Half Begun is Well Done

Chapter 23: Half Begun is Well Done

Cole P.O.V.

I woke up with the sun shining softly on my face. Normally the sun would be pounding on my face to wake up, but it knew that I did not want to wake up the hell I was currently residing in.

But there's hope. The potential for an escape lingers in the near future. An escape plan just waiting to be successfully executed.

But then what? No one but Teo knows of my whereabouts and I know no more than them. They probably think me dead, pushing harder to rid Italia of the Templars in my memory, as I would have surely done.

The sun was high in the sky, meaning it was well near noontime. Teo should be arriving anytime now.

Right on cue, bells began to ring, signaling the shift change.

And that means those idioti are coming back.

The sun hid behind a cloud.

The loud sound of clanking doors filled the air, as well as the obnoxious raucous cacophony of guards.

I simply moved to sit against a wall with my knees tucked into my chest, leaned forward and laid my head on my arms, closed my eyes and mentally readied myself for the stupidity that I would have to endure for the rest of the day. Just wait a while longer; soon I will be able to leave it behind to never be seen again. I kept repeating those words to myself to keep my mind calm and my temper steady.

It would certainly mean one less arrow in my shoulder.

I was brought out my thoughts by feeling a presence nearby. Please let this be Teo…

When I looked outside I saw two guards standing there.

"Don't fret little one, your master will be here shortly, he is running a bit late." One of them spoke. Then they burst out laughing and walked away.

Peace of mind… peace of mind…

I closed my eyes and returned to my session of self meditation. Maybe at this rate, I could fall asleep and sleep the rest of this day away.

One could only hope.

"Hey! There he is! Roberto, best not to keep your new toy waiting! He's missed you dearly." One of the guards boisterously shouted.

I am certain I will not be able to find the proper emotion to express myself when I finally leave this place.

"I'm back, as promised." Teo whispered to me. He lifted up a hinge that was on his helmet to reveal his face to me without arising suspicion to anyone else. There's a strict "No removal of helmets whatsoever rule."

That's what it seems like anyway.

Time to put on the show.

I crawled over to the cage door to make our conversation less audible for wandering ears. "So when can we leave?" I asked softly.

"We can leave tonight actually. There will be a larger group of guards than usual tonight. It will make our blending in much easier." He whispered back.

"Sounds good."

"I will return to you when it is almost time. A fun fact for you; Carlos and Guillermo, the two who have been harassing you, will be the only ones in this room tonight, besides me, and are easier ones to take out. You can even take out both for good measure. We will be long gone before they catch on. Capisco?"

I grinned. This just got a lot better. "Molto bene. I will see you tonight?" Teo asked.

"Indeed you will."

Before he left, he stuck his ring finger between the bars of the cage. "This is a handshake that I solely use with my most trusted thieves and close friends." He said with a smile. "It may seem childish…"

I smiled. "No need to explain. I understand" I extended my ring finger to intertwine with his.

"Insieme per la vittoria." He said.

"Insieme." I responded.

He smiled and hid his face once again. He saluted me and walked off.

Well seeing as I have nothing better to do (those idiota guards are woefully out of range), I better rest up for tonight.

~AC~IF~

I was startled out of one my rarely peaceful nap by some sharp metallic banging. I sat up to find one half of the bastardo guards banging incessantly on the cage door.

"Wake up! It's time for your dinner." He slipped in a tray of food between the cage bars. Now, these bars all stand vertically from top to bottom. He knew that.

"Eat up!" The guard walked away with a laugh, leaving me to "enjoy" my dinner.

Right.

"You don't want to eat that." A voice spoke up.

I looked up to and saw Teo at my door, unlocking it with another tray of food in his hand.

"I wasn't planning to, seeing as it is good friends with the floor now." I responded jokingly.

He let out a small laugh. "In all seriousness, you don't want to eat that. I would tell you why but I think this will sum it up enough; Carlos and Guillermo prepared it, "specially" for you."

I let out a shudder as several possible scenarios ran through my head. None of them pleasant.

