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arcsimper5 · 11 months

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Omg omg so...

I am IN LOVE with Martyrs and Kings by the amazing @dystopicjumpsuit, it is such a perfect fic, Maree is a beautiful and wonderful OC and the entire thing is just perfection! (link here, if you haven't read it, please, please do, your life will be better for it).

And I recently had an idea for a one shot spin off (following on from the most recent addition, the Halloween special of Martyrs and Kings AND ZOMBIES which is also amazing and should be read!) and approached the amazing author to ask if I could write it, and the below is the result!

It ended up a lot longer than I thought it would, but I hope you all enjoy it, and thank you again to the amazing @dystopicjumpsuit for allowing me this opportunity!

Without further ado, I present:

Marching On

Post Stasis!Kix x Maree (OC)

Rating: Mature (mentions of death, grief, memory loss/dementia, major character death, swearing, minor threat)

Warnings: this is ANGST IN PURE FORM. I cried writing this. You may cry reading this. I apologise.

Summary: Kix gets the chance for closure at long last, though it may come from an unexpected source.

A soft humming stirred Kix from his sleep, an annoyed groan leaving his lips as the soft light of Maree’s lamp flooded his vision, his eyes fluttering against it. Burying his head under the covers, he frowned at the gentle laugh she let out, one of her hands coming to rest on his head over the covers, fingers drumming softly.

“Good morning to you too,” she chuckled softly, Kix responding with another annoyed grunt.

“W’s the time?” he murmured thickly, daring to peek over the duvet, wincing again at the light.

“Early,” Maree sighed, her other hand occupied with a datapad, bottom lip worried between her teeth as she scrolled through one of the documents. “Go back to sleep if you want, love.”

Kix sighed deeply, resigning himself to being awake as he shuffled up against the metal headboard of their bed, blinking the remaining sleep from his eyes. Tucking the covers under his arms, he let out another sigh, shuffling closer to Maree and slinging an arm over her waist, just above the barely there swell of her stomach.

Still feeling nauseous?” he asked softly, fingers moving to trace the beginnings of her bump through her nightdress, the sensation drawing a fond smile to her lips.

“Not too bad,” she admitted, “got woken up by a comm and kind of got caught up in some research.”

“Hmm?” Kix hummed curiously, “What kind?”

Maree let out another sigh, one that morphed into a yawn, her body pressed against Kix’s warmth as he pulled her closer, peering at the datapad.

“Could be something, could be nothing,” she murmured, the hesitation in her voice giving Kix pause, “but it’s interesting nonetheless.”

Grunting, Kix sat up a little more, opening his arms and drawing Maree onto his chest, relishing in her smile as she accepted the offer gratefully, pressing a kiss to his exposed sternum as she shifted, practically curling up in his lap.

“Let’s hear what’s got my love all caught up at…” he glanced at the time, “kriffing hells, cyare, what happened to our lay in?”

“Sorry, love,” Maree giggled, pressing another kiss to his chin in apology before scrolling back to the start of the report, images and text flashing by. “You remember when we were at the archives on Coruscant and you mentioned Clone Force 99, and the child they took with them when they defected?”

Kix stiffened a tiny bit before drawing in a deep breath, nodding as he processed her words.

Waiting until she was sure he was okay for her to continue, Maree dragged another soft kiss over the stubble on his chin, silently reassuring him until he nodded gently, ready for what came next.

“Well I really was fascinated by it, the whole squad, in fact. And the child… Well it seems that she may have been an unaltered clone, similar to Boba Fett. And yet, the records of her are sparse at best. She may have been held at a secure Imperial compound for some time, Mount Tantiss, but the only records that exist on that are ones relating to a clean up operation after an attack by the Rebellion.”

Kix’s interest piqued as he saw the reports listing a few CT numbers he recognised, hovering his hand over the pad, asking silent permission. Maree handed it over without hesitation, watching cautiously as he scrolled slowly, his breath hitching.

“Rex was there,” he mumbled, his throat constricting a little, “and Gregor… kriff, I think I only met him once at 79’s. He was a Commando. Echo… that’s no surprise, he was loyal to Rex, wherever he went, Echo would have followed…”

He continued reading, frowning at the redacted details.

“It says the rebellion stole some ‘assets’. What could that mean?”

Maree sighed deeply, sitting up a little more, one of her hands moving to thread through Kix’s hair as he continued to read.

“Clones, probably,” she murmured, the sadness in her tone not lost on Kix. “After the rise of the Empire, the clone army was slowly decommissioned. A lot of them went AWOL, others were taken to train TK troopers, their replacements, but most just… disappeared. It was like they just vanished. A handful were officially retired, but the records end after that.”

“Kriffing hells…”

Kix’s face was contorted with anger, Maree tugging his hair a little, keeping him in the moment.

Over the months they’d spent together, she’d come to know his tells, the way he moved and reacted when things got overwhelming for him.

The motion kept him grounded, his lips parting to draw in a sharp breath, hands trembling as he handed back the datapad.

“You okay?” she questioned gently, Kix nodding a little too fast. It was easy to forget that what was history for her could so easily have been Kix’s life.

“I… I will be,” he breathed, giving her waist a small squeeze. “Knowing Rex was there, actively fighting… I guess part of me wishes I had been too.”

Maree’s chest constricted, Kix leaning down to give her a reassuring kiss.

“Though I can’t say I’m sad to have been bought here, to you.”

The reminder was pointed, Maree smiling as she met his lips, more grateful than ever of his thoughtfulness.

“I love you,” she smiled softly, Kix returning the gesture, dark brown eyes sparkling with adoration when he met her gaze.

“And I love you. Forever.”

Maree giggled softly, pressing another kiss to Kix’s head as she drew the datapad out of his hands, scrolling down a little more.

“So, as well as all this, I had Brosna take on a little research project, and he got a hit on an outer rim planet. It seems that the child Clone Force 99 took with them when they defected, might still be alive. And if she truly is an unaltered clone…”

Kix took a moment to process, his heart skipping a beat.

“She’d biologically be my sister.”

The realisation sent him reeling. Since the moment he’d come round from his stasis sickness, he’d resigned himself to being alone. His brothers were all long dead, every connection broken and shattered by the Empire’s time in power.

And yet now… Now he had Maree, a child of his own on his way, and a genetic sister.

“I want to meet her,” he decided aloud, eyes stinging with unshed tears as he met Maree’s gaze, his hand absent-mindedly running over her stomach. “I want… I want to meet her. If she was with Clone Force 99, with Rex? She might know more about what happened. She would have known Echo. I… I might be able to get some answers.”

Maree hesitated for a moment, caught between the comfort of Kix’s hand on her stomach, gently rubbing over the swollen flesh, and the distress in his voice. She remembered all too keenly what had happened after the revelation around Jesse’s fate back on Coruscant, barely suppressing a shiver at the memory of him leaving in the middle of the night.

Dropping her datapad to the bed, she laced her hands with his, taking a deep breath before leaning in, brushing her lips over his, nodding slowly.

“Kix…. Love… I… I just don’t want you getting too invested in this. We don’t know what she’ll be like, or how old she is. There might not be… well… she might be older than we think. She might not remember…”

She sighed, squeezing his fingers, unable to meet his intense gaze even as she felt it boring into her.

“I don’t want you to get hurt. I couldn’t… It’s selfish, but I… I don’t think I could cope with you leaving again. Not now. Not when…”

She didn’t even realise tears were leaking from her eyes until one ran down her chin, dripping heavily onto the back of her hand where it laid, interlaced with Kix’s over her stomach.

Wiping her face furiously, she felt shame and sadness run over her, shaking her head.

“Maker, I’m sorry,” she sniffed, blinking away more tears, “it’s these damn hormones, and…”

“Maree…”

The call of her name finally brought her gaze back to meet Kix’s, his eyes searching hers as he turned her towards him, sinking down until he was face to face with her once more, his free hand moving to cup her face. As his thumb ran over her cheek, swiping away the trail of tears, she forced a weak smile, one he returned.

“I am not leaving you ever again,” he reassured her firmly, taking a shuddering breath as he leaned forward, pressing their foreheads together. It was an intimate action she had become used to, a sign of affection used by clone troopers and Mandalorians, lost to time until now, and every time it happened, she felt a pleasant shiver run through her. “Especially not now,” he finally continued, closing his eyes.

His own tears were falling now, his throat bobbing as he swallowed hard.

“I would never risk this, us, for anything. I just… I need to know. I want to… to say goodbye. As ridiculous as it may sound.”

“It’s not ridiculous at all,” Maree reassured him thickly, tilting her head to brush their lips together once again, “and I will not pretend I even begin to understand what you’ve been through. But if this will help you… If this is what you want? We’ll go. I’ll get the coordinates, and we’ll go.”

“Thank you.”

It was little more than a whisper, but those two words held so much pain, so much hope, so much longing, that it caused Maree’s heart to constrict again.

“There’s still a few more hours until the day-cycle starts,” she breathed, kissing him lightly once again, tossing her datapad onto the floor beside the bed as she snuggled back into Kix’s hold, relishing his scent. “Let’s get some more sleep.”

“Now there’s a plan,” Kix smiled softly, dropping a kiss to the top of her head, his hand still laced with hers over her stomach as they drew the duvet back over themselves, cocooning their bodies off from the world once again. “I love you.”

“Love you,” Maree yawned, giggling as Kix kissed her nose, contentment and warmth surrounding her as they drifted back to sleep, a thousand possibilities of what their next step would bring dancing through their minds.

*-*-*

Pabu was beautiful, Maree decided very quickly upon disembarking the Stinger.

After very little persuading (and only a little arguing), Kix and Maree had embarked on their fact finding mission with Reveth, Quiggold and Ithano in tow, insistent they tag along in case of any ‘unwanted attention’, and definitely not for the fact that one of the main attractions of the island was the perfect weather cycles.

That had definitely not piqued the crew’s interest. And Reveth had definitely not bought her bathing suit.

Fortunately, the moment they exited the ship, the demeanour of everyone changed for the better, Kix grinning as he looked around at his shipmates.

Quiggold had shed his omnipresent cloak the moment the sun had hit his skin, the humidity from the ocean surrounding the picturesque town soaking into him, his energy higher than any of them could ever remember it being.

“What a delightful place!” he remarked happily, inhaling the salty scent of the sea as he stood clad in his shirt and shorts, feet twisting onto the ground as if feeling the rhythm of the waves. “I must visit the beach! It’s been far too long since I’ve indulged in a salt scrub.”

“Don’t go traumatising anyone, will ya?” Reveth chuckled, though the awe in her eyes as she looked up at the massive tower behind where their shuttle had landed was undeniable. “What do ya think is in there?” she breathed, almost to herself. “Something valuable, I’d bet!”

“Try not to tick off the locals before we’ve even left the landing pad, Rev,” Kix pleaded teasingly, the twi’lek rolling her eyes and mock saluting.

“Like I would,” she huffed, “I’m a charmer, me.”

Ithano let out a soft huff of laughter, Kix staring for a moment before shaking his head again, looking back to Maree, his breath catching in his throat as he went to speak.

The sunlight filtering through the massive tree above them danced over her, illuminating her hair and features, the effect almost angelic. Wide eyed, she glanced around the square, her simple white blouse and loose khaki cargo pants perfect for the weather, which she seemed to be positively basking in. As she closed her eyes and took a deep breath of fresh air, Kix swore he fell in love all over again, the gentle slide of her hand over her bump, a seemingly unconscious action making his heart stutter in his chest.

“Hello? Kix? Are you even listening to me?”

Blinking as Reveth stepped in front of him, waving her skeletal metal arm in his face, Kix shook his head, crashing back to reality as the twi’lek eyed him suspiciously.

“What?” he finally answered obliviously, Reveth rolling her eyes at him.

“I said ‘what’s the plan’? You have any idea where this sister of yours is?”

Kix blinked a couple more times before shaking his head, their mission slinking back into his mind with startling clarity.

“Uh, no,” he admitted a little sheepishly, grateful when Maree moved to join the conversation, Ithano caught between listening and eyeing one of the local taverns that sat just off of the square. “We, uh… all we got was a location.”

“We could always ask around?” Maree suggested brightly. “I’m sure there must be someone around who remembers a group of clones and a child arriving here, even if it was fifty years ago. Tales like that don’t just fade out.”

“Did you say ‘clones’?”

A small voice caught them unaware, the group splitting to get a look at their little eavesdropper, a small, dark skinned child with thick, black curly hair pulled up by a golden accessory and wide, chestnut eyes gazing up at them in amazement.

Kix looked to Maree for a moment, lost at how to respond, watching as she bent down on one knee, bringing herself to the little girl’s eye level, smiling kindly.

“We did!” she grinned good naturedly. “We’re looking for information about some clones that would have come here a long time ago, probably when your mother was just a little girl.”

Reveth folded her arms as she regarded the child, unsure.

“You sure this isn’t some kind of trick?” she hissed to Ithano, who simply shrugged, sharing a look with Kix.

“Who would be trying to trap us here? This place is remote as remote gets.”

The twi’lek huffed, frowning at the small girl.

“I still don’t like it.”

“There haven’t been clones here in aaaaages,” she grinned dramatically, “but my gramma Phee might know!” the girl exclaimed excitedly, bouncing on the heels of her cork sandals, twisting the hem of her white and blue embroidered dress as she looked up at them wide eyed, “I can show you her house! She used to fly in a ship, and she knew a lot of people.”

“Sounds like as good a place as any to start,” Maree mused, wincing as she stood from crouching, Kix immediately by her side, worry written over his features. “Just stiff,” she reassured him, looking back down to the little girl, who was now beaming. “I’m Maree, this is Kix, Reveth and Ithano,” she introduced them quickly. “What’s your name?”

“Ad’ika,” the girl smiled back, Maree shooting Kix an odd look when his grip on her hand tightened, his smile fading quickly. “Follow me!”

With a skip in her step, she darted down the stone brick street, the slope steady and well worn.

Reveth huffed as she and Ithano quickly made to follow the child, Maree smiling in reassurance to the twi’lek as she nodded to Kix with a questioning look, silently reassuring her he was okay.

“Kix?” she prompted softly, “What’s wrong?”

“That’s not her name,” he murmured lowly, eyes narrowing for a moment before he marched off after his crew mates, practically dragging Maree along with him, confusion consuming her thoughts.

“What? What do you mean?” she asked, gasping as she almost tripped on one of the steps, Kix slowing his pace just a little.

“Ad’ika. It’s mando’a. Clone language. It means ‘little one’ or ‘child’. That’s not a name.”

“So Reveth might be right?” Maree gasped, eyes widening in fear, “This could be a trap?”

“A trap for who though?” Kix thought aloud, looking at the corner Ithano and Reveth had rounded hesitantly, drawing to stop and turning to Maree, pressing a hand to her shoulder.

“I don’t like this at all,” he admitted quickly, eyes darting around, keeping a keen eye on their surroundings. “You should head back to the ship. I’ll find the others and round them up. Lock the ship until we get back. Even if I do have a sister, putting you at risk isn’t worth it.”

“So… It’s true then…”

Another, unfamiliar voice caught them unaware, Maree practically yelping as Kix shoved her behind him, shielding her with his body as a figure emerged from the end of the street, the shuffling of feet preceding their arrival.

Despite all of his misgivings, Kix let his guard down a little as an older woman, easily in her late sixties or early seventies, emerged, dressed in an intricately patterned blue and green tunic and shorts, a necklace of seashells adorning her neck.

Her hair was tightly curled and grey, pulled back into a loose ponytail, her face round and welcoming, but her eyes were shrewd and sharp, searching Kix’s face with an intensity unexpected of her age.

“Maker… I haven’t seen that face for years,” she sighed, stepping further into the light, taking in Kix’s features, and the way his hand hovered over his blaster. “No need for all that,” she chuckled, nodding to his blaster, “just can’t be too sure in these parts. Plenty of folk come looking for the Clone memorial looking to make a quick buck on relics they left behind. That, and we keep an eye on pirates round these parts.”

Kix’s eyes widened, mind whirring as he put the pieces together.

“Where are you taking them?” he snapped, hand resting on the holster of his blaster, “If you hurt them…”

The woman laughed loudly, the sound echoed by some small, green furred creatures in the trees above her, their mimicry turning into happy chittering in short order.

“You’re very jumpy, aren’t you? Your friends are at Phee’s, where she’ll feed them, water them and tell them a thousand stories from her time as a pirate,” she grinned, Maree leaning around Kix to get a better look at the woman.

“There’s a clone memorial here?” she asked, Kix moving his hand away a little, allowing her to step next to him.

The woman nodded, eyeing her up and down for a moment. She made no attempt to disguise the way her gaze lingered on Maree’s stomach, or the way Kix’s hand rested protectively over it.

“Come with me,” she smiled, “there’s someone you should meet.”

“And why should we trust you?” Kix growled lowly, Maree taken aback by the hostility in his voice, though she agreed with the sentiment.

As the woman turned, she flicked her hair and laughed, sharp eyes locking with Kix’s before she began to move.

“Because I was here when Clone Force 99 arrived.”

*-*-*

“Lyanna, I swear to the Force, if you’ve bought those tourists here again, I’ll…”

The occupant of the house the woman led them to instantly froze the moment she laid eyes on Kix, the glass decanter in her hand falling onto the tile floor and shattering into a thousand pieces.

Her features were instantly recognisable, Maree inhaling a sharp breath as they lingered at the door, Lyanna rushing forward to help the other woman clean up, even as she stared in shock, familiar brown eyes wide and brimming with tears.

“It’s… that’s… not possible,” she breathed, her short, greyish white curls ringing her face as she began to cry, Lyanna quickly abandoning the now full dustpan and brush to wrap an arm around her shoulders.

