Fiction: Fallout 4
Summary: While returning from a recon mission, a radiation storm forces Danse and Ash to find shelter. (Un)fortunately for them, it comes in the form of the Covenant.
Category: Chapter 13
Disclaimer: I do not lay claim to any of the following work. While the writings themselves are my own, my character is created fully by myself, the other characters and story elements I do not own. I also do not own any of the Fallout 4 elements that are in play. Full credit goes to where it is due. Thank you. Thanks to Bethesda.
The evening sky swam with a putrid green color, the clouds rumbling and cracking, swirling continuously in their emerald mist. The last rays of the sun barely poked through the sheer density of the storm, only able to leave a mild haziness over the landscape. Rain dripped from above, pooling in the cracks and crevices that dotted the Commonwealth, drenching the civilians, and making my boots squeak when I rubbed them together. A spark of lighting sizzled through the sky, landing far off from us though I could still feel the tell-tale burn as radiation swept over my exposed wrists, forearms, face, and neck. I winced, biting the inside of my cheek.
Yeah, I was pretty damn certain I wasn't ever going to get used to that.
Danse nudged me, the metal chair I was seated in giving a slight groan as I shifted my weight to eye him. "What do you think?"
Oh, shit… right… Questions. "I missed it, sorry, could you repeat?" I ran a gloved hand over my exhausted eyes, hoping I could rub the sleep from them. All I wanted was shelter, not to sit out here underneath an overhang answering some ridiculous questions that would determine if I was a synth or not. This was a waste of time. I was 110% certain I was not a synth. And neither was Danse. Pretty sure the Brotherhood would have figured that out by now if he was. Sides, he was lacking the necessary parts like a metal frame and wires and shock absorbers.
The man in front of me sighed heavily, clearly exasperated with my sheer inability to pay attention for longer than five seconds. "You decide it would be fun to play a prank on your father. You enter his private restroom when no one is looking, and..."
See? Like this. What the fuck did this have to do with anything? "I would… loosen some bolts on the sink so the next time he turns it on, he'll flood the bathroom. Are we good now?" Irritation oozed through my voice like honey, my expression darkening with the passing second. Danse's hand on my shoulder was the only thing stopping me from upturning the table and starting a bitch fit about how much it sucked being literally soaked to the bone.
The man grumbled, glancing through the answers we had given to equally as ludicrous questions. "Well…" he paused, tapping his pencil against the pad of paper he held. "You don't appear to be a synth… Alright, yes. We will open the gates to you. Hotel is down the street on the right, there is only one room available at this time." He gave us another stern glare. "We will be watching you."
"Sounds super, kay thanks. Bye." I grasped Danse by the wrist, practically dragging him from the folding chairs and through the now open gate. "Next time, I'm picking the shelter spot," I muttered as we passed through.
Welcome to Covenant, most suspicious and obnoxious place in the Commonwealth.
"How was I supposed to know?" Danse argued, stomping after me in the now muddied roadway, head turned over his shoulder to glance back at the gate. The man, Swanson, was still there, eyeing us.
"Oh, I dunno. Maybe the machine gun turrets and Synth Exam kinda indicated it?" I bit back, pressing my palm against the door to the inn, ducking inside where the rain and radiation could no longer pelt against my body.
Danse mumbled something behind me in response but I didn't have the energy to ask him to repeat himself. All I wanted right now was some hot tea and a warm bed. "Room for two," I requested from the lady behind the counter, shoving 100 caps forward. I didn't care if that was too much, gave no shits. I wanted was sleep and I wanted it now. Today sucked.
"First door on the left, fine day to stop by isn't it? You two have a wonderful evening!" she replied, scooping the bottle caps up and setting them in a tin lunch box on a shelf behind her. "Oh, and silly me, how could I forget? Welcome to Covenant, best place in the Commonwealth!"
Danse's brows furrowed together, trademark scowl melding into his face. "Okay, thanks, ma'am," he grumbled. His hand on my back ushered me away from the counter.
I chuckled, my thoughts likely mirroring his. Everyone here was crazy. "Don't drink the water."
Once inside the room I dropped my pack carelessly next to a dresser. The room itself was a bit on the cramped side. A queen sized bed was shoved haphazardly into the corner, the comforter on it surprisingly free from debris and stains. A dresser rested to the right of the entry way, a lamp in the opposing junction. Candles were melted into the top of a cabinet next to the bed, all lit to provide lighting to the room. A fan twirled silently overhead allowing for some much needed airflow in the stuffy space.
I began unbuckling my armor, hefting the pieces of leather and metal from me, discarding them next to my bag. I tugged my soaked boots off, grimacing at the mud, guts, blood, and other unmentionables that were caked to the bottom and now, subsequently, my fingers. Gross.
Next I began unbuttoning the red (basically brown due to the amount of dirt embedded into the fibers) plaid shirt I wore, draping it over the bed post to dry. I rummaged through my belongings, finding a deep maroon shirt that was a size or two too big – but it was dry, good enough for me. I lifted the hem of the white t-shirt I wore, sliding an arm through and-
"What are you doing?" It was just now that I realized Danse hadn't even begun to change.
I arched a brow at him. "Oh, sorry. Did you want to stay in your nasty ass wet clothes all night?"
"I… I just didn't think you-" he gestured at me, toned bare stomach with one arm sticking out of my shirt, bra and half my chest now visible, "would, uh, just start…. Changing."
Oh. Oh, was he blushing? Danse? Blush? What? "Turn around if you don't like it," I quipped, beginning to yank my other arm free.
"That's not it but…" He spun around so his back was facing me, head bowed in the slightest. Even in the dim light I could see the tips of his ears scorch red. Had he never seen a woman partially unclothed before? It wasn't as if I was stripping completely… modesty was never anything my family had put in high regard, so it was something I never really learned. Living in a one room apartment for the majority of my childhood made 'privacy' impossible.
"Then what is it?" I hedged, now undoing my jeans and sliding my legs free from them. I used a towel provided by the owner to dry off as much excess water as I could. No point in getting new clothes on if I was still drenched.
"I, uh… right, never mind. Just, uh, let me know when you're d-done."
I rolled my eyes, wrenching the crimson top over my head. It fell to halfway over my thighs which I quickly covered with a pair of old cotton shorts. "Okay, pansy, I'm done."
