"Get out of here, Leonardo! We'll handle it!"

With that, the artist came to the very edge of the room, watching as Machiavelli launched at Bartolomeo, pulling the rope around his muzzle to clamp his mouth shut. Ezio and La Volpe both came in, the latter bounding the beast's hands together, while Ezio was grasping onto fur in order to keep Bartolomeo from moving.

Though this moment of control seemed to fall as Bartolomeo shook around, flinging Machiavelli off and into a wall! Ezio right after. La Volpe was then knocked over by his bound hands before the mercenary captain broke the bonds and rammed through the door, vanishing away into the night!

Machiavelli, who had left a bird-man sized imprint in the wall where he crashed, pulled up as looked back at the others. "He got away."

Ezio climbed up from behind the workbench, a hand rubbing her forehead briskly as she stared at the open door. Then she managed to stand. "Is everyone alright?"

Machiavelli nodded before both turned to look at La Volpe, who had knocked over furnature when he was thrown and now was laying on the floor with an endtable on top of him.

"Ow..."

Ezio stepped over the the trapped thief and looked down at him, he was staring up at her with a cut just below his eye and a line of blood from the corner of his mouth. With clear consern, Ezio asked, "Are you alright, amico mio?"

La Vope nodded, and as Ezio was about to pull the endtable off, La Volpe refused and pushed it off himself. Grunting as he came to a sit. Though he didn't seem to notice Ezio smirk, as he pulled his hood up and over his black hair and the fox ears. "Where'd he go?"

"He broke free." Machiavelli answered.

With this, La Volpe was on his feet, "Then we've got to catch! Before he eats someone else!

Ezio nodded and reclaimed the rope on the floor. "We don't want to hurt him. So no weapons."

With this, Machiavelli grumbled something before putting his sword away. Then noted in a clearly irritated and slightly worried tone, "He'll surely tear us to ribbons. He already nearly broke my wing twice and shoved me off a building."

Volpe had no arguments to this, and he nodded in obvious agreement. Leaving Ezio to wonder what the hell had happened to him giving the younger man the cold shoulder and not siding with him at all.

"Fine. But no attacking." Ezio grunted, clearly not in the mood to argue with the matter. "Stay your blade unless he attacks you."

Both men nodded as they all walked outside and followed the sounds of howling and the crackle of a crossbow firing.

Violet eyes locked on the rooftops, La Volpe kept a grip on the hilt of a dagger, guessing how long it'd be before he was mauled. And with each crack of another bolt being let loose along with a snarl of a responce, he found himself growing more ridged and nervous.

"He can't be far." Ezio murmered. Then she slung the rope onto her shoulder and started climbing up. "He must be on the roof."

Although any sain man would have told her that she was insane, she was so much the definition of "normal". Nor was he or Machiavelli. But regardless, the thief had some common sense, believe it or not. He hesitated before following. Ears pinned back under his hood as he could hear the sounds getting closer.

At the top, they could see Bartolomeo smack a guard and his claws hook into the unfortunate man! With a trail of crimson out of his throat, the guard was flung off of the red tile roof only to hit the cobberstone below. And now with no one nearby, Bartolomeo settled in a crouch, staring down over the edge and at the corpse below before starting to lap the blood from his claws.

La Volpe only stared speechless. How the hell was he suppost the catch him a SECOND time. The first time was simply luck! But that guard had probably shot fifthteen bolts at him and still didn't stand a chance!

Then a hand on his shoulder. He looked back over to see Machiavelli give him a slightly reassuring nod before following him forward. Ezio beside him as she readied the net.

The very moment they had gotten within a few yards of him, Bartomomeo sniffed the air breifly, then whipped up to face them. Lips curled up to bare jagged fangs, and amber eyes glinting in the low light. If it were possible, the look would have made even the most solid of men curl away in fear.

Then he charged! There was so little time to react as he threw Ezio off to the side and forced Machiavelli to take to the air! For La Volpe, he ended up skittering out of the way, only when he stopped behind the now beastly man did he realize something strange. He had been running on all fours.

Sparing a glance up at Machiavelli, he couldn't find him. Just a falcon circling above. What the...? Where did he go?

Then pain shot up his side as he was batted over, tumbling until he ending up laying on his back and a larger hand pinning him down. He could see the sharp teeth and feel hot breath on his face as he shut his eyes and swung his arms up with hopes of hitting the all too close muzzle.

Then he pulled away. He opened his eyes to see Bartolomeo swatting at that falcon as the raptor dove down and rakes it's talons across his muzzle. He spared a glance to Ezio to see her staring at him in complete shock. Jaw slag and eyes wide.

With a slight unbalanced stagger, he got up, finding that he was still on all fours. Now he looked down to his hands, then felt his heart stop when he saw black paws!

His attention was torn back to the fight as he heard a loud cry. There he saw Machiavelli, laying in a crippled heap on the ground. Ezio was holding a sword in perry as she took slow steps towards the philosopher.

Bartolomeo then swung his hair bound hand at her, knocking the sword out of her grip, at this moment, La Volpe lundged. Biting down onto his arm and clawing his side. Bartolomeo howl and swung around, only geting him to sink his teeth in deeper to hold on.

Then he swung again, and in an instant, agony exploded in his ribs as his mouth opened in a silent scream. He hit the ground and rolled off. Finding himself falling down.

Then he crashed, tumbling over and leaving the somewhat safety of the wooden platform before he smashed into the ground. The world hazy as a feeble whimper escaped as he shut his eyes.

I know I was a little late on updating. I was on vacation in Gettysburg and I didn't have access to the net.