The cold air blew harshly through downtown Washington D.C. Night had fallen quickly to the area over the Potomac, the wispy clouds easily seen in the moonlight and the pulsating power of the city's street lamp. It was an evening that seemed to radiate bitterness and loneliness, causing even those who normally would have enjoyed the night time in the city to clam up in their homes for the evening. Only a few daring souls were out on the town tonight, most of which with company to ease the uncertainty in the air.
The man in the bar, downing his third shot of Jose Cuervo was one of those souls, but he would never concede and call himself daring. It wasn't one of those upscale bars, where the heavy hitters and political powerplays of the dark dealings of the nation took place. No, this was a bar for the few 'normal' people, unconcerned with such petty things as politics, a rarity this deep into the nation's capital.
He wore a heavy brown leather jacket, a layer of dirtied wool lining the insides of the jacket. It was unzipped and appeared well worn and thoroughly beaten, as if the owner had been wearing it for years and never bothered to wash it once. He was sitting on a stool at the bar, swirling the empty shot glass before putting it down and calling the bartender for another drink. The bartender was hesitant at first but upon seeing the fresh scar upon the man's face and the dead look in his eyes, the bartender decided that it would be wise not to push his luck.
Leon Kennedy swirled the glass of whiskey given to him with a look that appeared as if he was staring through the glass, seeing something on the other end that held his interest. It had been three weeks since returning from Spain from his first and ironically last assignment on the President's detail. He and Ashley had made it back safely, although Leon had been hiding severe injuries from the first daughter. He had collapsed in the helicopter that had picked them up off the coast of Spain, ditching the jet-ski for the flying vehicle. He woke up several days later in intensive care in a government run hospital, bandages wrapped around most of his torso and one around his head, where later he was informed he had received a minor concussion sometime during their escape.
Since then he attempted to return to work but after meeting with the President, where the man had thanked Leon more times than he was able to count, he learned that Ashley was having nightmares about the incident and it was thought that it would be best if Leon waited a while longer before actually beginning his service to the first family. It was thought that it would be better if he wasn't around to remind the first daughter about what she had been through before her psychologist cleared it. Oddly enough, Leon had basically been laid off, at least until Ashley could deal with her own fears.
Since then Leon hadn't been doing much, save resting and recovering in his apartment, with the occasional trip to the bar where he currently was drinking. The government basically put him on paid leave, which he found mildly disconcerting. He really didn't have anything 'to' do, let alone now that he had free time. Basically, since he had been left alone, the nightmares from Spain came back to haunt him even during his waking hours. Such terrible visions did nothing to ease his mind, especially since they brought back horrible reminders of his first day on the Raccoon City police force. No, the parasite driven villagers and zealots were not zombies, but the feeling of fear, uncertainty and knowledge that he probably wouldn't make it through alive was the same. Leon often wondered if at during some point in life someone pinned a sign on his back that said, 'Monster Exterminator, inquire within' on his back somewhere; some sort of cosmic joke that was his life.
He didn't even notice as someone walked into the bar, the door offering a small jingle as the door had opened. Leon didn't bother to look up, after all he didn't care who it was. It wasn't like it was anyone he gave a crap about anyway. The people on that list were far too few to even count on one hand.
It wasn't even until that the newcomer sat down at the bar next to him that he realized that he probably should've looked to see who it was. He slowly began reaching for his modified Broken Butterfly, one of the few guns he always carried on him. Perhaps overt paranoia after the events in Raccoon City and Spain, but after trudging through those two hells he decided never again was he going to go into a situation like those armed only with a peashooter. If he could somehow fold a shotgun into his coat, he would carry that as well but such as the laws of physics couldn't be broken by firearms, he would have to deal with his modified magnum.
Without looking at his visitor, but already ready to draw the weapon and fire, Leon finally broke the tedious silence of the bar. "Something I can do for you?"
For a moment he didn't hear any response before he heard something. That something couldn't really be defined, perhaps the sound of a lip curling into a smile, but his body instantly tensed and his grip on his gun tightened. He placed his whiskey down on the bar with his free hand before slowly turning his head to greet his guest. "Ada." He said, giving her a small nod before facing forward again, his eyes once again locking on his drink.
