The Second Life: The Baron and the Fallout

Welcome back, people. This chapter's simple, and its title is pretty clear. Here, the Baron de Valois is done away with, and the Key to the Castello sequence is covered.

In previous chapters, I've said that Che Si Aggira is an 'extremist.' I'm surprised no one's been like: I haven't seen him do anything extreme. Well, that'll change this chapter, and it'll cause the relationship between Ezio and Che Si to be strained almost to nonexistence.

But no one panic because we all know how that song and dance plays out.

Also, I'm thinking about writing my own novel. Select reviewers have already been asked about it, but if you want details, PM me for more information.

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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With the amount of things to do in Roma, time passed quickly. Ezio and Che Si Aggira took it the Borgia sideways while running, taking out the remaining war machines, Assassinating the many Templar agents that oppressed and terrorized the city, taking out the many Borgia soldiers throughout the city that were handed special assignment via Cesare, destroying the Borgia Towers and killing their respective Captains, pooling their money into renovating Rome, bringing it back to glory, assisting the Courtesans and Thieves in their endeavors against traitors, drunks, politicians, and the Cento Occhi, and eliminating those that worshipped Romulus like a god.

Ezio also made it a point to recruit more people to his cause, sending them out all across Europa in an endeavor to both end any Borgia influence abroad, and help those in need. It was a successful campaign, and the Novices all became Masters in time. Most of them, anyway. Despite their skill, they were not invincible, and for every ten citizens Ezio recruited, one Assassin lost their life. Such was the price of leadership, and it was a burden that Ezio accepted with sadness in his heart, and steel in his conviction.

On a side note, the Tailors and Blacksmiths made a killing in the robes, arms, and armor industry.

The relationship between Che Si Aggira and Claudia Auditore flourished under the watchful protection of one Maria Auditore. The two could often be found on the balcony of the Rosa in Fiore, staring out over the Tevere, either idly chatting about the wistful future, or simply enjoying the other's company in the calming light of the sunset. Every once in a blue moon, Che Si would take his lover out to the countryside, showing her the ancient ruins of the great Roman Empire, and impress her with his knowledge over each landmark.

When he and Ezio raided the Palazzo Laterano, a quiet, decrepit place that still managed to hold a peaceful air around it, the Assassin attempted to use his 'Big Brother' card on the Prowler…which met with limited results, seeing as how Che Si Aggira revealed himself to be a big brother too, only that his sister was dead, which made the rest of the raid an awkward one, until Ezio attempted to break the ice with a question on the further specifics of Che Si's spy network.

He responded that Ezio knew them well, seeing as how they lined the streets of Rome in groups of four, and constantly talked about how they were going to light a few fire's in the Borgia's barracks.

But enough about the past. Instead, let's focus on the past!

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1502

Caserma di Alviano

Ezio and Che Si Aggira came sprinting into the home of one Bartolomeo d'Alviano, and his wife, Pantasilea, racing each other for the mere fun of it, only to enter the walls and immediately receive a blade to their face.

"Who goes there!?" said one unhappy Mercenary faction leader.

Ezio moved the point of Bianca out of his face with a fingertip. "Salve to you too."

Bartolomeo's face brightened. "Ezio! Che Si! I was expecting my wife."

The Prowler raised a brow, while the Assassin was more vocal, "Somehow that does not surprise me."

The Mercenary sheathed his sword, and all three men noticed the limping man hobble past, supported by two others.

"The French puttane have us under pressure."

"Clearly."

"Tell me about their general, this…Baron de Valois."

"Ezio, I could've done that on the way here."

"Cesare persuaded King Loise to lend him an entire army to defeat me." Bartolomeo put his hand on his chest. "I'm flattered."

"And I'm apparently being ignored."

"Where can I find him?" Ezio asked.

"Their camp is that way. Want me to take you there?"

"It's only a matter of time before I have Valois by the throat. We have them in retreat."

"Cazzo voi due."

Just then, a bullet came sailing in from elsewhere, impacting the wall about two inches from Che Si Aggira's head. To his credit, the man did not flinch, but instead said this: "Retreat. I do not think that word means what you think it means."

Bartolomeo waved his hand. "The situation is under control—"

A man came running in from the west. "Shut the gates!"

"I do not think 'control' means what you think it means, either."

"Bene. I could use some help."

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Ezio found himself annoyed at his circumstances.

