Paying the Price [Part 3]
May. 10th, 2012 03:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
esp_dragonFandom: Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
Summary: The Assassins arrive in Monteriggioni.
Rating: PG
Contains: Nothing.
Notes: Into Brotherhood now!
Stiiill writing fordogmatix's Five Acts post. *completely and utterly obsessed*
…I love telepathy, but I hate all the italics. D:
Genre: General/Friendship
Word count: 3,215
Total word count: 4,524
Status: Work in Progress
"Ezio, I know this is going to be hard for you, and believe me, I wish we didn't have to do this, but this is the last Assassin safe house in Italy." Lucy had paused there, hesitating. "We're going to Monteriggioni."
So he was going home, Ezio mused, feeling the van rumble below him. Or what was left of it, considering what he had just been experiencing (he couldn't bring himself to think of time in the Animus as reliving his memories).
But it wasn't his home and Ezio sighed, closing his eyes; it was far too easy to slip and think that he was real Ezio at times.
The door of the van rattled as it was pushed open, dim light spilling into the enclosed space Ezio had already spent so many hours in. Lucy didn't say anything, merely stepping back to allow him to get out of the van.
Ezio let out a shuddering breath, already recognising where exactly in Monteriggioni they were. Except there were cars lining the streets as well, cardboard boxes piled up on top of each other, electric lights mounted on the walls. But...it was far too quiet, even the wind acting as if it didn't exist.
"Where are..." he started, but that was a stupid question, wasn't it?
"Monteriggioni is j...it's a tourist town now," Lucy informed him, her voice subdued, not looking at him.
That didn't explain why there were no people outside, even at this time of night but Ezio let the question go, studying the differences more intently now. The walls were discoloured now from rain, dirt and time, while some patches of bricks had clearly been replaced. There were brightly coloured printed posters dotted around, advertising something. It made his heart ache to see all the obvious differences at a glance.
"Ezio? You there?" There was a tentative poke at his shoulder and then Shaun yelped, jerking his hand away. "How did you get static electricity sitting in the Animus?" he exclaimed, affronted, as he shook his hand.
Ezio belatedly realised he'd missed part of what the others had been talking about while he'd been distracted, and he shook his head, trying to keep his concentration. There had been mentions of 'cell phone surveillance' that brought up certain images from Desmond's memories, which didn't seem to add up to what Rebecca had been saying. Then again, neither he nor Desmond were that informed about Templar technology.
"Sorry," he said, moving to catch up with the others.
Walking up the steps to Villa Auditore was disconcerting, the stone far more worn than the last time Ezio had seen them, the lights casting strange shadows. Once they were halfway up, Ezio couldn't help but crane his neck, both wanting to see if it had been restored after the attack, and dreading if it hadn't.
It hadn't. There were fallen pillars discarded around them, the front door barred with a piece of debris and right there in the centre was where the canonball must have gone through when it shot into his bedroom. Ezio stopped in his tracks, gaping up at the giant hole in the wall. Five-hundred years had passed and nothing had been done to restore it? It looked worse than when he had first arrived in Monteriggioni; at least then it merely looked unused! Now, it was a ruin.
The others had noticed that he was no longer following them again, and he swallowed, pulling his eyes away from the sight as he hurried after them. If this was the outside, did he really want to see how time had affected the inside?
* * *
It was a wreck inside, barely looking stable enough to hold the building up, the walls cracked and weeds having found a secure foothold years ago. The glittering marble under their feet was now coated with so much dust and dirt that scraping his foot against it did little to make it cleaner. It didn't look like...it didn't look like anyone had lived here for a long time...
Ezio couldn't concentrate on what the others were saying, his memories overlapping too much and distracting him as he saw all the differences. And that just seemed to be an excuse now, and how useful was he going to be if his 'memories' continued to interfere? There was a flicker of movement behind Ezio and he whirled around to see what it was.
It was...himself, a ghostly version of himself, and Ezio just stood there, wondering if the bleeding effect had worsened even more and what was going to happen next.
"Ezio? What is it?" Lucy asked gently, walking up to him.
