-1Disclaimer: I don't own Leon (sigh) or any of the other characters in the work below.
Synopsis: This is another Leon fic. I've added characters from Survivor and Dead Aim, because they're rarely used, and Bruce interests me (even if his nemesis was an anime-villain reject). S.T.A.R.S. will make an appearance, because it's not Resident Evil without them. Any characters from any other games are there because I liked the characters, but this is NOT a crossover.
RESIDENT EVIL: BROKEN
Chapter Four: October 7, 2006
The muted chirp of her PDS roused Ada from a deep sleep. She reached towards the nightstand, frowning as her hand met only smooth wood. She swung her legs off the bed, her dark blue eyes sweeping the room. She spied her leg-holster lying under Leon's dresser and laughed to herself. For the first time since being issued it by The Agency, she had completely forgotten to keep the communicator close. She blamed Leon, of course. No other man had ever been able to distract her in such a way, so it must be his fault.
She retrieved it and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She spied Leon's bathrobe hanging from a hook on back of it and quickly pulled it on. It wouldn't do to talk to her superiors--or anyone else--in the nude. She turned on the PDS and traced the last call. Her lips tightened with displeasure when she saw who it was that had contacted her. At this moment, she would much rather talk to Albert Wesker than the man she would soon be dealing with.
The PDS chirped once again, and Ada smoothed her hair down before answering it. A man's face appeared on the screen, a red bandana covering his short brown hair, aviator-style sunglasses covering his eyes. His face was study in sculpture, all sharp planes and angles. He was handsome enough, she thought dispassionately, but he was also a complete prick.
"Wesker's tightened security at the facility," he informed her in a cold voice. "The module is being altered, possibly for transport. The Agency thinks he's finally getting ready to bolt."
"Wonderful." Ada's eyes narrowed as she contemplated his words. "How long do we have?"
"A day, two at most. The Agency is sending a team in to stop him, but we both know how that's going to end."
"They'll be slaughtered," she stated unnecessarily.
He nodded, his expression arrogant. "Exactly. We have to accelerate our own plans, as a consequence. I'll gather the others and meet you at H.Q. I've already informed Coen, and he says he's game, so the rest is up to you. You need to prepare your boy for this, Ada," he added warningly.
Ada froze at his words. "There's no reason to bring Leon into this," she told him smoothly. "We can do this without STRATCOM."
"Possibly," he countered with a humorless quirk of his lips, "but that's not a risk I'm willing to take. Explain the situation to him, Ada. We both know that he'll jump at the chance to go after Wesker. We need all the help we can get, so talk to him."
"What about S.T.A.R.S.?" she asked abruptly. "If Wesker's truly gone rogue, he'll go after them first. Have you contacted them? Have you even tried to warn them?"
"Of course," he snapped, his cold mask slipping for the first time. "That's the first thing I did. I used Red's name, so I'm sure they'll show."
"It's only a matter of time, then," Ada murmured, resigning herself to the inevitable. "All right. I'll show the file to Leon, and inform you when he's made a decision."
"Smart girl." The man paused for a moment before slowly removing his sunglasses. "It's not that I don't understand, Ada. I do. But none of us have a choice here. We all have to make sacrifices to bring Wesker down."
She favored him with a mocking smile, ignoring his most unusual and telling feature. "You've never approved of my 'obsession' with Leon Kennedy."
"Maybe not, but I understand it. I'll give you three hours. Don't waste them."
The screen went blank, and she closed the PDS unit with an angry motion. She slid it back into the holster absently, her mind focused on what was about to happen. Wesker was preparing to betray The Agency and run with all of his data. His favorite pet project would be the first thing he secured, and she couldn't allow that happen. If he pulled this off, her objective would be forever beyond her reach. She couldn't take that chance. None of them could.
Ada sighed and crept into the bedroom. Light was just beginning to seep through the curtains, and she only had three hours. She approached the bed, shrugging out of the robe, and carefully scooted under the covers. Leon stirred, his arms coming around her and tugging her close.
"Good morning," he murmured sleepily, his welcoming smile breaking her heart.
"Morning." Ada brushed her lips over his, drawing back when he would have deepened the kiss. "I have to go soon, lover. Work calls."
Leon went still for a long moment, disappointment written clearly on his angelic features. "How long will you be gone?" he asked finally.
"A few hours, hopefully." She saw his surprise and couldn't stop a smile from forming. If it wobbled around the edges, neither were willing to mention it. "I'll contact you when I'm through, if you'd like."
"Yes," he told her gruffly, "I'd like."
His hold on her tightened, and Ada burrowed closer. This was the last time she would be here with him like this. After she brought the file on Wesker to him, it would be over. He would hate her as he hated few people, and she would have no defense against him. How could she possibly defend herself, when she had betrayed him with her very silence? He wouldn't understand the tightrope she had walked since her resurrection eight years ago, and even if he could, he would never be able to forgive her.
