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Crosshair huffed out another puff of smoke, gazing off into the wilderness of the random planet they had landed on. For once, they could ‘take it easy’, as the kaminoans put it after a close call that caused internal bleeding in Crosshair.
The sniper let out one more puff before taking the cigarette and pressing it into the skin on his forearm, barely wincing at the feeling.
Crosshair was snapped back into reality when somebody grabbed his wrist and turned him, making his eyes widen just enough to realize Tech was scolding him.
“Stop doing that, Crosshair! Olaror!” He snapped and the sniper let his brother drag him up the stairs of the marauder and make him sit on a bench that they usually sat to take off their gear.
Crosshair was silent as he stared off at nothing in particular while Tech grabbed his medkit to get some burn cream and bandages.
Tech went back over and crouched in front of his brother, taking his forearms and bit too rough and began cleaning them. They had multiple fresh burns that had gotten past him and his brothers somehow and the engineer grimaced.
“Gedet'ye Gev, vod’ika.”
Crosshair didn’t respond, his head simply tilting back to loll lazily against the wall. Tech sighed as he began to wrap both his brothers arms up in gauze, hopefully that would help prevent him from doing any actual damage to his body.
The engineer finally let go of him and stood up. Crosshair’s eyes tracked him for a moment, still not saying anything as Tech pressed a kiss to the top of his head before going off the put his medkit away.
Crosshair stayed there for a moment, dazing off. The medics had said he would be a bit more confused and dazed from the drugs they had given to help fight off any possible infection and to help him heal. It had been a bit, but Crosshair just felt so weak from the incident. It made him hurt physically and mentally.
“Cmon.”
Crosshair was a bit startled by his oldest brother suddenly appearing next to him, a hand pressing to his hair. He looked up at him and Hunter gave a small smile as he motioned for him to move to their bunk room.
Crosshair went to it, Hunter following to make sure he was walking alright after the incident. His big brother motioned for him to sit in front of his own bunk and Crosshair did so.
He slumped back against the bunk, head lolling tiredly as he heard Hunter rustle around before the mattress sunk behind Crosshair’s head. He opened his eyes and Hunter was beginning to put something in his hand before looking down at the sniper with a faint smile.
Something cold hit Crosshair’s cheek and he made a noise of protest but Hunter shushed him. “Stop being a baby.” He said as he put the shaving cream around his baby brother’s face. Crosshair gave up eventually and sat there as his chin was covered in the soft substance. He hadn’t realized how much he had let his scruff grow out.
Hunter began to slowly slice at the hair with his knife, making sure to be extra careful with his brother’s face. Crosshair let him rotate his face around, his eyes eventually closing as he relaxed, nearly able to fall asleep at his ori’vod’s gentleness.
A warm, wet feeling eventually came to his face as Hunter wiped the remaining shaving cream away with a warm cloth. Crosshair was nearly asleep, his head falling against Hunter’s thigh when the sergeant let go.
He smiled, putting the cloth aside after he wiped his win blade off and bent down to his vod’ika. He gentle brought his hands around his torso, looping underneath his arm as he pulled him close.
Crosshair mumbled something in mando’a but Hunter shushed him, bringing him into the space between his legs as Crosshair pulled his arms lazily over his brother’s legs as he drifted off.
Hunter stayed like that for awhile, not being able to bring himself to get up because it was rare for the two to share such a calm moment unless something was wrong with one of them.
Usually it was Hunter, since his senses always like to kick him when he was down, so usually the oldest was seeking comfort in the youngest. But now his baby brother was in need of it, and after something far worse had happened.
Hunter glanced at the sleeping snipers face. He looked so peaceful for once. They always joked that he looked so stiff and lifeless when he slept and Crosshair would always scowl. He couldn’t help it. His body just always needed to be ready.
Hunter rubbed his arm to try and gently wake him so that he could help him get to his bunk, but Crosshair just mumbled something and shooed him hand away with his arms tightening around Hunter.
“Cmon. You gotta get to bed.” Hunter said, smiling because the moment reminded him of when they were cadets.
