Title: Build A God, Then We'll Talk.
Summary: The plot thickens, the dice roll.
Rating: T
Warnings: More Swearing, expect it.
Author Notes: Yeah, I know in the game Leon is suppose to hear about Ashley's location within a few hours, but thats not realistic. Think about it.
Disclaimer: I alas own nothing but Rain, mores the pity.
Chapter Two: Denial is not a river in Egypt
By: Tamuril Telrunye A.K.A Bamvivirie
Another not quiet moment, and I was awake again. This place wherever it was, was drafty. I was propped against someone else, I could tell it was someone because they were warm and breathing. And at the very least in the same state of not quiet there as I was. I shook my head, trying to get rid of the fuzz and steady ache of my drugged sleep.
"I see your point." Said a voice with an unfamiliar drawl, a strange accent that I couldn't quiet place.
"Like I said," the all too familiar man's voice said, "Aint quiet the best idea to put all yer eggs in one basket, so to speak."
"Indeed. Quiet the brilliant plan on your part Krauser," The other male voice said. "Never the less, I shall have to use another sample... Hmmmmmmmm."
So the bastards name was Krauser?
Fucker is on my shit list for life. Just so's yah know.
I tried to lift my head a bit, but a beam of light fell a crossed my eyelids and I recoiled with a sputtering hiss. I hated light in my eyes, particularly just after waking. I must have caught their attention, not that I wouldn't after that particular display. But I digress, their attention was now on me and the suddenly whimpering mass of Ashley at my back. So she was awake to? Man do I fail at being subtle.
"So our dear little girls are awake?" Said the strange voice as my eyes crept open slowly, glare level set to kill. Pedo much?
"Indeed it seems so."
A whimpering at my back made me twitch slightly in annoyance, it was too early to deal with high pitched noises... Regardless of what time it was.
"Did you enjoy your little trip children?" I could only stare as the man in question, walked into my line of sight. And I felt my brain snap a bit as the level of evil in the room was kicked up a notch. A purple cloak with a green design on it swathed an unnaturally tall man, pale blue eyes staring out from underneath the hood. "I am Osmund Saddler, your gracious and benevolent host."
I raised a brow... Definitely evil... Ok evil test question one, make a simple request.
"Can I go home now?"
"Most certainly my dear, as soon as we are finished with you." Not good.
"I don't suppose we are going to just sit down, and have a nice tea party?"
"I am afraid not dear girl. You are to be graced with our," he paused for one long moment "Unique gifts."
Oh joy. If he says something about bearing children, I plan on swallowing my tongue. Hell to the no. I heard feet shuffling behind me, and the whimpering behind me go worse. Twisting my head a bit, I noted a man in a black hooded robe moving towards us syringe in hand. I took one look at the weirdo, made a connection and wiggled with all of my might towards the door of to the left of this freak building.
Bastard cross between a mad scientists lab, and a hospital (Now that I think of it there isn't much of a difference) that it was. Needles are a BIG no no on my list. Gotta get away, gotta get away, gotta get away. I grabbed at Ashley behind me, pitched myself forward and levered myself up (My knees are gonna hurt for this) carrying her dead weight like a sack of potatoes. Not easy when yer hands are tied. And I was away... For two point five seconds.
"Not so fast." And once more I was dragged backwards, by my new accessory backpack that also doubles as the President's daughter.
"Better Separate these two, this one ain't nothin but trouble." I glared at the blond man, Krauser? Mentally putting him through years of torture via paperwork.
"I hope it rots and drops off." Was the best insult I could come up with at the time, a glower being his only reply. The brief flash of a knife and I felt rope binding me to Ashley come loose, and I made a break for it. That also lasted about two seconds as Krausers big hand grasped my wrist, wrapping around my thin limb as though it were some sort of shackle. Fucker... No you fuck her, you brought her. Damn it brain, that is NOT helping. He was tall now that I had time to notice it, not quite as tall as Saddler per say.
