"So what's the plan, Superman?"

We were all sitting in Sam Adams' living room, enjoying the warmth of the fire and the smell of eggs and bacon wafting from the kitchen. Connor was pacing and he took just a second to stop and look at me with a puzzling look. He shook his head then continued to walk the floors and rubbing his hands together in thought. Adams was sitting across from me in another ornate chair, his legs crossed and his head propped up by his hand.

"The tunnels are the obvious choice. They are hidden and confusing. They would be the quickest way out of the city." The older man said, breaking the silence.

Connor sighed and stopped to lean against the side of the fireplace. "Yes, but I am sure my father made it his business to know all about the tunnels. If we are attacked down there, it will be difficult to fight them." They'd been trying to figure out the best way out of the city for almost an hour. Adams was convinced the tunnels were the best way but Connor was unsure of how secret they were to Haytham and the Templars.

"Well the rooftops are out of the question. She can't climb. The streets are buzzing with soldiers that are sure to be looking for you and her. The tunnels are perfect. I don't understand why you have such little faith in them." The older man frowned. "I showed them to you years ago and you use them often."

"I have encountered many a person down there, and most were unfriendly."

"Were any of them Templars?"

Connor smirked. "I never asked."

I shivered a little. Sometimes I forgot who Connor was and what he did. Obviously a little blood and gore didn't bother him. It didn't bother me when it was in a video game and just looked like someone splattered Kool-Aid everywhere. That night in the inn had shown me what real death looked like, and it wasn't pretty.

"Well we need to decide." I said. "The longer we sit here, the more chance of Haytham finding us."

"The girl is right. The choice is up to you Connor, I can only give my advice. If it were my decision, I would take the tunnels, but I cannot make you do anything nor am I one hundred percent that is the best way out of the city." Adams said, sounding very diplomatic.

The assassin frowned and crossed his arms in a very Connor Kenway-ish manner. Even though his robes were somewhat loose, I could still see how his muscles flexed underneath all the fabric. I had to remind myself that this was not the time to be thinking about how goddamn hot he was. My future was kind of on the line here.

"I vote tunnels." I said, raising my hand slightly. "I agree with Mr. Adams. I can't run like you, and if a guard sees us then we're toast. I'm guessing the tunnels are dark? Maybe we have a chance of losing them if they are prowling around down there."

Connor didn't say anything but I could tell he was taking in my every word. Finally, after staring at both of us for a good minute he let out a sigh and nodded. "We'll take the tunnels. You're right, running from the guards will only get us captured. Perhaps we can use the darkness to our advantage if anything goes wrong."

"The nearest entrance is two blocks over." Sam paused and winced. "They'll take you to the South District and from there another entrance will take you to the Boston Neck."

For some reason Connor looked horrified. "The Boston Neck? That place is swarming with soldiers! There's no way we can make it through!"

"How else were planning on getting out of Boston?" Adams raised an eyebrow. "It is the only way out."

"There are other ways out of Boston than the Neck." He said slyly.

They continued the argue about the tunnels and this "Boston Neck" while I just sat there, confused. I was in my first semester of APUSH and we'd studied the Revolution, but I was no historian. I wasn't even sure why I signed up for advanced history in the first place. So far I had a lovely C because all we did in that class was take tests. What little I did know wasn't really helping me so far in this place, and I definitely didn't remember my teacher ever talking about this Boston Neck or anything to do with Boston except the whole throwing tea into the harbor.

"Quick question," I said, causing the room to go silent as the two men swiveled their heads around to look at me. "Uh, I never asked this before but I think now is a good time. What year is it? And month and day? I just need to establish a...timeline."

"It is March 2nd, 1775." Sam answered promptly.

"Holy shit. 1775?" I breathed. "This is kind of an important year."

Adams wasn't used to my unholy language like Connor and it took him a moment to recover before he was able to speak again. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not good with history but every American knows when the Revolution started. The shot heard around the world. Lexington and Concord." I said, proud that I could at least remember that much.

Connor and Adams looked from me to each other. Yeah, it would be shocking if someone predicted the future in my living room too. Connor looked just as taken aback as Adams who had just learned of my time traveling journey last night.

"What else is going to happen?" Adams asked.

"Yeah, I don't know that much. Like I said, I'm not good at history, speaking of which, what's this whole Boston Neck thing about?"

