Desmond waited for Connor in a guest bedroom. He constantly had one foot in the room and one foot in the hallway in case he needed to run. The lightning flashing added to his worry, and when the lights went out he simply bolted towards the room Shay was in. He flung open the door and saw the Irishman sitting by the fireplace.

Shay looked up. "Oh, hey there Desmond."

"Hey there?! We are having a freaking crisis!"

"Calm down, I'm sure the power will come on in a little while, it usually does. It's only the basement that you need to worry about lights. Sometimes they stay on and sometimes they don't. It doesn't even matter if the lights are fine upstairs." When he finished saying that the lights upstairs flickered back to life. "See? Told ya. Now go back to your room, I expect Connor to be here any moment...if he didn't get lost."

"Lost? I thought you said there was only one way to go."

"Well...maybe."

"Maybe?"

"If anything there's only two ways. You see I think there's another passage that connects...oh wait." Shay thought for awhile. "He might be on the right side of the stairs. Maybe Chevalier or Arno have seen him. Hmm...although I'm almost certain that the incline is this way...I really need to make a map."

"Let's just face it, Connor's dead. His dad escaped into one of the secret hallways and he met up with Connor and killed him."

Shay shook his head. "That...that's not true." Then Shay stood up. "I'm going to check in with Arno and Chevalier."

"What? You're leaving me and Connor's mom here?"

"You'll be fine."

"Oh no, I am not being left alone, I am coming with you."

"So you're leaving Ziio alone?"

"She'll be fine, let's go."

Desmond held onto Shay's cape as they walked towards where Chevalier and Arno should be. Shay stopped and pulled the cape out of Desmond's hands. "Hey, don't pull on this! It took me some time to sew the snowfla... Huh."

"Huh what? Why are we stopping? Tell me what's going on!"

Shay clamped a hand over Desmond's mouth to keep him from yelling, but Desmond broke the grasp. "You're trying to choke me! You're the murderer!"

"You licked me!"

"It was self-defense. And if you feel like trying that again I'm warning you, I do bite." Desmond bit down to show he was serious.

Shay wiped his wet hand on his shirt. "You are so dumb. I only wanted you to be quiet to notice how quiet it is."

Desmond didn't respond and let everything go silent for awhile. "Okay...now why is that something I need to know?"

"We're looking for Chevalier and Arno. Have you ever known them to be quiet?"

"Ah I see where you're going with this. They're the murderers!"

"No."

"They've been murdered."

"No! I'm just saying that it's odd for them to be quiet, maybe they found something. They seem like the type to find the way out and not tell anyone else. So what I'm suggesting is that they left without us. But with or without them we should check to see if Connor's around here. You start in this room and I'll start at the end of the hall."

Desmond did like being left alone...or opening doors when there was a killer on the loose, but he didn't have a choice to do anything but nod. Before opening a door Desmond prepared himself in case Haytham Kenway was on the other side, which he never was. The next door Desmond was going to open was already opened so he prepared himself for the worst. Before he could jump into the doorway he saw Shay come out and slam the door. "What's in there?"

Shay looked worried. "You don't want to go in there. Whatever you do don't open this door." He started walking away quickly. "Let's just go back to the other side and wait."

Desmond opened the door and wished he hadn't. Chevalier and Arno were on the floor, although those were just their bodies. The heads were on the spare bed with the mouths sewn shut. Desmond stood in the doorway with his mouth hanging open for longer than he wanted. Finally he shut the door and stared back down the hallway from where he came. He thought about these newest murders. The odds of Haytham ending up in that one particular rooms didn't seem very likely for some reason. Desmond thought it over some more. 'Maybe Shay killed them.' 'No, because there wouldn't have been time.' 'What about before we went looking for them? When everyone was waiting for Connor.' 'No, because I was standing in the doorway so if someone had walked down that hallway I would've noticed.' 'True that makes...wait! The secret passages! Shay's the only one who knows how to navigate them. There could've been an opening in that one room that lead into the room Chevalier and Arno were in, and he does hate both of them!' Desmond cautiously walked back to the other side of the stairs, now thinking that there could be two murderers. Just as he passed the door that Ziio was waiting in the door was flung open. Ziio quickly apologized. "Sorry Desmond. Shay found Connor."

Desmond nodded slowly and followed her. "Riiight."

Inside the room Connor stood with Shay by the fire. Ziio ran over and hugged her son tightly. "I'm so glad you're safe."

