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askwenjing · 4 months ago

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Clone X OC Week 2025 ( @clonexocweek ) - Late entry

Future

Author's note: This idea is for a chapter in "What Comes After Spring". The story is post-s3 Bad Batch, and it focuses on the Clone Rebellion and the characters settling down on Pabu after the end of the Clone Rebellion. This chapter shows Crosshair and Chun-Jin making plans for their upcoming wedding. (Tech and Phee are already married in this chapter, and Crosshair never lost his hand because Chun-Jin fought back the CX Troopers)

Rating: SFW

Word count: 708

Warnings: Some flirting, kissing.

Crosshair was busy tapping away his datapad as he sat at the rocks close to the beach. Chun-Jin approached him from behind. “I see you are busy about something,” she remarked with a smile.

“Yes, it’s for our upcoming wedding,” Crosshair replied in a slightly annoyed tone of voice.

“What’s bothering you?” she asked as she took a seat beside him.

He sighed. “I don’t know whether I would want a large wedding,” he explained. “I mean… a large wedding sounds great. It is the day we get to show everyone that we officially become husband and wife. But… I hate interacting with guests.”

“I understand that. But don’t worry, I am sure that my excellent mood during the wedding day would make you less grumpy and more tolerable towards the guests,” she chuckled.

“Hmph, sounds delightful,” he was amused.

Chun-Jin’s eyes fell on Crosshair’s datapad. “Can I see what you have planned?” she questioned. Without hesitation, he handed his datapad to her.

She read through the notes displayed on the screen. “Crosshair, these ideas are similar to Tech and Phee’s wedding months ago,” she commented.

“I know, I am just taking references…” he stated while scratching the back of his head. “I just want our wedding to be perfect!”

Seeing how embarrassed Crosshair was, Chun-Jin gently put down the datapad and held his hand. “Crosshair, our marriage is more important than our wedding day. You don’t have to make it perfect, because all we need is each other,” she reassured him.

Crosshair calmed down and gave her a small smile. Chun-Jin smiled back. “Instead of copying other people’s wedding ceremonies, how about we make our own? I know some interesting wedding traditions from my homeworld that we can include for our wedding,” she suggested.

He cocked an eyebrow at her. “I am listening,” he smirked.

“On Haiekon, there is a wedding tradition called ‘the Door Games’. It is held by the bride’s family and friends, and it is done in front of everyone. The purpose is to test the groom’s loyalty and commitment to the bride.”

“Hmm, sounds like an ego boost to me.” His smirk grew wider upon learning this tradition.

“The bride’s family and friends will usually give three games for the groom to play. The first game is usually a pop quiz to test how well the groom knows his bride. The second game usually makes the groom eat a few food samples with different tastes to show that he is willing to endure the ups and downs of marriage. The third game could be anything, so for you, Crosshair, it would be a sharpshooting test.”

“Well, my shooting hand may not be in the best condition anymore, but my eyes are still as sharp as a vibroblade,” he confidently said as he examined his right hand, which was still shaking slightly.

“Want me to make the game easier for you? They are just games. The bride’s family and friends never take the games seriously as they always intend on letting the groom take the bride,” she suggested, hoping that Crosshair would not be embarrassed if he did not manage to hit the target in the first try.

“Are you kidding me? Make it a challenge for me. Like the hardest challenge for me!” he exclaimed, feeling pumped up. “I will show everyone how much I understand you, and how much I am willing to endure for you, and nothing shall stand in my way to your heart!”

“Okay, but don’t say that I warn you,” she rolled her eyes playfully while crossing her arms.

Crosshair chuckled. He picked up his datapad and started tapping. “I’m adding the Door Games for our wedding day,” he stated with a smile. “It would be great.”

“I’m glad that you think that way,” she replied with a smile too.

He turned to look at her. “I can’t wait to marry you,” he said and planted a quick kiss on her lips.

“For what? So we can finally share a room together?” she teased him with a tilt of her head as she looked at him.

“Heh, it’s more than that,” he corrected her with a smirk.

She smirked back and placed a quick kiss on his cheek.

