New chapter time! Been about a month so I figured I should upload again! The end is a bit rough but hey, I can always patch it later!

Been busy in the month since the last chapter, including a complete revision of Off to a Great Start! You can find it on my profile, go check it out! :D

Also been making polls, but I'll add that at the end so you can get into the story!

As for this chapter itself, enjoy some talk on Realm Walkers and a rather conflicted Hunter!
Then some crack head energy from me who's been watching way too many vines lately.

Enjoy!

It just wasn't adding up.

So many inconsistencies.

Too many.

What was with her?

Hunter stared after Shadow as they walked down the trail. Tech and Wrecker both seemed to be having a silent war with each other over who got Shadow's full attention, the smaller clone trying to pry planetary and species related information from her while the demolition expert questioned her on different weapons or fighting techniques she liked best. The Alphian woman was doing her best to treat each soldier equally, though she did appear partial to Wrecker.

She looked so... happy. At ease with Hunter's team, as if talking with them was the most natural thing in the world to her despite Wrecker and Tech being vastly different in conversation. Her enthusiasm was almost infectious, even from this distance. Hunter found himself smiling under his helmet at the sound of her laugh, only to force it away and refocus on his current conundrum.

Something about the way she told that story...

She knew it well. Too well almost.

Then there was her character comment about that Alphian. Hornet was his name?

He's a far more complicated character than people will ever give him credit for .

Character. Why use character ? Why not person ?

She had to be a Realm Walker. She had to.

Hunter always doubted their existence since the moment he heard tales of them. To be able to willfully travel between realities? Come and go as they pleased? That was just ridiculous. Impossible!

Yet Shadow just... maybe they did exist.

She knew 99. Why else would she know 99 unless she was from another reality?

Of course that would mean they themselves were a book, show, or holo... which would definitely be grounds for a mild to moderate existential crisis.

But Shadow knew things she should logically not . She knew about the squad in fairly good detail, which was quite unusual for a Nat-Born. Especially one so far in the Outer Rim. No one had ever recorded them either, or at least in a way that the footage would be accessible to civvies. But she knew of Plan 82: Shockwave. There was no way she could know that unless she was a Realm Walker.

It was so odd .

Maybe I'm paranoid ? Thinking too hard? I need another opinion.

As Tech and Wrecker jokeyed for Shadow's attention, Hunter lagged back and fell into step beside Crosshair. After instructing the sniper to switch to a private frequency, Hunter said, "Something isn't right with Shadow."

"She's definitely strange," Crosshair mumbled. "But she likes you, what's your issue with her?"

"It's not a personal issue against her," Hunter defended, trying to ignore the hope that swelled within his chest at the start of Crosshair's last sentence. "I like her well enough."

"Bet ya do."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hunter asked, slightly irritated.

"The kriff ya think it means?" Crosshair snorted. "Ya clearly have a crush on her."

Hunter began to deny it, but trailed off. No, that was the truth. He'd fallen for this bold yet playful mountain guide, and he'd fallen hard . Her snark, determination, skills... not to mention that damn cheeky smirk of hers always made his heart race. "So what if I do?"

Crosshair didn't respond with a sneer, to Hunter's surprise. " Just be careful. She may use it against ya."

"You think Shadow is plannin' to betray us?" Hunter echoed. Would she? Could that really be her goal? Was all this just a long term ploy to get them to lower their guard before she turned on them and took them down?

Crosshair remained silent for a few moments. "No. She's too sincere." He paused again. "About everythin'. She lets you know up front where you stand with her. No worryin' about true motives."

And you like that about her. I'm not blind. "She's not quite sincere about everything. "

"Should I stun her now and interrogate her?" When Hunter jerked his head to stare at Crosshair, the sniper added, "I'm kiddin'."

"I should hope so." Hunter took a deep breath. "Because if my hunch is correct, the last thing we should do is piss her off in any way."

Crosshair grunted. "Now I'm curious. What's gotten into your head?"

"I think Shadow's a Realm Walker."

Silence. Far longer than the sniper's first pause. Hunter could already hear the sneer in Crosshair's reply.

Trying to calm his pounding heart and sweaty palms, Hunter found himself refocusing on the source of his current turmoil.

