Desmond wasn't running away, truly he wasn't. He just needed… time… that's all he truly needed at the moment was time alone, by himself. At the very moment he was vulnerable, he couldn't think straight. He felt exposed and naked before the group of assassins. The dark secret he kept locked away was out and he felt empty for some reason and he just needed time to sort out his mind and rebuild those walls he had reinforced, that had crumbled so easily, and start back over. Or at least it sounded right in his mind as Desmond rushed out of the alley and merged into the crowd of people heading to work. Flicking his hood up to cover his tear streaked face he scrubbed furiously at his eyes with his knuckles and walked letting his feet lead him where ever the hell they felt like taking him. He knew at least Kadar would be looking for him, but he couldn't face the blue eyed novice, not now not in this state of mind. Stopping at the intersection he waited with the crowd till the light across from them signaled with a green figure to walk before allowing the crowd to guide him across the street away from the bureau.
Kadar opened the door that lead out of the bureau looking for some hint of his friend. But a barren, empty, cold alleyway greeted him and a lone newspaper page fluttered by in the slight breeze, teasing him like a cartoon scene. Ezio tumbled through the door behind him but the Italian had no better luck seeing the brunette than he did. Ezio paced to the mouth of the alley and made an attempt to pin point Desmond out in the crowd. After a moment of looking up and down the sidewalk and across the way he returned. He met Kadar's worried curious gaze but shook his head and scratched his head with a sigh.
"Any sign of him?" came a voice behind them. Kadar half turned around expecting to see his brother standing there but instead there stood Altair, arms folded and face hard as always, looking rather unhappy.
"No mi dispiace (no sorry) it seems he has gotten away from us." Ezio replied. Kadar just sighed.
"We had better go look for him." Kadar suggested.
"This city is large and it would be hard to track him in the crowds." Altair pointed out. Kadar just shook his head. His knew Desmond better than that. The younger wouldn't go far from the bureau. He had learned that several years ago when Desmond and Malik had gotten into a fight. Desmond had stormed out in a fit of rage and had disappeared for a good part of the day, causing both Kadar and Malik to panic. Desmond had returned that afternoon, apparently he had apparently went to work for a few hours to get his mind off things and cool down.
"He probably isn't far from here. All Desmond wants is some time alone." Kadar absently said as he mentally ran through the areas Desmond would go to be alone.
"You know him better than we do, what do you suggest we do?" Ezio questioned raising an eyebrow. Kadar blinked surprised. They were honestly asking him? The two master assassins were asking him, a novice, what they should do? That was completely unexpected.
"W-well we should search in about a 2 block radius of here. He's probably by himself in a secluded area but near a public place in constant view of the populace. Altair, it might be best if you stay here." Kadar advised.
"Why?" came the simple response. Kadar fidgeted under the older assassins gaze suddenly very uncomfortable.
"He might come back here. I don't know when but if we don't find him, its best to have someone here to wait to see if he come back before we find him." Kadar explained quickly tripping over his words. Ezio laughed at his sudden shyness and he glared at the Italian. Altair only nodded in understanding. The Syrian reached into his pocket and pulled out an earpiece and took Kadar's hand and dropped the small device in the novice's palm.
"Very well, keep intact with us and tell us when you find him." Altair ordered gently before turning and disappearing back into the bureau. Ezio chuckled at Kadar's shocked and awed face.
"You look like you have seen a ghost." Ezio commented. Kadar just blinked up at him stupidly for a moment then looked back at the ear piece on his open palm. The Italian took the earpiece from his hand and hit a button on the side of it before moving closer and settling it in Kadar's ear. The earpiece was a small rectangular device that hooked around his ear. A small bit fit into his inner ear where it would transfer sound directly into his ear.
"There. It fits, no?" Ezio smiled at him. Kadar nodded.
"Good. Now let's go look for Desmond. I'll look from the roofs, you look from the ground."Ezio offered.
