Leon S. Kennedy (2)

"I'm Leon Kennedy, nice to meet ya."

"My name's Claire….Claire Redfield. I'm looking for my brother Chris."

"That guy's gonna ram us!!"

"CLAIRE!"

"LEON!!"

"Go to the police station, I'll meet you there!"

"Okay!"

The street was broken up and destroyed, as if a riot had passed through, flipping the cars that were carelessly strewn about the dismantled chunks of black asphalt and breaking the windows of several stores. The only thing remaining were those damn zombies, their deep, droning sounds echoing about in a dull, tasteless chorus as they sluggishly limped their way to the only source of fresh meat within this now piss-poor city: me. Again, I checked my tactical belt that was fastened tightly at my waist, to assure myself one more time that I still had two clips remaining. But as I felt for the magazine holster, I discovered only one clip left. I cursed loudly at myself, forgetting for a brief moment that I had given Claire my extra clip to arm herself with before we had parted ways. I just hoped that she would use the ammo wisely.

The smell of burning oil and rancid metal filled my nose, the heat of the flames giving me an irritating warming sensation on my back as I faced the long street ahead of me. Progressively, these torn, rotten people dragged, crawled, and stumbled their way around, guided by the only sense they had left-their sense of smell. My body twisted and my stomach churned violently as it pre-empted my instincts to vomit, but I held firm. I couldn't let myself become vulnerable now, especially when there was a fleet of reanimated corpses approaching where I stood, slowly but surely. I steadied my arm, aiming at the closest zombie, who was only a mere five feet to my right, and took my first shot, targeting the creature's forehead.

RingRingRing…RingRingRing…

Something was ringing faintly in the background… But whatever it was, I couldn't allow myself to get distracted by it; I had to get to the police station! Once that walking carcass fell, the victim of one well placed bullet to the brain, I took aim of my next target. Just before I pulled the trigger, my stomach churned and I dry heaved, my throat stinging in response. Nothing sounded in recognition that I hit my target successfully. I coughed, gagged and took a step back to keep myself from falling. God, the stench was too horrible to bear, especially in light of the burning Limbo behind me. Somehow mustering the strength to rise to my feet, I stood straight and took aim once again.

RingRingRing…RingRingRing…

What the fuck!?

My eyes shot open and I immediately sat straight up in bed. This time around, I managed to avoid grabbing for my gun, but I still was panting heavily and sweating buckets. Once it had sunk in that was I awake, a massive head-ache split my mind in two, sending flashes of light to dance across my vision as I groaned, slamming my eyes shut in an attempt to will away the agony. I licked my dry lips and then gritted my teeth in pain, clutching my forehead. Then my cell-phone rang again…

RingRingRing…RingRingRing…

I grabbed it with a shaky hand the cell and pressed "Talk", raising the device to my ear. "Hello?" I greeted my caller softly, with a surprisingly steady voice that was the complete opposite of my current demeanor. Being able to mask my voice with so little effort and not let onto my true feelings was quite a feat in my opinion, and it was at times like this that I was thankful for such an ability in the off chance it was someone important calling. The line was silent, echoing with an eerie quiet that didn't help my current mindset. I tried again,

"Hello? Is anyone there? Hello?"

After a few more moments of utter silence, I was prepared to hang up-that is, until I heard a cute, nervous voice finally speak up on the other end of the line. "H-hi, you probably don't remember me, but…"

From the moment I heard her stutter, which I almost didn't catch at first, I quickly came out of my daze and she had my full attention. "Oh! You're the chick from Charlie's, right? Miss Red?" I hoped to high hell that it was her, but it somehow felt too soon to get a phone call from someone I just met only two nights ago. Maybe it was just me being ignorant, but I really couldn't think much on the subject at the moment, seeing that I was dealing with a horrible headache and it was killing me. I couldn't let Miss Red become aware of that fact; I didn't want her to think I was irritated by her call. But hell…she called…she actually called…

"Actually, my name is Luciana, in case you're interested. So, it's Leon, right?"

Luciana. That name echoed in my mind as my lips curved into a pleasing smile. I spoke my mind, "Luciana…that's a beautiful name. And yes, my name's Leon. I feel embarrassed a bit that my card introduced me instead of myself, ya know? And I can see your still amongst the living. Seth is notorious for driving crazy." Jeez, did I just rant on like that? I shouldn't be nervous in talking to Luciana; from what I could tell by her voice alone, she was the nervous one here, not me. I guess, within the depths of my shell, I still held that soft, vulnerable confidence with women. But it's fair game, right? I mean, we were both nervous, her more so than I, but we're standing on equal grounds. I twisted my body out of bed and allowed my feet to rest on the cold tile of the floor. I was still dressed in my jeans, but I wore no shirt due to it being a little too warm in my room to sleep with one on. Despite the privacy that came with living alone, I still felt subconscious about myself because of that horrible scar marring my apex, serving as a constant, grim reminder of the nightmares I had lived through.

