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Hunter looked around warily. It was loud, too loud in his opinion. Crowds of passerby clogged the streets, and the air was filled with their chatter and the smell of different foods. He didn’t like it, not one bit. His biggest worry, besides the possibility of getting overstimulated, was behind him though. Precisely, there were three of them.
“Stay with me,” Hunter warned and gave them a glare. Wrecker was obviously not listening, eyes already locked on a booth that sold food. Crosshair was not listening because he was Crosshair. Omega was listening, but something told him she wouldn’t do what he had just told them. Maybe Hunter should have taken up Tech’s offer to get some leashes. It was already too late.
“Did you hear what I just said?” Hunter raised his voice, at least getting Wrecker to look at him.
“Huh?”
“I said: Stay with me.”
“Oh, uh. Sure, Sarge.”
Yeah, that was not convincing Hunter at all. And Crosshair was still looking anywhere but him. Hunter sighed, resigning himself to the headache these three were, but taking Omega’s hand for good measure. The other two were big enough to spot, Omega not so much.
He hadn’t expected her to grab onto Crosshair’s hand too, happily walking between them when Hunter started to move. Huh. That was … a good way to keep them together. Wrecker was not easily lost, not like Crosshair, who could slink away like it was nothing at any opportunity. And Wrecker followed them like a puppy, wanting to stick with his family.
That was easier than he expected.
Until he had to let go of Omega’s hand to pass some credits to a seller, making sure it was the exact thing Tech needed.
And when he turned around after maybe 30 seconds they were gone without a trace. All three of them.
Hunter groaned. He knew it. Couldn’t take his eyes off them! Probably should leave them here, shouldn’t he? Buy whatever else Tech had put on the list and return to the Marauder. Enjoy the peace.
His responsible side won and he started looking for them.
With as many people here, he had a hard time picking up their trace. Crosshair knew how to use his surroundings to shake Hunter. They all knew, even if usually no one but him bothered. Now, it made it extra hard to find them.
Hunter stopped in the middle of a square, closing his eyes. His senses were getting overloaded with all the smells, voices and people here. The chance of finding his stupid brothers diminished with every second, and he was pretty sure the headache building behind his eyes was not only from overstimulation. Why had he agreed to do this again? Next time he’d send Echo, or Tech or anyone. Just not him.
“What are you doing?”
Hunter almost screamed, and whipped around. He only didn’t pull out his knife because the voice was so familiar, but he reached for it. Not that Omega noticed. She was holding a massive grey loth cat plushie that was bigger than her, and she couldn’t see a single thing. Beside her, Wrecker was eating … something that might have been candied nuts. Or insects. Who knew. Crosshair only grinned at him.
“Where did you come from?!”
“We were here the whole time.” The feigned innocence in Crosshair’s voice made Omega giggle, even if it was muffled by the toy.
“And what is that?”
“That’s Puppy!”
“... Puppy.” Did he mention it was a loth cat toy?
Wrecker and Crosshair both nodded.
“... That thing will not go on the ship.”
Omega lowered the toy just so that she could peer over it with big puppy eyes, and he could spot the beginning of a pout and Hunter knew he had lost. By the way Crosshair snickered, he knew too. Hunter sighed in defeat.