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areyoufuckingcrazy · 27 days ago

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“Uncalculated Variables”

Tech x Jedi!Reader

Summary: Clone Wars-era op with the Bad Batch. Jedi reader + Quinlan Vos bestie assisting the op.

⸻

If Tech had known he’d be spending the mission with two unorthodox Jedi, he might have requested recalibration for his brain implant.

Vos was already a variable he’d accounted for—reckless, talented, infuriatingly good, unpredictable. But you?

You were something else entirely.

You strolled off the gunship like the war was a camping trip, a lightsaber strapped to your hip and a ridiculous grin on your face as you greeted Wrecker with a high five mid-jump.

“Miss me, big guy?”

Wrecker beamed. “You always make it more fun!”

Vos followed close behind, flipping a thermal detonator in one hand like it was a toy. “They let you off Coruscant without me? I’m hurt.”

You glanced over your shoulder. “Please. You’d just get jealous when I steal all the glory.”

Vos grinned. “You wish.”

Tech stared. “I fail to see how this level of casualness is appropriate for a battlefield.”

You turned to him with a slow smile. “Ah, you must be Tech.”

He straightened instinctively. “Yes. You are correct.”

You offered a hand—not stiff or formal, but open, easy. There was mischief in your eyes. “I’ve read your file. You’re the one with the brains and the dry commentary.”

He hesitated before taking your hand. “That is… not inaccurate.”

You leaned in, voice low. “I like brains.”

He blinked. “As do most species. It is vital for survival.”

Vos coughed loudly behind you—possibly to hide a laugh.

Wrecker elbowed Hunter. “I like this Jedi.”

Tech ignored them, adjusting his goggles. “We are operating on a strict schedule. I’d prefer we keep distractions—”

“Lighten up, Tech,” you teased, falling into step beside him. “If you smiled any less, we’d have to start checking for signs of carbon freezing.”

“I assure you, I am functioning within optimal emotional parameters.”

You hummed thoughtfully. “Sounds lonely.”

He shot you a side glance, but your tone was playful, not unkind.

“I don’t understand you,” he muttered.

You grinned. “Most don’t. That’s half the fun.”

⸻

Later, during recon, Vos and Wrecker were off chasing a “weird energy reading,” Crosshair was perched up somewhere, and Hunter had gone ahead to secure the route. That left you and Tech crouched behind cover, scanning a Separatist outpost through the macrobinoculars.

“Y’know,” you said casually, “if you ever wanted to break all your rules and do something reckless, I’m very available.”

Tech frowned. “I don’t require your availability. This mission is already well underway.”

You stifled a laugh. “Not what I meant.”

He blinked, confused. “Was it a code? I didn’t detect one.”

You turned to him, resting your chin on your hand. “You’re cute when you’re confused.”

His ears turned slightly pink.

“I’m not confused,” he replied quickly. “Merely… recalibrating.”

You laughed again, soft and warm. “You’re fun, Tech. Even if you don’t know it.”

He didn’t reply. Just stared out at the outpost, glasses slightly fogged. Processing. Buffering.

You winked as you stood. “Come on, Brain Boy. Let’s go break some droids.”

And behind you, Tech mumbled—

“…I don’t understand you.”

But oh, he wanted to.

⸻

“Move your pretty brain, Tech!”

Your shout cut through the blaster fire as you Force-shoved a B1 battle droid clean off the ridge. The droid hit the canyon wall with a clang before falling into a satisfying silence.

Tech barely managed to duck behind the rock as two more shots ricocheted past his goggles.

“I’m attempting to calculate the terrain advantages, not—”

You dropped beside him, lightsaber humming with heat. “Flirt later, calculate less. We’re getting spicy out here.”

“I am not flirting—”

“You will be,” you said sweetly, spinning to deflect a bolt. “Just haven’t hit the right button yet.”

“Force help me,” Crosshair muttered over comms. “I’m in hell.”

Vos cackled somewhere on the ridge. “This is why I bring her on ops.”

You winked in Tech’s direction. “Besides, I like it when smart boys get flustered.”

“I am not—” he started, only to cut himself off when you leapt over the boulder and ran directly into blaster fire.

“Wait—don’t—!”

But you were already slicing through droids, movements chaotic and fluid. A little wild, a little beautiful. Vos followed behind you with a war cry and a detonator.

“Stop being reckless in combat!” Tech snapped, ducking as sparks flew overhead.

Wrecker hollered from behind cover. “She’s so cool, right?!”

Tech was still reeling from how your braid moved like a whip when you spun, when a Super Battle Droid on the ridge zeroed in on his location.

He didn’t see it. But you did.

“Tech!”

You moved fast—a leap, a slide down the gravel slope, and then a blinding crack of energy as you shoved him to the ground and blocked the bolt meant for his chest with your saber.

The shockwave sent you both tumbling behind a ledge.

For a second, there was only the buzz of his ears and the hum of your saber still hot in the air.

You looked down at him—arms braced on either side of his shoulders, breathing hard, body pressed against his.

His goggles were crooked. His heart was absolutely not functioning in optimal parameters.

“You good?” you asked, voice low.

“I…” Tech swallowed. “Yes. Thanks to you.”

You leaned a little closer. “That’s two times I’ve saved your life this week. You might owe me.”

“I… suppose I do.”

You smiled. “We’ll figure out the payment plan later.”

Vos dropped beside you, covered in soot and grinning. “I saw that. That was hot. I’d kiss you for that save.”

“Why are they like this,” the sniper muttered and then glanced over to Tech. “Can’t believe I’m third-wheeling a courtship in the middle of a kriffing warzone.”

“Fourth-wheeling,” Vos corrected. “I’m emotionally invested.”

You grinned as you helped Tech up. “Don’t worry, brain boy. They’re only teasing”

You patted his chest, then turned back toward the canyon, saber blazing back to life.

“We’ll talk later. Right now? Droids first. Feelings… maybe after explosives.”

And then you were off again, a whirlwind of Force and fire.

Tech stood frozen, fingers twitching at his belt.

Vos clapped him on the back. “Welcome to the mess, genius.”

⸻

You were sitting cross-legged on the Marauder’s ramp, tossing pebbles at Wrecker’s helmet while he tried to balance a crate on one hand.

Vos was beside you, chewing on dried fruit like it was the best thing he’d ever tasted. He elbowed you after a particularly impressive throw.

“You ever gonna tell Tech you’re into him?” Vos asked, mouth half-full.

You smirked. “And ruin the comedy of him trying to math his way through courtship? No thanks.”

Wrecker laughed. “He is actin’ weird lately. Said I was being ‘emotionally invasive’ for askin’ if he liked you!”

Vos grinned. “He’s got it bad.”

“And I am loving it,” you replied, spinning a pebble in your fingers. “Every time I flirt, he acts like I just challenged his understanding of gravity.”

Right on cue, Tech walked down the ramp, datapad clutched in hand, goggles slightly askew. He stopped in front of you, cleared his throat.

“I… performed a series of diagnostics regarding interpersonal compatibility,” he said, utterly serious. “According to twenty-seven factors—including personality, adaptability, combat style, and dietary preferences—we are a statistically promising match.”

Vos dropped his fruit.

You blinked. “Did you just… scientifically determine that we should date?”

“I—well—yes,” Tech said. “But only if you’re interested. Which—based on your heart rate and verbal cues—I suspect you might be.”

Vos exploded into laughter, falling back on the ramp.

“Oh my Maker,” he wheezed. “You absolute nerd.”

You grinned at Tech. “That might be the most romantic math I’ve ever heard.”

Tech pushed his glasses up. “I thought you’d appreciate the data.”

“I do,” you said, standing and brushing your hands off. “But next time, try leading with something like: ‘I think you’re beautiful and I’d like to kiss you.’”

Tech turned crimson. “I—yes. Noted.”

“Relax,” you teased, stepping closer. “I’m not gonna kiss you.”

His expression fell a little.

“Yet,” you added.

From behind the crates, Crosshair exhaled loudly. “Maker, just kiss already or go back to sexually tense banter. This is painful.”

You turned. “Aw, Cross. You jealous you’re not the one I’m throwing pebbles at?”

He scowled. “I’d rather be shot.”

Vos stood and slung an arm around your shoulders. “Honestly, same.”

You nudged him. “You’re just mad you’re not the prettiest Jedi in the room anymore.”

Vos gasped dramatically. “Rude. And false.”

Tech, meanwhile, was still buffering.

“I may need to recalibrate my approach,” he murmured, mostly to himself.

“Or,” you said, tapping his datapad, “you could just ask me to spend time with you. No variables required.”

He paused, then looked up at you, eyes suddenly very soft.

“…Would you like to accompany me on a walk through the canyon ridge at 1900 hours? Statistically, it would be—”

You leaned in, smirking. “Careful, Tech. That almost sounded like a date.”

He adjusted his goggles. “I was… hoping it would be.”

Vos made a gagging noise. Crosshair muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, “nerds.”

And you?

You just smiled.

⸻

1900 hours hit, and you were waiting by the canyon overlook, robes loose and windswept, arms crossed like you hadn’t just spent twenty minutes trying to decide if you looked “dateable.”

You sensed him before you saw him—Tech’s unique mental frequency, all angles and tension and humming data flow. He approached precisely on time, goggles slightly askew, holding… a field scanner?

“Is that for scanning terrain,” you asked, grinning, “or just a really dramatic way to say you’re nervous?”

“I—” Tech adjusted his grip. “It is a tool for environmental analysis and—possibly—also distraction.”

You snorted. “So yes.”

The two of you walked along the ridge trail, the orange twilight casting soft shadows on the canyon walls. Silence settled, not uncomfortable, just… charged. Like the pause before a storm—or a kiss.

“So,” you said finally, “have you been practicing your flirting?”

Tech looked over, hesitant. “I did… research.”

“Oh no.”

He cleared his throat. “Your presence activates all of my… neurological functions.”

You blinked. “That… was almost sexy.”

“Almost?”

“You lost me at neurological.”

Tech looked disappointed. You reached over, brushing your fingers over his arm. “Don’t worry, I like the weird.”

“I am attempting,” he said, more softly this time, “to understand how to… express what I feel.”

You tilted your head. “And what do you feel?”

He turned toward you fully now. “I feel that your presence both stabilizes and disorients me. That your actions on the battlefield—reckless though they are—captivate me. That your voice lingers in my thoughts long after transmission ends. And that when you saved my life… I was afraid, not of death, but of losing the chance to tell you any of this.”

Your breath caught.

“…Tech,” you said, gently.

“I am aware,” he rushed to add, “that emotions are complex, and Jedi traditionally—”

You stepped forward and kissed him.

It wasn’t long or intense, just a warm press of lips. Steady. Sure.

When you pulled back, his goggles were fogged.

“Shutting up works too,” you whispered.

From somewhere nearby, a stick snapped.

You both turned just in time to hear Vos swear and fall directly out of a bush.

“I WASN’T SPYING,” he yelled.

“Maker above—” Tech muttered.

Crosshair’s voice crackled over the comm: “I told him you’d hear his dumbass breathing.”

Wrecker’s voice came next: “I think it’s sweet! Tech’s got a girlfriend!”

Vos was on his feet, brushing himself off. “Sorry—carry on. Proud of you, Tech. Didn’t think you had it in you.”

You groaned. “I am going to murder all of you.”

Tech looked dazed.

“Can we… do that again?” he asked quietly.

You smiled, tugging him close. “Yeah. This time with less audience.”

#tech x reader #tbb tech #star wars the clone wars #the bad batch x reader #the clone wars x reader #the bad batch #tbb wrecker #wrecker #tbb crosshair #crosshair x reader #wrecker x reader #hunter #tbb hunter #clone force 99 #jedi #pro jedi #quinlan vos

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dindjarindiaries · 3 months ago

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Omega and Crosshair's story in The Bad Batch season 3 mirrors Hunter and Omega's story in The Bad Batch season 1, but with Omega taking on Hunter's role and Crosshair taking on Omega's.

Something the show did really well in season 3 was prove just how far Omega has come, and how she's become so much like all her brothers in different ways. Personally, I see a lot of Hunter in her, mainly for the way she's always tried to emulate him ever since season 1. That's what started to lead me on this path to discovering that, in season 3, she takes on Hunter's previous role from season 1, especially where Crosshair is concerned.

As always with any analysis, this is a disclaimer that you may view these episodes in an entirely different way due to various biases, one of the most notable being based upon your own favorite characters and your own life experience. All I ask is that you read through carefully before chiming in with any counterarguments!

The basis of this analysis, or at least what clued me in to this, are these two moments, and the similarities of the stories Hunter & Omega and Omega & Crosshair have in seasons 1 and 3, respectively.

It's important to note straightaway that these two stories do not line up exactly the same. There are, rather, thematic similarities, and enough potential parallels that bring everything together just enough to show us how everything falls into place and brings season 1 full circle in season 3.

At the beginning of season 3, Omega and Crosshair are both imprisoned in the same place. Regardless, they're both being treated very differently. Omega has more of an illusion of freedom in having time on her own while she tends to her tasks. Crosshair, on the other hand, is either held in his cell or is actively being tortured/conditioned.

Metaphorically, this was also where Hunter (and the rest of the Batch) and Omega were in season 1, too. Hunter and the boys had the illusion of freedom in getting to leave Kamino and participate in missions, but they still had a duty to serve the Republic with no real choice ever being presented. Omega, on the other hand, was confined to Kamino, even kept hidden for the most part as Nala Se's lab assistant.

The dynamic between Omega and Crosshair shifts when Omega gets older. As I pointed out in this analysis, Omega's growth, and her shift into the role of Hunter, is made evident through the use of shadows when she talks to Crosshair in his cell. When she's younger, she looks as if she has Crosshair's marksman tattoo. When she's older, the left half of her face is concealed in a shadow, like Hunter's skull tattoo.

While this is showing Omega's growth by taking her from emulating the youngest of the Batch to the oldest, it's also foreshadowing how Crosshair is going to be taking on younger Omega's role, too.

It kicks off the strongest in episode 3, when it's time to make their escape. Omega insists on freeing Crosshair and taking him with her, despite him telling her that she should've left him behind—and that he wouldn't have thought twice about leaving her behind, either. But Omega refused to leave him behind. Why?

She's one of us. We're not leaving her there.

She learned that lesson from Hunter, who brought his entire squad back to Kamino just to free her from where she was being confined. Omega, now embodying Hunter's role, does the same for Crosshair here. She takes the risk to come free him and to make their escape together.

From then on, Omega actually calls a lot of the shots, if not all of them. Like Hunter, she's the strategist, guiding Crosshair but also considering and listening to his insight. Crosshair obeys, albeit more reluctantly than Omega used to obey Hunter—although she still used to protest if Hunter was sidelining her for her protection, so there are a few little similarities there.

(I would be remiss not to note here that the only glimpses we really get of Omega being a child again rather than the leader she learned to be from Hunter is when she's actually with Hunter. The face she makes when she runs to him during their reunion, melting into his embrace, snuggling Lula on the Marauder, leaning her head on his shoulder on Pabu... he's the safe space where she can fully relax and just be a kid again, because even if she's always gonna be Hunter for others, he's the only Hunter for her.)

After the reunion, we see Crosshair struggling at first to be back with his squad as their new history stands between them, mostly due to Crosshair's own guilt and hesitance and Hunter's desire to learn more and understand what happened. Because of their issues, Hunter doesn't have the established trust he needs yet to help Crosshair the way Omega can. That's why Omega, in a way, takes on the role Hunter used to have in Crosshair's life—at least, in this season.

Omega is very protective of Crosshair during this time, in a way that's reminiscent of how fiercely protective Hunter always has been of Omega. Of course, Crosshair is also very protective of Omega, too, and we also saw this with Omega regarding Hunter (and the others) in season 1. She was constantly worried about them when they were on missions without her, and that relieved way she says Hunter's name when she realizes he's alive after his shootout with Cad Bane will always get me.

The biggest thematic similarity between season 1 Omega and season 3 Crosshair, however, is their motivation, as far as the rest of the squad is concerned. Omega tries her hardest to earn their trust and their approval by training with her bow, strategizing, following orders, and more. Crosshair wants the same thing; he wants to regain the trust and approval he had from his brothers before everything happened. He practices shooting with his rifle and is frustrated when he can't protect them the way he wants to.

Just as Omega's past haunted her in the form of bounty hunters throughout season 1, Crosshair's past haunts him in the form of his hand tremor and CX-2. Omega's worst fear became returning to Kamino, and Crosshair's is returning to Tantiss. This is what they're trying to run from the entire season, despite the fact that all paths start to lead right back to those places.

Eventually, the Empire becomes a threat again, and escape becomes impossible for season 1 Hunter and season 3 Omega, respectively. Both of them give themselves up to protect others. Hunter orders Tech to leave him on Daro, while Omega insists on turning herself in to protect Pabu and her brothers. They both do so without fear, intent on either getting themselves out of their situation or depending on their squad to help them.

(Crosshair technically substituting for Tech here, too... I'm emotional.)

This is when we get the pinnacle of season 1 Omega's and season 3 Crosshair's arcs: they go back to the place they fear the most solely for the sake of their Hunter-figure. This action alone proves the growth they've done over the course of the story, as the trust, connection, and love they truly, deeply have for that person they look up to encourages them to be brave and to face their greatest fears to save them.

Season 1 Omega returns to Kamino for Hunter, and season 3 Crosshair returns to Tantiss for Omega. We all know that Omega is exhibiting peak Hunter behavior here as she looks after the younger children imprisoned with her to help them escape, but that's beside the point currently. We fast forward to their reunions, when the immediate threat is gone and the Hunter-figures realize what their Omega-figures sacrificed to save them.

Not only that, but they're also reminded that it was because of their own initial actions that the Omega-figures found the bravery and inspiration to conquer their fear. Season 1 Omega reminds Hunter that he had gone back to Kamino for her first, and season 3 Crosshair doesn't have to say anything for Omega to remember the way she risked her own escape attempt to free him from his cell first. They never gave up on each other.

I, of course, don't miss the significance of Hunter being in the latter scene when this all happens. Again, while Omega may act like Hunter to many others, only Hunter himself can take on that role in her own life. Here, Hunter gets to see how his actions when they first took in Omega have influenced her and, now, his youngest brother. It's such a heartfelt and rewarding full-circle moment, with Omega being the mend between these two formerly torn-apart brothers. It's such a large step ahead from where they were before.

The epilogue essentially becomes a lighthearted display of the similarities between Hunter and Omega. He stresses that he and his brothers want to keep her safe, and after reassuring him that she will be, she asks him to look over their other two brothers—proving that both of them are still protective as Hunter-figures over those they see as their Omega-figures. All the while, of course, they're protective over one another, too, even if it goes without saying.