He opened the door and stepped in. He placed a tray of unquestionably delectable food in front of me.

Now this I WILL eat.

"Dig in. You will need much strength tonight. Speaking of, I have a bit of advice for you."

"What is it?"

"Christopher has somehow caught wind of a potential coup d'état of sorts. He's increased the amount of guards patrolling the area and may only allow a certain amount of guards leave tonight when the shifts change. And instead of letting us leave as a large group, we have to leave in an organized manner; two at a time."

"So we just have to make sure that we are at the front of the line." I responded.

"He's watching everything closely tonight. He will not hesitate to do a… thorough check."

Shudder. "So? What then? We cannot leave anymore?"

"I'm working around it, but we should still be able to. Like I said, as long as we are one of the first few to leave we should be clear." Teo responded.

I nodded my head. If I have to stay in this hell hole for one more day I will lose it.

"Alright." He reached into a pocket and pulled out another key and handed it to me.

"It will be a full moon tonight. Like I said before, Carlos, Guillermo and I will be the only ones in this area. I will keep lookout incase another guard is sent down here on Christopher's orders. If you hear me knocking, that means you have to return to your cell immediately. If that becomes the case, we will attempt this again another time to not arouse suspicion."

"Let's hope that we may be able to carry out this tonight." I said with confidence.

He smiled brightly. "Be ready for tonight. Meet me at the steel door once you're set."

"Bene." We grabbed each others' forearms in a handshake. Teo left the door, closing the door softly behind him and ran off.

Just a little while longer now…

~AC~IF~

*ABOVE GROUND*

A group of four guards were walking around the countryside. Christopher had ordered his men to increase the range of their patrols. They were far from where Cole was being held but Christopher needed to make sure. Safe is always better than sorry.

"God what's that foul smell?"

"I think it is coming from over there."

The group guards ventured over to find the source of the vile smell.

"It's probably some dead animal." One of them quipped.

Closer and closer…

"It's coming from that haystack!"

"We should probably leave it be then." The guard's words went through one ear and out the other as the trio began to sift through the haystack.

"Dio mio! Is that…?"

"Roberto?!"

They uncovered a half naked man with his throat slit decaying underneath the haystack. His eyes were wide open, his face frozen in shock.

"That's impossible! Roberto is working a shift right now!"

"He must have been here for months. God save your soul Roberto! We must inform Christopher of this. Something isn't right here."

"Agreed. Hopefully Ser Christopher knows and understands the meaning of "don't shoot the messenger.""

The rest of them nodded their heads in agreement. There's no telling of how the unstable man would respond to this news. The man was simply unpredictable. But they had to tell him this; they had no choice. If they keep this to themselves, they would immediately be accused of treason and betrayal. Christopher does not take those two things lightly.

The four of them went back to inform Christopher of the news. Hopefully Lady Luck will be standing by their side.

She tends to flee when Christopher is in the vicinity.

~AC~IF~

Later that night…

Cole P.O.V.

The full moon stands high in the sky and the stars shine brightly.

It's time.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the key; the key to my freedom.

I stuck my arm through the cage door and put key into the lock. Once I turned it to the right, I heard the soft click that I've so yearned to hear. I quietly pushed the door open and stepped out.

"Cole!" I heard a whisper.

Teo came out of the darkness. "Carlos and Guillermo are on opposite sides of the room. Move swiftly and quietly. Change your clothing as quickly as possible. The shifts are changing very soon." He whispered.

"Bene."

"Meet me at the door once you are finished."

He walked off in the opposite direction, back into the darkness.

I took cover at the corner where Carlos or Guillermo was standing, his back facing me, staring at nothing.

Just the way I like them.

I crouched down and quietly made my way over to him. Just don't turn around…

I sent some electricity to my hand. I pounced on him and shoved my hand into his face, sending massive amounts of electricity through his head, making doubly sure to cover his mouth so no sounds would escape. He convulsed violently before becoming limp.

