Resident Evil 1. 1979

**Chapter 1 - 1979**

"Mama, look what I got!" A young raven haired girl with pigtails scampered up to her mother, showing off a dandelion that she picked from the ground. By the time she reached the older blonde woman, she was dismayed that the fluffy flower was mostly gone. "Eh? It disappeared, mama!"

Wen Ting smiled down at her daughter and watched the seeds scattering in the wind behind the little girl. "Turn around, dear. That's where it went."

The child did as she was told and was amazed at the fluffy particles flying about in the wind, carrying the seeds further and further away. "This is a strange flower, mama."

"It's a dandelion, sweetie. The seeds fly away to grow new ones." The blonde explained as she educated her little girl. It was evident that her daughter was taking after her husband's love for science.

"Dandy?" The girl's voice squeaked uncertainly as she looked at the empty stalk in her hand.

Before Wen Ting could continue to teach her daughter, an Asian man dressed formally in a graduation gown strolled up to them with a big smile on his face. The young girl broke out into a grin and ran up to the man as she exclaimed, "Papa!"

Guo Xiang bent down and picked up his precious offspring, peppering kisses on her little cheeks. "There you are. I'm sorry my conversation with the professor took so long." He looked to his wife apologetically but she shook her head and smiled, "It's alright, dear."

"Ah Mrs. Wang. I'm sure your husband told you the good news?" Guo Xiang's mentor said as he walked up to the small family.

Wen Ting looked a little confused and shook her head, "Not yet but I'm sure he will soon."

All eyes were on Guo Xiang as he held his daughter. He cleared his throat before speaking excitedly, "I got offered a job at a pharmaceutical company a few states away. They read my Master's thesis and they think I have the talent to contribute to the corporation. If all goes well, they might offer me a scholarship to pursue a doctorate!"

"That's wonderful!" Mrs. Wang beamed and leaned in to kiss her husband's cheek while their daughter giggled in her father's arms, happy to see them so cheerful.

"I told you that your hard work would bear fruit, Guo. Congratulations again on graduating with a Master's degree! Enjoy the day with your _exotic_ wife and daughter. You are truly, a _very_ _lucky_ man." The mentor spoke encouragingly. It was rare for an Asian man to get employed at a prestigious company in this day and age, let alone get hitched to a Caucasian woman. Wang Guo Xiang really broke the social norms.

Wen Ting gave a polite nod, well aware of the meaning behind his words as he departed. Fate brought her to be adopted by her parents who were owners of a roasted meat restaurant in the Chinatown of her home state. Apparently her birth mother collapsed outside the establishment one cold night and gave birth to her before passing away. Mr. and Mrs. Feng couldn't stand to see an infant be shuttled off to the foster system so they adopted their blonde haired and blue-eyed babe, raising her like one of their own.

The advantages of that upbringing meant that she was fluent in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin Chinese and translators were sorely needed as marketing opportunities expanded to the East. Wen Ting loved her parents and wouldn't have had it any other way. Her detractors would never stop her from pursuing what she wanted and she was glad that her childhood friend became her eventual lover, supporting her in what she did as a translator.

"Shall we return back to the hotel, Wen Ting?" Guo Xiang asked carefully, knowing that his mentor's words could have been a little offensive.

Taking their daughter into her arms, she nodded. "Yes, but first, we should take a family picture together to celebrate your graduation." She said cheerily, not allowing the comment affect her in the slightest.

* * *

The five year old spit out the foam and rinsed her mouth with water before drying her face on a towel and stepping off the stool. She eagerly ran out of the bedroom and clambered onto the queen sized bed where her parents were snuggled up beside each other. "I'm all brushed and cleaned, mama. Can you tell me the story of how you and papa met pretty please?"

There was mock hurt on Guo Xiang's face, "You don't want me telling the story? Oh dear…" His daughter panicked slightly and looked at him with big hazel eyes, "You can, papa!"

Mrs. Wang chuckled and ruffled her daughter's ebony hair. "There's one more thing you need to do first, darling. Pick out the clothes you want to wear tomorrow and then we'll tell you a bedtime story."

The little girl did as she was told, pulling out a maroon dress from her pink luggage and handing it over to her father who slid it onto a hanger in the hotel's closet. Guo Xiang then carried his child onto the bed and helped her slide under the covers. "Are you ready?" He said softly and his daughter nodded.

"Okay. A long time ago there were the Feng and Wang families who were next door neighbours. Both of them had two young children who grew up playing with each other and the other kids in the neighbourhood…"

Both parents took turns telling different parts of the tale on how they started off as playmates before attending the same schools together for over a decade which finally culminated in their love blossoming in high school.

"After your father graduated college, we finally got married, moved out, and had you." Wen Ting tapped her daughter's button nose affectionately and the girl chuckled as her eye lids were slowly drooping down.

"What happens next?" Little Miss Wang yawned and sank her head further down into the pillow.

Guo Xiang tucked a strand of hair behind his daughter's ear. "Well, we will go on an adventure together where I will continue studying, mommy will continue working, and you will grow up into a fine young lady."

"I like that a lot… Goodnight papa, goodnight mama…" The young child closed her eyes and felt two sets of lips touch her forehead.

"Goodnight, sweetheart." Her parents said in unison and pulled the covers up as they cuddled their daughter protectively in the middle. The Wang family then drifted off to sleep and looked forward to the opportunities that were coming their way.

* * *

_Author's Note: A little trivia that Asian names have the surname (Eg. Z) listed first followed by the given name (Eg. XY) so the full name is written as ZXY. _

_I am well aware that there are Chinese given names which consists of just one character and surnames that have two characters in them. Most of the time, emphasis on the word '**most**', a given Chinese name has a single character surname and a given them that are two characters._

_I've always had this idea in my head that Ada is half-Chinese so I wrote her having a blonde Caucasian mother that got adopted by a Chinese family and was therefore, given a Chinese name. Ada's father is a Chinese man who was Wen Ting's next door neighbour so they're essentially childhood sweethearts._

_Also, I was educated with British spelling so I spell neighbourhood with a "u" in it. Nothing to be all worked up about, in my opinion. _

_If you have noticed, I left out any mentions of Ada's name at all in this chapter. It is confirmed in the Resident Evil 6 artbook that the name "Ada Wong" is just a pseudonym, which means that it's not her real name. Don't worry, I will eventually write how she gets her spy name. _

_I am sorry to say that I will never list down Ada's real name in this story at all. For some reason, I'm really protective of it and I don't want people stealing that name to put onto their own version of Ada. The only thing I'll say is that "Wang" is her real surname and that is it._

_Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter where young Ada has a happy life with her parents._


	2. 1984

**Chapter 2 - 1984**

Like clockwork, the entire Wang family was seated at the table for breakfast at 7.30am. It was a schedule that Wen Ting had recommended and everyone stuck to it. She believed that a hearty breakfast was a good start to the day instead of skipping it when they were in a rush. Her husband sat beside her and ate his unsweetened oatmeal. "It's my thesis defence today. I hope it all goes well." Guo Xiang spoke a little worriedly as his wife laid a hand atop his.

"You'll be fine, darling. All the mock runs with your fellow colleagues have been very good practice."

"You can do it, Daddy!" His baby girl piped up. Her hair was in a bun today for gymnastics class after school and that hairstyle made her an almost spitting image of her mother. She would grow up and break a lot of hearts for sure and he would be there to protect her from nasty boyfriends.

Guo Xiang smiled at his daughter, "Thank you, sweetie. I hope you get chosen for the exhibition show next month."

The young girl smiled as her mother also hoped that she will be able to perform at the show. Wen Ting too, had something good to say. "When you two come home tonight, I hope you are ready for some wonderful news."

"Does it have to do with your work, Mommy?"

The blonde woman glanced to her husband quickly before returning her gaze to her daughter. "Something like that. I just need confirmation today before I can share the news."

Mr. Wang looked at his wife, a little confused by her behaviour but still hopeful nonetheless. "Alright, let us all bring home good news tonight." He raised his juice glass and the entire family clinked them together.

* * *

"Mommy, I'm home!"

The scent of baked chocolate wafted into the ten year old's nose and she quickly headed to the kitchen. "Did you bake chocolate cake, mama? It's not my birthday though." Her little eyebrows furrowed together with some confusion despite the fact that the dessert she was eyeing was her **favourite **food in the World.

Wen Ting smiled reassuringly at her daughter, "Remember the good news I talked about this morning? I figured we can have a treat to celebrate it."

"Okay, what is it?"

The blonde shook her head and tapped the girl's nose playfully. "Not yet. We have to wait for your father to come home first. Meanwhile, please help me set the table for dinner."

Half an hour later, Guo Xiang still wasn't back and Wen Ting grew worried. "He usually isn't this late…" She paced up and down the kitchen as her daughter looked on with concern. "Maybe Daddy is stuck in traffic?"

Wen Ting nodded in agreement and decided to wait a little while longer. However, her thoughts were interrupted by three sharp raps on the front door. Didn't Guo Xiang have a key to the house? Why would he knock?

To answer her question, Wen Ting answered the door and she was met by two men in suits. "Mrs. Wang? We are from the research facility your husband worked at. I am afraid there has been an accident."

"What do you mean?"

One of the men looked at his red haired partner, unsure how to proceed but he decided to tell her the truth. "There was a massive fire followed by an explosion in the drug laboratory. Everyone perished ma'am, including your husband. I am so sorry."

_Perished_? Her beloved spouse was dead? No, she couldn't believe it. She wouldn't!

"Mommy, is everything okay?" Wen Ting snapped out of her thoughts and felt a little hand grasp her now clammy one. "Ma, your hands are cold. Do you need tea?"

The blonde woman's breathing became more erratic as the news descended on her like a tsunami.

"What's going on? Who are you?" The ten year old said commandingly, glaring daggers at the men who were causing her beloved mother so much stress. She could feel her mom's palm trembling as the sweatiness grew.

The redhead male bent down to the child's level and spoke to her gently, "I am very sorry to say that your father has passed away, little one."

"Eh?"

Before the girl could say anything else, Wen Ting's knees crumbled beneath her as she passed out on the floor. Blood stained the older woman's legs and the ten year old freaked out. "Mom!" The young one's hazel eyes turned to the adults and she pleaded with them, "_Please_, call an ambulance!"

* * *

The two females dressed sombrely in mourning white sat on the master bedroom floor, sorting out a pile of clothes that belonged to the recently departed Wang Guo Xiang. After that dramatic night where the ten year old child of Wen Ting and Guo Xiang was subjected to grief and pain, she was now surprisingly calm. She _had_ to be the strong one since her mother was still a wreck from the loss of her husband as well as her unborn child.

Wen Ting was inconsolable for the first couple of days, blaming herself for the miscarriage and also filled with regret for not telling the news to her beloved sooner. The blonde thought that perhaps if Guo Xiang knew that she was pregnant, he would have taken extra precautions to be very careful. The cause of the fire was still very much a mystery and the lack of a corpse made things unbearable.

After much persuasion, the young raven haired girl managed to convince her mother that they had a duty to help Guo Xiang on his final journey to heaven. His clothes could be used in place of his body and they would be placed in the urn which would be sealed in the columbarium.

Wen Ting now worked on auto pilot, shuffling from one task to the other without much emotion. It was as if she had cried out all the anguish that was within her and was now an empty vessel. Her fingers caressed the shirt her husband wore on his wedding day and she pressed the fabric close to her face, inhaling the lingering scent of him.

Miss Wang eyed her remaining parent with much concern. She was told by the counsellors that her mother needed time to grieve and she was to be supportive. "Mommy, wouldn't Daddy like to have his favourite shirt with him? He'll feel comfortable that way."

Surprisingly, Wen Ting responded with a nod and laid out a full set of clothes that were to be placed in the urn. "Mommy is trying to get better, darling. For you, I'll _try_." She glanced over to her little girl who was smiling back at her hopefully.

"We'll both try, mama." The child said optimistically and embraced her mother's waist, tucking her head underneath Wen Ting's chin. The blonde woman returned the affectionate gesture and both of them sat there for a while to support each other through the loss of a man they loved so dearly.

* * *

_Author's Note: I apologize for dragging you readers down like that since the previous chapter was very happy and upbeat. This is the start of the darkness in Ada's life and it will gradually shape her behavior._


	3. 1985

**Chapter 3 - 1985**

"Miss Wang, your performance at school has been quite a dramatic reversal. Is everything alright at home?" Mrs. Tanner, Wang's homeroom teacher, asked with concern as the young student in front of her looked down and focused on a tear on her skirt.

"Miss Wang? Please look up when I'm talking to you."

The eleven year old sighed and gave the teacher eye contact. A lot had changed in the past year which resulted in some weight loss, making the girl very lean.

"Has your mother been drinking again?" Tanner prodded and Wang flinched at her words.

The beautiful and kind Wen Ting never recovered from the death of her husband. Promises that she would stay strong for her daughter went unfulfilled. Instead, she took to drinking to dull the aching pain of loss and to escape from reality. At first the drunkenness manifested monthly, then weekly before it spiraled down the daily path of alcoholism.

The only child of Guo Xiang and Wen Ting had no choice but to grow up quickly in the past year, managing all the household chores as well as caring for her wasted mother. To make things worse, the power had been cut as the bills were not paid. Wen Ting was fired from her job for her poor behavior. Without any light, how could the child study and do her homework at night?

Once more, the raven haired half-Asian girl sighed. "Again is an understatement, Mrs. Tanner. It happens daily now."

The teacher's expression softened. "We can help you if you let us do so."

"And what about my mom? She needs it _more_ than me."

"We'll get assistance for the _both_ of you, Miss Wang." Mrs. Tanner said fiercely, now determined to help her student out of this rut.

It seemed there was no other choice but to accept the aid and the young girl nodded. "Okay."

Tanner gave the young one a reassuring smile. "That's good to hear. For now, you can stay in school to complete your homework and I will personally drive you home after that."

Miss Wang was stunned by the offer but was grateful nonetheless. She whispered a small thank you before leaving the room to enjoy the rest of her recess break.

* * *

The sun was almost setting when Mrs. Tanner gave her student a ride back to the Wang residence as promised a fortnight ago. Reassuring her teacher that everything was still fine as always, the young Asian girl watched the older woman hesitate slightly before driving off. Turning the key to enter the house, the stench of alcohol hit her when she entered the room and she found her mother passed out on the sofa with an empty bottle in hand.

The young girl sighed and picked the bottle out of the blonde's hand, disposing it in the rubbish bin in the kitchen before returning with a towel to clean up the pool of alcohol and vomit on the floor. The cloth was rinsed out and the girl washed her hands before taking out a packet of instant noodles from the cupboard. She broke the dried noodles into half and poured on the flavorings. It was all they had for a while and the crunchy bits reminded her of eating a cookie if she willed herself to think of it that way.

Not long after Guo Xiang's death, the little Miss Wang began to take care of all the chores in the house that ranged from cooking to cleaning. Meals were simple but still edible nonetheless. It was only when Wen Ting did not show up to work did the household income deplete quickly… Alcohol turned Wang's life upside down.

The only bright side to this was that Wen Ting was a quiet drunk, always lost in thought as she wept silently to herself. She never struck or yelled at her daughter, she just did absolutely _nothing_.

A creaking of the sofa jolted the girl from her thoughts. Mother had woken up. It was time to bring some food to feed her. Like a zombie, Wen Ting reached out and ate the dried noodles with a crunch, wiping away the powdered flavoring that had fallen on her clothes. There was silence as mother and daughter ate the meagre dinner.

Miss Wang went to clean up the living room and kitchen and when they were done, someone knocked on the door. The young girl couldn't help but freeze in her tracks. This was how they delivered the message of her father's death. What other bad news could they possible give this time?

Surprisingly, her mother's gaze was focused on the door. Wen Ting's posture was unnaturally stiff as she too, was reliving memories of _that _day. She watched as her precious daughter opened the door to reveal Mrs. Tanner and a couple of strangers.

"Miss Wang, I hope I'm not interrupting anything but could all of us have a talk outside?" The teacher asked as her eyes struggled to adjust to the lack of illumination inside the house.

The eleven year old student nodded and she gingerly guided her mom out to the porch where the sky was now taking on a purple-blue hue. All of them sat on the rickety wooden benches and the young girl was the first one to speak, "May I ask what this is about, Mrs. Tanner?"

"These are social workers from the foster home. They have accessed your case and recommend that you be put through the foster system while your mother undergoes rehabilitation."

The girl's eyes widened with surprise. "We're doing okay though…"

The unknown male beside her teacher spoke up, "You do not have any running electricity or water and are hardly eating anything. Sooner or later, you'll be homeless when the mortgage payment runs out. We can help you. Both of you can still see each other during your time in the system."

"But-!" Before the girl could say anything else, Wen Ting spoke with a raspy voice, "She will be taken care of?"

Everyone was surprised by the blonde woman's sudden moment of clarity. "Yes, ma'am," Mrs. Tanner said reassuringly. "She will be fostered into a good home. In fact, we found one just suited for her."

Wen Ting turned towards her daughter to stroke her matted raven hair. "Go, my little one. I promise to get you back."

Small hazel eyes looked at Wen Ting's blue ones with awe. "Really?"

The reply the young one got was her mother wrapping her arms around her and whispering, "_Wo ai ni_."

Miss Wang buried her nose into the crook of Wen Ting's neck as she struggled to keep her emotions in check. "I love you too, mama."

* * *

With her small luggage in tow, the eleven year old girl sat in the back of the social worker's car and watched the World go by. She missed seeing the stars twinkling in the sky at night and they were rather soothing to her eyes. Her thoughts went back to the tearful goodbye between her and her beloved mama. That sudden moment of lucidity had Wen Ting spilling all her love on the girl and it was overwhelming.

The social workers managed to calm the mother-daughter pair and whisked the girl away before they teared up once again. Now Miss Wang was somewhat excited and also nervous about this new foster home they were talking about.

The car pulled up into a nice mansion at the end of the road and the girl stepped out and smoothed her dress, wanting to make a good impression. The social worker rang the bell and a blonde woman in her thirties answered the door.

"You've got to be kidding." The woman said as she eyed the foster child up and down. "You said her mother was White! I can't have _this_ in my house! Their kind dirties everything!"

The young girl was taken aback by such racist behavior and the social worker stepped in. "Ma'am, you signed an agreement to foster this child for six months. You _cannot_ back out now."

"I agreed to foster a White kid, not this chink!"

There was no choice but to put her foot down, "I am actually mixed race, ma'am. I do not appreciate that language." She glared at the older woman fiercely. Her parents had taught her to stand her ground and educate others when it came to her heritage. Harsh words and ignorance would lead to nowhere.

A scoff and eye roll from the woman was her response. "You'll be out of this house before you know it." The door opened a little wider for the young girl to walk into her new home.

Miss Wang thought that the hellish nightmare was over. It was only just beginning. Hopefully her mother would sober up and whisk her back to their normal lives.

* * *

_Author's Note: "Wo ai ni" is Mandarin Chinese for "I love you". Ada is of mixed heritage after all so naturally she would learn another language besides English. _

_Bad things are happening one after the other huh? I apologize if the racial slur makes your uncomfortable but there would still be some racial issues back then.  
_

_You might also be wondering, why didn't the foster family see a picture of Ada before agreeing to take her in? Well, I believe there were lapses loopholes in the foster system. The social workers were very anxious to give Ada a home so they failed to follow protocol. _

_If you're reading this, please leave a review. It's always helpful to know if other people besides my beta reader enjoys this story. :)_


	4. 1988

**Chapter 4 - 1988**

Her head remained down as she ate her cereal, trying not to catch the attention of her foster siblings who sat on the other side of the table. She did not need to get into another incarceration with them, it was not worth it.

"Hey orphan, remember it's your turn to wash the dishes later!" Harold called out smugly as his biological siblings looked on. His parents were busy getting ready for work and it was time to start the daily hazing.

Wang gripped her spoon at that remark and slurped her milk just a little too loudly.

"What's the matter? Don't want to do it?"

"I _will _do my chores." She replied a little coldly and continued to focus her attention on her food.

Harold gave a small tsk. "You better watch your tone, orphan. We can kick you out in a heartbeat."

Like she did not hear that before. Every house she was sent to so far treat her so differently. Like her feelings did not matter at all. The first couple of times that occurred, she reacted with anger. Eventually she learned to shut down her emotions. The less they could see how she was feeling, the less they could hurt her.

"Noted." She said dully and finished ever single drop of milk in her bowl. The Hunters were generous with food portions and she was thankful for it. Maybe she could finally gain some weight after being quite scrawny for three years.

Wang went over to the sink and slipped on the gloves. Mr. and Mrs. Hunter were quite adamant about teaching their children about independence and refused to purchase a dishwasher. She soaped up her bowl and spoon and got rid of all the grime as she waited for the Hunter children to be done eating.

"You know, if your parents loved you enough, you wouldn't be doing dishes now would you?" Harold was deliberately pushing her buttons as he handed her his empty plate.

The fourteen year old chose not to reply and focused on the task at hand, tuning the bully out.

Harold was displeased at the silence. "Hey orphan, what are you, deaf? Guess that would run in your family."

"I don't think my family is relevant in this. I did chores at home too." She replied politely, attempting to divert the conversation as she rinsed the soapy dishes.

"Of course they're relevant. You wouldn't be in the foster system if your parents were able to take care of you. Know your place."

She chose not to rise up to the bait. "Uh huh." Wang pulled off her gloves after placing the wet utensils and cutlery into the drying rack.

Not satisfied at the teen's lack of reaction, Harold stuck his foot out and tripped her, causing the raven haired girl to stick her hand out to grab onto something to stop her fall. Unfortunately, the first item she managed to hold was the drying rack and she pulled it down to the floor with her.

The clatter of broken dishes brought Mr. and Mrs. Hunter downstairs. "Dear child, what happened?"

"We were fighting and she fell, Mom." Harold said innocently.

Mrs. Hunter looked disapprovingly at the teen. "Miss Wang, I'm afraid this behavior is unacceptable. We brought you into our home and you repay us with this attitude. I'm sorry but you're going back to the girls' home."

Not a word was spoken as the Asian youth picked herself off the floor and went upstairs to pack her things.

* * *

"This isn't so difficult, Wang. Just do the chores printed on this list on time and you get to eat. You don't finish them, you don't get any food." The ex-military man in front of her spoke rather harshly. The system decided that she needed discipline so what better place was it to get that than the home of a retired colonel?

It was hell in that house. Everything had to be done according to schedule and the unnecessary inspections were driving her up the wall. She thought that if she did not perform her chores, she would be sent back. The girls' home was much better than this foster home which was nothing but a stifling prison. How did this man's children live with it?

Colonel Jones was not irritated by her defiance though, he had seen plenty in the army and he knew they would come round sooner or later. His son and daughter managed to follow the schedule with no complaints at all. This delinquent teen would just need a small push in the right direction.

"I wouldn't be able to perform my chores well without any sustenance, sir." Wang said earnestly as she tried to ignore the hunger pangs in her stomach.

"Pfft, that's just an excuse. You had lunch in school just three hours ago and now you're hungry? I'm sure you have enough energy left in you to finish this."

This was the last straw. She had been malnourished for the past week and she could barely stay awake in school.

"With all due respect, no. I'm going back to the girls' home."

The teen turned away to grab her belongings as Jones stretched his arm out, "That's insubordination little lady!"

In a sudden burst of strength, Wang cartwheeled to the side to escape his grasp. All that gymnastics training paid off even if she had been skipping practice. She quickly ran up the stairs and locked the door, grabbing her luggage and throwing the windows open. Behind her, she could hear the colonel banging on the door. The teen dropped the baggage on to the grass with a thump and she scaled down the trellis that was located at the bottom of the window.

"Come back here!" Jones hollered as he peeked his head out of the window.

There was no time left to waste as the raven haired youth quickly took her possessions and leapt over the fence, taking off in the direction of the girls' home.

* * *

The lanky teenager entered the gymnasium where her team mates were already practicing. She deposited her bag on the bench and pulled off her shirt, revealing the leotard underneath.

"Well look who decided to show up?"

Wang ignored the words from the snooty team captain and proceeded to warm up her muscles.

"Knock it off. I want all of you to concentrate on practicing for the competition. And that includes you too, Wang." Miss Sophie called out and walked towards the raven haired girl who was taken aback by her coach's words.

"Me? I've been skipping practice. It's hardly fair for me to participate." The youth said uncertainly and looked around to see the rest of the gymnasts quickly turning their heads away. She knew that their opinion of her was already unsavory.

Sophie took a seat on the bench and gestured to the student to do so. "I know you've been through a lot these few years and the situation with your mother is unstable but-"

"I apologize Miss Sophie but please do not talk about **that woman **ever again."

That particular promise of bringing her back home never came to fruition. Once again, Wen Ting had broken two promises in a row. It appeared that she loved alcohol more than her daughter.

The coach nodded and changed the subject. "I'm sorry. We can talk about something else. You have talent, Wang. I heard you managed to escape from that military foster family using those skills. I am _very_ proud."

The teen gave a small smile. "Thanks."

"Why don't you channel your time and anger into gymnastics? I've permitted you to come in here whenever you like and now I'm asking you to repay that generous allowance by taking part in the competition."

Wang still looked unsure and she glanced down at the wooden floor. "I don't want to ruin your name and be a laughing stock, Miss Sophie."

"You wouldn't know until you've done it. It's just a competition. You can gain experience from performing in front of a crowd and if you do win, you will be able to _prove_ to your naysayers that you are not what they think you should be."

There was truth in the coach's words and for too long now, the teen was tired of being looked down by others. This was a chance for her to shine! It would be best if she took the opportunity.

"Alright."

Sophie beamed at her student. "Good. We shall start with the drills. Now that you're committed to this, I can't let you have it easy."

* * *

She leapt off the spring board and did a hand spring onto the vaulting table, propelling herself into the air. The teen twisted her body around, trying to get as much in as possible during her hang time before gravity did its work to pull her back down to the ground. Seeing the landing mat quickly growing in size, Wang braced herself and landed firmly on her feet before standing up with both arms out in a victory position.

There was polite applause from the audience as the judges got down to work. They flashed a score of 8.5 to her and Wang bowed before returning back to her coach. Sophie draped a towel around her student and handed her a bottle of water.

