Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Despicable sound of raven’s screeches echoed in the air, the chilling autumn zephyr gently swayed the leaves of trees and bushes alike. Naked branches raked into one another; their lifeless arms reached out to the dirt path. The thin sheet of brown and yellow hued leaves softly crunched in equal intervals beneath the hesitant steps of the two agents. Unease seeped into their clenched hearts; dozens of eyes watched their every move as they followed the trail, unaware of where it was leading. Flapping of wings caused (Y/N) to curse beneath her breath as the ominous birds flew into the dark skies and out of sight. Though that was no cause for relief, for sense of unease only grew stronger once the two of them reached a tall wooden gate.

Her partner- Leon came before her; briefly, he glanced at her before his hand pressed against the gate. A glint of reassuring warmth beamed in his lazuline eyes. The agents readied their weapons as the doors fully opened. Swiftly, the two took cover; she took out her binoculars, wasting no time to study their surroundings up close. Steadily, she moved the device accordingly to where her gaze was going.

Numerous, akin to huts, houses surrounded what appeared to be the town square amidst of which flames danced high in the sky. She noted villagers that were seemingly busy engaging in their shenanigans; chatter and screaming echoed in the air. Her gaze fell in the very middle of the horizon. Her breath hitched; her eyes squinted harder as she made sure what she was seeing wasn’t an illusion. Yet a final horrific cry proved all her hopes were nothing but mere delusions.

Warmth of familiar touch shook her out of the terror she was unfortunate enough to witness; instead, the agent’s attention was anchored to her partner. His lips pressed together into a sorry look; he didn’t need a closer look to know what happened.

“So, what’s the tactic?” His words served as a reminder of the reality of their situation; she peeled her eyes away from his, glancing at the village once again.

“There’s a lot of them and they’re everywhere. We could try and bait them and take them out a few at a time.” Her voice was low and reluctant, her eyes still glued to the non-suspecting locals; her brows were knitted together in a thoughtful frown.

“Sounds like a solid plan.”

Not wasting a second longer, the two moved together, taking cover behind one of the houses. With their guns in the air, they slowly approached their first target: a lady too busy raking hay to notice Leon creeping up behind her with his knife secured in his steady grip. On the other side, his partner kept an eye out for any villager that could intrude. In one swift motion, the knife pierced the woman’s neck, deterring all and any attempts of defense.

“One down.” Leon rose to his feet all the while he kept an eye on the lifeless villager; his ears barely caught a quiet- yet distinct- screech resonating from the limp body.

“Dozens more to go.” (Y/N) came up to him, noting the ashy hues of the woman’s skin; dark veins covered her face, akin to raven spiderwebs.

Angry shouts took the two agents by surprise; quickly, they pointed their guns to the source of the sound only to notice a group of villagers running towards them. Axes and sickles flew in the air, all miraculously missing the two unwelcome guests that managed to run away. Shortly, their steps came to a halt; they found themselves cornered by even more hostiles. Numerous sets of crimson eyes glared at the two newcomers as if they were prey; the circle of townsfolk tightened at a rapid speed. (Y/N) held onto her gun firing at them, but it was no use- there were too many.

“Here!” Leon shouted, his head gesturing to an opened door. She ran in with him coming in shortly after; noting a cabinet near the passage, the two wordlessly agreed on barricading the door. Rattling of a chainsaw overpowered the hideous orchestra of wrathful yells; Leon peaked through a hole that must’ve been a poor adaptation of window.

“Great. A chainsaw.” He confirmed her fears; his gaze met hers for a split second, the fearful glint woven in his icy irises told her all she needed to know. Splinters exploded from the door as the blade of the chainsaw tore through the solid wood. That was their cue to flee upstairs where Leon saw a shotgun displayed at the very top of the staircase, to the right was a cabinet with a single grenade laying on one of the shelves. Thudding came from a window opposite of them but it was soon followed by shattering of the glass; a ladder appeared at the window with villagers climbing in the room. With no hesitation, the two took the found weaponry and barely escaped the arms of an enraged farmer. Though they were no near out of danger’s way.

On the top of the roof, they had a good view of the area as well as all of the locals that were scattered around it, all coming in their direction akin to a wave of single-minded organism with a single objective. The chainsaw villager reminded the two of his presence with the sound of rattling only growing unnervingly louder the longer they stood in one place. (Y/N) lingered behind her partner for a moment longer, taking a look at threat. A dirty brown sack was covering his face, two holes- meant for his eyes- revealed crimson disks, flaming with utter fury. The hairs on her back rose, her breath hitched before she followed her colleague and jumped down. The swarm of infected soon followed, persisting in chasing them. Briefly, Leon looked back, ignoring the number of villagers once his gaze fell met with the one of his partners.

“This is gonna be bright!” He warned before he took out a flash grenade and threw it in the direction of the man with the chainsaw. Ringing pierced her ears in result of the blow, yet she overcame the discomfort as she had grown used to it. Instead, she took advantage of the opportunity to take out as many stunned hostiles as possible. Her knife swung back and forth from one’s throat to others temple; splatters of blood gushed from the fallen, their bodies piled on the ground.

Gunshots resonated amidst the chaos, anchoring her attention to the source of the sound. Shot after shot, Leon kept shooting at the man with the chainsaw, yet to no avail. The man would only scream maniacally, before swinging his chainsaw at the agent. The gunshots stopped; (Y/N)’s heart clenched at the sight. Leon was out of ammo. Accordingly to the situation, he opted to flee until an unforeseen obstacle caused him to trip. A thud echoed in his head as he fell to the ground hard, the clatter of the chainsaw grew louder. Sound of gunshots overpowered the one of the chainsaw as his partner opened fire at the hostile man, relentlessly shooting at him. The man shrieked in pain; his arm reached for his head as he lost balance though not for long. Unfortunately for the two agents, he regained his footing and lifted his weapon not long after.

Ring of a bell echoed from the distance; all of the villagers froze, letting go of their weapons. All of them gazed in the same direction; akin to ghostly spirits, they made their way to a single building before disappearing behind its door.

“Where’s everyone going? Bingo?” Leon shrugged; she scoffed at his cheeky comment.

“Let’s be grateful we got rid of them. For now.” (Y/N) gave him a serious look, she meant business and Leon knew better than to get on her nerves. She walked up to the mysterious house they all went to; a metal door stood in the passage, to no surprise it was locked. Yet there was something else that piqued her interest: a symbol that stood in the very middle of the door.

Beeping sound tingled her still ringing ears- it was Hunnigan. Although brief, the transmission was very insightful; with a given destination, all that was left for the agents is to find the way to the windmill. The two circled the village in search for a door, a passage, any way to get to the lake where the president’s daughter may be held captive. Doing so, (Y/N)’s glance fell on their remains. Their faces -depraved of their humanity even before their brutal deaths- appeared violent in death as they were in life; their violent screams still echoed in her ears, the image of their flaming rogue eyes was permanently imprinted in her mind. The flames at the middle of the village were still dancing in the sky, fully engulfing the remains of the police officer that was unlucky enough to escort the two agents. Taking a last look at his body, she couldn’t help but think how he was alive not so long ago, yet it felt like it’s been ages since then.

“Hey! Take a look at this.” Leon called out her name, drawing attention away from the horrendous picture. Following him into a tiny hut, she was puzzled at the sight of him looking at a sheet of paper.

“It’s pictures of you and me. They knew about us.” Despite his seriousness, she couldn’t hold back a tiny chuckle at the picture of him walking down a street, clueless that he’s been photographed. As chilling as it was, she found the pictures to be rather comedic.

“Maybe they should’ve hired a better photographer. I’ve seen better photos of you.” She shot him with an innocent smile as she handed him back the paper. He clicked his mouth in disagreement; the look of offence on his face was a tad bit funnier than the stalker photos as he took another look at them.

“Anyway.” He began, throwing the pictures away. “I think I found a passage.” The modest smile grew into a grin as she watched him enthusiastically lead the way to a big gate. He let out a quiet grunt as he pushed on the solid wood. A farming area was revealed behind the wooden doors; there were two big barns, one housed animals all the while the other acted as a storage. A massive windmill towered the other two buildings. As it had become a pattern in this forsaken place, there were more villagers, seemingly minding their business until they took a notice of the agents. And in the blink of an eye, they would leave whatever task they were dealing with only to mindlessly chase the two as if their brains were rewired the second they laid their eyes on an outsider. With no other way forward, the two had no other choice but to neutralize all the hostiles that came their way.

Once again silence had settled upon them; the autumn zephyr gently swayed (Y/N)’s hair. Chills ran down her spine beneath the cool caress of the breeze, causing her to seek warmth in the embrace of her own arms though to no avail. The constant shivering of her form made it impossible for Leon to stay indifferent to.

Sudden warmth enveloped her freezing form along with the familiar scent of cologne that immediately sparked something within her chest. Her puzzled gaze searched her partner’s.

“Leon, you shouldn’t-“

“You need it more than me, plus it looks better on you.” She fell silent with her lips slightly parted; it appeared he was right as comforting warmth settled in her core that soon spread to her cheeks.

“And they say chivalry is dead.” She commented in a rather snarky, yet playful, manner; her partner only gave her an endearing grin, which in return made it hard for her not to smile back at him. Still, she managed to only let out a content sigh that was followed by a deep inhale of his intoxicating cologne- he had indisputable taste that she couldn’t deny.

Soft creaks of wood rubbing against rope resonated beneath their feet. The vanes of the windmill lazily circled, composing its uniquely distinct melody that grew weaker the further they walked. Bright, golden beams of the setting sun fell on the bridge akin to an arrow, formed by the cleft nestled between two massive rocks. A stony path- of what once must’ve been a lively river- trailed underneath the bridge; a grandiose cabin awaited at very end. It’s exterior, despite being in poor condition, was far more pretentious than any of the other houses the two had seen so far; still the mystery, surrounding this eminent residence was contained by securely shut gates. Yet another secret that perhaps is better to be left unsolved.

Intense sweet odor soon caught the attention of the agents to a wagon, filled with the remains of livestock; flies orbited around the feast that was the rotting flesh. Leon grunted as he tackled the nasty job of moving the cart away; (Y/N) stood behind, silently gagging on both the unpleasant sight and smell. A wave of fresh air tingled her nose once that unspeakable atrocity was out of the way; a crumbling stone arch revealed a cobblestone path.

“Ladies first.” His hand gestured towards the path to which she only scoffed, but took the lead; with her trusted gun in hand, she walked across the small cobble bridge all the while she took her time taking in the immense beauty of the sylvan outskirts of the village. Branches of trees and bushes alike reached out to the faint dirt path; puffy clouds of mist seeped across the ground akin to a featherlight blanket. The picturesque views almost made her think she was on a peaceful hike rather than a serious federal mission. Much to her dismay, it didn’t take long for her to be reminded of it.

The sound of Leon shouting her name was followed by a strong blast of stone crumbling to the ground; in the nick of time strong force pulled her to the side before she could’ve been crushed by the falling boulder. A pair of toned arms had wrapped around her form; her gaze met with one of her partner, their pants tangled in puffs of hot air that swirled together. Abrupt screams caused the two to detangle from one another just as quickly; clacking of iron echoed as axes came flying down from a wooden bridge right above the agents. With a single precise shot from each of them, the two villagers fell to their deaths; yet their places were soon taken by even more enraged locals that came running towards the outsiders. The frantic screaming came to a halt as soon as the last villager was taken out; eerie silence soon followed.

Ahead was a gaping tunnel, so dark one would think it was nothing but a mere hole that could swallow anyone brave enough to cross its entrance. Brave were the hearts of the agents, who stepped into the gloom even though all of their senses shouted at them not to. The delicate whistles of the autumn breeze grew into a howling wind the further the two proceeded in the tunnel; bats snappishly squeaked at the bright lights of flashlights, almost crashing into the faces of the agents. Sticking close to one another, they found themselves in yet another suburban area; a new wave of hostiles awaited them but this time they had planned a warmer welcome. Blast echoed, the blood of an unlucky villager- who had fallen a victim of friendly fire- splashed in all directions; wasting no time, the agents took cover in the tunnel, safely taking out the hostiles until there were none left.

“Clear.” (Y/N) confirmed as she moved forward all the while she had an eye out for a stealthy villager or even strategically placed beartraps that may take them by surprise. Having checked most of the perimeter, they found themselves before yet another house. Much like the structures in the previous parts of the village, the exterior was in just as poor of a condition as was the interior. A bunch of holes gaped on top of the roof, while its windows –although undamaged- were coated with thick layers of dust. Inside, dust particles swayed in the air much like snowflakes, the gray flooring creaked under their feet; lonely piece of furniture sat in the rooms, serving as a memory of long-lost traces of humanity. Continuous thudding sound came from the neighboring room, in which they saw yet another local, screwing planks to the ground. Not being much of a great threat, he was soon taken out, yet a similar sound still resonated from the ground. Tearing the planks off, Leon opened a passage to what appeared to be a basement.

Going in first, (Y/N)’s assumptions were proven correct as she noted numerous barrels and other farming tools splattered across the space; she kept her flashlight high in the air as so she did her gun all the while carefully proceeding. The sound only grew louder until she noted a dirty brown sack, shaking violently; chills ran down her spine. Gently, Leon pushed her to the side as he knelt and loosened the knot of the sack; a face of a man was revealed.

“I’ve got one very important question. You got a smoke.” His sparkling blue eyes were locked on her partner in hopeful expectation.

“You know these things will kill you.” His gaze then shifted towards (Y/N); all traces of delight abruptly vanished from his features and instead he cursed. Before she could react, she felt the flow of air being violently cut off as she was lifted off the ground. Helplessly, her feet swung back and forth, unable to even see the face of her attacker let alone inflict any critical damage; barely, she made out the bangs of gunshots and her name being shouted before every sound clashed into one incoherent cacophony that soon faded into nothingness. Her eyelids grew heavy, darkness engulfed her vision.

Chapter Text

Slender, lifeless trees passed before her eyes akin to a fast-rolling reel; although picturesque, the scenery was monotonic and depraved of any life. Earthy and navy hues were domineering in the palette of colors; thick fog made it even harder for (Y/N) to concentrate on the surrounding area. Light, yet constant, bumping of the car only served as another factor that only added to her already growing irritation. “

You two picked the wrong spot for the honeymoon, eh?” One of the officers spoke up, his jaunty laugh echoed in the vehicle. Still the agents remained silent, each staring out the nearest window- refusing to agree nor disagree with his assumption.

“ So, what really brings you guys here?” His tone changed; his curious, prying eyes searched for an answer in any of the rather reserved passengers.

“Let’s just say- a business trip.” Leon responded dryly.

“Must be some very important business. The chief gave the orders himself; I tell you it’s no picknick” -He went on, his words going over (Y/N)’s head akin to a white noise. Her bored gaze wandered in the bodywork of the car, oscillating between the two officer and the scenery ahead of them; yet again she opted for gazing through the window. The chatter between the men ceased as so did the cocky laughter of the remarkably talkative officer. She let out an inaudible sigh, her eyes lingered to her colleague’s window. Much like she expected, there were only more trees, yet it was the reflection in the window that stuck out to her. It appeared her colleague was also engaging in a similar activity as hers; his azures gazed at whatever the subject of his attention was, whilst the dirty blond strands of his hair gracefully fell in his face. Beams of scarce light caressed his face through the dusty glass, highlighting his refined looks; contrary, the shadows cast by his defined features brought out the distressful history of his past that is usually well hidden in his equanimous expression. Abruptly, her wandering gaze froze once his icy irises locked with hers; heat accumulated in her cheeks in response to her heartbeat accelerating at an abnormal rate.

“You know it’s rude to stare.” Leon turned to face her; his gaze serious, his voice low enough only for her to hear.

“Don’t flatter yourself, Kennedy.” She shied away from his playfully intense eyes. “ I was just appreciating your cool jacket is all.”

Restlessly, (Y/N) stirred awake; merciless coldness pinched at her entire form. Low voices echoed in her ears; peaking her eye open, she was met with the sight of three villagers, armed with axes. The one in the middle held onto a long rod, the handle of a weapon she couldn’t see. They were simply standing there, chanting something she couldn’t quite make out; though, she had a feeling they weren’t up to any good. With her eyes glued to the hostiles, she carefully reached for a flash bag, she neatly kept in her hip pouch. A breathy gasp escaped past her lips as threw the grenade in their feet; barely, she slipped away before a lethally sharp halberd landed right where she was laying mere seconds ago. Forcing herself to peel her gaze away from the bloodied, reflective blade, she shot at the hostiles until they fell to their demise.