Essentially, Hunter became who he had to be to take care of Omega, and Omega followed that example to take care of Crosshair. This is, in my opinion, probably why we didn't get as much Hunter and Omega in season 3 as we did Crosshair and Omega, but not for the reason many may think. It was because Omega was already in Hunter's role, and Crosshair was in Omega's role.

It's really sweet to see how full circle the story has come from season 1. Crosshair is getting the treatment and attention Omega got in season 1, but he's getting it from Omega herself, because that's what Crosshair really needed. Hunter couldn't be in that role anymore because of their own hurt—plus, their relationship is just different. Instead, we get to see what Omega learned being passed on as she grew, and how it ultimately helped to heal Crosshair and the rest of them.

If you enjoyed this analysis, here are some other ones I've done:

Hunter and Crosshair in "The Return"

Crosshair taking the shot in "The Calvary Has Arrived"

#omega becoming like hunter is just everything to me okay???? okay!!!!#tbb omega #tbb crosshair #tbb hunter #the bad batch #star wars #the bad batch meta #star wars meta

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wanderinginksplot-writes · 1 month ago

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Hunter + Separated

Hunter x fem!reader, established relationship

This was written to answer @leotawrites request from... like a year ago: They get separated during the battle on Tantiss and find each other again after it's all done.

I realized way too late in the process that I didn't need to write what she was doing during the battle itself. 🤦 But this got me through the worst of my writer's block, so thank you!

Word Count: 3,100

Warnings: Spoilers for the series finale of Star Wars: The Bad Batch, references to battle, mentions of torture and myriad injuries, guilt, and grief.

Masterlist

---

Hunter scanned the dark treeline over and over, calling your name as loudly as he dared.

“Shut up!” Crosshair hissed, shoving at his shoulder. “You’ll give away our position.”

Hunter glared at his brother. “Pretty sure those bolts mean they already know our position.”

Crosshair gave him a mulish look. “Not exactly. They have an idea, but everyone who actually saw us was neutralized by Wrecker’s new friend.”

“Wouldn’t call it a friend,” Wrecker muttered, gripping his shoulder. The unknown beast had done its best to take a chunk out of him before Wrecker could fight it off. Even through the cover of his helmet, Hunter could tell that Wrecker was wincing.

“She’s gone,” Hunter told them both, not needing to explain who exactly ‘she’ was. You were the only unknown in the situation outside of Echo and Omega. And the Batch was closing in on their location as quickly as possible.

“I saw,” Crosshair agreed. “She went after Rampart.”

Wrecker scoffed, glancing out at the forest. “Rampart? He’s not gonna last ten minutes out there with those things.”

Hunter could feel the look Crosshair gave Wrecker, just as he could sense Wrecker’s sheepish regret. “Not that she won’t- She can take care of herself. She’s fast.”

“I can find her,” Hunter insisted. It wasn’t a lie, or even an exaggeration. The two of you had been dating for some time - well, as much as anyone could find time to date around the horrors of fleeing the Empire. He knew your face, your voice, your scent, the vibrations of your footsteps.

He knew where you were at that very moment. Not an exact location, since there were a lot of people in these woods, but he could get within a few yards of your trail and track you from there.

Even as Wrecker and Crosshair glanced at each other, Hunter scowled behind his helmet. He could find you with his eyes closed, even on Tantiss, but there just wasn’t time.

“But we’re here for Omega.” The gravity of the situation dripped from Hunter’s tone, mingling with frustration and a tinge of defeat. “We need to get her out of there while we still can.”

“You two track her and I’ll go get Omega,” Crosshair offered. “You can get past the creatures and Wrecker can guard your back from the reinforcements that were sent out.”

Wrecker froze. “Wai- What? No. We need to stay together.”

You were getting further away. Hunter could feel it, sense the way your footsteps were heading deeper into the forest. He listened until the sound of his own heartbeat covered the sound of yours. It seemed… empty without the steadily echoing thump of your heart behind his.

“Clone Force 99 died with Tech,” Crosshair snapped, and Hunter pulled his full attention to the conversation at hand. Crosshair was… offering to go retrieve Omega. Without backup. He would be totally alone, all so Hunter could search for you with Wrecker along for backup.

“No,” Hunter refused, drawing on the familiar authority he’d held when he was the sergeant of the squad. It seemed like a lifetime ago, but he slipped into the old role like it had never left him. “Omega needs us. All of us. So we’re doing this together.”

Hunter glanced between his brothers, seeing the ghost of a goggled face among them. “Let’s go get Omega.”

—

You were so sick of Rampart.

The man had never been anything other than a thorn in your side, but you had agreed that capturing him was your best chance of finding Tantiss’s location. That didn’t mean you had to like him.

Still, you weren’t willing to let him run off and die horribly… or, as a bigger concern, tell the Empire about the Bad Batch’s location. That would be exactly something he would do, you thought grimly, give up everyone else in a last-ditch effort to save his own skin.

And then you had to try really hard not to think about parallels, because you watched a group of troopers capture him, and you did nothing to help. You reasoned that there wasn’t much you could do against a whole platoon, but you really didn’t feel guilty in the slightest as you watched them attach the binders to Rampart’s wrists and march him roughly onto their waiting transport.

At least you had done your best to recapture the asset.

You turned, fighting the urge to literally dust your hands free of the situation, but you froze soon afterward. You… had no idea where the rest of the Batch could be. Rampart had run in a reasonably straight line, but there weren’t many distinguishing marks in the forest. You had no idea whether you could find the others and, even if you could get back to the right clearing, whether anyone would still be there. It wasn’t like they could wait around forever.

Traveling with the Bad Batch had honed a lot of your skills, especially in choosing a path and executing the right steps for it, but you froze for a moment as you weighed the pros and cons of the different ways you could handle the situation.

A loud, horrible crack drew your attention toward the mountain. You had half a moment to wonder whether the Empire would be stupid enough to build their ultra-secret laboratory into an active volcano, but a rush of sound told you something else was happening.

You picked your way through the trees, moving gingerly to avoid the hyper-alert troopers. Eventually, you made your way to a ridge tall enough to look out over the mountain. There, so far around the other side that it was nearly out of view, you could see an interruption in the otherwise-uniform silhouette of the mountain’s slopes.

Squinting didn’t help much in the dim light of the moon, but you tried it anyway. Was it a landslide? That would be an incredible coincidence, and you were starting to doubt that those ever truly happened.

Your eyes widened when you finally saw the towering creature fighting its way free of the mountain. You hadn’t the slightest clue what it was or how it had gotten there, but it had to have something to do with the Bad Batch. There wasn’t enough coincidence in the entire galaxy to explain that away.

At first, the giant hole in the side of the mountain seemed like an ideal place to get inside, but then you saw a swarm of troopers descending on the area.

You ducked for cover as an approaching ship hovered lower and lower until it gently came to land in a nearby clearing. The doors opened, releasing another platoon. Every trooper took up a position, aiming into the forest. You held your breath to cut off all movement, but you noticed that they weren’t aiming at anything in particular.

“Make for the entrance, men,” the leader ordered, his voice slightly rough through the distortion of his helmet’s external speakers. “We got warning that some of the insurgents are trying to infiltrate through it.”

One of the other troopers piped up: “Sir, we don’t have the men to build a formation big enough to-”

“Then we’ll start a partial formation,” the leader said grimly. “Our backup can fill in the gaps when they arrive. Understood?”

A chorus of ‘Yes, sir!’s met him, then they clattered their way off through the dark forest toward the smoking ruin that formed a large chunk of the mountain’s base.

You eyed the now-empty ship. There was a pilot onboard, and you didn’t think you could do anything as wild as capture a transport before he alerted the chain of command about what was happening. But you could sneak on, especially since he was only just starting to prepare the ship for takeoff.

A low, scurrying run wasn’t elegant and you knew that Crosshair would mock you mercilessly if he ever saw it, but it got you to the ship before the doors closed, and the pilot didn’t seem to have seen you. There were holorecorders in the main section of the ship, but their activation happened fairly late in the pre-flight process and you were pretty sure the pilot hadn’t gotten there yet.

The small corridor built for droids would work to shield you from the holorecorders, as well as anyone who might board the ship. If you were lucky, you could get off the ship between landing inside the mountain and the next group of soldiers getting onboard. And if you were unlucky, you could ride comfortably in the corridor. It wasn’t pressurized, but you would be fine as long as the ship didn’t break atmosphere.

However, when the ship landed, the pilot powered down the ship and left. You sat huddled in the droid corridor for a count of three-hundred, but didn’t hear any sounds. Not on the ship, anyway - distant explosions echoed through the hangar.

Finally, you emerged, checking carefully that you were alone. You were, but you hesitated before you left the dubious shelter of the LAAT/i. It wouldn’t be impossible for the Batch to blow up Tantiss entirely, in which case, it would be smartest to take the ship and leave.

But they could also need your help. And if they did, you couldn’t bear to leave them behind and risk them being injured or worse.

So you stepped off the ship, reasoning that they wouldn’t have had time to evacuate all of the troopers yet. Still, there was an extra energy in your step as you raced toward the action. You needed to make sure they knew you were there so they didn’t leave you behind.

When you were close enough to smell the smoke, a skull emerged from the shadows.

You gasped, freezing in place with your hands raised defensively. With more than a split second to look ahead, you could see that it wasn’t a skull at all, but a dangerously emaciated clone trooper.

He was watching you, sunken eyes wary. You kept your hands where they were, though you were less concerned about ghosts than you were about the DC-17M blaster rifle the trooper held pointed at your heart.

“Who are you?” he demanded, a reedy edge to his harsh voice.

You gave your name. You were only dimly aware that there were other troopers approaching behind the one with the rifle - your entire focus had narrowed on the muzzle of the blaster and the wild eyes of the clone trooper. “I’m with-”

“Stand down, trooper,” a more familiar voice ordered.

“Echo!” you greeted gratefully. A glance to the side made your smile grow. “And Omega! Good to see you both.”

“What are you doing here?” Omega asked, watching the unfamiliar clone trooper lower the blaster.

“Looking for the others,” you explained. “I lost them outside of the mountain. Have you seen them?”

“Captured,” Echo said grimly.

Your heart squeezed with fear and horror. Some of that must have bled through to your expression, because Omega gave an encouraging nod. “Don’t worry - we’re going to save them now. We just need to get these injured clones to a ship.”

“There are a few LAAT/is in the hangar,” you remembered, hooking a thumb back over your shoulder. “That’s how I got here.”

“You can fly a LAAT/i?” Echo asked.

You shook your head. “I stowed away.”

“I can,” one of the other troopers volunteered. “I can fly any ship in the Republic fleet. Just get to me to it and I can do the rest.”

There was a sinking feeling in your gut at that. Sure enough, Omega was watching you hopefully when you turned around.

“Omega, I-”

“We need you to,” Echo interrupted firmly. “I’ll take a volunteer group of troopers to go save them, but we need you to get these men to a ship.”

“I can’t just leave,” you argued.

“No one said you have to leave,” Omega corrected. “Just take them to the hangar and get them on a ship. Then come find us. You have Echo’s comlink frequency. Track it and that’ll show you where we are.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Echo said, looking uncomfortable at the idea of bringing someone new into whatever situation he expected to find.

Omega shrugged up at him. “We need all the help we can get.”

Echo’s sigh only served as a wordless agreement.

“Fine, I’ll see you both soon,” you decided. “Everyone else, follow me. I’ll get you to the hangar.”

The process of guiding the troopers wasn’t quick, but it was remarkably efficient. They had already figured out who was well enough to help the others and who should be at the front of the group to help set the pace. That was especially convenient, since it allowed you to help the troopers who were struggling the most without having to leave your place leading the group.

At long last, you had helped everyone load onto a LAAT/i and passed along the coordinates Echo had sent to get them to a safe system. The instant you were safely off the ship, the pilot deftly flew the ship into the pouring rain and you rushed back into the belly of the mountain.

Echo’s comlink frequency wasn’t moving.

That wouldn’t have been too concerning, but it continued not to move for most of the time it took you to reach it. You sent up a prayer to whatever gods were listening that he had simply dropped the comlink. The idea of something worse happening was enough to send you into near-panic.

The sound of your name being called behind you made you freeze. “Hunter-?”

When you had passed the large door, it had been closed. You hadn’t actually known that it led outside, but with the door panel standing open, you could see the long path to a landing platform fading away behind sheets of rain.

More importantly, Hunter, Crosshair, and Omega were just inside that door, dripping wet and looking exhausted.

“What happened?” you demanded, rushing to them. “Are you hurt? Crosshair, your hand… We have to go! Hemlock could be here any moment-”

“Mesh’la,” Hunter cut in, grasping your shoulders so you would pay attention. “We don’t have to worry about Hemlock. Not now. Not ever again.” He took a shaking breath and hugged you close. “We’re finally safe.”

You cradled him against you, nodding in acknowledgment as Omega gestured that she was going to find a ship. She and Crosshair moved around you both, headed toward the hangar.

Hunter smelled like sweat and electricity, his body trembling like a leaf. He pressed his face beneath your jaw and took a deep breath. You could feel the heat of tears against the skin of your neck. Even there, in the horrible aftermath of a long and painful battle, you found a moment to soak each other in.

Later that night, you jolted awake in your bunk aboard the Havoc Marauder. The lights of hyperspace flashed beyond the viewport covers, but that wasn’t what had jarred you back to consciousness - the bed was empty.

It didn’t take long to find Hunter; he was in the cockpit. There wasn’t any manual flying to do, since you were in hyperspace and would continue to be for hours, but he was staring through the viewport as if he was concentrating intently.

“Hunter?” you asked gently.

With his enhanced senses, there was no way he hadn’t heard you approaching, but there was something odd about the set of his shoulders. You wouldn’t risk startling him, not after he had been through so much so recently.

He hummed softly in answer. You took that as an invitation and stepped into the cockpit.

When you were sitting in the copilot’s chair, you let yourself look over at Hunter. His eyes were aimed out of the viewport, but they weren’t as sharp as you thought they would be. Instead, he seemed to be staring through the transparisteel blankly, his focus clearly aimed at his own thoughts instead of at the stars rushing past.

“Are… are you okay?” you asked, fully knowing how silly the question was but unable to articulate it any other way.

“I don’t know yet.”

The answer was quiet and soft, more thoughtful than dismissive. You nodded understandingly.

“It’s hard to believe it’s all over.”

“Is it over?” Hunter shook his head. “Every time I think about… about today… I have to wonder if there isn’t something else going on.”

You frowned. It was hard not to ask too many questions, especially when he was saying things that made you worry. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Hunter sighed lightly, little more than an exhale through his nose. “Not much to talk about. The Kaminoans could break us down and put us back together by the molecule. Hemlock had to do it the hard way. Shocks, beatings, psychological reprogramming. He wanted to turn us into his own soldiers.”

Your throat went tight at the dismissive tone he used. You reached out, closing the distance between your chair and his to hold his hand. Hunter accepted the touch easily, slipping his fingers through yours and giving a little squeeze.

“You want to know the worst part?” Strictly speaking, you weren’t sure that you did, but you nodded anyway. “There were others there that were Hemlock’s soldiers. He had a team he used to capture us and I couldn’t stop thinking… What if he did that to Tech? What if one of those men was my own brother?”

Hunter’s eyes were bright with unshed tears, his voice tight. You stood, wrapping him in the tightest hug you could manage. Even as he returned your hug, Hunter choked out, “How can things be over if Tech could still be out there?”

“Let’s get everyone to safety first,” you suggested slowly. “When that’s done, we can go wherever you want. We’ll find him.”

“And Omega?” he asked, almost desperate. “She finally has a chance to be a normal kid. How could I take that from her?”

“Stars, Hunter, we have contacts across the galaxy.” You stroked gentle fingertips through his hair. “We can gather leads from Pabu and, if we find something solid enough, we’ll go check it out. You can decide then if you want to get anyone else involved or not.”

Hunter’s laugh was teary but sincere. “How do you make it sound so simple?”

“Because it is,” you reminded him. “We’re together and we’re alive. We can figure out anything else.”

“You’re right,” he agreed, pressing a kiss to your palm. “We’ll figure it out. Together. I love you, mesh’la.” “I love you too, Hunter,” you murmured, pressing kisses to his forehead, cheeks, and finally his lips. “Everything will be okay. We’ll make it okay.”

---

Author's Note - As you can probably tell, I lean toward the theory that Tech isn't perma-dead. We'll see!

Thank you for reading, and thank you to everyone who made requests and is being so so patient while I work through my insane number of wips.

#star wars #star wars the bad batch #the bad batch #sw tbb #tbb hunter #hunter #crosshair #wrecker #echo #omega #hunter x reader #hunter x you #reader insert #reader insert fic #star wars fanfiction #the bad batch fanfiction #fic requests #ink's fics

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arcsimper5 · 1 year ago

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Ahhhh! I'm so freaking stoked!

So I had this idea about the ending of Kamino Lost, when Crosshair is left behind on the platform. A sort of 'what if', if you will.

When the Marauder first finds the platform, the Batch have to activate it by hovering over it incredibly low to the water, and get it to rise up.

But what happens when the ship leaves the platform at the end? Logic would dictate that, without the weight of the ship and the pressure on it, the platform would simply sink again, right?

And so, I present, said 'what if' in art form by the amazing @toastyrobos below!

I am beyond thrilled at this art, and a huge thanks again to @toastyrobos for accepting it! Please go get your own commission! It was so fast and I was kept up to date throughout the process and I just love it!

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lornaka · 1 year ago

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My five cents on Tech’s fate in TBB

It’s been over three weeks since the show ended and I’ve been writing this in my head ever since, mostly to have it summed up in one post for posterity lol. I considered letting it go at this point but I know it’ll drive me crazy if I don’t get it out of my system so might as well.

So here we go, some of my rambly post-finale thoughts on Tech’s death (and a few other issues) under the cut!

Disclaimer: while this post is in critical spirit (because that’s how my brain works), I want to make clear that I have nothing but respect and gratitude towards everyone who’s worked on the show. My criticisms are of the final story as a whole as I interpret it (art is art, everything is subjective, you know the drill), but one never knows what goes into the process of making it behind the scenes, so I’m not holding anything against the creative team. I love this show dearly and am in awe of how good it is at its best, despite certain things I wish they did differently.

