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miz-orque · 2 months

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Long Post

Sooo here's my silly little Monsoon concept in the Cyberpunk universe. This took some time, but I had a lot of fun doing it. You'll find a few things repeated on paper as my thought process was a little all over the place. The notes and layout on the pages may be a little unorganised. What's written on paper is reflected in the text, plus extra.

Yeah, this is longer than I thought lol so it's really appreciated if you do take the time to read it. I think I went a little ham 👀;

Apologies for image quality. I still have yet to get a scanner.

Cyberpunk!Monsoon.

General info

Typically, I would fashion him in: an Edgerunner's jacket (which is generally a mix of military armour and pedestrian materials woven together (this jacket is the Valentinos dual-weave Edgerunner)), simple black yoros and yoru no samurai kicks - the last two items being reminiscent of his ninja design in his canon universe. His utility belt and sais are also kept the same, tho the end of the sai's pommel glows when in use for combat.

He has a multitude of implants and cybernetics which include:

Memory boost - optimises sync between the brain and cyberware. An additional neuro chip implanted in his frontal lobe allows him full control of his unique cybernetic arms, including detaching and reattaching his arms, and control of his hands if they are several metres away when detached.

Self-ice - prevents him from getting a neuro virus.

Kerenzikov boost system - essentially a reflex booster

Custom Kiroshi optics: the Oracle (more details of this later)

(outdated) magnetic segmented cybernetic arms where each segment has a neuro link for full control (more details of this later)

Second heart - if his current heart stops beating, the second one activates.

Adrenal boosters - helps body maintain performance under pressure (in game stats detail less stamina usage when engaging in melee)

Micro rotors - increases attack speed

Adreno-trigger - increases attack speed for several seconds whe entering combat

Synaptic accelerator - a neuroprocessor that regulates hormonal balance during threatening situations (in game time is perceived slower for a few seconds when in combat. This implant can be used repeatedly after a 60 second cool down, but he's not looking to have a fight for longer than a minute)

Sub-dermal armour - exactly as it sounds - armour beneath the skin. He has this installed on his neck, torso, back and legs (before they were replaced)

Proxi-shield - the closer an attacking enemy is, the less damage they deal

Bionic joints (eventually replaced) - support of joints. He had this in his legs.

Dense marrow (eventually replaced) - increased power behind melee attacks. He had this in his legs

Dermal implant of a Tyger Claw tattoo - This implant directly links the user's optical implant to the weapon's system, offering real-time data-tracking of the weapon info - he only has this because he was a member of Tyger Claws for a few years, but he decided to keep it as he found it useful and for sentimental reasons

Fortified ankles (eventually replaced) - allows for greater distance covered when jumping

Iron lungs - is able to take in and utilise more oxygen. This was useful when he had his organic legs. This cybernetic has become rather redundant to him now that he's more metal than meat, tho he finds it useful for when he's smoking, he doesn't cough, however they're due for a cleaning from his habit.

Blood pump - supplies body's cells quickly and efficiently with oxygen - again no longer required. He eventually gets this removed

Further info

In this canon, Monsoon has albinism. His original eyes were replaced at a young age due to his poor vision and he received dermal implants to protect his sensitive skin from UV radiation.

Originally, his cyber optics were designed after his real eyes. These were standard optics that allowed him to see as the average person. The eyes were later replaced with Kiroshi the Oracle optics when he was recognised as a competent attack dog. These new eyes, however, were again based on his real eyes. He did not obtain his custom black and red optics until he joined Tyger Claws

The Oracle line allows the user to detect enemies (even under cover) within 17 m, turrets and cameras within 35 m and explosives and traps within 26 m, as well as 10x optical zoom in. He later got these functions upgraded when he opted to change their appearance. They were eye wateringly expensive.

The cyber threading on his face (the lines) are based on the veins surrounding his eyes in his original MGR concept art.

Likewise, the barcode on his forehead from his original concept, has been repurposed as evidence of being an unfortunate victim of human trafficking. Human trafficking exists across the globe in the Cyberpunk (CP) universe. The barcode that was tattooed on his forehead as a child was produced for the underground market to audit their stock. These markets are also owned by corporations who donate some of the profit made to charities (to look good to the general public), to law makers (for manipulation) and to crime syndicates (as pay).

As previously stated, Monsoon obtained custom black and red Kiroshi optics when he joined Tyger Claws. He thought they looked intimidating and cool. He was 15. And he still stands by this decision in his 40s. The black and red are also based on his MGR concept art.

For the record, Monsoon's unique eyes and visor in his original MGR concept design are some of my favourite things about him. Respectfully, these were omitted as I felt they didn't completely suit the environment I placed him in for this au. Sure, visors exist in CP, and of course there are characters like the Maelstrom group and even River (2077) that have robust optics, however:

Monsoon in this canon doesn't work as a corpo cyborg based in Denver with henchborgs under him; he is the henchborg and he's really fucking good at it

His visor holds his electromagnetic generator. In this canon, he doesn't have the ability to separate his entire body, just his arms. It would be redundant for him to have it unless he wears it for the aesthetics. I'm on team Practical Monsoon here so...

Maelstrom essentially believe in transhumanism. Monsoon does not believe in this (him becoming a cyborg in MGR is a consequence of him not wanting to die) and the glowing eyes would give his position away if he's being stealthy.

I think River's too broke to get a better looking eye lol. Monsoon may not be rolling in it, but at least he can afford eyes that provide wider perioral vision and allows him to blink his eyelids.

