Morning was a bit chaotic. I struggled to get out of the bear trap that was Ezio's arms without waking him up. I failed miserably, so to speak, considering he woke up as soon as I began to move. Well, actually, he just tightened his hold on me. If guards held people this tightly, I would have had a lot more trouble getting away.

I needed to figure out a way to slip away from him, before he crushed me.

Well, never been in this situation where I actually wanted to get out...

"Okay, Ezio, if you're awake, and doing this on purpose, I will hurt you," I muttered, attempting to push him away. My efforts seemed to be in vain, however, as I barely even stirred him. I humphed. Fine, I didn't want to go there, but you forced my hand!

"Eden, what the hell?!" his eyes shot open as pushed my knee into his stomach painfully. Or, maybe a little lower than his stomach...

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I wake you? You seemed so comfortable sleeping there, crushing my ribcage!" I took advantage of his loosened grip, finally getting to my feet and making a demonstrative cough. "If I have internal bleeding because of you, there will be hell to pay!"

"And if I won't have any kids because of you..." he groaned, and my mouth twisted into a sadistic smile.

"You'll do what, exactly?"

"...I'll think of something," he gasped, worrying his lower lip as the pain finally receded.

"Don't hurt yourself. Wait, on second thought, please do!" I flung open the curtains, letting the morning light into the room. Down below, the people were already on their feet, and the merchants hurried to set up their stalls. I suppose with a friendly, understanding Templar like Emilio in charge, they wanted to try to get as much business as possible before getting shut down.

"Aren't you in a cheerful mood this morning..." he grumbled, not rushing to get up as he stretched out over the entire bed. Dark hair undone and messy, and clad in his breeches and tunic, his armor, robes, doublet and weapons were on their usual spot, on a chair near the foot of the bed. Well, except for his dagger, which he kept beneath his pillow, in easy reach. I didn't blame him; my knives were tucked beneath the mattress. And my swordbelt with my own dagger and gun was draped on the nearest post of the bed, also within easy reach.

"Considering I've woken up and thought I was being strangled, forgive me if I'm not in my best mood at the moment," I sniffed.

There was a small silence, in which I was cooling down, and Ezio was watching me with his eyes half closed. Then he finally spoke. "Okay, desolato. It won't happen again."

"It better not, or it's to the floor with you! Or, even better, out the window!" I sat back down beside him, and sighed. "Do we have to go anywhere?" I whined, showing clearly that I didn't want to go anywhere.

He nodded gravely, "Oh, nothing big, mind you. Only a city to save, a Templar to kill."

"How could I forget?" I sighed. After a thoughtful moment, I lay down beside him again, closing my eyes. I really didn't want to go anywhere, or do anything, or really even kill anyone, at least at the moment. And even though I hurried to squash the thought, as soon as I was free, I began to miss Ezio's arms, warmth and scent.

---

Around noon, we finally made our way back to the Thieves Guild. Along the way, I noticed something strange going on around the city. It was like overnight, criminal activity had risen to new heights. Thieves were now around nearly every corner, merchants were constantly angry, and people were looking around cautiously, furtive, twitchy, and scared.

"You said they were resupplying?" I asked, watching, bewildered, as a man ran up to the smith shop, swiped a dagger, and made a run for it. The smith yelled after him feebly, but didn't even try to call for the guards. He looked surprisingly tired, considering the early hour.

"A little careless," Ezio said vaguely, seeming just as stunned.

"A little? It's very careless, overly bold, and the same as shouting out to the entire city that we are planning something. You need to talk to-" I suddenly spun around, catching a hand that was a little too close to my bag and money. The male thief yelped in shock, attempting to jerk away, but I held tight.

"Nice," Ezio complimented, and I smiled. Feeling a greedy little hand crawl towards your pockets is something everyone should learn.

"Let me guess, Antonio only has newbies on the job now?" I raised an eyebrow. The man was actually a teenager, covered in soot. Don't they wash? There are canals everywhere, it can't be that hard. The boy stared at me with scared, doe eyes, "Don't do that again," I firmly said, and let him go. He scurried away in a rush, barely believing his luck. I followed him with my eyes thoughtfully.

"The older, trained and experienced ones are either captured, dead, or healing," Ezio explained. "The operation was pretty big, and the city guards, as well as Emilio's men are still trying to catch them."

"This is not going to work then. Does Antonio know they're doing this?"

