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The gun pressed tightly to his temple, but he gazed outward past Grace who wailed his name. To the pervasive memories of his beloved family.
“At least,” He whispered against Zeno who braced himself as the platform tilted viciously. “I could save you.”
Elpis wouldn't do any damage to anyone now.
The gunshot that rang out was drowned out by the screams of a blonde woman.
----
She bound off of her motorcycle, she was late. The black haired woman could already see that the Wolves and other agents swarmed the space. Ada scanned the scenery, she had come here because of a hint that she might need to help a certain blonde man but it seemed that a certain boulder punching idiot had taken care of it already. The girl, Grace, was already being corralled to an ambulance – which meant that Leon probably wasn't far behind. She waited, watching as Grace thrashed about in the grasp of the agent that tried to soothe her.
The girl was acting awfully cagey for someone who had just been saved.
As they settled the young woman on the edge of the ambulance she saw the trickle of other agents come out from the collapsed buildings, but no Leon. Sweeping her gaze over the area again, but to her dismay there was no blonde haired rookie among the crowd. Maybe she had just missed him? Reaching for her phone she dialed his number; only for it to go to voice mail. Was he already home? Her finger hovered over the button – she could call his wife, the number was right there but a pit in her stomach made her scroll down to call another number.
The woman who she called picked up on the very first ring.
“Ada,” Sherry droned, her voice devoid of any real emotion.
Ada frowned, her heart starting to beat a little harder as anxiety settled in. “Is he already off scene?” She asked, unsure if his coworker and dear friend would give her a straight answer.
“No, hes still there,” There was a dangerous tone edging those words and Ada picked it up immediately. Her eyes now frantically looking for that dark blonde head, pushing off her bike she began to walk forward ignoring the agents that side eyed her. She was about to query Sherry more when she quipped; “You just didn’t make it in time.” Ada paused in the middle of the area, Grace off to her left having settled and now staring at her. But the blacked haired woman was focused on the unceremonious accusation that the woman across the phone had just thrown at her.
“What do you mean,” Ada hissed but Sherry hung up on her quickly. Pulling the phone from her ear she stared down at it ignoring as some of the agents began to walk towards her – questions that feel deaf on her ears peppering her form.
The meaning of those words hit her and she couldn’t do anything but stare blankly at the dark phone screen.
Hes dead.
That was a lie, right?
Ada’s head shot up to look at the place all of the agents had filtered from, and pushing through the growing crowd she bolted towards that destroyed room. It was beyond various doors, down a few step jumps but she made it – a platform tilted side ways, a pile of stone and re-bar awaited her. A pool of fresh red blood seeping from various cracks. “Leon!” Her voice cracked as she rushed forward ripping away the rubble, her heart racing at an uneven pace. Panic finally broaching her usually calm demeanor. She kept going until her gloves ripped, when they did she only paused for a moment to discard them before with renewed fervor began with her hands even as they became cut and mangled. Ada was aware as she dug that she had an audience; a few agents along with that girl Grace. Finally though, a hand fell free of the stone coffin. It was mangled beyond recognition but with an intake of air Ada grabbed the shoulder that was also sticking free and pulled – a ruined familiar body wretched itself free and collapsed in her arms.
Ada didn’t cry, no the tears ran unbidden down her cheeks in large droplets as she cradled the man in her arms. “You stupid rookie,” She hissed as after a moment she reached down to his still intact pouches, fishing around in the left one specifically for a ring she always knew he had on him. Another emotion, darker gripping her heart when she didn’t feel the cool metal. “Don’t tell me you lost it.” The black haired woman droned before she felt a thin cool hand grasp her shoulder. Ada didn’t jerk away from it, although she wanted too. She knew it was Grace; and she couldn’t help but blame the young woman for the fact that Leon was dead in her arms. But she schooled her expression and turned to look at the red eyed girl.
Grace stood there, still hiccuping every so often. Her eyes indeed reddened by tears, her nose equally crimson. Beyond her was one agent in particular who carefully watched Ada with a rifle loosely held in his hands. In the back of the spy’s mind she knew one wrong move and that agent wouldn't hesitate to stick her with a bullet from that gun. Instead, Ada decided to remain holding onto Leon’s body her hands shaking as the pain finally settled in, along with the hatred that burned in her belly.
“What,” She hissed, the fresh grief tasting acrid in her mouth.
“You, you know him right?” Grace asked, removing her hand from Ada’s shoulder. “O-oh that’s a stupid question, you do, clearly,” Leaning back the woman pulled the blanket closer. “B-but I mean, are you a family member?”
