Chapter Text
The door opened in a growing flare of light, the wall disappearing in front of them, though none of them could really look directly at it while it did.
“I would have expected more fire works, honestly.” Desmond said, blinking a few time, and waving his hand through the suddenly open space.
Shaun rubbed his eyes.
“I think that was quite enough fireworks, thanks.”
They walked slowly along the bridge, marveling at how large the cavern was beyond that wall. Shaun snorted, and Desmond glanced over at him.
“What?”
“Oh I was just thinking about the hollow Earth theory.”
“The what?”
“Seriously? The basic idea is the earth is hollow and that Aliens live inside it, and that's where the abductions come from. Now, I've seen strong evidence that some alien abductions were actually the work of Abstergo, but then we have this giant hollow mountain inside which are...” He made a gesture. “I'm not saying Those Who Came Before are aliens but...”
Rebecca gave a strangled laugh.
“Am I the only one taking this seriously?” demanded Bill.
“I'm always serious, Bill.” Shaun retorted.
“It's true. He is. As long as I've known him.” Lucy agreed.
“We're trying to prevent the extinction of humanity and the obliteration of the world and you're talking about aliens.”
“Oh I'm sorry.” Shaun rolled his eyes. “I'll come right back to reality- the one with holograph ghosts that are thousands of years old.”
Yes. Purred a voice in Desmond's ear as he approached.
It looked like some sort of malformed globe, stuck into a pedestal, and while he could look straight at it, the glow was bright enough that it cast their shadows out behind them.
“So what's supposed to happen now?” Lucy asked, confused, then jerked back when a flare of light revealed a pearly ghostly figure of a woman.
You are here. You have come. We tried. We failed. But you- you have the Blood of Eagles; you are the last hope. The tenacity of humans, but more. She lay her hand on the glowing globe. Your touch, your spark. Only touch this pedestal, and it will be taken care of. A spark is all I need- to save the world.
No! Do not do as she says! A second glimmering figure moved past the group of assassins, causing them to pull together.
“Minerva?” Desmond was shocked to see her again.
You destroyed the device; you left! You gave up.
Do you think you are the only one who can make plans?
“What the hell is going on?” Demanded Bill.
I will explain. Minerva promised Juno is trapped within these walls. And for good reason. We found the pattern to the universe, to divine the future, and we worked to save it- but she sought to rule it. We discovered her treachery and trapped her within these patterns. She gestured at the walls, and the tracings on them gleamed. We left messages for you, we tried to teach you, but you and the Templars squabbled over our leavings, and there is nothing left. You cannot save the world now; only hope to endure the end.
She's lying! With your spark I can save the world. Juno screamed, the eerie echoes more inside their heads than bouncing on the walls.
Better it burn. Minerva sneered.
They squabbled back and forth. Bickering, accusatory. Flashing visions up before them, like a shadow play to frighten children into behaving. Desmond became increasingly sure he couldn't trust either of them. Neither of their plans sounded good. He wanted a third choice- he needed a third choice. But three lifetimes wasn't enough to find it. Four points of wisdom and none of them had an answer. They kept talking like there were only two paths, he could free Juno and she would save the world for her own devices or he could not and the world would burn. Wasn't there something else that could be done? Anything?
Chaos and freedom or order and subjugation. It was the battle of the Templars and Assassins written on the faces of giants, of those who thought themselves gods.
“Enough!” He held up his hands as if separating them. They actually stepped back.
You must not do this.
“Look, whatever she's planning, however terrible it might seem today, we can find a way to stop it.”
she tossed her head, clearly not believing that. Juno smirked, her posture clearly 'let them try.' “But only if we are alive. The alternative – what you're suggesting; what's the hope in that?”
If you free her, you'll be destroyed.
It will be over in in an instant. You'll feel no pain.
So that destruction would be a little more personal than it might otherwise be. He exhaled slowly.
You mustn’t!
“But I've made my decision.”
So be it. She scowled, the consequences are yours as well. Scowling Minerva broke apart into motes of light, and disappeared.
Well, if he was dead, it wouldn't exactly be his problem...
“Desmond no.” Lucy shoved past Shaun who'd just opened up his mouth to say something.
