The Bad Batch: One Shot Collection

Whumpay Day Two: Whipping

It's dark outside, but Hunter still remembers being outside . It smells fresh. Doesn't remember the last time he smelled fresh air.

Hunter remembers being dumped on the floor of some ship somewhere – making it up the stairs was agonizing, and his vision is basically blacked out. Hunter sits there for a few minutes, panting. He should move. Should try to get out, because Wrecker's gonna come back and Hunter needs to get to him, but he can't move. He doesn't want to get up.

The voice is talking again.

He looks up, and Hunter blinks somewhat into focus for what must be the first time in a while – stars, his back is burning and he can't think about anything other than that and the lingering ache in every inch of his body.

"I know you," Hunter rasps, panting. He does. It's – he tries to reach out, to feel. The ship smells like it hasn't been cleaned in forever, and very metallic, but familiar. Something's familiar. There's a – the scent. He knows it .

Tech.

He – it reminds him of Tech.

"That is irrelevant," the voice says, and it sounds annoyed.

Coruscant. That's where Hunter's seen him before. Not him , but... those clones. That clone Rex captured on Coruscant a lifetime ago.

He moves away to dig something out of his backpack. Hunter looks away again. He's not safe, not at all because this person is Imperial, but he can't – can't move . He tries to lift his arm, but he can't. It's shaky and twitching oddly. Aftershocks still.

Whoever he is comes back to him. Hunter twitches back as whoever they are jabs a needle into his neck – it's a bacta injection; he can feel it the moment it comes into his blood. That doesn't mean he likes the idea of getting injected with anything by an Imperial, either.

Hunter slumps back against the wall, trying to let the injection run its course. He wants to get out. Needs to find Wrecker. Omega. He –

(He misses Tech. He misses his grounding calm. His – just, he misses Tech. He misses his little brother with everything he has. And he'll never see him again.)

"Don't get comfortable," the clone grumbles, crouching in front of him again. Hunter pulls his eyes open – doesn't remember having closed them – and tries to focus. It's hard. "I'm here for information."

For – ah. Oh. "I – I don't –"

"I do not have time for this," he snaps, irritated, and Hunter tries not to think about sharply that reminds him of Tech. His little brother said the same thing when he was Totally and Completely Done with someone. Usually, regs or nat-borns who got in the wrong place at the wrong time. "I know you know how to find the target I'm after." He pulls a datachip out of his armor somewhere – wait, where was that? – turning on a hologram.

Of Omega.

Hunter blinks at it.

She's so young. So small. She looks like she did when they lost her, just – dressed in a dull, dead gray.

Omega.

Their sister.

Their kid.

Hunter shifts a little. Can't help it. That was taken after her capture. It's the oldest he's seen her. The – the last thing he has of her.

"You – know where she is, " Hunter snaps, anger coming back in a vicious rush, even if he's too tired to even move . Staying awake is nearly impossible. " You took her from us ."