Disclaimer: I don't own Assassins Creed or any of its characters
A/N: Happy New Year! All mistakes are my own
As the city raged on around them Altair held tight to his apprentice. Ezio's emotional state had been fragile before but now it was all but broken. Altair knew he shouldn't have let the boy out of his sight. A family grieving the loss of another deserved to be together through.
The Master Assassin sighed and looked down at Ezio. He had sobered up it seemed, to the point where he stood in a daze. He held up the letter he had slipped from Uberto before running.
"These letters were meant to prove your father and brother innocent." Ezio seemed to snap and tremble in anger at the mere sight of the paper. Altair slid a letter, different from the rest. "This one was meant to his wife and son." Altair held out that one for boy to take.
"You are to deliver that one for me." Ezio slapped away his hand with a growl.
"Why? Che diavolo doesn't deserve such kindness." Altair rolled his eyes under his hood.
"No, but his unknowing family deserves closure. Do not make us no worse than him. Just take it to a pigeon cope." Altair took the novice's hand and slapped the letter onto his palm. "Go Ezio, while I clean up your mess."
"We must leave this city. With the Master gone, there is nothing here for us." Malik said as he packed up books and burned any non-important papers. Around the pair, Assassins were running about packing up things and destroying others. "Some of our brothers are returning to Masyaf." Malik looked up at this comment.
"You mean to return with them?" Altair realized. Malik sighed and stepped in close.
"With Al Mualim declared traitor and killed. We will need a leader there. I am the next highest rank, besides you. And you are needed here."
Altair's shoulders sagged and he looked away, refusing to show how hurt he was. He understood completely and knew Malik belonged back home where he would do well for the Brotherhood there. Still it didn't mean Altair wanted his closest friend so far away where he couldn't help the one armed man.
"You will be a fine leader, you've put up with me all these years." He looked back to his oldest friend.
"Safety and Peace akh." He said with a kind grin and placed an arm on the shoulder that was missing a limb. Even under all the cloth, Altair could feel the nasty scars that laid underneath. A reminder of the arm lost.
"Your presence brings me both." Malik placed a hand on Altair's shoulder in return and the two of them chuckled. They remembered when there had been a time when Malik had said the opposite.
"Don't forget me Altair. I expect you back home someday." Malik said with a hard voice that hid his sadness.
"I will return when my work here is done. When Ezio is no longer in need of a mentor." Altair said and nodded in return."I will leave you to pack. I must bring Ezio to his family's villa where he will be safe while I plan our next move." Malik nodded and removed himself.
"Then this will be the last we see each other." Malik swallowed hard.
"Goodbye my brother, for now." Altair nodded stiffly in return. He wasn't good with goodbyes. He had always thought that when the day came for him to return home, he would be right beside Malik.
"Goodbye friend."
"The Assassins are leaving Firenze and we must do the same. Our presence is known here and it will be sometime before any can return." Altair looked over Ezio as he finished speaking. The boy's hood was down and his brown hair waved in the breeze. As the sunset around them, he was colored in a brilliant burning gold. The light reflected off the delicate metal work of his father's robes and shined. He looked so colorful, so bright. Yet his face was downcast. A void of any emotion and blank, Ezio had drawn in on himself as the weight of what he had done sunk in.
He had been rash and thoughtless. How many did he endanger because of his need for vengeance? How many had to uproot their lives because of him?
"You are not returning with them?" He spoke in a small whisper.
"No, I am needed here." Ezio nodded numbly.
When Altair placed hand on his shoulder. Ezio jumped and felt warmth seep through his robes. It wasn't cold but Ezio felt frozen.
"You need me here Ezio." As the Master moved away, his warmth left with him. Ezio nearly panicked before he hurried to follow close behind like a shadow. He practically clung to Altair, standing so close he could feel the warmth come off Altair in waves and he welcomed it.
