A/N: IMPORTANT! So for the next few weeks I have my finals which means I will be updating less, or not at all. I hope you all understand and sorry for the inconvenience. But don't worry everyone! After the three weeks, I will shortly return to updating frequently and regularly.

Warning: T for violence and profanity.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the Black twins, the rest belongs to Capcom.


Previously on Balance of Nature...

"Stop it, Alex." He ruffled his hair and sighed, "I'm not sure how the night will turn out but it sure as hell won't be easy. Sometimes, you gotta do what it takes to survive. Even in what might seem like the weirdest and hopeless situations."

I struck out my hand and Leon handed the black glock.

I was trying to control the shakes as I took ahold of the pistol. It felt freezing against my fingers and I blankly stared at it.

"I'll do what it takes." I said, "Show me how use this thing."

Chapter 9: Sharpshooter

Never in a million years did I think I would learn how to handle a pistol. Or use one in that matter. I still didn't understand why I agreed to Leon's conditions in the first place.

I kept on reminding myself that I was in a videogame world, that none of it was real and that Leon wasn't real. Although as much as I tried to resist, the stronger I felt myself become attached to him. Not in the way of lovers, more in the way of a scared girl who needed someone to lean on, to trust. And at this point I had no choice other than to trust Leon. When I was first dropped here, he was the one who took me in, who helped me. Little did he know being in the middle of a rural village filled with hostiles was the least of my problems. To get out of this world was beyond the agent's capabilities, and perhaps mine...

"Alex! Are you listening?" Leon urgently interrupted me from my train of thought and waved a hand in front of my face. Was he still talking about how to use the pistol?

Ten minutes in, I zoned off after he tried to teach me everything he knew. Which was a lot. I supposed since he was the main protagonist of the game he had to be skilled at well, everything, unlike I, who was thrusted into this world with no clue what to do. I didn't know how to shoot or any hand-to-hand combat. Why would I anyway? I lived in New York, the nice parts. It was never like I had the need to protect myself plus I didn't like the idea of using a gun.

A pistol brought violence, warfare; things I only learned from the years with my nose tucked in history books. I knew plenty of facts about the most popular wars, in fact I could write a thousand word essay right now.

But this was different. I wasn't in New York anymore and the rules were rewritten.

Leon showed me how reload, aim and shoot. I didn't exactly follow along since it was all too complicated.

Something like left elbow bent but not too bent, right elbow straight but not too straight. He said it didn't matter where my feet were positioned as long as I could keep balance and a steady aim. Which I found most difficult. Managing a good and accurate aim was almost impossible. Leon said once it was the real deal - a.k.a. when we finally open the gate and hostiles swarm us - the survival instinct would kick in and my aim would be like a professional. I doubted it the second I heard it.

"Alex!" Leon exclaimed again.

Shaking my head out of thought, I responded, "Yeah, yeah, I'm listening."

He looked sceptical. "Oh yeah? What did I just say?" Damn.

"To reload?" I said but it sounded more like a question.

After my failed attempt to recall what he said, he rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his broad chest.

"No," Leon said, "When we head in there, stay behind me, watch your aim and only shoot when necessary. And listen to what I have to say, please. I swear no woman ever listens to me."

I wondered what that was supposed to mean. Did he have a lot of women previously? The thought hadn't crossed my mind that Leon had a significant other back home, wherever that was.

"I got it."

"If I say run, you run. If I say hide, you hide."

I repeated, "I got it, Leon."

"Just making sure. Anyways we don't have much time to waste, we're heading in."

And with that, we approached the large metal door, heading into the battlefield.

The newly found area was vast and distressingly, above ground with wooden platforms and bridges keeping it up. Great, because heights were not scary at all.

"That's our way out of here." He said while pointing at the gate northwards. The only downfall and problems was that it was crawling with hostiles. Another thing to cheer for.

Leon furrowed his brows and squinted his eyes. He said, "We kill them first then head to the gate."

"Why can't we just take the ones in our way out? Why all?"

"I don't want a trail of them following us to Ashley."

I muttered, "I guess so."

The streamlined solution was mine but I had to remind myself that Leon cared more about Ashley's safety greatly. We headed down the stairs and onto the wooden platform. I refused to look down. I could only guess and imagine it was a long way down.