Waves, and slews, and battalions, and bunches, and clusters, and formations, and all manner of the word 'groups' just came swarming in from seemingly every direction. As bodies fell one after the other, and more bodies just came sprinting in to refill the lost numbers, Ezio was beginning to wonder if there was any merit in any other strategy than to just let the French swarm in here to their deaths. Seriously, Ezio was beginning to start tripping over corpses he didn't remember leaving there.

"Ezio! Shut the gates!"

Oh, right. Not everyone present could spend the entire day carving through bodies and walk away without a scratch or a hint of fatigue. So, Ezio began to make a conscious effort to wade his way through the endless ocean of people to the gate levers. Che Si had disappeared sometime prior, but he was most likely painting the barracks red with French blood.

"Ezio! Shut the gates!"

Ezio managed to cut down enough men to where he could stand by the lever, but a new problem presented itself. This thing was heavy, and it took time to move heavy things, and in the middle of this battle, Ezio did not have time. His armor could only protect so much of his body for so long, and a hood did not do well in protecting the one's head.

"Ezio! Shut the gates!"

Not having any good ideas at the moment, and with more French soldiers pouring in by the dozen, Ezio made a snap decision, and dropped a smoke bomb at his feet. Instantly, the area was shrouded in obscuring gas, causing the Frenchmen to heave and cough and cover their eyes. Ezio just took a deep breath and shut his own optical organs, and got to work and moving this damn lever. With a grunt, the gate came down.

"They're coming from the other side! Defend the other entrance!"

Eye twitching dangerously, Ezio attempted to do just that, only there was a small army between him and the aforementioned other entrance. Swallowing his vexation, the Assassin set about getting over there, and, to save time, he skipped killing the dozen or so men before him in favor of simply barreling across the courtyard. Good news was that he found Che Si Aggira, surrounded by his own growing mass of corpses, valiantly trying to defend the gate; bad news was that all the Frenchmen Ezio ignored about five seconds ago all came rushing into battle, with one man deciding it would be a great idea to bowl Ezio over.

"Ezio! Shut the gate!"

Grumbling to himself, Ezio flipped himself up onto his feet, sword in hand, ready to kill more people. He joined with the Prowler, and together did the two men cut down swarms of enemy Frenchies. Their swords seemed to blur through the air, and no defense of any man was near enough to save them from the onslaught of the Assassin and the Prowler. After what felt like hours, but wasn't even a full minute, Ezio and Che Si stood in the middle of their own graveyard.

"The other entrance!"

The Auditore was just about to do that, but another wave of the boys in blue came streaming into the barracks, much to the two men's unending ire. Still, there was no time for complaint, and they were quickly wading their way through Frenchmen once again. However, during the battle, Che Si found time for conversation.

"Hey, Ezio?"

"Yes?"

"You know what would be useful right now?"

"An army of our own?"

"Yes, that would be excellent. Do you know anyone that has an army on hand?"

"Bartolomeo, Cesare, Octavian de Valois, King Louis, the British king, and some others."

"Well, you're not wrong, but do you know who else has an army on standby, just waiting for the signal to fight?"

"Uh…"

Che Si dispatched the last Frenchman of the current wave, and he rounded on Ezio, his head superimposed against the world.

"CALL YOUR FUCKING RECRUITS, YOU ITALIAN SHIT STAIN!"

"…oh."

Ezio raised his fist, and suddenly there were six figures in white robes like his own. The reason behind that was that this batch of recruits were no longer Novices, but Masters, those who had risen through the ranks, completed daunting tasks, and held true to the Creed. While they may have been wearing an outfit like Ezio's, none of them had a secondary Hidden Blade.

"Ezio! Shut the Gate!"

Upon the six Assassins' arrival, the evening air was filled with the sounds of gunfire as Hidden Guns were discharged one after the other. Suddenly, Ezio and Che Si Aggira had much more breathing room than before. The second gate was soon shut, and the two were moving to the third and final gate.

"Ezio! Shut the Gate!"

"If you don't stai zitto, I will stand here and watch as a Francese shoves his sword su per il culo!"

Bartolomeo wisely stopped barking out pointless orders after that. With Ezio and Che Si Aggira now up front, along with the Assassin Masters, the remaining French soldiers were quickly thinned out, but another wave arrived just as the gate was shut. Those soldiers were also cut down with haste.

