Claire wakes up with a start, but she immediately regrets the sudden motion when her head swims with pain. She lets out a low groan and holds her skull with hold hands. Something soft shifts under her weight but she can't think about that at the moment. All she knows is that her head is about to split in two and her even, steady breaths are the only thing keeping her from vomiting all over the floor from the nausea.
It's horrible and the pain doesn't exactly go away, but it does lessen enough for her to open her eyes again. Everything around her is dim, which she's thankful for, but also confused by because the last place she remembers being in was that dining room and...
Oh. Oh no.
Leon.
"Claire?" A soft voice makes Claire jump and the headache gets worse again, but she doesn't need to see to know who it is. "He locked us up. We're in some kind of prison cell now."
They are? Claire can't bring herself to speak, so she waves a hand in hopes that it makes sense. Ashley starts talking again, so she assumes the message came across just fine.
"I don't know where they took Luis. The guy picked us up before I could see, but I do know that we're probably under the mansion right now. It's some kind of dungeon or something and Leon said he was bringing Luis downstairs too, so we shouldn't be too far."
There's only a moment of pause before she's talking again. "I hope he's okay."
Finally, Claire manages to squeeze some words out and they sound pained and breathy but she can't care less. "How...how long have I been out?"
"A few hours at least. I can't remember everything either, but it's been a little while." Great. Just great. Not only is Leon now their enemy, an insanely dangerous thing to be with him, but they're also in a dungeon. And he has super powerful followers that can probably do more than just punch skulls and outrun people. It's all just great, but Claire knows there's a way to get out of this. She's been in quite a few binds and she's gotten out of each of them with her head on her shoulders. This is the same situation, right?
Except Leon was usually there as well and often helped her out of those binds. And he knows her, really well, and isn't stupid enough to just leave them here unattended.
As if on cue, a door squeaks open and Claire looks up in time to see the son of a bitch himself. He's standing tall, like some kind of arrogant king. Claire also notices the red color that she saw before. It makes him look even more insane and she really hates it. He doesn't smirk down at them, at least, but the scowl has the same effect.
"I'll be clear with you, since I know you can't understand common sense." Who he is talking about common sense, Claire doesn't know, but she's not fast enough to get the retort out. "Nothing bad will befall you if you stay where you're supposed to be. I'm not cruel. You won't die down here, but I can't have you interrupting my plans." He goes silent and Claire thinks he's done, but then he gets closer to the metal bars between them, a genuine sadness in his voice. "I didn't want to do this to you, Claire, but you didn't give me a choice. You'll see that things are better this way. The world will be better for it."
She doesn't dare shake her head in case it increases the headache, so she grits out the first thing that comes to mind. "You're fucking crazy." It's not her best work, but it gets the point across.
He sighs and stands straight again, that sad expression still there. She hates it, that the Plaga can pull at her like this using her best friend's body, but she holds it back. It's not worth the effort.
Ashley doesn't seem to share that sentiment, as she throws herself at the bars, snarling in his face. "How dare you!" She spits. "We came all the way out here to save you and now you're raving about some crazy plan that sounds suspiciously like Saddlar's! So much for our kindness!"
Leon's eyes narrow and Claire catches the dangerous look. If she were closer, she'd pull Ashley away from those bars, away from Leon, but she can't seem to even get up and her head is aching from the sudden volume. She just has to hope that Ashley isn't stupid enough to talk big and then get hurt for it. The girl's brave and has her good moments, but this doesn't look like one of them. If anything, Claire can see that she's trying to play off her worry.
"Kindness?" His voice is low and it sets off alarms in Claire's head. "You mean the kindness you gave when you left me on that island alone?"
Ashley's shoulders drop and Claire can practically see the angry expression turning into shock or even sadness. He's pressing on buttons and he knows just how bad this is going to hurt. "But you..." She can't even get the words out before her voice starts to crack.
