Chapter 13: I Will Mourn

After charging past the slaughtered Novistadors in the underground cells, Leon finally came upon the gallery where he found Salazar once again, perched precariously at the edge of the central platform, looking menacingly down at Leon's exhausted body. "What a pleasant surprise," Salazar snidely remarked, "But I'm afraid it's Ashley we need, not you, Mr. Kennedy…"

Frustrated with even more mind games, Leon roared back with a snarl, "If you don't need me, then get off my back, old man!"

"Did you say old man, Mr. Kennedy? It might come as a surprise, but I'm only twenty years old…" and Salazar still smiled sadistically as he showed of his stature.

"So you're just like all the others. A puppet of the parasites?"

Chuckling at Leon's insinuation, he replied softly, "Surely you don't think I'm the same as those diminutive Ganados. The parasites, Las Plagas are slaves to my will. I have absolute control…"

Leon grew tired of the on-going ego trip and responded with finality in his voice, "Well, I really don't give a damn. Rain or shine, you're goin' down!" Then immediately, many zealots were summoned to Salazar's side armed with scythes, crossbows, and rocket launchers.

With an annoyed expression on his ancient face, Salazar ordered, "Get rid of our American friend…" and was escorted away quickly from the site of the impending battle.

Drawing his firearm, Leon whispered before the first shots were fired, "Ashley… wait for me…"

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Reaching the garden outside under the dark night sky, Leon received yet another transmission from Salazar. As the visual feed turned on, Salazar's face came into view as his corresponding voice congratulated Leon. "Mr. Kennedy… Still alive, I see. So, do you like my garden?"

Glancing at the perfectly trimmed hedges of the garden filled with domesticated Comillos and their zealot keepers, Leon spat back disgustedly, "I see you've managed to work in a little of your twisted taste here, too..."

Lightly chuckling at Leon's remark, Salazar answered, "Sagacious as I am, even I get lost here sometimes. Even if it takes your whole life, you'll never get out. Do you know that no one dies without a cause? You will satisfy the stomachs of my cute pets. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to tie up a few loose ends… Like chasing down a couple of rats…" and Salazar's face disappeared from the communicator as the transmission ended.

Confused with his last statement, Leon thought out loud, "Two rats...? If one's Luis... Who's the other? There an intruder besides me?" Then quietly, he wondered to himself, '…Where is Ashley? Why is it taking so long to reach her? Why all of this… for her?' And with that, Leon continued on and began fighting his way through the garden infested with parasitic hosts.

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After unlocking the door of the room that looked over the garden balcony, Leon silently walked in, checking out the place. Then a shadow passed by his own on the wall, and once it finally caught his attention, it was too late. Before he could respond, he felt something cold on his back, concentrated at the middle of his spine. "Put your hands where I can see them…" whispered a female voice from behind him as she held her gun to his back.

Realizing it was a woman, Leon relaxed back into his snide humor; "Sorry, but following a lady's lead just isn't my style."

Then the woman raised her gun and pressed it to the back of his head, and coldly said again, "Put them up now…"

Taking a moment to wish he had said nothing, he spun and grabbed her hand, wrenching away her firearm, which she countered with a cartwheel that knocked the confiscated gun into the air. As she reached into the air for her gun, Leon drew his combat knife just as she caught her weapon, but before she was able to aim, Leon blocked her gun and threateningly held his knife to her exposed throat, resulting in an undeniable checkmate. Finding room once again for his dark humor, he whispered quietly into her ear before he withdrew his blade, "Bit of advice - try using knives next time… Works better for close encounters…" and then as he pulled away, he took her gun, ejected the clip, and threw the now harmless gun to the side. As he turned back to face the woman, she took off her sunglasses. It was Ada Wong.

"Leon... Long time, no see…" Ada calmly said, her slim figure in a red cocktail dress contrasting with the bright lantern outside the door in the garden. A sly smile graced her lips as her midnight-black hair framed her pale face and almond-shaped eyes.

She had supposedly died 6 years before in the Raccoon City incident from a long fall after failing to save her "boyfriend", who turned out to be an unsuspecting scientist from whom she was trying to steal information. Now that she was standing before him, Leon was filled with an overwhelming feeling of betrayal, knowing that she was working for Wesker to get the T-virus all those years ago while taking advantage of Leon's help. His voice laden with scorn, he grated out his reply, "Ada... So it is true…"

Ada shifted her weight onto her back leg as a slightly-curious smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. "True? About what?"

"You, working with Wesker."

Hearing his sound conviction, she decided to give him a pat on the back; "I see you've been doing your homework.."

Leon was visibly pained as his voice mirrored his torn emotions. Who meant more to him? Ashley, the sweet girl that always made him proud, or Ada, the serious one-time love interest with a history of betrayal? His choice was clear, but hurt nonetheless. "Why, Ada?"

Scoffing at his sensitivity to their reunion, Ada released her grip on her sunglasses as they fell silently to the floor then she sneered her reply, "What's it to you?"

Trying to figure out the reasons for her sudden appearance, Leon queried in cold anger, "Why are you here? Why'd you show up like this?!"

"Heh…" Ada cruelly jeered as the sunglasses she had dropped erupted into a blindingly bright light that filled the entire room, stunning Leon just long enough for Ada to collect her gun and clip, then made a break for the window. Before she fled, she called out with baited-breath, "See you around…" then she finally disappeared into the pitch black darkness of the night.

Enraged by her sardonicism, Leon shouted after her, "Ada!" but she was long gone. Resentful of their encounter, Leon then decided to continue on to find the girl that began to mean everything to him…

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Unsure of how long she had been standing fastened to the wall of the observation room, Ashley began to become quite annoyed, surprisingly. Fear, despair, and panic had been long gone since she grew to have the utmost faith and trust in Leon to come for her as soon as he possibly could. But it had been hours since they were separated and her feet were really beginning to hurt from having to stand against the wall that bound her.

Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice up on the observation deck whispering just loud enough for the words to cross the vast distance between them, "Hey, senorita! Looks like you fell into more trouble, eh?"

"Luis!" Ashley quietly gasped in surprise, then with slight irritation, she replied firmly, "I do have a name, y'know!"

Then the all too recognizable sounds of fighting began to escalate in intensity as a powerful force drew near, silencing everything in its way. As the din of battle came closer, Ashley and Luis fell into a nameless fear and dread of what was coming…