“Sorry, ‘Mega. I know I should have warned you, but you know how quick word spreads…”

“It’s… it’s fine,” she tried, swallowing hard as she took a tentative step towards Kix, the medic reaching back for Maree once again, unsure.

“It’s her, love,” she murmured into Kix’s ear, nudging him forward, down the steps into the tiled kitchen, “it’s your sister.”

Kix blinked a few times, recognising his brothers in this woman; the nose, the eyes, the tight lips.

She was one of them. A clone.

“W-Who are you?” she stammered, searching Kix’s face, lingering on the barely visible edges of his tattoo for a moment, “How…”

“Kix,” he managed after a moment, the name barely gasped, “My… My name is Kix.”

“Kix,” she repeated, as if saying his name too loudly might scare him away, a smile breaking through the uncertainty on her face. “Echo told me about you, from the 501st… You were their medic… You… I’m Omega. I… I’m your…”

“Sister,” Kix finished for her, taking a step forward to meet her, the word bringing more tears to his eyes. “I know.”

Omega let out a sob, practically launching herself forward with a speed unbecoming of someone of her age, wrapping her arms around Kix, hugging him tightly.

After a moment of surprise, he let out a breath he didn’t even realise he was holding, releasing a shuddering sigh into her shoulder as he hugged her back, tears streaming down his face too.

“I thought we were the last ones,” Omega sobbed into him, squeezing even tighter before she released him, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “He’s going to be so happy to see you!”

Omega’s gaze moved up to Maree, her smile widening as she gestured her forward, meeting her in a hug as well, names exchanged as Kix looked back at Omega, confused.

“Who?” he breathed, confusion making his head spin. Every one of his brothers would have been dead… Who could possibly be left?

“Come on, I’ll show you.”

*-*-*

Even before he could make out the facial features of the man sat in a chair at the end of the small garden of Omega’s house, his gaze locked on the expanse of ocean beyond the cliffs below, Kix recognised the stark outline of a scomp in place of a right forearm and mechanical legs crossed over one another, his breath hitching in his throat.

“Echo,” he croaked, the figure turning towards him a little too slowly, sunlight spilling over his face as he rocked back in his chair to find the source of the voice, confused.

“Fives?”

Kix’s heart broke a little, another soft nudge from Maree sending him forwards, stumbling over his own feet as he made his way towards his long lost brother, practically falling to his knees in front of him.

“Echo,” Kix repeated, crying in earnest, uncaring now, “it’s me. It’s Kix.”

“Kix…” Echo chuckled softly. “I knew a Kix once. Great medic. Cheated at sabacc like a mother-kriffer. He went missing, just after… after…”

Realisation seemed to cross Echo’s face as his eyes refocused, settling on Kix’s face.

The medic took in the sight of his brother, the thinning grey curls on his head, the ports from his time with the Techno Union still present and sunken now, wrinkles and lines littering his skin. And yet, he looked… content. Relaxed. As if he was just another old man enjoying his retirement in a sunny paradise, not a veteran of the Clone Wars.

His armour was long gone, replaced with soft cotton fabric, a tunic and shorts in white and blue, still holding onto the memory of the war.

“Kix?” Echo whispered, leaning in a little closer. “Is… Is that… Is it really you?”

“It’s me, vod,” Kix sobbed, reaching out for Echo’s flesh hand, clutching at it. The skin felt loose and wrinkled, but it was him, and it was real, and Echo was alive and here with him. “It’s me.”

Maree watched on with tears running down her face as Echo let out a cry of his own, practically falling out of his chair to hug Kix, the two of them sobbing and holding each other as years of pain and loneliness slipped away from them, clutching at each other like a lifeline.

“H-How?” Kix gasped as Omega moved forward, helping him to his feet and offering him a chair at the table opposite Echo, the two of them smiling through the tears now, barely contained euphoria flooding through them. Omega draped a blanket over Echo’s shoulders, the cyborg giving her a fond smile in return, and she drew up two more chairs for her and Maree, watching curiously as Kix reached for his lover’s hand, twining their fingers together for comfort.

“Techno Union bastards,” Echo chuckled coldly, shaking his scomp at Kix before sighing, spinning it around slowly. “Wanted to make good on their ‘investment’.”

Kix frowned in confusion, looking to Omega, who reached across the table and slipped her hand into Echo's, squeezing it in comfort.

“The Techno Union altered his DNA to remove the accelerated ageing gene that the Kaminoans deliberately implanted in all Clones during creation,” she smiled weakly. “Seems that they didn’t want a short term project with Echo.”

“The Techno Union?” Maree asked quietly, Kix nodding.

“Echo was held by them after he was left for dead at the Citadel on Lola Sayu during a rescue mission gone wrong. They gave him the cybernetics and used him as an algorithm to fight against his own brothers until Clone Force 99 freed him on Skako Minor.”

“You mean…” Maree’s eyes widened as she looked over Echo, taking in his implants and frail frame, the slightly lighter tone of his skin, his features visible even under the years of living he’d done, “he’s… He’s the Hero of Annaxes?”

“Annaxes?” Echo perked up suddenly, grinning ear to ear, “Yeah, fried all those kriffing clankers. Boom!” He let out a throaty laugh. “Wrecker used to say that. Boom! Blew them all up.”

He hesitated for a moment, looking to Omega, his expression falling a little.

“Is Wrecker home yet? It’s getting dark. You know how Hunter worries…”

Maree watched as Omega’s expression turned pained, a smile forced through the hurt as she nodded, squeezing Echo’s hand.

“Wrecker’s fine,” she reassured him thickly, swallowing hard. “He’s waiting for you. Remember?”

“Waiting…” Echo repeated, his gaze falling to his hand where it joined with Omega’s, nodding slowly. “Waiting. With… With Fives…”

Suddenly his eyes flickered back up to Omega’s face, his expression turning fond.

“You’ve grown up so much, ‘Mega,” he sighed, tapping her fingers with his own. “When did you get so tall? You look after us so well. What would we do without you?”

Kix’s heart broke a little more as Omega fought back tears, smiling through the distress, simply squeezing Echo’s hand back fondly.

“Gotta look after my little brothers,” she teased, Echo laughing loudly for a moment before it morphed into a cough, a mechanical wheezing coming from his chest.

Behind them, Lyanna appeared with a wheelchair, nodding to Omega, who helped Echo to stand.

“Come on, ori’vod. Time to get you inside in the warm,” she sniffed, Lyana smiling reassuringly as Echo transferred easily into the chair, readjusting the blanket and grinning at Omega.

“Love you, little ‘Mega,” he chuckled softly. “Oh, and tell that Kix… Tell him… Rex… yes… Rex. He was looking for him.”

“I will, Echo,” Omega smiled sadly, nodding to Lyanna as she took him inside, closing the door behind them.

Immediately, Maree was out of her chair, wrapping her arms around Omega, who broke down against her, sobbing hard.

“I, I’m sorry,” she stammered as the two sat down together, Omega desperately trying to dry her face with her hand, “It’s been… It’s been a long time since we spoke about the others, and… the last few years, his cybernetics have been… I’ve done my best, but Tech always used to… he used to do it, and I…”

Maree shushed her gently, looking up at Kix, the grief on his face apparent.

He was too late. Echo was all but gone, his last brother worn away by time and old age. And for a moment he was angry. Not at Echo, but at himself.

At least one of his brothers had gotten to live a long, happy life, retiring to paradise, and yet he had the audacity to be angry at that? That he wasn’t young enough to remember Kix?

No. He’d lived an entire, full life after the War, like every brother should have. That wasn’t something that should be mourned.

“Kix, are you okay?” Maree asked gently, reaching for his hand as Omega settled back into her chair, drying her tears.

Drawing in a shuddering breath, he forced a smile, nodding.

“Yeah. It’s… It’s just a lot,” he admitted, looking towards Omega. “How long do you think he has?” he managed, swallowing hard.

Omega shrugged, laughing at herself.

“Hours? Days? Weeks?” she shook her head. “Tech would be so disappointed in me for guessing. The truth is, I don’t know. He just seems like… Like he’s been waiting for something,” she sighed, looking at Kix with a frightened expression.

“Can I talk to him?” the medic asked softly. “I promise I won’t say anything that’ll upset him. I just… I’d like to hear his stories.”

“He’s got more than enough of them,” Omega sighed, nodding. “I’m going to turn in soon. You’re welcome to stay too,” she directed to Maree, who nodded in thanks, meeting Kix’s gaze.

“We should probably comm the others before they launch a full on siege looking for us,” she chuckled, Omega’s eyes widening a little. “Don’t worry,” Maree reassured her, “they wouldn’t get far. Not for lack of trying, though.”

The woman laughed, shaking her head.

“Sounds like the Batch back in the day. I’d like to meet them. I’ll comm Phee. Echo’s room is on the ground floor, first door on the left,” she informed Kix, who nodded, standing up from his chair and dropping a soft kiss to Maree’s head before heading inside, making for his brother’s room.

“How did he survive?” Omega asked Maree after Kix had disappeared inside, her gaze a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

“He found out about the chips,” Maree sighed softly, looking back towards the house, “and the Separatists found out about him. Captured him, tortured him, and locked him in a cryo-stasis chamber. That ship crashed, and fifty years later, Ithano and his crew found him and took him in.”

“That was nice of them,” Omega remarked, the statement said without malice or sarcasm, simply a genuine remark. “And you? How did you and Kix…”

“He came looking for answers,” Maree smiled sadly, “when I worked on Hosnian Prime. I studied the Clone Wars as a speciality subject. When he came to me, I assumed he had a Clone for a father, or grandfather. But as things went on…”

They sat together in silence for a time as the sun began to set and the night drew in, the beginnings of stars twinkling in the sky.

“Would you like to see the memorial?” Omega asked suddenly, breaking Maree’s reverie. “I usually go down just after dark to see them.”

Maree hesitated for a moment before nodding sagely, the weight of the offer not lost on her.

“If that’s okay?”

“Of course,” Omega smiled, a youthful energy seeming to overtake her, “it’s down by the pier. It’s beautiful at night. We made sure they had one of the best spots, after everything they did for us.”

“Will you tell me?” Maree prompted, excited at the prospect of learning about this lost piece of history from an era she thought she knew so well.

Omega simply grinned, gesturing for her to follow.

*-*-*

“Echo? You awake?”

Kix crept into the room quietly, greeted by a soft grumble, his lips tilting up into a smile.

“Briefing’s not til oh-eight hundred,’ Echo grumbled, ‘g’back to sleep.”

Kix let out a huff of laughter, shaking his head as he moved to sit on the end of the bed, noting Echo’s prosthetics laid out neatly on the floor next to it.

Tucked up to his neck by a thick duvet and a handwoven blanket, he looked utterly relaxed, his eyes fluttering.

“I know, Vod,” Kix offered gently, “I just wanted to check in on you.” “Thanks, Kix, but I’m fine. Same ol’ aches and pains. They’ll go.” “One day,” Kix finished for him with a grin, Echo returning it softly.

“How are the others?” Echo murmured, sitting up as much as he could. “I heard Jesse became an ARC.”

“He sure did,” Kix smiled sadly, the lump in his throat returning, “but hey, what about you? I want to hear all about your missions with the Batch. Omega said you guys got up to some crazy stuff.”

Echo seemed to zone out for a moment, his eyes searching Kix’s. Not finding what he was looking for, his smile returned quickly, chest shaking with laughter as he shook his head.

“You wouldn’t believe half of it,” he huffed, Kix shuffling closer, giving Echo his full attention.

“Try me.”

“Well,” Echo smirked, making him look years younger as mischief flashed in his eyes, “there was a time, we had to get some crates from a nest of Aggrocrabs…”

*-*-*

Omega hadn’t been lying, Maree mused to herself as she looked over the calm ocean waves, the reflection of stars sparkling across the tiny waves that lapped at the shore.

“It really is beautiful,” she whispered as she took in the serene beauty of the stone statue of a clone trooper, obviously lovingly hand carved from stone, standing in pride of place over the small pier just below.

At the base, flower rings and candles littered the floor, handmade ornaments and coins from all over the galaxy.

“After the Clone Rebellion, a lot of them came back here,” Omega explained softly, silent tears rolling down her cheeks. “They’d lost so much, but what they had, what we all had left, we gave to Pabu. We built homes, families, but not quickly enough. The accelerated ageing caught up with them, and…”

Her breath hitched in her throat, an apologetic smile gracing her lips.

“There are over two hundred clone troopers here,” she explained quietly. “We cremated them, and they were scattered on the beach. This is a place where we come to remember, where we can be close to them again.”

Closing her eyes and inhaling deeply, she let her memories flow, more tears falling.

“This was my second real home. The first was the Marauder, our ship. But when we came here…”

As she opened her eyes, Maree watched the play of emotions over the older woman’s face.

“Tech would take me flying over the island, giving me lessons. Wrecker built the sea wall almost single handedly, and Hunter would help with rebuilding the houses and hunting for food. They loved it here. Until… The Empire…”

She trailed off, looking back out to sea.

“They’re gone now,” she sighed deeply, “and Echo saw all of them go, one by one. He felt so guilty about outliving them, even though it wasn’t his fault.”

Maree nodded, her stomach twisting a little.

“I think Kix feels the same,” she admitted with a sigh. “He woke up thinking he could still save his brothers, save the Republic. It’s taken him a long time to accept that he couldn’t. I just hope speaking to Echo helps him. He deserves happiness, he’s been through so much.”

Omega’s smile softened as she looked Maree over, her gaze lingering on the slight swell of her stomach.

“It seems like he’s found that with you,” she offered softly, turning back to look at the Memorial. “You know, after we found out Echo wasn’t ageing as fast as the others, I tried to find a cure for them. We did so many tests, taking DNA samples, comparing mine, Echo’s and every other clone we could find. The Techno Union databanks were all purged, and there wasn’t much left of the Kaminoan’s research…”

She trailed off as Maree joined her in staring out into the ocean.

Kix’s lifespan was always going to be shorter than hers. She knew that when she committed herself to him, and it wasn’t something she tried to dwell on too much. But knowing Omega had seen so much of it, that they’d tried… Something inside her broke as she ran her hand over her stomach, emotions welling inside her.

“It’s not fair, what they went through,” she sobbed, tears blurring her vision. “Even now, Kix can’t escape it. The war ended fifty years ago, and he’s still suffering.”

Turning into Omega as the older woman wrapped an arm around her shoulder, she sobbed hard and harder, mourning for a future that hadn’t even come yet. They had more years left together, she knew, but it was all going to end too soon.

“It’s not fair,” she choked out again, shaking her head. “It’s not,” Omega agreed plainly, grabbing Maree’s hand and placing a small data stick into it, their eyes meeting as Maree looked down at it in confusion.

“Wha…”

“It’s not fair,” Omega repeated thickly, “but this can change that.”

Maree’s heart skipped a beat or two as she stared, wide eyed at Omega, trying to process what she was saying.

“I… I don’t understand…”

With the moonlight dancing over her face, Omega suddenly looked so much older. She looked tired, the years finally taking their toll. Drawing in a long breath, she forced a smile, meeting Maree’s gaze with a familiar intensity.

“I figured it out too late for most of them,” Omega sniffed, more tears rolling down her cheeks, “but it gave Hunter and Wrecker a few more years, at least. But for Kix… He’d age normally. No dying too young. No accelerated ageing. You can grow old together. The way it’s meant to be.”

Maree stared at the datastick in her hand, her mind stalling, forgetting how to breathe for a moment.

“You… You did it?” she croaked, looking back to Omega, hope blooming in her chest, “You stopped it?”

“I did,” Omega cried, “and finally, I can help someone with it. You and Kix can be together properly, not rushing, not scrambling to live a full life in half the time you should have. I… I owe the others that.”

Unable to do anything else, Maree clutched at the datastick and hugged Omega tightly, the two of them sharing their grief and their hope.

“Thank you,” Maree gasped eventually, her heart swelling with emotion, “I… I can’t put into words how much this means. Thank you!”

“Just take care of my brother,” Omega sniffed, her voice cracking, “they love so intensely. He’ll never let you down.”

“I will. I promise you.”

*-*-*

By the time Omega and Maree made it back to the house, it was silent and dark, both creeping down the hallway to look in on Echo’s room, their hearts warmed by the sight that greeted them.

The brothers were laid next to each other in the small bed, their foreheads pressed together as they slept. The soft mechanical whirring of Echo’s cybernetics didn’t seem to bother the medic, his face completely relaxed in sleep, Omega sighing as she watched them.

Gesturing silently to Maree, they backed out of the room, sharing a warm smile. Their family was safe and content, and they could ask for nothing more.

After Omega showed Maree to the spare room, bidding her goodnight and laughing softly as Maree fell into the plush mattress, relishing in how soft it was, Maree pulled out her comm, checking it idly as she pulled her hair loose and placed the ties onto the bedside table, giggling to herself at some of the messages.

Of course, there were several from Reveth, all sorts of colourful language used, the text becoming less and less legible as they went on and becoming more in depth about how awesome this ‘Phee’ was.

Ithano had only sent two, one stating they were ‘fine’ and the other reading ‘try the beer’.

Maree let out a snort of laughter as she stripped her clothes off and hung them on the chair on the far side of the room, slipping under the duvet with a deep sense of satisfaction, scrolling through the last of the comms.

Quiggold had only sent one, and to their group message at that; a holo of himself stood on the sea wall, wet with sea water and smiling toothily. It seemed he was having the time of his life, and Maree was glad that the at times uptight Gabdorian had finally been able to let loose.

With another deep sigh, she set her comm to the side and settled into the comfortable bed, quickly falling into a dreamless sleep. Whatever the morning brought, she knew they would be okay.

*-*-*

The next day was a busy one.

