Crosshair Whump - Tumblr Posts

Febuwhump Day 20: Knife Wound

Fandom: Star Wars

Timeline: The Bad Batch

The vibro-knife glided through Hunter's fingers. It flew directly into the victim's lower chest. The man hit the ground with a yelp. Crosshair grabbed at the wound. It hurt, it hurt like hell.

    Wrecker weighed his opinions. He could run back to Crosshair and help him or he could stay with the others. He knew the decision may cost him his life but he wasn't going to let Hunter's decision cost Crosshair his.

    "Tech! Hold on!" Wrecker yelled. The two slide behind some large rocks and Wrecker snatched some medical supplies from his brother's pouches.

    "Wrecker what are you doing?" Tech looked at the man confused.

    "Go ahead I'll be right there." With that Wrecker took off back to where Crosshair lay.

    "Wrecker!" Tech stepped from behind the rock and faced him. Rather he didn't hear him or ignored him, Tech didn't know. He ran to join back with the group.

    "Wrecker we need to go! He'll be fine." Hunter spoke of over the comm. Once more Wrecker ignored the others.

    Crosshair's head was spinning. The knife wound was deep. No blood escaped the wound as the heat element to the vibro-knife cauterized the gash immediately. He could hear someone talking to him but the voice was slightly hazy. The man's mind raced. He wondered what was next for him, if this was the end. He wondered if his family hated him or if somewhere they still cared. When he finally made out the voice he knew at least one of them did.

    Wrecker moved Crosshair somewhere slightly safer and hopefully somewhere the imperials wouldn't find them. Removing the knife was the tricky part. Grabbing the handle he pulled it out of the man's flesh quickly. Crosshair cried out as the knife left his body. "I know" Wrecker attempted to soothe his brother.

    Little amounts of blood leaked from the injury. Wrecker did what he could for Crosshair. He finished by rapping some bandages around the wound and sat with him for a minute to make sure he did everything right.

    Crosshair went from angry to confused; from Hunter will pay for stabbing me to why was Wrecker helping me? It took tell his brother was done for him to realize there was no cruel joke. He wondered what would happen now. Would Wrecker save him from the hell that was the empire or would he leave him again? Would once more Crosshair have to watch his family leave without him, leaving him no choice but to stay with an army that saw him as a number?

    Wrecker wasn't comfortable leaving Crosshair. The wound was deep and extremely dangerous. Yes the knife was gone but would he be okay?

    As soldiers came closer Crosshair looked at Wrecker, "go."

    "Will you be okay?" The normally bright and cheery man was so worried it hurt his stomach. It hurt Crosshair to see him this way. He missed Wrecker's positivity even if it was a little much sometimes.

    As soon as he nodded Wrecker started standing. "I love you Cross. Stay safe!" The man booked it out of there. Some regs followed him but others simply didn't see the point. He'd get away, they always do.

    A scar that should have been a reminder of how much his family hated him became a reminder of the love they still had. Yes the wound had been given to him by Hunter but it was cared for by Wrecker. He risked capture or worse death to help Cross. He took that chance and waited until he had to leave. Somehow he was glad he was stabbed. At Least now he knew someone still cared about him.

Febuwhump Day 26: Forced to Choose

Fandom: Star Wars

Timeline: The Bad Batch

    The Bad Batch had finally been caught. All that needed to happen was for them to be executed for their crimes. Crosshair walked from the command deck where the orders were given. The empire would give the clones a little less than a day to reveal any secrets that could potentially save their lives.

    As the family's time ran out, Crosshair debated going to see them. It would be the last time he could after all. If not for anything he decided to go for closer. Why the man wanted closer he wasn't really sure but he needed it.

    Only a few minutes were left for the batch to spill some secrets when Crosshair arrived at the cell. The electric shield prevented the family from escaping. Hunter sat on the floor holding a crying Omega. Tech sat on the hanging bench bouncing his leg. His elbow rested on the other knee as he tried to think of a way out. Wrecker sat near Hunter and Omega making sure both were okay and Echo sat over with Tech trying to help him with a plan. All but Omega looked up at Crosshair as he cleared his throat. "Hello."

    "What do you want Crosshair?" Tech asked.

    Crosshair took in the sight. It saddened his to see them this way but is what traitors deserve, right? "Just came to see if you had any information" he hissed.

    "No we don't. We aren't working for any rebel groups Crosshair. We don't have anything." Hunter held Omega tighter.

