The Scavenger’s Sister

Leon's chest heaved as they rushed through the thick trees, adrenaline driving him forward. The unsettling sound of the agents still rang in his ears, but their escape was going well so far. They were almost clear.

But then, everything happened in a blur.

One second, Raziel was beside him, her flames flaring slightly with her irritation, and the next—a piercing, mechanical whine cut through the air. It wasn't a drone this time. Something else was closing in.

Before Leon could react, a metallic claw shot out from the dense forest, sharp and precise. It latched onto Raziel with brutal efficiency, and before either of them could register what was happening, the claw plunged into her back.

Raziel's eyes widened as she let out a choked scream, her body convulsing as the claw yanked something out of her. A blinding light briefly illuminated the clearing as her core—glowing and pulsating with raw energy—was ripped from her body.

"NO!" Leon shouted, but it was too late.

Raziel collapsed to the ground, her flames flickering erratically before sputtering out completely. Her body twitched violently, the exposed mechanical parts glinting under the dim forest light. Leon stumbled forward, his heart in his throat. He was too slow—far too slow to stop it.

Standing over Raziel, holding her core with an almost reverent look in his eyes, was a man—a scientist. His white coat was stained, his cybernetic arms gleaming in the faint light as he examined the core. His eyes widened with awe as he studied it. "Fascinating... The power it radiates is beyond anything House Eternal has seen."

Leon's blood boiled as he lunged at the rogue scientist. "What the hell did you do?!" he snarled, aiming to tackle the man with reckless fury. But before he could reach him, something metallic shot out from the scientist's hand—a small gadget that expanded in midair, forming an energy barrier between them.

Leon's fist collided with the barrier, sending a painful jolt up his arm. He gritted his teeth, stumbling back in shock. The scientist didn't even flinch, his eyes still locked on Raziel's core, which he held like some prized artifact.

"You're wasting your energy, scavenger," the scientist said, his tone dripping with disdain. "This is far beyond your understanding."

Undeterred, Leon cursed and charged again, desperation clouding his better judgment. But this time, before he could make another move, he was blindsided by two of the scientist's agents. They moved fast—too fast—and in seconds, Leon was pinned to the ground, his face pressed into the dirt as he struggled against their grip.

"Get off me!" Leon growled, thrashing against the hold of the two agents. But their cybernetically enhanced strength far surpassed his. They held him down with ease, their augmented arms locked around his shoulders and neck.

The rogue scientist barely spared Leon a glance, his attention still fixated on Raziel's core. "You should feel fortunate," he murmured, adjusting his grip on the glowing sphere. "I'm offering this girl a place in history. A subject like her could change everything."

"You don't understand what this is, scavenger," the scientist murmured, ignoring Leon's outrage. "This core—it's different. Unstable, yet... it holds potential. A true miracle of fusion."

Leon didn't care. All he saw was Raziel, lifeless, motionless on the ground. He cursed under his breath, his voice cracking with anger and something deeper—panic. "Give it back! Give her core back, you bastard!"

The scientist tilted his head, intrigued but unfazed by Leon's outburst. "Her core is... remarkable, yes. But it's losing energy," he noted, his voice more clinical than concerned. "It's dying. Or, more accurately, fading."

A cold pit formed in Leon's stomach. Fading? That couldn't be right. His heart raced as he glanced between Raziel's still form and the scientist holding the core. Then, his eyes caught something strange—despite the absence of her core, faint embers were still flickering inside the open cavity where it once sat.

Leon's breath hitched. "What...?"

The scientist's gaze followed Leon's, and for the first time, real interest sparked in his eyes. "Curious." He crouched down, his hand reaching toward Raziel's exposed core slot, where her Brimstone flames were faintly glowing. "She's still... functional?"

He studied the flames closely, muttering to himself. "It's fading... no. Wait. She's powering herself? Without the core?"

Leon's fists clenched, fury and confusion swirled inside him while he struggled to break free. "Stay the hell away from her!"

