Lost in Time: An Assassin's Creed Fanfic

Chapter 23

"Thanks for meeting me," I say as Chase sits in the chair across from mine.

It's been weeks since I last talked to him. I thought it was time to reestablish our connection, whether that be friendship or something more, I do not know. I needed to talk to him. I need to see where his head is at before I do anything.

"Of course. Is...everything alright?" he asks timidly.

"Yes, yes, I simply wanted to speak with you. It has been quite some time."

"Yeah. It has," Chase keeps his answers short, not wanting to push the boundaries. 

"I wanted to apologize for my actions. It wasn't right for me to push you away. You saved my life and I owe you for that. I hope we can reconnect."

"You don't owe me anything, and I would love to."

The waitress came over and placed down two glasses full of soda. Chase raised an eyebrow at me, obviously confused.

"It's a soda date, like the good old days." I offer him a smile.

"But you hate soda," he stated matter-of-factually.

"And hopefully, witnessing me in this torturous state will make up for some of my actions."

"Just don't get mad at me when I laugh."

"I promise."

Just as predicted, Chase laughed as my face cringed multiple times in various ways. His laughs became so incredibly intense that he stopped creating sound altogether, except for the awkward clapping of his hands. This caused me to join in on the fun, laughing at him laughing. I missed this. I missed him. Living without him was difficult. I know he cares about me and I care about him, in more ways than just a friend.

"I swear, we will come here for our first date...that is, if you want to."

"A date?" I ask curiously

"Yeah, like when two people go out together."

"Go out?"

"People go out on a date when they are in a...romantic relationship. One person asks the other to go out on a date with them," he explained, emphasizing words so I knew where they fit in.

"And was that you asking me?" I quizzed, raising an eyebrow at him with a smirk on my face.

"I..uh...I guess that was. Lexi, will you go out with me?"

I was about to say yes, but a thought stopped me. This is everything Dr. Gultz planned. He wanted me to continue the Isu race. By growing my relationship with Chase, I would be doing everything he wanted. Chase would simply be a pawn in his game. Then, I realized something; I never discovered Dr. Gultz's motives. Why would he want to continue the Isu race? What's in it for him? Whatever it is, I cannot allow it to happen. Whatever he intends to do, it won't be for anyone's benefit, apart from his own.

The smirk dropped from my face. My eyes shot to the ground, unable to look Chase in the eyes.

"I can't. I would love to, but I can't."

Chase's expression appears confused and hurt.

"Why?" he asks softly.

"I just...can't"

"Then why did you push me to ask? Just so you could reject me? Why would you do that?"

The hurt in his eyes made me want to reach out and hug him, but I knew that would only make things worse. I make things worse.

"No, I would never."

"You know what? I don't care anymore. I'm done trying. I've given you space, now I'm asking for the same."

With that, he stood from his chair and left the building.

So many emotions were running through me. Sadness. Anger. Guilt. I am guilty. I am the one to blame. In the end, I am the one that caused all of this. I have been creating problems for quite some time now. All I can do now, is do as he says. Give him space.

I need to train. I need to work away these feeling. Things won't get better now because I messed them up. I reach for the handle of the training room before someone approaches me.

"Lexi." The deep voice is familiar and I immediately recognize it's Marcus.

"Sir," I reply, not knowing who is listening.

"Is Chase with you? He is needed to explain a few things."

"I thought he came back here. He was with me before, but we went different ways."

"If you find him, tell him I request his presence."

"Yes, sir."

I need to find him. He doesn't need to know I went looking for him, but I need to know he's safe. If something happened to him, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself, especially after today's events. Maybe he's in the market area.

The crowd is a bit dense, but I can see through it. Most people are civilians, but one person catches my eye. He sits on the bench with a hood over his features. The robes do not belong to an assassin. The figure stands and faces me. I can see a grin on his face. Whatever this man intends to do, it's bad. Once I see it, I have no time to react. The man swiftly pulls our a knife and stabs it into the gut of a civilian before running away into the crowd.

"Stop!" I yell, chasing after him, but it's too late. He used the crowd's chaos to mask his escape. There would be no point in looking for him. I then turn to the man he stabbed. His eyes look to the sky, lifeless. I step over to close his eyes and see a paper stuck to the blade. Gently, I pull the knife from the man's stomach and take off the paper. It's a letter for me. I only know how to read the basics, but the message is clear.

We have him. Come with the Apple.

No, this can't be happening. They know I have a weak spot for Chase. Somehow, they've always known. I won't risk his life for mine. He wouldn't be put in the middle of this if it weren't for me. I put him in danger. I should've kept a closer eye on him. Yes, he would've gotten mad at me, but he would be safe and away from the Templars. Now, I'm forced to choose between my freedom or Chase's.

I need to act fast, but no one needs to be involved. It's best if my plan is kept to myself. I can't afford others getting harmed. Too many people have died because of me.

I swiftly walk toward the assassin base. I need to look relaxed, but still get to my destination in a timely manner. I try not to make eye contact. They would probably suspect something was off if they got a good glance. The assassins are observant. They are not ones to be underestimated.

I open a door. In it, lies the Apple. No one would notice it's here, but I feel it. Marcus hid it somewhere and I'm determined to find it. The room appears to be a simple bedroom, leaving many spots for the artifact to be hidden.

The connection is strongest in the empty back corner of the room, which seems odd to me. If I were to hide something, I would hide it in the bed or in a chest. Then it hit me. It's in the floor. There's no other place it could possibly be. Pulling up one of the wooden floorboards, I find a small leather sac with the Apple.

I gently place the wood back to its previous spot to avoid suspicion. I retrieve a small satchel and place the Apple in it. Now, it's time to free chase. Goodbye freedom.