Disclaimer: I own nothing of Assassins Creed, nor any characters associated with it. The only thing that is my idea is the OCs. This is not profit or gain. Only amusement.

I beg you not be harsh, because this is me trying this out. Constructive critism will be taking into the consideration.

Pairings: There will hetero relationship as the main focus and only mentions of slash. Ezio and OC do end up together, but it's not a quick love at first sight. This is a suspenseful story and will be long and drawn out. No quick Mary Sue typers here. Anyways, hope you enjoy! :D

This will start of in the MIDDLE of the story, but do not fear everything will become clear later on.

EDITED! 1/22/2018

Updated: 1/26/2018

Chapter Inspired by:

"Waiting for the End" by Linkin Park

CHAPTER UNKNOWN

'Should Have Started at the Beginning'

Florence, Italy 1476

There was no even a cloud in sight that afternoon. The sun was bright and brilliant in the blue sky, painting the streets and city of Florence in gold. The pigeons twittered, sitting on the edge of rooftops as the crowd bustle about lost in their daily routines below. Far too lost in their own worlds and business to notice the red hooded woman that dashed across the rooftops like their life depended upon it. Chest heaving with desperate gasp, the red cloaked woman managed to stay three yards ahead of the guard that gave chase.

Stop, stronzo!" The guard demanded, his face purple with exertion.

The red hooded figure sent a wicked smirk over her shoulder at the chasing guard, a chuckle of amusement working up her throat. He was putting so much effort to keep up with the cutthroat, and it really wasn't working out for him much to her everlasting amusement. The red hood turned her attention back to the path in front of her. As much as she loved the feelings of the wind rushing past her, and the tingling exhilaration that poured her veins while her heart beat echoed the sound of her feet hitting the gable, she knew that she couldn't afford to lose herself in the feeling. It was tempting to let the world fall away and just be surrounded in the absolute freedom that she felt. But now wasn't the time for such idle fancy.

She had a pissed off guard to lose, after all.

Swoosh!

An arrow nicked the edge of her ear, and she flinched hard, stumbling for a split second. The tiny burst of pain sent a shockwave through her nerve endings, and in the next moment, she pushed herself to move faster, farther than ever before. Her heart kicked against her ribcage, and her eyes locked on the edge of the roof getting closer and closer with each sprint forward. The guard realized this too as he slid to a stop. "What are you doing, idiota?" He nearly shouted, his eyes wide and bulging out of his skull as he watched the thief make no attempt at stopping.

The red hooded woman just smiled, not hesitating one bit as her feet hit the edge of the roof and she leaped off. For a split second, she was flying. Soaring through the air like a bird in and the wind was like music—teasing and dancing past her ears, but gravity soon pulled her down and the world was coming up at her at an alarming speed. Why was Olivia Steel not so normal? It wasn't the fact she ran around the rooftops of Florence like a caped crusader; however, admittedly strange that was. There was more startling and more mind boggling truth to her that was so unbelievable that if she told it then most people would deem her insane and lock her away.

Olivia "Livvy" Steel was from the future, but we will get to that in just a minute.

Olivia twisted her body so when she hit the ground, her body rolled and absorbed the impact that would have been much, much more painful otherwise. As soon as she was on her feet, she dusted off her robes while nearby people gawked at her in shock and outrage.

"What is wrong with you? Such shameful behavior."

Olivia snorted. If she had a florin for every time she heard something along those lines, she'd be a very, very rich woman. She ignored the masses, and craned her head to peer up over her shoulder. The guard had just reached the edge of the building and was slowly climbing down. Ducking into an alleyway, she slid by a few groups of people before she sat down on a bench with two people and leant her head down letting her hood hide her face. Her heart was still hammering in her throat; the thrill of the chase was almost an addiction. However, getting caught was not part of the plan and her fingers clasped around the hilt of her dagger, her lips pressed into a grim line.

She strained her eyes against the bustling crowds' chatter, and heard the guard's voice just barely. "Did you see where he went?" He asked the people, and Livvy watched from beneath the shadow of her hood warily. Her shoulders relaxed when the guard let out a curse and a huff before he turned on heel to make his way back to his post. A pleased smirk crossed her lips, and she wiped the blood off her nicked ear. Just a scratch, though it had been a closer call than she liked. Still, it had been too much fun and a good profit, judging from the weight of the coin purse at her hip. She had little joys lately, so she took them where she could find them.

Just as she was about to rise to her feet, a young man came rushing around the corner and shouted, waving his hands excitedly, "There's a fight! Between the Auditore and De Pazzi! At Ponte Vecchio!"

