She rummaged through her bag in the dark, finally retrieving her canteen and taking a few measured sips while she took in her surroundings.

Holed up in a large room, on the third floor of an unfinished high-rise office building. Construction had stopped on the fourth floor. Steel beams extending even higher above it.

It was a shell of a building. Unfinished and bare crumbling walls, gaps in the floor. But at least she had a ceiling over her head.

Outside, cranes, excavators and bulldozers lay rusted and dormant around the site. Frozen in time. The moonlight casting shadows across open trenches and unfinished foundations.

It wasn't ideal. Not that it ever was. But it should do for the night.

She wiped the trickle of water on her chin and replaced her canteen.

The far wall of the room was unfinished, and the moonlight peeked through, nipping at her boots as she continued to search through her things.


*"Team 2, all clear"*.

*"Team 3, all clear"*

*Team 4. Buildings C through F are clear*

*… … …Team 1, North side is clear*

*This is Marlon. Run a sweep of the construction site and let's get the hell outta here*


She stood in the shadows, next to the unfinished wall. Careful to stay out of the moonlight as she peered outside. The roofs of the surrounding residential houses were visible for several blocks.

A discarded needle lay at her feet, which she absently booted off the side, watching it hit the water that had gathered in one of the open foundations below, with a splash.

She had found many of these needles and discarded chem dispensers among the trash that littered the floor above.

This building likely saw regular visits by junkies, scavengers and travelers. But for now it was completely empty, which was something she found rather odd.


*"Got movement outside the building. Checking it out"*

*"It's just a mutt, leave it"*


Fenway Park wasn't too far off now, she thought.

One more day.

"Hey! you!". A man's voice causing her to whip her head around and reach for the sidearm tucked behind her.

"Ah, ah, ah". He stood in the doorway with a rifle pointed at her back. And scopes over his eyes, which she guessed were night vision goggles.

'Shit', she hissed under her breath.

"Why don't you slide that little pistol over here, sweetheart", he ordered with a grin.

She'd been careless…again.

'Never let your guard down out here', a certain paladin's advice echoing in her mind.

She did as she was told, showing her hands as she placed the gun on the ground and purposely kicked it over, so that it skidded to a halt in the middle of the moonlight's path.

"Please, don't shoot", she kept her voice as non-threatening as possible. Letting it rise a few octaves, falvored with a touch of innocence and helplessness.

She watched as he stepped into the meagre light to kick the gun aside. His rifle trained on her the whole time.

Boots. Dark, loose trousers. Tattooed arms. An armored plate over a bare chest. Automatic rifle. A knife in his boot. A strange marking on the left side of his forehead.

She noted all of these things, before he stepped back into the shadows.

"I'm just a traveller. Am I trespassing? Please, I didn't know". It was a task to alter her posture and her expression, so that she appeared as small and timid as possible.

She hated feeling weak, powerless…But what she hated even more, was pretending to be.

It turned her stomach.

Still, it was a tool like any other. A skill she could hopefully exploit in her current situation.

"Take it easy sweetheart. Get over here, up against that wall", he ordered.

"Okay", she whimpered, grinding her teeth as she made her way to the wall opposite the door, and stood in the moonlight facing him.

Be co-operative, make him lower his guard. Wait for an opening.

If he was going to shoot her he would have done it already.

He pulled his goggles over his forehead and looked her over for a moment before asking. "You alone, sweetheart?".

She nodded, "Yes".

"Wh…"

"*Cole how's the third floor look?*", came the voice on the radio.

He didn't immediately respond, and instead appeared to be deliberating something. Looking her over as she stood there with her palms up.

"*Cole what's your…*"

"I'm here", he grabbed the radio from his belt. "All clear so far. I'll check the fourth when I'm done. Out".

What was he doing?

There were more of them. But he was alone on this floor it seemed.

"This is Gunner territory, lady", he explained with a smirk. His rifle in one hand, still trained on her.

The infamous Gunners? She thought.

"Now see, we're under orders to put down any riff-raff we find in here. But if ya ask me, it'd be a real shame to waste such a pretty lady".

She could guess where this was headed.

Her heart was racing. But it wasn't exactly fear.

What was it?

Anxiety….Anticipation…Adrenaline?.

"Don't worry sweetheart", he continued. "It's your lucky day. I'm a reasonable man. I'm sure we can work something out", he grinned.

