Chapter 6: I Just Don't Think You Can Do This One.
Review Replies
Yeeter of ligma: That vision sequence was awesome super well describe. Keep up the good work.
Dragon Emperor0: Thank you. I was kinda worried about that.
ThermalsniperN7: Yeah. Nice to know it turned out great.
-Present day-
Two days had gone by since the last animus session of Joshua Landers, and he was enjoying his second day off. He wasn't a careless person; he wouldn't force himself through several sessions in rapid succession, no. That would just damage his neural network and cause unneeded memory bleed. He had gotten Trevor chipped the day before so he could be identified as the man's pet, and had also gotten an anklet with his name on it.
Which brings us to what he is doing now with his girlfriend a day after that…
-Joshua's apartment-
Ororo let out a grunt as she was forced to her hands and knees by her boyfriend. She had lived up to her promise of stopping by his house for their next romp, and now here she was, naked in the shower with Joshua and about to get her ass fucked while hot water poured onto them from the showerhead.
"Oh fuck! Your dick is stretching me apart!" The woman moaned as her lover started pounding her fast and hard against the tile. Her breasts and face pressed against it as well as her hands.
"Damn, you're tight! It feels so amazing!" The gunslinger's descendant grunted as he screwed his woman as hard as he could, wanting to ruin her for any other man. Ororo moaned as her lover's hips slammed against her asscheeks, sending ripples across them as her brain was overloaded by pleasure.
They spent probably ten minutes in this position, Ororo feeling her ass get completely stretched out while Joshua felt like his dick was getting squeezed by the strongest vice on the planet as he railed his woman. After those minutes were up, the man felt his balls start to churn as his dick twitched. The lovely woman under him felt the latter since she started bucking her hips back against him.
"I'm gonna cum in your fat ass, Ororo!" He groaned as he kept thrusting.
"Do it! Cum! Cum inside my ass! Pump me full of your hot, thick semen!" The woman moaned in bliss as she bucked her hips in synch with him.
The man didn't even hesitate as he injected her rectum with his seed with a groan while Ororo let out a yell of pleasure and bliss as she felt her man's hot seed enter her rear. When it was done, though…
"I'm still hard." Joshua panted as he pulled out of his lover after the last of his seed was delivered.
"Oh God, my legs are so weak… What am I supposed to do?" The woman gasped as she leaned on him as the water continued to pour onto their bodies.
"Think you can give me a blowjob?" The man asked.
"Mmmm… Sure." Ororo nodded as she got down on her knees and took his cock into her mouth, bobbing her head back and forth along its shaft. Joshua groaned in pleasure as he held the back of his ebony skinned lover's head, slowly making her take more of his shaft down her throat.
It didn't even take a minute for the woman's nose to be flush against his pelvis, her lover's musk invading her nose.
'Oh wow, he tastes amazing~!' She moaned as she sucked on the large dick of her man.
As she continued her sucking, the man groaned as his still sensitive dick started to tingle again from all the pleasure.
"Here it comes, Ororo, the rest of your reward!" He groaned as he slammed into her mouth, filling it with his seed.
Ororo moaned as the oddly sweet taste of Joshua's seed hit her tongue as she effortlessly drank the whole load before pulling back, the man's shaft no longer erect.
"Ah, that was delicious." She sighed as Joshua turned the water off.
"Come on. Let's get dried off and cuddle a bit." He beckoned as he stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel.
"Naked cuddling, I hope?" The woman asked with a smirk as she shakily stood up and followed suit, her ass still sore from the pounding it received.
"If you want to, then sure." The tall man shrugged as they finished drying themselves off. They then walked out and proceeded to lay down in bed together with their bare bodies pressed against each other's.
(Later)
The two were now outside sitting on the apartment's balcony drinking coffee, when Ororo had a thought of something she'd been wanting to ask Joshua for a fair amount of time now.
"Joshua, what was your life like before you joined the Brotherhood?" She asked curiously as she set her beverage on the coffee table between them. The man hummed as he set his coffee down too.
"It was…. Mundane, for lack of a better term." He began. "I spent most of my life in Florida, Tallahassee specifically, before I moved to Sacramento with my parents and brother. Nothing big really happened in my life until college and I met Calvin." He continued. "Hell, the only real eventful things that happened in California were two small fires that were quickly handled." He added further.
"Sounds pretty drudgey. That's definitely true." The woman nodded. "What're your parents and brother like?" She questioned.
"My bro's an electrician, and he enjoys what he does, if I recall correctly. He's also got a thing for playing things safe, which I can get behind with him on." The man replied. "My mom has a job she genuinely enjoys, that being helping out with psychological analysis regarding traffic… I can't recall the details fully." He added.
"And your Dad?" She asked.
"Honestly, I can't seem to remember if he got a job after he was forced to quit his last one." Joshua replied with furrowed eyebrows as he tried to recall if said man had gotten employed or not, but came up blank on that. "As a person, though… He's a good man, and overall someone that I'm glad is my father. The same with my mother, too." He added with a smile as he looked down at the city below them. He then let out a chuckle. "Fun fact: My mom always comes up with silly puns that always makes me laugh. My dad calls them terrible with a smile on his face." He added further, still chuckling.
"Oh my." Ororo grinned. "Anything else about her I need to know?" She asked.
"Just that calling her a horrible troll is common." Joshua grinned back, causing his girlfriend to laugh. He really loved hearing her laugh. Then he remembered one other detail. "Oh, right. Both my parents are also diabetic." He added.
