The Scavenger’s Sister

As the etiquette lesson wrapped up, Leon sat back down, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. "See? That wasn't so hard."

Raziel huffed, crossing her arms. "Yeah, well, I'm not making any promises. If someone pisses me off, I'm not holding back."

Leon chuckled. "Fair enough. But at least try not to set anyone on fire until after we get what we need."

Raziel smirked. "No promises."

With their makeshift etiquette training complete, Leon and Raziel settled back into a more relaxed posture by the fire. The light crackled, casting warm flickers of orange and red across the cave walls. But there was a lingering tension in the air—the weight of what they'd overheard earlier about House Infinite.

Leon poked at the fire with a stick, breaking the comfortable silence. "So… House Infinite, huh? Seems like they're still looking for you."

Raziel was quiet for a moment, her eyes fixed on the flames. The mention of House Infinite always stirred something uneasy inside her—a gnawing void of confusion and anger. She could remember bits and pieces, fragments of her time there, but nothing concrete since her core was ripped out. It was as if the moment that core was taken from her, everything before and after blurred together in a painful fog.

"They shouldn't even care about me," Raziel muttered, her voice distant. "I'm branded a heretic, exiled. Why would they still be after me?"

Leon frowned, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. "Heretic or not, seems like they want something. Could be your power. Or maybe you're more valuable to them dead than alive."

Raziel's hands clenched into fists, her knuckles turning white. "I don't get it. I don't remember much after they ripped my core out. It's like... there are gaps, like someone erased parts of me. But the rage—it's always there, just under the surface. Like my body remembers even if my mind doesn't."

Leon tossed another stick into the fire, nodding slowly. "That's probably why you're such a loose cannon." He smirked, but it quickly faded as he became serious again. "But whatever it is, House Infinite's got plans. The fact that we overheard that intel means they're still out there, pulling strings. And if we don't get ahead of this, they're going to come for you, whether you're ready or not."

Raziel let out a bitter laugh. "Let them come. I'll burn them all down."

Leon sighed, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "You really think it's that simple? There's more going on here than just revenge."

Raziel shot him a glare, her flames flickering faintly in the corner of her eyes. "What do you mean 'more'? They ripped my life apart. I owe them nothing but destruction."

The fire crackled softly as Leon leaned back, the flickering flames casting shadows across his face. He had been quiet for a few minutes, brow furrowed in deep thought. Raziel, sensing the change, stared at him with growing impatience. House Infinite still weighed heavily on both their minds, but now something else gnawed at Leon.

"You ever think about how you survived?" Leon finally broke the silence, his voice low, almost hesitant.

Raziel shot him a confused look. "What do you mean?"

Leon pointed to her chest, not at the visible core, but at the area where her core resided. "When they ripped your core out, you should've died. Most splicers would've. But you didn't. Somehow, you kept going. How?"

Raziel's expression darkened, her hand instinctively touching the area near her core, fingers brushing the fabric of her new clothes. "I don't remember. It's all a blur. I just... ran."

Leon nodded slowly, still eyeing the place where her core was now. "Your powers… the Brimstone. You didn't have a core then, but somehow, those flames kept you alive. Maybe they're tied to your survival more than we thought."

Raziel's body tensed. She hadn't considered that before, but now the possibility lingered. "You think the flames... powered me?"

"Maybe," Leon said, leaning forward. "It's why you didn't die when House Infinite ripped your core out. You powered yourself—just like with that scientist. You're more than just a splicer priestess. You're something else."

Raziel's lips twisted in frustration. "Great. So I'm a freak. Good to know."

Leon gave her a sharp look. "That's not what I'm saying."

"Then what are you saying?" Raziel's voice flared with irritation, her hand resting on one of the bladed tonfas she had strapped to her side. She wasn't aiming it at Leon yet, but the threat was clear.

Leon sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm saying, maybe there's more to this than we realize. But right now, we need to figure out why House Infinite still wants you—and how to stop them from getting another chance to finish what they started."

Raziel glared at him, her fingers twitching on the handle of her tonfa. She hated the helplessness creeping into her thoughts and how the uncertainty of her past still haunted her. But more than anything, she hated not knowing why Leon was still with her—why he was helping her at all.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked abruptly, her voice sharp. "Why are you helping me?"

Leon stiffened, his eyes flicking up to meet hers. He hadn't expected the question, but it had been hanging between them for days now.

"I told you before—" Leon started, but Raziel cut him off.

"No. I mean the real reason," she said, narrowing her eyes. "You could've left. You should've. So why are you still here?"

Leon swallowed hard, his throat tightening. He shifted uncomfortably, not meeting her gaze. The truth was there, gnawing at the back of his mind. He didn't want to admit it, not even to himself.

"I... I don't know," he muttered, his voice quieter than before. "It's... complicated."

Raziel's eyes narrowed further. "Complicated? What the hell does that mean?"

Leon hesitated, jaw clenched. The thought crossed his mind—she feels like a younger sister. He had lost someone once, and maybe, just maybe, Raziel reminded him of her. But the thought disgusted him as soon as it surfaced. Projecting his past onto her wasn't fair.

He looked away, face twisted with frustration. "It doesn't matter."

"Oh, it definitely matters," Raziel snapped, now pointing her tonfa directly at him, eyes blazing. "What the hell were you going to say?"

Leon didn't respond. He couldn't. He knew she'd keep pressing, and he didn't want to admit how much he cared—how much he didn't want to lose her.

Raziel, ever the one to push back, stood and loomed over him, her tonfa raised. "What was it, Leon? Spit it out!"