"You did great, my girl. Now get some rest and cheer the rest of your teammates on."

The Asian teen nodded as she sipped the liquid and cooled down so her muscles won't be too strained by all the movement. She was so caught up in the atmosphere that she almost failed to notice the announcements of vault event.

"Wang, come on! Let's listen to the results." Sophie called out and the youth eagerly ran up to her mentor.

The judge went up to the podium and spoke into the microphone. "In third place from West High, Wang-"

She did not need to hear the rest as she jumped up and down in jubilation and embraced her coach. Finally, after years of feeling like a worthless being, she _achieved_ something! It raised her spirits and for the first time in what felt like forever, Wang smiled earnestly from the bottom of her heart.

The control of her own happiness was in her hands now. She did not need someone else to do it for her.

* * *

_Author's Note: After years of being unhappy, Ada learns to shape her own destiny and happiness. Unfortunately, those years have made her quiet and cold, keeping most of her feelings and thoughts buried deep inside._

_I would also like to thank **Ayesha Aeon** and **noctorro** for leaving reviews for my fic! It has been really helpful and I have since PMed you guys with my thanks and answered your questions._

_Anyway, for those who would like to know if Leon would show up in this fic, yes he will but only in future chapters. I have a few more chapter years to go before he makes a formal appearance in this story._


	5. 1990

**Chapter 5 - 1990**

"Hey." The blonde boy seated behind the Asian girl called out. Unfortunately, she was listening to her Walkman and bobbing her head slightly to the music. He tapped her shoulder and Wang frowned, pulling off her headphones and whipping her head around to glare at the boy.

"What?" She almost hissed as she stared him down. Undeterred by her scowl, the blonde gave her a smile, "You're Ada, right?"

Technically, it was not her real name but everyone at school kept _butchering _the pronunciation of her Chinese name that it almost sounded like 'Ada'. At her wits end, she went by that pseudonym, making her life somewhat easier.

"What about it?" Ada cocked an eyebrow and remained unimpressed.

The teenaged boy activated his charms and continued to smile. "Not to interrupt but I heard a little bit of music coming out of your headphones. Is that Michael Jackson?"

Ada nodded and the teacher at the front of the detention room cleared her throat. The Asian youth returned her attention back to her desk and continued to make some attempt to do her homework. Lately, she had been really focusing all her attention on gymnastics practice which made her ignore her assignments altogether.

Ada's reasoning was that gymnastics did not require academic skills so why bother with it? Her disinterest in homework frustrated her foster family to no end and even though they did not punish her, the nagging was growing to be quite annoying. The gym coach attempted to persuade her to pay more attention to schoolwork if she wished to clinch a scholarship but it fell on deaf ears. Also, detention ate into gym practice time and the coach did not want Ada to get too cocky about her abilities.

A small square of paper flew past her shoulder and landed on the table. She unfolded the note and read the words that were scrawled.

_It's really cool that you're listening to Michael Jackson. I'm Nathan, by the way._

Smirking, she replied with a message of her own.

_I'm not interested._

Stretching her arms behind her, she casually dropped the paper on Nathan's table. Without eyes behind her, it was impossible to see his reaction but Wang guessed that he might have a sour expression on his face.

There was an hour left in the detention block and she began to doodle misshapen people on a piece of paper. Clearly, she had zero artistic talent but since she was not able to perform any gym routines at the moment, she let it play out on the paper. That would trick the teacher into thinking that she was preoccupied with her work instead of staring into blank space and daydreaming.

When the time was up, she picked up her backpack and walked out of the room. Nathan ran up to her and said, "I don't care if you're not interested but it's always nice to find a fellow fan." The blonde then strolled away, leaving the girl a little bit surprised.

* * *

She returned to her foster home with little fanfare and Mrs. Rogers greeted her warmly. "Welcome back, Ada. Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?"

The matronly woman's compassion towards her was strangely unsettling and rather unnatural. Mrs. Rogers' behavior was unseen in the previous foster homes Ada was in and it _bothered_ her. The teen shook her head and wordlessly climbed up the stairs to her room. Mrs. Rogers was still unfailingly polite. "Alright, dinner will be ready at 7."

Ada dropped her bag and winter coat on the bed and proceeded to stretch out her limbs. Even if she missed practice today, she was still diligent enough to carry out her forms. Splits, handstands, and back bends were all she could do in the limited confines of her modest bedroom.

Dinner was ready and she went to the dining room to eat. Each member of the family talked about their day and when it came to her turn, Ada was honest. "I was in detention today."

Mr. Rogers looked at his ward with concern. "That is the fifth time this month, Ada. Is everything alright in school? Is your workload too heavy that you're unable to complete them?"

"Everything is fine." The teen replied dryly and skewered the meatball in her spaghetti dinner.

Mrs. Rogers glanced at her spouse before looking back at the youth. "Ada, I know how much you love gymnastics but an education is still very important. Some of the colleges that offer them can be difficult to get into."

Ada sighed loudly and dropped her fork on the plate. "I have no interest in going to university. Why are you caring so much? I'm not your child! You should focus on _them_ instead." She shot her head to Rogers' fraternal boy-girl twins on the other side of the table.

"Even if you're not biologically ours, I am still your guardian who looks after your welfare. Please, Ada. It's for your own good." Mrs. Rogers replied sadly and watched as the teen stood up and took her plate.

"I'm not changing my mind." The teen said stubbornly and carried her plate of food upstairs to her room where she could eat in peace and without any further disturbance.

The Rogers couple sighed. They were just trying to help.

* * *

Tugging on the lock, Ada opened her locker a tad too forcefully, sending some of her untouched books tumbling down to the ground. She groaned and bent down to pick them up. As she reached the last book, someone else plucked it off the floor and handed it to her.

"Thanks." Ada took the book and glanced up, only to find the boy from yesterday staring at her. "Are you some kind of stalker?" She asked suspiciously and shoved the tomes back into her locker before taking her gym clothes.

Nathan just smiled, "On the contrary, I'm not. My locker is just across from yours. I just happened to be in the same vicinity." He glanced at the small Michael Jackson poster in her locker. "I was sincere about you being a fan, by the way."

The Asian youth slammed her locker shut and clicked the dial lock. "You shouldn't be snooping." She said coldly and stormed away as the blonde boy stood by her locker, shocked at her behavior.

When she reached the comfortably heated gymnastics area, her coach was amazed to see her. "You're early today, Wang."

"I had free time, Miss Anders." The teen shrugged and got properly attired for practice. Anders took the opportunity to have a talk with the young woman.

"Listen Wang, I will not stop persuading you to go to college. Plenty of athletes come from sports universities because they have very good training programs. I am flattered that you want to be coached by me but if you want to go far, you need to be trained by the professionals. Paying out of your own pocket is out of the question so the next best thing is to get a scholarship to a good school."

Why did it always have to be about the money? Her words might have made a good point but Ada was still stubborn and headstrong. "Why are you so worried about my life anyway?"

Miss Anders looked a little hurt by that comment. "I worry because I care about you, Ada! You have a promising talent and I want you to nurture them under the right conditions. It will be a pity to see them go to waste."

Wang just turned her head away as she twirled her ponytail into a neat bun. She did not like to be pitied. If she had the skills like what Anders said, she would be able to overcome the odds. Ada will just have to rely on luck to get to where she wanted to be. "I'll think about it." She lied and went up to the mat to start her warm ups.

* * *

Ada twisted the door knob and was immediately greeted by the scent of cooked chocolate. Suddenly, she was flooded by the memories of sitting at a table with her parents as she made a wish and blew out the candles on her chocolate birthday cake. It had been so long since she had eaten cocoa but the scent was already imprinted into her mind. Like a bee to honey, the teen followed the smell into the kitchen.

"SURPRISE!" The Rogers family yelled and pulled a confetti toy, showering the girl with streamers.

"What…?" Ada was stunned by all the fanfare. There was indeed a chocolate cake on the table and written in white icing was 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY ADA!'

The Asian teen started counting numbers with her fingers and realized that today was indeed her special day. She had not celebrated it in years and had almost forgotten about it. Tears suddenly welled up in her eyes. "You did this?"

Mrs. Rogers nodded, "Of course. We celebrate the birthdays of everyone in this family."

"How did you know chocolate was my… my favorite?" Ada replied, still stumped by everything. The motherly Mrs. Rogers gently lead her ward by the arm to the table.

"We asked the social worker what your favorite food was. You can have as much as you want." Mr. Rogers said and was smiling at her with his own children.

_She was just four years old as her mother helped her onto the chair to blow out the tiny candles on top of the circular cake. "You can have as much as you want, sweetie," Guo Xiang said as he stroked the top of her silky raven hair. Wen Ting cut out a slice of dessert for her precious daughter and the little girl ate it up eagerly, smearing some chocolate icing on her chubby cheeks. Her parents laughed as they cleaned her up and showered all their love on their only child._

The teen was still astounded by everything. It was happening so quickly and the tears began to fall as she was lost in that recollection. Ada was also obviously touched by this kind and beautiful gesture. "T-thank you…" She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and clasped them together to make a wish before blowing out the candles.

Wang cut generous slices of decadent chocolate cake for everyone and placed a forkful into her mouth. She was instantly blown away by the taste. It was _**exquisite**_. A gentle warmth took root in her chest and spread through her body, filling her with bliss.

All this time when she was giving them the cold shoulder and replying them curtly, they never failed to give her space and treat her kindly. She behaved rudely to keep people away as she feared that they would crush her heart just like her mother broke hers. Now Ada felt like a jerk. Every foster family was different and the Rogers were the ones that _finally_ earned her trust.

"Would you like to have some spaghetti this weekend?" The youth said somewhat shyly.

The Rogers couple smiled at their ward's offer of making a meal.

"We would love to."

* * *

Meandering her way through the crowded hallway, she bumped into the student in front of her, making his papers fall. Ada muttered an apology and rushed forward to scoop up the fallen sheets, finding herself looking into Nathan's green eyes. The blonde teen took his reports back, "We got to stop bumping into each other."

"Sorry." The gymnast said and glanced at the headphones around his neck. "Did you hear the rumors of Michael Jackson writing a new album?" Ada asked, attempting to break the ice. He had done nothing to incur her ire so far.

"I did! I can't wait to see what he comes up with." Nathan replied excitedly. "Do you want to go get lunch together? We can talk more about it."

The Asian teen nodded. "Sure. I doubt anything would be able to top _Thriller _though. That one is quite an interesting masterpiece."

Both students made their way over to the cafeteria, discussing about their shared interest in MJ. A friendship was also undeniably born that day. Ada was done pushing people aside. A lonely and miserable life was not what she wanted in the end.

* * *

_Author's Note: Look, Ada made a friend! And if you went back to chapter 2, I did mention that chocolate cake is Ada's favorite food. The Rogers family has earned her trust at last. As for gymnastics, we'll see if she ever makes it to college..._

_To **Ayesha Aeon**: Well, I never imagined Ada's life to be a bed of roses. Certain hardships have shaped her into what she is today. It has made her stronger._


	6. 1992, Part I

**Chapter 6 - 1992, Part I**

"What are you suggesting?" Ada asked, her eyes a little glassy and voice thick with emotion. Nathan had requested that they meet here after school at their favorite spot by the stadium.

Her boyfriend could not meet her eyes as he continued to find the floor much more fascinating. "You know what I said," he muttered as he shuffled uneasily on his feet.

"And your reason to do so is just plain stupid! So what if you're moving across the country for college? I can still write to you and we can call each other!" Ada replied in return as she leaned against the wall for support. It was all she had to prevent her from crumbling like a pile of bricks.

"I know but I don't want either of us to be distracted."

She exhaled loudly through her nose. "That's nonsense, Nathan! We've been able to maintain our average grades throughout the time we've known each other. Just tell me the truth. Are you interested in someone else?"

Nathan frowned and snapped his head up, "No! I just think we're too young for commitment. We should get to know more people first before making a decision."

It might have been a relief that he was not cheating on her but she was still furious at his explanation. "What? So you believe we are too immature?"

"Ada, I'm being realistic and practical here." Nathan sighed and scrubbed his face with the palm of his hand. "With the distance and the years we'll spend apart from each other, we might drift apart. If we find each other again after all that and our flame is still burning strong, we can start over."

"You've been delving too much into poetry and music." Was the reply as Ada pushed herself from the wall and turned away from her soon to be ex-boyfriend. "If that's what you believe in, we are done here. I can't believe _you_ of all people are doing this ."

Before Nathan could reply, the Asian teen took off, never looking back. He was left standing there with an ache in his heart.

"Well done, kid. I personally guarantee your scholarship to Berklee will be solid." A man in a suit appeared and patted Nathan on the shoulder. The boy remained unresponsive as he turned away from stranger.

"You can run along now. And remember, if you breathe a word of this to _anyone_, the deal is off and your family pays."

Nathan nodded and walked off. Forcing his feet to carry himself away from his first love and having to live with the regret of breaking her heart.

* * *

"Welcome home, dear!" Mrs. Rogers said cheerily and upon seeing that her ward had tears in her eyes, she became concerned. "What's wrong? Is everything okay in school?"

Ada immediately threw her arms around her guardian. "N-Nathan broke up with me. S-said we were too young to have a committed relationship!"

Mrs. Rogers rubbed circles on the teen's back. "There, there. Why don't we sit down and have some food?" She gingerly guided the distraught girl to the dining table where a plate of freshly baked cookies was waiting to be devoured.

"I'm not hungry." Ada mumbled as she sat down on the chair and drew her knees up to her chin.

"The Ada I know won't say no to chocolate chip cookies." Mrs. Rogers replied in return and her ward pouted. Chocolate was Ada's ultimate weakness and she almost never rejected anything with that ingredient in it. Ada sighed and began to nibble on a cookie.

"There are other fish in the sea, Ada. You'll have to kiss a few frogs before finding a prince."

Ada crinkled her nose in disgust, "Ew. Can we not talk about frogs while I'm eating?"

Mrs. Rogers nodded and slid an A4 sized envelope to the teen.

"What's this?" The young girl asked as she stared at it with both curiosity and suspicion.

"Why don't you find out by opening it?"

Taking the material into her hands and ripping the seam, she took the documents out and read the title on the first page. "Adoption papers…? Are you? No way!" Ada's expressions changed from confusion, disbelief, and then delight within a span of a few seconds.

Her guardian could only nod and smile. "Yes way. I've watched how much you've changed since coming here, Ada. We would be honored to have you in our family."

"So that's why you baked chocolate cookies. To celebrate this! Thank you so much!" Ada embraced the older woman again but this time, it was out of happiness.

"Feel better now?"

"I lost a boyfriend but gained a family. I couldn't have asked for something better!" She was all smiles as the future was looking up for her. "I just hope I get at least one college acceptance letter soon…"

"We'll just have to hope for the best. Meanwhile," Mrs. Rogers craned her neck and called out, "why don't you guys just come on out?"

The rest of the family entered the kitchen with sheepish expressions on their faces. Simon, one of the twins, shot a question at Ada, "So, what's your answer?"

Ada beamed him a smile, "Yes." Everyone else responded positively with smiles of their own.

"She said yes! Whoo-hoo!" Simon's sister, Diana, cheered out loud. "I'll have a sister and you'll be totally outnumbered, bro!"

Simon rolled his eyes before turning his attention to his soon-to-be adopted sister, "Welcome to the family. If I bake you lots of chocolate, will you be on my side?"

"Now that's bribery, _bro_. Is it fair?" Ada teased and Mr. and Mrs. Rogers hugged each other as they watched the kids banter. The three teenagers had bonded well over the years, welcoming Ada as their own.

Mrs. Rogers then clapped her hands together, "Okay, that's enough tomfoolery for now. Let's get dinner prepared."

* * *

Executing three consecutive black flips along the balance beam, she ended her routine with a smile before hopping onto the cushioned platform below. Applause rang out from the side and Ada turned to spot her coach clapping for her.

"Nice work. Not many from the alumni would come back to make use of our facilities after graduation."

Miss Anders' words made the young woman cringe slightly. "Not when this particular student of the alumni didn't receive any acceptance letters," Ada mumbled as she picked up a towel to wipe off the sheen of perspiration that formed on her skin. "Even the airhead leader of the cheer squad was able to secure a position in college. I'm a failure."

Coach Anders frowned and approached her student with great care. "That's nonsense. You wouldn't have been able to clinch that many medals if you were a failure. You have the potential for so much more. Those schools you applied for must be blind to your talents to reject you."

"That's the oddest thing, coach. I didn't receive any rejection letters either."

"What?" Miss Anders furrowed her brows. No college would take _that_ long to process an application.

Ada was looking even more crestfallen now as she picked up her gym bag.

An idea formed in the coach's head and she blurted out her plan, "Tell you what, if you don't hear word for any colleges by the end of summer, I can offer you a position as assistant coach. I know you are great with teaching too."

The teenager smiled, "Thanks, coach. I'll keep that in mind." With that, she headed off to the showers for a quick clean up before strolling out of the school compound with her hair slightly damp. She knew that it would evaporate quickly in this heat but she did not want to risk getting sunburned. Quickening her footsteps, she made it to the park a couple of blocks away from school. The shade supplied by the trees would provide some respite from the Sun.

Along the quiet pathway, a man seated on a bench and dressed smartly in a suit caught her attention as he preoccupied himself in reading a newspaper. Why people would wear such attire in this unforgiving weather was something she would never understand. Was it to keep up with appearances?

"May I have a word with you, Miss Wang?" The man asked when she passed by him.

Ada stiffened and turned to face him, her hands clenching into fists. "I go by Miss Rogers now," she hissed. Was this some sort of pervert that she heard about in the news?

"Now now, there's no need for violence." The man replied reassuringly and folded his newspaper in half. "Before you were adopted, your surname was indeed Wang, was it not?"

"So what if it was?"

The man continued to maintain eye contact with her as he spoke calmly, "I have information about your father, Wang Guo Xiang."

Was this guy for real?

"He is dead," Ada said simply.

"How do you know for sure? His body was never found."

The expression of surprise on her face made the man smirk and he pulled out a postcard sized object from in between the papers. "We have his body, Miss Wang." He flipped the postcard towards her and Ada found herself staring at an image of her father's face with his eyes closed. There were some burns and bruises that marred his skin and it made the teen wonder if his death was painful.

"That's why your mother went crazy. Without a body, she never received any closure-"

"Shut up!" Ada interrupted him as she glared at him coldly. "I don't know what game you're playing but this is _impossible_. The firefighters said everything was burned into dust!"

The man continued to grin smugly at her. "Careful with that tone, Miss Wang. Not everything you hear from the authorities is the truth. We managed to retrieve his body before everything burned to the ground and we_ can_ bring him back to life. Wasn't it your wish that your family be whole again? Didn't you want to be back in mommy and daddy's arms again?"

Ada looked away from the man and took in a deep breath to calm her emotions. It was true… For the first couple of years in the foster system, she fervently prayed and wished that her beloved mother would come and get her. Then one day, she stopped praying and believing in miracles. She moved on and never looked back.

Now, this man was claiming that everything would go back to normal. Just like that, he managed to push all the right buttons and it made her feel like a naïve little girl once again. She glanced back to the stranger.

"Could you at least let me see him please?" Ada asked politely.

The man wagged his finger, "Nuh-uh. It comes with a price."

"I don't have a lot of money."

He sighed, "You need to learn to let others finish their words, girl. I'm not talking about monetary compensation here. I'm talking about an exchange. You work for us and then we'll return your father to you."

Ada raised an eyebrow skeptically. "I don't have a degree or any working experience though. Plus, my family would not approve."

"There are many things in this world that doesn't require a degree. We'll provide on the job training too." He pulled back his sleeve to look at his watch. "And your adoptive family has been taken care of."

Before she could even reply, the wail of a fire engine siren pierced through the air and Ada looked at the sky. She could see grey smoke coming in the direction of her neighborhood. Putting two and two together, Ada lashed out, "You **murdered** them!" She stormed towards him and was about to lay her hands on the man before she heard the cocking of a gun and felt cool steel pressed on the back of her head.

"They weren't your biological family anyway." The suited man said simply and Ada began to breathe rather heavily as her eyes brimmed with tears of grief.

"I-I'll report you to the authorities."

"And then they'll accuse you of fabricating a_ false_ report. Our reach is everywhere, Miss Wang. You'll be back on the streets once more with no roof over your head. It'll be a vicious cycle all over again." He taunted her and stood up from the bench.

She had returned to that cycle anyway. The loving family that she born into was taken from her at the age of ten and now, after reluctantly opening her heart to a new family, they were cruelly snatched from her once more. That was one of the reasons why she shut herself off to the World; no one would ever hurt her if she kept to her lonesome self. First were papa and mama, then Nathan, and now the Rogers. Caring for people brought her nothing but sheer _**agony**_.

"What is your answer, Miss Wang?"

Ada stared into his cold, brown eyes. "Fine, I'll work."

"Good." He then nodded to the unknown person behind her and she felt a sharp blow to her head before falling into the world of dreams.

* * *

A steady sound of mechanical beeping roused Ada from her slumber and when opened her eyes, she found herself clad in a hospital gown in a sterile white environment. She murmured a little and pushed herself up, her mouth feeling unusually dry.

"Ah good, you're up." A woman in what appeared to be a nurse's uniform strolled up to her. "I really wish they would stop bringing in everyone when they're unconscious. Here, have some water." She brought a white plastic cup to Ada's lips and the teen drank the liquid heartily.

"Where am I…?" Ada croaked a question and glanced around the room before catching a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror. "My hair! Who cut it off?!" She yelled as she fingered the short locks that hung below her ear.

"I'm sorry darling, this is standard protocol. Do you remember why you were brought here?" The nurse said sympathetically. Most newcomers always reacted hysterically and it brought much pain to her heart.

"Jemma, what's the status of the new recruit?" A familiar voice rang out and the man in the suit walked into the room.

The nurse gave him a small bow before replying, "She's a little flustered at the moment but in the pink of health."

"You! What sort of job did I sign up for?! And where am I?!" Ada pointed an accusatory finger at the man.

He ignored her query and continued to converse with the nurse. "Has she been given her Depo Provera shot yet?"

Jemma shook her head, "Not yet but I was going to." The nurse slapped on some gloves and Ada backed away in fear.

"What are you injecting me with?! And stop avoiding my question!"

The man in the suit sighed, "A contraceptive injection to prevent unwanted pregnancies."

Ada could only frown with confusion as Jemma then disinfected a small portion of her arm before inserting the needle to dispense the contraceptive dose.

"Welcome to The Academy, Miss Wang." The man answered her question at last before walking away.

* * *

_Author's Note: Apologies for the late update. About three weeks ago, my country was in mourning and the entire mood was quite sombre that I couldn't find the heart to write. A week after that, I wrote up a fluffy bonus chapter for Meeting Them which is full of heartwarming goodness. ^_^ And in the past week, I've been busy with work and also writing up this chapter but yay, chapter 6 is out at last!_

_Anyway, I finally get to the part where Ada becomes a spy, or at least, trains to be one. Sorry for the roller coaster of emotions that I've put you through. This chapter was really fun to write though. As for the cliffhanger at the end, well, you're hooked right? ;) More will be told in part 2.  
_

_Oh yes, Nathan was blackmailed into leaving Ada. Poor couple. As for the Rogers, Ada should have seen the truth with her own eyes instead of taking a stranger's word. Just saying. ;)_

_If it isn't obvious enough, this mysterious man in a suit also interfered with Ada's application to college. Hence, the lack of any acceptance/rejection letters._

_Onwards to reviews!_

_To **noctorro**: I want to use different words to describe Ada instead of just using only her name 'cos I find just utilizing one word a little boring and stagnant? Though I totally understand what you mean about consistency. I'll try not to go overboard with the nouns in future chapters._

_To **Ayesha Aeon**: Thanks! I think you might be upset with this chapter so I'll virtually send you a box of internet cookies to cope with that._


	7. 1992, Part II

**Chapter 7 - 1992, Part II**

From what Ada had learned during her week in The Academy, the facility was situated underground where one would have thought that it would remain cool since cold air sinks. But the architects have managed to cleverly engineer one part of the complex where the temperature and humidity were the same as the environment outside. Where they were exactly, Ada did not know for sure but the summer heat was still unbearable. The season would hopefully end in a month or two as scheduled.

Beads of perspiration dotted her forehead as she continued to jog around the track with the others. Today the trainers were pushing them to the limit, seeing how far they could continue jogging until the trainees reached their breaking point. Ada thought she had good stamina but after losing count on the fifteenth lap, she was feeling the toll of stressing her body.

For the past week, she had been subjected to nothing but physical exercise day and night. Running, climbing, jumping, stretching, balance, she went through each gruelling task. What Ada assumed to be military life was making her regret her decision. She would be in her bed by now, enjoying her summer vacation.

_Stop it_, she thought to herself. They were dead, and nothing could change that fact. Dwelling on it would do her no good at all.

Her mind began to wander on other events instead, things that occurred in the past week. Anything to distract herself from noticing the aching pain in her limbs.