"There you go with the flattery again." She began, a slight smile in her voice as she spoke. "And crazy is an understatement, but I did make it home in one piece. Seth and my sister seemed to have really hit it off, but you probably know that by now…"

My smile widened at her words, already knowing of the fact-knowing too much perhaps. "He spoke briefly on that, not sure why. He's usually open with shit like that. But I'm not worried." I paused for a minute to let that soak into her mind, silently shaking my head-speaking briefly was bullshit-Seth had attempted to go into details, which I had quickly stopped him from doing. Hearing about my friend's sex life was not among my favorite pastimes. "Well, if you don't mind, you wanna go out somewhere? My treat. I feel more comfortable talking face-to-face then through a receiver."

Alright, so maybe it was a little too forward and a little too soon, but I obviously wasn't thinking of that. I wanted to get to know her more and I really did feel more comfortable talking in person. It gives me the edge when I talk to people head-on because it enables me to read them easier. You can only do so much over the phone. I'd much rather use my skills to the fullest extent rather than half ass a situation. Besides, the chance to once again see those lovely hazel eyes of hers only made me more eager to meet up with her again. I know, I know, one more lame excuse to see her again, right? It's called attraction, folks. I can't help it. And I didn't want to help it either.

"You beat me to it," She replied in a soft, child like voice. "I'm horrible with things like this. Coffee sound good? When is good for you? Any place in particular? I'm asking too many questions, aren't I? Shit…so much for avoiding the moronic blubbering. Hell, I can't believe I just said that out loud…"

I couldn't help but laugh at her response. She sounded so cute, so easily flustered. I'm happy to say that I didn't laugh alone; she joined in, her soft giggle sounding like it belonged to a school girl rather than a full grown adult. At least I broke the tension somewhat, I thought with a slightly victorious smile. "It's okay," I finally said, "I understand. I hope you don't mind Starbucks, I could go for some right now."

"Sounds like a plan. Is the one on Orange Grove okay?"

"Sure. What time?"

"Hmm…say in about, half an hour?"

"Okay. No need to dress to impress. See ya in a few."

I hung up, probably too quickly and much more eagerly then most might think. But in thirty minutes, I had to be there and I couldn't be late. Looks like this would be a record-breaking moment in getting myself cleaned up and dressed to meet Miss Red. No time to lose, right? I hopped up off the bed and ran straight to the bathroom, making my self-image somewhat decent, brushing my teeth rather quickly while my free hand deftly fixed my loose hair.

Thirty-one minutes later…

I arrived at the most heavenly of coffee shops in town only to have Luciana waiting quietly at one of the small tables provided, sitting in a neat row along the back wall. My entrance was signified by a high pitched, mechanical beep, alerting the employees working behind the counter that they had a customer. I was just an average guy wearing a simple jeans jacket with a black shirt tucked neatly into my jeans that were a little loose fitting but quickly remedied by adding a leather belt with a solid silver buckle, fastening it comfortably about my waist to allow me some breathing space. I also wore my finger-cut leather gloves, the ones I typically wore while at work. I was sure that she wouldn't mind the accessory. Besides, women seem to fancy that rough biker image, although I'm not sure why. Inside my jacket, fitted carefully against my chest, was my leather holster that cradled my .45 pistol. Nothing could wean me from my metallic friend; I was a firm believer of the buddy-system. The set up of the store was simple, with the counter being located in the very center of the room, a couple of brightly colored lounges and comfortable chairs that circled a small wooden table closer to the entrance, and a row of small tables along the back. Once I glanced in Luciana's direction, her eyes met mine and I immediately smiled. It could have been a fool's smile or maybe an apologetic "sorry-I'm-late" smile, but it didn't seem to matter. I finally approached where she sat with a walk of confidence.

