Rayne & Leon

The hallways were dark and quiet, at least in this part of the complex. Further out the hustle of another day was beginning. Here however, it was blessedly dark and quiet. Easy to lurk about, even in her weakened state. She was fed yet she was tired, something that didn't happen often. While She wasn't fully human, when she did sleep it was only for mere hours at a time. Cat foot Rayne's spiked stilettos barely made a sound as she stalked down the hallway. She sniffed. These smells, they were familiar. She came to a halt. This was it. Behind her voices echoed down the concrete walkway. Rayne smirked to herself.

"You're on security detail after your debriefing," Hunnigan commented. Leon sighed. Two hours of detox followed by three more hours of debriefing after a three-hour flight. Hunnigan glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "You should rest up tonight. I have a feeling the president will be giving you a personal call soon. He'll want everything you have on Star and her friend."

"… … …. …" He didn't bother replying. The thought of President Link inviting himself over was the least of his concern. The two of them came to a halt in front of his rooms. Hunnigan turned to him, slipping the glasses from her face. She pinched the bridge of her nose, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment.

"I'm required to ask you about the Infectee's behavior in the field," Hunnigan sighed, "Also how Star seemed to react to the infection, but it can wait." The internal affairs officer that she was, Leon didn't envy her position at all. Hunngian slipped her glasses on once again. "There something else as well."

"Yeah?" Leon leaned in the doorway to his tiny rooms. His chest felt confined, there were already bruises from the bioweapon's tongue. X-ray's had proven that he'd suffered no broken or cracked ribs though the bruises were promising to be peaches. That aside, he was tired. He'd been up and active for the better part of 14 hours now.

"Its your invite," Hunnigan handed him the sealed envelop. Leon raised an eyebrow, studying the small white paper she handed him. 'Invite' was simply code for useful field information. He made to speak. "I trust you'll look into the matter and get back to me with your RSVP as soon as possible." Field agents didn't normally get 'invites' as they usually contained information with a privy access of 'need to know'. However Hunnigan was his field support. There was no doubt that the invite was operative information regarding his security detail. Hunnigan had a habit of digging up information the hire-ups didn't release to operatives for weeks. Sometimes even months. Leon chuckled, playing along with the ruse.

"I don't think I even own a tux," He turned the envelop over in his hands before jamming it into a back pocket. Hunnigan just shrugged, her narrow shoulders moving the fabric of her outfit. The information was pocketed. He'd go over it when he had the time.

"Just follow through with a reply. You can do it over the compounds internal link system if you have to." The woman wouldn't lose her composure. She was the perfect epitome of cool. Hell, she should have been a spy. Not only did he have the latest must have in field information, he also knew there'd be something waiting for him on the compounds internal computer systems. The thought of teasing her crossed his mind, but he was just too damn tired.

"Understood," Leon commented, turning towards his room door.

"Good night Leon."

"Night Hunnigan."

The door slid shut behind him as the weak lights flickered on overhead. His room was bare. A bed and a desk crowded the living space and built in drawers for clothing lurked beneath the bed. On the table an empty glass and a half bottle of liquor sat. Right where he'd left them. Leon crossed the room in two steps, sending the envelope to join the glass. He poured himself a glass of amber. The liquid burned pleasantly as he took a seat. Setting the glass aside he reached for the envelope. Tearing the paper in half. A chip fell onto the floor, clattering with plastic sound. The purple SD memory card lay an inch from his shoe heel. Follow through with a reply. You can even do it over the compound's internal link system if you have to. The woman was crafty, but here was the catch. Had her words been a warning not to use computers linked up to the compound's internal networks, or had it been a warning to use a computer with network link up. Sighing, Leon picked up the little chip. What could something with this tiny of a memory space hold? Computer without a network link up it was then.

A knock sounded on his door. The chip was quickly deposited in his pocket and the glass refilled before he answer the door. There was no one there. No one was in the hall either when he checked. Goddamn. Briefly closing his eyes Leon let the door shut. Now what? He could already see countless hours of PTSS counseling ahead of him if word got out he was hearing things.

"You worked too hard for something this tiny," A voice commented behind him. Hand going for a gun that wasn't there, Leon spun. Sitting backward on his desk chair was the red head from the cites. She took a slow sip from his liquor glass. In her other hand a small plastic chip played about her long, tapered fingers. "This is good," she purred, the rough edges of her voice had been smoothed over by the amber drink. "But I like…reds…better." The word 'red' flowed from her mouth like a premature kiss, sloppy but contained, as she set the glass down on the table top.

"What exactly is your purpose here?" It was the first thing that came to mind… She smiled at him, the same man eating smirk from before.

"Isn't it obvious?" Her green eyes laughed. Her body movements-from the slightest of twitches to the way she held herself-was languid. It was unnerving to see her so at ease in another's personal living space.

