DON'T READ THIS CHAPTER! I HAVE DECIDED THAT I WANT TO KEEP THE STORY HOW IT WAS PREVIOUSLY! I'M REALLY SORRY THAT I KEEP CHANGING MY MIND, BUT I PROMISE THIS IS THE LAST TIME AND I AM GOING TO KEEP WORKING AT IT! THE OLD EDITED CHAPTERS WILL BE UP SOON! I'M REALLY SORRY :(

A/N: Hi, everyone! So, the chapter will not be that exciting or written like I normally would, since I haven't written anything in little over a month now (I think :/). Also, please don't get annoyed at the changes to my writing or the changes to Valencia and the new OC's; I'm really sorry if you preferred them the way they originally were. Anyway, thanks for the support I got from people after I said that I would be taking some time of to focus on exams and the reassuring messages they sent me (only three more exams to go! XD). Also, the updates will not be in a regular pattern until I have completely finished.

Anyway, it's good to be back!

Chapter One

The lights in the classroom were dimmed and no natural source of light could be found due to the cloudy sky that hovered just outside, casting a foreboding feel to everything it touched. Tiny flecks of rain splattered against the windowpane, causing the apparently asleep girl to look up and frown, as if angered that something inanimate had disturbed her.

But it was more than that; her green eyes searched for the site of disturbance, before she noticed the rain. Her body gradually relaxed to the point where she was slumped in her plastic blue chair, with her head resting on the wall behind her. She flicked a black wave behind her ear before absentmindedly rubbing the scar on her left cheek.

Just then, the silence of the room was shattered by the shrill ringing of her mobile and she reached into her pocket in annoyance, groaning when she saw the name of her sister on the screen.

"Yes, Athena?" she asked innocently as she drummed her fingers on the table.

"Don't 'Yes, Athena?' me, Valencia! Why didn't you wait for me to take you to school? You know how I feel about you going alone!" Athena cried.

Valencia sighed and leant forwards, resting her forehead against the cold wood of the table and closed her eyes. Sure, sister had a right to be worried, but she didn't need to be coddled all the time; she had enough of that when she returned home after a long day at school.

"I can handle myself, Athena" Valencia sighed as she rubbed her eyes in annoyance.

"I know, but don't forget the Templars are out to get every assassin, which includes you. Don't keep acting like a child"

"So, they're out to get us and you call me when I'm at school to talk about them? Don't you think that's more dangerous than me going out alone?"

"Point taken. Just don't do it again; they have spies everywhere"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever" Valencia snapped just before she hung up.

Just then, the bell rang and the door slammed open to reveal the teacher and the other students in the class. Valencia sighed and closed her eyes; another day stuck in a room full of people she had known for at least five years, and only one she had known since nursery. He was the only one she liked, or at least tolerated.

"Hey, Michael" she greeted as he dropped into the seat beside her. He turned his head to look at her with his too cheery smile as he pushed the glasses up his nose and slammed his books down. Michael dragged one hand through his brown hair before responding.

"Hi"

"What did you do yesterday?"

"History research, that kind of thing"

"Hmm"

Valencia turned to look at the front, her left hand cupping her cheek as she slowly let her eyes drift close and drowned out the sound of her teacher.

.:~:.

"…and he even knew Leonardo Da Vinci! Can you believe that?"

Valencia's green eyes snapped open and she turned to give Michael an apologetic look. By now, he was completely used to her spacing out, so he didn't really take much offence from it.

"Sorry, what?"

"I'm talking about assassins!"

"Um…yeah, well maybe that isn't the best thing to be talking about. Find something else to be obsessive over, okay?"

She looked forwards after seeing his shocked expression, but she wasn't going to take back what she had said; after all, it was true. It was a dangerous topic and anyone the Templars thought were sympathising with their enemy would be jailed, tortured, even murdered.

"Funny thing for you to be worried about, Mara!" the girl in front of her snickered as her friends backed her up.

"No one asked for your fucking opinion, so how about you turn round and shut the fuck up, because I don't want to associate myself with idiots like you"

"Bitch!"

"Whore!"

"One day", the girl whispered as she leaned dangerously close to Valencia "those Templars are going to get you, and I'll be waiting with some popcorn when they do"

Valencia stood fast, causing her chair to fall to the ground with a crash. She grabbed the girl by the front of her school jumper, ignoring the shouts from the teacher and the murmuring from around the class that followed. She dragged the girl forwards, so that her face was inches from her own.

"If I were you, I wouldn't throw around false assumptions; you might get an innocent hurt. And we wouldn't want that now, would we?" Valencia breathed as the girl began to shake in her grip.

"N-no"

"Then I suggest that you keep that cunning little mouth of yours closed and watch who you're speaking to. After all, who knows where my allegiance lies?"

Valencia released her grip by shoving the offender backwards so hard that her back hit the table and she flew over it and landed in a whimpering heap on the floor. Without missing a beat, she grabbed her bag and pushed past Michael, before making her way out of the room. She ignored the faces of the students, barely glanced back at the teacher who had an odd satisfied look on his face.

.:~:.

"Are you okay?"