But at least six two... And stocky for that matter, funny the things you notice when you are avoiding reality. I am five foot even on a good day, so feeling short is nothing new to me. But now I was feeling helpless, as this MALE towered over me. Tall solid form radiating a strength that my body and heart knew I couldn't overcome.
One thing most men don't realize is this, by merely being male you are intimidating. Odd as it may seem, have you ever noticed that the more feminine males usually have more friends that are female? There is a reason for this. I shuddered unconsciously as I tried to redirect my current train of thought, hoping to focus on some happier subject. But I knew it would not come. As surely as I couldn't control the feeling of helplessness, this was a bitter cruel snake in my belly that made my stomach twist and unsettle. I could feel a mask of cold calm fall over my features, mind not consciously willing to let him have the upper hand. Ever.
"Watch yourself kid, try to run again and I'll be forced to do something unpleasant."
I kicked and struggled as he dragged me over to a strange table, straps made of leather making my mind struggle with a half hysterical joke about kinky sex and what he could use all those belt on him for. Before being slapped onto the table like a slab of meat.
"Quite the fighter aren't you my dear?" Saddler, "Do not worry, it will only hurt for a moment. And then you shall be one of us."
Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiitttttttt. Krauser moved the straps and fastened them accordingly, as I kicked and flailed with all my might to get away. The strange black hooded man walked towards me again, and with a cry of triumph my leg popped free and I kick him square in the jaw. He fell backwards and the syringe shattered on the ground.
"Now that was uncalled for," growled Saddler, glower set to kill, "We only seek to show you the light dear girl. Now you have destroyed our precious sample." he issued an order to the black robed individual, and he shuffled off to do something.
"Told yah, she's a fighter."
"Indeed. We shall have to adjust our plans accordingly," The black robed individual was back, "I have decided that we shall honor your fighting spirit," he paused not doubt for dramatic effect, "With greater gift then I had initially thought you worthy of. After all, a strength must be met with strength."
"You can't be serious," Krauser took a step towards Saddler, "You can't be thinking of-"
"Indeed I am." Cut in Saddler as the black robed man handed another syringe to him, "What better vessel for our dearest child then a child who is herself a fighter? Indeed I think these two shall suit each other well. Hold her down, we do not want a repeat of our last attempt to bless her. Particularly since this little one is so much more precious."
The straps were tightened further, my leg shoved back into place as Krauser grabbed my chin forcing me to look away, and exposing my neck with a bruising force. I felt the sharp needle, the pinch and prick. And then they painful stretching of something foreign and far to large being forced into my veins. My body screamed with the violation of it all, being forced to carry this THING inside of me now. I am sure at that moment if I had been able to, I would have gouged my own throat out to get rid of it. Much like a fox biting off its own leg to escape a trap. And then I felt my body go lax of its own accord.
"Ah, I see the drugs are kicking in." Saddler said and he handed the empty syringe back to the hooded man. "Do not worry, it is merely a cocktail of chemicals meant to ease your mind through the transition."
Krauser let go of my chin, and I felt my head lolled to down as I fought to keep a coherent stream of thoughts in my head.
"Take the girl to the shack in the valley. We do not want these two kept together, least they conspire to escape. Or some such nonsense. I shall inject the other and have her moved to the church until our demands are met."
"Right." The straps were released, and I was heaved over Krausers meaty shoulder like a sack of grain. Asshat. My recollection of the time between the compound (For that is the only thing It could have been) and the shack I was brought was very... Hazy, to say the least. I remembered bits, and pieces. Moments of darkness, or bright sunlight, strange red eyes glowing at me from darkness and shadow. It was like a nightmare, a showcase of different horrors just out of reach but waiting. Waiting to catch you, and devour you whole. I cite in particular a moment when it seemed as thought I was suspended above a seemingly bottomless canyon, weak planks between me and the nothingness bellow.
A terror seized me then, and I felt myself struggle albeit weakly with a cursing Krauser to get away from the bottomlessness surrounding me. Another brief hazy moment, and I was in a cabin... Or shack. I couldn't say, all I knew beyond that was that I was the wooden crates and random tools. A bit of movement off to my left made me start, before I realized that it was only Krauser. Cotton mouth getting the better of me as I spoke.
