I figured I would make an introduction to my page and create a table of contents for Calling All Skeletons!
Hi there! My name is Retro, I’m 22 years old, and I go by she/her pronouns! I’ve had Tumblr for a long time, but only started posting now. I mainly focus on The Bad Batch related content, but that could change at any time. I’ve started writing my first fanfiction, Calling All Skeletons! Feel free to check it out!
Idk what else to let y’all know, so I’ll update over time lol
Wanna read Calling All Skeletons on AO3? I've got you covered: https://archiveofourown.org/works/61712407/chapters/157759345
Notes: A bit of a content warning: THE SCENE from season 1 episode 7.
Here's my comeback of the century I guess lol
Word Count: ~4.4k
Banner by: @/blackseafoam
The Marauder whirred intently while in hyperspace. Destination: Bracca.
It had barely reached twenty hours since Rex’s departure when he contacted the squad with a location the excision of the chips could be performed. It wouldn’t be a long trip, but it left just enough time for some second thoughts and headaches.
Wrecker grabbed at his head with a groan, one of his legs bouncing anxiously. His headache seemed to be never-ending since it flared yesterday. Tech working on the chip scanner only steps away from him wasn’t very helpful either. After a few more moments of looking over between the scanner in Tech’s hand Shot studying her datapad, he couldn’t help but stand up and argue again.
“I don’t like this plan,” Wrecker complained to Hunter, putting a hand on his head as his brother joins the group.
“We agreed to meet Rex on Bracca,” Hunter firmly reminded, patting Wrecker’s shoulder in support, “That’s what we’re doing.”
Wrecker moved his hand from his head as he pointed over at Shot, “She wants to cut open my head!” His eyes flicker over in her direction after his continued complaints.
“All of our heads actually,” Tech added more as a fact rather than a complaint before going back to work on the scanner.
Shot, without looking up from her datapad, responded with a stale chuckle. “I guess you could say I’m going to pick your brains.”
There was a beat of silence and stares that made Shot’s eyes lift from her datapad to see the tough crowd.
“… That was funny—”
“Not when you’re actually gonna do it!” Wrecker argued, quickly dropping it at he holds his head with a groan.
Shot’s smile drops at the response and shifts into more concern at his condition before going back to her datapad. They needed to get this done soon.
“Well, she doesn’t have to cut into mine,” Omega continued from where the original conversation left off, switching the tools in Tech’s hand for him, “I don’t have an inhibitor chip.”
Wrecker got a bit more huffy at this. “Why not?” He interrogated with a finger pointed at her face before going back to his complaints, “Now, that’s not fair!” The large clone went right back to pouting, crossing his arms with a deep frown.
Hunter brushed off his brother’s behavior. “How’s the chip scanner coming?” He asked Tech, hoping for some good news.
“Since Rex’s chip was removed, I am able to establish a baseline by comparing his brain scan to ours, along with all diagnostics on Wrecker Shot has provided with her own equipment,” Tech answered, barely glancing up from the scanner as he spoke while stepping to the cockpit, “Allowing for the detection of any cellular anomaly.”
Hunter raised a brow at Tech with a questioning stare until Omega translated.
“He means, ‘It’s almost finished,’” she said with a grin, hopping down from her chair to follow Tech.
Hunter gave Omega a nod before turning his attention to Shot. “And you’re sure you can do this?” he asked with masked caution.
Shot stood up, tucking her datapad into her pouch as she looked to Hunter with a determined glint in her eyes. “In general terms, yes, I’m confident in my abilities,” she simply stated, now standing between Hunter and Wrecker.
“Good,” Hunter stated in a similar tone to Shot, “If Rex is sure of this working, then we have to trust him. And in turn, trust you.”
“You’re all in good hands, Hunter,” Shot reassured with a softer smile. It was a different kind of smile. More hospitable. Not like a medic telling them to toughen up while tending their wound, but rather a nurse ensuring they’re taken care of under the worst circumstances. Somehow, the latter was more unnerving to Wrecker and didn’t seem to faze Hunter. Or rather, Hunter didn’t have a choice but to trust it.
After Hunter and Shot’s conversation faded with him walking to the cockpit, Wrecker reached out to grab Shot. His hand retracted last second with his fingers tapping her shoulder. Her shoulder shot up for a moment before relaxing, remembering Wrecker being the only one behind her. She turned to face him, her face more neutral than before.
“Yeah?” Shot asked.
“I…” Wrecker tried to find the words, pulling his hand to his neck, “I’m sorry I yelled at ya. I-I’m just—”
“Wrecker, you’re fine,” she interrupted with a more usual smile, “I shouldn’t have joked like that—”
“No, it’s not— You can joke!” He caught her before she could finish, hands out in front of him while shaking his head. He brought his hands back to his sides with a more shameful sigh, “I’m just nervous… Tell me that joke again later and I’ll laugh louder than I ever have before!”
Shot couldn’t stop the chortle in her nose before a more prominent chuckle left her mouth. “I was just trying to lighten the mood,” she further explained, her laughter dying, “Don’t worry about it. Really. I need you to just take it easy until we get it over with.”
Like music to his ears. It was probably the most distinct laugh he’s heard from Shot, and it was over his stupid attempt to apologize. That didn’t stop his grin from returning with the loudest thumping of his heart as he stared down at the medic. “Got it, Shot,” he, as casually as he could, confirmed with her.
The Marauder shortly landed on Bracca, Echo navigating it near the beacon Rex put out. Over dozens of retired and rusted vessels, cruisers, and ships laid out all across the planet. The squad followed out one-by-one with Hunter leading the charge.
“Right on time,” Rex said, giving Hunter a firm handshake.
“How’s a junk planet gonna help us?” Wrecker asked as he walked up behind the group.
Rex placed his helmet back over his head, pointing behind him as he spoke, “Follow me.” He led the group out of the landing pad they docked their ships in and up the wrecked ship to look out at the junk. “Bracca may not be much to look at, but it has everything we need,” He opened, pointing towards another ship below as he explained further, “I had my inhibitor chip taken out on a Jedi cruiser just like that. That’s where we’re heading.”
Not liking the long hike ahead of them, Wrecker complained loudly, “Then why did we land all the way over here?”
The whirr of a nearby hovercraft soon caught their attention.
“Everyone down,” Hunter urged as he crouched down low.
As the squad eyed the distant vehicle, Rex answered Wrecker’s question with a, “That’s why.”
Tech lowered his visor to get a better look at the humanoids examining the rusted shuttle. “It’s the Scrapper Guild,” He stated.
“They control this entire planet,” Rex further explained, turning over his shoulder to look at those behind him as he continued, “We need to keep out of sight from their patrols.” He scanned the path ahead for a moment before motioning with his hand, command following, “Let’s move.”
Moving swiftly and closely behind Rex, the squad found cover in the retired ship. Echo and Rex led the charge with Shot trailing right behind them. She tuned out most of the conversation as she replayed procedures in her mind. Countless scenarios flashed across her mind in an instant of every single complication that could occur. What weighed on her most was the outcome. Shot knew the risks of an excision and was now factoring in the environment she would be performing it in. Not ideal, but what other options did they have?
“Shot?”
Her head tilted towards the voice that called to her. “Yes? Sorry,” she quickly replied.
Echo eyed her under his helmet before continuing, “I was just telling Rex how you found us.”
Rex looked back at the medic, “It’s true? The Empire is hiring soldiers now?”
“Simply put, yes,” Shot answered, “I didn’t realize what I was getting into. So, I faked my death to get away. Now, I’m here.”
“Oh, so that was your ship wrecked on Ord Mantell?” Rex pushed, almost entertained.
“Not exactly my ship, but yes,” Shot shrugged.
“Impressive,” he complimented before going back to his original concern. “The Empire enlisting a new military of recruits seems concerning… I would watch your backs and stay on high alert.”
Hunter quickly added, “We already stay on high alert. Better safe than sorry.”
A faint groan from behind Shot caught her attention. She turned back to see Wrecker holding a hand to his head, shaking it from time to time. Letting herself fall to the back of the group, she walked almost in step with him.
“Worse or the usual?”
“Eh, it’s fine,” he shrugged off, not taking his hand away.
“Worse. Got it,” she smugly replied.
“I didn’t say that!” Wrecker quickly retorted.
“Wrecker, I’ve treated you long enough to know when you’re lying,” Shot explained to him.
He groaned lightly, “Yeah… But I’ll be fine, right?” He tilts his head to face her.
Shot looked to the ground first before forcing herself to look up at Wrecker, “You should be fine if all goes well.”
“That’s not a yes,” he replied, his words sounding like a frown.
“I can’t be sure…” she said, gnawing the inside of her lip before patting his arm, “And I refuse to lie to you. I’ll do my best.”
Wrecker’s headache and worry didn’t seem to ease at her words. He sighed heavily, trying to work up his courage about this whole surgery. Shot sensed the dissatisfaction in his demeanor. It took her a moment to think of a proposal that may satisfy him.
“When we go back to Ord Mantell after the excisions, I’ll make that tea again,” Shot offered.
“Really?” Wrecker asked, seeming to light up from before.
“If I find the right ingredients, yes. If that gives you something to look forward to,” a faint smile could be heard in her voice.
A smile crept onto his face along with the red in his cheeks, “Oh yeah!”
Shot couldn’t help the larger grin reaching her lips at his excitement.
Integrated back in the middle of the squad and engrossed in her datapad, Shot stepped along while using her peripherals to guide her. She was doing everything she can to prevent any complications, even if that meant reviewing and researching excisions at all times while mumbling back the steps and procedure. All other conversation became completely muffled to her ears.
Taking a few steps forward after rounding a corner, Shot bumped directly into Tech’s back after he stopped abruptly. Tearing her gaze from her data pad, she noticed the sudden drop off before them and engaged back in the conversation as she clipped her pad back to her armor.
