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Down The Rabbit Hole And Back Again	By : Imoshen Category: +A through F > Assassin's Creed Views: 3972 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's Creed nor do I make money by publishing this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Down The Rabbit Hole And Back Again
- 2-Part 2
- 3-Part 3
- 4-Part 4
- 5-Part 5
- 6-Part 6
- 7-Part 7
- 8-Part 8
- 9-Part 9
- 10-Part 10
- 11-Part 11
- 12-Part 12
- 13-Part 13
- 14-Part 14
- 15-Part 15
- 16-Part 16
- 17-Part 17
- 18-Part 18
- 19-Part 19
- 20-Part 20
- 6
- 7
- 8
For us to live, you had to die.

His father died when he'd been elven. Altair had watched as they executed him – his father's life to save a traitor's. His life to pay for a mistake – but it only left one suffering in the end. An elven year old boy who watched his father's beheading, blood staining the grounds as his head fell with empty wide eyes staring up the gray sky. A few years later it happened all over again. The man who'd been as dear to him as his own father died through his blade. Some thought of Al Mualim as a demon, corrupted by the Apple's power, his mind poisoned. For Altair, it wasn't that easy. He couldn't see evil now as he looked at the old man's broken body. All he saw was a man who taught him so much as a child a youth and later as an adult. The worst part was that Altair knew – in his twisted mind, Al Mualim didn't mean harm. He thought what he did was good, he thought he delivered peace. And Altair understood which made it even harder for him to breath now as he carried the corpse towards the pyre. He couldn't hate him and he didn't see a demon when he looked at him, just a man who wanted to do good with terrible methods.

He was eyed skeptical by several members of the Order, some of them still trapped within the artifact's magic, its invisible threads looped around their bodies and playing them like little puppets. Most of them were simply confused, scared maybe, as their Grandmaster had died and everything was at chaos. Others though believed Altair being the real traitor, corrupting their Master's mind and lulling him into doom, killing him in the end as if he'd been planing everything right from the beginning. Only a few knew the truth as they had fought by Altair's side, helping him to get into the fortress so he could meet his fate as he stood in front of Al Mualim, ready to find his death if he should fail. No one stopped him as he walked towards, laying their Master down onto the piled wood, his fingers brushing across the black robes and for a moment he thought he was only sleeping. Nobody was attending the funeral as it wasn't really one, his Brothers holding their distance - most didn't approve with burning him. As the sun slowly died and with the moon rising it was just him standing their, his Grandmaster's ashes still glowing a soft orange its heat reaching his skin, warming him.

He didn't turn around when he heard him slowly walking up to him. Malik stopped just shortly behind Altair – even he didn't dare to get any closer. He was silent for the longest of moments, the fire still cracking. "Sad are only those who understand", Malik said eventually. Altair's head felt just a bit heavier, his muscles tired and heart cold. He had his hood up, shielding him from the soft breeze blowing and from everybody's eyes watching him. He wondered how it was possible for Malik to be so spot on and his shoulders slumped down as he curled the fingers of his left hand into a tight fist. "You know what he always said? We're using lies to tell the truth while the Templars use them to cover the truth up", Altair murmured softly, his words carried away by the wind and sparks were dancing in front of him. He looked up into the dark sky, the wind bringing tears to his eyes. "It makes me wonder now which of those he did."

"Don't confuse yourself Altair. He was fooling us, betraying and compromising our Creed. You did the right thing in the right moment."

"And when the moment ends?"

"When the moment ends it's in the past. The past shouldn't weight you down."

They were quiet after that, both lost in their own memories, fighting their own inner battles. While Altair often enjoyed the silence, today it was just too loud for him to bear. "What are you doing here anyway?", he asked Malik in a raspy voice.

"We are one, Altair", and he thought he could hear the smile in his voice. "As we share the glory of victory-"

"-so too should we share the pain of defeat", Altair finished as it was the same Malik told him back in Jerusalem when he'd told him he was sorry.

"It seems today it's both. Victory and defeat", Malik murmured, placing one hand on Altair's shoulder, squeezing gently. It was actually nice not being alone also Altair was torn between shoving the other man away or relaxing underneath his touch. His muscles went tense anyway and for a split second he trembled, fearing for a moment that he wouldn't be able to control his emotions any longer. He swallowed it all down then and they stood there for a long time until it was deep in the night, the fire had long died and its warmth was gone. Malik had left eventually, leaving Altair by himself and when the ash had cooled down he took a fistful of it, stretching his arm out and then letting go, all of it, the gray flakes flying away with the wind just like the memory he had of a man that no longer existed.

xxx

When he woke up it felt like as if somebody had hit him across the head with a hammer. The world was foggy and it took him a few seconds before he could find the strength to open his eyes. He blinked and the room was spinning as he was nauseas. He was on a drip-feed, laying in a bed in a complete white room. For a small moment his sluggish brain thought it looked straight from a horror movie. Altair wanted to rip off the tubes going to his nose, helping him breath but he found his hands restrained to the bed frame, soft leather manacles wrapped around his wrists and holding him in place. The soft noise of beeping filled the room, the lights dim and it seemed it was late in the evening. There was a window to his left and he could watch the city lying to his feet.

