The Second Life: Prowler's End

Alright, this is it, the last chapter of the Second Life arc, and the last chapter of this fic for a long time, so let's send her off with a grand farewell!

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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1503

Rome

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

'Yes.'

"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!"

'And you've disgraced your family in doing so.'

Virgil flinched as if struck.

'In your crusade, you've lost sight of the teachings of your father.'

"But, I…"

'You know this to be true, Virgil.'

"No…"

'Search yourself, reflect upon your actions, and compare them to what your father taught you so many years ago.'

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.

'Where are you going?'

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

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Virgil found this place in the ruins of his home in the countryside, up on a hill, beneath the cliff, and overlooking the city. The house itself no longer stood, with only a few sections of wall still standing. The stone wall surrounding the house was still there. All of it was once scorched black from the fire, but rain and time and scrubbed away the black. Nature had taken over the property, with weeds and grasses and flowers growing over everything.

Virgil had been here only once in ten years, and that was to fit what was left of his loved ones into boxes, and burry them in the earth. Behind the property were four crosses that marked the final resting places of Virile Cavaliere, Aquila Cavaliere, Anita Cavaliere, and Emiliana Santi.

The sun was beginning to rise at this point.

Virgil eased himself into a sitting position, and leaned against the stone wall behind him, staring at the crosses. His wound had healed a while ago, his body was strange like that, but the blood had dried on his clothes, making the fabric crusty. He would have to wash that out later in the river.

Virgil closed his eyes, and thought back to the conversations between him and his father.

So many years ago, after he had killed the black dog, Virile had said that killing was a sin, even if it was for a purpose such as protecting others, which then led to Virile saying that it was necessary to kill for the purpose of protecting, especially for those of blood. Well, by that philosophy, Virgil had been killing for no reason at all, since all of his family was dead.

Virgil hadn't been killing for family, technically speaking. He had killed for them, not in protection, but in vengeance. Was that his folly, then? Fighting and killing in the name of revenge? Virile had firmly believed that killing anything was a sin, as all were children of God, yet he also firmly believed that to kill in the name of protecting one's family was a righteous thing to do, and, as Virgil had no family, did that make him in the wrong?

Or was he in the right for killing to protect the memory of his family, and killing so that no other family would know his pain? The pain of loss, suffering, and of the emptiness that came with the death of family. Was that his righteous cause, then? An avenger in the name of Rome, hiding in the shadows with an army that steadily chipped away at the forces of the Borgia.

And yet, as Virgil struggled to rationalize himself, the words of his father continued to ring in his ears.

Do not ever kill for a purpose other than family.

Going by that, then Virgil could say that all of Rome was his family, or that those in his army were his family, or that his allies in the Mercenaries, Courtesans, Thieves, and Assassins were his family, but that would all be a lie. Those that walked the streets of Rome were strangers, those in his army were merely assets to be used, those in the various guilds were keen allies, yes, but nothing more. Ezio, Volpe, and Bartolomeo were friends, yes, but not family.

Even Claudia, the woman Virgil had not felt such passion for since Emiliana, was not family.

But couldn't she be?

Virgil already had a ring, one that was meant for Emiliana, but she didn't need it, since she was dead, and Virgil fully intended on proposing after the Borgia were eradicated. Oh God...there was no telling what Claudia thought of him now, what with his battle with Ezio, and then there was whatever Lupa had told the Assassins, if anything, and whatever Ezio had told Claudia himself.

The Auditore did not seem like the type to lie for any reason, even to family, but there was always the possibility that he had withheld certain information from Claudia, in the sake of preserving the relationship between her and Virgil. There was also Maria Auditore, and what she knew of the situation, either from Ezio or otherwise.

Bottom line, the next meeting between Virgil and Claudia would definitely be memorable.

Virgil's gaze returned to the four crosses, and his thoughts drifted back to the argument of killing.

The Prowler would not lie to himself and say that his motives behind taking the life of the dog and taking the life of so many other people were the same. The dog had been strangled to protect Anita, and the people had been killed in the name of revenge. Vengeance.

Virgil recalled a verse from the Bible that touched on the subject of vengeance.

"Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord."

Perhaps it was ironic that verse came from the book of Romans, but anyway.

That verse and more could all be summed up with 'do not seek vengeance, God will take care of it.' If that was the case, then did that mean Virgil was acting for God, or was God acting through Virgil? Or was it something else entirely? Was Virgil acting on his own, outside of God's will, or were his actions still guided by God regardless?