"_What is this place?" Ada asked once she cleared medical and was outfitted in a black tracksuit. Her eyes took in the cavernous surroundings and the odd looking machinery all over the place. She followed the man in the suit as they walked down the circular stairway mounted along the side of the cavern._

"_Where we mould and shape minds to help the future," was the reply from the man._

_Undeterred by his cryptic reply, the teen continued to probe, "Who are you?"_

"_You should be more concerned about __**yourself**__ instead. From today, you shall discard your old identity and leave everything behind. Don't forget, you work for us now. Or should we just dispose of Guo's body?"_

_Her forehead creased and she tried not to think about her father. "The police will be suspicious."_

_He laughed. "Ha! The police know nothing. Your records have been altered. You have left the country for good and will never return. I strongly suggest you move on, Ada Wong."_

"_Ada was a name I previously used," she crossed her arms at the lack of creativity in her pseudonym._

"_Not officially. All your transcripts and certificates contain your old birth name. There is no Ada Wang or Ada Rogers anywhere."_

"_And how is a variation of my surname going to fool anyone?" _

"_Tch, there are many people with the surname Wong and Wang in this country. Same goes for the surname Chan and Chen. Someone of your __**heritage**__ should know that."_

_She had to bite her cheek to control herself from giving this man a slap in the face. How dare he insult her! While it was true that the same clan names had variation in spellings, this was just way too convenient and almost lazy._

_The man entered a long hallway with doors on the left and right. He stopped somewhere in the middle before turning to her. "This is your room, follow the schedule on the wall and obey all instructions or there will be consequences."_

_He waved his key card on the reader off to the side of the door and it slid open to reveal a simply furnished room. _

_Ada stepped into her new home and the door closed behind her with a soft whoosh. She turned around in attempt to exit the room, thinking he would continue the tour. The door did not budge at all. "Hey! I thought you were going to show me more!"_

"_You will have __**years**__ to do that. Until then, enjoy your rest while you can. Doors only open on schedule," the man replied with a smile and walked off, leaving Ada confused._

"What the hell Wong! This isn't some stroll in a park! Spending five minutes on one lap is unacceptable!" A loud voice barked at her from the side and Ada snapped out of it, finding a burly man with a red moustache staring down at her. Oh right, she almost forgot about the strict and no-nonsense Mr. Evans. Catching his attention usually resulted in a punishing exercise regimen.

"I-I apologize, sir." Ada stammered a little and picked up the pace.

He grabbed her by the arm and held her back. "Just where do you think you're going?! An apology is not going to save you when you can't outrun your enemy! After this lap, you can forget about running! You are to do one hundred star jumps, squats, sit ups, and push ups each!"

That was surprising; others had it a lot worse. Maybe since it was her first time earning his wrath, she was let off easy.

"And then you will run a hundred laps around the track to improve your stamina!"

That was the catch and she was in for _hours_ physical torture. "Yes sir," she said meekly and began the task of insane exercising as the rest of the trainees watched her with sympathetic looks.

Sometime after midnight, Ada staggered into her room and crashed onto the bed, her body crying out in utter relief. Her feet were swollen and every muscle in her body was so sore she could barely lift them up without protest. The worse thing was that she will have to press on with more exercises in the morning. What she would give for thirty hours of slumber. Before she could even think some more, Ada passed out from exhaustion.

* * *

It was getting difficult to breathe as the blood continued to rush into her head and Ada was sure she was as red as a tomato. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears but she inhaled a deep breath to keep her cool. Ada had no desire to fail in the eyes of so many present in the room. Whoever thought of this mental conditioning training was one wicked, sadistic genius. The silence of everyone staring at you without a word spoken combined with the sheer discomfort of being hung upside down was bound to drive anyone uncomfortable and flustered.

"Can't handle it anymore, Wong? Just say the word and you can be lowered down. Come on, your erratic breathing isn't going to do you more favours," Mr. Evans taunted her from the ground as he casually rested on the floor and stared back at her.

"I'm fine," Ada said coldly as she focused on a point at the back of the room. She really wanted to pass this test and beat her previous timing and she was just _so_ close. Just a minute more… She will not allow some petty remark get into her head. Heck, almost everyone grew numb and immune to the ridicule over time.

Evans shrugged and pulled out a chocolate bar from his pocket, peeling off the wrapper and eating it with a loud crunch. Of all things, it had to be her favourite chocolate. She growled and swore she could smell a hint of almond mixed in that treat. "You can have this, Wong. Just say the word and it will be over."

No. Ada will not fail like the previous candidate who lay dead behind her. She will not be some useless corpse who will be incinerated like garbage. The initial death that occurred after the first physical test shocked everyone to their core and the threat proved to be a good motivator. This Academy was serious and a single failure was no laughing matter.

"No, thank you."

Ada ignored the scent of chocolate wafting into her nose. She was almost there.

_Just try not to think about mama's chocolate cake. Don't think about the treats the Rogers make. Just don't. DON'T. __**NO.**_

The timer buzzed and she screamed out loud. Whether it was due to sheer exhilaration that she passed the test or frustration that Evans was mocking her, no one knew. She was lowered to the ground and Ada lay on her back to allow her senses to return to normal.

"Good job, Wong." Trainer Evans praised her with a smile as he wolfed down the last bit of chocolate which she eyed hungrily. The man just had the face one grew to hate and it was tempting to punch the smile off his mug.

Too bad she could not do anything about it lest she be terminated. She would just have to make do with scoffing down on dessert that night.

Feeling the slight chill of the concrete floor seep through her clothes, she stood up gracefully and returned to her seat. She always forgot how the training area would mimic the temperatures outside.

* * *

Every morning now, they started off with an intense workout session, followed by breakfast, then mental conditioning, and combat training which was the newest "course" added to their ever growing list of things to learn. Less time was spent on the first two since everyone who made it this far passed those tests. They could not be complacent though, one step backwards after so much progress brought embarrassment.

"Alright, pair up! Go through the forms I taught you! Remember, stances at shoulder width and have your weight low to the ground," Jasmine, their petite trainer yelled out from her elevated pedestal at the front of the room. For someone so small, most people were surprised that she could pack a punch and kick anyone's butt. Those who flaunted their muscles and thought they had an advantage in strength learned the hard way when they challenged her.

Ada stood with her legs at shoulder width apart and her arms positioned protectively in front of her. Melissa, her sparring partner mirrored her form and spoke, "You went first last time. Shall I?"

Ada nodded. At least Melissa was much more polite than her snarky twin Belinda, who took the opportunity to look down on practically everyone who stood in her way, minus her own sister.

Her opponent charged with her first raised and Ada countered the attack by sliding one hand on top of the other to catch the fist like a baseball glove. She gave Melissa a light shove and the other slid along the mat backwards before raising one leg to kick at Ada.

Ada ducked as Melissa's shoe sailed past the crown of her head and she reached up to grab Melissa's ankle, tugging at the limb to make her opponent lose her balance. Melissa simply followed through the momentum by cartwheeling and landed behind Ada.

That split second of losing Melissa from her line of sight put Ada at a disadvantage as an arm found its way to her neck and held her in a firm chokehold. Ada stamped on Melissa's foot and she could hear the girl hiss painfully in her ear but Melissa held on tight.

The pressure on her neck grew and Ada bended her knees, rolling forward and bringing her sparring partner along with her to the ground. Melissa had no choice but to loosen her grip as she pushed out her hands out to stop herself from hitting the cushioned ground.

Before both could get up and having another go at each other, the whistle blew and the rest of the class were in similar positions as them.

"Good job. I see some of you got creative and went out of the box to out manoeuvre your opponents," the trainer called out and gave them a five minute reprieve.

Melissa stood up and extended a hand towards Ada who took the pre-offered help. "That was quite a fight you put up, I enjoyed it immensely," Melissa said with her usual politeness and Belinda walked up to her.

"You okay, Mel? Did this wench hurt you badly?"

Ada rolled her eyes at the insult.

"I'm fine, sis. Please don't call her that."

"Who? This little chink? She's a nobody."

Ada just turned and walked away. Like all slander thrown at her, she just let it sail past her head, not allowing it to poison her mind and judgement.

"That's right, Wong. Run away with the tail in between your legs like a coward. You might be able to pass your previous tests but you'll never be able to survive combat."

Just _this once_, she will play. Ada turned around and stared Belinda down. "I hope your bark is worse than your bite. Or are you just an empty vessel tooting its own horn?"

Belinda replied by tackling Ada's waist with a battle cry, knocking her off the mat and onto the ground. Ada quickly raised her palm and pushed it roughly against Belinda's jaw, making the arrogant brat see stars swimming in her vision.

Her opponent shook her head and swung her hands around blindly, only landing one lucky strike on Ada's cheek. A small crowd formed around the catfight as their trainer watched on passively, not stepping in just _yet_.

The bitter winter cold dug into Ada's back and the teen responded by wrapping her legs around Belinda's waist, holding her in place and limiting her movements. Belinda bit down on Ada's fingers which were still on her chin and Ada retaliated by doing a barrel roll, changing their positions and giving her the upper hand.

Ada's hands reached down and closed around Belinda's neck. Irony since her sister attempted to choke her a few moments ago.

"Enough." Jasmine said with an air of authority and Ada immediately let go, untangling herself from the mess and standing up with her hands behind her back.

"What is the meaning of this?" The trainer asked as she eyed her two students.

Ada lied easily, "Belinda wished to spar and I obliged."

The petite woman raised her eyebrows, suspicious about the answer but not feeling that it warranted further discipline. "I see. If you do not wish to take a break, then say so. I'm merely doing it out of goodwill. You two can forget about taking a rest from now on."

Jasmine then walked away and resumed the training. Ada could feel Belinda glaring daggers into her back and an uneasy feeling washed over her.

That night, the twins cornered her near Ada's room.

"Belinda has something she would like to say. Am I right, sis?" Melissa's face was cross as she addressed her sister and elbowed her in the gut.

Belinda was equally annoyed too as she looked down at her feet. Her sister continued to stare at her silently and it was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. "Ugh, fine. I'm sorry for provoking you."

Ada shrugged, "Suit yourself." She filed past the sisters and entered her room, sitting on her bed and staring up at the ceiling. At least the twins had each other's backs. Here, she had no idea whom she could trust. Most were just temporary partners and they kept to themselves.

She heard a giggle from outside her room and walked to the door, peeking out of the window. If Belinda was laying a booby trap outside her room, there will be hell to pay.

Instead, she saw Melissa hugging Kevin, one of the male trainees. Both of them looked into each other's eyes and leaned in for a quick kiss before they parted ways and headed back to their respective rooms.

Looking at that stirred _something_ within Ada, a sense of longing and envy. Something she had not felt ever since she entered The Academy. She could not help it as memories of her time with Nathan surged through her mind. Their hugs, conversations, kisses, banters, fornications, dates, everything just overwhelmed her.

She sat down on the bed and felt hot tears welling up in her eyes. That part of her life was over. Nathan severed their relationship, never wanting anything to do with her ever again. She had moved on a week after the break up so _why_ was she feeling this way? What would her motherly guardian say?

_Stop thinking about them, they're dead! _

Ada chided herself and could not help but feel regret. Maybe she should not have stayed with them for so long. Maybe she should have caused trouble and be sent back to the girls' home. That way, the Rogers would have survived. All of them did not have to die for her. But then again, if she was in another foster home, The Academy would have killed another family instead. Maybe she should have stayed on with the Hunters or Jones instead. Those people deserved punishment for their sins.

Why were her thoughts so morbid now? Had this place corrupted her soul? Was there even one left in her anyway? This was not her at all but wishing them in pain just felt oh so _right_.

She should have just taken her life when her father died and her mother subsequently abandoned her. What was her purpose in living if her life was so darn pathetic? Ada did not find the answer as the tears rolled down her cheeks and she cried silently, pulling a pillow over her face to muffle the sounds of her sniffles. She thought she had overcome all that pain by finding happiness within.

The teen shook her head and engaged in breathing techniques to calm herself.

_Clear your mind… Everything will be okay._

But the tears would not stop coming. So Ada decided that she will cry today to let it all out, to cleanse her of everything. Come tomorrow, she will have to make an effort to leave everything behind and focus on her objective. Funny how she was told to forget her family but they decided to dangle her father like a carrot on a stick. Maybe it will give her and her beloved mother some goddamn closure.

Ada got out of bed and sat on the chair in front of her small study table, swiping a piece of tissue from the box and blowing her nose with it. She then crossed her arms and laid her head on them. She was tired and sleep would help clear her mind. It came to her uneasily.

* * *

Etiquette lessons were a pleasant change from the nitty gritty physical exercises they had to do. It sure beat getting all sweaty and smelly. In fact, partaking in champagne tasting even when they were underage was making this her favourite course of all time.

All of them sat with their backs straight and were clad in suits and elegant dresses. Today's lesson was about formal dining and they were pampered like kings and queens. Plus, the turkey on the table was appropriately timed for the current Christmas season. Somehow it made them feel at home even if they were not. Hopefully it would not make them homesick. Ada had cried her eyes out that night and it was not a saga she wished to repeat. A stuffy nose and nasally voice were rather obvious signs that one had been crying.

"Fun fact, champagne is called as such as it is produced in the Champagne region of France. Flavours ranges from dry, to mildly sweet, and very sweet. The brand does not matter as taste is subjective. Some of you may even find today's champagne too dry and strong for your liking." Surprisingly, their combat coach was also their etiquette coach. Just how many hats did these instructors have to juggle? Were they all masters at each respective area?

"Hold your glass by the stem, like so." Jasmine regally picked up her wine glass as a demonstration. "If you hold it by the bowl, the warmth of your hand might alter the temperature of your drink. Plus, it leaves smudges on the glass which is rather unsightly," The coach continued to explain the basics and everyone was intrigued.

Some of Ada's fellow classmates appeared perplexed but Jasmine noticed their worries straightaway. "I know you may be wondering, why is this not in an elegantly shaped flute? Well, the narrow space of the flute severely restricts the development of the flavour and aroma of the champagne which is not ideal. Do not let appearances fool you."

Once that was out of the way, the students were quite eager to taste their first sip. Again, Jasmine stopped them. "Not yet. First, you should sniff your drink. Allow the scent to waft into your nose. Then, you take a _small_ sip and note the flavour."

The coach tipped the lip back and allowed the golden liquid to touch her lips briefly. "After that, you gently swirl your drink and taste it again. See if you can taste the subtle difference in the flavour after swirling."

They mimicked Jasmine's actions with precision and marvelled at their first taste of alcohol. True to her words, some were put off by the strong and dry taste of the drink. Ada found it more palatable after swirling and continued to sip on her drink, feeling like a proper adult even if she was still a few years shy of being one.

It was also no wonder how people could be addicted to it. The taste while a little acrid, became sweet after a while and a feeling of warmth spread through one's chest.

_Was this the feeling ma- _

As quickly as the memory surfaced, Ada suppressed all thoughts of _her_. She had promised herself that she would not dwell on that alcoholic woman.

"In fine dining, the cutlery is already laid out for you and you start from the outside in from the first course. Your dessert spoon and cake fork are the only ones located above the plate."

On cue, the doors opened and carts of soup bowls were wheeled in. They were laid in front of each diner and Jasmine continued to give more instructions on how to sip their soup.

"Do not forget, eating is not your sole priority here. This is a social engagement so do make small talk. Avoid religion and politics. The safest conversation starter would be the weather and when you find a common interest, you can branch off from there."

A unanimous 'Yes, ma'am!' rang out through the room as everyone began eating, being overly polite with one another which Ada found to be quite silly. Nonetheless, this was quite a welcome break for all of them amidst such secrecy. They had vague ideas that their training would make them become efficient soldiers but no one would confirm their suspicions on what their true purpose was.

Regardless, they would just have to make do with what they had. After all, things did not seem that bad at the moment. Even if the wining and dining were just temporary, there was no reason not to enjoy the moment. The future will come for them when it was good and ready.

* * *

_Author's Note: I apologize for the late update. I've been really busy with work since we have been spending the past month packing up and relocating to a new building which left me tired every day. My weekends were filled with activities too so I did not have time to write either. We're still in the midst of unpacking but I managed to squeeze one afternoon to write out this chapter._

_Unfortunately, I have to say that while it was my ambition to churn out a new chapter every week, I'm afraid to say that it's not possible at this moment in time. I can promise you a new chapter once in a month though. If I do update more often, treat it as a reward but don't get used to it. _

_Anyway, let's talk about this chapter! Did you spot the change in the seasons? Hope you also saw hints of Ada's eventual confidence in this chapter. I know she's still coping with her feelings so she will yo-yo a bit but eventually, she will stop thinking about them._

_I envision training to be in slow increments. First they focus on getting everyone's physical stats up, then slowly adding in other things which is essential to be a spy (shh, they don't know it yet). I won't cover everything they will learn since it will take forever. _

_Onward to reviews._

_To **noctorro** \- You'll have to keep reading to find out. ;)_

_It was part of the plan, muahaha! In all seriousness, I was going to delve into Ada's head for future chapters so I hope this chapter was satisfactory in that aspect._

_Prior to writing chapter 6, I did research about adopting 18 year olds in the US and interestingly, you can adopt adults even if they no longer require a guardian. In fact, the adoption process is much easier so the Rogers just wanted to make it official. :)_

_To **Ayesha Aeon** \- Thanks. Do be patient about new updates and Aeon as well, yeah?_


	8. 1993

**Chapter 8 - 1993**

Ada cradled the hot water bottle in her lap, attempting to ignore the remnant numbness and chill in her fingers as she scribbled an essay with her non-dominant hand. The Academy was becoming more demanding and _creative_ with their training lessons. One such example was today when they scheduled a pain tolerance class right before their history test.

The class involved dunking their writing hand in an ice bath and forcing them to remain there for at least ten minutes. Anyone that failed were duly punished or worse, killed, so the candidates kept their mouths shut and grimaced as the clock ticked by. Even if it was spring and the weather had warmed up, it was still a little cold on some days. Of course, the trainees were rewarded with warmth when they succeeded but having to rush for history test_ immediately _made things rather difficult in the area of concentration.

No wonder they had been encouraging ambidexterity for the past few weeks, it was a preparation for **this**.

While physical training was fun, theory like language, history, and science made it feel like high school all over again. Except they had to learn a lot more things than what was listed in the high school syllabus. Facts about countries that they had never heard of were drilled into their heads and they were continuously tested. No one dared to question why they had to be schooled in foreign affairs and they kept quiet, going with the flow.

She finished her paper with time to spare, going through the points she listed about Maldives and its controversial government along with details about the coup d'état that took place not too long ago. To Ada, it was quite interesting to study about the rest of the World. Most Americans tended to live in their own little bubble, thinking the rest of the Earth revolved around them but the reality was otherwise.

As the teenager read through her essay, she also scrutinized her imperfect handwriting which was slanted at an angle and still did not hold the elegance of writing hand. She would have to keep practising at night, writing every letter in the alphabet and stringing random words in her notebook.

The bell rang five minutes later, signaling the end of the test. Ada rubbed her right hand against the hot water bottle, slowly regaining more sensation in her digits. Melissa was at her side with her own bottle in hand and struck a conversation with her, "That was some test wasn't it? Making us write with our non-dominant hand."

"I think it's ingenious," Belinda said and crossed her arms. Her hot water bottle hung at her hip, clearly no longer requiring a use for it. Though if one observed the girl long enough, they could see Belinda shoving her writing hand under her armpit, rubbing her fingers against the warm skin.

For some reason, the twins stuck around her after the incident and Ada grudgingly accepted their company though she maintained a distance from Belinda who was still as grating as ever.

"You have to wonder what sort of incident requires you to write after being frozen," Ada replied, still assuming that they were training to be some sort of soldiers.

Belinda snorted. "Who knows? We just have to be prepared for anything. That is what they have been throwing at us recently. It makes me feel there will be a graduation ceremony coming up soon…"

Before they could continue to speculate further, a booming voice rang out from the front of the crowd of trainees. "Gather up, everyone! Report to the training room ASAP."

A collective groan could be heard from the others as they headed towards the destination. What was it now? They had just finished two rather trying events. Was this third one the ultimate icing on the cake that would break everyone's spirits?

Ada's question was answered upon setting foot in the training room which had been converted into what appeared to be a target range. Black and white targets could be seen on the far side of the room and metal crates were located near the entrance where the trainees were currently gathered.

"I have good news today! We shall begin firearms training this week so I hope you are excited and warm enough to lay your hands on a gun!" Mr. Evans barked. The trainees' interests were piqued and those who were still seeking comfort from the hot water bottle quickly clipped the bottle to their hips. Others rapidly rubbed their palms together and blew hot breath onto their fingertips.

Mr. Evans opened a crate and the teenagers waited in bated breath… only for the trainer to pull out safety goggles and ear muffs. "Safety first! Do you think we will let you handle loaded guns right away? Hell no! You'll be practising with unloaded ones along with the appropriate safety gear!"

That was a disappointing way to burst their bubble and ruin their mood. They should have known that Mr. Evans would not be so nice.

"What are you waiting for?! Grab your gear!" He hollered once more, catching everyone's attention as they lined up to retrieve the equipment.

* * *

_Feet apart, knees slightly bent… _

Ada thought to herself as she performed the motions at the shooting range. It was one of those leisure times in her daily schedule.

_Double-handed grip, finger off trigger, and look down the sight._

Her hands held the handgun in its proper grip and she lifted the weapon to focus on her target. It took her a couple of seconds to aim and her finger slid into the trigger, pressing it and feeling the firearm discharge within her grasp.

The bullet made its mark in the middle of the target just like the previous ones. If she could only speed up the time taken to focus, she could be quick and lethal. Ada would be a force to be reckoned with.

Now that the clips which were allocated to her were empty, she unloaded them and returned the gun back to the crate before slipping off the ear muffs and goggles.

"Nice shooting, Miss Wong. How would you like to try other weapons instead?" Miss Ryder asked. She was one of the people who were in charge of looking after the equipment and Ada had been interacting with her daily for firearms practice.

"Me? I doubt Mr. Evans would approve."

Ryder laughed and waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about him. You need to be acquainted with a wide range of weaponry. Let's try something somewhat similar but different." She then pulled out a compact crossbow from the crate and proceeded to unfold the hinges.

"You still need to aim and fire but this is a lot quieter than the noisy handgun."

The trainer then handed the crossbow to Ada along with a handful of bolts before adjusting the target to come a little closer. The teen looked at the bulky device with skepticism but decided to play with her new toy anyway. With some instruction from the older woman, Ada loaded the bolt and pulled back the string. She positioned the stock against her shoulder and looked down the crossbow's sight.

Pulling the trigger, the bolt flew with a whoosh and embedded itself in the target. Ada reloaded and let loose another bolt. For some reason, the crossbow was a lot more fun than the handgun. It might have been a big weapon but it was still effective.

Miss Ryder watched Ada with a smile. "You can use various kinds of bolts too. Explosive, electrified, poison tipped, the possibilities are _endless_."

Ada removed the stock from her shoulder and folded the crossbow. "Thanks but this looks a little cumbersome though. How would it be useful in a fight?"

"Have you learned nothing from trainer Jasmine, girl? Don't judge a book by its cover. Jasmine is petite but she packs a punch. Crossbow bolts can be reused unlike bullets. That puts it at a slight advantage over firearms."

A blush crept up on Ada's face upon being scolded, something that she had not experienced for a long time. "I apologize for my ignorance. What other weapons are there in the crate?" She craned her neck in an attempt to peek at the box's contents.

Ryder slammed the crate shut with a smirk and a wagging finger. "Nuh uh, one new weapon per week. I've been really generous today. Keep practising your skills first and then you can play with more."

Ada gave the woman a nod and departed, it was almost time for dinner.

The scent of baked chocolate was in the air when she reached the cafeteria and Ada had to fight the childhood memory that threatened to re-surface. She took a deep breath and focused on how delicious dessert would be. The rich taste that would coat her tongue and leave her feeling satisfied. The primary reason on _why_ she loved chocolate would be conveniently discarded and left behind in the remnants of her past.

Scooping the fried rice into her tray and grabbing a serving of chocolate cake, she headed to an empty table where she was soon joined by the twins and Kevin. Belinda looked like she was about to fall asleep on top of her dinner as she accidentally bumped into her sister's shoulder.

"You look like hell," Ada quipped, taking the opportunity to make a jibe at the girl who tormented her in the past.

"That new combat trainer is insane. Forcing us to complete a set number of moves in less than seven minutes!"

Kevin set his spoon down and whispered, "I heard from the other trainers that he _isn't_ new. He has been teaching combat for years but had something urgent to attend to in the past few months so Jasmine took his place temporarily. We were lucky that we didn't have to go through his hellish training."

Belinda scrunched her face and took a careful bite of her dinner. "Huh, interesting. No wonder he said that he was the captain of an elite squad in a police force and that we should be _honoured_ to be learning under him. I doubt I would want to spar again in my free time."

"We will have to face him sooner or later. There is an Advanced Combat course next month," Melissa replied, gently reaching out to rub her sister's sore arm.

Their conversation was interrupted by a loud whine from the PA system. "All trainees are reminded to attend the mandatory haircut session before shower block."

Her hair had been growing out over the past couple of seasons and it was nice to have some sort of protection on her neck during winter. But the trainers had been constantly nagging that long hair was a disadvantage in combat and that it could be easily grabbed by the enemy. Plus, when long hair fell loose, it obscured one's vision.

Ada might have been used to having a ponytail but she was inclined to agree with her trainees. Based on her own experience, long hair could get in the way whenever it fell loose from the confines of the hair tie upon the completion of a series of cartwheels.

The youths grumbled about the rather authoritarian nature of their appearances but continued to power through their dinner, heading to the grooming room soon afterwards to get the haircut done and over with.

As Ada watched strands of hair flutter down to the ground, she closed her eyes, as if hypnotized by her hair's movements. She began to dream about a warm hand gingerly grasping the ends of her tresses, snipping off any wayward strands to make the length even. A pair of lips descended on her temple followed by the scent of floral detergent and Ada soon realized that her dreams were toying with her.

She **willed** herself to hit the pause button in her dream state and her surroundings began to melt away. Ada turned around to see a swirl of colours speed off into the distance, leaving her in a dark abyss. Now, everything was quiet and peaceful.

Hazel eyes opened in time to hear the trainer say, "All done." Sweeping off the tiny flecks of hair tickling her neck, Ada walked into the shower room, feeling a tad proud of suppressing her past.

* * *

"Melissa, please cease all activities and step forward." The PA system interrupted the daily breakfast chatter and Ada watched as the girl pushed her tray aside and stood up, making her way to the front of the dining hall.

Mr. Evans then met her with a gun pointed to her head and the hall remained so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Belinda clenched her fists and stood up but was immediately yelled at by Evans to sit down. The headstrong sister refused and instead, walked towards Melissa.

"What's the meaning of this?!" Belinda hissed as she glared at Mr. Evans with hatred. The man unfurled a medical report in his hand.

"Melissa broke the rules, evaded her contraceptive shots, and is now _with child_. Unless the father stands up, we will neutralize _every_ single male in this room."

All the guys in the cafeteria looked at each other and the brotherhood that they shared in the past few months quickly evaporated away and was replaced by suspicion.

