"I don't care who you are, Drake!" Shaun shouted above the two struggling men. "The Apple doesn't belong to you!"

"And I suppose you guys think it belongs to you? Sorry, but I've been through my fair share of treasure hunts and I always come out on top," Nate said keeping back Desmond's hidden blade.

"Now if you'll excuse me," he said and shoved Desmond back all the way. Desmond got his balance and thrust his hidden blade forward. Nathan dodged this and swung the back of his fist into Desmond's face. As Desmond staggered back, Nate grabbed his head and drove it into his knee. The Assassin quickly crashed down to the floor and Nate stood over his head with the Apple.

"Thanks," he quickly remarked and went rushing off towards the exit. Lucy chased after him at the top of the platform and leapt off; hidden blade drawn. Nathan looked over his shoulder and saw Lucy bearing down on top of him. Lucy would rather not spill unnecessary blood, but The Apple was too important to lose. Lucy spotted something out of the corner of her eye and her head spun to the right. Her eyes widened in fear as a grenade flew straight for her and there was no way she could dodge it. The thing blew up far and Lucy crashed to the floor. She got the wind knocked out of her and her whole body was shaking.

"Thanks, Elena!" Nate shouted already ascending back up to the top.

"Lucy!" Desmond called out in worry running to her side.

"I'm fine," she said though her appearance contradicted this statement. Several parts of her face were scratched up from the fall and Desmond thought he saw blood flowing out of her hidden blade arm as well. She was lucky the grenade blew up where it did. Any closer and she'd be a goner.

"We've got Lucy," Rebecca said instantly at their side while Shaun tried to help her up. "Go after those two."

After sparring Lucy one last glance Desmond resumed the pursuit of Nathan and Elena.

"How are we supposed to get to the top in time? We can't climb all the way up," Elena said once she and Nathan reached the lift that would take them up to the Church.

"How should I know?" Nate asked deciding to try to climb up.

"Stop right there," Desmond ordered them. Nate and Elena aimed both their guns at Desmond, but that didn't seem to intimidate him in the least.

"Listen friend. You don't know what you're dealing with here."

"I've read the file on this thing. Some sort of item of immense power. I've yet to see anything that suggests the sort."

"Not now, but you will. Just hand over the Apple and I'll let you go," Desmond offered.

"And if I say no?"

"Oh, just give up the blasted thing," Shaun's irritated voice said. Desmond looked over his shoulder seeing that they had caught up with him. Rebecca was keeping the injured Lucy supported the best she could.

"Seriously; we all know how this is going to end," Rebecca joined in. "We'll clash over the Apple for a bit and then when the smoke clears we'll be the ones clutching it in victory."

"What makes you say that?" Elena asked.

"We're the good guys. That's how it always works," Shaun remarked.

"Good guys? Newsflash; this isn't a movie," Nate said.

"Is it just me or do Desmond and this guy sound strangely alike?" Rebecca asked.

"Ok enough!" Desmond yelled and leapt forward tackling Nate to the floor making him drop the Apple. Elena pointed her gun at the struggling pair, but Lucy sprang forward forgetting the pain in her arm. Elena spotted her and turned the gun towards her, however, Lucy grabbed her arm and the two fought for control of the gun.

"Shouldn't we… I don't know. Try and help them?" Rebecca asked.

"I think they have things perfectly under control," Shaun said. Seconds later Lucy flipped Elena onto the ground and kicked her in the nose. Elena yelled and her gun spun from her grasp. Nate and Desmond were back up and Nate kicked Desmond in the stomach knocking him into the structure in the center of the lift. Desmond's hand touched the top of it and it started to glow taking the lift back into the Church. Nate went to Elena's side and helped her up; not once taking his gaze off of Desmond. Lucy was still panting, but seemed she could still go several round's despite her arm. The lift stopped and the Apple started to roll off the lift. Nate and Desmond were about to make another dive for it when the explosion at the entrance to the building exploded.

"There they are!" A new arrival shouted.

"Great! More trouble! Elena, take cover!" Nate yelled scooping up the piece of Eden and ducking behind one of the pews. A group of armed mercenaries entered the building and started firing at everything in sight.

"What's going on in there! ? I heard an explosion! ?" Sullivan yelled through the radio.

"We've been ambushed! These guys are coming at us from inside the Santa Maria Aracoeli!" Nate answered back.

"The where?"

"The Cathedral, Sully!" Elena shouted over her radio doding bullets.

"I'm on my way. Just hold tight," Sully replied.

"Easy for you to say," Nate thought ducking to avoid fire.

"Remind me. Why didn't we bring guns?" Shaun asked Lucy as they kept down to avoid the guns.

"How was I supposed to know other people besides Abstergo would be after the Apple?" Lucy asked him as Elena brought down another mercenary.

