Disclaimer: I don't own Resident Evil...and I've just lost two seconds of my life that I'll never get back. Now leave alone you mind-sucking perfectionists!

Authoress' Note: (Please READ) A New Year a New Chappy! Thank you dear readers for reading this fic and your lovely reviews! Oh, and I've figured that I'll adding Holding Out For A Hero by Bonnie Tyler to the chapter where I get captured by the Novistador but I've just can't figure out how to do it. The reason why I placed all the songs you've read so far in the fic, is because it's my personality. I usually think of songs and sing them in my head when I get nervous or something. It just helps me calm down.

Final Note: 93 reviews! Wow, that's a lot for just a fic with 19 chappies. *blush* I didn't know that I'm becoming an idol to some of you. *smile* Thank you, you guys are my idols for being there to read my fic. I would love to thank all of you for your lovely reviews and suggestions for this fic!

Authoress' Thanks: SaberTooth and Wolf, Misty Maxwell - Thank you so much for being the first ones to read my fic! I wouldn't have continued if you two hadn't reviewed for the first several chappies! Netbreaker0 - Thank you so much for giving me some tips on how to keep the story flowing without making it boring! AdaLeon - You're so nice and helpful! I thank you for helping me have fun while in a stump! It helps me get over writer's block. TheGirlToIgnore - Thank you for being there for me! And being cool to hang out with! Say hi! to your sister for me! (All other readers)- Thank you for just being there and reading my fics! You guys are the highlight of my life! You guys rock!

Everyone gets a Leon bottlecap that says: (pokes button) (Chibi Leon posing as Wesker) "Who's bad?"

RESIDENT EVIL AND LEON FOREVER! WESKER TOO!

1wingangel and Nicole this fic is for you!


Resident Evil 4: A Fangirl's Dream Come True!

Chapter Nineteen: The Mezzanine and Oh My God..!

- Mezzanine Hall

I sighed as I entered the new room, nervous on rescuing Leon. Will I accidentally hit him with a stray round from the Semi -Auto Rifle? And how in the hell am I going to get him out of the first floor, let alone switch places with him? I frowned slightly. Now I wished Capcom had placed a ladder or something in here... maybe a rope at least. I shook my head to clear the thoughts. Now is not the time to be whining, Luis and Saddler will arrive soon and Leon has to be up here before then.

TWANG!

I stifled a cry of surprise as I looked toward the central platform, the very platform I have to be on to release Leon. There was a drunken zealot holding a crossbow standing on the platform. I considered just waiting here for a bit and hoped that he would shoot himself in his drunken stupor. Either this guy was drunk from celebration of Leon's capture or he was one of the alcoholics that found his way into the wine cellar. Wait... I peered a little closer and noticed that the cultist was aiming his crossbow. The deadly arrow tip angled downward...aiming what should be...

"Oh, hell no!" I growled as I quickly brought out the rifle and aimed it straight at the zealot. "Dead cultists, say huh?"

Startled, the monk looked up to me and you guessed it! Said "Huh?"

Blam!

The headless monk toppled over the side and splattered all over the floor below.

"Rally?" Leon's voice called up to me and nearly brought me to tears. Man, it's been too long since I heard his voice! "Rally, is that you?"

"Yeah!" I called back tearfully as I went around the side to stand on the platform. And still strapped to the wall was the adorable government agent. "Thank god you're okay!"

He blinked up at me, eyes wide. I blushed a little as he stared at me, taking in the new look I had donned to rescue him. And I don't blame him, I mean, come on I look like him! I sighed inwardly at myself. Yeah, if he were a twenty year old Texan girl that's half Mexican from her father's side of the family. Anyway, he was taking in my new look and probably half wondered where the hell I went to when he was caught in the trap. Well, I don't blame him for thinking that either, I am wearing his gear and appeared as though I came through a World War III while he was dozing away.

I had the Riot-Gun strapped to my back, the Blacktail and Punisher in their holsters, a survival knife in the sheath, grenades circling my waist, and the Semi-Auto rifle in my hands. The rest his of stuff was packed neatly in his brand new attache case that I had placed on the floor. I looked like a guerrilla warfare mercenary to him. That or Sarah Conner from Terminator 2: Judgement Day. But I have to admit... having Leon stare at me like that... it made me feel cool. It felt as though I was truly his equal in battle...

"Is that really you?" Leon asked, his blue eyes still wide.

