Warning:

- Mild usage of explicit language and implied sexual themes

- Character death(s)

Genres:

- Adventure/Humor/Family/Friendship/Romance/Sci-fi

Pairing(s): Undecided

**(c) to original owners in deviantart for the cover picture used.**


Chapter 1: Problem

The sun was barely apparent from the field of clouds in the sky; it was dawn, but some of its sliver of golden light made their way into the blinds of a condo that belonged to an American agent sleeping in on a day of his job. Who could blame him though? The D.S.O had been dragging him to godforsaken places lately for investigations of any new virus that may occur, surely that have dried out the energy in his system.

Leon S. Kennedy was his name, his rusty blond hair disheveled from the aggressive movements in his sleep, he was dreaming of a woman who he usually have seen in red garb, he was chasing after her as she gracefully walked away from his grasp while everything around them faded into flames. Each step she made was a seduction to him, making him long for her and that sardonic smile she wore each time their eyes met always left him in curiosity, what could this woman possibly be scheming again? But all of these indecipherable illusions were forgotten once he had woken up and he rarely had situations wherein he remembered her vividly, perhaps she was actually fading away after all.

Everything disappeared into reality when his phone rang violently on his bedside table, "I got it, I got it," he lazily dragged an arm to snatch it and finally answer with every amount of sleep on his eyes. Leon squinted at the blurred letters on the projection coming from his phone, it read 'Hunnigan'. Must be serious, he thought right away. After a few seconds, Hunnigan's face came into screen.

"Oh, you were sleeping," she remarked.

"You don't say," Leon replied, he wasn't much of a morning person, especially in his state. His vision finally getting clearer by the second.

"Well then... Get up, sleepy head," and he did, he shoved the blanket covering his muscled torso and sat at the edge of the bed, "I've got good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?"

"Wouldn't wanna start a rough morning just yet..." he rubbed the tip of his chin with his index finger and thought for a bit, "Good news then."

"You've got a new assignment," Leon's mouth immediately snapped open for a complaint because that definitely not good news on an early morning but he was cut off by Hunnigan, "Let me finish first, Leon," she quickly collected her thoughts then spoke again, "I assume you're familiar with the place called 'Underground Sanctum' located in Minnesota?" Leon nodded, "You are tasked to investigate the area. It's an ancient ruin inhabited by native Americans; a cult. They lack modern technology and refuse to progress with time–"

"Yeah, yeah. The one near Devil's Kettle. What's good news about it?"

Devil's Kettle was an unusual waterfall and rock formation in which half of the Brule River disappears into a pothole. It was a mysterious tourist attraction itself and much more when there's an ancient underground sanctum not too far from it.

"That the Umbrella Corporation will have a hard time getting through with their system, there would be nothing to hack for their easy access," she concluded, "And we are ahead of them, the sanctum was theorized to where a T-virus had 'accidentally' accumulated. They're dormant at the moment but it won't be long before they find out and plan to take the virus for themselves if proved true."

"I'll look into it immediately. So that's the bad and good news?"

"No, the bad news is Ada Wong was declared missing these couple of months. There were zero records of her actions and places where she could be spotted."

Leon couldn't speak after that, not a single complaint or even a question came out of his mouth, but Hunnigan decided not to keep the silence much longer, "You'll be assigned with a new partner and Claire Redfield volunteered to introduce you– Leon!"

And he snapped from his thoughts, "Right. I get it."

"She'll be headed there. Keep your mind in your head, Leon. We still don't know the whereabouts of Ada Wong, she could still make an appearance, knowing her."

"I know," he said firmly through gritted teeth. That woman...

Hunnigan left the call after she disclosed the ridiculous sets of news onto him. His Ada was missing? He couldn't remember the last time he saw her but he could never forget that bitter-sweet feelings she left on him, every wronged action she made on him during their encounters had always been repaid with great help on his behalf of hardships, as if there had been a light at the end of the tunnel she had provided all along.

"Leon! You awake?" said a familiar voice banging his door.

Before answering the door, he ran a hand on his messy hair to at least fix it then he swiped a black shirt hanging on a nearby chair and wore it quick, and to his surprise it was a redhead in front of him, "Claire?"

"Uh yeah? You look like you're not expecting me at all, Leon," she pouted, "I'm sure Hunnigan said about it."

"Oh right, I remember... Why are you here again?" he asked, scurrying through his mind of what Hunnigan had said earlier.

