Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in the work below. If I did, RE4 would have had zombies instead of bugs!
Synopsis: T-virus, G-virus, T-Veronica virus, Las Plagas. . .you get the drift.
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Resident Evil: The Gauntlet
Chapter Four: Spain?
Leon used his t-shirt to wipe the tears from his cheeks. He pushed himself to his feet, still grinning ear-to-ear. "Welcome to sunny Spain," he said breathlessly. "Home of the Los Illuminados and the Las Plagas parasite."
"And one Luis Sera." Luis stood, shaking his head as he dusted his jeans off. "I never thought I'd see this place again."
"You're from here?" Sherry looked around with one eyebrow raised. "Funny, you don't look like a hick."
Luis shot her a dirty look but didn't respond. Sherry merely gave a too-sweet smile in return. Leon's gaze sharpened at the silent exchange, but he also chose to keep his mouth shut. He waited for the rest of S.T.A.R.S. to jump down from the top of the car, noting that Burnside was scowling in their direction. He wondered why, but didn't really care. If the kid had any brains at all he'd keep his own mouth shut.
"This is where I was sent to rescue Ashley Graham," Leon explained, turning to Chris. "We probably won't find any Umbrella B.O.W.s here, but there will be monsters."
"Not to mention crazed, pitchfork-wielding, parasite-controlled villagers," Luis inserted dryly.
"Perfect," Chris sighed. He checked the Riot Gun and calmly reloaded. "Bullets will kill them, right?"
Leon nodded. "Aim for head until it gets dark."
"I don't like the sound of that," Carlos muttered.
"What happens after dark?" Billy asked in a too-quiet voice.
"The parasite's emerge from the host if you take a head shot," Leon said simply.
"Oh, come on!" Steve put his hands on his hips, his green eyes narrowed. "I did not sign up for this."
Sherry spun around with an angry expression. "Oh, man up, Burnside."
He opened his mouth to reply, then remembered that they weren't supposed to know each other. He closed his mouth without uttering a word, moving closer to Claire. Sherry just rolled her eyes, muttering, "Wimp," as she turned away.
Leon smothered a laugh, even as he pondered the exchange. Sherry was hostile to nearly everyone, but he still wondered. Considering that she blamed Claire for what had happened to them, she should have made the jump to Steve Burnside, just as he had. The fact that she hadn't seemed to bother him.
He'd ask her about it later. Right now, he just wanted to get through this part of the gauntlet. God, he was fucking tired, he thought wearily. He looked at the house on his left and snorted. There was no way he was going in there, again. He'd find another way into the village. Climb over the damned truck blocking the door or something.
Sherry approached him, her gun drawn, her azure eyes warm. "Where to, Dad?"
Leon smiled affectionately and pointed at the big truck. "Over the hill and through the woods."
She giggled at that. "It's better than the sewer I was expecting."
"Not much," Luis mumbled, crossing his arms.
"At least, there aren't any giant spiders here," Claire inserted dryly.
"Something to be thankful for," Leon agreed, his eyes warming on hers. He held her gaze for a moment longer before forcing himself to look away. He refocused on Chris, who was eyeing Burnside with open suspicion. "If we use the truck blocking the gate, we should be able to climb over the barricade. The path beyond it leads to the Pueblo, but it's full of bear traps. There were a couple of tripwires strung between the trees, too."
Chris nodded curtly. "You know the terrain here, so you're on point."
"Thanks," Leon said with obvious surprise. He waved them forward as he walked, looking back over his shoulder several times. First Jill had deferred to him, and now Chris. Just what did they see in him now that hadn't been there eight years ago?
He approached the truck and climbed onto the hood. He clambered to the roof and took careful steps to the big double doors with the Los Illuminados symbol carved into them. He backed up and took a running start, jumping and clinging to the top of the doors. He straddled them cautiously and looked down. He didn't see any of the traps in the immediate vicinity, though there were definitely some set up in the bushes a few feet away.
"Chris!" He beckoned the other man with a gesture, clinging to the gate when Chris's weight caused it to sway.
"Jesus!" Chris exclaimed. "This thing looked a lot sturdier from the ground!"
"Tell me about it," he commiserated. He heard the crunch of metal and Plexiglas and turned to find Sherry and Luis coming their way. "Give me your hands, honey."
Sherry shook her head, scattering her fine blond hair. "Help Luis first. He's still a little weak."
The Spaniard shot her fierce look even as he made a flamboyant gesture with one hand. "Ladies first," he said mockingly. "I insist."
She just rolled her eyes, placed her hand against his shoulder, and pushed him forward. "Get your ass in gear, Romeo. We don't have all day."
Luis scowled but let himself be pulled up the doors. "You might want to consider investing in a bar of soap, cop. Your daughter could use it."
Leon hid a smile as he and Chris lowered him partway. Luis landed on the ground lightly, though he did seem to stumble as he regained his balance. Sherry came next, smiling angelically, as though she hadn't just bullied a guy nearly twice her size. Leon shook his head and helped her over the barricade, still trying not to smile. If nothing else, Ada had taught his daughter how to use her backbone, and use it well.
"Start triggering the bear traps," he called down to her. "They're in the brush, and around the trees. And watch out for the tripwires!"
"We will."
Leon heard several shots as he helped the rest of the team over the doors. They were followed by the distinctive clink of the bear traps as they snapped closed. Chris dropped to the ground, landing evenly on the balls of his feet, and Leon waited until he moved aside to do the same.
Carlos was grinning as he approached the front of the group. "Check it out, amigo."
Luis and Sherry were standing a little ways away, arguing over who should shoot the tripwires. Leon sighed heavily, drew the Handcannon, and calmly shot at both. They exploded within seconds of each other, and swearing could be heard in both Spanish and English. Leon ignored them and aimed at the space between the trees. He triggered the concealed bear trap, lowered the gun, and started forward.
"Let's go," he said abruptly, taking the path as it curved up and slightly to the right. A man in ragged clothes and graying hair shouted something indecipherable and began to rush towards him.
Leon just shook his head, sighed, and took aim. He put a round in the guy's shoulder, which ripped the pitchfork he was carrying out of his hand. The man kept coming, his red eyes a visible sign of the parasite that lived within. Leon leveled the barrel of the Handcannon and pulled the trigger. The man dropped to the ground, and Leon hurried to where he lay stunned, and shot him twice more. He didn't get up.
"I thought they took a lot of ammo," Jill said a surprisingly dry voice.
"Yeah," Chris cut in. "That took what? Four bullets?"
He shrugged embarrassedly. "They'll get tougher soon enough."
"Younger, too," Claire teased, adding, "I hope."
Leon ran a hand through his hair as he blushed. "Yeah, there weren't too many of the old-timers last time. Most of the villagers seemed to be around our age."
He made his way to the little shack and stepped inside. At least, there wasn't a village woman pitchforked to the wall this time! He found a crossbow and a yellow herb. He pocketed the herb and stepped outside with the bowgun. He handed it to Claire with a nostalgic smile. "I think this is meant for you."
Claire returned his smile wryly. "Yeah, this would've come in handy back at Rockfort Island."
"I found these in the precinct," Billy said, taking the arrows out of his vest. "I'd wondered if we'd ever need them."
"Everything's been changed," Chris said with a baffled shake of his head. "Maybe Wesker really has gone senile."
"And just can't remember what goes where," Jill inserted with a laugh.
Rebecca smiled a little at that. "I was hoping he'd died of old age, personally."