Still going back and forth between the slicer and demolition expert, Shadow looked to be telling another story about something, her gestures exaggerated and quick. Her voice had also risen in pitch, something Hunter had noticed whenever she got excited about something. Her accent changed as well, growing thicker as she spoke faster. Then there was the fact her pupils got big like an excited tooka's.

It was, he dared to admit... cute.

Hunter now wished he hadn't lingered back to talk to Crosshair and instead had stayed up front so he'd know what could possibly have gotten her so excited. Then he'd know what to do to make her smile again.

The sniper at his side finally spoke. "You're karked in the head."

That had been the reaction Hunter expected. Nevertheless, it still stung. "Listen, Cross. Hear me out. How else could she know the things she does?"

"She researches?"

"Us? Why us in particular?" Hunter stressed.

"She has a love for clones, obviously. Probably saw somethin' on us while watchin' for that."

"Crosshair, that's not it..." Hunter took another deep breath. "She knows how Ninety-Nine died."

Crosshair stiffened. "She what ?"

"She knows of him, and that he died a soldier. She knows he was a maintenance clone even before I told her."

"How could she know that?" Crosshair demanded. "No civvie would know about maintenance clones on Kamino, let alone a rejected one. Not to mention he only died a few months ago. She should have been with her sailor friends durin' that time."

Exactly. Shouldhave been.

"That's another thing," Hunter said. "There's zero major ports on this planet. But I saw the pictures of her on that ship myself. That tech does not match the tech here. Nor does their clothing. Even Shadow's clothing doesn't match theirs in any photo. Those sailors have to have been a different reality from hers."

Crosshair remained silent. "A Realm Walker..."

Hunter nodded. "Certainly looks that way."

"Is this her reality?"

That's the problem . "If it isn't, which I don't think it is... all this pain in the galaxy has been orchestrated by someone for their own sick amusement."

"All we're doin' is for nothin' then. We're just puppets ?" Crosshair snarled, voice full of venom.

"Not quite," Hunter corrected. "There's a reason Realm Walkers are so valuable to the side they're on. They can change the future if they want because they know the events that will lead to it."

"Shadow isn't on anyone's side," Crosshair reminded him. "Other than her own. She doesn't like bein' controlled."

"But if someone were to gain her trust..." Hunter began.

"That's dangerous. She's smart, and will quickly figure out any lies."

Hunter swallowed. "I'm... not lying."

"Huh, really do care for the feral brat, don't you?"

"You're a damn liar if she hasn't grown on you," Hunter muttered, rolling his eyes.

Crosshair didn't say anything for a moment before muttering, "I tolerate her, she's got my respect."

She's got more than that from you . "I'll ask her about the Realm Walker thing."

"Better not tonight."

"Why?"

"You, her, and Wrecker may have a love triangle with Tech tryin' to wiggle his way in, but attraction doesn't mean she'll trust ya with that. If she feels threatened, she could get defensive which means she'll be dangerous and unpredictable."

As you found out the hard way . "Fine," Hunter resigned. "I'll wait."

"'Sides," Crosshair snorted. "Don't bite off more than ya can chew."

"Big words from you," Hunter snorted, shoving at Crosshair.

The sniper swatted him away. "Figure out your love issue before ya go headfirst into an existential crisis."

"Too late for that," Hunter muttered.

He knew one thing for sure, however. He had to figure out what was really going on.

In both cases.

I'll bring up the crush tonight. Maker, help me...

The urge to bounce crept up through my chest and send bolts of energy to my limbs. Great. Perfect. Wonderful time to get wired.

We'd made it almost to the foot of the mountain by now, the sun threatening to dip below the tallest peaks. An hour or two before it set was my best guess. We should make it to the farm by then. Wasn't sure how, but I knew in my gut that it was roughly thirty minutes from here to there.

Unless we were mounted. Really wasn't sure why that tidbit sprang into my head, but maybe it was one of those gut feelings people get in fanfictions a little bit before the reason presents itself.

How delightful .

Wrecker nudged me. He and Tech both had been chattering relentlessly for quite a while, only recently giving me a break by squabbling with each other about something. Had no idea what though, I tuned out when that happened.

