Work Text:
Omega shivered as another freezing gust picked up, despite her many layers and the heating her thermal layer provided. She huddled a little closer to Tech for warmth, what little that would provide. It also helped her not lose sight of him as the wind threw around the falling snow in disorienting patterns.
Omega knew if she was alone, she would be hopelessly lost, but she trusted Tech and Crosshair to lead the way. Crosshair walked behind them, keeping an eye out for their target and any danger, while Tech had his datapad out and his visor down, scanning the area and keeping track of their progress.
Hunter and Wrecker were keeping watch at the ship while they snuck into the secret tunnel system that ran under a nearby supply depot. Her, Tech and Crosshair were sent to scout the tunnels to see how viable they would be before heading back to the Marauder. A simple enough job.
“There.” Tech and Omega turned to see Crosshair pointing into the snow. She squinted in that direction, not seeing anything but swirling white. She assumed it was the same for Tech, but he hummed and followed Crosshair’s lead.
Omega watched Crosshair as he now walked in front of them. Ever since they had said they were taking a job on a snow planet, Crosshair had seemed tenser than usual, and it only got worse once they actually got to the planet. He snapped at his brothers, he wasn’t eating or sleeping, and he seemed generally agitated. Omega had thought he just didn’t like the cold, which was confirmed when she asked Tech, who said it was normal for Crosshair’s fuse to run a little short on these planets. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something more going on.
She heard Tech update the others as she watched their little brother, who seemed to have grown somehow more uncomfortable now that he was in front of them. Soon, they reached the tunnel entrance. It was smaller than Omega had been expecting, though she supposed it wouldn’t make the entrance very secret if it was huge.
“We have reached the tunnel entrance and are about to head inside.” She heard Tech report. “It is about two klicks south of the estimated position.”
They heard the staticky reply, “Cop- that. S-ay safe.”
Omega frowned at the static, the snow must be interfering with long rage comms, their short range ones seemed fine.
Crosshair stepped away from where he had been peering into the cave, letting Tech lead the way with his scanners. Omega went next with Crosshair retaking the rear.
Omega had no doubt that her breath would be fogging as they walked through the tunnels if her face wasn’t covered. Frost covered every surface of the cave, icicles growing alongside the stalactites. The entrance to the tunnel was white with a thick layer of snow. She crossed her arms tight over herself to try to stay warm. The walking helped, but the cold was constant.
After a few minutes of walking, Tech suddenly stopped, staring at his datapad then looking around.
“What’s wrong?” Omega asked as Tech turned and hurried back the way they came, pulling Omega along with him.
“It’s a trap, this whole place is rigged to blow. We need to move!”
Omega scrambled after him when she felt the tunnel shake and heat rise from all around them as explosions went off. Rocks started crumbling from the ceiling and walls around them, all of them keeping each other on their feet as they slipped in their hurry. Omega could see the entrance to the cave when suddenly Tech cried out.
She watched as Tech skidded to a stop and scrambled backwards, Crosshair grabbing his arm to keep him steady as the tunnel caved in around them.
Suddenly, Omega was shoved off her feet as a large explosion rocked the tunnel. She heard shouts before she hit the ground and lay there, stunned.
She instinctively curled into a ball, pulling her legs up and wrapping her hands around her head. She had no idea how long she lay there, waiting for the dust to settle. When it finally grew quiet, she slowly pulled her hands away and lifted her head.
She coughed at the settling dust and pushed herself up with shaky hands. She blinked as her eyes adjusted and felt her heart drop when she saw the wall of stone blocking the entrance, sealing them inside. Small gaps allowed some light to get inside, bringing a chilling draft and snow with it.
She quickly spotted Crosshair staggering to his feet. He seemed unsteady as he made his way towards a pile of debris and began to shift it. Omega rushed over to help, wobbling a little on unsteady legs, but quickly getting her feet under her. She gasped when she saw Tech trapped under the pile, still and quiet as Crosshair worked.
She heard Crosshair muttering something as she helped him, but she was too focused on Tech to make it out.
