The Bad Batch: One Shot Collection

Doomsnet

Crosshair knew he'd see Hunter again someday. That didn't prepare him for his capture on Daro. He might have lost hope of ever getting Hunter back, but that won't stop him from trying.

Being stuck tied to a chair is. Well – it's not the worst thing that's happened, on account of how this is Hunter, but that's exactly it. This is Hunter. Hunter , who stabbed him . Crosshair still vividly remembers the blade cutting through his skin. He remembers the blood, the pain, remembers seeing Tech fall. Some things he can never forget.

So, no , getting the honors of getting tied to one of the shuttle's seats on the way back to Kamino after getting captured on Daro is not the kind of reunion Crosshair envisioned with Hunter.

Well, after three separate escape attempts, he probably had this coming, but still . This is Hunter. He's not supposed to hurt them.

"Crosshair, please," he says tiredly, pulling his helmet off. He still looks like him. As him as he did on Ryloth. Y'know. A millisecond before he rammed his knife into Crosshair's side.

"Don't," he hisses, glaring.

Hunter flinches back, somehow managing to look hurt, and that just makes Crosshair even angrier . He should be , but he doesn't get to be , either. Not after what he did to them. "I'm just trying to help," he says.

"Oh, I can see that," Crosshair growls, eyes narrowing, "You've done a very good job showing that, haven't you?"

Crosshair can't tell if Hunter looks more hurt or angry, but he doesn't even care . He'd been hurt before, but now that Hunter's in front of him, all he can feel is rage.

"I told you to stand down on Kamino. You should have listened."

"Because we should have trusted you ?" he snarls, shifting back in his seat. It feels too close, and he feels trapped. Hunter's too close, and Crosshair feels sick. Both with that and the fact that it makes him so uneasy in the first place. This is Hunter . He shouldn't be uncomfortable around him. Hunter's his brother. Their leader. He protects them . That's what he does . It's – all he's ever done until Kamino, when he didn't .

"Why did you stop ?" Hunter sounds slightly desperate. Hurt.

"Maybe the first time you shot at me."

"Crosshair," he says, reaching for him, and Crosshair jerks back from him, slamming into the back of his seat. Hunter's hand drops, hurt flaring across his face. "I was trying to protect you. I can't do that if you don't let me."

He pointedly turns away, glaring straight in front of him, unwilling to look at Hunter. He knows that would get the point off more.

"Are you hurt?" Hunter asks quietly, softer. Familiar. It's a flash of the Hunter who Crosshair knew, who led them and cared for them. He always used to take care of them. Tech might've been the one who treated them if they were hurt, but Hunter was always there, always hovered . It used to drive Crosshair crazy, but now, he's the one who's hurting them.

It sends another sharp stab of pain through his heart, and Crosshair glares at him for it. He doesn't want to deal with Hunter pretending to be nice . "When did you start caring about that?"

"I never stopped."

"Really," Crosshair scoffs, "It felt like it when you stabbed me."

Hunter flinches. He looks like he was slapped.