Possibility of a Normal Life.

((Disclaimer: Resident Evil and its characters do not belong to me. Although I wish they did. Very much. Anyway, this is set after Resident Evil 4 and I'll post warnings at the beginning of each chapter as I normally do. I won't bore you with AN so go ahead and read on.))

Chapter One - Warnings - None.

The mission had been a success, despite the close call regarding the injection of the plaga into their bodies, but although Saddler had been killed, it did not completely eliminate the threat of the Las Plagas, especially if the notes were anything to go by, that the military and other aspects of the Government were under threat of infiltration by the Las Plagas, if they were not already under the influence of the parasitic organisms. It was hoped that the key figures had been eliminated, Saddler, Salazar and Chief Mendez, but there was evidence to suggest that these leaders within the plaga society were just a few of many. A massive covert operation had been initiated to uncover any humans under the control of the Las Plagas, but it wasn’t as easy as some might have thought. They had managed to infiltrate some of the high ranking officials and with the extraction machine on the island destroyed; it was proving to be more difficult than anticipated to remove the maturing plagas from their hosts.

The operation was looking to be effective though and, albeit slowly, the number of plaga infected politicians at least was beginning to dwindle. However, the military had yet to be subjected to the screening and it was thought that there was a danger of the plaga society feeling threatened by their gradually decreasing numbers and using the weapons available to blackmail America into leaving the plagas to develop and essentially spread to the rest of the world. And so it was that every military establishment was under quarantine until each and every person involved within the army, navy, air force and every other branch was cleared and returned to active duty. This meant though, that America had come to an almost complete standstill with regard to politics and its own defense. Ports were shut down, airports closed until further notice, trains kept from running. This caused chaos for commuters who were not allowed to use any vehicle at all to leave the quarantine zones. Cars were banned so borders could not be crossed, buses and bikes too, anything that could allow people to attempt to escape the quarantine zone.

Because America was cut off from the rest of the world, other countries began to suffer too. Without the revenue coming from America, there were shortages on both sides of the boundary. America couldn’t let food in or out so everything was having to be rationed to prevent shortages and the other countries couldn’t get anything from America. The plaga threat was causing major problems across the world, it was impossible to cover up the shutting down of an entire country and once rumours started to spread, people were convinced it was some sort of alien invasion on a quest for world domination. No-one could have anticipated that the plagas would cause such enormous problems but thankfully, there were high hopes that the threat was close to complete elimination and the checkpoints and such were slowly being taken down. The whole epidemic had lasted a good year or so, but thanks to the completion of the mission to rescue the President’s daughter, it seemed as though they had caught the invasion before things got too out of hand, and there were only a few quarantined areas left to re-open.

So the country was getting back on track and the plaga threat was all but eliminated. There was however, still the issue of Umbrella and stolen plaga samples had yet to be dealt with, but there had been no progress yet on that front as Umbrella was being rebuilt into its original pharmaceutical enterprise and there had been no proof or incriminating evidence to warrant a search of their rapidly expanding corporation. People were wary though, reluctant to buy their products even though it had been publicly announced by an Umbrella spokesperson that the conglomerate company was under new management and had every intention of providing harmless medical materials once again that would not be tested on animals. So the world was settling down again, returning to its previous worries of nuclear warfare and decreasing energy resources. No more rumours of government conspiracies or aliens trying to take over the world, everything was apparently back to normal and there were no longer any concerns about the safety of the country and the security of the human race. Slowly, as days turned to weeks and weeks to months, the threat of the plaga invasion was forgotten, just another bump in the road of humanity, something everyone could look back on and remember how rashly they’d acted and how once again humanity had prevailed over all that had threatened it. People were proud of themselves for having overcome whatever it was they had thought the plaga invasion was, the truth was covered up as best as possible, so only a select few actually new the events that had transpired, the general public believing what they wanted about what had come to pass.

But for one certain group of people, the threat to society was never completely eliminated until Umbrella was destroyed for good. During the seven years that passed after rescuing Claire from Rockfort, the group of ex-S.T.A.R.S had come out of hiding after Umbrella’s stocks fell and it was thought that the corporation was out for the count. They had attempted to put their lives back on track, getting legitimate jobs, blending back in with normal society as best they could. However, there was always an underlying suspicion that Umbrella wasn’t as bankrupt as it was thought, and it was usually attributed to being paranoia, after all, they had been butting heads with the corporation for some time and it was hard to believe that they were no longer a threat. The group was forever restless, guns always close by, eyes peeled for signs of Umbrella’s creations, or just anything that seemed suspicious, but over the course of those seven years, little had happened and it seemed that finally there was no need to worry about Umbrella and its viral creations.

