A Dangerous Game

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"The fact that I can get Ellery to stay at home means I could have done it differently." Fredrich countered easily. His eyes narrowed when Daniel continued defending his claim. "So you decided to be the one to get in Nobutaka's firing range, is that it? What makes you strong? You haven't been an assassin for a week, you just recently got your first solo kill. What made you think you could have taken out a target I can't even take out?" he said in a louder tone, but it wasn't to yelling yet.

 

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Daniel hesitated, then bowed his head in defeat and sighed. "I wasn't thinking, alright? All I knew was that you nearly died, and I can't... I can't lose another dad." Crossing his arms, the teen turned his body a different direction, refusing to look at Fredrich. "You were really out of it, so I couldn't ask you for orders. All I could do was sit there and wait for the all-clear, and I just couldn't do that. I had to do something."

Outside the door, Ellery stood with his hand over his heart, listening quietly. Daniel was scared? Was that really why he'd done what he did?

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Fredrich stayed quiet for a moment, allowing the boy to wallow in his shame. Then, finally, he spoke.
"I'm not going to say anything I'm sure you haven't already heard." he said. His deep voice was still cold, but there was a gentle undertone. "You were reckless, and you've paid for it. Take a couple days to get your mind together." He reached to his bedside table and picked up the gloves that were there instead of over his hands. Looking his son dead in the eyes, he handed him the gloves. "These gloves are special. Whenever you run out of ammo or can't reach your gun, these will provide you with one. You must use them while I'm here. You will help support the family as well as Julian's hospital bills." Light shined off his glasses. "Until I'm better, you're going to be the Nightingale."

 

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"Wh-what?" Daniel took the gloves, turning them over in his hands several times before nervously gulping. The gloves, although older than himself, looked to be in perfect condition, the leather soft and smooth. If he'd held them closer, he knew he would be able to smell the combination of history and leather, and with shaky hands, he slid the gloves onto his fingers. Already, they were a perfect fit. He clenched and unclenched his fingers, looking down at the powerful gloves now on his finally unshaking hands, then looked up to his father. He wasted little time in bowing respectfully, closing his eyes. "Thank you, Father."
"NO!" cried Ellery as he burst into the room, zooming in to Fredrich's side and grasping his hand. "Fredrich, he's not ready!" he pleaded, beautiful green eyes filling with tears. He couldn't have another person he loved be put into a hospital.

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The detective kept his gaze on Daniel when Ellery ran in. "It's not about whether he's ready or not, Ellery. Time's not giving us the luxury to wait." He finally looked over at his lover. "The Nightingale can't stop while I'm here. I already have a few people suspicious of me. I don't know what exactly happened to Julian, but if it's made Daniel this way then it means it was bad, and that means Cameron's not going to be willing to do anything for us for a while." He looked at Daniel. "Don't talk to him, either. I'm not sure how Liam is, but Cameron's not going to bother with you. Be careful about what missions you pick. Pick ones requested by feeble people that only want other feeble people out, no senators or celebrities, I don't care how much they're willing to pay." He began listing the key things his son was to do in his new position.

 

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The blonde nodding, writing the list down in his mind and taking great care with listening intently. He didn't even look over to his mother, whose tears were falling already. While each rule ran through his mind, he also set to work removing the idea of killing Nobutaka. It wouldn't do any good for them right then, and his father was right: he had to do what was best for the family, and that was to be careful. It wasn't until after Fredrich's list ended that he noticed his mother's tears, and the male circled to bed to pull the petite male into his arms. "Mother," he tried to say soothingly. "Everything is going to be alright, I promise. I'll follow all the rules, just like Dad's told me, and I'll be safe. Just... Just don't cry."
But Ellery pushed out of his son's arms, backing away from the bed. "How can I not when I know this will only end with one of you dead?" he spat tearfully, holding his waist as he walked swiftly out of the room and into a vending machine area.
The newly-appointed assassin sighed, looking back to Fredrich. "Should I go talk to him?"

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"Not now." Fredrich said, eyes closed. "He knew what he was getting himself into when he became my partner. Today must have been overwhelming for him, give him the night to rest and think about it, then talk to him. I'll talk to him myself when he comes back in." When he opened his eyes, the cold vortexes had vanished and were now soft, fatherly eyes. "What exactly happened to Julian?" he asked, expecting the full story.

