Chapter Fourteen:
Sanity
Somewhere over Germany, 1945
Months after Mary's recovery, the Assassins spent their remaining resources on tracking down Templar agents and awaiting an opportunity to assassinate Adolf Hitler once more, seven years after the first attempt. The war was almost completely one-sided and coming to a close. The Allies pushed the Axis back and had all but regained France. The Russians delved deep into German territory and were eager to capture the German capital to destroy the morale of the Nazi troops. Well, that was considering if it was not already diminished by the rumours of an American super-weapon.
The opportunity didn't take long; Adolf revealed himself when he became overconfident with the Piece of Eden in his possession and called his most trusted officers to tell them of his plan. Some of those officers consisted of Assassin plants, so a team was formed immediately as Hitler found his bunker, where he would imitate suicide and escape capture from the Allies with his Piece of Eden.
The first part of his plan went well, but upon leaving his bunker he was met with a force of Assassins that immediately set upon him. With his body double laying dead beside Adolf's lover, no one would suspect Templar or Assassin interventions within the war.
It was exactly at this time that Mary and Katherine received their orders via a report that had come in on the emergency line. Hitler was assassinated, yes, but two people, one recognized as Richard Cole, stole the Apple before the Assassins could retaliate. Many from the party were dead by the hand of yet another Assassin-hunter. Kate could have leapt onto an airplane in her haste, but their patience paid off; Cole was headed north, no doubt to meet with Winston Churchill and pass on the Piece of Eden. The two only had to tail Churchill and then take him into custody to find the location Cole wanted to meet at.
So Mary did what she did best: gather information. And politicians were the easiest to coerce. Cared more for their own lives than others. Figured they were needed to run the country, but the people they were selling out? Too many of them. It'd be better to them if they were out of the way.
And thankfully, Winston was more than willing to provide the initial location to meet with Hitler and trade off the Piece of Eden. Mary had used a connection she'd established years ago, one with a woman by the name of Lydia Frye, grandchild of Sir Jacob Frye and great-niece of Dame Evie Frye, the famed twin Assassins that liberated London back in 1868. Lydia had once worked with Churchill to eliminate a Templar spy operating in London in the Great War (ironically, it was Winston's introduction to the secret war between Templars and Assassins), so it was fair to say that he owed her. He also got to keep his life as an extra little perk.
The meeting place was located in eastern Germany, in the state of Brandenberg. The town of Beelitz had been founded as early as 997 A.D., but the sanatorium the Templars were meeting in was built nearly a thousand years hence. Richard Cole kept the Piece of Eden within German borders, knowing the Allies would soon overrun his position, however, being an Englishman alongside Winston Churchill would have kept him out of trouble. But Churchill had since been "reassigned", thanks to the efforts of the Assassins.
Mary and Katherine had boarded an Allied plane headed to Germany from England to get to the location before Cole, although time would have to tell if the Assassin-turned-Templar had arrived already. But Mary felt hopeful, knowing that they'd intercepted a letter from Churchill before he'd been captured stating that the leader would be late for their rendezvous. No doubt Cole would take his time. Rushing was unbecoming of him.
High above the clouds, out of sight of artillery manned yet by German soldiers, the de Havilland DH.95 Flamingo monikered Lady in Waiting would get the Assassins where they needed to be. Although there was a catch: it wouldn't land. Strange enough the soldiers thought they were, Mary and Katherine couldn't risk the plane exploding on a runway or having any of the men follow them. The two didn't speak to the soldiers and stayed near the plane's ramp to ready for their jump. It wasn't uncommon for the Secret Service to catch a ride here and there in wartime with common soldiers. And women were now a common staple amongst them as possibly the least suspicious people, which translated to perfect spies.
Katherine seemed especially nervous. Mary attributed it to the height and knowing it was the culmination of all they'd worked for. One last Assassin-hunter, Richard Cole, and then the Piece of Eden. Soon their hard work would pay off. Mary wondered if that would mark the end of their partnership, but tried not to dwell on it much.
"Lassie." Mary pulled out her silver flask from her jacket and picked up two plastic cups stuffed into a corner. "A drink for yer nerves?"
Mary couldn't tell how often Katherine's face fluctuated between green and white during the trip, but it seemed for now to be settling on white. "Thought you said you'd try to hold back on the drinking."
The Scot shrugged and began pouring. "Call it premature, but I intend tae celebrate. This is it, the end of it all." She handed the cup to Katherine, who took it gratefully and tried to keep the turbulent plane from denying her some alcohol. "Besides, ye look like ye need something strong in ye."
"Then you'd be very right and I'm very grateful." Grinning, the two toasted with their plastic cups and downed their shots quickly. Katherine coughed and breathed heavily when Mary took back the cup and tossed them both near where she'd found them. Her flask went back into her jacket. "Goddammit! What was that?!"
"A special something, saved for celebration. Besides, we toasted before. To the beginning of our partnership. Seems only fitting we'd do it for the end."
"But we're not finished yet."
"Aye, ye're correct. But we'll be finished hoora soon. And I'm worried I might lose my flask on the way down."
"That's all you're worried about when leaping out of a moving plane into enemy territory?"
"Helps take my mind off of losing a limb or some such."
The vessel's co-pilot quickly manoeuvred from the cockpit and towards the women with two parachutes in hand. Almost reluctantly, he offered them up to the Assassins. Katherine stood on unsteady feet and slipped the parachute on with grim determination. Mary took another hit from her flask before she followed suite.
"You were drilled before you got on the plane," said the co-pilot, almost reluctantly, "so you should know how to use these. But just in case…" He pointed to the blue handle. "This is your primary. Your secondary, the emergency, is red. It goes without saying not to wait until you're less than two-hundred feet from the ground to pull it."
"Aye, thanks." Mary was dismissive of the co-pilot as she stepped towards the ramp.
Katherine, however, gave him a nod and a smile. "Right. Thank-you, sir. We appreciate it."
The co-pilot returned the nod. "Good luck, with whatever you're doing."
The lights went off, blaring red as the ramp began to creak and groan. The co-pilot retreated to the door and sealed it for the safety of the rest of the passengers. Mary and Katherine grabbed onto handles on opposite sides of the descending ramp and watched as the sky opened up to them. Lights beneath them flickered as they soared past. When the ramp was fully extended, Mary grabbed Katherine's arm, grinned, and leapt.
_/-\_
Beelitz, Germany, 1945
Mary touched down on the rooftop of Beelitz Sanatorium first with Katherine following immediately behind her. They unfastened their parachutes before the draft could carry them elsewhere and stashed them in a wooden broom closet beside the door to the roof, which was rotting from disuse. Katherine kept a lookout while Mary brandished a lockpicking kit and deftly began the arduous task of opening the door soundlessly.
