Chapter 19: The Serpent and the Rainbow

The mercenary's hand in hers was warm as Claire pushed the door of the prison open and stepped out into the cool night air. Rain had begun to fall again and the way forward around the bend of the building was quiet.

There was a nauseous quivering in Claire's stomach as she glanced back at Sebastian. His stature didn't speak to a man whose heart had begun to slow only twenty minutes earlier, but the pallor of his skin was a hint to how fragile the situation could be if she wasn't paying attention to what happened next.

He hadn't said so, but Claire was certain that Sebastian was unfamiliar with the task of being captured. Whether he wanted to hear her apology or not, she had been at the root of that.

Claire paused her musings as a sound ahead caught her attention. It was a faint, fluttering murmur that her newly acute hearing picked out from the pitter pattering of rain hitting the ground around them. Claire looked down at her hand and when the flames didn't come, she heard her own frantic heartbeat add to the chorus of sounds in her ears.

"What's wrong?" Sebastian's voice was quiet as he released her hand and came up beside her to investigate her paling face.

"I can't call the—" Claire kept her voice quiet as the old feeling of blind panic was beginning to creep into her tone. Her mind once again going to his injuries and their lack of weapons. "—I can't make them burn."

"Hey," Sebastian's tone was rough as he leaned forward a little and caused her to meet his demanding gaze. "You took out 87 men once with just a handgun, so let's not pretend you're defenseless now that your superpowers are taking a break."

"How do you know about that?" Claire asked as she felt a small smile pull at her mouth and momentarily put a halt to her anxiety.

The memory of the explosion that led to her confrontation with Rodrigo at the Umbrella facility in Europe was a bloody one, but they had forced her into a corner.

"Who do you think reviewed your damage reports to security?" Sebastian asked as he gave her a quick once over. "Truth be told, you changed a lot of our security protocols with that little gun trick." Claire could have sworn his tone held a bit of pride.

"Too bad you weren't on the island with me then. I could have used a hand once or twice." Claire said as she took a deep steadying breath and let her unlit hand fall to her side. She reached to her belt where she had tucked his Seraphym knife and pulled it free to clutch the hilt tightly.

"I'm glad I wasn't." Sebastian answered, his eyes trailing to his knife in her hand.

When she frowned and gave him a look, he spoke softly to answer the question hanging in the air, "I would've had to choose between my men or you, Claire."

"I won't ask for the answer, I prefer a little mystery anyway." Claire said before she nodded in understanding; they would have been enemies at that time.

Sebastian's soft and inviting laugh made a shiver run up her spine. His eyes were intent on hers as his lip caught on his incisor when he grinned. Again, the dream of Ishtar's wolves came to mind as she felt beckoned by the sight.

"I think you know very well who I would have likely chosen and what's more, I think that unspoken answer excites you." His hazel eyes were glimmering in the light of the Hunter's moon.

"I must have made one hell of an impression on you in 1998." Claire inhaled as she felt her body react to his tone and in response the flame sprung forth in Claire's right hand. The water's reflection bounced the light off the ground and onto the walls around them softly.

Claire gasped as she looked down at it before she tore her gaze back to Sebastian's. Her face was growing as warm as her palm.

"Good girl." Sebastian whispered softly as he leaned forward slightly.

"I do love your tells." His voice was a weapon as he angled his head down at her. "And yes, I'd say an impression had been made."

"Did you ever consider reaching out to me back then?" She asked suddenly as she flexed her burning hand. "You had my name after all. I was a registered student and not all too difficult to find."

Sebastian paused and Claire watched as he slid a hand into his pocket almost nervously.

"Either you did, and I never knew, or beneath the mask of one of the most badass mercenaries lies the heart of a shy boy." Claire said in a teasing voice as she rocked on her feet. "I can't decide which is more appealing."

"I never sought you out, no." He answered honestly as he looked back at her. "I did a lot to try and forget you actually."

"That seems like it didn't work too well for you." Claire gestured to the atmosphere around them. "You really know how to pick your vacations. It's a rather dreary choice here."

"I still like my view just fine, Red."

