Desmond Miles

Bio
Desmond Miles, the boy who didn't believe until it was almost too late started out life as the son of two Assassins: William 'Bill' Miles with a paternal bloodline including Ezio Auditore, Edward and Haytham Kenway and Connor with his maternal bloodline including Altaïr. Desmond was raised in a setting similar to Masyaf known only as The Farm located in Black Hills, South Dakota for the first sixteen years of his life where he was trained in how to be an Assassin by his father. However, on his sixteenth birthday after becoming tired of his life in hiding and dismissing his parents as conspiracy freaks, he ran away, using what skills he'd been taught and eventually he ended up in New York.

Working at a club named the Bad Weather, Desmond decided at some point to get a motorbike but thanks to the fingerprints and ID needed, it allowed Abstergo Industries, the front for the Templars, to find him and kidnap him. Desmond was flown from New York to their headquarters in Italy and from there he was forced to be part of the Animus project: through a machine going by the same name, Desmond was forced to relive the genetic memories of his ancestors, starting with Altair with the goal of finding a map of Pieces of Eden, powerful objects created by the First Civilisation. Desmond was successful, despite his reluctance and through something known as the Bleeding Effect began to pick up skills from his ancestor, starting with Eagle Vision. After this, Lucy Stillman revealed herself to be undercover and helped Desmond to escape to a hideout, joining fellow Assassins Rebecca Crane and Shaun Hastings. With an upgraded Animus courtesy of Rebecca, Desmond started to relive the memories of Ezio so he'd learn more of the vital skills he needed as an Assassin. This time wasn't without problems - the Bleeding Effect that helped him to learn was also causing issues such as hallucinations, dreams and a blackout.

Ezio had possessed an apple of his own so the whole group headed off to collect it from the Colosseum. They were successful but Juno, one of the the First Civ appeared to Desmond with warnings before she took possession of his body, forcing him to stab Lucy who was revealed to be a traitor. It was that shock, combined with the strain his mind was already under, that sent Desmond into a coma and he was placed in the Animus by his father, waking in the Black Room, the Animus safe mode. Desmond relived not only Ezio's memories but more of Altair's through items Ezio found and together with Clay Kaczmarek, Subject 16, he was able to piece together his mind and wake from the coma. When he woke, he was in New York with his father, Rebecca and Shaun, headed for the Grand Temple.

In the Grand Temple, Desmond first relived the memories of Haytham Kenway, finding out that he was a Templar and then the memories of his son Ratonhnhaké:ton (later known as Connor) to find the key to sanctum containing the device that would stop the 2012 coronal mass ejection, thus stopping the past from repeating itself. In the temple he also had more conversations with Juno who revealed more of the plans the First Civ had had. To power the temple, he also took part in field missions in Manhattan and Brazil, looking for power sources and coming into conflict with Daniel Cross, a sleeper agent. When his father went to Egypt to locate a power source and found himself captured by Abstergo, Desmond broke in to rescue him, killing Daniel Cross and his former captor Warren Vidic.

Eventually the key was found which let Desmond enter the sanctum only to find he had been fed yet more lies and misinformation by the First Civ. He found out that the device to save the world also unleashed Juno as her hatred for humanity had meant she had been imprisoned, additionally, he found out that he would die as a result of using the device. Despite this, he went ahead, sacrificing his life for everyone else as he had faith in his fellow Assassins and their ability to stop Juno.

Personality
Desmond Miles, Subject 17, whatever you want to call him - he's a bit (a lot) of a cynical bastard who can be pretty gruff which is a result of his upbringing. See Desmond grew up off the grid where he was told bits and pieces about assassins, templars and abstergo, living with other families and training but he was never told what exactly he was training for. Expert parenting courtesy of Bill Miles. Whilst he was given some education about this, it clearly wasn't enough because by the time he was sixteen he was getting out of that life and running away. At the very beginning of the first game, before he really realises just how real the situation is, Desmond dismisses their thoughts as paranoia, makes a few jokes about lizard men, that sort of thing. Still, the skills he learnt are likely what helped him to stay hidden from Abstergo for so long (until he gave up a fingerprint for an ID for a motorbike, really Desmond) because he didn't have a phone and didn't use his real name which pretty much confirms that he had no real friends or close connections that lasted in the gap between leaving the farm and being kidnapped by Abstergo.