Leon's frustration finally boiled over. "I was going to say you remind me of someone, alright? Someone I lost! Someone I didn't save! And maybe... maybe I don't want that to happen again."

Raziel froze, her eyes widening slightly, but she quickly masked the shock with a scowl. The flames in her eyes flickered, but her hand lowered the tonfa. "You..."

Leon stood abruptly, turning away from her, his voice strained. "Forget it. Let's just figure out our next move."

Raziel watched him, the weight of his words settling heavily in her chest. She wasn't used to this—to people caring, to people fighting for her. The idea that Leon, the scavenger who annoyed her to no end, saw her as someone worth protecting—it was almost too much to process.

But even as she scowled at his back, something stirred inside her, a strange warmth creeping into the void where the hurt had been. She wasn't sure what it was, but for the first time in a long time, she felt like there was a chance that Leon—this stubborn, frustrating scavenger—might be starting to fill that void. Maybe, just maybe, she didn't have to carry all of her burdens alone anymore.

The fire crackled softly, casting flickering shadows on the ground as Raziel and Leon sat in silence. The tension from Leon's revelation hung heavy between them, neither of them willing to break it. Raziel stared into the flames, her mind turning over everything he'd said. It was strange, hearing about his past—the pain he usually kept buried beneath his sarcastic attitude. It made her uncomfortable, and she hated that feeling.

But she also didn't know what to say.

Leon shifted beside her, his movements stiff and uncomfortable, like he was regretting opening up in the first place. He hadn't meant to let so much slip, but something about Raziel... something made him talk. Maybe because he saw a reflection of himself in her, or maybe it was just the silence that made him crack. Either way, he regretted it now.

"Forget I said anything," he muttered, his voice gruff.

Raziel glanced at him, her expression unreadable. "Yeah, sure."

For a moment, neither of them said anything more. The silence stretched out, thick and awkward, broken only by the occasional pop of the fire.

But then, movement caught Leon's eye—just a flicker at the edge of the clearing, barely noticeable in the firelight. His body tensed instinctively, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the treeline.

"Shh," he murmured, his voice low as he slowly reached for his weapon. "We've got company."

Raziel blinked, her mind still half-lost in thought, but the urgency in Leon's voice snapped her out of it. "What now?" she whispered, her tone irritated but quieter.

Leon motioned for her to stay close, his eyes locked on the shadows shifting in the trees. "Something's off. Stay behind me."

Raziel's instinct to argue flared up immediately, but she bit it back when she saw the look on his face. This wasn't the time for one of their usual back-and-forths. Her hand instinctively moved toward her tonfas, but she didn't get a chance to stand before three figures emerged from the shadows. They moved carefully, their steps measured, and while they weren't openly hostile, Leon immediately noticed the telltale signs of augmentations—Splicers.

The lead figure, a tall man with cybernetic eyes and sleek, dark armor, stepped forward. He raised his hands in a gesture of peace, though his gaze was fixed squarely on Raziel.

"Easy," the man said calmly. "We're not here to fight."

Leon's hand hovered near his weapon, his body tense. "Then what do you want?"

The man nodded toward Raziel, his expression hard to read. "We've been tracking you. Specifically, her."

Raziel stiffened, her grip tightening on her tonfas. "If you're looking for a fight—"

"We're not," the man interrupted quickly, shaking his head. "Let me explain. My brothers and I—we're... defecting. We've had enough of House Eternal's games, and we've seen what you're capable of. We want to offer our services to you."

Leon narrowed his eyes, not trusting them for a second. "Why would we believe anything you say?"

The man exchanged glances with his brothers—two near-identical figures standing just behind him, both of them watching Raziel with a mixture of wariness and awe.

"Look," the lead Splicer said, his voice steady, "we were sent to track down a rogue scientist, one who's been dabbling in things he shouldn't. That scientist... he took something from you, didn't he?" His gaze flicked to Raziel, specifically to her chest, where her core was now hidden beneath her clothing. "He took your core. We saw it."

Raziel tensed, memories of the encounter flashing through her mind, but she kept her expression guarded. "So what?" she growled. "What does that have to do with you?"

The man took a careful step forward, though he kept his hands visible, showing he wasn't armed. "House Eternal wants to keep its secrets. That scientist has been working on tech that... could compromise everything. We were tasked with bringing him back. But after seeing what he's done—and what you are—we realized there's more at play here than just our mission."

Leon frowned. "And now you want to switch sides?"

The man nodded. "Yes. We've had enough of the corruption in House Eternal. We want out. And we think you," he said, his eyes locking with Raziel's, "are the key to that. We've seen your power. You're more than just another Splicer."

Raziel scowled, clearly not trusting them. "And what makes you think I need your help?"

"You don't," the man said simply, his tone honest. "But we can help you. And in return, you help us cut ties with House Eternal—for good."

Leon's eyes flicked between the triplets and Raziel. The tension was still thick, but the man's offer didn't sound like a trap. Not yet, at least. Still, trust wasn't something they could give out easily.

"And if we say no?" Leon asked, his voice sharp.

The man sighed, lowering his gaze for a moment. "Then we'll leave you alone. But we believe joining forces would benefit both sides."

Raziel, still wary, glanced at Leon. She didn't like this—didn't like the idea of strangers suddenly offering their help—but something in the man's eyes, the desperation in his voice, gave her pause. And if they knew more about the scientist...

She took a step forward, her tonfas still in hand but lowered. "You'd better not be lying. Because if you are, I'll make sure you regret it."

The man nodded, relieved but cautious. "We're not. You have our word."