Hunter and Crosshair had been lingering in the back for the majority of the downhill trek occasionally shoving at each other, and I was half tempted to go back there and ask what they were scheming. The sergeant and the sniper were both the more clever of the group. Tech was smart, but not a schemer. Or maybe he was, I only had four episodes to go off of.

I turned my attention to Wrecker as he nudged me again. "What's up, big fella?" I asked.

"Thinkin' 'bout somethin', Squeak?"

Couldn't really tell him of my plot to pester the more serious pair of the group, so I went with the next thing on my mind. It would be a rather abrupt change of pace, but hey, self inserts were like that.

Sorry in advance for the existential crisis, my guy. "If your leg get cut off, would it hurt?"

Wrecker's head jerked in surprise. "Duh!"

"How though?"

"Your leg got cut off!" Wrecker repeated.

"Where you gonna feel the pain?"

"In your leg-" Wrecker trailed off.

"Exactly bruh!" I pointed out. "How you gonna feel the pain in your leg-"

"If your leg is gone!" Wrecker gasped in unison with me.

"You are both wrong!" Tech exclaimed, annoyed.

"Where would you feel the pain though?" Wrecker asked.

"That's the thing, there ain't no pain. Once your leg gone, the pain go with it!" I gestured vaguely. "Where you gonna feel the pain if your shit gone, bruh?"

"Are you concussed?" Tech demanded. "Your nerves in the portion of your leg still attached to your body would certainly suffer!"

"Nah, I like Squeaky's answer!" Wrecker laughed, throwing an arm around me and hugging me close to him.

I staggered, nearly knocked over, but kept my balance as I walked alongside Wrecker. "I'm delighted," I laughed, playfully shoving at him.

"Surely you know that the nerve endings, unless completely destroyed, would still send numerous pain signals to the cerebral cortex!" Tech protested. "You would still very much feel it! You have to know this!"

"Don't call me Shirley," I snickered as Wrecker and I exchanged playful punches and blocks with each other. Gotta love Airplane . "And I know a lot of weird facts about the body. Like how we got sharpened bones in our mouth to bite with and we lick our skeleton."

"They are not bone!" an exasperated Tech corrected. "Bones consist of living tissue while teeth are primarily dentin and enamel!"

"Wait, bones are alive?" Wrecker asked, halting as he jabbed towards my shoulder.

"Ya," I replied before Tech could, swatting Wrecker's hand down. "Your old bone cells are eaten by your new bone cells. Your skeleton is also wet, which isn't exactly to do with the livin' part but it's a fun fact!"

"It is not a fun fact!" Wrecker yelped, scrubbing at his armor in panic. "I don't like thinkin' that my skeleton is wet!"

"If I gotta live with that burden of knowledge, so do you!" I laughed. "Like the fact our blood isn't liquid, it's a specialized tissue."

"Stop!"

Tech rolled his eyes at Wrecker's horror. "Honestly I have tried to explain to you many times-"

"Don't start!" Wrecker protested, rushing ahead with his hands over his ears on his helmet.

Wheezing at his panicked reaction, I grinned at Tech. "I never assumed that Wrecker would be this squeamish about this."

"Did you say that just to freak him out?" Tech exclaimed, but he looked to be grinning.

"Why else learn disturbin' facts if not to scare people for life?" I laughed.

"That is a fair reason I suppose!" Tech agreed.

I made to reply but a startled yell from Wrecker jerked my attention forward. The man's legs disappeared from sight over the hill, leaves crunched rapidly, then a tree shook as Wrecker presumably slammed into it.

Oh no .

Hurrying to the rise in the trail, I looked down the hill.

Wrecker lay with his back and shoulders against the ground by his legs up against the tree trunk in classic cartoon-style fashion. A loud groan emitted from the downed man.

Hunter came up beside me. "Wrecker?" he called.

Another groan.

I slid down the hill and crouched beside him. "Did my tumbleweed rub off on you, big fella?"

Wrecker groaned in reply once more.

I nodded. "I see."

Hunter slid down beside me. "What did you tell him?" he asked me, peering at Wrecker.

"Our skelly is wet."

There was a pause before Hunter's helmet slowly turned towards me. "Remind me never to ask you questions again..."

"Aw, c'mon, Sarge," I laughed, grinning at him while nudging him with an elbow. My ears twitched as his heart rate jumped. "Questions are the best way to get to know someone! I'm an open book so long as you ask the right question."