On that thought basis, was it even possible to act outside of God's will?

Virgil decided that the answer to that was based on whether you believed or not.

Still though, what a question that was. The Bible said that vengeance was the Lord's, yet Virgil had been the one doing the killing. So, did that mean that he was acting for God, or was God acting through him? As he pondered heavily on this, Virgil found his head beginning to hurt.

So he switched gears.

Was Ezio correct in saying that not all the Borgia needed to be killed, and only the higher-ups, or was Virgil right in saying that all Borgia needed to be eradicated? On that note, was it even possible to kill all Borgia personnel? Truth be told, that was a lot of people, and Virgil wasn't sure even his underground army was capable of finding so many people.

But on the other hand, was killing only the main Borgia the answer? If history had shone anything, then it was that even the lowest of lifeforms could rise to the top. So, what was stopping the janitor from becoming the next Templar Grand Master? Then again, the amount of skillful planning, political maneuvering, and backstabbing such a ladder-climb requires is nothing short of monumental, and there was a great shortage of men like that in the world…

And the janitor would happen to be just that man, because the universe sucked like that.

Alright…Virgil would reach a middle ground with Ezio and say that not all the Borgia needed to die, but the grand majority would need to be found and executed, and those that slipped through would need to be located and watched.

Back to the other argument, though…was it pretentious of Virgil to say that he was doing the will of God on earth? Perhaps, but was it the truth? How, exactly, did one answer such questions like that, ones that dealt with God and his purpose for you on this earth? How did you know that this was what God wanted you to do? How did you know that this was a message from God? Were those kinds of answers even available on this earth?

No, Virgil answered to himself. No, those answers were not to be found here. No Father, no holy man, no creature of God had those answers. Only one creation of God had the answers Virgil sought, and that man had died and come back three days later. Prayer was another thing, but then that tied back to Virgil's original dilemma.

How did one know that this was God's answer?

The sun was higher now, and Rome was beginning to get warmer.

Virgil continued to ponder his dilemma, and he continued to war back and forth between himself over the points he had made, the arguments he had built up, and the merits behind each facet of his individual arguments. As each minute passed, Virgil's head started to hammer against his skull again, due to the rate at which he was burning through his brain cells arguing with himself.

Huh, he was arguing with himself.

He could host his own conversations.

Did that make him insane?

'Are you okay, my student?'

Virgil panned his head to his left, and there, sitting atop the cliff, was a certain wolf. "Lupa."

Lupa descended from her vantage point as if she were on invisible stairs, if the movement of her paws indicated anything. The she-wolf stood next to Virgil, before folding her legs under herself into the customary sitting position for a canine. Her silver eyes followed Virgil's dark one to the crosses that rose from the dirt.

"Do you think they would be proud of me?"

'They would, in their own way, and they would also be disappointed as well.'

"I see."

'You didn't answer my question.'

Virgil sighed. "No, I'm not alright."

'Tell me what troubles you then.'

"Can't you just read my mind, and discover the answer for yourself?"

'I could, and I already have, but I find that speaking aloud to someone about your problems is but another tool that can be used find a solution.'

Virgil deadpanned at his teacher. "When did you become a philosopher?"

'I am a goddess. I have always been a philosopher.'

"Mm-hm."

'Your moral dilemma?'

Virgil snorted at the piss-poor subject change, but he did not fight it. He turned a wistful eye to the crosses.

"I find myself conflicted over my faith."

'Go deeper.'

"…I cannot decide between something. I recognize that killing for any reason is a sin, yet my father taught me that there is justification in killing for the sake of family and loved ones. For these past ten years, I have killed many people, and as I have no family, I have no justifiable reason for what I've done, other than that it was all in the name of vengeance. This is where my dilemma comes.

"The Bible says to leave such matters to the Lord, and yet I have taken it upon myself to avenge my family. Now, does that mean that I have shunned God, or does that mean that God has acted through me all this time? I cannot come to a definite conclusion."

Lupa remained silent as she herself pondered over this.

The Roman gods, and before them the Greeks, never had something like the Ten Commandments, nor the Bible, nor any documentation dictating a set of rules or guidelines to be followed in their name, short of coming down from Olympus and saying 'you will do this.' Besides, the pagan gods freely interacted with the mortals, and either made it very clear what they wanted, or did a good job leaving hints.

