Chapter Text
Mido ran his eyes over the edge of the apartment building once more. He had scoped out the streets around it for what felt like a hundred times; or perhaps it had been that many. He weighed his trusty rifle in his hands, fingers running over the grip. He checked the time again: a little over 6:30 a.m.
“Of course,” he muttered under his breath.
The target was supposed to come through here soon enough, but Mido's partner in this mission did not deem that urgent enough to be on time, apparently. He huffed. She was probably in line at a fancy bakery somewhere downtown.
He looked down the rifle's sights to make sure his aim wasn't off. If they waited any longer, the sun would be creeping up above the buildings opposite and interfere with his vision.
“Any time now, Jules.”
“Talking about me?”
Mido spun around to see Jules Gonzalez bounding towards him. Despite the neck gaiter she wore, he would have recognized her anywhere. Those auburn wisps of hair were a sight to behold.
“You're late.” Mido retracted his wrist blade, not having noticed he had extended it in the first place.
“Cool it.” Jules dramatically took her phone out of her back pocket and recited: “Make sure to be here before 7 a.m. H. will leave for his meeting shortly after.” She looked up. “No kiss at the end?”
He couldn't help himself from smirking. “Not during work hours, no.”
“Liar. You're always working.”
Jules lowered her shawl so he could see her smile. Happy Jules, fearless Jules, and her trademark gap-toothed grin. This was new and exciting for her. He always forgot. She took a step closer towards him, placed her hand on the nape of his neck, and brushed her lips against his.
“You're enjoying this,” she whispered.
“Only with you.”
The moment was gone as soon as it began. She gave him a good-natured shove. “Another lie, I'm not the only one.”
“Hey, you could be.” He took her hand and kissed it gently.
“Sweet talker.”
“You started it. Get to work.”
She let go of a drawn out, exaggerated sigh. “Yes, sir.”
Taking off her gaiter and shoving it in her pocket, she graced him with one more wink before she hopped down the fire escape and clambered back down to street level. Mido smiled to himself as he got back into position.
Hammond was a prominent sleeper agent for Abstergo, or so he was told. In a year, he had maneuvered his way up the ladder in the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, going by the surname Al-Nadhi to attract less attention to himself. Mido didn't like the strategy they both shared to keep a low profile, insignificant as it may have been.
A vague static crackling came through his earpiece before he heard Jules speak.
“I have full view of the entrance.” She sounded muffled, likely having covered her face once again.
“Good. Look, if he even gets a whiff of our plans he will scurry back to whatever hideout he came from, so—“
“Be discreet. Blah blah, keep to the shadows. This isn't my first mission, you know.”
“Then stop acting like it.”
“Ouch. That's no way to treat a lady.”
“Jules, please focus.”
“I am. The entrance is still here.”
Mido rolled his eyes.
“—Oh no.”
“Oh no, what?”
“Hammond's—“ Jules' voice was cut off by a nearby siren, and Mido felt his heart in the back of his throat.
“Jules?”
More static. Her voice came back distorted, but he could make out the sound of her heavy breathing. “Cheap pieces of crap.”
“What are you doing? What did you see?” He tapped the side of his rifle impatiently.
“Bodyguards. Roof. They've seen me.”
“Get outta there.”
“What do you think I'm—? Fine. I'll meet you down here.”
Mido glanced up and down the street one final time before hastily putting away the rifle in his duffel bag and making his way down the fire escape, following the same path Jules had taken before. He stood still on a corner of one of the alleys, considering his options. There was a chance he could still catch up to Hammond and not let this mission fail. Though it was a very slight one and Jules would hate him for it.
“There's a balcony overlooking the government building.”
It took a moment for Jules to answer. “What are you getting at?”
"I can get up there and disappear before they even realize what's happened.”
“Mido, there's no cover. Whatever happened to ‘stick to the plan’?”
“The plan is to kill Hammond.” He was hoping it was clear that there was no point arguing.
Jules didn't answer. Mido could picture her scrunching up her nose like she always did before making a decision. She sighed. ”Where do you want me?”
That's my girl. “Tail him. You know what to do when you're spotted.”
He made his way around back, squeezing through crowds of people as fast as he could. He prayed the idiot on the second floor of the office building had left his window open, like he always did. And that Jules could keep her mind off sweet flatbreads for one second.
Luck proved to be on his side for now and the open window gave him easy access inside. Swinging the bag over his shoulder, he looked up to gauge the distance and took a few steps back. He run up, hopping on top of a nearby dumpster, and leaped to reach the windowsill. After pulling himself up, he climbed inside.
“Got him in my sight,” Jules spoke up. “I could do it.”
“Don't get too close,” Mido ordered while making his way up the emergency stairwell.
Jules was right; there was next to no cover on the balcony. He pulled his hood up and got his rifle out for what was hopefully the last time, and got back into position.
There he was. Hammond was a small man, even smaller in comparison to the two heavyweights accompanying him. He lazily got out of his car; no idea that he was only seconds away from his death. That was the remarkable part of it.
Mido aimed down the sights and slowly breathed in. His finger grazed the trigger. He heard a bird call. Now or never.
The suppressor did its work; the sound of the rifle going off was drowned out by the noise on the streets down below. Hammond's body went limp and dropped to the floor.
He stood to make his way back to the cover of darkness of the deserted office, before noticing two more of Hammond's guards moving towards Jules.
“Jules—“
“Go, I'll be fine.”
He deliberated for what turned out to be a second too long. When he heard the creak of a floor board, it was too late. A large arm wrapped around his neck, depriving him of oxygen. He extended his wrist blade and attempted to swing it back, but the man behind him grabbed his arm and twisted; resulting in a sickening pop. It took everything in him not to cry out. He threw his head back and it connected to the man's face, allowing him to slip from his attacker's grasp.
The latter covered his nose with his hand, cursing. Mido held on to his right arm to keep it steady as much as possible, slowly stepping back and increasing the distance between them. His attacker reached for the gun in his holster and Mido ducked behind a desk; hearing glass shatter just above him. Gasps sounded from the crowds below.
“Got you now, assassin.”
He didn't like to admit it, but it seemed like the man was right. But Mido wasn't out of options just yet. He clumsily grabbed a smoke grenade from his belt; their cover already blown as it was. He pulled the pin and tossed it back, and thick smoke filled the room.
The unmistakable sound of gunfire from below joined the cacophony upstairs. Jules' winded voice was barely noticeable through his earpiece. “Mido, please, where are you?” He needed to get down there. He narrowed his eyes to see the door to the stairs on the other side; if he were quick enough...
He stood back up and bit back a groan, sharp pain surging through his arm, and made a run for the door. But before he could even take a few more steps, his attacker proved to be as heavy as he looked; he threw his weight against Mido's smaller frame, pushing him out the window. Mido tried to grab whatever he could to keep himself from falling, but to no avail.
The wind was knocked out of him once he collided to the ground below. Around him was pure chaos. What happened? Where was Jules? He couldn't get up, the streets were spinning. He saw a flash of auburn hair; there was a voice calling his name; more gunshots; a blood-curdling scream, and then all went dark.