Chapter 8: Memory Block 3 (Part 2-2):
"Can I have a turn to play?" Pyrrha asks Ren.
"Sure. I don't mind you having a turn." Ren says as he passes the controller to his teammate.
"You want in on the action now?" Nora smirks towards her friend.
"Yes. I hope you don't mind." Pyrrha sheepishly asks.
Jaune shakes his head with a smile. "Nope. Everyone has the chance to play."
The Invincible Girl nods her head in agreement. "Okay, after I finish my turn, I'll give the controller to you next."
The screen fades back in showing Altaïr back in Masyaf's fortress, where he reported his progress to Al Mualim in his study.
"Have you news for me, Altaïr?" Al Mualim asked after he finished talking with another assassin.
"The crazy doctor is dead, that's the news," Nora says, recalling her partner's
"Garnier de Naplouse is dead." The disgraced assassin answered.
"Excellent!" The Mentor mused in approval as he walked back to his desk. "We could not have hoped for a more agreeable outcome."
"And yet..."
Al Mualim stops from his tracks and turns back to the assassin noticing the change of tone in his voice. "What is it?"
"The doctor insisted his work was noble," Altaïr answers as he recalls his mission while the Mentor listens. "And looking back, those who were supposedly his captives seemed grateful to the man. Not all of them, but enough to make me wonder. How did he manage to turn enemy into friend?"
"That's what we want to know, as well." Jaune points out while his teammates agree with him.
"What could possess those people to say such nice things to that mad man." Ren pondered, thinking of the possibility.
"Leaders will always find ways to make others obey them." The Mentor explains after he finished listening to Altaïr. "And that is what makes them leaders. When words fail, they turn to coin. When that won't do, they resort to baser things - bribes, threats, and other types of trickery. There are plants, Altaïr, herbs from distant lands, that can cause a man to take leave of his senses. So great are the pleasures it brings; men may even become enslaved by it."
"Drugs…?" Pyrrha gasps in disgust along with Nora and Ren but not as disgusted as there leader, Jaune.
Jaune Arc could only grit his teeth in anger and disgust, hearing that a leader like Garnier would go to such lengths in his position. He may not be the best leader there is, but he would never go to such lengths.
"You think these men were drugged, then? Poisoned?"
"Yes, if it truly was as you describe it."
"That… makes sense in a way." Ren contemplates the thought the Mentor said.
"Herbs..." Altaïr pondered. "This seems a strange method of control."
"Addiction." Jaune comments. "Most people would do anything to experience those kinds of sensation."
"How do you know that?" Nora asked, surprised that his leader said that.
"I have seven sisters. The older ones drilled on my head why drugs are bad."
"Our enemies have accused me of the same." Al Mualim scoffed.
"They have?" Pyrrha blinked, wondering what the Mentor meant by that.
"The promise of paradise..." The assassin realized.
"The promise of paradise…?" Nora echoed as she tilted her head. "Does he mean peace?"
"I think so," Pyrrha adds. "Paradise is another word for peace."
"They think it is a garden, overflowing with women and pleasure. That I drug you as Garnier did his men and tempt you with its rewards."
"Temptation…" Ren points out. "Another form of drug…"
"Huh… never thought of it that way." Jaune comments.
"They do not know the truth of it."
"Which is how it must be."
"But why not? If it such a good thing, then why tell them the truth?" Nora says, confused by the whole thing.
"Nora, the world sees them as assassins. I doubt it will be easy for them to convince the people." Her partner points as they all recall that Altaïr's group are people trained to kill from the shadows.
"But if they knew the truth of it, that all we seek is peace..."
"Then they would not fear us, and we would have no hold over them." Al Mualim finishes as he returns to his study. "Go, it is time you continued with your work. Another rank is restored to you, as is a piece of your equipment. We'll speak again when the next has fallen."
"What did he meant by 'having no hold over them'?" Pyrrha points out.
"I think he meant that the people would be free from their delusions of what they think the assassins stand for." Jaune points, earning an 'oh' from his partner.
The screen fades to white the quickly fades back, showing Altaïr wearing his new equipment while the game was automatically saving.
'DNA Synchronisation Augmented.'
'Synchronizing Rank 3 Memory
New Weapon Gained -
Throwing Knives
New Ability Gained -
Tackle (Press and hold (Button) and (Button))
You can practice in the courtyard.'
"So Altaïr can now use throwing knives and can tackle," Pyrrha comments now that the assassin is granted more of his ability.
"You want to go and practice in the courtyard?" The leader of Team JNPR asks his partner.
Pyrrha thought about it for a moment but shook her head. "I'll think I'll skip the training and go trial run instead."
After finishing his preparations, Altaïr immediately leaves Masyaf and reaches the main gate. There he takes a horse and rides out village till he reaches the exit of the valley.
The screen fades to white then quickly back again, showing the assassin following his next mission.
'Checkpoint Reached.'
"Oh yeah!" Nora's fists pumped in the air. "Time for the next target!"
In the path, he passes by a few Templar Knights and checkpoints, but fortunately, he ignores them and follows the way that doesn't lead to them.
"Be careful, Pyrrha. There may be more Templar Knights." Ren reminded them when he had his share of a camp full of them.
"Thank you, Ren. I'll be careful." Pyrrha nods as she controls the assassin as she follows the map on the screen.
The assassin follows the path downhill till he reaches a small village with a few Knight along the way but ignores them.
'Checkpoint Reached.'
He enters the village then quickly passes it by as he follows the track leading him uphill in his journey.
'Checkpoint Reached.'
"So far, so good." Pyrrha breaths out, relieved that she encountered very little Templars so far.
After finally reaching an open field with few trees, he encounters a small camp of Templar Knight.
"…or not." She sighs but gets ready to escape.
The knights reacted to his arrival, but Altaïr chose to ignore them and quickly escapes with his horse as he continues to follow his path. A few Templars gave chase, but they could not catch up to him on foot.
'Checkpoint Reached.'
"Good job, Pyrrha!" Jaune compliments his partner.
"Thanks, Jaune."
