Chapter One
Darrin Beau moved swiftly through the back streets and alleyways of New York. It was past midnight and the lights of the city made the shadows long and dark. Moving from shadow to shadow Darrin stayed from the sight of any onlookers. Soon he was standing before an old, abandoned looking, stone church. Still staying out of sight Darrin made his way around to the side of the building. Flexing his fingers, he took a hold on the building's old, rain soaked walls. He began to climb, carefully and slowly, falling to the ground due to rushing would not help him. After a few minutes of careful climbing, Darrin found himself on the roof of the church. He walked slowly and quietly across the roof. The friction pads on the bottom of his boots grabbing at the roof's surface. The rain was pelting him constantly now. Darrin didn't mind. He had been conditioned against worst things than water. Darrin stepped into the belltower. The bell had long since been removed. Reaching down, Darrin grabbed the hatch and opened the floor door. He then descended down on the wooden ladder.
"Good, you made it." Darrin's mentor said as he dropped down from the ladder.
"Mentor." Darrin bowed his head in respect. Darrin's mentor was Senior Mentor Assassin Celso Galkin.
"Come, the rafiq are waiting for us." Galkin said. He walked forwards to the far end of the church. There was no lighting, only through Darrin's augmentations was he able to see clearly through the dark. To a normal human the interior of the church would have been near pitch black. Darrin followed his teacher to the head of the church. The centerpiece of prayer was a sarcophagus, supposedly containing the bones of some long dead saint. Kneeling down, Galkin activated a device on the sarcophagus. The stone coffin slid backwards, revealing an underground staircase. Galkin descended down the staircase, Darrin following closely behind. The two assassin's descended into the dark. After a few minutes a light appeared. The lights origins was from behind a closed wooden door. Walking forward, Galkin knocked twice on the door.
"Enter." came a voice from the other side of the door. Galkin opened the door and walked in, Darrin followed.
The room Darrin walked into was brightly lit. Darrin pulled his hood down slightly to protect his eyes from the harsh light.
"Ah, you made it." An unfamiliar voice greeted Darrin's ears. With his eye's adjusted, Darrin looked up to observe his surroundings. He was inside a Bureau, a fairly high tech one. Bullet-proof glass cabinets held large computers and the were a number of thin framed monitors. Darrin could also hear the low hum of power generators. And standing behind a long wooden desk running half the width if the room, was a Rafiq. The Rafiq were the scholars and coordinators of the Brotherhood. They were chief intelligence agents, and for most ranked assassin's, the authority if a mission could begin or not.
"How are you Alusk?" Galkin asked the rafiq.
"I am well. And yourself?" Rafiq Alusk asked Galkin.
"I'm good. This is my apprentice, Darrin Beau." Galkin said, introducing his student.
"Sir." Darrin said curtly, bowing his head with his right hand over his sternum in respectful greeting .
"Polite isn't he." Alusk commented, before returning the gesture.
"I see you have gotten comfortable down here in your little man-cave." Galkin smiled.
"Man-cave!" Alusk said in mock hurt, putting his hand on his chest and an expression of shock on his face.
"Aye, man-cave. Staying down here, watching porn and Doctor Who on your fancy computers whilst us hard working assassin's are out there doing real work." Galkin stated.
"And by real work you meam going to those stripclubs you are so fond of?" Alusk asked. The two men looked at each other for a few moments. Darrin shifted his weight from foot to foot. He was unsure how to respond to the situation. He wiggled his fingers unsurly. A moment later both Galkin and Alusk burst into laughter. Darrin looked at them, utterly confused.
"It's good to see you again old friend." Alusk said, clapping Galkin on the shoulder.
'Same to you." Galkin replied.
"Come, come, there is much to discuss." Alusk said, waving for the to follow him. Galkin and Darrin followed him to a back room set up with a low table and cushions on the floor.
"Come and sit. It just so happens I was making tea, would you like any?" Alusk asked.
"Yes, thank you." Galkin answered.
"Would you like any as well Darrin?" Alusk asked Darrin.
"No thank you." Darrin declined respectfully.
Alusk served the tea and they all sat on the cushions on the ground around the curcular table.
"So how are things in New York, are brotherhood has not had dealings with this city since the days of Ratonhnhaké:ton?" Galkin asked.
"So far, it is not too bad. For the reputation this city has anyway." Alusk answered.
"What do you mean?" Darrin asked.
"Well on top of the very aggressive attitude these people have, there is a very large Templar presence due to the amount of businesses and corporations that operate out of New York, as well as the constant appearances of Meta's." Alusk told Darrin.
"Meta's?" Darrin asked.
"How do you not know of meta's?" Alusk asked clearly shocked.
"That would be my fault." Galkin chimed in. Alusk just let out a sigh, as if he had already partially known.
"Very well, allow me to educate you. Meta is a category that the brotherhood uses to classify those who have an above normal human or superhuman ability or abilities. Take the Avengers for example, Hulk and Thor being the best examples." Alusk explained.
"But..." Darrin began before trailing off.
"What is it,don't be shy boy." Alusk urged Darrin.
"What about the others, like Captain America, Iron Man or Hawkeye, they wouldn't be Meta's."
"No, they're still classified as Meta's." alusk told him.
"But then... wouldn't that make almost every one of us a Meta? Almost everyone in the Brotherhood undergoes genetic manipulation and augmentation as well as cybernetic augmentation. We also use advance combat suits that enhance the abilities of our non-stealth personal, and we undergo severe combat training. Wouldn't that make us, me a Meta?"
"Yes and no, the classification of Meta's are a bit hard to pin down, but as far as the Brotherhood is concerned, we're aug's, not Meta's. We have augmented abilities, not superpowers." Alusk explained.
"I see." Darrin said.
"But make no mistake," Alusk continued "Meta's are a very real threat to human life and liberty. So far we have been blessed that 'superheroes' have been able to keep the 'supervillains' in check for the most part. but all it will take is some madman with enough money, charisma, and ambition of world domination to control a large number of Meta's and then humanity is living under the rule of those with superpowers."
"What is your progress with studying subject C?" Norman Osborn asked is 'scientific researcher' Doctor Octavius.
"Exponential. Subject C shows all the abilities that you asked of, superhuman strength, agility, extremely sensitive senses, and the ability to cleave through flesh and bone with ease." Octavius reported to Norman.
"Good, have the frightful four and Taskmaster on standby. Have the four distract Subject C and the team while Taskmaster subdues the subject." Norman ordered.
"As you wish." Octavius said, turning to go inform the four and Taskmaster of their mission.
Sorry for the short chapter but is just kind of felt natural to end it here. Now the reason I decided to write this is...well honestly, the other two Assassin's Creed/Ultimate Spider-man are horrid, at least to my eye's. So, after getting fed up, I decided to write my own, what do you think. Leave me with reviews, I shall be sure to respond to each one.