[SEQUEL TO GUN FOR HIRE]
Chapter 20: The Price of the Truth

"Don't s'pose yer here for a strip tease?" Gat joked weakly, doubling over in his seat as the cuffs strain against his wrists. Blood trickled out the corner of his lips. He rose his head to try to see who entered this little torture room, dragged back to his apartment by coursers. He squinted and struggled to put a name to the withered face. "Who th'fuck are you again?"

"The Director of the Institute," the elderly man spoke plainly. "I understand you have pertinent information that we need." He gingerly stuffed his hands in his lab coat as he approached, but remained a safe distance from the farthest blood splatter on the floor. He looked at the coursers. "Leave us. I would like to speak with Mr. Butler alone."

Within seconds, the coursers complied. The Director retrieved a chair from the kitchen and settled in front of Gat. There was an air of impatience circulating the old man, and he didn't waste any time to get to the point.

"Where have Ms. Wright and Ms. Lyons gone?"

"Fuck if I know? Went our separate ways - barmy birds didn't wanna have fun at the party. I told yer bloody robots the same fuckin' thing. Can beat me all y'want, ain't gonna change my answer."

"Allow me to change my question then: where would you like your sister and niece to go?"

Gat stiffened, glaring. His gaze fell to his bruised thighs, where a large blister began to form from how many times a charged baton cracked at flesh. The Institute would forever win these games, with this ace in their hand. He clenched his teeth and bowed his head as he struggled. "Leave them out of this."

"Then tell me where Ms. Wright and Ms. Lyons have gone, and you will not force my hand to harm them."

"Yer real fucked up, y'know that? Tryin' to trick everyone that the Institute cares for people. You ain't even battin' an eye 'bout hurting a fucking kid, man."

"Did you, when you put a bullet through that young man's head the time you and Ms. Wright were kidnapped?"

Gat's head shot up, brows furrowing in confusion. "What? How the fuck did you know about that?"

"I have my sources."

"Did Piper tell you that?"

"In a manner of speaking," the Director shrugged.

Right. These assholes copied her, and so had information because of it, didn't they? That's fucking terrifying. All the Institute has to do is push some button, and they have access to everything a person's ever thought and done, replicated to perfection. He averted his eyes and stayed silent, stalling, hoping every second is proving precious to Piper right now. The Director wouldn't suffer it.

"We're not so different, you and I," he started, soon cut off by Gat's laughter.

"I'm not a fuckin' sociopath like you. I don't kidnap people-"

"You made a living off of it."

"That was different, and I had to! I had to keep my family safe."

"And I have to keep the Institute safe and well as well." The Director leaned forward, patting Gat's knee as if trying to portray comfort and empathy.

Load of horse shite.

"Tell me where they are and your family will remain safe," the Director stated the ultimatum casually. "If you do not, then I will make you watch what happens to Rose."

Nostrils flared and Gat lunged in his chair, but it was crudely welded down. His restraints kept him caged like an animal. He snarled and spat blood, sneering with pride when he'd blemished the Director's stupid perfect coat, but the elderly man kept calm as he took out a neckerchief from his pocket to wipe his face. What a surprise this freak wasn't rushing for the nearest sanitizer station.

They stared at each other, and the Director leaned back in his chair with a sigh. "Very well. You leave me no choice."

"Don't you dare touch-"

"Then tell me where your cohorts are!" The Director snapped, his willowy voice booming to a near deafening level. "I do not enjoy what I must do sometimes, Mr. Butler, but I will do what I must. Do you believe you are protecting anybody right now, like this? Do you have any idea what consequences will follow your meddling? You have no grasp on how this is going to change lives within the Institute."

"Good, it needs some fuckin' changing then! All of this shite's here all fucked up. You aren't even honest with the ones that work for you, all of them smiles and giggles, believin' that the work that they're doing is for a good cause. They ain't never seen what the fuck you've done to the surface - what the fuck you're doing to people here! You're nothin' but a liar, old man, but those days are over. Piper's gonna find a way to expose the truth no matter what."

