I had inspiration for this after reading words without's fic, Seperation Anxiety. It's amazing, go read it ^^

Anyway, yes, this will have gore, and a hell of a lot of swearing.. read if you're not offended by that kind of stuff. Also: there will be a listening guide, what you should be hearing as you read this. It's what I did, anyway. You don't have to, of course, I just find it makes the read more enjoyable if you have the proper background music. All of the music in here can be found at http:/assassinscreed . uk . ubi . com/brotherhood/news/12356 . html - just remove the spaces. The music will be in italics, and all songs are from the Brotherhood soundtrack. If the Ubisoft website doesn't work for you for whatever reason, you can just look up the songs on YouTube.

Music: Desmond Miles

Desmond had never been in control. His past had been played like a puppeteer plays with his marionettes, strings jerking him this way and that until he didn't know which way was up. For the first time since being captured, he felt in control when that blade pierced Lucy's flesh.

He hadn't wanted it at first, he'd struggled. But Juno whispered in his ear, told him all the things he'd wanted to hear. She gave him infinite reasons, infinite knowledge.

So as Desmond looked up into Rebecca and Shaun's faces, their shocked, horrific expressions, he was confused.

"...what?" he asked.

"Oh God," Rebecca gasped, covering her mouth with both her hands. "Lucy.." She hurried over and knelt down beside the blonde.

"Desmond... what the hell just happened?" Shaun asked softy, his usual sharp demeanor forgotten.

"She.." Desmond trailed off, then gestured weakly towards the body behind him. He pulled himself to his feet, the Apple still on the floor. "She was in the way."

"She's dead," Rebecca said softly Desmond turned slightly in time to see her slide Lucy's eyes closed. Rebecca rose, wrapping her arms around herself. A tear ran down her cheek.

When he was first exposed to the Animus, Desmond had been downright scared. After being let out to sleep and eat, he had been afraid to close his eyes. He was afraid that when he opened them, someone would be standing in front of him, sword or knife drawn, ready to kill.

Now, as he watched Shaun stride over and pull Rebecca into a hug, he realized one thing: that feeling had never gone away. He thought it had, after being given proper care and friendships. He had ate better, started sleeping, but his fears always nagged at the back of his mind, pulling him down. No longer. No longer would he be dragged down by these weights wrapped around his heart. Because his heart was just ash now, nothing solid enough for those fears to pull down. He felt free.

Music: Countdown

Subconsciously, the blade drew out of Desmond's cuff. It still had her blood on it. He examined it, uninterested by the other two's soft murmuring. He then heard a click.

"All right Desmond, start talking," Shaun growled, his loaded pistol trained at the other man's head, Rebecca pulled slightly behind him. "What happened when you touched that Apple?"

"You tell me," Desmond snapped back. "You're the smart one, right? What the hell happened to me?"

Shaun just stared, a cold look in his eye.

"Didn't you hear me?" Desmond asked, his voice rising. "What the fuck happened?" he roared, taking a step forward. Shaun adjusted his grip so both his hands were clutching the gun.

"You think you scare me?" Desmond growled, his face twisting into a smirk. "I know you'd never do it. So I'll ask you one more time: What. Did. That. Apple. Do. To. Me." He pronounced each word slowly, his left hand flexing with the curve of his blade, fingers bending like clockwork.

"All I saw was you grab it," Shaun responded, his arms beginning to shake. "Then you were just... there, next to her. And she was bleeding. But why, Desmond! All we ever did was fucking help!"

Music: The Brotherhood Escapes

"Yeah, and a shitload of good that did me!" Desmond screamed back, clenching his fist. "I'm seeing ghosts, having visions! And you know what else? Every time I come out of that freaking machine, it feels like someone is cleaving open my head with an axe. How about you try it next time? Hmm? How would either of you feel if you were in my place? Try it! Shut up about Templars and Abstergo and all that bull, stop messing around with your computers, and TRY AND FUCKING DO WHAT I DO!"

He stopped, breathing hard, rage twisting his features. Shaun and Rebecca looked thoroughly shocked, scared out of their wits. Shaun had lowered the gun as Desmond had yelled, and now they both stared.

"SAY SOMETHING!" Desmond howled after half a minute or so. "Don't just stand there with those pathetic expressions on your face!"

"Desmond..." Rebecca stepped forward, extending a hand.

"Don't you fucking 'Desmond' me!" he screaming, raising his blade, advancing until he was ten feet away. Shaun hitched the gun up again, pointing it between the other man's eyes.

Desmond's foot touched something. It was the Apple. He grinned, bending down to pick it up. Nothing happened, but he could sense its raw power, ready and at his disposal.

Shaun's expression changed to horror, and he pulled Rebecca roughly behind him, pushing her to the ground, shielding her with his body. "Desmond, put it down," he half commanded, half pleaded.

"No," Desmond growled flatly. He raised his right hand, and the Apple began to glow.

"Desmond, no!" Rebecca screamed. Too late. He unleashed the power, directed it at the man standing in front of him. All of its raw power.

Music: Roman Underworld

Shaun exploded. That was the only way to describe it. One second he was there, the next he was gone, Desmond and Rebecca coated with blood, brains, and gore. Chunks of flesh rained down on them, getting in their hair, on their clothes, in their mouths.

Rebecca was screaming, wailing a long, slow wail. She sat there, staring at the place where Shaun had been, then at her hands, sticky and wet with blood. She had been coated in gore, and Desmond imagined he looked the same.

"Well," was all he said. And then the pistol landed neatly in front of his feet. Seems the Apple only destroyed organic material.

Rebecca saw the gun at the same time as he did. She stopped screaming, and looked from the .22 to his face, then back again. She dove forward, reaching out her left hand.

Acting on impulse, Desmond brought down his foot, hard, on her hand. He heard several snaps and cracks as most of the bones in Rebecca's hand broke and splintered. She cried out, probably in intense pain, but still managed to snatch the gun from under Desmond with her other hand. She sprang up, swaying slightly, and trained the gun on him.

Music: Master Assassin

"What the fuck, Desmond!" she screamed, more tears running down her cheeks. "How could you do that?"

All he did was shrug, but it was barely a shrug. He just lifted a shoulder less than an inch, then let it fall.

"I'll kill you," Rebecca snarled, her finger flexing on the trigger, left hand drawn up close to her body.

Desmond spread his arms wide, cocking his head to one side. "Here I stand. Unlike them," he said jerking his chin to Lucy and in the general direction of the blood, which coated everything anyway.

Rebecca's lower lip quivered. She sighed. "I can't. You're my friend Desmond, and you always will be. I just.. can't."

"Mm, what a shame," Desmond muttered, rolling his wrist. "Because unfortunately... I can!" He leaped toward her, blade raised above his head. Rebecca yelped, startled, twisting out of the way so her attacker's blade missed its mark - her heart - and instead pierced her left arm. She cried out, falling backwards as Desmond wrenched the metal out of her flesh.

"Time to join them!" Desmond screamed like a madman, all rational thoughts gone from his brain. He descended on her, blade ready to slice a throat or crush a skull or pierce a heart.

He didn't even hear the shot. He didn't feel the bullet enter his skull, splinter his bone, rip its way through his cranial tissue. He just... died. Shot by his friend, after killing two of his own.

One minute he was there, the next... nothing.

Hmm, I rather liked that one. Please tell me what you think :D

Ah yes, and if it seems like Desmond is suffering from bipolar disorder, don't blame him, mkay? That's just the shit that goes on in my head ^^"