"That kindness that you gave me by being the biggest thorn in my side? By nearly killing us both several times with your stupidity and weakness? By getting kidnapped not once, not twice, but a total of three times! I had to run after you every. Single. Time. And for what? For you to leave me to die the second you got the chance?" He steps closer and Claire tries to get up, to stop this, but she can't without nearly falling again. "Please, Ashley. Tell me what kindness you're offering right now." His hand reaches out, grabbing Ashley by the throat. She makes a choking noise, both hands gripping his wrist in an attempt to loosen it. Claire can't get up. "You're the reason I was infected by Saddlar's Plaga." He hisses it in her face. Ashley starts to shake. "If I die to this Plaga, it will be your. Fault."
With that, he lets her go and takes a whole step back. Ashley falls to the floor, a stuttering and coughing mess as she's both sobbing and choking on the air that fills her lungs. It's horrible to watch and Claire just manages to get to the girl's side, both arms wrapping around her. Her head slowly raises to Leon again, her own snarl in place.
"Like I said," He continues like he didn't just choke someone and make all of that buried shame return in full force. "Stay here and nothing bad will happen to you. I'll release you into a better world, without Umbrella. But if you get in my way, don't think I'll hesitate for a second." Then he's walking away with that arrogant stride of his and Claire wants to scream, but she can't, so she just bites her lip and looks over Ashley again.
The girl's barely breathing through her sobs. Ashley's hands are twisting in her shirt that's been untucked from her pants and Claire doesn't have the strength to fight her to let go, so she just holds the girl closer. It seems like the right decision, because Ashley immediately falls into Claire's arms, whimpering and whining out from the mental torture Leon just gave her.
It's a long moment before Claire's head is clear enough to think of something to say. "He's wrong." It's much too late to really have a good effect, since Ashley's likely been repeating his horrible words over and over, believing every single one of them. "None of this is your fault. He wanted you and Luis to leave him. He didn't give you a choice, that's what you said at the party. So, it's not your fault."
Ashley doesn't respond and Claire suddenly doesn't know what to do. She's always been good at comforting people in times of stress, whether it was Sherry when she was infected with the G-Virus or Chris after he's had nightmares. But right now, Claire's having a hard time understanding how any of this is Ashley's fault in the first place. Didn't Leon beg them to leave, knowing he was injured and wouldn't survive? But he did and now he's saying that Saddlar's plans somehow fall back on her? Like she intended to get kidnapped.
"I..." Ashley's voice cracks when she begins to speak. "I should've tried harder." Claire can see her fight off more sobs as she whispers out her words, like anything louder would break her again. "All I did was complain and get in the way. Back then...I just made everything worse for myself and Leon. I...I wouldn't even run away. I was so scared that I'd just crouch down and cover my head while those cultists picked me up and carried me away. Leon had to shoot them down and bring me back to safety. Every time."
Claire reaches out and tucks a strand of hair behind Ashley's ear. "But you weren't experienced either. You got kidnapped from your own hometown and brought halfway across the world, not to mention the fact that people were actively trying to kill you on top of that. And you were infected." Claire lets out a soft laugh, shaking her head at how ridiculous it all is. "Any normal person would've just shut down, but at least you stayed with Leon."
Ashley still doesn't look convinced. She shakes her head and her eyes shine from the dim light as more tears come. "But I was still useless. He had to use his medical equipment on me and waste bullets because I couldn't stop myself from getting caught. If it weren't for him-"
"Leon was sent out to save you for two reasons." Claire holds up her fingers. "Because you were taken from a safe place, and because it was his job to return you home. That is exactly what Leon was sent out for and anything that happened during that mission is the result of Saddlar's evil, not your weakness or stupidity. Nothing that those people did to you is your fault and if Leon weren't being possessed by the Plaga, he'd understand that too." She knows that last fact in her soul. Leon would never, ever, blame a victim for what someone else did to them. Honestly, any smart person would know that too. "Do you understand me?"
Finally, Ashley nods and it doesn't look faked for Claire's sake. Good. At least she's starting to understand that the Leon they're dealing with isn't the same person they knew before this. Honestly, she should've seen the signs before that late into the evening. Luis saw them almost immediately and she knows Leon better than any of them. He just wasn't right but Claire was too relieved to even care. It's a mistake she doesn't plan to repeat.