Leon merely shook his head, knowing that it wasn't so. Wesker was just fucking with them, putting them through their paces. He fully expected the former Alpha Team leader to show up and challenge Chris. He didn't know how much he'd be able to help, but he'd do whatever he could to keep Claire's brother alive. He wouldn't allow her to lose him after all she had sacrificed for him.
He took lead once more, smiling at Claire as she moved to his side. He didn't know why he she was here, instead of at Burnside's side, and he didn't care. It was enough to be with her, even like this. He had missed her so damn badly the last eight years. He wondered if she had missed him, as well?
"Why didn't you go back to school?" he asked in a low voice.
Claire shrugged. "I couldn't deal with the real world after Raccoon," she answered. "S.T.A.R.S. is the only place I feel safe anymore."
Leon nodded sadly. "Yeah, the adjustment's a real bitch."
She looked up at him with somber blue eyes. "Why didn't you come back?" she asked, unable to stop herself. "I know you were mad at me for leaving, but why have you stayed away for so long?"
He looked away, an image of Ada shooting Claire flashing through his mind. "Claire. . ." his voice trailed off as he agonized over whether to tell her the truth or not.
"Didn't you think I'd want to see you, see Sherry?"
The pain in her voice was nearly his undoing. "You don't understand," he said hoarsely. "Claire, I-"
"Intruso!"
"Fuck!" Leon brought his gun up and took aim at a man in a stocking cap. The man threw a hatchet and he shot it out of air. Claire drew her Magnum and together they blasted the guy into oblivion. A second guy came out of another shack up ahead, they quickly dealt with him the same way.
Leon reloaded the Handcannon, and was surprised to notice that he'd used quite a few bullets. He wasn't running low yet, but he would soon enough, if he wasn't careful. "Chris, how are you guys doing on ammo?" he threw over his shoulder.
Chris questioned the others, and everyone was doing relatively well. "How about you?" he said, well aware that Leon had given nearly all of his guns and ammunition to them. "Are you running low?"
"Not yet." Leon rubbed the back of his neck as they crossed they came to another set of double doors. "This leads to the Pueblo. There were a hellava lot of villagers, and not many places to fight them. If you see a guy with a sack on his head and a chainsaw, concentrate on him. It took six or seven shots from my shotgun to take him down."
Carlos raised on black eyebrow. "A chainsaw?"
"Yeah."
"Mierda." The Latino man shook his head and hitched the C.T. up on one hip. "Sounds like Nemesis to me."
Leon blinked. He hadn't made that comparison; he'd never run into the super-Tyrant. "Kind of reminded me of the Tyrant that chased Claire and I through the R.P.D. Except for the chainsaw, of course."
Claire shuddered at the reminder of Mr. X. "God, I hated that son of a bitch!"
"Me, too," Sherry inserted, surprising everyone as she smiled in Claire's direction. "I can't imagine anything scarier."
Steve snorted from his place in the back. They all turned to look at him, and he pasted a bored expression on his face. "Nothing could be scarier than what Ashford turned into."
Claire nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he was much scarier than Mr. X," she said. "At least, Mr. X didn't release a toxic gas could that couldn't be cured by the blue herb!"
Sherry's eyes narrowed before her expression closed. Leave it to Steve to ruin the first decent moment she'd had with Claire since being reunited with her. And damn Claire for letting him! she thought heatedly. The other woman couldn't really be this stupid, could she? How could she not see just how full of shit Steve Burnside really was?
She opened her mouth to say something cutting, and Leon stopped her with a stern look. She should have known, Sherry thought ruefully. Leon wasn't a stupid man. He might not know exactly what was going on, but he knew that Steve couldn't be trusted, even if he didn't know why. The next time they found themselves alone, she would tell him everything. Then, he would be able to warn S.T.A.R.S. of the danger having Steve in the group could bring them.
Leon let out a harsh breath as Sherry sent a little smile and closed her mouth. Whatever was going on with her and Burnside, it could wait until they'd reached safety. If there was a safe place to be had here, he thought with a silent, twisted laugh. The closest thing he'd found to a haven had been the cabin on the far side of the lake, and he'd had to fight a huge mutated fish to get there!
"We should go," he said curtly, not waiting for permission. He pushed the doors with the strange cult symbol open and stepped beyond them. Claire rushed to his side, and he smiled at her. She returned it, and they walked until the path branched to either side of a large tree.
Leon signaled the group to a halt and pulled his binoculars out of his jacket. He crouched by the tree and raised them to his eyes. There were several Los Ganados in the main area, muttering in Spanish as they went about their daily chores. Just like before, there was a body suspended above the fire. It was held in place by the large hook, which was attached to a sturdy wooden post. He zoomed in closer and his blood went cold.
"Oh, no," he whispered to himself, his heart sinking. He recognized the old man, and though he hadn't known him well, he had liked him. He lowered the binoculars, frantically trying to think of a way to break the news to S.T.A.R.S., while keeping them from rushing into the Pueblo and getting them all killed.
He straightened and handed the binoculars to Claire. She went to take them, and he held on. Her surprised gaze flew to his, widening at his grieved expression. "You can't freak out here," he told her, his voice hushed. "If you all go rushing in there, you'll be overwhelmed in seconds. Please, remember that."
He let go, his reluctance obvious, and Claire's gut tightened with dread. She looked through them, taking a minute to focus them, and gasped. Now, she what Leon had meant with that warning! Her hands shook slightly as she gave them back to him, her eyes swimming with tears. Oh God, Chris was going to freak! she thought as grief rushed through her.
"Get Jill," she whispered, her voice catching. "She'll know what to do."
Leon nodded and looked over his shoulder. "Jill?"
"Yes, Leon?"
"Can you come over here for a minute?"
She and Chris shared a surprised glance. "What is it?" her lover asked, frowning as the younger man just shook his head. She sent Chris a reassuring smile and went to the front of the group. "What's up?"
"We have a problem, here. It's bad, Jill." With that warning, Leon gave her the binoculars and waited for her reaction.
"No!" Her voice was hushed as she realized why he hadn't answered Chris. She lowered her head for a long, fighting the bitter sting of tears. Once she had control of them, she returned the binoculars and stood. "I'll take care of it. Claire, can you and Leon make sure. . .no one gets past you?"
"Yeah, we've got it, Jill."
Claire rose to her feet and moved to the center of the path. Leon stood beside her, fully prepared to use whatever means necessary to keep Chris from giving away their position. Claire couldn't know it, but his training had included in-depth martial arts training. He was perfectly capable of disabling the older man without doing permanent damage. He just hoped that it wouldn't come to that.
Sherry approached them, her fine features showing apprehension. "What did you see?" she asked quietly.
Leon inhaled sharply, wondering what her reaction would be. For the short time they'd been with Claire, she had come to look at the old man as an uncle. He didn't know if that feeling had held, but if it had, this was going to be devastating. "There's a man," he began hesitantly, not sure how to break it to her. "He's dead, but the villagers stuck him out in the open, probably as a warning. It's-"
He broke off as a shout sounded from a few feet away. "It's Barry," he said quickly, shoving her out of the way as Chris came barreling towards them. He barely heard her gasp as Chris tried to run passed him. He grabbed him and flipped him to his back, momentarily stunning him.
"Leon!"
He ignored Claire's shocked call as he straddled Chris' chest in an attempt to hold him down. "You can't do this," he hissed, keeping his voice low. "It's meant as a warning, and as a taunt. They're hoping that you'll have just this reaction. You're going to get us all killed if you go in like this!"