Desmond also possesses an unfortunate knack of humour when the situation doesn't call for it. He's snarky and sarcastic to Vidic - a man who threatens to put him in a coma - about who he gets to kill today and that he's a bartender not an assassin and he continues to make jokes when he's rescued and brought to Shaun and Rebecca by Lucy. Those jokes aren't always well received either. Like the infamous 'wassa matta you Altair' 'that's racist' 'you're racist' moment where Lucy rethinks all her life choices. Probably. After being rescued from Abstergo though Desmond is actually able to relax and get to know people, forming a friendship with Rebecca, a snarky friendship with Shaun and getting to know Lucy well. (It should be noted that Lucy defected from the assassins to the templars and part of the plan she had with Vidic was to use her connection to Desmond to get him back to Abstergo but Desmond had no knowledge of this at the time.) Rebecca acknowledges that there were 'a few misty-eyed moments' to Bill when Desmond is in a coma and it's clear from the way his tone tends to soften around Lucy that he really does care for her. When they finally find the apple they've been searching for in Rome, it's having to stab and kill Lucy, an action brought on by Juno that Desmond has no control over, that sends him over the edge and into a coma where he wakes up in the black room of the Animus with Subject 16. Desmond's friendships with both Shaun and Subject 16 are very much of a deadpan snarker and fire-forged friends sort of way - Shaun and Desmond are very different but ultimately get along despite how different they are as do Desmond and 16.

An extra few points to note are that when Desmond is experiencing the bleeding effect from the Animus during Brotherhood, he's very much aware of what's going on, how what's happening to him is a parallel to what happened to Subject 16. He even experiences things that Ezio probably didn't even remember (such as the mole at the villa) and he's self-conscious about it too. Over and above that is the fact that sometimes spoke like Ezio and moved like him too. Which is all justified because when he goes into shock over stabbing Lucy it's confirmed by 16 that the Animus is basically the only thing holding the fractured mess that is his mind together.

The thing is that Desmond is actually selfless and brave. This shows as early as the second game where he immediately agrees to learn how to be an assassin when brought to the hideout - Lucy seems surprised and relieved, saying she prepared a whole speech for him. Desmond is already experiencing the bleeding effect at this stage and he knows some of what happened to Subject 17 but he keeps going with it. It becomes clear in later games the toll this is taking on him as emails between the team reveal that Desmond is screaming in his sleep but he does eventually move on and reconcile the bleeding effect so he won't end up like Subject 16. Another instance of this is when Desmond goes to rescue his father from where he's been captured by Abstergo - Desmond and the old man still don't get on well at this point - where a brainwashed ex-assassin, many templars and Vidic are present. Despite all this, Desmond just wants to be normal and he even says so to his father (who talks down to him) because that's what Desmond has always wanted and it's why he ran away. But he still fights because it's his job (and really, he's sort of the only one who can due to his lineage and the concentration of Those Who Came Before in his DNA) and people are relying on him. He knows the world is so much bigger than him and his wants and he steps up to the plate when it's time, to the point that in the very end, he sacrifices his life rather than becoming a figure who will inspire a new era of templar and assassin conflicts. He saves the world from the solar flares with this decision and demonstrates just how much he trusts in the assassins - they will find a way to win and knowing that, he can lay down his life to further their cause.

Abilities
Early in his life Desmond was trained in some basic assassin skills such as eavesdropping and pickpocketing but thanks to reliving the lives of his ancestors through the Animus, Desmond has developed the following: Basically if a grandpa can do it, he can do it too.
 * eagle vision: this is like a sixth sense where, when used, an assassin can see the allegiances of others around them - white for informants, gold for targets, blue for allies and red for enemies as well as, for him, seeing trippy blood messages left behind by Subject 16
 * freerunning because gotta climb towers like a champ - all that time in the Animus and Desmond is great at freerunning
 * expert combat skills: live through the lives of Altair, Ezio and Connor and you pick up how to fight seeing as that was a chunk of what they were training him for in the first place. Especially after the black room in Revelations and Connor's memories, Desmond knows even more deadly skills and can duel wield

What Should I Know?

 * he will subject you to horrible powerpoints
 * never explains references
 * Connor punched him in the face one time it sucked
 * pungeon master (see: The Shirley Templar)

Daily Life

 * Animus alarm clock
 * get up, go for jog with Animus
 * trade off making breakfast
 * make sure laptop still greets Lucy with "good morning Mrs Miles"
 * scour rune
 * make faces about dragons
 * polish bike
 * moon over Lucy
 * bad jokes and cheesy movies with Lucy
 * bedtime run so Animus sleeps
 * optional: cry in the shower about your life and your choices
 * sleep; moon over Lucy some more