"Perhaps we should be expecting more of this to come when Altaïr journeys outside of Masyaf," Ren says, making Pyrrha nod as she continues to control the assassin to his destination.
Altaïr now follows his path downhill leading him to a more open field. More Templars in the area and pursuit the assassin but continues his journey.
The Invincible girl sees them but continues to ignore them as she continues her journey.
'Checkpoint Reached.'
He finally avoids his foes as followed his path. He sees civilians walking in the area showing that he is getting closer to the objective. As he exits the field, the screen fades to white then begins to save.
"I finally reached my destination." Pyrrha sighs in relief, being glad that she has made it this far with very little trouble.
"I like the scenery of this location," Jaune comments, seeing that there is a lot of plant life in the area. "There's a lot of green here."
"Indeed." Ren nodded in agreement. "Perhaps this area holds a versatile environment that allows plant life."
The screen fades back in, showing a more green area showing more plant life around. Altaïr guided his horse downhill, where many civilians are going in and out of that leads to his destination.
"I wonder where Ice King is now?" Nora wondered.
"Let's find out," Pyrrha answers as she controls the assassin.
As the assassin reaches the bottom, the screen zooms out, showing the walls and the city inside of it, his destination, Jerusalem.
A notification alert from Triscythe came from there Scrolls.
'Welcome to the city of Jerusalem. Located in the hills of the Judean Mountains. And like the previous locations you all have seen, this one also has its own Poor, Middle and Rich Districts.'
Team JNPR was at awe seeing another location like there previous encounters of the other Kingdom-like places they have all seen.
"Man, I really can't deny how amazing these places are on Earth," Jaune says in awe.
"You can say that again!" Nora happily says. "I hope we can get to see more."
Another notification appears on there Scrolls.
'Sorry, Nora, but this is the last location of the game you and your team will see.'
"Oh…" The Hammer wielder pouts, feeling sad that they won't be seeing more of Earth's places but shrugs it off. Pyrrha then continues playing.
As Altaïr approached the entrance, he sees four guards who wore grey armor whore dark red. The Saracen soldiers.
"Another group of soldiers?" Jaune points out seeing another group of soldiers different from the ones they have encountered before.
'Those are Saracens soldiers.' Triscythe explained in there Scrolls. 'You can mostly find them in Jerusalem.'
"Huh, neat."
Altaïr got off from his horse and pondered how to enter. Fortunately, he finds a group of Scholars and uses them to blend with them.
"Like usual, there are guards." Nora rolled her eyes.
"And like usual, there are scholars for Altaïr to hide in," Pyrrha added as she hid the assassin in them as she guided them in the city.
And like his past entrances, he enters without a problem. As the group passes the gate, the assassin immediately breaks off from the group and walks through the bustling streets of Jerusalem to find its own Assassins' Bureau, passing by many shops, many people, and a few beggars, who asked a few coins from him.
"We must be in the Middle District, judging by the shops in the area and a few beggars." Ren points out.
'ASSASSINS' BUREAU
The Assassins' Bureau entrance '
"Found it!" Pyrrha happily said as she makes Altaïr enter the familiar building.
After a couple of minutes, he finally founds his destination. Like his usual routine, he climbs up at the top of the roof and enters from the entrance. After dropping down inside, he makes his way to meet the Rafiq. The room is similar to the previous dens while this one store's books and scrolls. And the one who manages the shelter happens to be Malik, who is missing his left arm.
The entire of JNPR gasped, seeing a familiar face so unexpectedly.
"Malik?!" Jaune gasps in shock seeing the injured assassin from the beginning in the game.
"He's here?!" Nora says in shock, not expecting to see the man after what has happened to him.
"His arm…" Pyrrha whispers as she covers her mouth with her hand. "I'm glad he survived, but why is he here?"
"Perhaps even though he is no longer in any condition to be an assassin, but as a Rafiq to aid his fellow Creed," Ren concluded, seeing the logic in Malik's position.
"Safety and peace, Malik." Altaïr greets his old partner while holding his emotions.
"Wonder how Malik will react to that." Jaune questions, a bit nervous but was expecting the worst.
"Your presence here deprives me of both." Malik scoffs. "What do you want?"
"Well, at least he's not shouting." Pyrrha cringed, hearing the amount of venom from Malik's tone.
"Al Mualim has asked-"
"Asked that you perform some menial task, in an effort to redeem yourself." The crippled assassin finishes the disgraced assassin's sentence without hesitation. "So be out with it."
"Wow, he is pissed…" Jaune cringed.
"Can you blame him? Malik downright hates Ice King." Nora sadly said, remembering how their mission went at the beginning of the game.
"Tell me what you can about the one they call Talal," Altaïr asks, ignoring the Rafiq's quip.
"It is your duty to locate and assassinate the man, Altaïr. Not mine."
"He doesn't want to help him, does he?" Jaune points out the obvious, which everyone nods.
"You'd do well to assist me," Altaïr answers as he held back his temper. "His death benefits the entire land."
"Do you deny his death benefits you as well?" Malik questions Altaïr
"Such things do not concern you."
Malik became momentarily enraged and pointed to his amputated arm. "Your actions very much concern me!"
Nora cringed, listening to there conversation. "Ugh… this is so awkward…"
"Yeah…" Jaune mutters while the others agreed with her. "scars really run deep…" He mutters, hoping that no one he knows ever experiences something like that.
Meanwhile, with RWBY…
The girls are busy playing their own game, then suddenly, Yang felt her a shiver from her spine for some reason but shrugged it off as nothing important.
Back to JNPR…
"Then don't help me. I'll find him myself!" There was a brief pause as Malik calmed down and sighed before continuing.
"Wait, wait. It won't do having you stumble about the city like a blind man. Better you know where to begin your search."
JNPR sighs in relief, finally that they are changing topics and back to their objective.
"I'm listening," Altaïr says, finally getting the information he needs.
"I can think of three places." The Rafiq says as he begins to list down the locations. "South of here, in the markets that line the border between the Muslim and Jewish Districts, to the north, near the mosque of this district, and east, in front of Saint Anne's Church, close to the Bab Ariha gate."
"Is that everything?"