I just wanted to show off the emotions in his eyes. Can't do that if he's looking like: ⚫👃⚫ "I luv u"

I've designed him bulbous eyeball connecting visors that help increase his field of vision to act as his CP au visor. (A little on the fence with this)

Regarding his arms, their design is outdated. Further information will be provided later in the post, tho I thought I'd keep this here as this was used as reference for myself.

Ken doll Mons and his bs (backstory obvs)

Born in 2031 in Cambodia, Monsoon grew up in poverty. He was abducted as a young child and sold in the black market to an organised crime syndicate. Originally, he was going to be used as an actor for the growing extreme braindance (XBD) market, however, due to his aggressive and tenacious nature, he was taken to be trained as an attack dog instead.

Mention of a several years' mission is present, but this will be touched upon later. The two images are of Monsoon before and after this mission.

Pre-mission:

Most of his body is organic, tho he has a number of internal implants (as mentioned previously)

As stated, unlike his original canon design, the additional segments are omitted. Due to CP lore, and considering Monsoon's upbringing, he would have succumb to cyberpsychosis ages ago (would have gone on a spree like James Norris in Edgerunners). A super bog standard definition of cyberpsychos is a condition where the person dissociates from society when they have too many implants and not a great support system (if they even have one). (It's a theory that David's support system is the reason why his tolerance for something as extreme as his sandevistan was high). If the chassis was kept, I would have had to abide by this rule; Monsoon at this point would have been a slender version of Adam Smasher. (Not a bad idea, but that's literally what he is in MGR but with MG lore in place). Omitting his chassis meant that there was more freedom to explore the world of CP with Monsoon. Also I wanted to see him in sneakers.

Also, his design wouldn't suit the Night City (NC) environment. In his original canon, he's the only WoD member that isn't wearing a coat. In NC, he would need to be naked to fully utilise his abilities. Not to mention, the city itself being so busy, I feel as if his magnetism would cause some damage to certain technology, if his segments don't catch onto a vehicle or a building or a fellow cyborg's butt. If anything, reference of his original design (torso and legs) would be for cosmetic purposes.

Post-mission:

He lost his pelvis and legs during the mission

As he was out in the desert at the time of this incident, his legs were replaced with robust mechanical legs provided by a nomad ripperdoc.

His legs were later replaced with a sleeker and more modern design. He also got that Mr Studd installed 😉

His cyber legs also include reinforced tendons (can literally double jump/jump great heights), Jenkin's tendons (accelerates sprinting for a few seconds - recovery time is just as quick when he's not sprinting), fortified ankles (jump great distances) and lynx paws (quiet footsteps). These are to mimic some of the attributes he has in his original canon.

His cyber arms are eventually replaced with an upgraded and custom pair.

He has cyberpsychosis. Treatment includes therapy, medication and being around his support system regularly. Of course, due to the nature of his work, slaughter does help relieve the aggression he gets from his psychosis.

After being sold to an organised crime syndicate to become an XBD actor, his aggressive nature had them think he would be better suited as a protector. He was repurposed to become an attack dog. For fun, he was given a pair of sais to train with, tho his mentor was compassionate enough to train him well. Tho he was born in Cambodia and spent his early childhood there, he was migrated to Japan after being sold. He spent the rest of his childhood serving the Yakuza as their favoured attack dog. From 15, he was stationed at Night City, being a body guard for a high ranking Yakuza member, but he decided to join Tyger Claws instead.

Additional notes:

The crime syndicates involved are primarily a mix of Triad and Yakuza members, smaller groups and groups outside of Asia are also involved, taking advantage of the state of Cambodia (it's not great). Particular corps are also involved and it's rumoured the Khmer Rouge may also be poking their noses into this black market (they exist in the CP universe. Like in our real world history, they did have their influence, however they were expelled from Cambodia and ended up ruling over Laos in the turn of the 21st century) in hind sight, Monsoon was pretty lucky

He was sold at the age of five.

The XBD market involves things like murder, torture, sexual assault - basically any instance that involves very extreme negative emotions (and is obvs very illegal). Monsoon would have likely been put up for murder and maybe even have cyberpsychosis induced on him

The Yakuza viewed Monsoon as disposable, but thought to have him at least trained in fighting. When his teacher taught him how to use the sai (which he picked up quickly), the members he often interacted with saw his potential. On the field, Monsoon was aggressive.

He was named Monsoon because he was purchased during the season. The name stuck because of his extreme behaviours: eerily calm when he's not in a fight, frightfully violent when he is.

His first implant were his eyes. The following cybernetics were implanted on him without his knowledge ie he woke up one day with his hand replaced with a cybernetic one lol. He freaked

When he arrived in Night City, he offed the Yakuza member he was meant to protect and joined Tyger Claws swiftly after. It was rumoured that this particular was to be disposed of once a negotiation with affiliate groups was made. Monsoon didn't care and killed him anyway. He's never forgiven them for what they did to him.

Because of his upbringing, he speaks Japanese fluently. Being the favoured attack dog, he wasn't required to learn any additional languages, especially with the advent of the translator, however, he did take up learning English when he learned he was going to visit California for an unknown amount of time. Much to his chagrin of learning the common conversational sentences English, when he arrived at Night City, particularly Japantown, he was disappointed that everyone around him was speaking Japanese. That didn't stop him from actively learning tho. Unfortunately, he doesn't remember much Khmer if at all.