"It is the only way out of Boston by land. Governor Gage has had it expanded and fortified with the oncoming threat of war. The place is covered in soldiers and difficult to maneuver since there is only one clear way through. The city gate." Connor said, sounding frustrated.

"Well didn't you mention there were other ways out of the city? Couldn't we just use one of those?"

"We could, if we were going on foot. There are no tunnels that are even remotely near these sites. I do not know why I did not realize this before. The tunnels will only lead us to the gate. We would have to backtrack, from any location, to reach another passage out of the city, therefore making any travel through the underground irrelevant."

"So let me get this straight. It's either go by foot, straight through the city and guards and Templars, or through the tunnels which are likely to be empty, but in the end we have to try and get through a guarded gate. Well...this is a predicament." I muttered.

"You could take boat." Adams offered.

"We both know if I took one step near the harbor the guards would come running. Leaving by ship causes too much attention." Connor said.

Everybody was quiet. I tried to visualize the outcome for every plans, but everything I thought of ended with me back in Haytham's basement and Connor without a head. From the looks on everyone's faces, they were thinking the same exact thing. Sam's wife broke the unease with her cheerily calling us to breakfast. We all moved in slow motion to the dining room where bowls of eggs, trays of bread and bacon, and pots of jelly and butter were laid out across the long table. I helped myself to everything, but I wasn't very hungry. In fact, I felt a little sick. I didn't know how in the hell Connor and I were going to escape. It was one hundred percent certain that Haytham would be searching for us, but where would the majority of his forces lie? Underground? The streets? Did it even matter? They were probably everywhere.

Breakfast was silent. Our mood seeped into Mrs. Adams and she too grew very quiet and ate slowly. When everyone was done and the dishes were cleared, Connor, Sam, and I moved back into the living room.

"So have you decided what to do?" I asked, setting into the couch and crossing my legs. I was glad to be back in pants. Neither Sam nor his wife had been too happy with me for choosing men's breeches over the dress that had been laid out. It wasn't proper for a lady to wear men's clothing and it'd taken me some time to convince them that where I came from, men and women wore trousers. Mrs. Adams didn't seem convinced but she'd handed me a small pair and a shirt without another word. It probably helped that Connor had mentioned it would be easier for me to travel without the long skirts, but that didn't stop the staring.

"I still think you should take the tunnels." Adams said. "With the break in the cold weather, it will be easy to pass through the gates. I'm sure many merchants are coming in and out with goods. You could hide in one of their carts."

"And if they search the carts? Then what? No, I believe it will be safer to travel through the city and find an alternate exit. We'll stay off the main roads and stick to the shadows. If we do have to cross paths with guards then they will meet their fate." Connor said, a finality in his voice.

"Do you even know that the guards are looking for us?" I asked. Maybe the men in uniforms were our enemy, but I didn't want them dead. Most were probably only doing what they were told. They couldn't all be Templars.

Adams cleared his throat and looked between us gravely. "There is a price on Connor's head. I ventured into the streets early this morning and found flyers posted with his picture on every corner. I tried to take down a few and pay off allied printers, but there are too many already. Traveling through the city will be difficult."

"I can't climb if we're seen," I said. "And I definitely can't fight." This already sounded like it wasn't going to go well.

"Then I will make sure we stay hidden." Connor said. It sounded like a promise, but I had my doubts. I wasn't very fast and I was clumsy. I had a hard enough time trying to Ezio and Altair stealthy when I played the game. How in the hell was this to work out?

"Okay, so say we do get through the city unseen. What next? We just walk there? How far away is this place anyway?"

It was obvious none of them had thought that far. Both men looked at each other with puzzled expressions and that made me nervous. Either they were just being guys who couldn't think very far ahead in their plans or they didn't expect getting out of the city.

"I can try to arrange for horses outside the walls." Adams said.

Connor shook his head. "Walking would be a two or three day journey. That would give Haytham plenty of time to track and hunt us down. We need horses, but it would attract attention if someone was to leave them alone on the side of the road. I believe I will find another way."

"How?" I asked.

Something flickered in Connor's eyes that I had never seen before. It struck something inside me that made my blood turn cold and turned my skin hard. "There are always redcoats stalking the hills. I will kill them and take their horses."