To begin, if I had to sum up the biggest problem that TBB writing suffers from, it would be lack of closure, and too many red herrings. Not just for Tech, but many things. Major plot threads as well as little character moments are cultivated or thrown in just to never culminate in anything or to be immediately discarded after serving the plot, some of them incredibly misleading. Some of the top examples:

- Crosshair’s chip. We never get an exploration of how the trauma of his chip activating and being left behind not only affected his motivation and choice to stay with the Empire, but his relationship with his brothers. While it was made fairly obvious, if subtly, that Crosshair became free of the chip’s influence after getting hit by the ion engine on Bracca, the narrative treated this change as if it didn’t matter at that point, while it obviously mattered a lot within the context of Crosshair’s character. Add to that all these little details with him clutching his head in s1 finale, Omega expressing her disappointment in him, and Tech’s comment on how “it is just his nature” (as if it matters!!! See what I mean about the narrative treating Cross’s chip as if it didn’t play the key part in his trajectory? They throw in this line, like we are supposed to take away that it’s simply Crosshair being Crosshair and not like, the results of brainwashing and abandonment), Wrecker blaming Crosshair for not going back to them, all while we as the audience have been shown and told repeatedly how these chips work (and so were the Batch), we ended up with an incredibly confusing situation with lots of mixed signals from the writers. And once Crosshair makes his choice to stay with the Empire in s1 finale, his chip and the confusion it brought to his relationship with his brothers is never brought up again, because the plot simply moves on.

- Cid’s betrayal. After her being a major character for two seasons with a continuous relationship build-up with Omega in particular, she is discarded as soon as her betrayal serves the plot, with all that character development getting thrown out of the window. You can be mad at Cid all you want, but to me it’s incredibly weird and wasteful to end two seasons worth of build up on that note without it having any closure for the characters, especially Omega whose whole theme is trusting people and bringing out the best in them. It’s fine if they decided to make Cid exactly what she appeared on the surface (untrustworthy and self-serving) after playing around with her potentially growing through her fondness of Omega, but then at the very least the betrayal should’ve had an impact on the characters, Omega most of all. Even just one casual line from Omega in s3 about how Cid’s betrayal impacted her emotionally, however minimally, would have solved that problem. And no, CX-2 mentioning how he extracted info on Phee from her off screen absolutely doesn’t count as closure, because I’m talking about emotional closure for the main pov characters as well as the audience. Cid had a presence for two seasons, then as soon as she executed her role as a traitor to further the plot, she was discarded like she was a random extra.

- Emerie’s relationship with Hemlock. We are led to believe that he basically raised her, instilling in her the idea that she had no chance without him and owed her purpose and “safety” to him. You can’t tell me that this didn’t deeply affect her struggle and eventual decision to break away from all that and choose to help the kids, basically betraying Hemlock. I get that the show only had so much screen time and Emerie is a supporting character in season 3 at best, but common, she has more tension with Dr. Scalder than Hemlock while the potential for this rich deep conflict between them is right there.

I can probably list more smaller examples but this is getting long and I don’t want to go on any more tangents, so, finally, the biggest example of lack of closure and tendency of TBB writing to display foreshadowing that leads nowhere:

Tech’s death.

First of all, I’ll die on the hill that it wasn’t denial or delusion that led to such a big portion of the audience to believe that Tech didn’t really die in s2. If we look at the facts:

- there was no body

- it’s the finale of season 2 out of 3, pretty early for one of the main titular characters to get killed off

- the only/last character to allegedly see Tech after his fall is a villainous scientist who is known to experiment on clones specifically

- not a fact but: the whole scene with Hemlock presenting Tech’s goggles to Hunter was incredibly suspicious. In hindsight, I think the whole purpose of it was so that the Batch got Tech’s goggles back in their possession as a memento (and to show how evil Hemlock is to rub it into Hunter’s face like that) but it was executed in a way that read as something much more. It read as if Hemlock was going out of his way to convince us/Hunter of Tech’s death, but with us knowing who Hemlock is, his background in experimenting on clones, everything screams at us to not trust a word he says. Is it really so surprising that so many of the viewers immediately jumped at the conclusion that something more was going on there?

- Hunter’s (lack of) reaction/immediate narrative fall-out. More on that later as I address lack of emotional impact of Tech’s death in s3.

- it’s Star Wars. And there was no body.

So yeah, to me, it is completely justified that so many people read that whole thing as open to speculation at the very least, foreshadowing Tech’s survival at most.

Personally, I was 70% sure Tech was truly dead prior to s3, but not because the text told me so, but because at that point I was used to the show’s writing regularly sending out mixed signals, and a part of me was resigned to Tech’s death becoming another example of the writer’s intent clashing with their accidental empty foreshadowing.

As season 3 aired and the whole CX-2 plot was unfolding alongside continued lack of closure for Tech’s fate, my hope for Tech Lives reveal grew and grew, but in the end my initial doubt was proven right, unfortunately.

Oh, CX-2.. what a mess. You can’t tell me the creators went over all of these scenes, all of these lines, looked at the whole picture and *didn’t* see how it was incredibly easy to interpret CX-2 as potentially being Tech with all these little potential parallels. “Domicile” alone.

If they didn’t want us to entertain the idea that it could be Tech, they could’ve done it differently, but for some reason, they chose to leave that space for speculation. My question is, why?

If they truly wanted us to believe Plan 99 was it, Tech’s Noble End that we were supposed to take as this dramatic super emotional ultimate sacrifice and all that, then why would they not make it clear that CX-2 couldn’t be Tech? Why breed confusion? And breed confusion they did. It’s hard for me to believe they didn’t foresee the “ohh is it Tech?” speculation.

When so many members of the audience immediately and individually jump at a theory or have the same take away from the story they are being told, yet the authors say it wasn’t meant to be taken that way, something went seriously wrong with the writing.

I don’t like to speculate on such things because we will probably never know for certain, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they had at some point considered CX-2 being Tech or at least something more for the whole CX plot thread, but changed and reshuffled things at the last minute for whatever reasons.

Which is fine and understandable. But it brings me to the heart of my biggest issue with how Tech’s fate was handled:

lack of impact and closure.

Let’s disregard all the Tech Lives theories for a moment and focus on what we did get: Tech, one of the main characters, getting killed off at the end of s2 out of 3, for stakes and consequences and NOTHING else. When I say nothing, I mean nothing.

Imagine, for a moment, he survived and stayed with the Batch. Nothing would have changed, in the grand scheme of things. Nothing. We wouldn’t have had a few obligatory “Tech mention, everyone feel sad now” throwaway lines/goggle shots and whatnot, sure, but that’s it.

Tech dying didn’t change the trajectory of the plot in any way, nor did it affect any of the other characters in a way that changed their trajectory. And anything less is simply not enough to justify killing one of your main characters. Stakes and consequences ain’t it.

Consider Mayday, for example: a supporting character, but his death in s2 affected Crosshair in such a way it completely redirected his journey, AND in s3 we got an episode that cemented the impact Mayday had on Crosshair and provided emotional closure for them. That’s a narratively meaningful death.

Tech’s death was not meaningful to the narrative beyond removing him from it. That’s why so many Tech fans insist he deserved better treatment: not only was he not present in one third of the show physically, but he lacked any sort of presence even in death. His absence was never processed or grieved by any of the main characters and so by extension by the audience.

And before anyone starts with the whole ‘they are soldiers/they had no time to grieve/etc’ arguments, it is the responsibility of the writers to provide the space for all of that emotional impact. It they don’t, there is no impact.

A few reactions here and there, moments of missing Tech as a person and a brother, not an asset, anything would have made this whole thing easier to accept.

The lines that we did get, from Omega mentioning the stuff Tech taught her to Echo commenting on how decryption would be easier if Tech was with them to “Clone Force 99 died with Tech” from Crosshair - each and every single one of those lines linked to Tech’s functions as part of the squad, his usefulness, but we didn’t get a single line in remembrance of him as a person of his own, no one missed or remembered him for himself or his personal impact on them.

Just one line from Omega about how he taught her about change being a constant part of life or whatever, or Wrecker making a comment on how Tech used to info dump about stuff, anything would have instantly provided that much needed sense of “he was here, he was a person and is still a part of us”. Instead, Tech was killed off to show that messing with the Empire is dangerous and risks are real, I guess, and immediately lost any and all presence within the story.

We never even got to see Crosshair’s or Phee’s reactions to losing him.

Speaking of Crosshair, that’s a whole other example of complete lack of closure: they never closed the loop on the family being reunited again after initially leaving Crosshair behind, and with Tech dead, it’ll forever stay broken.

They could’ve given this a bittersweet yet meaningful spin if they developed the angle of Tech dying on a mission to bring Crosshair home, making a sacrifice so Crosshair had a chance.

Instead, the moment Tech dies, we get Hunter (and through him, the narrative) immediately abandon the idea/plot thread of going to rescue Cross all while saying “let’s not waste Tech’s sacrifice”. Sacrifice for what? Clearly Hunter doesn’t see it as a sacrifice for Crosshair’s sake, so, what, to make sure the rest of them makes it from the mission? The mission to save Crosshair. That mission. Right.

I see people talking about Tech’s noble sacrifice that ensured his family got to live and eventually have their happy ending, but all I can think about is how the creators chose to have him die on a mission that was immediately abandoned and the only take away from that whole sub plot was Tech’s own demise.

And after Crosshair is back with the Batch, his reaction to Tech’s death is never explored at all.

So yes, to me Tech deserved so much better. If you are going to kill off a major character, it must be necessary to be compelling. The way I see it, Tech’s death was not necessary at all because it didn’t change anything. And if it was meant to, the creators failed to communicate that by choosing not to explore the emotional impact of it and not structuring certain story beats in a more precise manner.

To wrap this up, if the way Tech’s death was handled was satisfying for you, that’s valid and I’m glad for you. For me, unfortunately, it’s completely the opposite and will forever remain the biggest and most unfortunate low point in the story.

And while I welcome anyone to share their own perspective if they wish, please don’t take this post as an invitation for debate, since there is no one right or wrong way to interpret or be affected by art.

#tbb analysis #the bad batch #And I ask you to please not use this post as an excuse to hate on the show I love in spite of all the issues described above #you can make your own post to express your dislike of the show #especially for reasons not covered in this post #personally I consider TBB to have some of the deepest and most meaningful moments in all of Star Wars #at its best it is a masterpiece #the character writing is stellar and the subtlety of expression of certain moments is chefs kiss #it’s the story writing I have problems with #tech

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theladyofmanyfandomsfanfiction · 2 years ago

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Imagine chasing after Buggy when he attempts to flee…

“I’d love to make things right but it’s time to exit stage left.” The clown called out as he bolted almost immediately.

Your eyes widened and glanced at your friends.

“Fucking clowns.” Zoro grumbled not at all surprised by the betrayal.

Sanji caught your look and offered a small smile. “Can’t teach an old clown new tricks, right?”

Suddenly a new swarm of Alrong Pirates entered the fray and the boys readied their stance to defeat the enemy.

You frowned. No, he promised and you’d be damned if you let that Flashy Fool get away. Turning on your heel, you rushed after the blue hair and striped bandana currently trying to comically dodge as many attackers as he could.

Cutting down the few pirates in your way, you eventually called out for Buggy to stop which, to your surprise, he did. Despite bouncing on either foot impatiently.

“Listen, I’d love to stay and chat but this is a shitshow I’d rather not be part of.”

Crossing the empty ground, you stopped a few paces away from the clown. “You promised that you’d help us when we got your body back.”

“I’m a pirate? Pirates lie.”

You stepped forward and narrowed the space. “No, you promised me.”

Buggy’s expression fell as he pondered how to respond. Unfortunately, the small silent moment with the pirate captain proved to be more distracting when one of Arlong’s fishmen caught you by surprised and slashed at your arm with his spear made of sharpened scales.

Crying out angrily you engaged in combat, forgetting about Buggy for a minute. The pirate was strong so he was certainly more than a match.

But the Arlong Pirates didn’t play fair as the fish pirate quickly grabbed your wounded arm and dug his sharp finger into the injury. Blinded by the pain in your arm, you felt your feet being kicked from underneath until you fell back and hit the ground.

Raising your blade to deflect the pirate’s own, you strained and struggled to keep him at bay. Suddenly the pressure was lifted and you saw a blur of red, white and blue slamming into your attacker.

You rolled over and caught your breath for a few minutes. With a small groan, you sat up on your knees and raised your head to see the outline of Buggy using one of his Chop-Chop finishing moves, kicking the pirate to the far side of the East Blue.

You were watching the pirate disappear into the sky when you quickly realised that there was someone kneeling in front of you.

Now focusing your attention on the clown, you watched him tear off a piece of striped fabric and wrap it around your arm. Honestly, you were unsure if you should thank him, say something clever, or simply note that in the moment, he wasn’t throwing off a menacing energy.

“Don’t say I never did anything for you.” Buggy said quietly, his eyes catching yours.

Did they normally twinkle under the light? Was he… leaning in?

Before anything else could have transpired his eyes darted behind you to where Zoro and Sanji came stumbling into view. With no desire to be in their crosshairs, the clown took his chance and bolted out of sight again.

~ More imagines here ~

A/n: It’s been such a while since I’ve absolutely adored a gorgeous flashy villain. 🤡

#gif is not mine #theladyofmanyfandoms #theladyofmanyfandomsfanfiction #opla x reader #opla imagine #opla x y/n #one piece x reader #one piece live action masterlist #one piece imagine #one piece live action imagine #buggy the clown x you #buggy x you #buggy the clown imagine #buggy the clown x reader #buggy x reader #opla!buggy imagine #opla!buggy x reader

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dystopicjumpsuit · 11 months ago

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Too Early

A/N: This is entirely the fault of @smw-on-kamino. We were chatting about Crosshair’s cuddling style (my personal HC: he’s very undemonstrative in public, but in private, he’s like Velcro), which led, inevitably, to thots.

Pairing: Crosshair x Reader (Fem, has hair and smaller hands than Crosshair)

Rating: M (mature contented intended for adult audiences; minors DNI)

Wordcount: 1.3k

Warnings and tags: fluff; SMUT; sleepy morning sex; fingering; nipple play; PIV; creampie; biting; no kissing on the mouth bc morning breath is a deadly thing, yo.

Summary: It's just smut. Soft, grumpy, morning smut. In the kitchen. Like you do.

Suggested Listening:

This fic smells like: ISO Gamma Super by Ellis Brooklyn (soft woods, crisp sheets, skin musk)

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Your eyes adjusted slowly to the soft light that filtered through the curtains. Outside the open window, the only sounds you could hear were the quiet rustle of wind in the leaves, the distant crash of waves on the beach, and the chattering of countless moon-yos as they frolicked through Pabu.

It was early.

Too early to wake up on a Benduday, you thought.

You rolled over as silently as possible, trying not to disturb your bedmate: a task not easily accomplished, considering his tendency to sprawl across the entire bed, draping his long limbs over you like a blanket. A tiny smile tugged at the corner your lips as you watched him sleep, your gaze drifting over him in the dim light, taking in the contrast of the crisp white linens against his warm, brown skin. His silver curls were tousled and wild, and judging by the rumpled bedding tangled around him, he must have had another restless night.

The temptation to kiss him awake was almost overwhelming, but you didn’t want to rouse him now that he was finally getting some sleep, so after admiring him for a few moments, you slipped out of bed, pulled on some pajamas, and crept out of the bedroom, closing the door softly behind you.

Far too early to wake up on a Benduday, you thought again as you ground your palms into your eyes, then headed to the kitchen. You began to assemble the makings for caf and immediately realized you’d need to grind fresh beans. Maybe he won’t hear it? From my lips to the Maker’s ears, I suppose.

You winced at the obnoxious grating of the caf grinder, but mercifully, it was over quickly, and you thought perhaps you’d managed it without disturbing him. The water heated at last, and as you poured it into the caf press, you heard a soft footfall behind you, and then he slid his arms around you from behind. He grumbled quietly, burying his face in your hair.

A smile crinkled the corners of your eyes as you leaned back against him, resting your hands on top of his. You should have known better than to try to escape your bed without paying the cuddle tax. Crosshair liked his routine, and that routine began every day with holding you.

“Good morning,” you murmured as he continued to nuzzle your hair and neck.

“Mm,” he grumbled again, apparently not yet capable of forming words.

He pulled you tighter against his lean body, and his hands began to wander over you, tracing down to your hips, up your belly, between your breasts to caress the side of your throat, and back down again. The nuzzles turned to kisses, and he worked his way down from your hair, to your ear, down your neck, and across your shoulder, slipping the strap of your top off your shoulder and out of the way.

“That feels nice,” you whispered, closing your eyes and tilting your head back to rest against his shoulder.

His only reply was a soft growl as his left hand teased beneath the waistband of your pajamas and his right hand slid beneath your top to cup your breast and brush his thumb over your nipple. As his fingertips grazed over your clit and dipped into your pussy to find you already heated and slick with desire, he inhaled sharply. You felt the heat of his lips and tongue on the nape of your neck, the soft graze of his teeth on your skin sending shivers through your body and making your nipples harden against his palm.

He sank his finger into you and pulled your body more firmly against himself so you could feel the hard length of his cock grinding against your ass. A tiny moan escaped your throat as his long, lovely fingers played with your cunt, sliding languidly into your body again and again as he worked you open with a patience and skill that made you wonder just how long he’d actually been awake.

His breath was rough and warm against your skin; his kisses roamed over you, tasting and savoring with thorough and unhurried attention to detail. Your hands drifted back to slide up his thighs, and you eased his pajama pants down his narrow hips and wrapped your fingers loosely around his cock. He thrust subtly into your hand with a soft groan, and his hand on your breast tightened for a moment, then slid down your waist. A quick tug, and your pajamas slipped down to puddle around your ankles.

He traced his hand up your body to your shoulder, then down your arm, until he reached the hand you had wrapped around him. His hand closed around yours, and he guided you over his length with a slow, strong grip. He sighed quietly with pleasure, resting his forehead against your shoulder as he worked himself with your hand. You shuddered quietly, biting your lip at the thought of him using your hand like a toy, or an extension of himself, as his strong fingers wrapped around your much smaller hand. You could feel him growing harder, and his cock grazed against your ass, leaving a bead of thick precum on your skin.

“Please,” you whispered. “I need you.”

“Mhm.” The warmth of his breath ghosted on your back as he let out a quiet, lustful sound that sent chills racing across your skin.

He pulled your hand away from his cock and lifted it to his face, pressing his lips against your wrist, then guiding it to brace against the countertop. His fingers slid out of you, his knee nudged your thighs apart, and he leaned you forward just enough to slide his cock into your slick, desperate cunt. You gasped, pressing your ass back against him to welcome him fully into your body.

“Fuck—” he grunted against your shoulder.