The satisfying click of the unlocked door was followed by the metal slowly swinging inward. Mary took the handle and allowed Katherine to take point while Mary carefully shut the door and locked it behind them. Then, they began their exploration. It wasn't as though the complex was abandoned, but several wings laid neglected and unused. The rest was an occupied Soviet hospital that nursed wounded soldiers back to health, or made their departure more comfortable. By meeting there, Cole would appear as an Allied soldier alongside Churchill to dispel his previous allegiances. But that was only if they were spotted. Churchill and Cole were meant to meet in the unused wings, where the building was decrepit, and Cole and his Assassin-hunter would have ample places to hide if the meeting had the makings of a trap.
Katherine noticed the state of the sanatorium and bade Mary to step lightly on the leaves that flew in through broken windows to avoid the thick dust that had long since settled on the ground. No footprints meant no trap, and Katherine and Mary intended to spring their own.
Down the echoing halls, Katherine discovered a staircase that would make for a perfect scare. Grinning, Katherine delicately began to lay her traps while Mary went on ahead and searched for possible entry points. Thankfully the nurses and doctors in the Soviet wing very rarely entered the decrepit shambles of the abandoned wings, provided they could even get past the blocked doors, so Mary had to consider the rooftop, the windows, or an underground entrance as her main possibilities.
Once she was satisfied all had been marked, Mary returned to Katherine and found a thin, metal string barely visible to the eye in the correct lighting fastened from railing to railing on the stairway. Whomever ran into that would have a nasty cut and slow them down, or at the very least leave a trail of blood to be followed. Gratified, Katherine turned to Mary, who presented her with a crude map of their surroundings.
"Entrances are here, here, and here," said Mary as she pointed to the spots she marked. "Easiest and fastest here, more difficult over here."
"I'd imagine Cole feels confident with his lapdog around, so appearing the easy way would be my bet."
"Aye, what I thought. As far as he's concerned, the Templars are still victorious, what with Churchill and Eisenhower on their side. Two winners, one hoora dead loser."
Katherine bit her lip. "We need to separate Cole and the hunter."
With a frown, Mary responded, "Och, aye, good idea, lassie. Let's split up when there're probably banshees lyin' in wait for our heads."
"You don't really think this place is haunted, do you?"
"There are pieces of silver all around the world capable of makin' regular men monsters, an entire species that presumably created ours, and people with extraordinary inquisitive abilities. I dannae rule anything oot 'til I see hard evidence tae the contrary with my own eyes."
"Regardless," said Katherine, ignoring the urge to roll her eyes, "keeping the hunter away from Cole gives us a better chance of grabbing the Apple and killing the man. Then the hunter becomes vulnerable to us."
"We dannae know if that's true. The damage could be irreparable. We should just cut off their head in a surprise attack and be done with it, then we can shoot Cole down."
"But you told me years ago that he has a Shard of Eden. He's nigh invulnerable to bullets. We should just cut both their heads off."
Mary stuffed her crude map into her jacket and swiped some dust off of her coat's lapel. "Aye, but we dannae know if Cole really brought the Apple. As Assassins, our job's the Piece of Eden. Our mission's killing the two, but we need tae get the Piece of Eden above all else."
"Once we've confirmed he has the Apple we can kill him," suggested Katherine, "although nothing stops us from killing the Assassin-hunter now."
"Dannae get yer breeches in a twist." Mary's eye was sharp and cold. "This is the last one. Keep yer wits about ye. Remember, I still have yer brothers' tags with me. Do it for the Assassins they've killed, not just for yer brothers."
Katherine's lips pursed. "You knew some of those Assassin-hunters, Mary. Do you know this one, too?"
"It doesnae matter."
"Yes it does! I need to know you won't try to stop me from killing them."
Mary ran her hand through her hair and glared at Katherine. "... I know her, aye. But I also know she'd rather die than live with the knowledge of what she's done tae the Brotherhood. She'd never do such a thing willingly. So naw, I'll not be stoppin' anything from happening tae her."
"Good." But Katherine still felt a pit tightening in her guts. She wasn't keen to face the Assassin-hunter. "Wait a moment, she?"
"Aye, lassie."
"Hm. Never could tell what they were under all of... that." Katherine slowly gestured over her own body, indicating the robes their aforementioned enemies wore.
The Scot pursed her lips. "Dannae ye know who they are?"
"I..." Katherine cleared her throat. "W-Well, I haven't thought about it much..."
"Ye remember Rav from Madrid? Lee in London?" Mary appeared cross with Katherine. "It's all been about that mission tae Berlin! Every one o' those Assassins that went tae kill Hitler ended up dead, 'cept not."
It seemed to take a while longer, but Katherine's brow finally furrowed. Understanding was there, but also a hefty dose of confusion. "They can't be dead and then not, Mary. Dead is dead."
"The Apple does terrible things tae a mind, lassie. Ye saw what it did tae me in Auschwitz. Still feelin' it's effect, even these years later. I cannae tell ye how much I wanted my very existence tae end with that thing in my head. Ye're different, though. Yer sight keeps yer head when handling it." Mary released her map (which Katherine still had pinched between her fingers) and folded her arms behind her back. "We dannae know what it does specifically though. It's got a wee bit more power than even I ever imagined. Keeping people on the brink of death, giving them naw moment's rest? Naw time tae collect their thoughts? I dannae think it's impossible with the Apple. And this last hunter's got tae be liberated as well."
Katherine watched Mary, feeling guilt drumming up in her stomach like a man in the water struggling to the surface for air. In the musty old air in the sanatorium, Katherine felt as though Mary had widened the gap once more between them. It was true Katherine didn't even try to discern where they came from. After beheading the one in Auschwitz, Katherine was hardly concerned with where they came from, only how to kill them. A failed mission in wartime was not uncommon.
The gap, Katherine realized, was caused by her own unwillingness to look. Mary mentioned she was retired for a number of years, but her return brought back every semblance of her training. She was always watching, always listening, and always seemed to know the best course of action to keep them alive, hidden in plain sight. The first time Katherine had met Richard Cole, the chase after Andrew Lee, Mary's risk in searching for Katherine in the bowels of Auschwitz, her fight against the Assassin-hunters in Madrid—all of it calculated, measured, weighed...
And Katherine hadn't even put together the pieces about who the Assassin-hunters were.
