*Hey guys, how are you doing this time around? I'm slowly getting better but sorry for the inconsistent update targets :P I'm trying really hard to get back on track with that. However the good thing is, I could not wait until Sunday to upload this chapter. I hope you enjoy*

Chapter Twenty- eight

"And you know what I did next after Abbas said that to me?" Kadar chuckled into the ground staring at his feet as I walked along side him down the slopes of Masyaf. It was as if he thought the situation inconceivable and on the fence about finishing the rest to me. We were headed to the market stands by the gates of Masyaf when I punched him in the arm playfully. It was a merciful spring day yet ebbing away to the summer of 1191.

"Come on, tell me why don't you?" I laughed merrily searching for his eyes again. He looked up as if remembering then turned to me with a witty smile to grace his face.

"Well I took one of my throwing knives I just got that day and flung it right at him! He ducked, that coward, as it nearly missed him. It could have shaved that wimpy scruff off his face," I laughed again as he made the sound effects of a throwing knife whisking by. He mocked the fearful expression of Abbas broadening his voice he said, "I turned to that scrawny guy saying: 'You're the novice when it comes to playing actual games' then I left the fighting arena." I rolled my eyes as we were almost to our destination.

"You couldn't have done that Kadar. I can't imagine you hurting one of your brothers." Kadar snorted from under his gray hood stopping shortly in his tracks.

"Yeah well, Abbas hardly pays attention to the rules of the Creed. It barely makes him a brother then and I wouldn't mind if he-" I knew were this conversation was leading to.

"No," I interrupted, "don't say something like that even about Abbas," I warned. Kadar nodded his head shaken back to his senses. He had a sprinkle of pollen collecting on the top of his head. I brushed it off of his long ebony hair and that's when he let out a terrific sneeze. "You need to chop off this hair of yours," I added flicking the pollen off my fingers. I had secrets to admit, his hair was entertaining to play with. He sniffled letting through a pathetic smile staring at me. "What?" my grin widened.

"What about you?" he lunged for me swiping up some of my locks that was about midpoint to my back. I raised my eyebrows seeing someone stalking up behind us. That somebody scooped Kadar up in his arms, feet off the ground he cocked his head to the side.

"What are you doing here brother?" At the time I did not realize that when Kadar and Malik would call each other "brother" they actually meant it as real brothers too. I thought it was just a custom that men in the Brotherhood would greet each other by that title.

"Hey! Let me down from here Malik- this is unfair!" Kadar thrashed around in his big brother's arms while he laughed setting him down at last.

"Mind if I have a word with you?" he said while giving his brother pinches on both cheeks.

"Ah! Stop that Malik!" Kadar's cheeks were cherries as he slapped both hands of Malik's out of his face. Malik stopped pestering his brother but Kadar planted his rear into the grass with legs crossed staring up into his brother's dark eyes. Malik sighed mumbling his apologies for the hold up. But I paid no attention finding my cheeks were hurting from all this stifled laughter.

Malik glared at his brother before accenting, "I would like to have a word with Natasha... alone." Kadar popped with contagious laughter falling back into the grass curling up into a ball at my feet laughing. This time I did not understand what was so funny about that matters of Malik wishing to speak to me alone. Kadar let his arms stretched to the side plop into the green grass still unable to contain the laughter. Malik crossed his arms as I stared at him puzzled. He looked up but shot his glance back down to his brother. It was difficult to try and conceal the embarrassment when you were blushing hard. "Stop this brother," he hissed. Kadar sat up smiling stealing a glance over at me then to his brother.

"Your words are about as threatening as the work of your blades," he giggled bolting passed me to flee from his brother's fury it almost knocked me over. Malik shooed him away now standing before me. Kadar sprinted up the slopes now out of sight. I shifted my attention over to Malik as Kadar left me alone with his seemingly apathetic brother.

"My brother is hopelessly reckless," he mumbled rubbing the back of his neck. I scanned him from his toes to his head that he was dressed quite differently than Kadar. A higher rank I assumed was rewarded with better clothing. Though missing a leather belt and red sash at the time he had leather boots, the white robes, still a gray hood, but a sword attached to his hip.

"You wanted to speak with me," I spoke at last.

"Of course," Malik stared at me. I arched my eyebrows when he wasn't saying anything but staring. He swallowed, "you've got some-" he awkwardly raised his hand picking out some of that yellow pollen at the ends of my chocolate and chestnut hair. I wasn't too particularly fond of the look as he was combing out the bits from my hair.