"Oh wow. Cooking for them must've been quite… How do I say this without sounding offensive?" The woman started to ask before contemplating how to word it.
"It was admittedly difficult, since they needed food that wouldn't trigger their diabetes." Joshua stated. "I've had to take care of their meals before I moved out, so I know what I'm talking about. It was something that got on my nerves from time to time, but I love them, so I did it all and would do it again if I had to." He added, showing how much he cared about his parents.
"Well, they evidently raised you right." Ororo smiled, feeling happy that she had found love in such a caring man.
"And I'm proud of how I turned out." The man smirked.
As they continued to enjoy their time together, Joshua decided to call Calvin. "Hey man, you up?" He asked.
"Yeah–Achoo!–just surrounded by dust and mold again." The bespectacled lad said as he was put on speaker.
"How come?" Ororo asked.
"Me, Mael and Sarah are at the Sanctuary again, we're cleaning the place up and doing some work on it." He explained.
"Oh shit. Want me and Ororo to head over there and help out?" Joshua questioned.
"Nah, don't worry. We got this covered, so you two just relax." Calvin replied before sneezing again. "Ugh… I'll keep working even if this is a bit of a detriment to me." He added with a groan before hanging up.
"...So, what should we do now?" The ebony skinned woman asked.
"Not sure." Joshua shrugged as they kept sitting in each other's company.
(Timeskip)
After their weekend break, everyone was back at work with Joshua getting ready to get back into the Animus, ready to continue the work.
"Okay, I think I've recovered enough to not risk brain damage. Let's get to work." The subject in question said as he sat in the animus.
"Right, calibrating… Now." Sarah nodded as he was sent into the void.
Animus Session Active
Searching for relevant memory clusters based on previous data…
Memories found.
Memory Cluster: Fistacuffs, I Just Don't Think You Can Do This One and The Eagle's Path, found.
Synchronizing…
-Washington DC, 1858-
In the Brotherhood's Sanctuary, Shin was currently in the middle of training with Jaren in the designated combat ring. Specifically, he was practicing his boxing.
"Okay, Shin. Ready?" Jaren asked. He only had a pair of pants on and he was also shirtless. The reason behind this was to teach Shin to fight without weapons so that he could still be a terrifying opponent at any range.
"Ready." The boy nodded as they moved towards each other, slamming their gloves on themselves before starting.
First, Jaren started things off by putting a jab to the boy's stomach, and then did a two handed bash on his back–making him drop to his knees. He then grabbed the sides of his pupil's head and kneed him in the face, causing him to go backwards into the wall behind him.
As this was going on, the initiates, Bayonetta, the older Assassins and even Bowery had come out to watch the match.
"So, who do ya thinks gonna kick whose arse?" O'Reilly said to Mansa. "Mah money's on the big guy." He added.
"I'm personally thinking Shin will turn it all around at the last minute." The Haiatian initiate replied with a shrug.
"Nothing against Shin, but I don't think he'll pull a win against Jaren." Ban commented.
"Oh? You boys wanna put that to a little wager?" Bayonetta questioned as she sat down, legs crossed.
"Sounds like fun." Francesco nodded.
"Wi." Lumier added with a nod. Shin got up and looked at his mentor while some blood poured lightly from his nose.
'Okay, I gotta keep myself schooled or he'll take advantage of my indignation.' Shin thought to himself as he grabbed a rag and wiped the blood from his currently broken nose before snapping it back into place–a plan forming in his mind.
Activating his Eagle Vision, he quickly highlighted his mentor and locked onto him, his weak spots highlighted in white.
'Alright. First, distract the target.' The gunslinger thought as he threw his rag at Jaren, which momentarily blinded him when he tried to jab. 'Now, block.' He continued as he blocked the attack. 'Counter to the left cheek.' He added before throwing a punch at the man's face.
'Discombobulate next.' He added further as he clapped his hands on Jaren's ears. 'Dazed, he'll probably attempt a wild haymaker… Employ elbow block.' Shin went on as his mentor threw a wild haymaker at him, only for the younger of the two to block with his elbow.
'Now, a body shot.' He continued as he punched Jaren's left ribs. 'Block left.' He thought again as he blocked the feral left from the man. 'Time to weaken his right jaw.' He continued on as he sent an elbow strike at the man's right jaw.
'I'll just add a fracture to that.' He continued as he punched the same spot he elbowed. 'Now to break his cracked ribs.' The gunslinger thought as he delivered another hard body shot, causing an X-Ray effect, showing the injuries at an internal level. 'Traumatize Solar Plexus like your parents do during a home date.' He continued as he delivered a downtown right hook to the man's Solar Plexus.
'Now to dislocate his jaw entirely.' Shin thought as he punched the opposite side of Jaren's jaw, dislocating it entirely. 'The cherry on top: A heel kick to the diaphragm.' He added as he sent a heel kick to Jaren's diaphragm, effectively ending the match and sending him out of the ring.
Meanwhile with the others, the group was utterly shocked at what they'd just seen as Shin picked his handkerchief back up and wiped himself off. His Eagle Vision then disappeared.
"In conclusion: His ears are ringing, his jaw is fractured, with three ribs, four broken, and diaphragm hemorrhaging." The gunslinger listed, dusting himself off.
Shin then walked out of the ring as everyone looked at him. "Estimated physical recovery, six weeks. Full psychological recovery, six months." He added, throwing his shirt, vest and over shirt on his shoulder–and putting on his hat while picking up a glass of lemon juice, simple syrup, and Jamaican rum with a bit of ice in it–before taking a sip of it.