She remembered her initial judgement of Mary, who walked into Joseph Hall's office smelling of beer and like a woman who hadn't bathed in a fortnight. A woman who looked as though only her numerous bandages were keeping her together, but smiled so radiantly and mischievously one couldn't imagine the real pain she drowned out.
"Mary," said Katherine carefully, "what will you do once this is all over? Return to Mister Helling, your husband?"
Mary spun just enough to give Katherine her usual cheery, mischievous grin. "Mister Helling's waiting for me at home, lassie."
_/-\_
Beelitz, Germany, 1945
The trap was set. Mary had already received a communication from some plants in the nearby village that Richard Cole was nearby, accompanied by a figure in black robes. They'd rigged the entire area with multiple surprises to be had by Cole and his Assassin-hunter. And they'd left word that Churchill was only just touching down on a nearby Allied airstrip, so Cole was no doubt comfortable seeing his plan come to fruition.
The plan was simple: let Cole think he'd been the first one to arrive, create doubt, and then separate master and slave. Then they'd be able to acquire the Apple. Fighting Cole and the Assassin-hunter together would never work in the Assassins' favour thanks to Mary's warning about her: this Assassin-hunter had superior fighting skills both Mary and Katherine lacked. Katherine volunteered to duel her immediately, knowing full well she could simply be asking to die first, but Mary's trust in the young Assassin told Katherine all she needed to know: Mary would defeat Cole and save her, if she needed it.
Finally a car appeared at the entrance of the sanatorium. Mary and Katherine hid above in the shadows, balancing on steel beams strong enough to hold their weight while they anticipated Cole's moves. After a nod from Mary, Katherine lifted her cowl over her face, with Mary imitating her. It was time.
Cole entered through the easy way, as Mary had predicted, through the hospital doors and into a condemned area. With relative ease he leapt across the gouged floor covered by leaves and dust, undisturbed by the Assassins. The Assassin-hunter followed Cole through. Katherine noticed the Assassin-hunter's movements were nearly identical to his, not like her other brethren, as though she was in control of her movements, aware of the shotgun slung across her back and the short blade on her thigh. And while the robes resembled the others, there was a distinction none of the others had: the hood had been sown back on, right at the neck.
Almost like...
Katherine's heart soared into her throat.
It was the Assassin-hunter from Auschwitz. The one she beheaded.
The one who killed her brothers.
Katherine flinched and Mary grabbed her wrist in an iron grip just as Cole and the Assassin-hunter passed beneath them. The beams groaned. Dust fell and landed on the Assassin-hunter's shoulder. She paused, wiped it away, and looked up.
Katherine furiously yanked herself from Mary's grip and dropped, arm flexed to extend the hidden blade on her leading arm.
The Assassin-hunter caught her.
One impossibly powerful arm shot out and wrapped its fingers in a vice around Katherine's throat. She wasn't even able to shout, to dig her hidden blade into that monster's skull. She was smashed into the floor, the impact shattering the tiles beneath her and dizzying her. Katherine felt nothing, which she knew was a harbinger for greater pain to come. The Assassin-hunter had secured her hidden blade, preventing any real harm.
"Bravo, Miss Prince." Cole's laugh echoed through the sanatorium, along with his slow, methodical clapping. "Truly, wonderful display of... well, what was it?" He grinned, displaying a full collection of perfectly white teeth. "Suicide, if you ask me. But perhaps assisted suicide, nonetheless. Mary must be nearby. How is she?"
"Go to hell!" Katherine spat, and tried to pry the hunter away with her free arm.
"Tut tut, Miss Prince," said Cole as he drew his pistol from his breast pocket. "You've interfered enough. I'd regale you with the master plan I've concocted, but, well, you know how the story goes when one reveals the cards they've kept close to their chest." He cocked it. The revolver's barrel stared Katherine in the eye. Where was Mary?!
In the span of only a few seconds, some events transpired: first, a smoke exploded around them. Second, a gunshot when off. Cole shouted. Third, the hunter's grip loosened around Katherine's arm enough that Katherine could flex her arm, extend her hidden blade, and thrust it into the hunter's arm that choked her.
Two Assassins leapt from the smoke and sped into the bowels of the sanatorium, one cursing in such thick Scottish that Katherine had no idea what was being said, but by the multiple heavy slaps on her arm, Katherine assumed it was directed at her because of her premature assassination attempt.
The smoke dissipated behind them. The two heard footsteps slowly treading a path towards them, but only one pair.
"Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary," called Cole, cupping his hands around his mouth. "I have no mirror, but I hope you appear nonetheless."
Mary signalled to Katherine to head deeper within. The Assassin-hunter was missing. Now they had a mess on their hands they had to salvage.
"Up yer arse, Cole!" Mary shouted back, covering Katherine's sprinting. "Ye couldnae just left me be, ye boggin' bastart!"
"Of course not. I missed you." He stopped long enough to smirk. "Well, I had an ulterior motive, I admit. Testing my newest acquisitions, reuniting with my old friend..."
"Couldnae have just given Hall a ring, eh?"
"Hall is an egotistical fool."
"Pot callin' the kettle black, Mister Cole."
"How long will you delay this, Mary? I know you're after the Apple. Though how you managed to get this place out of Churchill..."
"Lovely little piece of land ye got here."
"Almost as lovely as your little farmstead, Mary."
Meantime, Katherine rushed through the sanatorium trying to pick up on the hunter's trail. She found the stairs where she and Mary had come from and discovered her traps had been neutralized. Clenching her teeth, Katherine followed a trail of disarmed traps, heart sinking as she realized their work was for naught.
Whether it was intentional or by mistake Katherine never found out, but she heard the billowing of robes behind her and whirled, hidden blade ejected to block, pistol out to shoot. She managed two in the hunter's chest which didn't phase the creature at all, but at least knocked her off balance enough to give Katherine a chance at retaliation.
Mary and Cole battled on the ground floor blades out, striking at weak points the other thought they could exploit, only to be defended at the last moment. Cole was disarmed by Mary in the smoke, the only reason Katherine wasn't dead at the moment, and left with only his rapier. Mary's broadsword did wonders in the sanatorium with lots of room to swing, but Cole was fast with his blade and tried to keep everything as close as possible to press his advantage.
The Scot swung her broadsword at Cole's head and found nothing but empty air yet again. It was like slicing at water, a babbling brook skittering over stone. Her quarry was too slippery. But Mary was counting on it. Also counting on him thinking she didn't remember his hidden blade. So when he activated the one on his leading arm, his rapier pulling back, Mary didn't hesitate to strike at his left arm with all her might.
A hit! And a deep, terrible gash inflicted on his forearm. It spurted blood, staining his sleeve crimson. Cole himself yelped, which evolved into a howl. His arm was cradled close to his chest while he snarled at Mary, who grinned proudly and winked.
