Music and lights filled the outdoor arena in a local town as Billy Idol rocked the night away in front of a packed house. There were barriers several feet in front of the stage with security standing in front to make sure no one tried to jump the barriers and get on stage. The crowd varied in all ages and a good number of them were dressed in full on punk outfits, and each outfit varied by decade; old styles and new styles a like.

Standing at the front was a girl, who appeared to be in her early 20's, that might have been the shortest one there standing at about five foot three. She wasn't much of a crowd person, but she kept on ignoring the people next to her and behind her as she allowed herself to get lost in the music…and in Billy Idol's looks, of course. She was dressed in a more modern day punk look with a long sleeved shirt underneath a leather vest, which was covered in studs and patches, tight pants with patches on them and combat boots that appeared to have seen better days. Her black hair with purple tips went down to her shoulder with the right side of it buzzed. The right side was full on purple. She had several ear piercings and had her lip, nose, and eyebrow pierced.

Amongst the dark jewelry, a small white gold earring stood out on the bottom of her right ear. It looked tight on the ear, but there was just a small gap between the lob and the earring. It was hard to tell where the earring stopped and started because inside was a magnet to keep it from falling off her ear.

As the concert drew to an end, she held back while allowing everyone else to leave before her. She had no where to go, even though it was after ten at night. She decided that she'd head to her favorite hangout and spend some time there until she was ready to return home. Just as the people around her began to move towards the exit, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out to see a text message, which read; Come home as soon as the show is over.With a roll over her eyes, she placed the phone back into her pocket and followed the remaining few people out of the arena. She headed straight for town to her favorite coffee shop, which was open twenty-four hours. As soon as she approached it, she opened up the door and stepped inside the Gothic paradise.

The coffee shop was a dark setting with purple lights filling up the medium sized shop. It was easy to see that those who attended the concert had showed up for a late night drink and a snack. She approached the counter and ordered her usually, a hot blood, or more simply put, a hot chocolate with red food coloring. All the drinks and food items were labeled in a Gothic tone, but didn't taste as they appeared. They were just normal drinks and treats one would find at a normal coffee shop.

Upon receiving her drink, she walked over to an empty bar table and seated herself. She placed her phone on the table before taking slow sips of the drink. While she enjoyed the drink, she disliked burning her tongue, which happened a lot when she ordered a hot chocolate. She sat back in her seat and stared out the large window right next to her as she watched some people passing by. She began to drift and wasn't sure how long she was in her fantasy world before she heard a voice across from her calling her name.

"Vera! Hey! Vera!"

Vera quickly snapped back to reality and turned to face the person who had spoken to her, "Oh, Billy! It's just you. I thought it was…"

Billy raised his hand, "No, it's just me."

He was perfect for this setting for he was dressed from head to toe in Gothic clothing. He even sported some black make up, including nail polish, along with a lip and nose piercing. His black hair was the same length as Vera's. He stood taller than Vera at six foot.

"I've been told you got a text message."

Vera glanced at her phone for a moment, "I did…just decided to ignore it. You all know I like to come here after concerts."

"It's getting dangerous out there. It would be wise to listen to what he has to say."

"Billy, relax for awhile, won't you? Yes, I understand what's going on in the world today, but we really shouldn't worry about it. Now, go grab yourself a drink and just chill for awhile."

Billy looked down at his watch, "Fine. We'll stay for about an hour, but then we head back." He rose from his seat, then walked over to the counter.

"Something tells me an hour won't happen." Vera whispered to herself as she picked up her cup and took a sip.

It was after one in the morning when the two of them slipped past a gate and into their home, which was a bunch of buildings that looked like shacks, but were built like homes. There were two larger buildings inside the gated area as well. There was a small rode that lead to the main building, the rest of the area was grass and trees.

Billy walked Vera to her home, "He's going to kill us when he finds out what time we got in here." He whispered to her as he kept an eye out.