Ezio could almost forget his father and brothers were dead, almost. In the company of his mentor, it seemed like a normal day of training. Ezio was happy, even for the briefest moments till a stray thought ran through his mind and reminded him of the disaster he had left in his wake, on a horse making his way to Monteriggioni again. It was almost possible for him to pretend.
Then just a glance to the man at his side and Ezio broke again. Altair was reminder, even if he had not meant it. The highest ranking Assassin, the Master, now that Giovanni was gone. It killed Ezio but also brought just the tiniest comfort. Just to see something that would serve as a tiny piece of his father.
Altair slowed his mare to a stop and Ezio did as well as they both looked up upon road in front of them.
"Quel bastardo." Ezio mumbled.
"What do you want Vieri?" He shouted at the young man that blocked their path. Altair silently dismounted and Ezio followed close behind. He noticed the group that joined Vieri.
"Many things, but first your death will do quite nicely." Even as he spoke, the young Pazzi boy looked nervously out of the corner of his eye at the stalking Assassin. Ezio fell back as the group Vieri had brought closed it around Altair.
The elder Assassin unsheathed his sword and held it up, moving it to counter any move. The men were nervous and stayed back. Altair attacked first, he grabbed a man by the collar and threw him across the ground and as the man rolled. He kicked the man in the neck and impaled him in the chest.
That set the men into motion. Altair removed his blade and another sword came swinging downwards towards his shoulder. Altair grabbed the man's wrist and yanked him close. He head-butted the man and pushed him back. A throwing knife sung through the air and landed square in the enemies' chest. The last two attacked at the same time and as Altair countered with the first. He left his back wide open for the second.
Ezio felt something build in his chest and his feet moved on autopilot. He ran forward and grabbed the man from behind. Putting his hand over the man's mouth and buried his hidden blade in the back. The man let out a muffled cry as he died and fell.
Another joined him as Altair took out his target. His mentor looked over and with a silent nod, calmed Ezio. The Assassins turned to Vieri. The boy was scared into stunned silence. Only for an instant before the boy took off towards him. Ezio braced for a attack only to be bypassed. As Vieri stole his horse and galloped away back towards his home. Ezio made to run after him but Altair stopped him.
"Let him go." Altair said and grabbed the reins to his horse. "We are almost to Monteriggioni." He nodded in the direction of the Auditore stronghold.
"But he will tell the Templars of what happened here." Ezio gestured to the dead men around them. Feeling a bit queasy as he looked at the gruesome scene they had left behind.
"Let him. Let him strike fear into the Templars. And if he lies, they will misjudge us." Altair said and led his horse and apprentice away from the scene.
"So it can only work in our favor either way?" Ezio questioned. Altair nodded and chuckled.
"Yes, sometimes it is good to let one get away."
The gates to Monteriggioni opened to them and Altair guided Ezio in with a firm hand on his shoulder. Mario met them and looked furious. He opened his mouth to yell, but was cut off by Altair. The Master Assassin guided the novice inside the household and left him there.
Altair and Mario went to his office where the elder Auditore collapsed in his seat with a sigh. Altair stood before the desk. His eyes darted over the room and zeroed in on the Codex, hidden among other books.
"What happened?" Mario asked with a tired sigh. No doubt, looking for his nephew had weighted heavily on the older man.
"Ezio snuck back into Firenze and killed Uberto." Mario slumped in his chair and rubbed his face.
"How did he take it?" He asked and one look from Altair told him everything.
"Not well. He was emotional and thoughtless. A look shared between the two of them, showed that this was not good.
"I should have kept a better eye on him." Mario said.
"I should have never let him out of my sight." Altair argued. Mario nodded somberly and laughed suddenly.
"I guess we are both to blame for this then."
A/N: So yeah, I wanted to hint a tiny bit at Altair's story line so I threw that in there while getting rid of Malik, sorta tying up loose ends
Che diavolo-that devil
akh-brother
Quel bastardo-that bastard
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