The crummy tattoo dermal implant on his back depicts Reahu, the demon king in Cambodian mythology. It's described to be a head without a body and devours the sun and moon, but because of its lack of body (and therefore stomach), it's a perpetual cycle of devouring these celestial bodies.

His stoic and serious nature proved him to be a valuable member to the Tyger Claw gang, getting some recognition from high ranking members, including a glance or two from the up-and-coming fixer, Wakako Okada. He was given a few private jobs, one of which awarded him his extraordinarily unique magnetic arms at around the age of 18. Tho his peers didn't care for the attention he received, a small group of Tyger Claws grew jealous of him, even denouncing him as a member for being an outsider.

During a mission out, the small group turned on him, disabling his arms and taking advantage of his shock. He did defend himself to the best of his abilities, however, he was outnumbered and beaten to near death. Before completely blacking out, he called Wakako.

Once recovered and his arms repaired, he left Tyger Claws and sought vengeance on those that tried to kill him. No longer a member, he happily attacks any member that so much as looks at him funny.

Additional notes:

His position in the gang would have been pretty much the same in his original canon. He did participate in some drug dealing and trafficking, however he enjoyed fighting the most.

He was out cold for a couple days when he was picked up by Wakako and taken care of by a doctor of her choosing

Monsoon was growing tired of the gang anyway and thought he would be successful if he left. The group that attacked him provided him a really good reason to leave

He wanted to remove the Tyger Claws tattoo on his back, but decided against it as he gave it a new meaning: continuously devouring the clan

It's an exaggeration to say that he attacks any TC member if they look at him funny. He attacks them if they touch him in any way, shape or form.

Despite the fact he was a member for about five years, he has never crossed paths with Jimmy. Jimmy was locked away being a cringe teenager editing edgy braindances and wearing black eyeliner.

Ze arms

Gifted his magnetic arms at 18, adapting to fully cybernetic arms was a challenge, especially with the unique ability to desegment at will. Tho they are rumoured to be of Arasaka make, his provider advised it was from an underground yet promising corporation.

Previous arms

Neural connection between brain, arms and segments.

Powerful electromagnetism, however best performed away from the busier parts of Night City

Electromagnetic generator located in shoulder joint.

Silicone connection inside and outside of elbow.

Upper half of arm matches skin tone. Forearms and hands are black (right) and red (left).

Palm and fingertips padded; sensors are quite sensitive

Range began at 10 metres, but increased to 15 when his arms were repaired

New and current arms

Possess the same elements as the previous arms, but with a sleek design

Arms are completely black apart from the left forearm and hand being red.

Generator hidden in shoulder

Fingertips have highly sensitive sensors

Edge of segments glow red when in use (when he gets his magnet on)

Carbon fibre material

Faster movement

Range is about 30 metres max.

Additional notes:

The arms are quite expensive. He has to visit a reputable doctor that is well educated in electromagnetics and whatever the fuck else his arms possess because they're pretty insane

It took him a good month to get used to using fully cybernetic arms and even long to actually master the use of its magnetic abilities. He would say about a year.

The underground corporation used both Arasaka and Militech to craft the arms. Monsoon's unknowingly a guinea pig, however he does eventually meet the people behind these.

Said people provided him with the new arms

He exclusively uses his magnetic abilities in combat. At least, that's what he says. Monsoon has used his abilities to get something out of reach, get something from another room, and trip Jimmy (when he didn't like him) - now he uses them to pull Jimmy towards him

Sundowner

Monsoon became a solo mercenary after he left Tyger Claws. Mainly working with Wakako, he would sometimes do gigs with other solos. More often than not, he would find himself working alongside this heavyweight merc, Sundowner. At first, he found him to be rather loud and obnoxious, but eventually he found him to be a worthy and competent ally to the point he's glad to see him in his group of mercs.

Additional notes:

They met for the first time during a meeting with a fixer at Tom's Diner. Monsoon mistook him for a patron as Sundowner was chowing down on a burger and commenting loudly about the music. He wasn't particularly excited to learn that he would be working alongside him for this mission

They only ever hang out at bars or eating establishments, and the occasional visit to a braindance club.

Okay, maybe sometimes they visit Dogtown for the thrill and chaos

Monsoon's been to Sundowner's humble abode once for bbq. It's in the Badlands

They once infiltrated a Scavs base because Sundowner thought one of them stole his keys to his truck. They killed them all. They did not find his keys because he suddenly remembered where they were kept.

They once got into a random scuffle with Sixth Street

And the Voodoo Boys

And the Valentinos

And the Animals

And Tyger Claws (Monsoon enjoyed that one)

All started by Sundowner.

Sundowner is gun heavy in this universe, only using Bloodlust when he wants to get messy, but keep his hands clean.

Of course, Sundowner has the Gorilla Arms cybernetic that grants him immense strength as well as the Reinforced Tendons implants

Coming from Alabama, Monsoon's not quite familiar with the terms Sundowner uses that isn't Night City lingo. Sometimes he uses his translator which isn't the most reliable due to Sundowner's accent. He did eventually grow accustomed to his way of speaking

Sundowner most definitely did partake in the Corporate War of 2069.