Vera shrugged a little, "It's not like this hasn't happened before." She turned to face him, "He'll get over it."

Billy nodded slightly, "Have a good night."

"Same to you, my friend." Vera bowed her head slightly as she watched him head off to his home. She walked up the steps to the porch, then opened up the door and stepped inside.

It was a small area with a living room, kitchen and dining room, laundry room, bathroom and bedroom, but it worked for her.

She walked into her bedroom and quickly changed into some PJs that she left out on the bed, then collapsed on the bed. She placed her phone on the nightstand and quickly passed out.

Around six thirty that morning, she was awoken to the sound of a workout session jogging past her place. She groaned angrily as she grabbed her pillow and placed it over her head.

"Normal people are trying to sleep!" She hissed under her breath as she gripped it tighter when she could hear the team lead calling out to the others behind him, "And, normal people don't get up at five in the morning to work out!" She was quickly stirred by the sound of someone knocking on her door. She groaned and threw the pillow to the side, "Seriously?! I'm not in the mood to work out!" She threw off the blankets, then got herself out of bed. She made her way to the door and opened it up, "Oh, Sarah, it's only you."

"The head would like to see you." Sarah replied to her. She was the complete opposite of Vera dressed in a more brightly manner, even though she was a computer geek.

"Tell him I'm dead."

"I don't believe that's an option."

"Tell him I stabbed myself."

"He's not going to believe that."

"Then tell him he's more than welcome to make himself at home here."

"He'd like to see you for breakfast."

Vera gave Sarah a dead eye stare, "Give me half an hour." She closed the door, then forced herself to get ready. As soon as she opened up the door, she saw that Sarah was still there waiting for her, "Don't you have a life?"

"Have to make sure you didn't fall back asleep." Sarah lead Vera away from the house and towards the outdoor picnic area.

"Normal people don't get up this early. Normal people sleep in."

"Yes, but normal people also go to bed early. And, come back from concerts when they're told to."

Vera glared at her as she hissed under her breath, "I'm a big girl! I think I can handle myself."

"While that is true, the Templars have been expanding their forces. Who knows when you might run into one. Anyone you meet could be an agent of theirs."

"And…how exactly would they be able to know that I'm part of the Brotherhood?"

"We could start with that tattoo on your upper arm."

"You do know that I don't wear tank tops, so it'd be impossible for them to know about that."

Sarah sighed a little as they approached a picnic table that was underneath the shade of a nearby tree.

Sitting under the tree was a man, who appeared to be in his fifties, dressed in a nice suit. He was in the middle of eating his breakfast as he saw them approaching. He held out his hand to offer them a seat across from him.

"Lovely morning, isn't it?" He asked while watching Vera take a seat with Sarah standing behind her.

"Forgive me for not leaping with joy. I'm not a morning person, you know." Vera said flatly while looking across the table at him.

"Perhaps one shouldn't stay out too late at night."

Vera just gave him a blank stare, "Lucas, you know my situation and my beef with the morning…and early afternoon."

"I'm highly aware of that, but you shouldn't stay out late. Meaning, outside of these walls. The Templars are growing in numbers. They're becoming stronger and smarter. We need to stay one step ahead of them, and stay clear of them or our numbers will decline."

"While I get what you mean, how would they know who's part of the Brotherhood and who's not?"

"They have ways of finding these things out. We must stay on our toes at all times, which is why I've called you here this morning." Lucas pushed a file, that was placed next to him, over towards Vera, "These are the records from your time in the animus."

"You mean that thing that drains the life out of me?" Vera replied as she looked at the file and opened it up.

"It doesn't drain the life out of you. It helps you to connect with your ancestors of the Brotherhood."

"My mistake…it drains the life out of my brain." Vera looked at the papers, "So, what do you have planned for me?"

"The medallion that belonged to your ancestors that's been missing for generations. We believe, according to the documents before you, that it ended up somewhere in New Orleans."

