A/N:You might notice some familiarity in this chapter. Read on to find out...

Chapter 26: A Volatile Mix

Violet smiled and chuckled a bit. "I knew you would catch on. You are smarter than they may give you credit for."

Cole couldn't help but smile and shake his head. "I see that you are one who likes to exercise the mind."

She smiled back. "I will pass the message on to Xiomar and Uso then."

"I will call on the rest of them and inform them at once." Gabriella said.

"Where exactly in Toscana are they located?" Teo asked.

"San Gimignano; Il Antico Teatro Romano."

Cole's brain lurched at the name. He was familiar with that area, but he could not recall how or why he remembers it so vividly.

"Cole? Did you hear me?" Teo asked, snapping Cole out of his thoughts

"Mi dispiace, what did you say?"

"I wanted to know if there were any specific arrangements that you needed to be taken care of? Before we can move, we need to have an idea of the area's terrain. That is Nicci Marasco's specialty. But since that area is heavily guarded, it may take her a couple of days to give us an idea."

"I can't think of anything at the moment." Cole responded.

"Va bene, once we have our information and everything is finalized, we move for Toscana."

"Intensi."

"We are going to get her back Cole. At any cost."

"I would prefer for it to be without cost."

"Life is seldom without cost. Stay in touch." Teo leaped jumped off the rooftop into a haystack below.

~AC~IF~

January 14th, 1493

Everything has been finalized and well rehearsed. Cole would initialize the first distraction; the lightning storm.

Then the hired mercenaries and thieves would move in and provide the internal distraction. Cole and Teo's group would move to find and rescue Luisella. She was being held in a newly built underground chamber, and her cage was deep underground (according to Nicci). And it's littered with guards.

But Cole was a man with a plan. And his plan was destined to work; he would make sure of that. And he would make doubly sure that Christopher would pay.

"Is everyone good to go?" Cole asked.

"Xiomar and Uso as well as their group are ready in Toscana. We will meet up with them at Monte Oliveto Maggiore and we will move. Halfway, we will split up and take our positions, at your command." Teo spoke.

"And the rest of your group?"

"They are waiting for us on the boat. We depart tonight."

"Va bene." Cole responded lowly.

"Don't be blinded by your need for revenge." Teo said firmly.

"The time for vengeance will come on its own; it hasn't arrived yet. Right now, it's about rescuing a treasured member of the Assassins."

"Good. Now let us go."

Cole and Teo made their way to the port where the boat was being held. Nicci put down the plank that would allow them to walk onto the boat.

"Remember; don't step onto the ship with your left foot!" Enzo jokingly yelled out.

Cole chuckled a bit, Teo shook his head in amusement, and they stepped on the boat with their right foot. Once they were on board, Nicci raised the plank.

"Enzo, with me!" Teo yelled and the two of them walked off. Enzo climbed up the foremast, up to the crow's next while Enzo went to the steering wheel and began making wide gestures with his hands and arms. Within moments, the wind began to pick up, the water became slightly unsettled and they had begun to move.

"I need to remember to ask how they do this." Cole thought to himself.

Teo jumped down from the crow's nest and landed right to Cole, slightly startling him. "All will be revealed when the time comes Cole." He spoke. "Now come, sit relax, the ride will be a bit long unfortunately. You should spend the time gathering up your energy, rather than unnecessarily wasting it."

Cole followed his advice and went to sit down with the others.

~AC~IF~

January 16th, 1493

½ a mile away from Antico Teatro Romano…

"Is everyone ready?" Cole asked.

"Xiomar, Uso, and their band of thieves and mercenaries are near the area. As planned, on your signal, they will descend on the area and engage the guards. When everyone is distracted, the rest of us will quickly move into the underground chamber and incapacitate the guards there while you go in and rescue Luisella." Teo said.

Cole nodded his head in agreement.

"Bene, let's move."

The group began to walk forward, Cole staying back. Once they were a quarter of a mile away, he was to separate from them.

"Cole, hold a moment." Gabriella grabbed Cole's arm and pulled him to the side.

"Remember what you said earlier? That you would love Luisella no matter what?"

"Si."

"Remember I am still holding you to that statement."

"I am a man of my word Gabriella." Cole responded.

"It's a little hard to see that right now. Be sure to convince me." Gabriella walked away, once again leaving Cole confused. But he couldn't afford for his mind to be distracted. A dire situation needed tending to.

¼ a mile away from Antico Teatro Romano…

Once they were a quarter mile away, Cole separated from the group; both of them going in opposite directions.

Cole began to walk around the area, briefly taking notice of the amount of guards that patrolled the exterior and the interior of the area. He had to take care to maintain his distance; far enough away so he can see them, but they can't see him.

Once Cole was in position, he closed his eyes and let the electricity dance in his finger tips. He raised his arm to the sky and took a deep breath. He exhaled, brought his arms down and summoned the largest lightning storm he's ever summoned. But he was still in control. He guided it to where the guards were standing

"Che Cazzo?!"

"Dio mio! What is that!"

"Run!"

