So deadlines aren't as pressing as they were, and I'm back into the swing of writing as much as I was. Something I wanted to ask you guys though: not many of you seem to be reviewing? It may come across as a little selfish, but I love it when you guys point out mistakes or tell me what you've enjoyed - you guys are the people that make writing this worthwhile. I hope this is getting into your inboxes, and you're not just bored of this.
Enjoy, anyway. :)


The first thing they heard when they got to the bottom of the staircase was boots, marching smartly towards them on a patrol. Ezio was the first to react – seizing the Doctor and Leonardo by their fronts, he yanked them back sharply against the wall, his grip tightening on the Doctor when his sharp intake of breath threatened a gasp that would all give them away. The guard passed through, his gaze fixed straight ahead, and it was only when his back rounded the corner ahead did Ezio relax. The Doctor scrambled out of his grip, smoothing out his shirt.

'Do you mind?' He hissed. 'Bowties don't come cheap,' he straightened his, giving Ezio a reproachful look.

'My apologies,' Ezio said, looking like he didn't mean it at all.

'The thing we're looking for Doctor, is it here?' Leonardo asked in a low voice.

'Of course. Well, should be. Hopefully,' the Doctor trailed off, flicking out the map again and sticking his head in it. Rolling his eyes behind him, Ezio altered his vision. Everything changed into blues and purples, and the floor shone with a maze of golden footprints invisible to the normal eye. He worked through layers of the in the seconds that it took the Doctor to decide what way they should take, and he found it before him too – underneath the countless layers of boot-prints, the neat, dim footprints of scholars with sensible shoes could be seen, all leading in one direction.

"This way!" he and the Doctor said simultaneously, the both of them then starting at once in opposite directions. They stopped, and the Doctor wheeled around indignantly, only to see the gold in Ezio's eyes.

'Oh. I see. Your…vision thingy,' he trailed off for a moment, lapsing into a second's silence before holding up the map and ripping it in two. 'We'll follow you,' he assured Ezio when he made no movement to lead the way.

Ezio took a moment to consider the Doctor in all his perplexity before turning and fixing his eyes to the ground. The trail of footprints shone out amongst the others – not that he needed to see the others; with his senses heightened, he could hear the heart beats of the nearest twenty guards in radius of them. And so he led the way, and they were unmolested during the silent walk.


Ezio knew at once that they'd found the room they'd been looking for when they found it. The door shone in gold, and Ezio could feel age. It was a feeling that overwhelmed him slowly, and he suddenly felt older than he ever had done. It was a relief to blink his eyes, and lift his mind from the heightened state it was in. Normality settled over him, and he blinked a few times more to aid the gentle fading of blue and purple in his sight.

'It's here,' he murmured, stepping back as the Doctor stepped forward. He'd been quiet for the entire walk, and Ezio felt he knew him well enough by now to be accurate when he guessed that he'd been sulking.

'Yes, of course it's here, I knew that,' the Doctor hissed back, lifting the screwdriver to the words on the door. It buzzed at a low key as the Doctor moved the light across. '"Archives"', he read out. 'Think this is it,' he added, dropping the screwdriver to the lock. There was a click, and the Doctor opened it.

They were met with pitch black at first, but the Doctor extended his arm, and the screwdriver was only buzzing a moment before the lights began to switch on. One by one, row by row, cases that reached to the ceiling and were stuffed with boxes were revealed to them all; the Doctor, Ezio and Leonardo tipped back their heads to register the size of the place and consider the enormity of the task before them.

'Ah,' the Doctor said. 'Er…Ezio?'

Ezio smiled slightly as his eyes turned gold. The world descended into purple, blue and gold again, and the things that they needed became clear to him.

'Of course, Dottore.'


I'll put up another phase today to even things out, as this one's so short. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. :)