Danse peeked at me from over his shoulder, cheeks still flaming. He bit his bottom lip.
"Oh for Christ's sake…" I turned, crossing my arms defiantly over my chest, tapping my foot impatiently on the floor boards. I could hear him moving around, the shuffling of clothes, and then a satisfied exhale when he was finished. "You good now?" I interjected, annoyance creeping in.
"Yeah. I'm good," he sounding relieved.
"Peachy." I flipped open the comforter and crawled my skinny ass under the blankets, a soft smile gliding across my lips as warmth began to sink into my sore muscles.
And there was Danse, giving me that look again.
"Whaaaaaat?" I dragged the word out to make it abundantly clear how frustrated I was.
"I can make do on the flo-"
"For the love of- shut up, get in bed. Now." I jabbed a finger at the empty spot next to me, more than enough room for him.
"But-"
"Pretend your rule book doesn't exist for one night. It's JUST sleeping. Sleeping. That thing I wanted to do a half hour ago. Please. Go to sleep." I lowered myself against the pillow, pulling my damp hair over my left shoulder.
He moved hesitantly, eyeing me once or twice before giving in and doing as I instructed. His weight on the mattress made it sink, the blankets folding in around him once he was settled in. A tiny part of me grinned ear to ear at the fact that he was next to me, so close I could feel his body heat, virtually hear his heart beat… but the more rational part of my head took over and squished the smaller portion.
"Ash?" he questioned, his voice causing the bed to rumble.
"Yes?"
"Does this place seem a little… off… to you?" he questioned hesitantly.
I turned to look at him, propping my head up with my hand, elbow firmly placed on my pillow. "In what way? Are we referring to the super crazy worry about synths? The exam we had to take? The spaz at the counter? Or something else?"
Danse stared up at the ceiling. "I may just be overanalyzing but… the people here, the man at the gate and the woman at the hotel, they both seem… strange, like their interactions with us are forced or trained. You know what I mean?" He had a point – Swanson seemed overly exhilarated to greet us when we neared Covenant but his mood changed drastically with each question we answered. Danse and I had taken turns to speed up the process. I remember seeing him grimace at a few responses. Then, at the front desk, the woman herself seemed a bit overly peppy given the circumstances.
"I can see what you mean, yeah. But I'm sure it's nothing. Just don't take anything they offer. We'll be back to the Prydwen by tomorrow. Like I said, don't drink the water."
"I don't think that's it, Ashtyn."
"It's a joke, Danse. We'll check it out in the morning, okay?" I patted his shoulder before relaxing back into the bed. "You worry too much."
"Sometimes I think you don't worry enough," his gaze shifted to me, cheeks still pink.
"To each their own. Good night, Danse," I muttered, turning on my side to face the wall.
"Night," he replied.
-oOo-
It was his cry in the night that woke me, the way his fingers clawed at the blankets, his breath came in quick uneven and terrified pants.
"Danse?" My voice was laden with sleep, eyelids heavy as I dragged them open.
He jerked, body twisting, skin slick with a cold sweat.
Nightmare, another nightmare.
"Hey, it's okay," I tired, reaching out to grasp his shoulders as they trembled, as he shuddered against the mattress. "Wake up!" I wanted to keep my tone to a hushed whisper, afraid I would wake up the whole hotel if I wasn't careful. "You're only dreaming."
His forehead creased with anxiety and fear, teeth clenched, muscles tensed. What was he seeing?
"Danse!" I gave him a hard shake that time, jolting him severely against the bed.
His eyes snapped open, he inhaled sharply. His chest heaved as he sucked in lungful after lungful of air. His gaze flew around the room, not able to focus on anything until it landed on my face.
"You're okay," I repeated, raising my hand to brush his sweat damp hair from his brow. "Just a dream. It's not real." Shaun used to have night terrors… It would take hours to rock him back to sleep, to comfort him. The way Danse's eyes screamed with relief, when he realized that it was fake… it reminded me so much of my son's.
"It… felt… so…" His speech was slow, slurred, weighed down with fright.
"I know. But it isn't." My fingers laced with his and gave them a warm squeeze, holding our conjoined hands in my lap.
I wasn't sure how long we sat like that in complete silence. I listened to the sounds of his breath as they slowed, returned to normal. The radstorm outside was dying out by the time he spoke and when he did, I was only confused.
"Sorry…" he whispered, body losing its tension as he sunk back into the mattress.
"What?"
Danse turned his face from me. Even in the dark I could see his lips curl into a grimace as he pulled his hand free. "You shouldn't have to see me at my worst…"
I rolled my eyes. "Danse, were you not there a week ago? At Goodneighbor?" My mind flashed back to the moment in the downpour, when he found me curled up beside a car. The way he pulled me into his arms, assured me that everything would work out… gave me such hope. "It's part of being companions. We will always see the best and worst of each other. I don't mind."
"I do… I'm your commander…"
"Oh no, the Paladin has human traits. How awful. Really, it is okay, Danse. I'm here for you."
His gaze fell upon me once more. "That big heart of yours is going to catch up to you some day," but he smiled. "Thank you. But, yeah… I'm alright now. Thanks for waking me up."
"Think you'll be good till the morning? Do you want to talk about?"
He shook his head. "No. It's just more of the same. I appreciate your concern though. Go to back to sleep."
I nodded obediently and lowered myself back under the covers, pulling them up to my chin. So stubborn, so thick headed…. So closed off by the wall he created between himself and the world. Sometimes I hated that he did that, hated that he shut me away.
Bu then... I guess, I did that too. So, even though I despised him for it, I understood.
This time…. This time I waited till he was fully asleep before closing my eyes.
-oOo-
I woke up to Danse gently poking my cheek. I groaned, yanking the blanket up to cover my head. "It's too early," I muttered, wanting nothing more than to stay curled up the rest of the day.
He scoffed. "I've already let you sleep an hour longer than me. Sides, we have an investigation to run, remember?" Ugh, right. His gut reaction and overall feeling of 'offness'. Pretty sure the civilians of Covenant weren't going to like us poking around their perfect little paradise. Still, if it made Danse feel better than I wasn't going to argue against it.
"Fine, fine! I'm getting up." I tossed the comforter off of me, sliding out of bed whilst rubbing the sleep from my eyes.