At the end of the battle, the barracks were so filled with blood that there was a standing puddle from wall to wall, one that the spaces between the gates were slow to drain, and there were so many bodies it was impossible to step anywhere without having to make a conscious effort to not put your foot on a corpse. It went without saying that this place stank.

"The Baron de Valois signals from the field!"

The survivors of the French assault gathered at the gate, where they saw a contingent of Frenchies all centered a man in golden armor sitting atop a horse. Words were exchanged between Bartolomeo and Octavian, words that revealed that the French had kidnapped Pantasilea.

"I will get you! Pezzo di merde figlio di puttana!"

Bartolomeo made for the nearest horse, Ezio following, but Che Si Aggira was quick to stop them.

"Move, Che Si! Before I move you!"

"Calm down, grande uomo. Calmati."

The mercenary's eyes flashed with fury. "Calm down!? That French bastardo has my wife, and you expect me to calm down!? MOSSA!"

"There's nothing to worry about, mio amico. It's all part of the plan."

"WHAT PLAN!?"

The Prowler remained undaunted. "The plan where Pantasilea allows herself to be kidnapped so that her husband and his army may walk into Castra Praetoria under the guise of French soldiers and catch the Baron by surprise which will allow Ezio or you or me the opportunity to kill him and break a huge part of Cesare's army."

Bartolomeo blinked. "Huh?"

Che Si Aggira smirked. "I told you: Troy."

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"So, how many suits of armor do you think we'll need to pull this off?"

"Eh, 20 should be fine."

"And where do you suppose we can find the armor that is required for your idea?"

"Other than their fortress, the French have several smaller camps that dot the district."

"And you know where all of them are, don't you?"

"Puoi scommetterci il culo dolce che faccio."

Ezio snorted in good humor. "Well, then. Lead the way, O Great Prowler of Roma."

"Gladly."

Che Si Aggira took off into the night, the Assassin hot on his heels. A full moon shined above, providing a great amount of luminance against the darkness. That was good though, for tonight would be the last for many sons, husbands, brothers, uncles, cousins, and friends. It was only just for their last night to be one of calm warmth, and still radiance.

In the West was the first French camp found.

"How do you propose we do this without a fight? Walking in with damaged armor soaked in blood will not be beneficial to our endeavor for secrecy and surprise."

"Ezio," Che Si said sternly. "No matter how you go about doing this, blood is going to get on the armor. That being said, how good is your aim with that crossbow?"

The Assassin pulled the weapon over his shoulder, aimed it at the French guard standing on top of the scaffolding, and fired. The man went down with an arrow in his throat.

"Alright, not bad. Now just keep aiming for the neck, and we should be good."

"How about a challenge?"

"Hm?"

"Don't get into open conflict."

"You mean don't be detected?"

"More or less."

Che Si Aggira put a hand to his chin in thought. "Mmmmmm…nope!"

Ezio balked as the one courting his sister bolted off into the French camp without so much as a thought of stealth. Still stunned at the sudden rejection of his idea, Ezio just stood there as the sounds of screaming Frenchmen reached his ears, along with the sound of French cursing. The Assassin finally overcame his stupor when the night became silent again.

He entered the French encampment, and found himself somewhat stunned at the…it wasn't really carnage, but it wasn't exactly clean either. The eleven men that were stationed here were all dead of course, and all of them had arrows either in their throats or their eyes. The armor, for the most part, was blood-free, so that was a plus.

And there was the Prowler, casually leaning against the side of a tent with a grin on his face, small crossbow in hand.

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"You know we're going to have to take out any patrols on the way to the Castra Praetoria, so that we aren't recognized, right."

"Si."

"You want to do it, or should I?"

"Why not both of us together?"

"Because I want to do as little movement as possible in this French cazzate."

Ezio shrugged. "Fair enough."

And so the small army marched through the rural streets of Roma to the French's forward base of operations, with Ezio making short work of the odd patrol here and there so that the battalion would not be found out to be frauds. They made it to the French camp, where the idiots on duty believed Ezio's spiel of French, and when Bartolomeo asked how Ezio knew French, his answer caused Che Si Aggira to snort.

"There were a few French girls in Firenze."

The disguised battalion walked the streets of the large camp, with Frenchmen on all sides sneering and jeering.

The Prowler leaned in next to Ezio. "Are these idiotas truly this dumb, or is it just me?"

"I believe it is God helping us out."

