HOME | DD

Description
August 4, 1848; Cincinnati, Ohio

Priscilla decided now was as good a time as any to give her new rope launcher its first test run. She climbed up the nearest building, swift as a cat. She looked across the street at the gigantic mansion whose outside walls were crawling with Templar guards. She stood on the edge of the roof, looking over and raising her arm as she took aim. She flexed her fingers, getting used to the new mechanism. She hoped the rope would be long enough to hit her destination.

With a flick of the wrist, Priscilla tugged on the launcher’s mechanism and after a series of creaks and hisses from the device that made her think for a moment the thing was busted, the hook and rope shot out of its casing at breakneck speed. The rope, thankfully, stretched all the way across and the grapple hook latched tight onto one of the mansion’s chimneys. Priscilla gave herself a quick victory cheer.

She looped the pulley of the device around itself and onto a chimney next to her. She tested to see if it would hold her weight, then, satisfied, she hoisted her body up off the roof and gave herself a little momentum with a hard swing. And within moments, she found herself sailing across the street below, far out of sight from the guards at her current height. The gears of her bracer whirred against the rope as the pulley did its thing. After a few moments, Priscilla landed gracefully onto the roof of the mansion. She took a moment to get her bearings after such a unique thrill ride. She'd been told the Assassins in Istanbul had been using ziplines to get around since the fifteenth century. Now she could see why. It made crossing rooftops much easier.

Plus, it was just downright fun.

She looked around for any easy infiltration options. She thought back to Aveza.

“There's always at least one open window,” she had told her once when Priscilla was younger. And thus far, Aveza had been proven correct. Every building Priscilla had had to infiltrate has always had one open window at least, and this one was no exception. She leapt inside quietly and looked around for guards. Now it was a matter of finding out where her target was.

She recalled something else Aveza had taught her long ago. A helpful yet… bizarre skill she had been taught to unlock from within herself.

“A lot of us have taken to calling it ‘Eagle Vision’” Aveza had said.

“Eagle Vision?”

“Aye, dear. Eagle Vision. A special sort of sight that all people have somewhere deep inside them. For most people it takes years of training. For others, it's as natural as breathing. An old friend of mine taught me how to use it long ago. He saw that I had something special in me. And I think you're quite a special little girl as well, Priscilla.”

Priscilla hid behind a curtained cabinet as she recalled the memory. She closed her eyes and concentrated.

“Focus all your senses in one spot,” she remembered Aveza say. “When you hear the hum and the world goes blue, that's when you know it worked.”

Priscilla concentrated hard, trying to do as her mentor had taught. It was much easier now than it was when she was a child, but it was still a bit of a strain.

But, nonetheless, Priscilla felt something click in her brain, some hidden instinct that was suddenly activated in full. She heard a low humming reverberate through her head. She opened her eyes and smiled in satisfaction as she saw the world was coated in a dark blue hue. She looked around herself. This new vision, this sixth sense, saw past the walls of the mansion. She saw guards in other halls otherwise blocked from normal vision. They were all bathed in a red light of sorts.

And just a floor below her, she saw her target, James B. Ray. He was covered in a gold halo, a bright shine that practically said, “Here I am. Come get me.” Satisfied, she shut off her Eagle Vision and made her way downstairs.

She took one quick detour along the way. She slipped into a storage closet and swiped up a spare maid’s outfit. She had a plan, and it involved getting this new costume on. Once she was all dressed, she slipped back out and made her way to Ray’s room.

She walked through the hallways like a ghost, ducking for cover at the slightest sign of danger. She came to the door that Ray was in, and knocked gently.

“Who is it?” she heard Ray call.

“Maid, sir,” Priscilla called back, disguising her voice a bit. She had hoped Ray would be like all the other rich politicians she's seen: to full of themselves to distinguish those they see as beneath them. She was proven right.

“Ah. Do you have that meal I asked for?” Ray called.

Priscilla froze, suddenly thinking that she could've planned this out a bit better.

“Well?” said Ray impatiently.

“Sir, I…”

She tried desperately to think of what to do. She couldn't just go charging in, blade raised. Well, she could, but Ray would have enough time before she cleared the distance to call for the guards, and she'd be cut down where she stood. She weighed her options. None of them looked bright.

But her salvation came when suddenly an actual maid came around the corner holding a tray of food. The maid seemed confused upon seeing Priscilla, not recognizing her face. She was about to express her concerned when Ray bitterly called from his room once more. “Do you or do you not have my meal?”

