Disclaimer - I do not own Assassin's Creed or Prototype, they belong to their respective owners. Current chapter is unbeta'd.

Eyes on Me

June 17th, 1775

Bunker Hill...

Ratonhnhaké:ton sat down on the grassy hill as he stared at the desolated land before him, filled with smoke, fire and corpses. Once more, so many death and no victory for the rebels, even John Pitcairn's death did not bring any kind of victorious feeling. In fact, the British Commander's death was as bitter as Johnson's, leaving the Kanien'kehá:ka questioning himself and doubting his path that was paved in blood. Both Templars had reasons for committing those horrible acts, Johnson genuinely wished to protect the Natives and Pitcairn wanted to stop a war from happening. Perhaps they could had been reasoned with...

Brown eyes blinked in surprised as a waterskin dangled before him, following the hand that held it, he was greeted by the sight of a tall man who stood above him with pale white skin and stormy eyes. Sighing, he greeted the man politely, 'Mercer.'

The white man nodded back in greeting as he gestured at the waterskin once more and said, 'Drink up. You look exhausted, Ratonhnhaké:ton.'

The Assassin thanked him as he took the offered water and drank a few mouthfuls as the other sat down beside him. Connor glanced back at the hurried men in the rebel camp who were rushing to pack up whatever ammunitions or supplies they still had, none of them really cared for the wounded except a few, comparing himself to them, he felt like those who got injured in this battled deserved to be taken care of more than him.

'Don't put them above you, Ratonhnhaké:ton,' said Mercer who kept his eyes focused on the British camp. 'Those men might be injured and might die later, but the burden you carry yourself weights far more than any of them could ever handle.'

'Did Raké:ni wanted you to tell me that?' Connor asked with a slight downward tilt on his lip.

Well, one of the reasons he was alone on the battlefield and Mercer was here looking after him was because of a... SMALL misunderstanding between him and his surrogate father. Not that he was entirely at fault in said misunderstanding, but it was difficult to mistake the CURRENT relationship his Raké:ni had with the thief. The Kanien'kehá:ka was not sure what had happened, though he was certain something major must had occurred for such enormous change to happen. The older Kanien'kehá:ka had willingly let the thief hug him without ever trying to stop him, which was the complete opposite of his usual reaction towards the other's antics! Not that they did anything that was inappropriate, though their actions kind of spoke out the fact that they were... intimate... Somehow such thought irked him.

'No,' Mercer answered, studying him. 'Are you jealous of Gabriel?'

'NO!' was Connor's instant reply, though he ducked his head in embarrassment when he did so. Not that Ratonhnhaké:ton minded his surrogate father having a relationship with another! But... maybe a part of him did feel that it was too unexpected... and then with Gabriel seemingly visiting more and more often, almost hovering over the other's shoulder every time he came to visit. Raké:ni still displayed his dislike of touch with a frown or a growl, but it was tamer and at times, he found that the older man's eyes had a gleam of fondness in them.

The Kanien'kehá:ka's thoughts were scattered to the wind when Mercer did something unexpected, he patted his head like his surrogate father usually did. It was not something he expected from a man who was as reckless as he was brash, while Mercer had displayed concern for his wellbeing, Connor had always brushed it off as a task that was handed him and not out of genuine worry. Perhaps he had misread him? And... why did this feel... acceptable? His body didn't tense up at the contact nor did he react to it harshly.

'Well, I don't know what problem you have with your father, but I do know that you worry him by keeping things to yourself,' Mercer remarked as he pulled his hand away. 'No matter what happened, your father will always put your safety and wellbeing first.'

Ratonhnhaké:ton knew that very well, though some lingering doubts still remained as he recalled the closeness between his surrogate father and the thief. After all, Raké:ni had never displayed any kind of ulterior interest in other people and Gabriel had been nothing more than an exasperated acquaintance, so for him to suddenly accept the thief's intimate touches just made Connor felt...

Mercer sighed as he said, 'Green is really not your colour, Ratonhnhaké:ton.'

The Assassin blinked owlishly as he stared at the man questioningly and said, 'But I am not wearing green.'

'No, but you are certainly green with envy as the old saying goes,' Mercer said with an amused smile on his lips, which stretched into a wide grin when Connor once more denied that he was jealous.

Connor stuttered to a stop in his denial at that grin on the man's face. It held a serenity to it that was almost innocent and carefree, a weird contrast to his usual bloodlust smirk filled with dark intention that was directed to his enemies or at the prospect of unleashing pure carnage. Yet, while it still surprised him, Connor was more unprepared to be on the receiving end of such sincere display of emotion from someone who had only displayed raw savageness, for it brought an unusual sensation in his chest, a mix of nervousness and... successfulness? The Native ducked his head once more at that peculiar thought, wondering why he would feel such thing and with a stranger nonetheless. Well... they were not total strangers... Known acquaintances perhaps?