Olivia's head shot up, as her heart sank live a cold stone into the pit of her stomach. She sat there rooted to the spot, a numbing shock settling deep into her bones. She couldn't hide from the fear that lanced through her so sharply that it stole her breath. No, it just couldn't be…this couldn't be where it all starts, she thought, wishing that she could deny what she had just heard. That she could just be blissful in ignorance, but that was the way life was. Not for her. In a split second, she was on her feet and climbing up the nearest wall. She sprinted, as fast as her legs could carry her towards Ponte Vecchio. It was all too soon that she found herself kneeling down on the edge of the rooftop to watch the commotion unfold down below.

A large crow had formed, separated into two groups that stood on either end of the bridge. The tension was so palatable in the air that it could have been cut with a wooden spoon, and Livvy felt her stomach turn. The scene before her was one that was very familiar to her. Her eyes then fell upon a man, he walked—no, sauntered was a better term—to the front of the group, and a smug smirk upon his face, brown eyes lit up with excitement and mischief. With his hand clasped into a fist, he raised into the air with a shout, "Insieme per la vittoria!(1)"

The men behind him shouted, "Insieme!"

"Silenzio, my friends, silenzio(2)," he said, and the cheers and the shouts ceased as they all waited with bated breath to hear his words. Livvy's stomach curled, where were these friends when…when everything happened. Her eyes stayed riveted on this young man, a face known to many in her world, but only through a plasma screen. It was always a thing of awe to her see him in the flesh. Ezio Auditore da Firenze, the man who would be an assassin, took charge of this group without missing a beat. "Grazie. Do you know what brings us here tonight? Honor. Vieri de' Pazzi slanders my family's name and forces his own miseries upon us. If we—"

Her breath caught in her throat. Her worries, her fears truly confirmed by his speech. A scene she had seen played out before time and time again, but this was the first time she was here in this moment. She felt all the blood drain out of her face, and her fingers clutched desperately at the edge of the rooftop.

"Enough of your nonsense, grullo!(3)" Vieri de Pazzi had appeared without preamble, shoving his way through the crowd at the opposite end of the bridge. His face was twisted up into a sneer, and his beady eyes narrowed on Ezio filled with utter hatred.

Her knuckles blanched white, and her teeth sank into her bottom lip. Part of her wished to intervene, but she knew that she couldn't. It would put years of work in jeopardy, and for a moment that was trivial compared to the moments that were to come. She reined in the impulse, and took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Buona sera," Ezio said, with the best shit eater grin Livvy had ever seen in her entire life. It made a small laugh escape her lips despite the weight of the situation on her shoulders. "Vieri! We were just talking about you! I'm surprised to see you here. I thought the Pazzi hired others to do their dirty work!"

"It's your family that cries for guards when there is trouble, codardo! Afraid to handle things yourself?" Vieri spat, darkly.

Olivia found herself only half listening. It was so much different than the video game had been, but so much the same in the same instance. Everything was sharper and clear, the smells and the sounds. All of it was more real than the digital graphic could have ever hoped to be, and every word said were ones she had memorized like the back of her head. Two years, she mused, a bit wistful about it all. Two years I have been here and I have been waiting. Through so much, I have waited for this moment. And now that I am here…I am scared shitless. The shadows of countless struggles were heavy in her eyes, and she had been so lost in thought that she did not realize that she was no longer along until her new companion spoke.

"Ah, I see my baby brother has gotten into some trouble," Federico Auditore commented, with a put upon sigh though the corner of his lips twitched with a smirk of approval.

"Some?" Livvy questioned, haughtily. She looked over at Federico with an eyebrow arched. Sometimes, their friendship puzzled her. It was strange how they had become close confidants when in the beginning they hated each other's guts. Though that might have had something to do with the guards she sent his way, but to be fair, she hadn't know who he was then. Oh, Life, how you take me to such strange places, she thought, her eyes turned back to the fight below.

"You best get down there before the idiot hurts himself," she said.

"Indeed." And Federico was off.

How long had she waited for this moment? The moment when everything was set into motion and it all began. This is where she could really make a difference. Where she could help turn the tide in favor of the Assassins, and help stop the Templars from their mad bid for world domination. An overwhelm panic threatened to swallow her up, and it was only by sheer will that she managed to keep it down. What if she couldn't change anything? What if everything was forced to stay the same and nothing she could do to change it? She pressed her hands into her face, and she drew in a several shaky breath. She sat there for a long moment, and she finally peeled her hands off her face when it all when the sound of fighting came to an end.

"Your lip."

