Doomsday

Chapter 8 - Bracca

Author's Note: I saw this tumblr post once about why Hunter grew his hair out and I've totally accepted that as my headcanon – basically, the regs made fun of his brothers for looking different, and Hunter and Crosshair fought about that when they were little. Crosshair told him he'd never know what it means to look different, so, well, yeah. I figured I should explain that a bit, because it's gonna be talked about.

~ Rivana Rita

Cid never warned them about the guardian police droids, but they've faced actually dangerous odds before. That's not what this is.

Wrecker is unhappy about how high they have to climb, but no one else replies to it.

"Crosshair, Omega," Echo says, turning to them they crouch on a walkway in the factory, "Up top. The rest of us will go after the droid."

Crosshair nods and keeps climbing. Omega follows, sticking close.

His head is throbbing again. It's been doing that for fifteen days, too, on and off. It's worse right now, a constant, grating, shooting pain in his head. He should've taken something to keep it down before the mission. Could have. Didn't. Clearly, it's getting enough to affect his judgment. That's – probably not good. Definitely not good.

Omega is scanning the factory with macrobinoculars beside him. "Found it," she says – how did she see it before Crosshair did? "Sort of. The droid's already in pieces."

"Is the head intact?" Tech asks.

"Affirmative," she replies, and that's when he finally spots it. It's just a moment before someone else – dressed as a worker – runs past, picking up the droid head and taking off. "Wait!" she yelps, "Someone just ran off with the droid head."

"I see it," Crosshair tells the others.

"I'm on it," Omega starts, bolting, but Crosshair reaches out to grab her arm and pull her back. It's becoming second nature to keep her close and out of trouble.

"Stay," he tells her sharply.

"No," Echo replies firmly to her, "Omega, stay where you are. Wrecker, get on it. Hurry."

She comes back to his side, deflating a bit. "Do you do anything but stand here?"

He side-eyes her for a moment, not that she can see through his helmet, anyway. Omega is a child. She doesn't know what this is like. It's all about... excitement for her. Just like Wrecker. "Yes."

Omega's a bit of all of them. She has Hunter's softness, Echo's passion, Tech's brilliance, Wrecker's energy, and Crosshair's stubbornness.

"Lesson one is patience."

"How can you just stand there?" Omega demands, "We can't fail this mission."

"We won't," Crosshair tells her flatly, scanning the facility. Wrecker is pursuing the two workers trying to get the droid head out, though he has his doubts that they're actual workers.

"But..."

"Do you trust us?" He already knows the answer, but he needs her to think.

"Yeah," she answers instantly, "Of course."

"Then trust we can do this." It's not so simple. He knows that. But it's also the truth.

And that, predictably, is when a blaster goes off and all chaos breaks loose. The alarms go off, and police droids start pouring in, and all other entrances are closed off.

"This is when we're needed," Crosshair informs her, "Keep your arms steady. Cover from the other side."

"At this range?" She sounds freaked out.