He talked about killing like I would talk about the weather. It didn't faze him at all and Adams didn't seem alarmed. He just snorted and shook his head. "And that won't attract attention?"

"No one will never know. The dead cannot speak of crimes and when I am finished, no one will ever find the bodies. Their horses will be ours and they can no longer torment the people of Boston." Connor shrugged.

I hugged my legs to my chest. "Sometimes I forget that you kill people for a living."

Connor whipped his head around and looked me in the eye. "It is best that you never forget who I am and what I can do."

That shut me up. I stiffened and retreated into my head as the two men continued debating the pros and cons of the plan. It was true, I'd come to idolize Connor in a way. He just seemed like this great protector of the small and weak. That is what I had come to see of the whole Assassin order, especially after what I saw of the Templars. I'd forgotten that the Assassins had as much blood on their hands as their counterpart and that they trained to kill. Twice in the same morning had this dawned on me and I no longer felt like joking around any more. Terror still gripped me and reality was settling in quickly. As the world started closing in around me, the dream that this place had once been was fleeting.

"Then it is settled," Connor's voice broke me from my thoughts and I unfolded myself and made myself listen. "We will leave at noon when the crowd is at its thickest."

Midday was only a few hours away and that wasn't enough time for me to rebuild my courage. I was totally out in the bravery department and I spent the next few hours pacing my temporary room trying to convince my frantic heartbeat to slow down. This was the closest I had ever been to an actual Assassin's Creed mission. It reminded me of those first tutorials where you learn the basics of blending with crowds. In only a short time I would be dodging in and out of alleyways and merging into groups of people unaware of what was going on around them.

I didn't want to screw this whole thing up. I wanted it to go smoothly, not just for my sake but for Connor. I was a burden and I didn't want to slow him down. If could get through this without alerting the whole that Ava Torry was on the run, then maybe I could earn some of the Assassin's respect. I knew my luck though, and that was a far fetched wish.

Noon came too quickly and I found myself with Connor standing by the back door with about as much courage as I had hours ago. Adams and his wife were exchanging a few last words with us. I was glad for the slight delay but I could tell Connor was itching to go.

"Stick to the shadows Ava and follow Connor's every word. He will keep you safe." The older man said. "Guard the artifact well."

Connor had taken the Apple and hidden it in his robes. Without it I strangely felt naked and empty, but also glad. I didn't want to touch the thing ever again but something about it called me and I could almost feel it humming from where it lay hidden on Connor.

"Do not worry," The Assassin said. "Everything will go smoothly. If I can, I will send word of our success, but know that if you hear nothing about us, we probably are safe."

"Then I hope I never hear of you again Connor." Adams chuckled, slapping him on the back. Connor grimaced and I giggled into my hand. He was such a dick sometimes.

"We best be off. Thank you for all your help." Connor casually shrugged away his hand and grabbed the door knob. Cold air blasted into the kitchen and I hugged my cloak tighter around my body. The sky was clear and the snow was melting in the midday sun, but the wind was still just as icy. Connor led me into the back garden and the door shut behind us quietly. It was now up to fate whether or not we got out of the city alive.

We headed into the streets, our hoods up and our heads down. Adams had been right that people would be out and about. A change in the weather had lifted everyone's spirits and people clogged the streets yelling and laughing and buying goods from street vendors. Something warm grabbed at my hand and I looked down. It was Connor. My own was tiny compared to his, almost childlike. I could feel his eyes on me and I took a quick peek, only to find myself unable to look away. His brown orbs were like molten chocolate, warm and delicious. They were kind too, not cold like they normally were. Connor squeezed my hand and dragged his gaze from mine to the road ahead of us.

"We have a long way to go. Listen to everything I tell you and we will get out of this city without anyone ever knowing we were here."

"I trust you." I said, smiling. He actually smiled back.

"Then for once, don't act so hardheaded." Connor tugged me along and we melted into the crowd like ghosts. No one paid us any mind, to them we were just two people walking along enjoying the sunshine and the clear air. Soon Connor had to let go of my hand and I walked a small distance away from him, just as he had told me. It would be too suspicious if we walked together for too long.