This sent the maid into a scared state, and Priscilla saw her opportunity. She motioned for the maid to hand over the tray, and the maid did so without hesitation before leaving.

“I have it, sir,” Priscilla called after a sigh of relief .

“Well then what are you waiting for, woman? Get it in here.”

“Yes sir.”

She opened the door and stepped inside, laying eyes on the man she intended to kill. He sat in bed, his illness beginning to show on his face, which was growing sunken and wrinkled. To Priscilla’s dismay, she couldn't see the Key anywhere.

“Come on, girl,” Ray beckoned. “I haven't got all day!”

“Yes sir.”

She walked over and placed the tray of food on his lap as he sat up slightly.

“You maids were given a simple task, and still you struggle with it,” Ray growled. “I suppose it's only natural. I need to start hiring more male servants. They'll at least have the capacity to work properly.”

“My apologies, sir.” Her fingers tensed on the mechanism of her hidden blade. But she had to wait. She had to figure out where the Key was.

“Sir, where has your pendant gone?” she asked innocently. “I recall you saying it was of great value.”

“Ah. I sent it off to one of my associates.”

“Oh?”

Ray seemed to quickly grow irritated. “Why are you asking all these questions, woman? For God's sake leave me be and do your job.”

“I'm just concerned for your belongings, sir.”

“Bah! You woman and your fascination with jewelry! Why you all think you have a right to have a say in this country's future is beyond me! You've all such simple thoughts and desires. You need to learn your place just like all those savages that gave me trouble over the years! Just like those wretched slaves as well!”

“Well, you've just proven what I already knew then.”

“And what's that?”

“No one will miss you.”

She flicked out her hidden blade and lunged forward before Ray could shout. She covered his mouth and, in one fluid movement, she jabbed her blade into his chest. Ray tried to shout, but the noise couldn't make it past the barrier of her hand. Priscilla leaned in close to his ear, and she whispered, “Aveza Bellamy sends her regards.”

And then it happened again. I managed to regain a bit of my own consciousness when the Animus simulation collapsed around the two. Ray’s bedroom was replaced with the digital void filled with nothing but lines of code and double helixes. I watched my ancestor stand over her target, who started coughing blood. She didn’t take her blade out of him.

“Damn,” Ray growled. “I was hoping I’d have lasted at least another day.”

“After everything you’ve done over your career, I wish we’d come for you sooner,” Priscilla said simply.

“I merely did what was best for my people.”

“Your people? You mean anyone of the same wealth, gender, and race to yours?”

“The people that matter, yes.”

“All people matter, Mr. Ray.”

“Do they? Tell me: who were the people who built these grand cities we call home? Who are the ones who have governed these lands and kept order for centuries? We did. The system has worked until now. Any change would be disastrous to the peace we’ve created.”

“You flatter yourself, Ray. Your system has failed. The people you put in power, the arrogance your people have inspired, it has lead to the suffering to far too many innocent people.” She frowned. “But then again, you Templars have never been ones to care about having innocent blood stains on your pretty little coats, have you?”

Ray simply frowned back at her. Priscilla could see the light draining from his eyes. “Where is the Key, Ray?” she asked.

“Where you’ll never find it.”

She twisted her blade. Ray screamed, and she covered his mouth as he did. “Wrong answer,” she said.

“Brodess!” he said. “I was ordered to hand it over to Edward Brodess!”

Priscilla smiled and retracted her blade. “Thank you,” she said.

“You will pay for this, Assassin. Mark my words. Cudgel will have your head. A Hunter always finds his prey.”

“Then I look forward to the chase.”

Ray was able to give one last glare before he lost his grip on this world and his eyes rolled back. His body went limp as he died, and Priscilla closed his eyes. “The struggle to be free may be a risky one, but the rewards it reaps are priceless,” she said softly. “Rest in peace.” She pulled out a white handkerchief and gently swiped it across the man’s wound, staining it red.

My own mind disappeared as the simulation reappeared. The mansion scenery returned as Priscilla stood up straight, her job done. She pulled the blanket over where his wound was. She knew it wouldn’t be long before the blood stained through, and she knew it wouldn’t be long before someone discovered his body. She quickly stepped out the door and into the hallway. She returned to the storage closet to recover her Assassin robes, thankful no one had discovered them. After a quick change, she made sure to bolt out of there as fast as possible. She was already ziplining back over the mansion’s outside walls when she heard someone scream about murder behind her.