Ezio watched the ghost silently run off, and he cautiously trailed after him, seeing him head towards a gap in the railings -railings that hadn't existed in his - Ezio's time- and knew exactly what the apparition was aiming for.
"I think I know how we can get inside," he said as he started moving. He could hear footsteps following him, and Ezio felt a mix of nostalgia when he hopped up onto the outcropping, seeing the pile of hay directly underneath. Without a thought, he leaped, his body moving on its own as if he had been doing it all his life. The feeling was the same as ever, the rush of wind whistling around his ears, the weightlessness, the pride of knowing that he would land safely.
By the time he had gotten back to his feet, Lucy was already there, studying the entranceway, fiddling with some glowsticks. "Here," she said as she passed one to him, and Ezio nodded to her in thanks.
"Are you sure about this?" Lucy asked him, watching him carefully.
"Of course," he answered. It wasn't exactly a lie; he wanted to see more of the villa – maybe the difference between his – Ezio's memories and what he was seeing would help him to differentiate between Ezio's and his own.
Inside, the scent of mould and damp clung possessively in the air, but under the lights the passage seemed reasonably well intact.
Making their way through wasn't that troublesome, hazy memories pointing Ezio in the right direction. Swimming through the stagnant water was not one experience that Ezio wanted to repeat, however.
After everything else he had already seen, Ezio was more prepared for when he and Lucy entered the Sanctuary, expecting to see the rubble heaped all around. It didn't mean it hurt any less seeing it there though.
There was something odd about the wall at the top of the staircase, a niggling feeling that Ezio couldn't shake off and when he used his eagle vision, he could see that there were numbers written there. Familiar numbers, numbers that he was reasonably sure Ezio had written, but nothing else came to mind and his thoughts were interrupted by Shaun's impatient words so he opened the door that was barring Shaun and Rebecca.
For all the equipment inside the van, it didn't take them long to unpack, everything just finding its place. The Sanctuary looked strange then, a mix of the old and the new, and Ezio just knew he was going to have problems adjusting.
* * *
Shaun frowned as he waited for his computer to start up. He'd been developing a slight headache pretty much as soon as they had arrived in Monteriggioni and he couldn't figure out why. He'd attempted to find the painkillers, but they must have been packed away into one of the drawers or bags somewhere; it would be faster just to buy more.
But the computer had finished and was waiting for him to put in his password.
'Oh? Password?'
Yes, Shaun thought irritably, his pass… What? Shaun could sense that there was something else in his head now that he was paying attention, an intense curiosity that wasn't his own. Why was he – what was…?
'Ah, forgive me, I haven't introduced myself.' There was suddenly sheepish embarrassment emanating from somewhere and Shaun had the suspicious inkling that he'd heard this voice before. 'I am Leonardo da Vinci.'
"What?" Shaun screeched, not believing his – what he'd heard.
"Shaun? What's wrong?" Lucy demanded.
"Wait – wait – wait – What do you mean, 'you're Leonardo da Vinci'?" That couldn't be possible! Why was he imagining Leonardo da Vinci was talking to him? He'd never set foot in the Animus! And he was certain he wasn't related to Leonardo in any way!
'Oh? You've heard of me?' The curiosity turned into a pleased pride. 'Ah, but I am getting off track. I was wondering, may I-"
"Shaun!" There was a hand on his shoulder, and when he yanked his attention away from the voice in his head, Shaun realised it was Lucy's, Rebecca barely a step away. There was worry in their eyes, and he realised what he must have looked like to them: arguing with himself. "What is it?"
He let loose a rather hysterical laugh. "Oh, nothing much, except the ghost of Leonardo da Vinci is speaking with me!"
He was met with silence, which wasn't surprising, really.
"Are you really...?" Lucy said, her voice soft, breaking Shaun out of his instinctive snarkfest.
'Maybe I should have explained first...'
"Oh, really? What ever gave you that idea? But yes, that would have been helpful!" Shaun snapped, and he'd said that out loud again, he realised, wincing at Lucy's and Rebecca's expressions. God, was this what Desmond had gone through? How could they have missed that?
'Desmond?' Something happened, Shaun suddenly finding himself viewing memories of Desmond - and then the memories focused further, on Ezio. 'Yes! It worked!'
