75. Leon

There was a certain sense of relief as the elevator moved without interruption. The clock kept ticking the seconds until the place got destroyed, but in a way, Leon was calm.

The agent looked at Claire, who was standing next to him. The woman looked around her with that look that seemed to record every detail of her surroundings.

"Everything is going to be fine," Leon whispered, making Claire wince.

"Oh yeah," Claire replied. "Yes, I think so."

"If you think so, then why do you look like you are ready to run?"

Claire looked at him and scoffed.

"It went too smoothly," Claire replied. "I find it suspicious."

"You are overthinking," Leon said, taking her hand.

"Maybe. I hope I am."

Suddenly, the elevator jerked, causing its users to stagger. The lights went off, forcing them to use their flashlights. Leon automatically put his uninjured arm around Claire's waist and looked up at the ceiling.

"What the fuck was that?" Barry growled.

"I don't know," Chris replied. "Wallace, do you hear me? Wallace..."

"I am here," Wallace replied, but his voice was low and cut off by static.

"The elevator stopped. What's going on?"

"Yeah, I am at it. Someone entered the system and the whole thing crashed."

Someone? Leon already had an idea who that could be. Ada was probably trying to make her way out of the building, too. Her work was crashing with Wallace's, and that was causing the system to malfunction.

"The clock is ticking, kid," Barry said.

"Yeah, I know that. Just give me a second..." Wallace replied. "There."

The lift jerked once more, and the power came back. The lights turned on, and they felt the elevator start to move.

"12 minutes, sir," Duke said to Chris.

"Almost there. Prepare your weapons. We might find hostiles on our way out."

"Yes, sir."

Leon wasn't used to having little action, but with his arm, as it was, he had no choice but to step back. He only had one arm, and that reduced his effectiveness significantly.

"Don't worry," Claire whispered at him, grabbing one of his guns. "I'll keep you safe."

"Bold of you to grab my gun without asking," Leon snorted.

"I took your phone before," Claire replied. "I figured that you wouldn't mind."

Leon snorted.

"What happened to your gun?"

"That's a good question," Claire replied.

The elevator reached its destination. Chris and his team stepped out, shooting at every monster that tried to catch them. Fortunately for them, all the monsters outside were a thousand times weaker than the ones they encountered within the labyrinth. It didn't take long for the group to make their way through the corridors and stairs of the sanitarium.

"7 minutes, sir," Connor shouted.

"To the ship, now, now, now..."

But there was no chance they'd get to the ship on time. The island would explode before they had made it to the pier. Leon knew this and Chris had to know it too.

"There's no time, Chris..."

Leon and Chris exchanged looks, and the agent knew he agreed.

"So what now?" Jill asked.

"We jump..." Claire replied.

"What?" Helena said. "That's suicide."

"Better chances than the explosion," Claire reasoned.

Everyone was hesitant, but there was no time for hesitation. The time was running, and the group had to make a decision. Leon looked at Chris, and the man nodded.

"Jump it is," Chris sighed. "Run, run..."

Jumping off a nearly 200 m high cliff didn't seem like the brightest idea of all. However, under the circumstances, it was their best bet. When they reached the edge of the island, they saw the BSAA vessel anchored a few miles offshore, at a safe distance from the upcoming explosion.

"2 minutes, sir," Connor said.

"It's now or never..." Chris said, "On my count...three, two, JUMP."

Leon felt the impact of the icy waters as he fell through it like a dart. The waves lashed at him like chilly whips, and the push of the tide made him lose his sense of direction and sent a wave of pain through his broken arm. The pain was so intense that, for a moment, he thought that he would not make it to the surface and he would drown. However, luck was on his side, and his death would not be that day. Suddenly, he felt someone tug at him and pull his body up.

The agent's head broke the black surface of the sea, and the icy sea wind hit his face, giving the agent a chill. He looked around him, gasping for air and trying to stay afloat as best as he could.

He saw Helena pop-up, carrying Rebecca and Chris's team -all of them- appeared coughing all the water they'd swallowed in the fall. Beside him, Claire was the one helping him stay afloat.

"I guess...this...is...payback, for all those...times you saved me before," the woman gasped.

Leon smirked.

"Are... you still counting them?"

"Never...missed...a single one..."

Behind them, a loud bang sounded and caused the island to shake wildly. The sky turned to crimson as the flames from the burning structure danced up into the sky, devouring everything on their way. The BSAA rescue boats were quick to fish and help the survivors, who were barely floating in the icy waters. After a few minutes, the entire group was safe and sound on the deck of the BSAA ship with blankets and warm drinks.

Except for a few scratches and bumps from the rocks, everyone was in good condition. Exhausted, yes, but safe and sound.

In the distance, what had once been Blackwell Asylum, was being quickly eaten away by the flames. Leon noticed that all the survivors and Claire looked at the scene with respect and sadness. All those years of suppression, fear, and torture were over. Leon took Claire's hand and squeezed it, making her smile at him.

"Day of wrath! O day of mourning! See fulfilled the prophets' warning. Heaven and earth in ashes burning!" Henry recited.

The man stood close to Claire and Leon, so both could hear the man's whispers clearly. He didn't recognize words, but he could tell Claire did. The woman listened to them and her lips moved slowly, repeating the verses.

"Oh, what fear man's bosom rendeth. When from heaven the Judge descendeth, On whose sentence all dependeth," Claire's said, looking at Leon. "Dies Irae, the day of judgment."

A suitable poem, Leon thought. One of Mobius's sins had been judged, but many remained unknown. The organization had escaped this time, but they would catch them, and when that day came, he'd make sure to make them pay for all the suffering Claire had gone through. The agent hugged Claire against himself and kissed the top of his head.

Another day of judgement would come, and that day he would be a judge.