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

Priscilla found Aveza on the other side of the city, having a peaceful stroll around town by the looks of things. Her mentor was in the process of giving a young boy a few coins in exchange for a newspaper. She was reading a few articles when Priscilla approached.

“Did you know there's a gold rush starting up out west?” she asked her apprentice casually. “Hundreds of miners are heading out to California now. Apparently, massive sums of gold have been found over there by Mr. James W. Marshall.”

“He's a noted Templar, isn't he?” Priscilla asked.

“Aye. An appreciate of that wretched excuse of a man, John Sutter. Wonder what they're up to…”

“No good, I'd imagine.”

Aveza laughed at that. “No joke. They're probably planning to torment more of the local Natives. I'll be sure to send one of our agents that way to investigate soon.”

“Good. Good.”

There was an odd pause. Priscilla looked expectantly at Aveza, who herself seemed confused as to why she was getting an expectant look.

“What?” she asked.

Priscilla gave her a look that said “Seriously?” and then reached into her pocket and pulled out the bloodstained handkerchief. Aveza’s eyes widened in realization.

“Oh! That! All went well then, dear?”

Priscilla smiled. “Ray is a nuisance no longer,” she said.

“And the Key?”

Priscilla’s smile faded. “I’m afraid we were too late. The Key had been passed on...”

“Bullocks…”

“But I have a name.”

“Oh?”

“Edward Brodess.”

“The slaver?”

“That’s the one.”

“Well then that’s who we need to track down! I’ve a few friends that may be able to help. Come on, lass! Let’s get to it!”

Priscilla smiled brightly and nodded. She followed her mentor eagerly back to the train station and they hopped on the next train to Indianapolis. As the whistle shrieked and the world rolled past the tracks, Priscilla gazed out the window, half pondering her next move and half just enjoying the scenery. The buildings went by in a blur and the clouds above lugged along. Ones and zeroes zipped past the window. The world around me blurred away until it was engulfed in the digital void of the Animus. I felt Ruby pulling the headset off my face and found myself back in the comfort of the hideout in 2016.

“Out already?” I asked.

“We’ve got good news,” said Chelsea.

“Do tell.”

“We think we’ve found the Piece of Eden.”

“Really? Where?”

“Croydon. In the Indiana Caverns.”

“Well what are we waiting for then? Let’s go!”

“There’s a problem though,” Ben added.

“Of course there is…”

“We don’t know exactly where it is. Those caverns are Indiana’s longest, so we'll have a lot of ground to scout.”

“Welp. It’s better than nothing. Let’s plan this out and gather a team to carry this out. Who all’s coming with?”

“I’m staying here,” said Chelsea, pointing to her gut. “Obviously. But I’ll still be guiding you through the whole thing. I’ll be watching on the cameras.”

“Cool. Thanks Chels. Ben? Ruby?”

“Sorry kid,” Ruby said. “We gotta stay here and keep tabs on Ava.”

I looked over at the friend in question. She was still in the Animus. “Fair enough,” I said, shrugging. “That leaves just me and Jacob.”

“I can call up my mom and see if she can go too,” Chelsea said.

“Sweet. I’ll go gather them up when I’m ready.”

They nodded, and we all got back to doing whatever it is we needed to do. I was about to leave right away, but I stopped when I glanced over at Ruby, who was eyeing Ava’s progress closely. I felt like I had to say something, so I did.

“She really likes you,” I said, a little less subtly than I had intended.

“I know,” Ruby said, smiling.

“I- Wait. You know?”

“Ava’s not exactly the best at keeping secrets,” she laughed. “She wears her heart on her sleeve.”

Back then, I laughed at the obvious truth of that statement. Now, I can only lower my head in regret for not realizing how wrong that statement was. So, so wrong.

“Why don’t you take her out sometime then?” I insisted.

“Ah,” said Ruby passively. “I don’t want to put her through something she’s too uncomfortable with.”

“I mean, she clearly really wants to go out. Honestly, it would probably relieve some of her stress if you made the first move.”

“Eh, I suppose.”

“That’s the spirit! I know a few good restaurants around town you guys could go to. I’ll send you a list.”

“That’d be nice actually. Thanks, kid.”

“No problem, Rubes. I’m sure you guys’ll do great.”

Ruby smiled. I smiled back, and then I decided to let her get back to work. I can’t imagine running these machines is an easy job. I set out into the city to go find Jacob. I found him downtown, fresh from a mission.

“Pack your bags,” I had told him excitedly. “We’re heading to Croydon.”

“What? Why?”

“You said you wanted proof of the Pieces of Eden. Well, you’re about to get it.”

