Ada grabbed onto Ashley's arm, ignoring the 'I can walk by myself, y'know!,' and the 'Ow, You're HURTING MEEE!' remarks. Ada sniped a couple of regenerators, shuddering. Things were damn creepy...

"Leon, in here. I think I hear voices!"

Ada grabbed his wrist and drug him into the room. In it, lay...an altar. This wasn't the other altars they had had, though. This one was covered with a dingy, yellowish white fabric and...dead birds painted to look like doves. Littered on the floor were weeds, apparently meant to be some sort of flower.

Ashley blinked.

"...this isn't so bad, really."

Leon ALSO ignored the whining complaining remarks and shot several Regenerators on his own. Getting dangerously close to them and aiming up with the Striker, in fact. He was surprised when he was grabbed by the wrist and dragged after Ada. He was even MORE surprised when he saw the STATE of the room.

"...they need to hire a new decorator for this place. Whoever did this has little class and less funds."

A dark chuckle came from somewhere in the room and the man in the purple robes stepped out.

"How....nice of you to join us. We were just about to start the ceremony..Please, sit down." Saddler walked up to the altar as a large bulletproof clear gate suddenly popped up in the middle of the room, separating him from the three. He'd run his fingers over one of the dead birds, plucking out a white feather and looking at the underside of it. He chuckled darkly once more, turning it around to show Leon and co. the black on the bottom of it.

"You see...Somethings are really a blessing in disguise, Leon."

Leon growled at Saddler. "Ceremony? What ceremony? Where's--" He stopped short when the clear gate snapped closed. He stood there in shock until Saddler showed him the feather. "Your a sick old man, you know that? Let Akurin go and I'll think about NOT killing you."

He even aimed the Striker at Saddler, knowing full well it wouldn't do anything with the gate between them. But it was making him feel like he was trying to do something about it rather than sitting there helplessly, so it DID help...at least some, anyway.

Saddler laughed and Ada looked through a way in. Pointing up at a small opening, she looked at Leon.

"Gimme a boost!" She hissed to him.

Saddler didn't catch that, and simply turned around.

"Give her up?--" He gasped here, in faux shock. "Let her go? No, no, no. Every good ruler needs an obedient wife, hm?"

Saddler sent Leon a look, his eyes glistening orange with pure insanity and power.

Leon glanced at Ada and helped her up while Saddler's back was turned. However, when Saddler looked at him again, he focused on venting his frustrations on the other man.

"So your going to force an innocent woman to marry you and follow your every order just like the rest of the people here? Your one sick sonnuva bitch, Saddler. And I'm taking you down."

He even added in a dramatic point with his free hand for even more effect.

Ada pulled herself through the small hole and dropped down with a faint *thump* before skittering off to the darkness.

Saddler was so amused with Leon's frustration, he once again didn't notice.

"Oh, no. Wouldn't it be beautiful if your own love interest killed you? I think that'd be a very good...twist, might I say?"

Leon snarled yet again and kicked the clear panel separating him from Saddler.

"Go fuck yourself with bricks and a knife, Saddler! She wouldn't do that to me! And nothing YOU can say or do will change that!"

He kicked the gate again, apparently having fun venting for the moment. He liked to kick things, after all.

"The only reason you feel the need to put parasites in people and control them is so they actually STICK AROUND you instead of running away from you! That's why your--what, 45?--and STILL SINGLE!"

Saddler laughed horribly, VERY much amused by Leon's little outburst.

"Oh? I still have a extra-special parasite to put in her, after all..."

Whilst Saddler was distracted, Ada had hit the button, and the clear gate disappeared with a loud crash into the floor. Saddler whipped around and growled, he pointed towards a group of Ganados, howling with anger.

"Kill them!" And with that, he disappeared into a door, with it locking closed.

Leon fired the Striker almost as soon as the gate disappeared...unfortunately missing his intended target--Saddler--and hitting several of the Ganados instead. He moved to run after Saddler, then spun around when the door locked and took his frustrations out on the poor villagers who'd been ordered to kill him. He didn't care if Ada got a shot in. He just needed to shoot something.

Ada blinked around, realizing they had left Ashley unattended.

Ashley ran up to them, blinking.

"What was all that about? I'm so confused, Leon..."

Ada shook her head and felt against a wall, kicking open a hollowed out entrance.

"Through here! NOW!"

Leon shook his head at Ashley. "Later. Do as Ada says."

He pretty much pulled Ashley through the entrance after himself, checking around to see what else was in the area.

"...alright...where the hell are we now?"

"No idea," Ada hissed in the darkness, looking at Ashley who whimpered slightly.

"Leeeon....L...Leeeon?" Ashley's voice was a high pitched whine, and she looked at Leon with tearfilled eyes.

"You keep ignoring me!"

Ada simply blinked and kept walking.

Leon flipped his flashlight on. He handed one to Ada and then another to Ashley. "Makes perfect sense. I do NOT ignore you. I listen to you! I just disregard what you say." As though that was any better. "What do you WANT?"

Ashley started to sob.

"I want to go home! We can go home now, instead of chasing after this dimwit girl that's holding us back! I WANT TO GO HOME."

