Jacob was good at overcoming hangovers. He had experience. Looking at Amara, who looked ready to fall asleep again, he assumed she didn't have the same tolerance for alcohol as he did.
"You look like death."
"Wow, thanks. That makes me feel one hundred times better than I previously did." Amara groused. Evie snorted as she entered the train compartment, offering Amara a glass of water.
"Small sips." She reminded the smaller woman. "Henry has some tea that he swears by."
Jacob didn't really expect Henry to go out enough to actually get a hangover, never mind have a cure that apparently could at least allow it to wear off.
"This sucks." Amara moaned. "Why did you convince me to drink last night?"
"Technically, it was your suggestion." Jacob pointed out. Amara swore at him and Evie laughed again. Henry came in after that, a cup of tea in one hand and Kai following him, murmuring to himself. Jacob noticed that Kai, despite the fact he could easily smash a person's head against a wall, was actually a relatively quiet person, who didn't like to bother people. He took a seat in one of the chairs, watching as Amara took the tea from Henry, looking at it suspiciously.
"It's peppermint." Henry said, lips twitching in amusement. Amara looked less suspicious, and sipped it. She made a humming noise.
"S'alright." She said, sounding almost grudging. "Thanks."
"It is no problem." Henry's smile was kind. Henry in general was too kind. Jacob decided that he would keep a close eye on Henry - mostly because he knew Evie admired him and, older sister or not, if Henry hurt her, Jacob would hurt him far worse.
Even if Evie would yell at him for it after.
"You think you'll still be able to meet up with Darwin today?" Jacob asked and, completely oblivious to Evie's startled look, Amara nodded, sipping at her tea again.
"Who else is going to stop you from causing havoc?" Amara gave a smile, close lipped but genuine. "Maybe a bit later than planned."
"...Darwin?" Kai sounded flabbergasted. "You met Charles Darwin?"
"Yeah. We found out where they made the soothing syrup and stopped production without us having to kill anyone directly." Amara answered and Jacob mentally applauded her wording. Because, technically, they hadn't killed the Blighters inside - the gas had done that for them. "Mr Darwin was also investigating it. They were putting opium and something called devil's snare in it. We're meeting up with him again to get rid of the sample batches they sent out. Don't give me that look, Kai." Kai, indeed, looked rather skeptical.
"'Directly'."
"...They were Templars, ok?" Amara huffed. "Not like you didn't bludgeon someone against a wall. You can't criticise me."
"I'm not criticising you. I would just prefer you to not end up getting arrested for murdering people."
"Oh my God." Amara groaned, downed the last of her tea, stood up and grabbed Jacob's wrist. "We're leaving."
"We are? I thought you -"
"Frye."
"We're leaving." Jacob tipped his hat to Evie, Henry and a bewildered Kai in farewell. "See you later I guess." And Amara had pulled him off the train, stalking off through the station, dragging Jacob along behind her.
XoooX
"What was all that about?" Jacob asked once they had 'borrowed' a carriage and were making their way to the meeting point. Jacob was driving - he had found out awhile back that Amara driving a carriage equalled the destruction of public property and, really? Freddy did enough for them without him having to cover up the destruction of London.
"What? With Kai?" Amara huffed, tugging her cap further down her head, shoulders hunching up. She was pissed off - Jacob could tell. "S'nothing."
"Come on, Amara, tell Jacob what the matter is. You're not insulting my driving. You normally do."
"It's just...he's overbearing. That's all." She shrugged. "It's like...he thinks I'm not as good an Assassin, you know? I'm more reckless than he is, I don't plan things as thoroughly. I'm not interested in the Pieces of Eden or the history behind the Assassins. It won't make much of a difference. It's like...he thinks that because I don't do all that, I'm not going to be good enough. Does that make sense?"
A sense of feeling less. Of feeling not good enough. Jacob knew that feeling well enough.
"When Evie and I were young and in training, my father made it very clear that Evie was the favoured child." Jacob began and Amara turned to face him, eyes wide. "Our father never outright stated it, but she was the perfect Assassin - quiet and attentive and stealthy. I was...well, you know what I'm like."
"Reckless, arrogant, refuses to listen to reason." Amara said immediately, before looking sheepish. "Sorry." Jacob could only laugh.
"There's my Little Lady." He got out and Amara shuffled slightly closer. He could feel her thigh against his, her hair tickling his neck when she rested her head on his shoulder. Unusually affectionate.
"Thank you, Jacob." She said. "For telling me that. To make me feel better." Jacob would have ruffled her hair fondly if he wasn't driving a carriage and if he didn't think she would hit him for doing so.
"S'alright. Anytime." He shrugged, jostling Amara slightly. "I've grown rather fond of you, Miss Jones. I don't like to see you upset."
"I wasn't upset. Just…" Amara trailed off. "Oh, never mind. You'll just disagree, anyway. You normally do."
"You know me so well." Jacob smiled dazzlingly and Amara laughed, sitting up normally. Jacob's eyes scanned the street, before pausing. His eyes narrowed. "Isn't that…?"