"Don't," I muttered carefully. He breathed through his nostrils sighing uneasily. His hand dropped to his side evading now from me after so much effort of trying to get my undivided attention.

"There is no easy way of saying this Natasha," he started. "But one day you'll come to agree with me and that I'm not being selfish when I appoint these things."

I sighed.

He tensed. I knew this was going to be a long story. It was my memory of the pastin fact. "Never mind. I'll have to tell you when you reach Jerusalem," he took a step back. I knitted my eyebrows, wait what? No, you're supposed to tell me I have to stop spending so much time with Kadar. That he needs to focus on becoming an Assassin now! As well as telling me we'll grow distant and no longer become friends! What is happening?

"What?" I tilted my head to the side. Malik continued on walking backwards from me.

"I'll be seeing you soon when you reach Jerusalem." I gave a bewildered expression knowing something from this memory was not right. You're supposed to tell me to go off and do "womanly" things and dress like one too. Then I'm supposed to get angry with you and storm off to find Kadar while I hate your guts until the day on the attack of Masyaf! This has to be a false memory.

"Malik!" I hollered, "isn't there something else you should be telling me?" I saw him flick his hand at me shaking his head.

"You need to get going and wake up."


There was a sharp whisper as I opened my eyes leaning up against the wall. I uncrossed my arms hearing the pitch in my ears again. I discovered I had fallen asleep taking a brief nap and it was early evening now that I stood. There it was again! I slouched forward temporarily blinded by the bits of orange rays that shined through the lattice ceiling. I covered my eyes standing to my feet I brought my breath to an echo wondering if it was Lucy communicating. If it was Lucy I didn't want anyone to hear me have this conversation. I decided on climbing out of the Bureau and have an investigation. I went to the fountain and kicked up off the wall grabbing the edge.

"Where are you going?" Altair had moved from his pallet of pillows in the corner watching me.

"Out," I simply stated the obvious pulling myself out of the Bureau. The whisper told me to climb down the ladder at the side. I swear it wasn't me loosing my insanity or some infatuation. Altair followed me as I climbed down the ladder spinning around to find Layla. "Oh my Layla," I couldn't resist but to go hug her. Her arms open excepting the hug still dressed in her Templar costume.

"I sense that you are preparing to leave now is it so?" she held me an arms length away eyes slightly off my own but she responded to the sound of my voice quite well. Altair descended down the ladder when her pupils moved over to the new overwhelming sound to her. "Will this be the last I will know of you people?" I shook my head in a smile that she could hear.

"I doubt this will be the last you will hear of the Assassins," I patted her back.

She arched her eyebrow.

"I mean in a good way," I quickly added.

"What of you and Altair? Is this the last I will get to encounter with you?" I looked over to Altair for some assistance yet all I could do was look down in discomfort.

"I'm sure we'll make one more stop or two to Acre sometime in the near future," I soothed feeling a headache roaring in my skull. I felt myself slipping from consciousness I slammed my back into the wall but my body trembled I slid down the wall. I heard their voices jump but my vision went black and lifeless for a moment before there was another light. A white light forcing my eyes to open once more. Coming out from a nightmare I attempted to sit straight up but once again I bashed my forehead into the glass screen.

"You have to wait a little longer before you can sit up Subject Fifteen," Lucy walked up to my side as the glass retreated into its slot. I sat up watching her undo the straps that restrained my ankles and wrists. I opened my mouth to ask about two- thirds of her ring finger missing when there was a bang and the sound of glass shattering from outside.

My eyes darted to the window, "what's going on?" Lucy swallowed undoing the last strap that had my ankle down I immediately jumped out of the Animus steering closer to the window.

"Natasha get back here right now," Lucy hissed as the sound of her heels were like needle pricks in someone's ears.

"Who?" I spun around facing her but that's when she grabbed my arm. Her blue eyes staring me down I felt her unusual powerful force try and drag me.

"You!" she said.

"Oh, right of course it's just tha-" Bang! As an instinct I covered the back of my head dropping down to the ground. The red alarms began to blare in the room and a voice over the intercom ordered tight security. "What the hell is going on?" I raised staring at Lucy who was also crouched to the floor now. She struggled to produce an answer the way she shook her head nervously staring into the ground.

"I- It's nothing Natasha, you just need to get in your room and rest now." I did not move from my spot hearing commotion and more shots being fired outside.