Labored breaths rolled off her chest; she stood in place as her heartbeat gradually slowed down to a more natural rhythm. The corpses pooled in her feet, their blood was scattered everywhere and including a stone, where the axe stood. Puzzlement was written on her face as she opted for taking a closer look at the rock. Doing so she noted carved symbols centered on one of the walls; candles surrounded the area, numerous human skulls were piled nearby. A structure akin to an arch hung above the stone. Shivers ran down her spine at the thought of what could’ve happened if she hadn’t woken up when she did. Cool breeze pinched her exposed skin- she no longer had the jacket. Chilling realization struck her. Where was Leon?

As if she had been driven by some instinct, she followed a trail leading up to a grand house; if she thought the house near the windmill was pretentious now she wouldn’t find a stronger word to describe the building she was faced with. Although staying true to the rural aesthetic, this house had a touch to it that made it stand out from the others. The façade had been well kept unlike most, if not all, of the tiny homes. Isolated from the other houses, the two-story building stood tall; still it was the interior that made an undeniable difference. Rich furnishing was well placed in each of the rooms; yellow hued light was scattered by numerous lamps, adding a warm, domestic touch. The false sense of safety was soon corrupted by heavy steps, echoing from the staircase. Taking cover behind a cabinet, (Y/N) saw an abnormally tall man, dressed in a raven leather trench coat. For better or for worse, she couldn’t see his face as he was quick to exit the house. Quietly, she continued ger exploration of the rest of the house, noting the bookshelves and the clean dining table. Soon enough, she came across a staircase that led to a narrow- yet homey- corridor. The narrow space ended with a door, in the center of which was a crystal ball that displayed the same symbol (Y/N) noticed back in the village; sounds of familiar voices piqued her ears.

Relieved to see her partner, she called out his name; with swift steps, she walked up to him. Her arms quivered up to his, before she abruptly forced them on her waist. Softly, the corners of Leon’s lips curled as he faced his partner, the video transmitter in his hand; she leaned in and was met with Hunnigan.

“I see you two have reunited. Now you can go to that church.” The faint smile on her face contradicted the stoicism of her professional tone.

“Yes ma’am.” (Y/N) responded just before the transmission ended; the screen turned black, revealing their reflections. For a split second, she saw something strange in her partner’s eyes, something she had only noticed in the villagers. Yet before she could look deeper into it, he put the device back in his pocket; blinking repeatedly, she wondered if the effects of the unexpected nap haven’t worn off completely.

“I’ve got good news.” His voice brought her back in the present moment. He held up a key with the repeated symbol they came across multiple times already; the silver shone under the bright beams of the setting sun.

“It must be for that door in the main village area.” She confirmed his exact thoughts as she took the key in her palms. “By the way”- She began as she secured the key in her hip pouch. “Did you see a very tall guy?”

“Yeah, he seemed like the type I wouldn’t get along with.” She let out a low chuckle; her gaze shying away from his sparkling one. Whether it was the warmth of the sun, kissing her skin, or his dazzling blues that caused heat to creep up her cheeks- she did not know.

“Did he beat you up bad?” She tried to bite back the smile that was forming.

“Nothing I can’t recover from.” It was his turn to crack a smile; a spark tingled his chest at the sound of her overly sarcastic giggle. His smile dropped just as soon as it had appeared.

“What happened to your leg?” Although composed, concern was evident in his voice; worried blues were glued to her thigh, causing her own to follow. The fabric of her gear was stuck to her thigh, maroon gushed down her leg; a gaping hole beneath her pouch revealed a cut.

“I guess I had a little too much fun while you were away.”

“I can’t leave you even for a second, huh? Now we gotta patch you up.” Making his way to the bed, he patted the bedding in a silent invitation for her to take a seat. And so she did, a puzzled look was written on her face as she watched him prepare rubbing alcohol and bandages.

“You know I can do this myself, right?”

“Let me.” All words of protest dried in her throat and instead grew into a lump that made it hard for her to breathe properly; the combination of his soft, persuasive voice and his pleading baby blues proved to be lethally effective.

“You’re so hardheaded, you know that.”- She managed to form a coherent sentence without wincing; the burning sting of the alcohol-soaked cloth brought tears to her eyes, yet that wasn’t the most intense sensation that was overflowing her. Comforting warmth of familiar touch nearly drove her into madness; the careful caresses of calloused digits gliding across the sensitive skin of her thigh caused shivers to creep up her spine. She couldn’t help but wonder how she didn’t feel anything up until he pointed out the injury. Yet the thought flew out her head just as quickly as it occurred, her attention was anchored back to her partner. There was something so inexplicably obscure about him knelt between her legs as he tended to her wound; his flawless features were sunken in deep concentration.

“Is that a rifle? Where did you get that from?” Averting her eyes away from him, (Y/N) noted the gun, sticking from behind his shoulder.

“Yeah, a nice fella was doing a garage sale.”

“A garage sale?” She raised her eyebrow in disbelief.

“Where’s my jacket?” Abruptly, he switched the subject, taking his turn to furrow his brows in a puzzled frown.

“I decided it didn’t go well with my outfit.” She responded nonchalantly all the while she avoided his prying gaze by looking around the room; a big painting caught her attention. It was portraying a man whose face was hidden by a huge purple cloak, he held a wand in his right hand. Presumably, he was a spiritual leader of some sort; to the left was cabinet- a makeshift altar- with candles and wooden crafts of the same symbol were peppered on the walls above it. She shivered.

“I thought you liked it.”

“Well, I like it better on you.” With raised brows, she puckered her lips at him, giving him the best of a sorry look she could. In response he chuckled.

“All done. Do you think you can walk?”- He offered her a hand only to witness a deep frown of offense.

“I’ll manage.”

Making their way out of the house, they saw the colorful sky; purples danced alongside soft blue hues, forming swirls of painted clouds. A yelp caught their attention; following the sound, the two found a dog, caught in a beartrap. The poor thing squirmed and howled in agony, its snowy fur was covered in dirt and blood. Immediately, the agents rushed to the dog; Leon pulled at the trap, releasing its limb whilst (Y/N) did a quick job of patching up the hurt leg. As if it wanted to show gratitude, the dog licked her face and barked before it ran away.

“Take care of yourself buddy.” Content smiles were written on agents’ faces.

“Poor thing. I hope he will make it.” She let out a sigh.

“I’m sure of it. Especially now that you’ve patched it up. Our new friend will be good in no time.” Encouragingly, he patted her shoulder, his assuring smile growing even wider.

“Quit flattering me, Kennedy.”

“I’m just saying the truth. If it weren’t for you, I would’ve bled to death long ago.”

“If you’re trying to sweet talk your way into something, just know that it isn’t gonna work on me.” Her hands were crossed before her chest, her gaze had regained its seriousness.

“We’ll see about that.” The agent shot her with what must’ve been one of his most charming smiles she had witnessed; regret -mixed with faint twinges of excitement- crept in her heart, she damned that bold mouth of hers.

Finding themselves back in the village, the two didn’t even bother to take out the new wave of enemies and instead they simply dodged their way through; swiftly, they made their way to the mysterious locked door. Ear piercing creak came from the rusty hinges as the door was opened. With a bang the two entered what appeared to be a chapel; a portrait of the same cryptid man was displayed behind a wooden frame with two lonely chairs sitting before it. Warm light was emitted by numerous white candles. Although not so well kept, the chapel didn’t stand out in any aspect to any of the other buildings. Or so that was what the agents thought until they noticed a colossal humanoid skull, wrapped in white sheets with only its huge jaws sticking out, a red symbol was painted on the cloth.

“Hope those are extinct.” Leon commented, his partner cursed in exclamation.

“Yeah.” She agreed, her eyes still glued to the skull. Wordlessly, her partner nudged her to move forward.

“Welcome back stranger.” An unfamiliar man spoke, immediately drawing her attention. Purpuric light was lit above him, throwing light on the table he stood behind; the color of the lamp matched the one of his clothing that hid almost everything about him, even his face.

“I’ve got some new wares that might interest ya!” He spoke in enthusiastic manner, much like a regular salesman. With no hesitation whatsoever, Leon walked up to the man and briefly chatted with him; (Y/N) decided to stay back, for she wasn’t sure she could trust the guy. He didn’t seem to carry whatever infection all of the other locals had, yet that wasn’t a good enough of a reason for her even if her partner found him to be reliable enough.

“Pleasant travels.” He bid them goodbye, his striking eyes met with hers.

“What a creep.” She cursed under her breath as the two walked away from the makeshift shop.

“He might seem a bit off at first but he actually has great deals.”

“Wait. So, you got that rifle from him.” Leon nodded in response.

“Unbelievable. And what do you trade in? Dollars?”

“No. But you’d be surprised how much money is laying around.”

“Leon, are you robbing corpses?” To Leon’s relief, she fell silent as they reached a small graveyard, a church towered over them in all of its eerie glory. Mist crawled on the ground, almost completely hiding the gravestones; different kinds of symbols were placed on each of them. Crows rested amongst the naked branches of the lifeless trees; screeching an unnervingly unpleasant melody that was accompanied by the howls of the chilling wind. Chills ran down (Y/N)’s back, her mind trailed back to the leather jacket Leon was kind enough to offer; its unknown fate pestered her mind as much as the cool air was causing her to shiver. Even more chilling than the weather was the church itself. Vines slithered up the dark stone bricks, the belltower was glued to the church. Iron bars kept the entrance unattainable.

“Just our luck.” Leon wasted no time connecting with Hunnigan and informing her of their status.

“I can think of one reason they’d want to do so.”- She responded to the newly received information.

“Oh she’s here, that’s for sure. We’ll find a way in.” Staying true to his words, Leon took the lead as he made his way down a dirt trail beside the church. Staying close to one another, the two came across even more horrors. Enraged locals, equipped with axes and dynamite swarmed a newfound swamp area that -akin to a deadly maze- hid danger around its every corner. Their search led them to a sizable lake; in the distance a castle soared above the murky waters.

“Looks like the only way.” He hopped on the single boat that was neatly floating near the lonely dock; ever the gentleman he was, he offered her a hand, which she accepted. Sitting near the edge of the boat, he reached for the engine.

“No way you’re driving this.” A deep frown shriveled her face in a mixture of concern and mockery; in return, he gave her a puzzled look but soon moved away to the passenger seat. Huge hooks sat in their feet; although silently, the two wondered what purpose do they possess. Averting their attention away from the strange weaponry, the two colleagues focused on one another, discussing their objective and their next move. (Y/N)’s eyes wandered from her partner to the scenery; swirl of numerous colors painted the sky as the last beams of daylight hopelessly fought over the progressively growing gloom, the brown rocks of the cliffs contrasted the dark aquamarine pool. Shifting her attention back to her colleague, she couldn’t help but associate the waters with his beryl irises- breathtaking and deep. His sandy locks shone brighter than sun itself, his fair skin glistened for a few droplets had landed upon his bare arms. She found herself letting out a deep sigh as she felt her chest growing heavy.

“This date is much better than the previous.” (Y/N) changed the topic.

“Last time the government forced us to go to a wedding to spy on the bride’s father.”- She rolled her eyes in disgust as the memories flooded her mind; the unnecessarily tight dress, the unexpectedly good food, the creepy dad of the bride and the way Leon convincingly acted as her loving husband instead of a colleague. It was one of those missions that she could revisit without endangering the quality of her sleep.

“And I promised you I’ll make it up to you the next time around.”

“Leon Kennedy- a man of his words.” Loud splash took the two by surprise, putting an end to their chatter; colossal, muddy brown creature jumped from the waters, its horrific growl rumbled. Violently, their boat shook back and forth; the anchor fell in the water under the impact of the wave. Startled, the agents searched for the gaze of the other; holding onto the boat for support, they had no other choice but try their best to stay afloat as they were dragged by the creature.

“Leon the hooks!” Quickly catching on her thoughts, he took one and aimed it at the creature. Horrid cry of pure agony came from its even more dreadful mouth; its jaws opened akin to a horrendous hole with crooked teeth sticking out, fearsome and deadly. Crimson painted the waters, trailing behind the wounded monstrosity. Carefully, (Y/N) maneuvered around the floating logs and other debris that threatened to turn over the boat; a mixture of blood and water splattered in every direction.

“Think you can swallow me whole, huh?” Abruptly, the boat came to a halt as the creature disappeared. Still, Leon was alert, his grip on the hook was ever so tight. Just as suddenly, a powerful wave rocked their boat, followed by an ear-piercing shriek. Atrocious mouth gaped before them, swimming towards them at an alarming speed; her breath ceased, her fearful eyes were glued to her partner, who tirelessly aimed at the monster, striking a hit with each try. Awful wai

l ripped through the air, its huge body jumped out of the lake before sinking back in; akin to rain, water splashed the two agents. Clang rand in her ears as Leon dropped the hook; he began coughing. “You okay?” (Y/N)’s hand gently rubbed his shoulder; he flinched, his hand clenched into a fist.

“Yea. Let’s just get to shore.” Soon enough, they reached solid ground; burning sensation spread through her legs as she forced herself to get out the boat. It appeared Leon’s legs also had stiffened, for his walking was wobbly and uncoordinated. He began coughing once more before he fell on his knees. Calling his name, (Y/N) ran to his side and managed to get him to his feet before he could collapse. Luckily for her, there was a small cabin near them that happened to be free of danger. Slow and steady, they made their way inside; a sigh of relief rolled off her lips at the sight of a bed. Laying her partner on the bed, she pressed her palm to his forehead, her concerned eyes scanned his face. Splatters of blood were smudged below his lip.

Chapter Text

Thuds of lightnings struck the ground. Light spread across the lake; rays of brightness entered through the dusty windows of the lonely shack, illuminating Leon’s distressed features. Akin to the raindrops sliding across the window, beads of sweat ran down his forehead and to his temples; his form twitched, his muscles spasmed. Pants forced their way out his mouth; his entire form shook, causing him to pry his eyes open. Dirty blonde strands stuck to his forehead, his heart hammered against his ribcage; the distressing images he saw in his sleep flashed before his eyes even now that he was awake. The tried to ignore the vision of the cult leader- the one the villagers called Lord Saddler- his persuasive, yet loathsome, voice echoed in Leon’s head repeatedly much like a brainwashing mantra. Familiar soft voice overpowered the eerie words of the cultist and instead anchored the agent back to the present; only when he glanced down at his chest, did he notice something weighting down on him, something or rather someone.

Rubbing the somnolence away from his half-lidded eyes, he was met with the sight of his partner curled up to him- her eyes sleepily met his. Suddenly he felt warmth envelop him, all traces of the distressful nightmare vanished; a content smile curled the corners of his lips, seeing her so relaxed. If the poor condition of the bed the two were laying on could be ignored, one would perceive the situation as a perfect embodiment of domesticity- though they weren’t entitled such luxury. Whether it was a happy coincidence or a sick joke fate was playing on them; they rarely got a taste of what normal life could be like, even if was all just a play the government had written for them to perform. Still those missions- far less adrenaline inducing than the one they were currently assigned on, but still dangerous nonetheless- they shared together held a special place in his heart in the form of memories. And now certain moments of the past flooded him in the form of a nostalgic, bittersweet wave.

“You okay?” Her slightly raspy words had a worried, yet delicate tone, contrary to the cacophonic composition of raging thunder. Her brows were furrowed together in what appeared to be motherly concern, she pressed her palm against his forehead.

“Was I out long?” He pinched the bridge of his nose; her gaze softened for a second before she forced it away from his toned arm.

“Long enough.” Her reply went over his head as more thoughts of the past washed over him. “You got me worried back in the boat. What happened to you? It was like you got a convulsion.” The words rolled off her lips in the form of a breathy confession, followed by a reflection of her anxious mind; she closely watched his face for any signs of the strange symptoms from earlier.

“Leon to earth!”- Looking at his dazed features, she patted his cheek in hopes of drawing his attention. He was forced back in the present moment, only to be reminded his current position wasn’t all too different from the one he was revising on. Erratically, his heart galloped in his chest at the second as it had the very same sensation as the first time he got to hold her in his arms. He might’ve thought that he had gotten used to being in a situation like this after so long- he couldn’t be more wrong.

“Remember the Glastonbury case?” The change in topic caught her off guard; memories of said mission washed over her. Throughout their years of working with one another, their missions varied, yet there was a pattern that seemed to be always repeated- they had to pretend to be a couple. And they had to be convincing. In order to maintain their roles believable, they had shared hotel rooms, a lot of which had no additional bed- and that was the very first time they came face to face with this inept situation.

“What about it?” Warmth spread to her sides; her heart fluttered.

“We had to share a bed. Seems the curse isn’t broken.” (Y/N) scoffed with him referencing her words from that night. Clear picture of the room was painted before her eyes as if she were right there, right now; the king-sized bed and the awkward look on Leon’s face.

“No training in the academy prepared us for the actual thing.” She sat up, busing herself with lacing on her boots.