"Get off me, Leon." Chris looked deadly serious as he issued the verbal warning. "Do it now, and I won't beat the shit out of you."
Leon smiled with a mixture of sadness and humor. "You couldn't take me, Chris, no matter how hard you tried. So let's not do this, okay?"
When the other man merely narrowed his eyes, Leon sighed heavily and prepared for battle. He climbed off the other man and assumed a battle stance, wishing that it hadn't come to this. He hadn't wanted S.T.A.R.S. to see how deadly he had become. One of his biggest fears was that they would realize just how dangerous he and Sherry could be, and that they would reject Sherry because of it. If that happened, neither of them would survive this test.
Chris picked himself up with slow, exaggerated movements, giving the younger man time to change his mind. He watched Leon drop into a defensive position and nearly screamed with frustration. He wasn't going to get passed him without a fight, and he no longer wanted to take him apart.
"I can't leave Barry there," he made an abrupt gesture, his expression tormented, "like that."
"I understand how you feel, but we don't have choice," Leon told him with just a hint of frustration. "The minute we enter the Pueblo, we'll be attacked by thirty or forty villagers. It doesn't matter where we make our stand, we're going to be severely outnumbered. They won't have guns, but they'll have axes and chainsaws, and that's enough to make this fucking difficult."
Rebecca stepped forward, tears glistening on her cheeks. "Leon's right," she managed in a choked voice. "Once we've cleared the Pueblo, we can take him-"
She broke off on a sob, and Billy pulled her to him. He glanced at Chris over her head, his cobalt eyes sober. "Let's keep ourselves focused on getting out of this alive, Chris."
Chris hesitated, throwing an anguished glance at Jill. She took his hand in her own, sorrow marking her classic features. "I feel the same way," she told him heavily, "but we don't have a choice, unless we want to die with him."
"I'm not dying here," Carlos said suddenly, stepping forward. "If you want to kill me when get back to Montana, amigo, you can try. Otherwise, let's come up with a game plan that won't get us slaughtered."
Steve just watched them, wondering who Barry was, and why they cared so damn much about him. He snuck a glance at Sherry and was stunned to see tears in her pale blue eyes. Whoever this guy had been, she'd known him before Wesker grabbed her, and he'd been important to her.
He inched closer to her, making sure he kept space between Kennedy and himself. He didn't want to tangle with Ada's favorite pet. She'd kill him if he hurt the other man, and she was one of the few people who could actually do it. "So, where's the best place to make our stand?" he asked, directing the query to the man in question.
Leon glanced at the young man he still wanted to punch and shrugged. "There's really no safe place in there. The one story house is too small for us all to fight in, and the two-story house has so many windows that we'd be hard-pressed to cover them all."
Luis frowned at that. "How'd you get out of it last time?"
"Somebody tripped the church bell, and they all just took off," he answered, shaking his head at the memory.
"I know where that is," Sherry said suddenly. Everyone turned to look at her and she took a step back. "I've studied all of Leon's case files. There were maps in all of them."
Leon laughed bitterly, knowing now what role Ada expected his daughter to play. "No," he stated flatly. "You're not going to the church. We'll figure another way out of this."
"Like what?" she threw out in challenge, her hands going to her hips. "These people are infected with Las Plagas. Short of wasting all of our ammo and getting ourselves killed, we're out of choices here."
"And if something happens to you?" he demanded, his fear turning to anger. "What the fuck am I supposed to do then?"
"Nothing's going to happen to me," Sherry told him, her voice soft. "I've studied this scenario, Leon. I know what to expect, and just where I have to go. Let me do this, Dad. Please, let me help."
He looked away, and she sighed. She pulled the SAWs light machine gun over her head and tossed it straight at Steve. "Burnside, you're up."
Steve caught the fully automatic weapon with slow grin. "Oh yeah, baby. A full auto." He aimed it at a tree, testing the weapon's weight, wishing that he could fire it now. "You talked me into it, Sher. Lead the way."
"Sher?" Claire questioned sharply, her gaze going back and forth between them.
"Uh, Claire-I. . ." Steve winced and shot a look at Sherry, who just shrugged. "You could help, you know."
She snorted as she reloaded the Broken Butterfly. "And what do I get out of it?" she questioned archly.
"My undying gratitude?" he said in a hopeful tone. She snorted again, and he relented. "Alright, alright. I'll owe you one. How's that?"
"Better." Sherry snapped the .45's chamber closed with a click. "Steve and I were kept in the same place, Claire. We've known each other for a while now."
Claire stared at Steve for a moment longer before whirling around to confront Leon. "Did you know about this?" she asked, praying that her suspicions were wrong.
Leon rubbed the back of his neck again. "No, but I'm not surprised." He sighed and met Sherry's gaze. "You could have told me, kid."
"I didn't trust them," she said, jerking her chin in the general direction of S.T.A.R.S..
He only nodded and pinned Steve beneath an icy glare. "Anything happens to her, and you die. Is that understood?"
Steve saw the rage in Kennedy's eyes and swallowed hard. "Yes," he said quickly, scowling as Sherry snickered.
"Come on, Steve. Time to earn your pay."
"Wait." Leon approached her and pulled her to him. "Be careful, honey."
Sherry hugged him back hard. "I will, Dad. You too," she whispered as she pulled away.
He smiled faintly and stepped back. "Wait for us at the church. We'll regroup there."
"Yes, Sir." She snapped a quick salute and took off running, Steve yelling her name as he sprinted after her.
Leon brought the Handcannon up. "We go in, take the two-story house, and guard the windows. Second building on the left, just beyond the fire. Got it?"
They heard the first shouts as Sherry and Steve were spotted. Leon took off at a run, aiming at the first villager he came across. The woman lifted a sickle and threw it at him. He dodged it and shot her in the head. She staggered and dropped to one knee. He shot her once more and she was done. Two men came at him, one with an ax, and one with a pitchfork. Leon rolled his eyes and shot out their kneecaps. They went down, and he finished them with head shots.
He rounded the fire, keeping eyes away from what had once been Barry Burton. He kicked open the door to the nearest house and whirled around, covering the others as they made their way inside. He followed Luis inside and slammed the door closed. Luis was already pushing a desk towards the door, and Leon took over. He blocked the door and ran up the stairs, knowing that the villagers would be using ladders as they attempted to gain entry.
"Cover the windows!" he yelled, striding to the western window and pushing the ladder he'd known would be there down. A man climbing the ladder screamed as he fell two stories with it. He saw that they were climbing on the lower section of the roof to the north and cursed fluently.
"I need help up here!" he shouted as he shot the first intruder. "Luis?"
"I'm coming!" Luis pounded up the stairs, breathing heavily, and wedged himself between the railing and the small bed. "I've got your back, amigo."
There were two windows on the north wall, and one on the south. He and Luis dodged projectiles as they guarded all three. Leon noticed the other man was leaning back against the wall, using it for support, and was concerned. He hoped Sherry and the brat got to the church soon, because Luis looked like he was going to pass out any minute now.
"You okay?" he threw out as he kicked the ladder down and shot the guy on the ground for good measure. "You don't look so hot, Luis."
"Si, Leon." Luis threw him an exhausted smile and shot another villager attempting to climb inside. "I'm tired, but I'll live. Hopefully," he added as he shot two more intruders off the roof.
Leon smiled briefly. "You up to answering a few questions?" he asked as he shot another one. The man fell to the ground, his cry cut off in mid-scream.