I grinned slightly as I struck a pose with the Semi-Auto. "Hell yeah! All one-hundred percent of me, baby!" I winked at him. That's a lie. I'm more like ninety percent, my innocence is gone... but I ain't telling Leon that. "So what you do think?"

Leon gave me a slight sad smile, "Like I'm staring at myself if I were a girl."

I returned the sad smile, "I'll take it that you still need time to get used to it. But first, let me get you out of there."

"That would be nice. I'm tired of being a wall ornament." the agent agreed then looked a little nervous as I reloaded the rifle, "Do... do yo know how to use that... properly?"

I smiled as I removed most of his weapons, the body-strap and his leg holster as I swapped out the Punisher for his old handgun. I kept my survival knife, my leg holster and my attache case. I placed his gear in a neat pile next to his new case. I kept the smile as I cocked the rifle and looked through the scope. I zoomed in on his face and saw that he was serious about my handling the rifle. I aimed it to the left and lowered the barrel slightly, trying to keep the bands in my sight.

"Leon, please trust me. I've used the rifle before and know how to handle it, okay?"

"Alright, I trust you. I always have."

"Thanks. Now... don't move."

BAM.

Chink!

BAM.

Chink!

BAM.

Chink!

Leon stepped away from the broken trap, unharmed. He stretched out to get the blood flowing through his body again as he gazed at the broken bands. Apparently, he couldn't believe that I nailed each one, only missing once and that I could handle the weapon fairly well. He grinned up at me then a thoughtful look crossed his face.

I knew exactly what he was going to say and I had no clue on how to help him. How in the hell am I going to get him out of there? I sighed inwardly at the puzzling situation. I'm running out of time here, Saddler and Luis will be running through the door in a few minutes, how am I going to switch places with Leon? I could easily drop to the first floor from here... but judging from the height... I'll live but with a broken leg. Not a good thing to have while trapped down there and away from Leon. Besides, we're seriously gonna be slowed down if I do break a leg. Again, not a good thing to have while running from these guys.

But even if I do get down there without breaking anything, there's still the matter of getting Leon to the second floor. Though, having the agent with me during the dungeon detour will be helpful but then he wouldn't know about the pills and have the rage to seek and kill Saddler. Which he needs to do badly, because if the fucker lives then this process will start again with some other girl. And that's a major no-no. As fun as it is to run around with super sexy Leon as your guardian angel, being taken over by a slimy parasite tends to ruin the fun. As well as the possiblity of dying a gruesome death.

The blonde agent continued to look at me and I could tell that he was a little sad to see me change from who I was before. But there was also a hint of pride in his eyes and I smiled a little at that. I guess he was proud of me for going through a lot to rescue him so he could finish his mission. I laughed softly, the merchant was right and now I have to prove to Leon that he didn't have to worry about me so much.

"Figured out on way to get me out of here?" Leon asked, "Don't stress yourself though, I see a door I can take. Just toss me a weapon and I'll meet up with you."

I shook my head, "I don't think so, Leon. I betcha the door is locked and I don't have the key to give you." The agent opened his mouth to object but I was quick to counter. "And no, I don't think you should blast the door open. The doors here are pretty sturdy and thick, so I don't think you would want to waste ammo trying to blast your way out." I grinned slightly, "Besides, you'll give away our position in the castle if you do. Remember, we want to keep a low profile so Salazar can't find us."

Leon grinned, "I see, nice thinking." He bit his lower lip a little as he thought. "How am I going to get to you if I'm locked in? We can't stay here forever, Salazar's bound to find us sooner or later. We need to be out of here before then."

I sighed, "I know but I don't see a way to get you out..." I looked around the room in search of something to use, but I didn't see anything of use. Unless I can toss him some of the furniture around here and he can try to stack them up and climb out like that. Well, that'll be fun to see but I doubt there's enough to get half way out. Crap. I tapped my foot impatiently as I took another look around the room. Running out of time. I'm running out of time here! Those two are gonna be here in just a few minutes and Leon's still down there! Damnit!

I lifted my line of sight to avoid Leon's worried blue gaze. I didn't like it when he starts to get worried, makes me feel like we're both gonna die. Let's see what we have here... Um, there's a high ceiling, arches, more high ceiling, dull ceiling paint and ohh, surprise! A high ceiling. Salazar needs to get a decorator and needs to get one now. This room is bland and broken. I rolled my eyes at the thought and smirked, remembering that Salazar's gonna die soon and the castle can belong to Leon. Yay, for the agent and soon to-be-bride, Ada! Yeah, as soon as Salazar hands over the deed.

