The dream started out with Tech recovering from all that had been done to him. He’s healed physically for the most part but mentally he’s got a long way to go and suffers from severe PTSD.

He woke up in a panic one day. Mentally, he was still CX-2, seeing Hunter and the others as a threat and Omega was his target. He had to bring her to Hemlock.

So he snuck and grabbed a blaster, stunning Omega and ran with her. But the others have noticed by now and are trying to stop him. He shot Wrecker before Hunter and Crosshair could stop him. The shot nearly killed Wrecker.

Fast forward a few hours. Tech was back mentally, in a more stable place of mind. He’s not CX-2 anymore but he remembered what he did and he’s horrified. After he’s told Wrecker would be okay, Tech started spiraling.

He couldn’t handle that he almost killed Wrecker and tried to take Omega again. He’s afraid he’ll do it again and next time he really would kill someone.

In a heartbreaking way, to him, finding a blaster when the others were asleep was another Plan 99. He believed he was a danger to others and couldn’t be trusted.

But Crosshair wasn’t asleep. He was in the same room when Tech put the blaster to his temple, lying down on the other side of the room. He started to jump up, but stopped himself.

One move of Tech’s finger and Tech was gone.

He got up slowly. Tech was silently crying. He felt so much guilt. He was sorry his brothers or Omega or Phee would have to find him this way.

Crosshair said his name quietly and Tech startled. But he didn’t pull the trigger yet. He told him to put the blaster down. Tech only pressed it more to his head.

He told Crosshair he had to do this. He was too much of a threat. I can’t remember what else but then Hunter was sneaking behind Tech. Crosshair noticed him, but his eyes stayed on Tech.

I don’t know how he got there. Maybe he heard Tech switch the blaster from stun to kill and it woke him up or both of Crosshair and Tech’s unusually frantic heartbeats. But he was there. Not far away but not close enough either.

He didn’t dare make a move with Tech still pointing the blaster at his head. So Crosshair tried to talk him down, but it wasn’t working. He told Crosshair he should turn away then closed his eyes and was about to do it.

But Crosshair said, “wait. Let me do it.”

And that stopped Tech. Hunter was just as surprised and confused behind him but Crosshair went on, improvising every word that he thought would make Tech pull the blaster away from his head long enough for Hunter to grab it.

He told Tech to give him the blaster and he would kill him. That he’d been wanting to ever since Tech cut off his hand. As Crosshair is saying these things, Tech debates if Crosshair really meant it or if he’s just lying to get the blaster.

He starts to realize Crosshair was probably lying, but he couldn’t stop wondering if all those things Crosshair had assured him about weren’t true.

How Tech tried to drown him and kill the others, cut off his hand, nearly burned Pabu, taken Omega. He worried what Crosshair was telling him now was true and everything he told Tech about those actions not being his fault were just lies.

Did the others hate him too?

So lost in his thoughts, Tech let the blaster drop down away from his temple. Hunter took the chance. He jumped over to Tech and pushed the blaster away. It hit Tech in the shoulder, but it wasn’t fatal. Tech was writhing in Hunter’s hold trying to get the blaster back.

Crosshair took it and threw it in the ocean. Then he went over where Tech was breaking down in Hunter’s arms. Crosshair said everything he could to tell Tech he didn’t mean it while he tended to his wounded shoulder.

Then I woke up.