But the scientist ignored him, eyes fixated on Raziel's still form. "This changes everything. She's more than just a typical splicer—far more. I need to take her back. Study her."

At that, Leon snapped.

"You touch her again, and I'll kill you!" His voice was raw with desperation. He didn't know why—why it mattered so much, why Raziel mattered so much—but seeing her like this, her body ripped apart, her power drained—it felt like he was losing someone all over again. 

Leon's mind was swirling with memories of loss and regret. Not again. I won't let this happen again. He cursed under his breath, his anger turning inward, toward everything and everyone—toward the scientist, toward the world, and toward Azaroth, the so-called god Raziel worshiped.

"Damn you, Azaroth!" Leon spat, his voice trembling with rage and fear. "Is this how you repay your followers? Letting them die like this?"

His words echoed through the stillness, but nothing changed. No divine intervention, no miracle. Just silence.

The scientist looked at Leon, almost pitying. "You really don't understand, do you? She's an anomaly. A miracle. And if you truly cared about her, you'd let me take her. For the good of—"

"Shut up!" Leon shouted, his eyes wild with rage. "I don't care about your 'science' or your 'good.' You've already done enough!"

A smirk formed on the scientist's lips. "I'm afraid you're in no position to make threats, scavenger."

Raziel, in standby mode, heard the words like echoes in a distant dream. She was trapped in the darkness of her mind, unable to move, unable to respond. She felt numb... powerless. And then she heard Leon—his voice cutting through the haze, full of anger and desperation.

Why? she wondered in the stillness. Why is he fighting for me?

She never asked for his help. Hell, she didn't even want him around most of the time. He was just some scavenger—a pest who got under her skin and annoyed the hell out of her. But now... hearing his voice, cursing the scientist, pleading for her—something inside her shifted. Something deep, something painful and raw.

Maybe... maybe I wasn't as alone as I thought.

Leon's voice was the only thing grounding her now. The only thing keeping her from sinking into the void. He was trying to protect her. This stupid, reckless scavenger was trying to save her life.

She thought back to all the times she'd pushed him away, snapped at him, made it clear she didn't need anyone—didn't want anyone. That had always been the truth. Ever since her old life had been ripped apart, Raziel had promised herself she'd never rely on anyone again. People hurt. People betrayed. It was easier to be alone, to trust no one but herself.

And yet, here he was.

His voice was rough, raw with emotion. "I won't let you take her. I won't lose her too!" Leon's words rang out, sharp and painful, hitting something deep within her. Lose me? The thought lingered.

Images from her past flickered through her mind—the cold halls of House Infinite, her ex-mentor's cruel, calculating eyes, the betrayal that had scarred her soul. She had learned then that attachment was weakness. That relying on others led to nothing but pain.

But Leon wasn't like them. He wasn't trying to control her or use her. He was fighting for her. Protecting her.

Why? The question echoed again, but this time it felt less like confusion and more like something fragile. Something that scared her. Raziel could feel the flames stirring inside her again, but this time they were different—softer, more controlled. The Brimstone core that powered her was weakened, but not gone. Her power was still there, still responding to something deep within her.

Is this... trust? The idea was foreign, terrifying even, but as she heard Leon's voice—his defiance, his refusal to back down—it didn't seem so impossible anymore.

Maybe, just maybe, she wasn't as alone as she thought.

Leon thrashed against the agents pinning him down, but it was no use. Their grip was unrelenting, their augmented strength making escape impossible. His mind raced as he watched the rogue scientist, still fixated on Raziel's flickering Brimstone flames, completely absorbed in his twisted curiosity.

"Fascinating," the scientist murmured again, adjusting his grip on Raziel's core as if weighing it. "You were right to wonder why she's still alive without this. But you're wrong if you think I'll just hand her back to you." He paused, his eyes narrowing in thought. "She is the key to something far greater."

Leon grit his teeth, barely restraining his fury. "I don't care what you think you know! She's not some damn experiment!"

