Bjanic looked at his watch for the umpteenth time in the last few minutes, but that wasn't making his partner arrive any sooner. He sighed in annoyance as he looked around the fair for her. Illegal wares were being sold, prostitutes were prancing around half naked, motorcycles were being compared, bought, sold, pimped and even vandalized. But his partner was still nowhere to be seen.
"Looking for me?"
He turned around and saw…nothing. Looking down, he smiled at her.
"Hey, shortie, what took you so long?"
"I'm not short. You're freakishly tall." She huffed and turned away.
"You're short. And I asked you a question." He followed her to where they had parked their bikes.
"I found the greatest attraction ever!" she started pushing her bike out of the parking spot so as to have more space to mount.
Raven was an heir. That alone should have worked up a stereotypical image of a pampered, rich girl. Well…she was pampered and rich, only she attended illegal black markets and custom ordered her bike to look like Cloud Strife's. Bjanic was what people would call her nerdy friend. Only he was taller than average, loaded, handsome, and (if you believed the prostitutes' rumors) extremely well hung. Liking raven's idea, he custom ordered his bike to look like Tron's.
They rode to where a movie canvas was being used to show what seemed to be a videogame.
"Assassin's Creed?" Bjanic laughed.
"Two. And you're next, come on." They slowly rode their bikes next to the console and accepted the wireless controllers.
"Two players?" Bjanic frowned.
"Hacked modifications." The man explained and walked away.
"Alright." Raven leaned back and laid down on her seat. "Let's play." She hit the start button.
And immediately wished she hadn't. White light engulfed her and Bjanic.
"Is this in 3D?" she heard him ask. Instead of answering, she paid attention to her surroundings. She instantly recognized the streets of Venice forming out of the white around them.
People laid one eye on them and fled, screaming 'demonio!'.
"I think we should get out of here." Bjanic turned his bike on. Raven was more concentrating on what part of the game this was.
"Listen," she turned to Bjanic. "Rosa is going to get shot now, and Ezio will take her to the guild through the canals. If we can take them there faster with the bikes, maybe we can win their trust and protection."
Bjanic took a few moments to digest the information, then nodded. "Follow me, I remember the map." He led the way, the roaring motors scaring away the guards and making way for them. When they saw the assassin and the thief freeze at the sight of them, they skidded to a halt.
"Get on, we'll get you to the guild!" Bjanic held his hand out to Rosa.
"Come on, a scared assassin?" Raven mocked when they took a step back. That did the trick. Ezio swiftly helped Rosa sit in front of Bjanic, who zoomed away. Raven reached to the back of her bike and unlocked a small foot lever and pat the seat behind her. Ezio mounted the machine.
"What is this?" he asked.
"My baby." Raven smiled over her shoulder. "Hold on, darling, this is gonna get jumpy." She felt Ezio hug her from behind and roared the engine. She followed Byanic's bike's sound as fast as she dared in the small streets of Venice, when suddenly, a group of heavily armed guards appeared in front of them. Raven roared the engine and revved the bike onto its hind wheel, scaring the soldiers away. Two or three didn't make it, though… A few minutes later, they arrived at the guild.
"What the hell took you so fucking long?!" Bjanic had his hands up, a knife to his throat. Rosa was being carried away on a mat.
"Hey!" Raven yelled at the thieves feeling Bjanic up for weapons. "Get your filthy hands off him!" she tried to get off her bike, but Ezio's arms were still around her. "You can let go now, handsome." She smiled at his pale face as he shakily got off the machine. As soon as she steadied the bike and got off it, another knife was put to her throat.
"Who are you?" a tall man exited a door across the small courtyard we were in. He had dark, shoulder length hair and green clothing. The first thing Raven thought was 'Robin hood!', but she thought she shouldn't say anything. The man calmly walked over to them, his long strides confident. As he studied them, Raven remembered who the handsome man was.
"Antonio, right?" she smiled when the man looked up at her in mild surprise. "Big fan." She winked playfully, then motioned to Bjanic. "Look, if your men want to rape my friend, fine, just please get a room, this is getting awkward." She raised her eyebrow at one of the thieves kneeling in front of her partner, feeling his legs for knives…she hoped.
