Flashback - Part III

While they waited for the arrival of the undercover scientist, Leon drew his pistol, examining it for a second, before notice the inquisitive look of Bobbi and replied with a slight smile and a note of pride:

"No, it's not a USP or a Sigma. In fact, she was completely customized. I chose to call her Silver Ghost. "

"I really thought it was a modified USP ... I would like to see this weapon another time, if you don't mind .." - Bobbi replied, also smiling. In fact, she agreed that it was a beautiful weapon, silver, with a wooden handle, a laser sight and slot for a silencer if the owner so wished. It made Bobbi rethink about her own M&P pistol.

"No problem ... maybe you see it in action soon. What I hope doesn't happen .. "Leon said, his sentence quickly finished by Mack:

"What is not exactly how this job works, right?"

Before he could answer, the three agents heard a noise at the door and quickly hid in the darkness of the room, as they watched the entrance of a white-coated man, who looked nervous and suspicious. Hunnigan's voice rapidly explained: "This is the undercover scientist, Jeremy Baker."

Hearing this, the three agents came out of the shadows, with Bobbi initiating the dialogue: " , we are agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, we came here to gather information, and to extract you out of this lab."

The man looked nervous, drops of sweat on his forehead and rubbing his hands in lab coat, but remained with a somewhat calm tone in his voice as he spoke: "I have a USB drive with all my research here, the rest of the research made here though, you can only access by the computer mainframe, upstairs."

"How is security up there?" asked Leon, more to Hunnigan than to Jeremy, but it was the scientist who replied, "Three armed guards, but with automatics. The safety decreased slightly because some of the BOW's had been transported to another place ... as well as all the data in the secret project that was made here, which incidentally, was much above my access .. "

"What project?" Questioned Mack, furrowing his eyebrows, "why I have the impression I'm not going to like the answer…?"

"The project ARES. But I don't know what it is, and the research file about it has been deleted from the mainframe.."

"Ok ... we go to the mainframe, and once there, Mack will download all the information we can, while me and Leon take care of the security. After this, we plant the explosive charges and get the hell out of here. " Bobbi commanded and Leon nodded, asking the scientist:" There's still B.O.W's in the lab, right?"

"Just a few Lickers, they were trying to work on a way to control the BOW's in some way ... but all went very, very wrong." And the scientist's expression seemed to leave no doubt about how things went wrong. If someone, one day, effectively control these things ... we'll have a much, much bigger problem on our hands .., thought Leon as the trio walked closer to the door.

"Lickers, huh? Those nasty things with claws and giant tongue? "Mack said, breathing deeply while Leon completed," Yeah..the tongue is very dangerous, it can pierce you like a spear, but his most dangerous feature are his leaps ... stay sharp, these things jump straight .. "

"In your jugular, like a predator .." Bobbi completed. At least three were in synchrony.

Suddenly, Hunnigan warned that there were two security guards approaching. Leon made the scientist call the two guards, and when they entered the room, they were surprised and quickly knocked out. Leon holding one of the security guards by the neck, while he smashed his face against the wall. Meanwhile, Bobbi grabbed the other by the arm and swung him to the ground. With the corridor empty, the agents headed toward the stairs that led to the mainframe floor.

After quickly climbing the stairs, the group stopped near the next floor door while Hunnigan said: "The hall is easily accessible, no security guards, but within the mainframe room, there are three, and well armed, as Mr. Baker informed. One near the door, the second about three meters to the right and the last near the computer itself, and some scientists in the room that should not offer any danger "

By the time the agent had finished her speech, the group was already close to the door. Bobbi signaled with her eyes and hands to Leon, that she would take care of the two nearest guards while Leon will take care of the one near the computer. Mack, would have to keep the scientists quiet.

Their plan all settled, the agents opened the door quickly, Bobbi with her staves in hand, hitting and electrifying the first guard in the neck, as she turned and applied a roundhouse kick against the second, and quickly hitting the man's chest with her two staves, knocking him out. At the same time, Leon had thrown his knife in the guard's hand, and taking advantage of his pain and distraction to slide over a table and knocking him out with a kick to the chest.

"Nobody moves!" Mack announced quietly, trying to keep his voice low as he closed the door. As the base's cameras was on looping, the longer they take to know that the room's central computer was raided, the better. At the same time, Bobbi has plunged a USB stick in the central computer and the scientist quickly started to download all the files there.

