𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚎 ㅤᵗʰʳᵒᵘᵍʰ ㅤғɪɢʜᴛɪηɢ

𝐒𝐇𝐄'𝐃    𝐂𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓    𝐇𝐈𝐌  𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓    𝐀𝐒    𝐇𝐄  𝐅𝐄𝐃    𝐇𝐈𝐒    𝐂𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄    𝐓𝐎    𝐓𝐇𝐄    𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐄  .    hinge    of    his    lighter    creaks    as    he    snaps    it  closed  ,  it  was  gold    at    one  point  ,    but  over    the  years    it    had    been  left    as    a  rough    and  beaten  silver  ,    once    belonged    to    luis  ,    he    kept    it    as    a    memento.    The    stick    rests    between    his    lips  ,    stopping    what    he    was    doing    and  pulling    it    away  ,    his    head  tilting    ever    so    slightly  ,    𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒    to    her    wanting    to    show    herself    out    of    the    blue    like    this.

❛    Hard    to    be    𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐃    when  we've    been    doing    this    as    long    as    we    have  don't    you    think    ?    you    show    up  ,    we    have    our    little    cat    and  mouse    games    until    you    get    what    you    𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃    out    of    me    and    like    a    fish    to    a  hook  ,    I    take    the    bait.    𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘    𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄.  ❜    after    finishing    speaking  he    finally  takes    the    first    hit    from  the  cigarette  ,    the    tip  glowing    a    dim  orange  ,    looks    off    to    the  side  ,    eyeing    her    from    the    corner    of    his    eye.

❝ Those things will kill you, you know. ❞ The smoke that fills the space between them on the balcony is warm, wafting into the night air in swirling clouds. It smells of familiarity, exhaustion and nictotine-fueled calm. Ada has never been an enjoyer of the idea of smoking, and there is worse habits to have, sure, but it doesn't bother her, either. It's Leon, it's one of the things she grown accustomed to when it comes to him. She slips from where she's perched on the railing of the balcony, taking a step towards him and looking up from the inkling of light coming from the cigarette, an amused expression tugging at her lips. The image works for him, even if he stands taller than her and even with his position as one of the most trusted government agents, it brings a smile to her face as she tilts her head and brushes her hair behind her ear. It's longer than she usually keeps it, a result of the way she's been mission-hopping between employers- no time for something as superficial as getting a haircut. She's grown fond of having it an inch longer than the length she'd been sticking to, a subtle change she's embraced somewhere along the lines. ❝ I'm not here to chase you around. ❞ Ada muses with a playful note to her voice, leaning on the railing as she throws Leon another glance.

There's no point in telling him what she's doing in the same place as him, what her assignment is, who she's working for. It doesn't matter, it won't change the reason she's here, it won't garner any more trust between them- it's such a fickle thing to uphold, and yet, it's never truly evaporated. ❝ You can play mouse again another time, Leon. I was just in the area. ❞

It's not the entire truth, but it's not a lie, either. Leon being dispatched here was something she hadn't been told about or prepared for, and truly, he might as well not have been dispatched at all. Maybe he was here of his own volition, off duty. But it wasn't something she wanted to leave in the air, unanswered, in fact, it was never good to be unaware of Leon's movements. ❝ I didn't expect to find you here. Enjoying the weekend off? ❞

𝐇𝐞𝐡  ,  𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧  𝐭𝐨  𝐡𝐞𝐫  ,  concerned  about  his  health  and  wellbeing  ?    well  ,  color  him  touched.  Even  with  her  words  still  lingering  on  the  wind  ,  he  can't  help  but  chuckle  a  bit  ,  still  holding  that  cigarette  between  his  lips  ,  noting  the  difference  in  height  between  the  two  of  them.  While  she  wasn't  short  ,  she  barely  measured  up  to  his  chin.  Leon  breathes  out  a  cloud  of  fumes  from  between  his  lips  ,  sighing  a  bit  as  gaze  shifts  toward  the  Horizon.  𝐒𝐡𝐞  𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭  𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠  𝐡𝐢𝐦  ?  ,  then  what  was  she  doing  here  ?  Did  her  so  called  mission  need  her  to  show  up  on  his  Balcony  like  something  out  of  a  bad  𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞  𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥    ?    

❛    Right  ,  like  I'm  gonna  believe  that....  you're  here  for  something  other  than  giving  me  a  𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐲  𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨  ,  I'll  bite  though...    ❜  He  always  did  ,  like  a  damned  fool    ,  he  always  fell  hook  line  and  sinker  for  whatever  𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐭  she  was  going  to  peddle  ,  because  like  it  or  not  ,  she  was  important  to  him  ,  she  mattered  to  him  ,  Hell  ,  he  might  even  𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞  𝐡𝐞𝐫  ,  but  he  would  never  admit  that  ,  it  would  give  her  too  much  sway  over  him.

He  sighs  and  proceeds  to  𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐡  the  glowing  tip  of  the  cigarette  on  the  stone  of  the  balcony  ,  staring  up  at  the  night  sky  as  he  proceeds  to  rest  his  gloved  hand  atop  the  railing  ,  smirking  at  the  question  she  proposed  to  him  ,  shaking  his  head  at  her.    ❛    Might  wanna  get  your  sources  checked  Ada  ,  there's  no  Vacation  going  on  here  ,  On  assignment.    𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝  𝐝𝐮𝐭𝐲.  ❜    For  who  though  ,  he  really  shouldn't  say.    Course  ,  she  always  had  a  way  of  getting  what  she  wanted  out  of  him.

❛    𝐝𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐬  ,  tch...  what  a  pain  in  the  ass.    if  you  ask  me...  gimme  a  bottle  of  bourbon  ,  a  nice  poolside  view  any  day....  ❜    Leon  then  proceeds  to  lean  against  the  railing  ,  pressing  leather  clad  elbows  against  the  railing    ,  looking  down  at  the  street  below  ,  wind  blowing  his  long  ,  unkempt  hair  from  in  front  of  his  face  and  resting  on  his  shoulders  as  he  proceeds  to  glance  over  the  edge  of  his  shoulder  at  her.    

