A few hours earlier...
Sol woke up chained to a wall. She wasn't sure where she was, but she did know she was in deep trouble. She remembered spending the morning with Lazerus in the park. Lazerus... Sol quickly searched her surroundings for him. She was locked in a small room. The walls where a rusty brown and gray, the floor was covered in weird brown stains, and the single lightbulb hanging from the ceiling seemed strangely old-fashioned. It glowed a yellow that made the walls look ancient and dangerous. It created a shadow in the corner of a man hunched over a carpet bag. It took Sol a moment to realize there was someone in the room with her.
"Laz?" Sol asked carefully, the boulders in her gut telling her she was wrong.
"No darling," The man straightened. "I'm afraid not."
As the man approached, the light caught his features. He looked like a gangster from the old movies her father used to make her watch. Pinstriped suit, black tie, and a fedora that obscured his face. He held a bloody knife in one hand and a branding iron in the other. As he approached her, a second man entered the room with metal bucket. He placed it next to her and scurried from the room. Sol glanced into the bucket and caught a glimpse of a pile of coal on the bottom. Strangely, the coals looked shiny and slick.
"You," the man who Sol had now dubbed Mystery started. "Will tell me what I want to know."
"Classic," Sol spat. "Couldn't come up with a better line?"
Mystery laughed, "You're friend in the other room said something similar. He thought he was to tough. Then we put the knife to him."
"Joke's on you," Sol shrugged slightly. "Laz can't feel pain."
"Yes, he can," Mystery smiled at her how one might smile at a child. "Just not physical pain."
Mystery took the knife and cut Sol's leg. She did her best not to scream, but the pain was intense. She almost bit her tongue in the process.
"Tougher than she looks," Mystery clucked and dropped the knife. "Scream for me, kid."
He pulled out a matchbox, lit a match, and tossed it into the bucket. The kerosene doused coals burst into flames easily. Mystery squatted by the bucket and stuck the branding iron inside. Sol could tell where this was going, but she knew she was powerless to stop it. Mystery leaned the rod carefully against one of the wall to keep it from tipping over the bucket.
With a sickly grin, Mystery picked up the knife with one hand, and grabbed the edge of her long-sleeved shirt with the other. Sol's brain had just enough time to register that her jacket and hidden blades where gone before he swung the knife and slit her shirt open. The knife tore through the shirt like butter, but did no damage to Sol's skin. Mystery wanted her perfect for what was to happen next. He was elated to see a white bandage tied tightly around her abdomen. The feeling of his hands against her skin had he separated the bandage from her gut and cut it away sent tendrils of nausea through her body.
"A stab wound," Mystery grinned. "Stitched closed, but only partially healed. Why don't I help seal it?"
The grin never left his face. Mystery pulled the now glowing orange branding iron from the fire. He pushed her shirt aside with his free hand. As the iron made contact with her skin, Sol couldn't help but scream. This feeling, it was more than pain. It was a destruction of everything Sol was in an instant. The slow reconstruction that followed left her numb and weary. She could just barely make out the sound of Lazerus screaming her name from somewhere beyond her reality. Then her mind lost its grip, and she slipped into the void.
* * *
"SOL!"
Lazerus put all his energy into trying to wrench his hands free of the cuffs they were in. He knew how to escape, but his anger at the sound of her scream was to deafening. It blocked out all logical thought and left him a caged animal. When Mystery returned to his cell, he found Lazerus panting, but still.
"Are you going to answer me now?" Mystery asked.
"Fine," Lazerus hung his head. "Just, please, don't hurt her anymore."
"The code?"
"9934"
Mystery pulled Sol's phone from her pocket. Carefully, he tapped the code onto the scream. With a click, the phone unlocked. Mystery smiled at this. He opened Sol's contact list and looked through them till he found Lethal Shadow. Lazarus saw him dial the number as he left the cell.