“Look the decision is mine. If I have to die to save the world; I'm up for it.”
“This is insane, you said it yourself.”
“You need to get out of here. Get as far away from here as you can.” He couldn't look at her face- he couldn't look at any of their faces. Lucy hugged him, face pressed against his neck.
“She's right.” Bill said. “Come with us- we'll find another way; don't take yourself away from us.”
“There isn't time. The flares have already started; if this is what I need to do, then I'll do it.”
“Desmond.” Shaun's voice cracked. “Don't let them force you to do this. You don't want to be a pawn, remember?”
“It's my decision and I made it. What else am I supposed to do?”
Shaun didn't have an answer, just shaking his head.
“Find the Third.” that was a different, unexpected voice. Lucy looked shocked, letting go of Desmond and stumbling backwards.
Juno's smug expression broke and she looked around.
“I have blood of eagles too.” Clay's voice crackled. “You may be a fancy ass piece of technology, but so am I.”
What are you doing?
“Deux ex Machina! Amina ex machina!” He laughed, a crazy sound that was more like the scraps of Subject Sixteen that they'd kept tripping across. Shaun took a step back looking around, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from. “I am the machine...” Glyphs on the walls glowed brightly.
This isn't possible.
“Nothing is true, they say.” He crowed, and suddenly as large as life, and looking like a precoursor himself, he appeared. “So I guess that means everything is possible.”
“Clay?” Lucy looked shocked.
“Hello Luce.” he said, fondly. “I'm sorry.”
“No, I am.”
“Too late for that.” Clay raised his hands. “Everyone get out of here. She wants a spark? That's all I am.”
You are not the one I need. She made a shooing gesture at him, and he flipped her off, then put his hands over the thing Minerva had called the 'eye'. You should not be able to do this.
“You guys should get out of here. I'm starting to rewrite some stuff and I don't think it's gonna be stable.”
“Let me help; anything.” Desmond begged.
“No. I finally worked it out Desmond. I'm dead. Clay is, I mean. I'm nothing but... nothing but a ghost. That's why they couldn't see me.”
Do not let him do this. Touch the eye, Desmond.
“she's afraid.” Clay said conversationally. “Because they weren't expecting me. They couldn't see me, and they don't know what to expect. I'm the third path here. It's my turn to be a hero, Desmond.”
“I can't just-”
“No.” That was Shaun's voice, and it was firm. Desmond glanced back and saw that he had the Apple of Eden- automaticly, he checked his pocket, but he remembered that he'd left it on the animus- afraid that somehow, she would use it against him again, make him strike down his friends. “Sacrifice isn't what's needed here. Would you leave us behind? Was I the only one who was watching Juno jerk Connor around?” He gave the device a shake, like a magic eight ball, and it lit up, and started to drop, only to be caught- and held, by Altair.
“Thank you,” He said to Shaun. He held it up easily one handed, pointing it at Desmond and light blazed out again, forming Ezio, Connor, and after a moment, Haytham. “You opened the way, Desmond, but I don't think that you're not going to be the one to make a sacrifice today.”
“She's trying to drive me out.” Clay said, sounding a little panicked. “Juno's been here a lot longer than I have. Get out of here. Get Cross, and leave the cave. You can come back later if you can, but for now you have to get out-”
“Pardon.” Ezio said pleasantly to Rebecca, and picked her up moving her back into the cave proper. “Put me down! I need to get my harddrives! How far do you expect to carry- what the hell is going on!?”
Connor gave Desmond a shove, away from the pedestal.
“No, I'm not going-”
Connor gave another shove and pushed inside Desmond, features showing through his skin.
“Yes, you are.” Connor said with Desmond's voice. “We are all getting out of here. I was a fool to believe her.” His scowl looked unfamiliar on Desmond's face. “Go on-” he gestured to the rest of the team, pushing forward and shoving them along, until he passed Altair and reached out, taking the apple from him- Desmond's normal expression reasserted itself and he stumbled, only to have his arm grabbed by Haytham on one side and Altair on the other.