"Suspects, most likely. He knows his men, and how careless people can be," he shrugged, and we continued walking. Occasionally, someone near us would scream, and start chasing after thieves, calling for the guards. The guards, however, having spent all night and morning going from one shop to the other, were tired and mad, like old rabid dogs, growling at anyone near them.

"Well, at least they accomplished tiring out the men. Though I'm afraid that if this goes on any longer, their base will be nothing but a whole bunch of ashes."

"And how would the guards know where it is?" Ezio raised an eyebrow.

"Don't be naive, at least a quarter of the men are being paid off to look the other way, and a half suspects where the thieves live, but aren't brave enough to go in, especially by themselves. But everyone has their limits," I concluded as one of the said guards snatched the collar of a passing man, yelling into his face. The poor citizen looked like he was about to wet his pants from fear. A heavy woman, most likely his wife, joined in the yelling, screeching at the guard to leave the man alone. Only after a few tense minutes did the guard comply. Though not without snarling a threat as he tossed the man away, his hand on the pommel of his sword in warning.

"Alright, oh mighty crime lord - or, lady, what would you do differently in this situation?" Ezio asked with a skeptical smirk.

"I'm not a crime boss, I'm just a criminal. And it would be better with quiet raids that look like normal, everyday robberies. Right now, staying out of sight is best for them, considering the chaos going on. Emilio's probably completely barricaded himself now. Until all this dies down, there won't be an opening, even if we did manage to get in," I continued, still thinking hard.

"And if we free the captured thieves, and help them get their supplies, while the injured heal?" he asked with a small smile, and I bared my teeth in a smirk.

"If we can do that fast enough, it won't matter how many locks are on the front doors, or how many guards formed a protective circle around Emilio. If the criminal gangs here are the same as they are in the twenty first century, then we can probably even manage to do this without anyone even noticing. But..." I trailed off, and he picked up my train of thought.

"But the question is, can we do it fast enough?"

"Do we have a time limit to this?"

"Technically, no. But the faster we kill Emilio, the better. There's no telling what role he plays in the conspiracy, and besides, the people here can't be pushed much farther," he said seriously just as we reached the circle of the dark houses.

"Well, you have fun. I'm going to go see if I can help Bianca with anything."

"You seem to avoid talking to Antonio. You aren't intimidated by him, are you?" he raised an eyebrow, and I put on my "I'm-not-amused-but-thanks-for-playing" face.

"I'm not scared of him. I've faced a lot worse, believe me. So you talk to him, and tell me if there's anything for me to do. I'll go help out the wounded in the meantime."

"Eden," he stopped me, catching my hand before I left, "What's going on?" I looked at him, biting my lip.

"He just reminds me or Larry a lot. You know, leader of a criminal gang, dark hair, a freaking mustache..." I shuddered at the memory. I knew that Antonio was far from my former boss, but I still couldn't help clenching my fists any time I saw him. "I'm sorry, I don't want to go down that memory lane again, so Ezio, please let me go." He dropped my hand, but not before offering a reassuring smile. I rolled eyes, and walked away towards the building where Bianca lived.

Bianca was a pleasant lady I'd met the night before, right before I went to search for a place to stay. She was a middle aged woman, her black hair graying slightly in the the tight knot on her head. She wore an actually clean apron and dress, her hands usually resting on her hips, and she reminded me of one of those women that were stern grandmothers to everyone. She came outside for a moment, yelling at one of the thieves to get some more water. When she noticed me, she ran her eyes up and down critically, stopping on the bloodstains briefly. Then she grumbled something under her breath, asking me if I came along with the "pretty boy." I assumed she didn't mean the stray dog that was relieving itself beside the well, and nodded, politely asking if I could help with anything. She just rolled her shoulders, saying the house was packed as it was, and to come back when there was breathing room.

I walked into the open doors, looking around. She was right - the place was stuffed, with all the furniture either shoved out of the way, or made as a makeshift bed for all the wounded. A couple of young boys were rushing back and forth with bowls of water and food. Unsure what to do, I walked inside, looking around for the woman herself.

I didn't have to search long, as she rushed into the main room a few moments later.

"-and don't forget, change the bandage in a few hours! Oh, thank God!" she noticed me, and pushed some stuff that she was carrying into my arms. A few jars, a lot of bandages, strings, and things that I didn't even know the names off. I hurried to catch a small bottle as it lost its balance, returning it to the pile I was holding. "Be a darling and help around here for a few minutes, while I go check on Rosa. I swear, my ears will start bleeding soon..."