Desmond stepped into the room. "Yes. Safe from both murderers."

Connor detached his mom to look at Desmond. "What do you mean by both?"

Desmond pointed at Shay. "This guy killed Arno and Chevalier!"

Shay stared at Desmond confused. "What?"

"You're the only one who knows the secrets passageways, you snuck in there, beheaded them, and then sewed their annoying mouths shut. Also you're the only one I know here that sews."

"Uh...I do agree that they were annoying but...I didn't kill anyone. You're...you're just paranoid."

Desmond started stepping towards Shay and Shay started stepping back. "Why should we believe you? You're a good friend of Haytham's too, you could be working together."

Ziio stood by her son. "So? We're actually related to him and we don't go around killing people."

"But...but he..."

Shay coughed. "You're paranoid Desmond, just let it go." Shay coughed again. "Got to get away from this smoke." He moved away from the fireplace, but Ziio noticed something that accompanied the movement.

"Shay..."

"What?"

"You're...on fire."

"What!?" Shay looked down to see flames climbing up his snowflake cape. "Damn you irony!"

Connor ran out the door. "I'll go to the kitchen to get some water!"

Ziio tried stomping out the fire but her long black dress and heels were making it difficult. "Desmond, help!"

Desmond backed up. "Uh...stop, drop, and roll?"

It wasn't very long before Connor came running up the stairs with a half-full bucket. He threw it on the cape fire, but instead of going out the fire seemed more irritated, and it spread to Ziio's dress. Connor's eyes were wide with fear for his mom. "I thought that was supposed to work! I'm so sorry! I'll be right back!" Connor rushed back out of the room.

The fire moved from Shay's cape to his pants and was starting to burn his skin. He frantically tried to pat it out but that only burned his hands. Ziio tried stomping on her own clothes now but that just ended up with her staggering and stomping out of the room. Desmond stood in the middle of all this burning with no idea what to do. He thought back to anything he might have learned about fires. 'Why did baking soda sound familiar? Baking soda was sometimes put on fires right?' Desmond passed Ziio and ran down the first step, but she grabbed his arm.

"Please, you have to help me!"

"Uh...uh...how?"

"My heels aren't working, try smother..." She screamed as the fire started up her leg. "Do something!"

Desmond thought about something he had seen in a movie or something once. This guy put out a fire by folding the material on itself. So he grabbed what fabric wasn't against Ziio's body and tried smothering the fire that way. As soon as he started Connor came up the stairs behind him.

He had a box of baking soda in one hand and another bucket in the other. He handed the box to Desmond. "I know it's supposed to be for grease fires but maybe it'll work." He then looked at the room where Shay's painful screams came from. "I'll see if I can help him."

Desmond's hands shook, but that actually worked to his advantage in pouring the baking soda on the dress fire. With that and a little more beating the fire was out. Desmond had been so focused on the fire that had been in front of him that he almost forgot about the other burning person. He took the rest of the baking soda and raced towards the spare bedroom, but before he got there Connor ran out and closed the door. Desmond was confused. "What the hell are you doing!? Someone is dying in there!"

A few tears came from Connor's eyes. "There's nothing more to be done! I...I tried but..."

There were screams of agony and shrieks for help. Desmond looked to Connor who was keeping the door closed. "We have to try and save him!"

"He can't be saved! The fire's out of control, and I tried everything I could!"

"What about this?" Desmond held the box.

"That's for small fires if anything! He's..." The tears rolled down Connor's face more frequently now. "He's as good as dead Desmond. It breaks my heart to say it, but it's true."

Desmond didn't take his eyes off the door. He never knew Connor to give up on helping someone so there really was no hope. It's such a strange feeling to know that someone's dying and yet not being able to do anything. Desmond turned away from the door with this feeling of helplessness. He looked at Ziio as if seeing someone he saved would make him feel better about the person being burned alive behind that door. Mrs. Kenway was still standing by the top of the stairs, she was bent over and lightly touching her leg. The fire had created stringy half-burned holes in the bottom of her dress. She looked up at Desmond with sad eyes. Shay's futile screams were deeply affecting her too. She stood up and mid-turning around she looked like she was going to say something. Instead she screamed. Her heels got caught in one of the holes made by the fire and she fell backwards down the stairs. She might have been alright, but it wasn't a smooth fall down. There were sounds of bones snapping and her head slamming against every step.

