[A/N]: Hello, readers! This is my second submission, but this one will be ongoing (as opposed to a one-shot). Feedback is always (very) welcome! I will read and consider any suggestions!

Before I start, I want to clarify some stuff. First off, I'll be largely adhering to the canon of the game (Assassin's Creed II), but not the books, etc. This work is intended to be an extension of that canon. This first chapter may therefore be slightly dry to some people, as it contains many references to the events in the game, although it also explores Ezio's thoughts quite a bit. The second chapter (as an example), however, takes place entirely outside of those events.

Second, I'm aware that the books explore an Ezio/Rosa romance. I haven't read them (I WANT TO!) but this should be entirely different from that romance.

Finally, I hope you enjoy! My intention is to add a new chapter each week, assuming someone is still reading. A structured schedule should keep me from forgetting about or procrastinating with this piece. I know the frustration of following an abandoned fanfic.

Chapter 1

"GET IT OUT," the woman screamed.

The situation was a tad stressful.

"Cazzo!" thought Ezio. Rosa was losing blood quickly and the man he presumed to be Antonio was frantically trying to calm her down in order to properly assess her wound.

Before Ezio could react to all that was happening around him, Antonio had snapped the arrow with his hand and pulled the shaft from Rosa's leg. Antonio looked worried, and Ezio marveled at the list of obscenities that escaped Rosa's mouth.

Ezio himself had no medical training to his name, and Antonio appeared to be just as lost. Perhaps it would have been better to find a doctor, but Ezio knew (from personal experience) that half the doctors in Venezia were quacks. Besides, an arrow in Rosa's leg would have aroused more than a couple questions, and likely the city guard.

His thoughts drifted in this manner until Antonio caught his attention.

"Help me with this!" the thief commanded.

Ezio glanced at Rosa and the supplies on the table. He had no idea what he was doing, and that worried him. All he could muster in response to Antonio was "How?"

Antonio immediately responded, "Take a clean piece of linen!"

Ezio complied, happy to be useful during the operation.

"When I remove my hand, press the cloth into her wound. Are you ready?"

Ezio nodded, and Antonio immediately released his hand from Rosa's wound. "Now!" he exclaimed.

The blood immediately flowed from the wound, but Ezio's response was quick. The pressure stopped the blood loss and Antonio was able to continue his work.

"Ben fatto! You work well under pressure," Antonio complimented.

This came as a surprise to Ezio. He didn't FEEL well. His stomach was in knots, and he tried to understand why. It could not have been the sight of blood, which was all too common in his line of work. He would have been able to dispatch a collection of guards effortlessly, making a mess of his clothing and weapons without any trouble from his gut. But he had never been called to assist in a medical setting in order to save a life, and aside from Lorenzo de Medici, he had never escorted a wounded person to safety. Her life had depended on his quick actions, and he nearly collapsed when he was finally relaxed enough to accept that she was in stable condition.

"Thank you," said Antonio. "Rosa is most dear to me. If I had lost her…"

"I've always had a soft spot for women in distress," Ezio interrupted him, hoping not to hear the end of whatever thought entertained that possibility.

But be was certainly being honest. Ezio would never have forgiven himself if something had happened to her. His instinct to help her was never interrupted by the interest of self preservation or fear. It was a reflex…a natural one. He wondered if this had impressed Rosa in some way, though that was not his intention at the time.

"So I've heard," Antonio once again broke Ezio's train of thought.

Heard? Yes, heard! Who was this man that he knew anything of Ezio? And how did Rosa know Ezio's name? Who were these people that treated her and took their orders from Antonio? With Rosa carried off for further care, his mind collapsed back to his present situation. Where was he and why had Ugo taken them there?

Thieves! Of course! Why hadn't he realized it earlier? He had seen Rosa in action. She was quick and agile, even more so than him. Thieves were adept when it came to obtaining information, which would explain how they knew he was in Venezia.

"Don't look so surprised. We know all about you, Ser Ezio," Antonio smiled. "Your work in Firenze and the rest of Tuscany. Good work too, if a little…unrefined."

Firenze? Antonio must have contacts there, he thought. Probably La Volpe. Didn't matter. While they could probably be trusted, he would have to stay on his guard.

"Then you know why I'm in Venezia?" Ezio asked.

"I can guess."

Guess? Ezio figured the thieves would have enough resources to eliminate the need for guessing.

Antonio smiled and thought for a moment. "When you have a minute, come see me in my office," he said. "There's something we should discuss."

An excellent idea, Ezio thought. He had many questions for his new acquaintance. Perhaps, he considered, he should check on Rosa first.