"You're so slow in the morning," Danse whined, chucking clothes at me. "We're burning day light."
"Uh, it's still hella cloudy out," I argued, jabbing a finger towards the window. It wasn't raining, not yet at least. "And I'm not a morning person, you know that."
"Too bad, come on. Up and at 'em." He laughed as he lifted me to my feet, pressing jeans and a sweatshirt into my open arms. "I'll wait outside. I've already talked around a little bit while you were snoozing."
Now it was my turn to flush.
Within a matter of minutes I was joining Danse outside. The sky above us rumbled, warning us that a storm was coming. "So where are we starting?" I prodded, rubbing my hands together.
"I say we split up. Place isn't that big. You take down by the fields and I'll talk to the owner of the hotel, see what information I can get from her."
I bobbed my head in agreement and began my trek towards the front gate where the farmland was.
Covenant itself looked as if it had been taken out of the pre-war times. Sure you could still see dirt everywhere and there was evidence of nuclear fallout but… the grass was a lush greens, flowers of varying types and colors bloomed in boxes at window stills, the garden was verdant with tatos and corn, everyone dressed nicely… and they looked so clean. And not a single one of them reeked of body odor (a feat I never thought could be possible for any settlement). Even the workers looked clean shaven, as if their uniforms had been laundered. It was strange.
As I made my way to the fields, every single person I passed waved in greeting, shouted at me 'Good Morning!', as if they were all oblivious to the thundering overhead. It reminded me of Penny and her exceedingly bubbly attitude the night before despite the radiation storm and late evening hours.
"Welcome to Covenant, best and safest place in the Commonwealth!" a girl welcomed me, pulling my attention in her direction. Her hair was black, eyes a bit small, and she wore a dark green workers outfit.
"Thanks," I replied, forcing an inviting smile across my face. "So, you like it here?"
"Oh, how could I not? We are the only town that can 100% argue that we are synth free thanks to the SAFE exam everyone takes! You took it too, right?"
"Yep, yep we did. My friend and I both did. What's your name?"
"Me? I'm Talia. It's so very wonderful to meet you!"
"Hi, Talia. I'm Ashtyn. How can you be so sure there are no synths? Is your test really that good?"
"It isn't just the test, though it has been assessed for accuracy and found to be the best test available! We also… Well, it's not important. Ha, silly me. I should get back to work!"
She moved to walk away but I put up a hand to stop her. "You also what?" I asked, instincts kicking in. Maybe Danse had been onto something.
"Nothing, slip of the tongue!" Talia insisted, eyes darting around behind me. "Listen, it isn't good to poke around here, kay? You'll end up like everyone else if you do." Then she pulled free and returned to her work, leaving me to stare after her more confused than I had been when I started the conversation.
The rest of the day ended with about the same results. I spoke to Deezer (a talking robot who insisted that I try his newest beverage creation no matter how many times I insisted otherwise), Ted (another field worker with Talia), Fred (who turned out to be married to Penny, the owner of the hotel and local trader), Doc Patricia, and even Swanson (the man who had forced us to take part of their SAFE Exam). Everyone argued that there was nothing going on – that it would be better to not ask questions, that we should leave. Even the town cat hissed at me when I approached her. Every person I spoke to got shiftier when I asked questions pertaining to synths and the Institute. What was up with that?
"Please tell me you got something," I quipped as Danse came to sit next to me in the lobby of the hotel.
He leaned back against the sofa, head resting on the wall behind it, eyes closed. "They are really nervous about synths. Can't blame them really but this goes beyond normal. Not to mention the bogus SAFE exam. I realize that the Brotherhood isn't the best as determining if someone is a synth but that test can't tell you anything." He ran a hand through his copper hair as he leaned forward. "I guess a caravan nearby was taken down by the people here, they thought that someone on it was a synth and they took her in for questioning."
"Where? It's not like they have a jail here."
He grinned at me. "Oh? The Silver Tongued Ashtyn couldn't get information from these people?"
I crossed my arms, lips forming into a pout.
"Oh, don't make that face," he chuckled. "I'm just joking. Okay, but seriously." His expression darkened, the humor gone. "They take them to a place called the Compound. I couldn't get more information than that but… they all spoke of it like it was some sort of horror story, like it was as bad as the Institute."
What could be as bad as the Institute, the boogeyman of the Commonwealth? "Guess we'll have to investigate that more to-"
"Ah! You two must be our graciously hailed newcomers!" a voice boomed through the door to the hotel. A man wearing a business suit and rather fine looking hat entered, arms outstretched in greeting. "Welcome to my little town, Covenant, the nicest and safest place in the Commonwealth!"
I groaned inwardly. Danse took the initiative, "You have us at a disadvantage. It's a pleasure to meet you but, it seems you know us but we don't know you."
"Why of course!" the man continued, extending a hand to shake, "My name is Jacob Orden, Mayor of this illustrious settlement." Danse reciprocated, clasping the man's hand for a brief moment before letting go.
"What can we do for you, sir?"
"I heard you two were conducting quite the detective work in my town. As Mayor, I would be pleased to request that you halt any further investigation." His smile tightened at the corners, eyes a faction of an inch too wide. He spoke with the same intonation almost everyone else used here, sweet like frosting, like honey on toast. Too kind, too forced.
"Afraid we can't do that, sir," Danse replied.
"I was afraid you were going to say something like that. Now, I don't want to be a rude host but I will personally remove you from Covenant if I must. We do not tolerate spies in our midst."
"We aren't spies," I cut in. "Just interested in your SAFE Exam."
"It is truly none of your concern how we assess those who choose to live here," He retorted, voice clipping around the edges, his good guy façade blurring. "Tell you what, how many caps can I give you to make this nonsense come to a close?"
Danse's jaw hardened. "You can't bribe us. We will leave when we determine that our investigation is finished."
"Everyone has their price. I will find yours." Jacob moved to the exit. "You have a fine evening."
And then he was gone.
"Well, that certainly wasn't totally creepy, was it?" I muttered, gaze flicking to Danse. "Again, I get to pick the resting stop next time"
He rolled his eyes. "Come on, let's get some shut eye." He stood, stretching his arms above his head before putting his hand out to escort me back to our room.
