Chapter 2: Somewhere That's Green
Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's Creed, only my OC.
London, February 1868
The Frye twins stood on a rooftop overlooking Whitechapel, they had arrived in London, against the Council's wishes, to wretch the city free from the control of the Templars.
But first they needed to find Henry Green, the only remaining Assassin in London.
"Where is Mister Green's shop located? It was marked on Father's map…" said Evie.
As if summoned, Henry Green climbed up behind them.
"Two Assassins. Equal in height. One female, one male. Two decades old, and those devilish smiles. You must be the Frye twins." Green observed.
"And you are…?" asked Evie.
"Henry Green, at your service." He introduced himself, "I was sorry to learn about your father's passing."
"Thank you" said Evie, politely.
"What can you tell us about Crawford Starrick?" asked Jacob.
"I suppose the Council desires news?" replied Green.
"London must be freed. To provide a better future for all of its citizens." Evie said, firmly.
"Well thank goodness the Council saw reason and sent you to aid us." said Green.
"Yes... thank goodness." said Jacob, hesitantly.
"Unfortunately, I am the bearer of bad news." said Green, regretfully, "Today, Starrick sits at the helm of the most sophisticated Templar infrastructure known in the western world. Every class, every borough, the gangs, the industries - his reach extends all across London."
"I've always thought of myself as a gang leader. Firm, but fair." said Jacob "We'll have uniforms. And I'll unite a mix of disenfranchised outsiders under one name. That's it, Evie! We can rally them to our side." he exclaimed.
"Oh, like the way that you rallied those card players at the Oakbrook Tavern into the river?" Evie said, mockingly.
"That was different, they beat me at whist. I can see it now! We'll call ourselves the Rooks." said Jacob.
"You were never good at chess, either." said Evie.
"Have you got a better plan?" asked Jacob.
"Find the Piece of Eden." said Evie, annoyed.
"Ah…"
"Well. Let me show you the lay of the land. Shall we? This is the highest point in Whitechapel." said Green.
From another rooftop, Joshua was watching the exchange with mild interest.
Green had come across two Assassins that appeared to have recently arrived in the city.
It appeared that the Council had either relented and finally sent help, or more likely, the two new arrivals had come to London in defiance of the Council's wishes.
Either way, this was an interesting development, but also an irritating one. It meant two more Assassins to worry about, one was tolerable enough… but three? Not so much.
He would have to keep an eye on these new arrivals, he didn't want them learning about him, or discovering his real name.
He would have to pay Clara a visit, and instruct her to keep quiet, since he knew she was the most likely one they would go to as a source of information.
As he watched them leap from the rooftop, he cursed his misfortune, silently.
"Keep quiet, Kaylock's looking for me." said Green.
"Who's Kaylock?" asked Evie.
"One of Starrick's gang leaders." Green said.
"Why does he want you?" asked Jacob.
"He's after some of my more arcane research into one of the Precursor artifacts." Green explained.
"The Piece of Eden." said Evie.
So tell me about these Blighters." said Jacob.
"In search of an army, Starrick gathered up the nastiest of the Underworld. Some of the city's gangs tried to prevent it–and were slaughtered for their efforts." Green explained. "Now, only Whitechapel's Clinkers remain opposed. But they're no match for the Blighters."
"Well, let's shine these Clinkers up then, shall we? They're just the sort we're looking for!" Jacob said, eagerly.
"You can't be serious." said Evie, exasperatedly.
"Evie, they're ready to fight and oppose the Blighters." said Jacob This is my chance to step in! Look out, London, here come the Rooks!" he exclaimed.
As they turned a corner, Jacob bumped into a man who was reading, and caused him to drop some of his papers
"Confound this city, no one looks where they're going!" the man exclaimed.
"Yes, I've noticed that." remarked Jacob dryly.
"Bloody Drood! I'll never finish it at this rate!" He said, frustratedly
He looked up as some of his writings were taken by the wind.
