Chapter 13 – A Grand Institution

The Brotherhood may have had the resources, but Max didn't really trust them yet. Danse and Haylen were one thing but everyone else including the malignant Knight Rhys were still suspect in her opinion. Max sent word to Elder Maxson that they had an in and left it at that.

Between them, Sturges and Haylen had built the ungodly looking machine, the 'signal interceptor' with the help of the rest of Sanctuary Hills and the Minutemen. They had poured over the plans that Virgil had supplied her with and sent everyone out looking for parts.

The two techs had argued. They had argued a lot. Long and loud. They had both turned into terrifying dictators ordering everyone about without mercy, even Max and Danse hadn't gone unscathed, but they were finally satisfied with what they had constructed from the plans. Haylen and Sturges were pretty sure that Max would not be disintegrated as soon as they turned the interceptor on.

She adjusted the armour on her thigh and gathered up her meager supplies. She would be the guinea pig in this grand experiment. It was her son that she was seeking after all. She had her armour, her sidearm and her belt, full of basic supplies. Stealth was the key in this mission.

She was going to see if the interceptor would put her inside the Institute, hack a terminal, do a little recon and try to find the serum that Virgil had insisted that he needed. He had drawn up the plans on the mere hint of a promise that she would think about looking for it, so it must be important.

Today was the big day, it had all been leading to this.

She had gone alone to the railroad to get the courser chip analysed. Tinker Tom had worked his magic and decrypted it, putting all of the pertinent information on a holotape for her. Desdemona had bargained hard to keep the chip for further analysis. Max had finally accepted and handed it over. Danse had been angry when she told him.

She had then trekked to the Glowing Sea and to Virgils cave. She bargained with the Institute scientist for the plans to the signal interceptor and promised to look for his serum if she successfully entered the Institute. Danse had been angry when she told him.

She had returned to Sanctuary, strolling through the gates as if she had just popped out for a little jaunt, to find that Recon Squad Gladius had returned there after Greenetech. She immediately called a meeting and reported on her movements. She advised that if the Interceptor was successfully assembled that she would be using it to enter the Institute herself. Danse had been furious when she told him and they had been bickering about it ever since.

She opened the door to her room as she holstered her pistol and jumped back when she saw the large shape on the other side of her door.

"We're not discussing this again, Danse." She sighed tiredly, recognising the large shape.

"I'll go." He insisted, reigniting the argument from the day before.

"No, you won't." She insisted right back, pushing past him and striding towards the elevator to the surface. Danse followed her closely.

"For the absolute last time…" She didn't slow her step until she reached the elevator platform and turned to him as it began to rise, "You wouldn't know Shaun if he walked up to you and kicked you in the nuts. I am better with terminals, I've been trained to be covert and I doubt that you would even bother to look for Virgils serum."

"You can't really be thinking of helping that supermutant." Danse was incredulous.

The elevator reached the surface and they emerged into a bright Commonwealth morning.

"Listen Dick, I don't give a flying fuck about your god-damned Brotherhood dogma," She ground out furiously, frustration clearly showing on her face. 'Look at that sky, how many flying fucks do you see? That's right… none. No fucks today. Getting into the Institute is all I care about… Getting my son and killing the insane pricks who took him. If helping Virgil by getting his precious serum will help achieve that goal. Then that's what I'll do. The rest of your imbecilic crap can go to hell!"

Danse was shocked to silence by her unexpected outburst. The silence stretched out a little too long as they stood glaring at each other. He looked away first.

"I've never seen a Flying Fuck." He pondered hesitantly, casting a quick furtive glance back at her "Is that like a Stingwing?"

The corner of her mouth twitched upwards slightly and she started off down the hill to the settlement. He followed in her wake.

"You're too important to put yourself at such risk," He started on her again after a moment of two of walking in silence. "Too many people depend on you, your skills are too valuable. You're being selfish!"

She didn't stop walking, she strode purposefully into Sanctuary and made her way through the settlement to the old house foundation that the Interceptor had been constructed upon.

Haylen was standing on a chair beside one of the huge insect like legs of the structure applying liberal amounts of duct tape to an important looking hose. Max didn't want to know.

"… and you're not going to be any good to your son if this thing turns you into a smear on the concrete." Danse was still talking.

"Enough, Danse." She shouted, she could feel her temperature about to reach its apex. She didn't want to be forced to shoot him in the face just to get him to shut up.

His mouth snapped shut and she looked him deep in the eyes. He was scared for her and she knew it, but here was no way she would let anyone else do this, especially him. She took a slow steadying breath.

"I. Am. Going. End of story." She spoke slowly, calmly and concisely, brokering no objection.

She saw his jaw clench but he said nothing else. She looked towards Sturges who was standing at the terminal that controlled all of this stuff. His hand was poised over the keyboard but he was staring open mouthed at the two of them. She must have yelled louder than she thought. She glanced at Haylen and the other settlers who had gathered to stare at the machine, they were all gaping at Max and Danse instead.