"Not interested," and that was the final statement on that. He took a seat on the bed, gesturing towards the door. "Don't let it hit you on the way out."

"Didn't think you'd be," She quipped back, her smirk had lessened. "People like us don't know how to turn it off." The candid nature in which she spoke belied the truth of her words. He paused for a moment.

"Excuse me?"

"Turn it off," She repeated carelessly, as if that clarified everything. "We don't know how to relax. How to stop thinking about what needs to be done. Driven, I think, is a word they use to describe people like us." He was at a near loss for words. She still sat backwards in his chair. Her long legs were straddling the seat and the skin tight leather didn't leave much to the imagination. Come to think of it, how the hell was she able to move around in something that tight? Fortunately the training kicked in awfully damn fast.

"Look, I don't know how you got in here, but you need to go. I'm not interested-"

"Shut up," The woman interrupted him, her voice hand cooled from honey warm to brittle sugar. "If I gave a damn about rules I would have made some human man a very satisfied father of many, many children." Easily she rose to her feet. It was a fluid motion; one that put every one of his remaining nerves on edge. "I need your assistance."

"Is that so?" Leon leaned back. The woman forced another smirk, the same man eating one as before, as she leaned forward to level her face with his. She gave him the perfect view of her well developed breasts. With a flick of a hand, she held up the memory card.

"I can only assume that this is meant to be discreet."

"My personal effects are none of your concern." He was cool. He feigned indignation. "Look, I'm not really interested-" She fixed him with her green eyes, cutting him off mid-sentence. They bore into his, unblinking and hard.

"You play a good game," her finger tips touched his knees, "but you're playing with the big kids now." Her hands were nimble, digging into his pocket with the purple memory card. Surprised at her agility, he reached for her wrist as she withdrew only to come up with air. Rayne moved, too fast for his eyes to follow. He reacted on gut instinct alone as her steel spiked shoe landed on his left shoulder, throwing him down hard onto the bed. His hand stung were it hit the wooden frame and his head came inches from hitting the wall.

She held him at bay, her leg stretching over his body as she lowered herself. Even with both hands he couldn't move her foot. The pain in his shoulder was dull, not nearly so bad as it should have been. Rayne didn't quite straddle him, but came damn near to it. Her other foot was anchored to the ground. She bent in a way an Olympic gymnast would be envious of. He could see that any man would be a happy father of any number of multitude of children with her. However, his shoulder was bleeding from her heel and he had no desire to touch her let alone father anything.

"As I said before, you have something that needs to be discreet."

"What do you want?" He demanded, hand clenching. He was still wearing a knife. It was at his ankle damn it all. She purred, chuckling to herself.

"You're precious, handsome. What do I want?" Rayne repeated, musing to herself. "I want the same thing you do," she replied, that man eating smirk on her face. "Access to a private computer and some discretion." Those baby blues narrowed, taking her in. Easily she cocked her head to the side, one of her blades casually swinging open, revealing the cruel curve of the hooked blade. She fidgeted with the blade, picking blood spatter off of it.

"When?" So accommodating…and cute too…how delightful… She was aware of her hunger, but she had enough restraint to leave alone that which could be made of use.

"Now."

"Not possible." She grinned at her blade. He wouldn't cower under the threat of death. She liked men like him. She liked woman like that too. She liked anyone who didn't give in. The blade went away.

"I didn't think it would be," She released him, returning both feet to the ground as she backed away. "Until you can secure access to a computer, I require discretion."

"You call this discretion?" Leon demanded, shoving himself up into a sitting position. She considered him a moment before backing off to the chair.

"I'm being nice," Rayne murmured more to herself than to him. She gave him her full attention. Her green eyes alighted on the man. "You know I'm not going to take no for an answer."

"Pretty demanding, aren't you?" Leon countered, easing slowly away.

"Don't do it," She commented, watching him.

"Don't do what?" She was on him, her face inches from his. He had never seen her move. She pinned his arms to the bed, immobilizing him with a body that had to be 90 plus pounds lighter than his own. Her eyes did not so much as watch him, as watch his body. Watched his shoulder, more noticeably.

"I'm hungry," she said simply. She made a show of drawing back her red lips. Small ivory knives protruded from her mouth. "Put the knife away." His gaze strayed to the blade, unsheathed by half an inch. He believed her. Believed she was crazy. Believed he might also be crazy. Well, that or he was hallucinating.

"What do you want?" He asked again.

"I'm hungry. I'm tired," she replied, not releasing him. "I need to rest. I need to feed. I need a computer. In that order."

"Feed?" He asked, knowing in advance that he wouldn't like the answer. She smiled then. A genuine smile, he noticed. The canines in her mouth were larger than they should have been.

"I need rest more than I need to eat," she spoke softly.

"And?" his voice was quiet as well.

