Chapter 1: Mister Handy

No windows. Bars caged her in.

Piper thought she was in Diamond City's lock up; but Piper Suite had sleeping bags, not a mattress. Piper Suite had a bucket, not a makeshift stall. Piper Suite had security guards.

Not gunners.

Gunners. All the arsenal and training of the Brotherhood of Steel, all the moral character of the neighborhood bully. They were just another raider gang that played pretend in fancier clothes; but if there was one thing, out of many lessons, that Piper learned over the course of her dangerous career, it was not to underestimate mercenaries.

Beyond her cell, two gunners played cards. She closed her eyes and pretended to sleep every time their heads turned towards her. She kept fear and panic at bay with a silent mantra, commanding her to remain calm and analyze the situation. At least she had bed sheets covering her. She hid her wincing behind the blanket any time she tried to move her hands, her wrists tenderized and chafed raw by the handcuffs wound too tightly.

Mutters piqued her curiosity; she strained to hear, hoping to pick up information of what the gunners intended to do to her. It was obvious someone wanted her alive, or she wouldn't be here, otherwise... But how long would that immunity last? Why was she kept prisoner? Did they plan to interrogate her? Torture her? Sell her to whichever slaver placed the highest bid? How the hell was she supposed to escape from here, and what would happen to Nat if she couldn't?

Piper needed answers to a million more questions.

All she could do now was steal peeks and survey the room; there was water dripping from a shower head in the corner. Wherever she was, it was a safehouse with adequate water and power supply, something rare and treasured in the Commonwealth. No doubt there were more than two gunners guarding this place, especially if they often bunkered down in places of tactical merit or filled with troves of pre-war technology.

Hunger pangs softly clenched her guts; it was the only method to gauge how much time passed, apart from when the guards left for bathroom breaks before they returned to their card game and mundane chatter. Not that the information helped her any, anyways. She drew the sheets over her head and swallowed the lump that grew in her throat, trying to ignore the burning behind her eyes. Then something creaked, and chairs hastily scraped back. She lifted the blanket and peeked through a small sliver of space, watching as the only door opened, and the gunners saluted to another man.

"Status update." A thick and strange accent; it bore striking resemblance to Goodneighbor's bartender, Whitechapel Charlie.

"Nothing new to report, Sergeant! The prisoner is still sleeping." The gunners appeared to squirm under the scrutiny of the sergeant's gaze.

A gaze that flicked to her.

Piper let go of the sheets, but she doubt she did it in time. She chewed her lip and cursed herself when the sergeant cleared his throat. "Both of you are dismissed."

"...Sir?"

"You heard me. Don't question my orders." The gravelly voice rubbed her all the wrong ways; she could already tell she didn't like this man at all. "I'll start my shift now, unless you'd like to be bored for a few hours more." Footsteps made way to her cell, and her heart sank. She could almost taste the uncertainty in the air, but she didn't dare look, doomed to suffer with this dread coiling around her lungs. The guards bid hasty apologies, soon followed by a creaky door slamming shut.

She was all alone. She felt safer with those two gunners instead of this one.

"Oi. I know you're awake. Come out from there." A series of deafening clangs reverberated in her ears and she gave herself away when her handcuffed hands shot up to cover an ear. She sighed when he chuckled and tore down the sheets off her head, shooting a glare at the sergeant, who appeared unmoved by her silent threat.

Being locked up like an animal probably didn't help her intimidation factor.

"C'mon, get over here already." He tapped the edge of a food tray against bars. "Just 'cause we got all day don't mean y'hafta waste it "

Piper narrowed her eyes in defiance. It was ridiculous how she curled up under the blanket like a toddler, groping for security and comfort where none could be found. She could posture tough all she wanted, but nothing frightened her more than the unknown; and she didn't know what this man was capable of.

Keys jingled in his other hand and he unlocked her cell door. Instinctively, she shimmied until her back pressed against the bars, as if it would even help her get away. She refused to let fear show on her face even when the sergeant walked to her, and she looked down to avoid eye contact, noticing something handy. There was a gun strapped to each of his thighs; if she could catch him off guard and-

"Don't even think 'bout it, luv."

Deadpan eyes bore into her. She couldn't read anything from this guy. "What do you intend to do to me?"

"Askin' the wrong guy, I know bugger all. Dunno who you are." He dropped the food tray on a table beside her bed. "Half the work was gettin' you here, other half is gettin' you out to someone else. After that? Their problem." He shrugged. "Yours too, I guess. I know it won't be mine."

Piper grit her teeth. "Who's paying your bills?"

"Not my business. Don't ask don't tell, luv. Knowin' shite that backs jobs like this is well above my paygrade and I like it that way, s'long as I get paid." He jerked his chin to her blanket. "Now show me your hands and I'll unlock your cuffs. Play nice, an' we can play a game of cards."

That plucked a nerve right where it really hurt.

"A game of-" her throat tightened, voice cracking under fury. "You kidnapped me, and you think I'm just going to play cards with you until you sell me off? What kind of idiot do you take me for?!"

"The kind that's found herself here?"

