Spanish translations!
Gancho = Grappling Hook
Hijo de perra = Son of a Bitch
Carajo = Fuck/damn it
Gilipollas = Bastard
Luis nearly falls on his ass once the Americano giant drops him. His hands and feet are tied together, making it near impossible for him to move, but he still manages to scoot away on his butt, not caring if it ruins his pants or not. Luis watches the blond giant for a second more, still disbelieving that he's standing and not dead, like when Luis last saw him.
Jack Krauser, one of the two agents Umbrella sent to help Saddlar. Between Krauser and Ada, Luis preferred the infamous lady-in-the-red dress. Sure, she never responded well to his flirting or even paid him a second thought before zipping away on her gancho, but it was still much preferred over the violent Americano who seemed half out of his mind most days.
How Leon had somehow found the body and revived it was a mystery, but Luis is already beginning to see the signs of Las Plaga in him. Krauser's eyes are blank and the touch from when he was getting carried was cold. That means that Krauser is likely still dead with a Plaga controlling his corpse. It's not the first time this has happened to someone but it never ceases to make Luis feel ill.
"Do you like it?" The voice makes Luis turn quickly, his eyes locking onto Leon's figure. Red eyes and a smug look Luis has grown to hate after his years of working under Saddlar. "His body washed up on the shore a few days after me. I was originally going to give him a proper burial, to remember the comrade I lost before Albert Wesker ruined his mind, but I decided this suited him better." Leon stands in front of the undead man, his eyes scanning over the body like a scientist to their creation. He doesn't look like Leon anymore.
"What did you do with Ashley and Claire?!" Luis isn't in the mood to entertain another maniac who thinks he can control the world. "If you-"
"If I, what?" Leon is suddenly kneeling down and Luis could try to smash their heads together, but that would be useless in the end. Getting kidnapped is hard enough without a headache on top of it. "You don't really care about them, do you? You barely knew Ashley beyond her 'ballistics'. And you met Claire just today, right?"
"You're wrong, Amigo." Luis says it with a mocking smile. He doesn't bother to explain further, because Leon's right about Claire. He really doesn't know her beyond what little he gathered since they met a little less than ten hours ago. But at least he's wrong about Ashley.
And Leon seems to catch onto that as well. "Oh, wait. You're right." The confirmation doesn't give Luis any comfort. "You were a part of the plans that got Ashley kidnapped in the first place, right? Were you the one who injected her too?" Leon scoffs and stands up again. Luis breathes easier without those red eyes staring at him. He fights the guilt of not stepping in to stop Ashley from getting kidnapped because he knows everything would've just ended up worse for both of them. And things are different now. Ashley doesn't hate him for his history and neither does Claire. Leon's only bringing it up to manipulate him.
"What do you want with me, then?" That's the thing Luis really dreads. "You locked them away but took me here. Why?"
Leon's frown turns up into an arrogant smirk. Again, it matches Saddlar's perfectly. "Because I need Las Plaga to evolve and you're going to help me do it." He walks through the room and Luis can now see is a laboratory and his stomach knots. He should've known this would happen. It's the only use Luis has had to anyone since he returned to his hometown. Salazar wanted more advanced armies. Saddlar wanted longer range on his Plaga. Albert Wesker wanted a sample.
"I'm not helping you." Luis hisses as he stares Leon down. Well, technically up, since Leon's standing at the moment. But that doesn't matter. He refuses to help someone else bring pain to others the way Los Illuminados did.
The declaration doesn't make Leon frown as Luis hoped. In fact, it gives the opposite effect and the madman starts laughing, his shoulders shaking and everything. The laughter turns into dark chuckles as those red eyes return to stare at him. "Oh, Luis. I never said I was going to give you a choice. Because if you don't, I'll make sure you never leave this mansion."
"You think that's a threat?" Luis lets out a huffed laugh, his stubbornness setting in. "Fine. Lock me up and leave me to starve. I'm still not helping you."
But Leon doesn't frown and Luis's stomach sinks. "Maybe I'm going about this the wrong way, then. You're obviously too stupid to realize an out when you see one, so I'll make my point very clear." Suddenly, he's walking away again, headed to a long curtain Luis didn't notice before. Among the shelves of tubes and machines designed by Luis himself, it's no surprise he didn't pay attention to the one thing that would matter. And as Leon pulls the curtain away, Luis's eyes go wide. His throat blocks any words from exiting his mouth.
It's Ada Wong and she's strapped to a medical table. From the looks of it, she's unconscious and paler than normal. There are dark bruises along the upper parts of her arms, in the exact shape of hands. He can guess the lady made an attempt to escape and met Krause on her way out. She's not wearing much, just a simple hospital gown that barely reaches mid-thigh. While Luis usually likes to see a bit of leg, this just feels like a violation. And what's more concerning are the lasers pointed directly at her chest. He designed those too. They're not the type that takes away Las Plaga, but rather, just a more advanced x-ray.
"Do you like what you see?" Leon stands next to her now, a hand reaching out and caresses her cheek. She's still unconscious yet she looks exhausted. "I found her snooping about the abandoned village a few months ago. She wasn't easy to catch, trust me. Krauser's been working hard to keep her in line, but now, she can't escape this time. There are no more weapons on her and she's too tired to even stay awake most of the time, let alone fight back."