He prompted his head atop his palm, his other one naturally fell before his chest but instead of placing it on the bedding it landed on her hip; electric shocks tingled her skin under his warm palm that didn’t pull away- though she didn’t protest. Their gazes met. Faint sparkles danced across the (E/C) of her irises; his own fell to her mouth, noting her parted lips before darting back to her eyes. His own mouth gaped, allowing for the air to cool his body. Seconds felt like minutes and minutes like hours as he found it hard to breath properly, enamored by her effortless glamour that had captivated his very being. Unbeknownst to him, these feelings were reciprocated, despite being bottled deep within her sceptic heart.

“I would argue that’s a curse though. I slept like a baby that night.” Leon was the first to wake up that day; both startled and pleasantly surprised to find himself cuddling his partner that happened to be exceptionally cute and impossible not to fall for. For the longest time, he didn’t dare move, since he feared he would wake her up. The early morning hours were rolling fast one after the other as he simply laid there, gazing at her relaxed expression; strands of hair fell in her face, her mouth was agape as she took deep, relaxed breaths in. An overwhelming sense of warmth and contentment had expanded in his chest to an extend he feared he couldn’t contain.

“And how was your sleep this time around?” Her brow was raised, a smile curled the corner of her lip at the sight of him so relaxed and placid. Especially after everything that has happened, after the convulsion.

“Decent.” He yawned before rolling to the other side.

“No more sleeping for you mister. May I remind you we’ve got work to do.”

Outside the storm had settled to a calm rain; grey clouds- akin to puffs of smoke- lingered in the night sky. Narrow path between two large rocks was hidden behind a huge passageway. With their guns readied, the two agents were back on duty with nothing but their assignment in their mind. Determined they passed the gate, hoping that the unexpected break won’t prove to be fatal for the subject. Soon enough, they came across more trouble, reminding them of their hostile environment; having faced as many villagers as they had, the agents had the false sense of confidence in their knowledge of their enemies. All their optimism vanished once the head of one of the locals ruptured; obscure noises echoed as numerous tentacles sprung out its neck. Bright yellow eyes were seated at the base of what could’ve been called a head for lack of a better word; a concoction of blood and an unknown amber liquid gushed in every direction. Frightened by the monstrosity before them, the two wasted no time in firing all the while trying to find its weak point; the death of the creature was just as- if not more grotesque- than its birth. Ear-piercing screech resonated, the body of the poor villager fell to the ground; the gruesome head dissolved into gunk that was soon washed away by the rain.

Catching up their pace, they were soon able to find a disk that should fit the untypical lock to the church; although more challenges only arose after they obtained the key. Dozens of enemies awaited them at every corner, though they weren’t too difficult for the professionals to deal with and soon enough they found themselves on the way back to the church. Once again, they came across the open area, isolated with tall wooden walls that were connected to a massive rock; thunders fell in the distance, their echoes rumbled, deafening the sound of the pouring rain. Another thud resonated behind them as the passage they crossed a few seconds ago was blocked; in a matter of seconds the other passage opposite of them was closed as well, leaving the two agents trapped. Huge metal doors slammed to the ground, followed by thumps so heavy they made the ground shook. Gigantic humanoid walked out the shadows, its malicious dark eyes were glued to the two; large rope was wrapped around its neck, distorted teeth stuck out its gaping mouth that let out a horrific roar.

“God damn! That’s a big boy!” Leon exclaimed; (Y/N) was dumbfounded, the memory of the huge skull from the chapel arose in her brain. Numerous bangs anchored her back in the present; she followed suit and began firing at the creature. It jerked every time she or her partner would strike a shot at its head; keeping up a good score of headshots, it soon fell to its knees, almost causing the agents to bounce off the ground. Atrocious howl rumbled from its mouth as the skin of its back ruptured only to reveal appendages, similar to the ones of the villager they came across earlier. Leon shouted her name, anchoring her attention to him; he was knelt with his back to the creature. Quickly catching his train of thought, she ran towards him, using his palms as foothold to jump atop the giant’s back. Pulling out her knife, she began tirelessly slashing at the excrescence; blood and the mysterious yellow liquid splashed her face, the crimson and amber droplets were washed away by the raindrops. Just in the nick of time, the agent jumped off the monster before it stood up.

“Hey! It’s that dog!”

A howl caught her attention; their wounded friend barked as it ran towards the giant before bravely sinking its teeth into the monster’s ankle. Distracted by the dog, the giant tried to stomp it, but to no avail- the canine was too fast.

“Told you our friend will be fine.” (Y/N) only smiled in response before she had to duck, avoiding a wooden shack that flew above her head. The agents resumed fire on the creature, hitting its weak points each time the dog distracted it; repeating their tactic from earlier, they would stun the giant then she would directly slash at its weakest point until the creature let out its final roar of defeat. Still on its back, she held onto the rope as the creature fell to the ground; her partner offered her a hand, which she willingly took and hopped down.

“You were almost a pancake.” Leon let out a chuckle; a bark caused both of them to look down at the dog that happily licked its nose. The dog rubbed in their legs, its glowing eyes causing them to melt at its cuteness.

“I wish we could take it home.”

“Your leg.” Her gaze followed the direction of her partner’s, noting the scarlet spot painting the pearly bandage. He remained silent; his gaze searched the area until his gaze fell on a rock.

“Here.” He gestured to the rock before he knelt next to it.

“Look, I appreciate it but time isn’t on our side. We gotta find Ashley Graham-“

“And we will, once I change your bandages.” (Y/N) protested again only to be silenced by her partner’s adamant demands. And so, she found herself sat on a freezing cold stone, which only made her shiver more frequently than she already did. The weather only made matters worse; the rain didn’t cease even for a second as if it wanted to make sure her clothes were fully soaked. Though the sight of Leon walking around with nothing but his t-shirt made her question her endurance as an agent. Another shiver crept up her spine.

“You really should’ve kept the jacket.” He shot her a gaze of concern, his fingers made quick work of the old band aid. She remained silent and instead watched how his digits skillfully cleaned the cut; she was so entranced by this simple motion, she barely felt the sting of the alcohol. What she felt was the faint warmth that always seemed to settle in her core whenever his skin came in contact with hers, how her cheeks would heat up when his calloused finger pads caressed her thigh in an unnecessarily sensual manner, how her heart would skip a beat by the way his hands held her inner thigh.

Abruptly, the warmth ran cold; her muscles tensed; her eyes watched in inquietude. Her startled (E/C) irises were glued to Leon, who seemed dazed. His lips were parted, he took in long inhales that were followed by audible exhales; his baby blues appeared darkened. In the corner of her eye, she swore she noticed his arms covered with something other than blood and mud, yet once she took another look there was nothing strange to be seen. Blinking repeatedly, she averted her gaze to his face only to be met with a gentle smile.

“All done.” He gave her knee a gentle pat, dragging her out of her mental world.

“Thanks.”

The path further was eerie and dangerous none the less; infected dogs were guarding the church, ready to gnaw on anyone that dares to get near. As sickening as it was, the two were forced to take out some of the dogs and avoid those who weren’t too great of a danger; Leon anxiously scanned the area behind them as his partner placed the disk into the circular cavity of the lock. Glowing crimson eyes were glued to the agents as more and more dogs gathered, ready to attack. Clicking sound tingled their ears- their cue to get in.

Breathy gasps bounced off the tall walls of the church, soft candle light welcomed the two in the unsettling quiet building. Rows of wooden benches lead to a podium; above it was a colorful glass disk that emitted a rather dim light. Clearing the area, they found an emblem with the infamous insignia they became so used to seeing; taking note of the conjunction between the color of the light and the one of the emblems, Leon soon aligned the colorful beams into the signature symbol of the village community.  The diverse hues set a certain tone to the church, just as unnerving as initially- if not more. Yet that didn’t seem to bother Leon; as if on their own, the corners of his lips curled at his partner giving him a simple thumbs up of approval. Her own smile seemed warmer under the red beams, her (E/C) eyes sparkled much like her smile. Combined, these features were like the sun itself- energizing and hopeful. And that hope was enveloping his heart akin to a warm blanket on a rainy day.

“I saw a ladder. There might be something upstairs.”

“Worth a try.”

Following her lead, he watched (Y/N) climb, his train of thought deviated from matters of the mission. Heat crept to his sides; he shifted his gaze away from her- and more specifically away from her ass- and mentally scolded himself for being such a creep. Luckily for him, his partner didn’t take a notice for she was focused on a faint sound of weeping.

“She’s here.” She spoke lowly as if she was confirming it to herself. Akin to a magic spell, her words seemed to manifest into reality, for the two found the door, behind which the subject of their mission was kept hidden. Leon called out to Ashley only to barely evade a candle holder attack from the president’s daughter herself. The poor girl tried to defend herself, too scared to recognize the two agents meant no harm. Relief washed over her youthful features at the mention of her father, her posture relaxed; (Y/N) leant her a friendly hand and the girl got up.

“Let’s get you out of here.” She nodded in agreement and followed the two agents.

“What is that? Over there?” In unison, her rescuers looked at the direction she was pointing at. A wave of villagers flooded in the tiny graveyard akin to a swarm of likeminded insects, controlled by their superior. (Y/N)’s attention was drawn back to her companions at the abrupt sound of grunts and whimpers; her blood ran cold, her heartbeat accelerated at an abnormal rate. Both Ashley and Leon squirmed in agony, their palms cupped their heads in a failed attempt to lessen the piercing pain. The wave of locals didn’t seem to cease if anything it only picked its pace, approaching the church by the second. (Y/N)’s panic lessened just slightly as two snapped out of whatever it was that had them in paralyzing agony.

“What’s going on?” The agent’s voice was low and shaky, her widened eyes searched for the ones of her partner. His soft blues appeared numb and lost; confusion and concern were woven in his features.

“One problem at a time.” His gaze averted from hers and instead glanced back out the window.

“What do we do?” Ashely worded the exact thoughts that were rushing in (Y/N)’s head.

“Your father trusts us and I need you to trust us too.” Spark of hope and accountability reflected in (Y/N)’s eyes that briefly came in contact with Leon’s. The girl nodded; her entire form flinched at the sound of the doors opening.

Together, the three of them stayed low as they silently made their way to a ladder that was just out of their reach. Leon called out to his partner as he prepared himself to boost her up; taking the hint, she wasted no time climbing up and dropping said ladder. Upstairs, was a dark room with just a single window- their escape. Being the first to notice it, Leon looked outside, scanning the area before jumping out. Startled, Ashley exclaimed at the sight of him landing on a platform beneath.

“It’s okay. I’ve got you.” He gestured for her to jump; she glanced at the other agent as if she searched for a confirmation that she was simply hallucinating. Yet the comforting hand on her shoulder and encouraging smile proved otherwise.

“If you want, I can go first.” Ashley agreed and watched closely as the agent gracefully jumped, perfectly landing in her colleague’s arms.

“You haven’t lost training.” She gave him a cheeky remark as she patted him on the shoulder.

“With you around, how could I?”

“See? You’re in good hands.” Now, a little more convinced, Ashley jumped down. Slowly, she fluttered her eyes open as if she expected to wake up from a nightmare. Bashfully, she thanked Leon before she steadied her feet to the ground; a beeping sound caused her entire form to quiver. The agents contacted Hunnigan, sharing the good news; on the other hand, they were greeted with the info on their extraction point. It was almost over.

Yet this crucial almost is what kept them from completing the mission and call it a day. Countless hostiles were still lurking just on the other side of the church, a reminder that the nightmare wasn’t over just yet. Instructing Ashley to stay close, the agents silently proceeded all the while keeping an eye out for any wandering eyes that may linger upon them. Slowly, they made their way past the building only to see even more locals than they did previously; there was no way around them and the idea of safely making it to the chopper soon became a mirage. Although little, there still was hope in (Y/N)’s quick thinking as she drew out a flash grenade. Warning her companions of her plans shortly before executing them, she successfully blinded the villagers long enough for the trio to run past them safely.

Once again, they found themselves in the main section of the village; despite being at this godforsaken place for the nth time, (Y/N)’s was always surprised to see how the place keept changing. The watchtower had collapsed, obstructing their path; darkness had engulfed the area as the night had fully relaced the auspicious sun, rain kept pouring still it wasn’t enough to wash away the evil off this wicked place. As the village altered so did the residents as more and more dangers came along their path to closure; whether it was blind resilience or the sense of responsibility towards Ashley, the two agents pushed forward, clearing a path amid violent screams and flying axes. No fighting was enough to outpower the swarm of hostiles that was hot on their tail, so running seemed like their best option. And run they did; akin to a light at the end of a tunnel, the cabin from earlier shone at the end of the bridge, it’s door wide open with an unfamiliar man gesturing for them to get in.

“Small word, eh?” The man spoke up after he sealed the door shut.

“You!” Obviously displeased with seeing the man, Leon approached him, aggressively pinning him to the wall.

“Hey… Listen, about earlier, I-”

“Yeah, about that…”

“Hey, I see you found your missing senorita. You brought her company too.” His gaze averted from Leon’s and instead eyed the two ladies.

“The senorita has a name, and it’s Ashley.” (Y/N) followed in introducing herself.

“And you are?” The agent took a step forward.

“Name’s Luis.”

“Great. We all have names. Now then-“ Leon applied pressure to Luis’ chest. “Who are you and what are you doing here?”

“Very good questions, unfortunately…” Luis trailed off, his head gesturing to the window that revealed the sight of villagers, breaking through the fence.

“Ashley, hide!” (Y/N) urged the girl.

“In that case, here, help me.” Luis and Leon lifted a cabinet and urged her to hide all the while (Y/N) tried her best to barricade the windows with whatever furniture there was. Soon enough the two men joined the agent and readied their weapons.

“It’s game time.”

Akin to a golden sea, torches spread light in the gloomy night, alerting the three unlucky survivors of the nightmare they had gotten themselves in. The wave of hostiles only grew in density as they gathered at the windows, banging with their fists and weapons; the glass could only withstand so much before cracking in hundreds of pieces, proclaiming a most certain doom. Yet giving in without putting up a fight wasn’t an option for the agents, for they braced themselves for battle. Whether he had no choice or he was strangely invested in giving a helping hand, Luis joined them.

“Hordes of them against the three of us.”

“Thanks for pointing it out.” (Y/N) gave the Spaniard a sarcastic grin.

“You guys done warming up?”

“Yeah. Now, if you shut up, we’d be good to go.” Leon matched his partner’s passive tone.

“You two are no fun.” The agents ignored the man and instead focused on the locals that already managed to break in. One after another, violent villagers slid through the broken windows; unbothered by the sharp shards of glass, they swiftly stood up only to attack as if they had a set mechanism that drove them to destroy. With more windows breaking, more and more hostiles got in and quickly overwhelmed the trio; despite their constant shooting, they found it hard to hold back the wave. A sudden idea struck (Y/N); as a last resort, she kept a few hand grenades in a separate pouch, and now was the time to give them a purpose.

“Brace yourselves, boys!” She shouted before unclipping a grenade and throwing it. Although taken aback, Luis was fast enough to gesture for them to go upstairs, taking cover from the blast.

“Shit! You didn’t strike me as the type to be so explosive.” Luis spoke between pants, both startled and enthralled.

“Oh, you would be surprised.” Leon only cracked a proud smile that was dropped sooner than it appeared; a new wave of villagers followed them upstairs as if to serve as a reminder that the three of them were no way near safe. Things only continued to go downhill, when ladders were prompted at the windows, allowing for even more villagers to climb in from each and every direction possible.

“I hate to say it but we’re sandwiched!” Leon shouted over the overwhelming noises of screams and gunshots.

“This way! Hurry!” Suddenly, Ashley appeared behind a door and desperately urged them to follow her; and so, they did, running out the cabin as fast their feet would let them. The angry shouts didn’t seem to cease, for the remaining locals adamantly chased after them; Leon tirelessly fired at them but to no avail. Noting the huge door right above, he quickly shot the chain that held it above ground, causing it to come crashing down atop an unfortunate villager. Collectively, they all panted; their hearts hammered, their lungs were burning.

“We made it.” A heavy sigh of relief rolled of (Y/N)’s lips; she patted her partner. In return he only managed to respond with a quick smile before he coughed. Concern washed over her features at the sight of blood, painting his lips; before she could react, she heard Ashley coughing as well. Both agents rushed to her side.

“What’s happening to me?” She cried in utter terror as she revealed the blood on her palm.

“Is this the first time you’ve coughed up blood like this?” Luis took her hand; the girl only nodded, her eyes widened in fear.

“You wanna start explaining?”

“The cough, the blood- it’s caused by something called a ‘plaga’.”- A shiver ran down (Y/N)’s back although she wasn’t sure if it was due to the zephyr or Luis’ words- either way she listened closely all the while her gaze lingered on her partner.- “Okay. You saw those ‘people’, right? Well, you have the same thing inside you. The same thing that made them like that.”- Leon’s gaze lowered, his fingers tightened in a fist.- “These symptoms are only the beginning.”

