Chapter 3 - Somebody to Die For
Author's Note: Yeah, this chapter's gonna hurt. ;-;
~ Amina Gila
It's been a long time. Too long. Omega's lost count of the minutes, but she can't just keep waiting. Her brothers must need her or – or something. She can't comm them, because that would give away that she's here, but finally, she just... can't wait anymore.
"AZI?" Omega asks, turning to the droid, which instantly swivels around to look at her. "We have to find them," she says, voice laced with every bit of the desperation she feels.
"CT-1409 gave us instructions to remain here," the droid protests.
"But it shouldn't be taking this long!" Omega insists, "They've got to be in trouble." She just has the feeling they are, a desperate ache itching deep inside her. "We have to find them. What if they're hurt? What if they need us?" Panic claws its way into her chest then, but she won't dare ask what if they're gone because that can't – they can't die. She lived in constant fear of that when they were little right after they came out of their tubes because Nala Se had no idea if they would make it or not, but Omega has long since gotten used to the very obvious fact that they're – they're strong.
They wouldn't just die, but still, she has no idea what's happening.
She doesn't really know where to look, either, but she has to try.
"I do not think this is a good idea, Omega," AZI frets when she moves to sneak into the training room.
"I know," she whispers back, "But I have to find them, AZI."
She keeps down, staying out of sight, going to one of the towers to look.
They're being taken prisoner, and they're currently unconscious, which explains the lack of contact. Which means – either they're going off-world, or they need to head for the brig.
And Hunter's not here.
She needs – she needs to get to Hunter, because he would know what to do, and Omega has absolutely no idea what to do. She's terrified, and she feels lost, because they – she needs to help them. They need her, and the one time she has to help is the time she feels completely lost and in over her head.
Omega vaguely remembers the way there, at least from the hangar. Still, working her way through the facility while avoiding everyone else is a complete maze. Desperation is gnawing at her unbidden as she winds her way down the halls, finally making it to the brig.
Probably? She'll end up inside it someplace, too, but her brothers need her and at least if she can get one of them out...
She presses against the wall, AZI beside her, poking her head around the corner, bow in hand.
The hall is clear, which is... strange. She expected at least one of them to be here, but then again, Crosshair's here, and he could be watching her from anywhere.
The need to be worried about his presence is... hard, but for all that she wants her youngest brother back, she needs to keep the ones that she already has even more.
Omega darts down the hall, listening. There must be guards somewhere, but she doesn't know where. This whole area got turned into a... prison or holding or whatever area, and she's not sure when, but she doesn't remember seeing it before. That could mean anything, though.
She steps into the first room, bow raised.
"Omega?"
She freezes, lowering her bow. "Hunter?" Of all of them, she'd been the most desperate to find him – he fell when Omega last saw him, and she had no idea if he was hurt or – or anything, but he's here now, and he looks alright.
He could've died.
She darts across the room to the console, yanking down the lever to deactivate the ray shield. She knows full well that guards could show up but they're not here now, and she deactivates her bow, re-strapping it to her back and running to Hunter, throwing her arms around him.
Hunter twitches slightly, reaching to squeeze her shoulder comfortingly, reassuringly, before pulling her back a bit and crouching in front of her. "Are you alright?" he asks, and she nods. "Where are the others? Are they here?"
"I – Crosshair captured them," she says in a rush, "I heard them say they were taking them here."
She can see the fear in his eyes, and it's so strange to see Hunter shaken by anything. "We have to find them. Omega..." He pauses, hesitating.
"What's wrong?" she asks, anxiety twisting inside her.
"Remember Vanqor?" he asks, and she nods immediately. That was terrifying. They'd gone there right after Corellia, only days before Rex showed up and took them to Bracca. The number of times they've nearly lost Hunter is – it's – "There was something there I never told you." She looks up, holding his gaze, waiting, listening. "They turned me," Hunter supplies, "I... didn't want to explain it to you, but I should have. I – I turned Crosshair. I thought the influence it would have over him would be enough to overrule his chip's programming, but..."
"It didn't," she supplies, and she has a very, very bad feeling about this. Omega only partly understood what Tech was saying about vampires and whatnot before they went to get Hunter out. All she does know is that they have a deep loyalty to their sires and their coven, and they're very... protective. Tech had called them possessive. She doesn't fully understand what it means, but it doesn't sound good.
"If he captured them, I suspect he'll turn them, too."
