Chapter Text
Leon was exhausted. Actually, no, exhaustion was an understatement.
You and Leon were dispatched for a simple mission that didn't include many murderous details, and Leon was more than happy to get it over within a day.
But now, three days later, he was stuck in a village in the middle of nowhere, looking for you. You had told him to split up so that you wouldn't waste time and finish earlier than you were told. It was all fine, Leon agreed and you both split up and made plans to find each other at the same spot four hours later. Leon trusted your judgement and you had radios so you could communicate.
At first, Leon checked in every 30 minutes. a few words, but they were enough to make each other feel safe and sure that you were making progress. But, there came a moment where you didn't answer. And Leon immediately knew something was wrong. You were known in the agency as the second most strict and responsible of the members, only second to Leon. Thats why, when Leon spoke into the radio and nothing but static came from the other end,
he drew in a sharp breath and cursed under his breath.
He came in contact with HQ and asked for your location through a tracker both of you had on your clothes. When he was told the cords, he made his way quickly to the location but was quickly disappointed when he found the tracker on the ground and looked like someone tried to smash it but failed. He grabbed it and put it in his pocket. If HQ found out that you were in danger they would send reinforcements but that's the last thing that Leon needed. An army swarming this already dangerous village and putting you in more danger than you already were probably exposed to.
So, he spent the next day yelling into the radio, hoping that you were somewhere without service and couldn't hear him. But, that wasn't the case. You could hear him, but to answer his calls was impossible with your arms chained to the ceiling and Samael taunting you with a sinister smile painted on his scarred face while holding your radio.
You struggled against the chains on your wrists and yanked on them non-stop. Samael had planned ahead and gotten thick ones, strong enough to hold a bull docile. He must have known that you were one of the strongest agents and Leon's partner. Because he couldn't stop using those facts against you.
"Even if you struggle, you wont get free. You are aware of that, yes?"
You sniffed and gave the chains another pull. "Worth a try."
You were seething. Blood was caked under your nose, your mouth, your neck. All over your body. Because you didn't let yourself get taken away that easily. You put up a fight and managed to give Samael a deep cut on his cheek. Of course, that resulted in you getting your face punched, kicked and spit on. You were sure your nose was broken, it hurt a lot at first but now it was numb. It had been a day since then, after all.
"Lotus! Lotus, come in!" That was your code name.
Your eyes widened a bit as you blinked at the crackle of the radio in Samael's hand. He looked at you with a twitch in his eye. "He's persistent, isn't he?"
His loud footsteps echoed in the empty room and stood tall in front of you, looking down at you. He put a hand on the chain that connected your wrists with the pulley that was bolted to the ceiling. He didn't leave you a second to even breathe as he gave a hard pull on the chain, lifting you to your feet, the sudden move making you yell in pain as your wrists had to feel all the pain of the pull. When you were almost hanging in the air, he held the chain in his hand and looked at you with a chuckle.
Flabbergasted, you groaned and tried to touch the floor. Your eyes wandered to Samael's hand. The radio's speaker button was pressed and a distant voice was heard. He sounded worried and frantic. You shook your head and called Leon's name.
"Are you okay?! Where are you? What's going on-"
The way he called your name made you want to sob. You looked at Samael with worried eyes, almost begging him to let you go. But he merely glanced at you and put the radio near his mouth.
"Hello, Leon."
A moment of silence. And then the radio cracked again.
"You!"
Leon's voice boomed in your ears even though it came from the radio. You winced a little and stared at Samael who also winced and made a sour expression with his face.
"Jeez, Leon. I'm excited to hear you too but I’m not screaming-"
"Samael, where the hell are you? What are you doing with her?"
Samael gave you a smile and then his boot made quick contact with your ribs, causing you to scream from the impact. You squeezed your eyes shut and tried to calm down fast, knowing that the kick probably cracked a rib. For sure, no doubt.
Leon, who was gripping his radio so hard that his knuckles were turning white, gritted his teeth and sucked in a breath. The sound of your screams made something in his stomach churn. Oh, there was no way that he was letting Samael run free this time.
"Leon, you there?" The voice from the other end was taunting and it almost made Leon want to scream bloody murder and smash the radio on the ground. But he swallowed that ugly urge and held the radio close to his mouth again.
"Samael, let her go."
"Ah. That's something I unfortunately can't do."
"Samael, what happened back then is between us. Why the fuck did you drag her into this?"