 

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The teen flinched at the name, bowing his head a little in shame. It took a minute before he could begin to speak, and when he finally did, his voice was small and quiet. He told Fredrich everything, not leaving out a single detail about the date at the restaurant, the beautiful man Julian chatted with, the hours int he love hotel, and most importantly, the moment Julian realized the gunman and pushed Danial out of the way. He carried on to the part about what he'd heard the doctor say, and that Cameron was supposed to be bringing in Grandfather Decius, who he knew would also blame him. With a sigh, Daniel finally stopped talking and looked back up at his father, his blue eyes mirroring the eyes of the child he'd once been, filled with pain and regret beyond his years. "It was all my fault."

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Fredrich listened intently, nodding now and then to show that he was listening. When Daniel was done he was met with silence. The only thing that made sound was the intercom in the hospital that echoed for nurses to go to certain sections of the building.
"I can understand some of that pain." the Austrian said. "I was around your age when I took this position. Your aunt, the original Nightingale, asked me to be the next assassin after her. I didn't know what to say. I couldn't kill people, but she was the only family I had." He paused to glanced out the window. "My doubts made me too slow, and I paid for it with her life. She got shot as she waited for my answer. And by Nobutaka's father, no less." He turned back to his son. "The point is, I know what position you're in, how helpless you feel. The only thing you can do is protect the family secret and be the Nightingale. Do it for me, for your mother, and, most importantly, Julian."

 

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"But what if I fail?" he burst out after his father finished speaking. "What if I mess up and someone else gets hurt, except this time, they die? I don't think I'd end up telling anyone about what I am, but Nobutaka knows who I am,and who you are, and he's already gotten past me twice." In a rare show of affection, the blonde set one gloved hand over his father's, concerned blue eyes watching navy ones. "I can't lose you both. It would destroy me."

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"Fear of death is something we'll always have to live with. It's why I made sure to be alone for the most of my life." Fredrich said before smiling softly. "But your mother was damn persistent. Spending time with him and you, I realized I would rather have had memories of you then to have never met you at all." He set his hand on Daniel's arm reassuringly. "If you lose us you lose us, there's nothing you can do about that, but at least you had us to begin with. Those memories will get you farther than any amount of skill or wit."

 

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"And if I lose Julian?" he asked. "Liam and Cameron won't even let me see him. Liam even tried to beat me up in the waiting room after he caught sight of me! And you should've seen how Cameron treated Mom. What're we going to do about them?" This question was more about what Fredrich was going to do, as the only person who could really bring about peace between the families.

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Fredrich suddenly grew weary. True he wanted something to do rather than stay stuck in this bed all day, but settling fights among the adolescents was something he was hoping to take a break from.
"As I said earlier, steer clear of them for a few days, nor more than a week. My best guess is that they'll ignore your existence or try to find a way to guilt trip you. I'll have Ellery talk to Liam, and I'm sure Cameron will come in some time to yell my ear off. I'll manage to calm him down enough to have him not attack you when he sees you. As for Julian," His expression softened. "No matter what that family does, keep visiting him. If what the doctor says is true then the person Julian needs to hear from the most is his first and closest friend."

 

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Daniel nodded with a small smile, memories of Julian flying through his mind. One memory, however, suddenly appeared in his mind, and it was very, very old. "Didn't you have to go through this kind of thing with Mom?" he asked, tilting his head as he tried to remember what he'd been told of the incident. "I think Mom said that it happened while I was with Uncle Lock in Korea, but all he said was that Liam hurt him and you nearly killed Liam in return."

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Fredrich glanced sideways as the thought filled his head as well. "Yes. It was before your mother and I became an item, the same for Cameron and Liam. Liam was a murderer known as The Surgeon, famous for dissecting all his victims and taking their organs. He kidnapped your mother one day and I hunted him down as fast as I could. Those very gloves helped me save him." he said, nodding at the leather gloves know adorning his son's hands. It was also the reason he wanted Daniel to keep a look out on Julian. He had a feeling Nobutaka wanted to see the dead body himself, and if he saw that Julian was still alive... He couldn't tell Daniel. A thirst for revenge would erupt in him again.