Before anyone had even woken properly, Ithano, Reventh and Quiggold appeared at the front door with the child who had led them away the day before and an elderly woman with warm, dark skin and thick grey curls hung with golden coils in tow, their laughter audible from the end of the street.

Maree heard the door go and the familiar voice of Omega greeting them, soon followed by the smell of cooking meats and the strong scent of coffee. It was too tempting, and she soon found herself washed, dressed and heading downstairs, eyes softening as she bumped into Kix at the foot of them, supporting Echo to hobble to the kitchen.

“Morning,” he smiled gently, Maree returning the gesture, nodding to Echo, who was eyeing her with interest.

“Well hello,” he chuckled throatily, “nobody told me we had such a radiant visitor to our home! Kix, is this your girl?”

The medic flushed brightly, nudging Echo gently in a show of faux displeasure as he sighed, looking Maree over, his gaze full of adoration.

“Sure is,” he grinned, “definitely worth the wait.”

Maree flushed brightly, leaning in to peck his cheek before making way for the two of them to pass, Echo grinning toothily at her.

“We should take her to 79’s,” Echo chortled, Kix smiling sadly, “show her off. Jesse and Fives will be so jealous.”

Kix simply laughed, nodding.

“They will, vod. I know they will.”

“Gotta find me a nice girl too,” Echo hummed happily, grinning, “though did I ever tell you about Riyo? Pantoran senator I worked with, the most amazing tits…”

“Echo!” Omega chastised him as she brought a plate of fried meat and eggs over to the table, rolling her eyes, “Child present!”

“Oh, sorry, sprout,” he chuckled sheepishly, winking at Omega as he settled at the table with Kix’s help, Maree shaking her head fondly as the other woman met her gaze, huffing. “Phee! You made it!” he exclaimed suddenly, looking at the elderly woman at the end of the table, her smile matching his. “Is Tech with you?”

Phee simply laughed softly, a sadness permeating her very presence as she shook her head, sighing.

“Hey Echo. No, he’s… away,” she smiled weakly. “We’re all going to meet up soon. Promise.”

“Good, good,” Echo nodded, seemingly satisfied. “Miss that nerd.”

“Gramma, what’s a nerd?” came a little voice from beside Phee, the little girl from the day before tugging at her gold and red robe, wide eyes staring up at her.

Maree couldn’t help but smile at the little girl as Kix pulled out a chair for her, helping her to sit before dropping a soft kiss into her hair, pulling it back over her shoulders where it still hung loose.

“A nerd is a clever person, someone who is really good at computers, like your grandpa Tech,” Phee explained calmly, stroking the little girl’s curls as she smiled down at her.

“Oooh,” the girl nodded, thinking hard, “like Revy?”

“Hey!” Reveth protested, Maree watching with curiosity as the twi’lek grabbed the little girl, tickling her sides and picking her up, drawing shrieking giggles from the child as she struggled and wiggling in her grip, completely unbothered by the presence of her robotic arm. “I told you, squirt, I’m a slicer. Not a nerd!”

Ithano watched with interest for a moment before turning to look between Kix and Maree, nodding to them both in greeting.

“There is nothing wrong with being technologically fluent,” Quiggold interjected, Reveth rolling her eyes as she placed the child on the ground again, winking at her as she ran to take her own seat at the far end of the table, waving to Maree.

The easy banter continued over breakfast, Omega’s smile growing as she listened and laughed, coming to sit next to Maree, Lyanna arriving shortly after the meal began with some fresh rolls from the bakery a few streets away, divvying them up between the gathering.

Kix watched with an amused smile as Maree broke one of the rolls open and inhaled the scent of the freshly baked bread, eyes fluttering closed as she hummed in contentment.

“Enjoying yourself?” he teased, Maree frowning good naturedly at him.

“It’s been far too long since I had fresh bread,” she lamented as Omega passed her the butter, a generous serving scooped into the fluffy inside of the roll, beginning to soften immediately. “I used to live near this wonderful little bakery until a pirate came and swept me off my feet and dragged me into a life of adventure.”

“Oh?” Kix queried smugly, “I hope he was worth it.”

“Definitely,” she winked, giggling as Kix leaned over to press a kiss to the side of her head, the two sharing a moment while the conversation flowed around them.

“So, what’s the plan for today?” Phee asked from the head of the table, eyes fond as she watched the interaction between Maree and Kix, grinning as Echo’s attention turned to her, his eyes bright.

“I think I’d like to sit in the garden again,” he grinned happily, “Wrecker’s plants are growing in nicely, right ‘Mega?”

“Who’s Wrecker?” Reveth asked with a mouth full of bread, earning her a sharp elbow from Ithano, remaining stoic even as the twi’lek growled in response.

“Wrecker,” Echo laughed, “my vod. One of my vod. Big guy, can’t miss him.”

Kix let out a huff of laughter, shaking his head.

“You know I watched him lift an entire gunship on his own once?” he grinned, Maree’s eyes widening with shock. “Just threw it like it was a dumpster.”

“Really?” Phee chuckled lightly, tilting her head to one side as Kix nodded.

“Oh yeah, picked up my brother like he was nothing as well. Wouldn’t have wanted to be on his bad side!”

Omega giggled, the sound almost foreign, Echo turning to beam at her as she did.

“He taught me how to disarm bombs too.”

“He what?” Kix spluttered in disbelief, Maree hiding her mouth behind her hand as she tried not to laugh at his reaction. “But you were just a kid!”

“Hey, I’m still older than you, vod’ika,” Omega reminded him sternly, her face softening into a brilliant smile. “You should have seen Hunter’s reaction when he taught me how to twirl his knife!”

“Now, this is a story I can get behind,” Reveth smirked, Ithano leaning in to listen as Quiggold pulled out his datapad, seemingly making notes as Omega smiled at Echo, the old clone nodding in encouragement, settling in for the story.

“Well we’d just finished a mission on Jakku, and we were heading back to the ship when I saw Hunter spinning his vibroblade and asked him if I could try…”

*-*-*

The day sped by all too quickly.

Even when breakfast was long finished, the group remained at the table, listening to Omega’s tales of her brothers, Echo adding in his own memories when he could as the crew of the Stinger listened in amazement, Kix explaining some terminology when they were unsure.

He was equally amazed by the tales, by Omega’s bravery, even as a child, and of the group’s loyalty to each other.

When it came to the parts where Echo left to help Rex with the Clone rebellion, he was utterly unsurprised, smiling proudly at the determination Echo still showed, his own pride in his actions apparent.

The stories continued as they spilled into the garden, the bright midday sun beating down on them as Lyanna and Omega cleaned up and got lunch ready, blankets and chairs laid out and even the sofa moved into the garden by Reveth and Ithano to accommodate such a big group.

Phee took her turn as well, telling stories of her adventures with the Clones, of their treasure hunts gone awry, of bringing them to Pabu, and how she’d fallen for Tech.

By the time they were done laughing, eating and reminiscing, the sun was beginning to set on the horizon.

One by one, Phee and her little grandchild, then Lyanna left, only the crew of the Stinger remaining with Echo and Omega, Ithano, Reveth and Quiggold moving inside as the temperature began to drop.

With blankets drawn around them, Maree and Kix sat with Echo and Omega, listening as Echo recounted tales from the 501st, much to Omega’s delight.

Kix’s cheeks were hurting from laughing so hard, Echo’s voice rough from speaking for so long, dried tears of joy on both of their faces.

“And the time Fives replaced the blue paint with neon pink, and Rex didn’t even notice because we’d sabotaged the caf machine!”

“I don’t know how he coped with you two,” Kix chuckled, Echo nodding, his memories flowing as they reminisced.

The last beams of sunlight began to disappear over the horizon as their laughter faded, leaving them in a comfortable silence, Echo’s body heaving with the occasional laugh, the sound of his cybernetics so much louder than Kix could ever remember.

“He had a soft spot for us after Rishi,” Echo explained simply, waving his hand. “After we lost Cutup and… and… oh, what were their names? Hev… Hevy? And… and…”

His focus seemed to fade, eyes glazing over as Omega placed another blanket around his shoulders, his hand coming up to pat hers as he smiled lazily up at her.

“Do you want to go inside?” she asked softly, the old clone shaking his head, settling further back into his chair.

“No, I’m alright,” he replied firmly, reaching for her hand and squeezing it again, none of them missing how he was shivering. “I’m enjoying this. Catching up. Seeing my brother.”

“As long as you’re warm enough,” she grinned, looking between her brothers, “you’ve had a lot of catching up to do.”

Echo nodded sagely, his chest rattling loudly as he drew in a sharp breath, frowning.

“‘Mega… Can you get Tech? Think that my… my pipes need some work again.”

Kix met Omega’s gaze with a sympathetic expression, not missing how she winced at the name, sighing as she knelt down in front of him, holding his hand in hers.

“Tech’s a bit busy at the moment, Echo,” Omega explained gently, “but I’ll make sure he pops by later.”

Echo huffed, frowning as he shifted to look at Kix, his eyes widening a little in recognition.

“Kix… Rex was looking for you!” he smiled, the medic’s heart aching.

“I know, vod,” he reassured Echo, reaching to place his hand over Omega’s, reassuring her silently..

“He sent us out looking for years,” Echo chuckled softly, “we looked everywhere. You just vanished. I always said you’d be okay.”

Drawing another deep, rattling breath, Echo beamed at Kix, his face relaxing.

“You’re okay, Kix.” Tears spilled over the medic’s face as Echo nodded, confident in his own words. “You’re okay.”

Kix’s breath hitched as he shifted closer to Echo, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

In a way, he knew.

Echo was slipping away.

Like one last hurrah, their reminiscing seemed to have drained him, his eyes fluttering as Omega let out a broken sob, leaning up to stroke through his curls as he smiled gently, the whirring of his cybernetics beginning to slow.

“Omega,” he called in little more than a whisper, “little ‘Mega. You’re so brave. So strong. Love you, ‘Mega.”

“I love you too,” she sobbed, leaning in to kiss his forehead. Echo relaxed back into the chair, his breathing slowing. “I love you so much, Echo.”

“Hunter was right,” Echo grinned weakly, “better than all of us. Take… Takin’ care of me…”

With another shuddering breath, Echo reached for Kix’s hand gently, his strength fading.

“Hey… ‘m g’na see Fives,” he slurred the lights on his headpiece beginning to flicker dimly, “and… my… our vod.”

Kix nodded through his tears, grief wracking his body.

“Tell him he’s the bravest idiot I know, and he and Jesse had better save me a seat,” he laughed wetly, Echo chuckling in return.

“Oya, Kix,” he breathed, his chest rising and falling once more before it seemed to stutter, his eyes closing, lips falling lax as every muscle in his body seemed to relax all at once, his final breath drawn.

The whir of his cybernetics faded to complete silence as the lights on his headpiece blinked for the last time, fading to nothing as his body shut down, his head lolling onto his chest, his soul finally free.

“Oya,” Kix sobbed, “Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la.”

As he fell to the floor, Kix embraced Omega, the two of them sobbing into each other, tears soaking each other’s shoulders.

He was finally at peace, back with Fives, back with the rest of the Batch. And they were no longer alone. And yet it still hurt more than they could express, nothing but sobs and hitched breath between them as Maree knelt next to them both, drawing them into a joint embrace, shedding tears of her own for her family.

*-*-*

The funeral was a small affair. Exactly how Echo would have wanted it to be.

A simple service, Kix giving a eulogy punctuated by anecdotes about their time together, a tribute to how special Echo had been. Omega finished the service with a poem of her own making, tears rolling down her cheeks as she looked over her family and friends, Phee’s face shining with tears, surrounded by her own family as she nodded encouragement, a communal farewell to someone who was quite obviously adored.

As numb as Kix felt, he concentrated on the feel of Maree’s hand in his, squeezing and reassuring throughout the short service, her nudge of encouragement appreciated as Omega offered her hand to him, the two of them moving to the end of the pier with the urn containing Echo’s ashes.

With both of their hands holding it, they shared a nod before opening the lid and tipping it towards the sea, the contents caught by the wind, drifting through the air towards the open ocean.

He watched with a soft smile as a sudden gust of wind tore through the bay, seeming to seize the ashes and lift them higher and higher, twirling in what could only be described as a playful manner, creating a beautiful swirling pattern as it rose into the sky.

A warmth settled on his skin that had nothing to do with the balmy sunlight, instead, a weight seeming to lift from inside him as he let out a choked laugh, tears spilling over.

“Fives,” he sobbed quietly, “that has to be Fives.”

Omega simply smiled and nodded as she placed the urn at their feet, lacing her hand with Kix’s as they gazed upward, watching the last of Echo’s mortal form vanish.

“They’re together again,” Omega smiled through her grief, leaning into him a little, “they’re all together again.”

As the crowd dispersed, the crew of the Stinger remained by the memorial at the pier, lighting candles in memory of Echo, Reveth and Ithano sharing their own stories with Phee as Quiggold educated the nearby children about his species, many of them curious.

Kix drew Maree onto one of the benches nearby as Omega laid down one last offering at the shrine, her breath hitching with sobs as she placed Echo’s scomp delicately at the base, the appendage leaning against the worn stone in a place of honour.

Next to the scomp, a small box remained, one she picked up tenderly and opened, coming to sit next to Maree, grateful for her embrace as they all shuffled together.

“This is all I have left of them now,” she murmured sadly, picking a worn piece of red fabric from the box, what seemed to be a bandana. The colour was faded, a white skull painted onto the front almost grey from old age. It was tattered and well loved, Omega stroking lovingly over the skull before placing it back in the box, next retrieving a pair of battered goggles.

Again, she stroked over the metal rim, smiling to herself as she remembered her adventures with her brothers.

“I’m sorry you didn’t get long with him,” she directed to Kix, sniffing as she closed the box, the memories too much for now. “If I’d known…”

“I got to say goodbye,” Kix murmured through his tears, “and that was all I could have asked for.”

Omega nodded, silently standing and returning the box to the memorial, her eyes lingering on Echo’s scomp, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks.

“He was happy,” she sighed, turning to face Kix and Maree again, looking between them, “he was really happy. He loved it here, and everyone loved him. And I hope that… I hope that this gives you at least a bit of closure,” she managed, turning her attention to Maree, “and if you’re looking for somewhere to settle down for a while… as a parent… there’s no finer place to raise a child.”

Kix swallowed hard, meeting Maree’s gaze as his hand slipped over her stomach, his smile returning as he felt over the swell of it, frowning when he felt something sharp in her pocket.

“What’s that?” he asked curiously, Maree’s eyes widening.

In all of the goings on, she’d forgotten about Omega’s gift.

Tentatively pulling it from her pocket, she placed it in Kix’s palm, the datastick seemingly insignificant. Confused, Kix tilted his head slightly in silent question, Maree’s own tears welling up again.

“Omega gave it to me,” she explained quietly, biting her bottom lip. “She figured it out. The cure, I mean, for your accelerated ageing. We can stop it. We can build a life, a proper one. No rush, no fighting for time. Just us. The three of us.”

Kix stared at the stick in his hand for a few long moments, processing the information.

This tiny little thing was going to change his life. Give him more time with Maree, give him more time with his child.

One last gift from his brothers and sister.

“I… I….”

“You don’t have to make a decision right now,” Maree reassured him gently, closing her hands over his, cradling the stick, “but… mmmph!”

She never got to finish her sentence as Kix caught her lips in a passionate kiss, his free hand wrapping around the back of her neck, holding her close.

“I don’t need to think,” he murmured against her lips as they broke apart, tears escaping as their gazes met once again. “I know what I want. And I want this.”

Omega could only smile as she headed back to the house, memories flowing through every step.

For so long, she’d been so scared she’d be alone. And yet, now she had discovered another brother, another family.

And for once, Hunter’s declaration to her when they’d first settled on Pabu made sense, her throat constricting as she reached the house, running a hand over the stone next to the front door, a familiar scrawl from her childhood memorialised permanently in the duracrete, along with five handprints of various sizes, long worn deeper by the weather.

‘A home is not a home without the people who make it.’

“Welcome home,” she murmured as she re-entered the house, smiling to herself as a familiar warmth flooded through her.

They’d never truly be gone. She’d never be alone.

#star wars #tcw #the bad batch #the clone wars #star wars the clone wars #clone wars #tbb #tbb echo #clone trooper kix #post stasis kix #fanfic #tbb fanfic #the bad batch fanfic #tcw fanfic #dystopicjumpsuit #daniwrites

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wild-karrde · 2 years

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In Command - Part 2

Master List | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

A/N: As always, thank you to the outstanding @teletraan-meets-jarvis for beta-reading this chapter for me!

Chapter Rating: T

Warnings: mentions of grief, mourning, death, canon-typical violence (sorry... the Order 66 flashback had to happen at some point)

Word Count: 4.7k words

Rex adjusted his stance again, his boots crunching the dust as he shifted his weight from his left foot to his right, trying to blend in with the shadows cast by the late afternoon sun. To a casual passerby, he seemed like any other nondescript person at the market, perhaps a father waiting to meet his family at a predetermined spot, maybe a cook in one of the local cantinas scouring for ingredients, maybe even a pickpocket scouting for a mark. Few gave him enough of a glance to ascertain anything memorable about him, and if he was honest, that’s what Rex preferred. The only person that had given him a second look today was a small Rodian girl as her mother had dragged her past. Rex knew the girl was too young to remember a war had been happening a year ago, and it was even less likely that she knew what a clone was since the war had largely left Lothal untouched. Nonetheless, she stared at him for a moment before waving shyly. Rex gave her a warm smile, tipping his hat to her as her mother dragged her onward, already focused on some stall at the other end of the row. Rex breathed a small sigh of relief as the little girl finally turned back forward to follow her mother, not paying him any additional mind.

