The Bad Batch: One Shot Collection

Febuwhump Day Seventeen: Hostage Situation

Author's Note: This was a request by CaseyAnneWoods on Wattpad. :)

~ Amina Gila

In which Omega's brothers tend to her injuries after Bane captured her.

She's sore and aching everywhere. She thought she'd keep crashing, hurdling towards the ground in front of her, but the pod jerks to a stop, and the door hisses open with a whoosh of steam.

"Omega!" Wrecker's voice calls. "Are you in there?"

"Wrecker!" Omega gasps, pushing herself to her feet and stumbling for the ladder that's dropped in. She's so tired, and she was so, so certain the bounty hunter had found her again. She thought she was going to hit the water or something down below and drown or die. She just wants to go home.

Wrecker reaches down once she's far up enough, scooping her up and pulling her into a hug. Omega sinks into his arms, burying her face on his armor. "Good to have ya back, kid," he says, squeezing her tightly, though Wrecker lets go of her what feels like way too soon. She looks past him, her gaze landing on Hunter, and she only cares that he's alive and he's here to care to take him in right now.

Omega launches herself at him, and it hurts an almost an unreasonable amount when he gently pushes her away instead of pulling her close. She wants him to hold her, wants to stop being afraid and accept that they're here, and Hunter's still alive. She'd been so, so scared.

"Are you okay, Omega?" Hunter asks, crouching in front of her, his hands warm and present on her shoulders. "Are you hurt? Did he hurt you?"

She doesn't mean to cry, but she can't help it. She's terrified, and she's supposed to be a soldier now – she should focus on the why's and the what's not – not the fact that she's just scared, but she is, and she feels more like a scared child than anything else.

"I dunno," she sniffles. She aches everywhere, actually, but nothing's broken, so she doesn't really... want to make a deal out of it. Her brothers get hurt all the time, and they always brush it off; Omega doesn't want to be any different than that. Omega looks up at Hunter again – the top half of his armor is off, and he has a bandage wrapped around his chest. Omega bites her lip. "Are – are you okay?" Omega asks.

"Yeah," Hunter replies, something a bit surprised or startled or something in his eyes.

Echo kneels beside her and takes the stuncuffs or whatever they're called off her wrists. They're sore from being stuck together so long, and she rolls her shoulders a little. They're sore, but everything's sore. She's used to getting hurt now, but she thinks she hit her leg or – or something when she landed, because walking hurts.

Omega tugs up her pant leg a little. "It's not broken," she says, "But I fell off a ladder. Um. I jumped off a ladder, but I think I might've twisted my ankle, or... maybe it's just bruised?" She'd landed really, really badly though. She didn't mean to land half on her feet, but she did. They still ache. She thinks she bruised herself in a dozen other places, too.

She was so, so scared that they – they wouldn't make it back, and Omega knows she's a failed experiment now, and the Kaminoans were going to hurt her. She knows they would, or at least Lama Su would – she knows Nala Se would try to protect her, because she always did, but – but still. Still. She's so, so scared.

"I'll get the medkit," Wrecker volunteers, moving for the back.

Hunter reaches down to lift her onto one of the chairs, and Omega wiggles around, situating herself. He winces visibly at the movement. Omega frowns, worried, but he steps back when Wrecker reappears, dropping it in front of them.

Hunter reaches for it and Wrecker gives him a pointed look, opening it himself. Hunter backs away, sitting next to her and taking her hand. Omega sniffles, wiping her face off on her sleeve. "I wasn't sure I'd make it out," she whispers, though she isn't sure she's fully ready to talk about this yet. It was so, so scary.

Omega was terrified she was about to crash and die when the Marauder caught the pod she was in, and she – she wasn't sure she'd make it out, even if she wasn't going to stop trying. But she knew if the bounty hunter took her back to Kamino, it'd be too late to make it off, and her brothers would never be able to find her. After Pantora, she's been afraid of the bounty hunters coming back, but it never seemed real until Hunter's body hit the ground in front of her and she had no idea if he was – was gone or what.

"We're not going to let them take you again, Omega," Hunter promises.

Omega knows he means it, but he already got shot trying to protect her before and she doesn't believe he can do it anymore. She used to, but that was Hunter, and she'd been so, so afraid he'd die.

"We'll protect ya," Wrecker offers cheerfully, and Omega gives him a half-hearted smile. She doesn't feel it, though. She knows they'll try.

"You can't fight them all," Omega whispers.

And this leads her back to the beginning, to the fact that the Kaminoans are after her in the first place. She doesn't understand it.

"Omega," Hunter says firmly, squeezing her hand, "You don't have to worry. You are never going back to Kamino. Got it?"

She nods, biting her lip. She wants to believe it but doesn't quite know if she can. He almost died.

"You'll be fine, kid," Wrecker promises, patting her head and leaning closer like he's trying to tell her a secret. "Hunter'll take care of ya."

Hunter's gaze flicks to his, something borderline disbelieving in it, but he doesn't object.

Omega would've believed it once. After Bracca, though, after she nearly saw him die twice over, she can't see it the same way. She can't see anything the same way. Omega nods, though, trying to let it go. "Why're they after me?" she asks finally.

"You're valuable to them. More than all the other clones. Even more than us. You're... different," Hunter answers, "You're the only clone with an unaltered source of DNA."

"So, if... they want to keep cloning, they'll want me?" Omega whispers. And they aren't going to stop cloning – that's just what the Kaminoans do.

Beside her, Echo sighs – he's been watching in silence up until this point. "Yeah," he confirms, "It makes you special to them."

"Then... Lama Su will keep sending bounty hunters after me," Omega murmurs, tears suddenly stinging her eyes. She's so, so afraid of being found again. She doesn't want to be alone – she's been alone for years. She can't lose her brothers again. She doesn't want to die.

"He can send everyone in the galaxy," Hunter tells her fiercely, "You have us. That's all we've ever needed."

Omega looks up at Wrecker, who just nods his agreement.

"Okay," Omega whispers. She's still scared. She doesn't believe everything will be fine, but if they promised, then... she can try to believe it. Maybe.

Final Notes: Reviews are always appreciated! ^-^

Come hang out on Discord (delete spaces), discord . gg / nqSxuz2 or find us on tumblr at @fanfictasia (our more serious blog which does have controversial posts on it; I won't be offended if you choose to block it, promise), and @disastertriowriting (which is our fun blog with crack posts or incorrect SW quotes)

We've got a YT channel for tributes! (delete the spaces) youtube . com / channel / UC_g1M5rSCxJUzQCRS29B6pA

ALSO: We have SW gift request forms for General, Anakin-Clones-centric, and Bad Batch fics. :D (delete spaces) bit . ly / CourtesyTrefflinFicRequests