At the Abstergo Headquarters, the Members of the Inner Sanctum were being debriefed on the progress of the teams they sent to acquire the Isu Artifacts. They all sat in a raised semicircle looking over a huge screen showing footage of the engagements. Between the screen and the semicircle stood Simon, Danial Cross and Juhani Otso Berg. The entire Inner Sanctum was comprised of Abstergo's Top Executives and many of them came from families with a long history within the order
At the head was the CEO of Abstergo Industries Alan Rikkin. As one of the highest ranking members of the Templar Order, Rikkin had been keeping a close eye on this operation since it was one of the most vital since the Great Purge.
To Alan's left was the Head of the Council of Elders Ellen Kaye. She was the Chairman of the Board of Directors. While technically above Rikkin In the company's Hierarchy Rikkin's position as a Guardian out ranked her in terms of Templar affairs
Next to Ellen was the current Chief Operations Officer Laetitia England. Rikkins right hand woman and manager of Abstergo's Templar operations. In addition to acquiring of Pieces of Eden and combating Assassin Cells. England was also responsible for indicting any new recruit into the Templar cause.
Right of Alan was their Chief Financial Officer Agneta Reider. Since her appointment Abstergo's profits had tripled and her effort earned her the added title of CEO of the Abstergo Financial Group.
Next to Agneta was the Chief Administrative Officer, Lancelot Smith. Contrast to England, he was responsible for managing Abstergo's public front. Mainly employees who were unaware of Abstergo's Templar goals. Access to so many public records allowed him to find potential candidates for the animus project as well as potential recruits.
Beside him was Warren Vidic, Head of the Animus Project and Dr. Alvaro Gramatia, Director of Abstergo's Future Technology Division. On Laetitia's side was Isabelle Ardent, Director of Abstergo's Historical Research Division. Next to her were the executives of Abstergo's Lineage Discovery and Acquisition Division, Dr. Mitsuko Nakamura, Director of Research and Otto Schmidt Director of Operations.
Every member was looking over the reports, as well as video footage they were able to acquire. But the results were less than pleasing. All thanks to the damned Holliday Brothers. However thanks to the footage they now had their faces or more specifically the faces of those who orchestrated the Istanbul Massacre.
The first team led by Daniel Cross returned empty handed and Cross himself badly bloodied and burned. Cross had been caught in the fire started by the Vincent Holliday and was only saved by the timely intervention of a Templar squad that came with him. Now Cross stood with half his face bandaged and his arm in a sling.
He then revealed a surprising turn of events, apparently, one of Michael's brothers was none other that Subject 6 or as Alan liked to call him- 'The One That Got Away." Since out of all the subjects they had, Subject 6 was the only one to successfully escape their custody. Not only did he manage to do it without any help, but he did so easily. After that Extra precautions were implemented to ensure such a thing never happened again. Though they had been able to find several artifacts thanks to his time in the animus they were never able to locate an Apple of Eden. Frustrated with this lack of progress, Alan ordered him to be terminated. But apparently 6 had anticipated this and had prepared for this eventuality.
"Are you sure it was him?" Ardent asked.
"Why don't you ask my front teeth! YES IT WAS HIM!" Daniel shrieked.
The second team under Juhani Otso Berg faired little better. Though Juhani survived his encounter with Michael and Jacob Holliday. His entire squad had been killed and like Cross he was unable to retrieve the artifact. But like Cross, he learned some information about one of the Holliday brothers.
"Is it true about Jacob?" England asked. Her eyes lingering on the face of the man in question."
"That's what he said," Juhani replied. "He claimed we have his wife and he wants her back."
Warren rubbed his chin. "So that's subject 15's husband." He said to himself. "I admit I was interested in acquiring the father of the fetus due to the complications we were having with the subject." He frowned, "though I was expecting someone-"
"More average?" Smith inquired with a slight smirk. Warren gulped and nodded.
"Unfortunately the man's a ghost. Apart from the occasional photo, no files or records of him seem to exist. Unlike Michael who's files are sealed there is simply no information about him anywhere, a man who's lived entirely off the grid."
"Wait a moment," Smith remarked, "I thinkwe've seen him before. He opened up a file on the view screen which showed records of the Raid on William Miles' compound. Smith scanned through video footage until he came across one of a man wielding a bow fighting off their hit squad. Finally his full face turned the right angle towards the camera and in the stilled image was-.
"Son of a bitch," Vidic gasped seeing that the bowman and Jacob were the same person.
Smith frowned, "small world."
Juhani shook his head, "I personally selected the members of Sigma Team, and those two went through them like they were cardboard. Killing my men wasn't a fight for them it was sport."
Smith sighed and turned to Latetia, "Miss England why didn't we hire these men? "I don't know what their price would have been. But it would have been worth it."
England shook his head, "I doubt that they would have gone for it anyway. These men seem to be more like loose cannons. Too dangerous to control."
"You also said you know Michael," Latetia asked.
