Whumpril - Tumblr Posts

Whumpril Day 1: Destress Signal/Panic Attack

Fandom: Star Wars The Bad Batch

Note: this story may not make much sense if you haven't seen episode 14 of season 2.

Summary: What would have happened if Tech checked their old comm lines earlier?

  Tech checked the batch's old comm line sometimes. There was never anything on it. He looked because just maybe Crosshair would reach out to them, not caring what he said. This time when he turned the comm on and checked there was something. Almost immediately Tech played the message.

    "Plan 88, you have to hide. They're after Om-"

    "Plan 88?" Tech whispered. As he was about to play the message again he realized it was still playing. The sound of a door closing and then a hissing noise could be heard. That was it.

    Tech listened to the message over and over. Anxiety crept in and he started to lose control of his breathing. Crosshair didn't try to get them to help him nor did he bother to give them his location. The man sounded week. Not only that catching the last part of the message meant that they wanted one of them. The O made him believe it was Omega.

    The clone moved from the chair he sat in the floor and against the wall, holding the comm in front of him. Tech's breathing got worse. Air moved swiftly through his lungs as he listened again. Tears began welling in his eyes and he pulled his knees up to his chest.

He felt sick, his heart ponded, and he started to feel dizzy.

    Tech threw the comm across the room. When he heard it hit the ground his mind attacked his body harder. What if he broke it? They needed to find Crosshair. Despite the man's current condition he attempted to stand. Failing he fell back to the ground.

    With tears filling his googles he hastily pulled them off and stopped himself from throwing them as well. Placing them beside himself he lifted his hands up to his face. Tech knew how to deal with panic attacks, he had helped his brothers many times and had calmed himself down before. This time was different, this time he just couldn't.

    Alone in that dark room Tech fought to think clearly. How could he help Crosshair if he was stuck in this room? The walls felt like they were closing in and his hands felt tingly.

    Phee had been instructed to check on Tech. What she didn't expect was to hear sobbing when she got close to the room he occupied. Rushing in she kneeled in front of him. "Brown eyes?" He looked up. "I'm going to need you to breathe, okay?"

    "I" he stifled, "I can't."

    "I know it's hard but you have too. Breathe with me."

    When nothing changed in his behavior Phee called for Hunter. "Honey please you have to breathe. We can work through this."

    When Hunter got the call he dropped everything and ran to the Marauder. When he would arrive Tech was breathing a little earlier. It had been a while since he had seen his brother like this. He didn't miss it. The scene in front of him always broke his heart. "I'm here. What's going on Tech?"

    "He just keeps trying to say something about some Crosshair, Omega, and a plan."

    Hunter nodded then switched places with Phee. She wanted, more than anything, to be able to help Tech but right now he needed his brother. "I got you. Breathe okay. Tell me what's going on once you're able to."

    The two would sit there for another few minutes before Tech could really think clearly again. Tears still fell from his eyes but his breathing was under control now and he felt less ill.

    Finally Tech could explain. "We need to find Crosshair. I checked our old comm channel and found a distress signal from not too long ago." Getting up he went to check on the comm. A sigh of relief escaped his mouth as he realized it was still in one piece. After that he played the message for the other two.

    The three talked then went to find the rest of the batch. Echo would arrive soon after and once handed the information to decode the puzzle was completed. Crosshair was on Mount Tantus. Now they just had to go get him.

@whumpril

Whumpril Day 2: Stress/"Get Some Rest."

Fandom: Star Wars The Bad Batch

Note: This story contains heavy spoilers for season two, episode 16 (Plan 99). The story will make a lot more sense if you have seen the episode.

Summary: When Wrecker gets captured it's up to Hunter to find his brother. After all he's the only one who can.

  It had been a few days since Wrecker had gotten captured. Hunter was waiting for Echo to get to Padu. Of course he could just get Tech to help as he layed in the bottom of the chasm on Eriadu. Omega was captured and so was Crosshair. He was alone this time. It was up to him to figure out where Wrecker was and how to get him back.

    Now Hunter stood alone in the Marauder. He started pacing back and forth, wondering where the imperials might have taken his brother. The clone had already had Echo to have one of his contacts check Coruscant's databases.  Nothing.

    Hunter's pacing got quicker. "Haar'chak!" He slammed his hands on a nearby table. Letting his head fall he sighed. This was his fault. How could that squad leader fail so miserably? It was his job to protect them after all.

    Two rotations went by and Phee decided to go see Hunter. She was doing her best to help the batch cope while also coping herself. "Hey Hunter" she greeted.

    "Hello Phee." Hunter sounded tired. Not just tired but exhausted. His appearance betrayed him as he appeared tired as well.

    "Have you gotten any sleep?"

    The clone stayed silent.

    "Get some rest."

    "No. I have to find them Phee. I can't lose them all. I need to find them."

    "You're not going to find them like this."

    Hunter knew she was right but still argued, "I will. I don't have the time to rest. I need to find them. It's my response to keep them safe."