"Your bed is soft. You will have access to a computer, eventually. You could be useful with other things as well." She wasn't smiling any more. "Normally I wouldn't hesitate to kill a human, but you're a useful human. A brave man as well. We can benefit each other."

"I hardly see how."

"Help me," she said simply, releasing him. "I will repay you in kind." She backed away though only inches this time.

"You have nothing I want," Leon retorted stubbornly. He had a feeling he could repeat himself over and over again, but the woman wouldn't be leaving any time soon.

"So?" She purred. "Do you need a reason?" Her eyes were playful and yet she was too close.

"You want to borrow my bed? Then use me to gain access to a computer to do who knows what," Leon commented. "Disregarding any favors, I still don't see how I benefit from this."

"You live," Rayne said. "I don't feed on you."

"Not good enough," He replied flatly.

"I know," Rayne said, her eyes lilted as she tilted her head to the side. Slowly she drew a hand up. Taking a small item nestled in her bodice. It was a USB drive. "I have the same objective as you. There is information on this. I need to access it. I was interrupted earlier." He waited, but she didn't volunteer any more information. With a sigh, he leaned back on his bed, forcing himself to relax.

"There are civilian bed down near the cafeteria," he said flatly. An eyebrow arched on her pretty face as she approached him. She caught his gaze as she leaned over him.

"I don't want a bed by the cafeteria," she said softly. A lilting sound entered her voice. It wasn't so much that she spoke in a playful manner. Rather it was a quality in her voice, a raspy hypnotic sound. Something that demanded to be heard. Hypnotic? That was certainly a word for it. Despite his unease with her close proximity, it was her voice hat provoked his discomfort. Her voice compelled him-commanded. Every time she spoke it was as if she was bribing his senses. "I want a secluded resting place. I want to rest here."

He blinked, taking her in. When she wasn't speaking that weird feeling her voice carried with it faded. In fact that was it: her voice had been making him dizzy. Weird.

"And I want a rocket launcher. Sometimes we don't get what we want." With that he rolled over onto his side. Resolutely, he ignored her.

Blinking Rayne straitened, somewhat affronted. He was immune to her. Immune to her Influence. That simple verbal suggestion should have put the man on his knees begging to share a bed with her in the most platonic way imaginable. Yet there he lay, his back towards her, clearly not making any effort or offer to share. Impossible. Well… She regarded the still healing bondage scars on her wrists. She was weakened. A sly smile curved her mouth.

"A rocket launcher?" Rayne asked, amused. "I hope you're not compensating for something." She moved, heading to the doorway as Leon rolled onto his back once again. His mouth was open to speak as she left. "I'll be back, handsome. "

She returned not more than twenty minutes later. He was half asleep when she returned, staring at the ceiling of his quarters. The door to the room slid open soundlessly, the pale light of the hallway flooding the darkened room, silhouetting her curvy figure. The lights snapped on, detecting motion as Rayne stepped into the room. The door slid shut behind her. Blinking, eyes adjusting to the sudden light exposure, Leon was slow to make out what it was she carried.

With a dull thud Rayne let the heavy backpack settle on the ground, leaning it against the bottom drawer of his dresser. Unshouldering the long metal tube, she set that down along side the bag.

"You're shitting me," Leon said. Rayne flexed her shoulders.

"You asked for a rocket launcher," she said pointedly, a smile on her mouth.

"There has to be at least five security checks between here and the armory," he started, still staring at the rocket launcher and the spare nuclear heads she'd brought with her. "How the hell?"

"Are you sure you want the gory details?" She cut him off smoothly, her hands going to her hips. The pose showed off her finely honed blades. Come to the think of it, how had she kept those weapons? There were metal detectors at each security check. Leon shut up for a minute, thinking.

"Just a bed," he said finally after a few minutes. He'd need to keep his eye on her. She was probably another 'Other' just like Star, Vergil, and the two in the holding bay.

"For now," she replied.

"I don't want the details, but why not the cafeteria beds?"

"Too much…temptation," she replied. Her tongue lingered on the word temptation. Or maybe it was his imagination that lingered too long on it.

"I have a few conditions," He said finding his tongue once again. She raised her eyebrows, waiting expectantly. "Loose the blades and I'm not promising you anything in the way of computer access." A smile lit up her face. A real smile this time. Not the seductive smirk that promised mischief or the maneating smirk of pride. It was a real smile.

"Afraid I might bite?" she purred, covering her honesty with more banter. Her pallid fingers moved like spiders over her arms until the heavy blades fell to the ground.

"Keep your hands to yourself and we won't have any problems," Leon retorted dryly. His shoulder still stung from the light cut she'd given him. Considering the kind of physical power she was capable of it was impressive his shoulder was still in one piece. Scooting over on the bed, Leon rolled onto his side, facing the wall. Her footsteps were light as she crossed the room. The light snapped off a moment later. Her weight barely stirred the mattress as she lay down. Ignoring her presence, Leon was quick to fall asleep.