“I don’t wanna become one of them.”

“You are, well, lucky.”- Luis continued, his words bringing a spark of hope.- “At this early stage, the parasite- the plaga. It is possible to remove it with a surgical procedure. And all you need is some know-how. And, oh yeah- the right equipment.” The man pulled at his dress shirt, revealing a scar.

“Where do we find it?” The question rushed out of (Y/N)’s mouth although there were many more that pestered her.

“No worries. See, I have a plan. But you’re going to have to trust me.” The two agents looked at one another, each searching for approval in the other; a deep sense of unease settled in (Y/N)’s core.

“As long as you lead us to the cure.”

“Great! We’re partners then!”

“Where are you-“

“No time for any questions. The clock is ticking!”

“Why are you helping us?” Luis stopped in his tracks.

“Because it makes me feel better. Let’s leave it at that. I will contact you later.”

Before (Y/N) could stop the mysterious man or ask any more questions, she heard the familiar beeping sound.

“I have some bad news.” Regret was written on Hunnigan’s features.

“I rather not hear it.”

“Well, I’m afraid I have to tell you anyway. With the weather like this, the chopper can’t make its approach. Can you stand by until it clears?”

“Negative. Too dangerous.”- It was Leon’s turn to respond.- “We’re gonna get out of here and find somewhere safe.”-Hunnigan’s apology did little to help their situation; with nowhere else to go, the trio had to find a way forward.

“What’s gonna happen to me?” Ashley’s voice was hesitant; her features seemed perplexed.

“Right now, let’s just focus on getting out of here.” His response was displeasing for both of his companions, especially his partner. Now, more than ever, she was convinced something was wrong with Leon and although she wasn’t ready to face the idea of him being infected, she had to know. Luckily for her, an opportunity was soon to arise. The wooden path led to a lonely shack that they decided to investigate. Ashley was nearby, yet not too close for the comfort of the touchy topic (Y/N) was yet to bring up to her colleague.

“Leon, I need to talk to you.” She let out a sigh that initially wasn’t supposed to be as heavy, her anxious gaze lingered to Ashley once more as she made sure she wasn’t aware of their conversation. Worry and displease soon painted his face as if he had a hunch about what the conversation was going to be about.

“I’m all ears.”

“About what Luis said. These symptoms-“ -She trailed off, stumbling over her words as she was searching for the best way to word her thoughts. Though it was too late to stop now, so she continued.- “And ever since we were in that lake, I’ve been thinking. What I’m trying to say is…“- She reluctantly met Leon’s gaze, who seemed tense.

“Leon… Are you infected?”

“I don’t know.”- His gaze was sorrowful.- “I might be.”-She didn’t realize tears were rolling down her cheeks until she felt his calloused pad brushing them away.- “We will figure something out- like we always have.”

Chapter Text

Each time (Y/N) thought things couldn’t get worse, fate found a way to prove her wrong. Not only did things get worse, they exponentially spiraled down to pits unimaginable even to an experienced agent. If a few hours ago she was worried about securing the subject, now she was questioning if they would make it until the chopper arrives. Hell, before this mission she was worried about working with Leon after their last encounter, now she doubted they’ll see this through in one piece- and the unending number of villagers only caused her suspicions to grow at the second. Still, they pushed forward.

Such thoughts only grew louder as her surroundings grew quieter; despite the throbbing headache that had been caused by the little voice in her head, she took note of the new area they entered. To the right was a tall gate that was missing a crank and to the right was a cobble path, leading to an open area that, akin to a medieval arena, was surrounded by wooden walls and bridges on one side. It didn’t take a federal agent to know something was off with that place and so, the professionals wasted no time finding somewhere safe for Ashley to hide before proceeding with their search for the missing crank. Luck seemed to be on their side, for it didn’t take long for them to find it; it was strangely displayed on a wooden shelf- all by itself.

Rattling sound came behind the wall as Leon neared; he backed away just as quickly as he had reached for the crank. Two chainsaw blades poked through the wood; the flimsy wall could only last so much before it crumbled down as if it was made of sand only to reveal two monstrosities. The madman with the chainsaw had nothing on the two ladies; they were screaming manically akin to their fellow friend in weapon, yet they seemed far more aggressive. Their bloodied faces were half hidden with only their unnerving smiles to be seen; crimson stained bands covered most of their heads. One of them took the crank.

“Sorry, didn’t realize that was yours.” Leon didn’t miss the opportunity to drop a cheesy comment, never failing to draw a smile or even a chuckle from his partner. Though his jokes never helped the two to get out of a situation, so they had to fall back to a more traditional tactic. Aiming for their heads proved to be effective, yet the agents were never lucky enough to get away with something with ease. As an addition to the fun, he chainsaw ladies had company; although not as well prepared, the other villagers were just as aggressive and dangerous.

With no other option, the professionals were forced to approach a method they weren’t exactly fans of; they split, each distracting one of the chainsaw girls all the while they took out as many hostiles as possible until they felt confident enough in focusing on the main threats. As if they were bullet sponges, the two women kept kicking after each shot; (Y/N) flinched once her back crashed against something. Quickly turning around, she realized it was actually someone and fortunately that someone didn’t mean her harm.

“I was just looking for you.”

“That makes two of us.” She shot at a villager’s knee, causing him to fall off the platform.

“Could ya spare me some ammo?”

“I was just gonna ask you the same thing.” She returned as she emptied the rest of what remained in the clip on one of the chainsaw ladies.

“Great.” The two jumped off the bridge, landing on the opposite sides. Their enemy soon followed suit, falling between the agents. (Y/N) saw opportunity and threw a grenade in her feet; the bang caused their ears to ring- a sacrifice worth making in the name of survival. A huge pool of crimson remained from what used to be a lethal danger, the rest of its remains flew in every direction; blood and small bits of flesh covered the two. Yet aesthetics was the least of their problems, for they had a bigger problem still waiting for their attention; perhaps enraged by the loss of her friend, the other chainsaw lady charged at the outsiders with her trusty weapon at hand. Putting her trust in her throwables, (Y/N) used her last flash grenade; stunned by the bang, the enemy froze, giving Leon the chance to pierce her neck with his knife. The crank fell from the grip of the deceased.

“You think your salesguy has grenades?”

“And ammo. I thought you didn’t like him.” Leon raised his brow at his colleague.

“I don’t have to like someone to work with them. And you’re the prime example of that.” The man snickered in an offended manner.

“You keep telling yourself that bullshit.”

“Are you guys okay?” Ashley interrupted their little banter, unintentionally reminding them they’re on duty.

“Yeah, are you hurt?” Leon’s playful demeanor evaporated.

“No. I’m okay, I guess.”

“You did well.” (Y/N) gave a gentle pat of reassurance, which in return caused Ashley to smile.

Up ahead, the trio walked down a cobblestone path; silver beams of the full moon threw light on their way, bright enough for them to see perfectly. Yet there were still many spots in the forested area that remained hidden by shadows; these light deprived spots were covered by the impenetrable gloom, emitting an ominous aura that brought shivers to the survivors. Once again, they came across a gate; Leon- being the gentleman he is- opened the heavy doors, allowing for his companions to follow him. Abruptly, the dead silence was disturbed by Ashley’s scream. Alerted, both agents looked at her only to notice an abnormally tall man, holding her arm. (Y/N) watched in utter shock as she recognized him as the mysterious figure from the fancy house in the village. Leon didn’t hesitate to attack; he stabbed the offender, though that didn’t cause any reaction. Right as he managed to pull out the blade, a powerful hit caused him to fly back, hitting the ground with a thud.

“Your soul requires cleansing.” The man spoke as he barred the gate, twisting the iron slat as if it were a ribbon. (Y/N) fired at him, covering her partner as Ashley helped him up.

“Run!” (Y/N) didn’t wait to see what the man was going to do, but instead joined her companions as she ran after them. More villagers awaited, ready to ambush the unfortunate trio; by mere luck, they managed to dodge the attacks and clear their path as they reached a wooden bridge- one so flimsy that they wouldn’t dare cross of they could help it.

“I’m stuck!” Ashley cried, Leon rushed to her side all the while (Y/N) took care of any approaching villagers. Just as Leon help the girl up, the bridge began crumbling, forcing them to get off of it seconds before it collapsed.

“Close one.” They panted; on the other side, the tall man stared at them in silence. Despite the fact that the bridge was out, the all knew too well that little obstacle would only buy them some time- time in which that guy will find a way to find them.

“Ashley, listen. You’re the one he wants. If we see him again, you run.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll do my job.” His words were final, letting the girl know he meant business. Calmness followed, akin to the quiet before the storm. A sign piqued (Y/N)’s interest- it said ‘no trespassing’. Her partner also took a notice.

“We’re gonna have to face the law by the end of this mission.” He remarked in a playful manner.

“Yeah. But I think you forgot to mention vandalism and theft- may I add- from corpses.”

“I thought we were over this-“

“Good for us that Mr Graham will take care of that.”

“Oh, look it’s your friend.” Leon was relieved at the sight of the merchant, who stared at the two just as baffled as Ashley did.

“Welcome. Oh, what are you buying.” Leon nudged his partner forward, despite her efforts to stop him by pressing her heels into the ground. An awkward- almost unnatural- smile curled the corners of her lips.

“Hello! This fella over here said you’ve got grenades…”- she pointed to the man behind her, who failed at hiding the grin on his face- “So, I was wondering if you could give me like five.” The merchant placed five grenades and equal number flash bangs.

“What kind, stranger?”

“Both.” She pulled out fifty dollars from the depths of her pouch, and placed them before the guy. He glanced at the dirtied, crumpled up bill before giving her a look of disapproval that only caused her stress to skyrocket. Here to save the day, Leon dropped a bag of coins, which the merchant gladly accepted.

“Come back anytime.” Hurriedly, (Y/N) took the grenades and walked off.

“I fucking hate you, Kennedy.” She cursed under breath, which in return caused her partner to chuckle.

“You’re welcome.” Leon took the lead, taking the steps to what appeared to be a warehouse of sorts; inside there were sack containing crimson substance neither one of the trio wanted to know the origin of. The wooden planks on the windows ruptured with hundreds of splinters flying in the air; Leon suffered the force of whoever it was that broke through. To say he was surprised to see the man from just a few minutes ago would be a lie. Ashley screamed, accidentally drawing the offender’s attention. The agent shot at his back, averting his attention away from the girl.

“We need to go.”

“But Leon.”

“He can deal with this on his own.” (Y/N) urged the girl.

“Oh, Almighty! Grant me the strength to crush your enemies.” The hostile man spoke as he neared Leon.

“Run!” Leon shouted, his words finally convinced the girl to follow her other rescuer. And doing so, the two escaped just in time as an explosion set the building on fire. Ashley fell to her knees, hot tears ran down her cheeks; (Y/N) knelt next to her.

“You don’t need to worry about him. He’s a professional.”

“And so are you.”

“Look, our job is to protect you and if dying means doing so, then we are more than willing to sacrifice ourselves. In his place, I would’ve done the same. Plus, we do know quite a few things about survival.” The agent forced a smile, for her words weren’t enough to comfort even herself. Not that she was underestimating the capabilities of her colleague, yet she couldn’t help but worry about him, knowing she was of little help right now.

Her watery gaze lingered back to the burning building, where she noticed a small window. Instructing Ashley to stay back, (Y/N) rushed to the window only to be met with an utterly grotesque sight. The man’s spine was elongated and covered in appendages as if it were a giant centipede. His nails were long akin to spears, his pale skin was covered in raven net-like veins; as horrific as his appearance was, it didn’t come close to the sight of him splitting his torso from his pelvis, leaving a pair of legs to stumble until they fell limp on the ground as if they were never a vital part of his being but rather an out fashioned attire. She tried her best not to puke as she shifted her attention to her partner that adamantly fired at the monster.

“To think you could be so foolish. We share the same blood. Why do you resist?” (Y/N) shivered as she was reminded of the infection; she didn’t even want to think of what could happen if they don’t cure it n time. Still, her brain always managed to take her to places so dark, she couldn’t see a point to keep forward. This time there was a point, Ashley trusted her and so did her partner. Taking a notice of a lonely chair, she swung it at the window, instantly breaking it; inside the monstrosity laid on the ground, seemingly stunned. She called out to her partner and tossed him one of her precious grenades; in response he winked at her before using the throwable. A mixture of sensations pooled in her stomach at this innocent interaction. But to her it was so much more.

The heat of the flames burned her face as so did the melancholy her insides. Somehow the fire wasn’t as hot as was the alcohol she had half a year ago; she couldn’t even remember what she had, much like she couldn’t recall a lot of other things from that night. Though what she did- or what she like to think she remembered- was Leon winking at her the very same way as he guided her back to their room. Tipsy after celebrating yet another job well done, they had nowhere to be the next day and what better way to celebrate than spend some time with your lethally handsome colleague. One thing led to another and they soon found themselves passionately kissing shortly after locking the door behind them.

Loud bang cut her trip down memory lane short and brought her back in the present as she saw Leon jump out the window, flames covered his back and leg. Quickly, she put out the fire on his leg, whilst Ashley took care of the one on his back. Getting on his feet, he thanked the girls, a soft smile curled the corners of his lips.

“The fire’s bound to catch their attention. Let’s keep moving.”

“I won’t turn into one of them, right?”

“We won’t let that happen.”

“I promise.” Leon reassured the two of them, well aware of the fact that they are both worried. Their conversation was cut short as enraged locals appeared on the horizon; their torches were akin to a wave of light that portended trouble. The survivors picked up their pace; they came across a massive bridge that led to the castle- the very same one the agents saw in the lake.

“(Y/N), take that one!” Leon pointed to a crank; wasting no time, the two began cranking, causing the bridge to lift and stopping anyone from proceeding.

“At least we don’t have to worry about being followed.” Beeping sound came from Leon’s pocket; relief washed over (Y/N) at the sound, yet that relief was short-lived once she heard Luis’ voice instead of Hunnigan’s one.

“Luis here. You guys still around?”

“Well, I wanted to go home, but the girls had to see this castle first.”

“Perfect, because I have a present I want to give you. Medicine that will help to suppress the progress of your… problem.” (Y/N)’s interest was piqued; although she wanted to receive info on the chopper, the idea of a medicine was just as- if not more- intriguing.

“Where do we go?”

“Let’s see… Come to the courtyard inside of the castle. We can meet up there. Ciao!”

“Alright. Luis just said-“

“Got it. We better get going.” Ashley interrupted.

“She’s right. Let’s go.” Doing so, they walked further into the territory of the castle; wordlessly, (Y/N) gestured for her companions to stay still as she pulled out her binocular. Scanning the new area, she voiced everything she saw, not sparing her fellow survivors any detail.

“There’s a gate, probably to the courtyard. It’s guarded. They’ve got crossbows. Oh, and catapults.”

“Things just keep getting better.”

“You don’t say. Come on.” (Y/N) took the lead, whilst Leon stayed behind them. She knelt; her companions followed suit. Quietly, the three made their way forward and came across a room- the purpose of which must’ve been related to religious practices; a single person was standing before an altar. He was dressed in all black, making his pale skin appear even paler even under the dim candle light; judging by the robe he had, (Y/N) assumed he was a courtier though that didn’t really matter to her as her attention was rather focused on what he was doing. He was repeating something- perhaps a prayer- before his head ruptured with blood and amber goo gushing everywhere as something slithered out his neck. Unlike the tentacle parasite the agents came accustomed to in the village, this one was quite different. It resembled a worm with sharp appendages that surrounded an atrocious mouth, filled with countless teeth. Immediately, the agents began firing, aiming for the worm growth. Using a lot more ammo than anticipated, the worm finally disintegrated.

“What was that?” Ashley glanced at the corpse in disgust before she quickly looked away.

“Nothing I wanna see again, that’s for sure.” (Y/N) responded as she also found herself looking at the remains. As disturbing at the parasitic thing was, a part of her would’ve rathered to face one more of these monstrosities instead of trying to dodge numerous catapults. And although she saw it coming, she was still surprised when fire balls came crashing down right before their feet.

“I guess this is their idea of a warm welcome!” Leon exclaimed as he shot at the incoming attackers.

“Did you expect them to roll out the red carpet?”

“Maybe they should’ve.” (Y/N) only scoffed in response; now that they cleared a path, she rushed to the gate.

“Locked.”

“Looks like we’ll have to get creative.” Having no option but to move, the trio took cover beneath a dome, which, fortunately, wasn’t in the range of the catapults. Leon’s keen eye noticed a crank near the dome.

“(Y/N), cover me!”

“What?! Are you insane?” Her words did nothing to stop the man, for her began cranking, causing a platform to rise from beneath, a canon rested atop the platform. She was too busy to relish the sight of the canon, for she focused on taking out the shooters.