    "That was in the war. Hunter you're not their leader anymore, you're their brother. Right now the best thing you can do is get some rest and continue trying later."

    "Phee you don't understand-"

    "Maybe I don't, but I do know you can't do anything for them until you take care of yourself." Phee sighed, "rest please."

    The two kept arguing until adventaly Phee got him to agree to sleep. She took the datapad from him and sent him to his room. After that she sat down in Tech's chair and started to scroll down the information. Hunter needed his rest but that didn't mean she couldn't look while he was asleep. Those clones had made their way into her heart and Phee would be damned if anything else happened to the others. She couldn't do anything for her love so maybe she could help the others.

@whumpril

Haar'chak: Damn it in Mando'a

Whumpril Day 3: Rope Burn/"Hold Still."

Fandom: Sta Wars The Bad Batch

Note: Spoilers for season 2 episode 16. This story will make more sense if you have watched it.

Summary: The remaining members of the batch go on a mission on a mountain. Wrecker ends up on a ledge below the other two.

  Tech had insisted that the Bad Batch kept rope on board the Marauder. At first they never understood why. Their cables should be enough right?

    Now Wrecker stood on a tiny, week ledge. They had lost the cables earlier during their mission. Echo had gotten the other two to help with rebel missions while they searched for Omega and Crosshair. The Rebels may be able to aid in finding them and they needed the help.

    The rope had been tried around Wrecker's waist so he couldn't fall. As the ridge started to crumble Hunter prepared to pull him up. However the rocks gave way before any of them excepted them to and Wrecker was dangling.

    Rope slid quickly through Hunter's hands. "Echo!"

    Echo slid in and grabbed the rope and dug his feet into the edge of the ledge the other two stood on. "Hold on Wrecker! Don't look down!"

    "I don't plan on it!" Wrecker responded. The two started to pull Wrecker up. Echo noted that hits of red appeared on the light tan of the rope.

    Hunter was so focused on saving Wrecker that he didn't hear the cracking of their own ledge until it was too late. Now all three fell. They landed on a another part of the mountain below them.

    Hunter woke up first. He sat up slowly and quickly moved over to Wrecker. He was closer to him. The leader assessed the other's injuries and then moved to check on Echo.

    When Echo woke up the first thing he saw was the sky. The blue that previously filled the canvas was painted over by black. The white dots of light looked beautiful. Then the pain from the fall hit him.

    Hunter came into view. The cyborg tried to sit up but was pushed softly back to the ground. "Hold still."

    Hold still? Why did he need to hold still? What was wrong? "What's going on?" Asked Echo.

    "You're alright. Just stay still." A shard of rock rested in the man's side. Unsure if Echo would panic Hunter reframed from telling him. He grabbed some bandages and started to wrap the rock in place. Taking it out right now was a terrible idea. None of them knew what to do for this kind of injury. Tech typically handled this stuff.

     Echo held still. He hated every second of it. "How's Wrecker?"

    "He's alright."

    "And how are you?" It was the first time Echo had finally really looked to see if Hunter was okay. Blood had flowed from some injury on his head. The crimson liquid mixed with hair and made in stick to the side of his face. His eyes and face relayed the message that he was in pain, even if Hunter's voice hid it well.

    "I'm fine." 

    As Hunter finished attending to Echo's injuries he heard Wrecker stir. Once finished he walked back over to Wrecker and asked if he needed anything. He responded with "no" and sat up.

    Hunter sat between the two and finally looked at his own injuries. Looking at his hands he understood why treating his brothers wounds hurt so much. The man's hands had been torn up by the rope; his thin, cloth gloves tattered. Moving them hurt more than he realized. Luckily other then his head the clone had no other major injuries. The brothers stayed the night on the ledge.

    In the morning Wrecker would take Echo back to the Marauder and meet Hunter back at the ridge they rested on with medical supplies and a rag. Gently the large man cleaned his brothers face off and got some of the blood out of his hair. After that, despite Hunter's protest, he would clean and wrap his hands.

    The men finished the mission in spite of their condition. In the back of all of their heads stabbed the question of why they survived the fall while Tech never stood a chance. It was a shorter way down and they all knew it but I just didn't seem fair.

    Back on the Marauder that three set off with a new piece of information for the Rebels and for themselves. Now they were one step closer to finding Omega and Crosshair.

   @whumpril

Whumpril Day 4: Needle

Fandom: Star Wars The Bad Batch

Warning: Medical trauma

Summary: Echo goes to the doctor and it doesn't go well.

    Echo hated going to medical centers. He wouldn't have gone if Rex hadn't made him. As soon as he stepped foot in the doctor's office he was already panicking. No one could go with him. The clone thought of reaching out to the batch to see if one of them could go but it felt so silly to do so. Why would he waste their time like that? What if they thought differently of him? Trying to shake the thoughts from his head Echo sat down. He was called back not soon after.

