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Description
March 19, 1993; London, United Kingdom

Kiki could barely contain her excitement as she spoke to her mother in the phone booth. This was her first big step towards independence, her first big journey that she planned herself, that she saved up for herself, that she carried through all by herself. Her dream was finally beginning to come true. Her mother always wanted her to reach this point. She always wanted her to be able to get as far away from reservation life as possible. And now she was finally here, on a visit London, where she'd find all sorts of new experiences. She knew it was going to be great.

“I'm finally here, Ina! I'm finally in London!” she said to her mother.

“That's awesome, sweetheart! I'm so happy for you! You're gonna have a blast, honey!”

“I hope so. This place is incredible! Minneapolis has nothing on this!”

“Just stay safe, okay? Don't go down dark alleys, don't talk to strangers, don't-”

“Ina.”

“Sorry. Sorry. I know I promised I'd let you be independent. I just worry is all.”

“I know, Ina. I promise I'll stay safe. I won't get into any trouble.”

“You'd better not. I'll whoop you if you do.”

Kiki laughed. “Duly noted, Ina. I gotta get going. Talk to you later!”

“Bye sweetheart. Thečhíȟila.”

“Thečhíȟila.”

And with that, Kiki put the phone back on the line and made her way back into the bustling streets of London. She took a sheet of paper out of her bag and looked at all the things she wrote down. She had her entire week planned out, and now was the time to make it a reality.

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March 26, 1993; London, United Kingdom

Kiki tried to stay calm as she walked down the street that night. She was annoyed. She had bought a nice denim jacket from a store in Central London earlier that day. It had been fine for a while, but it quickly started falling apart after just a few hours of wearing it. She knew there probably wasn't anything the people at the store could do, but she at least wanted to try and see if she could get a refund.

She found her way to her destination, the busy streets giving her a bit of confidence that no one would jump out and mug her due to all the potential witnesses. She rounded the corner and soon she heard the jingling of the little bell above the door as she walked inside. She looked around. It was a big store, well-stocked and well-lit, just like the last time she was here. She didn't see anyone around though, which she found odd, but she shrugged it off. It was late at night and this place was a bit remote compared to the other stores. Maybe it was just that no one was shopping that night besides her.

But then she went to the counters to find someone to talk to about her refund, and there was still no one. Everything was set up ready to be worked, but no one was at the registers. Kiki scratched her head in confusion. Maybe she had to try the back of the store?

And so that's what she tried, but still she saw no one. No workers, no shoppers in the aisles, no one. The place seemed empty.

“Weird…” she mumbled to herself. “This place should still be open. I don't get why-”

Then she heard something clatter on the floor nearby. She flinched and spun towards the direction of the noise.

“Hello?” she called out. No response. Part of her brain started telling her to run, but the other part, the young adult just gaining independance part that told her to face the world, made her step forward a bit. “Can someone help me? I had a question I wanted to ask about a purchase I made.” But still no response. She took a deep breath and strode forwards, trying to find the source of the sound.

And then she heard voices.

She froze and looked around. She heard muffled voices coming from a room somewhere. She wandered around until she found the door that seemed to lead to said room. She noticed that it had the logo of Abstergo Industries etched into it. She thought that was odd. Abstergo was mostly a pharmaceutical company wasn't it? What did it have to do with a clothing store?

The door had no window, so she decided to listen inside instead. She put her ear up to the door, and tuned in the voices she heard beyond.

“Getting real tired of this goose chase, Morgenster,” she heard someone say. “We've been chasing this Pick of Eden thing for five years now, and we've turned up nothing. The boss is getting fed up with it.”

“The boss will have to learn patience,” another man said, his voice raspy but strong.

“No, you'll have to learn to let go. He's threatening to cut your funds unless you find this thing by the end of the year.”

“We will find it, and we will crush the Assassins who took it too.”

“I still can't believe you lost it to a couple of teenage rock band losers.”

“I have a gun on me, you know.”

“Alright fine, I'll shut up. But I meant what I said. You better get busy if you don't want the boss to toss you to the Assassins.”

Kiki’s expression grew more and more confused. What the hell did she just stumble upon? She decided maybe a refund wasn't worth it anymore. This sounded like some shady stuff. She didn't want any part of that. She started to back away from the door. She turned to walk back to the exit, but she suddenly found herself bumping into something solid. She only had time to gasp before the man grabbed her by the collar and put a knife to her throat.