"Those are gunshots out there Lucy, is someone trying to invade the research facility?"

"Look Natasha I can't-" a shot of resolution from outside and the voice over the intercom returned. It sounded much more relieved this time from antsy chuckles over the speaker.

"The field is all clear now, have everyone return to their posts at once," the voice dismissed itself turning off the intercom. A door slid open from across the room. Vidic briskly pacing over to the Animus finding that there was no occupant within the machine. He looked over the Animus sighing to see Lucy and I on the other side still crouching to the ground.

"Miss Stillman explain why Subject Fifteen is not working in the Animus," he smoothed his redtie in order.

"I thought it would be logical if I pulled her out Vidic," she rose, "you know to stretch her legs to walk around in the real world." Vidic addressed himself to the side then back at Lucy with a challenging expression.

"But we are this," he did a visual with his index and thumb being just a hair apart from each other. "Close, so close," he stopped to catch his breath peering beyond Lucy's shoulder at my state. Was I really that close to discovering what they wanted? I mean being strapped to a machine for days maybe even weeks never sounded like a good invitation to anyone... However the immerse feeling the Animus provides is outstanding. Great now I sound like an advertiser. Altair and the other characters I met in the machine couldn't remember me correct? Wouldn't remember me? Vidic's strident voice softened in dynamics significantly, "just get her into her bedchamber for the night and we'll start earlier tomorrow for the sake of lost time," he grumbled away not allowing any room for Lucy to protest. As he would have it, Lucy pursed her lips as she stared into the cold gray tiles hearing the door slide close. We were alone now in the room and I had not intentions of being forced back into that room again until I was fed some decent answers.

"Who were they out there?" I tilted my head to the side rising to my feet. Agh, my legs are so sore for whatever reason...

"Nothing," she still looked to be in shock, "they are done and dealt with," she finished walking up to her computer by the Animus and logged out.

"You said I would get answers if I went back into the Animus- I did. Now I would like some answers," I said lowly. She checked over her shoulder and rubbed her forehead leaning over the glowing blue Animus. "Who were those people outside?" I tried again, "does it involve anything with me?" Lucy whirled around to face me with the hands still on the Animus for support.

"We can talk later about this, okay?" I saw the flicker from her eyes as they flinched up at the security cameras infesting every corner of the research room. She was fresh from fright as I began to question her motives of being in this place. A place where they somehow drug people to go in a faulty, trashed government idea experiment to find answers from the past using genetics. Hmm, might as well put 'Home sweet Home' on the Animus because they sure plan to keep me strapped into that thing. Lucy read on my facial expressions that I was beginning to think in a way that somehow offended her. "Just stop right there Subject Fifteen," she held out a hand. Now I was offended.

"Apparently the name's Natasha," I steered closer to her, "and I would like to be addressed by that instead of a test number experiment... please," I spat out the last word. Her thin lips shriveled inward in a frown she nodded her head. "I'm sorry but I don't want to get back into that thing until I am provided with honest answers. I won't get up tomorrow just to be strapped into that thing another damn moment longer..." I stopped my techniques seeing how they were taking affect on her. She flared back with a bold look belonging to hers and only hers at times when she was defensive.

"Natasha I know this is a lot to take in right now but I can assure y-"

"You were about to tell me," I cut in fortuitously in response to the emotions I was feeling. I felt like that helpless girl again being treated like second class, being treated like I didn't know any better or ever had the mentality to obtain it. But I knew well. I knew it better it seemed. "You were about to tell me why a place filled with armed body guards were shooting at other people outside. Yes, you were about to tell me... just... I want clarity. I want answers just how you people want answers from me somehow. Just please I need to know-" she waved a hand in my face to tell me to stop. Lucy inhaled and exhaled through her nose with a face to plead she wasn't going to say anything she would later regret.

"They were Assassins," she finally confessed. My heart froze in its place.

"I'm a target to be killed!"

"Shh! Quiet now," she warned. I nodded my head slowly trying to process everything that was going on. She combed back part of her fringe behind her ears, "they weren't here to try and kill you. Trust me but they were here to save you."

"But I left them a long time ago. I'm simply not the same person anymore. I- I- I'm not anyone but Natasha and I want it to stay that way," I stared up at her.

"I'm sorry, I've said too much."