"Capacity to kick me into a wall and break my nose: Neutralized." He finished as he took his leave.
"... Holy shit!" Ban exclaimed with wide eyes.
"That… That about sums it up." Lumier nodded with a stunned look on his face. Bowery looked at where Shin left and back at the groaning Jaren.
"That was a very impressive display, I must admit." He commented.
"Uuuuuuurgh." The man groaned as the other older Assassins helped him to get patched up.
"Guess he wasn't kidding. Shin's Eagle Vision really is combat oriented." Bayonetta noted, looking at what she was seeing. "Reminds me of my friend Jacob Frye when he boxes." She added.
"He's certainly the second coming of his old man." The Mentor of the American Brotherhood nodded in agreement. "He'll make a fine Assassin in his prime." He added.
(Timeskip)
-Washington DC, 1859-
About a year later Jaren had finally managed to recover and now Bayonetta was teaching Shin how to decrease his notoriety in case he ever needed to.
"Okay, there are several different ways of decreasing notoriety. You'll be learning all of them when you need to vanish." The woman told him. "Can you name any in particular?" She then asked.
"Getting rid of wanted posters and intercepting couriers are the only two that come to mind." Shin replied.
"Paying off police and printers also works." The woman added. "Now, how can someone keep themselves while incognito?" She questioned.
"Stick to the crowd and keep quiet. You'll be less likely to draw attention to yourself unless you're an idiot." The gunslinger replied.
"Good." Bayonetta nodded as Jaren came up to them, mostly healed. "Well, Jaren, what next?" She asked.
"Now I want to see how well you do with target practice." The man said, massaging his jaw as he pointed at several metal Templar cross targets that were at several different distances.
"Alright, I'm game." Shin nodded before he took out his revolvers, opting to start with the closest ones first. He shot twelve targets in the heart area and head, marking them as dead. He then holstered the two guns and pulled out his Winchester before taking aim at the much farther targets.
"Good, let's see your sniping skills next." The man nodded. The gunslinger kid nodded as he lined up the shot, and pulled the trigger–hitting it dead on.
He then started rapid firing hit after hit at an impressive speed and pace before reloading and repeating it on two more targets before stopping and twirling his gun–putting it away.
And in the distance, the three targets had holes in their heads and hearts–the metal still glowing from the heat.
"Well done. You've obviously had practice." Bayonetta noted, spotting Shin's practiced motions with his Winchester.
"Yeah. My dad practically drilled it into my head when I was first starting out." Shin nodded before he sighed. "I really wish he could see me now…" He added sadly. Bayonetta frowned a bit before she pulled him into a comforting hug.
"I'm sure he'd be proud of what you're going to become." She told him softly.
"Yeah, and you're doing great for a person who has only two years of training." Jaren nodded, right as the Mail bugle sounded at the capital door.
"Hm. I wonder what came this time." Shin mused before the three of them decided to see what had just arrived. "We should probably check that." He added as they went to the door.
"Why do I get the feeling that you're sad about something else?" Bayonetta questioned as she walked with the two men.
"My next birthday is almost here, and I've got no family to celebrate it with." The young gunslinger sighed in reply.
"Wait, didn't you say that you have a pair of uncles?" Jaren asked. "Dante and Virgil, right?" He added, referring to the boy's dad's brothers.
"Oh, right. I guess I forgot about them after all that's happened." The young man blinked. "Plus I haven't heard from them."
"Don't worry. We don't blame you since that's rather common." The tall woman shrugged.
As they continued walking, the three soon saw everyone in the capital was getting their mail from a Pony Express courier. From Assassins and Mentor, to Congressmen, Senators, Justices and Presidents, everyone had some form of mail. These ranged from letters to packages.
As Jaren sorted through his mail, he found a letter to him from Fort Sillis requesting his presence. The man felt conflicted given Shin's emotional state before he realized something.
"Hey Shin, remind me. Where do your uncles live?" He asked.
"Fort Sills. Why?" Shin asked in reply, giving his mentor the idea he needed.
"Well, I just got a letter from there." The marshal responded. "Apparently we're supposed to be transporting a group of Indian chiefs to the fort to stand trial." He continued.
"Okay, but why send us?" The boy asked as his mentor took his US Marshal badge out of his pocket and put it on.
"Because in addition to being an Assassin, I'm also a US Marshal. So I have additional duties besides those to the Brotherhood." Jaren explained before he pulled out another badge. "Speaking of…" He added as he stepped towards his pupil and put the badge on his vest. "As of right now, I'm making you my deputy." He added.
"Uh… Okay, then." Shin got out in surprise, obviously not expecting the new title. Bayonetta let out a chuckle at his reaction as she sorted through her own mail to see if there was anything important.
"Come on, we better saddle up and get moving." The older Assassin stated, getting a nod from his new deputy, his spurs jingling.
"Yes sir." Shin nodded as Bayonetta knelt down to him.
"Good luck out there, big boy." She whispered to him as she kissed him on the cheek before walking away. Shin touched where she kissed him and felt his cheeks heat up from the unexpected action before he went to get his belongings in order for the trip.
(Later)
"Careful out there, man." Ban said as the other guys saw the two off.
"Yeah, watch out for Templars, animals, outlaws and natural disasters." Clover added.
"And monsters." Angus, a Scottish initiate from the Highlands added.
"I hear all of ya." Shin nodded as he checked what he knew he'd need.