Luis laughed shortly. "As long as you don't shoot me, I'll tell you anything you want to know."
He rolled his eyes. "What did Ada tell you about Claire to make you call her Senora?"
"Oh, that." The Spaniard shrugged his thin shoulders. "She said that the Redfield bitch-her words, not mine-was your wife."
"My wife?" Leon echoed, incredulity tingeing the words. His shoulders slumped for a moment before he was forced to push the ladder away from the window a third time.
"She really called her that?" he asked over his shoulder.
"Si, she did," Luis replied, pushing his hair out of his face. "She hates her, by the way. Said she'd have been dead years ago, if it weren't for you."
Leon shuddered and aimed at the bearded man trying to enter one of the north windows. "Fucking bitch," he muttered under his breath. "And to think, I mourned your death! Shit, I should've shot you in the R.P.D. parking lot eight years ago. I could have put a stop to all this before it started. But no, I believed you when you said you were there for John. I bought your act when you said you didn't want to lose me, that you cared for me. God, I was such an idiot!"
Luis listened to the other man rant with a wince. Yep, no doubt about it, Ada Wong was a dead woman. He didn't personally know the whole story. Ada hadn't seemed fit to confide in him. Hell, she hadn't even seemed to like him much. She'd just kept him around because she believed that his death had hurt Leon. Luis hadn't been kidding when he'd called her a crazy bitch!
Leon heard the church bells sound in the distance and nearly collapsed with relief. "It's over," he said, digging around in his attaché case for the last of his .50 caliber bullets.
"For now," Luis responded before stumbling to the bed. He sat down heavily, his body swaying with fatigue. "Dios, but I feel like shit!"
Reloading the Handcannon, Leon rose to his feet and headed for the stairs. "Wait there," he ordered before going below.
He found the rest of S.T.A.R.S. sitting around the stained dining table, Rebecca bandaging a wound on Claire's left arm. He rushed to her, crouching beside her chair. "God, you're hurt!" he exclaimed, reaching out to touch her. She jerked away, her expression angry, and his hand dropped to his side.
"I'm okay," Claire muttered, embarrassed that she had hesitated because her enemy was a woman. "It's just a damned scratch, as they say in the movies."
Leon glanced at Rebecca, who nodded in confirmation. Relief swept through him, dizzying in its intensity, and he gripped the back of the chair to steady himself. He didn't know what he would do if anything happened to Claire. . .
"Where's Sera?" Billy asked, frowning as his gaze went to the empty staircase.
"He's resting." Leon cursed at himself as he realized that he had forgotten why he'd come down here in the first place. He went behind the staircase and used his survival knife to open the two wooden barrels he'd known would be there. He found a red herb in one, and a green herb in the other.
"Thank God," he murmured as he grabbed them. He ignored S.T.A.R.S. and sprinted back up the stairs, taking both herbs to the bed. "I found these downstairs. They'll heal you completely, Luis."
Luis watched as he began to grind them and groaned. "I hope they taste better than the last ones," he exclaimed wearily.
"Not too likely." Leon mixed in the yellow herb he'd found earlier and handed it to the other man. "Here you go. You'll feel like a new man."
"I doubt that," the Spaniard muttered before stuffing the mixture into his mouth. He chewed them as quickly as he could, hating their bitter taste. Once he was done, he slumped back against the little metal headboard. "So, was the ramera loca telling the truth, amigo? Is that little colerica your wife?"
Leon looked away, taking refuge behind his bangs. "As far as I'm concerned, yes," he answered simply.
The sound of someone clearing their throat came to him, and his head jerked up. Chris stood at the top of the stairs, and Leon blanched as he realized just what Claire's older brother had heard. "Shit," he muttered, dropping his head into his hand.
Chris tried not to smile at the younger man's reaction. "Claire sent me to check on you and Sera," he informed them. "She's nervous, wondering when the villagers are going to come back. Frankly, so am I."
Luis forced himself to stand up. He didn't think the cop would leave him behind, but he wasn't taking any chances. "We'll make it out of here before they return. It will take them some time to pray," he explained, taking a cautious step forward. He glanced down at Leon with surprise. "I really do feel better, cop. You know what you're doing with the home remedy thing."
"Thanks," Leon said wryly as he rose to his feet. "We should take the time to search the outlying buildings for ammo before we go, though."
"I've already sent Billy and Carlos out," Chris informed him as they went downstairs. "Jill went with them. As soon as they return, we'll leave."
"Good," Leon said with relief.
He stood at one of the windows, unaccountably restless. He put his arm on the wall beside it, resting his forehead against it. A hundred different thoughts chased themselves around in his head. Sherry knew Steve Burnside, and apparently knew him well. They'd been kept in the same prison for eight years, and had hidden the fact from everyone. Steve had lied to Claire about not remembering the time between his death and their reunion. He had latched himself onto Claire like a long-lost lover, using her sympathy and whatever feelings she'd once had for him to keep her at his side.
He closed his eyes, shutting out the squalid surroundings. God, the interaction between the kid and his daughter enraged him because of what it intimated. Sherry was hostile to everyone, but she was very careful around Burnside. As with Leon himself, it almost seemed that Sherry took special care in what she said to the younger man. And as much as he hated even thinking it, Leon had to admit that there was a chance that his daughter was more than friends with Steve Burnside.
His hand clenched into a fist. "Goddammitt," he uttered in a whisper. He was trapped in a foreign country, being hunted down like a goddamn animal, with the very people he had worked so hard to protect. No matter what he choices he made, he always seemed to take the wrong path. He'd signed up with the R.P.D. because he'd wanted to protect people. He'd believed in right and wrong, black and white, good and evil.
Then, he'd arrived in Raccoon City for his first night on the job, and all of his beliefs had been blown to hell. He knew there was evil in the world. What he'd seen that night had proven its existence to him beyond a doubt. But the lines had become blurred, his judgment flawed. He'd trusted Ada Wong completely, doing his best to protect her, and she'd repaid him with betrayal.
He had mourned her death and what could have been, all the while falling madly in love with Claire Redfield. He had never been happier, even though they'd both suffered from flashbacks and night terrors. Sherry had made their family complete, not as an emotional bridge between them, but as a very welcome addition. Until the day that Claire had received Barry's message that Chris was in Europe, he had actually possessed hope for the future.
Then, Claire had packed a bag and left, and everything had fallen apart. He'd been working long hours as a security guard, trying to earn enough to join up with Claire. Sherry's nightmares had gotten worse, as had his own, and then the government had come for them. He'd had no choice but to go with them, for Sherry's sake. Or so he had believed at the time.
Maybe, he should have ran and gone after Sherry on his own. Of course, he could have found a way to fly to France and beg S.T.A.R.S. for their help. He had just been so damn scared, so unsure of what to do. It was his own fear that had worked against him. In the end, he had let himself be taken and molded by Jack Krauser. If only he'd been braver, more sure of himself, then maybe things would have turned out differently for them all.
Leon didn't know anymore. He was tired of second guessing himself. He had done the best that he could. He'd been thrown into a situation he truly hadn't believed he could escape. He had chosen to go into what he now knew was Wesker's project in an attempt to save Sherry. He had planned on finding her and rescuing her, but Ada had put a stop to that by her attempt on Claire's life.
It doesn't matter, he told himself firmly. The past was gone, and he was going to get himself killed if he didn't start focusing on the present. He was still uncertain what the future would bring for himself and the people he loved. At least, he was no longer scared of death. Whether he lived or died, he would find a way to keep the people he loved safe. It was all he was living for, and the one thing he wouldn't let Ada take from him. He would kill her, first.