Shaun stared in confusion, not knowing how to turn that inward, but Leonardo seemed to get it anyway, words tumbling from him. 'You see, there's this, ah, artefact called the Apple and it showed me that Ezio would be here in this time, but alone and I couldn't allow that to happen-' Accompanying Leonardo's words were images that were certainly not Shaun's memories.
He had a feeling a regular painkiller wouldn't be enough for the headache he knew he was going to develop.
Raising a hand to rub the bridge of his nose, Shaun said, "So, correct me if I'm wrong, yeah? But I think I just saw you do something with the Apple, and I don't think I'm going to like it." Wasn't liking it, and Shaun really hoped he was just hallucinating.
Hesitation was the next emotion Shaun was aware of. 'As I said, I knew that Ezio would be here, in this time, but as I could not increase my lifespan nor travel through time-'
"You do know that-" Shaun cut himself off, sighing. Everything that happened -and was still happening- with Ezio was a mess, and no-one knew what to do. Desmond had been the first Assassin to be able to communicate with his ancestors, as it were, without the help of the Animus so there was no data or first-hand experience that they could draw upon; it was all guesswork.
'Ah, I see...'
"Do you mind not reading my thoughts?" Really, it was hard enough when he was alone in his head!
Muttering, Shaun looked up at Lucy and Rebecca' drawn faces. "Apparently, when Leonardo came in contact Ezio's Apple, he saw the future - here, specifically. After that..." Well, he had no idea.
'I copied my memories into the Apple and then created a trigger,' Leonardo informed him eagerly, 'so that the next time Ezio touched the Apple, those memories would be transferred to him. Then, my memories would lay dormant until you touched Desmond-'
"You did what? Oh, wonderful! Just, absolutely wonderful!" Shaun threw his hands up in the air. "Didn't you think that you should have maybe, oh, I don't know, asked before doing that?"
Even without a body, Shaun knew Leonardo was wincing. 'I... Not really; I had been more worried about Ezio at the time, and I wouldn't have been able to receive your answer…'
"Well, that's nice."
Shaun was pretty sure if Leonardo had the ability, he would have disentangled himself from Shaun's consciousness, or barring that, hidden himself behind a memory - which seemed to give Leonardo ideas and Shaun sent a flailing mental smack at him.
'Ow!'
...Huh. That was interesting.
"Leonardo downloaded himself into the Apple and then had Ezio's line carry those memories until we –meaning, me- came along and absorbed them –or something- from Desmond," Shaun explained out loud. That was the gist of it. Which made him wonder how long it would be until he merged with Leonardo's consciousness.
'I do not think that would happen…?' Leonardo said hesitantly. 'From what I saw, this did not happen with Desmond and Ezio.'
"Yeah, that's what we thought too." It hadn't helped them much. But that left one question: "Sooo, tell me, are you going to possess my body?"
There was a pause. 'If it would not cause you too much trouble...?'
Shaun sighed. He held up a hand to ward off Lucy and Rebecca's protests. "Not that I know entirely what happened with Desmond -though we can all guess the general details- but this does seem to be an entirely different situation. And..." He trailed off, looking away. Ezio had been pulling even himself further away from them lately and now that they were in Monteriggioni, Shaun couldn't imagine what he was going through. "We need all the help we can get."
"Even if that means..." Losing you too?
And that was the real question, wasn't it?
* * *
Finding the modules to reroute the electricity wasn't that hard but seeing the boxes attached to the walls was just something else that pointed to how much things had changed.
Once he was finished, Ezio didn't head back to the Sanctuary straight away; he had a few more minutes left before he had to go inside, and he was sure the other Assassins would be busy with making sure everything was running smoothly to notice his absence.
Climbing the Villa Auditore wall was second nature to Ezio; the problem was, it wasn't to his body. He had more than enough scrapes by the time he reached the room, mostly from his hands not having enough callouses, or expecting a foot or handhold when it didn't exist anymore. He was going to have to spend more time exploring so that his hands didn't feel so raw every single time he wanted to reach the rooftops.
Ezio crouched down on the edge of the roof, surveying the Monteriggioni skyline. With the memories he had just seen, Ezio could see where she had been rebuilt, some parts not quite matching his mental map.