Che Si bobbed his head once. "Indeed, He is."

They all found Octavian de Valois standing atop a flight of stairs, holding Pantasilea one hand, pressing a long, golden wheellock to her head.

"Général d'Alviano. It seems that you have seen the light," said the French general, his accent thick and heavy.

"Enough of your crap. Release my wife."

The Baron's eyebrows rose. "Such entitlement from a man born with nothing to his name."

Bartolomeo sneered. "Mine is worth its currency. Unlike yours, which is counterfeit."

Octavian upturned his nose. "How dare you?"

"You think that commanding an army grants you nobility? Nobility comes from fighting besides your soldiers, not kidnapping a woman to cheat your way out of battle! Why don't you grow a pair, and release my wife?!"

"You savages never learn," sneered the Baron de Valois.

"Well, this has been fun," and with that, Che Si Aggira had his crossbow in one hand, and a slew of small bolts in the other, and unloaded on the Frenchies. The Baron took an arrow to the hand, then one to the eye, then one to the other eye, and the two Papal guards standing nearby took multiple arrows to the throat. "But I have other things to do today that don't involve Frenchmen."

And just like that, all Hell broke loose within Castra Praetoria.

The mercenaries made hilariously short work of all opposition, and Ezio and Che Si Aggira delved into their usual one-sided slaughter fest, which only quickened the pace at which the French dropped like flies. In under ten minutes, the fortress had been cleared out, and the only ones still alive spoke fluent Italian and English.

The Assassin and the Prowler watched with warm smiles as Bartolomeo and his wife reunited, and the two were content to leave them in peace, but the caped man saw something that he wanted. He walked over to the Baron's still-warm corpse, and picked up the tube-like gun. Ezio cocked a brow.

"I'm going to keep this."

"Why?"

"Because you have a Hidden Blade, I have a Hidden Blade. You have a sword, I have a sword. You have a crossbow, I have a crossbow. You have a gun, and now I have a gun, only mine is better."

Ezio just shook his head. 'This is the man Claudia is going to marry? Unbelievable.'

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Rosa in Fiore

"Was it always your plan to use Bartolomeo's wife as an excuse to waltz into the French camp?" Claudia asked.

In was night. The waning moon provided light in the darkness, but not as much as the soft glow of the many torches and lanterns of Roma. The Auditore woman and her lover stood together on the outside balcony, staring out over the Tevere, out over the countryside of Rome.

"Not always. I had a few more before I came up with that one, but the Trojan Horse idea was the one that took less time and was more practical."

"I see."

The two fell into a comfortable silence for a time, until Che Si broke it.

"It won't be long now, amore. Ezio has done great work against the Borgia, more than I would have on my own. Already, we've taken Cesare's funds, his army, his Captains, his Templar Agents, and so much more still. Now we just have to meet with Volpe and discuss what his spies have found in regards to Pietro and that key. After that, it's just a quick raid on the Castello, and a small hunt for the Apple."

"And then we can begin a new life together?"

Che Si kissed Claudia on the lips, doing nothing more than that. They separated, one blushing and smiling softly, the other grinning with radiance.

"Si. Tia mo, Auditore da Firenze."

"E io ti amo, Che Si Aggira da Roma."

Che Si smirked. "Cavaliere."

"Pardon me?"

"My name…it's Virgil Cavaliere."

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August 1503

More time passed since the death of the Baron de Valois, and Ezio and Che Si Aggira solidified their control of Rome, eradicating the very last remnants of Borgia influence. All that was left now was to retrieve the key to the Castello, and put an end to Cesare and Rodrigo.

The Prowler hadn't told Ezio his real name yet, more for his own amusement than anything.

The two arrived at La Volpe Addormentata, and entered it to find the usual sight of the Thieves Guild. Thieves milling about, people at the bar, and a few women here and there. However, the newest and most out of place feature was the absurd amount of knives stabbed into a beam. Approaching it, La Volpe himself appeared from the other side.

"Ezio, Che Si...I still want my sword back."

"You can have it when you can steal it back."

"It's time," Ezio said heavily, "to pay a visit to Lucrezia's lover."

The Fox raised a brow. "Shouldn't your own spy network know where Pietro is and what he's doing?"

"I decided to give them a break and let your own spies do some work."

"Right," Volpe said dryly. "I have sent my men out to find him."

The Assassin grinned. "Molto bene."