Sun became a fan of Jimmy's unnecessarily violent XBD edits

The above drawings are of them in their twenties

Legs and mission

The mission

At around 25 years old, Monsoon with Sundowner was given a secret gig by their mysterious fixer. Like most gigs, survival was not guaranteed, however, the payout for this gig was huge if they did survive. This gig involved them and a small group of other mercs, techies and netrunners to travel outside Night City across the country. The mission was so secretive, contact outside anything that did not revolve around the mission was forbidden, this meant that kin were left in the dark about the whereabouts of their loved ones.

The gig proved challenging; some members lost their lives. Monsoon almost lost his life being involved in an incident that had him lose the lower half of his body. He carried out the rest of the mission in a set of robust cybernetic legs that included storage for his stoma bags. The difficulty of this mission did solidify and strengthen his friendship with Sundowner.

After the mission, which ended up lasting five years, and of course receiving his massive payout, Monsoon got himself a new set of legs, a built in bladder, rectum and a Mr Studd (with Jimmy's assistance). He also developed cyberpsychosis which is handled by his medication, therapy sessions and time spent with loved ones.

Additional notes:

The payout was six digits

The mission itself was arduous. Flat lining tended to be the bulk of the mission, tho the men would argue it felt like an underground war. Really, it was corpo shit trying to keep governments outside of their business. Infiltration and assassination proved more difficult than initially thought, especially when theft of technologies was involved

Monsoon did find it difficult to not get in contact with the people he cared about during his gig. He obviously worried about Jimmy the most because he's a danger magnet. He forced him to get the Shock-n-Awe implant as a means of defence, but he also told Jimmy not to wait for him.

Monsoon's lower body was crushed by a massive structure that collapsed after a bomb went off.

He often wrapped cloth tightly around his abdomen to keep his storma attachments extra secure. The last time he didn't have that security, he dookied on Sundowner when he tried to parkour. They still laugh about it.

He lost his legs about two years into the mission

His psychosis developed rather quickly when his legs were swiftly replaced with robust cybernetic legs.

He was fully prepared for Jimmy to have moved on. Much to his surprise, he waited for him and started gaining immense success in his work.

He also learned he became a cat dad

Ze legs and pelvis

His replacement legs right after the accident were standard metal robotic legs that helped him get around, tho it hindered his athletic abilities. He was happy to have them finally replaced with a more competent model. These legs include:

Matching skin tone

Sensors included that allows him to detect pressure, temperature changes and pain

A faux butt with padding

A Mr Studd that acts similarly to a natural penis - of course he misses his real one, but he's glad he can pee out of this one and relieve sexual need. Special sensors in the phallus connected to a specific neural link allows him to feel aroused when stimulated and lead to an eventual climax, of course it's not the same as it once was. His sex drive is also quite low.

Faux testes included for aesthetic purposes - they look and feel almost like the real thing! 😃 A TRT device was considered to be included in his pair, but he opted to take injections whenever he wanted to. He doesn't think the lack of testosterone hinders his abilities to carry out his duties as a merc. Before he changed his legs, he wasn't on testosterone regularly.

Reinforced tendons, Jenkin's tendons and Lynx paws installed

Height increased from 6'2" to 6'5" - he had a high calorie and nutritional diet due to being trained as a fighter, however, that isn't to say he didn't receive painful procedures to increase his height to appear more intimidating

Has replacement organs with sensors

Artificial butthole works fine 👍 (don't lie, you were curious)

He takes rather strong immunoblockers

Additional notes:

Jimmy paid for some of the costs. He insisted.

Recovery was relatively quick, tho he had to take the time to get used to his new legs and make sure sensors worked well.

Jimmy's aware of Monsoon's cyberpsychosis. It kinda turns him on. And he loves to admit it.

....yeah Jimmy did select the junk to be Monsoon's replacement sausage

Khamsin

During a few of his gigs, he had Khamsin as his "wheels guy". His chatter and loud music gets on Monsoon's gears, but Sundowner like Khamsin, plus he's an excellent driver. Most of the time, Monsoon zones out when he's around Khamsin, but with enough drinks, he'll chuckle at a joke or two.

Additional notes:

Khamsin's truck looks better than how I drew it. I'm just bad at drawing vehicles

Khammy also has cybernetic legs

Mons doesn't hate him, but he wouldn't invite him to his place

Sometimes he gets taunt ideas from Khamsin

Mistral

Monsoon has been a well established solo when he met the young and snarky woman who goes by Mistral. Tho she's solo, she also dabbles in netrunning, proving her versatility. At first the two didn't get on so well. She taunted him about being an old fogie, and he retorted her about being a naïve and obnoxious little girl with pink hair, even tho their age difference is approximately 15 years.

Sundowner kept wanting her on the team despite the bickering as the group worked well together and he enjoyed her accent. When the group finally did decide to hang out together at a bar, Monsoon and Mistral bonded over their annoyance with Khamsin and their love for Jimmy. As the two got closer, Mistral gifted Monsoon a couple of sakura hair clips she won at a fair. He invited her to his place to see his cat.

Additional notes

Mistral's married to Courtney lol. Courtney's a corpo, but they hardy spend time together due to their work

Mistral's a fan of Jimmy's XBDs.

