The assassinations of our targets went off as planned, and as was the buying of Abstergo's stocks. It was all coming together well. The last stage was fast approaching, and o was not all that thrilled with it. The infiltration of Abstergo herself and the destruction of the men that ran her. Everyone knew that this would not destroy them, but set them back many years. Enough to get our numbers back up and be able to combat them on equal footing. But, in the backs of our mind, did that mean the end of us?

We were created to stop the Templars from taking over the world, and if we pulled this off, did that mean we had done our job? What would happen to us? Would we just fade away, or begin to age? Actually have a life for once, or we would go back to sleep. To awaken when the time was right. I wasn't overly fond of that course of thinking. I had done the whole sleep thing, and I did not want to go there again. One night, while the rest of the house slept, the five of us sat on the roof of Shaun's house, looking up at the stars.

"Are you guys ready for this?" I asked not moving my head.

A chorus of no's were my answer. I was right there with them. I did not know what was to happen after this final confrontation. That was why none of us could sleep. First it was me and Altair up here, then Ezio joined us a few minutes later. Desmond came out soon after with Conner hot on his heels.

"What do you thinks going to happen to us, Ezio?" Desmond turned his head and looked at the Italian.

Ezio shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, many things could happen and none of them save for one, sound appealing."

I propped myself up on my elbows. "And what's the one thing?"

His eyes stayed on the bright stars. "We stay the same."

"I don't think anything will change. I mean, we are not completely destroying them. We are just putting them down for a while. They are too massive to actually be taken completely out." Conner looked over at us. "It would take a miracle to destroy them."

Looking over at Altair, who was being quiet. "What is your take on this?"

I heard him sigh and he sat up. "I don't have a take on it. I mean, we could go on the way we are, or we could be stripped of our immortality. We could go to sleep, or just die. I don't know, and thinking about it will not change what will come. Best not dwell on the things that are to come."

The four of us looked over at him. "You don't even want to give it a thought?" Desmond asked.

He shook his head. "Nope, and I would advise the lot of you to drop it as well. If it is on your mind in the coming battle, it will lead to distraction and ultimate failure of the mission. We have worked hard to get where we are now. You don't need to jeopardize that on something that may or may not happen." With that being said, he stood, walked to the edge of the house, and jumped off.

That left the four of us sitting there, scratching our heads. I had not seen him like that in a long time. "Does anyone know who that was; because it don't think that was Altair." Conner looked at the rest of us.

"That was the more focused assassin that he has tried to suppress. That was how he was when we were mortal. Cold, calculating, detached, and focused on the mission ahead." I stood and sighed. "I think we should try and get some sleep. Morning is going to come if we want it to or not. Best be at the top of our game." I followed Altair off the roof and back to my bed.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Everyone rose with the morning sun, and donned their garb for the day. It was day that we had been planning out for weeks now. The infiltration of Abstergo and the destruction of the Templars. I was a complete nervous wreck, but as I looked at all the faces that were standing with us, I knew I had to calm down and breathe. They were taking the same risks as I was.

Shaun walked in, and looked from one person to another. "I want to thank all of you for going along with this plan. It has come together better than anyone had hoped. The last part will start in a few hours. Three teams of four will be needed. You decide between yourselves on who will lead the teams and who will be on them."

Ezio and Altair looked at each other. They would each lead a team and Conner would lead the other. I leaned against a wall until I heard someone call my name. I looked over at the group. "Who am I with?" I asked.

"Conner. It would not be wise for you to be with me, because all I will do is try and watch out for you and not do my job as leader." Altair walked over to me.

I nodded because I understood his line of thinking. "So it's Eric, Des, Hunter, and Gwen. Allen, Rebecca, Brett, and Casey on the second team, and then Conner, myself, Steve and Dawson."

"You are correct. Each team has stealth, a sniper, and a brute. They are well rounded and each person can fill in where another falls behind on." Ezio looked at Dawson, Rebecca, and Hunter, the three snipers. "Well, except you three. You will have the good guns and be watching their backs."

Dawson walked over to the edge of the edge of the kitchen where his duffel was sitting. "Good thing I finished these up a few days ago." He began to assemble three rifles. "The best of the best. Accurate as all hell and can pick off someone from a mile away. Little to no sound or flash. Modified to the hilt and all that jazz. Shaun could shoot this thing and make it a headshot."

"So it's idiot proof?" Kim asked with a smile towards her husband.