And he needed to tell Chris just who they were up against. He turned his head slightly, smiling a little as he watched the Redfield siblings together. Their bond was as strong as was obvious. He envied them that, even as he admired it. It was something he had never experienced. The closest he had come was the paternal love he felt for Sherry, and even that had been slightly strained after eight years apart.
Chris caught his perusal and his head came up. "What's up?" he asked immediately, correctly interpreting the younger man's look.
Leon pushed away from the window and approached the table. "We need to talk," he stated, grabbing a chair and straddling it.
The older man nodded, his dark blue eyes narrowing slightly. "Confession time, Leon?"
"If that's what you want to call it." Leon crossed his arms over the back of the chair and rested his chin on them. "Sherry told me that Wesker is the man in charge of the prison she was in."
"Wesker?" Rebecca said with wide eyes.
"Oh, shit!" Luis mumbled at the mention of one of Interpol's most wanted criminals.
Chris inhaled sharply, echoing Claire's horrified gasp. "I thought it was the C.I.A. that recruited you?" he growled with the first signs of anger. "Or did you lie to me about that?"
"No, that's who they said they were. Their badges said the same thing." Leon sighed, his blue eyes dark. "Sherry says that the government got tired of hunting Wesker down. They made a deal with him. He's continuing Umbrella's bioweapons research for them."
"Son of a bitch." Chris banged a fist on the table and lurched to his feet. He took a few steps and spun around, his expression accusatory. "And you didn't know anything about this?"
Leon felt a surge of anger and carefully tucked it away. "No," he answered flatly. "I honestly believed that the government wanted Sherry to use her blood to make an anti-serum. I never dreamed that they would hand her over to Wesker. I would have risked everything to save her if I had known the truth."
The passionate words were delivered in a dispassionate voice, and the contrast made Chris uneasy. He glanced at his sister, who was staring at Leon as though she'd never seen him before. Leon was gazing straight ahead, looking at nothing in particular, seeming completely detached. Chris knew otherwise, but it was still disconcerting to see. So unlike the young man his sister had always described.
"Anything else I should know?" he asked at length.
Those empty blue eyes rolled up to his. "Wesker has to want you dead, Chris. Even I know that he hates you. I hear that he blames you for ruining his plans."
"Yeah, he does." Chris didn't question how Leon knew. For all that he had been a virtual prisoner for eight years, he'd sent them sensitive intel more than once. He'd obviously made contacts that Wesker either didn't know, or care, about. "And what about you, Leon? What is it that Wesker wants with you?"
Leon uttered an ugly, strangled laugh. "I think he used me to force Sherry's cooperation. What other reason could there be?"
Claire shivered and rubbed her arms, slanting a glance at her brother. Chris hadn't exploded as she'd expected him to upon hearing Wesker's name. He didn't even seem surprised, just pissed off. Whatever he and Leon had talked about back in Antarctica, it had prepared Chris for this.
"I think it's time you explained just what the hell is going on here," she said, nailing Leon with a withering glance.
His oh-so-blue eyes met hers, flashing once, then skittered away. "I never wanted any of you involved in this, Claire. I did everything I could to keep you out of it. If you believe nothing else, believe that."
The pain in his voice was nearly her undoing. She swallowed hard and forced herself to remain in her seat. Every cell in her body cried out that she go to him, comfort him, but she resisted the call. Leon had changed more than she would have ever believed possible. She didn't know him anymore. Worse, she didn't know if she wanted to.
Leon continued to speak, telling them all that he knew, He left nothing out, except for his current mental state. Coen would tell them all eventually, and it had nothing to do with the current situation. He wished that he knew more, that he could explain just why Albert Wesker felt it necessary to do this, but he gave them what he could. He only hoped that it would be enough for Claire to forgive him.
She looked stunned by the time he had finished. She slumped back in her chair, one hand absently going to the bandage on her arm. "I can't believe that Wesker's had Sherry all this time," she murmured, her voice thick. "God only knows what he's done to her."
Leon got up and wandered to the window. He leaned back against the wall beside it, pulling the Handcannon from its holster in a habitual gesture. He turned it over in his hands, running his fingers over it, as he began to speak.
"I'd always hoped that because it was our government, Sherry would be treated well. I knew that Ada occasionally worked with Wesker; I'd discovered that to be true during the Las Plagas incident two years ago. I just never believed that the government would deal with a man like him. Apparently, we do make deals with terrorists, so long as they're domestic ones, and they have something to offer us."
"It makes sense." They all turned to look at Luis, and he held his hands up before him in protest. "I just mean that no one's been able to catch the man, and he's believed to be responsible for several European outbreaks over the years. They probably believed that it was safer to have him on their payroll than running around free."
"Don't they know how dangerous he is?" Rebecca said, rubbing her right shoulder, where Wesker had shot her in the Spencer mansion lab. "He's really crazy."
"They probably don't care," Chris said angrily. "I wonder what's changed? Why did they let him loose now, when Umbrella's finally been destroyed?"
"I don't think Umbrella's gone," Leon told them quietly.
"You think they went underground?" Claire asked with horror.
He shrugged, thinking of the rumors he'd heard over the years. "I think that Umbrella's top scientists and board members are working for Wesker, now. There's rumors that they all bailed when Umbrella's stock crashed, that they went to work for another corporation."
"I've never been able to find any proof of it," he continued grimly. "But the rumors never stopped. And when I asked President Graham for permission to go after Wesker, and to find confirmation of the rumors, I was turned down cold. Now, I know why," he added with a touch of fury.
Cerulean eyes widened dramatically. "You tried to go after Wesker?" she squeaked incredulously.
"More than once." He straightened and wandered to another window, too restless to stand still. He kept his gun at his side, tapping it against his thigh. "I was told several times to concentrate on my duties, and to forget Albert Wesker."
"You're crazy, cop." Luis shook his head negatively. "Even I know that Senor Wesker is too much for one man to handle."
Leon snorted at that. "I took out Krauser, and he wasn't exactly human."
"You're kidding?" Chris said with surprise. "You took out Jack Krauser?"
"Two years ago," Leon confirmed. "He transformed in the middle of our second fight. To this day, I don't know if it was the Las Plagas, or one of the Umbrella virus' he was infected with. He was fucking crazy, but he wasn't being controlled by anyone. He controlled his mutation. He could change at will."
Chris studied the younger man for a long, tense moment. "You weren't kidding when you said that I couldn't take you, were you?"
He shook his tawny head, turning to face them once again. "Jack took training me as a personal challenge, Chris. I was a Raccoon City survivor. He saw breaking me as the ultimate challenge, and he did everything he could to crush me. He hated the fact that he couldn't," he added with dark humor.
"Damn." Chris hesitated, hating that he had ask, but needing to know. "Leon, I need to know if you're still human."
Leon went completely still, stunned by the question. It was the last thing he had expected, and it fucking hurt. "Yes," he answered as evenly as he could, "I'm human."
"I'm sorry, but I had to ask."
He nodded and turned back to the window. He saw Jill, Carlos, and Billy coming towards the house with a profound sense of relief. He was done talking to S.T.A.R.S. about his past. He'd known that it would take time for them to trust him. He'd expected that. What he hadn't expected was to have his very humanity questioned. Now, he knew how Luis must have felt when he'd asked the very same question.
"Luis?" The Spaniard looked up, and Leon met his gaze squarely. "Lo siento."
