Chapter Text
The torturous sessions had lasted for what seemed like days.
Crosshair was pretty out of it. His mind, his body, numb from the experience. The thoughts of just letting go, of… dying having entered his mind. There was only so much he could take despite his training and enhancements. And right now, he felt like giving up.
Crosshair had been brought back to his cell where they had moved him from the lab he had been kept in when first arriving to Tantiss. The lab having been far from the worse of it all though as Crosshair had soon found out.
Hemlock and his goons having introduced Crosshair to the infamous training room.
The place where the reconditioning as the scientists so fondly called the procedure, was taking place. Something far from it being a simple procedure as it was indeed, utter and total torture for the clones selected for the ‘program’.
Crosshair felt tired, used, ready to give up. Never wanting to open his eyes again.
He was all alone. His team somewhere out there in the galaxy, hopefully safe.
At least, that was what Mayday had promised him… right? But it could not have been Mayday after all. Because Mayday… had died. On Barton-4. Had Crosshair imagined the whole ordeal? Of Mayday being there for him all this time?
Must’ve been the case, as right now, Crosshair was by himself. All alone in his cell.
No other voices to be heard, nobody speaking to him… the silence once having been a comfort now a punishment for the once surly sniper.
It must have been his tired, drug addled mind having concocted this, the best possible scenario. The one of Mayday right by his side where he… well. It was all gone now. So guess it had been a dream after all. Something of a fantasy to fend off reality.
Crosshair tried to open his eyes, the lids feeling heavy.
But as he did manage to open them, seeing only the darkened walls, shadows of the lights from the outside of the small space of his current residence, he decided to close them again.
Perhaps, just perhaps, if he wished hard enough, he could actually never wake up again?
*
“Cross?”
He heard it, his name being called. Loud and clear.
But this was a dream. Nothing more. Just like before.
So, deciding not to respond. It was the best after all.
“Cross!”
Nope, still nothing there.
Just his mind playing tricks on him.
Better just, sleep it off.
It would go away, he was sure of it.
“CROSS!!!”
“WOT?”
“There you are! I was worried you could not hear me anymore.”
“Well, I did respond now didn’t I!”
The snark was certainly still there.
Chuckles.
“Yeah, ya did.”
“Can I go back to sleep now?”
“But I’m right here. Please talk to me.”
“No.”
“Why not? Are you mad at me?”
Sigh.
“You… are not real.”
“Well, that is a matter of perspective now isn’t it, sweetheart.”
“Well, if it is, then my perspective is that you are only a figment of my imagination.”
“Oh? Well, if I am that, a figment of your imagination as you say, how come I can do… this.”
A poke, then another, followed by a small pinch.
“Ouch! That hurt!”
“Well?”
Another, heavier sigh.
Crosshair was finally opening his eyes. Focusing on… what exactly was he focusing on exactly?
Just then, something, came to view. Something surprising and most likely not real either.
A shimmering blue aura which had certainly not been there before.
“You…”
“Heh yeah… is me Cross.”
“But… but you… you’re all… blue… and shimmering… like…”
“Yeah, I know. Cool huh?”
“I… how?”
“Well, guess I played my cards right in life after all and so, was rewarded with… well, this.”
Mayday motioned at his new glowing form. The perfect image of him, except shimmering in, well, blue!
“So, you… are real? I mean, dead real… Something…. You know what I mean?”
“Heh, guess so. Funny that, dead real.” Mayday chuckled again. “Guess reality really is an illusion? Anywho. I think the best bet is to describe this as another level of existence. Dunno, something like it. But not complaining. At all.”
Crosshair could only nod. Still unsure this wasn’t some fantastic dream he had made up.
“So, when you were here before, in my head… sort of. You were, real then too?”
“Well, as real as this gets. Like I said…”
“It’s all a matter of perspective. So, kinda real but not.”
“Somewhere in between there I guess. Whatever works for you.”
Crosshair was quiet for a moment, contemplating on what was going on. As now, he could see Mayday, sort of, where prior he had not. Only having heard the familiar voice of Mayday’s.
“You know what’s going on here, right?”
“Yeah, just like I told you before. But, I’ve alerted the cavalry. Well, sort of.”
“My former squad? You mentioned it. That they were on their way here.”
“They are. With others coming with them.”
“Yeah, there’s plenty of vod’e kept in here, so guess, they should come in full force.”
Crosshair sounded solemn for a moment, having seen how the regs were treated just as bad as he himself were. No more special clones, no more regs, they were all the same in the eyes of the Empire. And Crosshair could adhere to that as well now. That they were indeed brothers in arms or rather had been. Now reduced to experiments in the eyes of Hemlock and his minions.
“There’s a lot going on in here. And I need to help you help the others, alongside yourself. When the others arrive to get you out…”
“But I’m a prisoner, there is no way out. I’ve tried. Trust me, I did. The others here… Well, they wont listen to me. And most certainly the rescue attempt will fail too.”
“They will. Trust me Crosshair. They will.”
Crosshair stared right into the eyes he knew all too well despite the all too brief time they two had spent together on the icy hellhole of an outpost. Despite the shimmering blue form Mayday was in at the moment. Because Crosshair knew the man well.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what are you sorry for, love?”
“For not being able to help you. Back on Barton-4.”
“Oh, but you are wrong Cross. You did help me. The others too. They’re all here with me.”
“The others?”
“Yeah, plenty of vod’e here. My squad included.”
There was a spell of silence falling over them again, Crosshair still somewhat doubtful whether what he was seeing was for real.
“You have your doubts about me being, here, with you.”
“Yes.”
“How can I assure you I am,” Mayday let out another soft chuckle. “Dead real as you called it.”
“I… dunno.”
Crosshair though, had something on his mind.
The endearments not having gone unnoticed by him either. But those words could mean anything and nothing. And so, a thought occurred. His eyes finding Mayday’s again.
And yet again he was surprised by Mayday.
“I can do that. Easily actually.”
Mayday leaned in, having been sitting on the bed with Crosshair in his glorious shimmering form. His lips pressing gently against Crosshair’s. And much to his surprise, Crosshair felt it. The touch on his own lips.
Responding in kind.
“That… how did? I mean you’re…”
“Yeah, I know. But, when there is a will there is a way.” Mayday laughed out loud this time.
“So… you like me then?”
“Yeah, I thought it was obvious by now.” Mayday let out a soft chuckle. Something of a thing.
“Hmmm….”
“I know I’m well, kinda different now. But yeah, I still care for ya. A lot.”
“Kinda!”
“Well a lot different, but it doesn’t mean I can’t do this again.”
Mayday kissed Crosshair again.
Crosshair’s arms snaking around Mayday as he responded to the kiss. It was soft and warm and nice and comforting. All those things Crosshair had missed since his time with the Empire.
Breaking off as Crosshair still needed to breathe.
But there was no awkwardness there, nothing of the sort between them.
“So, does this mean you will stay with me? Until the others arrive?”
“I will. And no matter what happens here, you need to survive and help the others.”
Just then, the lights came back on, the morning shift about to start and Mayday, was gone.