Welcome to Season 3 of Deadliest Warrior of Fiction

Just to get the disclaimer out of the way early, I still don't own the rights to any of these warriors, otherwise this would be its own show or game.

oxoxoxo

Zivon, DAM and Scarecrow stood before a table of weapons, ranging from blades to bows, all sharpened to a razor's edge. The weapons were divided in two with half bearing the more elegant design of weapons forged during the Italian Renaissance, while others bore the more simplistic and practical design of those made during medieval days. Behind them stood a pair of mannequins, the one on the medieval side dressed in a suit of studded leather and the other on the renaissance side dressed in a long white hooded robe with a cape over one shoulder. "Italy versus Antiva." Zivon said in opening. "This is Ezio Auditore against Zevran Arainai."

"This is a battle of the assassins," DAM explained. "While the organizations they served differed dramatically, what these warriors have in common is that all of their weapons are designed to be instantly lethal with every strike. Despite how different they are arsenal wise, every tool they packed was designed to kill."

"These warriors are both insanely well armed and had training to boot." Scarecrow added. "Take Zevran first. He's raised as an orphan before being sold to the Antivan Crows who mould him into a deadly killer. He's operated all over Thedas, from Antiva to Ferelden, and once he turned on the Crows, they STILL haven't managed to take him down. He's that good. Then, you compare him to Ezio, he's raised on the complete other side of the spectrum, the child of a banker who learned free running and fighting at a young age. When he is brought into the Assassin Brotherhood, he makes his mark on the dark side of history by eliminating several key players in Italy. He almost single handedly brought down the Borgia family, quite possibly the most powerful family at the time."

"The best thing about this fight is still the weapons." Zivon explained. "We've got iconic weapons on both sides, weapons no target ever saw coming, as well as the blades and bows that made these men into legends in the shadows. Not only that, but this season, we're making a big change. We're analyzing any and all X-Factors that could change the fight and including those in the final analysis. I can't wait to see how this plays out."

Zevran Arainai

(A tattooed, dark skinned elf in leather armour stabs at the camera with a longsword)

The renegade Antivan Crow who turned on his former masters after helping to topple the Fifth Archdemon.

(Zevran drives his sword through the back of one Antivan Crow before slitting another's throat with his dagger)

Versus

Ezio Auditore

(A white hooded man in a long robe points his sword at the camera)

The fearless Italian Assassin, whose exploits in the early days of the Renaissance saved Italy and the world from conquest.

(Ezio makes a running leap off a rooftop and lands hidden blades first on a pair of Borgia soldiers)

WHO

IS

DEADLIEST?

To find out, the battles of fiction and modern science collide as doctor and historian DeadAliveManiac dives deep into the physical injuries and battlefield tactics of the warriors behind the weapons, biomedical engineer Zivon96 will use advanced technology to uncover data on the arsenals of these legendary warriors, and Scarecrow'sMainFan will collect all the data and build a no holds barred battle to the death between the two titans of the battlefield. When paired with research, a true battle to the death will occur between two warriors pulled from the pages of fiction, legends will be rewritten, but only one will be crowned...

DEADLIEST WARRIOR!

Welcome back to the Fight Club, where our experts are gearing up for a deadly fight between two of fiction's most lethal assassins.

Ezio Auditore Master Assassin of the Italian Renaissance who forced the mighty Borgia family to its knees
Circa: 1506
Height: 6'
Weight: 165lbs
Armour: Strategic Steel Plate

And his newest foe,

Zevran Arainai Renegade Antivan Crow who turned on his former masters after helping to end the Fifth Blight
Circa: 9:37 Dragon
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 122lbs
Armour: Studded Drakeskin Leather

"Right off the bat, let's start with the tail of the tape." DAM began. "Looking at Zevran first, he's a smaller fighter at only five foot five, but he's also scrappier since his training with the crows was so brutal and taught him to exploit any weakness he could find. That said, because he's a renegade, he lives a lot of his life on the run, trying his best to escape from both the Crows and any authority that might go after him. Then you compare him to Ezio, he's a bigger fighter at six feet, and he was raised in a much more comfortable lifestyle. I think that the lifestyle Ezio lived here might just come back to bite him, because while he's well trained, Zevran is much more tenacious due to his upbringing."

"Tenacity is one thing," Scarecrow explained. "But another is tactics. When you look at Zevran, he's an ambush predator. His tactic is to lure his enemy into a nice quiet location, then cut off all escape so he can kill them. Ezio's approach to killing is a bit different. He's a stealthy hunter, known for killing from the shadows or hiding places rather than relying on elaborate ambushes."

"Completely agreed on both of your points." Said Zivon "And both of those points are reflected in their weapons. When you look at Zevran's weapons, you have his longsword, but more importantly, you have the Crow Dagger. That thing is a monster of a knife, designed for a lethal but brutal strike. Then you compare that to Ezio's Hidden Blade. Like him, it's a concealed weapon, hidden right up until it needs to be used. This is a really interesting match, but before we can start it, we need to test the weapons and look at the X-Factors."

The new digital combat engine combines weapons data with over one hundred different X-Factors, critical factors assigned numerical values based on the warriors' lives, tactics and psychological profiles. These critical intangibles will be numerically quantified by historian Undaed15.

