The Second Life: Meeting
Alright, here we are at last! The Second Life arc has now officially begun. First, though, some information. The Second Life will only cover the events of Brotherhood, therefore anything from ACII or Revelations will not be seen. I hold the right to change that on my whim. Secondly, this is Rome, and everyone is most likely anticipating Roman demigods. This will not be. I personally think that Rome would be the heart of the west during this time period, and that means that Camp Jupiter would be elsewhere. That being said, don't be too surprised if Lupa shows up…for reasons. Thirdly, much like how Faris had his own story and Altaїr was left canon, that will much be the case between Che Si (abbreviated version of the name; pronounced 'keh' as in keg, and 'see' as in see) and Ezio, although there will be much more interaction.
Now that we have that squared away, Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or AC
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Inspired by historical events and an over-active imagination, this work of fiction was designed, developed, and produced by a single-cultural team of one religious faith and belief, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
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"You cannot be serious," was Machiavelli's response to Ezio's plan to recruit citizens of Rome into the Brotherhood.
"To win this war, Machiavelli, we need loyal soldiers. By recruiting enemies of the state, we arm those who have been disarmed by the Borgia," came Ezio's passionate response.
Machiavelli was silent for a moment as he weighed the merits of Ezio's idea. Finally, he said, "Go then. Recruit our first novices." The hooded man nodded once, and began to head for the scuffle in front of him, but the current mentor of the Assassini was not done yet. "Ezio, I know you are trying to attract the attention of Che Si Aggira. Be careful, for you may get exactly what you wish for. Make no mistake, that man is not to be trifled with."
The Auditore patriarch absorbed this information with a serious nod.
For the rest of the day and well into the night did Ezio hunt. All across Rome did he find citizens willing to stand against the tide, citizens tired of the Borgia, citizens ready to take arms, citizens ready to be molded…citizens ready to become Assassins. And they learned quickly. The novices absorbed information and training like sponges, nearly mastering the art of using a smoke bomb and a Hidden Blade instantaneously.
They were not much to look at, honestly, with their simple white garments and even simpler hoods, but they were Assassins, at least, ones in training.
Ezio was a firm believer that experience was a far better teacher than any man could truly be, beyond words and wisdom, and so he set out in Rome to find men of Borgia influence that needed silencing. His first target came from Western Rome, in the broken buildings near Il Tevere. A false doctor that preyed on the Courtesans in the area, Courtesans that worked for the Rosa in Fiore.
For Claudia.
Ezio found the dead girl, lying a puddle of her own blood, her friend weeping over her corpse. The Assassin learned that the doctor's name was Malfatto, and that he killed women for fun. Whether he was a necrophiliac was up for debate, but Ezio did not care. Following the direction of nearby Courtesans, he found Malfatto next to an actual doctor and a tunnel entrance.
Blending with the crowd, Ezio made a motion with his hand, and Malfatto knew no more.
The next instance that the Auditore patriarch found to put his recruits to the test came in the form of a slaver called Silvestro Sabbatini. Ezio came across a young boy on the docks of Il Tevere, and conversed with the child, who lamented that his mother had been taken on a boat, and that he was supposedly next. Ezio asked the child if he had a place to stay, and the answer was 'my uncle's.'
After telling the boy to go there, and not to talk to anyone, Ezio wondered if he would have to find and that man and kill him one day, either for abuse, or because he was in cahoots with the Borgia. Whew, for a man that preached about virtue, that was a rather cynical thought. Regardless, Ezio found and followed Sabbatini to the Colle Palatino, and with a gesture, the man and his Borgia lapdogs knew everlasting peace.
After that event, Ezio just happened to see a pigeon coupe off to the side, and recalled how he and Machiavelli often communicated via pigeon in order to coordinate strikes against the Borgia here and there. So, why could Ezio not do the same with his recruits? There were problems all over Europa that needed attending, and now Ezio had the means to do that.