The only thing that moved under his gaze was a part of a poster that must have been ripped off some time ago. He would have to admit though, Monteriggioni was cleaner than she used to be, no patches of trodden hay littering the streets, though the smell wasn't quite right.
There was movement behind Ezio, and he turned his head towards it, listening carefully. A stone being kicked before a grunt as the person started to climb the wall. They weren't trying to hide their presence, and even without talking, Ezio could recognise it was Shaun. It must be nearing the deadline; Ezio mused about why Shaun didn't call him down instead of risking injury to himself as he made his way over to the other edge.
Shaun was faster than he expected, nearly at the roof by the time Ezio reached there so he held out a hand to help him up. The other man's smile at the gesture -Shaun was not a man in the habit of smiling- confused Ezio but he pushed the thought to the side.
Once he was up, Shaun took a few seconds to regain his breath, chuckling. "My, I have watched you do that many times, but I did not realise how much work was involved!"
Ezio stared, everything in his mind stilling at Shaun's words. That wasn't... Shaun would never say anything like that, the rise and fall of his voice so wildly different from what it usually was. When Shaun straightened up, there was a mischievous glint in his eyes, the smile still on his lips. His body language was off as well, far more open than what Shaun typically showed. But he recognised it. Ezio recognised it.
"What's troubling you, my friend?"
"Leonardo?" Ezio said weakly, feeling as if all the strength had left his legs. "You cannot... This can't be..." Was he hallucinating again?
"Ah, but I am here," Leonardo said, stepping closer and pulling Ezio into a hug. Ezio stood there, frozen and dazed for a second as he felt the impact, Leonardo's arms wrapping around him. Leonardo was really here; he wasn't hallucinating. But...if that was true...
Ezio took a step back, gripping Leonardo's shoulders. "What happened? Where's..." Oh no, what had happened to Shaun? As much as Ezio was overjoyed at seeing his friend in person, he did not want that at Shaun's cost.
"Ah..." Leonardo chuckled again, weaker this time, scratching his chin with a finger and avoiding Ezio's gaze. "He is here. He is also rather...unhappy about the situation."
That, Ezio did not doubt. "But he's still there?" Ezio pressed, relief filling him.
"Yes." Leonardo nodded. He blinked, then glanced at Ezio. "He wants to speak with you."
...Ezio wondered if that was his cue to flee Shaun's impending wrath. "All right," he said, readying himself.
Leonardo's eyes half-closed, his body slumping a little. Almost instantly, Leo - no, Shaun jerked back, his arms windmilling as he tried to regain his balance. Ezio grabbed him by the elbow to steady him. "That has got to be the weirdest experience I've ever had. And I'm going to have to keep going through it! Oh, and next time? I don't care how emotional both of you are feeling – you are not hugging each other when one of you smells like he took a dive in a sewer!"
Shaun complaining meant he was fine, so Ezio just let the words wash over him, though he did wince at the 'sewer' comment. "But you are all right?" Ezio asked intently, studying him.
"Yes, yes, I'm all right." Shaun waved a hand. "I don't feel like I'm - we're going to - stop poking around my memories." Shaun frowned, clearly not seeing Ezio anymore. "I know you're trying not to eavesdrop in our conversation but-" Grumbling, Shaun glanced at him before muttering, "I'd ask for your advice or ask for what happened to you but, well."
"I don't really remember that much," Ezio admitted, only knowing snapshots of what Desmond had gone through, but nothing in great detail, "but if it will ensure that you and Leonardo stay separate, then I will tell you what I can." And he could ask how this had happened in the first place. He looked up at the rays of sunlight brightening the sky. "Inside, however."
Shaun huffed, nodding. "We're cutting it close."
They made it to the edge and just as Ezio was about to drop down, he heard Shaun say under his breath, "Great. How the bloody hell do I get down?"
______________________________________________
Oh the problems you have when you realise 'subconscious' isn't a word Leonardo should know…
And damn, there's still so much angst! XD;;; Gaaaaah.
