Take Me Far That Road

Chapter 4 - And If the Sun Starts Setting

Author's Note: There is So Much Angst in this chapter. :D

~ Amina Gila

Hunter goes next, then Echo, then Tech. They spread out a bit after that, milling around, except Rex, who leaves right after the surgeries are done. There's not a lot to do, so Wrecker takes Omega outside to teach her about explosives – of course, he does. It's fine until they get spotted by scrappers, which they take out and stun before they can report back, but the danger is still present.

Hunter and Tech suggest they do a weapons haul for Cid for credits, which Crosshair finds entirely weird, but they do live differently now. Everything is about trying to survive. There's no war to fight in, and he's grateful for that.

And that's how he finds himself alone with Hunter and Echo in the armory, while Wrecker and Omega work farther back in searching for explosives, and Tech heads up to the bridge to find any intel.

"With a haul like this, Cid'll owe us," Hunter says dryly as they move some carts around. "We should be able to get enough credits for a while. Maybe enough to lay low for a while."

"We should have left with Rex," Echo says, and his helmet is on, so Crosshair can't see his face, but he sounds angry. Very angry.

Crosshair loathes how he instinctively tenses. Anger is something he always has to be careful around. Never knows when he'll be at the receiving end of it, but this is Echo, and Crosshair shouldn't have to be worried. He has nothing to worry about, but that doesn't stop the sharp, twisting uncomfortableness.

Just like with Wrecker.

"He's on a different path than us," Hunter replies.

"Hunter," Echo says, his voice firm and not sharp, exactly, but still demanding, "We're soldiers. What other path is there?"

"We're soldiers," Crosshair snaps because he can't help it. No one talks to Hunter like this. Sure, he might not be fully comfortable with what things are like either, but this – this just isn't something he'll let anyone do. "Not slaves. We make our own choices."

Echo's helmet turns toward him.

He's not supposed to yell at Echo. He's not supposed to yell at Echo; he shouldn't do this, but he's just – angry. No one talks to Hunter like that.

"We have the skillset, and there are people who need our help," Echo answers. "Clones. Our brothers. This is what we were made for, Crosshair."

"Your brothers," Crosshair hisses before he thinks better of it. He's already spent so long without his brothers, and he doesn't – he can't – the last thing he wants to do is fight. "My family is right here, and I'm not getting involved in someone else's war."

"Crosshair!" Hunter hisses, but he doesn't care because he means what he says.

"What other war is there?" Echo snaps back.

"Not one worth fighting."

Hunter grabs his shoulder, pulling him back. "Crosshair, stop it!"

"It's the truth," Crosshair throws back sharply, and he knows he's not being – overly considerate, but well, they're soldiers. That's not what they are, and he's angry. Very angry. He stepped in, in the first place, to defend Hunter, and he's just – yeah. "They aren't our brothers."

"Yes, they are!" Echo throws at him, "All the clones are our family, whether you like it or not."

"Not the ones that matter."