Keeping my head up, we climbed aboard the bridge but as we ventured to the middle of it, four hostiles flanked behind us. Leon quickly tilted his gun to his midsection and took aim. He blasted the head of one of them in a minute. The sight of guts and a blasted head still brought up bile in my throat but less more often. What kind of person was I turning into? But I never was a squeamish person proven when I bisected the frog while my other classmates whimpered. But what was disturbing was I have seen things here I never wanted to, and only in mere hours.

I was ready to sit there and admire Leon kicking ass until I remembered I had a pistol in my head. Which I was only supposed to use when necessary. Was now a good time? Hell, when was a good time to use this thing?

"Watch the torch." Leon exclaimed as he aimed at the incendiary torch and shot it mid air, for it to blow up and take two hostiles out remaining with three.

I took a short panicked breath as I saw a hostile rushing me next. I glanced out of the corner of my eye to see Leon already fighting off two. Oh god, I needed to do something. I quickly recalled what Leon said. Lift it to your eyesight. Close one of your eyes and aim for the chest, it's harder to miss. And then just pull the trigger.

Pull the trigger. Pull the trigger. Pull the trigger.

I pulled the trigger and to my utter dismay, the bullet didn't hit the hostile. It pierced the cliff side instead. And the hostile, with it's shiny axe was a few inches away preyed on me. This was it. I was going to die. Sucking in a sharp breath, I shut my eyes and turned my head right after he lifted his axe.

But I didn't feel anything a second later, or a minute.

Opening my eyes, Leon stood in front of me, taking the knife he stabbed into the hostiles back out. How could anyone be so good at that? And quick too? My hands grew tomato red from my tight grasp on the pistol. I didn't mean to clutch it so hard but I knew with my sweaty palms, it would easily slip off the bridge.

"I almost died." I whispered to myself, wide eyed and gasping for breaths.

Wiping the blood of his knife, Leon mocked me from before, "You could say that again."

After regaining my composure after my near death experience, which was piling up, I quickly turned to Leon and shoved the pistol outwards in frustration.

"I-I can't do this. You saw me yourself, I suck."

"You missed once, so what?" He stood silent for few moments before seeming to spot something behind him. "I have an idea, follow me."

Without my input, he pivoted on his foot and grabbed my arm walking to the direction we came from. But this time going up a hill with wooden railings and military bags soldiers use for cover. Leon swifty killed a few hostiles at the top while I stood aside, letting him do his thing and scanned the area before resting his gun down and taking hold of my arm.

"Take this." He suddenly took out his rifle and handed it to me.

Taking a few steps back, I stuttered, "Why?"

"Because, Alex," He said, "I'm teaching you how to snipe."

"You'll be what?" I looked at him like he was crazy. Which he most likely was.

"Listen, trust me it's easy and safer. Just aim, take a deep breath and shoot." He chuckled, "Just...try not to shoot me."

With my fumbly fingers the joke seemed more like reality. "You're nuts. I'm not doing this." I pushed the sniper away.

He looked slightly aggravated. "Alex," He sighed. "Just take it."

"No."

"Take it."

"No!"

"Take it!" He exclaimed with annoyance. "We don't have time for this."

I supposed he was right. Saving Ashley was our main priority, we just had different intentions.

"Just take it." He said while looking at me with his deep eyes. The eyes that always got me, made me trust him, believe him, a complete stranger.

Knowing I would regret it later, I snatched the sniper. It was heavier than the pistol and was made of oat wood. But it had a scope that would make things easier. At least I hoped it would.

"What am I supposed to do with this thing?"

"I can take most of them down just cover me." Cover him? Did that just mean to watch his back?

I nervously nodded my head and scanned the overview. Leon was not the only crazy, apparently I was too. Since it was a higher ground, I was able to see the entire area and get a clear shot. There were only a few hostiles in sight but who knew how many were hiding in the houses where I wouldn't see Leon.

"It's actually pretty easy to use this thing." Leon stated as he neared me and pressed a hand on the rifle and my back. A shiver coursed through the entire area. "It's similar to the pistol but every time you shoot a bolt, you gotta bring back the switch at the top to load the next bolt."

"Like a shotgun." I said.