The Director snapped up into standing, joints popping in succession. He briskly walked out the apartment without a word nor hint of his plans.

Gat seethed cusses under her breath when the coursers came back into the room.

x - x - x

Pods of people lined the walls. Dazed, Piper meandered from pod to pod, reading little holographic plaques of the names. None she recognized. The wasteland life showed its wear and tear on many of the bodies in here, ones she could deduce if they were farmers by their calloused hands, or raiders from their scars and piercings.

Anxious, she picked up the pace, footsteps echoing as she ascended stairs to keep searching every pod she came across. She stopped when she'd found one that was alive and breathing beside her not too long ago. The blonde hair and stern facial features betrayed the peaceful look of the unconscious woman trapped inside.

"That wasn't Sarah."

This was what Blue discovered. What tipped off John to investigate here? Was he not on board to work with Shaun? Something must've given him pause and cause not to trust his own son.

Desperate for answers, she broke out into a jog, inspecting every pod.

Mr. Always Right knows Wright from Wrong. But who will know who is Always Right?

"I'm scared because I miss you, and I need you, and I don't know if I can kiss you. It'd be cheating if I'm kissing the wrong one, wouldn't it?"

Dread hung over her head. She was racing towards a truth she felt she knew all this time, but was in denial about. She slowed at that thought. Her innards twisted, and nausea lurked in her chest. Lukewarm vomit clawed up to her throat just at the thought that this would be the moment she would find out that she is, in fact, another copy all over again, and Garrett's fears will have been proven true. Could she break that news to him? After seeing how much it waged war in him, she was... Conflicted, for once.

Was knowing the truth always important? She'd had her fair share of white lies. Sometimes it was better not knowing.

But he deserved the truth.

Ascending another level, her heart twisted upon seeing other familiar names scattered about; Luki, John Doe - who's real name was Nate Howard, the supposed real Nick Valentine... How was it that they were able to preserve bodies for this long? Just what was that liquid they were encased in?

Still, she couldn't find her own body. There was some measure of relief. Perhaps they pulled her out and Shaun kept his word after the first copy? Or two, based on what Sarah... Or synth-Sarah was saying. None of this made sense, though. Why was the Institute copying them and sending them free, like this? There did not seem to be a security measure of sorts if synth-Sarah was able to infiltrate in here without coursers being set upon them. And what purpose did the Institute have, copying Blue after he'd agreed to work with them? Their allegiance and ideals aligned. Or was Shaun tipped off otherwise?

She came here for answers, and only more questions were piling up.

Distant voices alerted her as a door hissed open beneath her. She was out of time. She saw lasers flick about, and she broke out into a sprint to check the last level of pods. Monotone commands shot out beneath her, as well as warning shots. She had to know. She had to see with her own eyes. She had to find out if she was real.

And stumbled upon a discovery that was just as bad.

"How do you know you're you?"

"I don't... I'm assuming I am, only because of the... Cybernetics."

x - x - x

This was scarily easier than Luki thought it was going to be. Insert himself into the Brotherhood of Steel. Yeah. They'd taken him in for his medical before they even found out who he really was. The ranks must have dwindled if they're this eager for recruits. His previous rank of Paladin had yet to be reinstated though, something that only Arthur Maxson could do. He sat uncomfortably in the mess as he observed the other officers, before looking down at his uniform.

Damned thing was tight in places. Hopefully he would get a combat suit that was tailored to his size.

Waiting around was making him nervous. It had been a long time since he'd seen Arthur last. The young boy was a stellar and focused squire, from what Luki remembered. A little over-eager to shoot things, but what boy wouldn't? The BB rifle dad got him when he was younger still was indisputably the best birthday gift he'd gotten.

What was Arthur like now? There seemed to be high respect and reverence among some of the snippets of chatter he'd heard from the crew. All of them had a rather aggressive approach, though. Hot-blooded. This wasn't the kind of Brotherhood he remembered, back then. There was camaraderie, still, sure. But these folk don't seem like they would take a calculated approach over a superior firepower kind of one, as if boasting their might to frighten civilians, rather than build rapport and trust among them.

