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"Cheep." Lex awoke to the soft sound and looked up at his brother. Amir sat on his chest, looking down at him with almost overlarge brown eyes. Were they wide with excitement or fear? He couldn't tell. It was too early to tell. Lips pecked his. "Marhaba, ahki."

"Marhaba."

"There's no L."

"Blame my American tongue."

"I would, but I like your tongue. Especially when it's in my mouth."

"Are you my little brother or my ******** buddy, Amir?"

"Both is fine with me."

"Why are you lying on top of me?"

"You're comfortable."

"Just don't get a hard on. This pillow pokes me enough as is."

"You don't like getting poked anymore?" He shook his head in answer, turning onto his back. Fine-fingered hands slithered under his shirt, massaged the muscle there. A half-choked whimper of "La" escaped him at the touch. The hands stilled for a moment before continuing. "You know I would never harm you, ahki al-habib."

"Ahki al-habib?"

"Aywah. Ahki al-akhbar. Ahki al-habib."

"Shukran, Amiri."

"You know today's the day, don't you?"

"I have to fight Prince Humperdink?"

"Yes. Humiliations galore for him."

"Thanks for helping me practice my Italian."

"All I taught you was insults." The elder Assassin grinned over his shoulder at the younger, who had already prepared a grin to return. "Brother."

"Hmm?"

"Do you know why Jameel and I are here?"

"Am I allowed to guess that you're immortal?"

"Besides that fact."

"Are you a Time Lord?"

"Be serious."

"Yes, Signore Doctor. So, are you a Time Lord?" Amir gave him a flat look. "Is that a no?"

"I'll take the nickname, but that's not why Jameel and I are in Italy. I mean, do you know why we aren't in Masyaf right now?"

"No. I never really thought about it until now. Why aren't we in Masyaf?" Amir's arms folded around his neck as the younger Assassin settled his head against his own.

"After you left, life returned to normal a little while. Years passed. Altair and Maria had two sons born to them, Darim and Sef. Baba Malik took a wife. Papa Gilbert and Mama Sarah expanded our family with a pair of twins and a little daughter." Lex smiled a little at this. Amir closed his hand over his brother's, twining their fingers. "Mama Altair went traveling to Constantinople to try to start the Assassin headquarters there, but was driven back by the French Crusaders. Then he, Maria, and Darim journeyed east to Mongolia to handle Ghengis Khan."

"Ghengis Khan? The Ghengis Khan?"

"Yes, him." Amir snorted. "Darim felled him with a single shot. Some king."

"It's Ghengis friggin' Khan!"

"Yes, yes, enough about him. Back to what I was saying." Amir toyed with a strand of the Sparrow's hair. "They killed Khan and returned home, only to find Abbas had taken control of Masyaf along with a corrupt council of his followers. Baba had been imprisoned, accused of killing Sef. Mama believed the charges for a time."

"What the ********?" He looked up at the Coal Tit incredulously. "No way."

"Yes, way." He pushed Lex's head down again. "That b*****d Abbas--may Azrael erase his name from the Book of Life--sent his worm Swami in after Mama had rescued Baba. He cut off Baba's head and presented it like some macabre trophy to Abbas and Mama. Mama became angry...so angry that the worm stabbed himself to death..." His voice lowered. "But not before one of his swings went wide and cut Maria's throat. Mama fled, Papa fled, we all fled..."

"Where?"

"Darim and Mama and I to Egypt. Jameel went somewhere to the south. Mama Sarah and Papa went west to the coast." Silence reigned for a long time before Lex whispered, "Did you ever...?"

"Did we ever retrieve our home? Yes, for a time. Then the Mongol hordes crashed through the gates. I came here after." A sigh came heavily into his ear. "I am much older than a look, little brother."

"But you don't look a day over four hundred fifteen."

"I was older than eleven when I came to Masyaf."

"How old were you?"

"Thirty-one." Lex turned over and looked up at him, propped up on his elbows as Amir seated himself upon the saddle of his hips. "I touched the Piece of Eden when I was eleven-years-old. I awoke and saw nothing familiar, knew no one around me. Knew not even who I was. I journeyed for a long time, across much land for many years until I came to Jerusalem where Malik found me."

