Special thanks to The95will, my beta reader.

Chapter 3. To the building.

Leon strapped himself into the helicopter seat and looked out the window then drifted into thought. He was ready for another mission, again. His Wing Shooters and combat knife were secured in his straps. The helicopter wings tuned out most forms of sound.

The sound of a helicopter's wings followed him on most assignments. Always meant that he could survive the worst and people would still die.

This must be his fate, he will keep doing this until his heart stops prematurely. Most likely by the cause of some B.O.W.

Death, that word played in his mind for a moment, somehow it gave him a sense of comfort, to sleep in a coffin peacefully forever. Then he remembered how B.O.W.s rob the deceased of their slumber. To rot in a box until the body decomposes for the word. It was rather discomforting that something terrible could still happen after death. He was surprised that such a thought even crossed his mind. …

'I think I hit rock bottom.'

Jill came in and closed the door behind her, "You brought everything?" she asked and took a seat next to him. The moment she sat down, shortly afterward, the blades of the helicopter started to rotate. The pilot checked their equipment for the flight.

"Yeah," Leon replied in an icy voice. Once again she watched his eyes for a second waiting for any sign, but nothing.

Jill looked away with as she lifted her left eyebrow. Something about Leon just didn't seem right.

The sound of the rotor blade grew louder, higher and with a stuttering jerk. The helicopter started it's ascend into the sky.

The view soon changed and it was something that Leon somewhat enjoyed. From the mission, he took back in South America when Krauser helped him stop a madman from ruining his daughter's life. Just something from this empty job that made it somewhat worth it.

Manuela is currently studying to be a professional biologist and geneticist.

Leon clutched to his right arm as he looked out of the window. The sounds of the how helicopters crash and the people who are consumed by the flames echoed in his ears. Leon continued to stare out the window as he had his left hand hold onto is right wrist.

Jill couldn't help it but notice how shallow Leon's eyes looked. How he barely show the slightest emotion while back when he introduced himself.

She saw the signs and knew it wasn't normal, he is suffering; she can read him.

This is what she saw in him when they first met; he reminded her of that time when she was lost in a hollow existence. She couldn't feel happy, she couldn't see the beauty of what's around her, and she felt dead inside.

All of this happened, after her last escape of Raccoon city, she rented a room in an average hotel in New York. Even in a place of where she's supposed to feel safe. She couldn't, the memory of nemesis alone is enough to do that. In her home, most of those days she would be curled in the bed as if she is freezing, knees tucked up against her chest while her body shivered. Her brown hair spilled over the pillow, and the color emphasized the paleness of her skin, she will cry herself to sleep. From all the she's been through.

This wasn't the ways she wanted to express herself in the work place, or even normal life.

Like how it happened on most days. Jill would dress in the cleanest of clothes at the office. The strong unfazed woman of how she wanted her coworkers to see her. That was her routine. To be the heroine of the B.S.A.A.

It was rather difficult for Jill to just move on from what Umbrella did to Raccoon City. The people who died and how she wasn't unscathed either. The thought of the T -Virus in her blood stream. It just felt like a curse to her life rather because of how it helps her body for her job.

Jill felt responsible for this supposed gift to come at the cost of a city's worth of people's lives. The memories of the T -virus in her body haunted her for so long until the saving grace came to her at last, when Chris asked her to move in with him.

Since that happened. Slowly but surely, Jill felt at ease with herself. Just from his personality it brought the best out of her. Slowly, he made her smile and see that the world isn't always a dark meaningless place, and she is forever thankful to him.

Leon is obviously lost. 'Didn't anyone ever notice this?' Jill pondered.'doesn't he have anybody?'

"It seems that we're almost there," the pilot pointed out. "I can see TerraSave members." Leon noticed the change of scenery then remembered that Hunnigan assured him that the place is fully secured and is currently locked down. A few moments later the helicopter touched down though the pilot was a little rushed and the sound of the skids hitting the ground was loud. "Easy Thomas, you almost gave me a heart- attack!" Jill yelled at the pilot. She took hold of her headphones as she frowned in his direction. Thomas laughed and looked back at her face. "Sorry, I just love to do this sometimes to the good agents."

Leon left his seat, and with a sigh he opened the door, "Come on, we have to move." Jill watched him, for mere seconds before Thomas broke the silence, "What's the problem with Iceman over there?" he asked.

"I do not know," she answered.

...

Chaos was all over the place, he was surrounded by TerraSave tents, men dressed in white were moving from one tent to the other. Cries can be heard from a poor sick people. Several members in dark blue jackets wondered about. The constant noise droned on and on.

"Yes do it already, Neil is waiting for your report." he heard a familiar voice. In the distance, he could see a glistening red ponytail.

A Redhead young woman stood with her fellow workers, she wore a brown jacket and a gray shirt with dark blue jeans. She's been doing this job for years now, and she never been happier; to see the poor resident's one by one leave the tents and their eyes are shining with hope. She was far away from all of the unforgettable horrors as it became her job to clean up the mess and take a good care of the Injured people from the Bio Terrorism.

All thanks to Steve Burnside, the boy she met in Rockfort Island, and the pain she felt when she couldn't save him from the crazy Ashford twins.

She wanted to be a rescuer, she wanted to save all the poor souls who are damaged from the Bioterrorism.

