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He was on the battlefield for one last time, of course he wouldn’t have known that. It was Wesker vs Leon. Finally after all of Leon’s hard work he can go up against the person who had been the mastermind of all of this. Wesker kept sending in his Urboros, which slowly but surely was degrading what was left of Agent Kennedy. He reminded himself of all the times as a rookie on the worst day of his life that he couldn’t protect, or even when he couldn’t protect her. Suddenly he was taken back to that day.
Agent Kennedy, Ada Wong. They entered this ballroom, everything was on a time crunch but at this moment everything seemed so perfect. Both of them knew that Leon had to go grab the sample, but at this moment they felt so home; it had been so long since Leon had felt like he was at home. Looking around the room slowly turning into looking at each other, they both felt this tension; but both of them would always put work in front of anything else. The future of the world depended on that, but for this moment. They both feel like it would be their only chance to ever be something out of work. Without saying anything. They slowly closed the gap of space around them, and with the sense that it is a ballroom, they danced. For once in Leon’s life something wasn’t so serious, but more so of something that he could enjoy. Everyone sees him as someone who isn’t scared of anything, a super tough guy who can help anyone and everyone whenever they call out his name. He’s not any of that, and for once he found what he was looking for; someone who saw what he was. He’s a traumatized agent who is trying his best to save everyone because in reality, he couldn’t save all of them.
“So Agent Leon Kennedy.. What did you want to be before all of this?” She asks him gently, no malicious plans behind the question, just purely a question.
He sighs before answering “I was a cop, and you?” He asks, meeting her eyes.
“I wanted an escape, an exit. For someone to finally see me for me.” She looks away from him, scared to spill out the truth “I think I’ve found that now..” She leans into his chest. An anxiety swirls around in her stomach, knowing what her true intentions of being here are; but she must get the job done. She slowly backs herself away from him, leading him to feel confused.
“Ada?.. What's wrong? Are you alright?” he asks with a concerned look on his face, he tries to slowly walk up to her but she just backs up.
“Leon.. Just, go get the sample and let's go our separate ways..” She won't even make eye contact with him.
“We have something, I know you feel it too..” He won’t move his eyes off of her, he just wants things to be open with them.
“Please don’t fight me on this, I don’t want to hurt you more..” Her entire body facing away from him, she sounds like she's struggling to not cry. It was crazy to her, he used to mean nothing to her, now he means everything to her; but the mission is more important.
“You haven’t hurt me Ada.. You.. We’ll talk after I get the sample…” After he said that, leaving it short and sweet he left, to go get this sample. But what she didn’t know was, even in every universe where she had hurt him; he’d always love her. They both had been the missing piece to what they were looking for, to finally be seen as who they truly were.
Once he gets the sample and returns to where Ada is
“Did you get the sample?” Ada asks as she struts over to Leon, returning once again to finish up this mission and get the hell out of here; and never look back.
“Yes, but before that” He walks up towards her and stops about a third of the way. “I ran into Annette, she claims you're not FBI..” He finishes looking at her.
She pulls out her gun, “Oh Leon.. I really hoped it wouldn’t end this way”.
Suddenly Annette shows up and from Leon's point of view, he hears a gunshot and then boom.. Ada has a bullet wound in her shoulder, the mental shaft starts to collapse, both Leon and Ada fall. Leon’s heart is racing, everything is happening so fast. He catches her before it's too late, the overwhelming, persistent, guilt of surviving what everyone else had died, he lost so many; he couldn’t lose another one.. Not without a fight that is.
Forget it!” Ada shouts out to Leon, a bullet mark at the front view of her shoulder, back and forth with a bullet inside. The other arm held up, being held up by Agent Kennedy.
“No way, I’ve got you..” His voice strained, knowing damn well if he keeps holding on the metal bridge they will both fall to their death. The bridge slowly but surely tilts more downwards, they’re going to fall soon.
“Take care of yourself Leon..” Ada barely gasps out, knowing this will be the last time she’ll look up and see his face, the last time he’ll ever try to help her get back up, and the last time she’ll ever inherently save him.. She lets go of his hand and falls in what feels like this never ending fall. In a way she's almost at peace, she can still feel the slight warmth of his hand in hers, and to know for once someone finally saved him was enough grace for her to go out like this.