Lazerus had no way of telling how long he was kept there. He could tell by the way his stomach was grumbling that it was probably passed lunch now, but without a window he had no way to check for sure. No one else had come to visit him in his cell. He had received no news of Sol, but he hadn't heard her scream again, so he had to assume she was safe for now. He refused to think she was dead.
Lazerus was surprised to see the door of his prison open. A large, cocky looking soldier about three times the size of Lazerus sauntered into the room. He gave Lazerus a broken grin and pulled a gun from his pocket.
"We got what we wanted," The soldier grinned. "The girl is in our custody. Now I get the pleasure of tying up all the loose ends. Can't have more of you Assassin's running around, now can we? I just hope the boss lets me have some fun with the pretty brunet before I put a bullet in her brain. I'd make you watch, but the boss wants you dead fi..."
He never finished his statement. Lazerus hadn't spent his hours idly. It was a slow and classically painful process, but, for what was at stake, it was a risk he was willing to take. He was lucky the guard hadn't noticed the blood running down his arms. In one fluid motion, Lazerus pulled his not broken hands through the cuffs and rushed the guy. A sharp knee to the groin had the guy on the floor and a knife in Lazerus's hands. He slit the guards throat. Pulling the guards pants and jacket off, Lazerus threw the much too big uniform over his own clothes. Arming himself with the soldier's gun and knife, he took the guards keys and slipped into the hallway.
Lazerus found Sol's cell right next to his. The soldier before her door saluted him, realized his mistake, and took a knife to the gut. Lazerus opened Sol's cell and threw the door open. He found he alone and barely conscious. Then he noticed the state of her clothes. Lazerus quickly took the guards jacket and draped it over Sol. As he pulled her down from the wall, his hand griped her injured side. Sol gave a yelp of pain, her eyes rolled back into her head, and she promptly lost consciousness. Lazerus gently layer her down. He pulled her ruined shirt away to reveal the First Will's dreaded symbol burned into her flesh. Lazerus, unable to contain his pain at seeing her skin marred in bloody red and black lines, let out a primitive screech.
* * *
As Lazerus followed Charles towards the door of the factory, the only thought that occupied his mind was those of saving Sol. He even failed to notice as a stray bullet bury itself into his side. Around them, an epic battle raged. The Templars were attacking to First Will, the First Will were attacking the Assassins, and the four Assassins of London were trying their best to free their friends from the danger. There would be no winners in this battle.
Andy, preoccupied with the protection of his fallen brethren, failed to notice Nerida wasn't with them. She had vanished into the crowds of swirling warriors. As he sat with his team assessing the damage, the loss of Nerida was among the most painful. After the battle, Ann and Lightning went to the abandoned factory to see if they could find answers. The dead of the Templars and First Will had yet to be cleared out after the battle by the remaining members of each team.
As they carefully wove there way between the bodies, they kept their eyes peeled for signs of Assassins. They found Queenie first. She was lying on her side, bullet in her head, with one arm reaching for something to their left. There lay Ricky; throat sliced, eyes wide open, glassy look trained on his sister. Manny was a couple of feet away from them. He was back to back with Corry. They had died together from a single sword. It was still imbedded in them.
* * *
The funerals had been quick. There hadn't been time to wallow is sorrow, for the team was not out of the woods yet. Charles was sitting at the computer. His fingers flew over the keys like skittish mice running from a cat; fast and wild. Soon, a map of London was on the screen. A bright red dot flashed near the other side of town. It was right in the middle of one of the Abstergo laboratories.
"The Templars got her," Charles leaned back in his chair.
"We'll have to stage a rescue attempt," Andy sighed. "For now, we need to rest and see to our injuries."
As Andy made his way to his room, he couldn't help but glance into the girls' room. Sol was sprawled on one of the beds. Lazerus stood over her, gently applying ointment to the burn. Ann and Lightning watched on from the other bed. Andy cursed their luck. The dangers they were facing seemed to have no end.
