Chapter 3

Nathan woke up, sun shining bright in his eyes. He groaned, feeling groggy. Worse than he thought he should feel. He sat up, looking at the door and seeing all of his stuff pushed away. He quickly looked around and his eyes landed on the bleach blonde bimbo sitting against the wall, chair leaning against the wall and his eyes were closed. "The hell are you doing here Princess?"

"Well, well, well, looks like Sleeping Beauty decided to wake up." Flynn sat the chair straight, stood up, and walked closer to Nate, crouching down. "But, sorry Aurora, I gave you a bit of this to make sure you weren't going to wake up anytime soon."

He pulled out a silver vial, Nathan unsure of what it was. "What is that?"

"A little bit of serum Mr. Keller has discovered. There's just a little bit here, but it's enough to ensure your cooperation. Now, you seem to have slept well over the last twenty hours, so, what is this journal about that isn't in your hands?"

Nate looked at Flynn. "So you haven't found it here, that's a good start." As Nathan stared at Flynn's green eyes, the room began to pulse. "I said, you haven't found it here," Nathan breathed out.

"Oh yes Sweetheart, it's not here, don't fret your pretty little head." The pulsing picked up, smearing everything, spinning Nate's mind and making him dizzy, causing him to fall back onto the mattress. His breathing increased, sweat sticking to the sheets again. Sounds didn't matter, except Harry's voice. He needed to hear the man again.

"So now what?" he gasped, eyes closed, hands gripping the sheets to keep him on a stable surface.

"Like Mr. Keller said, you're in our work now. The book will come back like you said it would in your phone call. So, you're going to come with me, we're going to see your new friend, and see what the next location may be. I'm sorry Nathan, but until this is finished, you are Mr. Keller's personal helper. And you're not going to fight it. If anything good comes out of this, you may be paid handsomely. So, what do you say mate?"

"I'm not your god damn mate. Don't act like we're friends. Not even accomplices."

"Your answer, Nathan," Flynn pressed, the room pulsing more with each of the men's words.

"Yes, I agree," Nathan grunted out, his stomach twisting. He curled onto his side, fetal position, as a case of cramps appeared in his lower abdomen. He grunted, Flynn suddenly placing a hand on his shoulder.

"What's wrong Drake? This isn't supposed to happen. What hurts?"

The pain escalated, Nathan biting his wrist to try to distract him. The room flared in reds and golds and greens and blues, Flynn hardly standing out. He might as well have been a wardrobe. "What...did...you do...to me?"

"Just...a little insurance policy... Do you need a drink or something?"

Nathan shook his head, taking hold of his arm in his teeth as he felt himself slide off the bed. His body was overheating, his mind was filled with pain and colors and noise from his body and surroundings. His abdomen felt like a pack of adults was thoroughly jumping on it, right above his groin, he wanted to throw up, but a quick tightness of his throat suggested suffocation. He felt himself being lifted, twisting his body and falling back down, Flynn's voice calling out.

"Driver, we need you and three others. Mr. Keller's, pronto. Get him out of here, now."

"NO!" Nathan screamed, loud enough for his voice to catch, throat crack, and a small round of coughs to overcome him.

"Easy partner, come on now, just breathe. I don't know what's happening. But, Keller will know of the solution. Easy buddy, just breathe. In and out, in and out..."

Nathan was rolled onto his front, right arm pulled over his head gently. "Easy now...breathe with me..." He felt the breath roll over his shoulders, feeling like an ocean breeze. Just slightly cooler than him... The cramps tried fighting back, but it was almost two notches better. Something bearable. His breathing began to ease, his mind spinning in circles. He didn't like laying here. He needed to move, even out his disjointed bearings. "That's right partner. Easy now, we're going to get you someplace safe."

Suddenly, he was being lifted. "No, no no no!" Nate tried swinging his head, but the sudden vertigo from the helper cronies quieted him back down.

"That's a nice patch job," he thought he heard.

"Called your mom..." he dully replied, unsure of what was real or not. The colors weren't blinding him like before, but everything was moving in a captivating motion while his heart continued to beat like something horrible was going to happen.

"Smack him!"

"Don't touch him! I don't know what's wrong. Mr. Keller has to see him immediately. If anything his fickle mouth will alert us if he seems to be getting better."

"Whatever. You know the guy."

