Stuck With Me: A Cad Bane Novel

Chapter 29

Warnings: mc is moodswingy asf but i didnt know how else to do this shit, sl*t shaming even tho mc is not a sl*t (fuck that gamorrean tbh),

Word count: 1.3k

 You're as surprised at your words as Cad was. He had just been standing there, growling and griping about how the two of you were going to split up, and a sudden wave of warmth had engulfed you, knocking your heart to its knees as you just stared, stared and stared and stared, because everything had suddenly turned golden; everything had fallen into place. And although you have the feeling that splitting up wasn't the best idea, and you know he suspects that as well, you ignore it because you're too stubborn to turn back and tell him you were wrong. You're trying not to think about how impulsive and stupid you're being, because all you want to do is get back to the Justifier and burrow into the cool embrace of his body entwined with yours. But you're on a job right now, and you need to get it done before you indulge your wants and jump Cad's bones.

It's not that you don't have a strange feeling of unease - if you were in his position, you'd be as hesitant as you; but you have a creeping instinct in the back of your mind telling you that if you separate from Bane, he may actually be safer than you. After all, you're the one who fought Wyrmen Lictor in that arena, and you're the one who disobeyed the Leader of the Kanji.

Shifting into a small, inconspicuous scurrier, you bound along the ground, before deeming it too slow a method of transport and letting your small body melt into the larger form of a Kowakian monkey lizard, a species which is a common sight on the streets of any planet belonging to Hutt Space. Scuttling along a parapet, you launch yourself into the air, catching a clothes line above and swinging forward, carrying on that way, enjoying yourself so much that you almost don't notice the flash of Droskigan Ullus' red skin beneath you. With a jolt, you let go of the line in your small, clawed hands before you can process and drop onto Ullus' back, form melting into a Barabel. Sinking sharp, reptilian teeth into the Jablogian's shoulder, you wrap your tail around her legs to trip her over, letting your weight pin her to the ground. Still, she squirms, and you snarl, grabbing at her left wrist to immobilise her, when you feel an aching prick in your right thigh. Lethargy already shooting through your veins, you glance down to see an empty syringe sticking from your leg, right in the junction where your blaster proof scales meet.

'Enough sedatives in there to knock out even a changeling like you,' she rasps, cackling. 'Take a good look at the sky, now's the last time you'll see the light of day if you don't do what they want.'

─────•~❉᯽❉~•─────

You wake up with a pounding headache. Understandable, if what the Jablogian had said about the dose she had in that syringe was right. Groaning, you flop over, your head grinding uncomfortably against the damp cement floor. Everything seems layered with a film of grime, and your cell is bare, the front half covered by a humming, orange force field. Outside, you glimpse green skin and assume that there's at least one Gamorrean guard posted. You've got enough presence of mind to know that this is the Hutt's work - although you're not sure which clan. Ziro, maybe, because he's the one whose girlfriend apparently lost her necklace. If Cad was here, he would know - and would also probably say something smart about your impulsiveness, but he's not, and you're all alone.

You should have listened to him when he told you not to split up, but you didn't, because of what? You were suddenly overtaken by a dreadful feeling in your gut, accompanied by a wave of hormones and what might be love. You shouldn't have been so impulsive... You realise now that you still have a lot to learn. Never mind that you're part Shi'ido, never mind that you beat Wyrmen Lictor in the Garkata Fighting Arena, you haven't nailed how to hunt bounties, and look where it's landed you.

But at least he's not here with me, you find yourself thinking, and in a way it's true. You're glad Cad isn't here: here to see you like this, here to suffer what you will probably suffer.

Stifling a groan as you sit up, you wince as your head spins before steadying again. Maker damn you if you sit in a puddle of self pity and regret until Bane figures out where the fuck you are and comes to break you out - you're getting out of here, and you're doing it on your own. Judging from the fact your heart is still beating, you know that they want you alive, which means you're important - hopefully important enough that any failed attempts of escape won't end in death.

Shifting into a black convor, you flap up to the ceiling. Letting out a harsh squawk to catch the guard's attention, you dig your claws into the ceiling so you can hang there, camouflaged by the shadows surrounding you. You watch as the Gamorrean peers into your cell, hope flaring in your heart when he reaches for the panel set in the wall. Ruffling your feathers, you prepare to soar out of the cell as soon as he lowers the force field, but instead of the orange light flickering and disappearing, a cold, blue light flashes through the room, and from outside, an automated voice speaks.

'One life form present. Processing... processing. Tasing in three, two, one - '

Blinding pain shoots through you, and you crash to the floor, your head hitting the floor with a wet thunk. You must pass out, but for only a second, because when you come to, the Gamorrean guard is still cackling. Maybe the blow to your head knocked some sense into you, or maybe it just knocked all the hope out of you, but you can't bring yourself to rise from where you slump on the floor. Residual stinging throbs through your body, and your face burns at the weak whimper that slips out from between your lips. You realise that you're back in your own form, and confusion shoots through you - how did that happen? It must have been something to do with the taser - it can't have been anything else. You can barely raise your head, and you're pretty sure that little grey curls of smoke are rising from your back. Biting your lip, you stifle a sob as the Gamorrean's voice filters through the humming of the force field.

'Look at you, just lying there, you little schutta. Feeling more humble now, huh? I bet that hurt. I bet you're crying into the floor right now, because your guard dog Duros isn't here to help, is he? You thought you could be something, didn't you, but you're always just going to be Gavinc Russ' whore.'

Tears leak out of your eyes, but you don't give the guard the satisfaction of hearing you. Maybe you should leave all of this breaking out of places bullshit to Cad; maybe you should just give up and let them do whatever they want to you, because what are you? What are you but a whore pretending to be a bounty hunter? So you just lie there, face pressed into the grime coated concrete, with the Gamorrean's deriding words echoing in your ears.