０１__| video/action;

[milesawayfrom]

[ The video feed turns on, showing the familiar hallways of the hospital. The newcomer hasn't quite realized that his phone has just made a butt-video-call. Instead he's stumbling around the hallway, using the wall as a guide to hold up his weight. ]

Aliunde? What kind of name is that? It's as bad as Abstergo. [ He's muttering to himself, not

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[alltenfingers]

video/action

[Ezio knows that face. It's a form of his own face, in a way, and he has seen it only once but he couldn't mistake it. It's burned into his memory just as Desmond's name is, and his eyes are wide under the hood he has covering them.]

Desmond! [He's not even sure how he can quite figure this out but this is an opportunity neither of them has had before.] Do not move, I will be there in a moment.

[And the video cuts as Ezio heads up onto the roof of his home, via the window, and runs across the rooftops to get to his descendent. Dropping down nearby, he rushes over, to help him.]

Are you hurt?

[milesawayfrom]

...Ezio?

[ Before he can really get a real question out, the video has been cut. Desmond blinks a few times. Right, he's officially dazed. He thought he was out of the Animus. Or maybe he's still suffering from the Bleeding Effect and seeing ghosts. Or, maybe, he's just gone full blown crazy like Subject 16 and he's going to start painting the walls with bloody and drawing crazy ass symbols everywhere.

Maybe that was why he was in the hospital? They did a crap job of securing him down if that's the case.

Desmond half turns, still on the ground as Ezio rushes over. He just blinks a few times, simply staring.

Come on, Desmond. Use your words. That brain is good for something else other than wise cracks and bar tending. ]

I'm officially crazy now. [ Alright, maybe not. ]

[alltenfingers]

[Ezio gets down to his knees beside the younger man, trying to see if he's wounded. He highly doubts he is but it's worth checking anyway. As Desmond speaks, he lets out the faintest laugh, eventually getting back to his feet and offering a hand.]

Si, that is likely. [Once Desmond is ready to be pulled up, Ezio supports him, not quite sure what to do now.] Why did you throw yourself out of the window, Desmond?

[he has a billion questions but they can wait for now.]

[milesawayfrom]

[ Desmond eyes the hand, then looks up at Ezio. He's trying to get around the fact that Ezio is standing there in front of him. Without being transparent like the ghosts that ran around the Auditore Villa or the Colosseum Vault. Funny thing is? None of this seems familiar inside the Animus, if that's where he is.

Abstergo. Animus. Aliunde. What is it with 'A' names? ]

Thanks for that. [ Being called crazy by Ezio Audtiore. He can say he's done almost everything now. He finally reaches up and takes Ezio's hand, half expecting his to pass through Ezio's. Which doesn't happen and he's pulled up. ]

I was trying to get out without anyone knowing. My little buddy here ruined that before the unexpected fall did. [ Piece of crap phone. ]

[alltenfingers]

Prego. [He smiles a little bit more, helping him up and nodding slightly towards the phone. He doesn't like them at all but they're convenient and useful.]

They can be rather annoying pieces of technology, I have found. [But he looks up to the window Desmond flung himself out of, surprised he fell that hard.] That window is not very high. [He's rather unimpressed at him falling out a window that hard, actually, but he grips his shoulder.]

You must want answers to your questions.

[milesawayfrom]

[ This is when he starts wising he could have subtitles. Once his head stops swimming with the whole fact he's not where he should be, he'll catch onto it. ]

I wouldn't know. I haven't had one before. [ Desmond knows what they are, but with that fear of Templars in the back of his head? He had no cellphone. He eyes Ezio, then at the window and rolls his eyes with a groan. Great. He's actually being evaluated by his ancestor. Definitely crazy. ]

Tell that to the body that hasn't moved in a week. Hell, probably more than that. [ He grumbles. ]

That'd be nice.

[alltenfingers]

[Ezio shrugs slightly, nodding once and looking back to the phone for a moment.]

They are too modern. I do not like them very much at all. [His gaze flicks back up to the window once more then he frowns as Desmond speaks again, reaching to tug the much younger man's arm around his shoulders to support him.]