"Once finished, erase everything, all the research data of this lab." Leon added, picking up his knife and wiping it, before putting back on its holster.
"So far so good ..." continued the agent "Maybe i'll have some time to get a drink after here .."

"I thought you did not believe in going-smooth missions" Bobbi said, with a slight smile, but without taking her eyes of the scientists, trying to notice any suspicious movement.

"I don't, usually, but…who knows? Maybe you give me lucky, agent Morse .. "

"Hm ... that lucky is worth a drink?" Bobbi said, turning to Leon, still smiling and with one of her eyebrows raised.

But before Leon could answer, the room was invaded by a red light and a loud noise, similar to a siren while Hunnigan spoke to them with a urgent voice: "There was an accident, with Lickers ... they were preparing to transport them, and two of them fled and the security guards who were there…they're gone... "

"New plan ... Mack, gimme the explosives. Stay here and finish the download. I'll go down there, eliminate the BOW's, plant the explosives in the growth chambers and in their loaded B.O.W's container. When you guys are finished here, evacuate the scientist, and get out. I'll meet you on the outside. " Leon said, as he drew his gun and took the explosives from Mack, before heading toward the door.

"I'm going with you," Bobbi said, drawing her gun too and quickly adding, before Leon opened his mouth to object. "And that's not an argument ... of course, you cannot buy me a drink if you're dead ... so, are we going?"

Leon simply smiled slightly and the pair walked out the door. They were guided by Hunnigan to the accident site. At this point, there was scientists and a lot of the research base's staff running everywhere, trying to evacuate as quickly as possible, fearing that more creatures could escape. When they arrived in the designated area, it was already empty. There was only the bodies of the security guards.

Leon kept his voice low as he said: "They can be anywhere..they're able to climb the walls and are blind, so..." the agent put his finger to his lips and both moved by the large room. Inside was a number of large metal tubes, some within large containers, and others still outside. Inside these tubes were creatures. Submerged in a sort of greenish liquid, Bobbi could finally see what a Licker really looked like. And what her eyes saw was even more impressive and repulsive that the description of the files.

The Licker was a humanoid creature, but with no skin, having a similar pinkish muscle like tone. In his hands, there were no fingers, but claws, with about 30 centimeters, and sharp enough to cause a good damage, even in her combat gear. His face was..disgusting ... there were eyes, his teeth were enormous and incredibly sharp and, the brain was fully exposed. The weakness, recalled Bobbi. The agent was taken from her thoughts when she heard a low sound that resembled the hiss of a snake.

It was then that she saw one of the creatures jump from the roof in Leon's direction. The agent rolled to the side, and raised his weapon, hitting a few shots into the creature's body, which was moving at an impressive speed. Before Bobbi could take aim, the agent saw, in the corner of her eyes, the second creature leaping in her direction, but she was not fast enough and thy both dropped on the floor. Bobbi could feel the breath of the monster while using one of her hands to hold one of the creature's claws as she tried to raise the other, still firmly holding her pistol.

The instant the creature lifted one of its claws, ready to hit the agent, she took her gun to the creature's face and fired once, making the Licker lost its balance, which gave the opportunity to Bobbi turn the creature on the ground, getting on top of it and being able to pull her gun on the exposed brain and shoot. One, two, three, four times, until the monster had stopped moving.

Leon, in his turn had managed to hold the creature's tongue, and with a pull, brought the Licker near him, taking the chance to shoot at the creature's weak point, killing it.

"Good job Morse ..." Leon smiled, reaching out to Bobbi, who accepted his hand. Leon then gave one set of explosives to her: "Put this in the containers, I'll put in the chambers."

When the two agents were almost finishing installing the explosives, they heard the voice of Mack on the radio: "We are evacuating, the computer has been deleted and the turmoil is a great opportunity for us to get out easy, how things are down there?"

"Explosives are ready, we rendezvous out there, Mack." Said Bobbi.

Less than two minutes has passed since Mack and the scientist had left the base. They were waiting in a more remote area, when he saw his two companions approaching. Leon handed Mack the detonator, while adding: "It's a S.H.I.E.L.D mission after all..you can have the honors."

The agent then pressed the button and the four heard sounds of explosions and saw fire coming from inside the base. The explosion caused further confusion among the scientists and the staff of the laboratory, ensuring the group a safe getaway.

