Author's note: Okay. Am I the only one that can't seem to wait for Assassin's Creed 3? I saw the official trailer the other day and I think that I might have squeed. Like a fangirl. It was bad. This is the second time I'm writing one of these things somewhere other than work. What's that saying about a change of scenery? I'm sure that you all remember Carlo from the "He Knows Me". That's right: I'm recycling extras. What of it?

The True Assassin's Creed

Bernardo Baroncelli had himself hauled up nice and tight in an alcove of San Gimignano. He'd done pretty well to ensure that no one was going to be able to get to him. Every entrance that could be taken to get into the square was littered with guards, and it could easily be said that the man had managed to construct the perfect sanctuary.

Or grave.

Ezio crouched down on one of the rooftops, the only area that hadn't been sufficiently guarded. He could easy see Bernardo walking about in a nervous rotation that was going to make sneaking up on him a little trickier than Ezio had anticipated. But he had a backup plan. He didn't need to sneak up to get this to work. Watching for a break in the guards' rotation he ran to the edge and leapt off, falling into the nearest haystack with ease. Bernardo was muttering to himself as he walked around the court, jumpy at any sudden movements. Once he wasn't fully paying attention Ezio slipped out, and took his place in the middle of a band of mercenario.

"Vi ha preso abbastanza a lungo, Assassino. We've been waiting for you. You don't know the trouble that my men went through to be able to get into this place. The soldiers made getting in here almost impossible. Bastardi. We practically had to smuggle our weapons in."

Ezio tried not to laugh at the other's displeasure as he explained. San Gimignano was in a flurry since his arrival and he felt a little sorry for the mercenaries that were going to have to stay behind after the chaos caused by hunting down the Pazzi conspirators subsided. At the same time it wasn't really something that he was going to stop any time soon.

Carlo, the head mercenary, continued glancing over his shoulder to the main part of the cortile. "There were twelve of my mercenaries that weren't even allowed in."

"I'm sorry about that, but there's nothing that I can really do. Soon the soldiers will have nothing left here to protect. Just leave it to me. I won't really need any of your assistance. I'll have this taken care of." Ezio ran his fingers over one of the throwing knives, before pulling it out.

"So what's the plan?" The leader asked, apparently not noticing the knife that Ezio had drawn. The assassin held it up in as if to show the obvious method that he was going to be taking. With a smirk he prepared to throw it, before Carlo grabbed him arm to stop him. "Wait. What are you doing?"

Ezio swatted at his hand, trying to pull away. "Che cosa intende dire? Are you crazy?" The commotion caught Bernardo Baroncelli's attention, and Ezio turned away so that he was out of view.

"What was that?" they could hear Bernardo ask. "Just another mercenary.

The two exchanged a knowing glance before Carlo took the throwing knife from him. "You can't use this for right now. It's like the Assassin's code. You have to be right there. Up close and personal. You have to be close enough to question him. We need to know where Jacopo is."

Ezio looked annoyed, before snatching the knife back. "He's surrounded by guards. How am I supposed to get down there to deal with the problem? It's impossible."

Carlo smirked before motioning to a well near the center of the cortile. "You just have to go to some place where no one will see you, and the opportunity will come."

As much as Ezio didn't want to admit it Carlo was right. They still needed to get information from one of the conspirators so that Ezio could find Jacopo, and after throwing Antonio Maffei from the tower Bernardo Baroncelli was his last chance to get information. "Have your men ready to deal with the soldiers." Ezio instructed. "Sto andando lì." The assassin pointed to the previously indicated well before waiting until Bernardo's back was turned.

He didn't have to wait long. One of the vendors caught the intended's attention, and Ezio nodded to the mercenario. "This is my chance." Leaving the group he jumped the ledge, landing in the courtyard below before taking the final sprint to his destination. Twisting in the air as he jumped, his hands caught the stone edge and he disappeared into the mouth of the well.

"No, no, no. Non mi interessa." He could hear Bernardo say, before waving the mercante away. As far as he could tell he hadn't been seen, and the plan was working out just the way that Carlo had envisioned. He pulled his head up just high enough to see the wary target, before he dropped out of sight once more.

If Bernardo didn't hurry he was going to be in trouble. He hadn't fully thought out how long he might be hanging in the well, and he was starting to feel a bit of a strain in his arms. While working on keeping his breathing steady his feet scraped on the side of the well, trying to find a suitable foothold that would take some of his weight. It took him a moment before one of his feet caught, and he was able to relax a little.

It wouldn't be long now. Bernardo was already beginning to loop back in the direction of his hiding place. He would only have to wait a few more moments before this would pay off.

"All they care about is coin. All anyone cares about is coin." He could hear the paranoid man reasoning to himself as he came to the edge of the well. Bernardo leaned forward a little before his mouth opened in disbelief as if what he was seeing before him was impossible. The Auditore was clinging to the wall, a smirk on his face. He started to pull back, the shock still evident in his eyes, but it was too late.

The assassin's hand shot forward, hitting the trigger to the hidden blade, and driving it into the intended victim right before he grabbed him by the belt. Ezio jerked the man in red forward, and Bernardo stumbled from the force, falling over the wall of the well. Ezio released him and watched as he dropped all the way until he collided with the water below.

By the time Ezio had pulled himself out of the well chaos had erupted in the square. The mercenario sprung into action, taking on four soldiers at a time, and the soldiers were more confused than anyone by the battle that had just erupted.

Ezio was just about to join in when Carlo came over and gave him a firm whack upside the head. "Che cosa ha pensato? È idiota."

Ezio rubbed his head. "What was that for? You were the one who said to use the well."

"You were supposed to question him. That was why you couldn't just use the throwing knife. Non posso credere a quello che avete fatto. You can't question a man at the bottom of a well. We'll never find Jacopo now."

Ezio paused, casting a guilty glance over the edge to where Bernardo's body could be seen in the dark water. "Il mio errore." He looked back at Carlo who crossed his arms. "That was the last one, wasn't it?"

Glossary of Italian: (I don't speak Italian. All translation was checked, double check, and rechecked on an online translator.)

Assassino – Assassin

Bastardi – Bastards.

Che cosa ha pensato? È idiota. – What were you thinking? You idiot.

Che cosa intende dire? – What do you mean?

cortile – courtyard

Il mio errore. – My mistake.

mercante – merchant

mercenari – mercenary

Non mi interessa. – I'm not interested.

Non posso credere a quello che avete fatto. – I can't believe what you have done.

Sto andando lì. – I'm going down there.

Vi ha preso abbastanza a lungo. – Took you long enough.