Wait, Tuesday was a thing? Sorry!
Because Daniel was unconscious, he had to be filled in about what had happened after Professor Glas injected him with anesthesia. Dakota had picked Daniel up, careful to fold his arms across his chest to keep them from flopping around. Lunare followed behind, keeping a close eye on Professor Glas. Nieh Mehr didn't stray from Glas' figure.
By the time they got outside to the parking lot they'd left Scrapmetal in, it was as bright as day. Not because of the sun, but because of the massive spotlights set up by the police. Velvet had done her job perfectly. She ran as fast as she could to the nearest pay phone, where she called up the rest of her team who had been already looking for her. Another quick call, this time to the local police, and the entire block was cordoned off from the public. Several paramedic rescue teams were on station to receive any wounded, and several Huntsmen and Huntresses who were close enough to respond were preparing to go in and rescue the hostages when Dakota and Lunare came out with Daniel and Professor Glas. Assured that the building was secure, the paramedics rushed in and collected the rest of teams DDLN and LSTR.
Schatten had managed to get his arm back in its socket by the time they'd arrived, but elected not to pursue Professor Glas when he saw the state of the others.
Tiberius was treated for the puncture wounds caused by the scalpels, furious that his suit had been damaged by Professor Glas.
Lewis and Ryler were both unconscious when the paramedics found them but apart from a few cuts and burns on Ryler when the grenade detonated within his weapon, they were alright.
Lunare did indeed have several cracked ribs, but was otherwise unharmed. He was more concerned with Scrapmetal, which had to be hauled off to his garage to be repaired once he had recovered.
Dakota had third degree burns on his wrist where the restraint's synthetic material had melted onto his skin, as well as cuts from where he injected himself with Dust. Both would scar, but he was fine. His biggest problem was that he had reacted poorly with the chemicals Professor Glas had used to flush the dust out of his system. He managed to keep it at bay through sheer will for three whole days, but had collapsed almost immediately after handing Daniel off to the paramedics. He was currently hooked up to an IV delivering fluids to help dissipate the chemicals from his blood stream.
Excluding Daniel, Nick was the worst off. Contrary to popular belief when the Paramedics first found him, Nick did not in fact die. He had easily lost a pint of blood, but would have lost even more had the scalpel not acted as a plug and stopped most of the blood from ever leaving. The biggest damage though was to his throat. His esophagus and windpipe both needed massive surgery to repair, and his vocal chords were sliced to ribbons. The doctors assured Daniel that Nick would speak again, they were unsure how long it would take, or in what condition his voice would be in. For his stay at the hospital, Nick had a pad of paper and a bell for him to ring if he needed assistance.
This left Daniel. He had a broken arm that was actually broken in two places, the second one being when Professor Glas had hit it to subdue Daniel. Coupled with multiple puncture wounds and an artery nearly cut in two by the scalpel Professor Glas had driven into his left arm, it was a miracle he didn't die of blood loss.
The doctors had to be told about Daniel's secret. There was simply no way around it. As they drove to the hospital, Dakota filled the paramedics in on the details. To their credit, they took the news very well, assuring Dakota that while the news was highly shocking to them, they would not let it interfere with their work.
Daniel was placed in a room with Dakota and Nick on each side of him. He had been given nearly two liters of blood and his upper body was almost entirely covered with bandages. It was going to be a difficult recovery. He was alive though, and right now, that was enough for him.
This is where he was, one week later. He, Dakota, and Nick were watching the latest episode of X-ray and Vav on a projector Lunare had brought in from his garage for them. X-ray and Vav had been thrown into a cage along with the rest of their cohorts when the screen went black and the credits rolled. They'd have to wait another week to find out what happened.
"Oh come on!" Daniel complained. "They're, they're actually going to leave us right there? I can't believe this!"
"At least we know it'll be back next week," Dakota said. "That mid-season gap nearly killed me."
"Still, it seems like the guys who make X-ray and Vav love their cliffhangers way too much. All their other shows end each season on one." Daniel replied.
"It's a legitimate strategy to keep people watching just to see what the hell happens next," Dakota said as he shifted in his hospital bed, reaching over to grab the remote and turn the projector off. "I absolutely hate it."
Daniel was about to reply to this when Nick tapped him on the shoulder with a pen. He had been writing on his pad of paper the whole time while Daniel and Dakota criticized the cliffhanger, and was now offering the completed note. Daniel accepted the paper and read what Nick had written.
