A/N: So, this is basically the modern take on the White Demon, Red Scribe, Black Nightmare series collaboratively worked on by myself and Shaerahaek some time ago and generally inspired by a piece of art she did, and directly correlates to WDRSBN events in its own way and in some similar likeness to the AC series. How exactly it does though, you'll just have to wait and see.

Since this is one of my longer things, although it was intended as a one-shot, I'm dividing it into multiple parts. So here's Part 1.

Shae had nothing to do with coming up with this one. This was all me ; )

WDRSBN: Clockwork Augerer
A D Gray-Man and Assassins Creed Crossover

People passed by. They were always passing by, a continuous flow, here and then gone. Whoever was standing here now would be gone in five minutes, or five hours, or five days, following the flow until they eventually disappeared and were forgotten, just as the progression of history. Some of them were already nothing but mere phantoms, glimmers of white that were here and then gone, intangible.

Forgotten... almost. Every one that he sees, he wonders at their stories, just beyond his grasp, beyond being able to talk to. History that no one will ever hear of, that will never be written down in any history books, insignificant in the opinion of the masses.

But he doesn't care about the masses. He's here for only two people.

He doesn't stop to ponder the irony of it, his interest in a past long gone and a disregard for all of the insignificant bodies surrounding him now, uncaring of his presence just as he is of them. The world could burn, as far as he's concerned, and it very well might.

But so long as he can safeguard just those two, no one else matters.

In his mind, he's counting down the time, every second that passes into minutes. Tick-tock, tick-tock, where are you? Giving a lighter a few sharp starts for his pipe, he scrolled through the screen of a smartphone, flicking through menus and video footage, waiting for something interesting to start happening as he scrolled through the screens. Giving the mouth piece a few puffs to bring the fires to life, the end of it starts to smoke lazily.

Finally something catches his eye, a few uniformed bodies splayed across the hall floor and against the walls with hinting streaks of red on otherwise pristine walls. He quickly swiped through screens, searching, until he found a smaller moving figure not dressed in uniform.

You're late.

One coded door after another, the figure moved through the halls with visibly nervous haste, ready to jump at anything short of their own shadow.

They burst into a room to startle another, much taller figure with contrasting dark hair, pointing towards a table in the larger adjacent room, their mouth moving in sharp barks otherwise unheard on his end. The other figure stretched out on the table after some hesitation, lying still for all of a minute or two, before they swung back up. The shortest of the two removed something small from a slider in the table, jogging for the door.

He flicked through several more screens, and now previously empty halls were starting to fill with scrambling guards, wearing the same uniforms as the three others that had been taken down earlier. He kept switching screens, counting the number of guards and resistance they would be met with, before going back to the two figures.

They handled themselves just fine, defending from baton swings and fired shots long enough to keep pushing forward.

Time for him to move.

He stood up with a languid stretch, feeling muscles pull and joints pop lightly, then made his way at a quick stride through the crowds. Every second in his mind is a countdown, calculating how things are going to happen and at what rate. By now they should be moving through the maze of offices on the third floor, either dodging around security or fighting their way through to the elevator, which would then take them to the garage. The garage is going to have guards, probably about six of them if the alarms haven't been raised yet, but maybe more.

So he has a little bit of time, but not a lot.

Reaching the outdoor gates, he pulled out the phone again and scanned through it for a program, and within moments had it sliding open, letting him traipse straight in. Just in time to see the very last guard take a hard uppercut and go sprawling.

The shorter of the two men whirled on him them, baton in-hand and ready for anyone else daring to step in his way.

He merely held his hands up in a show of peace when the one who was turned on was him, showing himself as unarmed.

"Y'sure took your sweet time," he mused, eyeing both men, who were equal parts on-guard, with the taller, black-haired Japanese being more confused than the other.

"You're...?" the white-haired man probed, quirking his head slightly to the side in question and suspicious hesitance.

"Your insider. Junior." When the other hesitated a moment more, he continued, "You don't have the luxury of time to ponder my trustworthiness right now. There are more coming." He flashed his phone screen, showing the surveillance footage of more security on the way. It seemed to be enough proof to temporarily settle any doubts and spur them into action, quickly moving towards one of the cars with one last suspicious glance from them both.

They look average, nothing terribly noteworthy to the common person beyond outward attractiveness, but to his own trained eyes, their looks are strikingly interesting. He knows their faces, both of them, and they look startlingly like people he's seen who existed far in the past. Both descendants of some very prominent past Assassins.

"I have to admit," the white-haired man was saying as he hit the button on a car fob, "I had my doubts that you were legitimate up until now. I still do. Like you said though, we don't have the time right now."

"Friend of yours?" the other was asking, eyeing Junior, but all of his body language practically screamed of awkwardness and uncertainty. Clearly, there was a lot he hadn't been informed of, and he was trying to get up to speed in figuring out all that was happening.

"You could say its something like that. This is the sob who helped rig the cameras to make getting out even possible." The white-haired male motioned at Junior with his head, before pointing sharply at the popped open trunk. "Get in. I'll explain everything later."

The black-haired male arched his head back with a look of distaste. "If you think I'm actually climbing in there-"

Junior smirked when the white-haired male grabbed the other by his collar and practically stuffed him in head first, not willing to be argued with. "I said get in the trunk y'bloody wanker! We don't have time for your attitude right now."

Soon as he was in, the white-head slammed the trunk, ignoring profuse, muffled swearing, and swung around the side of the car to the driver's side, shooting a glance back at Junior.

"Are you coming or what?"

Without a word, but a smirk that easily said are you going to shove me in a trunk too if I say no?, he picked his way to the passenger's side quickly, buckling himself in. The white-haired lad wastes no time in screeching out of the garage and out the open gate, out onto the streets.

"Make a right here," Junior instructed, keeping both hands braced on a surface somewhere. The other man is not the most controlled driver on the road and he doesn't fancy being unprepared should anything happen.

"We go right, that takes us to-"

"The east side bridge on 27th, I know," Junior insisted. "There's something I need."

"And you couldn't of bloody gotten it before comin' here or go pick it up later?" the Brit balked.

Junior rolled his eyes. "Just do it. Trust me."