Of course, there was the risk that the Assassin sent would never return, but Ezio accepted that burden with as heavy a heart as he could, given his need to be able kill without massive questions of moral qualms.
However, during this time of three days, Ezio could never shake the feeling of being…watched. But whenever he looked in the direction that he felt the dark feeling, he saw no one. Ezio liked to think that it was this mysterious Prowler of Roma he kept hearing so much about.
Just before Ezio made it back to Isola Tiberina, he heard strange whispering from an alley. Going to investigate, he found a stranger box. Then he found the strangest thing of all: his old friend, Leonardo da Vinci.
"Ezio!" exclaimed the eccentric inventor.
"Leonardo!"
"I knew you were behind the break-in at Sant'Angelo. It is good to see you, friend!"
Ezio smiled broadly. "Come here!"
The two shared what was perhaps the first bro-hug.
After they separated, Leonardo turned somber. "Forgive me. The Borgia have commandeered my services. Actually, they would have killed me had I refused."
"What do they want?" Ezio asked seriously.
"War machines," was the grim response. "I have constructed weapons for all the Borgia guards and other terrible monstrosities besides. They are very well designed, Ezio. Here. The names of the Templars overseeing their construction. Cesare intends to supply his army with my creations. You must dismantle them." Leonardo handed Ezio a list, and practically begged the last part.
The Assassin accepted the paper. "Grazie. I will take care of the plans and the machines."
"There is far graver news, I'm afraid," Leonardo said. "They have the Apple."
Ezio turned his head, the rim of his hood hiding his face. "Yes, I know. I gave the Apple to Mario."
The inventor placed his hand on the Assassin's shoulder. "I am sorry, Ezio. Cesare left it in my hands to study, to make it work. Then Rodrigo took it from me, I know not where."
"I will recover it in time," Ezio assured Leonardo, then he remembered something. "I have lost all the codex inventions you fashioned for me."
The inventor picked up on the true question being asked. "Hmm. Remaking them will be easy, I never forget a design. But you must compensate me for the raw material."
Ezio's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?" he said aghast, "they are not paying you at il Vaticano?"
Leonardo's smile was sardonic. "Very, very little. If we are to do this, we must appear to not meet at all."
Producing a piece of chalk, da Vinci proceeded to sketch a drawing on the bench about five feet away. Ezio raised a brow, "A hand pointing?"
"It's pointing to where you should sit! So, sit!" Leo said excitedly.
"Yes, maestro," Ezio drawled with heavy sarcasm.
The Assassin soon sat down, and the scientist soon followed. Ezio recalled his other Hidden Blade very well, and that was what he asked Leonardo to make for him first, after the appropriate amount of money was given, of course.
"Wait here. I will be back soon. I must return to my workshop," da Vinci said quietly.
Ezio and Leonardo had very different definitions of the word 'soon.' It was mid-noon when Ezio got here, and by the time the inventor returned, the moon was up…but at least Leonardo had the Hidden Blade. Equipping it, Ezio said, "Now I can kill twice the guards."
Da Vinci nodded and got up to leave, but then he had an 'ah-ha!' moment. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, and handed it to Ezio. "This was in my workshop when I arrived. It has no name on it."
The Assassin examined the paper. It was just a simple piece of parchment, faded yellow in color, smelled like everything else, and had a modest, yet still noble, handwriting about it.
The Pantheon. I'm waiting.
Ezio smiled in victory.
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The Auditore patriarch arrived at the creation of Agrippa within five minutes via his trusty horse. As it was nighttime now, the Pantheon was officially closed to the public, its doors shut, but that didn't mean anything to an Assassin. Ezio scaled the outer walls with the skill and dexterity of one that had done this for decades, and he quickly arrived at the top of the dome.
Looking down from the opening, Ezio saw a few benches, an altar with a large cross, and several lit torches, which, combined with the gold interior, gave the inside of the Pantheon a warm glow to it. From up here, Ezio saw no signs of Che Si Aggira, but if this man was as good as so many said he was, then he simply wasn't going to stand out in the open.
