AN: Wow! Sorry this took so long! I hope the newest addition to 'Symbiosis' will not disappoint. Please read, and enjoy. :)
Desmond's eyes opened. His ears were ringing, and his throat and mouth felt dry and full of dust. Pieces of debris dug into his back. Desmond tried to move, and the world violently tilted and rolled. Desmond coughed and pushed himself up. The ringing in his ears began to fade, slowly being replaced by the sound of falling debris and fire.
"Sh… Shaun!" Desmond's voice sounded hoarse. He carefully tried to stand, wincing as he felt his muscles protest. A quick pass over his face revealed a myriad of cuts, but nothing serious. He turned with deliberate care to not fall, looking for the other man. "Shaun!"
An answering groan to his left, and Desmond quickly made for it. Shaun was sprawled on the ground, barely conscious. Desmond knelt, holding Shaun's head steady, then shaking his shoulders.
"Man, you gotta wake up, we gotta go…"
"What…?" Shaun's eyes blearily opened.
"You okay? Anything broken?" Desmond ran a critical eye down the other man's form, but nothing seemed broken under the singed clothing.
"No… No- Shit, Des, behind you," Shaun whispered as he weakly scrambled back, failing to get very far. Desmond turned to be face to face with the muzzle of an assault rifle. One soldier had made it over to them. He was breathing heavily, and the hand holding the trigger was shaking.
"You… little shits… You better be worth what we lost today, but I'm willing to bet you're not."
"What do you want with u-!"
"Shut the fuck up!" The soldier brought up his fist and hit Desmond squarely on the jaw. The younger man cried out, holding his face in pain. "You're no better than the fucking infected, and I should end this right here, right now!" Desmond looked up through watery eyes.
"Johnson, you know we need him alive."
'Thank God for small mercies,' Desmond thought wryly.
"… we don't need the other one though. Get rid of him."
"Roger that."
Desmond didn't have time to think. In a second, his body was over Shaun's, looking down at his wide-eyed, uncomprehending expression, and then searing pain ripped through his left shoulder.
"AAAUGH!" Desmond collapsed onto Shaun, screaming, gripping his shoulder tightly. Shaun also yelled, watching the blood pool from underneath the other assassin's fingertips, staining his sweater red.
"Shit! He moved in front of it sir!"
"You are supposed to secure the prisoner first! Goddammit- Rourke! Call in for air-evac!"
"Sir!... SIR! SIR!" Shaun looked up, watching the guard waving frantically up. In a comical fashion, all three soldiers looked up simultaneously. Shaun propped himself up, putting pressure onto Desmond's shoulder before he gazed up himself.
There were no words to describe the feeling one gets when watching someone fall from an impossibly high distance. It looks like they might start flying, but everyone knows that there's only one outcome. Shaun felt that fear, not for himself, but for another about to die very, very painfully, but he could not tear his eyes away.
Whatever he was expecting to see, it was certainly not what happened.
The figure hit the ground with astonishing force, cracking the asphalt all around him. The landing sent out a shockwave that knocked down two soldiers. The third was frantically lifting his weapon once more- 'Johnson,' Shaun thought. The thing was a man, a normal, unassuming man, dressed in a hood, black jacket, and jeans. For one fleeting second, Shaun thought this might have been another assassin, mistaking the red pattern on the back of the jacket for their insignia, but then the man turned to face them and all hope fled his mind.
His eyes were cold, hard, and somehow inhuman. Shaun felt terrified, more so than he'd ever been, facing down death and templars and bumpy airplane rides. Later he'd laugh at how he'd been frightened when all he saw was a man.
The soldiers recovered as the man observed what was going on.
"It's mark one, sir! ZEUS!"
"I know that you idiot! Fire!"
Shaun could not believe his eyes. The soldiers unloaded their entire clips into the man. It was horrific, senseless carnage. It was unbelievable, especially when the man calmly jumped up, landed on the soldier named Rourke, and snapped his neck. The second soldier was the leader, and he was dispatched with Rourke's body hurling into him with incredible force.
Then he turned around and came towards Johnson, as well as the two grounded assassins. Shaun clenched his teeth around the cry of terror that swelled up in him. He scrambled to get up, but Desmond was nearly unconscious, face-down on across Shaun's stomach. Shaun glanced quickly down at him. The bleeding had slowed considerably, but it left a dark stain on Shaun's abdomen. Shaun looked up at the thing coming towards them, and back down to Desmond.
'Is this all I can do? Is this all I could ever do?'