" 'Cor," the white-haired male hissed, banking into the turn. "Better be damn important. If they catch us-"

"They won't," Junior waved off, unconcerned. "Trust me."

"More times you say it, the more times I want not to."

Junior shrugged. Nothing to be done for other's paranoia. Several blocks later, he tapped the other's shoulder, pointing to the shoulder of the road. "Right here."

The swoop towards the side of the road was almost enough to give him whiplash, and the sudden stop was just as bad.

"Lemme see your phone."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

The white-haired male scowled, reluctantly rummaging through his pocket. As soon as the device appeared, Junior snatched it and jumped out of the car, ignoring an indignant, "Oi!"

"Just keep driving," Junior waved him on. "You'll thank me later." He cut off the white-haired man's swearing by slamming the door and climbing over the railing of the bridge, dropping down. Apparently the other had decided it not worth chasing him right now, because he heard car tires screech and the car pull away.

Just beneath the bridge, the sheen of a polished motor bike sat in waiting, everything just as he left it a couple of hours ago. He idly plucked the helmet from the waiting dashboard, fitting it on, and revved his bike to life. He made sure the phone was turned on, checked to make sure that it hadn't been tampered with to remove the tracking chip that had been slipped into it, and once he was happy to note that all was as it should have been, he quickly sped off into the depths of the city feeling rather self-satisfied.

While eyes were focused ahead and on the road, his jaw was otherwise set in a tight clench that he couldn't seem to get rid of despite being aware of it by the ache in his teeth. Getting out had been close, too close, and despite having pulled things off successfully, Bennett was still jittery with adrenaline, gaze drifting into the rear-view mirror to watch for any sign of pursuit.

That Junior had jumped out and taken his phone amongst all of the chaos was unsettling. It was true that none of this would have been possible without his help, and despite knowing the risks that his insider could have been, and could still be, a double agent working against them in some way, he had given his trust that things would work out. It was looking like that blind faith, however reluctantly given, was paying off, but he wasn't going to drop his guard just yet.

Not until he knew they were in the clear. At the very least, the other asshole in the trunk was keeping complacently quiet, so there wasn't a lot of chance of anyone hearing or getting suspicious of the fact he had someone basically kidnapped in his car. Rescue, of course, was much more accurate, but no matter what it was, there would be questions they were not in a position to answer honestly. They couldn't trust the authorities in this.

Not when their enemy is Abstergo and all of the power and influence backing it.

It's nerve-wracking, putting his trust into someone who is nearly a total stranger to him, and who seems to know far too much about him to an unfair degree, but he doesn't have a lot of choice. The Assassins are not a well-backed group these days. Few in number and forced to hide, thanks to the Templar influence that's spread far across the world, they need all the help they can get. Friends are something the Templars are certainly not lacking in by comparison.

He drove for a ways, deliberately trying to pick darker roads and side roads that were less likely to be watched by cameras or people given a heads up of what had happened. At one point, he doubled back around just to watch if anyone was following behind.

Just before this escape attempt, he'd taken his car to a shop of Junior's specification to have it checked over top to bottom for any sort of tracker. There was one there, of course, but at the very least, now he had known about it before leading the Templars straight to their latest hideout. Just as he'd parked in the garage earlier that day, he'd taken it out and dropped it on the ground underneath the car, so it would still show the correct position on a computer screen, but not trace them when they left.

Now it was just a matter of being patient and cautious, and once he was certain they weren't being pursued - or at least not accurately - he finally risked heading to their destination. Following dark roads otherwise untraveled by all but a few cars passing the opposite way, it was several more hours before he pulled up to a walled castle town.

Only one person milled about the place upon arriving in the wee hours of the still-dark morning, and with the flash of a identification card, the black-haired man let him through the locked gates. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on-end with justifiable paranoia when those gates closed behind him, knowing that, if Junior wasn't quite so on their side as he seemed, they were now past the point of turning and running for cover.

Then again, he reminded himself, it would be too late already anyway, since Johnny had gone ahead to prepare the way. Without the Animus, all of this was pointless, other than keeping Takuya alive and away from the Templars at Abstergo. Parking and covering most of his car up, he finally popped the trunk to find the Japanese man scowling at him unpleasantly, looking deeply uncomfortable with his `accommodations`.

"About fucking time."

"Shut your gob," Bennett snapped, rolling his eyes, "and follow me. We're not safe just yet." Whatever safe even means anymore. Assassins never truly enjoy safety.

Audibly huffing, Takuya did as he was told, climbing out of the trunk stiffly and straightening his back until it popped, a relieved sigh escaping his nose. Bennett led the way through the narrow, maze-like streets of the small castle town and headed up a few flights of stone stairs, until coming to an old villa that had seen better days. Circling around the back, several lengths of cables outside suggested the present of Johnny, and in following the cables strewn about the floor, the two of them managed to find their way to the tomb deep below the building that would serve as their sanctuary for now.

Not for the first time, Bennett couldn't help but think that it would be too ironic if the old Assassin tomb ended up being their own, but he tried not to think too negatively on it. They had more reason to trust Junior than not to, but there was still that lingering fear, that what if. Whatever anonymous correspondence they'd had across several months, he could say one thing: he wasn't particularly fond of the other, and he wasn't fond of being so in the dark while Junior seemed to believe and talk as if he knew it all.

He went about standard introductions. Takuya, this is Johnny Gill. Johnny, this is Takuya. All that jazz.

Of course, Johnny immediately launches into curiosities and trying to bring Takuya up to speed with everything, explaining about his baby, Animus 2.0, and who he is, and what his involvement with the Assassins is, and how he can't wait to work with Takuya, et cetera, et cetera. Takuya seems less than comfortable about it, if not downright squeamish, but he tolerates it, even if its with a sour look on his face.

Almost immediately after they themselves have arrived and Johnny is working on getting Takuya settled in the animus, Junior seems to almost come out of nowhere, appearing right over his shoulder.

"I see y'both made it here in one piece."

Naturally, Bennett jumps on reflex and whirls, drawing his hidden blade in one fluid movement. Archaic weapon, perhaps, but one he knows how to use efficiently regardless. Everything in the room goes quiet. Johnny's words cut abruptly, and Bennett can feel eyes on his back, likely both Johnny's and Takuya's, but he says nothing about it, focused sharply on Junior.