-oOo-
Soft sunlight glittered in through the open window, illuminating the off-white, mostly dust encrusted wallpaper of the room. I slowly stretched out my limbs, muscles grumbling in protest. I couldn't remember the last time I had slept without nightmares, couldn't remember the last time I had slept so deep. Maybe it was from all the investigating yesterday and the recon mission from the day before last – we had raided a few buildings in Concord and Lexington before making our way here. We had enough supplies, ammo, and reserves to last the Brotherhood a month just waiting to get picked up once Danse and I gave the locations.
Speaking of Danse; I rolled over, reaching out a hand to tentatively wake him up.
And hit an empty mattress.
My eyes snapped open, heart involuntarily cracking up a few notches in tempo. "What?" I whispered, glancing around the room. Void of Danse. Nothing. No note, no message… "Your stuff is still here…" I continued, zeroing in on his pack and armor, right where he had left it the night before. Even his boots were there, and his bomber jacket… What the hell?
My head wanted to tell me that he had woken up early again, that he was just outside speaking to another civilian… but my gut and heart disagreed. No, he wouldn't have left the room without me.
I leapt out of bed, yanked a pair of jeans on over my cotton shorts and tucked my long-sleeve night shirt into the waistband carelessly. I shoved my feet into my own shoes and jerked on Danse's jacket.
My hair was a tangled mess, or at least that's the grasp of the situation I was able to attain when I glanced at my reflection in the dirty room mirror. I tied it back into a messy bun of sorts, not wanting to waste any time.
Danse would have woken me up…. Instinct told me that something wasn't right.
I made my way to the front counter, approaching Penny. Today she wore a bright pink dress, hair tossed up into a tight and orderly bun at the top of her head. "Hey, have you seen the man I came in with?"
"No, sorry, honey, I haven't." She sounded so sincere, too sincere. Too honest, too innocent. The way the corner of her lips tightened when she spoke, the way her eyes shifted away from me as she finished the sentence. My own gaze narrowed.
"Do you know anyone who may know?" I replied, pitching my voice to match hers though my expression was deadly… If looks could kill.
She feigned uncertainty, tapping her chin as if she was seriously considering the answer. She wouldn't help me. She knew something and she wasn't going to tell me a fucking thing. "Sorry, love, I'm just not sure. You think he stepped out for a bit? He'll come back."
"Right. Whatever." I shoved away from the counter and burst through the hotel door, out into Covenant.
"Everyone has their price."
Where the FUCK was he? Everyone seemed just as strangely happy as they had been the day before, most of them pausing to wave at me gleefully. The gardeners were at work again, the Mayor leaning against his homestead, and Brian speaking to the robot Deezer. No one seemed at all concerned or even aware that Danse had been stolen in the middle of the night – they continued their act of complete aloofness.
And I was over here panicking. This wasn't right. No one in the Commonwealth was this freakishly chill with everything that was going on. No one. Not even Mama Murphy or Hancock and they were the most chill you could ever possibly imagine achieving. What the hell was wrong with these people? Where was Danse?
What had the Mayor done with him?
I stomped away from the hotel. I needed answers. And I had a good feeling that none of the bastards here were going to provide them. Which meant I was going to have to get creative.
I started around to the back of the buildings. Maybe I could find a window to sneak through, get to a terminal… find information… I wasn't sure what I was going to do. Not really. But anything was better than nothing.
A hand closed in on my shoulder. I snapped into attention, adrenaline pumping through my veins. I snatched the hand by the wrist, spinning on my toes and twirling around to face my attacker whilst simultaneously twisting his arm around his back, pinning him in one swift move against the side of the hotel. "You have three seconds to talk before I blow your brains out," I equipped the pistol that I had tucked in my back pocket, clicking the safety off. Guess I had no patience today.
"My name is Dan! I have been sent by a prestigious family to look into a missing person case. I heard you talking to Penny in there, knew you had been asking around town, and I figured we could work together seeing as you're looking for someone too. I thought maybe they took your friend to the same place they took Amelia!" His speech was rushed (as it should be seeing my limited tolerance), spoken through a throat that sounded like it had been ravaged with chain smoking for the past four years. Knowing how most of the Commonwealth worked, that very well could have been the case. "I want a truce. I have information about this place! I know where they may be hiding them! I just need help!" This last bit was spoken in a hushed tone, said so quietly I had to lean forward to hear him.
On one hand, he could be telling the truth. Clearly there was something off about this place and it could take me hours to figure it out on my own – precious hours I didn't have to dick about. And if everyone was as 'helpful' as Penny was, I wasn't going to get anywhere no matter how hard I tried. Danse could be dead, or tortured, or…. Fuck, it would be better not to think about it.
However, on the other hand, Dan here could be lying. Not like I haven't seen that before.
"How do I know you're telling the truth?"
"You don't. But I have no reason to lie to you. I need your help too, just as much as you need mine."
I glanced over him. He was well armored, had a freakishly awesome weapon at his disposal… "Why do you need my help? You look like you can take care of yourself and you already have all the info."
"The place we are going is well guarded… and I don't know what we are going to find inside. I figure if I have another person with me, that increases my odds of survival. And seeing the Brotherhood of Steel logo on your jacket makes me think that you would be a good person to have tag along." Well, he had me there. "It's called the Compound."
Danse had mentioned that… said they took people there for questioning. He even said that they had taken a girl there recently… Maybe that was Amelia?
I loosened my grip, holstered my gun. "Okay, fine. I'm Ash." Hesitantly I placed a hand out towards Dan. "Truce. For now."
-oOo-
An hour and about a half a mile later, Dan and I were knelt down next to the entrance of what appeared to be a sewer. Swell, just where I wanted to go today. "This is it?"
"Yep," Dan grunted, poking his head around the corner. "No one is patrolling right now. We should be able to sneak in."
"Lead on."
We had spoken some on the hike over. Turns out he was searching for the daughter of some super-duper awesome Lord type of person. She had gone missing, along with a caravan full of people and equipment, about a week ago. When he asked around Covenant for her, no one could give him a straight answer. The Mayor told him to leave. It took some snooping on his part but he was able to discover that there was a secret organization that ran out of the village. This organization took anyone they assumed could be a synth (as determined by their stupid SAFE Exam) and brought them to an underground facility. Here they were put under extreme testing and brainwashing until they acted 'normal'. Though, if their normal was what the people back at Covenant acted like, I think it was time to reevaluate.