"And be wary of the reservations." Mansa added. "The Indians aren't too fond of outsiders."
"Kinda hard to forget that." The gunslinger nodded. The Native American tribes weren't exactly fond of people trespassing in their territory, and… Well, there were rumors of them using scare tactics to drive people away.
These included but were not limited to: staking them in the middle of the desert for the buzzards to get, flaying a person, and even scalping them.
It mostly depended on which tribe you were dealing with.
With that bit of warning, the two Assassins started making their way again to a railroad station to cut their journey in half.
However, they had no idea what was waiting for them on the way there.
Memory Cluster: Fisticuffs Synchronized.
Proceed to next memory?
[Yes/No]
[Yes]
Next Memory: The Eagle's Path
Synchronizing…
-Road from Washington DC to Boston, 1859-
As the duo rode on their horses to the nearest train station in Boston, Shin took out his hand held telescope and started scoping out the area ahead of them.
"So, been meaning to ask, but what do you think about starting an Assassin outpost back in Pallamon?" Jaren questioned as his student scouted ahead of them.
"You mean like how Connor Kenway started one on his homestead land?" The boy said, continuing his recon.
"The very same. It would get the Assassins a good foothold and even give you some emotional comfort seeing it bounce back from what the Templars did to the place." Jaren nodded in affirmation. Shin didn't even try to stop the longing sigh that escaped his mouth.
"You got me there. I do wanna see my old home breathe again." The younger Assassin admitted. The two continued on in silence for a while, before Shin suddenly cursed. "Son of a bitch!" He hissed.
"What's wrong?" Jaren asked, his voice sounding alert.
"Poachers, they're attacking a Bald Eagle nest!" The boy snapped back.
"Oh hell no! Let's move!" The Marshal barked before snapping the reins of his horse and speeding off, Shin hot on his heels.
Riding like mad across the plains before them and through the forest, they stopped a fair distance from the poachers so that they could sneak up on them via freerunning through said forest.
It was when the mother Eagle was killed that the two reached the poachers. The men weren't speaking English, if Shin had to guess, it seemed like they were speaking French.
Shin struck first, leaping down from a branch and sinking his hidden blades into two poacher's necks. While the others were startled by the sudden attack, Jaren appeared and whipped out his hand cannon before shooting three others in the head.
The trio of criminals fell to the ground with a thud, leaving only two were left, and they were unprepared for the attack on their comrades. Shin and Jaren turned their attention to the remaining poachers with glares on their faces before pointing one gun at each of them.
The two swore in French before they ran away, trying to get away as fast as they could.
They didn't get far since the two Assassins shot them in one leg each, causing them to fall to the ground.
"You wanna deal with them while I check on the nest?" Shin growled, his gaze never leaving the poachers.
"Sure. Go ahead." His mentor nodded as he walked towards the two remaining men.
Shin walked towards the tree and saw that both eagles were dead, so he decided to bury them–closing their eyes to give them some form of dignity.
"Requiesce in pace." He whispered in Latin as he then hopped from one trunk to the next before swinging on one branch to get to the part of the tree where the nest was. Looking inside, he saw that most of the eggs were sadly destroyed… Except one. This one egg had the good fortune to survive the poachers and was on its own now.
Shin gently picked up the egg, looking at it softly as he did. He then made a promise.
"I'll take care of you, little one." He vowed. Taking his neckerchief off his neck, he swaddled the oval of calcium and yolk in warmth and put it in his chest pocket before carefully descending down to the ground.
Jaren sighed as he attempted to clean his hands of fresh blood. "That's going to be a nightmare to get out…" He grumbled as his gloves were stained red. He heard feet hit the ground and turned to see his deputy just starting to stand straight, his hands clutched around the egg he found. "That was the only egg to survive, wasn't it?" He asked reluctantly.
"Sadly so." Shin sighed in reply. "I'm adopting this one." He added, showing his mentor the egg.
"Hopefully it'll hatch soon, we don't exactly have the best way to keep it warm." The marshal said.
"Don't worry." The boy said as he went over to Nashville and pulled a book out of his saddle bag. "I usually carry a book on birds of prey with me everywhere I go. It should help me with this." He added, putting the book away before he started fixing a sort of nest hammock on his saddle.
Jaren watched with a look of interest as his student built the tiny hammock of his saddle.
After a short while, Shin had finished his rather simple addition to his saddle and the Marshal gave it a once over. Once he was done, he nodded in approval.
"Well done. This is a very sturdy little thing, and it's pretty strong too. This'll keep that egg safe." He stated.
"And I lined it with some straw, wool and rawhide leather. So it'll stay warm and insulated." The boy nodded as he got on his horse. "Come on, let's get going." He added.
"Right." Jaren nodded as he got back on his horse and the two continued to their destination.
Memory: The Eagle's Path - Synchronized.
Proceed to next memory?
[Yes/No]
[Yes]
Memory: I Just Don't Think You Can Do This One.
Synchronizing…
-Boston Massachusetts, 1859-
As the two arrived in Boston a few days later–actually close to more of a week–It soon became apparent that the city was a bustling hub of people, carriages and goods.
The younger of the two Assassins looked around at the many people either going into printing presses, book stores and so on with a small smile on his face since it was a sight that he enjoyed: Just seeing the town breathing like a living being.
There were even new arrivals coming off boats after their long voyages from the east, eager to see what North America had to offer.
"Far cry from Pallamon, isn't it?" Jaren asked his deputy.