“The medical bay’s at the other end,” Rex explained before looking for a solution to bridge or cross the extensive ravine before them. He shined a light on a nearby yellow cable to his right. “Wrecker, grab that cable.”
Wrecker kneeled down and took the cable into his hands. He looked back at the bunched up excess lying together at the other end of the platform they stood on and then up at Rex as he spoke. “This? W-Why? W-What are you gonna do with it?” He asked, an apparent anxiety in his tone.
Shot let out a heavy sigh at the sight of not only the gap they had to cross, but the answer to their problem. She watched the trial and error of the squad attaching the cable to the other end of the platform and the further anxiety that stirred in Wrecker. Every extra step they took lead to more stress that would further affect his nerves and make the process more uncomfortable than it had to be. The only thing she could do was support him.
The medic let most of the others go before her, opting to stay back with Wrecker until he was ready to go. Or, that was her original plan. As Omega made it to the other side, Shot placed a hand on his back as she looked up at him.
Echo called out from the other side. “Alright, who’s up next?”
“Uh…” Wrecker started, looking down at the water as he tried to back up. The medic’s hand stopped him from moving.
“I’ll go,” Shot called out, taking her hand away from Wrecker. She stepped towards the cable and tilted her head over to glance back at the larger clone. “You’ll be fine. Don’t back out now.”
Wrecker swallowed and gave her a nod, watching as she maneuvered onto the cable and pulled herself to the other side slowly but surely. Towards the end, the cable shifted, but remained in tact as she unlocked her legs from the cable and dropped onto the platform.
Shot turned back and shined her flashlight in Wrecker’s direction. “Your turn!”
“Yeah, my head doesn’t hurt anymore!” Wrecker started to call out, backing further to the wall behind him as he grabbed at the side of his head, “I’m fine! You guys go without me!”
Omega beat the medic to the punch as she confidently shouted out some words of encouragement. “You can do it! Just keep your eyes on the cable!”
Wrecker let out another nervous groan as he looked to the cable.
“You’re so close to getting this over with, Wrecker! Then you don’t have to worry about it anymore!” Shot shouted after Omega. “We won’t let anything bad happen to you.”
With the last bit of encouragement he needed, Wrecker grunts as he reached down for the cable. He shook the nerves from himself as he grabbed on. Swinging himself onto the cable, his weight immediately caused it to dip down lower than it had for the others. He let out another anxious breath as he began pulling himself towards the squad.
“Woah!” After only a two pulls, his feet slipped from the cable and left him dangling by the grip his hands had on it for a moment. He tilted his head back at the squad. “That was close!”
As if he tempted fate himself with only his words, the cable suddenly dislodged itself from its secure spot on the now empty platform. Wrecker screamed out as he fell with the cable, getting swung into the wall before down further into the ravine. Before he could hit the water, the cable snagged his leg in a perfect knot just at his ankle. He shook off his nerves once more before reaching up at the cable to get a better hold on it.
Nearly the entire squad all felt their heart hit the furthest pit in their stomach before leaning over to see and hear Wrecker attempting to climb back up.
Rex called out first. “Are you all right?”
Wrecker gagged once the smell from the waters finally hit his nose before answering. “No! Smell’s awful down here!”
Shot took a small breath at his humor before seeing a larger shadow within the water.
“What’s that?” Omega asked with concern, seeing the same thing as the medic.
“Wrecker, start climbing!” Hunter called out as calmly as he could to not disturb his brother further.
Wrecker got another breath in as he shouted back. “Why?!”
“Just do as you’re told!” Shot shouted back with more urgency, not caring about masking the situation anymore.
Before he got a chance to react, a tongue darted out of the deep waters. It wrapped around the large clone in an instant and slowly tugged before snatching him into the water.
Omega stared down with a gasp and fear-ridden face as she exclaimed, “Wrecker!”
Hunter and Shot both scrambled up to their feet at the sight. They couldn’t waste any more time.
“Grab the cable. Get him up!” Hunter commanded as he took hold and started pulling.
Shot was situated behind Tech as she tugged before Echo joined behind her. The fact that they were able to start pulling him up was already relieving to her scrambled mind. It was very short-lived when the cable started pulling back against them, dragging the squad back towards the ledge despite their efforts. The stress came back in full force when the resistance reduced to nothing and sent them falling back onto the ground.
“Wrecker!” Rex called down with a layer of concern on his words.
The rest of the squad started to join Omega and Rex at the ledge to peer down into the water, but Shot remained at the cable. She stood and stared at the back of their heads, her own breath fogging up her visor. Besides Echo, Wrecker was the only other one she felt comfortable with. The only one who welcomed her from the beginning besides Omega. One of the first men she felt fully comfortable with in a long time.
Now, Wrecker was somewhere in the water possibly already eaten by whatever creature lurked.
Until she felt the cable tug back.
“Pull!” Omega shouted, now seeing Wrecker climbing up the cable.
Without another thought, the squad went back to pulling the cable. As she pulled, Shot steadied her breathing as she heard blasts fire out from Echo’s blaster. Her breaths didn’t fully settle until she saw Rex and Omega helping Wrecker onto the platform.
“What was… that?” Wrecker asked, coughing up the water and stench that clogged his throat. He took a gasp of air in as he laid against the ground.
Rex breathed out in relief before chuckling. “Makes you miss battling clankers, doesn’t it?”
Wrecker looked up at Rex as he spoke then groaned. “Yeah,” he said simply, laying his head back down for another moment.
Shot stepped forward and knelt down by Wrecker, taking his helmet off and watched the small bit of water fall. She set it to the side as Wrecker flipped onto his back to look up at her.
“Can’t give up yet, right?” He sent her a small smile with a laugh.
Shot let out a sigh of relief finally before turning her gaze away from Wrecker. “Right. Let’s get this over with.”
After recovering from that incident, the squad rounded a corner and stepped down the hallway to find the medbay of the ship. Tech walked in first, shining his light around and watching a rat scurry up the wall.
“This will do nicely,” said Rex as he walked in, removing his helmet to get a better look at the room.
“I would no longer call this medical bay a sterile environment,” Tech observed with mild distaste.
Rex stepped further into the room as he spoke with sarcasm. “Do you prefer to use the facility on Kamino?”
“This will do nicely.”
Shot pulled her helmet off as she eyed the medical bay for herself. She gripped the sides of her helmet before feeling a light pat on her shoulder, turning to see Echo with a firm yet comforting stare.
“I’ll calibrate the surgical pod.” He assured as he bent down to the controls, inserting his scomp-link into the system.
The medic watched the lights flicker on as the systems booted up. “Let me know if you need any assistance,” she offered before setting her helmet down on the floor by the console.
She pulled her pack off as her gaze turned to Wrecker sitting on the edge of the table as soon as he stepped into the room. She frowned after watching Omega remove his helmet, seeing the amount of distress in his face as he rubbed his head. After setting her pack down, Shot stepped over to the two and put a hand on Wrecker’s shoulder, looking down at Omega and giving her a reassuring smile. “I’ve got it from here.”
Omega looked up at Shot with upturned brows, a worried frown plastered on her face. She reluctantly takes a step back as she looks to the ground in deep thought.
Shot removed Wrecker’s pack and handed it over to Hunter. She rubbed her hand against Wrecker and gave him another calming smile.
Wrecker stared up at her with squinted eyes and upturned brows. The pain was getting harder to push through at every second, doubling his stress even with the medic’s attempt to comfort him.
“Time to get scanned, Wrecker,” Tech said as he joined Shot at the table with the scanner.
Reluctantly pulling his gaze from Shot, he glanced over at Tech with a groan. “Let’s,” he clenched his jaw as he forced the words out, “Get this over with.” As he pulled his hand away from his head, a throb made him softly nudge Shot’s arm away from his shoulder.
The medic stood aside for Tech to apply the scanner to Wrecker’s head. Her brows furrowed at his dismissal of her touch. That wasn’t like him.
The device began to whir and ring as Tech viewed the scan from his datapad, earning a loud, displeasured groan from Wrecker.
Shot crouched down to make eye contact with him. Those eyes were in pain. Her eyes scanned his face and could see how he trembled, his hands shaking as one lifted to his head again. She gave him another reassuring smile as she bit back her worries. “As soon as we find this, I can help you. You’re almost there,” she coaxed in a gentle tone.
Wrecker’s jaw clenched tighter as he gave her a nod. Every noise produced by the data pad and the scanner only irritated him more as he breathed out more grunts through his nose. He kept his eyes planted on Shot’s as he searched her face for any kind of distraction.
“Just close your eyes, Wrecker,” Shot soothed, seeing his longing for it all to be over.
His eyes shut tightly closed with another groan as he gripped the side of his head. His breathing became more staggered the more the scan continued.
Just as Shot was about to say some more affirmations, Tech’s data pad beeped rhythmically.
“I think I found something,” Tech verified.
Shot lifted herself up from the ground and looked over the data pad with the others. She pointed to the spot directed, interrupting Tech as he opened his mouth to explain. “Like I hypothesized. Roughly 90 degrees from his right orbital floor below the parietal and temporal intersection,” she clarified before a louder grunt from Wrecker caught her attention.
“Get that away from me,” he grimaced with malice, pulling the scanner off of his head and shoving it back to Tech. He let out a strained sound of pain as he held his head in both his hands.
“We need to speed this up,” Rex warned, as he eyed Wrecker with a deep worry, as if he were remembering his past experiences regarding the chip.
“I’m on it,” Shot muttered as she opened one of her pouches and pulled out a few items for sedation. She readied her device for injection as the sounds of Wrecker’s excruciating pain filled the room. The surgical pod fully powered with a deep whir as the lights brightened in the pod. She set the device down on top of the console for the pod as she stepped over, glancing to Echo. “Let me finish up calibrations.”
