#biofare

arthur doesn't expect leon to understand the magnitude of those four words. in fact, before the phrase even leaves his mouth, he grimaces with a kind of brief regret that only really flashes in the tightening of his lips and the wrinkle settling at his brows. leon pauses long enough to shake the irony out of his shoulders before his hands are back on the metal panel before them, dismissive or at least unperturbed. the agent is right—it is always a set up, isn't it ?? a cruel, steady preparedness from the other angle. hidden predators waiting for unassuming prey. arthur can only wonder how much of leon's humorless grit has been carved from those he knew versus vague shapes he didn't need to remember.

unfortunately, in arthur's experience, it was never the knife that was the problem but the ones who were holding it.

the asset moves forward with an absurd gentleness, shifting slowly in front of the other as to take the task over without startling. “ you can start by saving that scowl for something alive enough to appreciate it. ” he says as he makes to switch places, hands already moving to fit a combat knife between the metal seams and pop the electrical panel open. pale fingers set the metal aside with a soft click and trace the inner wires of the device. “ a little please wouldn't hurt either. ”

dark hair falls over his face as he reaches further in, clicking and turning some inner mechanism hidden behind the stripped wiring and main circuit breaker. there's a hiss and a sharp, bright crack of energy before he pulls his hand out quickly and gives it a slight shake. the sound of loud mechanical gears whirring to life fills the room around them. the door beside jolts, debates failure, then swings open with only an inch of reluctance left to screech over its rusted joints. whatever was rigged against it does not seem to activate.

“ well— ” arthur sighs, taking a step back. his eyes glance over to the camera at the far corner, watching the red light of it blink before, suspiciously, the color dies out. he looks down before the light in his eyes draws any unnecessary attention.

“ they already know we're here so, might as well move forward. ” he gestures forward with the slight scorch of his fingers.

he's   seen   stranger   things     but she's right,     they'd been     tailing     a target who suddenly had vanished,     as if     plucked     from thin air     ⸻     now finding their vehicle parked and     still  on     in the middle of the street.     street lights     flicker     above them,    one gradually dying out as it flickered and     stops     producing light all together.     looking over his shoulder at ada,     he says     nothing     at first,     watching her before he clears his throat and makes     motion     with his head to the building not too far from them.     ❛     strange  but     not     the  worst  thing  i've  seen.     might've  gone  to  that     building     over  there.     let's  check  it  out.     ❜     it's their     only     lead right now and it's better than nothing.    pulling out and clicking his flashlight on,    he points it forward and     sighs.    just when things couldn't be any more      annoying,     now they're chasing a phantom.     it  would  be  just  their  luck. / @biofare.

❛     it's     not     denying  if  it's  simply  fact  that     if     we  do  this  your  way,    we're  going  to  get  ourselves     killed.    ❜     she realistically     isn't     trying to start a fight with jake,     if anything she's trying to     ensure     they make it out of this alive,     something she'd much prefer than     whatever     other options they have.     ❛     fine,     tell  me  your  idea.     i     won't     say  anything,    okay     ?     ❜    she'd keep her mouth shut     ...     for  now,     but if she saw that jake was trying to do something stupid,     she'll     say     something.     if they could make it out of this in one piece she would be     happy     ⸻     wanting nothing more than to be able to go     home     and relax and forget all about this. / @biofare.

after   everything   she's   been     through,     the     trauma,    exhaustion starts to creep up on her.    sitting in the open helicopter,     eyes start to     close     as she listens to everything around her,     men and women talking,     walking around as they     discuss     what had happened     ⸻     how they were going to take vaccinations,     distribute     them to those who were suffering with     raccoon  city  syndrome.     eyes open only when she hears steps growing closer,    vision     hazy     as she takes in the sight of boots before shooting up,     noticing it's leon.    a soft yet     tired     smile pulls at her lips,    not expecting him to come up to her,     much less shrug off his jacket and     drape     it over her shoulders.     the added warmth around her is     comforting,     the first she's felt in a few days.     fingers tighten around the cup in her hands,     shuffling a little where she sits.     ❛     you     didn't     have  to     ...     thank  you.    ❜     as she looks at leon,     all grace can think of how she'd found him in ark,     on     death's     door     ⸻      if it hadn't been for her faith in her mother,     thinking back to what she'd said to her     ⸻      what she'd seen     ...     leon and many others would be     dead.    a hand reaches up to gently tug at the jacket,     pulling it     closer     to her body.     ❛     got     anything     planned     ?     i  mean     ...     after  this,     obviously.     ❜      she didn't want this to be the     last  time     she'd see him,      even if it may be     fated     to be. / @biofare.