The redhead in question doesn't look at all fazed, regarding him with an almost irritating level of calm, while a condescending smirk plays at his lips and dances in his green eyes.

"Wow. Jum-py." Its a taunt that Bennett doesn't appreciate in the slightest, even as he forces himself to straighten up out of a lower, defensive stance.

"Next time you sneak up on me, I won't hesitate to run through you on even pure reflex, you bloody wank!"

Junior only blinks at him, like a tame animal that he's threatening and shooing away but it simply feels no fear, to a level that, as far as Bennett is concerned at least, is the dumbest reaction imaginable to a trained killer. Were they not on the same side, as far as Bennett knows for now, he would make the other regret such arrogance in a blink.

"That so?" the redhead hummed, unconcerned. It was beyond infuriating, but Bennett tempered himself against lashing out, knowing that such would do him no good here. "Well, since everyone has played their parts and followed what I told them to do to make it here, I'll take a quick walk topside to make absolutely sure no one was followed. Can't be too careful."

Spinning on his heel and leaving his back open to Bennett was a mistake, and the young man took full advantage of the moment to leap until he was right behind Junior, blade-tip pressed promisingly into the small of his back and making the taller man freeze.

Good.

"An' just how do we know that you can be trusted to that alone? Just because you say you've led us somewhere safe doesn't make it true."

He knows full well already that his accusations don't hold a great deal of weight, when both he and Takuya had already been prisoners in Abstergo, so there was no point in leading them into a trap from there. Still, it annoyed him just how pompous and full of himself Junior seemed to be, and he was hoping that, regardless of everything that had proven the other must be quite intelligent, maybe he would slip up or tell them all more now that he couldn't hide behind a remote screen, safe from even the possibility of danger.

"Bennet Angel. An English Assassin, bearing the appearance of natural platinum white hair and blue eyes, easily mistaken as albino, who has been working undercover at Abstergo to try and uncover the Templar's next moves, impressively, all on his own. Blood Type O, grew up primarily in London, participated in lots of gymnastics and free running as both a medium and cover for your Assassin roots..."

Bennett huffed, brow ticking slightly in annoyance.

"Yes, I get it, you know things about me. So what? You already mentioned all of that-"

"Takuya Ren. A Japanese-American Assassin whose only traceable connection to his own lineage is a sword passed down through the generations, hung on the mantle for decoration... moved around a lot, mostly kept to himself on account of diagnosed anxiety dealing with people... the perfect candidate to go missing without anyone asking any questions, when his only friends are a blind man and a Turkish exchange student without proper citizenship or influence to do anything."

He smirked when he heard Takuya hiss out a profuse what the fuck?

"Will you be quie-"

"And then of course there's Johnny Gill, former programming student and technologies geek-"

"We get it alre-" Bennett tried to cut in, but Junior just kept going.

"-with degrees in networking and neurosciences in the interest of investigating and understanding the evolving effects of technology on we humans, which you-"

"Oh for the-"

"-learned under the expert tutelage of-"

"-love of,-"

"-one such Bingwen Lee, who-"

"Do you ever stop ta-"

"-also happens to be-"

"ENOUGH!" Bennett finally shouted, pressing the point of his blade slightly harder against Junior's back, threatening to cut him. "What do you even stand to gain from this? Get to the point already!"

Junior turned to look over his shoulder at Bennett, green eye cold and unaffected. The look, so emotionless and without warmth within those sharp irises, sent shivers down Bennett's spine to coil in his gut. For as vividly mossy as those eyes were, they also seemed so dark, as if they could swallow him up into shadow. Suddenly his drawn hidden blade seemed that much more a comfort.

Finally Junior smiled at him, unpleasantly chilling, and Bennett recoiled slightly, just enough that his weapon was no longer pressed against the other.

"Such impatience. I don't expect much from him over there, but you at the very least should know better about having some manners," Junior sneered toothily, amusement flickering over his face when Bennett's brows furrowed.

"What are you on about?"

Junior hummed speculatively, the sound long and unnecessarily drawn out as he turned his head away again in disregard. "I've waited quite a while for this day. Something of great historical influence is in the works. After all, it can't be mere coincidence, when the three of us all end up making an appearance again in the same time and place, crossing paths like this once again."

Bennett took a noticeable step back, turning his head to side-eye Junior as if he just grew a second head.

"Once again?" Bennett parroted, confused.

Junior turned to look at him again with a smug smirk, the look on his face one of playful but still-unpleasant taunting.

"Perhaps try retracing the memories carried in your DNA... back to 16th century Italy and 19th century America,-" he paused and glanced past at Takuya, resuming leaving towards the stairs with a depreciating smile. "-both of you, and see for yourself. The resemblances are quite uncanny."

Bennett bit his lip in irritated frustration as he watched Junior disappear up the steps that had first led them underground, not sure where he might be going or what he might do despite his words, but letting the man go all the same. His hand was still clenched, hidden blade extended, and it became a conscious effort to let the weapon slide back into sheath.

He tries to reason that he doesn't have a lot of reason to distrust the redhead. Junior delivered on every promise so far, and it was because of having an ally on the inside that he was able to pull off everything he had. The fact that Junior knows way too much about them, and all of the irritating guile to flaunt it so readily, isn't enough of a reason to run him through. He knows, deep down, that he owes the other a great deal, even if he doesn't like it.

At least until he's given more credible reason to behave haughtily against the other, he resolves, Bennett will play a little nicer. It probably won't make much difference anyway, but at least his nerves won't be on edge, even if Junior will still probably be an asshole.

Fidgeting with the Hidden Blade bracer on his arm, Bennett turned back to Takuya and Johnny, noting with a bit of shame that each is watching him with cautious uncertainty. He supposes that's only natural, but he reminds himself that there's nothing wrong about being paranoid in their situation. He thinks that out of all of them, Junior at least understands that.

"Sorry. Continue," he bids Johnny, nodding faintly. The brown-haired male hummed, idly adjusting his glasses, before going back to setting things up for Takuya to enter the Animus again.

"So what now, Bennett?" Takuya prompted, looking mildly agitated. Bennett learned long enough ago its merely a standard look for the man.

