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It's not like this is Chris’ favorite mission either.
It's early in the morning, way too early for his liking, but orders are orders, and that's why he stands behind the closed door of an apartment that belongs to one Leon S. Kennedy, ready to bring him in for questioning.
It's not even that serious. DSO was involved in a situation that was usually BSAA’s territory, and because Leon happened to save a few of their soldiers from a giant, mutated farm cockroach and hence got involved, they have to bring him in to ask a few questions. Chris just wishes it didn't have to happen half past seven in the fucking morning.
He has a team with him, because again, orders are orders, even though Chris knows he would have better luck bringing Leon in if he had coffee rather than a group of soldiers. He chose the team that had just come back from a hard mission, knowing that this one was more about convincing one grumpy agent to spend the morning in BSAA headquarters than actual danger.
Not that they don't take it seriously. On the contrary, many of them are taking it too seriously: the rookie agent, Armstrong, is basically vibrating next to Chris and Chris has to snap at him to keep him still. He has already had to reprimand him twice in the car. Damn Leon and his reputation as some sort of legend.
Chris signals the team to stay quiet behind him and knocks on the door. Nothing happens. He rings the doorbell.
There's shuffling noise on the other side of the door and then it opens. Leon blinks at them. He is wearing sweatpants and an old, ragged shirt that looks suspiciously like that one Chris lost a few years ago. His hair is a mess.
They stare at each other for a second. Leon looks at the soldiers behind Chris. Then he turns his gaze back to Chris and it's clear he's asking seriously?
“Agent Kennedy”, Chris starts his well-practiced speech that doesn't show even a hint of his irritation. “You will be brought to questioning in BSAA's headquarters related to your mission in the State of Wyoming. Do not resist.”
Leon still doesn't move. He just blinks again, glances at the soldiers–
And closes the door.
Chris takes a deep sigh. Of course this isn't going to be that easy.
He fishes a lockpick from his pocket, well experienced in this kind of thing, when he notices from the corner of his eye what Armstrong and East are doing. “What the hell!”
Both rookie soldiers glance up, surprise etched on their faces. “But sir–”
“We are not going to blow up a door in a civilian building”, Chris snaps. God, he's getting too old for this. Was he ever this stupid? Surely not. “We're going to break in, but quietly.”
It takes Chris about a minute to pick the lock. Jill's lessons have paid off, though he knows a minute is plenty of time for Leon to run to the world's end and get a coffee on the way. Still, it's faster and less destructive than that fucking explosive the rookies were playing with.
Leon's apartment is, unsurprisingly, empty. Chris still doesn't let the rookies run wild, but splits them to teams and assigns them all a different room to check, even though he knows perfectly well they won't find anything. The living room window is slightly ajar. He closes it.
“Sir!”
Chris sighs. Armstrong again. This kid is really testing him today. “Yes?”
“Shouldn't we check the air vents? Kennedy could–”
Air vents? Do they show rookies Mission Impossibles in training nowadays?
“Modern air vents can barely fit a toddler, Armstrong”, he says, probably too harshly, but hey, it's early and he's in a bad mood. Besides, Armstrong doesn't even flinch, just stays in parade rest like a perfect little soldier. “We have to think about other options.” Chris glances at the window he just closed. A thought starts to form in his tired mind. “Isn't there a Dunkin Donuts nearby?”
They don't even need to check the cafe. They find Leon on the sidewalk, leaning against the BSAA’s car and sipping coffee from a one-liter coffee mug. “Took you long enough”, he says, then takes a long sip that has Chris squinting in jealousy.
“Funny”, he says with a sigh. “Now, let's get to–”
“Down, Kennedy!”
Chris thought the day wouldn't get any worse but he's shiftly proven wrong.
Armstrong is holding Leon at gunpoint. Chris has to admit that at least he aims well: when he stops trembling from excitement, he might actually hit something. “I said get down”, Armstrong yells, his voice slightly higher than usual. “On your knees, hands where I can see them!”
Leon stares at the rookie and arches an eyebrow. Chris can almost hear him calculating how pissed off he is about BSAA ruining his lazy morning. Eventually, though, Leon decides to be generous. “Woah, kid, at least buy me dinner first”, he says and turns to Chris. “Rather impatient pooch you have there.”
“He's still in training”, Chris says with a sigh. “Armstrong, gun down, I won't say twice. Leon, finish your coffee and get on the back seat.”
“Aye, aye, Captain”, Leon says with a wink he knows irritates Chris. He gulps down his coffee and throws the empty mug to Armstrong who panics and shoots it.
Leon is still laughing when he steps to the vehicle. Chris, however, is about to have an aneurysm.
The car ride doesn't lift anyone's spirits.
Chris decided to have Armstrong with him, mostly because wants to keep an eye on the kid and to separate him from East. Those two are like school kids who act like angels in the principals office but are pure devils when they are together.
