Getting back into the routine of my life has certainly been proving harder than I expected… It's already January and it feels like I just got back.

At the orders of the doctors, I was home bound with the exception of the occasional grocery run. Venus and Zephyr had come to live with me for the first while. Venus had left for work after three weeks, but Zephyr decided to stay with me. After that first month, I started to get back into some of the things I had been doing before. Going to the gym a few times a week, even going to my job at the café that I had been working at while I was in school. Although, all the extra training I had been doing with Venus' help essentially stopped. The official reason is due to my accident. As for my trips to the gym, I am playing it off as having gone to a physiotherapist who gave me some exercises to help regain some strength. But the reason I have pushed to keep the lessons from continuing, is that I wouldn't be able to explain my sudden jump in skill.

According to most of the people Venus had found to coach me I was one of the most talented people they had come across, but talent cannot explain the presence of skill made by real world experience. And any skilled person would be able to tell the difference straight away. And the people Venus had found for me? I now realize are incredibly skilled people.

Work certainly took time to get back into the daily routine. Being back at that café felt surreal at first, much in the same way as chatting with Zephyr and Venus in the hospital room. From helping patrons and cleaning, to making coffee and snacks. Although, the first week and a half was something of a disaster. Less so with broken dishes and more so that my muscle memory had faded. Which made getting back into the everyday at the café take its time. It was helpful that my boss allowed me to take fewer shifts most weeks.

Luckily, my parents had put me down for a sort of critical illness coverage that gave enough to keep me covered for a while in the eyes of the world. I had also arranged it ahead of time that I would receive an offer of work from one of my smaller companies, which is where I will be able to secure my official income. Despite have near limitless resources I can't have the money appearing out of thin air… Part of that money is going to be one of my Italian based companies giving me a sort of heroics award. This all of course having been a part of my plan as I have fabricated it through the years I've lived to get back to this point in time.

The university in Scotland I had arranged to have my schooling start at gave me the okay to take a break for the at least the next year, but unofficially they are letting me take as long as I need. Since I had taken my first two years of my bachelor's degree with them they already liked my grades.

Although, one of my professors from my bachelor's degree had contacted me asking if I wanted to do a couple of hours helping during the week. She had been my favourite professor from the last two years of my bachelor's, so I said yes.

Not to mention that Zephyr has been sticking around me like never before. I tried to bring it up once, but…

"Like I would abandon my adorable littlest sister after she had such a traumatizing experience!" Which he ended with a bear hug while rubbing his cheek against me. Typical Zephyr.

I wonder if Zephyr is sharper than I thought… He and Aquilo had graduated the same year I had started high school and we had drifted apart because they left for university. Basically, since I got into high school, I have had little to no regular contact with him. Even before the ferry incident the last time I had seen him was probably around… Four or five months. Maybe even longer…

But man, oh man. He has been like a walking pop quiz. He has been couch-surfing at my apartment and every time we cross paths, he brings up something about when we were kids or something else. He has also sneakily followed me while I got errands done a couple of times. Even a few other times… But if it had been me before, I wouldn't have noticed. So, I kept along my way without reacting to him, and I continued with my day as per usual. Work at the café in the late afternoon for a couple of hours, followed by helping out one of my profs, then groceries.

One way or another, he even got into the apartment before me. Note worthy that my apartment is at the top of a six-story building with only inside fire escapes… He must have seriously booked it up the stairs. As curious as I was, asking him about it would give away that I had known he had been following me. And so even now, I have no idea how he managed it, or why he really followed me all day.

I admit, though, it was really nice to spend Christmas with him. For so long, Christmas had just become another day… It had just become a day that passed like all the rest. Unmarked in my time. So this year, with Zeph around, we celebrated it together. Even before the incident, Christmas had been turning into an ordinary day… People always would say they were sure my Christmas is exciting with four siblings around, but really, with everyone working far apart from each other, it was usually just me. Once or twice mom or dad had been able to join me, but the Christmases alone as an adult outweighed those I spent with family.