He wrapped his arms around you again and hauled you upright against his body. He cupped your breasts in both hands, massaging and rolling your nipples between his fingers as he thrust deeper into you, over and over, each movement pushing the breath from your lungs and drawing soft whimpers and moans from your lips.

“I need more—” you whispered.

His teeth sank lightly into your neck, and he slid his hand from your breast down your belly, pressing his palm flat against you as his fingers circled just over your clit, working insistently as he continued to thrust into you. Pleasure shot through you, and you felt the tension begin to build in your body.

“So fuckin’ pretty,” he mumbled, kissing your ear. “Pretty fuckin’ girl.”

“Oh—” The sound tore raggedly from you, and his hips stuttered as he heard the note of desperation in your voice.

“Gonna come for me?”

You nodded, your eyes glazed and unfocused with arousal. “Yes, I’m close—FUCK!”

Your orgasm slammed into you, and your vision exploded into a thousand stars. When your body convulsed against him and your legs gave out, his arms tightened around you, holding you securely upright. With a few final, hard thrusts, he followed close behind you, grunting loudly as the hot spurt of his cum flooded deep inside your body.

He slumped forward abruptly, catching himself against the countertop so he didn’t crush you. His body was warm and heavy against your back as he leaned on you, pressing kisses to your neck and hair.

“Morning,” he mumbled.

You let out a quiet laugh and turned to kiss his cheek. “I think the caf’s gone cold.”

“Mm,” he grunted. “Too early for caf. Let’s go back to bed.”

---

Want more Crosshair? Here’s some hurt comfort and some fluff.

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#crosshair x reader #crosshair bad batch #crosshair #the bad batch #star wars #tbb fanfic #tbb fanfiction #star wars fanfiction #dystopicjumpsuit writes #Spotify

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hugmekenobi · 10 months ago

Text

Heal

A Bad Batch Post S3 Oneshot

Gif by @barissoffee

Hunter x femaleJedi!reader

Summary: Shaking the effects of Tantiss is easier said than done

Warnings: Literally one use of (Y/N), swearing, hints of Tech/Phee, references to past pain and torture, angst, hurt/comfort, nightmares and trouble sleeping, descriptions of illness (headaches), reader is hard on herself, suggestive dialogue, light PDA (kissing, teasing touches), mentions of food, me making up what everyone is up to on Pabu, fluff and happy ending

Masterlist for S1, S2 and S3

Word Count: 7.2K

Rating: 18+

Author's note: Okay, not gonna lie, I struggled with this one. It was a last minute idea as I was rewatching and writing the final few episodes of season 3 but it worked and felt a lot better in my head and when it came to writing, my brain was not my friend lol. I hope it's still enjoyable! The next oneshot is the story I've had planned for months so that should be a smoother process haha

It had been a few weeks since you’d all taken up official residence in Pabu.

Shep’s offer of setting up homes for you all stayed true.

You and Hunter had been put in a hut perfectly designed for the two of you that was a short walk away from the water and there was even a spare room for Omega who alternated between sleeping in your home and the home Tech, Crosshair and Wrecker all shared.

The three other clones may have been grouped together but there was plenty of room, and not a lot of time was spent indoors anyway.

Wrecker had taken to fishing like, well, like a fish to water.

Crosshair did a bit of everything, helping out with tasks of whoever needed assistance but he mainly he kept up with practicing shooting with his left hand. He wanted the practice, and he genuinely enjoyed it. He didn’t miss being a soldier anymore but that didn’t mean he had to renege on his skills.

Tech spent much of his time with Phee or assisting Shep in rebuilding parts of Pabu that still needed it and upgrading equipment.

Omega often kept close company with Lyana and the other young reg clones or she went off with Tech to plan out a potential search for lost or salvageable pieces of the Marauder- the two of them had dreams of rebuilding new a ship with as many pieces of their old home as possible. It was yet to be undertaken but the vision was there.

The task of reuniting the children from Tantiss with their families had been successful but with that final mission complete, you and Hunter were also in the same boat as Crosshair and still yet to find your official niche on island. For now, you both were just relishing in the peace and each other’s company.

One thing you had managed to achieve was finding a way to finally get in touch with Lyra again, who- despite being filled in on everything that had happened since you parted ways on Christophsis- still managed to scold you for the lack of communication. But after hearing you all were alive and settled, she’d sent you all packages of more suitable island clothes with promises to visit soon.

Everything was coming together and so you were feeling one with the island life.

However, life here was not without its challenges.

The impact and aftermath of Tantiss remained a constant shadow that would still find ways to rear its ugly head. Something you and Hunter in particular found yourselves dealing with.

“I figured we could have the party in the next couple of weeks right here in the colonnade and, I don’t know, you could slip away or…” Shep trailed off as he saw the way Hunter’s brow furrowed in pain.

“Uh huh.” Hunter agreed distantly. He didn’t want to ignore Shep, especially when he was doing him the favour, but fuck had the sun always been this bright? The blinding pain behind his eyes and throbbing in his skull was getting harder to dismiss.

You were a casual observer and listener to the conversation between the young reg clones and the adult clones that had remained on the island- Deke, Stak and Mox had no shortage of questions for them. But you sensed a rising discomfort and then you caught the way Hunter kept pinching the bridge of his nose and squinting to get away from the glare of the warm sun. “Excuse me.” You politely removed yourself from the conversation and hurriedly walked over to where Shep and Hunter were conversing. “Shep, I’m sorry to interrupt but do you mind if I steal him away for a moment?”

“Not at all.” Shep bid the two of you farewell with a smile.

You lightly rested a hand on his upper arm. “Hunter? Another flare up?” You figured, keeping your worried voice quiet.

Hunter just about managed a nod and said through gritted teeth, “But I can wait it out. Shep-”

He would attempt to come up with an excuse every time and every time you wouldn’t even entertain it. “Come on.” You carefully wrapped an arm around him and guided him back home.

You opened the door and carried on through to the bedroom. You gently prompted him to sit on the bed as you knelt down and took his shoes off before you shut the bedroom window to cancel out the noise outside and closed the blinds to keep the sunlight out. You kept your voice low and monotone as you instructed him, “Lie down.”

Hunter did as you said and rested on his back.

The routine was second nature to you. He hadn’t had headaches like this for a while but since Tantiss and because of what he’d suffered there, they’d become more frequent. His senses hadn’t quite readjusted back to what they used to be.

You moved silently throughout the house as you went to the freezer and came back with the cold compress you stored specifically for these moments and placed it over his eyes. “I’ll just be in the living room if you need anything. Try to sleep.” You whispered caringly before you lightly squeezed his hand and made to leave. However, you had barely stepped away from the bed when Hunter’s hand caught your wrist.

“Stay.” He requested through a wince.

“I don’t want to overwhelm you.” You cautioned quietly. You had remained a couple times before, but it had never been a certainty that he wanted you to stay when he was going through this. You always waited for him to give the okay.

“You can’t.” He murmured. He needed you here to ground him in a way the usual methods could never do.

You removed your own shoes and supported his back as you sat him up and slotted yourself behind him.

Hunter rested his head against your chest.

You readjusted the compress slightly once you were both in a comfortable position. “This okay?” You asked as you softly massaged each of his temples.

Hunter let out a tranquil sigh and he could already feel the discomfort receding. You always knew just what it was he needed from you in these moments. “Perfect.”

Hunter wasn’t the only one still feeling the lingering toil of Tantiss. Your screams of terror and the way you thrashed next to him woke him up. He called your name and shook your arm to wake you up. “Hey, hey. Easy, easy. It’s alright.” He assured you as he saw your eyes widen in fear.

You shot awake and hastily sat up, your breathing hard and uneven.

“You’re okay. I’m here.” Hunter whispered soothingly as he sat up alongside you.

You closed your eyes and let his voice be the only thing you focused on.

“You’re alright. It was a bad dream.”

Right yes, a bad dream.

“Hold on.” Hunter pressed his lips to your clothed shoulder before he got out of bed and ran a cloth under some cold water.

You worked on getting your breathing back under control. You ran a hand over your face and felt the beads of sweat dripping down your temples and down your neck and back. Your sleep top was sticking to you uncomfortably. But you forced yourself to concentrate on anything that didn’t remind you of the nightmare you’d just escaped. You took in your secure and familiar surroundings of your bedroom to calm yourself down. You weren’t back there. You were on Pabu with Hunter. You were safe here.

Hunter slid back in bed beside you. “Arms up.” He prompted delicately. When you did that, he carefully removed your sweat soaked top and tossed it to the side of the bed– he’d deal with it in the morning- and placed the cool cloth to the back of your neck and spine before he tenderly dabbed at your temples. He then put a replacement top back over your head and continued to press the flannel around your forehead and neck.

“I’m sorry.” You rasped as you hid your face in your palms in embarrassment. You hated this. He would already have tough days and you couldn’t even offer him any relief in the evenings. The two of you had gotten into a rather unfortunate ritual where you would comfort him during the day and then the roles would switch as soon as night fell.

“You’ve nothing to be sorry for.” Hunter reassured you lovingly. He placed the cloth on the bedside table and rubbed his hand up and down your back to ease away the lingering tension and to help settle you back down. “Same one?” He guessed.

You nodded but kept your face hidden from him. “I’m just standing there. I’m watching him hurt you over and over again and I’m not doing anything to stop it.” You said, your voice cracking with each word. “Then he goes to the rest of you- to Omega. I’m completely frozen and all I can do is watch you all writhe in pain. I keep fighting to move but nothing happens. I’m just so useless and I stand by and let it happen. You’re crying out for help, and I just stand there.” You whispered with plenty of self-loathing behind your words.

Hunter shushed you consolingly. “But that’s not what happened. It’s just the nightmare talking.”

“Is it? Because it feels an awful lot like that’s what I did.” You said with self-directed disgust.

““You didn’t do nothing. You didn’t give up. You did what you thought you needed to do to get us out of there alive.” Hunter reminded you.

“Imprisoned.” You corrected.

“Alive.” Hunter countered.

You knew there was no sense in arguing with him over it. “I should be over this by now. I coped after Christophsis. I don’t know why this is sticking with me so much.” You said critically instead.

Hunter was all too familiar with this line of argument. As soon as you admitted to the nightmare and the fear it brought, you started looking for ways to berate yourself for feeling the way you were. “You couldn’t process Christophsis on your own time. You were in a position where you were forced to carry on. And I don’t think going through and being impacted by torture has a time requirement.”

You finally half-turned to face him. “Do you really believe that?”

The doubt in your voice made his throat constrict and chest tighten. “I know it.”

“But dealing with this is annoying.” You mumbled self-consciously and you averted your gaze once more.

“Do you get annoyed when you’ve needed to help me?”

You lifted your eyes back to him. “No, of course not.”

“Exactly. You help me through those episodes. Why do you think I’d treat you any differently?” He rubbed his thumb along your cheekbone. “You still need to give yourself the same treatment you give other people.” He said caringly.

You leaned your head against Hunter’s shoulder and just gave a series of reluctant but agreeable noises to signal your acceptance of his statement.

“You’re talking to me though. That counts for something.” Hunter praised, angling his head so he could kiss your forehead.

“Yeah, I’m a work in progress.” You managed to say with some light-heartedness before your voice went solemn again. “Just don’t give up on me… please.”

“Never.” Hunter promised with steadfast seriousness.

Your eyes flickered shut and you snuggled closer to him as he ran his hand up and down your arm in soft, delicate patterns.

“Want to sleeping try again?” He suggested after he felt your breathing and pulse settle back down.

You gulped but agreed to give sleep another go. “Okay.” You laid back down readjusted the covers you had kicked off in your sleep-panicked state. You breathed deeply as you closed your eyes and willed yourself to at least get a couple uninterrupted hours. But the darker part of your nightmare, the part you couldn’t vocalise, lingered with you and you didn’t know how to get past it.

Hunter wrapped his arm around your side and pulled your back tight to his chest, but despite all you opened up about, he knew you were holding something back. It was the same every night and he knew sleep would continue to elude you.

This new day was nearly over. Dusk had come and gone but the concept of night and sleep filled you with a deep anxiety. You needed to clear your head before you even thought about winding down for the night. “I’m going for a walk; I’ll be back soon.” You said, giving Hunter a chaste kiss to his lips before you exited your home.

Hunter gave you a slight smile as you parted from him, and he could only watch you leave. He had never felt so helpless.

He knew he couldn’t quite help you in the way you needed but there might be someone else who could.

“Hey there, Hunter.” Phee greeted cheerily as she opened the door to greet the clone.

“I’m not interrupting anything am I?” Hunter asked apologetically.

Phee rolled her eyes, “Pfftt no way. He’s been at this for hours, if you can get his attention onto something else, be my guest.” She led him through to the living room.

Tech grunted his greeting as he sought out the tool that he needed for the task he was completing for Shep. The island had a healer- Dalia, but she mainly operated out of her home because, until recently, that suited just fine. But when the attack on Pabu occurred, Shep and Dalia had found themselves ill-prepared for accommodating the seriousness of the injuries that followed so Tech was assisting in expanding and updating her equipment and resources. AZ was already a big help with that, but more was needing done. It was a longer but important project that Tech was taking very seriously.

“Sorry about the mess.” Phee said with an annoyed yet affectionate stare in Tech’s direction, but she was not surprised when the clone did not appear to even register that she’d spoken. She had stopped trying to get Tech to tidy as he went about altering this latest piece of machinery since he’d insistently claimed there was an order to the chaos around him. The entire area in which he was working was covered with random tools and intricate pieces of machinery. Phee struggled to see how this all equalled a system since all she saw was an array random pieces of metal taking up her living room floor. It didn’t truly bother her though; it was just another quirk she was fond off. Her appreciation for his intelligence and passion outweighed a little untidiness.

“Don’t worry, it’s something I’m very used to.” Hunter said lightly as he carefully stepped over some discarded screws.

“Sit down.” Phee encouraged, gesturing to a spare chair as she took a seat on the couch across from where Tech was working in the middle of the floor. But when Hunter made no move to do so, Phee properly looked at him and she noticed the distant and slightly nervous expression Hunter donned. “Everything alright?”

“I need your help, Tech.” Hunter said in answer.

Tech spoke for the first time since Hunter arrived as he found the spanner he needed, “I’m not yet finished with this. Once I’m done-”

“I don’t need you to fix anything, Tech. It’s about (Y/N). She’s struggling right now and-”

“Well, we know that she has a habit of taking things on by herself. A habit both of you have shared for quite a while.” Tech said plainly, not taking his eyes off the medical equipment he was fixing up. “I wouldn’t take her refusal or dismissals personally.”

Hunter bit back his frustrated huff. He knew attempting to get his brother’s focus when he was so absorbed by a project was always going to be challenging. He went to speak again but Phee beat him to it.

Enough was enough. Phee firmly nudged Tech’s good thigh with her boot, “Would you stop playing around with that and actually pay attention to what he has to say?”

Tech snapped out of his intense concentration. “Right, yes. Sorry, Hunter.” He started officially packing up. Once he was done, he gave his brother his full attention and it was then that he saw the genuine worry on Hunter’s face which told him it was more important than any mechanical repair. “What’s going on with her?”

“She keeps having nightmares from her capture on Tantiss. I can’t remember the last time she slept through the night.” Hunter took a ragged breath. “And it’s not like she’s keeping them to herself and that’s why they’re so bad. She’s doing everything we’ve worked on. She talks to me; she lets me in and help her, but I know there’s something else she’s keeping hidden. And it’s because she knows I can’t offer her the right words, or she wants to protect me from whatever it is she’s not telling me. I’m stuck and she’s not getting any better and I can’t offer her anything more than what I’m currently doing.”

“So, how exactly can I help?” Tech asked, rather puzzled as to why his brother had come to him with this dilemma. He wasn’t exactly known for providing helpful assistance for this type of issue. It wasn’t that he never wanted to, it just always didn’t come easily to him and usually you and Hunter would always be able to work through it yourselves.

Hunter began tentatively, “Y-your experiences were- were similar. I’d thought about Crosshair but what he went through was a bit different and from what you’ve told us, it sounds closer to what she’s been through. I hate to ask it of you but-”

“Where is she?” Tech asked, getting to his feet.

“If you’re not comfortable doing this I understand. It’s a lot to talk about and-”

“Hunter, just tell me where she is.” Tech interrupted with a firm reassurance to show that he truly didn’t mind.

“Down by the shore.” Hunter told him through a grateful sigh.

Tech nodded and got ready to leave for the beach.

You breathed in the fresh and clean sea air, a gentle breeze wafted through your hair. The moonlight cast the water and sand in a luminous white glow. It offered you a peace you were yet to find in your own mind. The faint but demanding whines of the hound you’d acquired on your walk down had you smiling to yourself as you focused on the sounds of the waves lapping on the shore.

Tech saw you seated on the sand, Batcher waiting for you to throw a stick for her. “Did you know that gravity and the gravitational pull of the moon creates a phenomenon called tidal force, which is what causes the ocean tides to change?”

“I mean… I knew it was something like that.” You straightened your shoulders and managed a tight smile in his direction. “Hey, Tech.” You hoped you didn’t sound as exhausted as you felt.

Tech picked up on the heaviness in your voice despite your attempts to conceal it. “Also, did you know that water absorbs the red light of the colour spectrum, leaving the blue for us to see.” He added as he threw the stick for the hound.

You hummed out your acceptance of the fact as a reply whilst Batcher returned the stick but- after greeting Tech- decided she’d had enough and curled up beside you. “You didn’t come here to share ocean facts, Tech.” You said after a moment. “What’s going on?”

“You’re right. I have another purpose in joining you.” Tech admitted as he sat down on your other side.

“Which is?” You asked leadingly.

“Hunter asked me to. He’s worried about you.” He gave you a chance to speak but you offered nothing, so he carried on, “From what I hear, you’re having difficulty sleeping due to nightmares. They are based around your confinement on Tantiss?”

You cleared your throat to buy yourself some time before you answered, “Yeah.” You brought your knees to your chest.

“Can you tell me more? Whatever you’re comfortable sharing is fine.”

You breathed deeply and peered up at the starry night sky. “Well, you know about Christophsis.”

Tech nodded. That was something he’d been told about on the shuttle back.

“Tantiss… Tantiss was different. I took beatings but they were a treat compared to that fucking droid. Hemlock did a much better job of getting the most out of that damn serum. It got harder and harder to fight it. He knew exactly what buttons to push.”

“I’m afraid I had a helping hand in that.” Tech said sheepishly.

You placed your hand on his shoulder. “I don’t blame you, Tech. Not at all.” You reassured him earnestly.

“Regardless, his methods would’ve been that effective because I told him what would work.”