Echo nodded and stepped away from the console, allowing Shot to take over. As she began to type, she completely ignored any conversations happening around her. She could make out bits and pieces about the order given and resisting the chips, but nothing else specific. It didn’t take the medic a second longer to finish set up before picking up the injection device and moving back in front of Wrecker.
Shot looked down at him as he grunted and grumbled in pain, mild growls emitting from the back of his throat. “One last prick and it’s over,” she attempted to coax while flicking the device, “Trust me.” She gave him one more gentle smile before lowering the device towards his neck.
Only to be stopped by his hand tightly gripping her wrist before she could move any closer.
The medic froze for a moment at the touch. Her eyes widened as her chest tightened. “Wrecker… Easy…” She tried to coax one more time, a shake apparent in her voice. She couldn’t tell if his grip was instinctual fear or primal rage.
Both their hands shook in the grip. Shot started to bring her other hand up to touch Wrecker’s around her wrist that was struggling to hold onto the device.
Wrecker’s head hung low and his brows furrowed. His eyes refused to look up at Shot. The throbbing, the ringing, the panging just wouldn’t stop. The impulse grew louder and louder. He let out one more grunt as he shut his eyes, her words muffled in his ears. He couldn’t keep fighting.
His other hand swung up and gripped the medic by the throat, as if sensing her movements. His grip only tightened as he stared up through his brows.
Shot dropped the device in an instant and froze as she gripped at his wrist connected to the hand around her neck. Her eyes welled with tears as she choked, not being able to get any words out as she stared back at the large clone she thought she’d known. Her mind went blank. The medic was immediately brought back to her worst moments.
It only got worse as Wrecker stood, lifting the medic up further by her neck. “Conspiring with traitors makes you guilty of treason,” he snarled at Shot, his expression unchanging.
The medic felt the tears roll down her cheeks. She should know that it isn’t his fault, but she can’t help but feel betrayed. She allowed herself to be vulnerable with him. She allowed herself vulnerability. The small light she gained in her eyes depleted once again.
Not another conscious thought could run through her mind before Wrecker charged his arm and tossed her into Tech against the metal lockers, effectively knocking them out.
Notes: Yes, I kissed the brick before I threw it <3
Calling All Skeletons | Chapter 12: Accepting Trust
Notes: Some fun and cute moments in this one. Totally not foreshadowing anything tragic that will happen next chapter or anything. Not at all.
Word Count: ~3.9k
Banner by: @/blackseafoam
Many blasts and explosions can be heard from behind the Marauder as it rushes off-world into vast space. The Bad Batch found themselves in a tight spot while trying to finish out a job for Cid. The Rohkai in their own ships were not making this grab-and-go any easier.
Hunter, manning the tail-gun, called out over his shoulder, “How much longer until we’re in hyperspace, Tech?”
“That depends on when Echo plans on getting the drive back online,” Tech responded, placing emphasis on Echo’s name as he glanced over at him.
Echo’s frustration bubbled over as he turned to give Tech a glare and retorted sternly, “I’m working on it!”
Shot lifted up the harness in the chair for Wrecker to place Ruby in, a sudden shift in the ship’s movement making her stumble and catch herself on the chair behind her. “Stop being snippy with each other!” She shouted out with a scoff following, finding her own seat across from Omega.
As Wrecker somewhat secured the caged creature in the chair, Omega looked over it with some concern as it thrashed and cried. “I don’t think Ruby likes this very much,” She said, looking over at Wrecker and Shot with a frown.
“You named that thing?” Wrecker asked, securing his harness of his shoulders with an eyebrow raised at his sister.
Before she could elaborate, the Marauder started to shake and rumble as more shots hit the shields.
“What’s with these guys?!” Wrecker exclaimed with some frustration, eyeing the back of the ship where Hunter is mounted with furrowed brows.
“Well, we did steal from them,” Omega added with a raised voice.
“Technically, the Rhokai stole the lizard first,” Tech corrected before continuing, “We are merely intercepting it.”
“They don’t see it that way,” Hunter quickly and sternly added on.
“Does it matter right now?!” Shot snapped, her own frustration building.
A few more blasts rattled the ship from the inside out. One particularly powerful one caused just enough force to release the harness barely keeping ‘Ruby’ in place, causing her container to fall and open on the ground. She released a few screeches as she scurried out and up Wrecker’s leg.
“It’s loose! It’s loose!” He cried out, releasing his harness as the lizard continued to climb up his body onto his face. More screaming ensues as he shoots up from his seat, trying to pull Ruby off of his face. “Get it off!” He started to panic, “Get it off! Get it off!”
Both Omega and Shot rose from their seats, Omega being quicker to get her words out.
“Stay calm!” She started, trying to reach for Ruby, “You’re scaring her!”
Shot made an attempt to get a hold of Ruby but was unsuccessful as Wrecker continued to panic and shout while running towards the cockpit. “Wrecker!” She called out after him with a groan, “You’re going to get—”
Before she could finish her sentence, Wrecker ran square into a chair and got knocked onto his back. “Hurt,” Shot finished with another huff as she got on her knees beside him, gently lifting his head from the ground to make sure he didn’t give himself a concussion.
While this was happening, Echo made some great progress as he turned to Tech, “Hyperdrive’s online!”
Omega slammed the open carrier over Ruby and held it down to keep her contained as the lizard hissed. “Got her!” She called out.
Wasting no time, Tech launched the Marauder straight into hyperspace, leaving the Rhokai in the dust. Hunter sat back in the gunner’s mount for a moment, taking a deep breath in and back out before climbing out to join the others. “Everyone okay?”
“Fine, thanks,” Shot quickly responded as Wrecker started to sit up, rubbing the back of his head with a groan. She sighed before scolding him, “How many times do I have to tell you to take it easy?”
Wrecker looked at her with a bit of shame at first before a grin reached his lips, “One more time?”
“Oh, shove it,” She playfully huffed out with an eye roll, pushing his shoulder away from her before lifting herself off the ground. Wrecker followed her up with his usual hearty laugh.
Back at the parlor, Cid eyes the caged Ruby with a brow raised. “That is one strange looking lizard,” She muttered out, turning to the batch as she spoke.
“What’s your client want it for?” Echo asked for the squad.
“Maybe it’s a pet. Maybe he wants to turn it into a stew,” Cid started to ramble on with an uncaring tone, “Don’t know, don’t care.” She stepped away from the back just after answering his question.
“As long as you get paid,” Hunter elaborated for her.
Without turning to answer, Cid grinned, “Now you’re catching on. And guess what?” She turns to the squad once more as she continues, “That means you get paid too.”
“How generous,” Shot mumbled under her breath, earning a quick stern glance from Hunter.
Luckily, Cid didn’t seem to catch it as she continued walking towards the hallway while speaking, “Bring the lizard in the back.”
Echo and Tech didn’t waste any more time with questions they know they won’t get answers to, following after Cid with Ruby in tow.
Hunter was about to follow suit until his attention was caught by a cloaked figure in the corner of the parlor. He eyed it with some suspicion, finding them to be an out-of-place guest among the regulars.
“Hunter?” Omega started to ask.
As he turned, Hunter eyed the three before him, all looking to each other with some varying expressions. He raised a brow as he asked, “What are you three up to?”
Wrecker, starting to get antsy, answered first, “The mission’s over. Can we go?” He tilted his head with a grin, his thumb pointing towards the entrance of the parlor. Omega’s smile beamed up at Hunter as Wrecker spoke, her eyes trying to negotiate for her. Shot shrugged one of her shoulders at Hunter with a subtle grin.
“Again?” Hunter pressed with some annoyance.
“It’s a tradition!” Wrecker calmly argued. He looked side-to-side before leaning closer to Hunter as he whispered in what he thinks is a quiet voice, “It makes the kid happy.”
This quickly earned a quick glare from Omega and a quiet chuckle from Shot.
“Uh-huh,” Hunter started with sarcasm, “The kid.”
Wrecker and Omega both stared in anticipation and joy. Shot maneuvered her helmet back into her hands as she spoke with eyes on Hunter, “I’ll keep an eye on ‘em.”
With a drawn-out sigh, Hunter gives his answer as he turns over his shoulder, “Don’t take long.”
Wrecker let out a cheery laugh with Omega as they started for the entrance, Shot following close behind while placing her helmet over her head. The chatter between the siblings meshed with the noise of the crowded street in the medic’s ears as she subtly surveyed each alley and corner they passed. The more she scanned, the louder her own breath echoed within her helmet. She could feel her chest tighten with every breath, the slightest shake starting to reach her fingers. The helmet used to be enough for her to hide. It should be enough, but she can’t help but feel eyes on her.
“Shot?”
Her name brought her back from her descent into her mind. Shot turned her attention down to look at Omega, sucking in a slow deep breath before breathing out with a bit more energy. “Yeah?” She asked in a brighter tone.
“Did you want to share or get your own carton this time?” Omega continued, staring up at the medic with a small grin.
“Oh, um, I’ll just pick off from yours,” She answered, still gathering herself some as she looked to her side. She stared down the adjacent alley, stiff.
Wrecker gave her a small worried smile before turning to the merchant, “We’ll take 2 cartons.”
Omega shared a similar look, but with more curiosity. She stepped over in front of Shot and tilted her head, “Why are you so nervous?”
“Nervous?” Shot tore her attention from the alley and focused back on Omega, “I’m not—”
She stopped herself before she could try and deny it. Omega’s stare was enough for her to know that she was starting to see through her lies. She glanced off to her other side before feeling Omega’s small hand find her quivering fingers.
“You don’t have to be nervous,” The girl started, “We’ve got each other to keep us safe.”
Shot breathed out a short singular huffed laugh through her nose. She turned her gaze back to Omega as she spoke, “I know. Don’t worry about me.”
Omega was just about to quip back with something before being presented with a carton of Mantell Mix in front of her face.
“Best part of the mission,” Wrecker said, smiling down at his sister before beaming at Shot with a softer gaze. The medic couldn’t stop the grin curling her lips as she met his eyes, lucky her helmet could hide her expression.