“It’s open! Go!” By mere luck, the trio made it inside the castle safe and sound.

“Wow, look at this place.” Ashley’s gaze wandered across the space, a light smile was written on her face; the agents couldn’t help but also appreciate the beauty of this place. Tall pillars supported the weight of the impossibly tall ceiling; upfront stairs lead to what could be a ballroom area with numerous candle holders planted around each pillar. Sheer layer of mist covered the floor, adding a mystifying touch to the already magical energy the space possessed. The artwork of each branch of the candle stick was prettier than any chandelier that (Y/N) had seen; even the fine pottery was a masterpiece of its own. The white glazed clay was peppered with golden ornaments that only enhanced its beauty instead of overdoing it. Plush red carpet, flowed down a set of marble stairs that lead to a tall wooden door. Yet the balcony above was what stole the show; the crescent outline of the balcony shone under the soft candle light.

The refreshing sense of safety was short lived, for a giggle resonated from the terrace and soon enough the laughing person came into view. His face was barely visible above the railing of the balcony; his snowy wig bizarrely fell in conjunction to the aesthetic of the castle. Almost comically two ginormous guards contrasted his size, obediently standing by his side. One was dressed in all black and the other in red; their faces were covered by the shadows, casted by their cloaks. Still their demonic eyes glowed as bright as the candlelight- something about them was far from human.

“I was starting to wonder when you might notice us.”

“Who are you?” Leon took a step forward, his hand remained close to the holster of his gun.

“Me? Oh please, call me Ramon. I’ve been expecting you, my brethren.” The man bowed, almost disappearing out of sight.

“No thanks, bro.”

“My, my. We’ve got a feisty one. Well then, allow me to get straight to the point. I would like you to hand over the girl there, to me…now. Maybe even the other one to keep each other company.”

“Yeah, fat chance, Ramon. The girls are just fine. With me.” Leon put emphasis on the last sentence.

“How noble. Nonetheless, the girl must be ours. With that girl as the very source, your United States, and then the whole world shall overflow with his grace. For that is the iron will of my master, the most holy Lord Saddler! So then, you will comply, yes?” A sickening grin curled around his crooked teeth.

“Never!” Ashley was resolute.

“How unfortunate. Do make sure our guest feels at home… now that he has chosen death.” Ramon disappeared; a bunch of courtiers, armed with shields and sickles, took his place. Both situations just as annoying as the other.

“The fun is yet to begin!” (Y/N) remarked as she and Leon paired up to defeat the enemies standing in their way.

Chapter Text

The castle was breathtaking- in every sense of the word. Its charms were just as many as were its dangers. One could easily get lost in the corridors filled with fine art before they find their doom in a hidden trap or the gloomy dungeons; although appreciating the undeniable beauty, the survivors were on edge. Their explorations led them deeper in the castle, and more specifically in the dungeons. Stale air embraced them with its cool, haunting touch, whilst the lingering smell of rotting flesh served as a reminder of their surroundings. What looked an awful lot like torture devises, were gather in a circle; these artefacts acted as a strange decoration of the hall they came across. Each corner of a hall branched to different areas. The exit opposite of them was a passage, blocked by solid bars. To their right was a body of a poor guy, tied to a door; another one opposite of him shared the same horrific fate. Shivers ran down (Y/N)’s spine at the thought what the cultists must’ve done to these people.

With only one door left, the survivors entered the corridor on the left; complete darkness had engulfed the narrow space. Chains hung from the ceiling, lonely cells formed a labyrinth of bars and unorganized wooden containers. Fresh blood pooled on the stone floor. A chilling sound of a clang resonated from beneath, followed by a low growl.

“Ah! What was that? Do they keep animals down there or something?”

The agents remained silent and encouraged Ashley to do so too. The corridor came to a dead end with a limp body sat beneath a bloody writing on the wall; the crimson liquid painted the yellowish wall. A key sat in the palm of the deceased. (Y/N) approached the body, taking the key, she slowly backed away. Cracking sound resonated beneath her feet, a loud thud soon followed as she fell through the floor and landed on hard stone flooring. Despite the awful pain in her head and ribcage, she made out the cries of her name and the same growl- this time much louder. She pulled out her flashlight, the beam of light landed on a face- face so distorted it could hardly be considered human. A helmet shielded the head of the man before her; his face was left uncovered. His eyes were stitched together, his mouth was curled into a pained grin; chains held him contained to a scarlet-colored wall- though she had a feeling, he won’t be held back by the shackles for long. The shouts of her concerned companions, caused the man to grow aggressive; violently, he shook as he broke free -her fears were valid.

Silently, she tried to put some distance between her and the threat, yet that was easier said than done. Numerous chains hung low from the ceiling each too close to the previous, making it impossible for her to remain stealthy, and when the clang of chains inevitably indicated her presence, she could feel the thuds of his steps rushing towards her. Luckily, she managed to make it unscathed to a larger area with an exit right before her eyes. Before she could even consider escaping, her chaser rushed in, clashing into a wooden stand- his sharp claws shattered the wood as if it were glass. With more sources of light, she was able to take a better look at what she was up against. The man- stripped of his humanity- appeared animalistic. His torso was covered with nothing but scars, sharp metal extensions came from his knuckles; if she didn’t know any better, she would’ve thought the guy was an impressive wolverine cosplayer. Such thoughts swiftly evaporated from her mind as the very same claws came too close to leaving her without a nose. The agent felt her heartbeat pulsing in her ears, her breath ceased, for she feared he could hear her shaky inhales.

Sneaking out of his way, she managed to take a look at his back; she noticed a prominent growth right between his shoulder blades As silently as she could, she took out her weapon and fired at the abscess; he squirmed in pain; her lips curled in a smug grin, pleased with finding the weak spot of her opponent. Amber puss spurted from his back as the growth sprung out akin to a worm before splitting into two. Numerous tentacle like appendages surrounded the main branch of the parasite. The agent had to withstand the urge to puke, for the man’s claws got stuck in the wall, leaving him vulnerable to her precise shots; each bullet was followed with screams and growls of agony. A clang resonated as he freed his weapon; (Y/N) hid, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike again. And such opportunity presented itself soon, for the man stood still, his blind eyes pointlessly looking for her. Sneaking behind him, she lunged at his back, stabbing the parasite until it disintegrated into nothingness. For a few moments, she stood atop his limp body, panting in disbelief at what just happened; internship as a federal agent prompts a person to do things they never considered they were capable of. Picking herself up, she didn’t look back as she made her exit. A body was tied on the opposite side of the bars- she had circled back. She heard someone coughing.

“Ah! Oh, it’s you.” Relief was written on the faces of her companions.

“What happened down there?”

“Nothing. Ashley was right about the animals though.” She avoided Leon’s concerned gaze and instead proceeded to the locked door, using the newfound key. Ashley coughed once again as so did Leon.

“Are you guys okay?”

“For now.” (Y/N)’s heart clenched at that answer, she was constantly reminded that time wasn’t on their side. With that though haunting her very being, she found determination to keep going.

Each room led to a new one; akin to a maze of modest- yet still spectacular- chambers to extravagant, over the top halls. Still, what all of these rooms had in common was the fine pottery peppered in every corner; the reoccurring decoration seemed to also have piqued Leon’s interest, for he took a closer look at one of the many similar vases. As if he were a toddler seeing something for the first time, he tapped it; loud clatter caused the women to look at his direction. Caught red handed, he remained silent and averted his gaze away from the judgmental ones of his companions, and doing so, he noticed a bag of coins beneath a shard of what used to be a beautiful vase. He handed the money to his partner, accompanied with an apologetic look.

“Could come in handy for your next shopping spree.” He awkwardly scratched the nape of his neck, his softened gaze briefly met hers.

Their lighthearted interactions were a breath of fresh air amidst a suffocating fog; unfortunately, these moments were always short lived, and this time was no different. Any trace of peace in their features vanished once they entered yet another room though this one caught them unprepared. It was a ginormous hall. Long terraces traced the U form of the entrance, with hidden balconies right beside the doors. On either side were fountains; dark, almost black, waters emerged from the pools before the liquid splattered back down. Centrally a marble platform, covered with a plush red carpet, led to a crank. Above was yet another terrace though there was what appeared to be a platform at the middle, at the bottom of which was a painting. Colossal crimson curtains were tied to the impossibly tall ceiling.

The survivors couldn’t really appreciate the extraordinary charm of the hall, for numerous courtiers were guarding the place, ready to attack. Archers were on the lookout, standing on the balconies, shooting at the poor survivors from each possible direction. On the ground, numerous courtiers awaited the intruders with shields, maces and axes. And if that weren’t enough, a courtier in red cloak chanted something. Words that caused (Y/N)’s companions to writhe in pain; the mysterious spell caused the courtiers’ head to explode, allowing for the parasite to slither out their necks.

Coming up with a strategy on the spot, the agents quickly got on track. (Y/N) took care of the archers with the help of Leon’s sniper rifle all the while Leon took out anyone that neared them. Getting accustomed to her methods, he used a flash grenade on a couple of the exposed parasites, causing them to disintegrate with an ear-piercing shriek. Together, the agents shielded Ashley as they made their way to the crank; the girl was given the task of cranking, whilst her rescuers assured her safety. With a thud, the platform fell- just as the agents had hoped.

“All right, awesome!” Ashley exclaimed.

“We’re not out the woods yet.” Leon’s words proved to be ominous, for their escape was obstructed by a large pool of water. A platform appeared as he switched a valve, still that platform alone wasn’t enough for them to proceed forward as there still was a great gap between them and their way out. Noting more valves above them, Ashley offered her help. Although very hesitant at first, the agents agreed, for they could both protect her. Leon helped her up.

“Watch out for me.” He nodded; not too long after, a new wave of courtiers came as if they were on cue. Some came from downstairs and some were on the terrace, going after Ashley. (Y/N) concentrated as she took out anyone in proximity of the girl all the while her partner covered both of them. The huge marble statues fell in her field of vision as she scanned for more incoming courtiers; odd raven liquid covered the face of one of them- almost in symbolic manner.

“Now the other one.” Ashley announced as she ran in the other direction.

“Be careful.” (Y/N)’s stress was at an all time high; even though it was their duty to protect the president’s daughter all along, she never felt that burden as much as she did right now. She could feel her shaky breath or how her eye started to burn from how much she focused on the targets. Yet her finger remained steady on the trigger, never missing a single shot. The agent was so consumed by her duty- as if she were in a trance- so much so she didn’t even realize all platforms had risen until Leon caught Ashley and urged both women to follow him. Finally, they escaped the hellish hall; giving each other a high five, they let themselves catch their breath. Refreshing greenery and the cool autumn zephyr welcomed them to the They made it.

“Hey, you sure you’re good?” Leon asked, concerned by the girl’s excessive coughing.

“Y-yeah..” She was rather hesitant. The agents’ concern only grew as Ashley almost fell to the ground if it weren’t for Leon to catch her just in time. Holding her in his arms, he glanced at his partner, who was looking back at him – mortified. The girl got to her feet with his knife in her hands. She went for stabbing him, but was stopped by his quick reflexes; blood dripped down his wrist and painted the blade red before she pried it out of his strong grip. Instead, she pointed the sharp weapon to her neck. Raven colored blood vessels covered her sclera and spread to her temples and cheekbones; maniacal smile curled the corners of her lips. Iron bars landed between her and the agents. Just as suddenly as everything had occurred, she came back to her natural self, dropping the knife. Fear was evident in her expression as she ran away.

Leon cursed, behind him (Y/N) stood speechless; her dumbfound gaze was glued to the ground, in denial to what she just witnessed. A comforting, bloody palm squeezed her shoulder. Her vison grew blurry as she met his regretful one. Pair of strong arms pulled her in a delicate embrace; the familiar warmth brought a bittersweet sensation to her tainted heart. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as hot tears rolled down her cheeks and disappeared in the fabric of his shirt. Loud exhale escaped past his lips as he let himself surrender his stoicism and embrace his true emotions; he rested his chin atop her forehead.

“Have we failed?”

“Not until we keep fighting.”

Chapter Text

“We need to get you patched up.” Leon lifted his gaze from his gun that he just finished reloading; he was met with her keen gaze, her palms rested on her hips. Denying her demands wasn’t an option, he knew by her body language. Also he knew better than to get on her nerves- or at least not at the wrong time. So, he followed her instructions, sliding off his glove and extending his hurt limb towards her. Sat next to him on the fountain, she handled the cut with the proficiency of a professional- a skill she had required over the years. Focused on her task, she didn’t even notice her partner glancing at her, nor the few fishes that swam in the shallow emerald waters. Not that he noticed the strange water life either.

Dazed not by loss of blood, not even by the effects of the parasite but simply by her, he couldn’t bring himself to look anywhere but at her. Garlands of vegetation swayed beneath the gust of the wind, forming a flowing curtain that fell from the dome of the small gazebo they rested at. Not even the starry night sky, not even the moon deemed worthy before the effortless beauty of his partner. Her delicate touch, her caring nature, her unique beauty, her complex character he’d been unraveling ever since he came across her; he was captivated and was unable to free himself from her enchanting aura. Through his life, he’d been in love, he’d been hurt and loved but no one came close to the concoction of emotions (Y/N) brought in his tormented heart- she was the fuel that kept him going no matter what. And now that fact was even more painfully true.

“This is gonna sting.” Any feeling of discomfort was diminished by her soft voice; in fact, he only felt warmth if any discomfort at all. What he felt was great adoration deep within his chest that expanded further than his body could contain, and all of it was meant for one person and one person only.

“(Y/N)” He spoke up, his voice a bit hoarse; his heart skipped a beat as his blues were met with her (E/C) “What about your wound?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“It hasn’t been cleaned in over a-“

“It’s okay.” She raised her tone ever so slightly, a glint of remorse shone in her irises as she backed away.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. Let’s get going.”

Now that Ashley was gone, the two agents exchanged few words, for they were solely focused on finding the girl once again. In pursuit of the subject, the professionals found themselves in a cellar- yet they were not on their own. Right before them was a group of courtiers along with one dressed in all red; a goat skull sat atop his head, much like the statues that were displayed on either side of a barred door. In his hand was a crimson lantern that was identical to the one help by one of the marble figures.

Noting the undeniable similarity, Leon took a closer look at the statues, whilst his partner kept an eye out for potential intruders. Although covered in robes, their bodies were evidently human, whilst their heads were replaced with goat skulls. (Y/N)’s keen eye saw a lonely note atop a barrel. She scoffed in an irritated manner as she browsed through its contents; it said something about a crimson flame. She didn’t hesitate to show it to her partner, who was just as pleased by the idea of solving yet another riddle. Although the puzzles themself weren’t always too hard to figure out, it was the hassle of finding the missing pieces that proved more difficult and time consuming- and time was resource they couldn’t spare. Luckily, the missing piece wasn’t too hard to spot this time, though obtaining it was another story.

Having a hunch they would have to take out the red guy, they took a moment to study their surroundings and their opponent. He held a scepter in his hand as he chanted something repeatedly- a prayer of sorts that caused the parasite to erupt from the heads of the infected courtiers- just like in the water room. Again, it affected Leon, though this time much more severely; he groaned and held his pulsing head as everything before his gaze was shaking. Raven nets -that were his veins- covered his bare forearms and spread to his face and eyes. (Y/N)’s eyes widened in utter horror as she watched him squirm and suffer as the parasite was taking control over his body; she called out his name, her hand reluctantly touched his. There seemed be no effect.

As soon as the mysterious crimson courtier ceased his prayer so did Leon’s convulsion. He shook his head, the raven nets slowly retracted back as if they never were there to begin with; his gaze cleared and searched for hers- confusion and distress was woven in the icy blues of his irises. Taking a look at the guy once again, they were mortified to see a crowd of tentacles swinging in the air akin to a wall that made the small space of the cellar feel even more claustrophobic.

Keeping low, the two took cover behind stacked barrels as they figured out a route through the crowd. Stealth was their only option if they wanted to get to their target. Slowly, they sneaked successfully to a staircase, where they came face to face with a huge problem. There was courtier who was guarding the area; he spotted them almost immediately. Rushing towards him, Leon knocked the guard to the ground all the while (Y/N) focused on their main target; the red courtier was in his initial place, still unaware of what was happening. Noting a caution sign on a barrel, she shot at it, causing a strong blast to send the courtier to the ground along with his inferiors. Laying on the ground, he twitched as the very last drops of life were draining out of him; (Y/N) knelt beside him with her knife, steady in her grip.  A bang averted her attention for a moment as she saw a shielded courtier fall to his demise right beside her. A content smile curled the corners of her lips as she mentally thanked her partner; She raised her weapon, the blade shone under the dim light. Blood gushed, painting her hands and arms in crimson splatters as she finally put an end to his misery as she pierced his skull with her knife. His grip on the lantern loosened as he let out his final breath.