"Leon." She lifted her head and laid a hand along side his beloved face. "You know how I feel about you, don't you?"
Leon went still before slowly covering her hand with his. "Yes, I think I do," he answered cautiously. He gazed at her with wary blue eyes, waiting for her to continue. When she failed to do so, he was filled with concern. "What is it, honey? What aren't you telling me?"
Ada bit her bottom lip in an uncharacteristically nervous gesture. "Wesker might be on the move," she said at length, wincing at his immediate curse. "I don't know for sure, but I have to look into it."
"No," he groaned with denial, burying his face in her silky hair. "He's dangerous, Ada. I don't want you anywhere near him."
She clung to him, allowing herself this one--last--moment of weakness. "I won't get close to him, Leon. I just have to gather some information," she assured him, trying to convince herself that retrieving file sitting in the safe in her own bedroom could be counted as gathering intelligence.
"You'll be careful?" Leon asked her in a low voice, knowing that he couldn't stop her. For Ada, the mission always came first.
"Always." Ada forced herself to pull away, not wanting to see the trust in his too-blue eyes.
She dressed swiftly, pausing as she picked up the black ribbon that had inspired Leon so much. She walked over to the dresser and laid it there, daring to glance over her shoulder. Leon sat propped up against the headboard, a combination of heat and tenderness in his bright blue eyes as he watched her. She sent him a decidedly wicked smile and sauntered over to him.
"I'll miss you, handsome," she told him huskily, leaning down to kiss him for the last time. "I'll meet you here, just as soon as I can."
Leon smiled faintly as she straightened. "I have to work in a couple of hours, Ada."
She shook her head negatively. "Stay home today, Leon."
"Why?" he asked, instantly suspicious. "What aren't you telling me?"
Ada only shook her head a second time. "I'll explain everything once I return. Call in your team, Leon. They'll need to be here."
"Damn it, Ada!" Leon threw back the covers and leapt to his feet, completely uncaring of his nudity. "You can't throw out something like that and just walk away! Tell me what the hell is going on!"
"I can't!" she yelled, surprising them both with the outburst. She inhaled deeply and ruthlessly sought to suppress her emotions. She couldn't afford to lose control, now. "I have to go, Leon--now. I will meet you and your men here."
"Just what am I supposed to tell the President?" he demanded angrily. "What kind of excuse can I possibly give him for the absence of his most important protection team?"
"Tell him that have a possible line on Wesker. That should be enough to excuse you from your oh-so-important babysitting duties," Ada snapped, sarcasm lacing her words.
"Fine," he snapped right back, exasperated beyond belief. "But you'd better have a damn good explanation, Ada."
"Don't worry, I will." Ada opened the door and paused, unwilling to leave it like this. She half-turned to face him, her striking sapphire eyes locking on his, letting her feelings show for the first time in eight years. "I love you, Leon. Try to remember that when you think that you have reason to hate me."
He blinked, stunned by the whispered admission. She was gone before he recovered, leaving him staring the empty doorway, a sick feeling unfurling in his gut.
Ada approached the small house on silent feet, doing her best not to be observed. She was fairly certain that The Agency didn't have anyone watching her, but she couldn't be sure. If they ever discovered just what she and the others were up to, she would never know a safe moment again. Of course, if Wesker ever discovered just what she had done, she would simply disappear.
She pushed the thought away and circled around to the back of the house. She let herself in the backdoor, listening for sounds of movement. To her relief, she heard nothing. The prick hadn't sent anyone to hurry her along, for which she was infinitely grateful. The last thing she wanted to put up with right now was the pitying looks she knew she would receive. There would be time enough for that later.
She climbed the stairs to the second floor, and entered her bedroom. She ignored the four-poster bed with the ornate woodwork and went straight to the bathroom. She took a hot shower and dressed swiftly, not in her usual scarlet finery, but in the plain black uniform she had worn in her early days with the organization.
She filled her tactical vest with ammunition and healing supplies, knowing that it probably wouldn't do any good. Wesker was nearly immortal, after all. If he was finally breaking free of all his self-imposed restraints, they were all severely screwed.
Ada smiled self-deprecatingly. The time she had spent watching over Leon had obviously had a detrimental effect on her vocabulary. The smile died a quick death as she thought of what was about to be set in motion. The lives of so many people depended on the death of Albert Wesker. If they failed...
She shuddered and went into the walk-in closet. She moved a large, delicate Chinese chest and lifted the plush carpet beneath it. A plain black panel stared up at her, a blinking red light beneath it, a single titanium handle protruding from the top. She set her hand on the scanner, and waited until the machine recognized her handprint.