"It was me." Kevin said and he stood up confidently from his seat. There was no trace of fear on his face but Ada could see up close that his fingers trembled slightly.

"Come forward!"

The trio of youths stood in line as the gun swept back and forth between them. "Now, who should be the first to go? You know the rules."

"Take my life instead!" Belinda stepped up to the barrel of the pistol and allowed it to aim in the middle of her forehead. She had sworn to her dying parents to protect her sister and she would fulfil it to the end.

"And mine too! Two lives for two." Kevin said as he took a brave stride forward while Melissa sank down to her knees and pleaded tearfully as she grabbed Kevin's pant leg but her boyfriend just shrugged off her grasp.

"No please, don't! I'm the one who should be responsible! My life and my unborn child for both of their safety!"

The commotion soon attracted the attention from the other trainers as they filed in behind Mr. Evans. Melissa kept begging to no avail as her sister and Kevin stood unwavering in front of the gun. Everyone remained in their seats out of curiosity and fear.

"I'm sorry, sis." Belinda said and wrenched the pistol from Mr. Evans hold, pointing it at Kevin and pulling the trigger. Before his body hit the floor, Belinda turned the gun on herself as she closed her eyes to meet oblivion.

Melissa screamed in anguish as both bodies slumped in a pile in front of her and blood soon stained the pristine white floor. "NOOO!" She cradled the misshapen heads of her loved ones and bawled, letting loose a string of swear words at the trainers and The Academy.

Mr. Evans looked down at her coldly and raised an arm, signaling Jasmine and Miss Ryder to step forth and take the distraught girl into their custody. Melissa's dramatics caused him to come up with other plans to make Melissa _suffer_. Death was just too easy for the girl.

"Let this be a lesson to all! Toy with the rules, pay with your life! Now resume your breakfast. Your final test starts in an hour!"

Ada was shaken by the drama that unfolded, her table was now empty and she looked down at her tray, shoveling as much sustenance as she could into her mouth. She did her best to erase the bloody scene from her mind and resisted the urge to hurl. Ada knew The Academy was a ruthless place but taking an innocent life? It just seemed pointless. They could always take Melissa's child away and raise it to be their prized pupil.

Little did the trainees know that this was deliberate. The staff had already known that Melissa was pregnant but held off the confrontation until the _right_ moment. It was done to see who had the mental capacity to press forward in the face of trauma and horror. The final test was _critical _in selecting those who could advance to the next stage.

* * *

The test had already started and everyone were separated into groups and brought into different waiting rooms. Each trainee had a metallic wristband attached to their arms too. No one knew the band's purpose but it appeared to be some sort of tracker.

It was quite unnerving as the occupants in the room slowly dwindled and Ada could have sworn that the temperature dipped whenever a trainee was called to leave. She sat still and rubbed her bare hands against her biceps. Whatever the test was, she needed to keep her muscles warm and ready for quick, evasive movements.

"Ada Wong," a mechanical voice boomed through the room and the teenager stood up, walking past the sliding doors and disappearing into the long corridor beyond. The pathway was bare and Ada only had the sounds of her footsteps to accompany her. She reached the end and the doors slid open to reveal a bare arena with a giant circle on the floor.

The raven haired girl continued to walk forward and noticed a small balcony space jutting out from the walls. She squinted, spotting at least five figures that were going to spectate. The doors on the other end of the arena slid open to reveal a trembling Melissa and her stoic escorts that held a firm grip on each arm. Jasmine shoved the poor girl into the arena and walked off, allowing the doors to close behind them.

Ada and Melissa were now alone inside the circle. It did not take a genius to figure out what the test was. Two candidates in an empty space usually meant a duel.

A microphone whined and an unfamiliar voice spoke, "You will fight each other till the buzzer sounds. The winner gets to leave and advance to the next stage of training. If you don't fight, the wristband will keep shocking you until you comply."

Ada got into her stance but her opponent had her arms dangling to the side uselessly. Melissa had already given up the fight before it even started.

"Commence."

Ada hesitated for a split second before charging forward with a battle cry, pulling her arm back and swinging a fist at Melissa's face. As friendly her opponent was to her, she could not hold back. No point getting electrocuted by being sympathetic. _At least_ she was avoiding Melissa's abdomen which was her weak point.

There was a resounding crack as Melissa was knocked to the floor on her knees and she coughed, spitting out a small white object along with a spittle of blood. She then screamed in agony as she clutched her wrist. The band encircled around her flesh grew bright blue and zapped her skin.

Still, Melissa chose not to lift a finger and Ada swung her foot towards her opponent's shoulder blades. The girl fell prone onto the ground, unmoving. This fight was all too easy and somehow, rather unfair. The trainers had not intervened yet so Ada waited as the wristband electrocuted the girl once more.

"My dear Melissa, we will offer you a _special_ deal. Win this fight and you will be allowed to leave with some compensation on the side. You will be able to raise your child too. Isn't that what you **want**?" The voice spoke again.

Melissa shut her eyes and clapped her ears, not wanting to listen a single word of what they had to say. She was rewarded with more shocks and Ada could only stand at a distance and watch the girl twitch uncontrollably. Her agonized screams filled the arena and went on for a minute before she raised her arm. "STOP! PLEASE STOP! I'LL FIGHT."

"Good girl. Carry on."

Catching her breath, Melissa pushed herself to her feet unsteadily and stood up with her hands raised protectively in front of her face. Ada mirrored the movement and they circled around each other. The Asian teen decided to dart from side to side, making Melissa lose her focus some more. Ada closed the distance between them and let loose a small series of punches against Melissa's upper torso.

Melissa was pushed back from each punch as she weakly deflected the blows. Towards the end of Ada's attack, Melissa managed to find a lucky opening and caught one of Ada's fists with both hands. One hand quickly slipped down to Ada's elbow and pushed hard, feeling the joint pop.

Ada howled and lowered her center of gravity before jumping off the floor, cartwheeling backwards without using her hands. She managed to kick Melissa in the face and both girls stumbled away from each other. Now Ada would show no mercy. She was down to one usable arm and it was time to strike Melissa where she would _really_ hurt.

Before they could advance on each other, small columns appeared from the ground and Ada quickly leapt onto an ascending pillar to gain the advantage of higher ground. She flattened herself against the column as it rose a few inches more till it was about six feet high.

A blonde spectator with sunglasses raised an eyebrow and was impressed by the girl's resourcefulness. The other candidates before Ada did not have foresight to take the high road. This was going to be quite an _interesting_ battle that was not going to be deadly game of hide and seek.

Ada carefully peered out from her hiding spot to catch a glimpse of Melissa swiftly darting from pillar to pillar. Her opponent kept her gaze at eye level, failing to angle her focus upwards where Ada was. The element of surprise was on Wong's side. Melissa kept rolling out of cover as she unknowingly made her way towards Ada's column.

_Just a little closer._

Ada thought to herself as she got onto her knees and watched her prey like a lioness. Finally, Melissa neared the pillar and Ada took the opportunity to strike, jumping off the top of her hiding spot and making contact on her unsuspecting opponent. Melissa immediately had all the air knocked out of her as Ada landed on her and Melissa's back collided against the floor painfully. There was a brief moment of discomfort before all sensation in Melissa's lower body was lost.

Ada sat on Melissa's abdomen and using her remaining hand, gripped the girl's throat, slowly choking the life out of her. Melissa countered by using her hands to wrap around Ada's throat as well. Neither would give up easily.

Realizing that her opponent was not using her legs, Ada held tightly onto Melissa's neck and rolled along the floor a few times, feeling Melissa's grip loosen before letting go of the girl and reaching up to wrench prying fingers away. Now that she was free, Ada pivoted and got back up to her feet, waiting for Melissa to stand up.

After five seconds, she realized that Melissa could _not_ stand at all. The floor rumbled as the columns returned back to the ground. A small platform containing a pistol then raised up in front of Ada.

"Kill her, Miss Wong," the voice rang out cruelly and Ada stepped forward to take the weapon into her possession.

Was this the _right_ thing to do? She was trained to fight but to _murder_? That was not the way. Ada decided to stall for time by slowly walking around Melissa in a circle, as if taunting her prey.

"Do it now!"

Her wrist tingled and a sudden jolt of comprehension then struck her. Death had accompanied them all along. From the time the first trainee was killed last summer until now, the body count at The Academy had always been high and constant. All tests ended up with failures who perished. Now she, the winner, was to be one to dispose of the failure. It all made sense now.

Ada flicked off the safety and raised the gun towards Melissa.

"Please… Ada… Help me!" Her opponent sobbed out loud as she lay paralyzed on the floor. "Please! For Belinda and Kevin! I **promise** to always have your back!"

Those words made Ada stop in her tracks.

"_I promise to get you back."_

Her mother's words were suddenly haunting her and Ada's face contorted into tranquil fury. "Promises are always broken," she said coldly.

Ada Wong pulled the trigger and Melissa's skull burst open in a bloody, unrecognizable mess. Very soon, Ada would become a legend for taking two lives with a single shot as trainees after her would never learn of the true context of the situation.

A buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the fight.

"Congratulations, Miss Wong. Now, please read this set of documents."

Another platform rose up in front of her and Ada's blood ran cold when she saw the image on the first page. It contained a photograph of the Rogers dated at the beginning of the current year. She set the gun down and took the document into her hand, scrutinizing the picture further. They appeared to be enjoying a day out as smiles were plastered on their faces. Her adoptive family was actually alive! The Academy had blackmailed her to join this new life.

She frowned at the image and looked up at the trainers. "Why am I not surprised?" Ada flipped a page to find a forged letter under her name which was addressed to the Rogers. The typeface contained heartfelt words thanking the family for their care and understanding through the years. It ended with a few sappy sentences about wanting to find her own path in life and that she would write back occasionally.

Ada thought her hand would tremble as she read the letter but instead, she had clenched the bottom corner of the page with an unreadable expression on her face. So what if the truth was known? She could _never_ go back to her old life after all this. Her soul had been stained with death, deception, and darkness.

The Academy would never willingly let her go anyway. She would just end up as another corpse to the pile if she betrayed her true feelings. She was now a pawn in their game and the prize was her father's hopeful resurrection. That would be her_ new_ objective and focus in life now. Find Guo Xiang and get the hell away from The Academy's reach.

Swallowing the bile that was building up in her throat from the disgusting revelation, she threw the paper into the air and picked up the pistol, firing a few shots into the letter, riddling it with holes. If they wanted a game, she will play her part_ carefully_. Until then, she could only vent her anger on the fake document.

Apparently, that was a satisfactory reaction and another set of doors opened up to the side. Ada looked up at the balcony quizzically.

"You have passed this test, proceed through the doors and attend the briefing."

She nodded and holding her dislocated elbow close to her body, the raven haired woman walked down the corridor beyond where she heard whispers of ongoing conversation. As she entered the room, she saw less than ten trainees huddled in a circle. A couple had bandaged heads with streaks of dried blood dotting the dressing while others had nasty bruises on their skins along with more bandages on various body parts.

Ada was immediately ushered to the group and Jemma quickly attended to her, popping her dislocated elbow into place which caused the teen to gasp loudly. Her arm was promptly set in a sling and she was given painkillers to swallow to ease any lingering discomfort she might feel afterwards. Once her needs were tended to, everyone turned their attention to her, peppering her with questions about her fight. She obliged and sated their curiosity.

It was then she realized that those who were currently in the room had emerged victorious from their deathmatch. The rest who did not make it were dead. Being alive was an _odd_ feeling but she could not help but bask in the glory that she was one of the **best** who survived. They fell silent for their fellow comrades but soon resumed the discussion on what advanced training would entail.

After an hour, the last trainee made it into the room followed shortly by the man in the suit.

"To everyone who is in this room right now, I heartily congratulate you but your journey has only begun. I welcome you to the world of _espionage_."

Eyebrows were raised across the room. They had been under the impression that they were in a military institute. Now their new profession made _sense_. The harsh environment, the easy killings, it was all part and parcel of this new life.

"From now on, you will be assigned a mentor on a monthly rotational basis. Learn all you can from them for each have a unique set of skills that would prove useful in your careers."

The youths in the room sat up with their backs a little straighter, feeling proud.

"Enjoy the rest of your downtime. The real work begins next week. You are dismissed."

* * *

_Author's Note: That's quite a heavy chapter isn't it? From here on out, things would be a little bit darker. I'm not sure if I should change the rating to M for future chapters. __Did anyone catch the mention of Albert Wesker? ;)_

_You might be wondering, why aren't the Rogers looking for her? Short answer is they trust her and Ada is already 18 and most teens at 18 will leave the nest to carve out their own life. They think Ada's behavior is normal. Why won't The Academy kill them though? They aren't a threat and it will be a waste of resources to do so. Anyway, Ada doesn't care now. The Academy has changed her. Attachments are a weakness and the less she cares about the Rogers, the more they will remain safe._

_One of my reviewers asked how many chapters this story would be. I can tell you that this story will extend a little beyond the timeline of Resident Evil 6 so you can expect about 20 chapters or so._

_I originally planned this story to have 14 chapters but as I wrote the fic, some chapters were split into 2 or 3. The past 3 chapters were originally supposed to be 1 chapter but it would be way too long so I split it up._

_Onward to reviews!_

_To **noctorro**: I always enjoy reading your reviews for my story and I'm pleased you enjoyed the previous chapter. I try to make things accurate but since the world of RE can also defy the laws of physics and gravity, there might be some crazy things here and there. :P_

_To **biggtedd**: Thanks! As I explained in the author's note above, I will cover Ada's life beyond Resident Evil 6 so Ada's story is not over yet. And yes, I will cover 1998, just wait for it. :)_

_To **Ayesha Aeon**: I appreciate your support for my stories! Don't worry, I'm not going away for a while. Now that Ada knows about her family, it feels like a kick in her stomach eh?_


	9. 1995

**Chapter 9 - 1995**

"P-please! Don't do this! They are innocent!" The man got down on his knees in front of Ada as he begged for mercy. The rest of his three family members were tied up to various tables around the living room and his youngest child was wailing loudly. Ada was tempted to put a bullet into the squalling brat's head. She walked up to the man and pistol whipped his face, hearing a loud crack emanating from his nose as fresh blood poured down his nostrils.

"You know the rules," she said dispassionately, looking down at his pathetic face. The Academy had a strict policy about dating and marriage. It was forbidden but this particular agent managed to escape the system. Too bad his whereabouts were eventually discovered.

The man wiped away the blood with the back of his hand and glanced up at her with steely determination, "Then I will have to fight you." Before he could even make the first move, a gunshot rang out, and the crying stopped. The man stared, bewildered, as all the life was drained out of his son's body. His wife and daughter were stunned to silence.

"I wouldn't do that." Ada replied coldly, ignoring the pool of blood that gathered underneath the child. It was a threat that was so plain and obvious. If he made another move, his family will suffer the consequences.

"The rumours of you being a cold hearted bitch are true." The man spat some blood out of his mouth.

"So you've heard about my reputation." The raven haired woman spoke nonchalantly and walked around the room to size them up. "I am not here to talk, unfortunately. Nor am I here to offer you a deal."

She waved her Beretta in the air, "It will all be quick and simple. You will feel no pain." Ada stopped in front of the man again. "Goodbye."

The spy took aim and the man's wife protested loudly but her screams were hopeless as her husband soon fell dead to the floor, sporting a bullet hole on his forehead. Without wasting any more time, she fired twice, successfully completing her assignment. Ada carefully stepped around the corpses and headed for the garage, grabbing a can of gasoline.

She made her way upstairs to pour liberal amounts of flammable liquid around the house and also planted explosive charges on the structural supports. The Academy wanted absolutely no trace of the dwelling. Tossing the empty can on top of the man's body; Ada made her way outside for some fresh air before getting into her car.

When she was a distance away, Ada triggered the detonator and she could spot the ball of fire and explosion in her rear view mirror as the house went up in flames.

It was another job well done and her phone beeped with an incoming message. She gave it a quick glance and spotted the congratulatory note, a picture of her father, as well as the five figure sum that would be deposited into her Swiss account.

* * *

The fairly good looking man beneath her held her hips tightly, leaving fingernail marks on the skin. Ada continued to swivel her hips in a circular motion, eager to get him to reach his peak and he responded by leaning up to catch her dark nipple in his mouth. Ada let out a soft moan, smiling appreciatively at his efforts. Not many men she bedded were attentive to a woman's needs. He was definitely an exception.

Perspiration gathered on her scalp and she was so tempted to rip the blonde wig from her head and toss it away but she had to keep up with her disguise.

Ada moved her body down, pressing him to the bed as she changed to a new angle of penetration that stimulated a spot within her. The man grunted, obviously approving of her ministrations, and released her breast with a pop as he wrapped his arms around her, feeling up her smooth, creamy back. With a few more thrusts, she shuddered around him and the man soon filled up the condom with a breathy sigh.

She slid away from him and he grasped the base of the device, pulling it out in one swift motion before tying a knot at the top and flinging it into a nearby trash can. He retreated to the bathroom to wash up while Ada remained on the bed. The vixen gave him a sexy smile when he returned and he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her bare shoulder before drifting off to sleep in post-coital bliss.

It was easy to seduce this businessman. Just wear a low cut revealing dress and flirt with him, piling the man with more alcoholic drinks before he invited the seemingly blue-eyed blonde back into his hotel suite.

Ada pretended to sleep but kept an ear out for his breathing as it changed into a slow; shallow pace, signalling that he had indeed fallen into dreamland. Carefully extricating herself from his arms, she padded around the room on her tip toes, gathering her belongings and fallen garments. After she got dressed, the spy switched on the light in the bathroom and left the door partially ajar. If he woke up and found her missing, he would have to assume that she was using the loo. Though that was unlikely to happen as all the while, the man remained snoring on the bed, hugging Ada's pillow tightly to his chest.

Spotting the briefcase on his desk, she picked it off the table gingerly and swiftly carried it into another room, shutting the door close behind her. The case was already left unlocked so she flicked the levers open and sifted through some papers before finding the file she wanted. He wouldn't miss this.

She took a picture of every page with her lipstick camera gadget before folding the document into quarters and stuffing it into her clutch purse. Opening the door, she noted the man was still asleep and she padded back to his desk, sliding the case onto the table.

Ada opened the door to the balcony and a howl of wind rushed into the room, causing the man to stir. "Babe…?" He murmured sleepily and she quickly ducked outside into the cool night air, sliding the balcony door close. The man saw that the bathroom light was on and he laid his head back onto the pillow to groggily wait for her return and also to possibly ravish her again.

Ada climbed across several balconies like a cat burglar before making her way to the fire escape. She found her ride in an alleyway nearby and tossed the wig into the dumpster. The spy disappeared into the night, leaving the businessman and the night of pleasure behind her. He was just another person to be utilized for her own gain.

* * *

Pulling out another hanger from the drawer, Ada hung her newly bought, expensive Prada trench coat with the rest of its equally exorbitant siblings. She splurged quite a fair bit after completing a few assignments successfully in a row. It felt really good to treat herself to great food and well-made clothes. It was a far cry from the days where she went to bed starving and had to wear shoddy second hand items.

No longer was she looked down upon. With enough money, she had respect and power at her fingertips. Those sales assistants who were racist to her, she just had to offer money to their supervisor to fire them on the spot. Seeing them grovel and apologize to her profusely was an _absolute_ delight. She was a real **bitch** alright.

Leaving her walk-in wardrobe after running her hands through her branded bags, Ada took the wine glass she left at the entrance of the wardrobe and went to the window of her penthouse apartment, taking in the view of the city. She deserved _everything_ after all her hard work to claw her way to be the top operative.

Just then, her cell buzzed on the counter. She looked at the message while sipping her champagne. Another mission briefing at yet another undisclosed location and they would allow her to board a private jet to the destination. The Academy really knew how to spoil and pamper their prized spies. Ada typed her affirmation to the meeting and downed the rest of her drink. She had to get ready to impress any potential client.

A few hours later, Ada was dressed in a smart, red coloured pantsuit and was turning heads along the corridor she was walking on. The meeting just ended and it seemed her recurrent contract with The Organization might become permanent should she succeed in this latest assignment that might take years to come to fruition. She felt a slight twinge of sadness at the prospect of leaving The Academy but they promised to release Guo Xiang's body to her if they had not found a way to resurrect him by the time she completed the assignment.

"Miss Wong!" A seedy voice called out to her from behind and Ada felt a shiver go down her spine. _Him _again. She hastened her footsteps but he managed to catch up anyway. "Miss Wong. I was wondering if you have considered the proposition."

Replacing her disgust with a tight lipped smile, Ada turned to face him. "Mr. Simmons. I already gave you my answer the first time you asked. Now if you please, I need to get going. Wasn't your organization pinning your hopes on me to get this done?"

Derek Simmons had been actively pursuing her ever since she was occasionally contracted to The Organization. She was aware that he was a prestigious member of a group called The Family which had dealings with The Organization. He was always around and Ada wondered why he did not spend time in his own group instead. For some reason, the man had selective deafness and could not take no for an answer to his repeated requests for a date. He was just plain creepy and after stuffing notes and trinkets into her locker, she never touched it again, choosing to use her own arsenal for every operation. He did not suspect a thing.

"Ada, get ready for your task and stop wasting time." A booming, authoritative voice said and she turned, spotting Albert Wesker, one of her many teachers in The Academy, striding towards them. She was grateful for the save by her mentor and she nodded, leaving quickly.

Simmons stared at her departing form like a lost dog and Albert was bemused. "Your infatuation with her is rather foolish, don't you think? It is unbecoming for a successor of The Family to behave like a lost puppy. And you know very well the consequences for fraternizing in The Academy."

Derek coughed and straightened his coat before crossing his arms together. "She is the most beautiful and intelligent woman I've ever met. Forgive me if I appreciate a stunning person like Ada Wong." Her name rolled off his tongue cautiously, as if saying her name was taboo and scared if he repeated her name long enough, she might disappear from his life altogether.

Albert was undeterred by the lovesick man's silly proclamation and he loomed over the other threateningly. "As long as she remains an operative for The Academy, she will follow and _obey_ its rules. Now, if you continue to distract her, I might file a formal complaint to your superior about your stalking behaviour. You can kiss your _dream_ goodbye, Simmons." Wesker hissed Derek's last name acidly but Derek was unfazed.

"We'll see who gets the last laugh, Wesker. Good day." Derek gave him a cold glare and brushed past him, even more **determined** than ever to make Ada his.

When Albert found his student in the jet later, she was reading over the case file like a diligent spy. "Your admirer is rather persistent."

Without even looking up from the documents, Ada shrugged. "He can waste years doing so. It's his choice that he doesn't know how to take no for an answer and continues to pursue me blindly." Flipping the paper back to the first page, she finally looked at him. "Wouldn't _this_ be easier since you're already with Umbrella?"

She was good at changing topics; he'll give her credit for that. "It would arouse too much suspicion. Being the captain of STARS already puts me under the spotlight and my fellow subordinates _cannot _know about my employment with Umbrella and _other_ companies. I need to maintain the balance between all groups."

"And our meetings will have to in secret, of course." Ada added as she slid the papers back into the manila envelope.

"Within the usual channels," Albert replied and moved away from her, taking a seat at the back of the plane. He figured that he would let Ada enjoy one last day doing anything she wanted before beginning on the long-term assignment on the morrow.

* * *

There he was, the blonde, slim man entered the coffee shop at 4pm sharp just as the document stated. Ada remained perched on the high stool off to the side as she watched him order a rather big cup of joe. She cradled her plastic cup full of iced tea in her hands, doing her best to look inconspicuous as she eyed the book in front of her, pretending to read through its contents. No one cast a second glance at her as they hurried along like busy ants, eager to complete the last hour of the work day.

When she saw that the man was paying for his order, Ada timed her actions carefully, slowly keeping her book into her backpack. Pulling the lid of her beverage off, she took a sip from it as she slung the bag onto her shoulders and walked towards the main door of the café.

The man's pager beeped and he pulled out the device, glancing at the numbers on it as he walked towards the entrance too. In his haste, he failed to notice the raven haired woman in front of him and he slammed right into her, causing Ada to spill tea all over her red blouse.

Before Ada could make a scene, the man immediately apologized. "I am so sorry, Miss! Let me take you to the nearest clothing store so I can buy you a new outfit."

The man shrugged off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders before ushering her out of the shop towards the boutique across the street.

The spy was pleasantly surprised. So the files about his character were indeed true. He was a rare gentleman of his species. A quick change and some spending later, Ada was nursing a cup of hot tea in her hand which was kindly bought by the blonde. Her bag was bulky, containing her stained clothing which she would dispose later. In her free arm, laid the book she was reading earlier.

It was tempting to speak his name with gratitude but that would immediately betray her cover. She quickly turned on the charm, "Thank you very much. Most men would have just walked off."

He shrugged off the compliment, "It was a natural thing to do as a human being."

"How do I address you? I never quite caught your name."

The blonde extended a hand, "I'm John Clemens, Miss…?"

"Wong. Ada Wong," she replied, quickly grasping his hand to return the gesture. "Thank you, Mr. Clemens."

"Just John would do. That book in your hand is outdated, by the way."

Ada appeared to look embarrassed at being caught with an old tome in her arms. "Oh. I have not been to the library in a while. I suppose I need to re-write my essay again."

John regarded her for a second before pointing a finger down the street. "I actually live nearby. If you don't mind waiting for an hour in the café we met, I can pass you my latest copy when I knock off from work."

"That would be lovely, thank you once again. I'm in your debt," Ada replied sincerely, playing the part of an overzealous student.

John gave her a small smile and she noticed the dimples that formed in his cheeks. He gave her a small dismissive way of his hand. "No worries. Maybe you can buy me a coffee if you pass your paper."

"Is that a condition for lending me your book?" She raised an eyebrow at him, trying not to flirt with him too much. It was very easy, given the previous times she encountered the many men she had to gleam information from. But Ada had to remember her current role was to be a college student.

"I guess you can say that. Anyway, I'll catch you later. Maybe I can proofread your essay too as a sure way to get my coffee," John called out as he turned away and headed back to the busier part of town.

Ada had to stop herself from grinning too much. Everything was proceeding just as planned.

