Chapter Text
"And what about that blinding white light? Like the last time?" Ezio asked, cautiously eying the deceptively harmless article glowing in Leonardo's hand.
"Well it seemed that your touch activated it," Leonardo replied, running his fingers over the markings from which the light seemed to emanate.
"And yet you were the one person who was able to comprehend all of its knowledge, the only one who wasn't affected by it," Ezio replied, still unwilling to touch the Piece of Eden.
"Hhnn.." Leonardo chuckled softly before adding, "If only amico mio. I was able to understand some of it. But all its knowledge… I cannot even tell what it is made of yet. Why it glows… "
"At least you weren't blinded by it," Ezio sighed, not understanding what all of this meant. His purpose had been simple. Revenge. Avenging his family. Now he found himself surrounded by a myriad of mysteries. And no answers. He was already fed up from having to explain to the other assassins that he was not some fabled prophet. How could he be? The whole idea seemed just bizzare. And now he had to deal with this glowing ball that looked like it was from a completely different world that was capable of doing who knows what.
"When are you leaving for Forli?" Ezio could see the sadness in his friend's eyes. Leonardo would have loved to study the Apple. He knew it. He would have wanted that too. But right now, keeping the article safe was what mattered the most.
"The following week. As soon as we receive a response from Caterina Sforza," Ezio replied.
"Si. I'm sure you can't wait for the contessa's reply," Leonardo suggested slyly as he patted Ezio's back.
"Hmm… I can't wait to do a lot of things with Caterina Sforza." Ezio grinned back unashamed. Not that he had any reason to act otherwise, seeing as how Leonardo was his best friend. The one person who had stood by him through it all. The good and the bad.
"I have no doubts in my mind about the things you speak of," Leonardo replied back unsurprised with his best friend's reaction.
Trying to change the topic from his future sexual escapades Ezio offered, "Perhaps once Rodrigo has been taken care of, you can study it."
Leonardo started beaming almost instantly, his curiosity of the mysterious artifact apparent in his expressions. "Si. At the very least we should know what it is capable of. If it is even safe to possess. The extent of damage it is capable of doing to the one who tries to protect it."
"I know. But like you said, it can never go into the wrong hands." Ezio agreed with his friend, and right now keeping it here might lead to just that. Monteriggioni isn't safe enough.
"Si. Si. I know." Leonardo nodded even though disappointment was apparent in his tone and expression.
"So.. Have you decided to take up on zio's offer?" Ezio asked, trying to change the topic.
"About working in Monteriggioni?" At Ezio's nod of affirmation Leonardo continued, "Si. Venezia is in turmoil right now. Rodrigo is sparing no one in his search for this." He gestured towards the article in his hand to make his point.
"Plus the offer isn't bad." Leonardo smiled.
"Si. We could use some fortifications. Now that the Creed is beginning to steadily grow once again. Our people uniting." Ezio smiled to himself. With Leonardo working here as the engineer, it wouldn't be long until Monteriggioni emerges as the head of the Assassin power in Italia.
"I know. And I already have a few things in mind. But first, I would like to familiarise myself with your great-great-grandfather's schematics of the city," Leonardo explained, eyes once again watching the artifact in his hand.
Sighing, trying to make Leonardo feel better for not getting to analyse the artifact, Ezio thought of an offer. "If you wish you may study the Apple for the week. Until I leave for Forli. It wouldn't harm to have a little knowledge about the thing before having to travel with it."
"Are you sure?" Leonardo finally met Ezio's gaze, torn between feeling ecstatic and apprehensive. "The others won't mind?"
"Why would they? We're merely studying it." Ezio shrugged, easing some of his friend's worry away.
"Alright." Leonardo smiled back, all too eager to agree.
"But I would need you as well. If I want to study it. You are afterall the one that it reacts to," Leonardo added, placing the Apple on the desk before going to retrieve a notebook wherein to record his observations along with a piece of charcoal.
"I'm not so sure about that, Leo. The last time… my head was throbbing for nearly an hour," Ezio replied, wanting to leave Leonardo in his newly assigned room at the Villa to let him work with that thing in peace. He had no qualms about leaving Leonardo alone with the Piece, having no doubt regarding his best friend's loyalty. But having to witness what he saw at Leonardo's bottega that day once again? No, he had no intention of going through that again.