Then again, the Christian God hadn't been a very big practitioner of subtlety in the ancient times, and only started taking more of a backseat roll after Jesus came into the world, which was why He no longer needed prophets all over the place, because with the arrival of Jesus and his subsequent death decades later and subsequent resurrection and ascension, came this thing called 'prayer,' which was a direct link to God Himself.

To which He became a lot more cryptic thereafter.

Then again, maybe not.

Lupa had her answer.

'Do you believe in the Christian God?'

Virgil raised a brow, but answered regardless. "Yes."

'Do you doubt Him?'

"No."

'Do you doubt in Him now?'

"No…but I express confusion over what He is doing with me right now."

'Yes, I understand. While I have not met the Christian God personally, I have met His angels on rare occasion, and they are confusing bastards. I cannot say for certain what He intends for you, Virgil, but I can say this: have Faith in that He guides you?'

"Si."

'Do you have Faith in that He will correct you when you are out of line?'

"Ye-" Virgil caught himself. Lupa smirked.

'When I said bring about an end to the Borgia by any means necessary, I did not think genocide would be your chosen solution.'

"My, my, a goddess that is not onnisciente."

The she-wolf shrugged. 'While I cannot claim to be only human, I can say that I am not perfect…but do you see it now, my student?'

Virgil slowly nodded. "I think I understand…I understand that if God wants something to happen, He will make it happen or He will let it happen, and if He does not want something to happen, He will stop it according to His will."

He breathed in deeply, closing his eyes. He exhaled slowly, and when his lids fluttered open, Lupa internally smiled at the unwavering absolution, and unshakable resolve in his eyes.

"I understand now that the Lord needed me to do things on this earth, and when I began to take it too far, he stepped in through Ezio to stop me."

'Do you know how many people would call you a delusional fool for your belief?'

"Too many."

'What would you do if one approached you to tell you this?'

"I would tell them to depart from me, and that I would pray for them regardless of what they wanted or believed."

'And if they continued to press their argument?'

"Allora io direi loro di andare a scopare se stessi, for they have now crossed a line and annoyed me."

Lupa snorted, but she quickly turned serious. 'What are you going to do now?'

Virgil sighed. "I suppose I will return to Isola Tiberina, and make amends with Ezio before confronting Claudia at the Rosa in Fiore, and hope that I have not destroyed any chance at a relationship."

Lupa nodded once. 'A solid plan, my student.' The she-wolf rose to her paws. 'Come. I have a gift for you.'

Virgil raised a brow, but he rose to his feet nonetheless and followed, but before giving the crosses of his loved ones a final, meaningful look accompanied by a short prayer. His cape flowed behind him as he came to stand by his teacher's side, and he followed behind her as she padded away up the hill and turned sharply to the left.

A lone tree stood alone on top of the cliff that overlooked Virgil's destroyed home, and Lupa trotted around to the tree's other side, pausing momentarily to make sure it was clear that she intended Virgil to follow her around the side, and then she disappeared completely.

The Prowler did not question it, and merely walked around to the other side of the tree, where he found this out-of-place hole at the roots. Shrugging, he hopped down…and landed on his feet within a stone chamber with a hole in the roof that let in a single ray of light.

A ray of light that illuminated a suit of heavy armor.

'That is the Helmschmied Drachen armor…your father wore this during his days as a soldier of Rome. After his death, I took it, and hid it here?'

"Why?" Virgil's tone was one that contained just the barest amount of icy steel.

Lupa's silver eyes flicked to him. 'For when you were deserving of wearing it.'

"Well that's not at all cliché…whatever. It looks cool."

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The armor was heavy, and something Virgil was not used too. Over his arms he wore the thick bracers, on his shoulders he wore the heavy spaulders, over his chest was the massive, intricately carved plate of steel that probably weighed more than your average child. The armor did not have anything that covered the legs, so Virgil's trousers and boots remained the same. Over his new look, his cape and hood were still present.

On his left hip was La Volpe's Bite, on his right thigh was the gun of the late Baron de Valois, and hidden behind him was his miniature crossbow. Interestingly enough, the underside of each bracer came pre-equipped with a Hidden Blade like the one Ezio and his Assassins used, but Lupa explained that the people in the white hoods were not the only ones that knew how to make secret weaponry. Regardless, Virgil still did away with the right Blade, and replaced the left with his fold-out Hidden Blade.