"Well-" He couldn't stop fidgeting with his bracer, still filled with nervous energy despite himself. "We are going to handle whatever we need in order to support you. Handling food, keeping watch, all that. You, on the other hand, will be taking another trip through the lives of your ancestors."

"Of course." Takuya huffed, displeased.

"...I believe the name was... what was it again? Yuu Kanda?"

Takuya nodded confirmation.

"Anyway," Bennett continued, forcing his arms to his side so he'd stop fidgeting with his blades. "I just want you focused in on that. Try to put the Templars out of your mind for a while and let us worry about that, alright?"

Takuya exhaled audibly. "Yeah..."

"Alright," Johnny interrupted. "Everything is ready for you. Are you ready for it?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Takuya muttered, laying his head back.

Johnny nodded, inserting an IV needle into the pit of Takuya's arm and setting the head bar of the Animus into place. Starting up the machine, it wasn't long before Takuya was completely out. In the meantime, Bennett had little to keep his attention once Takuya was unconscious, and began fidgeting with his blade again.

Johnny noticed.

"You seem a little on edge," he observed gently. "...more so than usual."

Bennett sighed through his nose. "Yeah, I know." He fell silent, composing his thoughts, while Johnny - bless him - took a seat and waited patiently, watching. "This whole business with Junior just has flags going up, that's all. I don't trust him."

"But he did help us," Johnny thought aloud, experimenting if he had Bennett's thought processes figured out, "and you're torn because it doesn't seem as if we have a reason to distrust him?"

"Yeah..." Bennett grumbled, fixing his glare on the floor. "I don't have any clear reason to distrust him, yet I still do. There's something about him... I'm not sure what, but he feels... tricky. I feel sick around him."

Johnny hummed sympathetically. "What can we do though? Other than be careful and keep watch."

Bennett nodded, shooting the other a look that was equal parts grateful and conflicted. "I know... its not like we can go acting on every little uncomfortable feeling, but I think we need to be careful. There's a reason why I don't trust him. I just know it."

Johnny merely nodded, otherwise close-lipped.

"Just make sure not to leave him alone with Takuya, alright? Its too important, and if Junior were to-" He trailed off, unable to find the right words to properly define his fears of what if, but the meaning was clear enough.

"I understand. I'll be sure to keep a close eye."

"And be safe yourself," Bennett cautioned. "There's no telling if he might be a threat to you as well..."

"I was worried."

Junior paused as he rounded the back side of the villa, green hues wandering to the black-haired gatekeeper with lazy regard. Though the other was shorter than him, he held himself with a straight back and striking blue eyes that reached deep, reading too many things. The smallest of smiles twitched at Junior's lips, but it didn't reach anywhere else.

"You? Worried? Chers moi, que dois-je faire pour corriger ce mal?"

The other rolled his eyes, giving him an unimpressed look. "You can start with not being a connard."

The smile, small and a little bit forced, grew faintly wider. "Then however else will I get to hear your beautiful French?"

"Sure," the black-haired male entertained. "If you consider swearing to be beautiful."

"Ah, but you see, monsieur Douglas," Junior can't help but grin a little at how that makes his eye tick. "You only ever swear for me."

Doug sighed aloud, shaking his head. "T'es rien qu'un petit connard."

"See?" Junior's expression danced with victory as they began to walk properly, side-by-side. Though Doug was well shorter than him, deceivingly appearing younger with his baby-faced features, he carried himself well, his posture refined. "I bet your mother would be proud of you right now."

"Le plus fier." Doug sighed again, ignoring the snicker following his words. Eyes returned to Junior as they made their way to the front of the old villa and down the steps, the sky tinged with the hues of sunrise quickly approaching. His own blue hues softened kindly, though his lips thinned in concerned observation as Junior's own eyes trailed with glassy distraction. "How is it?"

"Hm?" Junior prompted, tone belaying that he wasn't paying full attention.

Doug's lips pursed further. "I mean, how are you doing? It isn't... worse? Is it?"

Junior's gaze flicked back, giving him proper attention now. "No. It's all about is to be expected. Everythin's under control."

"That's good." Doug nodded, looking ahead, though there was some underlying note of disbelief. "I'm glad, if that's really the case. Just... be careful with it, alright? If something changes-"

"Don't worry about it," Junior stated, interrupting bluntly. "I'm handling it. Just let me worry about managing things." Eye slid sideways with a sly smirk. "I know far better the clockworks in motion than you ever will."

Doug fell silent then, though further argument itched on his tongue. Instead, he only sighed again and shrugged.

"...have it your way."

When Junior and Doug return, having made a full sweep of the villa castle grounds and the landscape around outside of it, Takuya is already taking his first break from the Animus. The Japanese man has his eyes closed, a hand rubbing at the back of his neck, and despite that time spent in the Animus is generally spent in a state of rest, he looks weary.

Its true that there isn't much physical activity to be had, but there's a mental strain there. Though not so easily noticed and more subtle, there's a physical strain as well, in the prolonged tension of muscles in response to things happening in memories experienced through the machine.

Bennett and Johnny both hover around him, offering hands up and watching him closely, as if he's going to collapse any second once he stands up. Takuya brushes them off, looking annoyed with the doting, but otherwise he's no worse for wear.

After brief double-checking, which does nothing to improve the man's mood, they finally back off and Takuya regards him with a look of annoyance that warns Junior had better not start hovering either. The words need no speaking, he can hear them clear as day, and he merely smirks, tempted, at the man. It earns him the subtlest squint in return.

Bennett is quick to regard him as well, eyes shifting to Doug secondly, whereas Johnny could care less, going about doting over his machine.

"Nous avons retourné," Junior greets in a sing-song. "You will be happy to know that as of this moment, at least, we don't appear to have any unwanted watchers. I don't suspect we will for a while either."

Bennett nods, hearing the words, but his focus is more on Doug now.

The shorter Frenchman smiles warmly, stepping ahead of Junior and offering his hand in greeting. "Bonjour, monsieur Ange. Douglas Marius Roux. You can consider me somewhat of a... complice to Junior. Its good to finally meet you."

