Missione Due: Pickpocket
Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's Creed. Assassin's Creed is owned by Ubisoft, otherwise I'd be rich.
Key:
Mi amico: My friend.
Mio dio: My god.
Chenon è importante: That isn't important.
Assassino!Guardiedopo di lui!: Assassin! Guards after him!
Zitto.: Shut up.
Idiota: idiot.
Bene: Good
"I-I think the coast is clear." A masked assassin was leaning around a stone pillar supporting the large aqueduct overhead. The other, higher ranking assassin turned to his partner, "Oh really Ottavio? Just like the coast was clear before you tried to tackle the target?" Ottavio glared at his hooded partner darkly, "Fausto, It was clear before that pack of guards walked around the corner." Fausto snorted and pushed Ottavio back towards the confusion in the plaza a few yards from their hiding place. "Keep an eye out, mi amico. The guards in this part of Roma tend to be sneaky. Also, you really need to work on your technique." Ottavio whirled towards Fausto and snapped, "Like you could do better! If we had watched from the rooftops I could have seen the pack of guards coming!" Fausto opened his mouth to reply.
"Oi! I see them!" The novices tensed and exchanged looks before yelling, "Run!" and bolting down the street into the midday traffic of Rome. They weaved through people desperately trying to avoid the guards hot on their tail. "Fausto! Get on the roofs! The climbing should slow them down." Ottavio clambered up the side of a house with many windows and Fausto found that there weren't any perches low enough for him to grab. As he ran through the crowd he spotted a sure fire way onto the rooftops. Fausto sprang onto the back of a large warhorse and jumped to the nearest window. The horse screamed and reared up at its sudden use as a springboard. Fausto turned and looked down at the horse and froze. A cold shiver rolled down his spine as his limbs refused to pull him higher or drop him to the ground. "Mio Dio, Fausto! Hurry up!" Fausto's gaze snapped to the rooftop where Ottavio's hand was extended for him to grab. He took the offered hand and was pulled up to stand on the delightfully firm rooftop. "Thank you, I think this makes up for your pathetic excuse for scouting." He couldn't see most of his friend's face but he knew his mouth was open to reply, but a yell and an arrow hitting the roof cut him off.
The novices ran lightly over the rooftops with Fausto keeping his eyes straight ahead. "Ottavio, next time let me pickpocket him and you can sit on the roof to let me know when it's clear." Ottavio only nodded focusing on eluding the guards and looking for a hiding place. "There!" Ottavio pointed at a rooftop garden not far away. Fausto looked over his shoulder and didn't see any guards in sight so they ran straight for it. They dove in and settled silently, waiting for the templar to pass. Angry shouts kept the novices quiet for a long moment. Once they had moved off into the distance Ottavio turned towards Fausto, "Do you think Ezio is ok? I didn't see him after I tried to get the letter." Fausto frowned under his hood and took a moment to respond, "He's only a puppy so I don't think the guards even noticed him. He'll run to the guild hall and wait for us just like we trained him to do. Why do you think the Master sent us after this letter anyways?" Ottavio stood and crawled out of the garden and shrugged. "Let's go get Ezio and then we can try to find that messenger again." Fausto nodded and followed his partner out into the roman traffic once again.
As expected Ezio was indeed waiting for them with his tail wagging in delight. The puppy barked happily and scrambled over to his assassins to receive treats and scratches. "Ezio we're so glad you're safe!" Fausto was grinning brightly as he scratched Ezio behind the ears. "Now where do you think that messenger went?" Fausto looked at Ottavio who was rubbing his chin through his mask in thought. "I'm not sure. He might still be in the area we left him?" Fausto nodded, "He probably thinks that we were chased out of the area and he's safe for the moment!" They stood and raced from the guild to find their target.
Ottavio stood up on the rooftop of the blacksmith looking for their target, Fausto was sitting below on a bench keeping an eye out from down there. The masked assassin didn't see any sign of the messenger, but the guard activity had certainly increased. Ottavio jumped down to Fausto and landed right next to him. "Mio Dio! I don't know how you can even do that Ottavio." Fausto had his hand over his heart dramatically. "Che non è importante. I don't see the target anywhere and guards are everywhere. We should probably get out of here." Fausto frowned and looked thoughtful for a long moment. "Don't worry mi amico. I have an idea." Ottavio took Fausto's place on the bench as the higher ranked assassin walked into the crowd casually.