'Your father would be proud.'

"Thank you, insegnante."

'You are welcome, mio studente.'

…

"What now?"

Lupa grinned, a rather intimidating sight for a wolf. 'Being a goddess comes with several perks, pagan or otherwise. One of those perks is being able to manipulate space and time to a certain degree. To make a long story short, a few weeks have passed since you entered this place.'

Virgil's eye twitched. "Excuse me?"

'Rodrigo is dead, Lucrezia is disgraced and has fled Rome in exile after being assaulted by her brother. Cesare has been poisoned, and Ezio has the Apple. During the past weeks, Cesare has attempted to mass his forces on two occasions, both with the militia, and the papacy. Both times Ezio was there with the Apple to put an end to Cesare's schemes.

'As we speak, Cesare has healed from his ailment, and is trying to mass his forces in front of Rome's central gate. Ezio is on his way, followed by Machiavelli, La Volpe, Bartolomeo, and Claudia, while an army led by Fabio Orsini approaches to arrest Cesare on orders of Pope Julius II for the crimes of murder, betrayal, and incest.'

"I am going, and you cannot stop me."

'I never intended to stop you. Now go, and bring peace to Rome once and for all.'

Lupa glowed brightly, causing Virgil to close his eyes. When he opened them again, he was standing on a rooftop in the middle of the afternoon, and a vicious battle raged below him. Oh, and Claudia was about to be dismembered.

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The past few weeks had been rough for the Auditore woman.

Her lover and her brother almost kill each other over a key (and a battle over philosophy), then said lover disappears only for his teacher, a figure straight out of mythology (no one tried to figure that one out), to show up and give a lecture over history and personal motivation, then leave herself on the promise of straightening out said lover, only for weeks to pass with no sign of Che Si Aggira, aka Virgil Cavaliere.

Bottom line, Claudia's heart was not in this battle, and it was obvious because she was about to vivisected by an opponent she would typically be able to rend into little pieces.

On top of all that, she was also depressed, which was obvious due to her lack of concern over her impending death. Losing a love did that to a person.

Claudia stared up at the manically chuckling Brute, not caring that he was hefting a massive axe over his head with the intent to kill her. The axe reached its zenith, and Claudia closed her eyes…then she heard the distinct sound of a blade cleaving through muscle and metal, accompanied by blood splattering across her face.

Perfect, Claudia thought, Bartolomeo or Volpe or Machiavelli come to save her. Just more time on this earth in abject misery…

"Come now, Claudia. I know I've been gone for a bit, but that's hardly cause for depressione."

The Auditore's eyes went wide.

The person above her, the one with the body impaled on his sword, angled his blade so that said corpse would casually slide off. Revealed in all his bastard glory was none other than Virgil Cavaliere. Now, girls were strange and fickle creatures. You could take ten of them and put them in the same situation and never see that same thing twice. In this situation, Claudia could've consumed herself in rage, turned the other cheek, give the cold shoulder, or full-on attempt to murder the man in front of her, but that was not the case.

Virgil got lucky in that his lover launched herself into his armored chest, quiet tears spilling from her eyes.

The Prowler wrapped an arm around her upper back. "Mi dispiace, mia amore. I blame the wolf."

"Hm?"

Virgil sighed. "After Ezio shot me and Lupa stopped me from taking the key, I made my way to my family's decaying house, and I found myself once more. Of course, after that, Lupa decided to grant me with the armor I now where, which she happened to hide in some magic time-altering cave. A few minutes in there, and suddenly a few weeks have passed up here."

"You're here now, that's what matters."

"God, thank you for letting me meet this woman."

Claudia smiled.

"Your uncle fought back! Look what happened to him!"

Virgil's smile fell. "Right. That guy still breathes."

"Go then, fix that. We'll talk later."

"Try not to die this time."

Claudia kissed him on the lips. "No promises."

The two disengaged, with the Auditore picking up her sword, and charging off to fight once more, but not before she received a light smack on her culo, to which she responded with a coy smile over her shoulder. Virgil just smirked, gave a curt nod, and went off to assist the kneeling Ezio.

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Even though he had used this thing in combat twice now, Ezio still was not accustomed to the massive toll the Apple took on him. Seriously, invoking enough power to affect a small range almost killed him, and it never got better. Such as right now.