Ada frowned slightly, and looked at Leon.

"You know, she really is right...You both got your parasites out."

Leon glared at them both. "How would YOU like it if someone you were close to was being held like that and everyone was telling you to forget them and leave? YOU wouldn't be very happy, would you? I didn't think so. I don't want to leave her behind. What if I can't find her again? Ashley's with us. She's going to be fine. Plus, if we don't kill Saddler, he'll just kidnap Ashley again."

Ada and Ashley both stopped, staring at him incrediously.

"You're joking, right?"

Ashley shook her head.

"You can't possibly love someone you've only known for two days! Besides, I'm your JOB, Leon! Who knows if she'll dump you when we get back to the states, anyway? You will ALWAYS have your job!"

Ada blinked.

"I didn't know you felt so strongly about women, Leon. I always thought you preferred the stick instead of the base..."

Leon glared back at them and flashed the light at his face. "Does it LOOK like I'm joking?" He shook his head right back at Ashley. And added an eyeroll. "You don't know that. :/ I was planning on QUITTING my job when I get back to the states, by the way. I always get these crappy jobs. FIRST MISSIONS OR DAYS ARE ALWAYS HELL FOR ME. Raccoon City was my first day on the job as a policeman! So is this god-damned mission!" He rounded on Ada. "Just because I'm not interested in YOU anymore doesn't mean I'm gay, miss 'I run away at the drop of a hat and leave out vital information until it's not vital anymore and then disappear for six fucking years then show up like it's been six hours 'since the last time we saw one another.' I don't know why the hell I liked you in the first place!" He'd have thrown his flashlight if it hadn't been the only thing giving him light.

Ashley and Ada were both surprised at that outburst, and looked at each other.

Ada pointed a finger into his chest.

"Listen, FAG. Face it, if it weren't for me you wouldn't be here TODAY. Remember when Bitores Mendez was about to fuckin' choke you to death?! Who the hell saved you?! I DID. Remember the Village? Who rung the church bell?! I DID! So don't go around flaunting your big ass ego because it means NOTHING. NO.FUCKING.THING!"

Vaguely, very far away...

"LEON?!"

Leon glared at Ada through her bit. He smiled at her, darkly, and tilted his head.

"I think your pissed off because I'm not following you around like some low dog anymore. I also think that the only reason you helped me either of those times was because it was CONVENIENT for you. It wouldn't have been very good for you to have your distraction killed. I run around shooting THEM and drawing attention to keep some of it off YOURSELF. That's the ONLY reason you even gave me a second thought. JUST LIKE IN RACCOON CITY. You USED me to get to the virus sample and then disappeared afterwards."

He was about to yell at her more when he heard the very quiet voice. And then he pretty much shut his mouth and went to look for where it was, not really caring if Ada OR Ashley followed him. It was up to them at this point.

Ada grabbed his arm, using a swift hand to slap him.

"No. You are NOT fucking chasing after her right now. You are going to deal with this. I never used you. I needed that fucking sample, and you knew it! YOU KNEW IT, Leon! I'm here with you right now, didn't I? I just saved your precious little BRAT from getting married to that old geezer back there. I bought you time. So shut the FUCK up!"

She then released him, running ahead of him and opening a door, cursing.

"She's gone already."

Leon snarled at her, attempting to jerk his arm out of her grasp and pretty much shaking with whatever pent-up feelings he had which seemed to have doubled when she'd slapped him.

"I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT THE FUCKING SAMPLE UNTIL I WAS NEARLY SHOT BY ANNETTE AND YOU SHOWED UP TO TAKE IT! You DID use me. And when you didn't need me, you ran off to cover your OWN agenda in the city. I would've thanked you for that if we had time and you hadn't just thrown it in my face. So YOU shut the fuck up and LET ME GO FIND HER."

When she said the last sentence, Leon sighed, suddenly looking very tired and even slightly slumped over.

"...they can't have taken her too far. Stop yanking my feelings about what happened earlier around and either help me find her or get out of my way and let me. If you ever cared about me, in the slightest, you would be helping me and not trying to hinder me like this."

Ada shook her head and slumped next to him, sighing heavily. Ashley just stood there, totally confused, her blonde hair still messed up from sleeping on the floor.

"Leon, what exactly do you hope for in this? Really, what is it? Because, if you think that she's the girl for you, I doubt it. She'll probably end up being just another drinking buddy. And you'll get to watch her go off and date other men."

Saying that even stung Ada a bit, and she looked over at Leon.

"Don't keep your hopes too high."

Leon looked at Ada.

"What do I hope for? Exactly what you doubt. I don't know why you think otherwise...but at least your being honest, right?" He sighed. "I'll try. I guess."

He looked down the hallway.

"...should we get moving, then? Sitting here isn't doing ANYBODY any good..."

Ada nodded quietly and looked over at Leon.

"Yeah, you're right. It isn't helping a damned thing," She said, shaking her head before standing up and prodding Ashley lightly. The blonde would let out a soft 'meep!' before snapping back to reality and looking over at the two.

"Time to go, I'm guessing?"