According to the ACII manual, both Desmond and Ezio are 6 foot tall. I'd wanted to make a comment about Ezio's reach changing… ;___;
Previous Part
Summary: The Assassins arrive in Monteriggioni.
Rating: PG
Contains: Nothing.
Notes: Into Brotherhood now!
Stiiill writing for
dogmatix's Five Acts post. *completely and utterly obsessed*…I love telepathy, but I hate all the italics. D:
Genre: General/Friendship
Word count: 3,215
Total word count: 4,524
Status: Work in Progress
"Ezio, I know this is going to be hard for you, and believe me, I wish we didn't have to do this, but this is the last Assassin safe house in Italy." Lucy had paused there, hesitating. "We're going to Monteriggioni."
So he was going home, Ezio mused, feeling the van rumble below him. Or what was left of it, considering what he had just been experiencing (he couldn't bring himself to think of time in the Animus as reliving his memories).
But it wasn't his home and Ezio sighed, closing his eyes; it was far too easy to slip and think that he was real Ezio at times.
The door of the van rattled as it was pushed open, dim light spilling into the enclosed space Ezio had already spent so many hours in. Lucy didn't say anything, merely stepping back to allow him to get out of the van.
Ezio let out a shuddering breath, already recognising where exactly in Monteriggioni they were. Except there were cars lining the streets as well, cardboard boxes piled up on top of each other, electric lights mounted on the walls. But...it was far too quiet, even the wind acting as if it didn't exist.
"Where are..." he started, but that was a stupid question, wasn't it?
"Monteriggioni is j...it's a tourist town now," Lucy informed him, her voice subdued, not looking at him.
That didn't explain why there were no people outside, even at this time of night but Ezio let the question go, studying the differences more intently now. The walls were discoloured now from rain, dirt and time, while some patches of bricks had clearly been replaced. There were brightly coloured printed posters dotted around, advertising something. It made his heart ache to see all the obvious differences at a glance.
"Ezio? You there?" There was a tentative poke at his shoulder and then Shaun yelped, jerking his hand away. "How did you get static electricity sitting in the Animus?" he exclaimed, affronted, as he shook his hand.
Ezio belatedly realised he'd missed part of what the others had been talking about while he'd been distracted, and he shook his head, trying to keep his concentration. There had been mentions of 'cell phone surveillance' that brought up certain images from Desmond's memories, which didn't seem to add up to what Rebecca had been saying. Then again, neither he nor Desmond were that informed about Templar technology.
"Sorry," he said, moving to catch up with the others.
Walking up the steps to Villa Auditore was disconcerting, the stone far more worn than the last time Ezio had seen them, the lights casting strange shadows. Once they were halfway up, Ezio couldn't help but crane his neck, both wanting to see if it had been restored after the attack, and dreading if it hadn't.
It hadn't. There were fallen pillars discarded around them, the front door barred with a piece of debris and right there in the centre was where the canonball must have gone through when it shot into his bedroom. Ezio stopped in his tracks, gaping up at the giant hole in the wall. Five-hundred years had passed and nothing had been done to restore it? It looked worse than when he had first arrived in Monteriggioni; at least then it merely looked unused! Now, it was a ruin.
The others had noticed that he was no longer following them again, and he swallowed, pulling his eyes away from the sight as he hurried after them. If this was the outside, did he really want to see how time had affected the inside?
It was a wreck inside, barely looking stable enough to hold the building up, the walls cracked and weeds having found a secure foothold years ago. The glittering marble under their feet was now coated with so much dust and dirt that scraping his foot against it did little to make it cleaner. It didn't look like...it didn't look like anyone had lived here for a long time...
Ezio couldn't concentrate on what the others were saying, his memories overlapping too much and distracting him as he saw all the differences. And that just seemed to be an excuse now, and how useful was he going to be if his 'memories' continued to interfere? There was a flicker of movement behind Ezio and he whirled around to see what it was.
It was...himself, a ghostly version of himself, and Ezio just stood there, wondering if the bleeding effect had worsened even more and what was going to happen next.
"Ezio? What is it?" Lucy asked gently, walking up to him.
Ezio watched the ghost silently run off, and he cautiously trailed after him, seeing him head towards a gap in the railings -railings that hadn't existed in his - Ezio's time- and knew exactly what the apparition was aiming for.