Antonio laughed and motioned the thieves to leave them alone. Raven let out the breath she was holding and grinned.
"We're so fucked." Bjanic muttered.
"Oh, I intend to." Raven demonstratively swept her eyes up and down Antonio's tall form, then studied Ezio a bit more closely than social etiquette allowed.
Bjanic facepalmed. Antonio let out a booming laugh and turned to Ezio.
"We have heard of you, assassin. You have our respect here in Venice. How may we help you?" he put a friendly hand on Ezio's shoulder.
As he and Antonio talked of the next assassination, Raven's short attention span led her to Bjanic.
"Dude. this is awesome." seh grinned like a madman.
"We're gonna get killed." Bjanic followed his friend pushing his bike to a far corner of the courtyard. A maid approached with a big cloth folded in her arms. he took it from her and turned to cover the futuristic vehicles, but did a double take and snapped back to the petite woman. "Hello, there, beautiful." he took her hand and kissed her knuckles.
"Please..." Raven snatched the cloth from his arms and covered the motorcycles.
"Signorina, allow me to escort you to our healer." their attention was drawn to Antonio approaching Ezio followed closely. The maid scurried off, much to Bjanic's dismay.
"Healer?" Raven frowned at the man, then at Bjanic who was laughing at her. "What?" she was becoming irritated.
"You laugh at your friend's injuries?" Antonio looked confused and slightly apalled at Bjanic.
"What injuries?" Raven turned back to Antonio, who looked even more confused. he pointed at her shoulder. Looking back, raven saw two arrows sticking out of her jacket.
"Aw, crap, this jacket was expensive!" she unzipped it and shrugged it off, studying the damage done to her shoulder plate.
"What kind of armor is that?" Ezio stared curiously at it.
"You know what? this is too much for me." Raven shrugged and went off in the direction she saw Antonio and Ezio come from.
"I apologize for her behaviour." Bjanic chuckled.
"Where is she going?"
"Where did you two come from?"
"What is that armor made of?"
"What are you doing here?"
"Who are you?"
Bjanic sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose at the questions he was being bombarded with. Raven had probably gone to find some soft place to curl up and take a nap, that's how she always confronted her problems, the child. He tried his best to explain to the two men what had happened, and it took until sundown to convince them of his story. By then, he was exauted, but he had guaranteed the guild's protection, if he as Raven aided them. They walked back to Antonio's study, where they found Raven sleeping on a couch in the corner, her jacket forgotten over the back of a chair.
"Rae. Raven." Bhanic shook her shoulder. She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"What." she deadpanned.
"Remember the golden mask?" she nodded at Bjanic. "We're gonna wait at Paola's until he gets it. Let's go."
"You're taking me to a whorehouse?" she stood and stretched.
"Don't worry, signorina, you won't be axposed to anything." Antonio assured her.
Raven cracked a grin and started laughing.
"Oh, he thinks...ha, ha...he thinks I'm some delicate lady who won't dare to be seen in a whorehouse." Bjanic rolled his eyes at her and threw her her jacket and they left, sticking to the shadows, and getting comfortable on the sofas that were scattered around the bordello.
They waited hours for Ezio to return, Bjanic and Raven explaining to the group whatever questions were thrown their way to pass the time. Finally, the assassin entered the establishment and paced angrily. He had lost the competition.
"How am I going to get that mask now?" Ezio threw himself on a couch. Sister Theresa had shooed them to a more secluded corner of the bordello, where they were obscured from view by heavy curtains. Ezio was so irritated and angry, none of the girls dared come near him. Bjanic, on the other hand, was surrounded by at least five.
"Ey, Bjanic, how's that weird rash doing?" Raven asked loudly. She ducked a flying chalice and giggled. "Seriously, did you bring that yellow salve? That's a sensitive area, you wanna take better care of your genita—OW!" she rubbed her forehead where a fruit plate hit her.
"Leave the man alone, Raven!" Leonardo pulled her away to sit with them.
