Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC Sora and any alterations to the original storyline plot her presence creates to various readers amusement everywhere across the globe.

Romance Trials Of A Sniper Chapter 4

On the same day, Sora is passing through the detention block holding the majority of clone prisoners when she spots Omega doing a peculiar thing.

Omega is in the detention block and judging by her body language of constantly glancing over her shoulder it is obvious that she doesn't want to be followed.

Suspicions are raised, and Sora decides to see what this is all about.

Turns out Omega has come to see Crosshair.

Sora conceals herself in a safe and secluded spot in order to monitor their interaction.

Checking to make sure no one was watching them, kneeling at his cell door, Omega whispered "Crosshair. I tried to come earlier but there were too many guards watching me."

Sighing, Crosshair said, "You shouldn't be down here at all."

"Well, how else are we going to plan an escape," said Omega, pluckily.

"There is no 'we'," said Crosshair, tiredly, sitting up on his cot. "And there is no escape. I've already tried."

"Every stronghold has a weak point," persisted Omega, gently. "Maybe I can convince Emerie to help. She's one of us."

"Not every clone is your ally. You trust too easily," chided Crosshair, reproachfully.

Disregarding the scolding, and shrugging, Omega said "If not Emerie then maybe Doctor Sora."

"What about her," said Crosshair, stiffening as he recognized the name of the one doctor who had tried to help him.

Sora tenses, straightening in her hiding place upon hearing her name spoken.

"In the lab, they took my blood. Nala Se destroyed it for some reason. Sora saw and kept quiet about it. She didn't tell," explained Omega. "I saw it with my own eyes. Even when Hemlock came in, she didn't hint at it."

Sora inwardly blanches, preferring Omega hadn't brought this up at all. The walls in Tantis have eyes and ears everywhere. This child needs to be more careful.

Crosshair stayed silent after hearing this info. Not quite sure what to make of it.

Seeing his hesitancy about that, Omega said "Maybe you don't trust enough."

Crosshair's right hand, his shooting hand, started to tremble. Grimacing, he clutched it to his left to get it to stop. Behind her standard-issue glasses, Sora narrows her eyes at his wrist. Looks like Crosshair had sustained my damage from that extreme level of hypothermia than first assumed.

Or perhaps the gloom and doom place is getting into his head a lot more.

Sora seriously hopes it is the former.

Looking on at the action in concern, Omega said "Crosshair?"

"Just go," sighed Crosshair. "Before you make this worse for both of us."

Sora's heart hurts for how defeated, weak, disheartened, and broken he sounds now. When he first got here, Crosshair had seemed so strong. All the tortures and reconditioning are taking their toll on Crosshair to see himself as worthless through the eyes of everyone around him.

"There has to be a way out of here. I'll find it," promised Omega.

Crosshair watches with blank and dispassionate eyes as Omega walks away.

Crosshair is soon brought in to have a routine health examination.

During the procedure, Sora is aware of Crosshair's eyes on her but doesn't pay any attention to it under the eyes of the medical droid.

Only when the droid walks away does he say something else weighing on his mind.

Speaking in a low undertone, Crosshair said "Why did you help me?"

"Excuse me," said Sora.

"Back during that first interrogation, why did you help me? I'm not a fool. You deliberately moved the blaster closer to me so I could reach it," accused Crosshair. "I would've thought no one in the Empire's direct employ would be so...softhearted."

Extracting a blood sample from his arm and adding it to those already in vials, Sora said "Not everyone is working there of their own free will. You clones aren't the only ones who feel like they're prisoners here. Not everyone believes in the Empire's methods and ideals."

"That still doesn't answer my question. I want to know. Why did you help me when the other doctor and the stormtroopers were perfectly willing to commence with torturing me," said Crosshair, gruffly, his right hand now shaking profusely.

Placing a gentle hand over his fist, softly, Sora asked "Why not?"

Sora's response leaves Crosshair speechless.

Crosshair isn't given the opportunity to say anything else either. The guards come to bring another prisoner in and take Crosshair back to his cell.

Making a small observation on his nutrition levels before he's led away, Sora said "Your body is starting to show signs of malnutrition. You need to eat more. Keep your strength up."

Rolling his eyes, Crosshair scoffed "Hard to find the mood to eat even with the meager rations you give us."

Later, during chow time, Crosshair noticed something off. Unlike his previous meal, Crosshair noticed some smell of extra helpings to his food that wasn't there before.

Very unusual.

In an instant, Crosshair recalls the conversation he had with Sora and the brief tidbit she mentions about keeping his strength up.

Could this gesture be from her?

After all this time Crosshair prefers not to even humor the thought, but maybe…Could Omega be right?

Could there still be hope?

Authors Note:

I hope you all like this one! I certainly did while writing it for your vast enjoyment! ;D

For those of you just starting out with my stuff there are other works on my profile that may catch your interest. I highly recommend you take a look as soon as the opportunity presents itself to you. Who knows, you may be pleasantly surprised by what you discover.

Stay safe everyone. Especially with all of these crazy natural disasters occurring a lot lately due to global warming and climate change everywhere for sure. I swear it's like they're getting worse and worse all the time and it's like officials are simply just ignoring it or pretending it doesn't exist entirely just to go on with their daily lives. Especially those in multi-million dollar companies that rely on certain elements of our planet that we rely on to naturally keep us safe instead of adapting and finding new safer ways to keep in business. There are so many options out there where they can adapt, but they just refuse to see it because all they care about is money. Climate change is altering so much faster than anyone can really keep track of.

So, in light of all this, it is important to live life to the fullest as much as anyone can.

I know I am. ;) See you guys next time.