Luis shakes his head slowly. He can't believe this. "You didn't..." He can't find the words. Leon could never catch up to her before but now, he's done more than just that. He caught her and managed to completely subdue her as well. Luis can see every mark he put on her, every single injury he's willingly given because this Leon is a maniac and nothing like the heroic agent Luis met.
But now, he's also implanted Las Plaga into her chest and without the UV treatment, she'll die as a Ganado.
"Hijo de perra!" Luis tries to get up, but his arms and legs are still tied, so he's stuck sitting on his ass like an idiot. Leon must understand what he said, because he smirks like the insult means nothing and turns his attention to Ada. A hand rests on her chest, right where Las Plaga is and Luis watches in horror as her eyes widen. She screams and arches off of the table, only held down by the straps around her limbs and upper torso. He can see Las Plaga moving under Leon's fingers and the sight alone is horrific.
Luis has never heard Ada scream like this. He's never heard her let anything out of her mouth beyond an occasional shout to catch someone's attention and those were rare and far between. Usually, her voice was smooth and confident and sly. Now, she doesn't even sound like herself as she screams and thrashes and tries to get away from the thing buried deep in her chest.
He can't take any more of this.
"Stop it." He whispers it at first, too pained and haunted to really speak up, but when Leon doesn't even look his way, Luis reaches his breaking point. "Stop it! Just stop!" Leon looks this time but his hands don't move away and Ada doesn't stop screaming and Luis's head feels like it'll explode. He sees Ada's eyes begin to roll as the pain overwhelms her. His heart spikes painfully and Luis looks away as he shouts, "FINE!" It comes out at last and immediately, Leon stops.
Although the room is quiet, Luis can still hear the echoes of what just happened and now he fears it'll never go away. "Fine?" Leon asks, his hand still not moving and Luis is quick to respond.
"I'll help you! Just...mierda..." His head falls backward until it meets with the wall but Luis doesn't care if it hurts. His stomach churns with dread and his ears are still ringing. It takes everything inside of him to not break down then and there. He's breathing in short bursts and his arms shake from behind his back, the rope keeping them more still than he can manage. The world feels intense and too much, but there's nothing he can do about it. "Don't hurt anyone else." He pleads because if Ada starts screaming again, he'll lose it.
Leon steps away and his hand falls to his side. It's the only thing that can give Luis comfort at the moment. "Good." He's still smug, like it didn't hurt him at all to do that to Ada. It's horrifying to know that's exactly the case. "I'll leave you alone while I check on something." Leon begins walking out of the room and Krauser follows, but before he can exit the doorframe, he pauses. "If you try to leave this room or mess this up, you know exactly what'll happen. And I have two new prisoners to show off to you as well, should you disobey me." Luis nods quickly and Leon leaves, Krauser snapping the door shut once they've disappeared.
Luis sits there for a long time, just trying to get control of himself again. He takes deep breathes, even if it makes his lung sputter and his head go light. He tries to think of something else, anything else besides the reminder of what Ada Wong looks like defenseless and weak. He hates to admit it, but she always impressed him. With her cold persona and the skills to take down anyone who approaches her, Ada is truly a dangerous weapon. But like this, she's too human. It reminds him of the villagers Saddlar had him test on. How quickly they found out that children weren't suitable for hosts and just died before Las Plaga even grew into an adult.
"Carajo..." The curse leaves his lips in a whisper. He wishes he could do something to ease the shakes. Writing usually helps when things stick in his head for too long. So does going out and buying a drink, but he can't really do either like this. He wishes he had stayed in that bar with those pretty ladies. He wishes he didn't let guilt control his actions, convincing him that saving Leon with Ashley and Claire would be worth it. Would clear his conscious and he was itching for a little adventure. Now look at him. Leon's his worst nightmare and he's never felt more guilty. Some rescue this has been.
"Hey, there."
The voice makes Luis fully flinch and he looks up at Ada, whose eyes are half-open but still pointed directly at him. Her voice isn't the same, almost unrecognizable when it's so horse, but it's still her. The tone is familiar and that sly smirk comes back. He shakes his head in disbelief, not sure how to respond or even speak at this point. How can she look like she's winning while strapped to a table?
Her face pinches in exhaustion. "Don't look at me like that." The disgust rings in her tone. "I'm not completely helpless." Her eyes leave him and land on the ceiling instead. "He is pretty clever, though. I have to admit that he outsmarted me this time."
Luis finally finds his voice but it isn't much better than hers, honestly. "I-I'm sorry." His voice cracks and he has to bite his lip to avoid making any worse sounds. Luis Sera was never a weak person before, but at this moment, he feels like a helpless baby. It's humiliating.
"It's not your fault." Her face falls into neutral exhaustion again. "He used me to manipulate you. Not everyone's trained to resist torture." It's funny, the way she says it. Albert Wesker seems like just the type of person to train his agents to keep their heads while being tortured, but that may not be the case. He's just made sure that they're good enough to avoid getting caught at all. Or maybe it's just Ada.