I slid past Dan through the door he held open, blinking a few times until my eyes adjusted to the lack of light. My nose was never going to adjust, however, not to this smell.
We stuck to the shadows as we darted forward, keeping away from the water as much as we could to lessen the amount of sound we made. Dan had no clue what the layout looked like from the inside… so we were running blind. And, because we were opting for stealth, weapons were out of the question. It would be better if we could sneak in, grab our people, and sneak back out.
But…. If I could find some way to cripple this organization, I was going to. The idea of putting possibly non-synth people through this torture process of a skill drill was grotesque and inhumane.
Dan took point. I may be good at stealth but I was not a professional. Sides, if he was in front of me, that meant he could be my proverbial meat shield until further notice. My slender build and all around tininess allowed me to conceal myself completely behind him.
"This way," Dan breathed, edging his way along an opposing hall. Lights flickered ahead, indicating people. Soft voices were just barely audible but we couldn't quite make out what was being said.
We started down the corridor but only made it a handful of feet before Dan came to a standstill, his body going rigid. "Shit," he whispered, putting out a hand to halt me. "Hide, hide, hide!"
The lights were getting closer, a voice calling out, "Someone down there?"
I seriously considered shouting 'no' back but decided against it.
"Down!" I ordered, voice hushed, jabbing my finger towards the railing. I wasn't sure how far of a drop it would be, but anything was better than getting caught. If we were captured, Danse and Amelia would never get free. I launched forward, wrapped my fingers around the railing and vaulting over the edge, boots barely making a sound on the grated platform.
And then we were falling. Wind whistled past my face, hair flying out behind me, wind rustling my clothing. Danse had taught me what to do in this kind of situation. Curl legs, brace for impact, try to absorb the shock…. Roll… I could do that… Sure.
I hit hard, feet slamming heavily against concrete. A jolt of agony ripped up my legs even as I rolled, jarring me and stealing my breath. I stood, feet unsteady below me, hands grasping for something to hold onto and settling for a generator. Dan's landing was about the same though, I had to admit, he was able to barrel roll a fair bit better than me. I glanced up towards where we had come from, easily a story or two away. Guards now stood where we once had, lights sweeping back and forth over the catwalk.
Don't look down here… Don't look down here!
I held my breath, pressed my body further into the shadows, terrified they would take a peek over the edge.
Don't look!
"Clear!" one of them shouted. "Back to rounds!"
I sighed in relief, pushing off of the generator. "Okay, we have to be more careful."
Dan gave a brief nod before starting forward.
We were in the belly of the beast. Our fall had disoriented us. I wasn't sure how to get back up or if we were closer to our goal than we had been a few minutes ago. This area seemed to be less guarded, so at least that was in our favor.
Dan kneeled down next to an air duct. "Let's try this out. It won't be running and there shouldn't be anyone manning it."
Together we unfastened the screws and propped the metal barrier to the duct next to the opening. He entered first with me on his heels. The vent itself was hot and stuffy, humid to a fault. Sweat crept down my neck and back, hair matted against my forehead.
A few turns later and we could see lights every few meters that allowed us to view the area below us. Most of the time the room it opened into was empty, sometimes we saw a guard or two. Once we saw a bunk room, beds and foot lockers dotting the space. We would pick up chatter at times though most of it was meaningless…
I was beginning to give up hope. We had been at this for an hour. We had no way out, no way to find Danse and Amelia…
"-know you're a synth!" a harsh voice echoed in through the vents down a path to my right. Dan was ahead of me, head swiveling around to listen better.
"Tell me where the Institute is!" I leaned forward, trying to hear a response. "I WILL break you if you don't cooperate!"
"I told you I don't know!"
Danse. Oh god.
He cried out, pain evident. My gut twisted. What were they doing to him?!
I began to crawl in his direction but Dan put a hand on my leg to stay me, fingers closing around my calf. "We have to find the cells! If we go to your friend now, we'll be captured too!"
"But-!" I couldn't leave him…
"You'll be no use to him if you're dead!"
"I can't-"
'You HAVE TO!"
I glanced down the vent I knew would lead to Danse, to where his agonized screams originated from. They were hurting him, brutally so. Dan was right, of course he was, using logic. I would be able to help Danse but be at the mercy of his captors within a matter of seconds. And then we would both be shoved into cells…
"Fuck!" I cursed, rejoining Dan. "Find the cells. NOW."
"We know where the torture rooms are, the cells can't be too far off." He was trying to seem encouraging, positive, upbeat. I'm sure he was picturing what it would be like if Amelia had been in Danse's place instead, understanding how difficult it was for me to go with him.
It felt so wrong, went against all my morals to follow Dan, to leave Danse behind in enemy hands. I winced whenever his shouts reached my ears and was thankful when we moved far enough away that I couldn't hear them. That, or Danse had passed out.
What did this place want with the Institute? Why were they so hell bent on locating and eradicating synths? Especially when their system for locating them was so shitty? They could be torturing their own, violently and viciously slaughtering humans… They had to be stopped.
We shuffled along and came to another bunk room. "Wait," I hissed, touching Dan's foot to grab his attention. "We're screwed when we get to the cells. I'm sure they'll be heavily guarded and it's not like we would be able to just walk in but…" My gaze drifted downwards, "But what if we could?"
Dan pivoted, brows furrowing in confusion. "And how would we do that?"
I had noticed that all the guards wore a similar outfit. No one here had seen us, they wouldn't recognize us on face value alone. "What if we steal a few guard issued uniforms and go in disguise?"
"And put ourselves right in the thick of it? Are you nuts?"
Danse would like this guy. "Of course I am. But do you have a better idea?"
"I don't." Dan reached for the grate and pried it off its hinges, allowing us to drop down.
And right next to three armed men. "HEY!" one of them cried, snatching hold of the baseball bat he carried and leveling it to swing at us. Well fuck, they hadn't been visible through the grating.
I ducked low, narrowly avoiding being pummeled in the face with raw metal. My footing wasn't stable and I stumbled backwards, slamming into a cabinet. I grunted, twisting out of the way of another hit, the bat crashing into the shelving and knocking several items lose.
We had to be quick if we didn't want to alert the rest of the unit.