Claire felt her blush spread at his earlier reference and she smiled as she struggled to hold his eyes. She cleared her throat. "Maybe when this is all over, I could actually take you out somewhere nice where things aren't trying to eat you or kill you."

"That would be a first." Sebastian responded as his grin stretched across his handsome features again.

"You really do need to get out more if that's always a precursor in your dates." Claire muttered as she put a hand to her hip.

"I've never had a date before, Claire. So, I'll let you set that precedent."

"Is that what made you blush previously when I asked what you'd like to do in a relationship at the command center?" Claire asked.

"I was not—"

"Right," Claire said as she stepped forward and tugged on one of the loops on his vest with her unlit hand. "Totally not blushing. That's just not possible. So, what was the answer then?"

"I'll let you find out tomorrow when we're out of here." Sebastian said as he caught her hand and ran his thumb gently down the back of her hand.

His other hand reached up and ran a feather light touch to the skin of her thigh peeking out from one of the rips in her jeans. He was nodding to the direction ahead of them and whispered, "After you, love."

Claire's response was a quiet laugh as she cursed her traitorous body. She gave him her back and began to move down the walkway that led further around to the right. With her right hand held out, she gripped the knife in her left and looked toward the sandbags that lined the short steps to their right.

The sound she heard earlier became louder, and she realized it was the harsh breathing of an archer that stood just beyond the sandbags. The Ganado flinched as it caught sight of her burning palm and it let out a yodeling sound as it alerted the enemies in the area.

"Seven bullets." Sebastian said beside her as he lifted Leon's magnum.

Claire nodded as she pressed into the wall of the building. She could hear the rushing steps of the enemies approaching and she felt the familiar tingle enter her system.

"To protect or to destroy." Claire murmured without thinking.

"Come again?"

She looked over at Sebastian and she lifted the throwing knife to him, hilt first. When he took it hesitantly, she said, "To protect or destroy. Isn't that the main reason behind the creation of these viruses Umbrella sold?"

"No," Sebastian answered with hard certainty. "It's always been about weapons, or rather, destruction."

Claire hummed in thought before she stepped out to their gathering crowd. The magnum erupted behind her and the archer in front went down as it notched its arrow.

The fight forward felt like someone had taken a well-trodden path and flipped it on its axis. As Claire moved with speed that made her nothing more than a blur, she didn't feel the anger she had before. A different emotion tore through her system as she heard the second shot of the magnum behind her. She latched on to the strong sound of Sebastian's heartbeat behind her and she had the thought that if Orpheus' harp in the sky could produce a sound to soothe, it would sound just like that for her.

"Five shots left." She thought as her burning palms wrapped around the face of a Ganado before her.

Claire snatched a scythe that one Ganado had been carrying and turned to run toward the back where Sebastian stood behind the sandbags, his careful aim was patient as he considered his shots with lethal precision. A Ganado tossed a hatchet toward him, and she knocked it away with the weapon in her hands.

Sebastian waited until certain enemies got close and the blade hidden on his form appeared in his hand in a blink before he would drive an elbow to stun them. He followed with a killing blow that appeared as seamless as breathing for him.

Claire kept close as she twirled and burned the opposition around them both; the scythe slinging around her with a rotation of her wrist.

For a moment in time, Claire and Sebastian worked in perfect sync. As one would move, the other would cover without hesitation. Where Sebastian shifted, Claire pulled to his side. His heartbeat sung in her ears as she kept him in the corner of her vision.

Claire looked over at him when the first round of enemies lay before them. He was staring back at her with a look she couldn't quite read, but she found herself grinning at him in pride. He let out a low laugh in response and sharpened his gaze on her as he then looked pleased.

"Up there," Claire said as she watched the next group running toward them from a gate ahead.

She looked over her shoulder at him again before she pointed up toward one of the buildings in front of them. A control panel could be seen with a door that connected to a path on the second floor.

"Get up there and see if you can get the door open. I'll keep them off you." She continued.

"On it." He responded simply and moved past her toward the ladder.

Claire felt stunned for a moment as he didn't question her, but instead displayed a trust in her capabilities. She watched his form for a moment and admired his strength. He showed no signs of his injuries as he hauled himself up the ladder and toward the platform above.