“Scream and you die,” he warned her coldly.

Kiki’s eyes bulged in terror as she gazed down at the knife. Her body started going into full panic mode, shaking and breathing heavily.

“Who sent you?” the brute demanded to know.

“No one! No one! I was just passing through! Oh my god oh my god oh my god!”

“Terrible lie.”

“No please!”

The brute swung his knife back and prepared to slam it hard into her chest. Kiki screamed in terror, and only barely comprehended that the brute screamed as well and fell limp to the ground, dropping her too. She looked in horror at the little red hole in the back of his suit. She looked up from the floor and saw a tall, slender man standing behind where the brute was. He had on a long coat and hood, as well as several military badges. His young, golden eyes shined from under his hood as he looked down at the dead brute. He looked down at her. She didn't know what to say.

“Well,” the man said, his voice energetic and casual as if there wasn't a dead body in front of him. “That lad was rather rude now wasn't he?”

“I… I… I…” was all that would come out of Kiki’s mouth.

“You alright, lass? Did he hurt you?”

“Whuh? I… no…”

“Well that's good.” He reached out a hand to her, and she cautiously took it. He hoisted her to her feet. “You really shouldn't be here. It can get rather dangerous.” He didn't say it like a warning, he said it like he was having a fun bit of banter. Part of Kiki wanted her to hate him for that, but the other part found some odd bit of comfort in his bouncy nature.

And then the door busted open. Three men stepped out, two in dark suits with guns cocked and aimed, the other wearing a deep black coat and had dark, malicious silver eyes piercing the scene. He smiled upon seeing the hooded man, who had Kiki get behind his back for cover.

“Well well,” the dark man said. His voice matched the one they called Morgenster. “Mr. Aren Nesher. Been awhile, hasn't it?”

“Evening Morgenster,” Aren said back, somehow impossibly composed given the situation. “I was just dropping by to see if you Templar blokes had any secrets lying around. I'll get going through now. I've to walk this lovely young lady here home. It gets rather dangerous at night, you know.”

“Oh no, I insist. Join the party. We've got a nice little interrogation room downstairs we can discuss matters in.”

He began to step forward, his cane clacking against the hard floor. Aren stepped back towards the door, pushing Kiki with him.

“Well, I know you all would love to know the secret to my delicious cake mix,” Aren joked. “But I'm afraid that's a family secret.”

“One of these days I'm going to rip that obnoxious smile off your face, Mr. Nesher. Tell me where the Pick of Eden is and I'll have my men kill you slightly less painfully.”

“Sounds lovely, Morgenster, really it does. But, I'm afraid the lady and I have to dash, so farewell!”

What happened next was almost too fast for Kiki to comprehend. Aren grabbed one of the store shelves at lightning speed and tossed it to the ground. The men in suits started shooting as he did, but their bullets smacked into the makeshift shield as it tumbled down. It gave Aren ample time to push Kiki towards the door. “Run!” he shouted to her. This time he sounded serious. She didn't hesitate.

The two of them bolted out the front door and into the streets. Kiki had never felt so much adrenaline pulse through her system at once. Her legs moved faster than she even thought possible. They rounded a few street corners, the sounds of gunshots not far behind them, until eventually they came up to a bright red motorcycle, which Aren jumped onto and revved up.

“Get on!” he told Kiki. She hopped on the bike, holding him tight. She turned her head as he slammed his feet on the pedals and kicked the bike into gear. The men from before had apparently gotten their own ride too, as a black car suddenly rounded the corner behind them and gunshots came erupting from its windows.

Kiki whimpered and held on tight as a hail of bullets pierced the air around them. Aren swerved the bike over the road, doing his best to make them a hard target to hit. The wheels of the bike shrieked and smoked whenever he made a hard turn around a street corner. They ended up speeding into a busy street, and horns immediately started adding to the cacophony of the chase.

“Pardon me! Excuse me! Coming through!” Aren yelled jokingly as he swerved around the cars.

“They're getting closer!” Kiki warned.

“Well that's rather unfortunate news now isn't it?”

“Can't this thing go faster!”

“Well I'm sure it can but I'd rather not risk running over civilians. I've got a Creed I follow pretty closely and it says killing civilians is a big no no.”

