Warning & Copyright

This story is rated T for TEEN. Contains suggestive themes, violence, use of alcohol and tobacco and profanity. Content generally suitable for ages 14 and up.

"Assassin's Creed is a trademark and a copyright of Ubisoft Entertainment 2015 and an influence to Assassin's Creed: Genesis, story and original characters are copyright 2017 Livelyheart, all rights reserved."

Introduction

In 1868, twins Jacob Frye and Evie Frye brought great change to London after hiding the Shroud of Eden and killing the Templar Grand Master Starrick. As a result, London was stolen from the Templar's grasp and now overseen by the Assassin's instead. While the Blighters numbers dwindled and Rook influence increased, the economy boosted and overall, the city became much safer.

Because of this recent peace, Evie left the city a few months later with her betrothed Henry Green, to join the Indian Assassin's while Jacob remained in London as lone Master Assassin. Though Evie was reluctant to leave her brother the responsibility, Jacob promised her all would remain well and that he was to be trusted with London but he was not yet aware a new Templar was climbing the ranks rather quickly and rather strongly.

Will Jacob fulfill his promise to Evie and keep London at peace after all? Or will this new Templar ruin everything he and his sister worked so hard for?

Introducing the Whittock siblings with the classic riches to rags story. Born wealthy, everything was taken away from them at a young age because of a foolish mistake made by their father. They were forced into poverty, paving a tough future way of life. Hungry, unemployed and ill – survival was found often difficult for the family.

Oliver was the youngest brother, intelligent as ever but didn't quite understand the situation the family is in. Elizabeth was the middle child and the breadwinner of the household with a stubborn and know-it-all personality. The eldest was William, a young man filled with optimism that rooted to his naivetes. And although they seemed very different, they still had one thing in similar; they were Whittock's, a surname that was insignificant to them despite its many secrets and power.

Which is why in 1869, when the siblings individually meet Jacob Frye, the Master Assassin through random encounters, their lives take a sharp turn filled with danger and intrigue. How do the lives of the Whittock's fit together with the Master Assassin? What is truly behind their names? And with newfound revelations and partnerships, will the Whittock siblings help stop another oppression in the brewing?

PART ONE

Flesh and Blood

1: Gutter Boy

"Where did he run off to now?" Jacob Frye muttered under his breath as he removed his hood. Pushing back his untamed dark hair, the Assassin placed the black top hat over his head while he exited the alleyway.

Jacob entered a crowd of people heckling someone – he didn't know who but he didn't care right at that moment. Blending in was all that mattered to him. There was no doubt Jacob stood out like a sore red thumb with his nicely tailored leather coat and pants beside the poorly dressed people of Whitechapel in their dull rags. And although this borough wasn't Jacob's ideal location of an early morning stroll, he needed set aside his reluctance to wake up early and take a trip down to Whitechapel. He had to remember why he was here; to tail a man.

And not just any ordinary bloke but a high-ranking Templar named Timothy Forge.

Jacob hid the Shroud of Eden and killed Starrick with his twin sister a year ago but unfortunately for him, Templars weren't mourners. The Templars realized they were dropping like flies and they wanted to change that and multiply. Strength with numbers and whatnot. They moved past Starrick's death in a matter of months and were in a hurry to find a new leader, something Jacob was unaware of until Evie left – how convenient for him.

Forge was the highest-ranked Templar to even be considered becoming the Grand Master but only rumours surrounded this theory. So, Jacob did his research – something that was quite rare of him. Evie was the one who did it previously but since she was gone now, it was left on Jacob to do the planning which was very unlike himself. And when he did things he didn't usually do, it meant he truly believed something fishy was occurring behind the theatre curtain.

Forge was a businessman, a successful one too. He owned the largest steel manufacturing company in London – 'Forge Steel', but Jacob knew that was shoddy information. After all, it was in the bloody name.

And that was all Jacob knew about Forge which was quite little. It wasn't his fault he had nobody except for the orphans to do recognizance for him.

If it were up to him, he would simply kill Forge right here and now but Evie's annoying voice served as his conscious. He knew better than to assassinate him now. Jacob wasn't 'ready' yet – whatever that meant – according to Evie and that was why tailing him today was crucial to his investigation.

But Jacob couldn't ignore the fact it was odd Forge was here. It wasn't everyday a rich businessman visited Whitechapel. It made Jacob wonder what type of business he had here.

While Jacob slowly walked through the crowd, he said, "You can run, Forge, but you can't hide."

Using his sense, he easily picked Forge out of the crowd. Forge was a rotund man with a curly moustache that appealed to his overall character. He wore an eccentric blue waistcoat and orange pants. He dressed rather strange for a rich businessman and seemed unaware his fashion choices were less than stellar.

Jacob was finally gaining distance on him since his frame became larger. Only a little closer and he would be able to listen to Forge's conversation with the unfamiliar man, tall man. Could that be his second-in-command? If he was, that would be beneficial to Jacob as he hadn't known who he was and it could be the perfect opportunity to identify him.

But just as Jacob neared Forge, a boy bumped into his shoulder and shook Jacob out of focus.

