Author's Note: As this is a sequel to Reversal of Shadows, it will again expound on Ezio encountering a few more of the multiplayer characters. It will contain minor spoilers for Brotherhood, though very light ones, as it is more of a parallel story, with events occurring drastically differently.

Edit as of 2012: An extended version of this story can be read on the AO3 account linked in my profile.

Assassin's Creed: Reclamation of Shadows

Beyond the Walls

The day was just beginning, but already the skies were thick with smoke and voices and heightened emotion, weighing the very air with a rejuvenating power. From his position on the ridge of a hill that towered over the battlefield, the commander could not help but smile, a rather twisted grin spreading across his features as he looked over his army and the merciless destruction it spread across the Tuscan countryside.

The city stronghold had not stood a chance against the many engines of war at his disposal, and Cesare reminded himself to filter more effort into furthering their design. The success of this siege more than assured that other cities would fall to him just as easily as this upstart village of Monteriggioni had, especially if this cleansing of his enemies would go as smoothly as he had planned.

"Comandante, we've broken through the defenses of the front gate."

The young Borgia heir waved an impatient hand to the foot soldier, leisurely making his way to the bottom of the rise. "Tell the men to ready the battering ram," he said assuredly, speaking over the loud discharges of cannons lined up on either side of him. "Have them prepare to storm the city itself, and make sure that the order for a ceasefire is passed to the troops once we enter the city. We wouldn't want to spook our prey with too much cannon fire."

The soldier dipped his head in a bow before scurrying off. As Cesare watched him leave, he caught sight of the ingegnere standing by the base of one of the collapsed siege towers, his gaze fixed uneasily upon the rent and crumbling walls of the city. Perhaps out of regret?

"Is there a problem, messere da Vinci?" he asked calmly, smirking a little as the older man jumped at the sudden address.

"Ah, of course not, comandante," the artist responded as he appeared to compose himself, his tone measured, if a little halting. "It is just that I have never been on a battlefield before. I suppose I am a little nervous."

"That's unnecessary, you have nothing to fear from our enemies. They were broken as soon as the first blow was felled," Cesare said carelessly, continuing to pace towards stretch of burnt grass and earth in front of the main gate. "Come, walk with me."

Left with little choice, Leonardo followed in his wake, and the commander subtly took note of the line of worry across his brow, an expression of concern that he was obviously attempting to hide. Despite the recent evidence to support his alliance to their cause, he decided that it would be safer to have this supposed ally of his more carefully watched.

As he stepped over and across several of the stone-like bodies sprawled across the ground, Cesare waved a hand to Micheletto, who was approaching from his other side. "Give the order to break down the gates."

The soldiers converged and scattered, busily adjusting the gigantic wood and metal mechanism against the fortified entranceway, and as the commander watched them work, he caught sight of movement from one of the city's defenders stirring upon the ground. He stepped over to him disinterestedly, drawing his long sword to end the pathetic man's existence, when he noticed the bright red and gold Auditore crest emblazoned across the still-living one's dark cape.

An idea and a small smirk passed across his face.

He gestured to one of his captains with his bared blade, ordering him to retrieve the man, who he assumed to be Mario Auditore, the decrepit guardian of Monteriggioni. As the injured condottiero was forced to his feet, the commander sheathed his sword and approached, studying him leisurely and noticing a large pouch knotted hastily to the other's belt. Curious, he reached for it, and at his approach, the man flinched away from him, straining feebly against the guard's grip and growling out a threat that Cesare ignored.

"Wait, comandante," the ingegnere spoke up abruptly from his elbow, as he too made to take the pouch. "He may injure you, please, allow me to-"

"I think I can handle a dying old man, messere da Vinci," he snapped dangerously, casting a glare in his direction and stopping him midway. The artist drew back a little reluctantly, and Cesare reached into the man's pouch with his free hand, deaf to the weak invectives thrown at him as he withdrew the large orb from it.

Cesare turned the silvered artifact thoughtfully between his fingers, almost laughing as he realized what it was. This was much easier than he had anticipated.

At this point, an earsplitting bang reverberated through the air, followed by a great shattering of wood as the city gate gave way, opening up a rift through the shell of Monteriggioni's defenses. The commander stowed the treasure into the satchel at his waist and set off towards the gaping hole left by the battering ram, calling lightly back to the guard captain holding the prisoner, "Throw the old man into the city. Let's see if we can catch ourselves an eagle."

His army generals flanked him closely as he made his way into the almost empty city, with Leonardo trailing a few steps behind with the rest of the soldiers. As the condottiero was tossed carelessly onto the street, Cesare raised his voice, addressing the battle still taking place high above them, across the length of the city walls.

"Ezio Auditore! Come, I know you are in here somewhere," he spoke confidently, gray eyes sweeping the battlements for any sign of the Assassin. "You left the fortress so quickly yesterday that we did not get a chance to meet."

There - a figure leaping from the fortress walls and running across the rooftops towards them. So predictable, Auditore, Cesare laughed silently to himself, casually taking a pistola from Micheletto.

"Still, I'm sure you understand that I cannot allow you and your kind to live," he continued to call to the ash-laden skies, calm and unhurried. He took the few steps to the man still stirring helplessly on the ground, slowly lowering the weapon towards him. "Though do not think of this as murder, but merely, a cleansing."

The commander's gaze was not upon his target as he pulled the trigger, but instead upon the walls where he knew his arquebusiers were stationed. He saw the flash of gunpowder in the distance, and knew that they would not miss.

From there, he turned his attention to the Assassin, who had halted upon hearing the gunshot, his expression a thundercloud of rage and pain. For a brief moment, Cesare met the eagle's dark eyes fearlessly, smugly, feeling a measure of satisfaction as he watched him bleed, watched him fall. His generals murmured among themselves, perhaps feeling it was over, but the commander thought otherwise. He would be thorough this time. There was no way he would repeat his father's mistake.

As he calmly reloaded the pistola, one of his generals addressed him, "Sir, should we fall back? The city's occupants have been located fleeing to the north of the fortress, and we should be able to pursue them."

"Not yet," Cesare said evenly, dispassionately cocking the weapon in his hand and heading farther into the besieged city. "I will take no chances. The army will not withdraw until I have the Assassin's corpse at my feet."

He glanced over to his bodyguard, who was following him closely as usual, "Did your men locate the escape route from the city, Micheletto?"

"Si, padrone," he replied quietly, pacing a step behind him. "The first men who were able to reach Monteriggioni's parapets saw the citizens fleeing through what appeared to be the entrance to a catacomb, a tunnel system under the city."

"Good, good. Has it been sealed off?"

"Yes," Micheletto answered crisply. "The soldiers on the walls were successfully able to direct cannon fire onto the side street where the entrance was situated. The damage must have been more than enough to block it with rubble."

As they turned the corner into a courtyard adjacent to the narrow alleyway, Cesare found all these words to be true, and he smirked in anticipation. "And now..."

Almost as if on cue, a loud clamor of hooves sounded out from around the opposite corner, and the commander calmly raised his pistola again. A white shape flashed out from around the building, the horse's rider completely missing the two figures standing in the small courtyard as he made for the entrance to the tunnels. The pale stallion reared in a panic as it nearly collided with the large hunks of debris scattered before it, whinnying and prancing to one side as it attempted to keep its footing. As its rider tried to calm it, he paused abruptly, and looked directly back to meet Cesare's gaze.

The commander only smiled at him as he fired.