Even hearing from Desmond that Connor and Haytham aren't dead isn't enough to completely reassure Ezio that they're still alive. He's not totally sure that Desmond has the same understanding of 'dead' and 'alive' that most other people do, but he can't really blame him. He knows that Desmond has no memories of his life before being killed. Or whatever it is that happened to him with the apple. It's only natural that he might end up a little fuzzy on the whole issue.
So Desmond's word alone isn't enough to convince him the two Kenways are alive. But waking up one day in Connor's head is definitely persuasive. Eventually, anyway. His first reaction, actually, is confusion, because there's something about this mind that strikes him as… wrong. It's clearly human, but twisted into something animal. He's still trying to figure out where he is and what's going on when Connor's voice suddenly asks, "Ezio?"
"Wha- Connor? What happened to you?"
Connor doesn't answer, but he doesn't really have to. Even before he's asked the question, Ezio's already poking through Connor's recent memories, catching up on what's been happening. Normally, he wouldn't dig this deep this quickly into Connor's head, but these are unusual circumstances. Connor- normally reluctant to let almost anyone in- doesn't argue, and when Ezio finishes, he can at least guess why. If Connor had tried to just tell him this story, he would have made it maybe three sentences before Ezio started peppering him with questions.
"This is the strangest thing that's ever happened to any of us," Ezio says.
"That's really saying something," Connor says, and then lapses into silence. He's sitting at the top of a church somewhere in New York- the location is right there in Connor's mind, but Ezio doesn't know the city well enough for the specifics to matter much. Ezio watches through Connor's eyes as the other man surveys the city, but after a few minutes, decides his questions can't wait. At least one question, specifically.
"You can turn into an eagle?"
He can't quite keep his excitement to himself, but then again, he can feel that same excitement in Connor's mind, a joy that takes Ezio completely by surprise. He's never felt anything like this from the other man. Connor's usually the most closed off out of all of them, emotionally speaking.
"Sort of," Connor says, and Ezio feels him actually smile as he adds, "Do you want to see?"
"Yes."
And Connor jumps. It's not a leap of faith- Ezio's been through hundreds of those across half a dozen lifetimes, and he can tell before Connor even leaves the rooftop that there's something off about this jump. Involuntarily, his mind tenses up, expecting a fall that ends with Connor in a heap on the ground.
Only that's not what happens. Connor shifts in midair, and somehow- Ezio isn't quite sure how- his body changes. It's impossible to pinpoint the exact moment it happens, but Ezio abruptly realizes that he can feel feathers instead of fingers, and that their fall has somehow transformed into a controlled glide.
It's amazing.
Connor lands on a nearby rooftop, stumbling a little on two suddenly human legs. "Incredible, right?" he asks.
"Yes." And it is, it really, honestly is. Eagles are- they're the bird he thinks of every time he takes a leap of faith. They're the reason eagle vision has the name it does. They mean something to assassins. But still…
"But..?" Connor prompts, and Ezio winces. He'd meant to keep his hesitation to himself.
"But this isn't natural," Ezio says, and realizes how ridiculous the complaint must seem to Connor, considering that it's coming from the man riding along in his head. "Your head, it's like…" he struggles for the right words. "It's like a stew. Little pieces of you mixed up with the eagle and-" he hesitates. "Is that a wolf?"
Connor nods, just once. He's radiating annoyance. "You sound like my dad," he says.
"Yea? Well maybe just this once, you should try listening to him."
"Fine." It's not really, but Connor is angry and annoyed in a way Ezio's not used to seeing, and for now, at least, he decides to play it cautious. And he offers an olive branch. "I'm glad you're alive," he says.
Connor blinks. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"It's a long story," Ezio says, and offers up his own memories of the past few days. "Desmond's been… he's not doing very well."
"Oh." The anger doesn't fade away, but now there's concern there too. "Is he going to be alright?"
"He's getting there," Ezio says. What he doesn't mention is that for the moment, at least, he's more concerned about Connor's mental health than Desmond's. The eagle he can almost accept, but the wolf has him worried.
He hesitates, then asks, "Where's Haytham?" If Haytham's worried about this weird tea thing too (although not, according to Connor's memories, worried enough to stay away from it himself), maybe they need to have a talk.
"Around," Connor says, unhelpfully. "He's supposed to meet me here soon." Ezio nods- this is good news. He's not sure how he's going to talk to him about Connor's problems while he's physically in his head, but he'll work something out when he gets there.
The wolf growls from somewhere deep inside Connor's mind.