Claire's eyes caught on a red barrel to the right, and she was running as the commando with the gun began to fire into the area. She could see its laughing face off to the right when he rounded the gate with the rest of the Ganados.

The barrel crashed on its side and the sweet smell of gasoline filtered through the humid area while Claire lifted her bare foot onto the side of the barrel. When they were close enough, she gave a hard push with her foot and the barrel rolled forward; the leaking fuel blended in with the collecting rainwater.

Luckily, gasoline was lighter than the make-up of water, and it left a very distinct trail atop the pooling rainwater.

Lowering her flaming hand to the trail, Claire watched the flash come alive with the path of ignition.

The fire trailed quickly toward the barrel before the explosion rocked the area. Claire was already running forward, bringing the scythe up and cutting through the left-over forms with ease that had her blood singing. The handle of the scythe was red hot, but the metal didn't give under her hands.

The gatling gun started up again, and one of the bullets caught her foot as she ran toward the left without even stumbling. She could feel the skin closing around the graze and the bloody footprints lit up behind her when she brought her legs up in a leap.

The Ganado was slow in his ability to follow her arc. Claire had time to look into its eyes as she swung the scythe around the back of his neck and yanked forward. When she landed beside him, the tumble of his head from his shoulders was cacophonous to the sound of its large body toppling over in front of her.

Claire lowered the scythe and stood up straight to examine the area over her shoulder through her wet hair. The flames were licking at the bodies of the Ganados on the ground, while pockets of fires from her bloody footprints lit the area like a jagged runway.

A dark thought had her realizing that she had come a long way from being the woman who was tossed around in the factory by Leon, helpless.

The pitter patter of rain took precedence again as she picked up on the signature thump she was beginning to know so well. Her dark thoughts moved towards something warmer as she noted that aside from feeling stronger, she also wasn't alone anymore.

Claire's eyes caught on a tall form that was leaning against the doorway on a platform above. Sebastian's eyes were on her as he observed her below.

Claire settled the bottom tip of the scythe on the ground and couldn't stop the electric jolt running through her when she felt her breathing pick up under his gaze. When she had been chasing Leon earlier, anger had seared her veins, adding to the tattoos on her soul.

However, what empowered her now was something born to the human condition that called to the purpose of protectors, guardians, families, and lovers.

Claire beheld the man standing above her with his own answering look and she thought to the Huma bird of Persia. The Huma Bird, if seen–even only briefly–would bring blessings for life. The bird was said to be born in flight and never comes to rest on earth, flying eternally in the highest reaches of the sky. Untouchable, valuable, deadly, and beautiful.

Through the glimmer of red lenses, Claire had somehow caught the Huma's fortune in Sebastian as her fate connected to his on one of the worst nights of her life. A dangerous liaison that led to an emotion so strong that Claire was almost stumbling forward at how strongly she reacted to the sight of him waiting for her. The fire in her hands flared white before they fizzled out completely.

She was reaching for the ladder without thought as her legs had carried her forward. Claire's wet bare feet slipped for purchase as she moved to climb onto the platform.

Sebastian's gloved hand caught her upper arm as he helped her up.

When Claire lifted herself upright, she looked into the room behind him. Bodies littered the floor and the door near the end stood open. He didn't need to waste one bullet.

"Are you hurt?" She asked as she retrained her gaze on his. He hadn't looked away from her face.

"No." He said softly before his sight caught on the scythe still clasped in her hand.

Claire adjusted her grip on the weapon and raised one brow as she gave into her desire for nearness. She stepped forward to kiss his cheek. "I think you might have some competition for the title of Death."

"I wouldn't call you Death." His voice was quiet as the hand still around her arm pulled her closer. His stubbled cheek rubbed against hers before resting against her neck as he inhaled deeply and laid a single kiss to her pulse point. "In fact, if I believed in it, I would suggest God is a woman. If all life is creation, then I'd choose to worship you every day I draw breath. What you are is Life itself."

Claire thought of the picture of Thanatos in the hall of the hotel, and she felt a shiver roll down her body. She was scooping her wet hair over her shoulder before she took his hand again and tucked her arm under his, moving them both toward the door.

