𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐝𝐞𝐧 | 𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯'𝘴 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥 |

19 | 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫

Crane turns around in her chair quickly, facing the waking and disoriented Desmond.

"Something's happened, Desmond. Abstergo has your dad." The man quickly hops from the machine, standing beside her.

"Where?." His face hardens with his words, still angry that his father put him through all of this, but worried for his health.

"Italy. Same place they were holding you." Hastings answers, his tone being empathetic.

Desmond angrily points at us, desperation in his stance.

"What are you three waiting for? Let's go." He starts to walk off, when Crane stops him halfway.

She beckons him over and plays a video, apparently sent by the Templars who have captured the older man on the last key retrieval mission.

In her monitor stands the white robed man that I fought a while back alongside Stillman, before her death was able to tell the group she was a double agent.. Doctor Vidic, if I remember right. Sitting on a chair with his hands bound on his back is Desmonds father, whose composed face puts up an excellent facade on the situation.

'Hello again Mister Miles. I hope this message finds you well, or as well as it can, all things considered. It appears we now each have something the other desires. I propose a trade. Bring me the Apple, and I'll return your father to you no worse for the wear. Or better yet.. bring me the Precursor Goddess in all her splendor, and he will be completely unharmed. Should you refuse, he will still be returned, albeit much worse for the wear. I assume you would like to avoid an unpleasant outcome.'

The video ends and Desmond turns his head to me.

"No, I have the Apple, I'll do something with it, you won't go." He tells me, turning around to fetch his things, I grab his wrist, not letting him continue his walk.

"It's no use, it won't do much, he knows about my origins." His eyes go wide at my words, not wanting to fight.

"Lucy probably spread the news, obviously. But we can figure something out, Deimos, this is not necessary. They will still harm him if you or the Apple show up." Hastings intervenes, the situation making him nervous.

"And they will still harm him if Desmond does. The outcome is the same, but I won't put Desmond in peril, and that's final. We're leaving." I quickly make my way out, not willing to waste more time.

The others shuffle behind, Desmond calling out to stop me. Desperation clings in his voice, for my actions and for his fathers safety. I know what life is without a father, and I don't want that for him, not while I can start mending cracks of the past.

'Today's actions shape tomorrow.'

His words ring out in my mind as I come face to face with the van, hopping in the back and getting ready to save stubborn William Miles.

Time Skip

Hastings parks a few feet away from the facility, their big triangle logo right above the doors. Crane turns from the passenger seat, giving me a small device with four motors, a medium sized lens in the bottom middle.

"This is a feed cam, hold it out once you're on your way and I'll activate it. We'll be able to monitor you from here and keep you safe." She explains while signaling to the computer on the console between her and Hastings, her tone still cold.

I grab it and put it on the pocket of the jacket that Desmond lended me, the man insisting on keeping a low profile until I find his father alive and well.

"Be careful, Deimos. Bring him back safely." He grabs my wrist and implores, I squeeze his hand and make my way outside, quickly closing the doors and bringing the hood of the jacket over my head, concealing my face.