Aside from that we have mostly just been hanging out together, watching movies, playing games, and just chilling.

The only habit I have brought into my life from my years before is keeping one eye on the conflict that is always happening in the shadows between the Templars of Abstergo and the Brotherhood of Assassins. Seeing as I have been following it on the net since the net was made makes it easier to do on the downlow from Zephyr. It would take a wildly skilled hacker to be able to not only crack the security of my computer but to find any evidence of what I had been watching for. I even have the high security drive on my computer well hidden in the code with hidden files, encryptions, and a maze of folders that can only be found either with absurd luck or equally absurd skill. I suspect that the only hackers skilled enough would be those that belong to either Abstergo or the Assassins. And they have no reason to suspect a twenty-something arts graduate of anything that would affect them. I have never had any connection to the Assassins or Abstergo as Astraea Thomas.

Now it's a week and a bit into January, but at least the temperature is okay this evening. I walk up the stairs to the outside door and hold the key fob up to the panel, unlocking the door. I climb the stairs up to my floor and unlock the door into the apartment.

"Zeph? Are you here?" I call into the apartment. Zeph comes from around the corner that leads to the living room and waves at me before pointing at his cell phone. I wonder if his job is finally calling him back… He has been here for the two and a half months since we got back from Italy. He goes back around the corner and I hear the balcony door open and close. I try not listen, but with my sharper hearing it isn't easy… By the sounds of it, it seems as though someone may need his assistance with something. As I put the groceries away, I wonder if maybe I bought too much if he might be leaving. From the kitchen I can see through the living room to the balcony where Zeph is leaning on the railing with the phone to his ear.

"I am kind of in the middle of something, but it's not anything super important. Or urgent." I can't hear much other than murmuring from the other side at this distance, "No… Aquilo is on another job still…" Since when did Zephyr and Aquilo work for the same person? I guess things changed while I was at school. "I am prepared to come though. So, pass along the location when you can, and I'll be there asap." I close the door of the fridge. Dang, I definitely bought too much… "No, it's no problem. It is more a matter of personal interest that I'm investigating. But I can wrap it up by the end of the day and be on my way to you." I sit down on the couch and turn on the TV, "Seriously Kiyoshi, I owe you for last time. This is my chance to repay it." I try to lose myself in the show, with no success, "Alright, I'll see you then. Stay safe, friend." Zeph opens the door and comes into the living closing the door behind him.

"Was that your boss? Are they tired of you blowing them off for you little sister yet?" He chuckles as he sits down in the chair next to the couch.

"Not my boss, no. But definitely work related. One of my coworkers is in a bit of a tight spot and needs a little help. So, I'll be leaving tonight once I get the email of where they're at." He props his head on his hands with his elbows on his knees.

"I guess I'm going to have to make a giant meal to use all those groceries then." I laugh, but he only lightly chuckles again. Not his usual self… He must have something on his mind, "What's up, Zeph? Something seems to be bothering you…" I shuffle closer to the chair at the edge of the couch. He looks up at me with surprise at first, but it fades into a loving smile.

"You've always been perceptive of the people around you…" He says almost nostalgically.

"You have quite the talent in that department too, Zeph." He sits back in the chair and combs his fingers through his shaggy chestnut hair.

"Yeah, it's not always a blessing either." He looks over at me intently, "You are Astraea. But… Ever since the incident, you don't quite seem like you. And I don't mean it in a PTSD kind of way either…" Shit. I knew he was being careful but… This is on a completely different level than I thought it was… "Please… Tell me the truth." I look him in the eyes as he pulls himself to the edge of the chair, "Please, I know something happened that you aren't telling us." He snatches my left arm at a speed faster than I thought he could move and pushes the sleeve up my arm, revealing the scars that time had left on me. I look from my arm and follow his hand up his arm to his face, my big brother, only looking at me with concern and love. Ever the observant and caring.