Ada Wong sat on the stool next to him. She was wearing that trademark red cocktail dress of hers that at one time would have driven Leon wild. Her usual small smile was plastered on her face as she slowly removed the black jacket she had been wearing before resting it across her thighs. One leg crossed over the other in a move that would have driven other men to lust after the Asian beauty next time him but Leon didn't even seem to notice, or he had he was deliberately ignoring it. "It's been a while handsome." She smirked as she said it, looking towards the bartender who walked over.
"What's your poison beautiful?" He asked with a small smile on his face. His eyes traveled her body, taking in her figure.
Leon spoke before Ada could and interrupted the bartender's internal fantasies of the woman sitting next to him. "The lady will have a bourbon on the rocks. Bookers', if you have it." The bartender shot Leon an odd look before looking at Ada's amused smile. She only nodded in agreement before the bartender left.
Ada looked to Leon with a hint of amusement on her face. The cold unaffected look remained on Leon's face and it seemed as if he was ignoring her altogether, although she knew better as she saw his right hand reaching into his coat. She raised an eyebrow slightly at the man's threatening posture before pouting slightly. "Well, aren't you happy to see me handsome? I'm hurt."
He scoffed but didn't say anything, merely took another sip of his whiskey. The bartender shortly returned with Ada's drink and Leon ordered another of the same for himself. The bartender shot him a dirty look but Leon merely reached for his wallet and pulled out a fifty and tossed it on the bar. The bartender's eyes widened, as that amount of money had basically paid for the drinks Leon had already plus quite a few more. He took the fifty with a grin before vanishing once again to get Leon his drink. Leon finished his whiskey before pushing the glass away and resting his elbow on the bar and turned his head to look at the Asian spy next to him. He rested his chin in his free hand and looked at her with a mix of amusement and annoyance, it was hard to determine which emotion held more sway with him at the moment. "We could do our usual, 'me being shocked to see you, me asking you questions that you won't answer, leaving me more confused than before, then your vanishing act.' " He began, his smirk falling after saying that before continuing, "Or we could just cut the bullshit and you could tell me what you want from me."
Ada blinked at the sandy-haired man, somewhat shocked at his blunt response. She slowly reached for her drink, revealing her fair skinned arm as her dainty fingers wrapped around the glass. She took a slow drink before placing the glass back on the bar and looked to him with a sly smile. "You have good tastes Leon."
She heard the hammer on the hidden weapon being cocked back. "No games this time Ada. I'm really not in the mood to deal with your mysterious riddles."
She lost the playful smile and frowned at him, her eyes shining with irritation. "We both know that you won't shoot me so put it away." Leon glared at her before letting out a sigh and easing the gun's hammer back gently before removing his right hand from his coat and grabbing his drink and taking a long drink. Once again there was an awkward silence, only broken by the random jabber of the bar's radio. Ada smirked once again, pleased to see that Leon had dropped his 'tough guy' act.
He let out a sigh before taking another long drink, the bourbon burning down his throat as he idly wondering why this ghost from his past was here bothering him like this. No, not a ghost I suppose. She's very real after all. A bad dream perhaps?Finally he asked once again, "Ada, tell me why I put up with you."
She only smirked and chuckled slightly before answering, "Because of my lovely personality?"
He head turned slightly and he scoffed as he glared at her, "You mean I'm attracted to back stabbers?" He looked at what he said and then muttered something under his breath that his guest couldn't make out. I said it in spite but it has merit. Well that's a friggin' pleasant thought, he thought sarcastically.
She frowned at the sarcasm in his voice and merely shot back, "When have I ever back stabbed you? Last I remember, I've helped you out more than hindered you."
He almost laughed at her logic before shooting back, irritation in his voice. "In Spain alone you held me up twice! Granted the first time you didn't succeed but it doesn't change the fact that you held me at gunpoint after I barely survived against that freak Saddler."
"Who would've slaughtered you like a piece of meat if not for me. Don't forget that Leon." She shot back, irritation creeping into her normally calm and sultry voice.
He scoffed at that before turning back to his bourbon. He swirled the glass once more before muttering, "One day I'm going to figure out how you manage to hide those rocket launchers you're prone to show up with."
She only laughed lightly before taking another slight sip and saying, "Slight of hand handsome. That's all it ever is. Perhaps you were merely too busy looking at me in a different way." She hinted, her voice dropping to that playful sultry tone once again. The tone that would cause a man to be ensnared deeper into her web.
He chuckled at the old thought. A Black Widow... Surprising accurate I would assume. "Six years ago, perhaps."
