The Knight and the Paladin - A series of Oneshots

35 Reach for me

A/N: This story explains why Danse was standing outside his quarters when Arthur gave him the letter for Kathryn.
The last of those stories I started weeks ago.
The inspiration for this story was of course Blind Betrayal and the music video posted above.

***

He ran.
Faster than he ever had to run in his life.
He left the Glowing Sea behind.

Haylen had warned him in time, before the others heard about it.

He left his power armor behind and ran. His only companions were the laser rifle in his hands and the fear for his own life.
The sun was already setting, turning in for the night so the moon could reign over the night sky and the tiny shimmering stars. It would have been a beautiful night if it wasn't for the fact that he was running. His target location soon came into view, the turrets on the bunker whirring to live as he skidded to a halt in front of the door. He was lucky enough when the turrets started to shoot, only a graze on his skin, nothing much to worry about.
He was panting and sweating. The door to the bunker closed and he activated the protectrons and the elevator with which he rode down into the earth. His hands were shaking from the adrenaline, his heart racing so fast he thought it might burst out if his chest. Was his heart even real? Made from flesh and blood?

A Yao Guai growled in the back of the room and he could hear the splashing of water. He trained his rifle into that direction, his heart only slowly stopping to beat too fast, his breath still erratic with every step he took. How long would it take before the irradiated skinless bear would attack him? Well, not. He shot it the moment it's eyes found his and he allowed himself to sigh a small sigh.

There was a hole in the wall and he found the source of the splashing. At least he had a water source. Come to think, his throat was dried out, making it hard for him to swallow. He shouldn't have left his pack behind. If he was honest he didn't think he would arrive here with his mind occupied. His senses only slowly calmed down, still with every rustle of dust his eyes darted into the direction of the sound until he closed them.

Panic. He felt panicked, exhausted, tired. What was real, what was not?
He didn't know anymore. Just slowly... so so slowly he realized he was a living lie, everything he hated, which he so desperately tried to destroy, get rid of...
Several emotions bubbled inside of him. He was afraid, angry, alone.

Who would believe him when he said he didn't know it either..?

Would his best friend even want him alive anymore? He knew about Arthur's point of view against synths. They needed to be eradicated, swiftly, mercilessly.

It frightened him. Every fiber in his body was on fire, he screamed. He tore of this damn hood and threw it across the room, he pulled his hair just as he fell down onto his knees. Angry tears left his eyes as he cried.

Desperation.

The hours ticked by and he sat in the darkness, staring at nothing. His mind raced.
He wondered if he could remember when they changed him for the real Paladin.
He thought back to what he had witnessed in his life. What he had done, what he had felt. He thought back to the people he met, his friends and brothers and sisters. They would never accept him, now that they knew what he was. At least he was sure Arthur told them already.

Danse counted the time, waiting for the one to kill him.

While he waited he thought of Kathryn.

She was with him in the Glowing Sea, at Sentinel Site Prescott. The whole journey was cast with danger and radiation. He was glad that she wore her power armor this time. He insisted on it, no, demanded, ordered her to wear it. It was too dangerous out there without it. The high levels of radiation made it almost impossible to see clearly, thick green fog clouded the air while yellow lightning cracked above their heads as acidic rain fell down, rusting the metal of their suits faster than thy could find shelter. He was grumbling back then that it would take him for ever to get rid of the rust, to polish and repaint it... God, he was such a nuisance back then.
All he thought of was his damn power armor. Kathryn patted him on the back, her smile audible in the way she spoke.

He missed her now.

They fought against Deathclaws, Radscorpions, Ferals and more. And then this Brother Henry... Kathryn took matters in her hands. It was hard for her to confess she was a Child of Atom in front of Danse, but it helped them complete the mission. After they secured the nukes she got out of her power armor, where the rads weren't too high; Danse did the same and she collapsed into his arms. He just held her, drawing soothing circles on her sweat covered back. The minutes passed before she felt good enough to let go of him. He smiled at her, telling her how proud he was of her. She smiled back, stood up and placed the distress pulser.

"It's time that you head back and tell Arthur about our success.", he had said.
"Aren't you coming with me?", she had asked. He shook his head.
"I'm sorry, but Arthur's order. I need to stay until every one of those nukes was tested, counted and loaded." He almost dismissed her. She wasn't a knight anymore. She was his equal.
Sadly she placed a kiss on his lips and said "I'll see you later then..." before she got back into her power armor and left.

It was maybe half an hour later when Haylen's team showed up. The scribe's face contorted in distress. She took Danse away from the others and told him the news. "Run.", she had said. "Hide. I will find you at Bravo." He knew where he had to go...

She was his equal.