Ya know, I WAS gonna take a two week break after the last chapter because I'm tired and many people of told me to take it easy with chapters.
But the fact we got a filler episode this close to the finale after they set up a Cross confrontation...
I had to remedy no Cross this week with a new chapter.
Not gonna say too much about this one, other than brace yourself. It's... semi intense with a NASTY cliffhanger. Here's where we really start diverging from canon too. Fuck them chips.
Warnings: Self hatred, arguments, insecure Crosshair, Order 66 discussion, bitterness about Mary Sues, usual Shadow ominousness.
Returning to the shelter, greeting Tech and nearly getting hug-tackled by Wrecker, we ate breakfast quickly before gearing up, packing our things, and heading out once more after making one last stop. Perhaps we should have lingered and discussed the plans for the day, but a sense of urgency had instilled itself in all of us and we were eager to get this day over with.
After yesterday and last night, our fun meter was already maxed.
Better to just dive in and get through it as quickly as we could.
The minute we left, Tech attached himself to my side. "I have some questions about your origins, Shadow, if I may ask."
I shrugged. "Ain't like we got anythin' better to discuss."
And I won't turn down any distraction from my nightmare last night.
"Alphians are a species you made up, correct? For your story reality which merged with our current one."
I swished my tail. "Sounds about right."
"If you aren't an Alphian in your reality, what are you?"
"Human." Reality is often disappointing…
"But you have noticeable elements of feline in your personality."
My ears pinned. "Yeah. It's the reason I was an outcast most of the time. Acted like a cat and was downright weird so… other kids didn't like me. Kinda understandable, but still hurt. Plus I was obsessed with different shows to the point of hyperfixation, and was called annoyin' for it." I had to laugh, the irony of the situation. "How odd that one of the main shows that made me an outcast is the one I'm stuck in now, but I'm actually liked for my quirks."
"I love your quirks, Squeak!" Wrecker corrected, nudging me with a warm laugh.
"Glad to hear it!" I replied, shoving him back with a grin of my own.
Truly, though. I'm not officially part of the squad… but y'all make me feel more welcome than many people ever will.
Guess it takes a misfit to befriend a misfit.
"So we are from a show?" Hunter asked, pushing a fern frond out of the way.
"Technically two. Y'all are minor characters in one but are major characters in your own show," I said, hopping over a rock.
Wait… did I know about their show when I jumped into this reality?
Don't try to logicate things.
That's not a word.
It's what we're going with.
"What were the show names?" Tech asked, quickly hopping after me to stick by my side.
"The Clone Wars was the first one. It started when I was…" I thought for a moment. "Eight?"
"Woah!" Wrecker laughed. "Young Squeaky!"
"Aye. Was more or less my childhood, I mean I loved the show. See, in my reality, space travel… doesn't exist. We've only been to our moon, and that's it."
"That explains your unfamiliarity with nearly all of our technology," Tech said.
"And your use of slugthrowers," Crosshair added.
"Yep. Y'all are hella more advanced. But that was part of the appeal for me. It supercharged my imagination."
"How long did you watch this… show? When did we come in? What role did we play?" Tech asked eagerly, eyes scrunched from a smile.
"I watched it mainly from the time I was… nine to maybe thirteen? Kinda grew apart from it as I got older, then I heard it got cancelled when I was fifteen. But they revived it for a final season when I was nineteen, almost twenty. And that's when y'all came in." A smile crept over my face. "I took to y'all right away. Chaotic misfits who cause mayhem wherever they go and don't give a damn what people say about 'em. Now y'all get your own show, called, brace for it, the Bad Batch."
"Yeah! We get our own show just about us!" Wrecker cheered, sending some birds scattering.
"How does something like this even happen?" Hunter groaned. "Realm Walkers and reality jumps and portals and magic?"
"It's happened to me twice now and I still ain't got a clue," I snorted. "Your guess is as good as mine."
"The sailors then," Hunter said. "They were-"
"Another reality jump, yeah. Except they were a movie rather than a big ol' franchise."
"But that's how you survived the building falling on you. It wasn't technically real for you," Tech said.
"Like I said," I replied with a short laugh. "Plot armor is one hell of a deterrent against permanent damage."
"Wait, if you are from a different universe and are familiar with our timeline," Hunter began. "Do you know when this war ends?"
I stopped, mirth vanishing immediately. Nausea and dread gripped me as those horrible, terrible words echoed through my mind with unrelenting force.
"Execute Order Sixty Six."
