Assassin's Creed: Modernity - Book 1

XV

Location: Temple ruins

EST: 20:46 March 4

Mission: Destroy the Sarcophagus

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Song: Hostile Merger by Trocadero and David Levy #1

At Bottom

Ethan and Dakota dropped down the sides of the stairway. The lights were focused in the center of the massive cavern and the edges of the cave lay in shadow. As the two Assassins dropped down, Alex and the Rooks opened fire on the massive crowd of Templars. Two of the three Rooks carrying rocket launchers shot at the two large boulders covering the dais where the Sarcophagus lay. 

The rocks exploded, sending shards and dust all around. A cloud of dust filled the room. The thick dust and bright lights made it hard to see and the Templar crowd milled about in confusion. As the Templars tried to get organized, no-one noticed the two Assassins circling around the edge of the cavern.

They quickly made their way along the walls of the enormous cave, hidden by the dust and bright light that shined in the Templars' eyes. They ghosted along the wall, merely a shadow to those who caught a glimpse of the speedy Assassins.

At the entrance to the Temple, the Rooks emptied mag upon mag of bullets into the mass confusion of the crowd. A few Templars managed to grab weapons and shoot back, but they were quickly silenced. The Rook with the final rocket launcher sat on his haunches, waiting for the smoke to clear so he could take his shot. 

Slowly, the dust settled and the two boulders lay in pieces. But there was no sign of the Sarcophagus. Or Rikkin, Jersey and Utah. Dakota and Ethan met at the back of the cavern. They had seen Rikkin enter and they had seen Jersey and Utah in the cavern.

Dakota pointed to a small darkened hole in the cave. "They must've gone in there!" Ethan and Dakota wasted no time and quickly dashed into the second tunnel. Unlike the main tunnel, this one was carefully crafted with stairs. After the first several meters of stairs, lights began to appear at intervals. The two Assassins bounded up the stairs.

In the cavern, the Templars began to reorganize. Many grabbed weapons and hid behind rock chunks or parts of the ruins. They fired back at the Rooks who were sitting ducks in the tunnel entrance. 

Alex beckoned the Rook with the rocket launcher over to him. "Shoot the ceiling! Bring the place down!" The Rook nodded and raised his weapon towards the ceiling. He fired the rocket and it spiraled into the ceiling. Dust was shaken loose and several large chunks of rocks fell. Alex yelled in anger as the rumbling stopped and the cavern held. That was their one shot.

"Uh, sir? I have another rocket," the Rook said nervously.

Dakota and Ethan plunged out of the tunnel into the ground floor of the Abstergo Industries building. Across the room, they saw the elevator closing, with Jersey and Utah carrying the Sarcophagus. Jersey saluted and grinned at Dakota as the elevator closed and dinged. 

"C'mon, we gotta take the stairs!"

The Assassins raced to the stairwell and burst through the door, not hesitating to begin climbing up the flights. Through the window, they could see a helicopter in the distance, heading towards the building. They doubled their pace and climbed the stairs two at a time. The building was at least fifty stories high.

They wound their way up through the floors, bounding up the stairs. As they reached the twenty-fourth floor, Jersey burst through the twenty-fifth floor door and hopped the rail, crashing into Ethan, and sending them through the door to the main room. Utah followed close behind, jumping over the rail and landing in front of Dakota.

Song: Fatum Iustom Stultorum I by Trocadero and David Levi #2  

At Bottom

She kicked him in the crotch and kneed him in the face as he bent over. Dakota tried to rush past Utah, but he pushed her into the main room. 

Ethan blocked Jersey's kick and punched him in the gut. Jersey drew a pistol, but Ethan stopped his hand and dodged the quick torrent of shots. Ethan kicked Jersey back as Dakota and Utah fell into the room. Ethan drew his kukri with his left hand and readied his tomahawk with the other.Jersey drew one of his myriad of knives. 

The two raced to wards each other. Jersey bent back to avoid a swipe from the tomahawk and parried the swing with the kukri. He kicked at Ethan's legs and he fell forward, onto Jersey's knee that came up. As Jersey went to stab Ethan on the ground, the Assassin rolled. Ethan kicked Jersey in the face as he rolled back. He sent his legs into the air and flipped forward, landing on his feet. 

Dakota blocked Utah's punch then he jumped to add more force to a second. Utah made a quick uppercut and broke Dakota's defense. She dodged his kick and drew a  knife. She made a dangerous downward cut and Utah blocked her arm. She dropped the knife and caught it with her other hand. She stabbed him in the shoulder and swiped with the knife as he backed away. Dakota drew a pistol, but Utah tackled her, making her shots go wide.

Ethan threw the tomahawk, but Jersey dodged it. Dakota rolled away form Utah and grabbed the tomahawk in mid-flight. She backed away as Utah drew a large combat knife. Ethan did a side flip as two of Jersey's knives flew at his waist. Jersey swiped horizontally and Ethan dove over the swing, coming up back to back with Dakota. 

"Switch!" she yelled. The two spun, switching opponents. Ethan threw the kukri at Utah and it caught him in the shoulder. Dakota swiped at Jersey who backed away rapidly under the swings. Ethan engaged his hidden blades and blocked Utah's knife with a crossed X. He kneed Utah in the groin and ran past him into the stairwell. 

Ethan shot his grapple on the hidden blade at the top of the stairwell and it pulled him up rapidly. Utah ran after him.

"It's nothing personal," Jersey panted as he stabbed at Dakota. She punched the last of his knives out of his hand.

"Really, 'cause it kinda feels that way." 

#1 Hostile Merger

#2 Fatum Iustum Stroltorum I