"Stay back, terrorist!"
The man stopped, tilting his head. Emboldened, Johnson let out a few gasping laughs, though they seemed to comfort him more than intimidate the other. He had pulled out a pistol at some point, but instead of aiming it at the man, he swung it around and pointed it at Desmond's head.
"No!" Shaun flung his body forward, pulling Desmond close despite his yells of pain, and shielded his head from view.
"Come any closer and I blow their brains away. They won't be any good to you then, huh?" Johnson was not bluffing. At this distance Shaun could see the safety was off, and the trigger finger was tense, ready to end both their lives. The man didn't move, instead settling for glaring in a decidedly bored fashion. "Get down! On your knees with your hands on the ground!"
To Shaun's astonishment, he did it. The historian didn't know whether to feel relieved that they weren't going to die, or to feel apprehension that they were surely all going to be captured… and then he saw the smirk. Instinctively, Shaun jerked himself and Desmond away from where Johnson was standing right as the figure lifting up his fist and slammed it through the asphalt. The flesh of his arm had transformed, becoming a writhing mass of what looked like malformed tentacles that shot through the ground. The street trembled, and Johnson had only a second for the fear to take hold in the pit of his stomach, and then he was impaled on a spike. Their eyes met, and Shaun watched his mouth open as if he were to speak, but instead there was a river of blood and a strained, gurgling noise. Shaun retched and turned away from the sight, but he could not banish it from his mind.
He could hear the spike withdraw, as well as the dull, wet thud the body made as it hit the ground. He was shaking, he knew, but he wasn't meant to deal with this, and he was sure no human was. Footsteps edged closer, but Shaun could not bring himself to look up. Then he spotted the pistol. The soldier had dropped it just within reach. Shaun lunged for it and swung it up, aiming for the figure's head.
"St-stay back!" The man paused for a moment, and then continued walking. Shaun's courage wilted, but he brought Desmond's body closer to him, as if his arms would keep the other assassin safe. "Please!" The figure raised his arm sharply, and a tentacle whipped out and snapped harshly against his hand, causing the gun to go flying. "Ah!" Shaun held his hand close, though it felt only bruised. He looked down at Desmond's face, not wanting to see this monster as he made to kill them both. Desmond's eyes were shut, his brow furrowed in pain, but he was still breathing. His face was pale, but Shaun knew he probably would have pulled through, if only this monster wasn't about to end it all. At the top of his vision, he saw the shoes stop, and then a pair of knees.
"Let me see him."
Shaun flinched at the voice. It was coarse and deep, but he still sounded human. He shook his head wildly.
"You must be off your rocker." Shaun restrained the wince at the offhand statement- if he was going to die, he was going to die an insufferable wanker like he normally was. He knew the bravado wouldn't last, even as he clung to Desmond like a lifeline.
"Let me see him, or I'll kill you and take him. You are obviously not important," he said, his voice brooking no argument. Shaun quivered, but got the feeling that the man didn't want Desmond dead, so he loosened his grip little by little. Apparently the other man was patient enough to wait, and Desmond's shoulder was revealed. It was still bleeding sluggishly. "I'm going to take the bullet out."
"Wait, what-?" Shaun began to protest, but all complaint died in his throat as once again the man's arm morphed into that confusing mess of unceasing movement, focusing into three or four thin, sharp points like fingers. The man carefully pushed the points into the wound, concentrating. Desmond was brought harshly back to reality, and again he screamed. Shaun had the sense to hold him down, trying to think of reassurances to give, but none came to mind. Finally, the man pulled his 'fingers' back, holding between them a gory, bloody bullet. Desmond was crying into his jacket.
"I know a doctor. I'm going to take him, and I'm going to find out why BLACKWATCH is after him."
"I'm not leaving him." The man gave an aggravated sigh.
"Fine, but we're taking the express route, and if you fall I'm not saving your ass."
Before Shaun could comprehend what his meant, the man had grabbed him and Desmond, and he was subjected to the considerable unpleasant experience of being forcefully strapped to a man via the unnatural tentacles that had sprouted from his back.
"Oh god oh god," Shaun muttered as he was brought against the man's back and held there. The tentacles never stopped moving once, roaming in and out of the man's body and over Shaun's own skin and clothing, keeping him anchored there. Shaun watched as the man picked up Desmond with considerably more care, and then crouched. Every part of the man's body vibrated with power, and Shaun reflexively wrapped his arms around the jacket-clad shoulders, and suddenly they were launched into the air. Shaun felt his stomach do all manner of uncomfortable things in his body, threatening to bring up his lunch.