But then a flash of violet caught my eye when I rolled them. I tilted my head slightly to the right and saw large ceiling drape hidden behind an arch. On, from where I'm standing, the right side of the room. I grinned and began to head that way, Semi-Auto in hand. Leon blinked in surprise at my actions.

"Where are you going?" the agent asked, "Did you find something useful?"

"In order of asking, not far just to the right side of the room. And yes, I found something we can use to get you out of there."

"Great!"

I walked toward the door that I'll be emerging from soon enough and turned around. There hanging on some rope was the violet colored drape and from the looks of it, long enough for Leon to grab. I just hope its strong enough to hold him up. It looked pretty damn old. I lifted the rifle and aimed for the rope binding it to the ceiling. I shot them off and the drape whispered down to the marble floor.

I snatched it up and tied one end to the Semi-Auto, leaving the rest on the floor next to me. I swung the rifle to the other side of the pillar I was next to, went over and picked it up. Then I untied the rifle from the drape and tied the fabric to the pillar as securely as I could, but only enough so that Leon can climb out. I had it loose enough so that it'll pull apart when I climb down.

And I had a plan to get down there without rousing Leon's suspicion. I could knock over one of the handguns off the second floor, volunteer to go get it and climb down. And once I'm down there, I'll grab the gun, tug on the drape hard enough for the knot to become undone. And viola! I have successfully switched places with him! But he'll be pissed later on if he figures it out. I sighed inwardly. Well, I can worry about that later. Now I need to get Leon out of there.

I finished the loose knot and threw the rest of the drape down to Leon's level. I heard him laugh and praise me as he started climbing up the drape. I kept the fabric secure and waited for him to be within reach so I could help him up. As I helped the agent heave himself up the ledge to the second floor. I heard the door in the hall open and close. Shit. Luis is here! But I didn't hear any footsteps. I guess he's catching his breath from running. Good, I need the time.

Leon brushed himself off, thanked me and walked over to his gear. I followed behind him, silently urging him to move faster. Come on, Leon, move that ass of yours a little faster! Luis is almost here! My eyes widen in remembrance. ACK! I'm not down in the first floor yet! SHIT! I scrambled to grab Leon's first handgun to chuck it over the side for the excuse but fuck! the damn thing got stuck in the holster!

I glared at the gun and holster as I silently struggled to pull the weapon out. Yet, it refused to remove itself from the leather holder. God-fucking-damnit! Why? Why now? I heard the footsteps but Leon was oblivious to them, too focused on equipping his gear back on himself. FUCK! Frustrated, I unclipped the holster, closed my eyes and chucked it over the side, grinning that my plan was gonna work -

-Until I opened my eyes and saw that the damn holster got itself tangled to my forearm.

The footsteps grew closer and I glared at the items still holding onto me, my right eye twitching in rage. Oh, come ON! Will you let go of me and be useful besides firing bullets? I silently snarled at the items and wished they would get off and throw themselves over. I just know someone hates me for this to happen! These things are doing this on purpose to piss me off! Leon pulled on the last of his gear as I shook my arm wildly to get the holster and gun off. Come on, come on! Let go! Let go! Let go! Just. Get. The. Fuck. Off! At least fall to the floor before-

The door opened with a creak! and Luis and Caleb stepped into the room. I drooped at sight of him and the dog, half pissed and half sad.

"Leon!" Luis said happily, relieved to have found us.

Too late...

Leon turned and smiled at the sight of our friends still okay. I turned and forced a smile at them as the agent began to walk in his direction. The holster and gun suddenly dropped to the floor, untangled from my arm. I glanced downward and scowled. Oh, great. Now you let go. Fucking things. I picked them back up, clapped it around my leg and followed Leon. Maybe I can still alter his fate and have him come with me in the dungeon.

"I got it!" The Spaniard grinned as he lifted his items for us to see. I listened closely for the signs of Saddler coming but heard nothing. Maybe Luis gained more ground than him? Great! We can leave before he gets here and Luis can stay alive!