"Well, not exactly the face I wanted to wake up to in the morning."
"Hu," He took a swing from a canteen and I felt all my senses hone in on the fact that he had WATER, and I needed water NOW. "Now that aint any way to talk to the man in charge."
"I apologize for my contrary nature, I was not informed that one should be cooperative whilst being kidnapped." Was my only reply.
"And here I thought you might be thirsty," he took a long swig from his canteen. "Guess not."
"Are you kidding? You kidnapped me during FINALS week. I am in LOVE with you." That certainly got me a look. "I'm joking. Look, give me some water and I will say ANYTHING you want me too."
"Anything?"
"Sans the degrading and/or sexual yes."
"There goes my fun."
"Ain't that a bitch."
"Yup, and so is this. Looks like I'm out of water."
"EH?" Not fare. I felt my eyes go wide, and I took a note outta Mikaela's book and gave him The Look. We are very good at The Look.
"Your eyes get any bigger, and they'll fall outta yer head."
"Asshole."
"That's what they say."
"Seriously though. I am dying of thirst here."
"Che, if I give you some water will you shut up?"
"Yes, most definitely." He walked over and pressed a the canteen to my lips, smirking at me as I noticed his lie. And glowered at him for it. But I drank deep from the canteen, savoring the water even though it had a slight metallic tang to it. A few hours past between us, silence reigning supreme as I amused myself with my own imagination before I noticed that I lacked pants... When had that happened? I intended to make a fuss about it, but was distracted by something a little more urgent.
"Do you know where the little girls room is?"
"What?" His only response as he stopped sharpening his knife and looked over at me.
I spoke up louder, "I Need To Pee."
"Oh."
"Yeah oh."
"Well there ain't one."
"Yer shitin me."
"Nope."
"Well I have to go SOMETIME. Unless of course you want me to pee my pants... Didn't know you had that kinda kink." The look on his face was priceless.
"Shut up." He growled before removing the ropes around me, "There's an area at the back of the cabin, you can go there."
And down a long hallway past an open window and a suspicious typewriter, out into the bright light of day, and around the back of the cabin. There was a wall of planks, and two barrels sat side by side. Turning I sent a glare Krausers way.
"What?"
"So, gonna watch or give me my privacy?"
"Che, kid you got problems."
"No I have the internet, it tells me about people's problems."
"Che." He turned around, and I was slightly skeptical about this whole kidnapping thing. Something told me he didn't like the idea either, he just went with it. I survived my surroundings, using the area in the fashion intended before letting him know I was done. From the looks of it, the only way out of this place was out the front. Heavy metal doors set into a crumbling wall blocking the way. I spent two or three days like that before anything changed, amusing myself, and annoying Krauser.
Meals were awkward, but we got over it when I agreed not to try stabbing him with the spork I was allowed. About mid morning a pair of, what did Krauser call them Ganado's? Walked in, each carrying a poor sap. More kidnap victims? I couldn't tell, they were unconscious so I couldn't ask them. One looked to be of Spanish decent, dark hair longer than normal. While the other was definitely of European stock, brown/blond hair cut to be stylish.
"Hu, so what's this?" Krauser paced over to the men, ignoring the Ganado's fussing with ropes and the like. Circling them he paced back over to me, dragging the chair I was fastened to closer in case I decided to do something stupid. And I was close to doing so as well. The ropes were loose around my legs, and I could get them off and be running before anyone could stop me...
Never mind the fact that I am still tied to the chair via back, we'll cross that river when we get to it. And then Saddler walked in, and I nearly flipped. Freak had violated me. Never mind that he hadn't done anything more than inject me with something, it didn't matter. Just doing so without my consent was enough to make me murderous, and don't even get me started on the painful spasms that I've been having.
"Hello Krauser, how is our dear guest?"
"A pain in the ass as usual."
"I would expect no less."