The former clone captain’s eyes scanned the market, looking for any opportunity he had to stand closer to the communications center that had been erected in the middle of the square. In the past, he had been able to confirm some of Senna’s findings by listening in to loose-lipped stormtroopers or commanders that were standing within its proximity. Today, however, luck hadn’t been on his side. It seemed as though all of the Imperials were slightly more on edge, more paranoid, and while he suspected it was due to the Empire Day posters plastered all over the city, he still didn’t like it. Them being nervous made Rex nervous. He rolled his head on his neck, trying to release some of the tension he felt.

He didn’t want today to be a total failure, but so far, it felt as though he’d been utterly useless. He’d wandered to all of his usual haunts only to find that most of the officers he tailed or troopers he bought drinks for on their off days were busy, something else he attributed to the upcoming holiday to mark the anniversary of the Empire’s establishment. There was apparently going to be a large celebration to commemorate the day, and with all of the top brass arriving, the stormtroopers and officers alike were on their best behavior, eager to impress their superiors as they jostled for promotions. There was a feeling of anticipation and excitement in the air, but the last thing Rex felt like doing was celebrating. For him, it was to be the one year anniversary of him burying his brothers and going into hiding, one year since the entire galaxy came crashing down around his ears in the form of a destroyed Venator. The memories had been haunting him even before the posters went up. They were practically branded into his mind.

There wasn’t a day that passed where Rex didn’t think about what it had felt like when the inhibitor chip had activated, the loss of control as the order came through, triggering the chip that had been implanted in his brain when he was an infant. It was a ticking time bomb he never fully understood until that moment, but by then, it was too late. He’d never forget the fear he’d felt at the overwhelming urge he could not command.

Good soldiers follow orders. Kill the traitors.

For a moment, he’d thought maybe he could run, lock himself in an escape pod and jettison it before he hurt anyone, but as he looked up into the eyes of his brothers around him, into the familiar visors that now seemed cold and unfeeling, he knew that would not be enough. And then the door behind him had opened.

In that moment, he’d prayed to whatever deity might be listening that it wouldn’t be Ahsoka standing behind him. Not the young Togruta that had grown up next to him. Not the Jedi he’d been so proud to serve alongside. Not the youngling he’d come to view as a sister.

But it was. His heart sank even as the overwhelming rage pushed against the inside of his skull.

“Rex, it’s Anakin. I fear something terrible has happened.” There was confusion in her voice, alarm at the lack of understanding. He wanted to go to her, to reassure her that everything was alright and that they’d figure it out like they always did, but the voice in his head screamed louder, bashing against the inside of his mind like a caged predator.

KILL HER. KILL THE TRAITOR. FOR THE REPUBLIC.

His hands had trembled as he slowly turned to stare the young Togruta in the eye. His helmet fell from his hand, clattering loudly against the Venator’s deck. His body was not his own, but his mind was still fighting, and it was agony unlike anything he’d ever experienced, but still he fought for control. As his brothers turned and raised their blasters, his mind raced as to how he could save her.

“No, I’ll do it,” he snapped. He felt his hands drawing his blasters and he watched as they aimed at Ahsoka, her confusion turning to horror. He was trapped in his body, nearly helpless to stop what was happening, unable to wake from the nightmare.

“Rex?”

With tears streaming from his eyes, he made his last stand against the chip.

KILL HER. DO IT. KILL THE TRAITOR. FOR THE REPUBLIC. GOOD SOLDIERS FOLLOW ORDERS. KILL HER.

The words swelled to a scream in his mind, and it felt like he was drowning in quicksand, his flailing only dragging him deeper, further from his own intentions. His fear bled into a fury he could not understand, and his voice trembled as he spoke.

“Find him. Find Fives. FIND HIM!” he had shouted before being pulled under. His fingers squeezed the triggers, and he had internally cried out in terror for Ahsoka.

Please let me have prepared her enough to survive this. Please let her kill me and escape. Please don’t let me be the one to take her life.

He remembered feeling the sickeningly sweet relief of relinquishing control and the crack of his head hitting the holo table as Ahsoka tackled him backwards. The rage overtook him as he collapsed to the floor, his vision going blurry as blaster bolts erupted around him, the hum of Ahsoka’s lightsabers echoing in his ears. He shook his head, the throbbing pain in the back of his skull giving way to the chip’s control. Rex pushed himself to a standing position as his brothers gathered around Ahsoka, firing volley after volley. Their blue bolts reflected in muted flashes off of the painted helmets that they’d excitedly adorned with Ahsoka’s facial markings to celebrate her return.

And now they were doing everything they could to kill her.

Good soldiers follow orders.

She had escaped, but it had been too late for him to regain control. The chip and the Empire had him.

FIND HER. KILL HER. WIPE THEM OUT.

He had stalked through the ship, giving orders to search every corridor and destroy every escape pod. All the while, it felt as though he was locked in his own body, screaming in anguish at what was happening around him. As he stormed through the ship, he thought of Anakin, of Obi-Wan, of all of the Jedi he had fought alongside, and every new face he pictured increased the inexplicable animosity within him. It terrified him, but the desire to surrender to it was overwhelming, and he no longer felt like it was a fight he could win. Rex felt himself slipping further and further away with every passing moment.

WIPE THEM OUT.

He had been so blinded by the turmoil within himself that he didn’t notice the astromech until he stumbled over it, and his anger bubbled with confusion as the droid sealed him in the hallway. “What are you crosswired?” he had shouted, and then she had appeared.

Ahsoka’s expression on the holo was calmer than it had any right being, her words gentle and offering a forgiveness he couldn't comprehend. “This isn’t your fault.” The glowing image flickered as she offered him absolution, but the mere sight of her had triggered a hatred within him that he had never experienced.

“Where is she?” he demanded, leveling his blaster at the droid, venom dripping from his every word.

“I’m right here.” He turned to see her, standing behind him, unarmed, and with a shock from the droid, his entire world went dark.

—

“GG, THE DOOR!”

His eyes were closed, leaving him in darkness, and the sound of Ahsoka’s voice was muted, as if he were underwater listening to her shout above the surface. Rex felt as if he was dreaming, floating halfway between unconsciousness and a world he wasn’t quite ready to face again. Nevertheless, he willed his eyes to open and was surrounded by a soft blue light. Suddenly, everything came into focus and it was as if the room had a hole punched in it, sucking all of the air out. Rex’s mind cleared, and he rapidly blinked his eyes, taking in the scene before him, remembering where he was.

Ahsoka. The order. Danger. She’s in danger!

Instinctively grabbing for his blasters, he rocketed to a sitting position on the med pod table, gasping for air. He was himself again. Somehow, he had control.

Protect her.

Ahsoka was leaning against the end of the med table deflecting blast after blast from the clone troopers attempting to breach the door. One of her lightsabers flew from her hand from a direct hit, but still she swung with her remaining weapon.

Protect her. At any cost.

Rex swallowed the lump in his throat and fired multiple blasts at the orange helmeted troopers, his brothers, knocking them away from the door long enough for it to slam shut.

Ahsoka paused for a second, her shoulders heaving as she attempted to catch her breath. She turned slowly, evaluating him, trying to discern if he was himself.

“Rex, are you ok?” she had asked softly.

In that moment, Rex did something he’d never done before. He lied to Ahsoka.

“Yeah kid. Yeah, I’m ok.”

He had never been ok, not in that moment, and not any day since. The intrusion into his mind was something Rex would never forget. The awareness, the betrayal, the hatred, the anger, they all haunted him anytime he allowed his mind to wander, tendrils slipping from the shadows to remind him what he’d almost done. He had heard the Jedi speak of what it took to fall to the Dark Side, and after Order 66, he had always assumed that was as close as he would get to experiencing that.

He shuddered recalling how they had buried each of his brothers. He had managed to hold it together until they found Jesse’s body. Jesse had been one of the first men Rex had recruited for the 501st Clone Battalion. He was stubborn, impulsive, and a bit of a hothead, but above all, fiercely loyal to his brothers and quick on his feet both mentally and physically. It had taken him a while to make ARC, but that hadn’t seemed to bother him, and it didn’t make Rex any less proud when it finally happened. Jesse always preferred to do things at his own pace. The trooper’s trademark smirk was in place when Rex had arrived at the barracks to give him his promotion and new kit.

“Didn’t think I’d get my act together to make ARC, did you, Rex?” he joked.

In a rare moment of indecorum, Rex had playfully shoved him. “There was never any doubt on my end, Jesse. Now go make sure this gear fits. Would hate for you to start off your ARC career tripping over your kama.”

Jesse winked at him cheekily. “Yes sir.”

When they found him at the Venator crash that day, Ahsoka had carefully removed his helmet, and in that moment, Rex was struck by how peaceful his brother looked, even in death. It was as if he were napping like he had on so many of their flights down to a planet’s surface, and it was as if all it would take was a shake of his shoulder to wake him. Somehow, this was worse, and Rex swallowed the scream that was threatening to rip from his chest, balling his hands into fists as he tried to steady himself. He was grateful that Ahsoka had quickly covered his brother’s face, although if it was more for her benefit or his, he couldn’t be sure.

Rex wasn’t religious, but he often prayed or hoped that in his final moments, maybe Jesse had not felt pain. If he had been aware of what was happening, that he was turning against his friends and was unable to stop it, perhaps death had come as a relief to him, knowing he wouldn’t be able to hurt the people he cared about. At least that was the thought Rex clung to.

It’s how I felt. I would have welcomed death to keep myself from hurting her. Or Anakin. Any of them.

The former captain was ripped from his thoughts as his shoulder was bumped by plastoid. “Watch it,” a modulated voice snapped at him from beneath a stormtrooper helmet. Rex was relieved he didn’t recognize the voice. He knew the remaining clones had been largely decommissioned from the Imperial army, but some still chose to serve. He had yet to run into any of them, but he wasn’t sure how he’d react if he did.

Muttering some form of apology, Rex moved away from the door he’d been standing near. He rubbed his eyes in frustration.

Could really have used at least half a cup of palatable caf this morning. I’ve got to start waking up before her.

The sun was beginning to sink towards the horizon, signaling it was almost time for him to head back to the dwelling. Rex started making his way through the market, searching the stalls for sacks of sugar and pasta that he could bring home to Senna.

Hopefully her day will have been at least a little more of a success. Mine seems to be a bust.

As he was scooping a handful of credits out of his pouch to pay the merchant for the massive bag of noodles that he was certain Senna would go through in less than a week, a large hologram sprang up near the communications tower, illuminating the small square. Rex finished paying and slowly meandered towards the crowd that was gathering in order to hear whatever announcement was coming.

The enlarged figure of an imperial officer glowed against the night sky. “Citizens of Lothal! It is with great pleasure that we announce the event to celebrate the first ever Empire Day to commemorate the anniversary of the end of the war and the establishment of our Galactic Empire!”

Rex felt the anger rise in his chest and swallowed it with effort as the crowd around him cheered.

They don’t know. How could they? They only know what they’ve been told. That it was a glorious victory. That the Jedi were traitors. That this was the best possible outcome.

He was careful to continue staring at the hologram while lightly clapping so as not to betray his internal seething.

The hologram continued speaking. “Events to celebrate will commence at the end of this week with a formal gathering at the town hall. All citizens are invited to attend to meet and honor your Imperial government officials and the brave soldiers that protect and serve you every day. As always, please bring your chain codes so that attendance may be tracked for future events! We look forward to seeing you at the celebration. Long live the Empire!”

Rex counted to ten before turning and slowly pushing his way back through the crowd. He didn’t want to appear too eager to get out of there even though he thought he might punch the first person to so much as brush him.

You’re wound too tightly right now. You’ve got to get out of here. Don’t make a scene. Pull it together.

As he escaped the crowd, he felt his pulse drumming in his ears. He attempted to channel some of the breathing techniques he’d seen Anakin and Ahsoka use during their meditations. He had never been able to bring himself to fully meditate, but he had been able to at least calm his nerves when he was anxious by borrowing some of what he’d witnessed over the years. His mind drifted to the commlink on his nightstand, but he shook his head violently, internally chastising himself.

Stop. She won’t have called. You’ve got to be more patient or you’re going to drive yourself insane checking that thing every five minutes.

He reached the outer wall of the dwelling compound just as the blood pounding in his ears began to subside. He released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, rolling his head on his neck and letting his shoulders relax. Looking up at the window in the second story, he saw the curtains had been pulled to hide the glow of the holo computers, but a thin sliver of light was still visible. He wondered if Senna would still be perched on her chair or if perhaps she’d finally stumbled into her bed.

She needs some sleep. Can’t keep burning the midnight oil. It’ll catch up with her eventually.

The concerned thought gave him pause, but only for a moment before he mentally shrugged it off.

She’s my partner in all this. I need her at her best. That’s all.

Setting the food items in the kitchen, he removed the hat and cloak, hanging them by the door. He paused for a moment, straining his ears, but could hear no movement. Quietly, he climbed the stairs, stopping first to poke his head in her bedroom. Her bed was unmade and empty. He sighed and moved down the hall to her “cave”.

Senna was slumped forward in her chair, arms crossed under her face in a makeshift pillow. Another (or perhaps the same) cup of caf had gone cold on her desk, and an empty bowl sat just within reach with some remnants of whatever she’d eaten stuck to the porcelain. Her back rose and fell slowly in the soft glow of the holocomputer’s screens, and he almost felt bad waking her. When they first started working together, he had quickly noted she rarely slept and when she did, she experienced nightmares that woke her screaming in terror. He had strained to listen many nights, wrestling with what he should do, whether to go to her or just leave her to work through her fears alone. Most nights when she woke from whatever haunted her, he could hear her murmur some repetitive phrase, and eventually, she would either presumably fall back to sleep or he would hear her quietly pad to her office. He had never mentioned anything to her, assuming that if she wanted to talk about it, she would.

He stood at the door for a moment pondering what the best approach would be, and her words from that morning came to mind. Rex smirked.

Make some noise or something? Can do.

Carefully, he reached his boot towards what appeared to be a particularly precariously stacked pile of junk and toed it over. The hard disks, cabling, and whatever else she had hoarded into that stack toppled to the floor with a respectably loud crash.

Senna’s head shot up off the desk, and she stood up so fast her foot caught on a thick cable on the floor, sending her tumbling to the ground. Rex had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself from grinning as she scrambled to her feet, wiping drool off her chin. Somehow the grease smear from this morning had multiplied into several streaks across her cheeks and arms, and he could definitely smell the sharp, burnt, tangy scent of some poor electronic that she had undoubtedly shorted while he was gone. She straightened, shooting daggers at him with her eyes.

“Hi,” she muttered.

He shrugged. “You said to make more noise.”

If looks could kill, Rex would have combusted on the spot. “I know what I said.”

He continued to ignore her glare, glancing around the room. “I see your day was productive.”

“Actually, it was.” She reached for her datapad, scrolling through files until she came to what she wanted. Turning the pad to face him, she extended an arm for him to take it.

Rex gingerly took a few steps into the room, feeling some contraption pressing into his ankle as he tried to find holes in the mess big enough to allow his boots to fit into them without crushing anything. Taking the datapad from her, he squinted at the screen, which seemed incredibly bright in the dark room. She had brought up a list of names, some of which he recognized from her reports. He looked up at her, and her eyes were sparkling with excitement, hoping he would put the pieces together on his own. Rex didn’t have the patience for guessing games, so he simply asked for an explanation.

“What is this a list of?”

She deflated slightly, but pushed on with an explanation anyway. “That is a list of all of the Imperial cronies that will be attending the Empire Day celebration that was just announced. They’re planning on boozing and schmoozing with guests. Something about public outreach and getting to know the people.”

He shouldn’t have been surprised, but he was slightly. She always seemed to be one step ahead of him in terms of gathering information, and if he wasn’t so impressed, he’d be annoyed. At the moment, however, he was more annoyed with himself for underestimating her.

Of course she saw the announcement. She’s constantly glued to the newsfeeds.

“Good work,” he said awkwardly. He wasn’t sure why it felt so strange to acknowledge her accomplishments. As much as the way she did things bothered him, he couldn’t claim that she hadn’t produced results. Maybe he needed to not be so uptight, as she had put it. Maybe he just wanted her to think he was the one that had everything figured out, that he was competent and in command. Maybe he wanted to believe that he was after a year of him questioning everything about himself.

And maybe he needed to let her empty file go. Her results had certainly spoken for themselves.

The compliment seemed to surprise her as much as it did him. He ignored her raised eyebrow, looking back down at the datapad and scrolling through the list some more, carefully reading each name and committing it to memory. The silence dragged on until she interjected firmly, “We should go.”

His head snapped up as he stared at her, his usual annoyance slipping back into place. “Absolutely not.”

“Rex – “

“That’s not my name right now.”

“Fine, LON. We need to go to this. They’re scanning chain codes.” Her voice was raised, her excitement replaced with exasperation. She ran her hands over her hair, smoothing down some of the flyaways that were standing on end, giving her the appearance of someone that had stuck their finger in a live power coupler. Exhaling sharply, she rubbed her hands over her face before stepping towards him, trying to calmly debate him. It was clearly a struggle to maintain her composure, but he did admire her effort. She wet her lips. “Do you honestly think they’re scanning those chain codes for future event planning? They’re not gauging attendance, they’re monitoring compliance. We have to go, particularly if we don’t want to stick out. I’m sure people that aren’t in attendance go on some list somewhere. Marked as ‘enemies of the Empire that hate parties’ or something.” She paused, meeting his eyes. “This isn’t me just coming up with any reason to get out of the house. I genuinely think this is the right play.”