"I think I know how we can get inside," he said as he started moving. He could hear footsteps following him, and Ezio felt a mix of nostalgia when he hopped up onto the outcropping, seeing the pile of hay directly underneath. Without a thought, he leaped, his body moving on its own as if he had been doing it all his life. The feeling was the same as ever, the rush of wind whistling around his ears, the weightlessness, the pride of knowing that he would land safely.
By the time he had gotten back to his feet, Lucy was already there, studying the entranceway, fiddling with some glowsticks. "Here," she said as she passed one to him, and Ezio nodded to her in thanks.
"Are you sure about this?" Lucy asked him, watching him carefully.
"Of course," he answered. It wasn't exactly a lie; he wanted to see more of the villa – maybe the difference between his – Ezio's memories and what he was seeing would help him to differentiate between Ezio's and his own.
Inside, the scent of mould and damp clung possessively in the air, but under the lights the passage seemed reasonably well intact.
Making their way through wasn't that troublesome, hazy memories pointing Ezio in the right direction. Swimming through the stagnant water was not one experience that Ezio wanted to repeat, however.
After everything else he had already seen, Ezio was more prepared for when he and Lucy entered the Sanctuary, expecting to see the rubble heaped all around. It didn't mean it hurt any less seeing it there though.
There was something odd about the wall at the top of the staircase, a niggling feeling that Ezio couldn't shake off and when he used his eagle vision, he could see that there were numbers written there. Familiar numbers, numbers that he was reasonably sure Ezio had written, but nothing else came to mind and his thoughts were interrupted by Shaun's impatient words so he opened the door that was barring Shaun and Rebecca.
For all the equipment inside the van, it didn't take them long to unpack, everything just finding its place. The Sanctuary looked strange then, a mix of the old and the new, and Ezio just knew he was going to have problems adjusting.
Shaun frowned as he waited for his computer to start up. He'd been developing a slight headache pretty much as soon as they had arrived in Monteriggioni and he couldn't figure out why. He'd attempted to find the painkillers, but they must have been packed away into one of the drawers or bags somewhere; it would be faster just to buy more.
But the computer had finished and was waiting for him to put in his password.
'Oh? Password?'
Yes, Shaun thought irritably, his pass… What? Shaun could sense that there was something else in his head now that he was paying attention, an intense curiosity that wasn't his own. Why was he – what was…?
'Ah, forgive me, I haven't introduced myself.' There was suddenly sheepish embarrassment emanating from somewhere and Shaun had the suspicious inkling that he'd heard this voice before. 'I am Leonardo da Vinci.'
"What?" Shaun screeched, not believing his – what he'd heard.
"Shaun? What's wrong?" Lucy demanded.
"Wait – wait – wait – What do you mean, 'you're Leonardo da Vinci'?" That couldn't be possible! Why was he imagining Leonardo da Vinci was talking to him? He'd never set foot in the Animus! And he was certain he wasn't related to Leonardo in any way!
'Oh? You've heard of me?' The curiosity turned into a pleased pride. 'Ah, but I am getting off track. I was wondering, may I-"
"Shaun!" There was a hand on his shoulder, and when he yanked his attention away from the voice in his head, Shaun realised it was Lucy's, Rebecca barely a step away. There was worry in their eyes, and he realised what he must have looked like to them: arguing with himself. "What is it?"
He let loose a rather hysterical laugh. "Oh, nothing much, except the ghost of Leonardo da Vinci is speaking with me!"
He was met with silence, which wasn't surprising, really.
"Are you really...?" Lucy said, her voice soft, breaking Shaun out of his instinctive snarkfest.
'Maybe I should have explained first...'
"Oh, really? What ever gave you that idea? But yes, that would have been helpful!" Shaun snapped, and he'd said that out loud again, he realised, wincing at Lucy's and Rebecca's expressions. God, was this what Desmond had gone through? How could they have missed that?
'Desmond?' Something happened, Shaun suddenly finding himself viewing memories of Desmond - and then the memories focused further, on Ezio. 'Yes! It worked!'