“Just get us out of here!”

“Can do!”

He twisted the handles and revved his engines, each tight twist and turn making Kiki’s grip on him clench tighter. They managed to hit a straight line of freeway, with a drawbridge overhanging a river not far ahead. It was in the process of opening up. The bike kept getting faster.

“Oh no…” Kiki whimpered as the realization hit her.

“Don't worry, my dear!” Aren assured her. “I've done this a dozen times before! Works like a charm! Well, except for those couple of times it didn't and I ended up cleaning algae out of my bike's pipes for a week, but let's not focus on the little things.”

“I'm not sure if I should laugh at you or slap you...”

“Well I do love lightening the mood with a good laugh though I admit both responses are acceptable.”

Their banter was cut off by yet another hail of bullets coming from their pursuers. As they came closer and closer to the opening bridge and showed no signs of stopping, Kiki decided the best thing to do was just hold on tight, close her eyes, and hope she'd make it out of this mess in one piece.

The bike hit the bridge's incline. The tires pulled them upwards. Kiki screamed in fear. And soon there was nothing but air beneath the wheels. It felt like a limbo that lasted for hours, but soon the wheels touched asphalt again, and Kiki breathed the biggest sigh of relief she had ever uttered. Aren laughed in victorious joy as they sped down the road, leaving their pursuers in the dust, stuck behind the now fully opened bridge.

“I can't believe we made it,” Kiki said.

“Well, we did!” Aren laughed. “Bloody brilliant! No better way to end the night then with that blast of adrenaline!”

“I dunno, I feel like bed is a pretty good way to end the night.”

Aren laughed. “Well then, let's get you back to your place then, shall we?”

------------

Kiki stood in the parking lot of the apartment building she was staying in. She was leaning against a light post, her nerves finally calming down. Across from her stood Aren, this mysterious hooded hero of hers, casually leaning against his parked motorcycle. For a moment, all Kiki did was look up at the stars and moon as she thought of what to say.

“You sure you're alright?” Aren asked, his voice more serious and concerned now.

“Yeah, I'm fine, promise,” she told him.

“You know, I'm a tad surprised. Most girls I meet run away in terror when they get caught up in dangerous stuff like this and I never see them again.”

“Well, I grew up on the Pine Ridge Reservation, so I'm kinda used to getting caught up in violent situations. Still sucks though, to be honest…”

“So you're from the States then?”

“Yeah. Visiting for a few weeks. I wanted a chance to get out into the world and forge my own adventure.”

He chuckled. “Well, it certainly seems like you've found an adventure,” he said.

She laughed softly too. “I guess so.” She paused. “What the hell was all that? That guy—Morgenster was it?—he was part of Abstergo Industries, but what was all that about Assassins and the Pick of Eden?”

There was a shift in Aren’s expression. He kept his demeanor, but there was this sudden undertone to his eyes, something that Kiki couldn't quite identify.

“Well,” Aren said, “would it surprise you to know that Abstergo Industries is actually just the disguise used by an evil organization planning to take over the world?”

Kiki blinked. “Come again?”

“Would it?”

“What, like the Illuminati or something?”

“Ehh kind of. Except this one is way worse.”

“You honestly expect me to believe that an evil organization plotting world domination is using one of the biggest and farthest reaching companies in the world that has a hand in every department imaginable as a cov- okay yeah that actually wouldn't surprise me…”

Aren laughed. “Well, I can't exactly give all the juicy details about it now, but let's just say I'm with a group of people that aren't too friendly towards said evil organization.”

“Oh really? You and Morgenster seemed like such good buddies.”

Aren laughed. “Well, I suppose we have had our fair share of adventures,” he joked. “That man's been on my arse ever since the Falklands War.”

“What does he want? That Pick of Eden thing?”

“He does.”

“Why? What is it?”

“It's the kind of thing you don't want to be in the hands of evil organizations, trust me. I've been safe guarding it for years now, but now I'm worried Morgenster may actually have a shot at finding it.” He paused. “You know, if you're really looking for adventure, you could always help me out. Always good to have a few companions with these things.”

“Wait what?” She didn't believe it.

“Well, you certainly seem like a gal who likes to explore the world's unknowns. I can see it in your eye. You want to know what's going on. But I can't really tell you what's going on unless you're officially on the team.”