She playfully ran her finger down his left arm slowly. "Only six years ago?" She asked, her voice sounding rather husky and tempting. Leon gave her a short glare before turning back to his drink and slamming the rest of it down, causing Ada's eyes to widen exponentially. Leon then snapped his fingers to get the bartender's attention and called him over.
"A four horseman if you'd be so kind." Leon then turned to Ada and asked, "You want another drink?" He asked.
She was somewhat shocked at his strange reaction but then nodded and said, "A Manhattan if you'd be so kind." The bartender nodded before vanishing to the back once again. She then looked at Leon once again as if slightly amused, "So what's a four horseman?"
He chuckled before answering. "Four shots: Jose Cuervo, Jagermeister, Ice 101, and Bicardi 151." He chuckled once again before saying, "pestilence, famine, war, and death. Oddly fitting."
Ada gave him an odd look before turning back towards the remainder of her drink. She didn't drink it, merely swirled it around a few moments before asking, slight concern in her voice. "How much have you had?"
Leon shrugged. He didn't know why he was still talking to her. She was pleasing on the eyes but Leon knew that beneath that exterior was someone dangerous, someone who if given a direct order would kill him. "I dunno. Couple hours probably. This is the third bar I've been to tonight."
She gave him a look that bordered between disgust and concern. "You're oddly articulate for somehow who probably has enough alcohol in his system to not only kill an elephant but also preserve its remains for several years."
He shrugged off her disgusted look, "Not like I have anywhere else to be or have anything else to do."
Ada chuckled at that. "What about your little princess?"
Leon chuckled harshly at that before the bartender returned with Leon's shots. A few moments later he brought over Ada's Manhattan as well, giving her a smile which she returned, causing the younger man's face to flush. Leon sighed before reaching for the first shot and slamming it back, causing Ada to grimace slightly. He placed the shot back down on the bar before answering, "I've been temporarily laid off. Apparently they want to give me a vacation after sending me to that hell, and they don't want my... influence to cause the little princess to remember her abduction."
She nodded in understanding before pushing aside the half drank glass of bourbon, whose ice was melted already, and grabbed the small fancy glass that her Manhattan was in. She smiled slightly before taking a small sip. "You haven't pressed me for why I'm here..."
Leon scoffed before reaching for the second shot. He slammed it back and his face twisted before answering. "I have my suspicions but I didn't ask because I know you won't tell me. We've been through this before Ada."
She chuckled slightly as she watched him place the second shot glass on the bar before reaching for the third. She reached over and held her hand over his shot glass before saying, "I just came here to talk."
He gave her an odd look before leaning back slightly on the bar stool, almost falling off. He folded his arms across his chest. His interest no longer laid in the two remaining shots on the bar but rather the woman sitting next to him. There was a long period of time where neither of them spoke, as if searching for words. Finally Leon stood up, grabbing his two remaining shots and gesturing with his head towards a small table. Seeing her confused look, he gave a drunken grin and said "I need something to lean back against or I'm gonna fall off this stool." She chuckled lightly, her hand covering her mouth as she slowly uncrossed her legs and stood, the dress once again showing off her sensual curves to any male who happened to glance her direction. Leon got off his bar stool and somehow stumbled over to where the table was and collapsed in one of the chairs. Ada looked on worriedly as one of his shot glasses spilled over as he placed them on the table but said nothing about her acquittance's drinking.
He looked up towards the ceiling, as if trying to steady himself. The noise of the radio was softer out her but it only showed how strange the silence between the two was. Finally, without looking away from the ceiling, Leon spoke. "So talk."
She looked at him with some emotion he couldn't read in her face. That couldn't be concern, not from her. "Leon, why are you doing this to yourself?" She asked, gesturing towards his remaining shot glass.
He only shrugged, fighting to meet her gaze. "I asked myself the same thing the last time I went drinking. I don't really know but it feels alright, and I don't have to think."
She reached over and took the last shot of his and slammed in back, causing Leon to raise an eyebrow slightly. Ada's twisted as the 151 burned down her throat but she placed it back on the table and then said, "Don't drink to forget Leon. Drink when you want to remember."
Leon scoffed at that. "You know, you're the second person to tell me that."
Ada only smirked as she took a small sip from her drink. "Oh, and who was the first?"
Leon only smiled slightly before responding. "Another one our breed."
