Disclaimer: I don't own Assassin's Creed or any of its characters
A/N:Look I'm back!...maybe...I don't know...nothing's been decided yet...
"Ezio," He groaned upon the sound of his name. "Ezio wake up," A hand landed on his shoulder and shook him roughly. "Get up or I'm leaving without you," There was a warning hidden in that message and Ezio quickly sprung out of bed and proceeded to get ready with Altair smirking at him.
"High Mass does not begin for hours, Maestro, why are we readying now?" He asked. Through in reality it was just Ezio getting ready. Altair was fit to leave. "Did you even sleep last night?" Ezio asked in mild concern. Altair shrugged. "An hour or two." He commented off-handedly. Ezio stared in horror as his mentor opened up a window and climbed onto the rooftop. He shook his head. "I hope I do not end up like him." He whispered to himself as he followed the elder Assassin.
Altair and Ezio walked side by side among the crowd. Listening to the chatter. Ezio kept an eye out for the Medici among the people, seeing as Altair had never met the family and the Auditore Family had. As a couple walked in front of him, he nudged Altair gently in the arm.
"That's Lorenzo, and his wife," He whispered and nodded to the couple not far in front of them holding hands. They seemed to have the entire crowd's eyes on them. Altair voiced this much.
"This is not good Ezio, now would be the perfect time to strike. Keep your eyes trained on them," He said and backed away from the young man. Taking to the outskirts of the crowd. Around them bells were ringing and the people were gathering to head inside.
"There's Giulano, Lorenzo's brother. But where is Francesco?" Ezio asked himself, looking around for the third man.
A man shoved past the people and caught Ezio's attention. "There he is. Time to strike." He whispered as Francesco bulled forwards towards the Medici, raising a dagger with a crazed shout. "Creape, traditore!"
He swung wildly, Giulano managed to dodge the first strike but was unlucky in the next strike. He wife stumbled away from him, screaming in horror as Giulano fell to the ground, blood staining his clothes. He got back up as another man fought with him.
By the priests, Lorenzo and his wife were alerted to the trouble by the screaming. "Giulano! No—" Lorenzo called out. Behind him a priest pulled out a dagger and kicked him to the ground.
Giulano barely held his own against his two attackers who had managed to knock him down to the ground again. "No! In the name of God, I beg of you, mercy!" He crawled backwards, his hand outstretched.
"No mercy for you, dog! Die! DIE!" yelled his attacker in anger and stepped over Giulano and stabbed him repeatedly. Giulano let out a scream of pain but died under the attack. Francesco continued to stab him even after the body stopped moving. He stood up, leaving the dagger in Giulano.
Lorenzo was having better luck, able to fight off his attack and gain a sword to protect him. So when Francesco came running at him with a sword drawn, Lorenzo parried the sword.
"Your day is done, Lorenzo! Your entire family dies by my sword!" The man shouted in anger. At this Ezio drew his own sword and jumped in as the guards were starting to fight with them.
He took one from behind with his hidden blade and to another he drew blood with a throwing knife to the leg. The man yelled in pain and charged forward recklessly. Ezio caught the down swinging sword with his own and countered the attack. He swung behind the man, swinging his sword low to catch at the knee. The guard fell in pain and Ezio slit his throat from behind.
The young Assassin snuck up behind a guard and impaled him with his sword, bringing his leg up to dislodge the blade from the body. Blood gushed out and sprayed him with blood as the body fell. He had little time to be disgusted as another guard came out at him. Ezio ducked and thrust his sword upwards into the man's body, giving a final push that lifted the man off the ground before pulling his sword out.
"Help me! Please!" Lorenzo called for aid and Ezio wondered where Altair was at this time.
Francesco managed to get away as he killed off the last guards. Ezio cursed, feeling out of breath, sweating, and covered in blood. He also cursed Altair for suddenly missing in action. "I'm going to strangle that figlio d'un cane!" Ezio growled to himself as he walked over to Lorenzo.