“I dunno… this all seems… kinda hard to believe.”

“Well hey, it's your choice, not mine. If you want me to leave, I'll take my bike and you'll never see me again. I'd totally understand. No offense taken. But if you want to maybe meet up again… I do have a few other assignments I've to attend to within the next few weeks.”

He pulled a card out of his pocket and handed it to her. It was blank aside from a series of phone numbers.

“You can always give me a call if you decide you want to give it a go,” he said, smiling.

Kiki looked at him, then at the card, then back at him. She hesitated. “Can I think on it?” she eventually asked.

“Of course! You don't have to ask me, my dear!”

She nodded. She put the card in her purse. “Gotta admit,” she said. “Tonight was definitely one of the more exciting ones I've had.”

“Well if we're lucky, we'll be able to have even more. For now though, I do have to get going. If you decide you want a bit more of that adventure you were craving, give me a call.”

“I will. Thanks Mr…”

He hopped onto his bike and revved it up. He gave her the kindest smile she had ever seen. “Aren. Aren Nesher,” he said.

“I'm Kiki Arlie.”

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ms. Arlie! Have a good night! Sleep well!”

“Thanks. You too.”

And with that, he put his feet on the pedals, and he sped off down the road. Kiki stood and watched until he faced away into the distant traffic. She didn't even notice her hand was still on the card in her purse.

“Stay out of trouble,” she mumbled her mother's words. “Sure, Ina. Sure.”

With that, she turned around and started making her way back to the safety of her apartment. She opened up the front door to the building, and beyond it she saw the doorway that led back to Animus Island. She stepped forward, feeling her body shifting and morphing back into her own as she stepped through and felt the grass beneath her feet once more.

Ava looked back at the gateway. She was right back at the starting point somehow, as though she had just gone in a big loop. She took a deep breath as she recomposed herself and tried to wrap her head around all the things she just saw.

“You alright, kiddo?” she heard the familiar voice of Desmond ask her. She turned to face him, seeing him sitting on a rock, casual as ever. “You look a bit pale.”

She rubbed her head, more out of a nervous tick than anything. “I… it's…”

“Is it your parents?”

“I… yes. It's just… it just feels so… “Wrong” isn't the right word… It's more… um…”

“Ground-shaking?”

“Yeah. Like, my life was never anything special. I grew up in a little neighborhood with my mom and grandma, I went to school like everyone else, I got a job to help me save up for college. It only started going off the rails when the Templars kidnapped me and I joined the Assassins. Now I find out I had connections to all this ever since I was born and that my mom lied to me about it all and that my dad-” She paused. She pushed down the uncomfortable feeling in her throat.

“You never knew him, did you?”

“No… He was gone by the time I was four. At least… that's what Mom told me. I'm not exactly in a trusting mood anymore though…”

“Well hey, at least now you know the truth. That counts for something, right? You know who he was now.”

“But… what happened to him? Why would my mom lie about all this stuff? I just don't understand…”

Desmond stood and put a hand on her shoulder. “You'll get your answers in time, Ava. You just gotta push forward.” He panned his hand across the row of repressed memory pillars. “You'll be able to access more of these as you increase your synchronization with Arktalaki and Eve. By the time this journey is over, I guarantee you'll have a much better idea of who you are and where you fit in.”

“I fit in on my couch in Minneapolis…”

Desmond smirked at her. “Maybe,” he said. There was something about the way he said that word. She knew he wasn't telling her everything. Was he planning something for her?

She didn't really get a chance to ask about it, as he began to fade away again. “Holler if you need me, kiddo. I'll be in the matrix.”

“Great. Thanks Neo.”

His laugh was the last thing she heard before he disappeared into a hail of light, leaving her deserted on Animus Island once again. She sighed.

“Well, guess I don't exactly have much else to do. Let's hop back in.”

She strolled back to the other side of the island, back to the main arch that led into the memory corridor. The program hummed gently as she put her foot through once more. She faded into the sea of ones and zeroes, and her mind and body quickly evaporated, twisting and pulling until they were those of someone else entirely. The Animus hum dissolved into the echo of the winds outside the cave. She started picking up her pace, running back down the stone a stairwell and into the Mentor’s chamber. Arktalaki breathed heavily and sporadically. She had so many questions, and she was going to make sure she got her answers.