Mercer let out a final chuckle before he stood up and offered him his hand, a rather gentle expression settled on his face as he said, 'Come on. Let's head back to the Homestead. The fight is over for now.'

Ratonhnhaké:ton sighed as he gave the man a wry smile and took hold of the offered hand, allowing himself to be pulled up by the other. What a strange man, this Alexander Mercer was. Then again, his surrogate father was strange as well. What was that saying that Achilles had used for Raké:ni and his group? Ah, right. Birds of a feather flock together. Fitting.

Alex was glad that he was able to keep Ratonhnhaké:ton safe once more. At least he did not have to go through Hell on his own, though he might have went a little overboard in his slaughter against the firing squads... Not that many people noticed some claws or two were dicing through flesh and bone in the chaos of a battle. Greene's protective instinct had its use at times, though it was more difficult to pull himself out of it when the proverbial dust settled. At least until his eyes found his kid safe and sound. Still, there was another problem that remained...

No, it was not the upcoming assassination attempt on Washington. He could care less for that guy's safety!

Honestly, it was starting to feel ridiculous this sudden distancing Connor was pulling! Okay, fine, the Blacklight virus was willing to admit that it was probably shocking and weird for him to be more accepting of Gabriel's advances and didn't do as much bodily harm to him in retaliation as he had done previously. Not to mention the subtle change of tune Gabriel was doing. The thief continued to flirt with him, though he... started to keep it low key? His flirting mood started to be limited to private moments, when they were alone with no possible eyewitness, while in front of others, it was playful teasing like their usual banters.

Nonetheless, Alex didn't think this minor change was so bad that it would drive his boy to be jealous of Gabriel of all people! He wondered if all kids with single parent upbringing just automatically felt threatened by anyone who might be filling in the shoes of the missing parent post. Not that Gabriel was even a good mother figure material to begin with. While he wanted to talk it out with Ratonhnhaké:ton, he knew the Assassin well enough to know that he wouldn't listen or talk until he was actually done with his pensive phase, forcing it would just drive him further into the narrow corner and not solving any of the misunderstanding in the end. Of course, that did not meant that Alex was throwing the towel, he just decided to let his Mercer persona out more and established this identity as a trustworthy confidant for his adopted child. After all, kids never liked to confide everything to their parents.

So far, Alex's plan seemed to be working, seeing Ratonhnhaké:ton was not acting like a cornered wolf facing a possible predator. Bonding over combat seemed the easiest way for both of them, which was at times saddening for the Blacklight virus, who wished that his adopted child would actually be able to live a normal and boring human life one day. And maybe... No. Not gonna think that much ahead. That kind of future would be for future Alex Mercer to deal with.

Both men had decided to rest for the night and continued their journey to Homestead tomorrow, Alex had taken the task of setting up the camp while the Assassin went to hunt for some food. It felt unusually nostalgic, seeing it had been quite some times since they had last shared a campfire together, what with duties and misunderstandings had kept them both busy and apart. When they were actually together, they had mostly been rushing towards towns and villages for rest and shelter, acting like they were running out of time to reach their destination.

Nevertheless, camping was still a rather quiet affair between the two of them, though it felt more peaceful and less stressful, like actually taking the time to rest and unwind from the journey and the mission they had gone through. Of course, the physical part of the equation can be easily dealt with, though the mental aspect was often neglected these days. The question now was how to broach this peculiar mental health subject as Alex Mercer, it felt like he was on top of cracking eggshells and any move could easily cause his fall. Alex found that he had a harder time to be anything else but a killer under the skin of Mercer, despite his best effort to be a better man to support his surrogate son. Where's a psychologist when you need one in this time and age?

'How did you meet Raké:ni?'

'What?' Alex intoned in slight surprise. Here he was having a mental dilemma in his mind and somehow Connor was taking the initiative to make small talks with him? Unexpected to say the least, but at the same time, a trait his child actually possessed, especially when it came to find people with skills and knowledge he lacked. How he wished once more that Ratonhnhaké:ton would exercise that silver tongue of his more than charging head first into problems. The young man would have been an excellent diplomat if given the proper knowledge and had better self-control over his emotions.

'How did you meet Raké:ni?' the Kanien'kehá:ka repeated softly, looking at him with a curious glint in his eyes. 'I had never heard of him speak of you before the tea party incident, even when he did, it is often brief and riddled.'

Alex smiled slightly at that as he replied, 'Of course he wouldn't speak of me, for my existence is one that is best not involved with that life of his. Death and Life don't go hand-in-hand very well.'

Yes... It was almost easy to forget the existence of Alex Mercer after living peacefully under the Iroquois skin for so long. If the circumstances didn't demand the use of his claws, he probably would have buried his initial identity for good to devote his time to take care of his child. That sounded too Greene for him... He really needed to check on that mental lock one of these days...

