Chapter 18.5 - Bonus Chapter - Hunter 1
Author's Note: I know we didn't need to write this out, but I started drafting it a long time ago, and figured I might as well just finish.
~ Rivana Rita
He should have been more careful. If he'd been a moment faster, he could have made that jump easily. Now, they're all at risk. Because of him. None of them have ever been captured for it. That doesn't mean they weren't trained – prepared for – such a possibility. But this isn't just someone.
It's Crosshair. He's – here. Whatever precisely his role with the Empire is, he's in charge of these people.
The Empire isn't above torturing people. Hunter knows that – he saw the interrogation droid on Raxus. And considering his brother's skills, the Empire has every reason to want to find them.
He can tell himself he can hold out. And he won't let the Empire hurt his squad, but he needs to be – real here. If – when – it gets that far, Crosshair will be in charge. He knows Hunter. He knows his weak points. And either way, he can handle a lot of things – anything, for his family – but seeing the numb, nearly dead look in his youngest brother's eyes is... not one of them.
He can't deal with Crosshair's anger. He's thrown... childish temper tantrums sometimes, the same way Vision does, but that's only if he's hurt, just like her. That's not what this is. It's something far darker, and he's trying to hurt them. He kept doing that before, on Kamino, on Onderon, on Bracca. He knows exactly what to say to make it hurt.
Trying to escape would be pointless. It would only get him killed. Crosshair would know, anyway. And he – he can't do that to Crosshair, either. He can't leave without trying.
Sleeping is impossible right now, because he can't shake the tension out of himself no matter how hard he's trying, but he needs to... save his energy, at least. He'll need it.
There are so many things he wants to say to Crosshair. So many that he doesn't think he could say even if he tried.
This is why he didn't want to go to Daro and get involved in the first place. It's not something he ever wants to do again. Not that he did from the start – that was Echo. But it was still Hunter who agreed to let him do it.
And now – now, he's here, and Crosshair's going to do Force knows what to him, and frankly, Hunter has no idea why he hasn't killed him yet. He doesn't want to think about what that could mean, either. He doesn't want Crosshair to hurt him, and that's bound to happen. It will happen. Some way or other. He's not ready for this he'snotreadyforthishe's –
Hunter looks up for the first time as he senses a familiar heartbeat outside the door before it opens and Crosshair steps inside. Hunter forces himself not to tense as his brother approaches. First, he needs answers. Something to work with. Focus. That's what he's good at. Stop panicking. They won't do anything to him until they get to – wherever. "Where are we going?"
"You'll find out soon enough," Crosshair replies, crossing the room to him. Hunter forces himself not to tense or outwardly react. He loathes how this makes him feel – Crosshair's presence is, and always has been, comforting.
He would've gone through anything for them. Now, that's all gone. His heartbeat feels the same, the soft, pulsing energy that Hunter has always felt on him, even if something about it is... hardened now. It's still him. And up close, he still has the same foggy, smoky scent that he always has. Somehow, that hurts even more. It'd be easier if he didn't look so much like him.
Crosshair kneels beside him, taking Hunter's comm and turning it back on. Hunter had shut it off after he fell, and on hindsight, he should have destroyed it altogether. "And so will your squad," Crosshair tells him, far too smugly.
A numbing sense of anxiety freezes him inside out. "Using my comm won't work. They'll know it's a trap," Hunter throws back as his brother stands and starts moving for the door. It's not true though. He knows that.
(Maybe he wouldn't've been so sure about that if Omega hadn't told him because they've never done anything for him before, and nor have they ever had to. He doesn't want them to. He promised he'd find a way back, and better that then – then them to be hurt, too. At least if Crosshair will hurt him, he can deal with it alone. But this is Crosshair, and everything he's doing, he does to hurt.)
Omega and Vision would burn the galaxy down to find him, as would Echo. Wrecker's probably already on it, and Tech will go with them without a second thought. Hunter... feared this could happen, which was why he refused in the first place. They wouldn't have if Echo hadn't insisted. They should've been more careful.
"They'll still come for you," Crosshair throws back, undeterred. He's right. They will.
Hunter had thought – foolishly – that by leaving Crosshair, it would save what was left of his family. He should have known that wasn't going to stay true. And now – now, they're all in danger. Because of him.
"If you don't have the stomach to do what needs to be done, you're not fit to lead this squad."
(Is he ever going to stop failing? Is he ever going to do anything right?)
They know Hunter would have them stay away, stay safe. Not come after him. But they'll do it anyway. That's – how they are. He would've preferred the alternative of being trapped here to whatever fate awaits him.
The Empire has no way of controlling him. His inhibitor chip is out, and Tech had reassured them all – Vision especially – on Bracca that once it's out, it's... out. The connections are broken, and nothing will be able to control them again. He doesn't need to worry about that.
What he does need to worry about is how in the galaxy he's going to get through Crosshair's... programming and talk him down enough for Hunter to get them both out of here. Preferably, before his squad shows up.
He promised Tech he'd find his way back, and... that's what he has to do.
**w**
They take him to Kamino. Just like Vision saw in her dreams. It's almost unnerving. What really strikes him as off is the lack of people around.
He already knew Rampart sent Crosshair after them after Ryloth – Vision Saw that, too.
"Where are all the regs?" Hunter asks. He already has his suspicions – that they're being phased out, just like Gregor warmed them. It's just faster than he thought, and he has no idea what the Empire is doing to all the clones then. It's an opening, something he can try to talk to Crosshair about, and he has to try. Though the lack of people present might be... useful if he's really going to get out, but considering the others are on their way, waiting is probably better. At least if he's with Crosshair he can still try to protect them. If they're apart, they're more likely to run into Crosshair instead.