"Yes…" I croaked, tail curling comfortingly around myself as my ears shifted back. Holding my tail tightly, I shivered. "I know…"
"Shadow?" Hunter said, laying a hesitant hand on my shoulder. "What happens?"
"Rex?"
"Stay Back!"
"Fives…"
"Find him."
"Fives!"
I took a deep breath, swallowing down the breakfast threatening to rise up my throat. "Trust me…" I rasped, shaking my head. "You don't want to know."
"But if you tell us, we can get the information to the Chancellor-"
"NO!" I snarled, eyes wild and teeth bared as pure hatred surged through me. Spinning to face the startled men, I spat, "If I ever see that sick, twisted sack of shit I'm tearing him apart! That bastard is the reason for it all! He gives the order! It's all his fault!"
Tech's eyes widened as Wrecker hesitantly reached out. "S… Squeaky?"
"What?!" I hissed, lashing my tail.
"Shadow, calm down," Hunter said, hands raised as he took a step forward. "What do you mean the Chancellor is the reason for it all? And what order are you talking about?"
"Execute Order Sixty-Six."
"I can't say," I growled, anger replaced by a sudden wave of fear. My breath came in short gasps as I backed away. "I can't say it, I can't say it."
"Why?" Crosshair asked, tone steady yet I did not miss the way his hand shifted towards his pistol.
Nor did I miss the subtle encircling maneuver initiated by the other three.
Just like the clones used on the Jedi.
"No… you'll turn. It'll activate." Panic rose up my throat, claws sliding out and markings flickering to life. "I will not let that happen!"
"What will activate?" Hunter demanded, now spooked as he slowly crept closer, legs braced as if he expected an earthquake. "Ice, we can't help unless you talk to us."
"No… no no no no no!" I panted, proving his concern right as the earth beneath us began to tremble. "I can't!"
Hunter yanked off his helmet and tossed it to Wrecker then lunged forward and grabbed my arms. "Shadow, breathe," he urged, brown eyes wide with worry. "Breathe and tell us what you can tell us."
"The chips. It's the inhibitor chips," I panted, desperation clouding my thoughts as I gripped his gauntlets with unsheathed claws. "You have to get those out before I can say anything. Once that order activates there's nothing-"
"We aren't chipped."
My words stumbled to a halt, chest heaving. "You… what?"
"We all removed ours," Hunter said, relief flooding his face as I began to relax. "I couldn't stand its interference with my senses, and Crosshair wanted his removed as well. Tech and Wrecker followed."
I looked around, markings slowly fading as the earth beneath us grew still. "They're out? For all of you? None of you have them?"
"No, they're all out," Crosshair confirmed, hand leaving his pistol.
"Yeah, it's ok, Squeaky," Wrecker soothed, stepping forward and rubbing my back. "Nothin' controls me!"
A nervous laugh, borne purely from frayed nerves, escaped me and I almost fell to the ground. Only Hunter's steady grip kept me on my feet. "They're out… you're all safe from the order." I laughed again, a hand on my head. "Safe…"
"Safe," Hunter repeated firmly, pulling me close. Hugging me tightly, he ran a hand down my back. "We won't turn. We're safe… and so are you. Breathe, it's alright."
Nodding, I buried my nose in his neck and took a deep breath to calm myself. Vaguely I registered the others encircling us again, but as my panic faded I could now recognize that it wasn't malicious. No, it was an attempt to comfort.
Of course. Clones were very touchy when it came to comfort.
Usually I wouldn't be but… I'd gladly make an exception here.
I didn't have to worry about these boys falling to Order 66. They were all safe from being turned into mindless slaves…
I was liking this AU more and more.
"Shadow, what order?" Tech asked, huddled close by on my left.
I closed my eyes, arms tightening around my sergeant. My claws scraped against his backplate as I took a shaky breath. "Order Sixty Six…"
Screams. Blaster fire. Smoking wounds. Lifeless bodies.
So much carnage…
So many lives ended, destroyed, stolen all because of three damn words.
"Sixty Six?" Tech echoed. "I have never heard of that one before."
"Good thing too," I mumbled before hesitantly withdrawing from Hunter's chest. I wasn't about to completely back out of his protective embrace though. No way in hell. "Order sixty six causes any chipped clone to immediately execute any and every Jedi they see… and any clone who doesn't follow the order."
Silence met my words.
"Execute the Jedi? But they're good!" Wrecker exclaimed. "Don't the regs know that?"