“Come now, boy.” Haytham said, keeping Desmond upright. “No one else is going to think of the Templar you captured. Unless you intend to let him die in the dark, you'd best rescue him.”
“Stay alive.” Altair hissed in his ear. “It's very hard to change anything once you're dead.”
At the door, Ezio was urging Shaun out with a friendly ass pat. Behind them, Clay's voice came again, more sharp edged and echoing than frazzled and staticy.
“I've got it, Desmond. We'll all do our parts.” Desmond looked back in time to see him put his hands on the globe. And the light enveloped him.
When they passed out of the chamber, Desmond stumbled as the visions of his ancestors disappeared. The apple shimmered, and he heard Altair's voice again.
“We're with you. Move.”
Desmond shoved the apple into his pocket, and moved to where they had lain Cross on a cot, drugged and chained to it. As Haytham had said, they were more intent on quickly salvaging equipment. The animus was supposed to teach him, to gain information.
Altair had taught him to observe, to learn, and to make his own decisions. Ezio had taught him patience and the virtues of working with others. Connor's lesson was tenacity to do what was right, even and perhaps especially if no one else would. And Haytham had taught him something important as well. Something he realized he'd seen in the other lives as well- that even his enemies were people. And even if he couldn't agree with their decisions, to deny them the right to make that would be against freedom of thought.
He opened the lock, and hauled Cross up over his shoulder- he was lighter than he had any right to be- but that was his ancestors helping. Light was spilling out of the door they'd worked so hard to open, casting their shadows with sharp edges. It was getting painful.
They scrambled up the now familiar pathway, Desmond bringing up the rear. In the cave entrance, which was now belching light, scraps of the strange pictographic circuit that laced the walls visible and lit up when they looked in. He shifted his burden, seeing Ezio helping out of the corner of his eye, and raised the apple, the grooves fitting into his palm like it was meant to be there, then lowered it, and the wall Haytham had sought to open closed again.
“No chance of a second trip then?” Rebecca said sadly.
“We'll see about opening it up again later.” Desmond promised. “But... that was starting to creep me out.”
“Your teddy bear there is starting to wake up.” Lucy said, moving in to the other side and colliding with Ezio, which plainly disturbed her, as she patted the open air. Ezio caught Desmond's eye and gave a bit of an eyebrow wiggle. Part of him couldn't believe how glad he was to have him back. Another part fell into the familiar trap of wondering why.
“Get out of the cave.” Connor said, hand on the wall. “Something is coming.” Desmond passed the warning on, but no one was inclined to linger anyway.
Outside of the cave the sky was dark, tinged in the distance with the light stain of a city, barely visible beyond the trees, but the stars were visible.
Then, like rain falling in reverse, points of light shot up, leaving trails.
“What is that?” Shaun asked, as Rebecca loaded the salvaged hard drives into the back of the truck.
“It looks sort of like the aurora borealis,” Lucy said “But we're too far south.”
“It looks like wings.” Desmond said quietly.
“It looks like we should leave.” Bill corrected, and all but manhandled Desmond towards the van.
“Do you think we did it?” Rebecca asked, as Shaun pulled her away from the driver's seat, letting Lucy take it. “Do you think we saved the world.”
“No.” Desmond said. “I think Clay did.”
For now, they went into hiding; another safe house; but this one was designed for recuperation, tucked away on a small island in the Florida keys. Though Shaun spent time monitoring the outside world, they joked that this was their well earned vacation; especially when first the disruption from the solar flares died away and then shortly after that, the aurora that had been visible all over the globe. Desmond had gotten Shaun to print him a picture that had been taken from space, and put it on a cork board of his own, along with a photo of Clay from the files, and sketches he'd done of his ancestors. Though his talent as an artist and a bartender got more use on the island, he kept training.
The world would not burn, and Vidic was dead, but that hardly meant that the world was safe. So he would keep fighting. They all would.
“So...” Haytham paced back and forth, and watched Cross's eyes follow him. “You can see me. You can hear me.” He smiled a bit. “An Assassin and a Templar... that's interesting. Very interesting”
“Go away.” Cross croaked. “I don't want to listen to you. I killed the last one of you. I'll kill you too.”
“No. I don't think you will.”