❛  From  𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠  𝐁𝐎𝐖'𝐒  ,  to  guarding  politicians  and  𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠  𝐢𝐧  𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬  ,  hmph  ,  like  I  could  give  a  single  solitary  𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐭  about  that  crap...  ❜    Turns  out  when  the  world  wasn't  under  threat  ,  Leon  was  essentially  a  glorified  𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭  𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞  𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭  until  the  next  world  ending  threat  came  along.  The  sky  overhead  rumbles  with  the  sound  of  an  approaching  storm  and  he  pushes  his  weight  against  the  railing  ,  standing  himself  upright  ,  his  back  turned  toward  her  momentarily  before  he  looks  over  his  shoulder  at  her.

❛    You  gonna  come  in  ?  doubt  you  wanna  stay  out  here  and  𝐠𝐞𝐭  𝐬𝐨𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐝  by  the  rain  ,  pretty  sure  those  things  you  wear  don't  leave  much  to  the  imagination  when  they're  soaked  through  ,  might  not  be  great  to  go  and  collect  some   𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐧  like  that....so  you  know.  if  you  want.    ❜

Patience has always been a virtue Ada possesses in great amounts. There was no succeeding in her job if she didn't. Dealing with most of her employers required patience, since they happened to have none. Dealing with her obstacles- even more so. Her head tilts to the side as she observes him with a certain calm warmth, fingers tapping against the balcony's railing softly. The metal feels cold but smooth to the touch, and it reminds her of the gloves she usually wears, the pair she'd left back at the small room at the end of town where she was staying. Leon doesn't seem surprised still, even now, and it's so very different from the sweet, almost naive attitude he'd had the first time they met. The stark contrast of the way they used to be and the way they are now brings a small smile to her face as she glances away from him for a brief moment, looking over the town, for now, still peacefully in one piece. It's funny, she remarks mentally, how he compares himself to a fish on a hook. In a way, it's quite true, and even now, after all these years, he does indeed take any bait she throws his way, but that does nothing to thwart her intrigue. ❝ How sweet of you to keep up the tradition. ❞ Ada says quietly, eyes tracing back up to the man before her, taking in the details in his face that she hadn't observed at first glance. She's familiar enough with the sight of him to note every little change, every twitch of emotion in his features. If she had even just considered the idea of Leon being on vacation, she wouldn't have asked. Perhaps she wouldn't be here at all. The nature of their relationship had never been one befitting of a beach and palm trees or a poolside rest. And distantly, it does sound nice, to be able to stop moving for a bit, to stop rushing from one mission to another, but it's something so unfamiliar that Ada doesn't think she would know how to handle something as simple as vacation. ❝ So they're using their best hunting dog as a guard dog, too, huh? ❞ The words are spoken with that certain sense of gentle amusement she reserves for him, the smile on her face persisting as she tilts her head back to look at the sky.

He's not wrong- it certainly looks like it'll rain. The sky is a dirty, blue-ish black, clouds ammassing above the town. Ada looks back towards Leon and raises an eyebrow at his comment, so naturally woven into his invitation, shaking her head in disbelief. She'd chosen her last words almost predictably well, all too befitting of him. There's a moment where she considers leaving, jumping back over the railing the way she'd come. But then again, he was never the only one to go for the bait. ❝ You're lucky I'm in a good mood, Leon. ❞ Ada muses, moving from the railing towards Leon and the door, mapping out where she'd attached her knife at the leather belt around her waist, and her gun, stored in a similar fashion, in a holster hooked into a leather strap just below the cut of her dress, black, unlike the usual colour she went for. She didn't plan on hurting him, she never really did, but she knew better than to let her guard down just yet. Her resolve wasn't as soft as it once had been when it came to Leon. And yet it's malleable, bendable, because she follows him anyways, stepping into the room with an approving hum. ❝ It's nice here. Better than other places we've been stranded in before, huh? ❞

𝐣𝐞𝐞𝐳  ,  at  this  rate  he'd  take  a  village  swarming  with  mind  addled  people  ,  or  𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐬  of  the  dead  than  this  boring  sit  and  wait  shit  ,  Hell  he'd  even  take  a  regular  op  ,  didn't  even  have  to  do  anything  with  bioterror  at  this  point.  her  question  hangs  in  the  air  between  them  and  he  smirks  at  her  over  his  shoulder.    Better  ?  sure  ,  if  she  counted  better  as  boring  and  didn't  wish  that  she  was  anywhere  else  like  he  was.    ❛    Yeah  ,  let's  go  with  that....  𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫.  least  in  other  places  we've  run  into  one  another  I  wasn't  bored  out  of  my  mind...  𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞  𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬  𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞.  ❜  He  continues  into  the  suite  he'd  been  given  as  some  dignitary's  guest  ,  his  steps  echoing  on  the  polished  floors  as  he  proceeds  to  sit  himself  down  on  the  black  leather  couch.

He  had  his  suspicions  about  her  ,  he  𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬  𝐝𝐢𝐝  ,  she  never  did  anything  without  a  purpose  ,  𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠  with  her  was  a  cold  and  calculated  game  and  he  was  always  eager  to  play  ,  especially  if  it  meant  that  he  got  to  see  her  ,  to  spend  any  kind  of  time  with  her,  He'd  never  say  that  aloud  to  her  ,  just  𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞  the  power  trip  she  would  have  with  knowing  how  much  influence  she  𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲  had  over  him.    A  half  empty  bottle  of  bourbon  sat  on  the  table  in  the  center  of  the  room  ,  a  crystal  glass  still  wet  with  its  previous  contents  beside  it.