"Ezio, if I may…"

"Yes?"

"Someone warned Rodrigo to stay away from the Castello."

Ezio picked up on the allusion instantly. "Machiavelli?"

La Volpe spread his hands.

"Do you have proof?"

"...no."

Ezio jabbed a finger at the ground. "We must not be split apart by mere suspicion."

"Uh...excuse me?"

"Yes, Che Si?"

"You don't know who the traitor is?"

Both men looked at the caped man.

"Oh, well, it's not Machiavelli."

"Then who is it?" Ezio demanded.

"Some bald cagna with an eyepatch. I thought you knew and was just using him for something else. It's why I haven't had the man captured and tortured."

…

Then a thief entered through the front door.

"The Borgia know the location of spies."

"Who told them?" Volpe asked.

"Maestro Machiavelli asked about our search for Pietro earlier today."

Volpe looked at the man in the white robe. "Ezio."

"It's the bald guy with the eyepatch."

"Okay, Che Si, we know."

"I am not lying."

"Enough! We need to rescue the Thieves in danger!"

Volpe nodded. "Va bene."

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The Thief, the Assassin, and the Prowler exited the inn, where they found themselves besieged by a battalion of Borgia soldiers, ones that were quickly defeated. After the last man fell, the three men mounted horses, and quickly rode off for the location of the spies. Arriving shortly, they found dead bodies, and a man desperately outrunning the Borgia.

The three horseback riders quickly dispatched the rabble.

La Volpe accosted the Thief. "What did you find out?"

"Pietro is to be assassinated this evening. Cesare sent his butcher."

Che Si Aggira's eyes widened beneath his hood. All three men were riding off once more, but the Prowler was now lost in thought. Deep thought. If Micheletto was here, then that meant Cesare also had to be here, and if Cesare was here…

Virgil's eyes blazed with Wrath.

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For the rest of the journey, Che Si was silent and unresponsive. He radiated a dark, cold aura. One that was ferocious like a storm, yet calm like the bottom of the ocean. Ezio and Volpe both noticed this change, and they noticed the more extreme change in the caped man's fighting. He dealt single, brutal, lethal blows, ones that displayed a greater level of physical strength than what either Assassin or Thief thought possible.

After rescuing the last of the spies, these ones in the middle of battle, the three convened in a nearby alley, away from the public eye.

"Are you sure it is not Machiavelli that had betrayed us?"

The Prowler did not take kindly to his word being questioned, and he lashed out with Wrath. His hand closed around Volpe's neck, and he yanked the man close, close enough to where his hot breath could be felt by the Thief.

"Yes, and if you question me again, the Thieves Guild will need a new leader."

Virgil threw Volpe away. The man stumbled, off-balance, and met the wall. He whirled around, temper flaring dangerously. Before further conflict could ensue, Ezio stepped in front of his friends.

"Enough, both of you! Volpe, tend to your thieves. Now!"

The Fox lingered a while longer, glaring at the Prowler, who returned the gaze with one of such iciness that it bordered on realms beyond human. Eventually, the Thief could not keep up the contest, and he left. With his absence, Ezio rounded on the Prowler.

"Che cazzo ti sbaglia?"

The reincarnation of Faris remained silent. He spun on his heel, his cape swishing behind him. "We have business to attend to."

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On their way to the Porta Praenestina, Ezio put his thoughts over Che Si Aggira's behavior over to the side, and instead decided to focus more on the task at hand. Since Micheletto was here, then Cesare was most likely here as well. This would be the opportune moment to kill the man, if there wasn't the underlying issue of Pietro being somewhere in Roma, Micheletto knowing where Pietro was, and Micheletto seeking to kill Pietro via a play by disguising the would-be assassins as actors.

To summarize, Ezio needed Micheletto alive and well, and Cesare's time would come later.

There was also the Creed. Do not draw attention to yourself; do not compromise the Brotherhood; do not kill the innocent. The little things that separated Ezio from the animals. Charging at Cesare and Micheletto would defeat the purpose of those first two tenants, and would most likely get Ezio killed.

So that was why, when the Assassin heard the clicking of the Prowler's gun, and saw it being aimed at Cesare and his personal guard, he made haste to tackle his sister's lover to the ground. However, he was not fast enough to stop the shot from firing, but he did succeed in making the bullet miss anyone.

The sound was enough.