The words broke her out of her little meltdown, and she leaned forward, to peer down at Ezio and Federico. She watched Ezio touch his bleeding lip, with a slight grimace. "Just a scratch," he shrugged his shoulder, and looked impassively at his older brother.

"Let the doctor decide," Federico said, firmly.

"That's not necessary; besides, I've no money for this doctor of yours," Ezio told him, with a shake of his head.

Federico gave him a knowing smile. "Wasted it on women and wine, huh?" He teased, with a quiet chuckle.

Ezio gave a slow smile. "I would hardly call it wasted. Lend me some florins then, or have you done the same?" They both laugh until Ezio's head jerked up to the rooftops, a deep frown upon his face.

"What's wrong?" Federico asked.

"Did you hear that?" Ezio demanded.

"What?" Federico blinked.

"I thought I heard someone call us 'pigs'."

Olivia nearly laughed. She bit her lip just in time to keep it inside, and marveled at Ezio's good hearing. She had indeed called them pigs, though with the greatest amount of fondness. Well, half fondness. Realization flickered through Federico's gaze, knowing it was her for he just shook his head. "Search them," Federico diverted Ezio's attention with a wave of his hand. "There's bound to be something in their pockets."

While Ezio was doing that, Federico looked up raising an eyebrow at the red hooded woman whose head popped out over the edge of the roof. She merely shrugged like, 'What do you want me to say? It's the truth.' Federico laughed lightly, running a hand down his face.

Livvy followed the Auditore brother from a distance, watching with keen eyes their progress over the rooftops and stood in the shadow of the Sassetti chapel while the approached the doctor. She chewed on her knuckles, a nervous tick of hers, while she watched the masked doctor—creepy bastards—examine Ezio's face.

"You must help him," Federico said, with mock despair. "That pretty face is his only asset."

Ezio cursed his brother, and made a rude hand gesture.

She would have chuckled if not for the fact that each second, each word made the fear grew deeper and deeper in her stomach. This was ever fan's dream, right? To become a part of the story? To in some way matter, and what better place than a story that held your heart? Yet in this moment all the awe and amazement turned to cold, hard terror making it feel more like a nightmare. She felt like the titan Altas who bore the weight of the world on his shoulders, but she was too weak to bear it. Her clammy and trembling hands would drop it.

And that would spell disaster for all.

"We should head home, Ezio. Father should be wondering where we've gone," Federico stated, rolling the tension out of his shoulders as he leaned back against the brick wall. His eyes however were upon a nearby tower with a thoughtful look in them. He could just make out Olivia standing there on the top of the chapel, her silhouette barely visible inside the shade of night.

"Yes. I'd rather avoid a lecture." The tone in Ezio's voice clearly stated he had been on the end of many lectures. Livvy had no doubt of that, she thought with a snort.

"Up for a little race, then?" Federico suddenly challenged.

Ezio's eyebrows climbed into his hairline as he scrutinized his brother for a full moment and then crossed his arms over his chest. "To where?" Ezio replied, his face breaking out with a grin equally as mischief as his brother's.

Livvy watched the pair of the race off, with a slight smile on her lips. It was a fleeting smile that was stolen away too soon by the weight of her fears that seemed determine to stay, clawing deep into her heart. Closing her eyes, she allowed a sigh to fall from her lips and she pressed her forward into the cold stone of the tower.

Ezio would win the race. The two brothers in solidarity would climb to the high tower, and exchange words that were heartbreaking knowing the future events. Her heart was squeezed tight, like it was caught in a vice grip. Oh, how she knew what was to happen. Memories of how she got here unfolded in her mind like a reel of old film, a little old and discolored, but the memories of it still preserved enough to see enough.

PROLOGUE

"C h o i c e s"

There was no clue, no sign that I could recall that can me any hint that my life was bound for strange, wonderful and terrible things. I'm not sure of the mechanics behind how it all happened, if there was some being beyond my understanding pulling my strings or if Fate and Chance just pulled my lucky number that day, but I can remember the event that triggered all that would follow. I wish it had been as simple as getting dragged through a television set, or magically find the Apple.

It was so strange how normal the day started off. Just a normally snow day, where the world felt quiet and still; almost fragile in a sense, where only a delicate touch could hold it steady. Maybe if I tell my story, then it would make things clearer to me. Illuminate the path ahead that seems so riddled with darkness, and doubt. Will you listen? Will you listen to my story? Two years ago…just two short years ago, my entire life changed in one painful moment.

The moment that I died.

