DISCLAIMER: Don't own anyone or anything in RE4 and Sly3.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The mysterious woman in red will be introduced in name in this chapter.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE:

WHERE DEMON DOGS DWELL...

Leon slowly and cautiously entered the maze, Murray right behind him. He glanced back at Murray. "Ever used a gun before?" Murray looked surprised at the question and shook his head. "Uh, if you can count a potato gun a weapon gun, then okay." Murray said. Leon smiled, hiding his laughter. A potato gun? He had never heard of such, but handed Murray his trusty handgun anyway and took out his TMP.

Leon fired some bullets in open air, trying to draw out whatever Salazar had released into this damned maze. Nothing stirred. Leon sighed. The things probably heard the shots, but were smartly waiting for Leon to take a fatal step towards one of them, so they could...

"Leon, what is that!" Leon snapped out of it and looked around, trying to see what Murray had saw. He heard savage snarling before something pounced, knocking Leon to the ground and landing on his chest. Leon looked up into the face of none other than a Colmillos, it's large and very sharp teeth centimeters away from his face. He could smell it's repulsive breath, as if the animal's own stomach was rotting. The Colmillos glared at him a second longer, before grabbing his neck in it's teeth and yanking.

Leon gasped and struggled to get the demon dog off of him before it ripped his throat to ribbons.

"Leon!" Leon faintly heard Murray shouting his name, he was so wrapped up in getting the beast off of him and saving his poor neck from being lacerated. Suddenly Murray fired at the Colmillos, making it stop chewing Leon's throat and look over at the hippo. Murray shot at it twice more, and the thing snarled and leapt off of the wounded Leon, making it's way slowly and determindedly toward Murray.

Murray, now frightened, fired again, but missed. The Colmillos seeing it's chance, leapt at Murray. Murray screamed and dropped the handgun, covering his face with his hands.

Suddenly the Colmillos whined loudly and dropped in midair less than foot away from Murray. Murray uncovered his face and looked down at the fallen Colmillos. It was dead.

"Thought you would need some help." Murray turned toward the gate and saw it halfway open, with Sly leaning casually up against it, a riot gun in his hands.

"Sly!" Murray yelled, running to his friend and enveloping him in a huge bear hug. Sly sucked in his breath, as all the air left his lungs. "Murray, uh, I know you're happy I saved your ass, but could you PLEASE PUT ME DOWN!" Murray instantly let go. Suddenly he remembered Leon. Both Sly and Murray looked over at the fallen man. Leon still lay on his back, blood oozing out of severe and deep wound in his neck.

"Leon!" Sly and Murray ran over to him and knelt down on either side. Murray tried to check for a pulse, but it was hidden beneath all of the blood and the wound. Murray looked up at Sly, tears in his eyes. Sly stared at Murray, horrified, but then violently shook his head. "He's not dead." Sly said determinedly. "He's just severely wounded. I found the two halves of the moonstone - they were right underneath the stairs. I guess Salazar forgot to hide them in the maze, lucky for us." Sly looked back down at the unconscious Leon. "The door's unlocked, and there's a very comfortable large bed in the room, and a merchant that has about five aid sprays. If we can only figure out how to pick Leon up and carry him into the room..."

"Maybe I can help." Sly and Murray whirled around at the sudden and unexpected voice - and there was the woman in red. Her almond shaped eyes looked concernedly down at Leon, then back at them. "Here, let me help." She walked over to them and knelt down beside Leon and next to Sly. "His wound is very severe. He needs help badly - and now." She took out a first aid kit and opened it, revealing several first aid items, including a needle and a long thread of string. She took the needle and string and closed the kit, putting it back into her pouch on her thigh. "He'll need stitches. Look away if you get slightly queesy, don't puke on Leon - or me."

Sly and Murray were still staring at the strange woman. "What's your name?" Sly finally got the courage to say after a minute. "I've seen you before." The woman never faltered in her work of stitching up Leon's neck wound. "The name's Ada Wong. Me and Leon go back a long way - six years ago in Raccoon City. I saved his ass then and am saving it again." Ada finished stitching up Leon and stood up, glancing back down at the hippo and raccoon. "And who are you two?"

"Sly Cooper and Murray." Sly answered coolly. Ada smirked at his icey tone and turned on her heel, leaving the two alone again. Sly glared at her retreating back. Murray looked at Sly.

"That Ada Wong lady is weird." Murray said. Sly nodded his head. Sly knew that he and Murray should be thankful that this woman was nice enough to help save Leon's life, but there was just something about her that he didn't trust or like...

"Come on Murray, lets get Leon into that room and into bed before another strange person or demon dog comes." Murray nodded and picked up Leon, following Sly through the gate and back up the stairs. "Say Sly, where did you get that shotgun anyway?...

NOTE: Will Leon make it? Read the next chapter... R&R