'Because you were seen as a monster?' Connor inquired.

The Blacklight virus gave him a shark-like smirk as he answered, 'I am one, Ratonhnhaké:ton. And might I add, one that you should be very afraid of.'

'I don't believe that,' the younger male replied, unimpressed by his mock-attempt to spook him, resting his elbows over his knees and locking his eyes on the grey ones. 'You might fight like a beast on the battlefield, but I do not see a monster in you. I believe you are what Achilles likes to call... a practical killer.'

Alex laughed at that. While the Blacklight's face read of cockiness, he felt a spark of... something growing in his chest, an urge to prove that he was a nightmare without revealing his grotesque side physically. 'I am hardly a practical person, little fledgling. You just missed the bloody scenes I paint with my claws.'

'I know very well you could tear through grown men like they were nothing but tall grass on your path. What eludes me is why? Why put so much effort in proving you are a monster?' the Assassin questioned.

'The world is full of monsters, Ratonhnhaké:ton. I am just the one that loves to devour all, including other monsters,' the virus replied, smirk lessened to a tiny smile. So that you'll be safer. Ugh. Again. That very Greene instinct was overlapping with his.

'In that case, you make a strange monster,' Connor retorted lightly, hounding him for answers to satiate his curiosity. Somehow the image of a pup poking at a new toy came to the virus' mind. 'And why would a monster be willing to listen to my Raké:ni's words to begin with? Monsters won't display such loyalty.'

'Loyalty? Perhaps not. A debt? Any living being has enough decency to pay back what is due, even a monster such as I,' Alex answered honestly. He really owed a lot to his Kanien'kehá:ka identity, which brought him a sense of belonging when he was an outcast in every way and set him on a path that was filled with unexpected companionships. It gave him everything he never imagined he would ever have: a place to call home, people to call his family and a better goal to strive for. Who knew what darker path the Prototype might have taken if he had stayed as Alex Mercer.

The Blacklight virus was pulled out of his thoughts at a light hum from the Assassin, causing him to blink and refocus on his child, who wore a rare expression on his face, a knowing look with a lopsided smile.

'What?' Alex demanded with a raised eyebrow, not expecting his adopted son to direct that look towards Mercer of all people. That peculiar gaze was reserved to his surrogate father's private eyes and he had never seen Connor displayed this side towards others, the rare softness that de-aged all those stern winkles on his face and dimmed the burning fire in his eyes to warm embers.

'I think I understand why Raké:ni puts so much trust in you,' the younger man answered, lips quirked slightly for a wider smile that came from the heart. 'You and Raké:ni are not so different.'

'Hardly,' Alex scoffed out as he turned his attention back to the bonfire and the food that was being cooked over it.

His action made Connor laughed slightly, probably thinking he had gotten one up over the usually imposing predator. The virus titled his head downward slightly, acting like he was displeased by the Assassin's assessment of his personality while hiding the faint smile on his lips. Making one's child laugh was always a victory in any parent's book.

With his initial curiosity satisfied, they proceeded with sharing the food and his surrogate child even initiated more conversations between them, which Mercer answered back patiently and carefully, encouraging this social aspect of the Native Assassin while keeping his past a mystery still.

For now, he would savour every reaction he got from his child, seeing he would soon be gone for a good long while. He had an upcoming unpleasant date with Kenway...

July 18th, 1775

Boston's Harbour...

The Grandmaster let out a tired sigh as his gaze lingered on the cloudy grey sky above. The course charted towards the Precursor site was done. For secrecy and a certain degree of safety, he and Zeus would need to take the first ship to a southern port city, where another ship would be readied and stocked with plenty of supplies for a smaller crew. The less people who knew of the remote island they were heading the better. While his temporary absence might sowed some seeds of doubt into his men, he trusted that his authority still held enough sway to keep them from assuming the worse of him. After all, his underlings' goal might be the complete eradication of their sworn enemy and the full control of the Colonies, but his was the secrets the Precursors had left behind. If cooperating with a Mentor Assassin helped him achieve his goal, then so be it. Not like he was the only one who would be at risk if anyone discovered their little voyage. Zeus had as much to lose as he did, for they were both the leader of their respective secret organization.

Haytham pulled out his golden pocket watch and checked the time. The Captain of the Notus had warned him that they might need to set out earlier than expected, so that their sails would catch the first strong wind to carry them out of port before the storm finally reached land. The Assassin should have arrived by now. Frowning slightly, the Templar pocketed his watch and headed towards a nearby watchtower. His Eagle Sense worked better in high ground and he would easily find the Mohawk this way.

