Chapter 3
Alright folks let's keep things going. On to the reviews.
corpuzevan4: Thank you.
Gamelover41592: Don't worry. They will and Lucy will be able to build up too.
Assassins Bleed: Yeah. I'm looking forward to doing some good stuff with that.
Chad Thundaga: Okay, I'll go with that pairing.
SuperNinja94: See one above.
And now... Let's kick it up!
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The mid morning sun shone over Royal Woods as Lynn Jr prepared and cooked a decently sized meal before carrying it up to her and Lucy's shared room and knocked on the coffin she slept in before opening it.
"Ooh. Breakfast in coffin. Thanks." Lucy said as Lynn handed her a large cheddar, ham, mushroom omelet and a blood orange flavored protein shake.
"You need to get your strength back up even you're not going to be the one going in to the Animus tonight." Lynn noted, gaining a look from her gothic sister.
"Wait, Lynn. I..." Lucy tried to argue only for the athletic girl to put her hand up to stop her.
"Don't even try to fight me on this one. Last thing we need right now is for you to burn yourself out. Take some time to rest while me and Luna pick up the slack on showing what happened to Lincoln." Lynn said, gaining a reluctant nod from Lucy before she went on to eat the food that had been brought to her.
After finishing up her meal, Lucy walked in to Lincoln's room and sat down on his bed, still missing her brother in spite of being able to see the life he had led thanks to the Animus. Suddenly, she began to have flashes of a spectral form of Lincoln trying on a series of different types of outfits in attempt to make himself look cooler. Lucy quickly shook this off, assuming it was being caused by her Eagle Vision. Though it did inspire her to walk over to Lincoln closest where she found a black and orange hoodie which she then took out.
A short while later, Lucy had returned to her and Lynn Jr shared, now clad in Lincoln's unzipped hoodie, a black shirt with a white stylized Bat on it, a pair of black jeans, and a pair of black shoes.
"Looks like we had the same idea." Lucy heard before she turned to see Lynn wearing a red sweatshirt with a white hood, grey sweatpants, red and white sneakers and a leather jacket that Lucy recognized as belonging to Lincoln.
"Yeah. Well, wearing something of his makes me feel more comfortable. Almost like..." Lucy said, gaining an understanding nod from her sporty sister.
"Almost like he's still here. I know." Lynn said while rubbing the sleeves of the jacket. "Come on. Mom said that we'll be heading back to the hideout in an hour." She said before the two of them left the room.
Some time later, the Loud's arrived back at the hideout and entered to be met by Al who took quick notice of the apparel worn by his middle granddaughters.
'Look's like they've already picked up the fashion sense.' Al mentally joked before he motioned for Lynn to lie down in the Animus.
"Anything I should know before he turns this thing on?" Lynn asked Lucy.
"The transitions can tickle a little bit if you're not ready for them." Lucy pointed out, gaining a nod from the brunet before their grandfather activated the machine and Lynn found herself in the Animus void before it eventually loaded in to the memory of Lincoln and Ezio by a river with.
"Grazie per tutto quello che hai fatto. Requiescat en pace. (Thank you for everything you've done. Rest in peace.)" Lincoln said over Giovanni's body before he and Ezio ignited it and Fredericco's body respectively and pushed the boats holding them on to the river. "So, what are we going to do now." He asked as Ezio placed his hands to his eyes.
"We have to tell mother, Petruccio and Claudia what has happened." Ezio said while looking back to the burning bodies of his father and brother.
"Okay. Andiamo. (Let's go.)" Lincoln said as the two of them first made their way the place where Ezio had managed to send Maria for hiding.
"Sir Ezio! Sir Lincoln!' A woman in a black outfit called as she ran up to the two hooded young men.
"Anneta, Where are my mother and sister?" Ezio asked as the woman led them in to a nearby building to find a distraught looking Maria before Claudia came running down the stairs and leapt in to Lincoln's arms.
"Lincoln! Ezio I was so scared and Mother hasn't said a word since those guards came. Father will have to do something about this." Claudia said before noticing the saddened looks coming from both Lincoln and Ezio. "What is it?" She asked.
