Winter 1763, Davenport Homestead, Massachusetts
There was a thick layer of snow in the forest surrounding the Homestead. Several men walked through the forest. Shay Cormac and Haytham Kenway were at the front of the pack. "It's quite cold in here." Said Shay. "Don't forget that we've seen worse." Haytham reminded him. As the group kept on walking, they heard a sound. "Halt! There's someone in here." The men looked around nervously. Suddenly they were surrounded by several assassin thugs armed with muskets. "Great. We walked straight into an ambush." Haytham replied very confidently: "Patience Shay. I anticipated we might encounter some resistance." He started to talk to the assassin thugs. "Gentlemen! There's no need for unnecessary violence. Lower your weapons now and I might spare some of you. Otherwise you will be dead in five seconds." The men just laughed. Without warning the sound of gunshots filled the air. And the assassins surrounding them were all dead in about five seconds. "Told you! But you didn't believe me..." Haytham proclaimed. Shay looked like he was about to ask something. "Don't worry Shay. That was backup plan. Jack weeks and his men are hidden in the forest, protecting our backs. As you can see they did it pretty well. Now, shall we continue onwards?"
Eventually they reached the manor. Everything seemed quiet until gunshots echoed in the air once again. Huge amount of assassin thugs ran towards them, while Jack Week's men were fighting another group in the forest. "Well this changes our plans a bit. To arms men! Me and Shay will take care of the assassin leaders. You will hold off these thugs." Haytham and Shay busted inside the mansion through the front door. There they saw Achilles Davenport. "Achilles. I thought you had learned your lesson..." There was hatred in Shay's voice. "This isn't my doing Shay. I was forced into this by him." They looked up and saw what he meant. A bald man with the red coat of the British army and a notable scar on his face stood on the second floor. "Welcome grand master. I have been waiting for this moment. My name is Thomas. And you will die by my hand." He pulled a massive axe from his back. "This man is mine Shay. You will stay here and make sure Achilles doesn't escape." "Are you sure?" "I'm the best swordsman in our order. I'll be fine."
Haytham took his sword in hand. He ran up the stairs and attacked. Thomas swung his enormous axe. Haytham stepped back and avoided it. The axe sunk deep into a wooden chair and split it in half. Now was Haytham's turn to charge. But Thomas easily blocked him. Haytham saw the war paint on his head for the first time. They looked like symbols of some kind. Haytham was certain he had seen those symbols before but he couldn't remember where. Thomas pushed him and he was forced to retreat while avoiding the strikes from the axe. Thomas kicked Haytham in the stomach and he stumbled through a door behind him. Soon he found himself lying on his back in the manor's balcony. Thomas raised the axe. Haytham rolled sideways to dodge and the axe hit the floor. But Thomas was already preparing for another strike.
Shay was distracted by the sounds coming from upstairs. Achilles knocked Shay down with his cane and drew a sword from his belt. Achilles tried to slash Shay but Shay took his own sword and prevented it. Their swords were now locked. Shay kicked Achilles in the shin. This was a sensitive place due to his injury. This gave Shay time to get back up. Despite being a cripple, Achilles was still an excellent fighter and not to be underestimated. Shay attacked several times but Achilles kept parrying all his attacks. "You can't win Shay..." "That remains to be seen my old mentor." Shay grabbed a chair and smashed Achilles with it. Achilles briefly lost his balance but he kept fighting anyway.
The fight between Thomas and Haytham raged on in the balcony. Haytham grabbed some snow to his hand and threw it, aiming for the face. It momentarily blinded Thomas. Haytham climbed onto the roof and jumped down on Thomas from above. He sliced Thomas in the back with his hidden blade but was shaken off before he could deliver the killing blow. Haytham jumped to the nearest tree banch from the balcony but the dry branch snapped and he fell to the ground. Thomas followed him down. They continued their fight in deep snow under the tree. Haytham began to tire out. Thomas was too strong. Even for him. And Thomas clearly had the upper hand now as he forced Haytham to retreat towards the edge of a cliff. Thomas knocked the sword away from Haytham's hand and in the process wounded his arm badly. He grabbed Haytham by the throat and began to choke him.
Meanwhile the fight between Achilles and Shay was culminating. Shay forced Achilles on the defensive by trying to slash his sides. This eventually gave Shay the opening he needed. He broke Achilles' defence with one swift strike from below and then plunged his sword straight into Achilles' already injured shin. Achilles groaned in pain and fell to his knees. He was finally defeated. He began to talk with a quiet voice, almost whispering. "I have lost everything. My family. My followers. My dignity. And all this because I focused on a personal quest for power and forgot everything else in the process. I admit my defeat." He had tears in his eyes. Shay almost felt sorry for him. Almost.
Haytham felt the air escaping from his lungs. His vision became blurred. Thomas had him on a tight stranglehold. "At last my revenge is complete. You templars destroyed my life. I have the right to return the favor. You're weak Haytham. Once you're dead I will wipe out the rest of your pathetic order." "I don't...think so..." Haytham coughed. "If you're defeated this easily, the rest of you won't be a challenge. You're like insects. Great in numbers but easy to kill." "This insect...is going to...bite you." As Haytham said that he stabbed Thomas in the arm with his hidden blade. Feeling the pain, Thomas released him. Haytham held his throat and gasped. He took a pistol in his hand. Moments later an enraged Thomas charged towards Haytham with axe in hand. Haytham raised the pistol and shot him in the chest.
Thomas felt a stinging pain in his chest. When he looked down he saw a gaping bloody hole right in the middle of his chest. He dropped the axe and slumped down on his back. As Haytham recovered he came standing next to the dying Thomas. "Surely you can understand Haytham. I wanted justice." "But you did it the wrong way. Murdering innocents is not justice! You will lose your soul in the process." "Perhaps. But I did what I believed what was right. And revenge was not my only motive, Haytham. Her enemies wanted me to ensure that the key can never be used to release her." Haytham looked confused. "What are you talking about?" The key you are holding...it will release her. Juno. I serve her enemies. And I failed. You don't know what you have done. You have opened Pandora's Box..."
Thomas was gone. Haytham was still confused when he thought about what Thomas had said. And then he remembered something. "The symbols painted on his head! I've seen them in my father's journal. They are precursor symbols. So this man served the precursors...does that mean some of them are still alive?" Haytham met with Shay afterwards. "The assassin threat is finally over in the colonies. We left Achilles alive as an example for others. He cannot do anymore harm when he is alone" Haytham said. "Aye. But the fight continues overseas. I just got word from our spies. The precursor box has been sighted in Prussia." "Then that is where you must go next Shay. Sail across The Atlantic and retrieve the box for us." "I'm already preparing for the voyage master Kenway. What will you do when I'm away?" "I'm going to increase our strenght. I see a bright future where the whole continet of North America will be under templar rule. And to achieve that, we need to spread our cause to every city in the colonies." "I hope you will be succesfull." Shay turned to leave. "Shay? Good luck out there." "For the 100th time, I make my own luck, master Kenway." Shay smiled and then he left.