Dana tapped her foot against the ground impatiently, watching intently outside the window for any sign of her brother.
"He'll get here when he gets here, Dana. I know she promised to meet you, but glaring out the window won't bring him here any faster. Why don't you help me sort these supplies?" Dana turned to watch Dr. Ragland move around his office. They were at the clinic based on the bottom floors of St. Paul's Hospital. Dana spent her time working with Ragland and helping him. She learned a lot of medicine under his watchful eye, as one doctor was not enough to help a city of sick and wounded. It helped of course that others with the necessary skills approached to help, but they still had a shortage.
"Right," Dana murmured, moving back from the window to help the doctor. Just as she turned her back, the ground trembled and she heard the telltale noise of shattering concrete.
"Dana!"
Dana whipped around at the tone in Alex's voice. Her eyes widened. He was carrying people, two men. One was held bridal-style in his arms, the other was holding Alex's shoulders in a tight grip, looking like he was about to throw-up.
"Alex, what the hell happened?" Dana yelled as she threw open the sliding glass door. She ran towards her brother, spying the blood.
"He's been shot Dana. I don't know how much blood he lost," Alex explained, shrugging off the other man. Dana now saw the bits of biomass retreat into Alex's back and realized that was what had been holding the other man up. Without the support, he dropped to the ground so heavily his glasses fell off. "I'll bring him in. Where's Ragland?"
"I'm here. Put him down on the bed. Dana, cut away the sweater." Ragland and Dana were instantly in motion, moving around the room and gathering various supplies. Alex set the man down on the bed, watched for a moment to make sure the others were handling everything, and then left the room. The British man was sitting with his hands on his face, breathing deeply.
"He's being taken care of," Alex said, his flat tone offering no sort of comfort. Shaun did not glance up.
"Yeah… thanks… Mind telling me what's going on?"
"Why was BLACKWATCH after you?" Alex ignored the younger man's question.
"… Those guys… the soldiers. They were BLACKWATCH? Are they military?" Shaun asked, confusion coloring his voice. Alex grunted and sat down on the ground.
"The BLACKWATCH are a military group working with GENTEK. They specialize in working with, or more, against the BLACKLIGHT virus and all those infected with it. Pertaining to these matters they answer to orders from above the general military," Alex said, reciting information he'd long since acquired from several BLACKWATCH members.
"GENTEK… yes, I've heard of them. Fairly big around these parts, eh. GENTEK is a rival company to Abstergo, a company based fairly close to where we're from," Shaun began. Alex raised his eyebrow. The historian groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "Look, this is kind of sensitive stuff you're digging into, and frankly I don't know if I can trust you."
"Let me put it this way. If you don't let me know what it is you have to say, then I'll rip the memories from your mind when I consume you," Alex deadpanned, the biomass on his arms acting up once more. Shaun flinched violently at the sight. "Still think you actually have a choice?" At the other man's defeated, and decidedly upset glare, Alex huffed. "Look, I'm fairly sure we're actually on the same side, or at least not enemies. Those guys that attacked you have been hounding me for four years. They're twisted people, not the kind you want after you…" Shaun sighed and nodded.
"Okay… Brace yourself. In the world there have always been two forces at work, the templars and the assassins…" Shaun spared Alex a glance before plowing forward. "These two factions have the same goals; world peace, the end to all fighting and misery on our dear little planet Earth, but the methods are different. Templars want to enslave the minds of those that would serve them, robbing them of their free will to forcibly create order at the expense of everything that makes us human. The assassins work to stop the templars from achieving their goal. In the past assassins also worked to rid the world of murderers, slavers, warmongers, and all other sorts on all levels of social hierarchy. They… we follow a creed that helps guide our way of life, but we have our eyes opened… Desmond there, he's a reinstated assassin. A couple of weeks ago he was captured by Abstergo. They used him to find something, an artifact that allows them to control people's minds. We broke him out and we've been running since," Shaun finished, taking a break. Alex stared at him.
"So… assuming all that was true, you thought Manhattan was as good a place as any? How the hell did you even get on the island?"
Shaun scoffed at him.
"You should know how tightly they have this place sealed down. No one wants to get in, even 4 years after the shit that happened here, so security is fairly low in regards to that. We thought we'd have more time here to prepare ourselves for what's coming. It worked for awhile, but if GENTEK and Abstergo are getting together to find us, then we just hit dead end. It's only a matter of time before they locate us... Shit, this is all so fucked…" Shaun passed a hand over his face. The sound of a door sliding made them both look up.