No wonder the Commonwealth didn't have a fond view of the Brotherhood of Steel if this was the reception.

"Brother Lyons?" A voice piped up behind him, and he rose in his seat as he twisted to give a brief salute. His eyes fell on the rank's patch on the shoulder before he fashioned his reply.

"Yes, how may I serve, Paladin?"

"Follow me," the scruff soldier gestured courteously. "The Elder will see you and discuss the status of your rank reinstatement now."

Squire Arthur Maxson, now Elder of the East Coast chapter. Oh, how time has flown.

Luki bit his tongue to repress laughter when he thought back fondly on one of few conversations he had with the squire back then, and the fury guiding the story told by another woman.

"I did go out one time, you know! Sarah... Um... Sentinel Lyons took me out. Just to show me. I killed a Super Mutant, too! I swear! I, um... I also sort of shot Sarah. But just a little! It was just a flesh wound..."

x - x - x

Apprehended, Piper kicked and screamed all the way as the coursers dragged her somewhere. She didn't know where, but had plenty of good guesses.

That she was still breathing eliminated one of the guesses.

The nature of that breathing? She kept her mind sharp, in hopes whatever memories that may be transferred now will help the next Copy Wright figure out immediately whether or not they are a synth. If they so much as drag her near any kind of pod right now, she's letting loose everything at the top of her lungs. Someone would be bound to hear her. Maybe.

Would any of these scientists actually rebel, though, if they learned the truth behind the synths they're producing? Probably not.

Maybe they already know.

Soon, she was dragged into a familiar space - an office. She was shoved into a seat, narrowed her eyes when footsteps echoed and descended a staircase. Shaun.

"I trust they handled you as carefully as they could?" Shaun asked, as if he actually cared.

She huffed, but said nothing as she glued her glare to the floor. She refused to talk to this liar.

A guttural noise hummed in Shaun's throat, and he took a chair to sit in front of her. He folded his hands neatly. "And? What have you learned? Was it worth it?"

"Fuck you," she seethed under her breath, her commitment to silence shattered in seconds. "You need mental help if you really believe I'm still going to cooperate with you after what I saw."

"Still doesn't answer my question."

"I don't care," she scoffed.

Withered fingers cupped her chin to raise her head and she jerked away, glowering at him to dissuade any more fucking delusions swimming in his mind.

"Was it worth it?" Shaun asked softly. "Do you think you'll tell any of them?"

At that, Piper faltered. She was caught in an internal war, and her head bowed as she closed her eyes, the images flashing behind them. Her teeth chewed at her lip. The silence coaxed an answer out of her, her breath falling ever so quiet. "I don't know... I know how it feels, after how suspicious Garrett was of me. I don't wish that feeling on anyone. It's cruel, but... Not knowing the truth..." Her head shot up, eyes narrowing. "You know you could also just, oh, I don't know... Not do this? Release them all from their pods, stop making copies of them? What's the purpose, anyways?"

"Information is power, Ms. Wright, as you well intimately know now. I have access to all that they knew, and that helps us fight our war against the Brotherhood of Steel. Most of it is obsolete now, with their objective completed, and I have no need to retain them. I have enough bodies and personalities otherwise to create our synths."

Obsolete information, objective completed. She wagered he was talking about Garrett in that regard.

"What about your father?"

"What about him?"

"He was working with you, he was on your side." Poison seeped in and her composure cracked, anger lacing her tongue. "For fuck's sake, man, he's your dad!"

"I have the Institute's best interests in mind, and I am charged with it's safety. I grew up here. The Institute is my family. My biological father is only that."

"But he supported you, allied with you. Why would you do that to him? How can you feel nothing for him?"