Connor let go of the door handle and ran to the stairs. "Ista!"

As he looked over the railing, tears were spilling from his eyes. Desmond was too shocked to do anything but stare, until the door handle behind them rattled. It was finally pushed hard enough and the door opened up. The still burning body of Shay fell out. The fire had covered him and parts of his skin were red or burnt black, other parts of his flesh were melting under the intense heat. Connor and Desmond both stared, horrified, as Shay tried reaching out a burning arm. The look on his half-burned face would haunt anyone's mind for the remainder of their life. This grotesque, pain-filled, and scared look was the last thing Shay Cormac did, as he had died, eyes wide open. Being stared at by a still burning dead body is not something one wants to do for very long. Connor turned away and started heading down the stairs to mourn his mother, Desmond stood at the top of the staircase for only a few moments longer.

He put a hand on Connor's shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

Connor had pulled Ziio out of the way of the staircase and was cradling her bloody, broken body. ''This...I can't believe this happened."

Desmond thought about saying something else when a gunshot was heard. He thought he had heard shots fired when Connor left to get water and the baking soad, but that was just the stressful situation and his paranoia. This time however that sound could't be imagined or mistaken for anything else. "Where do you think that came from?"

Connor laid his mother's body back on the ground and stood up, trying to wipe his eyes dry. "We...we should go find out."

Desmond looked at Connor as if this was an insane suggestion. "Go...towards the sound of someone dying."

Connor had already started walking in that direction. "Maybe someone needs our help."

"Most gunshots in scenarios like this are fatal."

"Maybe someone missed."

Desmond muttered to himself as he followed. "So let's give them a few more targets to practice aiming at. Brilliant!"

Desmond opened the door to where he thought he heard the shot come from. It was a study, and on the floor in the middle of the room was the body of Achilles. He was face down on the carpet with his afro-ed head towards the door and his cane by his side. There was a gun in his hand. The bookcase along the left wall had books knocked out of it, and a bullet hole that Connor went to check out.

Desmond kneeled by Achilles and whispered. "Wow old man, didn't expect you to shoot yourself."

To his surprise Achilles whispered back, barely loud enough for Desmond to hear. "I didn't shoot myself you idiot. I've been dying here for awhile. I fired for attention."

Desmond considered calling Connor over, but felt like that would take away too much of Achilles' time. Instead he kept up the almost inaudible conversation. "Why?"

"Screams...too weak. Take this." Achilles' eyes went to his gun.

"Is this to kill Haytham? Uh...I'm not too keen on killing but I will avenge you. Why he would kill a...sorta nice old man like you, we'll never know."

"Haytham...d...d..." Achilles died before he could finish his thought.

Desmond whispered even quieter. "I will avenge you, he deserves to die." Desmond picked up the gun and as he stood up he saw a bookcase in the back right corner of the room move. He looked to his left and saw that Connor acknowledged the movement too. Desmond raised the gun and aimed it.

Connor mouthed to him. "What are you doing?"

"Being an avenger." Desmond mouthed back.

The bookcase swung open and Desmond started shooting at Haytham Kenway, only it wasn't him.

Altair rolled behind the study's desk. "Hold your fire!"

Connor grabbed the gun out of Desmond's hand, put it behind his back, and ran over to the desk Altair was sitting on the floor and looking quite frightened. "Why the hell were you shooting at me!?"

"Uh...I don't know," Desmond joined them, "maybe because people have been dying left and right and I was trying to kill the killer."

"I'm not the killer!"

"I know that! I just thought you were Haytham. Although you scared us half to death."

Connor looked at the open bookcase and then back to Altair. "Where did you even come from?"

Altair sighed. "I'm not quite sure. You see there's this metal grid above the basement floor, but there's actually lots of space between it and the ceiling. I thought I heard someone walking on it, but I waited until the sound went away before climbing up there. It was pitch dark in the basement so I could pretty much only feel around, and then I felt a ladder. It was very short and lead to a panel in the ceiling that could be moved to open into one of those secret passageways Shay talked about. I followed that around for...I don't know how long and somehow I ended up in here with Desmond firing at me."

"I'm sorry okay! Now what happened to Ezio and the rest of your group?"

Altair looked down and didn't speak for awhile. "They...they're all dead."

"But...but how?"