Cesare and his guards all flinched at the cracking of a rifle, at how close it was, and the Captain General was quick to issue commands.

"Micheletto, make haste! Men, with me! Hurry. Forget Troche."

And just like that, the Butcher was speeding away on horseback, and Cesare was gone. And Virgil Cavaliere was mad. And Ezio was thrown away as if he weighed no more than a child, which was quite a feat seeing as he was wearing armor, equipped with a sword, a knife, throwing knives, a crossbow, a quiver, several vials of medicine and poison, a trio of smoke bombs, a bagful of bullets, and an absurdly large number of parachutes. Combined with his physical mass, Ezio weighed about 300 pounds.

Virgil Cavaliere was mad.

"What was that!? I had him, right there! I could've ended this all, right there! Because of you, Troche is dead!"

"It is not the right time!" Ezio roared back. "Discretion, Che Si Aggira!"

"I have been discreet for the past ten years! And if this was not the right time, then when, Auditore? After Cesare kills another hundred senators? After he breaks another hundred families? After he destroys another hundred houses?! All of the lives that will be lost from here due to Cesare's hand, will be lost because of you!"

"And because of you," Ezio returned, "we've lost our chance to follow Micheletto, which means we don't know where the Borgia assassins are, where the Passion Play is, or where Pietro is!"

"Spare me, Ezio. The Play is at il Colosseo and Pietro is playing Gesù Cristo. The posters were all over Roma."

"Then why are you—you are only here to kill Cesare."

"And because of you, that is no longer a possibility. It could've been over right here, Ezio. Kill Cesare, the Papal guards, save Troche, capture Micheletto and torture him for the information that we needed, kill him, save Pietro, get the key, and then put an end to Lucrezia, Rodrigo, and every other Borgia in the Castello."

Ezio turned his head, looking at Che Si out the corner of his eye. "Lucrezia?"

The Prowler inclined his head slightly, his hood casting an even darker shadow over his face.

"She is even worse than her brother and her father, and she has committed crimes and atrocities beyond either of them. She will die."

"You make it sound as if she has slighted you personally."

The reincarnation of Faris growled lowly, a sound that rumbled out from the very back of his throat. "I will get that key, Ezio, and I will end every single one of them."

"Every single...you're talking about mass murder! Men with families who do not need to die!"

The reincarnate Assassin was not moved. "All who are in league with the Borgia will die. Do not try to stop me, for you will fail." He threw a smoke bomb at his feet, causing Ezio to cough and cover his eyes at the sudden eruption of black. When it cleared, the caped man was unsurprisingly gone without a trace. Ezio felt a cold weight settle in his gut.

He could not let Che Si Aggira have the Castello key, because he could not let Che Si Aggira commit so many murders.

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That night

Using the power of the Sense, Ezio tracked Micheletto's golden apparition through Rome, and he found all of the Borgia men assigned for tonight's festivities, and had them all killed via his recruits, who then donned the Ancient Roman armor costumes. By the time Ezio arrived at il Colosseo, it was night, and the play was in full swing.

Moving quickly, he ascended the walls of the great structure, and swiftly made his way through the ruins, taking out the various gunners along the way. After the snipers were dealt with, Ezio joined his recruits backstage, and donned his own costume.

When the time came, he entered the spotlight, and performed his role well. During this, Ezio kept a sharp eye on the crowd, scanning for the Prowler. He was not to be found. Finally, the time came for Micheletto's role to stab Pietro, and Ezio acted, saving the actor's life, and sparing the butcher's.

The play devolved from there, and Ezio quickly made haste for the nearest doctor, since Pietro had been poisoned earlier via wine. After undressing and redressing in his robes and armor (somehow), the Assassin acquired the key to the Castello from Pietro…then Ezio saw a bald man with an eyepatch.

The alleged spy, and the man Ezio had seen at the Villa attack two years ago.

So he did the natural thing, and chased baldy's ass down.

The man proved to be quite fast, and only on horseback did Ezio manage to catch him, after maneuvering around groups of Borgia guards. Ezio caught the fleeing thief at the ruins directly across from the Basilica di Massenzio.

At the remains of the Ancient Roman forum.

"Why did you run?" Ezio snarled.

"I-"

The thief was brandishing a paper, one that Ezio snagged and read. His eyes alit with fury. "Che Si was right. You are the traitor!" The Hidden Blade extended, and the traitorous thief saw an opportunity.

