Chapter 21

10/27/2012

01:21

Manhattan, New York, USA

Juhani watched silently as the form of Templar Desmond moved on silent feet towards the door. It was the middle of the night, and in the background of the now-cramped hideout, the Animus computers hummed, hopefully reassembling enough of their original universe to show them what became of Altair's Apple.

He trailed the young Assassin-turned-Templar to the door, stopping him with a quiet, "You really don't want to go out in this weather."

Templar Desmond turned, staring at him silently when he realized it was Juhani and not one of the other Assassins on watch.

Juhani leaned casually against the doorframe, blocking the younger man's access with his bulk. Templar Desmond snarled softly.

"Out of the way, Juhani."

The big Assassin frowned. "What do you hope to accomplish anyway? Going back into that building is suicide. Whether Rikkin says so or not, he wants you dead."

Templar Desmond shuddered. "It's not Alan I'm worried about. It's that crazy space chick he's working with…she's the one who called those…things." Juhani's gaze narrowed. "Space chick? Did Rikkin happen to call her Juno?" Templar Desmond looked up in shock, and his expression told Juhani what he needed to know.

"Shit. Why didn't you say something to us earlier?"

Templar Desmond frowned. "You might have become a turncoat to the cause in…wherever you come from, Juhani, but I'm still loyal to the Order." Juhani sighed. "Des, that's gotta be the stupidest thing I've heard any version of you say since this whole crazy thing started, you know that?"

Desmond's alternate flushed hotly, his gaze becoming angry.

"What the fuck does that mean?"

Juhani growled. "It means exactly what it sounds like. You're acting like an idiot. There are no other realities anymore, Desmond. Do you get that? Rikkin and Juno have screwed everyone who's ever existed in our corner of creation because Rikkin tampered with things even the Precursors were too scared to fuck with."

Templar Desmond frowned. "What does that – or any of what you guys are trying to do – have to do with me?"

Juhani's grip on his temper began to fray noticeably at that point.

"What does it have to do with you? Hmm. Let me think…oh, you're a lynchpin in almost every universe linked to this one. Your own alternates and their families are trapped here, and what remains of your reality is being warped into whatever twisted nightmare that bitch Juno has in mind…something she tried to do to OUR world, before our Desmond stopped her."

Templar Desmond crossed his arms across his chest.

"So? You expect me to what…help you fix it? Why? What's in it for me? Seems like my alternates all got pretty fucked over by circumstances in their own universes, or they wouldn't have volunteered to be absorbed into your Desmond rather than being put back."

Templar Desmond tried to make his way past, and Juhani angled his body across the doorway.

"What's in it for you? Well, what about a chance to start over? If our Desmond succeeds in undoing all of this, the fabric of reality will be restored. None of this will have happened, Warren won't have been eaten by scaly-Hell-creatures, and you can go on about your merry way fucking things up for your own kin in this universe."

Templar Desmond scowled at him. "You think I don't feel guilty about what happened?" Juhani shook his head. "I'm sure you do. Ordinarily, you'd have to live with those choices…but what we're trying to accomplish is a do-over."

Juhani had become an expert at reading Desmond's expressions, and he knew before the other man spoke he'd help them. Perhaps not willingly, but he would do what was needed once he committed himself to it.

Templar Desmond growled, his eyes like topaz. "A do-over, huh?"

Agent Stilwater's voice was firm. "You're completely insane. I don't know what kind of awesome hallucination you must be, but this is all crazy!"

Lucy sighed heavily. "I'm as real as you are, you're not crazy, and yes, this is all totally insane. Would you prefer a convenient lie instead?" Behind them, Altair approached, his familiar leather boots silent on the tiled floors of the hideout.

"Rebecca says that the Animus is done … ah … producing the images." Lucy nodded, standing and dragging Agent Stillwater with her.

"Finally. Come on, let's get some answers." Agent Stillwater balked. "Hold on. What makes you think I want to help you?" To Lucy's surprise, Templar Desmond came up to them. "For once, I agree with her. Hello again, Agent." Agent Stillwater snarled. "Don't think I've forgotten the number of agents you killed, Miles."

Templar Desmond's gaze narrowed. "I think the tally of my people you killed is far higher." Agent Stillwater growled, pulling her arm from Lucy's grip and standing toe to toe with Templar Desmond. "I didn't know we were keeping a tally. Is killing people some sort of game for you?" Templar Desmond straightened, his gaze flashing with anger.

"I keep count to know how many people I have to repay. You're on the list, Agent." Agent Stillwater laughed. "I'd like to see you try, Miles. From what I've seen and heard, your Templar handlers did a piss-poor job teaching you to make the most of your ancestry." She glanced at Altair, who stood stock-still, staring at them with a narrowed, contemplative gaze.

