Chapter 7

(December 25th, 1459. Warners' House. Living Room. Morning)

(Zack: Age 6. Sam: Age 4. Gabby: Age 1)

*Zack, and Gabby are sitting next to each other on the couch. Zack is playing with Gabby while Sam is finishing eating his breakfast*

Sam: I'm done! *Puts down his plate at the table and runs over to the couch. Zack is tickling Gabby profusely* So can we open presents now?

Zack: As soon as Spazzo gets up. I don't get why adults like to sleep in on Christmas. He should be excited that it's today.

Sam: I'll go wake him up.

Zack: I tried earlier. He's a rock. *Laughs then continues to tickle Gabby* Tomorrow will be an exciting day too! Your birthday is tomorrow, piccina! (Little girl!)

Sam: *Sits next to Zack on the couch* You know, I never noticed how much she looks like Madre.

Zack: *Stops tickling Gabby then sighs* She does.

Sam: You look like Dad too, Bro.

Zack: *Chuckles* You should look at yourself in the mirror sometime.

Sam: Why?

Zack: Come. *Leads Sam into the bathroom while carrying Gabby and all three of them look in the mirror* Do you see the resemblance?

Sam: I guess we look more like Dad than I thought. *Smiles then frowns* It hurts to look.

Zack: I know. It hurts to look at my own reflection now too. *Looks at Sam then back at the mirror* However, we are very good looking. *Smirks*

Sam: Oh yeah, we are. *Smiles*

*The two brothers chuckle at each other*

(March 29th, 1460. Warners' House. Spazzo's office. Morning)

(Zack: Age 7. Sam: Age 4. Gabby: Age 2)

*Spazzo has called Zack into his office*

Spazzo: Congratulations on your rank promotion, Zacharias. Oh, and happy birthday.

Zack: Thanks, Maestro!

Spazzo: You earned it. You keep exceeding my expectations.

Zack: So, do I finally get a weapon with this rank?

Spazzo: *Chuckles* Yes. *Shows Zack the hidden blade up his sleeve* Do you know what this is?

Zack: I'm getting a hidden blade!

Spazzo: Do you know what it's for?

Zack: It's a tool used for stealth assassination. Its first recorded use was when Darius assassinated Xerxes. It's triggered by a-

Spazzo: Enough! You've been studying. *Takes out a gauntlet from a drawer* Zack, I present this to you. You wear it on your wrist so you can use the hidden blade.

Zack: Neat!

Spazzo: Soon. But first, we must take care of a few things… Um… Are you right-handed or left-handed?

Zack: Uuuuuuuhhhhhh… I don't know.

*Zack stares at Spazzo with a confused look*

Spazzo: I'll just assume you're right-handed. Sit down and put your left hand on the table.

Zack: Okay. *Sits in a chair and puts his left hand on the table. Spazzo pulls out a cleaver* Something tells me that uuuuuuhhhhhh… I'm not going to like this!

Spazzo: Sorry Zack, but in order for the hidden blade to work, we must remove your left ring finger.

Zack: My… finger? *Thinks for a moment and stares at Spazzo then kisses his left ring finger and puts his left hand back on the table with his ring finger sticking out* I'm ready. Do it.

Spazzo: Okay. *Swings the cleaver onto the table. Zack then screams as loud and high-pitched as he can. Spazzo calms him down* Zack… I didn't even cut off your finger.

Zack: What!

Spazzo: Since times have changed, the blade has been modified. You can keep your finger.

Zack: *Takes a couple of deep breaths and then a lighter one out of relief* If you EVER do that again, I will sic Sam on you!

Spazzo: Hahaha! Oh, I was only having fun!

Zack: *Puts on his bracer and tests the hidden blade* Awesome! I love it! *Looks at the blade and comes to a realization, furling his brows* Wait, this isn't even a real blade!

Spazzo: It's a practice blade. You have to learn how to use it first.

Zack: Oh, well then.

Spazzo: Judging by your quick learning, you'll be the proud owner of a hidden blade in no time, Zacharias.

