Dooms

Doomsless - Chapter 2: The Crossing

Tech leads them to the mine Cid apparently bought, and Omega opts to stay outside on guard with Crosshair. Not that they need both, because well, it's Crosshair, but it's just – she doesn't want to talk to or be with anyone right now.

Hunter, Tech, and Wrecker head inside to do the mining, and Omega sullenly sits on the edge of the cliff overlooking a valley far below.

Echo's absence is ringing around in her head, looping through her mind on repeat. He's gone. He's not supposed to be gone, and Omega feels lost without him. She has no idea what to do without him. They needed him.

They needed him and now, he's gone.

He's...

She needs something to distract herself with, and Omega tosses a small stone over the cliff edge. It falls, clanking and bouncing far below, echoing across the valley.

Echoing.

Echo.

She sighs, exhausted.

"You okay?" Crosshair asks her finally.

"I was thinking about Echo.

"It's weird without him around." Weird is an understatement, and entirely the wrong word. Omega doesn't know what to do without Echo. She feels like she's lost, drowning and like she doesn't have anything to ... She has her brothers now, everyone except Echo, but Echo's the one who took care of them. She feels lost. Somehow hopeless.

Omega wants him back. She doesn't understand how he could have just walked away. They need him.

"Yeah," Crosshair agrees. He's quiet, and the silence is dark and heavy. She doesn't want to move. To do anything. Doesn't even know what to do. They aren't supposed to leave each other – they're supposed to stay together.

Crosshair sits beside her, his rifle over her knees, and Omega leans her head on his arm. She's wearing her helmet, anyway, but it still... helps. Somewhat. She just... wants it to stop hurting.

"I don't understand," Omega says finally, helplessly, "How could he just leave? We need him."

"Echo's different," Crosshair answers slowly, "He's one of us, but he's still a reg."

"What does that mean?" she asks, tilting her head to look up at him. "I mean... why? I thought we were supposed to stay together."

"We were," Crosshair replies. He's staring across the valley, watching the storm clouds on the distant horizon. "Hunter, Tech, Wrecker, and I grew up together. What we are, we made. The regs are different. That's why we never leave each other."

"I wish I grew up with you," Omega mutters, tugging her knees to her chest. She doesn't really get their relationship sometimes. They're so close, and they talk just by looking sometimes. There are many things they don't even need to say. She never had anybody growing up. She's... so lonely sometimes. Now that she's here, it's better, but it's still not gone.

Crosshair glances at her. "Sounds hard to imagine."

Yeah. She has no idea what growing up was like for them. It was... always lonely for Omega. That's never fully changed. She just feels... she's one of them, but it's not the same. She wishes it was, that she could've grown up with them and actually understood how they were. She wishes she could have that relationship with someone.

Being the only girl of the family is... lonely.

There's distant rumbling of thunder, but the planet seems otherwise mostly quiet. There's not much life here, and that just adds to her uncomfortableness.