Chapter 28
11/10/2013
13:45
Gravesend, New York, USA
Michael stopped the car near a small park. "Sir, I've called the others. They'll be here shortly."
Desmond nodded, his gaze distant. He got out of the SUV, moving a bit away and seating himself on a nearby bench, his head bowed, the white of his hood starkly visible against the gathering gray clouds that threatened snow. Desmond seemed uncaring of the cold wind that whipped his coat around his legs.
Christine moved to leave the SUV, and Juhani stopped her. "Let him alone. I've watched him long enough to know when he doesn't want company." They waited in silence, their eyes as one on the still form that didn't move from the bench. After a few minutes, the familiar van pulled up beside them.
Shaun was driving as usual, and William's voice spoke from the passenger seat.
"What happened? Why are you here so early?...Are those bullet holes?"
Michael nodded. "Yes, sir. The Feds shot at us."
William's face went red. "Federal agents? … as in, U.S. Federal agents...were shooting at you? Where's Desmond?"
Rebecca's voice spoke up. "That explains the news. There's reports of some kind of explosion on the Brooklyn Bridge..."
Lucy's voice broke in. "An explosion?...where's Des?"
Michael sighed.
"He's sitting over there, ma'am, and he didn't seem like he wanted to be bothered. He used his powers to persuade the Feds to take a hike..." He grinned a little. "It was pretty spectacular."
Christine's voice broke in. "Your idea of spectacular always seems to involve explosions, Mike...why is that?" Lucy read the raw fear behind the attempt at humor. Her eyes went to Desmond's still form, and she struggled to get off the stretcher.
She glanced at Trish and Rebecca. "You guys mind watching Kyle for a little while?" Ansa spoke up for them. "I'll watch Ky!" Rebecca smiled. "I don't mind babysitting, Luce...go see if you can get Des calmed down."
Desmond didn't move as she approached slowly, bent with pain and she could see the set of his jaw under his hood. "Des? What happened?"
Desmond sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "I used my power..." He growled. "Altair and Ezio have been giving me their opinion of it for the entire ride over here."
Lucy frowned. "The strange explosion is all over the news, Des. When I mentioned using your power, I was thinking more along the lines of persuading them to leave..."
The golden eyes closed, and Desmond growled. "I persuaded them, alright. There were too many for me to be subtle, Luce."
Lucy seated herself carefully beside him, her expression quiet.
"You're angry."
Desmond was silent, his posture tensed.
"Des..." Lucy put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm...I'm worried about you. I'm sure...Altair and Ezio are, too. Every...every time you've used your power, it's been with less...restraint, lately. I mean, using it on Juhani aside...there's no way we can cover up that explosion...Rikkin will know where we are for sure."
Desmond put his head into his hands.
"I know."
William's voice cut into the conversation. "Lucy's right, Desmond. What you did on the bridge was reckless and put us all in danger..."
He took a step back as Desmond rose to his feet, his eyes ablaze.
"I know that! Goddammit Dad, don't you think that's what Altair and Ezio have been telling me for the past hour?!"
Lucy's voice was calming as she said, "Des...we're not accusing you of anything. What's done is done. It just means we need to lay low till Gavin gets here...by the time we reach Rome, the media frenzy will have moved onto whatever the latest celebrity has on her shopping list."
Desmond was silent, and Lucy stepped towards William, saying lowly, "Find us a place to wait for Gavin...I think Des and I should talk alone. We'll catch up with you." William nodded, looking a little dubious. "But..." Lucy sighed. "Go, William. You tend to make Des angry, and that's absolutely what we don't need right now."
William nodded. "All right...I'll call you when we're set up. Michael gave me the keys to the SUV."
He moved off towards the van, and Desmond and Lucy were alone in the park. She shivered a little, and Desmond removed his own coat, wrapping her in it.
Lucy took the opportunity as he wrapped the coat around her to kiss him, and he resisted for a moment before he relaxed a little, returning it.
"I'm sorry, Luce," he muttered softly, and Lucy stroked his face with a hand. "Des, I love you. I always will, but lately...you worry me. I know I asked you to use your power before we left, but you know as well as I do that was excessive."
Desmond nodded, closing his eyes and swallowing.