Zack: Thank you, Spazzo! This is an awesome birthday gift!

Spazzo: Heh heh heh. I would've had to have given you this eventually.

(May 07th. 1460. Warners' House. Living Room. Sunset)

*Sam is pushed onto his back on the floor*

Zack: You okay?

Sam: Yeah!

*Sam sweeps his legs and trips Zack. Zack falls to the floor and Sam jumps on him. Zack throws Sam off of him and stands up*

Zack: Let's take a break.

Sam: Yeah, let's do that.

*Zack and Sam sit on the couch to catch their breath*

Zack: You're getting better.

Sam: Save it.

Zack: No, you really are.

Sam: I want to be an Assassin, like you, so I can be better at fighting.

Zack: *Smirks* I'm sure Spazzo has something prepared for you.

Sam: When?

Zack: Soon, I bet.

Sam: Good. I want to help give that evil witch what's coming to her! But I have to keep practicing, so let's keep fighting, Bro.

Zack: I think I'm actually done for the day.

Sam: Aw… *Frowns for a few seconds then puts on his smile* Okay.

Zack: That's funny. You never seemed into killing Vixenita a while ago.

Sam: It really wasn't on my mind when Mom and Dad died.

Zack: Really? It was the first thing on mine. Heh heh… I guess you didn't know much about death at the time.

Sam: I guess. I felt really bad.

Zack: Our parents will be avenged, Sam. I promise.

Sam: When?

Zack: Soon… I hope.

Sam: *Leans next to Zack* I can just imagine it. Making her suffer.

Zack: *Smiles* Ti senti meglio a pensarci, vero? (You feel better thinking about that, don't you?)

Sam: Yup.

Zack: *Laughs* Same here.

(July 26th, 1460. Warners' House. Backyard. Sunset)

*Zack is training in the backyard when Spazzo arrives. Zack catches Spazzo walking in and smiles*

Zack: Hey Spazzo, watch this!

*Zack runs up a wall for three steps then jumps off and lands on a practice dummy while sticking his hidden blade in it. He takes his blade out of the dummy and turns to Spazzo with a confident look on his face*

Spazzo: Hm… Stylish.

Zack: So how'd the job search go?

Spazzo: Not good at all.

Zack: That stinks. So what's for dinner?

Spazzo: Zack, this is serious.

Zack: I'm being serious too, what's there to eat?

Spazzo: *Sighs then places his hand on his forehead* Zack, if I don't have a job, then we don't have money to afford food.

Zack: Have you tried getting a job with Vincenzo at the blacksmith?

Spazzo: He's not hiring at all. No-one is. Zack… You're going to have to steal food more often.

Zack: Sure thing.

Spazzo: Wait, you have no problem with it!

Zack: Not at all. I do it once in a while anyway. How often are we talking about?

Spazzo: Every morning, maybe? At least until I get a job.

Zack: Sure, I'll do it. Great way to start off the morning by doing something fun, right?

Spazzo: Heh heh… I'm amused by your reaction to this. Follow me, I have to show you something.

*Spazzo leads Zack inside the house and into his office. Spazzo reaches into a drawer and pulls out a grey ball with a fuse and shows it to Zack*

Zack: Neato… What is it?

Spazzo: It's a smoke bomb. You just throw it on the ground and it makes a giant cloud of smoke, giving you an easy escape just in case you get caught.

Zack: Get caught? *Smirks* That's never gonna' happen.

Spazzo: *Chuckles* You can never be too careful. *Reaches into his drawer and pulls out a few more smoke bombs and hands them to Zack* Put these in your pouch.

Zack: Thanks, Maestro!

*Spazzo pats Zack on the back*

Spazzo: These things are great for blinding, but you shouldn't have a problem at all seeing through the smoke, my gifted apprentice.

Zack: So… About dinner.

Spazzo: You're starting to sound like your brother.