Leon grinned as he stood in his spot I remembered from the game as Luis basically stood on his death spot. But maybe I can move him here to avoid being skewered by mad cult leader. I ran up to him in a quickly hug as Caleb barked happily to see us both okay. The Spaniard returned the hug and I tugged on his arm to get him to walk away from the open door. Come on, let's get over to the "safe side" and keep you alive.

I was able to get him in front of me and I began to push him toward the blonde agent and hopefully get them moving to the next area or something. Caleb pawed on my leg, whimpering for attention and I stopped to give him some, smiling at the two in relief. At least I got them away from the open doorway.

"I'm so glad to see you both! Right, Caleb?" I cooed as Luis smiled after turning around to look at me. "Who's a good boy? You are!"

"Muchas gracias, Rally." Luis grinned as I petted the white dog, "You were right, he was helpful!" (Thanks a lot!)

Leon grinned as well, "Well, she was worried about you and I'm glad that you took the dog at her request." the agent pipped up. He nodded to the small cuts Luis had on him, "I can see that you guys have been in a few scrapes while you were away."

The Spaniard nodded, "Yeah, we ran into a lot of Illuminados on my way back."

"I can imagine, the place is crawling with them." the agent agreed as I stood and looked at the two.

"Yeah, it's best to keep moving and get out of here as fast as possible." I said then clasped my hands together and smiled at Luis. I closed my eyes and continued to smile. "I'm so glad you two are alright! Now we can stick together as a group and move on!"

Suddenly, it was eerily quiet. I didn't hear Leon, Luis or even Caleb. I opened my eyes to see what was up and saw that they were staring right behind me and my eyes widen. I felt a shiver go down my spine as Caleb began to growl softly. Oh, how could I have been so stupid! I knew he was coming but still had the nerve to keep them here! Fuck!

Another chill ran down my spine as I saw the two men tense at once. Luis suddenly grabbed me, pulled me close, spun around and shoved me toward Leon. I stumbled back, falling into the agent's arms as we both (including Caleb) stared in horror as the Spaniard's body jerked awkwardly. I screamed in horror, realizing what was happening. NO! Nonono! LUIS!

A sharp claw at the end of some disgusting tendril erupted from Luis' chest, flicking some of his blood at us. I wailed in sorrow as the claw forced its way out a bit further. The tendril hoisted our friend into the air and coming into view as the flailing Spaniard rose, was the cult maniac, Saddler. Our friend gasped out in obvious pain as he rose higher, his body relaxed enough in preparation of the next wave of pain. Unfortunately, the grip in his left hand relaxed too much and the Sample fell from his fingers-

-and into the outstretched hand of Osmund Saddler, the catch echoing off the walls of the room. The jerk had the nerve to smile cruelly as Luis began to scream in agony from the impalement.

"Luis!" Leon cried out in shock, holding me close to him. Sera screamed and flailed wildly as his body went into shock from the trauma. Saddler seemed to smile down at the little vial of purple liquid lovingly and threw our friend to the floor like a broken toy. Luis arched his back and his hands curled like claws as pain pulsed through him like an earthquake. His cries of pain turned into gurgles as blood flowed from his mouth.

I screamed angrily and flailed violently against Leon's grip, wanting to rip the cult leader to pieces myself. The agent looked at me in shock as I snarled and clawed the air in front me in vain attempts of killing our enemy. To him, I guess I looked like some wild beast gone mad. I hissed and thrashed, trying to break free and see if Saddler is as invincible as he says.

"Luis! Let me go, Leon!" I shrieked angrily, "Let me go and I'll deal with the asshole myself!"

Leon stared at me in shock and held tighter. "Are you fucking crazy?" he yelped, "You're only going to get yourself killed!"

"Not if I kill him first!" I snapped back still clawing the air in front of me as Saddler grinned away like an idiot. Scratch that... grinning away like a dead idiot!

"Calm down! He wants you to get riled up!"

He was right but I didn't care. Luis is dying right now and I want to make Saddler pay for it! I lifted my left arm up in an attempt to force Leon away but he saw and grabbed my arm to stop me-

-just like I hoped he would. And since he doesn't have the Tactical Vest yet...

I whirled around and grabbed his shoulders forcefully. His blue eyes were wide in shock as I drew him close and rammed my knee into his stomach. Sorry, Leon. I know you're right but I just can't let Saddler slide from this! At least not without a scratch! The agent gasped in shock and pain as the air in his lungs rushed out from the force of the blow. He stumbled back and tried to regain his wind as I whirled back around with my survival knife in hand and snarled angrily at the cult leader.