"It's enough to get you started, and more than you deserve." Malik waves off to the assassin with his remaining arm, signaling nothing else for him to say.
"Well… that could've gone better." Jaune breaths out.
"Indeed…" Pyrrha mutters, relieved that they didn't need to listen to any more of their conversation, and begins to control Altaïr.
Seeing this, Altaïr leaves the den and begins his investigation.
"Where to start?" Nora asks.
"Let's start at the closes location," Ren says, pointing at the image on minimap on the screen.
"Right," The Invincible Girl nods. "To the market place then."
He heads out to the closes location of his investigation, the marketplace. There he overhears a pair of civilians talking about recent disappearance in Jerusalem.
"Disappearance?" Jaune says in concern. "Let's listen more." Pyrrha nods then prepare the assassin to eavesdrops.
The assassin takes a bit of distance from them and carefully eavesdrops the two while remaining ignorant.
"If the guard won't take action, it falls to us to do something." The first civilian declares.
"The guards know what's happening but refuse to take action?" Pyrrha narrows her eyes in disgust at how these people would be this irresponsible.
"What you propose is madness!" The other civilian points out.
"But necessary!" The first civilian declares. "How many more will we allow to go missing before the people take a stand?"
"It does not affect us!"
"It most certainly does!" Ren incredulously says.
"Not yet! But if we continue to do nothing, it will!"
"Exactly!"
"And what do you propose?"
"I've watched the man." The civilian begins as he explains. "Learned everything there is to know about his operation. It's all here, on a map I've made." He pats his pocket, showing where his map is located. "He inspects his stock every day, at the same time. This is when I'll strike!"
"A map I'm sure Ice King would put to good use." Nora chirped, knowing well what comes after eavesdropping.
"So you have a piece of paper. It won't save you when you're discovered. Won't shield you from their swords and arrows." His associate points out.
"For a civilian maybe, but not for an assassin." Ren points out.
"If all goes well, it won't come to that. Anyway, it's a risk I'll have to take. Wish me luck, my friend." The civilian softly declares as he hugs his friend.
"Indeed. You'll need it." His friend returns the gesture as they walked there separate ways.
'Pickpocket
Initializing Memory Imprint…'
"All right! Wish me luck." Pyrrha says as she begins her first pickpocket.
Afterward, Altaïr tailed the carrier and pickpocketed the map from him. Leaving him the same reaction to all those he pickpocketed from.
The game automatically began to save itself.
'Memory Block 3
Investigation Complete –
Acquired map showing the position of Talal's guards.'
"Good job, Pyrrha!" Her partner compliments her job well done.
"Well done." Ren nods with a smile.
"Another funny dance!" Nora giggled.
"Thanks, everyone." Pyrrha thanked her friends as she then begins to take Altaïr to the next objective.
After taking what he needs, the assassin sets out to his next destination. He passes by countless building and people then finally reaches his goal—the church where he can learn more about his target.
"That must be the church that Malik mentioned," Jaune says as he looks at the building, fascinated by its structure
"Saracens are guarding the entrance." Ren points out.
"Not a problem for Pyrrha and Ice King," Nora said as she points her hand on the screen. "I see a group of scholars outside of the church."
"How convenient." Pyrrha sarcastically said but smiled. After all, this is just a game, after all.
The assassin carefully sneaks in with a group of scholars. As he breaks free from the group, he notices two merchants arguing with one another.
'Eavesdrops
Sit on a nearby bench and lock on the target to begin eavesdropping.'
"Let's see what these two are talking about." The redhead mused as she begins her eavesdrop.
Seeing this chance, he decided to sit down on a nearby bench and eavesdropped on the conversation.
"He's a coward!" The merchant shouted. "If it wasn't for the money, I'd be long gone!"
"Who are they talking about?" Nora tilted her head in confusion.
"Talal, maybe?" Ren guessed.
"You're either stupid or blind." The other merchant counters ignoring the fellow merchant's complaints. "Maybe it's both."
"How can you say that!?" Merchant yells at his fellow merchant as if he's grown a second head.
"What makes this guy say that to defend Talal?" Jaune wondered.
"You didn't see what happened."
"I saw well enough! Our caravan was attacked, and the first thing he did was flee!"
"So he's a coward," Nora growled.
"No, he didn't run."
"Wait, he didn't?" The orange head said in confusion.
"What are you talking about?" The first merchant questioned, confused about what the other is talking about.
"Do you forget what became of the men who attacked us?"
"Felled by our archers, thanks be to God!"
"Not our archers. Him, alone." The second merchant corrected.
"So, he's a master archer." Ren points out, taking in the new information.
"So you're saying..." The angry merchant slowly said in realization. "He saved us?"
"Yes, he headed for higher ground and used his bow to kill them."
"I... I had no idea." The first merchant said, now beginning to feel guilty at his outburst towards the man who saved there lives.
"The man's a master archer. You'd do well to remember that."
"So, he saved the merchants from harm?" Pyrrha said.
"More like saved the merchandise." Jaune rebuked, recalling Altaïr's targets motives yet questionable means. His fellow teammates also agreed to what their leader meant.
After the conversation ended, the game began to save itself, signaling that the objective was cleared.
'Memory Block 3
Investigation Complete –
In a fight, Talal will try to shoot his enemies with a bow.'
"Okay, time for the final one," Pyrrha says as she controls the assassin.
After learning what he needs, Altaïr gets up from the bench and joins up with the scholars again to sneaks his way out form the church. There he sets out to his final destination.
"All right time to find that, Herald," Jaune says.
"I wonder what this one will say?" Ren says, curious about what kind of convincing lie the herald will speak to the people.
After a long walk within the streets of the city, he finally reaches the mosque. There he hears a Herald making his speech to the crowd.
"Found him!" Nora points out.
He stands there and begins to listen.
"These are troubled times in which we live. Food is scarce, money tight, but it need not be this way! There are opportunities for those with the courage to seize them! You need no longer go without! Any man willing to work can have his due! Come, speak with me! Let me tell you what Talal can offer. The comforts of a fine life can be yours. Talal understands your pain. What you lack, he will provide. All that is asked is an honest day's work. A small sacrifice for great rewards. Who knows what the future holds? What tragedies tomorrow may bring. Defend against an uncertain future, protect the ones you love. Work hard, and you will be rewarded - Talal provides!"