❛  So  ,  you  gonna  tell  me  what  you're  up  to  this  time  ,  or  are  you  gonna  leave  me  in  𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤  until  i  find  you  with  your  hand  in  the  proverbial  cookie  jar  ?  just  save  me  the  trouble  of  having  to  write  up  another  report  where  you  miraculously  escape  their  number  one  𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤  𝐝𝐨𝐠  yeah  ?    ❜  he  flashes  her  a  glance  as  she  enters  the  room  and  he  proceeds  to  shrug  his  jacket  off  ,  revealing  that  he  had  his  gun  strapped  into  a  holster  there  along  with  his  knife  at  his  hip  ,  leans  forward  and  proceeds  to  pour  himself  another  drink  ,  glancing  at  her  as  she  moves  through  the  room  ,  keeping  his  sharp  and  attentive  gaze  on  her.

❛  Do  you  know  ,  just  how  many  times  I  have  defied  a  𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭  𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫  to  arrest  you  ?  how  many  write  ups  and  demerits  i've  endured...just  for  the  sake  of  our  little....  𝐟𝐢𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐨  ?  of  whatever  the  hell  this  is  that  we  have  ?  Every  time  i'm  out  on  an  op  ,  there's  always  the  hope  that  i'll  run  into  you  and  just  once  ,  just  maybe  you  wouldn't  be  working  for  the  𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠  𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞  ,  but  hey..  being  morally  ambiguous  pays  better  than  being  a  paragon  these  days  doesn't  it  ?    ❜  There  was  𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫  a  second  where  he  would  consider  switching  sides  ,  he  couldn't  forsake  𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞  he  made  all  that  time  ago  ,  even  if  doing  so  would  mean  that  he  could  be  more  honest  with  her

❛  What's  the  job  this  time    Ada  ?  recover  stolen  data  ?  swipe  a  dangerous  virus  from  under  my  nose  while  putting  a  gun  to  my  head  ?  you're  never  𝐧𝐨𝐭  𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠  these  days...  I  keep  tabs  on  you  as  much  as  I  can...just  to  make  sure  that  you're  ----      that  you  haven't  been  captured.  ❜  he  almost  let  the  truth  slip  out  there  ,  better  shut  his  mouth  and  swallow  down  some  bourbon  to  keep  from  letting  anything  more  slip  out....  𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠  𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐭

@deadknndy continued from [ here ]

there's a tilt to her head , followed by the slightest raise of her brow as he speaks . dinner huh ? she hadn't really thought about that when she had made her offer but the redhead noticed that hint of sincerity in his tone . " well — i wouldn't say no to dinner . . . and whatever that might come afterwards ."

she gives a wink before leaning against the wall , arms crossing over her chest . she's playful yet serious , eager to spot any little changes in his expressions at her teasing . a laugh escapes her lips as his adverse reaction to riding with her that for a moment she consideres teasing him some more .

" i was actually thinking we could take both of our bikes , could have a race or two . but it's okay if you don't want to , i know it would be hard to beat me ." she begins , lips parting into a smile as she shakes her head . she doubts he would back down from that particular challenge but maybe her idea might suit him more . " but , i don't mind being your passenger princess if that suits you more ? "

𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐰  ,  𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚  𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐝  𝐭𝐨  𝐡𝐢𝐦  ,  though  unfortunately  for  the  first  part  ,  it  wasn';t  exactly  possible  right  now.  his  bike  was  still  a  𝐰𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐤  from  when  he  had  used  it  in  a  field  op  ,  without  any  authorization  and  it  was  still  in  the  shop.  course  he  was  getting  it  fixed  on  the  DSO'S  dime  because  it  wasn't  like  he  had  the  money  to  get  it  fixed  up  ,  at  least  no  to  the  degree  that  the  DSO  had  at  their  disposal.

❛    wrecked  it  before  we  wound  up  at  𝐚𝐥𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐳  ,  taking  a  bit  longer  than  I  would  have  preferred  ,  but  you  know.    we  roll  with  the  punches  as  they  come  ,  so  that  offer  of  you  being  𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫  𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬...  that  apply  to  me  driving  your  bike  too    ?  ❜    of  course  he  knew  that  she  was  teasing  him  ,  she  always  did.  As  to  him  driving  her  bike  ,  there  was    fifty  fifty  shot  that  she  would  say  yes  ,  after  all  she  did  𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭  𝐡𝐢𝐦  right  ?

Her  𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬  of  what  came  after  though  ,  that  amuses  him  enough  to  have  him  uncross  his  arms  and  approach  her  ,  placing  his  palm  on  the  wall  just  above  her  head  as  he  leans  bit  closer  ,  head  tilted.    ❛  𝐍𝐨  𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧'  where  the  night  might  take  us  ,  you  know  ?  Guess  we'll  just  need  to  wait  and  see  won't  we  ?  ❜    Hey  ,  he  could  be  smooth  𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬  ,  though  not  often.

a  hand  grips  his  hair  from  the  back  and  slams  his  head  against  the  table  ,  steps  echo  behind  him  as  the  aggressive  agent  leans  in  close.    "    we  know  everything  kennedy  ,  you're  fucked.  "    the  man's  breath  stank  ,  Leon's  nose  twitching  in  response  before  he  sits  up  ,  glancing  at  the  other  agent  with  a  pointed  glance.    ❛    you  boys  really  don't    care  about  𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥  𝐡𝐲𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐞    do  ya  ,  i  mean  seriously...  would  a  𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡  𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐭    kill  ya    ?    ❜    clearly  leon  was  not  taking  this  seriously  and  he  wasn't  at  all  intimidated  by  the  aggressive  agent,  the  other  one  though  left  the  room  quickly.

