thehonorablebat | Clone AU (Origins) (Reply)

William met John at fifteen. Both of them new transfers into Academy 142. Both of them coming from private tutors and a secluded home at the top of a skyscraper somewhere in a nameless, faceless city. Their lives ran parallel to one another’s. Parents that acted more like attendants, constant medical checkups, children brought in and designated ‘friends’ to interact with. Humans are social creatures, after all. Isolation does strange thing to them mentally.

And now they were being let out into the wild, so to speak. They attended different classes in the Academy, but something about the other drew them together. William thought it was because they could see a reflection of themselves in the other’s eyes.

They weren’t all that alike, all things considered. John was good at math and organization. William couldn’t do either of those things well. Instead, he saw patterns where few did and was good at riddles. Things that made John scratch his head in confusion. That wasn’t where their differences stopped, it was a long list, and each one mattered less than the next.

William and John were fast friends.

This fact seemed to amuse the Administrator to no end.

“Partners, are you?”

“Yes, sir,” they chimed in unison.

They meant that in more ways than one.

Neither of them would ever dare speak of it, never dare to act on it with all of the cameras cataloguing every action, but what was between them was more than friendship. A fact and feeling that grew with each passing day. It was something they communicated at a distance in silence. They didn’t have psionics, but they felt like they could see each other’s minds clear as day.

With the New Year, they would be eighteen and that meant their graduation was fast approaching. One more test for the both of them. William would become the General they were training him to be, and John an administrator somewhere. Perhaps in an Academy or maybe in supply a warehouse.

The point was that they were never going to see each other again.

Two weeks before the New Year, John glanced at him at lunch and then his eyes darted toward the door. William smiled.

-

There were armed Troopers stationed on the ground floor and turrets on the roof. After that was one big unknown. They would have to get out of the city. The question was how? Running away would probably get them both killed, but neither of them felt like they had much of a life to begin with.

John spent a week scrounging the supplies they would need while William planned their escape.

One week before the New Year, William dodged cameras and broke into the armory where the ADVENT Troopers stored their extra weapons. He stole them both a rifle, retreating back to John’s room undetected so far. They didn’t have a whole lot of time. The makeshift rope ladder was a floor too short, but it would have to do.

“Tuck and roll,” William said.

“I know,” John replied.

They waited, hearts pounding. Anything could go wrong. ADVENT could notice the missing guns or the looped camera that was supposed to be watching them. The bomb might not go off.

Except the bomb did go off. The second it did, John broke the window with the back of his rifle. With only a quick glance outside to make sure no one was watching in the alley below, they tossed the ladder out the side. John went first, if only because he felt he should be the one to test the strength of the ladder.

When they hit the ground, they broke into a run, keeping an eye out for security. It would be better if they tried to act casual, but their Academy uniforms would give them away at only a glance. Not to mention the rifles strapped to their backs.

Everyone was looking at the explosion that had taken out several empty classrooms and the floor of the west side dorms. William had timed it just right. No one should have been hurt. Hopefully.

John took his hand as they slipped away in the opposite direction. Even with the fear that threatened to cloud his mind, a smile found its way to his face. John’s hand was warm.

As they ran, a woman standing on a rooftop watched them go.

They broke into the back of a store to lay low, disabling security in the process. So far so good, but now they had no idea what to do. They huddled together. William leaned in to kiss him for the first time. Even if they were caught. This was worth it.

There was no telling how much time had passed by the time the backdoor to the shop opened. They ducked down amongst the crates, and hoped whoever they were would leave.

“Come on, quick, ADVENT’s three minutes behind me. They’re kicking in every door on this block,” a woman whispered.

“Who are you?” John asked, lifting his head up to look at her.

She snorted.

“If you two value freedom at all, you’ll get your asses into gear. We ain’t got time for Q&A.”

They looked at each other, before rising to follow the woman. What choice did they have?

“Great,” she tossed them both a jacket to cover their uniforms and led them out of the backroom, “call me Rabbit. Nice stunt with the bomb. You had them running around like idiots looking for XCOM or something. Gum?”

Rabbit didn’t appear concerned about being overheard. They saw why when the exited the store. The street was alive with sirens and people rushing to get back inside their homes. ADVENT had issued a snap curfew. She broke into a run with the crowd, both of them quick to race after her.