The light turned to a solid green, and Ada grasped the handle. She lifted the safe's lid and set it aside. She lifted a black leather briefcase from it's depths, smiling faintly as she brushed her fingers over the initials near the handle. J.M. She shook her head and closed the safe, using her handprint to once again seal it. She hid it beneath the carpet and the trunk and rose to her feet.
This was is, Ada thought, surprised to realize that she was feeling a bit. . .nostalgic. She didn't let herself reflect on the past very often, but for a moment, allowed herself to remember what it had been like when her mother was alive. Meifeng had been both beautiful and delicate, a combination which had fascinated those around her, and had ultimately led to her death.
Her mother had spoken only Chinese in her home, unless her American benefactor was present. Ada could remember the cold, detached way her elderly father had looked at his only child, as though she were a genetic puzzle that his analytical mind couldn't quite comprehend. He hadn't visited very often, but when he did, her mother had lit up from within.
When he died, Meifeng had been utterly devastated. She had taken to her bed, and died three weeks later of a broken heart. At fifteen, Ada had found herself completely alone, except for her mother's relatives in China. As they had disowned Meifeng, they were less than thrilled to be saddled with her bastard child.
But she had shown them, Ada thought with satisfaction. She had excelled at all of her studies, managed to avoid the marriage they had arranged for her, while secretly taking a martial arts course. By eighteen, she had done enough research to know just who it was her father had worked for, and to uncover rumors of his murder at the hands of Albert Wesker.
She had left China behind and had gone to work for Umbrella's main competitor. Her obvious beauty, as well as her extraordinary control over her emotions, had made her an excellent candidate for their undercover department. She had buried her past under the name Ada Wong, and waited patiently for the day when she could take her revenge. That day had finally come.
She looked down at the briefcase with a cold smile. Yes, Leon would hate her when she showed him its contents, but she would find a way to live with that. She didn't have a choice. What she couldn't do was turn her back on this chance to avenge her parents. She would reunite Leon with his beloved daughter, and she would kill Albert Wesker. Then, her mission would be complete, and she could finally go home.
Leon paced the length of his living room, ignoring the curious stares of his teammates. Nearly three hours had passed since Ada had shocked him with her confession and walked out the door. He had done as she asked and brought STRATCOM here, to his home instead of STRATCOM Headquarters, after making his excuses to President Graham. They were all in full combat gear, a precaution in case Ada's information panned out, and they had to go after Wesker. All except for Billy, who had merely shrugged and said that he'd change if he needed to. Bruce had gone to the airport to pick up Fongling as planned, but he was not happy to have his time with her interrupted. Leon couldn't blame him there, but this took precedence over his lieutenant's love life.
He might finally be able to catch Albert Wesker, Leon thought, still in shock over the notion. He'd been looking for him for nearly eight years, ever since the former Umbrella researcher's men had stolen his adopted child from him. Now, he might have a chance to corner his bastard, and finally know just what had been done to Sherry. It was almost more than he could take in.
Although he hadn't admitted it, even to himself, he had despaired of ever finding her. He hadn't given up, but he'd begun to believe that she would be forever beyond his reach. If Ada could help him find a way to take Wesker down, he would at last have a shot at finding his daughter. Wesker was known to have kept detailed files while with Umbrella, and he doubted that had changed. Somewhere in those files, there had be some clue as to Sherry's whereabouts.
Leon only hoped that his daughter was still human, that Wesker hadn't used her as he had so many others for his inhuman experiments. She had been a twelve-year-old child when he stole her. She hadn't deserved any of what had happened to her. She was the most innocent of victims, and it sickened him to think of what she must have gone through in Albert Wesker's care.
The front door opened and he whirled around. He heard Bruce's voice in the hallway and was shocked at the disappointment that swept through him. Damn it, where the hell was she?!
"I'm back," Bruce announced unnecessarily as he entered the room. "Did we miss anything?"
"Not yet," Tom answered, sharing a smile with Ark at Leon's reaction.
"Good. I don't want to miss this," he declared with a grin. He gestured towards the slim Asian woman at his side. "You all remember Fongling?"
Fongling laughed at the chorus of "Yes" that came from each man, except for the tattooed stranger standing just outside the kitchen entrance. "You are all my favorite decadent American pigs," she told them with a smile. She turned around and added, "Except for you. You, I don't know."
Billy shrugged once. "No reason you should," he said flatly.
One black eyebrow shot up at the uncommunicative answer. She glanced at her lover, who rolled his blue eyes at her, but didn't respond. "Don gua," she muttered, unable to contain a smile at his pleased expression. She shook her head and turned to Leon, who looked more tense than she had ever seen him. "Will you do the honors, then?"
Leon smiled tightly. "This is Billy Coen, the newest addition to STRATCOM. Billy, meet the formidable Fongling."
"A pleasure," he responded in a tone that suggested it was anything but.
The smile she sent him was as false as his words. "I feel the same."
