William rushed to embrace his son. He thought he had lost him and had regret not showing how much he cared. He wasn't going to make that mistake again. "Son, I don't understand, I thought..."
"I was, Dad. The Apple. It.. it done something. I'm not sure what but I know it has to be responsible. But it didn't act alone. Clay..he.."
"Clay? Son, are you sure you're alright?"
"Don't worry, Dad, I'll explain everything later. We need to leave, now. Juno is out there somewhere and who knows what she's planning. We've got to stop her."
Desmond moved for the bridge leading back to the animus room. William watched as he went. His son had changed greatly in the light of the past events. He was becoming a true leader. "Desmond, we have no more leads. Everything led to here to stop the disaster. We never planned for this."
Desmond thought for a moment and looked around the temple. "We'll return to the headquarters. It doesn't seem like there's much more we can do here anyway."
They both walked in silence taking in the recent events that had passed. Desmond's mind was spinning. He had no idea what was going on, but in honesty he was quite happy. It's not every day you're returned from death. Beside his resurrection, he was concerned about exactly how to stop Juno. She was one of the First Civilisation and has most likely got complete access to the abilities of the Pieces of Eden. But first she has to find them.
His trail of thought was derailed by a sudden tackle. He hadn't noticed Rebecca's running at him and her surprise to his survival. "Jesus, Desmond what the hell happened? Are you alright?"
"Don't worry I'm fine" He smiled down at his concerned friend, and looked over at Shaun who walked over putting his hand on Desmond's shoulder. "Just no killing you, is there mate?"
"Well you know. I'm pretty stubborn" he joked back, smiling. William walked over, "We've got to get back to HQ. Let's gather the kit and head back. We're wasting time"
As the Assassins walked to the exit carrying the equipment Desmond went ahead and held the Apple to the door. Nothing happened. He tried again but it didn't budge. "Shit." He looked around for support but his friends were just as confused. He turned back to retrieve the Apple from the slot and it suddenly began to shine.
Before the Assassins a woman appeared from the air. Minerva. She looked straight down to the Assassins and addressed them all rashly. She did not care for them any longer. "You did not heed my warning, and now you have let loose an evil you cannot contain. You should have allowed this planet to burn, but now it will forever be under Juno's hold!"
Desmond stepped forward to meet her gaze. "I died to save the lives of millions, and I'd gladly do it again. I will if that's what needs to be done to defeat Juno! But I'm back now. Minerva, please. Help us. You know about Juno, you have experience with her that we don't. You care for the fate of the people on this planet. I understand you're reluctant to help me now, but if not for me then to stop Juno. We have a mutual enemy now. If you decide not to help us we'll fight by ourselves. We have an Apple."
Minerva's look was cold, and she seemed to be studying him. After moments that lasted longer than they were, she finally spoke. "That will not be enough. But there is an artifact. A sword. Once carried by an ancestor, it has the ability to wound our kin. Perhaps kill. Wield that with the Apple, you may also hold hope."
Desmond looked from the boxes to his friends. "So, I'm back in the animus again. There's a surprise."
But then Minerva spoke in a stern voice. "No. It is not Desmond who must pursue The Sword, but another."
The Assassin's looked at one another confused, then they realised she was staring right at Shaun. "Go now, become King, claim your prize." With that she walked to the Apple, held it, and faded, moving like a wisp into Desmond's Apple. The door slowly began to open and daylight crept through.
The others turned to face Shaun, who had dropped his box and stood with his mouth gaping. "Bloody hell."
The Assassin's departed the Grand Temple and had begun their journey back to the headquarters of the Assassin's. William told them it was in Arizona but that was it, the rest he said, was a surprise. They had gotten a flight from New York once the solar flares effects had worn off and it was safe to travel by air again. They had a feeling recent events and Vidics death would put a halt on the Templars search for them.
Desmond looked ahead onto the moonlit road, concentrating on his driving. Man, how he missed this. He'd almost completely forgotten about driving after everything. I'm more familiar with riding a horse than I am being behind the wheel now. He missed his bike most, though. This long stretch of road would be perfect for a burst of speed. Tearing though the middle of the desert with nothing to stop him. Listening to the roar of the engine as he shifted between gears, holding on as the wind battered his chest. Wonder what could have happened to it? Might still be outside his old apartment block. He'd have to return there someday to pick it up.
His thoughts were disturbed by William, "Turn left here Desmond." He looked but the road just went on into the distance. "There's no turn off." William walked up to the passenger seat "Trust me, it's there. Here let me." Desmond pulled in and walked to the back to join Rebecca and Shaun, and the van pulled out going down a dirt path that wouldn't be seen unless you knew it existed. Shaun was buried in his notes and computer screens trying to decipher Minerva's latest riddle. Go now, become King, claim your prize. He was climbing the family tree as far as he could, trying to uncover any royalty that he may hold in his blood. "What do you think she meant?" Desmond finally asked to break the silence.
"Well, there's the obvious answer; look for an ancestor that was a King, meaning I am actually of royalty. If that's correct, however, I expect to be called Prince Hastings."
"Shaun!" Rebecca punched him in the thigh.
"Hey! Bully. Then again, they were never very straightforward now were they? Maybe it isn't literal. She might have meant it in a way where I surpass something? Maybe beating the Templars to this Sword she was nattering on about?"
"Whatever it is, I'm sure you'll find out at the base. Our archives are pretty deep and there's information stored on you all that you don't know everything about – that even I don't know about." William looked into the mirror to look back at them. "Everyone gets investigated as far back as possible just so we know what we can work with. Shaun you'll be given immediate access to that sector and a leading role among our research teams." Desmond looked over and smiled at Shaun's reaction. He looked like a little boy on Christmas Morning.
Well, actually, come sunrise it would be Christmas.
The van stopped slow then with a shudder. They got out into the cold air of the desert and looked around. Nothing. There were no large structures, no life, no lights near or distant. All that stood among the sand and rock was an old gas station. Its pumps had been removed leaving small crevices in the ground like a removed tooth. There was a small shop, though, where people would pay and grab something for the road. William led them to the door and unlocked it. Inside were bare shelves, floor tiles cracked from the weeds growing out from below, and debris littering the ground. The windows had long since been bricked up but moonlight still crept through where it could. All that remained inside was a cellar door which William gestured the Assassins towards. They crept down slow and were met by an immense bunker door with a familiar emblem fused into the steel. William brushed the seal and looked to his companions. "Welcome home."