Luis smiled faintly. "Forget about it, cop. I already have."
The front door opened, and the others came inside. Jill paused as she sensed the tension in the air. She shot a look at Chris, who shook his head negatively. Her gaze went to Leon, whose back was turned as he looked out a window. She sighed to herself and approached the table, Carlos on her heels, Billy heading straight to Rebecca.
"We found quite a bit of ammunition," she announced, and piled it all on the table.
"Si," Carlos chimed in, dumping the contents of an old potato sack. "There's even more herbs here, and another shotgun."
Billy straightened from where he'd been crouching beside Rebecca. "I found these," he said, reaching into his survival vest. "I think they're for you, Kennedy."
Leon turned, his gaze drawn to the gun parts in his hands. He strode to the table and took them, a genuine smile lighting up his youthful face. "Thank God!" he exclaimed, grabbing a chair and setting the parts on the table. "Now, I can upgrade the Killer 7!"
He opened the attaché case and quickly added the parts to his favorite gun. He looked down at the case's contents with a faint frown. "I don't suppose you guys found anymore .45 caliber bullets?"
Jill laughed quietly, grateful to see him acting normal. "Yes, we did," she said, handing him four boxes of thirty. "I thought you could use them, especially considering that you gave almost everything you had to us."
"Thanks," he said, ignoring her words as he reloaded the Killer 7. He took the TMP he had yet to use off and set it on the table. He took a second shoulder-holster out of the case and put it on, this time under his left arm. He put the Handcannon on the right side, and the Killer 7 on the left. The new holster was a little lower than the other, so that he could draw both easily when the time came.
He put all of his remaining .45 and .50 caliber bullets in his tactical vest, using the last bit of extra room he had. He strapped the TMP to not to his chest, but to his right thigh in an obviously custom-made holster. He closed the attaché case and put it away, his hand going automatically to the Killer 7.
"Feel better?" Billy asked drolly.
Leon nodded vigorously. "I didn't like having to put my favorite gun away. Now, I'll just have to remember to reload every fourteen shots."
"Damn, cop. You're loaded for bear, not Las Plagas!"
He laughed at that. "You sure you don't want another gun?" he asked, not offended in the least. "We've got a few semi-automatic handguns here, and the Matilda's a full auto. For backup," he added with a grin.
Luis just shook his head, drawing the Red 9. "No thanks, Leon. I wouldn't use them anyway."
Leon shrugged as he patted the Killer 7 and turned to Chris. "Now what?"
"You tell us." Chris gave the new shotgun to Rebecca, who took it with a sweet smile. "This is your territory, Leon. You and Luis. You know where we're going. You two take the front."
Luis and Leon traded a glance. The Spaniard looked surprised even as he shrugged. He rose to his feet, and approached the other man. "Guess we're the fodder," he muttered in a low voice.
Leon smothered a laugh, grateful that S.T.A.R.S. hadn't seemed to hear that. "We've got it, Chris. There's a farm a little ways past the exit. We'll head there next."
"Okay." Chris nodded and turned to the rest of team. "Make sure your guns are loaded before we leave."
There were several clicks as S.T.A.R.S. Alpha team checked their weapons. Claire offered her brother a horrible salute and clicked her heels. "Done, Captain," she said with a grin.
He shook his head, but he was smiling as he waved them all forward. "Jill and I will guard the back. Billy, I want you with us. Rebecca, you and Carlos get the middle."
"Gee, thanks, Chris," Carlos said, rolling his eyes. "Now, I'll have Coen breathing down my neck while I hit on his girl."
Billy narrowed his eyes a little as he took his place, even though he knew that the Latino man wasn't serious. "Do yourself a little favor there, Olivera. Don't hit on my girl. Then, I won't be forced to kill you."
Rebecca only rolled her green eyes at them both. "Men," was all she said, but it was enough to send the women into peals of laughter.
Leon smiled a little as he and Luis led them out into the Pueblo. The laughter stopped abruptly as they came to Barry Burton. Chris stepped looked around silently, needing to put out the fire to get him down. Leon spied some crates beside the one-story house and began to drag them towards the fire. Luis and Chris immediately rushed to help, neither willing to speak.
They dragged the crates to the fire and Leon jumped onto the crate before Chris could. "I've got it," he said in a quiet voice.
"No." Chris shot him a weak smile and climbed up beside him. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, but Barry was one of mine. I'll take care of him."
Leon didn't answer, just stubbornly reached for the dead man they had all loved. Chris sighed and accepted his help, though he did so with mixed feelings. A part of him he wasn't too proud of blamed Leon for this, even though he knew that the other man wasn't responsible. It just seemed that every time Leon Kennedy made an appearance in the life of a Redfield, things just plain went to hell.
As they pulled the big man down and laid him gently on the ground, Chris could barely refrain himself from attacking the younger man. After hearing Leon's story earlier, he'd planned on offering him a spot on the new team he'd been thinking of forming. Now, he wasn't so sure that was a good idea. Death followed in Leon Kennedy's wake, and Chris didn't know if he was willing to take a chance that it would continue, once they returned to Montana.
They searched the village for shovels and laid Barry to rest back on the path, where the forks met, under the big tree there. Chris, Jill, and Rebecca all said a few words over the grave. Leon remained silent, his shoved into his jacket pockets as he fought the bitter sting of tears. He reminded himself that Wesker had hated Barry, and that he couldn't have stopped this. It didn't help, or change the fact that a man he'd admired was dead.
Chris obviously blamed him. It wasn't anything he said, because he hadn't spoken to Leon since they'd pulled him down. It was in his eyes though, that look of recrimination that he couldn't hide, and Leon couldn't help but notice. Any deep-seated hope he might have held that there would be a place for him with S.T.A.R.S. was gone. Even if he and Sherry survived this, he would still be alone. She would have Alpha Team, and he would take his revenge.
Once the decision had been made, Leon felt better. Maybe, going after Wesker and Ada wasn't the smartest decision to make, but it was the right one. He would make sure that Claire and her brother could live the rest of their lives in safety. His would end with Albert Wesker's.
"We should go," he said into the quiet, turning away as Chris threw another glare his way.
Luis joined him silently, and they reentered the Pueblo. Leon checked the doors that led to the underground tunnel and found them locked. He grunted and led them towards the northeast exit, towards the farm. They went through the double doors, Leon just sighed. This time, he was killing every damn chicken and cow that he came across. They'd given his position away numerous times in Spain, and he was still pissed about it.
They found nothing but dead bodies in the farmhouses. Sherry and Steve had cleaned house, clearing a path of relative safety for them. Leon smiled faintly, proud despite himself. No matter what life threw at Sherry Birkin, she would survive. If Ada had done nothing else, she had assured that his daughter would always be able to protect herself. Before he finally took her life, he would thank for it.
They cleared the farm, again taking the northeast exit. Leon came to a red signpost with skulls attached to it and kicked at the grass. "This means that there are traps ups ahead. If this one's the same as it was before, it'll only work once. Let me run ahead and trigger it before you guys go down there."
Chris hesitated, knowing that he couldn't ignore the younger man forever. "That's quite a sacrifice, Leon. Are you sure about this?"
Leon simply sighed at the venom in his voice. "Yeah, I've got this one, Chris."
"Fine," Chris said shortly. "Be careful, then."
Leon nodded once before going down the earthen stairs. He heard the shouts from above and began to run. He heard the crash behind him, felt the vibrations from the giant boulder as it bore down on him, and increased his speed. He spied a slight niche where the railing bordering the path was missing and aimed for it. He threw himself to the right, rolling to avoid being crushed by a thousand pounds of granite.
