TITLE: The Price of Brotherhood
CHAPTER: 7
AN: Figured it was time to say something here. I began this story, long before I successfully romanced Danse. That's why I've played a bit fast and loose with dialogue and situations. Besides, you don't want to read a story regurgitated from the game. You already know that story, right? Enjoy.
"Brother, I go; I'll win them, fear it not."
William Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part III
Danse rose up on his forearms listening to the sounds rising from the first sounds broke them apart, but it took several seconds longer to let go. He'd spent the last minutes marveling at the array of sensations waiting for him after his orgasm.
Like good soldiers, Arsen and Danse dressed quickly. Dragging their clothes over languid muscles, the scent of sex lingered in the air and chests heaved with exertion. The sticky results of their lust still clinging to their skin stretched between them like an imaginary thread that might break with the slightest of pressure.
When the Knights charged into the room, they found Arsen and Danse fully clothed and battle ready. Paladin Danse didn't kid himself. He was in trouble and although a novel experience he knew the repercussions wouldn't be. Before the Knights lead him away, he caught Arsen's eye.
"I love you, too." he mouthed. The blow of a minigun into his hip brought his attention back to the Knights.
"Paladin Arsen, you are to report to Elder Maxson before nightfall. Understood?" The Knight's tone sent a sliver of ice down his spine.
There's no question that he will obey, but in his mind a thought floated unbidden, What now? What small infraction had they stumbled over? His eyes remained on Danse, his hands still reaching as if he wondered how Danse's body fell from his grip.
"Understood."
The sounds of the vertibird drifted into the distance. Taffington Boathouse faded into what it was, a broken down house with broken windows and rotting timber. Arsen dropped to the bed and smoothed his hand over the sheet. The action reminded him of what transpired between them just an hour ago. He should wash before he returned back to the Prydwen. Danse may need him and whatever testimony Maxson required to satisfy his suspicions.
Arsen moved slowly reluctant to leave. Only his concern for Danse got him moving. Arsen scrubbed himself and slipped on his BOS fatigues. With a last look round, Arsen slipped into his power armor.
The airport shimmered under the afternoon sun. Paladin Arsen entered the unnaturally quiet grounds of the old airport and headed straight for a vertibird. Not one of the guards nodded or spoke to him. In fact, he thought they turned away. Arsen climbed into the waiting vertibird and quickly ascended to the Prydwen.
The clang of his boots on the deck sounded more like the sound of a rifle shot. Just a few days ago, they stood right there and finally acknowledged there was something between them that was more than mere soldier comradery. Where was Danse now? In with Maxson or chatting in the Galley? Proctor Teagan. He's talking to Proctor Teagan.
Arsen rounded the ladder, and his stomach slid into his throat. Maxson stood with his face a mask and with his head bowed stood Paladin Danse between two Knights.
"Paladin Danse," he called quietly.
Maxson stepped in quickly, "You were told to report to me."
"Yes, sir. Paladin Arsen reporting as ordered." Arsen pulled himself to attention but kept his eyes on Danse. What is happening? Every instinct warned him something was going down, something wrong.
"Danse, what's going on? Talk to me."
"I will not warn you again, Paladin Arsen."
Better to stay quiet for the moment. Let the situation play out. And hadn't he learned that from Danse? Arsen sucked in a lungful of air and willed himself to stillness.
"The data you gathered at the Institute proved quite useful. Please don't bother lying to me about how you failed to notice the list of runaway synths."
"I haven't lied about anything, Elder. I may have scanned the data as it downloaded, but I had more important things to do than read science reports. Like staying alive."
Maxson waved him away. You were doing your job, Knight. It has come to our attention that Paladin Danse is not what he seems. I blame myself. I recruited him. I mentored him. But even I did not see the truth."
Not what he seems? Why is Maxson discrediting Danse?
"Danse. What's going on? Look at me."
The butt of a rifle on this lower back reminded him to stay quiet.