It is interesting to see you complain about a kids show, when just two weeks ago, you were prisoners of an insane doctor.
"What did he say?" Dakota asked, leaning over to try and read what the note said. Daniel handed the note to Dakota, who read it over before looking up and glaring at Nick. "You take that back. X-ray and Vav is not a kids show. It is a cartoon for teens and adults."
"He's got a point though," Daniel said.
"Don't even try it. You were laughing right next to me when Dragonface lost to a rock."
"No, not that part," Daniel corrected. "It's really been a whole week since we got free."
Dakota frowned for a moment, then his eyebrows shot up to his hair. "Damn, it has been, hasn't it? Feels like a freaking lifetime ago."
"Yeah, about that," Daniel began, but Dakota cut him off.
"Dude, I know what you're going to say. Just stop apologizing for what you did. It was kind of freaky, and I nearly crapped my pants when I saw your eyes, but if it wasn't for whatever the hell you did, we may've lost you. So don't beat yourself up about it. Let's just hope it never happens again."
"It's not about that," Daniel said. "It's about what you said. Right when I was about to kill Professor Glas, you stopped me and said it was a road I didn't want to go down. Why?"
Dakota sighed and lowered his head. "That's a lesson I learned the hard way from the biggest mistake of my life."
"I'm sorry," Daniel hastily retracted. "I shouldn't have-"
"No, it's alright." Dakota said. "I've been meaning to tell everyone anyways. It's something you all should know." Dakota reached over to a glass of water on a bedside table. He took a long drink from it before continuing. "I told you all that I left Vlad's gang because I got sick of them. I don't think I ever told you what the final straw was. About a month before I came to Beacon, there was a really bad turf war. Worst one I'd ever seen, and I've seen some ugly turf wars. A supermarket had just opened up right on the edge of another gang's turf. Problem was, they already had a supermarket to use without paying tribute to another gang; while we had none. Vlad decided that since the other gang had two, they should share one with us. And by share, he meant give it up for our full use."
Dakota gave a humorless laugh at that. "As you can expect, it didn't go over well with the other gang. In retaliation for us invading their territory, they invaded ours. Got in pretty deep as well; torched half of our safe houses. I was defending our last one in that neighborhood when I saw him. He was about my age, really good fighter. He had just knocked out one of our guys when I hit him in the head with my pipe. I, assumed that he had an activated Aura since he was such a good fighter. Turns out, He was just a really good fighter. The blow dented his skull a full half-inch. Two of his friends rushed him out of there, but he died before they could get him to a hospital. The other gang backed off soon after, gave us the supermarket. Vlad found out I'd killed the guy and probably won the war for us. And when he did, he congratulated me for killing a guy. Someone who just wanted to defend and protect his friends. I applied to Beacon the next day, told Vlad I was out, and never looked back." Dakota rubbed the light beard he had begun growing since he came to the hospital, and Daniel saw a tear roll down his face.
"Dakota, you okay?" Daniel asked, concerned.
"Hm?" Dakota said, not seeming to hear the question. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine. I'm ah, I'm going for a walk," he announced before swinging his legs off the bed and grabbing his IV stand. With IV in tow, he strode out of the door, disappearing into the corridor beyond.
Daniel sat in mild shock. This was a side of Dakota he had never seen before. He'd seen Dakota amused, happy, irritable, and downright pissed; but he had never seen Dakota regretful before.
He was still pondering this when there was a knock at the door. "Come in," Daniel replied, still in deep thought.
A nurse opened the door and peeked her head in. "Mr. Grigio?" she called. "Your father is here to see you."
Daniel felt like ice water had been thrown in his face. His father was here? The hospital must have contacted him. And if he was here, it wouldn't take much for him to find out where Daniel had been. Daniel felt trapped. Just as trapped as he did when Professor Glas had him strapped to the examination table.
The nurse noticed Daniel's panic and frowned. "Are you alright Mr. Grigio? If you would like, I could have your father come back."
Daniel took a deep breath and pressed his thumb and forefinger to his eyelids. "Yeah, I just, didn't expect him to be here."
"It's standard procedure to contact the legal guardian when a patient is underage. When he learned you were here, he was very insistent that he see you immediately." The nurse frowned at this, indicating she did not approve of Daniel's father.