"I'll... keep that in mind."

"Ow..." Wrecker moaned, rolling to his side. His helmet turned up towards me and a dazed laugh wheezed through the speakers. "Hey, Squeaky," he mumbled, reaching up and poking at my cheek. "Didn't know ya had a clone too."

My ears flattened. "Oh bother," I sighed as he continued to poke me. "He's seein' double."

"Shadow, take his helmet off so I can ensure he's not concussed," Tech sighed, kneeling by us.

"Gotcha." Reaching down and tugging the large helmet off, I withheld a snort of laughter at Wrecker's loopy grin. "Hey, big guy. Tech's gonna look you over for a concussion."

"Can I hold your hand?" he asked, a cheesy grin on his face.

Trying desperately not to laugh at the obvious flirtation, I replied, "If you can get yourself right side up and lean against the tree then sure."

Hunter jerked me back as Wrecker suddenly rolled to the side and nearly sent me flying with his arm.

Still holding Wrecker's helmet as I slammed into Hunter's chestplate, I grunted. "For a big guy he sure can move quick," I remarked before staring at the armored limb around my waist. Hunter, you are gonna cause bothof us trouble if you don't let go right now. "Thanks for the save, Sarge," I said, tugging myself free.

"Uh, yeah. Right."

Nice stutter . As I sat down beside Wrecker, the demolition expert quickly wrapped both arms around me and pulled me close to him. Wheezing slightly at the pressure of those strong arms, I cleared my throat. "I said my hand , Scruffy."

A large hand curled around mine.

I shot a look at Hunter and mouthed 'Help me'.

"Wrecker, she's not a cuddler, remember?"

"Squeaky said she does too like hugs and cuddles," Wrecker mumbled, holding me tighter.

I then realized I had another problem that could get troublesome soon. "Wreck, I'll come back, but you gotta let me up for a few minutes."

"Why?" he whined.

"I gotta piss."

Tech grimaced. "Oh you say that too?"

"Lived with sailors for two weeks and grew up with guys. I'm not delicate," I snickered.

"Clearly," he mumbled.

"You'll come back, Squeaky?"

"Yeah, big guy. You're stuck with me for a while."

"You should stay with us," he said, releasing me. "After the mission."

I just laughed uncertainly, knowing full well I'd probably never see these guys again after the mission ended. Leaving my pack with them, avoiding their gazes, I paused before shifting down into a tacrumel.

"Why?" was Hunter's only word as he gestured to my form.

"Long story short, I don't have a handy tool to help me piss in the woods," I retorted, hopping off into the underbrush. When I came back Tech was shaking his head.

"No concussion, but he clearly cannot walk steadily."

I shifted back into the Beta form I had been in. "Break time?"

"Wouldn't hurt," Hunter remarked, tugging off his helmet.

"Does it tire you or hurt when you shift?" Tech asked, tilting his head.

"Nah, unless I do it a bunch of times rapidly."

"How fast can you shift?" the nerd continued, typing at his vambrace.

"Pretty quick. I can shift midair in a jump if I have enough adrenaline in my system," I replied, settling down beside Wrecker again after grabbing my pack.

"Hey, Squeaky," he mumbled, patting me on the head before pulling me in close again.

"Hey, Scruff," I snorted, wiggling into a more comfortable position. I glanced up at Crosshair as he sat in the fork of a tree inspecting his rifle before digging a water bottle out of my pack. "Water anyone?"

"I'll take some," Hunter said, helmet now resting beside him.

"We do need to stay hydrated," Tech chirped.

Tossing some bottles to them both, I looked back up at Crosshair and held one up. "Twiggs?"

He glanced at me and shook his head.

Shrugging, I offered it to Wrecker.

"Nah," he said, still looking half-dazed.

"Mine, then." I took a drink then smacked the bottle to my forehead and squinted at the contents. "Bruh... this shit see-through. Why we drink this?"

"We need it to function?" Tech asked. "Without it our cells risk becoming hypertonic and our blood could congeal?"

"Then why we ain't see through?"

Tech frowned. "Our bodies on average are approximately eighty percent water. Not nearly enough to allow light to totally pass through as with a hundred percent pure water."

"Then shouldn't we be translucent?"

