"My name… is Dr Warren Vidic. For a while now, a small group of like-minded individuals have met. We share a common interest… the science of eugenics. Eugenics is the investigation into the conditions under which men and women of a high type are produced…. Now, how is this to be achieved? We know that by mating only the best with the best, any species grows stronger. The principle's plainly seen in nature, as Mr Charles Darwin has pointed out in his theory of evolution…. Why, then, might not the same principle be applied to mankind?"

"Yes, why not?" Commissioner Baldwin piped up, clapping his hands as the rest of the crowd joined in, "Hear, hear!"

Vex however, didn't move a muscles… Eugenics? That's why he was invited? They really thought he was interested in that crap? Yes, he often begged the people on those daytime TV shows like Jeremy Kyle not to breed, but this was an entire new level.

"Now our humble group is asking you, the city's leading minds, to join us in the noble cause of bettering the human race…. Now, the last thing you want to do is to hear me prattling on. So to explain matters further, I have invited a very special guest, no less than the great grand-daughter of the author and eugenicist Mr HG Wells, Miss Lucy Stillman."

As a lovely blonde woman approached the podium, Vex heard someone scoff by his ear.

"Not convinced by Miss Stillman's claim to fame?" he asked Freddie, smirking as the man rolled his eyes.

"If you could see a picture of HG Wells, you'd be stunned by how similar he looks to Mister Frye."

"… You think the Frye's are related to Wells?"

"Just a theory."

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen…" began Miss Stillman, "… it is my humble pleasure to- "

And then the dog entered the tent, human arm in its mouth.

"Oh God." Freddie muttered as Vex stepped forwards and glared at the dog.

"Drop it…" he ordered, "… Drop it!"

When the dog did as it was told, Freddie groaned audibly, "If you can stop anyone from getting too close…" he muttered to Vex, "… I'll call a forensic team…. And the Creed might find this interesting."

"They find everything interesting."

…

"You'd better send out some men to search the rest of the area…" Evie instructed Freddie wearily, "… just in case there are any more appendages lying around."

"I'll have some men comb through the lake, that limb looks water-logged to me."

Meanwhile, Arno was speaking to Elise at the other side of the tent. "A meeting… about eugenics. Really?"

She rolled her eyes, "So prejudiced…. Eugenics is the way forwards, and I think even the Creed will agree. Notice how all the Master are quick to produce lots of heirs to carry on their names? Even your Grandmaster has, and he's a confirmed homosexual!"

"But eugenics?" Arno shook his head, "A bit extreme isn't it?"

Elise just shrugged, a small smile on her face as she watched Ezio and Leonardo enter the tent, Leo instantly rushing over to the arm in curiosity.

"We merely want to further humanity…. Only the best and the smartest people breed in order to pass down the best of their genetics. Like Leonardo… don't you think there should be more people like him? With his talents?"

"…. Leo isn't really the type to 'breed'."

"All we would need is a few samples."

Arno grimaced in disgust, turning his attention over to Vex, who was remaining close to the group of assassins… and avoiding Dr Vidic's eyes.

"And Vex? How does he fit into all this, why send him an invite?"

"Vex has been on the Templars interest list for a long time Arno, ever since he first came to the town… if my faction of the Templars can bring him in, Starrick's group has no chance of getting him."

Arno knew that her plan was flawed…. Vex had been a great help to the Asassins, there was no way he'd ever think about joining the Templars.

Was there?

….

"Mi dispiace Ezio…" Leo apologised, "… I can't give you an exact time of… removal, not with how water-logged it is."

"Maybe it was taken from a corpse? From the morgue maybe?"

"Hmmmm, no sign of decay. It would have had to have been removed from someone very recently dead, or- "

"- someone still alive." Ezio resisted the urge to groan under his breath, "Well… could they have survived this?"

"Not without immediate medical attention." Carefully, Leo lifted the limb off of the ground and placed it in a cooler bag, which he'd brought with him.

"I've already checked with all the hospitals…" a voice from behind spoke up, as Leo jumped a little, turning to face Connor, "…. No one with a missing arm has shown up."

"Grande!" Ezio sighed wearily, "Another murder investigation… Shay gets out, and all the psycho's come out of the woodworks. So, is there anything else you can tell about the victim?"

Leo hummed and ahhhed, before speaking cautiously, "Male…. Probably a little over six feet. The condition of the skin would suggest someone over fifty, and judging by the arm hair, they were blonde."

There was a brief moment of silence, before Ezio smiled warmly at his boyfriend, one arm pulling him into a hug as he kissed him on the cheek. "I love you and your mind." He whispered, smirking as Leo blushed slightly, "This'll impress you… I know that he wasn't someone who worked in the factories or anything… that hand looked smooth to me."

"Bravo!" Leo clapped his hands together and beamed at Ezio, "Did you notice that whoever removed the limb must have had some knowledge of anatomy, or experience as a surgeon."

Joining Edward, Connor and Evie outside the tent, far away from the Templars inside, Ezio frowned at the new knowledge. "I know a lot of them in there are doctors and surgeons, they would have had the necessary training, right?"

"I wouldn't focus on them…"

Everyone turned as Elise strode up to them, closely followed by Arno, Vex and Freddie.

"… I know each and every one of those men and women, and none of them are capable of doing something like this." She scolded the group.

"We need to consider them Elise!"

"Fine…. But I know most of them would know how to hide body parts properly."

They chose to ignore that statement, with Ezio nervously clearing his throat and gesturing at Leo. "Well, Leo's given us something to work with anyway…. Search missing persons for someone who's likely to have an arm like that."

The rest of the group nodded and started to chat about the next steps… leaving Elise and Vex alone.

"I was hoping to catch you before you scurried off to your club…" she started, "…. I seriously hope you will consider donating to our cause."

Vex shrugged, "I just don't think that humans should be treated like horses… finding the perfect stallion to breed with the perfect mare, in order to produce the perfect foal. I know plenty of people, who and your little group would consider imperfect, and they are worth ten times more than most of the scumbags in there."

The sheer venom in his voice stunned Elise, to the point where she took a step back.

"Good day Miss De La Serre." He growled, before storming away, not even saying goodbye to Freddie or the Assassins.

…

The next day, as Arno decided to pop into the police station to do some investigating, he found himself waved over by Freddie, who was speaking to a man and woman near his office.

"Arno. This is Miss Estelle Malling and her fiancée, Mister Tobias Allen."

Arno bowed in greeting as Freddie continued, "It appears as though Miss Malling's father, Linus has gone missing."

"Linus… Linus Malling?" Arno frowned in recognition, "The judge?"

Miss Malling nodded, "Yes, he didn't come home last night."

"Estelle…" Tobias gently interjected, "… I'm sure there's a simple explanation for all this."

But all Arno could think about, was Leo's possible description of the man who the removed arm belonged to. "Miss Malling… can you please describe your Father?"

"Fifty-four…. Tall, almost six foot two- "

"- blonde?"

Miss Malling looked a little stunned by the interruption. "Y-yes, you know where he is?"

Arno and Freddie glanced at one another, before they both silently agreed that Arno should take the lead.

"I can't be sure…" he began cautiously, "… but I believe I may have some distressing news for you."