"Sorry I'm late." Was the first thing I said to her as I continued to give her a rather sheepish smile. She tilted her head to the left obviously confused, "Late?" Inwardly, I smiled at the cuteness Luciana demonstrated. I quickly disguised it with a shrug, "It's a personal vendetta." I sat down across from her respectfully and then I asked her coolly, "So, how was your day?" What better way to get to know someone then to start how their mind works. A person's response to this question always dictated how a person is in their life, no matter how social it is. I watched as her eye's glanced away from mine briefly, her continuous sign of being nervous showing, and replied rather quietly, "Pretty uneventful. Just had an early afternoon class, and that's about it." Her eye's then stared upward to the ceiling as if trying to avoid my glance. I guess I shouldn't press on the matter that she's blushing just by me talking to her. I took that into confidence and I adjusted myself in my seat, rather interested in what classes she took. "What kind of classes? Are you still a college student?" She looked young enough to be in college but I honestly don't want to rob the cradle here. I would find out her age soon enough.

Luciana gave a quick laugh, covering her mouth as she did so while shaking her head as if in disbelief, "I could almost say that I miss the old college days but then I'd be lying." Then her face went more serious as she looked at me with another questioning look, "Wait a minute- just how old do you think I am?" At this point, I raised my eyebrows in surprise at my false, unspoken accusations of her age. I answered truthfully, "No older then twenty-five, that's for sure." She was more mature then most, I began to realize. I do give credit to women that they do mature faster then men chemically but a lot are still stuck in the high school mentality well good through their twenties until they hit around their thirties. I was getting more and more interested in her by the moment. This time, she laughed openly, confident and comfortable with herself to be able to enjoy this moment at the fullest, "Well, close enough. I hit twenty-four back in July." It was easier to find out her age then I thought. After calming down, she then asked curiously, "What about you?" I rubbed my chin as the thought of her being twenty-four soaked into my thoughts, "24, huh? I don't think you wanna know how old I am." I looked at her and in retort to my response; she gave me a sincere look, that cute almost puppy-dog-eyed look that most men couldn't say no too. "Please?" she pleaded. I sighed, giving in and replied casually, "I just turned thirty." I awaited some sort of negative response no matter how hidden it was but as I watched her face, she gave me a small, shy smile, "God, you had me scared for a minute. You certainly don't look thirty…"

I smiled and looked up in thought as I sat back into my chair, "With all the hell that I've been through, I'm surprised I don't look older than I am." I began to get small flashes of my brief encounter with Krauser then my scarred chest from the gunshot wound. Then, Luciana finally asked the ultimate question, "What exactly do you do for a living?" I directed my eye's to Luci's and with a serious face I replied, "I work with the CIA." I had to give her the serious look; most don't take me serious when I tell them that small, little fact. Hell sometimes, it drove a lot of them away thinking that I would turn them in for all the bullshit they've done in the past. Like I would care. She gave a nervous chuckle that I almost took too far until she said, "Well, that's makes what I do for a living seem minor league. It's not exactly rocket science." I challenged her, "No, but I bet it's twice as easy as mine."

"Last I checked," she retorted, "teaching second grade isn't so easy, but it pays the bills." She gave a modest shrug while my expression replied with a wince, feeling her pain somewhat. "You got a point there. So, ready to get some coffee." She nods, "Lead the way, Mr. Kennedy." I scoffed as I stood up from where I sat. I can't believe she said that. And frankly, I spoke my mind, "Jeez, don't make me feel like I'm thirty now." She giggled, cute and innocent-like as she stood up with me, "Alright." It took little to no time to get our orders placed and our drinks received, so we quickly found ourselves back at our table, sipping on our straws much like high school kids on a weekend with nothing better to do. Heh, did I just say 'our table'? Nah, I don't think so…

"Thanks for the coffee." She said with such a beautiful smile, "I haven't had one of these things in a long time." I gave another casual shrug, "No problem. So…" Oh god, I thought. Is this the premature awkward silence? So soon? I couldn't believe I would find myself at this position so soon in this little date. The last thing I would want is to talk about myself, it'll make me seem like I'm self-centered? But then, asking her about her life is border-line 'stalker', right? Ugh, so complicated! I looked away in thought as I took a sip from my Vanilla Bean Frap. After what seemed like forever she spoke up, "Sorry, I'm not really good with these sort of things. I really don't know what to say…" I looked at her, successfully holding the look of being surprised. But I gave a comforting smile and replied, "It's okay. I haven't been on one of these things in a long time…" I thought it'd be appropriate to say. She gave a small, sad smile and it was her time to challenge me, "Betcha I have you beat." I couldn't help but chuckle and replied, "Try me." Confidently, she replied without missing a beat, "Sophomore year in high school. Top that." I winced again in defeat and inhaled sharply. She does have me beat. "Ouch. My last date was back in 2000, so yeah you win." Her face finally cleared from the red tint, returned but only in a small dose and said, "I'm actually surprised." Why would she be surprised? I'm not that good-looking. I cocked an eyebrow and delved deeper, "And why is that?"