It barreled past him and rolled right off of path where it turned to the left. Leon stood and brushed the dirt from his pants. As nightmares went, this one was pretty fucking tame. He wondered what would happen when Ada—and Wesker—realized it.
He heard his name being called and looked back to find Claire and S.T.A.R.S. running towards him. He began to smile to show he was okay when Claire threw herself at him. He caught her quickly, stumbling a little, his arms going around her. She clung to him and he held her, burying his face in her neck. He inhaled that scent was unique to Claire Redfield and his senses swam.
"I'm okay," he muttered, his arms tightening around her. Her only response was to burrow closer, and he didn't protest. He simply closed his eyes and savored the moment, barely able to believe that it was Claire's body that trembled so violently against him his own.
Claire clung to him with all of her strength, still shaken by what she had seen. "Don't you do dare do anything like that, again," she told him unevenly. "You took ten years off my life, Leon."
"I'm sorry," he told her sincerely, his voice husky. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"I know you didn't." She drew a deep breath and forced herself to release him. She looked into his eyes and was stunned by the emotions shimmering in their clear blue depths. She raised a hand to his face, her gaze searching his intently. "Leon, I-"
"Claire!" Chris called sharply. "He's fine. Let's go."
Claire watched those emotions disappear with shock. Leon looked much as he had when they'd first found him outside of the Ashford Estate. His angelic features were hard, his too-blue eyes startlingly empty. He stepped back, turning away as though the embrace had never happened, and her heart broke all over again.
"Yeah," she echoed, her voice laced with anger, "he's fine. Let's go."
Leon headed towards the doors at the end of the path, and Luis had to jog to keep up with him. "You okay, amigo?" he asked a little breathlessly.
"Yeah." Leon paused with hand on each door. "Do you blame me for this, too?"
"Hell no!" Luis said with a scowl. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be alive right now."
"Are you sure that's such a good thing?" Leon asked with forced humor.
The Spaniard shrugged and helped him open the doors. "Everyone deserves a second chance, Leon. Why not us?" he said as he stepped through.
Leon followed him but didn't answer. He looked at his surroundings with only mild surprise. "Apparently, Wesker decided to skip a few parts of the village," he commented.
"Si, I guess he got lazy," Luis said with a laugh.
Leon eyed the narrow passage that led to where he'd fought El Gigante with a shake of his head. At the end of the open passage was a large circular area, surrounded by a high wooden fence. He heard S.T.A.R.S. behind him and turned to warn them. He heard Sherry's voice calling his name and whirled around. She and Steve were running into the arena, waving and smiling.
"No!" he screamed as fear surged through him. "Go back!"
Leon ran towards the wooden gate but it was too late. It had lowered on either side, trapping the two young people inside. Leon grabbed ahold of the wooden slats and shook them as hard as he could. Two large double doors on the left side of the arena burst open, and the gigantic mutation stepped through. The ground shook at its steps, and Leon's heart threatened to jump out of his chest.
"Stay away from it!" he yelled as loud as he could. "Shoot it from a distance! If it grabs its head and drops to its knees, shoot the parasite on its back!"
Sherry scrambled back as the giant took another step forward, roaring like a wounded lion. She brought the Broken Butterfly up before her, trying to steady her hands as fear caused them to tremble. She looked at Steve, whose emerald eyes were wide as he lifted his own weapon. They both heard Leon's shouted warning and shared a frightened glance. They were out of their element, and they knew it.
"Steve, you have to-"
"No!" His terrified voice cut through her words. "I can't! Then, they'll all know!"
She took several shots, Steve joining her with the machine gun. The creature clutched its head and fell to one knee. The parasite burst from the spot between its shoulder blades, and they blasted until it retracted. It took a big step towards them, the ground shaking, and Steve grabbed her hand.
"Come on!" he panted, pulling her away. He dragged her to the opposite side of the pen, bringing the machine gun up as he whirled around. The gun clicked dry and he threw it to the ground with a curse. He fumbled with the .45 Leon had given him, bringing it up as Sherry fired at his side. Two shots and it also clicked empty.
"Oh, fuck!" he yelled, shoving it back in the pack at his waist. "I'm out of ammo, Sher!"
"Me, too." Sherry raised scared blue eyes to his own, her expression pleading. "Steve, you have to transform. We're going to die if you don't."
The giant stomped towards them and they moved around it as fast as they could. "If I transform, I might not be able to make it back." He looked at her as somberly as he could while they backed away from the El Gigante in terror. "You're out of ammo, Sher. What happens if-"
"Don't say it!" Sherry grasped his hand in a tight grip. "I'll talk you down, Steve. You know I can do it."
"You did it once, Sherry!" The creature roared again, louder than before, and his face lost all color. "Okay, you win. But you've got to promise me that you won't let me kill you?"
"I promise, Steve." They dodged the beast as its fist came down where they had been standing. They ran back to the far side of the enclosure, her father's screams reaching them despite the noise the giant was making.
Sherry reached for him, pulling him close. "Be careful, Steve."
"I will, Sher."
Steve hugged her tightly then shoved her away. He ran to the other side of the pen, throwing rocks to get the monster's attention. It turned towards him, and he funneled his sheer horror into something more constructive. He let eight years of suppressed anger at his father, Umbrella, and Claire Redfield come to the surface. He welcomed the rage, letting it bury the pain, and overtake his human senses.
Sherry watched with a combination of awe and horror as Steve's DNA began to rewrite itself. She'd only seen him like this once, when he'd been pushed to the breaking pointing during combat training. Steve Burnside would never be a warrior, but with power like his, he didn't need to be.
The TV-HMC-29 virus began to slither just under Steve's skin, almost as though another being crawled just beneath it. Muscles formed where they shouldn't, his bones stretching, elongating. His Tyrant form was at least eight feet tall, his skin turning a sickly shade of grayish-purple. His hands formed large claws, his eyes flashing between their normal emerald green, and a frightening blood red.
The El Gigante paused for a few moments, seemingly confused by Steve's transmutation. Steve roared, the sound louder than any the giant had managed to produce, and El Gigante took a step back. Steve swiped at it with one razor-sharp claw and the bigger creature made a choked sound as blood rushed from its chest. It dropped to its knees, the parasite emerging, and Steve slashed at it. The parasite flew through the air, severed from its host, and hit the wooden enclosure with a sickening thud.
The Tyrant raised his hands in the air and roared with triumph. As he lowered them, his reptilian eyes landed on Sherry. She swallowed hard but stood her ground, knowing that if she could just diffuse Steve's rage, everything would be all right. She smiled at him, lifting her own arms in welcome, and took a step forward.
"It's okay, Steve," she told him, her voice as soothing as she could make it. "It's me, Sherry. I'm here for you, Steve. Just like always."
The Tyrant paused and looked down at her, its massive head tilting to one side. Sherry brightened her smile, making it as welcoming as possible, and took another step towards him. "Come back, Steve," she cajoled in her sweetest tone. "Come back to me, baby. Don't leave me alone like this."
He took a step forward, his mutated face showing confusion. "Sher?"
Sherry blinked back tears as she recognized the man she knew in that too-deep voice. "Yeah, it's me, baby."
He began to power down, the transformation reversing itself. In a matter of moments, it was Steve standing before her, his green eyes filling with tears as he rushed towards her. He swept her up against him, holding her as tight as he could. He dropped to his knees, his tears wetting her neck, his sobs harsh in her ear.