"Come on. You can avert your eyes once it's activated. Just five minutes. I swear, Ezio," Leonardo coaxed.
"I don't know, Leo," Ezio said, not wanting to tamper with the artifact.
"Ezio!! How many times have I helped you with a bella donna that you liked. Accompanied you to taverns when I had portraits to finish. Patrons biting my head off. Come on," Leonardo started, determined to use every instance of unwanted actions that Ezio had made him go through to guilt his friend into agreeing.
"Two minutes. And then I'll be stopping it. I don't want you to grow addicted to it either," Ezio warned, despite the warm smile on his face.
"Si. Si. And after this…. I'll do all my studies without needing to activate it. Just physical studies." Leonardo nodded eagerly. Even though Ezio had no doubt that Leonardo was probably already trying to figure out ways to activate it himself.
"Are you ready?" Ezio asked, slowly hovering his hand over the artifact when Leonardo nodded.
Just like before, a bright light began to emanate from the grooves as soon as his hand touched the artifact, blinding all of Ezio's senses, not just his eyes. The light only strengthened in its intensity, making Ezio's grip on it tighter. He already had his other hand shielding his eyes, having anticipated this. Slowly though, unlike the last time, the room seemed to began to vibrate. He couldn't tell for sure since his eyes weren't capable of seeing anything. But there was definitely movement around him. Leonardo, he realised was frozen, glowing golden in the light. Still blissfully unaffected, just like the previous time, watching in awe rather than averting his eyes. But his friend wasn't moving.
This was wrong. Everything was wrong. He could sense it. Trying to remedy the situation, he let go of the artifact from his hands, in hopes of disabling it. To his disappointment though, everything went black. The stark contrast making his head hurt, his eyes watering as the darkness seemed to swallow him whole. There was nothing. Not even his own body, just his inner being. Faintly, he heard the sound of something being dropped, a distant 'thump' of metal hitting the floor. And after that… after that… Nothing.
"Ezio!!! Ezio!!" He heard Leonardo's faint noise bring him back, the barest of sensations apparent in his body.
"Ugghhh…." Ezio grimaced. At least he could feel himself now.
Slowly, he opened his eyes. Just the bare minimum, not wanting the light to flood his senses once again. He didn't need to worry about it though, as Leonardo hovering over him blocked most of the harsh light with his shadow, sitting right in front of him on his knees with a terrified expression.
"Oh. Grazie a Dio!!! You're safe, caro!!" Caro?? Ezio furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. His head was throbbing. His body felt heavy. His throat was dry, almost as if it had congealed. He felt claustrophobic. Leonardo felt like he was too close to him right now. Why the fuck did he agree to doing this?
It didn't stay the same for long though, the darkness returned, but this time for a completely different reason as Leonardo leaned down against him and he felt his best friend's lips press softly onto his own.
All Ezio could do was press his lips tight in resistance, thrashing himself as he found Leonardo's arms surround him, his hands coming up around his face to cradle him as he was kissed with ever increasing intensity.
Once he gathered enough of his mind to know what was happening, he firmly pushed Leonardo away with all his might, which to be honest was not nearly as much as it usually was since he was still throbbing with pain. When Leonardo flinched back, staring at him with a hurt look in his eyes, Ezio couldn't help but begin cursing at his friend, fuming with anger.
"Che cazzo, Leo!!!" Ezio barked out, unaware of why his friend would ever even try such a thing. Especially after what happened with the Piece of Eden. "What the fuck is even wrong with you? Have you lost your fucking mind when you saw into that thing?" Ezio kept muttering as he slowly got up from the floor.
Leonardo frowned at the words. But didn't try to reply, observing him curiously instead. When he finally began to stand back on his legs, Ezio felt himself going weak in the knees. He felt nauseated. Like his stomach would empty itself from his mouth any moment now. His entire body felt rigid and yet somehow fluid at the same time, burning with pain, like someone had taken him apart piece by piece and then stitched him back together, doing a very poor job.
Instantly, he found Leonardo rush back to his aid. "Ezio!! Are you alright??"
Not wanting for Leonardo to touch him again, or do anything else that was inappropriate he rudely pushed his best friend away as he grimaced in pain. His mind was spinning, his entire body weighed a ton. He just wanted to be alone for a while. Until everything stopped. Until he felt normal again. Apparently he had been a bit too harsh with his best friend in his daze of pain because Leonardo was thrown back a good few feet away from him, onto the desk.