"Oh, Leon, Leon, Leon. I needed some kind of leverage to get you here, didn't I? Did you really think this was a real case?"
Something dawned on Leon at that moment. The anonymous caller. The almost no info they got from HQ. The fact that every villager he had taken out was wearing some form of tactical armour. The high grade weapons they were carrying. That closet full of gunpowder.
This wasn't a village. It was a hideout.
Leon felt his knees buckle but put his back on a tree, to prevent him from falling. There was no way out of this without losses. This was his territory. His army. His own little game. He had them at the palm of his hand, grabbing their arms and playing with them like dolls in a dollhouse.
No, Leon. He had a few seconds to come up with a plan and not make Samael catch on to it. With the radio still in his hand, he pressed the button and spoke as calmly as possible.
"You want me, don't you?"
"Ding, Ding, Ding! He finally figured it out, princess." There was a short pause, some shuffling and then he spoke again. "Kennedy, I'm afraid if you want your partner back you're gonna have to hand yourself over. 12AM. Every minute you're late, I'm cutting one of her fingers off. Come with company and she's dead. And I'm gonna make you watch. I'll send you the address."
And then, the radio was silent. Leon stored his radio away and looked at his watch. 11PM. And he had no idea where he was. His phone dinged and some numbers in the form of cords made their way on the tiny screen.
"How the fuck am I going to get there?" He whispered to himself as he reloaded his gun. The words that Samael spoke hung over Leon's head like a mantra. He knew that his former nemesis wasn't kidding. Leon had to endure this again almost a decade ago.
Still frames of Leon's former squad, slaughtered in a gruesome way made their way into Leon's memory and he had to grimace. Samael was an Umbrella researcher, becoming known to him some years after the Raccoon incident. Leon had done research on him, as word was passed around that he was planning on giving the T-Virus a comeback, only this time, in New Jersey. Leon was sent to dispose of him with his squad, but only he managed to escape while he destroyed Samael's entire organisation. His squad wasn't so lucky.
He remembers Samael rolling on the ground, writhing in pain with multiple broken limbs, cursing Leon's entire bloodline and swearing on his revenge. But, as Leon put down explosives all over his lab, he knew that Samael wasn't going to be a problem anymore. That's what Leon thought, anyway.
Now, Samael was back. And alive. And holding you hostage.
Fantastic, Leon thought to himself as he stepped into a puddle, further dirtying his clothes.
It had been a good half hour when Leon finally found an abandoned house. He knew that it wasn't the one he was looking for, but it was something he needed to make a sound plan. He went in with quiet steps and sighed when it was clear of any soldier.
He sprawled out a map he had on his person and quickly deduced the house Samael was holding you in. It wasnt far from his location. Leon could only blink at that fact, as he still couldn't breathe. The ammo on him was short and he knew that Samael wasn't going to go down easy. After all, he thought that Leon was going to hand himself over. Leon's cell phone rang and he quickly picked up, speaking quietly into it.
You, on the other hand… you weren't really holding up. The conversation that Samael had with Leon made cold beads of sweat form on your forehead. Samael had finally let you fall to the ground and you could see your hands tremble with anxiety. What if Leon didn't make it in time? What if Samael decided to kill you before he even got there?
Those thoughts were enough to make any person mad, but you had managed to keep yourself at bay. Well, as much as you could in that situation. Your hands were still shaking, after all.
"You're quiet," Samael said from a few metres away. You flicked your head towards him while rolling your wrists in the chains. "Anything you wanna share before we're separated?"
It was a taunt, as usual. But you couldn't be bothered. Merely glancing at him, you looked away and shook the chains again. You had something in mind, but didnt know how Leon would catch on when he came. If he came.
"Tough crowd." The man sighed and walked over to you once more, a more neutral expression on his face. You stared at him as he kneeled before you, his eyes finally matching your eye level. "I have an idea. How about we give you a makeover before Leon gets here?" Then, that same wicked smile grew on his face as he spoke. That smile that made your entire body freeze and go numb out of reflex.