"Fool me once, shame on ye."
"I've never once used my hidden blade against you, not since you've returned."
"Ye used it back in the day, Cole. Like a twat. And while ye might be a Templar now, an advantage like that wouldnae be lost on ye."
An advantage he obviously hadn't forgotten, but not only for himself. Katherine was locked in mortal combat with the Assassin-hunter. She'd surprised the creature in Auschwitz and beheaded her cleanly, but it was still living, maybe even breathing, Katherine didn't know. But the blood spouting from her chest seemed some indication.
The hunter circled Katherine with practiced moves, short blade and hidden blade criss-crossed defensively. Katherine hadn't been able to press her advantage and tried to get in close to sink her hidden blade into her opponent's neck, but the hunter was fast and moved like a panther, different from her companions. The hunter had reversed their positions and struck fast and hard, leaving Katherine with more than a few cuts and bruises, but certainly nothing that would bother her much. It was as though the hunter was toying with her.
Katherine spun, dust whirling from the ground and into the air around her robes, and thrust her dagger toward the hunter. She'd anticipated the parry and the subsequent impetus of the hunter's hidden blade. Katherine ducked, shot out her leg and found the hunter's knee. Off balance, the hunter raised her short blade defensively to protect herself. Katherine struck it away, leaving the hunter, for the most part, open to attack.
Or so she'd thought.
Her hidden blade grazed the hunter's own, a terribly precise and well thought out retaliation. Katherine spent one too many heartbeats surprised by the move, allowing the hunter to slip past her defences. Katherine only just managed to divert the hidden blade careening for her throat by smashing her dagger against it. The Assassin weapon tore into her shoulder. Katherine released an ear-splitting scream that, until that moment, she hadn't known she could create as the pain exploded through her. No more cuts and bruises she wouldn't feel until the adrenaline died down. Now she was drowning in throbbing torture.
Mary heard Katherine's wail. Cole noticed her gripe at it. Pushing through his own wounds, Cole grinned and shook his wounded arm. Droplets of blood splashed into the leaves and the dust.
"How unfortunate. Your little protégé is dying."
Mary's eye hardened. She didn't for a single moment take her eyes off Cole. He'd take advantage of it. Instead she circled him, her steps so light she barely left an imprint in her footprints. She ignored the ache in her arm, troubled by the jolts of contact between her weapon and Cole's. His forehead had broken into a sweat, plastering his dark hair to his forehead and his face was crimson, almost identical to Mary's fiery hair.
"Ye havnae kept in practice," she observed aloud, and an almost exalted grin split her face. "So ye've just been pullin' my leg this whole time." Cole hadn't a chance to respond before Mary continued, "I've a question for ye, Cole: I told Katie tae hold her fire, not tae shoot ye, since I've seen—and felt—the consequence o' that. But she shot ye in the thigh back in Auschwitz. I remember. Where's your shard, Richard Cole?"
"Out of your reach, Mary," spat Cole as he rolled his shoulders, loosening the muscles in his arms. Mary didn't even think Cole had much feeling left in his wounded arm any longer. "I thought that ruse would last a while longer, but that stupid child spoiled my fun. It took a while to recover from that. Though I'm surprised you recovered at all with that drop. Moreso that you're even up and walking because of those burns. But I suppose I shouldn't complain. Makes you a weaker opponent."
The Scot smiled, which almost appeared pleasant. "Let me tell ye a l'il secret, Mister Cole..." Stepping away from the Templar, Mary began to unravel most of her bandages and cut the rest with her hidden blade, her visible, healthy eye never leaving Cole's. "Thing about third-degree burns—they dannae hurt. Nerves've been burnt tae shite. It's the skin around it, Mister Cole, that smarts. And och, indeed, it smarts a lot. Like ye've never felt before. But ye got it wrong, Mister Cole, if ye think these burns are what's been holding me back from giving ye a proper thrashing. Naw, these burns are nothin' tae the hurt ye left me with, when I crawled oot o' those fucking ashes. And ye might be wondering why I dannae just press my advantage, kill ye while ye're still shocked over yer arm. Answer's simple, Mister Cole: I want ye tae suffer long. For all four of 'em. And I've been holding back tae do just that."
"You think this will bring you all peace, Mary?"
"Naw. At least, not tae them. They'd be disappointed in me, ashamed I've regressed. But I cannae let ye get away with what ye did with just a quick stab tae the heart. And I know this means Katie will have tae keep yer sideshow busy a while longer, but I cannae help my selfishness this time." Mary's bandages drifted to the floor, and Mary imitated Cole by rolling her shoulders. The pleasant smile she offered Cole was marred by the other half of her face, forever scarred, which gave the smile a terribly sadistic image. "Shall we dance, Mister Cole?"
"We shall, Miss MacKenzie."
_/-\_
Beelitz, Germany, 1945
Katherine caught her breath in a hidden alcove underneath a stairway. She knew her breathing was quiet, regardless of her recent exertion, but it didn't seem to abate her feelings. She was convinced the hunter would spring around the corner and run her through, led by the sound of Katherine's shallow gasps as she rushed to fill her lungs with air.
The alcove was cool and had a quiet draft blowing in from the nearby doorway to the outside balcony, a welcome relief to Katherine, who felt the fatigue caused by her robes and long, thick, light brown hair, absorbing heat thanks to the hot summer day. She regretted wearing her father's altered army smock from the Great War. Of course you had to wear it, you idiot, thought Katherine regrettably. Couldn't have just worn a damn undershirt or a blouse. No, you had to wear this.
Katherine wiped some sweat from her brow and winced when she raised her leading arm. The shoulder was wounded, penetrated by the hunter's hidden blade. But that wasn't the end of her injuries. She was pretty sure her pinky was broken (or sprained, at the very least), there was a long cut leaking blood on her right cheekbone, and she'd been punched in the face enough times she was certain she looked like a swollen purple balloon. The image didn't help bring any joy to her bleeding nose. To make matters worse, she'd been disarmed. All she had left was her hidden blade. Her pistol and dagger were on the second floor somewhere, probably tossed out a window by the hunter.
Every time she thought she had the hunter on the ropes, that creature startled her with a new, brazen tactic that Katherine tried not to be surprised about, but the hunter exploited her every hesitation and every overconfidence. Although Katherine had escaped her clutches (for the time being), she wondered if Henry and Nathaniel had encountered the same thing—if they'd been faced with their own inadequacies and doubts. She'd run away, they hadn't. Mary hadn't. Katherine could still hear the clang of weapons elsewhere in the sanatorium, echoing shouts of fury and pain. Most came from a distinctly male voice.
