project: eden | leon kennedy

▪︎ Chapter 5 ▪︎

There was something in his eyes that was different than before. She thought she knew all of it: his eyes turned a mix of stormy blue with a hint of grey whenever he got angry. There was a casual glint in them whenever he talked with others, the blue in them burning a little brighter whenever he laughed. When he concentrated on a task, he always furrowed his eyebrows a little, his eyes turning the color of the calm sea.

But right now, they were dark, like the depths of the sea before the storm, an unfamiliar glint of fire hiding under the surface. This was unknown territory for her, and anything she didn't know already scared her.

Her heart beat heavily in her chest, the previous pain now gone and taken over by something else she haven't felt before.

"That's gonna leave a mark," Thea tore her eyes away from his burning eyes, glancing down at his neck. She could see clearly the place where each finger of the tyrant was, the skin already turning a slightly darker shade.

"It was worth it."

The sound of something moving snapped them out of it, now her heart beating loudly for other reasons. Thea stumbled away from the car, Leon reaching out and catching her arm as he pulled her away. Both of them watched with wide eyes as the arm of the tyrant moved between the car and the wall.

"Can't this bitch sit down for a minute?" Thea sneered, not noticing how her arm gripped onto his.

"Nothing dies down here," Ada sounded just as annoyed as she felt, Leon's arm snaking around Thea's waist as he pulled her away from the scene.

Thea opened her mouth in protest, ready to tell him off for manhandling her, but her eyes got caught in the sight of his other hand pointing his gun at the thing, his jaw clenching and muscles tensing under her touch. It looked like he was ready to shoot the thing and put a bullet in her, too, if she would annoy him right now.

But his tension got blown away, quite literally: the car Thea was leaning against to keep herself on her feet got blown up by the detonator in Ada's hand. The heat of the flames burned her face, her green eyes squinting into the fire as she tried to make out any movement.

There was none.

A breath she didn't even know she was holding left her lips, Leon's arm falling beside him as he watched the flames. She hated to admit it, but if it wasn't for his support, she would probably lie on the floor right now, the force of the explosion making her stumble nonetheless.

"That was fucking sick," Thea breathed, looking at Ada. She barely caught how the woman's lip twitched into a small smirk, it vanishing just as quickly as it came.

"I take it you have the key card?" Ada looked between them, Leon still a little startled by her. Thea poked his side with her elbow, urging him to snap out of it.

"Yeah, and this," he reached into his pocket, pulling out a recorder the found on Ben in the cells. The image of the riporter's mangled body made a chill run down Thea's spine. "I was hoping you could explain what's on it."

"Maybe... After I hear it. Let's get out of here."

"Good idea," Thea let out a sigh, more than eager to leave this whole hellhole behind her. She didn't want to see another police station for years.

Thea took a step forward to follow Ada, only to get held back by an arm around her waist. Her head snapped to Leon who looked down back at her, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. She shoved his hand away from her, her cheeks burning up in embarrassment. She didn't need anybody's help.

"You're in pain, lean on me," Leon offered, the sudden kindness in his voice and pitiful look in his eyes only pissing her off. Thea clenched her jaw as she took another step forward, pain shooting up her leg. She ignored it to her best knowledge and slapped his hand away that came to aid her.

"Don't touch me, Scotty," she sneered between her teeth, shooting him a look that could kill a man.

"Dorothy, you're slowing us down," he mirrored her attitude in no second, matching her pitiful speed as she limped towards the metal door of the parking lot.

"It's still Dorothea, dickhead. And I don't need your help," she brushed him off, biting down on her lip as she fought through the pain. God, that fucktard had one hell of a bitch-slap. "I'd rather die."

Leon snorted at her remark. Her hand shot out and punched him in his shoulder, him finally taking a step away and putting some more distance between them. He soothed a hand over the part she punched him, sending daggers with her eyes in his direction. Only to be greeted back with a shit-eating grin on his face.

"That's cute."

"Next one goes to your stupid face," Thea pointed a finger at him, her eyes following as he bit down on his bottom lip to try to hide his smile. She was tempted to execute her promise right then and there.

"Well, last time I checked nobody found my face stupid."

"News flash, nobody asked, nerd."

"You are just as big of a nerd as me, Eden."

"I'll rip your tongue out if you call me that one more time," Thea spat towards him, ready to throw hands.

"You told me that one every other day. Be more original, Eden."

"Oh, this is war now, Scotty!"

"At least you're not limping that much anymore," he flashed her a smile, Thea only now noticing that they were outside and her leg didn't even hurt that much on the way.

She stopped in her tracks, her fury vanishing with the gentle breeze that flew her hair out of her face.

Did he just piss her off so she wouldn't feel that much pain?

He said she was slowing them down, which was probably true, and when she was mad there was not one injury that could slow her down. Everybody that knew her through her academic years learned this, including Leon.

She wanted to punch him in the face. Again.

"You coming, Eden?"

"Fuck off, Scott."

"I can't, I have to stick with you."