"O-okay," I agreed, and she rushed off out of the room again. "Oh, good lord, there's too many people-" she continued mumbling, as she rushed away. Things were very frenzied around here, with "patients" moaning in pain. There was another girl in the room, in a clean dress that made her look like an outsider here, hurrying back and forth between men. She blushed wildly at each of the appreciative comments the thieves made to her, but didn't reply to any of them.

Well, as Bianca asked so nicely, I decided to start working.

---

As Ezio came into his office, Antonio looked up with a greeting smile. He looked concerned and distracted, though. "I hoped you would come by. I need some advice."

"What troubles you?" Ezio asked, coming in front of the desk.

His face was grave. "I'm afraid Emilio has turned some of my own men against me."

"Bribery and black mail, is it?" the young assassin inquired, knowing the ways of Templars and politics.

"Yes. We can't continue the operation while they are still in the district, reporting to Emilio."

"Not for long. I'll take care of it." Ezio seemed more than eager to get to work. There was a special place for traitors in his mind, and it was not pretty. Antonio sighed with relief.

"Grazie," Antonio sighed in thanks.

"By the way, your men in the district are being a little too obvious. The city guard are not that blind as to not notice."

"Yes, I was afraid of that." He sat behind his desk again, folding his arms on the table. "Most of them are young, and want to help out in whatever ways they can," he tapped his thin fingers on the wood of the desk. "I need to get a few of them occupied. I'll plan a few robberies for them. When you are finished with the traitors, could you help them out?"

Ezio shifted his eyebrows together. "Eden can help. It would be more efficient, and she was part of a similar... guild, not long ago. She has a lot more experience than me in these matters."

"Eden?" Antonio seemed to consider it. "I suppose we are short on hands. Would she agree?"

"She has no trouble breaking the law, if that's what you're asking."

"I meant would she agree to work with someone she doesn't trust?" The thief corrected himself.

Ezio looked at him, surprised. "How did you know-"

"That she doesn't trust us? It takes one thief to know another," he grimly laughed. "And besides, she didn't seem too thrilled about this yesterday." By Antonio's expression, it was obvious he wasn't all that happy with her, either. She summoned that reaction in a lot of people with her boldness and sharp tongue.

"I'll talk to her. She wants to help, so I'm sure she won't decline the job."

"Very well, then. Wait, Ezio," Antonio suddenly stopped him as the he turned to leave. "One more question, but please don't take it the wrong way; how much do you trust her?"

Ezio thought about it, honestly considering the question. Trusting Eden was something that came easily once he'd moved past the beginning issues. She was loyal and resourceful, and a great friend. She saved his neck about as much as he saved hers. There was never even a thought of her betraying him. "Completely," he steadily replied.

"Then can I trust that she can get the younger members of the guild back unharmed?"

"Oh, that's doable. As long as they don't get too cocky on her, of course."

"I meant from guards," Antonio said, slightly confused, but Ezio was already out of the door. Once outside, he stopped to think for a second, and then decided to go find Eden before he's go hunting for the traitors.

He found her exactly where she said she'd be - at Bianca's house. She was currently in a conversation with one of the thieves while she examined his leg, a cheerful smile on her face. The man looked a few years younger than her, though he was probably older than Ezio. With black hair, almost impossibly dark, slightly slanted eyes and dusky, bronzed skin darker than the natives of Italia, he most likely came from a more southern part of the world. Possibly the Barbary Coast, or even the lands of the Turks, to the southeast. Then again, Venice was a port city and center of the continent's trade. All sorts of people passed through her streets.

"-it's not even sprained, you'll be fine," she laughed easily, packing up.

"Thanks to you, tesorina. You have such lovely, skillful hands..." Biting back a growl, Ezio narrowed his eyes slightly with alarm. But Eden dismissed her patient.

"My hands are good for more than healing, and I don't mean that in a good way." Considering that she was still smiling, it was a joke. The thief laughed, and then glanced over her shoulder at Ezio approaching.

"You ready to go?" the assassin asked, putting his hand on the small of her back in a somewhat territorial gesture. She turned around to him without surprise, still grinning.

"Yes, I'm just about done. Well, I'll see you later, Luca. Just try not to fall off building when you climb, and you'll be fine."

"I look forward to seeing you again, bella," Luca agreed, lying back down and flashing a charming, but genuine smile. "Do not stay away too long, eh?" Ezio arched a mildly horrified brow as Eden returned Luca's smile with a grin. Before Ezio knew what he was even doing, he all but dragged her from Luca's bedside, speedily guiding her to the door. But she didn't seem to notice, her smile still playing along her lips.

