Disclaimer: The Assassin's Creed series and its characters belong to Ubisoft/Ubisoft Montreal
Summary: Rodrigo gets the Apple sooner than the Assassins expected, and it's up to Ezio to take it from him. The catch? Venezia has toppled into Templar reign, and yet it is the only place where Ezio has a chance to get the Apple. The other catch? There's a little surprise waiting inside it for him should he succeed.... An Altair/Ezio/Leonardo requested fanfic.
Warnings: some spoilers, language, maleXmaleXmale love, some molesting (NOT a rape fic, just a bit of noncon touching in the later chapters)
Author's Note: First of all, updates will (hopefully) be on every other day. Also, this is only the first fic. I intend to make a sequel after it. The sequel is going to focus more on the actual relationship between Altair/Ezio/Leonardo, whereas this first one is mostly introducing the setting and characters (what my view of them is, anyway) while also inching its way into the relationship. In other words, if you came here just for the sex, you will unfortunately be waiting a while – for the sequel, to be precise.
As for my writing, I am aware that at times my mind can get a little… weird and disorganized. I hope that I have been able to state everything clearly, but I apologize if I did not. This fic is, in a way, a stepping stone to further advance my writing skills. I'm positive I'm not a "pro" fanfic writer yet, but I intend to learn enough to at least come close ;P. As such, critiques are always welcomed and much appreciated! ^^
Also, I apologize in advance for any discrepancies. I tried my best to get a good grasp of it all, but I wouldn't be surprised if I missed something .
Translations for the Italian are at the bottom of each chapter. I used an online translator for most of them, so they may not be completely reliable, however .….
The first time I dived into the Piece of Eden, I don't remember what I saw, just what I felt. Calm, bliss, peaceful oblivion, and even more potently, the power. It is no wonder so many are after it. It could drive a person to madness in their obsession for that feeling. I like to think I am above such things, and perhaps to an extent I am. Although I can feel myself being drawn back to the Apple, I do not feel the overpowering need to use the it, nor do I feel the need to lose myself in it. And yet, I can't destroy the thing. It is a blight on Man's existence, but it is a beautiful one.
After that first time, the compulsion to dive back into it almost frightened me. I don't enjoy admitting that, but that is what I felt. Some may be willing to hide their fears, especially from themselves, but though I too feel such compulsion at times, I try to overcome it. I have heard it said that it is a sign of wisdom to be true to oneself in the way that I try to be, but I prefer to think of it as my growing old.
Of course, I was not always this way. I was rash once, and arrogant to the point of stupidity. The change was so gradual, I hardly noticed a difference. I simply… saw the world in a different way. So it almost passed my attention that I was a little more open and curious. I was even a little more considerate of others. I easily allowed myself to think that this change came about because I had uncovered the treacherous actions of my former Master and had finally put those troubles to rest. I allowed myself to think that his betrayal had opened my eyes to the rest of the world beyond myself. But there was another thing working its witchcraft on me during that time. Or rather, there was another person who had inadvertently been changing me.
Malik is my greatest ally here in Masyaf, and more than that, he is my greatest friend. Though I had been the cause of his brother's death and the loss of his arm, he now treats me more kindly than I could have ever hoped for. I don't know how long I had been feeling the things I feel, but I suddenly realized one day that I was growing attracted to him. The way he moved, the way his passion was always evident in his voice, the way he looked at me with hard, knowing eyes that spoke of an understanding between us. My heart would beat rapidly when he came near. My legs would grow weak when he glanced in my direction. How I longed to hold him, to have him with me always.
In a way, he also changed me. Without his hatred from before to fuel the guilt that I had held in my heart for his loss, I never would have been so compelled to right the wrongs that not only I had committed, but the ones my Master had as well. Malik had given me meaning, and with that meaning, I had fought the Master, and I had prevailed.
It is now that I wonder if perhaps I am admitting this forbidden attraction to another male too easily. I find myself surprisingly accepting this part of me, no matter how… strange that part is. Perhaps I am not only getting old, but am also becoming a philosopher.
I hear myself chuckle as I think of what Malik would have to say to that. Me? A philosopher? He would surely have a good laugh.
… Perhaps I will tell him, then. I enjoy hearing his laugh….
At first, all Ezio could feel was the wind tearing across his face. A moment later, he was able to see clearly as long as his eyes remained mostly shut; his lashes seemed to be doing a fair enough job of keeping the wind at bay. The city stretched out below him, and he was entranced by its beauty. He would never admit it, but he was easily entranced by beauty – mainly that of a woman's, but there were other things that could serve to easily distract him. A view of Venezia from the height that he was at was one of those things. Lights sparkled through the windows, people walked the streets in their colorful clothing despite the late hour, and the structures rose up in a majestic semblance of grandeur that any Doge should be proud of. Ezio wanted nothing more than to bask in the breathtaking sight that few people would ever be granted, except that those damned archers refused to give him a moment's rest.
