Chapter 11 - Salvation

----

Her body quivers with a mix of anxiety and anticipation as the haunting echoes of the voice resonate outside. Her lips tremble in fear of getting caught. She is concealed inside a room in a church. The only illumination emanates from the moon's glow filtering through the window. Her hand races across an old beige piece of paper, the pen almost smudges it with her sloppy writing.

'I don't know how I ended up in this place, but I am infected with a goddamn parasite. They call it Plaga-'

Her hands shake, her gaze darting nervously towards the fractured door that threatens to reveal her hiding place.

 'I can hear his voice inside my head. I don't know how this is possible. I have...strange visions of his damaged face. I don't want to become like them. I can't become like these things. I don't want to suffer anymore...'

Desperation laces her words. Amidst the silence, her quiet sobs reverberate, filling the space. Her fingers are on fire, writing down further.

"Se acerca el momento. Difunde tu regalo especial. El nuevo regalo que traerá salvación. El regalo que se someterá a tu Dios.(The time is approaching. Spread your special gift. The new gift that will bring salvation. The gift, that will submit to your God.)"

His voice resonates from the distance outside, growing nearer. He's getting closer. Her breathing quickens, and with a sense of urgency, she hurriedly folds the piece of paper, shoving it inside the pocket of her jacket. 

"Pitiful little lamb...reveal yourself."

Determined, she stands up and scans her surroundings for an escape that will not physically harm her.

In one swift yet careful motion, she leaps through the shattered remnants of a wooden window. The distance between the muddy ground and the window was not powerful, aiding her to land, without getting hurt. She manages to flee, yet the question of how much time remains until her body succumbs to the effects of the parasite lingers within her.

21 syringes left...

----

Your eyes remain closed as your fingers glide effortlessly across the black and white keys of the piano, producing a captivating version of Rachmaninov's Musical Moment No.4, while your head keeps recalling the incidents that occurred two weeks ago.

The incident at Rosewood, the intense team meeting upon your return from the hospital, Leon's unexpected and unavoidable proposition of knife lessons, your growing desperation to get done with this job while hiding your injuries from your family— all these conflicting thoughts and emotions swirl in you, creating a sense of a..mess. Your life feels trapped in an inescapable deadlock.

Your leg presses forcefully against the pedal, and your fingers strike the keys with both power and finesse, as the tempo increases. The flashbacks grow stronger, their vividness almost transporting you back in time.

-

- 2 Weeks Ago -

You jump out of the trunk, and wrap your arms around the intruder's neck from behind, forcefully pulling him away from Leon.

Choking on air, the intruder fights against your grasp, causing both of you to fall to the ground. The intruder's rage strengthens as he attempts to break free, but you hold on to him for dear life, determined to try and protect Leon.

Unexpectedly, he manages to lift you both up, shaking you violently in an attempt to dislodge you. With a sudden twist, he turns to face you, tightening his grip on the weapon's butt.

And just then,

The buttstock of his rifle sends an electrocuting sensation to your face, cracking the bone of your nose. You groan in agony from the horrid feeling, falling back in the trunk, as tears of pain and discomfort well up in your eyes. begins to flow out of your nostrils, rolling down to your forearm as you hold your nose.

-

"Back at Rosewood, you did a good job, trying to disarm the attacker. Yet, you could have easily defeated him, if you were prepared correctly." you nod, trying to follow up with him.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I can provide you with a few knife lessons to improve your skills and ensure that nothing like what happened in Rosewood is repeated," 

"Are you..asking me to take..knife lessons?" you slowly ask.

"I am not asking you. I am announcing to you," he sternly corrects you. "It's primary to take them since you will be working with us for a while. This means you might encounter many situations like this back at Rosewood. The lessons will also help you defend yourself from possible creeps." he subtly hints, implying the incident where he helped you with the man who followed you outside the bar that night.

"Okay.." you respond with a nod.

"Good." He uncrosses his arms and makes his way toward the exit. Opening the door, he turns around to face you once more.

"Once you recover, we start training."

-

The team is gathered at the table in the hushed main room of the bunker. Chris studies the pictures, files, and documents, as the rest of the team is seated in silence.