The climb to the top was not as easy as it was when he was younger, but the thrill of overcoming the pain and reaching the top hadn't lessened over the years, gazing out at the world below from high places hadn't lost its charm either. Especially the sensation of knowledge being poured into his mind as his sixth sense instantly spotted his target... with another individual. How curious... and worrisome.

Without wasting any time, Haytham quickly headed towards the general location where Zeus was. He slowed his steps and approached stealthily as his ears caught faint words of a conversation between the Mentor Assassin and his companion.

'I still don't like the idea that you are leaving us behind and heading towards God knows where,' a slightly accented male voice remarked as the Templar pressed against the wall near the alley where the speaker was. 'This smells more like a trap than anything, Zeus.'

'Then what better way to spring it than step right into it,' the familiar voice of his old friend replied in an amused manner. 'Not like there is anything he could pull that will actually kill me.'

The other individual let out an exasperated sigh. 'Please don't jinx it, my dear patron.'

Zeus scoffed at that, though his tone soon turned light as he added, 'I'll be fine. I promise. Honestly, I'm more worried about you and everyone else.'

Brown eyes blinked in surprise at the softness the words carried, something that he did not think it was possible with Zeus, not after... everything. His impression of his old friend was that of a scarred beast that would growl threatening to any being it deemed untrustworthy and swipe its claws aggressively towards anything close to it. Bitter and hurt like him... Yet... Why? Why did he still manage to display gentleness towards another?

'Ha! As if any trouble we stir up can be compared to yours,' his companion retorted teasingly.

Haytham was biting his lower lip as he dared to inch a little out of the corner, wanting to see what man could draw out the nonexistent gentle side of the brutish Native and could speak so casually to him without any hint of fear or discomfort. His eyes landed on the back of the Mentor Assassin's wide frame, which partially hid the athletic figure of the speaker. The stranger was hooded in a dark green cloak with his shadowed gaze wholly focused on Zeus, the man had equipments that could easily rivalled that of an Assassin, but he lacked the peculiar stance the trained killers had. Perhaps he was an ally of the Assassins? Whoever he was, he was standing awfully close to the imposing Assassin. Anyone with that close of a distance to the Mohawk usually ended up with one of their limbs damaged.

'With you in charge? Definitely enough to give the Devil a run for his money,' Zeus teased back in a mock-serious manner, causing the other to laugh in delight. The Templar felt something stirring in his guts, his hands clenched into tight fists, as he could feel the smile that was being pulled on the Assassin's lips despite the fact he wasn't facing him. 'Just take care of things while I'm not around and keep an eye on everyone.'

'Yes, yes, my dearest Zeus. You are such a Papa Bear these days,' the rogue remarked mischievously.

'I am not–' Zeus didn't manage to finish his sentence as the shorter male suddenly pulled him close and bit into the Iroquois' neck with snake-like precision.

Haytham almost jumped out of his hiding spot at the act. WHAT IN GOD'S NAME WAS THAT MAN DOING?! He paused when he noticed something odd about the manner the stranger was biting Zeus' neck. Teeth nibbling the tanned skin and tongue lightly swiped over the bruise area. No... He wasn't... Blood drained and rushed through the Templar's body so rapidly that he was almost dizzy by his own bodily reaction towards the scene before him.

The man wasn't trying to hurt his ally... HE WAS MARKING HIM! AND ZEUS WASN'T DOING A DAMN THING ABOUT IT?!

The Native was tensed at the unexpected action, but he soon relaxed and rested an unsure hand on the other man's arm. He only spoke when the stranger was done marking him. 'What was that about?'

'Just a little something to remember me with while you are away,' the rogue answered with a smirk as he leaned in close to whisper. 'And I don't mind if you leave yours on mine.'

The taller man scoffed at the flirt as he pointed out, 'The mark will be long gone by the time I come back.'

'Do you want me to beg for it, Zeus?' the man purred out as he wrapped his arms over Zeus' broad shoulders, keeping him intimately close. 'I could beg you nicely to leave your mark on my body.'

Haytham was certain that the Native was going to leave a serious mark of rejection on the degenerated man. Then he heard a tired exhale from the broader man who pulled the other's arms off his shoulders, looking like he was going to end the matter seriously. Good. At least something never changed...

Instead of moving to beat the pervert like the Templar was expecting, the Assassin gently tilted the rogue's head and actually complied with his wish! Haytham couldn't believe what he was seeing even as faint wet noises sounded in the air, followed by muffled whimpers from the hooded man. None of what was happening seemed real, this must be some kind of weird hallucination his tired mind conjured, though it might be worrisome that his mind managed to imagine such... such... INDECENT scene! Actually... WHY WOULD HE EVEN THINK ABOUT ZEUS COMMITTING SUCH ACTS?! OR EVEN CARE?!