Daniel reviewed his options. Knowing his father, putting this off for any longer, now that he knew where Daniel was, would only make things worse for Daniel. He looked over at Nick, who was watching the scene unfold with mild interest, waiting to see Daniel's response. Trapped in the bed like he was, he would not be of much use in a fight, should it come to that. Especially since he, Dakota, and Nick had their weapons had been taken from them when they were admitted. Daniel wished that Dakota was still in the room. Between Nick confined to the bed and Daniel's broken arm, Dakota was the only one who could actually put up a good fight.
"Are you certain you are well Mr. Grigio?" the nurse asked with genuine concern. "If you aren't feeling up to it, you do have every right to decline visitors."
"No, it's fine," Daniel said. "Send him in please."
The nurse disappeared from the doorway, and Daniel inhaled deeply, trying to calm his nerves. It didn't help that much.
Suddenly the door flew open, nearly denting the wall with the handle. A man stepped into the room and Daniel got the first good look of his father in over a month.
He was a large greasy man, with equally greasy wisps of graying hair on his head. He wore soiled work pants and a gray shirt Daniel was only slightly convinced started its life that color. The one difference in his appearance that Daniel noticed was that there wasn't some form of alcohol container firmly grasped within either of his hands.
"Daniel Grigio," his father growled, baring his chipped tobacco stained teeth. "Where the hell have you been?!"
"Hello father," Daniel said in a monotone voice, trying to keep his fear under control. He instantly regretted not trying the window to escape. "I'm surprised to see you sober at this hour. Have you been going to AA meetings?"
"Don't get smart aleky with me boy. You've caused me hell since you left."
"I know. It must be absolutely horrible having to do crap around the house for once," Daniel replied. He knew he really shouldn't antagonize his father, but he couldn't help it. All the anger from his father finding him was threatening to boil over. The only thing keeping it in check was his fear of pushing his father too far, making him do something he'd regret.
"I've had to deal with the police on a daily basis since you left. They think I did something to you. Killed you, sold you into slavery, anything they can think of they accuse me. And then I get a call from the chief of police, telling me my son was in the hospital after becoming a Huntsman." Daniel's father laughed sarcastically. "I thought for sure he was screwing with me. Turns out, they actually let a soulless Grimmspawn like you in."
"I don't have an Aura, but there's nothing that says I don't have a soul either. Get your facts straight Father, you told them to me after all."
His father moved suddenly, lurching over to stand right next to Daniel, his face a foot away from Daniel's. Daniel couldn't help it, he shivered at the sight.
"Do you have any idea the damage you have caused boy?" Daniel's father asked, his voice a near whisper. "What have I told you time and time again; never tell anyone what you are. And the instant you leave, you go and flaunt your sickness like its badge of pride."
"It's not a sickness father," Daniel said. "It is a part of me. I can't change it any more than a Faunus can change their appearance, or a homosexual their attractions."
"You will be shunned!" Daniel's father shouted, grasping Daniel's shoulders and shaking him. "You think for a second that people out there won't tear you to pieces the moment they realize what you truly are? If you had only listened to your father like you're supposed to, you would be safe."
Daniel looked right at his father and with all his courage said, voice trembling, "I don't know who you're trying to protect father, but it isn't me."
His father let go immediately, stepping back in the process. His nostrils flared, his eyes narrowed, and he was trembling in rage. Finally, he reached over and grabbed Daniel by the arm. "Get up. We're leaving," he ordered as he pulled Daniel from the bed.
"Ow! Dammit, let go of me!" Daniel shouted as pain shot up his arm from where he had been stabbed. He wrenched his arm free, immediately regretting the action as it caused the room to spin for him. He stumbled backwards, desperate to avoid falling on his two bad arms. He blearily looked up in time to get slapped in the face by his father.
"Don't you EVER talk back to me again! You hear me you little (Daniel's father called Daniel a word that would have curled the toe hairs of even the toughest Grimm)?" Daniel, still delirious, barely felt his father wrench him up into a standing position. As he marched him to the door, Daniel tried to resist again, but he was still weak from his fight with Glas, and the subsequent week in the hospital. Panic blossomed in his chest as they reached the door to the hall. Daniel's heart began hammering and the whispering voices returned, calling for his father's death. Daniel's father had just grasped the door handle when a metallic click sounded behind them, stopping him in his tracks.