They remained almost motionless until the merchant cleared their throat, holding their hand out with a request. “That’ll be fourteen credits for the Mantell Mix,” They demanded with a firm gaze.
Wrecker turned to them, starting to fumble, “Uh, yeah… Uh—”
“Put it on Cid’s tab,” Shot finished for him, putting a hand on Wrecker’s shoulder. She shrugged her shoulder up casually when he looked over at her before moving her hand off of him as he turned. Using the edge of her palm, she nudged her helmet up enough for her mouth to peak out as her other hand grabbed a few pieces of Mantell Mix from Wrecker’s carton. “We should probably head back to Cid’s before Hunter gets his blacks in a twist,” She suggested, popping the handful of Mantell Mix in her mouth before lowering her helmet again with a crunch.
Wrecker, once again, found himself lost in thought while staring at the medic. Her speaking for a second time brought him out of it with a shake of his head, crunching on a few pieces of Mantell Mix finally. “Eh, maybe,” He thought aloud before Omega interjected.
“Aw, but we haven’t even been out long!” She complained, already halfway through her Mantell Mix.
“Hey, don’t blame me,” Shot defended herself with hands up, “Hunter’s the one that told us not to be long. That doesn’t mean we have to rush back, just… Walk at a casual pace in that direction.”
“Now you’re talkin’,” Wrecker added with another cheery laugh, nudging Shot’s shoulder before they all started their walk back to the parlor.
Omega walked in front the the pair, seemingly distracted by the bustle of the street while munching on what Mantell Mix she had left. Shot remained mostly quiet and less on edge. Her attention was caught by Wrecker offering a handful out to her.
He started in a lower voice, “Somethin’ on your mind today?”
Shot took some bits pinched between her fingers, nudging her helmet up with a sigh, “I dunno. I have a bad feeling.” She popped them into her mouth.
“Like… You feel sick?” Wrecker asked further.
“No, not exactly,” She elaborated, taking some more of the mix, “It’s the usual kind of bad feeling. I can’t help it sometimes.”
He hummed in response, dumping some of the remaining Mantell Mix in his hand into his mouth. “Well, like Omega said. ‘We've got each other to keep us safe,’” Wrecker reminded, sending a wide grin to Shot after swallowing what he had in his mouth.
The medic felt that same grin creep up on her face, forcing her helmet back over her mouth. “Sure,” She simply agreed, leaving her answer there for a moment before looking back up at Wrecker. “Thanks, by the way. You know how—”
“Don’t thank me,” He started, lowering his voice as quietly as he could, “I know you don’t like bringing anything up to the kid right now.”
“Yeah,” Shot breathed out, facing forward again, “I just… Wanted to let you know I appreciate it—”
“Get out of my way!” “Move it!”
Ripping their attention from each other, the three watched as Ketch and Bolo bolted down the street through the crowd in a bit of a rush. That didn’t help Shot’s anxiety a bit as she turned to look between Wrecker and Omega, “Maybe we should get on a bit quicker to the parlor.”
With some nods of agreement, they all started their bolt towards Cid’s parlor. It took a bit longer than they expected to make it back. Wrecker took the lead with Shot following behind with Omega, stepping casually down the stairs until the inside of the parlor came into view. The large clone’s eyes found a very familiar face with his brothers.
“Well, look who it is!” He cheered, pointing over at him with a laugh before bounding that way, “Come ‘ere, Rex!” Wrecker’s arms wrapped all the way around the seasoned clone and lifted him into the air with a big hug.
Omega ran past Shot to follow Wrecker back to the batch. The medic remained frozen in place for a moment, snapping out of it just enough to lift her helmet off and stare at Rex with wide eyes. Captain Rex? The Captain Rex? She read his files. He had to be dead, but here he was.
Rex let out a strained groan at the tight hug, “Good to see you too, Wrecker.”
Omega raised a brow as she gestured to Rex, “I thought you didn’t like the regs?”
“This one we like!” Wrecker exclaimed, turning around and placing Rex back on his feet while Rex pushed himself away from him.
Hunter started to introduce them, “Shot, Omega, this is—”
“Captain Rex of the 501st Legion,” Shot finished for Hunter with a bit more detail as she finally stepped forward to Rex, extending a hand out as she spoke, “I’ve heard many great things about you from Senator Amidala. It’s an honor, sir.”
Rex eyed the medic with some intrigue, sharing a friendly smile with her as he shook her hand and let her speak. “You wouldn’t happen to have been a security officer for Naboo?” He asked with a slight tilt of his head.
Her eyes went wider for a moment before an excited grin stretched across her lips, “Yes! I accompanied the senator on quite a few trips for senate meetings on Coruscant.”
“Yeah, I’ve seen you before,” Rex commented with his own subtle grin, “Small galaxy.”
Shot took her hand away, clearing her throat before standing a little straighter, “Yes, sir.”
“No need for formalities. Just call me Rex,” He requested, waiting to see her nod before turning his attention to Omega. He knelt down to her level, eyeing her before he spoke, “I’ve met many clones in my time, but never one like you.”
Omega steps closer, studying every detail on Rex’s face with precision. “You’re a generation one,” She finally pointed out.
“Now, how’d you know that?” Rex asked with some curious enthusiasm.
“From the lines on your face,” She matter-of-factly stated with a small naïve smile. The medic couldn’t stop herself from putting a hand over her mouth in shock at the girl’s casual— and somewhat offensive— words.
Rex just chuckled, looking back at the rest of the squad, “Yeah, I guess I’ve been around.”
“Hah! You got that right!” Wrecker added on before feeling that same searing pain in his head, letting out a groan as his hand went to his head. “Shot,” He started, grimacing in pain as he looked to her, “I need one of those med patches.”
Shot immediately dropped her previous demeanor as she approached Wrecker with some concern, reaching her hand out and placing it on his arm. “You used the last one last night, remember?” She asked gently before continuing, “I can get you some water and—”
“What’s wrong?” Rex asks as he rises to his feet, turning completely towards Wrecker and Shot.
Wrecker glanced over Shot to Rex and raised his hand casually to dismiss Rex’s concern, “Nothin’. It’s just a headache.”
“Which are becoming more frequent,” Echo added, motioning his cup at Wrecker with a frown.
“I’m doing the best I can with what I’ve got,” Shot added with a slight frown as she turns to Echo.
“Is that so?” Rex asked with some suspicion. He eyed Wrecker while standing between the squad and Omega.
Tech then started to interject, “If you are concerned about the so-called inhibitor chips, don’t be. Our deviant nature appears to have impeded their functionality.” He adjusts his goggles before pointing out another fact, “Except in Crosshair.”
Rex glanced between the group as his brows began to furrow, “You’re telling me that you haven’t removed your chips?”
Tech shook his head as he spoke, “No. Not yet.”
Shot glanced over at Tech and then over her shoulder at Rex as he moved his cloak to hover his hand over the blaster at his side.
Hunter rose to his feet immediately with cautious hands, “Rex?”
“Those chips make you a threat to everyone around you,” Rex firmly stated, looking to Shot and then to Omega behind him as he spoke, “Even to her.” He stared between the batch as he gripped his blaster, “You’re all ticking time bombs.”
Hunter then put his hand out to Rex as he approached him, “Take it easy, Captain.”
Shot could feel her chest clench as Rex continued to talk. She looked to Wrecker out of the side of her eye and then back to Rex as he continued.
“What’s in your heads is more dangerous than you can imagine,” He kept his intense stare locked on the squad, “I’ve seen what happens when the chip activates, and I don’t wanna have to bury any more of our brothers.”
As the squad looked between each other, Shot took a step back from Wrecker. He felt her hand leave his arm, causing him to look at her with upturned brows and a frown before looking at Tech.
“Trust me,” Rex pleaded as he shook his head, “It is not something you can control.” He looked to the ground as he continued, “I couldn’t… It’s a risk you do not want to take.”
While Hunter focused on Omega to make his decision for the betterment of the squad, Wrecker was looking at Shot. He could see the concern and ounce of fear etched into her face. He knew she was trying to hide it. They stared each other down for a few more seconds before Shot pulled her eyes away to face Rex.
“How do you suggest we get them out?” Hunter asks, knowing it’s their only option right now.
Rex’s posture relaxes as he moves his hand from his blaster, “Good question.” He looks to the ground in thought before Shot interjects.
“I’ve performed a few excisions before. Not completely alone, but my success rate for those surgeries is close to eighty-seven percent. Out of the 15 excisions I’ve done, only two resulted in failed improvement,” She explained, starting to ramble a bit now, “I discussed previously with Tech that if the occasion were to arise where we would need to remove the chips, I could do it with the right equipment. I just need a functional surgical pod to work with and I can do what I can.”
Rex looked to the medic with the slightest smile of determination, “Good to know. I’ll be in touch.”
That night on the Marauder was quiet. Tech was working carefully on the chip scanner while Shot was studying her old journals and medical documents she had on her datapad. The rest of the squad could only hope they knew what they were doing. One person on the ship in particular was contributing a large amount of anxiety into the atmosphere.
Glancing up from her datapad to take a quick break, Shot couldn’t help but notice Wrecker flooded with anxiety. His leg bounced nonstop, sweat lingered on his brow, his hands fidgeted with each other. She looked at the others, seeing them settle for some rest while they waited for Rex’s call, before tucking her datapad away as she rose to her feet. She walked over to Wrecker and knelt down, forcing her face to come into his view.
“Hey,” She whispered out.
Wrecker glanced up at her voice, “Hey, Shot.”
She tilted her head, “Something is eating at you. I can tell.”
His gaze immediately shifted back to the floor after she stated the obvious. “I-I don’t wanna get the surgery,” He firmly yet reluctantly managed to get out with a shake of his head. His eyes went back to Shot, his voice almost starting to plead, “You and Tech are smart. Can’t we find another way to shut down the chips?”