She bit her lip and swallowed.

This act was starting to annoy her. 'Come closer, and point your gun away for a god damn second! ' , she thought.

"Please, I have caps. I can…", she offered.

"That's good", he cut her off. "That's a good start. But that ain't gonna cover a bullet in the head, is it?".

"Wh…what do you want?", she asked, and saw his grin widen in the dark.

"Don't play dumb with me, sweetheart. The shirt. Take it off", he pointed with his rifle.

"Wh…what…?", she started to object.

"You heard me", he growled.

'Shit', she grabbed her tanktop, hesitating for a moment until he nodded and wiggled the barrel of the rifle at her.

She closed her eyes, cursing under her breath as she lifted her top up and over her head.

Her dishevelled hair shadowing her face in the moonlight, as she slipped the fabric down her arms and stood before him in her sports bra.

He raised his hand, motioning for her to throw it over to him, and she did. Watching as he held it to his face and breathed in her scent with a self-satisfied grin.

"Pants. Take'em off and turn around", he ordered, licking his lips and tossing her shirt aside.

But she didn't respond. Her head downcast and her arms stiff at her side.

"Do it!", he shouted, startling her. Loud enough to risk the others hearing him.

This was going too far. She needed him to get closer. But how?

She reluctantly reached for her belt. Pretending to fumble with it, but making no progress.

"Don't fuck with me, bitch!", he shouted, clearly trying to keep his voice down this time. "I'm runnin outta time, and that means so are you!".

"P…please", she stammered. "M…my hands are shak…shaking. I can't…", she pretended to cry. Fake tears running down her cheeks as she avoided looking directly at him, but kept him in sight.

She heard him curse under his breath, watching as he set his gun down next to the door and approach her.

"Hey, hey! Take it easy", he grabbed her upper arms firmly and pressed her back against the wall.

"Christ, finally!', she thought.

"Relax. Just do what I tell ya and everything'll be alright. You be a good girl and you're gonna walk outta here alive and in one piece. Understand?", he assured her, running his thumb over her lips. And she had to fight the urge to bite it.

His hands dropped to her chest, and she winced, trying not to cry out as he squeezed roughly.

"Move your hands", he instructed, and she lifted her hands to her chest as he worked to undo her belt.

He didn't notice her shaking had stopped when he unbuttoned her pants.

Didn't notice her sobs had ceased.

He wasn't looking at her face.

His guard was down.

"Just stay calm", he grinned as he found her zipper.

"I am calm", she replied.

The timbre of her voice had changed completely. And it caught him totally off guard.

Meek, timid, high pitched tones, replaced by her usual, slightly husky, even-toned voice.

His eyes snapped to her face in confusion, and she caught his gaze for a split second before ramming her forehead into his nose, and striking him in the throat. He staggered back in wide eyed shock, struggling to breathe.

She pushed off the wall, taking a measured step towards him as he clutched his throat, and she kicked him hard, between the legs, doubling him over.

She reared her fist back, intending to finish it with a right hook, but he tackled her at the waist, pushing her back and slamming her against the wall.

"Guhhh!", she coughed, dazed for a second as the wind was knocked out of her.

He was still hunched over at her midsection. His arms snaking under her legs in an attempt to lift her off her feet.

But she wasn't having it.

She brought her elbow down on his back. Once, twice, eliciting a muffled grunt of pain before he managed to lift one of her legs and toss her aside.

She hit the ground on her back, striking her head on the concrete floor.

Wincing and gritting her teeth against the pain, as he hobbled towards her.

He was still bent over, able to only grunt and wheeze, but he had death in his eyes as he reached out for her on the ground.

It was his last mistake.

She intercepted his wrist, wrapping her legs around his arm and neck, dragging him to the ground with her and trapping him in an armbar.

He coughed and sputtered, clawing at her legs as she tugged at his trapped arm. A thrust of her hips as she pulled, finally snapping his arm with a sickening crack!

"Gaaaahhhhh!", a pained and guttural scream ripped from his throat.

"Damnit!", she growled. There was no way the others didn't hear that.

As if on cue, his radio activated. "*Cole what's goin on up there!? Cole!?*".

Cole's screams almost drowning out the radio.