Billy laughed shortly as he ambled into the room, wishing that Ada would just show up and get this over with. He hated drama, and the suspense that preceded it. "She called you an idiot, Bruce," he tossed out casually.
Bruce nodded his tawny head, his smile widening. "I know, Billy. It's her pet name for me," he said in warm tones. "She meant it as a compliment."
"Mostly," Fongling added with a fond look in his direction.
Billy grunted and inclined his head. "Good to meet you, then," he muttered, throwing himself into the recliner.
Her dark eyes lingered on him speculatively. Bruce had mentioned that Billy Coen was an asshole who didn't like anyone but Leon. What he hadn't said was that the man was protective of the teammates he supposedly hated. Interesting, she thought, cataloguing the fact for future reference.
She took a seat on the large sofa and patted the seat beside her. Bruce sat next to her and immediately put an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him and almost wished she'd taken him up on his offer to join STRATCOM. Too often over the last eight years she had found herself missing him. She saw him only once or twice a year, and rarely for more than a few days at a time. He had asked her to move to America numerous times, but she had always declined. She hated that he lived in a country whose government was corrupt, yet she had come to see that her own was far from perfect. Perhaps, he would ask again one day, and she would say yes. She simply didn't know.
Speaking of governments. . .Fongling pulled her thoughts away from her personal life and concentrated on the matter at hand. She pulled a file out her trusty leather case and set it on the coffee table. Leon's pretty blue eyes followed the file, but he didn't to pick it up. "Don't get your hopes up," she told him gently. "None of this information has been confirmed."
Leon nodded curtly and forced himself to pick up the manila folder. He walked to the other side of the room and opened it. He scanned the first page, his blood running cold as he translated the foreign text. Confirmed or not, Wesker was rumored to have approached the largest government-run pharmaceutical company in China, although not directly. He'd been spotted by the secret police there several times in the last year, each time in close proximity to a high-ranking employee of this unnamed company.
And now Ada's employers believed that he was on the move. If he fled to a communist country, Leon would lose any chance of finding Sherry. That was a risk he simply couldn't take. It was time to take Albert Wesker down--for good.
He turned around, his youthful features hard. "This says nothing of his current whereabouts, Fong."
"That's because we don't know where he is," she told him apologetically. "We're still not sure how he got into the country undetected, let alone where he's hiding out."
"I might be able to help with that," a husky voice said from behind him.
Leon whirled around to find Ada standing not more than five feet away, just under the archway that led to the staircase. She walked towards him slowly, and he took the opportunity to study her. For the first time since he'd known her, she wasn't wearing her trademark red. Instead, she was wearing a black uniform similar to what they wore in STRATCOM--with high-heeled black boots, of course.
She came to a stop before him, the look in her eyes one of challenge, and he smiled slowly. "Body armor," he murmured silkily, reaching one hand out the trace the collar of her black survival vest. "I like it."
"Really?" Ada arched one sable brow, her heart breaking at his playful demeanor. She forced a smile to her lips and brushed her lips over his cheek, the one with the scar she felt so responsible for. She drew back slowly, savoring the moment, knowing that it would be the very last time he welcomed her touch. "I'll have to remember that."
Leon chuckled as she took a step back, his laughter dying as she held up an old leather briefcase. "What's this?" he asked, although he was pretty sure he already knew.
"Every file The Organization has ever gathered on one Albert Wesker." He made no move to take it, and Ada set the briefcase down on the coffee table. She thumbed the combination lock and slowly opened it. "It's all there, Leon. Everything you never wanted to know about Wesker is in here."
Leon glanced down at the large stack of papers with dread. "Have you read it?"
"Yes," Ada answered, shrugging slightly. "Some of these reports are even mine."
He nodded, even as he knelt beside her. "Fongling says that's he's been spotted in China, meeting with some execs from their biggest pharmaceutical firm."
"Hhhmmm. China, you say?" Ada looked at the woman in question, a pretty young Chinese woman who was one of the deadliest agents the MSS had. Fongling was eying her with open astonishment, and Ada knew that she had recognized her. "Is there a problem?" she asked coolly.
She uttered on short sentence in her native Chinese, surprising everyone except Ada, who simply replied, "Thank you."
Bruce's cerulean gaze went from one to the other before settling on Ada. "Who's your mother?" he asked, explaining, "Fongling says that Ada looks just like her."
"No one important, Agent McGivern." Ada rose to her feet and wandered over to the patio window. "Read the reports, Leon. I'll answer whatever questions I can once you're done."
Leon gazed at her back, wishing that she hadn't put so much distance between them. He would've liked to her beside him for this. He sighed and looked down at the papers, then opened the first file. It held a detailed report of the original outbreak aboard the Ecliptic Express, and the Arkham Training Facility. He finished it and handed it to Billy, who read it without expression, before passing it to Ark.
