Homowingian

Part 2 - Rejection

Author's Note: This is for the square "Misunderstandings" on the Bad Batch Bingo. :)

Warning: People potentially being OOC for projection reasons. ^-^

TW: Overall feeling of darkness, very negative self-talk (if that makes sense??), a complete general lack of self-worth, non-consensual touching (say what you want, but there are times personal space are important and NOW IS ONE OF THEM, and for people who have had... experiences with that, it can be very triggering), very unhappy ending =D

~ Rivana Rita

Only Force-users have wings, so when Hunter's grow in right after Bracca, none of them understand why. More than that, they're black. Only Dark Siders have black wings, and Hunter is neither. He doesn't like them, and they draw too much unwanted attention from everyone who sees them. Especially Crosshair.

Escaping isn't gonna be easy. Hunter knows that, but he wasn't gonna let his siblings get themselves killed trying to find him, either. He really didn't have much choice. The Marauder was damaged already, and if they didn't leave right when they did Tech would've been shot down. He couldn't handle them all being captured. Hunter can handle himself without having to worry about them, too.

He doesn't know what'll happen to him here, but if a reg was able to make it out, he'll find a chance, too. Somehow. It... won't be easy, but he has to try. Security will have been tightened, but that's not enough to stop him.

He can't afford to wait, and Hunter had wanted to avoid the Empire from the start because he knew who they'd see again. He's not ready for it, but he already knows it's coming.

He's still sitting there, waiting, when he feels a distant but familiar energy signature, and Hunter instinctively straightens.

Crosshair comes into view on the other side of the ray shield.

Hunter aches everywhere from the fall. He never thought his wings would be useful until he started falling, and he much preferred to pretend they didn't exist, but he shouldn't have. If he hadn't fallen, he wouldn't be here, and he wouldn't have to worry about anything that comes with it.

He wouldn't have to worry about seeing Crosshair again, about being hurt by him or having to hurt him.

"I figured you'd show up," Hunter says instead, voice level.

The ray shield hisses off.

"I was hoping for the whole squad," Crosshair tells him, a dark smugness in his voice as he pulls off his helmet, "But you'll do." His eyes are dark and angry, and they make Hunter's skin crawl.

He doesn't know if it's that Crosshair is genuinely trying to be intimidating, or that Hunter understands the severity of the situation enough to be afraid. Which he does – Crosshair came after him on Bracca, and Hunter has no doubt Crosshair will kill him. Or – or worse. He shot Wrecker, nearly killed Tech and all of them.

Something curls inside him, icy and dark and scared.

Did Crosshair come all this way out to kill him, or is he planning something else?

Wrecker nearly killed him when he wasn't himself, and he couldn't stop it. He was willing to do anything to make his brain stop repeating orders to kill them, and Hunter has no idea what lengths Crosshair will be willing to go to.

"What are you here for?" Hunter asks. He doesn't really know what's happening, not yet, and he'd stand, but staying curled against the wall is far more appealing than moving right now.