"Yeah, but it's definitely bigger than the capital–and a lot more crowded." The boy nodded as a pair of little kids ran by them, rolling a barrel down the street with one of them in it. Or playing Knights with trash can lids and wooden swords.
"Yeah, but it's definitely a good place to start off." The man nodded as they approached the train station. Hopping off their horses and tying them at the posts, they then went up to the front desk of the station. When they walked through the door, a woman at the reception desk greeted them.
"US Marshal Jaren Ward, I presume?" She questioned. "Got a telegram that said you might be coming." She added. "Where to?" She asked.
"Fort Sill, Oklahoma." The marshal responded.
"Got it." The woman nodded before looking at Shin. "Is he your deputy? If he is, I'll be sure to write that down, just in case." She added.
"He is." Jaren nodded as the woman passed the note on the location to the ticket master.
"I'm Shin, Shin Malphur." The boy chimed in.
"Alright, and… there." The receptionist nodded before writing down the young gunslinger's name. "Both of you are all set." She told them.
"Thank you kindly." Jaren nodded before turning to his deputy. "Let's go, Shin." He beckoned as he took their tickets.
"Right behind you." Shin nodded as the two headed for their train.
As they waited for the steam power locomotive to pull in, Shin decided to start another conversation. "So all this unrest in the capital. I keep hearing from the dough faces and the southern democrats that's it's more about state rights, overtaxation and diluted representation as a result of a response to slavery–rather than it just being about slavery." He stated.
"Dough faces" were northern Republicans and Democrats who opposed abolition for the sole purpose of not upsetting the south. They were often regarded as cowards in DC.
Jaren sighed as he picked up a newspaper and started reading it. "Well, you're not wrong. People like Lincoln and other northern politicians like to portray this as a slavery issue, but it really isn't. Honestly, things are really similar to how things were back in the revolution, if I'm being honest." He nodded.
"What's the real deal about it all then if it ain't slavery?" The younger Assassin questioned.
"Just like you said: Over taxation, less representatives for the south in congress, and states rights." The elder man replied, counting the issues on three fingers as he continued reading. "Slavery is just what started it all." He added.
"And if what I've heard is right, it's not gonna die down anytime soon. It might even escalate." Shin noted with a frown.
"You're not the only one." His mentor replied. "Mentor Bowery's seen the writing on the wall too. And so have the Templars–given that their Grandmaster has been egging the two sides on."
"Wait, who's that?" The boy asked.
"William M. Tweed, the Templars call him "Boss"." Jaren explained. "He's the Senator for New York, which is why so many Templars are able to go into law enforcement and cause havoc and why we can't outright kill him. He's too well connected, too well protected." He continued. "He and Bowery have been at each other's throats for years." He added.
"Well he'll slip up somehow eventually, and then it'll all come tumbling down for him." Shin growled slowly as he held his Eagle's egg.
As he said this, a whistle could be heard in the distance, and well as the sound of chugging along the tracks and the smell of burning coal. These were clear indicators that their train was about to arrive.
A few moments later, it came into view and stopped at the platform. It was pretty much a clear image of what you'd expect from an industrial revolution train. It had a giant engine at the front that spewed smoke out of its chimney shaped exhaust pipe on top, a coal car right behind it, and at least three passenger cars. And further behind that were stock cars for horses, livestock and then towards the caboose were the luggage cars. In between the coal car and the passenger cars were the dining cars.
"Alllll Aboard! All aboard to Kansas, Kentucky and Oklahoma!" The conductor called.
"Well, let's get moving." Jaren beckoned as the two got in one of the passenger cars. The stewards of the train led the two's horses into the stock cars.
"Right behind you." Shin nodded as he followed suit. The young man held his unhatched bird of prey delicately, being as careful as he could be. His actions were not unlike that of a parent safeguarding their child. Jaren noticed this and smiled a bit.
'That little bird of prey is definitely in good hands.' He thought.
As they got into the main lounging car, the two sat down and waited for everyone to get into the cars. And while they continued to wait, Shin gently held his egg up to the sun to check on the embryo inside, and saw that it was much further along than he expected.
The eggs in the nest had been shattered, but the eaglets inside were mere weeks from hatching–while this one looked like it was mere days from hatching from the look of it.
This was made even more apparent when the small creature inside suddenly moved towards the light source and made the egg wobble in the boy's hands. Shin couldn't stop himself from smiling at the action.
"I'm waiting for you, little one." He whispered to the eaglet softly. He truly awaited the day his little companion hatched and entered the world.
"This trip will take a few days, so you better get comfortable." His mentor told him.
"Right." The younger gunslinger nodded as the train began to move.
(Timeskip)
It was around the second day of their trip, and the two were currently having breakfast in the dining cars, Shin still had his egg with him as he ate bacon, eggs, grits and pancakes with coffee which had cream in it.
Jaren was having the same, but his coffee was black. The two ate in relative silence for a bit, before the boy felt wiggling and poking against his chest where the nest hammock was. He immediately snapped his head to look at it, and his eyes widened when he saw cracks appearing on the egg.
"Jaren, look! The egg's hatching!" He said quickly, getting his teacher's attention.
"Seriously?" The man asked as they moved their food aside for the time being so that they could give the bird room to hatch.
Setting it on the table, the two watched the egg carefully as cracks formed first, then it split open, and then the hatchling spent several minutes trying to get out of the shell it was in.
After a while, the little eaglet managed to get its head free and breathe the air around it for the first time. Shin was practically giddy at the sight as his newborn charge crawled out of what remained of its shell.
