The Danse Dilemma

17. Hunter/Hunted

*-*-*-*-*Danse's POV*-*-*-*-*

We finally arrived at the C.I.T. building and Y/N put the radio signal, it started beeping. "Come on this way!" She said pointing her finger to the right side of the road. I loaded my gun and followed. After fighting through a few ferals and raiders we made it to an old building with a green door. "So, this is it." She says, checking her rifle ammo.

I smile. "You make it sound like we're walking into our death. Speaking of which, we should probably strategi-"

"Nope!" She smirked at me then kicked open the door. "RRRRAAAAAAAAAGGHHHHHH!!" She ran in first and I sighed before following her. We shot, stabbed and sprinted our way through the building. Gunners we're around every corner, but they were no match for us.

We finally made it to some winding stairs and I could hear voices above us. We climbed higher and higher until I saw some Gunners. They were on the floor, hands behind their heads. I gestured for Y/N to stay hidden. She nodded using her gun to get a better view of the people inside. "You. Come here." The voice was very posh and proper. I didn't move and neither did Y/N. Can he see us? "The two people behind the wall... come. Here." Well then. I sighed, standing up now and walking around the wall to come face to face with a man in a strange full black outfit and brown hair tied in a small pony tail. "Are you here for the synth?" He asked, tilting his head. He had his gun in his hands. I didn't say anything, glaring silently.

Y/N stepped up to my side. "I'm here to pickup an order. Two large pepperoni and a calzone. Name is "Fuck You."

He squinted his eyes at us. "If you're not here for the synth, then you're here for me. What do you want?" He asked, his finger ready on the trigger of his gun.

I could see Y/N struggling to hold back her grin. She finally let it crack though. "I need what's in your head." She said.

"That you can not have." And with that he took a leap backwards and raised his gun firing a blue blast at us. I grabbed Y/N's waist and tugged her behind the wall we had just come from.

"Well great!" She huffed, rolling her eyes as she slammed her back on the wall and spun her head to see the Courser in the other room.

"I told you we should have planned-"

"Now's not the time to lecture me, Danse!" She looked at the room again, and almost got shot in the face. "You take this side and I'll get in close-" She said and I sighed before nodding. I looked back into the room and-

"He's gone!" I groaned. Y/N cursed under her breath. Then I saw the wall glisten with an odd wave. "He's using a stealth boy! Dammit-" I fired a couple rounds at the moving waves and in return the Courser kept swearing and grunting in pain.

"Here!" Y/N threw a molotov cocktail at me and I caught it with a bewildering look on my face.

"Did... did you just throw a molotov at me!?"

"THROW IT AT HIM!" She yelled, ignoring my question. She was way too close to the moving waves.

"GET BACK!" I yelled and she dove out of the way, letting me throw the cocktail at the moving waves. The Gunners that were on their knees were already dead from the fire fight, but if they weren't then that definitely did the job. It also set the Courser on fire, allowed us to more easily see him move around. The Courser was trying to pat himself down. "There!" I shouted at Y/N who stood up and pulled out Righteous Authority. The wicked grin on her face and then dark sparkle in her eyes made me stare as she easily took down the Courser. I sighed in relief and got up, coming to her side to stand over the Courser's body.

"PHEW! That was a work out. You ok Paladin?"

I nodded, wiping the sweat off my brow from the heat of the fire and from running around. "Peachy." I sighed, making her chuckle at me.

She crouched down beside the Courser and started checking it out while I observed the room. Something caught my eye. A woman was inside a room that looked to be locked and a window with bars across it. She had brown hair with a fringe and big green eyes with red lips. "Hey..." I tapped Y/N on the shoulder and she stood up, tucking the Courser chip into her pocket.

"Hm?" I gestured my head at the girl behind the bars. "...Oh." We approach together and the girl timidly lifted her head.

"He... He deserved to die." She said. "I know you're not here for me, but... I can't get out. Not on my own." She explained, holding her hands together like she was praying. "I'm going to have to trust you to help me."

I raised my eyebrows. This was a synth. A synth. But... "I promise not to hurt you." Y/N said and... I nodded.

"I guess I don't really have a choice, do I?" She looked at me with those big eyes, and the eye contact we made was awkward, so I looked away. "The guard put the password in a tool box over there under the stairs. Use it to gain access to the terminal and open the door." She explained.

"I'll grab it." I told Y/N. I walked over and gingerly opened the box. Sure enough, under the tools was a piece of paper. "Here." I handed it to Y/N who took it with a smile and quickly typed it in. I heard the chime, meaning she was in. First she got the elevator up and running, the light above the door flickering and then the doors opened with a hiss. Y/N stepped into the tiny room with me beside her.

"Thank you. I don't know what to say." The woman sounded exhausted and now I could see her eyes where bloodshot with black rings underneath them.

"You don't have to say anything. You're welcome." Y/N told the girl, who gave a stiff nod of her head.

"My... Institute designation is K1-98, but I prefer Jenny." She folded her arms now more confident. "So yes, I'm a synth. if you hadn't already guessed." I was this close to throwing this woman down the elevator shaft. Synth or not. My brows furrowed as we stood and waited. "I knew they'd send a Courser. I just... didn't think he'd find me so fast. I think I would have lost him too. but then I was captured by these... mercenaries. and all this happened." These 'Mercenaries' were the Gunners. I sighed, thinking how they were the most "organised" Raider group in the Commonwealth. "Thanks again for your help. I'm gonna look for supplies before heading out." She looked at me then back at Y/N. "And before you ask, no, I don't need any more help. The Commonwealth is unforgiving. I need to make it on my own or I'm dead. Maybe we'll meet again, under better circumstances." She looked at me again and I squinted my eyes at her in a half glare. But she didn't seem affected. "I hope we do." She said, smiling slightly at me and brushing past Y/N. She stopped behind us, gave me an up and down look before disappearing down the stairs.

"Did she just flirt with you?" She scoffed, half shocked, half pissed, and half amused.

"I'm... not sure." I answered truthfully.

She rolled her eyes and grabbed my hand. "Come on, I've got the chip. Let's head out."

"Who's going to be able to decode a Courser chip? I don't think anyone at the Prydwen has the tech or... brain power to do that." I say, making her laugh.

"Oh don't worry. I've got us covered." I gave her a look and she smiled innocently at me.

"No." I said with a sigh and she just grinned.

"The Railroad... they can help us."