Crosshair let out a ‘mm’, unconvinced from moving from the spot. Eyes still shut, Crosshair didn’t see Tech suddenly appear in the doorway and light up at the sight of Crosshair being still before what he was about to do.
Tech approached as quick as he could, trying to be quiet so Crosshair wouldn’t fight him on his wellness check. But luck was not in the engineer’s side, and Crosshair’s eyes snapped opened when he recognized Tech’s footsteps.
He tried to bolt for it, but was held back by Hunter. “Let me go.” He hissed quietly, trying to wiggle out despite the pain in his abdomen. “This will only be a moment, now stay still.”
Tech gently pressed on his stomach and Crosshair whimpered. Now, he only moved from the pain rather than trying to escape. “How is that?” Tech asked and Crosshair tried to smack his hand away.
“It hurts, Tech!” He said as loud as he could. “I am trying to asses wether you need to be returned to Kamino for a longer examination after your surgery. You should not have gone against medical advice of the Kaminoans, wether they are ‘annoying’ and ‘long neck bastards’ or not.” Tech told his youngest brother as he gently pressed on another part of his stomach.
Crosshair fell back into Hunter as an attempt to escape, his big brothers arms still around him. “Stop.” He whimpered quietly as Tech pressed another part. Crosshair flinched, head going farther into his brothers stomach behind him.
“Please.”
“Okay, Tech.” Hunter said as soon as he saw tears falling down his baby brothers face. Tech pulled away, unfazed as Hunter comforted the sniper, wrapping his arm around his neck and holding his cheek as Crosshair curled into him.
Tech left them be. He knew Hunter would come talk to him later. Crosshair stayed with Hunter for a brief moment, calming down quickly. Hunter sighed, rubbing his arm.
“Cmon. Let’s get you to bed.” He said and Crosshair didn’t argue as Hunter stood, bringing his brother up with him. Crosshair was nudged in the direction of his bunk across the room. He fell clumsily onto his bed and winced as he rolled over.
“Ouch.”
“Ouch is right if you don’t be careful.” Hunter said as he pulled a blanket over him. Crosshair didn’t respond, only lazily pulling the blanket to his chin and curling up in a ball.
“Don’t do that, Tech says the won’t help you heal.”
“Shab Tech.”
Hunter chuckled, ruffling Crosshair’s hair. “I know. But please, stretch out a bit.” Hunter got up and went to the entrance of the bunk room, turning his head a bit to catch a glance of Crosshair slowly uncurling himself before Hunter shut the lights off.
Hunter went to the cockpit and saw Tech taping away on his holopad. “So?” Hunter asked as he sat down in the copilot seat. “I believe Crosshair is still suffering damages inside his abdomen, but is failing to notice them. While not life threatening at the moment, I believe they will be if he doesn’t get them addressed.” Tech explained as he taped on his holopad.
“So, what should we do?”
“He is not going to listen. I do not blame him, but at the same time the kaminoans are the only ones who could get it done the smoothest and most effective. I would say let us take him back to Kamino.”
Hunter thought for a moment, running a hand through his hair. “What do you think they’ll do to him?” He asked and Tech put down his holopad. “Most likely run tests before addressing whatever is wrong. My guess is there is still internal bleeding that Crosshair refused to let them tend to, or messed up the scans on purpose so he could get out.”
Crosshair hated medics. Specifically Kaminoan. The Batch didn’t blame him, they had their fair share of hatred for them too, but health was health and in the end, they needed medics to save their lives.
It wouldn’t be the first time he somehow tampered with their scans or files to avoid being actually looked at, so Hunter wasn’t ruling out the possibility.
“How long would that take him to recover from?”
“At most, four weeks. And then we just need to make sure everything is good before we go back into the field.”
Hunter thought again for a moment before nodding. “Set course for Kamino. I’m gonna go take away those damn cigarettes of his.”
“Please do. And if he does get ahold of one, do watch him.” Tech told Hunter and he nodded before stalking off back to the bunk room.
Wrecker was at the navigation system, turning his head at the sound of Hunter’s footsteps. “How’s Cross?” He questioned. “I don’t know, truthfully. We’re heading back to Kamino to get him properly looked at.”