"It's adorable!" He whispered happily as tears of joy poured from his eyes.
The small version of America's national bird was devoid of any feathers save a few starting ones and its eyes were fused shut. It was also very little. Luckily though, Shin knew that this would change in about eight hours.
A server came by to check on them, but widened his eyes when he saw the newborn eaglet.
"Oh my…!" He uttered in awe. "We have some fish aboard if you need it." He added, looking at the two men.
"We'll take some." Jaren nodded, getting the hint.
"I'll get some trout delivered to you both." He nodded before moving along. The deputy quickly got his fledgling in the warmth of its new nest in his shirt before the two quickly finished their food.
"Come on, we should probably get back to our cars." Jaren told him as he got up.
"You go on ahead. I'll stay here so I can feed the little one." Shin replied as the eaglet newborn sat in its nest comfortably.
(Later)
About eight hours later, the little Eagle had managed to fully grow a downy coat and open its little eyes, and was now very hungry. The eaglet was chirping and staring up at her new parent as he set her and the nest on the table next to the trout.
After some research in his book on books of prey–while feeding the little raptor to help sate its appetite–he'd come to the conclusion that this little bundle of downy fluff and hollow bones was a female. He was able to tell this because she had a large pelvis for an eaglet, a trait only shown in females.
"You are the cutest little bird ever and I love you!" Shin said with a smile as his little buddy feasted on the trout given to her.
"Cheeeeep cheep cheep cheep cheep!" The chick chirped happily as Shin rubbed her gently on the head.
"I'm sorry that I wasn't able to save your family, I hope you can forgive me." The boy told her, not really expecting her to understand him, but still felt obligated to say so. His avian friend simply nudged him, seemingly a show of understanding.
Later, a little boy and his mom walked by them, and the little boy spotted the tiny raptor before widening his eyes.
"Mommy, look! It's adorable!" He exclaimed, pointing at the small creature. His mom looked at the eight hour old bird and smiled warmly at it.
"Aw, you're right. It is adorable." She cooed.
"It's a girl, by the way." Shin told them.
"What's her name?" The boy asked, looking at the eaglet, who was too busy nibbling on the trout pieces to pay him any heed.
"She hatched a few hours ago, so I never thought of one, really." The gunslinger replied with a shrug as he scratched the back of his head.
As he continued to think, Shin looked over at a newspaper article from New York City that outlined that a giant bronze statue delivered from France was being built in the water on a man made island, a statue of Lady Liberty.
The picture of the article showed that construction on the statue had just started–and low and behold, Boss Tweed was the one to break first ground. That was when it hit him.
"I think I'll name her Liberty." He decided as he looked at his feathered buddy, who looked back at him and let out a happy chirp at her new name.
"Liberty." The woman smiled as she looked at the small bird. "I think it's a perfect name." She nodded.
"Bye Liberty!" The little boy said as he patted her on the head before the two left. Shin then scooped her up and carried the rest of the fish with him.
Who's a cute little symbol of freedom? You are! Yes you are!" He gushed at his new pet, who chirped happily at her owner's shows of affection towards her.
(Later)
It was the end of the train trip and now both Assassins were now riding through the Oklahoma countryside on horseback, with Shin keeping an Eagle eye on Liberty's every need–which the infant raptor greatly appreciated.
Needless to say, the trip had been uneventful so far, save for some fishing and hunting for small game, the two had been at a lull for the past week. With the weather being a rather pleasant springtime warm with brisk cool here and there.
However, this would not last for long–as they'd soon find out.
"So Jaren." Shin asked as he and Liberty drank some water. "You mentioned that you knew of a tribe of Indians that are allies with the Brotherhood, the… Tomahawk tribe, right?" He asked.
"No, it's the Mohawk tribe." His mentor replied. "Though that's not what they call themselves." He explained.
"What do they call themselves?" The young gunslinger asked with a raised eyebrow as Liberty stopped drinking and got comfy in Shin's warmth, allowing him to take a drink.
"Hell if I know, I can't even pronounce it." The gunslinger shrugged, causing his deputy to sweatdrop.
"Okay…" He said as they neared a downhill slope, which led into a fence forest slope after having gone through several miles of Prairie land.
As they looked down at the forest below, a prairie dog popped up next to them.
"Yip!" It barked, getting their attention.
"Ah shit, not another one." The boy groaned, having seen several of these little buggers on their journey. One even popped up and nearly spooked Nashville.
"I don't see the big deal. I think they're adorable." The Marshal smiled as he looked at the little critter.
The rodent continued to gawk at them as Jaren tossed it a walnut, which it started eating, tossing a grasshopper to the man as a trade–which was promptly given to Liberty as a snack before she went back to her nap.
The prairie dog continued to eat on the nut given to it, before it froze, stuffed the rest in its mouth, and disappeared back underground–right in time for a Coyote to leap onto the hole where it was and start sniffing it–spooking Nashville and Knot.
After a few moments, the Coyote pulled itself out of the hole with a disappointed whine at its prey escaping. It then looked at the two horseback Assassins and barked once before turning to the forest and running off before stopping and barking again.
"I think it wants us to follow it." Shin noted. "But why, though?" He wondered.
"If working with the Mohawk tribe has taught me anything, it's to never question the messages of nature." Jaren told him. "So let's follow it." He added as they started down the hill at a fair pace, but not enough to upset Liberty.