And they'll be forced to be loyal to him, whether they want it or not.
Footsteps draw her attention, and Omega whirls around, drawing her bow. Hunter has his knife out behind her by the time Crosshair steps inside.
Her bow wavers, because pointing a weapon at her brother feels wrong, but he's... with the Empire. They need to be careful.
Crosshair's helmet turns, looking from her to Hunter, and he pauses in the doorway. "The game's up, Hunter," he says.
Hunter is moving around her, slowly, putting himself between them just like he did on Bracca. The memory makes her nauseous even now. Crosshair was going to kill her, just like Wrecker was, and they couldn't stop themselves. "What did you do?" He sounds angry. The whole thing makes her feel sick and wrong because Crosshair is... he's Crosshair, and Omega doesn't want anyone to be upset at him; he's her brother, and it's worse because this is Hunter.
"I turned them," Crosshair replies, almost lazily, leaning against the doorway, though somehow, Omega thinks that's just as much exhaustion.
Hunter inhales sharply. "Crosshair –"
"Where's your ship?" he demands.
Omega lowers her bow, though she keeps it close, and AZI is hovering nearby, as if his presence alone could somehow help.
"What do you want it for?" Hunter queries, none of his tension fading.
"She's not staying," he throws back.
Omega's hands over her bow tighten, and she looks up at Hunter. This isn't something Crosshair can help, and she knows that, but she's scared and – and she can't be taken from them. They're everything to her; they're all that matters.
"She belongs with us," Hunter retaliates, and the anger in his voice has risen to a whole new level. "You can't take her."
"It's for her own good," Crosshair throws back carelessly, "And yours. She's a distraction."
Nala Se used to tell her that, and being with them, she's come to accept that it's not always true, even if it – it still feels like it. Omega presses closer to Hunter, nearly desperately. She wants to try reaching out to Crosshair again, but she can't help shutting down, terrified at the threat of being separated from her brothers.
"She's one of us!"
"You want to protect the kid, then let her go. Stop pretending to be something you're not, Hunter. She can't fight with us. You'll get her killed."
Listening to Crosshair as he verbally tears down everything Omega thought they built, thought they were, is hard. She wants to cry. She really, really wants to cry, because they – she can't lose them. Not after she's finally gotten them back.
"We're not going with you, Crosshair," Hunter grits out furiously.
"Make the choice, Hunter," he continues, "It's her, or your brothers."
Omega looks up at him again. It – he's right. The other three won't be able to leave Crosshair, and by default, the Empire. They're tied to him, and they can't break it. They can't help it any more than Crosshair himself can right now, and they're the ones who need Hunter.
"It's okay," Omega says firmly, "I'll go with you."
Something in Hunter's expression falls, a bit at a time, as they look at each other.
"They can't go," she reminds, despite the fear tearing her apart, because this is just like when they were little, and she had to be strong for them, no matter how hard it was. "And they'll need you. It's okay."
"I can't take you to the Empire, Omega," Hunter argues. He has that look on his face now, the one he only gets when he knows she won't like what he's about to say. "It wouldn't be safe for you."
"It won't be safe for any of us," she protests, desperation washing through her.
He's calculating, assessing risks, and Omega's grip on her bow tightens, as if that would be enough to stop what she knows is coming.
"They have use for us," Hunter reminds, and he turns to her, crouching again, his free hand on her shoulder. "But you're – you're a kid, Omega. You're not a soldier."
"But – but you said I'm part of the squad," Omega protests, taking a shuddering breath. She hasn't worried about this since Saleucami, because Hunter told her she'd get to stay with them, with her brothers, the only place she's belonged and wanted to be. Their trip to Raxus was supposed to be the last time she got left behind, and – and now – "We're a team, we –"
Crosshair has moved out to the hall, though she sees the shadow of his form in the doorway – he's stepped out to give them some privacy, and she's grateful for that, at least.
The guilt on Hunter's face is gutting but she can't help panicking, anyway. She can't lose them. "I'm sorry, Omega," he murmurs, expression falling. "This was my mistake, start to finish, and I need to find a way to fix it."
"Then we'll do it together." She doesn't even care that she's nearly pleading.
"I need to take you someplace safe," Hunter continues.
And that's when she realizes it, finally – Wrecker is – he's gone again, under control of something not his own, and they have to find a way to fix that. Echo and Tech, too, and Hunter is always going to insist on Omega going somewhere that's safe, and with the control Crosshair has over them, it's not something they'll be able to break out of.