He read through accounts of the Spenser Mansion incident, as well as the outbreaks on Rock Fort Island, and in Raccoon City itself. Sheena Island and the Spenser Rain episodes were briefly mentioned, and just as quickly passed on. They weren't what he was looking for, although Wesker was suspected to have a hand in all of them.
He came upon a report entitled, "Birkin, S.", and his heart stopped beating. He read through the file carefully, not missing anything, his anger mounting with each type-written word. Sherry Birkin, the beautiful little twelve-year old who had become the daughter he'd always wanted, was now an Umbrella-inspired Bioweapons project. Little progress had been made with her, as she had an immunity to the all known Umbrella virus', but she was still considered an active experiment.
And Ada had known, Leon thought as betrayal burned through him. As she'd said, some of these reports were hers, and they were the most damning. She had been fully aware of where his daughter was, and just what was being done to her, and she had said nothing. In fact, she had lied to him when asked outright!
Now, he knew why she had moved away from him. She was probably afraid he'd wrap his hands around her pretty little neck and finish what he'd started in Spain! "You knew?" he asked, his voice was hoarse with suppressed fury as he slowly turned towards her.
Her back stiffened with tension even as she nodded in affirmation. "Yes," she replied simply.
Leon waited for her to turn around, and was enraged when she didn't. "Look at me," he commanded harshly, shoving the file at Billy and stalking towards her. He grabbed her arm and swung her around, forcing her to meet his gaze. "All this time, you knew where she was, and you never told me."
Ada winced inwardly at the accusation, though she kept her expression carefully blank. "I couldn't," she said, her tone quiet. "There was no way to free her. We had to wait until Wesker made a mistake, and left himself vulnerable."
"Bullshit!" He released her as though he couldn't bear touching her, his too-blue eyes narrowing furiously. "You could have told me, Ada. I would have--"
"Gotten yourself killed trying to free her," she finished for him. She shook her head negatively as she sought to explain her actions. "The Agency had a lot invested in Wesker. If he hadn't killed you for interfering, they would have. That's I chance I couldn't take, Leon."
"Shit!" Leon took a step back, then another, afraid of what he would do if he didn't put some distance between them. "You lied to me, Ada. You knew how much finding Sherry meant to me, and still you looked me in the eye and lied every time I asked you about her. "
Even this morning. The words echoed unspoken between them, and Ada was the first to look away. "I had no choice," she told him, firm in her belief that she had done the only thing that she could. "If we had gone in any sooner, we would've all been killed, and then what would have happened to your daughter?"
He snorted, his disbelief obvious, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Try again, honey," he sneered, barely able to tolerate looking at her. "You weren't worried about me, you were worried about saving your own ass. You did the same thing that you always do. You looked out for number one, and left Sherry in that monster's hands!"
Ada closed her eyes as his words pierced her heart. She opened them with renewed determination, her gaze colliding with Billy's. She was astonished to find that she had to fight to keep the eye contact. He looked at her steadily, a hint of anger in his dark blue eyes, and she shook her head almost imperceptively. If he interfered here, Leon would know that he'd been involved in their little rebellion, and Billy would lose the only person he truly gave a damn about. That would devastate him, and it simply wasn't worth it. It was better if all of Leon's anger was focused on her, where it truly belonged.
"This wasn't my call, Leon." She ignored the myriad of eyes on them as she met his beautiful, hate-filled gaze once again. "There is more at stake here than just your daughter. The lives of many people depend on us doing this right, and making sure that Albert Wesker dies."
Leon didn't respond, just continued to stare at her with a combination of hurt and fury. She had just handed him everything he needed to take Wesker down, and get his daughter back, and he couldn't thank her for it. If anything, he wanted to hurt her, because she had sat on this information for eight fucking years!
"Who else is involved?" Tom asked into the quiet.
Ada glanced in the direction of that soft-spoken question and shrugged. "A small group of people who have had their lives destroyed by Albert Wesker," she answered vaguely.
Tom nodded slowly, even as he pondered the brief look she and Billy had shared. Obviously, the other man knew more about this than he should, and Ada didn't want him talking. Probably because of Lee's reaction to her involvement. If he was this angry with her because she had remained silent, what he do to Billy, in whom he had placed so much trust?
Judging by the suspicion etched into Leon's expression, he had also caught the subtle exchange, and he wasn't happy about it. Damn, Tom thought sadly, this wasn't going to end well. Lee wasn't a forgiving man.
Fongling was shaking her head, feeling for Leon and what he was going through. "You can't tell us more than that?" she asked the other woman sharply.
"No," Ada answered. "Most of the names wouldn't mean anything to you, my dear. But they would be recognized instantly by STRATCOM."
"That's not much of an answer," Ark was saying, his big blue eyes showing mistrust as he gazed at Ada Wong.