"Look at all of you running away! It's embarrassing. And here I was sure that you all had coglioni!" Christopher yelled, clearly annoyed with his guards' reactions. "That's what he told me anyway"

And these were the reactions Cole was looking for.

Immediately, Xiomar, Uso, and the large group of thieves and mercenaries descended on the area. With a grand entrance of raining fire balls.

"It's an ambush!" One of the guards yelled.

The sounds of combat filled the air and Cole finally saw what Violet meant by the groups being able to give these guards a run for their money.

He would have to save the acknowledgement and praise for later.

Cole ran outside the area and encountered Teo and the rest of them waiting for him.

"We hope this is alright; Max, Ilario, Ciana, and Violet are providing extra support." Teo spoke.

"It is alright; the larger the distraction the better it is for us."

The underground chamber was sealed and hidden. Nicci released the hold and the door opened. Teo, Cole, Enzo, Gabriella, and Nicci jumped down the hole. They immediately encountered their first batch of guards, backs to them, standing in water.

"Would you like to do the honors Cole?" Enzo whispered.

"It would be my pleasure." Cole spoke lowly. Cole placed his hand into the water and sent an electric current. It immediately traveled down and shocked the two guards. They briefly convulsed before falling back in the water.

"Bene; now at the risk of killing the rest of us, allow me." Enzo stepped forward. He brought his arms together and when he separated, the water separated as well right down the middle; opening up a free path for everyone to walk with a reduced risk of electrocution.

They all walked down the long and dimly lit corridor.

"Why are we even here to begin with?"

The group quickly split and hid in the arches of a doorway.

"Who cares; Christopher is paying us big money to keep an eye on who he has down here."

"But is it really worth all the trouble for this little puttana?"

Gabriella firmly grabbed on to Cole's arm to prevent him from breaking their cover.

"According to him, with enough work, she'll become one of them in no time."

"Who the hell is them?"

"Who knows, the man is as crazy as they come. It could be anyone. Now quit your complaining. I'd rather avoid a lecture from Christopher. "

"I heard that those really aren't lectures."

"Exactly."

"Gabriella, you're up." Teo whispered.

She nodded her head and stepped out in plain view.

"Huh? What are you doing here? Leave ora!" The guard yelled.

Gabriella continued to stand there. "You men have had a long day. You have worked hard. You need and deserve rest." She spoke.

"You know what. We've been up since the crack of dawn. I'm sure Christopher will understand if he took a little nap."

"You're right, I'm sure those lectures can't be that bad."

The two guards put down their lances, sat down, curled up in balls and fell asleep.

"Amazing." Cole whispered.

The group continued walking through the chambers. After some time, they reached what appeared to be the center of the chamber, with a single cage.

"There she is." Cole said as he began walking to the cage.

"Hey! What are you doing here stronzo?"

"How did you get here? No one is allowed here! Leave!"

Two heavily armored guards stepped out of the shadows and quickly made their way to Cole.

Nicci stepped forward and with a gesture of her arms, the walls became alive, surrounded the guards and restrained them to the wall.

"How did he get the Borgia here? They should all be stationed in Roma." Gabriella whispered to Teo.

"Help! Intruders! We need back up down he-"

"Chiudi la bocca." Nicci spoke as another piece of the wall moved to cover up their mouths. "As you were Cole."

Cole nodded his head and walked towards the cage. Once he was in front of the cage, he looked inside and saw Luisella inside. She wasn't moving.

"Merda." Cole immediately knelt down and placed his hand over the lock. The cage bars were rusty, so rest of it shouldn't be any better.

He was right.

With one strong burst of electricity, the lock was broken and the door opened. Cole immediately stepped inside and knelt down by Luisella. She was breathing; it was shallow but she was still alive, just unconscious.

"They're in here!"

"Cole, we need to go!" Nicci yelled.

"Come on Cole! We will cover you!" Teo said.

Cole quickly and carefully picked up Luisella and they were off. As the group ran, the guards began to pile in. But Teo, Gabriella, and Nicci made quick work of them.

"Mmm, what is happening?" Luisella mumbled.

"Hang on Luisella, we are almost out."

Once they were at the entrance, Nicci stomped on the ground and they were immediately launched out of the hole, they continued to run. The fight had died down and a large majority of the guards had been incapacitated or killed. Not a single mercenary or thief was on the ground.

"Xiomar, Uso!" Teo yelled out.

"Allow me to help; stop running a moment." Nicci spoke.

"Well done, Cole. Well done." Christopher had come from the side and walked towards them, slowly clapping. Cole raised a hand, ready to attack.

"There's no need. I will let you and your cute little group go…for now. But I promise you that this will not be the last time we see each other."

"Fottiti." Cole growled.

"Perhaps later. Maybe Luisella can help me..."

That was the last straw. Cole fired off a powerful lightning bolt and it hit Christopher, sending him flying off into the distance.

"Very clever Cole…" Christopher thought to himself. "We shall see if your love holds true. More importantly, we will see if the brotherhood is as strong as it's made to be."

"They are leaving, we should do the same."

Nicco jumped forward and put her arms out. With the movement of her arms, a large piece of the earth had popped out. "Get on."