You shook your head, not even aware of what Samael had in mind. You knew it was going to hurt. And you couldn't even have a choice. He had you at his mercy. Even if you begged and pleaded, that would only feed his ego. "S- Samael, please. Look, I'll be quiet, okay? I won't say anything, please don't-"
His hand on your mouth definitely prevented you from speaking then. You yelped a little and tried to move away but he was holding you down with all of his might. After a moment, he let his hand go but was quickly replaced by duct tape rolling around your mouth. You tried to fight it but he was stronger than that and he had the upper hand. You groaned against the tape but he only laughed. Then, he undid the chain and cuffs from your hands. A moment of freedom, a chance to break free-
Nope, before you could fight him, he had cuffed your hands behind your back and connected you to a chain against the wall behind you. This one was shorter and definitely restricted your movements more than it did before. You panicked because he had caught on to the fact that the pulley was loose from all the yanking you were doing and was ready to fall if you pulled on it again with whatever power you had left. Yelping, you tried to pull your arms but he had definitely tightened the cuffs so it would hurt more if you struggled.
A hand gripped on your cheeks so hard, nails digging into them. He got so close to your face, your noses were almost touching. "Do you think I'm an idiot?" he seethed and dug his nails a bit more, resulting in a whimper from you. "If you keep acting like a smartass, you'll be ripped apart before blondie even gets here. Got that, princess?"
He hissed like a snake ready to bite and you could only stare at him with wide eyes, ready to spill tears. If you could slap yourself in that moment, you would.
He finally let your face go when you didn't reply and gave you a swift punch on the right cheek, almost making you topple over. You gagged a little and tried to regulate your breathing but it was difficult with the tape over your mouth and the fact that you were really panicking then.
He had gotten up and grabbed a pair of scissors from a table that stood a little farther from where you were. He walked quickly back to you and before you could think, he had grabbed a fist full of your hair.
Snip. Snip. Snip.
Locks of your hair fell on the floor in slow motion. You could only watch in horror. And he didn't stop there. He grabbed the scissors again and started ripping your clothes, not even sparing a glance when the scissors would cut your flesh too. You yelled in pain and tried to move but the chain was short and you had managed to back up to the wall, leaving you in a corner. His laugh was something that echoed in your mind for a while.
Well, until Leon got there.
He had taken out so many soldiers, he had lost count as he made his way into the house you were kept in. He walked quietly into a deep corridor. 11:58. He had to be close.
He backed up behind a wall, spotting two soldiers in front of a metal door. That had to be the room you and Samael were in. Leon drew in a deep breath as he snipped the two men in front of the door, killing them in an instant. He ran to the door, putting his gun back in the holster and trying to figure out how to break in.
A keypad. If he could laugh, he would.
"Fuck this." He whispered to himself before taking a step back and lifting his foot in the air.
One kick, two kicks, three and a half. He managed to break it.
Not even wasting a second, he sprinted in, gun back in his hand and already cocked. He landed in the room, his gun pointed at the shrunken figure of you in the room.
His lungs were about to collapse. "My god," he spoke quietly and took a step forward only to see the barrel of a gun staring at him from directly behind you. A footstep was heard as Samael came in the light, standing behind you. "Samael!"
"Welcome, Kennedy.'' He spoke finally, something in his tone making the hairs on Leon's back stand up. "12AM. You're a good boy, aren't you?"
"Drop the gun, let her go.'' Leon spoke fast, seeing that you weren't moving or speaking.
"Leon! You won't even greet us?'' Samael kneeled behind you, wrapping his free arm around your shoulder and lifting your face for Leon to see. You were beaten up, tape still over your mouth. Leon noticed locks of hair around you, as well as droplets of blood within two metres of where you were sitting. You looked up at Leon with droopy eyes full of tears and agony written all over your face. "Say hi, princess." With a swift motion, he pulled on the tape, finally uncovering your mouth. The sound of your mangled cry made Leon yell your name with wide eyes.
"What the fuck did you do to her?!" Leon yelled and pointed the gun directly at Samael’s head, his trigger finger itching to move.
"Just had a little fun, didn't we?"
Samael giggled and turned his gun on your head. That simple movement made both you and Leon panic more than you already were. You sucked in a breath with gritted teeth. "Leon, go." You managed to speak those two words but it made Samael's gun dig further on your head. "Fuck."
"No more talking, princess. Me and Leon have a lot to discuss." Samael spoke with a twisted smile on his face.
Leon kept his gun pointed at him while sparing worried glances at you. "Samael, you called for me. I'm here, you let her go. That was our deal!" He couldn't help but get aggressive. Seeing you in such a state was making him nervous.
Samael simply raised an eyebrow at Leon and looked down at you. He removed the gun from your head and that made you finally breathe. You coughed a little, spitting blood in front of you. That must have been due to the earlier punch.
