Sorry for the late update. I had a bad case of the writer's block.

Anyway, we are nearing the two month marker which means I need to start putting out more chapters if I want to get everything in before the release date. Also, for those of you who were confused, the Arno's POV thing was going to be a whole other story rather than just a chapter, and because of the positive feedback, I will be making the story, but right now I am still sampling a new writing style just for him, so I do not know when I will have it published.

Also, sorry for the filler chapter, I needed to get this out of the way in order to make room for the chaos ahead.

Enjoy.

Chapter 10: The Fall

My hands are clasped together in front of my chin as I glance between the documents strewn all over the table. Arno sits across from me in the same position as he too probably has the same thoughts running through his head. Although I had witnessed the exchange and read the evidence, my mind still can not accept the betrayal.

Alphonse has always been like a father to me. Even when he was stern, he only had the best intentions in his heart, but what drove him to do this? I feel almost sick thinking about the act of using me to steal information just so he could sell it to the Templars. I'm both upset and pissed off, which is not a very good combination.

"What do you think?" Arno questions as we lock eyes. "Should we inform the others, or should we consider other options?"

I swallow back the lump in my throat and force the tears to stay in my eyes. The feeling of mental exhaustion is taking over and all I want to do is sleep. "Tristan and Zacharie, even with evidence, will not understand," I reply with a tremble in my tone. "It would be best if we spoke to Oliver so that he can convince them."

"You believe he can do that?"

I nod. "He has a way with words."

Arno places a hand on top of my clasped ones and lowers them from my face. I do not even realize I am shaking until my companion steadies my quivering fingers in between his palms. "I realize this is not easy," he states as he places a digit under my chin and gently pulls my attention upward until our eyes meet. "But I need you for this."

I pull away from him and cross my arms over my chest. "I will be fine. If Alphonse has become a traitor to the Brotherhood, then we have no other choice." Dorian frowns at the cold shoulder I am giving him, but I can not let him comfort me. It only makes the pain worse.

"You will have to call the orders on this one. I fear that I am not close enough to the situation to handle it properly," Arno explains as he collects the documents and places them in his coat. "Are you sure you will be fine?"

Although my chest tightens in agony, I nod anyway. "Let's hurry back to the bureau."

X

Where the hell could they be?

I've been waiting for my brothers for nearly six hours, but they have yet to return. The trembling that had taken over my body several hours ago still rattles my bones while I pace back and forth in the chancel of the church. What makes matters worse is my mentor's presence lingering beyond the altar as his pen scratches against parchment in what I'm sure is a hurried attempt at a letter for the Templars. I feel almost terrified being alone in a building with the man, but for now I am trapped here until he orders me away.

My heart races at the sound of iron clicking against one another as the door to the church opens to reveal my fellow comrades. With smiles are their faces, they speak amongst one another until they spot me waiting patiently. Zacharie is the first to offer me a grin before picking me up in a hug.

"It always feels like it has been ages since our last conversation," he says as he lowers me back to the ground.

I glance up at him with a smile of my own before gazing back and forth at the others. "Alphonse is keeping me busy here," I retort while forcing down my nervousness. "So what kept you boys active today?"

"Factions mostly," Tristan interjects before Zach could speak. "They are building in popularity and starting to become a bit…extreme."

I furrow my brows as I can not help but become curious. "What do you mean by extreme?"

"Executions by torturous methods is a main concern," Oliver speaks up.

Elise had warned about this, but I still have yet to hear from her. "Who are the people being executed?" I question.

Zacharie shrugs. "It's for the most part random. A bakery owner here; a homeless man there. Throw in a few clergy along with the poor and you basically have mix of chaos."

Tristan nods. "With the deaths not sharing any connections besides made up sins, the citizens are starting to worry that they will be next in the crossfire."

I bite my lip to suppress the knowledge of the situation as I glance between the boys. First with Alphonse and now these executions, I can not imagine any worse news right now. The Templars have finally seeped within the cracks of France's foundation and are now destroying the structure from the inside. I wonder if I will be able to convince Elise for information on the topic once she decides to show her face again.

"Is Alphonse busy?" Oliver asks as his attention lands on me.

I tense as soon as the name reaches my ears, earning a concerned look from each of the males. "Yeah," I reply with a light tremble before clearing my throat. "He has recently been contacted by the council. I think they are beginning to pressure him to receive more information on Robespierre."

Tristan clicks his tongue. "Those stiffs always want something more than what they have."

