The Bad Batch: One Shot Collection

Whumpay Day Eleven: Medical Torture / "Who did this to you?"

Omega thought the Empire was the worst thing that happened to her brothers, and maybe she wasn't wrong, but that's far from the only thing that hurt them. Or, in which she never fully understood what being an experimental unit meant for her brothers, until she did.

Being back on Pabu is... freeing. She feels better. It's amazing to be free again, and in part, in mostly , it's still sinking in. She keeps waking up, expecting to be back on Tantiss, but... Crosshair promised she wouldn't have to go back there.

Still wants to, though.

So much happened with the Empire, but now that they're free, she thinks – maybe – they can try to pick up and move forward.

Tech – Tech isn't here, but... everyone else is. It's probably the most she could ask for.

Her brothers went back to the Marauder , and Omega doesn't know what they're doing – she can hope Crosshair finally listened to her about talking to Hunter, but with how stubborn he is, he might end up taking a while longer. She doesn't really know – to tell the truth, she doesn't actually know him that well.

Batcher is the first to notice something's wrong, of course. She freezes up, barking and pawing at the ship.

Echo's outside somewhere, and her brothers are loading Echo's ship with whatever supplies Hunter said they need. Or... at least she thought they were supposed to be?

"Wait out here," Omega requests worriedly. She doesn't hear anything, but... that doesn't guarantee everything's fine? She doesn't know .

Omega tiptoes up the ramp, pausing inside and looking around. The lights are off, but... she smells blood. That's what freaks her out the worst.

She loathes that smell. Well, nobody likes the smell of blood, but after Tantiss, she hates it even more.

Is somebody hurt?

"Hunter?" she calls quietly, looking around. There's no answer, though she hears quiet talking from the back. She can't make out words, but she sees them sitting near the doorway of the 'fresher.

"– I'll have to connect these now, and stop squirming. It's distracting."

"We'll see if you hold still the next time I come at you with a knife," Crosshair snaps back acidly, and Omega winces.

"You'll be fine," Wrecker soothes.

"I know," Crosshair bites back sharply. He looks past Hunter's shoulder, gaze falling on her.

"What's... happening?" Omega asks, moving closer.

Hunter's between her and Crosshair, and she circles around him a bit. Hunter must sense her, but he doesn't even look up. Even Wrecker's watching her now, and he looks worried. Crosshair's just glaring, even if Omega doesn't exactly think he's angry.

There's a knife lying on the floor. She's only seen it a couple of times – it's in their med-kit. It's a surgical knife, and not one that, to her knowledge, has ever been used. She thought Tech just kept it because he kept everything .

Crosshair's right sleeve is rolled up, and there's blood on his arm.

A lot of blood.

Wrecker's holding his wrist and Hunter's leaning over it, expression tight and tensed. Closed off. Dark.

"What happened?" Omega asks, twisting her hands together anxiously. This most definitely was not here earlier, and he – what happened?

Her brothers wouldn't stab each other if she walked out for five minutes , would they?