Vera looked up at him, "What would make you think that?"

"When your ancestors moved to America, they settled in New Orleans. It's possible that it's there. The question is, where could it be?"

"Well, the last time you put me in the animus, my ancestor was killed and that's where this stopped. But, I'll take your word for it." Vera closed up the file and pushed it back to him, "What do you want me to do?"

"I already have a flight scheduled for you to leave today." Lucas moved the file to the side, "I want you to go down, by yourself, to get that medallion back. You know all about it and know of its powers. Who knows what'll happen if the Templars get their hands on it."

"How long do I have?"

"However long it takes. But, as soon as you get it, get back here ASAP. And, keep a sharp eye out while you're there. You never know who might be watching. But, there will be fellow brothers down there to assist you, if you should need it."

"Alright. I'll pack and head out." Vera rose from her seat.

"I'll have Sarah bring your flight and hotel information to you in a little while. Until then, have a safe trip. And, don't stay out too late."

"Lucas, you know me well enough to know that it's easier for me to finish a job when it's dark out. Daylight will only get you caught."

"Of course." Lucas waved her off, "Just beware of the Templars."

"I know." Vera quickly strolled off before the conversation could continue any farther.

Several hours flew by as Vera found herself standing outside of the hotel in New Orleans. She looked at it for several moments before heading inside to check in. Upon receiving her room key, she headed off down the hall and to the last door on the left hand side. She opened up the door to see that the room was smaller than her living quarters back home. She shrugged it off, then locked herself into the room before unpacking. She reached into her duffle bag and pulled out a box of laundry detergent. After opening the box, she pulled out a zip lock bag. Inside was another zip lock bag with her bracer inside of it. She opened up the bags, then pulled out the bracer. It was black and went half way up her lower arm, when she was wearing it, with a sliver Brotherhood logo on the top. She seated herself on the bed as she stared down at it for several moments until she began to drift off.

"I don't know how I'm going to be able to take this with me." Vera said to Billy as she held up the bracer, "There's no way this will get through baggage claim without it being taken to security."

"Not to worry. I have an idea." Billy rushed into her laundry room, then came back with the box, "Just put it in here."

"Are you sure that'll work?"

"Positive! That's how my relatives smuggle food from Europe over here, since it's illegal to bring food from other countries to America." Billy handed her the box.

Vera took the box, then measured it up to the bracer, "It'll fit. But, I'm not sticking it in there as is. It's might be ruined."

"Some zip lock bags should do the trick. It'll help keep the smell off of it, as well."

Vera smiled a little, "Billy, you're a genius, you know that."

A big smile came to Billy's face, "I know I am!"

Vera quickly stirred when she heard a knock on the door. She found herself laying on the bed with the bracer on the floor. She quickly scooped it up and hid it inside the drawer of the nightstand next to the bed. She dashed over to the door and noticed a note that had been slid under it. She leaned down and picked it up, then read it.

Meet me at the address below at 4pm.

~J.H.

Vera studied the address for several long moments before looking over at the alarm clock on her nightstand. She dashed over to her bag and quickly changed into something a bit more comfortable, which consisted of a black and red baggy sweater, a pair of black jeggings and her combat boots, grabbed her purse and headed right out the door. She used the GPS on her phone to guide her to the location.

After a 50 minute walk, she made it to a small cafe on one of the street corners. She entered to see that it was fairly busy. She grabbed herself a fruit tea, then seated herself in a leather chair next to the large window that overlooked the street. It wasn't much longer before the deliverer of the note appeared next to her. She looked up to see a man, about forty, hovering above her.

"I think you're a little late, Hawk."

"Sh! Don't use that name!" He glanced around for a moment before putting his gaze back to her, "The walls have ears."

"I'm sure you can hear better than you can see." She tapped the side of her eye, referring to the sunglasses that he always wore.

He shrugged a little, "You know what I mean."

