Chapter: 17 A Change of Plans

"By order of the Kingdom of Corona, you are all under arrest!"

Because that's fantastic. That is just what I need to hear after the positively insane night I've had. Coronan knights shine their lantern against our boat and continue to close in. Cassandra and the captain of the guard are leading this convoy of skiffs as I contemplate what options we have. My hand, shoulder, and face still throb from the duel with Lady Caine. That sinister banshee's just laughing at our hopeless situation. She swings to and fro like an upside-down maniac while I look to Eugene.

"I don't suppose you have any other tricks up your sleeve," I whisper.

"I might," Eugene quips. "It's just a matter of timing-" He leans in until the captain shouts again.

"Hands up!" he orders. "Step away from each other and keep facing us." We do as he says and he motions for the other skiffs to close in.

"Just run when I give the signal," he whispers.

"Run where?" I hurriedly ask. "We're on the water and what even is the signal?"

"Quiet!" Cassandra asserts upon disembarking. I realize she can see my mouth, but Eugene's cowl helps him out. I may have to invest in one. Cassandra approaches with her sword drawn. The knights behind her keep their crossbows trained on us at all times when she speaks. "Slowly remove your weapons and kick them over."

I take my time reaching for my back scabbard. The last thing I want to do is prompt the question as to why anyone in Corona has an Arendellian-made pickaxe on them. My heart races as I contemplate what Eugene's signal will be. My quick glance at him prompts Cassandra to look over as well. He's reaching for a spherical item buckled to his belt. If I didn't know any better, I would've thought it was ornamental. Those conceptions change when I see how tightly he grips the orb. Cassandra raises her brows while Eugene furrows his.

He twists a portion of the orb until it clicks behind his thumb. The contraption has Cassandra yelling "Explosive!" as Eugene hurls it at the deck. There's a dull blast, but the ensuing smokescreen is much appreciated. The knights impulsively shoot through the thick clouds as I duck for cover. Their crossbow bolts zip amidst the artificial mist and I briefly catch Eugene's silhouette dashing off.

I take it that's the signal, I think. Cassandra steps through the smoke as I swiftly shove past her. A second blast goes off...and then another as I realize Eugene is hurling multiple smoke bombs. His plan works like a charm...if you have a cowl to protect your face. While he's off making his daring and explosive escape, I'm coughing my way through the wake of it.

I stumble into a misty mast and spot Eugene at the top of it. "We need to get back to the mainland!" he shouts and launches towards one of the skiffs. I can faintly make out his silhouette as he sends knights tumbling into the sea. He's about to commandeer their vessel and I rush to join him. Just as I reach for the mast, a crossbow bolt pierces my would-be handhold.

"Stop them!" the captain barks as his knights open fire.

I roll to evade and holler at Eugene. "Don't wait for me! Just go! I'll catch up!" Projectiles strike his hijacked skiff as he sails for the shore. Great, Anna, I tell myself. Way to be the hero. Now how the heck are you getting off this boat?" I cough my way toward what's left of the smoke bomb clouds and use them to screen my movements. Knights are closing in from all sides and the last thing I want to do is defend myself in this scenario. Fighting against crooks is one thing...but protectors merely serving their kingdom? As far as these knights know, I'm as much a criminal as Lady Caine is. But revealing my secret identity could have insurmountable repercussions. That's if they'd even believe me.

I try to get the high ground on my pursuers and scale several supply crates. Kicking a crate down does little to hinder the knights and instead gives them a better means of ascension. The crossbowmen keep up their aim, but suddenly stop firing. I freeze atop the crate stack while the knights below me raise their swords like spikes in a pit. "There's nowhere to go," the captain declares. "This is your final warning. Surrender before this gets any worse than it has to. Just come quietly and no harm will come to you."

Although I'm hooded, I keep my head down in case the captain sees my face. If only he knew that the very queen he'd welcomed to his kingdom is giving him such a hassle now. He might find out if I don't come up with an escape plan fast. A brief guffaw from Lady Caine actually sparks an idea and I steady my feet. The captain notes my stance and tries to figure out where I could possibly jump to. He eyes the mast and sternly shakes his head. "Don't try it!" he warns. I smirk and instead launch myself towards Lady Caine. A few bolts zip beneath me until the captain orders a ceasefire. He doesn't want them killing the apprehended Caine, who's all the more startled when I catch the rope suspending her.