She let her hand fall to her neck, sore from the hunter's hold, and found her brother's dog tags. She'd felt lucky the hunter hadn't ripped the chain from her throat. But it was a great comfort to Katherine knowing her brothers were there, and she'd find a way to put that creature down for good. For them, her brothers.
The Assassin-hunter moved so fluidly Katherine truly couldn't tell if they were under the Apple's control or acting of their own free will. Stalking her prey like an animal, letting Katherine bleed to weaken herself... She felt like a mouse cornered by a house cat, tongue flicking out as if to taste her fear. She clutched her brothers' tags more tightly. Henry, Nathaniel, I might need your help. Katherine pictured her elder brothers, side-by-side, grinning wickedly as they did whenever they were doing something they shouldn't and dragging Katherine along for the thrill of it.
"Katie," she remembered Henry saying, his voice rumbling, "you'll get your chance to go to Europe. Just make sure mom and dad don't die of worry while we're gone."
"And make sure we have a home to come back to!" exclaimed Nathaniel alongside Henry, and gently shoved him aside. "Don't want to see smouldering cinders where the kitchen used to be!"
Katherine had huffed and suppressed the urge to stamp her foot like a child. Her brothers would endlessly make fun of her if she did. "You're the one who nearly burned the house down! I'd be glad if you never stepped foot in the kitchen again!"
Nathaniel shrugged while Henry's grin broadened. "Katie, I'm a demolitionist. I blow things up. You should have known that before you asked me to watch the eggs."
Katherine wasn't worried about her brothers sailing over to Europe. For Americans, they were early, so there were no battalions to join. But their fight was cloaked in shadow, not on the battlefield with the spray of dirt and blood. Their missions were extremely successful whenever they were sent out to gather intelligence or impersonate an officer, or even eliminate a compound with a target within. Unfortunately, they were kept busy, so Katherine hadn't received any letters from them as they did their duty for the Brotherhood. Their last conversation had been over burnt eggs.
It wouldn't have been, had that Assassin-hunter not taken them from Katherine.
Katherine's breathing evened-out, but she still took a long, deep breath. Now she just needed her nerves calmed.
She heard scraping against the wall, ear-splitting and chilling. She shivered, recognizing the sound of a blade being dragged against the wall. But one last, solid grip to the tags around her neck, and Katherine felt calm overtake her. No, she couldn't let the hunter play mind games. The Assassin-hunter had let her brothers try to assassinate her from above, knowing full well they were there. Possibly for nothing more than entertainment, a bit of sport before a kill. Katherine's blood trail led the hunter, who marched slowly towards the alcove, straight towards her. And Katherine resolved that the sport was over. Her fear was gone, her hate, her attachment to this creature in a mask and cowl.
Katherine let her arm drop from the tags and stepped out of the alcove. She turned around the corner to face the hunter, who stopped her march towards Katherine and swiped the short blade she carried against the last length of the wall she could reach. It gleamed in the sunlight, reflecting a glare into Katherine's eyes. The American didn't move. Finally, her steely resolve was in place. The hunter noticed her change in demeanour and seemed to pause. But then, in a quick flash and flick of the wrist, the hunter tossed a blade at Katherine's head.
The American didn't move. The weapon soared towards her face, missed, and embedded itself into the wooden wall beside her head. Katherine glanced at it out of the corner of her eye and back at the hunter. She didn't flinch, didn't move. Not a muscle. So Katherine raised her right arm, yanked the blade from the wood, and dropped her arm to her side. A quick glance confirmed it was her dagger, as though the way it sat comfortably in her palm hadn't already told her as much.
The Assassin-hunter stepped left. Katherine followed, then realized the hunter was pacing, shadowed eyes locked firmly on the American. Come get me, Katherine interpreted. Just try it. Come get me. Playtime is over. Now you die. So come at me already.
A pit formed in her stomach, but Katherine did her best to fight it. The hunter's pacing stopped, and she began towards Katherine, slowly at first, then picked up her pace. Katherine swallowed and did the same, until they were at a dead sprint, unrelenting, unyielding. Katherine's hesitations were gone. Her inadequacies she thought she'd been fraught with too. No more. She wouldn't let the Templars win, wouldn't let Nathaniel and Henry's deaths been in vain. They were the most important to her, but there were other Assassins who had lost their lives to the Templar villains thanks to the Assassin-hunters. She had to think of the Brotherhood, not just of herself.
She remembered her creed: Nothing is true; everything is permitted.
Mary saw it so clearly. Now Katherine did as well. Katherine leapt into the air, leading arm raised, poised to strike with a hidden blade, dagger thrust forward. Everything slowed, despite how fast they moved. She saw the hunter duck under Katherine's dagger and shove her short blade towards Katherine's abdomen. Not today, thought Katherine, twisting her body away until her back was to the hunter. Her leading arm, now propelled with the movement of Katherine's body, clenched and her elbow struck the Assassin-hunter's nose. Surprise seemed to dim the pain for the hunter. Now in her enemy's former position, Katherine landed pressed forward and dug her dagger into the Assassin-hunter's shoulder. She wailed, finally registering the pain that was inflicted on her. Katherine grinned and twisted the blade. Even a modicum of agony from the hunter seemed to brighten Katherine's spirits.
She didn't savour it though. Katherine shoved the hunter off her blade, jumped up again and kicked the hunter hard in the side of her head, sending her sprawling into the wall. Katherine's shoulder ached with her sudden assault. Nonetheless, she rushed to the hunter and smashed her knee right where her foot had connected, once more colliding the hunter's head with the wall. The hunter was dazed—after that, anyone would be—and reacted slowly to Katherine's next attack. Still, Katherine's dagger tore the hunter's robes at her abdomen. The hunter pressed herself against the wall and shot out her leg to kick Katherine away. Katherine's hidden blade found purchase in her thigh, and her dagger sank into the hunter's outstretched leading arm, near the hole she'd inflicted before during her escape under the cover of a smoke bomb.
Katherine would be lying if she denied she felt even a hint of pleasure watching the Assassin-hunter in such pain. The hunter had difficulty standing and leaned heavily against the wall to support herself, but she began to drag down. Katherine kicked the hunter's short blade from her hand, dropped her own dagger and slammed her hidden blade under the hunter's jaw and into her brain. Even though she couldn't see the hunter's face, blood bubbled from her nose and mouth, drenching Katherine's hand as she lifted the hunter to her height. Her other arm held the Assassin-hunter's gauntlet in place to make sure she wouldn't receive a nasty surprise. The hunter's legs kicked weakly.