"Funny, I was just thinking of the Huma bird earlier. Has anyone ever told you what paradise really is?" She asked as she tilted her head up to him and squeezed his hand.

"I have my own theories." His hand squeezed back.

"You are paradise, Sebastian. It's who we chose to protect and love in our lives; paradise is love."

Sebastian swung her backwards by her arm and she let out a yelp as she crashed into his chest. His mouth on hers was consuming, but the hands that cupped her face were shaking slightly.

Claire smiled into his mouth and opened her eyes again when Sebastian demanded quietly, "Tell me again, Claire."

Claire looked up into his face as she reached up to push his wet dark hair from his forehead. Her fingers traced a path from his temple down to his strong jaw. She was whispering softly as she used his full name and told him she loved him. The answering look he gave her truly was paradise.

The gunfire ahead alerted the duo to the battle Bruce spoke of as they neared the long hall that led to a door beyond. A crash sent vibrations through the ground at Claire and Sebastian's feet.

Claire looked down at her scythe and over at the magnum that held five bullets in Sebastian's hand.

"Why do I feel like we're ill prepared for what's coming next?" She asked as she looked over at the serious expression on her companion's face.

"You get used to the improvisation." He responded simply.

"And if you don't?" She inquired as she settled her nerves as best as she could.

"Then you die."

"You're so prophetic at times, it astounds me." Claire retorted sassily as she reached for the handle.

"Claire," Sebastian said with a cutting tone that made her draw her hand back.

"You get Saddler and I go for Leon?" She suggested when his hard gaze landed on hers.

Sebastian let out a deep breath from his nose and there was an anger that simmered in his eyes. He reached into one of his many pockets and slid out his replaced communicator he had gotten from the command center before they left the hotel.

"If we get separated, you call for me." His thumbs were flying over the buttons as the glow from the screen lit his handsome face. "I've made the first contact with my personal communicator. If I don't answer, you call the second contact, and you ask for C. H. You will be prompted with a code. The code name is 'Bella'. Give them your coordinates and they will pick you up. You know what to do from there."

When he handed her the device, she took it hesitantly before she clasped his wrist with fear leaking into her voice. "I'm not leaving without you." She said, matching the anger in his eyes.

"You will if I don't answer, Claire." His voice was a hard command as he stepped up toward her in the narrow walk space. "The U.S. agency will try to bring you back and will have severe questions if you try to leave with the Blue Umbrella teams here. Don't you dare allow the government to capture you because you're waiting for me."

Claire swallowed harshly, before she nodded in defeat.

"I'll engage Saddler, you go for Leon. You need to kill him, Claire. I'm sorry, but we're at the end of our deciding stage here. If your life's on the line, I will kill him, and I don't want to have to be the one to do that."

Claire understood his meaning and whispered her thanks. This had been her wish and was her responsibility.

Sebastian moved to the door and looked back at her once more before he pushed it open slowly and gazed out at the fight beyond.

Claire saw his grip flex around the magnum and the tick began in his jaw. Whatever it was, it wasn't good.

Claire stepped out into the large room and gasped as she watched Bruce McGivern stumble away from a platform as Saddler hit him square in the chest with an appendage from under his robes on the catwalk above.

Saddler's face hadn't completely healed from the last battle she and Sebastian had with him. The burns looked to be healed over, but there were deep pockets in his skin that sagged and held divots from where Sebastian's rifle had rearranged the structure of his face.

Below, a man in a white lab coat nervously tended to a large pod at the center of the workspace. Within, Leon was propped up by one of the bars inside. The injuries she had given him in their last encounter were closing over slowly.

Saddler's angry cry above caught Claire's attention and she watched as he lifted a hand toward Leon. The Lord's angry gaze was looking down at her and she felt the simmering hostility warm her fingertips.

The cracking of glass alerted Claire to Leon's hateful gaze as he now stared out from the pod. The man in the white coat was stepping back, dropping a clipboard as he turned to see Claire and Sebastian at the door.