Together they turned around to see Nick holding his revolver, pointing it at Daniel's father. How he had gotten ahold of his weapon, Daniel had no idea. Right now though, it was one of the most beautiful sights Daniel had seen all week. Nick didn't hold it very high and he struggled with the exertion, but he held it rock steady as he leveled it at Daniel's father's head. With fire and determination in his eyes Nick stared right at Daniel's father and uttered one raspy word, barely above a whisper.
"Leave."
Daniel's father eyed the revolver and the bedridden teenager with wary eyes; as if trying to decide whether or not Nick's strength could keep up. As if to prove he could keep this up, Nick grasped his revolver with his other hand, using it to raise it fully up to eye level. That was enough for Daniel's father. With a grunt of irritation, he threw down Daniel's hand and pushed him aside. "Don't think for a second your friend with the gun saved your hide boy. You will never go back to that school of yours again." And with that, he wrenched the door open and stormed into the hall beyond.
Daniel turned around and slumped against the wall. Gingerly, he moved his left hand over his chest and held it over his still rapidly beating heart. The voices had faded away once more, something that Daniel was exceptionally glad for. There was something extremely unnatural about the voices. The way he had been fully ready and willing to kill Dakota back in the warehouse still sent shivers down his spine whenever he thought about it.
Daniel looked up at Nick, who had wearily dropped the pistol on his lap, and was now coughing with the exertion of using his voice. "Thanks Nick," Daniel said. "Couldn't have done it without you."
Nick responded with a weak smile before tilting his head up to stare at the ceiling; a habit he had begun at the hospital whenever he was tired and needed sleep. Daniel sighed and struggled to get himself up. The afternoon had went to being rather laid back, to very eventful.
It was that moment that Dakota chose to reenter the room, his IV stand under his arm. He looked at Nick with a gun in his lap and beginning to doze off; to Daniel trying to get to his feet without using his arms. "What the hell did I miss?" he asked.
Another week passed before Daniel was finally released from the hospital. Dakota had been released the day after Daniel's father had arrived, and Nick was expected to spend at least another week at minimum for the doctors to attempt a surgery that would hopefully repair most of the remaining damage to his vocal chords. Daniel himself still had his arm in a cast, but he was finally able to move around without too much dizziness.
Lunare was waiting out front in a newly repaired Scrapmetal when Daniel was discharged from the hospital. He lowered the chassis of Scrapmetal to allow Daniel ease of entering and even held the passenger door open for him. "It appears we caused quite the ruckus," Lunare said as he put Scrapmetal into gear and eased out of the parking lot. "Word of Professor Glas' arrest has spread quickly through Beacon, our involvement not far behind. I have been forced to retreat within Scrapmetal's garage when not in class, lest I be bombarded by students demanding details." He looked at Daniel quite seriously. "I fear your secret might not stay as such for much longer. LSTR and I will continue to uphold our promise and keep it a secret, but even with our diligence, secrets rarely hold out under such scrutiny.
Daniel stared out at the highway flashing by and took a deep breath. "I knew it would happen sooner or later. I guess it's going to be sooner. Speaking of which," he said, turning to face Lunare, "I never got to ask what you thought of my, condition."
Lunare kept his eyes on the road as he maneuvered Scrapmetal over a smart car going only five miles over the speed limit. "All that changes between you and I is your explanation about why you have yet to participate in a sparring match at Beacon. While I wish you had confided in us earlier, I can also see your reasons for keeping the secret between you and your team."
"And Professor Ozpin," Daniel said. "He knew without me even telling. Said he liked to keep tabs on thinks people like keeping secret, or something like that."
Lunare raised his eyebrows at this, but did not pursue it. "Speaking of Professor Ozpin, he informed me before I left that he would like to speak with you once you returned." Lunare mentioned as he made Scrapmetal scale the embankment to exit the highway and reach Beacon. "I would suggest going there immediately. He made it quite clear that it was rather urgent."
Professor Ozpin was writing a report when Daniel exited the elevator and stepped into his office. He looked from the paper up and nodded at Daniel. "Please, have a seat Mr. Grigio. I will be with you in just a moment."
Daniel sat and waited while Professor Ozpin spend a couple minutes finishing the report. When he was finished, he signed it and placed it off to the side. "I apologize for the delay," he said. "Borders are rearranged, empires will fall, but paperwork will never cease to exist."
"It's alright sir," Daniel replied.