Claire sits back and looks over the metal bars for a moment. The demons on Ashley's back are far from gone and they'll be having that conversation again, she can feel it, but for now, they need to focus. "I promise that we'll find a way to get that Plaga out, but until then, we need to get out of here. Got any plans?" Claire has to admit that although she's been tied up her fair number of times, she's never been locked in a dungeon. Or any kind of prison cell and although a younger Claire would've loved the idea of a cool break-out sequence, it's a lot more intimidating in real life. She looks a little closer at the lock, trying to gauge whether or not it's rusty enough to attempt just breaking.
"Sadly, I don't know any tricks along this line, but there's gotta be something." Ashley sits up with a wet sniffle, her eyes scanning the rest of the room. Claire notices how red her eyes are, the skin underneath them all puffy, but she doesn't look bad. Claire used to cry a lot as a baby, so much so that her voice would go horse and her eyes would stay puffy for a good few hours. It wasn't anything on her parents, they tried their best to appease her, but she was pretty picky. Or, that's what Chris always said. The thought makes Claire smile fondly.
Standing up, Claire gives another look to the rusted door and hopes it goes beyond just the surface of the metal. She walks backward until her shirt touches the wall opposite of the door and then, with her eyes set on that lock, Claire runs forward and lands a kick at the door. The whole thing jiggles loudly in its hinges but to her dismay, nothing changes. She checks the lock again and curses. Not even bent. She knows it was a bit of a long shot, but if the lock doesn't give way, then how-
"Hey, you did something!" Ashley calls and Claire's head snaps to her, eyes wide and attentive. She meets where the girl is pointing and finds that the door hinges are just as rusted, if not more so. "If you hit it again right here, then maybe it'll break?"
Claire's doubtful, considering how thick the pin for the hinge looks, but it's better than sitting down and doing nothing. So, she backs up again and then bolts forward, landing another hard kick. This time, the door makes a solid thunk sound and she sees the pin beginning to give way. It's still big and just kicking it won't be enough, but they aren't alone in this cell either.
"I have an idea." Claire states as she looks back to the room, pleasantly relieved to find that the bed is made up of wood instead of metal. "If we can get a plank from the bed frame, then maybe we can hit the hinges with it!" Ashley nods eagerly and practically throws the little mattress off of the frame. It lands against the far wall, but the girl's already checking the planks that were designed to hold up the mattress. They're detached from the rest of the frame, likely to make it easier to replace them, and it's the best stroke of luck they've had yet. Claire picks up one and Ashley gets another. They're fairly large but not heavy enough on their own to do much damage.
"You hold one and I'll hold one." Claire demonstrated by lifting the plank from the middle, balancing it on her shoulder. "We both hit at the same time and aim for the hinges specifically, okay?" When Ashley nods, gathering her own plank into her hands, Claire looks back to the door and prepares herself. There's enough room for them to both hit a hinge, but the top one is going to be a little trickier to get. Claire takes a breath and steels her grip. She'll just have to hope that Ashley can really get that lower one open, then.
"On my count." Claire says and they both raise their planks, eyes set on their targets. "Three..." She plants her feet. "Two..." Her fingertips go white with how tightly she's grabbing the wood. "One!"
Together, they race forward and throw all of their effort into hitting the weakest points. As wood meets metal, the door makes a violent rattling sound and Claire can see the lower pin bend from the pressure, but it isn't enough. Without a word needed, they both drawback and go at it again, hitting the door in unison once more. It makes that same sound and the lower pin bursts, making the door go a little slanted. But then Claire draws back one more time, her entire body throwing the wood forward with this last push and the top hinge breaks open as well. The door twists to the side and then falls flat on the floor with a deafening clatter.
They drop the planks as they share a look. "Let's run." Ashley says and Claire couldn't agree more. In moments, they're racing away from the prison cell and into a stone hallway. Ashley's in front and Claire keeps an ear out for what's behind them. If they get caught again, there's no way they'll be able to pull that stunt a second time. Leon's smarter than that. So, they round various halls and rooms with the utmost caution, but they also don't waste time looting every area.
It's only once they get to the ground floor that Ashley stops, a finger to her lips as she peeks around the corner. Claire stays back and takes a glance behind them. Nothing. Good.
"There're guards up here." Ashley whispers to her, those bright eyes scanning the hall still. "We might have to take them out."