The crack of the Magnum beside her jerked Claire into action as Sebastian engaged Saddler.

"The bag!" Bruce yelled while he used the railing to regain his feet, he was pointing down below past Claire.

Claire was running for the brown bag that had been flung against the far wall near some double doors.

She spotted the broken form of Rosburg beside it and she stumbled in her steps. The glass of the pod shattered behind her and when she scooped up the heavy bag, she bid the dead agent a prayer despite her previous distaste. Tearing open the flap of the bag, she spotted an odd-looking gun strapped to the inside of a large black box that was already flipped open.

The handgun inside was heavier than the standard issue, but Claire recognized the model as the Samurai Edge that Chris had in his arsenal through the S.T.A.R.S. This version had a four-inch, black barrel extension at the muzzle. On the handle of the gun, the Blue Umbrella symbol stared up at her, but the inscription on the gun caught her eye.

Samurai Edge - AW Model-00

When she ejected the clip, she spotted nine oddly colored rounds within and frowned as she slammed it back in. Tam had gone over the two different ammunition types earlier, but she was struggling to remember which was which.

Claire wrapped her hand around the gun and lifted it toward the pod. Above her, she heard the Magnum boom again before the sound of a flash grenade reached her ears.

"Three shots left." Claire counted in her head at Sebastian's remaining ammunition.

Leon stood looking at her over the shoulder of the researcher he held in front of him. The researcher was the man she had seen in the cathedral. His black glasses had a crack in the left lens and the knife at his neck had blood dripping onto his coat as the blade grazed the skin.

"Feel like some target practice?" Leon called as he walked the researcher toward her. The battle above raged on, but he paid no mind.

"Let him go, Leon. I know you don't want more blood on your hands." She called as she glanced up to see Sebastian dodge a move from Saddler. He was backing up on the catwalk above them as Bruce had switched to a machine gun behind Saddler.

"I think that applies more to you than me now, Claire." Leon retorted as the pair neared.

Claire heard the Magnum twice more and she let out a breath as she whispered, "One."

"What?" Leon called tauntingly toward her as her aim wavered.

Claire looked up again and saw Sebastian directly above her. "I choose to protect, Leon." She said as the choice became salient in her mind.

"Sebastian!" She yelled.

Sebastian held the Magnum toward the approaching Saddler as he looked down and met her eyes through the grate of the catwalk.

"Catch!" She called and flicked the safety on with her thumb before she was hurling the modified Samurai Edge up.

She watched as Sebastian dropped his aim and leaned out to snatch the gun by the barrel. His hand was flipping it into his palm before he was turning to aim it at Saddler.

The boom of the weapon was unique as a blue flash flared from the muzzle. The scream Saddler let out above was a deafening roar.

Leon threw the doctor forward and lunged for Claire at the same time. Claire's palms ignited as she hit the ground with Leon atop her. She briefly registered the hurried steps of the researcher beside them as her head knocked back from the blow Leon delivered to her face.

Claire let out a snarl as Leon's fist slammed into her temple and she fought for consciousness while she was lifting her burning hand to the side of his face. His blown irises seemed to glow from within as the fire ignited his once kind face.

"Le—" Claire choked out as his hand wrapped around her throat. Her palm stayed on his face as Leon began to scream his rage, but he didn't let go as the pressure increased to crushing her windpipe. The smell of burning skin and hair was the last thing she took in before her airway was completely cut off.

Something tiny landed on Leon's shoulder and Claire blinked as she felt her strength waning. Her hand was slipping to Leon's shoulder to the ground beside them and the flames in her hands died altogether. Maybe she wasn't strong enough after all.

Leon's grip began to weaken along with hers and he released her throat as he shuddered forward.

Claire inhaled a life breath and caught Leon before he fully collapsed over her. Her eyes went to his shoulder again and registered the tranquilizer dart in the muscle. Her eyes trailed over her shoulder, and she saw the researcher standing there with shaking hands around the tranquilizer gun.

The Blue Umbrella bag was spilled open at his feet.

"Thank you." She wheezed as she rolled Leon off her.

Saddler was screaming above, and the platform shook as the blue flash of the muzzle caught the edge of her vision.

