Leap of Faith

Chapter 6 - Family

Author's Note: Enjoy this final chapter! Thank y'all for reading, voting, and/or commenting! I hope that you've enjoyed this story! ^-^

PS. This is not the end. I'm planning (and I've started drafting) a sequel titled Leap of Courage which will be more Crosshair-centric, focusing on him trying to adjust. :')

~ Amina Gila

After Omega boarded the Marauder, Crosshair had expected that to be it. He'd expected her to reunite with the others and stay with them inside, probably for the rest of the night. He hadn't expected her to come back out, looking for him, and he doesn't quite know how that makes him feel. He doesn't know what it is that holds him back from answering her like he wants to. But perched all the way up here, high above the surface of the hangar bay, Crosshair is invisible to everyone.

Well, almost everyone.

The kid doesn't see him up here, and nor do the others; Wrecker didn't so much as glance his direction when he came out earlier, looking around – presumably for him.

But Hunter... well, Hunter's enhanced senses give him an unfair advantage, or maybe it's just that he's always had a keen sense for locating his brothers.

Hunter looks straight at him, but he doesn't say anything, sending Omega back inside, and leaning against the Marauder for several minutes. Then, he pushes off the side, circling around to stand not far from Crosshair's hiding spot.

"Crosshair, you can come down now," he says, tilting his head back.

For a moment, Crosshair wavers. He doesn't know what he's doing, why he's staying here, so close to them. It's been so long since he's seen his brothers, and he might never admit aloud that he's missed them, but he has. Fiercely. Slowly, he unfolds from his position, sliding to the ground and leaning against the wall, arms crossed.

Up close, Hunter doesn't look good – not that Crosshair had expected any less. He can't imagine how they must have felt after the kid was snatched from them like that, but Hunter doesn't look like he's slept for weeks. Or eaten, for that matter.

"What do you want?" he snarls, finding it easiest to go on the offensive with Hunter than he ever did Omega. Hunter, he knows, can take it.

"You brought her back," Hunter replies, and Crosshair scoffs.

"I wasn't going to let them kill her like they were planning."

A myriad of emotions flicker across Hunter's face, before his expression settles into determination. "Omega said you're not staying."

"I'm not," he drawls. "I can't stand the lot of you."

Hunter looks disbelieving. "That's not what the kid said."

The kid is too perceptive for her own good, he wants to growl, but doesn't, because that would be an admission. He isn't surprised that she's already talked to their brothers about him. "The kid doesn't know everything."

One time, Hunter might have risen to the bait. "You think you'll hurt us." It's not a question.

"That's absurd," Crosshair sneers. "I brought her back in one piece, didn't I?"

"Exactly," Hunter agrees, mouth curving upward slightly. "That's why I don't see a reason why you can't stay."

Well, he walked into that one.

"I won't make you do anything, Crosshair," Hunter continues before he can find a suitably scathing comeback. "You've had enough choices taken from you. But if you are concerned about being influenced by something against your will, Tech can scan you. He made a brain scanner, which located our chips. If something is wrong, he'll know."