Ezio fell to his knees after the Apple's energy discharged, causing several of the surrounding Borgia to attack their comrades, and a few less to immediately collapse in a lifeless heap. However, there were still many enemies to be dealt with, and not all were within range of the Apple's power, yet all of them seemed to converge on Ezio at once.

And he was too weak to move, despite how fast he recovered from using the Apple's power.

The Borgia converged on Ezio, only for several flashes of light to crisscross about the armored individuals. They all fell to the ground with massive spurts of blood spewing from their wounds.

"I'm reminded of that time in the barracks with the French. You know, when we were surrounded and outnumbered?"

"Che Si?"

"I figured you would've started calling Virgil by now, but yes. Anyway, don't you have a private army just waiting to be called forth at any moment?"

"…right."

"Your uncle fought back! Look what happened to him!"

"Didn't he already say that?"

"Your uncle fought back! Look what happened to him!"

"Hey, Ezio? You ever wondered what would happen if you shoved a gun up a person's ass and pulled the trigger?"

"Uh, no."

"Well, when I get my hands on Cesare, we're all going to find out together."

"Your uncle fought back! Look what happened to him!"

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"Chains will not hold me! I will not die by the hand of man!"

Those were Cesare's final words as he was dragged off by a contingent of Papal Knights on orders of Fabio Orsini on orders of Pope Julius II. The Assassin were gathered at the massive gate, watching in silence. Claudia was clinging to Virgil's arm, and Virgil himself watched Cesare with eyes darker than the night sky, his free hand fingering his long gun.

"A man like that, Ezio…men like that are ones that do not lie when they are desperate. He should be killed on the spot."

The Assassin looked at his future brother-in-law. "Perhaps, but until that time comes, we will let the law take care of Cesare."

"Ezio. The law does not apply to people like us, least of all people like Cesare. He will eventually break free, and when he does, my sword's going to be in his throat."

"You mean my sword."

"It has not been your sword for five years now, and will only be your sword again after you steal it back."

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Life in Rome reached a norm under the combined efforts of Ezio Auditore and Virgil Cavaliere, the unknown good Samaritans who owned every shop and location in the city and the country. Not a piece of armor, sword, dagger, throwing knife, medicine jar, poison vial, dye color, clothing article, map, or painting was sold in the area encompassed by the massive walls of Rome without the two aforementioned men knowing about it.

Outside of Rome, Ezio and Virgil coordinated dozens of operations across Europe, both to eradicate any Borgia allies across the continent and end any potentials threats to humanity before they could truly rise. An effort that was only bolstered through the added personnel from Virgil's private forces. Currently, the Brotherhood was at a level of strength not seen since the final days of Altaїr Ibn-La'Ahad.

Speaking of…

"Uh, Virgil…what are you reading?"

"Altaїr's codex…the part that details his life with his younger brother, Faris."

"Why?"

"Because, Ezio. It strikes a chord within me."

"Uh-huh."

Moving on, Virgil and Claudia had finally gotten married, due to all known threats being taken care of. With his great wealth, Virgil Cavaliere took his wife, Claudia Cavaliere da Firenze de' Auditore, on a honeymoon to…everywhere the newly-wed woman wanted to go until she was ready to return to Rome. Needless to say, there was a lot of 'earth moving' during that time.

Oh, and Claudia gave birth to a son, Giovanni Cavaliere da Roma, late in 1504. Unfortunately, Maria Auditore passed away just weeks after her grandson's birth, but she lived long enough to hold that child in her arms.

However, evil once more reared its head.

In 1507, Cesare Borgia massed enough support to launch an attack Viana, Spain. Ezio and Virgil were there.

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"Where are you going, Papà?" three-year-old Giovanni asked.

Virgil picked his son up, kissing his cheek. "Papà has to go on a trip with Uncle Ezio. We'll be back before you know it, mio figlio. So, you be good for your mother and Aunt Pantasilea, si? And promise me you'll look after your sisters, okay?"

"Si, Papà."

Virgil ruffled his son's hair. "That's my boy."

He set Giovanni down, and the toddler scampered over to his smiling mother. Held tightly in Claudia's arms was a pair of tightly wrapped bundles containing an infant Christina Cavaliere da Roma, and her younger sister Maria Cavaliere da Roma.

Virgil pecked his daughters on the cheeks. "You two behave for your mother now, tu senti?"

Both babies were sleeping, but Christina sneezed and Virgil was pretty sure Maria pooped herself.

Claudia kissed her husband on the cheek. "Promise me you'll return in one piece."