Rex watched her for a moment. She was hopeful, but he could also see she desperately wanted him to side with her. Despite his misgivings about her, he knew she was right, but it was still incredibly dangerous. He rubbed the back of his neck as he ticked through the pros and cons. While their fake identities held up to a good level of inspection, anything over and above the standard level of scrutiny would be risky. He hadn’t met any of the people on the list, but he knew him going was a gamble all the same, even if he looked different from most of the other clones that he had served with. His shock of blonde hair had made him distinct, but even with his individuality, he had never felt apart from his brothers. His brows knitted together as he thought, his mouth pulled into a thin, tight line.

When Rex looked up at Senna, he was surprised to see she wasn’t bouncing with excitement at the thought of going out. He saw concern in her face as well, but also a determination that he found admirable.

She’s got me on this one. Doesn’t make me less nervous, but I don’t believe she’s overselling this. It’s important.

He let out another sigh, tipping his head back and staring at the ceiling in surrender.

“Yes. You’re right. We do have to go.”

He felt another flutter of annoyance as she did a poor job of concealing her triumph. While she wasn’t bouncing on her toes or whooping loudly, she didn’t bother to stifle her smirk. “Alright then, it’s settled. I’ll have to drum up something nice to wear,” she joked.

“And take a shower,” he replied.

“What, do I stink?”

“Have you seen your face? Looks like you slept in a tooka pen.”

“Well that’s just rude, Lon.” She put her hands on her hips, but he could tell she was enjoying the banter. If he was honest, he was too.

“Yeah, well at least I’m not covered in grease,” he countered.

“Not yet you’re not,” she teased, and before he could respond, she stepped forward and wiped her hand across his face. Rex spluttered at the unexpected contact. He could smell the oil and engine grease on her palm and felt the grit on her hand gently scratch his cheek.

Maybe that means she actually got the speeder working today.

He shot her an unamused look as she pulled her hand away, wiping it on her trousers.

“There, we match now,” she giggled, patting him on the shoulder as she stepped past him into the hallway. “Night! Don’t forget to wash that off before you go to bed! Would hate to see that pristine pillow look anything less than military-grade.”

“G’night,” he muttered. For a moment, he was rooted to the spot, replaying the moment in his mind. It was an unusually jovial exchange between the two of them, but one that was perhaps long overdue.

A little levity never hurt anyone. It would certainly be easier to work together if we actually got along. Maybe doing this mission together will help us figure each other out.

Or she’ll get us both killed.

Sighing, he cast one last look around her “cave”, wrinkling his nose at the mess before making his way down the stairs to his bedroom, wiping the grime from his face onto his shirt sleeve.

Tag List: @seriowan @partoftheeternalsoul @rosmariner @misogirl828 @ellichonkasaurusrex @zoeykallus @the-sith-in-the-sky-with-diamond @gjrain20-starwars @staycalmandhugaclone @redheadgirl @fordo-kixed-rex @ariadnes-red-thread @wizardofrozz @extrahotpixels @justanothersadperson93 @leftealeaf @obihiddlenox @meekaielmyerhs99 @kaminocasey @rain-on-kamino @ladykatakuri @sleepingsun501 @ladykagewaki

#karrde writes #in command #star wars #the clone wars #tcw #fanfiction #fan fic #captain rex #OC Senna Aven #captain rex x ofc #captain rex x oc #captain rex x original female character #slow burn #captain rex x senna aven #romance #angst #fluff

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rodrickstudios · 7 months

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You've heard of Powerpuff Girls Z , now get ready for… Kid Cosmic GT! Last year I gave Craig McCracken's Kid Cosmic a watch, and to say I liked it would be an understatement. I loved it! In fact, if you're an animation fan and haven't give it a chance on Netflix, what are you waiting for? But I'm not here to talk about the series itself, but rather, a idea I came up with while watching it. What if Kid Cosmic got the same treatment as McCracken's other superhero cartoon and had its own anime adaptation?

The result would be "Kid Cosmic GT", or, more exactly, "Global Heroes GT". The main story for this anime would go like the following.

Unbeknownst to most Earthlings, there are two overlords that are supposed to protect the galaxy from evil: brothers Chuck and Fantos. The two are the keepers of the Cosmic Stones of Power, which grant certain super-abilities. However, Fantos grows more and more envious of that, and wishes to keep them all to himself. Knowing this, Chuck tries to reason with him, but Fantos instead consideres his brother as a enemy and fights him. Their fight accidentally causes all the stones to get spread across Earth; more specifically, on Tokyo, Japan (or Crackenville in the toned-down English dub), and the surrounding areas. Chuck, nonetheless, had already feared a catastrophe of that magnitude, and had previously ―and unbeknowst to Fantos― invented five ring-and-compact sets with five of the Cosmic Stones. Each of these sets would trigger a transformation into a cosmic warrior that would wield the power of the latter's respective stone. With that in mind, Chuck sends his talking cat Tuna (see image) to Earth in order to look for a team of "Global Heroes GT". The Global Heroes GT are meant to be magical girls that, by means of the sets he created, can look for the lost Cosmic Stones and protect their planet whenever one or more of the latter cause trouble.

Once on Earth, and in order to look for a girl kind-hearted enough to become the Global Heroes' leader, Tuna goes to the Tokyo/Crackenville streets and pretends to be ill. However, it's not a girl that comes to his rescue, but rather a 14-year-old boy named Kid! Tuna ends up sympathizing with the boy's fanatism for anime heroes in general. So much so that, to Chuck's dismay ("we were supposed to have girls!"), he allows Kid to become a GH and look for the remaining heroes. Which is easier than one might think, because Chuck had made the rings so that they shrink and grow depending on the size of their wielder's finger.

Kid's ring and compact allow him to fly and give him a green outfit ―reminescent of the one his original Western counterpart used in Season 3―, turning him into "Kid Cosmic". Afterwards, some of Kid's acquaintances end up becoming Global Heroes as well. Jo, a young woman in her early 20s that works as a waitress in the kissaten (or cafe in the dub) Kid uses to visit, becomes the purple "Portal Girl". Rosa, an 8-year-old girl that lives next door to Kid, becomes the blue "Niña Gigantica", which has the power to grow into a giant. Finally, Papa G, Kid's grandpa, becomes the yellow "Old Man Many Men", with the power to multiply himself into various clones.

Not only do the Global Heroes have amazing powers, but they also have cutesy weapons as well. Kid, for instance, has a pinwheel. And their personalities are a little different than their Western counterparts: Papa G can get flirty with women á lá Master Roshi and Jo (despite still being the default voice of reason) straight up falls in love with every young man she comes across with. This sometimes hinders her efficiency as a Global Hero, forcing the others to put her in line.

Although hesitant at first, Chuck gets used to the new ragtag team of heroes and (not without a clenched oral cavity) allows them to save the world. Aside from having the additional mission to find and catch all the missing Cosmic Stones before they fall into the hands of evil, the Global Heroes GT also have to deal with Fantos constantly. Fantos, so as to get all the stones to himself, has teamed up with two young adult aliens ―male and female― that are not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. They almost always bungle his attempts to get a stone or use it to corrupt an innocent bystander. Which works in favor of our Global Heroes, despite the fact Jo constantly falls in love with the male alien.

Aside from fighting against Fantos, other adventures of the Global Heroes GT have them dealing with foes such as a giant "Doc Goomentarian" made of green goo, living mummies from Egypt, creepy farm boys, and mermaids from Atlantis. All of them have been affected by stray stones of power. The heroes also have to travel through time with their giant "Kid Cosmecha" one time and, aside from that, deal with a one-off group of hungry aliens who tie them up and almost cook them alive in a pot.

On a more personal note, Kid, Jo and Rosa also have to deal with balancing their double lifes. Thus, constant excuses in order to skip class in junior high, college and elementary (respectively) and go save the world are the order of the day. These excuses range from normal ones like Kid's "I'm having a stomachache!" or Rosa's "I have to pee!", to questionable ones like Jo's "My brain has to puke!". That, and both Kid and Rosa have to deal with bullies and classmates who theorize about the Global Heroes' true identities. And Jo loves using Portal Girl to get to her classes in time.

Papa G, on the other hand, lives an easy-going life in Kid's house and with Tuna by his side. Nonetheless, he has to constantly keep the GH-related stuff a secret from Kid's parents, including Tuna's abbility to talk. There's also one ocassion on which he has to deal as Old Man Many Men with an old lady with whom he had made friends during childhood. The old lady has turned into a giant by a stray cosmic stone and it's up to OMMM to use his clones to hug her and make her return to her senses.

No matter what happens to them or to Earth, the Global Heroes GT are always there to save the day!... At least in their own peculiar ways, that is.

Now, with the plot out of the way, here's a concept art piece I've made of Tuna pulling a Peach/Poochie to summon the Global Heroes. I doodled the cat along with one sandwich on paper, and my sister @elmundodeanalu did all the rest digitally. So, kudos to her. The piece also comes with the English, Japanese and Latin Spanish versions of Tuna's catchphrase, based on the dubs that PPGZ got. I dedicate this to @kadiwright , another Kid Cosmic fan that has made a fanart of Kid transforming into his Global Hero suit in an anime-like way. So, in a way, you can consider my drawing as a companion to Kadi's. Check it out here.

#kid cosmic #kid cosmic fanart #powerpuff girls z #craig mccracken #the powerpuff girls #anime screenshot #tuna sandwich #stuck chuck #rosa kid cosmic #jo kid cosmic #papa g #kid cosmic and the local heroes #local heroes #global heroes #netflix #netflix animation

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perfectlyjollywombat · 24 days

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productsreviewings · 1 year

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Google's plans for the remainder of this 12 months and past are going to return into sharp focus The corporate has set a date for its annual Google I/O developer convention, the place we count on to see a preview of the subsequent model of Android, together with a number of potential hardware bulletins.All of it begins with Wednesday, Could 10 Google CEO Sundar Pichai introduced the date through Twitter (opens in new tab)After Google's annual on-line puzzle (opens in new tab) Google gave folks an opportunity to seek out out after I/O 2023 is going on forward of the official announcement.Excited to stream this 12 months's #GoogleIO on Could 10, dwell from the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View and dwell on-line at pic.twitter.com/QtNXE6wjl5March 7, 2023see extraThis 12 months, Google I/O will likely be a single-day affair, a change from earlier years after I/O spanned a number of days It sounds just like the occasion will at all times begin with a keynote, and that is the place we'll hear about Google's newest product information and bulletins, together with software program and hardware.Here is extra details about Google I/O 2023, together with occasion particulars in addition to what we'll hear from Pichai and different Google executives throughout the opening keynote.Google I/O 2023: Dates and AreasGoogle I/O 2023 will likely be held on Wednesday, Could 10. That is when Google often holds its developer conferences — final 12 months's version, for instance, was held on Could 11 and Could 12.There will likely be a personal occasion on the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California, a venue simply down the road from Google headquarters. Most individuals will attend just about, although, since Google streams its developer conferences.Google I/O 2023 web site (opens in new tab) An agenda has but to be added, which is able to tell us when the opening keynote is going down. Nevertheless, Tom's Information has acquired an invite to attend Google I/O 2023 in individual — sure, we'll attend — noting that the occasion begins on Could 10 at 1 pm ET/ 10 am PT/ 6 pm BST.As soon as it is posted, the Google I/O 2023 agenda ought to give us a fairly good concept of what to anticipate from this 12 months's occasion. Nevertheless, taking a look at Google's previous bulletins and rumors concerning the firm's present plans, we will already make some educated guesses about what's on faucet.Google I/O 2023: Android 14The most recent model of Android virtually at all times will get a showcase throughout Google I/O, and we won't think about 2023 being any totally different. For this 12 months's present, the main focus will likely be on Android 14, the subsequent model of Google's cellular working system arriving in late summer time.(Picture credit score: Google)The primary developer preview of Android 14 was launched in February, and primarily based on Google's revealed Android 14 timeline, we must always have already got a beta launch by the point Google I/O 2023 rolls round. Nonetheless, the I/O keynote serves as a wonderful platform for alerting folks to an Android new characteristic and enhancement replace.Primarily based on the Android 14 developer preview, we already know that the software program replace provides options like app cloning, which helps you to use an app with totally different sign-in credentials and a visitor profile to make use of telephone apps. Android 14 apparently provides a predictive again gesture that exhibits a preview of the web page you are going again to whenever you swipe and maintain. Google can also be engaged on a extra sturdy photograph picker, a brand new Well being Join app, and expanded recreation controller assist.We'll possible hear about extra Android 14 options from the subsequent developer preview and beta. Google I/O 2023 will likely be our first alternative to place a few of these options to work.Google I/O 2023: Hardware bulletinsWhereas software program is the main focus at Google I/O, Google hasn't been shy about its hardware plans, particularly lately.

It is attainable that it will proceed at Google I/O 2023 if solely to take care of a number of the lingering gadgets previewed final 12 months.Google Pixel Pill: Google truly previewed this Android pill on the 2023 version of Google I/O that it'll ship someday in 2023. We're three months into the brand new 12 months, and there is nonetheless no signal of a pill or any indication of how a lot it would price. The Pixel pill may come full circle by releasing effectively in time for Google I/O 2023, assuming the pill is not in line for a later-year launch.(Picture credit score: Google through YouTube)At any time when it seems, the Pixel pill seems set to supply a ten.95-inch show with a Tensor chipset powering the engine. There may be additionally some discuss of a stylus delivery with the Pixel pill.Pixel 7a: The unique Pixel 3a debuted at Google I/O final 12 months, and Google teased the summer time launch of the Pixel 6a final 12 months on the 2023 developer convention. With the Pixel 7a anticipated to return out across the identical time-frame because the 6a, a Google I/O 2023 preview is not out of the query.The spotlight of the Pixel 7a may be a show with a 90Hz refresh price, although we're unsure if Google will wish to save that functionality for its common Pixel flagship. Talking of which, the Pixel 7 received a sneak peak throughout Google I/O 2023, so some Google I/O 2023 would not be misplaced for the Pixel 8 to launch earlier than the autumn.Pixel Fold: Google has had precedents for showcasing different hardware that we have talked about to this point. A foldable telephone could be unprecedented as a result of it is one thing Google has by no means revealed. Nevertheless, many rumor mongers declare that Google goes to do exactly that — whereas not even spreading rumors that the Pixel Fold has been delayed and even canceled.(Picture credit score: OnLeaks/Howtoisolve)To this point, although, the Pixel Fold is claimed to be a go. It will likely be a telephone that opens to disclose a bigger display just like the Galaxy Z Fold 4 At the least one Google watcher thinks the gadget will get a preview at Google I/O this spring earlier than launching later within the 12 months. It will definitely give builders an opportunity to check out Google's foldable telephone and maybe encourage them to develop apps that benefit from the additional display actual property.Google I/O 2023 OutlookSince we solely received a date for Google I/O 2023, we count on extra particulars concerning the convention to return within the coming weeks. The convention agenda will go a good distance towards serving to set expectations for what Google might need in retailer for us Keep tuned.

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64bitgamer · 2 years

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pannimanagement3 · 2 years

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Software Program Selection For Cannabis Corporations

Table 54- Additional example crosses to be performed for THCV traces. Table 30 outlines the results of the phenotypic analysis. Selected strains will be designated as Specialty Cannabis Varieties. Other opposed results together with tachycardia, nervousness sage x3 marijuana, memory effects, etc. Average Internodes - Intemodes had been counted at plant maturity at 120 days. Are spirals of individual foxtails that type a 'coral' wanting construction.

I've by no means seen it before on one thing without the feathery trying buds. The grey space on the last two photos look to me like part of the bud that's simply starting to blanch. It nearly appears like the work of mildew, and there is a lot of plant material growing in a good area, but I've looked fairly intently, and I do not assume it is. Although I even have noticed buds which might be obscured from intense light or just further away will not develop the blanching, or it will be far slower to happen since they're not being blasted by intense mild. Combine that with buds which might be too close to the light, and you will get chlorophyll being damaged down at a more intense fee, resulting in extra yellow and brown pigments showing by way of. I all the time change them off if I am working on the crops.

Our Green crack pressure has a robust odor during the flowering process. The Green Crack strain does nicely in heat, dry climates. The perfect sage x3 marijuana harvest time is across the finish of September when 75-80% of the pistils modified their shade from white to brown / orange.

An present variety, such as a recreational hashish plant variety). 6.8%, 7%, 7.2%, 7.4%, 7.6%, 7.8%, or 8% based mostly on dry weight of inflorescence. Detection (GC-FID) and calculated based mostly on dry weight of the Fl inflorescence. From the cannabis sage x3 marijuana plant, plant part, tissue, or cell of the present invention. FID, and calculated based mostly on dry weight of the inflorescence. FID and calculated based mostly on dry weight of the inflorescence.

Inappropriate sampling have resulted in erroneous knowledge for several varieties. Forms in the injector of the GC is an inherent part of the analytical method. Donor plant, the offspring vegetation have the expression cassette. In some embodiments, full chromosomes of the donor plant are transferred. Transformation could be bodily, chemical and/or organic. Performance for early ripening varieties throughout long seasons.

Green Crack is a descendant and a cross between the genetics of the Afghani clone and the 1989 SSSC Skunk # 1 developed by the Super Sativa Seed Club. An absolutely unique strain that enjoys worldwide popularity. Then learn on, view the evaluations and buy our Green Crack feminized seeds. ●[Increase Yield&Crop Quality in Led Grow] Newest SMD Led know-how provide the very best Par/Lumen output, makes you get 30% larger yield examine old led lights, can stand up to 2.5g/watt yied. Looking at the leaves overlaying the iron clip from a distance is nonetheless gummy cbd 450 mg the identical, there isn't any must intentionally go there.

#software management

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bitbrain · 3 years

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The menu music from the Tron-inspired mobile game LightBike 2. Extracted from the APK.

