I'm soooooo sorry for the delay. Delay hell, this was a many month wait! I know, I know, I am a horrible person! Not really, but it fun to say things like that. Anywho, I have a brand new Acer laptop, a fresh hard drive, and 5 gigs of internet. I am good to go! I have Chapter 13 almost done. It should be up sometime tonight or early in the morning. I will warn you now, this was the last chapter I wrote on my old laptop. It is not my best work, but I did what I could to fix it. You will see the difference in writing in the next chapter. Well, on with the story.

Chapter 12

Staying in a crouched position for any period of time will make your legs sore, but in this case, I was not a happy camper. I mean, for one, I was stuck in a room at Abstergo with Altair and Ezio. The first one I was pissed at and the second was so close to me that it was making me a bit claustrophobic. I nudged him with my knee.

"Would you please move an inch to your left? If they come in, we are going to be tripping over each other to get to them." I glared at him.

He grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, I just love being so close to you, Bella."

I just rolled my eyes. Even in a life or, well in our case, temporary death, situation, he was always cracking jokes. At least he had a sense of humor, unlike our other companion, who I think wood had more personality than he did at times.

"Would you two stop it? They will be here any minute and you are clowning around. I personally, do not want to be shot today. It makes me a bit angry." Altair narrowed his amber eyes at us.

Before we could make a retort, the door slid open. Seven guards rushed it, semi-automatic sub machine guns drawn. We watched them, and in turn, they watched us. I wanted nothing more than to snap each and every one of their necks, then kick each of them for good measure. I was a little twisted that way. Hey, you try living for as many years as I have and tell me your mind does not become a bit warped. I wasn't like I went around killing everyone, just the ones that needed it, or that severely pissed me off. Just one perk of being trained in the art of killing.

The lead guard got on the walkie talkie. "One of them threw a fit and kicked the door control panel. Busted it. That was what set off the alarm. No escape attempt here."

'Move them to a new cell. Keep on your guard though. They are extremely dangerous.'

Hah! If they think we are dangerous without weapons, what will they do when we take their guns and make our way out of here? I smiled at the thought. This was going to be fun indeed.

"What are you smiling about, woman?" The idiot guard closest to me asked, leveling his gun with my head.

"I was just thinking about the seven ways I can kill you before your friends have a chance to react." I gave a lopsided grin.

"Seven? I can think of twelve and not break a sweat." Ezio smiled evilly.

"Hah! You two are thinking low. I know fifteen ways, and can take out two of them before they get off a shot." Altair shook his head. "Would you like to see?" He turned those eagle eyes on the men before us.

Their grips tightened on their weapons. We had them on edge. Just where they needed to be. "Now!"

Like a tightly coiled spring that had been released, we came off the floor as one. I had fought next to Altair for many years and he fought next to Ezio for nearly as many, we worked like one unit. Poetry in motion. Our moves fluid and our strikes, deadly. I grabbed the first guard's gun, slamming it into his face, while the Italian bashed two of their heads together. Altair, on the other hand, was out for blood. He snapped the neck of the first guard he grabbed, took his knife and stabbed the next man in the face. Blood poured over his hand and sprayed on his clothes.

By the time we were done, the seven men were either dead or knocked out. I looked at our handy work. "Did you really have to go all out on them?" I turned my attention to the ancient assassin. "I mean, a knife to the face? A bit much, don't you think?"

He smirked. That damn cockiness was back. "Not really. I have a feeling you were thinking of something close to what I just did."

I shrugged. He had me there. "So, what do you think our time is like before they realize their team is dead and we are on the loose?"

"A few more minutes at least." Ezio looked down at the bodies. "Take their clothes and weapons?"

"Sounds like a plan." I bent down and began to pull the boots off the first one that looked like it might fit me.

Ah, the downside of being a shorter person. Most of the things that would fit the guys would not fit on my smaller frame. I guess I would have to live with it. Sucks to be me and all that jazz. Oh well, life goes on.

After dressing and checking the weapons, we were ready to go release the rest of our merry band. "Now, where do you think the others are?" Altair checked the magazine in his gun.

"I know. Let's throw Alanna into the hall in nothing but that scraps of lace she calls undergarments and get her to ask them. I'm sure they would start drooling and think it would be an easy piece of tail." Ezio wagged his eyebrows at me.

Rolling my eyes, I pointed the 9mm Beretta I lifted from one of the men at him. "One more unhelpful thing comes from your mouth, Auditore, and so help me I will put a bullet in your head. At least that would keep you quiet for awhile."

"I rather like that idea. At least I know you would not be able to shoot one of us if we pissed you off." The Arab shook his head, but a ghost of a smile was on his lips. "Besides, I rather like those garments. They leave little to the imagination."

"And too bad you will not see them again, asshole." I walked over to the door, leaving both men standing there in the middle of the room. "You coming or what?"

They looked at each other and followed me out of the room. Now, normally sane people did not just go walking around the enemy compounds carrying dead guards' weapons and wearing their clothes, but we have already been over this. I am not normal and not quite all there. Neither are the two men with me. We are a bit off kilter if you know what I mean. Not being able to die is a plus in situations like this. They may be able to knock us out or take us down for a little bit, but to kill us? Not happening. I tried, failed and tried some more.

"We need to find a computer terminal. I might be able to hack into their system and find the others." Ezio looked down a corridor and then turned to Altair and myself.

"Since when do you hack computer systems?" I checked the other hallway. Clear. Altair kept point.

"Since I thought it would be useful and I was bored. I have a lot of free time on my hands anymore. This is the most excitement I have had in awhile." He kept looking around, but had a smile on his face.

Altair turned and looked at us. "Something is wrong. Don't ask how I know, but they should have come for us already."