"So, you're fifteen now?"

"In body, yes. It's more...expedient. Still a child, easy to sneak by people without much trouble, but becoming an adult. Strong enough to do heavy work."

"That'd make you how old regularly? Like, thirty-five?"

"I suppose."

"Plus a few hundred years."

"That's four hundred thirty-five, little brother."

"Great, now we're just creepy in the reverse sense of things." The two looked at one another and laughed. "One of us is going to be *****, Amir! I don't think we can get around it!"

"I doubt it too. What fools we are trying to escape something created by 4chan."

"How d'you know about 4chan?"

"I have foresight, Brother, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. Well, better get up." Lex sighed and hummed a little tune. "Or else I'll be late for the fight."

"Yes, you will." Amir pulled him up to a sit on the edge of the bed and smoothed down his hair. "And stop humming that silly nyan cat song. It's too catchy. You're going to have it stuck in my head."

Lex silenced himself and straightened his clothing, heading out to the kitchen. He grabbed a piece of bread and dipped it in olive oil, a few herbs mixed in with the oil. He ate it quickly and looked toward his hosts. Maria and Nico were already prepared to leave, a sword strapped to Nico's hip, her wife's hands wrapped around her arm. Nadya had been deposited with Leonardo at his shop. The Sparrow still had trouble imagining baby-sitter added to the list of the polymath's many vocations.

The group started out to the meeting place, Amir moving along the roofs above them.

Juan Borgia awaited them when they arrived at the place for the duel, his second standing a little behind him to his right. Lex looked over at Nico, then shrugged his shoulders and strolled forward until he was almost nose to nose with Juan, forcing the now uncomfortable man to take a step back.

The Assassin looked at his opponent as the man gazed back at him.

"We fight with swords."

"Mm-hmm."

"If I win, I get the woman."

"And if I win, you get the ******** out of here. Out of Venice. Permanently. And you leave this couple alone."

"Fine. To the death."

"No. To the pain."

"The what?"

"To the pain. First I cut off your feet at the ankles, then your hands at the wrists, then your tongue, then your eyes--"

"Then my ears, yes, yes, I--"

"No! Oho, no, no, no. Nope. Your ears you keep. That way you can hear every shriek of 'Oh dear God, what is that thing?' whenever you pass anyone by. That's why we're going to the pain, Juanito. Either way, you're completely at my mercy. And by the end, I will have to ask you, am I not merciful?"

The captain of the papal guard stared at the grinning boy before him. Grinning, sneering almost, the little maniac having his arms spread as if to taunt him to strike. Saying, "Here I am! Here I am and I dare you to strike; you won't hit me!" Letting out a howl of fury, the man lunged forward. A quick spin and his opponent was away, out of his range.

He turned, flicked his blade. It was parried. The two parted and circled, the Borgia moving in again. His stabs were simply evaded with little hops from his opponent, the Assassin flicking his tongue out and in, lizard like, taunting. He swung wildly at his head. The Sparrow ducked and danced away, having the gall to sing out, "Juanito, Juanito, non e possibile mi ha colpito!"

"Futtiti, cazzo!" Blades locked, Juan flipping the sword from Lex's grasp and catching it in his own hand. The man gagged as a knee was slammed into his gut, the Assassin leaping up and ramming him with it, bearing him to the cobbles, a dagger pressed to his throat. No, not a dagger. He choked as his head was yanked back by what little hair he had, Adam's apple bobbing beneath the point of the hidden blade that had appeared from beneath the smaller man's sleeve.

"Release the blades." He let them go. They were quickly gathered up by the apothecary. "You will live and keep your limbs. Am I not merciful, merdaio piccolo mio?" Lex smiled and stood, only to sink back to the ground. He blinked as an arm halted his fall, Amir lifting him up to his feet again, his arm around his brother's neck.

Juan stood and backed up toward his second, glaring at them.

"You will all pay for this, stronzi. All of you. Even that little babe." Threat spoken, he was gone, retreating into the streets of the Serene Republic before Amir could stick a needle into him.

Oh, well, thought the white-and-black haired immortal, leading the others back toward the medicine shop, a gleeful, chilly smile on his lips. His brother the bishop will kill him soon anyway.



