The Bad Batch: One Shot Collection

To Touch a Dream - Part 2: Full Circle

Author's Note: Hopefully everything and everyone's backgrounds make sense. Feel free to ask if you have any questions! :D

~ Amina Gila

Wrecker is the first person he sees when they leave the room. Wrecker skids to a stop – he must've been running – letting out a panicked gasp. "Hunter! What happened to him?"

"Careful," Anakin cautions, handing him off to Wrecker, who instantly yanks him into a half-hug. Hunter's mind is a little too blurred over and hazy to think about it much, but he'd hug him back if he could, as the sheer relief crashes over him.

Wrecker's fine. He's here, alive, not – Force, he was so worried. "Are you okay?" Hunter asks, anyway, leaning against him. Wrecker's arm wraps around him, sort of holding him upright, and Hunter's pressed up against his side, soaking in his warmth.

"We're gonna be fine," Wrecker tries reassuring, though he's the one who sounds like he's about to panic. Normally, he is, but right now, he knows how badly hurt Hunter is, and he's trying to stay stable for him.

Hunter appreciates that more than he could ever say.

"We have to get outta here," Hunter offers, trying to find the doorway again. There's a... hole in the staircase now? He has no idea how that happened. Doesn't want to know. He also doesn't know how they'll get up there.

He hears distant shooting, and Wrecker backs up.

Anakin turns back towards one of the other doorways in the room, the part that Hunter can feel the cold in, eyes blazing. "Wrecker, get him out," he orders.

"Where're you going?" he asks, rebalancing Hunter slightly. Moving hurts. Standing hurts, but they need to get out before worrying about anything else.

"To end this."

He stalks towards the darkness, and the shooting is coming closer now.

It's Tech that Hunter sees first, backing away from what's presumably the spirit-thing, and Crosshair's a few steps behind.

Anakin moves forwards, and the thing stops advancing just in the shadow of darkness. For a moment, they just stare at each other, and then, the spirit hisses faintly, dangerously.

Anakin stands unmoving until it lunges, and he reaches out, catching it with the same unseen force that the spirit was using. The Force – right. That – it's hard to remember that's real sometimes. Hunter's never seen it in action.

He catches it, and the air feels... burning and energy, like it's vibrating. It's getting warmer.

The creature struggles against it, but Anakin holds fast, and the misty-edges grow inwards as if it's being ripped apart. An orange glow starts spreading across it in jagged lines, like it's burning, until it vanishes altogether, crumbling to dust.

"What the heck was that?" Wrecker yelps.

Hunter certainly has no idea.

He just wants to go to bed.

Something's changed, though. The darkness is fading, though the dimness of the room hasn't changed at all. Hunter has no idea what to make of this, but he'll worry about it when they get out.

Crosshair is the first to move, twisting around and approaching. He's limping slightly, and Hunter hardly has the sense of mind to be worried about that. Crosshair's still wearing his helmet, and he doesn't look visibly injured, which at least eases something inside him a little. If he's fine, they can get out, and... deal with this. Make sense of this, because right now, nothing really... makes any sense.