Dan was a bit faster to react than I was, already locking himself into hand to hand combat with one of the guards… Leaving two with me.
I wasn't fit for this type of fighting – I was too slender, didn't have enough muscle to pack even a semi-decent half-assed punch. Danse had been working on hand-to-hand combat recently with me but his training wasn't enough.
One snatched me from behind, roughly clinching my shoulders with a vice grip and holding me in place as his buddy revved up for another swing. I used that sturdy hold to vault my legs off the ground, shoving my boots forward to squarely kick the bastard in the chest. When my feet hit the floor once more, I took a step backwards, whipping my head back in the process, wincing when it came into contact with my target – the skull of my attacker. He groaned, hands loosening on my shoulders and giving me the freedom to pivot on my heels to face him. Guard number one was still trying to catch his breath.
Guard number two shook his head, attempting to clear it before rushing me. I didn't have room to dodge, the bunk room being too cramped for true combat. We landed in a tangled heap of arms and limbs on the ground. His hand tightened in my hair, yanking my head back till it smacked painfully against the concrete, making my vision swim and causing me to see stars dance in front of my eyes. He lifted my head to do it again but I managed to get one of my feet under him, vaulting him up and off of me. He took a good mitt full of hair with him.
Number one had gotten up at the corner of my peripherals but I didn't realize this until I felt a blow in the back of my head, sending me spiraling back to the ground, my flank hitting hard and causing me to yelp.
Before I could move to stand, the man was on me, pinning me to the floor with hands around my neck. They tightened around my windpipe, stealing the air from my lungs and causing me to gasp. I thrashed below him, madly trying to break free, kicking, slapping, clawing, nails embedding into the soft flesh of his wrists.
Everything was growing darker, dimmer, further away. The sound of a waterfall rushed away in my ears, my head pounded as if it was being hammered with an ice pick.
"GET OFF OF HER!"
And the pressure was gone, hands removed from my throat. As my vision returned I could see Dan looming over me, twisting the neck of my attacker until we heard an audible CRACK.
When I hadn't been paying attention, he had dispatched the other two assailants.
He leaned down, clasping my hands and slowly pulling me to my feet. "So close quarters isn't your thing, noted. You okay?"
I sucked in breath after breath of greedy air. "Yep… I'm good… Just… give me a… second."
Dan poked his head through the door. "I don't think anyone knows what happened. Good. We can shove these guys into the closet over there and take their stuff."
We started opening up foot lockers, rummaging through gear, guns, ammo, and other various types of armor until we were well suited to blend. We tucked our personal belongings into uniform sacks that we attached to our waists with leather cords. With helmets and scarves to cover our faces we were ready to go. "Stick together," Dan instructed. "Don't separate." I pocketed as many grenades, along with a single detonator, as I could cram into my uniform before following
Moving at a slightly rushed but not yet suspiciously speedy walk we made our way out of the bunk room and into the catwalks once more. This far into the facility we were gifted with signs that led the way to the holding cells along with various other areas I couldn't be bothered to give any shits about. Not too surprisingly, this made things a hell of a lot easier.
"This way," Dan pointed, making a sharp left.
As we entered the cells, I noticed a map of the facility hanging on the wall. "Don't mind if I do," I muttered, ripping the parchment from the wall. This would come in handy when it was time to leave. Turns out there were several tunnels much like the one we had entered through that could also get us out… one of which went off the back of the block we had just entered. Perfect.
"What are you doing here?" My head snapped up, gaze zeroing in on a sentinel. "Shift change isn't for another half hour."
I blinked. Once. Twice. Shit, I hadn't thought of this. And Dan was just standing like a deer in the headlights. No wonder he hadn't gotten anywhere back at Covenant. Think…. Think, think, think! Lowering the pitch of my voice to sound slightly more official, I spoke, "Yes, you are quite right, sir. However, did you get your lunch break?"
The man paused at that. "No. Stan didn't show so I wasn't able to grab my thirty minutes as normal."
"We were told to relieve you early, to remedy the situation and allow you some much needed rest."
"Oh. Oh wow, hey thanks guys! I owe you!" The guard slapped us on the back and left his post, and granting us free reign of the block.
"Holy. Shit. That fucking worked," I was completely astonished.
Dan gawked at me, eyes wide, mouth open. He was as surprised as I was.
Together we moved further into the room. Most of the cells were full. Few held live hostages… and most… most didn't. The ones with dead people inside… oh god they were horrible to look at. Their bodies were disfigured, mutated, clearly battered and beaten. It made me sick. A couple of cells we passed contained people that would only whisper, "I am not a synth, I am not a synth." I felt like I was going to hurl. This place was monstrous.
"Up here!" Dan called, waving me towards him. "I found Amelia." I glanced into the cell he was gesturing at. She wore rags, her face and arms colored in various degrees of healed bruises, some fresh ones present as well. Her skin appeared scorched in some areas, as if they had zapped her with electricity.
Dan unlocked her cell, clasping her wrists in cuffs. She was exhausted, swaying on her feet.
"Don't you dare take her again!" a voice snarled at us from the adjoining cell. "She already went twice!"
Oh fuck, Danse. Trying to be the hero, as always. Even in his current state, he couldn't help but stick his neck out for others. He looked horrific – eyes blood shot, body discolored from his 'session' earlier. A few burns laced his flesh as well, similar to those on Amelia.
"Everything okay over here?" another guard walked forward, glancing between Dan and I. "This one is the one we've been told to stay on alert for."
"We have it under control," Dan replied, voice steady. "We were told to take them on a walk before heading back for questioning."
The guard nodded in approval before returning to his rounds.
"Grab him," Dan instructed. Then, quieter, "We don't have much time."
I fumbled with the key to Danse's cell, hands trembling. I couldn't stand seeing him like this. He wore rags too, caked with dried blood. His hair was disheveled, face contorted into a grimace. "What, keys too difficult for you to manage?" he growled at me, but I could hear the fright in his voice.
He couldn't recognize me, not on eyes alone… And I couldn't tell him who I was without alerting the other men patrolling the area.
Finally getting the key to work, I swung the cell door open, cuffs in hand. "Hands out."