"I'm not entirely sure. Ezio was killed by a chainsaw that was somehow stuck on the metal grid I told you about. Then we tried getting the lights on but when we did Leonardo got electrocuted. Anne...I partially blame myself for. The first time I heard the walking sound I mentioned it to her and she climbed up, before I knew it she was hung in front of me." Altair got through recalling the disturbing deaths, but his voice shook the whole time.

Connor was silent and half-hugged Altair after putting the gun on the carpet. The whole room was quiet for several moments, until the door to the study was flung open. Everyone looked up and saw Haytham standing there.

He noticed the gun by Connor and the accusing and angry faces on everyone. "Bad time?"

Desmond grabbed the handgun away from Connor and stood up. "Bad time? Bad time? You've killed 6 people and you consider this a bad time?! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Please don't shoot me, I can explain if you'd just..."

"What? Give you time? You didn't seem to give Achilles anytime."

"Achilles actually..."

Desmond fired, but hit the doorframe instead.

Haytham looked at the bullet's closeness. "I should leave." Then he ran from the room.

Desmond bolted after him.

Altair saw Connor stand up. "Are you joining the chase?"

Connor looked out the study door and was positioned to leave. "I should. Maybe I can settle things without excessive violence."

"Well take this." Altair held out one of his knives. "Even though you don't want to use it, it may come in handy if it's life or death. I'll be coming shortly."

Connor hesitated, but he took the knife and ran out the door, hoping to catch up to Desmond and his father. Altair sat on the floor, getting over the shock of the recent events. He saw a whole lot of therapy in the future for them all. He heard another gunshot and jumped to his feet, he should probably try and do something. He rushed out of the study and in the direction of the sound. It sounded like it came from upstairs. Altair reached the staircase and proceeded slowly. He saw Ziio's broken body and at the top he could hardly look at Shay's terrifying corpse. Down the right hallway, past all the doors, there was a right turn that lead to a smaller flight of stairs. Altair ran up these stairs, but when he got to the third floor he saw that another one of his friends had died. There was a bullet hole going straight through Desmond's head. It had caused a pool of blood and scattered pieces of brain. The gun was a few feet away from the body which didn't make much sense, but Altair didn't have time to think about it. He started running around on the third level looking for Connor. There were hallways on the third level, just like the other two, but there weren't as many rooms. Altair ended up in an empty dead end hallway. To his left and right the hallway ended in windows. He went towards the right window that was slightly open and looked out. Directly below it was a white trellis that extended all the way to the ground. It would work as an exit once he found Connor.

He didn't have to look far because after he turned around Connor was there. Altair ran over to him quickly. "You're alive! Did you see what happened to Desmond?"

"Unfortunately I did." Connor sighed at the floor. "When I got up here he was in a fight over the gun with my dad. I really thought that he had a chance, but it didn't work out that way. Father grabbed it away from him and shot him. I don't know why he dropped it...maybe he was surprised to see me and just took off. I ran around looking for him, but I'm glad I ran into you instead. We can..."

"We can leave now Connor." Altair turned around and started walking towards the window. "We can climb out this window and report everything to the proper authorities. It's the... Connor?" Altair noticed that Connor wasn't following him. Upon turning around he saw that Haytham was covered in blood and had Connor pinned against the wall.

Altair started walking toward's them but stopped when Haytham looked at him and started talking. "Don't come any closer."

Connor tried wriggling away. "Help me Altair! He's going to kill me!" He stopped yelling when Haytham put a hand over his mouth.

"No I'm not! How many times do I have to say it? I'm not the killer!" Haytham stared directly at Connor. "He is."

Altair glanced between both Kenways. "Now that's the craziest thing I've ever heard. Connor is the sweetest, most caring person I've ever met and he could never have the guts to kill anyone, he's..."

"Too scared? Too nice? All an act! I witnessed him shoot Achilles in the back and that's how I figured it out. He killed everyone!"

"Not possible! The times of the murders don't add up."

"But they do. All the passages are connected in one way or another. When he fell down the trap door he went through the passages until he got to the one in the basement. He must have tampered with the chainsaw somehow and then strangled Anne with the noose."

"You wouldn't know any of this if you hadn't been there which means that you must be the killer."

Haytham glanced at Altair. "I overheard you talking about it in the study and just recently put it together."

"That doesn't explain Leonardo's death."

"Well that was just a freak accident. Much like...Ziio's."

