The Bad Batch: Oneshots

Acceptance

     Omega groggily rolled over. No matter which way she slept, there was no escaping the uncomfortable hard stone slab. She slowly sat up, leaning against the bars of her cell instead as she waited for Emery to come and collect her for the next round of experiments.

It had been roughly three weeks since she had been taken by the Empire. She hadn't given up hope that her brothers were searching for her. Any day now, they would come barging down the hall. She replayed the scene over and over in her head. Wrecker's welcoming bear hug, Hunter's warm smile she missed so much, Echo's reassuring words, Tech's—her imagination usually ended there. She couldn't bring herself to think about that fateful day on Eriadu. Most of the mission was a blur, but she could still clearly capture Tech's eyes, calm and accepting as he fell from the railcar. Omega hated it. That couldn't be her last memory of him. There was so much left to do. So much she still had to learn from him. He was supposed to teach her how to fly the Marauder, how to classify more ships; he was supposed to teach her about the galaxy. The Empire took that away, right before her eyes. She had to watch as her brother fell into the abyss.

Omega sniffled, not realizing how damp her cheeks were. Using the sleeve of her new, colorless uniform she was forced to wear, she rubbed at her face. Swallowing hard, she stared at the red rayshield. Tech couldn't be dead. He had to be alive. They never went back to check. What if he was injured, laying there, waiting for them to come and save him? They left him. Alone. In his final moments where he needed them the most, they never came back. Omega choked back a sob. She couldn't imagine what he must have gone through. Was he expecting them to return for him?

"Kid?"

If they had gone back, would he still be alive? Of course he would...or is? She remembered as she was spying on Hemlock from the vents, Tech's goggles. She had watched as that monster threw them on the dirty bar floor: Tech's cracked goggles. That means Hemlock had to have found him, meaning he could still be alive...or he was never found. Either way—

"Kid!"

He had to be alive! He was out there, searching, injured...still alone. They had failed him, or maybe they would have never found him. What if Hemlock took him? What if he was here with her and she just didn't know it? What a cruel galaxy. It felt that every turn, every twist, was a trick being played on her. This had to be the worst of them all. Tech survived. Tech had to have survived! He was the smartest out of all of them. He would have found a way. He just had to—

"Omega!"

"Tech's alive!" she cried out, hot tears of frustration flowing down her face, seeping into her shirt's fabric. "H-He's alive, and we need to find him!" Her words came out short and hitched as she desperately wanted them to be true.

Crosshair, inches away from her despite being separated by the metal bars, tried his best to coach her. "Take a breath. You're going to make yourself pass out if you keep that up."

Omega shook her head. "He's here, Crosshair! H-He has to be!" she wailed, the pain in her voice was evident, so much so even the guards turned their heads.

"Keep quiet over there!" One of the white armored troopers ordered.

Crosshair watched as Omega's breathing quickened. Her chest heaving as if she had been shot. She needed to calm down.

"Let me help her!" Crosshair stood up, banging a fist on the rayshield. "She's going to make herself sick!"

The two guards closest to them exchanged glances, their silent conversation was brief before one appeared in front of the sniper, blaster pointed. "You have 5 minutes, no funny business."

Crosshair rolled his eyes. "Wouldn't dream of it," he sneered as the shield lowered and he was pushed into the neighboring cell. Immediately, he rushed over to the blonde girl tucked away in the corner.

"Omega, look at me," he gently shook her shoulder, just barely holding her gaze as she glanced up. "There you go, kid."

"Crosshair?" Omega whispered, "How are—"

"Doesn't matter...are you okay?"

Omega looked to the floor again, biting the inside of her lip until it bled. "No," she admitted, watching as a tear dripped onto the metal surface below her. "I miss him. He can't be gone. He just can't be!" she cried, launching herself at Crosshair.

The sniper stared down at the crying child now latched onto him. He wasn't much for physical touch, a lot like Tech. For a moment, he contemplated detaching his sister's arms from around him, but found his own subconsciously holding her close as if she was a fragile object, one wrong movement and she would break.

"He didn't let us save him," Omega wept into the crook of his neck, her blonde hair tickling his chin. "Why didn't he?"

Crosshair held his breath. He wasn't there when Tech sacrificed himself. The first time Omega told him, he had to admit, he was furious at his brother. How could he be so rash? Surely, there must have been other options, and out of all of them...he must have come to the conclusion Plan 99 was the only way out. Crosshair only wished he could have been there. In Tech's last moments, he was here, wasting away as a lab rat, rotting in his own misery. Tech died to save his family. Crosshair wouldn't let his sacrifice be in vain. He would protect the kid, he would get them out...somehow.

"Tech knew what he was doing." Crosshair said softly, repositioning himself so his back was propped up against the wall keeping Omega close to his chest. "He wanted the best for you and the others. If he hadn't done what he did..." He didn't want to finish the sentence as the kid probably knew where he was going.

"I never got to say goodbye," Omega said in a small voice, at least now talking at a regular pace.

Crosshair gently ran a hand through her hair in a calming motion, her words dawning on him. "Yeah...me neither, kid."

This was an idea inspired from a suggestion by Trash-Queen3000 🫶🏽🫶🏽

Okay, I was planning on making this have a happy ending but

Hey y'all! I'm finally on summer vacation🎉🥳 Junior year was somethin else. Probably the most dramatic year for me. Anyway, I'm so excited I actually have time to write again . I swear next one will be fluff. I hope everyone is having great day/night wherever you are💛