She's visited their place multiple times and has designated herself as their cat's aunt

Monsoon loves the hair clips, even tho he doesn't express this out loud

She's a gun user - I'm basing this off her time as a soldier, plus I'm not sure where her lance fits in the CP universe. The geckos would be more like her and Courtney's freak children than her tools

Monsoon does not like her freak children

Weirdly, her and Jimmy became good friends. They text each other on a regular basis

She also hangs out with the two if Courtney's busy with work

She playfully throws things at Monsoon. Monsoon draws on her face when she's netrunning

She came to Night City directly from Algeria. She misses the food there

Fighting

Monsoon's fighting style is more or less identical to the original canon moveset, save for his lack of magnetic segmented legs and torso. When he had his natural legs, he utilised reflex implants to boost speeds and force behind his kicks. Now that he has his cybernetic legs, he's even more dangerous in a fight. He has implants that increase his resistance to hacking. His arms can be disassembled by skilled hackers, a hell of a disadvantage if he's using his sais to attack from a distance. He carries a multitude of grenades with him which includes explosives, EMPs and smoke grenades.

Outfit

Monsoon dresses in kitsch style clothing. His wardrobe consists mainly of vests and short sleeves, and perhaps five pairs of bottoms. As he's often doing gig work (and beating up Tyger Claws), he favours no sleeves for their practically and ease of wear. He does own at least a handful of long sleeve shirts, bombers and hoodies which he wears on special occasions, such as when he doesn't want to use his magnetic abilities.

Additional notes

He owns a couple neokitsch style clothing (clothing that only the wealthy can afford) because Jimmy likes to spoil him. He only ever wears them when he's visiting Embers

Jimmy likes stealing his jackets and hoodies.

Monsoon on occasion wears Jimmy's jacket to feel like a villain - Jimmy doesn't take offence to this.

Monsoon wears his clothes until they fall apart. It annoys Jimmy because he knows he can afford new clothes.

He also hates going clothes shopping with Jimmy

Apartment

His apartment is located in Japantown, Westbrook of Night City. He keeps the apartment clean and free of clutter, the only decorations he has are books/magazines and a dragon statue that holds incense (came with the apartment). Eventually, his apartment transformed into a lively little abode when Jimmy entered his life. After becoming accustomed to the company, the apartment now includes horror movie posters, memory chips dotted everywhere, cute little momentos, cans of Spunky Monkey in the fridge, an additional toothbrush, additional clothes in the wardrobe, sex toys and numerous Polaroid photographs of the two.

Additional notes:

Sometimes they use each other's toothbrush by mistake

He has a plethora of plants. He likes nature. Jimmy's a little freaked out by the plants especially when they touch him

He doesn't smoke in the apartment

#Okay I think I'm done #I have been on this from the first page to the last bit of text for maybe a week and a half/couple of weeks?#I'm not quite sure how to even tag this if I even HAVE a specific tag for this #I'll use my usual tags for now #IT'S A LOOONG post of alt universe fan nonsense. I might even rejig some of the info later down the road if I'm still fixated #I advise you grab a snack #My art #cyberpunk au #mgr monsoon #mgr sundowner #mgr mistral #Mgr Khamsin #cyberpunk 2077 #I'm so tired #👁️👁️#nerd shit

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staycalmandhugaclone · 1 year

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Hello! If you are still taking Bingo requests, would you please consider doing "you're never going to believe this" with Hunter? All I can picture with this is that scene from Community with the guy walking in with the pizza to find utter chaos has broken out. I think it would be great with Doc but please do as you'd like. Thank you! :)

"You're not going to believe this" - CRB

Okay so maybe it was just the topic. Cranked this baby out yesterday, but was too tired to proofread, so yuh get a morning update!

If you're new, this all starts with Touch Starved!

Clone x Reader Bingo!

Warnings: Fighting, broken nose, blood, light medical procedures, mild guilt, bit of sexual tension, reference to bullying

WC: 3,797

“It’s actually been quite the subject of controversy among numerous scientific circles.” Tech didn’t bother looking up from his datapad as he rambled, food untouched on the tray before him as his leg bounced with an eager anticipation that shook the entire bench. “The planet has long been presumed to sustain intelligent life, but, despite several well-supplied scouting expeditions, not so much as a broken piece of pottery has been found to support that theory.”

“We’re not going there to search for new sentient species, Tech.” Echo reminded, words torn between a weary exasperation and the fond smirk touching his lips.

“It would be unwise to rule out the possibility of unknown lifeforms being responsible for the disappearances we are being sent to investigate.” The pilot rebuked, glancing up from the screen with a look of petulant determination that left me biting back a grin. As though only just remembering that we were in the dining hall after his meal happened to enter his line of sight, he absently reached out to take a quick bite of what I hesitated to call ‘pudding’ before returning to his research.

“Are there any other theories on what happened to the last two squads sent down there?” I asked, knowing he’d be only too happy to grant me everything known about our next assignment that was conveniently omitted from the mission report.

“The precious metals they were sent to find are notoriously difficult to detect with long-range scanners and have proven… troublesome in large quantities as their magnetic qualities can impair proximity sensors and even short-range coms.” My lips tensed into a thin line, just managing to refrain from letting my face twist into the fear that threatened to flood my veins with adrenaline, pointedly ignoring Echo’s apologetic cringe.

“So, they crashed.” I stated bluntly.

“Likely, yes.” He answered without hesitation, attention never wavering from whatever document had captured his interest. I drew a deep, slow breath before speaking again.

“Tech.” The crispness with which I called his name immediately pulled his gaze toward me. “I want you to lie to me and promise me you won’t crash the ship.” I stated with neither shame nor apology, carefully emotionless expression unchanged beneath the flash of confusion that stole through him.

“…That seems… counterintuitive…” He objected.