Tech gave me an 'Are you kidding' face. "Shadow, you need to lie down," he began, moving to my side to supposedly help me lie back against Wrecker's side.

I swatted him away. " Nyet ! Nein ! Git! Begone!"

"Shadow-"

I bared my teeth in a hiss.

"Hunter! Tell her she needs to rest!" Tech whined.

"Ice, you are acting funny," Hunter said, looking me up and down.

"Nah. This just happens when I'm hyper." I spread my arms wide. "Behold my crack-head energy!"

"Are you... always like this?" Tech asked.

"When I'm comfortable around people, yep!"

"Touchin'," Crosshair grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"Why's water wet?" Wrecker slurred, poking at my bottle.

"Water's not wet!" I yelled. "And imma tell you why."

"Er, Shadow are you ok?" Hunter asked, sounding like he was only partially joking.

"To say that something is wet implies that the water on the surface of that something may be... removed . For example you get caught outside in the rain you say aw, my hair got wet, now I gotta get it re-did. Aw, my shoes got wet, now I gotta let 'em sit outside and dry. You don't say that the ocean gets wet. It's just water. Water is water ."

"Uh huh," Hunter said slowly.

"Fire, right? It burns things, right? But it's not in and of itself burned, right? Ok?"

"She's lost it," Crosshair groaned.

"The word wet is only supposed to be used when water gets on something. For example, if you splash water droplets on a mirror you'd say that mirror is wet. But if it were somehow possible to sprinkle water droplets on top of water then that water would be wet!"

"Thought Wrecker was the one who hit his head," Crosshair grumbled.

"Oh, come on, Ram'ser ."

Crosshair stiffened, toothpick falling from his mouth. "What did you call me?"

Oooo someone's caught off guard . "Sniper in Mando'a."

"You know Mando'a ?" Wrecker exclaimed. "Bilingual Squeaky! I like it!"

I tried not to snort. "Only a little. My pronunciation is gonna be horrible, but here ya go!" Gathering the phrases I knew from memory, I took a deep breath and listed them off.

" Ad'ika, cyar'ika, prudii, talyc, haar'chaak, verd, vod, kaysh mirsh solus, di'kut, and copaani mirshmure'cye, vod ."

Crosshair was the first to speak. "Your pronunciation was shit."

I jerked my head towards him. "Boy I just said... you know what, fuck you and the horse you rode in on!"

"Will you respond to Prudii ? Since it's technically your name?" Tech asked.

"I may, I may not. Most likely no just 'cause I'm not used to it."

Thunder tumbled overhead.

My ears flattened. "Shite. Time to get moving again. I ain't gettin' wet for the second time today."

"Can you not go up and check the proximity of the storm? Trevor said you could shift into a flying creature," Tech asked.

"Dragon!" Wrecker said with a grin.

"Dragon is subjective," Tech said, rolling his eyes.

Close enough . "Unlike Trev I ain't lightning proof," I snorted, grabbing my pack. "Gimme the bottles, I'll shove 'em back in here. I can mark initials or are y'all the type where you don't care because it's literally the same DNA?"

"Don't care," Hunter answered, tossing me his.

"Into the abyss they go, then," I replied, stuffing them into my pack.

"Didn't you have your rifle in there?" Hunter asked.

"Two, actually. They float alone in the void until I need 'em."

"But how does your pack work ?" Tech asked.

"Dunno... magic? Maybe? I don't question it, I just run with it. It's what's best." I hefted the pack onto my shoulder and looked overhead. "Lookin' at an hour maybe, if I had to guess."

"We need to up our pace then," Hunter said, slipping his helmet on. "How long until we reach the farm?"

"About thirty minutes on foot. But ya know..." The tidbit from earlier flashed in my head and I grinned. "I think I may have an idea."

Hope you enjoyed! Be sure to comment if you did!

Poll links (gotta copy/paste)!
post/634947517644210176/adventures-of-an-idiot-and-the-idiot-is-me-polls
post/635545229528907776/httpsstrawpollcomy2wdd29ox-i-made-another

Also, I really recommend checking my tumblr!
I recently posted a helmet design for Shadow (my new profile pic) and also just posted a sneak peek at "Fallen, Not Forgotten" aka Saving Echo!