"Son of a bitch!" I shrieked as I charged forward in blind rage with the hand-held weapon in hand, ready to stab it into the Spanish maniac.

"RALLY WAIT!" Leon yelled out breathlessly but I was far too upset to listen. The tendril that impaled Luis, shot forward once more and Caleb leaped at it to protect me but was slapped aside. I dodged it and kept running. And it turned out to be a bad move, since I dodged the appendage, it suddenly curled around me like a snake. I struggled against it, my knife arm trapped at my side as the tentacle pulled me closer to Saddler so that I could be taken away. I flailed and kicked wildly to free myself so I could harm the cult leader. Or at least try to kick him in the head.

Saddler grinned at the agent holding both the Sample and me in his clutches. "Now that I have the sample and the girl, you serve me no purpose." he sneered at Leon as the agent glared at him and bared his teeth a little. I was finally able to free my knife arm and twirled the weapon in my hand so that blade pointed downward.

"You got the sample but you ain't getting away with me!" I shot back and slammed the blade into the tendril that held me. Saddler snarled angrily in pain and reflexively hurled me aside, the slimy, blood-drenched tendril retreating back into his body.

I flew through the air, shocked that I was thrown into the center of the room. I heard Leon cry out in horror then raged at the cult leader. Then fear struck me like a cold slap to the face as I began to fall. Ahhh! Too high! Too high! Gonna hit the floor! Gonna die! Wait... The drape! I looked over my shoulder and noticed that I was close to the drape. I gulped in anxiety. My only chance...! I twisted in mid-air and scrambled through the empty air to grab onto the violet fabric. My fingers brushed at the fabric but couldn't grab it. So close but not close enough! I reached out with my blade and stabbed the drape and sliced through it. I quickly grabbed one of the billowing parts of the drape and held on, slowing my fall.

Sure enough, the fabric held and completely stopped me from falling flat to the floor. I held the drape tightly and sighed in relief. Okay, now I know its best to listen to Leon from now on. I hung there, clinging to the drape for a few seconds before the knot came undone and I dropped to the floor painfully, landing on my right leg. Yeah, that's pretty damn painful. The drape billowed around me as I laid on the floor, allowing my body to cope and waited for the pain to subside. Well, now I know that knot came undone. Great...

"Saddler!" Leon snarled as he took a threatening step forward, rage blazing through his blue gaze. The cult leader frowned at him and snorted in disdain.

"My boy Salazar will make sure you follow the same fate." Saddler sneered, gesturing to the dying Spaniard on the marble floor. He turned and walked away, still smirking. I crawled to my feet and looked up in horror as Leon started after him but stopped, torn between chasing down Saddler or helping Luis. He obviously chose to stick by Luis and see if he could keep him alive.

"Stay with me Luis." Leon said as tried to search of a way to stop the bleeding. Blood began to pool around our friend's body and dripped in front of me. I strained my hearing to listen to the Spaniard's fading voice, sad that I could not be up there and hold Luis' hand in his last hour. I cursed myself for being so eager to get at Saddler. Damn it all! If only I had listened to Leon... I screwed up again!

"I... am a researcher... hired by Saddler." Luis gasped out brokenly, "He... found out what I was up to." He chuckled lightly then grimanced in pain. I fumbled around for a First Aid Spray then chucked it up to Leon. He caught it and looked at me in confusion. I gave him a 'sorry-for-hitting-you' look then quickly told him to use it to see if we could keep him alive. The agent nodded and returned his attention to Sera

"Don't talk." the agent said softly as he held up the little spray can. Luis whimpered in pain and shook his head at our attempts and knocked Leon's hands away. The little white can flew from the agent's grip as he looked at Luis in surprise, confused as to why Sera was refusing help. But I knew why. It was too late, the damage was too severe for the First Aid Spray to work. No... We can still make this work! All he has to do is hold on...

"Luis, please, hold on! Don't give up!" I called from the first floor, tears forming in my eyes. "Just hang on a little longer! The merchant is just outside the door! He can heal you! Like he did before at the cabin!" Sera grinned slightly at the memory but shook his head again, ignoring my plea.

"Here..." Luis hissed through the pain, placing the small jar of pills into Leon's hands. "It should suppress the growth of the parasite." The agent took his hand and listened carefully, now knowing that Luis was trying to tell them something. "The sample... Saddler took it. You have to get it back."