This caused Ada to raise an eyebrow. Leon's voice seemed cynical, something she had never heard before coming from the once naive rookie cop. Even in Spain during their short encounters she had seen him annoyed, upset, or angry but never cynical. She took another small sip from her drink before asking in a slightly amused voice, "Our breed?"
He answered with a small smirk on his face, something that seemed to be a natural part of his face. "We're a different breed of people Ada Wong; us survivors of umbrella. You, me, the Redfields, that woman Jill, Birkin's daughter and that little medic Rebecca, and even from what I've heard, Wesker. Not many can remain completely sane after going through what we all did."
Ada lost the amused smile and looked at him utterly confused. She scoffed before muttering, "I would prefer it that you didn't put me in the same category as that madman." She then looked back to him and asked, "so which one told you that little tidbit about drinking."
He chuckled slightly before leaning back in his chair and staring at the ceiling once again. "Claire told me that once, during our escape from Raccoon city with Sherry." He looked back to see Ada's confused expression so he decided to explain further, against his better judgement. Then again, perhaps his current judgement wasn't the best thing to be listening to either way. "After escaping that exploding shuttle transport... thing, we ended up on the outskirts of Raccoon. We eventually headed East, towards the nearest town to rest and recover. The three of us kept a low profile, living in dingy motels and never staying in one place for more than a day and a half at a time." He sighed as he rested his head in his hands as he leaned forward towards the table, his elbows bracing against the wood. "I don't think Sherry really understood what was happening during those times, but Claire and I were terrified of being hunted down, especially after we heard about Raccoon being bombed."
Ada nodded in understanding but really couldn't sympathize with the man too much. She too knew what it felt like to be hunted, it was still happening to her to the current day. I suppose that's my fate for throwing my dice in with Wesker, although I didn't really have a choice in the matter.
Leon continued his little monologue, as if forgetting that Ada was there. "While Claire and Sherry rested, I would stay awake. My newfound paranoia shot into overdrive and I was watched the door of our motel room every night with our shotgun pointed at the door, waiting for some undead monster to come crashing through the wall." He chuckled slightly before continuing, as if the memories were of better times. "Eventually Claire took the gun from me and tried forcing me to sleep when night came but I just couldn't do it. I would end up just staring at the ceiling all night. Eventually Claire handed me a bottle of alcohol from one motel's wet bar. Although the morning and afternoons sucked after that, at least I was able to sleep. Though more often than not, I wished I hadn't."
Ada swirled the small fancy glass in her hand, her eyes looking at it as if slightly amused. "Nightmares?" She chuckled slightly, earning herself a dirty look from her companion before asking, "Leon Kennedy of the Raccoon Police Department scared over some dreams?"
He sighed before speaking in a sing song tone. "The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever have." Ada recognized the song, although it was slightly disturbing to hear the words coming from the ex-rookie cop. He continued in a slightly cynical manner., "Well, the ones where I'm dying in a normal way as opposed to being devoured, slashed apart, or infected/infested by some virus/parasite." Ada watched his expression as he said this and stopped whirling her drink, realizing that despite his cynical tone, he was being dead serious. Perhaps he was more fragile than I thought.
There was a long period of silence before he spoke up again, as if what came next was only an after thought. "I watched you die." It was spoken so candidly, as if talking about the weather or a song on the radio.
She put her drink down on the table and rested her chin on her hands as she looked at him. He appeared in deep thought, his eyes closed. She sighed a little before speaking, not looking at him as she did so. "I don't remember much. I just remember waking up in a locked room, the wound from where that bitch shot me gone."
He shook his head, "No, I mean in my nightmares." She gave him a stunned look, shocked that he was telling her such a thing. Then again, the massive amounts of alcohol in his system was making him rather talkative. "Every single time your hand slipped out of mine I woke up in a cold sweat."
She only nodded in understanding but couldn't really offer any sympathies. After all, she had never believed he hadn't made it out of that hell hole. Thus she couldn't really obsess over his death like he had for her. She felt guilty for a few moments before shrugging and taking a sip of her drink. "How are the two sisters doing?"
Leon frowned and found himself wishing Ada hadn't taken his last shot from him. Granted his head was already spinning but he knew when to keep his mouth shut. "I haven't spoken to either of them in person for six years." He then smirked as he turned to face her and said, "And nothing you can do will be able to pry their locations out of me."