“Did he agree to it?”
“No.” Hunter scoffed and Wrecker grinned a bit. “Oh, he won’t like this.”
“He doesn’t have a choice.”
“Hey, i’m on your side.” Wrecker said with his hands up and Hunter smiled a bit before going to the bunk room. Crosshair was passed out, arms clutching his pillow with his body almost fully stretched out, to Hunter’s surprise. He figured as soon as he left the room, his brother would dismiss what he had suggested.
Hunter went to his brothers items next to his bed and dug around them quietly. After a bit of digging around, he found a small pack of cigarettes and a lighter.
Hunter stuffed them into his pocket before getting up and leaving to let his baby brother rest alone, making his way back to the cockpit.
“How long until we get to Kamino?” Hunter asked as he went in, seeing Wrecker in the copilot seat now with his arms folded.
“About 10 hours.”
“Good. I’m gonna go sleep.” Hunter said and his brothers hid him a good rest before the sergeant stalked off to join his baby brother in a peaceful slumber.
~
Crosshair woke up to the sound of the ship landing, blinking in confusion as he wondered when they even took off. He sat up, wincing from the pain in his abdomen as he scanned the room. He turned down to just past the head of his bed and stretched his body down to his belongings, grunting in pain as he fished through them mindlessly.
The sniper began to grow irritated when he couldn’t find what he was looking for, sitting up and swinging his legs angrily over his bed before bending down to look better.
Footsteps approached behind Crosshair but he paid no mind until he heard his big brother clear his throat.
“Hunter has confiscated yours…death sticks.”
The sniper snapped his head to the engineer with a hard glare. “Well, give ‘em back.” He growled and Tech shook his head. “You will not be pleased to hear this, but we have landed on Kamino once again.”
“Why?”
“I believe you know why.” Tech said and Crosshair scowled as he bent down to dig through his things some more. The engineer took the opportunity to pull out the injection behind his back and quickly put it into his youngest brothers neck.
Crosshair yelped angrily, spinning around as he held his neck with wide eyes. “If you stick me again, i’ll shove my foot so far up your ass it’ll—“ The sniper stopped as a wave of darkness hit him and he collapsed back onto his bed.
Tech looked satisfied and went out to go grab Wrecker so they could get what they needed to be done over with before going back on their journey to space.
~
“I said to gently break the news to him. Not stab him in the neck to knock him out!”
Crosshair groggily opened his eyes, vision blurred for a bit until he blinked a bit to adjust them. He heard his brothers quietly arguing nearby but it took a moment to pinpoint them.
He groaned and the arguing stopped, footsteps taking their place. “Crossy!” Wrecker said excitedly as he appeared first in the snipers line of sight, taking his little brothers hand in his. Crosshair blinked in confusion as Hunter appeared, a faint smile on his face and Tech soon after, taping away at his holopad.
“Are we still on Kamino?” Crosshair asked and his brothers shook their heads. “We left after they checked you over and did a procedure on your internal organs after finding bleeding still coming from somewhere.” Tech said as he scanned over Crosshair’s lanky body.
The sniper stared at the engineer for a moment before raising his hand. Tech looked at it, a slightly confused look on his face as he looked from the hand to Crosshair’s face before the snipers hand collided with his cheek.
“Cross!”
“Maker, really?” Hunter exclaimed and yanked Crosshair’s hand away from Tech. Tech rubbed his cheek, grumbling angrily. Crosshair snarled. “He knows what that was for.”
“It was for a good reason, Cross.” Hunter said as he put his hand in the snipers. Tech pulled up Crosshair’s shirt to check something that the sniper could only assume was stitches.
“You could’ve—“
“Asked? Would you have truly gone willingly to be operated on again by the ones you just about hate the most?” Tech snapped, pulling his little brothers shirt down angrily. Crosshair glared at him and the engineer rolled his eyes as he looked at his holopad.
“Okay, drop it for now. Cross needs to rest.”
“I’m fine.” The sniper attempted to sit up but saw Tech pick up a familiar object and hold it up, eyebrows raising threateningly. Crosshair grumbled.
