Sorry for the delayed update, but here is chapter 6! Hopefully you guys enjoy, and feel free to leave a review with your thoughts!
Haytham POV
I hear a knock at the door, and I answer it. A woman wearing black Assassin robes stands before me. While I can see she has sun kissed skin, a slender face, and brown eyes, most of her features are hidden by a hood. She is just a few inches shorter than me, the top of her head is at my eye level. She avoids making eye contact.
"May I help you?" I ask. She releases a shaky breath.
"Kenway, your son told me you'd be here. My name is Daisy Cooper, I am his second in command." I extend my hand.
"Pleasure, Miss Cooper." She looks at my hand warily, and I drop it back to my side. "What news does he have?"
"The Poisonstars are trying to begin another war."
"But this one literally just ended."
"I know, but that's what Connor told me. He intends to return shortly in hopes of pursuing them. He just wanted me to inform you of his plans and ask you to have your Templars on high alert, and we shall do the same. He's hoping our… partnership will put an end to them."
"I will spread the word. Thank you for delivering the message."
"No problem."
"Is he planning to return here?"
"He did not tell me, only that he would return to the city for further investigation."
"I see."
"Good day, Kenway." She turns and walks away. I notice her shoulders are tense. I close the door, thinking about the rest of her behavior.
Am I really that intimidating? I don't mean to be. I'm sure I have a reputation that precedes me, though. I ought to talk to Connor about him having some Assassins work with me a bit in hopes to gain their trust.
Pushing that thought away, I ride into town. I hope to find Charles still in Boston, though I do know he spends most of his time in New York. If he's not here, I'll send him a message and have him inform the men there and I will here.
I enter the main safehouse, where Charles is most likely to be if he's still here. I know he had business to attend to, so it's not impossible he's here. I reach his office and see light from inside. I knock on the door.
"You may enter," he calls. I open the door. "Sir! How are you feeling?"
"I'm well. Physically, anyway. Though I am frustrated," I reply, sitting down.
"Ah. So you're here with bad news, then."
"Yes. The Poisonstars plan to start another war." He frowns.
"This one barely ended!"
"I know."
"Do you know your source is reliable?"
"My son is a pretty reliable source." He sighs.
"What do we do?"
"Not a lot we can do, really, considering we know exactly nothing about them. I just think it's time we start seriously investigating and pursuing this. I was going to ask you to help me spread the word."
"Yes, sir."
"If I get more information, you'll be the first to know."
"Much appreciated, Master Kenway."
"I'm going to head to New York and get some investigations moving there. Can your current business be put on hold?"
"Yes, it can. This clearly takes precedence. I'll get to work here doing the same."
"Good."
"What of the Assassins?"
"A woman by the name of Daisy Cooper is the one who informed me of Connor's findings. She is his second in command, apparently. Anyway, she told me they intend to investigate them as well. I expect to hear from her again soon, so we can organize better. If nothing else, Connor should be back in town soon."
"Okay. Let me know if you need me when these discussions occur."
"Of course." I get up to go carry out my mission.
Connor POV
"Can I help you?" a thin blonde woman asks. Her hair is up in a messy bun, and she's wearing a pink dress and a purple apron. Said apron appears to be covered in flour.
"I'm here to speak to Commander Washington. He should be expecting me," I say.
"What's yer name, then?"
"Connor."
"Ah, yes! He did mention you'd be by within the next few days. Come in." She leads me inside and takes me to a large living room. "Please, take a seat. I'll go get him."
"Okay." She briskly walks out of the room, and I sit down.
Only for about a minute, then I get back up. The room is rather large, with two white couches and three chairs, all a matching blue color. The walls are an off-white color, decorated with various paintings and trinkets. I approach the wall and cross my hands behind my back, investigating the pictures— more out of boredom than curiosity. It's almost ten minutes before I finally hear his all too familiar footsteps approach.
"Commander," I say, turning to face him.
"Connor, I assume you've returned to report your findings?" he replies.
"Yes. Turns out your source was right. The people who have been deserting are working to form another army to move against you."
"Why?"
"It's no more than a power grab. Now that you've won the war, they expect you'll be the one to take over ruling the colonies, but they want to be the ones to."
"Well, for the record I've already made it clear I don't to be king, and that I think we should stray from having one. But with that said, we can't have some group come and try and force themselves into leadership. It would only cause disorder and tyranny."
"Obviously. I didn't intend to allow them to force themselves into anything."