"I need your help." Claire said as she lifted a hand to the researcher. Leon's eyes were still open as he laid beside her. She was climbing to her feet as she brought her other hand up. The researcher had the gun pointed at her now.

"What are you?" The man asked as he was looking at her previously flaming hands then down to her bloody and torn clothes.

"A friend. My name is Claire, Claire Redfield." Claire replied gently before she pointed down at Leon. "I came here for him. This man is a United States agent and a dear friend. I know there's a way to help him here."

The researcher glanced down at Leon and shook his head slowly. "He's too far gone. His Plaga is a full adult."

Claire kept taking small steps closer to the researcher as she nodded. "I know, but I need to try, can you understand that? He either dies or I cure him, but I need to try. Can you help me with that? Can you help me try to do something right for all the wrongs he has committed under the control of Saddler?"

The man looked lost as he shook his head at her.

"What's your name?" Claire asked.

"Dr. Emilio Sevilla."

The man's eyes darted up to the fight above as Bruce was shouting something to Sebastian. Claire wasted no time in reaching to grab the gun from his hands. He flinched as she stood a foot before him now.

"P-Please, I don't want to die. I came here to help Luis. I just want to—" He began.

"Show me the machine to remove his Plaga, Dr. Sevilla." Claire demanded. "You can leave, but please just tell me where it is!" Tears were filling her eyes as she felt the time she had left slipping through her fingers.

Leon was groaning on the floor behind her. His heart had slowed when he had weakened and slipped off her, but she could hear it steadily picking back up in speed.

Dr. Sevilla looked back down at Leon and then back to her tear-streaked face. He nodded and pointed to the doors behind them. "In here, I don't think you're going to be able—just follow me."

Claire watched as he pushed through the doors and disappeared down a long dark hall that led off to the left.

Claire spun and looked down at Leon as she crouched to grab him by the shoulders. She glanced up just in time to see Saddler crash through the roof of the building and disappear out into the world beyond.

The sound of boots were loud on the catwalk as Sebastian and Bruce were making their way toward her on the lower level.

"Claire!" Bruce called as he made it over first, his gun was trained on Leon as he approached.

"I need you to help me carry him in there." Claire stated as she pulled Leon up into a sitting position against her legs and jerked her head toward the doors the doctor had disappeared through.

"No, Claire, we can't take that risk—" Bruce was lifting the gun in his hand and bracing his stance.

"The machine is right there! It's right there, Bruce! If you take a shot, I will fucking burn you where you stand! Don't take this away from me now!" Her voice was sharp and echoed throughout the vast expanse of the room. One of her arms curled around Leon's chest protectively as she leaned him back into her knees.

Bruce's eyes were on hers as he took a step back.

Sebastian had walked up behind him and his eyes were on Claire's as he lifted his gun at Bruce's back. Bruce was unaware of Claire's silent support behind him.

"Alright. Alright, Claire. But if he moves once—"

"Grab his legs." Claire said as she wiped the tears from her face on her upper arm, not giving him the opportunity to waste any more time as she held her friend up.

Claire wrapped her hands under Leon's armpits and latched onto his shoulders as she easily lifted him with the help of Bruce. She watched Sebastian lower his weapon from behind Bruce and she decided she couldn't love him anymore than she already did. Sebastian nodded once, as if he understood her silent appraisal.

Claire and Bruce quickly ambulated Leon down the long hall and through a door that led into a lab with various machines clicking around them. Dr. Sevilla looked up as they entered, and he looked like a man who had reached his mental capacity for the year.

"These men are federal agents, okay, Dr. Sevilla? They're not here to hurt you." Claire called as she looked around for somewhere to put Leon.

"Here, in this chair." Dr. Sevilla said nervously as he pointed to a chair with two devices hovering above. "Is Saddler dead?" He asked looking toward Bruce and Sebastian then.

"Nearly." Sebastian responded curtly as Claire and Bruce lifted Leon into the chair. "Does this door lead out of here?"

Claire lifted her eyes to another door at the far end of the lab. She met Sebastian's eyes as the doctor said, "Yes, that leads out to the end of the island. There's a dock out there that's been under construction."