"I know this won't kill you, only that it will slow you down for a while," said Katherine slowly, "but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy this, watching you suffer. And when I get the Apple from your boss, I'll make sure your end is every bit as painful as everyone you've ever killed. I don't know how they managed to bring you back after what I did to you, but I'm going to make you wish they didn't."
The only response Katherine received was a mutilated gurgle. "Don't worry. I'm not cutting your head off this time. I want you to be conscious for your end."
Katherine yanked her hidden blade out. The hunter's body fell hard on the ground, slumped over, and if Katherine didn't know better, she almost appeared as though she was sleeping.
Not so murder-y now, are you? thought Katherine. Although... I guess it's the pot calling the kettle black...
Still, Katherine shook her head and began to race down the hallways towards the sounds of fighting. Mary needed her help, and with one enemy incapacitated, grabbing the Apple from Cole would be no problem whatsoever.
_/-\_
Beelitz, Germany, 1945
"Come out, come out, wherever ye are, Mister Cole."
Mary, blade raised defensively, crept around corners in the narrow halls of the sanatorium's patient wing, where those misfortunate enough to stay were housed years ago. Beds were overturned, deep gashes decorated the walls, old blood staining the toilets. But except for a droplet of fresh blood here and there, no sign of Cole.
"Ye spoke big before, laddie," said Mary, her eyes surveying the rooms as she passed them. She slowly turned on her heel to observe her flank. "Ye think because ye got lucky burning down a peaceful l'il cottage that ye're untouchable?"
"Still clinging to that, Mary?"
Cole appeared behind her, but Mary was ready for him and met his blade with hers. She saw him flinch at the ferocity of her resistance, or maybe it was from the agitated skin from her burns. Mary preferred to think it was the former.
Her blade was coated lightly in his blood, and it slid down to her hilt, dribbling onto her hands, making them slick. But a slick grip was nothing. It was Cole who was hurting, stabbed and slashed, forcing him to run and hide and try to catch Mary by surprise.
"No more sounds of battle, Mary," said Cole with a smile. "I think your little friend is dead."
"She's a stubborn lass, Cole. Ye'd be surprised what she could do when she puts her mind tae it." Mary took a step forward, putting Cole off-balance. "As for ye, I'd focus on the battle ye've got here. Ye plotted well, had all the pieces in the game set as ye wanted, but ye forgot the rules, and we made sure ye remembered."
"Rules." Cole let the word roll off his tongue distastefully. "You were never one to follow them, Mary. Everything you were was never made for rules. You broke them at every opportunity."
"Only when the call was shite."
"You never agreed with the call. I still don't understand why she passed on that knowledge to you, too. But I suppose it worked out for the best. You couldn't even dedicate yourself to the Brotherhood for ten years before you wanted to leave. But you wouldn't leave with me."
"Och, and ye're nasty because I dinnae leave with ye? Hoora stupid bastart, ye are."
"I could have taken care of you, Mary."
"I can take care of myself, Richard. Ye just couldnae live with the knowledge that I loved someone else."
Cole snarled and shoved Mary with his sword. Mary toppled backward, rolled and stopped in a crouch. His rapier shot forward and pierced the surface of Mary's stomach as she propelled herself backward to avoid him. The Scot ignored the stinging to leap back to her feet and engage Cole again. If he cut, she parried. If he pressed forward, she looked for an opening. Their hearts beat in concert with one another, but soon Mary eclipsed his symphony and once more found Cole's flesh.
Again, he was cut, and again he retreated. Mary smirked and watched him flee as she walked after him. This time he shouted for his Assassin-hunter. He limped so violently Mary thought he would collapse, but he pressed on, casting looks over his shoulder as he did.
"Here I am, Cole. Ye called for Bloody Mary. Here I am. Dannae run now that ye've woke me up."
She turned the corner. He was there, flailing with his weapon, desperate to hit her again. Looking for any sign that the battle was still in his favour. Mary stepped away in the nick of time and swung her sword. The blade cut into the side of his hand, severing his pinky and third finger from their bones and muscles. She remembered the last time she'd heard a man scream like Cole, and it fuelled her hate for him. He deserved every speck of pain he got.
His holler echoed against the walls. At this point Mary thought the doctors on the other side of the wing, used as a hospital, had decided something was strange. They had some more time bought for them thanks to Hall's connections. So Mary watched leisurely as Cole fell on his back clutching his hand close to his chest, tears streaming down his face. Mary walked forward. The sound of her boots seemed to awaken him from the curtain of agony and he rolled onto his belly. He managed to get to his feet and limped away, towards the entrance he'd come in. Mary followed.
"Ye were partnered with me through it all, Cole," she mused. "Ye were there for every fingernail I pulled oot of a Templar's hand, every tooth I yanked out. Ye were there for it all. So ye know what I'm doing, aye? Ye know ye're not getting oot o' this alive. Make it easy on yerself and give me the Apple, Cole."
Cole collapsed onto his knees just as Katherine dropped down from the second floor, out of breath and looking worse for wear, but still very much alive. Mary grinned broadly when she saw the young woman.
"Och, laddie, looks like help's not coming for ye."
"Mary!"
This time, Mary's reaction was nowhere near fast enough. Cole ripped the Apple from a hidden pocket in his coat and displayed it with fire in his eyes. It was stained with blood, but its otherworldly glow vaporized it immediately.
"You want it, Mary?" snarled Cole, blood spattering from his mouth. "Take it!"
Mary collapsed, body writhing, head pounding. She didn't even realize she was screaming. She felt the relic probing her head, prodding her mind, burning her from the inside out. The bedroom was licked with flame and the window was stuck shut. The door was wide open, and at it's mouth—Cole. And his Assassin-hunter, pride and joy.
She watched him step closer, hands clasped behind his back, a conquering smile splitting his features. The wood around him split and groaned. The flames were too hot. She was too weak. She couldn't breathe. Where were they? Where were they?!
She hadn't realized she asked him. The grin still fixed in place, he knelt down in front of her. She was pinned. Couldn't move. He pulled closer to her. "They're home, Mary," he whispered, and somehow she heard him over her own screams of fury and pain, tears prickling at her eyes, her wailing as loud and mournful as a banshee of legend. No. No! Give them back! Give them back to me! GIVE THEM BACK TO ME, COLE! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!
"Stop!" Katherine's boot smashed Mary's mouth, jarring her from the impact and from her stupor. In an instant Katherine had incapacitated Mary and crossed the room to Cole, her hidden blade finding Cole's arm. He shrieked and finally released his hold on the Apple. Katherine swooped down and caught it before it could hit the ground.
