Willoffire123: And we are back! Where'd everyone go?

Leonardo: Well let's see.

Arno: You had Connor and Altaïr raped.

Leonardo: You reverted Connor's mental state to that of a wolf.

Arno: You tried to have Haytham raped.

Leonardo: And you carried Edward off to be raped. What's wrong with you, bastardo malato?

Willoffire123: I have no idea what you're talking about. I did none of those things.

Bishop: She's right, I did.

Willoffire123: Why thank you, Bishop. Care to do the honors?

Bishop: Willoffire123 doesn't own Assassin's Creed.

Willoffire123: Splendid! On with the chapter!

Arno was thoroughly fed up.

He didn't even know what he was doing in the Middle East anyway. There must have been plenty of other assassins Mirabeau could have sent on this rescue mission, so why him?

Ah, yes, because the Templars had their own man within the group of Eagle Vision test subjects, and they'd sent her to retrieve him.

And if it was her going on this mission, who else was going to make sure she didn't get herself killed?

"We have scouts covering every inch of the poor and rich districts," Rafiq told Arno and that annoying Italian, pointing at the respected locations on a map. "However, we lack the manpower to comb the middle district anywhere near as thoroughly."

"What if we go out there and look?" Arno suggested, volunteering himself and Leonardo. "We aren't much use to you here, anyway."

"Absolutely not," said Leonardo. "The last time I let an Assassin with Eagle Vision scout alone, Ezio was captured."

Arno blinked, taken aback. "Leonardo?"

"I won't let the same thing happen to you," Leonardo insisted.

"Careful, Dago," Arno joked feebly. "One might think you were growing a soft spot."

"Don't oversell yourself, crétin," Leonardo retaliated. "If they get you, I'm never seeing Ezio again."

"He really means a lot to you, huh?" said Arno.

Leonardo softened. "He's my oldest living friend, of course he does. Ezio's been through a lot in his life, from witnessing the execution of his father and brothers, through his long and hard path as an assassin, until now. When we left for Jerusalem, I promised his mother and his sister, Claudia that no harm would come to him."

Arno clasped Leonardo's arm. "We'll get them back, I swear on my life."

Leonardo grinned. "I have enough practice with the assassini to know that you really mean that. But why are you really here, Arno? You don't have any personal connection to these men, do you?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," said Arno. "Master Mirabeau seemed to believe that I alone would be enough for a rescue party."

"That's because others have arrived to aid you, Arno," said Rafiq, coming to join the two men. "Our lookout has reported a red-haired woman roaming the street just outside the bureau."

"And?" prodded Leonardo. "I know anyone with light hair is rare here, but what's so special about questa signora?"

"She shouts in French," said Rafiq. "Perhaps one of your friends?"

"Yes, she is," said Arno. "Rafiq, please tell your men not to attack her; she won't hurt any of us."

"Why would she do that?" said Leonardo. "If she's one of your friends, Arno, why not let her in?"

"Because she wears a Templar cross," said Rafiq. "She hasn't discovered how to enter yet, but we must not compromise the Brotherhood."

"Then at least let me talk to her," said Arno, already putting on his robes. "We'll meet in a neutral area to talk. The Templar Grand Master of the colonial rite, Haytham Kenway is among the prisoners. She's been sent to rescue him."

"Very well," said Rafiq. "But take Leonardo and two of my men with you."

"I thought you said your men were out scouting the city?" said Leonardo. "Who is left?"

"The rest of the rescue party," said Rafiq, eyes twinkling. "The last group arrived merely an hour ago. Meet them in the lounge area."

Not wanting to waist another moment, Arno grabbed Leonardo and pulled him up the stairs, out Rafiq's office, and into the lounge area. Waiting there was a man sharpening his meat cleaver and a dark-haired woman pacing back and forth.

"Are you Rafiq's men?" asked Arno. "We are about to meet with a Templar at a neutral site, and he said to take two of his men."

"We aren't part of the Levantines, sir," said the woman in an Irish lilt. "But we are here to rescue our mentor."

"If that means meeting with a servant of le diable," said the man. "Then so be it."

"Vous-parlez français?" asked Arno.

"Oui, je parle français, monsieur," said the man.

"Non un altro," Leonardo groaned.

"ALL OF YOU STOP!" ordered the woman. "No more French, no more Italian, no Arabic, just English."

"Yes mam," said Arno.

Leonardo gulped.

"Why don't we introduce ourselves?" suggested the Frenchman. "My name is Stéphane Chapheau."

"The name's Dobby Carter," said the woman.

"My name is Arno Dorian, and this is Leonardo da Vinci," said Arno. "I've been sent by the Parisian rite of assassins for this rescue mission."

"I'm a friend of the assassins," said Leonardo. "You can trust both of us."

At Leonardo's words, Arno saw Dobby's shoulders slacken ever so slightly.

"That's good to know," said Dobby.

"Where are you from?" asked Leonardo.

"Meaning, who are you here for?" asked Arno.

"We're from the colonial rite of assassins," said Stéphane.

"We came to rescue Connor Kenway," said Dobby. "Standing here isn't doing that. So if this Templar meeting will help us find our mentor, then let's get a move on."

"Connor, calmati!" said Ezio, backing away slowly from his growling brother. "It's me, Ezio!"

