Luigi stared at the monster a long moment, a good two feet from the bars. It couldn't reach him there, it's arms were too wide. He learned from the other guard's wonderful example not to get too close. Carmelo did, and he was dragged away with half his face torn off, devoured by the beast. Poor kid didn't last the night.

"What are you," Luigi asked, half to himself, half to the beast. He expected an answer, but found the thing to not even be paying any attention. It was staring at the wooden plate with Luigi's meal on it. It wasn't much, a little bit of chicken and bread. But that was all he could afford on his pay. "You're... hungry. Aren't you?"

To the question, the beast hardly even gave him a glance. It rumbled something, then withdrew from the bars to the back of the cell again.

Curiosity got the better of the young guard, though, and he sat up straight as he said in a sort of stammer, "W-wait! Come back!"

From the gloom of the cell, it monster's eyes glittered. It's pupils a little dilated in the dark.

"You spoke before," said Luigi, "so do you understand us?"

There came something like, "Do not like cages. Need to move... Need to find him..."

His eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Find who? Explain."

"He knows... he knows what... he knows it... I know it..." The beast rambled in it's growling tone. "Unnatural... Need... to find him... Need him to help..."

Figuring he wouldn't get any real answers, Luigi sighed and rested his chin on his fist. "Do you have a name?"

Something came from him. Though whatever the hell he said was so low and seemingly mumbled that it sounded like "Addio."

"Okay, so your name's 'Addio'?" Luigi questioned.

A grunt was his only response.

Luigi shook his head. Then he could hear footsteps. He snapped his head to look over his shoulder as Cesare and a dozen guards came in. Some carried nets and spears, others with swords at hands. He stood up right away.

"Signore," he greeted, "what are you doing here?"

"We will be taking the beast to the Colosseo so the citizens of Roma can see it killed," Cesare explained. "Now, grab your spear and unlock the door so we can grab it."

He swallowed thickly, unease prickling under his skin. "Is this not dangerous?"

"The benefits outweigh the risks," another guard said to him, "now do as he says and get your spear, Luigi."

With a nod, Luigi picked up his spear and reached for the keys looped on his belt. He stood at the door and started to turn the key in the hole. The tumbling of the lock brought the beast's attention on him now. Without pulling on the bars, the door flew wide open, throwing the small lad across the room and into a wall. The beast, now released, went on a rampage in the dungeon. Its claws ripped right through some of the guards, and it bit one in half. In the thick of the violence, Cesare rushed out without so much as a scratch.

Luigi, back in pain and heart slamming, watched with wide terrified eyes. He couldn't move his legs, he couldn't feel them. And his arms, one was bent in some awkward angle, the other shaking too much to get a firm grip on his spear. A cough rose from his throat, bringing up some blood that bubbled over his lips, scarlet droplets only partly composed of saliva flew from his wet hacking.

The beast, having finished killing the others, turned to him now. It started coming towards him in it's hunched over hobble. It wasn't until it was a few feet away that he could feel it's hot, reeking breath on his face. He waited and waited for the beast to eat his throat out. But then he realized it was making no move to. It was simply staring at him. Maybe waiting for him to die?

Then something unexpected happened. The beast murmured a rumbling, "Sorry..." then he reached for his head, and put a quick end to the guard.

Cesare gathered up as many of his men as he could and had them act quickly. This thing needed to be dealt with now before it could escape. There was one chance though. And he was willing to take it. Above the stairs to the lower floors of the dungeon was a platform holding heavy crates, held up by a rope. If he could lure the monster under it, then he could have someone cut the rope and hopefully knock the thing out.

So he stood at the bottom of the stairs as bait. That thing seemed to want to kill him. Or maybe it just wanted to kill everything, he wasn't sure. That didn't stop him from being human bait though - as proposed by one of the guards. He didn't like it, and he was absolutely prepared to leave them for dead if this didn't work.

As the monster came scampering down towards the stairs, Cesare's hand gripped the hilt of his sword. He was ready if need be. Then it emerged, and it clearly saw him, and it growled. Primed to launch at him. It was crouched and then jumped.

Cesare took a step back, drawing his sword as he did so. "Now! You idioti!"

There was the sound of rope sliding before the wooden platform came falling down, and snapped in half on impact. The monster was knocked to the ground with a crash when it was hit right on the head. Cracks formed where it landed with a great impact on the stone floor. It groaned then blinked it's dazed eyes shut.

Then Cesare breathed a heavy sigh of relief, nearly dropping his sword. The guards at the top of the steps were cheering with clear joy. Then it was back to work. The monster was quickly restrained and they worked on moving it out of the of the Vatican.

Roaming the streets, a young thief found himself drawn to some herald's announcements.

"At noon tomorrow, there will be a celebration at the Colosseo. The monstrosity which has terrorized the streets last night has been caught and will be presented to the public before it is killed."

"Monstrosity?" A person from the crowd questioned, "Is the violence between the guards and assassini starting up again? This wouldn't be old news."

"Well, no. This is literally a monstrosity." The herald said, adding a sort of story teller tone to his words.

"A monster, eh? Try me," Said another.

"Oh, how does a beast, as large as two men, and strong as twenty sound?"

"Could just be a freak." Someone waved.

"Sure, it really is a freak alright. With its claws as long as bastard swords, and teeth sharper than reaper's scythe."