* * *

_Author's Note: A short chapter highlighting how much Ada is enjoying her life in espionage. The rating for this story has been changed to M due to the somewhat explicit sex scene._

_I know some Aeon fans would be upset that Ada had sex with other men that isn't Leon but let's face it, she wouldn't be celibate. A spy would do anything to obtain what they need._

_If you can't remember who John Clemens is, he is Ada's boyfriend in RE1 &amp; 2\. I was intending to jump straight to 1998 after this chapter but my beta reader was asking if we would be reading more about Ada and John's relationship. What do you think? Should I write it? It would mean that it would take yet another chapter to get to the end of the story. =P I'm personally leaning towards no._

_I originally intended for Ada to pose as a teacher when she meets John but as I wrote the fic, she is of college going age so I changed it to a student. It means she can be flexible in lying to John on what her supposed occupation is._

_I really want to write about Ada meeting Leon very soon. ;)_

_Anyway onward to reviews!_

_To **Ayesha Aeon:** Thanks! Ada is a totally changed person now and she will no longer be naive._

_To **Darwine**: Thank you for finding this story and reading it! I will continue to write more chapters about Ada's life._


	10. 1997

**Chapter 10 - 1997**

A pair of warm lips descended on her forehead and Ada stirred, blinking the sleepiness out of her eyes. The spy could feel a soft material draped on her torso and John was looming over her with a gentle smile.

"How long was I asleep?" She yawned as she sat up, stretching her limbs.

"You started dozing half an hour into the movie," John replied as she glanced at her affectionately.

Ada did the math and inwardly cursed herself for sleeping for one and a half hours. That was precious time wasted. Though it was a given since she had returned from a 'business trip' in the morning. It was side mission that Wesker had assigned which involved playing a red headed vixen to obtain classified information. Not that John had to know the truth. She spent a lot of time brushing her teeth and showering to get rid of the cigarette stench that lingered in her mouth and on her skin.

"You could have said you were tired. We can watch this flick another day."

"Well, you were insistent," she murmured and kissed his cheek in return. It was all too easy to play the part of loving girlfriend.

John wrapped his arms around her waist. "The health of my girlfriend is more important."

"Aren't you sweet."

"Like honey," John replied and kissed her on the lips this time. He was always so gentle and careful with her. Not that he was treating her like a fragile China doll. On the contrary, he was respecting her space and did not want to take things so far since they only got together a couple of months ago after more than a year of being friends.

This new phase of their relationship gave Ada much relief after relentlessly pursuing him in an effort to know more about Umbrella's plans. John still kept his job a secret though and replied with a vague 'drug research' when she asked about his occupation some time back.

Ada thought the moment would lead to sex but John unexpectedly pulled away from her, pulling on his jacket that he draped on the armchair. "I have to return back to the lab. I made some spaghetti for you though. It just needs to be heated up."

He waved goodbye and disappeared out of the door of her small apartment. The spy went into the kitchen and found a pot of spaghetti sitting on the stove. She pulled the lid open and the aroma of tomato and beef wafted through the kitchen. Ada had not given him a proper tour of her supposedly new place but it seemed that you could take a scientist out of the lab, but you could not take the observational skills out of the scientist.

A few minutes later when the pasta was sufficiently heated through, she tasted it and nodded with approval. This man certainly had more uses than she had originally thought.

When she returned to her bedroom, Ada was once again greeted by yet another surprise. There was a note on her pillow.

_My dearest Ada,_

_Please get as much rest as you can. Don't overwork yourself, okay? You were always telling me to relax so now it's my turn to tell you that it is okay to stop and smell the roses. I'll still be here when you wake up and we can head to the Italian place you like so much. _

_I'll see you soon._

_Yours truly,_

_John_

A genuine smile touched her lips. If only all the men in the World behaved like him. She folded the note and placed it in the drawer of her bedside table before pulling the blankets up to get some shut eye on a proper sleeping surface.

* * *

"Before I leave for the conference, I have something for you." John said as they cuddled on the sofa in his place one night, finally done watching the movie he talked about a few weeks before.

She quirked an eyebrow. "Oh? It's not my birthday yet."

He pulled out a palm sized box from his bag and handed it to her. She scrutinized its size, _relieved _that it was not an engagement ring box. Carefully pulling the top of the box off, Ada saw a small taser sitting within the box's confines. They were usually bigger and Ada had to feign surprise at the sight of the gadget.

"What's this?"

"It's a self defence weapon that another department has been producing. I know your freelance job takes you places but I feel uneasy when you are alone. So I pulled some strings to acquire this. You can use this to protect yourself if you end up in a sticky situation."

That was considerate and thoughtful of him. Most men would belittle her and tell her to avoid dark alleys where seedy people lurked. John would encourage her to pursue whatever she wanted but with a dose of caution. He never failed to surprise her and she held quite a bit of respect for him.

"Thank you, John. Though I hope you won't get into trouble at work."

He gave her a small smile. "Well, I'm already in enough trouble as it is. A little more won't hurt."

Her eyes went wide with concern. "Huh? What sort of trouble? Is everything alright?"

"It's just some disagreements with the higher ups on how things should go. Nothing to worry about. These things happen from time to time."

And just like that, he talked a little more about his job but stopped right there.

Ada laid her hand on his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze, reassuring John that she will be there for him. "John…" she said softly. "You know you can tell me anything." This time she _meant_ her words and she briefly forgot about the assignment.

He hesitated for a split second and his muscles tensed up a bit. These two actions did not go unnoticed by Ada's trained eyes. It looked like the scientist was on the brink of telling her the truth when his pager beeped loudly. John signed before looking at the digits on the display.

"We'll talk when I return okay? In the mean time, please stay safe." John switched off his pager and embraced her tightly.

One thing led to another and when she finally left his apartment two hours later, Ada began to see him as a person in his own right. Maybe in another life, she could have been friends with him just like Nathan in the beginning…

_Stop it._

She shook off those thoughts and reminded herself that attachments led to death.

Walking down the streets of the city late at night, Ada was _well aware_ of the crooks that lurked in the dark pathways which she took much effort to avoid. One hand remained in her pocket, wrapped around the new taser that John gifted to her.

Something shifted behind her and she continued to walk forward, giving the assailant no indication that she had heard his movements. A couple of seconds later, someone gripped her shoulder and Ada grabbed the limb, spinning around and whipping out the taser. The weapon made contact with the thief's waist and shocked him.

He fell to the ground with a thud, still convulsing from the electrical current. Ada switched off the device and strode off, putting as much distance as she could between the thug and herself. Getting questioned by the police would severely impede her progress.

A small smirk graced her lips as the spy wandered off into the night. John was not a bad fellow after all.

* * *

Once again, she had lied to John that she was going out of town for a short business trip. Driving her car down the deserted road, she made a right and pulled up to the surprisingly well kept house located in the middle of nowhere. The Academy sure had some questionable locations for safe houses.

"You're late," Wesker's voice rang out from the kitchen as she entered through the front door.

Pulling her bag strap away from her body and depositing the bag on the chair, she took a seat. "On the contrary, I am early. You just dislike waiting."

He made a noise that sounded like disgust.

"Watch your tone, Ada. Just because you're on a long term mission doesn't mean you can disrespect me."

"Let's get down to business then, since you have quite a lot of _precious_ time that you can't spare," the spy quipped dryly in return. Well aware that he was having quite a busy schedule back in Raccoon.

He pushed the sunglasses up his nose and spoke, "Progress report."

"He finally asked me to be his girlfriend after a year of being friends. Getting information out of him is an ongoing process. He _almost_ said something the other day but clammed up."

"Then you need to work harder."

Her eyes flashed warningly, "Don't start with that again. The man is very careful and has quite a strong set of morals. He isn't the type to spill in the presence of temptation."

Wesker raised a blonde eyebrow and gave an amused smile. "You sound quite fond of him, Ada."

"I'm merely laying out the facts, _Albert_," she spit his first name out acidly and stared him down. The past few meeting sessions had made her quite annoyed with his behaviour. Her tongue was loosened after being away from the confines of the underground Academy.

Albert shrugged off her comment. Ada Wong was a woman that produced results at the end of the day. When she was done, her taste of freedom would come to an end. For now, he would allow this young adult have a go at the playground.

"Then you ought to hurry, Wong. Rumour has it that someone else is interested in his research and would _kill_ to get their hands on it…" He pulled out a brown folder from his briefcase and slid it across the table towards her.

She unwound the white thread tied around the red circle and pulled out the documents from the manila envelope. A frown remained on her face as she read the files. "That's some impressive strings you have pulled to obtain this information."

There were details about John's profile, education and employment history. Even his daily schedules were printed. It all traced back to the front page with a rival organization's name and agent embossed on the front.

Albert gave Ada time to read as he drained the rest of his water from the bottle. "It is imperative that he remains alive," he spoke eventually when he assumed that she was done perusing the file.

"There are so many 'business trips' that I can take without arousing his suspicion."

Wesker leaned forward with yet another grin. "Who said you have to take another trip? You'll be merely extending this one. Better nip this in the bud before they find him. You wouldn't want to _fail _now, would you, Ada?"

The Academy and The Organization did not take failures well. It would spell death for her and she would be unable to fulfil her ultimate goal of obtaining her father's body. She gave Wesker a look of determination.

"Very well, the basement is open to you. Utilize whatever you need." The blonde said with a smile as he stood and walked out of the safe house, leaving his capable student to her own devices.

Ada approached the basement door with confidence, placing her finger on the keypad and looking at the keyhole on the door. The security equipment scanned her thumbprint and retina before the door slid open to reveal a room full of weapons and gadgetry. She picked out a crossbow, grenades, and a silenced pistol.

The agent on the cover had a female name and Ada doubted she would be able to use feminine wiles on her. This would require a kill from afar.

Though she could only laugh at the thought of another female agent. It took John over a year to warm up to her, the inclusion of another woman would make it almost impossible to break through his defences. John was steadfastly loyal to Ada now that they had placed a proper label on their relationship.

Walking over to the lockers, she pulled one open to find a black bodysuit. With some modifications, she could look like a biker girl to blend in with the crowd.

* * *

Ada was stalking her unarmed prey with relish. What was initially a relaxed night out in town for Miss Rachel was turning out to be quite a nightmare as bolts peppered the ground behind her. Ada had managed to chase the rival agent into an abandoned warehouse where Rachel thought that it would be safe.

Too bad for Rachel, Ada had already scouted the place and rigged it with booby traps. Nails shredded the other woman's stockings and fresh blood trailed down her calves as Rachel ran past a trip wire.

Ada was sorely disappointed. She was expecting more of a challenge but Rachel basically panicked and fled blindly, failing to utilize and notice her surroundings. There were broken planks, chains, and crates littered throughout the building but the young woman was just rushing through, trying to find a safe spot.

With a height advantage, this fight was somewhat reminiscent of her fight with Melissa all those years ago. Has it been that long since she passed the final test to be a spy? It almost felt like Ada had been in espionage for a lifetime.

Ada looked down the scope and aimed her weapon in front of Rachel. When the other ran into her scope's field of view, she fired and a bolt embedded into her leg. Rachel cried out and began to limp as she dragged herself behind a pile of broken crates.

Clearly, the rival organization had made a bad mistake in sending a rookie out to the field.

"P-please! No more! I give up!" Rachel screamed out and Ada holstered her crossbow before striding across the walkway to loom over the injured girl who propped herself against the boxes.

"First assignment?" Ada called out from above and Rachel glanced up in panic to find a woman clad in black with weapons attached to her hip.

The rival agent could only whimper as she brought her hands up protectively.

"Answer the question!" Ada barked and pulled out her pistol.

Again, Rachel cowered. "Y-yes!"

"I'm going to ask you a few more questions," the Asian spy said gently. "Answer them and you _might_ live. Do you understand that?"

Rachel nodded.

"How long have you been training for?"

The girl made herself comfortable before replying, "S-six months."

That was too _little_ time to be a proper operative. The Academy had to train her for more than a year before she was let out into the field. Any less was suicide.

"I see. Have you killed anyone before?"

Rachel shook her head.

"How were you going to complete this assignment then?" Ada asked in a sarcastic manner, feeling all the more displeased that she had to waste time to dispatch a naïve wench.

"Poison. And how do you know about my assignment?"

She could only laugh. "A _competent_ spy knows many things, my dear."

Rachel's eyes grew wide in fear as she tried to make herself as small as possible. "S-surely a _competent_ one like you would have no problems getting there first and killing him."

The girl's attempt at bargaining and striking a deal was pathetic.

"I already did and I need him alive," Ada said matter-of-factly before continuing her words. "You on the other hand, are _interfering_."

The spy raised her gun and fired the chains suspended above Rachel. The chains quickly unravelled and a cage descended on Rachel, trapping her within its confines. Pleas fell on deaf ears as Ada threw a grenade to the other side of the room. The boxes caught fire and slowly spread out.

"Goodbye," Ada said and threw another explosive within the cage itself and ran off before it exploded.

She made it a few roofs away before the warehouse went up in flames thanks to the timed bombs that she placed on the structural supports. By the time the police and fire department arrived, Ada was long gone and on her way to be back in the arms of John.

Somehow the presence of another woman stirred _some_ protective feelings within her.

* * *

"Stop skirting around the issue, John. There _is_ something bothering you and you should stop distracting yourself by showering attention on me. It's unhealthy and makes me feel that you only want me when you're stressed out with work." Ada said hotly as she paced around her living room. Part of her outburst was an act but another part of it was due to her frustrations of making zero progress in getting him to spill.

John kept silent and ran a hand through his blonde hair, messing it up. He appeared troubled and had no idea how to phrase his words properly.

"For a relationship to work, there must be trust. Why don't you trust me? I've been supporting everything you do, even when you have to leave suddenly." She implored him tearfully.

"They've been killing people," he said softly and Ada stopped, walking closer to him. She kept quiet, urging him to continue his explanation.

"The lab has been experimenting on people and they **die**, Ada. I didn't want to do it but they _forced _me!"

Ada took a seat beside John and wrapped her arms around him. She was surprised by this revelation. "Maybe if you stopped renewing your contract, you'll be free from them and you can tell the truth."

John laughed bitterly. "The police are in Umbrella's pockets. Anyone who refused to re-contract was never heard from again. I'm not stupid, Ada. I know they silenced any scientist who tried to leave the project. I just keep my head down and do my job. This has been _killing_ me on the inside, Ada. I'm a murderer!"

"You have a gentle soul, John. Are you the one who administers the finishing blow?" She asked gently and rubbed circles on his back.

"No, but I am one of the few scientists in charge of various sections of the project and I have to be _present_ to take notes. I can't hear them behind the protective layer of glass but their pained movements and agonized facial expressions say otherwise."

Ada pulled away and slid her hands up to place them beside his face, forcing him to look at her. "Stop it, John. You _weren't_ the one to give the killing blow. You were forced against your will. You did _not_ want them killed. You have to stop beating yourself up over this. The best thing you can do is to gather as much evidence as you can and keep it safely with you. Then you strike on the day they crumble and you will be free."

Right now, she wasn't sure if she was saying those words because she cared for him or that she had to ensure the experimental data remained safe and secure.

John searched her eyes and leaned in to kiss her. "You're a genius, Ada. Sometimes I think you should be the one with a PhD."

"I have to be the practical one in this relationship," she mused and John buried his head against the crook of her neck.

"I'm so lucky to have met you," he whispered and pulled away, reaching into his pocket.

Ada was prepared for many things in her life but her heart stopped at that moment.

_Could he be…?_

Then he pulled out a set of keys and placed them into her palm.

"What is this?" She asked, puzzled by this strange action.

"The keys to my apartment. I would like you to move in with me," he said simply, as if it was the most _obvious_ thing in the World.

"Oh."

"You said that we need trust in our relationship and I trust you to have free reign of the apartment. I'll even come up with a schedule regarding the chores too."

Now this was a perfect opportunity to get what she wanted for the mission.

"Thank you, John. Though maybe we should search for a bigger place to move into. You can't expect me to fit all my clothes into your closet now, would you?"

John laughed. "You are indeed the practical one in this relationship. Let's find a realtor to help us out."

Ada kissed his cheek. Finally, she made a breakthrough. Her efforts better bear fruit soon…

* * *

_Author's Note: So I took my beta reader's suggestion to write a chapter about John and Ada and boy was I glad to have done so. It was always in my headcanon that Ada did care for John, just not romantically. What better way to showcase that? Write a chapter about their interactions of course! I hope I got that point across in this chapter._

_For the letter in this chapter, I did not reference the "Letter of a Researcher" file from RE1 at all. To my complete surprise, I went to check out the file after I was done writing the chapter and boy, John really did use "My dearest Ada" and "Yours truly" in there! I'm glad that I managed to keep that here. _

_Don't worry about all the kissing and hugging, it was all an act. We all know she fell really hard for Leon. =P_

_And speaking of Leon, he will be coming up in the next chapter. Finally, I know! I was wondering if I should write from Ada's POV about her meeting with Leon and whatever happened in RE2 OR I write about her feelings in the aftermath of RE2? Which do you think is better?_

_You might also be wondering, why can't Wesker just take the virus information since he's with Umbrella? Remember the previous chapter where he said that he had to maintain a balance between various organizations? Umbrella knows he's working for STARS but Umbrella doesn't know he has ties with The Academy. Taking data away is super suspicious so yeah, he's a crafty, sly little bastard. _

_Onward to reviews!_

_To **Darwine**: I've not thought of a Wesker and Simmons fight but I'll keep that in mind just in case it fits into the story. ;) Hope you liked the interaction between John and Ada!_

_To **Ayesha Aeon**: Sorry, I decided to write about John and Ada instead. But Leon and Ada is coming up in the next chapter so you'll just have to wait just a tiny bit longer. Don't worry, I won't get distracted by other plot ideas this time. I promise you that._


	11. 1998, Part I

**Chapter 11 - 1998, Part I  
**

John had left for his new job posting in Raccoon City a month ago, leaving Ada behind in Chicago as she awaited further orders from Wesker. All her mentor had told her so far was to be patient. It was getting quite difficult to remain in a city where her objective did not lie as she spent her time jogging around the neighbourhood. While the April air was crisp for her daily runs, it was still rather mundane.

After her usual evening jog, the spy took the elevator up to the apartment she and John shared, only to find a pair of unfamiliar shoes outside the door. One hand reached for her pocketknife as she gently pushed the door open.

The raven haired woman was greeted by a bouquet of roses on the table and a balloon tied to a cup of hot chocolate. Her boyfriend was seated on the couch with a smile on his face and he was clad in an expensive-looking suit.

She relaxed her stance and scowled at him in return, playing the role of annoyed girlfriend. "You should have left a text. This city has a sizeable crime rate."

"Sorry, my dear. I wanted to surprise you," John replied and gave her a puppy dog look.

Ada sighed and kept her blade. "What brings you here? Last you told me you were not able to come home till May. "

"They sent me to a conference here at the last minute so I decided to drop by."

She took a step closer to him and slid into his arms as they spent the evening together like an ordinary couple.

John told her of his new workplace, how it was essentially an old mansion but with a few hidden gems. He loathed traveling within the compound as the routes were complicated and there were so many keys to remember. The lab on the other hand, was quite advanced and he was mostly happy there... Human experiments were still conducted though, which was something he immensely disliked but had no choice to comply.

They also discussed Ada's relocation to Raccoon and she had to lie, citing an unfinished project that she had to tend to. John was understandably upset but she made up for it with more distractions in bed.

Her boyfriend parted a few days later, none the wiser about her motives.

* * *

May came and went without any correspondence from John. In early June, Ada was already packing up her things, ready to sneak into Raccoon to find him at any cost. If the operative lost him, she would not be able to retrieve any samples.

Her new toy buzzed on the table, a prototype that allowed her to see the caller's face and vice versa. She slid her finger across the screen and immediately, Wesker's face appeared.

"I recommend that you cease whatever you're doing," his voice was low and dangerous as he peered at her, or rather, her room, through his sunglasses.

Ada glared at her mentor, "My contact has ceased all communications since April. There is not much to go on unless I go down personally to sort things out. Simmons and his fellow _colleagues_ are already antsy about results."

Albert made a small 'tsk' sound. "You can forget about that cretin. Don't forget that you are _still_ in The Academy's employ, Ada. You answer to them, _not_ him. The Academy has other plans for Raccoon City. We will re-deploy you for other assignments for the time being until we are able to strike Raccoon when the iron is hot. That would take a little while longer. All your effort will bear fruit." He had a rather smug grin on his face as he boasted and the Ada had a feeling there was something he was not telling her.

She raised an eyebrow. "That would be easy if I don't already have a cover as a girlfriend of a scientist who was deployed to said city that I want to infiltrate."

"If he has not contacted you for over a month, I would assume that this would be the case for a while. I can see you tire of waiting around, Ada. You can choose to idly wait in a city you know like the back of your hand or you can take a few short assignments to ensure your skills are still as_ sharp_ as they used to be."

He certainly knew the bait to use to lure her in like bees to honey.

Ada smirked at him in return. "If you don't mind shipping the file over…"

There was a hiss as one of the standard silver briefcases issued to all operatives opened up to reveal a manila envelope.

"You are certainly well prepared," she replied, without batting an eyelid.

Wesker continued to eye her carefully. "It's something that was of low priority on our list for a while. I trust you can handle it."

"Naturally."

And with that, Ada reached over to the screen to end the call.

* * *

She started throwing off various parts of her disguises into the many dumpsters she ran past and upon turning into the alley that lead to her hotel, she quickly hauled herself up the ladder of the fire escape. Ada thumbed a button and the ladder retracted, leaving no trace of her presence. From there, she silently scaled the stairs and made the long climb up to her penthouse suite. This gave her time to slow her breathing after the adrenaline rush of a narrow escape from a rather tough opponent that was difficult to pin down. But she managed it after some stalking and careful planning.

Swinging herself over the railing after reaching the top, Ada planted her feet firmly on the ledge with her back pressed against the wall and slowly moved her way towards the Jacuzzi area of her suite. It wasn't something for the faint of hearts but she had countless experience doing so. As long as she did not look down…

All Ada did was to look straight ahead and focus on her objective, ignoring the elements like the wind blowing in her face or the many distractions that befell the city like the overly bright lights and sounds of late night traffic.

She reached the wall and grabbed the rope she had left there earlier. It was still tethered to the well placed lamppost in the outer area of the suite and she climbed back into sanctuary without any incident. Ada untied the rope and headed back inside, finally enjoying the warmth at last. She stripped off her clothes as she headed to the bathroom, only to find her communications device pulsing ominously. There was an unread message.

Ada chose to ignore it for the time being and headed to the shower. If it was urgent, they would have called her. Her own personal hygiene came first.

Half an hour later, the colour of the pulse changed to an angry red and Ada, now comfortably dressed in a bathrobe and a towel on her head, finally read the message.

The man in the suit appeared in a video recording. "It is with deep sorrow that I announce that one of our trainers, Albert Wesker, has passed on in his most recent mission. All agents who were previously conducting assignments under his instructions will continue to do so. Upon completing your current objectives, you will be re-assigned to other trainers. That is all."

_Albert Wesker is dead? Huh, what a pity._

Ada did not think much of it. Death was part and parcel of their job. There was no point mourning someone when they were no longer around. She appreciated the knowledge he had imparted on her and that was it. Like any other operatives before her, she would go through a never ending revolving door in her life and meet plenty of people who would be nothing but a passing memory.

She flipped open the menu to order room service before turning the television on for to view some mindless news. Life went on as usual.

* * *

Blood ran cold when she read the message on her phone. It managed to throw a wrench in her train of thought and for the first time in years, she felt _**fear**_.

_It's impossible!_

The only confirmation was to head back to the hotel. She cut short her merry making for the night, disappointing the well-heeled gentleman in front of her. Not even the money he offered could stop the spy from leaving. Brushing him off, Ada darted away, disappearing around the corner before he could do anything else.

She was at the door to her suite within minutes and she armed herself with a small revolver from her purse before sliding the key card into the electronic lock. It beeped open and Ada stepped into a dark room.

Immediately she pressed her back against the wall and her eyes were assaulted by a sudden illumination of light.

"I wouldn't do anything foolish, Ada."

The baritone voice was unmistakable. Seated in front of her, clad in black, was none other than Albert Wesker.

She aimed the gun at him anyway, "You have one minute to explain yourself."

Wesker had to resist a smirk. All her training had paid off and she was being a careful operative, not trusting his words that easily.

"The T-virus. I died and was reborn. You know Umbrella's research had the capability to do that."

"All subjects that were experimented on became abominations," Ada scoffed and still kept the firearm trained on him.

"I had the help of a colleague to perfect the virus."

Her eyes flashed dangerously. "It was my mission to collect a sample of the T-virus and you're telling me you went ahead to do so?!"

He stood up and wagged a finger at her, "Now, now. I wasn't given that assignment if that's what you're insinuating. Plus, I used it on myself and none remains in my possession. Your mission still stands, Ada."

"If I recall, you told me to stay put, Albert."

"True but things have changed. Wait a month or two and I _assure_ you that you will be given the greenlight to head to Raccoon."

Ada continued to glare at him. "What a colossal waste of time."

He smiled again. "Trust me; it will be worth the wait. It would prove to be advantageous and there will be little to stand in your way."

"Does the Academy know about this?"

Wesker began to pace around the room. "They're in the dark about _everything_. For your sake, it is wise to keep your mouth shut."

"Hmph." The spy scoffed again and was about to pull to trigger when her arm was suddenly bent at an unnatural angle behind her back. Wesker's exhaled his warm breath against her neck. She gasped in alarm as a wave of pain cascaded down her limb. How was he able to move so fast?

He disarmed his student and kicked her waist, sending her sprawling to the floor unceremoniously. Albert regarded her with mild amusement.

"As I said, it is wise to keep quiet, Ada. The T-virus has augmented my body and I wouldn't advice fighting me. It won't end well for you."

Swallowing her bruised pride and taking in a sharp breath to will the pain away, Ada pushed herself off the floor and eyed him passively. She was convinced that he was unmistakably Albert Wesker. Her mentor was straightforward and lethal when he wanted to and this was one of the rare moments when he displayed those traits.

Brushing off the dust on her dress, she took a seat on the chair he recently vacated, doing her best to remain composed.