"I see… so that's how the people went missing…" Ren says, remembering the conversation the two civilians said. "Talal hires people with fakes promises and kidnaps them."
"But why?" Jaune narrowed his eyes, angry in what Talal is doing.
"I am not sure."
"That's not a problem! Ice King will beat the answer out of him." Nora chirped, getting excited fo the interrogation.
Pyrrha nods as she begins to control the assassin again.
'Interrogation
Initializing Memory Imprint…'
After the Herald's speech was over, Altaïr followed him carefully, not revealing his presence to the man.
"Careful, Pyrrha, we need to do this in a secluded place." Jaune reminded his partner while she nodded back to him.
After a few minutes of stalking, Pyrrha found the perfect spot to begin the interrogation. She wasn't very keen about the method, but she steeled herself as she now prepares to get her hands dirty—Altaïr's hands, to be precise.
After a few minutes of walking, they finally reached a secluded location, and there the assassin began to beat him into submission.
"Beat him, Ice King!" Nora cheered while Ren and Jaune cheered for both the assassin and the huntress.
Of course, the Herald did not take kindly to this and started to fight back. But only to be bested by the experienced fighter. After what few minutes of fighting, the Herald finally gave up and submitted himself to the assassin.
"And that's the match." Pyrrha sighs in relief that the fight is now over.
"Well done."
"Nice going, Pyrrha!"
"You go, girl!"
The Invincible Girl slightly blushed at the praises from her friends while she thanked them from their credits. After that, they listened to what the herald has to say.
"I have nothing to say to you!" The Herald defyingly said to Altaïr, but there was a hint of fear in his voice.
"Speak to me, or speak to God. It's your choice." The assassin threatens.
"Best to say it for your sake," Jaune says.
"You do know Altaïr is going to kill him, right?" Ren raises a brow as he points out the fact.
"I know," His leader shrugged. "nothing we can do about it."
"You won't stop the work he does. Cannot stop it!"
"What work?"
"He prepares them, for the journey." The Herald cryptically answers.
"A journey?" Jaune says in confusion. "So Talal is kidnaping people and sending them somewhere?"
"It would appear so." Ren nods in agreement.
"But where and why?" Nora asks.
"All we can do is watch and listen." Pyrrha points out.
"Journey where?"
"They are held in his warehouse. And when the time comes, they are sent to Acre."
"So he keeps his captives in a warehouse…" Jaune narrows his eyes.
"Why, Acre, though?" Nora wondered.
"Isn't that where Garnier used to be?" Pyrrha reminds them.
"Where that quack used to be?" Her partner answered, earning a nod from her, then a thought came to him. "You don't mean…"
"The patience that he receives are from Talal…" Ren finished for him as his eyes widen at the revelation getting everyone to be both shocked and disgusted by this revelation.
"That's… that's sick!" Jaune grits his teeth in rage and disgust.
"How could these people do such a thing!" Nora shouts in rage.
"Truly, this man is just as guilty as Garnier." Ren calmly says but narrows his eyes in rage.
"How can there be anyone be this cruel?" Pyrrha says both in anger and sadness.
"Where is this warehouse? And why Acre?" Altaïr demanded, pressing for more answers.
"Talal tells me what I need to know, nothing more. It is safer that way."
"How smart of him." Jaune spat.
"For him, perhaps. Though not, I fear, for you." Knowing that there was nothing else to learn, Altaïr then stabbed the Herald in the stomach with his Hidden Blade, killing him.
"You know…" Pyrrha voiced, getting everyone's attention. "I'm starting to think that I'm doing just fine with this method that Altaïr is using."
"Agreed."
"Here, here."
"No objections here."
The game began to save itself.
'Memory Block 3
Investigating Complete –
Talal holds his slaves within a warehouse.'
"Alright, Pyr, time to go back to the bureau," Jaune said.
"Right." His partner answered as she begins to control the assassin.
With all the information gathered, he then returned back to the bureau to report back to Malik of what he learned.
"Malik…" The Assassin greeted.
"Come to waste more of my time?" Malik taunted Altaïr but ignored it.
"Malik, I feel sorry for what happened to you but didn't have to say that," Jaune comments, feeling a bit annoyed by the crippled assassin's comments.
"He has every right to be angry at Altaïr, Jaune." Ren points out.
"I know, but still…"
"I've found Talal. I'm ready to begin my mission."
"That is for me to decide," Malik says as he brought out his journal from under his counter but did not bother to open it as he paces back in forth from the back of his position, waiting for what Altaïr learned.
"Very well." The assassin says as he begins to recall what he learned. "Here's what I know - he traffics in human lives, kidnapping Jerusalem's citizens and selling them into slavery. His base is a warehouse located inside the barbican, north of here. As we speak, he prepares a caravan for travel. I'll strike while he's inspecting his stock. If I can avoid his men, Talal himself should prove little challenge."
"Little challenge? Listen to you! Such arrogance." Malik rebukes much to Altaïr's annoyance.
"We get it. You hate him. You don't need to keep rubbing it in." Nora rolled her eyes as she started to get annoyed a bit with Malik as well.
"Are we finished? Are you satisfied with what I've learned?"
"No, but it will have to do." The crippled assassin said as he reaches down from his counter to get a feather for Altaïr's target, approving him of his mission. He places on top of the stall where the assassin reached for it and pocketed it.
"Rest, prepare, cry in the corner…" Malik quips much to Altaïr's growing annoyance but did not show it. "Do whatever it is you do before a mission. Only make sure you do it quietly."
After that, the screen fades to white, and the usual robotic voice is heard.
'Fast-forwarding memory to a more recent one…'
The screen fades from white, and Altaïr is seen getting up from a mat inside the Bureau he was resting on.
'Memory Block 3'
'Investigation Complete'
'Talal inspects his warehouse daily. Strike during next inspection.'