Bennett seems to relax a little at Doug's demeanor, face lighting up a bit, and takes the hand offered. "Bonjour. I'm... sorry to say that Junior never said much about you, but I suspect the same cannot be said of myself to you." He gives Junior a pointed look. Its predictably enough ignored.

"No," Doug chuckles a bit. "I suspect not. After all, we are in a touchy situation as of late, oui? One must be careful. Especially one who finds themselves supporting the Assassins."

"I understand the reasons behind it... just with things as they are, trust is difficult."

"Oui. It is a shame. I do hope that, in time, we will have proven our trustworthiness to you, though I don't expect such privilège so early on."

While Doug and Bennett find themselves talking, Junior's gaze follows Takuya's movements with greater interest than anyone else, noticing the black-haired man steadily making his way towards the exit in casual, stealthy silence.

Still, not stealthily enough, as Bennett stops mid-conversation to bark across the way, "Oi! TaBakaya! If you're going outside, you'd better damn well have one of those ear pieces on you-" He points to several radio headsets sitting just near the doorway, which Takuya eyes in disinterest, but takes anyway. "-and I expect to see your pissboy ass back here in ten! The sun'll be fully up soon!"

"Yeah, yeah..." Takuya grumbled, turning his back on Bennett and heading up the steps.

Rolling his eyes, Bennett shook his head and turned his attention back to Junior and Doug with a sour expression. "Git. So anyway... its good to have you as allies." Bennett pauses with some hesitation, his words clearly favoring Doug more than Junior, but all the same his gaze wanders to the redhead and he sighs a bit. "...both of you. We couldn't have pulled this off as well as we did without your help."

"No," Junior mused shamelessly. "You couldn't have."

Bennett was tempted to give Junior a few words on that, pursing his lips. Doug beat him to the punch, literally. Seeing how light and aimed into his side it was, he didn't worry much about any lasting damage to his former mystery contact.

"Humility isn't his strong suit, is it?" Bennett felt like tossing out there, folding his arms over his chest.

Doug hummed, but didn't pursue the subject. Whether he agreed and didn't want to be rude, or disagreed and didn't want an argument, it was hard to say.

"At any rate," Doug favored instead. "We've checked around the entire castle grounds. Thankfully, no one has followed. Indépendamment... it would be wise not to venture outside too often. They will undoubtedly be searching for you."

"Until we are ready to move again," Junior cut in. "It would be best for Doug and I to be the only ones to leave villa grounds. Perhaps Johnny may too... but Abstergo is least familiar with Doug, and with myself, for the time being."

Bennett could see the logic, nodding agreement. "Takuya will certainly be staying out of sight. We need him for the Animus anyway, so he shouldn't be going anywhere far." They all seemed to be in easy agreement on that, at least.

"Should you find yourself with needs, do tell me," Doug volunteered. "Food, parts, other supplies, I would be all too happy to supply them to you. If I am not here, then Junior should know how to get into contact with me."

"Its very appreciated. I'll keep that in mind. Have the two of you always been supporters of the Assassins?" Bennett would feel far more comfortable knowing at least a little bit about them and where they stood. He was aware they might lie, but its better than nothing, perhaps.

"I believe for about as long as I have known Junior..." Doug said slowly, eyes meandering to the redhead with a sense of uncertainty. "However, I was not born into it, tu vois? J'ai été-... pardon me... I was brought into it by Junior. I suppose only by chance."

"By chance?" It sounds like a curious story, and Bennett notices Junior start to wander away, suddenly appearing very interested in the wiring and odds and ends set up around their temporary base. He wonders what that's about.

"Oui. Its... not even that I became in any way involved at first. We were younger, and I had the... misfortune of being a target to some intimidateurs odieux. Des gens méprisables." Doug looks off, disgruntled for a moment, before returning his gaze to Bennett and taps his cheek. "They hit me many times, enough to leave bruises. I have never been the greatest fighter."

Bennett keeps note of that in the back of his mind for later. Maybe he could show Doug at least a few good moves to defend himself with, just in case.

"Anyway-," Doug continues, "I am sure they would have done worse, but then Junior came. He made fun of how pitoyable they were, and they tried to do to him what they did to me, but he fought them well. I don't think they will ever forget how he bested them."

"Is that so..." Bennett hummed, eyes wandering to Junior's back as the redhead kept inspecting everything except for Bennett and Doug. "So he saved you from a fight, and you became friends?"

Doug's eyes took on a strange look, his lips pursing a bit, but he nodded slowly. Still, the response raised questions. "Oui. I suppose we have... though I think I would call us colleagues more than friends. We are good colleagues though, and I am happy to help wherever I can, for him or for you."

Somehow Bennett thinks Doug is more willing to help them only by association, out of whatever loyalty he has to Junior, but regardless of if that's true or not, Bennett appreciates it anyway. Doug seems like a nice person, and hopefully that niceness is an indicator of Junior's true trustworthiness as well, and not simply naiveté and inability to see something crooked about Junior. He really, truly hopes its the former.

"Sounds as though you've known each other a while then."

Doug hums speculatively. "We were about... sixteen at the time, I believe..." He gives a small, sheepish smile. "I will be twenty six soon."

"You don't appear that old," Bennett can't help musing, giving Doug another look up and down. "You're so-"

"Ne dites pas court!" Doug bursts out, dragging his hands down his face and groaning. "S'il vous plaît... do not say I am short."

"I... was just going to say you look young." Bennett can't help laughing a little bit. He's not even that short, but he understands the struggle. Though... he was thinking Doug was a little on the short side. Just a little.

"...thank you..." Doug heaved a sigh.

Bennett nods, before deciding Takuya's probably been gone long enough and goes to get his radio. "Excuse me for a moment- Takuya, its almost time. Are you headed back?"

Total silence.

Making a face, Bennett tries again. "TaBakaya, are you deaf? I said its time to start heading back. Takuya?" He can already feel his pulse jump a little bit.

"Bet'cha he forgot to turn his radio on," Junior hummed speculatively. "That or 'forgot'."

Bennett doesn't appreciate the joke. Junior merely shrugs at him.

"I'll go fetch him. You keep your pretty little head underground, 'sprout."

Bennett almost chokes. " 'Sprout?"

