Essen, Germany – 9 October 1942
"How dare you?!" shouted Temidare, the African Master Assassin and member of the Council. "How dare you, Lutz, do this behind our backs?!"
"You should have informed the Council beforehand," scolded Eleonora, the only woman on the Council.
"And what would the Council have done? Hm?" replied Lutz. "Once again decline to do anything and sit on its arse?"
Jan and Elisabeth stood in the centre of the chamber. The Mentor was sitting in his seat at the head of the Council, spread out on the semi-circular wall that towered above the two Assassins. The tension in the air was so thick you could cut into it with a knife. Voices were raised. The Councilors, except for the Mentor, were basically shouting at each other. No, they were shouting at Lutz, and he was shouting back.
"Your actions have jeopardised this entire Brotherhood. It has led to the death of one and will soon lead to the death of us all!" shouted Master Tillmann.
"Has everyone on this godforsaken Council forgotten the very nature of our fight? We kill, and we are always at risk of being killed. I am not saying that Kevin's death meant nothing. No, I'm saying the opposite. We can't let his death be in vain. He died getting us information that could turn this whole war upside down!"
"What you have done, Lutz," retorted Eleanor, "is put us all in great danger. Have you not heard of what is happening out there? By the day, we lose ground. Berlin isn't even safe for us anymore. We have very few Assassins left in Berlin. And what do you think will happen now? Reprisals. If they hadn't been using all their resources to hunt us down, they certainly would now. You will kill the Brotherhood and all the hope that goes with it."
"And what's the point of what we're doing?!"
The intensity and volume of Lutz's response was met with a stunned silence.
"We sit here, hiding in the sewers like rats hiding from an exterminator. You keep saying don't do this, don't do that, otherwise you'll jeopardise the Brotherhood. And then what would you do if the Brotherhood wasn't in jeopardy? You've done absolutely nothing in the past few years that has given any reason for this Brotherhood to exist in the first place. We might as well give up and surrender to the Templars.
"We have done nothing as the Templars and the Nazis gain power and wage this destructive war to create their new world order. There is no point in the Brotherhood surviving if it won't do anything!"
"We cannot risk being so aggressive!" shouted back Temidare. "We lack the numbers. We lack the resources. We are barely standing. But our time will come."
"We have been saying that for years now. I don't know if you've realised, but there is a war going on outside. The most destructive and violent war in human history. And we are not doing anything about it! No wonder the American Brotherhood didn't trust us and did their own thing!"
"Enough!" suddenly shouted the Mentor. His voice was coarse, but it was the sternest he had ever heard the Mentor speak.
"Be that as it may. You are a member of this Council, Lutz. This Council is the leadership of the German Brotherhood. You knowingly and willingly went behind its back and effectively went rogue. And your actions led to the death of an Assassin. In broad daylight too. Not only have you betrayed this Brotherhood and its institutions, but you have also put a target on our backs by these public actions you have sanctioned."
The Mentor paused before continuing.
"In light of that, I propose that at least temporarily you be suspended from this Council."
"What?" Lutz asked in disbelief. "You're kicking me out of the Council for trying to do what we're supposed to do?"
"No one is kicking you out of the Council," Temidare reminded him. "It is only temporary. You should step back and take a moment to reflect on what you've done."
"You have disregarded this Council's decisions, Lutz," said the Mentor. "We cannot have you here for the time being. It is only temporary."
"Maybe it should be permanent," commented Eleonora.
"Eleonora, please," said the Mentor, trying to calm her down. "In addition, this Council will conduct a thorough investigation into your actions. We will see what exactly you have done, how you did it, why you did it, and whether what you did was proper."
Lutz laughed.
"You mean to put me on trial."
He laughed again, this time so much so that the entire hall was filled with his laughter, and he was practically wheezing by the end.
"What is so hilarious?" asked Temidare, his eyes staring daggers at Lutz.
"Ah, I can't. I just can't." Lutz took a moment to stop laughing and wipe the tears from his eyes. "I'm sorry, it's just so ridiculous. The Templars are out there destroying the world and everything our Order stands for and we're here putting me on trial for trying to do something about it. What a hilarious turn of events!"
In a flash, Lutz's smile and laughter disappeared. What took its place was the coldest stare Jan had ever seen in his life, so much so that it sent shivers down his spine.
"You would do this?"
"You have left us no choice," the Mentor said before he turned to look at the three other members of the Council. "All those in favour of suspending Lutz from his position on this Council and to order an investigation into his actions?"
As though it had been preplanned, in unison all four members of the Council besides Lutz raised their hands.
"You can't be serious," Lutz said, his expression unchanged.
"The Council has voted," the Mentor announced. "As of this moment, you are temporarily suspended from this Council until further notice."
Lutz stared at each member of the Council in turn with a hatred and disdain that Jan had never seen before. Then, he spoke his last words at the meeting.
"You will regret this."
Then he went down from the platform and left the chambers. Jan and Elisabeth followed him to his study, where Elisabeth closed the door behind them.
"I can't believe they're blaming you for what happened to Kevin," she said.
"If anything, it's my fault. He was in that position because he tried to protect me," said Jan.
"It's neither of your faults," Lutz declared. "Kevin was an Assassin, a member of this Brotherhood. He fought for what we all believe in, for the cause. For the greater good. To blame yourselves for his death is to disrespect it. He died for the Brotherhood, for everyone. Don't forget that."
"But this isn't right," Jan said. "With you off the Council, there's no one doing the right thing there anymore. Just a bunch of old, cowardly bastards who will continue to do nothing while the world burns."
"Are you planning on just taking this, Lutz?" Elisabeth demanded.
"No, of course not," he said, pausing.
"Of course not. It's time."
Jan and Elisabeth looked at each other, uncertain as to what he meant.