"SHUT! UP!", she kicked him in the face, silencing his screams and knocking him out.

She let his lifeless arm hit the floor.

'Shit! Shit! Shit!', her mind racing as she stomped on the radio, destroying it. A quick examination of his scoped goggles, before retrieving her sidearm and making her way over to her bag.

She had a matter of seconds, she guessed, before 'who knew how many' of his companions swarmed the third floor.

These were gunners, she reminded herself. An organized and well geared mercenary group.

She slipped on her visor, switching it on and bathing her world in green.

One grenade, three Smoke grenades. She hooked them on her belt. Swearing under her breath as she hurriedly re-buttoned her sagging pants.

She could hear the commotion on the floor below as she loaded a flare gun and tucked it behind her.

Hiding in this room would be a bad idea. She had to take the initiative, and she was out of time.

She grabbed her sidearm and rifle, made her way to the open doorway and peered around the wall. The floor was empty, save for a number of pillars interspersed throughout.

The emergency stairwell exit was at the far end of the floor, and she could hear the heavy footfalls getting closer, echoing through the doorway.

She turned around, absently putting two shots into Cole's unconscious body before tucking her sidearm behind her heading out the door. Rifle at the ready.

She hid behind one of the pillars, watching as the first man emerged from the stairwell and knelt. He kept low, scanning his surroundings, his gun sweeping across the darkness.

A woman coming up behind him, peeking out from the doorway, sweeping her rifle around for any threat. A third man stopping just inside the doorway next to her.

Like Cole, they were all utilizing night vision gear, as she predicted.

She couldn't afford to let them split up. She had to act quickly.

She hit a switch on her visor. The green tint replaced by a muddy grey.

Thermal Imaging.

She drew her flare gun, stepped out from behind her cover and fired it into the group, hitting the first man in his armored torso before they had a chance to react.

The sudden burst of light, absolutely blinding them.

They cried out in shock, dazed and completely disoriented, firing wildly into the darkness.

She dashed behind another pillar, crouching as she drew her rifle and unloaded into the group, cutting them down.

Her rifle trained on the doorway as she approached the stairwell, switching to night vision and giving the three bodies a cursory glance as she passed.

Despite the low volume on their radios, she could just barely make out the chatter.

*…lost… ntact with team 2*

*gun…ire….ilding…*

*All…eams…nverge on the…nstruction site*

The emergency stairwell was the only viable way up. If they were coming it would be that way, she mused as she entered the stairwell and peered over the railings at the winding stairs below.

A solitary gunner on the stairs below looked up just as she peered over, and he unleashed a barrage of gunfire, forcing her to back away from the railings.

She hugged her rifle, her back pressed against the cold wall, bracing herself against the shower of sparks, as gunfire tore into the steel railings where she stood a second before. An errant bullet ricocheting off the railing and embedding itself into the wall, inches from her head.

The reverb in the enclosed stairwell was almost deafening and she gritted her teeth against the noise.

A sudden break in gunfire, replaced by familiar growls and a panicked scream.

She peeked over the railing just in time to see Dogmeat drag the gunner off his feet and try to pull him down the steep staircase.

A single scoped shot to his neck ending his screams.

"Dogmeat!, stay there boy", she called in a hushed voice as she hurried down the winding staircase towards him, taking them two and three at a time.

"Good boy!", she gushed. A quick pat on his side as she passed him.

"Lets go", she called, unhooking a smoke grenade from her belt and leaning over the railing, letting it drop all the way down the middle, to the ground floor.

Dogmeat had gotten to her before the others. That meant they weren't all in the building at the start.

She stuck her head through the second floor doorway as she passed. Confirming it was indeed empty.

She needed to make it to the ground floor before the rest of them got to the stairs.

Once more she switched to thermal vision as she descended the stairwell, and was engulfed by the rising smoke.

'How the hell did she find herself in this situation!?', the voice in her head screamed as she hit the ground floor of the stairwell and peeked beyond the doorway, masked by the thick smoke.

Her foot blocking Dogmeat as he tried to pass, and she gently nudged him back behind her.

The gunners were in the building. Their dull grey forms, cautiously closing in on her position as the smoke poured out of the doorway.

Static, and the garble of incoherent voices on their radios, echoed across the empty floor.

She leaned back, knocking her head on the wall and swearing under her breath.