"Mister Darwin!" Amara exclaimed. "Pull over, Jacob. He looks a bit distressed."
Jacob did, maneuvering the carriage into a spot next to the path, murmuring compliments to the horse. Amara told him that complimenting a horse decreased his appearance as a big, tough gang leader. Jacob didn't really care.
"- insufferable fellow I have ever had the misfortune of counting among my acquaintances!" Jacob managed to hear, and Darwin's eyebrows were narrowed and scrunched together, obviously displeased. "Mr Dickens was right; foul weather wouldn't know where to have you!" He heard Amara let out what sounded like an impressed whistle. Jacob managed to not roll his eyes.
"I have told you before, sir, I had nothing to do with that anonymous article! Nothing, I say!" The man Darwin was talking to snapped, making to get into his carriage. Darwin stopped him from closing the door in his face.
"That is a lie, sir, and you know it!"
"I don't have time for this nonsense." Darwin cursed the man some more, before he slammed the door in his face and drove off. Darwin turned, finally catching sight of the two of them.
"That is Richard Owen, a vile, despicable, wretch of a man!"
"Really?" Jacob said, voice laced with sarcasm. "From the sound of it, I guessed you were close friends." Amara stepped on his foot in reprimand and Jacob managed to not curse.
"Mr Owen works at the asylum. He will know who made the syrup! Get him!" Jacob and Amara exchanged looks.
"On it, sir!" Amara gave a salute and Jacob set their carriage into motion, much faster than the languid pace they were moving at before.
Considering the fast pace they were moving at, it didn't take long for them to catch up with Owen's carriage, Amara jumping onto the roof first, knocking out the driver and Jacob moving onto the hijacked carriage to drive it.
It seemed like it would be a simple enough task...until Jacob had to dodge a bullet heading his way.
"Fuck, Blighters!" Jacob glanced at Amara, who was already drawing her gun, moving to stand on top of the carriage and shoot at their pursuers.
Despite Amara's claiming that her aim was terrible, Jacob was pretty sure she was doing pretty well at deterring any more Blighters from following them.
"Shot one in the head. Was meant to hit his shoulder - no great loss, really." She stated, grinning dazzlingly and stomping on the roof of the carriage. "Having a nice ride, Mr Owen?"
"Whatever Darwin's paying you, it's not worth it!" The man yelled. Amara sighed, dropping down to sit next to Jacob.
"Don't be that way, sir. We only need to ask you some questions." Amara said cheerily, holding onto her cap when Jacob made a sharp turn. Jacob heard Mr Owen yelp.
"I am telling you, I don't know anything! Stop this madness, sir!"
"I suppose I could hand over the reigns to Miss Jones here. Question you in your carriage, face to face." Jacob offered Amara a wink and he saw her swallowing, a desperate attempt to control her laughter.
"But Jacob, I am terrible at driving." She said, lips twitching at the distressed noise Mr Owen let out. "Remember the time I nearly drove us into the Thames?" That was an exaggeration - they were a way off from the Thames, driving at a slow pace, so Jacob managed to gain control of the carriage before Amara accidentally drowned the both of them.
Owen didn't know that, though, so the panic in his voice was real.
"Wait, wait! I'll tell you everything you want to know, just - Just stop!"
Jacob pulled the carriage over, positioning himself so he could see if Owen attempted to escape.
"Tell us who is making the Soothing Syrup."
"Dr Elliotson. Dr John Elliotson. He is the man who formulated the elixir - not me!"
"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" Amara sang.
"It was!" Owen got out and Jacob managed to not snort at that. Amara didn't bother holding back, laughing as she jumped off the carriage. Jacob followed suit, leaving Owen cowering in the carriage.
"Dr Elliotson is on your wall of important Templars, right?" Amara asked and Jacob nodded.
"Yes. Not ridiculously high up, but still of importance." Jacob hummed. "By killing Mr Elliotson and stopping the production of the syrup, we will also be dismantling the Templar order -"
" - And weakening their hold on London." Amara finished, a cat like grin crossing her face. "How fortunate for us."
"Very fortunate." Jacob agreed. "It will also shut down the asylum - or at least have it put in the hands of someone better. I've heard about what goes on in there." Jacob had heard many things, killed people, but nothing terrified him more than what he heard, what he knew, went on in asylums. People who were deemed 'wrong' or 'broken' were sent there, to try and be 'fixed'. Shock therapy, he'd heard of, and it made him feel ill.
Especially when he'd realised that his crush on the boy across the road all those years ago could send him there.
"Jacob? Are you ok?" Amara's voice jolted him out of his thoughts. Her lips were pursed together, brows furrowed.
"I'm fine." Jacob answered, offering a smile. "Just thinking through how to get in." Amara's lips twitched upwards.
"You? Thinking? Wow, make sure you don't hurt yourself." Jacob let out a mock gasp of offense and shoved a laughing Amara away from his side.
"Oh, shut up."
XoOoX
Yay, update!
Next chapter shall be focusing on Evie, Henry and Kai. I have never written Evie's POV before, so it will be fun.
Read, review and all that jazz! ~ Jazz x