"How?" Claire whispers back, already dreading the idea. If it's that guy again, then there's no way the two of them can take him out, especially without weapons. He was a beast and Claire didn't stand a chance against a single punch. And even if he isn't one of the guards, they're probably all armed and ready to take down any escaping prisoners without a second thought. Leon did say that he wouldn't hold back if they got in his way.
Surprisingly, Ashley smiles down and Claire feels a spark of hope from that look alone. "There's only two of them and they look small enough for us to take out. It'll be a sneak attack." She winks and Claire has no idea why, but she can't help but smile back. If Ashley believes they can do this, then Claire trusts her. It's as simple as that.
The moment of shared confidence doesn't last long and soon, Ashley's looking back again, her fingers up and ready to signal their attack. Claire watches them like a hawk to its prey, her muscles coiled and ready to spring out once the signal is given. But she rethinks that idea and relaxes her muscles instead. This is a sneak attack, not an ambush. She'll have to make light footsteps to take someone out without a sound.
Ashley's finger flicks forward and she's already moving before Claire can fully register it. They creep forward, just like Claire thought they would, and soon, the next room comes into view. It's no different from the other rooms they've been in before aside from the guards and a few crates along the walls. If Claire's suspicions are right, those probably hold weapons or at least ammunition. She also notes the shotgun in one of the guard's hands.
A glance back to Ashley shows that the girl is going for the guard on the right, so Claire creeps left. Her footsteps are silent as they both get closer. Claire holds her breath from the tension, her muscles suddenly wanting to just spring out and take this man down. She feels like she's taking too long, like they'll turn around at any moment and shoot the two of them. She has to grit her teeth together to avoid doing anything stupid and before she knows it, the time finally arrives.
Claire reaches up and pulls the man down by his face. The back of his head connects with the ground and she's already on top of him, grabbing the gun from his hands and throwing it away. The man looks surprised and opens his mouth to shout something, but she punches him first and her knuckles sting. She punches him again for good measure and then breaks his nose with a hard blow from her elbow. Then, he goes limp and Claire looks to the right, ready to defend Ashley.
Claire looks just in time, apparently, because Ashley runs for the second guard, who's already disarmed, and jumps up, grabbing his head as she goes into a controlled fall on her side. His head connects with the ground hard and the girl gets up like it was all effortless. Honestly, it looked effortless. Claire's eyes go wide as she realizes Ashley definitely went through military training.
"How..." Her words are caught and Claire blushes, her heart racing as she realizes that display was actually pretty hot.
Ashley's eyes go sad for a moment. "I saw Leon do something like that in Spain and...wanted to learn it."
"Well, you sure learn quickly, then, because that was amazing!" Claire's heart warms with how Ashley smiles again, that sadness disappearing. The poor girl deserves a good compliment after everything she went through for the past year. It's not fair for Leon to hold anything against her, not when she's been tearing herself apart from the guilt that already consumes her. She shouldn't have to think of Leon with sadness or shame. It's not fair to either of them.
Before Claire can get upset again, she turns to the shotgun that the guard had and picks it up. It's a nice weight in her hands and she smiles when she sees it's already loaded. Perfect. Another check on Ashley shows that they were thinking the same thing. With two guns at their disposal, Claire looks around the room for some extra bullets and nearly cries when she breaks open a crate full of the little boxes of ammo. She grabs as many as she can carry and shoves them into her pockets. As Claire walks toward Ashely, she can't help the wicked smirk that forms on her lips. She was getting so tired of being defenseless.
"I think that's everything." Ashley nods as she too grabs as many boxes as she can fit in her military pants. It's considerably more than Claire's, but Ashley also has a handgun, which will require more shots in the first place. It's all balanced. "Let's get the hell out of this dungeon."
"Couldn't agree more." Claire lets out an exasperated laugh as the two of them move through the next halls and rooms with a lot less care. They're still cautious of threats and other guards, but Claire isn't nearly as worried for their safety. They'll get out of this place in one piece because they're a team and no matter what happens, they've got each other's backs. They're doing this together.
But mostly, they've got guns!
This is a good stopping point! Get something to eat and drink! Take care of yourself!
