08/03/2017 - In the debut issue of this celebratory series, Templar agent Otso Berg’s Animus research leads him to 15th Century Florence, and the memories of the legendary figure Ezio Auditore da Firenze. In a final meeting with his good friend, Leonardo da Vinci, the Assassin shares a treasured moment from his past involving one of the Italian artist’s most famous subjects…
2017: Otso Berg enters his private study office at Abstergo Montreal. As part of his activities as the Black Cross, he must take on the teachings of the Assassins, and learn how to graft their skills and knowledge onto himself. To this end, he seeks to better his understanding of the Brotherhood by looking at some of their most famous members. He starts by opening the file of Ezio Auditore Da Firenze.
1519: Amboise, France. An ailing Leonardo da Vinci lies in bed. A servant tries to serve food to him, but he refuses and requests that it is given to a poor soul in the streets. As the servant leaves and closes the door, Ezio reveals himself from his hiding place behind it. They embrace and discuss Leonardo's fading health. Leo requests that they talk as old friends, and that Ezio tell a secret to him.
Ezio begins the story of how he met the legendary 'Mona Lisa' - Lisa Gherardini in 1504. Injured in a battle outside of Firenze, he awoke to find himself tied up in a barn - where Lisa had nursed him back to health and dressed his wounds. She compares his tying up to how animals were snared for their protection, to which Ezio remarks that he must be her fox. Over time the two became close, but as she was already married the two could not truly reflect each other's feelings. He eventually left to once more battle for the Brotherhood.
A year later, Ezio discovered that Cesare Borgia had ordered a hit squad upon Leonardo to end his life. Intercepting the goons, Ezio managed to dispatch them before finding Leo at his workshop. There he walked in to find the legendary Mona Lisa painting being created, with Lisa Gherardini herself sitting motionless in pose. She looked upon Ezio - and smiled. Leo demanded she keep that pose, and furiously started painting.
With Ezio's story now ended, the older Leonardo da Vinci now lay asleep in his bed. Kissing his head, Ezio chooses his time to leave. Shortly after, the servant enters to find that the great da Vinci had passed away.[3]
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