You patted his shoulder to indicate that you really didn’t hold any of that period against him before you removed it and placed it back across your bent legs. You surprisingly found that you kept wanting to talk so you carried on, “I’d never be able to ignore him, he’d always be able to get in my head so, instead, I’d would look for things to take me out of it.”

“A reasonable response.” Tech agreed. The times when he’d resisted, he’d acted similarly.

You felt irritation rise in you. You’d been weak, how could he not see that? “He told me you were alive, and I used it as a way to keep pushing back against him. Omega didn’t doubt it and she only heard him say it once.”

Hunter had warned him about this before he’d left. He expected you to say things designed to make him reprimand you instead of sympathising with you. The part of ‘no emotion’ element of the Jedi Code was deeply engrained in you. Despite your affinity for handling attachment and genuine love for them, when it came to your own emotions, you had gotten a bit too good at supressing or dismissing them. “Years fighting in a war has a way of creating a certain cynicism- or realism- depending on your point of view. It helps with survival and enduring each battle. I may have gotten out of it but even I have to admit that the odds were slim. I called out the plan. I knew what I was doing, I didn’t expect to live, and I didn’t expect you all to assume that I had.” Tech easily explained away the argument. “I’m grateful for Omega’s optimism and hope- it is a wonderful quality of hers and it got me out of there and brought me back to you all-, but I never expected you to believe I lived.”

You couldn’t accept the fact that the people around you were okay with how you’d acted. Every night was a painful reminder of how you’d failed them. “What I don’t understand is why Tantiss is still affecting me in this way. I got over Christophsis just fine.”

“No, you didn’t process Christophsis. You were thrown into mission after mission and were left with no choice but to keep going. It is highly plausible that Hemlock’s own similar torture was harder to get through because it was a reminder of a traumatic time that you’d already experienced but not healed from. Plus, I don’t believe feeling the effects of torture has a time requirement.”

You sighed heavily, “You’re the second person to tell me all that.”

“Does that not tell you something?” Tech prodded but he did it gently.

“I guess.” You said through a weary sigh as you ran your hands through the sand to distract yourself. “I handed myself over to Hemlock though. I gave up.”

“The guilt you’re experiencing over agreeing to Hemlock’s terms is natural. You-”

“It wasn’t guilt. Not wholly.” You said, your voice so quiet it barely registered over the rhythmic lull of the waves.

Tech glanced at you in surprise, but you were keeping your head down, stroking Batcher’s snout- the dog seemed to sense your distress and had nuzzled closer to you. He allowed the silence to grow as he patiently awaited further explanation from you.

You swallowed thickly as you went to speak again. “I was relieved.” You admitted, it was the first time you’d ever said the words out loud, and you instantly wished you could take them back. You wrapped your arms around yourself as you awaited the disappointed and shameful remarks from Tech.

“What were you relieved about?” Tech asked calmly.

That hadn’t been the response you were expecting. “Um-” You searched for the words to answer him. “When I was-” You broke off and started again and you found yourself being more honest than you’d anticipated. “When I was in that training room watching Hunter be tortured and I heard Hemlock say that he was going to do the same conditioning to Crosshair again and to Wrecker too… I gave him what he wanted. Throughout my time there, he wanted me to join him and that’s what I was prepared to do. But as I said it, there was a sense of relief. Finally, I could stop fighting him. The torture he put me through would end. And in the dream- nightmare- I keep having, as much as I hate what’s happening, part of why I can’t move to help any of you is because I’m just relived it isn’t me.” You visibly tensed as you finished speaking. Saying that last part out loud caused you physical pain and your stomach churned nervously as you waited for judgement. There had been a reason you couldn’t share this with Hunter. It sounded so selfish, so pathetic.

“I understand that.”

You angled your head to face him. It was your turn to wait for him to talk.

Tech took a grounding breath before he elaborated, “In my time imprisoned there, Hemlock wanted to know all he could about you all. He knew there would be a time where he’d have to face you all again. I didn’t quite experience the same beatings you took; it was always psychological. But whenever I showed willing to give him information, all I felt in that moment was a profound relief that the torment and pain would end. Granted, that swiftly became guilt as soon as he left but I couldn’t deny the respite those few minutes of me telling him about you all gave me. Now, did you only feel relief at it being over? Or was it relief that you could join him and do his bidding?”

You thought back to that time and realised what he was getting at. “No, it was because I knew if I gave him what he wanted, then at least they wouldn’t have to go through any more agony. At the time, imprisonment felt like the better option than becoming one of his operatives and experiencing that level of hurt.”

“Precisely. Your sleep is being haunted by the worst outcome. It’s praying on the flash of relief you felt and twisting it into something more than what it was. If you accept what happened and stop fighting it, it loses its power. You didn’t do anything wrong, you acted how you needed to. The only person that has the power to blame you is yourself. No one here does, sometimes it just helps to hear it out loud once in a while and it’s true. You resisted him for as long as you physically could. Those circumstances would’ve cracked anyone.”

You looked at him thoughtfully. “Is that how you did it?” You asked quietly.

“Well, I didn’t. Not always.” Tech reminded you, assuming you were referring to how he resisted Hemlock’s torment.

“No.” You released another deep sigh. “You seem to have settled here. You’re coping with it, and you were there for a long time.”

“I was in hell on Tantiss but not so much anymore. Being reunited with you all has really helped. Though I think if I had to watch any of them get hurt the way you had to, it would be different.” As he spoke, Tech realised why Hunter had come to him for this. He was sharing this part of him with you because he knew you were the only one that would truly get it. There was no worry of judgement, no worries of saying something too jarring. You would understand him just as he understood you. “I’ve accepted what happened to me and how I reacted to it but you’re the only one that knows those particular details of my experience. Phee and my brothers do not. Family helps with some of the burden but until you’ve had the unfortunate time of living it, their support can only do so much. We need each other it would seem.” Tech said with a kind look in your direction.

You widened your eyes at his openness. You were incredibly touched by that, and you didn’t take the lightly. “Thank you, Tech.”

“You asked a question, I merely answered.”

You shot him a look, “That’s not the only thing I’m thanking you for.” After speaking to him and fully unburdening yourself to someone who could only understand where you were coming from without the worry of saying the wrong thing or being too much, you felt like a weight had been lifted off your chest. You weren’t plagued by all the horrible and conflicting feelings that had followed you since Tantiss. You could breathe. You were free. You gently squeezed his hand as you said, “Thank you for what you’ve done tonight. For all of it.”

Tech shrugged off the thanks but smiled at you all the same. “We’re family, it’s what we do.”

You walked through the door to your home and took your shoes off.

Hunter walked out of the bedroom as he heard you come through the door. “Hey, how was your walk?”

You didn’t answer immediately. Instead, you just drank him in. You took in the way he leaned against the doorway, the book he was reading dangling from his hand. The way the soft linens of his sleep clothes framed his body. The way he’d still kept and worn the necklace you’d given him all that time ago. And the way he was looking at you with such deep care and affection, it made your heart clench and emotions clog up in your throat- you didn’t trust yourself to speak.

Hunter took your silence for upset. “I had to tell him. I thought-” But he didn’t get to finish his sentence as you strode towards him and embraced him.

You hugged him tightly. “Thank you.” You whispered.

Dropping his book and wrapping his arms around you instantly, Hunter rested his cheek on top of your head. He didn’t need or expect you to share the details of the conversation with Tech, he’d realised that you needed a different kind of comfort and that was okay. All that mattered to him was that it helped you.

You let the warmth of his soothing hold flow through your body, and you kept your voice hushed as you said, “I want you to know that it’s not that I didn’t want to tell you it all.”

“I know.” Hunter replied softly as he caringly caressed your back. He would not break away until you wanted to.

You pressed your face into the crook of his shoulder. Even though he had sent Tech your way, you didn’t want him to feel like he’d let you down or anything along that vein. “You did everything right. I needed you there… I still need you there. I can’t get through it without you but…” The words to describe just what it was Tech gifted you got lost and you frantically searched for them so he would know why you hadn’t just come to him with it.

The last thing Hunter needed or wanted was you feeling like you had to reassure him on the issue. “Sweetheart, all I wanted was for this to get easier for you. I know that there are emotions and parts of that experience on Tantiss that I will never fully understand- as much as that kills me, I wish none of it had happened to you or Tech in the first place but that doesn’t change the fact that it did. You needed more than a shoulder to lean on, and if Tech gave you that, then that’s all that matters to me. I won’t stop being there, whatever it is you need, I’m here.”

The wave of emotion came rushing back and tears threatened to spill from your eyes, and you found yourself pressing yourself tighter to him still so there were absolutely no gaps between you. “Thank you for not giving up on me.”

“I love you, giving up is never an option.” Hunter murmured as he kissed the crown of your head.

“I love you too.” You croaked as you fought through the lump in your throat.

You stayed like that for a couple more minutes before you finally pulled away.

Hunter wiped away a few stray tears that had escaped your eyes. “Fancy an early night?”

“Yeah.” You said through a deep exhale as the exhaustion you’d been fighting with came crashing into you. “That sounds good.”

3 weeks later.

“How’s your pain? Anymore headaches?” You asked Hunter as the two of you wandered arm in arm through the main square. You had been keeping a watchful eye in the time that had passed but he hadn’t had any bad episodes of late.

“Everything feels back to normal.” Hunter replied. “And you? How are you sleeping these days?” From what he could tell, you were sleeping through the night but that didn’t necessarily mean they weren’t still there.

“No nightmares at all.” You said with a relieved sigh. The weight of what you’d endured was no longer keeping you down. It had no control over you anymore. You’d thrown yourself back into mediating again and that also seemed to help a lot.

You both walked in easy silence, smiling at the clones from Tantiss who had stayed and at the merchants shouting out enticing deals and offerings from their stalls as you passed by.

“Although, there’s one thing I need…”

You glanced at him expectantly.

“Can you try it now? I should be fine.”

You hadn’t done it since settling down here in case it was too much. “You’re sure?” You double checked.

Hunter nodded. It was the final step to the normality that he craved.

You both paused and headed over to the side walkway of the colonnade that offered shelter from the open area. You reached out into his familiar Force signature, the connection you formed with it giving you an extra sense of security and warmth. How does this feel?

Hunter closed his eyes and breathed out a serene sigh as he heard your voice in his head, but it felt like everything finally clicked back into place. Then, he felt the gentle press of your lips against his. He reacted automatically and placed his hands on your waist as he returned the embrace.

“What was that for?” He whispered against your lips as you parted.

“It’s part of the check up process.” You murmured before you took half a step back to look at him properly, but you kept your arms looped around his neck so that he was still close to you.

Hunter gave you a fond smile. “Ah, of course.” He sweetly stroked his thumb along your jawline.

You shut your eyes and leaned into his touch.

“Are you happy?” Hunter asked after a few beats of silence.

You dropped your arms and looked at him in surprise. “Yes, of course I am!” You looked at him, worry furrowing across your brow. “What brought that on?”

Hunter awkwardly ran a hand through his hair. “I know things haven’t been easy since we arrived here. It didn’t get off to the peaceful start that I’d hoped for. I just want to make sure it’s still what you want and that you’re definitely feeling better.”

You were caught off guard by the emotions that caught in your throat. What did you do to deserve such a man? “I am very content and happy here; Hunter.” You took a hold of each of his hands. “I’m very content and happy being here with you.” You let out a faint, slightly embarrassed laugh, “I am very much in love with you, you silly man. Every day that I wake up beside you, every day that I get to come home to you and every day I just get to be around you is a day that reminds me that how lucky I am.” You removed your hands and lightly followed the lines of his face tattoo. “Are you happy?”

“Completely.” Hunter murmured as his eyes fluttered shut as he fell completely complaint under your touch.

“Good. Settling down here is what exactly what I want, things just weren’t settling down as quickly as I would’ve liked but it’s different now. We’re both doing much better, it’s a good thing.” You kissed his cheek and delicately brushed your fingers through the shorter strands of hair at the front of his head. I love you, that’s never changed, and it never will. Does that about cover everything?

“Almost.” Hunter said huskily as his own love for you overcame him.

Before you could question what he meant, he tugged you in tight to him and kissed you passionately. You felt him cradle the hinge of your jaw, silently asking permission to deepen the kiss and you granted him access without a second thought. You tangled your fingers in his hair and pressed yourself close to him. You allowed yourself a few minutes to just get lost in the pleasure he was giving you, but you remembered where you were and with a groan, you withdrew from his embrace.

It hurt you to pull away and from the way Hunter just insistently pushed you back against the stone column and carried on kissing and raking his teeth along your neck, he wasn’t impressed with stopping either. “We- we came here for groceries.” You hummed distractedly as you found yourself titling your head to give him easier access.

“So, we’ll get them tomorrow.” Hunter responded simply as he kissed behind your ear and brushed his fingers under your shirt and along the soft skin of your stomach.

“We have- have no f- food and-” You attempted to protest but now his mouth was doing wonderful things along your pulse point that was making you feel very lightheaded.

“That’s fine. What I’m in the mood for, only you can give me.” Hunter teasingly dipped his fingers just under the waistband of your leggings.

You forced yourself to get a grip before you were too far gone. “Get off.” You playfully shoved at his chest with an exasperated shake of your head.

Hunter inclined his head in surrender, “How about you shop, and I meet you at home?” He offered as he stopped his teasing and removed himself from you.

“Is this your bizarre way of just wanting to get out of a chore?” You joked, crossing your arms and feigning irritation.

“No, I just think that if I stay, we’re going to wind up getting done for public indecency and it would be entirely my fault.”

Despite his admission, you still saw a faint but lustful glint in his eyes and you knew he was envisioning precisely what would happen if the two of you remained by this column. And you knew both of you would decide it was worth the risk. You gulped as you hastily said before you lost control of yourself, “I’ll see you at home.”

Hunter released a low chuckle before he kissed you softly once more, the promise of what was to come still lingered behind the action despite his best attempts to keep it brief.

You took a few hesitant steps away him and then gathered yourself and went about your task- your walk brisker than before.

Hunter watched you before he moved out from the shelter of the pillar. He spotted Omega sitting with Lyana by the Maya tree. He called over to her.

“What’s up?” Omega asked breezily as she jogged over to him.

“Can you round up the boys and meet me at home? I’ll get Echo on comms.”

“How come?” Omega asked curiously.

“There’s a mission I’m gonna need all your help with. But it needs to just be the five of us.” He indicated to where you were making a purchase. “Think you can get Lyana to delay her return?”

“A mission? Then why can’t-” An excited gasp left her as she saw the silent but confirming look that Hunter gave her. They’d all been eagerly waiting for this. “Yes! I’m on it!” She sprinted off back to Lyana, chaotically relaying the instructions before she ran go find the others.

Hunter laughed to himself as he saw her enthusiastic departure before he hustled off back home and readied the comm channel for Echo. It didn’t take long for the clone to answer.

“You better be calling for the reason I hope you’re calling for.” Echo said by way of greeting.

“Think you can help me out?” Hunter replied with a validatory nod at the holoimage of Echo and he saw the way Echo’s shoulders lifted as he realised it was finally going to happen. Hunter had talked to them all about it in the days after arriving on Pabu and it had been met with an enthusiastic yet somehow still teasing response. It reminded him of how he felt back before the two of you officially got together, with the others just waiting for it to happen. He’d wanted to do it sooner, but your circumstances changed, and so he wanted to wait until both of you were recovered. And, whilst they’d all accepted his decision to hold off, they had been impatient for this day for both genuine well-being purposes but also because they wanted it for the two of you- his family were very supportive and insistent on him doing this. With things faring better, he felt comfortable doing it now. “I don’t want to take you away from anything urgent or-”

“Name it!” Echo said with a pleased smile.

Before he could get into what he needed Echo to do, he heard the door open. Hunter half-turned to see the crowd of eager and motivated faces made up of Omega and his brothers.

All of them gathered round him and Echo’s hologram.

Hunter took a deep inhale and exhale. In a strange way, this was going to be one of the most important yet daunting missions he’d undertaken. “Alright, we don’t have long before she gets home. Here’s what I need…”

Tagging: @noeasyisnoisy, @notgonnaedit, @arctrooper69, @andreaaxy, @dominoeffectsworld, @allthingsimagines , @nightmonkeysstuff , @jellybeanstacey0519 , @callsign-denmark , @superbookishhufflepuff , @qvnthesia @justsomerandompersonintheworld

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bullet-prooflove · 2 months ago

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Steel: Filip 'Chibs' Telford x Reader

Tagging: @kmc1989 @kishie8 @darqchilddaydreamz @privatetruths @ilariyalavorowrites

Companion piece to:

Unburied - You're forced to make a choice when one of your secrets becomes unburied.

Kings & Queens - You and Chibs marry under terrible circumstances.

Just A Story - You and Chibs get a surprise when you turn yourself in to David Hale.

Yet again there is an Irish King in your kitchen. Only this time Declan Brogan isn’t making tea and sharing shortbread, he’s handing you the metal plate that used to reside in your ex-husband’s left arm, the one he broke tripping over a coffee table trying to smack the shit out of you.

“Cleaned it up for you.” Declan Brogan says as he presses it into your palm. “I thought you’d want proof that we took care of him without the gristle.”

The plate feels heavy in your hand, your fingers gripping the shiny stainless steel as you study it. To think this stupid little piece of hardware almost derailed your life, it’s unfathomable.

Beside you Filip shifts, his hands coming to rest on his belt and closer to the Glock that resides in the shoulder holster underneath his jacket. “I guess that solves the mystery of where the bodies went.” He remarks, his eyes firmly fixed on Declan. “But it doesn’t explain why.”

“You know why Filip.” Declan asserts as he reaches for the door handle to leave. “You knew what Galen was capable of and you put her right there in the crosshairs. I'm just paying the debt I owe. Maybe you should find a way to the same.”

The door slams shut behind him and it feels like the air has been sucked right out of the room. You have never discussed what happened that night with Filip, you didn’t want the horror of that weighting on his conscience. The physical marks, the scars Galen left on your back, they’re bad enough.

“Why didn’t you tell me you knew?” You ask Filip. His jaw clenches as he rubs his leather gloved hand across his mouth.

“It doesn’t change anything.” He says forcefully, his voice raw with emotion. “It doesn’t change how I feel about you, how I love you…”

“Filip…” You whisper as your palms come to rest on his chest. He draws in a breath, the scent of your perfume flooding his senses as his hands come to rest on yours, holding them against his heart. “You had no idea what he was going to do that night. That guilt, that shame, it belongs to him. It has no place in our lives and I need you to get on board with that because otherwise this can’t work, we can’t work.”