Juhani nodded, "I was assigned to take out a Russian terrorist group, planning an attack. The Russian Government sent michael in as a special asset since the terrorists had stolen something of great value to them. What it was I cannot say since whatever it was the Americans didn't want anyone to know and desperately wanted it back. By the end of it we stopped the terrorists and he got what he was after but we were given all the credit. One thing is for sure we would have failed if not for him.
Rikkin nodded, "a man like that would be invaluable to certain governments so they would go to great lengths to ensure his immunity from persecution."
"Which means we can't rely on the authorities to apprehend him," Latetia concluded. "We'll have to do it ourselves."
However for all this bad news, there was good and it was possibly the best kind. The Black Cross known as Simon had returned and not empty handed. He had retrieved the Apple of Eden must to Vidic and Rikkin's delight.
Simon then gave a detailed report of his mission. The Egyptian Brotherhood had stolen the last power source from a museum funded by the Templars. Simon was able to take them out and ambushed the team sent by William Miles which included Ms. Stillman. After he captured her and incapacitated her companion, he set a trap for Subject 17 who he anticipated would come to rescue his girlfriend. Seventeen manage to turn the tables by using the apple on Simon's squad but was unable to stop Simon as he proceeded to beat him before taking the apple.
That was when the unexpected occurred. As it turned out Lucy had truly defected from the templars out of love for Subject 17. She defied Simon's order to kill 17 and when Simon tried to use the apple on her to force her compliance, Miss Stillman was able to resist just as he had moments before. She broke through his control and thanks to the interference of Michael and Jacob forced Simon to retreat. While the mission was not a complete victory Simon was able to achieve his main objective and now an apple was in the hands of the Templars ready to use for Eye-Abstergo.
Rikkin turned to Vidic with a smirk, "it seems your little pet project didn't work out Dr. Vidic. I always knew Project Siren would be a failure."
Vidic bowed his head ashamed of his failure. But Smith seemed to think otherwise. "A Failure you say?" He questioned cocking his eyebrow. "That's a bit harsh and rather unfair."
"It was a huge gamble we should never have undertaken, Gramatia remarked
"We are all aware of the risks involved sir, but Ms. Stillman was right about one thing, acquiring another subject to perform the task would take time, time we did not have. Instead, let us judge the results. We acquired an Apple of Eden on time as we wanted, We rooted out another assassin cell and eliminated it and we discovered Ms. Stillman's true allegiance before she could do any real damage to us or learn any 'deep' secrets. All things considered, I say Project Siren was a resounding success.
"Of course you would defend it," Rikkin snarled, "after all it was by your petition that convinced us to greenlight it in the first place. But neither you nor Vidic factored in Ms. Stillman's defection."
Smith merely smiled, "on the contrary Alan. I not only considered Ms. Stillman's defection, I was COUNTING on it."
All eyes turned to him as Smith explained. "Ms. Stillman's defection to our cause was too easy for my liking and driven by her resentment for William Miles. One who is turned so easily can just as easily be turned back. Especially if the defection is driven by affection."
"From I could see of Subject 17's reaction he showed no surprise when I revealed that she was a Templar, which indicates that he was aware of it for some time," Simon added.
"So either he figured it out, she told him or both," Latetia concluded. "But how does Lucy becoming an assassin again help us?"
"The greater the bond between Desmond and Lucy is, means he would be less willing to sacrifice her to keep the Apple from us." Smith chuckled, "young love is a volatile concept but can be a powerful tool as our Black Cross had demonstrated. An avenue we should consider exploiting in regards to future actions against Desmond Miles."
"Now that we have the apple, what will our next move be?" Ellen Kayne interjected.
"We will install it into Eye-Abstergo and proceed with the operation as planned," Rikkin replied. This was greeted with smiles and nods across the room.
"We should also take steps to apprehend the assassins once the next disaster had been averted." Smith suggested.
"The Holliday Brothers will not make that easy," Latetia pointed out.
"Which is why we will use Subject 15 to neutralize Jacob Holliday, That alone would be a decent start."
"Last time we took one of them it didn't go so well," Vidic said remembering Subject 6.
"Last time we underestimated who we were holding prisoner." Smith pointed out. "We will not be so careless this time."
"Do we even know where they are?" Nakamura asked.
"We lost Lucy's signal somewhere in this area." Schmidt replied pointing in a particular area in New York."
"Look for paths wide enough for vehicles." Simon suggested, "They need one to transport their animus."
Juhani nodded, "I'll send men to scope the area," he declared.
"In the meantime we will start looking for another Apple of Eden for future endeavors." Rikkin declared.
"Speaking of which, how did that lead I gave you pay off?" Smith inquired.
Latetia nodded, "your lead proved to be solid as always Lancelot, we managed to acquire a new subject to replace Mr. Miles, a promising young man named Callum Lynch."
Smith clasped his hands together, "excellent, might I ask how we will deal with this subject?"
Rikkin cocked his eyebrow, "I take it you have a proposition."
Smith nodded, "Attract more flies with Honey. I might suggest that we give Project Siren another try."
"You want us to use a tactic that almost failed?" England asked incredulously.