“Wrecker…” Shot started, her own eyes finding the ground in thought for a moment before locking with his once again. “We know the excision works. I don’t think we can risk trying to find another way,” She gently explained, her hand moving to his forearm in an attempt to offer some comfort.
The large clone couldn’t help but breathe out in disappointment and anxiety. His eyes darted from Shot’s for only a second, his lips twitching and hesitant to open as if he were trying to muster up the courage to speak.
“I’m scared, Shot…”
His honesty struck a chord in the medic. One of the biggest, strongest, fearless men she’s ever met is admitting fear to her. Her whole face softened as her other hand found his hand, holding it gently while her other hand swiped against his arm.
“It’s okay to be scared, Wrecker,” Shot tried to comfort, giving his hand a squeeze before continuing, “But I want you to know that I would not have offered to do the surgery if I thought I couldn’t do it successfully…” Her eyes trailed away from his, pondering her next words before finding them again, “Do you trust me, Wrecker?”
He sat up a little straighter at her question before leaning down closer to her again, “Do you trust me?”
“You haven’t given me a reason not to,” She assured, both to him and herself. “Do you trust me?”
Her admission made the tiniest smile find Wrecker’s lips as he answered, “Yeah… I trust ya, Shot.”
“Then trust in my abilities,” She emphasized with another squeeze on his hand, “Trust that I will ensure you and your brothers’ surgeries go as smoothly as possible. You can be scared, but put your trust in me like I have you. Everything will be okay.”
The mention of the excision made his frown return to his face, but he let her words sink in. With a strained sigh, he gave her hand a light squeeze as he spoke, “Okay. I’ll try.”
“That’s all I’m asking for,” Shot reassured, a smile returning to her lips. A warmth ran through her body at the feeling of comfort. Her eyes smiled with her mouth at the sensation. She forced herself up onto her feet after a beat of silence, letting her hand slip from Wrecker’s. The heat immediately left her fingers the second they parted from his. The medic quickly brushed this off.
“You up for a round of Faami’nosk?”
Wrecker followed her as she stood, a wide grin spreading across his lips at her suggestion, “You’re on.”
Notes: I named the tile game they have on the ship because I could not for the life of me find it on any wiki. So it is now called Faami'nosk because it kind of sounds like dominoes. Anyway, live laugh love this moment of expressed trust between them! Hopefully nothing bad happens! :D
Calling All Skeletons | Chapter 11: Heart to Heart
Notes: Well I'm back for a bit. A lot of life caught up to me, but back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Word count: ~3k
Banner by:@/blackseafoam
It’d only been two days since the job on Canto Bight. Since Shot saw Rhysio for the first time in five years. Since she told Echo and Wrecker everything. She wasn’t the same medic they had met previously, more paranoid and on edge. Quieter. Shot was already a quiet person, but getting her to engage in conversation seemed to be a harder task. Well, harder for most of the crew.
Late nights were Shot’s most vulnerable hours. Those hours consisting of Echo sympathizing with Shot or Wrecker offering a distraction or ear. It wasn’t unusual for Echo to stay up, but it was completely unlike Wrecker. The past few nights became alarmingly long between Wrecker and Shot, but that was for one main reason. Headaches.
This night didn’t start much differently than the past two.
A yawn falling from his mouth, Echo stood up from his seat, “I’m turning in for the night.” He pointed his scomp-link toward Shot as he raised a brow, “You need to try those sleeping aids I mentioned. Not sleeping is making everything worse.”
Shot glanced up with a faint smile, “I know… But talking with you two helps. More than I like to admit.” Her eyes slid over to look at Wrecker for a brief moment before going back to Echo as she leaned back into her chair, tilting her head up to fully face him, “I’ll give it a go tonight. I will.”
“Good,” Echo lowered his arm as his lips slightly curved into a smile, “Glad we can help.” He started to turn to head to a bunk as he spoke, “See you both in the morning.”
“G’ night, Echo,” Wrecker called out after him before turning his attention to Shot, giving her a subtle smirk, “What was that about us helpin’?”
Shot’s eyes darted back to Wrecker at his words, quickly jolting away as she breathed out a chuckle, “Ah, well.” She looked to the floor with thin lips that quickly shaped into the smallest smile as she spoke, “It feels good to laugh again. To openly cry.” Her eyes lifted to find Wrecker, “To have people I can trust. As much as my mind wants to fight it, my heart wants to believe that I can finally relax… Even with a maniac searching the galaxy for me.”
Wrecker’s smirk faded into a softer smile, more sincere as he took in each and every one of her words. The second her eyes locked with his, he couldn’t help but feel the heat reach his cheeks. She trusted him. She wants to trust him. She’d been through so much, yet was still trying with him. His heart pounded loudly in his chest at the thought of the impact he and Echo had on Shot. “Yeah,” He breathed out, his eyes flickering across her face as if trying to determine if he was in a dream or not. His gaze fell from her face and went to her helmet on the ground.
Good soldiers…
A sharp pang pulsed through his head, digging into the same spot as always. He clenched his jaw as he grabbed his head, groaning loudly while squeezing his eyes shut.
Follow orders…
The medic’s eyebrows turned up in concern. She rose to her feet as a frown found her face, “Wrecker-”
“Shot,” He painfully growled out to her desperately, “Med patch.”
“I’m on it,” She reached into her neighboring pack and started to fish for a bacta patch. While doing so, Wrecker’s eyes peaked open and stared through his brows. He could feel the anger within him brewing. The violence trying to course through him. The more he fought, the more it throbbed and rang through his head. Luckily, Shot didn’t waste much time looking as she turned to the large clone and immediately went to work.
“Easy, I’ve got you,” the medic soothed in a hushed voice. Wrecker’s hand shook as he pulled it away from his head, as if his muscles were fighting against him. The cool touch of the patch pressed against his head and Wrecker immediately felt a wave of relief wash over him. Turning his palms up, Wrecker stared down at his hands almost fearfully.
Shot’s eyes studied Wrecker’s body language. Hesitantly, she kneeled down in front of him and placed her hands on his as her head tilted up to find his eyes. Those weren’t the same happy eyes she’d come to know. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t…” He started, struggling to come up with the words as his eyes trailed up to meet hers, “I dunno… Somethin’ doesn’t feel right in my head.”
The medic tilted her head while deepening her frown at his words. “Doesn’t feel right how? Let me help you,” Shot inquired further, almost pleading with him.
Wrecker glanced away from her pitifully. “What if I hurt somebody?” He muttered out, his eyes darting back to Shot, “The chip… What if mine was just late?” His fingers started to wrap around her hands, barely squeezing them as he stared at her in desperation.
Shot turned her gaze to their hands, not being able to stop her own from twitching at his touch but forcing them to relax. Her eyes glided up to his as she spoke, “I don’t know. I wish I could tell you the answer.” She took a deep breath in and out through her nose before she clicked her tongue, continuing on, “But I can tell you what I believe. I don’t think you could hurt any one of us on this ship. Your heart is too big, Wrecker.”
His grip loosened as she spoke, the familiar thump in his chest returning as his expression softened significantly. “Yeah, but,” His eyes found the ground between them, “I thought Crosshair wouldn’t hurt us-”
“You are nothing like Crosshair,” Shot quickly interrupted, leaning in closer to Wrecker to force his eyes on her face, “Wrecker, you actually care about other people. I may not have known the Crosshair you trained and fought with, but he couldn’t have been that different… You don’t betray your family, I don’t think you would.” It wasn’t until his eyes met hers when she continued spewing reassurances, “You are not him. You’re stronger than him, and I don’t mean just physically. Don’t compare yourself to him.”
Wrecker swallowed deeply as he stared and listened to Shot, eyes locked with hers. After a few seconds of silence and staring, Shot pushed herself off the ground while using Wrecker’s hands for leverage. She slipped her hands away from him, turning her gaze away from Wrecker as she took a seat in her chair from before. Wrecker couldn’t stop his heart from racing yet aching as her hands left his. Not only that, but her eloquence and care in her words struck a chord within him. His mind started to race with every detail he retained about her past: her pain, her heartache, her betrayal, her whole life and body was taken from her. Yet, she’s still here putting herself in last place. His tears and feelings were getting harder to hold back by the second.
“I don’t know how anyone could ever hurt you,” He barely whispered out to Shot. He sat up a little straighter, his soft teary gaze still locked onto the medic.
Her eyes flickered back to the large clone, a unsure glint in her stare before she looked away with a frown. “That’s what happens when you’re an ignorant kid,” Shot answered under her breath.
“No,” Wrecker disagreed, shaking his head as he leaned in closer to her, “You’re so nice. You care about other people. You put everyone else before you… I can’t… I don’t know how he could’ve done those horrible things to someone like you.” His gaze dropped with his own frown, his hands rubbing together anxiously before he could make himself meet her eyes again, “You don’t deserve to ever have that happen to you. Never again.”
It was Shot’s turn to stare and listen. She chewed the inside of her lip, trying to ignore the sting reaching her eyes from a mixture of tears and exhaustion. Sniffling, she grabbed the box of tiles sitting at the side and placed it atop the sleeping Gonky. “One more round before bed?” Shot shakily asked with a weary smile curling her lips.
“Shot, I meant what I said,” Wrecker gently reassured as he scooted to the edge of his seat. “And I promise to make sure you never hurt like that again,” He vowed to her, his voice gentle yet stern. He needed her to hear him.
“Wrecker…” Shot barely whispered out, her smile starting to droop with her quivering lips. She divided the tiles up, swallowing before she started to speak while her hands moved the pieces, “Thank you… It’s just- It’s difficult for me to uh… Fully believe that.” Her hands went to her lap as her glossy eyes found Wrecker, “It’s nothing against you-“
“I know,” Wrecker interrupted, lifting his hand up to tell her to stop as he continued, “I just wanted to…” His hand went to his neck, a shy smile curling his lips, “I wanted to let you know how great you are. And how much I appreciate you.” He pointed at her with a cheerier expression, “Especially after all those times you helped me! Consider it a tradeoff.”