Description
March 19, 1993; London, United Kingdom

Kiki could barely contain her excitement as she spoke to her mother in the phone booth. This was her first big step towards independence, her first big journey that she planned herself, that she saved up for herself, that she carried through all by herself. Her dream was finally beginning to come true. Her mother always wanted her to reach this point. She always wanted her to be able to get as far away from reservation life as possible. And now she was finally here, on a visit London, where she'd find all sorts of new experiences. She knew it was going to be great.

“I'm finally here, Ina! I'm finally in London!” she said to her mother.

“That's awesome, sweetheart! I'm so happy for you! You're gonna have a blast, honey!”

“I hope so. This place is incredible! Minneapolis has nothing on this!”

“Just stay safe, okay? Don't go down dark alleys, don't talk to strangers, don't-”

“Ina.”

“Sorry. Sorry. I know I promised I'd let you be independent. I just worry is all.”

“I know, Ina. I promise I'll stay safe. I won't get into any trouble.”

“You'd better not. I'll whoop you if you do.”

Kiki laughed. “Duly noted, Ina. I gotta get going. Talk to you later!”

“Bye sweetheart. Thečhíȟila.”

“Thečhíȟila.”

And with that, Kiki put the phone back on the line and made her way back into the bustling streets of London. She took a sheet of paper out of her bag and looked at all the things she wrote down. She had her entire week planned out, and now was the time to make it a reality.

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March 26, 1993; London, United Kingdom

Kiki tried to stay calm as she walked down the street that night. She was annoyed. She had bought a nice denim jacket from a store in Central London earlier that day. It had been fine for a while, but it quickly started falling apart after just a few hours of wearing it. She knew there probably wasn't anything the people at the store could do, but she at least wanted to try and see if she could get a refund.

She found her way to her destination, the busy streets giving her a bit of confidence that no one would jump out and mug her due to all the potential witnesses. She rounded the corner and soon she heard the jingling of the little bell above the door as she walked inside. She looked around. It was a big store, well-stocked and well-lit, just like the last time she was here. She didn't see anyone around though, which she found odd, but she shrugged it off. It was late at night and this place was a bit remote compared to the other stores. Maybe it was just that no one was shopping that night besides her.

But then she went to the counters to find someone to talk to about her refund, and there was still no one. Everything was set up ready to be worked, but no one was at the registers. Kiki scratched her head in confusion. Maybe she had to try the back of the store?

And so that's what she tried, but still she saw no one. No workers, no shoppers in the aisles, no one. The place seemed empty.

“Weird…” she mumbled to herself. “This place should still be open. I don't get why-”

Then she heard something clatter on the floor nearby. She flinched and spun towards the direction of the noise.

“Hello?” she called out. No response. Part of her brain started telling her to run, but the other part, the young adult just gaining independance part that told her to face the world, made her step forward a bit. “Can someone help me? I had a question I wanted to ask about a purchase I made.” But still no response. She took a deep breath and strode forwards, trying to find the source of the sound.

And then she heard voices.

She froze and looked around. She heard muffled voices coming from a room somewhere. She wandered around until she found the door that seemed to lead to said room. She noticed that it had the logo of Abstergo Industries etched into it. She thought that was odd. Abstergo was mostly a pharmaceutical company wasn't it? What did it have to do with a clothing store?

The door had no window, so she decided to listen inside instead. She put her ear up to the door, and tuned in the voices she heard beyond.

“Getting real tired of this goose chase, Morgenster,” she heard someone say. “We've been chasing this Pick of Eden thing for five years now, and we've turned up nothing. The boss is getting fed up with it.”

“The boss will have to learn patience,” another man said, his voice raspy but strong.

“No, you'll have to learn to let go. He's threatening to cut your funds unless you find this thing by the end of the year.”

“We will find it, and we will crush the Assassins who took it too.”

“I still can't believe you lost it to a couple of teenage rock band losers.”

“I have a gun on me, you know.”

“Alright fine, I'll shut up. But I meant what I said. You better get busy if you don't want the boss to toss you to the Assassins.”

Kiki’s expression grew more and more confused. What the hell did she just stumble upon? She decided maybe a refund wasn't worth it anymore. This sounded like some shady stuff. She didn't want any part of that. She started to back away from the door. She turned to walk back to the exit, but she suddenly found herself bumping into something solid. She only had time to gasp before the man grabbed her by the collar and put a knife to her throat.

