Red Like Roses

by halocon720

After Desmond is killed at the Temple, his father and teammates return for him. What they don't expect is to find him as a program in the Animus, like Subject 16, and another significant ancestor that may just hold the key to resisting the newly-freed Juno. Rated M for language.

AN: I have been quite inactive on FanFiction for a while, and will probably pick up on another of my fics, Triangulum: A New Horizon, soon, as well as A Lamb Among Wolves. For now, here's a fic inspired by RoosterTeeth's RWBY theme, Red Like Roses, set in 17th century Ireland and starring one of Desmond's ancestors who was never really noticed, but who had great impact on the outcome of one of Ireland's most significant battles: the Siege of Limerick.

Date: December 21, 2012

The First Civ Temple,

2 hours after Desmond freed Juno.

Bill, Shaun, and Rebecca returned to the Temple after over two hours, only to find Desmond's lifeless body frozen on the floor. "No! He cannot be dead! Get him in the Animus! Now!" Rebecca and Shaun complied, setting Desmond on the device and plugged him in, not sure that the simulation would even boot up. They sat down at their abandoned computers, turned them on, and opened the programs for the Animus. They waited for a few seconds. Nothing happened. They exited and then reopened the programs. Still nothing. They opened them again. Rebecca, while waiting for the Animus monitors to open, said to Bill, "I don't think this will help any. Desmond was fried by Juno, reme-". She was cut off by the monitors displaying that Desmond was alive and well. Shaun, astounded by this, said in disbelief, "What? How did THAT happen?! He's supposed to be DEAD!"

Inside the Animus Black Room.

Desmond awoke in the Black Room, the Animus' failsafe area. He had been in there once before, after stabbing Lucy beneath the Colosseum. Now, he had no idea why he was there. "Hello," he called out, "is anyone out there? Clay? 16, or whoever you are?" There was no answer. He sat down. "Where the fuck am I?" Suddenly, he heard voices seemingly coming from the sky. One of them, he realized, was Shaun. "Bloody hell, I don't understand. If he's dead, then why is the Animus showing him as alive? Wait, I have some rogue code inside the Animus. In the Black Room. But wait, the Black Room is only for when someone is- Of course! Desmond pulled a Subject 16 and somehow put his mind in the Animus subsystems!" Another voice, this time Rebecca, answered, "If Clay could survive in there for that long, then I'm sure Desmond can too. Turn on the external speakers for the Animus. I want to see if we can communicate." Desmond heard some movement outside, then his father saying, "Son, if you can hear any of us, say you can. Please." He had never heard his father this emotional before, and yelled up. "I'm here!"