Danse leveled a glare at me, eyes like daggers piercing at my heart. Even though I knew he didn't recognize me, seeing me look at me with such white hot hatred was crippling. I never wanted to see this face again. Never. He held out his arms as commanded, allowing me to bind him. Then, with a hand on his shoulder, I followed Dan and Amelia towards the exit the map indicated for us.
When we were a few mere feet from the exit, I knew it was time to alert Dan of my plan. "We will need to run in a second or two."
"What?" he hissed, glancing over his shoulder at me. "Why?"
I had been mentally counting in my head, ticking away each second downwards. Those grenades and detonator I took? Yeah, they were currently in use and we had a second left on the countdown.
An explosion ripped out from the bunk room we had started in. It would act as a chain reaction, hitting the few grenades I had placed in hiding spots down each hallway we had taken. Not only would this provide a distraction but it would also destroy some of this place, enough to suffice for now.
"GO!" I shouted, shoving Danse ahead of me. He and Amelia were confused, frazzled, unsure of what was going on, but they cooperated.
Dan pushed open the door to the exit, just as the grenade blasts reached the cell block. We all ran through, Dan thrusting the latch down from the outside once we were free. "Okay, I hadn't thought of that. But I'm glad you did."
Fire roared further in the building, smoke billowing up through what I assumed were ventilation shafts. I could hear alarms going off, frenzied shouts from another entrance to the Compound. We could feel the heat from here, the flames kissing my skin where it was exposed, warming the metal on my guard uniform.
"Right?" I was bent over, hands on my knees. Amelia was staring up at us, terror in her eyes.
"St-Stay away from me!" she ordered, voice weak and fragile, arms outstretched in front of her towards Dan and I. "I d-don't know an-anything! Leave me alone!"
How long had she been down there? She was nothing more than skin and bone, looking as weak as a house of cards that would topple over if I poked her with my pinkie finger.
Dan approached her, knelt down so he was at her level. "it's okay, Amelia. Everything is going to be okay from now on." He reached up and removed his helmet, untying the bandana to reveal his concealed face. "Your father sent me. My name is Dan and I'm going to take you home. You're free from those evil men. I'm just sorry we couldn't get here fast enough to prevent you from being tortured in such a way."
"My… my father sent you?"
"Yes, Lord Stockton."
I smiled warmly, glad I could help Dan get to this girl. Dan continued his conversation, reassuring her that he was here to help her, digging through his bag to find her something more suitable to wear for the journey home.
Okay, now to untie Danse and-
Pain exploded in the back of my head. I lurched forward a few steps before regaining my footing, arms outstretched to balance myself. I spun rapidly, fingers gingerly touching where I had been hit, wincing as my head throbbed. Even with the helmet on, the blow had been enough to disorientate me.
Danse had his fists up, pure hatred contorting his face into a sneer. He had taken an offensive position, the restraints I had loosely closed around his wrists laid broken on the ground at his feet.
"Hey, okay, Danse. Easy there. It's me, Ashtyn." I raised my hands in the universal 'we come in peace' gesture, palms out to him, indicating that I didn't hold any weapons. Something about him wasn't right. His eyes were glazed over, as if he wasn't seeing what was in front of him, like he was in a daze or a hallucination.
"I'm not listening to your lies anymore!" he snarled, lunging towards me, fingers extended. I danced to the side sending him shooting past me.
"I'm not lying!" I insisted, lifting the helmet from my head and chucking it to the side, lowering the bandana so it rested around my neck. "It's me!"
"I don't believe you!" he growled, arranging for another attack. Dan moved to intervene but I waved him off. I didn't want to leave Amelia undefended, not when Danse wasn't aware of his surroundings. Had they drugged him? Tortured him into obedience? I wasn't certain.
He faltered towards me, footing uncoordinated, movements jerky and random, not like Danse at all. "Snap out of it!" I commanded, raising my voice even louder. I didn't know what to do, felt helpless.
"You will PAY!" He blinked up at me with that foggy expression, not truly seeing me, not truly hearing me. Then he moved, this time with a speed I hadn't been prepared for. I didn't move out of the way, didn't duck or dodge in time, simply took the full brunt of his attack, the two of us crumbling to the ground. I raised my arms to my face to protect it from the drop, hissing when I landed, rolling to the side in order to just scarcely miss his follow up. I used that moment to roll further away, stopping on my hands and feet, adrenaline starting to pump through my body.
I hadn't wanted to fight back, didn't want to harm him… not after everything he had been through. But it seems I didn't have an option.
When he stirred to attack again, I was ready. I met him full on, blocking his cuff with the side of my arm, and landing one of my own. "I don't want to fight you!" He screamed back, diving at my midsection and sending us both back to the dirt, dust and debris flying around us.
His fingers dug into my shoulders, legs straddling to effectively pin me down. "You will pay for everything you have done!" he bellowed, crazed and manic. He raised his arm back, prepping to slingshot it forward to pummel me in the jaw, but I reached up to block it, feeling the shockwaves reverberate down my arm to my chest, I gritted my teeth, sucking air through my pursed lips. I wiggled, giving my hips some room before releasing his fist. I pushed back, managing to slink out between his legs, curling my own below me. Without hesitation, without giving him time to react, I hurled myself forwards, careering into him.
My hands enclosed around his wrists, raising them until they rested on either side of his head. Using my legs, I pressed his lower limbs to the ground. He jack knifed below me, jerked his body from left to right, shaking and twisting and attempting to break free.
I continued to hold on.
"STOP!" I shouted.
He was gasping for air, face pale, exhausted, fatigued, spent. His breaths came in hungry puffs, his struggle subsiding. Still the glossy eyes remained.
Slowly, painstakingly so, I released his wrists. When he didn't go to retaliate, I lowered my legs until they were on either side of his waist, my stance no longer a threatening one. Danse watched me warily, too tired to fight.
"It's going to be okay, Danse You're free now. They can't hurt you anymore," I gently wiped dirt from his cheek, trailing my fingers down and around his jaw line. "We're going to go back to the Prydwen and talk to Elder Maxson. I'm sure Haylen will be happy to see you." He blinked once, twice. I repeated my gesture to the other side of his face, clearing as much as I could as I spoke, "I mean, I'm happy to see you. When I woke up and you weren't there..." I paused, biting my bottom lip. I had been frantic, frightened, more scared than I could have imagined. Not knowing if he was alive or dead… it hit me harder than I thought. "I'm going to make sure that never happens again. I promise. But you have to come back to me, okay? The Commonwealth needs people like you, with your spirit and drive, and determination. You've done so much good for everyone. The Brotherhood needs you…" I lowered my forehead till it was touching his chest, not caring about the grime that would lodge into my hair.