    Stepping inside the white room sent a chill up his metal spine. He felt his chest tighten. It looked so different from the room he was experimented on in but felt so similar. The doctor was nice enough which put his mind at ease a little.

    Then she said that he needed his blood drawn for some test and he froze. Just the word test frightened him. Drawing blood required a needle. Echo never liked to admit it but he was scared of them.

    The movement from the doctor opening a draw for the materials needed made Echo jump. "Are you okay?" She asked softly.

    "Ye..yeah." he stuttered.

    The doctor turned around and introduced him to roll his sleeve up. Hesitantly he complied. She tied an electric band around his arm then rubbed an antiseptic on the part she needed to.

    As soon as Echo saw the needle panic overtook his mind. Thinking looking away would help he did. Then he felt the needle pierce his skin.

    Before his mind had a chance to react his body did. Echo jumped back, pulling his arm towards him. This jammed the needle further into his arm. Blood flowed from the injury. He stood and cornered himself by accident.

    "Not again, not again" Echo whispered.

    "What do you mean Echo?" The doctor asked.

    He didn't respond. Instead he pulled the needle out of his arm with his teeth. The needle landed on the floor and the noise, though not very loud, was terrifying. The experiment had heard it many times.

    Echo's mind was flooded with memories from Skako Minor. He didn't have many but the ones he did he could feel. The needles and scalpels stabbed at him all over again. Sinking to the floor Echo forgot where he was. He was safe in a doctor's office with a woman who had given him no reason not to trust her.

    The doctor kneeled down and tried to comfort him. "It's okay" she spoke kindly. "You're safe." The women talked to him until he was able to relax a little.

    "How about we schedule a time to do those tests? That way you can prepare, yeah?"

    "That sounds.. okay. I apologize for earlier."

    "It's okay. I completely understand. Trauma is not something that's easy to get over. I'll do whatever I can to make you comfortable next time."

    "Thank you."

    Echo decided he would get in contact with Wrecker and ask him to come with him next time. It may not be the best idea but he could hold Echo down. Wrecker agreed quickly even though he wasn't fond of the idea of holding him down like that. Wouldn't that just be worse? The appointment would be in a week. They would just have to see how it goes.

@whumpril

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 6: Bad Coping Mechanisms

Fandom: Star Wars The Bad Batch

Warnings: Self harm and slight mentions of suicide.

Summary: Hunter had to find a way to deal with the war.

Finding ways to deal with the war was hard. Wrecker joked or talked about it, Echo walked around or read reg manuals until he felt better, Tech distracted himself with research projects or with tinkering, and Crosshair trained. Hunter however wasn't sure how to deal with the pressure.

After a long and brutal battle the clone found himself sitting alone on the Marauder. Angry at himself Hunter pulled one of his vibro-knifes and stabbed it into the ground. It didn't make him feel any better.

With tears in his eyes he started into the knife. When the idea came to his head the anger in his heart took over and he set down the weapon to remove his left lower arm armor. Quickly it was removed and the blade was right back in his hand.

Almost without hesitation Hunter dragged the knife across his inner arm. The long wound hurt but most of the stress and memories that had been drowning him disappeared.

He stared at the blade and sighed. The pain calmed him in a disturbing way and suddenly Hunter knew how to deal with the war. It was self destructive but at least it could keep him alive.

Over time scars grew. No one could see as the soldier tore himself apart. Armor and long sleeves hid the marks. Hunter chose to get up earlier to change so no one could learn.

The man knew that harming himself was unhealthy but the Kaminoans never taught them how to cope, they had to find their own ways. Unfortunately the thing that kept Hunter alive was actively destroying him.

Small and large cuts littered Hunter's arms, stomach, thighs, and lower legs. No where on his body was safe from himself. Sure the armor and tight blacks hurt when they rubbed the wounds but it almost helped keep him calm.

As the clone walked into the shower the water stung all the open wounds. He winced and looked down at his body. That's when he decided he'd stop after the war. What Hunter didn't realize was that it wasn't his choice anymore. The addition would be something he'd have to fight as hard as he fought the droids that threatened his life. The war he had unleashed while just trying to survive would be a long and hard one. The scars of his decision would forever rest on his body.

When the war ended Hunter fought against the urge at first but as things got worse, gave up, deciding that once things got better he would stop. There was this overwhelming feeling in the man's stomach that this cycle would continue, that he would stop when he was dead. However a bad coping mechanism was better than being dead, right?

Hiding the scars and fresh cuts were harder. The batch was constantly around him and there was no war to blame sore spots on anymore, no battle to fall back on. They no longer had a fixed time to wake up so Hunter couldn't just plan to get up and dressed before the others.

Hunter knew the batch would find out eventually. He feared that day. Injuries on missions that he couldn't just brush off would cause the truth of all the small movements he made away from their touch. One day Hunter would stop punishing himself to stay alive. Today unfortunately would not be the day.