Ada was shocked at his accusation but knew he was just being bitter about... well about a lot of things. "The three of you have a falling out after Raccoon?" She inquired.
Leon scoffed under his breath. "Something like that." He wasn't about to tell the woman about the numerous arguments he and Claire had during that time of hiding about what their next step should be. Claire insisted they search for her brother, since he was well aware of what Umbrella was up to and could probably help them. Leon in turn said they needed to go to the F.B.I. The government would be able to ensure their protection, and the evidence they carried would be huge in bringing Umbrella's actions to light. He closed his eyes as he remembered their last argument, which in accordance to all the others took place while Sherry was sleeping.
"Leon, we already know that Umbrella is looking for my brother as well. If he's been able to vanish from their radar, we could do the same if we find him."
"Claire, listen to yourself! Find him? How? How do you plan to find someone who's left no traces of his existence left, let alone the path through Europe?"
"Don't be difficult Leon, you know it makes sense!"
"I'm not saying it doesn't but let's be reasonable Claire! Unless you know how to forge drivers' licenses and passports, which I wouldn't condone anyway, trying to get to Europe by plane would be like waving a flag around saying, 'Hey Umbrella, we're over here!' No it would be best if we stayed low until we could get in contact with the F.B.I. or the C.I.A. or even someone from the military."
"Bullshit Leon. You've read those reports. You know how deep Umbrella's fingers stretched into Raccoon City. Who's to say that they don't have people working in those agencies."
"Damn it Claire, I know you want to find your brother but don't be so god damn eager to throw your life away for an attempt at finding him! Have you forgotten that you aren't alone in this? What the hell are you going to do if something happens to Sherry in your crusade to find your brother?"
"You pompous bastard! How dare you say that! Don't you dare stand there and accuse me of wanting to sacrifice her! She's been through enough as it is."
"Then stop being such a stubborn bitch and listen to yourself! If we can't trust our government we're fucked anyway for Christ's sake!"
Leon remembered that particular argument being broken by Sherry opening the motel door to look at the two of them outside with tears in her eyes. The sight still remained in Leon's mind until this day, and he doubted it would ever fade, even though Sherry had grown up.
Claire had left the next morning before either Sherry or Leon had woken up. She left a note apologizing but saying she had to find her brother. She had wished them both well. Leon remembered being furious with rage as he read it, not because of what she did, although it did piss him off quite a bit back then. No, more because she basically abandoned the little girl that had taken to Claire she was a surrogate mother. Leon and Sherry stayed in that motel a few more days, Leon doing his best to comfort the little girl, assuring her that Claire just had to do what she had to do and that they would see her again. The girl was friendly to Leon but no where near on the scale of closeness that she had been with the female Redfield.
Ironically, staying in that motel for that extra amount of time was what caused them to be found by the American government. They took Leon and Sherry into custody, Leon protecting the little girl the entire time. Leon had told the girl to pretend her name was Janet Woodworth, a fake name he had made up on the fly as he heard the agents coming. The deception failed however as her true identity was discovered and Leon watched kicking and screaming as they dragged the crying daughter of William and Annette Birkin away from him.
Leon snapped out of his musings as he felt a hand resting on his forehead. He saw that Ada's drink was gone and so were the shot glasses he had brought to the table. She had a look of concern on her face and then stood up, putting her jacket on before walking over until she was standing next to him. Leon looked over to see the bartender pointing at his watch and glancing at the door impatiently. Leon frowned at that, Closing time already? That could be a little nicer, I did give him one hell of a tip... That was the last he was able to muse on it before Ada helped him stand up and the two slowly walked out of the bar together.
Shortly after leaving the bar, Leon shook Ada off him before slipping his hands into his coat pockets and walking under his own power. She took this in stride and didn't seem to be offended in the slightest. Leon wasn't exactly walking straight, but it seemed as if he stumble out into traffic or anything so she wasn't too worried. Instead she went on speaking with the government agent as if this was a normal occurrence between them. Her voice was oddly soft and it caused Leon to stop after she asked her question, looking to see if he had heard her correctly. "So after six years, what do you think of me Mr. Kennedy?"
He looked at her as if she was some idiot before shaking his head and stumbling forward once again. He seemed to scoff under his breath before responding in a sarcastic tone. "How the hell do you want me to answer that exactly? Considering our recent activities in Spain, the fact you're working for the other side, oh and let's not forget the fact that I watched you die in my arms six years ago."