#bit's stuff #music #lightbike #lightbike 2 #pankaku inc #pankaku inc.#old iphone #mobile games #nostalgia #again by inspired i mean lightcycles clone #with some additions but a clone nonetheless

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madagaskarka · 3 years

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Ok but if Rex is in Bad Batch, maybe there Ahsoka would be near him as well...I wanna see them together so bad.

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saikolikes · 3 years

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I couldn’t stand Aloy at the beginning of HFW, understood why, and then changed my mind

I put this on twt back when I was about to reach Plainsong for the first time and now that I finished HFW I wanted to expand on it and share thoughts in a place that doesn’t force me to screenshot an iPhone note in order to write more than 300 characters.

For context, this is re: my first impression of Aloy in Horizon Forbidden West, which was… not positive, to put it kindly.

In the first game, Aloy was quite the plain character. They are now selling her as some otherworldly complex character but the truth is, she’s not particularly deep and is, in fact, very simple. Which is good! To me, Horizon Zero Dawn works because it’s hella fun to play, and despite its writing, plot, characters, and general narrative being very average (with sparks of actually, genuinely good ideas), the game has been very enjoyable because it’s suggestive and, to a certain extent, comfy to be in. At least for me.

With this I don’t mean to say the first game is bad, but given its premises, I think that there are plenty of themes that aren’t properly flashed out and we only see the surface of it (the most blatant one being the nature of Aloy and her relationship with Elizabet. Who in the world discovers they’re a clone of a person long dead and doesn’t have a reaction?). They often seemed to pick the most straightforward option and didn’t delve deeper into how the characters feel about something: Aloy spends the first game searching for answers about who she is, and when she finds them she simply accepts them. Which is okay but, as I was saying, it’s also the most simple and straightforward path, which excludes other possible additional conflict that could bring depth to her character (what would’ve happened if she didn’t like the idea of being born only to serve a greater mission? What would’ve happened if she didn’t want to have yet other expectations on her shoulders about how she’s supposed to act and what person she should be?).

But I’m digressing. All of the above is meant to say that, dispite everything, I still liked the first game very much and I don’t think every piece of meadia has to be a speculative masterpiece to be good and valid.

The reason why I liked Aloy in ZD so much is because she’s independent, smart, and capable without being the stereotypical strong female character. She doesn’t put other women down in order to shine, and they don’t make her look better because she is a certain way while other women don’t; she’s definitely not a pick me, full of “I’m not like other girls” rhetoric. She... simply is. Hers is not the quest for emancipation, but a simpler (and more powerful) research on her birthright. She’s just striving to find the answers about who she is and why she’s come into this world, which is pretty universal, BUT she’s also a woman with certain qualities (that have nothing to do with her look) and certain personal traits. She’s allowed snarky comments and witty comebacks, she’s allowed a deep resentments towards the Nora, she’s allowed not understanding the first thing about romance as a concept because of how she grew up, and there’s nothing wrong with that. All while being, as I said, a not-particularly deep character. And she worked well in her story nonetheless! And, imo, this makes her a very good example of representation: she’s simple, but valid.

The first thing I noticed in HFW is that Aloy almost seemed OOC to me. She’s very confrontational, much more than in ZD; she doesn’t have time for anyone’s shit, and has no problems hurting her allies’ feelings or playing the bully if this means getting what she needs in a shorter time. She’s so independent that, to me, it almost felt forced that she so strongly rejects any outside help.

She wasn’t particularly likeable.

And then I realised: why should she?

She doesn’t have to be likeable. She has to save everyone’s asses before a plague or worse, immortal superhumans with shields destroy what remains of the planet, damn it!

And this opened three topics in my head:

1. Guerrilla writers have put their best effort into making her a more real and complex character. She has blatant flaws. So I shifted perspective and tried to see those flaws as the start of a journey. And boy, do Guerrilla writers delivered: the journey started with her very casually death-threatening whoever opposed her, with her sneaking away during the night in order to avoid Varl or Erend getting involved, and endend with her, at the Base, saying to each one of her allies: “I’m glad you are here, with me. Thank you for joining.”

2. She’s grown up as an Outcast. For the most part of her life, the only experience with socialisation have been Rost, and the Nora who shunned her. Perfectly makes sense she’s not top of her class in human relationships and is extremely socially awkward and not particularly attentive nor respectful of people’s feelings. See: the whole deal about her leaving without notice shortly after the battle for Meridiana, because she had an important mission to achieve, and this also rightfully hurt those who care about her. Still, she had Rost while Beta had no one, and I really liked that they pointed this out because, in the end, in his own way, in a way that even Varl can’t comprehend, he made a difference.

3. And most important. Women often have this problem of competence and leadership being looked down as bossing and bitching. Women have to be likeable, all the time. They’re not allowed snarky comments, they’re not allowed strong decisions; they always have to be polite. Even if they’re angry, even if the situation is catastrophic. To me, it’s very, very important that Aloy isn’t likeable, especially at first, when she’s desperate and at her lowest. Because she doesn’t have to. She’s allowed to express anger, or panic; she’s totally allowed to make mistakes and learn from them, even if the game forces her to be the hero. Not because she has to be a bully to win (and certainly her behavior isn’t framed as positive) but because she doesn’t need to annihilate herself and present in a certain way to be valid.

Tl;dr Aloy is fucking irritable at the beginning of HFW and has every right to be. If you absolutely can’t stand her, try to ask yourself: would it be different, if it were a man?

#horizon forbidden west #horizon zero dawn #spoilers #hfw #hfw spoilers #aloy #meta #hfw meta

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lovee-infected · 4 years

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Hello!! Can I request headcanons about gn mc who got sick (with fever or something to the point they can't go to school) and the twst boys decided to visit and take care of them? I've always enjoyed your headcanon! Thank you!!

Riddle Rosehearts

He's got much of a weak immune system himself so he's usually prepared for unexpected situations like this. He knows what to do.

Just lay back against your pillow, do exactly as he says and you'll return to full health in no time

He'd probably be really angry if he finds you out of bed without his permission or spending too much time over your phone and reading books; he insists on you resting and much as possible.

He agrees on being possibly a -bit- over protective but he doesn't mind. If this will do any good at your healing process then he's more than okay with it.

Whenever you tell him to stop over stressing himself because of you he just goes: " Me ? Over stressing? Of course not! If you wish me to be calmer than I already am, then stop playing around and rest well till you get better."

He truly does work his hardest for you while you need him, from takings notes of what has been teached during your absence to spending at least 2 hours a day with you, making sure that nothing goes wrong.

As the strict leader of Heartslabyul, he usually spends most of the day watching over students and checking whether they are doing good at school and exams or not, but for now he cuts back on these responsibilities to take care of you. He may not shout that out loudly, but he always puts you before any other responsibilities he might have. Perhaps he enjoys spending time with you just as much as he enjoys having fresh strawberry tarts.

Trey Clover

You were still trying to catch up with the classes but Trey just knew that it'd be too much. It was him who made you forget about the school and instead, rest in your room.

You are a bit stressed out about not being able to take care of your chores, but thankfully he is there for you. He isn't known as heartslabyul's mother for no reason, make sure that he knows how to caress and pamper you better than anyone else.

Aside checking on you every day and bringing you additional medicines and food, he makes sure to collect notes of everything that is teached during your apsence so you won't have problems catching up with the studies afterwards . No need to mention that his cooking on the other hand is stunning, 5 star chef Trey at your service.

He understands that it might be a bit boring laying down in bed without anyone to talk to, so he often comes to you as you need someone to talk to and also brings you your favorite books to read so you won't get any bored when he can't be there.

He never says a word to make you feel any bad or frustrating about being nursed by him, instead he knows how to motivate you to get better even sooner: " Nursing you is absolutely adorable, but I don't want my dear (y/n) stuck in a bed all day while I'm willing to show you way more exciting things than a just couple of books,"

Cater Diamond

Clones, clones and clones :Time to get to work! The best part with it is that he can always make sure to have at least one of his clones watching over you even if he's busy with school or stuff, not that he lets you know what he's doing though.

You wonder why Cater's staying with you 24/7, as a third year student, isn't he supposed to be like, really busy with studying? Cater assures you that there's nothing to worry about, and it seriously isn't. He can always catch up with everything even his actual self stays all night at yours.

While his use of clones might seem a bit tricky, he still makes sure to provide you with anything you as long as you're sick need and even more: Bringing you roses and chibi, stuffed animals as gifts, along with sweet chill chats whenever you're awake, sending you soft love quotes with a bunches of colorful hearts and kisses via text even as he's right beside you, He enjoys how you'll need to look up your messages to see what he texts you allthough he's sitting just a few meters away from you. Aw, the way you blush whenever youlok at your phone, how cute~

Ace Trappola

What's the purpose of going to school when he does not understand a single word of it while his mind is all stuck on you? What are doing now? Are you fine? Does your chest Still hurt? Has your pain gotten any worse? Is there someone with you right now? What if you need help??

He's about to lose his mind, he tries asking someone free to check on you but there doesn't seem to be such a person available at the moment. 'That's it , I'll go on my own'

With the help of the year gang ( Jack, Deuce and Epel) he fakes breaking his leg during a PE session and yeets off the school for an entire week. YES!

He is moving to your place for a couple of days and Deuce will cover up for him whenever someone asks where Ace is.

Ace just knows that you're sick, he isn't sure of the exact name or type of your illness. On his way to yours, he fills a bag with anything he finds at Heartslabyul's cabinets with any title as -medicine- for you. He'll later look for the right one you need between them.

When you get to look into what he has brought, you aren't sure if he's kidding or not and when you ask, Ace realizes that he's really goofed up: what he actually brought was nothing else than animal medicines, and he he literally brought you each and every of them existing in Heartslabyul; how come didn't he see the pets/only label-??

You're lucky that you already have your medicines prepared, so you tell him not to worry about it. He feels so damn embarrassed wanting to melt into earth right now, but you have to admit he really lifted up your mood. You're happy to have your cute, Crabby-haired idiot besides you while you're sick, and he tries his best to help you with cooking and making sure of you taking your right medicines on time to make up for the mess he made on his first day:" Ehehe...at least...you can use some of them when Grim gets sick, right ?"

Deuce Spade

He really wants to stay there taking care of you but... he has to go to school as well. He has to get much higher grades this semester if he doesn't want to have to spend another year as a first year.

He can't skip any of classes, but promises to spend the rest of his day after school.

He rushes with his school uniform still on to your place, not wanting to be even a second late . He has to carry some casual clothes along with his books since he wants to stay over nights if you need him.

Due to get getting in trouble a lot back at the time, he's rather educated in medical field so he knows much and less of what he'll need to do as you're sick?

His cooking isn't something he can rely on so he goes to Trey, telling that he needs some soup for Ace since he seems to be looking a bit sick lately?

He prepares your food, brings you warm towels, repeatedly checks your body temperature and when you're finally asleep, gets to his own studies. He ends up Having fewer than 3 hours of night sleep multiplr times and once, he didn't get any sleep at all.

He tries his hardest to look his best in front of you so you won't notice how terrible he actually is; when you question the bags under his eyes, he claims them to be left from the mascara which a couple of guys put on him a few days ago for fun and consistently laughs. Damn, this boy doesn't even know how to lie huh? He is literally dying, but he won't tell you a word. He can handle worse...

When you finally return to full health you realize how terrible he's been doing lately and you take rule of his nurse this time. Making sure that your cinnamon roll would finally get some sleep.

Leona Kingscholar

"My room, now". You look way too terrible to be able to make it to the classes therefore he has to make sure that you won't do anything stupid while you need to be taking some rest.

Bringing you to his own room wasn't his main intention since he just wanted to keep an eye on you but couldn't afford to visit you everyday if you didn't live any close to him so, easiest solution to the problem would be you staying with him.

He lets you use his bed but keeps on reminding you that it's just because you're sick so you better not be expecting such things to ever happen again. He would fall asleep in less than a minute at whatever he lays his head on, so sleeping on the ground isn't as hard as it seems. He just had to make sure that you would't step on him or his tail when you walk out of the bed.

He can ask Ruggie to nurse you and all, but decides to do most of your stuff on his own because it'd be a lot worse if Ruggie too gets sick. Sharing the same room with you has already put him on a pretty high infection risk so, that wouldn't really matter if he's the one nursing you or not. He doesn't really mind getting sick either, a free chance to take some days off school and chill; why not ?

He turns out to be pretty good with board games and there's no need to worry about getting bored while you can go for 100+ chess matches with Leona winning you each and every time; a bit ironic, but entertraining nonetheless.

He's actually really enjoying spending time with you, but isn't really expressing it. The only time when he actually shows some direct affection is when he plants secret kisses on your forehead as you're asleep.

Ruggie Bucchi

He has grown up in an awfully poor family with multiple siblings, so he's pretty familiar to the pain of seeing those you hold dear sick .He has turned into a not only responsible but also supportive boy toward friends and family, so you can make sure that he can take the best care of you while you're sick.

Perhaps his only problem is...Leona. He'd need Ruggie around even during school time and the hyena boy can't even have a full 30 minutes away from him which makes it impossible for Ruggie to take his time checking on you at least once a day.

Well, he has to find a way to babysit both of you at the same time so, -Let's take you to his own room-

Great ! He no longer needs to worry now that he can take care of you both. Leona too agrees on you staying at his as long as you don't cause any trouble.

Poor Ruggie has to sleep on the floor but assure you that he rarely gets to be the one sleeping on bed back in the home so, he is kinda used to sleeping on the cold ground.

He knows how to cook? Much and and less of it but who cares? He just asks you what you want and returns with it in 30 minutes; guess why: Because he'd just borrow the food from someone else. He doesn't mind his dirty ways indeed, you're sick so, you're more important than some dude wanting to chill on his food during lunchtime.

He just takes a list of medicines you may need and returns with all of them in his bag. He has to come at the right time on his own every time you have to take any of them since you'd most likely either fall asleep or forget to take them on time.

Enjoy your time with him, because it's gonna be a real luxury. He'd treat you nothing less than the way he treats Leona as he's sick so, you may consider yourself a part of a royal family at his service.

Jack Howl

Fluffy tsundere wolf is ready to give up on all he's got for you, what on earth might be sweeter than this ?

The moment, no, the second he realizes that you're not feeling well, Jack would immediately take you to the nurse office to see if you're. It's such a relief that it isn't thst serious, all you need to do is to take some rest.

Meanwhile you're resting in bed, he'll do the shopping and asks the kitchen for some soup ( You're sick you can't have too salty or sweet foods like normal cafeteria meals ) He gives up on his own meal to get some for you instead, it's just hunger of course he can handle it.

He feeds you and makes sure that you'll finish your entire meal, reminds you to take your medicines on time, brings you your favorite books to read and, most importantly, listens to... anything you'd ask him for.

He hardly ever lets anyone touch his ears or tail but if it's you, why not? You even fall asleep hugging his tail like a doll and he just patiently waits for you to wake up, blushing as he appreciates how cute you look while asleep.

Damn he has to keep the distance otherwise he as well would end up being sick but, it just seems impossible to say no when you ask for cuddles.

Jack tells you stories of his home town and national legends making your mouth drop in fascination. His stories seem to amaze him just as they amaze you and it makes him unbelievably happy to see you liking things he's been appreciating all over his life.

He even gets to the point of talking about his will to become all mighty and strong just like the magicians he looks up to, especially Leona. Just watching his strength gives you the will to overcome your illness and be at least a bit like Jack; he's really great, isn't he?

Azul Ashengrotto

No no no- Unacceptable! You shouldn't be sick, you shouldn't -get- sick- He told you to watch what you eat and what you wear as it's raining out there - HE TOLD YOU A MILLION TIMES- But now what? You are sick.

Azul panicks, he keeps on exaggerating the whole thing even if it's just a normal cold. He just isn't the type to easily deal with sicknesses. Whenever he catches a cold, it'll take him weeks to return to full health due to how weak his body is and, he's so worried about you being the same.

Soup, warm water bath, Medicines , magic potions to reduce the fever, ultimate revival spells... he showers you in all of them. Even if the virus won't kill you Azul's overprotection will most likely do, and he'll get really mad if you tell him that he's exaggerating it.

When you regain half of your full health, you ask him to let you return to school and- He immediately pits you back in bed: "No leavings, not until you're done with this troublesome fever or whatever."

You feel like an adult forced to stay in a cradle and wear diapers meanwhile Azul thinks that you're too naive to take your health seriously.

When you finally manage to pull him over, you realize how sick and pale he's gotten since you got sick. The bags under his eyes proved that he hasn't been getting much of sleep recently. "God what have you done to yourself-"

You finally tell him that he's the one who needs help , not you. You plant a kiss on his cheek and force his head to your lap, wanting him to get some sleep. He slowly understands that he might've been taking it a bit too seriously, but since you are fine now, he's kinda glad that he took it hard on you. He just wants you to be safe and sound; even if his it's going to cost his own health on the first placd.

Jade Leech

Humans get sick? It's pretty rare of aquatic creatures, especially eels to get sick so Jade's pretty new to this . 'wow , pathetic , aren't humans?' he thinks . Well anyway he can't just stand back and make fun humans while you seem to be in serious pain, but what can he do? He still has a lot to learn about human life and it's his first time having one of them sick, oh man.

Well, they tell that you should get some...rest ? Well maybe he should take you to bed. First step done , let's go for the rest. He blocks several of his classmates in the corners asking for... information. He simply takes notes . Possibly useful medicines and meals, hours of sleeping, allowed activities, useful tips, warnings, etc.

He has to read the list several times to make sure that he's got it all right. Let's nurse (y/n).

