopeful hint, clearly wanting to spend some time with him.
"Sure, I'll give you a call later," Allen said before saying goodbye and driving off.
Meanwhile, Leon, who had been listening to their conversation the whole time, couldn't find the right words to say. His senior was clearly popular with women.
Well, Leon himself wasn't exactly unpopular—his looks alone drew plenty of attention—but he always tried to avoid getting into anything serious with the women who approached him.
And that's the reason why he's still single to this day.
....
Meanwhile, Allen had just arrived at a restaurant where Katherine had been waiting for quite some time.
"Hey, sorry I'm late—but this is for you. I hope you like it," Allen said as he handed her a small bouquet of flowers he had picked up from a shop earlier.
"Oh wow, they're beautiful," Katherine said, her face lighting up with a warm smile. "Thank you, I really love them."
She stood up and gave Allen a quick hug after accepting the flowers.
"I'm glad you like them—and by the way, you look really cute tonight," Allen said with a playful smirk as he met her eyes.
"Hmmm, thanks… you look pretty handsome yourself," Katherine replied, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
A few moments later, Allen and Katherine took their seats and ordered food and drinks for both of them.
The soft sound of jazz floated through the restaurant, mixing with the low murmur of other diners and the faint clinking of silverware. Warm light from the candles flickered gently across the table where Allen and Katherine sat facing each other.
"The music's nice, and this place feels pretty cozy," Allen said, starting the conversation.
"Well, yeah—it's one of my favorite spots," Katherine replied with a small smile.
"Oh right, by the way," she continued after a moment, "why did you start working at the R.P.D. again? I thought S.T.A.R.S. was disbanded after the mansion incident."
Allen shrugged casually. "Well, I got bored sitting around in my apartment, so I bribed Chief Brian to let me work in another department at the R.P.D."
Katherine chuckled. "Haha, you really are something, Allen."
"Well, thank you—I guess," Allen said with a faint grin.
Not long after, their food and drinks arrived, and they began to eat.
"By the way, how are things between you and your father now?" Allen asked.
"They're fine, I guess," Katherine replied softly. "Though… I don't really talk to him much anymore." She tried to smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. Despite defending her father before, it was clear she still struggled with what she had done.
"Hey," Allen said gently, reaching out to take her hand. "It's okay. Sometimes being a little selfish is just part of being human."
Katherine's mood lightened a bit at his touch, and a playful glint returned to her eyes. "Oh, is that the same excuse you use for having so many girlfriends and wives now?" she teased.
"Well… don't say it like that," Allen replied with a faint smirk. "It's not about collecting women—I just don't want to hurt any of them by choosing only one. Besides, they're not just lovers to me… they're my wings."
Katherine couldn't help but shake her head at his shameless answer. Yet, for some reason, she couldn't stop the small smile tugging at her lips. There was something about Allen's confidence—his warmth beneath the teasing—that made her heart flutter just a little.
A little while later, after they finished their dinner, Katherine seemed different—her mood lighter, her energy back. Allen noticed the change and decided to take a chance.
"Hey," he said casually, his tone soft but confident, "would you like to stay over at my place tonight?"
Katherine hesitated for only a moment before giving a small nod. "Okay."
She already had a good idea of what Allen meant, but she didn't mind. After everything he'd done for her—and the way she genuinely liked him—she didn't see any reason to refuse.
And not long after, they left the restaurant together and headed toward his apartment.