The landscape just beyond the window was a winter wonderland, a white sheet of snow that covered the ground, unblemished and untouched. Large snowflakes drifted down from the clouds, and the wind made them dance to and fro. The sight of it sent a wave of solace and content over Olivia Steel. Ever a winter child, the snow made everything seem so peaceful; made every worry and every pain drift from her mind and her heart. Her stormy eyes closed for a brief moment, a soundless sigh falling from her lips until a voice, a very loud voice shouted through headset, "LIVVY! BACK UP! I NEED BACK UP NOW!"

Her stormy eyes snapped open with a jolt and focused on the zombie in front of her. She didn't have time to think, only time to start shooting the zombies, her brow furrowed and her jaw tightened with tension. "Damnit, Leo. Why haven't you sealed up the doors yet?" Livvy demanded, her tone more harsh than she meant it to be. The muscles in her hands were taut and stiff, because one false move and she was a goner. The sweet contentment of a few seconds ago, evaporated into a hot mess of anxiety and her heart thumped against her ribs wildly.

"Dude, I'm dead!" Leo stated, as if that should be obvious. "Lying on the dirty, bloody and wholly unsanitary floor dead, does it look like I am good for anything right now? Other than being zombie lunchmeat?"

Olivia's stomach rolled, unpleasantly at the mental image. She just had a lunchmeat sandwich for breakfast that now felt like bile swirling in her gut. "Thanks for the mental picture, Leo. You always know how to gross me out," she said, nose wrinkled. She rushed to the window, and started to seal it up. Sadly, the zombies were just not having it.

"Are you seriously leaving me here?" Leo asked, affronted. "Just leaving me lying dead on the ground? I thought I meant more to you guys!"

"Carl, are you anywhere near Leo?" Olivia said, with mock exasperation.

"I'll save him," Carl spoke, his voice a bit rougher and deeper than Leo's. There was a few seconds of radio silence, and then a quiet curse. "Oh, hell, I'm dead too. Thanks, Leo."

"How is that my fault?" Leo asked.

Livvy bit her lip trying not to laugh, finishing off the last of the zombie before going to heal her friends. No, it wasn't a real zombie apocalypse. There would be no witty banter if there were real flesh eating zombies around, and a lot more running if it had been a real one. She sat the controller in her lap, and popped her aching fingers. They were playing Black Ops Zombie Apocalypse online. "Ah," Livvy cooed, seeing Leo's character and Carl's character had died on top of each other, "exactly how you wanted to go out. On top of each other."

Livvy cackled at the sputtering responses that came through her headset as the round ended. She twisted her neck, giving it a good pop before she picked back up the controller. "Alright, gentlemen, I'm covering the upper floor, you've got lower left Carl and Leo you got lower right because it only has one window."

"Okay…hey," Leo complained, indignation coloring his voice, "what's that supposed to mean?"

"I think it's her subtle way of saying 'you suck,'" Carl said, without a lick of a remorse in his tone.

"No, it doesn't!" Leo snapped. "I don't suck that bad."

Olivia tried. She really tried. She was an adult, and it should have been above her to not make a joke. She should really be able to rein in her poor sense of humor, but she failed. "That's what she said."

"Haha!" Carl guffawed.

"You're dead to me," Leo said, stonily.

"Uh-huh. Uh-huh," Livvy nodded, as if seriously grieved by this despite the large grin on her face as she held the x button down to seal up the window, "but let's face it, in the next few minutes you'll be eaten by zombies and then you'll be dead to me." The next round went much like Livvy expected. Leo died, and died again, Carl screaming like a little girl—thought he'd never admit it—and her moving around a mad woman trying to save their asses. Unfortunately, there were too many this time and they failed. As the red screen appeared across her tv, Livvy set down the controller and stretched out her neglected limbs, contemplating on continuing or just shutting it off.

"Well, that blows," Leo commented, with a heavy sigh. "I think that if I play anything with zombies in it then I'm going to have an aneurysm. I suggest we switch to something else. Anyone up for some Assassin's Creed?"

"If we're going to play, it'd have to be AC 2 or Brotherhood," Carl huffed out, amused. "I get tired of hearing you cry about Altair drowning again…and again…and again."

"Fine," Leo agreed. "Liv, you in?"

Olivia thought that sounded like a good idea. She had a couple of hours before her interview to waste, so why not? She opened her mouth to reply when an unexplained wind rushing past her and for a moment it seemed the world distorted. The colors of it sharp, too intense, and her head felt heavy and a wave of dizziness spread out through her mind like a spider's web. In front of the painful glow of the television, she swore she saw a figure, seen but not quite seen.

"Y ou c a n't today."