"Don't matter," I said with yet another humorless laugh. I really needed to stop cackling during serious scenes. "No clone can fight the chip. And unless that chip is removed… the clone is nothing but a mindless slave." I hung my head in defeat, forehead resting against Hunter's chestplate. "After all… good soldiers… follow orders…"
"That's it!"
We all looked at Tech. "What?"
"Realm Walkers emerge into a universe that's not their own because there's something they need to fix, right?" he asked me, a smile now on his face.
"I guess?" I replied slowly. "I mean I don't know shit about 'em."
"That is what you need to fix, Shadow!" he said, smile widening. "You are here to prevent Order Sixty Six which would save the Jedi and help them win the war."
"How is she supposed to take down the most powerful man in the Republic?" Crosshair retorted, arm brushing mine on my right side. His hand twitched against mine and I responded by curling my tail around his wrist. Fingers lightly brushing the multicolored fur, he stepped in to get closer.
Tightening my tail around his wrist, I snorted weakly as a meme came to mind. "Not just the Republic." I replied. "I think the Chancellor is a Sith Lord."
"A.. what?" Hunter demanded, leaning back to look me in the eye.
"Sith Lord is a title given to individuals who follow the Sith tradition. They use the Dark Side of the Force to achieve power or destruction," Tech supplied.
"Wait… that means that the Chancellor is leadin' the Republic and the Confederacy?" Wrecker exclaimed. "Double dealin' pile o' bantha-shit!"
"Bingo," I mumbled. "It's all a very convoluted clusterfuck of puppeteering and manipulation resulting in countless lives lost."
"We have to tell someone-"
"Don't!" I snarled, immediately regretting my outburst when Tech flinched. "Just… fuckin' shit… I shouldn't have told y'all about that prick. I've just gotta be careful or I'll make it all so much worse."
"What… happens to us?" Wrecker asked hesitantly. "In, ya know, the bad timeline? Are we still chipped there?"
Scenes flashed across my eyes in rapid succession, sending me to the ground.
A snowy planet. Clones against droids. A young Kanan and his master. Clone Force 99, Echo standing proudly among them. The Jedi's clone commander going still. Blasters aimed. A body hitting the powdered and blacked ground. Kanan running for his life.
The Batch running back. Confusion swirling through them. Tech relaying the order. Crosshair stiffening. Hunter and Crosshair chasing Kanan. Crosshair muttering those terrible words after trying to kill the young padawan. Hunter helping Kanan escape.
Returning to Kamino. Crosshair accusing Hunter of treason. A kid. Omega? A training sim going wrong. Tarkin. A narrow escape from lethal training droids.
Onderon. Civilians. Crosshair aiming at an elderly refuge. Crosshair challenging Hunter. A probe droid. Barely cooled tension. Going back for that kid.
Kamino again. Accused of treason. Arrested. Crosshair confronting Hunter once more. Venomous words flying.
Crosshair struggling against the chip.
Crosshair being led away.
Sedated.
Scanned.
The chip increased.
Grimace of pain.
Fists clenched.
Shift back to the others. A bold escape. To the hanger. Scramble for armor.
Doors opening.
Crosshair entering, rifle at the ready and the sniper in new and depersonalized imperial armor.
A tense standoff.
Harsh words.
Narrowed eyes.
Shots fired.
Wrecker down.
A bleak outlook.
A narrow save by the kid.
The ship evacuating.
Crosshair running after them, blaster raised.
The Marauder escaping to the clouds.
Crosshair walking to the edge of the platform.
Removing his helmet.
The sniper alone.
Abandoned.
Left behind.
Eyes snapping back open, fierce bolts of pain ricocheting through my skull, I looked around at the helmetless members of the Batch.
All younger. All closer to Mr. Morrison.
Wrecker with a patchy burn scar.
Tech with messy dyed ginger hair.
Hunter with long black hair and a scar across his lip.
And… Crosshair with a dyed silver undercut.
This wasn't the Batch from the show.
This was the AU Batch.
My Batch.
I didn't know about the canon guys, but these guys? I was safe with them. And they were safe from the events planned for them in their show.
But how could I tell them about Crosshair? About how he… no. I wouldn't. They didn't need to know the specifics anyways. A white lie wouldn't hurt them.
Ignorance was bliss after all.
"Good news, at least," I groaned as Wrecker helped me up. Leaning against him, I tried to shake off the visions. "Y'all's mutations would have affected the chips if you had 'em."
Hunter breathed a sigh of relief. "So we don't follow that order?"