"Uh huh, yeah, try explaining the other deaths."

"After killing Anne he returned upstairs and killed Chevalier and Arno. Then exited the secret passageways and probably blamed the delayed arrival on getting lost. Shay's death though isn't directly linked to Connor, that started because of Desmond. However instead of getting water he deliberately filled a bucket with water, but mostly isopropyl alcohol which is more simply...rubbing alcohol and very flammable. When someone is on fire drenching them with rubbing alcohol is basically murder in my opinion. Achilles got shot before Shay died though. I was wandering around trying not to be caught, which is how I know most of what I know, when I came into the study. Achilles and I had a small fight where he slammed me into one of the bookcases which caused them to fall off their shelves and that's when Connor came out of the bookshelf, used a pistol he stole from Anne, and shot the old man in the back while he was supposed to be getting "water" for the second he could fire at me I got away. Skipping to Desmond's death. Once Desmond got to the top of the stairs Connor grabbed him from behind and wrestled the gun out of his hand before shooting him."

"You forgot about Edward. That can't be proved to be Connor because you were the one to fill it."

"That I did, and I even added..."

"Aha! You did kill Edward!"

"I added some tabasco because I wanted to punish the guy, not kill him. Connor must have added something else while I was cutting."

"Hypothetically this is true...it still can't be Connor because there's absolutely no motive."

"Does there have to be?"

Altair narrowed his eyes and thought about it.

Then Connor managed to get his mouth out from under Haytham's hand. "You're thinking about this?! He's lying! He had time to do the same exact things, and motive doesn't matter!"

"That's a good point."

Haytham looked at Altair. "I know I sound like I'm lying, but I swear I'm not! You have to believe me!"

Connor wriggled more. "Don't trust him! I live with him and I know he lies a lot! Please...just help me!"

Altair looked between the two. "I...I don't know now. I..."

"Altair! If you don't help me he'll only kill me and then you!" Connor tried breaking his father's hold.

Haytham shoved Connor against the wall again, starting to choke him. Before Altair could react and save his friend a knife went through Haytham's throat. Connor had managed to free his hand holding the knife Altair had given him and freed himself. Haytham sank to his knees and clutched at his throat before collapsing to the floor.

Connor started crying again as he moved away from the person he had just killed. "I...I killed him. I didn't mean to! I...I just had to get away, I couldn't breathe! I'm so sorry..."

Altair brought Connor into a hug. "It's alright. I believe you."

"You...you do? Even after all he said? I thought you..."

"Connor, I would never turn on you. Now let's leave so we can explain all of this to the police. Alright? And I can tell them that this was self-defense."

"You would?"

"Of course, you're my friend and I'll stand by you. I trust you Connor." Altair took Connor's hand and brought him to the window. He opened it up. "Okay, I'll go out first and..."

Connor had grabbed Altair from behind and started choking him. "I'm honored that you trust me so much, but you really should've listened to my father."

Altair struggled. "Wh...why?"

"Like he said, you don't always need a motive. Maybe I just got tired of being nice, naive, and innocent Connor. After you're dead though, nobody will ever know that I snapped because everyone knows me as being kind and innocent. I'm not known to be angry or violent so I can play a perfect victim."

Altair felt himself getting weaker and not seeing many options. "I'm...I'm..."

"What? Dying? Because you are."

"I'm sorry." Altair upper-cutted Connor with his hidden blade. It went straight through the bottom of his head. There was no gasping or clutching to life...it was an instant kill. Altair leaned against the windowpane trying to recover his lost breath and trying to comprehend everything that had happened, but his only thought was to get out and contact the authorities. He looked at Haytham and Connor both lying dead in the hallway, it sent his mind reeling again and he felt like throwing up. So he quickly turned away and started climbing out the window. Before his foot could find a good spot in the trellis, Altair was pushed. As he fell he saw a figure, slightly transparent, in the window, and then his head cracked upon the grass three stories below.

(A/N: I am so tired. I was so tired writing all of these. (I ought to allow myself more time to do time-sensitive chapters). Hopefully this year's Halloween special was better, or at least the same, as last years. (It's definitely longer at 13,816 words give or take). I'm glad you stuck with me through all 3 chapters of murder mystery oooohhh. How about that plot twist huh? If you figured that out early...bully for you. There will probably be typos and such, but when I have time for editing I will go back and fix those...maybe. Happy Halloween everybody!)