@whumpril

Whumpril Day 7: Words That Can't be Taken Back. (Alt prompt 12)

Fandom: Star Wars The Clone Wars/Prequels

Summary: Anakin and Obi-wan get into an argument and Anakin says something he'll regret.

    "Sometimes I wish you were killed by Maul instead of Qui-gon! Maybe then I could have had a good teacher!" Anakin angrily yelled at his brother.

    Obi-wan just stood there, unsure of what to say. Words mustered after a moment, "me too." With that the man started walking away.

    "Obi-wan, wait! I didn't" Anakin started to follow after his brother, "I didn't mean."

    Rex walked into the room the two had been arguing in, "what's going on, general?"

    Anakin sighed and turned to face Rex, "I said something I should have. I didn't even mean it I'm just angry." He walked over to the commander, "should I follow him?"

    "Sir, I don't know General Kenobi well enough to know what he's gonna need. What did you say?"

    Anakin explained their argument and waited for Rex to reply. The clone had heard stories like this before. He knew good ways to handle angry words. "Does he have a place that he goes when he's upset?"

    "Yeah, the tree in the temple garden."

    "Then go there. Anakin, you really fucked up this time."

    "Yeah, I know that Rex" annoyance slipped through his voice and he turned to leave, "wish me luck."

    Rex didn't say anything. Obi-wan had every right to be upset. What Anakin said was unforgivable, no matter how angry he was.

    Anakin was right. Obi-wan sat at the stump of the old tree. Most of the time he would be meditating but this time he sat with his legs laid out and his back against the tree. The man was quietly talking to himself.

    "Obi-wan" Anakin started, "I'm sorry."

    "Thank you."

    "I'm glad you're here." The boy moved next to his master and sat down with him. "You've been a great master, a great brother. I know you're doing your best and that I can't always be an easy person to deal with. Thank you Obi-wan. I know that doesn't make what I said any better but I just needed you to know I didn't mean it."

   Obi-wan just stared at him. He'd never heard something like that from Anakin before. He sounded genuine and he understood that the knight didn't mean anything he'd said but words like that dig into a person's heart and stay like parasites, they cause deep wounds that can never be seen on the outside and scar all the same. Time was needed to heal any wound.

    "Thank you Anakin. Please be careful with your words, they can hurt. Make sure to never let anger drive you."

    "Got it. Now, what did you mean by 'me to'?"

    Now Obi-wan was left with his own words to deal with. "It's" he paused, "hard to be the one who survives sometimes."

    "I understand." The two talked for a little while before agreeing they would be okay.

    "Words can be weapons. They stab into hearts the same way knives can, they burn into people's skin and stay there. Reminders of the things that have been said can hurt just as much as physical injuries; sometimes worse. You must be careful with what you say." That's what Qui-gon used to say. Getting up to leave Obi-wan looked back at the tree. It looks like he still has parts of his teaching to instill in his padawan.

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

Whumpril Day 9: Held Down/Bruises/"Who Did This To You?"

Fandom: Star Wars The Bad Batch

Warning: Violence

Summary: A story of how the regs treated Tech when they were younger.

Tech stared at the reg that held him to the floor. The floor was cold and hard and the reg was harsh and judgmental. The fight that had broken out wasn't long but wasn't short. Tech's googles laid broken on the ground. Blood spilled from his split lip and nose. The regs hands were bloody from the landing blows he had given the other.

Grabbing Tech's head, he shoved it into the ground. Tech struggled to get out from underneath the clone. His body was in so much pain. Friends of the reg watched and laughed. The struggle continued as the clone beat his 'brother'.

Thinking of what to do next Tech moved to the side slightly which surprised his attacker. Despite his condition, Tech moved out from underneath the clone and stood. One of the other boys grabbed him and had him pinned to the wall almost immediately after he stood.

Tech breathed heavily and waited to figure out his next move. The regs were stronger than him. They would have to leave him alone eventually so for now he gave up and let them tear him apart. Fighting felt useless. He would just have to deal with the injuries given to him.

Once the regs had had their fun they let him go. Tech slid down the wall they never let him leave and stayed there until he felt safe to get up. He stood and grabbed his googles. Looking down at them there was a small crack in the glass. He sighed and started to walk back to his barracks.

Back in the barracks, Tech started to take care of his injuries. He stood up and walked over to the table that some bandages rested on. Then Crosshair walked in. "Tech?" He walked over to his brother. Going to grab a bandaid he brushed his brother's arm. Tech flinched and moved back slightly.

Crosshair stopped and took a look at the other. "Who did this to you?" he sneered.

"Some regs."

"Well no shit. Do you know which ones?"

"I do."

"Well then who did this to you?" Crosshair started to raise his voice.

"No. You will fight them."

"Tech, tell me who did this to you?"

"No, you will fight them. I do not want you to fight them."

"Fine, I won't fight them. Now who the fuck did this to you?" The frustration took control of his vocal cords and the boy yelled at Tech.

Tech flinched at the noise. He pulled his arms slightly upwards, "I'm sorry!" He yelped, panicked.