Shaun stared in confusion, not knowing how to turn that inward, but Leonardo seemed to get it anyway, words tumbling from him. 'You see, there's this, ah, artefact called the Apple and it showed me that Ezio would be here in this time, but alone and I couldn't allow that to happen-' Accompanying Leonardo's words were images that were certainly not Shaun's memories.
He had a feeling a regular painkiller wouldn't be enough for the headache he knew he was going to develop.
Raising a hand to rub the bridge of his nose, Shaun said, "So, correct me if I'm wrong, yeah? But I think I just saw you do something with the Apple, and I don't think I'm going to like it." Wasn't liking it, and Shaun really hoped he was just hallucinating.
Hesitation was the next emotion Shaun was aware of. 'As I said, I knew that Ezio would be here, in this time, but as I could not increase my lifespan nor travel through time-'
"You do know that-" Shaun cut himself off, sighing. Everything that happened -and was still happening- with Ezio was a mess, and no-one knew what to do. Desmond had been the first Assassin to be able to communicate with his ancestors, as it were, without the help of the Animus so there was no data or first-hand experience that they could draw upon; it was all guesswork.
'Ah, I see...'
"Do you mind not reading my thoughts?" Really, it was hard enough when he was alone in his head!
Muttering, Shaun looked up at Lucy and Rebecca' drawn faces. "Apparently, when Leonardo came in contact Ezio's Apple, he saw the future - here, specifically. After that..." Well, he had no idea.
'I copied my memories into the Apple and then created a trigger,' Leonardo informed him eagerly, 'so that the next time Ezio touched the Apple, those memories would be transferred to him. Then, my memories would lay dormant until you touched Desmond-'
"You did what? Oh, wonderful! Just, absolutely wonderful!" Shaun threw his hands up in the air. "Didn't you think that you should have maybe, oh, I don't know, asked before doing that?"
Even without a body, Shaun knew Leonardo was wincing. 'I... Not really; I had been more worried about Ezio at the time, and I wouldn't have been able to receive your answer…'
"Well, that's nice."
Shaun was pretty sure if Leonardo had the ability, he would have disentangled himself from Shaun's consciousness, or barring that, hidden himself behind a memory - which seemed to give Leonardo ideas and Shaun sent a flailing mental smack at him.
'Ow!'
...Huh. That was interesting.
"Leonardo downloaded himself into the Apple and then had Ezio's line carry those memories until we –meaning, me- came along and absorbed them –or something- from Desmond," Shaun explained out loud. That was the gist of it. Which made him wonder how long it would be until he merged with Leonardo's consciousness.
'I do not think that would happen…?' Leonardo said hesitantly. 'From what I saw, this did not happen with Desmond and Ezio.'
"Yeah, that's what we thought too." It hadn't helped them much. But that left one question: "Sooo, tell me, are you going to possess my body?"
There was a pause. 'If it would not cause you too much trouble...?'
Shaun sighed. He held up a hand to ward off Lucy and Rebecca's protests. "Not that I know entirely what happened with Desmond -though we can all guess the general details- but this does seem to be an entirely different situation. And..." He trailed off, looking away. Ezio had been pulling even himself further away from them lately and now that they were in Monteriggioni, Shaun couldn't imagine what he was going through. "We need all the help we can get."
"Even if that means..." Losing you too?
And that was the real question, wasn't it?
Finding the modules to reroute the electricity wasn't that hard but seeing the boxes attached to the walls was just something else that pointed to how much things had changed.
Once he was finished, Ezio didn't head back to the Sanctuary straight away; he had a few more minutes left before he had to go inside, and he was sure the other Assassins would be busy with making sure everything was running smoothly to notice his absence.
Climbing the Villa Auditore wall was second nature to Ezio; the problem was, it wasn't to his body. He had more than enough scrapes by the time he reached the room, mostly from his hands not having enough callouses, or expecting a foot or handhold when it didn't exist anymore. He was going to have to spend more time exploring so that his hands didn't feel so raw every single time he wanted to reach the rooftops.
Ezio crouched down on the edge of the roof, surveying the Monteriggioni skyline. With the memories he had just seen, Ezio could see where she had been rebuilt, some parts not quite matching his mental map.