"I didn't find myself here, you did!" Piper hissed as she shot up into sitting, thrusting her hands out at him to be freed.

Let him take full responsibility for his stupidity and free her from her restraints, he's begging for it.

"Look, it's nothin' personal and I'm only here to keep an eye on ya. It's just a job."

"It's just my life," she corrected, nostrils flaring. The sergeant said nothing and jerked on the chain of her handcuffs; she cringed as they drilled into her wrists and was more than ready to cuss him to the high heavens, but they were unlocked before she could. Then he left her in her cell. An open cell. He was either cocky or naive, and she was willing to bet that he was the definition of arrogance.

"This is your only chance to muck about, luv." He made himself comfortable at the table as he gestured to the cards. "Once my shift's over, you're back to nicking a gander 'round the room for another eight hours, unless I feel like swinging by and savin' ya again."

Eight hours. Good. It was something to help her tell the passage of time now. All she has to do was keep this dimwit talking, to underestimate her and what she could do with the power of information. She sat up and took her tray into her lap, eyeing the can of beans and pack of cigarettes with suspicion. Could any of it be laced with chems? She stole a wary glance at the sergeant, who shuffled the cards.

"Count of ten 'fore I close ya back up in there. Te-"

"Alright alright," she grumbled, reluctantly taking her tray as she walked over to join him at the table.

Honestly, she wasn't entirely sure what to think or feel about this man, even with the invisible dumbass tattooed on his forehead. For some reason, he didn't truly strike her as one; she learned long ago through far too many trials and errors that she should trust her gut feeling. She couldn't underestimate him no matter how foolish he appeared, and if he was smart, he told himself the same thing about her. She couldn't make any overt moves to appeal to his humanity though; not until she had proof that he wasn't nothing but a selfish asshole who's only priority in life was caps.

Shouldn't be hard to gather evidence like that in a den of gunners.

Card tricks played with her eyes; it wasn't the only trick he was playing. His casual demeanor threw her off and she still couldn't get a read from him. She set her food aside and sat across from him when he set the deck down, snatching her pack of cigarettes from the tray. He took one and struck a match to light it, then slid the pack back to her.

"Go on, know you smoke." He tossed the matchbox to her. "Got the pack from your pockets."

"What a surprise that you stole those too."

"What a surprise you're sittin' here with a mouth like that."

God damn it all, why did this dumbass have to be a smartass?

Piper scoffed as she tore a cigarette and match out, seeking the comfort of nicotine to calm her fast-fraying nerves. She took whatever she could get; she needed to remain calm if she wanted to pump this guy for all the information he's hiding from her. She pointed her chin at the deck, watching him past the haze of smoke and the glowing orange embers as she dragged from her cigarette. Her stomach twisted when he smirked wolfishly.

"Ever play 'cheat', luv?"

"No, but I bet you're real good at that," she fired off, proud of just how easy it was to jab at this jerk. Unfortunately, he was still unfazed. No doubt he got this with everybody else he fucking kidnapped and sold. "And stop calling me love, Mr. Handy."

His brow quirked in amusement. "Mr. Handy?"

"Your accent, it's like the Mr. Handy robots." Piper snuffed the remnants of her cigarette in an ashtray and picked up a spoon to poke her can of beans. Her hunger got the better of her and growled in anticipation as she opened the can, but always made sure to keep a wary eye on the sergeant; something she knew he was also doing under the guise of nonchalance. She wasn't falling for anything he said or did. Not like she could afford to, with her life on the line. Didn't mean she couldn't be snarky as all hell towards him. He owed her that and much, much more.

"You grow up with them?" Piper sassed as she devoured her food in record time, leaving nothing to chance; especially if an opportunity to escape presented itself sometime soon. She hadn't forgotten about the guns strapped to his thighs. All she had to do was figure out a way to get to them before he did.

"None of your business," he muffled around his cigarette as he picked up the deck, throwing the cards down with more force than was actually necessary. Good. She plucked a nerve, found a way in. She needed to learn everything she could before his shift ended; eight hours ought to be plenty.

"So what's your name? Got to call you something other than Asshole."

"Asshole is my middle name, luv." The sergeant deadpanned, not even looking up at her as he continued to split their cards.

Piper rolled her eyes and finished her meal, lighting up another cigarette for the consistent comfort of nicotine to keep herself calm before she blew up her only chance of getting out of here. "Told you to stop calling me love," she grumbled, shooting him a glare when he had the gall to smirk, however subtly.

"I will, once you pay me."

A true mercenary at heart.

Shocking.

"Yeah sure, look at me and the caps spilling out my pockets. Caps you helped yourself to, didn't you?" Piper groaned when his smile grew. "Asshole."

"Right-o, luv. Wasn't me though, I ain't in charge of this op. Wouldn't be sitting here if I was."

"And you have no clue who I am and who you're handing me off to, at all? Does your boss know?"

Asshole shrugged. "All I have are my orders, and that's to make sure you're alive and well. Who knows, luv, maybe this is just an escort job."