Bruce walked up beside Sebastian and reached out for the Blue Umbrella bag on his shoulder. The blonde agent was looking apprehensively at Leon.

"We need to finish this." Bruce twanged softly.

"I'll be out there in a second." Sebastian's eyes were on Claire still.

Dr. Sevilla was strapping Leon into the chair and moving over to a computer as Sebastian took Claire's arm and pulled her slightly forward. Bruce had pushed past and was already stepping out through the door at the end of the lab.

"Take this," Sebastian slipped the Samurai Edge back into her hand. "I don't know what that is, but it packs a hell of a punch. You know what you need to do if he wakes up before you can cure him."

Claire lowered the gun to her side as she stared up at Sebastian. "Thank you for backing me up out there." Her voice broke slightly as she bit the inside of her cheek. "Thank you for everything you have done. I don't know how I could have done any of this without you."

Sebastian reached out and touched her shoulder as he pulled her forward. The kiss to her temple was soft as he took her free hand in his and squeezed in understanding. "Don't worry, I've kept a running tally. We'll talk about compensation on the flight home."

Claire felt something flare in her at the word 'home' and she squeezed back before he pulled away, his figure cutting for the door to follow Bruce. "Stay safe, Sebastian." She called.

Golden hazel eyes met hers once more as he smirked and pushed out of the door.

"Claire?" The doctor called over to her.

She turned and saw Dr. Sevilla looking into a computer screen. His expression made her stomach knot up before she moved to look at the screen with him.

She didn't need the doctor to explain what she was looking at. Leon's spine and rib cage was obvious on the screen. The large Plaga that spanned within his ribs was self-explanatory as well.

"These lines here," Dr. Sevilla was pointing to the faint spider webbing lines near Leon's spine. "This is his nervous system. The Plaga is completely embedded here, and to use this machine while it's fully grown... It will kill him."

"How does this work?" Claire asked desperately as Leon's heart began to pick up speed.

"Radiation therapy." Dr. Sevilla answered, suddenly sounding distracted as he studied the image. "This Plaga though, its growth was stunted." He lifted his eyes to Leon's form and then pointed to the Plaga's hook-like appendages back on the screen.

Leon was staring straight at Claire, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he was truly starting to wake up. His hands were flexing in the locking mechanisms around his wrists. Claire knew that wouldn't hold him for long.

"Start it now." Claire said, feeling her chest hollow out as she gripped the Samurai Edge tightly.

"We need him in control." The doctor said over her shoulder as the devices above Leon began to glow white. "Sometimes, you can get the host in control—"

"I know," Claire said as she moved toward Leon. His eyes were tracking her as he breathed harshly. "You said his parasite was stunted, how can this help?"

"Dr. Sera was working on suppression medication. This could have caused the growth pattern to delay in certain aspects of the maturity. His Plaga looks like parts were not fully developed. If we can get the host in control and treat him with radiation, I may be able to neutralize it without severe damage to his nervous system—but that's not a guarantee. Has he been responding to you a lot?"

"Yes, but it takes a lot of cognitive nudging." Claire responded tiredly.

"Makes sense, the Plaga's hooks are malformed. It doesn't have the best control of him. Nudge him." Dr. Seville said behind her.

"Alright," Claire whispered softly as she reached out toward Leon's hand. His hand jerked against the cuff, and she heard the metal groan.

"Leon?" Claire asked softly as she touched the skin of his fingers. "Please, if there's any time for you, it's now. Show me you're in there."

"So close, aren't you?" Leon's voice came out as a rasp, his right side of his face was still burned as the Plaga inside him seemed to be healing it's host slower due to the sedative in its system. "Even after everything, you still haven't understood."

Claire nodded as a soft sob reached her throat.

"Orphaned as a child. A family involved in crime; I imagine the name Leon Kennedy is still well known in parts of New York. I don't blame you for leaving everything behind." She said softly as her fingers curled around his. "A police officer saved you from the fate of your parents. One lone man who took the time to protect a small boy. You made that your whole being, didn't you? You took care of Sherry, and you took care of me."

