Sol stood on the fire escape balcony with Hamlet in one hand and her modified poison bomb in the other. She took a deep breath before squeezing the trigger and letting the poison cascade over her weapon. She hadn't recoated Hamlet in a while, and today it's poisoned blade could come in handy. They had no idea how many enemies they would be facing, so every small advantage would be greatly appreciated. She turned the blade slowly to coat every inch of it.
Once the blade had dried, Sol slipped back into the apartment. Everyone was gearing up in different corners of the room. The tension in the air was thick and smoky, chocking the joy out of everyone. Sol closed the window with a loud boom, trying to break the barriers that had formed around each of them. Lightning walked over to her and called out to the others.
"Everyone, I have an announcement," Lightning clasped Sol's shoulder as the others gathered around. "I would like to announce that Sol has passed the training stage and is no longer an apprentice Assassin. You're earned your spot among us."
"Lightning," Sol turned to her in shock. "I... I don't know how to thank you..."
"You don't need to," Lightning smiled. "You've earned it."
"Thank you," Sol gave her a hug.
"So, chief," Lazerus interrupted to touching moment. "Do we have a plan for later, or should I take over from here?"
"I have a plan, Lazerus," Lightning replied. "We need to split up."
"Split up?" Ann puzzled.
"One team will go in to the Abstergo building to try to locate the chip and counter chip, and the other will provide a distraction while attempting to capture Andy," Lightning explained.
"And how will we get their attention?" Nerida asked.
* * *
"I feel ridiculous," Ann grumbled as they walked.
"It's not that bad," Lazerus shrugged.
"That's easy for you to say," Sol crossed her arms. "This spiky hood thing keeps falling into my eyes. It's making it hard to see."
"Well, at least you stand out," Lazerus grinned.
"These are what our ancestors wore," Lightning cut in. "Wear it with pride."
Ann, Lazerus, Sol and Lightning crested the hill in front of the Abstergo building. The wind gently moved their Assassin cloaks around them as they looked out onto their targets. Their cloaks where a pretty, off white, and the peak of their hoods was crested with the Weston Assassin symbol. Other than height, there was only one way to tell them apart; their sashes. Sol's was blue, Ann's was red, Lazerus's was brown, and Lightning's was teal. These would come in handy in the chaos to come. As Sol looked down on the building's front parking lot, she noticed movement among the cars. There where people down there. Thousands of people standing before the building. Some of them where holding sighs and shouting. By the agitation in the air, Sol could tell the people where angry. Is provoked, the people would probably start rioting.
"Lazerus," Sol pointed down to them. "Are those people?"
"Yep," Lazerus smiled sadly at them. "They're here to help us cause a commotion. Jack, it's game time."
"Roger," Jack replied in their earpieces.
"DOWN WITH ABSTERGO!" Lazerus yelled down to the crowd.
The people responded to Lazerus's call. They cheered and began to rush at the building. A mod of Abstergo guards rushed out of the building in response. They formed a wall to keep the people from entering. Behind the barrier of guards, three figures appeared. One of them was Andy, tall and scary looking in his black and red uniform. Next to him stood the slim, but proud, form of Sol's mother. To his other side, stood a black-haired girl with green eyes so bright, Sol could see them from across the lot. From the way Lazerus tensed beside her, she could tell that was his sister. Sol watched him take a deep breath and put on a pair of strange looking gauntlets. He pulled something out of his pocket.
"Let's get this party started," He grinned.
Lazerus pointed the gun-like object in his hands into the sky and pulled the trigger. The flare gun went off with a roar, shooting a red light into the clouds. The rioters saw the light and charged. They tore through the line of guards like wild beasts. The noise also attracted attention to their location. The Templar guards poured out of the building and began to beat rioters as they tried to make their way towards the Assassins. Andy lead the charge. With a grin back to the other, Lazerus took off towards the enemy. Sol shared a worried look with lightning, then took off after him. She caught up with him right as he started attacking guards. His gauntlets make a sound like an egg frying on a pan every time he hit one of them. The crackling came from the small lightning bolts jumping from his gauntlets to the unfortunate victim. The voltage was incredible. Lazerus was filling the enemy full of enough electricity to kill them.
Sol would have loved to have studied the gauntlets, but wouldn't get the chance if they didn't make it out of this alive. She sprang into action. Hamlet felling three guards before she bumped into Andy. As if he had orders to get her specifically, Andy abandoned his fight with a group of five rioters and instantly tried to stab her in the gut with his sword. Sol jumped away and found herself back to back with Lazerus. She elbowed him lightly and switched places with him. A small circle formed around them as the rioters, obviously under special instruction (or perhaps just good instincts), moved away to give them space. Lazerus, a little too happy to get a chance to punch Andy, turned off his glove and landed a hit square in his gut. Andy doubled over and fell to his knees. Suddenly, Sol could no longer feel Lazerus at her back. She turned back around to find him moving away into the crowd. He was going after Mary.
"Lazerus!" Sol screamed.
"I'm sorry," Lazerus disappeared into the crowd.