"Fuck" Crosshair whispered. He hadn't meant to scare him. "Fine. Don't tell me."

Tech relaxed and looked at his brother, "I'm sorry. I know you won't hurt me. That was a response to the attack from earlier."

"It's fine."

Later the two would meet with their other two batch mates for training. When asked what happened Tech simply explained that some of the other cadets had beaten him up. He said that he didn't want to talk about it and luckily neither Wrecker nor Hunter pressed.

The tight blacks and armor rubbed against his skin, hitting every bruise. It hurt to move, it hurt to breathe; but Tech had to ignore the pain for the sake of training in the same way he would ignore it for the sake of a mission. The bruises stung as reminders that he wasn't strong enough. How could he be a soldier if his supposed comrades hated him? And for what; because he was different?

The batch never failed a training exercise and this one would be no expectation. The pain from moving around so much caused Tech to almost collapse at the door on the way out. Wrecker tried to help him up but the pressure on the bruises hurt more than standing.

Back in the barracks, Tech laid down on his bunk and tried to get some rest. Laying on his back startled the boy so he laid on his side. He would heal but for now the fear of the regs was to stay. The batch watched him closer; not that he'd ever know. Tech was an easy target, he wasn't the strongest and he didn't always understand what was going on until too late. They loved their brother dearly and hated to see people using his differences to pick at him.

Whumpril Day 10: "I'm Scared."

Fandom: Star Wars The Bad Batch

Warning: Major character death

Summary: Tech and Omega are sent off to find their target for the mission. Things don't go well.

  When the batch took this mission, they knew it was dangerous. Echo had hated to ask them but the rebels needed this mission to succeed and his brothers and sister would be perfect for it. It didn't take much convincing before they agreed. After being informed they were rescuing a youngling they knew they had to.

    The mission started off smoothly. Of course it couldn't stay that way. Quickly the batch found themselves running and trying to hide. They had to survive to find the youngling after all.

    "Tech, Omega, go find the kid. Wrecker, Echo, and I will cause a diversion. Let us know when you have the youngling and we'll meet back up on the Marauder." With that they split.

    Tech knew where everything in the facility should be. He had studied the interior before they got there. The halls all looked the same but they made their way to the cell block the child was held in.

    Just as the two entered the block some stormtroopers turned the corner. Both turned around to fire. Tech focused on the troopers. Then he heard a yelp and a body hit the floor. He looked over to where his sister had been standing and realized it was her.

    Without thought, Tech quickly moved her off to the side and finished off the bucket heads. Rushing back over to her he kneeled by her side to assess her injuries. "Omega?"

    "Tech? Tech, I'm scared."

    I'm scared. The words rang through Tech's head. He knew Omega had been scared before but she never told them. The kid had walked through hell without showing her fear. She was brave and it showed. Hearing her admit to being afraid made his heart sink. "You will be fine."

    "I'm scared" she whispered. Faint crying was all that could be heard in the hall. Everything else was dead silent. It was as if time had stopped. Perhaps it had.

    "I know. I am.. also afraid" Tech admitted. "It is okay to be scared. I promise we will be okay. I'll take care of you."

    Looking at the injury, Tech knew he didn't have much time. He was surprised the shot hadn't killed her on impact.

    "Tech, I don't wanna go." Omega shook.

    "You will be alright Omega." Tech reached into one of his pouches and pulled a bacta patch out as well as some bandages. The hallway wasn't the best place to tend to the wound; it was dirty and troopers could be there any minute but there was nowhere else to move.

    He turned back to face the little girl in front of him. "Omega?" Tech spoke softly. Placing the medical supplies next to him, he reached his hand out and placed it against her neck. It felt like his own heart stopped beating. Know he knew time had stopped. He would never be the same after this moment.

    "Omega?" Tech's voice cracked. He started CPR on her. Only a few seconds later stormtroopers would enter the hall again. Tech shot them down and grabbed Omega's body. He ran to the cell the youngling was held and opened it. "Hello. I'm here to help you." Then Tech looked at the youngling. The report was wrong, the child was a padawan; a padawan he knew well.

   "Tech?" Caleb asked.

    "Hello. Now come on, we need to leave."

    Caleb looked at him for a minute before stepping closer to him. "Can I trust you?"

    "Yes, you can."

    "Who is the girl?"

    "Omega, my sister."

    "You have a sister?"

    "Yes. That is not important right now."

    Caleb walked outside of the cell. Tech grabbed him and handed him his lightsaber. "Is she okay?" Caleb asked.

    "No."

    After informing Hunter that he had found the padawan, the two ran to the Marauder. On the way they ran into more stormtroopers. Cornered Tech looked over at Caleb. He was shaking. "Are you alright?"

    "I'm scared." The boy's voice mixed with the dead girl's. Tech's head was playing tricks on him.

