Assassin's Creed: Modernity - Book 1

Interlude: Operation New World Part 2

Location: Operation New world HQ

Time Zone Unknown 24:45 Date Unknown

Mission Debrief

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Dakota sat on a bench in the locker room. She stared at the plaques labeling each locker: Dakota, New York, New Jersey, Utah and Florida. This wasn't the first time a mission had gone south. The Templars knew they were coming. And that wasn't the first time as well. Florida had payed the price for that. 

Dakota looked up as York strolled in with his gear rolled up in a ball. He opened his locker and jammed the crumpled armor into it. 

"We really should have bigger lockers." Dakota's face briefly lightened into a smile. York looked at her, a question in his eyes.

"What's wrong Dak?"

"It's nothing," she replied hastily.

York gave her a disarming grin. "I know you well enough to know that that's not true." York sat down on the bench beside her. She sighed. He knew her too well.

"It's just . . . I keep coming back to the same question: We're the good guys . . . right?"

York's brow furrowed. "Of course we are." Right? He spoke with more confidence than he had. In truth, he had the same nagging doubts. 

"But some of the missions we've been assigned . . . some of the things we've done . . . and we don't even know why. All the Chief tells us is that we're helping the cause." Dakota rested her head on his shoulder. 

"I'll admit it, I don't trust anyone who's name begins with 'the.' And that psychiatrist, Dr. Jori, gives me the creeps. But we'll never know if we were on the 'right' side. There is no 'right' side. That's why we call it belief. There's no certainty."

"Thanks, that really helps."

"I'm just saying, do you believe in the Brotherhood?"

"I don't know anymore."

York took her hand and opened it. He placed a strange necklace in her hand. As she studied the washer-like shape and the gold leaf with white details, York closed her fist.

"It's a gift. It's been in my family for a time. Now, come on. We've got a debrief to get to."

Dakota stood, gratefully. Those benches were not comfortable at all. 

"Oh, and don't let the Chief see it. You know his rules about dating colleagues."

Dakota followed York through the facility in silence. She was sick of seeing metal everything. Metal walls, metal ceiling, metal benches, ooh and a concrete floor in the locker room to change things up. Even the food tasted like metal. On the bright side, the observation deck of the training grounds had glass.

She was ripped form her silent complaining as they entered the war room. The metal walls were lined with monitors and a digital map of the world was projected on the island in the middle of the room. The Chief, Jersey and Utah were all leaning on the island. 

The Chief straitened. He wore an all black, tailored suit and his black hair was slicked back. His face was clean shaven and his eyes were hidden behind darkened glasses. Jersey never fixed his hair and it stood at strange angles. His dark hair matched his dark, but mischievous eyes. Utah was a redhead and he wore a thick beard along with his short hair.

"Mission report," the Chief demanded gruffly. 

"Well," York began, "they knew we were coming. They let us in then surrounded us. We wouldn't have made it out if you hadn't sent your pet."

The Chief ignored the last statement. "Did you retrieve the artifact?"

"No."

The Chief growled in anger and bunched the edge of the table. "Oh well, I guess we'll have to go ahead without it," he said under his breath. "Dismissed."

As the four were exiting the war room, they were almost trampled by a group of technicians and apprentice Assassins rushing by. 

"Hey! You!" York pointed at one of the apprentices. "What's going on?"

"There's some new person taking on Washington, Maine and Georgia!" the apprentice replied excitedly. Maine and Wash were the best fighters in the Operation.

"Oh I gotta see this!" Jersey said as he sprinted down the corridor. 

A large group of spectators crowded the observation deck of the training floor. In the large metal room, Wash, Maine and Georgia stood in their combat gear facing the newcomer.

"Wait!" Dakota said as she realized who the newcomer was, "that's her! That's the one that crashed our mission!"

"On the roster it says her name is Texas. Like the Texas."

Song: We Will Rock You by Queen

"Alright guys, remember what we learned in training," Wash said, "Let's plan our- or we can just rush her one at a time," he finished as Maine charged at Texas. 

Texas ducked under his wild right hook and gave him two sharp jabs at his exposed ribs. As he crumpled over, she gave him a swift uppercut two the jaw, sending him flying back for meters. Georgia ran in next, only to be sent flying back a moment later. 

"Alright guys, that didn't work so let's try my-" Wash sighed as Maine and Georgia got up and charged back in angrily. Maine tried a straight punch, but Texas got under it and flipped him over her. Georgia went for the legs but Texas flipped over him and gave him a swift kick to the crotch.

"Ooh. My manliness!" Georgia whimpered as he crumpled.

Wash shook his head and gave up. He rushed to join Maine. Maine kicked at her head and she rolled under the swipe, hitting him in the back of the knee, making him topple. Texas spun around and swept Wash's legs out from under him. In mid-air, she punched him and sent him flying back into Georgia who was struggling to get back to his feet.

Painfully, all three stood. "Well, I guess we'll try your plan now, Wash."

"Alright, Georgia take the middle, Maine take the right, I'll take the left."

All three ran at Texas at once. She ran towards them and slid under Georgia, hitting him in the crotch as she slid under him. He crumpled once more. Maine and Wash turned with a right and left hook, respectively. Texas bent backwards as their fists flew over, centimeters from her face. She kicked Maine in the back, sending him sprawling. Wash turned in time to block her kick. She switched legs and kicked sideways and forward. Wash was barely able to keep up blocking all the kicks as Texas balanced on one foot. Finally, she switched feet once more and sent Wash spinning through the air with a roundhouse kick.

All three lay on the ground groaning.