Undaed sat at his computer, turning his chair around to face the three approaching hosts. Zivon stepped up first. "So, how do you think the X-Factors are going to shape up this fight?"

"A big one is going to be training." Undaed explained. "On one hand, Ezio has had a longer life and has had many mentors in combat, stealth and assassination. Zevran, on the other hand, received all his training from the Crows, but it was brutal, involving torture in order to toughen him up. This creates a subtle difference, but it is an important one."

oxoxoxo

A dark skinned woman in a revealing white tunic and long black boots with a blue bandana on her head looked down the length of a longsword and smirked.

Handling the weapons for Zevran is former lover and infamous pirate Isabella. Zevran's actions inspired Isabella to take up the blade, and her similar fighting style has led her to become a feared pirate and duellist.

"I might have had better lovers than Zevran in my time, but if you need someone dead, he's the man you call." Isabella explained. "He's a master with a blade, a bow and some weapons no one sees coming."

Another woman, this one pale, with bright orange hair and a set of leather armour pulled back on a bow string.

Also fighting for the Antivan Assassin is master archer and Seeker of Truth Leliana. Leliana fought with Zevran during the Fifth Blight and is a master archer and spy.

"Zevran is a different specimen than the average assassin." Leliana explained. "He's a stealthy fighter, but also one who can fight face to face. Nearly any man he has set his sights on has died, and this Ezio character will merely be his next target."

Born to an elven woodcutter and Dalish mother in 9:04 in the Dragon Age, Zevran was raised from infancy in an Antivan whorehouse. At the age of seven, his skills in thievery caught the attention of the House of Arainai, one of many Antivan households under the Antivan Crows. Purchased alongside several other orphans, Zevran was one of only two to survive the training of the Crows, earning him the name of Arainai.

"Zev took on quite a few jobs with the Crows," Isabella explained. "He worked in a team of three, himself, and two others, Rinna and Taliesen. Together, they were deadly as all hell, great between the sheets too." The pirate queen said with a wistful smile on her face. "Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, Zev and Taliesen were assigned to kill Rinna, and Zevran didn't take it too well."

After killing Rinna, Zevran began to take on more and more dangerous tasks for the Crows, until the day he took on the task of killing the last Grey Wardens in Ferelden. During his attempt, Zevran was defeated and recruited by the Wardens and aided them in ending the Fifth Blight, after which, Zevran disappeared.

"After helping to quell the blight, Zevran disappeared into the winds." Leliana explained. "After vanishing, he began his rebellion against the Crows, rallying several other assassins to his side and leading them against the guild. Since then, Zevran has been a constant thorn in the side of the Crows, and one they are still unable to remove."

Team Zevran is confident in the elf's victory, but our experts representing Ezio Auditore are just as confident.

A dark haired woman in a red Assassin robe ran her thumb along the flat of a basket hilted sword.

Leading the charge for Ezio Auditore is his sister Claudia Auditore. Claudia is a member of the Assassin Brotherhood, and is skilled in stealth, assassination and intelligence gathering.

"There was no one in Europe who could stop Ezio, and this elf will meet them same fate as all others who tried." Claudia explained. "Ezio has the superior weapons and the training to kill anyone he fights."

A young man in a white hoodie with short dark hair strapped a hidden blade to his arm.

Returning to fight for his Italian Ancestor, is modern Assassin Desmond Miles. Desmond lived out Ezio's entire life through the machine called the Animus and gained his entire life's worth of experience from it.

"There's no way this guy can top Ezio." Desmond said. "Ezio will wait until Zevran is at his weakest and then kill him with a single blow. He won't even see it coming."

Born in Florence Italy in 1459, Ezio was born into the life of a Florentine banker at the start of the Renaissance. From a young age, he was taught free running and swordplay from his older brother and father respectively, as they groomed him from a young age to be an assassin. But his life of luxury, was about to take a dark turn as his father and brothers were arrested and executed, framed for conspiring against the city.

"When our father and brothers were killed, it nearly drove Ezio mad with grief." Claudia said. "He swore he would hunt down and kill everyone involved in their murders until none remained. Under the tutelage of our uncle Mario, he gained the skills he needed to become the ultimate killer."

With his uncle's training, Ezio became a renowned Assassin, and soon enough ascended to the rank of Mentor in the Brotherhood, building his own force of Assassins as he took the fight to Rome to do battle with the Borgias, the ones who had organized the killing of his family and the most powerful Templars in Europe.

"Ezio was going up against the most powerful force of Templars in Europe, and he was doing it alone, from within their strongest city." Desmond explained. "He did this by staying underground and taking out key members of the enemy when they were at their weakest, slowly breaking down the enemy until he could take his shot at the higher ups."

So how would Italy's most notorious killer fare against the renegade Crow who hunts his fellow assassins.

The showdown begins at long range, where both Ezio and Zevran would make their kills from a distance. The Florentine Assassin will begin the battle with his iconic

Pistol Crossbow
Length: 12"
Weight: 2lbs
Material: Wood frame reinforced with steel

A pin point hand held killer from a distance.

Claudia demonstrated loading the crossbow for the hosts. "With just one motion, I can load the bow, and with one more, I can fire it. The bolt is extremely precise, and can either pierce armour, or find its gaps for an instant kill."

