The Bad Batch: One Shot Collection

Say You Want Me

Crosshair isn't ready to face Hunter or the rest of his brothers again. Maybe he never has been, but he saw it coming since they left Kamino. The hurt and bitterness will never fade. They hurt him, and trying to accept that Crosshair hurt them, too, will mean accepting he's wrong. And, well, accepting he made a mistake isn't something Crosshair is any more keen on now than he ever has been.

He is not ready for this. Not ready for this notreadyforthisnotready notreadynot –

Hunter looks the same.

Doesn't know why he expected it to be different.

He looks so much smaller sitting in his cell.

"I figured you'd show up," he says, straightening. Expression neutral. He's scared, though.

Crosshair is scared. He's terrified .

Nothing could ever really prepare him to see his brothers again. Even if it's the only thing he wants or cares about or breathes for. He wants to be wrapped in Hunter's arms again, wants to hear Tech rambling and Echo's clanky broodiness and Wrecker's chaos and sugar feasts.

He wants to beg Hunter to hold him. To take him home.

He won't .

He won't because he's too afraid to, of being rejected again and being hurt again. Hunter hurt him , and Crosshair can't forget that.

He left him. They abandoned him on Kamino, even though he tried so hard to get them to – to stay. They all left him and Crosshair doesn't know why .

They hurt him.

He remembers Bracca vividly. He couldn't ever stop . He remembers the pain. Remembers the light. Remembers falling, distantly hearing the snap as his arm broke, and mostly, he remembers the searing heat as the engine ran.

They did that to him. They left him there. They hurt him.

Hunter hurt him.

Hunter.

Hunter, who's here now, not of his own choice, because he never came back of his own choice . He could have come home. All Crosshair wanted was for him to come home , but he never did.

Hunter, who he would have killed for. Anything to make him come back .

Hunter, who was captured, and Crosshair has no idea how .

"How does it feel to be left behind?" he snips.

Hunter's eyes narrow. "What are you here for, Crosshair?"

He pulls his helmet off, deactivating the ray shield. Half expects it to explode in his face, but nothing violent happens. Well, Wrecker's not inside, so of course not. He'd probably have punch-hotwired his way out already. Hunter's not that stupid though.

His heart is still pounding. He shouldn't be this scared.

"I was hoping for the whole squad."

"They're already gone." He's so good at keeping his face blank, but it's not enough to fool Crosshair .

"Well," Crosshair says, "You'll be enough. Come on. Time to go." He moves forward, hand extending towards Hunter. He doesn't want to touch him, but hey, how can he not rub in the fact that he came back for Hunter when he never did the same?

Even after they hurt him. After they nearly killed him and left him and he's been alone for weeks desperately wishing he could go home , that he still had one, that he – he could – trust one. Trust them .