Leon took a breath, watching as the woman paced in frustration. His earlier irritation was now mingled with a growing sense of bewilderment. Again, what the hell did I stumble into?
"Alright, let's start simple," he said, trying to keep his tone calm despite her attitude. "What's your name?"
The woman ignored him, muttering under her breath as she kicked at a nearby rock. "Stupid place... everything's broken... nothing here makes any sense."
Leon rolled his eyes. "Great. So now you're just going to ignore me?"
Still no response. She pulled at the ragged remains of her sweater top, scowling as she inspected the damage to her clothes.
"Seriously?" Leon muttered. His gaze drifted over her, taking in her full appearance for the first time. The woman was about 5'4", slightly thick but sturdy, with a frame covered in scars—battle-worn, like someone who had been through more than her share of fights and scrapes. Her skin, a rich brown tone, bore the marks of constant healing and damage, with fresh bruises that stood out against her complexion.
Her hair, once brown and wavy, was now a chaotic mess, the ends singed and burnt from the flames that had just flared up around her. Some strands had turned black and gray, damaged by her powers. Leon's eyes narrowed as he noticed the heterochromatic color of her eyes—her left eye a sharp green, while the right was blue, marred by a faint scar running over it.
His gaze moved to the dark scar on her face. It traced the right side of her face, running over her eye and stopping halfway down her cheek, darker than her skin tone. The scar gave it a burnt, almost angry look. Despite her rough appearance, there was something hauntingly vulnerable about her. But that didn't stop her from being a complete pain in the ass.
Her outfit didn't help. She wore a yellow bikini top, brown short shorts, and a tan scavenger cape—all of it worn, tattered, and showing signs of battles fought. A green cropped sweater hung loosely over her shoulders, equally damaged. But what really caught Leon's eye was the heavily damaged white habit around her neck, paired with a bib collar that looked no better. A priestess? He doubted it. Not dressed like that nor with an attitude like that.
"Look, I'm just trying to get a name here," Leon said, crossing his arms as he tried again. "You got one, or am I just gonna keep calling you 'the fire hazard'?"
That got her attention. She whipped around, glaring at him, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "What did you just say?"
Leon raised an eyebrow. "I said, what's your name?"
The woman clenched her fists, her teeth grinding together as she took a step toward him. "None of your business, scavenger."
"Oh, for the love of—" Leon threw his hands up. "I just saved your life, the least you can do is—"
Before he could finish, the air around her shimmered, and the dark flames flared up again. This time, they didn't just flicker—they surged out in a bubble around her, crackling with power. Leon instinctively stepped back, but not before noticing something important: she winced.
Leon's eyes widened. The flames... they were hurting her. It was subtle, but he saw the way her body tensed, the way her face twisted in pain. She wasn't in control of them—not fully. They were tied to her emotions, surging every time she got worked up.
But what was worse was that she was clearly used to it.
"You're doing that again," Leon said cautiously, nodding toward the flames.
She glared at him, but the pain in her eyes was unmistakable. "Shut up."
"You're hurting yourself," Leon pressed, keeping his voice steady. "You're not controlling it."
"I said, shut up!" she snapped, the flames flaring higher. She bit her lip, her body trembling as the heat pulsed around her, but she refused to back down. "It's... fine."
Leon scoffed, shaking his head. "You keep saying that, but I'm starting to think you have no idea what 'fine' even means."
Leon watched as the flames flickered and slowly died down, leaving only faint embers around the woman's feet. She took a shaky breath, trying to steady herself, but Leon noticed her hands trembling, her body barely holding together.
"You're not fine," Leon muttered, stepping forward cautiously. "You're going to burn yourself out if you keep this up."
She shot him a glare, but it lacked the fire from before. "I don't need your—" Her voice faltered, and her knees buckled.
Leon moved on instinct, reaching out to catch her before she collapsed, but the second his hand touched her arm, she recoiled violently. Her body jerked away from him, her eyes wide with panic.
"No!" she cried out, her voice sharp and high-pitched, like a wounded animal. She staggered back, her breaths coming in rapid, shallow gasps. The flames flared weakly around her, but it wasn't the fire that had her so terrified—it was his touch.
Leon blinked, startled by her reaction. "Whoa, hey! It's okay, I'm not—"
"Don't touch me!" she screamed, stumbling backward, her whole body trembling. Her eyes were wild, full of fear, not from him specifically, but from something much deeper. Something worse.
The realization hit Leon like a punch to the gut. This isn't just about her powers. His brow furrowed as he watched her panic, piecing it together. "It's not just the fire... You don't like people touching you."
She didn't answer, too focused on putting as much distance between them as possible. Her arms crossed protectively over her chest, her breath still coming in ragged bursts.
Leon swallowed hard, lowering his hands in a gesture of surrender. "I'm not gonna hurt you. I didn't know touching you would—"
"Shut up!" she snapped, her voice trembling. The dark flames flickered around her again, weak but still present. "Just... don't touch me."
Her body trembled as she tried to steady herself, but Leon could see the real reason for her fear—something far worse than the danger of her powers. His voice softened, though his frustration was still there. "This isn't just about your flames, is it? Someone hurt you."
She flinched at his words, her face tightening. "I said, shut up!" Her fists clenched at her sides, but her whole body shook as if she could barely stand. "Just... don't."
Leon stared at her, the pieces falling into place. The way she'd reacted, the way she couldn't even let him near her without panicking—it wasn't just fear of her powers. It was something else, something darker. Someone had crossed a line with her.
He sighed, stepping back to give her more space. "I get it now. You're scared of people touching you. It's not just about control. Someone—" He cut himself off, realizing that pushing her wouldn't help. "I don't know who hurt you, but I'm not them."