He unexpectedly goes from 0 to 100 like bam- bye eel boy hello nurse Leech. He'll turn your room into a hospital room, a good one though, filled with dolls and flowers and anything he was told to add because they send away positive vibes.

His cooking on the other hand is amazing. He'll look for several light meals for sick bodies but- chooses those which match your tastes . You can't help but to love everything he cooks . Chef's kiss.

He changes your bed pillow and cloths everyday, returning with washed, silky pillows and covers . A warm, smooth bed is what you need for a good sleep.

If there was such a status he would've been the god of nursing; wow you would've needed pay him off a lot for his service if he wasn't giving it all to his darling for free.

When you finally regain your health, he just has one more question left to ask before leading you to your daily classes: "Now now dear, would you mind rating me , and my nursing service?"

seem like he's really curious to see whether he's done it correctly or not.

Floyd Leech

Things seem so uncool when you're not as energetic as always , pale skin as if you're choking on lack of oxygen and bizarreness in your movements like a doll, smh, so boring.

Just like Jade, he's pretty new to surface life and watching you bear with illness looks pretty weird in his eyes?

When Jade, finally, informs him on what exactly happens to human body while struggling with an illness and what he must do to you to get rid of this annoying mode, he understands. Floyd still finds human's body shitty for how weak it is but decides to use Jade's words as a guide to deal with you.

A warm bed, fluffy pillows and stuffed animals, these seemed to be enough for step one: Enough of rest and sleep. He can't blame you on this one though, sleeping is always amazing. Something that never gets boring. Everything seems to be pretty fine to begin with, sadly it won't last any longer than a few hours-

He's told to bring you food, but when he returns with 4 bags filled with chocolate, candy, soda and chips; it's obvious that he didn't get the point correctly. Jade explains that your body is still way to weak for too salty or sweet foods, even highly cooked meals would worsen your immune system and make it take much longer to be healed.

Floyd goes for a second pick up and this time: this time returns with raw potatoes and frozen meat- Raw potatoes and frozen meat-. Well, he just followed everything Jade told him...? Neither too salty nor to sweet, and raw because Jade told him not to bring over-cooked stuff. Even if the virus did you no harm you would've probably died under his food selections if Jade wasn't there to stop him...

While his food choices might be horrible, Floyd's still one of the best mutuals you can have close when you aren't feeling well. With him beside you, giggling and chuckling as he rambles on how boring his day was, you've got to admit that you'd rarely feel sick when he's around. Although you're sick at the moment, nothing seems to have changed between the two of you, he enjoys spending time with you now just as much as he enjoys it when you're all safe and sound.

Well...maybe he can't be the best nurse you'd get to have , but one thing's for sure: No one can ever make you laugh like he does and, you know what say: Laughter is the best medicine~

Kalim al asim

He can't be any more worried, he stresses out whenver a friend is sick and now, it's not just a friend, it's -you-, one of the dearest and closest ones Kalim had ever had; just how can he keep calm ???

He is being raised under severe health protection and hardly ever catches even a simple cold, several people had taught him strict health routines and he had to follow them all over his life, so he is considerably familiar with ways of overcoming and illness , and that's what he's here for!

Jamil forbids him from cooking since it's too dangerous if he needs to use any knifes, but that wouldn't hold him back from finding enormous food recipes based on your favorite condiments to make your meal more pleasant.

He makes sure to prepare anything you need in a matter of seconds, golden peacock or 5000 camels, doesn't matter ! He's got way more than enough and what use would be better than giving them to you?

He can take care of you on his own, but Jamil insists on Kalim leaving it all to him and stay away from you as much as possible (No need to mention the high risk of infection for Kalim since he's almost sticking to you all the time)

Jamil as well would caress you meanwhile you rest at Scarabia (Right, Kalim proudly brought you there ) and Kalim, makes sure to stay close to you as much as he can, mostly when Jamil isn't around to tell him off- He doesn't want to put Jamil in more trouble but, you are his first priority.

You're bound to your bed, but just having Kalim around brings way more fascinating adventures than what you might get to see out there. His stories really do show you to a whole new world and takes the pain in your lungs and chest way further that your mind could catch . Perhaps Kalim is he one and only who can make your mind fly, even as your body's laying lifelessly in bed.

Jamil Viper

For the first time, someone stressed him out more than Kalim always does. He's always expecting to be scared to death because of him, but because of you? Damn he didn't see this coming.

Depending on what your illness is, he manages to freak out even more or clam himself down to his sane self, but the main point is how he's got to serve you all the best until you're totally safe.

He soon prepares any kind of medicine and chemical you may need and you have to use them all properly, don't even think of rejecting any single one of them otherwise Jamil would force feed you: "Don't be such a baby, you won't get any better unless you have these"

Just like Azul, he might be a bit overprotective with your health since he doesn't even let you leave the bed for more than a few minutes. He insists on you avoiding any sort of activities that may be tiring or heavy to your body.

To be honest, the thought of using his snake whisper on you when you don't behave or ask him to stop being so strict over a simple illness crosses his mind. Luckily, he refuses to use it. You're still his lover that'd be too heartless of him to take advantage of you like this just because you can't see how much he loves you.

He needs to keep the distance, but has to admit that it can be really hard to avoid hugging and kissing all over your face when you're gazing at him with that sweet smile.

Having you close makes Jamil realize how affectionate he actually is: How much he misses the healthy and happy you who he was never in a danger. Well maybe this nursing days gives him a lesson to at least try to have some sweeter time with you while you are all safe and sound - and not tiredly laying in your bed.

Vil Schoenheit

You can consider yourself nothing less than a Prince/ Princess when Vil of all people is caressing you. Your body is still way too weak to have control of anything going on in your life at the moment, and that's how Vil takes control over all of them- all in your life. Which means that you now have to live and do as he wishes.

He will take no effort in turning you into one of the fairest of all students in school (Not that you'll ever reach him though) as long as he can have his eyes over you. His rules are way more than just -beauty- ; just as he can be the all fair and powerful Queen who steps on you, he knows how to play the role of the nurse like a Queen would do~

A royal maiden is only to serve the royal family, so it's time to show how much of a princess /prince you can be in bed. You don't need to worry about your medicines or meals since Vil's always organized and on time with them, not to mention that his cooking too seems to be pretty good. He uses light yet, nutritious recipes that you'd enjoy and you're really surprised because these kinds food don't really look tasty.

Perhaps he just needed an excuse all this time to get this close to you, so he can take care of anything he's been dreaming to do with you all this time. Pedicure and manicure, trying on new fruit masks, resting face and body muscles to have a smoother, cleaner skin, etc.

Your room is a beauty salon at this point and you usually forget that you're actually sick.

He works on not only your physical beauty but also your manners, he doesn't care if you're sick or not . It's the best time to take away your poor manners and habits.

Well the scary Queen has got his own soft spots too; while indirectly giving you beauty lessons, he enjoys teasing you as you sometimes look pretty naive and new to all dos and don'ts of a high-level life like his, and he's more than pleased to teach you: "Pull yourself together , potato."

Rook Hunt

He isn't really into the whole nursing game but- If it's an opportunity to stalk caress and admire you all night, why not?

He is lowkey familiar with the basics so, it isn't supposed to be that difficult to handle . Finding pills and medicines isn't hard either since they can all be found at mister S's shop. ( He would've liked it better if he had to get them from a moster or something, anything more adventurous)

Though he doesn't really like quiet and safe journeys he'd actually appreciate it if it's with you. And of course, he won't let anyone else take advantage. Let it just be with the two of you and all~

He isn't about to hurt or scare you in any sort way; it's true that he just loves it when things get a bit dangerous but, he knows how to manage excitement as well. You want him to be a soft gentleman? Then that's what he's going to be.

Rook would be the softest Rook you could've ever imagined when he plays the nurse. It can't even be called nursing: It's about a passionate lover spending all his time with his darling who isn't feeling well. Even his expressions are taken to a totally different level, the mysterious smile he always puts on is replaced with a worried and, mildly sad gaze that makes your heart melt.

Might sound too dramatic bug he may even sing you to sleep. Sweetest words ever dancing to the rhythm of his unique accent that make your cheeks hurt at trying not to blush. This isn't the only drama he's up to though, even his normal speaking often ends up with your mind drowning in feelings. He won't bother giving you soft kisses on hand and forehead when you don't expect it. He likes surprising you, even if it's in a romantic way.

And...the real Rook, is only out when you're asleep. Sitting on a chair just a few inches away from your bed, a pair of eyes carefully follow the pace of your chest as it rises and falls. He's never tired, a huntsman gets no sleep as long as his prey's close by. Wow, if sweetness is all he needed to approach you, then he should give it a try more often~

Epel Felmier

His first reaction to hearing of you being sick is summarised in :Gasping, Blushing, Questioning, Sad puppy eyes. "It's just a simple fever...right? (Y/n) will soon be better..." , Epel confronts himself. He isn't getting overly emotional, but when it comes to you, he does have a sensitive spot.

At first, it is his anxiety over your health that makes him want to come over to your house to check up on you everyday but , it soon ends up being more serious. What if this is an opportunity to prove his reliability? You'd finally get to see how much of a strong and helpful man he can be. Even as he looks soft.

While Epel's trying his hardesr to seem a tough as possible, you can't help but to adore his cuteness as he is doing his best while you're sick. He bakes you the best of apple pies you've ever had and you have to admit; being sick can't hold you back from enjoying the sweet taste of fresh, caramelized baked apples melting in your mouth.

Growing up to be a country boy, he never really relied on chemicals as a useful cure to any illnesses. He's more into organic ways of helping human body into regaining its lost energy, which can be put as : 1) Healthy food 2) Enough of sleep and rest 3) Lifted up spirits and enough of humor. He'd be really protective over the last option, he wants to make sure that your self-esteem and spirits would be way better than ever

He has to keep the distance, but some small cuddles would not hurt, right? Perhaps some small forehead kisses before bedtime too. He's still pretty uncomfortable with kisses but, since you're sick...that can be counted as an exception.

Idia Shroud

He's been away from humanity for too long; long enough to almost forget that humans get sick. Robots sometimes have their codings crashed or their gears damaged, that's when they'll need an engineer to repair them . How did the cure system work with humans?? He can't really remember. Due to spending time with almost nobody except Ortho (who happens to be a robot) and hardly ever leaving his room and as the result, barely getting sick, Idia is pretty new to human body's metabolism; he isn't sure of what he might be able to do for you. But, humans have something called...immune system, right? Ah something that heals body on its own. Well maybe relying on that would be enough.

He decides to give you some far distance support instead of comimg all way down to your dorm . He can't be any more happier of technology's existence for such cases. Your immune system can heal you on its own, all he've got to do is to send some motivation your way. The summary of most of his extremely motivational texts would be : "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger! Keep it up (y/n)!!👊✨💥" and when you reply telling him how terrible you're feeling he'd just try to look for strongers sentences-

He repeatedly mistakes humans and robots and accidently texts you:" why don't you get someone to repair you?" several times. Then goes to bang his head against the wall realizing how dumb he's acting.

When you get worse he gives up. Maybe those sentences wasn't enough of motivation . Idia really does want to come visit you in person but he seems to be bound to his area. Well at least, Ortho isn't, right? He comes up with a way better idea to program Ortho to take care of you while Idia can't do it himself. He copied hundreds of anatomy, human biology and medicine to Ortho's data list. Well that seems to be enough. He can now cook, wash clothes, brings you your medicines and most importantly, remain by your side all the time as you may need help. Idia puts s small camera on Ortho so he'd be able to watch what's going on as long as you need Ortho's his help. He feels quite guilty for not showing up on his own but- maybe it's just better this way. Coming in person would do no good but him freaking out at not knowing what to do which would end up in making you feel worse. Long distance watch as he controls Ortho around is way better, even if he has to keep his eyes on tablet 24/7. He cuts back on his sleeping to make sure that nothing would go wrong. Even long distance watch seems to be stressful at this point...

He does care about you, a lot, but right now, he's no prepared to show physical affection. Let him show his love through his very own ways, he's just taking baby steps with you <3

Malleus Draconia

"Now now little one, don't give in so easealy. I know you're stronger than this..." Malleus motivates you. You certainly aren't going to die just because of a simple fever but still, wow. Humans -are- truly weak and fragile. He shouldn't really be caring for a mortal being especially if it's a human, but you are an 'exception'; you always are.

He could just leave you to Lilia and Sebek and you would've been under their watch and care 24/7, but he prefers to do this on his own since you are his favorite creature. He doesn't mind seeing how you'd overcome the pain even if it's with a simple cold. He wants to get more of you and your expressions.

He doesn't really have much to do, magic can do it all. All it takes to turn your depressing room into a prince/princess's dreamy bedroom is a twist of a finger. Go on and tell him what you want , you shall have in within a second. "All the best for you, child of man~"

While his significant magic skills are all truly stunning and helpful, his presence on his own seems to be the best part of him nursing you. He is your tsunotarou, afterall~ Not the descendant of Mistress of all Evil but only when it comes to you.

Sometimes he'd make you wish you'd stay in bed forever and ever, all to have him here, by your side. Just to have his soft, slender fingers brushing against your cheek and playing with the tip of your hair.

He does talk, but most of the time being is spent in silence since he doesn't want to bother you if it's hard for you to talk. He may pretend to be busy with something else but it's just to take your mind over the fact that he's watching you all the time. His small gestures are just as sensual as his words. Kisses on forehead, locking his dragon eyes with you , brushing your soft hair with hand as you lay on his shoulder (not that he cares about keeping the distance although you're sick. Your human illnesses are way too weak to do any harm to him, anyway~ )

His favorite time of the day is when you're asleep. You're adorable and lovely all time but, your sleeping pose, it's unimaginably beautiful to him. Watching your calm face empty of any emotion followed by the calm, yet, organized pace in your breathing as your chest falls and rises. He barely gets any sleep during the night, he doesn't need it. Watching you is way more pleasing: "Sweet dreams, my precious little human~"

Lilia Vanrouge

The most experienced, dedicated nurse here. He's been raising many of baby faes and struggling with a young, fireball shooter baby Malleus over the years. Nursing a fragile ill human like you is no more than a warm-up for him.

Chill on your bed and let him take care of everything, from the warm towels to fluffy blankets and pillows. Smooth music playing in your room as you take short naps, plushies and teddy bears around your bed giving you feelings of a newborn baby sleeping in a warm and fancy bed.

That's not all, along with his professional nursing skills, having Lilia himself around would take it all to a whole new level. He is so full of contrasts; Young and old, quite and wild, wise and careless, serious and silly and probably hundreds of other adjectives you can name.

Where else would you find a nurse who'd play you your favorite rock tracks on his guitar in the afternoon while at night, brings you cookies and hot milk to have while listening to his old but -gold- stories before going to sleep?

Lilia has got it all, old, new, calm, wild, and perhaps that's how it's never boring when he's the one you are spending time with. 'Sickness with benefits' to call. But, don't forget his horrible cooking skills.

Better hide some canned food under your pillow to save yourself from starvation when he's not around, refuse to eat his food st any cost (otherwise you'll need another 2 week hospitalized because of food poisoning-)

Make sure to thank your adorable bat nurse when you're back to full health; even if your stomach's still in pain because of his nasty cooking.

Silver

It's...his first time taking care pf someone. He is neither experienced nor educated when it comes to human health... especially because of how he's been living with fairies (who barely get sick) all over his life. The only reliable source for him would be his own memories; how Lilia used to take care fo him when he was a child. There isn't much he can remember but that'd do

Nursing doesn't seem to be that hard when he actually gives it a try - Mostly about you sleeping all day. Wow if sleeping this much is considered to be a symptom of being sick, then Silver himself has to be sick as hell 24/7. He isn't really sure if that's concerning or not

He is doing good since he seems go be pretty responsible and calm toward the whole thing, but don't expect him to be on time.

Silver wants to make sure that you'll take your medicines on time but he often fails to. He oversleeps most of the time and when he's up, he'd panic knowing that you missed your hourly medicine again.

He'd lowkey feel frustrated and useless when he misses stuff because of his sleeping issues, especially when it comes to you. He have to go for a stronger method so, he ends up in using 7 different clocks and alarms to make sure that he won't miss anything anymore; you're sick. He has to do all his best to take care of you. Nobody matters more than you do. Alarm clocks he uses are freaking loud and give him a heart attack whenever he uses them to wake up. Poor guy would need a long sleep when you're better.

He often falls asleep next to your bed after making sure that you are having a peaceful night sleep. He places a goodnight kiss on your forehead lays his head at the bottom of your bed. Who knows, maybe he would dream of you tonight, again.

Sebek Zigvolt

There's no way that you'd ever come close to master Malleus but- he still cares for you, a lot. Perhaps as much as he cares for Malleus although he refuses to confess to it. He is trained and skilled for all possible emergencies so he's all prepared to take the best possible care of you and make sure that you'll return to full health in no time.

He just knows what he is doing and makes sure that things would run smoothly. He is keeping each and every aspect in consideration and can organize everything like no one else can. From your sleeping schedule to light exercises required as you're sick. He insists on you starting to develop a better life style so that you won't end up in bed and lose time like this.

It's nice to have someone keeping the balance of your life when you need it, but when it's Sebek we're talking about, know that he might go a bit -too far- with it. He'd be overly protective and strict while you need a considerable deal of sympathy and softness too since you're sick - He collects notes of everything that was teached while you were sick and brings them to you to study, telling you that it'd be impossible to keep up with the rest of the lessons unless you study them right now, in your bed. And when you complain of it being hard to read and sit due to how weak your body is, he returns with the solution: Audio books (He isn't giving up... deal with it )

Studying isn't your only issue: he's being protective over each and every muscle you move. He'd wake you up early in the morning for a light, morning work out and doesn't let you out of the bed for the rest of the day. Whenever you complain, that's what his answer would be: " Master Lilia has blessed me with these , gloriously impressive lessons he's learned through experiences within his long- lasting life!! I believe in his words from the bottom and there's surely no cure greater than this if he says so" poor boy isn't considering he possibility of Lilia tricking him again at all.