    The sniper looked down at the little girl. She was terrified. Looking at the others he could see just how scared they were. Most couldn't tell but he could, he knew the looks on their faces. Though he had only seen it a few times during the war it struck some form of fear into his heart.

    "Even if we had information they'd kill us anyway so there's no point." Tech informed the soldier. That was true; no matter what they were screwed.

    "If that's all I'll be leaving." Crosshair started walking away. Behind him he heard Hunter trying to comfort Omega. As the man approached the end of the hall he stopped. Soldiers entered the other side of the hall to execute his batch mates.

    Now he had to make a choice. Does he go back, destroy everything he worked for in the Empire. After all Crosshair thought he agreed with the ideals of the system. He'd already killed so many people for them. Sure the Republic had him snipe a few people but not nearly as many as the Empire.  But could he let his family die? He grew up with three of them and had become rather fond of the other two. The five soldiers had protected each other no matter the cost to themselves. They had fought side by side for so long. Omega had barely gotten to live yet. He would have drowned if it wasn't for her. He would be dead if it wasn't for any of them. Forced to choose between his head or heart; between stability or love, he chose love.

    "Alright it's time" one of the stormtroopers spoke. Hunter grabbed Omega as tight as he could to protect her or at least to comfort her. The others stood ready to at least try to escape their fates. Tech stood on his own while Wrecker and Echo stood close together. Both were fans of physical touch so being so close was comforting. None of them really expected to survive but they couldn't just sit there and wait.

    Crosshair sighed and turned around. Running down the hall he grabbed his blaster and shot. The stormtroopers fell to the ground. The batch looked at each other surprised. The killer skidded to a stop in front of the cell. Echo had gone over to inform Hunter and Omega they were safe. The girl had been buried in Hunter's chest and he only had his eyes on her. The gun shots had scared the two thinking time had run out for them.

    Omega and Hunter stood slowly. The man looked around then looked at Crosshair. "Alright. We need to find our weapons. I assume you know where they are?" He smiled softly.

    Crosshair nodded and the family, now whole again, ran to find the weaponry. From the weaponry they went for a ship. The Marauder had been left on the planet they had come from. Once off world Crosshair looked around at his family fondly. Seeing them all back on the same side made him smile. Still the deserter wasn't sure if he'd made the right choice.

    Back on the Marauder the group greeted Gonky and Wrecker gave Lula a big hug. Finally everyone was able to relax a little. Sitting down, Crosshair watched them interact with each other. Now he knew he'd made the right choice. No one really knew what was next but whatever it was, Crosshair was just happy to be home.

Whumpril Day 5: Defiance/Dragged/Stifled Scream

Fandom: Star Wars The Bad Batch

Note: Later parts of season 2 explain the context.

Summary: Crosshair's down with the empire and their experiments.

  Crosshair hated his cell, he hated the doctors, and he hated himself. After all it was his fault he was here. They should have killed him for what he did to that baster of a lieutenant. But no, now he lived in misery.

    Two stormtroopers stood in front of the cell door and after a few seconds they entered. Instead of just getting up to go with them, this time Crosshair decided he was done being compliant. Even if this killed him, he didn't care anymore.

    The clone sat down and stared at the two "What?" He snarled. The troopers looked at each other then shrugged and grabbed him. Crosshair probably should have expected that. He fought back. It hurt but nothing physically hurt more than that damn droid. He kicked at the others feet and thrashed to get out of their grip.

    When they got him to the door he tried to stand so he could fight them better. Almost escaping the left bucket head slammed his gun over Crosshair's head. He fell and the troopers put a pair of handcuffs on him.

    This time the clone didn't fight. He didn't comply either. Instead he just let them drag him. Every now and again he would try to pull his arm to his side but it never worked.

    Crosshair was thrown into the room he hated the most. If he ever had it his way he would blow up this Kriff forsaken facility. Not only for himself but for his imprisoned brothers as well. Why he cared for the regs, the clone didn't know.

    Hemlock entered the room with Emory close behind. "I see you're being defiant again? Bad decision really."

     Crosshair looked over at the man. The hum of the imperial prob came into earshot and Crosshair attempted to stay calm. As the prob got closer he started to panic.

    The droids needle stabbed into his flesh. A cold, poisonous liquid was released into Crosshair's body. It hurt, it hurt like hell. The dose had been increased to show the clone why he better comply. Imperial property can't be fighting against the very thing that owns it after all. 