They made it three blocks before they encountered an ADVENT patrol exiting an apartment building. Rabbit pulled them into cover behind an advertisement for a new perfume. She checked her watch.

William peered around their cover just long enough to see a Captain orders her group to move in their direction. He pulled his rifle closer. He knew how to fire one in theory…

Above them was the roar of engines coming in fast. The Captain pointed at the incoming craft and the troopers opened fire, only to stop when about a half ton of steel dropped onto them.

“It’s a me, Mario,” the robot said. A sniper opened fire from the back of the Skyranger. Between them and the robot, the Troopers didn’t really stand a chance.

“You boys are lucky the Avenger ain’t far from here,” Rabbit said. “You wouldn’t have gotten this treatment otherwise.”

“It was either this or sit and watch the grass grown for hours. I’ve done enough of that for a lifetime,” the robot said.

“Up you go.” Rabbit pushed them over. “The other patrols will have heard that.”

“What about you?” John asked.

“Rabbits can take care of themselves.” She grinned at them as the sniper dropped lines down to them.

Job here done, the robot shot up to the craft on rockets. They clipped the lines to their belts and let themselves be tugged up. The sniper helped them get seated as the back of the Skyranger closed.

“So,” the sniper said, lighting a cigarette, “you want the recruitment spiel now or later?”

The robot snorted.

-

William and John both signed on. There wasn’t much else they could do. The Resistance would have turned them loose in a settlement, but what then? And there was no guarantee ADVENT wouldn’t catch them. No, the Avenger was the safest place for them…oddly enough.

John volunteered in the AWC, just helping with the administrative part of it at first. Then Montoya offered to teach him first aid. Now he was a Specialist in training with his very own GREMLIN that hovered over his shoulder. John—late at night in the cozy hideaway they had made among the emergency supply crates—had named it Willy just to see the exasperated look he knew William would give him.

They were both thrown into C-Team, who was usually only sent on minor operations. Like overseeing supply pick-ups and missions helping out around the Havens. William had taken to the sniper rifle like a fish to water. He liked being high up, where he could see everyone and make quick tactical decisions. Somewhere, in the back of his head, he still remembered he was supposed to be a General. Not a grunt sniper.

He wasn’t a fan of the Resistance, but he could see John was happy. In a way, that made it all worthwhile. William would do a lot worse just to see him smile.

-

ADVENT had always kept them in healthy shape. Calisthenics was a requirement every morning, but it wasn’t quite the same as being combat ready. The endurance training the Resistance put them through every time they landed for several hours was hell. The combat training was another matter.

They liked sparring together. John was straightforward and no nonsense with his moves, while William favored subterfuge and misdirection. If John didn’t manage to take William down in the opening moves, then it tended to be an interesting match.

As William wrestled John to the mat, the Central Officer walked in. They had never seen any of the command staff in person yet. Central took one look at them and paled like he saw a ghost.

John surrendered, and William let him up.

Central left the Guerilla Tactics School as quick as he came.

At dinner that day, Dr. Winters informed John he was to report to Tygan for a check up. John wore a resigned expression William recognized. They had both been through so many examines in their life it wasn’t even worth arguing against it anymore. William watched him leave the table, a bad feeling in his gut.

After a minute, William returned his tray and followed.

He wouldn’t be allowed inside, he knew that, but maybe he could find a vent…or…or…something.

William tried getting off on the deck the science lab was on, only to run right into a man wearing a uniform with the commander’s symbol on it.

“Sir.” He snapped a salute as the Commander joined him in the elevator, the door shutting behind him.

“At ease, Squaddie.” He pressed a button that would take him to Resistance Comms and the Workshop. “Where were you headed? Not the labs, I should think.”

Soldiers weren’t allowed in the labs unless invited.

“Just stretching my legs,” William answered. “We’ve been cooped up in the ship for awhile.”

“We? Oh, yes, I’ve heard you and Squaddie Ford get along well together.” The Commander smiled, not bothering to hide his amusement.

“Yes, sir.” William stared straight ahead.

“The two of you came from an ADVENT Academy didn’t you?” he asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“Partners, are you?”

He looked to his left to find the Commander examining him like he was the first of a news species to be discovered.

“Yes, sir.”

“Hm.”

The Commander removed his gaze from him, allowing William to breath a sigh of relief. He hoped the Commander hadn’t noticed.