The President’s daughter had been returned, and the agent who had been assigned to protect her was reassigned to other duties, and writing up reports about his mission was not his idea of fun. News crews had all but assaulted him on his way in with Ashley, all trying to get a glimpse of the man who had risked his life to return the girl safely, get an interview with him, anything to get a front page story for the many papers that circulated the continent. He had not been identified though and so the S.T.A.R.S remained unaware of whom the famous agent was, though they frequently wondered what had become of one Leon Kennedy since the Rockfort Island spill. He had been with Chris and Barry during the abduction of Claire Redfield from the Paris facility and after Chris left for Rockfort Island, Barry had been unable to relocate the ex-cop when he left without a word. After that, they didn’t hear from him and with all the fuss about the Las Plagas, they believed that there was a high possibility that the ex-rookie cop had been caught up in something and not made it through, if he was alive over those six years when things had apparently calmed down, they had thought that Leon would have paid them a visit. But he hadn’t and they feared the worst.

He wasn’t dead though, contrary to the S.T.A.R.S beliefs. Those six years he was out of contact had been spent on gruelling training at an undisclosed location so that he could become the best agent he could be. He kicked his own arse in training, determined to be top of his class, just as he was when he came out of the academy, though he had dearly hoped that that his first day on the job would go better than it had as a cop. And he had found out that it wasn’t much different, he still ended up having to put bullets in the brains of things that were not entirely human, deal with creatures that were the results of inhumane experiments. But once again he had lived through it and completed his mission. And now with the news of a revived Umbrella, there was no chance of him taking them down on his own, so he had to get some help from his friends. He had met the majority of the S.TA.R.S, only Jill and Rebecca were the two that he had not been introduced to, so he had only heard of them, and he had no idea of how he would be received. It was a daunting prospect, meeting with the famous group of anti-Umbrella rebels when they were all together and he’d be meeting Claire again, the woman he wanted to love but found that he couldn’t. They’d parted on rather bitter terms and Chris had previously prevented him from going to help her on Rockfort, so he still felt some hostility towards the older Redfield too. He was apprehensive of how they would react to him, but he wasn’t going there on a social visit, it was strictly business. He wasn’t the naïve young rookie cop anymore, who tried to find the best in any situation; he was a government agent who accepted the danger of his mission and became hardened to it.

His strike at the newly established Umbrella was not a mission from the government, as they had no legitimate reason to attack the corporation, only speculation, so this mission was something Leon was doing himself, as a normal citizen, not an agent and he needed the help of other citizens. Having said that, if the team had gotten comfortable in their new lives and wanted to leave Umbrella to those who were supposed to be attacking them, Leon would go alone, the likelihood was that he would complete his mission easier alone, even if it meant that the risk was greater. However, he knew with almost complete certainty that once the new leader of Umbrella was mentioned, Chris especially would not rest until the male in charge of Umbrella was brought down and stayed down. He wasn’t sure about the others, didn’t really want to think about how they would react to the news, but knowing what they’d been through, if Chris agreed to join him in taking down Umbrella, then there was a high chance that the others would follow suit, unwilling to let Chris go alone and it would be like Leon didn’t exist, he’d fall into line behind Chris and stay there. But he had no intention of letting that happen. Leon could look after himself, he could lead people now, he had enough experience to equal Chris and he would put that experience to good use.

And so it was that Leon was packing his gear in his room of the White House, where he was fortunate enough to reside as it was his duty to protect the First family. There was an open suitcase on his bed, the double bed that he spent less time on than he would otherwise have hoped. He was privileged to be residing in such lavish quarters; it was a big change from the bunks back at the government training camp that were too hard, with thin sheets as the only material to sleep beneath. When he was not on assignment away from the White House, Leon Kennedy lived in the lap of luxury and was reluctant to be away from it. There were more important issues to consider though, other than the comfort of his accommodation. So it was that he rummaged in his drawers of clothes, which he had surprisingly few of in terms of civilian outfits, and folded the items of clothing neatly before placing them in the waiting case. He hadn’t been up long, and needed to catch a train later that day, about mid-afternoon, but he had a fair amount to do before he left, hence his early rising.