"Are we ready to go?" She asked Sturges, turning from Danse and ignoring everyone else.

He shook himself like a dog and started tapping at the terminal.

"Yes Ma'am, we're as ready as we'll ever be." He told her as Haylen came up to his side, a satisfied look on her face.

"We're good." Haylen added, adjusting some knobs and dials.

"Then tell me where you want me." Max said, brushing away the tremble of fear that rushed through her.

At their prompting Max mounted the platform in the centre of the device and turned to face them. A crowd had gathered to watch. She looked at each of her friends one at a time and smiled reassuringly at them all as they all had the same expression on their faces. RJ, Cait, Curie, Preston (who was holding onto Dogmeat to keep him from running up to her) and Codsworth (who didn't have an expression as such), she could feel all of their anxiety. She looked down at Danse last. He wore an expression of apprehension, of fear and of hurt.

"Please don't do this." He pleaded inaudibly.

She tore her eyes away from his and looked back to Sturges and Haylen.

"Hit it, guys." She ordered.

Sturges nodded and started the Signal interceptor up. The air was suddenly alive with electricity and noise, it made every part of her tingle and not in a good way. She gulped and closed her eyes for a beat, praying silently not to explode or do anything as equally undignified. Her eyes flew open at the sound of something tearing free of the machine. The hose that Haylen had been judiciously taping up had come loose and was flapping around wildly. Danse had started forward but was being held back by Preston and a couple of the other settlers. Sturges was shouting something at her but she couldn't hear it. There was sudden flash of blinding light and she felt… what? What did she feel? Like she was being torn apart…

She didn't have time to ponder it as her vision cleared and she was standing in a foreign looking chamber. Her stomach heaved and she stumbled to her hands and knees, retching onto the floor.

She regained control of her stomach quickly and ran a shaking hand over her face. She got to her feet slowly and placed a steadying hand on the wall. She waited a moment for her body to adjust to the experience of being disassembled and put back together again before drawing her pistol and slinking deeper into the halls of the Institute. There was only one thing on her mind.

Danse stared at the spot that she had been standing in only moments before. He blinked in disbelief and shook off the hands of Preston, two men he didn't recognise and surprisingly Jun long, the meek and melancholy Quincy survivor, who had all taken hold of him when he had started for the machine.

She was gone. He swallowed loudly.

"Is she safe?" He asked looking helplessly over at Sturges and Haylen who quite frankly looked as equally surprised as everyone else that she wasn't standing there anymore.

"Uhhhh…" Sturges looked down at the terminal trying to find the answer.

"Did it work?" Danse near shouted at him.

Haylen stepped quickly up to him, putting her hands firmly against his chest.

"The Interceptor says it worked," She conciliated. "but we won't know for sure unless… until we see her again."

Danse looked down at her, his brow furrowed in a pained frown.

"She'll be OK." Haylen assured him, "I'm sure she's OK."

No one really knew what to do now. Did they just go about their business? Tend the vegetables, visit the traders? Even the newest settler, someone who had only ever heard of Maxine Everton knew that this was too big to just ignore.

Danse looked around vacantly. He eventually sought out Prestons face and Preston nodded quickly, taking charge of the shell shocked settlement. He started issuing orders to the people around him. Forcing them to turn away and get back to the everyday chores that kept the settlement running. Danse turned from the Machine and strode away.

It was a full week later.

Sanctuary Hills was on edge for a full week, not really getting back to a normal flow as a vital member of the settlement was missing. Maxs presence was missed at every turn. She may not have been in the township often, in fact very rarely did she show herself there. But everyone felt more secure knowing that she was out there in the Commonwealth, making it a better place.

They went about their business, but a pall had fallen over everyone.

Danse became near intolerable to be around. His temper was at a permanent boil, he snapped at everyone who dared address him and no one saw him rest or sleep. He stalked around the street or the vault, his face like a thundercloud. He took to standing watch all night on the main tower overlooking the bridge. Just looking out into the darkness.

It had been a full week, she had disappeared at four minutes past nine that morning. It would be a full week in five hours time he thought to himself, staring out into the early morning gloom. He shifted his laser rifle from one arm to the other and continued to stare out at the road across the river.

It took him an age to realise what he was looking at when he saw a faint movement on the roadway heading towards town. She walked with her shoulders hunched and her head hanging down. Her helmet was gone and her hair hung like a dark veil over her face. Her step was unsteady but purposeful.

He was out of the tower and running across the bridge in as soon as he realised.

"Max!" He called in relief, his heart pounded at the sight of her. He skidded to a stop before her and put his hands on her arms.

She looked up at him, her eyes red, raw and ravaged.

"My son is dead." She whimpered. "I killed him."