Description
August 4, 1848; Cincinnati, Ohio

Priscilla decided now was as good a time as any to give her new rope launcher its first test run. She climbed up the nearest building, swift as a cat. She looked across the street at the gigantic mansion whose outside walls were crawling with Templar guards. She stood on the edge of the roof, looking over and raising her arm as she took aim. She flexed her fingers, getting used to the new mechanism. She hoped the rope would be long enough to hit her destination.

With a flick of the wrist, Priscilla tugged on the launcher’s mechanism and after a series of creaks and hisses from the device that made her think for a moment the thing was busted, the hook and rope shot out of its casing at breakneck speed. The rope, thankfully, stretched all the way across and the grapple hook latched tight onto one of the mansion’s chimneys. Priscilla gave herself a quick victory cheer.

She looped the pulley of the device around itself and onto a chimney next to her. She tested to see if it would hold her weight, then, satisfied, she hoisted her body up off the roof and gave herself a little momentum with a hard swing. And within moments, she found herself sailing across the street below, far out of sight from the guards at her current height. The gears of her bracer whirred against the rope as the pulley did its thing. After a few moments, Priscilla landed gracefully onto the roof of the mansion. She took a moment to get her bearings after such a unique thrill ride. She'd been told the Assassins in Istanbul had been using ziplines to get around since the fifteenth century. Now she could see why. It made crossing rooftops much easier.

Plus, it was just downright fun.

She looked around for any easy infiltration options. She thought back to Aveza.

“There's always at least one open window,” she had told her once when Priscilla was younger. And thus far, Aveza had been proven correct. Every building Priscilla had had to infiltrate has always had one open window at least, and this one was no exception. She leapt inside quietly and looked around for guards. Now it was a matter of finding out where her target was.

She recalled something else Aveza had taught her long ago. A helpful yet… bizarre skill she had been taught to unlock from within herself.

“A lot of us have taken to calling it ‘Eagle Vision’” Aveza had said.

“Eagle Vision?”

“Aye, dear. Eagle Vision. A special sort of sight that all people have somewhere deep inside them. For most people it takes years of training. For others, it's as natural as breathing. An old friend of mine taught me how to use it long ago. He saw that I had something special in me. And I think you're quite a special little girl as well, Priscilla.”

Priscilla hid behind a curtained cabinet as she recalled the memory. She closed her eyes and concentrated.

“Focus all your senses in one spot,” she remembered Aveza say. “When you hear the hum and the world goes blue, that's when you know it worked.”

Priscilla concentrated hard, trying to do as her mentor had taught. It was much easier now than it was when she was a child, but it was still a bit of a strain.

But, nonetheless, Priscilla felt something click in her brain, some hidden instinct that was suddenly activated in full. She heard a low humming reverberate through her head. She opened her eyes and smiled in satisfaction as she saw the world was coated in a dark blue hue. She looked around herself. This new vision, this sixth sense, saw past the walls of the mansion. She saw guards in other halls otherwise blocked from normal vision. They were all bathed in a red light of sorts.

And just a floor below her, she saw her target, James B. Ray. He was covered in a gold halo, a bright shine that practically said, “Here I am. Come get me.” Satisfied, she shut off her Eagle Vision and made her way downstairs.

She took one quick detour along the way. She slipped into a storage closet and swiped up a spare maid’s outfit. She had a plan, and it involved getting this new costume on. Once she was all dressed, she slipped back out and made her way to Ray’s room.

She walked through the hallways like a ghost, ducking for cover at the slightest sign of danger. She came to the door that Ray was in, and knocked gently.

“Who is it?” she heard Ray call.

“Maid, sir,” Priscilla called back, disguising her voice a bit. She had hoped Ray would be like all the other rich politicians she's seen: to full of themselves to distinguish those they see as beneath them. She was proven right.

“Ah. Do you have that meal I asked for?” Ray called.

Priscilla froze, suddenly thinking that she could've planned this out a bit better.

“Well?” said Ray impatiently.

“Sir, I…”

She tried desperately to think of what to do. She couldn't just go charging in, blade raised. Well, she could, but Ray would have enough time before she cleared the distance to call for the guards, and she'd be cut down where she stood. She weighed her options. None of them looked bright.

But her salvation came when suddenly an actual maid came around the corner holding a tray of food. The maid seemed confused upon seeing Priscilla, not recognizing her face. She was about to express her concerned when Ray bitterly called from his room once more. “Do you or do you not have my meal?”