Suddenly he darted to the side and beelined for an alley. I tried to keep myself from dashing after him and forced myself to slowly wade through the crowd. I waited until he had disappeared into the darkness to follow. The damp air of the alleyway was suffocating, and maybe it was just my hammering heart, but I was finding it difficult to breathe. I needed to calm down, the journey had only just begun. Connor didn't miss a beat. He kept going, leading me through backyards and twisted roads. Not once did I see any familiar faces among the crowd. That made me feel better, but Connor still seemed tense and I wondered if he saw something that I didn't.

We headed back into a wider road that was just as full of people as the previous one. In the middle of the street, vendors were lined up selling the last of their winter vegetables and wool and other products. It was noisy and confusing and I had to strain to focus on Connor's form weaving in and out of the masses of people. A man carrying an overflowing basket of cloth bumped into me, screwing up my focus and spinning me around.

"My apologies, miss." He said without even turning around to see if I was okay. He disappeared into his stand and I turned back around, only to find Connor was nowhere in sight. I scanned the tops of people's heads for a hooded figure, but everyone was wearing a hood. Now and again I would see a flash of blue and white and I'd scrambled towards it only to find it wasn't Connor.

"Oh my God." I whispered. The world was spinning. I'd lost him. My thoughts became frantic. How could I find him in this crowd? Did he know I wasn't following? How far would he go without knowing? Would it be too late to turn back? Would he turn back? Who would find me then? Haytham? Lee? Shikellamy?

I pushed through the people and darted into an alleyway. I slid into the darkness just as a flash of red marched by. I peeked my head around the corner and watched the backs of redcoats as they slipped into the crowd.

"Okay, okay...he's here somewhere. He wouldn't just walk off." I whispered to myself. "You're probably just overthinking this. I bet he's here. Right around the corner, laughing his ass off at how freaked out you are. Just breathe. He can't have gone far. Just wait here. That's what you do when you're lost right? Just wait in the same spot."

I stood there, leaned up a dirty brick wall for what felt like hours. It was probably only seconds really, but my heart was close to leaping out of my chest when Connor appeared in the crowd and stalked towards my hiding place. I almost fainted in relief.

"I thought I'd lost you." I squeaked.

He scowled. "Lost me? Why would you think that?"

I gaped. "Because! Some guy bumped into me and when I turned back around you were nowhere in sight!"

"I went to scout ahead. I wasn't gone but a few moments. When I came back you were the one missing. You should have stayed in place."

"W-What?" I stammered. "You mean...are you serious? I did stay in place! I'm right here!"

Connor smirked. "This is not where I left you. You should be glad that it was so easy to find you, running around like a chicken without its head. But also, you should be more careful. If it only took me a moment to locate you...well, someone else might have your scent."

I gulped. Oh shit.

"We need to keep moving. From now on I'll alert you if I plan on moving ahead." He smirked, taking off down the alley. I scrambled after him, but from then on I tried very hard not to act like I was trying to hide. Instead I attempted to mirror his movements. His pace was deliberate but slow, it matched everyone else's. He didn't rouse suspicion and he didn't freak out like me when redcoats manned an alleyway. He just kept walking along like he had somewhere to be and they didn't even blink.

I was feeling pretty confident after a while and I even ventured to walk a little closer to him than before. We'd passed criers holding up his poster and screaming to the masses to look out for the "Hooded Vigilante." Connor paid off a few and others that weren't attracting a crowd he left alone. Before long the houses became more spread out and were no longer made of brick but wood. We were nearing the outskirts of town. It wasn't uncommon to come across stray pigs and chickens crossing our paths, which was kind of freaky. I wasn't a stranger to farm animals (my grandparents refused to eat most things that came from a can or plastic packaging) but back home they normally didn't just walk around town freely.

"Are we getting close?" I asked, daring to walk beside him.

"Yes. We are almost there. It will be more tricky to hide out here where there are not many people. We will have to rely on the cover of barns and houses. Stay alert."

I backed off again and fell in step behind a group of people. It wasn't long before the stone path turned to mud and it was just Connor and me and a few scattered farmhouses. He often veered off the road and took to hiding behind fences when he felt danger. Everytime he was right. As soon as we would duck down, city guards would come into sight or a pack of redcoats on the prowl.

"There are many on patrol." He frowned as we disappeared into an abandoned barn. "I didn't expect so many to be out here."

"Do you think they know about this other way out?"