“Let’s go before another crimson asshole shows up.”

As soon as they got the door opened, they exited the cellar without even looking back. With rushed steps, they found themselves back in the castle once more though in a separate area. Judging by the layout of the space they had entered; they were most likely in one of the many towers. The room itself was tall and spacious but far from empty. Right before the entrance, sheets of yellowed paper hung from the ceiling beneath which was table littered with lit candles and other supplies. Medieval styled circular chandelier spread soft candle light across the room as so did the lit fireplace; tall bookcases stood opposite of two suits of armor that guarded the hearth. A dining table hosted an untouched repast. An open window let in cool, refreshing air as well as the silver beams of the lonely moon. Despite the zephyr of deceiving comfort, emitted from the room, the agents didn’t risk letting their guard down even for a second. With their trusty weapons in hand, they searched the area for dangers and unwanted surprises with (Y/N) taking the lead.

“Put your hands where I can see them.” Leon froze as he felt the barrel of a gun coming in contact with his back, the painfully familiar voice caused his blood to run cold. Swiftly, (Y/N) pointed her gun to the intruder, noticing a woman in red dress, holding Leon at gunpoint. He gazed at his partner, a glimmer of irritancy and torment flashed in his blues; he dropped his gun, his expressions shifted as if he gave his partner a confirmation that everything was under control.

“I see you brought company.” The woman’s gaze shifted to (Y/N), her enigmatic smile only further confused the agent as well as it irritated her.

“Nice to meet you too.” The agent returned, her tome reeked of sarcasm.

“Well after six years, that is one hell of a greeting… Ada.”

“You don’t seem surprised. Interesting…” Leon interrupted the woman as he knocked her gun out of her grasp; his hand curled around her wrist as he pulled in the opposite direction. (Y/N) swiftly packed her gun in its holster and blocked the woman’s kick that was too close to serving a strong blow to the her head. Leon pulled out his knife and swung it, a loud woosh cut through the air, followed by the cacophony of the commotion. Going for a bold move, (Y/N) jumped off the ground, her hips landed on the shoulders of her opponent but before she could bring her to the ground, she herself came crashing down to the cold floor instead. Although her move didn’t go accordingly as planned, the intruder was stunned enough for Leon to be able to overpower her. As she got to her feet, (Y/N) saw her partner holding the woman at knife point; his icy eyes bore into her raven ones. Shivers ran down (Y/N)’s spine at the intensity of his prying gaze.

“Not a bad move.” A smug grin painted the woman’s features; (Y/N) felt as if her insides were shifting, her resentful gaze didn’t leave the woman even for a second.

“Who are you working for this time?”

“Oh, Leon. You know I don’t work and tell.” Leon pulled away, placing his knife in its respective place; his partner pointed her gun at the woman, immediately drawing her attention. Leon gestured for her to lower the weapon, her puzzled gaze met his stoic one; silently, she put it back.

“Leave the girl. You walk away now… and who knows? Maybe you and your friend will get to live.”

“You think I’m gonna give up that easy?” The woman’s arrogant smile slightly faded; disappointment glimmered in her features.

“Right. We can continue this discussion another time.”

In the blink of an eye, the woman- Ada- vanished into thin air. Leon only smiled bitterly as he gazed out the window, the glass shook ever so slightly, its squeaking echoed in the big space. (Y/N) looked outside, looking for her but she was nowhere to be seen. Inexplicable discomfort settled in her stomach, sudden irritation seethed in her heart, causing her to furrow her brows together. Who was she?

“Last person I thought I’d run into here…”

“Who is she anyway?” Leon sensed the change in the tone of his partner; from the very begging of this mission, it had come to his attention that there was something off with her, something he couldn’t quite grasp. Since they got separated from Ashley, she was on edge, which he understood. Yet the irritation in her question didn’t seem to be affected by the status of their subject.

“Well… She’s a part of my past.”

“You’ve never mentioned her.”

“I’ve never had a reason to.” She lifted her gaze, and met his.

“Can I ask you something?” He nodded; an uneasy feeling settled within him.

“Was she the reason you left?” She swallowed hard, somewhat trying to dissolve the lump that almost obstructed her speech; sharp sting pierced her sinuses as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. She was quick to wipe them in a rough manner much like she was trying to wipe the little memories she had from that night. Guilt washed over Leon, for he understood what she was getting at. Now he too got wrapped up in remembrance of their last mission; he let out a deep exhale.

“No.” He recalled how the heath had spread across his body at a rapid pace and how her lips made him dizzier than all of the alcohol he consumed that night, how he was losing control over himself and instead he was slowly becoming a slave to his repressed needs. He knew it was wrong, he felt it was wrong yet excitement rushed to his core at the sound of her soft whines and their ruffling clothes ricocheting off the walls of their shared hotel room. The euphoria of their accomplished mission combined with her irresistible charm were making it hard for him to think straight. His dignity was screaming at him as they continued exploring one another against the wall.

‘That’s not professional of you. Don’t do something you will regret. What if she’s fooling you? What if she’s fooling herself?’  The voice in his head had become overwhelming as so did his anxiety; before him, (Y/N) then sat on the bed, bare in anticipation for his love, for him- but it never arrived.

Anticipation grew into impatience, impatience grew in anxiety; irritated, she searched his gaze for answers. When she reluctantly asked him why he stopped, he only uttered that ‘it doesn’t feel right’. She didn’t feel right either as she shamefully covered herself and asked him to leave. At that moment all and any words died out in his throat, his shameful eyes hesitantly darted to hers; flames of pain and disappointment were set ablaze in her (E/C) irises that shone through the glossy curtain of forming tears. He couldn’t bare look at her so hurt and betrayed. So, he left, wandering in to the cold, gloomy night, where he let the tears of his own to flow.

“Then why?” The words were filled with pain. The same pain she felt then; alone, she laid in the bed they had shared for the past three weeks. She had wrapped herself in the sheets that still had the smell of his cologne lingering in the fabric. She’d looked over his side of the bed. If she weren’t so naïve none of this would’ve happened- she thought as her tears soaked her pillow. The morning after, she was both relieved to see him gone and disgusted, knowing what happened the night before wasn’t just some sickeningly realistic nightmare. After that she hadn’t seen him for months, months in which she deeply regretted letting her guard down. And now, after half a year has passed, fate made their paths cross once more, and this time she had the courage to search for answers- something, anything to give her a peace of mind.

“I… I wasn’t sure you wanted it. We were drunk and I didn’t want our first time to be like this.” He paused between sentences, carefully choosing his words. A tear rolled her cheek, a new wave of emotions overwhelmed her. “I tried to tell you, but I didn’t.”

(Y/N) remained silent, her burdened mind processed his words all the while her heart was jumping from one emotion to another. Facing him, she was met with his apologetic baby blues that patiently waited to meet her (E/C) ones. She exhaled deeply, rethinking his every word.

“You’re my partner, nothing can change that.” She began, her softened faze met his hopeful one. ”And in order for us to work together we have to trust each other.”

“Does that mean you forgive me?” Soft hopeful smile lit up his features.

“I would like to try. But only under one condition… Once we finish this mission we retire and go on a vacation.” His smile only grew bigger.

“Yes ma’am.”

With something to look forward to, the two proceeded with newfound motivation. Navigating through the narrow corridors of the towers, the two agents came across a lonely courtier -though he wasn’t alone for long. Something, akin to a mix of abnormally big spider and a worm lurked in his shadow; numerous sets of thin, elongated legs swiftly moved in synch as it silently sneaked behind him. Its feet latched to its victim and pierced his ribcage. The parasitic organism took full control of the courtier; still the poor victim seemed to be aware- as far as any of the infected locals could be at least. He screamed and ran frantically, in failed attempt to get the parasite off of his back. Side by side, the agents briefly exchanged reassuring looks before they collectively shot at the threat until the poor courtier was taken out of his misery alongside the parasitic creature.

As horrendous as what they witnessed was, the path ahead embodied a different kind of horror; a mix of puzzles and dozens of hostiles proved to be just as chilling. Dodging arrows and near-death experiences, the agents found themselves at the very top of one of the many castle towers. They had company too. Hurriedly, Leon pulled his partner out of danger’s way; taken by surprise, her gaze met with his, his face just mere inches away from hers. Their hot breaths clashed together, bringing warmth to one another. Thanking her partner, she mustered the will to slither out his embrace before quickly taking a look at what was so keen on getting them killed.

“Not one of those again.” (Y/N) watched in disbelief as a giant roared on the tower opposite of them; unlike his predecessor from the village, this guy was armored in a knightly fashion and was armed with boulders.

“These guys are really starting to become a giant pain in my ass.”

“You don’t say!” She shouted as she took cover.

“Now!” Leon pointed to a bridge; wasting no time, she followed his lead as the giant was preparing to deliver another hit. Barely, they made it just in time to take cover behind a stone railing; they weren’t the only ones hiding from the flying rocks. Leon grunted, for a hostile latched onto his neck; just as quickly as the attack occurred, the blade of (Y/N)’s knife pierced the neck of the courtier. His grip loosened before he fell limp to the ground.

“You owe me one.”

“Didn’t realize we are keeping score.”

“Then you better catch up, Kennedy.” He let out a low chuckle, warmth enveloped his racing heart. Brushing aside the sparks in his chest, he closely followed his partner. They came across a puzzle that was familiar from latest one they encountered; having remembered the pattern, it didn’t take them long to solve it. It was moving safely from point a to point b what proved to be more time consuming. Still, they managed to get to the ground floor of one of the towers, where they were met with a pleasant surprise.

“A canon!”

“Hope it works.” A weight was keeping the massive weapon on the ground floor. Knocking it down, the platform rose- much like was the case of the canon they used once they stepped foot in the castle grounds. (Y/N) got reminded of that moment as if it were ages ago. She brushed away any distractions and ran behind her partner, who was keen on destroying each weight until they climbed to the top, with the canon ready to be used.

“Get ready.” She stood behind Leon, who fired; the giant roared in agony. Blinded by the blow, the monster tripped and fell to his demise.

“Leon, the door!” (Y/N) brought his attention to a tall wooden passage that was guarded by shielded courtiers. Getting what she was hinting at, he aimed the canon at the direction of the passage, taking out every enemy in its way along with the door. Unfortunately, that little victory was no occasion for celebration, for Leon collapsed to his knees; his coughing had worsened. Small pool of blood formed beneath him; he saw his reflection in the crimson mirror, noting how his temples were painted in nets of black. His irises glowed a bright red.

Chapter Text

“Almost there. The courtyard shouldn’t be far.” She encouraged him. Though truth be told, she was trying to encourage herself.

“Go on without me.” He spoke between coughs, crimson droplets rolled down his chin. “I’ll just slow you down. Luis… must be waiting.”

“I’m not going anywhere without you.” Placing his arm on her shoulder, she grunted as she forced him to get to his feet. Limping their way forward, the duo came across a spacious open area- a terrace of sorts. It soared highly above the impenetrable gloom that unfurled beneath; there was no ground to be seen. Fog drifted above the endless abyss, akin to the puffs of a chimney. Crumbling marble railing did little to serve the purpose of safety, but rather became a symbol of the sanity of the infected folk- slowly but surely crumbling into nothingness. Beads of sweat quickly grew into falling droplets as (Y/N) pushed hers and Leon’s weight; her muscles were burning in protest, yet her will drove her to keep going. That little remaining will was rewarded; a fountain fell in her field of vision. Its silver waters glistened beneath the cool moonlight akin to a miragy oasis that lured the agents in much like a flame did to a moth.

“Here.” She sat her partner beside her. Aloof blues were glued to the ground, his pale face reminded of a canvas- blank. Although deprived of any certain expression, his features were covered in filth and blood, most of which was his own. The sight itself was deeply unsettling to (Y/N), although it was the growing silence that only amplified her concern.

“Let’s sit for a moment.” His gaze averted and met hers; his icy azures appeared cool under the beams of the moon. Exhaustion and turmoil were intertwined, shining through his eyes; the longer she let herself to gaze into his eyes, the more she saw into his wretched emotional state. That only disturbed her further. In an antsy manner, her gaze shied away from his and instead fell in her palms, where she noticed the loose fabric of her torn slacks. She pulled at the loose fabric, leaving a section of her thigh exposed; soaking the fabric in the water, she drained the excess before she patted Leon’s skin. As if frozen, he stood still, complying to her care. Little by little, the grime came off; she felt her heartbeat picking up beneath his intense eyes. Breathy gasp rolled down her parted lips as their gazes met; her fingers bashfully glid the cloth across his mouth. Going for the fresh crimson droplets, she separated his plump lips slightly. She felt his velvety skin faintly through the barrier of the fabric, the vexatious sensation reminded of when she felt his lips against her own. The bliss of that moment flew over her head just as soon as it had appeared, for she noticed the purplish tint to his mouth; she took a glimpse of his teeth, noting how they appeared somewhat sharp.

“How are you feeling?”

“Been better.” His features softened, his grip on the marble loosened and his gaze regained its spark- although a lot fainter than usual. (Y/N) forced a smile and words of encouragement- words she herself found hard to believe. Together, they got to their feet and continued their search. The terrace grew narrow as the sight of a tall passage was revealed before them; Leon pushed at the massive doors. He grunted in struggle, yet he still managed to pry it open just enough for them to enter.

“Finally!” (Y/N) exclaimed, relief washed over her features at the sight of the greenery. “We should contact Luis-“ Just as she spoke, the transmitter beeped. Leon picked it up.

“Still alive I see.” Familiar, annoying voice caused her hopeful smile to freeze. It was Ramon Salazar. ”So, do you like my garden?”

“I see you’ve managed to work in a little of your twisted taste here too.” Leon responded to which the caller burst in outrageous laughter. With the exchange of these words, (Y/N) took a more thorough look at the sight before her. Deep emerald branches formed bushes full of life amongst which trailed narrow walkways with countless of twist and turns that were hard to define even from the terrace the agents were on. Few domes stuck above the see of greenery with warm light that died out in the gloomy garden. Centrally, atop a pearly white bridge was a fountain representing a marble carving of a fair lady that held an overflowing plate.

“Even I get lost here sometimes. Even if it takes you your whole life, you’ll never get out. Do you know that no-one dies without a cause?” Shivers crept up her spine at Salazar’s sinister words. “Now if you will excuse me, I have to tie up a few loose ends.”

The call ended as abruptly as it had occurred and silence once again fell upon the two; still the song of the crickets and the gentle howl of the wind served as a white noise that prevented (Y/N) from completely losing grip of her sanity. Her wary eyes continued their scan of the vicinity. Surrounding the area, tall stone walls towered over the garden; numerous dark windows enhanced the eerie sensation that the two agents weren’t alone. The lack of roof did little to lessen the claustrophobic feeling; ironically enough, the exposed moon- full and gleaming- appeared to be staring mockingly with its countless grey eyes.

“(Y/N), take a look.” Gladly averting her gaze away from the moon, she looked at the direction her partner pointed at; it was a double door passage the center of which housed an indentation with an odd shape.

“Two moons make one.”

“What is it with these people and puzzles?” (Y/N) rested her hands on her hips and sighed.

“Whatever it is we better hurry up. While we still can.” A serious look was written on his face, a look that made her anxious heart clench. Clicks of their rushed steps across the marble stairway echoed and died out in the garden the further down they got. A whiff of pleasant freshness tingled their noses; rich red roses decorated the beryl walls with aroma and vibrant color that stood out against the surrounding dark palette. Cobblestone paths lead them deeper in the maze; crows stood atop the branches, singing their atrocious song deprived of any melodicity but instead overflowing with grotesque mockery. Luckily, their composition was short-lived but instead was replaced with a sound far more sinister.

Low growls caught the attention of the agents; they slowed down their steps as they prepared their guns. Leon took a step forward with his partner just a foot behind; steadily, he held his shotgun with his finger resting atop the trigger. The unnerving sound only grew louder. Leon flinched and fired; the bang caught his partner by surprise, yet what was even more surprising was the corpse of a dog. (Y/N)’s mouth gaped as she watched in utter horror; there was something wrong about the poor creature. Its teeth were abnormally sharp as were its claws, its lifeless eyes were a flaming crimson.

“Infecting humans is one thing but animals..? That’s just beyond me.”

“Doesn’t seem like a problem for these folks. Come on there’s probably more.” Reassuring smile and a pat on the shoulder surged a little hope in her. Little hope that was soon to vanish at the sight of unnaturally dark veins covering his arms. The more she tried to ignore Leon’s infection the more it made itself evident; the same applied to her anxious thoughts that followed her akin to a shadow. Still, she tried to brush off her thoughts, for she anchored her attention to her surroundings and especially to the rabid dogs. Closely, she followed the steps of her partner; her eyes darted in each direction, whilst she held her gun closely to her chest.