“Yup.” The word left in a quick chirp. I watched his jaw shift, as though testing various responses as his mind worked over what, exactly, I was asking for.

“I,” he started slowly, “am fully aware of the potential dangers, and, as such, will be far better equipped to anticipate and safely navigate any undocumented mineral deposits.” Echo turned purposefully toward his own meal in a vain attempt to hide his smile.

“Thank you, Tech.” He hesitated a moment longer, confusion almost worsened by my routine reply.

Even above the roar of countless soldiers conversing and squabbling about us, the bark of laughter rang with painful clarity. I didn’t try to keep from glancing toward it, but, the instant I saw the slump of Wrecker’s shoulders as he made his way towards us with his second tray of rations, the way his gaze seemed to carefully avoid looking anywhere he might accidentally meet someone’s eyes, sent my heart racing, blood warming beneath a quiet rage.

“Hunter and Crosshair still stuck in tha’ meeting?” He asked, vainly forcing some hint of nonchalance into his voice.

“Yeah; no word yet on when they’ll finish.” Echo answered, offering a sympathetic smile to his brother as the tall clone sat just opposite him at our table.

“It is unlikely”

“What did he say?” Despite the way those words left in a whisper, it was enough to silence Tech instantly. I felt the soft smile settle over my lips as I looked up to find Wrecker chewing nervously on his lip, searching for any excuse to dismiss my concerns. “What did he say, Wrecker?” I asked again in a gentle murmur. He finally gave a dismissive shrug.

“Nothin’, really… jus’ the usual ‘all brawns, no brains’ stuff – wasn’ even that funny.” He tried to brush it off, but he still wouldn’t quite look at me.

“Oh no.” I drawled in some pathetic mockery of remorse as I swatted the remaining half of my bowl of ‘veggie crisps’ onto the floor, “Guess I should get something to clean this up.” I was halfway across the room by the time they recovered enough to react.

“Uh… sh… should we…” Wrecker started, stammering slightly. The table with the man who’d insulted him all turned to me as I approached, each of them sporting some combination of curiosity and haughty excitement, some even blowing kisses. I said nothing as the one I was focused on turned to see what his brothers were staring at, offering no warning as my fist lashed out, driven by the full force of my body coiling behind the strike.

“Yeah – yup. Kriff.” I only vaguely heard the screech of chairs over Echo’s gasped reply as they jumped to their feet, but my focus was locked on the clone before me, on the rush of crimson flooding his lip and slipping between his fingers as he belatedly threw himself to his feet, reaction just slow enough for me to get another hit in. He nearly dodged it, but my knuckles still grazed his brow enough to split the skin.

“Not so clever now, are you?” I snarled, rushing forward in feint to punch him again. He swung his arm up to deflect it, granting me ample opening to slam my forehead into his already ruined nose. I didn’t hear the chorus of shouting around me. Someone grabbed my arms, hauling me back.

“Say it again!” I roared, thrashing in a vain effort to tear myself free, only vaguely noting that the man restraining me wasn’t one of mine. “Say it again! I’ll make sure you have to drink those damn ration bars for the a month!” A quick glance over my shoulder confirmed that Echo, Tech and Wrecker were straining to fight their way through the crowd of regs that swarmed the pathways between tables for a better view.

“Hunter, yuh might… might wanna get down here quick.” Wrecker’s voice carried easily over the deafening cacophony of shouts and jeers booming through the massive room. I couldn’t make out even the deep hum of Hunter’s reply, but nearly chuckled at what Wrecker said next, “Yeah… you’re not gonna believe this…”

The clone I’d struck finally regained his composure and stormed toward me, lips twisted into a scowl as he drew a sharp breath, but I didn’t care to allow him time for whatever attempt at a reprimand he intended. In a single, fluid motion, I careened my head back to crash into the face of the man holding me at the same time as I drove my heel down atop his foot. Caught off-guard by the assault, his hold loosened just enough to throw myself forward, tackling my target to the ground.

The violent huff of air being forced from his lungs was satisfying in a way few things are, but I allowed myself not even a moment’s pause to enjoy it before twisting to wrench his arm up, locking it between my thighs as I jerked his hand toward my chest, straining the elbow with just enough force to draw a bark of pain from him. I knew he was barely fledged, knew he likely wouldn’t even be fit to leave Kamino for several months, and I’d used that knowledge mercilessly. He was cocky and brash, and he was certain to underestimate me. Against a fully trained soldier, I’d have stood no chance, but one hindered by youth and overconfidence…

“Doc! Stand! Down!” Hunter shouted every word, forcing himself through the crowd toward me, and I almost felt some hint of remorse at the anger in his eyes. In the torrent of my own rage, however, I held the foolish soldier for just a moment longer. “Now!” He growled, stalking across those final feet between us. Only then did I notice how near the others were, hands flared, uncertain how best to help as they stared at me in shock.

Finally, I released him, making no move to stand as the clone threw himself clear of me, strained arm held tightly to his chest. Without a word, Hunter grabbed my arm and hauled me to my feet. I didn’t try to fight him as he turned and dragged me from the mess hall.

While our barracks was far from nearby, I was still slightly surprised when he veered away from it toward the hanger. Still, that silence lingered between us through each endless minute. His grip never left my arm, but, the instant we were out of sight of the others, his touch had softened into something I couldn’t bring myself to want to pull away from, allowing him to guide me through the maze of immaculately kept identical hallways, across the open expanse of the nearly empty hanger, and up the ramp into the relative privacy of the Marauder’s cabin.