A sharp hiss drew the Grandmaster's attention back on the pair. The hood had fallen off the stranger, revealing loosely tied up brown hair with streaks of grey and an ecstatic expression on his face. One hand dug into the Assassin's braided hair and the other clung onto the shoulder tightly as he moaned out his partner's name.

Haytham's teeth broke skin with how hard he was biting his lower lip, for the sight was very vexing once the fog of confusion was lifted from his mind. His body trembled in anger as his mind struggled to select which course of action to initiate, ranging from shouting to throwing something at them, anything to break them apart from one another! Again, he was frozen in his hidden spot when his eyes were locked with that of the brunet's.

The Templar didn't think, his body simply turned and ran from the obscene sight the pair made while his heart and mind were racing chaotically within him. The rogue spotted him, yet he did not pull away or even warn the Mohawk about his presence. No... That man KNEW he was present from the beginning. That vulgar display was nothing but a taunt directed towards him.

Realization caused an eruption inside the Grandmaster as he started pacing around the port, failing to calm his nerves and barely acknowledging the sailor who came to warn him about their imminent departure. A few minutes later, the Assassin arrived, looking all neat and proper like nothing had happened to him. His tricorn hat rested on his braided and groomed hair, his clothes were straight with his weapons strapped to his side and the high collar of his black leather coat barely concealed the faint marking on his neck.

'You're late,' Haytham bit out and openly glared at the Mohawk.

Zeus raised an unimpressed eyebrow at his rude greeting as he returned with, 'Hello to you too, Haytham. Lovely weather we are having today and I see you are as charming as ever.'

The Templar scoffed at the sarcastic reply as he continued sharply, 'The Captain of the Notus said we need to leave now if we want to avoid the worse of the storm. We could have left much earlier if you didn't get distracted on your way here.'

Anger was painfully clawing Haytham's innards as his words just made Zeus titled his head and let out a dull huh. What was this bored reaction he was getting here?

'What?' the British demanded in frustration.

'You know...' the Assassin started slowly as he moved towards their ship, he barely brushed grey-haired man's shoulder as he leaned in slightly to whisper into Haytham's ear. 'I never took you to be such a prude about men doing this sort of thing, though I suppose it might be because you are FAR more invested in it than you wanted to be.'

Shadow covered Haytham's eyes as he moved to stab Zeus with his hidden blade, but the bulky man simply danced away from his strike in a blink and easily sidestepped the second one with an amused chuckle. As if the Grandmaster's attempt to shed blood was nothing but a jest on his part. The Mentor Assassin started whistling as he kept his playful gaze on him while backing up towards their ship. Haytham didn't let the blade slid back until the Mohawk had walked onto the ship. His breathing heavy as he tried to calm himself down, struggling to bottle up his emotions once more. God... What was wrong with him? What happened with the Assassin had made him lose all sense and logic without any good reason.

Something green flashed in the corner of his vision. When he turned and searched for it, the sight just made his blood boiled further as he turned and walked away. Mentally, he swore that he would one day bury his blade into that aggravating individual.

On a nearby rooftop, a thief was happily running a light finger over the bloody bruise displayed on his neck as he watched the ship set sail for the unknown.

A couple of weeks later...

Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean...

Perhaps it wasn't wise on Alex's part to indulge with Gabriel's antic, seeing Haytham had been acting like he had both a stick stuck in his ass and ants crawling all over him whenever they were together, making the journey a little too rickety to his liking. Nevertheless, the act wasn't without its rewards.

Intimate acts were still a work in progress with him, seeing his body wasn't exactly engineered to develop responses towards those sensual actions, memories were not much of a good trigger when they were coated by layers of unnecessary third party feelings, so it all depended on his own interest on the matter and his tolerance towards physical touch. Honestly, when he and Gabriel had realized they were being watched, his initial thought had been to act normally while feeding useless scraps of sentences that wouldn't give their listener any information. That of course wouldn't be any fun for the thief, who took the opportunity to do something more daring on him.

The Blacklight virus would never understand why his partner never developed any self-control on his urges and Gabriel was lucky that he had better reigns on his reactions or he would have found claws through his stomach for that surprise bite. It was definitely weird to feel the teeth on his tough skin and the tongue that lavished it, with the intent of marking instead of breaking it. He kind of took the hickey like a stunned idiot now that he thought back on it. Who could blame him? It wasn't like he had any experience in this department up to this point of his viral life. So when the thief had offered to get one as well, Alex had done it to return the favour, with some minor bumps in his attempt. Mainly his canines managed to break the weaker human skin when he was just trying to nibble on it with the same teasing manner his partner had demonstrated, and then the rush of warm blood on his tongue had almost triggered his basic urge to consume. His fasting on biomass probably had something to do with it. If Gabriel hadn't called out his name when he had felt the sharp pain, the viral being was uncertain if he could have snapped out of his hunger daze on his own.