Virgil kissed her back. "I promise." He turned to Ezio, "Ready?"

"Yes."

Claudia also looked at Ezio. "Promise me you'll come back too."

"Lo prometto."

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1507

March 12

Viana, Spain

Cannon fire rung loudly in the distance. The battlefield was littered with bodies and soaked with blood. Atop the hill, the sounds of heavy combat could be heard as the forces of Cesare clashed with the forces of Spain. Above it all, the sky boiled in the blood of thousands.

Ezio and Virgil encountered Cesare, but their battle was interrupted by a volley of cannonballs. Undeterred, the two mounted a couple of nearby horses and thundered across the battlefield, at least until another round of cannonballs somehow killed their horses. After that, they went on foot, to the olive fields of Viana.

In any other circumstance, Ezio and Virgil would've made a supreme effort to not be detected, due to the Creed (a concept that Virgil had fully embraced shortly after Cesare's arrest), but right now…this was a special circumstance.

So they charged across the fields, past the ruins of people's homes, and if any stopped them, they were swiftly cut down.

Eventually, the two came upon a small bit of ruins, and used the low wall to hide as Cesare and a few of men came across a desperate mother seeking aid for her injured son. Virgil did not know what infuriated him more, the way Cesare threw the woman to the side, how the guards killed her and then spat on her, or how the woman's son was now orphaned and would soon die.

Although, perhaps mother and son dying within minutes of each other was not so bad of a thing, as they would soon be reunited in a better place.

Still, that did not stop Virgil from tasting Wrath once more. He placed his hand upon the stone wall in front of him, and gripped it tight enough to where it began to crack, and then crumble. Ezio watched this from the corner of his eye, and he couldn't stop the shiver that ran through him at the display of physical might.

"Ezio, I understand that Cesare destroyed Monteriggioni, and killed a lot of people there, and your uncle, but his life is mine."

"I had Claudia and Maria still with me after the villa attack, you had no one. Cesare is yours. I'll watch your back."

"Thank you, Fratello mio."

After that, the two raced forward once more, cutting down every Borgia in their path with ruthless efficiency, and if the Spanish got dumb and attacked them, they too were dealt with lethal force, only with less malice and minute regret. Eventually, they came across man who, even during a battle, found the time to preach.

"You brought this upon yourselves through sin. This is how the Lord punishes you. Ours is a just God, and this is justice. Praise the Lord! Thank you, God, for teaching us to be humble. To see our punishment for what it is, a call to spirituality. The Lord he giveth and the Lord he taketh away. So, the truth is written. Amen!"

Ezio looked at Virgil. "This is why people hate religion."

"Well, the priest is not wrong in that God takes and gives, but this is not an act of God. This is Satan working through Cesare. Those who blame the bad things that happen in the world on God are weak, and those who claim this yet have the ability to make change and do not are hypocrites. If God solved everything that was bad Himself, then man would have no incentive to do good, and therefore would not be motivated to progress forward into history, and advance themselves."

Ezio placed a hand on his brother-in-law's shoulder. "If more people in the world thought like that, perhaps men like us would not be needed."

The Assassin and the Prowler continued their path through the village, cutting down anyone that would stand against them. Eventually, they found their path blocked by a siege tower, but it was a block that was quickly climbed over. From there, Ezio and Virgil made their way through more of the village, through more skirmishes, and through more bodies, until they found another siege tower, only this one was propped up against the battlements of Castle Viana.

And Cesare was at the top.

The two most dangerous men in Europe scaled this final obstacle, and found a few grunts at the top that challenged them, only to be dispatched. Further down the stone, Cesare easily defeated two Viana guards.

"Go and end this. I will hold off any reinforcements."

The reincarnation of Faris Ibn-La'Ahad simply nodded, and lowered his hood. Cesare sensed approach and turned around. He gasped. "You! I remember you! That night…"

"Oh, so you do remember me. Good, that saves time." La Volpe's Bite was gripped with two hands. "My name is Virgil Cavaliere. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

Cesare whined, and struck out. His attack was parried, and he was too slow to avoid the counterstrike, but the armor on his shoulders protected him, and he lost his cape.

"My name is Virgil Cavaliere. You killed my mother. Prepare to die."

Cesare whimpered, and struck out. His attack was parried, and he was too slow to avoid the counterstrike, but the armor on his chest protected him, but he lost his breast and back plates.

