Work Text:
THIS MOMENT
Sweat beaded across Tech’s forehead as he struggled to differentiate reality from dreams. The bizarre gurgles and clicking sounds of the Infected filled his head, and his injured leg ached fiercely. The Infected were moving quickly, following their trail. He could smell them; their musty fungus and rotting flesh filled his nostrils and churned his stomach; yet, even though his every instinct told him to run, he found himself turning back, just to make sure that the rest of his family was safe.
Wrecker was gone.
The sudden memory of Wrecker attacking him reignited the painful terror within his chest. His skin crawled as he remembered the mindless rage in Wrecker’s eyes. Tech’s military instincts knew how to defend against the assailant who squeezed his throat. He needed to escape, but every fiber of his being - his very soul - prevented him from fighting against his brother. He had blacked out just as Wrecker threw him into a wall, toppling the loose cinder-blocks that had crushed the upper part of his leg. He came to, wracked with pain, only for Wrecker to pursue him again as he desperately clawed his way across the floor.
This is not Wrecker; it can’t be.
Hunter’s shot echoed through Tech’s soul - a single sound that both preserved, and ended, life.
“Tech?” Hunter’s voice whispered gently. “Tech, wake up, it’s just a dream.”
Tech could feel Hunter’s hand gently wiping the sweat from his brow. He opened his eyes to a moonlit evening where they had taken shelter under an ancient oak tree near some unknown forest. He suddenly remembered how his exhausted body had trudged through an overgrown field and inadvertently collapsed under the tree. Hunter must have stopped there for the night because of him.
A flush of shame warmed Tech’s face; a stark contrast to the late-autumn freeze that had descended over the field. A tiny fire, concealed by some strategically placed rocks warmed Omega’s hands, all under the scrutinous eye of Crosshair who had taken the first watch in a nearby tree.
Frustration burned through Tech’s psyche. He knew that he was a liability with his injuries and fatigue. He sat up and averted his gaze, causing the former sergeant to pull back his hand.
“Tech?”
“I’m fine.”
“You were moaning in your sleep.”
Tech grumbled with embarrassment and began tinkering with his pack.
Hunter sighed, reading his brother’s mind. “We were going to stop soon anyway.”
Tech huffed quietly, reaching for his canteen. He greedily gulped down the water, then he paused to gather his thoughts. “Hunter,” he spoke quietly, hoping to be out of Omega’s earshot. “I need you to listen to me.”
Hunter could feel himself shrink with dread, as he already knew what Tech was going to say.
“If the time comes that you need to leave me behind, I want you to-”
“No. Not gonna happen.”
“Hunter-”
“No, Tech. That’s not how this works. We don’t leave our own behind.” Hunter’s voice cracked with the memory of what had already transpired. Hunter swallowed against the lump in his throat, forcefully damming the hot, guilty tears from escaping his burning eyes.
Tech shifted himself closer. “That was not your fault, Hunter,” he whispered, gently resting his hand on his brother’s arm. “Things…happen; things that are entirely out of our control. In the end, nothing matters more than keeping you all safe. If the time comes-”
“No,” Hunter vigorously shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
Tech could feel his stomach sinking against the pain and desperation in Hunter’s voice.
A few minutes of silence hung between them, then Hunter awkwardly gestured at the full moon rising low over the forest, filtering a mellow light over the frosted field. “Look at that. Let’s just enjoy this moment, ok?”
Tech lifted his gaze. The scene was stunningly gorgeous, and its stillness made for a welcome contrast to the ever-present need to run. He inhaled the crisp night air, then he reached into his pack and pulled out the small notebook that he used for sketching his calculations and design plans. He began to sketch the scenery - the jagged lines of the tree branches reaching up to the moon from the forest, the overgrown grasses frozen into fascinating lines and shapes, the massive oak tree that, like him, had also known the world before all of this. He lifted his eyes from his work to find Omega curled against his side and Hunter watching how he moved the pencil over the paper. A small grin formed on his lips and he continued to work on his depiction of the sky’s multitude of brilliant stars.
Reaching into his pack again, Tech pulled out a bit of adhesive, then flipped through the notebook, allowing a press-dried leaf to fall into his lap. He held it up for the others to see. “Wrecker gave this to me, to start building back the nature collection I had to leave behind.” Tech adhered the leaf to his sketch in the place where the three of them were sitting underneath the oak tree. He then used a blade to neatly detach the page from the notebook and handed it to Hunter.
Omega looked confused. “Tech, what about Wrecker’s leaf?”
Tech’s eyes filled with warmth. “It’s alright, I will find more leaves come spring. I want Hunter to have this one.”
Hunter’s hand inadvertently trembled as he took the page. Something deep within his psyche knew that the likelihood of Tech collecting any leaves was growing smaller with each day they pushed on at this wicked pace.
Tech gave him a knowing nod, his eyes conveying an inner peace concerning whatever circumstance may come for him. “It’s going to be alright,” he spoke quietly.
Hunter glanced at Omega, her eyes wide with perception but not quite able to pinpoint the specific underlying message; then, for her sake, he agreed. “Yeah, with a little more rest, your leg will be as good as new.”
He looked up at Crosshair in the nearby tree, who nodded in return. The sniper had been listening to their entire conversation, and he signed to Hunter, “We’ll keep Tech safe, don’t worry. Try to get some rest.”
After carefully stowing the artwork in his pack, Hunter gently tugged Tech closer, “Thank you for the sketch.”
“Hunter, you know that I do not often speak in terms of raw sentiment, especially when I know for certain that the sentiment is already understood, but, I need to say…I love you.”
Hunter brushed back the tears that had begun to spill down his cheek. “I know. I love you too, Tech.” He pulled his brother into a hug and kissed the top of his head. Tech leaned into his brother’s embrace.
Eventually, Hunter guided Tech back down to get some rest. Omega curled up against Tech’s chest and Hunter crawled up behind her to sandwich their warmth. He pulled a blanket over the three of them then glanced up at Crosshair, wishing him a quiet watch.
The sniper gave him a subtle nod. His eyes flashed with his fierce desire to protect, then he returned his hawk-like gaze to scanning the frozen wilderness.