Omega’s arms were tired and sore by the time they got Tech free enough to pull him out. She was about to help when Crosshair shoved past her and hooked his hands under Tech’s shoulders, pulling him free and settling him on the ground nearby.
Her noise of protest went ignored and when she moved to help check Tech over, Crosshair refused to move. She tried nudging him and calling his name, but he remained bent over Tech, never letting him go. She frowned when she noticed his hands shaking.
Crosshair shook Tech’s shoulder lightly, “Mayday, Mayday!”
When Tech remained unmoving, his efforts only became more desperate. His breathing picked up as he continued to desperately try to wake their brother, or whoever he thought he was. Omega quickly stepped in before Crosshair could accidentally cause more damage, they had no idea how hurt Tech was.
She grabbed his hands and held them still, not knowing how he would react to being separated from Tech. She tried to meet his gaze through his helmet. She was a little grateful he still had it on, she hated the idea of seeing panic on the face of her normally stoic brother. However, she would need to remove it if she couldn’t get him to focus.
“Crosshair, look at me. Tech’s going to be fine.”
Crosshair only shook his head. His breathing had become fast and shallow, and soon he would be hyperventilating.
“N-no, no! Mayday! I’ll get us out of here. I’ve got you, just wake up.”
Omega had no idea who Mayday was, but clearly something had happened to him. Something bad if it had Crosshair reacting like this. She would ask him later, right now she needed him present or they’d never get out of there.
“Hey, Cross.” She tried again, this time reaching a hand up to his helmet, tilting it towards her. She felt his grip on Tech under her hand tighten and his breathing stutter as he was forced to look away. “Hey, it’s alright, Cross. Wherever you think you are, you’re not there anymore, okay? You’re here with me, Omega. We’re on a scouting mission with Tech. Hunter and Wrecker are waiting for us back in the Marauder.”
Crosshair shook his head again, desperately, “B-but Mayday. H-he’s not gonna make it.”
Omega tried again to reach him with the facts of the situation, much like she had seen Tech do many times for them all, she realised, but it wasn’t working. She watched as Crosshair shook, his whole body trembling and shivering from the cold and panic. She had never seen him lose his composure this badly, and she somehow doubted the others had either.
Omega braced herself as she lowered the scarf that covered her face, the cold air instantly biting at her, but not as badly as she expected thanks to the cover of the tunnel. She slowly let go of Crosshair’s hand, reaching for his helmet with both hands when he simply gripped onto Tech tightly. She carefully removed it, revealing a face twisted in panic, eyes wide and unfocused even as they looked at Omega. His gasping breaths fogged in front of him as he shook with the sudden cold.
Whether or not that helped, Omega was glad to be able to read her brother a little easier now that she could see his face. She gently placed his helmet beside her.
“Crosshair, hey.” She said gently, smiling when his eyes darted towards her, still not fully seeing her, but at least somewhat hearing her. “It’s okay, little brother, it’s going to be okay.”
She reached for his hand and brought it to her chest. She doubted he could feel her heart through all the layers, so she breathed deeply, letting him feel the steady rise and fall.
“I need you to copy me, can you do that, Cross?”
It took a few attempts, but finally, Crosshair’s breathing stuttered in an attempt to copy her.
She smiled, “Very good, keep going.”
As she got Crosshair’s breathing to slow down, she felt Tech stir below them, groaning softly. She felt a brief surge of frustration as Crosshair’s still unfocused eyes widened and darted down to him, breathing picking back up. She had just gotten him somewhat calm!
“Hey, hey,” she guided his head back up to look at her. “It’s just Tech, he’s okay. It’s okay. Just keep breathing.”
Crosshair whined a little in the back of his throat, but he complied. Eventually, Omega got his breathing slowed to a manageable rate, and though he still seemed distant and disoriented, she guided him to sit, leaning against the wall where she could see him as she got to work on Tech.
Tech, who had stayed still as he realised the situation and watched his siblings, now turned to look at Omega as she knelt beside him.
