The Journey to New York was uneventful. Using Holliday's contact, the assassins were able to bypass the public airports and by extension the watchful eyes of the Templars. Holliday led them to a private airstrip where their transport was waiting. Their transport was a Gulfstream G650.

"Bloody hell," Shaun gasped in awe, "how did you get a flying palace like this?"

Holliday smiled, "I don't only deal in contract killing, I also handle kidnappings. There are a lot of influential people in the world, millionaires, billionaires, politicians, businessmen. Many of these individuals have children that become victims of ransoms, blackmail, human trafficking and in extreme cases the strife between foreign powers." Holliday smiled, "the things we do for our children."

"So they sold you their planes?" Lucy asked.

Holliday shook his head, "no, such a possession would attract attention. You see money isn't the only currency, another suitable alternative is in the form of favours. I have never failed to bring a child home so as a result a lot of people owe me a lot of favours.

The assassins looked at each other wondering if perhaps he had a hand in those kidnappings. Holliday immediately caught on to their thoughts and shook his head. "I know what you're thinking and no I had nothing to do with the kidnappings. Believe me, there are plenty of degenerates out there without me throwing my hat in the ring."

Compared to the cramp, rough and improvised living conditions, the G650 was a luxurious albeit welcome change. It had separate beds for each of them, a minibar and a decent selection of food.

"Holliday gave us the coordinates for where we will be landing," Garvin explained. "I contacted our people in the United States, and two assassins are being assigned to join us."

"Do I know them?" William asked.

Gavin shook his head, "they're brothers Kenneth a detective and Paul a programmer. Though relatively new, they've shown considerable skill in their fields. It helps that their also handy in a fight, managing to take out several high ranking Templars themselves."

As Desmond rested while Gavin and William talk, Holliday got up and decided to talk to Lucy and sat down next to her.

"You alright?" Holliday asked.

Lucy sighed, "Sometimes I don't know. No matter what I do I feel like I'm being torn apart."

"Torn between your duty to the cause and your loyalty to your friends?"

'Damn, got it right on the button,' Lucy nodded after a pause.

"The morality of sides is often unclear, black and white are just one shade away from grey. You never need to ask yourself why you fight, Just ask yourself this 'what' is worth fighting for."

Since they would not arrive for another few hours, everyone decided to get some sleep. Desmond and Lucy waited for everyone to fall asleep before slipping into one of the bathrooms giggling as they did so. Unknown to them Holliday who was only resting his eyes cracked a knowing smile.

By the time they landed, they had several SUVs waiting for them. One of them was towing a camping trailer. "What are those for?" Shaun asked.

"If we're heading for the mountains we should look the part of campers," Holliday explained. "Unless you plan to haul a lumbering truck up there and risk catching the Templar's attention."

Near to the SUVs, stood two men. One wore denim trousers and jacket over a tan shirt and the other was in sweat pants with a turtleneck sweater under a mountain vest. The one thing they did have in common was the signature hidden blades were tucked under their sleeves.
The man in denim was puffing in a pipe while his companion was holding a laptop his right hand and typing rapidly with his left.

Gavin decided to introduce them, "Everyone this is Keneth," Gesturing to the denim-clad man. "And Paul," Gavin gestured to the man on his laptop. "They will be accompanying us to the Temple. The two men stepped forward and shook hands with the assassins.

"A pleasure," Paul mumbled before going back to his laptop.

"Don't mind Paul," Kenneth drolled. "He's spent too long in front of a computer to have many social skills."

After packing the Animus into the Trailer as well as the rest of their equipment. The group got in and made their way to the Grand Temple. They took backroads to avoid cameras which meant the journey took longer than normal. As they neared the site 2 hours later, the convoy was stopped and William looked ahead, "What's the holdup?" he demanded.

A hooded figure in hunting fatigues sat in the middle of the path holding a recurve bow with an arrow already notched. The assassins got out of the truck to approach the figure. "Oi you bloody git," Shaun yelled, "you're right in the middle of the road."

The figure remained still, "None shall pass." He declared, "unless they can answer the riddle."

William and Shaun looked at each other and rolled their eyes, "and what is this riddle, you bloody wanker?"

The hooded figure didn't move as he replied, "what has 20 legs and isn't going anywhere." The assassins made to draw their pistols but the stranger drew his bow before they had their guns out. "Choose your next move wisely," he warned. As he said this Holliday came up behind the hooded figure with his Automag pointed at his genitals.

"I could tell you the same thing," Holliday smirked. Before things could escalate the hooded man chuckled and pulled back his hood revealing a rough-looking individual with shoulder-length hair and a bushy beard, yet like Holliday he had silvery eyes.

The two men laugh and give a one-armed hug, "Hell it's about time," the hooded man said. "what took ya so long."

"Fertilising the countryside with undesirables is a delicate process you know," Holliday quipped.

"I'll Bet," the stranger replied turning to the stunned assassins and bowed, "Jacob Holliday At your service."

At that moment William came to the group "What's all this-" He paused as he saw Jacob, "you."

"Well ain't it a small world it seems," Jacobs said holding up his hand up with his thumb and forefinger minimal distance between them.

"You know this guy," Shaun asked.

William nodded, "he helped us escape the farm when the Templars attacked."

Desmond turned to his father shocked, "the farm was attacked."

William nodded, "a couple of years after you left, a Templar strike team came in the night killing a few dozen of us." He then pointed to Jacob, "then this guy appears out of nowhere and starts taking them out like pigs. He didn't say a word and after we had loaded onto the trucks he went on his way, we never found out who that guy was until now."