"What the hell are you doing?" Caine screeches as I use her body as a pendulum. We both scream as our combined weight sends us swinging towards a nearby skiff. The rope snaps and we crash against its damp deck. I don't have much time to recover before two knights come stomping over. Caine's been thankfully knocked unconscious and I rapidly step over her. The knight draws his sword as I simultaneously reposition the sail and kick him overboard. His partner seeks to undo my work, but takes a swift elbow to the face. I flip him over the side and seize a moment to catch my breath.

As my skiff heads for land, I am relieved to hear the captain prioritizing the rescue of his men. I can't imagine all of that bulky armor is easy to swim in. With a heavy sigh, I rise up and assess my wounds. My shoulder pain is dulling but my hand still tingles. I contemplate how, even if I do survive this, Madam Siv will surely have my head for wrecking my hidden blade. I try to see the bright side and consider how my cheek is no longer bleeding. As I formulate a discreet return to the castle, I suddenly spot a shadow looming behind me. My eyes narrow when I realize Lady Caine is still incapacitated on the deck. But if she's there... I think. Then who's-

A pair of gloved hands dig into my shoulders and the sting of my wound returns. I grunt in pain as Cassandra slams me into the skiff's mast and throws the vessel off course. I said it once and I'll say it again...this woman would make a brilliant assassin. She's stealthily managed to meet me on the skiff and I am lucky she isn't trying to kill. "Stay down," she orders.

Not a chance, I think to myself. I don't want to speak and possibly sound recognizable. Cassandra steps towards me but I rapidly sweep her leg. She strikes the deck with a thud as I scramble to steer the skiff. I've nearly got it back on course when Cassandra lunges at me. We grappled against the gunwale and I feel her gloved hand tugging at my hood. All it'll take is one firm pull and my identity is finished. Out of desperation, I clench her waist and propel us both overboard.

While the skiff collides with the nearby dock, we plummet into shallow and murky waters. Clouds of sand form beneath the ocean's surface as Cassandra and I tussle. I manage to kick her off but the recoil sends me tumbling back. I crash into the sand while Cassandra recovers and searches for me. The sea breeze suddenly feels cooler as I quickly sit upright. Only then do I realize my hood has fallen off from the impact. My time is limited as Cassandra spots me. I spin from the shoreline, re-equip my hood, and bolt for town.

My soaked robes drip with seawater across the bricked pathways and I suddenly hear more droplets. They're too far yet too intense to be mine. I glance over my shoulder and find Cassandra in hot pursuit. "Oh come on!" I mutter under my breath and slide into an alley. In that same motion, I pull my hood back up and grab a drain pipe. Cassandra grunts below and climbs after me. Our wet, tireless hands cautiously shimmy up the pipe. I vault over the roof and this relentless handmaiden isn't far behind. At this point, I think it's safe to say she's anything but. I don't know what connections she has with the captain of the guard, but she clearly has some training of her own. I can't even head straight back to the castle with her hot on my heels.

"Make this easy on yourself!" Cassandra scolds. "You're running out of roof!" I skid to the brink and notice a wagon filled with flower petals on the street. I flash Cassandra a smirk and let myself fall backwards off of the edge. "Wait, no!" Cassandra yells, probably thinking I've chosen to end my life. She sprints to the fringes while I plummet through the air. Gusts of wind claim my body as I am liberated in my leap of faith. It isn't long before I embrace the soft petals waiting below. While the landing isn't as comfortable as one from a haystack, it gets the job done. I emerge from cover and leave Cassandra peering down in disbelief. Although she's determined to keep chasing me, she isn't willing to pull off my maneuver. That at least buys me some time to plan an escape.

"This way!" I hear knights shout from across the street. Their crested helmets appear as daunting, torchlit silhouettes in the night. Windows creak open from above as concerned citizens begin to stir. There are too many eyes on me and I need to get off the street before the demon handmaiden joins in. I slip into another alley and hope to find an exit.

My heart sinks when I reach a dead end and hear pursuers closing in. "No no no," I whisper while feeling out the brick wall. I try ascending a nearby drain pipe, but it's so rusted that it snaps under my weight. The deafening clamor only solidifies my location and I can hear the knights turning around. I want to think positively, but my mind is already imagining the removal of my hood. I can see myself being locked away in some dungeon while Kristoff...poor Kristoff. He never should've gotten involved. I never should've told him anything.