Her name is Claire Redfield, a twenty six years old woman who loves her job.

"Claire!" she heard someone call her.

"Excuse me," she said and gave the clipboard to her partner, a man named Pedro Fernandez. "Where are you going Redfield?" he asked.

He heard her gasp like she just saw something startled her. "What?"

"No way… Leon!" she whispered.

There in the front he recognized the B.S.A.A. uniform in what she assumed to be Jill, for she heard from Chris she would be coming today.

Before he could say anything to Claire, she ran toward him like she has no control over her actions.

She jumped into his arms. "It's soo good to see you," she whispered in his ears. "For a long time I wanted to visit you and see how you are holding up." Claire then noticed several TerraSave members stare at her. "I'm sorry, lost control there for a moment." She drew back to look at him, his face is unreadable and cold, unlike the Leon she remember.

"It's alright." he spoke at last, his voice wavering slightly, "How're you doing...in your job?"

"I'm doing good thank you," she said happily, "sometimes work keeps me up until two in the morning." she expected him to say something back and laugh with her, but that was it, nothing. Deep she wanted to scream.' who're you and what did you do to Leon'

Claire turned her focus to Jill who is standing next to him, "Jill, I did know you were coming out here. What an honor." she said with a hint of a teasing in her voice, "How are you today?"

"Don't even start with me, someday I think I'll send your dear brother to the hospital." Jill said with a chuckle.

"Sorry," she said hiding her laugh.

"Anyway, we have a work to do, call me later when you're free okay?" she said and hold into her Beretta Px4 Storm. "Bye." She nodded at her and left. Leon looked at her for a moment, his lips moved again to form something close to a smile, "Goodbye," he said and left her side without even waiting for a reply. Claire stared back at the spot, where he was standing.

So many questions are playing in her mind, "Is he still mad at me, for leaving that day?"

...

"First day on the job, I want a twenty thousand dollars for a paycheck," Leon said, to Claire they were in a nice place for vacation, outside the city. He couldn't help the grin that broke across his face, a tired grin, still he was happy. It was a well earned fun conversation to have with an old friend, after all the madness they endured days ago. That happiness turned into anger when she told him about her plan to find Chris right away. She tried to make him understand. "Just go, leave us alone," and he refused even to glance at her one last time.

...

"Redfield, no time for rest." Pedro shouted, making her return back to reality. "Coming."

Neither of them spoke again as they walk to the building, hurt by the reminder of the tragedy that had occurred here in this area. It was impossible to stop thinking about what would happen if they didn't stop Veltro, every second they waste; it could lead to another viral outbreak, another horror like Terragrigia City. They reached the unknown structure, slowing down, they studied the layout.

The building looks bigger than they thought it would be.

There were few signs of a gun shots in the ground in front of the building,

"Leon, Jill, come in." Their radios buzzed out.

Leon brought his index finger to his ear, "Hunnigan, we are almost inside." Jill reported in.

"You need to be careful, Keith discovered suspicious movement inside; he is still isn't sure if there are any humans trapped inside or if the place has a B.O.W."

"Understood," Leon answered and took out one of his Wing Shooters.

Slowly, he opened the heavy door and sound of the crack of the door, seemingly louder in the deathly quiet place.

They could see dirt and dust everywhere, rust has eaten the place. No sound can be heard but the echo of their shoes, no machines were in sight, nothing. As though the place is abandoned for years, "Are you sure this is a suspicious place?" Leon asked.

"Didn't you hear what Hunnigan said?" she replied in an obvious annoyance."Come on."

There were a wide steel steps leading up to a door. Leon kept watching their back for any surprised attack. As Jill walked up the steps, she tried to kick the door open, but it won't budge. "It is locked," she said. "Give me a few seconds." Jill started to tug at the door.

It took him by surprise, a sudden pain started to spread in his right arm, it was like it's on fire, and his breathing quickened.

In a desperate attempt to stay silent he sat on the stairs, he tried to touch his arm, but it will hurt too much he had to stop.

'No, this is not the time to worry… please.' he thought.' I need to focus.'

The sound of the lock told him Jill succeeded. "The door is open."

"Good job," he whispered as he stood up and walked in front of her. "Wait!" she called him, "you are not going anywhere,"

Leon stopped at the threshold, without looking back at her he spoke, "What's the problem?" he asked.

"You look unusually pale, are you alright?" she asked.

"Look, I'm fine okay, I can hold my own!" he shouted with so much buried rage in his voice.

It took him a moment to realize what he just did, "I'm sorry," he said.

He entered the room, fully aware of her eyes following him. He was sure Jill wanted to say something, but she chose to stay silent.

The dim lit room had a few offices, made of a wooden desks and chairs which were odd when the rest of the place is full of steel. Something dark and hold slightly pink color on the ground caught his attention.

"Is this stain of the virus?" Jill asked.

"Maybe, it does look like it..." Before he could continue of what he thinks, something white emerged behind an office, it looked like a bloated corpse, nothing like any creature they had seen before.

"What's that?" Jill asked as she and Leon aimed their weapons. "You're asking me?"

The creature's movement seems similar to a zombie, but faster, they couldn't see any features in what is suppose to be the face.

"You're ugly." Leon said and begin to fire.

Thank you for reading, what do you think so far? :)