"Leon Kennedy. The cause of my demise.'' Samael immediately pointed the gun at Leon, a glint in his eye. He pointed at his scarred face and scoffed. "You thought you killed me, didn't you? You were much more cocky back then, fresh out of training I presume." He laughed at his own words while standing up. "Yet here we are, ten years later. Who would have thought!"
Leon's knees were about to give out. He had to get you and himself out of there soon. You, most importantly. You looked like you were about to pass out. The grip on his gun tightened. "Cut the foreplay, Samael. I'm here, now, untie her. Once she's out of here, I'm all yours." He tongued his cheek in between his words, trying to sound as convincing as possible to him.
Samael stared at Leon with eyes devoid of any emotion. What a nutjob. After Leon finished talking, he slowly knelt down and undid the chain that held you to the wall. With rough movements, he lifted you to your feet but wrapped his arm around you again, putting his body behind you as a human shield. "You really thought it was going to be that easy, Leon?" He said as he held you close to his body. "You destroyed everything I had built! My dream! My… fucking… future!" He screamed as his gun holding hand shook. Leon stared at it in terror.
Then, Samael laughed. A cold, heartless, psychopathic laugh. It made the air heavy.
"Now, it's my turn."
The next few moments were slow. Excruciatingly slow. In seconds, he had turned his gun back to your head, his trigger finger twitching. As the bullet was waiting for Samael's command, you pursed your lips in a tight line, kneeling ever so slightly, positioning your head directly under his chin. You sprung up suddenly and gave him a swift blow to his chin, making him let you go and stumble back in shock. He recovered quickly to that unfortunately, positioning his gun at you and firing a shot into your shoulder. Leon gritted his teeth and found an opening, shooting Samael on the torso three times.
That definitely slowed him down.
After he fell down, his attention turned to you. He lifted your upper body from the floor and looked at the bullet wound on your shoulder with frantic eyes. He couldn't exactly hear himself calling your name or asking you if you were okay but he felt his mouth moving. Your eyes were squeezed shut but you were conscious which was a good sign. He looked around and found the keys to the cuffs on the table next to him. He quickly undid the cuffs and helped you get up.
He held you up and guided you out of the room, completely forgetting about Samael. He wouldn't be much of a bother anyway.
He ran out of the house with you, talking to you and making sure that you were still conscious. After you weakly nodded to his words, he sighed and looked up to find a flashlight beaming on both of you. Leon quickly screamed instructions to his men to find Samael and make sure he was dead, as well as where to place the explosives they had brought.
While you were stuck in that room. Leon had gotten in touch with HQ and requested backup. They immediately responded and were there within thirty minutes. Just in time for Leon to get in the room to stall Samael. As the crossfire went down, his men had already taken out all of Samael's still standing men and destroyed the village.
With that, you could finally be his top priority.
He held you up bridal style as he jumped in the helicopter that waited for you a little farther away from the house. He placed you on the makeshift bed on the floor as the medic immediately jumped to treat you.
The medic whispered to himself incoherently as he carefully removed the bullet from your shoulder. Leon webbed his hands together as he watched helplessly from his seat. You were whimpering and breathing heavily, rolling your head on the bed.
"Leon… Leon- Where is he?"
You were calling his name to the medic and Leon slowly knelt next to you, a worried glint in his eyes. "Hey, I'm here. Don't worry." He placed his hand on yours and had a soft smile on his face as your eyes wandered towards him. You exhaled sharply and a tear rolled down your face.
"Is he- Did we-"
"Yes. Yes, he's dead. Just rest, okay? Clark is taking care of you now. I'm right here."
A look of relief washed over your face as Leon confirmed that Samael was dead. Your eyes finally fluttered shut and a soft breath escaped from your lips as you passed out. Leon quickly looked at Clark who simply sighed and looked back at Leon. "I removed the bullet, she's going to be fine. I just need to take a look at her other injuries-"
When Clark lifted your shirt to see your other wounds, Leon gagged and covered his mouth. So many cuts, bruises, everything. He exhaled sharply and sat back down to his seat as Clark got to work. There were nail marks on your cheeks, a black eye was forming on your right eye, your wrists were red and wounded from the chains and cuffs. Leon was about to throw up.
The helicopter finally flew off and Leon just sat on his seat, his eyes blank and his body numb. He just looked at you while you rested, bandages and gauzes covering your entire body. Aside from your bullet wound and some other cuts, you didn't need much stitches. But he knew there was more than that. You had gotten involved in Leon's stupid mistake and he was feeling like absolute shit.