The scientist finally tore his gaze away from Raziel's core, turning to look at Leon with an unsettling calmness. "You're thinking too small, scavenger. She's more than just a splicer—more than any of us understand. The anomaly within her is beyond our science. I need to take her back, to study what makes her function without this core."

Leon growled, his body trembling with anger as he struggled against the agents. "You think you're the first to try and control her? To break her down and treat her like a damn machine? She's not a tool!"

The scientist's smile was thin and humorless. "She's more than that, but you're too emotional to see it. There's power in her, a power that defies everything we know about splicers and their connection to their cores. With enough time, we could—"

"You're not taking her anywhere," Leon interrupted, his voice low and seething. "You rip that core out, and you might as well have killed her."

The scientist blinked, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face. "I already told you, she's still functioning. But for how long?" His gaze shifted back to Raziel's motionless form. "Without the core, she's in limbo, sustained by something we don't yet understand."

Raziel, still trapped in her own mind, could feel the tug of darkness pulling her deeper. Leon's words echoed faintly in the distance, but she could sense the desperation in his voice. Her body felt cold, lifeless, but that flicker of fire inside her chest—the Brimstone flame—remained, even without the core. It was small, weak, but alive. I'm not... done yet.

Leon, noticing the faintest twitch in Raziel's hand, seized the moment. "She's not just some malfunctioning machine," he snarled. "She's a person."

For the first time, the scientist's face darkened, his curiosity giving way to irritation. "People are irrelevant in the pursuit of knowledge, scavenger. The future belongs to those who understand the workings of the world."

Leon spat on the ground, defiant. "And I'll be damned if I let you decide her future."

Before the scientist could respond, Raziel's flames flickered brighter. Her body shuddered slightly, and the flames around her mechanical parts began to surge—not wildly this time, but controlled. It was as if her Brimstone power was fighting to sustain her, pulling energy from within.

The scientist's eyes widened, momentarily stunned by what he was witnessing. "Impossible..." he whispered, stepping closer to her.

In that instant, Raziel's eyes fluttered open, glowing faintly with the same flames that licked at her mechanical frame. Her body convulsed as she gasped for air, the Brimstone fire surging through her limbs. She was awake, and the scientist took a cautious step back, realizing too late that he had underestimated her power.

Leon's heart leaped as Raziel slowly rose to her feet, her movements shaky but filled with determination. "Raziel..." he muttered, relief and awe in his voice. She was still alive, still fighting.

Raziel locked eyes with the scientist, her voice a low, dangerous growl. "You took my core." Her flames burned brighter, the air around her crackling with heat. "Big mistake."

The rogue scientist's composure wavered for the first time. "How... how are you—"

Before he could finish, Raziel's flames erupted, creating a scorching barrier between her and the agents restraining Leon. The heat was intense, and the agents recoiled in pain, releasing their hold on Leon as they scrambled away from the fire.

Leon scrambled to his feet, his chest heaving as he took in the sight of Raziel standing tall, her Brimstone flames swirling around her like a shield. She was back—fully in control—and the scientist's smug expression had vanished, replaced by fear.

"I'm not just some experiment," Raziel growled, taking a step toward the scientist. Her body was still weak, but the power surging through her gave her strength. "And I'm done being the House's little project."

The scientist stumbled backward, clutching Raziel's core in one hand, his mind racing for an escape plan. But before he could react, Raziel's flames flared up again, and in a swift motion, she closed the distance between them, knocking the core from his hand with a searing blow.

The core clattered to the ground, rolling toward Leon's feet.

Without missing a beat, Leon scooped it up, his fingers brushing against the cool surface. He looked at Raziel, who gave him a curt nod—she was ready.

Leon moved swiftly, returning the core to her chest, where it locked into place with a soft hum. The Brimstone flames around her grew brighter, fiercer, as if her power had been fully restored. Raziel stood tall, her gaze locked on the scientist, who was now backing away, fear evident in his eyes.

"You're not leaving this forest," Raziel said, her voice cold and final.

Leon grinned, stepping forward. "I'd run if I were you."