"I suppose it is possible. If they are under the command of my father then that is more likely. I'm going to have to go ahead. There is a church not too far off. If I can climb it, I can get a good look of the area." Connor muttered, watching through the cracks in the wood as the soldiers marched past.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Wait here." With that he left, leaving me disappointed. I wanted to see him climb, to see what it actually looked like in the flesh. Some of the stuff they did in game looked impossible and I wondered how it compared to someone actually climbing. I watched him cross the road, chewing on my lip. I could see the steeple from here. It wasn't that far off, and there was a house between here and there if I needed to hide. I was feeling pretty confident in my abilities, even Connor had sorta praised my stealthiness after the incident with the basket man. It was a one in a million chance that anyone would see me.

I made my decision and darted out of the barn as soon as Connor was out of sight. No one was on the roads except an elderly man and his dog. I did my best assassin crowd blending and casually crossed the road and walked up the path to the house. I peered around the edge of the building and found Connor halfway to the church. It was farther away from the house than I'd thought and there was nothing in between here and there except a dead corn field. It wasn't too late to turn back, but I was too curious. I waited until he was a bit farther and then followed. There was a fence around the field, but it didn't provide much cover except for a few patches were dead vines still clung to the wood. I hoped those would be enough to hide me if someone came along, but for now everything was quiet.

Connor reached the church but I wasn't halfway across the field. I picked up the pace, still keeping my eye on him. He hadn't moved yet. He was staring up, maybe picking out the best route. Suddenly he jumped, his fingers catching a window sill. He dragged himself up, moving quickly and quietly. His movements were different than Altair's or Ezio's. He moved more aggressively, almost like a wolf scampering up difficult terrain. Yet he was still graceful. His movements weren't jerky, but smooth. I could see his back muscles through his robes, flexing as he hoisted himself higher up the church wall. He leaped from one window to the next, his hands always finding the perfect spots. It was fascinating and sorta sexy.

He reached the roof in a matter of seconds, not wasting any time hoisting himself up the steeple. He moved a bit more slowly now. It was probably more difficult to find footholds here. Sometimes he would disappear on the other side but he'd always come back around. I moved quickly towards the church as he neared the top. I ducked behind the corner and gazed up. I could him see him making the final stretch until finally he made it to the very top. Slowly, he stood up. The ball of his foot rested on the very tip of the cross atop the steeple. For a moment he just hovered there. He didn't move. I don't even think he turned his head. Then, he jumped. Connor twisted his body around and fell until I could no longer see him. Whatever he fell in was on the other side of the church. I heard the impact, a soft thump, then nothing.

"Oh shit, now what?" I muttered, flattening myself against the wall. He was bound to be pissed when he went back to the barn and found it empty. I could just make a break for it and run back, but he would surely see me and that would cause attention. No, I would just wait for him to travel back and then when he started freaking out I would just sneak back back over. So I waited, but I never saw him pass by. I inched closer to the corner of the church and peeked around. Nobody. I turned back around.

"I told you to stay in the barn."

I almost screamed.

Connor was in front of me, his hood up and his eyes boring into me. He was really close. I could feel the heat rolling off him. I hesitantly looked up and cracked a smile.

"I got bored."

"Did you think you could follow without me knowing?"

I blushed. Of course he knew, he was an assassin. Why did I keep forgetting that? "Why didn't you make me turn back?"

"That would have caused too much attention. No doubt you would have thrown a fit."

"I wanted to see you climb." I shrugged.

"You risked being seen because you wanted to see my climb?"

Way to go, Ava! One point to you, you fucking idiot!

I tried to give him my best I'm really fucking sorry look but he didn't buy it. I tried to stay focused on his disappointment but I was suddenly distracted. We were really close together. The heat from his body was making me sweat and his smell...oh goodness. He always smelled like the outdoors, like trees and wildflowers and horses and leather, and it was intoxicating. I felt drunk on it, I felt drunk on Connor Kenway. Without meaning to I leaned forward. My hands came up and I spread them out, placing them lightly on his chest. He froze, but he didn't move away. I froze too. This had never happened before. What was I supposed to do? My eyes met his and he stared back.