"Key word being almost," Smith replied, "it was a first trial of such an idea, I never expected it to go off without a hitch. Now is a chance to refine the process and evolve. This is what has separates us from the Assassins. Let us try Project Siren again, only this time we use someone more 'loyal', to our cause."
"Who do you suggest?"
Smith shrugged, "I don't know. I have no idea the man's tastes. But let's proceed naturally and something will turn up. Since this time we don't have a deadline we can afford to be patient."
After much debate the majority voted their approval to proceed with Project Siren on Subject 18. Rikkin who continued to oppose it reluctantly gave his consent. He turned to Smith With a glare, "I hope you know what you're doing Lancelot."
Smith simply nodded, "I'm willing to play the odds, Rikkin. But surprisingly it's not the assassins that concern me anymore. It's what we learned in regards to Michael Holliday."
'Which is?"
"Ms. Stillman's latest report said that Michael is a host for one of the Isu, Mars to be precise."
"That could have been a ruse to throw us off," Vidic said dismissively.
Smith nodded, "true, but she has no reason to make up something like that about a stranger she just met."
"So he's a sage?" Ellen asked.
Vidic shook his head, "From what Ms. Stillman's report said, Mar's conscience is sharing the same mind beside Michael's and takes over at random times. Though unlike Sages we know, Michael seems to be completely stable and in control."
"I fail to see how this concerns us," Reider said dismissively.
"The Technology of the Isu is still eons above anything we have right now. But, from what we know the Isu, while they were mental giants, physically they were quite frail. So imagine a fully functioning mind of an Isu with the body of a human in peak physical condition."
"The ultimate combination of body and mind," Vidin concluded. This information seeped into the minds if the Inner Sanctum. and one thing was now clear. Michael Holliday could prove to be more dangerous than they previously perceived and if they were not careful it could lead to devastating consequences.
Rikkin decides to redirect the thoughts of the inner sanctum to more pressing concerns. "One problem at a time Smith, we can discuss how to deal with Michael Holliday later, for now we must make the nessessary preparations, you all know your assignments, and I trust you to carry them out. "May the Father of Understanding Guide Us."
"May the Father of Understanding Guide Us." The others chanted before departing. As they were leaving Smith pulled Vidic aside. "Dr. Vidic," Smith called out to him, "a word if I may?"
The Doctor sighed heavily, Vidic had a sort of rivalry with Smith since he was responsible for preventing Daniel Cross's entry into the Inner Sanctum. Smith cited that he wasn't mentally stable for such a high position. A sentiment that was unfortunately supported by most of the Sanctum after they gave him a psychological evaluation and Daniel experienced a bleeding effect. The fact that this once again happened during a recent mission only reinforced Smith's claim. Instead Smith was given the mantle.
One other reason was in an act uncharacteristic of him stepped in during the dilemma with Subject 15. Vidic was preparing to have her 'disposed' of but Smith had stepped in and took her for what he called a 'Long Term Investment.' She was currently in a private clinic headed by Rikkin's daughter.
Admittedly the CAO's rise was far from undeserved. As the Grand Master of the British Rite, he had personally spearheaded the acquisition of multiple Isu artifacts including the Koh-I-Noor, Saturn's Scythe, Scepter of Aset and multiple Staves of Eden and Crystal Balls. As the Cief administrative Officer, he was able to ensure Abstergo retained a good public image.
Recently, Smith had proved to be reliable ally having voiced his approval for Project Siren and had kept the Inner Sanctum off his back while he worked to find an apple. Vidic turned to him, "how may I help you Lancelot. I still have much work to do even though we successfully retrieved an apple."
Smith nodded, "I understand that your time is precious and I understand how Ms. Stillman's betrayal must have effected you."
Vidic shook his head, "the funny thing is I knew this might happen, My gut told me that she would succumb to her feelings for him. But I wagered that her loyalty to us would overshadow it. This was my idea, my mistake and it nearly cost us."
Smith placed a hand on the old man's shoulder, "but it didn't, remember I vouched for your plan and it would have meant our positions as Templars. But our gamble payed off now we must look to the future instead of dwelling on what might have happened."
"This isn't the reason you came to see me," Vidic said plainly.
Smith shook his head, "no it isn't. Come with me, I have something you might be very interested in."
Curious, Vidic followed him to a different level of the building going up several levels and passed a few halls. As they walked Vidic spoke up.
"It seems you were right to keep Subject 15 alive. If I had her killed we would be in a dangerous position against these Holliday Brothers. I shudder to think what he would do to me if Istanbul was anything to go by. But now it seems-"
"She is a chink in the Armour of the brothers," Smith finished as Vidic nodded. "Which brings me to the real reason why I wished to speak with you. Smith led Vidic to a small room with a one way mirror looking into a larger room. The room was full of all sorts of toys and games. Inside sat a dark haired boy of about seven years old playing with a young woman.
"What is this boy to me?" Vidic asked.
Smith turned to him with a grin, "Dr. Vidic, allow me to introduce you to Elijah, the son of your nemesis, Desmond Miles."
