In The Shadow of Steel (Paladin Danse)

Part Seven

Familiar lights basked around me as I was materialised into the constricting white rooms of the Institute. It took a few moments for my vision to regain its full strength, and even longer for the deep ringing in my ears to cease. But the customary arrival was met with difference upon exiting the elevator.
"What's going on?" I questioned, on edge as I stared down the barrels of multiple institute rifles, held in place towards me by loyal synth striders. "I think you need to check your security system, It's me. Goddamnit, lower your weapons. You don't see me holding my gun do you?" I shouted, annoyed at their insolence.

"We had reasons to believe you'd never return to the Institute, after expressing your feelings of disloyalty to our organisation the last time you were here." The annoying face of Justin Ayo appeared from behind the barricade of synths.
"Hey, I wasn't disloyal, I just didn't want the responsibility of being in charge of this place."
"Father trusted you, because you were his mother."
"Were? You mean he's-"
"Yes, he's passed. But you already knew that."

Despite the differences we'd shared, it was no easy burden to bear for a mother to learn her child is dead.

"Wh-who is in charge now?" I queried, swallowing down the lump rising slowly in the depths of my throat.
"That would be me. We had a vote, most agreed Father never should have appointed you, me being one of those people. He was willing to hand everything we've worked towards over to you, someone who shares no passion for the future of humanity-"
"Where in that thick head of yours did you get that idea from? Every day I bust my hump making sure people out there have the best chance of survival. I care about them, so don't you dare say I don't."
"You can go on believing that, but words don't make actions true. You are a threat to us, to the Institute, and everything we have worked for. I was willing to give you a chance before, but you turned your back on us, and I will not give scum of the Commonwealth a second chance to plot against us. You are no longer welcome here."

The words were like venom, a cold blade licking at my throat. The wrong words could pierce the skin.
"If that's the way you see things, I definitely want no involvement with this place. I came here for Shaun." I spat, cold.
"Has radiation rotted away your memory as well as your sense of self? We've just spoken about this. Your son is dead."
"Careful, you sound as if you're gloating. Im not talking about him, I mean the boy. S9-23. Where is he?"
"What?"
"You heard me. I know he's here. I want him back."
Justin Ayo released a boisterous laugh, "the boy isn't here."
My patience with this man was beginning to run thin, "tell me where the hell he is!" I spat, anger fuelling at a ferocious speed.
"Fine, if it will make you leave quicker, I'll tell you. We do not have S9-23. In fact, he's not with the Institute at all."
"Then who does have him?"
Upon watching my frustration grow, the scientist began to smirk.
"Hm, I believe I've thought of an impasse."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Your boy has been taken by the Brotherhood of Steel."
"What? Why would they want him? He's a child."
"Ah, yes, that he may be, but he's also a synth. The brotherhood oppose us, and all our technology with it. If they'd learned of a synth child, well, I'd hate to think of what they'd do to it."
"Tell me what the hell you know you son of a bitch!" I leapt towards him, grabbing the collar of his lab coat. The cold face of the weapon kissed the back of my head, causing his smirk to grow ever more. "Fuck," I mumbled, releasing him from my grip.
"Hmph," he brushed himself off, lip slightly upturned. "I can only tell you what our outside field agents have informed us about, that a Brotherhood patrol team found your boy hiding amongst the rubble in the ruins of an old house late last night. They were then seen leaving the area on one of their ships and hightailed back to their blimp in the sky. I trust you're aware of what I'm talking about."
"Yes, I've seen the ship. Why would they take him?"
"It's unlikely they'd have discovered his identity upon first meeting him, unless he'd told them."

No, he wouldn't have. He knows the rules.

"I have a proposition for you, perhaps there is hope for your loyalty yet," Justin started, snapping me from my thoughts.
"And what's that?"
"It doesn't take a genius to know that the first place you're going to go next will be to the Brotherhood, you have travelled this route before, after all."
"Of course, nothing can get in the way of me getting my son back; not even you guys could." I retorted with a smug smirk of my own, earning that distasteful glare I so loved to provoke.

"Indeed," he scoffed, continuing on to disregard my comment. "Infiltrate the Brotherhood, do what you must to affiliate yourself with them, and in doing so I would like you to report back to me directly, with any intel about their Organisation that you can acquire."
"You want me to become Kellogg 2.0?! No way in hell is that gonna happen. I don't work for you, and I never will. I'll join the Brotherhood, I'll do whatever it takes to get my son back, but you'll never hear anything from me regarding someone else's business. It's people like you who put the last nail in the coffin for humanity that resulted in the end of the world. You're disgusting, using people for your own gain. Go to hell, Ayo."

"I'll see you there."

As the chaos began to echo all around me, my brain went into a frenzy, and before I could even think to leave, I was thrown from the room I was in and fell through the spiralling of bright lights and shocks that prodded at every ounce of my core. The world opened up around me, pain dripping from my right arm, taking sharp breaths every second. I raised my hand, blind to the light slowly dimming in the circle I was engulfed in. Red painted the bruised skin, an ever growing ache seeping from within. Blood oozed out around the wound as jumping dots replaced the light in my eyes, my head a spinning circus.
I began to slip, in and out of consciousness, falling towards the ground. The contact was harsh, holding hands of intensity with the pain in my arm, my hands, my legs my head. A commotion around me grew louder, shouts and gunshots still.
They must have followed me.
Dammit, if only I could see.

They grew closer, the footsteps, coming towards me, coming to finish me off for good.

I can see him. There he is, that smile, those loving arms. His warmth. It grew hotter as I drew near. His smell, safe and warm. Warm. His hands, soft against my skin, the pain in my arm numb as his fingers press against the wound. I can feel him staring at me, telling me I'm home. I'm home. You're here. I finally found you.

"Hang in there civilian, you're gonna be alright".