"  𝐡𝐞'𝐬  𝐢𝐧  𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭  "  The  message  comes  into  the  hounds  from  an  unknown  radio  channel  ,  turns  out  the  agent  that  had  given  leon  the  phone  was  a  man  on  the  inside  ,  also  giving  information  of  the  DSO's  operations  and  things,  though  none  of  it  was  𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲  as  sensitive  of  information  as  what  leon  was  giving  out.  "  𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭  𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚  𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐲  ,  𝐣𝐞𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐬  𝐢𝐬  𝐚  𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭  𝐠𝐮𝐲  "    the  comm  line  goes  dead  and  the  hounds  now  have  a  location  for  their  captive  agent.

leon  meanwhile  was  smirking  and  almost  𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠  at  the  man  named  jenkins  and  his  𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐬  to  interrogate  and  get  any  kind  of  information  out  of  leon  ,  unfortunately  for  him  ,  leon  had  been  through  the  ringer  over  the  years  and  the  sheer  number  of  times  he  had  been  at  the  mercy  of  another  ,  a  sickening  thud  echoes  out  as  a  fist  connects  with  his  jawline  ,  blood  spraying  from  his  mouth  ,  landing  on  the  floor  and  table  in  a  splatter  ,  leon's  head  leaning  back  in  the  chair  he  was  chained  to.  just  𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠  because  his  hits  barely  even  registered  to  the  seasoned  veteran.

with one of them already in enemy hands, chris isn't about to risk another one of his people—so he takes down whoever tries to block his way. the butt of his gun is a good a weapon as any and probably less lethal than his fists when he's on high alert and as pissed off as he is. some of the government agents know it's better to run than to face him, especially when the realization dawns upon them that the wolves have descended. it's clear to chris what kind of place they're in and he wonders what condition he's going to find leon in when they finally reach him.

chris nods as his inside agent ducks away from the door. chris doesn't care to take things quietly and as soon as he turns the door handle he's kicking the door open with his full strength. the sights on his gun searchthe room for a brief moment just to confirm when his eyes finally land on a bloodied leon and the man hovering over him. "step away. now." it's not a question as he points the gun directly at the only other man in the room. emily and charlie file into the room behind chris, leaving rolando at the door.

𝐣𝐞𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐬  𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐧'𝐭  𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝  𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐰𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬  𝐬𝐨  𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧  ,  they  really  were  like  a  pack  and  they  were  definitely  going  to  look  out  for  one  another  ,  protect  their  own  as  well.  He's  got  the  barrel  of  a  rifle  aimed  at  him  ,  this  so  called  𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞  was  supposed  to  be  off  the  map  ,  off  the  record  ,  off  the  books.  Well  ,  so  much  for  that.  Jenkins  raises  both  hands  in  surrender  ,  glancing  over  to  the  injured  Leon  ,  then  back  to  Chris  ,  fear  apparent  in  his  gaze.

'  Look  ,  i  was  just  following  orders  ,  this  isn't  anything  personal  Redfield.  '  Clearly  ,  Jenkins  𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰  about  Chris  and  his  squad  of  rogue  ,  loose  cannon  agents  and  their  reputation  was  one  of  people  that  he  really  didn't  want  to  mess  with  ,  he  knew  that  those  agents  were  𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐲  𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝  ,  special  tactics  and  other  types  of  operations  ,  He  was  practically  𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠  in  his  boots  as  his  eyes  shift  between  Chris  and  Leon  ,  frantically  searching  for    𝐚𝐧𝐲  𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞  that  might  absolve  him  of  his  crimes  ,  stammering  over  and  over.

Leon  meanwhile  pays  no  attention  to  the  agent  that  had  properly  𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝  𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟  ,  not  a  single  damn  word  of  what  he  was  saying  made  any  kind  of  sense  at  this  point.  Instead  he  proceeds  with  raising  his  arms  ,  bound  at  the  wrists  while  looking  at  Chris.   

 ❛  Tch  ,  you  𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲  like  to  hear  yourself  talk  ,  don't  you  𝐀𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐚  ?  Why  don't  we  cut  the  shit  and  get  me  outta  these  chains  so  that  I  can  brief  you  on  the  intel  I  got  on  𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬  ?  ❜  The  organization  that  had  taken  the  place  of  umbrella  in  their  fight  against  bioterror  was  barely  ever  spoken  about  ,  barely  even  𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧  ,  so  clearly  Leon  had  something  worthwhile  on  his  plate.

One  of  the  other  Hounds  toss  Leon  the  keys  for  the  cuffs  ,  the  𝐯𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐧  𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭  catches  the  keys  and  quickly  unlocks  and  pulls  his  wrists  free  from  the  shackles  ,  letting  them  drop  onto  the  polished  surface  of  the  table  that  was  𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝  with  his  blood.    ❛    Before  I  do  that  though....  ❜  Leon  turns  his  attention  to  Jenkins  and  approaches  him  before  quickly  slamming  a  full  forced    ,  knuckles  to  face  punch  right  at  Jenkins  ,  throwing  the  other  agent  away  ,  his  back  colliding  with  the  wall  ,  knocked  out  with  a  single  blow.

❛  Now  that  that's  outta  the  way....  ❜  Leon  proceeds  to  reach  into  his  back  pocket  ,  pulling  out  his  phone  and  unlocks  it  with  a  swipe  of  his  thumb  across  the  screen.    ❛  These  guys  ,  they're  𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞  in  the  USA  and  Europe  ,  facilities  like  you  𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧'𝐭  𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞...  I  got  a  list  of  em....    ❜  He  then  proceeds  to  hand  his  phone  over  to  Chris  ,  glancing  around  at  The  Hounds  ,  giving  them  a  nod  of  respect  before  shifting  his  attention  to  Chris.

cont'd from here ! / @deadknndy

            she  can't  help  but  frown  when  she  sees  him  take  out  his  flask.  it's  the  first  time  she's  seen  him  do  it  and  she  wants  to  swat  it  from  his  hands.  he  only  just  got  cured,  now  he's  going  to  destroy  himself  further  with  liquor?  but  she  kept  her  hands  to  herself,  knowing  it  wasn't  really  her  place  to  say  something  at  that  moment.  everyone  dealt  with  shit  their  own  way.

she  could,  however,  still  make  a  joke  in  an  attempt  at  lightening  the  situation  at  hand.