Then the chill disappeared and the weird thing was pushing away to the back of her mind. In fact, she couldn't remember it all when the next second passed. "As much fun as that sounds, I think I'm going to have to decline, boys. I've played so much Assassin's Creed lately that I've started to have weird dress. The one from last night was majorly weird," she murmured, with a shake of her head. "Like not even normal weird. It was so real that it took me a moment to realize to wake up, and realize that it was just a dream."

"If it was a dream where you were making out with Ezio, I hear those are perfectly normal. Even I…" Leo abruptly coughed, realizing that he may have revealed too much.

Carl laughed. "And you say you're straight."

"I am straight! I like the girls!" Leo said, vehemently. "I will have you know that I am big fan of the boobs."

"The boobs," Olivia snorted, placing her head in her hand.

"Sure. We believe you, Leo. You are completely straight…as a crooked arrow," Carl added the last bit with relish, and took joy in the denials that followed from Leo.

"Hey, there is nothing wrong with being gay. It's a natural thing, just like being straight, or bisexual, or pansexual is. But don't deny who you are, it's not healthy," Carl told him, sagely.

"I'm not deny who I am! I am completely healthy!"

Olivia would have been rolling with laughter, but her mind had drawn back the memories of last night's dream. It had been so bizarre, and even the thought of it sent a chill down her spine. It was as if the world was moving at hyper speed and she was stuck in the center of it. She tried to catch up, to find out what was going on, but it all moved too fast. The world was leaving her behind, and she was fading…she was fading so fast.

S o mu c h t o do…Mil e s t o go…

A flash of red and white out of the corner of her eyes, then a shot of gold through the dark, ancient symbols that made a primal understanding well up inside of her, and then the scene cut to a battle. "Stop, stronzo!" There was a blade, the light glinted off of it. And then she felt it. A deep, dark fear of something bad, moving fast, coming towards her and...then she had woken up in a cold, clammy sweat with her heart going a mile a second.

"Uh, Liz you there?" Carl asked.

Olivia jumped, and gave a small laugh. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm here. Sorry, I got lost gathering wool," she replied, scratching her neck nervously.

"So no go for Assassin with you?" He inquired.

Olivia felt a little bad. States apart these little gaming sessions were the only real way that her and Carl got to spend time together. They tried phone calls, and letters, but they really had nothing great in common—well, nothing that they wanted to speak of because it was too damn painful. So it was more awkward than anything. Their love for games was the only real common bond they had anymore, and was a safety zone far away from bad things. "Sorry, guys. It's a no go. I'll talk to you guys later," Livvy muttered, with regret. The three exchanged good-byes, and she shutdown the Xbox, her teeth worrying on her lower lips. She sat there for a full minute, staring off into space before she gave a sharp shake of her head.

"Up we go Livvy," she told her as she rose off the couch and stretched her arms out over her head to shake off the feeling of lethargy that still clung to her. "Have important things to do."

Rejection was always a bitter thing. It was like acid that was poured on the soul, corrosive and peeling away at one's self confidence. Her hands clutched her resume in her lap, and she kept the tight, painfully fake smile plastered onto her lips. "Thank you," she bit out, through clenched teeth, "for your consideration."

Olivia walked out of the office, with her head held high, but as soon as she stepped outside into the blistering cold air, the urge to scream increased tenfold. That was the third interview this week, and the second rejections. The first job was willing to hire her, but he had made innuendos the entire interview about what she could do to get a promotion. Olivia ignored it because the pay and hours had been good, until the bastard tried to slip his hand up her shirt. She punched his nose, and hoped that she broke it, before she marched out in a righteous fury. The other two jobs told her that she wasn't qualified, and it didn't matter that she was taking online courses in Business Management to become qualified. They didn't want to hire someone with basically no experience.

It was ridiculous, she thought, her cheeks painted red with frustration. How are you supposed to get experience if no one is willing to take a risk on you and hire you? Why does finding a job have to be such a pain in the—"Ahhh!" Her world tilted as her left high heel snapped, and she barely managed to keep herself from falling on the cold pavement. She inwardly had a hissy fit because damn those heels have been expensive. They were her only good pair of shoes that were classy enough to wear to interviews, and she felt her heart tremble in her chest. "Of all my fucking luck."

She reached down pulling the broken shoe off of her foot and stared at the shoe mournfully. "Damnit all!" She groaned, limping towards the nearest bench, she glowered at the people staring at her. "Seriously, take a picture, it'll last longer."

The people hurried off, quickly.

