Bad Batch Oneshots

Secrets P1

Tech scanned the area of the new jungle planet they arrived on, taking in the new variety of vegetation. Their mission was to retrieve a rare plant that would sell for thousands of credits.

"I must say, this is one of the most bizarre chases Cid has sent us on."

Wrecker lifted Omega up over another large log laying in their path. "How so? Seems straightforward to me," he said, setting the young clone down.

"For starters, we're in a jungle with hardly any information on where this plant is. From what I could gather, we must find it before sunset or else it will be another year before it's in its most valuable condition."

"Sounds fun," Echo said, looking down at his comm. "We have six hours before this trip becomes a total waste."

"Wayda be positive, Echo." Wrecker shoved the ARC forward, causing him to stumble.

"Be careful, Wrecker!" Tech shouted, making everyone stop in their tracks.

"Relax, Tech. He was just goofing around." Hunter stepped up, setting a hand on Tech's shoulder.

Tech shrugged it off. "It won't be just goofing around when someone gets poisoned." He got down on one knee, and with a gloved hand held a leaf, pointing to the stem. "See these little spikes on the stem? One scrape and the effects won't be fun, but they will be swift. So as I stressed, please be careful." Tech tossed a look at Wrecker.

"Thanks for telling us an hour in, Tech," Hunter mumbled. "Hear that, Omega?" He glanced behind him.

"Don't touch the plants whatsoever," Omega said back with a tired tone. She heard Tech the first time.

Hunter nodded his head in approval.

Aside from the apparently very poisonous planets, Omega thought the planet was rather pretty. The temperature was not too hot and not too cold. The large trees provided shade from the sun as speckles of it shined through. She wondered when they would all be able to settle down somewhere. They were more than soldiers. They were a family.

"Watch out, 'Mega!" Wrecker called out all of a sudden.

Omega turned her head only to be met with a face full of bark. The impact sent her to the ground. The pain didn't last long, but what she did feel was a slight prick. Omega looked down, catching the slightest bit of blood on her ankle. A small panic was sent through her. She saw what was responsible for the wound.

"Hey, kid!" Omega quickly wiped the blood speck away with one finger just as Wrecker poked his head over the fallen tree. "You alright?" He extended a hand to her.

"Yeah. I didn't see it." She took his hand as he helped her up. "Thanks," she said as Wrecker picked out a twig from her hair.

Omega watched as Hunter jogged over to her. "You okay?" It was hard to tell what his face was reading from under his helmet, but Omega could tell by his voice that he was concerned and she wasn't about to start freaking out over a little scratch. Besides, they had a mission first. She could conceal the pain that Tech said would come until it was over.

"I'm fine, Hunter." She smiled up at him. "Just feel a bit stupid."

"Happens to the best of us." Echo chuckled. "Next time, I suggest keeping your eyes in front of you rather than to the side."

"Right. Can we start walking again?"

Omega huffed out a sigh of relief when the others let go of her embarrassing accident. Her breath hitched at the unexpected stinging that suddenly started coming from the small puncture.

Tech stopped, seeing Omega's change in facial expressions. Maybe her fall was worse than expected. "Are you sure you're alright, Omega?"

"I'm good, Tech, really."

Tech eyed her suspiciously but could tell that she didn't want to talk anymore so he decided not to press on despite a feeling telling him there was something else.

"Tech! How much longer?" Echo's voice called from up front. Tech left Omega to herself as he took lead again.

Omega tried not to let the stinging show, but Tech was right about the effects coming fast. Her foot had become tingly in the span of five minutes. Every step she took she had to try and make it seem that she wasn't about to fall over. With the constant sharp pain shooting up her leg, it made her acting a whole lot harder.

Hunter held a hand up when a clearing came into view. The coordinates that Tech had managed to obtain from previous searchers matched what was in front of them. The best option to cover the most ground would be to split up.

"Tech, go with Wrecker and Echo. Omega, you're with me." Hunter started walking off. He expected to hear Omega's chatter coming from behind. "Omega?"

Omega jerked her head up. Her head was driving her so crazy that she must have zoned out while Hunter was giving orders. Taking in a shaky breath she responded. "Coming."

Hunter stared hard at her, his face twisted with worry. It wasn't like her to miss direct commands, especially coming from him no matter how rebellious she could be sometimes.

"Omega, what's-"

"Nothing," she cut him off, brushing past him. "We need to find...find...the...plant..."

"Omega!" Hunter ran to catch her before she hit the ground. The girl fell limp into his arms.

Hunter lightly shook her in hopes that she would wake up. He could see the beads of sweat forming on her forehead just under her curls. He didn't know what was wrong which made him feel the most useless. Omega was possibly dying and he didn't know the reason why. He was sure that she was safe. She hadn't been away from the group at all on the mission for even a second. There couldn't have been any way for her to be hurt without him knowing. The Sergeant inhaled a frustrated breath. That's when it hit him. The faint smell of blood.

"Tech!" He carefully picked up Omega in one hand while trying to comm his brother in the other. "Tech, pick up! This is urgent. Omega's hurt!"

A second later Tech responded. "I thought she was hiding something."

"You what?" If Tech knew that Omega was injured and blatantly decided not to say anything, so help him.

"Nevermind. Hunter, you need to get her back to the Marauder. There should be an antidote in our medicine cabinet. You need to hurry. The longer you wait, the longer Omega will be in a lot of pain. I believe one of the leaves I was talking about earlier is the cause of her ailment."

When she fell, he recalled seeing her pulling her pant leg back down. Her ankle. That had to be where the injury was.

"Meet back at the Marauder. I'm taking her there now." Hunter turned his comm off, holding Omega close.

"Hang on for me, kid...please."

P2 later this week!

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