'Checkpoint Reached…'
The Invincible Girl steels herself as she took deep breaths then making a stern look like she always does when she faces her opponents on the field. With that, she begins her first (game) assassination.
After resting, Altaïr exits the Burau and heads to the warehouse to eliminate Talal. He quickly rushes to the location while passing guards and taking a route until he finally reaches the warehouse—the Barbican of Jerusalem.
"This looks like the spot." Jaune points out.
"Yeah, but how do we get Ice King in?" Nora wondered.
The assassin searches around the building until he found the entrance.
"There's an opening." Ren points out.
"Alright…" The read head took deep breaths as she guided the assassin inside.
The assassin walks inside, but as soon he enters, the doors shut behind him.
The team jumped in surprise at the sudden event happening.
"It's a trap!" Both Jaune and Nora screamed.
"Be careful, Pyrrha," Ren says to his teammate and friend.
Pyrrha nodded then readies herself as she prepares Altaïr to face the worst.
'Ancestor's memory synchronized
Now recording…'
Having no choice but to continue in the warehouse, the assassin was about to enter with cautions until he hears a sobbing noise.
"Do you hear that?" Jaune whispers loudly for everyone to hear, which they all nodded, feeling a bit tense.
He slowly cautiously walks towards the source of the sound. When he turns around the corner, he sees, to his shock and horror, a caged man in a fetal position as he sobs in pain.
The team gasped in horror seeing the man's state in a small cage, but before they could react, the scene quickly changed.
While the assassin was distracted, he was unaware that one of Talal's men was spying on him from the upper floor's windows in the warehouse. Despite being out of direct site, Altaïr knew that he was being watched.
"Get ready, Pyrrha." Jaune sternly said to his partner, which she replied by focusing on the screen.
"What now, slaver?" Altaïr called out, knowing that Talal is watching and hearing him.
"Do not call me that!" A voice yelled out, most likely Talal's. "I only wish to help them. As I myself was helped."
"Help them?" Ren incredulously muttered. "How can kidnapping people and turning them into slaves help them?"
"And how does sending them to a crazy doctor even count as helping?!" Nora growled in anger.
"You do no kindness imprisoning them like this." The assassin yells out as he sees more people imprisoned. One's arm is locked against the wall, and one that is caged bellow the floor of the warehouse calling for help the moment he saw the assassin
The team gritted their teeth, seeing the poor people treated like this.
"Imprisoning them? I keep them safe." The self-proclaimed protected defended himself. "Preparing them for the journey that lies ahead."
"Well, too bad for you cause Altaïr already took care of Garnier," Jaune smirked at the thought while Ren felt satisfied at aiding the assassin in his previous mission, much to the satisfaction from the rest.
"What journey? It is a life of servitude."
"Does he not know about there connection?" Nora asked if the assassin even knew if Garnier and Talal knew each other.
"Maybe he doesn't?" Jaune answers, also confused at the thought.
"You know nothing! It was folly to even bring you here! To think that you might see and understand!" Talal says in disappointment, revealing that he was purposely leading the assassin to him.
"Please! No way Ice King will stoop to your level!" The Hammer wielder proudly says.
"I understand well enough! Show yourself!" The moment Altaïr demanded, a door leading further into the warehouse opened, and Altaïr stepped through it.
"Alright… let's do this!" Pyrrha says as she gets ready.
He entered through the door, revealing a large room, mostly dimmed in the dark. The door behind him sealed itself, making Altaïr prepare himself.
"Ah, so you want to see the man who called you here." Talal mused as his voice echoed the in the room.
"How can you say that when you not even showing yourself?" Jaune comments as he raises a brow.
"You did not call me here! I came on my own." Altaïr shouts in frustration, unaware that Talal's men are hiding in the upper level of the room, preparing to ambush him. The assassin slowly walks to the center of the room as he prepares for what's to come.
"It's an ambush!" Ren says as his eyes widen.
Talal laughed. "Did you? Who unbarred the door? Cleared the path? Did you once raise your blade against a single man of mine, huh?" The man questioned but continued. "No. All this, I did for you. Step into the light then, and I will grant you one final favor."
Pyrrha gasped. "So he purposely left the door opened… and I fell for it."
"Don't worry about it, Pyrrha," Jaune says as she comforts his partner. "We can take this as a lesson." This made the Invincible Girl relax, and nodded her head, grateful from her partner's words.
A ceiling hatch opened, letting a ray of light into the chamber. Altaïr stepped into it, just as Talal's men made their move as they jumped down from there, hiding spots and surrounded him.
Then finally, Talal appears out from the shadows as well. The carries a bow on his back, along with a quiver full of arrows and a sword sheathed in its scabbard. He wore a dark gray tunic with yellow stripes and plain white leggings. He also wore two vambraces on each wrist and a broad belt around him. He also has a goatee, and his hair is braided flat against the back of his head. He is of average height and stature.
"So that's yo look like you bastard…" Jaune narrowed his eyes as he growled towards Altaïr's target.
"Now, I stand before you." The target says as he looks down at the assassin. "What is it you desire?"
"Come down here!" Altaïr demands as he draws his sword. "Let us settle this with honor!"
"Why must it always come to violence?" Talal questions. "It seems I cannot help you, for you do not wish to help yourself. And I cannot allow my work to be threatened. You leave me no choice. You must die." He walks away while giving the signal to his men to attack Altaïr.
'Checkpoint Reached…'
"Go, Pyrrha!"
"Do your best."
"Break there legs, Pyrrha!"
Feeling the motivation from her teammates, she slightly grips her controller as she faces the enemies before Altaïr.
Talal's men charged at the assassin. Altaïr uses all his skills to fend off his enemies. He parried, blocked, strikes, and killed the soldiers using his fighting style and variety of weapons, including his new throwing knives that he has recently received.
"Nice Job!"
"Well done."
"Let's not forget about Talal!" Jaune points out, making his partner give chase.
After Altaïr defeated Talal's men, he climbed to the warehouse's upper level by using the ladder. Just as he did, he sees Talal used another hatch to escape the warehouse. He reaches to the roof and quickly races towards his fleeing target.
"Coward went to a headstart!" Nora growled.