Smiling shamelessly, the closest thing Bennett's seen so far to a genuine, albeit trouble making one, Junior waves over his shoulder as he leaves the underground, disappearing up the steps.

Balancing on anything seems so much harder as himself than it does when he's inside the animus as any of his ancestors. This time its Kanda. Its strange, because Kanda seems so much like himself, at least in appearance. Its almost like he isn't Kanda... or like Kanda is him... or...

Who knows, honestly? The Animus and all this business with the Assassins and Templars is strange enough as it is. He should be at home, bitching at Daisya not to leave his soccer ball lying around where he can trip on it, or listening to Noise play music in that exquisite way only Noise can. He wants nothing to do with all this. He just wants to go home to his normal life, where the only tie he has to all this is that family heirloom sword he keeps mounted on his bedroom wall.

Trying to keep himself steady on the spire of a church building, he eyes the walls surrounding this place, which are surrounded by a big metal fence, probably to keep people from falling off the castle wall or something and getting hurt or killed. He wonders if he'd be able to climb over it easily enough. The other side of the wall might be an issue though. He'd really rather not fall and break his leg, or his neck, or gods forbid he break his spine and end up paralyzed. That would be just like his luck.

"Hey there-"

There's a scream. Its his. He screams, and falls, hits the roof, slides, and then falls onto the street, knocking the air from his lungs and reeling on the ground in pain.

So much for not breaking his back!

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen." Junior laughs, sliding down the roof and dropping more gracefully than anything Takuya can even begin to claim. He must look so damn ridiculous right now. "Tryin' t' live up to your ancestors' achievements now?"

He really hates how condescending this Junior guy is, everything from his words to the unimpressed look he's giving. What kind of a name is Junior, anyway?

"Y'think just because you use the Animus a couple times that now you're gonna be able to go leaping across rooftops and balancing on beams like some agile kitty cat no problem?" Junior scoffs in his throat, crossing his arms and leaning against the corner of the building. "Yeah, I don't think so..."

"I was doing just fine before you snuck up on me," Takuya growled, forcing himself to his feet and drawing in several hard breaths now that the shock of the landing had worn off.

Junior only rolled his green eyes in the most obvious way possible. "You may be able to get yourself onto a rooftop, but that, and a little bit of delusion, an Assassin does not make." He pushes himself off the wall, shoving his hands into his pocket and taking a few steps closer. "Your mind may have adjusted to picking up the skills, you may even have the muscle memory for how to move the right way, but your body is still not conditioned the same way."

Takuya huffs, shaking his head. "Then I'll work out a little bit. No problem."

Junior rolls his eyes again. Takuya can't help feeling a nagging urge to punch him for it.

"Your mind and your muscle memory will continue to grow, but what do you think is happening all that time trapped inside the Animus? Hm?" Junior challenges coolly. "Atrophy. Long-term inactivity causing the muscles to deteriorate and lose their strength. When you're inside the Animus, you're not even doing the basic day-to-day activities most other people are, like walking around your own living space, and then you also need sleep in order to rest your mind."

Takuya sees his point, somewhat. He still doesn't appreciate the tone and being talked down to. "That's what practicing and training the body is for. Besides, I took plenty of years of martial arts to keep in shape."

"Oh. Big man. But you still startled and fell from the roof, now didn't you? Training the body won't matter if you end up killing yourself falling off'a buildings."

Takuya growled low in his throat, narrowing his eye. Junior definitely knows how to piss people off, doesn't he? First Bennett, now this. Its no wonder he got threatened earlier. "Martial arts, and a few new tricks I picked up from the Animus. Maybe I'll try practicing some of them on you if you don't stop being obnoxious."

Undeterred, the threat only causes Junior to grin, almost seeming to welcome that as a challenge. "Tryin' to pick a fight, eh? That's not very smart. I've lived many more lifetimes than you ever will to pick up how to fight properly. You don't want to get into it with me."

He'll never openly admit it, but the sharp undertone to Junior's voice in that moment is absolutely terrifying and makes his spine tingle. He couldn't possibly be making that threat in all seriousness, can he? It has to be a bluff, to make him lose his nerve. But damn if that tone doesn't make his skin crawl.

Still, Takuya is every bit a stubborn man. He supposes that's just one more thing his ancestors seem to have passed on to him. He doesn't take Junior's words lying down, narrowing his eyes further and bristling. He rolls his shoulders and squares off, waiting to see if Junior will do the same. The redhead only stands relaxed, but the glint in his eyes returns Takuya's challenge, and taunts him into making the first move with a quick jerk of his head that exposes his throat, as if inviting him lunge for it.

Takuya doesn't go that far, but he does lunge to throw a punch. For as relaxed as Junior seems, he dodges out of the way with easy, quick reflexes, sidestepping and taking a swing of his own. Its a lot quicker than Takuya anticipated, even if he managed to move enough that it only grazed the side of his head rather than solidly clock it.

Even as he's falling away, Takuya lifts his leg and aims to kick the side of Junior's knee in. The other twists and catches his leg instead, giving his ankle a sharp twist that makes him hiss in pain. Junior doesn't go so far as to break or sprain it, at least as far as he can immediately tell, but it still hurts like a bitch, and he limps a little when he first tries to regain his footing.

Junior gives him a half-grin as he straightens himself up, wiggling a finger in a come here motion, his eyes dancing with mocking amusement.

"That all you're going to try? And here I thought you were an Assassin... what a disappointment. You probably can't even graze me with that blade of yours."

Takuya pauses for a moment to glance at his hidden blade. He hadn't exactly been planning on using it. Not against someone he was supposed to be allies with. Was Junior actually suggesting he use it here, now? Against him?

"Yes, that," Junior scoffed, as if reading his thoughts. While he doesn't roll his eyes again, he does roll his head a bit and his eyes shine with condescension. "Like I said: you probably can't even graze me."

Takuya flexes his fingers for a moment in indecision. He didn't like Junior, but he didn't exactly hate him to that level either, however... the cold scowl the other gives him seems almost disappointed he doesn't try. He could refuse to, just to vex the other, but maybe he's being expected to chicken out, to give himself greater leverage on having something to say about him. In any case, maybe proving his mettle wouldn't be such a bad thing here. Maybe at least he'd get a little bit more damn respect.