As I brace for the worst, something suddenly slides beneath me. A grimy manhole cover slides open and a hook snags my boot. I can only gasp before I'm dragged under by this unseen entity and the lid shuts above. I'm incredibly grateful for boots as I land in a stream of malodorous sewer gunk. The burly, bald stranger who's snagged me puts a hooked hand to his mouth. As we remain silent, he motions for me to follow him. If it means getting away from the knights and hopefully out of these waters, I'm delighted to oblige.

We make haste through the winding sewer systems until we reach a dry set of stairs. Madam Siv is rubbing off on me and I cannot help but be suspicious. "How did you...find me?" I inquire.

The hulking man finally speaks up in a deep, bellowing tone. "You make a lot of noise for one of us."

"So I've heard," I mutter until the rest of his statement hits me. "Wait, one of us?"

His mustache rises with his smirk. He lets his hook hover over several stones in the wall before pressing on one. I watch in awe as the wall gives in and reveals a deeply-embedded passageway. He beckons me to enter as the secret tunnel hurriedly closes behind us.

I follow him down a series of dimly-lit halls until he catches me squinting at him. "Yes?" he grumbles.

"Sorry," I say. "You just...look familiar. Have you ever been to Arendelle?"

"Once or twice," he mumbles.

"Wait," I gasp as he huffs. "Hook Hand? The world-famous pianist? You're an assassin? How the heck do you keep that a secret?"

"By not breaking drain pipes and having whole kingdoms chase me," Hook Hand quips and I pout at his jab. "In all seriousness, you'd be surprised how much misdirection goes into my fame, lass. While people are focused on my music, they're not looking anywhere else. Plus, playing on the road lets me relay messages to other brotherhoods."

"That's actually really clever," I admit. Gosh, who else could be an Assassin? I ponder. I make myself giggle imagining Olaf as one.

"You know, rookie," I hear Eugene say. He's lounging about in a nearby chair with his hood and cowl removed. "When you said you'd catch up, I didn't think you'd take this long."

I scoff at him. "Yeah, well-"

DESYNCHRONIZATION IN PROCESS

(San Fransokyo - 2033)

This awakening is much more aggressive than the typical stirring. "Abigail?" Dr. Ramesh calls and sways a light across my eyes. "Can you hear me?"

"What...the hell?" I groan and hastily sit up. My head spins as a consequence for rushing the waking process. "Eugene...he-"

"Take a moment," the doctor intones. "Remember the Bleeding Effect. Remember who you-"

"It's not the goddamn Bleeding Effect!" I snap and my world spins from the outburst. As I turn my aching head, the pale lab's walls occasionally morph into ancient bricks. The hallucinations vanish in time and I glare at Ramesh. "Why'd you pull me out?"

Ramesh remains composed and answers, "Because your session tasks were completed."

"I thought we were seeing how long I could stay in. That felt like even less than last time."

"Any patient can lose track of their time in the Animus, Abigail." Ramesh explains. "But-" She pauses and presses a finger to her earpiece. "Yes. Yes sir." I lean in as if hoping to hear who she's speaking to. "Yes sir, we have a location."

"I take it that was my task?" I inquire.

Ramesh sighs. "Abigail, Absergo is in the business of historical research. When you accessed your ancestor's memories, you uncovered the location of a brotherhood enclave in-"

"Corona," I reply.

"Corona then, but Germany today." Ramesh details. "And most importantly, you know how to gain entry to it."

"But what about Anna's story?" I ask. "The conspiracy against her people. The-"

"That is not Abstergo's concern, Abigail. Her mission is but a means to discover true knowledge."

I glare at Ramesh and shrug. "So what now?"

"Now you will accompany us to Germany," she asserts. "You will help us locate this enclave and you will get us in." Her tone comes off as more authoritative than it does excited. I suddenly feel less like a colleague and more like a lab rat. I feel like a tool being used to unlock history instead of getting to experience it for myself. I'm concerned about Queen Anna and what my ancestor's past really means to this company. Amidst it all, I think back to the mysterious woman I'd who'd called me.

"Who are you?" I'd asked her.

"A friend if you'd like. Think of me as an eagle on your shoulder."

"What do you want?"

"For you to know that you aren't alone. And that you have a choice."

"If this is real, please stop being so cryptic."

"You have my number and I have yours. Don't be afraid to reach out when it all stops making sense."

Things really were starting to seem...odd. But Abstergo always has my best interests at heart...right?