aftermath: life debt | the bad batch

i. lost in battle

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i. 

lost in battle

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•••

"Wrecker, get out of there now!"

"I need to blow up this gate first!" Wrecker yelled back, "I have to wait until enough people are there so it can be effective."

"Why does your brain work only at the most crucial times," Tech said, trying to find a way out. Right after he finished that statement, shots were firing at them from either side,

"And when it's crucial, why is the right way always wrong?"

"I don't know Tech," Wrecker said, annoyed, "you think about it while I focus."

Hunter turned to Echo.

"Echo, get on the ship and tell Omega to start it up. I'll cover you."

Echo ran up the ramp to the ship. The Pykes were gaining on them, fast.

"Omega?" he called.

No response.

"Omega?" he called again, trying to get an answer.

Nothing.

"Omega!" he called once more, hoping she was still even on the ship.

Once again, there was just the sound of silence that filled the cabin.

"Shit," he muttered, "Hunter is going to kill me."

He went back down the ramp, and seeing how things had escalated the thirty seconds he was off the battlefield, kneeled beside the boxes Hunter was hiding behind, trying to avoid the blaster fire coming their way.

"Wrecker," Hunter said into his intercom, "have you blown up the gate yet?"

"I'm waiting for the right moment," he responded almost immediately.

"The right moment passed already. Tech is down, and the forces that are coming our way are too strong. So hurry up or leave," Hunter said.

Wrecker began to say something over the intercom, but Hunter shut his off before he could hear anything. He got up from behind the boxes to pick off a few pyke soldiers, then went back to hiding below the box.

"Tech is down?" Echo asked, taking his turn to shoot at the pyke forces.

"He's fine. He was just grazed on his arm, but nevermind that. Did you tell her?" he eagerly asked, more concerned about Omega.

"There's only one problem with that," Echo nervously replied, trying to ease into the tension of the question.

"What?"

"Omega isn't on the ship."

"You're kidding me," Hunter said as he got up, "cover for me this time. I'm going to go start the ship and look for Omega. When I've started the ship, Tech is over there. He's fine but he is losing blood so bring him on the ship quickly. Then we'll go get Wrecker from the tower."

"Hunter, I already told you she isn't there."

"And you made us go on this mission, you haven't been right lately."

As Echo did his best to cover him, Hunter raced from the cargo to the ramp of the ship, getting in as quickly as possible to avoid bullets at all costs.