The pain stopped. The burning stopped. Everything stopped.
"You son of a bitch!" Katherine barked. "This isn't a toy. This isn't a fucking toy! You think you can just play with us because you have the Sight?! It's a gift to be used wisely! And you're using it to control this! To hurt people!"
Cole leaned backward. "It's a tool meant to be used, Miss Prince."
Katherine levelled a glare at him. "You know me?"
"I know your little legacy, 'Hayya'. You've proven yourself with poisons, but you never used them once."
Mary slowly rocked back and forth on the ground, trying to gather her bearings, while Katherine stepped towards Cole. "And how do you know that, Mister Cole?"
He grinned, a film of blood curtaining his white teeth. "She told me."
Richard Cole gestured to the Assassin-hunter behind Katherine, drenched in blood, pumping a shotgun.
Mary charged at the hunter like a woman possessed. With an outrageous roar she tossed herself at the woman and tackled her to the ground as hard as she could. The shotgun flew into the wall and hit the ground, out of their reach. Katherine had only just registered Cole tackle her in the same manner, and the Apple was launched into the air. She heard it hit the ground not far from her. Cole scrambled off of Katherine to make a grab at it. The American latched onto his legs and wrestled to keep him away from it while positioning herself for it, but Cole, wounded as he was, was still stronger than her. All she could do was latch onto him and pray he couldn't reach the Apple. He kicked, he crawled, he bit, but Katherine didn't release him. She couldn't let him.
Mary and the Assassin-hunter fought tooth and nail to keep one another from the shotgun. Mary yanked out her Colt and fired every shot she had into the Assassin-hunter in the hopes of slowing her down but to no avail. The punched and kicked and scratched, trying to force the other to tire. Finally Mary broke away and leapt for the shotgun. She had only just barely turned it around with her finger on the trigger when the Assassin-hunter grabbed the barrel. Mary fired. The hunter screamed. Mary tried to pump it but the hunter had her hands latched firmly onto the pump.
"Got it!" strained Cole, his fingertips brushing the glowing silver of the Apple.
"No you don't!" Katherine yanked Cole back. The Apple rolled away. Cole snarled inhumanly and resumed his desperate struggle.
His hidden blade primed and sank into Katherine's arm, protruding from the other side. Katherine was too shocked to shout and held on, but her arm weakened and Cole managed to crawl towards the Apple, dragging Katherine along with him.
"Stop this, Sara!" Mary pleaded as she wrestled over the shotgun. "Ye're stronger than this! I know it!"
The Assassin-hunter had no response to give, grappled the shotgun from Mary's grasp and smacked the side of her head with the stock. She pumped the shotgun. Cole finally laid his fingers on the Apple again. It glowed bright under his touch.
"Kill this little bitch!" Cole snarled, kicking at Katherine again. "Kill her! Kill her!"
The hunter whirled on Katherine. She'd only just released Cole and rolled out of the way when Mary tripped the hunter. The hunter landed on her head. Mary straddled her.
"Please!" exclaimed Mary. "I know this int what ye want! I know ye wouldnae do this if ye had yer own mind! Ye can fight him! Fight Richard!"
"Mary!" shouted Katherine. "Just kill her already!"
Mary hesitated. Cole didn't.
Cole launched himself towards Mary and smashed the side of her head with the piece of silver in his hand. Mary was tossed from the Assassin-hunter with ease, and as the hunter clambered to her feet, Cole took off down the hall, only slowing to scoop his rapier off the ground. The hunter grabbed her shotgun and took off as well. Mary was nursing her head when Katherine hurried to her.
"Mary? Mary, please be all right!"
The Scot weakly shoved Katherine away. "Ach, I'm fine, lassie! Just a wee bit dizzy..."
"We have to go after them before they escape."
"Aye..."
Katherine helped Mary to her feet. "Don't hesitate again, Mary. She'll kill us both."
Painfully, but whether it was because of the new wound or something else, Mary nodded and agreed quietly.
They didn't bother to grab Mary's sword. They focused instead on following the two as quickly as possible, eager to do them in and reclaim the Apple that they'd possessed for nary a moment. Katherine could still feel the tingle in her palm where she held it. It truly was a terrifying object. For a moment, holding it and facing Cole, Katherine had considered using it against him. But he had the Sight and wouldn't be affected like someone like Mary.
Mary... Cole had held the Apple aloft. Like a ragdoll, Mary had hit the ground, screaming and twitching, wriggling and hollering. Katherine had rushed to her instead of toward Cole. A foolish mistake. She should have just gone for the source of Mary's pain, but Katherine couldn't just leave her there. Her guard was down, which allowed Mary to grab hold of Katherine and shake her viciously.
"GIVE THEM BACK TO ME, COLE!" screamed Mary, her grip like iron. She had stared directly into Katherine's eyes, even though it appeared Mary wasn't home. There were hot, angry tears forming in her eyes. "I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!"
It was all Katherine could do to kick Mary and try to grab the Apple. Of course she'd managed it. But Katherine couldn't shake that image of Mary, driven to hallucinate because of the Piece of Eden Cole possessed. Mary could have been used against Katherine.
It made Katherine realize how Mary was right—the Assassin-hunters were slaves.
They sped along the corridors, hot on Cole's trail, but still too far to do anything but glimpse him from around a corner or two. He was wounded terribly, but ran like a man possessed. Katherine had no doubt it was thanks to the Piece of Eden reinvigorating his efforts to escape. He'd walked into the sanatorium with only an inkling that Churchill might not meet him, that it could be a trap, but he was overconfident. He brought his pet bodyguard and the Apple, and he thought he was untouchable. Based on his wounds, Katherine assumed Mary wanted to prove him wrong. She nearly gagged at the sight of his hand, pinky and third finger only half-attached. He had so much blood loss Katherine hoped he'd die at the top of the stairs they pursued him on.
"He's headed tae the roof!" exclaimed Mary, taking the steps two at a time.
A cut on Katherine's thigh flared, but she forced herself to keep pace with the Scot. "They could have set their own trap. They disarmed all of mine."
"I saw that, lassie. Bugger must have had his Assassin-hunter scout out the place."
"But we were here the whole time!"
"She's different from the others, lass. Knows stealth, understands it, could kill a target without disturbing the flicker of a candle, if ye ask me."
"You called her Sara."
"Aye. That'd be her name."
"Who is she? How do you know her?"
Mary's lips pursed as they rounded another corner, nearly skidding into a wall with their speed. "She taught me everything I know, lassie. Cole, Hall, and Wessex, too. We were her apprentices."