    The pain took over his body. Screams started to escape Crosshair's mouth but he tried to stop them. Showing the pain he was in would only satisfy the mad scientist. Muffling a scream tears ran from his eyes.

    Hemlock smiled. He was wining; Crosshair was breaking. A while later the torture would end and Crosshair would be dragged back to his cell.

    The other clones on the hall began fighting as well soon after seeing Crosshair defy. Maybe there was hope for them after all. They followed in their brother's footsteps by refusing to leave their cells or by denying Hemlock the pleasure of seeing them express their pain. As irritating as it was the scientist was impressed.

    Time passed and the clones never backed down. They were created to fight so why not fight? If they got dragged down to hell because of it they would go with a smile, waiting to see their lost brothers. That was an ending they could live with.

Whumpril Day 8: Forgiveness (Alt prompt 5)

Fandom: Star Wars The Bad Batch

Note: implied season 2 spoilers

Summary: Crosshair is rescued by the batch.

  Crosshair woke up on the Marauder. The last thing he had seen was Hemlock so how had he gotten here? Was this another cruel dream? Would he talk to his brother's again, finally feel alive again, only to be woken up from a wonderful dream to face the harsh reality that he would never see them again? That the way it needed to be.

    But no, this time he knew he was safe as pain rushed in. Never had Crosshair been so happy to be in a senseless amount of pain. Echo walked over to his brother and checked on him. "He's awake" he spoke softly.

    "Good." Hunter sounded tired. Crosshair had heard him tired before but this, this was a new kind of tired.

    Wrecker walked to Crosshair's side, "hey Cross, how do you feel?" The tone of Wrecker's voice startled the clone. Never before had he sounded so sad, so done.

    "I'm... I'm okay." Crosshair mustered the strength to speak. "Where's Omega" he whispered.

    "Resting" Echo answered the question softly.

    "Tech?" The looks on everyone's faces answered the question for him.

    "He died a little while ago." Hunter sighed, "around three months."

    Crosshair did his best to give them a nod. Three months was about the time Omega had been captured and taken to Mount Tantus. The two advents likely connected somewhere but Crosshair would wait to ask. 

    Time would go by and Crosshair would heal. Walking around with his family he wondered why they never talked about what he had done, why they forgave him so easily? Eventually the burning question had to be asked.

    Everyone sat around a table on Pabu. Echo had come to visit them and the five had been invited to have dinner with Phee, Shep, and Lyana. It was a warm and beautiful day. Everyone sat down to enjoy their time together and some good food.

    "Why?" Crosshair asked. He knew now wasn't the time but there may never be a time and he needed to know.

    "What?" Omega looked over at her brother confused.

    "Why did you forgive me so quickly?"

    The others stared at the man for a moment. "It wasn't you" Wrecker started.

    "Part of it was."

    "And you regret that part" Echo knew this would come; he knew at some point Crosshair would ask. The answer that lay in the back of their minds was that they had already lost one brother, they weren't going to lose another. Tech would want them to forgive him.

    "That doesn't change what I did."

    "Crosshair, we know that. You're our brother and we care about you. You did some awful things that you regret and have learned from them. You're not some tearable person killing people for fun. When you did hurt people you thought it was for a greater and better cause. The empire manipulated you and once you saw that you did something about it" Hunter insured his brother.

    Crosshair looked at Hunter for a moment before continuing, "I got Tech killed. You came there for me."

    "Gerrera got Tech killed, not you." Echo set his drink down.

    "He wanted you safe, all of us safe. Tech's decision was his own to make." Hunter put a hand on Crosshair's shoulder.

    "And you weren't even there! It couldn't be your fault!" Omega walked over to Crosshair, who moved his chair back slightly. "We forgave you because we understood. When you figured out you were wrong you did something about it and then instead of trying to leave Tantus you warned us." The girl wrapped her arms around the man.

    "That doesn't mean you should forgive me!" Placing his hands on her shoulders, Crosshair shoved Omega off of him. She stumbled and fell back into Wrecker.

    "Why are you trying to find reasons for us to hate you?" Echo moved over behind Hunter, who sat beside Crosshair. The three non-clones tried to figure out how to help. Unsure of what to do Shep and Lyana quietly exited, deciding they should leave it to the family. As much as they wanted to help it was best for them to work though it.

    "Because you should!" The sniper stood quickly, slamming his hands on the table. "I'm a horrible person! I don't deserve this! I don't deserve your forgiveness and I don't deserve the peace of Padu!"

    "No you're not!" Omega and Wrecker shot back.