“I know…” He murmurs, pressing his forehead to yours. “I know that we can’t go back, that we can’t change what happened…”

“But it’s hard.” You say with a heavy heart. “Because when you look at me that’s what you see isn’t it? Someone ruined, someone broken.”

“No.” he whispers, taking your hand and pressing it to his face. Your fingertips trace along the indentation of his scar, his lips brushing over the hollow of your wrist. “I don't see any of that I just see my fucking queen.”

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#chibs sons of anarchy #chibs imagine #soa chibs #chibs x reader #chibs telford #filip chibs telford #filip telford #filip telford x reader #soa

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grayson1996 · 1 year ago

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"Master Dick has left."

Bruce didn't respond, not that Alfred anticipated he would. The man had been infuriatingly quiet the last few months. Never saying more than a few words at a time to him, and never the one to initiate the dialogue.

Alfred hadn't been surprised, when Martha and Thomas passed Bruce had become mute for months. Alfred had been beside himself with concern, dragging the young boy to child psychologists and specialists. Certain he was already messing up this tremendous responsibility he had been given.

It made sense that Bruce would revert back to the bad habit with Jason's death.

It had almost been a relief when Richard arrived and he could hear the familiar melody of the two of them arguing, floating up the cave stairs. It was some sign that Bruce was still there, buried behind layers of grief and guilt.

He hadn't thought the fight would end in a punch, it never had before. But as soon as Alfred heard the sound of flesh hitting flesh and Richards body crash to the floor he had bolted downstairs. Just in time to hear Bruce destroy any goodwill that remained between him and his only living son.

Despite popular belief, Alfred hadn't been the butler for decades. He was the guardian of Wayne Manor and his protection of it did not stop at Bruce. This was why his first step had been to ensure that Richard was alright as his oldest stomped away, most likely to skulk in the study.

The younger man was so far from fine it only served to further fester the disappointment he felt in Bruce. A disappointment that made way to determination. Alfred had allowed Bruce to destroy everything around him after his parent's death, he had assumed the boy had needed to to move on. He was still paying for that choice every time he saw one of them don a mask and go out into the streets of Gotham.

He would not stand for it now.

Not now that there was more than just Alfred in Bruce's line of attack. Who would feel the reverbs of destruction.

Ms. Troy picked Dick up, and Alfred got the sense that the only reason she herself was not heading up to ream into Bruce, was because she could see a rare fire of rage reflecting back in his eyes. The two left, leaving Alfred with some relief knowing that Dick was out of the crosshairs.

When he finally made his way to the Manor he was right, Bruce was sitting in a high-backed armchair in his study. Face blank, and gaze looking unseeingly out the window as the first rays of dawn poked over the horizon.

Alfred was tired.

"Master Dick has left." Bruce didn't respond, not that Alfred anticipated he would. The man had been infuriatingly quiet the last few months. "Master Dick has left." He repeated, unwilling to let the man get away with silence this time.

For a moment Alfred could read the barest hint of guilt before it was buried under a veneer of indifference.

"What do you want?"

Alfred raised an eyebrow unimpressed, oh absolutely not.

"I would like many things Master Bruce, most notably for you to remove your head from where it's been so thoroughly put up your own ass." That at least got a reaction, since the arrival of the kids Alfred had preferred more subtle ways to admonish Bruce. But that was a kindness reserved for men who did not hit their sons.

"Go away Alfred."

"I will not." Alfred closed the study door behind him with a sense of finality that made Bruce shift slightly in his set. "I would like to understand what the hell it is you think you're doing?" The guilt was back but Bruce again hid it, this time with a snare.

"If you're talking about Dick, I was only telling him the truth. I don't need a partner, I don't need him, and I certainly do not need to be chided by you."

Anger was Bruce's defense mechanism and always had been. Alfred did not have the patience to humor it.

"In all the years I've known you, Master Bruce, you have never been cruel. It is unbefitting and frankly undeserved." Bruce's eyes flared at that.

"I lost my son!" I have lost so many, and yet I have never used it as an excuse to harm the ones I have left.

"I know.... You don't get to decide what happens to you in life. But you do get to choose how you will react to it and you're choosing wrong."

"Batman doesn't need-"

"I don't give a damn what Batman may or may not need!" Alfred felt his cool dissipate, leaving with it a weariness and a rage years in the making. He hated Batman, and hated it when Bruce hid behind him. "I don't give a damn about that mask of yours. Any and all of my loyalty and love has only been directed at you Master Bruce, not him. But you're quickly destroying it."

Bruce opened his mouth as though to argue, but perhaps seeing the ire held within Alfred decided against it. The fist crack in his stoic mask was showing however, as Alfred could see his eyebrows furrow deeply in some unexpressed emotion. Alfred continued,

"As soon as you brought that boy into this life his needs trumped yours and I refuse to stand here and watch as you treat him like the scum of the earth. As you verbally berate and physically demolish him just because you cannot cope. I stood by for too long but I will not stand for this. You've already lost one son and you're dangerously close to losing another if the damage is not already done. And mark my words Master Bruce, if you decide this is the path you're determined to go down, this path of cruelty and spite and solitude, I will stand with Master Dick and not you." This seemed to surprise Bruce, but Alfred didn't know why, he was many things but a pushover was not one of them. "I will not stand with you. Not this version of you who lacks any empathy and thinks he's the only man in this godforsaken family with any right to grieve." His voice broke on that last word, which seemed to spear through Bruce as he flinched at the noise.

"Alfred-"

"I've grieved with you Bruce. Lord knows I've grieved with you. But I refuse to grieve for you, not while you're still alive and still have the chance to fight." He walked over to Bruce, the man watching him warily from his seat as Alfred took his face in his hands. "My dear boy, you need to fight."

"I am fighting Alfred, everyday, I am fighting. But you don't understand what its like to lose a son." Bruce's words weren't mean, were all but desperate, but Alfred still received them like a slap in the face. He tightened his grip on Bruce's face.

"I loved Jason, I loved you, I understand all to well what your going through. I know your pain my boy, I have it, in the whole of my soul I feel it. But your cruelty is something I can't understand. Why you've decided that the best way to express your own pain is by inflicting it on others I can't understand. How you continuously do everything in your power to make Richard feel like nothing, that I can't understand..."

Finally, Alfred let go, standing up he ran a hand down his shirt, as though he could smooth out the flusteredness he was feeling.

"I don't mean to."

Alfred let out a sigh, once again feeling unbelievably exhausted.

"I know Master Bruce, but somehow that makes it worse." The sun was continuing to wain over the horizon, and Alfred thought maybe, just for today, he would sleep in. He started walking to the door, however before he could cross the threshold, he looked back at Bruce. Whose face looked both ancient and unbelievably young under the golden glow. "I have raised three boys Master Bruce. Three sons. I love you, but Richard is just as much mine as yours and I will not let you hurt him. Not again."

He turned and left the room. Hoping that he would not once again prove the Sisphysis to Bruce's unmovable rock.

#batman #dick grayson #batfamily #jason todd #bruce wayne #nightwing #robin #batfam #dc comics #alfred pennyworth #death in the family #batfamily fic

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areyoufuckingcrazy · 20 days ago

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Helllo! I was wondering if you could a spicy bad batch x fem!reader where she used to be a dancer/singer in like a sleezy club, did what was best for easy money. But an op comes up and she needs to it again and the boys didn’t know she had a history of it and are like “oh shit” find it hot but get jealous of the other men. Idk if this makes sense 😅

love your wring! Xx

“Undercover Temptation”

Bad Batch x Fem!Reader | Spice + Jealousy

⸻

The mission sounded simple enough.

Infiltrate a seedy club on Pantora. Gather intel on a black-market arms dealer that frequented the place. Blend in. Make contact. Get out.

Cid had been vague about the details, just that it required “a certain skill set.” And when her eyes landed on you, there was a flicker of something like smugness.

“You’ll fit right in, sweetheart,” she’d said. “Used to be your scene, didn’t it?”

The Batch didn’t know what she meant by that. But you did.

You’d left that part of your life behind when you joined up with Clone Force 99. The sleezy clubs, the music, the makeup, the stage lights — the easy money, the wandering hands. You’d done what you had to. You were good at it. Too good.

Omega had stayed behind, thank the Maker.

⸻

The club on Pantora was everything you remembered from your past life — sweat-slick air, glitter, smoke, and the kind of stares that made your skin crawl in ways you’d long buried.

Cid hadn’t exactly warned the Batch what she was getting them into. Just said it was a “special assignment” and only you could pull it off.

You hadn’t worn this in a long time — short, shimmering dress clinging to every curve, makeup smoky and sharp, hair teased and wild. A performer. A seductress. A mask you’d once worn to survive.

But stepping out into the room full of hardened clones, nothing could’ve prepared you for the heat in their eyes.

Hunter looked you up and down, slow and deliberate, his brows furrowed like he was trying to remember how to breathe.

Wrecker’s jaw dropped, cheeks flushed. “Maker, baby…”

Echo stared like he’d short-circuited.

Tech made an odd choking sound behind his datapad.

And then there was Crosshair.

He had a toothpick between his lips, eyes dragging over your legs, slow and dark. “Didn’t know you used to work a stage,” he murmured, voice like smoke. “That explains a lot.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” you smirked.

He grinned. “Means now I know why the hell I’ve been dreamin’ about you on your knees.”

Echo made a noise of protest. Wrecker looked like he was about to explode. Hunter didn’t say anything — but his fists were clenched.

You went on stage anyway. Because this was the mission.

You knew how to move. Knew how to keep attention. The intel target was in the VIP booth — you’d been instructed to lure him out, get close, plant a tracker, and distract him while Tech accessed his datapad remotely.

But the Batch? Yeah, they were distracted too.

Crosshair watched from the shadows, his shoulders tense, jaw tight. He was normally smooth, sarcastic — but this? This had him on edge.

Hunter paced by the back exit like a caged animal.

Wrecker glared at every man who so much as breathed in your direction.

Echo kept muttering, “She shouldn’t have to do this,” under his breath.

Tech… he was sweating. You were pretty sure his goggles fogged up.

The moment it all went to hell was when a drunk mercenary tried to grab you mid-performance.

Your eyes had locked with Hunter’s for a split second — a silent signal — when a hand yanked you roughly by the waist, spinning you mid-dance. You tensed immediately, smile faltering.

The guy was laughing, leering, pulling you flush against him.

And Hunter moved like a damn predator.

One second he was at the exit, the next, he was slamming the guy into the stage floor, snarling, “Don’t. Touch. Her.”

You barely had time to react before Crosshair had his rifle out, providing overwatch from the rafters, eyes sharp and deadly.

Echo pulled you behind him protectively.

Wrecker cracked his knuckles with a grin that didn’t reach his eyes. “You touched the wrong girl, pal.”

Tech looked like he wanted to kill the man — but also couldn’t stop blinking at you in that outfit.

The bar erupted into chaos.

Shots rang out.

You ducked low as the crowd screamed and scattered. Your target made a run for it — but not before Tech tagged his datapad. Crosshair clipped his shoulder with a clean shot. Wrecker handled two mercs trying to flank you.

You moved to help Hunter — but he was down.

Your heart dropped.

You rushed to his side, kneeling beside him. “Hunter!”

He was bleeding — blaster bolt to the shoulder, unfocused eyes still locked on you. “’M fine,” he rasped. “Saw… saw that guy grab you. Should’ve—shit—moved faster.”

You pressed a hand to the wound. “Don’t be an idiot. I’ve had worse hands on me. We’re getting you out.”

“Not while you’re still dressed like that,” he muttered weakly.

Behind you, Crosshair took out another would-be attacker, and growled through clenched teeth, “If anyone else touches her tonight, I’m leaving bodies.”

Echo lifted Hunter over his shoulder while Wrecker covered the retreat. Tech dragged you out by the hand, pulling you through a back hallway while still rattling off data from the merc’s pad.

“You… that performance,” Tech blurted, breathless. “I’ll be reviewing the security footage later. For… mission purposes.”

You just grinned, eyes flicking to where Crosshair covered the rear, rifle smoking.

Back on the ship, patched up and safe, Hunter leaned against the medbay wall, arm in a sling.

“You didn’t have to do that,” he said.

You leaned in, brushing hair from his face. “Yes, I did. It was the job.”

“Next time,” he growled, “you wear that in our quarters. For us. No one else.”

Wrecker appeared in the doorway. “You gonna do another show, babe? I got credits.”

Echo followed. “Don’t encourage her.”

Tech was already setting up a holoprojector. “I have some… strategic questions about your technique.”

Crosshair just smirked from the shadows, toothpick twitching.

“Next time,” he said, “I’m bringing handcuffs.”

Your smile turned wicked. “Oh? For the targets?”

His smirk widened. “No.”

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dindjarindiaries · 11 months ago

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Reckoning

summary: When you and Hunter are left at Hemlock’s mercy, you fight your hardest to avoid becoming the scientist’s cruel bargaining chip.

pairing: hunter (the bad batch) x reader

tags: angst, torture, injuries & blood, canon-typical violence, hurt/comfort

rating: T

word count: 3.620k

main masterlist • hunter masterlist

When you came to, your body ached with pain, drawing a breathless gasp from you that only made the pain worse. You ground your teeth and tried to hold a hand against the sharp pang in your side, but your wrists were cuffed together. At least one rib was broken, no doubt, and if you were lucky, it was just the one.

The only thing stronger than the pain was the rush of memories that hit you all at once.

You, Hunter, and Wrecker had been running at Crosshair’s demand, only to have your path cut off by a shuttle raining down blasterfire upon you. That had put Hunter out of commission—you still felt sick at the mere image of him lying there limp—and Wrecker had urged you to stay behind him while he grabbed Hunter.

But it wasn’t long before they stopped the three of you, and all you could remember was something hard hitting your side before things went dark.

Biting back your whimpers of pain, you forced yourself to sit up and look around. The cell you were in was small and fit with nothing to make it sustainable for a long-term stay. You were being kept here for a reason.

And worse, you were alone.

A thousand questions ran through your mind all at once, all too dizzying to sort through. The most prominent ones slammed against your temples repeatedly and worsened the ache that was already present. Has Omega been freed? Is Echo okay? What happened to the squad?

Did Hunter ever wake up?

You had no time to process these thoughts. You were still gathering your bearings when a series of shadows stood in front of your cell door. It was someone who was flanked by a clone commando and a group of troopers, someone whose face alone made your lips twist into a disgusted snarl.

“You’re finally awake.” Hemlock was just as smug as both you and your nightmares had remembered him. You lifted your chin as he opened the cell door and took the liberty of stepping even closer to you. “Now, you can at last do your part.”

You narrowed your eyes at him. Whatever he was planning on doing with you was hardly your biggest concern. “Where are they?”

Hemlock looked back to nod at two of the troopers, who approached you and grabbed your arms tight enough to bruise them. They forced you to stand on your feet, and you swallowed back a pained groan at the sharp jolt in your ribs.

“All in due time.” Hemlock smirked at you. If you weren’t cuffed, you would have smacked that grin right off his lips.

But there was another question he needed to answer. “Where is she?”

You were shocked to see Hemlock’s expression falter for a moment. A victorious amount of hope swelled in your chest as you laughed out an incredulous breath.

“You don’t know where she is, do you?”

The smirk was somehow back. “Like I said, all in due time. For now…” he turned back around and glanced at you over his shoulder, “you’ll serve your purpose.”

Hemlock walked ahead, and the troopers tightened their grasps even more to make you do the same. You fought them, but only for a moment, as your first jerking movement brought that sharp, breathless pain to your side. You wanted to curse your own broken body for putting you out of commission.

As Hemlock and his guards led you through the twisting corridors of Tantiss, you wanted to pester him about whatever “purpose” he had for you, but there was no point. His arrogant all in due time was already playing over and over again in your head, and that was exactly the response you would get. Instead, you dedicated whatever clarity your mind had left to making a plan of escape and rescue.

You eventually saw your destination down a longer corridor. It was a dead end, with only one door awaiting you. There was nothing around to help you identify what could be on the other side of it, with only more bland, gray walls closing you in.

But then you heard the pained screaming before you had even reached the door. No one else had to tell you whose it was.

You pulled back hard on the troopers’ grasps, your sudden adrenaline masking the stabbing pain in your broken ribcage. They shoved you ahead, and as hard as you tried to conceal the shaky panic in your voice, it was no use. “No. Take me back.” You sat back to no avail yet again. “Take me back!”

Hemlock chuckled as you closed the distance to the door. He was laughing.

“I won’t do it! Whatever you’ve schemed, I won’t do it!”

Hemlock stopped just in front of the door, forcing you to listen to the agonized wails from within as he looked at you with his usual smirk. “You’re not in a position to bargain.”

The door opened, and the screaming got louder. Your chest tightened so much that it stole the breath from your lungs as you saw the blue flashing light just ahead, and the person who was trapped at the center of it. Hunter.

Hunter, who had been named for the way he could sense everything—feel everything.

“Stop.” The desperate word left your lips before you could stop it. Your fight or flight had kicked in, and your rationality had vanished. “Stop it. You’ll kill him!”

You were forced down to your knees in the center of whatever kind of sickening lab you were in, and your pleas were unsurprisingly ignored. Your eyes squeezed shut and your chin stayed tucked into your chest as the screaming went on, and on, and on…

It was torturing you almost as much as it was torturing him, and there was no doubt Hemlock knew that.

Then, it stopped. You exhaled your own breath of relief as your head snapped up to observe Hunter. He was dazed at best, his brow lifted in an exhaustion you had never seen from him before. His gaze found Hemlock first before it lowered to you, and even amongst the unimaginable agony he was experiencing, it was easy to identify the bright light in his brown eyes.

“You’re… alive.” Hunter’s voice was light and airy, as if all the energy had been drained from him—but his relief was palpable.

You wanted to cry at your own relief and despair, but you wouldn’t give Hemlock the satisfaction. He had gotten enough from you already.

“That could change.” Hemlock delivered the threat as if it was nothing more than a simple fact.

No later did the troopers at your sides stick the barrels of their blasters against your neck, though you refused to waver. You kept your chain raised high, your stare remaining in Hunter’s even as his eyes widened in a panic that made you ache.

“You must choose carefully, Sergeant.” Hunter’s stare went beyond you as he no doubt focused his lethal glare onto the scientist. “The fate of your squad and…” a brief, amused chuckle, “your lover depends on it.”

Your own eyes widened at that. How could he have possibly known that?

“Last we spoke, I expressed my shock at a clone’s paternal nature. But I was missing the full picture.” A hand grabbed your head from behind and forced it backwards, making you gasp in surprise as it was held there. Hemlock’s voice was right by your ear, now. “You simply enjoy taking in strays.”