The two followed the coyote into the forest, and the distance into it was… fairly disconcerting, to say the least. After a bit, the wild hunter stopped on top of a hill and looked down the slope, prompting them to stop as well. When Nashville and Knot looked down the hill, they let out worried whinnies, which made Jaren take out his telescope and look down the hill… And his eyes widened at what he saw.
"Uh, Shin? Yeah, no offense intended, but I just don't think you can do this one." He told his student with a worried tone, much to Shin's confusion.
"I've been an Assassin for a while now, what makes you think–." The boy started to say before his mentor handed him his observation tool, and what he saw struck fear in him. "Aw, get that shit outta here–you're right!" He exclaimed. What did he see?
A pair of motherfucking Wendigos!
They were exactly as monstrous as the tales he'd heard from his Algonquin neighbors said they were. They had ashen gray skin that was pulled against their skeletons, were very tall and had abnormally long limbs. Though that's where the similarities seemed to end.
One looked smaller and lacked the deer skull he'd been told of and had a bald head, but that didn't do anything to detract from how horrifying it looked. The second one, however, was much taller. It had a slightly elongated neck with a mane of either fur or hair and a deer skull with the mouth area covered in blood.
What confirmed them as Wendigos was the two human corpses they were currently devouring ravenously. Shin and Jaren couldn't make out if they were from any tribes or not due to the lack of… well, anything really. Both bodies had nothing to help with identification.
As Shin's exclamation echoed through the air, the two cryptids snapped their heads at the two Assassins. With shrill cries of hunger, they charged at their new prey.
"Ah shit, RUN!" Jaren yelled in fear as he turned Knot around and snapped the reins to get his horse to run like hell. Shin refused to become cannibal food and ran like hell beside him, the two monsters hot on their heels. Liberty wasn't happy about the disturbance from her nap, but when she heard the Wendigos let out their cries as they ran behind them, she cowered in fear in her nest.
"Shit shit shit! This is not our fucking day!" Shin cursed in fright as the two horses ran as fast as their four legs would allow them in order to escape the symbols of greed and famine.
"Just keep riding!" The marshal barked as they tried to outrun the two monsters, but they managed to keep up with them, letting out shrill cries all the while. Sooner or later, the horses would tire out and be forced to slow down, which would give them the opportunity the two men would very much rather not give them.
Shin looked back, and regretted it when he saw the Wendigos still chasing them, and to his fright, they were starting to catch up! They needed to get the hell away from them or he and his mentor could kiss their lives goodbye!
But before his fright could grow, four arrows suddenly sailed out from seemingly nowhere and nailed the monsters in both of their legs, causing them to trip and stumble to the ground with pained cries. Nashville and Knot took the opportunity to stop and catch their breaths, much to their rider's slight dismay, though if they were being honest, they deserved their reprieve.
The creatures howled as they tried to move their legs, but the arrows were skewered in their hamstrings and straight through their kneecaps, basically crippling them. And on top of that, they couldn't remove them because they were arrows made of silver–a general bane to the beasts.
"Where'd those arrows come from?!" Shin wondered as he tried to calm his and Liberty's nerves. He got his answer when an Indian girl with black hair appeared. She had tribal attire that suggested she was a hunter for her tribe, a monster hunter, specifically.
The girl looked to be Shin's age–that is, about nineteen, give or take–and had the features of a native American woman, with her long black hair ties in a fishtail braid, two single bangs, one going over her right eye, and she also had freckles.
Body wise, the girl was well built, in fact she seemed almost imposing while still looking feminine and pretty. If the modern day team had to make a comparison–she looked like an Amazon-like wonder woman. Her chest was an impressive E-cup if any of them had to hazard a guess, and her ass seemed like a plumb shape.
Last was her attire, it was very much native inspired. A buffalo leather Indian short dress which was decorated with green and white triangle patterns on the sides and leather tassels all over it. She had a white collared shirt under that, dark green pants, similarly tasseled rough leather boot sleeves over dark brown boots, olive green gloves, a forest green eagle hooded overcoat with white line work, and lastly a wide belt with the Brotherhood symbol on it.
She also had her right arm wrapped in bandages and her wrist blade on her left arm, as well as some native American beaded necklaces and a dream catcher necklace on her–and two feathers in her hair. But these were minor details.
What really stood out was her choice in weapon: it was a bow that the two had never seen before–but one that the Modern day crew recognized instantly.
"Holy shit, is that some kind of early compound bow?" Calvin questioned through the Animus communicator.
"It definitely looks like it." Joshua replied with a stunned tone. His heart was racing from the fear he could feel through Shin during the chase, and that fear became his for a moment before it ended.
The bow in question was indeed an early form of a compound bow, one that was like the Allen Compound bow family, to be exact. It was green, and had a small Revolutionary Era coin dangling from the hand grip. It was also green, as was her quiver–giving the girl an almost Robin Hood look.
The mystery woman then got up from her superhero landing and looked at the two Assassins for a moment before speaking.
"I would order you to leave right away, but something tells me you'll want to stick around and see these monsters die." She stated.
"After the amount of fear and stress they caused us? That's a given." Shin told her.
"Alright…" The girl shrugged, allowing Shin to see her rather pretty looking bison brown eyes. "Don't blink." She said before she kicked the small one over and shot it point blank in the chest, causing it to disintegrate into frost.
However, the bigger one was much craftier, and managed to get its antlers near the first arrow enough to snap it, then the other, allowing it to get free. Shin saw this and widened his eyes.
"LOOK OUT!" He yelled in alarm as he whipped out one of his revolvers, intending to shoot it if he had to.