With that, Ezio flopped over the edge, and carefully made his way down the interior of the dome of the Pantheon, using the protruding studs as his hand-holds during his descent. Ezio finally reached the first ledge, then he dropped down to the second, before choosing to fall all the way down to the floor.
Not wasting any time, Ezio activated his Eagle Vision, though he did not call it that. He simply referred to it as his sixth sense. Instantly, the world turned dark, while he himself glowed bright blue. Looking around, he saw a golden figure leaning against the wall. Deactivating his sixth sense, with a serious look, Ezio took in the appearance of Che Si Aggira.
He wore brown boots, with mauve-and-grey trousers tucked into them. The man had on a white shirt, which was under a black tunic, which was under a wine-colored vest, which in turn was under a brown vest that was left open, as opposed to the wine vest. A belt adorned his waist, one that had a few pouches on it, and on the man's left wrist was a familiar bracer. Che Si's face was obscured by the hood he wore, a hood that was attached to a grey cape.
"Assassin," greeted the Prowler cordially, coolly.
His voice was deep and smooth, with no traces of boy-hood left. In that one utterance, Ezio knew that he was dealing with a man much like himself, a man willing to kill in the name of destiny, capable enough to claim what is rightfully his, cunning enough to stare death in the eye, and charismatic enough to raise a thousand voices to his call.
He was dealing with a man after his own heart.
"Che Si Aggira."
The man glided away from the alcove upon which he leaned against, and floated over to Ezio, stopping a few feet away. With this close proximity, the Assassin saw the sword that La Volpe had spoken about before hanging from the Prowler's belt.
"Word upon the street is that you seek an audience with me, which means either Machiavelli has grown desperate, or you're the one calling the shots within the Brotherhood."
Ezio's eyes widened. "You know of the Brotherhood? How?"
Che Si laughed, a booming sound that was both infectious and disarming. That was the laugh of a hearty gentleman at a party that had just told a magnificent joke. It almost Ezio smile along, but then he remembered the situation.
"Oh, I know many things, Auditore. There is not much in Roma that I do not know about, and what I do not know I find out. I've been watching you since you entered my city, so I do know that you seek my help, but if you're here on Machiavelli's orders or your own whims is not known to me. So, what's the answer?"
"I am here on my own. I've been told by numerous people that you are good, experienced in fighting the Borgia, but are an extremista."
"Extremista? Ha!That is what Machiavelli would say, the spineless codardo that he is. I only do what needs to be done in ridding Roma of the plague that constantly eats away at her."
"And how do you go about that, exactly?" Ezio asked, a note of caution in his voice as he began to catch a glimpse of the man under the hood.
"By killing every last man that bears even the slightest tie to the Borgia, from the lowest grunt to Cesare and Rodrigo himself. My men operate most effectively in the country side, launching hit-and-run attacks against patrols and groups of Borgia soldiers, while I myself work to eradicate the towers oppressing the districts, dispatching any Borgia unit I come across, and working to raise the money necessary to renovate the shops of Roma."
"Io vedo…and how do you raise this money?"
"The dead have no use for florins, and the Borgia like to keep large stores of their paltry wealth in single locations. Makes it easy to steal. Also, there are many Cardinals and politicians that succhiare il cazzo del Borgia, and therefore have no need of their money."
Ezio cracked a smirk at the remark of the Cardinals and politicians that 'suck off the Borgia's cock,' and at how this man before him seemed to hold a righteous fury against the Templar's lapdogs.
"But, enough about me. You come here seeking a partnership, yes?"
"If you would be so kind."
Che Si inclined his head slightly. "I see no problem with this, only that you recognize that I work with you and not for you like your little novices."
"Of course, however, I would like to know something."
"Hm?"
"That bracer on your wrist, is that-?"