"You fought Juan Borgia. You could've killed Juan Borgia. And yet you let him live." Desmond looked at Lex with a baleful eye. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"That putz didn't deserve to die half as much as some other people I could mention," Lex muttered, gazing back at him. Amir looked at Desmond as the man opened his mouth again. Jameel held up a hand.

"Bas. The deed is done." The Red Owl looked at the bartender. "He let his opponent live. Mercy is not something we can normally afford, but it is beneficial at times. His death would have only brought more trouble upon us than simply shaming him in a private duel and letting him keep his wretched life." His eyes flicked to Lex. "However, you have drawn attention to yourself. One cannot simply issue a public challenge the captain of the Papal guard--one of the Pope's sons--and go unnoticed by certain people we do not want to be noticed by."

The Sparrow sighed, running his hand through his hair and pressing it over his eyes. His face was still lacking too much color for Jameel's liking.

"Ezio." The Italian looked up from his seat at the table where he had been listening in silence. "Your thoughts?"

"What can I say that you haven't, Red Owl?" He looked toward the other Assassins and their allies. "Other than your statements, I think perhaps I might offer you a sort of sanctuary. Do you know the village of Monteriggioni near Firenze?"

"I know it," said Amir. Nico nodded, as did Maria, though Desmond and Lex shook their heads.

"It's some weeks' journey, first to the port of Romagna, then a ride through the mountains to Firenze, then to Monteriggioni."

"My family keeps a villa there. My mother, uncle, and sister live there now thanks to the Templars who murdered my father and brothers. Go there. You'll be safe enough with walls around you and a town of allies to guard your back."

"Grazie, amico." Maria pressed Ezio's hands between hers.

"I stay." They looked up at Jameel. The tall Assassin repeated, "I stay. We cannot all leave at once and cannot journey in the same ship. This is too dangerous."

Lex stood up from his seat and moved toward the man. Jameel stopped him, a hand lightly on his shoulder, the other pressing a finger to his lips. "Listen." Lex looked away. Strong fingers grasped his chin, lifting it, turning his head so their eyes met. He shuddered until another hand pressed to his cheek, the one hand moving to the other side of his face. Soft Arabic came from his mouth then. "Listen to me, little bird. You cannot stay. I cannot go. The Ravens will follow me as surely as their maniac employer. He and his must be dealt with before I might join you." The man sighed and pressed his face into his hair, kissing his brow and head.

"You shouldn't be here alone. Those guys you found are mercs, aren't they?"

"Yes, they are. Money is their tongue and I speak it well. You expect all our allies now to swear their oaths in blood?"

"No, but those guys you hired..." His words died, a frown fixed on his face as he simply looked at the taller Assassin. "Jameel, I don't trust them as far as Desmond could kick them out of his bar into traffic."

"I'm to assume Desmond has a poor kick then?" The joke fell flat in the air, the others having vacated the room to give them some privacy, the shop closed down still for the day. Lips met his softly. "'Usfuri."

"Hmmmph..." A low whine came from the smaller man as Jameel's lips met his again, hands sweeping through his hair, clasping his back.

"Habibi, ya ghabein." Another kiss, deeper. He pulled away, breathing heavily. "Lexi, inte omri." His fists curled into Jameel's robes as the kiss pressed deeper still, the tip of his tongue pressing his lips.

"Bas." Lex pulled back, swallowing thickly.

Jameel leaned in again, brushing his lips as he whispered, "Hayati..."

"Bas," the Sparrow groaned. "Aywah. Aywah. Okay. Okay, I quit. I give. Enough already. You win." He sighed. "You're the winner, okay? You win. You can stay."

Jameel looked at him before finding a seat and pulling him onto his lap. No resistance was given, the time traveler laying his head against his breast, the steady thud-thudding of the taller Assassin's heart sounding against his ear. Lex continued to listen for a few minutes to the noise. Just when the noise rested on the brink of being all encompassing, he spoke almost inaudibly, "Inte albii, Jam." He could've sworn then that he heard the Red Owl's heart skip a beat.