Silence dominated the room after those words. No! No...no...no...!

"Luis?" Leon called in alarm but the Spaniard failed to answer. "LUIS!"

Again, Sera didn't answer.

The agent bowed his head in grief as I wailed out in sorrow, dropping to my knees and not caring about the pain streaking through my right leg. After all that hoping and praying, even having Caleb with him... I couldn't save him in the end. No matter what I do...nothing seems to come out right. Why? Why can't I get things right? Just for once I wish I could do something right on my own and I thought this would be it, that I could save Luis from his death. But I couldn't even manage that...

"Luis... Noooo..." I cried as I hugged myself and stared at the pool of blood that had splashed on the floor in front of me. I'm sorry, Luis. I'm so sorry! I thought... I really thought that I could help you. I tried...believe me I tried so hard... I thought and tried so hard to keep you safe and alive but... But in the end I failed... Please...forgive me...

"They'll pay for your death, Luis. I promise." I heard Leon say and I lifted my head, tears still cascading down my face. He stood and looked at the jar in sadness. I sniffled and blinked at the jar. Luis... gave up his life to get us those pills. He gave up his life to at least ensure that we make it out alive...and parasite free. Thank you.

Leon wiped away his tears and picked up the Semi-Auto and looked at me with sadness. I stood quietly and wiped at my eyes to erase the tears. I can cry later... maybe... but right now, we need to get the hell out of here. And those zealots are taking their sweet ass time coming here. I want them hear now because one, I can go get the ass end of the stupid mural and two... I feel like shooting something.

The agent sighed as he inclined his head slightly in thought. "We need to move on, but how am I going to get you out of there?"

Just then a door slid open and a group of cultists rushed in. Perfect. Leon noticed them and looked at me. And out of reflex, yelled, "Rally, get out of there!"

"Trapped inside remember?" I called back, "Besides, we can take these guys out!" I brought out the handgun and took aim. Leon aimed his Semi-Auto and we both fired at the group. I covered one side as he took on the other, making short work of them. I dug around in my side pack for another clip for the handgun as I grinned up at Leon, who sort of gawked at me.

"What?" I inquired as I slapped in a fresh clip. "Merchant taught me, I trained for a few hours then got a real crash course looking for you."

He shook his head as he smiled slightly at while I grinned at him. I guess changing can be good for someone. Right then, the doors slid open once more to allow more cultists to flood the room. A red leader raced in and pointed at me, yelling the same old line again. Geez, can't they say something else for once? Leon noticed a few carrying crossbows and aiming for him. He motioned me to cover him as he sniped the ones coming close to me. I nodded in agreement and fired on the crossbowmen to divert their attention from the agent.

After a few minutes, the super happy cultists were wiped out and left me and Leon alone in the room. I spotted the key, ran toward it and picked it up. It was gold and elegantly done but not worth keeping to sell off later. Oh, well. Not that it'll matter, we got enough money to last us awhile and plenty of treasure to steal in this lovely castle. Won't Salazar be pissed? I can just imagine him jumping up and down, throwing a hissy fit for all the stuff we stole. Hey, he wasn't using them.

"Well, Leon. I've got the key, so I'll see you soon, okay?" I called to him as I walked toward the door that led to the Servant's Quarters.

He stared at me. "Are you serious? You want me to wait here while you run around and face unknown horrors?" Caleb had recovered from the slap and was currently sitting next to Leon, looking at me in confusion. Apparently, the dog didn't think I was going to be okay by myself.

"Yes Leon, I do expect you to sit there and wait for me." I replied dryly.

The agent scowled slightly, "I've waited around long enough as it is."

"I know." I sighed, "But the door up there is locked and you can't get to me directly unless you jump off that platform. And that'll do us no good if you break your leg."

Agent Kennedy's frown deepened, "I'm supposed to be protecting you and I can't do that if I stand around and hope you come back alive." I sighed as he went on about him supposed to be doing his mission but unable to do it if I don't cooperate with him. Caleb drooped his ears as we both went into an argument about how to rejoin. He kept throwing ideas about it but each one had me staying in the room. And I kept rejecting each one. Hadn't he gotten the idea yet? I didn't go through all that shit, sacrificed my innocence and changed how I was just to be treated like a fragile doll!