"I-" I stopped, I didn't know what to say. I let one of my hands reach up and touch his face. My fingertips barely grazed his cheek but it was enough to make my whole body buzz with a strange new feeling. My other hand clutched at a strap on his robes and my fingers traced his cheekbone. His skin was hot, hot like fire. It was feverish, it was - it was way too hot.

I pulled away. "Connor? Do you have a fever?"

Whatever just went on between us shattered. He stumbled back and my hands fell limp at my sides. His face turned hard again and his eyes went cold.

"Connor! Do you have a fever?" I asked again. He didn't say anything. He just stared at me with eyes that didn't reveal anything. His silence told me enough though. "You do!" I accused. "What the hell! Why are we out here if you're sick?"

"I'm not sick." He sighed.

"Then why do-"

He held up a hand and I grudgingly shut my mouth. "I acquired a wound the night you were taken. It's been bothering me since, but its nothing to be alarmed about."

"If you have a fever that means it's infected. And if it's infected, you could die! There is no Neosporin in 1775!" I snapped. "Let me see it! So help you Connor Kenway, let me see the goddamn thing!" I suddenly remembered I was right beside a church and I winced and said a little forgive me prayer before returning back to Connor. "Let me see it Connor."

He rolled his eyes. "Do not be so dramatic. I am fine. If I was unwell, could I have climbed the church? Could I have brought us this far?"

I chewed my lip. Okay, so he was a little right but still...I had a reason to worry. People died of paper cuts in this day and age. Whatever was bothering him, I guess it wasn't a papercut considering his profession. "I'm not being dramatic, I'm worried."

"And for that, I thank you. But we cannot be too concerned with this now. We need to keep moving. We've wasted enough time already. I do not see signs of anyone guarding the exit, but we still must be quick." With that he turned and stalked towards the road and I followed after him feeling a little pouty.

I had my reasons to worry. A fever was bad which meant he was in more pain than he let on. Assassins learned to deal with pain, to not show it, so who knew how hurt Connor really was. I tried not to let it bother me but it did, and that wasn't the only thing on my mind. What went on between us was...wow. There were no words to explain how I felt when I touched his skin. It was something raw and magical and amazing...and he had felt it too. I saw it in his eyes, there was no denying that he felt exactly how I did, and that was something worth shouting about.

I hid my smile as he pulled me behind a house as a few redcoats walked by. Even that touch, between layers of clothes, was electrifying. When they disappeared he let go and the fire died down, but I could still feel the heat. It lasted the whole way when finally we reached a wall made tree trunks with spiked tops surrounding the outskirts of Boston. It was all very Disney Pocahontas looking.

Not even Connor could climb it, but according to him there was a way out. I didn't see anyone around and there was nowhere to hide which made me nervous and relieved at the same time. Nobody could jump out on us, but if someone happened past we had nowhere to hide. For a few minutes we just followed the wall until a few shrubberies started popping up here and there. Connor stopped as we neared a particularly large one that covered a good portion of the wood. He shifted the branches revealing one of the bottoms had been hacked away, making a hole that would allow a person to crawl through.

"So this is the way out of Boston?" I muttered, a little unimpressed. I had expected something like a secret cave entrance or some old guy who would take us through a swamp on a raft. Instead I stood now in front of a hole that looked like a three year old had made with his teeth.

"We could turn back around and go through the neck if this doesn't please you." He smiled.

"No, this is great."

"Then go ahead and crawl through."

I hesitated. "Don't you want to scout the area first?"

"I promise you, there is nothing on the other side but trees."

Connor wasn't one to lightly promise something so I slowly bent down and stuck my head through. I didn't see anything but trees and shrubs just like he said, but I took my time crawling through. "I bet this is just so you can look at my ass." I muttered as I stumbled to my feet. I thought I heard him laugh on the other side but I wasn't sure. Seconds later Connor was through and climbing to his feet as well. I'd stalked a little way off to give him some space as he went under, and he didn't seem to realize I was still watching him. He got up slower than I had, clutching his side and wincing. He was halfway standing he fell back down again with a slight gasp.

I stood in place, shocked. Connor was eventually able to make to his feet and he hesitated when he saw me staring. He was in more pain than he let on and that moment where he let it show scared me. He was weak. I was weak. How in the hell were we going to make it to the Homestead?

"Come on." He growled. "I still have to find us a pair of horses. Stick by me just as you did in the city."

I followed without another word.