"I'm sorry for these."

Lucy pushed herself off the wall to his right side and Altair glared at her, gritting his teeth. "Then take them off", he told her, his eyes never leaving her frame as she slowly walked around the bed, watching the monitors and changing something on his IV. "I will in a moment." He didn't try pulling at his restraints – he always thought it looked ridiculous when they did it on TV. If he wanted to get out of here he wouldn't need his muscular strength but his mind. Now – first things first.

"What happened?" He licked across his chapped lips and his voice sounded hoarse, his throat was dry. Since it was already dark outside he assumed he'd been unconsciousness for at least a few hours. He sighed heavily and his head sunk a little further into the pillow – did they drug him? He felt almost too weak to move at all. "You had a small seizure", Lucy told him straight forward and Altair looked at her frowning, tilting his head to one side, eyes narrowing. "Uhm... what?" Lucy sighed and she rubbed her temple with one hand. "You see, I think-", she sighed again and her hand dropped back to the side of her body. "How much do you remember from today?", and she was holding his gaze, arms crossed in front of her chest.

Altair sighed and he closed his eyes, trying to brush the wafts of mist from his mind. "I remember... coming here. You picked me up", and his amber eyes opened again, glaring at her with actual betrayal. He had trusted her and learned one more time that no one could be trusted in this world anymore. It didn't mean it hurt any less. "I remember talking with Vidic...", he murmured and coughed, Lucy quickly reacting and holding up a glass filled with water and a straw inside so he could drink. After Altair swallowed she put the glass back onto the small table to his side. He looked back at her and for a short moment there were two Lucy's standing there, his vision blurring.

"Everything is just blank after that..." He remembered Malik but he didn't say it – maybe it was better if he would just keep it to himself. But he remembered him even if it wasn't much. A man he knew from his past but Altair couldn't say which past anymore. Vidic's words still echoed inside his head like a mantra and it was difficult to grasp their whole meaning as he didn't understand any of it yet. This shit was just too crazy too believe. But he would get there – he would get to the truth. He wondered what had happened between waking up and going to work and then coming here, as if somebody had just pushed him into some kind of weird parallel universe. "He said he could fix me", he added and now he did pull at his bindings even though it was just a bit but it really started to get uncomfortable and fuck, he just wanted to go home now.

"Yes he can. We can help you, Altair." Her eyes fell on his wrists. "I will take them off now. We've put them on so you wouldn't hurt yourself..."

"And here I thought I was some kind of prisoner", and Altair expected Lucy to laugh and wave him off, telling him how silly he was for thinking that but her lips turned into a grim line instead. "I'm not a prisoner, am I?", he pondered carefully and Lucy's hands flew across his skin, taking one wrist to release him. "You're not...", she shook his head, her voice soft and quiet.

"But?" Altair looked up at her and drew his hand towards his chest once his left one was free.

"There's no but", and his right hand was free was well. "We're really hoping for you to help us Altair", she was almost looking at him with pleading eyes. "It's a fair deal we offer. You help us and we help you."

That couldn't be true. Lucy might try convincing him nothing bad would happen but Altair knew better. He remembered Malik, staring at him with wide eyes. He had only gotten a few seconds to look at him, but he'd seen that he'd been beaten. "If I'm not a prisoner then what am I?", he asked her instead.

"I would hope for you to become a partner... some kind of business partner", she shrugged with her shoulders and walked around his bed, leaning next to the window with her arms crossed behind her back and she seemed smaller, more fragile... sad actually.

Sad are only those who understand.

Altair hissed with pain, his hand coming up to his temple. His head hurt, a sharp pain which felt like as if it would rip him in two. Lucy leaned her head to one side, her eyebrows rising with worry. "Everything alright?"

Altair nodded and swallowed a whimper, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I just... need a few... seconds", he groaned.

"What?"

"Just a few seconds", he said again and looked up at her, watching how she stepped closer, her hands placed onto the bed as she leaned forwards. "Altair...?" His eyes were flashing, turning bright and almost yellow for half a second. She pushed herself back, moving towards the door. "Maybe I should call Dr. Vidic..."