SNIKT
Ezio's eyes widened at the Hidden Blade, but it was different from his own. Ezio's Hidden Blade was a couple of blade built into each other that retracted into a single unit. What Che Si's did was different. Instead of extending down, his Blade first flicked out, revealing that it was two blades side by side, in 180-degree arcs, and only half of the Blade was there, with the second half only extending after the first half was facing out.
"Yes, yes it is."
"How did you-?"
"Eh, that's the funny thing. I saw it in a dream once, and in that dream I saw a different design, a different mechanism, one that required the loss of the ring finger. I just improved upon that design."
"By yourself?"
"No, I did have a little help."
"Who?"
Che Si Aggira smiled. "We all have our secrets, Auditore."
"Some more than others, it seems."
"Indeed. Anyway, I have seen how well you can fight, but you have not seen my abilities. Beyond ambushing the nighttime patrols, and a spar right here—which I would rather avoid—any ideas?"
Ezio thought for a moment, then he remembered the war machines. "Yes. Cesare has commissioned Leonardo da Vinci to build him devices for war. I know the location of those that hold the knowledge of each machine's location."
"Va bene. Let's go."
The two men climbed out of the Pantheon, and Ezio was about to lead them to the first Templar Overseer, but he had a question. "You said you would rather avoid sparring within the Pantheon. Why?"
Che Si Aggira smiled as he pulled a certain book out from behind him, a book with a cross on its cover.
"I like to consider myself religious."
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Che Si and Ezio raced through Rome on horseback, the Assassin on a white horse, the Prowler on a black one. From the Pantheon they thundered all the way to the Southeastern-most corner of Rome, and by the time they arrived, it was already morning. Standing atop a small cliff, the two deadliest men in Italy stared down at the ruins of some ancient building, one having long since decayed over time. It was most likely built during the Roman empire to honor one god or spirit or something, but now it was just a reminder that all things would come to an end.
"There," Che Si Aggira pointed.
Following the finger, Ezio activated his Sense, and saw a golden figure leading three other red one, with four more red ones standing in formation off the side of the road. Ezio also saw a band of mercenaries standing nearby, their glowing blue forms standing out in drastic contrast to this dark world that only the Auditore could see. Instantly, he had the idea to purchase their service and go from there, but the Prowler had other ideas.
"First one to get the plans wins."
"Wait-!"
But Che Si had already leapt down from the cliff, leaving his horse behind. Sighing in frustration at this sudden turn of events, Ezio did find some merit in this situation, however. Now he could see for himself just how well of a fighter the Prowler of Roma truly was. From up here, Ezio saw a man dressed in the armor of the Papal Guard, three grunts, two pikemen, a regular, and an agile. Daunting odds for sure.
And Che Si Aggira just ran straight into the thick of things.
The man leapt, tackling a grunt to the ground, stabbing him in the throat with his Hidden Blade, and then he was rolling forward as quickly as he went down, rolling in front of the grunt at the back of the formation. The Borgia were still in shock over what happened, and Che Si was fast. With a swipe of his arm, he cut open the legs of the second grunt, making him scream and fall to his knees, but then he was silenced when a Hidden Blade was in his throat.
Now, the other two had finally registered that they were being killed off, and drew arms. Che Si stepped right into the face of the Overseer, and the hulking brute of a man wildly swung his sword. The Prowler performed a very impressive back-bend, and the third grunt of the formation was relieved of his head. With this massive opening now presented, Che Si Aggira stabbed upward with his Hidden Blade, but the Overseer was not as vulnerable as he appeared.
The man intercepted the Prowler's wrist.
Too bad the Overseer didn't see Che Si's arm gripping the pistol on his belt. With a loud bang, the Overseer collapsed, blood spurting from the new hole in his head. At this moment, the other Borgia militia had entered the fray, and now Che Si Aggira faced two men armed with spears, a lanky man with a dagger, and a man in armor complete with plumed helmet.