That earned her a glare from the Brit. "Very funny, Kim, and I know how to use a gun. I just choose not to."

I took a step forward and my head became foggy, like I had too much wine. I grabbed the back of a chair to prevent myself from pitching forward. All eyes turned to me. "Isabella, are you alright?" I heard a voice to my left, but I could not make out who it was.

Swallowing the bile that was creeping up in my throat. "Ye…yeah, I'm fine. Just got dizzy for a moment." What was going on?

I felt strong arms grab below my arms, and pull me into a standing position. "You are not fine. Look at me." It was Ezio, but my vision was blurred. I couldn't focus my eyes on anything.

Trying to fake it, I let my ears follow the sounds of his voice, and a blur entered my eyes' path. "I'm fine." I growled and swallowed again. The urge to throw up was getting harder to ignore.

"You are not fine. You are not even looking at me." I heard him on the other side of my body. Who was I looking at then? "Conner, Des, get her to her room. Something is seriously wrong here." Ezio hand rested on my forehead. "You're burning up!"

I pulled out of his hands and stumbled backwards. More hands went for me, but I barely dodged them in my current state. "I am not going anywhere with any of you." The words sounded strange in my own ears. A language that I had not used in a long time, I had no time to dwell on that. I had to get away. I had to get back to the fortress. My blades slid out, and I knew I would have to fight my way through the people who wanted to do me harm and snuff out the fire that was my life.

Altair

I watched the twin silver blades slide from Alanna's wrists. The words that came from her mouth were Arabic, but not the form that was spoken today. It was from our time. Another memory resurfacing? I did not know, but I had to prevent her from either hurting someone, or exposing us.

So I called to her. She growled and told me that was not her name. Asked who I was, but I could not tell her that. Not with a room full of assassins that did not know we still lived. So I tried a different tactic. Turning to Ezio, Desmond and Conner, they knew something was about to go down.

Alanna lunged at the nearest person to her, and that was Casey. The girl fell to the floor before the blade reached her. "Get everyone out of here. She's swinging blind."

More Arabic poured from her mouth as she lurched forward. She was talking about an ambush she had been part of when we found out about the Templar attack. I watched her as everyone filed out. As quietly as I could, I crept up behind her. "Alanna, tis me, Altair. You must stand down. You are in no danger any longer."

"Alt…Altair? What have they done to me?" The words were Russian now. She attempted to turn, but her knees buckled. I caught her before she hit the floor. "Everything is warped. Something's wrong with…" Her head fell backwards and her eyes rolled up into her head. Her body went limp and fear began to set into my soul.

"Eric!" I called for Ezio, and he came running. I held her in my arms, and watched the sweat bead on her brow. What was going on?

He walked up in front of us, and laid a hand in her brow. "She's burning up, and I mean, burning up." He retracted his hand. "Get her upstairs."

I nodded and turned to go to the room we shared. I watched her the whole time. Her face contorted and a moan escaped her lips. I had a feeling deep in the pit of my stomach. There was not something normal about this. We were not mortal; I knew that, but this? This was not something that had happened before.

I reached the room and laid her gently on the bed. Taking her equipment off of her, I laid it on the dresser. Once that was done, I pulled a chair up to her side. "Come on, 'lanna."

She did not stir, nor make a sound. I was beginning to worry. Taking her hand, I felt how her skin was like standing to close to an open flame. It was getting hotter by the minute. Ezio took that time to walk in. I looked at him, feeling completely helpless.

He just shook his head, and sat down on the other side of the bed. Placing a cold rag on her forehead, he checked her vitals, checked her temperature, and sighed. "Her temp is climbing. I don't know what the hell is going on. I have never seen any of us do this."

I met his eyes, and I could see something in there that I did not want to see. "You want to put her to sleep, don't you?" I asked.

He nodded. "It's the only way I know how to combat this. I will put it in easier terms. With the fever getting higher, it's pretty much turning her brain to mush. She will start having worse hallucinations, and eventually, she will burn out. None of us have done this before, so I don't know how this happened."

I turned my gaze back to her face. Her mouth opened and an ear piercing scream erupted from her. My hands instinctively covered my sensitive ears. Ezio did the same. Her eyes shot open and a fist connected with the side of my jaw.

I fell out of the chair and narrowly avoided the nightstand. "Alanna!" I yelled and went to grab her, but she slipped from my grasp. Ezio tackled her against the bedroom wall, and her teeth went for his neck.