Armstrong can't stop glancing at Leon, who just smirks back. The agent is still wearing sweatpants and a soft shirt (that Chris is now sure is actually his shirt) and has worn-out sneakers on his feet. He looks more like a poster boy and less of a threat, even though Chris is sure there's a weapon or two hidden somewhere.
Chris drives. He's not about to let another agent sit in the driver's seat, not when Leon clearly is in a mood to cause problems. He knows that glint from way too many April's Fools. Armstrong sits on the opposite side of Leon in this ridiculously big BSAA car, and stares right in front of him, posture straight and eyes firm like a perfect little soldier. Jill probably thinks he's adorable.
In the beginning of the journey they have a blissful fifteen minutes of silence. It's not until they are deep in the traffic, that Armstrong speaks again. “Captain, shouldn't we restrain the prisoner?”
And again, maybe Chris should give real orders but fuck it, it's not even eight in the morning and Armstrong is pushing all the wrong buttons. “Good idea, agent”, he says and can almost hear Leon grin. “Handcuff him.”
“Chris, that's mean”, Leon says.
“Do not resist”, Armstrong says in a firm voice that surely won him respect in the military but doesn't really affect Chris who served under Wesker for years. Leon, of course, grins even wider.
“Not for me”, he says and stretches his arms above his head, “but for you.”
When they enter the BSAA parking hall, Leon has freed himself from five different handcuffs and Chris could swear he sees a frustrated tear in the corner of Armstrong’s eye.
“Give it up, Armstrong”, Chris says finally and hops out. “Kennedy, with me.”
“Aye, Captain”, Leon says, grinning, and allows Chris to grab his elbow without fuss. “Thank you for the refresh, Armstrong, I didn't even know I still remembered how to open some of those.”
Armstrong clearly hopes the ground would open and swallow him whole. Chris rolls his eyes to Leon but starts to lead him towards the elevators. The team follows him quietly. “Come on, then. Jill is waiting.”
“Valentine? Didn't know she was one for an office job.”
“She isn't. She is the one for interrogating prisoners.”
Leon sighs, but shuts up.
Jill waits for them in the lobby. She takes one look at Chris' undoubtedly grumpy face, Leon's shit-eating grin, the dozen or so uniformed soldiers behind them, and smiles. “Good morning, boys. Bright and early, are we?”
Chris gives her a look. Leon laughs, delighted.
Jill's eyes spark with glee until she schools her face back to professionalism. “Thank you, Redfield. Kennedy, with me. If you cooperate, you'll be out of here before noon.”
“So, you're just leaving me alone with her?” Leon asks Chris. “That's cruel, even from you.”
“Sorry, but my job was to bring you to custody”, Chris says and resists the urge to rub his temples. “Have to go, the paperwork is calling.”
What is really calling is the coffee machine next to his office but Leon doesn't need to know that. “Behave.”
“Sure, sure”, Leon says, rolling his eyes. Jill takes his elbow, gives Chris a passing smile and starts to march the DSO golden boy towards the nearest interrogation room. The team follows them.
When they're almost out of earshot, Chris hears Armstrong hesitantly ask Jill if they should put some restraints on the prisoner.
“Restraints? What are you thinking, a muzzle?”
Chris grins. Bullying the rookie brightens up the day, at least a little.
In the end, Leon gets released just around lunch time.
He's still a tad grumpy, but cheers up when Chris promises to buy him lunch with BSAA’s card. They skip the cafeteria and go to a nearby Mexican restaurant lots of BSAA workers prefer when they get sick of cafeteria food. Both Chris and Jill order the Giant Steak Surprise. Leon says they're gross and steals all Chris' nachos.
In the middle of his explanation of what really happened in Wyoming and how he was involved, he suddenly stops and waves. Chris frowns and turns around to see who he's waving to.
Armstrong stands in front of the restaurant looking every inch like he would bolt if not surrounded by his co-workers and friends. Leon smiles at him brightly and then turns back to Chris, who shakes his head in disbelief. “That guy.”
“Come on”, Leon says and dips Chris's last nacho into guacamole. “We've all had our first day at work.”
“When you were on your first day at work, you killed a bunch of zombies, got shot and destroyed a bioweapon.”
“So? Shit happens.”
“Shut up, Kennedy. By the way, is that my shirt?”
“...You cannot prove anything.”
Two weeks later
“Kennedy!”
“So it would seem”, Chris says, barely glancing up from his papers. “You're late, Leon.”
“Sorry, there was traffic.”
Chris just hums, knowing Leon probably just destroyed yet another motor bike. “Well, you're here now. Go get your gear and we'll move on to debriefing. Everyone, Agent Kennedy from DSO is assisting us today. He knows the territory.” Chris finally looks up and inspects his squad, until his eyes land on the rookie. “Something on your mind, Armstrong?”
Armstrong looks like his head will soon fall off from all the turning between Chris and Leon. “Sir–Kenned–I mean, no sir!”
“Good”, Chris says, bites back a smile. “So, I'm sure you won't have any problems working under agent Kennedy.”