In The Shadow of Steel (Paladin Danse)

Part Nineteen

The looming gates welcomed us once again as Paladin Danse and I hopped off the platform of the vertibird and headed into Diamond City. The distant murmur of the city's bustling life crept closer as the market approached, inviting us with the attracting shouts from Natalie Wright.

"Read all about it! Child Kidnapped! Mother braves dangers of the Commonwealth to find missing son!"

Her high-energy and tempo rang in our ears, blended with the calls of the rest of the market vendors; John, Arturo, crazy Myrna and most boisterously, Moe Cronin.

"Swatter! Swatter! Who needs a Swatter?"

I drowned out his voice and tuned to the sound of Danse's question.
"That article, is that your story?"
"Yeah," I mused. "Ever since I got Shaun back it seems to have started selling again, according to Piper. She told me how everyone in the city were so moved by my words when I first took the interview, and it made them happy to compare it to now."
"That kind of makes you a celebrity, doesn't it." He stated, turning to meet my eye with a glint in his own.
"I guess you could say that," I returned the glee with a wink, shrugging it off. "I'll sign the autograph later, come on. The Science! Center is this way.

With a loud knock on the metal door, we pushed it open and stepped inside, the pungent smell of rust from the streets of the city instantly replaced with earthy fumes from the laboratory and chemistry equipment.

"Professor! I have a new theory of how the Institute makes the synths!"

Both mine and Danse's attention landed upon the two scientists in the room, Professor Scara and her assistant, Doctor Duff.

"Oh no. We banned talking about this, remember? After last time? The shouting? Me sleeping on the cold floor of the lab for three nights?"

Danse threw a subtle look of unease in my direction whilst I bit back the smirk that threatened to show at my lips. We'd evidently interrupted a...domestic dispute.

"That was your choice."
"And seriously..growing synths from the ground using recombinant plant nuclei? I mean, how could they even-"
"Ah ha! You do want to talk about it!"
"Uh," Professor Scara turned awkwardly to the side, her embarrassed gaze falling upon us. "Oh look! We have visitors! Doctor Duff, dear, if you could bother them while I walk away from this conversation.."

We stepped forward and I opened my mouth to speak, but Duff got there first.
"Hi there! Are you here for today's free biology lesson?"
"Um, no. Actually, we're here looking for you, Professor Scara."

Her shoulders slumped from behind and a slight grumble of disappointment could almost be heard from her before she spun back to face us, boredom hidden poorly against the lines of her face.
"Oh, well that puts an entirely different spin on everything, doesn't it. Well, you've got me, I'm Professor Scara." She raised her arms unenthusiastically and sighed. The Paladin and I stepped closer towards her, allowing her to size the both of us up, her eyes lingering on Danse for a long while, the pupils raising up and down. My brows reluctantly furrowed.

"Now before you ask, 'Professor' is my first name, not my title. The whole thing's rather complicated, perhaps I'll explain it to you sometime."
I glanced up to see her right eye wink at him, a flirtatious smile pulling at the corners of her lip. He shifted on his feet, evidently uncomfortable, before clearing his throat.
"I'm Paladin Danse, and this is Evelyn Winters-"

"Yes, I know this one." She scowled, her eyes narrowing as she stared at me. "She has the boy child, quite the celebrity."
My face mirrored hers, the tone in her voice pulling my aggravated strings. 

Dammit Ingram, was there nobody else we could have recruited?