"When did you notice?" There's no point in pretending now…

"The night we came to you in the hospital after they found you." He's known the whole time.

"Wow, you are much more observant than I bargained for… Although, I also didn't bargain that anyone else besides mom and Vee would have had time to come and get me…" He keeps holding onto my arm.

"How did you get these? When did they have time to heal?" He traces a few of the more prominent lines of scarring on my arm, "These are not new scars, but the last time I saw you before your trip with Vee was only four months before the incident and you had unmarred skin then! I remember because I goaded you into sparring martial arts with me and then Aquilo. Also, your muscles changed far too much in such a short period of time." He releases my arm and sits back in the chair, "How did you change into a completely different person in such a short period of time?"

"Zeph. Please know that I am still your sister. I have always been." Literally. "I don't think I can tell you everything right now. But know that if the time comes when you need to know, I will tell you. Surely you have things that you haven't told me before, right?" That seems to hit him hard, "I didn't say anything because… Well, it's pretty unbelievable, for one. And for the other… I think that knowing all of this will only hurt you, Aquilo, mom, dad, Vee, and Nyx. Especially mom…" I rest my head on my hands as Zeph had done only moments before. Then the minutes of silence drag by, only punctuated by the sounds of Zephyr breathing.

I look over to see him eyeing my now exposed arm and the longest scar that curves from the inside of my elbow to the outside of my wrist. I had gotten it defending a child on impulse. I didn't have the time to draw a weapon and knew that I would heal fully before too long, so I had leapt between the attacker and the child and held up my arm to stop the sword. Incidentally, that alone had been enough to terrify the aggressor in the situation and he had run away screaming 'Demon' at the top of his lungs.

His phones tings at him and he jumps from the sound. Zeph pulls the phone out of his pocket and looks at the screen before putting it back.

"Zeph…"

"Alright. I won't make you tell me, but only because I'm glad that you didn't try to play it off." He looks me in the eyes, "And if the occasion should arise that I feel I need to know, I expect a more thorough explanation." I consider what he says for a moment, this implies that he wants to decide when the time is right for him to know.

"And I will give as thorough an explanation as I think you need at the time. This is not something I can share in a single afternoon over coffee." He squints his eyes at me, "And I need your word that you won't say anything to anyone else. I am very invested in my plan over the next while here…" Though, with this I can see that plan beginning to crumble before my eyes. My carefree decades I have been hoping to have with my family are turning to ash and are getting whisked away by the wind.

"Fine, but I also expect you to tell our family when the time is right. They deserve to know."

"It was always my intention to tell them eventually… But not this soon… If the need arises, I will tell them though. Agreed?" He stops to consider for a moment.

"Agreed." Then he stands and gestures for me to stand also; when I do, he pulls me into a bear hug. His height making it so he can rest his cheek on the top of my head. This is the most genuine hug I've received from him since before the hospital.

"I missed you so much…" I say and he gives a squeeze.

"I didn't have a chance to really miss you, but I was really worried for a little while…"

"I'm sorry. I promise I'll tell you at some point."

"Thank you, Raea. I have to go now; work is calling me back."

"Alright…" He grabs his bag that he had already packed before I even got home and goes to the door, "Take care of yourself."

"I will. You make sure to take care of yourself too." I nod and he opens the door.

"Love you, Zeph." He looks back me his grey eyes as piercing as ever.

"Love you too, baby sister."

"Be careful, Astraea! I've been hearing about some gang robbing people… Are you sure you don't want Brett to at least take you to the train station?" The manager of the coffee shop, Sherri, asks as I heft my bag over my shoulder. I had been doing the later shifts since Zeph left and now it's been a couple of weeks of it and it has brought me into late January.