“Can I at least get in my own bunk?”
“Fine. But if you do not get the required rest you need, I will use this.” Tech threatened as Wrecker began helping Crosshair up slowly.
The youngest Bad Batcher hissed in pain from the movement but continued on to his bunk. Wrecker helped carefully lay him down, ironic for what the giant clone was used to.
Wrecker pulled his blanket over him. “Do you want me to stay with you?” Crosshair rolled his eyes. “We’re not cadets.”
“Yea, but…i’ve just missed you.” Wrecker told him and the sniper raised his eyebrows. “I’ve been here this whole time.” Wrecker shook his head as he took a seat on the edge of his bunk.
“After the first surgery, you weren’t yourself while we were taking a break. You were so quiet, not you’re usual snarky self. It made me sad. That’s why Tech suspected something was still wrong. He guessed the blood loss was what was affecting you're body.”
Now that Wrecker had pointed it out, Crosshair realized he did only have bits and pieces before he was knocked out by Tech. He blinked in realization and softened.
“Yea…I guess you’re right.”
Wrecker nodded and rubbed his own cheek. “Don’t blame just Tech…I know he was the one to knock you out, but we all had been discussing the topic. So if you wanna be mad, at least be mad at all of us but—“ Wrecked stopped and seemed to breath shakily.
“What?”
Wrecker swallowed, seeming to think before he spoke. ‘Ironic’ Crosshair thought to himself. “The Kaminoans said that if you had left it for longer, you would’ve died…” The giant clone said quietly. Crosshair was a bit shaken internally by that, it wasn’t a way he thought he would ever possibly go out, but he was more shaken by the fact that it was more extreme then he’d thought. He had assumed the pain was apart of the recovery.
“I guess they’d missed something in the first surgery and so they went back and corrected it. They said you should be fine as long as you rest, but maker, it scared the hell outta me when they said that. I don’t wanna think about what woulda happened if we hadn’t just brought you here.”
Crosshair just shrugged. “I’m fine now. No need to worry.” He said dryly and Wrecker softened. “Vod’ika, you need to care more about your health. Being careless is…is basically suicide!” Wrecker told his baby brother, who didn’t say anything in response as his arms folded.
Wrecker sighed and stood up. “Go to sleep. I’ll wake you when you need to eat.”
And for once, Crosshair followed through and drifted off.
~
There was shuffling next to the sleeping sniper that made his eyes slowly open. They adjusted and he saw Tech pulling up a chair next to him with a bowl in his hand. Crosshair glared at him and the engineer noticed when he turned after sitting down.
“Eat. You need to.” He said simply and Crosshair looked unconvinced. Tech narrowed his eyes. “You already know I have no problem at the moment taking extreme measures into help your recovery. At the least, you can do this you’re own.”
Crosshair glanced at the bowl for a moment before slowly sitting up, wincing from the irritation in his abdomen. Tech leant a hand to him, gently pushing his back to help him sit up.
Once leant against the wall, Crosshair took the bowl from Tech with shaky hands. Tech watched him take a bite slowly, grimacing as it went down. The sniper took another before snapping his head to Tech, who had his cocked as he watched his baby brother.
“Are you going to watch me eat this entire damn thing?”
“Yes.” The engineer said without hesitation. The sniper huffed and angrily took another bite before Tech cleared his throat. “I apologize on behalf of us taking you to Kamino without your permission…but I assumed it wouldn’t of gone smoothly either way.” Tech said to him.
Crosshair huffed, not even being able to argue because he knew he would’ve put up a hell of a fight if any of his brothers had mentioned it, so he simply took another bite of soup.
“But, I also apologize for seeming harsh. Though, that seems ironic due to your nature always being harsh so I would say you have a lot to apologize f—“
“Can it, you bat.”
Tech cracked a small smile, leaning to rest his elbows on his knees. “Wrecker already told you what the Kaminoans had told us?” He questioned, making Crosshair stop eating for a moment before bobbing his head up and down.
“Do you realize now why we took the measures we did? We were all so distraught when we heard that. Could you have imagined if—if we waited any longer?”