"Long live the Borgia!"

He stabbed himself in the throat.

Surprised, Ezio let the man fall off his Blade, gurgling blood as he collapsed. The Auditore stared at the corpse, wide-eyed. That was something he had never expected to happen. Now, however, he felt strange, and it wasn't from the fact that a traitor had just committed suicide either. Now he had the key, the proof of Machiavelli's innocence that would to be shone to Volpe son, and nothing between him and the Castello except…

"Turn. Around."

Steeling himself for what was about to be a brutal confrontation, Ezio obeyed Che Si Aggira's command. The Prowler had his gun in hand, the golden barrel pointed at Ezio's face. The Assassin was no fool; he had been caught completely unaware, and he could have been killed without even knowing that he had died, and the key taken from his corpse.

If Ezio had been anyone else, that's exactly what Che Si Aggira would have done.

"Give me the key, Ezio."

"No. You would use it as an excuse to kill dozens of people."

"Yes, I would. Dozens of people who kill and rape and torture with disgusting grins on their faces as they do it. I would be killing dozens of monsters to save thousands of innocents."

"That may be true, but I cannot allow you to do that. I cannot allow you to kill so many people, regardless if they're Borgia or otherwise."

"So you stand against me, then, and stand with the Borgia instead."

"I stand with myself, and that stance puts me against you and yet still against our enemy."

"You will not give the key so that I may finally eradicate the whole of the Borgia, and I cannot convince you otherwise. It seems we have reached an impasse."

"So it seems."

Virgil threw his gun to the side, and drew his sword.

With a heavy heart, Ezio did the same. "I will do what I must."

"You will try."

Virgil struck first, going from a stand into a roll, popping up and slashing at Ezio's waist. The Assassin leapt back, and attempted his own attack, to which Virgil blocked. They exchanged blows, sparks flying and steel ringing. Then, finally, they deadlocked.

"I find it ironic that you would be against the murder of so many people when you have killed so many yourself."

"Si, but I never went out of my way to kill someone. All that I have killed have either been targets or attackers."

The Prowler's muscles strained against his shirt, and he threw Ezio back with a grunt. The Assassin retained his balance, and was put on the defensive against the series of rabid jabs and thrusts at the hands of the Prowler of Roma. Ezio backpedaled as fast as Cavaliere advanced, parrying and avoiding stabs and feints with expert precision and skill.

Unfortunately, Ezio lost track of where he was on the battlefield, and tripped over a stone bench that crept up behind him. Moving quickly, he rolled to the side, avoiding the downward stab aimed at his head. Moving even quicker than that, the Assassin was on his feet, and stabbed at the Prowler.

The man angled his body with deft reflexes, making the hostile sword harmlessly sail past him, causing Ezio to overextend in a way. Now with this close proximity, Virgil pinned Ezio's arm between his own arm and his armpit, while Ezio did the same to Virgil's sword arm. They were face to face once again.

"Think of Claudia, Che Si! What would she say if she were here now!?"

"DO NOT BRING HER INTO THIS! What I do, I do to protect her! With the Borgia gone, there'll be nothing left to threaten her, or our relationship!"

"Every single Borgia that is on the payroll does not have to die for that to happen! Stop this now, before I am forced to do something that will break my sister's heart."

The Prowler roared, and with a mighty heave, he used his grip on Ezio to launch the man away. The Assassin grunted when he landed hard, his sword clattering from his hand. There was a small surge of panic at that little event, and when Ezio looked up, looking for his sword, he saw something else. In his desperation, he pitched himself forward, grabbed the object, and popped up in a crouch while also doing a 180-degree twist.

BA-CRACK

Virgil gasped when hot metal bit into his abdomen, and then he felt warm wetness spill down his clothes, soaking into his fabric. He felt…cold. The Prowler's sword fell from his hand as he fell to his knees. His hood came off, exposing his shocked visage to Ezio. This was the first time Ezio had seen Virgil's face.

"Che Si!"

The Assassin was there just as the caped man collapsed entirely. Ezio cradled the young man. He looked to be about 27, making the age gap between him and Claudia quite noticeable, but all of that was overshadowed by the Prowler's disturbing pallor.

"Bastardo. You shot me with my own gun."

He might have been calm, Ezio was freaking out. "J-Just stay calm. I'll take you to a doctor, he'll fix this!"

He received a flat look.

"What?"