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Pyrrha says as her eyes narrowed on the screen.
Talal took a head start, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, but thanks to Altaïr athletic skills and freerunning ability, he could easily catch up to him.
"Almost there!" Ren shouts.
When he was close enough, he leaps towards him and assassinates him with his Hidden Blade—inflicting a lethal wound towards the fallen target, crashing him towards the ground.
"You got him!" Jaune and Nora cheered.
"Well done, Pyrrha." Ren congratulates the Invincible Girl.
"Thanks, everyone." The red smiled as she breathed out in relief.
The screen quickly fades to white as Altaïr carefully lays him to the ground. The Memory Corridor was commencing.
"Okay…" Jaune breaths in and out as he steels himself. "Let's see what he has to say for himself." The rest of the team also strengthened themselves on what kind of nonsense this man will confess.
"You've nowhere to run now." The assassin softly says as he gently lays the target on the floor. "Share your secrets with me."
Knowing that he has not much time left, he tells him what he knows. "My part is played. The Brotherhood is not so weak that my death will stop its work."
"A Brotherhood?" Ren echoes, now putting the pieces together. "So, the nine targets are connected with one another."
"Yeah, but why would they do all this?" Jaune questions.
"What Brotherhood?"
"Al Mualim is not the only one with designs upon the Holy Land." The dying man explains but stops there. "And that's all you'll have from me."
"Then we are finished. Beg forgiveness from your God."
Talal scoffs at that remark. "He's long abandoned us. Long abandoned the men and women I took into my arms."
"What does he mean by that?" Nora questions, confused about what the dying man is talking about.
"What do you mean?" Altaïr asked, confused about what he said.
"Beggars, whores, addicts, lepers. Do they strike you as proper slaves? Unfit for even the most menial tasks? No. I took them not to sell, but to save! And yet you'd kill us all, for no other reason than it was asked of you."
JNPR couldn't believe what they were hearing. This man's reason for kidnaping these people wasn't to turn them to slaves… but to save them?
"That… that can't be right…" Jaune says in denial. "How can you consider that saving?!"
"Was that the reason he sends them to Garnier? That's their way of saving them!?" Pyrrha says in utter disbelief as well.
"I'm… I'm not sure how to react to this…" Ren looks down, trying to think logically while Nora just held her partner, not liking anything in what she was listening too.
"No, you profit from the war, from lives lost and broken." The assassin denied slightly raising his voice, hearing such lies.
"Yes, you would think that, ignorant as you are." Talal scoffed. "Wall off your mind, eh? They say it's what your kind do best. Do you see the irony in all this? No, not yet it seems. But you will."
Talal says his final worlds before finally passing. With that, the assassin takes out the feather and wipes his blood with it.
The screen quickly fades into white again and out rapidly, showing Altaïr back in the rooftops.
The team remained silent in hearing all this as they did there best to comprehend what they just heard.
"They're wrong…" Jaune broke the silence making everyone turn to him. "I won't deny that what they think seemed right… but how they are doing it is completely wrong. What Altaïr did was right."
Everyone blinked towards there leader's logic, and they all smiled, knowing that he is right. What Talal and Garnier are doing is wrong, and they have every right to be stopped.
"Your right…" Ren nods in agreement. "Altaïr did the right thing in stopping the two."
"Yeah! Ice King is the best!" Nora cheered.
"That was a very nice thing to say, Jaune." Pyrrha warmly towards her partner, making him bush towards her praise. After a moment of calming down, they continued with the game.
'Checkpoint Reached…'
"Time to cheese it, Pyrrha!" Nora shouts.
"R-Right!" The said girl stuttered but complied.
Talal's men were still chasing Altaïr. Fortunately, he was far off from them, giving him the advantage to escape back to the Bureau without being detected.
"Safe." Ren breathed out, relieved, seeing that Altaïr made out in one piece.
Altaïr enters the Bureau and meets up with Malik.
"Altaïr!" Malik cheerfully said with an unmistakable tone of sarcasm filled with it. "Wonderful to see you return to us! And how fared the mission?"
JNPR blinked, not expecting to return with a happy Malik.
"I thought Malik hated Ice King," Nora questioned, finding it very odd that Malik had a change of personality.
Her team leader just shrugged in confusion. "I'm just as confused as you are."
"The deed is done," Altaïr says, completely ignoring his sarcasm as he showed the bloodied feater as proof. "Talal is dead."
"Oh, I know, I know." Malik slowly nods before he shouts in rage. "In fact, the entire city knows! Have you forgotten the meaning of subtlety?!"
"Ah, he was just sarcastic…" Ren deadpans but also understood that their latest kill dead alarmed everyone. Then again, it was the same as the past targets.
"A skilled Assassin ensures his work is noticed by the many." Altaïr immediately answers without a second thought.
"What…? I may not be an assassin, but I don't think that's the right thing to say." Pyrrha tilted her head in confusion.
"No!" Malik denyingly rebukes to the disgraced assassin's answer as he brought out his journal from under his table. "A skilled Assassin maintains control of his environment!"
"Now, that sounds much better." Jaune nods, excepting that one to be much better than Altaïr.
Altaïr had enough with his argument and began to raise his voice. "We can argue the details all you'd like, Malik, but the fact remains I've accomplished the task set to me by Al Mualim."
The two just glared at one another without saying a single word until Malik broke the silence. "Go then. Return to the old man. Let us see with whom he sides."
"You and I are on the same side, Malik." The assassin said, but it was left with deaf ears as the crippled assassin ignored him while he tended to his shop.
After that, the screen fades to white, and the usual robotic voice is heard.
JNPR sighs in relief, glad that the tension was finally over.
"I hope we don't have to deal with this kind of conversation again in the future," Jaune says, feeling exhausted already.
"I doubt that we will," Ren points out as he massages his temples. "Given the history between the two, I doubt it will end that easily."
The whole team lowered their heads in sadness, remembering the tragedy at the beginning of the game. It may not have been real, but it didn't mean that they cant feel sad about it.
'Fast-forwarding memory to a more recent one…'
The screen fades out from the white, and Altaïr is seen getting up from a mat inside the Bureau he was resting on.