You observe your fellow teammates, noting their demeanor. Luis toys with his cigarette, Piers studies photographs taken from the island, Claire gazes around with a similar sense of thinking, Carlos drowned on his chair with his fingers teasing each other, and Leon, as usual, sits quietly, arms crossed, legs apart while his mind seems lost in its own maze of thoughts.

On the other side, your own mind wrestles with the recent events—the Rosewood incident. How you almost got killed in your first mission, and Leon's announcement of knife lessons. His words still echo in your head. What he announced to you was completely out of the blue...well..almost.

"Okay," Chris breaks the silence. "Now that (y/n) is back with us, we will proceed to a small recap of everything that happened four days ago. Just so she can be informed as well," he begins, looking at the pictures of the charred island. "Piers and Claire left with the security team for the island and returned with 28 bodies. Only 12 have been identified so far—all Ganados," Chris pauses, glancing at Piers. "Saddler is still not one of the rest,"

No one makes a comment on Chris' last declaration. Piers leans against the table, his forearms resting heavily on its surface. "The final results will settle in by the end of the week." 

"If his body is still not identified, that can mean only two things:  either his remains were among those charred on the island, or he managed to escape somehow. The first scenario seems to be the most realistic, but it is important to keep our cautiousness for the latter too." 

Leon and Carlos exchange a momentary glance at his words, as Chris moves along, looking now at the building in Rosewood, and the envelope laid right beside the image.

"Meanwhile, Carlos, Leon, and (y/n) have visited Rosewood. The location, where a mysterious letter arrived at the B.S.A.A building, implying that the suitcase is located there. Once they arrived, they have been ambushed by enemies," he rests his hands against the table. "We conclude the letter was sent by them. They could be outsiders, or an organization equally strong as ours that are most likely after the samples too-"

"and after us, Chris,"  Carlos interjects, grabbing everyone's attention, including yours. You were kind of glad to hear that Carlos also noticed this detail as well. 

Because It seemed extremely concerning to you how persistent they were to want Leon that much, to the point of using violence to try and get him. Yet, you don't want to think big, so you decide to stay silent..for now.

Carlos leans forward, "These men asked us- hell, they almost forced us to join them in order to help them get the suitcase," he pauses briefly, looking around all the members of the team. "They know we are after it." He emphasizes the word 'we', pointing to him and Leon. "Someone out there knows that our team exists, and our plans. They tried to bait us by telling us they know the location and the owner," Piers frowns in slight disbelief at what he hears. "They were not even surprised to see me and Leon instead of B.S.A.A. soldiers or you, as you believed from what the envelope wrote."

"But the letter was never indicated to someone specifically," Luis speaks up.

"Yes, but since it got here, that means that it is indicated to someone from this building." Carlos raises his voice, his glare pointed straight. Leon at that moment, sits up straight. "That someone can't be a B.S.A.A soldier, or the goddamn janitor. It is more than clear that is indicated to Chris' team."

Noticing the mounting tension in the room, you compose yourself, sitting up straight in your chair. Carlos's concern is understandable. After all, the team is supposed to operate this whole thing undercover. On the other hand, everyone, including yourself, has been cautious and discreet in sharing information. The fact that the enemies are aware of the team's existence is...almost impossible. Chris sighs.

"No one is aware of the team's existence, Carlos." Chris tries to reassure him. "I advise you to remain calm. How everything unfolds is certainly odd. Questions keep growing, being left unanswered; but everyone here needs to remember our main assignment—and that is to retrieve that fucking suitcase, the soonest possible and destroy the samples. No matter what."

"So, what do we do, Chris?" Claire inquires. "Because as it seems, we have more than one enemy to deal with."

"We stay vigilant," he declares. "And most importantly, we do our best to maintain our cover," he concludes, looking at everyone. "Meeting's over. You're all dismissed." The team and you slowly get up from your seats, so everyone can go to their post. Yours...is the operating room.

The meeting was over, yet you figured out almost nothing. What you know is that maybe a whole army or god knows what crazy assholes are after your ass. All of that, for that goddamn suitcase. A question that replays in your head: Why the hell do others need that suitcase?

You fix your apron and start your way toward the operating room while everyone else splits up. As your hand grasps the doorknob, you glance back, noticing Leon being the only one still seated at the table, toying with the edge of his knife. Unexpectedly, he lifts his head, locking eyes with you for a fleeting moment. His gaze remains cool, almost disconnected. His index finger lightly brushes against the sharp edge before he slowly returns the knife to its holster. He knows exactly what he's doing...