Fausto strode lightly over to a guard and tapped him on the shoulder, "Sir have you seen a messenger about this tall with black hair and a red cap?" The guard didn't look at Fausto as he responded, "If you mean the victim in this mess, then he left on the north road heading for some church. Why do yo- Assassino! Guardie dopo di lui!" Fausto yelped and dodged the sword being swung at him. "Ottavio! Some assistance please, mi amico!" Ottavio was beside his comrade in an instant his mace held before him. Fausto drew his short blade and the fight was on. Guards swarmed the two novices as they fought. Fausto parried a blow and stabbed a guard in the throat ripping his blade out and whirling to find his next opponent. Ottavio swung his mace viciously breaking bones as he threw guards into each other. The sheer number of guards was overwhelming the two novices, there was no way they could survive this alone. A small snarl announced the black puppy, Ezio, had joined the fray and was doing his best to help. Fausto and Ottavio both were trying to find the puppy before he could be hurt when arrows rained from the sky and the guards around them began to drop like flies.
"Oi! Get a move on novices!" La Volpe stood on the rooftops with his thieves armed with bows. Fausto scooped up the puppy and bolted northward dragging Ottavio alongside him. "Wow, I hope I can learn to shoot like that one day." Ottavio had a wistful look on his face and Fausto only grimaced. "I don't even know why you'd want to. Archers always have to sit up in high towers and windows to pick their shots." Fausto shuddered at the thought. "That doesn't seem so bad, maybe you should try it Fausto. It might help you with your fear of heights." Ottavio chided. Fausto couldn't see the grin on his partner's face, but he knew it was there. "I'm not… ugh. The guard said he was heading for a church. What churches are in this area?" Ottavio looked thoughtful for a long moment. "Off the top of my head… I can think of… about twenty." Fausto nearly tripped at this information, "Twenty? How are we going to find him if there are so many churches around here?" Ottavio snorted, "We could always ask a guard." Fausto glared at the masked assassin, "Zitto."
They rounded the corner looking for any sign of the messenger, but found nothing. Fausto frowned dismally and turned to his friend. "I fear we may have lost him." Ottavio turned and looked around before looking back at his friend with a mischievous look in his eye. "Fausto, where does your instinct tell you to go?" Fausto made a face, "What do you mean my instinct? I'm lucky not magical, idiota." When Ottavio didn't say anything Fausto groaned and crossed his arms across his chest, "Fine, I think he went that way." Fausto pointed to the west like his senses were telling him and the novices started down the road eyes searching for the target.
Ezio bolted down the road barking sharply, "Hey! Ezio where are you going!" Fausto bolted after the puppy trying desperately to catch him. "Fausto wait! Just let him go! We need to find the target." The puppy turned sharply into an unmarked church barking the entire way. Fausto followed after and bowled into a man calling out "Sorry! I just need to catch my puppy!" The man let out a curse and ran through a nearby doorway right into Ottavio. "Oh sorry sir, I didn't mean to get in your way." Ottavio stopped and blinked. "I like your red hat. Could you tell me where you've bought it?" The man yelled and bolted away from the novice. A look of recognition appeared in the assassin's eyes as they realized that this man was in fact, their target. "Fausto! Get him!" Ottavio charged after the messenger without waiting on his friend to reply. Fausto was running with puppy in hand after the spec of red on the man's head.
Ottavio sprang at him and tackled the poor man to the floor. The novice heard a woosh as the air left the man's lungs from the force. Fausto reached into his pouch and snatched the letter with a triumphant yell. "That's how you pickpocket! Make note Ottavio." Ottavio glared up at him, "What are you talking about? All you did was grab the letter. I stopped him!" Ottavio rolled off of him and stood. "The point of pickpocketing is being stealthy!" Fausto was grinning brightly as Ottavio was clearly scowling under his mask. "Grabbing a letter out of a man's pouch after he's tackled to the ground is hardly stealthy, idiota." The messenger jumped to his feet and bolted out of the church leaving the two novices alone to bicker amongst themselves.
Later, the two novices stood before Ezio's desk proudly presenting their prize. "Bene. Though I do wonder why a simple pickpocket mission took so long." Ezio looked at the two before him and waited. "Well, Fausto's fear of heights caused us to be caught in the first place. Then he asked a guard-" A hand snapped over his mouth and Fausto growled, "Not another word. Master, there were some complications, but we got the letter and that's all that matters." Ezio nodded and looked at the two. It was a miracle that the two most worthless assassins managed to survive without a scratch when their skills were subpar. Surely, it was just luck that kept them alive.