Assassin's Creed: Bloodstone Book 2

Assassin's Creed Bloodstone Book 2, is the second volume of Assassin's Creed: Bloodstone, a two-part story published in French by Les Deux Royaumes.
Following the end of the second cycle by Dorison and Hostache, Bloodstone is again written by Guillaume Dorison but illustrated by Ennio Bufi, and was released on 11 October 2019. It was licensed in English by Titan Comics and was released on 26 January 2021.
The story takes place in 2017 Tokyo, following Tomo Sakagawa who relives the memories of Alekseï Gavrani during the Vietnam War.
==Synopsis==
The race to the Apple of Eden continues. Seeking to be faster than Nathalie Chapman, the young Assassin Tomo continues the exploration of the memories of Alekseï Gavrani to try and find Boris Pash again. With the Vietnam War in full swing, Gavrani finds himself in the middle of a deadly hunt in the depths of the jungle, which will reveal the epic end of this breathtaking adventure.
The two-volumed Assassin's Creed Bloodstone plunges the reader into the heart of the Vietnam War, a troubled time that crystallizes the anxieties of the Cold War. Between games of political and secret scientific research, discover the actions of the Brotherhood of Assassins and the Order of the Templars in this period of conflict.
==Plot Summary==
At a graveyard near Lake Léman, Dr. Nathalie Chapman visits a graveyard and promises to continue her work like her father, Boris Pash. An hour earlier, Maxime Gorm and Elisa Adler escape to Tomo's car as Maxime fought off incoming Assassins. As they escape, Maxime interrogates Elisa about her knowledge of the Assassins but she has no information. Soon, she receives a phone call and is told a coded phrase. Immediately, Elisa holds Maxime at gunpoint and tells him to take the road to the Swiss Alps. Meanwhile, Hajime puts Tomo back into the Animus to continue the research on Gavrani's life.
On 30 July, 1964, on the Gulf of Tonkin, North Vietnam, an undercover Gavrani travels by ship to infiltrate Hòn Mê while fellow soldiers cause a distraction for him. Gavrani stealthily breaches the area and kills any suspecting Viet Cong soldiers in his way. Noticing a village burning, Gavrani notices and kills soldiers committing as he confronts Dhogura, a member of Pash's Bloodstone Unit. Gavrani promises to leave him alone if he gives him Pash's location but Dhogura attacks him immediately. However, Gavrani gains an upper hand and kills Dhogura, who asks him to protect Zenia.
In the Gulf of Tonkin, board members of the USS Maddox discuss their business in the war and if they are really doing any good. Captain John J. Herrick asks Gavrani the next step, to which he responds to be dropped off closer into North Vietnam. Three days later, Gavrani spots Pash and his team, consisting of a pregnant Zenia and Doni. Pash and Doni row their ways past Viet Cong soldiers as they try to stay away from Julia Gorm. As they sail through a river, they are soon attacked and lose half of their men. Before they can recuperate, they are held at gunpoint by Gavrani.
Knocking Pash, Gavrani almost kills Pash, only to be stopped by Zenia, who promises him the Apple in exchange for their lives. In their discussion, Doni puts Gavrani at a gun standstill while Pash explains their escape from Julia. Julia has been suffering from the Bleeding Effect and believes herself to be her father and wants to kill Pash. Nevertheless, they all walk towards shelter as Gavrani reprimands Pash for his work making Julia lose her mind. Arriving at a hut, Doni takes first watch as the rest camp out the night.
While everyone rested, Zenia and Gavrani talked about her pregnancy and their feelings for each other. Zenia admits that she was scared one night and fell into Pash's comforts after they lost Julia to Project BLUEBIRD. Within their conversation, Gavrani is temporarily knocked out by Pash, who discusses their options with Zenia. However, Gavrani caught a limited sight of Julia approaching them.
Back in the present, Hajime is informed of Tomo's car being near Gimmelwald as he responds to send a unit to confront Chapman at her compound there. However, Tomo awakes as he believes himself to be Gavrani and attacks his fellow Assassins, believing them to be Pash. After the Bleeding Effect wears off, Tomo sees his carnage as the Animus is destroyed and Hajime is dying. In his last remarks, Hajime asks Tomo to contact the Osaka cell and Saeko Mochizuki for aid. However, with his experience, Tomo plans to go alone to confront Chapman.