Nathan felt something under him, causing him to curl back into a ball, gripping his hair with his hands. It was too much. He needed to get out of this mindset now. But the floor was flowing back and forth, kissing the bottom of the chair ever so lightly whenever there was a bump. Nate watched it for a moment, waiting for the carpet to roll up, but it never did...then... There it was! Nathan let out a small giggle as he waited for it to happen again. It was this or get sick.

When the car began to slow more than just a few seconds for a light or stop sign, Nathan could begin to pick himself up off the back seat. Still nauseous, he had a very far-away opinion about reality. He was walked through a dim garage, nothing more elaborate than housing their nondescript cars. He shut his eyes through each doorway, trying to not feel like another layer shed off of him with the passing.

"You going to make it?" he heard Flynn ask softly, grip not easing up off Nate's arm.

"Maybe," Nate breathed, his stomach churning again. He dropped to the floor, Flynn holding a hand on his shoulder.

"Daly, Ripley! Get Keller now!"

Nathan felt disassociated again, reality beginning to waver and the colors beginning to become one again. He groaned, sliding more onto his right side, the wall and Flynn barely supporting him. Finally, finally... Nate lifted himself and threw up, mostly liquid and bile. He felt some splatter on his leg and arm. He shakily wiped his face with the back of his hand, round two soon coming. His head spinning, he did everything to not fall back into his own filth. He felt someone lifting him away, something on his mouth and hands... He tried opening his eyes but it was black. No colors finally, no noises, just the swirling whirlpool of a stomach, swaying back and forth, back and forth...

/\/\

"We're a lucky one, aren't we Nathan... There we go..."

Nathan's eyes flickered, shutting quickly from the intrusive light. He couldn't move. His muscles wouldn't allow it.

"Don't worry. You'll be up and moving soon enough," a deeper voice said, almost no accent.

He tried shaking his head but he couldn't. "Easy. So, we're going to explain real quick, and you're going to ponder it until you can move again," the lighter, British voice said. Flynn… he recognized. "Courtesy from my hand you've been poisoned. I didn't realize you hadn't eaten, in what, barely three days? So what was supposed to be a simple truth serum ended up with you tripping your balls off. Now, we know your friend has the journal. He's returned. We want this journal, but you need to cooperate, and no one will get hurt. I'm sure you understand. Simple business and all."

"Yes, simple business," the deeper voice, Keller, purred. "You should be feeling better within twelve hours. From there on, I want you to report to us. We'll get you fed, back in shape, and send you on your way for the next, well, extrapolation." The shudder of pleasure in Keller's voice was impossible to miss.

Silence. Nathan's mind wanted to spin out of control again. He could hardly remember what happened and now these guys were feeding him new thoughts? Footsteps took way, Nathan able to let out a deep breath. At least he could breathe easily. He took great pride in his lungs. He laid there for a long while, slowly trying to ease the tense muscles across his physique. It was very slow going, but everything began to come back to him, mentally and physically. Flynn and Keller's words made sense, but he couldn't believe the bastard had poisoned him. So what if he hadn't eaten sufficiently? He was going to...eventually. But if Sullivan was back, how long had he been asleep? At least the friend had a heads up to what had first happened to the boy.

Nathan finally pushed himself into a sitting position, his muscles tight yet cooperating. He realized he was in khaki cargos, black t-shirt, something similar to what Flynn would wear. Pulling at the neck he slid off the low bed, steadying himself, making his way then to the door. Small bedroom, twin bed, wardrobe with a nightstand, table, and chair. He felt compelled to find Keller, needed to know what was next. If that's those fucking drugs, I'm… But he couldn't finish his thought as he saw the stairwell, simply end of the hall, a giant number two next to the exit door. Looking around, there were only a few other doors, all closed, no signs. If he could go down, find no one, then maybe he could... go another direction. I'm surprised there's no henchmen up here to guide me.

Shaking his head, he went down the stairs, opening the door at the first two and seeing two guards patrolling. "Drake?" One asked, Nathan nodding. "Follow me."

Third door on the right, a sharp rap before the guard opened the door and Nathan walked in. He saw Keller and Flynn, Keller behind a desk while Flynn was in a chair to the side. "Pretty good time, Mr. Drake. Nine hours." Nathan nodded, staying where he was. "Please, take a seat. We have much to discuss."

