Main Hallway 2-West

[officer_leon]

[from hereLeon was still debating his options when he reached the second floor. Again, it was more or less empty. He shined his flashlight down the hall, trying to see if there was anyone (or anything) else around. The weak beam couldn't penetrate the dark shadows. If someone was lying in wait, they were pretty well hidden

Comments

[rectifies]

[From here. Tell me if you're expecting someone, Leon-mun, and I'll boot the kid.]

Getting to the second level kitchen meant taking a route he and Yukari traveled through a couple of nights prior. That did not mean Ken was at all familiar with the area; in fact, his knowledge of the institute was very limited. If memory served him correctly, the boy had only been on the second floor twice since his arrival.

Thank goodness, then, for the map and his fairly excellent memory.

Ken crept cautiously away from the stairs. Right. Then left at the first corner. Then the door at the end of the hallway. Sounded pretty simple, he decided, but it was probably best to keep the pace slow and his person to the wall. It would be easier to fend off a potential attack as spears had a pesky reaction time in close quarters.

For all his discretion, however, the boy completely missed a man standing nearby. This resulted in a near collision with the person in question, with Ken stepping back in time before the pointy end of his weapon met something soft.

The guy had almost given him a heart attack. "S-Sorry!" he blurted out, color draining from his face.

[officer_leon]

[Not expecting anyone, so no problem!]

Leon jumped in surprise as someone almost ran into him. He swung his flashlight up, aiming the beam at the person's face. He blinked in shock at the sight of a young boy, probably no older than 13, holding a spear and looking quite startled.

"It's okay," he said, lowering the beam. "Are you out here alone?" Much as Leon wanted to move quickly tonight, he couldn't in good conscience let a kid this young wander around by himself. Even if said kid was better armed than he was.

[rectifies]

The beam to his face had not been appreciated, but Ken supposed the same could be said about the spear. He squinted hard against the light, thankful it had not completely caught the child square in the eyes.

"Yeah, pretty much," Ken replied, after taking a second to compose himself. He shouldered his weapon, keeping it well out of the other patient's way. "I have some business here, and my friend--" Would have boxed his ears until they fell out. "--had other plans." Normally, the explanation would have been omitted, but he was getting the vibe the man didn't approve of his presence.

[officer_leon]

Leon frowned. The boy seemed quite mature for his age, but that didn't change the fact that he was far too young to be wandering around by himself. "Where are you going?" Leon asked, sounding concerned. "It's pretty dangerous to be wandering around alone." Never mind the fact that he was doing exactly that. He was an adult with years of intense training behind him. He could handle most things in this institute.

[rectifies]

The less patient side of Ken internally sighed. The rest simply took it as an inevitable fact: grown-ups always underestimated him. At least this adult had a worried tone as opposed to an exasperated one.

"To the staff kitchen." He indicated to the targeted hallway with his own flashlight. "And you're right, it's dangerous. But I kind of have no choice." The boy paused, thoughtfully, before he fully considered the man. "What about you, Mister...?"

[officer_leon]

"Kennedy. Leon Kennedy." Well. That made that decision a bit easier. Leon nodded. "I was actually thinking about heading that direction too," he said. "I just couldn't remember how to get there-- my map got ruined last night." He'd feel a bit better if he at least saw the kid to the kitchen and back to the stairs, before heading off to the janitor's closet. "Mind if I tag along?"

[rectifies]

Ken waffled between which name seemed more appropriate to address this man, before finally going along with what was first offered. English names were certainly confusing. "I don't mind, Kennedy-san," he answered. "I just hope I'm not keeping you from anything important."

As great as an ally would be, the boy did not want to hold anyone back.

[officer_leon]

Leon nodded. "You can just call me Leon," he said. "And I was deciding between trying to find my way to the kitchen or going to the janitor's closet." He smiled briefly. "You just helped me decide where I should go first."

He gestured at the hallway. "Lead on, uh... what was your name?"

[rectifies]

Leon-san, then. He knew the honorific probably sounded odd to the older individual, but without it, Ken felt weird. "I see." He returned the smile. "That's good, then."

At Leon's gesture, the boy stepped toward the hallway, though not before turning back to the man. "I'm Ken. Amada Ken."

[To here.]