Chapter Text
Aging industrial lift slowly shuddering to a stop, metal gate wailing as it slid open, Ada took two steps onto solid ground before halting. In the poorly lit depths of the cavern, stone walls reflecting every sound and breath, there was a stillness that blanketed everything, including the body of a man sitting against a box, in a puddle of blood. Leon didn't leave survivors behind, which could only mean one thing, if Luis was in the dark, alone.
Despite her cold disposition, carefully crafted to benefit her in her particularly deadly line of work, Ada felt a powerful pang of guilt shoot through her chest like a dagger. Of course she had been intentionally abrasive and closed off, she knew better than to be friendly with or trust anyone, but she had read everything she'd gotten her hands on about Luis when she agreed to work with him. She had known much more about him than he'd realized, and unfortunately that also meant she knew in her heart that he hadn't deserved a fate such as this.
There was smoke curling up from between his legs, a lit cigarette had fallen from his mouth at some point. Taking a quick moment to scan her surroundings, Ada saw signs of a knife fight, judging based off of the blood spray patterns on the ground and scaffolding. There were a few discarded cans of medical spray she recognized belonging to another government funded research group, Leon had been injured, but if he wasn't here, then he must have won the fight.
Sweeping the area to be certain she was alone, and therefore safe to investigate further, Ada finally approached Luis to pay her respects. She was truly sorry she wouldn't be able to give him a more respectful farewell, but she had neither the time or the tools to do so. Squatting gingerly next to him with her knees together, she sighed quietly.
Pursing her lips as she struggled to find words to offer a man she barely knew, and had failed to help after making a deal with, Ada rolled her eyes as they stung, annoyed at herself for wasting precious time like this. Finally, she opened her mouth,
And Luis coughed a weak, blood-garbled cough, startling her for the tiniest fraction of a second.
"Jesus! Luis! You're still alive?" She didn't wait for him to answer, springing up to grab one of the medical spray cannisters.
One had been left standing upright on a storage box, Ada was surprised but relieved to find it full. Returning to Luis, she paused to warn him.
"This is going to hurt, but I have to get the wound directly."
He didn't answer, Ada didn't know if he could in this condition. Picking up his half-burned cigarette, she put it in her own mouth and pulled on it but didn't inhale to keep it lit for him for another moment. Kneeling in between his legs after setting the cigarette aside, pulling Luis forward to rest his forehead on her shoulder, Ada skillfully removed his red jacket to see he'd been quite literally stabbed in the back.
"Coward." She breathed angrily, peeling the crimson stained shirt beneath up over the exposed gash.
Shaking the spray can, Ada coated the stab wound in a single layer at a time, letting the first layer settle for a moment before sweeping it again with another spray. She used the entire can before reaching to a pouch on her belt to retrieve a small syringe in it, she then used her teeth to removed the safety cover over the needle tip. Injecting the clear liquid into the flesh near Luis' injury, she heard him try to speak at last. Discarding the needle, she returned him to his previous position sitting upright.
His eyes were only open a fraction of the way, another choking cough brought more blood into his mouth from his lungs and throat. Turning his head, he spat the mouthful onto the ground and took a moment to catch his breath. His fists clenched and suddenly he realized something was in his left hand: Leon had put his grandfather's lighter back in his hand before leaving.
"Were you trying to tell me something?" Ada asked, picking up the cigarette and his hand to bring them together.
Eyes half open, a grateful sound came from Luis, followed by his usual smirk to brighten his pale visage, pocketing his lighter into bloody jeans.
"I was quite comfortable until you decided to use me as a pin cushion."
"Consider the view your repayment as my apology, then. I'm sorry, Luis, I didn't intend for something like this to happen to you. I have to play hardball to make sure I get my job done, and cover my own ass." Ada replied.
"What did you inject me with?" He completely dismissed what she had said.
"Nothing to be suspicious of," she assured, "just a booster for your cells to repair things a little faster, and a lot better, than on their own. I wasn't sure if your spinal cord had been cut, and I can't carry you in these boots. Actually, I could, but I won't. So, you're welcome."
The trace of a smile teased her lips. It was strangely comforting, perhaps it was because it was a sign of her humanity which he hadn't seen much of until now. It was also a relief to know he didn't have some new parasite riding shotgun to worry about.
"I take it you have a plan for escape, then?"
Ada nodded, standing and offering Luis a gloved-hand to get him on his feet.
"I do. You don't need details, your role is easy."
This time Luis was suspicious of her smile. A glitter in her eye told him she had quite the plan indeed. He noticed his cigarette, still smoking in his hand, and returned it to his mouth to take a nice, long drag on it.
"Ah? And what role is that?" He asked as he winced, trying to keep up with her smooth stride as he exhaled a cloud of smoke.
His back was still healing, he could walk, but everything hurt. Blood was throbbing in all of his limbs where it had been drawn from, his head was light with the amount he'd lost. Luis was happy to try, but he wasn't sure he could play any role very well in this state.
"I just need you to stand there and look pathetic, and pretty. No acting required, you look as bad as I'm sure you feel."
Luis coughed a pained laugh, "Fair enough. You, on the other hand, are a sight for sore eyes."
He saw the slight turn of her head, an annoyed smile tugging at her lips but failing to break her stoic expression.
"Don't let Leon hear you say that."
Luis frowned, cigarette sagging, confused at her response.
"What do you mean by that?"
Ada allowed herself to smile this time, shaking her head.
"I'll let you see for yourself. Keep up, we don't have much time, and you're going to want to see end of the big fight."
Luis decided he didn't have the energy yet to press her for answers, so he followed just behind her, healing body craving calories to burn as it repaired all the damage he'd been dealt since making the mistake of returning to his childhood hometown.