In the same moment, going past Gimmelwald, Elisa takes Maxime hostage as they arrive to meet Stanislas, who takes to a helicopter with Chapman inside. As they all fly, Chapman details the events of Gorm's own brainwashing by Abstergo to commit the Great Purge. However, she also states the Adlers took him after Callum Lynch destroyed Abstergo's Madrid headquarters in 2016. Soon, they arrive at her base and tells them her plan to continue memory resurrection, with now both Gorm and the Apple of Eden her father left her.
Using Maxime Gorm to relive his mother's past, Chapman continues her investigation into Pash's actions in Vietnam.
Back in North Vietnam, in 1964, Julia kills Doni from behind as she throws a knife at Zenia's shoulder. Gavrani regains consciousness and fights against Julia. However, Julia gains an advantage and fatally stabs Gavrani in the stomach while she falls down unconscious from her injuries. Pash and Zenia are left to contact Herrick and to trade the Apple for their lives. Two days later, aboard the USS Maddox, Pash waits by Julia's bedside as William Harvey enters the room and thanks Pash for revealing the Apple's location.
Pash reveals Harvey's part of being the founder of the Bloodstone Unit and telling Pash what to do all this time. Soon, Pash realizes that Harvey is a double agent for the Templars as Harvey states the validity of it does not matter. Due to the events that have passed, the U.S can now intrude on the region and thus expand the Templars' influence even further. Pash regrets his part in using the Apple, due to the events of the Philadelphia Project and his work on Julia. However, Harvey cares about the possibilities and disregards Pash's hesitance on the matter.
Soon, Harvey reveals his Templar associate Warren Vidic, who helped Zenia deliver her baby. However, Zenia dies from her injuries as Harvey uses Pash's daughter as leverage for his loyalty and information. Pash reluctantly agrees as Nathalie was taken away from him to be placed in Warren's care. Meanwhile, Juila was medically aided and placed to be the new Agent QJ/WIN for Harvey.
In the present, Chapman realizes how Pash saved her for the Apple, much to her dislike. She explains Julia is the name behind Harvey's new agent and how she proved to be more vicious than her predecessor. Chapman explains that Vidic made her into a guinea pig for the Animus in the 1970s, but she knew of her father's past and wanted revenge. Chapman tells how she gave information of the Animus to an American Assassin and escaped with the Apple of Eden Harvey took from before. Soon, Chapman starts to activate her own machine of Project BLUEBIRD and puts her aim on Gimmelwald.
Tomo climbs upward Chapman's base and breaks into Elisa's quarters. Elisa attacks him but Tomo restrains her and talks to her. He apologizes for his actions and states Chapman used them both and that her experiment on them and Gorm will leave more people dead if they do not act. Soon afterwards, Elisa stops Stanislas and his men in their escort of Gorm as Chapman's men hold her at gunpoint. However, Tomo comes from behind and kills two of Chapman's guards. Immediately, Tomo kills Stanislas and the last guard, before ultimately killing a restrained Maxime. Shocked, Elisa wanted Gorm as their hostage but Tomo has another idea.
Chapman tries to continue her mission, but a virus has stopped her electricity. Revealing himself, Tomo offers to restore her network if she provides a helicopter and Elisa's freedom. Chapman regretfully agrees as Tomo and Elisa fly away. Chapman continues with her plans for a new world as she knows Elisa is still under her hypnotic pull. While Tomo and Elisa escape, Elisa wonders if Tomo would help Chapman. Tomo states that his de-encryption was not to allow electricity to flow but to sabotage her cooling system. Once Chapman continues her plans, her cooling system immediately malfunctions and her base blows up entirely, with her, her guards, and the Apple of Eden.
==Gallery==
AC Bloodstone vol 2 cover.jpg|French cover
==Media==
===Editions===
*ISBN 9782918771722; 11 October 2019; Les Deux Royaumes; FR paperbackAssassin's Creed Bloodstone Tome 2 - Amazon
*ISBN 9781787734593; 26 January 2021; Titan Comics; US hardcoverAssassin's Creed Bloodstone Volume 2 - Amazon
*ASIN B085QPR7ZW; 27 January 2021; Titan Comics; US eBookAmazon.com: Assassin's Creed: Bloodstone Vol. 2
==References==
Category:Assassin's Creed: Bloodstone