"So? What's on our agenda today?" she asked as they walked out of the building. Her mood was a lot better than before, her usual light smile brighter and in place. "It seems like I have no life at the moment. No dates, no friends, and there probably isn't a good club around, either," she looked over him with an evaluating gaze, "And you'll probably ditch me today, as well."

"Well, not so much as ditch, as go do my job," he sniffed. His hand was still at the small of back and he'd all but hauled her up next him so they walked flush against each other.

"Same difference. What's the job?" she asked curiously, though he understood she meant "who was the job."

"Traitors."

"Oh, my. How intense. And why is it that you get assignments like that, and I'm left to wander the streets and poke slugs with sticks?"

"What?"

"Okay, just wander the streets," she rolled her eyes just as they entered the middle class part of the districts, around the place where Leonardo lived.

"Actually, if you want, Antonio is planning a few robberies, you can join his thieves." Ezio said vaguely, and she seemed to consider it.

Then she asked, slowly, "Can I kill people on this job, or is it one of those where no one has to know I was there? Cause those are a pain."

"If you must. Not the thieves," he hurried to add.

"Yeah, but that's probably not until later. What do I do until then?" she asked, pouting. It was still a long time before nightfall.

"Poke slugs with sticks?" he offered, voice more relaxed. Dropping his hand from her back, he still walked in step with her. She snorted in reply.

"He-e-ey... wait a moment. I have another question. Do we have any spies on our side?" she asked suddenly. He thought about it. Then shrugged.

"Like hell I know. The palazzo is locked down tight, the only way in is to get captured, though then you'll be in a cell, and not likely to be of any use."

"And do you have the faintest idea of what's inside?"

"The large courtyard in the middle, with access to all of the rooms. Aside from that, no."

"And you were going to storm the place, almost completely blind?" she raised an eyebrow, "That's suicidal."

"Well, we're the experts in suicidal missions, aren't we?"

Another smile graced her features, but she looked a little worried. "Still, I think it would be useful to know everything before trying to find him in there. I'd really prefer if none of us die, though I can name one very cocky assassin just asking for it."

"What do you suggest then?" he asked, ignoring the hint.

"I'm not suggesting anything. Not yet." He glanced at her, surprised. She seemed to be thinking hard about something.

Following her tracks of thought, he said, "You're not going to try to get in there, are you?"

"You said it yourself, the only way in for a solo person is to get arrested. And I don't like jail, it's small and restricting. But, say, I find a way in..."

"You don't have to-"

"But I might just do that. Anyway, think about it. Emilio is paranoid. He's most likely surrounded with guards from all sides. It's nearly impossible to get to him unless you actually know where you're going and how many guards you have to get past," she said thoughtfully.

"But you don't have a way in yet. So how about we focus on helping out the guild for now?" he asked hopefully, attempting to get her mind off of that. He did not want Eden to go inside the Templar's nest completely alone, running a high chance of being recognized, and executed. Or worse, tortured for information and used as bait.

"Fine. I'm just tired of feeling useless." She crossed her arms, pretending to be very interested in the sign above the smith's shop.

"You're not useless. You helped me more than you know," he reassured her gently, and she gave an involuntarily grin, lighting up again.

Ezio stopped at the mouth of an alley way, from which there came no sounds but the water rushing in the canal on the other side. He felt a tug of intuition.

---

"I have to go."

I nodded, sighing. I had half the day to face, alone, and bored. "I'll meet you at the apartment tomorrow morning?"

"Yes. And please don't get into any trouble. I don't really want to be running all over town, trying to save you," he smiled. But there was a concerned wrinkle between his eyebrows. I laughed soothingly.

"Ha! We'll see who'll need saving!" After a short pause, I rolled my eyes, and said, "Be careful."

"Always, mia cara."

And with that, he was gone. He was getting really good at that, disappearing into a shadow when I blinked. I shook my head with a light grin.

"Show off."

I heard him chuckle somewhere inside the alley.

---

"Leonardo?" I called, walking through the doors. The inside of the workshop looked amazingly similar to the one in Florence, just as cluttered, and with parts and papers lying around on nearly every surface. The artist was here for barely a week, and he already managed to give the place his essence. I came further into the room, looking around for Leonardo himself.

"Eden! What a lovely surprise!" he came as if out of nowhere, emerging from one of the shelves suddenly, and I jumped slightly. "To what do I owe the honor?"