She needed to avoid a straight out firefight. If this devolved into a prolonged shootout, she would lose.

She could almost hear her thundering heartbeat as she unhooked the last two smoke grenades from her belt, pulled the pins, and tossed them through the door.

The barrage of gunfire was almost instantaneous, barely affording her the opportunity to duck back behind the doorway.

She crouched over the dog, shielding him as sparks, concrete and dust rained down on them. Gritting her teeth as the thunderous crescendo of gunfire smothered her world.

It stopped as suddenly as it began. Thunderous explosions replaced by deathly silence.

"Shhh", she whispered in Dogmeat's ear. Her hand on his muzzle as he whined, desperate to be unleashed on their attackers.

Dust and shards of concrete clung to her hair as she lifted her head and shuffled over to the doorway, risking a look beyond the shredded wall.

"Can't see a fuckin thing in this shit. Did we get em?", she heard one of them say.

She could see their heat signatures clearly through the thick smoke that was rapidly spreading throughout the room.

There were four of them. They weren't all wearing headgear. But even if they did have night vision apparatus, they still wouldn't be able to see though the smoke.

Unless they had thermal optics…

Did they?

She took a deep breath and stuck her arm across the open doorway for an agonizingly long two seconds before pulling it back.

It was a stupid move, but she needed to be sure.

There was no response from them as they continued to cautiously advance in her direction.

"Perfect", she muttered as she unhooked the single grenade from her belt and rolled it towards them before ducking back behind the doorway.

"Hey what is that?".

"GRENA…!".

The explosion rocked the ground floor. Reverberating through her body as she covered her ears.

Two bodies on the ground, unmoving. Two more gunners shakily attempting to stand while she slipped through the door and skirted around the group.

Dogmeat circled around on the opposite side, going for the throat of one of the stunned gunners. Panicked screams replaced by guttural gurgles.

She circled the other gunner as he tried to stand. A mere six feet away from him, but he couldn't see her through the smoke.

She stopped her pacing and stood for a moment, regarding the struggling man. He was clearly dazed and hurt. A silhouette of bright grey in a monochrome world.

She held her rifle at her side and drew her sidearm.

How easy it had become…To pull the trigger on a fellow human being…

A single shot rang out, and the gunner hit the ground for the final time. Unmoving.

There was no more resistance in the trigger. No more weight to it, she thought, as she turned the pistol around in her hand.

A single bark from Dogmeat on the other side of the room catching her attention and she looked up as three more gunners poured in through the entrance.

She ducked behind one of the pillars, quickly switching to night vision then back to thermal to confirm that the smoke was indeed still doing its job.

She could see Dogmeat's form as he stalked through the smoke and darkness. His head low and his movements measured and deliberate.

She whistled softly when he wandered too close to the entrance, drawing him away.

He was a smart dog to have survived out here this long on his own. His survival instincts likely better than hers, but still, she wouldn't risk it.

"Maylin! Keller!", one of the gunners called.

"What the fuck is with this smoke?"

"Shut up and spread out", another one ordered as they filtered into the room.

They were all armored to some extent. Chest and shoulder guards, helmets.

Two bullets remaining, she checked her rifle, cursing under her breath. 'Shit'

No protracted gunfights, she reminded herself.

She set her rifle down against the pillar, and broke away from her cover, circling around behind them, from one pillar to the next.

She picked her target. One of the gunners lagging behind the other two. His rifle pointed into the sea of smoke in front of him.

Her heart thundering in her chest as she approached him from the side.

He didn't see her until she was right on top of him.

"Wh...!".

Her hand shot out of the smoke, grabbing his wrist, and at the same time the cold barrel of her pistol slipped under his arm, between the gap in his armor, and she fired.

"Gahhhhhhh!", he screamed, dropping his rifle as she shot him again in the leg, forcing him to his knees. Her hand on his shoulder steadying him and using him as a shield while she unloaded three shots into the nearest gunner.

Her aim shifting to the third and final gunner. His rifle pointed in her direction but he was hesitant to fire blindly.

Dogmeat barrelled into him from behind, knocking him to the ground and tearing into him.

"P…please, don't…d… don't", the gunner kneeling in front of her looked up, begging. His face, grey and featureless under the thermal imaging.

She pressed the barrel of the pistol against his neck, seemingly frozen in thought.