"Well, then what do you intend? Your knowledge of them is limited, and you're only one man."
"I'm hardly planning to work alone. I have more resources than you could understand. As far as the knowledge, I clearly plan to continue investigating them to find out more. I'm honestly only here instead of working on it because I felt you should be in the loop."
"I see. Still, if you need anything from me—"
"I hardly see what I could need from you."
"Well, you mean besides the fact that I have thousands of soldiers at my disposal? Or the fact I have extensive influence and can give you access to knowledge you couldn't get on your own?"
"What knowledge do you think you have that I do not?"
"Well, as it turns out I have another lead for you." I raise my eyebrows.
"You do?"
"Yes. You'd have to go to New York to pursue it, but…"
"Well? Let's hear it then. I need to get on it if I'm going to."
"I thought you'd say so. There's a warehouse on the outskirts of the New York that some spies of mine had seen some British activity. When the war ended, it was thought to be abandoned. But then we've seen more suspicious activities there, namely some military grade weapons being moved in."
"It is worth checking it out. If that is all, then I will be off."
"It is." I nod and then exit.
Haytham POV
"Miss Cooper, am I right?" I say as I open my front door to see her standing there. Nearly a week has passed since the last time she was here with the news Connor had passed on, and since then there's been nothing but silence from the Assassins.
"Yes. You asked me to inform you if we found anything," she says.
"What do you have?"
"Between our intel and yours, a few of us discovered a meeting place. The Poisonstars are going to be there tonight at sundown. I intend to go there and see what can be discovered, and I was hoping you'd send me one or two of your men."
"I'll go."
"Kenway, your son made it clear he didn't want you doing anything yet. He fears you are not recovered well enough yet."
"Well, I don't see him anywhere, do you?" She frowns. "I'm going, Miss Cooper." She sighs.
"Connor will have my head for this… fine, but my condition is that you bring someone else as well, just to be sure." I roll my eyes.
"I'm more than capable of handling it."
"If you want to come with me, you're bringing backup. I'm not debating with you about this."
"Fine."
We agree on a rendezvous point, and then she leaves. I head out to assign someone to go with me, wondering why I'm letting her make me bring extra support. But better safe than sorry, I guess.
My Templar and I reach the rendezvous point a few minutes early. I hear someone approach from behind and expect it to be Miss Cooper. However, when I turn around it's someone else. He appears to be just a common civilian, but the way he tentatively approaches I'm willing to guess he's one of Connor's men.
"Kenway, you don't know me, but I've been assigned by Connor to be sure you stay out of trouble. You shouldn't go through with this mission," he says in a thick French accent. I sigh.
"I'm fine. I'm going to do it," I reply.
"He will be pissed!"
"Well, let him be. I don't care that much. I'm not going to sit around and do nothing because he's scared."
"Please, you still are recovering."
"Stephane, what are you doing here?" I hear Miss Cooper say. I turn and look at her, seeing she's being followed by another hooded woman. This one is in white and red.
"The Mentor told me to keep an eye on Kenway and try to keep him out of trouble."
"Right, because he'll listen to you more than Connor or I."
"I know, I was really hoping I wouldn't have to approach him, but… here he is, trying to get into a battle."
"Well, if things go right, there won't be a fight."
"We cannot expect things to go right."
"Look, I'll be fine. I'll be sure to let Connor know you tried," I say.
"We're running out of time. Stephane, just come along. I'm sure he'll be okay," Miss Cooper says. I roll my eyes.
"I will. I'm not a child that needs babysat." With that, we all leave.
Connor POV
I finally return to the house. It's been two weeks since I left, and I'm eager to see Father again. I've spent too long chasing leads that the Commander gave me. I do feel like I've learned a lot, though. The Poisonstars are larger than I had anticipated, but also quite unorganized.
"Connor, I swear I tried to stop him," Stephane says to me when I enter the house. I freeze. His job was to watch Father and seeing him so frantic tells me something went awry.
"What are you talking about?" I reply.
"We discovered a meeting the Poisonstars were having in one of their safehouses. He and Miss Cooper went to shut it down and see what could be learned. I tried to stop him, but he blew me off. Anyway, after the three of us and two more go in, we wound up getting spotted. When the fight broke out, he wore out pretty quick. I made sure he wasn't killed, until finally we took everyone out but one man. He sent us all to investigate elsewhere while he interrogated the man. When we returned, he was unconscious, and the man was gone."
"Is he okay?"