“Is he okay?” he asked quietly.
Omega huffed, “Of course you ask about someone else when you were almost crushed. He’s fine.” She added when she saw Tech try to turn to look at Crosshair. “He just needs a moment.”
Tech’s eyes narrowed, but he let Omega continue with her examination.
“I believe my leg may be broken,” he winced as he breathed. “And perhaps a rib or two, also.”
Omega confirmed that his right leg was broken, a clean break by the looks of it. It would ideally need to be splinted before moving None of his ribs were broken, so she assumed they were just bruised. She found a gash on the back of his head when she took his helmet off, likely what had knocked him out, but the cold seemed to have helped slow the bleeding. It could be much worse.
All things considered, Tech was extremely lucky, but not moving on his own any time soon.
Omega was finishing a quick concussion protocol, finding that Tech had a mild concussion, to no one’s surprise, when she heard a panicked sound come from Crosshair. She looked up to see him curled into himself, still shaking more than the cold of the cave warranted. She looked back at Tech.
“Can you try to comm the others? I’m going to check on Cross.”
Tech nodded and she gave him her comm in case his was broken from the collapse and helped him sit up against a rock before she approached Crosshair again, sitting in front of him.
“Hey, Cross,” she said, hoping to catch his attention, “You doing alright here?”
Crosshair’s breathing had picked up again, though not as badly as before. He stared into the middle distance, his mind far away from their little cave.
She shuffled around to sit beside him, leaning against him and exaggerating her breathing again. After a while of this, she felt his shaking slow and his breathing even out again. She looked up when she felt him shift and saw him looking down at her.
She smiled, “Hey, Cross. You with us?”
Crosshair just stared at her, his eyes looking a little more focused than before. She sat back up a little so she didn’t have to crane her neck up to see him. His eyes never left her.
“It’s just me, it’s Omega. Tech is over there.” She gestured to where Tech lay, knowing he was still awake from the regular updates he gave her on their brothers. “We’re okay. Hunter and Wrecker will be here soon to get us.”
Crosshair blinked. His breathing hitched when he looked over at Tech, before he quickly looked back at her.
“Do you know where you are?”
Crosshair blinked again as he frowned. His eyes grew distant again as he opened his mouth to answer, “B-Bart-” He blinked hard and swallowed before looking back at her, shaking his head. He glanced around the cave, eyes darting around, “Where’s Mayday?”
Omega mirrored Crosshair’s frown, “I don’t know who that is, Cross. It’s just the Bad Batch here.”
Crosshair shook his head, brow furrowing in confusion. “H-He needs help.” He said quietly, almost to himself.
Omega took her brother’s shaking hand in hers and squeezed, drawing his gaze back to her. “It’s just me, you and Tech here, Cross. We were sent to scout some tunnels to find a way into an old supply depot here on Justar. Hunter and Wrecker stayed in the Marauder to keep watch. The tunnel we’re in caved in, trapping us, but Tech said Hunter and Wrecker are on their way to get us. We’ll be out of here soon, little brother. It’ll be okay.”
Crosshair let out a shaky breath as she spoke. He seemed uncertain, but she was keeping him anchored. He leaned into her, squeezing her hand back. She felt her heart swell at the level of trust Crosshair was openly showing her, proud that she could bring him back and make him feel safe.
She kept squeezing his hand in a repetitive pattern, feeling him mimic each squeeze.
Soon, she heard the hum of the Marauder outside the tunnel. She heard Tech talking to their brothers as they discussed the best way to get to them. She chuckled at Tech’s exhausted explanation that, no, Wrecker shouldn’t blow it up unless he wanted to rebury them.
She looked up when she heard nothing from Crosshair to see his head drooping and his eyes half-lidded. Now that the panic was over and he knew he was safe, the exhaustion was really catching up to him.
As much as she wanted to ask him about Mayday once they were out of there, she would wait for him to come to her. He would talk when he was ready.
For now, she tucked herself in beside him, still squeezing his hand even though he had stopped, reminding him that she was still there, that he wasn’t alone.