"What?", Altair called after her, turning in his bed. "What does that mean? Hey! Where are you going?" But she left without saying another word, almost fleeing the room and he could hear a key turning in a lock. Great. No prisoner, huh? Bullshit. Altair pushed back the blanket covering him and, oh joy, they stripped him off his clothes, leaving him wearing nothing but boxers and a white t-shirt. He was still weak on his legs as he stood and he walked towards the window. He was high above the ground and able to watch over the whole city. It was actually kind of a nice view. He'd always liked heights even when he'd been a kid, no tree or rock could ever be high enough for him not to climb and he often watched the birds passing through the sky, wishing he was one of them and free like an eagle.

"... I think he's Bleeding, or something", he heard a faint voice coming from the other side of the door and he turned a little.

"How's that possible? We didn't even start yet."

"I don't know, you tell me!"

The door flung open and he stood once more in front of Lucy who was followed by Vidic. His eyes narrowed at them and his hand turned into a tight fist as he gritted his teeth. "I see you're up and well?", he asked Altair, a delightful smile playing around his lips, looking like a kid on Christmas morning about to open all the presents.

He's like you and it was pure luck that we found him.

Vidic still smiled at him and Altair wanted to wipe it off his face forever. "So?", Vidic beckoned at him but he refused to get any closer. Altair slowly shook his head and the man sighed, turning towards Lucy. "This won't get us anywhere Ms. Stillman."

You don't know it yet but he's very dear to you.

Lucy took one step forward, sensing his distress. "Altair, he's here to help you. You had a seizure. That's nothing you should take easy. He just wants to do some tests with you, see if everything is functioning as it should be."

I wish we didn't have to drag him into this but you left me no choice.

Lucy slowly lifted her hand and it was only then that he realized he had reached the end of the room, slowly walking backwards and his shoulders met the cool glass of the window behind him. Lucy was looking at him as if he was a scared little fawn. He hated her pity, her fake sympathy.

"Altair... come on boy. Talk with me", Vidic smiled but his eyes narrowed, his mouth smiling but the rest of his face didn't show anything friendly at all.

Altair Ibn-la'Ahad meet Malik al-Sayf.

And something just snapped inside of Altair. "Fuck you", he told him and Vidic's eyebrows shot up in surprise, meeting the line of his hair. "Oh, I see", he told Lucy and focused back on Altair. "Do you realize you're not speaking English?"

Altair blinked – and blinked again, head tilted to one side giving the impression of a confused dog. "What?", he mouthed the word, all of his anger forgotten. "You're speaking Arabic. Very ancient Arabic I dare to say, a dialect not many are familiar with these days. So – could you please switch back to English?" Vidic made a small circling motion with his hand and while he was still smiling, he also looked a little annoyed. When nothing happened, Altair just standing there and staring back at them, he sighed and looked up the ceiling. "Ms. Stillman? A word outside please?"

Lucy looked from between Altair and Vidic and in the end, her eyes settled on Altair as she noted, her gaze never leaving his face. "Of course", she told him, following the man outside and into the hall.

When the door closed behind them, Altair slowly slumped down the window until he sat onto the ground. Earlier he wondered what had gone wrong between him getting up that morning and going to work and ending up here – he thought he kind of knew it now. It seemed as if he'd lost himself somewhere in between.

xxx

"I think we set something off earlier. He's starting to Bleed but I would rather see him in the Animus. We can control the Bleeding there – I don't want somebody like him loose. Do you understand?"

Lucy nodded slowly. "He's a wild beast Ms. Stillman and you should not pity him. I can see it in your eyes", Vidic warned her, then sighed theatrically. "It's always the same with you women. You see a hurt man and it's the same as if you see a cute little puppy. This is no puppy, he's a wolf and he wouldn't hesitate killing you. Men like Altair need a muzzle. He needs the Animus."

She swallowed again. "Yes Sir."

"Good. Now...", Vidic lowered his voice so it was barely just above a whisper. "Tell him we're going to do a few tests – just about everything that could get damaged during a seizure. If he agrees... you put him into the machine. Tell him it's for testing his brain function or something. I'm sure a bright young woman like you can think of something? He seems to like you better", Vidic grinned and Lucy felt sick to her stomach.

"You really want to go through with this?", she asked him even though she knew the answer. "Once he's woken up he probably won't remember anything from his life in the 21th century. You're going to erase his old personality, old memories." She shuddered a little and while Vidic had told her not to pity him, she did. Nobody should suffer such fate.

Vidic watched her, his hands crossed behind his back. "His whole life has been a lie – I'm just going to show him the truth."
- 6
- 7
- 8
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Down The Rabbit Hole And Back Again