The Prowler drew his sword, which he stole from La Volpe, and stood ready. From his vantage point, Ezio could see his poise, see how his muscles coiled, his body prepared. That was the same way he himself looked when in battle. It felt strange seeing this from an outside point of view, but none of that compared to Ezio' shock at seeing what Che Si Aggira did next.
To start off this second duel, he hurled the empty pistol still in his hand at the face of one of the pikemen, catching the Borgia lapdog completely off guard, and, while Ezio had never been hit in the face by a thrown gun, he imagined it had to have hurt, because the man went down, clutching his nose. The agile pivoted from foot to foot, before striking with an overhead slash with his dagger. Che Si Aggira stepped right into the man's personal space, impaling him on his sword.
With a whip of his body, the dead man was slung off the blade and onto the ground with a wet splat. But the Prowler was hardly done with his onslaught, and this was best proven by when he stepped across the battlefield, stabbed his sword into the face of the other pikeman, then slid across to the regular, the one with the plume, slashing him across the front, making him spin around, and then finished by slashing him across the back.
Ezio's eyes widened beneath his hood, a cold breeze brushing past him. Those moves, that technique...those were Assassin attacks. Those were the skills Ezio saw in himself, saw in his recruits! How did this man, this Prowler of Roma, this figure who wielded a Hidden Blade, this figure who kept his face covered by a hood...know these techniques?
Ezio narrowed his eyes. There was much mystery to Che Si Aggira, and he wasn't sure that was a good thing.
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Colli Albani
Spring, 1502
Ezio and Che Si arrived at the Alban Hills, a location about 12 miles Southeast of Rome, at a little after noon. They stood on a cliff, overlooking the village below. It was a quaint little place, sitting atop a cliff that stood proudly over the lake. Such a shame that this little place was home to the Borgia's terrible weapon.
"The Machine Gun is somewhere below," the Assassin said.
Che Si hummed in agreement. "I think it best that we split up, cover more ground faster."
Ezio shook his head. "I disagree. If one of us finds the weapon before the other, what then? Do I wait for you to arrive? Do you wait for me?"
"Actually…"
SCHUCK
Ezio grunted when a little arrow suddenly pierced his side. He pulled it out, and he felt dizzy. "Poison—why? Che Si Aggira…ugh…" The Auditore collapsed into the world of dreams.
The Prowler stood above the Assassin, a miniature crossbow fitting seamlessly in his hand. "Apologies, Assassino, non posso ho fottuto i miei piani. You can understand my pain, since we are siblings in that the Borgia took our families, but unlike you, I don't adhere to a moral code that prevents the taking of 'innocent' life. Don't worry, it's not fatal, just a sleep toxin, and you won't remember a thing when you wake up, either, back in Rome after I drop you off when I'm done here."
His piece said, the reincarnation of Faris Ibn-La'Ahad glided into the village, where he proceeded to murder every last Borgia guard on sight. None were safe from his blade, and all had their blood spilt, and none knew what the cause of their demise was, nor would they ever.
Like his namesake suggested, the Prowler stalked the village, and quickly found the machine's plans, guarded only by a single brute. His life was ended when a blade tore through his armor and skull, and straight into his brain. The plans met their end due to the nearby torch.
After that, all the Prowler did was climb over the wall, and there the machine was, all mounted and pretty, just waiting to be blown up. However, using the Gift, Che Si Aggira saw that the wooden doors to the adjacent stable glowed white, just as the machine gun did. He took that to mean that there was another weapon behind that door.
How to go about that?
First things first, take out the Borgia scum standing nearby. Che Si Aggira retrieved his miniature crossbow, his own creation, from its hiding place on his belt under his cape. He also pulled out a handful of bolts from his pouch and held them at ready. Then, with skill and speed garnered from years of training, the reincarnate Assassin began to fire and reload with almost supernatural speed. In less than two seconds, all Borgia were down with small arrows in their necks, these ones coated in lethal toxin.