"And," Desmond added "As with all crossbows, when the pistol crossbow fires, all the energy goes forward, so there is no recoil."

"I do have some issues with this weapon." Scarecrow explained. "It is pretty small, and I'm not sure something this size will be that accurate."

"Allow me to demonstrate." Claudia offered, placing a bolt in the crossbow.

To test the accuracy and killing power of the pistol crossbow, Claudia will take aim at three targets: two unarmoured dummy targets, and one ballistics gel torso garbed in Zevran's drakeskin leather armour. Claudia will be given five bolts to deal as much damage as possible to the targets.

Zivon looked over to Claudia as she aimed her first shot. "Claudia, you ready?"

"Si."

"On three, two, one, fire!"

At the word go, Claudia fired the first bolt, striking a dummy target right in the head. Confirming her kill, Claudia proceeded to pull back the bowstring and placed her arrow in the bow before aiming downrange again. With a pull of the trigger, Claudia fired her second bolt, striking the second unarmoured target in the left chest. The younger Auditore reloaded the crossbow again and took aim at the gel target. Taking aim, she pulled the trigger, the bolt flying from her bow and striking the target right in the eye. Reloading once again, Claudia aimed lower and fired, the bolt striking the armoured chest of the target and penetrating into the target's chest through the leather. With a smirk on her face, Claudia reloaded once again, took aim and fired. This time, however, the bolt bounced off the chestplate, leaving a nick in the armour just over the heart.

"Time!" Zivon declared. "14.85 seconds, Claudia, not bad at all."

But how many of the targets did Claudia kill?

DAM pulled the first bolt out of the first dummy. "Well, this guy's dead. You got three inches of penetration into the skull. He's not walking away from that lobotomy. Moving over to your second target, you put the bolt right in that left chest where the heart sits." He said pulling out the bolt to inspect the penetration. "You got the same penetration right into that heart, that's going to kill. Moving on to the third target, you actually didn't shoot the armour for your first shot, and while this is still a kill, why did you do that?"

"If I can kill my target without worrying about his armour, then molto bene." Claudia explained.

"That tactic shows the X-Factor of killer instinct." Scarecrow pointed out. "And that's something we can put into the sim."

"Well, you did manage to penetrate that armour on your first shot." Zivon said, working on the clasps of the armour to remove it. "Question is, how much?"

Because drakeskin is stronger than normal leather armour, it took a dead on shot to penetrate Zevran's armour. But how much penetration did Claudia get?

Pulling back the armour, DAM examined the injury. "Well, you did manage to penetrate the armour, and that's pretty impressive, but I have some bad news for you. You need a certain amount of penetration into the chest to be lethal, and you didn't get that far. This is about an inch in, so this is dropping a lung, causing quite a bit of pain, maybe hitting the heart to kill, but it isn't a definite lethal shot. Last shot, should be easy to explain."

"So easy that I'll explain it." Isabella piped up. "You don't penetrate, you don't do damage. Though, I do hear penetration is rare in a man of Ezio's age."

"And you think Zevran can do better?" Desmond said, rolling his eyes.

"I know he can." Leliana said, drawing Zevran's weapon of choice. "And this is the weapon he'll do it with."

Zevran strikes back with his own long range killer:

The Antivan Longbow
Length: 4'
Weight: 2lbs
Material: Ironbark

Death from a distance in Antiva.

Leliana showed off the ornate bow for the hosts. "This bow is a powerful one, and has a faster rate of fire when compared to the crossbow." She said.

"I know longbows weren't as proficient in penetrating armour when compared to crossbows." Scarecrow said. "Why do you think this one will work better?"

"It will still work against armour." Leliana explained. "And Zevran has been trained to look for points where an opponent's armour is weakest or missing and target there."

"Well, we're still going to test its capabilities against armour, we have the same test as we gave Claudia for you, only we've swapped out Zevran's drakeskin for Ezio's hooded robe and segmented steel plate armour.

The armour of an Assassin of Ezio's time was designed to allow flexibility and movement while also protecting the user. As a trade off, Assassins generally wore minimal armour, with the heaviest parts being over their vital organs. Leliana will have five arrows to demonstrate the killing power of the Antivan Longbow.

"On three, two, one, go!"

Leliana drew back and fired her first arrow, nearly mimicking Claudia's first shot with an arrow to the first dummy's forehead. She then nocked her second arrow and fired, hitting the second target in the head as well. Drawing back her third arrow, Leliana took aim at the armoured target. Letting the shot fly, she was dismayed as it bounced off the target's breastplate. Undeterred, the Orlesian drew back a fourth arrow and let it fly, hitting the target right under the hood. For her final arrow, Leliana drew it back and fired, hitting her target in the abdomen.

"Time!" Zivon called. "12.09 seconds, Leliana. Nice shooting."

Leliana matched the pistol crossbow hit for hit, but how lethal was it?

"The first two shots, those were completely lethal." DAM said. "Sufficient penetration directly into the skull and the brain. The third shot, however, that was where things started to fall apart, wasn't it? That was when you weren't able to get through the target's armour."

"The same thing happened to her." Leliana argued. "And, I can recover and shoot again faster than her."