Her eyes flickered with something—anger, fear, pain—but she didn't respond. She just kept her distance, arms wrapped tightly around herself, as if that could shield her from the memories.
Leon's tone softened even more. "I'm not going to hurt you. But you've got to stop burning yourself up. I can't help if I can't get close."
She glared at him, her body still tense. "I don't want your help."
Leon ran a hand through his hair, frustrated but trying to be patient. "Yeah, well, tough luck. I'm not leaving you to die here."
She looked away, biting her lip, the flames around her flickering out entirely. For the first time since he'd met her, she looked... small. Vulnerable.
"I didn't ask for any of this," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't ask to be... like this."
Leon stayed quiet, letting her words hang in the air. He didn't know her story, but he could tell it was a painful one. One that wasn't easy to talk about.
"I'm not your enemy," he said quietly. "And I'm not gonna touch you again, okay? But you've gotta trust me enough to let me help."
She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, still guarded but... considering.
Leon stayed quiet for a moment, watching her carefully. Her breathing had slowed, and the flames had finally flickered out, but he could still see the strain on her face. She was exhausted—physically, mentally—and though she was trying to keep her distance, she wasn't in any shape to keep moving on her own.
"Alright," Leon said, breaking the silence. "You don't want my help. Got it. But we're still stuck here, and the ruins aren't exactly safe."
She didn't respond, still hugging her arms close to her chest.
"So," Leon continued, adjusting the strap of his pack, "how about we find somewhere safer to rest before you burn yourself up again? You don't have to like it, but you're not getting out of here without me."
Her eyes flickered toward him, narrowed but thoughtful. "Why do you care?"
Leon huffed, shrugging. "Maybe I don't. Maybe I just don't feel like dragging a charred corpse out of these ruins."
She rolled her eyes, but there was a faint twitch of her lips, as if she were fighting a smirk. "You're annoying."
"I'm practical," Leon corrected, motioning toward the deeper part of the ruins. "And I know these places better than you do. So, what's it going to be? You can sit here and sulk, or we can find shelter before something worse comes along."
She hesitated, still clearly wary of him, but her exhaustion won out. "Fine," she muttered, standing up slowly. "But don't get any ideas."
Leon smirked. "You wish."
She shot him a glare, but her steps were unsteady, and despite her attitude, she was clearly still struggling.
Leon watched her for a moment before sighing and walking ahead, taking the lead. "Just stay behind me," he said over his shoulder. "I'll find us a safe spot."
They moved cautiously out of the massive area and back into the ruins, the oppressive silence around them broken only by the crunch of their boots on the stone. Every now and then, Leon glanced back to check on her, making sure she was still on her feet.
The silence between them was thick, but it didn't feel as tense as before. Still, it bugged him that he didn't know anything about her—not even a name. If we're going to get through this, I should at least know what to call her.
After a while, he glanced back at her, catching her still struggling to keep up. "So," he said, trying to sound casual, "since I've been dragging you around, you might as well know who's saving your ass."
She gave him a deadpan stare, not amused. "Saving? You're exaggerating."
Leon ignored the jab, offering a brief smile. "Name's Leon. Not 'scavenger' or whatever other insult you've got lined up."
She raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed, but she didn't respond. Just kept walking, her pace uneven.
Leon sighed, his patience thinning. "And you? Or are we just gonna stick with 'fire hazard'?"
"I don't care what you call me," she muttered, keeping her eyes forward.
Leon stopped in his tracks, turning to face her fully. "Look, I get that you're not exactly big on trust, but it's a name. That's basic."
She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm not giving you anything."
Leon huffed, crossing his own arms, mimicking her posture. "Really? After all this, you still want to play that game? I didn't touch you on purpose, alright? And now I'm trying to help."
Raziel's eyes flashed with annoyance, her lips curling into a scowl. "Fine! It's Raziel. Happy now?" She practically spat the words out, glaring at him as if daring him to push further.
Leon blinked, a little taken aback by her tone, but finally, a name. He shook his head, letting out a breath. "Raziel, huh? That wasn't so hard, was it?"
"Shut up," she muttered, turning away from him, but there was something different in her posture now—like the walls she'd built weren't quite as impenetrable anymore.
Leon took the small victory and started walking again, but now his mind was working. Raziel. That's a start. Now, what House is she from? He wasn't one to mess with splicers, but knowing her House might give him some leverage—maybe even a way to gain favor if he ever needed it.
He cast her a sideways glance as they walked. "So, Raziel... which House are you from? Gotta be a splicer House, right?"
Her eyes flicked toward him, narrowing. "Why do you care?"
Leon shrugged, keeping his tone casual. "Just curious. You know how it is. Houses have their rules, their politics. It helps to know where you stand."
Raziel snorted. "Yeah, well, don't bother trying to cozy up to mine. House Infinite kicked me out ages ago. Branded me a heretic." There was bitterness in her voice, a harsh edge that made Leon realize just how deep the wounds went.
House Infinite... That was no small name. They were powerful, known for their devotion to tech and their ruthless approach to anyone who strayed from their beliefs. And they'd kicked her out? Branded her a heretic? No wonder she's on edge.
Leon whistled low, shaking his head. "House Infinite? Damn. They don't mess around."
"Yeah, no shit," Raziel muttered, her gaze distant now, as if remembering something painful.
Leon filed the information away, knowing it might come in handy later. Even as a cast-out, her connection to House Infinite could still be useful—if he played his cards right. For now, though, he wasn't about to push her further. He'd gotten what he needed: a name and a House.