His words couldn’t, and wouldn’t, hurt you, but the hatred in Hunter’s eyes spoke for the both of you. “Choose… your next words… carefully.” He still wasn’t strong enough to speak normally, even though it was clear that he was trying to. His right hand was pulled tight into a fist.

Hemlock huffed and released your head, causing it to fall forward. You recovered quickly, sparing a quick glance around the rest of the room. Wrecker and Crosshair were there, too, but they weren’t awake and were being left alone—for now.

“I like your spirit, CT-9901.” Hearing Hunter reduced to his CT number made you want to spit at Hemlock’s feet, though he was still behind you, concealed from sight like the coward he was. “That’s why you’re still alive. But you’ll have to comply if you intend on staying that way.”

This time, his hands fell onto your shoulders. You jerked in a vain attempt to get them off, but he tightened his grip, only adding to the pained whimper you released when your ribs reacted to the movement. Hunter’s jaw tightened.

“You wouldn’t want to die in front of them, would you?”

Your breath caught in your throat at that. You lowered your stare, your mind once again flooded with the horrid image of Hunter lying limp outside Tantiss’ fortifications. But this wasn’t about you. Whatever Hemlock intended on doing with Hunter, Wrecker, and Crosshair… it was surely going to kill the part of them you knew and loved, anyway.

When your gaze met Hunter’s, it was clear he had reached that very same conclusion.

You finally spoke up. “Don’t do it.” Your words were aimed at Hunter and him only, a stern yet desperate order.

“No?” Hemlock was still amused. It seemed as if that was his constant state, looking down upon those who failed to see his twisted vision. “Oh, there’s more than his own death at stake.”

There was a brief pause, during which the troopers turned to Hemlock for direction. Then, in a movement too quick for you to process, the one on your left pulled their blade and swiped it across your bicep. You cried out in pain and instinctively went to grab it, but the cuffs kept you from doing so.

“There’s also yours.”

The sound of a struggle indicated that Hunter was trying to fight off his restraint, as impossible as that would be. He was acting as if all the strength hadn’t been drained from him, as if every last nerve ending hadn’t been frayed by Hemlock’s cruel torture, all for your sake.

You lifted your head to look at him. His expression was contorted in a type of rage you had never seen from him before. “I’m okay.” You pushed the words out between gritted teeth as the bleeding wound on your bicep throbbed. “Save your energy.”

You hated the idea of him being subjected to more of Hemlock’s torture, but if he was… you wouldn’t have him wasting all his strength on you.

“You would be wise to take that advice, Sergeant.” Hemlock’s voice was grating. “And to think, all of this could have been avoided if you had just left Omega with me.”

Both you and Hunter bristled at that. Hunter’s eyes somehow got even darker as he stared Hemlock down. “That was… never an option.”

“You think she’ll be safer with you? Once you’ve been conditioned, your first task will be to hunt her down, using those tracking skills they programmed you with. You’ll be the one to bring her back to me.”

Hunter frowned, his lines set in fierce determination. “I won’t… be conditioned.”

First, there was silence. Then, there was another quick flash at your other side, and another cut to match the other. You were caught by surprise yet again, which kept you from concealing your cry of agony.

Hemlock continued on as if it was mere business. “You’ll reconsider.”

You managed to lift your head up enough to gaze at Hunter. With a tightened jaw, you shook your head at him, reinforcing your words from before. He was getting more desperate, and you couldn’t let him give in.

So, you gave both yourself and him a fighting chance.

Summoning all the strength you had left, you swung out your leg hard enough to take down the trooper at your right side. The momentum turned you around to face the trooper on your left, and your cuffed hands worked quickly in snatching his blaster from his hands and slamming it against his helmet. When he crumpled to the ground, it gave you a clear shot at Hemlock.

But Hemlock’s other countless guards were faster.

The blaster bolt hit your shoulder with enough force to send you to the ground. You cried out at the same time Hunter did, closing your eyes as the blazing heat of the painful wound overwhelmed you in sickening waves. You were left on your own to writhe around in agony as Hemlock exchanged some words with Hunter, but you couldn’t hear them over the sound of your blood roaring inside your ears.

When you had somewhat of a grip on the pain, or at least had your own shock working to mask it, you watched Hemlock nod at the guards that surrounded him. He gave them one last order. “Make sure they stay here.”

Hemlock then left without you. Good riddance. But one sound was getting louder, and with both your weakened and bloody arms now out of commission and unable to help you sit back up, much less stand, there was nothing you could do to get away from it.

It was Hunter’s agonized screaming, which was only becoming more and more pained, desperate, and horrified the longer it went on. You couldn’t even cover your ears to muffle it.

You wept. There was no Hemlock to hide from anymore, and these guards could have cared less what you were doing. The sounds of Hunter’s torture were no doubt keeping the sound hidden, anyway.

Eventually, it stopped. Only then did you gain the strength to at least lift your head and look in Hunter’s direction. Through your blurred vision, you could still see that Hunter was unmoving, his face paler in the chair’s lighting than you had ever seen it before.

It was either the sight of him so broken before you or the blood you had lost from your wounds that made your blurred vision fizzle out into black spots. They took over completely until they had pulled you under.

When you came to again, you were being lifted from the ground by an arm tight around your neck. You gasped, your weakened body somehow using the sudden adrenaline to lift your cuffed hands and attempt to fight the grasp off. Everything was still blurry, and the lack of oxygen was only making it worse.

The arm disappeared the moment you heard a crackling, whooshing sound at your side. You fell back to your knees, but before you could fall forward, someone else caught you. After a few coughs and whimpers at the pain it caused in your broken ribs and untreated wounds, you were able to blink a few times to clear your vision and look up.

“Hunter.” Your voice was nearly a cry.

Hunter’s hands cradled the sides of your face. He looked weary, but his gaze told an entirely different story, especially when he spoke. “You’re still with me.” He closed his eyes as his forehead leaned against yours. “Thank the stars.”

Your lips brushed his, but you didn’t have the energy to kiss him, and there were other more pressing matters on your mind. “What happened?”

“Omega found us.” Hunter nodded, though he took a worried glance over his shoulder. “But Hemlock’s getting away with her.” He turned back to you and gave you a once-over. “You need to stay here with Crosshair.”

“No.” You and Crosshair refused the order at the same time. Both you and Hunter looked at Crosshair as he added more. “Not a chance.”

You followed Hunter’s own gaze and then saw it, the absence of Crosshair’s right hand. Your heart plunged into your stomach and threatened to make you sick as you swayed into Hunter. He caught you again, his attention shifting back to you. “Can you make it?”

You focused hard, tightening your jaw. “Whatever it takes to save her.”

Hunter managed to display a small smile for you and nodded before he stood back to his feet. He couldn’t straighten himself all the way, and as he helped you to your feet, you noticed that Crosshair couldn’t, either—but Hunter still shouldered much of your weight. He bent down to grab two blasters and handed one to Crosshair, who he supported with his other side.

As if he hadn’t just been going through torture that fried every single one of his delicate senses.

You were going through the motions as you walked with them, pushing yourself to match their pace for the sake of rescuing Omega. Her fate depended on you, and you sure as hell weren’t going to be the reason why she was at risk yet again. This had to end, and it had to end now.

The group was just about to walk through the door that led to the outside platform when your knees buckled beneath you. Hunter and Crosshair stopped, but you shook your head and gestured to the door.

“Go.” Your demand was stronger than you had expected it to be. “I’ll be right here. She needs you, now.”

That was enough for them. You and Hunter had agreed long ago that Omega’s safety would always come first, and thankfully, he was acting on that now. She would be okay, she had to be okay, and although you weren’t awake long enough to make sure of it, you had a feeling it would work out that way.

The next time you woke was more peaceful than before. The dull, soothing thrum of hyperspace eased you awake, and your heavy eyelids blinked a few times before revealing the sight of Hunter sitting beside you. He was close enough for your cheek to be pressed against his thigh, though as you observed him, you saw that his eyes were closed, and he was slumped in his own slumber.

There was a presence at your other side, too, someone who was curled up next to you. You turned your head and saw her blonde hair before anything else.

The relief that rushed over you was beautifully overpowering, and you couldn’t resist lifting a hand to brush over her sleeping head. Your voice was a quiet whisper as you spoke. “Welcome back, sweet girl.”

Immediately, Omega’s head snapped up, and she stared at you with eyes that were wider and more excited than they should’ve been for someone who had just been sleeping. “Sunny!”

Omega wrapped her arms around your neck, and you caught her with one arm as you laughed in sweetness. You closed your eyes and ran your hand over her back. She was safe, just like you knew she would be.

“I was so scared.” Omega’s voice was muffled by your clothes before she sat back up. She wiped her wet eyes with the back of her hand. “We didn’t know if the bacta would work fast enough.”

“I’m sorry, Megs.” You took her free hand and gave it a squeeze. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Omega smiled at you. “It’s okay.” Her gaze flickered behind you. “We’re all safe, now.”

You followed her stare, turning your head back around to face Hunter. He had woken up at the sound of you and Omega, and his eyes were full of a relief so strong that it was bringing him to tears.

He wasn’t the only one.

You pushed yourself up and wrapped your arms tight around his waist, and he welcomed you into his embrace. Hunter’s hand secured your head against him as you held on tight, reminding yourself to take steady inhales and exhales as the terrifying chaos of the past countless hours began to catch up to you.

None of that mattered anymore. What mattered was exactly what Omega had said: that all of you were safe.

But when you gained the faith to lift your head and cup Hunter’s cheek, all you could picture was the expression of pain he wore under Hemlock’s torture.

“I’m sorry.” Your voice was shaking, but your resolve stood strong. “I’m sorry for what they did to you.”

Hunter furrowed his brow. “Don’t apologize for their actions.” He cupped your face just like he had on Tantiss. “I should be thanking you for your strength.” His forehead found yours as he closed his eyes in tangible relief. “Thank you for staying alive.”

You ran your thumb underneath his eye. “Thank you for giving me a reason to.”

Hunter let out a quiet exhale of disbelief at that, the sweet breath fanning over your lips. This time, thanks to his efforts and the squad’s, you finally had enough strength to absorb his breath with a deep, desperate kiss.

You clung to one another, exchanging each other’s anxious breaths for pure bliss. Forever would finally be yours, even if there was still much healing to do. But forever was when you could indulge in this moment, not when Omega was still present at your other side, and so you regretfully pulled away from him and offered a sweet smile in exchange for forgiveness.

Your arms tightened back around Hunter, and as you rested your head against him again, he pulled you closer. He invited Omega into his other side, and together, the three of you continued to do the one thing you never could before: rest.

And that was something the galaxy would never, ever take from you again.

main masterlist • hunter masterlist

hunter tag list: @zenrobbins0021 @cw80831 @yunggoblin @maddiedrmr @Molmcb @jellybeanstacey0519

#been wanting to write this one for almost two months now which is actually crazy to think about bc WHAT #hunter #hunter bad batch #hunter tbb #tbb hunter #hunter x reader #hunter bad batch x reader #the bad batch #dindjarindiaries

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gardens-light · 2 years ago

Text

In The Name Of Love

Believing that chaos had settled down, you and the Autobots decide to hit the road again. Leaving the abandoned cathedral behind, and moving on- to where? Neither of you knew. For the next plan of action hadn't been thought yet. But chaos never rests. For little did any of you know, that something else was brewing- a danger so much bigger than yourselves was coming after you.

Content: Events takes place in Transformers- Age of Extinction, (Minor spoilers). Mild coarse language. Reader insert. Optimus Prime x F/Human Reader.

Sparkmate Series: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 7 (End)

A small hiss escaped your lips, feeling Tessa's confused stare as you wiggled into a new pair of jeans. Rubbing your behind and upper thighs, as you attempted to soothe the bruising that began to form.

“What happened to you last night?"

"Nothing." You simply spoke, avoiding your sister's gaze as you packed your bag. "I uh... got up to get a drink. Must've lost my footing while going down the stairs."

"Oh really?" Tessa raised a brow, while crossing her arms. "Because I thought you told Dad, that you fell in the pool next door, and Optimus caught you."

A small chuckle left her, as you tried to hide your blushing face. Simply turning your back on Tessa, adjusting the backpack upon your shoulders.

"Th-That's what I meant." You lowly spoke, trying to hide the embarrassment within your tone.

"Here's a tip, Sis." Tessa teased, while patting your shoulder. "One, if you're gonna lie. Stick to one story."

You tilted your head a little, "and the second?" you questioned. Slightly hearing that there was more to your sister's statement.

But all she did was turned and faced you, giving you a cheeky smile. "And two... you're not as quiet, as you think you are..."

---

A sudden screech of Optimus’ wheels filled the air, as he swerved from an oncoming attack. Avoiding a missile, by entering the left lane of the highway.

“What’s happening?” Tessa asked, as her body slid into you. Both of you pressing against the driver's door.

Innocent bystanders blared their horns, as the Autobot cut them off. Causing his passengers to slide against his passenger door, dodging another attack from an unknown enemy ahead.

The roaring sound of Drift’s and Crosshairs’ engines caught your attention, watching them overtake their leader with effortless speed. Returning fire at the enemy, while Hound and Bumblebee escorted cars off the highway and into the field upon the left.

“What the fuck is that?” Shane’s voice yelled.

Your heart raced a little quicker, breath getting stuck in your throat as your wide eyes gazed at the road ahead. Casually strolling towards the Autobots, an unknown Transformer of gun-metal silver caused your hair to stand on end. From what you could tell, no clear sign of Autobot or Deception marked their mechanical body. The two cannons adorning the metal plates of their forearms, caused your stomach to twist in a sickening knot, as the weaponry put Hound’s to shame.

A scream escaped your lips, as Optimus harshly drifted towards the left. Tires screeching more and smoke emerging from the back of the truck, as his brakes pressed against the floor. Optimus’ plates began to shift and change, as he slowly rolled out of his altmode, causing Shane and Cade to fall out of the passenger side. Luckily having a somewhat soft landing as their bodies rolled against the grass.

A low growl escaped the Autobot’s lips, as he clutched you and Tessa against his chassis’ with his free servo, Optimus tore up the tar road as his grip dug into it. Slowing him down just a little, leaving Cade and Shane a few meters behind.

Kneeling against the torn-up road, Optimus looked down at you and Tessa, as he carefully placed the two of you onto the ground. “Are you girls alright?”

“Look out!” but your warning came too late, as a missile from the unknown enemy ripped through Optimus’ shoulder. Green energon seeped from his wounds and onto you, as he tried to use his large mechanical body to shield you from the blast.

“Prime!”

Fear erupted through Optimus’ Spark, his optics widening in disbelief, as a familiar voice boomed from the unknown enemy ahead. Pain clutched onto his wires, as the sound of your sobbing voice called out to him. A scream escaping your lips, as your terrified gaze watched the Autobot take another hit.

“Optimus! Optimus, get up!” You pleaded, reaching out for him. The ground trembling as he landed upon his back. His helm crushing the hood of the white SUV behind him.

“I-I can’t... get out of here. Both of you.” His voice spluttered, groaning in pain as Optimus’ body had trouble moving.

Looking over her shoulder, Tessa saw Cade waving his arms. Gesturing for you and Tessa to come back to him. Her heart ached from racing, breath stolen from her lungs, as her father’s panicky words filled the air. With tears streaming down her face, Tessa wrapped her arms around your waist tightly. Hugging you from behind.

“We need to go, Sis!-”

“I won't leave him!”

With great struggle, Tessa started to pull you backwards. Forcing you towards the direction of the SUV behind Optimus.

“We need to hide!” she protested.

Pushing you into the back passenger seats, Tessa closed the door. Quickly wrapping an arm around your waist, while placing her free hand over your mouth. Muffling your cries.

“Hello Prime.”

“L-Lockdown?” Optimus’ worried optics gazed up at the bounty-hunter. Watching his old foe lower himself to the Autobot’s level. “What are you doing here? Who sent you?”

But Lockdown just gave him a smug expression. “Collecting you... our creators want you back.”

“Cr-Creators? What in Primus name-”

“Haven’t you ever wondered where you came from?” a small scoff escaped his lips. “Did you honestly believe you were born? No, Prime. You were built! Built for a purpose. A purpose you’ve strayed from.”

Lockdown’s green optics narrowed onto the SUV, raising a metal ridge as Optimus tried to discreetly push the veicheal away.

“I feel sorry for you, Prime. Your allegiance to these humans. The trouble with loyalty to a cause, is that the cause will always betray you...”

---

Cade’s worried gaze helplessly watched Lockdown return to his full height. The bounty hunter’s plates shifting and churning, retracting the cannon upon his forearm and revealing a holo-pad. Cade’s pounding heart jumped into his throat, as a daunting UFO emerged from the overcast sky. Hovering over Lockdown, as a small escape pod broke away from the ship.

“No... No! Girls!” Cade screamed running down the road, as fast as he could.

---

You and Tessa frantically watched a net deploy from Lockdown’s escape pod. Covering the SUV and Optimus. The pair of you holding tightly onto one another, both of your voices calling out for Cade.

“Girls! Girls! Get out!” Cade’s voice yelled, his hands slamming against the passenger window.

“Dad! Help us!” your sister pleaded. Tears streamed down her face.

Another slam met the back windscreen. Your wide eyes helplessly witnessed Shane’s bloody knuckles smear against the window.

The engines of Lockdown’s pod fired up, dragging the net upwards. Causing you and Tessa to roll into the SUV’s trunk.

“Girls! Girls! Break the window!”

“I’m trying, Dad!” you spoke. Kicking the rear windscreen as hard as you could.

As the net lifted higher, pain etched throughout Cade’s fingers as he tried to hold on.

“Girls! Keep breaking the glass!”

Tessa’s scared expression witnessed Cade’s sweaty hands. “No! No!”

“I-I can’t hold on!” the burning caused him to hiss. His clutch begging to be released.

“No! Dad don’t leave us!” Tessa pleaded.

“Break! You fucking piece of shit!” your demanding voice roared. As you began to take out all fear and frustration onto the rear windscreen.

“Break the glass, Y/N!-”

“Dad!” you and Tessa screamed. As the pair of you watched Cade fall back down...

In The UFO

“Take those humans to the trash!” Lockdown ordered his small robotic minions.

“No!” Optimus protested. Trying to struggle against his restraints, as the bounty-hunter dragged the Autobot by his pedes. “Lockdown! If you harm them, I’ll-”

“You’ll do what, Prime?” he mocked, barely looking over his shoulder. “Besides, don’t you remember this ship?”

Optimus took a slight look around. Strange prisons held other lifeforms, their snarls and groans filled the air. Parts of the ship looked broken- or more like torn apart. Gun-metal gray covered everything, like it was Lockdown’s signature colour.

