[SEQUEL TO GUN FOR HIRE]
Chapter 10: Terms of the Contract

"This isn't happening," Leo muttered to himself over and over again, but it never changed a thing. He was sick to his stomach, shaking with anger - anger at himself, at whoever... Killed him... And the perky doctor who wizened up and called for a couple guards to protect him after Leo threatened to kill him.

A threat, he learned, that 'Adam' cheerfully claimed he got often; the smug scientist even seemed quite proud of the fact.

Every look at the mirror only drove the point deeper as Leo ran his hands along his surgical scars. He tried to avoid his own eyes, slicking back his hair - or where hair should have been had his proud pompadour not been shaved off - as he inspected every single thing that was done to his body. Did they take organs? He didn't feel weaker; in fact, he felt stronger. Was he a robot now? The eyes proved it, but he heard stories about synths that were indistinguishable from human, and saw it for himself with the wires from the lady Piper killed in the subway.

...Piper...

Bile rose in Leo's throat and he hunched over on the bed, cradling his head. He was scared of closing his eyes, of seeing the man he was about to become when blinded by unbridled rage. Now this was his punishment - it was, wasn't it? It was a fitting one; and still it wasn't enough to make a dent as guilt made his intestines twist with barb wire as vomit stayed ready at the base of his throat at all times.

"This isn't happening..."

This was a nightmare. It had to be. Would karma be this cruel?

Beeps alerted him and his head whipped up when a door hissed open somewhere. The cheerful footsteps announced who it was even before they came into view, and despair gripped Leo's soul when Adam appeared at the doorway, extending his arms as if he was performing for some sort of theatrical play. He held a folder in his hand.

"Ah, good morning, Mr. Lyons! I was hoping you'd be up."

"Morning?" Leo wiped his eyes - not that they were even fatigued, but the habit was still there - and glanced around for a clock. It was surprisingly dark 'outside' from what he could see through his window. He frowned when Adam strode in front of him and cheekily offered a watch; that was some bravado from a skinny little prick who could be snapped over the knee. Leo was not amused at the time displayed, and he glared up at the scientist. "Are you fucking kidding me right now? It's 3 in the morning, what the fuck could you even want from me? And my name is Leo, not Lion."

"Well, clearly you're not sleeping-" wasn't he going to wake Leo up anyways? "-so that means that's time better spent on a project. I pride myself on efficiency, after all. Also: is such vulgar language necessary? It takes away time and studies have shown that the more you use it, the less effective it is... Mr. Lyons."

Great, now Adam was going to do this on purpose. Arrogant asshole; karma was hard at work again, giving Leo a taste of his own medicine. He narrowed his eyes, biting his tongue before he dug himself a deeper hole with the things he truly wanted to say. "What kind of project?"

Something about the way Adam smiled - so innocent, so full of shit - brought with it a new level of dread as he dropped the folder in Leo's lap. "I shouldn't have to say this, but do make it a habit to familiarize yourself with every detail so that you know what you're getting into. You don't want to learn what happens if not - as Mr. Butler did."

"Mr. Butler...?" Leo opened the folder, and froze at the picture. His throat tightened and his head snapped up to Adam, who showed his true colors in his snake-like smile.

"You may know him as 'Sarge' or 'Sergeant'." Adam leaned down and tapped the picture of Piper. "His task was to apprehend Piper Wright and bring her to the Institute."

A beat.

"And your task is to protect her."

Karma would, in fact, be this cruel - and even find humor in it.

x - x - x

Gat couldn't erase the image from his mind. He couldn't make himself look away at the time, either. The mangled flat body with limbs bent at grotesque angles and red paint pooling, the screams echoing in the atrium, the flood of coursers to control the situation and the wave of plastic synths coming with their buckets and mops to clean everything up as quickly and efficiently as possible. In a matter of minutes, Piper Wright #2 was erased from existence. How many more would there be?

He committed it to memory as punishment for how much faster they had cleaned up the real Piper. Did they really think they could fool him with the fake one? They hadn't even been bothered to replicate every detail of her red coat. He dumped himself on the couch and smiled tiredly whenever he heard Rose in the bedroom, urging his sister to hurry up so that they could say hi to daddy. He fished in his pockets until he took out a heavy metal - a heavy medal - and thumbed over the bullet lodged off center.

"Garrett?"