“  r-really?  i  thought  all  you'd  see  in  the  mirror  is  your  eye  wrinkles  -  ”  grace  huffed  a  little  with  a  wry  smile.

but  really,  humor  wasn't  her  strong  suit.

so  she  placed  a  hand  on  his  arm  and  gave  it  a  small  squeeze.

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧  𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭  𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭  𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞  ,  Elpis  turned  out  to  be  a  bit  more  than  it  was  originally  though  to  be.  DSO  AND  BSAA  were  still  running  countless  tests  but  as  it  would  seem  ,  aging  had  reversed  by  about  twenty  years  and  he  was  in  𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤  𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥  𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧  ,  seems  that  she  had  done  a  bit  more  than  save  him  ,  not  that  he  was  going  to  bring  it  up  at  the  moment  ,  her  response  though  makes  him  chuckle  ,  a  response  said  after  another  sip.

❛    𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞  𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠  𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭  ?  ,  you  didn't  need  me  to  save  you  ,  turns  out  you  were  more  than  capable  of    𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠  𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟  ,  me  ?    I'm  just  lucky  you  were  there  ,  otherwise  that  might've  been  my  𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭  𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞  ,  so  you  know...  thanks  for  that...  ❜

He  salutes  her  with  a  motion  of  his  flask  before  proceeding  to  take  a  drink  from  it  and  screws  the  cap  onto  it  ,  tucking  it  back  within  his  jacket  ,  eyeing  her  with  a  tilt  of  his  head.

ㅤ             another  breath  of  silence  ,  rubble        &&         dirt  fall  as  the  ground  above  shoo  with  force  she  had  come  to  associate  with  this  damn  city.  blue  eyes  closed  briefly  ,  head  canting  forward  as  her  forehead  came  to  rest  against  the  base  of  the  radio  before  exhaling  deeply. 

       ❛  mr.  kennedy  ,  that  best  be  you  clearing a path        &&         not  another  damn  tyrant. ❜       she  growled  out  ,  jill  could  feel  the  twitch  of  her  brow  at  the  notion  of  dealing  with  another  nemesis.  after  all  these  years        —         after  everything  ,  she        &&         the  other  survivors  had  encountered        …         seeing  another  one  of  those  black  trash  bag  wearing  juggernauts  might  just  be  the  final  straw  of  the  former  S.T.A.R.S  agent.

𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓  𝐀  𝐁𝐈𝐓  𝐎𝐅  𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄  ,  it  wasn't  like  his  comms  had  gone  completely  dead  or  anything  ,  matter  of  fact  ,  he'd  only  checked  in  𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍  𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐔𝐓𝐄𝐒  𝐀𝐆𝐎  ,  but  hey  she  needed  to  hear  from  him  or  she  was  gonna  be  worried  that  he  was  dead  ,  like  anything  in  this  city  could  take  him  out.  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆  𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐃  were  no  match  for  him  or  his  advanced  skills  ,  their  heads  popping  like  grapes  from  every  carefully  aimed  shot  ,  the  communicator  in  his  ear  ,  a  good  substitute  for  an  old  school  radio  ,  much  easier  to  carry  around  is  pressed  with  the  tip  of  his  finger.

❛  Go  for  Kennedy.  Relax  Jill.  𝐈'𝐌  𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐄.  ❜  Why  the  DSO  had  ordered  him  back  into  this  city  ,  He  couldn't  begin  to  guess.  It  wasn't  like  they  would  find  𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑  abandoned  facility  or  anything  like  that  ,  but  hey.  He  had  a  job  to  do  ,  especially  being  in  the  better  condition  he  was  in  now  ?  It  would  likely  be  that  any  notion  of  𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓  𝐎𝐑  𝐕𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍  would  be  going  right  out  the  window.

❛  Negative  on  the  tyrant  ,  just  another  shitty  building  falling  apart.  Where  was  our  𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐙𝐕𝐎𝐔𝐒  𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐓  again  ?  slipped  my  mind  while  I  was  making  my  way  through  the  remains  of  the  hospital....  DSO's  got  me  checking  out  any  and  all  potential  spots  where  other  umbrella  facilities  might  be....  ❜  As  he  spoke  ,  he  does  a  quick  check  of  his  ammo  and  pulls  the  slide  on  his  gun  back  ,  walking  through  the  decrepit  halls  of  the  hospital  ,  path  illuminated  by  the  beam  of  his  flashlight.    ❛  Could  just  wait  for  you  outside....  ❜

𝐒𝐇𝐄'𝐃    𝐂𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓    𝐇𝐈𝐌  𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓    𝐀𝐒    𝐇𝐄  𝐅𝐄𝐃    𝐇𝐈𝐒    𝐂𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄    𝐓𝐎    𝐓𝐇𝐄    𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐄  .    hinge    of    his    lighter    creaks    as    he    snaps    it  closed  ,  it  was  gold    at    one  point  ,    but  over    the  years    it    had    been  left    as    a  rough    and  beaten  silver  ,    once    belonged    to    luis  ,    he    kept    it    as    a    memento.    The    stick    rests    between    his    lips  ,    stopping    what    he    was    doing    and  pulling    it    away  ,    his    head  tilting    ever    so    slightly  ,    𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒    to    her    wanting    to    show    herself    out    of    the    blue    like    this.

❛    Hard    to    be    𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐃    when  we've    been    doing    this    as    long    as    we    have  don't    you    think    ?    you    show    up  ,    we    have    our    little    cat    and  mouse    games    until    you    get    what    you    𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃    out    of    me    and    like    a    fish    to    a  hook  ,    I    take    the    bait.    𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘    𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄.  ❜    after    finishing    speaking  he    finally  takes    the    first    hit    from  the  cigarette  ,    the    tip  glowing    a    dim  orange  ,    looks    off    to    the  side  ,    eyeing    her    from    the    corner    of    his    eye.

