Nora fired the flare into the air, and Deacon simultaneously tossed a flash-bang in the direction of the attacking raiders. Then, they started running.

"Just a little further." she urged when Deacon started slowing down. "Keep going."

He did keep going, but he was struggling. The flash-bang should have been enough to confuse the raiders for a while, but they would catch up soon. Finally he stopped.

"I can't..." he said.

"Yes you can." she urged, but pulled him off the path near another outcropping of rocks. "It literally is just around that bend over the hill. The path narrows a little, then widens out and we're in front of the bunker."

"Might as well be in China." he said, sitting down. "You go. I'll hold them off."

"No. Absolutely not."

"So we're BOTH going to die? What kind of sense does that make? Get out of here. Too many people are depending on you."

"Are you fucking KIDDING me right now?"

He looked up at her with an incredulous expression, made all the more infuriating by the fact that she couldn't see his eyes. Those fucking patrolman shades.

"Do I look like I'm kidding you? Besides, what are you going to do, carry me?"

"No, but I will."

Nora turned around suddenly, prepared to strike with the blade that psychopath Pickman had given her, but pulled back when she saw Paladin Danse.

She never thought she would be so happy to see his arrogant synth ass, but right now, she was so relieved she could cry.

"Thank GOD."

"What's the problem?"

"He got sucker punched by a power fist earlier. Got the breath knocked out of him. Insists his stubborn ass is OK but he's getting worse."

"Well, let's not discuss it out here." He turned to Deacon. "Are you going to walk, or am I carrying you? Your choice."

Deacon sighed and dropped his head in defeat.

"OK. If you're going to gang up on me. I don't want the karma of getting all three of us killed."

"Nobody is getting killed today," Nora said, offering him a hand up. This time, he accepted her help.

"At least not one of us," Danse offered as he suddenly started spraying bullets in the direction of the approaching raiders who had found them again. While Danse gave them cover, they took off running in the direction of the bunker.

"Come on, Danse!" she yelled as they reached the crest of the hill. He gave one more good spray of bullets then came after them.