Disclaimer: I do not own Ubisoft or Assassin's Creed Unity, and I make no profit from this story. It was written purely for fun.


Night of the Assassin

The night was dark. A half moon providing just enough light for someone to make out shadows in the dark. Many shadows filled the streets of Paris that evening, but only one was moving. The stealthy figure of a hooded man moved about like a wil-o-the-wisp, his dark blue coat allowing him to blend in flawlessly, and become one with his surroundings.

Through the streets he traveled, ducking into doorways and crouching down behind barrels and crates. As he darted from one source of cover to the other, he suddenly stopped. There! Up ahead! That was the building! The headquarters of the Templars. Inside would be the artifact he'd been searching for for months. This was a critical time now. He could not afford any mistakes. One wrong move, one slight sound, and it would all be over. The artifact would remain in the hands of the Templars….and his life would be snuffed out like a candle.

Climbing up a drainpipe, he made his way along the rooftops until the large, ornate structure containing the prize he sought was before him. All it would take would be a leap. A leap of faith to cross the distance from this roof to that one. It was farther away than he'd anticipated. Could he do it? With a running start, he raced to the edge, then leapt like an eagle leaving its perch. Gliding through the air with his back arched, and his arms spread out, he reached the other side. Ducking into a forward shoulder roll, he landed on the roof of the headquarters, gracefully rising to his feet without making a sound. Now came the tricky part.

Moving about the edge, he made his way around the roof, peering over the side until he spotted an open window. Like a spider, he climbed down the side of the building, clinging to the bricks, until he reached the window. Confident the room was empty, he grabbed the top of the window frame to swing himself inside, and….

"ARNO DORIAN!"

Tumbling off the top of the gazebo, a startled 8 year old Arno landed in a heap on top of a finely trimmed boxwood hedge. With his cheeks burning from embarrassment, he climbed out of the bushes as the gentle giggles of a girl filled the air.

"You scared me, Elise. I could have broken my neck!" Arno scolded, as he brushed a few leaves off of his coat.

"What were you doing?" she asked, still giggling.

"I….I was practicing my climbing skills!" he stated soundly. Realizing how lame his excuse sounded, Arno felt his cheeks heating up again.

"Your climbing skills." Elise repeated, one eyebrow rising up in doubt. "It looked to me like you were practicing to be a cat burglar, especially with what you were saying. The stealthy figure of a hooded man moved about like a wil-o-the-wisp. You were talking out loud, in case you didn't know."

"I….I was pretending to hunt for a treasure." Arno confessed, indicated some apples in a fruit bowl on a table under the gazebo. Looking to the side, he stared at the lawn, wishing the earth would open and swallow him up.

"Well if you are practicing to be a cat burglar, you're very good. Let us put your skills to the test! Cook has just baked some petit fours for the party tonight. If you can snatch a couple for us, I'll give you a reward. Come on!"

Taking Arno's hand, Elise sprinted off with him towards a pair of open doors leading to a hallway within her family mansion. Just before they reached the doors however, she stopped. With a pretty smile lighting up her face, and a mischievous twinkle in her eye, she kissed him on the cheek.

"I decided to give you your reward ahead of time. I like you, Arno. I think you're cute."

"I am?" Arno replied, a silly grin on his face as he rubbed the cheek she'd just kissed.

"Yes. I do." said Elise.

"Do I get another reward if I can snatch the petit fours without getting caught?" he asked. With a coy smile, Elise replied.

"Perhaps."

The End

Author's note: My apologies to all of you who are Assassin's Creed Unity fans. I confess, I know very little about the game. But I wanted to write a little fluff about Arno and Elise, in honor of my friend's birthday. I hope you enjoyed it, especially you my friend. Happy Birthday Argonian read by Imaginary Dan!