SWTCW Oneshots (Mainly Clones) part 2

Dying Out

(Multi-part story, I actually got the idea for this from a netflix movie I saw)

Summary: Many are left confused and demanding answers when clones over the age of 12 start to die off at a rapid rate. The rate is as such that it's difficult to keep up with the production of clones while the numbers begin to decline and it has a definite impact on the war effort. Captain Rex is the only clone, aged 13, over the age of 12 to survive.

Ages in this story:

Fives: 12
Rex: 13
Jesse: 13 (barely, few months younger than Rex)

First things first, being friends with people who are pretty much demons is practically an all-time job.

Especially when it comes to Fives and Jesse. Those two are the absolute monsters.

After the latest campaign, Rex had fully intended to head to the barracks to sleep. It definitely sounded good after a few days of not sleeping. They had been so busy that he barely had time to fit in a few naps to avoid passing out in front of his troops, who seemed to be better off, barely, than he was.

Over the past few days, he's heard that a few of the higher ranks were getting sick. Cody had apparently come down with something, so he didn't show up on their campaign. He shot him a few get well messages.

Cody never got back to him, so Rex assumed he must be sleeping. As someone who's gotten sick before, he could definitely relate to wanting to sleep it off.

Hell, it's the only thing you could do. The medics, especially Kix, wouldn't even let you do paperwork.

He spent hours arguing with Kix about that when he was sick, and he still didn't win.

Sometimes Kix was too smart for his own good. Rex didn't know whether he liked that or not.

"Rex?" Jesse asked from beside him. After a few minutes, he had finally gotten him and Fives to lay down and relax, although he could still hear the ARC tossing and turning, clearly not wanting to sleep.

Not to mention he was groaning dramatically. Irritatingly loud.

So he sighed and turned over. "Hold on, Jess."

His eyes were glued to Fives' wiggling form. "Fives!"

Said trooper turned toward him. "Yes, sir?"

"Be quiet," He hissed. "Some of us are trying to sleep. And those who are trying to sleep, need sleep."

Fives whined. "But I'm not tired."

"Did it sound like I was talking about you?" He asked.

"You were talking to me."

Jesse was sitting up on his bunk now. "That's not the same thing, Fives."

The ARC scoffed, then turned back onto his side and mumbled to himself. "It is to me."

Finally, he could talk to Jesse. Fives had finally gone quiet, and the soft snores he could hear indicated that he had fallen asleep.

"What is it, Jesse?"

The trooper came over and sat down beside him, a weird look crossing his face. "Do you have nightmares?"

"About what?"

"Dying," Jesse blinked. He swallowed hard. "They keep getting worse.."

The Captain sighed. "Sometimes. I have a lot of different nightmares so I can't remember all of them."

Jesse didn't answer.

"Jesse," He grasped his shoulder. "It's okay. It's just a nightmare. I know they're scary, but they're not real."

His brother shivered. "But it felt so real."

Rex chuckled. "I know. That's why they're so scary. It doesn't feel like your dreaming, but your back in the real world now."

For a few moments they just sat there, nothing but the silence between them and the soft sound of Fives sleeping beside them.

Tonight, it was only them 3. Everyone else was doing other work as they had slept earlier. The only reason Rex volunteered to sleep beside these maniacs was so that they couldn't wake anyone up with their noises.

But luckily, they were quiet.

Jesse smiled. "Thanks."

"That's what brothers are for," He pat him on the back with a smile. "Now go to sleep. Maybe you'll see Fives in your dream and can give him one hell of a beating."

Jesse made his way back over to his bunk and snorted as Rex laid down. "Sure thing, sir."

....

Rex woke up in the middle of the night to someone shaking him.

"Ori'vod?"

He groaned.

"Rex..?"

He blinked open his eyes to see Jesse's pale face looking down at him. He looked scared, shoulders shaking.

Worried, he sat up. "Jesse?"

"I don't feel good," Jesse whimpered, pressing himself close to him. "'m sick."

Rex pulled him close, rubbing his back gently. His brother's breathing was visibly more labored than before, and his forehead was definitely hot to the touch.

"When did you start feeling like this?"

Jesse coughed before he could start talking. "Woke up..didn't feel good.."

Rex felt something unsettling stir in his gut. "Okay, I'll take you to Kix."

He stood up, about to take Jesse to see Kix when he suddenly collapsed to the ground, seizing violently and foaming at his mouth.

Rex nearly screamed, but stopped himself. "Jesse!"

He collapsed to his knees as Jesse's violent struggles started to cease. "Jesse, look at me. Jesse! You're gonna be fine, alright?"

He grabbed him by the shoulders, he was still occasionally twitching, head being thrown back violently and foam dripping down the side of his mouth.

Rex rested his hand on the side of Jesse's head. "You're gonna be okay.."

And all of a sudden, he wasn't. His eyes clouded over, rolling up but not closing. He went completely still.

Rex's heart dropped to the pit of his stomach as he searched for a pulse that wasn't there.

"Jesse?"

His voice broke. "Jesse? Jesse! Jesse, hey..you're gonna be—Jesse-!"

Fives had apparently woken up. "Rex? Why are you screaming so—"

He screamed.

"Oh my god. Jesse!"

Rex looked up at him, eyes filled with tears. "Go get Kix!"

Fives looked lost for a second.

"Fives!" He ordered. "Get Kix!"

The ARC nodded shakily and bolted.

Rex's comm beeped about 3 minutes later, and all of a sudden Kix's voice came through. "Captain, I know Fives told me what happened, and I'm on my way, but I have more bad news.."

Oh great..

"My assumption is that this is a virus of some kind. Jesse wasn't the only one affected. Cody, Commander Fox, Thorn, Wolffe, and a lot of other older troopers are all dead."

And all of a sudden Rex couldn't breathe.