Don't glance at Crosshair. Don't glance at Crosshair. Twist the truth! You're a writer, use that skill!
"None of you kill a Jedi, no," I replied with a shake of my head. I made sure to look Hunter in the eyes. "You helped a padawan escape."
I could feel Crosshair's gaze burning holes into my back. He knew I twisted the truth. Yet he didn't ask about it.
But, oh, I knew he would. The second we were alone, out of the others' sight and hearing, he'd ask. And he wouldn't stop pressing until I told him the truth… the whole truth.
And I would tell him.
Of all of them… he deserved a second chance.
"'Course Hunter did, he's got a soft spot for kids!" Wrecker laughed, punching his brother's shoulder.
Swatting Wrecker's hand away, Hunter then reached for me and pulled me to him again. "Not turnin' on you, Ice. I promise you that."
"I second that notion," Tech chirped. "Aside from it being a tactically unwise decision to backstab someone as powerful as you, I would rather lose my hand than betray you."
Hand? Why the hand of all things?
"No betrayals here!" Wrecker laughed. "Group hug!"
Crushed between Hunter and Tech's chests with my head half jammed under Crosshair's chin, I grunted, "Great, but air!"
As Wrecker let go, we all stumbled apart and wheezed as oxygen returned to our lungs.
Coughing, I shook myself off. "At least there's one major stressor off my shoulders. I just… gotta figure how to dechip the rest of the clones."
"Why bother with the regs?" Crosshair grumbled. "They are all mindlessly obedient even without the chips active. What's the difference?"
"A, because I care about the regs too." I didn't miss the way he stiffened. Hope this doesn't bite me later. "B, because the Jedi command them and should their inhibitor chips activate, then the Jedi will fall."
"Good riddance," Crosshair grumbled, crossing his arms. "Sick of them playin' politics and pretendin' to be all goody two shoes but not givin' a shit about leadin' a slave army."
"While I agree with the sentiment, the fact remains that the Jedi are the only ones standing in that greasy fucker's way and he knows it. That's why he commissioned the clone army to be built."
"We're just a tool in the downfall of the Republic, then? It's all a lie?" Hunter growled.
More or less… "Sorry guys… but I aim to stop it. I'm freein' y'all, all y'all, no matter what."
"How can you do that?" Hunter asked.
Should I tell them about the failsafe? No… no that would only lead down another rabbit hole and we needed to get moving.
"Workin' on it," was all I said.
"Do you not like the Jedi?" Tech asked as we started down the trail again. "They are the peacekeepers for a majority of the galaxy."
"They're doin' a fine job of that," Crosshair remarked.
I glanced at the sniper before focusing back on Tech. "Not really. Most of them are pompous bastards. I do like Kenobi, Skywalker, and Ahsoka Tano though. Plo Koon is a sweetheart too."
"You know 'em?" Wrecker asked.
"Soka was one of the main characters in Clone Wars. Saw her grow throughout the series and in a way grew up with her. She was hated at first by the fanbase but she's one of the favorites now." I smiled softly. "Was one of the few female characters I saw growin' up, so I really looked up to her."
"In the… show?"
"In any show. Heroes are always male it seems. Women are always the sidekicks," I growled, voice turning bitter.
"Well we don't see you as a sidekick, Squeak!" Wrecker said, patting me on the back. "You're badass on your own! Look how often you've saved our asses!"
"Yeah, and because of that people would call a character like myself a Mary Sue."
"A what?"
"A female character who's perfect and can handle things that even characters with more trainin' can't. It's basically an idealistic and unrealistic character who has zero weaknesses or flaws. Gary Stu is the male counterpart but is used far less often."
"But you have plenty of flaws."
I frowned lopsidedly at Tech. "Thank you, nerd."
"I meant that in a good way," Tech replied.
"Such a way with words, Shrimp," Wrecker snorted, smacking Tech over the back of the head.
"I meant to comfort her!"
"I appreciate the sentiment, Techie," I assured him, bumping his shoulder with my own. "Besides, I'm more or less over the whole Mary Sue shit. There's plenty of male characters who are like I described, but it's fine because they're men. No offense to you bein' dudes of course. It's just… a little frustrating growin' up with all this stigma and expectations and restrictions and double standards."
"Guess even Natborns aren't free," Hunter commented.
"Society is shit. Do this, do that. Wear this, wear that. And when you don't fit into the traditional stereotype, such as gender or sexuality, it's even worse. But that's why I write and lose myself in fics. I can be free or I can make my own societies and fix what's broken." I looked around at them. "Guess not too much unlike why I'm in your universe, or this pocket dimension. Whatever it is, I get a headache if I think too hard on it."