"Alright, Albert. Why are you here to warn me?"

"You're too _valuable_, Ada. It would be a shame to lose such a capable operative. I would like to aid you in your future quest," he reached into the depths of his coat and pulled out a small box. The contents within rattled as he placed it on a side table along with the revolver he had taken from her earlier.

"Most of the keys and maps to Umbrella's facility are stored in there. However, there are some locked doors that require a sharp mind to pass through."

He grinned at her. "I'm sure you have no problems unlocking them."

Ada cocked an eyebrow, "How_ generous_ of you. What's the catch?"

"Just remember who your _benefactor_ is for your future assignment," he replied cryptically as he strolled to the door. "Good night, Agent Wong. I'll be in touch."

Albert twisted the door knob and stepped through before closing the door behind him.

* * *

Ada was completely underdressed for this. In fact, she was certain the Academy sent her on a suicide mission to Raccoon City when they prepped her with just a pistol, a small communications device, and civilian gear. They said it was simple mission as the laboratory's inhabitants were 'preoccupied'. Now she understood what they meant by 'preoccupied'. Her initial exhilaration that she could finally embark on her search for John was now marred by the stench of death on the streets.

After emptying her first clip into one of those… _creatures_, she quickly learned that it was pointless to shoot them as they kept moving forward, relentless in pursuing her. They were slow though and were no match for her agility and speed. Ada made a run for it and threw trash cans and debris onto the ground behind her, creating a makeshift barrier between herself and the undead.

Pushing on one of the doors in the back alley, she quickly surveyed her surroundings. It was a kitchen with food that was already decomposing on the prep tables. From what she could tell, there was not a soul in sight. The spy then sat down on the floor to catch her breath. How many hours had it been since she was dropped off on one of the many roads leading into the city? She had made her way on foot towards civilization before realizing that the city's inhabitants were mostly dead. This was probably what Wesker hinted at when he told her to wait a month or two.

It was a clever idea, really. From what she could tell, there was no law and order to speak of and it was advantageous for her. At the same time, it was also extremely risky and dangerous. Ada understood the fear those zombies could induce in an ordinary person. A corpse being reanimated would certainly scare the daylights out of anyone. Not for her though, the Academy had prepared them to remain calm and collected in _any _situation. She would just have to regard the undead as an anomaly.

Thanks to the maps Wesker gave her months ago, she had plenty of time memorizing the routes towards the police station. Once inside though, she was on her own. Albert did not believe in spoon feeding and hinted that the laboratory was accessible from the station. One of those blasted keys in her side pack could lead her to her destination.

With a clear goal in mind, Ada began to scavenge around the café. She was feeling peckish. Finding a carton full of water bottles hidden under a dirty table cloth, she grabbed an unopened one and savoured the taste. Ada had never thought that water would taste so good.

After nourishing herself, she headed to the station which surprisingly, had a handful of survivors left. They were rather paranoid around her and Ada managed to effortlessly charm herself away from the group. Citing how she was using the station as a temporary refuge before searching for her missing boyfriend at Apple Inn which was on the other side of the city. The survivors believed her and left the operative alone as she disappeared into the shadows, searching for clues in the precinct. The group's precious resources were running low and adding another mouth into the group would not do them any good to their already dire situation. Ada Wong would just have to fend for herself.

Skulking around proved useful. That was how she overheard and learned that most of the survivors were cops that were eaten by zombies when they broke through some windows near the back of the station while some shot themselves after losing all hope. There was a rumour that a civilian by the name of Ben managed to lock himself in the cell block near the parking lot. He supposedly kept muttering about intel that needed to be protected…

In a span of a couple of days, Ada had explored most of the station and read numerous journals and memos with shaky scrawls containing last words to loved ones. A few had voiced doubts about their chief's incompetence in the outbreak and were never heard from again. Finally, she found the cell block in the underground carpark but the entrance was blocked by a van. It could not be a coincidence that it was left like that. The van was deliberately pulled out from its parking spot to obstruct the door. What a good plan to keep unwanted personnel away. Ben was an ingenious fellow.

After thinking of a lie to entice the survivors into helping her, Ada made her way to one of the offices that the survivors used as a makeshift camp. No one was around. Or rather, no one was alive. A group of zombies was feasting on a body and Ada did not have to guess what happened. She quickly backed out of the room and slammed the door shut as one of them moaned out loud in response to her presence.

The door thumped behind her as she ran away. Ada could imagine the undead piling against the wood in an attempt to get their next meal. The spy had other things to worry about though. Now she needed another way to get the damned vehicle pushed aside. If she had explosives, she did not mind blowing a hole in the wall but it appeared the cops exhausted their weapons cache in a desperate attempt to keep the undead out.

Perhaps if she returned back to the parking lot, Ada would be able to find something to move the van out of the way. There were bound to be tools to aid her. The Academy always drilled the mantra of using one's surroundings into their heads.

As she approached the parking lot, she heard the door clang shut in front of her. Who was that? Were zombies able to open doors now? Or was it a deranged survivor?

Quietly, she approached the metal lever and pulled it down as silently as she could. The door opened with a creak and in her line of vision, there was a blonde man clad in a cop's uniform. Resisting the urge of being trigger happy, Ada observed his gait and noticed that he was still very much human.

_Perfect timing._

She could use this fellow to move the van. Now she had to figure out a way to get his attention without spooking him by suddenly talking. The spy shuffled forward stealthily and lifted her gun before firing at the ground beside the cop's left foot. That caught his attention as he froze abruptly in his steps and turned around, staring at her with fearful blue-grey eyes.

He visibly relaxed upon seeing her and Ada was surprised by how youthful he was. The cop was eyeing her with a curious gaze and it was obvious that he was intrigued by her presence. Lowering her gun, she turned on the charm and walked towards him. She raised a hand apologetically and said, "Sorry about that. When I saw the uniform, I thought you were another zombie."

Hopefully he would be friendly towards her. She would just have to play her cards right.

* * *

_Author's Note: Apologies for the delay in the update of this story. Work kept me extremely busy and I also fell ill which took up the time I planned to write. =(_

_I originally planned for this to be a two parter but it seems it will be extended to be a three parter. That means more time between Leon and Ada! I know some of you might be disappointed that I left this chapter in a cliffhanger but I promise there will be more of Leon in the next one. =P_

_Of course, it's not love at first sight. I don't find that realistic. Unfortunately, Ada does initially see Leon as a tool to help her get to Ben. Using people is just the way Ada is. She'll obviously change that mindset in the next chapter. _

_I am aware that Ada did not appear to have a side pack in the game but for creative purposes, let's just say that she did. She could have easily picked it up from a corpse, just saying. ;)_

_Onward to reviews!_

_To **Ayesha Aeon**: I'll be focusing more of the time in between the main games._

_To **Darwine**: Thank you for your support! Don't worry about not having a longer comment, it's the thought that counts._

_To **Arcobaleno-lover**: Reading your compliment made me smile. I hope you'll enjoy the story as it progresses._

_To **BringerofDarkness96**: Thank you! It's been quite a joy to delve into Ada's head to see why she's like that._


	12. 1998, Part II

**Chapter 12 - 1998, Part II**

Brushing past the stunned cop, Ada only managed to take a couple of steps forward before the blonde man raised his voice in a rather harsh manner, "Who are you?!"

The spy opted to ignore his words until she reached the van where she stopped and turned around to face him. "Ada Wong," she replied cordially.

The cop frowned, not fooled by her friendly nature as he continued to question her. "And what are you doing here?"

Suppressing the urge to roll her eyes, she gestured a thumb to the vehicle blocking her path and told her tale. Hopefully the law man would believe her. "I'm looking for some guy named Ben. He's one of those reporter types, always looking for a scoop." She gazed down, taking on the role of a pitiful damsel, "I heard he was locked up in the cell block but only there's a wrecked car barring the entrance." Ada sighed dramatically as she shook her head in despair, "I've been trying to find another way inside."

She could see the cop's features soften slightly as he bought her act. It was time to take the lead before he refused to aid her any further. The spy quickly positioned herself at the back of the van, "If we work together, we can move this thing. Give me a hand here, will you?" Ada shot him a smile and he nodded as he braced his shoulder and weight against the vehicle.

Both of them grunted as they exerted whatever strength they had on the van. Slowly but surely, the wheels began to turn and the vehicle inched forward, revealing the entrance to the cell block. Satisfied that there was enough room, both of them stopped pushing and the policeman took the lead, entering the cell block first to ensure that the coast was clear.

Ada did not need a knight in shining armour to guide her though. The spy followed the cop closely and she ran off once they entered the establishment. She could hear him shouting, "Ada, wait!" as she turned right down the corridor and immediately burst through the first set of doors she laid her eyes on.

Iron bars greeted her but the occupants within were not what she expected. The smell of rot accompanied by rabid barking revealed that she was in the kennels, not the cell block. Blast it, she took the wrong turn. That was an error that should not have been made at all. Peeling her eyes away from the decomposing but still very much alive canines, she left the kennel and walked down to the end of the corridor.

"What do you want? I'm trying to sleep here."

Ada heard a different voice coming from the cell block and pushing the gate aside, she spotted the cop standing at the end. She ran up and spotted her target safe behind bars for some unknown reason.

The cop turned toward her and pointed at the dishevelled man within the cell, "Is this the guy?"

Judging by her target's appearance in almost formal business wear, he had to be the reporter she was looking for. She spoke gently, "Ben? You told the city officials that you knew something. About what's been going on, didn't you?" The spy then rested a hand on her hip, looking a tad more serious, "What did you tell them?"

Ben just glared and pointed a finger toward her, "And who the heck are you?"

If the cop was not here right now, she had half the mind to reach through the bars and manhandle the reporter. Instead, she continued her genteel act. "I'm trying to find my boyfriend. His name's John, he was working for a branch office of Umbrella based in Chicago but he suddenly disappeared six months ago. I heard a rumour that he's here in the city."

Ben gave a dismissive shrug, "I don't know anything. And even if I did, why would I wanna tell you?" He turned away, not wanting to waste his time with these two insane people.

The blonde cop finally spoke, albeit in an impatient manner. "Okay I say we leave him in there. Does anyone know where they put the key," he banged against the bars for emphasis, "to this cell?"

Smugly, Ben raised a hand up, "I have it right here officer." He reached into his pocket and dangled the key ring in the air. "But I'm not about to leave this cell. Those zombies aren't the _only _things crawling around out there."

This reporter was getting on her nerves with each passing second and was eating away at precious minutes that she did not have to spare. Before she could threaten him though, an inhuman growl pierced through the air.

Spooked, she and the cop turned toward the cell block entrance, expecting the owner of that spine chilling snarl to appear.

"What was that?!" The cop asked shakily.

"Like I said, I'm not leaving this cell." Ben said before turning around to face the duo, "Get out of here before you lead it right to me."

The blonde policeman reacted angrily, "Hey, I'm not going anywhere. I'm the only cop left alive in this building!" What was up with everyone being so dismissive of the law? First Claire, Ada, and now this arrogant man.

"What?!" Ben raised his eyebrows in shock.

Judging by the reporter's reaction, it seemed he had known the survivors in this building just before they became the undead. Ada was right about her hunch.

Deciding to take charge, the cop spoke in the most authoritative manner as he could, "Look, if you want to live then you're gonna have to leave with me."

The reporter responded in a deadpan manner, "But, do you even know how to get out of the city? There's a kennel in the back of the building. Inside the kennel is a manhole. Go through and it will lead you to the sewer entrance but, it won't be easy."

Looks like her accidental stumble into the kennels wasn't a wasted trip after all. "Alright, I'm going." Without waiting for a reply from either man, Ada took ran off once more, sliding the gate open and leaving the cell block behind her. She could sense the cop's frustrations as he glared daggers at the back of her head.

* * *

Annoyance was slowly taking root in her psyche. How could anyone build a manhole cover and not leave a tool nearby to open it? She now understood Wesker's words of being on her own and having to utilize her intelligence to move through the station. Heading back out to the garage, she picked the lock on the back of the van that blocked the entrance before and was rewarded with… empty crates. The vehicle was emptied out long ago. There had to be a small pole or rod somewhere. Anything that would act as a lever to open the cover. Rummaging around, she acquired a police baton. That would have to do.

Returning back to the kennels containing those rabid creatures, the spy discovered that the cover was already opened. It must have been the handiwork of the cop. Tossing the baton aside, she gingerly climbed down the ladder and the stench of sewage hit her nose as soon as she reached the bottom in ankle deep water.

**Click-clack. Click-clack.**

The sound of odd clacking against the walls caught her attention and out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a humongous, hairy spider emerging from the corner. Ada had no fire power to take down such a beast and she did the next best thing which was to run.

Narrowly missing a globule of spit from the creature, she hurried down the sewer system only to meet another behemoth arachnid. She didn't stop and continued forward, kicking up water in her wake as she ran to the end to find a flight of steps that would lead her to safety. Hopefully those damn spiders would stay away.

The corridor upstairs was clean and there was a door to her left. From what she could read on the wall at the far end, there was a septic room up ahead. Carefully opening the door closest to her, Ada found a cosy room with a chest and a worn out typewriter atop a small work desk. This must have been a break room for the workers maintaining the sewer tunnels. Scavenging for more ammo and food, she continued down the hallway. The cop was nowhere in sight and must have been in the room up ahead.

Not surprisingly, the door to the septic room opened as she walked past and the cop spoke to her in a much gentler voice, "Ada?"

Stopping in front of a shuttered entrance, she surveyed an opening at the top before turning around to face the youthful policeman.

He gave her a silly grin and acted suavely, "I don't think I've introduced myself yet. My name's Leon, I'm with the RPD."

Great, now he was attempting to flirt with her and was failing miserably. Filing his name in the back of her head, she shrugged and turned back to the shutters. She didn't need to be patronized.

"It's a dead end," Leon's voice called out from her side.

_No kidding, Sherlock._

She gazed up and out of the corner of her eye, Ada could see him looking up as well. Judging by how _friendly_ Leon was behaving to her now, the operative returned the charm, "You think we can get upstairs through this shaft? Give me a boost, I'll go and check."

Leon nodded and dropped down to his knees, allowing her to climb on top of his sturdy back and shoulders.

_At least he's as strong as he should be. _

Ada thought to herself as she heaved her body up into the shaft and felt Leon's hand pushing her foot up, allowing her to have a good support. Maybe she could return the favour and find a way to open the shutters to let him through. Just _maybe_.

Jumping down to the other side, the spy saw a little blonde girl dashing off to the nearest exit, presumably spooked by her sudden presence. Questions on why a child was in the sewers left Ada's mind as the sound of metal hitting the floor caught Ada's attention and the door swung shut behind the kid.

Picking up the glittering necklace, Ada thumbed the dial and the golden locket opened, revealing a portrait of a family of three blondes.

"How cute. That little girl must have dropped this. I think I'll hold onto it for her."

Besides, the girl wasn't a priority and if the spy came across her later, she could return it. Otherwise, the girl was on her own. That was the way it was when it came to survival.

Holding her breath once more, Ada headed out into the Cesspool area where she fought off more zombies and continued to explore her surroundings. There was still no girl in sight though and the lack of a corpse suggested that the child had Lady Luck smiling down upon her.

Completing a silly puzzle with crates and water, Ada obtained a map of the sewer disposal area and the club precinct key. She didn't need the latter since she already had a duplicate of it but perhaps she could give it to the cop as a token of appreciation.

Returning back to the open, the spy checked out another part of the Cesspool facility. There was a case of shotgun shells down a small elevator and despite not having the weapon, Ada took it anyway. Leon could use it.

Half-way back to the shutters, she was struck by a completely different train of thought. What was she _doing_? Retrieving items that weren't essential to her mission was akin to suicide. She ought to ditch the cop with the objects she had just obtained. Standing in front of the metal shutters, Ada called out, "Leon! Can you hear me?"

"Ada, did you find anything?"

She could hear the hopefulness in his voice and it was _sickening_. It was time to get far away from him. Taking the key out of her pocket, she replied, "Right here." The spy took a step back and drew her arm, tossing the object into the shaft. Ada could hear a soft thud on the other side and she proceeded to lift up the ammo box.

"Think fast, here's one more."

The spy hurled the metallic case past the shaft and heard a loud clunk as it hit the floor.

"Hey, I can't reach the ventilation hole. I'm going to have to find another way around. I'll catch up with you later."

There was a gasp of surprise and before Leon could even protest, Ada was out the door and finding a way out of the Cesspool.

Wrecking her brain, Ada recalled the presence of a chemical plant on the map Wesker gave to her. That had to be where the laboratories were located.

* * *

The Cesspool was a dead end with no detours to the chemical plant and by a stroke of luck, Ada found an access tunnel which brought her back to the septic room. Covered in grime and muck, Ada renewed her resolve to retrieve the samples and get the hell out of here. Unfortunately, the _only_ way forward was through an electronic door in the septic room which required four pin-like objects. How would she be able to find them on such short notice?!

There had to be another way. Ben appeared to know this place like the back of his hand and he should have the answers.

Dodging the gargantuan spiders and climbing back up the ladder, Ada was close to the cell block when she heard Ben's cry of frustration. Ada stopped in her tracks and she leaned against the gate to eavesdrop.

"Damn! I don't believe this. I almost got the story..."

She could hear the reporter cough weakly as Leon's voiced assured him, "Ben…"

Ben chuckled with a wet sound, "Bitter irony. The chief of police, co-conspirator." There was a small pause before the reporter continued, "Get... that... scum."

By the sound of his slow enunciation of words, that poor bastard was going to leave this World very soon.

All of a sudden, Ben's voice gained conviction, "Make. Him. Pay."

"Hang in there, Ben!" Ada could hear Leon pleading with the reporter but there was a loud exhale before everything turned quiet. Ben was gone.

It was time to make her presence known. Sliding the gate open, she saw the cop kneeling over Ben's bloodied body. Rushing up, she knelt down beside the blonde, "Leon…"

The cop responded by handing a small notepad to her and they read the file together.

So, Chief Irons was in Umbrella's pockets all along and Wesker was no longer with Umbrella? Plus, a new virus was in the works too? The latter two information were new to her. Her benefactor's allegiance and the presence of the other virus did not matter to her right now though. The cause of concern was that there were _several_ other organizations which wanted the samples too. She could _not_ fail.

Ada stood up and turned away after she was done reading the letter.

"Where are you going, Ada?" Leon asked softly and _something_ in his voice _implored_ her to turn around.

"To the chemical plant, I have a feeling that's where I'll find John."

She had said too much. It was time to go.

"Ada, wait! Hey!" Leon shouted irritably and Ada blocked out his words, running off once more.

* * *

Ventilation shafts were everywhere. She just had to find the right one that bypassed the septic room and into the sewer area proper. The shaft she climbed earlier with Leon's help was out of the question and the next best option should be the one in the break room. Luckily the chest was well placed under the entrance point and she used that to boost herself up.

Whilst crawling through the vents, she could hear gunfire and the sound of a monster howling in pain. Was Leon engaging the beast they heard growling earlier?

Why should she care? The spy vowed to get away from him.

Judging by the rapid sound of bullets being discharged, Ada could only wager that the cop might be winning the battle. Hopefully.

It was a tight squeeze near the end of the passage and it took some time for her to carefully manoeuvre her way through without injuring herself. Finally, she inched her way out onto a ledge overlooking a part of the sewer with running water. Jumping over the railing, she landed in front of a flight of steps.

"Ada!" Leon's voice called out urgently and she turned, amazed to see that he had won the battle against the monstrous creature. This cop was more formidable than she thought.

The cop ran down the stairs and Ada chose to wait this time instead of running away. What did he have in store for her? Maybe his assistance would aid her in getting into the chemical plant.

What she did not expect was him admonishing her like a child.

"What was that all about?! Running off like that was reckless and stupid!" He threw his arm off to the side. Clearly, he was agitated. The spy continued to watch with mild amusement.

"Those zombies are everywhere! Not to mention that thing that got Ben!"

Resting her gun hand on her hip, she replied matter-of-factly, "I was there Leon, I know."

Looking embarrassed, Leon quickly softened his expression and spoke to her with the same gentle voice he had used earlier, "Look Ada, as an officer, it's my job to look out for you."

She had to bite her tongue. His attempts at chivalry and also performing his duty were rubbing her the wrong way. She was trained to be independent, needing no man to save her.

Leon then pointed to her, "But we are not going to get through this alive if we don't work together. Okay?" His blue eyes searched her hazel ones, silently appealing to her to accept his simple request. There was something _sincere_ about his gaze but Ada would not let herself succumb to that weakness.

Instead, she humoured him. "Alright, we'll do this your way. For now."

Leon sighed at her attitude, "I know you can handle yourself but I took an oath to protect the innocent. Everyone in the city is dead and I can't let you become a zombie too on my conscience! Please, just listen to me for once, Ada. Just let me do my job, okay?"

He was one of the few people who could see through her tough woman act. Ada was impressed and that puppy dog look that he was giving her? It was triggering an emotion within her. A feeling that she was fighting hard to contain. A feeling of empathy and admiration. It made her feel that she should _not_ let him down. Plus, that look of sadness on his face did not suit him. She would do anything to stop him from feeling downcast.

Ada resigned herself to entering a partnership with the cop. "Okay, Leon. I'm sorry, it's been a rough couple of days."

Leon nodded, grateful that he had managed to convince her. Bracing themselves, he led the way into waist-high waters. Ada tried not to think about the **filth** that clung onto her clothes, seeping through the fabric and staining her pristine skin. The cop went under a floodgate and she followed, taking care to memorize the route just in case she was separated from him again.

Why she allowed this young cop drag her around, she didn't know. Perhaps she just wanted to toy with him, allowing him to have his fill of protecting her before he grew weary and set her free. There wasn't a time limit on her assignment anyway. She had been in Raccoon City for three, maybe four days now. What would a few hours of meandering with a stranger do? Plus, Leon was keeping quiet for the most part after his outburst, choosing to keep all his attention on the path in front of him. It was a good tactic as a point man.

She was surprised when he extended a hand out to her, not noticing that they had arrived at a little ledge and Leon had pulled himself up. Ignoring his help, Ada effortlessly climbed up and left him awkwardly standing there with his arm outstretched. The cop had to learn that not every damsel was in distress and required molly coddling even if he was being a gentleman.

The door behind the ledge led to what appeared to be a control room with a sizeable table off to the side. An operation cum break room? It was a welcome change but the electronics were long offline. They grabbed whatever they could and proceeded down a small, red elevator platform.

Upon reaching the bottom, Ada saw a familiar looking blonde woman in a lab coat scurry away. Wasn't she in the picture on the necklace? It didn't matter, anyone who was innocent didn't run away like that. Maybe the blonde woman had a sample and was an agent in a clever disguise. The scientist ran into the intersection along the corridor and the spy followed after. As usual, Leon yelled her name.

As the operative reached the intersection, a bullet whizzed past her left shoulder, narrowly missing her heart. This was the second mistake Ada had made today. She shouldn't have blindly charged down the corridor! Why didn't she take cover from the corner? There was no time to react as she saw the blonde woman take aim for another shot.

"Heads up!" Ada vaguely heard Leon calling out from the side and he dove toward her, wrapping a protective arm around her waist and pushing her to the floor. Another gunshot rang out and she heard him grunting as the bullet made impact in his left shoulder.

_Damn it!_

Why did he do that?! Did the stupidity bug infect them both today? Ada shook her head and gingerly pushed herself off the floor to lean against the wall, looking down at the unconscious cop that laid on her knees. A couple more gunshots rang out, hitting nothing but the metallic wall beside them.

"Leon... That woman was-" she heard a door slam shut down the intersection, "I have to talk to her."

A finger went down to the pulse point on his neck and it was still beating. She glanced over the wound and it did not appear to be mortal. Leon was alive for now but unconscious due to shock. No one had thrown their life away so carelessly for her before. Ada was sure that police training did not teach their cadets to jump in front of harm's way. What made her so special that he_ had_ to take a bullet for her?

All these questions were set aside as Ada chased the other woman down through the sewers, grabbing a map along the way, and wading through more waist-deep waters to get an answer. Her target was escaping through a ventilation slot and Ada followed, ignoring all the cockroaches that scuttled away from her approach.

Exiting the shaft, she found herself in an oddly designed area with an empty space in the middle. The only way across was through a narrow bridge with no visible barriers available to prevent anyone from falling down into the abyss. Ada took a few steps forward carefully before her pistol was shot out of her hand. That stung.

She looked up at her assailant who was holding her captive at gun point.

"Don't move," the blonde woman said coldly as she walked towards her. "You're the one that was with that cop, if I'm not mistaken. Identify yourself."

Stopping in front of Ada, the scientist levelled the gun in front of her face and pulled back the hammer with an audible click.

Ada Wong had been threatened by a myriad of things before in her training and a gun would not intimidate her easily. The spy replied coolly, "Ada. Ada Wong."

Something registered in the other woman as her eyes lit up, "Ada Wong... I've heard that name before. Now I remember. One of the men from Chicago who came to assist the T-virus research used his girlfriend's name as his password. Ada and John, I believe."

Ada's eyes widened in shock. This wasn't where she was expecting to find information about John! "How did you know?! Who are you?"

"Annette Birkin," the woman replied simply. "My husband is the man responsible for the creation of the T-virus, William Birkin."

Now that was something Ada did not know at all. The file only said that he was making the G-virus. A genuine gasp of surprise escaped from her lips. "What?!"

"John's dead. He became one of those zombies. My condolences," Annette replied sarcastically before her voice took on a dark tone. "And although I regret this, you will be joining him shortly. I won't let anyone take the G-virus away from me."

All those months of coddling up to a man and everything was for naught. John was dead and she had no one left within Umbrella to utilize. She swallowed the bitterness rising up in her throat. Ada had to formulate another plan.

It was time to play dumb as Ada continued to act astonished, "G-virus?"

"It's capable of creating the ultimate bioweapon. Its potential is even greater than that of the T-virus."

Suddenly, everything clicked into place. "Then that must mean the creature in the police department is..."