Then Che Si's face contorted into one of pain. Ezio almost had a panic attack. Before he asked what was wrong, he looked down just in time to see the caped man's fingers digging into the wound, and then come out, trembling, covered in blood, and holding a small, smoking ball in between the digits.

The Prowler threw the bullet away, and beckoned Ezio closer.

"Y-Yes?"

Virgil gripped the Assassin's collar, and brought the hooded man's head closer, to where his (Virgil's) mouth was next to Ezio's ear.

"You're really gullible."

SCHUCK

Ezio grunted when what felt like an insect bit him in the side. He dropped Che Si Aggira in favor of bolting to his feet on reflex. His hand flew to his side, and he peeled out a small dart—no, not a dart, a small crossbow bolt. Before anymore pondering could be done, Ezio felt woozy, his head hurt, and he collapsed.

His last sight of consciousness was that of his sister's lover struggling to get to his feet.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Okay, that had hurt. That had hurt a lot. Being shot was not pleasant, and digging out a bullet was even less pleasant. But, it all worked out in the end. Ezio was now neutralized, Che Si Aggira was putting his crossbow back under his cape, and the Castello key was now his for the taking.

However, when he reached down for where Ezio had put the key, a wolf howled.

Not the bastardized howling of a Follower of Romulus, but the actual howl of a wolf, and it was a howl that Virgil Cavaliere recognized most strongly. But why was she here? After so many years…

Slowly turning around, Virgil saw a wolf with a rust-colored pelt and silver eyes staring at him with a hard glare of disapproval and disappointment, standing not five feet away.

"Are you going to deny me my vengeance too?"

'…'

"But why!? You are the one that taught me what I know, taught me what I've used to raise an underground army, all for the sole purpose of defeating the Borgia!"

'…'

Virgil flinched as if struck.

'…'

"But, I-"

'…'

"No…"

'…'

Virgil looked at the unconscious Ezio, his expression pained. He struggled with himself, then he came to a decision. Virgil spun on his heel, his cape swishing behind him, a hand pressed tightly to his wound.

'…'

"Somewhere to think. Somewhere to find myself again."

The wolf watched her student disappear into the night. When he was gone, the wolf turned her attention to Ezio, and decided that she needed to do something.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Claudia was sobbing into her brother's chest in the hideout on Isola Tiberina. Maria was there, along with Bartolomeo and Pantasilea, La Volpe, and Machiavelli. There were Assassins scattered about, all talking idly with each other.

Ezio had woken up inside the hideout, surrounded by his friends and family, and he had quickly recounted his night, which was why Claudia was crying, why the mood somber, and why conversation was quiet.

Then everything ended with a loud, steady knock at the front door.

Weapons were reached for, and tensions rose when the creaking of the door was heard, steady footsteps rang clear, and then the door was slammed shut. The footsteps continued to echo, and everyone's became more and more tense as the footsteps got closer to the main room.

Then, a leg was seen, then another, followed by a dress that looked to be made of fur. After that, the rest of the person became visible. It was a woman, a beautiful woman at that. She looked to be in her early twenties, with sharp, regal features, strange silver eyes, rust-colored hair—hair that was done up in fascinating style reminisce of wolf ears, while the rest of the impressive mane was left to cascade down to the floor—and she wore a dress made of pristine furs. The dress was like that of courtesan's, being that it was long, but left most of her legs revealed, and topless, revealing her shoulder, cleavage, and arms. The woman also wore a long, thick scarf, also made of fur, but she wore it across the small of her back, with the ends of the scarf resting across her bent arms.

As enraptured as the entire hideout was at the woman's beauty, they were not so stunned as to where they did not hear her speak.

"I am Lupa, the teacher of Virgil Cavaliere. I have come here to tell you the story of his past."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Che Si's Aggira's real name: Virgil because it sounds cool, and Cavaliere because it's Italian for 'Horseman.'

Strife this chapter, with the darker side of Virgil being revealed in that he desires to commit genocide against the Borgia and all of their allies, and the death of the Baron de Valois.

Two opposing philosophies, with Ezio and Virgil going head to head. I hope the dialogue and the fight scene was believable, because I sure felt that it was.

So, just what exactly happened to Virgil to where he would strive for so much blood? Just what is the full history between him and the Borgia? How does it tie into the Followers of Romulus?

Next time, on Assassin's Creed: Transcendence

The Second Life: Origins

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