He was ready to tell the boy to watch himself but he was already walking away. Jacob couldn't even get a good look at him since his figure was covered with a cloak and a hood. The boy walked fast and wouldn't look behind his shoulder, he looked like he was in a hurry.

It wasn't until Jacob felt relatively lightweight around the hip, he realized why.

The boy took his coin pouch.

Jacob had two options. He could allow the boy take his money and continue to tail Forge or he could sprint after the boy, ultimately losing Forge.

Without a second thought, Jacob instinctively followed the robber. Let it be known his pouch was quite heavy. Jacob didn't believe in banking.

He could tail Forge another day, right? Well, it was too late now to change his mind now. Jacob's legs were already urging toward the pickpocket and he started into a sprint.

"You! Boy!" he exclaimed amidst the crowd, intending to stop the boy from moving any further. Turned out, that was a wrong decision. The robber matched Jacob's sprint. Bloody hell, he was fast.

The robber aggressively pushed curious onlookers out of his way and into Jacob's line of sight. He was trying to shake him off and he was doing a damn good job at it too. Jacob allowed his feet to carry him but oddly enough, it didn't seem that he was closing the gap between them.

The robber then turned a sharp corner and Jacob followed him through the damp alleyway. His cloak remained to stay atop his head while he was sprinting, continuing to conceal his identity. Chasing the boy felt like a past incident when he first arrived to London but at least that boy was slow. Jacob realized he should watch his pocket around Whitechapel more carefully.

After several minutes of running behind him, the robber suddenly took a turn into another alley. Jacob stopped his sprint as he lost sight of the robber. He quickly pivoted his feet, looking at every nook, corner and cranny. Few seconds later, through the corner of his eye, he saw the boy scaling the wall with great speed but Jacob knew it didn't matter. He had his gauntlet.

Jacob said, with a hint of victory in his voice, "Got you now."

Jacob smirked as he readied his Assassin gauntlet and aimed at the ledge to overlook the robber. The rope shot up and Jacob was lifted to the high building. He vaulted the roof and looked down at the climbing robber.

Never rob an Assassin, you never know what they have up their sleeve, he thought with a smug look as he waited for the robber to come up since there was no way down, especially for an inexperienced free runner. But to Jacob's surprise, the robber wasn't inexperienced, in fact, the boy scaled the building halfway only to hop into a window.

The bugger, Jacob thought as he climbed down to enter the same building the robber entered. Jacob couldn't possibly lose him, he was a mere thief.

There was a small hallway with ugly walls and paintings. There was a small wooden table near a door. It was possible the robber was hiding. Instantly, Jacob swung open the door, ready to catch him but the robber wasn't in there. He cursed, stepping back into the hallway and slowly walking across the creaky wooden floor, seeing the wide open adjacent window.

Jacob couldn't sense him anymore; it was like he had vanished. Where had he gone?

Placing a hand on the warm panel, he peered outside and his mouth formed a small oval.

Jacob realized the boy had run him in a circle on purpose, and now led him back to the heckling crowd, where he first stole his pouch.

Whoever the robber was, he knew his way around Whitechapel well enough to trick Jacob.

Jacob swore, "Damn it."

He was still partially in shock that the robber lost him. Lost him. The Master Assassin of the London Brotherhood. Especially being a young boy robbing him was ridiculous. From the robber's lean legs and slim arms, he doubted he was older than Jacob himself. And how he managed to vanish, Jacob had not one clue.

Whoever the thief was wasn't a normal one. Normal thieves were fools and reckless, poor lads who needed to make a shilling for their family. But this boy was no fool, he planned everything out. He knew where to go, examined Jacob's endurance and thought on exactly how to lose him.

The boy was strong, not to mention fast. It was very likely the robber had been scaling and sprinting for a long time. And although Jacob was angry he was bested at, he couldn't help but be impressed by the robber and he only thought of one thing;

The little rat would make a great Assassin.

/

She knew from the moment she saw him he was the one. He was the sitting duck. He was the opportunity she couldn't pass on.

He looked put together with his dark hair stuffed in a top hat and regal in his shiny black coat. She didn't spare a glance at his face although she could recognize it was likely handsome by his profile. He looked like a banker or a businessman and looked lost in Whitechapel. And with their coin pouch unprotected? She would have thought those Westminster lads learned by now.

Because when Elizabeth Whittock laid eyes on him, she knew she had hit the jackpot. She needed to pickpocket him.

He was quicker then she believed and was able chase her and scale the walls. He even had that gadget that helped him fly and onto the roof. She was impressed but didn't have time to ogle. The man had a great chance of catching her but luckily for her, he didn't.

Elizabeth praised herself for that. Quite pathetic, honestly, for him. She had run him in a circle and disappeared back into the same crowd she pickpocketed him.

In fact, she could still see the man standing behind the window of the tall building, scratching his head.

He hadn't spotted Elizabeth; in fact, he didn't spare a glance at her. That was because Elizabeth untied her hair, allowing her dull locks to fall over her shoulders and removed her cloak, holding it over the pouch.

The man was looking for a mysterious young boy, not an innocent poor Whitechapel girl.

Little did he know that his thief was quite literally under his nose.