Ezio stared up as his vision was darkening slowly, then he saw him, his father! His hand outstretched for him, an assuring smile. "Get up! And fast!"

He took his father's hand and let him pull him up, a hand resting on his shoulder, dimly glowing. "Join the fight, and show them not to trifel with the Assassins."

He nodded as his father faded away. Ezio was laying on the ground, rain splattering down on him, his lungs felt as if they were shiveled and his leg on fire. Regardless of how he felt, he forced himself to his feet and out of the trap door. When he pulled out, he took a moment to catch his breath then tug the noose off. How did he survive that, he wasn't sure. Though it was obvious he had some serious rope burns on his neck.

"Ezio? Ezio! Are you alright?"

He turned to see Claudia as she stabbed a guard in the throat. He withdrew his hiddenblade as he jumped from the stands, kncoking a guard off his feet when he tackled him. Being sure to stab him.

"I am! Are you?"

Claudia smiled before turning to slash a guard behind her, then ran to help his mother. He then ran towards Leonardo, who was dodging a blade deperately. Ezio was quick to dispatch the seeker then saw that the blonde was also standing in front of Mia! She was pressing to the wall with fear lighting her eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. We're fine! Gazie." Leonardo answered.

"Bene," Ezio responded, then ran back into the fight.

Everyone moment felt like a lifetime, every move almost as if in slow motion or far too fast to comprehend. Adreniline coursing through him as he fought. Then, in a matter of moments, they all stood there with guards littering the ground. Civilians had fled the area.

"Is everyone alright?" Machiavelli asked.

It was then they heard a soft cry, Ezio ran now, to find Annette holding a similiar looking blonde woman, crying into her shoulder. Although she didn't share the same robes as the full fledged assassin, she was heavily armored and armed.

Machiavelli put a hand on her shoulder, "Zita was very brave, Annette. I'm sure she died honorably."

Annette shook her shoulder free as she sobbed, "I promised to protect her." She then brushed some missplaced strans of hair from the dead woman's face, revealing lifeless hazel eyes staring off at nothing. "I'm so sorry, baby sister. I should have never let this happen." She whispered almost too quietly for Ezio to hear it.

Ezio kneeled down beside her, brushing his finger tips gently over the woman's eyelids, "Requiescat in pace." Then felt a slight pang of greif pang inside him, that woman didn't deserve to die. And she lost hers saving... my own life...

"Zita was slashed by a guard when she tried to cut Ezio free." Another recruit explained to Annette slowly, though it was obvious of the wound consitering the blood that had stained Annette's lap and the ground.

Machiavelli sighed lowly, "We'll mourn her tonight. But for now, we must leave before Cesare returns."

"I think you're a little late for that." Claudia muttered as she pointed to the archway, sure enough, that bastard stood there. Hand cannon and sword ready.

"Leaving so soon?" He asked tauntingly.

Annette was first to react, charging straight at him with a hidden blade drawn. But the Borgia wasn't fazed, he merely pointed the hand cannon and fired. In a matter of moments, Annette was down on the ground, crying as she was grasping a bullet wound in her chest!

"Anyone else dare to try me?"

It was then he gave a scream as he ripped a throwing knife out of his arm, his sword and gun clamored on the ground. Luca stood there, heavily breathing with blistering anger. "I suggest you leave. Or I'll rip your throat out, Borgia bastardo!"

Cesare took no time in delaying his escape, grabbing his sword and gun and running away.

Ezio was by Annettes side in a moment's notice, pressing down on the bullet wound as he told her, "Please, hold on. We'll get you back to the hideout!"

Annette reached up with a trembling, bloody hand and gripped the collar of Ezio's shirt. "But even if I do die, I died trying to avenge what matters most... And I died for... the Brotherhood..." Her breathing became labored as her grip tightened on his shirt, he could barely hear the weak cries she muffled in his shirt as she buried her face away like a helpless child.

"Get Zita's body, and hurry! We must get out of here!" Machiavelli barked, a couple assassin recruits already on the task. They had to get out of here, and now!