"Bitch fights me every step of the way." Not true, sometimes I just complain... Ok at this point I am surprised that he hasn't cut my tongue out. Or beat me severely. Something unpleasant.
"Indeed, she is the type," He look at me as one would inspect a slab of meat one had bought. I very much did NOT like the way this was going.
"So, what's this?"
"Two more converts my friend."
"I don't like this, that one looks like trouble." Saddler only laughed. "Feeble humans. Let us give you our power, "He paused for a moment "Soon you'll become unable to resist this.. Intoxication power." The blond man twitched a bit as if he was coming too. But didn't wake. "So what am I suppose to do with them," If looks could kill Krauser was stabbing the man to death with pins. "You are to do nothing. These two are our brethren now. They need no one to control them now."
"But-"
"You will come with me, there is an intruder. And we shall take care of them."
"An intruder?"
"Yes."
"What about the girl?"
"Leave her here, she will be safe within the confines of this cabin. Guarded by these two, she will become a flower of a our religion."
"If you say so."
They left and left me sitting right where I was. But with much tighter bonds then before. Damn that man. My fingers worked on the knot at my back, arms twisted up bind me in an unnatural position so I could get at it. A few minutes like this went by, and then I ended up giving up for the moment to rest, when the agent woke with a start. Struggling a bit with his bonds before shaking the other man awake.
"Hey, Hey. Wake up" He seemed not to have noticed me. "Ai yi yi."
The darker man paused "Crawl out of one hole, and into another."
"You want to tell me what's going on here?"
"Americano, si? Now what brings a bloke like you to this part of the world?" The Blond man struggled a bit with their bonds, grunting and hurting the other in the process. "Easy, whoever you are."
"My name's Leon, I came here looking for this girl. Have you seen her?" They both looked the other way and down, as if looking at something. Must have been a picture, but I couldn't see from my point of view.
"What, are you supposed to be a cop or something?" The dark man raised his eyebrows, despite the fact that 'Leon' couldn't see his facial expressions "Nah, you don't look the type."
"Maybe." Came the only reply from Leon, almost like a petulant child.
"Okay, Let me guess. She's the President's daughter?" No true question in his voice, more like a statement.
"That's too good for a guess."He said looking to the other side. "Want to start explaining?"
Come on, I know I know the world doesn't revolve around me. But I've been sitting here for the ENTIRE conversation and no one's noticed me.
"Psychic powers." He did a fake dramatic pause, giving it an almost humors air "Nah, just kidding with you, amigo."
I ignored them for a moment, focusing on a strange dragging sound outside.
"I overheard one of the villagers talking something about the President's daughter in the church."
"And who might you be?" Asked Leon, skeptical. "Me llamo Luis Sera. I used to be a cop in Madrid. Now I'm just a good-for-nothing guy, who happens to be quite the ladies' man."
"I disagree." They both started a bit, looking over at me like I'd appeared out of thin air. "If you were a ladies' man, you would have noticed the one lady in the room."
"Where did you come from?"
"Narnia? No really, I've been here this entire time."
"So much for being aware of my surroundings." Huffed Leon, rolling his eyes. "So, that aside. What's your name kid? And for that matter, where your pants?"
"Goooooooooddddddd questions. Both of them, but for starters my name is Rain. Rain Smith. and as for the pants..." I trailed off and stared at my legs a moment before shrugging. "I haven't a clue. Sooooooo Luis Why'd you quit?" He scoffed before answering "Policia...you put your life on the line, no one really appreciates you enough for it. Being a hero isn't what it's cracked up to be anymore."
"Used to be cop myself. Only for a day though." replied Leon "I thought I was bad."
"Seriously?" I rolled my eyes and Leon threw me a bit of a glare. "Somehow I managed to get myself involved with the incident in Raccoon City, on my first day in the force."
"Errrr," I didn't know what to say to that honestly. "That is the incident with the viral outbreak right? I think I might have seen a sample of the virus in the lab at my department." The dragging sound was more persistent now, the sound of the door opening more prominent to me then the conversation at hand. I heard the door bust open, and suddenly the guys were noticing the lovely beat up fella with a weapon. Lovely. Yes, we are definitely going to die.