"Maybe, but let's move on." DAM said, pulling off the target's hood, revealing Leliana put the arrow right in the target's mouth. "Hoo boy, this one would have been painful. This shot would have entered his mouth right as he opened it to scream, and with the penetration you got, this is hitting the spine. You hit that and sever it, that's cutting off all communication to the brain. That's an instant kill." DAM then moved to the final shot. "This last one is not quite an instant kill. You've hit him in the small intestine. He will die from this, but it will take some time, and in that time, he can still fight."

"So let's break this down by the numbers." Zivon said. "We've got three instant kills with the pistol crossbow, three instant kills with the longbow, one penetrating shot with the crossbow, none with the longbow. 14.85 seconds for the crossbow, and 12.09 seconds from the longbow."

With both weapons neck in neck, it's down to the finer points of each weapon to decide the edge.

"Looking at the Antivan Longbow, I normally like a longbow in a battle like this thanks to the fact that they can load and fire faster." Zivon explained. "However, the reload time of the pistol crossbow was much faster than any other crossbow we've seen so far."

"Not only that, but we saw absolutely no penetration from the Antivan Longbow. The fact that the pistol crossbow has a fairly short reload time, and can still penetrate Zevran's armour gives it my edge in this fight."

"Also, consider this is an assassin battle." DAM said. "The smaller size of the pistol crossbow makes it much easier to carry, and Ezio can load it in advance for use whenever he needs it. For that, I have to give my edge to the pistol crossbow."

For long range weapons, the edge goes to Ezio Auditore for the pistol crossbow.

But both of these warriors are just taking off the gloves. When it came to delivering deadly assassinations, each warrior carried a razor sharp dagger. Ezio carried the iconic

Hidden Blade
Length: 12"
Weight: 2lbs
Material: Damascus steel
Retractable

A key weapon in any Assassin's arsenal.

"With just the flick of a wrist, I can stab someone right in the heart." Desmond explained, demonstrating the technique of using the hidden blade. "As soon as you see this weapon, you're already dead."

"And the motion of using it does put a lot of force behind the strike." DAM added. "It's similar to a strike with a katar in that the force of the strike comes from the motion you make as you punch forward or, in this case, make a palm strike."

"Well, we've already seen that the hidden blade is lethal," Zivon said. "What we need to test now is if it can pierce Zevran's armour. So, we've set up a test for you."

The target, a pig carcass, mimicking real human flesh and bone. This pig has been dressed for the kill in Zevran's drakeskin leather. Desmond will be given one strike to pierce the armour with the hidden blade to test the penetration power and damage capability of the weapon.

"Desmond, you ready?" Zivon asked.

The modern Assassin stood before the pig, blade strapped to his left wrist. "Ready."

"On three, two, one, stab it!"

Desmond flicked his wrist and the blade emerged. The second it was in position, Desmond slammed his palm into the target's sternum, the blade piercing right into the target's chest. With an audible 'click' Desmond removed and retracted the blade. "Is that enough?"

Pulling back the armour reveals a grisly wound, but was it deadly?

"You know, the hidden blade is always impressive, and the training of the Assassins is the reason for that." DAM said. "Look at this wound, right through the armour, right in between the ribs and into the heart. Accurate, powerful and lethal."

"If there's one thing I don't like about this weapon it's that, like all thrusting weapons, you have to be right on target to get that kill." Zivon said. "Training does negate that to an extent since Assassins are trained to make that kill on the first shot, but if you miss, your fight does get a little more difficult."

"Not only that," Isabella piped up "But you only have a thrust. Now, while I am NEVER one to complain about a good thrust, I'm a girl who likes a couple more options."

DAM looked over to Scarecrow questioningly. "I can't tell if she's talking about weapons or..."

"Oh, I mean weapons too." Isabella interrupted. "Come on, I'll show you."

Zevran fights back with his own deadly and iconic knife:

The Crow Dagger
Length: 20"
Weight: 1.8lbs
Material: Veridium

A wide bladed dagger designed for maximum damage with any attack.

Isabella twirled a pair of Crow Daggers as a demonstration. "Look at the design on these knives." She said, holding one out to examine. "Long blade, but also wide in a leaf shape. With a knife like this, I have options, I can cut, I can stab, and the shape of the blade means that either one will do massive damage."

"We do like to see massive damage." Zivon said. "So, we have a test for you to show off that knife."

To test the power and lethality of the Crow Dagger, our experts have set up a pig carcass for a pure damage test, as well as an armoured gel torso to gage the armour penetration abilities of the weapon.

Isabella stood in front of the pig carcass, a pair of crow daggers in hand as Zivon gave the countdown. "On three, two, one, go!"

Isabella's first shot was a stab to the pig's guts with her left dagger, going all the way to the hilt before she made a powerful slash with her second blade, cutting across the pig's throat. An instant after the blood started to pour out, the pirate was on the other target, stabbing one dagger into the torso's face and stabbing at the armoured chestplate with the other. The shot to the chestplate deflected off in a shower of sparks.

The Crow Dagger failed to pierce the armour, but what kind of damage did it do?

DAM first examined the stab wound to the pig. "This is a beautiful stab here. The leaf shape of the blade does a ton of damage with a stab and a wound like this is going to bleed like crazy. Add to that the slash to the throat and this is a dead man."

"But you couldn't get through Ezio's armour." Claudia argued. "The second you make that shot and fail to kill him, there will be a hidden blade in your chest."