"No, it's not." Ada smiled faintly at his look of surprise. She pulled a slip of paper out of her weapons vest and laid it on the coffee table. "If you want answers, come to this address. We're meeting there, along with S.T.A.R.S."
"S.T.A.R.S.?!" Leon exclaimed harshly, thinking of his friends, and all Wesker had taken from them. "Why did you involve them?"
"Because they have a stake in this, too." She took the papers out of the briefcase, set them aside, and closed it. "You have all of the information you need, except for the location of Wesker's research facility. If you want that, you'll come to the meeting. Otherwise, we'll do this without STRATCOM."
"Why did you come to us in the first place?" Bruce asked in an atypically somber tone. "Why didn't you tell Leon all this in private?"
"Because I wasn't given a choice," Ada said with just a touch of bitterness. "I'm not calling the shots on this one. If I'd had my way, we would have gone in without any of you, and rescued the child on our own."
"You would have left me out of this?" Leon demanded angrily. "She's my daughter, Ada!"
"And keeping you alive is my mission," she returned simply. She tapped the empty briefcase against her leg, the only outward sign of her unsettled emotions. "Whether you're there or not, we're going in tonight. Your daughter will be returned to you, Leon, one way or the other. There's a good chance that most of us won't make it out," she added in a quiet voice. "There's no reason for to risk your life and the lives of your men. Let us handle this."
"No!" he said emphatically, ignoring the subtle plea underlying her words. "STRATCOM will there, Ada. Tell whoever you're working for now to expect us."
"If that's the way you want it." Ada shrugged, feigning an indifference that she was far from feeling. She flashed him the mysterious smile that she knew he hated and waved carelessly. "See you around."
Leon watched her walk away, using the front door for the first time, and made a frustrated sound. "Bitch," he muttered under his breath.
He ran his hands through his golden hair and took a deep breath, trying to force his anger away so that he could think clearly. It didn't work. Ada had betrayed him for the last time, he promised himself. Never again would he let himself fall for her lies. As far as he was concerned, the woman he had cared so much for was dead. She had died in Raccoon City, a victim of William Birkin and Umbrella Inc..
He raised his head, and met each one of his men's gazes. "This mission is strictly voluntary," he told them roughly. "I won't ask any of you to risk your lives for me or my daughter."
"Yeah, right, Leon." Bruce's cerulean eyes glinted as they met his. "I'm your second-in-command. You're not doing this without me."
Ark nodded in solemn agreement. "STRATCOM's a team, Leon. We go in together, and we leave no one behind."
Leon smiled faintly. "Tom?"
"I'm with you," Tom said simply.
"Are you sure?" he asked, utterly serious. "I know you still have nightmares from--"
"We all have nightmares, Lee." Tom shrugged, his bright blue eyes veiled. "At least, these B.O.W.s won't be carrying weapons like the Exocels did."
"True." Leon turned to Billy, who's fine features were completely expressionless. "What about you, Billy? Are you up for this?"
Billy's smile was slow and cold. "I've been waiting eight years for a shot at Wesker, Leon. If you had chosen to let Ada handle it, I'd have gone to the meeting without you."
Leon's gaze sharpened on his, disturbed by the other man's casual use of Ada's first name, and the meaningful look they had exchanged earlier. "Is there anything you want to tell me?" he asked slowly, hoping like hell that his suspicions were wrong.
"Not really, but I suppose that it's time." Billy rose to his feet and crossed his arms over his chest. Ada might have been willing to take all of Leon's hatred, but he knew what keeping this secret had cost her. And he wasn't a liar. If she could take the risk, so could he. "After the government came for you, Ada paid me a visit. Gave me some money, and took me to an Agency safe house. She said that because I was important to you, she would do everything she could to help me."
"I know that you did all you could," he continued. "I owe you for my very freedom, but I owe Ada just as much. I've lost count of the times the military found me, or I was recognized by a cop and taken into custody. Each time, Ada would show up and break me out. She even healed me a few times when I'd been injured. Without her, I wouldn't have lived along enough to see my name cleared."
"And you never thought to mention any of this?" Leon fumed, stunned by the depth of his betrayal.
"Ada asked me not to," Billy said with a sigh. "She's been working on this for nearly eight years, Leon. She's been trying to find a way to get Sherry away from Wesker alive. This is the first opportunity she's had, and only because he's decided to move her."
Leon glared at him hotly, clenching his jaw to keep from punching someone he had--until only moments ago--considered a friend. "We'll discuss this later," he gritted out. "Suit up, Billy. Until this mission is over, you're still a member of STRATCOM."
Billy nodded curtly, unsurprised by the cutting words, or the implication behind them. It was what he had expected, after all. He snapped him a proper, if sarcastic salute, before shouldering his duffel bag and striding out of the room.