Jacob led then the rest of the way to the cave where the grand temple was and found that Jacob had companions with him. Once there, the Assassins unpacked the vehicles and were greeted by a lanky woman with light brown hair tied into a single brain and tight-fitting blue shirt and brown shorts. Sitting on a nearby rock was another man cleaning a set of guns. This man was the leanest of the three. He wore rather casual clothing with dark blue jeans, and a dark red shirt under a black leather jacket, he seemed busy cleaning a heavily modified AK-74. The man looked up and hmphed, "took you long enough Michael, couldn't resist capping a few Templar before showing up?"

"Glad you could make it brother," Michael replied

The man turned to Desmond whose eyes widened in surprise, "Vincent?"

"Hey angel eyes," the man named Vincent flashed a toothy smile. "You should have told me you were taking a vacation in Italy I nearly tore half of Manhattan down trying to find you."

"Some men gave me a trip I couldn't refuse," Desmond replied with a smile.

Lucy looked at him, "so who is this?"

Desmond smiled, "Vincent here helped me out during my first few days in New York. Helped me in a tussle with some thugs and got me the job at one of his bars."

"He's a Bar owner?" Shaun asked bemused.

"I also own a few strip clubs and gun shops," Vincent added.

"Are you a mobster?" Rebecca asked.

Vincent shook his head, "nah, though I do work for Cosa Nostra every now and then. Other than that I do my own thing." He then gestured to the woman next to him. "The brooding broad here is Tanya Frost."

"Tanya Frost?" Shaun repeated, "as in the museum thief?" The woman smirked and nodded. Shaun turned to the group, this one stole artefacts from tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi a few years ago."

"Don't forget the treasures of Montezuma, Hammurabi, and even Marie Antionette," Tanya added.

"Let me guess," Lucy turned to Holliday, "Vincent and Jacob are the brothers who helped you attack Istanbul."

Michael nodded, "You got your people and I got mine not al of them are social but they know their way around their craft."

"Do you trust them?"

"No less than you trust your team," Michael replied with a smile. Regarding this, for a moment Lucy nodded.

After loading the animus onto a dolly cart, each of them grabbed a box while Jacob hauled the animus. They headed into the cave and after walking a short distance they came upon a wall with engravings and a hemispheric indention. Michael walked up and traced his fingers along the engravings. "Amazing how this place and it's marks are still intact after so many millennia," he said.

The tone in his voice had an air of familiarity about it. To Desmond, it sounded as if he was recognized it but that was impossible. Shrugging it off Desmond stepped forward and as he neared the apple inside his bag lit up illuminating the cave. Desmond turned to the others hesitantly seeing as the last time he touched the apple almost made him killed Lucy.

"Here," Michael said reaching into the bag and taking the apple. The older man stared at the apple with a look of disgust on his face. He muttered something under his breath then inserted the apple into the indention on the wall. At once the engravings lit up on the wall as well as all over the cave.

"In another moment, down went Alice after it Shaun said quoting the famous book. "Never once considering how in the world she was to get out again." As he finished the wall began to rise revealing an opening waist high you had to duck under to get through.

Removing the apple and passing the door, they came upon a vast complex, much bigger than the temple in Rome. Yet unlike that temple this one was not glowing with light, it seemed almost dead. That is when Desmond noting a faint glow in the floor. The glow came from a strange object lying at the foot of what looked like some sort of terminal. Picking it up, Desmond noticed a socket on the terminal that matched the shape of the object. Getting a thought he inserted the object in the socket. the effect was immediate. The entire temple began to light up starting from the terminal and working it's way to the far end. About halfway was an archway and what looked like a forcefield filled the arch blocking the way

"So you have found your way here Cipher," a voice boomed across the chambers. "Though not in the way you were intended."

Upon hearing this Desmond activated his hidden blade and clenched his fists, he recognized that voice all too well. A surge of energy converged to a projector next to the terminal that materialized into the form of Juno.

Immediately, the assassins and Michaels companions drew their weapons. Desmond stepped protectively in front of Lucy ready to defend her.

Juno regarded the rest of the group before her eyes trained on Lucy, her gaze turned into a glare. "I see you haven't killed her yet."

"Observant one aren't you?" Desmond mocked.

Juno pointed a quivering finger at Lucy, "I have shown you the truth Cipher, you know what she is. The woman must die, or she will betray you."

"I have seen your 'truth'," Desmond replied. "But I chose not to believe that."

"Desmond what is she talking about?" Rebecca asked the question that was on the minds of the assassins.

"Don't mind her," Michael waved her off, "she always did like to run her mouth." Everyone turned to see Michael approaching the projection.

"Stay out of this mortal," Juno snapped, "this does not concern you."

Michael laughed, "I beg to differ Uni, this has concerned me since before man, before beasts, before history."

Juno froze upon hearing this, "Wha-what did you call me?"

"Uni," Michael repeated, "you always did prefer your Etruscan name, unless your Roman 'nom de guerre' has grown on you darlin'."

The Desmond and the assassins witnessed the exchange between Juno and Michael with no idea what was going on. It seemed like the two knew each other.

"Who are you?" Juno demanded.

Michael chuckled and stepped closer, "don't you recognize me? I'm crushed. Then again it has been 10 millennia since we last met." Michael's smile faded, take a closer look Juno, look into my eyes and see your enemy."

Juno's eyes narrowed before widening. Her fists clenched and her mouth spewed out the last thing any of the assassins expected to her to say as an answer.

"MARS!"