It was warm out at night, despite being December, and despite the ice age. The moon was out, and in the clearing there was enough light for Jake and Lucy to see without aid. The tower was like a towering monolith, huge and unknowable, and while the moon turned everything silver it didn't touch the tower, silver sliding off of it leaving it a void in the darkness. Desmond went into Eagle Vision as they neared. "What do you see?" Altair asked.
"Nothing, yet," Desmond and focused. He knew he needed to do the thing where his vision cleared of Eagle Vision, seeing beyond it, but it wasn't something he could do at will like Eagle Vision.
"Well see it quickly, we have incoming," Ezio said.
"Fuck," Desmond tried harder. He didn't know how to make it happen though.
"Desmond-
"I'm trying," he snapped and then all at once his vision cleared and he saw in perfect night vision. The shadows cleared, he could see without the haze of Eagle Vision. "Got it," and he craned his head back. In this sight the tower was… magnificent. It was like Morpheus' chamber in Solomon's temple, covered in symbols, only unlike Morpheus' the tower was covered in natural symbols. Shapes of animals in a minimalist style mapped out in twisting lines and curved light, spiraling around the tower. "I wish you could see this," Desmond said.
"See what?"
His eyes snapped down and he realized they weren't alone. The others had gathered around him, like a barrier, but Desmond looked over their shoulders. It was just three people, and somehow he knew they'd come. Shaun was the one who'd asked though.
"You shouldn't be here," Altair said.
"And you should be?" Andrew asked, a flashlight was passed over them. Desmond hissed and looked away, covering his eyes. "What are you doing?"
"Currently seeing fucking spots, put that out you're ruining my vision," Desmond growled. The flashlight was clicked off. Desmond uncovered his eyes, he could still see in the dark vision, which was something at least.
"You know what this tower is for?" Shaun asked.
"Yes," Altair said.
"What is it then?"
"A communication array," Desmond said, "Now everyone do shut up, I can't focus with all the talking," and to his surprise everyone was indeed quiet.
Desmond looked back up at the tower, focusing now on what he had to do. Nothing seemed different, still the animals mixed in with the glyphs. An idea tugged on his mind and he took off one of his gloves. He heard one of them, unthinkingly, ask about Desmond's hand, but Desmond wasn't paying attention. He climbed up over the rubble of the destroyed temple that had once stood over the tower, and pressed his hand to the glossy black surface.
The tower pulsed a teal glow that was apparently visible to everyone because he heard someone give a start of surprise. The shapes rearranged themselves as Desmond watched, unwinding and starting to curve differently, curve directionally.
"I think I found something," Desmond called down from the rubble.
"What is it?" Hawk called back.
"Directional lines," and he kept his hand on the tower when he could, looking for where the lines all converged. His hand left behind a glowing, blue, smear, on the tower's surface. He stumbled a little, moving over the rubble and then he saw it. All the lines were pointing one place. To an area about as big as his hand like a multi armed star. There was just one problem, the place he was supposed to go was about ten feet above his head.
"Find it?" Altair called since Desmond had stopped and was scowling at the space like it was their fault he was so short.
"Yeah, ten feet up," Desmond called back down and removed his hand from the surface. He thought about how he could get up there. He could stand on someone's shoulders probably. Maybe.
Or he could climb.
He looked at the sheer surface of the tower and pulled his other glove off, placing both of them on the tower, just to see what would happen. Nothing remarkable happened but Desmond could see now that the tower wasn't sheer. Looking straight up at the tower he saw it wasn't straight either. Rather the tower was curved. For some reason he thought of the Parthenon in Greece, he remembered reading about it on one of the times he'd gone into a library because he had nothing better to do, that nearly all the lines of columns that looked straight were in fact curved. Meaning that the tower was made of segments.
Desmond reached up, seeking a lip. After a few moments of searching he found, not a lip, but what felt like a hand hold. When he looked up to see just what he was grabbing onto he saw it looked like an indentation where two pieces fit together. Meaning there had to be other places. He took his hands off and looked lower, to find a foot hold. The tower was made of many, many, small segments, obviously to help with the building, and Desmond found a few small indents at around chest high level. Perfect. He reached back up and found the first holds and with a grunt he lifted himself off the ground.
"Desmond!" Someone called as he put his weight on the narrow holds. They were about three feet away from each other, meaning the next set should also be three feet away. He groped above him blindly and found it. Making sure he had a grip he pulled himself up to the third set. When he looked at where the lines were pointing he saw he was one set away. He found the next set and pulled himself upwards.
"Desmond get down from there!" he looked down, his ancestors were gathered around beneath him. It wasn't very far, but he saw them all very worried.
"I'm fine," he told them, "The opening is right here," he pointed and pressed his hand to where the lines converged. Here there was another hole, and he cursed. A key. They needed a fucking key. Pluto should have mentioned that. Unless they already had the key? He groped around the hole, feeling it. It was about as big as a large grapefruit, and perfectly spherical.
"Well?" Altair called up.
Desmond looked down, "Hawk," he said, "Throw me your Apple."
"What?" Hawk asked.
"Throw me your Apple. Its like the Vault, it needs a key."
"Right," and Hawk produced his Apple. "Catch," and he lobbed it up towards Desmond. Desmond caught it, fumbled it, and then caught it again, leaning back away from the the tower to catch it. He heard the immortals below him make a few sudden, startled and worried sounds.
"Fine, fine, I got it," Desmond said, though his heart was racing. He fit the Apple into the hole. The tower pulsed again and to everyone's surprise made a brief bell tone. It reminded Desmond of Pluto. "See anything down there?" Desmond asked.
"A hole opened up three feet to your left," Ezio called. Desmond took the Apple from the key hole and looked. Indeed there was now a door there.
