Encounter: Chapter 13

Two strong, roughened hands grabbed the ledge above Desmond's head, purposely cutting him off. Altair and Ezio were training to stay in practice, while Desmond was still discovering his abilities. Lucy had set up a massive mountain of various metals and junks. It was a towering structure in the huge store room. Climbing up and down the mountain and competing with the other guys was hard.

The metal was rough and ragged, like they had been pieces of garbage Lucy picked up. It was difficult to get a grip with his slick, sweaty hands and Ezio and Altair were so much better than him.

"Come on Desmond don't be lazy! You are as slow as an ass--I mean, donkey!" Ezio was pleased with himself for learning all these American swears (from Desmond of course). His pun was terrible; he couldn't do these kinds of jokes, which was something he had perhaps failed to notice.

Fortunately Altair had better things to say. "Desmond, be a man, do the right thing." You see, the things Altair and picked up were much better.

Grunting and sweating bullets he coiled his body and leaped up, grabbing a handle that once upon a time might have been a car door, as it swung open. (Maybe the mountain was made of all the vehicles and sattelites and computers of the Templars she'd killed.)

And yes! He HAD to win this competition of getting up and down there first. If he did that he would impress Lucy and that was important in getting and keeping his girl. That meant that if Lucy liked him, all would be right in the world, and he'd be happy.

Lucy, watching from below, which gave a good view point, seemed to hear his exact thoughts. Men, she thought with an inward chuckle, Are like animals in their way of thinking.

Altair growled at him for pushing his way up and Ezio elbowed him slyly. Look at them! How could he compete against two full-fledged Assassins?

But he was Desmond Miles and he was a descendant of them. Thanks to the Bleeding Effect he was starting to slowly gain the talents of both Altair and Ezio. So that meant he could be better than them!

With a couple steps he started to climb in a style somewhat reminiscent of a squirrel. his arms and legs pumped as he practically ran up the huge metal mountain. He short past them like a rabbit. He was going fast, but he wasn't tired now and there was a feeling in him like a high that gave him energy.

In no time he'd reached the delicately balanced top. Jumping up on it triumphantly he gave a little cheer. A feminine sounding shout made him look back down.

"Hey! Des, you have to get back down!"

"What? How?"

"Just let go and drop and grab onto something! Quick!"

He looked down at the height. Right now to could touch the ceiling if he was careful to not fall over. How was he supposed to drop SO FAR DOWN? It was like the height of a 10 storey building here. Was she insane? Drop down all that and hope to grab onto something so he wouldn't fall and break his neck?

Well, he had better do something soon because Altair was about to join him on the top and Ezio was right behind. If he wanted to keep Lucy thinking that he was en epic guy, he'd better get down there first.

Taking a deep breath he stepped down form the top platform and let himself drop a few feet before grabbing something and steadying himself. He tried it again, going a little further this time, his jaw clenched in concentration. Soon was downing the mountain like a spider. Or, well, Spiderman.

In much less time than it took to get up Desmond jumped  the last few feet to get down.

"Yay!" Lucy said to him, who was kneeling on the ground and kissing it. Ha ha! Take that, ye dang assassins!

Ezio and Altair jumped down at the same time. "Seems like you might have beaten us this time," Altair said mournfully.

"But you haven't learned everything!" Ezio added. Altair looked at Ezio out of the corner of his eye. At first when Ezio had appeared with the Animus defect they didn't usually get along well. Thankfully, nowadays, they cooperated better now. ... Sometimes.

"Give me a hug!" Ezio opened his arms up to Lucy a huge grin on his face. He looked like a cuddly teddy bear save for the numerous scars on his body.

She waved him away, pretending to hold her nose and gag. Ezio started to chase her with his smelly pits.

"There's something called deodorant," Desmond called after him. He and Altair looked at each other and shrugged. This was a lost cause.

Desmond held out his arms, a little look of exaggerated hurt on his face.

"No way on earth am I touching you after that," she was saying, but she let Desmond envelope her into his chest.

"Hands off my girl, eh?" he said with a look at Ezio.

"No need to be so serious."

Without another word he picked  her up and slung her over his shoulder, ignoring her shrieks of "Put me down, mofo!" and "Do NOT put her hands there!", he said to the other guys: "Gentlemen, Lucy and I have some business to take care of. Stock markets, the like. Mafia style."

"No we don't."

"We'd like to be alone for a little while if you'll excuse us."

"Oh ho ho!" Altair said. "That won't be a problem.

"what are you thinking about?" Ezio said irritability.

"If you're thinking what I am thinking..." he grinned mockingly.

"You're one sick person Altiar."

"But you may not be thinking what I'm thinking, so you saying that makes you the sick one."

"Kink."

Desmond stepped in between the banter. "Business," he said grandly as he could with a struggling woman on his shoulder.

Altair nudged ezio and whispered, "Code for--"

He slapped a hand over Altair's mouth. "Do not say it!"

"Rubber ducks?" he mumbled.

"They're going to be taking a bath?!"

"No! Pervert!"

"Then why did you say rubber ducks?"

"Why can't you shut your cock-loving mouth?"

"You should be one to talk!"

"You know what duck rhymes with?"

"Figlio d'un cane, I have more manners than you!"

"Huh? Well, wrong! It rhymes with..... shmuck. That's the sound of my fist saying hello to your ugly face."

"Fottiti!"

"I don't know what you are saying, but that is okay. And rubber is right. Rubber, rubbers... you know what that is slang for? Desmond told me..."

"Enough already."

"Slang for..."

"Shut up."

"Erasers. They are used to get rid of something. I forget. But I bet your mother wished she had one of those cool erasers that say "Big Erasers For Big Mistakes".

"You do not know when to stop, do you?"

"Perhaps it could have prevented you from giving a present to one of those women that you like so much. Correction, Wo-man. Or several."

"Are you always so rude and misleading? I pity your girlfriend. If you've ever even had one."

"You're a hypocrite, youe man-slut. Today I have a sense of humor. Screwing around like the devil... Hey where did they go?

Indeed, while Altair and Ezio had been having one of their senseless arguements, Desmond had taken Lucy out. They were in her bedroom where Des quietly closed the door and turned the lick. She was reposed on the bed, an unreadable expressions in her intelligent blue eyes. They followed his progress from the door to in front of her where he placed his hands on her slim shoulders.

"I've got to prove something to Ezio," he said.

"Don't start that again. They are like children sometimes."

"Don't worry, it's not like I'm going to have to give him proof." He started to kiss her face gently and sweetly, each kiss like a caress that brought happy tears to her eyes.

"Aw Des this is really nice..."

- - -

"What? An actual rubber duck? How'd that end up there?" Lucy said incredulously after Desmond had gone through his pockets.

"Whoops. Wrong rubber." He got the right one. "It's interesting the things that you can find in Abstergo. I'd say something sentimental, but I'm an honest guy and I have to tell you I'd like to skip right to the next part."