"And that's why I stabbed his face first, Kitten." Isabella purred. "That pretty face of his is pretty important I hear."

"I don't know," Said Scarecrow "Armour piercing is pretty important too. The way I see it, the fact that you can't get through Ezio's armour means that Zevran is at a disadvantage right from the start. I think that because the motions of the hidden blade make it easier to pierce armour, I have to give it the edge."

"It does take a lot of training to get that hidden blade in just the right spot," said DAM "But with Assassin training, I think they can make that first shot count and put that blade right where they need it."

""The hidden blade's design means the Assassins can hold it back until the very last second. By the time an enemy sees it, they're already dead." Zivon concluded. "I give my edge to the hidden blade and Ezio Auditore."

For close range weapons, the edge goes to Ezio Auditore for the hidden blade.

But when it came to blades, each warrior carried his own mighty sword for close quarters combat. Zevran came to battle with

The Longsword
Length: 40"
Weight: 3.5lbs
Material: Veridium

A double edged killer common in Thedas.

Isabella took up the sword and showed it off to the hosts. "This is the kind of weapon carried by so many of Zevran's Crow Rebels. It's cheap, easy to find, and it has the cutting power to cut through just about any enemy."

"You're not worried it's a little too long?" Scarecrow asked.

"It does have some length to it, but this is the kind of weapon he can use to keep you at a distance with one hand, and also carry a Crow Dagger in the other hand, just in case." The pirate queen explained.

But Ezio has his own sword

The Schiavona
Length: 36"
Weight: 2.4lbs
Material: Steel

A double edged, basket hilted killer.

Desmond demonstrated a few swings with the Schiavona before turning to the hosts. "This was a pretty common sword in the renaissance, especially in Italy There's a pretty good reason for that, it's long and has enough meat for a good slash, but there isn't too much, so it's manoeuvrable in close quarters."

Both warriors carry nasty blades, but which one is deadlier? To find out, our experts have set up another test.

"We've set up a combat test for your swords." Scarecrow explained. "Here we have a pig carcass marked for a two slashes and a thrust with paint, simulating areas on a body not covered by an enemy's armour."

When fighting an armoured enemy, hitting an unarmoured area of the body is vital. In the test to see which of these weapons is more accurate, Isabella will strike first with Zevran's longsword.

Isabella stood in a battle ready stance as Zivon gave the countdown. "On three, two, one, go!"

Isabella made her first swing at the target, the longsword biting deep into the target just along the edge of the painted target. She pulled the sword back and gave a downward chop that just went wide of the second target. Pulling her sword back for a final time, she stabbed forward, the blade plunging right into the final target. Isabella pulled the sword back with a twist and a smirk. "I think that's enough." She said, sheathing the blade and walking away.

DAM took one look at the pig and shook his head. "There's no doubt, with wounds like this, you're hitting vital organs, and even if you weren't with this kind of damage, you're causing massive trauma, bleeding and pain, this guy is going to go into shock and bleed out if you don't hit anything vital with that sword."

"But," Said Zivon "You did miss that second slash target. In a battle where your enemy is armoured, even a small miss like that can be fatal to you."

"But I hit him on the first strike." Isabella argued. "And since I have the longer blade, I can hold him at a distance at which he can't use his sword."

"Easy there, pirate queen." Desmond said. "Ezio's schiavona can do just as much damage and be more accurate than your bigger, clumsier blade."

Desmond claims Ezio's blade is superior, but can he back that claim up? To find out, Zivon and Scarecrow set up a new pig to give Ezio's schiavona its test.

Desmond stood before his target, blade at the ready as Zivon counted down. "On three, two, one, go!"

Desmond gave a war cry and swung his blade, the schiavona biting spot on into the first slash target. Pulling the blade back, he made his second swing, biting into the second target, sliding along the left side of the target. Pulling back one last time, Desmond made a mighty thrust, the point of the schiavona going right through the pierce target. The modern Assassin pulled back his blade. "Done."

A look at the target reveals the schiavona did not injure the enemy as much as the longsword, but its shots were more accurate.

"I think the best shot on the target is that last pierce." DAM said. "That sword just goes right into the body, like butter."

"It's not too bad at slashing either." Desmond pointed out. "With the shorter blade, I have more control over my strikes than Zevran does with his sword."

Both teams have made their points with thrusts and slashes, but which razor sharp blade will get the edge form our experts?

"It has to go to the schiavona." Said Scarecrow. "The amount of accuracy we saw from that thing was really impressive. Not only that, but if I were an assassin, I would want the shorter blade. It makes more sense that if you want to assassinate someone, you would take the shorter blade into battle with you, rather than the longer one that requires more room to use."

"In an assassination, maybe." Zivon pointed out. "That said, when they're using these blades, that's when your cover has been blown and you have to fight for your life. In that case, I like the fact that you can use the longsword to keep an enemy at a distance and also have a crow dagger in the other hand to give you options should your opponent clear your blade."

"The longsword is bigger, it does more damage, and it has just as many options for combat as the schiavona." DAM said. "It gets my edge for that."

For medium range weapons, the edge goes to Zevran for the longsword.

The conventional weapons on both sides have been tested, but now both warriors pull out their most insane weapons yet. Ezio took aim at the enemy with the weapon that made enemies believe an assassin could kill them by pointing at them:

The Hidden Pistol
Length: 6"
Weight: under 1lb
Ammunition: Lead bullets, poison darts

One of the deadliest hidden weapons ever conceived.