Nathan moved towards the empty chair in front of the desk, taking note of the computer, notebook, pens, and other books around, most on a bookcase lining the wall. Nathan thought he caught a few in other languages, but he quickly turned his attention back to Mr. Keller.

"You may be feeling a bit odd right now, but in due time, as I gain your trust, the dosage will be lessened. You were given quite an amount for your condition, and it's going to last for a while until your system is back under control. I've spent my life searching for items all over the world, and I'm quite pleased with the collection. I picked up the little serum concoction back in Laos, of all places. I still send money to the village for helping me out." Mr. Keller chuckled. "Now, I'm trying to expand my knowledge. I'm past your little stage of thievery. I want more. I want new items that are dreams to historians. For starters, I need Hitler's old watercolor collection. It comes with jewels and gold and cash galore, but I want the paintings. I don't care about what history has said about the war and what Hitler wanted to achieve. I just want his stock pile."

Nathan looked at him, silent. "Stuff really does work," Flynn commented quietly. "No witty remarks."

Nathan couldn't think of any though. His mind was like a blank slate, waiting to be filled with ambitions. Keller smiled, a bit darkly. "So Nathan, tell me about that book you have."

"It's...it's..." Nathan chewed his tongue, not wanting to say. "It's, stars, and moons, and some constellations."

"What's special about it? Why does your friend have it right now?"

Nathan bit his tongue again, hard. "It's ahead of its time. The book was written years before the war really took place, before things really went south. They were predicting something. I don't know what though. My friend took it...too..."

"Don't worry, my friends will patch this up right quick."

"Fix the book. Wa, water, water damage and such."

"You're lying."

Nathan looked up, unable to keep a straight face as fear began to rise. Keller sat straight, quickly smoothing his dark hair back to the side. Crossing his fingers, he peered at Nathan. Nathan didn't break the gaze, the blue beginning to flow around him.

"Why did your friend Victor Sullivan take the book with him to Langley, Virginia?"

Nathan felt the words pulse along him, his heart rate rising. "He, he took the book to have it looked at. Just, that's all I know. Navy people are down there, older, traveled a lot...may, maybe can help translate."

Nathan felt a tear slip out his eye. He bit his tongue again, white knuckles gripping his pants in bold fists. He didn't want to do this anymore. He was breathing hard, suddenly warm. But he couldn't look away from those god damn eyes. Keller saw the tear fall, a satisfied grin creeping wide. "Why are you fascinated with the book? Is it even helpful?"

"It's...old." Nathan scrunched his eyes closed. "We don't know why it is. What's the purpose if the main author could have died before any of these plans were used, even if they weren't thinking of up to ten years out? But what if they could predict that? I don't know if it's helpful. If his friends even bothered to look at it, we won't know until we read it. There's so many languages and the handwriting is emotional, clearly the author was a genius of that era."

Nathan tried keeping his eyes closed but opened them, Keller staring intently at him. He even caught out of his peripheral that Flynn had stopped picking at his nails. Keller began to smile again, showing his teeth. "Flynn, you never let me know that he had such a passion. No one did. I've talked to a few but, this is much deeper than I could have imagined. No wonder you're successful."

Nathan couldn't help but laugh. "Don't go there. I have a good heart."

But no witty remark after. Nathan realized, bit his tongue, and tried closing his eyes again. He couldn't see Sully like this. The man would know in a heartbeat that something was up, and Nathan didn't think he could handle something bad happening to his oldest friend, especially by his hand. "Well, well, well. I want you to bring the book back here. Flynn will accompany you. Then, from here, if the book doesn't prove helpful, where would you go next?"

"Argentina."

"And what are we going to find there?"

"If, and it's a big if. We could find the next clue. We'll probably have to go back to Austria or Germany, but if there's going to be a solid clue, then there's a chance it's going to be down south.

"Interesting. That's where I have a few colleagues investigating right now. But, now that I have you, maybe we all can make a trip down there. So far your reputation is at least holding true. Wonderful. Flynn will take you to get some food, and then you are to bring me the book. Bring your items back here if you can. Otherwise, well, Flynn might share or we'll just pick you up something on the way."

Nathan nodded, his mouth hurting. He wondered if he could make himself choke...no, I won't get anything that will make me choke. I need vitamins and proteins first. Flynn stood and Nathan quietly followed him down the hall behind another office door that opened up to a larger room. There were three sets of long tables, each able to seat about eight people. Two smaller tables seating two were off to the side, a small microwave, oven and stove at the edge of a large counter top.