Shot’s expression immediately softened at his tone and words. She started to shush him with a grin, her eyes darting to the back of the Marauder where everyone else slept before landing back on Wrecker. “Deal,” She whispered, a quiet chuckle escaping from her mouth as she rubbed her eye both of sleep and tears.
That’s what he was reaching for. Her smile. Her laugh. He couldn’t stand to see her upset, but being able to be the one to make her smile in those darkest moments meant everything to Wrecker. With his own smile widening and blush spreading to his cheeks, he let out a low laugh, “Alright. How about that last round then? You gonna beat me again?”
“You know it, Wreck,” Shot sassed to him with a mild smirk, eyeing the tiles laid before them. “Maybe you should go first. To give you a chance at winning,” She suggested as her eyes tilted up to meet his. They shined. Not brightly, but there was a glimmer of life in them for the first time in days.
“Hah! Sure thing, Shot,” He agreed without argument, setting up his tiles and looking between them all with squinted eyes. His finger tapped against his lips as he pondered on his first move. As he picked up a tile and placed it down, he let out a wide yawn as he sat taller to stretch his back. He shook his head with a grumble, blinking the sleep from his eyes.
Shot glanced up from the tile Wrecker placed down to eye his condition. She frowned, “You don’t have to stay up with me if you’re tired. I can manage on my own.” She looked at her own tiles and placed one of them by the clone’s without much thought put into the play.
Wrecker scrunched his brows at her before shifting back into a softer grin. “Nah, I’m fine. I’m stayin’ up because I want to, not because I don’t think you can take care of yourself,” He reassured, staring directly at Shot with a certain tenderness. He watched her eyes move up to meet his, grin widening at the sight before going back to his tiles to ponder his next move.
Her eyes remained locked on him in a bit of confusion. She couldn’t understand it. His reason for being so nice to her. His reason to show kindness. Why?… The sound of his tile clicking on the board snapped Shot out of her mind. She blinked with a sudden jolt in her posture, her eyes going back down to the game with tense shoulders. Is this a repeat? He can’t be serious-
“Shot? You’re starin’ off funny again,” Wrecker pointed out, one of his hands starting to reach out over the game.
Sucking in a breath of air, Shot’s gaze turned to Wrecker as she raised her hand to stop his, “I’m fine. Really.” She picked up one of her tiles and placed it on the board, gnawing the inside of her cheek as she debated her next words. “Wrecker, you barely know me,” She started with hesitance, “And your kindness is appreciated… But you aren’t doing it for a reason, right?”
Wrecker tilted his head to the side, dropping his hands in his lap as he asked, “What do you mean by that?”
Shot opened her mouth to speak more before closing it to consider her words. “Like, you aren’t… You don’t expect something more from me,” She tried to explain, her hands squeezing together as her fingers started to twitch, “Be honest. I don’t want to mislead you and I… I want to believe you’re just trying to be my friend. Please tell me my thoughts opposing that idea are wrong.”
It hurt to hear it from her mouth. And though he hadn’t known her for long, Wrecker felt the guilt and disappointment hit his heart within seconds. He wanted to follow his heart, not make her uncomfortable. Not prove his brothers right. He cleared his throat and followed with a deep swallow, giving Shot a sad smile as he spoke, “I’m just tryin’ to be your friend, Shot. No funny business, I promise you.”
Her shoulders rolled back in relief with a sigh following. “Thank the stars,” She muttered out. Maybe it was the exhaustion clouding her mind or the desperation to trust someone, but Shot didn’t pick up any deception on his words. The fact that it wasn’t a complete lie also weighed her beliefs.
Wrecker gave a short nod at her before his eyes went to his tiles. It was hard to decide a move. She not only blocked most of his playable options, but also shut down any sort of advances he had the chance to make. And he felt worse about having any kind of thought like that. One of his hands clenched into a fist as he continued to ponder his tiles, his thumb rubbing against his finger creating a small sound of friction.
Shot leaned back in her chair as she looked at Wrecker. She felt so much tension finally release in her mind and throughout her body. All she wanted was a friend. All she wanted was to be heard. And she finally found that in someone, let alone that someone being a man. Her head tilted against the chair as her gaze softened at Wrecker.
Her eyes shined with his reflection.
As Wrecker placed his tile down he felt a small weight on his foot. His eyes shifted down to see Shot’s foot pressed into his before trailing up to see her head back against the chair. Eyes starting to flutter close. This was the usual end to their games. Never a warning when she finally relaxed enough to sleep.
“Thank you,” She airily muttered out.
He couldn’t help the smile that reached his lips seeing her so relaxed and content. “For what?”
“Being a friend,” She barely whispered as her eyes finally shut, “Being you…”
Wrecker, despite his disappointment, let his hands unclench as the rest of his body relaxed. “Yeah,” He started, leaning back and shutting his eyes with a mutter, “Anything for you, Shot…”
The ship fell silent in a matter of seconds.
Morning rolled around some hours later, leading to Hunter and Tech standing at the entrance of the cockpit. Hunter stood with crossed arms, furrowed brows, and lips scrunched into a slight frown. Tech looked between the two sleeping in the chairs and then to Hunter.
“Besides them being in the way of our navigation controls,” Tech pointed out before continuing with a more inquisitive yet knowing tone, “Is there something more bothering you about… them?”
Hunter glanced at Tech with a defeated sigh, his eyebrows relaxing before his stare went back onto Wrecker and Shot. “I don’t want… I don’t want him to get hurt.”
Tech raised a brow, “And that’s all?-”
“We’re not getting into this right now,” Hunter quickly dismissed, brows tensing again as he turned towards the opening hatch.
Omega bounded over after climbing down from the gunner’s mount, “Getting into what?”
“Nothing. Don’t worry about it, kid,” Hunter assured with a pat on Omega’s shoulder before heading out of the Marauder.
Just before she stepped after Hunter, Omega looked back at the two still sleeping in the cockpit. “Shouldn’t we wake them up?” She asked, tilting her head up at the approaching Echo.
“Eh, they’ll be up soon,” He said, turning Omega to the hatch and guiding her outside, Tech following after them while typing away into his datapad.
With no time to waste, Omega turned her attention to Tech with a puzzled stare. “What was Hunter talking about a second ago?”
Tech glanced past his datapad down at Omega with his usual stare, glancing to Echo and then back to Omega as he started to speak, “That would not be a question I should answer, but it is not anything important that you would need to know. We will relay the topic to you when it is necessary.” His gaze went back to his datapad as he continued with the slightest shrug, “It is not particularly interesting in my opinion.”
Omega’s face scrunched in thought at the lack of details given to her. She looked over at Echo, about to ask him further about her question before he interrupted.
“Don’t rope me into this. Ask Hunter yourself if you want an answer.”
“Good thinking,” Omega approved before running up towards Hunter, now bombarding him with her curiosity.
Echo sighed, putting his hand over his face.
Without missing a beat, Tech replied, “You will be hearing from Hunter later.”
“I know, I know.”
Notes: Me when I scheme and things are in my brain. Anyways, see y'all next time when I decided to do the most devastating thing that I can do to Shot and Wrecker lmao
Omega probably makes a ton of credits by running a Space-Lemonade Stand outside the Havoc Marauder for while all of the Bad Batch's Girlfriend OC's come around
Calling All Skeletons | Chapter 10: Wandering Eyes
Notes: OOF this one is a tough one. Shot lore dump incoming...
BIG TRIGGER WARNING: Some sensitive topics regarding abuse, scars, death, and violence are involved. You've been warned.
Word count: ~4.4k
Banner by:@/blackseafoam
“This brooch better be worth our time.”
Grumbling with arms crossed, Shot sat beside Wrecker at his right in the airspeeder with Echo directly across from them. Wrecker had his arms draped out on the back of the seat, letting out his own separate complaint, “I’m hungry. Is the food any good?” He rolled his head over to face Shot with a small inquiring grin.
“Well,” Shot started, scrunching her brows in thought while chewing on the inside of her lip. She glanced up at Wrecker with a shrug, “I don’t remember the taste, but I do remember the portion sizes being too small.”
It was Wrecker’s turn to groan, hanging his head in defeat, “I thought rich people ate like kings.”
Shot breathed a short laugh through her nose, “You would think.”
Wrecker’s eyes slowly glanced back at the medic at the sound of her subtle laugh. He couldn’t get it out of his head. It wasn’t until Shot broke eye contact when he finally picked his head up and looked out the window to his left. Echo just shook his head at the interaction. He was glad to be wearing a mask, because his face would be talking for him if he didn’t.
The speeder soon came to a stop, their cue to get the show on the road. “Remember the plan. As long as you two keep up the act, I can get the data with Tech and we can leave,” Echo firmly reminded as he stood up from his seat, taking the lead as the door to the speeder opened up. Shot sent him a casual salute before putting on her face. A soft smile paired with innocent eyes.
After Echo stepped out, Wrecker sucked in a deep breath as he followed him out with a smile. He turned and reached a hand out for Shot. Her hand slipped into his like a glove before she crawled out of the speeder after him. The look in her eyes wasn’t her. She stared longingly up at Wrecker as she looped her arm with his. He knew she was putting on an act, but that didn’t stop Wrecker’s heart from nearly leaping out of his chest. They stepped together toward the entrance of the casino, Shot keeping her face up as she spoke just above a whisper, “Let me do the talking until we get inside.”
The bouncer, a gruff yet well-dressed human man, stood before the door with datapad in hand. The medic simply hummed as they approached, “Vixain. Mari and Wyll.”
With a glance at the datapad and then to Echo, the bouncer grunted, “What kinda droid is that?” He looked over at Wrecker, completely disregarding Shot.