"I'm bored," I said bluntly, grinning. "Ezio just ditched me, and I thought, 'Hey! Lets go see how Leonardo is doing!'"

"Well, come in, make yourself at home!" he waved his arm in invitation, and I glanced around. There were no free chairs, but there was a large empty spot on the table, so I took a seat there. He was as hyper and busy as always.

"How's Venice treating you?" I asked looking over the sketches that lay beside me with curiosity. They were skeletons of birds and close ups of feathers, with notes written all over the paper. I noted that they were written in mirrored code, something, I admit, I didn't believe Leonardo actually did until I first began to look through his works.

"Oh, I didn't really feel much different, as I haven't left the workshop yet. Can I get you something?"

"A little early to be drinking, so no thanks. And I just had breakfast," I politely declined, and he nodded, anxious to get back to whatever it was he was doing. "What are you working on?"

"Oh, well, the machine. I suddenly realized a few details I missed before..." he said, turned back around to the flying machine that lay behind him. The wings were taken apart temporarily.

"Do you want any help?"

"Oh, thank you! If you could just keep this raised while I work..." he nodded enthusiastically, and I smiled again, hopping off the table, and came closer to the machine. After a little bit of effort, I managed to tilt it so that Leonardo could work on it freely.

"This is actually pretty heavy, how do you think it can fly?" I inquired with interest.

"Flight isn't about weight! It's about the balance, and the sweep of the wings!" he explained, eager to share. "Bird wings are about twice the size of the body, and the feathers very close together. So the air picks them up, and-"

It was absolutely fascinating to listen how Leonardo described his theories, his excitement contagious. I didn't even notice that it began to get dark outside, so involved in his lecture that I completely forgot the passage of time. What snapped me out of it, however, was another presence in the workshop, Leonardo almost finished with his work.

I put the masterpiece down gently, and brought my finger to my lips, making Leonardo stop in the middle of his sentence and look around with surprise. I examined the room, not moving from my spot yet. There was an unfamiliar draft in the air. After straining my years, aside from Leo's breathing, I could hear rare, quiet footsteps, and short breaths coming from behind the crates by an open window. With a flick, one of my knives was in my hand, and I made a careful step towards the trespasser.

It happened fast. I reached out, blindly grabbing someone's collar, and yanking them down onto the floor in a smooth movement before putting my blade to his throat.

"Luca, what the hell?!" I asked, after letting out a breath of relief. The thief looked up at me with wide eyes. He clearly did not expect me to do something like that. I didn't step away from him yet, though. Ezio said there were traitors amongst the thieves, so you never knew.

"Well, I was going to come get you for the job Antonio gave us, but I'd rather fill you in when you aren't holding a dagger to my throat," he finally gave out, with a fleeting, though cautious grin. I rolled my eyes, helping him get up. The blade went back into its hidden sheath. For now, anyway.

"And you couldn't use the boring old method of knocking on the door?" I looked back to Leonardo, who was staring at the thief with huge eyes.

"Okay, so I wanted to scare you. I didn't know you'd hear me." Luca grumbled, eying me with some suspicion.

"Right. Leonardo, meet Luca. An...associate of mine." I introduced him, just as the artist snapped out of his slight daze.

"Interesting friends you have," he shifted his eyebrows together, looking over Luca, and then back to me.

"If Ezio is any indication, yes, I have very interesting friends. But it seems like I'll have to go." I smiled at him, coming closer to say goodbye. "It's been fun, Leo, I'll visit again soon. You seem to be in need of company and social contact in general, you can't hole up like this."

"I look forward to it," he nodded, with an amused expression. "Thanks for your help, Eden."

I dragged Luca out the "old boring way", via the front door. It was twilight outside, the early stars already shining above Venice, the moon barely visible. People began to finish up their business on the streets, sealing the last deals for today, and saying goodbye to neighbors. But while adults went home, younger people rushed out, some walking in pairs, others heading off somewhere in groups, or alone.

"Alright, which sad excuse for a warehouse are we breaking in?" I asked once we were inside one of the alleys, away from curious eyes.

"Just follow me. And keep up!" he called, running into the depths of the backstreets. I cursed under my breath, but followed. Without my bag slowing me down, for once (I left it at home), I easily kept pace, though the darkness made it hard to see who I was following, or what was in my way. Dodging the people still out and about was hard in the poorly lit streets.

After a few minutes, three knocked over drunks, two smashed crates, and one angry guard, we finally made it somewhere by the grand canal. I put one hand on the wall, leaning on it, and caught my breath. Luca was panting heavily by now, so we had to stop for a few moments until he could breath properly again, and finished the rest of the way walking.