#clonexocweek2025 #clonexocweek #clonexocweek day 5 #crosshair x oc #sfw #crosshair x chun-jin #the bad batch #tbb #tbb crosshair #the bad batch crosshair #what comes after spring #askwenjing

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alabyte · 1 year ago

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«Promise me»

They knew what the chips were made for. And they knew something was wrong with Crosshair. AU, where Bad Batch were able to escape Kamino in full after Order 66, but the chip issue remained unresolved.

Word count: 1 683 Warnings: angst, implied character death, implied fratricide, severe emotional distress, Tix was trying to cope with S2 finale Together with @heksahela

The ruins of the old, abandoned base rattled with metal, creaked and howled with the damp whistle of the wind, bringing snow into the crevices of the corroded walls. The two sat in the darkness of the flimsy shelter.

— According to my preliminary calculations, we'll be in a more stable condition by the end of this rotation, which means we'll be able to get to the main facility. — Tech's voice sounded almost mundane, echoing off the metal walls and interrupting the crackling of the small fire. — We have to prepare, take the necessary resources and tools, but we'll have to go light. Until then, your helmet needs repairing.

The collapse in the sector they were exploring took them by surprise and forced them to change their mission plan on the fly. Hunter, Wrecker, Omega, and Echo, as those who had managed to get out without major injuries, went on a reconnaissance mission. In the snow, they were to find the entrance to the complex they had been unable to reach. And the two of them, injured and frozen, were left here to nurse their wounds. Dislocated joints, broken bones, bruises — at a time when the twins should have been more of a burden and a hindrance to the group, they had nothing to do but wait and replay thoughts that made them anxious, bitter, and almost nauseous. The cold and howling of the blizzard reminded them too much of Kaller.

To Tech's usual monotonous monologue about their plan for the future, the sniper just nodded a few times and stared blankly somewhere in front of him. He looked lost, not even thoughtful — as if he was lost in his own head, aimlessly twisting his helmet in his healthy, unstrapped hand and feeling its surface. There was an impact dent here, a few scratches and chipped paint there, and the visor dangled almost lifelessly somewhere in the mount. Crosshair doesn't immediately notice that his brother has offered (or insisted) on helping to fix it, but then, with some delay, he nods again and passes the helmet into the other man's hands. For a few seconds there is silence in their empty base. It was either embarrassing or oppressive.

— Tech.

One of them almost jerks when the silence is broken by Crosshair's voice. For all his taciturnity, it wasn't hard to notice when his silence became strained, almost tortured — especially considering there had been reasons for it in the last few rotations.

— I need you to promise me something.

Tech looked at his brother expectantly, studying and somewhat concerned, without lifting his head. So much so that he even stopped his repairs.

— I can't promise you anything, — the intelligent clone objected in his usual tone, though it was noticeable how the intonation had changed to a more ingratiating and cautious one, — Not until I know exactly what the request is.

Crosshair's choice of words was painful, difficult, unfamiliar to him. Normally he didn't have to search his own mind to find a clear and often witty answer, but now he needed every fiber of his being that wasn't occupied by the aching pain of the fracture and the swirling pack of thoughts that kept him busy. It was proving more difficult than he would have liked. It was noticeably alarming.

— If something goes wrong, — Sniper's voice was slightly hoarse, as if the words were sticking to the walls of his throat and getting stuck halfway down it. And so it happened — he stopped speaking halfway through, pressed his lips together and frowned, looking down at his feet. He had one last chance to turn this into a joke, to brush it off and pretend he was just worried about their new mission. But he wasn't even worried about going to the surface if they risked not coming back. From the first day he'd learned about the chips, he hadn't been able to escape the idea that he was a wild animal with a faulty shock collar — that he was a danger not so much to himself as to everyone around him.

In general, he didn't care about almost anyone around him. But the thought of any incident affecting his brothers — his family — was devastating. It made him want to bury himself in the snow and never come out.

— Do what needs to be done. — Sniper finally finished his sentence and lifted his gaze to his brother — hard, serious, almost pleading. There was not a shadow of the usual sneer, not a hint of sarcasm or joke to be seen. — Everything that must be done to protect the others.

He rubbed one temple with his fingers, pensive and tense, as if trying to feel the damn chip through his skin, skull and brain membranes. His head hurt more than ever after the crash. He wanted to believe it was a concussion.

— Please.