“Oh, uh,” Wrecker started to fumble on his word, sweating as he looked for an answer. “He’s a, uh, military-grade attack droid that I, um, reprogrammed into a servant droid.”
“Really?” The bouncer raised a brow.
Shot let out an uncharacteristic giggle, “Oh, yes! Wyll made him just for me! Right, Wyll?” She tilted her head up to him with the slightest twitch in her eye behind her facade.
Wrecker could feel a chill shoot up his spine at Shot’s stare as he stood up a little straighter, turning his attention back to the bouncer, “That’s right! Anything to keep the wife happy and safe.”
“…Impressive. Sorry to hold you two up,” The bouncer looked back to his datapad without a second thought, “Enjoy your night.”
Stepping through the door and letting it shut behind them, Shot pinched Wrecker’s bicep with her hand looped with his arm before continuing further into the venue.
“Ow!” He yelped, his other hand rubbing over both her hand and where she pinched him, “What was that for?”
“I told you to stay quiet. Doesn’t matter now, but you almost screwed us over,” Shot muttered through her teeth as they continued into the crowd.
Echo trailed close behind them as he took a scan over the crowd and tables, ignoring their bickering and manners at this point. A lot of credits, expensive outfits, credits, and tall glasses filled with sparkling liquids floated among the sea of wealth and greed. Shot similarly scanned the room, her eyes focusing on a hallway as she looked over her shoulder at Echo in a hushed voice, “Down that hallway should be a way to one of the offices. There should also be a backdoor if you need to let anyone in.”
She parted from Wrecker, taking his hand into hers as she fully turned to Echo with a haughty laugh, “Be a dear and grab me drink. You know how I like them.”
“Yes, madam,” Echo complied in a robotic tone, playing along with the bit as he marched away toward the suggested hallway.
Wrecker wanted to argue with the medic, but he couldn’t bring himself to. He was out of his element and she was oh so elegant. The way his eyes shined at her presence said a million words for him that she could never hear. Shot’s eyes eventually wandered up to his face as she grinned, “You said you were hungry, right?”
“Oh, yeah. Right. I’m starved,” He fumbled a bit on his words before remembering the low growl in his stomach.
“Then let's grab some food. Might as well make the most out of this,” She suggested with a gentle tug of his hand, nodding her head toward the table of food docked at a nearby wall.
A wide smile snuck back onto Wrecker’s lips, “Lead the way.”
Shot turned on her heel, slipping through the crowd and tables as best as she could with Wrecker in tow. She kept a close eye on the people she passed for any sight of the brooch in question. The only description she was given by Chirike was silver with a large green gem in the center. Such a vague explanation for something supposedly cherished and missed. Rolling her eyes at the thought, Shot put her annoyances to the side as they got to the table with her eyes continuing to scan the crowd.
Taking a look at the selection on the table, Wrecker’s smile soon turned into a frown. Small portions of already smaller cut and diced foods. He groaned, picking up a barely seasoned cracker and popping it into his mouth. “Ugh, we need to get out of here.”
“You’re telling me,” Shot quipped, her eyes wandering for a bit longer until she stopped with a sigh of defeat. Her paused search made her hand register the warm hold Wrecker’s hand had on it. Her eyes wandered down to their hands before trailing up to his face to find his eyes on her, his lips in a slight pout. She retracted her hand with a short awkward chuckle as she rubbed away the feeling on her hand, turning her gaze away with a huff of air through her nose.
Without question, Wrecker let Shot’s hand slip from his, but it didn’t stop his own hand from starting to follow hers as it left. He put on his own awkward grin as he pushed his hand into his pocket with eyes darting away from Shot.
“This is going terribly.” A shared thought that lingered on the minds of the false couple for opposite reasons.
That was until a green glimmer caught the medic’s eye. Her eyes shot over to the color and she saw it. The silver brooch with a large green gem shimmering on the bosom of a blue Twi’lek woman. Shot elbowed Wrecker with a hushed voice, “There it is.”
“Huh? Oh,” Wrecker blinked from his thoughts, first looking at Shot then following her eyes to see the brooch in question, “Ah, yeah… Now what?”
“Act like we love each other and go talk to her,” Shot casually explained as she faced Wrecker with a thinly scrunched smile.
Wrecker’s eyes found her face again, taking in each feature before starting to speak with upturned brows, “Do you really want to do this?”
Shot’s features softened at his tone. A glint of light somewhat returned to her eyes after being gone for so long. Her eyes found the floor with a sigh, “It’s complicated.” She hesitated, her eyes shifting on the floor before finding Wrecker’s stare, “We can pull this off. I want to try and get us the extra credits. I just…” She placed a hand on the back of her neck as her stare moved to a figure far behind Wrecker, her eyes widening in an instant.
No…
The shine in her eyes dissipated as a familiar distant laugh flooded her ears. His blonde hair was the same. His eyes still piercing blue. His smile still as deceiving as ever…
Shot stood stiffly. Her hand shook as she let it fall from her neck. It wasn’t until the man from across the room locked eyes with her when she realized she had been holding her breath, which she hastily blew out as she hid her face with Wrecker’s figure. “We need to leave,” Her voice shook out as her hand hovered over her thigh, her blaster strapped to it but hidden behind the fabric of her dress.
Watching the sudden change in Shot’s demeanor, Wrecker felt a pit form in her stomach. He looked over his right shoulder to see a blonde human man moving toward them. He turned his head back to Shot and the fear in her eyes was enough for him to pull out his comm and start ushering her in Echo’s direction, “How much longer on the data?”
Echo commed in, “At least another ten minutes. What happened?”
“Got a guy following us,” Wrecker relayed before tucking his comm device away. He looked over Shot with concern, “Who is he?” The medic didn’t say a word. Her shoulders were stiff as they rounded the corner into the hallway. Not sure if she heard him, Wrecker reached out and placed a hand onto her shoulder.
“Don’t touch me!” She gasped, fully turning her body to the large clone. Her eyes darted sporadically over his face before looking to the floor.
“Shot…” Wrecker started, retracting his hand with a frown, “What’s-”
“Shot? So that’s what they’re calling you now?”
Wrecker turned to face the voice behind them, standing directly in front of Shot with brows furrowed, “What’s it to you?”
The man smirked, his scarred eye barely twitching as he pocketed his hands, “Oh, she hasn’t told you? That’s unlike you, my dear.”
“I-I’m not yours,” Shot stuttered out, blaster in hand now. She moved out from behind Wrecker with it shakily aimed at the man.
“She doesn’t have to tell me,” Wrecker rolled his shoulders back with a growl.
A sad sigh pushed out of the blonde’s lips, his mouth forming a pout as his eyebrows furrowed. His shadowy eyes stared almost lovingly at Shot as he began to speak, “Don’t you know how long I’ve been looking for you? I’ve missed you so much… You have to come home.”
Shot’s hands shook with more emotion. Her eyes flooded with fear as they glossed with tears. A lump formed in the back of her throat, her lips quivering.
“She’s not going with you,” Wrecker stepped forward between Shot and the stranger, his arm extended in front of her, “She obviously doesn’t want you around.”
With narrowed eyes, the stranger tilted his head up to face Wrecker, “What? You her new boy toy? She’ll leave you too.” A wide smirk spread across his lips.
“Rhysio!” A woman called out. A blue Twi’lek woman rounded the corner and came upon the scene with wide eyes. She ran up to the blonde man’s side, hugging onto him, “Rhysio, who are these people?!”
Shot’s eyes wandered over to the woman, a pang of guilt coursing through her veins. “Get away from him,” She warned, lowering her blaster as she reached her hand out to the woman, “He’s tricking you, you need to run!”
The Twi’lek scrunched her brows, “What are you talking about? He’s the sweetest guy I’ve ever-”
“He’s lying to you! Listen to me!” Shot shouted out, trying to get through.
Rhysio chuckled lowly at the sight, glancing at the woman connected to him, “She’s right.” He pulled out his own blaster and held it to her head, his eyes finding Shot’s, as he-
“No!-”
Pulled the trigger. Many of the patrons started to shout and scream at the sound.
Wrecker didn’t waste any time after this to grab Rhysio’s blaster and toss it away with a shout. The sudden brute force caught Rhysio off guard as he was suddenly thrown full force into a nearby wall.
The medic fell to the ground beside the Twi’lek woman, her eyes wide and stomach twisting into knots. She’s gone… She looked down to the woman’s chest to see the main objective. The silver brooch with a green gem. “I’m so sorry,” Shot whispered out to her, tears beginning to fall from her eyes.
“Shot, we’ve gotta go,” Wrecker voiced, kneeling beside her with sad eyes, “I dunno how long he’ll be out for.”
Shot sobbed out quietly before forcing her hand to wipe away her dripping mascara, “It’s all my fault.” She shakily sniffled as she looked to Wrecker, “I can’t take that from her.”
Wrecker placed a hand on her back as his eyes found the woman’s brooch. His eyes found Shot’s as he offered a hand to her, “We won’t then, but we’ve gotta go.” With reluctance, Shot took his hand and they both rose to their feet.
Echo rushed out of the neighboring room and stared at the scene for a split second before running up to the two, “I’ve got the data and I commed Tech for a pick-up.” His eyes wandered to the woman on the ground, noticing the brooch, “Isn’t that-”
“Not worth it,” Shot stressed as she took one last glance at Rhysio, noticing him stirring, “Let’s go.” She turned towards the opposite end of the hallway with a deep breath out as she started her run down.
Brows furrowed as he followed after Shot, Echo eyed Wrecker, “What happened?” Wrecker opened his mouth to say something, but the words wouldn’t come out. His brain was still trying to process everything. There was so much he didn’t know about the medic. A lot to unpack, and he didn’t want her to feel trapped within it all.
Before Shot could reach the door, she was stopped suddenly in her tracks with a cough. She grabbed at her neck where her cape began to choke her. With a look over her shoulder, she could see a bruised Rhysio grabbing onto it.