Suddenly I was gripped in the all too familiar spasm of pain, barely taking notice of anything outside of my own realm of ouch. I felt my body move and twitch, trying to find a way that would alleviate the pain I was currently in. Something, hell ANYTHING. This stretching, almost tearing feeling I had in my gut was beyond the worsen realm of craps I've ever had to deal with. It was like something to large was trying to move around in an area that was too small, making it hard to breath. I coughed, wishing that I could just curl up and die already. But death never came, unless of course it comes flying at you in the form of a Ganado.
The legs on my chair snapped under the strain, and senior Ganado hit the ground with a snap. I heard the sound of running feet, and the weight of the dead man on top of me made it harder to breath. I felt as though I was suffocating. I kicked, struggling to get his dead weight off of me. And then a moment later the weight was gone, and the blonde man 'Leon' was there. Lifting me to my feet, and cutting the ropes away from my wrist freeing me from what was left of the chair.
"You okay?" I coughed a bit, trying to get a thick wet lump out of my throat.
"For the most-" I coughed again, this time into my hand, "Part anyways."
"You sick?"
"I guess, I've been coughing since I woke up here."
"How long have you been here?"
"Three days? I think. I'm not sure really, they drugged us before we were separated."
"We?"
"Yeah, me and Ashley."
"The president's daughter?"
"Have these freaks kidnapped more them one Ashley?"
"Good point... Wait, you the girl that was with the President's daughter when she was kidnapped?"
"Yeah, wouldn't be here otherwise now would I?"
"Sorry, just had to ask to make sure. Truth is, Secret Service wasn't sure you weren't a spy."
"What, like a plant? Meant to be there to let that dickhead know when she got there?"
"Yeah."
"Trust the Secret Service to think that a girl, who has might I mention LIVED in that state, city and area all of her life, a spy. Or Whatever. Honestly." Leon shrugged, but I could see a hint of smile tugging at his lips. "So."
"So what next mister secret agent man?" I said back playfully. "We need to find Ashley."
"And get the hell outta Dodge right?"
"Yup. That's my basic plan anyways."
"Nice, strait and to the point. I like a man who knows what he's doing," I pulled slightly lechers grin and he rolled his eyes in response. "Either way, what Don Juan had to say was true at least."
"The Church?"
"Yeah, heard them talking about it when they thought I was out of it."
"Well, at least we have a general consensus on where we need to go."
"Yeah," I walked forward, grimacing at my lack of pants. It was going to get chilly. I watched as Leon pulled out a little hand held device, contacting someone name Hunnigan. "It's Leon. Sorry I couldn't get in touch sooner but I was a bit tied up."
I grinned a bit at the play on words he had going there. At least I wasn't the only one prone to horrible puns, this might not be so bad after all.
"You're okay, right?" Came a female voice.
"I'm fine. There was a male civilian held captive, as well as a female civilian that I've identified as Ashley's fellow kidnap victim. According to them, Ashley's in a church somewhere. "What happened to them?"
"He managed to escape. She is standing not too far away."
"Do you have a fix on the location of that church?"
"No, but apparently, there's a secret passage in the village that leads there. I'm heading back to the village. I'll take the girl along with me, she's an American citizen after all." I moved towards the hallway, and with a start noticed a strange man looking into the window at the end of the hall. Leon walked up behind me. "Over here, Stranger."
He waved at us, beseechingly before walking away from the window. We shared a look before exiting the cabin, passing an antique typewriter on the way out. What was that doing there? Either way, Leon motioned for me to wait around the corner while he moved to follow the man wearing the strange bandanna over is mouth. A moment later and Leon's hand waved me around to follow him. I turned the corner, getting a good look at Bandanna man. Which isn't saying much, because a heavy blue coat covered most of him. Where did he get that thing? It looked AWSOME. Either way, I liked the man on sight, and poor Leon seemed to be in love with the weapon selection.
A/N: Merchant is awsome, hands down.