Chapter Four: Difficile Iudiciis

"We'll be meeting up with a team of Assassins." Shaun informed his teammates as they drove away from Monteriggioni, the visit feeling much too short for Desmond.

"Nolan's group?" Desmond ventured.

"No." Shaun hesitated then plowed forward. "It was decided as few who were involved in your previous experience as possible will be involved in this. It was felt it would be too weird for most to be able to handle."

"So who?"

"It's our Italian team. The one that supposedly died trying to get to you in your alternate life or whatever." Shaun waved his hand dismissively. "They'll be meeting us at the new safe house, which hopefully Lucy has no idea about."

"Elena and Sergio?" Melissa asked, hope clear on her features.

"Yes." Shaun nodded. "That team."

"Know them?" Desmond asked of Melissa.

"I've been on a couple of missions where they've helped." Melissa explained. "They're pretty good Assassins. Rumored to be descendants of Ezio Auditore, but I guess Abstergo would be after them if that was true."

"Well," Desmond shrugged. "I'm sure he had a lot of...illegitimate children. He was sort of like that...most of his life. You never know, really."

Melissa smiled lightly. "You seem to have admired him though. What was he like?"

"Incredible." Desmond grinned back. "I mean, as an Assassin, only really Altair could compare! Well, okay, I wasn't around Connor long enough or anything to know if he ever measured up to either, but Altair and Ezio were the best. Ezio knew more, but Altair was a pretty quick learner himself. Ezio also had the advantage of past Assassins increasing their knowledge and then passing it down the line. He had more to go off of than Altair. He was also incredibly good with the ladies. Not to stereotype Italians or anything, but he was totally Italian. He had the suave and goofiness to pull it off. If his charm didn't work, his blundering over attempting to be charming did. He also had this nag for trying to set me up. He really wanted to make sure I didn't end up lonely or something. Might have been because of the whole Cristina and Caterina incidents, but who knows. Anyways, it all worked out in the end."

Shaun abruptly pulled over and swung around to face Desmond.

"You were messing around with girls from the past?" Shaun gaped at him. "Are you nuts? Have you ever watched any time-travel movies? Ever? "Back to the Future" for example? Did you even contemplate if you were possibly going to erase your existence?"

"You freak out too easily." Desmond pointed out. "First off, for a while, I couldn't tell if I had traveled into the past or if the Animus was acting weird or if it was the Bleeding Effect or if I was literally trapped inside my own mind. I didn't share my fears with the others, but they were still there scratching at the back of my head. I went with the flow. That's all. Secondly, I figured as long as I didn't hinder either Ezio or Altair from hooking up with whoever they were supposed to hook up with, I would be fine. Finally, I wasn't messing around with girls. I was messing around with guys."

Shaun's mouth fell open and then red rose up to his cheeks as he turned back around to pull from the curb.

"Your father will love to hear that."

"Yup." Desmond shrugged. "But, heck, if Assassins from the past can accept it and even try to help me find someone than I'm pretty sure William can handle it just fine."

Rebecca turned around, a giddy smile on her face. "So did you hook up with any of the Assassins?"

"Yeah. Luca in Rome, Karim in Masyaf, and Heyreddin in Istanbul."

"Well, there goes that." Melissa laughed lightly. "And here I had been thinking you were kind of cute."

Desmond's heart leaped a little at this. "I never said I don't date women."

Blush came to Melissa's features at this. "I knew I should have double checked first before ratting myself out."

"So you did mess with girls." Shaun tossed out.

"I only thought about it once while Altair and I were staying with the Mongolians. There was this nice girl...Enkhtuyaa or something..."

"Gesundheit." Rebecca laughed at him.

"Yeah, but Qulan Gal reminded me of the time and place I was in." Desmond frowned slightly. "I had forgotten about customs and all. I kept feeling like I was still in the present age for some reason and it was hard to, you know, remember how to act and all. It was easier when I spent twelve years in Istanbul."

"With Hey...that guy." Rebecca didn't even try to pronounce it.

"Heyreddin." Desmond repeated the name. "Yeah. I never got as close to either Luca or Karim like I did with Heyreddin, which was funny because I absolutely refused to be with him the entire time Ezio and I were there during our first visit. It wasn't until I returned that I decided I may as well enjoy myself. It was...a mistake."