“Scream and you die,” he warned her coldly.

Kiki’s eyes bulged in terror as she gazed down at the knife. Her body started going into full panic mode, shaking and breathing heavily.

“Who sent you?” the brute demanded to know.

“No one! No one! I was just passing through! Oh my god oh my god oh my god!”

“Terrible lie.”

“No please!”

The brute swung his knife back and prepared to slam it hard into her chest. Kiki screamed in terror, and only barely comprehended that the brute screamed as well and fell limp to the ground, dropping her too. She looked in horror at the little red hole in the back of his suit. She looked up from the floor and saw a tall, slender man standing behind where the brute was. He had on a long coat and hood, as well as several military badges. His young, golden eyes shined from under his hood as he looked down at the dead brute. He looked down at her. She didn't know what to say.

“Well,” the man said, his voice energetic and casual as if there wasn't a dead body in front of him. “That lad was rather rude now wasn't he?”

“I… I… I…” was all that would come out of Kiki’s mouth.

“You alright, lass? Did he hurt you?”

“Whuh? I… no…”

“Well that's good.” He reached out a hand to her, and she cautiously took it. He hoisted her to her feet. “You really shouldn't be here. It can get rather dangerous.” He didn't say it like a warning, he said it like he was having a fun bit of banter. Part of Kiki wanted her to hate him for that, but the other part found some odd bit of comfort in his bouncy nature.

And then the door busted open. Three men stepped out, two in dark suits with guns cocked and aimed, the other wearing a deep black coat and had dark, malicious silver eyes piercing the scene. He smiled upon seeing the hooded man, who had Kiki get behind his back for cover.

“Well well,” the dark man said. His voice matched the one they called Morgenster. “Mr. Aren Nesher. Been awhile, hasn't it?”

“Evening Morgenster,” Aren said back, somehow impossibly composed given the situation. “I was just dropping by to see if you Templar blokes had any secrets lying around. I'll get going through now. I've to walk this lovely young lady here home. It gets rather dangerous at night, you know.”

“Oh no, I insist. Join the party. We've got a nice little interrogation room downstairs we can discuss matters in.”

He began to step forward, his cane clacking against the hard floor. Aren stepped back towards the door, pushing Kiki with him.

“Well, I know you all would love to know the secret to my delicious cake mix,” Aren joked. “But I'm afraid that's a family secret.”

“One of these days I'm going to rip that obnoxious smile off your face, Mr. Nesher. Tell me where the Pick of Eden is and I'll have my men kill you slightly less painfully.”

“Sounds lovely, Morgenster, really it does. But, I'm afraid the lady and I have to dash, so farewell!”

What happened next was almost too fast for Kiki to comprehend. Aren grabbed one of the store shelves at lightning speed and tossed it to the ground. The men in suits started shooting as he did, but their bullets smacked into the makeshift shield as it tumbled down. It gave Aren ample time to push Kiki towards the door. “Run!” he shouted to her. This time he sounded serious. She didn't hesitate.

The two of them bolted out the front door and into the streets. Kiki had never felt so much adrenaline pulse through her system at once. Her legs moved faster than she even thought possible. They rounded a few street corners, the sounds of gunshots not far behind them, until eventually they came up to a bright red motorcycle, which Aren jumped onto and revved up.

“Get on!” he told Kiki. She hopped on the bike, holding him tight. She turned her head as he slammed his feet on the pedals and kicked the bike into gear. The men from before had apparently gotten their own ride too, as a black car suddenly rounded the corner behind them and gunshots came erupting from its windows.

Kiki whimpered and held on tight as a hail of bullets pierced the air around them. Aren swerved the bike over the road, doing his best to make them a hard target to hit. The wheels of the bike shrieked and smoked whenever he made a hard turn around a street corner. They ended up speeding into a busy street, and horns immediately started adding to the cacophony of the chase.

“Pardon me! Excuse me! Coming through!” Aren yelled jokingly as he swerved around the cars.

“They're getting closer!” Kiki warned.

“Well that's rather unfortunate news now isn't it?”

“Can't this thing go faster!”

“Well I'm sure it can but I'd rather not risk running over civilians. I've got a Creed I follow pretty closely and it says killing civilians is a big no no.”