"Claudia... I'm so sorry. We did everything that we could." Ezio said in a solemn voice as his sister put her hands to her mouth in a mix of both sadness and a slight denial.
"What... what about Frederico and Petruccio?" Claudia asked, both her and Maria fearing the answer that she might get.
"Petruccio is safe. I left him with, Leonardo. But... Frederico..." Lincoln couldn't bring himself to finish. "Sono cosà dispaiciuto. (I'm so sorry.)" He said as Claudia wept in to his chest. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Maria.
"Thank you, Lincoln." Maria got out in gratitude for at least Petruccio being safe.
"What are we going to do now?" Claudia asked before Ezio finally spoke up.
"For starters, I am going to kill the bastardo who took Father and Frederico from us." Ezio said, going for the door.
"And how do you plan to do that? Just run up and stab Uberto in the chest?" Lincoln asked before Ezio stopped. "He's going to die for what he's done by we have to be smart about this." He insisted.
"He is right." The two young men heard before they before a woman in a scarlet gown walked down the stairs.
"Lincoln, Ezio. This is Paola. She's the madona here." Claudia explained to them.
"A pleasure." Paola said before continuing. "At any rate, if you wish to kill the man who betrayed all of you, you shall require more subtle skills and tools in doing so." She said.
"And what skills and tools would you suggest?" Ezio asked in an impatient tone.
"These." Paula responded with a smirk before holding up a scroll small apparatus consisting of a blade, two straps, and a spring.
"My Father's blade and bracer! How did you get those?" Ezio asked as Lincoln smirked.
"She picked your pocket." Lincoln explained, Paola smirking back at him.
"You seem to be familiar with misdirection Ser Dorian." Paola commented.
"It has been a hobby of mine for years." Lincoln said doing a trick with a coin where he bumped his hands and the coin seemingly appeared in his previously empty hand.
"Then all you require is the weapon." Paola said.
"He may use mine." Maria spoke up before looking to Ezio.
"Back at the house, there is a hidden room where I acquired Father's equipment." Ezio explained, gaining a nod from Lincoln.
"Alright. I will be back soon." Lincoln said as he began to leave only for Claudia to grab his arm.
"Be careful, Lincoln. The guards will likely attack you on site." Claudia warned before Lincoln turned back to her and took her face gently in his hand.
"Don't worry, Claudia. I will be alright." Lincoln said with a smile before he left.
A short while later, Lincoln ran through the rooftops under the cover of night and making sure to use balconies for cover as he ran before eventually reached the Auditore manor.
Once inside, Lincoln used his Eagle Vision in order to see where the entrance to the hidden room was.
Upon entering the room, he saw small box holding the very object he sought. A bracer like the one Ezio had. Though this one was in intact. He then placed it on to his left wrist before a slight flex of his wrist caused the mechanism to activate and reveal the black blade.
Lincoln then exited the hidden room before going up to the bedroom that he had called his own for the time he had lived with the Auditores. He then looked to a large cloth navy roll and some brown leather. Grabbing a knife and thread from his desk, he began to cut at the cloth and leather before sowing them together in to a long hooded coat that went past his thighs, the leather forming layers of protection, even more so on the elbows, shoulders, and chest.
Lincoln took one last moment to look around the room, knowing this would in all likelihood be the last time he would stand within it before he picked up a book from the desk and leaving.
(In the present.)
"Hm. Decent stitch work and nice color balance. Pretty good even if it is a rush job." Leni commented.
"Plus the darker colors are good for stealth." Lucy added.
"Lincoln always good at mixing form and function." Lori said in pride of her younger brother.
(Back in the past)
Lincoln arrived back at the brothel where he entered to show Maria his acquisition.
"Very good. Now we must simply wait for Ezio to return." Maria said before Lincoln took the time to get a small bit of rest.
Some hours, Lincoln was awoken to the sound of Ezio returning with Petruccio hiding just behind him.
"Mother!" The youngest Auditore called before leaping in to the arms of Maria as the remaining members of the family smiled.
"You were gone quite a while." Paula remarked.
"Leonardo loves to talk." Ezio said before he and Paula shared a chuckle.