"Hey, we patched up your friend. He's coming around now. Doc says he'll be okay," Dana said, indicating for them both to come in. Shaun stood and walked over to her.
"Thank you for your help…?"
"Dana, Dana Mercer. This is Dr. Ragland. He runs this clinic," Dana said, pointing vaguely to the doctor who only nodded.
"Right, thanks. I'm Shaun Hastings… Who are you anyway?" Shaun turned, addressing Alex full on. Alex shrugged, causing Dana to roll her eyes.
"This is my brother, Alex Mercer. You guys really must have charmed him for him to help you. Normally he doesn't bring home strays," Dana quipped, grinning widely. Shaun coughed awkwardly.
"Yeah. Charmed. I suppose that's one way of looking at it..."
"Ugh… christ, what happened… I feel like I got hit by a bus…" All heads turned to watch Desmond groan to wakefulness. He sat up slowly, favoring his left arm. Shaun walked over to him, trying to control his movements and look calm.
"You got patched up, you'll be fine…" Shaun halted, glaring hard at the other man. Desmond didn't meet his gaze. "I don't know what you were thinking, jumping in front of that shot. That was meant for me," Shaun paused, unsure how to continue. Instead he gave an aggravated grunt and turned. "These guys are the ones that helped you. Dr. Ragland, Dana and Alex Mercer," Shaun nodded to each. Desmond smiled and waved.
"Thanks. I really owe you guys one. Um… we don't really have anything to… that is… what did you want in return?" Desmond's curious glance took in the odd group, eyes searching. Dana opened her mouth, refusal clearly on her lips, then Alex stepped forward.
"Information. Don't think I didn't notice you were mum on the details out there, Shaun," Alex grumbled.
"Alex! Is this really appropriate? Besides, what information could they- … Oh no, no you didn't…" Alex spared his sister a small glance, before looking down guiltily. Dana turned her gaze towards the two assassins, clear accusation written across her eyes. "So. You guys are the reason for all the military movement these past you days, huh?" Shaun and Desmond exchanged a glance.
"We didn't even know they were here 'till today," Shaun began. Desmond coughed.
"Actually, I had a run in with them… about four days ago."
"That's the same day you said you saw them, Alex, the same day you told me you wouldn't go digging into this!" Dana rounded on the older man. Shaun and Desmond jumped at the sudden violence, unsure how to react. Ragland, however, only moved about the room, cleaning and generally ignoring the two siblings.
"I said no promises! It just happened, and I had a feeling if BLACKWATCH got their hands on him, they weren't going to kill him Dana… and you know the alternatives to that aren't good for anyone," Alex bit out. Dana flinched away, her anger wilting. Her head hung, and suddenly she became acutely aware of everyone's attention being on her.
"… Excuse me," Dana whispered, turning to leave. The door closed behind her with a small click.
Alex felt the rage well up within him once more. His form shivered and waved as the biomass began to crawl across his skin. Ragland watched him intently, sipping from his water bottle. Alex knew he was being judged, that underneath that cover of skin and those eyes there were a myriad of thoughts, of emotions, all turning and moving to the conclusion that he'd done something wrong, and once again Alex could not understand any of it.
"… I know. You don't need to say it," Alex muttered. Shaun and Desmond wisely kept silent.
"I'm not saying a thing, son. You already know what she went through. It was a miracle she woke up at all," Ragland said. Alex scowled and rounded on the two assassins.
"I have a feeling you haven't seen the last of BLACKWATCH. They're after you, maybe both of you if one of those soldiers got word back to their general. Now that they know you're here, they're going to tear this city apart… if you guys are as capable as you say you are, I say we fight against them. Go for their throats before they can get ours…"
"… You must be joking." "You're fucking kidding."
Shaun and Desmond glanced at each other with brief distaste before refocusing their gazes onto Alex. Alex frowned.
"I'm not joking. Listen, you guys are onto something big right? Some huge conspiracy to take over people's minds-,"
"Not just any people, mate. The entire world will fall under their power. We got until December to take the templars down," Shaun interrupted. Alex nodded, crossing his arms as he thought.