"Make yourself something to eat. There's enough for pasta, sandwiches, rice, pizza, whatever you want." Nathan quietly raided the fridge, hurrying and getting back to the table with a sandwich and some toast with peanut butter. He started chowing down, Flynn looking back at the counter top. "Bloody arse, how could you forget your water?"

Flynn stood up and retrieved it, Nate muttering "Thank you."

"That's it, no other comments? What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Nathan shook his head. "Oh boy, Jesus mate. The English language is open to me now. What do I get to say first? You shoot like a gorilla? You fight like a stick in the mud? You're dumber than a misdirected river? You empty head is worse than a goldfish?" Nathan sat there, quietly, not knowing what to say back as the man just laughed, leaning back in his chair. "Okay, if it's that easy, then I'll try to keep my comments to myself. But, wow your spirit has been wiped. Good thing we have your brain."

Nathan finished, following Flynn outside. "Hop in the back, I'll take you to get that book. I'll stay in the hall. You and your friend can have your fun, but if it takes too long, I'm going to join the game and it won't be so much fun after that. Clear?"

"Crystal," Nathan said, biting down on his tongue as he silently watched out the window, trying to remember the directions. Some of it looked familiar, but he couldn't grasp onto anything longer than a few moments. If I can't even focus, how am I supposed to help them figure this all out? Or are they just going to get rid of me at the end? I can do this... I have to. I need to get out... of this car. It's a little bit suffocating. I need fresh air. The colors began again, slowly pulsing along his vision. The street signs smeared, unreadable. "You...my water...what did you do?" he breathed out, not wanting his vision to start spinning again.

"Sorry pal, we don't know how quickly the stuff is going to wear off of you. You've been under it for about three days now, so it's due time. The food in the next half hour will help calm you back down. Judging by how you were able to try lying to Keller means it was starting to fade. And I can't have you fading on us in the middle of this. I'd rather you be tripping and on my side, listening to what I tell you to do."

Nathan didn't say anything, closing his eyes as he felt himself slip from possession of his body. He was along for the ride, and at the moment breathing seemed to be all he could do. Finally he felt the car stop and a door open, Nathan trying to grab the handle to his. As soon as he got it, it was pulled open, Nathan looking up at Flynn. "Let's go get that book, shall we? You're the master, you know where it is and what to do to get it."

Like a job...he could do this. Easy. If he could stand. The sun was beginning to set, the two carefully walking up to Nathan's scummy motel, heading towards the fourth floor. They kept to the elevator since Nate couldn't walk the stairs, his vision starting to straighten out. "Why...why affect me so much with the stuff?"

"Because, that's how much we need you. How much Keller needs you. I can do it, but you...you're faster. I can't say if I trust the stuff, especially with seeing your two reactions to it, but after this we should be able to ease up a little."

Nathan made it to his room, Flynn standing off to the side, listening. Nathan opened the door, Sullivan at the window smoking his cigar. The older man turned, grinning as soon as he saw Nate, but the smile soon fell. "Boy, what's wrong? Nathan, what happened?"

Nathan shook his head, smearing the colors, Sully's blue and white shirt distracting the most. "You have the book?"

"Yeah, in my suitcase. Nathan, what's wrong? What happened? The room was a wreck when I got back. What happened?"

Nathan looked at Sully, unable to say anything. The most he could think of was tapping right under his eye, then ran his hand through his hair and gripped it. That's all his mind would let him do. "Please, I need the book."

"Now that's a no go, Nate. You're not in a right set of mind, and I won't let you have it."

"Something, important then?"

He gripped his head as Sully spun quickly, the shirt trying to make him sick. He breathed out, not wanting anything bad to happen. No response meant yes. "Nathan, who else is here with you? You couldn't have made it here in this condition by yourself."

"I guess that's my cue," Flynn drawled, stepping into the room. "Victor! So good to see you again. I'm glad to see that you're almost as old as your cigars now." He stepped next to Nate. "Darling, would you mind fetching that dirty book you've so eagerly told us about?" Flynn's tone was thoroughly enjoying this.

"No, Nathan, stay right there." Nathan looked at Sully and continued moving towards the man's suitcase, Sully putting his arm on Nate. Nate quickly spun, switching his grip on Sullivan. He was about to slam his arm down on his elder's, but stopped himself. Flynn walked up and grabbed Sully's shoulder, pulling him back. "Nathan, what are you doing?"

