aftermath: life debt | the bad batch

iv. false hope

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iv.

false hope

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tw: throughout the rest of this act, there will be a lot of drinking.

•••

"You're in life debt. This is only the beginning of the aftermath. Or maybe, it's the end," Crosshair continued.

Hunter looked at Omega and then Tech, then Echo, then back at Crosshair.

"What do you mean?"

Crosshair gestured to his men behind him to come forward.

"Execute them."

•••

"Wait wait wait," Hunter said, coming out from the shadows of the pillar, with his hands up. "Don't shoot! We'll negotiate."

"They take orders from me, not from you," Crosshair said. "Execu-"

"Just wait!" Hunter shouted, trying to get Crosshair's army to stand down.

"This better be good, Hunter," Crosshair said, signaling for this army to stand down.

Hunter sighed, and put his hands back down. "What if we just get Omega, and leave, and you'll never have to see us again," he said, his voice a little shaky. "Is that good?"

"It doesn't work like that Hunter. You should have thought of that, before you left her on the ship alone, and before you committed treason. This isn't the republic anymore, Hunter. This is the empire," Crosshair said before turning back to his men. "For the last time, execute them!"

"Well we're fucked," Hunter muttered, right before the first shot was fired. He did his best to defend himself and Omega, but he was greatly outnumbered by the imperial troopers. And Hunter's single gun was no match for the empire's advanced weapons.

"Come on, we need to go," he said, grabbing her arm and helping her up. Although she was still in immense pain, she stood up, and started to run, trying to catch up to Tech and Echo.

Omega started to slow down, and eventually fell behind from the group, due to the fact that with every step she took, the pain only worsened. She knew, that try she might, that she probably wouldn't make it much further on foot, especially after she almost fell down those stairs. Once they got outside the pain only became worse. The hot sun blinded her eyes, so she couldn't see anything other than white. The sun beating down only took more of a toll on her body, as being able to balance was now a struggle. She preserved as much as she could, but she couldn't keep running much longer. Omega could feel her body becoming weaker and weaker as they continued to run away from the base, and navigate the forest.Her vision began to fade in and out once again. Eventually, her body couldn't take it anymore, and while simultaneously tripping on a tree root, collapsed to the grassy floor. Her head slammed against the tree trunk, only causing the pain in her head to intensify.

"Hunter!" she whisper-yelled, hoping to get his attention, even though she could barely hear herself.

Hunter heard her just enough to turn around, and saw her lying on the ground.

"Holy shit," he muttered to himself. "Shit shit shit shit shit."

He kneeled down beside her, trying to see what was wrong.