"Exactly. Aim with one eye closed and the other pressed to the scope but watch your cheek. There will be recoil. Go ahead, try it."

I did as he said and my vision had been scoured with a pointed and zoomed target. A hostile was right into my line of sight.

"Do you a clear sight on someone?"

"I think so," I breathed, "Should I take the shot?"

"Do it."

Listening to his confirmation, I took a deep breath and held it. With my enclosed breath, I focused my eye on the target and once the little black dot seemed to be perfectly placed on the chest, I pulled the trigger.

Although it hit him, it wasn't enough to take him down. Taking another breath, I lifted the gun once more and shot two more bolts at the hostile. It crumpled to the ground and disappeared into dust. The usual bile of shooting again was gone and instead excitement rises in me. What have I been turning into? I knew whoever these people were, were not normal. Did that still excuse the crime of killing them? It was not like I was actually ending their lives if they never had one in the first place, they were fiction. But the feeling of finally able to take one down, was relieving. It felt as if I was actually doing something right since I got here, I didn't know if if was just a fluke but I swore I felt it in my gut. Perhaps this was the first milestone for me to get the hell out of here.

"See, it wasn't too bad." Leon said with a cocky smile. "But next time aim for their heads, it's quicker."

"That was already hard enough. If I try to aim for their heads I am going to fail, miserably."

Leon laughed, "Whatever works for you. I'm going to head down now, stay sharp." Did he always have to use that type of vocabulary? I barely understood it.

Before he was able to walk down the hill, I averted my eye from the scope and looked at him.

"Leon," I warned, "...be careful down there."

He gave me a warm smile in return and said, "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

The weird thing was that I actually was worried. But it wasn't worried like the in the village, I was genuinely concerned about his well-being. It wasn't like all I cared about was that survived to get me to Ashley. It was different, seeing him in danger made my heart skip ten beats.

He's a stranger, forget about him, the voice in my head called but I ignored it and turned my attention back to the matter at hand. I pressed my eye to the scope and searched for Leon. He was entering a house and I scanned the area for nearby hostiles. Two were beginning to enter the house and I quickly aimed.

Well, I guessed, here goes nothing.


"I think that's all them!" I yelled to Leon from the high ground.

"Head to the gate northwards." He informed, still on lower ground.

We managed to get rid of all the hostiles and clear the area. It took quite a bit of time and sweat but was doable. It was not like I suddenly became a veteran and was able to take them down with one shot each. No it took plenty of bullets, I even ran out of bullets after a while but luckily there were some behind me. Oh, and that was another odd thing about this environment. There was ammo everywhere. We didn't even have to look anymore, it seemed whenever Leon needed it, it would turn up randomly. The only drawback was that we couldn't carry too much. I held pounds of bullets in my pockets since I didn't have a satchel or pack yet.

Strapping the sniper rifle on my back, I wiped a bead of sweat on my forearm and shaded my eyes from the sun which was setting. It was already dusk and I was still here. I dreadfully wondered how long the night would be before we saved Ashley.

Turning around ready to rendezvous with Leon, I am faced with a bright chest. How did I not see that before? Chests in video games was a good sign, that was one thing I knew. Hastily, I unflipped the slots and lifted the lid. I frowned when I looked inside. There was no gold or anything of significance, just a dirty looking trapezoid-shaped stone piece. But as I looked closer it seemed to some type of emblem.

I didn't know if was important but I still stuffed it in my pocket before I rushed down the slope and to the gate where Leon waited.

"Good work up there, Alex. Coulda' passed off as sharpshooter."

I smiled slyly. "I kinda like the rifle. Way better than the pistol."

"Really?" He chuckled. "A shame since I need it back. Pass it."

"C'mon," I started but rolled my eyes and handed the rifle back.

"Fine, fine, but be careful. My aim on the pistol is not so great."

"I'll risk it." He said while trying to push open the door to no avail.

I examined the hole in the middle of it. "This shape resembles half of emblem I found."Brushing my hand on it, I looked closer to find the same design.

"Does it look like this?" I turned to Leon to see him holding the other half of the emblem.

"Seems convenient, huh?" I laughed.

"Very." Leon agreed and together, we put the two pieces of the emblem together and slid it to unlock the door.


A/N: Hope you all enjoyed! Read and Review!