Not without Hunter's help, and they need him more than she does, no matter how gutting it is, how impossible it feels to keep moving.
Omega throws her arms around his neck as reality crashes in around her, and she finds herself breaking down entirely. She needs him – them – more than she needs to breathe, but she can't demand Hunter be somewhere that would hurt the others. She can't ask him to leave Wrecker, or Echo, or Tech. That would be selfish, and Omega can't do that.
Hunter will always protect her, all of them, and she knows that, even if it's hard for him. He'll do it, no matter how much it hurts him, and that's – it's something she needs to do know, even if it's gutting.
He presses a hand to her back, holding her close, and they just... stay there for a few moments. His touch is comforting, grounding, gentle. Sometimes, it's almost hard to remember that Hunter used to be that 9901 that she took care of as a baby, that Omega held and cared for and that Nala Se spent so much time scanning and studying.
Nala Se was most intrigued with Hunter and Tech. She spent the most time with them, studying their enhancements, assessing their abilities.
Wrecker and Crosshair were obvious from the start, and Omega got them to herself most of the time. Crosshair, who's being controlled now, who's hurting them all, because he can't help it. It's hard to see how much they've grown without her, but in the end, they came back together again.
Omega doesn't pull back for a few minutes, until she's calmed enough to talk, and when she does, there's a heavily weighted grief on his face. "Just bring them back," she requests.
He looks stricken. "I can't leave you alone, Omega."
Stay strong, she orders herself. "They need you," Omega tells him firmly, despite the way her voice nearly breaks. "Wrecker. Echo. Tech. And – and Crosshair. You know where to find me."
Hunter looks from her to the doorway, sighing softly before tilting his head forwards and pressing their foreheads together. It's brief, but firm and gentle and calming. "I'm sorry," he says again, stroking his hand down her arm. He's so gentle,and he's the first person Omega has ever known that cared for her, who's taken care of her. He's – he's Hunter, and she doesn't know how she's supposed to survive their time apart. "I know I promised you wouldn't have to come back here, that I'd protect you."
"It's okay," Omega tells him, even if it's not, because in the end, this isn't his fault. "You did the same for me. I'll be okay." No, she won't be, but he doesn't need to worry about her.
"We'll come back, Omega. I promise."
She nods, ducking forwards to hug him again. He said it, and she believes it, because she can feel it just as much, a burning truth in her heart. They'll come back, because Hunter said it, and he'll do it. And maybe he's not all-powerful or anything, but he's still Hunter, and he'll find a way to make it work.
"Come," he says, pulling back and standing, knife in its sheath on his arm again. "I'll take you to the Marauder. We'll contact Rex to get you off-planet."
Omega looks to AZI, who's hovering nearby. He's here at least, which is – it's something. But what is she supposed to tell Cid? They're probably going to end up with a debt again, and she can get some credits, but... would Cid want to keep her?
"Can I see the others first?" Omega asks, and Hunter looks to the doorway again. Crosshair is still out of sight. She doesn't see him anymore at all, actually.
"They're mid-turn," Hunter replies, quietly, "I'm not sure they'd recognize you as anything more than food right now."
Omega winces. "Did it hurt?" she asks, pressing closer. She has no idea what it was like for Hunter.
"It does," he admits, "Not severely, but it's uncomfortable."
Considering Hunter got shot straight through the chest and survived, she doesn't know how well she can take that. Omega doesn't pressure, though. She doesn't see Crosshair when they step into the hall, but she finds herself scanning the halls anyway, because he could be anywhere, and he is a sniper, so if he...
"He's in the vent," Hunter tells her, touching her shoulder. "And... I think he's sleeping. Come on. We should go."
Crosshair used to sleep in the strangest of places when they were little. Of course, that hasn't changed. The deep ache in her heart twists even deeper.
**w**
Rex picks up soon. Too soon. Almost immediately, actually, and Omega curls up in the co-pilot seat while Hunter talks to him. Apparently, he's since finished whatever he was busy with when he called them to come to Daro.
"We need someone to take Omega back to where we were staying," Hunter finishes. "She doesn't know how to fly yet."
Rex, unsurprisingly, looks a bit overwhelmed, but he's holding together far better than Hunter is, anyway. "Gregor and I will come over," he replies, "I'm already going to pick him up. We can come by to get her. Are you sure the Empire won't detect us?"
