A/N- Hello world, once again. I have a reason fore writing this one, I swear- I was bored. I finished everything in school for the next two weeks, I'm going through a short art block, and I just finished writing out the end of Irony of Eden, and I won't get a chance to write more until AC Brotherhood comes out. So here's a short drabble from the P.O.V. of Marcus. Who remembers good old Bob? I can't be the only one... But ever wonder what regular thieves though of assassins? Here you go.

Marcus

He hated her.

There she was, just waltzing in, like she had authority over them, completely disregarding him and his plans. And the worst part was that everyone flocked over to her as if enchanted, agreeing with everything, allowing a woman to tell them what to do. The fact that she managed to get them in and out alive and well, later on using herself as bait just to let them get away did not register in his mind. To him, she was still a horrible person that he hoped to never see again.

His dreams did not come true as he was forced to go on more raids with her lead. She was just as annoyed with his snappy retorts and general lack of obedience, but it was easy to see that she did not care. Once Emilio died, however, they were spared of each others company, thankfully...

She continued to move through the Palazzo della Seta as though she owned it, though perhaps it was simply her confidence that made it appear so. Without realizing it, Marcus watched her whenever she passed by, tensing as if in wait for more of her silly comments. They didn't come- she forgot about him completely.

He learned later that she was an Assassin, like Ser Ezio. He could not understand how that was possible, as he had not seen her make a single kill. All their operations were quiet, and not once did she try to bulldoze through like her partner liked to do. She had such a strange name, too- Eden. It was not an Italian name, though the place from the bible was known well enough. Marcus caught himself thinking that it was ironic that such a witch would bear the name of paradise.

As weeks progressed, his ego recovered from the blow she delivered, and his arrogance returned. It got him caught, and even sent to the gallows. It was a foolish mistake that Antonio would smack the back of his head for, but it was not worth such a capital punishment. It was all because of the corrupted, bribed and at times, plain stupid lawyers, as well as the horrible new Doge- Marco Barbarigo.

It would be a lie to say that the boy was not terrified of death. Perhaps he did not have the best lifestyle, but he enjoyed his life on the streets well enough to decide that he did not want to die at only sixteen years of age. So when the noose was tightened on his neck, he nearly let out a plea, but held the humiliating display, as he knew it would be completely useless. Old Man Odo told him just as much in the short time that they shared a cell. The man was not afraid of death, but even he did not want to die for such unjust reasons.

Cecilio began his speech, addressing the murder of crows that gathered around them, waiting for their death. No one would interfere... of course not. They wanted to live, too...

Marcus was just about to close his eyes and mutter his last prayer, when he saw her again. She weaved through the crowds like a ribbon, heading towards the stage, speeding up as she went. No one saw her approach, and when she cut down the very first guards, no one understood what was happening. But Eden was already up on the stage, delivering the last blow to Cecilio.

She looked over her shoulder at that moment, grinning at the guards, and that smile scared Marcus even worse than the rope. She was baring her teeth in a savage, carnivorous way, her eyes under the hood gleefully mad. He caught sight of her tongue as it darted out to collect the small drops of blood on her chin in an automatic gesture, and she took off the next moment.

The guards chased after her, the crowds dissolved in fright, and his brethren from the Thieves Guild cut their ropes. But Marcus could only think of his new revelation.

She was insane, mad, twisted. Dangerous as a bear, silent as a panther, deadly as poison. That was her true nature- to hunt her prey. To kill. To enjoy the final snap of her victim's neck, to revel in their last breath and look of horror. An Assassin all the way through, no matter how much she tried to conceal it behind a cheerful smile and human morals, or the Creed that the Assassins followed.

He felt disgusted all of a sudden. And not even at the fact that she drank blood in that automatic move, but the fact that that blood was Cecilio's. The little man did not deserve a death by her hand. Too much honor. She was a master, it was plain to see. And masters should not waste their time on lowly jobs when they could be building masterpieces...

The train of thought surprised him. But then he realized that it was true. There was no question in her superiority over him. Or the fact that if he ever went through with his words and tried to teach her a lesson, there is no telling what would have happened. Maybe she would keep to the morals of the Assassins, and let him live with only a few bruises and cuts. Or perhaps she would get lost in the feeling of fresh blood spilling, that she would simply be unable to stop.

Was that what Ser Ezio was like? Marcus doubted it. Then again, he always thought Eden as a barely competent thief, and nothing more, so it was a mystery as to what lay behind the stoic noble man's mask.

He shivered. And decided to never question Assassins again.

They were an entirely different league.