Tech? Stuttering? That made Crosshair finally gaze into his older brothers eyes, who were glistening with faint…tears?
Crosshair looked away. He was now finally realizing that his own abusive measures toward himself didn't just affect his body, but also the mentality of the ones he loved.
And now all he felt was guilt.
He was being selfish. His own pain and pride made him keep it to himself, sulk in his own ways, wether it be physically or verbally. And now he just noticed how much it hurt his brothers to see him beat himself up in such a way.
“You do not have to suffer alone, Crosshair. We are your ori’vods. We will always be here for you whenever. You can talk to us.” Tech told him, a gentle hand resting on the sniper’s forearm. Crosshair glanced at it for only a second before handing over the nearly empty bowl without meeting his brothers eyes.
Tech didn’t say anything, he knew his brother needed a moment. He grabbed the bowl and quietly exited to leave the sniper to think.
And boy did he do just that.
~
It had been a week into recovery, and Crosshair was feeling better physically for the most part, while his mentality was close to crashing. All he thought about was the conversation with Tech.
‘You do not have to suffer alone.’ How do you not? How do you bring that up to somebody you love? ‘Hey, how’s it going? Yea, the weathers nice. By the way, I harm myself physically to feel something while fighting in this war and constantly killing. Anyways, i’ll see you later.’
He felt weak. Crosshair hated feeling weak. It was something his training prided him on blocking out so that he would never hesitate. Feeling weak meant he didn’t have the guts to do what he did.
And to feel something after not hesitating to shoot for hours on end made him feel somewhat close to human as he could.
The door to the bunk room opened and the sniper snapped out of his thoughts, glancing over to see his oldest brother coming in. Crosshair didn’t say any sort of greeting, instead bearing his eyes away as the sergeant approached with a faint smile.
”How you feeling, bud?” “Mm.” Crosshair simply forced out with a shrug. Hunter gave him a look before going over to his own stuff and digging around.
“You’ve said that every time we come check on you. Give me something else this time.”
Crosshair thought for a moment. “About as good as when Wrecker sits on you.” He mumbled and Hunter chuckled as he pulled out two items from his pile of stuff and went back over to his baby brother. “I’m glad you have your sense of humor back.”
“I was serious.”
“Oh, I know. C’mon. Sit.” Hunter motioned to the floor next to the bunk and Crosshair finally looked at what he had in his hand before going slowly to the floor, wincing a bit. Hunter tried to give him a hand to help, but the sniper swatted it away, making the sergeant roll his eyes.
‘That damn pride again.’ Crosshair bitterly thought as he lowered himself to the floor, breathing shakily as Hunter put himself behind his baby brother again. He began putting the shaving cream gently on his face, instantly seeing Crosshair relax for the first time in the week of recovery. Hunter couldn’t hide his smile once again.
Him and Crosshair used to share such similar moments growing up, usually it was Hunter going to his baby brother for comfort after training or a fight with the regs, and usually Crosshair was too prideful to fully say when he needed comfort but Hunter always knew.
“Tech told me about your talk.” Crosshair let out a ‘mm’ as the knife gently went across his right cheek and he leant into Hunter’s left hand that was on his chin. “He’s right, y’know.
You don’t have to fight this alone. Battle field or home.” Crosshair didn’t say anything and so Hunter dropped it, knowing he most likely wouldn’t get anything. And it was quiet for a bit until Crosshair grumbled halfway through. “When can I have my cigs back?”
Hunter chuckled as the door opened and Tech came in. “When I damn well feel like you are fit to have them. Though I should just toss them next touchdown in a planet.”
Crosshair scowled before wincing as the knife nicked him and he whined. “Well, don’t move, big baby.” Hunter said and wiped the little blood dot before slicing the last remaining hairs and grabbing the towel he had. He dampened it with the water bottle next to Crosshair’s bunk before wiping his face as Tech lifted Crosshair’s shirt.
“They are healing quite well, so I would assume the same on the inside as well. Is your pain mostly inside or outside?”
“It’s only outside if I brush them on something or stretch out too far.” Crosshair told him blankly, leaning against Hunter’s leg. Tech tapped on his holopad, nodding.