The Prowler leapt down from his vantage point, noting the barrels by the machine, barrels no doubt containing gun powder. He walked the small distance from the machine's carriage to the door of the second building…and he promptly knocked like he was visiting a friend.
The door was jerked open, revealing a disgruntled regular, one who was silenced before he could raise any alarm. Jerking his arm away from the dead man's throat, the Prowler turned his body and let the corpse fall, then he entered.
"Vincenzo? Everything okay—Madre de Dio!"
SCHUCK
The Borgia gunner gurgled when an arrow pierced his throat.
Che Si Aggira observed the other machine gun with a hollow gaze. This one had gun powder barrels on board, so that was one problem solved, especially with the rifle of the dead gunner. He wouldn't be needing it anymore. And those horses would be useful, too.
What followed was simple: open the doors, unlatch the horses, lead them out of the way, ignite the barrels by the first machine gun, then shoot the barrels onboard the second machine gun, creating a perfectly timed explosion of dual threat-destroying fire. After a bit of thinking on how to solve the next problem, the reincarnation figured a way to get Ezio on the horse, secured to the horse, and then get the both of them all the way back to Roma.
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Ezio started with a violent jerk, automatically reaching for his weapons. Then he realized that he was in the countryside of Rome, propped up against the crumbling column of some ancient structure, and his head hurt. There was a not next to him.
You took a blow to the head during a battle, and so I had to finish the mission by myself, you cretino. The plans are destroyed and the machine is history. Contact me via the pigeon coops, or just let it slip on the streets that you want to see me.
Looking forward to future work
-Prowler of Roma
Ezio felt a surge of embarrassment at being knocked out, the pain in his head proof of the injury. It must have been a hard blow, too, since he couldn't remember all of the mission. Still, it was a humbling thing, to be struck in such a way. Ezio was very good, but he was not invincible, this experience proved that. Oh well, now he had something to work for during combat training: work on blind spots.
And what about the Prowler, eh? Taking on eight of the Borgia's finest, coming out on top without a scratch, and then proceeding to destroy Leonardo's weapon all by himself, a weapon no doubt under heavy Borgia guard. Now that was some skill. Pigeon coops and whispers on the street, huh? Ezio would indeed be engaging in those practices.
If only to observe more of Che Si Aggira's work.
As Ezio departed for the main city of Roma, he never once looked above him, and therefore he did not see the caped-and-hooded figure that stared silently at his retreating back. Nor did he hear the silent prayer uttered in his favor.
"Dio, sia con lui in questo viaggio attraverso la vita. Amen."
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Thus concludes the first chapter the Second Life arc. Che Si's sword in this is La Volpe's Bite from Brotherhood. Google it if you don't remember or don't know. The little crossbow that he uses is directly pulled from the Lightning Thief movie, the scene where Annabeth darts the hydra janitors down. For all the Italian in this chapter, use a translator if you're dying to know, and get used to it, for it will be a recurring theme in the Second Life.
Now, Che Si Aggira. His name literally means 'who wanders,' but it also translates as 'prowler,' which is directly taken from Brotherhood's Prowler character in the multiplayer. Once more, Google it for a picture.
In all honesty, I personally felt that his introduction was forced, in a way, and just didn't flow seamlessly into the story like Faris' did, but there is a reason. I think it would be rather repetitive to follow the First Life's introduction, starting from immediate birth, bowling through childhood events, and then BAM! He's an Assassin. Of course, there will be an origins chapter, duh, since this one was seriously light on any real development.
At least that's my opinion. Someone else could've thought this was the greatest intro ever.
Anyway, yeah. More Ezio and Che Si in later chapters, more Che Si kicking ass in later chapters, more backstory in later chapters, more Italian in later chapters, more development in later chapters, and more awesomeness in later chapters.
Oh, and for why Che Si knocked out Ezio, it's because when Machiavelli says he is an extremist, he is extreme in that he'll go out of his way to murder anyone bearing the Borgia symbol.
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