"No. He hasn't woken up since. That was three days ago. We've hired a doctor to stay here with him, but he's not sure he'll live."
"He'd better…" I walk through the house and into Father's room. He looks horribly pale. Charles and the doctor are both in there.
"You! This is all your fault!" Charles growls.
"Mine? I was not even here!"
"You should have come back here to handle things!"
"I was investigating leads elsewhere! What would you have me do, come back to babysit him while the leads go cold? You were here, why didn't you do something!?"
"Gentlemen, please," the doctor says. I sigh.
"How is he?"
"Not well. I can't figure out what's wrong, and I've even brought other doctors in for their input. Nothing."
"Is he going to make it?"
"I don't know. I'm sorry. I'm doing all I can to keep him around, but I fear I'm only prolonging the inevitable." I approach Father's still figure and take his hand.
"He's not awoken once?"
"No. He's muttered a lot, the only thing recognizable that he's said was a name."
"What name?"
"Yours," Charles says. I feel a strong surge of fondness.
"I will save him. I have an idea." I squeeze Father's hand. "Hang in there." With that, I leave.
I reach the safehouse that Johnathan, the Poisonstar we have prisoner, is at. I barge into his cell, and he jumps.
"You're coming with me," I say, grabbing his arm and dragging him out.
"Where are we going?" he asks.
"I want you to look at my father and find out what he was poisoned with and how we can cure him." When we're heading out the door, I almost run into Daisy.
"What are you doing?" she asks.
"Taking him to look at Father."
"I'll come with you to make sure you get him there."
"Thank you."
"How long has he been out?" Johnathan asks once we're riding.
"Three days, from what I'm told."
"I must warn you, it may be too late, depending on the poison."
"Just do what you can."
We reach the house, and I take him to Father's room. Charles shoots me a questioning look but says nothing. Johnathan looks Father over. He sighs.
"Well?" I ask.
"He's lucky, that's for sure. It was one of our weakest concoctions. His body functions have been slowed way down to the point where he barely lives. Given too much more time, he would definitely die."
"So, is it too late?"
"No. Not necessarily. But his chances are slim."
"What do we do?"
"I need you to give me the ingredients for an antidote. I can have one ready in minutes."
"I will get you anything you need. Just know that if this is a trick, you will pay dearly."
"I understand."
Connor POV
"You'll know pretty quick if this works," Johnathan is saying as he gives Father half the antidote. "He will awake within three hours, though he'll be barely aware of anything. When he does wake up, you need to give him the other half of this. It is vital that he drinks all of it, or he'll shut back down. Clear?"
"Yes…" I say. I take the remaining antidote and look at it. It's a dark red liquid being held inside of a small glass container.
"If he does not wake up, you still need to give him the second half in three hours. Though if he doesn't wake up, don't get your hopes up."
"Okay… you're to stay here though, just to be safe."
"There's nothing left you cannot handle."
"I know, I just want to be sure." He shrugs.
"It's not like I have a choice in the matter."
"Daisy?" She enters the room.
"Yes?"
"Take him to the office upstairs and hold him there, please. I wish to stay here with my father."
"Aye, aye." She takes him out of the room, leaving me here alone with Father.
I pull a chair up to his bedside. I sigh and look at him. I hate seeing him unwell. I take his hand and hold it tight, wishing he'd wake up and make some snarky comment.
After about two hours, he begins to stir. I smile when his eyes open. He looks so tired and confused, but he's awake. That's all I care about. I prop his head up and force the remaining antidote into his mouth and he drinks it cooperatively. I set his head back down once it's all down him. I move to the edge of the bed as he rubs his eyes, clearly trying to rub the sleepiness away.
"Father, you need rest," I whisper.
"Connor," he says weakly. He looks at me and blinks several times, trying to focus.
"Shh. I'm right here. I'll stay here with you until you are better."
"Am I dying?" I put one hand on his cheek, and with the other take one of his hands.
"No, you aren't. What I just gave you was the end of an antidote. You will be fine." He uses his free hand to fumble with the ribbon holding his hair back. He makes a face, repeatedly failing to get it out. I pull it out for him.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. Go back to sleep."
"Connor, I wanted to tell you that—"
"Father, you can talk to me later. You need rest."
"But I just wanted to say that I love you so much." I smile.
"I love you too. Now go to sleep." Father grunts in annoyance but closes his eyes.