"Christ," Leon spat, snatching the scrap of paper that Ada had left off the coffee table. He looked at the address and began to laugh, the sound totally devoid of humor. "Of course," he mumbled to himself, "the bitch has been right under my nose the entire time."
Bruce traded concerned looks with Ark and Tom, not liking how this was playing out. Billy might be a jerk, but he was one of them. He was part of the team. Leon couldn't be serious about kicking him out of STRATCOM, could he?!
"Tell me that's just the anger talking?" he asked hopefully. "You didn't really mean that, did you, Leon?"
"Let it alone, Bruce," Leon snapped warningly.
"But he doesn't have anyone here else to go," Ark inserted in protest. "You told me that yourself, Leon."
"He should have thought of that before he lied to me," came the furious response.
Toms shook his head, his bright blue eyes full of reproach. "You're making a mistake, Lee."
Leon glared at him, unable to temper his response. "I'm in charge here, Tom. Stay out of it."
"Leon!" Fongling stood up, her hands on her hips, her expression one of disbelief. "This is not like you, my friend. You are too angry, and it clouding your judgment. Do not make any rash decisions that you will regret later."
He bit back angry words, knowing logically that she was right. But his trust had been violated, and he didn't know if he'd ever be able to forgive Billy for this, let alone be able to work with him again. "I'm sorry," he ground out stiffly. "I'm just a little. . .upset right now."
"And that is perfectly understandable," she said soothingly. She flashed him a sympathetic smile as she rose to her feet. "So, do you have room for one more agent on this mission?"
Leon managed a tight smile. "STRATCOM would be honored to work with you, Fongling."
She clapped her hands together. "Excellent."
Bruce grabbed her hand and pulled her back down beside him. "Welcome aboard, beautiful."
She threw her arms around him and proceeded to kiss him senseless. Leon turned away from the happy couple, images of he and Ada flashing through his mind. Anguish rose up in him, threatening to overwhelm him. He shoved it down, burying it deep, and took refuge in his rage. He couldn't deal with being hurt by yet another person he had cared for. If he survived this, there would be plenty of time to mourn. Until then, he couldn't afford to let himself be distracted this way. Sherry's life might very well depend on how well he controlled himself during this mission. He would not fail her.
Billy shoved his clothes into two saddlebags, taking only what he'd need to survive a harsh D.C. winter on his own. He had no intention of coming back here after they killed Wesker. Reasoning with Leon would be a complete waste of time. The younger man had simply been hurt too many times, and he didn't have it in him to forgive anymore. He might feel bad about it, but that wouldn't stop him from tossing Billy out on his ass, and leaving him to fend for himself.
He'd known, Billy reminded himself bitterly, just what Leon's reaction would be if he was ever told the truth. It what he had feared, losing the younger man's friendship, and the place he had been granted in his life. Leon had other friends, normal people who genuinely cared about him. He certainly didn't need someone with Billy's problems hanging around, casting a dark cloud over what he'd managed to salvage from his life.
Leon had always insisted that he was a part of that life, but Billy had known better. He had run for too long, had seen too much, to let himself believe in fairy tales. He had been damned for nine years, and not even having his innocence proclaimed to the world could changed that. Once people heard his name, they tended to become nervous, eying him like they expected to be next on his kill list. The other members of STRATCOM still did it, and they'd known him for six months.
Hell, even the asshole that was coordinating this little suicide mission refused to believe that he was an innocent man. He rarely used Billy's name, instead referring to him as 'Killer' whenever they spoke. If it hadn't been for Leon and Ada, he would've walked away from this a long time ago. Yes, he wanted Wesker to pay for what he had done, but he hated putting up with that kind of treatment. He may have taken lives when he was a Marine, but he wasn't a killer, damn it!
"Fuck!" He plunged his hands through his too-long brown hair and kicked the bed in frustration. He felt a flashback coming on and fought it with everything he had. He had a job to do, and couldn't afford to let the past screw with him like this. "Take a deep breath, Coen, and calm the fuck down. You can handle this."
The moment passed, leaving Billy shaken but triumphant. He'd managed to fight another one off, he thought with tired satisfaction. He closed the saddlebags, pulled on his old leather jacket, and slung them over his shoulder. He grabbed the duffel bag which held his personal arsenal, grasping the small handles until his fingers ached. He glanced towards the bed, which was made with military precision, and his chest tightened painfully. His STRATCOM uniform had been carefully laid out, the weapons he'd been issued after joining placed carefully beside them. He'd be damned if he'd wait for a posthumous pink slip. If he wasn't a member of STRATCOM anymore, he'd die as himself, whoever the fuck that was. The unit would just have to go on without him.