❝ Those things will kill you, you know. ❞ The smoke that fills the space between them on the balcony is warm, wafting into the night air in swirling clouds. It smells of familiarity, exhaustion and nictotine-fueled calm. Ada has never been an enjoyer of the idea of smoking, and there is worse habits to have, sure, but it doesn't bother her, either. It's Leon, it's one of the things she grown accustomed to when it comes to him. She slips from where she's perched on the railing of the balcony, taking a step towards him and looking up from the inkling of light coming from the cigarette, an amused expression tugging at her lips. The image works for him, even if he stands taller than her and even with his position as one of the most trusted government agents, it brings a smile to her face as she tilts her head and brushes her hair behind her ear. It's longer than she usually keeps it, a result of the way she's been mission-hopping between employers- no time for something as superficial as getting a haircut. She's grown fond of having it an inch longer than the length she'd been sticking to, a subtle change she's embraced somewhere along the lines. ❝ I'm not here to chase you around. ❞ Ada muses with a playful note to her voice, leaning on the railing as she throws Leon another glance.

There's no point in telling him what she's doing in the same place as him, what her assignment is, who she's working for. It doesn't matter, it won't change the reason she's here, it won't garner any more trust between them- it's such a fickle thing to uphold, and yet, it's never truly evaporated. ❝ You can play mouse again another time, Leon. I was just in the area. ❞

It's not the entire truth, but it's not a lie, either. Leon being dispatched here was something she hadn't been told about or prepared for, and truly, he might as well not have been dispatched at all. Maybe he was here of his own volition, off duty. But it wasn't something she wanted to leave in the air, unanswered, in fact, it was never good to be unaware of Leon's movements. ❝ I didn't expect to find you here. Enjoying the weekend off? ❞

𝐇𝐞𝐡  ,  𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧  𝐭𝐨  𝐡𝐞𝐫  ,  concerned  about  his  health  and  wellbeing  ?    well  ,  color  him  touched.  Even  with  her  words  still  lingering  on  the  wind  ,  he  can't  help  but  chuckle  a  bit  ,  still  holding  that  cigarette  between  his  lips  ,  noting  the  difference  in  height  between  the  two  of  them.  While  she  wasn't  short  ,  she  barely  measured  up  to  his  chin.  Leon  breathes  out  a  cloud  of  fumes  from  between  his  lips  ,  sighing  a  bit  as  gaze  shifts  toward  the  Horizon.  𝐒𝐡𝐞  𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭  𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠  𝐡𝐢𝐦  ?  ,  then  what  was  she  doing  here  ?  Did  her  so  called  mission  need  her  to  show  up  on  his  Balcony  like  something  out  of  a  bad  𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞  𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥    ?    

❛    Right  ,  like  I'm  gonna  believe  that....  you're  here  for  something  other  than  giving  me  a  𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐲  𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨  ,  I'll  bite  though...    ❜  He  always  did  ,  like  a  damned  fool    ,  he  always  fell  hook  line  and  sinker  for  whatever  𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐭  she  was  going  to  peddle  ,  because  like  it  or  not  ,  she  was  important  to  him  ,  she  mattered  to  him  ,  Hell  ,  he  might  even  𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞  𝐡𝐞𝐫  ,  but  he  would  never  admit  that  ,  it  would  give  her  too  much  sway  over  him.

He  sighs  and  proceeds  to  𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐡  the  glowing  tip  of  the  cigarette  on  the  stone  of  the  balcony  ,  staring  up  at  the  night  sky  as  he  proceeds  to  rest  his  gloved  hand  atop  the  railing  ,  smirking  at  the  question  she  proposed  to  him  ,  shaking  his  head  at  her.    ❛    Might  wanna  get  your  sources  checked  Ada  ,  there's  no  Vacation  going  on  here  ,  On  assignment.    𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝  𝐝𝐮𝐭𝐲.  ❜    For  who  though  ,  he  really  shouldn't  say.    Course  ,  she  always  had  a  way  of  getting  what  she  wanted  out  of  him.

❛    𝐝𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐬  ,  tch...  what  a  pain  in  the  ass.    if  you  ask  me...  gimme  a  bottle  of  bourbon  ,  a  nice  poolside  view  any  day....  ❜    Leon  then  proceeds  to  lean  against  the  railing  ,  pressing  leather  clad  elbows  against  the  railing    ,  looking  down  at  the  street  below  ,  wind  blowing  his  long  ,  unkempt  hair  from  in  front  of  his  face  and  resting  on  his  shoulders  as  he  proceeds  to  glance  over  the  edge  of  his  shoulder  at  her.    

❛  From  𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠  𝐁𝐎𝐖'𝐒  ,  to  guarding  politicians  and  𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠  𝐢𝐧  𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬  ,  hmph  ,  like  I  could  give  a  single  solitary  𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐭  about  that  crap...  ❜    Turns  out  when  the  world  wasn't  under  threat  ,  Leon  was  essentially  a  glorified  𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭  𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞  𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭  until  the  next  world  ending  threat  came  along.  The  sky  overhead  rumbles  with  the  sound  of  an  approaching  storm  and  he  pushes  his  weight  against  the  railing  ,  standing  himself  upright  ,  his  back  turned  toward  her  momentarily  before  he  looks  over  his  shoulder  at  her.