"Well…" She began, for a moment she seemed to be at a loss for words, "…you know why." She looks away, trying to avoid my glance once more. But I couldn't help but smile at this hidden compliment and she was acting too cute to ignore. I couldn't avoid the opportunity to maybe delve a little deeper give her face a bit more red to it, "Come on, tell me." She was toying her straw now; I'm assuming that she's trying to calm her nerves. "Well," she began, sounding rather unsure but knowingly in what she wants to say, "my sister came on to you, didn't she? She only goes after the good looking guys…that, and she did say that you were the hottest thing she ever saw in Charlie's." With the mention of her sister, I went serious once again and leaned in close to her as if I had a secret to tell, "To tell you the truth, I thought Seth set her up with me because in all honesty, she looked like a whore. No disrespect or anything." And it was the honest truth. I finally broke the tension in her as she gave her cute, soft laugh and shook her head, "There is no disrespect in being honest and concerning Rosabel, she maybe my sister, but whore is an understatement. Let's just keep that between us." I then laughed with her at the comment. Funny, I always thought sisters looked out for each other. But I guess in this case, Rosabel was a lost cause. I finally went back to the topic at hand and asked, "Well, do you agree with your sis?"

Once again, her nerves kicked in and she was getting flustered all over, her face now glowing into a soft red of blush. "I…uh…" she began but giggled nervously, looking down at the table, "I don't want to make a liar out of myself, and I would be if I said no, but I'm sure you hear that kind of thing often." I maintained my cheesy grin, enjoying the moment I'm having with her. Apart from embarrassing her at a moral, humane level, it was great being with her. "Not as often as you think," I said to her in reassurance, "but thanks for the refresher." Then, she rested her elbow on the table and leaned in slightly as I watched a piece of her silky auburn hair fall out of place. "I just tell it like I see it, that's all." She said with an alluring smile. Now, at this point, my mind calculated what I should and do next. Should I pull a cheesy romantic line? I was very much attracted by her, her personality and her figure altogether. But those hazel-green eye's, they were so mesmerizing. Taking careful look into them, I realized that they held more green then anything, the pattern inside weird but yet beautiful at the same time. I decided to take the leap of faith and let a smooth hand sweep the strand of loose auburn back while I said, "If that's the case, cute would be an understatement for you." Her face now was completely flushed with red now and I loved it! I never felt this good in the longest. She interrupted my thoughts, "There you go with the flattery again."

I held a victoriously smile now, though whether or not she could discern that is beyond me. "I just call it like I see it." God, I thought frantically, Should I seal the deal with a kiss? Nah, I can't do that. But look at her, she wants you to! Her lips look so soft…she looks so beautiful…

RingRingRing…RingRingRing…

FUCK!!

As much as I didn't want to, I broke this mental embrace and looked down at my cell. My heart stopped beating; I could feel my face turning white as I broke in a small, cold sweat. I got up in a half-hearted rush as I said to her sincerely, "Excuse me for a second." Not waiting for any acknowledgement, I walked outside and answered the phone.

It was my boss, Dorian Romeran.

"Kennedy here."

"Kennedy, I apologize for interrupting but there's something you got to see." Said the deep, authoritive voice of Dorian. Just the way he talked, he sounded like he would be in charge of a lot of people. It wasn't charisma that he carried, it the was bass of his voice. "With all due respect sir, I hope this doesn't mean it won't interefer with my vacation." I replied in plain, even voice. Perhaps I did sound a little mad but I tried not to let that get the best of me. Last I need to get chewed out for not showing respect. "No but you need to stop by my office now, no exceptions." Acknowledging the order, I hung up and stuffed my phone in my pocket as I cursed at my boss for ruining my moment with Luci.

Seemingly charging in, I approached her and fixed my furious face with a sincere one, trying to not make her worry. "Sorry to cut this short, but I have to go." Luciana didn't look disappointed but maybe she understood me, being in the line of work I'm in. Who wouldn't, right? But knowing that it must be something important to pull me out of my vacation for a while, it had to be something serious. And honestly, I hate being fed with little information. "I'll take to you later then." She replied. Thinking on more of what my boss needed to show me, I waved bye to her and made my exit, quickly hopping into my jean then driving off at a high-speed. I couldn't help but feel rather rushed in this situation but I wanted to know what could be so important to talk to me about it now! A thought crossed my mind, reflecting on the events of the Raccoon Incident then the final blow to the Umbrella Corp. in Russia but that was all over and done with.

What more could possibly go wrong in this world!?