Which shouldn't be a problem, he thought cynically. Bruce thought he was an asshole, Ark was a little afraid of him, and Tom simply didn't care one way or the other. They had only accepted him because Leon had asked them to. They'd probably be relieved once he was gone. No more putting up with his mood swings, or trying to play nice with him when they really couldn't care less. They'd replace him with someone who was more skilled, and had a more sociable personality. They would find someone who actually fit into their elite little clique, and all would be well for the government's best anti-Umbrella squad.
Billy left the room, slamming the door behind him to give the others a chance to pretend that they hadn't been talking about him in his absence. He stomped down the stairs, making as much noise as possible. If he couldn't sneak out of here with his dignity in tact, he'd at least go out with his head held high.
Leon's head came up as he entered the room, his clear blue eyes widening slightly. Billy had eschewed his STRATCOM uniform in favor of the civilian garb he'd dressed in that morning. Blue jeans, a black tshirt, and the ratty old leather jacket he'd been wearing when Leon first met him. He glanced down at the other man's feet and made a rough sound. Somehow, the worn, steel-toed black boots didn't surprise him. Billy had truly taken his words to heart. Now, it was up to Leon to decide if he'd really meant them.
"Where's your uniform?" he asked, unable to temper his harsh tone.
"Upstairs," came the short, uncommunicative answer.
Leon frowned at that. "Why aren't you in it, Billy?"
"I didn't see the point," Billy replied, his own voice carefully neutral.
"Damn it." Leon pinched the bridge of his nose, praying for patience. "You're still a member of STRATCOM, Billy."
"Yeah, and for how long?" Billy shook his head negatively, scowling as his hair slid into his eyes. He shoved it back impatiently, his midnight eyes narrowed, his expression set. "You're pissed off at me, Leon? You want to fire me?"
Leon glanced away guiltily. "Billy--"
"Forget it, Kennedy. I'll save you the trouble. I quit." He smiled thinly at the combination of shock and fury that leapt into the other man's eyes. "Have a nice life, kid."
He left the room quickly, ignoring the cacophony of voices that trailed in his wake. He sincerely doubted that anyone was protesting, and if they were, it was too late. They should've said something when Leon had first hinted at his dismissal, instead of waiting until it was a done deal.
Leon realized stared down at the paper in hand blindly, flinching as the front door was slammed hard. He barely heard his men as they all began to speak at once, protesting what Billy himself had set in motion. It didn't matter what decision he might have eventually made. Billy had chosen on his own, and a part of him was relieved. He simply couldn't deal with this right now.
"Are you all ready?" he asked abruptly, ignoring their obvious disapproval. "If you're still willing to do this with me, that is."
"Of course, we are," Bruce said, adding, "Just don't fire me, okay?"
Fongling frowned at him. "Bruce!"
"Excuse me." Ark reached past her and punched him in the shoulder. "Give it a rest already, McGivern."
"Who says I was kidding?" Bruce muttered, flashing him a baleful look as he rubbed his shoulder.
"Bruce--" Leon broke off, reigning in his temper. "Look, I'll talk to Billy later and fix this, alright? For now, I just want to get to Sherry, and get her away from that son of a bitch."
"We're with you." Tom checked his weapons one last and rose to his feet. He smiled crookedly, his dimples creasing on either side of his mouth. "I'm looking forward to meeting your daughter, Lee."
Leon smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Tom."
The other man merely lifted his shoulders in a casual shrug and turned to his teammates. "Let's do this, before Fongling's tourist visa expires."
Fongling laughed at that. "I am here on business, Tom."
"And that's just what you told them at Customs, right?" he asked dryly.
"Of course," she responded, deadpan.
"Is this going to interfere with your mission?" Bruce asked her, his sculpted features grave. "I don't want to get you in trouble with your superiors."
"No," she told him in a quiet voice. She brushed her lips across his, drawing back with a solemn smile. "I've been thinking that life in China is not what it used to be. Perhaps, your decadent western country has room for one more immigrant?"
Bruce gazed at her with stunned blue eyes before grinning hugely. "Always," he told her, his voice hoarse emotion. He pulled to him and held her tightly, pressing a kiss to the side of her slender throat. "So, how about joining STRATCOM? We seem to have a sudden opening," he added pointedly.
Leon just sighed wearily and gave him the finger. "We'd be honored to have you, Fongling. Just be prepared to be fully debriefed. Our government's big on gathering intelligence."
She shrugged elegantly as she pulled away. "You do not interrogate defectors as we do," she said simply. "I will not betray my government, but I am not adverse to trading information that will not harm China."
"Good." Leon forced a smile to his lips, even as he felt like hitting someone. First Elza, then Ada and Claire, and now Billy. Everyone he'd ever loved had left him. Now, he had to risk the lives of the few friends that he had to rescue his daughter from a madman. If he survived this, he was going to have to reevaluate his life. Right now, he was going to kill Albert Wesker, and avenge all the innocents who had died at the hands of both he and Umbrella Inc..