The only thing that moved under his gaze was a part of a poster that must have been ripped off some time ago. He would have to admit though, Monteriggioni was cleaner than she used to be, no patches of trodden hay littering the streets, though the smell wasn't quite right.
There was movement behind Ezio, and he turned his head towards it, listening carefully. A stone being kicked before a grunt as the person started to climb the wall. They weren't trying to hide their presence, and even without talking, Ezio could recognise it was Shaun. It must be nearing the deadline; Ezio mused about why Shaun didn't call him down instead of risking injury to himself as he made his way over to the other edge.
Shaun was faster than he expected, nearly at the roof by the time Ezio reached there so he held out a hand to help him up. The other man's smile at the gesture -Shaun was not a man in the habit of smiling- confused Ezio but he pushed the thought to the side.
Once he was up, Shaun took a few seconds to regain his breath, chuckling. "My, I have watched you do that many times, but I did not realise how much work was involved!"
Ezio stared, everything in his mind stilling at Shaun's words. That wasn't... Shaun would never say anything like that, the rise and fall of his voice so wildly different from what it usually was. When Shaun straightened up, there was a mischievous glint in his eyes, the smile still on his lips. His body language was off as well, far more open than what Shaun typically showed. But he recognised it. Ezio recognised it.
"What's troubling you, my friend?"
"Leonardo?" Ezio said weakly, feeling as if all the strength had left his legs. "You cannot... This can't be..." Was he hallucinating again?
"Ah, but I am here," Leonardo said, stepping closer and pulling Ezio into a hug. Ezio stood there, frozen and dazed for a second as he felt the impact, Leonardo's arms wrapping around him. Leonardo was really here; he wasn't hallucinating. But...if that was true...
Ezio took a step back, gripping Leonardo's shoulders. "What happened? Where's..." Oh no, what had happened to Shaun? As much as Ezio was overjoyed at seeing his friend in person, he did not want that at Shaun's cost.
"Ah..." Leonardo chuckled again, weaker this time, scratching his chin with a finger and avoiding Ezio's gaze. "He is here. He is also rather...unhappy about the situation."
That, Ezio did not doubt. "But he's still there?" Ezio pressed, relief filling him.
"Yes." Leonardo nodded. He blinked, then glanced at Ezio. "He wants to speak with you."
...Ezio wondered if that was his cue to flee Shaun's impending wrath. "All right," he said, readying himself.
Leonardo's eyes half-closed, his body slumping a little. Almost instantly, Leo - no, Shaun jerked back, his arms windmilling as he tried to regain his balance. Ezio grabbed him by the elbow to steady him. "That has got to be the weirdest experience I've ever had. And I'm going to have to keep going through it! Oh, and next time? I don't care how emotional both of you are feeling – you are not hugging each other when one of you smells like he took a dive in a sewer!"
Shaun complaining meant he was fine, so Ezio just let the words wash over him, though he did wince at the 'sewer' comment. "But you are all right?" Ezio asked intently, studying him.
"Yes, yes, I'm all right." Shaun waved a hand. "I don't feel like I'm - we're going to - stop poking around my memories." Shaun frowned, clearly not seeing Ezio anymore. "I know you're trying not to eavesdrop in our conversation but-" Grumbling, Shaun glanced at him before muttering, "I'd ask for your advice or ask for what happened to you but, well."
"I don't really remember that much," Ezio admitted, only knowing snapshots of what Desmond had gone through, but nothing in great detail, "but if it will ensure that you and Leonardo stay separate, then I will tell you what I can." And he could ask how this had happened in the first place. He looked up at the rays of sunlight brightening the sky. "Inside, however."
Shaun huffed, nodding. "We're cutting it close."
They made it to the edge and just as Ezio was about to drop down, he heard Shaun say under his breath, "Great. How the bloody hell do I get down?"
Oh the problems you have when you realise 'subconscious' isn't a word Leonardo should know…
And damn, there's still so much angst! XD;;; Gaaaaah.
According to the ACII manual, both Desmond and Ezio are 6 foot tall. I'd wanted to make a comment about Ezio's reach changing… ;___;