#13: The Assassins

So fighting Ninja Pirates — not my idea of fun. I could hardly hit a single pirate as their ninja-reflexes helped them leap out of the way of my fire blasts. Jon was working overtime to drench the ninjas in water to aid in Hannah electrocuting them and to freeze their feet to the deck so Mitch and I could do our thing. Doctor Captain Commander Steve the Brick was sitting like a lump on the log off in the corner, trying to trip up any ninja pirate that came his way.

I singed off a pirate’s beard and he cried, "Oweee!"

Soon, the ninja pirates had us back to back, completely surrounded. We were all exhausted from trying keep up. Perhaps it was time to surrender. Just as I was about to lay down my saxophone, we heard a distant eagle caw.

"Daddy?" Hannah exclaimed and confusion, scanning the skies.

But the threat didn’t come from the skies. As we were distracted searching for our supposed back up, ninja pirates were dropping like flies. All around us, people in white hoods were tackling the pirates and jamming hidden blades into their throats. Before Hannah, Mitch, Jon, Doctor Captain Commander Steve the Brick or I knew it, all of the Ninja Pirates were dead and we are encircled by numerous white-hooded people.

Gizmo was at the door for captain's quarters, looking stunned.

The eldest of the white-hooded people pointed at her and three others immediately chased after her. Before they could reach her however, she jumped overboard. The white-hooded people left her alone, considering that we were currently in the middle of the Pacific.

With the threat neutralized, the eldest hooded person approached us and said in a deep silky voice, with an amazingly attractive Italian accent, "I am Ezio Auditore da Firenze. Are you all right?"

Completely stunned, we nodded, mouths agape.

"What are you?" Hannah asked in amazement.

"We are assassins, devoted to fighting corruption and protecting the innocent," Ezio explained. "This is the G3 Creative Writing class. They are trained in the ways of the assassin and are part of my Brotherhood. The Praying Mantis Baby destroyed their home and they seek to liberate it."

Mitch nodded slowly. "Okay. But what brings you here?"

"We have been researching ways to kill praying mantis babies and have documented it in the Federal Air Marshal Handbook; a.k.a., the gospel of all things Federal Marshal. One of our fellow assassins was killed in an airplane on the way here. The book was taken from him. We wanted back."

Hannah gasped and whipped out a book. "I was on the flight! I have the book."

"Molto bene," Ezio said, obviously relieved.

"So wait," I said, trying to process this. "You know how to kill praying mantis babies?"

He nodded. "Sì."

We dropped to her knees and full out begged, "TEACH US!"

"All right, but first you'll need to become assassins. For that, you will need my training, dedication, discipline, and skill. You must follow our creed."

I giggled happily, jumping up and down clapping my hands, but Hannah and Mitch withdrew the right hands suspiciously.

"You don't do that thing are cutting thing anymore, right?" Hannah asked.

"No — is not necessary anymore."

I did an excited fist-pump and declared, "Let's get training!"

And so, over the next few months, we trained vigorously under the great Ezio Auditore. For every lesson of the body we learned, there were several more of the mind. There were so many ways to kill a praying mantis baby, but the true fight was defeating The Praying Mantis Baby. In that, we learn that teamwork was important.

Finally, near the end of December, our training was finished. Hannah, Mitch, Jon and I (Doctor Captain Commander Steve the Brick had to go back to his naval ship) stood before an audience of other Assassins.

"Nothing is true; everything is permitted," we repeated in unison.

From a roaring fire, Ezio withdrew a blacksmiths clamp, glowing red-hot. We extended our hands and Ezio burned the Assassin symbol on our fingers, forever designating us as Assassins.

"Let the liberation begin!" Ezio declared.