"Alright." Kadar agreed with a nod. Ezio nodded back before striding quickly across the alley to a fire escape which he effortlessly scaled and disappeared over the edge of the building. Kadar watching him till the Italian could no long be seen before he set out into the street being sure to flip his gray hood up over his head, allowing the cowl on his gray hood to cover his facial features and keep him anonymous. The street around him was packed with pedestrians and bicyclists on their way to work or school. Nobody took any notice of him, no one cared if he was there. So he flowed wormed through the crowd with little problem seeing as he had been learning how to hide in plain sight and how to move through a crowd without disturbing those around him with gentle pushes.
His first stop was the bar where Desmond worked a block away from the Bureau. Kadar poked his head into the bar looking around, looking for the familiar face of his friend among the patrons or workers. He didn't see the brunette right off hand. Flagging down a waitress he inquired if she had seen Desmond as of late. The waitress giggled behind her hand at him and informed him that Desmond was banned from coming to that day because he worked too hard, nearly to exhaustion so they made him take a mandatory few days off and he was forbidden to even enter the back area all together. Kindly thanking her Kadar walked away and continued down the street.
The blue eyed novice knew well that Desmond worked hard, but pushing himself to exhaustion at the bar must take a lot of work. He made note to perhaps ask his friend at a later date about that. But now he had to focus on finding his friend all together. After walking around for about an hour or two Kadar stopped for a moment and rested under a cabana of a small shop. A snippet of static alerted him to the fact someone was trying to talk to him through the earpiece.
"Any luck finding him Kadar?" Ezio's voice asked through the earpiece surprising Kadar with the clarity of the sound from the small device, he almost thought Ezio was right beside him speaking.
"Not quiet yet, he must really not want to be found at the moment." Kadar sighed in annoyance and worry. He allowed his gaze to wonder across the plaza where he had come to rest. It was mostly empty for the moment till the noon hour when the lunch crowds came by. But there were still a fair good amount of people milling around. Something caught his eye, whether it was the stalk whiteness of the fabric or the hunched shoulder of the person sitting under the shade of a tree by the small decorative pond in the middle of the plaza, that caught his attention he didn't know but it did and he knew instantly who it was.
"Scratch that Ezio. I found him. He's here in the plaza a block from the bureau." Kadar reported. He heard a loud relieved sigh from the other end.
"You need to get him to return the others are becoming worried, and Shaun is beside himself." Ezio said Kadar nodded through he knew the Italian assassin couldn't see the motion.
"We'll be there in a while, give me a little while to talk with him." Kadar asked.
"Certainly." Came the understanding answer and the line fell silent. Kadar pushed off the wall ad strolled lazily across the plaza to where Desmond sat in the shade of a tree looking deeply into the reflection in the water. Kadar stopped and sat cross legged beside him on the ground. Desmond sat with his knees pulled tight to his chest, his arms wrapped around his knees his chin resting on his knee caps. The younger didn't acknowledge his presence for some time and Kadar let him be.
"Go away Kadar." Desmond finally spoke thought the order had no malice or strength behind it and was more halfhearted than anything.
"No, I think I'll stay here for a while. I know you're not ready to return yet." Kadar said simply. After a moment of Desmond apparently watching him from the corner of his eye he sighed in defeat upon seeing the young Al-Sayf wasn't planning on leaving him be alone, or that Desmond wasn't making a move to force the other away. They sat in silence for some time, the wind languidly played with their hoods teasing to pull them away from their faces. The early morning sun beat down mercilessly on their backs warming them to an almost unbearable temperature.
"I'm sorry." Desmond whispered suddenly. Kadar looked over at him in confusion.
"For what Desmond?" Kadar asked in complete bewilderment. What was he apologizing for? The one who should be apologizing to anyone is Shaun, for having brought up the past, when the past should remain in past.
"Of everything really. For snapping like that, it really wasn't Shaun's fault. I was the one who took it too far. And for other things…." Desmond trailed off, still not looking at him.
"What other things are you speaking of Desmond? I don't understand." Kadar insisted. The brunette tensed for a moment and Kadar half expected Desmond to bolt but he remained seated.
"For having left my brothers there to burn and die, I should have done something. I'm sorry that I wasn't strong enough to help my family or any of my fellow brother's escape. I'm sorry I was too weak to help them. And for killing that templar." Desmond finished keeping his voice low. Kadar scowled at his friend. Scooting so he was closer to Desmond Kadar reached out a hand and grabbed onto Desmond's sleeve and gave it a firm tug causing the male to look him in the eye. Blue met gold as Kadar looked him directly.