Sherry held him close, whispering comforting nonsense, as she heard the gates opening. She held Steve tighter, shooting a narrowed-eyed glance at Leon as he came rushing towards them. He came to an abrupt stop, his bleak gaze sweeping over them. His lips tightened with displeasure before he gave her an abrupt nod.
Leon watched angrily as Burnside cried his heart out on Sherry's shoulder. As she glared at him, he realized that his daughter had known that Steve was a Tyrant, and had chosen not to say anything. He nodded at her, his jaw locked, and turned back to S.T.A.R.S. The horror and disgust on their faces said it all. It was time for him to make the choice he had avoided for eight years. This time, he would choose his daughter over the woman who held his heart.
"I think it's time we went our separate ways," Leon announced quietly. He waited in vain for someone—anyone—to respond. When his words were greeted only with silence, he had his answer. He looked at Luis and said, "You can stay with us, or you can go with S.T.A.R.S. The decision is yours."
Luis shook his head slowly, still looking a bit shell-shocked. "There's no choice to make, cop. I'm with you."
"You'll have a better chance of getting out of this alive with them," Leon felt compelled to point out.
He snorted at that. "I've got you and Super-Tyrant over there on my side," he said in an attempt at humor. "I'll take my chances with you, Leon."
"Alright, then." Leon clapped him on the shoulder as he passed, then turned to face Chris. He extended his hand, his face carefully blank. "I'm sorry about all of this, Chris."
Chris just looked at his hand, unable to reach out and take it. "So am I, Leon."
He let hand drop and managed a crooked smile. "See you on the other side," he said before turning away.
"Will we?"
It was Coen's voice, Leon realized with surprised. He half-turned and shrugged helplessly. "Take care of yourself, Billy. It was nice to finally meet you."
"You too," the other man replied, surprising Leon with his sincerity.
Leon nodded and walked away from them, towards the strange family unit he was now the head of. Burnside was still huddled on the ground, using the remnants of his shirt to clean his face. His chest was bare, his pants shredded half-way down his thighs. His shoes were nowhere to be found, and Leon doubted they would fit anymore even they were there. The kid was practically naked, and he couldn't be left that way.
Leon took the binoculars out of his jacket, slipped them crosswise over his head, and took it off. He held it out to Steve, who looked up with surprise. The kid reached out and took it hesitantly, slanting a confused look at Sherry. She smiled at him and helped him pull it on, making a comment on how handsome he looked in it.
Leon barely refrained from rolling his eyes as he crouched beside them. He laid the attaché case on the ground and began to go through it. Not much remained, and his heart sunk. For the first time, he was worried that he wouldn't be able to get Sherry out of this. At least, he still had the semi-automatic rifle with the two scopes. That would probably come in handy soon enough. And the crappy, one-shot rocket launcher, he reminded himself caustically.
"We're going on alone," he told them quietly. "I can give you each a box of ammunition, but that's it. Once they're gone, there's nothing else. From now on, we check each villager we kill, every shack and woodpile we pass. Aim only for the head and make each shot count. Are we clear?"
Sherry and Steve traded a miserable glance and both nodded. Leon saw the look and sighed. "None of this is your fault. Neither of you are responsible for this," he said emphatically. "This is Wesker's show. He put us all here. Remember that."
Luis' pale blue eyes shifted behind him, and he nodded. "We've got company, amigo."
Leon stiffened and slowly turned around. Billy and Rebecca came to a halt a few feet away, and he rose to his feet, his expression wary. "These are for you," Billy told him, handing him the Striker and the Riot Gun.
He took the weapons with obvious reluctance. "What about you guys?" he asked, unable to mask his concern.
"We'll survive," Rebecca assured him, her voice soft. "You can't if your team isn't properly armed."
"Becca-"
"Don't argue with her, Kennedy," Billy cut in, tossing several boxes of ammunition on the ground. "Just take them, and keep your ass alive."
Leon nodded slowly and turned to give the guns to Steve and Sherry. He turned back, his expression showing his gratitude. "Thank you both."
Rebecca blinked back tears and stepped forward to throw her arms around him in a hug. Leon's surprised gaze flew to Billy, who merely flashed him a rare smile. He hugged the petite woman back, grateful that she didn't seem to blame him as some of her compatriots had.
"I always liked you, Leon. Please, don't take any chances with your life."
"I'll try not to, Becca." Leon cleared his throat uncomfortably as she released him. "You be careful, too."
"I will," she assured him sweetly.
Billy stepped forward and extended his hand, his smile deepening when Leon shook it. "Not all of us are as hard-headed as Redfield. When you get back to the real world, give us a call. Let us know you made it. Okay?" he added.
"Okay." Leon stepped back and watched as they walked back to the rest of S.T.A.R.S. He sighed heavily and turned back to his own team. "Load up. We're getting the hell out of here."
He let Steve and Sherry divvy up the shotgun shells as he put the attaché case away. He eyed Burnside's bare feet with concern. They were going to have find him some shoes. Hopefully, a soon-to-be-dead villager would be his size. If not, they'd have to find something to wrap them in. An infection might not be able to kill him, but it could make it damned uncomfortable for the kid to walk.
Steve stood, clutching the Riot Gun in one hand, the other tangled with Sherry's. "Thank you," he said in a voice that shook, "for not seeing me as a monster."
Leon managed a little half-smile. "If you were a monster, my daughter wouldn't love you."
Sherry blushed hotly, peeking at Steve from under her lashes. He grinned at her, unable to help himself, and tugged her closer. She hid her face in the jacket's fur collar, and he kissed the top of her head, hugging her to him.
Leon shook his head and palmed the Killer 7. He looked at Luis with a tight smile. "Are you ready?" The Red 9 came up, and he had his answer. "Let's go, then."
He led them to the north side of the enclosure and through the now-open gate. He heard Claire call his name and hesitated, his free hand clenching into a fist at his side. "Shit," he muttered as he turned around. She was standing close to the dead El Gigante, a look of stark pain on her beautiful features.
"Stay here," he threw over his shoulder, jogging back to meet her.
Claire threw her arms around his neck even as he caught her to him. "I don't want you to go," she told him in a choked voice.
"I know, honey." Leon held her as tight as he could without hurting her. "I'm so sorry, Claire. I wish I could've been the man you wanted me to be."
"Don't say that," she begged, pulling back just enough to look up at him. "There's nothing wrong with the man that you are, Leon. If you'd been any different, I wouldn't have fallen in love with you."
Leon shut his eyes at the pain her lie caused. "Thank you, for that," he told her hoarsely. Her gaze moved over his shoulder, and he smiled grimly, knowing that it was Burnside that she was looking at. "I'll take care of him, Claire. I won't let anything happen to him."
Claire searched his gaze intently, something in the tone of his voice bothering her. "Just take care of yourself and our daughter, Leon."
Gratitude swept through him at her words. He stepped back, cradling her face in the palm of his hand, letting her see all that he felt for her. "I've always loved you, Claire. Please, remember that."
He tore himself away and strode back to the others, ignoring her call to stop. He went straight to the double doors that waited outside of the arena and resolutely pushed them open. A wave of intense heat assaulted them as they stepped through, and the doors banged shut behind them. Leon stopped dead in his tracks, shocked by what he saw before him. He had no idea where the hell they were, and he was willing to bet that S.T.A.R.S. wouldn't either. Wesker hadn't just plunged them into their worst nightmares. He'd created a new one just for them!