Katherine couldn't imagine it. Knowing someone so well, who they were, their dreams and ambitions, laughing with them, drinking with them... only to find them on the other side as an enemy, and one who'd killed countless former allies. The Assassin-hunter had to be a Master Assassin, and now she was controlled by her former apprentice.
"She was a Brit," continued Mary. "I dinnae like her at the start. Too rigid, too blind, I thought. Couldnae have a decent conversation without it becoming a shouting match. I dinnae want tae throw my lot in with a cult that had a code about killing. Just kill the bad guys and be done with it, I said. I went oot of my way tae deliberately avoid orders, just get the job done. First while we butted heads. Then I think she saw a use in me. Set me on a path where I could expel my rage. She let me complete missions how I wanted, and soon I began tae see the wisdom behind the way she wanted it done. Never told her that. Just quietly fell in place with the rest of my team. Before I knew it, we were friends."
"And now she's a slave. You just wanted her..."
"Aye. Just wanted her back. Dannae want her tae end up dead. And I'm thinking there has tae be a bit o' her left in there, a bit o' the fighter I know. If ye can, Katie, try tae break the little spell on her. If she wants tae die then, I'd bet my knickers she'd want tae die as an Assassin rather than a Templar slave."
"... You can keep your knickers. Please."
The Scot grinned. "Dannae get yer breeches in a twist, lassie. They're clean as can be!"
"I'd still prefer if you kept them. And on, if you please."
"Och, embarrassed! Sweet wee lass, ye are!"
"I'm not a 'sweet wee lass'! I dannae—!" Katherine bit her tongue. Mary beamed like the sun.
"Well, Miss Prince, I hope my accent dannae confuse ye so much that ye forget yer own!"
Katherine remembered that conversation, vague as it was. On that train to Vienna as cold as the dead of winter, when she was eager to learn more about the woman Hall had put in charge of their mission. Katherine knew so much about Mary, yet so little, even now. But Katherine smiled in return.
"You just use the term so much it was all I was thinking about!"
"Och, aye!"
"I'm serious, Mary!"
"Of course ye are! I was just agreeing with ye!"
"With a tone!"
They climbed the last of the crumbling stairs. The door above them had been smashed open and listed on its side. The Assassin-hunter had barrelled through like a battering ram, opening a clear escape. But as Mary and Katherine exploded into the morning sun, Mary slowed, spun, and kicked the rapier aimed for her back out of Cole's right hand. Katherine reacted fast, her hidden blade leaping from her gauntlet, and buried it deep into Cole's skull. The man's eyes widened, shocked, surprised, defeated. The Apple's glow dissipated.
"Ye boggin' bastart," Mary mumbled quietly, catching Cole's falling body in her arms. "Only thing I could take from ye was yer life, when ye took everything from me. So believe I'm sincere when I say I hope ye rot in Hell for the rest of yer existence."
She placed his head gently on the stone rooftop. And as the light faded from his eyes, he grinned.
"Not... everything..." he managed, spitting blood, until it fountained from his mouth and he finally died.
Katherine's eyes narrowed. Mary paled.
The Assassin-hunter appeared.
Katherine panicked and reached for the Apple rolling away from Cole's grasp. What was only seconds felt like moments. The barrel of a shotgun faced them both, nearly point-blank. Katherine couldn't reach the Apple. Mary was too far from the hunter to do anything.
"KATIE! NO!"
Mary grabbed hold of Katherine's arm, yanking her towards the Scot. Mary's arms wrapped tightly around Katherine, one hand cradling the younger woman's head, like a mother protecting her child. Katherine shrieked. The shotgun went off.
The world was a blur. She felt herself and Mary pried apart. Katherine was tossed into the balustrade, numb to everything around her. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. The hunter walked so slowly. Mary was kneeling in front of her, facing Katherine. The American could see the Apple rolling still. She'd been tossed so far, it was rolling right to her. She reached for it, desperately, and agonizingly slowly.
The hunter stooped to pick up Cole's rapier. Blood was leaking out of Mary's nose and mouth. Her breathing was ragged, flecks of crimson flying out whenever she managed a breath. She didn't move. She was weak, so weak. Katherine reached with all her might for the Apple. Before the hunter could get any closer.
So slow, so particular. The hunter raised the rapier above her head and aimed downward. Katherine locked eyes with Mary. The Scot smiled, managed a wink, and then the sword was plunged into her neck. It didn't stop until the tip had crashed into the stone, locked in place. Mary's body slid forward, down the blade, lifeless.
Katherine hadn't realized she was wailing. She sounded like a wounded animal, but she didn't care. She finally grabbed hold of the Apple as the hunter's sight turned onto her. She screeched like a harpy, Piece of Eden grasped firmly in her hand, and directed all the power she could summon from it towards the Assassin-hunter. Glowing tendrils of golden light shot out and collided with the hunter's stomach, sending her flying into the wall shielding the stairs. Katherine didn't stop, didn't falter. She leapt to her feet and swung the Apple like a blade. The glowing lights cut deep into the hunter. Her torso was slashed terribly, new blood splashing over old.
Katherine had finally gotten close enough to bash the hunter's skull with the Apple. She hit her, again and again. The hunter raised her arms in a futile attempt to protect herself. She was too weak. The Apple made Katherine so strong. Katherine didn't stop until she saw the woman's brain matter on the wall, and the Assassin-hunter slumped to the ground. Even then, Katherine felt her rage hadn't abated. She held the Apple aloft.
"Die, you fucking bastard. Just die!"
The Apple glowed. So did the hunter. When the glow abated, Katherine dropped the Apple. Tears fell freely from her eyes. She could still feel Mary's fingers lingering on her head, cradling her, protecting her from the blast.
Mary's body was firmly stuck on the blade. On her back, Katherine saw the damage to its extent: the blast had ripped her apart. Katherine could see shrapnel sticking out of her flesh. Katherine hadn't realized she was soaked in Mary's blood.
"Mary..." Katherine whimpered. She stepped towards the Scot and dropped to her knees. "Mary..."
She managed to yank the sword from the stone and Mary's neck. Gently, she rolled Mary onto her back. Some shrapnel hadn't made it through her body. A couple did, ripped right through Mary's heart, but were stopped by Mary's stupid silver flask leaking alcohol.
"Mary...!" Katherine didn't hold back. She cried as loudly and as unrelenting as she had when she found out her brothers had died.
She couldn't imagine leaving that place without Mary, grinning victoriously, ordering a pint at the local tavern before Hall could drag her out. And Katherine celebrating alongside her, drinking merrily, toasting their years-long mission accomplished.
Mary MacKenzie was dead.