"Desmond, you were 10. 10 for god's sake. There is only so much a 10 year old can do. Besides you were untrained and scared and lost. There is no reason to be sorry for that. And as for the killing of the templar you did it to survive Desmond. We assassins do it all the time" Kadar countered. Desmond yanked his arm away violently.
"That's completely different!" Desmond hissed at him.
"Is it? If you are so sure then how is it different Desmond? Tell me." Kadar snapped back. Desmond stared at him openly now his mouth opening and closing a few times before he shut it and frowned darkly at Kadar. The blue eyed novice only smirked in triumph. Kadar stood up and brushed his pants off before reaching down and offered a hand up to Desmond. Desmond blinked up at him in the sunlight before sighing again and reaching up and taking the offered hand. With a gentle tug Kadar pulled Desmond to his feet.
"Come on let us return to the others." Kadar smiled to his friend Desmond nodded returning his friends smile with a tiny one of his own. The two walked side by side down the sidewalk falling into a comfortable silence, more or less enjoying the others company than anything else.
"Desmond… just one question…" Kadar said slowly. Desmond turned to him raising an eyebrow.
"When did you get that tattoo on your arm? I know it was during…." Kadar stopped not wanting to go further knowing the result it brought Shaun. Desmond looked away from him and looked up into the clear morning sky that was now starting to become more light blue than gold red and pink and orange. He then looked down at his arm as he pulled the sleeve of his white hoodie away to reveal the black design etched into his skin. The memory of the pain and the agony of the process came up but he squashed it back down into his mind.
"I got it when I was 16 just before I ran away, probably a month or two before I got away. It hurt like hell. But this was their way of marking me, or that's what they said. They wanted for me to always remember that they had complete control over me. And in a way they still do I guess." He mumbled the last part. Kadar nodded solemnly with a hum of understanding and let the subject drop leaving well enough alone for the time being. Soon they reached the bureau once again. A familiar figure was leaning against the wall next to the door. Kadar narrowed his eyes at Shaun as they approached. The historian noticed their approach and pushed away from the wall his gaze remained downward at the ground as they all stood facing each other.
"I will leave you to be then." Kadar announced suddenly deciding to allow the two males a moment before walking into the bureau to inform the others of their arrival. Outside Shaun kept his eyes to the ground unsure of how to approach the subject. The around about way last time had ended up with a bruising jawbone. But he didn't want to broach the subject directly fearing Desmond might bolt or punch him again. But it's what Desmond said that made his mind freeze.
"I'm sorry…" Desmond said firmly. Shaun's head snapped up so fast it hurt his neck.
"What the hell are you talking about miles?" Shaun demanded his patience wearing into annoyance.
"I'm sorry for hitting and yelling at you." Desmond replied. Shaun groaned.
"God damn it Desmond! There is absolutely nothing for you to be sorry for you git! It's my fault for pushing you that far. I knew I should have stopped but I didn't! I just kept pushing you further. But I had a reason for it!" Shaun snapped back at him. Desmond gave him a questioning look tilting his head to the side regarding him interestingly as he folded his arms across his chest and frowned at the historian.
"And what exactly is that reason Shaun?" Desmond prompted. Shaun hesitated averting his eyes from Desmond searching gaze. Why was Shaun hiding everything from his suddenly?
"Tell me Shaun. I've had my share time, now it's yours." Desmond said firmly yet gently not wanting to make one of his few friends mad like he had been. Shaun looked back at him this time glaring at him but there was a worried and haunted look in those green orbs that caught Desmond off guard.
"Do you know, desmond that they do to those recruits that don't make the cut at all?" was the question. Desmond slowly nodded. Yes he knew the answer to that. Altair and Ezio had told him the night before at the mall.
"Al Mualim either finds you a place in the order or kills you." Came Desmond's blunt reply. He didn't want to dwell on that fact.