Piper's voice. His head snapped up, not believing his ears. Another numbing cold washed over him when he saw his sister standing at the doorway, and he pieced two and two together - only to snap him in two. His head fell in his hands and the medal chafed against his ear, the sting accompanying the accidental slice when he jerked as a powerful sob wracked him. He didn't care about the blood that slowly trickled down.

Arms were around him within a second, though Rose and Garnet's voice bled out to the white noise. "This isn't fair," he croaked pitifully. "She never deserved any of this. Why do the bad guys always win? Wish I could turn back time and just... I don't know... Wish I could make sure the light beat the dark, somehow."

"Who are you talking about, daddy?" Rose climbed up on his back, an arm loosely hanging on his back as she swung under, in his face. Her big curious eyes took up his world, and she still smiled; he tried his best to cherish it, because that innocence wasn't going to last forever - especially not in this place. "Don't cry, daddy. The bad guys haven't won. They can't and never will, 'cause you're here to keep them away."

Gat chewed his lip and chuckled halfheartedly, nodding. He didn't know what to say, so he settled. "Thanks, honey. Daddy will do his best." He wondered if Rose was even aware what was going on, and who she thought were the bad guys. Garnet went searching for a napkin and wiped the blood off his cheek, then applied pressure to his ear. He stiffened when she finished and drew them both in a hug, leaving a cryptic whisper in his ear.

"I think there's still time for light to beat the dark."

x - x - x

Sarah stirred at the sounds of beeping, followed by hissing. She drew the blankets to her chest as she sat up against the headboard, tapping Luki's shoulder. He yawned and took his sweet damn time waking up until she pinched his shoulder, and he groaned as his hand slapped over where she pinched, shooting her an indignant look. "Hello and love you to you too, sweetie. Now what was that for?"

"Get dressed. Someone's here," she murmured under her breath, her gaze fixated on their door. She leaned over the bed and collected his pants, throwing it at him. She quickly kicked her legs over the edge to wiggle in her bra and underwear, deigning to put on Luki's shirt since it was the closest. It fit more like a damn dress on her.

"Ms. Lyons?" Came a monotone voice just outside their door. "If you are in appropriate attire, I would like to enter."

Sarah exchanged looks with Luki, and she waved him over to come off her side to avoid the shattered ceramic on his. "Appropriate enough," she stated, ignoring the way Luki's face fell flat in her peripheral vision. She rolled her eyes when he protectively covered her with his body as he leaned offside and plucked her pants, tossing it over his shoulder before he twisted to block her body from the man that entered the room. She didn't waste any time. "State your business. What does the Institute want from us?"

Another man entered the room, and Luki nudged her with his elbow as he glanced over his shoulder, making it a point to stare at the pants in her hands. She groaned exasperatedly as she wrestled a leg through. "Men," she grumbled, "I'll never understand why you care so much. They're just robots, and it's just skin."

"Doesn't matter," Luki muttered, his voice dropping several notches as he nearly growled at the two men. "It's not polite to stare at a lady who's changing. Turn around."

Neither complied. The one clasped his wrists behind him. "I will not. She stated herself she is 'appropriate enough', and do not think we will expose ourselves to be attacked so easily. You will not be able to escape the Institute unless we allow it. Now, as Ms. Lyons requested an answer - the Institute will be acquiring your services. Both of you will be infiltrating the Brotherhood of Steel."

"What? No way!" Luki snapped up into standing, immediately setting the second silent man on alert as he lifted his laser rifle. Sarah grabbed Luki by his waistband and tugged him harshly until he sat back on the bed, and he shot her a worried look before back at the guards. "If we go back and they recognize us, they'll assassinate her or put us to death by firing squad. That's why we-"

"They already know our history and what we're capable of," Sarah murmured, her eyes never leaving the designated negotiator. "They wouldn't ask this, otherwise."

"Astute and precise observation, Ms. Lyons. We do have intel for you to feed the Brotherhood that we believe would be valuable enough to prevent whatever petty reason they wish to execute you for, provided you are intelligent enough in how you handle our intel. We are not liable for the consequences that befall you, if not."

What a charmer.

"Petty?" Sarah smirked wryly. "Their politics can't be any different than the petty politics in the Institute."

"There is no such thing. All divisions operate as one harmonious unit, unlike the filth on the surface."