    "You will be fine." He may not have been able to save Omega but he wouldn't fail Caleb, not this time. Placing Omega's body beside him he looked around the corner and put together a plan to take them out. Crosshair would have been proud of the shots he made to end their lives.

    Caleb looked down at Omega's body. He realized that the girl was his age. Then he realized that she was dead. Startled he jumped back and looked over at Tech. He had finished off the soldiers and turned to pick her back up. "I'm sorry about Omega."

    Tech said nothing. The two made it back to the Marauder without any other problems. The other three were already there.

    On the ship Tech walked right past his brothers and laid Omega down on her bed. He rested the blanket over her growing cold body. Grabbing Lula the clone walked to face his brothers.

    When he walked out with Lula they knew she was gone. Tech handed the tooka doll to his brother and walked to the cockpit to pilot the ship. Caleb tried to help the family with their loss.

    Nothing would ever be the same. Tech felt trapped in that moment. For him time stopped and just couldn't start again. When someone was scared he became extremely protective over them, swearing no one would die scared under his watch. He would join Echo in the fight against the empire for that very reason. It would be a long fight and a hard one but so would healing.

@whumpril

Whumpril Day 11: Nightmares/"I'm right here."

Fandom: Star Wars The Bad Batch

Warning: Character death

Summary: Hunter has a pretty scary nightmare. Hope someone wakes him up.

 Walking through the cell block Hunter searched for his daughter and brother. They were supposed to be here but he just couldn't find them. All he had left was Crosshair and her. Wrecker and Echo had been killed earlier by stormtroopers.

    Finding Crosshair's cell, Hunter opened it. "Crosshair, let's go." Crosshair didn't move. "Cross, get up." Hunter walked over and shook his brother. After shaking him for a moment he realized the man was freezing. He grabbed Crosshair's face and looked into his cold, dead eyes.

    Startled Hunter jumped back. "Haar'chak!"

    From there the leader hesitantly left Crosshair's body there. He ran until he found where Omega was being held. He skidded to a stop and turned to the door. Sliding the access card on the door, it opened. "Hunter?" The girl asked.

    "Yeah kid, it's me." Hunter fell to his knees and Omega ran up to him for a hug. "are you hurt?" He wrapped his arms around her.

    "No."

    "Let's get you out of here."

    The two exited the cell. On the way back to the Marauder an eerie voice spoke from behind them. "And where do you think you're going Omega?"

    The two turned around to see Hemlock. "Home!" She yelled.

    "Home? I don't think so." With that the scientist raised his blaster and shot the girl. Hunter hadn't seen it until it was too late. His gun had already been pointed at the other so he pulled the trigger. Hemlock fell to the ground.

    Hunter kneeled down beside his little girl. His world stopped turning. She was gone. Everyone was gone. He was alone. What now? Where does he go from here? What does he do? First the clone needed to get off of Wayland.

    Grabbing Omega he started to run. It felt like that was all that he did. The world went dark and Omega was gone.

    In some dark void the words Hemlock had said to him back on Ord Mantell ran in his ears. "Who knew clones were so paternal? Fascinating."

    "Stop." Hunter looked around. "This isn't real."

    "I'm afraid this is all I could salvage. Consider it a gift."

    Broken googles clattered at his feet. Quickly Hunter picked them up and held them close to him. "You're not real." He whispered.

    "To lose one of your own-"

    "stop it." Hunter started to run. It was better than being stuck listening to the conversation he played over and over in his head.

    "Must weigh heavily on you as their leader."

    "Of course it does! They were put under my control and I failed them!"

    "There is no time Wrecker."

    "No. No not again." Hunter stopped running. He collapsed to the 'ground'. He placed his legs under him and pulled his hands up to his head.

    "Plan 99."

    "Tech I'm sorry."

    Tech's sigh sent a chill down Hunter's spine. "When have we ever followed orders?" The clone mouthed along with the words.

    "I'm sorry. God I'm sorry." Hunter whispered. The memories started to mix. It started to overwhelm the clone. He could only take so much of this. "Stop it, stop it." Tears started to trickle down his face. He caught them in his hands. "Stop it!"

    Hunter started to hear a familiar voice, "Hunter? Hunter wake up."

    "Good soldiers follow orders."

    "No." Hunter sat up quickly. Air moved swiftly in and out of his lungs. Tears fell from his eyes.

    "Hunter, are you okay?" Echo looked at his brother, concerned.

    Hunter didn't acknowledge Echo. He's breathing stayed the same. Looking down the man wasn't aware that his brother was there.

    "I'm right here. Talk to me." Echo rested his hand on Hunter's shoulder.

    'im right here.' The room was no longer dark. Hunter realized now that he was awake. This wasn't part of his nightmare and Echo was sitting in front of him. The tears didn't stop.

    "I'm right here." The older of the two opened his arms and waited.

    Hunter leaned into his brother. The two stayed like that until the sargent stopped crying. When asked to talk about the dream, he refused. Maybe one day these nightmares would leave him alone, maybe not. Only time could tell. At least he had Echo to wake him up.