"Exactly. What I'm scared of, Desmond, is that you won't make it because when I was a recruit there were 4 others besides me there. And those other four? They died Desmond. Al Mualim saw them as unfit to serve the brother hood and had them taken away and killed. I don't want you to end up like them." Shaun whispered in a husky voice. Desmond blinked at him. That's what all this was about? The accusations, the yelling was all because Shaun was afraid to lose Desmond. Secretly he was touched, sure Shaun was an asshole, jerk, stuck up, and an idiot, but he was Desmond's closest friend around here. One of the few he honestly had. And it hurt to see him this worried for Desmond's safety. Moving forward Desmond placed a hand on his shoulder causing the Englishman to look up at him directly in the eye. Desmond managed to smile warmly at him.
"Don't worry. I'll be fine. Altair and Ezio don't want to see me die either and they are going to lengths to get me as ready as allowed so I won't end up like that. Besides I promise I'll come back. I always keep my promises right?" Desmond assured him. Shaun glared at him childishly apparently knowing Desmond was right.
"Fine. But if you don't Desmond I swear to fucking god I'll drag you back and kill you myself!" Shaun growled. Desmond suddenly found himself laughing.
"I'll hold you too that then. Come on let's get back inside. Ezio and Altair and I need to leave." Desmond motioned to the door. Shaun nodded and they reentered the bureau. When they reached the second level everyone was pretty much in the same place as they were before Desmond had so dramatically ran out. Altair sat in one of the chairs finishing a cup of coffee, Desmond never would have pegged the assassin as a coffee drinker. Ezio was looking out the small window over the sink where Lucy was distractedly cleaning dishes, which made Desmond question what the Italian was truly looking at. Malik quietly spoke with Kadar at the table with Rebecca butting in every few minutes much to the one armed assassin's annoyance. But the raven haired woman was the first to notice their return.
"Desmond! Your back! Is everything alright? Do you feel better?" she asked coming over and circling around them like a mother hen looking him over for any trouble. Shaun swatted her away gently as the other turned their attention to them.
"I'm fine Rebecca. Don't worry it won't happen again." Desmond chuckled. She gave him a doubtful look but nodded and returned to the table. He felt Malik and Kadar's calculating eyes on him as well but after a moment the older brother nodded and he sighed apparently set at ease that Desmond was telling the truth.
"We had best leave now and go to Leonardo's then if you are ready Desmond." Altair said as he stood up. The boy nodded in return to his question. Ezio gave a dramatic groan and got up as well.
"Please be careful. All of you. Drive safely." Lucy pleaded from the sink. The three nodded back to her and she smiled sadly at them.
"Safety and peace brothers." Malik said over his shoulder.
"Safety and peace as well." Altair replied.
"La sicuezza e la pace anche. (Safety and peace also)." Ezio called back to him, Malik rolled his eyes at him before leaving motioning for them to go. Shaun shared a worried look with Desmond. He was still worried about him? Huh, he would have to make sure to tease him playfully about that later. Desmond gave him a scared lopsided smile for reassurance before the three set off back out of the bureau. Desmond sighed again. This was all too fast paced for him. Why him? Altair placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Desmond looked at him with confusion but Altair just barely smiled at him reassuringly before yanking his hood up and over his head obscuring his face from the world once again falling back into his silent Syrian assassin mode Desmond had come to know.
"Finalmente! (Finally) we can leave." Ezio exclaimed as he stretched his arms over his head and yawned before pulling his hood up as well. Desmond followed in suit pulling his hood over his head though it didn't have a cowl like the others did. When they entered the garage Ezio stared at his mirror in confusion. Desmond looked at it oddly as well.
"Wasn't that shot out last night? Or at least I thought it was…" Desmond commented.
"I fixed it. We don't need a cop pulling us over for having a broken mirror." Altair pointed out.
"Grazie! (Thank you) Altair!" Ezio thanked him with another bright smile on his face. Altair grunted before picking up one of the discarded leather jackets they had worn last night. Desmond pulled one on over his hoodie.