"I don't know, maybe to take you to your new partner?" Claire replied, her words coated with sarcasm.

"Right... Right."

His memories were too clouded with his thoughts for Ada, that woman never failed to consume his mind. It wasn't like him to be spaced out after all.

...

After a two hour straight of a long drive to Leon's said new partner, they have finally arrived at Colorado. He didn't have the chance to ask about his partner since he fell asleep along the way, he had to recover the sleep he lost that was disturbed that morning.

Claire stopped the engine of her car and nudged Leon awake, "Come on, we're here."

His eyes fluttered open to see Claire getting out of the car in which he followed suit right away. Leon's body felt too heavy for him as he took a step at the sidewalk and onto the front door with Claire. Before the redhead beside him could knock, the door already opened.

"Which one of you fine-ass ladies is Claire?" said a groggy feminine voice from the doorway, Leon and Claire couldn't make out the face who spoke in a vulgar and rude manner, inside of the house was pitch-black. However, they could sense the person staring at them, awaiting an answer. Leon on the other hand, frowned at the person lurking in the dark, he was insulted after all. Who the hell's a 'Fine-ass lady'? Still, he silenced himself before things might gone worse.

"Um... I'm Claire," the redhead pointed her thumb to herself and she was grabbed all the way inside the house, "Yuu?! What the heck? You're drunk!" Claire yelled as she seemed to be struggling in the dark. Leon casually stepped in, the lights went on and brightened up his way to the living room where Claire was dragged in.

When he saw Claire cuddling a younger girl, he stopped on his tracks, "Why is a minor reeking of alcohol?" It was the first thing that came into his mouth. Within Claire's arms was a chestnut brown haired girl who seemed to be a teenager but he wasn't sure of it, she was wearing black shorts and a white shirt with a logo of 'Silent Hill' printed on and where her red laced bra were slightly seen through thin fabric, and she was oozing of the scent of beer. Leon tried hard not to stare at the dazed teenage brunette wobbling her way towards him, on her hand was not mistakenly a bottle of beer. She must be the daughter or relative or a friend of his said partner, quite a struck of rough luck to the person he supposed.

"I am not a minor!" she defended furiously, "Who is this guy, Claire?" she glanced towards the redhead on the couch. Claire watched them with amusement, she rarely saw Leon with rebellious young girls or likely, rare to see him deal with them.

"Geez, Yuu. Respect your elders. Don't talk back like that," Claire lectured as she snatched the beer from the girl's hand, "He's Leon Scott Kennedy." She pointed her thumb at him. She bowed her head apologetically with a small smile at Leon for the behavior the girl showed, to which he only nodded to.

"Ah, Scottish guy, huh?" She hiccuped.

"No." Talking to her was already exasperating him. His bad first impression on her could not possibly get any worse, right? He asked himself.
Leon reluctantly seated himself across Claire, "I'm Caucasian."

She shot at him with a snicker, "Whatever."

I spoke too soon.

"Oh yeah," Claire spoke up again and suddenly, her lips curved into a smile, "Leon, she is Jiyuu Kaze."

"Yeah, I'm purely a Japanese girl," she said proudly, her eyes dazed and half-lidded.

To Leon, she seemed lying of her nationality, she was drunk after all. She looked nothing of a Japanese girl, she didn't even resemble a trait from the Asian race. Jiyuu was more of a westerner but little details aside, whoever the hell she was, it didn't matter for Leon. It was probably a one-time meeting between them. Leon didn't change the disapproving expression on his face, "You don't look Japanese," he shot back at her.

"Oh yeah? Neither do you."

"What." It was a pointless argument that she was trying to start, she was provoking him to bite the bullet, good thing he had an ounce of common sense to quickly realize that and so he let her off the hook to give peace to himself at least, "Never mind." Perhaps his lack of sleep caused him to be bothered at every small and trivial thing happening to him at the moment.

"Yuu, go take a shower. Please."

Wordlessly, the girl complied and headed for the bathroom. She listened to Claire and only to her, the redhead was much of an older sister than her actual sister.

Feeling impatient, Leon took the chance to finally ask about his partner, "Is my partner even here?"

"Uhm, you talked to her just now." Claire replied with a smirk as she stood from her seat. She took a quick glance at her digital wrist watch and frowned, "Well, I've gotta go. I only came with you to check up on her. Get along well you two," she slid a mischievous wink at him.

He stared at the redhead for moments, dumbfounded, "Are you serious?"


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