   "You are not a horrible person Crosshair. We already told you that." Hunter stood and rested his hand on his brother's shoulder again.

    "Crosshair, you need to forgive yourself." Everyone turned to face Phee. "You can't keep blaming yourself for things out of your control and you have to acknowledge your growth" she walked closer to the clone. " If you don't it'll kill ya."

    The ex-imperial stood there stunned. "She's right" Hunter removed his hand from its resting position and laid it at his side.

    Instead of arguing Crosshair started to leave. He put one foot in front of the other and left them. Despite their calls for him he left. Tears welled in his eyes as he thought. Their love, their time, their kindness; it was all wasted on him. He didn't deserve their forgiveness and he didn't deserve Tech's. In his eyes, he never would.

@whumpril

Whumptober Day 1: "How Many Fingers Am I Holding Up?"

Fandom: The Bad Batch

Summary: Crosshair is blinded by an explosion.

Boom. Explosions come with fire and fire comes with bright lights. Bright lights are blinding, expectantly to someone with strengthened eyes.

Suddenly Crosshair couldn't see. The world just went black. He fell to the ground, grabbing his face. He felt around trying to find his gun.

The clone's eyes burned. They were watery and sore, and now he had a headache. It was the first time he really realized just how loud a battle field could be. Having no sight made Crosshair pay more attention to his other senses.

He felt the strangely warm ground under him and how it shook when the bombs went off. He felt the sweat and grim on his skin. The terrible smell of iron and smoke filled his nostrils and feld into his lungs. The battle was loud. Far louder then he had ever noticed before. Yelling, explosions, blaster fire, droids, and the screams of the regs he swore not to care about.

Hunter looked around him. No one was there. There was no one to cover him.

But that didn't matter. Regardless, he rushed over to Crosshair to retrieve him from the field.

"Crosshair! Can you stand." He knelt beside him. "Are you okay?"

"I can't see!" He yelled.

Hunter's blood ran cold as panic flowed through his veins. "It's okay!" He grabbed his and took him behind a nearby rock.

He placed him carefully behind the rock and grabbed his blaster with his right hand.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" The sergeant held up 4 fingers.

"Hunter I can't fucking see! I don't know!"

"Okay. It's alright."

"Why the hell would you ask that?! I told you I can't see!"

"I'm sorry! I didn't know what kind of 'can't see'!"

Crosshair was shaking. What was he if not his sight? It was the reason he was created, his one use in the war was to be a soldier; to be a sniper.

"Is it getting any better?"

"No." Crosshair just about whispered.

"It's alright." Hunter looked around. He peaked behind the rock to see how far the droids had advanced. It was more than he would have liked. He shot a few then turned back to Crosshair. Now he just needed to figure out how to get out of there alive.

"What's going on?" Crosshair asked.

"It's okay. We just need to move."

"And where?"

"I'm working on that."

The woods weren't too far away. Maybe he could pull them there? Hunter could hear the air support flying in. He grabbed his brother's hand and pulled him to his feet. "Come on."

Hunter started running. Crosshair has no idea where they were going. But even so, he trusted his brother to get him to safely. Then Cross heard the air support. Moving made more sense now. Had they been behind the rock, they likely would have been blown up by there own team.

As the bombs were released Hunter pulled his brother to the ground, covering him. As his ears rang, he pulled him back to his feet and got them into the woods.

Crosshair didn't know what was happening. "Hunter! Hunter what is going on?!"

A few trees deep into the woods, Hunter pulled them to the ground. "It's okay."

"Where are we?"

"The woods. We'll wait here until reinforcements get here. It's okay." He pulled his arm up and as he went to comm his brothers, Wreckers voice came over the device.

"Where are you?" His voice shook with a sense of uncertainty that neither had heard his a while.

"The woods. Cross and I got pushed back."

"We will be there shortly." Tech chimed in.

"Crosshair can't see. I don't know if it's permanent or not."

"Alright. We will get it sorted out."

"Thanks Tech." Hunter turned off the device and looked at Crosshair. He looked unsure, almost like he was scared. Because he was.

Crosshair was terrified. "What happens if it's permanent?"

The question took Hunter off guard. "I'm not sure. But it'll be okay. Is it getting any better?"

"A little."

"See, it'll be okay."

"Yeah, it'll be okay."

Soon the rest of the batch would be there. They would take a half blind sniper back to a medic and keep fighting until the battle was won. And when they returned to see how their brother was, Crosshair had never been so happy to see them