Whumpril: Day 12

Fandom: The Owl House

Summary: What happens with Hunter after Hollow Mind.

    Hunter ran. Belos would be looking for him now. After everything he just learned there was no way that his uncle would leave a loose end like him alive. Flapjack flew after him. Tears ran down the grimwalker's face. He couldn't really see where he was going.

    The boy knew his creator was a terrible person, but he thought it was in the best interest of the isles. Hunter never would have thought that he was trying to kill everyone.

    Hunter was a clone of Philips brother.  He was made to blindly serve by his side and to eventually die, realizing the peace he had worked for his whole life, that everything he had gone through, would be for nothing. The cruel man had killed every other grimwalker and Hunter would be no exception. 

    Flapjack finally caught up to his owner and started tweeting loudly. Hunter stopped to catch his breath. Behind him Darius grabbed him.

    "No! Get off from me!" Hunter kicked and screamed. The sheer amount of fear in the boy's voice broke the coven head's heart. "Get off from me!"

    "Kid! It's me!" Darius let go of the guard.

    Tears ran down Hunter's face. Flapjack's staff appeared in his hands. "Get away from me!"

    Darius threw his hands into the air. "Alright."

    Eberwolf and Raine emerged from the forest. Hunter swiftly turned towards them, "stay there!" Both stopped.

    "Kid, we aren't going to hurt you." Hunter turned his attention back to Darius. "We aren't here by Belos's order."

    After a moment Hunter put down his staff. He walked over to his father. Darius reached his arms out to comfort him. The kid grabbed him and sank to the ground.

    Raine and Eberwolf stayed near the edge of the forest in case any coven scouts came to look for Hunter.

    Darius, though not very fond of being on the dirty ground, stayed there as long as Hunter needed him to. The two talked very little about what happened. Then Hunter had to go. The two went their ways. Hunter went to Hexside and Darius returned to the castle. They would just have to see what happened next.

Whumpril Day 13: Burry Vision/"I Think I Need to Sit Down."

Fandom: Star Wars The Clone Wars.

Summary: Obi-wan gets wounded by Grievous. Cody's in there to just wait till closer to the end.

    Blood poured from Obi-wan's head. He had been slammed into a nearby wall by General Grievous. The Jedi stood back up swiftly and pushed off the wall. He swung his lightsaber towards his foe.

    As the fight continued Obi-wan's strikes became less coordinated. His vision started to blur. The nearby blaster fire mixed with the color of Grievous's blue lightsabers. It confused him. Using the force to find where the blades would be coming from, Kenobi looked for a way out. He had two goals now, don't let any more of the men be killed by Grievous and survive.

    The 212th had the upper hand in the fight. The main issue was Obi-wan's injury. He hoped to stick it out until Grievous would eventually retreat. Blinking he tried to get rid of the blurriness.

    A few minutes felt like an hour and Grievous was gone. "This isn't over Kenobi" he spoke calmly and angrily.

    "Of course it's not" he whispered. Obi-wan wanted to come up with something to say but his splitting headache made it difficult to think.

    Obi-wan stumbled around the area, trying not trip over droids and over his men's bodies. A shot from behind startled him. Turing around, lightsaber drawn, he heard a voice. "Obi-wan!"

     He saw the white and he saw the orange meaning the voice had to be a member of the 212th. Which member he wasn't sure at first.

    A new droid laid on the ground behind him. The clone jumped over it and ran up to his jedi. "Are you alright?" A hand carefully touched the man's upper arm and Obi-wan knew who it was.

    "Yes, I'm alright. Thank you dear."

    "Don't thank me; thank Wooly. 

    Obi-wan looked around, trying to find Wooly. "Thank you."

    "That's not Wooly."

    "Oh. Where is he?"

    "I'm right here General. Anytime."

    Obi-wan took a few shaky steps forward. Cody held his arms out just in case he needed to catch the other.

    The Jedi stopped for a second. " I think I need to sit down"  His legs gave out from underneath him. Cody slid and caught him.

    "Wooly." Cody sounded scared. Woolly moved in and grabbed the general and took him to the triage. His wound would be taken care of there.

    Later Obi-wan would wake up. His head throbbed but at least he could see clearly. Looking around he tried to find his commander.

    After a little while Cody would appear to check on his lover. "Hey dear" he kneeled down to Obi-wan, "how are you feeling?"

    "Better. That was a good catch."

    "Thanks. I've gotta go but I figured I should check on you."

    "Go on." Cody nodded and left.

    Obi-wan could deal with a concussion. Cody would get him up every hour, even though he told him it wasn't necessary. 

    Tears welled in his eyes as he thought of the memory of his lovers kindness. The sandy planet of Tatooien was lonely. His vision blurred and he sighed knowing, even if he was never supposed to have it, he would never have it again. Cody was gone, not dead, but gone. He was forever out of reach. There was no one to help him, no one to dry his tears and there never would be again.