Claudia showed off the mechanism for the hidden pistol on the underside of her bracer. "This will end your life." She said simply. "One shot from a pistol like this will kill anyone it hits."

"Now, we have seen this weapon before," said Zivon "but we still have to test it against Zevran's armour, because if drakeskin can stop a bullet, he can kill you."

To test the penetrating power of Ezio's hidden pistol, Claudia takes aim at a fresh target: a ballistics gel torso dressed for the kill in Zevran's studded drakeskin armour. Claudia will have one shot to show that her weapon can kill.

"Claudia, you ready?" Zivon asked.

Claudia pointed to the target and took aim. "Si."

"On three, two, one, fire!"

On Zivon's command, Claudia triggered the gun, the wheel lock mechanism sparking the powder and firing the bullet. The lead bullet slammed into the target's chest. "Shall we confirm my kill?" Claudia asked.

The hidden pistol proves its accuracy with an impressive display, but was it enough to kill?

DAM peeled back the armour on the target. "Well, one thing you have to notice immediately is that you DID pierce the armour, and there's a beautifully lit track of the blood. As for if this is lethal, it's going right into the chest, through the armour, through the ribs and into the heart. That's a kill shot."

Leliana and Isabella stepped over to the target and looked over the damage. "Are you not impressed?" Claudia put forward.

"I don't know about you, but I am very impressed." Isabella answered, examining the target. "You managed to kill one person."

"And now," Leliana continued "You have to reload before you use your weapon again. Remind me, how long does it take before you can fire again? With Zevran's weapon, he can use it as often as he wishes, and with any weapon he desires."

Zevran's weapon of choice is a complex cocktail of poison that he uses to coat his weapons:

Crow Poison
Weapon Coating
Primary ingredients: Deathroot, concentrated toxins

A lethal toxin coating the edges of Zevran's weapons.

Leliana produced a vial of the viscous purple liquid. "Zevran coats all his arrows in this substance and can also coat his weapons in it either before or during battle."

"Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but that poison contains concentrated deathroot, right?" DAM asked. Leliana nodded and handed him the vial. "Now this is an interesting poison. deathroot is pretty nasty. Get it under your skin and it causes pain, fatigue, and in high enough doses, death. This is concentrated too, so it takes less, and as long as it gets into the bloodstream, it'll be a death blow."

"And Zevran carries this into battle on his weapons." Leliana continued. "All those shots you thought were safe could easily deliver this poison into a victim. Any of them could have been lethal if enough poison is delivered."

With a single blow form one of his poison coated weapons, Zevran could kill or incapacitate with ease, but is it enough to stand against Ezio's hidden pistol?

"Between the hidden pistol and the Crow Poison, I have to give it to the poison." Scarecrow said. "The pistol is lethal, and can get through Zevran's armour, but the poison can turn even a relatively minor wound into a killshot. It's a delayed kill, but it's one the Assassins will never see coming. Edge Crow Poison."

For special weapons, the edge goes to Zevran for the Crow Poison.

With the weapons tested, Undaed15 will gauge the X-Factors of both warriors.

The three hosts stood around a table with Undaed, the new host and Scarecrow both looking over their respective laptops. "Now Undaed," Zivon opened up "You said that training was going to be an important factor in this fight. Now we know Ezio has had a lot of training and has had it from a lot of different mentors in his travels across Italy, how does that compare to Zevran's?"

"It's completely different on Zevran's training." Undaed said. "Ezio's training was expansive and he's been training for longer, but the kind of training Zevran got was much more intense and brutal and moulded him into a killer form a young age. It was close, but we rated Ezio at an 84 to Zevran's 79. It's close, because while Zevran has had less training, his was so much more intense."

"What about experience?" Scarecrow asked. "Ezio has been at this a lot longer than Zevran has."

"This is true, and while Zevran has experience in many different countries in Thedas, Ezio has had so many more years on the job. We rated Ezio at an 84 to Zevran's 76. It's close, once again because of the many different operations Zevran has been on."

"One factor we need to cover is physicality." DAM pointed out. "Both of these warriors are in great shape going into this battle."

"Oh absolutely. You have to consider the training in both cases. Ezio has been learning combat since his teen years and free running since childhood. On the other hand, Zevran's training was designed to make him physically tough, making him endure torture. However, one factor that tipped the balance was Ezio's free running skills. He's been doing it since childhood, and would continue to do so into his sixties. We ended up rating Ezio at an 85 to Zevran's 78. That said, we also have to factor in physiology. Zevran is an elf, and this makes him physically smaller than Ezio, but also quicker and nimbler with his smaller frame. Contrast this to Ezio, he's a big guy at six feet tall, so when we're talking about who has the better build to be an assassin, the smaller, quicker fighter will be a better choice. We rated Zevran at an 88 to Ezio's 72."

"Alright guys, we've got all the X-Factors and weapons data entered into the simulator." Zivon said. "It's time to run the sim and see who is the deadliest warrior."

The simulator will run one thousand battles between these two warriors and their followers. Ezio Auditore and four of his Assassin's against Zevran Arainai and four rebel Crows.