"He's a bit preoccupied right now. We're trying to make this easy on all of us, with as little ruckus as possible. My little sugar plum is being a great assistant, and I'd hate to have to break his concentration and make him do something he'd end up regretting. So, we're taking this book, thank you for your cooperation, and we hope to be working with you again soon. As long as our little pet does his job, he will return in safe condition, all hoity-toity, mouthy little brat that he is."

Nathan only grabbed the book, seeing his duffle bag and remembering he needed clothes. He picked it up, walking back over to Flynn. The corners of his vision were shaky, another tear slipping out. Sully was standing by the window, arms at his side, face completely lost. "Why? Why are you doing this?" His voice cracked, causing another tear to escape from Nathan, having to turn away from Sully.

"We're making him," Flynn responded. "Leave it at that."

Nathan walked out of the room, steadying his vision as he felt like he was tipping. Suddenly he was leaning against the wall, sliding down. His vision sparked, his brain freaking out. His inner voice was screaming, screaming so loud, but unable to say anything. He couldn't. He couldn't calm his body down normally.

"What the hell did you do to him!"

I'm trapped...come on, help me... There were two quick crashes, three grunts... he almost didn't care who helped him now. Sully was safer... I don't want to hurt him. What am I going to do? What's going to happen? A strong image of Keller came to his mind, his body beginning to stir. He pushed himself up the wall, just trying to take steps to the stairway. No way he could handle to motion of an elevator, and the stairway at least bought him time to collect himself. He pressed hard against the wall, footsteps soon coming up behind him. "Where are you going?"

He was slightly upset it was Flynn. "Stairs. We good?"

Flynn took the bag from his shoulder and the book from his hand. "We're good. Don't worry, he's not hurt. Not too badly, at least. He'll be slow for maybe a day. At least the man still has his strength, I'm sure from palling around with you, eh?"

"Yeah, yeah sure."

He managed his way slowly down the stairs, every flight regretting his choice, until he thought of the jolting of the elevator and how his stomach was already twisting and contorting. The middle of each flight was much more bearable. Slowly they made it out to the car, Nate climbing into the back and laying down across the seats as Flynn tossed the stuff onto the passenger seat. "How are you holding up?"

Nathan couldn't help himself. He gave a slight growl into the seat, but was left panting after a sudden turn twisted his stomach. "I don't like this. I don't like this. I don't like this. I don't like this."

His brain seemed stuck. It was the only thing he thought he could say, aloud, to get his point across of how trapped he was internally. After maybe a mile, Flynn pulled the car over, quickly coming to Nathan and opening the door, lifting him up and peering into his eyes with a flashlight. "Bugger, things better be normal."

Nathan kept closing his eyes, playing a childish battle against having his eyes checked. He was sure Flynn was checking color and dilation. Maybe even response time. But the light was damn bright. Almost infuriating. He just wanted to lay back, control the sudden exhaustion, waves, and lightheadedness. "Go away, I don't like this!" He yelled one more time, mustering the strength to kick Flynn away. It was weak, but it got the point through.

"Your eyes are still blue, not bloodshot or yellow. That's a good start." Flynn went back to the driver's seat and Nathan relaxed once more, breathing steady, the car taking off. He was quiet the whole way, no other word being said from the blonde either. They parked the car in the garage, once again, Flynn beating Nathan to opening the door handle. "And you still have no comments to say. I almost feel bad for you."

Nathan dragged himself up to his room with Flynn's help, eyes landing straight on the bed. He noticed the moon was shining through the open blinds, giving him a little bit of relaxation. He hated how sleepy the drug made him, but maybe he'd at least get back on a normal day shift after tonight. He dumped his duffle bag, kicked off his shoes, and fell onto the bed. His vision and stomach had quit spinning, his mind was quiet, his body wasn't on high alert… He could get used to this...maybe...

He slipped off, hoping he never woke again, but hoping he woke back up in the same room as Sully, being told this was all a bad dream.

~~/\/\/\/\

Finally the boat docked, Nathan and Sullivan eager to gain their land legs back. They had made decent progress on the book, but it was all they could do. To actually finish the book, Sully had to contact some friends. And they weren't too keen on him coming back to the area. "So...your plane..."