She sat down on the bench with a huff she sat down, and glared now at the high hell cradled in her lap. She really had the urge to throw at something, preferably at the bitch that was Life and demanded a refund. Sadly, she just threw it in the waste bin off the side of the bench before slumping down, looking defeat. She really needed that job. She did web designs on the side, but that was barely enough to pay her rent. Not to mention, it was about time to pay for her spring courses and she didn't know where she was going to come up with the money. She had put in for grants and student loans, but hadn't heard back from, either.

"This is such a lovely day," she commented, with a heavy dose of sarcasm. Oh, sarcasm. Her way of coping and handy defense mechanism. Placing her head in her hands, she tried to push all her frustrations back. Maybe she would just go home and make herself a cocktail before passing out in her nice warm bed that was far, far away from life and it's problems. That sounded like a good idea.

Then a pressure was put on her mind.

"Y ou ca n't. Ch o i ces to be made."

Olivia decided against going home. It would be too depressing, sitting there all alone and eating cold leftover because her damn microwave was possessed and wouldn't work right. She glanced at her watch, it was nearly five and the sun was already setting. She got up and started walking in any direction. If she had only worn her sneakers, she sighed. She could have done some parkour—a good way that she stayed in sharp along with yogo, and aerobics, but parkour was her favorite. There was a freedom in running, and using the world around her as a personal playground. She blamed the Assassin's Creed series, for it heavily influenced her when it came to exercise.

It was also hilarious, the look on people's faces when they saw a person free running up the stair railing at the mall. It was less hilarious when the security guards decided to give her a hard time, and now she was banned from the mall. But it had been worth it, damn it! Olivia laughed, recalling the memory fondly. The memory got swept away by the melancholy of her heart, and she heaved a sigh, resting her head against the store window beside her. That probably wasn't a sanitary decision given the flu was going around, and germs were everywhere, but Livvy couldn't find it in herself to care.

Today started out so good, with so much promise. Why did it have to end really crappy? She opened her eyes and came face to face with Ezio Auditore. "Holy crap!" She jumped back, her arms flailing about as she struggled to maintain her balance. Her eyes blinked wildly until she realized that it was just a giant poster on the window of the game store. A burst of laughter shook her shoulders, and she placed a hand over her heart.

Goodness, that had honestly scared her. Running a hand down her face, she frowned as she took a moment to actually read what the poster said. Exclusive Assassin memorabilia, half price. Really? She thought, surprised. Shouldn't they be upping prices since the new one is about to come out and wait to have a sale during the New Year's rush? She gnawed on her lower lip, thoughtfully. She shouldn't. She should just go home, and not waste money on things that she really didn't need. It was so frivolous, and childish. Something moved out of the corner of her eye like a shadow that she could quite make out and the pressure on her skull formed again. She opened her mouth when a voice said:

It's not time yet. Go and find something.

The oily pressure was gone and Livvy had a happy smile on her face. It had been a craptastic day, didn't she deserve to at least have some joy? Where was the harm in treating herself? As long as she didn't spend too much, it wouldn't mess up her budget. She stepped through the doors of the shop, barely containing a giggle like she was getting away with something naughty.

"Ohh!" The fan girl screamed as her eyes feasted on a whole section dedicated to Assassins Creed that the clerk was attempting to put back together. Apparently, they're had been a mob of fans and they had done some serious damaged. She walked right over and started looking through the stuff. They had a Yahzee Game where the cup to roll the dice was the Apple of Eden, there was Assassin's Creed monopoly—damn, it was fifty dollars, she couldn't get that—and a mug that once hot coffee was poured into it, the Assassin's signet would appear on the outside. She was browsing when she noticed the clerk had stopped, and stared at her bare foot. She raised a brow when she noticed his eyes glance to the 'no shoes, no service' sign posted on the door, and then back at her.

Livvy gave him a deadpanned look. "It doesn't say I have to have two," she stated, defensively.

The clerk held his hand up in silent surrender before moving away quickly and Livvy thought smugly, That's right. You know not to mess with an Assassins' fan. She browsed through the items. Well, what was left of the items that had been on sale. There were collector's card, posters, necklaces, and in a bin off to the side, there were little plushy Altairs (Ezio was sold out). Olivia knelt down picking one up, her fingers stroking his tiny white hood with more care than was warranted. "Poor Altair, it's just not fair." She hugged it, ignoring the stares because she really didn't care.

She shouldn't have come in here. She tried to be conservative with her money, but with certain things, she was such an impulse buyer. Food and games were her weakness. And right now here, she felt like a kid at a candy shop who wanted to sample every little thing. But she was an adult, so of course, she did the responsible thing and let without buying everything.