Ezio turned Leonardo's flying machine to dodge the arrows, twisting his body gracefully to move with the machine. Another volley was loosed after him, and he dipped the tip of the machine down slightly to soar under them, spotting the next fire while he did so. As he headed towards it, he was struck by how calm it all felt. Even with arrows trying to pin him down and guards shouting, "Il Diavolo!" nearly every time they spotted him, it was still so… peaceful. Maybe it was the wind pushing across his face and rushing down his body. Maybe it was the view of the city. Maybe it was some quirk in the machine that Leonardo had put there to make the ride as easy for him as possible (he wouldn't put it past the man. Leonardo was a wonder sometimes…. Most times).
Ezio continued to traverse the skies as expertly as any assassin like him ought to be able to. Sure, he was feeling a little proud at how well he was doing, but considering how he had never really done anything like fly before, he felt his pride was justified. The ride, however, was over quickly, and Ezio let the machine go. He rolled as he hit the roof of the Palazzo, then immediately set off towards his destination, not bothering to watch the machine valiantly attempt to stay in the air before crashing into a bed of water in the distance. He regretfully didn't have time to be gentle with it. There was a Doge that needed to be saved and a man that needed to be assassinated.
Carlo Grimaldi. The man was attempting to assassinate the Doge Mocenigo, and Ezio had to stop him. Ezio reveled for a moment in the irony of the situation. An assassin was trying to stop another assassin from assassinating someone, and then he had to assassinate said assassin. Ezio figured he would have a good laugh about that later, but for now he needed to get to his target.
Ezio glanced inside the room just as the Doge was about to take a sip of some wine (poisoned wine, Ezio surmised). Ezio made a show of jumping into the room without preamble. After all, what better way to grab a person's attention than to leap valiantly and unannounced into their private quarters? The cup was just barely pressed to the Doge's lips when Ezio shouted, "Stop! Signore, don't drink that!"
Carlo rose from the table. In a low voice, he said, "You are too late. The Doge is dead."
"What?" The Doge exclaimed in surprise. "Carlo?"
"Apologies, Signore, but you should have listened to me when you had the chance." The Doge dropped the cup, grasping at his throat. Carlo inched toward the exit. "Seems you have failed, Assassin."
Ezio looked at the Doge apologetically. "Forgive me, Signore. I tried." There was nothing else he could say.
The Doge just looked at him, confused. "Why? What was it… all for?"
Ezio could only watch in horror as the Doge tried to speak further, but coughed up blood instead. A shout from outside alerted him that his target was on the move. With one last glance at the Doge whom he had failed to save, he set off after Carlo. The man was running down the hall, screaming, "Assassino! Assassino! He's killed the Doge! The Doge is dead!" The guards hesitated, surprised, before jumping into action. They tried to surround him in the courtyard, but Ezio would have none of it. His eyes cold and determined, he shoved past them, flying at Carlo and catching the man in the throat with his hidden blade.
As usual, he learned little to nothing from his victim. Ezio rose after giving the proper respects and, dodging numerous enemy blades, quickly made his way out of the Palazzo as the alarms started sounding. When he was far enough away, he rested a moment, thinking of what his next move was going to be, and he decided that the first order of business was for him to appreciate the continued irony of the situation he currently found himself in. Not only had he failed as an assassin to stop an assassin from completing an assassination, but he had also been blamed for an assassination that he didn't commit. The world was looking bright and beautiful tonight. Notice the sarcasm.
Once past the self-pity that came from failing a mission – a very important mission – he began to seriously plan his next move. First off, he wasn't about to show his face anytime soon. Being charged with killing the Doge was a serious offense, and Ezio was sure that the entire city would be looking for him for a good long while. He sighed and turned to look at the moon, remember that not an hour ago he was closer to it than any other person in this city had ever been. He remembered the sights, the calm and peace. It had been so beautiful, and now he had to leave. That seemed the only option left to him. He would leave for a while, until the heat died down enough for him to return.
It didn't take him long to get past the city boundaries, and Ezio had to force himself to not look back.
The air was bitingly cold in Monteriggioni that day. A small breeze drifted around the city as the common people strolled about the streets on their daily business. The sun was up high, but it provided little warmth.
By the foot of a large villa situated on the highest point in the city, a man paced behind the lord of the estate, his hood concealing his features save the hard set lips that scowled in the chilly air.
"We have a problem, Mario." La Volpe cut straight to business. He never enjoyed remaining in one place too long. The sooner he was gone, the better he would feel.
"And what would that problem be, La Topo?" Mario asked curtly. Grunting was heard from the training pit as two of Mario's mercenaries practiced unarmed combat. Mario watched the two with a trained eye, his arms crossed and back held straight.
"My name is La Volpe, Mario. Not La Topo, La Volpe." It was obvious to anyone present that there was little love lost between the two, though no one could say why that was so, including Mario and La Volpe themselves.
Mario waved him off. "Whatever! Just get on with it, I have work to do."
La Volpe's scowl deepened, but he continued. "Rodrigo is working faster than I expected. Reports from Roma say he that has already found the location of the Apple."