"How did you find me, anyway?" I asked, though the answer was somewhat obvious. He snorted.

"Don't underestimate the thieves of Venice. We have eyes and ears everywhere."

"Ew," I almost started laughing, having imagined eyeballs and ears nailed to the walls, scaring the passing civilians. Luca glanced at me with confusion. "I'll have to remember that..."

"Finally!" two young boys, probably brothers, greeted us in a concealed courtyard. Within it was a fairly large house without any decorations, which I assumed was the target. Slim and lithe, no doubt from scrambling over roofs and evading guards, they both looked fifteen or sixteen years old. Thankfully, they also appeared enthusiastic, and eager to get to work.

When they got a good look at me, one of them asked with bewildered look, "Who the hell-" But the other one elbowed him in the ribs before he finished that sentence, giving me a slightly more respectful bow in greeting. I had absolutely no idea what that was about, but I was not about to ask.

"Can someone explain to me exactly what we're stealing?" I asked instead, curious. It was Luca who answered, being the older out of the boys.

"Medicine. Signora Bianca has run out fast with all the injured, and she needs more. And some more expensive things in there we're instructed to grab if we can. Antonio has given most of us jobs in different parts of the city, so it shouldn't take long to restock our supplies."

"Hm." I looked over the building. It wasn't very well protected, a few sleepy guards at the entrances, and fragile looking doors and windows.

"So, my plan is this," one of the brothers began to explain with a tone of superiority. Quite a bit taller than me, his pale skin and freckled cheeks flushed as he sped through his plan. Every so often, he would tuck a curl of his shaggy blonde hair behind his ear, a nervous tick apparently. I crossed my arms, leaning onto the wall and listening. I regretted it immediately - there's no telling what was on it... "While Kilo distracts the guards, we will pickpocket the key and open the door while Luca will go get a cart. Then, once we're inside, we sneak around the guards in the main room, and-"

"Or," I interrupted, and he glared at me, having to stop mid sentence. "We go around the building, break a window, and steal everything worth stealing."

"The guards will hear the glass break," he argued, and I snorted.

"Are you kidding? They're half asleep as it is, and besides, it doesn't have to be loud. And it's a lot less risky."

"No, we will do this-"

"And I'd let you, but I doubt Antonio would be very happy with me if I brought you back in less than perfect condition. Luca, what do you think?" I raised my hand to stop the kid's retort, and he bit his lip with irritation. His friend, Kilo, looked amused at my reply, staring at me with a healthy bit of respect and a smirk. I decided I liked him a whole lot more than his mouthy friend. Dark eyes darting between me and his friend, he rocked back on his heels before directing his attention back to me. Though nowhere as bronzed as Luca, his olive complexion and round, but boyishly handsome face showed evidence of spending much time in the sun. Probably as a result of running over the roofs as well.

Luca raised an eyebrow, and shrugged. "I like Eden's plan. It's a lot simpler, and easier to remember. And besides, there's a cart around back already, so I won't have to drag it out anywhere."

"And Kilo?" I asked the thief with manners, who looked at me, and nodded in agreement, smirk widening into a grin. "Outvoted. Sorry kid."

"Marcus."

"What?"

"My name is Marcus," he gritted out, seething slightly and green eyes flashing with retort.

"I really couldn't care less. And I think I'll just call you Bob, it fits you more." I carefully hid my wide grin as I saw his face go red, even through the darkness. Kilo and Luca attempted to contain their laughter, so they wouldn't tip off the guards.

"You- you-"

"'You' what?" I asked innocently, "Sorry, Bob, I don't understand what you're saying. Now, calm down. There will be time to rip off my head later."

"You're lucky you're a woman! Otherwise I'd teach you a lesson!" he raised his voice, and I nearly broke out in loud laughter. He seemed taken aback by my amusement and lack of fear. Especially as Kilo rolled his eyes, shrugging his shoulders as though to say "Hey, he's always like this, don't mind him." I patted Marcus on the shoulder patronizingly as I passed by, heading off to circle around the building.

"And you're lucky I'm calling you Bob, and not something a little worse. Like Fluffy, for example. Now come on, let's get this over with. It's cold." Luca and Kilo were still quietly laughing to themselves as they followed me.