Navigating the tunnels, the agents came across a cage; rusty bars withheld a pack of dogs- or at least they had up until the canines collectively charged at the restraints, easily brining the bars to the ground. Sets of sharp teeth reflected the silver light of the moon that contrasted the vibrant scarlet of their flashing eyes. One of the dogs convulsed; it screeched as its back curled back before tentacle like growth spurt out of its spine. Violent growls echoed off the tall thick bushes as the pack charged at the agents. With no hesitation, Leon unloaded the shotgun on the infected animals; (Y/N) followed suit. The cacophony of bangs and weils was soon followed by eerie stillness.

Right around the corner stood a fountain that was almost identical to the one they saw from above; a bright shine caught the attention of the agents. Besides the pearly marble and crystal waters, there was an object in the shallow pool that reflected the pale moonlight. It was a stone figure, strange in shape and unfinished; a crescent disk stuck out centrally at its inner corner- it was a piece of the puzzle.

“This must be it.” Leon took the stone plate. His finger traced the chiseled carvings, silently appreciating the craftsmanship of the piece and the symbolism of the tree behind the waning moon.

“That leaves us with one moon to go.”

“And one step closer to getting out of here.” He replied, his gaze trailed to her as he put away the stone plate in his hip pouch.

“Yeah. I hope we find Ashley soon.” Regret daunted her features.

“We will and after we get home safe, we’ll go on that trip you mentioned. I can think of a lot of places we can visit.”

“I like your enthusiasm Kennedy, but we first must get our job done. May I also remind you that we have your infection to deal with. Speaking of which we should try contacting Luis ourselves.”- the worry in her eyes deepened, she pinched the bridge of her nose as her brows furrowed together. –“Poor Ashley. Who knows where she is or what’s happened to her...” Her breath hitched as she fought the overwhelming wave of sorrow and regret; a gentle pat on the shoulder prevented her from spiraling to the depths of her distressed mind.

“Look at me.” Gentle voice encouraged her. Doing as she was told, she caught a glimpse of his arms- all covered in darks veins. “When have we aborted a mission?”

“Never.”

“And we won’t this time. Not after getting this far.” Her eyes shied away from her partner’s ones; a pestering premonition clung to her heart and mind. As much as she wanted to- she found it hard to trust his words.

In a sick irony, the maze reflected (Y/N)’s mind, for it too was rich in many dark corners, twist and turns and regrettable creations. Whether by mere luck or undiscovered gift of navigating mazes, Leon was able to find the stairs to the bridge. The sight of the flowing water brought a relief to his partner, who relished the coolness of the crystal liquid; her joy only doubled as she noticed the remaining puzzle piece and confided it to her partner, who secured it by the other piece.

Venturing deeper into the maze, the two now tried to navigate their way back. With his trusty shotgun, Leon took the lead all the while his partner tried her best to memorize the places they’ve cleared. And that proved to be exceptionally difficult with dogs charging from every corner. Glued to her partner’s back gave her a little sense of security- that proved to be deceptive. Abruptly, a scream was ripped out of her lungs as a pair of jaws dug in her patched up leg; fresh blood soaked the dirtied white cloth, painting it crimson in the matter of seconds. Hot tears blurred her vision as she helplessly tried to pry her leg free. She whimpered as she felt the teeth retract back and release her of their strong hold; both of her legs grew limp. She fought to keep her balance but it was no use. Her head bounced off the freezing ground; her nerves burned her neck as she forced herself on her elbows. Doing so she saw her partner stabbing the dog repeatedly, its dying body twitched at each hit. Blood splattered his face- he was unfazed. His irises were overtaken by a fiery glint; her vision grew blurrier and blurrier, her eyelids heavier and heavier. Leon sharply averted his gaze to hers, his crimson eyes made contact with hers second before she felt darkness envelop her entire being.

A faint whisper of howling wind traveled the air, luring (Y/N) into the narrow space of a corridor. Mahogony wallpapers, richly peppered with grayish prints, were overcrowded with paintings of royalties; portraits in full height and just profile images stood next to each other as if they together they formed a mosaic- a dynasty of long history and heritage. Or so the agent would presume, yet that stayed in the far corners of her mind. More important questions were presenting themselves before her; questions such as where she is and how she got there were taking the lead until even more pressing ones arose. Where is Leon? Had he found Ashley? Or Luis?

Unfortunately for her, her questions only grew in quantity with none of them willing to unravel themselves; instead of answers, she came across a long hall. The howling of the autumn wind grew in loudness and force, blowing a wave of coldness into her. Her form trembled; only then did she realize she was dressed in a white dress. Her brows furrowed together in confusion; her arms crossed before her chest in a hopeless attempt to preserve her body heat. That though was otiose, for the tall windows were wide open; crimson curtains flowed above her head akin to a restless sea. The wind blew her hair as she proceeded further into the room.

(Y/N)’s steps felt light; as if she were but a mere snowflake dancing along the tune of the wind. Her gaze warily scanned her surroundings; her eyes shifted across the space. The numerous windows were intimidating with their ginormous size, that and how all of them were open was enough to cause her to shiver once more. The sight beyond them was equally as chilling as much it was breathtaking; puffy balls of navy cotton hid the sapphire sky along with the round sleepy moon. The hall itself didn’t fall back with its uncanny beauty. Tall statues stood opposite of the windows; the carved marble pictured women all identical to one another, each holding a book. Beside them were candle stands with unlit candles; brown wallpapers acted as an over the top background to the pearly marble. Above hung massive chandeliers, every row of which was filled with candles. The ceiling was an entire work of art itself; pastel blue circles were a home to incredible pictures of angels. A frame of carvings surrounded the paintings. The agent felt as if she was wandering a museum of fine arts way past closing time- that little fantasy of hers was broken by a strange noise.

Strolling forward; she found a hiding spot near two statues, a king and queen, guarding an aquamarine barred door. With her back pressed to the wall, she listened closely to the rhythmic thuds across the wooden floorings. The sound grew louder as so did the sound of her accelerated heartbeat; panic settled in her, for she couldn’t get an idea of who or what she was up against, and the lack of weaponry further induced her distress. A chair fell in her peripheral vision; wasting no time, she took the furniture and held it- ready to attack if needed.

Her breath ceased, her eyes widened; beside her was a tall silhouette, disguised by the shadows. The agent’s grip on the chair tightened; a blurry sheet coated her staring eyes. Still, she didn’t dare blink in fear the figure might leave its current place. Though that fear manifested either way as the person stepped forward, coming face to face with her. She gasped in terror as she was met with a pair of glowing red eyes. Swiftly, she swung the chair at the intruder’s head, stunning him long enough for her to run off in the direction she came from. Each erratic breath she took burned her trachea; her chest ached. Coming to the place she initially found herself in, she frantically forced the doorknobs, but to no avail- the doors were locked. The steps behind her grew louder as her chaser got closer; panic took over her senses, yet not her mind. Noting a passage right beside her, she took refuge in another hallway- one she had failed to notice earlier on. Pressed against the cool wall, she found it hard to make out the approaching steps from the sound of her erratic heartbeat.

(Y/N) knew she couldn’t run forever but hiding appeared to be a better solution as of the moment- until she found something to fight back with. As good as that plan sounded, she knew it would be much harder to execute, given her lack of knowledge of the threat and the area she was in. Still an inexplicable drive fueled her will to survive. So, she took deep a few breaths as quietly as humanly possible, and took a good look at the room she fled to. Similar to the hall she discovered a few minutes ago, the windows were open, letting in the cool air. A long table stood in the middle of the space, red chairs were pressed against the wall that much like the chairs were red; at the bottom of the room were doors. Luckily, this time around the agent was able to open them only to find a rather narrow passage. Crimson curtains hung low on either side of the walls, covering what appeared to be carved paintings; at the end of the corridor was a marble lion statue. To the left the corridor continued with numerous of armor stands guarding the passage with their threatening posture and shiny weapons. A glimmer of hope shone on (Y/N)’s face at the sight of swords and battleaxes; although she hadn’t come across such weaponry at the academy, she was more than happy to feel the heavy iron in her palms. It’s just like a knife. A big one at that. She thought to herself.

With that her luck ran short, for she heard the doors swing open, followed by heavy breathing. Quickly, she lifted the weapon; a breathy exhale left her lips. She saw her reflection on the blade- full of determination. She wasn’t going to give up that easy- of that, she was sure. Eyes focused on the opposite end of the corridor, she mentally prepared herself for a battle, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Those little rituals fell flat and quiet literally she almost did too at the sight of her partner right before her. Yet relief was the furthest from what she felt seeing him- if anything she felt even more terrified. His form seemed altered and humped; his mouth was curled into a disgusting grin that revealed his pearly canines that appeared inhumanly sharper. His hair was messy and dirty; his palms were enlarged with deadly claws at the tips of his fingers. Raven root like loops colored his temples, his eyes widened and flaming red irises were fixed at her.

“Leon..?” She stared in disbelief; she held the sword closer to her chest.

“(Y/N).” His ugly mouth opened as her name rolled off his serpentine tongue.

“It’s not you anymore, is it?” Leon spoke no further but instead lunged at her, his sharp claws clang with her sword. With a grunt she evaded his attack at the cost of the sword; horrified, she stared at the remains of the blade. There was not time to mourn, for her opponent got to his feet. Leon smirked with the other half of the blade in his palm; scarlet drops rolled down his fingers as his grip on the sharp object tightened. (Y/N) gulped; holding onto the last of her weapon, she watched him closely as he approached her. With a singular swing, the sword flew out her palm. A whimper rolled off her lips; her back hit the ground, the impact of the blow caused her to lose her breath and Leon’s weight on her chest only made it harder for her to breathe. Maniacally, he stared at her with his dull eyes; drops of his own blood painted her cheek as he lifted the blade. With the corner of her eye, she noticed her sword; grunts echoed in the hall with each of her attempt to get a hold of the weapon. Whether he didn’t notice or he simply wasn’t impressed by her pathetic attempt to survive, he didn’t do anything to stop her. With one last grunt, she grabbed the handle, swinging the blade into his side.

Morbid scream was ripped out his lungs; the agent kicked off her partner and ran. Slamming the door on Leon, she tried to barricade the it but he was too quick. She screamed as he blasted the door, causing it to fall to the ground. Wasting no time to look back, she kept running. Where- she did not know. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks, washing away the blood. Her feet grew heavy, her faith- thin; once more she came across the barred doors- this time she had nothing to fight with. Turning around, she saw him. Standing in the shadows, he glared at her with his glowing red eyes and shiny pearly fangs. The agent swallowed hard; her own (E/C)s staring back at him; her vision grew blurrier at the second. Slowly, he took a step forward and then another; she cried with each step he took, begging him to stop, to snap out of it- but to no avail. His smirk curled further to an inhuman extend, enhancing the mania that shone in his irises.

“Leon…” She called out his name; he kept walking at a painfully prolonged pace. With each step he took, she took one backwards; soon her back came in contact with the door, tears continued to flow down her face as so did prayers out her mouth. Her prayers went unheard for the devil himself was standing right before her. His scarlet irises watched her curiously; his claws lifted her chin, somehow avoiding cutting her in the process. He snuggled his nose in her temples and hair before deeply inhaling; (Y/N) squinted. Firmly, he pressed his forehead against hers, his prying eyes staring at her teary ones; shivers crept up her spine.

Before her was the man she worked side by side with for as long as she had been a federal agent, the man she had grown to respect, to like, to love. But who she was looking at now was just a shell of his former self, a façade hiding the aftermath of bioterrorism and their failed attempt to make a difference. Hot creaks continued to stream down her face as she continued calling his name akin to mantra that she hoped could act as a spell to get him back. Calloused finger pad brushed at her cheeks, erasing the tears that continuously rolled down her face.

“Do not worry. This will all end soon.” He whispered in her ear; his hot tongue trailed her cheek and temple. She screamed at the sense of sharp pain piercing her thigh.

Sharp gasp escaped her gaping mouth; she panted as she sat up, surprised to see she was in a queen-sized bed. Leon was sat at the corner with his back to her, a crimson curtain- complementary to the sheets and pillows- hid most of his form and features. Confused, she called out his name; with one hand she rubbed her eyes, trying to rub away the somnolence off her tired lids.

“Having nightmare, huh?” The usual relief his calming voice brought her failed to grant her salvation this time around. Jolting in her seat, she glued her eyes to her partner; she blinked repeatedly as if she tried to swipe of off the images of her disturbing nightmare. Yet, she was awake. Her eyes widened in fear the more she looked at him, still she couldn’t look away. Strawberry red eyes were glued on her, furrowed brows casted a shadow upon his gaze- somehow causing his eyes to glow against the darkness. Blood covered his jaws and lips that had taken the shape of smile, which in no form matched the intensity of his gaze. A lump formed in her throat, incumbering her breath and screams. Desperately, she crawled away from him until her back came in contact with the cool headboard of the bed. Doing so, she winced; searing pain enveloped her hurt thigh. Taking a glimpse at her injury, she was horrified to see deep scarlet, oozing from her wound- gaping and bigger. (Y/N) sealed her eyes shut in fear she could faint again just at the sight of her hurt leg and in even bigger fear of witnessing what the man in front of her had become.

Climbing onto the bed, Leon crawled towards his partner at an agonizingly slow pace; his bloodshot eyes didn’t flinch away even for a second. Clawlike fingers dipped and disappeared in the red sheets. He watched her closely as if she were his prey that he finally got his hands on. (Y/N) gulped once his hot breath enveloped her face. She opened her eyes, immediately regretting it. With all her might, she fought the urge to face him away. She held his gaze and attention all the while her fingers took a hold of her knife. Leon’s smile faded; his mouth gaped ever so slightly- just enough for her to see his sharp canines. His hand reached for her face; she groaned as she stabbed his palm. He moaned in pain; his body collapsed on the mattress. Swiftly, she crawled out of the bed; with every step she took she felt a dozen nails being screwed into her thigh. Taking leverage on the bedside table, she was relieved to see Leon’s shotgun. Coughing resonated behind her; resting her weight on the wall, she faced him. Laying in the crimson sheets, he panted in between coughs, his body jolted and squirmed. A nervous twinge lingered on her face; her hands took a firm hold of the shotgun.

Her name rolled off his lips akin to a breath; the crimson clouds in his eyes cleared out, revealing the soft sky-blue of his irises. His features grew relaxed with a tone of exhaustion that clouded his features the more the night progressed. (Y/N)’s breath hitched when he repeated her name; tears prickled at the corners of her eyes. In return, she called his name, her voice cracked as the wave of bottled emotion threatened to overflow her. Shaky hand reached for hers, woeful blues darted between her glossy eyes and twitching lips. She bit back a groan as he helped her to sit on the bed; she held the barrel of the shotgun using it to balance herself all the while keeping it close- just in case. She felt the mattress shift under his weight as he sat before her.

“(Y/N)..” Just the melancholic melody of his voice tingling her ears caused a blurry sheet to blind her eyes. In a hopeless attempt to cast away the tears, she looked up and saw the red curtains above, their shiny satiny fabric reminded of the curtains in her nightmare. Shivers ran down her spine at the memory. Icy calloused pads brushed the skin of her hand, causing her body to tremble in surprise. Faint smile greeted her once her eyes met his sorrowful ones.

“I’m sorry, (Y/N).” He began, defeat and distress sounded in his calm voice. “We can’t keep brushing this under the rug.” She avoided his knowing gaze and let the tears fall. Melancholic stillness prevailed, unveiling their deepest fears and desires.

“You didn’t strike me as the pessimistic type.” It was (Y/N)’s turn to try and bring a lighthearted breath of air to the situation- an annoying habit she had picked up from Leon but added a sarcastic undertone to it.

“I’m not-“

“Then I don’t want you to talk nonsense. Luis is probably around here somewhere, and so is Ashley. And she relies on us. And what about the president-“

“(Y/N)”- It was Leon’s turn to interrupt her- “I’m not being pessimistic. If you go now and contact Luis, there’s still a chance to cure Ashley. And get her home.” He paused before the last sentence, a wave of tears of his own prickled the corners of his eyes.

“You want me to leave you behind..?” Reluctantly, her teary eyes searched his. He nodded.

“While you still can. I won’t be able to hold back for much longer.” An audible sigh seeped past his agape mouth, the dried blood coated his skin and dry, parted lips. Distress pierced her heart, for the sight of the blood on his mouth only reminded her of how the parasite had taken control over him; her gaze fell in her lap, where she noticed bitemarks beside the cut- some of which seemed human.

“It’ll best if you spare me the misery.” Her head shot up to face him; puzzlement was woven in her features.

“You can’t be serious,- Luis’s got the cure, I-“ His icy blues met her (E/C) ones- he was serious. “You can’t do this to me, Leon. Not after everything.” She shook her head in disbelief, a new stronger wave of tears overflowed her sorrowful face.