"When did you start caring about them?" Crosshair snips back. Hunter opts to ignore the sting of it – if he gets angry, he won't be able to reason with Crosshair at all.
"No Kaminoans, either. This facility's being decommissioned." They're going to destroy it, like Vision Saw. The sooner they get off-world, the better, but Hunter is still – this is Kamino. It's their home. The thought of it being destroyed does not sit well with him. He waits a moment, expecting some sort of reaction, something, anything from Crosshair, but there's nothing. "You don't seem too concerned."
"Why would I be?" Crosshair asks, like it somehow doesn't matter. This is their home. The Empire's getting rid of clones, and Force knows what they're doing to them.
Hunter whirls around, uncaring of the blaster Crosshair's holding to his back. "Because the Empire will be phasing out clones next," he snaps, nodding to Crosshair's natborn squad member. This is everything they've never done and they – he has no idea what the Empire will do to Crosshair if he stays here. Hunter thought he'd be alright, maybe, but now? It's the Empire. He can't imagine the clones aren't being transferred for something... sinister.
Crosshair hits him with the end of his blaster hard enough to make him step back – it's more instinctive than it is anything else, really. On Bracca, Wrecker's first assumption was that it was Crosshair who shot him. And now, with his brother holding his blaster at the same place Cad Bane shot him not all that long ago, Hunter can't stop wondering – fearing – how long it will take for him to actually do it. At this close range, his armor would never be enough to hold up and stop the shot from being fatal.
Either way, they won't be continuing the conversation here – even if it's just him and Crosshair, and Hunter could easily take down the other... whoever he is, even with his hands cuffed.
He's not going to leave him, though.
Can't.
"Not the ones that matter," Crosshair snaps back, and Hunter glares at him. It's not fair but being angry at him is so much easier than the hurt. At least like this, he doesn't have to try to talk himself out of a breakdown that no one has time for now any more than they ever have.
They take him to a command center, where there's... a lot more people, but Crosshair holsters his blaster finally, setting Hunter's helmet and knife down on a nearby chair.
Their siblings are here now, apparently, and Hunter has a very bad feeling about this. He doesn't have much time, and he doesn't know how to get through to Crosshair, but he knows him better than anyone. If that reg captain could with his men, Hunter should, too – he and his brothers were far closer than any of the regs have been with each other.
"They'll come to us," Crosshair says, "They don't leave their own behind. Most of the time."
"You tried to kill us," Hunter throws back a little incredulously. It wasn't like Crosshair wanted to go with them. Certainly didn't imply he did. "We didn't have a choice."
"And I did?" Crosshair snaps back, and the question momentarily throws him, because he can't be talking about the chips... could he? He knows about them, but Hunter can't imagine that's what he's talking about. Or is he just angry at them for leaving the Empire?
"Crosshair, I've seen what the Empire's doing – occupying planets and silencing anyone who stands against them. You know it's not right," Hunter goes for slowly. This isn't easy, after everything Crosshair's done to them, but he has to try.
He promised Vision and Omega he would and – and Crosshair needs him. That doesn't mean trying to be calm and gentle with him isn't – it feels wrong, because Hunter knows exactly how big a threat he is, but he needs to try.
Crosshair pushes himself up from where he was half sitting on one of the chairs. He looks... the same, but so, so different from how he used to. He doesn't have the same chaotic energy. There's something Darker and sharper about him now, and Hunter can see – clearly – the scar on his head for the first time. It looks... awful, and seeing it makes him sick. He should've known Crosshair would get himself hurt right after they left, at some point or other. He had the scars on Ryloth, but it could've happened any point in time between then and the hangar on Kamino. "You still don't see the bigger picture, but you will."
He's not that close, but he's too close and it's making Hunter's skin crawl. He's taller than Hunter by only a few inches, but it still feels like he's practically towering over him.
Hunter sighs – talking to him is nigh impossible, and he doesn't know what to do. He's never felt so over his head before. What does he do? Crosshair has never been like this before. He can be stubborn, but he's never so – this. Whatever this is. Not himself. "Can't you see they're using you? It's that inhibitor chip in your head." Crosshair's eyes narrow on him a bit, and he looks assessing, calculating, and it's the first time Hunter thinks he's actually listening. "It's making you follow –"
"We have an unauthorized entry on platform 5," someone cuts in stepping forwards.
Crosshair sighs, "Right on schedule. Time to go."
Hunter narrows his eyes at him a little, not-quite-glaring because he knows it's not his fault, and that Crosshair is so careless about all of this is clear proof of that. Sometimes, he couldn't help darkly wondering, but now... it's obvious he can't help it, like Wrecker and Vision couldn't. Like Omega said. It still hurts, though.
"Here," Crosshair says, shoving his helmet at him, and Hunter catches it a little awkwardly. He'd put it on, but to talk to Crosshair, he needs to at least try to make eye contact with him because that's more personal, and even if he wants to hide right now, that's more important. Crosshair is more important.
The rest of their squad's here, and Hunter was hoping he might actually be able to do something before they got here.
Having Crosshair's blaster to his back makes him simultaneously want to cry or throw up, maybe both, but he doesn't have a choice but to move.
Crosshair shot Wrecker without a second thought. If he was willing to do that, to nearly incinerate them on Bracca, he could do far worse to Hunter right now.
Will do worse, no doubt, shortly, and Hunter can just hope he'll be the first and the only one who gets hurt.
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