"I imagine you are wondering why instead of allowing you rest after your trying experience I instead asked that you report to me the moment you arrived," Professor Ozpin said. "Simply put, on behalf of the remaining staff here at Beacon Academy, I would like to formally apologize for the actions of one of our own. While we as Huntsmen and Huntresses try to remain above selfish urges and wants, sometimes the desire to elevate ones ambitions over others becomes too-"
"He wasn't doing it for himself sir, and you know that," Daniel interrupted. "He kidnapped me, Dakota, and Velvet to try and save the world from the Grimm. There's nothing selfish about that."
Professor Ozpin sighed and picked up his mug, taking a sip of it. "You are correct Daniel. When I interrogated Arthur Glas, he told me he was prepared to sacrifice your life as well as his credibility as a physician so as to gain knowledge about the Grimm and hopefully develop more effective means to counteract the Grimm forces. There is nothing selfish about that."
"Then why-"
"-did I try to deceive you?" Professor Ozpin finished. "Because I had hoped to be able to convince you otherwise, to ease your conscience. I suppose I forgot you are no gullible child. You are a Huntsman in training, and are soon to be a man. It was rude for me to treat you any different. I apologize for that as well."
"Can I ask you a question sir?" Daniel asked.
"Merely one question?" Professor Ozpin asked with a hint of a smile.
"Was Professor Glas right? I mean, I'm just one guy. Compared to all the lives that could be saved by what they could learn from me, I'm nothing. Was he right to sacrifice me for the greater good?"
Professor Ozpin looked Daniel directly in the eye. "It is true that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one. I would not be surprised if your vivisection revealed the answers too many questions we have of the Grimm."
"So you're saying that I should have just let Professor Glas dissect me?" Daniel asked in shock. He stood up, clutching the desk, his heart hammering, the voices-
"That is not what I am saying, Daniel." Professor Ozpin said in a commanding tone, stopping Daniel's thoughts cold. "While I would not be surprised if we learned about the Grimm from your dissection, I would also not be surprised if nothing was learned that could then be used to combat the Grimm any more effectively than we already do. Furthermore, Arthur Glas was foolish in thinking that dissection was the only way to learn about your physiology. There are many procedures that could investigate your peculiarities that did not result in your demise. Lastly," he said slightly calmer as he took a sip of coffee, "there is plenty that could be learned from simply studying with non-invasive methods."
"But-"
"Daniel, do not regret your decision to oppose Arthur Glas," Professor Ozpin said in a much calmer tone, "Right now, there is more you can do as a Huntsman than a specimen in a lab. I suggest you embrace this."
"I- yes sir," Daniel said. He wasn't completely satisfied with Professor Ozpin's answer, but for the time being, it would do.
"Good. Now, before I release you to reunite with your friends, I regret that I must again burden you with the responsibility of paperwork," Professor Ozpin said. He flipped through a stack of papers before selecting one and pulling it out. "I have here a form your father sent to me earlier this week, requesting that your status as a student at Beacon be revoked and you be returned to his custody immediately. He was quite adamant about it being immediately, as he made very clear when I called him and informed him that it was not in my ability to release you; until the hospital deemed you fit to be discharged from their care."
Daniel gulped. "Sir, with all due respect, I believe a child endangerment case could be made against his demands."
"Indeed," Professor Ozpin commented. "Unfortunately, Mr. Grigio is fully within his legal rights to have you returned to his custody, pending trial. As Headmaster, I have no choice but to sign this document and remove you as a student of Beacon." He did so with a small flourish, marking his name on the document.
"So, there's nothing you can do for me sir?" Daniel asked, panic hitting him.
"Well, in this case I believe it is possible to follow a wise quote from a not-so wise man." Professor Ozpin said with a small smile. "Certain events can take place that can ensure the paperwork never reaches his destination."
And with that, Professor Ozpin took the document and ripped it in two, dropping the two halves in the trash.
The End
Started: December 14 2014
Ended: October 21 2015 (less than a year! Wooo!)
65285 words
24 chapters
1 great story
Special thanks to Croe (not Qrow from RWBY, Croe from HOR) for the use of team LSTR, and everything about them. Without them, the story wouldn't be half as good as it is now.
And thanks to everyone whose enjoyed To Be Human, and offered good words about it.
I can assure you, this is not the end.
Teams DDLN and LSTR will return.
In To Be Human, Book 2
Until then, peace out.
And yes, Ozpin was quoting the guy from chapter four. Feel free to insert gif of supah hot fire
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