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This was supposed to be an easy mission, Wesker had said to her. Go into the city, get the virus from Birkin, and leave as quickly as she had arrived. So how had this gone so bad? She had half a mind to ask over the walkie-talkie, but she knew that in her line of work, no one asked questions. People who asked questions would show up mysteriously dead the next morning. That was what had happened to one of her coworkers, or more like a colleague; coworker was wrong. Ada didn't work with anyone because she didn't like anyone, and no one liked her, and she preferred it that way. She had been the youngest recruit at just sixteen, and now at twenty-five she had risen through the ranks and was one of the best in her company. Killing was easy. It was all she knew. And that was all she needed to know.
So then why? Why was she doing this? She wondered as she stared at the back of the girl she had met, holding a child in her arms. In that moment, they looked even tinier than normal.
Something —she didn't know what— tugged at her heartstrings. If she'd doubted she had a heart until now, this was the unfortunate confirmation.
Annette Birkin's voice resonated in the room as a final goodbye to her daughter. Ada knew this was the moment to leave, to go after her. The person she wanted was right there; this was why she had even gone to this cursed town —Raccoon City— in the first place (she had yet to see a raccoon so far), but she couldn't leave. Her feet wouldn't allow her to. A voice in her head was yelling at her to go, now. But she didn't leave. She stayed looking at the two small forms in front of her.
Until Claire turned around.
"We have to find her a cure" She said, and Ada had never seen such fire in someone's eyes.
She didn't trust her voice to speak, so she simply nodded. And so they left together, all three of them.
Ada knew that no matter the catastrophe, humans would always be the most dangerous creatures out here. Not zombies, or bioweapons or monsters under the bed.
She knew and yet, it still didn't stop the rage she felt when she saw Brian Irons, the police chief, beat up Claire. They had separated, thinking it would be easier to find a way out of here, and when she'd come back in the garage, the only thing she saw was her on the ground, blood dripping from her perfect lips, and rage had overtaken her like nothing she had ever felt before.
"I'm fine, I'm fine", Claire said to reassure her. She wiped her hand over her mouth, taking out the blood that had accumulated on her lips. "This bastard got Sherry; we need to get her now".
In the end, Annette's love for her daughter won out, and with Claire and Ada's help, the young girl was cured.
What followed next, Ada couldn't remember clearly. A self-destructive building, the virus that Annette's corpse had, as her daughter cried over her, was not taken. She had failed her mission for the first time. Willingly.
And so she finds herself alone in a dirty, cheap motel's bathroom, and she can't help but punch the nearest wall she can find. Of course, Claire hears her, and moments later Ada finds herself sitting on her bed, antiseptic sterilizing her knuckles.
"Why would you do that?" Claire nagged at her, resembling a kitten, all talk, no bite, hiss hiss. Ada wondered if the girl truly thought she was intimidating. She was tall, taller than her but her face was all juvenile, with plump cheeks and big round eyes, and when she was angry, her cheeks would get even rounder.
"It's nothing" She replied, taking off her left hand away from Claire's, but the girl took it back instantly. Claire's hand was warm against her own. Ada thought maybe Claire was one of those people who was hot all the time. This was perfect since Ada was one of those people who was cold all the time. And so at night, when it's coldest, Ada could snuggle against her and-wait.
What was she even thinking? They had known each other for barely twenty-four hours! And Ada would leave them. She would, she told herself. Yes, she had failed her mission, but this was the only time and last time she would. Her company wouldn't be happy, but they also would know how difficult this mission was, and so they would give her grace. And to make up for it, Ada would happily take more missions to make up for this failure. Yes, tonight she would rest, and tomorrow she would leave.
Except when she woke up tomorrow and put on her shoes, she was stopped by a single quiet childish voice.
"Are you leaving?" Sherry asked.
Ada almost, almost jumped up. She turned around and stared back at the little girl.
"I am" Ada spoke, determined. This was the good choice; this was the only choice.
Sherry didn't seem happy hearing that, but also didn't seem sad; she seemed... almost...angry?
"That's all you adults do anyway".
Ada didn't know why, but those words moved something in her. She furrowed her eyebrows. "You can barely call it leaving", she said, anger tinging her voice. Why was she trying to explain herself to a ten-year-old child? She should just leave, now. Before Claire wakes up.
"That's not how Claire is gonna see it".
At this moment, Ada understood what was going on. The little girl had taken to Claire, and she was... She was protecting her.
Her anger dissipated, leaving her only feeling empty. "Trust me", she said. "Claire is better off without me. I'm dangerous", she tried to explain so that Sherry would understand. "I only have her best interest in mind. You don't know how many enemies would try to hurt her, hurt you, just because they know you're with me".
Sherry hummed, her gaze drifting away. "Keep telling yourself that".
Ada flinched slightly, and then anger bubbled up again. Why was she even wasting this time speaking as if a child would even understand anything about her life. She turned the key, and then the door opened.
"If you go now, don't ever come back", Sherry said with familiar venom in her voice; she reminded her of someone. Then, Sherry sighed, as if all of her anger had been gone away. "It would only hurt her more. So if you're going, don't ever come back".
When Ada left that early morning, she got into a rented car and drove for thirty minutes.
That morning when Claire woke up, she realized Ada wasn't there, and when she ruffled Sherry's untamed blonde hair, she asked. "Where's Ada?"
But before the young girl could answer, the front door opened, and Claire smelled the smell of food first before seeing her, hidden by bags and donut boxes.
Ada was quiet for a second before smiling. "Who's hungry?".