-

Your fingers come to a sudden halt on the white piano keys, the sound of random notes echoing before gradually fading away. Your body remains frozen, eyes closed, as you are jolted back to reality.

Leon's knife lessons...This...this wasn't something you expected to hear from him, since he has been very distant with you from the very first month you worked together. Especially when he never even made the effort to get to know you better as his partner or as a person. Everything was just- one-sided. You tried to approach him, you tried to get to know him, yet failed miserably in every single attempt, as he showed zero interest, and you embarrassed yourself constantly because you don't know how to keep up a decent conversation between humans when you like someone.

Sighing, you lower the piano lid, sealing away the instrument. Over the past two weeks of working closely with Leon, you've come to realize that the two of you are from different worlds It's time for you to make a choice—either be straightforward and take the risk of asking him out- let's be real this is something you know you'll never do, or get over him, actually maintain professionalism, and dedicating yourself to the true purpose of your recruitment. Which is providing medical care to the Sinfuls.

Thinking about every tragic, horrific, embarrassing- okay maybe you are overdramatic now, but every awkward interaction you had with him the past month just tells you one thing.

You need to get over him before your feelings take over you and grow.

And this...is what you are going to do...

Suddenly, your cell phone rings, grabbing your attention. You check the caller ID and see Claire's name on the screen. Swiftly, you slide your finger to answer the call.

"Hello?"

"Hey, (y/n)."

"Hey, Claire, everything okay?" There's a short silence on Claire's end. "....you there?"

"Yeah, well- yeah...Actually- can you come to the base?"  You slightly furrow your brows. From the tone in Claire's voice, you can tell something is bothering her. 

"Why? What happened?"

"..It's Leon...he had..- well, an accident."  Your eyes widen at Claire's statement. You quickly rise from your seat.

"What accident-? Is he okay?"

"He's fine. Nothing serious, I hope. He wants you to stitch him up. I told him that I could take him to your parents' hospital since you're recovering but he insisted." 

"I understand, of course," you nod, rushing toward the front door, grabbing your jacket and car keys. "Is the injury bad?" you inquire while slipping on your shoes

"Well, to me it seems...okay? It could be worse."

"Not the clearest answer, but I get the image," you say, opening the door and walking hastily towards your car. "I'll be there in 10'."

"Alright." You sigh once you end the call. God knows what you're about to see. Just when you're trying to sort things out in your head regarding this chapter with Leon, you hear this shit. How can you not believe then that God isn't in fact fucking with you right now?

----

Vera sighs, hanging up the phone. Turning around, she sees Ava, Irene, Aiden, and Vector seated in the dining room, ready to begin their small gathering. The festive atmosphere in their house was joyful, filled with talking and laughing, enjoying the special occasion. Vera on the other hand seems to not appreciate it equally, due to (y/n)'s recent absence. She rarely answers calls and hasn't made time to visit her family in the past two weeks.

She makes her way back towards the table. The discomfort on her face is more than enough to grab Vector's attention. Still, he doesn't make a comment about it.

"What did she say?" he asks.

"It's occupied," she responds, almost annoyed as she rests the phone on the table before taking her seat. "I can't believe this girl..." Vera mumbles to herself.

"Maybe she's on her way?" Aiden asks, trying to sound positive.

"She's not, Aiden. She simply forgot about the dinner for your and Ava's fifth-year anniversary—"

"She's a working woman," Vector cuts her off, taking the glass of wine in his hand. His voice is tinged with coldness and defensiveness, yet, he still tries to maintain a friendly atmosphere despite his tone. "Sometimes work takes priority over family events. She's incredibly busy right now, and you know why," Ava glances at her parents, puzzled by their conversation.

"What do you mean? Is she working somewhere else besides the hospital?" Ava questions her parents. Both of them exchange a look of regret since they're prohibited from revealing (y/n)'s involvement in Chris's mission.

"Yes, she's temporarily working at MSIA hospital alongside her current position. Bruce had a shortage of nurses, and your sister needed extra income," Vector explains. Ava nods, taking a sip of her wine.

"And how long will she be working there?"

