The Bad Batch: One Shot Collection

On Kamino, in training, Domino Squad meets the Bad Batch. They might hit off a little hard, but they're more similar than they can deny. And some friendships last forever.

Author's Note: This is a gift for someone who asked anonymously, so hopefully whoever you are, you see it. :3

Getting into cafeteria fights happens. Echo is still really, really annoyed at how not a single member of his squad ever follows the rules. Even if he'll admit that punching a few of the others who were making fun of them for being a pathetic squad was satisfying.

They aren't all wrong, though. Because his brothers never follow the rules and it's very annoying when he can't win without them. And he's never even going to get to be a soldier if they can't follow the rules enough to get off Kamino in the first place. If only his squad would actually listen to him now, they might finally make it off-world.

Another young group of cadets got dragged into the fight somewhere along the way. Echo's hardly sure how because they aren't fighting them even if they aren't really fighting in their defense either.

But both of their groups are all called in for a reprimand together.

"Guys, come on," Echo grumbles, as they're finally dismissed, "We've got to start following orders."

"Shut up, Echo," Hevy retorts.

"Stop calling me that," he snaps back.

"You are echoing the rules," another younger voice pipes up.

Echo turns sharply, looking down at the group of younger cadets.

The one who was talking is the one with gray hair.

They all look so different.

The 99s. He's never really paid them much attention before – never even seen them before actually – since they're in very different batches and age groups.

There's another one who's a bit taller than the other three and he's grinning brightly, as though they didn't just get in trouble.

There's another with goggles who's studying them interestedly, and the last one who... actually looks actually looks just like the rest of them. Or at least mostly – his hair is longer, which is very much not regulation. He must get a lot of fun poked at him for that. Most cadets don't dare break regulation. Nor do they have a reason to.

These boys are their brothers? They look so... different. It's so strange to say brother and see someone without the exact same face – save different age – he sees whenever he looks in the mirror.

"You're 99s?" Echo guesses.

"We are," the one who's mutation Echo can't identify agrees, though he seems a bit tense. They all do, actually.

"Never seen a reg squad get in a fight like that before," the taller one pipes up.

"Reg?" repeats Hevy.

"He means regular clones," the oldest of the group explains.

"How are you not a regular clone?" Echo asks, confused.

"Hunter has enhanced senses that let him sense electric currents anywhere on the planet," the one with goggles says.

"That sounds like one big headache," Cutup interjects, with far too much cheer.

"Sometimes," Hunter concedes.

"Do the rest of you have names yet?" Fives asks, "I've never seen your squad around before."