...Hey, if anyone's still with this story, I'm so sorry it's taken such a long time to update. My computer just kinda gave out on me awhile back and it has been hell trying to get it to work right for me since it's all I've got. I haven't dropped anything and still plan to finish this (one day) and when it wasn't randomly turning off on me I managed to write this chapter up, though I know it's not much I'm sorry. I just wanted to post something to show I haven't given up...I'm so so sorry!

Hopefully I can update again soon, until then...

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The voices were just on the other side of the door Morgan had herself pressed against, trying to determine how many enemies there were before she and her partner flung themselves into full swing of heated gunfire. Leon stood a ways behind her, reading some paper left forgotten on the little wooden table.

"I can't make out more than two of those creepy chants those mindless puppets whisper. So, it's going to be another one of those 'run in and make up a plan as we go' kinda days." She whispered as she backed away from the door. The room was a nice contrast to that of the stone hallways and pillars they had just departed from, with dark carpet and brown painted walls. The air smelled of dust and neglectance , meaning it had been quite some time since anyone had used the room for anything. "Ready when you are."

"Alright, let's head out."

Morgan pushed the door open and stepped left while Leon when right. The two sides of the room were separated by unleveled ground, leaving the priest in the red robe on one side with his goons nearing the one the two agents were on.

"You don't speak Spanish, do you?" Morgan asked lightly, readying her handgun.

Leon shook his head, doing the same. "Funny time to ask a question like that."

"Nah, just had a suspicion that guy shouted 'get them' or something and I was hoping to confirm that, you know, 'cuz I'm so smart and stuff." She fired a few rounds as she crept around the décor leaving one priest dead.

"Well I'm sure it was something like that." He shot the second one that was coming his way. "We need to get into that room."

Morgan smirked to herself as she found a little window box in the corner, which was attached to a wall that jutted out a few feet with a door just beyond it. "I found it~" She said stepping around an explosive barrel. Leon walked over towards it, then gave Morgan a questioning look as she decided to climb through the little window box. She nearly faceplanted as she was stepping through it.

"And walking around seemed like too much work…why?" Leon questioned, a little amused. "Let me guess, badass agents never miss an opportunity to look cool, right?" He almost chuckled as she nodded, fully on her feet and nothing at all like a badass of anything.

"Duh, why walk around when you can look cool busting through randomly placed windows?" She said like it was the most obvious choice ever.

An arrow whizzed past her ear just as she was about to move forward towards the door. Her eyes immediately found the one responsible as he ran off on the balcony.

"Oh your ass is so mine buddy!" She promised as Leon pushed through the door with her at his heels, leading into another nicely made room with stairs that meant their ticket to the other half of the room. Leon and Morgan moved cautiously around the room to a set of carpeted stairs where an enemy awaited them at the top.

"Fifty bucks says you can't get a head shot from here." Morgan curled her hand at the base of her hip, smirking at her partner. Leon let out a chuckle and reached around her, standing close for their bodies to be touching as he used her gun and took aim.

"Fifty bucks?" His inquiry was met with a single nod. With practiced skill he took the shot, which would have been a head shot if the bullet hadn't ricocheted off the—now known—metal mask.

"Do you think he can breathe with that on?"

"Morgan, he's moving towards us, I think that answers that question."

"What," The brunette did a one shoulder shrug, "I'm not an anatomy expert, who knows what the parasites do to people. They could be walking dead people for all I know, and I'm not going to go up to him to see if he is breathing or not"

Gun shot.

"…see now he's dead and I'll never know!"

Leon made short work of their target whilst Morgan went off with her thoughts, casually stepping over the body as she took the lead up the stairs. Pushing through the door brought the agents onto a balcony that ran around the room and connected to their way out.

"Hey you!" She glared at arrows men and tackled the closest one to the ground. "You almost took out my eye!" Morgan glared as she back handed the goon and shook him by his shoulders. "Don't play with things that shoot sharp objects!"

What Morgan realized a few moments later was that the man she was abusing was unconscious and upon looking up she discovered the second arrows men staring at her. They had a staredown before he dropped the bow and took off in a full fledged retreat back the way the agents had come from.

She smirked. "Now that's more like it."

Standing, the brunette turned around to find herself alone and glanced around for her favorite brunette. Well, second favorite next to her brother. She spotted him running after the red clad priest along the balcony section, her eyes following his back and slowly drifted over the rest of his body in approval. Morgan giggled to herself. "He does have a cute butt." She grinned unashamed as his hips swished as he ran and disappeared after his target.

There was a short pause before a gunshot was fired, so Morgan knew Leon had finished his pursuit. When he did appear again she was leaning against the wall resting while she could before Leon jogged across the room holding a key up. She couldn't help the smile on her face when he was finally standing before her.