"Two months, maybe," Vector unsurely replies.

"Well then, you can't really blame her, Vera," Aiden chuckles lightly, showing understatement. "It is more than alright with us, she has been celebrating every year so far. One without her won't be a problem. Plus, we know how work sometimes can drain us," Vera exhales, before taking the glass of wine in her hands, forcing a weak smile. "Isn't that right, Vector?"

"Of course, son. You, especially know exactly how it is," he replies clinking his glass with the couple's. "Cheers, to our enduring couple,"

"Cheers," Ava and Aiden repeat Vector's act while Vera shakes her head in bother. She keeps her complaints to herself, not wanting to ruin the night for their daughter. Especially for Irene. 

"Do you like grandma's food, sweetheart?" Ava asks, adjusting Irene's small ponytail and gently wiping her mouth with a napkin as she chews her food. Irene nods, and a smile escapes Ava and Vera's lips at the view of her. Still, seconds later, Vera's eyes dart to her husband once again, as he and Aiden began with their meals.

Vector has always been a workaholic, prioritizing his job over family time. But having a job that brings in noteworthy income while causing huge stress is far from ideal, and Vector doesn't seem to realize that he's damaging his daughter this way, by pushing her to a career she doesn't want.

----

The office door swings open once again. The sound of slow footsteps fills the room. The hesitation is showing through his steps after the leader, who confronted Leon and Carlos back in Rosewood was being hailed once more by the boss.

The doors behind him close, his eyes remain fixed on the desk before him. Heavy silence hangs in the air. "You have asked to see me?" Jacob Harris, the team leader asks. His voice steady, causing the boss to turn around and rise from his seat.

"I did," the boss replies, his deep voice echoing, avoiding direct eye contact with the leader. The next seconds follow in silence. He stands upright, his hands in his pockets. 

Jacob doesn't utter a word; he simply waits for the boss to speak.

"It has been two weeks since you captured Kennedy," he pauses, "and still...he is not in my office, just as I ordered." He leans closer, his voice lowering. "Do you understand the significance of these past 15 days?"

"I am aware, sir. However, he is still at my team's base. His wounds are getting treated," Jacob immediately responds. "As I previously reported, he tried to fight back and escape, so we had to use force to immobilize him."

The boss nods, walking towards Jacob. "Is that so?" 

Jacob furrows his brow, betraying a hint of confusion on his face, before replying, "Yes, sir."

"...You have one last chance to speak the truth, Harris," he warns, slowly circling around him. The guards are stationed by the door, eyeing the conversation. "Or things will take a dark turn." Abruptly, his movements stop, his hands still tucked in his pockets. "Where. Is. Kennedy?"

Jacob's anxiety is evident as he shakes his head slightly, breaking eye contact with him. His gaze casts downwards. "Sir- I-...," he hesitates, locked in a standoff. He knows that revealing the truth is the only way to avoid bad consequences. "We were...close to his capture but-..things did not turn out as planned. He wasn't alone." 

Stillness fills the room after his declaration. The boss stands motionless, comprehending Jacob's words. The only sound that resonates in the air is the faint ticking of the clock. He takes a deep breath before his sternness turns into a warm smile.

"Was that so difficult, Harris?" he asks, slowly, looking right into Jacob's eyes. "All you had to do, was tell me the truth," he walks in his direction until he now stands right in front of Jacob. "Yet, you decided to lie and hide it—for two weeks." Unexpectedly, with a swift motion, he draws his pistol from the holster on his waist and serves a fatal headshot to Jacob. He instantly falls down as blood begins to pool on the wooden floor.

"One less useless soldier," he declares, his voice stony, and his eyes pinned on Jacob, before returning the suppressed pistol to its holster under his blazer jacket. "Get him out of my sight, and call Ares to my office." He orders the guards, before turning his body back to face the window, as the man's lifeless body is being taken out of the office. His hands are back in his pockets, clenched into fists, his jaw tight as he almost whispers words under his breath,

"Kennedy...I should have expected your skillfulness, but don't worry. I keep myself for you as last..and then...you will beg me to show you mercy."

----

Entering the bunker with haste, you look around you, hoping to catch sight of Leon. Instead, you find Claire standing beside Carlos, whose lower body rests on the table, engaged in conversation. You immediately make your way towards them as the sense of uneasiness is settling in your chest, hoping to know if Leon is alright.