Lifting his eyes, he looked up at the man who'd drawn nearer, their lips brushing again, his fists curled into his hair, the back of his robes. He opened his mouth, only to draw back sharply from the man's tongue, panting, eyes wide and tear-studded. Jameel steadied his breathing, sighing as he saw the wetness once again built up in his lover's eyes.

"Ya Allah..." The irritated groan was out of his mouth before he could stop it. Lex lowered his head, his eyes finding an interesting spot on the floor again. The Owl sighed and rubbed his back lightly.

"Hal ohdonnee?" Jameel glanced up at the soft question. Lex peered up at him from beneath his bangs. "Hal ohdonnee?" He nodded slowly and pulled the Sparrow into a close, tight hug, smiling softly into his hair.



The Vulture Twins perched atop the roof as the Red Owl and his hooded companions stepped out of the little shop. Reaching over, he ruffled Amir's hair. The younger boy gave a cheep and hugged him. Taking one of Lex's hands between his own, he kissed his fingers lightly.

"Be safe, both of you."

"We'll try not to be sea sick, Uncle," said the Coal Tit as he tugged his brother's arm. "Ahk, yallah." The Sparrow nodded, looking up at Jameel before turning and following after Amir. The Red Owl scaled the building to stand before the Russians.

"Let's go."

The trio set off across the roofs, the sun beginning to dip down toward the horizon.



The Rhino lifted his head as a tile fell from the roofs and crashed to the cobbles near his feet, planting the butt of his halberd against the mud and stones and looking at the broken piece of roofing. He glanced toward his men, surveying the roofs in first one direction, then the other.

Lifting his weapon, he stepped forward. Two shadows flew out from the rooftops. The Steel Rhino flung himself forward, skidding to a halt as screams sounded. The last of his men received a jagged slash to his throat, spilling his blood onto his once pristine armor. He collapsed as the rest had into a heap on the ground.

Karna swung his halberd as a white streak caught the corner of his eye. Jameel leaped over the weapon, coming down inside the Rhino's guard and jabbing toward the visor of his helm with his dagger. Karna moved back further, trying to back enough to be able to stab at the Master Assassin. Twin blades snicked into the joint creases of his armor, piercing the small of his back, hamstringing him. The Red Owl moved forward, driving his blade home until his palm nestled against the Templar's helm.



Nico looked up as Desmond said, "Va bene. Andiamo." The Assassin moved ahead of her, followed by Maria. As the apothecary made to follow, she stopped. A man was standing near the entrance to the alleyway across from the shop. He was dressed in a black vest, white shirt, and brown breeches, brown boots adorning his feet, black hair topping his head, a little stubble adorning his jaw and chin, a mustache his upper lip.

"Signore, è tardi. Cosa ci fai qui?" The man raised his head and smiled.

"Sto aspettando mio fratello." The man gestured toward the streets leading to the small square. "E qui egli è ora." A younger man trotted toward him, only in a loose blue tunic, brown breeches and boots. His hair was only a little longer, but enough to stick everywhichway as it was ruffled by the elder of the two brothers. "Taal, ahk." For a moment, the younger man seemed afraid. The elder bent his head, kissing his brow. "Alaqwhoakbar, sagheer." The two clasped hands and moved into the alleyway, disappearing into the shadows.

"Ehemann, was ist los?" Nico looked up at Maria's words, hurrying over to the two. "Was hast du gesehen?" she asked as they moved along in the Eaglet Assassin's shadow.

"Nada. Sólo los fantasmas." The apothecary looked back over her shoulder for a moment toward their second home before they turned the corner toward the ship awaiting them at the docks. Sí. Sólo un par de fantasmas.



"I must thank you for your services," Jameel said once the body had been disposed of. The Vulture Twins raised their heads in one movement and fixed their eyes upon him. "If I can't give you the florins I have with me, what can I give you in exchange?"

"We told you, our services are for free for you," said the men in one voice. "But you might do us a favor."

Jameel tilted his head and moved toward them. "What is it?"

Pain lanced through the back of his head as something hard crashed against it. He landed heavily on the ground, groaning and turning over. The Lion's roaring maw and beady eyes stared down at him.

"You can come with me," said the Templar. The heavy haft of the axe slammed down onto his gut, his world blackening as the air was driven from him.