Chapter Text
Omega has dealt with many a kidnapper in her sheltered, short life. In fact, she’d gotten pretty used to it. When the whole world’s out to get you, and every day might be your last, you better know how to hide. While nat-borns were being taught the importance of sharing, Omega learned to muffle her breaths. While children played tag with their classmates, she mastered the art of laying low. She learned how to duck and weave, how to smother her fears when the situation called for it. She learned to survive, but never to actually live. The constant, foreboding threat of being captured robbed her of adolescence and snuffed out any child-like joy she somehow mustered. With the erasure of her childhood, Omega saw the world for what it really is: a cruel, lawless wasteland where honor holds no worth. It bred a deficit of trust, a flimsy line of defense against the millions of sights trained on her. To put it simply, Omega guarded her trust with an iron grip, as much as it guarded her. Many have tried to snag her with false promises of friendship, and many have failed. Yet, for the first time in her life, she considered her pursuer’s proposal.
Her time with the batch only solidified her fear of strangers, Hunter being especially adamant she avoid them like the plague. She remembers him sitting her down for a talk, and insisted she’d never, never trust anyone outside the batch. Despite her youthful appearance, Omega was’t naive. Well, maybe a bit, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t understand the importance of being cautious. She already agreed with Hunter’s lesson, but repeated flings with the empire only hammered the point home. After he nearly died at the hands of Fennec Shand, Omega was glued to his side. They were practically joined at the hip, and as she grew closer with the batch, she shrunk away from the rest of the galaxy. There was no need to rely on others when her brothers were all she needed. That's why her current predicament is putting her in such a tight spot. Literally.
After giving that man a free piercing, she’d bolted from the establishment. Forefeet striking the ground, Omega rushed outside, eyes frantically scanning for a hiding spot. A smile graced her features once she spotted one. Behind a horde of dumpsters lay a crevice carved out of brick, blanketed in the shadows and just large enough for her to squeeze in. She wasted no time crawling through, trying, and failing to block out the odor of week-old food scraps and still-wet cleaning rags. She paid no mind to gravel which sanded her arms and knees, nor the lack of elbowroom, not unlike a coffin. All the while, Omega was acutely aware of the scuffle back at the bar. She could hear yelling, some from the men, some from that lady, but she’d not looked back once. Being on the run meant her own survival came first. Hunter insisted.
By the time Omega managed to turn her body to face the opening, she could hear feet hitting pavement. Each step struck fear into her heart; she could feel her chest constrict with unease as it pumps blood throughout her body, preparing her to fight, or run. Yet, neither would occur. All she could do was hold her breath.
“Kid? You can come out now!” The voice sounded less than a block away and it was getting closer. She backed herself up against the crevice until her feet hit the back wall. “Y'know, I had a little talk with those two,” A pause. It seemed like they were waiting for an answer, but Omega knew better not to respond. She knows what happens when she tries to trust anyone outside the batch. "and they said they're neeever gonna hurt you again.” Yeah, absolutely not. This person sounded creepier than the two guys who found her at the bar.
Suddenly, the tip-tap of the stranger’s footsteps stopped. Omega saw the toe of her boots point towards her and her heart dropped. They approached her hiding spot, crouched low. “Hey, kid?” Omega held her breath. “Kid?” The voice questioned. “Kid.” They were getting…annoyed? Angry, sure. Nefarious? Absolutely. But annoyed? Now this was unexpected. Was this just a game to them? Were they toying with her? What if-
“I know you’re in there.” Oh. Lovely. So this was it, this is how she dies, back to the wall behind a line of dumpsters. She’d never see the batch again, alone and-
“I’m not gonna hurt you, but you need to get outta there. It’s not safe here.” Well this day was just full of surprises.
Omega considered the offer, but quickly rejected it. She wasn’t naive. A loud sigh echoed by the crevice and a loud thud just a moment later. Her heart clutched with fear with the realization that she was going to wait there, presumably for however long it’ll take for Omega to cave. Visions flashed through her mind of dying in this crevice, nothing but bones left for the batch to find. Her small hands grasped at the gravel beneath her. The silt buffeted her skin, but it was a sufficient distraction from the situation at hand. Her grip tightened. If they were going to wait here until she starves to death or the galaxy implodes (whichever happens first), then so be it. And so she waited. And so did the stranger. They waited so long, that the pocket of air became stale and unsatisfying, and the light that filtered through the crack was barely visible.
Her resolve had yet to falter, and clearly, neither had the woman’s. Omega was just about to shift to a more comfortable position when their voice cut through the palpable silence.
“You know, I used to be just like you.” The woman’s quiet tone was filled with wistful longing, as if recalling a fond memory. It was barely a whisper, vulnerable, yet open, at the same time. Omega furrowed her brows.
“I don’t just tell this to everyone I meet, so consider yourself lucky.” Considering the situation she was in, “lucky” didn’t seem like the right word. Yet, she listened.
“When I saw your picture, you reminded me of, well, me.” The hunter took a weary breath. “Ain’t it tough running from everything and everyone? Isn’t it awful to be seen as nothing but a trophy or a bounty to fulfill?”
Omega’s breath caught in her throat. It is. It’s tiring not being able to trust anyone. It sucks being sought out just because of who you are. It’s a never ending cycle of fear and frustration, but how would a stranger understand that? Said stranger chuckled humorlessly.
“I’m just going to assume you agreed.” She took a breath. “I’ve been there. But it gets better, believe me. But you’re going to have to trust me and come on out. It ain’t going to get better if you die in a literal hole in the wall.” The thought of a possible friend drew her in, but her survival instincts denied the offer. Omega knew better, but maybe she’d like to hear what she has to say.
“Still not budging, huh? You’re a stubborn one. I used to be like that too. Still am. How about this? I’ll tell you a bit about myself, and we’ll leave this place behind. Deal?” They paused for barely a second. “Well I’m gonna do it anyway. It’s not like we have anything better to do.” Omega stifled a grin. She had a point.