“It was built for all you Knights. The ‘Great Crusaders’ to explore the universe. But, as you can see I’ve commandeered it! Made it my own personal prison.”

“Welcome back to the Knights Temeos, Prime.” Lockdown gestured at the center of the ship.

Optimus barely recognized the once great hall, instead of impressive weapons of old. Circular cages and solid prisons with barred doors took their place. The ancient text long stripped away, allowing room for the decapitated heads of Lockdown’s past foes.

“Y-You... You have disgraced it.”

A scoff escaped Lockdown’s lips, as he approached one of the solid prisons. Turning a crank, making the metal bars raise and lock into place.

“You should be grateful, Prime. This is only for the rarest of specimens.” Lockdown spoke with a smile. “The worst of the worst. It’s taken centuries, but I’ve collected all of the Knights. Including you.”

Optimus struggled against Lockdown’s vice grip, as the hunter forced the Prime into the prison. The Autobot groaned in pain, as the hunter forced his arms above his head. Inducing further injury to his damaged shoulder. As the chains harshly nestled against Optimus’ wrists, the Autobot’s optics widened as Lockdown tilted his helm to the side.

A low growl came from the Optimus, as he attempted to shift his body weight away from Lockdown. Trying to stop the hunter’s digits from playing with your iron ring.

“Don’t touch that!”

Lockdown examined Optimus’ course expression. His sly smile widening, as the hunter fiddled with the item. Finding pleasure of how much it annoyed his prisoner, “now why would you have something like this?”

A dark chuckle escaped Lockdown’s lips, “don’t tell me... you’ve interfaced with a human!-”

“Stay away from her!-”

“Oh Prime... wait till your Creators hear about this.” Lockdown teased. “All this species mixing with species. It isn’t right... isn’t normal. It upsets the cosmic balance, and the Creators don’t like it-”

“If any harm comes to Y/N, I’ll have your head!-”

“You were built to do as you were told, Prime!” Lockdown snapped. “The Creators wants to wipe their chessboard clean and start a new. Beginning with you!”

Lockdown’s digits wrapped around your iron ring, ripping it away from Optimus’ wrist and throwing it against the floor.

“No!-”

“You should be ashamed of how far you’ve fallen, Prime!” the hunter spat while exiting the prison. Turning the crank, causing the metal bars to fall down and lock into place. “For she’s just a human!”

“She’s more than that to me.” Optimus lowly spoke, his optics watching your ring roll along the floor. Stopping against the barred door, “but I wouldn’t expect someone like you to understand such thing...”

---

You and Tessa remained hidden in the truck of the SUV. Slowly peering over the back passenger seats, frightened eyes looking out the windows. Trying to find some form of familiarity in the alien surroundings.

Small robot minions dragged the vicheal into a circular room, the space of metal walls and floor was tight and small. As the large furness in the middle took up the space. Mechanical tendrils grabbed parts of random metal and junk, effortlessly pulling them apart and throwing them into the furness.

“What the fuck is this place?” you whispered.

“I don’t know.” Tessa climbed over into the back seat, “but I’m not waiting around to find out-”

“Tessa! Wait!”

She slowly opened the back passenger door, once the SUV stopped moving. But her scream filled the air as the sight of Lockdown’s robotic minions greeted her.

A echoey but mechanical scream erupted from the minions, using their claws to try and grab Tessa.

“Tessa!”

She tried kicking one of the minions off her leg, as you clumsily climbed over the back seat. Grabbing a crowbar and smashing the minion's face.

“Get away from my sister!” You yelled.

Finally, achieving some distance between yourselves and the robotic minions, you grabbed Tessa’s hand and ran towards the nearest exit.

“Optimus?”

“Optimus? Where are you?”

Your voices echoed throughout the large hall. Tessa’s grip refused to let your hand go, as your fingers wiggled. Trying to loosen your sister’s grip, as your palms felt hot and sweaty.

Your worried eyes scanned your surroundings, trying to sense your way through strange halls and which direction would be best to follow. Please be alright...

Back On The Ground

“Come on! Come on!” Cade hurriedly spoke to Shane, as Bumblebee’s tires came to a screeching halt.

Both exiting the Camero and running towards the railings of Mehigan Avenue's bypass. People abandoned their cars, as their yelling and screaming voices filled the air. The Autobots changed out of their altmodes, following Cade and Shane’s lead, while Lockdown’s ship hovered above the river nearby.

“This is a bad idea.” Hound grumbled, shrugging his shoulders. “But hey, I’m all for bad ideas.”

Drift helped give Shane and Cade a boost, climbing onto the roof of the ship. As its thrusters slowly picked up speed. All shakily making their way towards an opening within the ceiling of the ship.

“This is crazy.” Shane breathed, slightly peering down into the ship’s metal interior.

“Look.” Cade caught Shane’s attention, “you wanna cut and run? Now’s the time to do so, Lucky Charms.”

“I’m not here to help your get your daughters.” Shane spoke, finding his confidence, “you’re here to help me rescue my girlfriend, and future sister-in-law.”

Cade raised an eyebrow. Cocky bastard...

---

“We’re behind enemy lines now.” Hound lowly warned, as he helped Cade and Shane onto the main platform of the ship. “Lockdown’s ship is bound to have booby traps. So eyes open!”

“Beware of his bone grinders, brain blinders, flesh peelers.” Crosshairs flat tone sounded almost admirable, rather than a warning. As his green optics scanned the main bridge, “also chromosomal inverters, catatonic sludge, black hole trapdoors, and of course, radiation.”

“We must be quick.” Drift encouraged, “we have the element of surprise. Let’s try and use violence as a last resort.”

Most of the Autobot’s silently nodded, but a heavy sigh left Crosshairs. “Well, we looked. They’re not here. Let’s go-”

“What?” Cade challenged, his eyes giving the green Autobot daggers. “Hey! I’m not going anywhere without my daughters-”

“I’m unclear. What’s in it for me?”

“What’s in it for you?!-”

The whirling of Hound’s cannon interrupted Cade, causing him to fall silent and back away from Crosshairs. As the gray Autobot placed the barrel of his weapon, into Crosshairs’ neck.

“Easy. Let’s use words.” Crosshairs spoke, holding his servos up in the air.

“What’s in it for you, is that I don’t kill you.” Hound boldly spoke. “We’re getting the boss back, and the girls. Copy?”

“Okay, okay.” Crosshairs watched Hound slowly withdraw his weapon, “very persuasive. Textbook machismo... well then. We’re going to need to sabotage something.”

“Better hurry.” Drift warned, “because the dark-matter drives are preparing to take off. I give us... ten minutes.”

“Is that what that sound is?” Shane’s panicky tone questioned. “The engines filling up? Are you telling me, that this thing is going to be taking off in ten minutes?”

“Could be nine...” Drift shrugged his shoulders, “worst case... seven-”

“Cade, Shane. Search the cell blocks.” Hound instructed, “we’ll find Optimus.”

“Let’s stop this nightmare ship...”

---

“Optimus?... Optimus?”

Your voice echoed throughout the large hallway, the walls and floor looming over you and Tessa, making you both feel smaller than you already were.

“Where are you?”

“So... how did it start?” Tessa randomly questioned.

You gave Tessa a little side glance, seeing the corners of her mouth turn up a little. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Right...” her teasing tone mocked, “because most people totally go from, ‘I’m going to take this alien apart’ to ‘I’m going to fuck it-”

“Tessa! What the fuck?” you questioned between coughs, as you choked on your own breath. “What on Earth are you talking about?-”

“Y/N, I’ve been sneaking around with my boyfriend for months.” Her tone teased, “plus, you’re my sister. I can tell when you’re lying.”

Tessa lightly chuckled, as she watched the blush form across your features.

“But seriously... how did it start?”

A heavy sigh left you, knowing that she wouldn’t stop until you answered her. “I... wouldn’t be able to describe it.” You lowly admitted, trying to avoid Tessa as you felt her smiling gaze. “At first, all I wanted was to figure out how he worked. How I could use their technology to help with Dad’s inventions. Then Optimus came to life, and my thoughts kept reverting back to the reward money you spoke of. So as I begun fixing him, my mind thought that we could gotten more money by handing over a working Transformer, rather than a dead one.”

“What changed?”

“I did.” You simply answered, “the more we talked, the more I realized how wrong I was. The Cybertronians, they’re not simple-minded machines that the government would make us believe. They’re living beings with souls, life, dreams. You should have seen how Optimus spoke about his home world, the hurt and pain I saw within his eyes, as he told me about how their war tore it apart. And the joy that just... just radiated from his Spark as I fixed him. It was like, it had been a very long time since Optimus felt such happiness. Such peace...”

“Kinda sounds like love at first sight.” Tessa spoke.

A small chuckle left you, “I guess you could say that... kinda like you and Shane being Romeo and Juillet.”

Tessa gave you a playful nudge, “I can’t wait to see Dad’s face when he finds out-”

“He’s not- wait. Did you hear that?”

Both of you stopped in the middle of the hallway, the low sound of growling coming to your ears. Hearts slowly picking up rhythm, as your hair stood on end. Eyes widening as the sight of four, mechanical dogs prowled towards you.

“Oh shit-”

“Run. Run!”

Grabbing Tessa’s hand, almost dragging her as you both ran in the opposite direction. Yelps and screams escaped you and Tessa, as you ran from one hallway into another. The sounds of the dogs snarling indicated that they weren’t far behind.

“Quick! Through this way!”

You shoved Tessa through the bars of a cell, following just in time as the dogs tried to bite their way through the bars. The pair of you backed away into a corner, while the dogs continued to bark and snarl. Alerting the minions of your location.

“What we do, Y/N?”

“I’m working on it.”

Both pressed yourselves into the corner, as your terrified expression helplessly watched one of the dogs squeeze itself through the metal bars. The others backed away, allowing the minion to shoot through the bars. Slapping a hand over Tessa’s mouth, muffling her screams as you shoved her into the wall. Using yourself as her shield.

You closed your eyes tightly, preparing to feel the beast’s claws pierce into your back. As you placed a free hand over your mouth, trying to muffle a high pitch scream that slowly began to bubble in your throat.

‘Bang!’

A gunshot echoed throughout the cell, followed by the sound of a canine whine. You and Tessa froze, breaths trembling as you nervously waited for what followed...

---

“They could be anywhere.” Cade muttered. Looking around at his surroundings, as he entered a chamber just outside of the Knights Tomeos. Climbing over the center piece, weaving in and out of the swords that stuck out, as he tried to get a better view.

“It’s like finding a needle in a haystack.”

“We need to find them- whoa! Shit!”

Losing his footing, Cade quickly grabbed the center sword. Slightly pulling it to the side, trying to stop himself from falling any further.

Shane gazed at the floor, as a low rumble echoed beneath them. Cade glanced around as the metal plates of the chamber began to shift and change, walls caving in on themselves and statues of armored knights rose from the floor. The large feature wall behind them revealed an array of weapons.

“Come here! Help me!” Cade shouted, jumping off the center piece and approaching the feature wall. “Grab something that we could use!”

“Ahh... Cade?” Shane whispered after a while. Wide eyes looking at the red lasers scanning the room. “What’s that?”

Strapping an unusual looking cannon to himself, Cade peered over his shoulder. Seeing the minions slowly approaching the entrance to the chamber. “I don’t know. But on my signal, run behind that center thing.”

Silently counting to three, Cade quickly leapt away from the wall. Grabbing Shane and pulling him behind the center piece.

“I’m not going down without a fight!” he groaned, holding the weapon and placing a free hand upon Shane’s shoulder. “They’re going to turn that corner, and we’re gonna take them! You ready, or you gonna bitch out on me?”

“No! I’ve got your back!” Shane bravely spoke.

“Are you ready?”

“Absolutely!”

The sound of the minions' footsteps came closer. Causing Shane’s already fast beating heart to pulse a little more rapidly.

“Don’t bitch out on me, Romeo! Are you ready?”

“Yeah! Yeah!” Shane hurriedly spoke. Waiting for Cade’s count down from three.

“Two! One!-”

“Wait! Wait!” Shane cried, jumping out of his hiding spot. His terrified expression gazing at the minions who aimed their weapons at him. “I surrender! I surrender!”

Fucking knew it! Cade’s thoughts hissed. Still hiding behind the center piece.

Adrenaline running through his veins, Shane threw the weapon onto the metal floor. Quickly hiding for cover again, as the weapon fired. Causing a bullet to ricochet off the walls, and into the minions.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!-”

“What’d you do?” Cade asked, cutting off Shane’s frantic apology. “How’d you do that?”

“I have no idea!”

“What my daughter sees in you is beyond me!”

After fidgeting with the weapon for a moment, Cade’s eyes lit up in excitement as the cannon whirled to life. Lighting up with a purple hue.

“Stay here, Lucky Charms!”

Moving away from the center piece, Cade unleashed a wave of gunfire upon the minions. Standing his ground, as his adrenaline beating heart surged excitement through his veins. Allowing the bullets to pierce into the mechanical beings, tearing them apart.

“I’m so gonna patent this shit!”

---

“That was Dad!” Tessa whispered.

Tessa quickly maneuvered around the mechanical dog, its whines echoing throughout the cell. It tried to nip at your ankle as you stepped over it. But as you looked down, your heart ached a little as energon pooled beneath its body. A mixture of snarls and whines escaped its throat, orange sparks zapped out of its mechanical joins, causing the creature to wince in pain.

The glowing of the Matrix caught your attention. Carefully pulling out the pendant from under your collar, eyes shifting between the pendant and the injured beast.

Sensing your hesitation, Tessa looked over her shoulder. Pulling a confused expression, as she watched you kneel beside the creature.

“What are you doing?-”

“Hang on for a sec.” You whispered, “I just wanna try something.”

Your hand hovered over the dog’s forehead, flinching a little whenever it tried to bite you.

“That thing isn’t like the Autobots!” Tessa hissed, “Dad’s trying to find us!”

“I just need a minute.”

Your fingertips quickly scratched behind the beast’s ear, before bringing your hand back to hover above its nose again. Allowing the dog to catch your sent, between each testing pat.

“You’re alright, boy.” You cooed, while scratching lightly behind its ear. Using your free hand to remove the necklace, allowing The Matrix pendant to carefully hover over the wound upon its belly. “Let me help you.”

The Matrix glowed brightly, small blue sparks clashed with the orange ones, that zapped out of the dog’s wound. The beast continued to whine, its body twisting in pain.

“Good boy. Good boy.” Your voice hummed, gently scratching underneath its chin.

The Matrix hummed, spinning rapidly causing the chain to twist in your hand. Before a blue flash burst over the beast. A low pant escaped its mouth, as you watched the dog struggle onto its feet. The red glow in its optics fading and changing to a brilliant blue.

You smiled at the creature, its mechanical tail wagging while barking happily at you.

You turned back to Tessa, her dumbfounded expression gazing at you as her jaw hung low.

“What? I’ve always wanted a dog.” You spoke with a smile, placing the necklace around your neck again. “Come along, Torgal.”

---

“Dad!”

“Girls! Girls! Over here!” Cade yelled, quickly approaching the entrance of the chamber.

A huge smile spread across his features, as Tessa ran into the chamber. Opening his arms wide, preparing to embrace your sister.

“Shane! I love you!” her voice cried, flinging herself into Shane’s arms. While Cade stood beside them with an unamused expression, “I love you! You saved me! You came back for me!”

“Of course, I did.” Shane cooed into Tessa’s ear, running his hand through her blonde locks. “I will fight to the ends of the Earth, just to bring you back.”

“Oh, yeah. He saved you. Sure.” Cade muttered, a small smile teased the corners of his lips, as your sweet chuckles came to his ears. “Y/N...”

You wrapped your arms around Cade, feeling him embrace you tightly. “I’m so sorry, Dad-”

“You have nothing to apologize for, Sweetie.” He cooed into your ear. “I’m just glad to have my girls back-”

“Optimus!” You cried, catching a glimpse of the Autobot in his cell. As you looked over Cade’s shoulder.

Cade winced as you accidentally shouted into his ear. Pulling away from his embrace and running into the Knights Tomeos.

“Can’t you girls be happy to see me for once?” Cade sighed, raising an eyebrow as his eyes watched the mechanical dog follow you.

You approached the bars, banging your palm against the metal. “Optimus! Optimus, it’s me!-”

“Y/N?...” Optimus’ optics needed a moment to focus, before realization sunk in. “Sweet Spark!”

“I’m here! Just hold on!-”

“Big boy coming through!” Hound’s voice boomed from the hallway, “move! Move!” the Autobot demanded as he stormed through the entrance. Causing Tessa, Shane and Cade to scatter out of the way.

“Boys! Boys, over here!” you shouted, banging your palm against the cell. As Torgal tried to claw and bite his way through the bars.

“Nice find, Y/N!” Hound complimented, quickly approaching your side, as his optics roughly studied the barred door. “Alright, Little Lady. Back up-”

“Hold on, boss! We’re coming!” Crosshairs called out.

Letting out a grunt, Hound forced the door open. Allowing you to enter, as he quickly got to work of releasing Optimus from his restraints.

“The arms of this Knight Ship detach.” Optimus spoke. “We can break fee. It’s a separate ship-”

“Where’s the cockpit?” Crosshairs asked, “right or left?”

“Right.”

“I’m on it-”

“Y/N.” You looked up at Optimus, his helm lowering as he tried to rest against your forehead. “Are you hurt? Did Lockdown do anything?”

“No.” Your calming voice soothed his aching Spark, “I’m alright. I’m not hurt in any way.”

“Not knowing what happened to you, my Sweet Spark... I feared the worst.”

You placed your hand upon his cheek, caressing Optimus’ faceplate with your thumb. “Hopefully this would wipe away any fears.”

A loving hum vibrated through Optimus’ Spark, as your lips softly enclosed over his. Both closed your eyes, as Optimus finally felt his arms fall free from his restraints. Wrapping his servo around your waist, as you melted into his embrace.

“Break it up lovebirds.” Hound interrupted, “we’ve got a ship to catch.”

“You’re right, Hound.” Optimus spoke, breaking apart from your lips as his servo lifted you up. Gently holding you against his chassis. “Lockdown would be in Deep Space before he realizes I’m gone.”

Torgal sniffed at your iron ring upon the floor, barking at you as he got yours and Optimus’ scent.

The Prime smiled down at the dog, as Torgal carefully picked up the item with his mouth. Dropping it into the palm of Optimus’ free servo.

“Would you do me the honor of placing this back on?”

You smiled, reaching for the iron ring and threading it through the cables of his wrist. “Of course, my love.”

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