The instant that ramp closed behind us, shrouding the room in a darkness the emergency lights did little to lessen, the instant we were hidden from wandering eyes, he wrenched me against him, arm locking around my back as his other hand tangled into my hair in a desperate embrace. I could feel the faintest shutter in the deep sigh the escaped him, felt the warmth of his breath flutter atop my scalp sending a flush of gooseflesh across my skin; felt his lips rest lightly atop the crown of my head as he curled subtly around me, and I couldn’t help but freeze.

“Are you okay?” The depth of concern in those whispered words left me staggering. His hand slipped free of my hair to gently cup my cheek, leaning back just enough to meet my gaze. “Are you okay?” he asked again.

“Y… yeah.” I was surprised to find how my voice caught, stammering slightly. “Hunter, I’m… I’m fine.” I tried to reassure him, reaching up to let my fingers trail softly over his wrist in an innate need to offer some manner of comfort in the face of his… what? Fear? Was he afraid?

He let out another deep breath, shoulders sinking as some of the tension coiling through his powerful form began to ease, but he didn’t pull away from me.

“When Wrecker said you’d gotten into a fight with a reg…” He started, trying, failing, to explain, but he didn’t need to say more. I knew what horrors plagued his memories of such things; knew why, even now, such a rift lay between his brothers and most every other clone born of Fett’s DNA.

“Didn’t think you’d find me torturing one in an arm bar?” I offered with a small smile, and he left out a reluctant scoff.

“No.” He admitted quietly, but then he fell back into that silence, jaw tensing as he thought carefully over his words before granting them voice. “You got lucky, Doc… and you know that.” An apology just lingered beneath the unmistakable accusation, and I couldn’t dismiss the way my chest tightened at the truth in his words.

“Yeah.” I whispered, refusing to turn away from him even in the admission of my foolishness because he and I both knew I didn’t regret it. I knew no clone would have killed me under those circumstances; however, one with more experience, one who’d seen the horrors of war and knew not to hesitate… His thumb swept slowly over my cheek, touch barely caressing my skin as though he were worried even that might break me.

With a final sigh, he stepped back, hands dragging against me greedily for those fleeting seconds of contact before turning his gaze toward the aft of the ship.

“Come on.” He murmured, already treading down the hallway. I paused for just a moment before following a few steps behind him. He’d already retrieved my scanner by the time we reached the medbay.

“Your hands.” He explained at my confusion. I glanced down, hands flaring out between us to find the skin atop several knuckles torn and smeared in blood that had long since darkened into a tacky coating already beginning to flake at the edges. Without waiting for me to get over that initial shock, he swept the device over them in search of fractures, and I didn’t need to read the results. The relief that stole through him confirmed little more than soft tissue had been injured.

“I can do that, Hunter.” Even as the claim left my lips, I knew it was useless as he gathered what basic supplies were needed to tend the minor wounds. He merely let out a quiet hum in response, already reaching for my left hand. Resigned, I merely watched in silence as he carefully cleaned away the blood before covering each knuckle in a fine layer of bacta and wrapped them with a precision that spoke of a lifetime of treating this exact injury.

When he let his eyes wander back to mine, he again brought his hand up to slide over my cheek, and I couldn’t dismiss the way my heart jumped, but then he drew a rag up to sweep over my forehead and I was briefly shocked to see the crimson stain the fabric, but then his brows drew together in confusion.

“Did you… You headbutt him?” He asked skeptically, and I couldn’t help the quiet laughter from escaping me. With another scoff, he dragged the cloth once more over my skin to rid the final traces of blood before releasing me.

“They changed the schedule. We’re leaving tonight.” He stated, absently cleaning up the mess of used supplies as he spoke. “Think you can finish restocking by then?” Swallowing back the lingering thrill from his touch, the chill I so wanted to pretend didn’t exist in that very moment he’d turned away from me, I had to tear my gaze away from those powerful hands before I could answer him.

“Yeah, that shouldn’t be a problem.” I replied, finally drawing some motion into my limbs to help him finish up.

“Alright; I’ll go fill the others in. We’ll meet you back here.” He paused after into a single step into the main hall. “No more picking fights.” The weariness in his voice nearly managed to silence my rebuttal. As I drew breath to argue, the hint of a glare that narrowed his eyes proved enough to stifle that final trace of rebellion urging me to justify my actions. Still, I granted myself a short huff of air in an unspoken rebuttal, and the way his shoulders shook beneath a nearly suppressed chuckle left my heart soaring.

The crate beside me was quickly filling up as I loaded it with various goods, mindlessly checking my list every few minutes to keep track of my progress. The sound of the door hissing open didn’t warrant even a fleeting thought. This was one of the main supply stores. It wasn’t uncommon to find numerous people in here at once. Only when that deep voice I’d heard countless times from countless faces breached the stillness of the large, cluttered room did I finally grant them any notice.

“Hey, you got a minute?” The innate openness in my expression as I turned to answer the clone instantly hardened upon recognizing the split eyebrow and freshly broken nose, but he quickly raised his hands in a plea for peace. “I’m not here to fight.” He reassured me quietly. I studied him in silence for a moment longer before letting my gaze soften slightly. I loathed the twinge of guilt that twisted through my chest at the painful swelling plaguing his nose, at the dark bruises stretching up his eyes, and I couldn’t bring myself to simply leave it. With a slow breath, I reached down to close the crate.