This sent the maid into a scared state, and Priscilla saw her opportunity. She motioned for the maid to hand over the tray, and the maid did so without hesitation before leaving.

“I have it, sir,” Priscilla called after a sigh of relief .

“Well then what are you waiting for, woman? Get it in here.”

“Yes sir.”

She opened the door and stepped inside, laying eyes on the man she intended to kill. He sat in bed, his illness beginning to show on his face, which was growing sunken and wrinkled. To Priscilla’s dismay, she couldn't see the Key anywhere.

“Come on, girl,” Ray beckoned. “I haven't got all day!”

“Yes sir.”

She walked over and placed the tray of food on his lap as he sat up slightly.

“You maids were given a simple task, and still you struggle with it,” Ray growled. “I suppose it's only natural. I need to start hiring more male servants. They'll at least have the capacity to work properly.”

“My apologies, sir.” Her fingers tensed on the mechanism of her hidden blade. But she had to wait. She had to figure out where the Key was.

“Sir, where has your pendant gone?” she asked innocently. “I recall you saying it was of great value.”

“Ah. I sent it off to one of my associates.”

“Oh?”

Ray seemed to quickly grow irritated. “Why are you asking all these questions, woman? For God's sake leave me be and do your job.”

“I'm just concerned for your belongings, sir.”

“Bah! You woman and your fascination with jewelry! Why you all think you have a right to have a say in this country's future is beyond me! You've all such simple thoughts and desires. You need to learn your place just like all those savages that gave me trouble over the years! Just like those wretched slaves as well!”

“Well, you've just proven what I already knew then.”

“And what's that?”

“No one will miss you.”

She flicked out her hidden blade and lunged forward before Ray could shout. She covered his mouth and, in one fluid movement, she jabbed her blade into his chest. Ray tried to shout, but the noise couldn't make it past the barrier of her hand. Priscilla leaned in close to his ear, and she whispered, “Aveza Bellamy sends her regards.”

And then it happened again. I managed to regain a bit of my own consciousness when the Animus simulation collapsed around the two. Ray’s bedroom was replaced with the digital void filled with nothing but lines of code and double helixes. I watched my ancestor stand over her target, who started coughing blood. She didn’t take her blade out of him.

“Damn,” Ray growled. “I was hoping I’d have lasted at least another day.”

“After everything you’ve done over your career, I wish we’d come for you sooner,” Priscilla said simply.

“I merely did what was best for my people.”

“Your people? You mean anyone of the same wealth, gender, and race to yours?”

“The people that matter, yes.”

“All people matter, Mr. Ray.”

“Do they? Tell me: who were the people who built these grand cities we call home? Who are the ones who have governed these lands and kept order for centuries? We did. The system has worked until now. Any change would be disastrous to the peace we’ve created.”

“You flatter yourself, Ray. Your system has failed. The people you put in power, the arrogance your people have inspired, it has lead to the suffering to far too many innocent people.” She frowned. “But then again, you Templars have never been ones to care about having innocent blood stains on your pretty little coats, have you?”

Ray simply frowned back at her. Priscilla could see the light draining from his eyes. “Where is the Key, Ray?” she asked.

“Where you’ll never find it.”

She twisted her blade. Ray screamed, and she covered his mouth as he did. “Wrong answer,” she said.

“Brodess!” he said. “I was ordered to hand it over to Edward Brodess!”

Priscilla smiled and retracted her blade. “Thank you,” she said.

“You will pay for this, Assassin. Mark my words. Cudgel will have your head. A Hunter always finds his prey.”

“Then I look forward to the chase.”

Ray was able to give one last glare before he lost his grip on this world and his eyes rolled back. His body went limp as he died, and Priscilla closed his eyes. “The struggle to be free may be a risky one, but the rewards it reaps are priceless,” she said softly. “Rest in peace.” She pulled out a white handkerchief and gently swiped it across the man’s wound, staining it red.

My own mind disappeared as the simulation reappeared. The mansion scenery returned as Priscilla stood up straight, her job done. She pulled the blanket over where his wound was. She knew it wouldn’t be long before the blood stained through, and she knew it wouldn’t be long before someone discovered his body. She quickly stepped out the door and into the hallway. She returned to the storage closet to recover her Assassin robes, thankful no one had discovered them. After a quick change, she made sure to bolt out of there as fast as possible. She was already ziplining back over the mansion’s outside walls when she heard someone scream about murder behind her.

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

Priscilla found Aveza on the other side of the city, having a peaceful stroll around town by the looks of things. Her mentor was in the process of giving a young boy a few coins in exchange for a newspaper. She was reading a few articles when Priscilla approached.