"Indeed," I mutter before turning towards Oliver. "Can you spare a few minutes? We need to talk."

Both Zacharie and Tristan furrow their brows as our green-cloaked comrade nods and follows me towards the stable section of the building. Once we were out of earshot, I check the surrounding rafters for any prying eyes before putting my full attention on Oliver. Just as predicted, he is calculating my behavior while his features remain emotionless.

"This is about the way you have been acting the past few weeks?" he questions.

I nod while biting my bottom lip. "Several months ago, Alphonse asked me to receive information during assignments and send them directly to him without the three of you noticing," I reply which earns a frown from the man. "His reasoning was due to a traitor inside the brotherhood. The letter from the council did not say where the rat was hiding, but only that the bureau leaders should stay cautious."

"And why would he tell you, but not the rest of us?" he interrogates as he becomes tense.

"He said he wanted to be sure," I mutter while trying to mask the quiver in my tone. "I had read the letters and seen for myself the worry the council had on the subject. What I did not know was that I was being used the entire time."

"Speak sense," Oliver says in sharp tone causing me to flinch.

"Alphonse is the traitor."

His brown eyes widen while a hint of disbelief and shock cross his face momentarily. "Is there proof?"

I nod, but I do not have the courage to look at him. "It's under my bed. Arno was with me when Alphonse and a Templar associate exchanged documents."

Oliver sighs as he runs a hand through his dark locks. It's rare that I see him in such a state, but he is currently like me, the shock is overwhelming. "Let me see the evidence for myself and I will speak to Arno when he returns. Do you plan on telling Tristan and Zacharie?"

I shake my head. "Not yet. It will be difficult to discuss this matter with them. I fear they may not be able to handle such a delicate situation."

He nods out of understanding. "Until the case is clear, keep them in the dark. You were right in doing so; they might have taken offense to the accusations."

Although it was meant to be comforting, the reassurance did not help. Was I even capable of treating this problem?

X

Several hours have passed since the last time I spoke with Oliver. Arno arrived not too long ago, and upon reviewing the evidence, he and our green-cloaked comrade had a lengthy discussion about the topic at hand. The wait is nerve-wracking, and after feeling suffocated by the walls of the church, I finally decide a breath of fresh air on the roof would do me some good.

Although the sun shines brightly and the sky is a beautiful blue with little to no clouds in sight, the day feels depressing. The inevitable was soon to come, but for now I am forced to wait in mental agony. I sigh as I rub my temples to suppress the migraine that is forming. I do not believe my sanity will make it to the end of the day.

"Are you going to be alright?" a voice calls.

It shouldn't be such a shock to me anymore that he is always able to find my location whether I want him to or not, but yet here I am jumping out of surprise at his sudden intrusion. "I will be fine," I reply as I turn to gaze at him.

He does not offer his familiar smile as he takes a seat next to me and we both turn our attentions to the Paris landscape. "Oliver matched our stories together and read over the documents carefully," Dorian starts with a slight hesitance. "He agrees that this needs to be sorted, and will discuss further planning with Zacharie and Tristan. Our choices are to either turn him over to the council, or confront him ourselves."

"We are putting it to a vote then?" I question.

He nods. "I hardly know the man personally, but to send him to those men who run this Brotherhood would be a fate worse than death."

So he has met those bastards…I wonder what else he has done that he has yet to mention. "I'm sorry that you had the displeasure of talking to them, but they will know what to do."

Arno finally glances at me and our eyes lock. "The council…do you trust them?"

With my eyes still mesmerized in his, I shake my head. "They are still stuck in their old ways. It's either follow the creed or be known as a traitor. Everyone is expendable save for those whose lives remain politically promising."

"Would you be willing to hand Alphonse over to them?"

Without a doubt in my mind, I know what has to be done. "He may have traded information for coin, but he does not deserve what they plan on doing to him."

"And you are okay with what has to be done if he confesses to his sins?"

My breath hitches in my throat causing me to look away from the assassin. "You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Arno's stare observing me closely causing a chill to run down my spine. "Oliver should be done with Tristan and Zacharie…If you do not want to-"

My attention snaps his direction causing him to instantly close his mouth. "Why are you constantly worrying about my well being?" I question as I stand from the edge of the building. "I may be a woman, but I will not sit back while you boys do this without me."