(August 3rd, 1460. Town Marketplace. Sunset)

*A bunch of guards are ensnared in a cloud of white smoke coughing. Zack emerges from the cloud running away with a loaf of bread in his hands. A guard emerges from the cloud coughing and spots Zack fleeing*

Guard #1: Get back here, you thief!

*The guard pursues the hooded boy. Zack runs down the street to a crowd of civilians blocking the way. He jumps on the citizens' heads to get through the crowd. Everyone he steps on reacts angrily, shouting obscenities and complaints of displeasure*

Zack: 'Scuse me! Coming through! Thanks for letting me use your head!

Guard #1: You're not getting away from me!

*The soldier runs through the crowd and shoves people down. Zack jumps to the ground after reaching the end of the crowd and turns onto a bridge. The guard continues to chase Zack. Zack puts the loaf of bread into his pocket and begins to climb on a series of crates that leads up to the rooftops. The guard follows Zack the same way*

Guard #1: Gah! *Breathes heavily as he continues to pursue* This one just doesn't tire out! Quit running, you coward!

Zack: Wow, this guy just doesn't give up! What a stubborn moron!

Guard #1: I heard that, you know! Do you think I'm deaf or something!

Zack: *Groans* I gotta' stop thinking out loud.

*Zack hops onto the rooftop of a church and runs toward the wall of the bell tower. The man runs toward the wall as well and unsheathes his sword attempting to stab Zack. Zack runs up then kicks himself off the wall and does a backflip over the guard, who stabs his sword into the wall. Zack lands on his feet behind the soldier and throws a knife at his back. The man drops his sword in reaction and then falls forward. He tries to get back up but Zack steps onto his back and takes the knife out, then stabs him in the neck with his hidden blade. Zack breathes heavily from exhaustion and from shock as he pulls his blood-drenched blade out of the fallen henchman*

Guard #1: Argh! Agh…

* Zack's victim dies as he takes a few breaths of relief*

Zack: Phew!

*Zack's ear twitches under his hood, overhearing other city guards shouting at each other*

Guard #2: I think he went over here!

*Zack looks down from the church rooftop and sees the other guards running around restlessly and aimlessly. Zack sits back on the roof until the guards call off the search. Zack performs a leap of faith off of the roof into a hay stack and runs home. Zack enters an alley that's across the street from his house. There is a bush in the alley and Zack enters a secret underground passage behind the bush. The passage links to the basement. Zack enters the kitchen through the basement door and takes off his bracer then runs the kitchen faucet and washes his hidden blade along with his throwing knife. Sam enters the kitchen*

Sam: Hey, you're back! What are you doing?

Zack: Nothing!

Sam: *Jumps up and looks into the sink and sees the blood swirling down the drain* Is that blood?

Zack: No!

Sam: What happened?

Zack: Nothing! *Turns off the faucet and looks at his blade and knife* All clean.

Sam: Are you ready to tell me now?

Zack: Uuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhh… Sure. *Takes off his Assassin robe and wipes sweat from his forehead with his hand then sits on the couch. Sam sits next to him* I killed someone today.

Sam: Faboo! Who was it?

Zack: *Smirks* Heh heh. Just a guard that was chasing me. Oh! Speaking of which. *Takes a loaf of bread out of his pocket* I got this today.

Sam: So… How did it feel?

Zack: The killing?

Sam: Yeah.

Zack: Pretty good.

Sam: Really?

Zack: Yeah. He had it coming and it was pretty thrilling.

Sam: You're so awesome!

Zack: Not as awesome as you! *Flips of Sam's hat then puts him in a headlock and rubs his knuckles on his head* You're very awesome for taking that news so well.

Sam: Agh! Hahaha! Did you expect me to think that an Assassin doesn't kill people?

*Spazzo enters from upstairs*

Zack: Hey Spazzo! I just killed someone today!

Spazzo: Oh really?

Zack: Uh-oh! Did I say that out loud? I meant to say uuuuuhhhhh…

Spazzo: I heard what I heard. And here's what I got to say: Good for you! *Smiles and pets Zack on the head*