"My name is Virgil Cavaliere. You killed my first lover. Prepare to die."

Cesare wailed, and struck out. His attack was parried, and he was too slow to avoid the counterstrike, but the armor on his neck protected him, but he lost his throat protection.

"My name is Virgil Cavaliere. You killed my sister. Preparati a morire!"

Cesare did not have time to do anything, for the next strike came too fast, and the Captain General's head went sailing over the battlements. Blood spewed from his neck, a geyser of red that quickly doused the stones in its crimson coating. Virgil stared at the corpse with frigid eyes, but that did not stop him from praying.

"For your crimes on this earth, your soul is sure to be damned. Nevertheless, I will say a prayer on your behalf.

"Perduto di Satana, anche se tu sei stato, un figlio di Dio rimarrete sempre. Puoi trovare la pace nella vita successiva e Dio abbia pietà della tua anima."

The reincarnation of Faris sheathed his bloody sword, and turned to see Ezio standing behind him.

"It is finished. Let us return home, brother."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The years came and went with near frightening speed.

Ezio would come to find a letter written a year before his birth, a letter that talks of Altaïr's library, and he would pursue this information...by himself. In Ezio's absence, Virgil was tasked with heading the whole Assassin Brotherhood as acting il Mentore, a task he performed with deadly precision and skill.

Giovanni Cavaliere desired to follow in his father's footsteps and become an Assassin, something that Virgil had mixed feelings about. Pride in his son, concern that his son wanted to kill people. Regardless, Virgil trained Giovanni in the deadly arts, but made doubly sure that the boy understood what it was to take a life, and what it meant to be an Assassin. The boy learned well, and through the teachings of his father and the Word, he grew into a fine young man, one well-respected in the Order.

Virgil's daughters, Christina and Maria, had no desire to be Assassins, nor did they want to run the Rosa in Fiore. Instead, Christina desired to be a scholar and historian, wishing to absorb herself in the world of books and literature, while Maria desired to dabble in the world of science alongside Leonardo da Vinci, in her own attempt to bridge the gap between the religious and the atheists.

Virgil and Claudia were both immeasurably relieved to know that their daughters did not desire a life of death, and both supported their daughters with everything that they had...which was a lot, considering Virgil basically owned Rome.

Ezio would return from Constantinople, a Venetian redhead by the name of Sofia Sartor on his arm, and lots of fantastic stories to tell. Along with his return, Ezio brought news, news of his impending retirement, and news of his decision to officially deem Virgil Cavaliere as the European Brotherhood's Mentor. Virgil took this mantle with pride.

There was a short-lived peace for several years, years in which Ezio would pass from this world at 65, people rose and fell, and the world continued to spin, until the fateful day of May 6, 1527.

The day of the Sack of Rome.

Realizing the impending doom of staying in the city, Virgil, an old man of 51, quickly scattered the Brotherhood throughout Europe, tasking the Masters with creating their own guilds with those that were with them, and those among the streets that were willing to stand against the tide. Virgil was even quicker in speeding his family out of the city, pulling together an armed guard of armored mercenaries to escort Claudia, Giovanni, Christina, and Maria out before the army broke through.

He was too slow.

The walls came down as the mutinous soldiers of Charles V came pouring in, and it was Virgil's duty to protect this city. A duty passed down by his father, and the goddess Lupa. On May 6, the reincarnation of Faris said his final goodbye to his family, before he met the enemy.

He was not alone, as Giovanni slipped away from his mother and sisters to fight by his father's side. Initially outraged, Virgil quickly came to accept Giovanni's presence. The two fought side by side, cutting through body after body, racking up a combined kill-count exceeding 1000 men. Despite their great skill, Virgil and Giovanni were only human.

Father and son met the bitter end together, and history would never remember the two that killed a thousand.

Days later, Assassins under the command of the aged Niccolò Machiavelli retrieved the bodies of the two Assassins, and they were given a proper burial, and their stories immortalized in the annals of unknown history.

Giovanni Cavaliere died at the age 23; as a lifelong bachelor and devotee to the Creed, he had no family of his own.

Claudia fell ill with grief over the deaths of her husband and son, and not even her daughters could bring her out of it. She passed from this earth on May 30, 1527. She was 61.

Christina and Maria Cavaliere, the last of their family, took up the mantle of Assassin, and abandoned their previous engagements. Like their brother before them, they rose through ranks, displaying skill beyond the norm. However, Death would come for them, too.