She did buy a few things. A chocolate sucker shaped like an Assassin, a necklace and plushy Altair. She couldn't just leave him there. He had been looking up at her pleadingly. How could she leave him behind after that? Finding her bench from earlier, she sank down and placed Altair beside her before unwrapped the chocolate sucker and went to take a bite…and then she saw plushy Altair staring up at her. Her brows pinched, as her lips twisted downward. "You know, I shouldn't have serious reservation about eating this in front of you, and yet somehow I do." Reaching out, she turned the stuffed assassin away from her and then happily munched on the chocolate. "Hmm, this is a nice way to end a crappy day," she mused, savoring the sweet taste of the milk chocolate on her tongue with a tiny murmur of appreciation. Then she jumped as her pocket started singing:

'Everybody stops and they staring at me,

I got a hidden blade in my pants,

and I ain't afraid to use it, use it, use it, use it…

I'm Ezio and I know it.'

It was Leo singing it. How the heck had he gotten it on her phone? "Pervert," she muttered, with a laugh before she pulled out her cell phone. "Hello, Leo. I just heard the most interesting ring tone."

"Ah…finally heard it, did you? Bet you are wondering how I pulled that off, but alas, I shan't share my secrets," Leo stated, dramatically. "Anyways, where are you at? Carl and I are already online waiting for you."

"Leo, calm down. I'm sure you and Carl can handle a few zombies without me." She looked around and caught sight of a little girl. She was standing by a woman who was clearly her mother, but that's not what made her smile. The little girl was playing with a bouncy ball, colored red and white. Her mind went straight to Assassins Creed and she thought to herself with a self-deprecating smile, I'm such a geek.

"Uh, no, we can't. You tell us what to do, and we do it and survive," Leo stated, very seriously, "but without you we are two screaming idiots that end up being zombie happy meals. You are like our General. Our leader. Without you we are lost lambs waiting for the slaughter."

"Leo, you big drama queen, that's so sweet in a strangely geeky way," Liz chuckled, chewing another bite of chocolate. "Alright. You've convinced me. Have no fear, I'm only a block or two away from my house."

There was a silence. "You went to the game store, didn't you?" Leo accused, quietly.

"…yes."

"You didn't buy the plushy Ezio, did you?"

Glancing down at the plushy Altair, a flush of embarrassment covered her face. "No," she stated, certainly. Then a moment later, she admitted, "I got Altair."

"HAHAHA!"

Livvy's brow twitched in annoyance. "What's so funny?" She demanded, darkly and her face felt hot. She probably looked like a tomato.

"Just you, level headed gamer, have fallen to the level of obsessive fan girl," Leo teased, with a cackle.

"I am not obsessive, this is the first thing I bought of Assassins Creed other than the games—" Livvy defended herself.

Solemnly, he told her, "And that's how it starts."

"Oh, yeah? And what about you Mister Obsessed Fan Boy? You have posters, a custom made bedspread and besides how would you know they've got plushy Altairs and Ezios unless you've been down—oh, my God! You've got a plushy Ezio!" Livvy grabbed her side to stop the laughter, it didn't work. "You so did!"

"N-no, I don't…" Leo's reply was far from convincing.

"Uh-huh, just wait until I tell Carl you've got a plushy Ezio that you practice kissing with—" Livvy grinned, wickedly.

"I do not practice make out with it—ah! Are you going to get online and help us or what?" Leo changed the subject as quickly as he could.

"Yeah, sure." She looked around aimlessly. "But it'll be about ten minutes. Enough time for you to make out with Ezio."

"I don't make out with Ezio! I am a firmly straight male!"

"Me thinks thou doth protest too much," Livvy told him.

"Ugh, whatever."

"Talk to you later."

"Talk to you later—oh, wait! I forgot to say it earlier though it pains me to say it now after all the abuse I've endure…Happy Birthday Livvy."

Happy Birthday Livvy. It almost made her knees give out. Happy Birthday? Livvy thought stunned. She looked down at her watch to the date, and found it to be true. It was December 7. She had been 19 for over half the day and hadn't even realized it. "Uh, thanks Leo, bye," she shut the phone. She had forgotten her birthday, how sad was that? Looking up at the drifting snow, she thought, It isn't a candle, but…what the heck. She closed her eyes, thinking before whispering, "I wish…I wish that I could do something that matter. Some good, just…something…that means something and something that will make me happy." She exhaled, opening her eyes. She stood up from the bench when the color red and white caught her attention.

