The Bad Batch: One Shot Collection

Page Down - Part 2

Author's Note: This... was originally going to be the ending, but it's pretty open, so we're planning to do a third part at some point. It's not been written yet, though, so I don't know when we'll post it.

~ Amina Gila 

Crosshair knew it would come to this eventually, if Hunter continued being stubborn as he was afraid he'd be, and refused to come back to the Empire.

He warned him. He tried. Both he and Wrecker did, but there was nothing they could do if Hunter didn't listen, and he's angry. He's angry at Hunter for leaving them, for not staying with the Empire, for taking them apart, for not coming back when he asked him to.

And still, none of that is something he can dwell on, no matter how many times he tries telling himself that this was Hunter's choice and there's nothing he could do, no matter how true he knows it is.

Rampart agreed that Crosshair could try getting the others to join them again, and he knows what's going to happen if it doesn't work. If Hunter won't join the Empire, then his orders are going to change.

If Hunter does tell them how to find Echo and Tech, Crosshair... doesn't know if they'll come back, either. He's hurt and furious that Hunter let things get this far, that he put them into this situation, but he doesn't want to kill them. And he doesn't know if they'll have a choice, either.

They did everything they could. They tried, and Crosshair was hoping that Echo and Tech's presences would be enough to make Hunter cooperate, but Wrecker ruined that chance. If – he doesn't know what's happening to Hunter anymore. He and Wrecker were sent elsewhere, and... Hunter is being imprisoned somewhere, and Crosshair doesn't know details.

He doesn't know what's happening to him. All he does know is that with how far it's been, the chance Hunter had to join the Empire is past. Death might've been his choice, but Crosshair doesn't like it any more than he did previously.

He just wants him back.

He doesn't want him dead, even if he wants to hurt him.

(He already did, though. Seeing Hunter struggling while Wrecker strangled him, and seeing him cry was far more gutting than it was satisfying.)

Wrecker and Crosshair are... in their room right now, not even attempting to sleep. He can hear Wrecker rolling around non-stop, and being stuck sharing a room with a bunch of other people they don't know is slowly driving him crazy.

He wants to strangle every single one of them.

The movement is grating on him even worse than the knowledge that every minute is a countdown to Hunter's practically guaranteed execution.

He pushes himself up, poking Wrecker as he passes him to hide out in the 'fresher so they can just talk. He doesn't want to be alone in his thoughts right now, no matter how angry he is at Wrecker.

"What?" Crosshair demands, turning to face him the moment they're safely alone and out of earshot of the rest of their very annoying squad.

Wrecker's hand wraps around his arm, a bit too tight to be comfortable, but Crosshair doesn't object. "We can't keep doing this."

Crosshair elbows him. Hard. "He was supposed to come back to us," he hisses, "Not to take us with him."

Wrecker looks stung.

At least Wrecker's here. That's more than what Crosshair can say about the others. Crosshair has him, and Hunter – doesn't have anyone right now.

Maybe it's by choice, but it's still a fact.

"He made this choice, Wrecker," Crosshair continues, "Not us."