Haytham POV
The first thing I notice is how bloody cold it is. I shiver and huddle closer to the warmth I feel against me. When a pair of arms tighten around me, I realize someone is holding me close to them. The next thing I notice is the voices around me in the room, though my brain is much too foggy to recognize any of them, much less make sense of what they are saying. I feel so tired, weak, and confused. My three least favorite states of being.
I try and speak, but my voice just comes out as a barely audible groan. The voices around me go silent, and the person holding me mutters soothingly to me. I relax into their arms, grateful to whoever it is for caring about my well-being. It gives me a sense of safety, which, in my state, I could use that feeling.
I'm exhausted, but more than that I'm ready to just be awake. I need to know what happened to me. I strain my ears with all my energy, trying to listen to the voices that are now talking quieter.
"He was awake last night, though he was very disoriented. All he knew was that he was in a bad state," a voice says, and I feel vibrating in the chest of the person holding me. I think hard about where I heard that voice from before. "I wish he'd wake back up," he adds. I realize that's the voice of my son.
"He should be by now," another one says. I don't recognize this one.
"I told you he wouldn't save him, Connor," a voice that I decide is Charles says.
"He was our only hope! Besides, he was awake once, and he still lives," Connor whispers.
"He'll live," the unfamiliar voice insists.
"He better," I manage to say. I open my eyes and blink a few times, then focus on Connor's face.
"Father!" he says with a smile.
"Connor…" That's all I manage to say before I start coughing.
"Charles, get him water." Connor repositions me. Before long a glass is pressed to my lips, and I gratefully drink. All too soon the glass is emptied and taken away. I look back at Connor.
"What happened to me?"
"You were poisoned. You were unconscious almost four days. We got you a cure and you eventually woke up. But you've been out all day."
"Am I going to be okay?"
"Yes. I swear, everything will be fine."
"I… I'm hungry."
"I'll get you something to eat," Charles says.
"Lee?" Connor says.
"Yes?"
"Take the Poisonstar back upstairs, please."
"Will do." Charles and the Poisonstar leave.
"How do you feel?"
"Like shit," I reply.
"Well, you look so much better. When I first saw you, I… I thought I had lost you."
"I'm glad I'm awake."
"Me too."
"I vaguely remember waking up. It was dark, and my eyes weren't really working. I thought I was going to die."
"I would not have lied to you."
"I know…"
I rest my head against Connor. I feel so weak, but my son brings me so much comfort. To my surprise, Connor rests his head against mine.
"Stop scaring me like that," he whispers.
"I was only trying to help," I reply.
"I know, Father. I know."
Charles reenters the room a few minutes later, carrying a bowl of soup. Connor props me up against the wall using some pillows, then Charles hands me the soup. I try to pick up the spoon, but with how shaky and weak my hands are, that's quite the feat. Finally I grab the spoon and try to take a bite. Instead I wind up dumping the spoonful on myself.
"God fucking dammit," I growl, dropping the spoon back into the bowl. Connor takes a napkin and tries his best to clean me up, then takes the bowl from me and proceeds to help me eat it. I'm so grateful yet irritated at being so helpless I can't even feed myself.
"Sir, I thought you should know that this wasn't all for nothing," Charles says.
"Oh? What has been discovered?" I ask between bites.
"Some names and locations. We can finally put some actual pressure on them."
"What names?" Connor asks.
"Significant people in the upper ranks. Louis Adams, Richard Nicholas, Simon Scotts, Rosanna Reed, Thomas Doran, and the leader, William Lewis."
"Good work."
"As far as the known locations, Miss Cooper and I have taken the liberty of sending people to sabotage their progress."
"Good. I want you to keep me updated," I say.
"In the meantime, we should really begin studying those people and begin assassinating them. We need to get rid of them if we're to put an end to this," Connor says.
"Of course, We'll get to that as well," Charles says.
"Thank you, Charles," I say.
"Go about your business. Father cannot eat if he's busy talking," Connor says.
"I'll come by later, then," Charles replies, then exits.
"That was rude," I say.
"Well, you need to eat," Connor says. I scoff but quietly accept the next bite.
When the bowl is empty, I ask Connor to get me a drink. He leaves the room with the bowl and returns with a glass of water. After yet another fail at independence, he helps me drink. I hate being so defenseless, but I'm glad Connor is here and willing to help me in this state.
"Now, get some sleep. You will feel better when you wake up," Connor says, helping me lay back down.
"Thank you, Connor," I whisper. He smiles warmly.
"You are welcome." I get comfortable and fall back asleep.