He clears his throat and it helps. "I'm apologizing in advance." The guilt returns but it's more numbing now. He'll be working with Leon to spread las plaga again. He has to experiment with living humans to make the parasite even more durable than it was. What Leon wants modified, Luis isn't sure, but he can bet that it won't spell good news for Ashley or Claire. If they're still alive. He can't even trust that, at this point.
Ada makes a soft humming sound, like she's actually considering his apology. "How about this. If he tries to do something worse, you can just kill me instead. Then he can't use me against you and then his plans will be pushed further back."
He hates that idea, really hates it, but the last comment catches his attention. "How's that? Do his plans rely on you?" She doesn't hold the queen, does she? He didn't think the queen Plaga could take on a host, but then again, no one really tried to take it on. Salazar, Mendez, and Saddlar only took on dominant Plagas that the queen gave them.
A rough laugh fills the room and it actually helps to relieve the screams from Luis's memory. "I'm the key to finding where Wesker is. If he cracks me, he'll be able to spread the Plaga into Umbrella and further. Just like he said. But the trick is, I don't plan on giving anything away, so that's never going to happen."
The idea of Ada's will being the only thing keeping Leon's plans at bay doesn't sit well with Luis. Sure, the lady's tough beyond compare, but it's clear Leon won't be holding back on this. He's already been torturing someone Luis previously thought the Americano would never dare hurt. There's no way Leon would even spare Luis a second thought before doing the same, if not something worse. And who knows what he could be doing to Claire and Ashley. Before he spirals into a real fit, Luis lets out a trembling breath. "Why are you so loyal to Wesker? Wouldn't it be easier for you to tell Leon the truth and just leave?" The chance for that is likely gone now, since she's infected with Las Plaga, but what about before?
Ada lets out a similar sound to what he made just moments ago. "You'd think that, huh." She goes quiet for a minute and Luis almost asks for an explanation, but then her mouth opens again. "I'm not officially a part of Umbrella, but I work closely enough for it to count. If Leon destroys them, I'll be out of a job at best, and at worst, someone would find my name on their files and I'll get hunted down by the entire world."
"I see." Is all he can say. He knew it wasn't just Ada being loyal to those who fill her bank, but she does bring up a good point. If Umbrella's information becomes public, what all will they find? There are the basics about the virus outbreaks, like Raccoon City, but what about their involvement with Saddlar. Not only will Ada's name be all over their files, but so will Luis's. He's not selfish enough to protect the gilipollas just for his own sake, but it does make him hesitate. If he survives this, the American and Spanish governments will want his head.
No matter how he sees it, Luis will never leave with his freedom.
The door to the laboratory bursts open and Luis jumps, not even embarrassed by the shout he gives. Ada doesn't flinch at all and just lays still, like she's pretending to be asleep. Or, maybe the long pause caused her to doze off. Either way, he's alone when Krauser returns with a body hung over his shoulder. He slaps the body down onto another testing table, just beside Ada's, and then heads straight for Luis. The smaller man can't help but panic as he tries to get away as best he can, but it's no use. Krauser picks him up in a painful grip and then just pulls the ropes from his legs and arms.
"Ey! Don't rip off my hands if you're going to untie me!" Luis tries to be playful, but he isn't smiling and the tone comes out more snapping than teasing. He keeps his eyes on Krauser as he rubs at his wrists, the skin rubbed raw where the rope had been. Someone needs to talk to Leon about how to treat his allies, even if the bond was forced.
"Kennedy wants you to reanimate it. It should be done by morning." Is Krauser's only response before the giant is gone again, the door closing just as sharply. Luis waits another moment or so before he walks to the testing table, at least wanting to know what he'll be reanimating before the work begins. As Luis walks, he notes that Ada is still closing her eyes and taking unusually deep breaths. Did she really fall asleep? How was she continuing their conversation before if she was that exhausted?
Luis ignores her for the moment to look at the next table over and his throat closes up when he recognizes the face. It's not too familiar, but just enough that his stomach is twisting with dread. The body belongs to that Diego man, Claire's friend and their escort into the forest. He died because none of them were fast enough to stop the Ganado from the darkness. "I'm sorry." Luis whispers, hoping that wherever the man's soul has gone, it's far away from here. Hopefully in a nice place where he'll meet his family again, one day. Not waiting to be revived as a slave to Las Plaga and Leon's insane plans.
It's horrible that Luis knows exactly what to do and which Plaga to use for this job. He wished, desperately, that he'd be able to spend the rest of his life drowning in the urban streets of Spain, forgetting all about this side of his life. He hoped that the single year he had away from it would've been enough to lose the muscle memory or at least some of the knowledge. But here he is, picking up a purple vial and loading it with a Plaga egg like he hasn't missed a day. It's sickening and Luis just wants this to stop, but too many lives are on the line, so he injects it into the neck and gives a few compressions to get the stale blood flowing just enough so the Plaga can make its way into the chest.
There's no way for Luis to get out of this now. He knows he'll be doomed to either aid Leon in destroying Umbrella or he'll die fighting back.
Wherever Claire and Ashley are now, he hopes they're better off.