This puppy means good, even if he fails to show it as great as you might be expecting him to. In fact he is just following all that he's told to, meanwhile he's pretty inexperienced and new to it. You may find it a bit unfair but, consider that he would've never gone out of his way to take care of you for plenty of hours everyday if it wasn't for you (Or Malleus-) seeing you sad on its own gives him wet puppy vibes let alone having you sick . He may act like a coward but, it's all because of how much you mean to him.

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rowansparrow · 3 years

Text

By Any Other Name: Chapter Nine (READ WARNINGS)

Summary: After devastating news, Rex and Reader must rush to stop Fives from taking drastic action.

Chapter Rating: Mature

Warnings: There are descriptions of a s*icide attempt in both the italicized sections and non-italicized sections of this chapter. When reblogging this, I ask that you please include a trigger warning in the tags for the safety and comfort of others. Thank you. (If you do not like these themes or these things upset you, DM me and I can give you a quick summary of what happens so you can skip this chapter)

Ships: Rex x Female!Reader, Fives x Female!Reader, Echo x Female!Reader, Clone OC x Female!Reader, other ships tbd.

Tags: #ByAnyOtherName, #BAON

Word Count: 3.3k of pure agony

A/N: Welcome to hell.

As always, bless @fat-zygerrian for being my beta reader!

Comment if you want to be tagged! Reblogs are SO appreciated!

Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight

It hurt. You had not expected it to hurt. After being numb for so long you thought you were beyond feeling, now.

For a brief moment it had succeeded in distracting you. Your grief, your exhaustion, the numbness that had filled your every moment… it all dissipated between one heartbeat and the next as the blood cascaded down your knuckles. The fractured mirror distorted your reflection. A large piece of glass glared back up at you from the basin of the sink. Your blood steadily dripped onto it from where it streamed down your bloodied hands.

The glass had ribboned your hands where you’d struck the mirror, glass jutting painfully from your skin. But all the same, you felt relieved. You could not stand the sight of your own face anymore. Not when Rose wasn’t there behind you, with his beautiful smile and loving eyes.

Picking up the piece of glass from the sink your body sunk down to the ground. You pressed your back weakly against the wall. It would be so easy. So quick. One quick movement and you’d be dead in a matter of minutes..

You absently noted the blood flowing down your arms at an alarming rate. You felt dizzy, cold. You had obviously injured yourself worse than anticipated. Maybe the decision was made for you and now you’d bleed out on your own...

You were still holding the glass in your red hand when you heard the front door open. Dimly, you registered someone calling your name.

You shifted, deciding to lie against the floor instead. The tile cools your hot cheeks and dried some of your tears. The blood from your hands and arms filled the crevices of the tile, inching towards your face.

You’d locked the refresher door. A knock. Someone was calling your name again.

In your feeble state you thought that the voice belonged to Rose. That Rose had come for you. A weak smile pulled the corner of your lips. He’d just come home from his mission. Rose was looking for you. The world grew quiet and dark around you. Cold. But Rose was calling for you. You could feel his hands on you. They were warm. You gasped upon feeling his hot breath against your lips but felt too weak to open your eyes to see him.

“Wake up.” His voice called, barely a whisper.

You let out a soft sound, trying to reach out to him. To reach Rose.

“Wake up.” Muffled, like he was calling to you from far away.

I’m trying, you wanted to tell him. I’m trying, I’m coming, I love you, I’m coming.

The voice grew louder and you suddenly remembered Rose was dead, cold and buried somewhere far, far away. Somewhere you couldn’t reach him. You gripped the glass tighter and the jagged edges dug even deeper into your flesh.

“WAKE UP!!”

Your eyes flew open. The bright light of the bathroom was partially obscured by the face looming overhead. Groaning, you closed your eyes again. Too bright. Too much.

“No, no – dammit all! Keep your eyes open! You’re okay. You’re okay! You’re going to be fine.” Fives was frantic, his voice higher than you had ever heard it before. Wild panic flared in his expression. One arm wrapped around your shoulders as he half-held you in his lap, the other hand pressing roughly against your wrist.

“You’re going to push the glass in deeper!” Echo snarled somewhere to your left. You caught a glimpse of him tearing through his pack, a med-kit strewn open on the floor before him.

“She’s karking bleeding, Echo! Give me a better solution if you have one!”

“Both of you stop arguing.” Kix’s voice echoed from a comm-link on the floor near Fives’ thighs. “Focus or she’s going to bleed out. Where’s the worst of it coming from?”

“Her palms – n-no, her wrist. Her left wrist.. it’s bad.” Fives said, looking you over quickly. “Kriff, she’s ripped to hell, Kix.”

“Go away.” You mumbled, your eyes fluttering shut once more.

“Respectfully, shut up.” Echo replied, focused as he grabbed one of your arms, finding the wounds without glass in them and wrapping them in bacta patches. Your skin burned as the bacta took effect almost immediately.

“Give me the tweezers.” Fives snapped, pulling your other arm up towards him.

“No, your hands are shaking. Focus on keeping her conscious, I’ll handle the glass.” Echo shook his head and you heard him take a steadying breath. “What were you thinking, mesh’la?”

You saw blood – your blood – on Echo’s gloves and Fives’ armor plates. You wondered if Rose had bled when he died too, or if his heart stopped beating instantly.

“You aren’t kriffing dying.” Fives hissed. You hadn’t realized you’d spoken aloud. “Echo? How’s it coming?” He demanded.

“Almost got it.” Echo murmured, his tweezers focused on your hands as he plucked the glass quickly from your skin.

“I’m almost there.” Kix’s voice echoed across the comm-link again. “The Captain is with me.”

“Got it!” Echo was triumphant, flinging the last bit of glass aside and ripping a bandage open with his teeth. He passed a second one to Fives as he wrapped the biggest of your injuries. “This’ll hold until Kix can get a look at her.”

Fives sagged with relief, muttering a prayer to whatever gods were listening before turning his head to the comm-link. “Should we move her?”

“No, keep her still. I’m coming up now.”

You felt Fives’ gloved hand brush against your cheek, clearing away tears you hadn’t realized you’d been crying.

“It’s alright, we’ve got you.” He murmured. “You’re going to be okay.”

You lost count of how many hours you’d stayed curled up on the couch, sobbing against your knees.

When Fives had broken the news about Echo you wanted to scream. You wanted to cry. You wanted to break things, hurt people and wail to the gods; why, why, why would they let this happen again!

But you did none of those things. Instead you took a steadying breath, trying to keep yourself together.

“What can I do?” You whispered. “Fives, what do you need?”

“I don’t… I don’t know.” Fives seemed oddly calm himself. “I think – think I might be in shock, still.”

“Should I call Rex?” The tears were coming but you kept your voice in check. “Do you want me to meet you at the base? I can wait for you right outside the watch posts -.”

“No. I think I need to be around vode for a little bit.” His voice cracked slightly on the Mando’a word and your heart clenched.

“Okay. I’m here, whatever you need.”

“Are you okay on your own?”

Your heart twisted all over again. Fives had just lost his twin and he was still worrying over you.

“I’m okay, don’t worry about me. Fives, I’m so sorry.”

“I – I couldn’t keep him safe.” Fives whispered. “Kriff, I’m the last one. I’m the only one left.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t be the only one left.” He mumbled. “I can’t.”

“Fives? Talk to me.”

He hadn’t responded. Instead letting the call end with the soft click of his communicator. Then you’d finally allowed the tears to flow.

It was the soft knock on your door that finally pulled you from your stupor. With that, you rose to your feet sluggishly, wiping hot tears as the door slid open.

Rex’s expression softened the second he took in your face. “C’mere.” He murmured, stepping into the apartment and pulling you gently into his arms. His armor was uncomfortable, but you tucked your head against his chest nonetheless, finding comfort in his actions.

“How’s he doing?” Rex asked softly, pulling away and wiping at your tears with his gloved hand. “I’m sorry it took so long for me to get over here. I… I came as soon as I could -.”

“Who?” You sniffed, your breathing still a little shaky.

“Fives.” Rex repeated. “Is he in your room?”

“He isn’t – he isn’t here.” You mumbled, taking a slow breath. “He said he wanted to stay with the boys tonight..”

Rex screwed up his face in confusion for a moment. “Okay. Alright, cyar’ika, hang tight.” He guided you back to the couch, settling you against the cushions before heading into your kitchen, talking softly into his comm-link as he went.

“Anybody have eyes on Fives?”

You were too far from him to hear the responses of his men. When Rex returned to you a few moments later with a cup of water, you accepted it gratefully and listened in.

“Negative sir, thought he was dismissed?” Came Hardcase’s response.

“He was. I sent him to Y/Ns’ but he’s not here.” Rex replied, his voice measured.

“He told me he was staying on base.” You repeated.

“I know, little one.” Rex sat a little closer, putting a comforting arm around you. “When we landed, I told him to come straight here and wait for me. I even had Kix file a medical report giving him additional leave.” Rex redirected his attention to his comm. “Kix, have you seen him?”

“Not since you landed, sir. He came by asking for Downers. Said he just wanted to sleep.”

Rex’s expression darkened. “Did you give him any?”

“Negative. Just told him about the medical leave and sent him on his way.”

There was something about the way Rex’s expression tightened, the way in which his jaw was set a little too tense, that made your gut knot.

“Rex?” You asked him quietly.

“Nobody’s seen him anywhere on base?” Rex repeated.

“I can ask around, sir. But I don’t think he’s here.” Jesse said.

“Maybe he went to 79’s? Or the Lounge?” You suggested.

Rex nodded absently though you could tell he was still concerned. Regardless, he focused back on you. “What do you need?” He asked softly. “Have you eaten?”

“I…” You shook your head, unable to stop your next words. “..I need Echo back.”

You knew it didn’t help anyone to say it but you couldn’t stop yourself. Rex squeezed your shoulder gently though his eyes avoided your own.

“I know, cyar’ika. I know.”

“What – what happened?”

Rex sighed, scrubbing a hand down his face. “They blew up our ship.” He said finally. “Echo was.. He was too close.”

You felt the tears start up fresh and you buried your face in your hands. Rex’s hand moved to your back and began a soothing rhythm.

At least it had been quick. Quick and painless, just like Rose -.

Each thought that raced through your brain tumbled over the next, remembering suddenly what you’d been doing before Fives called you.

“Rex,” You lifted your head, swiping at the tears again. “Rex, about – about what happened with -.”

“Hold on.” He cut you off, his communicator beeping at him again as he flicked it on. A little holo-projection appeared before the two of you, a single red blip beeping on the map.

“What is that?” You asked.

“Fives’ location. Er, his armor at least. There are trackers embedded in clone armor, so we can find our people if anyone goes MIA.” Rex answered, distracted, zooming in on the blip. “Looks like he’s right outside the Lounge.”

You frowned and looked a little closer. You recognized the topography, the layouts of the building, the way the blip flickered just slightly off the Lounge itself -.

“Rex.” You murmured. “He isn’t outside the Lounge, he’s above it.” You looked up at him, eyes alit with worry. “He’s on the roof. On the landing platform. I’m sure of it.”

You thought back to his call. The way his voice shook, how unsteady and yet oddly calm his demeanor was. The cadence of his breathing. The fear, the grief, the loss.

“We… We talked before.” You said quietly. “He said he couldn’t be the only one left.”

You had heard stories from your boys. They’d told you about Domino Squad. About how their brotherhood was the only thing that had kept them going through all the loss.

And now Fives was on the roof.

You and Rex both reached the same conclusion. He leapt to his feet, opening your front door and flying down the hall, you hot on his heels. There was no time for hesitance.

“Do you have a speeder?!” Rex shouted over his shoulder. He was darting down the stairs, too impatient to wait for a turbolift.

“Yes!” You shouted back, heart pounding in your chest. You held your communicator in one hand, taking the stairs two at a time as you frantically tried calling Fives. Rex was doing the same thing a few feet in front of you.

His feet hit the ground first, peeling across the hangar bay floor towards the docks. “Which one?!”

“Here!” You shouted back, grabbing your speeder. He swung one leg over and mounted it quickly. You hopped on behind him and held tight to his waist with one arm while your other one kept trying to call Fives. “Fives, pick up!! Answer me!”

A rare Coruscanti thunderstorm peeled across the horizon, rain smacking your face like bullets, despite the bit of cover Rex’s back gave you.

“Kix, how close are you to the Lounge?” Rex shouted into his own communicator, whizzing through traffic as fast as your speeder would go.

“Er, I’m still on base sir, is everything -.”

“Get to the lounge, now!” Rex ordered. “As fast as you can.”

“Yes sir.” Kix knew better than to question the Captain.

Rex gunned it, forcing you to hold on tighter.

You made it to the lounge in record time. Rex forced the speeder into a slide as he came to a stop right by the front doors. He wasted no time, bolting into the club and vaulting over the bar, booking it for the back stairs. You followed a few breaths behind, taking the stairs two at a time and throwing the doors to the roof open.

The rain battered the rooftop, the neon from surrounding buildings reflecting back onto the rain, but you barely noticed the rain. Your eyes were trained on Rex, his hands raised to the level of his shoulders, extended slightly in front of him in surrender. Ahead of him, gripping the railing of the loading dock with one hand and a blaster pistol in the other, was Fives.

Even from a distance, you could see the wild look in Fives’ eyes. It was easy to see the state of manic desperation he was experiencing. The rain and wind whipped around him, the old dock groaning and jerking in the storm.

“Get down from there!” You shouted, starting to move towards him. It was then that you realized the blaster pistol in his hand was trained on Rex. Then as you took a step forward, it moved to you instead.

“DON’T KARKING MOVE!” Fives shouted. Lightning cracked behind him, briefly illuminating all three of you.

Rex shifted immediately, pushing you behind his back with one hand and keeping the other extended. “Easy, soldier.” He called, blinking away the rain on his lashes. “Come down off that thing. Let’s talk, alright?”

“I’m not going to talk to you about a kriffin’ thing!” Fives shouted back, switching the blaster back to Rex. Whether it was rain or tears on his face, you couldn’t be sure. You thought it might have been both. “You made me leave him!”

“He was gone, Fives!” Rex said, shaking his head. “You know that.”

“No! Y-you left him to die!” Fives’ voice broke, the blaster shaking in his grip. His hair clung to his forehead as the rain continued its barrage against him.

Fives gripped the blaster tighter and straightened up slightly to square his shoulders. “I’m done taking orders.” He snarled. “I’m not going to be a pawn anymore! Not to you, not to anyone else.”

“Fives,” Rex warned and took another step forward. Fives pulled the blaster towards himself, driving it up under his chin instead.

“I can’t do this, sir.” He whimpered, pressing the barrel against his jaw. “I can’t.” His voice cracked as he spoke.

“Fives, think about what you’re doing!” Rex shouted, stepping forward again. “Stop!”

“I wish it had been you.” Fives gritted out, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Alright!” Rex threw his hands in the air again. “Alright, be angry at me! Hate me all you want, I can handle that! But don’t punish her like this.”

Fives looked at you for just a moment. His dark eyes swirled with a pained melancholy that broke your heart. HIs posture seemed to dip inwards. Rex continued.

“You get to be angry at me. Gods know I’d be angry too.” Rex called, inching closer to the platform. “But she’s right here, Fives. She’s watching you. Don’t make her watch this. This is between you and me, yeah? Don’t bring her into this.”

Fives hesitated.

You inched around Rex, keeping your hands outstretched in front of you like Rex had been doing, reaching for Fives. “It’s okay.” You said, your own tears streaking your cheeks as you edged onto the platform with him. “It’s okay. Let’s just go home, okay? We can go home, Fives. We can just go home.”

You realized he was shaking, his breathing ragged as tears and rain soaked his face. He crumbled in on himself, the blaster lowering just slightly as you cupped his cheeks in your hands.

“Come on. Put it down. Let’s go home.”

Fives leaned into your touch and gripped the gun tighter.

“It’s not home anymore.”

He brought the blaster back under his chin and closed his eyes.

“Fives, don’t!!”

Your scream was lost in the sound of the thunder, wind whipping the platform once again and knocking you and Fives off-balance. His blaster went off, the stray bolt sailing up into the dark sky instead of into his head as the platform creaked dangerously. The sudden jolt forced Fives to his knees and the blaster clattered out of his hand. The metal dipped, the platform dropping at a sharp angle, threatening to fall entirely. You landed in a roll, tumbling down the slippery metal, your hands scrambling for purchase as the platform went out from under you. You heard Rex shout your name and a beat later a hand was on your bicep, hauling you off the ground and shoving you back towards the stable ground of the roof.

You connected with the hard plastoid of Rex’s armor, Fives scrambling off the platform right behind you as the entire thing collapsed moments after you’d landed on the roof. You listened to the groan of metal as it broke away from the rooftop, descending from the sky until it clattered against the ground below. The sound reverberated across the buildings around you.

For a while the three of you were frozen in place, squinting through the rain at the empty space where the landing platform had occupied only moments ago.

“Sir!” Kix’s voice echoed from the far-end of the rooftop, the medic’s boots skidding through the puddles and coming to a stop beside the three of you. “Are you alright? What the kriff happened?”

“We’re okay.” Rex managed, turning to Fives. The ARC Trooper’s sobs had returned but were reduced to little more than gasping breaths, trying to steady himself in the aftermath of what he’d almost done.

Rex wrapped an arm around both of you, pulling you both against his shoulders and closed his eyes. Relief.

“We’re okay.”

---

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