"Only Providence knows where those words are headed now." he said, "Well, I must get to work replacing them. Should you ever be in the mood for a tale or two, you can always find me where the ale is warm and tempers are hot! Ta-ta!" he said, and promptly entered a tavern.
"What an odd man." Jacob remarked.
"That, Mister Frye, was Charles Dickens. Knows everyone and everything in the city." Green explained, "If I were you, I would keep that connection in your back pocket."
They were then spotted by two Blighters, one ran back to the gang headquarters to report their movements.
"Kaylock's gang is nearby. They must not follow me back to my shop." said Green.
"We'll take care of it." Evie assured.
"Here. You might be able to use this." Green said, handing both of them a revolver.
"Oh, God, I hope so." said Jacob eagerly.
"My carriage is nearby. Make use of it to throw them off my trail. I will meet you at the curio shop." said Green.
As Green left, Jacob and Evie commandeered the carriage.
"We need to lead them away from Green." said Jacob, firing his pistol into the air, drawing the Blighters' attention.
Joshua often wondered what the Brotherhood had reduced itself to when he had left it. Weren't Assassins supposed to be silent, subtle, and stealthy.
Joshua shook his head, he could understand, of course, that sometimes discretion had to be sacrificed for a more practical purpose, but riding around on a carriage, while engaging in a firefight with the Blighters was not in any way practical, stealthy, or subtle.
It was giving the Templars' a very clear and very loud message.
'We are here to take your city from you.'
The best thing about working in the shadows is that it was easy to catch your prey off guard and unawares, surprise is a powerful weapon when used properly.
Joshua smiled slightly, that had been one of his parents' most important lessons.
The two new arrivals had all, but given up the element of surprise, when they had engaged the Blighters openly in broad daylight.
He shook his head, if this was what the Assassins had come to…
Just another reason he had left, just in time.
After dealing with the Blighters, the twins arrived at Green's shop.
"Did you give them the slip?" Green asked.
"We gave them more than that." said Jacob.
It was then that Evie noticed drawings of various individuals, spread all over the table.
"Who are all these people?" Evie asked.
"Over the years, I have established a number of connections across the city." Green explained.
"Splendid! We'll need focused aid–"
"Focused aid? Pff. We take over Starrick's gangs, we cripple his control." said Jacob dismissively.
"You're not aiming high enough. Starrick has influence in every branch of society, we need to match him." said Evie.
"I see what you're saying, Evie. We need the Rooks." said Jacob.
"You are not starting a gang called the Rooks." said Evie firmly.
"I believe I may have an idea of my own. You will need the police to turn a blind eye to our activities." Green explained, "My ally in the force, Sergeant Abberline. I've heard he's a master of disguise. Next up - urchins."
"Urchins?" Jacob said curiously.
"Urchins. Children make for excellent spies." said Green.
"Clara O'Dea…" said Evie.
"Smart as a whip, that one." Green said, "Finally, you would be wise to remember that Starrick never acts alone. There are gang leaders in every borough." he explained, "You'll meet them soon enough, no doubt. Rexford Kaylock, known for his ability to vanish before your very eyes."
"Shall we make him vanish for real?" asked Jacob.
"I suppose." said Evie.
"One moment…" said Green, giving Evie a drawing of a Templar.
"Hm, a Templar target you might want to look into. Be cautious. It's rough out there." said Green.
"Don't worry about me, Greenie. I can handle a few thugs." said Jacob confidently, "What's the plan, then, oh mighty planner?" he asked.
"You're the one with the grand ideas: the gangs, the fights, even the outfits you'll wear! Perhaps you should lead the way." said Evie mockingly.
"If you insist!" replied Jacob arrogantly.
It was then that Evie noticed another drawing.
This one stood out from the others, it depicted a young man in Assassin robes, wearing a mask over the lower part of his face, it piqued her interest.
"Who's this?" asked Evie curiously.
"Oh him?" said Green, looking at the picture, "Someone you need to be very careful of." he remarked mysteriously.
A/N: I apologize for the long wait, my parents are moving again and I've had to help them. So I haven't had much time or energy to write lately. I hope this chapter makes up for it.