"What's so funny?"

Morgan shook her head still grinning. "Let's go!"

The next room wasn't very grand. In fact, it was similar to the carpeted room the duo had entered not even ten minutes ago. There were paintings on the wall of people hanging or awaiting to be beheaded across the wall. Leon was already at the pedestal reading the writing and messing with the switch.

"Whoa, creepy." Morgan peered over his shoulder to watch him work. The sacrifice of six lives shall make way the true path. Blue orbs watched as the paintings kept switching, never quite reaching the number they needed.

"Who takes the time to set these up?" Leon muttered after the last painting turned over and he hit the switch.

"People who own castles and are just slightly crazy?" Morgan cocked a bruised eyebrow as the wall opened up to reveal a door.

"Only slightly crazy?"

She nodded. "Well, yea. I mean you have to be somewhat sane to command minions to kill the people in your castle. But, the rigging and the elaborate traps take an insane mind to come up with that, and an insane one to appreciate it!"

"Oh you're insane alright." Leon joined the smile she was wearing and ruffled her hair a bit before they continued towards the door.

"I know!" She sighed in content. Just as they walked into the new room, a large shadow fell across the floor and Leon pushed Morgan behind him as they looked up and spotted Salazar.

"What a pleasant surprise…" He drawled out, running a pale hand along the banister of the balcony above. He paced a few steps before turning to look down upon the two. "But I'm afraid it's Ashley we need…not you Mr. Kennedy."

Morgan touched his arm gently to remind him to not get worked up. "If you don't need me then get off my back old man!" Leon shot back without missing a beat. Salazar's gaze caught Morgan's for a heartbeat, a dark look that was gone before anyone took notice.

"Oh," He sighed in despair, "Did you say old man Mr. Kennedy? It might come as a surprise," Salazar gestured with his hands, "but I'm only twenty years old."

"So you're just like all the others? A puppet to the parasites?"

Why does Leon sound so far away? Morgan started to feel heavy all of a sudden, like everything was happening around her slower than it should have been. She stumbled back from Leon and pressed herself against the wall, lifting her gaze to find that Salazar was staring down at her with a smile.

"Surely you don't think I'm the same as those diminutive animals. The parasites Las Plagas slaves to my will." All the while he spoke Morgan felt a shiver wrack her body before the dull ache of pain in her arm exploded full force. "I have…absolute control." Salazar smiled brightly, delighted as Morgan gasped soundlessly. The pain lasted only a few seconds before everything went completely numb and Morgan's lifeless arm started to move towards her gun holster.

"Well I really don't give a damn! Rain or shine you're going down." Leon readied himself as the walls opened up and revealed armed men holding scythes.

"If I were you I would be worried Mr. Kennedy…it seems your lovely partner isn't quite herself these days." The short man gestured towards the two agents and called out to his puppets. "Get rid of the American stink."

Leon spun on his heel to find a gun pointed right at his chest. With half lidded blue eyes, Morgan stared straight through him, looking lost in a daze. Her breathing was labored like she had been running a marathon and a sheet of sweat had covered her pale skin.

"Morgan, you have to fight it. Listen to me, you have to fight it." He held up his hands to show he wouldn't harm her, remaining calm even as the familiar chants started to grow closer. "Morgan you have to fight it. Don't let them control you."

The hand that held the gun quivered for only a moment, then calmed completely and held the weapon firmly.

A bullet whizzed past Leon's shoulder, another just grazing the skin of his forearm; a dance began between the bullets and his body as reflex drove him to dodge the lethal weapon. Morgan unloaded the whole clip until there was nothing left to fire, and even then her finger kept pulling the trigger uselessly.

Leon saw her reach for another weapon and narrowed his eyes. "Morgan, you're leaving me no choice!" He attempted once more, hoping to reach her and shake her from whatever trance she was under. Her eyes had lost their brightness, only looking like dark hollow pits as they stared at him and straight through him. So, he thought, Guess I have no other options. Sorry Morgan… Leon lunged forward using his shoulder as the force of his attack, catching the girl directly in the chest and he hoped to knock the wind out of her in an attempt to have her regain her senses.

Only, her body didn't tense or try to protect itself and the full force of the blow sent her flying into the wall where a resounding crack was heard as the back of her skull hit the concrete. Morgan's eyes rolled back and she fell slack.

"Shit…" Leon caught her around the shoulders as she started to slump, holding the unconscious girl upright with some difficulty. An arrow missed them by a foot and broke upon contact with the wall, but Leon's sharp eyes swung around the room to size up the threat closing around them.

He lowered his partner and leaned her against the wall before placing himself between their enemy and her unconscious body, guns raised and ready.

He rolled his shoulders and took a step forward to face the onslaught. "Guess I'm on my own for this one."