Ada laughed, it was curt, and accusatory. She looked down at the nearly unrecognizable man that laid in her lap. Rigidity of rigor mortis setting in horribly. Leon had no blush of life, his face half missing because of the perfectly placed bullet to his temple. At yet, he looked peaceful. Oh, how could he though he left them all behind, for what? Some other damsel that needed saving? “I am,” Ada finally answered, her hand caressing his cold cheek. “Stupid man is my brother in law.” Brushing back his blood matted hair she looked back at Grace who had come to sit by Leon’s head. Her hands hovering pitifully above them. Ada didn't want her to touch him though even as she let her caress the outline of the wound.
“He, uh, wanted me to get this back to his family.” The blond haired woman leaned back on her haunches as she fished something out from one of her pants pockets. She offered it up to Ada, a ring, golden and pristine.
Ada bit the inside of her cheek as she felt both relief and grief grapple together in her breast. Swallowing the varying warring emotions she tempered herself, it would do her no good to be so antagonistic towards the kid that Leon saved. He had always been like that, and she would get in trouble with her living relatives if she did such a thing. Instead, she reached out and picked up the ring cradling it carefully.
As it left her hand Grace pulled back and pressed the blanket closer to her chest. “I, I don’t think I should be the one to uh, give it to his spouse.” She murmured weakly.
Ada looked at the girl, and forced herself to accept that she too was mourning the dead man that rested in her lap. Taking in a deep breath she swiftly pocketed the ring before reaching back out to snatch Grace’s chin, and action that caused the agent behind them to make an audible racking of his rifle. But Ada’s grasp wasn't rough, instead it was soft only leaving an impression of her own blood on Grace’s chin. “He would want you to meet them.”
Grace sucked in a shuddering breath, “He, uh, did invite me to a pizza party.”
The unspoken meaning was not lost on Ada, but she chose not to continue the conversation instead turning back to the corpse in her lap. “What are you going to do with him?” She called out to the agent behind them.
“Bring him back to the DSO, the captain will want a full debrief.” The agent was giving her a basic run down of information that was obvious and she already knew.
“When will his body be released to his wife?” Ada questioned harshly.
“I cant answer that.” The man mumbled from behind them, perhaps feeling guilty that he couldn’t give any timeline – or concrete answer.
Ada looked at the corpse of the stupidly heroic man before her. She couldn’t linger here, the longer she stayed the more likely they where going to realize who she was – and realize that they would need to try to apprehend her. So she looked back at Grace who was still next to her, keeping an eye on her Ada stood carefully fully aware that the gun was still trained on her back. She had softly set Leon’s head down, and Grace was looking up at her with glistening eyes. “Do you have a pen and paper?” Ada asked, turning her head to address the agent who tilted his head at her. “Its for Grace here, Leon’s families address. I want to give it to her rather than wait for the DSO to do it.”
Maybe he was taking pity on them, but the man lowered his rifle instead fishing out a small packet of sticky notes and a raggedy pen. He held out the objects and Ada took them with a quiet thanks, before scribbling the address on it and handing it to the blonde haired woman. After handing the unneeded objects back to the agent Ada turned fully back to Grace who held the yellow paper like a precious gem.
“Don't take to long to stop by alright kid?” She said, turning and reluctantly leaving her darling brother in law laying in the dirt.
-----
The drive was uneventful, she had to stop several times to try to compose herself. It was hard, she wanted to cry but found herself unable to. Rather blissful numbness spread across her beast making her hurt fingers tingle against the chill of her motorcycle handles. When she pulled into the quiet back road she knew a new battle awaited her, one she dreaded even more than finding Leon’s corpse. The two story house sat quietly in a field, next to it was a barn that was owned by a local farmer. The sun had just set, so cows still mingled outside aimlessly. Ada pulled up the driveway coming to a halt, staring up at the softly colored home with its perfectly manicured lawn. Out front there was a small garden of roses that she knew her beloved sister begged Leon to help her plant. She had done a wonderful job nurturing them into full bloom year after year. She remembered one Easter she had come visited at her sisters behest, she had dragged Ada out front and she and Leon picked a bouquet for the occasion. They where so happy.
Leaning forward Ada finally felt a ragged cry escape her chest. She pressed her forehead hard against the meter of her motorcycle trying desperately to compose herself. But a horrid phrase kept repeating itself over and over in her mind:
It wasn't fair, he had a family – he was my family!
She couldn’t let herself hate Grace, Leon wouldn't want that. Instead she took in a deep breath, and swung her leg over the bike looking up to the front door, finding it open a towheaded young woman standing there looking at her blankly.
“Melvine,” Ada breathed as the girl walked toward her. Her dark eyes a reminder of her mother who was still probably in the house unknowing that her older sister stood just outside. “Hey kiddo.”