"Good luck with that," Haytham said from beside Altaïr. "If what Bishop said is true, Connor is long gone."

Ezio straightened, put a hand out to stop Connor, and ordered him to heel.

To his surprise, Connor sat back on two legs and heeled, regarding Ezio as though he were his master.

"Good boy," said Ezio, patting him on the head before seeing to his other brother. "How's he doing?" he asked, indicating Altaïr. Before Haytham could answer, Ezio knew that however he was doing, it wasn't well. Within the past two hours, Altaïr hadn't moved from his place in the corner. He rocked back and forth, staring at a fixed point on the opposite wall as if it was the only thing keeping him grounded to the earth.

Haytham sat next to Altaïr, awkwardly rubbing his shoulder. "Unless you've gone blind, can't you see for yourself? He's been like this for the past two hours. He's only moved once, and that was when I forced a bottle of water into his hands."

"And Connor?" asked Ezio, eyeing the dog-like assassin.

"Like I said, if what Bishop said is true, Connor is long gone," Haytham said dismissively. "He's got at least a week."

"Haytham," Ezio said in a placating manner. "You keep forgetting that I've been unconscious since after they took Edward away. What did Bishop say about Connor?"

Haytham sighed. "He mentioned the Mohawk curse."

"Which is?" Ezio asked impatiently.

"Patience, Ezio," said Haytham. "In case you haven't noticed, we have plenty of time to spare on stories."

"That pazzo could be back at any time to take you or me away and do whatever it is he did to Connor and Altaïr, that he's doing right now to Edward," said Ezio. "If you know something we can use to fix Connor or Altaïr, talk."

"Connor's late mother, Zíio, spoke of it once," said Haytham, obviously reluctant to speak of his deceased love. "The Mohawk people have a special tea. When a Mohawk warrior drinks it, he enters the spirit world, where he either connects with a spirit animal and gains its strength, or is lost there forever."

"Connor's never spoke of such a thing," said Ezio. "Perhaps his near death experience triggered it?"

"Perhaps," agreed Haytham. "He'll slip in and out of his humanity until the spirits inside him tear him apart. There is no cure."

"That you know of," said Ezio.

"That I know of," said Haytham. "Which still leaves Connor's odds of survival at second to none."

"We have to get out of here," said Ezio. "We'll all die, not just Connor, if we stay here."

"We've been discussing this since long before you got yourself captured," said Haytham. "You were our only plan. Now that you're here, we don't have one."

"What about Leonardo?" asked Ezio, feeling stupid for not asking earlier. "He was with me. Is he safe?"

"I don't know who that is," said Haytham. "But if he does not possess Eagle Vision, then he's safe."

"So we still have a man on the outside," said Ezio. "He may not be an assassin, but he can go to the Bureau and tell the assassins where we are."

"Brilliant," said Haytham. "But what if he doesn't? We've already tried putting our fate in something outside our control, but now you're in here with us. It's time we took matters into our own hands."

Ezio shushed him, noticing Altaïr's lips moving ever so slightly. "Altaïr?"

"Pins," Altaïr whispered. "Lock-pick. Door."

"You're not making sense, fratello," said Ezio.

"He's making perfect sense," said Haytham, striding to where his father had thrown himself at Bishop. Scanning the floor, Haytham's gifted eyes spotted what he was looking for: two long scraps of metal, each roughly the size of Haytham's index finger.

"Edward must've pulled these off Bishop when he attacked him," Haytham told Ezio, tossing him the pieces. "We can use these to pick the lock."

"Perfect," said Ezio, making to stand. "Let's go."

Ezio froze, his legs wobbling under the unexpected weight of his heavy torso. The balloon in Ezio's head that had been expanding ever since he awoke was threatening to lift him into the sky, never to let him down again.

"Ezio?" said Haytham from somewhere off in the distance. "Damn. Your bandages must need changing."

The last thing Ezio saw before his world faded to darkness was Altaïr, still crouched in his corner, fixing him with an unseeing stare.

"Altaïr, what did they do to you?" Ezio whispered. Then, finally, he let the darkness take him completely.

Willoffire123: I sleepy.

Leonardo: I'm going to let you sleep, but I just have one quick question before you do that.

Willoffire123:…

Leonardo: How many characters did you plan on when you started this story?

Willoffire123: Just Altaïr, Connor and Ezio.

Leonardo: And how many do you have now?

Willoffire123: Well, let's see. There's Altaïr, Connor, Ezio, Edward, you, Haytham, Rafiq, Malik, Stéphane, Dobby, Élise, Arno, Zíio, Bishop, his guards, and more to come.

Leonardo: Someone's totally going to die.

Willoffire123: Now, I never said that.

Arno: My money's on Connor.

Connor: Hey!

Arno: Sorry dude, but you have broken ribs, a concussion, a broken leg, fresh trauma thanks to this Bishop guy, and you are literally turning into a dog.

Connor: Woof!

Arno: I rest my case.

Leonardo: I dunno. He isn't the only one at death's door.

Willoffire123: Or maybe I'm not killing off anyone! Did you numbskulls ever think of that?

Leonardo:…

Arno:…

Willoffire123: I'm too tired to deal with this right now. I'll let the readers decide. Am I right? Or are these two dimwits right? Let me know what you think in a review. Until next time!