Unfortunately, I couldn't revel in this small victory for long. I was running out of time. I picked up his body and ran back to my cell. Once inside, I stripped the guard of his clothing and armor and changed into it. My sword and dagger were gone but I still had my hidden blades.

I realized just how worn down my assassin robes truly are. It was covered in dirt and was torn in several places.

Well I can't hang on to this…

The idea of putting it on the guard crossed my mind. Perfect. It could buy us time if they think I'm still in here.

I dressed the guard in my tattered robes, placed the hood on his head and placed him on the floor, positioning him to make him, or me, appear to be sleeping.

Perfecto.

I exited the cage, closing it behind me.

I made a few adjustments to make sure everything was comfortably in place. Bells began to ring, signifying the changing of shifts.

"Carlos? Where are you? It's time to go!" Guillermo shouted.

I rounded the corner and found him and Teo standing at the door, waiting for me.

Teo signaled at me and I signaled back. He opened the door and the three of us walked out into a dimly lit corridor. Teo and I fell back a bit and Guillermo walked further ahead.

"Christopher will ask you to identify yourself upon checkout. Your full name is Carlos Addeo." Teo whispered to me.

"Grazie for the information." I whispered back.

My heart began to race. Here we are so close to the end. And yet… we could be so far from it.

We walked up a short flight of stairs. Once we reached the top we were reunited the outside air. I had to fight every urge to rip my helmet off and breathe in the pure air that had been taken away from me for nearly half a decade.

Everyone was lined up in neat, organized, straight, parallel lines. We immediately took our places among them.

Christopher stood further down the aisle with his arms behind his back, legs spread apart and with a glare that would make any man tremble. Several brutes with large axes stood at his sides.

The air is very tense.

"Two at a time!" Christopher yelled. His booming voice caused most of the other guards to shake.

Slowly but surely the line was moving as Christopher let everyone through to take their break for the night to come back the next day.

The only difference is Teo and I won't be.

Finally we arrived at the front, face to face with Christopher. My heart was beating so hard I thought it would beat out of my chest.

"State your names."

"Carlos Addeo." I said making sure I deepened my voice. He could easily see through me if I used my regular voice. He came to face to face to me, his eyes burning a hole into my helmet; good thing I had it, it could have easily been my head. He nodded his head in satisfaction and moved on to Teo.

"Roberto Tortorelli" Teo said.

"Hmm…"

That doesn't sound good.

"Carlos, you may leave. Roberto, I'd like to have a word with you…"

Teo signaled at me to walk on ahead. I walked a short distance but remained nearby to see how all of his was going to play out.

"Now Roberto, you have been a loyal soldato of mine since day one. You were one of my favorites. I considered you to be close friend."

He took a pause.

"You couldn't believe how devastated I was when I found out your carcass was rotting in a haystack."

Dead silence.

"But, I could be mistaken as well. I suppose having you all here for long periods of time could cause a bit of boredom and may prompt most to find other means of entertainment…"

He took another pause.

"But I will not be any means be your source of entertainment!"

Some thunder rumbled in the distance.

"Now, I understand that you and Guillermo have also become almost like fratelli since you've been here. Guillermo! Would you come here please?"

Guillermo stepped out of the line and made his way to Christopher.

"Guillermo… you and Roberto is tuo amico, tuo fratello, sì?"

"Sì."

"So tell me…" Christopher walked around Teo. Without skipping a beat he ripped the helmet off of Teo's head. "… Is THIS how you remembered your friend?!"

He threw Teo's helmet on the ground and stomped over to where the brutes were standing. "Or is THIS how you remembered your friend?!" He picked up a dead body and threw it at Guillermo's feet.

"Che Cazzo?! Roberto?!"

A gruesome sight was at his feet. A man, apparently the real Roberto, laid there half naked, lifeless, his throat slashed, dried blood on his chest, and his face frozen in shock.

Merda.

"That is what I thought." Christopher sneered.

He turned back to Teo. "So… Roberto . Who are you exactly?"