"We can't guarantee anything," Hunter replies, "But if I take Omega off-planet, I don't know if I'll have a chance to come back."
"It's a risk I'm willing to take," Rex replies firmly. "If you can get them free, that's what matters."
He used to be close with Echo, Omega remembers hearing. They worked together. That was obvious on Bracca from how they interacted.
Still, she doesn't want to leave and just go back to Ord Mantell with only AZI, to go back to Cid and pretend nothing changed. How is she supposed to go there, stay there, with the Marauder – their home – and live there all alone without her brothers? How is – is she supposed to do this? But they need her to, and she can't ask Hunter to leave them for her.
"I'll figure something out," Hunter assures.
Somehow, Omega isn't entirely certain that they're all going to come back, at least not right away. Hunter will, though. He promised he would, and Omega could never disbelieve him.
They go out to sit on the ramp of the Marauder, just waiting. It'll take Rex at least an hour to get here, and the rain is beating down around them. Her hair is wet, sticking to her forehead, and she shifts closer, curling up against Hunter's side. It's cold out here.
He doesn't say anything, just holds her in silence for a good many minutes. "I thought the bond I would form with Crosshair would be enough to overcome his chip," Hunter says quietly, but loud enough to be heard over the rain and roaring ocean waves. "I thought I understood enough about being a vampire, being this, but..." He trails off, sighing.
"It's not your fault," she argues, "You were trying to help him. I would've done the same if I could have." She would've, if it were possible, because it – at least their bond would be natural and normal, and it wouldn't be an outright control.
"I could make him stop," he says, leaning closer to her, lightly resting his cheek on her head. He's never been so affectionate before, and maybe it's just that they're going to be apart for the indefinite future, but Omega latches onto every moment of it. "I could – I could force him to, if I wanted to, but I can't do that to him."
Omega had meant it when she told Hunter way back that they'd find a way to get Crosshair back, but the more she thinks about it, the more out of reach it feels. But then... "Vampires heal fast, don't they?" she asks. They were nearly impossible to kill.
"Yes," he confirms.
"Then... it's almost a guarantee he'll survive it's removal," she points out. Not entirely, considering where it is for him – that's the part of his brain that was enhanced in the first place – but if they heal fast...
"Unless his body would consider it normal," Hunter objects.
Omega twitches, frowning. "I don't think so," she says after a pause, though they'd have to ask Tech to be sure. "It's not totally organic."
He makes a thoughtful sound, and for a bit longer, they just keep sitting there.
**w**
Omega never talks about when her brothers left her in the lab, when she went back to being alone again. She tries hard not to think about it, because it hurts so much, but sometimes... This feels so, so similar.
It's the same in many ways, only this time, it's Crosshair who's making the choice for them all.
"We'll come back," Hunter promises her, and she nods.
"I know. Take care of them." It's – it's exactly like what happened before, back there in the lab, eight years ago, except Hunter was too little to talk properly, though he'd made the promise all the same – that he'd stay with them, protect them.
"I will," he assures, and he looks from her to Rex. "It's time to go."
She doesn't want to. She can't walk away without looking back any more than she did on Saleucami, but she doesn't have a choice. Omega squares her shoulders, looking up at him, imprinting his face forever in her mind. The frown on his face and the sorrow in his dark eyes – she wishes she could see him smile again – and the exact markings of the tattoo she still doesn't know why he got.
He gives her shoulder one last squeeze before nodding to the ramp, and Omega grabs his hand, squeezing it tightly before turning away.
They will see each other again. This – it isn't forever, even if nothing will make it hurt any less.
Omega doesn't want to believe that here on Kamino, again, is the last time she's going to see them all, and at least if she got to see the others again, that would make it better. But Hunter will take care of them, as he always has, and she turns away, boarding the Marauder.
Rex is flying, and Omega presses herself to the window of the gunner's mount, watching until the landing platform and Hunter and the facilities with the rest of her brothers are out of sight before sliding onto the floor.
Rex comes back to be with her for a while, after they've made it into hyperspace, past the Imperial blockade and the fighters that try shooting them down. Gonky is here, too, and AZI hovers close, but that isn't what she needs.
Until her brothers come back, nothing will be.
When they left Ord Mantell in the first place, she thought it was to get Hunter, that they could be together again, but... she's going back with no one. Exactly where she thought they wouldn't be.
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