The moment the haze of hunger had faded, a sense of clarity had settled onto him. Alex was pulled into a peculiar mental state that was similar to when he was mentally processing the memories of the consumed, though it lacked the usual burning pain that speared through his entire being. The information he gleamed from the thief's blood was the human's full genetic history. This new development had opened doors towards new possibilities, which the virus took time to study it thoroughly during the ocean voyage. Even when they took a short break at another port to change ship, from Notus to Aura, he spent his whole time in a meditating state. Not to mention it kept him distracted from the fact that there were no lands to be found for miles if their ship sank.

If the Blacklight virus had to describe the current mental state within his mind, it would be like having a high-tech computer within a fully equipped laboratory, where all the genetic information of the people and creatures he had consumed all these years could be found in an orderly fashion, easy to pluck out and disassemble for further study without any hassle. Of course, he did wonder for a little while what had triggered this new ability, seeing he had previously required the consumption of a powerful infected being for his body to evolve and develop new skills. Perhaps this peculiar trait came with time and the consumption of a certain amount of human biomass? Regardless of how it came to be, the doctor that had been slumbering within him was glad that he had obtained this ability and the dust-covered scientific knowledge finally had its chance to shine once more. Who knew what possible growth he could achieved compared to the erratic and spontaneous ones he had gotten from consuming stronger infected, seeing he could now possibly direct the path of his evolution.

Initially, this ability seemed to only provide basic information and couldn't offer further aid in his growth, though it changed once an old memory of Dr. Mercer resurfaced. The seemingly endless days the human doctor had wasted staring the Double Helix of the Redlight strand with no progress of whatsoever, until he had discovered the key to create Blacklight through the utilization of Triple-Helix model. The third helix strand became the base of the Blacklight's creation. The virus had to admit that it was strange to see his true self in such manner, but it was through this model that he made a small discovery of what might have possibly triggered this new development. In his mind's eyes, three different Triple-Helixes floated before him, one represented his own genome, the other belonged to a random pick from his bank of consumed and the last one was Gabriel's.

Alex's genome was a ying-yang composition of a Triple-Helix model, the base of Dr. Mercer's DNA meld with the Blacklight virus as its third helix in perfect unison, pulsing in black and red against the tainted white of the human helix. Random volunteer sample was pretty much your ordinary human DNA strand, clear and untouched, looking all unassuming when compared with the Blacklight's. Gabriel's Triple-Helix should have been the same as the ordinary uninfected version, but there were some anomalies with it. The thief's DNA seemed to have tiny bits of unknown genetic information imbedded along his hereditary units and one of the chromosomes was composed entirely of this unknown factor. At first, the virus couldn't make head or tail what was affecting Gabriel's genome. However, when compared with his own, it was clear that this anomaly acted in a similar manner to the Blacklight virus. The only difference was the affected area was smaller and seemed to have developed naturally instead of being inflicted artificially.

Hmm... Is humanity on the brink of a new evolution all this time? Alex pondered as he studied both samples with hawk-like attention. Sad that the blood he had ingested couldn't fully be used for extensive study and testing. He would also be giving some weird signals to Gabriel if he suddenly asked him for his blood. He had no intention of playing Twilight with the master thief. Nevertheless, this anomaly was the source that had triggered this new change within him and it was just a tiny amount...

A knock resounded within his mental lab, slamming the break on his train of thoughts and alerting him that someone was coming. With a sigh, Alex dismissed the models as his consciousness slowly resurfaced to the outside world, where he was sitting cross-legged in the middle of his tiny cabin aboard the second ship, Aura. The door to his cabin creaked opened slightly and Haytham appeared with a tray of food.

'Ah, you are awake, good,' the Templar said before he entered the room and handed the tray to Alex who took it with a nod of thanks. 'The Captain has informed me that at our current speed, we should reach our destination within the hour.'

'Anything I need to know about our destination before we get there?' the Runner asked as he made a light gesture for the man to join him. 'Now would be a good time to share.'

The British looked hesitant at his offer, not sure if it was because he was still itching from the incident with Gabriel or he simply didn't have any peculiar information he was willing to share. Then Haytham sat down and proceeded to inform him what he knew of their final destination.

'Our destination is a remote island that had been discovered during the initial wave of colonization upon the New World. Templars have attempted to secure it once ruins of Precursor origin have been found, but all attempts made on that island have ended in failure,' Haytham explained while Alex listened attentively, taking small bites of rough bread and sips of the watery soup. 'Unfortunately, records are scarce about these failures. The one common answer they all had is that the island is cursed.'

'Cursed?' the Blacklight virus repeated skeptically. He had heard enough superstitious nonsense from Faulkner to last him for ten lifetimes! Maybe he shouldn't expect Haytham to have a sound and logical mind after all, seeing he was on a monster chase of his own.