"Hey you four!" One of the mercenaries yelled aiming his gun at them.

Rebecca reached into her pocket and pulled out a throwing knife. She chucked it at the man and it sank into the barrel of his gun. Rebecca leapt over the pew and back flipped to the mercenary. She locked her legs around his neck and then slammed him to the floor. She took up his assault rifle from his back and gunned down several of the other mercenaries. She looked back to her friends and smiled at their stunned expressions.

"What?" She asked grinning.

"Since when can you fight?" Shaun asked bewildered.

"What do you think I'm doing all those days we don't have to use the Animus-AHHH!" She shouted as a bullet grazed her shoulder.

"Rebecca!" Desmond ran to her side and tossed a throwing knife at an approaching mercenary. The knife sank into his knee making him fall over. A bigger mercenary ran at Desmond and threw a quick punch at him. His fist connected with the right side of Desmond's face forcing him to the floor. Desmond recovered and countered the guy's next punch by punching him in the wrist. The mercenary grabbed his wrist and Desmond yanked of his helmet. He finished him off by stabbing him in the forehead with his hidden blade.

"I don't know if we should be thanking these guys or what," Elena said reloading her gun.

"Less talking more shooting!" Nate yelled tossing a grenade over head.

"Grenade!" Some of the mercenaries warned. The warning came too late and they were all blown to smithereens. Nate waited patiently behind his cover waiting for the sounds of more mercenaries, but there was nothing.

"Nate! You guys need to get out of there fast! The rest of the mercenaries just made a run for it and it ain't because you guys were too much for them," Sully frantically warned.

"What's wrong?" Nate asked and then heard the sounds of police sirens in the distance and getting closer every second.

"Does that answer your question? I'm in an alleyway just across from the Church. Now get your butts moving."

"Right. Come on Elena," Nate said making a run for it.

Desmond got up to chase after them, but Lucy grabbed his arm. "We can't risk being seen by the police."

"But we can't risk losing the Apple," Desmond said breaking out of her grip and going after them.

"He's going to be the death of us I hope you realize," Shaun said.

"Shut up Shaun," Lucy ordered running after him.

Nate sprinted down all 124 steps; taking some steps two at a time. Elena was panting after him; trying to keep up. They made it to the alleyway and into the back of the van just as the cops arrived.

"Get to the van!" Desmond ordered over his shoulder; not stopping even after the cops got out of their cars and revealed their guns. Desmond pulled on his hood and leapt over one of the cops' heads landing on the hood of his car. The cop spun around, but Desmond yanked away his gun and smacked it against the side of his head taking him out. Desmond hopped off the hood avoiding another cops' gun fire and tossed a throwing knife into the knee of another officer.

Desmond heard the sound of a van's screeching tires and caught sight of a van making a hasty exit from an alley way. Despite the danger Desmond sprinted forward at the van. He saw the police officers aiming for him and he jumped at the fleeing vehicle. He caught the side of it and the bullet's whizzed by as the van shot forward away from the Church.

"Did you hear something?" Nate asked inside the van.

"Hope you mean the sound of the fading police sirens because I don't think I have the stamina to keep shooting right now," Elena said.

"Talk about being out of practice," Nate said eyeing the Apple. "Who do you suppose those jokers were?"

"People that shouldn't be messed with. I'm almost certain I saw one block the barrel of a gun with a throwing knife," Elena said.

"Well you can relax. They're miles behind and probably being arrested as we speak," Nate said smiling.

"Wanna bet?" Desmond asked.

"Holy!" Sully yelled noticing Desmond head looking through his window. Keeping a grip on the top of the van Desmond reached inside and grabbed the wheel. Sully pulled the wheel in the opposite direction as hard as he could. Despite the van starting to lose control, Desmond never faltered from his position on top of it.

"Sully look out!" Nate quickly cautioned. Sully and Desmond looked ahead and saw they were about to hit a car stopped at a red light. Desmond let go of the wheel and Sully switched into the next lane avoiding the car, but almost getting hit again in the intersection.

"Slow down or you're gonna get us all killed!" Elena shouted in worry.

"Hey you wanna drive?" Sully asked then looked back at the road. He gasped when he saw Desmond sitting on the hood of the van. He rose up his hidden and tried to stab through the windshield when Sully hit the brakes and jerked the wheel to the left. Desmond was flung off the car and made a hard landing on the street. The sound of other screeching tires probabl trying to avoid hitting Sully followed.

As Desmond shook his head a little he heard more cars approaching and the next thing he knew he and Nate's van were completely boxed in on the street by several armored police cars. Knowing he would be good to anyone dead or arrested Desmond reluctantly dashed to the closet building and swiftly scaled it to escape the police.

"Come out of their Drake and no one gets hurt," one officer ordered.