As he folded a pair slightly old and frayed jeans into the case, there came a knock on his door, but as he opened his mouth to invite them in, the door burst open. In a split-second, Leon had reached forwards, grabbed his upgraded Blacktail and twisted his body so that the gun was aiming at the door. The figure stopped abruptly when the weapon was pointed at them, hastily sticking their hands in the air.

“Leon! Don’t shoot!” Came a squealed voice from the doorway and the figure slowly lowered their arms as the gun was lowered. “I didn’t mean to startle you. Wow, you really do need the break my father has given you, you’re really tense and paranoid.”

“Thanks Ashley, it’s nice to know that the President’s daughter thinks her bodyguard is paranoid.” He replied with a soft chuckle as he set the loaded weapon back on the bed and returned to packing his case, putting a small bag of toiletries in amongst the clothes and packing a sweatshirt over the top of it. He also made sure he had a pair of sneakers packed too; he wouldn’t be wearing his boots all the time, and once he was satisfied that he’d packed everything he might need in terms of civilian clothes and equipment, he closed the case and pulled the zip round to seal it. Packed, he turned and sat on the edge of his bed, setting the suitcase down on the floor beside him and turning his attention to Ashley Graham, the President’s daughter.

“I just stopped by to see you before you left. You didn’t tell me that you were leaving later today; I had to find out from my father. Why didn’t you tell me?” She asked with a hint of betrayal in her voice and she folded her arms across her chest in annoyance, making the agent chuckle again and pat a space beside him on the bed.

“I was gonna find you before I left, you didn’t think I’d leave without saying goodbye did you?” He shook his head as if in disbelief. “I just have a few things I need to do before I go; I wanted to get my packing out of the way before I saw to everything else.” He explained vaguely, though with the ambiguity of his answer he may as well have not explained himself at all.

Ashley pouted but it was clear to the trained eye of the agent that he had caught her out. “I knew you wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye.” She insisted weakly and sat heavily on the bed beside her bodyguard and rested her head on his shoulder. “Who’ll be looking out for me while you’re gone? How long are you going for anyway?” She asked sadly, clearly upset by the abandonment of her favourite bodyguard, but she accepted that he didn’t like her in the way she wished and she understood that he had a life of his own outside of his duties. Didn’t mean she had to like it though.

“I don’t know how long I’ll be gone; your father said I could take as long as I need. And I’m sure there’ll be someone else to look after you while I’m gone.” He assured her, putting his arm around her shoulders and patting her arm softly before he got to his feet again. Stretching, he set his Blacktail in its place on his belt and turned to face the girl sat on his bed, smiling softly at her. “You can live without me for a while, don’t worry about it.” He said quietly, slinging a rucksack on and grabbing the handle to his luggage. “Come on, I haveta lock the door so you can’t stay in here and before you ask, no you can’t come with me I’m afraid.” He announced, stepping out to the door and waiting for Ashley to leave the room so he could close and lock his room up.

She left when prompted to do so, head bowed in disappointment. “Why not? I’m Ashley Graham, the President’s daughter; I should be allowed to come if I want. And I’ll just ask Daddy to make you let me come.” She announced obstinately, only to receive a short chuckle and Leon’s retreat down the hall. “What? What’s so funny?” Came the expected question and that only received a shake of the head.

“Your father has already promised me that you’d stay here, where it’s safe. You can’t come because you’re the President’s daughter. It’s dangerous where I’m going.” He informed her as the pair of them walked the halls towards the main entrance to the building where the agent’s Jeep was waiting. He left his bags near the door though; they would be taken out to the vehicle for him while he sorted out his last minute arrangements. “I’m sorry Ashley, I’ll be back when I can, but I got some stuff to do now and then I’ve gotta catch a plane so I don’t have time to stop and chat.” He stated and suddenly found Ashley hugging him tightly so he patted her back lightly before prying her off and turning away from her and jogging off down the hall, giving her a quick wave as he disappeared round a corner of the hall, heading over to meet with the President.

Left on her own in the hall, Ashley just stood there for a moment, staring down the end of the corridor where her bodyguard had disappeared from sight. “I’ll miss you Leon…” she murmured, head slowly lowering to stare at the floor as she shuffled forlornly off to her bedroom to contemplate how bored and lonely she’d get without her friend and guardian with her. Being caught in a life or death situation with him had forged a bond between them that no-one else had, but despite that, she was his charge and he could not let personal feelings develop between them or else it would interfere with his job and he’d have to be stationed somewhere else, and she didn’t want that for Leon, so she had left them to just be close friends. Even so, she still felt somewhat betrayed that Leon wouldn’t tell her what he was going to do.