The rogue scientist, sensing the shift in power, took several frantic steps back, his gaze darting from Raziel's blazing form to the agents still at his command. "Attack!" he barked, his voice trembling slightly. "Take them down!"

But the agents, their eyes glowing faintly with their mechanical enhancements, stood motionless. A brief static-filled sound escaped one of them as its head twitched unnaturally. "Orders... not feasible. Risk of severe... damage... beyond repair," the agent's voice buzzed in monotone.

The scientist's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? No! Attack them, damn you!"

The agents remained frozen in place, their systems calculating the risk of engaging with Raziel's uncontrolled flames. Another one buzzed and repeated the same error message, "Damage will be…be beyond repair... threat exceeds op…op…operational capacity."

Leon smirked, watching as the scientist's face twisted with frustration. "Guess your toys aren't as tough as you thought," Leon said, his voice mocking.

"Useless creations!" the scientist snarled, turning on his heel. He shot a last, furious glance at Raziel before bolting toward the treeline, his lab coat flapping behind him as he fled into the forest.

Leon's grip tightened on his weapon, every muscle in his body urging him to chase after the fleeing scientist. He took a step forward, but Raziel's voice stopped him cold.

"Don't."

Leon spun around, staring at her, bewildered. "What do you mean, 'don't'?! He ripped your core out! You're just gonna let him get away?"

Raziel extinguished the last of her flames, her body still glowing faintly with residual heat. She glanced at Leon, her eyes calm but focused. "If we attack him now, we'll give away our location to House Eternal. You said it yourself: don't draw attention unless we want to get hunted."

Leon blinked, taken aback by her words. "You're... quoting me now?"

Raziel shrugged, clearly unimpressed. "You make a good point... sometimes."

Leon stood there, dumbfounded. "He ripped your core out, Raziel. Don't you care?"

Raziel gave him a sideways glance, a faint smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. "Care? Sure. But being reckless isn't gonna fix anything. You want House Eternal to come down on us because we attacked and chased after some scientist? I'm not giving them the chance."

Leon stared at her, unable to believe what he was hearing. "You're actually using my words against me."

Raziel crossed her arms, still looking a bit smug. "You were right…this time"

Leon's eyes narrowed as he tried to process what just happened. This was the same chaotic, reckless splicer who was always burning things up or snapping at him—and now she was the one playing it safe? His mind raced as he replayed the last few minutes, and then it hit him.

He'd put her core back in. He'd touched her. And nothing happened.

Leon's eyes flicked down to his hand, and then back to Raziel. She was standing close now—closer than usual—and yet, he hadn't been burned. His mind whirled with the realization. He'd touched her without triggering her flames, without her flaring up in panic.

For a brief moment, he was tempted to test it again. To see if the invisible barrier of mistrust and trauma between them had finally cracked, or if this was just a one-off.

Raziel, noticing his sudden quietness, raised an eyebrow. "What's with the face? You look like someone just told you the world's ending."

Leon shook his head, still trying to wrap his mind around it. "You let me... I touched you... and you didn't—"

"Burn you alive?" Raziel finished for him, her voice deadpan. "Yeah, I noticed. Don't get any ideas, though. You got lucky."

Leon stared at her, still dumbfounded. "I always get burned, Raziel. This time, I didn't."

Raziel shrugged, though her smirk was slightly less sharp now. "Maybe you're finally learning not to piss me off."

Leon's mouth opened, then closed again. He couldn't find the words, but the weight of the moment hung in the air between them. Raziel, despite everything, was trusting him more than she let on.

But rather than dwell on it, he shook his head, pushing the thought away. "Fine, you win. No chasing the crazy scientist."

Raziel gave him a satisfied nod, turning toward the forest path. "Good. Now let's get out of here before something else shows up."

Leon shot her one last glance, still trying to make sense of the shift between them, before he followed her into the trees. But one thing was clear—whatever had just happened between them, it was a step forward.

Even if it felt like walking on fire.