* * *
It took Sol several days to recover. All that time, Charles kept his eyes on the computer's monitor, worried Nerida's blip would suddenly disappear. Every day, Charles approached Andy to beg him to stage a rescue. And every day, Andy told him he would not move till Sol was healed. So, when he found Sol in a heated battle with one of the training dummies in the back yard, he was ecstatic. Grinning like an idiot, he jotted down the location of the Templar facility Nerida was in. Lazerus walked into the room.
"Where's Sol?" Lazerus asked. "She's not in her room."
"She's out back," Charles smiled at him.
Sol's eyes where fire. As Lazerus entered the backyard, she delivered a flying spin kick that send the dummy flying sideways. With a grunt of frustration and pain, Sol picked up the dummy, cleaned it up, and delivered a mean uppercut. Lazerus knew he would be in danger of becoming a dummy himself if he came too close. Instead he skimmed the edge of the yard till he was standing in Sol's field of vision.
"Sol," Lazerus caught her attention as gently as possible. "Are you okay?"
Without sparing him a glance, Sol replied, "I'm fine."
"You need more rest," Lazerus took a couple of steps closer. "Stress and fighting are the last tings you need right now."
"No."
Sol slipped into the position to deliver another flying spin kick. As she started the motion, she over spun, hurt her side, and fell to her knees. Lazerus rushed to her side, cursing. He reached for her, but she just shoved his hands away and stood. She punched the dummy weakly.
"You need to stop," Lazerus took a step back.
"NO," Sol punched the dummy again, harder. "I can't keep being a burden to the team."
"I'm not just gonna sit here and watch you hurt yourself," Lazerus stepped closer.
"I CAN'T KEEP BEING THE WEAKEST LINK," Sol screamed.
In one fluid motion, Lazerus lifted Sol into a princess carry, turned around, and started marching towards the door. Sol, refusing to go quietly, began to viciously struggle and kick. She managed to twist her leg to the side just enough to hit Lazerus in the side. Lazerus may have been incapable of feeling pain, but that didn't mean his body didn't react to a kick to a bullet wound. The shot had been laced with poison, so the Ahnk had been too busy chasing to venom to fully heal the wound yet. Lazerus fell to his knees with a huff.
Andy, who had been silently watching from the door, walked towards them. He carefully helped the shocked Sol lift herself out of Lazerus's arms. Once she was on her feet, Sol carefully knelt by Lazerus's side. She nearly fainted when she saw the blood spot on his side.
"Oh god, Lazerus," Sol grabbed his arm. "I..."
"I'll patch you both up," Andy interrupted.
Sol looked down in shame. Lazerus got to his feet slowly with Andy's help. Andy picked Sol up and lead the injured couple to the couch. Once he was sure they were both comfortably situated, he left to find the first aid kit. Lazerus and Sol sat in silence together. Andy returned a moment later with a mug of tea and the first aid kit. He handed the tea to Sol and set the first aid kit on the coffee table. As he began to patch up Lazerus, Sol took a sip of her tea.
"It's all my fault," Sol stared into her cup.
"No," Andy paused his work, hands full of bandages. "If anything, it's Lazer-butt's fault for not looking after you."
"I shouldn't need looking after, Andy," Sol looked clear through the cup. "I'm a trained killer. I'm just useless."
"Sol," Lazerus started.
"I've been captured twice," Sol looked at them, conviction clear in her eyes. "And both times someone got hurt. You fell off a waterfall, Andy. If the Templars hadn't wanted you, you'd be dead. And it would be my fault for not having been strong enough to evade capture."
"Sol," Lazerus repeated a bit more forcefully. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's not your fault. We had no way of knowing this would happen. If someone must be blamed, then blame the First Will. We didn't go with them willingly, so the blame is not on us. The only thing you're guilty of is making me fall for you."
"Cheesy," Sol shook her head.
As terrible of a pick-up line it might have been, it got the job done. An insect of a smile wormed its way onto Sol's face. She hadn't forgiven herself, but still her heart felt lighter.