Tech didn't answer right away. He stared silently into Crosshair's eyes, trying to see a shadow of sarcasm there, or at least his usual sneer. Nothing, just the realization that there was a time bomb in his head and every second could be the last time he would make his own decisions. They had reason to believe that something was wrong. They both realized that.

— I… — He started to speak, but stumbled over his own words, leaving them unspoken. Clone closed his eyes and bowed his head, adjusting his glasses. — I understand why you ask, but I don't agree. We'll take care of the chips. I promise. But I… — It took him a moment to find the right words.

A long time ago, when they were still cadets, Tech had suggested that the squad develop internal protocols for various situations. At first these were situations they had encountered as cadets, then these protocols, which they eventually called plans, evolved into their missions, which they had successfully completed time and time again. They used many plans and solutions that only they understood, but there were also those, just a few, that they hoped never to have to use.

And now, without speaking directly, Crosshair was asking him, in case he lost control, to turn to something that none of the squad ever wanted to think about. And to be honest, they didn't have a plan for situations like this, because none of them had even considered the possibility of such events.

— I'll do my best, Crosshair.

The sniper could only wipe his face with his fingers, shaking his head slightly. As much as he wanted to deny it, there was no one else Crosshair could ask. He trusted them all. But he trusted Tech more than anyone, knowing that he wouldn't put fear of loss before saving his brothers.

— Tech, — The words about how they were sure to handle everything made him want to chuckle ironically. It was a necessary self-deception, but so irrational that he couldn't even believe it was Tech who had uttered that line of reasoning, — We're not going to be able to figure it out. We're stuck here.

The truth was bitter but factual. They were stuck on a snowy planet in the ruins of an abandoned base, on the run from the Empire, with almost no supplies and no place to go in this galaxy, and in the mind of at least one of them was a ticking time bomb counting down the rotations, hours, or even minutes until a switch flipped. The switch that would determine whether Crosshair or CT-9904 was with them. Tech fixes his gaze on the osprey mechanism of his brother's helmet, trying to hide in repair from the brutal truth.

— I know you can find a way out of almost any trap, — Sniper shakes his head slightly, nervously fingering the cloth that held his broken forearm around his neck with the fingers of his healthy hand, — but there may be no way out of this one. It's a dead end. We don't know if we have time.

He could trust Tech. He knew he would put the team ahead of emotions or sentimental attachments - even if it had to be done the hard way. Even if it cost someone's life.

— It won't be me anymore anyway, — Cross exhaled, lowering his gaze to the frozen metal floor, — There's no point in feeling sorry for him.

Every second of silence echoed in Tech's mind. They were both silent for as long as it took each of them to find the words to tell the other more in thought than they could say out loud.

Tech couldn't maintain eye contact for long and eventually turned back to Cross' helmet. He disassembled the visor, perhaps held in place only by the Force, repaired it, adjusted it, and put it back on, replacing the mount with a suitable part he had found earlier. He checked the settings once more with the datapad, and only when he was sure that everything was working properly did he hand the helmet back to the sniper with a brief nod. In that nod, a perfectly tiny and imperceptible gesture, was the gravity of acceptance. He had been trusted, and the price of that trust was that he would kill someone who had been at his side all his life, since his earliest days, if circumstances demanded it.

If it's best for everyone. If it suddenly turns out that death for his brother would be a more humane release than being locked in his own head while the blood of his own family is spilled by his own hands.

Crosshair picks up his helmet in silence. Until the others return, the whistling of the blizzard is the only sound that breaks the silence of the shelter, and the sniper utters only one thing:

— Thank you.

It echoes like a blaster shot in the snowy desert at the forgotten compound. It leaves bloody streaks in the snow, scarlet furrows and a scattering of droplets. It remains the last thing Tech ever hears from someone who was once his brother.

The barely audible «thank you» became the unbearable cost of a promise he had to keep.

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I thought it was going to be a couple line note BUT WHATEVER. @clownery-and-fuckery you thought I was bluffing? I wasn't. That's our ultimate Fuck-up AU.

#turn “burying the dead” on for the best immersion effect #had to find those collages for this one #and re-read our RP from last spring #boy was I howling over it. boy was I crying.#crosshair tbb #tech tbb #tbb #the bad batch #they are twins ur honor #batch twins #tech #crosshair #star wars #sw

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