"Where's Leon?" You question, grabbing their attention.

"Well, hello to you too." Carlos jokes with a light smirk, rising from the table.

"Sorry, hello. Where's Leon?"

"He's at the operating room, just as you asked," Claire replies.

"And, how is he?" you ask as your concern becomes noticeable. Carlos's expression takes on a dramatic tone, and he lets out an exaggerated sigh before responding.

"He's dying..."

"Tsk..."

 "Eh?" Confusion tugs your facial expression, as Claire rolls her eyes at Carlos' answer.

"He's fine, don't pay attention to Carlos. Leon is waiting for you," She reassures you. You sigh in relief, nodding before making your way inside the operating room.

The door is already slightly open. Pressing your palm against the white door, you gently push it open. You cautiously step inside, unsure of what awaits you. And what you see is...

And what you see is...

Leon laid down on the operating chair, sweat trickling down his face, wetting the side fringe of his hair. His dark blue, almost black tight t-shirt was slightly stained with his own blood, and his skin bears light marks of dirt. His eyes are closed, brows furrowed in pain, and soft huffs and whimpers escape his closed lips. Your gaze shifts to his injured hand, as Claire had mentioned, and you notice his palm covered in blood. It saddens you to see him in this state, but you're also relieved that nothing worse happened to him.

"Leon," you speak up, capturing his attention. You close the door behind you, discarding your purse and jacket without much thought before approaching him. "Hey...What happened?" 

"Just a small accident. Nothing serious-" a hiss escapes Leon's lips mid-sentence, as he accidentally twitches his fingers, feeling the strong sting of pain.

"Be careful, don't move it," you caution softly, setting on your sterilized gloves as you take a quick glance at his palm. Once you adjust the gloves, you delicately and gently take his injured hand in yours. He responds with a subdued moan, his gaze following his hand.

Leaning closer to examine the wound, you observe an extremely deep cut that starts faintly from his middle finger and extends to his wrist crease. The main damage seems to be done on the superficial and deep palmar arch.

"That's a pretty deep cut...," you mutter, studying the injury. Leon follows your glare, the pain etched on his face still evident. Returning his hand gently back to his lap, you stand up and make your way to the table, preparing the antiseptic and the sterilized gauze. Returning to Leon, you settle onto a low stool, his eyes do not leave the items that are held in your hands. "This may sting a bit," you warn him as you soak the gauze with antiseptic. Leon gives a firm nod, keeping his gaze fixed ahead and closing his eyes. His head bows slightly, facing his crotch. 

And at that moment, a loud groan leaves Leon's lips as the gauze makes the first contact, softly tapping around the throbbing cut. "Fuck!..." he whispers through clenched teeth, his body tensing.

"It will go away soon, trust me," you reassure him, not taking your eyes off the gash. Discarding the first used gauze, you prepare a fresh piece, before repeating the same process. Gradually, Leon's pain begins to decrease as the sharp sting of the antiseptic fades away.

Finishing the second round, you set the bloody gauze aside, retrieving an empty syringe to prepare the anesthesia.

"I hope you're not afraid of needles," you jest lightly, but Leon doesn't respond, because well— he is literally dying internally. His eyes remain closed, and his breathing is calm. "Well then, I will go for it." You mumble to yourself before injecting the local anesthesia near Leon's wound. A slight discomfort courses through his body, causing his eyebrows to twitch as the needle pierces his skin.

Completing the final steps in order to stitch him up, you put the empty syringe aside and clean up the small table where you have your tools. Leon's head leans back on the chair, as the anesthesia gradually begins to make its effect on him. 

"It will take a few minutes until the anesthesia settles in, so try to relax for now." You announce, having Leon open his eyes, and nod at your words. Replacing your gloves, you prepare for the final step—the stitching.

Once Leon has relaxed, he observes your movements in silence. The room is once again filled with a heavy stillness, only interrupted by the buzzing of the overhead lights on the ceiling. You of course feel awkward with the whole situation, since it's only you and Leon inside the room, not saying a word to each other, but you gave a promise to yourself—to prioritize professionalism and this mission- well, until it's over.

And remember...Get. Over. Leon.