“Then do not do that.”
“Wow, thanks captain obvious.”
“Captain obvious is on the planet of—“
Hunter chuckled as Crosshair dramatically rolled his eyes, waving his hand at the engineer. “I don’t have time for your blabbering.” Tech huffed and put his hands on his hips.
“Maybe you should go back to being quiet.” Crosshair stuck is tongue out at him and Tech rolled his eyes before biding them goodnight before going to the cockpit. “He’s annoying.”
“Oh, be nice.” Hunter said as he looped his arms around Crosshair to hug him. Crosshair accepted it, leaning over his legs like the first time they did this, a warm feeling going through him to have his big brother hold him in such a way to make him feel safe.
And eventually, he drifted off into the most peaceful sleep for the first time that week.
~
“Is Tech gonna be okay?”
“Tech will be fine, ad’ika.”
“Yea! Tech has taken worse than this!” Wrecker said and Omega looked amazed at the fact that they could sustain worse than this and survive.
During a mission for Cid, Tech was slammed into by somebody of Wrecker’s size, getting in between them and a rock. After assessing the others, he realized he was having trouble on his left breast and he attempted to figure it out himself when Echo walked in on him awkwardly trying to use the scanner on himself.
He got a ear full from Hunter.
“Maker, you’re acting like Crosshair when you do stuff like this!” Tech could flinch at that sentence, though he knows Hunter means well when he scolds him like this as he scans him. “A broken rib! A whole ass rib, Tech! And you’re trying to hide it! Maker…” Tech didn’t say anything as Hunter went and grabbed something.
The sergeant came back with some ice and pain killers. “We’ll take a break from missions for a bit to make sure you’re recovering but even after then, you’re only to pilot the ship!” Tech opened his mouth to argue. “Non-negotiable! Now go rest.” Hunter said and the engineer angrily hopped off the table to storm over to his bunk.
“And no Marauder!”
“No Marauder?“
“No Marauder!”
~
Echo had done all the repairs during the few days of rest. Tech attempted the first two days to go out and help but was stopped every time. Even Omega was snitching when she saw Tech out where he wasn’t supposed to be.
“You know, clones don’t like tattle tails.”
“Well, I make profit when I’m one.” Omega said with a smirk as Hunter gave her one credit and Tech huffed angrily before storming back into the Marauder.
After two weeks, Tech was bored. All he could do was sulk and lay around on his holopad as the others could at least go to Cid’s bar and relax while he sat on the ship since Hunter told him less movement made it help heal faster.
The door to the bunk room opened and Tech gave a glance before rolling over on his other side after seeing his older brother. Hunter snorted.
“Okay, Crosshair.” He said and Tech angrily threw the water bottle next to his bed at him. Hunter dodged it with a grin, the engineer sticking his tongue out at him after wincing. “Cmon. On the floor.” Hunter said and Tech was a bit confused until he noticed that the sergeant had a few items in his hand.
Tech hesitated before slowly sinking off his bunk and to the floor, his older brother putting himself behind him on his bunk.
Hunter hummed as he got to work and smeared the shaving cream on his little brothers face. Tech grimaced a bit at it before the knife slowly began going along his face. After two strokes, Hunter wiped the blade and Tech hummed, eyes shutting. “I can see why Cross enjoyed this.” He said quietly, head lolling back against Hunter’s stomach. Hunter raised his eyebrows as he continued.
“Why’s that?”
“Feels nice.”
The sergeant chuckled as he worked with speed and precision, wiping the engineers face once he was done. “That looks better. You were starting to look a bit shaggy there.” Hunter said with a light tap to his little brothers face, who grimaced.
Tech leant against his arms over his older brothers legs, who tensed for a moment before relaxing and smiling. He brought himself down in the same way he had done before, hugging his little brothers gently to not aggravate his internal wound.
“Is it feeling better today?”
There was a light snoring and Hunter smiled when he realized the engineer was already asleep. His arm gently rubbed his little brothers as he slept soundly, finally realizing just what a brothers touch could do to his kin.