"Escort?" Piper's face fell flat. "Right, because my mysterious guardian angel would hire gunners to knock me out and stick me in a cell. I hope they aren't wasting a ton of caps to pay a shitty liar like you." She sighed and dropped her head in her hands. The ashes of her cigarette fell on the table, and she frowned when the makings of a headache trickled in to throb behind her eyes. She massaged tiredly, ignoring the itchy feeling of the sergeant's gaze on her. It made her feel dirty... Probably because she actually was dirty. Hygiene was the least of her concerns though.

"Knockin' you out wasn't part of the plan," he grunted lowly, unperturbed when she shot daggers at him. Bet he got this look all the time.

"So what was?" She relaxed in her chair, snuffing out her cigarette even before it was finished. Aggravation took over composure, setting her nerves on fire for every second this bullshit kept ticking on. Anger loosened her tongue and she mocked his accent. "Invite me f'tea an' have uh potty?"

"Y'know with an attitude like that, are you really surprised you're stuck here, luv?" He scoffed, waving dismissively. "If someone went outta their way to pay us a pretty hefty sum just to capture you and keep your barmy arse alive, then that means y'pissed off the wrong people and they've got plans for you." The sergeant tossed the rest of the cards on the table, resting his elbows and leaning forward. His emotionless grey eyes were intimidating, but more... Sad. How could he not feel anything for her plight? How could he even accuse her that this was her fault? If he knew what kind of woman she truly was, he wouldn't.

"Hefty sum, huh? If it's caps you want, I'll pay you double... No, triple the cut they're going to give you if you help me get out of here." Piper refused to back down, leaning forward to look him dead in his dead eyes. His gaze never wavered. Her stomach coiled nervously when a glint of greed flickered across his features. She wasn't sure if she was relieved that he wasn't loyal to his boss; a critical thing to remember for herself if this goes off without a hitch, to pay more than whoever will counter-offer her in the future.

"Triple the amount? Before you go bargainin' promises, luv, you better get a handle of the original deal 'fore y'end up gettin' in over your head."

"I already am, and I'd rather keep my head-"

"And mouth." Asshole.

"-where it is, thank you." Still, it couldn't hurt to know. She grew uncomfortable from his proximity and leaned back in her chair again, fidgeting with her allotted cards. "I'll play you a game of poker for it too." He probably rigged the deck, but she literally had nothing to lose. "Each round I win, that's fifty caps I don't have to pay you. If you win, that's fifty extra for you."

"Five-oh? You need another zero if you want to make a dent in my pay." The sergeant slung an arm over the chair's spine as he picked up his cards, and his smirk grew. Was that to intimidate her and bluff that he had a good hand, or genuine? His arrogance wasn't helping her anxiety. "But since I like ya, I'll cut it down to half if y'give me somethin' else when I win..."

"Something... Else...?" Piper chewed on her lip when his eyes dipped down, making her shudder with disgust when she felt utterly naked under his scrutiny. She crossed her arms over her breasts, narrowing her eyes as if she was as dangerous as she wasn't, not without a gun in her hands. "No. Touch me and I promise you that you'll pay, and it won't be in caps."

"Touch you?" His forehead creased in confusion and his eyes shot back up to hers, throwing her off; even more so when he suddenly started laughing. "What? No!" He waved his cards dismissively, pointing at her chest. Her eyes followed. Her heart sank. "I want your green scarf, luv."

Fuck. He wasn't just a mercenary; he was a true gunner at heart.

Would he still be loyal to her caps instead? Risks have always paid off for her in the past, but even she was painfully and recently aware that her luck wouldn't last forever. She held her head high and treasured what little confidence she had left. "Fine. But the scarf is the last thing on the pile; your things are on the line too."

"No deal." Hah! He wasn't totally confident that he could win too. "I ain't playin' strip poker with ya. Just want your scarf and your caps."

"I-it's not strip poker," she tried to choke down the warmth that slowly flushed her throat; this was the worst time to blush, especially if he wasn't taking her seriously. She cleared her throat, struggling to hold his steady gaze. She still couldn't read him, but he was bound to slip up sooner or later. "I want your guns. I think it's a fair deal."

"Oh sure~ it is," he drawled sarcastically, "is that all, luv?"

"No. I want you to stop calling me love too, and that's the first thing that goes." Fire sparked in her gut when he leaned forward again, a cocky and condescending smirk on his face. She was going to wipe it off. He'd see soon enough.

"Alright. If you win, I stop. But if I win, you start."

Piper snorted. "In your dreams!"

"Looks like my dreams are 'bout to come true, then."

"Game on, Mr. Handy."

Author's Note

Some of you may recognize this story. I took it down initially because of some life circumstances, and hadn't re-uploaded it when I could because it turned out that the full story had only saved up to chapter 6 as some coding was lost during the transfer, and I was just too upset to rewrite the entire story at the time.

Special shout out to Pinson Linson who reached out to me and reignited my passion to rewrite Gun for Hire :)

As a heads up, chapter lengths will be relatively short as I'm limited to typing on the mobile app. Hope to see you in the next chapter, cheers!