"What are you doing in a bordello, Leo?" she frowned in confusion.
"I'm thinking of expanding my business." Sister Theresa simply explained. Leonardo blushed at the wolf whistle Antonio let out and Raven's giggles.
"Can we get back to solving my problems, please?" Ezio huffed.
"Oh, I know a great plan." Raven accepted a goblet of wine and held up three fingers. "Get drunk," she put one finger down, "get laid," she put another finger down, "…that's as far as I got." She shrugged and took a big gulp of her wine.
After a swat on the head by Ezio, they talked seriously about how to get the mask, but after a few hours, Raven had lost interest and was talking to Leonardo about his latest dissection, and Antonio was a bit too drunk to think straight. So, Ezio crossed his arms, pouted, and sat brooding in his spot.
"Cheer up, Ezio, we'll think of something." Raven pat his knee. "Look." She pointed to Leonardo, who was currently talking to a young man, apparently one of Sister Theresa's new 'employees'. Ezio and Raven started making fun of Leonardo's rosy cheeks because he was drinking too much, and Antonio started dropping hints like crazy to Raven as she talked to Ezio, who was extremely amused at her lack of response to Antonio.
Suddenly, Bjanic came in, a flush across his cheeks.
"The guy with the golden mask is here." He discreetly pointed to the man's table. "Thought you should know." He was pulled away by two giggling girls.
"Well, let's get him!" Antonio stood up.
"He'll recognize Ezio." Leonardo pointed out. "And he'll be missed."
"What then?" Ezio slumped back in his seat.
"Sister, do you have a corset you can lend me? Preferably black?" Raven's eyes lit up.
"This isn't the time for fashion!" Ezio snapped.
"Shut up, Auditore, gimme your shirt." She stood up. Sister Theresa seemed to understand, as she went and quickly brought a corset. Raven snapped her fingers in Ezio's face. "Shirt. Now."
"What the hell are you doing?" Bjanic had managed to escape the girls and entered their secluded area in time to see Raven pull her T-shirt over her head. "Hey, back off, bucko!" he pointed a finger at Antonio who had taken a step towards the woman. "Give her your damn shirt already!" he snapped at Ezio, who started undressing his upper half.
"I must say," he handed her his shirt "I'm impressed." He openly stared at her breasts. She smiled flirtatiously and pulled the shirt over her head. Sister Theresa came and started fixing the corset on her.
"Ow, sister, not so tight!" she whined.
"A slimmer waist accents the breasts." The nun stated and pulled harder, making Raven squeak and glare at a laughing Bjanic. But by the look on Antonio's face, it was true. When Sister Theresa was done, Raven stepped in front of a mirror and unlaced the front of the shirt and draped it over one of her shoulders. She untied her hair and raked her fingers through the long waves, ruffling them a little.
"How do I look?" she turned to the men.
"Like you just had sex, but why is that relevant?" Banic asked.
"Who cares, can I get you anything to drink?" Antonio stepped closer.
"I'm getting the mask, what do you think?" Raven ignored Antonio's comment and pulled a handkerchief from the man's sleeve and tucked it between her breasts, leaving a lacy tip out.
She left the secluded area and looked around for her target. When she turned her head, she saw that he had already spotted her. She raised her chin and formed a cocky smirk under her lowered eyelids and slowly walked over to his table, slowly swaying her hips. She rested her left hand on the wood and took the glass he was raising to his lips and drank from it herself, tilting her head back so he would see her throat flex. When she lowered the empty glass, she licked her lips and lowered herself to his eye level, giving him a perfect view of her chest.
"Hi." She smiled. "I'm new in town, and I was hoping you could give me a moonlit tour?" she slowly pulled the handkerchief from her (Ezio's) shirt and dropped it in front of him. "If you wouldn't mind," she whispered.
The man smiled as Raven turned around and lazily swayed her hips to the door. Before she left, she looked back and bit her lip. The man picked the handkerchief up, put it to his nose and breathed in.
"I do not want that back." Antonio said, disgusted.
"It was between her breasts." Leonardo pointed out.