“What did you study at the Academy, if you don’t mind me asking?” the Commander asked.

“They were training me to be a General,” Williams said, he couldn’t help the pride that accompanied those words.

The Commander cast him a bland look.

“ADVENT doesn’t use generals.” The elevator doors opened. “And this is my stop. Enjoy your walk, Squaddie.”

William stared after him.

By the time he got back to the Labs, it was John who met him in the elevator.

“You weren’t going to try to sneak in there, were you?” he asked. John reached for his hand, entwining their fingers together.

“That was fast,” William said, leaning closer to him without realizing it.

“He just drew a blood sample and did a quick scan. Nothing major,” John said. He kissed his cheek. “What were you worried about?”

“I don’t know. I just…have a feeling,” was all Williams said.

John didn’t reply, he just moved to wrap his arm around him, pulling him close.

William liked Jay Winters. The Psi Op understood his reservations about the Resistance, had felt all of them himself when he first joined up. Those reservations were gone now. William supposed he should take that as a sign they were doing the right thing, but he couldn’t help his caution.

“Can I ask you something?” William asked, handing Jay the tape.

“I should’ve known you didn’t offer to help without an ulterior motive.” They were at the weaponsmith bench in the armory, he had caught Jay doing routine maintenance on everyone’s weapons. “Ask away.”

“Does ADVENT employ Generals?”

Jay glanced at him.

“Human ones? No. They don’t have any use for them.” He put the shotgun he was working on down, so he could gesture with his hands while he explained. “It’s all down to the Psi Network. The Troopers get their orders instantly through there. As best as the eggheads can tell, all signals go back to one source. So you got a lot of mindless drones and queen bee. We all figure that’s got to be an Elder.”

“Oh.” William felt numb. He handed Jay a cloth as he picked up the shotgun once again.

“Answer your question?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s wrong?” John asked, pulling him closer. “Something’s been bothering you.”

They were in bed, the privacy curtains closed around them.

William sucked in a breath and moved to rest his head against John’s chest.

“Nothing’s wrong,” William whispered. “I’m just glad we left the Academy, is all.”

“You are? I know you aren’t on board with the Resistance and I know you sometimes miss the stability-“

William shook his head.

“There’s nowhere in the world I would rather be.”

John ran fingers through his hair.

“I’m glad to hear that, but are you sure you aren’t upset?”

William nodded.

“Because this all started after my checkup,” John said. “And you spent a lot of time looking at that old photo of Central in the bar today.”

A sigh escaped William. John had put the pieces together too. So much for keeping it under wraps.

“I saw the Commander, the other day. I had the weirdest feeling I had seen him before. I almost couldn’t place it at first,” John said, hammering the point home.

“Okay, I’m a little upset,” William admitted.

“Montoya showed me the results of my blood test,” John said.

William’s eyes narrowed.

“Why would he do that?”

“I asked for it,” John shrugged. “I said I had a right to see my own file, and he agreed since the Commander hadn’t classified it.”

‘He didn’t?’

“What did it say?” William asked.

“That I’m Central Officer Bradford,” John said.

The Commander and Central always took dinner in private, but they had breakfast in the galley. Lunch too, if they could find the time.

William picked up his tray and turned to survey the room. He spotted them at their usual table. William clenched his jaw and went over. John stopped following him when he registered his destination, but followed in the end.

“…saw them play in Vegas-ah, good morning, Squaddie, Corporal.” The Commander nodded to each of them.

“Good mornings, sirs.” William sat down a seat away, his courage draining at the amusement dancing in the Commander’s eyes. He wasn’t about to back down, though. It was too late for that.

Central peered at them both in silence as he chewed a piece of toast. If William weren’t quite so nervous, John and Central’s mirrored expressions would have made him laugh. It was the same pinched brow and ever-so-slight frown.

“Everything is well, I hope.” The Commander took a sip of coffee.

“Actually, sir, I was hoping to discuss the possibility of switching specialties,” William said.

The Commander set his mug down with the utmost care.

“Oh?”

“I think my speed and skill with remaining concealed even while enemies are alert would be better served among the Rangers,” William said, feeling bolder now that he started talking.

“He’s good with a sword, sir,” John volunteered. “Even Colonel Kelly said so.”

“It’s an unusual request, Squaddie, but if you can get Kelly and Thomas Winters to vouch for you, then I will consider it.”