"That he does." Paola said before she looked between Ezio and Lincoln. "You have the skills. You have been granted the tools. Now all that remains is the target." She said.
"And how to go about it. Attacking in his home would be near suicide. He'll have guards posted right there waiting for us." Lincoln rightly pointed out.
"My girls have already seen to that. Uberto will be at morning mass. He never misses it." Paola said to the two.
"Then that is when we will strike." Ezio said with determination in his voice as he and Lincoln took off their swords, the white haired young man walking to the others.
"Here. Just in case." Lincoln said as he handed his saber to Claudia.
"Be careful." Claudia replied in a half whisper before looking to Ezio. "Both of you." She said
"Don't worry, sorellina (little sister). We well be alright." Ezio said before turning to his mother. "Be ready to leave when we return." He said before Maria nodded.
"Let's go kill this coglione (fucker)." Lincoln said as he and Ezio left the building.
A short while roof running later, the two hooded men arrived just outside the area where an outdoor mass where their target was set to be.
Taking a quick moment to scan the area, Lincoln caught site of a group of Paula's courtesans which the two of them then walked to."
"Where is Uberto?" Ezio asked in an impatient tone.
"He is right over there." One of the courtesans said as Ezio began to storm forward only to be stopped by Lincoln.
"Calmati (calm down), Ezio. We can't simply rush at him." Lincoln said before pointing to a shaded point between two columns. "Let's get him moved over there. We can kill him in the shadows without attracting too much attention." He said before signaling for the courtesans to go over to Uberto as he led Ezio to their hiding spot.
The two of them watched as the obese man was easily suede by the courtesans to follow and waited, Ezio's hand shaking as he approached until at last, he was close enough for Lincoln to pull him in and the two stabbed the traitor. Lincoln delivering single focused strike to the heart and Ezio repeatedly stabbing him in the gut.
Suddenly, it seemed as if the world faded away and the three men were in a white void.
"You... would have... done the same... for your families." Uberto said in defense of his actions.
"You're right. We would." Lincoln said said with coldness in his voice.
"And we have." Ezio said before the two of them stood up and walked away.
As the two continued on their way back to Paula's Lincoln felt the need to bring up one fact.
"Uberto wasn't working alone. We have to deal with the Pazzi as well." Lincoln said.
"Lo so. (I know) But the instructions Father left behind for me were very clear. We are to go to my uncle's villa to hide and train." Ezio said before Lincoln raised a brow. "In the letter he left behind, Father said that the Pazzi are just one piece to a much larger puzzle and my uncle will be able to explain everything to us." He said.
"Alright. You get the others and meat me at the gates of the city with the others." Lincoln said before he and Ezio nodded at each other and split up.
A short time later, Lincoln arrived at a stable being watched by two guards. He looked to his blade for a moment before he shook his head. He then jumped down and punched one guards in the head, knocking him out instantly before slamming the other guard got his head knocked in to a wooden beam. This gained the attention of an armored guard who came to investigate as Lincoln maneuvered to avoid detection before the guard was in front of a Horse which then reared up, its feet hitting the guard away and knocking him out.
Lincoln then moved two Horses and connected them to a carriage and drove it to one of the entry points to Firenze where Ezio arrived with the rest of the Auditores hidden under cloaks. He took notice that Claudia was about to hand his sword back to him before he put his hand up.
"Keep it. You need to be able to fight until we're safe at your uncle's villa." Lincoln said before he and Claudia smiled at each other and the girl strapped the sword to her hip and then she and the rest of her family climbed in to the carriage as Lincoln began driving, leaving Firenze behind.
(Back in the present)
"Okay, Lynn. Time to get up." Al said to the irritation of his granddaughter.
"Hold on, I can keep up." Lynn protested, to a shake of Al's head.
"You've already been in there twice as long as Lucy was. Take a breather." Al said, gaining a reluctant nod from Lynn before he handed her a protein bar and and water before looking to his other granddaughters and asking "Okay, who's next?"
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Well, there you go, guys. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next time, Lincoln and Ezio will take their first stepps in to becoming proper Assassins. Until then and as always... Keep on keeping on.