"You…saved my life." Lorenzo pointed to him, swaying on his feet. Blood stained the front of his robes. He dropped his sword and fell to his knees. "It's nothing. But the man who did this to you has to pay." Ezio put away his sword and walked over to the fallen man, picking him up.
"Not now…I need help first…to my home…People I can trust there…can you…?" Lorenzo picked up his sword again, holding a wound by his neck. Ezio sighed, looking for his master.
"Ezio!" The men both jumped at the voice, coming for the other side of the plaza. Altair stood, drenched in blood. His sword was in one hand holding on the wall next to him. His other was on one just above the leather belt he wore. He was leaning against the wall breathing heavily.
Ezio now knew where Altair had been. Keeping away a vast amount of the guards while he protected the Medici.
"Maestro!" He called out, fear lacing his voice. Altair panted and took his hand off his wound, forcing Ezio to stop.
"Escort Lorenzo de' Medici to safety. I will hold off the guards!" He said and gritted his teeth in pain, quickly grabbing his wound again. Ezio looked between the wounded men but knew he had to follow Altair's orders. He nodded, more to himself than Altair. "Let's go." He urged Lorenzo and the two of them took off, leaving behind his bleeding mentor.
"Francesco de' Pazzi…. Help save our city, Auditore…. Kill him." Lorenzo de' Medici commanded Ezio as he slummed against his guards for support, holding his hand against the wound to his neck. Ezio nodded once silently and left the man with his guards.
A man named Poliziano met with him outside the villa. "Signore. I saw Francesco lead a battalion around the back of the Palazzo della Signoria. I fear he may be seeking another way in." Poliziano said in worry.
"Go. Before it's too late. Do what you can." His friend urged him. Ezio pursed his lips in silence but nodded in agreement. He left the two behind retreated back to the where the day's mission had first begun
The bodies had been cleared out and the plaza was deserted. The only thing that gave away the earlier battle was the puddle of dried blood that scattered the cobblestone. Ezio searched for his mentor, both in the allies and the rooftops but the elder assassin was nowhere to be seen.
Ezio crossed the plaza to where he had last seen Altair. There was small, dark, puddle at the mouth of the alley way and bloody hand print on the building where Altair had placed it in order to support himself. Ezio entered the alley and in the darkness he found his master's work.
Bodies, dozens of them, of guards lined the small space between buildings. Some, it seemed, received merciful, quick, deaths while others were left to suffer on the ground. Bleeding out around the bodies of the fallen. Ezio stepped around cautiously the dead, avoiding the blood. Already they were attracting pests and began to smell foul.
When the line of bodies ended, Ezio was left at a dead end. He looked around and then up, spotting a bloody handprint halfway up the wall. It seemed Altair had made most of the climb with only one hand. Ezio smiled briefly before climbing up.
On the rooftops, he was met with a similar sight, dead guards were scattered across the tiles. Ezio followed these but with more haste. It was only a matter of time before the shift changed and the new guards discovered the bodies.
They stopped just before a roof top garden. Ezio listened, hearing the labored breathe of someone hidden inside. Ezio crept forward, keeping in mind to step light on the tiles. He grabbed the linen cover. As he pulled it back, a blade kissed his cheek.
In shock, Ezio fell back onto the roof, almost falling off.
"Ezio?"
The young man looked up. "Mentor!" he shouted in surprised and scrambled to get up, he caught Altair just as he started to lose his balance. "You're injured." He whispered, looking at the man, the wounds weren't visible under all the blood.
"I was outnumbered, but never mind that. Ezio, did you get the Medici to safety?" Altair asked as Ezio helped him out of the garden.
"Si, Maestro. Francesco is next."
Altair nodded and grunted in pain as Ezio began to guild him towards the safe house they had slept in the night before.
"Then you should do that instead, leave me, I can make it on my own." Even as he said, Ezio doubted the man's words.
"Nonsense, we have plenty of time." Ezio made his point by grabbing Altair's arm and tugging him harshly along, ignoring Altair's muffled scream of pain.
Any mistakes are mine!