He screams in an agonizing way, like he has been shot. He had plans to leave this shithole with her, the bridge he now sits on alone while leaning out looking at her falling starts to fall apart even more. He knows he has to escape soon, when all of the sudden.. His chest feeling too small for the air he tries to breathe, every inhale hitches halfway like snagging fabric on a nail. His thoughts not lining up correctly, spinning, endless and endless spinning. His hands trembled, coated with sweat. He should’ve fallen by now, why is it always him? This wasn’t the life he wanted, he wanted to look after people the way they never did him. What was the point of any of this if he couldn’t do the one thing he’s always intended to do.. It feels as if he has lost the rhythm of living, being alive, happy. His vision starts to sharpen and blurs all at once, the edges of things going dark, there is a pressure in the air that's cold. He starts to close his eyes, its air.
The cold wind hits his face and he no longer feels the sharp feeling of the metal on his legs. Instead it's more of an aching pain everywhere, he opens his eyes and there he sees Albert Wesker walking away from him like he had just won something that Leon wouldn’t ever be able to comprehend. It feels as if he has been grieving so many things, he doesn’t realize it's his time to be grieved and well missed. All of the things he has been grieving almost hits him in this singular moment, but nothing specific. Almost like he can’t even fully understand why he is so mad, why won’t he let himself fail? He is so tired of fighting, but there is something in him; like a spirit haunting him for years. Maybe it's not just one spirit, but inside one of the spirits is much more strong and active than the rest. He’ll try to get up, but his legs will fail him over and over again, his perseverance doesn’t last long; as exhaustion hits him. He leans back dark red blood dripping down his face, and a gun shot right to the stomach. He looks up at the sky, defeated, knowing it was his last day, knowing all of those people who needed saving won’t ever be saved. People won’t remember Leon as a hero, but someone who was dressed up as something they were never meant to be. He wasn’t special, he couldn’t save everyone he not only wanted to but needed to.
His mind takes him back to that day, September 30th 1998.. The “Welcome Leon” banner hung up, the smell in that police station, and the words of Marvin hitting him over and over again “You save yourself first, and don’t make my mistake, if you see one of those things uniform or not – you do not hesitate.” The burning memory of having to shoot Marvin later on, the way his city was wiped out. Everyday Leon has to live with it, I mean how could someone move on? He wanted to help his city, help his people.. And all he got out of it was a ruined city, no first day party, and now?.. He lost.. All of this bullshit for what?..
He closes his eyes and sits there for a while letting the thoughts eat him away, until he feels nails tracing the scars and veins on his arms. He doesn’t flinch, he's no longer scared, or feeling defeated; he knows exactly who he is with, he is home. He slightly moves his head to face her, she's back.. She’s home again, they’re both home. They make eye contact, no words are needed for this moment, now in the present. He feels a warmth flow through his entire body, a slight movement she makes with her fingers makes his stomach feel like it's dancing. The sparkle in her eyes he hasn’t seen in years, her short hair wisping over her face in the same wind, and that spirit. That damned energy, the same one that he had been feeling. His anger, his grieving, it was her all this time.. Sure he had been grieving more things as well, his first day; everyone he couldn’t save that day. The difference between her vs his co-workers was that she was the cherry on top of the cake, it was a reassurance that he couldn’t save everyone; and that made everything he had worked so hard for almost feel useless.
“Oh Leon..” Her voice is like a dagger for his heart to hear, “It’s time for us to move on, we can finally leave this shit hole together” She says barely above a whisper.
“Ada..” He groans feeling the warmth in his body mixed with almost suppressed pain, “I could’ve saved you that da-” she places a finger on his mouth and shushes him, it reminds him that it is her; that fire she had to overrule things he would say.
“Shhh.. You couldn’t have. But none of that matters anymore, we are home now.. I’ve been waiting for you Leon, and I’m so happy you’re here now..” She caresses his face with her thumb trying to make him feel more comfortable in this situation. “The place we are going.. You’ll no longer have to save anyone, you can rest now.. And today, you’re going to have that first day you deserved..You ready? Everyone is waiting on you, Rookie…” As she finishes her sentence, she gives him a warm embrace and when she does his vision slowly but surely goes out, and he feels his body slowly shutting down. Around them they can hear mayhem but he has the reassurance of Ada knowing it's no longer his problem; it’s his time to be honored, and never forgotten.