“Just get us out of here!”

“Can do!”

He twisted the handles and revved his engines, each tight twist and turn making Kiki’s grip on him clench tighter. They managed to hit a straight line of freeway, with a drawbridge overhanging a river not far ahead. It was in the process of opening up. The bike kept getting faster.

“Oh no…” Kiki whimpered as the realization hit her.

“Don't worry, my dear!” Aren assured her. “I've done this a dozen times before! Works like a charm! Well, except for those couple of times it didn't and I ended up cleaning algae out of my bike's pipes for a week, but let's not focus on the little things.”

“I'm not sure if I should laugh at you or slap you...”

“Well I do love lightening the mood with a good laugh though I admit both responses are acceptable.”

Their banter was cut off by yet another hail of bullets coming from their pursuers. As they came closer and closer to the opening bridge and showed no signs of stopping, Kiki decided the best thing to do was just hold on tight, close her eyes, and hope she'd make it out of this mess in one piece.

The bike hit the bridge's incline. The tires pulled them upwards. Kiki screamed in fear. And soon there was nothing but air beneath the wheels. It felt like a limbo that lasted for hours, but soon the wheels touched asphalt again, and Kiki breathed the biggest sigh of relief she had ever uttered. Aren laughed in victorious joy as they sped down the road, leaving their pursuers in the dust, stuck behind the now fully opened bridge.

“I can't believe we made it,” Kiki said.

“Well, we did!” Aren laughed. “Bloody brilliant! No better way to end the night then with that blast of adrenaline!”

“I dunno, I feel like bed is a pretty good way to end the night.”

Aren laughed. “Well then, let's get you back to your place then, shall we?”

------------

Kiki stood in the parking lot of the apartment building she was staying in. She was leaning against a light post, her nerves finally calming down. Across from her stood Aren, this mysterious hooded hero of hers, casually leaning against his parked motorcycle. For a moment, all Kiki did was look up at the stars and moon as she thought of what to say.

“You sure you're alright?” Aren asked, his voice more serious and concerned now.

“Yeah, I'm fine, promise,” she told him.

“You know, I'm a tad surprised. Most girls I meet run away in terror when they get caught up in dangerous stuff like this and I never see them again.”

“Well, I grew up on the Pine Ridge Reservation, so I'm kinda used to getting caught up in violent situations. Still sucks though, to be honest…”

“So you're from the States then?”

“Yeah. Visiting for a few weeks. I wanted a chance to get out into the world and forge my own adventure.”

He chuckled. “Well, it certainly seems like you've found an adventure,” he said.

She laughed softly too. “I guess so.” She paused. “What the hell was all that? That guy—Morgenster was it?—he was part of Abstergo Industries, but what was all that about Assassins and the Pick of Eden?”

There was a shift in Aren’s expression. He kept his demeanor, but there was this sudden undertone to his eyes, something that Kiki couldn't quite identify.

“Well,” Aren said, “would it surprise you to know that Abstergo Industries is actually just the disguise used by an evil organization planning to take over the world?”

Kiki blinked. “Come again?”

“Would it?”

“What, like the Illuminati or something?”

“Ehh kind of. Except this one is way worse.”

“You honestly expect me to believe that an evil organization plotting world domination is using one of the biggest and farthest reaching companies in the world that has a hand in every department imaginable as a cov- okay yeah that actually wouldn't surprise me…”

Aren laughed. “Well, I can't exactly give all the juicy details about it now, but let's just say I'm with a group of people that aren't too friendly towards said evil organization.”

“Oh really? You and Morgenster seemed like such good buddies.”

Aren laughed. “Well, I suppose we have had our fair share of adventures,” he joked. “That man's been on my arse ever since the Falklands War.”

“What does he want? That Pick of Eden thing?”

“He does.”

“Why? What is it?”

“It's the kind of thing you don't want to be in the hands of evil organizations, trust me. I've been safe guarding it for years now, but now I'm worried Morgenster may actually have a shot at finding it.” He paused. “You know, if you're really looking for adventure, you could always help me out. Always good to have a few companions with these things.”

“Wait what?” She didn't believe it.

“Well, you certainly seem like a gal who likes to explore the world's unknowns. I can see it in your eye. You want to know what's going on. But I can't really tell you what's going on unless you're officially on the team.”