I thought about that. Three assassins running around a Templar compound was a big red flag to take them down, but we had not encountered anyone as of yet. It was very odd to say the least. "You are right. We should have seen a tech or another guard at least, but it's like they all have left."

"Because they have."

We spun around to see a woman standing there, white jacket unzipped over a pair of blood red tank top, black cargo pants and a black combat boots. "Who in the hell are you?" Altair pointed the semi automatic at her.

"Calm yourself alright. My name is Jenna. I was sent here by the Brotherhood. The assholes here took a young man named Desmond Miles. I was sent to get him and retrieve any others that were still alive." She looked at us with a pair of sky blue eyes. Her sandy blond hair was braided and hung down her back. "I am guessing you are Alanna Dowd and the team that came here? They said to try and get you out alive."

"You seem sure of your skills, Jenna. They only sent you?" I relaxed a bit, but still stayed on my guard. There was still something amiss.

She laughed. "Oh no, I am here with six others. We invaded a little bit ago, but when the alarm was raised, they began to flee. I am taking it that was your handy work? The alarm I mean."

"Something like that. We raised the alarm to get the guards into the cell with us. We killed them and took their gear." Ezio watched the new woman, Jenna, but still kept his watch of the area. "Now, where are the rest of your team?"

"Trying to get Desmond out of the Animus. Rebecca is working as fast as she can, but he is not responding. They already took Shaun out." Jenna stood up straight and walked over to us. "Come on. Let's get you out of here."

"Where's Lucy?" Altair took a step back. He never trusted easily. He had always been that way.

"Dead. William found her when he was coming to get you guys. She had a small, but nice funeral, from what I heard. From what I learned from Rebecca, after the artifact had Desmond stab Lucy, it knocked y'all out. Abstergo found you before we did. Sorry about that. William tried his hardest to get here when Lucy told him where you were." The new woman hung her head, sighing. "Lucy was my friend. Grew up together and all. I will make sure her death is not in vain. Her work will still go on."

I looked at Ezio then Altair. The Brotherhood did not know who they were, or what we were. I didn't know what they had learned from Desmond's time in the Animus. I didn't want to rock the boat and ask. If they knew something, she probably would have said something up front. "Take us to Becca and Des. Maybe we can help."

She narrowed her eyes. "I am under orders to get you out of here."

"And most likely I outrank you. Take us to the others." I went toe to toe with her. This little whelp didn't know who she was messing with. At her age I was either about to complete my mastery or I was dead. Either way, I knew more then than she knew now.

Blue met gray in a battle of who was the bigger bitch. She may have had a good two inches on me, but I was packing a semi-automatic mac10 and a 9mm Beretta. I was sure she had a gun, but mine were at the ready. I was the bigger bitch at the moment. She knew that. "Fine, follow me."

Stepping around me, she headed at a jog down the corridor. We followed behind, but at a comfortable distance. "Cosa pensi che stia succedendo qui, voi due? (What do you think is going on here, you two?)" Ezio asked as we followed Jenna deeper into the compound.

"Non lo so, ma ho una brutta sensazione sulla fratellanza essere qui. (I do not know, but I have a bad feeling about the Brotherhood being here.)" Altair had always had doubts on what the brotherhood actually wanted. At least that's what Ezio told me. That was why he never joined back up since the early part of the nineteeth century.

"Calmarsi. Spero che le cose saranno chiare presto. (Calm down. Hopefully things will be clear soon.)" I gripped the gun a little tighter. I was kind of following my ex- Grand Master on this one. Something was just a tad bit off. "How much farther, Jenna?"

"Next hallway. They have everything there." She jogged around the corner and we followed. "Sorry, we have been moving through the whole compound, making sure the Templars are all gone, or dead. I like the dead part." As we came around the corner, she stopped in front of the door. "We're here."

"Then take us in." I shook my head. Did we have to tell this child everything?

She slid a key card and the door slid open with barely a whisper. Rebecca looked up from the computer monitor. "I'm so glad to see you three. I thought they were doing nasty, horrible things to you guys." She looked at us, to Desmond and back. "Considering..."

She knew. Oh shit she knew! She knew about us and was trying to tell us without letting them know. "Nope still alive, and unharmed." I smiled, but it was forced.

Rebecca could tell. "Anyway, we need to get Desmond awake, but so far no luck. He has been showing improvements, but I don't know when he will wake up."

"Jenna! We need to go!" A young man, probably not even in his twenties, came running into room.

"Mike, what is going on?" Jenna turned to the boy.

He stopped to catch his breath. "The Templars. They're back with reinforcements."

Altair raised his gun. "Let them come. I have a friend for them to meet."

The blond shook her head. "Three of you can not take on an army. We need to get out of here."

We had to buy them some time. We three were the only ones that could survive this. "Did you find the Apple when you were scouting?"

She nodded. "Yeah. They kept it in the study with the head guy here."

"Give it to us." Ezio held out his hand. I knew what he was planning. I had never used the accursed thing, but they had. They knew how it worked, and what it could do. "You have to trust us. This is the only way to save everyone."

She glared at him. "I was told to not let anyone have it, including you. I was told to take it to William and that is all."

My anger got the best of me. "Listen here you little bitch. Unless you want everyone here's death on your mind, I would listen to him. We know what we are doing. Well, they do, and I just seem to follow. It has to be this way. Don't worry, you will get it back when we are finished."

"Just listen to them. They know how the thing works." Rebecca walked over to us. "I know they can pull this off."

"Just so you know, I am completely against this." She pulled the golden orb out of her bag, and placed it in Ezio's waiting hand. It's golden light flared for a moment when it recognized the man that held it.

I knew this was going to be a bad day, and it was just about to get worse.