Not soon enough, Leon breaks the silence with a sudden question.

"How's your nose healing?" he inquires, causing you to turn your gaze toward him while placing the needles on the table beside the operating chair.

"Uh-..good! Good. The doctor told me I might remove the plaster before the end of the third week since it recovers quite quickly," Leon nods, his gaze shifting to his scratched palm before returning to meet your eyes.

"Good news," he firmly says. 

"Yeah.." you pause, settling onto the stool beside him once more. "And I suppose- once I take off the plaster, we start with the knife training you mentioned, right?" Leon once again, agrees with a nod.

"Unless you prefer a broken jaw next time," he remarks, in a light joking tone before peeking at his wound again. You choose not to respond directly, instead, you offer a weak smile before continuing with your preparations.

"So, how did you get that cut?" you question, changing the subject, as your attention is focused on your current task. Leon remains quiet for a brief moment. "I can tell it was from something extremely sharp."

"It could be," Leon firmly replies, not getting into further detail. The faint playfulness in his face disappears almost immediately. Your suspicions begin to appear.

"That wound seems to be coming from a knife," you start to become a bit persistent, before walking up to him once more, adjusting yourself, ready to begin with your duty, and that is to stitch Leon. "The cut is pretty deep. It almost shows bone," his eyes meet yours for a bit. 

"Let's say I had a side quest."

"Side quest?" you repeat, clearly not believing him.

"In case you don't know, as an agent, this mission is not my only assignment."

"Right," you take a small pause. "Then- why you wanted me to treat you either way? You could easily go to my parents' hospital."

"You're here though, aren't you?"

"I am here because you asked me to come. My strict order is to provide medical care to the members of the team—"

"Ain't I one?" Leon asks, interrupting you.

"—only when it is related to our mission," you complete, trying to maintain a professional tone.

"But you took care of Carlos' cut, a month ago, and he was off duty." He continues, pointing out. You scoff as light annoyance is evident now at Leon's attitude.

"Are you always this glib?"

"I am, just as you are always curious," he retorts.

Sighing, you take the tool in your hand. "I guess that makes us even," you mutter before preparing for the final step. You take the sharp needle in your hands, and you slowly pierce it next to his wound. 

Your conflicting emotions toward Leon surface again—wanting to punch and kiss him at the same time. But still, you gave yourself a promise and focus on yourself. Keep a professional relationship with all members of the team. That includes Leon too.

But how? Leon is a very intriguing personality, that makes you want to find out more about him.....and well....he's also hot as fuck.

Mentally returning to your task, you steal a quick glance at Leon, finding him expressionless to the feeling of the needle. That means the anesthesia has officially kicked in. Just then, you begin your job.

Leon remains expressionless to the sensation of the needle. His head is leaned back, his eyes facing the bright ceiling, and the sweat on his face, caused by the pain, gradually dries out. The following minutes pass, filled with silence, and Leon letting you do your job, without any interruptions. 

"You know, about back in Rosewood...when you helped me with the intruders-" You hear him suddenly speak. His own words cut off for a quick moment as your attention is brought up to him, captivated by what he will say next. 

Because things are getting interesting now.

"I appreciated that. Just so you know," he replies as a faint smile replaces the coldness on his face. You return the gesture before you lightly lean back on the stool. 

"I am glad to hear that, Leon." You respond with your voice softening as you say his name.

"But you have to be more careful next time," Your smile fades away at the speed of light. "Do not risk your life like this. It's not worth it." Did he just call himself...unworthy?

You find yourself troubled about what to answer. Because you definitely did not expect Leon's last comment. Not replying to his final words, you decide to focus on your task once more—Leon's health.

At least, he was a bit warmer and showed gratitude for your previous action.

----

"So, how can I assist?" Ares questions, his hands resting on his belt, and his eyes scanning his boss's figure. He does not reply. He remains still as the door behind them opens. Her presence becomes visible, walking with light and airy steps inside.

Ares turns around. His eyes widen, not expecting to see her ever again...but as it seems, fate has brought them together once more, requiring their corporation.

"This will be your partner," he announces as Ares' eyes do not leave her. "I believe you know each other pretty well."

"Long time no see," she greets him with her light smirk and seductive voice.

"Ada..."

----

Juice is coming in the next chapter....;)