The Templar scoffed at that before he replied, 'Believe me, I wish my predecessors are clearer with their notes, but amongst the known Precursor sites, this one doesn't draw any attention from the other Grandmasters and has remained abandoned to this day.'

'You sure know how to pick a nice grave for yourself,' Alex said sardonically. This whole deal sounded more and more like a death trap by the second. Not to mention, so many things could go wrong if they were not careful, like getting marooned on said cursed island.

'I have the utmost faith in our search and retreat, do you not?' the British countered with a hint of challenge in his tone.

Honestly, whatever the island could throw at them wasn't what really worried the Runner, seeing he was invulnerable to everything in this time and age. It might be a bit of a hassle to look after Haytham as well but doable. His main concern was the crew itself. While he didn't interact with any of the sailors, his enhanced hearing did pick up whispers here and there, talks of possible treasure and whatnots on this mysterious island they were going. At the moment, it's almost fifty-fifty the possibility that the crew might abandon them for one reason or another. With a sigh, Alex pointed out, 'I doubt the two of us could sail this damn ship on our own.'

Haytham narrowed his eyes at that remark as he leaned in and whispered, 'You believe the men will commit mutiny?'

Alex rolled his eyes at that and replied sarcastically, 'You are their employer, Kenway. Not me.'

By the grimace on the other's face, the virus deduced that the Grandmaster had never calculated this possibility during his planning, either he had handpicked the men himself or someone he trusted had done it for him. The Blacklight virus shrugged as he added, 'Either way, it all comes down to one thing. Money. So long that they gain profit from this trip, they'll keep their head down and work, though they might ask extra for the return trip.'

The British just sighed in exasperation at his words as he pinched the bridge of his nose, looking like his actual age finally caught up with him. Where oh where did that idiot of a man who had mistaken him and Ziio being non-English speakers went?

'God, you've gotten old,' Alex couldn't help but blurt out at the sight. Part of him wondered why Haytham was still running around and doing fieldwork when he was clearly exhausted, he could have just kicked back in his home base and left the work to his underlings. Yet, here he was, stressed and tired, stubbornly holding on to get his precious answer from him.

The Templar chuckled at that as he replied with a tired smile, 'If I'm old, shouldn't you be ancient by now?'

'Probably,' the virus agreed with a smile of his own, though it wilted slightly when the other's eyes bore onto him with unusual intensity. 'What?'

'You don't appear to have aged at all, haven't you?' Haytham questioned with his eyes narrowed once more as if there was something suspicious about his Native face.

'I take better care of myself than you do, Kenway,' Alex countered nonchalantly. He needed a distraction fast. 'You are wearing yourself thin faster than I do. I suggest finding a bed partner.'

Haytham clicked his tongue, turning his head away from hearing the suggestion as if he smelt something foul, and the heat returned intensely. 'Of course that was your solution to remain youthful. Bedding degenerates.'

'Now, I didn't suggest that from experience, nor did the thief and I ever went to bed together,' Alex quickly corrected that assumption. He already had to deal with Ratonhnhaké:ton thinking he and Gabriel had been fooling around, he did not need Haytham to draw the same damn conclusion from a hickey! If anything, you look like the type of guy who needs to get laid!

'What was that?' the British demanded with a glare.

'Nothing,' Alex instantly answered. Was his thought so loud that he had accidentally blurted out the last part? 'Look, just rest or do something to relax. You are stretching yourself thin enough as it is and close to digging your own grave at the rate you are going.'

'I thought you are all about killing me. What's with the sudden concern, Zeus?' the Templar questioned, looking ready to stab him again. Yeah. He had definitely blurted out the part of him needing to get laid out loud.

It wasn't like the Blacklight virus wanted to spare an ounce of concern on the Templar, but... he seemed to be catching more feelings these days. After what had happened with Gabriel's near death experience, something vulnerable had settled into him. The knowledge that people he cared about were slipping away from him with time. A deranged part of him thought about consuming everyone to eliminate this emotional weakness developed in him, though he shoved that idea out of the window as soon as it popped out. Trapping them inside his mental prison was the last thing he wanted. His... family... remained because of who he was now, even with Gabriel and possibly Giry knowing something was off with him, he refused to show more of what he really was. This human skin was the only thing that had allowed him to remain amongst humans, everyone would scatter like dandelions in the wind the moment they discovered the monster hidden beneath it.

'Growing old, I suppose,' Alex answered honestly as his eyes dropped onto his half-finished meal. 'Age makes you consider what you have lost and what you have missed over the years. The list gets longer with time. Maybe a part of me just doesn't want to lose more than I already had.'