Leon was about to continue ranting when he noticed that she was pulling her coat tighter as they walked, the breath exited her nose becoming a fine mist in the late night air. He noticed that her attire wasn't exactly fit to battle the elements and he sighed before once again cursing his own adherence to a dead code before removing his heavier jacket and handing it to her. She took it, her expression showing confusion at first before giving a small smile as a thank you as she pulled the heavier clothing on. He then continued walking, lost in thought before speaking again. "Your 'death' nearly destroyed me woman. A part of me did die when you took that bullet. Seeing you alive in Spain when we met was a shock but in a way it was relieving."
Ada couldn't help as she smiled a little more at that, genuine happiness and warmth flood her being. She then teased playfully, wrapping an arm around his waist and leaning against him as she whispered softly into his her ear. "How sweet you do care..."
He didn't bother to break her hold on him but he turned his head to look her dead in the eye before saying in a dead voice, "Until I realized that the rumors of you working with Wesker were true." His words created a hollow silence between the two as Ada slowly detached herself from Leon, a frown plastered on her face.
Finally she spoke again as she released her playful hold on him, "Six years ago you were merely a cute child, someone who obviously never experienced true loss. Naïve about the true nature of the world, defining concepts such as good and evil you thought you were going to be some crusader for justice, like a kid's superhero." A smile was on her face as she spoke. Leon's gaze traveled towards her as if interested in her thoughts on him. She really is beautiful... Stop it Kennedy, just stop it now. "Six years later you retain that youthful naivety but it somehow now it suits the individual you've become. You've seen the world for its true self, and all of its shades of gray. To retain that quality of yours, after going through everything that has happened to you, is something I respect highly Leon Kennedy."
He smirked and once again the liquor had his mouth moving before his brain had a chance to filter it, "Ah, so I'm not longer cute anymore? What a shame..."
She only laughed slightly before running her finger down his chest again in a teasing manner. "True, but you have become a handsome man."
He growled as if annoyed before removing her hand and saying just as teasingly, "And you're still a sexy bitch."
She only shook her head as if slightly amused as she continued walking past him before stopping in front of him and turning around. She had a serious look on her face and her voice was even. "Pretend for a moment that you're sober Leon. What would you say if I told you I wanted to escape from Wesker and join the good side with you?"
Without missing a beat Leon responded. His response shocked the woman into a silence and a stunned expression that revealed exactly how shocked she was. "I would say you love your daughter too much to even consider it." Leon then starting walking again but as he passed Ada her arm shot out and grabbed Leon's shoulder roughly, her fingers digging into the skin with enough force to cause the government agent to flinch from the pain. Such strength despite those dainty little arms of hers. A side-effect from her rejoining the land of the living?
Her eyes had narrowed dangerously as she glared at the man. "What did you just say?" She demanded in a cold voice, as if warning him that the wrong answer would result in unbearable agony.
He shrugged, despite her grip and replied, "Despite what the majority of this country thinks of our intelligence networks, they're quite effective. When rumors of you began circulating a few years back, I refused to believe you'd work with psychopathetic scum like Albert Wesker, until the report about him holding your little girl captive came through." Ada looked at him for a moment longer as if trying to determine if he was telling the truth. After what seemed like hours, the woman released her hold on his shoulder and the two once again began walking in silence towards Leon's apartment.
It didn't take much longer before the two were standing outside Leon's apartment door. Leon idly wondered why Ada was still there, if she did have business to attend to. As he turned the key he realized he really didn't give a damn and just wanted to crash on his bed. It's been a long month. He walked into his apartment and left the door open for the woman, figuring if she wasn't coming in that she'd close the door before leaving. Ada took this time to take a look around the man's apartment.
It was surprisingly spartan, despite what she may have thought about the agent. It seemed that he only only had the necessary furniture, a table in his kitchen with two chairs, a single couch chair with a lamp near by, and his single person bed in his bedroom. A pile of newspapers were scattered around on the ground, as if someone tossed away the sections that they didn't bother to read. On the floor by the base of the lamp were four or five novels, open against the floor, each a different amount. She noticed that he had no television, nor any computer. She found this odd before moving on into his kitchen after him. She smirked slightly as she saw the interior of his small kitchen, At least his kitchen is fully stocked.
