A/N: First off, I definitely want to take the chance to say…. To all my reviewers and those who favorited or subscribed to my stories… THANK YOU! You are the reason that I keep cranking these out. Thanks for all your support, and for sharing your appreciation for these stories and this pairing. You are the ones who make this possible for me to take the time and post. Thanks to you, you can expect more stories to come- as long as I have people to please, I will keep writing. I’m planning on this story to actually have chapters… thanks to a user called ‘Greentail.’ On a more businesslike note, I do NOT own Resident Evil or any of the characters… if I did, Luis would be alive and kicking, and Ashley would get shot in the Wonder Bra… -grins-

“Ashley, wait in here.”

Leon, ever thoughtful even in situations such as these, grunted as he hefted the rusty metal case open, taking Ashley’s hand to help swing her inside. “Be careful,” Ashley implored Leon, nodding at him as she crouched down, her honey-colored eyes shining in the dark. “Don’t worry about me. Just stay here, and keep quiet.” Leon assured her, gently closing the lid.

Normally, one might be a bit concerned about the lack of air supply in the sealed box… but Leon hadn’t had to worry about that so far. Though he was far from arrogant, he had to admit, dispatching the villagers had proved to be relatively easy.

See, Leon? You don’t need his help. You’re absolutely qualified to do this on your own.

Leon nodded a bit to himself, checking the magazine of his newly purchased Punisher handgun as he surveyed the area.

Unbeknownst to the agent, two figures stood watch at the top of a craggy plateau, one crouched in the springy ferns with a pair of battered binoculars held to his eyes, the other shamelessly standing erect, her dark, calculating eyes following Leon’s every movement.

“It’s your fault, you know.” Ada felt the need to remind the Spaniard to her right, smiling a bit as her red dress whipped in the wind like a bloody pennant.

“Yeah, yeah, lady. How come you’ve always gotta remind me? I’m trying to redeem myself.” Luis answered back, in that half-joking tone he tended to get when he was nervous.

“I don’t like being a part of the cleanup crew. It’s not my style.” Ada explained in a softer voice, yet still the tone of playful condescension brought a small crease to Luis’s brow.

“… Don’t forget. In a way, we’re all slaves to him. He almost killed me with his kindness- almost. I hope you’re as lucky.”

With that, Ada turned and walked off, impractical yet characteristic heels making soft noises on the stones, hips swaying.

Luis, however, didn’t even look back, feeling a bit like a voyeur as he stared desperately through the binoculars. Somehow, he felt as if he’d never be able to forgive himself if Leon got hurt. Ada was right, after all. It was Luis’s fault, one hundred percent.

“Dios mio.” Luis muttered, tossing the binoculars aside and running a hand through his wavy, chin-length hair.

Leon ignored a strand of bothersome dark blonde hair that had fallen into his eyes. He was a bit busy at the moment.

Feeling the recoil of the gun in his hand, the sound of gunfire familiar to him, Leon managed to finish off the last villager with a bullet to the throat, then to the forehead- only to notice the uneasy feeling he’d always gotten when eyes were on him. Whipping around and raising his gun, he felt the cool metal pulled easily out of his warm hands.

God damn it!

It was… oh.

“Luis? What are you doing?” Leon spoke, all upward inflection and surprise.

“Just trying to minimize karmic damage, amigo.” Luis stuck Leon’s gun in his pocket.

“I need that.” Leon spoke, furrowing his brow. “Ashley needs me.”

“And that’s what it all comes down to, I know. But I need a favor. Please.” Luis’s voice was softer somehow, pleading.

Leon scratched the back of his neck a little awkwardly, remembering the last couple times they’d met like this. “So what is it? I’m kind of preoccupied, as you can-“

“I want you to go home, Leon.” Luis spoke, a pleading look in his eyes.

Leon allowed himself a small, humorless laugh. “Well, damn, Luis, I don’t know. I’m beginning to like it out here, I think I might buy a condo.”

Luis smiled, but there was no warmth in it. “I mean it, hermano. You weren’t meant to die out here. Not like this.”

“Have a little more faith in me, please.”

“Go home.” Luis stated once again, looking like he’d love nothing more.

“You know I can’t do that.” Leon shook his head. “I’m not leaving without Ashley, I’m not leaving without taking these sick bastards out, and for God’s sake, I can’t leave, not even if I want to. You know that, Luis.”

Luis nodded, a little shakily, sighing almost inaudibly under his breath. “God. Why did it have to be you, you know? Why couldn’t it have been some other bastard American?”

Leon grinned at that, closing the distance between himself and Luis, putting a hand on Luis’s shoulder. “It’s not too late, you know. You can come with us. Then, once I meet the mission objective and find whoever made the virus, plus take out Saddler… you can come back with us. You’ll be a hero!”

Luis felt a laugh bubble up from his throat. “A hero, huh…” And what would they think of him when they discovered that Luis had made the virus? What would Leon think?

“… Alright, I like that idea.” Luis nodded.

I’ll make sure that I’m well out of the way before you ever think of taking me back.

“Compromise, right?” He added, grinning.

Leon nodded, accepting his gun from Luis’s outstretched hand and hurrying to where Ashley was hiding, with Luis right behind him.

TBC