"I'm okay with taking you that far if you want me to… I've been hearing some pretty nasty rumours myself…" Brett adds from the sink just around the corner from Sherri and I. Brett is Sherri's son, and usually helps out with everything from baking treats and washing dishes to taking orders at the front and drawing in a crowd with his classic heart-throb good looks. My understanding is that he is wanting to take over the shop when his mom is ready to retire. He's taking a business degree at the university in order to do his best for his mom.

"I'll be completely fine. Don't forget all that hard work I've been doing with my sister the past couple of years." I hold my fist up, "Plus, I've heard that most of the muggings and what-not have been more on the university side of the tracks…" Although… If this exact situation had been even just before the trip, I would have taken him up on the offer in a heartbeat. Even with a good amount of training in martial arts wouldn't deter a confrontation the same way as having a six-foot four-inches tall strongly built man would. I suppose that same logic still applies now that I'm trying to keep my head down to make sure I can keep living my life peacefully.

"But you're also still recovering from that awful business in Italy…" She comes out from the office, "Won't you please let me have Brett escort you to the train?" Brett also comes around from the sink area, wipe his hands in a towel already grabbing his winter coat to leave.

"Oh, okay. If only to give you some peace of mind." Brett smiles while zipping up his coat and we go to the café's door where I zip my coat up and pull on my gloves and we both wave to Sherri before heading out.

"Damn, it's really bitter out tonight. Are you sure you don't want me to just drive you all the way home?" Brett asks as we begin the short walk to the train station.

"Just to the train is fine. I live super close to the station near my condo. Plus, don't you have an exam tomorrow?"

"Yeah, but I'm more than prepared for it." He shrugs his shoulders, "Plus it's not like it is going to hold a lot of significance to my final grade this early in the term." He stuffs his bare hands into his pockets. Understandably too. It is a nippy -37 degrees Celsius… And that doesn't even account for a wind chill, "How about you? I know that you were originally going to start your master's degree at that school in Scotland this term… Are you doing okay?" I look over at him, he's looking ahead down the street from us.

"Yeah, I guess I'm disappointed to be putting it off until next fall, but all the doctors seem to agree that my accident could have unforeseen long-term affects. So, it's probably for the best. It'll all turn out perfect I'm sure." I look into the dark clear sky. This far into the city the stars are not very visible, the bright ones show through, but mostly because of how cold it is. But the thing that has me looking at the sky are the pillars of shimmering light created by the ice in the air reflecting the streetlights. There is something otherworldly about how the ice affects the city lights when it's this cold out.

"Alright, we have arrived at the train station, looks like one is arriving soon too. At least you won't have to wait long." Brett chuckles as he stops, "Text my mom once you get home so she can sleep tonight." He turns around and begins to walk back the way we came.

"Thanks, Brett. Have a good night. And good luck on your exam tomorrow!"

"You have a good night, too, Astraea." He says without turning around. He's kind and genuine, but he can come off as a little arrogant sometimes, he knows that people find him good looking and once in a while he lets it get to his head.

The train ride home goes relatively smoothly only being delayed once by someone not letting a door shut at one of the downtown stops.

When I open the door into my suite, I have to remind myself that Zeph isn't here anymore. It'll take a while to get used to it again.

Damn. It's a lot later than I had intended… I look out the windows at the cloudy sky. The clouds being turned orange and glowing from the streetlights. All in all, it isn't very dark, the fresh white snow reflects the orange light from the clouds making the night a lot brighter than it would be in the summertime, although it is only February… Late February maybe, but still early enough in the year that the sun has set before the evening is done.

That doesn't change the hour though…

At least it isn't terribly cold anymore… Now that February is almost over the temperature improves better during the day, usually reaching a balmy -15 degrees Celsius. Although, I can feel the caress of a breeze on my cheek, there is some good wind coming in… And judging by the sensation of it on my cheek, it's going to be a chinook.