Leon walked over to his kitchen table and picked up a small remote before switching on his cd player before heading towards his fridge, seemingly ignoring the woman in red altogether. Ada watched with slight amusement as a small light flicked on in the corner of the kitchen as the cd player turned on and began to play a live version of "Two Coins" by Dispatch. She smirked in amusement before saying, "I figured you'd go for something more... edgy."
He shrugged, closing his fridge door and opening the upper portion before withdrawing a small box. He opened the box and unwrapped the pizza pocket snacks before tossing them in his microwave. He then reached back into the fridge and withdrew a pair of beers. "Nah, I've been told I'm edgy enough as it is. Give me some easy listening or some jam band music anytime. Beer?"
"Sure." She said, taking a seat at his kitchen table. She slowly took off Leon's jacket and her own, tossing them into the other room until the two articles of clothing landed on his reading chair. He watched the clothing fly as if thinking about something.
Finally Leon asked, his voice expressing genuine interest. "What's her name?"
A small smile cover the professional double-agent's face, one that showed a little bit of pride. "Asia. She's such a little sweetheart, in a few years I'm going to have to beat the boy's off with a stick."
Leon chuckled slightly at the Asian spy's motherly response before asking with an amused grin, "You named your daughter after a continent?"
Ada shot him a dirty glare before responding with a light laugh, "It was her late father's idea. He thought it was funny, and I was expecting a boy so I didn't mind. When she was born, that was the only girl name we had thought of so it stuck."
The two sat at Leon's table in silence after that, drinking their beers, lost in their own thoughts. Even the ding of Leon's microwave didn't interrupt their thoughts. Leon was staring at the ceiling; Ada at the can of beer in front of her.
Finally, out of no where, Leon began to laugh. Ada looked at him as if he was losing his mind but didn't ask. His laugh wasn't in amusement, but rather a low cynical one. Finally he grabbed his forehead with his free hand and turned away, "Bullshit, a different breed... We're two sides of the same fucking coin..."
Ada didn't say anything at first, her mind somewhat busy to break down the statement as Leon walked out of the kitchen. Finally realization dawned as she stood up and followed after him. He was standing by his reading chair, brushing through one of the fallen newspapers as if searching for something. She stopped at the entrance to the room, leaning against the wall and crossed her arms, studying him before venturing. "They're using Birkin's daughter against you?"
Leon flinched and froze in his place, belittling himself for letting such a thing slip. Next time you see someone who works for the other side, stop drinking. He thought he was thinking to himself but somehow words exited his mouth. "Leon, you're too talkative when you've been drinking..." It came out as a low mutter but Ada heard it. She chose to ignore it however as he straightened up and stretched his arms over his head. He looked back into his kitchen to see a digital display reading out the time and he silently cursed to himself for still being awake. Not that it matters, considering...
"Leon?" She asked, a strange expression covering her face as she watched the government agent trail off into his own little world again. She watched him in silence for a few more moments before pushing off the wall and making her way towards him. Her hand slowly went up and grabbed the man's cheek, directing his far off gaze towards her own face.
He blinked, as if surprised to see her before bringing his own hand up and pulling it gently off his cheek. Ada didn't show any reaction but inside it hurt to see him to not even allow her to touch him, even if it was only to show concern. He looked away from her once again before asking out loud, as if asking someone else who wasn't in the room. "When did things become so fucked up..."
Ada had often wondered the same thing since her 'rebirth' at the hands of Albert Wesker. She had no words of solace for him; there had been none for her. She once again drifted back to the last thing she remembered of her former life, her life slowly draining out of her as the bullet wound seemed to eat at her insides. She knew that she was dying, her eyes blurring in and out of focus as something sweaty held her hand as her body dangled about the chasm. She remembered looking up and seeing the desperate plea in the rookie cop's eyes, hearing his words but not truly understanding them. She knew her time was up and released his hand...
Ada snapped back into the present, watching a drunken Leon Kennedy, a man she held in the highest regards. His glazed over eyes weren't affected by the alcohol he had consumed by rather by his own dark thoughts that were starting to consume him. She had been down that road, and it was not one she relished. She suddenly could not bear the thought of him walking in her footsteps. Without really thinking about her actions, she suddenly grabbed Leon and faced him before pulling the slightly taller man into a fierce liplock.
Leon didn't know what hit him, but the feeling was rather... pleasant. His arms reflexively curled around the Asian beauty's waist and pulled her closer. He hadn't even realized his eyes had closed until he felt the woman pull away from him slightly, as if coming up for air. He opened his eyes to gaze into her lovely orbs and suddenly a strong chill went up his spine.