Getting over his uncertainty, he flicks his wrist-blade out and lunges with a snarl. Its not as serious of a lunge as it could be, and Junior easily moves out of the way. Takuya regrets it as the other twirls and nails him in the side of the head with an elbow and staggers him. Its enough to irritate, and he lunges a little more determined this time.

He takes a few close swings, and Junior steps out of the way of all of them in retreat without going to attack himself, until he's backed to a wall. Takuya debates not continuing this stupid game and pulling up short, but in the end he makes another lunge. He barely knows what happened when Junior moves aside and around, twisting his wrist up over and behind his back and slamming him against the wall by his throat.

He refuses to make any sounds of pain even though his wrist is twisted uncomfortably tight, but he does make some effort towards shoving Junior's elbow away from his throat with a small choke. It doesn't get the result he intended.

Junior gives him a sweet, unnerving smile as he leans in close, eyes narrowed with some enigmatic glint that makes his insides squirm.

"I told you. You can't even graze me. What a joke. Not much of an Assassin like this, are you?"

Takuya hisses angrily at him, but pauses when he sees Junior's expression change and his back stiffen, poster rising higher for a moment.

"Maybe not, but I am." Its Bennett's voice.

Junior clicks his tongue in amusement and stiffly turns his neck over his shoulder, briefly giving a small, throaty purr.

"Well... you snuck up on me. Color me impressed. There's definitely a difference in skill between you and Takuya."

"Let him go. Now."

Junior gives a wider smirk before loosening his hold on Takuya's wrist and slowly leaning back to take his weight off of his throat, putting his arms up in the air in surrender and stepping off to the side.

Bennett looks far less amused, with Junior most of all, but with him as well. Bennett gives him a glare and points sharply back at the villa's main building. "Inside. Its well past the ten minutes I gave you, and you never turned your bloody radio on!"

Takuya flicks his blade back into its sheathe and shoves his hands in his pockets, starting back towards their temporary base. "Che."

"Don't you che me!" Bennett growls at his back, giving Junior a withering glare to make sure he's following as well, though the redhead remains perky as ever despite the look.

Bennett can't help grumbling to himself as he ushers both other males inside and down the steps, ignoring protests and complaints from Takuya, while Junior is unaffectedly silent and tolerating the entire way down. He shoves them both once they reach the deepest room, and Bennett immediately whirls on Junior.

"You! You were supposed to go and fetch Takuya and bring him inside before the sun was up! And what do you do instead? Get into a bloody death match in the street, like that's not going to draw unwanted attention! We cannot afford to be discovered!"

Junior only gives him a bored, unimpressed look. It makes Bennett tempted to wipe that look off with a fist. Or a hidden blade if he wants to get cut up so damn bad.

"You put everyone here at risk with your actions, and that is inexcusable! I want to hear that you will never do something like that again!"

The fact that the redhead doesn't even wait until he's finished speaking before his eyes wander in disinterest, following nothing at all or maybe a speck of floating dust like its the most interesting thing in the world instead, only makes him blow his top further.

"Do you understand the position we're in?! Clearly you do not, or you would be listening to what I'm saying to you! You may have helped us before, but it doesn't matter if you jeopardize it all on something so stupid!" Snarling in his throat, he reaches out and yanks the other by the collar. He's only rewarded with a momentary snap of attention before Junior's eyes slide off somewhere else, uncaring. "LISTEN TO ME, DAMN IT!"

"...I didn't take any actions first. Takuya was the one to throw the first punch. I merely went along with it in defending myself." Even his tone betrayed his indifference.

Huffing out a growl, Bennett shoved him back, throwing his hands up in disbelief. "Fine! Whatever you say! But I don't want to see or hear about it happening again, or so help me I will do more than only poke you with the tip of my blade. You endanger us, and I will deal with you myself." That said, he turned away sharply, heading back to Takuya and Johnny to get them ready and Takuya settled back into the Animus.

Although it was discussed and agreed upon that either Doug or Junior would be the better choice, he announces leaving to go into town for supplies himself, asking for a general list of anything anyone else immediately needs. If he stays in such an underground space or around Junior, he thinks he just might explode and follow through on his threat. Getting out will be good for clearing his head.

He takes his while as he heads out to shop to do some deep breathing and thinking. Junior agitates him more than a little, and for some reason, something about the man hasn't sat well with him from the start. Something in his gut tells him to be wary, but he can't put his finger on why, beyond Junior being a general asshole.

For all his distrust for the man though, he doesn't think Junior is a mole. He seems too abrasive to be a mole, unless that's part of his strategy, yet time and again his instinct says that's not the reason why he distrusts him. It isn't that sort of bad feeling, but something else. Something he can't place his finger on. Trying to figure it out is certainly enough of a frustrating endeavor.

And yet, he can't entirely rule out the possibility. Although its unlikely that he is after capturing them and bringing them in to Abstergo, seeing as Abstergo already had him and Takuya in a position of entrapment, he could be after something else. Something Abstergo couldn't accomplish keeping them locked up. Perhaps it was to gather information on other Assassin teams, or...

Really, it could be a great many different things. It was still strange to him how Junior was able to sabotage Abstergo to get them out, and how he already knew Bennett was with the Assassins where Abstergo did not...

While he may not be working for Abstergo, he might still have his own agenda Bennett would have to be worried about, and that fight between him and Takuya worried him more than anything. Just what was Junior after with that display? Had he intended on hurting Takuya or...

He had left to calm his thoughts, but now he was more anxious than ever. He had taken it as just some stupid power play, or a game, but... what if it was something more sinister? And he had just left Takuya and Johnny alone with Junior. Just what made him think that was a good idea?

He had to get back to them, soon. He had a bad feeling.

When Bennett returns, his blood runs cold. Outside he finds Junior, and on Junior's face, a few spots of red not accounted for by his hair.

Blood.

Bennett snarls, dropping his bag of goods on the bottom step leading up to the villa and advances up them. Junior only blinks at him in a dazed sort of way, even as Bennett flicks his hidden blade out. He grabs Junior's collar, backs him all the way to the wall of the building behind him, and glares fiercely into unconcerned, dull eyes. Junior doesn't even seem to notice the smears of blood on his skin or care about the very real chance Bennett may turn his blade on Junior if he doesn't like the answer he's about to get.