Given enough time for imagination, others begun to guess more features of the "beast". "Is it covered fur?"

"Yes! Yes! Thick, nasty fur that reeks of blood and death!"

"Does it got a snout?"

"Of course! Long enough to snatch your children from their windows with!"

The description begun to get even more warped as they went on, and the thief listened with amusement at how unbelievably preposterous this sounded. There weren't such things as monsters. With that thought, he got up and stretched his legs before bolting off to the thieves guild. Since La Volpe was off doing some sort of job with Ezio, they were to stay close to their home. It was only for another day, though, and they could go back to their normal stealing antics.

As he walked inside, he could tell there was a lot of commotion going on. The people were especially chattery now, more so than when he left in the first place. The reason why was quickly answered as he took note of the two thieves standing guard at the stairs. That was unusual indeed. If they were to convincingly pose as an Inn, then there shouldn't be guards at the stairs.

"Is something wrong? Everyone seems panicked." He asked one of the two - a tall one with heavily tanned skin and a long string of woolly, gray whiskers above his lip and on his cheeks.

The other looked at him with some mild surprise. "Were you not here? La Volpe returned."

"But does that warrant all the excitement?" He asked. "Even the bystanders outside are getting a bit more talkative than usual."

"Use your common sense, boy," the other thief said, "why else would we be making such a fuss?"

The thief's eyes went wide with shock upon his conclusion. "He was injured?"

The two nodded. And the first sighed, "Aye, came in here with some big gaping wound in his leg and his back all torn. I haven't the foggiest idea why though. No one does. Volpe has not really filled in the details about it yet."

"I see. Can I go see him at least?" The young thief asked.

The two looked to each other and the second shrugged. "Don't be a stranger."

"I will try not to be." He said, walking past them and up the stairs. From the end of the hall where he stood, he could hear a agonized groan, muffled by what sounded like fabric. With a quick breath, he forged some bravery and made his way down the hall and opened the door. He didn't get farther than that, as the very sight inside stunned him still.

There stood a doctor, bloody instruments in hand, and beak mask concealing his face. On the bed, sheets stained crimson, was La Volpe. The sight was all too unfamiliar. There he laid on his stomach, his leg having three ugly lines of black stitches, and his back looking almost like it were brutally lashed. A few of the gashes there were sewn shut, but one was only half way done when he walked in. And so the thick black thread on the needle tugged at the flesh a little.

Upon his entry, the two looked his way, where he quickly discovered La Volpe was biting on a blood stained towel.

"I-I-I I'm sorry!" He stuttered, feeling nauseous all of the sudden. "I- I'll wait until you are finished." Then he quickly left the room and closed the door, letting out a heavy sigh as he sunk the floor and held his head in his hands.

He sat there for a half hour or so until the doctor opened the door to leave. He tapped the thief's shoulder, the bloody glove removed and held tightly in his other hand. "He's able to see people now, but please, keep it brief."

He nodded and got up, his knees weakened considerably. When he walked in, there was an undeniable stench of blood. It didn't help, but at least it wasn't as scary to look at La Volpe. The hideous stitches were wrapped over with bandages. The master thief was evaluating the new holes in his shirt, crusted up now and thickly stained.

"I- I'm sorry, I did not mean to intrude as I did."

"Si, just sit down and tell me what this is all about," La Volpe said, not removing his stare from the tears.

He looked around a moment before pulling a chair from behind him. "I kind of wanted to tell you what I have been hearing from the heralds as of late."

"Eh... Let me guess, one of us is wanted again?"

"No, actually, I was hearing some nonsense about a beast," he laughed then, the idea of how ridiculous it was seemed to make him break out in that fitful chuckle. But then he realized that the master thief wasn't laughing. He was staring at him with serious violet eyes, his salt and pepper hair faintly gleaming in the afternoon light through the window.

"Well? What exactly did he say," La Volpe asked.

"He said they were going to have a celebration tomorrow afternoon. That is when they plan on showing the public this beast and kill it."

The older man took an uneasy breath. "There almost is no time."

"Prego?" The thief gave him a confused look. "I do not understand, almost no time for what?"

La Volpe almost rubbed his forehead with his palm, but held back on the fact that his palms were covered in sticky, drying blood. "There really is a monster. And if the Borgias have him, then this situation is no good at all."

"I still am lost."

"That 'monster' is really Ezio. Something happened to him, I know not what, but he turned into that... thing. It was like he did not know what he was doing either, and went to attack everything in sight."

"Including you." The thief noted, gesturing to the bandages.

"Si, unfortunately. He probably had ever intention of killing me, I would have easily been finished. But for whatever reason, even if he was at a clear advantage, he retreated." La Volpe sighed heavily. "They captured him, it seems. And it seems action is more than necessary by what you have just told me. Can you get Machiavelli for me?"

"Should I gather up Claudia and Bartolomeo as well?" The thief asked.

La Volpe shook his head. "I do not think this is really a mission where courtesans would be of use. But yes, get Bartolomeo. Tell them it's urgent."

With a nod, the thief rushed out, on his way to gather the two.

Yup, I finally got off my lazy ass and wrote something. I know a lot of people are still waiting for "You Novice" and "AC High School" but I'm under severe writer's block when it comes to those two fics.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter. And thank you to those who reviewed.