"Catch," he called down and dropped the Apple, Hawk caught it.
"Desmond don't do what I think you're about-
Desmond swung himself on the narrow holds at the opening. His fingers scrambled for purchase on the floor surface of the floor but he managed to get it. He was now, however, hanging from his hands from the bottom of the opening. "And he did," he heard Altair groan.
"Its cool," Desmond said and scrambled up and into the opening. He crouched just inside, catching his breath, his arms hurt some from what he'd just done, but was otherwise okay. He reached out and touched a wall, the wall glowed brightly, almost hurting his eyes. "I'm in!" he called.
"Great, now how are we getting up there?"
Desmond turned back around and looked down, "We have any rope?" he asked.
"In the numia, maybe," Hawk said.
"Go get it. I can help Ezio up first, and then we'll be able to hold onto it while the rest of you come up," he said.
"This is so stupid," Hawk said.
"Go look for some rope," Altair pushed Hawk towards the ground. Desmond looked away from them. Lucy and Jake were standing on the ground and looked to be talking to Andrew, Shaun, and Rebecca. He couldn't hear what they were saying though.
"What's it look like in there?" Ezio asked.
Desmond looked behind him, "Hallway, and I see some stairs," he said.
"Fantastic," he sighed.
"Where the hell is Hawk?" Altair grumbled.
They waited in silence, then Hawk came back with some plastic, black, rope he'd found in the numia. "So who first?" Hawk asked once Desmond had the rope and let it drop down.
"I will," Altair said.
"But I should," Ezio said, "I can pull everyone up."
"I'm oldest."
"What are you, five?"
"No, nine, nine hundred," Altair said.
"Guys," Desmond groaned, "You'll all get up here. But really, Ezio should come up first. He's right, he's the biggest and the strongest other than me. I can't hold the rope by myself though."
"Fine," Altair didn't like it but he'd suck it up.
"Crow!" Hawk called, "Blondie, up here," he beckoned them as Ezio grabbed the rope.
"Got it?" Ezio called and tugged it.
"I got it," Desmond set himself and grunted when Ezio put his weight on it. He slid a little on the slick floor before digging in. Ezio was up the rope in seconds and nearly ran into Desmond when the tension changed suddenly.
Desmond looked over the side, "Okay, who's next?" he called. Jake and Lucy had arrived.
"Ladies first," Hawk said, motioning to Lucy.
"This is by far one of the most harebrained things you idiots have done," she informed them.
"Yes yes, go on," and Lucy grabbed the rope. With Ezio to hold it with him there was no sliding, Lucy was also small and light. She climbed quickly and Desmond helped her over the edge. She passed them to give the others room, as the hallway wasn't terribly big. Jake came up next, he was slightly flustered from the climb as he went to join Lucy. Hawk went after Jake and like Ezio climbed the rope in seconds.
Desmond looked over the edge when Altair didn't come immediately. "Coming?" he asked.
"These three won't leave," he said.
Desmond looked at the Assassins. Shaun looked up at him. "You owe us," he said.
"Owe? We don't owe you anything," Altair said.
Shaun didn't look at Altair, "Going to leave us out of the adventure this time too?" and Desmond, god damnit, felt bad. He knew it was better if they didn't come, if they were ignorant, but it wouldn't be happening.
"We can help," Rebecca said. "If you'll let us."
Desmond frowned, "Desmond?" Altair's question held many. Did Desmond trust them? Did Desmond want them? Looking down at them Desmond saw them for what they were. They weren't Assassins, they were the fight that remained in humanity in an enslaved world. He was alive, and was trying so fucking hard, so that people like them had a chance against the proeathans, so that humans had a chance. Right now there were only two humans in this group to save the world, and only one was home grown. The others were cynical, jaded: immortal. They could use a little more humanity in this situation where a bunch of immortals, who had little concern for the lives they lost, didn't have as much.
"They can come," he said.
"Are you kidding-
"Search them," he said with purpose. "No weapons. If they want us to trust them, they need to earn the trust, because I'm looking at them right now, and in my eyes they aren't on our side. Not yet."
"Fuckin-" and then Altair grumbled in Arabic. He searched Rebecca quickly, Shaun and bit more thoroughly, and then Andrew the longest. He produced a knife from Andrew's boot, and a but from an armpit holster. Altair took the knife and the gun. "Mortals first," he growled and only Shaun didn't look confused.
Rebecca climbed like a lemur, light and only on the rope a few moments. Shaun Desmond had to help a bit, but the Brit had gained some actual muscle since Desmond had seen him. They both had. They'd both been so soft the last time Desmond had seen them, looking into monitors all day, sitting and working, not being as active as they could be, as Desmond was used to. When Desmond grabbed Shaun's arm to drag him to his feet he felt muscle under his shirt.
"Thanks," Shaun said when he was in the hallway.
"For what?" Desmond asked.
"Trusting us this time," and he moved on to join the others closer to the stairwell.
Andrew needed to be partially pulled up. Desmond pulled the rope before Ezio grabbed his father by the collar and yanked him up over the edge. Desmond said nothing to him.
They were about to lower the rope again when a form flashed across the hole and Desmond watched Altair do the exact same thing he had done. Climbed the tower via the hand holds, and then jump to the hallway. Only he'd climbed a bit higher to try and land on his feet. He almost made it and landed on his toes.
Ezio grabbed Altair by the front of his shirt and Desmond and Hawk were quick to grab his hands. For a second Altair was leaning outside of the tower and then they pulled Altair safely inside. Once Altair was inside the door abruptly shut, and everything was dark.
"Perfect," Jake's sarcastic voice said in the darkness.
/powers through