On December 30, 1532, Maria was dispatched to the New World on a mission to Assassinate Francisco Pizarro González, the Spanish conquistador. The mission ended in failure, and Incan emperor Atahualpa was killed. On Maria's return to Rome, she contracted disease and died less than a day after her return. She was buried and entombed beside her brother, mother, and father.

She had no family of her own.

Christina, now the last of the Cavaliere bloodline, sought to preserve her family. She found love in a civilian man, but before Christina and her lover could procreate, someone let slip what Christina did, and the man fled in terror. This shadow blow dealt a great emotional injury to Christina, and as she had no family to comfort her, her heart became encased in a shell of ice that would never thaw. The Cavaliere line ended in 1552, when Christina Cavaliere da Roma, age 45, died in an attempt on the life of Ivan the Terrible.

She left behind no family of her own.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Unknown

Virgil knew that he had died, and he knew that this blue place, this warm, bright, calm place, was not anywhere on earth. He had not been here before, yet this strange place felt so familiar. Beyond those gates was a glow that filled him with warmth that he could swear he had felt before.

That man in the robe also seemed familiar.

"You have done well, Virgil Cavaliere. However, it is not yet your time."

"What?"

"Just like Faris Ibn-La'Ahad before you, a part of your soul will be sent to one not yet born, yet has lived for over a decade, while the rest of you continues into the future. This is our Father's will."

"Wait! My family...they...I have to…"

"And they will wait for you, child. They will wait for when it is your time, and they will be here. That is the promise of the Lord."

"I have so many questions…"

"And they will all be answered in time. Are you ready?"

Virgil supposed he didn't have a choice. Besides, he would see his wife and children again one day. Eternity was eternal, and when your soul is immortal, waiting for something didn't seem like much of an issue.

"Yes."

The robed man smiled, and Virgil Cavaliere knew no more.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

June, 2006

Camp Half-Blood

Percy's eyes slowly opened. His body wasn't aching terribly as if he hadn't moved in weeks, but he, admittedly, felt refreshed like he had just undergone a goodnight's sleep. Following that train of thought, Percy noted he was still in the attic, and based on how the light was streaming in through the windows, it was early morning.

Back to how his body felt, Percy's noticed that his hand was cramping. Slowly panning his gaze over, he saw that he was still clutching the Sword as tight as possible. With great effort, he managed to release the hilt, his fingers making a sickening popping and cracking as they moved and relaxed.

As feeling steadily returned to his hand, Percy's turned dull in brokenness. He turned his gaze back to the dusty ceiling and continued to just lay there. After the memories of Faris entered his mind, Percy had spent the whole of that day questioning his reality. But this, the memories of Virgil Cavaliere, they were different.

Very different.

Faris had died young, at 23, with no children to call his own. Hell, Faris had died a virgin. Virgil hadn't. Virgil had lived to 51. Virgil knew what it was like to have a mother (something that Percy was now devoid of), a sister (something Percy never had), and a father (something Percy had wanted so badly at one point). Beyond even those things, Virgil had a wife, Claudia, a son, Giovanni, and twin daughters, Christina and Maria.

Virgil knew the pain of loss. Virgil knew what it was like to raise an entire army. Virgil knew what it was like to lead an entire army. Virgil knew what it was like to raise children. Virgil knew what it was like to have sex with a woman. Virgil knew what it was like to lose that woman, to lose his son. All the emotions, all of the feelings, all of the experiences of those times—those events…

Had all just been unceremoniously dumped into the still-developing mind of a twelve year old boy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

So ends the Second Life arc, and so ends the story of Virgil Cavaliere, from childhood, to adulthood. Virgil was a man of principle, family, honor, duty, and sacrifice. He found love in a dark world, and made a family out of it. He commanded a vast underground syndicate that was active throughout all of Europe for several years. He raised three children, all of whom became great Assassins, all of whom died tragic deaths.

Now, most people were probably expecting more on the Sack of Rome, but I felt that narrating it created more of a powerful effect. At least, that's just me.

Away from the story though. This will be the last chapter for a long time, as I feel it has been far too long since I was on my other fics. I know many people are dying to see more of my other Percys, and now that time has come.

Expect Ghoul to be first, followed by Xenomorphic, then Son of Jashin, and finally Backup Plan. After that, expect lots of Backup Plan.

Fav, Follow, and Review please!