“Sit.” It wasn’t quite an order, but neither was it an invitation.

“What?” The word fell from his lips before his mind had fully processed what I’d said, and, without my needing to repeat myself, moved to obey me. Helping myself to the supplies around us, I began with his brow. While it had clearly been granted a rushed cleaning earlier, I addressed it as I would any wound until it was neatly sutured before turning my attention to his nose.

Whatever reason he’d actually sought me out seemed to vanish as he sat frozen beneath my ministrations, eyes just a bit too wide, breath just shy of shallow, pointedly trying to look anywhere but me aside from the accidental glance the left him quickly turning away, cheeks flushing.

“Do you know what chemical you can add to a droid popper to turn it into an incendiary grenade?” I asked without preamble, delicately palpating his nose with my thumb to gauge the severity of the break. The instant his attention shifted, mind flitting between focusing on my voice and thinking over the question itself, I quickly wrenched the cartilage straight, tucking a rag against it to catch the fresh surge of blood before he’d even finished biting back the sharp grunt of pain. I cocked my brow expectantly when he looked back up at me.

“Uh… n… no.” He finally muttered, clearly fighting the urge to grind his teeth.

“Hold this.” I instructed, shifting the cloth slightly. Once his hand replaced mine, I began applying a thick layer of bacta over the inflamed skin.

“Know who does?” I continued as though nothing had happened. I saw the moment understanding swept through him, and he yielded beneath the need to tense his jaw, gaze quickly dropping to the far corner of the floor. “What’s your position in your squad?” His tongue darted out to wet his lips, mind churning in a vain attempt to anticipate why I’d asked.

“Heavy gunner.” He answered, and I was surprised to find his voice free of resentment, to hear a softness in the following silence as he waited for me to speak.

“I assume you’re the only heavy gunner in your batch?” He nodded, glancing almost timidly up at me. “Having that specialty… do you think you make your squad stronger because of it?” There. Before I’d even finished the question, his eyes nearly closed, shoulders falling slightly. He was young and impulsive, but he clearly wasn’t as foolish as I’d initially written him off to be. Even as he reached the conclusion I’d yet to voice, he maintained that quiet, granting me as much time as I wanted to breathe life into some grand meaning.

“Wrecker’s quick thinking and kindness in addition to his strength have saved my life several times during this war.” I continued, carefully applying adhesive strips across the bridge of his nose to stabilize the cartilage while it healed. “If you hurt him again, you’re going to need more than a tube of bacta to patch you up.” I spoke those final words as a simple statement of fact as I stepped away. His head tilted down slightly in a useless attempt to hide the grin he couldn’t quite fight back.

“How’s the elbow?” His gaze flicked back up me to before turning to the joint. He briefly stretched it before answering.

“A bit stiff, but it’ll be fine by morning. That’s not the first time I’ve been caught in one of those.” He explained, and I could hear the smirk still playing with his lips.

“Good.” I chirped, “then get up – I still have work to do.” He didn’t move for a fraction of a second before quickly jumping to his feet.

“Um, I can… I can help.” He offered, “Least I can do since you spent all that time fixing me up.” I nearly turned him away, but I was in a bit of a rush. Just as I began to respond, however, his com chimed with an incoming message. The rueful look that he shot me left me rolling my eyes as I nodded toward the exit dismissively.

“Oh,” He called, pausing halfway through the door. “What chemical is it?” It took a moment for me to realize what he was asking, but then I gave him a halfhearted shrug.

“You’d have to ask him.” I answered. “I have no idea.” His grin fell for barely half a beat before returning with renewed vigor.

“I will.”

Mere seconds after he left, the door slid open once more. Brow hitched, I glanced up expecting to find that same clone returning, but was surprised to see Crosshair stepping into the room just enough to lean back against the wall.

“Flirting with regs, now?” The familiar rasp of his voice held the faintest hint of resentment that almost gave me pause.

“I swear, you’ve got to be the only person I know to mistake ‘threatening’ with ‘flirting’.” I nearly groaned before resuming my task.

“No mistaking his grin…” He retorted, and I could feel the unspoken words sitting like poison in his throat, but he forced himself to remain silent, instead reaching into a pocket to grasp a toothpick.

“Did you just come here to throw accusations around, Crosshair?” I sighed wearily, unwilling to devote the energy into bashing my head against a wall in some futile effort to change his mind.

“Hunter sent me a com; said I should keep an eye on you. Clearly, there was nothing to worry about.” He added, narrowed eyes shifting back to mine as he flicked the sliver of wood over his lips. Returning his glare, I roughly dropped the box of fresh bandages into the crate.

“If you want to be jealous and pouty, go ahead.” I sighed dismissively as I turned away from him. The silence lingered heavily between us, but I refused to grant him the satisfaction of yielding beneath it. When I finally finished my list and hoisted the crate up to lean against my chest, he finally spoke.

“Were you?” I paused midstep at the quiet question, shifting to find him staring blindly at some distant point past my hip.

“Was I what?” I pressed when he offered nothing more.

“Flirting.” I nearly dropped the crate.

“Uh, n… no, Cross.” I answered, cursing the heat crawling up my neck. Without a word, he pushed himself away from the wall and, with just a few long strides, tread towards me. I barely had time to think before he was pulling the box from my grasp and found myself staring dumbly at the broad expanse of his shoulders as he began walking down the hall. Forcing myself to draw a steadying breath, I followed quickly behind him.

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