The girl, a beautiful mix of the two people Ada cared about most in the world, reached out and took her aunts hand. Ada just reached out with her other hand and caressed that blonde head, Leon’s mark. Her mind flinging her back to the day she got the photo of a little blonde baby from her sister, Ada had been so surprised. But now? It nearly ripped her heart from her chest. The young woman didn’t say anything and instead stepped forward fully pressing her forehead against Ada’s chest a small sniffle and light shake of her shoulders was the only indication that Ada got.
“Oh, honey.” Ada cooed wrapping the girl in a hug she wouldn't normally give. The waif of a girl wrapped her arms around her and took in a deep breath.
“Aunty, I know you need to go talk to mom, but please,” Her voice was small. “Tell me first.”
Ada leaned back looking up at the night sky. She hated how much she saw herself in Melvine, and hated how well both her sister and Leon raised her – and yet, she was so very thankful to have this piece of them both in her life. The spy took in a deep breath before leaning back down to gather the girl further up into her arms. “He’s gone, kiddo.” Her voice was light, breathless. Those little frail hands dug became claws and dug into Ada’s back.
“He promised to teach me how to shoot his rifle.” Was all she said before taking in a ragged, harsh breath. Melvine pushed herself back, tilting her head back mimicking the motions that Ada had just taken without her knowing. Those dark brown eyes, bottomless in their feelings, stared aimlessly at the twinkling blackness above its indifference to their sorrow clearly weighting heavily on her small shoulders.
Ada didn’t know how to help, didn’t know exactly what to say so she just lifted a hand and gently brushed that blonde hair back from her round face. Her features more like her mother than her father – except for the way she held herself. Her attitude most of the time was just like how Leon had been at twenty one, Ada remembered it well and it made her heart clench. The sensation of unfairness gripping her breast with its harsh talons. “I’m sorry, honey.” Ada whispered, once again pushing back her hair behind her ear.
Melvine untangled herself from her aunt then, taking a few steps back and throwing a thumb to the open door. “Mom’s inside. I, uh, want some time alone. Is it okay if I hang out by your bike?”
Ada’s hand lingered in the air, Melvine honestly wasn't that much shorter than her just by a small head – her height was taken from her sister rather than that horrid man. “Yeah,” She murmured softly. “We will just be inside okay?” If Leon was here, he would know the words to say to his little girl. He would be able to comfort her better than Ada ever could.
She watched as Melvine nodded and leaned on the bike closing her eyes and dropping her head. Ada moved away slowly, unsure if she should really leave the teen by herself. But, doing a quick peak at the front door she saw her younger sister lingering there, wrapped in a blanket that she recognized would usually be over the back of the couch in their living room.
Once, when Ada had stayed the night to get some heat off of her she had seen her little sister fall asleep against Leon, who used that blanket to wrap them both up until he and she where done with their conversation. The spy remembered how warm she felt seeing that, how happy she had been that her baby sister had found someone who loved her so wholly. But, now, she could see how that very same love broke the woman before her. “Xiu,” Ada walked briskly to her sisters side opening up her arms just as she had done with her niece. This time though, more readily. She knew how to comfort her sister, they where all each other had in this world. Ada had done everything – becoming a spy, selling information, just to keep her precious sister safe. As the other woman folded herself into her arms once again a memory overtook Ada – of how she walked into their shared apartment one day to see Leon there at the kitchen counter chatting away with Xiu all while being taught how to create Jiaozi. That ballsy rookie had found her some how and on top of that, had found her sister. It had been shortly after Spain, and every time she came to check on her sister from then on Leon had been there. Bringing flowers, not for her but for Xiu. Ada had begun to see happiness in her sisters eyes that she had never seen before – so she couldn’t get angry with it all.
Even now, she couldn’t bring herself to be angry, only sadness.
Xiu wrapped her arms around Ada’s waist and pressed her face into her older sisters shoulder. “Jiejie,” She whimpered her voice rough with previous tears. “Is he?”
Ada wrapped one arm around Xiu’s shoulders, while the other carefully cradled the hair that mimicked her own. Its darkness rivaled the black sky above them. Ada floundered her words though, her mouth opening and closing. She knew she had to tell her what she had seen – that he had passed doing what he loved, that he saved another life like he always did. That the bastard was a hero, as always. But all she could muster was a pathetic. “Yes, I’m sorry meimei.” Xiu’s hands became like vices as her shoulders rocked. Ada just held her close as the wailing began, the woman’s legs giving out and carefully Ada guided them to the wooden deck. “I’m sorry,” She repeated. Her sisters head shaking back and forth, trying to clearly tell her that she didn’t blame Ada, it didn’t matter though because she blamed herself for being late. She should have payed more attention to the trickle of information on Elpis, on Raccoon City. Instead she didn’t, content to follow another lead that would have likely given more money than the rubble of Umbrella.