He held her there, barely missing the teeth that aimed for anything they could sink themselves into. She was acting like a rabid animal. "A little help, please!"

I ran over and tried to grab her again, but her teeth sunk into the flesh of my hand. I pulled it back, shocked, and watched the blood drip from the wound. "What the hell is wrong with her?"

Alanna went to slam her head into Ezio's nose, but he turned and she slammed her head into his shoulder. "I have not a clue, but if you don't stop her, I am going to hurt her!"

I did the only thing I could think of at the time. I grabbed her by the long braid she wore and pulled her head back into a horrid angle. If anyone was to see how far her head was back, they would think I had broken her neck. Strangled noises came from her throat as she tried to growl or yell or hell, make any sound. But I held her fast. I could not let her do anymore damage to anyone else.

"Alanna, you need to get control of yourself. You need to calm down." I spoke to her in a calm and even tone. I did not want to yell at her. She was not in her right mind at the moment.

More strangled noised emitted from her bent throat and I could only take them for growls. What was going on and why all of the sudden was she acting this way?

I turned my attention to Ezio, who still had her pinned to the walls, arms at her side. "Do you have her?" He nodded and I released some of the pressure from the braid, letting her head come up a bit. "Now, can you hear me?"

Her eyes darted to the side and looked at me. I wanted to back away at the sight of them. Wide and completely unfocused. She was not in her right mind and that was putting it mildly. "Yes." She grinned wickedly and jerked her head again. I would not give her another inch.

"What year is it?" I asked in Arabic. I had to see if this was a flashback or a complete hallucination.

"Go to hell." The grin stayed on her face, but I tell something was going on in that head of hers.

Grabbing her chin, I released the braid. "Answer me, woman."

The she did something that I was not prepared for. She laughed. An evil, make your hairs stand on end, laugh that chilled me to the bone. "Go to hell."

Reaching down, I grabbed my gun, withdrew it, and wiped her across the face with it. Immediately, she went slack in Ezio's arms. "I need answers."

Ezio placed her into the bed. "You do know that is not going to keep her out long." He stood up and looked over at where I was standing.

I nodded and head for the door. "I know, but it might buy us enough time to talk to Rebecca and Shaun. I need to know more about the Bleeding Effect and it has on its subjects."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

"You want to know what?" Rebecca asked as she huddled in her jacket.

We had to talk outside because I did not want anyone that was not in our little circle to hear what was being said. Conner and Kate had volunteered to sit upstairs and watch her as Ezio and I talked to Rebecca and Shaun. "I need to know about the Bleeding Effect."

Shaun breathed into his hand then rubbed them together, trying in vain to stave off the chill that was setting in. "I thought the whole immortality thing stopped that from happening?" He asked looking from me to the Italian.

Ezio shrugged. "Yeah it stopped Desmond's, but the issue is he was not immortal when it first started. That was why his has ceased. Now, if we were to strip him of that, he would start to bleed once more. It is our thinking that she is experiencing the Bleed, but on a far larger scale. Could that be the case?"

Rebecca began to pace and then looked at me. "I'm not sure. I mean, from the way she lost it in the meeting, to the way you two say she was acting when she was upstairs, it sounds like a classic case. But guys, she has not been in an Animus in years. Why would it start happening now?"

"Alanna had always been good at hiding things, and I mean really good. Who's to say that this is the first time this has happened? She had had nightmares, but she has told me they are from things she remembers from the past." I lowered my head, and watched the snowflakes blend into the already white ground. "Could those nightmares have been a precursor to this?"

Shaun thought about it for a moment. I could see the gears in his head turning. "It could have been, but there have been no studies done on you guys and the effects of a long term exposure in the Animus. And it's not like Abstergo kept records of their time with her. I mean, what we know are the things that she can remember, and those are far and few between.

"But from everything you have said, I would say yes. It does sound like a case of the Bleeding Effect at its worst. I'm sorry, but from here on out, she can no longer be an assassin until we can get this figure out." He sighed and looked me in the eye.

And that was what I did not want to hear. Alanna, the one woman that had been put through hell and came out the other side, was a danger to everything we stood for.

Sorry for the delay. I really have lost my muse. I don't know what it is, but it has taken me nearly a month to get this out. I have had no ideas what so ever. But on a side note, I bought Assassin's Creed III and already beat it. It took only a week. Now I am going back for the completion.