FOOL → leon kennedy ✔

chapter three

CHAPTER THREE
go save our world.

...

"Can we never do that again?" Leon groaned from his spot on the floor. Lucky flinched, not expecting his voice to come from so close. She turned her head to find his head about a foot away.

Lucky coughed and placed her palms over her eyes. "Agreed. And when we inevitably get interviewed after saving the world... let's leave that one out."

"Deal."

There was a comfortable silence that followed, then Lucky turned her head again and caught his soft gaze. "I always wanted a view of the ocean, you know? When I settled down... I always wanted to see the ocean out of my door. Smell the salt on the air..." She blurted, then sighed with a chuckle. Leon's eyebrows drew together.

"What does that have to do with... anything?"

Lucky shrugged and lifted her eyes back up to the ceiling. "Guess... well, if we're going to die... then I thought I should tell someone. Maybe I'll get the view when we get to wherever the dead go."

Leon turned his whole body now, taking her hand. "Hey. We're getting out of this alive, Lucky." He paused, trying to search her face for any readable expression. "You know that... right? We can do this--"

"Yeah, but how do you know?" She shifted her eyes to him. Hot tears brimmed her eyes, blurring her vision, and her throat swiftly became tight. "You don't know for a fact that... that some big, fucking... two-headed beast is going to burst through the floor and swallow us whole." She threw her hands into the air dramatically and Leon laid on his back again.

"Maybe you're right, but I think the floor is still in one piece." He tapped his hand on it for added affect. Lucky shot him a glare, fighting to hide her amusement, but clearly not succeeding. Leon grinned to her, then sat up. She followed suit, quickly swiping at the stray tears that had slipped from her eyes. "You just need to keep hoping, and keep pushing. Have something to live for, I guess." He shrugged. Lucky rolled her eyes, shoving her jacket sleeves back up to her elbows.

Lucky sighed and blinked her moment of weakness away. "Okay, pretty boy. Spare me the philosophy lesson. If you think we're going to make it... well, I'll try to believe it, too. And without you I would surely be a goner, so... thank you."

He would never know what he did to her with his jokes and smiles, and his constant pep-talks. Lucky couldn't help but fall for it-- and for him.

...

Marvin was lying on his side when the pair arrived back in the main room. After a gut-wrenching moment of thinking he was dead, Lucky noticed his chest slowly rising and falling-- even just barely. She passed the final medallion to Leon, then moved to Marvin's side.

"Marvin? We have the last medallion. We can get out of this place." She approached him slowly, speaking with a soft voice. The Lieutenant groaned and struggled back into a sitting position, making Lucky's heart ache. She wanted to help him, but she knew there was nothing to do. Without proper help, he was dying. Now she wished she'd taken her mother's advice and become a medic.

"Ah, good. I knew... you two could do it." Marvin rasped. His eyes were sunken and his skin was becoming clammy and pale. Leon hurried back, giving Lucky a nod. She didn't have to look past him to know that the passage was there-- it was real.

Marvin collapsed into a fit of coughing, flecks of blood mixing with spittle on his handkerchief. Lucky felt sick, watching this man dwindling to nothing.

"Alright. We're going to get you to a hospital, Marvin. They can get you fixed up in no time." Lucky reached out to help him up, but the older man pushed her hands away, shaking his head.

"No. No, you're going to leave me and save yourselves. I'm not going to make it anywhere. Walk through that door and I never want to see you again. Got it?" Even dying, he held his authority. Still, Lucky's stubbornness won over.

"Wait... No! No... I-I'm not leaving you here, Marvin. I can't..." Her voice broke, so she stopped there for fear of falling apart. She needed to be stronger.

Leon picked up where she left off. "We aren't just going to walk away and leave you here to--"

"You're going to do as I tell you, Leon! Take everything you need... and disappear though that door. Go save our world... don't waste this chance. That's an order." Marvin was struggling just to keep himself upright, but her was determined. Leon stood still for a heartbeat, then he nodded and touched Lucky's shoulder. "I tried... I tried to stop it, but I couldn't. This all on you two now. Please don't waste this chance."

"Come on. We have a world to save. We won't let you down... I promise." He murmured, already walking away. Lucky stumbled back and swallowed her tears as she followed Leon toward the door. Marvin shifted in his seat.

"Hey!" He called. The pair stopped and turned, pain glittering in their swollen eyes. Marvin fought a smile onto his face and jerked his arm like he was gesturing between them. "You two take care of each other, yeah? I don't wanna see either of you up there with me, you hear me?"

Lucky didn't even wipe her tears away anymore. There was no use-- there would just be more to replace them.

"We will. Thank you, Lieutenant." Lucky smiled a shaky smile, then she let Leon put his arm around her shoulders and lead her away. Leaving someone to die was harder than seeing it in the moment, Lucky determined. As the door closed behind them, cutting them off from Marvin, she knew that they had to complete this mission.

For Marvin.