"Are there any other notable figures you know about aside from those Jedi?" Tech asked.
"Plenty. Windu, Ki-Adi Mundi, Yoda, Senator Amidala whom y'all had pin-up art of in the Clone Wars, Aurra Sing, Hondo Ohnaka, Ventress, Cad Bane, Bossk, Dooku, Jango, Boba, Shakk Ti, plus a lot of troopers." I laughed. "I can remember every single clone from the show and quite a few from the extra books and such."
There it was again. The stiffening of Crosshair's shoulders and sharp intake of breath.
Careful. Regs are a mine-field with him.
"So, you know of Commander Cody?" Hunter asked me, ducking under a low branch.
But Cross seemed to like Cody decently enough, so this should be ok. "I do indeed. A majority of the fandom is in love with him."
"Are you?" Tech asked, tilting his head.
"Y'all are the only ones I have true romantic crushes on," I said quickly. "Cody has big brother energy for me. Mainly because I have a cousin named Cody. Can't shake that."
"Wait, romantic crushes? Is there another type of crush?" Wrecker asked in confusion.
"I mean they say there are seven types of love. Things like family love, affectionate love, self-love, romantic love… and I can't recall the others. But the main crush I was talkin' about was platonic, or a Squish. Basically, they seem like peeps I'd want to be friends with."
"Which troopers would that be?" Hunter asked.
My tail tip twitched as I felt Crosshair's glare on me. "Oh just… a few from the 501st and 212th."
"Who was your favorite growing up, Squeak?" Wrecker asked, oblivious to Crosshair.
Can't dodge this one. "Captain Rex."
"Cody mentions him sometimes," Tech said. "Says both he and General Skywalker raise his blood pressure."
"Rex is crazy in his own right," I agree with a chuckle.
"So, care more for regs than us?"
And there it is…
We all looked back at Crosshair.
"I just said y'all are my favs?" I said, tail tip twitching at the venom in his voice.
We were doing so well. We were… Crosshair, please. Don't do this.
"Yet you speak so highly of regs."
"Cross, cool it," Hunter warned.
"Think she wouldn't have chosen a reg just as easily as us had they been the ones to find her first?"
I knew where this was coming from. Knew what brought forth such hateful and accusatory words.
But it still hurt.
Did… he really think my care meant nothing? Was it that worthless to him?
"Crosshair, you are upsetting Shadow," Tech warned, stepping in front of me.
"Then maybe she can go find a reg after this."
"I don't want a reg. I want y'all!" I shouted, snapping. Usually I'd try to let his painful words roll off my back, but if there was one thing that struck a nerve with me, it was accusations of unfaithfulness. In a relationship, there was nothing worse than a cheater. "Damn it, Crosshair, use that brain of yours! You really think that little of me that you assume just because I find a reg interesting that I'll up and abandon y'all?"
"Everyone else does."
The blunt words, despite the pain behind them, knocked the breath from my lungs. "I'm not everyone else." I scanned that expressionless helmet, back of my throat burning. "I thought you knew that…"
Crosshair stood silently before growling and turning away, walking down the trail and leaving me with the others.
Pain racing through my chest, wounds from last night flaring to life with a vengeance, I clenched my fists. Fuckin' hell, we were doing so good too! Yet, once again, we were sliding back down the slope… "Why? Why is he like that? I mean I get it, with the regs bullyin' y'all, but." I stared at his back. "I thought he knew me better than that…"
"He's… touchy about regs," Hunter said, resting a comforting hand on my shoulder. "He doesn't… it's not against you. Regs were always put first before us."
"I would never choose regs over y'all," I swore, tears threatening to spill. "What does he want, blood? Does he want me to go out and murder a reg for him?"
"I shouldn't have brought it up…" Wrecker mumbled, shaking his head. He sniffled. "I'm sorry, Squeaky… this is my fault…"
"No, Wreck… it's his." The ice in my words surprised even me. "It's his demons and if he doesn't get a hold of his insecurity, it's going to bite him hard. Though, I suppose maybe he'll learn…"
"You have done well to stay patient with him so far," Tech said.
"Patience that is slowly runnin' out…"
Nevertheless, I found myself jogging to catch up to the sniper.
It wasn't because I needed reassurance. No. I knew I'd never get that from him. Crosshair didn't apologize. I'd honestly be surprised if he could even say it outright without dancing around the topic.