"I mean, Altair here must be in his eighties at least and I bet he could kick your ass from here to next Sunday. Isn't that right, Altair?"

Altair was silent, crossing his arms across his chest. Templar Desmond snorted. "He won't say anything unless my alternate tells him to." The room went silent, and Agent Lucy saw Desmond's gaze swivel in their direction, his golden gaze wide with shock.

Ezio, who had been idly toying with his hidden blade while on watch froze, his dark gaze centering on Altair. He started to rise, and Altair's voice was soft as he motioned the younger Assassin down and said, "Impertinence is beneath you, Desmond."

Templar Desmond laughed. "Impertinence? You're talking like you think I answer to you, old man. I relieved your life, and you were as much or more an ass as you're claiming I am."

Agent Lucy saw Desmond's gaze widen in horror, and as he opened his mouth, Altair shook his head firmly. Desmond swallowed, going silent.

Altair sighed heavily, shaking his head. "The youth of this era. You know so little, and speak so much." Templar Desmond snorted. "You can't deny what I said is the truth."

Altair growled. "I do not argue the truth of your statement. When I was your age, I was indeed willful, arrogant and ignorant." The ancient Assassin's eyes narrowed. "I learned many harsh lessons as a result of that, and it appears you will need to do the same before you can become anything more than what the Templars intended."

Templar Desmond snarled. "And what if I don't want to be anything but a Templar? What then?" Altair's voice was very soft. "Then you are a fool, and a disgrace to my line." Templar Desmond growled. "Who are you to judge me? You're nothing but a shadow, Altair, an ancient remnant of a dead, forgotten ideal."

Agent Lucy heard Desmond take in a sharp breath, and his chair scraped back as he stood up. "That's going too far – "

Altair made a curt noise low in his throat, and Desmond went silent. "Be seated." Desmond looked as if he would protest, and Altair's gaze went to him, something in his face hardening. Desmond stepped back from the force of that gaze, sitting back in his chair.

"The Creed runs in your blood, Desmond. You are an Assassin, bred and born, no matter how twisted your mind has become from the Templars' mechanizations."

Templar Desmond shook his head. "You're wrong, Altair. I don't owe you or the Assassins anything. If it hadn't been for Juhani I'd have blown this pop stand a long time ago. I've got Templar blood in my veins too, Altair…I bet they never told you about Haytham Kenway."

Altair nodded. "Haytham is an Arabic word for 'young eagle.' I did not experience Desmond's memories directly, but I know of Kenway and his son, the native Connor. While Haytham was cunning, he still failed to defeat his son."

Templar Desmond frowned. "You're wrong. Haytham died defending his lover and the baby." Altair looked confused, and there was a nervous noise from the vicinity of the Animus. Rebecca looked near to tears. "Guys…the Animus reconstructed the remains of our reality, and Altair's Apple was lost. We didn't get enough pieces to reconstruct what happened to it…Kyle's back in there looking, but I think our plan won't work. We don't have another Apple to use."

Templar Desmond's gaze narrowed. "You're looking for an Apple of Eden? Why?"

Altair looked at Desmond, and Desmond's gaze was steady as Altair said, "We need one to use as a shell to create another silver Apple. It was for this reason we brought you here…you are among two people here who can wield it. We need two silver Apples to cancel their effects on reality and repair the damage done."

Templar Desmond considered the ancient Assassin's words a moment, then said, "So if the effects of the silver Apples are cancelled…all of this, what…goes back to normal?" Altair was silent a moment, then said softly, "If our Desmond can return to the point reality was fractured, then presumably reality will never be broken and none of this will have happened…your life here would continue as it did had we never been brought here."

The Assassin-turned-Templar looked thoughtfully at Juhani. "You weren't kidding when you said this was a do-over. If helping you fix this means you are all out of my life for good, then I know where there's an Apple of Eden you can use."

Desmond stood up from his chair. "You do?" Templar Desmond nodded. "In my version of events, Connor came in contact with an Apple wielded by George Washington himself."

Desmond frowned. "I don't remember having seen Connor ever go near a Piece of Eden…and I relieved most of his adult life."

Templar Desmond smiled grimly. "Well, it goes to show that not everything is the same about us…" He glanced at Altair. "Not even our ancestors."

Altair was silent, and Ezio growled. "You've made your point. Now, tell us, where is this third Apple?" Templar Desmond smirked. "At the bottom of Atlantic Ocean."

A/N: Life has not been very forgiving on the having time to write front. Finals, work and family drama make for a distinct lack of free time. I'll do my best to get back on a regular update schedule since I want to finish Fate and dedicate time to other projects – hopefully before my summer classes start.