"You sure about that?" She finally threaded her other leg into her pants and rose off the bed to tug it up her waist, turning to them after she buttoned it. She strode to come face to face with the robot, who hadn't moved a muscle. The silent one had, adjusting his aim to her, and she could hear Luki bristle behind her. "In my experience - and believe me, I've had plenty of them - every organization has suffered from power struggles, whether out in the open or behind closed doors; it's just above your rank to know. You're only a pawn."

"Save your breath and don't waste our time, Ms. Lyons. Your attempts to manipulate me and extract information will not work."

Sarah shrugged and strode back to the bed, taking off Luki's shirt as she smiled at him. She loved the face he made, the eyes that screamed there would be retribution for this later, and tossed his shirt at him as she picked hers off the floor. It's not like she was naked. She was still wearing her bra - and for crying out loud, did he forget his time in the military already? There was no such thing as privacy.

At least it was easy to read his mind. As she pulled her head through her shirt, she turned around and leveled her gaze on the negotiator. "Regardless of what you offer, we decline. We will not infiltrate the Brotherhood, nor will we work for the Institute. Ever."

"I thought you'd say that." The negotiator looked at the second guard and gestured to the door. "Bring Ms. Wright in."

Sarah looked over when Luki's knee pressed against her, his neck muscles rippling as his jaw tensed. The pieces fell into place when they brought in Piper, who was wrestling in vain, bound and blindfolded and gagged, kicked behind the knees to force her to the ground in front of the two. The negotiator pulled out a pistol - a .32 Sarah immediately recognized as hers - and jammed the barrel to the back of Piper's head, his callous eyes fixated on Sarah.

"I will execute her right here if you do not reconsider. Will you?"

Silence, and then Piper's muffled screams filled the room. Luki's knee pressed harder against Sarah, and she grit her teeth. She didn't tear her eyes away from the blindfolded woman.

"No."

Luki's cuss filled her ears the moment the negotiator pulled the trigger, and blood sprayed, the bullet ripping straight through and lodging itself just a scant few inches away from Sarah's feet. Piper slumped limply in an ungraceful mess, as all dead people do. Sarah had seen more than enough death in her lifetime, but it still never got any easier. She couldn't bring herself to look at Luki when his head fell in his hands, a hail of curses slewed under his breath. They both knew what was at stake. He knew she couldn't say yes. This was for the greater good.

...Did that justification ever matter?

"Bring in Mr. Lyons," the negotiator demanded of the guard, and Sarah swore her heart stopped beating for a moment. She struggled to feign indifference when they had brought in her half-brother, his idiotic pompadour a mess from the blindfold chafing around his head. They positioned him directly beside Piper, her blood soaking through the knees of his trousers. They would have to work harder than this to make her fall for the ruse; did they not know that she had already witnessed his death? "I will ask one more time, Ms. Lyons. Will you reconsider?"

"No."

Another gunshot, and Luki jumped in his seat, clasping his hands in front of his forehead as he whispered cusses in between his prayers.

"Bring in Mrs. Howard." The announcement only closed Sarah's heart off as she crossed her arms behind her, standing at attention like a soldier. She didn't know who Howard was, and she was as prepared as anyone could be - responsible for the blood of innocents all over her hands. It wouldn't be the first time, or the last. She wouldn't break. She couldn't. The Brotherhood was this wasteland's only chance of defeating the Institute; the Railroad weren't well equipped to take on a beast like this.

Who was she to decide the deaths of a precious few to save the many, though?

When another woman was brought in - a young woman she didn't recognize, she looked over at Luki. He seemed just as confused, and the two froze when the negotiator's cold voice cut through. "This is the wife of the man you know as 'John'; the mother of Shaun." The muffled cries weighed down and Sarah couldn't bring herself to look when she heard the gun cock, closing her eyes as her practiced numbness was threatened by memories. "Are you prepared to condemn another child to grow up without their mother, as you did, Ms. Lyons?"

Jesus, just how much did the Institute know about them all?

"Are you prepared to make John a widow?"

"If it's what I have to-" she started, but Luki cut her off with a hiss.

"They're not going to stop killing, Sarah. Just... Just say yes. We'll do it. We'll infiltrate the Brotherhood - at least, I will."

"Luki." Her eyes snapped open, glaring at him. He rose from the bed and approached the negotiator. "Luki, don't do it. You know what's at stake."

"I do, but these people have nothing to do with what's at stake for us."