Andy slowly began to rise to his feet. Sol, in a panic, jumped on his back. She pulled the shock box out of her pocket and aimed it at the small scar on the back of his neck. Before she could hit him with it, Andy rose to his feet. Like a dog dislodging water from his coat, he began to shake and move so violently Sol was almost thrown off. She gripped the fabric of his coat for dear life till her knuckles where white and hurting. Andy reached behind him and managed to grab Sol by the shoulder of her jacket. With a force she hadn't known he possessed, Andy tore her off on him and slammed her into the cold concrete. Sol gasped for air as her head spun and her vision blurred. She could just barely see Andy looming over her. Her vision cleared as he knelt on her legs and raised his sword for the kill. The flicker of recognition that crossed his eyes stilled his hand just before he could bury his weapon in her heart. Sol saw this, and took the opportunity, despite the danger.
Sol reached up and pulled Andy down into her while simultaneously using him to pull herself up towards him. She could feel his shocked gasp against her neck as she placed the cold metal tips of the Shock Box against the back of his neck and pressed the button. It was over in seconds. Andy slumped in Sol's arms, knocking her back onto the ground. Sol sighed in relief, then winced. She really wanted to get to her feet, but doubted she would be able to now. The pain from the sword in the muscle of her side was intense. Sol had gotten lucky once again. Her Assassin's cloak made her look a little larger than she truly was. The added space shifted Andy's target just enough to the side to prevent it from going into her organs. Still, the pain was excruciating and the blood would not stop flowing. Falling backwards had pushed the blade upward, enlarging the wound; so, the fact that she had not removed the blade was not stopping the bleeding.
At least I completed my mission, Sol thought as she closed her eyes. Her arms where still wrapped around Andy when she slowly began to lose consciousness. Lazerus raced up the hill, an unconscious Mary under one arm and Sol's passed out mother over his shoulder. Ann trudged behind him.
"We need to help the others," Ann was saying.
"I'll go back," Lazerus told her. "You wait here for Nerida. We'll meet back in the den. Remember where it is?"
"Behind the hill with the lone tree just outside the city."
Lazerus nodded and placed his cargo down at the top of the hill. As he looked back down at the parking lot. He noticed the space he had asked the rioters to form around Andy was still there, but he could no longer see Sol. Worried, he took off in that direction. He fought his way into the circle. Lightning, simultaneously, had noticed the empty space and was also pushing her way in from the other side. They managed to make it through at the same time. Lazerus gave her a puzzled look, but Lightning was too focused on the scene before her to notice. She dashed to Andy's side. She pressed her fingers against the side of his neck, and sighed in relief when she felt his heart beat.
"Lazerus," Lightning gripped Andy's shoulders. "Help me carry him."
Lazerus knelt next to Andy and helped Lightning roll him onto his back. As Andy was pulled away from Sol, his sword slipped out of her side with a squelch. Sol's eyes flew open as the pain from the swords removal yanked her out of her slumber. She screamed. Lazerus's eyes grew wide as he beheld Sol. The side of her cloak was soaked with blood, her face was pale and sweaty, and her breathing was labored. What have I done, Lazerus's mind was spinning, I shouldn't have left. I... oh god... please don't die. Lazerus could feel his subconscious reaching for the Ankh's power, but Sol's hand on his knee stopped him. She was unsuccessfully trying to drag herself to her feet. Lazerus dropped Andy and reached out to help her.
"I'm fine," Sol batted away his hand. "Carry Andy. He's too heavy for me."
"I've got you, Sol," Lightning reached out for her.
Lazerus backed away and let Lightning pull Sol to her feet. Sol winced, but did not complain. Lazerus wanted to help her, but he knew she was mad at him. Instead, he reached down and pulled Andy fireman style onto his back, stealing his face to one of mild annoyance. Sol slung her arm around Lightning's shoulders for support. They when about to try to make a run for it when Jack, Joy and Nerida burst into the circle, running for their lives.
"WE GOT IT! RUN!" Jack hollered back at them.
Lazerus turned to find a group of ten Templars running towards them. Lazerus pulled a smoke bomb from his pocket, threw it at the group, and ran. Lightning and Sol followed hot on his heels. They made it over the hill and down into the city, catching up with the rest of the group quite easily. They ran a few miles, taking every twist and turn till they were sure they had lost their pursuers. Safe once again, Lazerus began to lead them to the real Assassin's den. They had to walk for a while. Eventually, the team reached a large tree on the top of a hill. On the back side of the hill, painted to look like a rock was a man hole cover. Lazerus pulled the "rock" off the entrance of the tunnel. Ann and Nerida lead the way down.
"The den's underground?" Sol gave Lazerus a hard look.
"No signal can survive down there," Lazerus shrugged. "Makes it the perfect place for a den. They can't track us down there."
Sol turned away and climbed down into the hole. Lightning gave Lazerus a puzzled look before climbing down after her. Lazerus tried not to let his sadness show as he lowered Andy down after them. He knew Sol would never forgive him.