From the Shadows

[madimpossibledreamer]

Giovanni continues to be unexpected to everybody involved, including on the other side of the fourth wall. No idea when the next chapter is coming, but hopefully it won’t be nearly a year this time.

Main Points:
Assassin's Creed AU (kinda time-travel)
Chapter Summary: Giovanni takes the next logical step.
Word Count: 1229
Rating: Teen

 

         The world is normal, with him just walking through the streets and examining a merchant’s wares, when Desmond abruptly realizes that suddenly everything’s even less normal than usual, actually being in the past and all. “I hear that I have you to thank for trying to keep my family safe,” Giovanni states from out of nowhere, having fallen into perfect step beside him as if they’d been walking together the entire time, and okay Desmond just about has a heart attack on the spot. He goes completely and utterly still and accidentally uses Eagle Vision, and yeah, there behind Giovanni there’s Ezio looking apologetic and a little miserable, and Desmond’s having to reevaluate...a lot of stuff.
         At least Giovanni looks blue, so he’s accepted that Desmond is a friendly, which is good, because he’d hate to have to fight the guy, even though he’d been fairly sure he’d win or at least be able to get away without too much trouble. He’d been more worried about accidentally hurting another ancestor.
         His opinion of Giovanni hadn’t, uh, necessarily been that high. Ezio had continued to work with the Medici even though, from what Shaun said, in some cases they’d been as bad as the Borgia, and it’d been Giovanni that’d gotten them mixed up in politics in the first place and the guy had been wounded somehow and, well.
         If it had been Desmond-as-Ezio, he probably would’ve managed to stealth his way out, rescue his sons, and get out of the city, though in hindsight maybe that’s just the fact that he had the ability to retry events until he actually managed them and nobody in real life has a reset button. Thanks to his training, people just didn’t manage to sneak up on him, much, so the fact that Giovanni had, somehow, without the benefit of Eagle Vision or anything? Yeah, maybe he’d been a bit harsh on the guy.
         “Um,” he manages weakly, fidgeting a little, “...yeah? You’re welcome? I haven’t really done much, though...”
         Giovanni continues smoothly like he isn’t being incredibly awkward. “However, I’m not used to those who would risk so much for so little gain, Messere—”
         “Arden,” he supplies, and damn it Giovanni looks a little suspicious even of that and he’s still got enough of Ezio in him that even when he’s not Bleeding he has the urge to confess everything before padre sics Maria on him. “And I couldn’t just sit by and watch; not with what I learned.” That much is the truth, and the man’s searching eyes can tell that much, apparently.
         “Are you also in service to de Medici, perhaps?” He’s being slightly more careful about speaking with his hands. Desmond wonders briefly whether it’s to avoid drawing attention to them before he notices the quickly concealed wince.
         As does Ezio, who suddenly looks concerned. Which means it’s the wound. Right.
         Oof. If he says no, will Giovanni suddenly decide he’s the enemy after all? But if he lies, that’s easy enough to check, and if he’s lying that’ll look more suspicious overall, won’t it? “I, uh. I try not to get involved with that kind of thing.”
         And, oddly enough...that makes Giovanni smile. “A noble aspiration, if an impractical one, Messere Arden. Possible, indeed, for my brother, though even out in Monteriggioni he endures attack after attack, but for those of us here…” He’s doing a pretty good job concealing things like the aborted shrug as stuff he’d already been intending to do, but then, that’s probably not the first wound he’s hidden as he’s gone about his banking day job, so no wonder. “In the city, to stand aloof is to make enemies of all. And if you make allies, so too may you gain access to supplies, information, a place to stay…”
         He trails off meaningfully, and it takes Desmond a moment to realize that this is a recruitment speech. He’s been steering the conversation as effortlessly as he’s steering where they’re going, because Desmond’s been so off balance he hasn’t had the time to pay attention. “Particularly…” Smoothly, he reaches out and grabs Desmond’s arm, angling it away so the angle is wrong for accidentally activating the Hidden Blade because he doesn’t deal so well with being grabbed, tapping his forearm under his sleeve meaningfully, “...for you, I think.”
         No wonder Ezio couldn’t keep this from him. They’d all underestimated Giovanni. He’d spotted Desmond fidgeting with it without Desmond even realizing that’s what he’d been doing. Not releasing it, obviously, that would be something even passersby would notice, but—hell.
         “Please, come. Enjoy Auditore hospitality, what we can provide, and there we can discuss your plans.” That sounds incredible, but….
         “Part of those plans involved no one being able to trace this back to the Auditore,” he responds, reluctantly, and Giovanni breathes in a deep sigh.
         Which is exactly how he responds to Ezio when he’s being really stubborn, and it is wild that he’s being treated like one of the family. And then he looks at Desmond’s face thoroughly under the hood, and yeah, okay, so there’s a familial resemblance, but…
         “That might be difficult, I think,” he responds dryly, and yep okay, he’s definitely noticed. Which means the Pazzi or Borgia would definitely notice, too, even if without a drawing maybe, if he’s lucky, most people wouldn’t. “Though your efforts are appreciated. If you insist, I could arrange for different accommodation, not associated with the Auditore or de Medici.”
         The thieves or the courtesans, Desmond realizes suddenly. He’s feeling a little hysterical, here. “That...would work, thanks. I just...we can’t afford to make a mistake, here, and confirmation that the Auditore were involved just paints a bigger target on your family, so…”
         “Agreed,” Giovanni agrees, businesslike. “Wait here and conceal yourself. I will send Ezio to find you, once we are ready.”
         “If it’s just because of Eagle Vision, Claudia’s got it too, I think.” Now both Giovanni and Ezio are staring at him, having halted their movement entirely, and Desmond feels even more self-conscious than he has this whole time. It’s kind of an accomplishment. “She’s the one that found me in the first place.”
         Giovanni’s stern gaze turns to Ezio, who squirms a little. It’d be funny if this whole thing wasn’t probably really tough on the poor guy. But then, from Ezio’s expression it seems like he hadn’t realized the implications, either. “Very well. One last thing—do you happen to know when they are planning to strike?”
         Ezio knows this one, too, but it’s probably better if he answers it. The less Ezio seems to know on his own, the better. Maybe they can mention the ‘visions’ or whatever later, but the less complicated they can make this, the more likely they’ll actually get away with it. “They’re going to arrange for Lorenzo to be out of town and conveniently be unable to override the Gonfaloniere’s orders.”
         Giovanni’s face hardens, like he’s actually starting to believe the conspiracy, and he nods. “Very well. I will do what I can to aid you in return.” And then he strides off, speed barely blunted at all by the wound, an Assassin on a mission, and Ezio glances in his direction, nervous and apologetic.
         “It’s fine. We’ll make this work,” he promises, and Ezio nods, running to catch up with his father.