❛    You  gonna  come  in  ?  doubt  you  wanna  stay  out  here  and  𝐠𝐞𝐭  𝐬𝐨𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐝  by  the  rain  ,  pretty  sure  those  things  you  wear  don't  leave  much  to  the  imagination  when  they're  soaked  through  ,  might  not  be  great  to  go  and  collect  some   𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐧  like  that....so  you  know.  if  you  want.    ❜

lehna had been through new handlers before and, funnily enough, knew how to handle them. there were different kinds and she was constantly being passed from one to the next, but none had been as prolific as leon fucking kennedy.

she sat with her legs crossed and hands in her lap to look as nonthreatening as possible. she'd only been with the DSO for a few months and had already passed between people, nobody wanting the responsibility of a bioweapon on their hands. she had the suspicion that kennedy was a last resort before she got moved to a completely different organization—somewhere that would do the same thing for a few months before they continued the cycle. over and over again. it was boring, really—she just wanted to do her job and be done with it. she behaved herself and she didn't cause problems.

but even the tough ones seemed to second guess themselves when she returned to them covered in crimson and gore with the shadow of a smile on her face.

kennedy had been at this for a long time though, and she didn't know what to expect. she'd heard the stories—who hadn't?—but she also knew that only some things could be believed. and if they were giving her to him… well, she could only assume that the DSO's golden boy wasn't so golden after all. whatever tasks her handlers wanted her to do were generally kept under the radar, things they didn't want to dirty their own hands with… why would they, when she didn't have a choice in the matter? when they didn't even consider her to be human?

"he'll be here soon," the secretary said, not quite looking her in the eye. the man clearly knew exactly what she was, fearing her without even bothering to speak to her. she gave him a learned smile, one that didn't show too many teeth in case it scared him further.

𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞  𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝  𝐡𝐢𝐦  𝐚  𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝  ,  like  he  did  anything  for  glory  or  reputation  ,  the  thought  of  it  was  ridiculous  if  you  asked  him.  He  had  a  certain  level  of  𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭  𝐚𝐧𝐝  𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧  within  the  organization  so  when  he  had  been  informed  that  he  was  going  to  be  the  handler  for  a  new  𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫  ,  leon  had  taken  great  care  to  study  the  file  and  dossier  he  had  been  given  upon  her.  he  sat  in  his  car  in  the  DSO  headquarters  parking  lot  ,  his  car  in  idle  as  he  scans  over  the  info  ,  eyes  running  along  lines  of  text.

❛    𝐚  𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐧  ,    forced  against  her  will....   by  her  mother  no  less.  ❜  he  glances  up  from  the  paperwork  ,  shaking  his  head  momentarily  ,  not  surprised  why  they  had  decided  to  give  her  handling  over  to  him.  who  else  to  better  handle  what  they  thought  was  𝐚  𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫  ,  of  course  they  did  ,  they  didn't  𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝.  A  sigh  then    as  he  throws  the  file  into  his  passenger  seat  ,  proceeding  to  yank  the  keys  from  the  ignition  ,  tucking  them  away  within  his  coat  ,  pushes  the  door  open  ,  climbs  out.

It  didn't  take  leon  long  to  make  his  way  into  the  building  ,  his  steps  are  quick  ,  his  pace  trained  and  honed  from  years  of  field  assignments  and  missions  that  would  have  𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝  any  other  agent  ,  his  training  ,  his  values  and  morals  were  all  𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐝  𝐢𝐧  𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐥.  He  spots  the  clerk  eyeing  a  strange  woman  that  seemed  to  be  avoiding  any  and  all  eye  contact  with  others    ,  passing  by  them,    proceeds  to  lean  against  the  surface  of  the  front  desk  ,  arms  crossed  over  one  another  ,  his  chin  lowered  momentarily.

𝐬𝐨  𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬  𝐰𝐚𝐬  𝐡𝐞𝐫  ?  the  dangerous  bioweapon  that  everyone  here  was   scared  of  ?  for  what  ?    because  they  didn't  𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝  𝐡𝐞𝐫  or  her  predicament  ?    jeez  ,  if  he  had  a  dollar....    He  sighs  and  proceeds  to  shake  his  head  at  the  thought  ,  pushing  them  away.  before  deciding  to  cross  the  room  and  sit  down  next  to  her.    ❛    So  ,  you're  lehna  ?  call  me  Leon.  seems  like  we're  gonna  be  working  together  for  a  while....  ❜  he  then  proceeds  to  hold  his  hand  out  to  her.

maybe  she  had  expected  him  to  have  an  ego  or  a  chip  on  his  shoulder  ,  but  leon  was  one  of  the  most  honest  and  down  to  earth  people  in  the  DSO.  𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞  ,  he  had  his  vices  like  any  other  normal  person  ,  but  he  never  let  them  consume  him  ,  he  was  in  control  of  his  issues.  he  wondered  though  ,  what  𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲  she  had  heard  about  him  and  what  her  preconceived  conceptions  of  him  might  have  been  based  on  those  rumors.

He  lowers  his  hand  after  and  proceeds  to  press  his  gloved  palms  together  ,  looking  off  into  the  distance  ,  leaning  forward  ,  arching  his  spine  momentarily  ,  shrugging  casually.  ❛  pretty  sure  you've  heard  a  lot  of  things  about  me  ,  𝐝𝐬𝐨'𝐬  𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧  𝐛𝐨𝐲  ,  super  agent...  practically  superhuman  ,  a  real  hero  of  heroes  type....  ❜    his  words  trail  off  then  as  he  shakes  his  head  at  her  ,  obviously  trying  to  dispel  some  of  the  𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧  that  the  rumors    had  probably  built.    

