In This Together (RE2:Leon Kennedy x OC)

Chapter 5

     "Oh... That's good news, I guess. Unless, of course, Irons sent you." He smile fades away.

     I tilt my head slightly. 'Irons? Who's Irons?'

     "Irons?... You mean Chief Irons? Is he still around?" Leon asks, apparently known the man.

     "Who cares? Hopefully he's someone's dinner by now." The man says.

     Leon takes a half step back. "What do you mean by that?"

     "He's the bastard that locked me in here." The man replies.

     "I'm sure he had a good reason." Leon scoffs, trying to defend this Chief Irons.

     "He did." The man takes a breath of his cigarette and then tosses it aside. He breathes the smoke out his nose. "I was about to blow the whistle on his dirty ass." He looks around. "I'd have done the same thing, I guess."

     The man's eyes land on me, finally noticing me. His eyes widen. "Wait a minute... Ah shit." He starts snapping his fingers, as if trying to remember something. "What was it? What was it?"

     "You know her?" Leon holds his hand towards me. I move to him, sliding my hand into his.

     "Project S!"

     I freeze completely when the man says something I remember from when I first woke up. I look at him with wide eyes and start shaking.

     'That's the name I barely remember being called. How does he know that name? Is he with Umbrella?'

     "What? What did you call her?" Leon pulls me into his side, wrapping his arm around me.

     The man looks at me, ignoring Leon. "How are you here? Thought they kept you tight underground or something."

     "What the hell are you talking about?" Leon asks the man, voice taking on a tone I haven't heard yet. He pulls me close to him, turning to the side so I'm slightly hidden. I grip his vest tightly, leaning against him as my legs begin to get weak.

     I jump when I hear a noise like bending metal away from us. I look up to see that Leon's also looking in the direction of the noise.

     "Hey! I'll make you a deal. Unlock this cell and I'll give you this. There's no other way outta that parking garage. Believe me!"

     "I'm sorry. But I can't do that. I have to talk to the chief first. And why did you call her Project S?"

     The noise happens again, but a little closer. Leon backs us up a little and moves me behind him.

     "Look! We're all prisoners in this station. So either we play nice and help each other out-" The noise of bending metal gets louder and I can faintly hear loud footsteps. "Shit. It's coming. Probably for her."

     Leon moves away from me and towards the man. I back up against the wall as my head starts to hurt and things flash before my eyes. Needles, people in white coats, a large tank...

                     Leon's POV

     I grab the bars, watching the man who backs up to the wall. "What-- What's coming? And what the hell do you mean it's coming for her?!"

     The thought of something coming for Airam, scares the hell out of me. Sure we haven't known each other long, but it feels so much longer than that. I don't know what I would do if anything bad happened to her.

     "C'mon- c'mon, don't be an asshole... OK? You need this! Just get me the fuck outta here!" He yells out, holding up the pass.

     Then a large gloved hand bursts through the wall, grabbing the man's face as he screams. I pull out my gun and watch as the man is dragged up and over. There's a sickening crunch as his head is crushed. His body drops with a thud.

     "Oh, my God..." I look at the hole in the wall when I hear something big leave. I hear movement come from my left and I aim my gun at the shadow. "Who is that?!"

     The woman in sunglasses walks towards me. "It's just me, so you can put that thing away." She stops in front of the cell.

     "I don't even know what happened. It just... happened so quick." I motion to the mess.

     She looks from the mess to me. "I told you to get out of here. You wouldn't want to end up like Ben, would you?"

     "You knew him?"

     She crosses her arms, looking at Ben. "He was an informant. Had information of use to my investigation."

     "So what he said was true?" I ask her, only for her to walk away. I get annoyed and frustrated. I step forward and reach out, grabbing her arm. "Hey, you can't keep walking away from me!"

     She yanks her arm away, looking at me as if I did the worst crime.

     "I don't even know your name! I'm Leon Kennedy." I tell her mine.

     A whimper immediately gets my attention. "Airam?!" I pull her into my arms as she holds her head and whimpers, shaking worse. "Airam, what's wrong?"

     I kneel down when her legs seem to give out. She looks up at me in pain, fear and confusion, eyes watering and struggling to stay open. "Hey. It's okay. I've got you, Airam."

     "You should keep an eye on your friend."

     I look up at the woman, who watches us with a hand on her hip.

     "Find a way out, Leon. Before it's too late... Then we'll talk." She turns and leaves, but not before calling back. "Name's Ada."

     I look down at Airam, who lays unconscious in my arms. I brush some hair away from her face. I commit the peaceful look on her sleeping face to memory, to block out the look of pain I saw just moments ago.

     I look over at the cell. I look at the pass hanging from his neck. "Well, I guess the deal is on." I look back at the sleeping woman in my arms. "What was he talking about? Why did he call you Project S?"