Resident Evil 2 - Claire Redfield x OC

The Strange Man

Nick, Claire, and Sherry cautiously navigated their way through the dimly lit underground until they stumbled upon a manhole. With determination burning in their eyes, they climbed up, emerging in the desolate police station parking garage. However, their hopes were quickly dashed as they discovered the gate leading to the exit securely shut.

"Oh no, it's closed," Sherry lamented, her voice filled with disappointment and desperation, as they approached the imposing gate.

Nick studied the gate, his eyes falling on a card reader adjacent to it. "Looks like we're gonna need a key card to get through."

Claire turned to Sherry, her concern evident. "You're absolutely sure this is the right way, Sherry?"

With a nod, Sherry replied, "This is the way my mom took me. It's the only way out."

"Alright, give me a hand," Claire instructed Nick, bending down in an attempt to lift the gate.

They both strained against the weight, but their efforts proved futile.

"Sherry?" a voice called out from the other side of the dimly lit garage.

The three of them turned in unison, their eyes settling on the figure of a man making his way towards them. "I've been looking everywhere for you, Sherry. Brave little girl to leave your house in the middle of this mess."

Nick instinctively stepped forward, positioning himself protectively in front of Sherry, shielding her from the unknown man's gaze. The man didn't resemble Sherry in the slightest, leaving Nick with a nagging sense of skepticism. He was a portly, balding man in his later years, giving the impression of weariness.

"Who are you?" Nick asked cautiously.

The man let out a resigned sigh before brandishing a gun, pointing it in their direction, his voice now stern. "You two, on the ground, hands behind your head."

"You can't be serious," Claire said, disbelief etched in her voice as she stared at the man.

Without warning, the man raised his gun and fired, the sound of the gunshot echoing through the parking garage. The bullet found its mark, striking Nick in the shoulder. He collapsed to the ground, gasping in pain.

"Nick!" Claire cried out, rushing to his side.

Sherry, frightened and overwhelmed, began to sob uncontrollably, her small frame trembling with fear.

"On the ground, now, or you're next," the man threatened, his voice cold and determined.

"Okay, okay," Claire stammered, knowing they had no choice but to comply. She slowly got down on her knees, her hands trembling as she placed them on top of her head.

"Good. Now tie them up," the man ordered, tossing a handful of zip ties to Sherry, who reluctantly caught them, her hands shaking.

"Why are you doing this?" Sherry asked, her voice trembling with fear.

"Tie them now, or they both die," the man coldly replied, pressing the gun against Claire's forehead, a menacing glint in his eyes.

Reluctantly, Sherry approached Claire, her hands shaking as she tied them together behind her back. With an anxious glance, she moved on to Nick, her voice laced with concern.

"Are you okay?" Sherry asked, her eyes filled with genuine worry.

"Oh... This is... nothing," Nick replied through gritted teeth, a futile attempt to hide the pain. "Don't worry, no one is going to die."

Sherry tied Nick's hands together, doing her best to ensure the restraints weren't too secure.

"What's this all about?" Claire questioned the man.

"Child endangerment, for starters," the man responded, his tone dripping with contempt. He inserted a key card into the reader, and with a mechanical whirr, the gate  opened.

"Sherry, come on," the man said, gesturing for her to follow him.

"What do you want with her?!" Nick shouted, standing up and leaning against a nearby car.

"It's none of your fucking business," the man replied coldly, not even looking at Nick.

"I swear to God if you hurt her, I will-" Nick's threat was abruptly cut off as the man smacked him across the face with the gun. Nick crumpled to the ground, his lip bleeding.

"What's your name?" the man asked, seemingly unfazed by the brutal act he had just committed.

Nick didn't respond; he simply spat blood onto the man's shoes, his defiance evident even in the face of adversity. Despite the pain and fear gnawing at him, he refused to let his spirit be broken.

"Real cute," the man said, annoyed, before delivering a swift kick to Nick's face. He knelt down next to the wounded Nick, his grip on the gun tightening as he pressed it against his throat. "I said, what's your fucking name?"

"Nick," he managed to reply through gritted teeth, his voice strained with pain.

"Come with me, or Nick dies," the man declared, directing his words towards Sherry.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming," Sherry responded, her voice trembling as she rushed to the man's side. "You better be taking me to my mom."

"Absolutely," the man assured her, a hint of malicious glee glimmering in his eyes.

"Don't listen to him, he's full of shit!" Claire shouted defiantly, before receiving a brutal smack across the face from the butt of the gun. The force of the blow sent her to the ground, blood trickling from her split lip.

"Stop hurting them!" Sherry screamed, her voice filled with desperation.

"Don't tell me how to do my job," the man retorted, his grip tightening around Sherry as he began to forcefully walk away.

Meanwhile, Claire, with a glimmer of hope in her eyes, began to crawl slowly towards a nearby grate that lay on the ground. She knew its sharp edges would be her key to freeing her hands from their restraints.

"Let me go!" Sherry screamed at the man, her voice echoing with a mixture of fear and defiance.

"Obviously, no one taught you manners. We'll have to fix that," the man sneered, his grip mercilessly dragging Sherry along, her struggling in vain against his overpowering strength.

Claire managed to free her hands just in time and sprinted towards the closing gate, determined to confront the man before he could escape. But her efforts were in vain, as the gate closed right in front of her, leaving her seething with frustration.

"I'll get you, you fucker!" she screamed, her voice filled with rage as she kicked the gate in anger, the metal clanging loudly in response.

With a heavy heart, Claire shifted her focus from the closed gate to Nick, who was struggling to regain his footing after the vicious blow he had received. Concern etched across her face, she rushed to his side.

"Are you okay, Nick?" she asked, her voice laced with genuine worry.

"I'm fine," Nick managed to respond, his voice laced with exhaustion and pain.

"You're bleeding quite a lot. We're going to need to find some materials to patch you up," Claire stated, scanning their surroundings for any signs of supplies.

"I said... I'm... fi-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Nick suddenly collapsed back onto the ground, his body succumbing to unconsciousness. Panic surged through Claire's veins, knowing time was of the essence.