'Memory Block 3
Assassination Complete –
Target has been eliminated.
Return to Al Mualim.'
Again, the screen fades back to white while the screen shows that the game is being saved.
"Another memory block completed," Jaune says, glad that there's something to change the mood, which worked for his fellow teammates.
Suddenly the screen now shows the Animus screen returning to Desmond.
"God damn it!" Vidic shouts in frustration. "What's the problem now?"
"Oh! We're back to Desmond already?" Nora says in surprise.
"What's gotten Vidic so worked up?" Jaune raised a brow.
"I'm getting weird temperature readings." Lucy calmly answers as she runs her diagnosis on the computer. "I think the Animus is overheating."
"The Animus is overheating?" Pyrrha echoes in surprise.
"I suppose Desmond has been using the machine for a long while." Ren deduces.
Just as Lucy answered, parts of the Animus began to glow orange. "Christ! It's always something! How long?"
"Too soon to tell."
"These delays are unacceptable, Ms. Stillman! I demand progress reports every hour!" Vidic frustratingly demands as he begins to walk out of the room.
"What a dick." Nora bluntly comments, and for once, Ren allowed it, seeing that he also agreed with her comment.
"It's gonna be a while, Desmond," Lucy says to Desmond as she continues his work. "Why don't you go lie down or something? Get some rest."
"Let's see if we can get some more interaction with Lucy," Jaune said, making Pyrrha do just that as she now controls Desmond.
Desmond got out of Animus and began to stretch a bit, but before he retired to his room, he used this chance to talk to Lucy.
'\PRESS ANY BUTTON TO INTERACT'
"Okay! Let's see what we got!" Nora giddily said.
"Why is he always yelling at you? It's his machine."
"His theories," Lucy answers as she turns to him. "He's not the one who built it."
"He didn't?" Ren blinked in surprise, not expecting that revelation.
"Who did? You?"
Lucy chuckles at the question. "No, Abstergo has a team of engineers. Not much they don't have. But I did oversee the assembly. Guess that's why he gets so angry with me."
"He's a dick," Jaune comments, agreeing with both him and Nora.
"He's a dick." Desmond bluntly says.
The team chuckled at the coincidence.
"He's under a lot of pressure. We all are." Lucy defended Vidic.
JNPR blinked in surprise in how quickly Lucy defended Vidic.
"Did Lucy just defended Vidic?" Pyrrha asked, making sure that she heard it right.
"I did." Jaune nods, also blinking owlishly.
"I can't believe you're defending the guy," Desmond says in disbelief.
"You can say that again," Nora says, raising a brow, wondering why Lucy would defend a man like him.
"Warren saved my life. So, if he wants to yell a little… let him." Lucy answers as she continues back on the Animus, leaving a speechless Desmond.
The team was both shocks and surprised to learn this. Vidic saved Lucy's life?
"That guy saved Lucy's life?" Jaune says in disbelief. "When was this?"
"Perhaps we can learn more through Lucy," Ren suggests as he turns to Pyrrha, which she complies.
'\PRESS ANY BUTTON TO INTERACT'
"What do you mean he saved your life?" Desmond asks as Lucy took a short break from her work.
"You're not the only one who doesn't get to go home at night," Lucy says as she sat down on one of the chairs.
"Lucy's also a prisoner?" Pyrrha says in shock.
"Wait, are you saying you're a prisoner?"
"When they first approached me, I was finishing up my Ph.D. The university made it clear I had no future there. They didn't like the subject of my doctorate... called it pseudo-science. Said keeping me on would discredit and embarrass them." Lucy scoffed at the memory but still continued. "It was the same everywhere. Other universities... companies I interviewed with... pretty soon I was out of money and out of time." Lucy paused as she pinched her fingers together. "I was this close to waiting tables. Then, I got a letter."
"From Vidic?" Desmond guessed.
Lucy nodded. "He said he'd been following my career since undergrad. That he believed in my work and wanted to meet to discuss my future. You have no idea how good it felt to hear that. So I met with him. What did I have to lose?"
"He took advantage of Lucy's desperation." Ren narrowed his eyes, thinking how such a devious man would take advantage of her like that while still thinking why he would bother to save her.
"And he offered you a job."
"Yes." Lucy nodded again. "Here at Abstergo. Helping out on the Animus Project. I'd have a chance to test my theories and prove the professors wrong. How could I turn that down?"
"What a devious scheme." Pyrrha frowned, not liking Vidic even more.
Desmond understood what Lucy was talking about, but there was still one thing he wasn't understanding. "Think I'm missing the part where you became a prisoner."
"That's what we like to know too," Nora says as she focuses on the story.
"Sometimes I wonder if they weren't behind it all. If they manipulated events so I'd get desperate. They can do that. They can do anything. I didn't think when I agreed to come here... they even told me I'd be trapped. For six months, a year max. Once the product launched, there'd be no need for secrecy anymore. But, until then, I'd be a "guest of the company". At least... that's what they said."
"And when the Animus was ready?" Desmond asked as he slowly begins to feel dread.
"They came in while I was sleeping. Three guys... guns..." Lucy got up and walked over to the nearby windows, and Desmond followed.
The team gasps in horror, speechless in what they were listening to, but none of them dared to say anything as they continue to listen.
"They dragged me out of bed... God... the worst part is, I knew them." She slowly says as her voice broke a bit at the memory. "One guy, Richard, we ate lunch together sometimes. And now he was gonna... They were cracking jokes... I tried to pull away... he hit me... and that's when he told me I was going to die."
"Brothers…" Pyrrha mutters in horror as she covers her mouth with her hands. Nora did the same but didn't say anything. Both Ren and Jaune's eyes widen in horror, and where speechless.
Desmond gasped in horror. "Christ! What did you do?"
"Nothing," Lucy answers as she shook her head. "I kept telling myself it wasn't real. And then Warren was there, shouting at them to get away from me. And they listened."
"Jesus..." Desmond whispers.
"So, that's what happened…" Nora breathed out now, understanding why Lucy owed Vidic.