"P…please…", he sputtered again.

She withdrew her pistol and let him fall forward unto the floor in a moaning heap, as she stood over him.

It wasn't that easy after all, she thought, cynically.

There was still weight behind every life that she took. She had just learned to bury it, it seemed.

When this was all over, would she be able to handle the cost of…

The gunner flipped over onto his back. The sudden movement snapping her out of her thoughts.

Her breath froze in her chest when she saw the pistol in his hand, pointed up at her.

Two shots shattered the silence.


"Guhhh….Go...d..damnit!", She collapsed, straddling the corpse beneath her. Blood running down her bare arm from the gunshot to her shoulder.

"Ssss..Sonova…..BIIIIITCH!", she screamed into his lifeless face. Her voice echoing throughout the empty building. A single hole in his forehead as he stared up at her with dead eyes.

She felt Dogmeat's cold nose on her arm. Concerned whimpers as he licked her dusty cheek.

"I'm fine boy", she winced, snaking an arm around him and taking a deep breath.

When was she going to learn her damned lesson? She berated herself.

The sound of groaning coming from near the stairwell, catching her attention.

One of the grenade victims she had thought dead, had woken up.

She ground her teeth and growled through the pain as she stood.

She had a few questions…and a few things she needed to get off her chest.


"His name's Olsen, Vincent Olsen", Nick slid the file over the desk towards her and took a drag of his cigarette while she flipped through it under the overhead light.

"Turns out kidnapping and human trafficking are just a few of his winning qualities", Nick explained.

"Wait, so he's not actually with the gunners?", Piper asked, looking up from the file as Ellie Perkins, Nick's secretary, set a glass of Nuka Cola next to her.

"Here you go. Nick tends to forget his manners when we have guests", Ellie smiled, throwing Nick a teasing sidelong glance, and receiving a smile from the detective as he took another drag of the cigarette.

"Thanks Ellie", Piper grinned.

"Not with the gunners. No", Nick replied. "He's more of a permanent client. They provide security and safehouses for his operations".

"Do we know where his safehouse is?", Piper asked, scanning the file.

"That's the problem. His hideout keeps moving. He has the gunners scout out new territory every so often before setting up shop again", Nick explained.

"I'm guessing you have a plan?", Piper looked up at him.

"I might", Nick leaned forward, tapping his metallic finger on the old wooden table in thought, before continuing. "I have a lead on a former gunner by the name of MacCready. Hangs out at the Third Rail. I'm hoping he can point us in the right direction".

"The Third Rail?", Piper winced. "Alright. I'll head down to Goodneighbor with you tomorrow. We'll see what 'Mr. MacCready' knows", she sighed, taking a gulp of her drink.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about", Nick explained. "I got a new case yesterday, from a couple who's daughter went missing. There's a few branches I wanna shake before the trail goes cold. Would you mind meeting with this MacCready character alone? I'll meet up with you after, and we can decide where to go from there".

"Fine", Piper buried her face in her palms, dreading the thought of running into a certain songstress, alone.

"I keep telling him he needs a full time partner. With the backlog of cases we have piling up…", Ellie remarked, leafing through one of the file cabinets.

"I do just fine on my own, thanks", Nick assured her. "Besides, do you know anyone qualified, who'd actually work with a synth?".

"Well if Piper could…", Ellie began.

"Ohhh no", Piper cut her off. "I'm more of a collaborator. If I took a job here with all the pro bono cases Nick takes on, Nat and I would be out on the street in a month".

"Hey, I make enough to keep the lights on", Nick assured her.

"Thank goodness only one of us has to eat", Ellie smiled, giving Nick's shoulder a gentle squeeze as she set a file in front of him. "Here's the Darla case".

"Alright", Piper stretched, taking one final drink as she stood. "I'll meet you back here tomorrow when I get back from Goodneighbor".

"Goodnight", she called over her shoulder as she headed for the door.

"Goodnight Piper", Ellie called.

"Try to stay out of the Rexford this time, alright?", Nick added, before the door slammed shut in response.


NOTES :

This one was a bit short compared to the previous 15k word chapter. But it's been almost a week and I wanted to get something out before too long.

So this is the first part, and a bit of a prelude.

Wanted to showcase a bit of her intelligence and tactical ability. So it wasn't just mindless action.