Royally Flushed

Shame

~Daniel~

Having her in front of him was like a sweet torture, a temptation that was just in arm's reach but still a million miles away.

He hadn't known what he was thinking, trapping her in the classroom like he had, but he didn't see any other way to get her to listen to him and what he had to say.

He hadn't even gotten halfway through his story before one of his handlers called him and disrupted the silence around them, giving her the upper hand and she took him to the ground with more force than he'd expected from her.

Louis and his guard showed up not long after she'd called them from his phone and had taken out his partner who had been standing watch in front of the classroom.

And then they were hauling him through the hallways past onlookers with a busted bleeding nose and swollen purple eye. That Gordon could pack a punch.

"Why did you do it, huh?"

He didn't know who was asking the question but suddenly he was in the back on a car with his hands tied together with plastic zip ties.

"I just wanted to tell her the truth, she's in danger..."

He couldn't keep his eyes open, knowing that he probably had a concussion from where his head had hit the ground after the initial first punch.

"He's passing out, we'll just have to question him when we get to Adler and Son's."

"What's Adler and Son's?"

He heard her voice, bright and shining through his hazy consciousness. Malia was in the same car with him, only a few inches away.

"It's Gordon's security firm. He figured it would be smart to take Daniel there for some more interrogation tactics that our government might not necessarily approve of."

Louis, he could tell by his voice. So he wanted to torture information out of Daniel? That seemed a little counterproductive considering he was willing to tell them whatever they needed to know in exchange for safety for him and his family, he knew Louis would keep Malia safe so he didn't have to worry about that too much, but they didn't know about Robert yet. They needed to know.

"Robert- he's-"

His lungs were on fire and remembered the sharp kicks he had sustained while resisting being hauled away, it was instinct.

"What did he just say? Robert?"

The car became increasingly quiet and he hoped that his words had gotten across as important, because he didn't have much in him before he passed out.

"He's here."

*******

~Malia~

Seeing Daniel in the state he was in on the car ride was something I never thought I would ever have to see. It was one thing to have damage done to yourself, but an entirely different experience to see it done to someone else.

My own blood spilling out onto the ground beside me was something that I could understand, something my mind could comprehend, but when it came to Daniel and seeing his bloody lip and the constant flying of red spittle out of his mouth with each wracking cough, I almost couldn't stand it.

I had been sitting at one of the desks in the classroom when Louis and Gordon had stormed in like an entire army despite only being two people.

Fury seized Louis' eyes and I could tell he was seeing red. Gordon rushed Daniel first and forced his arms behind his back but Louis was the one to punch his lights out, the sound of his fist connecting with his face making a resounding crack throughout the entire room, and I flinched and looked away, not wanting to see the violence perpetuated on someone I used to care so much for.