Before he could apologise to his best friend though, he heard a sharp gasp from his friend in front of him. He was swiftly turned around by someone. In a foggy haze, he saw a familiar face. And then there wasn't anything left to see as a sharp fist landed on his jaw and he felt darkness envelop himself again as he fainted.
The next time he felt himself waking up again he felt rather than heard noises beside himself. They were almost hushed. He felt better now. Much better than the last time he had woken up.
"How would I know? I found him five minutes before you came in," someone hissed. No not someone. He knew that voice, it was Leonardo, trying to keep his voice down.
"I don't trust him one bit. Not after what he did to you, Leo," another familiar voice said with concern. If he didn't know any better then he would have said that it sounded like himself.
Where the fuck was he anyway? At least the surface beneath him wasn't hard anymore. It felt soft. Like a bed. He tried to stir himself up, slowly opening his eyes again for the second time today after having had fainted. He found out though that despite the fact that his eyes were wide open, he couldn't move his hands. His hands were firmly… were those cuffs? Yes. His hands were firmly tied to the headboard with leather cuffs. Like ones he'd seen in a bordello.
Instantly Ezio thrashed, looking around to find Leonardo once again. But this time, he wasn't alone. No. This can't be… beside Leonardo, he saw... himself?
Instinctively, he found himself shoot up with fear. He flicked his wrists, trying to release his hidden blades as the assassin in him woke up. To his astonishment, however, there was no sound. No satisfying noise of metal gliding when his hidden blades are revealed. His bracers… they were missing.
"No you don't have those." Ezio heard his own voice. Flicking his gaze up from his bare wrist, he met his double's eyes, shining with challenge.
Looking around frantically, he saw that his entire robe was missing. His ammunition pouches, dagger, sword, belt, throwing knives everything. All he had on himself were his shirt and breeches. Even his boots were off, which meant that he didn't have his hidden knife either. Did he even have them on. The last he remembered, he had been in exactly these clothes when he went to Leonardo's room in the Villa. To discuss their plans with the Apple and ensure that his friend had settled in comfortably after the long journey. But he definitely had his hidden blades on, not to mention his boots. He never took his blades off. No matter what. And even those were missing. He must have been searched for weapons.
Yes. He remembered now. They had used the Apple. The bright light. And the pain. His head was spinning. And Leonardo had kissed him. And then someone punched him. His body was not stinging with pain now. There was still a dull throb. But nothing else. Nothing that worried him. Nothing physical that worried him at least. The image in front of him, however, was a whole different question.
Gulping down, he met the stares of the two familiar people standing before him, watching him suspiciously. Looking around, he realised where he was now. He had slept on this bed, used that cupboard, had previously slipped inside multiple times through the window that was currently closed. Which was wrong. That window was always left open for him. For him to come in whenever he wanted. There were also too many books, and easels, and wooden models and multiple other things that weren't usually there in this room.
The room was all too familiar, he had been here countless of times whenever he stayed in Venezia. He was in Leonardo's guestroom. The one that his best friend usually offered him whenever he needed a place to stay. The one that had practically become his own room over the years. And yet it was different. It wasn't his room. No.
When he looked in front of himself again, he felt that both the men before him were whispering among themselves. His double's eyes were locked up on him, but they were still talking. He didn't have to imagine what they might have been talking about, as they watched him with surprise matching his own.
He tried to slowly work his wrists out of the cuffs. But apparently that wasn't going to work. They were too tight, skillfully secured. Instead of freeing himself, he only made both his captors… captors? No that wasn't right. A friend? Yes. And another… himself? Instead he made both, Leonardo and his own double become more cautious to his restless actions.
He didn't want to speak. It didn't go too well the last time he did so. So he carefully analysed them. He didn't get much time to do that however, as the both of them began moving closer to him, walking towards the bed. He experimentally tried another hand at trying to free his wrists but it was to no avail. He shouldn't be afraid. One of them was Leonardo…. whom he had admittedly thrown and shouted at. But still, it was his best friend. Leonardo understood. He wouldn't hold that against him, surely. But the other one was himself…. an armed and deadly assassin. Yes, maybe he should be afraid.
His double was the one to reach him first, taking a chair before him as Leonardo joined them on another. But maintaining a good amount of distance between them.
His double was the first to speak, "Who the fuck are you and why do you look like me?"