"I know." His eyes opened, and Lucy's breath caught in her throat at the vulnerability in it.
In a low voice she barely heard, he said, "It felt...natural...to use it like that. It felt...liberating...for a minute, I felt like I could do anything in the world...and I wanted to, Luce." Lucy's voice was soft as she wrapped him in a tight hug, ignoring the protests of her injuries.
Desmond's voice was soft as he said, "When I used the amplifier...back in the Temple. Since then...it's been easier to justify using the power. But on the bridge...I wasn't thinking of protecting our family or the Assassins...I was pissed off. I..." He shook his head. "I wanted to destroy them."
Lucy's gaze was very serious as she said, "Des...I'm going to ask you an unfair question...and I want the truth."
Desmond nodded.
"What stopped you from doing that?"
Desmond blinked at her, his eyes wide with shock. "Lucy..." Lucy remained firm as she said quietly, "Answer me, Des. What stopped you?"
Desmond was silent a long moment, then said, "Killing them like that would have made me no better than Juno. It wouldn't have solved anything."
His gaze glinted as he said quietly, "Nothing is true...everything is permitted."
He shook his head. "Altair told me the Creed is a guideline...but it's a dangerous guideline when you really do have the power to do...everything."
Lucy shook her head.
"You don't have the power to do everything, Des. If you did, you'd be a God...and while you might be godlike in some ways..." A wicked smirk was on Lucy's face, and Desmond blinked before a blush burned under his cheeks, his gaze narrowing. "You're still a man...a man I love more than I ever thought possible."
Desmond's arms wrapped around her, and he rested his head on hers for a moment, and against the sweet scent of her shampoo he muttered, "Godlike hmm?"
Lucy laughed against his chest. "Don't let it go to your head."
Desmond lifted his head away, grinning now. He purred, letting his tongue trail over the shell of her ear, and she shuddered. "You're a little late if you didn't want it... to go to my head."
Lucy smiled at him, her voice a little breathless as she said, "Trish will kill me if I tear any of these stitches, Des..."
Desmond grinned as he effortlessly lifted her into his arms. "I promise you won't tear any stitches."
The video was grainy and the sound choppy, but Laetitia was clearly able to see Vidic standing over the prone form of Subject 17, who was slumped against the wall.
"It's like a wireless hard drive..."
17's voice bore signs of some great strain, and she saw Vidic mouth something that was cut off. 17 laughed at whatever it was Vidic had said, and the scientists' eyes had gone wide in shock. Subject 17 had passed out, and Vidic had slapped him, clearly enraged – before the video cut out.
She sat back in the chair in Rikkin's ornate office in Rome, Rikkin looking at her expectantly. The first artifact Abstergo had ever found, a Papal Staff, glinted in the sunlight that came from the windows. She frowned. "I'm not sure what any of what I just saw has to do with replicating an Apple, Alan."
Rikkin sighed.
"17's crude analogy was the key to figuring out how to unlock the power of the Apples. They are storage devices, Laetitia...capable of holding the memories of their wielder, but the wielder pays a price." He unlocked a drawer in his desk and removed an Apple of Eden. Unlike the others she had seen, this one glowed with a cool silver light.
England found herself unable to take her eyes from it. "Where did you get an Apple of Eden?" she said, almost absently, her eyes glued to the strangely compelling glow.
"The Apple 17 drained of energy, Laetitia. Vidic had it in his office. Pieces of Eden are not so easily destroyed, even deactivated. I provided it a power source...a power that can only be provided by one with the correct...genetics." He smiled, and Laetita's eyes widened, though she remained unable to take her gaze from the silvery Apple he held.
"You...you have Precursor DNA?" she asked, and Rikkin nodded. "When we tested 18, I got the idea to test the blood of several other of our Order who had displayed...talents, including myself."
He admired the Apple in his hand, the silvery light bathing making his skin pale – almost corpse-like – and Laetitia shuddered.
"With this Apple tuned to me and the Papal Staff to amplify my talents...17 won't stand a chance against me."
A/N: Okay...I wrote this on 7 hours of sleep in the last 48 hours...so if you find mistakes, PM me. Also...the guy who invented Daylight Savings Time can DIAF.