"… Listen… there are about 200,000-odd uninfected inhabiting the island. The remainder of the population has either been killed, or lives in the infected zone. Four years of BLACKLIGHT epidemic has done a lot of damage to the people here, but they've learned to cope. Your presence here has reintroduced an old enemy who will stop at nothing to get what they want. I think you're familiar with their tactics?" Alex paused, surveying their faces. Desmond's looked generally open, not really sure about what he was hearing but taking what he said at face value. Shaun's expression, however, had darkened considerably. Without a doubt, Shaun knew. "Then you know what it is I'm saying. We leave, and we draw their fire. We are the targets, not…" Alex's gaze went to the door that Dana had left through, and suddenly understanding filled Desmond's eyes.
"… Your sister. You're trying to protect her," Desmond said. Alex bristled, but nodded stiffly. He didn't see Ragland's jaw drop behind him.
"She… she's very important to me. Four years ago, she almost died… fell into a coma. She was in it for three months… I thought she would die for sure. Whatever is left… of my old self… of my human self… it cares for her. It's also tied to her. She's the only reason I am still here," Alex explained. He hated this, baring what little piece of the emotions he had. There was a dead silence following his admission. In his discomfort, the biomass rippled along his neck and shoulders.
"... You've done so much for everyone here, when no one expected it, especially from you," Ragland began, removing his glasses to rub at his eyes. He met Alex's questioning gaze firmly. "You've surpassed all expectations I've ever had of you… and you've become a great man, despite everything." Alex narrowed his eyes, though no real fire burned within them. Instead he seemed contemplative.
"You can come with us," Desmond suddenly said. Shaun rounded on him fast enough to cause the blanket to rise with the displaced air.
"What? Where the bloody hell do you get off making that decision by yourself you idiotic, self-serving-!" Shaun's tirade caught in his throat at Desmond's serious look. He swallowed. This was as somber as he'd ever seen the man.
"Look Shaun… if he's willing to help us, don't you think we should accept any help we can get? We all benefit from this partnership, and we owe him a lot already," Desmond explained, willing Shaun to agree with his eyes. Shaun grit his teeth against that look, but his traitorous gaze wandered down to Desmond's carefully wrapped shoulder, the bandages tinged pink. Shaun finally tore his eyes away, and sighed, bringing his hand up to scratch the back of his head.
"Yeah… Yeah, I get it. I don't have the final say in this though. You'll have to come and meet the rest of the gang," Shaun muttered tiredly, folding his arms and looking at Alex. "And, if you don't mind, I'd love to walk the entire way there. The normal way."
Dana sat on the roof, playing with the strings on her jacket. Her feet tapped against the side of the building idly. She shivered as the cold breeze played through her hair. A creak from behind her indicated the roof access door opening, but she didn't turn. She didn't have to.
"I thought I might find you up here." The low voice sounded questioning. Dana sighed and looked back up into the sky. The sun was beginning to set, painting the world in oranges and reds. Dana jumped a bit as Alex sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. He was warm, but since she had found him… when he was no longer human, he'd always been incredibly warm.
"It's happening again, isn't it?" Silence. "Despite everything I try to do to create a normal life for us, it's always going to be the same cycle..." Alex narrowed his gaze at her tone, trying to make sense of the emotions he heard there… sadness, defeat, worry… He turned to her, making their eyes meet.
"Ever since I woke up, I've asked you to do so much for me, and I've tried to protect you as best as I could, but you were always getting hurt anyway, no matter what."
"Alex, I-…"
"No, it's not enough… and you're right. They will never stop looking, and this will keep happening…" Dana's gaze fell, her eyes heavy with unshed tears, "But it's only going to happen to me."
Her head snapped up.
"What… what are you…"
"I'm going to leave, and I'm going to stop them. They'll follow after me, which means they'll leave you, and Ragland, and maybe the rest of Manhattan alone, and I'm going to take them down until there's none of them left… Then I'll come find you. This is the only way I know to keep you safe."
"… No. Alex, please, you're the only family I have left! You're my brother, why would I want my own safety at the expense of you-!"
Dana's eyes widened. She could barely register the feel of his arms around her shoulders past her shock. In the four years they'd survived and lived together, Alex rarely initiated contact except in times of necessity. Her hands came up to shakily grasp at her older brother's shoulders, digging into the jacket he always wore. She looked down and saw that it was wet. Dana was crying, and with this sudden epiphany came the realization that Alex was right, that this was the only way, and Dana could not hold in her cries anymore.
This was goodbye.
"Thank you, Dana." Dana could only nod, trying not to scream out about how unfair it was that after four years of being reunited with a brother that loved her, that cared for her, it was all being taken away for her own good.
AN: Sorry for the slow chapter. _ I'm afraid the next few chapters will be slow until the speed picks up again. Please hang in there with me! 3