"We've entered in all the data, and now it's time to find out who is the Deadliest Warrior of Fiction." Said Scarecrow. He turned to face Undaed. "Care to start the sim?"

"I'd be honoured." The new host said. He hit enter and the battle began.

00110101010101010101010101010101010101010

The battle begins in Antiva City, the hustle and bustle of the crowds hiding several killers in their ranks. Amidst the common folk, five figures in white hoods entered the city, led by a large man in a long white robe with a small cape over his shoulder. This was Ezio Auditore, and he and his men had a very specific target in the city. With a simple nod, Ezio dispersed his Assassins into the city. They knew their target, and each one had come armed to the teeth with a pair of hidden blades, a pistol crossbow, schiavona and hidden pistol each.

Ezio: IIIII

One of the Assassins crept along the city's rooftops, eyes open for anyone resembling the target. Suddenly, his eyes were drawn to a figure walking through the crowds. He didn't stand out very much, aside from the fact that he was armed. Even from a distance, the Assassin could clearly recognize the size and shape of a Crow Dagger on the figure's back, and his pointed ears and smaller frame clearly marked him as an elf. This was their target, Zevran Arainai.

Ezio: IIIII

Zevran: IIIII

The Assassin looked across the street to see another one of his fellows had also spotted the target. With a shared nod, the two of them began to tail the elf. Zevran didn't seem to notice, obliviously making his way through the streets of Antiva City as the Assassins followed from above. It was when the elf ducked into a side alley that the Assassins decided to strike. The second Assassin made his way to the rooftop the first was watching from. The first gestured into the alley and the second nodded, the two of them descending from the rooftop and into the alley. It was upon touching down to the ground that they realized the elf had vanished. They cast their eyes about the alleyway, but there was neither hide nor hair of Zevran to be seen.

That is, until the clapping started. The Assassins snapped their attention to the mouth of the Alley where Zevran stood, flanked by a pair of his rebel crows, each one with longbow drawn and arrow nocked. With a nod from Zevran, the Crows let their arrows fly, one striking an Assassin in his armoured chest, while the other struck the second in his head.

Ezio: IIII

Zevran: IIIII

The Assassin was quick to respond, drawing his crossbow to fire back, but before he could fire, he was grabbed from behind. The Assassin struck out with his elbow, knocking back the Crow that had grabbed him. He raised his bow and fired, striking a Crow archer in the chest and sending him stumbling back, in pain but alive. He drew his sword to fight the Assassin behind him, but just as he turned, Zevran surged forward and drove his Crow dagger into his sword arm. The Assassin screamed in pain and swung with his other arm, but the elf nimbly dodged the attack.

The Assassin transferred his sword to his off hand and was about to attack when he stumbled forward. He looked down to his feet as his vision began to blur. The site of his stab wound was burning, and the sensations were only getting worse. In a few seconds, the Assassin pitched forward and fell to the ground, dead from Crow Poison.

Ezio: III

Zevran: IIIII

The crows had little time to celebrate their victory before an arrow struck one of the Crows in the shoulder. Zevran and the two crows flanking him turned to see it was Ezio himself who had fired the shot. Upon seeing the Master Assassin, the Crows and their leader charged, Ezio holstering his crossbow and breaking into a run as the Crows pursued.

The two crows in the alleyway broke into a run to follow their fellows, but before they could move too far, an Assassin dropped from one of the two roofs above them and drove her hidden blades into the Crows' necks.

Ezio: III

Zevran: III

Ezio sprinted around a street corner, ran past a cart full of hay and leapt onto a crate as he began to climb from it onto a nearby rooftop. Zevran and his two remaining men made to follow, but as the last man made his way around the corner, he was grabbed from within the hay and pulled in where he was stabbed in the neck by an Assassin's blade.

Ezio: III

Zevran: II

Hearing his man be pulled to his death, Zevran turned and drew his longsword, driving the lengthy blade into the hay. The scream of pain told him he had hit something and he withdrew his blade, confident that the poison he had coated it with would be enough to finish the target.

Ezio: II

Zevran: II

As Zevran removed his sword from the haystack, his last man came to stand beside him. A second later, a crossbow bolt struck the man in the temple, Zevran's last man falling dead to the ground.

Ezio: II

Zevran: I

As the last man fell, the final Assassin sprinted around the street corner, drawing her schiavona and attacking. Zevran dove out of the way and drew his longsword. The Assassin attacked again, swinging her blade at the elf, but Zevran easily parried the attack with his own sword and stabbed forward, his blade skidding off the Assassin's armour in a shower of sparks. Zevran leapt back as the Assassin stabbed forward with her hidden blade, the blade coming mere inches from his face, but as the Assassin tried to bring her arm back, Zevran burst into motion, severing the arm at the elbow. The Assassin screamed in pain as her arm fell to the ground, but the elf soon silenced her with a slash to the throat.

Ezio: I

Zevran: I

As the last Assassin fell, a bolt flew past Zevran's ear. The elf turned to see Ezio on a nearby rooftop reloading his crossbow. Zevran dove out of the way of another bolt and grabbed his comrade's longbow, stringing an arrow and firing. Ezio ducked as the arrow flew over his head and fired his crossbow again.

