The Bad Batch: One Shot Collection

No Way Back

He can't stop remembering that moment. He'd been frozen with shock for a moment. Kind of thought it might happen but he never truly expected it to or to be that – like that – But his mind had been so muddled from the sharp pain in his arm and Hunter had told him to come so they could get Omega before it was too late and he'd run and not looked back but that was Tech and they killed him and he's gone –

And they killed their brother.

Tech never died on Eriadu.

By the time Omega had been able to bring herself to tell Crosshair about what had happened on Tantiss, he already knew. And he already knew that even if his body were still alive, it was too late.

Tech was alive and Crosshair never told his brothers. It had... bothered him sometimes but then he couldn't help thinking about how they would demand to go after him, even knowing that his mind was gone. Because it was. Crosshair saw it happening, all the while knowing there was nothing he could do to stop it. He was in that training-torture room every day with Tech for months. Tech didn't know who he was anymore.

If they had tried to go back for Tech, he didn't doubt he'd lose another one of them in the process. He didn't want to think about watching Hutner or Wrecker or both cut down by Tech. And that was all Crosshair's fault.

His brothers had gone to Eriadu to come after him.

Tech was captured because of him.

He lost his mind because of him.

He never felt like him anymore to Crosshair especially not after he was put in stasis as a successful Clone X project, but that doesn't change that it was him.

He was already gone, though. Not that it makes it any better. It hadn't felt entirely final until that moment even if Crosshair had already accepted that he was gone.

He wants to cry just thinking about it again. He's gone forever and he's never coming back and that was true even when he was still alive with his mind wiped but for all that Crosshair's had months to deal with that, it never feels like it gets easier. Not really.

He'd gladly spend hours listening to Tech rambling blabla nonsense and actually stay awake for it this time if it just meant he would be back.

He'd gladly have him come back just to hurt him again if that meant he'd actually be back and remember them, that they could be together again, that –

But that's never going to happen. This is permanent and he knew that so long ago but... but.

Crosshair tries to press a little closer to Wrecker while still being mindful of his injuries, only to remember again that he doesn't have a hand.

Felt like he did for a moment.

Ugh.

The hand that he lost to Tech.

Tech hurt him.

Not that he can blame him for that when Tech lost his mind because of him, even if he doesn't remember any of that.

"You had your chance to be one of us. You chose the wrong side."

Maybe he's said that about Crosshair leaving the Empire but that's not what it felt like. Tech was the first of his brothers to walk away after Crosshair told them he wasn't coming back. After Crosshair abandoned them for literally nothing.

If Tech wanted to hurt him after well – everything, especially Eriadu...

It felt deserved.