I needed to stick close to him lest that horrible night come true. I didn't know what I'd do to stop a bullet, but if I needed to be ye ol human shield then ye ol human shield I'd be.
Why did I continue to care so much even after he attacked me like this?
Because you know what it's like on the other end of a harsh outburst. Know how easily pain can manifest and erupt as aggression or irritability. Know how easily bitterness can corrupt tenderness and leave a whirlpool that drags down everything in its vicinity.
Yes… I knew.
But even empathy had its limits…
The others let me get ahead, staying back to give Crosshair and me some space. That or Hunter was holding them back. Either way, it was probably best. The more people there were, the thicker Crosshair's armor.
As I came alongside Crosshair, the sniper growled, "Want an apology? Not gettin' one."
"Know better than to expect any sort of 'sorry' from you," I retorted.
His step seemed to falter and I caught a wince from the corner of my eye. "Then why get close?"
I didn't say anything, knowing full well that a screaming match was one wrong word away. I couldn't risk it. I couldn't take another battle.
I couldn't take being enemies again.
A desperate note crept into his voice. "Why keep comin' back?"
I still stayed quiet, although my ears did flatten as pain rippled through me.
'Why' indeed? Why keep stickin' my hand in a thorn bush when all I got was a bloody hand and aching wounds?
He spoke again, but this time his voice barely reached a whisper. "Why do you keep forgivin' me… when all I do is hurt you?"
I grumbled, "Startin' to wonder that myself. Doesn't seem to be gettin' me anywhere."
"Told you givin' me second chances-"
"Spare me the self-loathing," I growled, tail twitching as I cut him off. "Not in the mood. It's not so much second chances, it's that I know that irritability doesn't come from malice. Or I assume it doesn't. Knowin' psych is sometimes a real pain in the ass."
"You don't know how those Regs treated us." There it was again, that desperation to be heard. For someone to listen. To understand. "Don't know how they always thought they were better."
Try me. You're not the only one bullied as a kid.
"Yet Hunter, Tech, and Wrecker understand that I can like the vibe a reg puts off without preferring the reg over them," I grumbled.
"I do understand. But the Regs-"
"If you really understand, then act like it," I hissed, glaring at him. "Clearly you forgot I was bullied too. Stop usin' it as an excuse to cover your outbursts. I'm not your enemy." I paused. "And it hurts when you treat me like one. Did this morning mean nothing to you?"
"I… I don't hate you," Crosshair said, voice low yet painfully desperate. "Shadow, you have to believe me-"
"If you did hate me, don't think you'd have slept beside me. Nor would you have let me poke your face earlier." I shook my head with a growl. "But damn it if you don't make me question sometimes."
He stiffened. "Then go back to my brothers," he retorted, pain resurfacing and causing his voice to falter. "They're the ones you care about anyway."
My voice grew quiet. "Don't be so sure."
But damn it all to hell if this ship doesn't have the theme song of Battlefield by Jordan Sparks. That or Arcade by Duncan Laurance…
A groan from behind us as we reached the edge of the trees cut Crosshair's reply short and made my blood run cold.
I stopped and looked back. "Hunter?"
"Clankers, inbound," he warned, drawing his pistol. "Get ready."
Tail twitching and bristling uneasily, I moved closer to Crosshair's side as we stepped out onto the cracked and baked black rock.
"I don't want to die."
I had to stay by his side. I had to protect him. Save him.
"I'm scared."
I couldn't leave him. Wouldn't leave him.
"I don't want to just be another number…"
I would keep my sniper alive…
Or die trying.
His helmet turned back towards me, but he didn't try to move me away. If anything, he slowed his pace to let me stay by his side easier.
Argument or not, at least he still cared.
The counter for something, I supposed.
The closer we got to the volcano's base, the worse my anxiety got. There. We were almost there. Just a little bit farther and Crosshair would be inside and safe.
Just a little bit farther.
Nausea gripped my stomach and my heart just wouldn't settle down, sending spikes of adrenaline through me and encasing my thoughts in a haze of barely contained terror.
He was almost there.
He had to hurry.
I recognized this spot.
The dream.
The nightmare.
Crosshair walking.
A droid aiming.
Light off the gun
Hunter's yell.
Wait, Hunter's yell?
That was no memory!
"Crosshair!" I screamed, charging into him… pushing him out of the way… sending him to the ground…
And taking the bolt through the chest myself.
"Shadow!"