What if this wasn't fixable? What if the Compound fucked him up so badly that the damage was irreversible? I… couldn't visualize what life would be like without Danse in it. I used to think he was the typical solider type: demanding, rude, loud, arrogant. I thought that he didn't care about anything but the mission at hand, viewed those who helped him as nothing but tools. But I had been so completely and utterly wrong. In the last few months, everything had changed. Everything. Now? If I had to be without him? If I had to go through this hell hole of a wasteland on my own? I would rather die. I don't know when it changed, I don't know when I decided that he was so important to me. But spending the whole day, unsure of whether or not he was alive or dead… I couldn't do that again. Without him, I had nothing. "I need you."
Please come back to me.
Comforting arms wrapped around me, pressed me to him, muscles relaxed. I could feel his fingers lightly curl into the uniform I wore, feel his breath exhale through my hair. "Danse?" I whispered, pushing up just enough to see him.
And he was grinning at me, a drained grin but I could accept that. The daze gone, his light brown eyes clear once more. "Hey you." My lips parted but no words came out though I knew relief was evident on my face. "I'm okay, everything is okay," he assured, skimming his hand through my tangled hair. I nodded weakly. "Thank you."
I shook my head. "I'm so sorry, Danse. I should have taken your instincts more seriously when we were back in town. I should have listened, should have been on guard. If I had been, they wouldn't have taken you and-"
"Shh," he hushed. "Don't think that way. It doesn't matter right now. What matters is that you got me out. I'm sorry that I attacked you. I wasn't… I wasn't right in the head."
"It's not your fault. Really. Do you know what they did to you?"
"Not to break up this little reunion," Dan cut in. "But we aren't out of the clear yet." The shouts were getting louder, closer. "We could still get captured if we don't get out of here."
I glanced around my shoulder, staring back at the moderately destroyed Compound, senses on high alert, trying to track down how close our enemy was. "Do you know where we can go?" I questioned Dan, not having the slightest idea myself.
"I do. Follow me."
-oOo-
I propped the can of beans on my knee, enjoying the heat of the fire as it roared away in front of us. Amelia was asleep on a bedroll off to the right, leaving Danse, Dan, and I to talk.
We had traveled a quarter of a mile south, finding refuge in an abandoned home on the edges of Cambridge. Dan said we would be safe here, that the people in Covenant likely wouldn't travel this far to find us.
Danse and Amelia told us a little of their time at the Compound, detailing the horrors they had gone through. Amelia had been there for the better part of a week, subject to a variety of monstrous tests and examinations. They had insisted that she was a synth, using the data they had collected as proof. However, it was blatantly obvious that she wasn't anything other than human. With Danse, they said they knew he was part of the Institute, argued that he knew where it was located. When Danse didn't offer up the information they desired, they brutally tortured him into submission. He knew that they utilized drugs to knock him out, and he assumed that one of them had been the cause of his hallucinations. Dan and I kept an eye on him just in case he rebounded.
"So what's your next step?" Danse asked Dan while I finished my dinner. Danse was all bandaged up now, we used supplies we stole from the corner store at the end of the street. Though… technically you couldn't call it 'stealing' if the owner of said corner store had been dead for over two centuries.
"I'll take the lass back home to her father. Should be able to get to him by midday tomorrow if we leave bright and early in the morning." Dan glanced back over at Amelia, her sleeping form barely visible from our current location. "What about you two?"
"We have to report back to the Prydwen. Before we arrived at Covenant, we had been on a recon mission to search for equipment. We need to let them know we were successful, as well as inform them about what happened at Covenant. There could be valuable information inside the Compound that everyone could benefit from," Danse responded.
Dan bobbed his head. "Sounds like a good plan. Glad someone can finish off those fuckers." He gaze focused on me, "But, I owe you, Ash, a big favor. I may not have been so successful without you."
I blinked up at him. "Pretty sure the feeling is mutual. You don't owe me anything."
"Still," he pulled out a pad of paper and a pen, jotting something down on it before passing it to me. "If you ever need anything, or just want someone to run around with, you can reach me on this radio frequency. I've seen Vault Dwellers before, I know your PipBoy can access it." I took the paper, glancing down at the assortment of numbers and letters. I wasn't sure when I would ever use it but I entered the channel into my PipBoy for safe keeping regardless. "Alright, I'm crashing for the night. You guys staying?"
Danse and I glanced at once another, both on the same page. We wanted to go home. We had been gone long enough from the Brotherhood, it was time to return. As I began to stand, Danse offered a reply, "We're going to head out. Sometimes it's easier to travel at night."
Dan nodded, shaking our hands. "It was nice meeting both of you. Be safe out there."
"Right back at ya," I commented before Danse and I took our leave.
We traveled in silence for the first few moments, listening to nothing more than the sound of crickets chirping, of the roaring of the river ahead, and of the wind whistling through the trees. The stars twinkled above, the moon providing just enough light to see where we were going. It was almost relaxing. I forgot that the Commonwealth could be beautiful, that it was anything more than a game of survival.
"So," Danse started, cheekily grinning at me. "You need me, huh?"
My cheeks flamed red and I was thankful for the darkness to hide within. "I didn't mean it like that."
"Sure sounded like it."
"You were passed out, hallucinating."
"You had your head down, you had no idea when I snapped out of it."
"Pffft, liar. You aren't remembering it clearly!"
"Oh? Aren't I?" he leaned forward, nudging my shoulder with his own.
"No," I bit out, staring defiantly away from him, ignoring his chuckle aimed at my expense.
After a minute or two he quietly countered, voice barely above a whisper, "I need you too though. So maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I was right?"
I glanced at him, surprised by his openness. He needed me? That couldn't be right. Danse didn't really need anyone – and I didn't mean that in the 'he prefers to be alone' way but more of the 'he's more than capable of handling himself' way. But… remembering back to our time in Goodneighbor… he had stated that he didn't want me gone. What was he getting at?
"But enough of that," Danse continued, shaking his head, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck, a nervous habit of his. "Let's go home."