Hey guys, just wanted to say, school is about to end, so during this week-long gap between the end of exams and summer break (during which my mother will bombard me with tutors and extra summer homework) I'll be trying to upload as much as possible, so I would really appreciate reviews :)
I know I forgot to add this in the last 2 chapters, but...
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Assassin's Creed or any of its characters
This time, it was Ezio who arrived at the meeting place first. He blended into a crowd in front of a herald while he waited for Bellarosa.
Then, all of a sudden, she was there. It was as though he'd blinked, and she'd magically appeared next to him, her hood pulled low over her face and her mouth set in a firm line.
"Where's the lead?" she said. Ezio could tell she was not happy about the little stunt he'd pulled the night before.
"Right there, in front of the tailor's shop. The one in the yellow cap."
Bellarosa appeared motionless, but the shadows under her hood shifted a little as she turned her head to look at the target. He seemed to be in a heated debate with the tailor, slamming his fist against the counter repeatedly and flailing about with his other hand. A few guards glanced in his direction, but otherwise left him alone.
Finally, grumbling something under his breath, the man deposited a few florins onto the counter and began walking away. Ezio followed him on street level, blending with crowds whenever the target turned around or guard nearby noticed his strange clothes. Meanwhile, Bellarosa disappeared, presumably to the rooftops. Once in a while, Ezio could see a quick flash of red as she ducked into an alleyway or got up from a bench. The target got suspicious whenever Ezio walked too close or strayed from a crowd too long, but he never noticed Bellarosa as she watched him from a balcony or a crowd of courtesans. Ezio had to admit that she was good.
Finally, the official entered an enclosed courtyard, surrounded by buildings on three sides and a low brick wall on the other. The only entrance on that could be reached by ground level was an open doorway built into the wall. The entire area was being protected by what seemed like a small army of guards, both inside and outside the courtyard itself.
Ezio climbed up one of the nearby buildings and found Bellarosa waiting for him on the roof. The body of a dead archer lay nearby, which didn't faze Ezio the slightest bit. Together, he and Bellarosa peered down into the courtyard and the meeting- or rather, argument- that was taking place.
"...we need to deal with the Medici!" one of the Templars was saying.
"Yes, but we must be subtle. Remember what happened to the Pazzi all those years ago?"
"I agree with Alfonso. We must plan carefully..."
Ezio kept his eyes on the conspirators. Almost absentmindedly, he said to Bellarosa,"We need to make sure none of the targets escape. You block the entrance to the courtyard. I will take care of the conspirators. Cut down anyone who tries to get in or out."
Bellarosa was irked. She hadn't forgotten the way Ezio had threatened her the night before, which made his curt, dismissive tone even more insulting. It was as though he were ordering her around just because he knew that he could! Still, Bellarosa refused to let Ezio know he was getting under her skin. Instead, she drew her stiletto and a large, serrated dagger. After a few moments, Ezio snapped out his hidden blades.
It was time to attack.
Both killers leapt down into the courtyard, capes flying out behind them.
While Ezio landed on an unfortunate official and stabbed his hidden blade into the back of his neck, Bellarosa intercepted another who was trying to escape the courtyard. He made a sort of squeaking noise before Bella's stiletto was embedded into the underside of his jaw. Bellarosa then turned to face the numerous guards who were trying to enter the courtyard through the narrow entrance. Obviously, they weren't very smart, because they kept getting stuck whenever several of them tried to get through the opening at once.
Bella managed to dispatch five of the guards before they realized how stupid they were being. At this point, the agile guards started clambering over the wall, while the more heavy-set ones began entering the courtyard in single file, the brutes with broadswords and axes leading the charge. Bellarosa sheathed her dagger and pulled out her own sword. She preferred using smaller knives in open combat, but she knew that with the number of brutes approaching, she would be much better off with a longer-ranged weapon.
At that moment, Bellarosa heard Ezio grunt in pain behind her. She whirled around to see what was going on. Ezio was on the ground, surrounded by at least six guards. He was obviously at a disadvantage, barely managing to deflect the numerous blows that were raining down on him.
"Ezio!" she shouted instinctively. Who cared if he had been a stronzo to her earlier on, he was still her ally, and she was not going to let him die on their first joint mission!
Out of the corner of her eye, Bellarosa saw a guard behind her raise his sword, hoping to catch her by surprise. She didn't even wait for him to strike. Without turning around, she jabbed him in the nose with her right elbow. While he howled in pain, she darted forward, into the crowd of guards surrounding Ezio.
She ran her sword through two guards at once, killing them instantly. With her stiletto, she slashed at the throats of three other guards, killing one and mortally wounding the two others. By this time Ezio had managed to get to his feet and was now in the process of dispatching two other guards. When he was finished, he turned and shouted, "Bella! The last target, he's getting away!"
A small section of Bellarosa's mind noticed that Ezio hadn't called her by her full name, but she ignored it; she had other priorities at the moment. Bellarosa turned around, just in time to see a purple-robed nobleman shove through the surrounding guards and race out the courtyard entrance. "Cazzo!" Bella muttered as she ran after him, sheathing her weapons in mid-flight. She dodged and weaved through the startled guards, climbed over the courtyard wall, and leapt down to ground level.
It took her only a moment to locate the fleeing Templar. When she did, she gave chase immediately. How was it that such an overweight man could run so fast? As soon as she was in range, she pulled a throwing knife out of her belt, aimed, and launched the blade at the official's obese figure.
The knife spun through the air, whistling past startled civilians and almost hitting a stack of wooden crates. Finally, it found its mark, burying itself into the back of the Templar's skull.
Thank goodness for that- Bella was afraid that if the knife had hit his back, his endless layers of fat would prevent the blade from reaching any vital organs.
The targets were dead, but the Bella still had to deal with the guards. "Bellarosa!" Ezio called from a rooftop nearby. Bellarosa wasted no time in joining him, and together they fled from the scene of the crime.