"I do. I allowed him to meet his wife, though senile as mother is, I could tell that meeting hurt him. I was thinking of reconstructing her so that he could have the family he has fought so hard to have again. He has served his purpose, and it was nothing more than a safety measure to ensure he would not betray the Institute. Now I know scrutinizing his allegiance was, in fact, necessary."

This was insanity. There was no reasoning with this man who believed his own justifications. Piper struggled to keep her expressions in check, knowing very well that there was a fatal danger lurking for her if she wasn't careful with what she said about what she knew.

"In any case, Ms. Wright, I hope you do not need the obvious pointed out to you. You should refrain from mentioning what you hallucinated."

"Hallucinated?" Piper growled, and suddenly she felt cuffs slap on her wrists along with a prick in her neck.

Darkness soon took her.

x - x - x

A pounding headache tormented Garnet for the morning as she went through life's usual struggles of convincing Rose to put her bloody pants on and eat her vegetables. They went through their routine as always before heading off to school, suspicious to find Adam and Leo waiting by the classroom door. A new teddy bear was procured as Rose charged at Adam with glee, and Garnet sighed. She didn't know how to feel when Leo had come to give a hand on the shoulder in solidarity.

"I can't believe how easy it is to trick my girl," Garnet muttered.

An amused noise gurgled in Leo's throat and she shot him a look. She was surprised to see a small smile on his face, before he had some kind of panel pop up on his cybernetic arm, typing into it. It was a good thing she'd gotten all the reading practice in the world, to figure something just wasn't right with the way he wrote. It was all in reverse.

"I can get toys for you to give her," he wrote.

Adam crashed their little party as he became nosy, bouncing into view before the panel was shut away from him. His blasted cheeky smirk irritated Garnet to no end, and she cut him off before he was given the chance to preen his ego.

"So what are you doing here?" Garnet accused with her tone.

"Why, to escort you to my lab so we can begin working on your knee."

"You daft? Have you forgotten? No chance in hell I'm leavin' Rose alone."

"Precisely why 3-0 is here! He's going into the classroom instead to watch over her."

At that, Leo's head snapped to Adam, his expression all the information Garnet needed. She almost chuckled for the poor bastard. Always dragged along, forced to do shite he don't want. It was her turn to give a hand on his shoulder in solidarity. The panel swung open again, though it was promptly and delicately shut by Adam as he offered his arm to support Garnet, of which it was promptly refused.

"You know, you're only doing more harm. Should you not be using a cane?"

"So they make fun of her more? Over my dead body," Garnet grumbled under her breath, mostly for when Rose came and crashed into her with her new teddy bear.

"Let's go inside already, mum," Rose tugged on her sleeve. "I don't wanna miss this one. We get to study space today!"

Adam promptly replaced Garnet's hand with Leo's, and he knelt to be eye-level with her as he smiled charmingly. "I need to take care of your mother for a little bit, little one. Uncle 3-0 will go with you today."

This time, two heads snapped and glared at Adam. This? Garnet definitely didn't consent to this. Rose only has one uncle - even if she mustn't know the truth behind that; but that honor belongs to her brother only. She was about to open her mouth and tear a new one, only to watch her baby girl tricked so easily again as she'd merrily dragged Leo along, the poor bloke being coined Mr. Gutsy instead. She crossed her arms and sighed as the door slipped shut, and all the children's voices muted beyond it. She refused to enable and acknowledge the infuriating smile beside her, huffing as she turned around and started limping along - even if she didn't know where to yet.

"You know, things would be far more easier if you cooperated with me," Adam cheerily stated as he caught up beside her. "I do hope you will be better at following discharge instructions after I fix your knee, or you will likely end up back in this dreadful position of yours again."

"No cane," Garnet grumbled. "The others already tease her in there. They don't need more fuel if they see her mum can't walk right as rain."

Adam hummed thoughtfully. His tone softened. "Kids will always be kids, Ms. Butler." He combed a hand through his hair and then flashed a charming smile. "Fortunately, you're in the best hands you could possibly ask for."

"Pretty sure I didn't ask for 'em."

He went on, ignoring her little jab. She'd never say it out loud, but his confidence was a little reassuring.