She nodded slightly, "Now, go get yourself a drink and relax for a while." She removed her boots, then crossed her legs on the chair.

"Alright. Give me a minute." He walked off.

Vera sat back in the chair as she watched some of the people walking past the window. It was about fifteen minutes later that Hawk returned to her and seated himself in the leather chair across from her. She was able to catch his reflection in the window.

"Did it really take you that long to decide what you wanted to drink?" She turned her attention to him.

"Hey! Did you happen to see how many drink choices they had on that menu? Couldn't pick just one." He placed two cups down on the small table that rested between them.

"Right. Anyways, what do you want? I was going to spend my first day here getting some well deserved rest…that someone disturbed this morning."

Hawk laughed a little, "Did someone come in late last night from a concert?"

Vera stuck her tongue out at him, "At least Lucas didn't give me hell for it. Just sent me down here to find something. But, what are you doing here?"

"Got some 'pings' about your little 'treasure hunt', so I thought I'd fill you in on this area before I make my way to Italy to help out some fellow brothers."

"Looking for some 'treasures' as well?"

"Before the you-know-whose get to it first. Can't afford any slip-ups." Hawk picked up one of the cups, then took a sip before he continued, "Now then, while I understand that this is sole your mission, there are fellow brothers around here who can lend you a hand. But, I've heard word about a 'war' between two guides down here. The Thieves and the Assassins."

Vera raised an eye brow, "Assassins? You mean like…" She pointed to him, then her herself.

Hawk shook his head, "Nein. Not like us. These people kill whoever they want, whenever they want. They're also hired out by people who want to be rid of someone, for the right price, of course. They don't care if they get caught or not, as long as the job gets done. Between the two of us, we're the better of the two. We take care of the people who cause pain and problems to other people, they just cause problems and pain to people. Watch your back if you run into them."

"Do you know where they're at?"

Hawk pulled a map out of his jacket pocket and unfolded it on the table in front of them, "I've marked their area along with the thieves' area. The red belongs to the assassins. The blue belongs to the thieves."

"Shit…it looks like these two have got all of New Orleans in the palms of their hands. So, no matter where I go to hunt this thing down at, I'm screwed."

"Not if you use your training, and…" Hawk pointed at his forearm, "…the blade of your ancestors. I don't think you'll have much to worry about, though. You should be alright."

"Not much to worry about? You just showed me a map of the two places I could get killed at. I wasn't worried about anything until this!" Vera groaned as she sat back in her chair, "Lucas is going to kick your ass if you set foot in our camp."

Hawk laughed, "You'd pay to see that, wouldn't you?"

"I think anyone would pay to see that."

"Man, he really needs to get you all some good entrainment out there."

"Why do you think I go to concerts all the time?"

"Haha! True. But, I really didn't mean to make your hunt more stressful than it needs to be. I just thought I'd point this out to you. After all, it's hard to trust people in this world nowadays."

"So, what you're saying is, don't trust either of these people."

Hawk nodded, "Indeed. No one can help you. The only ones who can are those of the Brotherhood. If you meet one, ask for their assistance if needed. We'll keep you posted if there's any you-know-whose in the area."

"Thanks for the help."

"Anytime, young one. It's what family is for." Hawk reached into the pocket inside of his jacket and pulled out a black make up bag, "And, I figured you might need these, just in case."

Vera reached over the table and took the bag from him, "Seriously? A make up bag?"

"Hey! It was the only thing that was offered to me. Plus, everything fit in there. I'm surprised how much those little bags can hold."

Vera opened up the bag and peeked inside. She looked up at him and nodded her head slightly before zipping it back up and placing it in her purse, "Thanks. I'm sure I'll need these."

"My pleasure. Now, let us sit back, enjoy our drinks and try to forget about the world for about an hour or so. Then, off to Italy I go."

"You just rhymed there."

"I did? Perhaps I should write music, or better yet poetry!"

"Yeah…good luck with that."