Hey guys! It's been awhile since my last chapter. I have finished Captive and started on the second of the series. However, I feel it's time to give 'Duo' some well needed attention. All the chapters prior have been updated (error changes, confusing areas fixed, etc). So to refresh your memories, go ahead and glance back!

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Chapter 5: Into the Unknown

"When you have come to the edge of all light that you know and are about to drop off into the darkness of the unknown, Faith is knowing one of two things will happen: there will be something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly." Patrick Overton

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The grip on Claire's neck was beginning to take its toll. A fire surged within her paling eyes, the blood blocked from her brain causing her to become not only disoriented, but fading fast into unconsciousness. With gritted teeth, she struggled on, trying to lift the weight of her bottom have with two sturdy hands on Bitores's lengthy arm. She clawed, she kicked, but nothing seemed to work as the power within her grew weaker and weaker. There was no breath to claim, no way to escape alone, and within her captor's eyes… she watched her savior.

Leon forced himself up as if nothing happened and quickly made his way to the Chief and Claire with his shotgun raised at his hip. When Bitores caught on, he launched and Leon with Claire still within his grasp. Leon could not fire and risk Claire's life, but he had another trick up his sleeve. The two launched, like two rams in fight over a female or a game of lose-lose chicken, until Leon changed the name of the game; he let his body drop and the velocity mixed with his weight sent him sliding past the tall man.

Claire's eyes rolled into the back of her head, now choking on her spit but faintly alerted by the sound of large gunfire; Leon had blasted a round off into Bitores's back. She fell instantly; her breath heaved from her lungs just enough to get her respiratory system working again. Once she began to function again, which was only a few spare moments that may have rendered her vulnerable, her eyes darted to find the man who once held her in a death grip.

"W-where did he go?" She shoved her body back as she asked this question, kicking at the floor and slightly hopping on her hip backwards as Leon rushed to her side to help her up on his way.

Both standing, the duo placed their back towards the door, eyes scanning the room for the man. When he did emerge, he was a whole new man. In fact, he wasn't a man, but a creature. His spine was exposed in fleshy manor, eyes that of a serpent, and his mouth peeled back in a permanent, toothy grin. Leon blew two more rounds of shotgun shells into the torso of the once pronounced chief and Claire soon collected her 9mm to do the same. However, she knew she needed to find an area where she could use her steady hand and snipe.

"Take cover!" Claire called, her wits finding a way to make two once her eyes fell upon an explosive barrel. Yet, she took a moment of pause.

"Claire, now!"

She pulled the trigger, already aimed at the barrel and they both jumped off to the side, nearly running into one another as they rolled into stance. The creature's torso had split in two as soon as he was caught ablaze, his exposed spine snapping like a twig, but he somehow advanced. Not to mention, the barn had caught on fire. In awe, they stared, but he was preparing to lunge at the duo.

Yet, flames weren't their only new obstacle. The whole building was full of bars, stretching from one side to the next and creating a maze on the upper level. Bitores used his one half to this advantage, swinging and moving like a gymnast to get closer to them.

The two fired, bullets ricocheting off the metal bars above; it was clear their tactics were not working.

"He's coming in fast!" Claire began to reload.

"Claire, the ladder!" Leon pointed forth and they both rushed to a ladder and headed through the barred mess to the upper level.

The creature's torso continued to swing, coming in fast as the two wandering around the upper level's platform to get better shots. However, the platform was thin and that made it hard to maneuver out of harms way. Leon, unfortunately, became the perfect example of that as the torso knocked him off his balanced and back down to ground level.

"Leon!" Claire shouted as she fell to her knees, watching him roll out of his fall.

"I'll work from down here," He assured her.

The creature was more interested in Leon, beings that he had a shotgun that hurt the most. He wasted no time dropping from his acrobatic sways to hop down and leap at Claire's partner. She moved her position, racing against the wooden planks and removing her rifle that was painfully bouncing against her back. Placing it upon her shoulder, her eye zoned in the scope, she blasted into back of the pursuer. Blood splashed of burgundy arrays, spraying color onto Leon's pale face; Bitores had met his end.

Ashley waited nervously outside, letting out gasps of distress at every sound around her, and praying the gunfire within wouldn't come to an abrupt end. The smoke coming from the barn windows weren't exactly reassuring either. When the fire did stop, she held her breath, and hoped that it only met the demise of whatever beast they were battling. Only when Claire and Leon emerged did her heart begin to beat again. She ventured over to them, smiling from ear to ear, and looking them both over. She noticed the bruises imprinted in Claire's neck which resembled fingerprints, and large ones at that

"Claire, what happened?"

"I wasn't as cautious as I should have been," Claire responded disappointedly.

"It wasn't your fault," Leon quickly coaxed an almost emotionless way; he was always unsure of how much emotion he should show. Claire smiled weakly towards the ground.

"Now what?" Ashley asked as Leon wiped the battle fluid from his face.

"We use this," Leon presented to Ashley in the palm of his gloved hand a glass eye. Ashley shrieked and retreated from the stance she was in. "It's not real, Ashley, come on."

They wandered over into a large set of doors, where Leon raised the glass eye to capture the light above. Like the sun through a magnifying glass, it created a beam which unlocked the door before them.

"Don't see that every day," Claire rolled her eyes as she advanced and pushed the doors open to view a whole new land. "Whoa."

"Leon! Claire!" Ashley shouted, her hand extended towards the Ganados approaching.

"The welcoming party," Claire said slightly panicked as she looked to Leon for his orders.

"On the other side of the bridge!" He noted and the two women viewed just what he was looking at.

"Yeah," Ashley said urgently as they darted across a stretched drawbridge.

The crazed villagers were closing in, moments behind them when they reached their destination.

"Claire, you take that one," Leon pointed towards a lever.

"Okay!"

The both heaved down the lever, bringing up the drawbridge and leaving the villagers trapped on the other side. They watched them shout and attempt to throw their pointed tools, but of course none reached them. Claire ventured slightly ahead, hands placed upon her hips as she pondered their new destination.

"A Castle?" Leon stood by her side. Ashley was behind mocking the villagers; the girl needed some enlightenment so none of them disturbed her.

"Appears so," Claire said quietly, their minds both occupied with what could lie within.

"Claire…" He had her attention; she was facing him with an expression bound to change depending on what he had to say.

"Thanks… for helping out back there." Only then did he peer down at her five-foot-five self.

"Leon, you don't have to thank me. We are partners… it is what we do."

"That may be so, but a lot of people had doubts, well except for me, about you holding your own. You really will prove them if we make it through this."

"When…" She corrected sharply. "When we make it through this."

"When we make it through this," he corrected and heard Ashley finally approaching from behind.

"What's going on you guys?"

"We're heading into the unknown," Claire answered her as her crystal orbs left Leon, viewing the castle as she proceeded on slightly in front of the other two.