I had been helping my favourite professor grade assignments from her art history class and lost track of time. I walk down the streets at a brisk pace so that I don't miss the next train because this late they don't come around as often. And because I'm rushing, I don't notice the man behind me until a couple of people step onto the road in front of me and begin to walk straight at me. My instincts already know that they mean harm, not that they'll be able to cause any…

I stop dead in my tracks once the, now several, men behind me are the same distance away as the group in front of me. The street is deserted and all the lights in the surrounding buildings are off.

"You know, I was beginning to worry that we had scared off all the people from walking in this area and that we would have to expand our territory to another area." The man ahead of me says loudly to the people around him. They chuckled together; I think they meant it to be intimidating. If we'd met before that Italy trip, I probably would have been.

In total, it looks like there are the three men in front of me and three behind.

I hear the shing of switch blades and other similar knives being drawn. If only they knew how intimidating the sound of a broad sword being drawn is, then maybe they wouldn't even bother with the pitiful knives they have… I'll bet they're all made of cheap mass-produced metal…

"That looks like a mighty fancy leather bag you've got hanging on your shoulder." The man in the middle at the front comments as they close the distance to me, stopping about eight feet away on either side. All of them chuckling, whispering to each other, making obscene gestures implying what they intend to do to me once they rob me.

"At least you have good taste…" I pat my hand on the front of the messenger bag over my shoulder, which is indeed leather. "Not that it makes up for sheer stupidity." The group immediately goes silent and the leading man glares at me before jutting his chin up, spurring one of the men behind me to start running at me. I pick a nice-looking spot where the snowbank next to the road lining the sidewalk is likely good and rough from the freeze-thaw cycle that has been happening between morning and night, and it looks well laced with gravel from them sanding the streets.

I'm glad they haven't started using that beet-juice brine in this area yet…

I wait for a moment that would seem like mere seconds to him, and just as he would be expecting to connect with me, I sidestep. Then I hook my foot around his ankle and pull. He faceplants the windrow of snow and rolls over screaming and clutching his face, blood seeping from between his fingers.

"Oh dear… You should really watch where you're running. These snowbanks are less like snow than they are like piles of stones at this time of the year. You could do some serious damage if you're not constantly vigilant." The leader clicks his tongue and waves the other two behind me. I guess he didn't realize that that wasn't a fluke.

One swings their knife at me, I duck and swing in behind them and simultaneously hip check the second one into the yard of deep snow next to us. I hear a crack as his head breaks through the harder top layer of snow and he ends up hips deep with only his legs popping out of the snow and wiggling around churning the snow and making it harder for him to escape. And now with four of them in front of me and the leader practically blowing steam out of his ears he begins to shout at me.

"We have a whole other group waiting for us! If we don't come back soon, they're going to be coming over here."

"Well, gee…" I put a finger to my chin, "Now what am I, a helpless young woman, going to do?" Then the three goons all rush me.

When the first one gets to me, I chop my hands upwards at his knife-wielding extended arm sending his knife into the air, and I pull the front of his toque down over his chin. While he struggles with the toque, I snatch the knife out of the air and fling it at the knife of the leader. The one a threw collides with the one in the leader's hand and they both shatter.

That was a gamble on the quality of the metal… I'm glad it panned out well.

Just as Guy-number-one frees his face, I grab the sleeves of his jacket and pull them hard freeing enough length to wrap the arm of approaching Guy-number-two, who had been aiming for a straight punch, and the leg of Guy-number-three, who had been coming in for a sloppy roundhouse kick. I wrap the sleeves tightly around the captured limbs a couple of times to ensure maximum security of the limbs before flinging the guy-bundle into the yard of deep snow where Wiggle-legs is still struggling. The guy bundle's legs get stuck just in front of Wiggle-legs and their momentum brings Guy-number-one's head crashing into the upside-down groin of Wiggle-legs, whose legs quit wiggling.