He jumps to his feet and uses his taller stature to overshadow me. "Have you seen yourself recently? We are all worried about you, and honestly you look as though you haven't slept since our stay at the inn. Now tell me the truth: can you handle this or not?"

I look him hard in the eyes, and he returns the gaze. "No," I reply truthfully. "But this has to be done, so I will be there by your side the entire time."

His eyes soften as he reaches to place a hand on my shoulder. "Stay strong."

Arno says nothing more as he moves toward the side of the building and clambers down the flying buttresses. I take in a heavy breath as I watch him move gracefully along the structure. Only a few months into the order and he is already almost a master in skill. I will never be able to reach that rank thanks to my gender, and here I watch a man who has been with us for such a short time and he will surely surpass me in the coming weeks. I can not help but feel envious.

Noting the hay wagon below my vantage point, I take a leap of faith and beat my fellow assassin to the ground. I grin his way as I brush the straw from my robes and the two of us make our entrance into the bureau. Alphonse had left some time ago on an 'errand,' giving the five of us time to plan our confrontation. Both Zacharie and Tristan sit on the pews with wide eyes as they stare into the empty space of the church while Oliver greets Arno and I with a nod.

"Give them a few more minutes," the green-cloaked assassin says.

"Have they agreed to a solution yet?" Dorian asks as we both find a seat on a separate pew.

Oliver shakes his head. "The news is still seeping through."

"Are you sure about this?" Tristan questions while his eyes move from one person to the next.

"We do not want to believe it either, but it's true," I reply causing the brute to click his tongue out of anger.

"What are we supposed to do?" Zacharie finally speaks up.

"We make a vote," Oliver announces. "We either take care of the situation ourselves or hand him over to the council and they will decide his punishment."

"You're joking?" Tristan growls in between his teeth.

The green-cloaked assassin is unfazed as he shakes his head. "Do not cloud your perspective. We are assassins, and unless you plan on betraying the Brotherhood for a traitor's life, then we must do what is necessary."

Tristan looks ready to attack at a moments notice, but he stays his place on the bench. "He goes with the council. It's their judgment whether he is guilty or innocent."

Zacharie raises his hand. "Council."

"Council," I speak up, earning a stare from Arno.

"Three out of five," Oliver states as he glances over at Dorian. "Do you have an input?"

The assassin shakes his head. "The decision has been made."

Just when I think there is going to a break for us to get our bearings, the door to the church opens, revealing the man in question. We each turn to glance at him before gazing at one another. Alphonse appears confused as he approaches us and observes our odd behavior.

"Is there something you would like to tell me?" our mentor asks while we all stand.

"What have you been telling the Templars?" Tristan gets straight to the point as we slowly surround the bureau leader.

Alphonse's eyes widen as his attention lands on all of us briefly. "What is the meaning of this?"

"We know you have been selling information. Nicole and I witnessed it," Arno speaks up causing the brute to turn towards me.

"You told me the truth in order to lie to me," I say with barred teeth.

Alphonse chuckles making the five of us arc a brow in confusion. "The one person I thought would never question my authority is the one to disobey her direct orders. Let me guess…" He turns towards Arno. "…you were the one to give her the idea to pursue the thought."

"So you admit to working for the Templars?" Oliver questions.

"I ain't denying it, are I?" the bureau leader growls as he releases his hidden blade. "If only you knew the inner structure of the Brotherhood, you would know that we are just as messed up as the Templars, but when you take a step back, you will see that their ideas are less crazy."

"Why not just retire than betray us?" Zacharie questions. "We are family."

"No, kid," Alphonse states as he nears my location while I take a step back. "We're not."

The narrow walkway of the stables has me trapped in a linear location, allowing for no free movement. Just as our mentor raises his hand to strike and I match my pose to block, he screams before falling to one knee while holding the other. Tristan stands behind him with his cutlass in hand just as Oliver pulls his gun from its holster. The shot is loud upon release, but nothing matched the sound of the splitting of bone as the bullet pierced Alphonse's skull.

The scream does not pass my lips as blood splatters over my robes and the brute falls motionless to the ground. Just like that, in a few mere seconds, the man who had been like a second father to me is now dead. The lump in my throat grows larger, but the tears do not fall from my eyes as I watch red liquid pool on the floor in front of me.

It isn't until Arno takes me in his arms and leads me away from the scene when I finally lose control. I'm grateful he does not let go because without him, I would not be able to stand.

"Stay strong," he whispers as his hold tightens. "This is not the end for us."