Teo did not answer.

"Oh I know!" He went from a serious, sinister man, to a joyful, squealing little boy in no time at all.

He grabbed Teo's left hand and pulled off his glove.

"Assassino!"

All the guards let out an audible gasp, followed by some mumbling.

Teo wrenched his arm out of Christopher's grip.

"It took me so long realize. I'm disappointed in myself…" Christopher mused to himself with a smirk.

"But before I end you, I simply must know. Why all this trouble? Why put your feeble life at risk? All of this to be part of my glorious army? I'm flattered but you Assassini never have a straight forward objective. So again I ask; Why all this trouble?"

Teo did not say a word, just stared Christopher down. As if that would have any effect on him.

"A silent one I see. No matter then. I guess I must remain forever curious." He snickered.

Teo lifted his hand and placed two fingers in his mouth. He then let out a shrill whistle that caused everyone to drop to their knees and cover their ears due to the immensely high frequency. Everyone except Christopher of course.

"A neat trick, but what is it f-"

Smoke suddenly filled the area. Nothing could be seen. After several moments, Teo and a few men ran out of the smoke towards me.

"We must leave here quickly. My men have a boat to Venezia waiting for us. They are docked not too far from here." Teo said. "Let's move!" He called out. Another group of men ran out of the smoke.

I took this opportune moment to rip my helmet off my head to finally be met with fresh air. How good it feels after all this time.

"AFTER THEM!" Christopher's booming voice filled the sky and bolts of red lightning struck down from the heavens.

We ran quickly down the countryside, the guards and Christopher right on our tails.

"There, up ahead! One of them yelled. Up ahead was indeed a large boat waiting for us. But there's still one lingering issue. Boats of that caliber need a lot to get started. Christopher and the other guards are just a few steps behind us. Who's to say that they wouldn't get us while we're still preparing to sail.

Nonetheless we took our chances and we all piled onto the boat. The rope holding the boat was quickly cut.

"Teo now!" One of them screamed.

Teo quickly climbed, more like flew, up to the top and with a few gestures of his hand, the wind had begun gusting.

"Enzo!" Teo called out.

The man, Enzo ran to the side of the boat. The relatively calm water began to churn and waves began to form.

We're moving.

"A little bit more!" Teo yelled.

The boat left the docks just as Christopher and his guards arrived. An overzealous guard had hopped onto the boat and attempted to climb aboard.

Nope. Not today.

I threw a grenade that stuck to him. In an attempt to get it off he lost his grip on the boat and fell into the water. The grenade exploded, electrifying him.

Everyone on the boat began to cheer and laugh. Teo dropped down from above and clapped along with the others. I couldn't help but smile.

"Now that was job well done. A bit unrefined if you will, but you are here with us. That is all that matters now."

I nodded my head in agreement. In my head, I pictured this being carried out a bit more peacefully. But like Teo said, I'm here and that's all that matters now.

"How about we change out of these ridiculous pezzi di merda?" Teo suggested.

We down to the cabins and changed into thieves' outfits. These are a bit different than what I've usually seen thieves wearing but I didn't question it. It was a lot better than wearing that ridiculous guard uniform. When we went back up to the deck we threw the guards' clothing and armor into the water.

"We have nothing to worry about for now. Now we can breathe easy." Teo said while patting my shoulder. He walked off to tend to other things on the boat. I leaned on the side of the ship admiring the scenery. A beautiful sunrise was taking place.

With just traces of red lightning dancing in the clouds.

Synchronization rate: 63.2%


Longest. Chapter. Ever. 3289 words. Good god. I spent the better part of the day writing this chapter. Along with other things. I feel productive. XD

(There's probably more than a handful of spelling and grammar mistakes in this chapter. Please let me know and I'll patch it up!)

I was going to end this chapter at the point where they found the real Roberto rotting in the countryside. That clearly that didn't happen. Whoops. XD

Teo and Enzo are interesting eh? ;3

Please review if it isn't too much trouble and thanks for reading! =)