“I dunno… this all seems… kinda hard to believe.”

“Well hey, it's your choice, not mine. If you want me to leave, I'll take my bike and you'll never see me again. I'd totally understand. No offense taken. But if you want to maybe meet up again… I do have a few other assignments I've to attend to within the next few weeks.”

He pulled a card out of his pocket and handed it to her. It was blank aside from a series of phone numbers.

“You can always give me a call if you decide you want to give it a go,” he said, smiling.

Kiki looked at him, then at the card, then back at him. She hesitated. “Can I think on it?” she eventually asked.

“Of course! You don't have to ask me, my dear!”

She nodded. She put the card in her purse. “Gotta admit,” she said. “Tonight was definitely one of the more exciting ones I've had.”

“Well if we're lucky, we'll be able to have even more. For now though, I do have to get going. If you decide you want a bit more of that adventure you were craving, give me a call.”

“I will. Thanks Mr…”

He hopped onto his bike and revved it up. He gave her the kindest smile she had ever seen. “Aren. Aren Nesher,” he said.

“I'm Kiki Arlie.”

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ms. Arlie! Have a good night! Sleep well!”

“Thanks. You too.”

And with that, he put his feet on the pedals, and he sped off down the road. Kiki stood and watched until he faced away into the distant traffic. She didn't even notice her hand was still on the card in her purse.

“Stay out of trouble,” she mumbled her mother's words. “Sure, Ina. Sure.”

With that, she turned around and started making her way back to the safety of her apartment. She opened up the front door to the building, and beyond it she saw the doorway that led back to Animus Island. She stepped forward, feeling her body shifting and morphing back into her own as she stepped through and felt the grass beneath her feet once more.

Ava looked back at the gateway. She was right back at the starting point somehow, as though she had just gone in a big loop. She took a deep breath as she recomposed herself and tried to wrap her head around all the things she just saw.

“You alright, kiddo?” she heard the familiar voice of Desmond ask her. She turned to face him, seeing him sitting on a rock, casual as ever. “You look a bit pale.”

She rubbed her head, more out of a nervous tick than anything. “I… it's…”

“Is it your parents?”

“I… yes. It's just… it just feels so… “Wrong” isn't the right word… It's more… um…”

“Ground-shaking?”

“Yeah. Like, my life was never anything special. I grew up in a little neighborhood with my mom and grandma, I went to school like everyone else, I got a job to help me save up for college. It only started going off the rails when the Templars kidnapped me and I joined the Assassins. Now I find out I had connections to all this ever since I was born and that my mom lied to me about it all and that my dad-” She paused. She pushed down the uncomfortable feeling in her throat.

“You never knew him, did you?”

“No… He was gone by the time I was four. At least… that's what Mom told me. I'm not exactly in a trusting mood anymore though…”

“Well hey, at least now you know the truth. That counts for something, right? You know who he was now.”

“But… what happened to him? Why would my mom lie about all this stuff? I just don't understand…”

Desmond stood and put a hand on her shoulder. “You'll get your answers in time, Ava. You just gotta push forward.” He panned his hand across the row of repressed memory pillars. “You'll be able to access more of these as you increase your synchronization with Arktalaki and Eve. By the time this journey is over, I guarantee you'll have a much better idea of who you are and where you fit in.”

“I fit in on my couch in Minneapolis…”

Desmond smirked at her. “Maybe,” he said. There was something about the way he said that word. She knew he wasn't telling her everything. Was he planning something for her?

She didn't really get a chance to ask about it, as he began to fade away again. “Holler if you need me, kiddo. I'll be in the matrix.”

“Great. Thanks Neo.”

His laugh was the last thing she heard before he disappeared into a hail of light, leaving her deserted on Animus Island once again. She sighed.

“Well, guess I don't exactly have much else to do. Let's hop back in.”

She strolled back to the other side of the island, back to the main arch that led into the memory corridor. The program hummed gently as she put her foot through once more. She faded into the sea of ones and zeroes, and her mind and body quickly evaporated, twisting and pulling until they were those of someone else entirely. The Animus hum dissolved into the echo of the winds outside the cave. She started picking up her pace, running back down the stone a stairwell and into the Mentor’s chamber. Arktalaki breathed heavily and sporadically. She had so many questions, and she was going to make sure she got her answers.