With sudden movement but not too hard, Leon stepped back away from the spy in the red dress. He was breathing heavily but he fully understood what had just happened. He finally spoke out weakly, his energy feeling slightly drained after all the soul-searching he and Ada had done previously. "Ada... Please don't do that again."
She was shocked; she wasn't sure it was his response or her actions that surprised her more. She felt slightly weak herself, as if kissing the former police officer had sapped her strength as well. But it only took her a few moments before she realized why. That felt... far too right. She could tell by the look on his face that he felt the same exact way but was trying to fight his emotions. "Don't tempt me Ada. You know it wouldn't work out." He pleaded to her, almost desperately.
She took a step closer before raising her left hand back up to his scarred cheek. "Why do you push me away? Isn't this what you wanted; what 'we' once wanted?" Her voice was genuine and seemed to plunge a blade into Leon's once wounded heart that he had thought he had all but killed during his government training.
He sighed and closed his eyes, his right hand rising up to clasp over hers. "It's something I've desired for years, but it can't happen. Not now, not in our current respective situations." He slowly dragged her hand down until he was holding it in both of his hands as if it were the finest china, so fragile as if his mere touch could shatter it to a million pieces. "We work for opposite sides, and we both have reasons that we can't quit. We can't do this, considering we may engage each other on our next respective missions." He then looked directly into her eyes before pleading once again, "Please Ada."
Ada Wong had done many things in her life. Prior to her reanimation at Wesker's hands, she had risen far into the ranks of her own agency. She had done it through grit, hard work, skill, and blood. Her single minded tenacity had brought her to where she had been before her fall and she didn't regret anything prior to Raccoon City. She knew she was far from being a perfect person, or rather even a 'good' person. But she did know one thing: She was stubborn as hell and deep down inside, she knew Leon was too.
He wanted this as much as her, if not more. So she reached inside her for that familiar bullheadedness that had served her so well in the past. She stepped closer to him once again and wrapped her arms around him before resting her forehead against his chest. "Then for one minute, forget who we work for. Forget about Spain, Raccoon City, Las Plagas, and Umbrella. Do that and then during that time tell me if you really want me to go." She was almost crying at this point and she took a deep breath, surprised at what she was saying. She then sobbed lightly into his chest before saying softly, "If you tell me to go Leon, I will. I won't ever bother you like this again, despite what I may want."
She felt tears running down her eyes and fought the urge to wipe them away. Why can this man affect me like this? Ever since the sewers in Raccoon, taking a bullet for me, and even trying to save my life despite knowing I had done horrible things to him; he never treated me differently. Her mind was in turmoil, dreading was she felt was coming. It seemed either choice was destined to destroy her, in one way or another.
She felt her heart flush with warmth as she felt a hand tilt her chin up to look Leon in those blue eyes of his. He was smiling gently before raising his fingers to wipe her tears away. "You really are a piece of work, you know that?"
She only smiled back and said in a playful manner. "As are you rookie." She then pulled him into another passionate kiss, one which he returned fully. Ada felt calm, comfortable, and safe knowing for at least one night, the two of them were together the way they wanted.
For once, it seemed as if all was right in the fucked up world they lived in.
Okay, this short thing was basically an experiment of mine. I may be starting a good size post-re4 fic sometime in the future, I still need to flush out some ideas before laying down some sort of groundwork. Odds are that if I do write this story, Leon Kennedy will be the main character but I really need to start working out how he'll interact with the other characters in the Resident Evil Universe. Since some parts of the overall RE storyline are... ambiguous at best, if not contradictory, when writing this fic I came up with some base assumptions that may go against the 'accepted' plotline of RE.
Ada is probably going to be the toughest to work out, since most of the time you really have no idea of her motivations. Hence why I wrote this little thing, it gave me a chance to flush her out a bit. As I got towards the end, in my opinion she went a little OOC but that's something I'll need to work with when I go to work with these guys again.
RE4 is truly a masterpiece of a video game, even if you didn't like the other games. Since finishing it, I went back and read a long and extensive plot analysis of the Resident Evil series over at The story of RE is rich and convoluted and shows that if there is one thing that Capcom is good at, its creating a world where the cannon is so intricate it can become a masterpiece if you allow yourself to really indulge in it.