"For the Commonwealth," Sarah corrected, her nostrils flaring at the sight of the negotiator's smug and victorious smirk. "Luki, this is a direct order. Stand down." She sucked in a breath, and became uncomfortably tuned in to the way her innards quivered with fear as she watched Luki's shoulders set sternly. Strength gradually faded from her knees the longer she was cut off from his eyes, and she honest to god prayed he wasn't going to go through with this. She couldn't afford to beg or appear weak though, to have the rest of her authority diminished.

Authority? What a joke. Sarah's gaze panned to Piper, face down in her own blood. A faint memory plucked at Sarah before she had the chance to shut it behind the gates.

"Get your ass in here already then, civilian."

"Civilian? Last I checked, you're one too. You did say you're not with the Brotherhood anymore."

It wasn't enough to lose father. It wasn't enough to lose the Brotherhood, and force herself to walk away from her Brothers and Sisters for her own safety. It wasn't enough to lose her only family member left - and to witness the monstrosity of a lookalike die in front of her again, helpless as she always was. It wasn't enough to lose Luki, too. There was nothing left to lose.

"Luki," she tried again, her voice warbling. "You're spitting on Piper's sacrifice if you do this."

"A sacrifice she was never asked to make!" He snapped heatedly as he turned to her - and she dearly wanted to make a move for the second guard's gun just to shoot the negotiator's smirk off his face. "And a sacrifice I refuse to let the General make; not after all he's been through to find his family here, the sacrifices he's already made to help the Commonwealth before himself. Our promise died with Leo, and the Brotherhood would sooner execute us just to protect themselves. What loyalty do we owe them, after how they spat on our sacrifices? To hell with the Brotherhood. They haven't helped the Commonwealth one bit, but John has. My allegiance lies with the Minutemen."

Sarah's jaw set as a plethora of arguments surged to the front of her mind, but she saw the fire in his eyes. That damned idiot was going off just like his damn dad now. She watched as Luki knelt and picked up the last bound woman, who whimpered and shook in terror. He turned to the negotiator. "Give Sarah time to think on it. I know she'll change her mind and infiltrate the Brotherhood with me as well."

This kind of insubordinate attitude from him better mean what she hoped it meant, but likely not. He never had the stomach for the tough calls that nobody wanted to make - not even her. Why couldn't he just understand that she was hurting and didn't want to, too? Why couldn't he just have her back the way she always had his?

"Don't make promises for me. I'm not disloyal like you," she scoffed as she crossed her arms and turned around. Her heart rammed in between her ears and she felt dizzy, frustrated to have been openly defied and diminished by the one man she had fought so hard to trust with her heart. This was why she couldn't. The negotiator bled out to the white noise and she looked behind her only when she heard the hissing of a door shut somewhere. She was left all alone with the two bodies in her room, until a few plastic synths came in to clean the mess left behind. Sarah watched them closely, grimacing at the crude way they handled the bodies, dragging out Leo first by 'his' ankles.

"Like vultures," she muttered, approaching the body of Piper before they took her away. The machine stood and watched her back just as closely, and she ignored it as she knelt. She had to see it for herself. She twisted Piper on her back and removed the blindfold and gag, suppressing a shudder at the glassy eyes wide open. The bullet went straight through.

And Sarah smirked at the sight of a wire peeking out the forehead.

x - x - x

John wasn't sure who he was supposed to have a reunion with. He didn't recognize the elderly woman in a motorized wheelchair, facing sideways as she looked out of a window - what was she staring at? It was dark 'outside', simulating some sort of night shift. He reluctantly approached her when Shaun left the room to give them privacy and gently rapped his knuckles against the wall, smiling apologetically when the frail woman jumped in her wheelchair. The moment she looked at him, her eyes lit up and she clapped with glee.

"Oh! Oh, Nate, you're back!" Nate? She knew who he was then, apparently; or maybe got him confused with someone else. "You're finally back... Welcome home. I've heard so many things about what the communists were doing in Anchorage, and I feared that... Oh, I'm just so glad you're safe." The wheelchair hummed to life as she rolled closer to him, reaching for his face with weathered fingers and a wrinkled grin that dimpled her cheek. It hit him hard.

He couldn't erase the memory even if he wanted to.