"It's across this magnificent island. Let's go buy some cigars, make some friends, then we'll hit the road. I'm sure I smell like that nasty boat. A proper shower would be nice."

"Fine. Spend the night, move out in the morning. That's fine.

Sully led him to the closest hotel, getting a room for them, with Sully being the first to claim the shower. Nathan laid back on the actual bed, his muscles beginning to cry in relief. "Not yet," he muttered, sitting back up and pulling his bag close to try to find something moderately clean to wear. "Maybe this place has laundry services too. That'd be nice for once."

Nate began stretching his muscles again, hopping around to keep his energy up. It was nice being on solid ground. The book gave them just a few more clues to work with, which was a relief. Soon enough Sully was emerging from the bathroom, Nathan happily hopping in after. The boat had been quite dirty, and didn't offer showers. When you're all scumbags traveling quietly from one country to another, you gotta take what you can get.

A nice clean up and towel after, Nathan felt ready to hit the town. Nathan planned on hopefully a few magic tricks to earn them some cash, and hope that they could make it back to America. "What do you think this town has in store?"

"Being that everything is cozy and a bit historic, I'd say it's going to be a good evening. We can relax, enjoy a few drinks, and then head back. What are you so worried about?"

"There's a few things…"

Nathan watched the streets around them, not too many people looking towards their direction. No one would look twice at another white family, even if they spoke American. As long as English slang wasn't a problem, neither were the foreigners. Sully clapped his hands together at the first tobacco shop they came too, a few minutes later coming out with a new set of cigars, a case, and more fuel for the zippo. Nathan chuckled as they continued to the bar, sitting at a table and ordering some actual food and drinks. Nathan looked around, seeming to be mostly locals. He relaxed. Hop on a train, take it down south, get Sully's plane, head back to the states. Sully and he enjoyed the dull voices around him, Nathan taking in the wooden walls, posters of old English musicians, a corner even dedicated to the Beatles.

Their server brought their food, tall guy, quiet voice, said to let him know if they needed anything else, before heading away and chitchatting with some other regulars. "I like this place. Burgers aren't bad."

"It's nice not having to look over your back every five minutes," Sully murmured in agreement. They quietly finished their meals, paying and deciding to take a walk around. They found the train station and bought their tickets for the next morning, and walked around the old city, Nathan enjoying the old buildings, finding his way into a museum. He looked around all the sailor items, looking for anything that might have been Sir Francis Drake's. Next were the World Wars, wondering if there was any other information he might be able to use for the book.

They had a few paintings from around the time Hitler was in charge, but nothing that he had made himself. He carefully evaluated them, looking for any hints of something. The frames were basic, the art was basic, Hitler didn't have anything encoded on his arms or sleeves... "What a waste," he muttered, turning around and seeing a man behind him.

"These painting's aren't a waste," he commented, voice a bit deeper, hair shaved to his scalp. His accent was thick, Nathan suddenly feeling awkward.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to insult. I'm just looking for something specific, and it's not here."

Nathan thought he caught a quick glint of curiosity in the man's eye. "Looking for something? Maybe I can help. Name's Charles Cutter. Friends call me Charlie."

"Nathan Drake. We're just in town for the night. Doing some research on Hitler over here, or, World War two type of things. We were just wondering if the museum might have had an item or something that would give a bit more insight to his mind or teachings."

"Teachings...right... Well, there's a few items around, the most interesting is a small watercolor that he supposedly did back when he was trying to get in school. People bicker, but I think he painted it."

Nathan followed the equally broad man, although Cutter had a few inches on him. Around a corner it was in a glass case, a gold plate underneath reading "Sternklar, January 3rd, 1930"

"Wait, he wasn't in school though in 1930." Nathan looked at Cutter and saw a small smile across his face. "This is when he was just starting to promote the Nazi party. Like, maybe this was just... What does sternklar mean?"

"Starlit," Sully responded, coming over. "I could hear you across the place. Use your inside voice."

"Sorry. Sully, this is Charlie Cutter. He walked me over here."

"Charlie, Victor Sullivan," Sully said, shaking his hand. "What's your fascination with Hitler?" he asked the Brit, Charlie having a small grin on his face.

"Well, as more from history keeps coming up, more things are changing. More hints, like this painting, suggests that this possibly something he did in the off time to calm down. Or maybe he did continue his art classes through a private teacher."