"They know my name. I must have quite the reputation," Nate laughed.

"Will you quite being so full of yourself Nate. We're going to jail," Elena said shaking her head. "My boss is gonna kill me if he finds out," she thought.

"Hey I've been to jail numerous times. It's not as bad as you think," he laughed exiting the back of the van with his hands up. "Ok guys. You caught…me. Oh no."

"Oh yes," Chloe said standing at the edge of the blockade. "Gotta thank you for making this treasure hunt a cinch for me."

"Should've figured those were your men," he said keeping his hands up.

"Indeed. And in true Nathan Drake fashion you plowed through all of them with minimal injuries."

"These guys cops as well or is this all just a charade?" Elena asked.

"All cops minus the ones you ran into earlier. You'd be surprised how far my employer's influence reaches, Elena. Now hand over the Apple. You'd be wise to not attempt anything if you know what's good for you," she said as her men raised their weapons. Nathan glared at her as he went back into the van for the Apple. He brought it out and held it up for her.

"That's a good boy," Chloe said taking the Apple from him. She then gave Nate a smile, put her arm around his neck and gave him a kiss. Elena's hands tightened into fists and if it weren't for the armed police men would've attacked Chloe right then and there. Nate broke away from Chloe, who only gave him a playful sour look.

"What's the matter Nate? Not a fan of last year's last year's model?" She joked then looked at Elena. "Don't be jealous, Elena," she said turning around to walk back to one of the police cars; making sure Nate got a good look at her ass on the way back. "Definitely be jealous," she thought to herself with a smirk.

"Make sure they leave town," she said to one of the cops. "And DON'T kill them," she said putting emphasis on the 'don't'.

Desmond looked on from a top the building as Nate, Elena, and Sully were pushed back into their van. He silently cursed and activated his communicator.

"It's Desmond. You guys alright?"

"Yeah. We're ok," Lucy answered.

"We got away no problem," Rebecca said.

"If by no problem you mean, driving us into incoming traffic to avoid the cops with an injured shoulder no less, then yes. No problem."

"Shut up Shaun."

"What about you?" Lucy asked.

"Our 'friends' got ambushed during their escape attempt. I managed to avoid being seen, but they had the Apple stolen from them. I heard one of them mention that they worked for a company that had great influence. How much are you willing to bet she was referring to Abstergo?"

"Damn it," Lucy cursed. "We're stationed just a few miles north of the Church. As far as I can tell no one seems to be looking for us. We hid the truck in an alley."

"Thanks. I should be able to find you guys without any problem," Desmond said and then jumped across the building to meet up with his friends. Thanks to the rooftops Desmond reached his destination in very little time.

"So we're back to square one again," Shaun said as Desmond joined them.

"Would it honestly kill you to say something positive in your life for once?" Rebecca asked tired of Shaun always looking at the negative.

"Who knows? It just might."

"Now is not the time for us to be arguing. We need to figure out some way to track those mercenaries down and get back the Apple. Otherwise we'll have no other way to locate the other temples," Lucy said as she wrapped up her injured arm.

Desmond started feeling light headed. He rubbed his temples a few times, but felt the area begin spinning and wouldn't let up. He had a sense of falling, but never felt himself hit the ground.

Year: 1578

Location: Somewhere at sea on board the flagship the Golden Hind

"Where am I?" Desmond thought then noticed he was on a boat.

"Take cover!" he heard someone yell and then he ducked to avoid canon fire.

"Great. The bleeding effect again," Desmond thought. His unknown ancestor was dashing across the deck and then tackled another man out of the way of another canon ball.

"Are you alright, Captain Drake?" He asked with the faintest traces of an Italian accent.

"There's that name again," Desmond thought.

Desmond felt something cold splash against his face and woke up coughing to see Shaun holding a bucket of water. "What happened?" Desmond coughed. "And where did you get that bucket from?"

"Forget the bucket," Shaun said tossing the thing aside. "What did you just see?"

"I don't know. It was quick. I was out at sea. One of my ancestors pushed a man he referred to as Captain Drake out of canon fire. What would my ancestor be doing with a bunch of English guys?"

"Wait. Drake; do you think he meant Sir Frances Drake?" Shaun asked.

"I don't know, but there's only one way to be certain. I need to go back into the Animus again."

"Desmond, are you sure?" Lucy asked him in concern. "The bleeding affect is starting to get worse for you now. I promised that you wouldn't end up like 16."

"There's got to be some connection between all that's transpired Lucy and the Animus is the only way to figure it out."

"All this trouble for this little thing," Chloe wondered looking over the Apple of Eden. "What's so special about you?" She thought and then The Apple started to glow in her palms. "Oh my God."

To Be Continued…

A/N: I will do my best to try and be as historically acurate as I can with past events.