- 4 Hours later, Edonian pub –

"Ok ... how you make Coulson give us the rest of the night off?" Bobbi said, as she glances her whiskey, supporting her face with one hand as she stared at Leon in a inquisitive way.

"Well, we already delivered the scientist, and the research data. It was a successful mission, we deserved it. "Leon smiled, winking one eye and taking a sip of his drink.

"Come on ... it will need more than that to convince me..Coulson is quite strict with schedoules..so is Fury .." Bobbi replied, smiling as she ran her hand through her hair.

"They owe me a favor…or two.." Leon said in an overly mysterious way, and then looked back at Mack, who was talking to a beautiful woman in the corner of the bar.
"It seems that Mack was already hooked by the exotic beauty of women from the Eastern Europe .." Leon said, changing the subject.
"You've already paid my drink" Bobbi said winking one eye "I'm sure you can impress some exotic beauty around here too .." the agent added, looking around.

Maybe it was the whiskey he'd been drinking, but Leon simply found himself thinking he had no need to seek exotic beauty anywhere. The woman sitting in front of him was by far more, beautiful than any of the woman in the bar, hell…in this country! Maybe it was the alcohol, but Leon simply said with a slight smile: "For what? You are much more beautiful than any other girl here… "

And it should probably be the alcohol because Leon could have sworn that Bobbi's smile widened, as her face slightly flushed, and he probably should have drunk a little too much, because seconds later her face was close to his, and Leon could feel the sweet scent that came from her, the smell of her shampoo and those eyes that looked like they could see inside of your soul.

And Bobbi could probably blame her own whiskey, because she started to notice how Leon's smile was attractive, and the way his eyes were studying her every move or how his eyebrows moved, almost imperceptibly, when the agent caught a glimpse of anything interesting, or the way that the same eyes were fixed on an empty point in space as he told her about Raccoon City, about a rookie cop who survived hell and began a journey, not unlike hers, to protect people against evil they do not even see it.

It could be the alcohol or the admiration that Bobbi felt growing for Leon, and was not long before their lips met, a shy kiss, at first, until Bobbi decides to bite, slightly, the lower lip of Leon and from there onward the kiss(es) were transformed into a "fight" for control: lips, tongue, hands. Every kiss releasing shockwaves through them, in a way that Bobbi had admitted to herself, only happened very few times (Barton ... maybe?) And then the small bar was too crowded for the two agents ...

- Edonia the next day –

Leon opened his eyes, feeling the light on his face, blinking several times. He had no idea what time it was, but already felt the effects of a small hangover, but nothing too serious. He remembered the bar, the Whisky and Mack dancing with some girl ... and before his mind could continue, Leon felt some movement on the mattress where he was and took a few seconds for his mind to process the fact that he was naked and to really realize what had happened the night before. Leon couldn't help but smile as he turned to his side.

Bobbi was lying beside him, naked as he, covered by a sheet. Her hair was spread across her face, like a golden waterfall and Leon kept smiling noticing that even with messy hair and a sleeping face, she was still one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.

Grabbing his cell phone, Leon noted that it was close to 11 am, they would have to be at the Helicarrier soon. The agent thought about taking a bath, and then wake Bobbi, but before he could get up, she opened her eyes, smiling as Leon was still there.

"Hey, gorgeous ... you can rest a little longer, we still have time." Leon smiled, abandoning the idea of a bath and returning to bed, bringing Bobbi closer to him, gently resting her head on his chest.

"How much time do we have, Leon?" She said, wrapping Leon with her arms, while gently kissing his neck.

"About a couple of hours..time enough for a bath, maybe some breakfast..and other things."

"I liked the sound of other things ..." Bobbi replied, bringing Leon's face closer to hers, their lips now close together in a passionate kiss.

After their mission in Edonia, Leon and Bobbi kept in touch by phone. Even with the numerous missions and dedication of both of them to their respective agencies, they still had time to spend a weekend together in Nice, France, and had arranged to meet again in London a few months later, but the fall S.H.I.E.L.D and Bobbi's mission to infiltrate herself as an agent of HYDRA, and of course,the tragedy that culminated in the death of US president, Adam Bendford in Tall Oaks and the massive viral outbreak in Lanshiang, China, prevented their plans, forcing a departure that both of them thought be definitive.

Fate, clearly, had other plans ...

- End of the Flashback -