Part I – The Apple

May, 1939 – Berlin, Germany

Adler walked through the streets of Berlin. Walking through the crowds, he entered into a dark alley on his left and disappeared from plain sight. As he walked through the alley, he had reached a dead end. He approached the wall and started climbing through by the way of small cracks and protruding chunks of the wall which he could use to climb. He pulled himself up onto the roof and he stood above a carving on the roof. A symbol etched into the very roof, the symbol of the Assassins. The Assassin bureau of Berlin. He entered through a trapdoor on the roof and descended on the ladders into a dark room only lit by one lamp. A figure hidden under robes stood behind a desk.

"Hallo, bruder," said the figure, in the voice of a man.

"Hallo, bruder," replied Adler.

The figure walked over to Adler and embraced him with a friendly hug. He is Ernst Hoffman, leader of the Berlin assassin bureau. Ernst is a stout man with a double chin. He had a friendly smile, piercing blue eyes. He had short, brown hair. His hair is always messed up, he never bothers to comb it. On the other hand, Adler was an imposing figure with muscular arms and a small mustache with short, straight, black hair hidden under his hood. He has changed greatly since Kristallnacht, 6 months before.

"Any news on Hitler's plans, Ernst?" asked Adler.

"Not yet, bruder, but-", Ernst was cut short by the arrival of one of his Assassins, Gerhard.

"Hallo, bruder." greeted Gerhard.

"Hallo, bruder." replied Ernst and Adler.

"I bring news. Hitler is planning an invasion of Poland. They call it the Fall Weiss. I have not received any more news, bruder."

"Good job, Gerhard. This cannot be good. If Hitler invades Poland, he might start another World War."

"Surely it won't come to that," said Adler.

"Expect the unexpected, bruder. Anyway, another one of my Assassins have confirmed that Hitler is a Templar and that they plan to start a Second World War where in the end the Templars will control everything."

"If you had mentioned that earlier, I wouldn't have said it won't come to war."

Then, the telephone on Ernst's desk rang. Ernst quickly ran to it and picked it up.

"Hallo? Ah, it's you Helmuth. What is it? Are you sure? Gut. Danke."

"What is it?" asked Gerhard.

"It was Helmuth. He has shocking news. There's a Templar here who's just arrived at Berlin from Amerika. He's carrying some important object. He's being guarded by a few Templars carrying American "tommy guns."

"M1928."

"Right, whatever it is, it seems pretty damn important. Hitler's sent a few soldiers to guard them while they ride through Berlin."

"Let me guess, you want me to retrieve it?" asked Adler.

"Pretty please?" said Ernst jokingly.

Adler and Gerhard rode in a car following a convoy made up of three cars, two of which carried armed German soldiers carrying Karabiner 98k rifles. Adler only carried a Luger P08 pistol and an MP 36 in addition to his hidden blades. Gerhard only carried a Luger P08 pistol in addition to his hidden blades.

They followed the convoy for a few minutes until it stopped suddenly. Then a soldier exited the front vehicle and opened the engine hood.

"Now is the time to strike, bruder!" insisted Gerhard.

"Wait, there's something not right here…" said Adler.

Gerhard parked the car a little far from the convoy and exited the vehicle, holding the Luger in his hand.

"What are you doing?" asked Adler.

"I'm going in, with or without you." said Gerhard.

"Wait! Stop, verdammt!"

Gerhard carefully approached the convoy, hiding his Luger behind him. Then he slowly approaches the third car and then a shot was heard! Gerhard screamed in pain and dropped his Luger on to the road.

The soldiers exited the third car and aimed their rifles at the suffering Gerhard.

"Kill him," said one of the soldiers, apparently the squad leader.

Adler quickly leapt out from the car and fell upon the soldiers with his hidden blades. He leapt from the ground and stabbed a soldier in his neck and jumped from the first soldier's body to another one and stabbed him in his neck as well. Two soldiers lay dead on the deserted street, the others shocked at the speed of the Assassin stood still, silent, jaws dropped.

The squad leader approached Adler and swung the rifle to hit Adler on the head. But Adler was far too quick. He dodged the rifle and stabbed the squad leader's neck. The squad leader fell to the ground, dead. As he turned around, he saw the final soldier about to shoot him in the head when a shot was fired and the rifleman fell to the ground, dead. Gerhard had managed to grab his Luger and shoot the rifleman before he shot Adler.

Adler carried Gerhard on his arms and as he turned he saw eight soldiers running and aiming their rifles at them. Adler placed Gerhard's arm on his left shoulder and took out his Luger with his right hand. Taking cover behind the third car, he had to concentrate. He had eight shots, there were eight targets. He cannot miss.

He gently placed Gerhard on the ground and started running across the street while shooting the attacking soldiers. He fired three shots, and three soldiers fell dead. As he reached the other side of the road, he took cover behind a wall. He saw a soldier approaching stealthily towards Gerhard and immediately shot him, the soldier fell dead. "Four down, four more to go."

Again he ran across the street, shooting three soldiers dead. The final soldier, stood silence in awe and fear. Adler shot him in the leg and reloaded his pistol. The final soldier was, oddly, wearing a suit. Adler approached the second car and grabbed the box he found inside. It was empty! He approached the final soldier.

"What is the meaning of this?" asked Adler, his blade on the throat of the soldier.

"You, Assassins, are fools! You think you're the only one with spies? We knew you were going to try and retrieve the package. But you have failed, and now, the package is safely in the hands of Hitler."

"What was the package?! Tell me!" demanded Adler, pressuring his blade onto the throat of the soldier.

"*cough*The Apple of E-Eden…" were his last words.

"Requiescat in pace," and Adler closed his eyes.

He carried Gerhard back to the car and laid him on the back seat. And he quickly returned him to the bureau to tend his wound. When he reached the bureau, Ernst ran quickly and tended to Gerhard's wound. Adler sat down on a chair near the desk. He pondered. What was this Apple of Eden?