"Between her big, round, bouncy breasts." Ezio added.
"I want that back." Antonio cleared his throat.
After the man left after Raven, they waited in silence for about twenty minutes, Bjanic pacing nervously up and down behind the couch.
When Raven entered the bordello again, she was wearing the golden mask tied loosely around her neck and a triumphant smirk pulling at the corners of her lips.
"What the hell happened?" Bjanic gestured to her bloodied sleeve.
"He got a little too touchy-feely for my taste." She shrugged. "Don't worry, the body's not recognizable."
"I'm impressed" Ezio stepped closer.
"Yes, you've said that already." Raven's smirk grew wider. She turned her cheek to Ezio and stood on her toes.
"Grazie, bella." Ezio planted a kiss on the edge of her lip and untied the mask from behind her neck. "I'll be wanting the shirt back, too."
"No, I think I'll keep it." She smiled.
"But it's my shirt." He reached for her shoulder, but she ran away, hiding behind Leonardo. She and Ezio ran in circles around the artist, making him spill his drink.
"Oops, sorry, Leo." They stopped running.
They continued drinking and talking, until Sister Theresa went to take care of business and Bjanic disappeared up the steps with two girls. Antonio had gone to fetch more wine, leaving Ezio and Raven sniggering at Leonardo and his new 'acquaintance'.
"You should really give him a chance, you know." He motioned to Antonio. "He's been trying to get your attention for some time now."
"I know." She drowned her glass. "I'm just not the kind of girl that sticks to just one guy." She smiled sheepishly. "I get bored easily."
"So does he." Ezio smiled back. "Give him a chance. Rumors say he's very…skilled." He stood up and was immediately led by a group of girls to the private rooms. Moments later, Antonio came back with another bottle of wine.
"Where did everybody go?" he asked.
"Who cares? More wine for us!" Raven laughed. She leaned over the small table and poured herself more wine, making sure Antonio got a good view down her front. Unintentionally, of course.
"So, Leo, you were telling me about that dissection?" she turned to the artist who started to babble on about it. Raven chirped in every now and then from what she remembered from school.
Antonio, sensing a conversation out of his league, started to walk away, but Raven grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him down to sit next to her. She smiled and pat his knee, then turned back to Leonardo.
She did not remove her hand.
So, Antonio waited a few seconds before putting his arm on the back of the couch behind her and thought of something to say to make her attention turn his way.
"You seem to know a lot about anatomy, don't you?" he praised her.
"Oh, sweetheart, I know a lot more about the human body than you might think." She slid her hand up his inner thigh. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Leonardo stand and leave with the younger boy up the stairs.
"Really?" Antonio lowered his voice. "I regret that I didn't have the proper education, I would like to talk to such intelligent people." He raised his right hand from its rest on the couch and pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
"That is awfully sweet of you, Antonio." He watched her lips form his name and smile.
"Before I forget," he swiftly looked down at her breasts, "I believe that you have something that belongs to me…"
"I took care not to get any blood on it." She turned to face him and promptly puffed her chest out under his nose. He raised an eyebrow and slid his index and middle finger between her warm breasts, slowly searching for his handkerchief. When he found it, he slowly pulled it out, raising his head to look into her eyes. She was watching him with a slight amused look, eyebrows raised and a soft, pouty smirk.
"Ggrazie, bella." He tilted his head in a small bow.
"I love how you Italians talk." She said, lowering her voice. "It's such a beautiful language…it sounds…exotic, in a way…"
"Really? I never thought of it like that." He noticed how she had leaned closer and tried to breathe in her scent, but she still wasn't close enough.
"Yes," she touched his shoulder, dusting an invisible speck from it. "I find it to be…sexy almost." She slid her hand to the back of his neck and pulled him closer, whispering against his lips. "Makes me feel warm…hot, even."
"I'll be sure to speak it more often when in your presence." He wrapped his arm around her waist. "For your pleasure…"
"I believe there is another way you can pleasure me, Antonio…" Raven felt his fingers twitch at her waist as she felt the tent in his pants with her other hand.