"What happened?! What did you do?!" He was shaking with anxiety. He wanted this to be nothing, but the risks, and the possibilities, and the likelihoods were too high to take chances and think best-case-scenario first. It wasn't that long ago several other Assassin teams went completely dark without explanation, some of them probably dead at the hands of the Templars. There was no such thing as too careful in their line of work.

Junior only innocently tilts his head, blinking at him in question, but there's a strange disconnect in his eyes that leaves Bennett with a deep feeling of dread. "Happened?"

He loosens his hold just a little bit at what seems like genuine confusion at his question. "The blood on your face!"

Junior blinks, gingerly reaching up to touch and look at his fingertips as they come away with traces of red, blinking slowly. "Oh... this? Nothing. Nothing happened."

Bennett purses his lips, not knowing that he believes that, and yanks Junior towards their base, keeping his blade drawn. Every step is made with haste. He has to be sure. He doesn't think or want to believe Junior is lying but he has to be sure. He has to see it for himself that all he is is paranoid.

Junior doesn't protest getting pulled along or try to struggle free, but all the same, Bennett keeps his hold until they've appeared in the burial chamber and he sees Johnny hard at work and Takuya still in the Animus. He shudders out a sigh and finally lets go, relaxing. Johnny greets him with a concerned look, probably wondering what sort of spat he and Junior are having this time.

"I... I'm sorry," he fumbles, relaxing his blade again. "I panicked a little when I saw the blood, and I... had to make sure."

Junior, in a fashion Bennett is learning to expect already, merely shrugs with a glazed look, wiping his face with the back of his hand. It doesn't really help to clear away the blood, only makes it streak more. "Its fine. I don't really care one way or the other."

Sighing, Bennett reaches out towards his face in inspection, pursing his lips. "Just where did this blood come from, then?"

Junior flicked his head away from the touch, turning his head away to some far off thing instead of whatever was in front of him. "Just a little slip. Oops."

Its too avoidant for his liking, and he furrows his brows. Lips purse, humming in contemplation. Just what could he be hiding? He stands examining the other for a long time, shifting his weight back onto one leg, and then following Junior's gaze, but there's nothing noteworthy except for the statues to famous past Assassins. Even then, Junior doesn't seem to really be looking at those, specifically. Its like part of him isn't even there.

Sighing, he gingerly places a finger on Junior's jaw and tries to steer his face back towards him to see just how exactly Junior managed to hurt himself that he wasn't letting be seen. Junior seems to come a little bit back to himself at the touch, blinking slowly as Bennett hums and leans up to inspect a split beside his brow, mostly concealed by his hair.

"Just what stupidity did you do to yourself?"

He pauses as he catches Junior looking at him strangely, but it doesn't seem like the same man he's come to know the past short while. There's an almost childlike fascination on his face, green eyes mesmerized for a moment. It makes Bennett's breath stall for the eternity that takes place as they look into each other's eyes, and then an eternity ends with a quick snap of Junior's head, turning his whole body away.

Coming back to reality is jarring. He suddenly remembers where they are and glances over at Johnny, who's watching them in fascinated confusion before shifting awkwardly to go back to work. Takuya - thank whatever gods he doesn't believe in - is still in the Animus and didn't notice anything. Junior, when Bennett looks back at him, looks almost like he's shaking. That confuses him the most.

That is, until he sees Junior go rummaging for something, the sound of a hollow pop reaching his ears before he watches the redhead down something from his hand and swallow it down. Pills. Too many pills. Nobody needs that many pills.

He's snatched them away before he's even finished crossing the distance, and suddenly his anger is back in full-throttle.

"A little slip, huh?! And I'm sure being a bloody fucking pill popper-" he throws the bottle against the floor, "has nothing to do with it!"

Junior returns him a glassy-eyed look and its suddenly all too tempting again to plant a fist in his face and beat the drugs right out of his system. Junior gives a small, unintelligeable growl in his throat before bending to pick the bottle up. Bennett kicks it away from him across the room and shoves a finger into his chest hard. He full-heartedly ignores the glazed glare Junior shoots him.

"You probably bloody fucking hurt yourself by being drugged out of your god damn mind, is what happened! We don't need a fucking addict watching our backs with the Templars out there after us, and I have enough bloody fucking problems to worry about without adding making sure some of my team doesn't voluntarily overdose when we need to be on alert!"

Junior narrows his eyes nastily, his lip twitching up like a dog ready to snarl fangs at him, and so help him if the other tries to attack him hyped up on something he will run him through with a blade.

"It's fine. Doug and me have it handled."

Bennett almost throws his arms up. "Oh, so Doug knows you're a bloody fucking crack-head too! Its great to know this wasn't something important enough to fill me in on! So, what, I guess he's your monitor to make sure you don't end up in the bloody hospital?" When Junior tries to slide past him and after his pill bottle again, Bennett snatches him by the collar and yanks him back. "You listen to me and you listen to me good, git, because I'm only going to say this once. You either drop everything - the god damn pills, the infighting, all of it, or you get the Hell out. We don't need liabilities. Understood?"

Junior grunts at him unhappily, narrowing his eyes. "Crystal god damn clear. Now let go of me."

"I should hope so," Bennett grinds through his teeth, shoving Junior back a step and pointing a finger at him in one last threatening gesture. "For your own sake."

Shaking himself, although with anger rather than withdrawals or whatever-the-fuck reason as Junior, he turns away, bent on going back to retrieve the things he'd bought from the store and dropped outside earlier confronting Junior about the blood.

He's too agitated to deal with either Takuya when he gets out of the Animus or Doug when he returns from who-knows-where, more than happy when people start settling in for bed and Junior is one of them. Better unconscious so he can't cause any more undue trouble than he already has. Before Bennett falls asleep himself, he spies Junior listlessly tossing in his sleep with small distressed noises, shaking and sweating, but he guesses it must be withdrawals or something.

In either case, Doug is by his bedside, so he leaves it up to the frenchman. Junior said he had it handled anyway, and this was not what he signed up for.