Behind the building, I examined the wall. The lowest window was out of my reach, and there were no suitable platforms around. It's almost like they didn't want us to break into the warehouse... "Anyone want to give me a lift, or do I have to climb?" I looked around. After a moment, Kilo sighed, and stepped up, folding his hands together in midair. I smiled in thanks, and lightly jumping off of them, catching the wide ledge of the window, and pulling myself up to sit in front of it. I looked inside, but there was no one in the room. Staring over the frame, I quickly accessed the situation. The glass could break easily, but it would make a lot of noise, like Bo- Marcus said. So instead of dead on shattering it, I used a large dagger as a lever. After a few minutes of work and at least a dozen splinters in my hands and arms, I passed the entire window down to the boys waiting below.

Once I had more space, I swung down, giving my arm to Kilo, who looked like the smallest person here, so I wouldn't have to exert myself too much. He helped the process by digging his feet into the cracks in the wall, and soon, he was inside the building, as well. I leaned out again.

"Get the cart, and we'll pass you the stuff," I whispered, and Luca nodded, and Marcus pretended he couldn't hear anything, waiting the time he thought was enough to save his dignity, before following the thief.

The room was big, about two stories high, and no smaller than an average house in the twenty first century, though it couldn't compare with the massive warehouses we had back home. Labeled crates and boxes were stacked high here, with a book of records lying on the small table. On the other side of the door, I could hear guards laughing over something, and the slapping of cards. The box labels were pretty much the same - bandages, medicine, and tools for more extensive care, like stitches, braces and crutches. There were also scalpels of different sizes.

I heard the cart's barely audible creaking, and me and Kilo set off to work, passing down the boxes. I also snatched a small marble statue off its stand. Every few minutes, I'd freeze, listening to the guards, but they seemed to have no idea what was going on in the storage room. They were also most likely drunk, so that might have had something to do with it.

When the cart was full, we finally climbed back out, and I even put the window back in, just so they wouldn't put bars on them in the future. It would probably fall out at the slightest touch, but that was not our problem anymore.

"How are we getting past the guards around front?" Luca asked just as they were ready to pull the cart towards the destination. I, being a woman and all, took advantage of the fact to get out of it.

"Leave the guards to me. Apparently I'm a wanted criminal now, too, and no doubt they'll want to collect the bounty," I pulled my sleeve up higher, to reveal my tattoo more clearly. "As soon as they're off, go for it."

"Are you sure?" Luca asked, concerned, and I smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry, I'll just let them chase me for a bit, and then get away. Just get these straight to Antonio. And tell him I'll come around in the morning."

---

I hissed in pain as I dabbed the wet cloth onto the long gash on my shoulder. The candle flickered in protest, and for lack of anything better, I glared at it.

I did as planned, lingering around the guards, looking as suspicious as I could until they realized where they'd seen me before, and let them chase me. But it was a lot harder to lose them than I thought, and I ended up having to fight both. They nipped at me a few times until I finally managed to kill one and knock out the other. And then I was left to drag my tired, wounded and overexcited body into the apartment. The halls were empty, thank god. I didn't get any questions as to why I was coming back so late, or why I was covered in blood.

I pulled the ends of the bandage on my upper arm together, tying the knot tightly with my teeth. Then I leaned back onto the chair, throwing my head back and folding my hands on my stomach, looking up at the ceiling. At least the thieves were stocked up in band-aids. That, and the medicine would help them recover faster.

My head snapped around as I heard the window open, and I sighed with relief when I saw who it was.

"You're right on time, I have everything out," I gestured to the table, where I'd laid out my first aid kit. Ezio dropped into the chair beside me, letting out a groan. "Long day?"

"You can say that again," he grumbled. I smiled - I was happy to see him. But he was clutching his shoulder, and the fabric around his hand was stained in red. "It took me two hours to find out one of them was on a ship not far from the coast! With at least half a dozen of Emilio's men around him!"

"You poor thing," I laughed, standing up and taking his hand off the wound gently. He was too talkative to be in too much pain, though the cut looked fairly large. Helping me work on the buckles of his armor, it was soon removed.

"You have no idea. I was soaked while trying to get on that damned boat without anyone noticing. Have you ever tried to climb the side of a ship, not only weighted down with the usual armor and weapons, but also with dripping wet robes and waterlogged boots, completely soaked? It's no leap of faith, let me tell you that," he frowned, though his eyes sparkled with mischief as I winced and shook my head that no, I had not attempted such a thing. I noted that his hair was still a little wet, as well as the armor.