Livvy watched the ball bounce into the street, then watched the little girl fly from her oblivious mother's side right after it. The girl's hair flashing gold as it caught the street light when she dashed out of her mother's grasp. Too bad the little girl didn't see the oncoming car. Olivia felt her mouth drop open in a silent horrified scream, as shock tore through her like white hot lightning.

H ere is w here you mak e a cho ice…life or death. An d be wa rned t he most obvi ous choi ce, isn't alw ays right…The cool wind, the shade, all once again pushed to the back of her mind. And Livvy decided what to do…She burst into a run, her feet slapping across the asphalt and she threw herself into the motion, shoving the little girl out of the way as the sound of screeching of tires filled the air. Then Livvy saw the glint of metal like a hidden blade a split second before it slammed into her and she felt herself thrown into the air like a ragdoll before she fell into the pavement. Hard.

It was the most brutalizing pain she had ever felt, and she felt her body twitch and shake uncontrollably as all thought vanished from her mind. Opening her mouth to make some kind of plea, all Olivia could get out was a gurgled sob as blood trickled out of her mouth. Hands grabbed at her, rolling her over gently, but she could not make out who it was. Nor did she care to. She couldn't process anything that wasn't pain. The sky…looks red…or maybe's that blood in my eyes, she thought with the sudden urge to giggle. It came out as a terrible gagging and she swore she heard someone crying. Olivia couldn't make out there face, but a voice saying, "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm so…sorry, mommy! I didn't mean it!" A seven year old Liv told her mother as the woman broke down into hysterical sobs. It was too late to make it right.

The next memory was of the funeral. Livvy was relieved. Her father was broken. The image faded and flickered. "I hate you! I hate you!" Livvy told her father, and when the next morning came, she regretted those words. She never got to make that right, either. A family broken apart, and Livvy was left all alone.

S uch a he avy heart…

The blackness that settled around her before flashing a bright white and there was this horrid ringing in her ears. It felt like drowning, it felt like breathing, it felt like she was flailing trying to grasp at…something. She wasn't sure what.

Can't stop now…Miles to go before we sleep.

It wasn't weightless, or painless. It was the opposite. Heavy, painful, and it didn't seem to ever want to stop. It was pain that reached into the very depths of her soul, twisting and torturing her on a level that she never knew possible.

Vessel damaged…blood…fix…Take a breath.

Voices fluttered over her. She wished she could open her eyes, but there were too heavy and she felt way too tired. She wanted nothing more than to slip into a peaceful oblivion. So she settled on doing what she was told and took in a deep breath…

Open your eyes and remember…nothing is true…everything is permitted.

Liz's eyes snapped open and found stared up at the thick canopy of tree tops, which barely allowed for beams of sunlight to flutter through down to the forest floor. Her body trembled and shook like a leaf on a cold fall day, clinging to the tree bark with all its might. The coldness of the ground seeped through her clothing, and her mind was numb, trying to process what had just happened. Her hands pressed against the hard ground as she pushed herself up. Slowly she turned her head side to side, finding nothing but wilderness surrounding her.

And she said something that summoned up the situation perfectly.

"What the—"

End of Chapter! Hope you enjoyed. If not, flames will used to bake cookies for good reviewers! If you are confused, just bear with me, everything will eventually get explained.

Ch. 1 References

Miles to go/Miles to go before we sleep—Robert Frost poem 'Stopping by Wood'. This poem, along with other things, will be referenced in future chapters.

2.) Nothing is true, everything is permitted. The Brotherhood's motto.

3.) And the funny ringtone is obviously a twist on LMFAO's song I'm Sexy and I know it.

4.) Sasseti Chapel—Constructed over an existing church in 1258, Santa Trinita (Holy Trinity) is known for its Sassetti chapel, which is decorated with frescos of the life of Saint Francis by Domenico Ghirlandaio. (More information can be found in the Database, Locations in AC 2 or the Assassin's Creed Wiki.)

Languages Lessons: (there is so much Italian thrown in this chapter I didn't realize until I listed so I apologize for long list. :D)

Insieme per la vittoria (Italian) Together for victory!

Insieme (Italian) Together.

Silenzo (Italian) Silence.

Grullo (Italian) Stupid.

Buona sera (Italian) Good evening.

Codardo (Italian) Coward.

Uccidetelo! (Italian) Kill him!

Ben trovato (Italian) Good to see you.

fratelli Auditore (Italian) Auditore brothers.

Fottiti! (Italian) Go f- yourself!)

AN: I know there is a lot that don't make sense, but it will all come together. Just give me a little time and you'll see. Thanks. And yes, there is a reason for plushy Altair (though more comical than useful). Next chapter is where things start to get interesting :D