The group stepped onto the piece of rock and with a flick of her wrist, they began to move. They quickly caught up to Xiomar and Uso. They were all currently riding on a bed of flames with Xiomar and Uso providing the fire power.

"Our boat is still docked. We will find a place to settle down for the night and leave tomorrow at down." Teo spoke.

"No, no…please…" Luisella mumbled.

"Make that immediately."

~AC~IF~

A week later…

The thieves and mercenaries from Toscana bid a fair well to Cole and the group. The group sailed back to Venice and taken refuge in Teo's home for security reasons. It was a bit interesting that the guards of Venice were shooting them dirty looks…

And Teo didn't mind at all. His home was large; large enough to fit a good portion of Venice at any given time. This was a rare time as well. It was rare for them to not only be in Teo's home but to also be able to relax and not worry about things. For the time being anyway. There was till the matter of Christopher infiltrating the Assassins. They took advantage of this time to rest and recuperate.

As for Luisella, she was up and about, but a change had taken place in her. A change that almost killed Cole. And guilt had been eating away at her ever since. She grew distance, not only from Cole, but from everyone else as well.

One day, she went missing and the group set out to find her. But the strange thing is, not even Gabriella was able to establish contact with her. And that worried Cole deeply.

While scanning the rooftops, Cole found Luisella standing at the edge. A fall of that height could kill her…

"Luisella!" Cole yelled out. He ran across the rooftops to catch up with her. She didn't acknowledge him.

"Luisella, you have worried us all. Where have you been?"

"I've been up here the whole time." She spoke softly.

"What's wrong?"

She didn't respond."

"Luisella?" Cole gently grabbed her shoulder and turned her around. He immediately caught the tears streaming down her face.

"Why are you crying? What is troubling you?"

"Do you want to know what is troubling me?" She spoke.

"It would be a good start."

"Look at me! I'm an Assassin! How am I to remain in the shadows if I stand out like this?!" Her eyes now glowed a bright icy blue, her skin a pale white, and her hair had taken a navy blue color.

"What is the problem? You are fine to me."

"Look at what I can do!" Luisella stuck out her hand and a ball of water immediately formed. "Look at this!"

Cole still failed to see the problem.

Luisella yelled out. "The problem is that I can kill you Cole! And I almost did!"

A few days ago, upon discovering her new abilities, a touch meant to be gentle and loving had become deadly. A current of water that was unwillingly controlled by Luisella had somehow penetrated through Cole's skin and begin to electrocute him internally. She came very close to killing him.

"I will never let myself live that down."

"It is okay. You don't have that much control over your abilities. I can help you."

"No you can't."

"I can help Luisella. I was once in your shoes. I understand what you're going through, probably better than anyone. Just-"

"Oh what do you know? When you got your abilities it was over in a flash, almost painless. What he did to me, what that bastardo did to me was slow…and I felt every moment of it…" She fought hard to keep the tears from flowing.

"I have been at this for a long time caro. I can help you."

"No you can't. This is different. I'm different."

"That may be." Cole walked over to Luisella and grabbed her hands. "But I still see you as the same person that I fell in love with all those years ago."

"Look at me! Look at what I can do! I could kill you at any given moment Nicola!"

"But what you fail to realize is I can as well. And yet I remained, and you did too."

"Humph." Luisella tried to rip her hands out of Cole's grip but he held strong.

"Bella. Look at me." She refused.

Cole gently grabbed her chin and pulled her face up so she could look at him. Once she was forced to look Cole in his eyes, she saw nothing but genuine concern, sincerity and most importantly, love. Love that was for her. A love that was not going to end anytime soon. He was willing to put his life on the line for her.

No matter what the peril may be.

"…Alright." She said softly. "When do we start?"

"We can start when you are ready." Cole kissed Luisella's forehead and pulled her in for a hug. Luisella tentatively reciprocated the embrace. Cole took notice that she was a few degrees cooler than she usually is.

I'll have no qualms about warming her up then.

After the long embrace, they broke apart. Cole took Luisella's hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. She smiled softly at the gesture. The two of them made their way down the rooftop to meet with the rest of the group.

All was right with Assassins now, though the location of Cole and apparently now Luisella, still remains unknown to the rest. It will probably be best for the time being.

It will only be a matter of time until Christopher strikes. But now there is no need to worry...

Because they will be ready.

Memory Synched: Mid-Sequence Satisfied

*~*Memory Synched: Sequence 12 Complete*~*

Synchronization rate: 71%

And there you have it, Sequence 12 is done! I've been dying to get to Sequence 13 because I love the Bonfire of the Vanities =D

A plot twist is coming up in Sequence 13, I hinted at the supposed plot twist in this chapter, can you find it? If you think it's a mistake or a TYPO then you found it ;D

Please review and tell me what you think :)

Also, and I can't say this enough but THANK YOU all to who took the time to read, favorite, follow or, review. It really means a lot. Receiving those emails letting me know of a new follower, reviewer, or showing me that someone deemed my story likable enough to add it to their favorites list, really makes me smile. Hell, even seeing the view count go up make me smile. You guys are awesome. Love you all =D