❛    you  know  what  they  say  ,  don't  believe  𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠  that  you  hear..  most  of  the  things  people  say  about  me  ?    𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥  𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐭.    ❜

𝐓𝐇𝐄    𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓  𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐕𝐄    𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐒    𝐇𝐈𝐒  𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒  ,    the    cuffs    round    his    wrists    had    dug    into    flesh    and    left    red    marks    that    weeped    crimson      tears    ,    ever    so    slowly.    He    knew    this    would    happen    eventually  ,    the    sheer    amount    of    𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐋    he    had    given    out  ,    it    was    bound    to    come    back    to    him    eventually  ,    granted    he'd    been    told    to    do    so    by    the  higher  ups  ,    but    the    𝐂𝐈𝐀  ,    they    didn't    take    too  kindly    to    his    actions  ,    they    called    him  a    risk    to    national    security  ,    a    danger    and    even    𝐀    𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐎𝐑

'    agent    kennedy  ,    you    are    suspected    of    leaking  classified    intel    to  a    third  party    at    the    BSAA  ,    these    are    serious    charges  ,    what    do    you    have    to  say    ?    '    There's    a  pause      ,    silence    echoing    around    them    as    the  chains    that    fastened    him    to    the    small    table    make    an    audible    sound    with    his    movements  ,    his    eyes    narrowing    just    a  bit  ,  lips    pulled    back    to    a    scowl    ❛      I    say  ,    I    want    my    damn    𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐄    𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋    ❜

There's    another    moment    of    silence    in    the    room  ,    the    buzzing    of    the    artificial    light    above  the    only    sound    as    the    gathered    duo    of    agents    look    between  one    another  ,    one    of    them    shaking    his    head    while    the    other    silently    grumbles.    '    well  ,    he;s  --   he's    got    rights....    '    the    one    that    spoke    then    turns    to    leon  ,  pulls    a    phone    from    his    pocket  ,    eyeing    leon    with    an    almost    knowing    glance.    '    make    it    count    kennedy.      '

Leon    reaches  for  the  phone    on    the  table  ,  grabbing  it    with    one    hand    while    eyeing    the    device  ,  the    screen    unlocked    and  leon's    thumbs    needing    to    be    used    to    dial    the    number.    𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐒'𝐒    𝐍𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑    ,    if    there    was    any    chance    of    leon    getting    out    of    this    ,    it      would    have    to    be    chris.    both    arms    are    raised  ,    the    phone    held    in  one    of    his    hands  ,    the    device    pressed    against    his    ear    and    he    hears  a    ring  ,    one....    two    three    and    then  it    goes    to    voicemail.    Leon's    gaze    flickers    towards    the    agent    that    had    given    him  the    phone    in    the  first    place  ,  lowering    his    gaze    for    a  moment  .

His eyes went back to the screen in front of him as if he'd get any more answers from the files he'd read over a dozen times already, eyes burning from staring at the screen for so long. His phone flashed with a new voicemail and Chris finally tore his gaze away from his laptop's screen to open the voicemail and listen.

It was with a sigh that he put his phone down and closed his eyes. "It's always something with you, Kennedy," he said to no one in particular. As if this wasn't partially his own fault—one of them had made a mistake somewhere that had caused them to get caught, and Chris wasn't about to point fingers. So instead he hit the button that would connect him to the rest of the Hound Wolves that were available and said, "Hades is compromised. He called my personal line from an unknown number."

"Tracing it," Dion's voice chimed back, followed by, "Got it," just a few minutes later.

A new screen popped up on Chris' computer and he turned to it, a plan already forming in his mind. "Alright, let's go get him."

The Hound Wolves assembled quickly, not wanting to leave any room for one of their own to be in enemy hands for longer than necessary. They'd all known the level of risk Leon would be taking with the information he gave Chris, but it was a risk he'd been willing to take on and one that Chris couldn't deny the usefulness of—but that didn't mean he didn't feel the guilt weighing down on him anyway.

They landed the helicopter far enough away that they wouldn't be detected in airspace, and Chris was the first one off the plane decked out in full gear—there was no telling what sort of enemies they'd be facing these days, and they could expect some sort of warm welcome. "Neutralize enemies without killing them when possible," Chris repeated to the team. "Hades is in enough shit as is, and we don't need to start an all out war between the BSAA and DSO."

A chorus of "yes, sir" came back at him.

a  hand  grips  his  hair  from  the  back  and  slams  his  head  against  the  table  ,  steps  echo  behind  him  as  the  aggressive  agent  leans  in  close.    "    we  know  everything  kennedy  ,  you're  fucked.  "    the  man's  breath  stank  ,  Leon's  nose  twitching  in  response  before  he  sits  up  ,  glancing  at  the  other  agent  with  a  pointed  glance.    ❛    you  boys  really  don't    care  about  𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥  𝐡𝐲𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐞    do  ya  ,  i  mean  seriously...  would  a  𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡  𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐭    kill  ya    ?    ❜    clearly  leon  was  not  taking  this  seriously  and  he  wasn't  at  all  intimidated  by  the  aggressive  agent,  the  other  one  though  left  the  room  quickly.

"  𝐡𝐞'𝐬  𝐢𝐧  𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭  "  The  message  comes  into  the  hounds  from  an  unknown  radio  channel  ,  turns  out  the  agent  that  had  given  leon  the  phone  was  a  man  on  the  inside  ,  also  giving  information  of  the  DSO's  operations  and  things,  though  none  of  it  was  𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲  as  sensitive  of  information  as  what  leon  was  giving  out.  "  𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭  𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚  𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐲  ,  𝐣𝐞𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐬  𝐢𝐬  𝐚  𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭  𝐠𝐮𝐲  "    the  comm  line  goes  dead  and  the  hounds  now  have  a  location  for  their  captive  agent.

leon  meanwhile  was  smirking  and  almost  𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠  at  the  man  named  jenkins  and  his  𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐬  to  interrogate  and  get  any  kind  of  information  out  of  leon  ,  unfortunately  for  him  ,  leon  had  been  through  the  ringer  over  the  years  and  the  sheer  number  of  times  he  had  been  at  the  mercy  of  another  ,  a  sickening  thud  echoes  out  as  a  fist  connects  with  his  jawline  ,  blood  spraying  from  his  mouth  ,  landing  on  the  floor  and  table  in  a  splatter  ,  leon's  head  leaning  back  in  the  chair  he  was  chained  to.  just  𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠  because  his  hits  barely  even  registered  to  the  seasoned  veteran.