Haytham was silenced by his sincerity and a peaceful quietness settled between them, a rare form of peace that hadn't occurred in a very long time, not since they had parted as enemies. Yet here they were, together on a quest for answers to their own individual questions and without any intent to inflict harm to each other.

Sadly, like all peaceful moments, it never last. A sailor howled from above deck about seeing land ahead, many footsteps started drumming over the wood and commanding shouts could be heard. Alex let out a brief sigh as duty called. He got up, putting the tray of unfinished food aside, as he announced, 'Time to go now.'

'Indeed,' Haytham agreed, looking equally displeased by the disturbed peace, even though they both knew it wouldn't endure to begin with.

Preparation was done quickly and efficiently, their boat held some necessities for their upcoming exploration and a small amount of food that would them last a few days on the island if they require more time on land. The crew would remain on Aura as per Haytham's order and would only send out a group of men to check on them if they didn't return within three days. With all matters settled, both Templar and Assassin headed towards their final destination.

Alex was certain he might have broken some unmentionable record with how fast he had rowed them onto the shore of their mysterious island, even Haytham couldn't help but remark on his sudden excitement. He had no excitement whatsoever for their journey into the unknown, he just wanted his feet on solid ground, seeing his sea legs were at their limit.

As the Blacklight virus pulled their boat further onto the sandy shore, something tingled in the back of his mind, prompting him to immediately scan his surrounding with a critical eye. This peculiar sensation had been dormant for a very long time, the one that had warned him time and again of threats that could pose a challenge to him. Every fibre of his being was tensed as his instinct continued its whisper of lurking danger.

The Templar was sorting their equipment when he noticed the other's wary gaze on the forest and asked, 'Is something wrong?'

'I'm not sure,' Alex replied as he turned to fully face the forest, eyes still hunting for any signs of danger, switching through different visions. His sight found none and the uneasy feeling just kept growing inside him. 'You told me this island was cursed. Did people ever said why?'

'No,' Haytham answered as he glanced between the Mohawk and the trees, trying to figure out what had put the usually stoic Assassin on alert in such manner. 'No one ever managed to come back to tell the tales. The notes the Order has preserved were all reports that were sent out before the men went missing.'

'Great...' the Runner muttered in displeasure, not liking how his instinct was ringing while he couldn't find whatever was causing it and the fact that no one had actually made off of this island alive was another bad sign. He faced Haytham with a serious gaze. 'Change of plan. Leave the food and the equipment. We aren't staying for the night. We go in, check the ruins and leave before the sun sets.'

The British was hesitant in accepting this change, though he soon nodded in agreement, putting his trust in the other man's instinct. Without another word, both of them marched towards the thick wood, staying close together as they followed old tracks of a carved path from the missing occupants on the island. Deeper and deeper they went until sunlight bounced off an odd structure in the distance.

'There it is,' Haytham breathed out as they entered a clearing where four great metallic obelisks in various chipped state stood, surrounding a raised platform that was covered in thick vines.

Alex frowned as he noticed the markings covering the monuments were similar to ones found in the Sacred Cave. Did this mean that whoever or whatever had lived here came from the same group that had settled in Mohawk Valley or vice versa?

'I'll show you what they have managed to uncover here. Give me a moment,' the Grandmaster said as he took out a worn journal and started tinkering with some hidden mechanisms on the pillars, which lit up one by one. Then a faint buzzing noise sounded from within the dais before a light sprung out from its center point. A flickering three-dimensional projection appeared before them, displaying scattered pieces of orbs and tubes. 'The previous excavation groups have only managed to figure the mechanism on the pillars. We believe that this is the final lock that keeps this Precursor vault sealed. This puzzle... we have no idea what it is or how to complete it. None had made any further progress before their disappearance.'

The Blacklight virus remained silent as he slowly moved around the projection, studying the scattered parts from different angles as a sense of familiarity tickled the back of his head. No... It can't be. He raised a hand towards the first piece, the hologram seemed to respond to his action by highlighting it, and he moved it towards the bottom to serve as the starting base. Bit by bit, he collected the pieces and snapped them back into place.

'What?' Haytham breathed out in surprise as Alex completed the puzzle that had eluded everyone in the Templar Order. He stared at the Assassin in astonishment. 'How did you figure it out?'

'I recognized it,' Alex responded as he stared at the completed model in shock. Displayed before them was the triple helix of Redlight, his viral predecessor. 'This is impossible...'

Before the Prototype could ponder on this matter further, the dais beneath them shook and, with a loud groan, it split itself opened from the center in triangular patterns, vines were torn off in the process as the seal on the vault was released. The smell of mould and putrefaction permeated the air. This isn't a vault! THIS IS A HIVE!

I thank everyone for their patience. I know I have been going at a snail pace with this story and writing has been a struggle recently, so I hope this new chapter have been worth the wait. I hope the story is still enjoyable to many readers!