Mario whirled on him. "What?! How? How could he have deciphered the Codex pages when he doesn't even have them?"
La Volpe stopped pacing to sneer at him. "Apparently he doesn't need the Codex pages." The notorious thief took a deep breath and placed his thumb and forefinger between his eyes as if fending off a bad headache. "My apologies, Mario. The stress of the situation has made me short of temper."
"As usual, you mean?"
La Volpe scowled again. "Like you should talk, vecchio!" He turned and began pacing again. "It is only a matter of time before Rodrigo gets his hands on it. There is no more point in collecting the Codex pages now. We have no Assassins close enough to Rodrigo, so there's no hope of us getting the Apple before he does either. Ah, questo è brutto!"
Mario had turned back to his men, troubled by the news. "Have you told any of the others yet?"
La Volpe shook his head. "You were closest, so I have told only you. However, it is in your hands now to tell the other Bureaus in Italia. I have to-"
Mario turned to stare angrily at the thief. "My hands? It is your job to be the messenger boy, La Topo! What, pray tell, are you going to be doing that's more important?!"
La Volpe cleared his throat patiently. "As I was saying before you interrupted me," Mario looked irritable enough to do so again, so La Volpe continued quickly. "I was going to go find Ezio."
Mario blinked. "My nipote is missing?"
La Volpe stopped pacing and looked at him thoughtfully. As one who had grown up alone, the concept of 'family' was alien to the thief. The closest he had ever come to such a thing was the Assassins, but even then not many of them had much time to bond with each other. And being the one in charge of the correspondence between the Assassin Bureaus, he had less time than others to bond with those who followed the Creed. "Yes, Mario. Ezio has gone missing. For good reason, though. There's been a lot happening in Venezia lately. Apparently the old Doge was assassinated and the entire city thinks it was Ezio who killed him."
"Ezio?! My nipote? Why would he-"
"He didn't actually kill the man, Mario," La Volpe explained, exasperated. "It was someone else. I suspect Carlo Grimaldi since Ezio was also accused of assassinating him directly afterward, and I know that man to be a Templar. But it gets worse."
"Of course." Mario threw up his hands in defeat.
La Volpe continued, nonplussed. "The new Doge they set up is one Marco Barbarigo, also a Templar."
"Vaffanculo!" Mario spat.
La Volpe nodded agreement. "So Ezio made a wise decision for once in his life and ran like the hounds of Hell were on his heels. Which I imagine they were," he added as an afterthought. "However, I'm sure he got away in one piece, more or less. It's just a matter of my finding him now." Mario nodded, relaxing a little. La Volpe thought a moment before continuing. "Also, there have been reports from Antonio stating in very clear terms that he has his hands full with the problems in Venezia thanks to the new Doge. Theodora is fairing little better. I have heard nothing from Bartolomeo."
"And your point, La Topo? It's not like I can just send men out there to help any of them. I have my own problems to deal with!"
"I understand that, Mario," The thief said patiently, pointedly ignoring the name Mario seemed to enjoy calling him. He started pacing once more, a small, placating smile on his lips. La Volpe was in his element now; he knew how to play this game. Mario watched him warily, noting the difference in his stride and the casual air of confidence. "You are a busy man – you have told me so on several occasions. I merely thought you might wish to know about the current situation in Venezia. You know, the place that is doing whatever it can to have your nephew's head on a pike adorning the outer wall of the Doge's Palazzo? I mean, it's not like Antonio and Theodora are going to be in any position to help him since they are clearly too busy themselves, are as always Bartolomeo has his own agenda. Not to mention that once Rodrigo returns with the Apple, they will be unable to do much against him since it seems that the entire city is now under Templar control." La Volpe shook his head and waved the problem off as if it was nothing. "But again, this is just something that I thought you may wish to know about. Of course, you have absolutely no obligation as a fellow Assassin of the Creed to help them. Nor do you have any obligation to your nephew to see him safe once and for all in one of the few places he could have ever been safe in this world. No obligation at all." La Volpe smiled innocently at him.
Mario grimaced. Damn the man to Hell. He was far too persuasive for his own good sometimes. Mario wasn't likely to cave in so quickly, though. He had his honor to think about. "I will take their plight into consideration."
La Volpe smiled brightly and clapped his hands together. "Wonderful! And I'm sure you will also send word about the situation with Rodrigo to the other Assassins in Italia, si?"
"Si, I'll send word! Now off with you, cretino! I have men to train!" He turned his back on the fox, dismissing the man.
La Volpe let out one last chuckle before removing himself silently from the premise. Now, to find his horse….
Italian-English translations:
Il Diavolo = The Devil
Assassino = Assassin
La Topo = The Mouse
La Volpe = The Fox
vecchio = old man
questo è brutto = this is awful (I wanted to try, "This is a mess," but it didn't sound as fun as this one did .…)
nipote = nephew
Vaffanculo = Fuck
si = yes
cretino = cretin