Zevran rolled out of the way as the bolt flew past and nocked another arrow. He let the projectile fly, but the arrow bounced harmlessly off Ezio's chestplate. The assassin reached for another bolt, only for his eyes to widen. His quiver was empty. The Master Assassin turned and ran as the elf fired another arrow. Zevran narrowed his eyes and followed, clambering onto the rooftops of Antiva City to give chase. Ezio leaped to another rooftop only to realize it was the last rooftop on the street. Zevran soon realized the same thing and leaped onto the roof to join him.

The elf was the first to draw steel, drawing his longsword and staring the Master Assassin in his eyes under his hood. "I am dreadfully sorry to have to kill a man as handsome and skilled as you are, but should I fail, then you will most certainly kill me, and I do so enjoy life."

Ezio mimicked his actions, drawing his schiavona. "My apologies, I will make this quick." With that, he attacked, surging forward with a thrust of his blade. Zevran parried the attack with his longsword and came back with a slash which Ezio juked back from. The elf pressed his advantage, stabbing forward with his longer blade, Ezio just managing to parry the blow, entering a deadlock with the elf, both trying to push the other back, and with Ezio's size and weight advantage, he began to force Zevran back.

Zevran suddenly ducked out of the deadlock, making Ezio overbalance, but the Assassin mentor was quick to recover and brought his bracer up to block Zevran's slash, the attack bouncing off the Assassin's armour as he attacked with a thrust that Zevran just managed to dodge thanks to his slender frame. Ezio was quick to make another attack, swinging his blade in a downward slash, an attack Zevran managed to block, forcing the duo back into a deadlock.

The fighters locked eyes, both of their faces set as they tried to push the other back. Suddenly, Zevran smirked. Ezio was caught off guard as the elf suddenly drew his Crow Dagger and thrust at Ezio's guts. The Master Assassin just noticed the attack and managed to dodge, but in doing so, he gave Zevran the opportunity to strike, sweeping Ezio's legs out from under him and sending the Assassin mentor to the ground.

Zevran stabbed at Ezio's throat with his longsword, but the Assassin managed to roll out of the way as the attack came in, the tip of Zevran's sword slicing through Ezio's hood. The Italian tore his hood off as he rose to his feet, looking up just in time to parry a slash from Zevran. Ezio knocked his blade aside and came back with a slash of his own, his blade barely scratching the surface of Zevran's armour. Zevran stumbled with the hit, but managed to recover in time to parry Ezio's incoming thrust, clearing the Italian's blade before stepping into his guard and stabbing for his heart with the Crow Dagger. The force of the stroke, combined with Zevran's proximity were enough to knock Ezio onto his back. Zevran brought his sword up for one final strike as Ezio desperately threw his hand up between himself and Zevran.

A shot rang out and Zevran stumbled back, a gunshot wound in his chest. The elf fell backwards as he began to bleed out and cough up blood. Ezio rose to his feet and stepped over to the dying elf. "I promised I would make this quick amico mio." The Assassin said as he crouched next to Zevran's dying body.

The elf let out a hacking cough. "You did say that, my friend. I only wish such a handsome fellow was my ally. Or more..." Zevran mused, a bloody smile on his face as the light began to leave his eyes.

Ezio gave a sad smile and raised a hand to close the elf's eyes. "Requiescat in pace."

Winner: Ezio Auditore

"After one thousand battles, Ezio ended up taking this fight." Scarecrow explained. "The fight was close, but in the end it was Ezio's superior armour and technology that won for him."

The fight was all but even, with both fighters carrying lethal weapons and being nearly equal in the comparative X-Factors, but it was Ezio's slight advantage in most X-Factors, combined with the technological advantage of his pistol crossbow and the strategic advantage of his schiavona over Zevran's longsword.

Ezio Kills
Pistol Crossbow: 120
Hidden Blade: 89
Schiavona: 164
Hidden Pistol: 150
Total: 533

Zevran Kills
Antivan Longbow: 110
Crow Dagger: 63
Longsword: 133
Crow Poison: 161
Total: 467

X-Factors

Training:
Ezio: 84 Zevran: 79

Experience
Ezio: 84 Zevran: 76

Physiology
Ezio: 72 Zevran: 88

Physicality
Ezio: 85 Zevran: 78

"This was a really close battle." Undaed pointed out. "I almost expected Zevran to win, mostly because of that Crow Poison. However, with his inability to breach Ezio's armour with his weapons, he wasn't able to deliver that poison often enough to be lethal."

"Looks like Zev needs to work a little harder next time." Isabella commented. "I think I would have liked to meet this Ezio chap in his heyday though. Definitely a handsome fellow."

"Zevran might have been a great assassin in his time," Desmond explained "But when you're talking the Deadliest Warrior, there is no one better than Ezio."

Sorry to Dragon Age fans...

Next time on Deadliest Warrior of Fiction, two key generals in their countries' rebellions turn their forces on one another

(A severe looking man with dark hair in gleaming plate armour swings a sword at the camera.)

Loghain Mac Tir, the Hero of Ferelden who drove out the country's occupying forces and put the rightful king on the throne.

Vs

(An older man with blonde hair going grey in crimson armour points a sword at the camera.)

Tywin Lannister, the daring and deceitful head of the Lannister family, who led the final assault on the Mad King and took the capital of Westeros in a single battle.

WHO

IS

DEADLIEST?