Valencia looked up at the sound of her best friend's voice as she slumped against the wall. Her lessons had come and gone and now it was the end of the day. She just wished she could've gone back to that girl and teach her a more forceful lesson, but that wouldn't have accomplished anything other than personal satisfaction.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, I know you have a temper, but that girl barely said anything that could've pissed you off"

"Whatever. I'd rather not talk about it"

Valencia sighed as she spun on her heels and marched towards the school gates, with Michael hot in pursuit. Her bag swung on her shoulder and her black hair blew in the wind; she wouldn't have suspected that the moment she rounded the corner, that she would've walked straight into a trap.

She stopped dead, throwing her arm out to stop her friend as the men advanced on the pair. Valencia's eyes narrowed and she surveyed her surroundings, before observing the men around her to check their weapons and the possible damage they can do.

"It would seem that we have caught another fool assassin. Pity, I would've thought it would've a lot more difficult than this" the leader mocked as he slowly advanced on the two student's positions.

"Valencia? What is he talking about?" Michael whispered as he tried in vain to push her behind him.

"I'll explain later" she replied. I'm going to have to, anyway, by the looks of it, she thought to herself.

"Just do as I say, when I say" she continued as she slowly removed her bag and handed it to her companion.

"How about you let me pass? No? Shame" Valencia retorted the group of hunters around them. Before anyone could grab her, she ran forwards with all her might and tackled the guy who was directly in her line of path.

"Run! Follow me!" Valencia commanded as she grabbed her best friend's slightly sweaty hand and pulled him along beside her as they took off at a sprint. She kept them to the shadows and grabbed her bag from Michael so that she could rummage through her bag. Valencia grabbed the poor stitching that she had made at the bottom of the bag and yanked it hard enough for the material to break and reveal her hidden throwing knives.

"Well, these will have to do" she whispered to herself.

"What the heck?! Why the fuck do you have knives in your bag?! Why are we being chased?!"

"Be quiet! Sorry; I promise I'll explain everything later, but if you want to live, you'll just have to trust me"

"I do trust you, but-!"

"No 'buts', just do as I say" she hissed as she dragged him into an alleyway and pushed him against one of the dirty walls. Valencia pulled her phone from her bag, before slinging it over her shoulder in a position that it wouldn't fall off whilst she was running.

"Okay, soon I'm going to leave you somewhere safe. I'll need you to call my sister after I've gone; she'll come and pick you up. I'll text her to let her know"

When Michael calls from my phone, come and pick him up and take him to the base. Don't ask questions, because now he's in danger and he deserves to know exactly why. Wait until I get back to say anything.

Valencia handed him the phone once she had done and tried her best to ignore the lack of emotion on his face; he was in shock, that much was clear to her, but she didn't have time to try to make him feel better about the situation. She took his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, before starting their sprint all over again.

Valencia checked her surroundings before her eyes fell upon a small inconspicuous café. She dragged Michael towards it, before pushing him into a seat.

"You'll be safe here and I'll tell you why later. Take this money and call my sister as soon as I turn my back"

"But-!"

"We don't have enough time for you to be arguing me! Just do as I say!"

His brown eyes searched her green ones for a while, before he finally nodded in defeat and slumped in his chair. Uncharacteristically, she patted the top of his in an attempt to comfort him and ease his worries.

"See you later, okay?" Valencia smiled as she turned and ran back into the street and turned a corner, waiting for the Templars to finally catch up with her.

.:~:.

Valencia crouched low on top of a building and gripped her knives tightly in her hand as she watched the Templars hunting her enter the abandoned car park. She leant closer and closer to the edge in order to observe them closely.

"She can't have gone far. The boss will be angry if we lose her" one of them was saying as he looked into the shadows on the ground, unaware that the teenage assassin that was soon to bring them to their deaths was watching them like a hawk. She took in every moment, even if was a seemingly unconscious one, for everything mattered in these circumstances.

"Say good night" Valencia whispered as she swiftly flicked her wrist and sent a blade flying into his jugular. He fell to the ground with a strange gargling sound as she dropped down beside him and rapidly flipped out of the way.

"We will stop you, assassin, even if it's the last thing we do"

"Pity…because trying to kill me is going to be the last thing you do" she sneered in response as she ran forwards and drove a blade into his neck. Their shouts filled the air around her and she ducked as one of them launch towards her.

She kicked out, causing him to flip over onto his back before throwing a blade downwards into his heart. Valencia turned just in time to deflect a blade and turn it on his owner, who died with a shocked look still on his face. She didn't notice the last one lunge out of the shadows at her and brandish his blade until it pierced her shoulder and knocked her to the floor in shock. She rolled out of the way, but he kicked her in the face. Blood dribbled from her nose and lip as she slowly stood up, watching him cautiously all the time.

"You'll pay for what you've done here" he breathed as he walked almost casually towards her, like he had no care in the world.

"Unlikely" Valencia snapped as she raised her blades in defence.

"We shall see, shan't we?"

She rolled out of his way as he ran towards her and then ducked to dodge another attack. He unleashed attack after attack on her, getting more and more annoyed every time she dodged his blade or deflected it.

"I didn't realise the Assassin's employed such cowardly apprentice's"

"Well, the Templars can't such much if they all received the same training as you did" she sneered as she kicked his blade out of the way and lunged forwards, driving her blade into his heart.

"Looks like the only one who paid was you bunch of worthless Templars" Valencia spat, before turning and leaving the pile of bodies behind her.