We both gave each other sharp glares, neither of us wanted to back down. He waved his hand at Caleb still insisting that I take him with me. I would love to, truly, but were I'm going... a dog is no match for the mini-adventure ahead. I shook my head and told him that I didn't want to. Leon narrowed his eyes and scowled.

"Come on, take him with you. At least to give me some peace in mind." the agent growled as he placed his hand on the white dog's head. My eye twitched in annoyance at his stubborn nature. I'm flattered that he's that concerned for me but he should know that I can take care of myself... to a degree. Didn't he notice how I handled the Semi-Auto? How I was able to keep the cultists at bay with a handgun? I scowled at him, my patience wearing thin. Ada was right, I have to prove to him that I can do this!

"Leonardo Scott Kennedy!" I snapped sharply, fed up with his over-protectiveness. "I already know what I'm about to go up against! I've been facing it the entire time I was running around looking for you! Now shut up and let me do this!"

The agent stared at me, surprised by my outburst. He blinked his wide blue eyes at me in astonishment and I had to struggle to keep myself from laughing at his expression. It was completely adorable and I had to concentrate to keep up the fact I was still mad at him.

"Now Caleb is gonna sit right there with you as you both wait for me, okay? I have a weapon and a box of ammo with me." I held up the handgun for him to see. "I'll be fine, okay? Are we clear on that?"

Leon wiped the shocked look from his face and frowned, blowing a few loose strands of dirty blonde hair from his face. An annoyed look took over as he looked at me, crossing his arms over his chest. After a few seconds, he gave an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes heavenward.

"Fine, I read you crystal clear. We'll both wait here and hope that you don't run into trouble." he muttered angrily. I smiled slightly, he was still worried about me going it alone and to tell the truth, I was too. Not about the dungeon but the fact I was going up against Las Armaduras...with a handgun. But I know I can do this. Just solve the puzzle, grab the Serpent Ornament and run like fucking hell.

I smiled sadly and slapped in a fresh clip to the weapon. I looked up at the agent and sighed. "Look, I'm sorry for being like this. I know you're just worried and want to keep me safe. But where I'm going, I don't think Caleb can handle it. So, please, trust me. I'll be okay."

Leon didn't look convinced but nodded anyway, a slight smile on his face. "Alright, I'm sorry too. I know that you can handle yourself now but that doesn't keep me from worrying over you."

"I understand that completely. It's just how things are right now." I said as I walked to the door then paused and pointed to his attache case "Before I forget, there's food for you two to eat. I'll be back soon."

"Thanks." The agent grinned, "Just be careful, okay?"

"I will."

I gave them both a smile and waved goodbye then turned to the door. Okay, I can do this. Just do the three things. Solve, grab and run. Solve, grab and run. Wait... I have to kill the two cultists in the rooms first. Okay, let me rephrase that. Shoot, solve, grab then run. Shoot, solve, grab then run. Right, let's do this!

I headed up to the door, unlocked it and stepped through...


- Hall Maze (unknown part of castle)

The fuck?

I looked around in confusion at the new area I had walked into just prior of unlocking the door. There was a wall to my right and a hall to my left and no doors. Okay, this is a problem. Just where in the fuck am I? This was never in the game. The door that Ashley goes through in the Mezzanine was supposed to lead directly into the Servant's Quarters, not some hall! I scowled as I headed down the hall. Great, just fucking great. I said it before and I'll say it again. Ashley, you lucky bitch.

I sighed as I walked along the hall, keeping an ear out for cultists. The corridor turned right and I followed it, wondering if I was going the right way. It better be, since its the only one there is and it better lead me to the servants' rooms. If not, then I'm screwed. I growled softly as I continued on my way. If this doesn't lead me to where I need to go then I'll never reunite with Leon and get out of this castle! Damnit.

The hall opened up to a very large, dimly lit room...if you could call it that. To me it looked as though the hall led me to another series of halls. I hesistated as I stood before the three other corridors and a bad feeling crept up my spine. The more I studied them, the more I realized what I was in. I scowled at the halls as I tapped my foot impatiently. I was in a maze, no two ways about it. A goddman maze in a killer castle, what more can Salazar want? Oh, yeah. Let's not forget that he wants to marry you, girl. I shuddered. I would rather get lost in here than end up as that freak's wife but I have to get out of here to meet up with Leon. I sighed and picked left, hoping for the best.