Perché? Was something wrong to make you not move? [He wonders for a second where to take him then decides to lead him back to his apartment. It's safe and warm there.]

Ask your questions, ragazzo.

[milesawayfrom]

You prefer pigeons.

[ It's meant as a joke, even if it is rather serious. Desmond looks at the phone in his hand before flipping it up and catching it again. He glances over at Ezio again, still waiting for Ezio to disappear or to hear the voice of Rebecca overhead saying that he's finally lost inside the Animus. There's no way any of this can be real. ]

Yeah. I was in coma. [ Desmond shrugs it off as if it's no big deal. ]

We're being held prisoner. Aren't we?

[alltenfingers]

[Ezio gives him a look. Oh, you are so funny, Desmond. Hilarious.

But there are more important things to be dealing with and the mention of a coma makes him worry almost instantly. He knows that means bad things and looks at him with concern.]

A coma, amico mio?

[The question comes with a sigh and a slight nod.] Si, for a social experiment. No doubt by those we fight against, even if they do not use the name.

[milesawayfrom]

[ Desmond cracks a grin. Hey, it was pretty funny, Ezio. You know it was. ]

Think of it like a deep sleep for a really long time. One you might not wake up from.

[ Then he groans. ] Great. Captured again. My life sure is shaping up to great and amazing things. [ Hopefully, Aliunde isn't run by Templars. ] Templars, you mean.

[alltenfingers]

[No, it wasn't funny. You fail at family, Desmond.]

What caused it?

[He offers a sympathetic smile.] At least you have allies here, Desmond. [He nods slightly but sighs.] I cannot say for sure, but I would assume so. It is their modus operandi.

[milesawayfrom]

[ Blame Dad. He didn't love him enough. ]

We'll talk about that when we're not outside. [ And it gives him some time to try and think of a way to explain to Ezio. You know, once he's convinced he's not crazy or still dead. ]

It's better than my last time being a prisoner. I didn't even know I had allies until nearly the end. [ He understands why Lucy didn't tell him. She couldn't. Still, it didn't help. ] You don't have to wear the name to be one. Hell, they don't even call themselves Templar in the twenty-first century.

[alltenfingers]

[Damn you, descendant's father!]

...Va bene. [That does not sound promising and he's all the more worried but he helps him inside and up to his room, wondering if Desmond even bothered to grab his key card.]

You will have to explain, you've lost me already. [He isn't quite sure what he's talking about with being a prisoner or having allies there.] Oh? What do they call themselves.

[milesawayfrom]

[ Of course he did. He might fail at family, but he's a pretty decent assassin. He reaches into his pocket and pulls the card out. ]

Yeah. It's pretty vague. Sorry. [ He sighs. Where to begin? ] Abstergo. It's the company they run, and through it they're in everything. I mean everything. Religion, government, media. Hell, they even make medicine.

[alltenfingers]

[Ezio opens the door to let Desmond in and helps him to the bed. Removing his armour, he dumps it on the table, not planning on going anywhere. He might as well be comfortable.]

It is alright. [Ezio sighs at the explanation as he moves to make hot drinks, glad he's learned how to use the appliances.] That is a sad thing to learn. Then our work has been for nothing? That the three of us shared stories for no gain but personal bonds...

[milesawayfrom]

[ There's a nod of thanks as Desmond sits himself on the bed, reaching up and taking the backpack off. He sets it down and goes about removing his watch, looking around the room. It's the basic set up for a single bedroom apartment... and that's unsettling. Why the hell are their captors just giving them stuff? There's something off about it.

Desmond looks back up at him, hand scratching at the beard that's grown on his face with his time in the animus. He glances down at the mention of the three of them. Altair, Ezio, and himself... ]

I don't know what's really happened that's made the Brotherhood fall down or how the Templars even got into power. But, it's not for nothing. [ He sighs. ] We're about free will to man, right? There's always going to be oppressors, and they need someone to stand up and punch them in the face. At least, that's what you and Altair taught me.