Leon's face shuddered and he slammed his head back in the chair.

"Let me protect you, Leon. Come back and I promise you we'll face what's happened here together."

"No." He growled.

Leon's hand jerked again, and the cuff ripped from the chair. Claire wasn't fast enough as his hand grabbed her by the jacket and yanked her off her feet and into his lap, the radiation lasers above were burning brightly.

"You'll kill her too, doc. Shut down the machine." Leon called to Dr. Sevilla as his iron tight grip held her down.

Claire was struggling to push away from Leon as his hand held her steadily against him. Her hand with the gun was pressed between them and she couldn't move to aim it. She lifted her head to look up into his eyes. He wasn't smiling at her this time or taunting her with any culling words. The hatred in his gaze was stark and it made her freeze for a moment.

"Ms. Redfield, I'm sorry…" She heard the doctor say behind her. The lights of the machine shut off and Claire was tossed backwards into the cart beside the chair. She heard the snapping of metal as Leon came back to his full strength and rose from the device.

She heard the fleeing steps of the doctor before the door that Sebastian and Bruce had used flung open and slammed closed. She was alone with Leon now.

Claire sat up and lifted the gun before Leon delivered a vicious kick into her side. Her shot went wild and her ribs snapped easily. Leon's hand was in her hair, while the other wrenched the modified firearm from her fingers.

Leon was studying the gun before he glanced down at her struggling form. "You think this gun will work on you too, sweetheart? Just us monsters here now."

"Leon—" Claire wheezed as she desperately tried to light her hands aflame, but nothing came. She tried to reach for her anger, but fear smothered it back down in her chest.

Leon was tossing her forward into the wall and the air seemed to vibrate as her head slammed into one of the small machines that began to blare as it fell over. The sounds were warbling in and out as she mentally screamed at herself to rise and fight back. Dread was curling in her throat as she watched her chance to save him slip by.

Leon's boot was pressing against her back as she tried to rise from her stomach. Claire was wracking her mind as the pressure began to bow her spine.

"Do you remember that guy Brian I brought home, Leon?" She croaked out as a sob rose from her throat. Her eyes were darting around for anything to cut her skin with.

"He was nice enough and seemed to really be interested every time I opened my mouth about whatever it was that had my attention and then you came over to just 'stop by' when we were having dinner." Claire laughed softly as she rested her head against the ground in nearing defeat.

"I always wanted to know what you whispered to him when I went to take the garlic bread out of the oven. He was so pale when I returned to the dining room."

Leon removed his boot and was hauling her onto her back by her arm. Her ribs screamed in protest as he shoved her back to the floor. Claire stared up at him as her tears streamed endlessly down her cheeks.

Claire had planned to make the flight home with Sebastian. She wanted to know what life felt like to sleep peacefully in the arms of someone who cherished her every day.

She craved a life where her brother would call her again just to ask her how things were going, and she didn't have to respond in the same way every single time. She needed to know what the future could look like where Leon Kennedy was honest with her and was steadfast in his friendship, Sherry too.

None of that seemed possible anymore, because Leon had been right.

She now knew what failure tasted like as the Samurai Edge cocked in his hand; his blood red eyes stared into hers as memories began to cycle through her mind.

"Yeah, first day on the job. Great, huh? Name's Leon Kennedy, nice to meet you."

"Well, it's a good thing we found each other."

"Long as we stick together, we'll be fine."

"You chose the role of rescuer rather than fighter, like me. You chose a path that your brother and I couldn't follow. You weren't wrong."

"Hey Leon," Claire said softly as she closed her eyes from his hateful gaze, her face crumbling as she forced out, "I am beautiful up in the sky, I am magical, yet I do not try. To some I bring luck, to the others it's riches, but the man at my end does whatever he wishes. What am I?"

The silence between the spaces of his answer was louder than anything Claire would ever be able to recall.

"A rainbow." Leon uttered the right answer above her. "A rainbow, Claire."

Claire's eyes opened in shock and then the gun fired with the blue muzzle flashing before her.

A/N: Happy holiday to my American readers! An extra day off allowed me to write like a mole rat in the dark. So I hope you enjoy!