𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬 ★ 𝐋𝐞𝐨𝐧 𝐒 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝𝐲 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

Chapter 23: Never Trust A Man, or a Mentally Unstable Female

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Ashley coughs as she walks through the gate but you assume it's because of how hard they were laughing. You stomp off ahead in an attempt to hide your laughter and keep up with the joke, the two of them behind you. They try to hold in their snickering as they watch you go off and eventually calm themselves down.

The courtyard was covered with stone arches, pillars, and azalea bushes. You hear Ashley gasp and turn around. Her hands are on her head, as she shakes it vigorously.

"You okay?" Leon asks.

"I think so... I-" She tries to step forward and her right leg fails her making her collapse. Leon catches her in his arms as you get ready to call Luis and ask him what to do.

"Instead of worrying about her... Worry about your own skin." You look back over and see Ashley's hand wrap around Leon's knife, you quickly leap forward trying to stop her but she steps back, knife in her hand.

"Ashley?" You say.

"Foolish little lamb." She tries to stab Leon and catches the blade of the knife in his palm before it could hit his chest, his blood dripping over the knife. You move to shove her off but she steps back and places the knife to her neck.

"Temperance, child." She says as she continues to move backwards. You and Leon slowly step closer to her.

"Ashley put the knife down." You say, your heart stopping at the sight of her.

A gate slams down between you two and she gasps, dropping the knife and looking at the two of you, suddenly sobbing. She looks at her hands and quickly runs off. Leon quickly slams against the gate, holding the metal bars.

"Wait!" He bangs his fist against the metal. "Shit!"

You stick your leg through the bars in the gate and kick Leon's knife back toward you for you to pick up as Leon continues his existential crisis leaning on the bars.

"Why aren't you concerned?" Leon asks annoyedly.

"I'm considering killing myself now before our boss does." You say, sliding his knife back into his holster and calling Hunnigan.

"Hey Roost. Things are going great, we got separated from Baby Eagle while taking refuge in a castle." In return, there was static interference and the static broke Hunnigan's voice. "Can you hear me?" The call disconnected. "Even better." You mumble. "We are so fucked."

"Clearly."

"Come on, Leon." You say, putting your hand out for him to put his cut hand in. "One problem at a time." You say, pulling off his fingerless gloves.

"I can't believe it. What are we going to do?"

"Kill ourselves."

"Is that your answer to everything?"

"All we can do is look for her. The only place we can go from here is back into the castle from those stairs." You pour the antiseptic over it and start wrapping bandages around his hand. "Jesus, she cut you deep."

"I've fallen from 7 storeys before. I'll live"

"I've fallen from 8."

"I've been hit by a car."

"I've been hit by a school bus."

"Are you referring to me?"

"Perhaps." You tie off the bandage, he rolls his eyes. "Are you ready to go?"

He shakes his head and you start walking for the stone stairs. "I have no idea how you do it."

"What?"