The now alone and unarmed leader looks in horror between his pile of useless wannabe gangsters and me. Next, he whips around and abandons the pile of men leaving Bloody-face, who was only just standing up, in his dust. Bloody-face realizes what has happened and books it right behind his leader.

I cross the street away from the scene and towards the trains. I pull my phone out to check the time; shit, I missed the train and the next one doesn't come for another twenty-five minutes…

I arrive at the station and grumpily wait for the next train for about five minutes before giving up and calling for a cab to take me home.

I breathe in the warm near-spring air. The middle of March, settling into the everyday has gotten easier lately. I have been officially cleared for normal work; they want me to be careful none-the-less to avoid provoking possible lingering injury that I may not have noticed. To be fair, they aren't wrong. There had been a lot of injuries that I'd had from the ferry incident. They were just healed while I was under the care of Astraeus and Eos.

Although, the spare time, and lack of a close and watching eye, has made it possible for me to keep up with the developments with the Assassins and Templars.

Just as the thought crosses my mind, I pass an advertisement in a window exemplifying the new Helix system from Abstergo Entertainment. I remember before that when I had been in school the idea of living through the memories of my ancestors sounded thrilling. To see how their actions ended where I am. To see what turns history made leading to my existence. Now? I have had more than enough of ancient people and know enough long dead stories to last anyone an eternity. Literally. Though before, as much as I wanted to, I couldn't afford to spend time lost in the stories of history threaded together by Abstergo. I had to focus on school so that I could afford to spend the money on such a machine once I was finished and working. But now I know it is mostly just a tool Abstergo is using to paint history the way they want it seen and collect data from all who use it.

Then, though, I also didn't know about the shadowy war where both sides want the same end but have irrevocably different ideas on how to get there. And unlike the clean-cut, black-and-white stories of a video game being assembled by Abstergo, where the Assassins are the dastardly villains and the Templars are the shining heroes, the true history of the world is a murky grey where both the Templars and Assassins are too willing to go too far for their goals. Both have committed atrocities. Both have, at times, saved a great many people. Both have had good people. Both have had bad people. Although, the current incarnation of the Templars, Abstergo, is a bit more… Ruthless, than many of its predecessors.

The string of thoughts and memories fills my mind until I'm arriving home. I walk up to the front door of the condo where a moving truck is sitting with a couple of people unloading furniture onto the sidewalk.

I wonder which suite is being occupied… I really hope it's not the one next to mine…

The way the building is set up with my suite on the top floor at the corner, and the emergency stairs across the hallway. The empty suite next to me has made it so I don't have any neighbours at all. The closest neighbours I have are across the hall from me next to the emergency exit and I barely hear them unless I'm in my entrance. When I pass the elevator, I can see the protective blankets hung around it, meaning at the very least it is not one of the vacant suites on the first floor.

Dang it…

I get up to my floor and open the door to see the suite next to mine open with furniture and boxes waiting to go inside.

Arghhh…. No… My peace… It's gone.

I get to my door and slide the key into the lock when I hear the new tenant come to collect some more furniture.

"Oh! You must be my neighbour…" It's a man, I turn to greet them, preparing my best enthusiastic smile. And then I'm greeted with a pair of familiar ice blue eyes framed by untamed deep umber waves. I see recognition dawn in his eyes as well.

"Emmett Ramos?" I narrow my eyes, it may have been a while but I would know those eyes anywhere.

"Astraea! Wow! You're my neighbour! Small world!"

"Wow, Emmett. How long has it been? Since high school?" He ponders for a moment.

"I think you had just entered high school when my family and I had moved away because of dad's job."

"That's got to be close to eleven years then… And here we are, neighbours again." I joke to him.

"Once I'm all moved in, we should chat sometime, catch up and the like. I'll tell you how my family is doing, and you can tell me about yours."

"It's a deal, good luck with the move."

"Thanks, see you later." He lifts up a couple of boxes and heads into the suite, then I finish going into mine, close the door, and lock the deadbolt and slide the chain into place.