“Thank you, sir.” He counted it as a small victory.

“And you, Corporal? I hear you’ve been excelling in your hacking lessons,” the Commander said. Central raised a brow.

“I’m good with numbers, sir, and once you’ve got your script, all you have to do is babysit it while it runs.”

The Commander smiled like he was holding back a laugh. The bastard was getting a kick out of them. William wanted to punch him in his dumb face.

“Something you want to say to me, Squaddie?” The Commander asked, turning to look him in his glare head on. Central and John lowered their forks, ready to intervene at a moments notice.

“Just trying to remember what the punishment is for assaulting a superior officer, sir.” William grabbed his tray and left the table. John cast them both a helpless look before following.

As they left they heard the Commander say, “I almost forgot how much of a little punk I was.”

“Was?” Central said.

The Commander’s laughter followed them out of the room.

-

John returned to their hideaway with a case of beer. They each took a bottle without a word, huddling together under a blanket.

“Everyone in the barracks is using your sudden absence as a chance to play poker without losing everything they own to you,” John said after several long minutes.

William rotated the bottle in his hands, examining the label just for something to do.

“I’m happy here,” John said. “I like the work. I think…I think the Resistance is doing the right thing.”

William nodded. They were shown the footage the Resistance had of ADVENTs darker activities, the stuff that was kept from the public’s eye. The Resistance wasn’t wrong, but William just wasn’t sure he would stick around if it was just him.

“I ran into Tygan on the way here. He started going on about studies conducted about nurture and nature and environmental influences,” he continued.

“Yeah?” William said to let John know he was listening. There was just a lot in his head right now.

“Yeah. He said being a clone means our brain patterns are the same as the people we were copied from, but the experiences we had as children really shape us into who we are. There’s no way we could be the exact same as them. We would’ve had to have grown up exactly as they did with the exact people influencing them, influencing us…I think that was all Tygan’s way of trying to be comforting.”

“Did it work?” William asked. For him, that was just more stuff to think about.

“A bit,” John said, looking at him. He pressed a kiss to William’s temple, lingered there. “All we can do is keep going. Be who we’re going to be.”

William smiled. He couldn’t help it. John’s optimism had a way of affecting him.

-

John tackled William into the water. His laughing scream echoed across the beach, cutting off when they submerged.

The Commander had given them all some down time after a nasty ADVENT retaliation against Freedom Point. The soldiers could see the Commander sitting with Central further up the beach with fishing poles.

“Funny, isn’t it?” Weir cast his line and sat down, bracing the pole against a convenient set of rocks. Neither of them really expected to catch anything, but the activity was a nice way to spend their time. The illusion of productivity.

“Mm?” Central finished putting his bait on his hook before casting his own line out. He settled down beside Weir on the towels they laid out.

“In a school of three hundred students, kept in separate classes, and yet they somehow gravitated towards one another,” Weir said.

Central turned to where John and William were. The pair were just talking, wide smiles on their faces.

“I can believe it,” Central said. “What I don’t get is what ADVENT hoped to gain.”

“It could have been simple curiosity or, more likely, they were hoping to study us.”

“Studying you, I get, but why study me?” he asked.

Weir smiled at him.

“I can think of plenty of reasons.”

“You’re not going to share?”

“What? I thought you were fishing for bass, not compliments,” he joked.

Central snorted and turned away to drink from his canteen. Weir reached out to take his hand. No one of the beach was paying them any mind, and even if they were their relationship was the worst kept secret on the Avenger.

“You, are probably the biggest oddity ADVENT has ever seen.” He twined their hands together. “They never even came close to capturing you, and despite the odds stacked against you, you never stopped looking for me. And I think at some point someone must have realized without you I never would have made it as far as I did.”

Central smiled.

“You think they learned anything useful?” he asked. They both searched out their clones, finding them lying on a blanket together on the other side of the beach, still laughing.

“Who knows,” Weir said aloud, but he knew exactly what the Elders had seen. It was an answer to a question that must have plagued them for twenty years and was all the more pertinent now.

“Why does the Commander fight us when he knows The Truth?”

‘Because John has a heart and a dream,’ Weir thought. ‘I would give him the moon if he asked for it.’

Two weeks before the New Year, John glanced at him at lunch and then his eyes darted toward the door.

‘Will you run with me?’

William smiled.

‘Always.’