After departing from Ashley’s presence, Leon had signed papers to announce his departure, said goodbye to a select few people and headed out to his vehicle. In all honesty he was going to miss working at the White House, living in such extravagant accommodation was something he could easily get permanently used to, but it would also be nice to get away from it all. Even it was to go and drop himself in at the deep end again by taking on Umbrella.

Climbing into the Blue 4x4, the agent slumped in his seat and looked at the place he had come to call home, at least for a while. The lavishly decorated building would be there for him to come back to though, so he shouldn’t worry about some plaga-induced government conspiracy. And with that thought, he started the engine and drove out of the compound, onto the roads that would lead him to the airport. The roads, not surprisingly given what time it was, were rather congested with people going about their business and so by the time Leon reached the airport he had to rush through the terminal to check in, and then he had barely enough time to breeze through the duty-free shops to see if anything caught his fancy. He managed to snag a few things to eat on the plane, energy bars just to keep him going, but he was travelling across into Europe so the airline would be providing him with food and drink on the journey and with the insistence of the President, he was travelling first class with all the luxuries that came with it.

So it was that Leon reclined in his comfortable chair with a simple glass of water and a small meal in front of him, flying over the ocean and on his way to meet with a group of people who probably wouldn’t be overly pleased to see him, and he was going to put a proposition to them that would involve putting their lives on the line again. He didn’t know anything about them anymore, for all he knew, they had moved on with their lives, gotten families of their own and were happily living new lives free of Umbrella. Maybe they wouldn’t want to rejoin the fight against Umbrella, and he would be taking on a conglomerate corporation on his own. Sure taking on a corrupt cult, the Los Illuminados, was hard enough on his own, but Umbrella knew exactly what they were doing, what they were testing, and had been doing it for a lot longer than the Los Illuminados had been around, they were a far bigger threat than the cult was, even if the plaga had caused a considerable panic.

Thoughts such as those were making him increasingly nervous so he tried not to think about it too much. The prospect of meeting the whole team of ex-S.T.A.R.S was daunting enough without him worrying about any more of it. He was an agent now, and so he’d deal with each situation as it came. If there was one thing that his experiences had taught him was that anything could happen. So in light of that he tried to rest, let his concerns go for a while so that he could relax. He could think about problems such as firearms, accommodation, strike plan and transport after he’d actually met up with them. As it were, they had no idea that he was coming, and that itself would most likely cause problems.

That lead back to his concerns about his welcoming, and he couldn’t afford to have doubts, not at this stage, and he didn’t actually have anywhere to stay, everything was riding on his reception by the group. Of course, he could always just find the nearest hotel and book a few nights there, but it would be so much easier on all of them if he could take the couch or something, it was only temporary anyway.

Hoping that all went well, Leon did eventually drift off, it was over an eight hour flight, so he had plenty of time to catch up on his sleep without the possibility of Ashley randomly waking him up in the morning, practically begging him to take her downtown to do some shopping. Leon was not allowed to carry her purchases though, as it restricted his access to his weapon, so the trips were certainly not as bad as they could be. He would actually miss Ashley; even though she did have her moments where the agent wished someone else had been chosen as her bodyguard but they’d gotten pretty close after the whole episode regarding their escape of Saddler and he was worried that whoever would be replacing him while he was away would not be as resolute in their duty to protecting her and the rest of the First family.

However, such things were no longer his concern and they were now out of his control. He had to focus on his new mission, not remain hung-up on something that was getting steadily further away. Not that he was currently aware of that fact as his chest rose and fell with each gentle breath as he slept soundly through most of the journey. He was awoken some time later by the announcement that there was half an hour before the plane landed and when it did, the agent took a deep breath before collecting his bag from the overhead locker and stepping off the plane to collect his luggage. So far everything had gone without a hitch; he could only hope that the rest of the day followed the same trend.

((Seeing as I don't know where I'm going with this just yet, reviews will be hugely appreciated, especially those with constructive criticism and/or suggestions for improvement/future plot. Chapter two is already in progress but reviews would let me know you want more. ^-^ -Winkwinknudgenudge-))