~ Two hours later...

Is this the door?

I opened the door and stared at another zealot, face to face. I blinked at him and he stared right back. Then he hissed and lunged for me and I slammed the door shut in front of his face. Nope. Wrong door!

"Lo encontré!" (I found her!)

I whirled around and saw that the group of cultists had found me again. Ah, damnit! I thought I lost you guys! I sighed harshly and ran down the hall in attempts of eluding my pursers. For the past couple of hours I was running around lost and ended up bumping into a few cultists while looking for a way out. And those zealots were chasing me all over the place while I was looking into doors and hoped that I would find the right one.

And each wrong door held a monk standing there. Why they were doing it, I have no idea. Maybe they found that staring stupidly at a door was very exciting for them until they found something else to occupy them. Like, say, chasing me around?

At first, when I ran into a monk I would quickly dispatch it without question. Until I found that as I did so, I was burning through my ammo with each encounter. So I had no choice but to run from them and get them lost in the maze. Why? Well, I now only have two clips left and more than a dozen zealots after me, so I figured it was the wisest choice.

"Puedes correr, pero no te puedes esconder!" (You can run, but you can't hide!)

I glared at them over my shoulder. "No, but I make you go blind!"

I chucked a flash grenade behind me and into their midst. The little blue grenade went off and the hall filled with a harsh bright light. The monks screamed in pain as they stumbled about blind, searching for me through they haze of bright light. Two actually bumped into each other and started to strangle one another. I would love to stay and watch them kill each other but I got a door to find.

"Ahí está!"

"Aw, hell. I thought I got rid of you guys too." I muttered as I spotted another group of cultists rushing toward me from some other hall. I grinned and waved at them. "Sorry to jet, but I'm in a hurry!" I chirped out a quote that came from StarFox 64. I quickly ran like crazy from where I was and zipped among halls to get the group confused and if I'm not careful I could end up lost again, which there is a good chance of that happening anyway.

I hurried down one hallway and paused, looking over my shoulder. So far, the cultists had yet to catch up or got completely lost in the maze of corridors. I stood still to catch my breath and wondered where the dungeon room was. How can I get the piece and meet up with Leon if I can't find the damn room?

Suddenly, I heard faint voices coming back the way I came. I turned and backed away from the entrance of the hall, ears perked for the slightest hint that may tell if the enemies knew where I was.

As I backed away, my back hit something hard and thought that I had hit a wall... if the walls were warm, slightly soft yet firm at the same time. I stiffened, thinking that I just backed into a zealot. Well, this isn't good.

"Well, well. What do have we here?"

I instantly froze, my brown eyes wide as I tensed in fear.

No. Fucking. Way.

"Now...what was it that you said earlier?"

I trembled as I recognized the voice instantly. Never in my life did I know that this was going to happen. I gulped and edged away from the body that I had bumped into. Shit...shit...

"Ah, yes... now I remember."

I whipped around and stared in horror at the person that stood behind me. That person gave me a leering grin in return and I started to back away, unable to grasp the situation. Unable to grasp that this was real and I was in deep shit.

Oh, my fucking god...! I continued to stare, too scared to say anything, let alone make a snappy remark. The person stepped closer and continued to give me the dangerous smile that sent chills running up my spine. I continued to back away slowly, staring at the person that I wished and didn't wish to bump into.

I had crossed paths with...

"Kiss, kiss..."

Wesker.


WHOO! How's that for your treat! Yup, Wesker's there! I bet you didn't see that coming, now did ya? If you did then good for you!

Anyway, now that Wesker's there, how will he affect Rally's chances of reuniting with Leon? How will she escape from him and find the Serpent Ornament? Will he follow her?

I don't know... it's a surprise!

Chat with ya later!

Wait... hold on. Don't go anywhere until you guys at least give me a review. A lot people read my fic but don't leave a review. I can't do a better job unless I know how you liked the chapter. I use reviews as a way to improve my writing to keep you guys on the edge of your seats!

See that little purple box that says "Submit Review"? It's on the bottom left hand corner of your screen. See it now? Good. Click "Go". Go on. Click it. Now type in what you like (or don't like) about the chapter and submit it. See? Wasn't that easy? Don't glare at me like that. You're not gonna break your fingers by typing in a few sentences, now are you? Besides, I always reply to my reviews!

Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

...Okay, now you can go now.