Assassin Creed Brotherhood

Plot

Desmond's story continues where it left off, in 2012. After escaping the Templars' attack at the end of Assassin's Creed II, Desmond Miles, Lucy Stillman, Rebecca Crane, and Shaun Hastings flee to Monteriggioni, establishing a new hideout in the ruins of the Villa Auditore. After restoring the electricity in the old tunnels under the villa, the player once again takes control of Ezio Auditore through Desmond's genetic memory, using the Animus 2.0 (which is the game's memory interface). Their mission is to find the Apple of Eden, an important and mysterious artifact that could prevent the impending disaster that is coming in that same year, believed to be perpetrated by the Templars.

Ezio's story continues in 1499, where he exits the Vault, confused by what he saw inside. He escapes Rome with his uncle, Mario Auditore, and returns to Monteriggioni. Once home, Ezio is comforted by the prospect that his personal vendetta is over; however, Niccolò Machiavelli challenges Ezio's decision to leave Rodrigo Borgia (now Pope Alexander VI) alive. Ezio and Caterina Sforza then spend the night together. The following morning - New Year's Day - Monteriggioni is besieged by Cesare Borgia, son of Rodrigo. Mario is killed at the hands of Cesare himself, and the Apple is lost to Cesare and the Templars. An injured Ezio escapes and travels once more to Rome, the center of Templar power in Italy, once again seeking vengeance against the Borgias. There, he discovers that the Assassins are failing in their fight against corruption. Determined to rebuild the Guild, Ezio convinces Machiavelli that he has what it takes to lead while assembling a Brotherhood powerful enough to destroy the Templars and his new nemesis, Cesare.

Over the next four years, Ezio executes various tasks meant to cripple the Borgias' hold in the capital, sabotaging Cesare's resources and assassinating key people close to and/or working with him in the process, and slowly restoring Rome to its former glory. After returning the Roman Assassins to full strength, Ezio is given the rank of Il Mentore (Italian for "The Mentor") and made the de facto leader of the Assassins in Italy. During this time, Ezio's sister Claudia is also made an Assassin.

Cesare, learning of Ezio's actions, confronts his suspicious father and desperately asks for more money, and the Apple itself. Rodrigo refuses, cautious of provoking the Assassins, and attempts to poison his son, realizing that Cesare's lust for power cannot be held at bay. Cesare, however, turns the tables on his father and kills him instead. Ezio witnesses this and, after learning of the Apple's location, retrieves it from within St. Peter's Basilica. Ezio uses it to overwhelm Cesare's forces and gradually withdraw the backing of his supporters; Cesare is finally arrested by Pope Julius II's Papal Army after Ezio and the Assassins confront him and kill his remaining followers.

Sometime later, Ezio uses the Apple once more to check on Cesare, who has broken out of prison and, after gaining the support of his new patron, John III of Navarre, laid siege to the city of Viana, in Navarre.^[19] Ezio encounters Cesare on the battlements of a crumbling castle and fights him.^[20] Cesare claims that he cannot be killed by the hand of a mortal man, thus inciting Ezio to "leave [him] in the hands of fate" by dropping him off the battlements to his death. Ezio then takes the Apple and hides it in a First Civilization Temple built underneath the Roman Colosseum.

Using the coordinates taken from Ezio's memories, Desmond, Lucy, Shaun, and Rebecca travel to the Temple, intending to use the Apple to locate the remaining Temples and keep the other Pieces of Eden out of the Templars' hands. As Desmond makes his way into the Temple, he is confronted with holographic apparitions of a being called Juno, who appears to be of the same race as Minerva; however, she is neither audible nor visible to Lucy, Shaun, or Rebecca. Most of her comments center on humanity's lack of knowledge. She states that humanity is "innocent and ignorant;" that people were not built to be wise, having been given only five of the six senses: sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing, but lacking knowledge. Her careful cadence then drops, as she suddenly becomes angry, yelling, "We should have left you as you were!"

As Desmond approaches the Apple and touches it, time freezes around him, though he can still move and speak. Juno cryptically states that Desmond is descended from her race, and is their enemy; she also says there is a woman who would accompany him through "the gate," but must not be allowed to. She takes control of Desmond's body and forces him to stab Lucy in the abdomen. Both fall to the ground, with Lucy dead and Desmond entering a coma. As the credits roll, two men are heard discussing whether to put Desmond back in the Animus.