Ada waited, fighting back her own stormy emotions waiting for Xiu to relax just enough for her to free one hand. She then reached into her pocket where the ring sat waiting, grabbing it tightly she moved to press it into her little sisters palm. Ada watched as Xiu hung her head, her dark hair covering whatever expression she had as she brought the ring to her breast. She had devolved into soft sobbing rather than the understandable banshee’s cries from moments earlier.
Ada brushed back her little sisters hair, promising herself that she would be around more often now. Especially now. Without Leon her sister and niece where in danger, the government, perhaps even the DSO would likely keep close tabs on them now that they didn’t have Leon under their thumb. There was a large chance that they would look at Melvine and see that Leon had passively trained her. If they did, and they decided they wanted her they would likely force her to take her fathers place when she became of a proper age.
The very thought twisted Ada’s stomach violently. She couldn’t let that happen, that wouldn't only disgrace Leon’s memory it would at least in Ada’s mind, to irrepressible damage to her reputation.
Her niece’s life was her own, and her sisters life was her own. There was no way she was going to let the greedy government have its way with her family. They where already likely going to keep Leon’s body, autopsy it, experiment on it… that alone was to much.
“Ada,” Xiu’s voice brought Ada away from her thoughts back to the present, her voice was tempered now as if the numbness of the situation had finally settled into her gut. “I have to know, did you see him?” The small wobble in Xiu’s tone was the only indication to Ada that she was on the precipice of tears again.
But, she couldn’t lie. Not to her. “I did,” She answered, taking her baby sisters hands squeezing them. Softly realizing that Xiu was still clutching to her husbands wedding ring. “He was peaceful.” And it wasn't a lie, he looked content despite the gaping wound. She wouldn't mention that though, some things where better left unsaid.
Xiu’s hands shook and Ada held them a little tighter. She waited as the woman before her took a deep breath, the dark eyes that Melvine had inherited looking up at Ada’s. They were not twins, but the two of them looked very similar despite their personalities and professions, being wildly different. “They wont let him come home, will they?” Ada shook her head. “Then, I need you to do something only you can do jiejie.”
“Anything for you.” Ada muttered, gently cradling her sisters chin and pressing a soft kiss to her temple.
A dark expression Ada rarely saw crossed her precious sisters brow, a soft pit in the spy’s stomach grew. She knew her sister, she knew that she wouldn't seek revenge not really. But they did come from the same womb – they came from the same family, so Ada took in a breath ready to even kill someone for the woman before her.
“I need you to steal back his effects,” Xiu lifted her head fully, clearly not the least bit composed. Her grief was plainly written underneath that haunted expression. “I want it all, I don’t care how you do it.”
Ada felt herself relax, that was the kind of revenge she knew her sister for. And she knew that it was a justified reaction. The DSO would call Leon away for lengthy periods of time, to the extent that the man left a good bit of his personal items and weapons likely in a locker somewhere. That government branch always demanded more and more of him. If she had payed more attention, had listened to Xiu when she had told her that Leon was sick maybe…
No, Ada clenched her fist – she couldn’t let herself go down that mental path. She needed to be here for Xiu and Melvine. “I will petition a contact in the DSO,” she began. “I’ll go a few, legal, routes first,” The knowledge that Ada was probably blackmailing someone was not lost on Xiu, the spy could see that. But she continued anyways. “And if that doesn’t work, don’t worry, I’ll go get it myself.” Her baby sister nodded and made to go stand – Ada was there helping her up.
“I know this is probably the worst time,” Xiu shuddered, her voice wobbling again now that their more serious exchange was over. “But, are you going to stay the night?”
“If you’ll have me, meimei.” Ada whispered, turning to look back at her bike to where Melvine was standing. The teenager was clearly crying, hunched over pressing her hands onto the leather of the seat. She was about to go comfort the girl, but froze when she saw a vision of her father doing the same pose. Melvine really was just a younger Leon, everything about her reminded Ada of that rookie she first met in Raccoon City in ‘98, just with the face of her sister.
Finally, she felt a hiccup exit her lips. Hands touched her arm softly. “Your husband is an idiot,” She pushed out past the tears that fell freely from her eyes.
Xiu laughed, softly, broken. “But he was a hero, wasn't he jiejie?”
“Yeah.” Ada closed her eyes, to try to will away the tears without success.
He was, that stupid stupid man.