Annette nodded. "Precisely. My husband, William. And it's all _Umbrella's fault_. None of this would have happened if they hadn't tried to steal his research away from him." The woman paused in her rant and began to stare at the necklace on Ada's chest. "Where did you get that pendant?! It looks _exactly_ like one I gave Sherry!"

"She dropped it. I've been holding onto it for her."

Annette grew unhinged, "Liar! Give it back to me!"

With commendable speed, the scientist lunged for Ada but the spy quickly countered by grasping Annette's wrist and elbow, pushing it down as both women struggled to gain an advantage. Using her free hand, Annette reached up to grab a hold of Ada's chin and pushed it back.

Pain registered in Ada's neck and she could feel her air passage constrict. If Annette kept this up, the spy would lose consciousness in a minute or so.

No, she could _not_ let this woman win. Ada quickly released her hold on Annette, grasping her shoulders instead and pushing her over the railing. The blonde woman screamed as she fell down the shaft, hitting the bottom with a splash.

Ada wiped the sweat off her forehead as she gazed down into the darkness. "Too bad," she gloated as she turned to pick up her fallen pistol. Ada then took a closer look at the necklace and the family portrait flipped to the left to reveal a purple vial hidden beneath. Was this what she thought it was? She had a sample the whole time?! But was it the _one_ she was sent to retrieve? Unlikely, given how Annette was raving about the G-virus. If she was holding onto G, obtaining T would be much better and reflect well on her profile. Providing two samples instead of one would definitely highlight her abilities as a spy.

Her feet carried her forward as she crossed the bridge with utmost care before climbing down a ladder off to the side which brought her to a dumping site piled high with refuse. What would she do now? She had to plan her next move…

Ada just stood there as she got lost in thought.

* * *

There was a sound of whirring mechanisms in the background and out of nowhere, Leon appeared in front of her in waist-deep sewage water. "Ada!"

His voice snapped her out of her stupor and she watched as Leon climbed up to the ledge she was on before he dropped to his knees from exhaustion.

"Leon..." She said softly in return as she recalled what he did for her just a few moments earlier. Any decent human being would have warmed up to him by now. But she was no ordinary civilian even if his gestures were affecting her in a way.

Leon grunted with discomfort as he clutched his shoulder, "This bullet wound isn't making things any easier."

She sighed inwardly. There was no way she could shake off this man. She might as well be a good partner and offer some help lest she arose his suspicions. "Quiet, Leon. I'll patch you up."

Taking out what she had from her side pack, she gingerly wrapped the bandages around his torso and bloodied uniform. Ada knew she should have asked him to take off his shirt but given the current location they were in right now, she couldn't risk an infection. She took utmost care to be extremely gentle with him too. He had been through so much and it was fair to let him have a breather.

Admiring her handiwork, she wiped her hands on the hem of her dress. Colour flooded his cheeks once more and after a moment of rest, he stood up, renewed with vigour.

"That's two I owe you," Ada said quietly. No one had ever shown her such kindness before. Well, the last time someone did were her foster parents but they wound up in danger. She swore to never allow anyone else worm their way into her soul again but all of Leon's actions so far were _slowly_ thawing out icy heart.

Leon could only smile at her, _relieved_ that this woman finally trusted him. "Don't mention it."

No, Ada could _not_ develop a soft spot for the cop despite him having such a cute, dimpled smile. Now was time to set Plan B in motion. She would have to team up with him to gain entrance into the labs. Clearing her thoughts, she gazed down sadly, "I just found out, John's dead."

The blonde cop reacted with surprise. "What?!"

Not allowing the good natured man to try and comfort her, Ada waved a hand dismissively. "Never mind. Let's just get out of here. The sooner the better." She turned around to climb up the ladder, hoping that Leon would take her lead and drop the subject of the dead boyfriend that she never loved. She would be continue this mission with some slight modifications.

Leon hesitated behind her, a little lost for words. He was torn between consoling her and performing his duty to lead them out of here. But he saw that Ada continued to press forward, determined to escape. He chose to drop the matter and decided to take point. It was the least he could do lest she was distracted by recent events.

Both of them squeezed their way through plenty more narrow sewer shafts and Leon stared at the rather dangerous design of their current environment. There were no railings at some sections and anyone could plummet to their deaths if they took one wrong step.

Now wasn't the time to think about architectural faults though, a body laid in front of them with a shiny object held in his palm. It must be another one of those keys to unlock a door or two. Whoever came up with this unlocking system was either really bored or sadistic. Leon picked up the Eagle medal and turned a valve handle nearby which deactivated a moving fan in a ventilation slot.

After a short discussion with Ada, they decided to head back to the sewers via the ventilation system that they had just opened up. It was back into murky waters once more and Ada chose not to complain about her situation any longer. Everything would be completed very soon and she would be in a posh hotel suite, relaxing in a tub of hot, soapy water. Some minor inconveniences were all part and parcel of the job.

The spy followed Leon to the end of the sewer that she did not explore and they were greeted by two bloodied and badly mutilated corpses. Ada had no desire to encounter Birkin who undoubtedly did this. For some strange reason, zombies began to rise out from the waters after Leon picked up another medal from the bodies. One lunged towards him and she fired off a shot into the undead's decomposing temple.

They would be wasting precious bullets if they picked off these useless creatures that were too slow to gain on them. "Come on, they aren't quick!" Ada yelled at him, tugging on his arm, and swiftly dodged to the side before another zombie attempted to grab her. Leon followed suit and side-stepped a few zombies, keeping the pace with Ada as they ran together.

A familiar cacophony of **click-clack** sounds joined them as they sprinted forward and giant spiders were closing in left and right. "Ignore them!" Ada shouted again as they reached a waterfall at the end of the sewer. There was a panel on the wall off to the side with two circular slots that were the same size as the medals that Leon retrieved.

The cop inserted the medals and there was a clang above them as the water supply to the waterfall was cut off, revealing a door behind it. Leon climbed up first before reaching down to give Ada a hand. This time, she took it willingly and was surprised how soft his palm and fingers were. Why did she not notice that earlier?

She clambered up quickly and both scrambled to tug the door open. It swung towards them with a loud screech and they burst through the opening, shutting the door behind them before the spiders got too close.

"Hopefully they don't know how to open doors," Leon said jokingly and Ada suppressed a chuckle at his absurd suggestion, choosing to take in her surroundings of the mine shaft. This location wasn't on the map that Wesker gave her.

Her gun was raised as they made their way down the walkway towards an empty tram station. Was this freedom at last?

"You don't think this would be a way out, would you?" Leon asked.

Ada shrugged and replied, "It won't hurt to try that console over there."

With a nod, Leon walked over to the console, randomly punching a few buttons before they heard the whirring of gears in the distance. Slowly but surely, a tram pulled into view from the darkness.

"Not bad," Ada gave him a small smile and the duo boarded the tram. It was her turn to return the favour and she operated the controls, setting the tram to go back to where it came from.

"You're a great shot," Leon said during the ride and deciding to remain friendly, Ada chatted with him.

"Thank you, my father taught me."

It was a lie but there was no need for him to know the truth.

"He should take over the marksmanship trainer's position at the police academy then."

There was a twinge of sadness as memories of her own father threatened to resurface but she reined it in, "He's dead."

For the second time that day, Leon chided himself for making Ada uncomfortable, "My condolences. Perhaps you could train our cadets instead? I could use a few more refresher lessons myself."

Ada raised an eyebrow at him. Was he attempting to flirt with her again? If so, he was doing it in a rather charming way and performing a much better job compared to his previous attempt.

Before they could continue the conversation though, a misshapen claw suddenly punctured through the ceiling and the sheer force from the unexpected intrusion knocked Ada off her feet.

"Ada!"

Leon fired off a round and the monster outside the tram screamed, retracting the claw as it did.

Thankfully Ada was unharmed and she quickly stood up with her pistol readied, "I'm fine."

Both of them took turns shooting at Birkin's claw, watching for signs of dust falling from the ceiling before the talon punched through. It was a morbid game of whack a mole.

After a few rounds of emptying their bullets, the tram shook and the clawing came to an end. The couple remained quiet, staying on guard lest the Birkin beast returned. It was a tense few minutes but the vehicle pulled into the station without incident. The writing on the wall read that they had arrived at a factory within the chemical plant. Ada was pleased, she was _close_ to the lab. Boy, was she glad to have found this short cut.

After Leon picked up a key from the floor, thanks to a flare illuminating its location, they proceeded to the next area which was crawling with zombies. There was not enough space to walk around the creatures and without a word, both positioned themselves back to back in the narrow corridor and stood their ground, mowing down the undead. Nothing was said between them as one fired while the other reloaded their weapon. It was rare for Ada to encounter someone who just _knew_ her next move without speaking. Leon would have made a _great_ partner. Plus, his good looks were a bonus too. There was no doubt he would attempt to persuade her to take up the trainer position now.

The spy mentally chided herself for such thoughts. She had to think rationally.

_Too bad he's on the opposite side of the law._ _They will kill him, Wong. Do not get attached._

Her thoughts were interrupted by Leon pushing her shoulder down, forcing her to get down on her knees. A wad of acrid spit flew over their heads from an odd zombie that spat instead of going after them for their flesh.

"Sorry, I kept asking you to duck but you appeared to be lost in thought," Leon apologized as he raised his handgun and fired off a round into the spitter's skull. It fell to the ground and a small pool of acidic sputum pooled out of its agape mouth.

_Well Wong, you should let him stay around longer. He just saved your neck._

Perhaps fatigue was getting to her for failing to notice the spitter. Even the most highly trained agents needed some sleep and rest to refuel. It was a good thing the cop was by her side. Ada didn't know it then but Leon Kennedy was slowly growing on her and she appreciated his presence.

After traversing more corridors and dispatching another wave of zombies in silence, they reached a ladder and were _finally_ able to catch their breaths. They had chanced upon another control room cum break room. A little lounge area was situated off to the side with a couple of flasks and lunch boxes scattered on the table. No doubt the food and drinks had decomposed long ago. They could only rest a while before heading off again.

Ada heaved a sigh of relief, "We have finally arrived." A working computer console caught her eye and she walked up to it, "There must be something hidden here." She began to fiddle with the controls before remembering that the blonde cop was standing behind her, a little lost on what to do.

"Why don't you take a look around?"

That would also give her time to see how close she was to the laboratory. She would not be able to do that with him hanging around.

"Right, I'll be right back," Leon replied softly.

As if she was possessed by some unknown force, she replied, "Be careful."

Why did she have to say that?

The blonde nodded before leaving the room to scout out more of the factory.

* * *

Ada composed herself after he left and she did her best to slice the console. It was mostly futile, the thing was busted and most of the information left were corrupted. The only data she managed to find was that they were _above_ the labs and the way to access it was via a tram ride. She looked at the one camera screen that was still functional. It revealed a wide empty cavern outside the room, almost circular in shape. It was big enough to contain a tram! There had to be a way to summon it.

Leon then appeared on screen, riding a lift shaft at the edge of the cavern, and he ran towards the camera. Was he being chased by something? She readied her pistol as he appeared back in the control room a few seconds later.

"You wouldn't believe the lengths I had to go through to get this," Leon said breathlessly as he fished out a key from his pocket and inserted it into a slot on the control panel in front of them.

There was a click and mechanical whirring was heard in the background as some sort of heavy machinery was activated.

"I'm sure you can tell me later," Ada said, not wanting to waste any more time and mostly because she did not want to engage in any more small talk with him. It was getting more dangerous, spending time with the cop as the minutes ticked by. One wrong slip and she would be drawn to him.

He nodded, "Come on, let's go."

To Ada's pleasant surprise, a tram platform now appeared in the empty cavernous space. Would this lead them straight to the laboratory? Ada could not get her hopes up and she decided to be cautiously optimistic. Leon made his way to the panel at the side and pushed a button. The tram honked a few times, signalling that it was above to move off. Both of them climbed into the tram's cabin and the entire platform shuddered as it moved downwards.

"Think this is a good time to tell my story now?" Leon asked and Ada could not believe how persistent he was to get her to warm up to him. She resisted the grin that was threatening to form on her lips.

The moment was ruined when the cabin began to shake and a growl was heard from the outside. Suddenly, the side of the tram car buckled and a claw punched its way in, striking Ada in the right shoulder. The spy yelped and fell to the ground in pain. "I guess not..." She replied as her other hand clutched the wound to stem the bleeding.

"Ada!" Leon shouted in surprise and knelt down to check on her injuries. "Ada, can you hear me? Come on, snap out of it."

All Ada could do was breathe heavily on the floor, concentrating on the sheer agony in her shoulder as she willed the pain away. In the background, she could hear Leon shuffling around the cabin, probably looking for a medkit. He must have failed in locating one as she was vaguely aware of the blonde shutting the door to the cabin behind him, leaving her alone on the floor as she slowly bled.

The sounds of gunfire and growls were the last things Ada heard before blacking out.

* * *

Warmth and softness… That was what Ada felt in her dreams. She could feel a pair of warm arms encircling her form before she was gingerly laid on a cushy surface. If only she was able to rest here for eternity, never having to face the harsh reality of life.

A rather violent convulsion followed by shrill beeping brought her out of her sleep. It was not welcomed at all as the pain flared up in her arm and she grunted. Opening her eyes, she spotted a pair of blue irises gazing at her intensely.

"Welcome back," Leon said with relief.

She replied him with a groan.

"Hey, take it easy. We're inside Umbrella's secret lab. I'll go find something to treat that wound. So just rest here in the mean time," he said reassuringly.

_Umbrella's secret lab._

Leon just had to say the magic words… Why did he have to mention the labs? They were here at last and the lab facility was the _one_ place she had been desperately trying _so_ hard to get to since the start of her assignment. It triggered her resolve to see the mission to the end. Now she had no choice but to abandon the cop.

"But, I'll only slow you down with these injuries. Go. Save yourself," Ada replied softly as she turned her head away from him. She _could not_ allow his good nature influence her any longer. Plus, what she said was the truth.

The blonde cop sighed irritably, "Is it just me or does everybody ignore what I say? I told you, it's my job to look after you."

Damn it, why did he have to do this to her? Why did he have to be so selfless and make her feel _guilty_?

"But," Ada returned his gaze, "you'll be in danger if you stay with me. I know I've only known you for a short period of time..." Her breath turned a little shaky as she grew frustrated with herself for allowing this moment of weakness, "But I really _enjoy_ being with you."

Leon was surprised by the revelation and gazed down, lost for words, "I..." A rapid blush was blooming on his cheeks.

"I know... I'm not capable of caring about anyone but, I _don't_ want to lose you," Ada said earnestly, dooming herself for developing feelings for this rookie cop.

Leon replied gently, "We're leaving this place together. Wait here for me. I'll be right back." He squeezed her fingers before departing the tram car.

Ada committed the touch of his warm fingers to memory. It was impossible for them to have a life together after this. Just this **once**, she would let herself be happy with the memory of Leon being so kind and sweet to her. She had dedicated years of her life to the service of The Academy, she _deserved_ to have a moment of joy to herself.

Not long after he left, the platform suddenly moved down, carrying Ada along into the depths of the unknown.

It came to a stop with a loud clang and Ada pushed herself to sit up, gathering her thoughts and compartmentalizing them. Now was her chance to retrieve the sample. Her fingers quickly fumbled for what little herbs she had in her pouch. They were usually best eaten but in this case, she applied them topically onto the wound. She hissed as they stung but after a minute, the pain subsided into a more manageable throb. With one working arm left, she crudely made a bandage around the injury site to keep the herbs in place.

Ada strode out of the tram cabin and poked around her surroundings, finding a grotesque blob on the floor stained with ooze. It was the same colour as Birkin's claw… A tissue fragment, perhaps? It didn't hurt to obtain it. Her client would be interested to get their hands on whatever they could. Tearing off a piece of her dress and fishing a small metal tube from her pouch, she covered her fingers with the dress fabric and slowly pushed the tissue fragment into the sample tube. When the sample was safe and secured, Ada clicked the tube shut and flung the fabric over her shoulder, allowing it to flutter into the empty cavern below the tram platform.

Now that she was done, the spy allowed herself to look up and was greeted with the word "LABORATORY" that was embossed in white paint on the wall. Ada felt invigorated by the mere sight of the word and with renewed energy, she pulled out the security card that Wesker gave to her and swiped the plastic into the nearest card terminal.

The door beside the terminal opened up to reveal a hideous plant with tendrils that reached out for her. It no longer surprised her that the lab was overrun by more experiments as well. The spy rolled out of harm's way and dispatched the B.O.W. with ease. Now to get to the culture room to retrieve a sample of the T virus.

* * *

It wasn't easy but the sample retrieval was a success and she still had plenty of ammunition to spare. Perhaps now she could make her escape… but what about Leon? He was the one who found the key to bring up the tram that allowed them access to the labs. Like it or not, she owed him a couple of favours and she did not appreciate people using that excuse to make her do their bidding. Might as well get it done and over with.

There was one problem though, the complex was huge and he could be _anywhere_. It would be searching for a needle in a haystack. Ada frowned at the dilemma that she accidentally created for herself.

Ten minutes. That was all she was going to invest in finding Leon. If the handsome blonde cop did not show up in the next ten minutes, she was going to leave.

The spy went to the nearest security panel which still had live feeds from several functioning cameras. By a stroke of luck, she spotted him lurking around B1. He was peering around corners, carefully keeping an eye out for more zombies. It was time to pay Leon a little visit and help him out.

Riding the elevator back up to B1, she followed the trail of bullet casings left in Leon's wake before ending up in what appeared to be a power room. Ada saw him walking ahead of her and tempted as she was in recreating their first encounter, she chose to make her presence known verbally. She could imagine the smile on his face when he laid eyes on her. Smiles suited him best.

"L-," her words got cut off by a hulking figure in a trench coat jumping down from nowhere, landing behind Leon menacingly. It wasn't Birkin at all. Ada's eyes widened in shock, no monster that she had ever came across was this huge. What was this strange entity?

The cop was startled and ran a few steps away to put as much distance as he could between himself and the enemy. It was obvious that Leon's actions would be futile as the monster slowly gained up on him and he had nowhere left to go.

_No!_

Rousing herself out from her shocked state, Ada raised her handgun and fired into the left side of the monster's back. **No one** was to lay a finger on Leon Kennedy. Screw The Academy, The Organization, the assignment, and the samples. His safety was her responsibility now.

The B.O.W. paused for a second before turning around, fixing its gaze on her.

"Run!" Ada yelled to Leon desperately as the monster decided to advance on her instead.

"Ada!" Leon called out in return, still rooted to the spot.

Why wasn't he running? No matter, she would take down this B.O.W. by herself if she had to and give Leon an earful after that for not helping her out. Ada pulled the trigger rapidly, emptying her clip into the creature's massive form.

It was only when Ada heard the empty clicks of her pistol that she failed to realize that she ran out of bullets at the _worst_ possible moment. The B.O.W. was less than arm's length away from her. The spy quickly reloaded a fresh clip into her pistol but it came at a cost as the monster grabbed her by the throat.

She grunted in pain and swung her legs uselessly beneath her. She was too weak to deliver any strong kicks. Plus, the monster's iron grip was choking her windpipe, cutting off her air supply. Stars swam in her vision and all Leon could do was scream, "Ada!"

The cry of her name sparked a fire in her, a will to carry on fighting. With all her might, she forced herself to stay awake and raised her gun, firing rapidly into the monster's face. It howled in pain as it was rendered blind by the gunshots and it released its hold on Ada by throwing her against the power console so forcefully that it made a dent.

In a span of a few seconds, she felt everything at once. Ada was aware that the monster, clutching its face, flailed around blindly before crashing through a railing, falling backwards into the abyss below. The master key that Wesker gave her was in the outermost pocket of her dress and it fell onto the ground with an audible ding.

And finally, the last thing she felt was white hot pain licking her waist and the sheer agony was nothing that she had ever experienced before in her life. All she could do was clutch her abdomen as warm blood seeped out of her wound, over her fingers that attempted to staunch the bleeding.

A pair of black combat boots came into her vision before the owner of the boots bent down to hold her close. Leon was warm and his embrace was so comforting that she didn't mind staying like this forever.

It was then she finally noticed he was not letting go. No, this wasn't how it was supposed to be. Ada would willingly sacrifice herself but he had to live! He could not die along with her. She will not allow it! She will not let her effort be for naught.

"L-Leon... please. Escape," she looked into his teary blue-grey eyes as she pleaded with him to save himself.

Leon shook his head, "No. We're a team..." The blonde looked away, unable to accept that this was happening. "I can't just leave you behind," his voice was tinged with grief as he returned his gaze to her beautiful face. Leon finally saw the woman behind the mask. Ada had a soul and he was so happy that she returned his mutual attraction.

Ada shook her head and chuckled, "I'm... just... a woman. Who... fell in love with you." She raised her head and their eyes met as she looked at him sadly. "Nothing more." There, she admitted her feelings for him. It was an emotion Ada Wong swore never to feel again and she broke that promise. How did this man manage to make her feel human again in a span of a few hours? He saw _something_ in her that no one else had and she was content to bask in this tenderness in her last moments. At least she would die happy and loved.

Their faces drew closer to each other and both of them pressed their lips together, sharing an affectionate moment. Leon leaned down and held her tight, desperately hoping that the kiss would be able to transfer some vitality into her ailing form. Ada clutched his elbow in return, savouring the last kiss she would have in her rather sorry life. At least she atoned for her sins with this act of altruism.

They held the kiss for a few seconds before parting. It was here that Ada believed that she was going to die as her energy slowly drained out of her body. With one last lingering look at Leon, a real smile formed on Ada's lips and she exhaled a final sigh, glad to have found peace. Her head drooped down after that as she slipped into unconsciousness.

Ada could have sworn that the last thing she heard was Leon crying out her name in anguish as he held her against his trembling body. Or maybe it was just her imagination.

* * *

_Author's Note: Happy Valentine's Day! Sorry for ending the chapter on a rather bittersweet note on this special day. _

_This is the longest chapter I've written so far and it was a work in progress since the beginning of the year. As usual, life and work have made me very busy but don't worry, I will not abandon this story at all. Updates will be slow but I am determined to see this tale to the end. _

_In the first draft, Ada was rather aloof and immune to Leon's charm. So when I wrote the kiss, it did not feel natural at all. I had to go back and insert some extra dialogues and events to make sure Ada was slowly falling in love with him. _

_So yeah, I took some creative liberties to make things believable. Plus, Ada isn't on screen for most of RE2 anyway so I have some leeway to add things here and there. _

_Hopefully 1998 Part 3 will be the last part for the events of 1998. I'm still sorting out some of the plots in my head before I write it out. Part 3 might be as lengthy as Part 2, who knows?_

_Before people get confused, here a rundown on whom Ada works for:_

_The Academy - The place where Ada is trained to be a spy and they loan out their agents on a contract basis._  
_The Organization - An unknown company that requests agents from The Academy to do their dirty work. Ada has been contracted by The Organization to steal a sample of the T-virus._  
_The Family - A mysterious group that is linked to The Organization_

_So right now, Ada is on a temporary contract with The Organization but ultimately, she is still The Academy's employee._

_Anyway guys, if you're reading this, please leave a review. It will really help me know if I'm making progress with my story._

_Onward to reviews!_

_To **Darwine**: There's plenty of Leon in this chapter, I hope you're pleased with that. :)_


	13. 1998, Part III

**Chapter 13 - 1998, Part III**

"The self-destruct sequence has been activated. Repeat. The self-destruct sequence has been activated. This sequence may not be aborted. All employees proceed to the emergency car at the bottom platform."

The continuous blaring of sirens brought Ada out of her state of unconsciousness. The spy opened her eyes, hazily gazing at the ceiling and flashing red lights.

Where was she? How did she get here?

As the alarms continued to wail, she felt a searing sensation on her abdomen and memories of the past few minutes surged through her mind.

She had sacrificed herself for Leon and both of them shared a kiss. Ada could remember him crying out but after that, it was all a blur. Where was he?

"Leon…" the spy croaked weakly but no blonde knight in shining armor came to her side.

Grunting, Ada slowly pushed herself upwards and winced as she felt something sharp pricking her hip. She reached down and found the sharp end of a needle embedded in her flesh. It originated from her side pack. Horrified, the spy opened up her pack and was relieved that both the T and G virus vials remained intact. It was the hemostatic syringe that she kept in her pack which had pierced through the fabric of the pouch, into her body.

The bleeding on her waist had ceased but the wound was left open. She took the last roll of bandages from her kit and wrapped it around her slim stomach, barely covering the injury.

"Repeat. All employees proceed to the bottom platform."

The voice message finally registered in Ada's mind and she had to get out of here right away if she wanted to live. She abandoned all thoughts about Leon. If he had made it this far, he would surely find a way out.

Staggering to her feet, the spy shuffled to the nearest exit and headed straight for the elevator. The emergency train at the bottom platform was her only way out but she had to stabilize herself first. Along with the gaping wound on her waist, she had more lacerations on her arms and legs. She recalled passing by the security office on her way to the labs. There ought to be a medkit in there. That was her new objective; get to the office, patch herself up, and make her way out of this cursed facility.

* * *

Feeling more invigorated after her trip to the office where there were plenty of medical supplies, Ada made her way as fast as she could to the train car, dodging undead and lickers along the way. There was no time left to dispatch them all and she was also running low on ammunition. Twisting her body out of harm's way, Ada did a somersault over a railing and landed on a walkway below that led to the elevator.

However, the display was flashing red, indicating an error with the lift system. Her only route to freedom was cut off. The spy circled around the area and spotted the vents off to the side. Desperate times called for desperate measures. Fingers pulled the rusty grates away from the opening and she slid down the chute, landing on another conveniently located walkway.

The spy only had a moment to survey her surroundings and noticed that she had landed in a big cavern with a red train car sitting in the middle of the tracks.

"5 minutes until detonation."

There was a thump and from her vantage point, she saw a huge naked beast with a mutated forearm advancing on a figure on the train platform. Squinting, Ada saw the figure was clad in a police uniform with an unmistakable shade of blonde hair. Leon was alive! She watched as he dodged a swipe of the monster's claw and fired a grenade round, showering the B.O.W. in flames.

Instinct almost took over her and she gripped the railings, almost tempted to jump down to the platform to aid Leon in his battle.