"I've spent every night baking your favorite dish, so that it'd be fresh just for you. I know it's night time, but we should take it and go to the park and celebrate. It's still warm enough, but I bet anything will be better than Alaska, right? It'll be a nice reminder for you that you're safe and not in a war zone and... Why aren't you saying anything, Nate? Is something the matter? Are you hurt anywhere?" The weathered fingers pattered around his face in a feverish inspection, and he was teetering on the edge as his throat closed up on him.

"Nate?" Her willowy tone became more stern and bossy as her emerald eyes narrowed; eyes he fell in love with, so long ago. "Are you listening to me, mister?"

"Y-yes ma'am, of course. I'm not hurt anywhere."

That dimpled grin grew and she tapped his cheek, then framed his jaw as she pulled him in for a kiss. "Good. That's what I wanted to hear, soldier."

It couldn't get any worse than this. It couldn't, because the worst had come to life. He was too late. He'd already lost his family. He stood there, wishing he was at least physically hurt to drown out the agony that was ripping him apart inside. He could feel the snot and tears coming as he struggled to maintain his composure, but it all fell apart when Nora leaned back in her wheelchair and stared at him with eyes widening in shock. Then she clapped with glee.

"Oh! Oh, Nate, you're back! You're finally back..." She reached for him and pulled him down for another kiss, whispering against his lips. "Welcome home."

John wished he was too late from entering the vault with his family instead.

x - x - x

Rose's cheers filled the hallway as she ran down, arms spread out in excitement as she made sound effects and bounced around with energy he will never understand where it even came from. Gat twisted to see where his sister was - and she was far behind, struggling to walk even with her medical brace conformed to her knee. He slowed down and offered his arm when he noticed sweat line her brow and glimpses of pain in her eyes, frowning as he lowered his voice. "They haven't been treating you, have they?"

"They have," Garnet rasped, stopping to take a break as she shifted her weight on him to take it off her bad leg. "It's just taking it's sweet time healing."

Gat chewed on his lip and averted his gaze to the ground. "I'm sor-"

"Don't. It's not your fault."

That was what Piper said too. What was with all these barmy women protecting such a degraded and selfish shit like him? It was his fault. All of this was happening because of him, and yet they kept insisting that it wasn't. He knew better than to argue with such fierce spirits, though - thanks to the numerous times he had already tried and failed - and he sighed as he looked back up at Rose, smirking when she grew annoyed and insisted for them to hurry up. He couldn't help but be curious as to why he was allowed to be out with them without an escort. "Where are we going, anyways?"

"To school!" Rose announced cheerfully, bouncing up and down. "I can't wait to show you what I'm learning, daddy!"

Gat froze. His gaze snapped to Garnet, who lowered her voice for only him to hear. "You'll be surprised. They've allowed me to sit in on every class too, to keep an eye on her."

"I don't know, Garnet, I still don't think this is a good idea..."

"Where else is she going to receive quality education? And she seems to be enjoying herself - made a few friends too. She isn't lonely and she isn't anxious anymore."

No matter what, he wouldn't change his mind. This didn't sit well with him at all; and the fact that the Institute actually allowed Rose into their system must have meant that there was some sort of underhanded move at play here, or something. But... He was still alive. They were still alive - but they were also still held as captives. He wasn't sure what the Institute was waiting for, considering the terms of his now-completed contract.

...The terms of his contract.

He stopped dead in his tracks when they cleared out into another hallway, and he spotted Piper; not the real one, for it wore another replicated red coat without the hole in the breast-pocket. He idly rubbed the heavy medal in his own pocket, and then something clicked into place when his gaze fell back to Rose as she urged him to come to class with her. He grinned, hope alight in his heart, and vowed to himself he would find the real one in the black coat.

After all, it didn't seem like his contract was completed.

Not all of it, anyways.

"Your family will remain in our custody until we complete copying Ms. Wright and dispose her."

Author's Note

Thank you to Lunaris Eclipse and neverquitelogistical for taking precious time to review this story! I'm relieved you've been enjoying it, and here's hoping that everyone continues to do so. The set up is - for the most part - just about done, except for where Leo & Piper will go. It's safe to say neither will be a happy camper, but fingers crossed I'll write fast enough for that new trend to be over sooner rather than later lol.

Hope to be back next Sunday with a new update! Sorry I've taken so long on it. I've been working more shifts this month, but September is finally almost over. Thanks again for the reviews and the support, cheers and I hope you have a lovely day everyone :)