"N-"

"I'm sending you back into your room and we'll discuss this another time," she declared quickly turning on her heels walking away from me. There was no time to argue for it was pointless now. My bedchamber door slid open with Lucy watching me as she stood by the doorway. I eyed her laptop screen saver that had the... hmm, what was it again? Oh yes... Abstergo logo on it. Her right eyebrow raised and not giving it a moment longer I stepped forward around the Animus. I walked briskly to my room where as usual the door slid locked as I passed. The security cameras moved detecting my motion as I entered the room. I walked up to the dresser but unable to open it.

"Damn, I can't even change my clothes," I mumbled turning around to the side of my bed. I was about to kick off my shoes when my vision became impaired. Well it looked like as if I was involuntarily using Eagle Vision. God I must be tired, I rubbed my eyes however it felt like I was still in the Animus. This is not good... The scene took me back into the Animus's loading screen where a blue figure started running away from me. It had to be my ally but I couldn't tell who the person was. It seemed that whoever it was, was in dire need of me to pursue them. What kind of loading screen is this? I took one step forward when (I supposed) the Animus completed loading up the memory.


I opened my eyes as if I had woken from a bad dream. My body shook clearly startled when I felt the solid bench beneath me. I brought down my Assassin hood seeing that I was sitting alone on the bench by a house in the Kingdom. The sun was blazing in the evening as I moved my heel around in the dirt. It had to be in the seasons of summer by how intense the sun was still. I scratched the back of my head still befuddled as to how I was able to get back in my ancestor's shoes without needing the Animus for assistance. I brought my knees forward about ready to stand when my eyes caught a man from across the clearing, flying over the rooftop silently. He was an Assassin I knew by the robes. He air assassinated a Templar from the building and immediately killed the Templar standing next to him amazingly undetected by any of the guards on post.

I scrunched my eyebrows together standing. I knew I needed to get a better view on this situation. But my muscles tensed just at the sight of another Assassin. Perhaps he is a rogue Assassin. I gulped then ran across the bare clearing up to this Assassin. He was looting the bodies of the Templars! He was actually- Hey! Hey! Wait a minute! "What are you doing?" I blurted out. The Assassin unprepared looked up as he slid a silver dagger into his leather belt coolly. The sharp glance I had of them made me rigid. Somehow no matter how discrete the manner was, I noticed how they were sheathed so effortlessly in his leather belt. They were the daggers lost to me on the night the Templars slaughtered my whole family. The ones given to me as a gift crafted to take appearance of silver, with my first and last name engraved on each blade. The face I stared into wasn't a rogue Assassin at all. It was Altair Ibn- La' Ahad years younger on the day I had inadvertently met him. You know, in 1185.

Unable to take my eyes off of his younger self, I faltered in taking a step back. He had no scar on his lips yet it made me choke on my tongue. He stared long and hard at my profile not knowing who I was equally befuddled as to why a woman was wearing Assassin robes. It wouldn't make sense to him yet and it still didn't make sense to me! His chest heaved an intake of breath as he got to his feet slowly staring me down.

"Who are you?" his eyes narrowed skeptically. I staggered a breath like I would on a cold winter day below freezing temperatures. I backed up again wishing whatever I was experiencing to end. "Tell me who you are," he demanded stepping over the two dead bodies approaching me like a ghost.

"O-oh god..." I stuttered pacing backwards as he neared. Momentarily dazed at my response he stepped closer. The flexes of saffron in his amber eyes were revealed in the sun. The sweat on his neck shinned though he was ruggedly handsome. Soon trouble came around the corner, Robert and some of his men stopped dead in their tracks.

"Assassins! There they are! Get them!" one Templar screeched. Altair lunged up the side of the wall abandoning me in my uneasiness. I remember something like that... I'm somehow tampering with my ancestor's memory and changing the outcome... Shit! When they pulled out their swords half of them to chase me and the other half to pursue Altair I sprinted away from it. I rushed back however a wave of people pushed against me like fighting a current. Why are the people doing this? They are incredibly stupid! I pushed bodies of people out of my way hearing the Templars coming after me while they yanked the innocent civilians out of their way. I heard the peoples wails and screams as they were forced aside. I peered over my shoulder as I continued to fight against the wave of people.

This caused me to slam into an intimidating Templar with, instead of a sword, carried a mace. Oh tensor fasciae latae... Wait why do I even know that name? Oh- I ducked missing the spiked spear. Okay! Okay! Run with the current now! I took off with the flow of the people now concerned that I would make it out alive. If it's like those time traveling shows and movies I would rarely watch stereotypically I think I would try not to run in my future self. Well, technically my past self? Or not even myself considering I'm reliving my ancestor Natasha Sarraf's time line, correct? Funny how we have the same name...