“Did you know there's a gold rush starting up out west?” she asked her apprentice casually. “Hundreds of miners are heading out to California now. Apparently, massive sums of gold have been found over there by Mr. James W. Marshall.”

“He's a noted Templar, isn't he?” Priscilla asked.

“Aye. An appreciate of that wretched excuse of a man, John Sutter. Wonder what they're up to…”

“No good, I'd imagine.”

Aveza laughed at that. “No joke. They're probably planning to torment more of the local Natives. I'll be sure to send one of our agents that way to investigate soon.”

“Good. Good.”

There was an odd pause. Priscilla looked expectantly at Aveza, who herself seemed confused as to why she was getting an expectant look.

“What?” she asked.

Priscilla gave her a look that said “Seriously?” and then reached into her pocket and pulled out the bloodstained handkerchief. Aveza’s eyes widened in realization.

“Oh! That! All went well then, dear?”

Priscilla smiled. “Ray is a nuisance no longer,” she said.

“And the Key?”

Priscilla’s smile faded. “I’m afraid we were too late. The Key had been passed on...”

“Bullocks…”

“But I have a name.”

“Oh?”

“Edward Brodess.”

“The slaver?”

“That’s the one.”

“Well then that’s who we need to track down! I’ve a few friends that may be able to help. Come on, lass! Let’s get to it!”

Priscilla smiled brightly and nodded. She followed her mentor eagerly back to the train station and they hopped on the next train to Indianapolis. As the whistle shrieked and the world rolled past the tracks, Priscilla gazed out the window, half pondering her next move and half just enjoying the scenery. The buildings went by in a blur and the clouds above lugged along. Ones and zeroes zipped past the window. The world around me blurred away until it was engulfed in the digital void of the Animus. I felt Ruby pulling the headset off my face and found myself back in the comfort of the hideout in 2016.

“Out already?” I asked.

“We’ve got good news,” said Chelsea.

“Do tell.”

“We think we’ve found the Piece of Eden.”

“Really? Where?”

“Croydon. In the Indiana Caverns.”

“Well what are we waiting for then? Let’s go!”

“There’s a problem though,” Ben added.

“Of course there is…”

“We don’t know exactly where it is. Those caverns are Indiana’s longest, so we'll have a lot of ground to scout.”

“Welp. It’s better than nothing. Let’s plan this out and gather a team to carry this out. Who all’s coming with?”

“I’m staying here,” said Chelsea, pointing to her gut. “Obviously. But I’ll still be guiding you through the whole thing. I’ll be watching on the cameras.”

“Cool. Thanks Chels. Ben? Ruby?”

“Sorry kid,” Ruby said. “We gotta stay here and keep tabs on Ava.”

I looked over at the friend in question. She was still in the Animus. “Fair enough,” I said, shrugging. “That leaves just me and Jacob.”

“I can call up my mom and see if she can go too,” Chelsea said.

“Sweet. I’ll go gather them up when I’m ready.”

They nodded, and we all got back to doing whatever it is we needed to do. I was about to leave right away, but I stopped when I glanced over at Ruby, who was eyeing Ava’s progress closely. I felt like I had to say something, so I did.

“She really likes you,” I said, a little less subtly than I had intended.

“I know,” Ruby said, smiling.

“I- Wait. You know?”

“Ava’s not exactly the best at keeping secrets,” she laughed. “She wears her heart on her sleeve.”

Back then, I laughed at the obvious truth of that statement. Now, I can only lower my head in regret for not realizing how wrong that statement was. So, so wrong.

“Why don’t you take her out sometime then?” I insisted.

“Ah,” said Ruby passively. “I don’t want to put her through something she’s too uncomfortable with.”

“I mean, she clearly really wants to go out. Honestly, it would probably relieve some of her stress if you made the first move.”

“Eh, I suppose.”

“That’s the spirit! I know a few good restaurants around town you guys could go to. I’ll send you a list.”

“That’d be nice actually. Thanks, kid.”

“No problem, Rubes. I’m sure you guys’ll do great.”

Ruby smiled. I smiled back, and then I decided to let her get back to work. I can’t imagine running these machines is an easy job. I set out into the city to go find Jacob. I found him downtown, fresh from a mission.

“Pack your bags,” I had told him excitedly. “We’re heading to Croydon.”

“What? Why?”

“You said you wanted proof of the Pieces of Eden. Well, you’re about to get it.”