"I'll have you walking 'right as rain' by the end of the day."

x - x - x

Aches and bruises swallowed his body, but Gat refused to leave Piper's side. He inspected every inch of her when the coursers dropped her back off in the apartment, unceremoniously left on the ground before they'd unlocked his cuffs to retrieve her. It was a mad scramble to get her to the bed when he noticed she was sweating profusely, and knew he'd get no answers from them even if he yelled at the top of his lungs. He dampened cloths in the bathroom and draped it over her forehead and tucked one under the back of her neck to cool her down.

Buttons popped off as he tore off his own suit jacket off her, and then wrestled with her bloody damned Christmas dress. His gaze flickered when he noticed how his jacket was stained with blood, checking her for wounds she didn't have. Her dress was scuffed and ripped in parts, but her body was in its porcelain shape - apart from bruises he'd left from their lovemaking.

Nothing was out of the ordinary. He inspected every hickey, grilled his mind for every memory of everything he'd given. Everything matched with what he remembered. She wasn't harmed. So what's got her like this? This was terrifying him just as much. Was she poisoned? Was he doomed to watch her die a slow death?

He crashed in the nearby chair and his leg bounced impatiently, folding his hands in front of his forehead as he honest to god prayed for her to open her eyes and give something to measure that she was alright.

Time ticked by excruciatingly slow, and he tried to keep his eyes off the clock. Only ten minutes had passed by. He scooted closer and grabbed her hand, frowning at how clammy it was. He began to chat, saying nonsense for the large part, until he regaled old tales of times he had pissed her off - in hopes to rouse her awake by pissing her off again. Seemed like the best method.

But nothing worked. Gat grew more agitated, bringing her hand to his forehead as he settled back into prayer.

It felt like years had passed by before he felt a faint twitch against his skin, and fingers weakly glided into his hair.

"Garrett...?" Piper croaked weakly.

"Here, angel, I'm here," he stood up and hovered over her, taking the cloths off of her before pressing the back of his hand against her cheek. "You're flushed, keep burnin' up. What happened?"

"Hot..."

"Yeah, I know, love. But wha-"

"Shower," she rasped, her dazed eyes fluttering as pupils dilated and constricted.

Gat wasted no time as he'd lifted her again and carried her over to the tiny stall, his bloodied body screaming at him in protest and pain as he tried to maneuver her up into standing. "Hold onto me, luv. This thing won't start til the door slides shut behind us."

Frail arms hooked lazily around his shoulders, and Piper tucked her head against the crook of his neck. She groaned with relief as he'd blasted ice-cold water down, ignoring his own incessant shivers, bewildered that she was enjoying this temperature instead of shrieking at him. It felt like more years had passed by until she too begun to shiver, her teeth chattering.

"G-g-good now, warm please..."

All too happily obliged, if only to stop shivering himself. He urged patience and calm rather than pounce her for answers, waiting for what she needed next. She slumped tiredly and his legs nearly buckled from the weight, his injuries taking a toll. He carefully turned them in the stall until he was able to lean against the tiled part, weaving one of his hands in the back of her hair as he gently pulled to raise her head, looking into her eyes.

"Can y'talk now, luv? What happened since we split at the party?"

For some reason, an ominous feeling brewed in his stomach. Piper's eyes emptied for a moment, looking haunted. That glossy look is one he usually saw in the past with green Gunner recruits, forced to take their first kill. His heart twisted and sank when she closed her eyes, enveloping him in as fierce of a hug as her shaky limbs could manage. The crashing of the water droplets almost drowned her quivering whimper.

"I don't know."

A sharp suck of breath.

"I don't remember."

Gat bit his tongue as he listened to her stifled sobs, desperately clawing at him as she muffled her tears in his skin. He sank back against the stall with a sigh, holding her back as he cooed and said sweet nothings to her to calm her down. Yeah... All of this, right now?

He knew she was full of shite.

So what had she discovered that even she was too scared to tell the truth about?