“You can’t leave me again, Mylaira!” He yelled out at her in desperation.
Shot quickly unclasped her cape to keep running to the door being held open by Echo. Once she was outside, Wrecker stood between the door and Rhysio as he cracked his knuckles. He rolled his neck with a deep chuckle, his eyes narrowing as he glared at the smaller man, “You’re gonna have to go through me if you want her.”
Rhysio scoffed from a distance, “Yeah? Well you’re gonna have to deal with me later on then. That’s my girl.”
Wrecker growled, “She isn’t yours.”
“She isn’t yours either,” Rhysio snipped one last time before turning on his heel to walk away.
Wrecker huffed out through his nose before following Echo and Shot outside to meet at the rendezvous point.As they ran, he couldn’t help but notice the medic’s exposed back. The sight of it made all the color of his face drain.
Her skin color was barely visible among the dozens of scars, burns, and scratches along her back. The scars are all shades of white and pink, creating a rough texture of abrasions. Each scar looked meticulously carved into her body with some creator-like circles embedded into her skin. Dozens of hearts had to have been branded into her skin with knives and cigarettes. The middle of her back looked like a warzone. He couldn’t tell where one scar ended and the other one began. Once they stopped running, Wrecker could make out initials carved into her left shoulder. RV.
Without a second thought, Wrecker pulled off his coat and draped it on Shot’s shoulders. She tensed at the feeling, her hands shooting up to grab onto the jacket after a split second of realization. Shot turned to him with scared wide eyes. His face was enough for her to know that he saw everything.
“Did he do that to you?” Wrecker questioned in a low voice, scanning over Shot’s face.
Echo looked between the two with furrowed brows until Shot’s expression registered. He saw that look of fear in her eyes before. His eyes shifted over to Wrecker, “Easy… She needs a second.” He turned to Shot again as he stepped closer, “Take a second to breathe. We’re right here with you.”
Shot’s eyes welled with tears at first Wrecker’s question, then Echo’s comfort caused them to spill. The tears rolled down her cheeks as she choked out a sob, her head hanging low. Her shoulders shook with her cries as she collapsed into Wrecker.
Wrecker’s eyes widened as he stared down at the medic in his chest. He swallowed deeply before hesitantly wrapping his arms around her, unsure of how she would react. His hand rubbed circles against her back as they waited for the Marauder. Echo reached out and put his hand on Shot’s shoulder, swiping his thumb across it as he looked up at Wrecker. He shook his head with a look that the large clone remembers well. Those late nights that Wrecker spent comforting and befriending Echo were all coming back to him.
The whir of the Marauder approaching made Shot force herself off of Wrecker. She used her arm and hand to wipe away her tears and snot with a sniffle. “I… Let’s talk after I change,” She croaked out, inhaling a quick breath of air between her words to catch her breath. Her eyes found Echo before looking to the ground, “I’m sorry-”
“No, don’t worry about it,” Echo interrupted as he pulled his hand from her, “Take your time. We’ll talk when you’re ready.”
Wrecker’s lips curved up into a pitiful smile, “Yeah. We’re here for ya, Shot.”
Shot glanced up at them through the corners of her eyes. The fear lingered in the air, but it mixed with a feeling of trust. As the Marauder lowered with the hatch opened, Hunter stood at the top with arms crossed as he watched everyone climb in. He side-eyed the medic as she walked past before putting his hand on Wrecker’s chest to stop him.
“What’d you do?”
“Me? I didn’t do anything!” Wrecker defended with his hands up.
Hunter’s stare immediately went to Echo.
“Hunter, he’s telling the truth,” He started, looking back at Shot walking into the refresher before facing Hunter again, “She… Has some issues. We’re gonna talk to her.”
“Yeah…” Wrecker rubbed the back of his neck as his eyes looked to the floor, “We ran into a guy who knows her. It wasn’t good…”
Just looking at his brothers’ faces and hearing their words was enough to make Hunter back off a little. “Did anyone get hurt? Did we get the data?”
Echo pulled out the data spike from his pack and handed it to Hunter, “We’re fine and the data is fine. We couldn’t get the brooch.”
“That’s fine,” Hunter took the spike from Echo, glancing to the back of the Marauder and back to the two before him, “Talk to her. She won’t talk to me.”
Wrecker and Echo each gave him a single nod before finding their own seats by the central console to wait on Shot.
It took about thirty minutes, but Shot eventually emerged from the refresher in just her blacks with her hair tied back in its usual bun. Face was wiped clean of makeup and her armor was scattered in her corner of the ship next to the weapons rack. She stepped over to Wrecker and Echo with bloodshot puffy eyes. As she lifted her head to look at them, it was clear that the light in her eyes had faded away. “… I’m sorry that you had to see that,” Shot muttered out with a deep breath out.
Wrecker, back in his blacks and armor, turned in his chair to face the medic. He frowned at her words and the overall loss of emotion in her face, “You have nothin’ to say sorry for.” He stood up from his seat and stepped to the side, gesturing for the medic to take it.
Shot eyed the chair for a moment before reluctantly walking over and taking a seat. Her hands sat atop her knees as she stared at the floor.
Echo studied her face before starting to speak, “Shot, you don’t have to-”
“I do,” She interrupted, lifting her head to look between the clones, “It’s time that I told someone…” Her hands gripped the black fabric clinging to her body. Her fingers slightly twitched, but she chose to ignore it as she swallowed deeply. “That man is Rhysio Vane… He… I used to date him,” She started, blowing a long string of air out after to collect her words, “He, um… Wasn’t a great guy. Locked me up for about two years of my life…”
Wrecker knelt at her side, his hand resting on the side of her chair as he stared up at her in concern. Her words panged deep within him even if they weren’t specific. Noticing the shake in her posture, he tilted his head to get more into her view as he spoke, “Take your time, Shot… We’re right here.”
Shot glanced down at Wrecker with glossy eyes. She looked to the ground as she hesitantly continued, “I lost myself… My dignity…” Her eyes wandered back to Wrecker as she chewed the inside of her lip, debating if she should keep talking before ultimately speaking in a hushed teary voice, “He did do that… Everything on my back is from him. I-I can’t… Feel anything there anymore…” She choked back a sob, squeezing her lips in her hand to keep them from quivering.
Grimacing, Echo looked away from Shot with a hint of anger lingering. The fact that she went through all of that because of one man disgusted him. He thought he had it bad, but the emotional layer to Shot’s story made him feel worse.
Not being able to help himself anymore, Wrecker reached his hand out to place against Shot’s bicep. She first flinched away, her eyes darting to his hand then to his face before relaxing. The large clone rubbed his thumb against her arm as his own eyes watered with tears. His heart flooded with emotions for the medic.
Taking a shaky breath in, Shot found the floor again, “I don’t know how I escaped. Don’t know how I stayed off his radar… I… I wouldn’t be standing here today if I hadn’t gotten away…” A single tear rolled down her cheek, “I would rather die than go back to him…”
“He will never take you,” Wrecker firmly stated, his grip barely tightening as he ducked his head lower to lock eyes with Shot, “I won’t let that happen. We won’t let that happen.”
Echo faced Shot with a nod at Wrecker’s words, “We’ve got your back. You don’t have to face this alone anymore.”
Shot breathed out shakily as she glanced at Wrecker and then to Echo. She sniffled, “He’s why I can’t sleep.”
A devastated sigh fell from Echo’s mouth, leaning onto his knees towards Shot, “I thought so… Why… Why didn’t you tell anyone?”
“I didn’t want to remember,” She whispered, her exhausted eyes finding the ground, “I didn’t want him to find me… He found me.” Shot’s eyes found Wrecker, fear glazing over them again as she gripped onto his arm with her free hand, “I-I didn’t mean to put the heat on us-”
“Shot,” Wrecker interrupted with heavy emotion, his other hand rushing over her grip, “We promised to help and protect you. This changes nothin’.” His gaze went over to Echo briefly as he spoke, “I’ll make sure of it. We’re friends, remember? Friends look out for each other.” His eyes searched into hers for any sign of comfort and validation.
Shot’s eyes softened at his words with tears slipping, her lips curling into a thin line as her grip loosened. “Yeah,” She breathed, “We’re friends, Wrecker.”
“Then you’ve got nothin’ to worry about,” He reassured, rubbing her arms slowly as he spoke before trailing his hands down to her elbows as he pulled them away. “How can I help you relax? You deserve it.”
The medic stared down at Wrecker before glancing up to see Hunter’s eyes peering from the cockpit. She quickly glanced back down to Wrecker with a sniff, “Can we play a game?”
Wrecker gave her a smile as he stood up, “Yeah, of course. I’ll get it set up.” He turned to see Hunter standing and watching. He shook his head at him as he moved into the cockpit to gather the game tiles and Gonky.
Echo took this chance to get up as well, stepping in front of Shot and extending a hand to her shoulder. He watched her flinch and relax the same as before. “I’m sorry you went through that. You know who to talk to if you need any help… processing,” He offered with a lopsided smile. Shot simply nodded in response while lifting her head to face Echo, giving him a sad grin as thanks before he stepped away.
Her lips fell into a frown as she stared forward. Waiting. Her eyes focused once Omega came into her view. The girl’s furrowed brows and concern etched into her face made Shot sit up a little straighter. She sent a similar smile from before in her direction, watching Omega respond with her own unsure smile before turning back into the cockpit.
Shot exhaled deeply with eyes pointed to the ground. It stung. It hurt to stay awake. What other choice did she have? Her chest tightened at the thought of the nightmares that plagued her mind. The living nightmare she wanted to forget.
He’s out there. And he’s out to take her back.
Notes: I wasn't kidding when I said lore dump. GUH I LOVE MY SAD LADY! Anyways, hope y'all enjoyed that. I'll be back with next chapter when I can lol