Maxson went on as if nothing happened. "You are not to blame," he said directing his laser stare toward Arsen. If I couldn't identify him, how could you be expected to?"
"What is going on?" The next blow took him drove him to his knees. The power armor clanking on the cold deck.
"Paladin Danse is, to put it bluntly, a synth."
"What?" Arsen's mind blanked. No...no...that can't be the truth. Arsen swayed as the deck seemed to tilt. No, he will not believe it. This can't be about their relationship. Hadn't he seen Haylen and Rhys going at it?
"DNA evidence confirmed the report. Danse is at this moment stripped of his rank and power armor. Get this thing out of my sight."
Once the room was empty Arsen climbed to his feet. His mind in turmoil he didn't hear Maxon's words. Didn't want to hear them. He'd just had sex with a synth. Allowed a synth hands to touch him...to penetrate… bile rose, and Arsen gagged on it.
While Arsen struggled to compose himself a call over the ship's comms shattered the quiet.
"Man overboard. Repeat, man overboard. Paladin Danse jumped over the side. Repeat, Paladin Danse escaped."
"Put the airport on alert. Find him now."
"Elder Maxson, what are you thinking? He's the bravest… you can't just throw him away."
"We are aware of the perverted relationship between you and the synth. But it's inadvisable for you to defend it. However, to renew your loyalty to me and confirm your dedication to the Brotherhood your next mission is to rid the Commonwealth of one more synth. You will kill Danse and cleanse the Brotherhood of his taint. Report to Cambridge Police Station for further instructions."
Kill him?
His vision blurred. He managed a, "Yes, sir." Before he made it outside to vomit over the side of the catwalk.
Scribe Haylan was standing at his side when he recovered. A bottle of purified water appeared in his peripheral vision.
"Thank you, Haylen."
"Please tell me you won't hold this against, Paladin Danse?"
"You have to ask?"
Haylen sighed in relief and gestured for Arsen to follow her. She didn't stop until they were hidden behind a stack of crates.
She turned tear-filled eyes to him, "I understand you'll have to kill him. But, take me with you so I can say goodbye…and he shouldn't be alone. He won't fight it. Then…afterwards we can give him a proper burial."
Arsen held out his arms to her, and she walked into his embrace. "I won't let it go that far, Haylen. I couldn't," he murmured against her hair. "Do you know where he is? We can't protect him from here."
"Do you mean it?"
"You know I do," Arsen said, wiping her tears away with the pads of his thumbs.
"Then let's get down to the police station."
The police station yielded fresh horrors. Inside, Scribe Rhys was taking odds on how much longer Danse would be allowed to live. The scribes lounged in chairs and laughed with him. It wasn't until he referred to Danse as a boil on the ass of the Brotherhood of Steel that Arsen hit him. And damn, hadn't that felt good. Arsen watched the sanctimonious little prick go down in a spray of blood. The scribes stopped laughing.
"If I hear you say another word against Paladin Danse I'll tear your head off. Every single one of you learned from Danse. How can you turn on him? Like he was nothing but a…"
"He is a synth, Knight Arsen and you would do well to remember that,"
Arsen rounded on the Knight Captain entering the room.
"That's rich coming from you. If it hadn't been for Danse, you'd still be drowning in moonshine and selling sex toys in Goodneighber. So, fuck you. No. Sorry. Fuck you, sir."
Arsen bounced off the wall as he stumbled down the stairs. Outside, all eyes were on him as he tried to decide what to do. Haylen made the decision for him when she followed him down the stairs.
"Get away from me, Haylen. Don't you understand? They'll think you're helping us."
Haylen threw her arms around Arsen as If she were giving him an innocent hug. One of the guards muttered 'get a room.'
Arsen buried his face against her wool hat. "Tell me where his is or take me to him."
When his pip-boy dinged, Haylen, grabbed the front of his armor and whispered urgently, "Take care of him." Before running up the steps and disappearing into Cambridge Police Station.
They ordered me to kill him…