"Desmond take the third helmet on the wall that one is like Ezio's and mine. It has a communicator built in it, allowing us to talk to each other." Altair said before pulling his helmet on. Desmond nodded and retried said helmet from the rack and put his old one back up in its place out of habit. Sliding it back home on his head he returned to Altair who was checking quickly over his bike. Ezio was pulling on his gloves as Desmond mounted the back of Altair's bike, feeling significantly safer on the master assassin's bike than the Italians. After a moment Altair pulled his helmet on.
"Desmond can you hear me?" Altair's voice filtered through Desmond's helmet.
"Yeah I can hear you." He replied quickly.
"What about you brat?" Altair snapped at Ezio.
"Vai a farti fottere vecchio. (Go fuck yourself old man.)" Ezio snapped back apparently not liking being called a brat. Desmond laughed at the Italian's expense. With that the two master assassins mounted and gunned the throttles of their bikes making them scream in response to the sudden energy. The wall rolled back and just as Desmond wrapped his arm around Altair's waist they shot off. The giddy feeling he got from riding suddenly filled him as they shot through the pitch black tunnel before Altair snapped on his bright headlight illuminating the tunnel.
"So I take it after we leave Leonardo's we are stopping for gas right?" Ezio questioned.
"Yes. We will need to get some food and water for the long drive to the compound." Altair replied.
"Let me guess we're going to use the stolen credit card?" Desmond asked sarcastically.
"Of course we are. What else would we be using?" Ezio sounded confused over the com. Desmond snorted hoping they could hear him.
"Boy, you are in the wrong line of work to have a conscience about this sort of thing." Altair put in. Desmond sighed again and nodded slightly against the tanned assassins back as they came out of the tunnel and bared a hard left into the parking deck. The blitzed out onto the main strip and headed to the middle district towards Leonardo's apartment. Desmond was surprised at the amount of time that had passed. When he had last checked it was early morning and sun was just rising, now it was well into the mid morning he hadn't realized how much time had passed. They reached Leonardo's in a few minutes. Ezio knocked and the door opened almost instantly this time.
"Buongiorno (god morning) Ezio, Altair, Desmond. I was wondering when you would get here." Leonardo greeted them warmly.
"We had a little bit of a rough start this morning." Ezio shrugged as Desmond lowered his head and blushed slightly.
"Ah I see. Come in come in. I'll get it right away. Seeing as you seem in a rush this morning." Leonardo left them to enter on their own as he ventured further into the room. Ezio pushed Desmond into the room first. He heard the other two file in behind him. the wall that had been white the night before was half covered now in a deep night time like design with dark shades of blue and black mixing with pure white dots here in there that were connected with thin almost non visible lines of white paint making them into constellations. Desmond was for one shocked that the blonde could do so much in such little amount of time.
"Here you are Desmond. Try this on and see if it fits." Leonardo appeared at his side with his father's hidden blade. Desmond blinked at the polished metal on top with the assassin's symbol that gleamed up at him in the light from the windows. The metal had the kinks taken out of it and the leather was replaced with clean smooth fresh leather and straps. Desmond strapped into his arm over his hoodie sleeve like Altair and Ezio had theirs and strapped it in place. After adjusting it for a moment he looked at the mechanism. With a light subtle flick of his wrist the blade slide upwards in the blink of an eye. Desmond spread his fingers the blade was just about as long as his hand, perhaps a centimeter or so longer. When he clenched his fist the blade didn't touch his fingers in the lease. He raised the blade into the beam of light from the window allowing the morning light to bounce off the gleaming blade playfully.
"It's amazing." Desmond said lowering his arm and retracting the blade with another small flick of his wrist.
"I am glad it is too your liking. The blade and other metal on the protector is made of a special type of metal that will not set of metal detectors should you go through those on your journeys." Leonardo explained.
"Does ours do that?" Ezio asked looking down at his twin assassin blades on his arms.
"Of course they do. Don't you remember me telling you this Ezio when I fixed them last time?" Leonardo spun on the Italian. Ezio's mouth flapped as he turned red clear to the roots of his hair to his neck. Leonardo shook his head and rolled his eyes at his friends. Desmond looked down at the blade again. Now he was one step closer to being an assassin. He just only hoped his brother and parents could see him now, with their fathers blade on his arm ready to become a full assassin for the first time and take on the templar's who had killed their friends and family.