Rebecca and Melissa exchanged unreadable glances before returning their attention to him.

"And that girl was the only one?" Melissa questioned. "I think that makes you gay."

Desmond snorted a laugh. "Well, there was almost Lucy."

All the eyebrows in the van shot up at this.

"Lucy?" Melissa gaped at him. "The lady you're totally fine with leaving at Abstergo?"

"Yup." Desmond shrugged. "It was sort of a fleeting thing. I liked her because she was nice to me at Abstergo, but then...she let her entire time get attacked and the French Assassins be murdered. Her actions caused you, Rebecca, to be in the hospital and, while I didn't really care for any of you because of forced sessions in the Animus, I hated her. It was a terrible betrayal and she didn't even feel or at least act sorry. I couldn't forgive that. I was already keen towards guys and that kind of pushed me even more towards them. I have nothing against women. I still like them and all, but I haven't been with one...dating or otherwise...ever."

Melissa frowned, but nodded. "Well, I still think that makes you gay."

"I second that." Rebecca put in excitedly.

"Well, I don't think that's a deciding factor, per se." Shaun finally added his tidbit to the conversation. "I mean, you're basically saying that just because he's never been with a woman means he's gay, but that would imply all virgins as then homosexual. I think it really is whether or not someone likes a particular group. If he still likes women than he's probably bi, right? I am right."

"You're only saying that because you're a virgin and you don't want to be labeled gay." Rebecca teased.

"Where did you even come up with me being a virgin?" Shaun gaped at her briefly before returning his attention to the road. "For your information, I'm not. I've had plenty of girlfriends and..."

"Yeah, but last I checked blow-up dolls don't count."

"Are you bleeding mad?" Shaun's grip tightened on the steering wheel as everyone else laughed. "I've had real girlfriends, Rebecca. Just because I'm currently single doesn't mean I haven't had girlfriends!"

"Right, but you married your work, so if you have a girlfriend, you'd be cheating on your computer."

"And when was the last time you dated and/or had sex?" Shaun shot back. "A decade ago?"

"Jeez, Shaun." Rebecca laughed, but Desmond could tell Shaun had hit a nerve. "Sure, but at least I haven't gone two decades."

"You're getting close."

"Okay. Okay." Desmond halted any further insulting between the two. "So can we get ourselves back on track here? What's the plan?"

Shaun didn't answer immediately as he was still fuming, but once he had calmed down he exhaled heavily and began to explain.

"We'll get you back in the Animus. If what you say is true, we should be able to send you back in time to Altair's era. His younger years, probably. If your speculation on what Minerva wants is correct, you'll need to go back as far as possible. Since Altair is an ancestor you've supposedly already fully synchronized with, that will be as far as we can send you."

"And then I'll see about getting Minerva's plan set in motion." Desmond breathed out. "Thus stopping Juno, the end of the world, and the Templar's taking power...ugh...this sounds so ridiculously daunting."

"And if you're successful, you'll be as much a hero to our world as Altair and Ezio were to theirs."

"I don't care about being a hero." Desmond sighed, rushing a hand over his head. "I just don't want things to get worse than they already are and I want to survive this time."

"We'll see if we can't make it happen." Melissa patted his knee.

"We're almost there." Shaun told them.

"Where's there?" Desmond asked.

"Well, again...you're not going to like this." Shaun muttered. "Rome."

"You still want me to infiltrate Abstergo, don't you?" Desmond glowered at the man.

"It's that..." Rebecca frowned as she faced him. "I don't have the data I need and Abstergo does. Baby won't work without that data. Lucy was supposed to help us get some if we were ever able to build an Animus and find someone who could relive the past memories."

"I see." Desmond frowned. "All right. Fine. I don't see any other choice then. I'll infiltrate Abstergo."

"Good." Shaun pulled to a stop beside a rundown building. "And while you're there get Lucy."

"I fucking hate you."

"Well, we're starting out nice and friendly, aren't we?"

"When were you ever friendly?" Desmond snapped back, smiling at the glare he received. "All right. How are we doing this?"

Two chapters tonight! :D