_Remember the assignment._

A voice whispered in her head and Ada was torn between fleeing and helping him. The logical side of her won the argument. Her current arsenal was useless against this hulking beast and with a heavy heart; she forced herself to turn away. If Leon was destined to survive and win the battle, he would. Ada swiftly moved away into an adjoining corridor and was greeted with a handily placed weapons locker.

Ada did not question her good fortune and she pulled out her lockpick set, working her magic on the keyhole. There was a click and the spy pulled the door open to reveal a bounty of loot within. There were grenades, ammo bullets, magazines, and a rocket launcher. She took what she could carry, ignoring the bulky RPG sitting at the bottom of the locker. Then, an idea formed in her head.

She dragged the weapon out of the locker and hauled it to the walkway overlooking the platform. Leon was still fighting the B.O.W. with every ounce of strength that he had.

"Here. Use this!" Ada yelled from within the shadows above the platform and threw the RPG to the platform below with a loud clang. The spy crouched soon after to hide away from Leon's line of sight.

"Ada? Is that you?" Leon called out from below and it took everything that she had to remain quiet. "Ada!"

There was a growl and the spy heard Leon grunt with effort as he carried the weapon.

"Game over," she heard the cop say and the sound was drowned out by an explosion as the rocket was triggered. Ada sneaked a glance over the railing and witnessed the tyrant being blasted into smithereens. Leon had emerged victorious. Without giving him an opportunity to call out to her again, the spy disappeared into the shadows. She was not getting on that train and had to find other ways to do so within a few short minutes.

* * *

Ada stunk with the stench of sewage and perspiration as she kicked up the water beneath her feet. The Asian woman almost collided with the wall in front of her and she glanced behind carefully with her one good eye. It was all quiet. Finally, the spy shook off the monsters that were tailing her. She leaned against the wall for support and inhaled deeply, catching her breath and indulging in a moment of rest.

She had sought refuge in the sewers during the night, thinking that she would be safe from the horrors above. After the first hour of trudging within the lab facility's radius without fanfare, she soon realized that the rest of the city's sewer system was teeming with infected as well. Most were not as innocuous as the ones she encountered with Leon and she learned her lesson after one hunter managed to hurl a brick on one side of her face, temporarily blinding her left eye. It became a tireless night as she ran for her life.

"I need to get out of here," Ada whispered to herself as she renewed her resolve to accomplish her mission. She had obtained the samples and only needed to get out of the city. The spy pushed forward, fighting off more hunters and spiders with ammunition she had salvaged earlier. Near the end of the tunnel, Ada spotted sunlight streaming down from an opening with a ladder attached to it.

If her memory of the city map was right, salvation should be close. Slender fingers grabbed the rungs of the ladder and she climbed upwards. Peeking her head out of the manhole opening, she smiled with delight. Ada was in front of Apple Inn.

_My contact should be here by now. We were supposed to meet in that hotel._

She pulled herself onto the streets and looked around. This was the place. Then, the barking of dogs in the distance caught her attention and the pitter patter of running footsteps grew progressively louder. Out of the corner, a half-decomposing Rottweiler made a beeline for her and Ada fired a shot into its cranium, ending the poor creature's life. But it was not over yet, its fellow companions came out of nowhere and began to charge at her. With pinpoint accuracy, the spy disposed of them all.

There was no time to waste and she quickly entered the inn to find the lobby full of zombies. The spy backed out, slamming the main doors shut before running out into the streets again to take the fire escape that hugged the side of the hotel. Ada entered the third floor corridor and headed for a room in the corner. Pushing the door open, the stench of death greeted her and she found a dead man in a chair with a pool of blood soaking the carpet beneath his feet.

"He lost his will and chose death. He was weak," a familiar baritone voice rang out from a portable monitor on the table in front of the deceased.

Ada was pleasantly surprised, "Wesker..."

It was usually beneath him to oversee assignments and the fact he was talking to an operative of The Academy would mean that he had finally revealed that he was still alive.

"And you Ada... You have also failed. Your actions in betraying us and helping that Leon fellow will have consequences for our organization."

Ada cursed herself for failing to notice the cameras in Umbrella's facility. Even if the complex appeared to be abandoned, the surveillance equipment was still working if one had the master passcode…

She had made the number one mistake which was showing her weakness for the cop. The spy closed her eyes to steel her anger. She will not take the bait. Without acknowledging Wesker's remark about Leon, she pulled out a vial from her side pack and placed it on the table in front of the monitor.

"See this? It's a tissue fragment with Birkin's G-virus."

Wesker titled his head, observing the sample that his student had obtained. He placed a hand on his chin, clearly impressed. "Well, despite some setbacks, you have proven your value to us."

His tone of voice then turned serious, "Ada, there are two things you must be made aware of. One, in just moments, Raccoon City will be completely eradicated by a government launched missile."

A look of disgust showed up on her face and she frowned hard at the monitor. She knew The Family had people within the government. Didn't they know they had someone working for them trapped in the city?

"And Two; an Umbrella officer will be leaving town on a helicopter._ If_ you are not on it, there will be no way to leave Raccoon City."

Wesker proceeded to punch some buttons off screen and the briefcase on the floor suddenly opened up with a soft hiss. Ada glanced at the new gadget that lay within its confines. It was a grappling hook. That would make traversing through the city a little easier.

"Try to get off the helicopter before the officer notices you. After all, you are stealing from his company. It is in our best interest that you survive. The G-virus sample is required." And without any more additional comments, Wesker ended the transmission.

Ada was slightly taken aback by her mentor's coldness. The only time he bothered with people were those he could manipulate for his own ends. Even though she knew that operatives were always dispensable, something _changed _upon her meeting with Leon. Her world will always be full of deceit. No one will look at her with genuine warmth.

The spy knew that Wesker was keeping her alive as she was still _useful_. The day she would stop being profitable would be the day she would be discarded like trash.

Ada looked at the vial in her palm before glancing out of the window furtively.

_If the T-virus did this, what would happen if the G-virus got out? _

Was this the life she would always have? Stealing items for whoever was the highest bidder even if a potential weapon landed in the hands of a bad guy?

She shook those thoughts out of her head. Now was not the time to think of what ifs. Ada Wong had a chopper to catch.

_I will make it back. I have to._

* * *

The spy was relentless upon leaving the inn, gunning down hunters, dogs, and crows. Anything that got in her way was immediately terminated without further delay. The usage of her hookshot aided in her escape too as she sailed above blockades and the undead that reached up for her.

Landing gracefully on a fire escape, Ada turned around to take aim at a couple of explosive barrels on the street below as she retracted her grappling hook. She discharged her handgun and the zombies soon became a charred mess. The spy looked at her hookshot, liking the new toy with each passing second. There would be more time to think about her arsenal later as she disappeared into the warehouse behind her.

Alas, the zombies seemed to swell in number as the clock counted down. It was as if the infected knew the inevitable destruction of the city was imminent.

"Do you mind? I'm in a hurry," the spy muttered to the horde in front of her as she fought her way past them. She had to get to the rooftop soon.

A few minutes later, Ada kicked the door on the uppermost floor open with a scream and relished the feeling of being outdoors as she was bathed in the gentle glow of the Sun. The tired woman was drenched in perspiration and undead entrails but relaxed upon seeing that the side of the freeway had caved onto the very roof she was standing on, granting her access to the freeway.

A cacophony of caws pierced through the stillness in the air and once again, her tough fight to freedom was interrupted by crows. There were gunned down in less than a minute and Ada quickly ran onto the collapsed Zapata Beer billboard that led to the freeway. What she was greeted with was a long stretch of road full of cars abandoned in a haphazard manner.

As if sensing her presence, the road began to quake and a giant tyrant similar to the one Leon fought in the lab jumped up to meet her. The spy rolled out of the way to observe its movements. It kept running straight for her with its spiked claw outstretched, attempting to take a swipe. Ada only had to duck at the last second to evade the attack. The monster always wasted time yelling with rage before repeating its dull game of cat and mouse.

_It's quick but predictable._

Ada thought to herself as she led the beast to a few explosive barrels strewn along the freeway. The tyrant never learned after being repeatedly lit on fire and it dropped dead after the third explosion.

The sound of whirring propellers echoed in the distance and Ada looked up, seeing the silhouette of a helicopter draw nearer to the freeway. She noted that there was a cargo container hanging beneath it. The spy broke into a run, jumping on top of cars to observe the chopper's trajectory. It was slowly heading out of the city but there was too much in the way for Ada to get a good angle to utilize her hookshot.

"I need to get higher."

She looked around and spotted a truck a few feet from her. That was her ticket to leaving this forsaken city.

Gathering all her strength, Ada performed an impressive feat of aerial acrobatics and grappled her way to the top of the vehicle. Just in time, the chopper was passing by overhead and Ada took aim with her hookshot and fired. There was a satisfying thud as the hook's claw embedded itself into side of the container.

With a sharp tug, Ada felt herself get lifted off the truck and she ran along the top of the vehicle to gain momentum before pulling the trigger, reeling herself upwards. There was a loud click-clack sound and she turned around to spot a hunter chasing after her as a last ditch attempt to acquire another victim.

The cable was still pulling her up when the hunter leapt into the air. Ada quickly swung her body forward before pushing herself back, kicking the B.O.W. in the face. She felt its claw barely grazing her foot before hearing a loud crash below. The spy looked down and smirked, the silly creature had just smashed into the windshield of a car. She also noted that she was missing one of her shoes.

"You can have it!" Ada called out mockingly before safely landing on top of the container.

_U.M.F.-013…?_

She read the words on the screen attached to the top of the cargo vessel but they held no meaning to her. The spy was brought out of her thoughts when a loud roar rumbled in the distance. Ada looked up just as the missile streaked past her, leaving chemtrails in its wake. She quickly grabbed a hold of one of the cables supporting the container and pressed herself flat against the metal.

Behind her, the payload detonated over the heart of the city in a blinding flash of white light that Ada could see behind her closed eyelid.

The operative did not know how long she held onto the cable but she silently counted the minutes. When it ticked to fifteen, she opened her eye to discover they were flying over a mountain range and the tree line was getting closer and closer. It was time to disembark. Ensuring that the items in her sidepack were secure, she stood up and steadied herself, aiming at a sturdy branch in her line of sight.

With a soft whoosh, her grappling hook shot out and she sailed away from the chopper, its occupants none the wiser about their hitchhiker.

* * *

The Academy picked her up eventually and whisked her away to its nearest medical facility. When the spy landed, she was immediately knocked out without explanation.

Ada found herself in a sterile white room when she awoke. She was surprised that her injured eye could open again even though there was a clear plastic shield in front of it. A soft beeping sound emanated from beside her and assessing the condition of her body, Ada slowly pushed herself off the bed. Her wounds ached but there was no searing agony.

Upon sensing her motions, the eating tray on her bed whirred to life and slowly slid towards her. Ada watched with keen fascination at the display of technology in front of her. The spy noted the communications device on the tray. With a sigh, she picked up the gadget and thumbed the screen. There was a recording for her in the inbox and she let it play.

It was a standard congratulatory message from her current contracted employer, The Organization, praising her for obtaining the samples and also asking her to have a well deserved rest before returning to The Academy's headquarters for 'something special'. The message ended with a rather substantial six figure sum being deposited into her account. Finally, they were acknowledging her skill and efforts.

She placed the device back on the table and it started ringing from an unknown number. Ada raised an eyebrow at the rather inconvenience of picking it up again and she accepted the call.

"Hello, Miss Wong," a sleazy voice said from the other side, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand. The owner of the voice was none other than Derek Simmons. She was going to have to change her number after this.

"This is a private Academy channel, Simmons," Ada spat back.

"I called in a favour. Anyway, I know you're recuperating and I would like to apologize for that."

The spy nearly retched, "Don't think too highly of yourself."

"Hear me out, Miss Wong. I hope you won't blame me for voting for the missile strike on Raccoon. If I knew you were still in the city, I would have called it off."

Her blood ran cold instantly. So, he was on the board that ordered the annihilation of the city. Simmons was a snake like all the other government officials. His honeyed words will not sway her. Now that he had shown his true colors, Ada knew her gut instincts were right all along. This man could _never_ be trusted. Plus, his obsession with her would make him dangerous. She had to cut him out like a tumour before it metastasized.

"I see. Let me give you some advice, Simmons. Stop deluding yourself and don't contact me again."

She disconnected the call before he could even reply.

As if on cue, the door to her room opened and a woman in a nurse's outfit carried a plate of food to her, placing it on the tray table before leaving. Now Ada had something to distract herself with.

The sight and scent of her meal made Ada's stomach rumble with hunger and she shoveled the curried rice into her mouth while thinking about Raccoon's destruction.

_Raccoon… Leon!_

Thoughts of the blonde sent her heart racing and she instinctively reached out for her gadget, attempting to contact a hacker she had in mind. Before she could touch her communications device, she curled her fingers into a fist to stop herself in her tracks. Even if the device was for her own personal use, the gadget was still The Academy's property. Ada could not risk them knowing about Leon.

The spy had to be patient and use other means to ascertain if Leon was still alive. She would have to wait till she was discharged.

* * *

_He is alive. Leon S. Kennedy is alive! _

Ada had just finished her workout and returned to the hotel when she received the good news. Almost immediately, she began packing her bags as her hacker promised her that he would send the blonde's current address within the hour.

After she was given a clean bill of health, the operative requested some downtime to herself. Using the excuse that she had to unwind and recharge herself after being out of shape for a couple of weeks. The Academy was insistent that she return back to HQ as soon as possible but her charisma won them over. If she did not take the opportunity now, The Academy would pack her schedule for the next year or so, preventing her from conducting her own investigation regarding the rookie cop.

What would she wear? The torn and tattered red dress from Raccoon was folded away in a garment bag somewhere in her suitcase. She had a dress that had a plunging neckline but she shouldn't seem too eager. But she shouldn't appear too formal either if she wore pantsuit. No, her reunion with Leon would be casual. Plus, he was under the government's wing now. A man of his position deserved some dolling up.

Ada laid out a red turtleneck and a black skirt on the bed before pulling her t-shirt off her torso. She gazed at the image of herself in the mirror where a jagged scar now adorned her waist. The rest of her wounds had healed but the injuries to her abdomen proved too much for her body to handle. Ada had to think up of a cover story for this scar if she had to get in bed next time. But now was not the time.

There was a buzzing on the bed and Ada thought that it came from her new, personal phone. Alas, she was disappointed when she saw The Academy issued communications device glowing faintly.

She opened her inbox and was greeted by an image of her dead father. Ada had almost forgotten that The Academy would send her a supposedly new picture every year to entice her to stay. To remind her that his body was still in their hands and if she wanted his corpse back, she will have to work for them. Her fate was still ultimately in their hands.

_Dear Miss Wong,_

_I hope this finds you well. There is a reward waiting for you upon your return. It is strongly recommended that you are here by the end of the week._

_\- The Academy_

Just as she was done reading the note, her phone buzzed with a message from the hacker. It was the message that she was waiting for with bated breath and now, it felt like a stone was dropped into her stomach.

It had been a long time since she felt so exposed.

Ada cursed at The Academy's impeccable timing. It reminded her that no secret could ever be truly hidden away from their prying eyes. As much as she desired to, contacting Leon Kennedy now would _endanger_ him, no matter how careful she was.

A war of words waged in her head as the cocky side of her tried to give her a reason.

_You have been in The Academy's employ for a while, Ada! Think of yourself for once! Make yourself truly happy!_

However, her practical mind provided a counter.

_Don't be a fool, Wong. He will __**never**__ be safe. If you don't want him dead or ruined like your father, you will leave him be. He was just an infatuation, nothing more._

For the first time in ages, Ada cried out in anguish.

She picked up her communications gadget and hurled it against the pillow where it bounced harmlessly onto the bedding below.

Hot tears of anger trailed down her cheeks as she allowed herself this moment of vulnerability. Ada felt like the little girl she was fourteen years ago when Daddy passed away.

The changes between then and now were dramatic. No longer was she the sweet, innocent schoolgirl. Now she was a ruthless assassin.

Was she proud of herself? Happy with where she is now? What was the point of having riches and enjoying the luxuries of comfort when her heart was aching and lonely?

Catching her reflection in the mirror once more, she walked up to it, fingering her once unblemished abs. "I'm not Ada Wong anymore..." she whispered tearfully to herself. This was a facade that The Academy crafted for her. Even her current pseudonym wasn't hers to begin with.

"This is Ada's scar, not mine," the raven haired woman said as she attempted to calm herself. She never wanted _this_ life at all.

Could she give up this role and walk away from espionage? She was just so tired of _everything_. Ada slumped against the nearest wall and dropped down, cradling her knees to her chest as she unleashed the agony contained within her.

The Asian woman did not know how long she sat sobbing on the floor but when she dried her tears, her resolve was renewed. She could not give up now, not when she was _so_ close in retrieving Guo Xiang's body. Going off the grid like that would set off alarm bells and The Academy would hunt her down to the ends of the World. She needed a well crafted plan.

She may not like the old Ada that she portrayed herself to be but she could be borrow certain aspects to make herself _stronger_.

And so, Ada Wong was reborn anew like a butterfly hatching from its cocoon. No longer would she follow orders blindly. Now she was going to play the game and abide her time. It would take years but once her objective of obtaining her father's corpse was fulfilled, she will reveal herself to Leon. For now, the blonde had to be kept at arm's length.

Picking her phone, she deleted the message that contained Leon's address. The man was _clever _enough to survive Raccoon City, he would be more than capable to handle himself without her interference.

Ada continued packing her bags. She needed to head back to The Academy before they grew suspicious.

* * *

Striding into the room with confidence, Ada cast a steely gaze towards her former trainers seated in a row along one side of the conference table. She took a seat across them and laced her fingers together, waiting for one of them to speak.

The man in the suit was there too and he was the first to welcome her back.

"Congratulations on your successful assignment in Raccoon City, Miss Wong. It must be quite an accomplishment to add such an event in your resume. Not many would have been able to escape such a disastrous nightmare."

Ada smiled, knowing he was buttering her up. She replied with equal pleasantries, "The Academy has trained me well. I was able to utilize the skills I learned to survive in that wretched city."

"We only handpick the best."

_By getting rid of the weak…_

The spy thought to herself and changed the subject, "I assume you called me here for a briefing. What is my next task?"

All of the trainers exchanged glances with each other and looked back at their boss.

The suited man shook his head, "I'm afraid there isn't a mission for you, Miss Wong..."

Her body tensed up slightly. His words sounded ominous and it felt like they were going to terminate her. Well, she already had an escape plan. The table was light enough to be flipped over and she could use it for cover. However, the spy's thoughts were interrupted...

"In fact, we would like to release you from this establishment. Even though it pains us to lose such a capable operative, it is about time you graduated and expand your options. Many agencies have heard of you and constantly ask us if you are for hire but we turned them down as we are not partnered with them. It would be a shame to restrict such talent."

Ada blinked. They were letting her go? That was great news!

"That's very kind of you but there seems to be an issue. Where's my father?" She eyed the head of The Academy and he returned her gaze, never letting his sight waver.

"Yes, about that… Unfortunately there has been a slight complication ever since the Raccoon City incident. We have been forced to go underground with our research. Assets have to be moved around to avoid the government's prying eyes. All research resources have been placed on an indefinite lockdown. We will contact you once we are able to access them once again."

It all sounded too good to be true and Ada knew if she probed, they would spin more excuses and lies. She would _cautiously_ believe them… for now.

"Alright. I shall handover Academy issued equipment and start searching for some gadgets to call my own."

Ada relinquished her keycard, her communications device, and a pistol, laying them on the table. There were still other items that belonged to them and she will ship them back soon.

"I do hope you are open to accepting jobs from us in the future, Ada."

The spy smiled back at them, "I'll have to see my schedule. Until then, is that all?"

They nodded and waved her off, "Best of luck, Miss Wong."

The raven haired woman left the headquarters and within a week of being an independent agent for hire, she vanished from the face of the Earth, cutting off all contact from The Academy, The Organization, and The Family.

She wanted nothing to do with them. They made her life complicated enough.

* * *

Sipping on her cocktail in the private booth, Ada waited for her fellow companion to arrive. He was always a stickler for punctuality but ever since his transformation, he was always 'busy'. The spy was half-tempted to call him out on it. Though given their previous encounter where he overpowered her, she thought twice about incurring his ire.

It was no surprise that he reached out for her. After all, Wesker did have a hand in training her and there was some degree of respect for him. Plus, he was one of the first who managed to find her after she gained her independence. If she truly wanted to disappear, she would have to be more thorough next time.

Well manicured fingers took hold of the glass and she took a long sip. At this rate, she would be on her third order if he did not show up soon. Thankfully the booth had a privacy curtain and she was free from any rats that wanted a simple hook up.

A few minutes passed before the curtain was pulled aside and a blonde man in a black cloak took his seat across from her. Albert Wesker finally showed up.

She took in his appearance, it was no different from what he wore last time. He didn't smell either so either he did not perspire or he had bought multiple pieces of the same outfit.

"I know it's Autumn but wearing a cloak and sunglasses indoors is rather conspicuous."

Albert's nose flared briefly, "Have some faith and manners, Ada. Anyone who _attempts_ to follow me are promptly terminated."

"Mm, let's get down to business shall we? I know you are a busy man."

"I am offering you a job in my organization, Ada."

She raised an eyebrow, "Oh? And how many people are in it at the moment?"

Even if he wasn't showing it, Ada knew Albert was _glaring_ at her behind his glasses. He tapped his fingers on the table before replying, "I have just begun my recruitment and I only want the _best_."

Ada placed a hand on her chest, "I am flattered. However, I have received offers from other agencies too. What makes yours any different from the rest of them?"

"Do any of those agencies have a human who came back from the dead?"

He did make a fair point.

"They boast of power but this," Wesker pointed to his chest, "is _true_ power. No amount of money or influence can get what is coursing through my veins. No one will look down on our organization and we will be respected from the get go."

"We? I don't recall accepting your offer, Albert."

He curled his hand into a fist, "Rejecting my offer will be an _unwise _choice, Ada."

The spy continued to smile at him calmly, "I didn't say I would reject it either. I am currently taking a much needed vacation before I start my job hunt. You could always recruit more while I contemplate on my decision."

He would not say it out loud but Wesker was proud of her poker face. He had taught her well.

"Very well. I expect to hear good news from you after your vacation is over," Albert said and stood up to leave the booth.

Once more, Ada was left alone. Not even two weeks into her holiday and she already secured employment. She knew that Wesker had the potential to be a big fish and not working for him would be a bad mistake. He wasn't offering her a job because he was nice about it, oh no. Albert needed the _best_ because he could utilize all their talent to achieve what **he** wanted. What his true desire was, Ada did not have an inkling but she knew he would kill her if she said no. The spy will have to carefully dance and work her way around the manipulation game with him in the future.

That was alright, they were used to being exploited and backstabbed. It was time to use that to their advantage. Their partnership would last for a while...

She drained her glass and decided to order some food to celebrate her impending employment. After all, money was still needed to pay the bills. It didn't matter how she earned it.

* * *

Standing in her hotel room dressed in a green cheongsam, Ada slid on a pair of dangling earrings and draped a pink scarf over her shoulders. The charity dinner was due to start in an hour and Albert had instructed her to persuade one of the guests to join the 3rd Organization using whatever means necessary.

That usually meant bedding the client and she was fine with it. There was an itch that needed to be scratched and she usually fulfilled it on her own terms. Thoughts of a handsome rookie cop plagued her mind on lonely nights but she forced herself to contain her lust. She could not allow herself to become distracted. All feelings for him should hopefully dissipate over time...

The 3rd Organization… Such an uncreative name. She did not know the significance behind the number. Just as long Albert paid her handsomely, she did not care about the ridiculous name.

Ada strolled over to the window overlooking the bay. The Sun was setting and its rays cast a warm glow over the water. If the spy had a proper camera on her, she would not mind capturing an image of the gorgeous scenery before her eyes. This was one of the perks of espionage, she was always treated to breathing taking views.

The moment was interrupted by a knock on the door. That was the signal to leave and Ada sighed inwardly. If only Wesker wasn't so impatient.

She would have to get used to it though, he was going to be her employer for a while and it would be foolish to continuously step on his toes. He might have retained his smarts but _something_ about him unsettled her. Ada could not pinpoint it yet but there was a stark change in her mentor after the Mansion Incident.

Whatever it was, she was going to steer clear of him while maintaining her professionalism by doing her job well.

Picking up her clutch containing some nifty gadgets, the Asian woman left the hotel room to attend the dinner, making small steps towards her goal.

* * *

_Author's Note: Hi there! Apologies for the long wait, work left me busy and stressed out for months, making me unmotivated to write anything. I only started writing this chapter in between jobs. Yep, I found a new job and started it recently so there might be yet another long wait for the next chapter once more._

_Fret not, I am still determined to see this story to the very end!_

_I am aware there will be a new game, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and the new CGI movie Resident Evil: Vendetta that are slated to be released next year. My story will NOT be connected to these two new tales at all as I had already had Ada's life all planned out in my head for a long time._

_Anyway, time to discuss the events in this chapter. I made some slight tweaks to the Death's Door scenario in Umbrella Chronicles, changing the dialogue and sequence of events just a little bit to fit the narrative._

_This is also my own take on what is going through Ada's mind in the RE3 epilogue. We know Ada is not her real name and I figured for that one vulnerable moment, she "reverts" back to her true self as she reflects about her life as a spy. Does she enjoy it? Does she regret it? I honestly think it's both. She's so cocky and confident in RE4 &amp; Damnation but you see a hint of frustration and vulnerability in RE6. I wish to see more of the latter and I hope I portrayed that well in this chapter._

_Now for the reviews!_

_To **sculver92**: I intend to end the story some time after the end of RE6. I have it all planned out in my head so this story will carry on for a while!_

_To **Epic Zealot Productions 2.0**: Maybe? I'll leave it up to your imagination. ;)_

_To **rikatatikawa**: Thank you! I will definitely see this story to the end._

_To **ThElusiveShadow**: Thank you for liking this story! I hope you have continued to read the rest of the chapters and enjoyed this tale of_ Ada's life.


End file.

Resident Evil, Drama, Romance