“You know you’ve got to-“ He held her hand, slightly squeezing it with his bloodied one-“ I would’ve done the same for you.” He was convincing her as much as he was convincing himself. Some twisted contentment had settled within him. In a way he was relieved he was the one that got infected, for he knew he couldn’t bare losing his partner..

“Take my gear and the transmitter. Luis said he would wait in the ballroom.” Tears kept streaming down her face as the man before her placed the device in her hand. “He also said that Ashley must be in the area as well.” She only nodded and tried to dry the overwhelming amount of tears.

“You’ve got this.” She shook her head in disbelief; her mouth fell agape but every word got caught in her throat.

“Please, if you don’t kill me at least go. Go!” She cried as she forced herself to get up; he began convulsing, raven nets ran down his face and bare arms. Screams ripped past his lungs. She had to go.

Limping her way out the room, she came across the puzzle. Two moons make one. It felt like ages ago, when they looked through the maze for the pieces. But now she couldn’t spare even a second in nostalgia, for it could cost her life. Forcefully, she tried to keep her voice down as she stumbled back into the maze. Thick cloud completely covered the night sky, depraving (Y/N) of the little moonlight there had been. Coming across a candle stand, she took one of the lit candles. She inhaled deeply, allowing the fresh air to cool her body- and hopefully, her nerves. Wandering further into the labyrinth of tall rose bushes, she was mortified to hear a loud scream. It was Leon- she was sure of it. Deluding herself with the words he spoke, she tried to disregard the cries of her partner.

Still, she picked up the pace as much as her hurt leg allowed her to; using the shotgun as a walking stick, she held up the candle in front of her. The distressing sounds behind her grew louder and she was no way near the entrance to the ballroom. Panic settled in her chest. Her breaths grew shallow. Every step she took felt more painful than the previous. Numerous, tiny droplets of sweat prickled at her forehead; blood continued to drip down her knee. Her legs trembled, barely holding her up. She grunted lowly as she forced her body beyond its capabilities. Inevitably, she collapsed to the ground. Pants rolled off her lips. Little hope was still alive in her heart and she looked through her pouches; a victorious grin curled her lips at the sight of bandages. As quickly as possible, her shaky hands rolled the white fabric around the wound, immediately coloring the snow-white cloth in deep scarlet. She tried to wiggle her toes but they were numb; she bit her lip as she tried to stand up only to fall back. Distinct sound of steps caused her to freeze in place; she forced her ears but she heard nothing more. Not willing to risk staying in one place for too long, she mustered the strength to get up.

Keeping her pants as low as she could, she limped forward. Taking a turn, she was mortified to see a shadowy figure that stood perfectly still. It was no more than a few feet away from her. Her breath ceased; she balanced her weight on her good leg as she prepared to shoot. The bang echoed but there was no sight of the figure. It had vanished into thin air. She rubbed her eyes, blaming the wasted shot on her anxiety. Warily, she took another step; faint breeze tingled her face. Frantically, her gaze darted in every direction. That did little to help her coordinate the maze, for her eyes grew blurry; she mentally cursed her body for how fragile it was. She felt pathetic and weak in the bounds of her wounded and tired body. And the menacing sounds of her partner echoing in the distance only enhanced these feelings. Yet she was doing this for him. It was the last thing she could after failing to help him. It was his fault too to abandon her when she needed him most, when she was finally willing to let her walls crumble down for him. For Leon.

Silently, she cried; letting the tears run down her face, she swayed the candle flame. The flame danced under the arrangement of the wind that constantly changed its speed and direction. A stronger whiff of air proved to be fatal, for the flame went out as so did the warm light. The agent panicked tenfold as she was left alone in the darkness; she tried to collect herself, taking deep breaths- still, she couldn’t deny that she was fucked. Or so she thought until she caught a glimpse of two red dots in the distance; relieved to see more candles, she limped in a rushed pace. Navigating with the help of the bushes, she neared the candlestand; her shaky hand reached for a candle.

Appalled by the feel of the surface her hand came in contact with, (Y/N) squinted her eyes; a gleaming, toothy grin greeted her. She almost fell back at the sudden realization. With no hesitation, she held up the shotgun and rested her back on the prickly bushes. In return, the man before her only laughed in a sinister manner; slowly, he inched closer. The clouds cleared the smoky night sky; the pale moonshine threw light at the figure before her. It was her partner- or rather what had become of him. His flaming irises took in her pathetic little form, her gritted teeth, her steady hands on the shotgun and the determination in her flashing eyes. He took another step towards her; his chest came in contact with the barrel of the gun. Confidently, she pushed a shotgun shell in the magazine and pulled at the forend with her eyes fixated on his. His smile grew into a cocky smirk; his head tilted to the side and he clicked with his tongue.

“Go ahead-“ He held the barrel, calibrating it to the center of his ribcage. “Shoot. But I don’t think you can.” A sympathetic, yet mocking look was written on his face. She was dumbfounded; her shaky finger glid on the trigger, too sweaty and reluctant to pull it. His smug grin reappeared. A yelp escaped past her lips as the shotgun was ripped out of her grasp.

“Poor, poor (Y/N). Too compassionate for her own good.” The tension on her good leg proved to be too much to handle; she collapsed, physically and mentally. Her legs were burning; her other leg felt numb for the most part, except for the moments when cramps attacked her thigh. It was as if someone had wrapped barbed wired around her limb and dragged her. Her throat felt hot and hoarse, no words could leave her parted lips unless it were moans and incoherent cries. These sounds of hers were like a song to Leon’s perky ears. The parasite in his body tingled in twisted content at the miserable look on (Y/N)’s face. The crystal drops rolling down her hot cheeks seemed so pure and alluring. Slithering out his mouth, his tongue glid across her face, collecting her salty tears. She trembled in utter fear and disgust but didn’t dare move.

“It’s something I’ve always admired about you. You can be so selfless when you find something you really care about. Even if you try to deny it- it’s painfully obvious.” She wasn’t even given the chance to respond. She let out a loud scream as felt pressure on her wound. She panted and watched him in horror. He had knelt before her; standing on all fours. Clawlike growth was sticking out of his fingers, black and slightly curled inwards; he cut up the bandage. His tongue traced his lips, sucking at the remains of dry blood. Uncontrollable shaking had taken over her; her limbs trembled as if they were suddenly exposed to a winter storm after having reached for the welcoming flames of a lit fireplace. She tried to curl her legs towards her chest but only ended up bringing even more pain upon herself; she cursed under her breath. Firm hand ceased her squirming.

“Don’t make this harder for the both of us.” Fearful of what he was capable of, she forced herself to sit still and simply watch as he lowered himself before her thigh. Her breath hitched, she screwed her eyes shut once his tongue came in contact with her skin. At that certain moment she had completely given up on holding back her tears. Her muscles and nerves were tense, a strong burning sensation set her body on fire, a fire that was slowly extinguished by her never ending tears. Her hands felt numb and paralyzed, unable to stop Leon, to push him away. So, she watched. She watched as he lapped at her oozing blood, as his teeth teasingly nibbled at her skin around her wound before leaving bites of his own. Her mind and heart were screaming, ironically falling in unison for the first- and maybe last time- in her life. All odds were against her. The fallen agent had no choice but to accept and succumb to her fate. She didn’t even want to take one final glimpse of her partner, in fear she would be left with the memory of him deprived of his humanity. She rather embraced the darkness and reminded herself of their last moments of peace and happiness.

Unfortunately for her, she couldn’t even enjoy the reel of memories her mind had provided her with. She felt her body growing limp and lightweight as if she was ascending. Had it all come to an end? (Y/N) saw Leon’s face, even more vile and bloody. She felt his strong arms cradling her body to his toned chest, his warmth was comforting and inviting.

“Where are you taking me?” The agent mustered the strength to ask.

“Where you belong, dear.” His dry lips pressed against her forehead; her eyelids grew heavy and her body grew cold. She had lost more blood than she could afford, still her heart pumped enough adrenaline for her to stay awake just a little longer.

“You know-“ He began as he stepped into the room she originally fled from. “You were supposed to be infected as well. But somehow you got away with it. What a loss.” Gently, he laid her on the red bed and sat beside her. “If only you had accepted the gift, you wouldn’t have been as fragile.” Leon held up her hand, nuzzling his face in her palm. “You would’ve been stronger. Together we could’ve had all of this and everyone in our feet.”

“What are you talking about?” She spoke quietly, her glossy eyes gazed at him in utter confusion.

“How foolish of you to be so oblivious to such power.”

“You sound like Salazar.”

“Forget that clown. It’s Saddler that runs the show, and he needs solders like you and me.”

“I don’t follow.” She had perfect idea what he was hinting at but she chose not to fall under the influence of her anxious mind. The mere thought of her also being infected was enough to haunt her.

“You still could be a part of this. Be by my side. Be my partner.” Even though she knew the man speaking to her wasn’t her partner, she couldn’t help but feel her heart ache at his choice of words- who knew manipulation was a side effect of the parasite. For all she knew, Leon could’ve been brainwashed into submission, forced to take orders just like all of the other infected. Still, his part in this play was a little different. As alluring as his words were, his intentions- or rather the ones of his master- were anything but good. And the effects of the parasite on his body proved to be just as repelling as the idea of (Y/N) joining this messed up cult. She couldn’t bare look at him any longer, seeing how his entire body was slowly deviating further from its humanity.

“I’m afraid I’ll have to decline.” All her life the agent thought that bravery and stupidity were two things that were closely tied with a just thin barrier separating one from the other. And now she was convinced that she was joggling between acts of knightly courage and jester moronity. Maybe she was too despondent to care; contrary to that she had an inexplicable will to survive, a will to finish her job even if that would cost her everything. She had come to a point where she had little to lose, yet she could lose everything.

“I was expecting such answer, but I won’t accept it.” His tone was low and threatening; his fiery eyes were fixated on her as he leaned in her face, his hot breath tingled her moist skin. Her eyes burned; the stream of tears had dried up as so did her sclera. Whether she was too lightheaded due to the blood loss or she thought she had found herself in yet another distressful nightmare, she welcomed his delicate touch. His alienated features weren’t in conjunction to his soft caresses. It led (Y/N) to believe that there was still something left of Leon, a part of him the parasite hadn’t taken over yet. She called his name, anchoring his attention to her. His gaze had softened although the raven nets still spread from his lids and temples to his cheeks and neck; as alarming as were his dark veins, she came to ignore them. His features appeared apologetic, yet still restrained.

“Leon..” Her tired hand cupped his cheek; he melted into her touch, a tear rolled of his blue eyes.

“Please.” He hiccupped. “You should’ve killed me...” (Y/N) ‘s heart tore at the sound of his remorseful words. Warmth radiated from her chest as if her sould was leaving her body. So she pulled his face closer before planting a kiss to his forehead, her hands clinging to him as id he was the anchor to life. Warmth tingled his skin on each place her gentle fingers had come in contact with; succumbing to her silent wish, he laid on her chest, feeling her labored heartbeat. Mindlessly, she ran her fingers in his hair; she felt hot moisture soaking in the fabric of her blouse beneath him. Guilt and fear haunted his heart, knowing what he had done, and worse- what he could do. He curled out of her embrace.

“I don’t think I can contain the parasite. I-it drives me insane. I’m not myself-“ She cut him off with a kiss to his cheek, her hand rested on his shoulder. Shivers ran down his spine. “It’s even harder to control the parasite when you are around.” He confessed, in hopes she would flee, kill him or at the very least do something; she seemed unfazed by his words. As if he had said nothing, she peppered chaste kisses along his jaw and neck. Leon was on edge; he clenched his jaw as he fought the parasite, helplessly trying to resist it. Its squeaky voice pestered his mind, telling him to let go and surrender, to become one with the hivemind. He fought as much as he could. His head pulsed as countless sick thoughts ricocheted off his brain. It was a compact prison, designed to drive him into insanity.

“You know I can’t contain this. Why don’t you just go… while you still can?” Genuine look of concern was evident in his features.

“All my life I’ve been avoiding my fears. And the time has come for me to finally face them.” Her partner looked at her in confusion. “I’ve feared failure, rejection, commitment… But not anymore.” She added; her wandering fingers glid to his face, tucking a strand of his sandy hair behind his ear. Softly, she pressed her lips beneath his ear. “The more I try to control something, the more I lose control over it. So naturally the only logical solution is to let go.” She whispered in his neck, her arms wrapped around his shoulders even tighter. Bumps peppered his skin as her warm breath embraced his skin.

Unable to hold back any longer, Leon felt weak at holding back his desires- both the ones influenced by the plaga and his own. He let his head roll back, allowing for his partner to do with him as she pleased; his eyes fell shut. A deep groan resonated at the base of his throat, vibrating against her wandering lips. As much as he wanted to hold back and tell her no, he also couldn’t bring himself to do it. Knowing he didn’t have long, he longed to savor the moment and let himself lose all the while he wanted to push her away, for he feared he would hurt her again or even worse- he could cause her demise. Judging by the way she tried to shorten the already nonexistent distance between them, he could tell she wanted this as much as he did if not even more.

Reluctantly, he returned the gestures of affection; his fingers tangled in her loose strands. With his other hand slithered down her back, bringing her impossibly closer to his chest; their hearts hammered in their chest as if they wanted to come in contact. His eyes rolled back in his skull at the sensation of her lips closing at his earlobe before her teeth nibbled at the soft skin. An animalistic growl escaped past his lips, taking both him and his partner by surprise. His hands tightened their grip on her, digging his nails in her tender flesh. A storm of sensations whirled within him, caused by his feelings and the parasite. He felt his pulse accelerating, his heart pumping blood in his pulsing veins. Any little power he had over himself was slowly seeping through his fingers.

“(Y/N)...” He pushed her away. “I want you to promise me something.”

“What is it?” She returned, a twinge of irritancy was evident in her voice.

“Put me out of my misery when I lose it.” He held her hands, his sorrowful blues searched for her (E/C) ones.

“Leon, I-“

“Promise me!” He cupped her face, forcefully anchoring her attention; his demanding gaze met with hers.

“I promise.” She let out a soft, deluded sigh, brushing aside the nature of his plea as well as the plea itself- she just wanted to stay in the present and enjoy what her heart had desired before it all came crashing down.

Pressing his back to the headboard, Leon made himself comfortable on the bed; his hands rested on her hips, careful not to cause her pain. Silently, he urged her to take a seat atop his lap, and so she did. A wince resonated across the room as she lowered herself on his thighs; his hands remained on her hips, helping her balance her weight off of her hurt leg. She leaned towards him but was stopped halfway through by a strong, steady force. Leon’s hands held hers together, he placed an object in her palms. Looking down, she was startled to see his knife, secured in her hands by his own; he dragged the tip of the blade up his chest and to his heart. Her vision grew blurry once more as it came in contact with his; his baby blues faded into aggressive crimson. Tears prickled the corners of his eyes.

“I love you.” Tears rolled down her face; she pressed her weight on the blade as so she did with her lips to his own.

Chapter Text

Peaceful sleep was an occurrence as rare as a miracle. Despite having her hands on several sleep medication- that would intimidate even a person with no medical background-, (Y/N) still struggled to get a good night’s sleep. After tossing and turning in the sheets, she would always find herself sitting up in bed. Staring at the window, she would distract her mind with busy people that were minding their business. Long ago had she given up staring at the ceiling, for the images of her restless nightmares would flash before her eyes. Reluctantly, she glanced at the bedside table; the large digital numbers of the clock read 5:30. The greyish blue cotton of clouds were slowly clearing out, revealing the vibrant amber ribbon that anticipated the rise of the sun.

Rubbing her somnolent lids, she pulled herself out the covers; her sleepy gaze fell in her lap, where she was faced with the scars on her thigh. It had been a miracle the doctors were able to save her limb. Every now and then she would shiver at the sight of her disformed skin that never failed to remind her of the past. Deep exhale rolled off her lips as she stood up and pulled away the curtains completely. Although still dim, more light came into her room. Taking the glass from her desk, she filled it with water. Her gaze lingered on her belongings that were displayed there; bittersweet sensation enveloped her heart at the collage of pictures, neatly framed. There were pictures of her with friends and a few with Ashley, who still contacted her every so often to meet up. Beneath it was an additional picture, ticked under the section with the polaroids of her and Ashley. (Y/N) gulped as she slightly pulled at the image; her muscles froze at the glimpse of painfully familiar golden locks and ocean blue eyes.

Swiftly, she hid the picture to its respectful place and took the small cylindrical container. Popping the lid open, she swallowed a couple of pills before washing them down with a few sips of cool water. She prompted her shoulder to the window and let her gaze fall in the near distance. A big fiery ball had risen upon the tall buildings, its golden beams were as relaxing as they were tainting.

Every new day brings a new hope- a lot of people would say.

But how could there be hope if there has been no Sun?