"Whaa!" I knocked down the chasing Templars jumping over the trampled bodies trying to get away from the Templar and his beloved mace. It wasn't long when I realized I was back to where I ran into Altair and he was off on a horse by now... eh, probably. I turned the corner of the building hoping to get out alive of the chaotic clearing. That is when I veered around a blind corner seeing the incoming hooves of a horse rain down on me... It was me! On that horse trying to control the creature. I can't let me see me! I gasped obscuring my face from myself and in luck to protect myself somehow. I crouched preparing for the worst to be crushed by the horse when they actually thudded to the ground inches away from me. I peaked through my arms revealing only one eye. I gawked at the sun that prohibited me to see myself on top of the horse blocking out the features. The only thing I could see was the outline of my red tinged hair smoldering.

"I am brilliant," I said to myself above the chaos behind me. The horse steadied itself when I realized I couldn't stay long. I whipped around once more feeling like a yo-yo going back to which I came towards a Templar with a huge mace. The dirt kicked up into dust clouds from the clomping and stomping of horses and men. I ducked missing the mace once more as I confronted the large Templar. Weaponless only armed with my fist was an unequal match. I rolled forward between his legs getting away just in time. Oh the lucky perfect me, correct? I departed from the mass of bodies getting out of the thickest of chaos when young Altair seized me by the arm dragging me back behind a wall.

"Who are you?" he interrogated harshly. I groaned fighting off the hand of his off my mouth to breathe. I kicked his legs and he responded by swinging around holding me by the neck with one vigorous push back up against the wall. "Who are you!" he yelled that spit flew. In my unyielding silence (probably from the lack of oxygen) he snarled wrenching back my hood releasing the choke hold upon me. I ran as my hood fell trying to conceal as much as my face as I could. His grip lasting on the back of my hood as I yearned to sprint away. This does not happen in memories. You cannot go back and change what is already written. The Animus is not a time traveling machine! Hell! I'm not even in it right now! I felt his fingers slip then finally sighing running another way leaping onto his horse to miss the Templars. The Templars changed their course chasing down the wanted Assassin lingering away if they could help it.

I raced along the path until I skidded to a halt facing a blue translucent wall like a wall of water. Damn, is this section of the memory really fucking blocked off? I swerved around in horror about to somehow face my enemies unarmed. They were coming so close were they nearing. That's when I heard the sounds of something like the Animus and the wall behind me began to move lethargically. I spun around in time to see it morph into a white color swallowing me whole until all that I saw was white, then black, then life.

I crashed into the side of the bed catching myself only to fall on my knees brutally. I winced from the strange experience coming out of Eagle Vision, now everything in normal colors. The calming ring from my throbbing head diminished as I ruffled my hair out of my face with a shaky hand. I was panting hard as if I had seriously did all those activities performed in the... the... I don't know what to call it. My stomach lurched though tied in a knot I lifted myself gradually off the floor onto my bed pressing both hands into my abdomen. A moment more of solitude did I note on that my eyes were sore. I struggled to breathe calmly but eventually forced myself to breathe in through the nose, and out the mouth. A bad kind of nightmare, that's what it was, I reflected to myself. Even so, why were there two of me there? Uh, I've been away from society for too long. This doesn't affect anything. I bounced my head up and down for some hope in that. Yet what was Altair doing looting those two Templars? What was so severe in that case to do it? My breath staggered. What if he still has them... Even now, what was he doing in the Kingdom on that specific day? More importantly where was he coming from? I heard the rotating sound of the security camera neck adjust from its still spot. I glared up at the black lens witnessing the pestering red, perpetual recording light blink. I knew the cue, I knew it well. I kicked off my shoes resting on my side giving life a second thought.

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* :B Dramatic irony! I am beginning to understand that it's really just chapter twenty when the plot conveniences start picking up *sighs greatly* ... The part is coming... and I am turning MAD :B However, I hope that people continue to stay with the story because it's actually very plot driven... (I just hope no ones used a similar plot as I). I had to go back and slightly add some alterations to chapter two, to make this part work. Anyhow, hope you enjoyed this chapter and I always appreciate it when you take your time to read my story :) Thank you for reading my Beautiful Souls ~MissKayoko*