The Bad Batch: Oneshots

Temporary Change P2

Crosshair reluctantly pressed the button to open the sliding doors to the cockpit. He was greeted with four pairs of eyes.

"Spare me the lecture. Whatever you have to say just say it," Crosshair spat as he took his old seat next to Wrecker. He refused to look either of them in the eyes, instead keeping a steady glare on the wall.

"We all want you to stay, Cross."

Crosshair glanced at Hunter for a brief second before diverting his vision once more.

"Like I said back on the landing platform, this doesn't change anything." His lips moved, but he didn't know why he was saying such things. Deep down he wanted to come back, but his pride wouldn't let him take back his words that were previously said.

"I don't know if you noticed, but the Empire left you," Echo said bitterly."What other choice do you have?"

"I don't know if you noticed, but you all left me with the Empire!"

Crosshair felt a fire start to burn inside him. He was used to being alone; in fact, he liked it most times, but it hurt the most when his brothers didn't even attempt to rescue him.

"You were under the influence of the inhibitor chip. It would have been almost impossible with your new squad to safely retrieve you from their clutches," Tech said quickly, as if trying to justify their actions.

"Wrong. I had my chip removed after Bracca." Crosshair watched as each of their faces dropped.

"Y-You're saying, you chased us down out of your own freewill?" Hunter stuttered. The sniper held in a remark at the leader's lack of intelligence to have pieced it together sooner.

"You could have tried to come back to us," Wrecker grumbled, his voice full of disappointment.

"Like you would have believed me?" he shot back.

Hunter sat in the tense silence. He couldn't wrap his head around the situation. They had multiple chances after Bracca to capture him, but they didn't. All the missed opportunities to bring their brother home were now nothing but past mistakes. He should have seen it though. The way the sniper never tried to intentionally kill any of them. All the signs were there, but he was just to blind to see.

"I'm so sorry, Crosshair," he whispered, becoming lost in words.

"Hmm," Crosshair scoffed, standing up, "That's all you've got? A measly apology won't fix what's been done."

"What are you saying?" Tech asked, following the marksmen's every movement.

"Once we land, I'm leaving. The Empire gave me a purpose after you abandoned me. That's where my loyalty now belongs." Crosshair scanned the room. His heart ached at the broken faces of his brothers, but it was for the best.

Omega groggily rubbed her eyes as they fluttered open. She had one of the best sleeps she's gotten since the whole Cad Bane incident. She looked out the window of the gunner's nest, noticing how the ship had stopped. From the scenery she could see they were back on Ord Mantell. Her ears had stopped ringing, but in place of the sound was a low humming. She could hear a group of faded voices talking outside.

Omega immediately remembered the previous events that happened less than a few hours ago. She pulled back the curtain to her room just in time to see Crosshair standing on the ramp, his sniper rifle secured on his back. The rest of the batch were saying something to him but she couldn't quite understand what. All she knew was, from the looks of it, he was leaving. Again.

She instantly leapt up from her warm covers and bolted for her brothers.

"Wait!" she hollered, drawing everyone's attention. She ran straight to Crosshair, tears welding up in her eyes. "Please, I don't want you to go," she cried.