Nathan looked at Sully. "Starlit... Like..." Sully nodded slowly, Nate hoping he could see where Nate was going with this. Nathan turned back to the painting, watching how the water colors blended in, the blues and whites, little red, forming just a forest at night, the moon and clouds shining on the ground. Little tendrils of wind were blowing through the grass, even small sketch lines still visible in the blue. "Oh my god Sully!" Cutter looked taken aback for a moment with Nate's sudden realization. Even a few people turned their heads, two ladies and a guard giving him a dirty look. "There's ah, a, a giant bug in the corner, yeah," Nathan scratched his head, pointing randomly to the corner of the hall.

"What the hell Nate?"

"Look, look closely at the painting...the moon, trees, the wind, per chance?"

Sully went and looked closer at the painting, a finger tapping his lips. "Well would you look at that. Now what type of project was going on after this?"

"Gents, please, about the vagueness of this situation, I'm a bit of a historian, and I like to dapple in all areas. What can I tell you about this one?"

"Where was it found? I've seen this before, kind of, but it was drawn by someone else. I think." Nathan quickly ran his fingers through his hair, looking back at the painting in resistance to pulling out the journal from his satchel.

"It was donated, actually. I believe from Austria. Couldn't tell you where else though. Kind of cryptic, we had a huge opening when it came to the painting, because if it was Hitler himself...well, there must be more somewhere."

"There is. Or, well, we believe there are more. Just the where is the question. Well, excellent. Any other pieces around here?"

Cutter showed them a few more items, Nathan pleased that there was a little bit of something in the museum. Nothing worth stealing, but a good little insight in what to look for. Cutter left them his number, saying to give a call if they needed more information. "I mean, we're across countries and all, but you chaps seem pleasant. I tend to dive into other realms of expertise if you need anything."

Nathan smiled. "So do we. Thank you for your help. It's a pleasure to meet you. Hopefully we get in touch soon."

They separated ways, Nate and Sully wandering towards the harbor, enjoying the afternoon sunlight. "Well, we still have the rest of the day to kill. What do you have in mind?" Sully asked, Nathan already pondering.

"What are the chances? What are the chances that he heard my offhand comment, and then boom, can show me a freaking painting that we have a sketch of? In a mystery book of all places! Okay, well maybe that's not as much as a surprise, but still! Which came first? The painting or the sketch? The book or the painting? Now where do we look from here? This is only creating more questions."

"Think of the solution, not the problem. Who cares that there's a painting and a sketch? Now we know there's two. Excellent. That may actually help us, but hey, if we have any questions, just look at the book. We carry on like normal, and we plan the next step after we get to the states. We have a plan right now, and we're following it. None of your improvising crap."

"We'll just come to that later."

"Not if I can help it," Sully muttered, lighting a cigar.

They stood there for a while, taking in the sights and the fresh air. Hearing the voices around Nathan was enough to relax him, glad people had normal lives to carry on and no idea what they dealt with every day. Granted, Nathan never saw himself leading a normal life. He wanted those 'great things,' and he didn't care what it took to get a taste of those magnificent wonders of the world from past explorers. Nate and Sully finally went to a store, picking up some supplies for the train ride and flight. Another day or two, and they would be back in the states. Nathan felt his shoulders relax, enjoying the extraordinary, normal day.

Enjoy, it's definitely one of my favorites.
So i kinda bit off a lot more than i realized, and i need to do more research. This all was a topic i randomly caught bits on off the internet and school. Well, low and behold, apparently the end of 2016 is Hitler Awareness. I have some shows recorded ABOUT THIS SPECIFICALLY YAY! and I need to do a little bit of notes for the straight continuance of the next chapters to really build on. Not my normal writings, but, i want to keep these characters in character as much as possible. I love ALL OF THEM AND I'D HATE TO FUCK IT UP.

This matters a lot to me, so i'm hoping as i watch these shows, to be able to bust out the next five chapters (with probably a bit of struggle) in a timely manner. Although, anyone a fan of assassin's creed? Been noticing some weird hair-pulling things about their games and the uncharted series. That's also tripping me up about this story. Especially cus Nolan North is some staged voice for Desmond Miles, and then busts out as Nathan Drake... Kinda same personality, i like his Desmond role cus he cusses in ways Drake doesn't...but then, it's Nathan Drake and he freaking NAILS it.

K. Have a good night. This is way to long but where i'm trying to stay organized.