"How did this happen?" I asked as I pushed away the pauldron, unbuttoned his shirt, and opened the wound. He let out a small groan of pain as the fabric shifted, but other than that, just let me get to work.

"One of them to have a friend around, at the market. He sneaked up on me," he sighed, and then suddenly squinted at me. "Are you okay?" his eyes slid over the bandage and the cuts on me.

"Yes. Everything went fine, I even had some fun with it. I just had to play decoy so they could get away," I shrugged, and then pulled out a shard of something out of the wounds. "What the hell did you do?!"

"Oh. I think that was the vase one of them threw at me…who did you work with?"

"Oh, two kids, one a little too cocky for my liking, and Luca," I smiled slightly. "You know, tall, dark, very easy on the eyes? You've seen him at Bianca's house."

"Ah, yes, I vaguely remember - Hey, you already have someone easy on the eyes!" he pouted, and I laughed.

"Really? Where?" I made a demonstration of looking around with confusion.

"Come now, piccola! My ego can't take that sort of wretched abuse!"

"Can't be that big, then... and I'm not talking just about the ego..."

"Monella! You are absolutely evil, you know that?" he asked with a heartbreaking smile that I couldn't help but return.

"So I've been told. By the way, you should probably see a doctor in the morning, I'm not sure if I got all the shards out, and you might need stitches." I took a step away from him, picking up the bowl with the bloody water. "So, today was eventful."

"A lot less than usual."

"That's true," I dumped the water out the window, hoping sincerely for it to rain on some guard's head. "Usually we would break into somewhere very heavily guarded, kill someone very important, and nearly die while trying to get out. So, I suppose this can be considered vocation. I broke into a lightly guarded warehouse, and you killed traitor thieves that sold their loyalty to the highest bidder."

"Well, if you look at it that way..." I sighed, crossed my arms, and leaned onto the frame of the balcony, looking out into the city. It was even more amazing at night, with all the lights contrasting with the clear, cloudless, dark sky. The stars seemed to sparkle a lot brighter here, the quarter-moon grinning in the sky like a Cheshire cat.

"A copper for your thoughts?" he asked, suddenly standing behind me. I didn't hear him get up or walk towards me.

"Are they only worth that much?" I smiled serenely. "I just can't get over how beautiful this world is."

"It's still the same world."

"No, it really isn't," I let out a wistful breath. "It's almost poetic."

We stood on the narrow balcony in silence. It was already almost morning, so everything was quiet. I wasn't used to such silence. Back home, the cars never stopped going, the guns never stopped firing, and the people never stopped shouting. Even without coming outside, you could tell that there was a woman being raped in an alley nearby, and not far off, the sirens rang, police or the ambulance. Either meant that someone would die that night. Even at home, I could never find peace from it all, the sounds haunting me every moment since I finished school. But here, there were not sounds. Just peace and quiet, no matter what was going on. I half closed my eyes, and for millionth time thanked the god I didn't believe existed.

"By the way, how do you like the idea of me teaching you the Leap of Faith?" he suddenly asked slyly, and I widened my eyes, spinning around to face him.

"I frown upon it! It's a bad, bad idea!"

"Come on, where's your sense of adventure?" he teased, ruffling my hair, and then bringing his hand to rest on my shoulder.

"You know, you're right. Jumping off a tower into a haystack, most likely breaking my neck in the process... my, why doesn't everyone do it as a favorite past time?"

"Don't be a baby. I just think that after the stuff you taught me, I want to give something back to you."

"And making me jump to my death qualifies?" I raised an eyebrow, though I was not panicking anymore. "Alright, if you insist, though I must be insane for agreeing. And also, you could teach me how the hell you jump from ledge to ridge to god knows wherever else as you do."

"You mean, freerunning? It would take a while to learn that. I've been doing it since I pretty much learned how to walk."

"It's something to do, at least. There won't always be Templars to hunt down. Besides, I'm sure it will come in very useful. Climbing is one thing, I've spent a lot of time doing that anyway, but there seems to be a lot of things I can learn."

"Well, if you're sure."

"I am. Besides, I'm already letting you push me off a tower into a haystack. I think I'm ready for anything now. Or, you know, we can just..."

"Improvise," he finished for me, and I smiled to myself, a strange, fluttering feeling in my chest and stomach. The infamous butterflies? Nah, probably just the blood loss.

---

Translations

Desolato - Sorry

Grazie – Thanks

Tesorina - (My) Little treasure

Bellai – (My) Pretty one

Mia Cara – My dear

Piccola – Sweetheart

Monella - Brat