Both Jaune and Pyrrha understood her reason now, but that didn't mean that they agree or liked it.
Ren, however, was thinking about the story carefully, finding it odd for some reason.
"He's not a happy man, Desmond." Lucy turns to Desmond as she composed herself. "I wouldn't even say he's a good man, but he saved my life. They never came for me again. And he promised they never would."
"But you're still stuck here working for these nutjobs." Desmond points out.
"But I'm alive." Lucy counters as she turns back to the Animus. "Anyway, I really do need to get the Animus repaired. I'll see you tomorrow, Desmond."
Jaune sighs then turn to his partner. "I think it's time to take Desmond in for the day."
Pyrrha didn't say anything but smiled, agreeing with her partner's choice.
Having nothing else to do, Desmond returns to his room. The moment he entered, the doors automatically locked themselves as usual. However, the captive notices that his closet door was left opened.
"Hm?" Ren perked up, noticing off with Desmond's room. "Desmond's closet is open."
The rest of his teammates noticed this as well.
"What do you think happened?" Pyrrha wondered as she controls Desmonds towards the closet.
"What the hell? Someone's been in here." Desmond says as he investigates the closet.
'\PRESS ANY BUTTON TO INTERACT'
He looks around the closet that founds a small item hidden between the clothing. "Looks like some kind of access code…"
"An access code?" Ren echoed, wondered why such a thing was hidden there.
"I wonder…" Jaune thinks a bit as he stares at the screen then looks at the lock in Desmond's door. He then turns to his partner. "Pyrrha, can you take Desmond to the door's lock."
"Okay?" Pyrrha says in confusion but complies.
Not sure at first in what to do, then notices the lock on his door. Leaping at the chance, he uses the access code on it.
'\PRESS ANY BUTTON TO INTERACT'
He typed the code on the lock, and surprisingly the door unlocked itself, showing that the codes where correct. This now granted Desmond the freedom to leave his room anytime.
Nora gasps. "It was the security code for Desmond's door!"
"Now, with this, Desmond can leave the room without a problem." Ren points out.
"But who left the code there?" Pyrrha wondered. "Lucy?"
"To soon to tell," Jaune says. "How about we check the computer in the Animus? I bet there is stuff we can learn from there."
They all nodded in agreement as Pyrrha begins to guide Desmond to the Animus.
Desmond walked out of the room and noticed that Lucy is gone and that the Animus is fixed. Taking this chance, he walks up to the Animus computer to investigate what Abstergo is planning.
'\PRESS ANY BUTTON TO INTERACT'
But before he could start, he founds an ACCESS-KEY pen next to the computer. He immediately took it and used to access more information from the computer.
"An ACCESS-KEY pen!" Nora points out.
"Now we can get even more information," Ren said.
'\PRESS ANY BUTTON TO INTERACT'
Desmond types the password on the computer. The computer approved of the password and shows 'ACCESS GRANTED' and that the screen greeted Lucy.
The screen opened, showing Lucy's email profile, and sees that there are letters in her Inbox. He starts with the first one.
"Sorry, Lucy… but it's for a good cause." Pyrrha apologizes as she makes Desmond look through her mail.
'FROM: Warren Vidic. Re: Leila… September 3, 9:14
nothing. get back to work pls. we have a deadline
ps why do u sign your emails? it says right up top who its coming from
Time: Sep 3 – 21:05
From: Lucy Stillman
To: Warren Vidic
Subject: Leila…
You said "wind up like Leila" earlier. What did you mean?
-Lucy'
Finishing the first one, he opens the next.
'FROM: Nancy Nilop. Case File #1394 [Leila Marino]. September 4, 11:54
Ms. Sillman,
I am sorry but I am not authorized to discuss this employee or the circumstances regarding her departure from the company.
Time: Sep 4 – 7:48
From Lucy Stillman
To: Nancy Nilop
Subject: Leila Marino
Dear Nancy,
I am writing to enquire about the death of a former employee by the nae of Leila Marino. I don't know if you where working here at the time (September of 2007). There was apparently some kind of accident, but I'm not able to find any information on the subject.
The coroner's office indicated that her file had been sealed. If it was a suicide, why is this information considered so sensitive?
Sincerely,
Lucy Stillman'
Desmond went to the next letter.
'FROM: Warren Vidic. Re: Case File #1394 [Leila Marino]. September 4, 21:25
she killed herself. something about a relationship with a kid named Neumann. dont dip your pen in the company ink. now drop it.
Time: Sep 4 – 14:15
From: Nancy Nilop
To: Lucy Stillman
CC: Alan Rikkin, Waren Vidic
Subject: Re: Case File 1394 [Leila Marino]
Ms. Stillman,
Unfortunately I am unable to respond further to your inquiry. I have cc'd Alan Rikkin on this email. Please direct all further questions to him. Thank you.
Time; Sep 4 -12:02
From: Lucy Stillman
To: Nancy Nilop
Subject: Re: Case File #1394 [Leila Marino]
Nancy:
I don't understand why this information is so difficult to access. I've never heard of a company having the ability to declare a coroner's report "proprietary information". That's ridiculous. She was my friend. I just want to know what happened to her.
Lucy'
After reading all the letters, this made JNPR question a lot about Abstergo and its employees. They learn that there was more to Abstergo than they already know, and what's more, they are very private about there inner work and there own employees.
"Looks like there's nothing else to learn, so I guess its time for Desmond to turn in for the day," Jaune said.
"I agree." Pyrrha answers while the others agreed as well.
After finishing all that he needed to learn, Desmond went back to his room and called it in as he went for his bed.
'\PRESS ANY BUTTON TO INTERACT'
Desmond gets on his bed the falls asleep. After the screen fades to black, there is another flash of writing that looks like a pair of oval patterns shown.
"Another set of patterns…" Ren points out now prepared about this part.
"What does this all mean?" Nora wondered.
"No clue." Jaune shrugged. "But I'm starting to think that there going to be important in the story."
"I think so too." Pyrrha agrees with her partner as they now waited for the game to start up again.
To be continued…
Next Update: Railgun Girls watches STAR WARS The Force Eternal