But instead of trying to kill the woman, the beast knocked her into a tree with its strong and lanky limbs before making a break from it, a freak blizzard kicking up behind it and covering its tracks and it went roaring into the woods. When it died down, there was no sign of it ever being there to begin with.
"Damn, the bastard got away!" The young gunslinger cursed as he holstered his gun.
"It'll surface again after it's done licking its wounds." The woman grunted as she tried to get back to her feet.
"Sorry, I should have warned you sooner." The boy apologized as he helped her, dismounting Nashville.
"No, no. I should have been more careful." The girl told him. "Those older Wendigo are always more crafty than their smaller thralls." She added, looking at the disappearing frost at their feet.
"The only reason we even found them at all was because a coyote led us to them." The young gunslinger said. "They were eating two people when we saw them, but we couldn't see anything to identify them." He added.
"Not much of a surprise. These things don't leave anything behind." The woman sighed. Though as she turned towards the two again, she quickly noticed two things that set bells off in her head: the Last Word on Jaren's hip, and the baby Eagle nestled in Shin's chest. "Wait, who are you two?" She then asked, following her gut.
"I'm marshal Jaren Ward, this is my protégé and deputy, Shin Malphur." Jaren said as he showed his badge and hidden blade, while Shin showed her his watch and deputy badge. "Pretty sure we're on the same side." He added.
"I guess so." The woman chuckled. "I'm Ravi:nhiòte of the Kanienʼkehá꞉ka tribe." She continued. "Or as you know us, the Mohawk tribe." She added.
"Is it alright if I call you Raven? No offense, but to my tongue, your true name is hard to pronounce." Shin asked, looking a little sheepish about it. The tribal woman didn't seem to mind, though.
"That's alright. Besides, being called Raven feels right in a way." Raven told him. With introductions done, their conversation was briefly interrupted by the hungry, and thirsty, chirps of little Liberty. "You should probably get your little friend there fed." She added with a chuckle. "Come on. I'll show you where my tribe is so you can get some rest since I'm pretty sure you all would like that after what you went through." She continued.
"Thank you, Raven." Jaren nodded as Shin got back on Nashville and she, meanwhile, whistled–causing a decent sized painted mare to come running up to her.
The horse didn't seem to have a saddle, just a bridle and blanket, implying that the girl rode her bareback. Raven petted the horse's nose and spoke to her in a language that the two of them didn't understand, but Shin was able to tell that the horse's name was Rainwater as Raven mounted her.
"Come on guys, this way!" She called as she and her horse ran the lead through the forest, prompting them to follow after her.
Memory: I Just Don't Think You Can Do This One - Synchronized.
Searching for any further memory data…
None found.
Saving progress…
Progress saved.
Eject User? [Yes/No]
[Yes]
Ejecting…
-New York State, present day-
Joshua woke up with a sharp gasp as he bolted upright in a cold sweat. Shin had seen two Wendigos with Jaren and survived the ordeal, which would make him feel amazed… If he couldn't feel said ancestor's fear bleeding into him in addition to his own fear.
"That… That was literally the last thing I needed to see today!" He panted as he held his chest. Like before, Ororo was by his side with an open water bottle in hand for him to drink, which he graciously accepted.
"Gotta admit, those things were pretty fast." Calvin noted.
"And if they scared full fledged Assassins, I can only imagine how scared Josh must feel." Sarah whispered.
"Made it by the skin of their teeth there. Wonder how they would have fought them?" Mael wondered. "Purely academic question, mind you."
"I know." Joshua said with a sigh as he stood up, feeling his legs tremble lightly from what he'd seen. "But if silver is really the bane of those cryptids, I'm gonna need to get my hidden blade reforged with the stuff." He added.
"Or at least swappable blades." Calvin amended.
"Well, we at least know where our next session will take us, so let's call it for today." Ororo suggested.
"Agreed." Calvin nodded as he and the others left, leaving Joshua and Ororo alone. Once it was just them, the white haired woman looked at her lover in concern.
"Are you alright?" She asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"No, no I'm really not." Joshua sighed as he hugged her back. "When I saw those Wendigos start to chase Shin and Jaren, I could feel the former's fear in addition to my own through the animus." He explained. "It was... A very unpleasant feeling." He added with a shudder.
His girlfriend sighed before she hugged him. "Come on, let's go somewhere where you can have some pleasant experiences." She told him with a smile, knowing that two cats and a bird could help him.
"... I'd like that." The man smiled back tiredly as the two left for his apartment to relax and calm their nerves.
Next Memory: Mohawk River
ThermalsniperN7: … Fuck me sideways with a metal covered cactus! I… I legit didn't expect an encounter with two Wendigos of all things to take place this chapter!
Dragon Emperor0: The monsters are a common figure from tribe to tribe. And since we're going for historical authenticity with as much accuracy as we can get in–I'd say this works. I mean, we went out of our way to describe them as "personifications of Greed and famine" as they are in folklore so I think we did well. That being said, for anyone who is native American, please let us know if we missed anything.
ThermalsniperN7: And their bodies also dissolve into frost here, so it explains why their bodies were never able to be brought back to prove their existence… Guess what that also references. Also, we got to see Shin rescue and hatch a little baby eaglet!
Dragon Emperor0: Say hello to his future partner, Liberty. We got the idea from Origins, and thought: Hey, why not have our frontier outlaw have a bird buddy too? And I think it definitely works. Anyway guys, see you all next time.