Whumpril Day 14: Holding back tears/"I said I'm fine."

Fandom: Star Wars The Clone Wars

Notes: Bear with me. I hate dialogue. Also no beta reader we die like Mayday.

Mando'a used: Cyara: Love. Vod: Sibling

Summary: An unwanted visitor comes to the planet the 212th is on. After being separated from the others Cody and Obi-wan talk.

Obi-wan knew something was wrong when his commander and him had been separated from the others. What was worse was Darth Maul's looming presence. He wanted, more than anything, to keep his soldiers safe. Unfortunately the sith would have other plans.

    Cody followed Obi-wan closely. They had gotten lost before, got separated from the others before. Why this time was so different, he didn't know. Obi-wan wasn't outwardly panicked but the man saw right through him. Cody tried to assure him that everything was going to be fine but he didn't seem convinced.

It felt like the two were wandering around aimlessly. Time passed and suddenly Obi-wan felt a disturbance in the force. Fear. Fear was followed by pain and death. It was familiar as in war it practically surrounded him.

Tears started to gather in his eyes. Once more Obi-wan had failed to protect the people he cared about. He failed to protect them over and over. Qui-gon, Satine, all the innocents that got caught in the crossover were gone and maybe if he had been stronger he could have saved them.

Obi-wan's pace started to quicken; not that he hadn't already been walking quickly. Cody took a few larger steps to get in front of the other. "What's going on?" He demanded. "We've been separated from the battalion before, what's nothing you.?" He came off rather harsh, though it wasn't attended to be that way.

Then he saw the tears that Obi-wan tried to keep from escaping his eyes. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." The Jedi pushed past the clone.

"No you're not. W-"

"I said I'm fine!" For the first time Obi-wan snapped at him. The man stopped walking.

"No you're not." Cody remanded calm. "What's going on? What are you not telling me?"

"Maul" he whispered, "it's Maul. I know I'm not supposed to be, but I'm scared, Cody; I'm scared of him. I can't save them, I've never been able to save them from him." Obi-wan started to walk again. "That doesn't mean I won't try." A few tears crawled their way out of his eyes.

Cody wasn't sure what to say. "Cyara, we'll find them. It'll be okay." Words slowly formed, "it's not your fault."

"He's here to hurt me Cody. Not physically. He already found some of the men."

Cody's fear rose. He loved his vods. "We find Maul. I'm not sure what to do from there but we have to do something." The clone was almost walking faster than Obi-wan now.

"Just try to stay close."

The two would walk to find Maul. Rather it was their last fight together they didn't know. Both were terrified, for the path in front of them was unknown. Whatever it was, they would face it together.

They wouldn't find Maul. The message had been delivered. No where was safe. The commanding officers helped the injured. The Jedi informed the council that someone else would have to be sent to the planet.

Tears would border his eyes once more, not brave enough to move any closer. They would betray him if they moved any closer. The Jedi are supposed to care for everything, but this would be different. His emotion needed to stay known to him and him only.

After the call he still couldn't let the tears fall. Obi-wan's men needed a strong leader. He walked out of the woods to the clearing the soldiers rested in. Now to take care of the aftermath of a man's hatred.

Whumpril Day 15: Isolation

Fandom: Star Wars The Bad Batch

Summary: Echo is captured.

  Isolation scared Echo. Yet he found himself alone in a cell. He had told the batch to leave him and now he had no idea if they would come back for him. The batch didn't leave there own behind. Part of him hoped they would come and most of him hoped they would leave him.

    The room was cold. That was scary on it own but the silence; the deathing silence was terrifying. It was far too quiet and far too much.

    There was no one to talk to, no one to distract him for his problems. Every terrible memory hit him at ones. Blowing up, all his brothers deaths, the experiments, everything.

    Hoping to be tortured was something Echo never thought would cross his mind. The physical pain that would come would be much better than everything that plagued his mind.

    The stillness of it all almost made it feel surreal; like he'd wake up safe on the Marauder. Echo knew that wouldn't happen.

    The clone tried to find something to occupy himself with. "Hello?" he asked. No answer. He sighed. The man was alone again. It drove him crazy, as mad as Fives.

    Echo tried to escape. He walked up to the door and hit it. The electric shock made him take a few steps back. He sighed and sat back down.

    Talking to himself was the only thing Echo could think to do to keep himself sane. He talked as if there were more people with him. Slowly the words formed into something else.

    "Fives, you would love the batch." Now Echo talked to his dead brothers. If they could hear him, Echo didn't know. Then again he didn't really care. Slowly his stories came to an end and he looked around. He was alone. There were no brothers to talk to. He was alone again. 

    Time moved slowly. Echo didn't really know what was going on, where he was, or if anyone would come to save him. There was only one thing he knew, he was alone. He didn't want to be but you don't always get what you want, do you.

Whumpril Day 16: Guilt/"I'm So Sorry."

Fandom: Star Wars The Bad Batch

Warnings: Mentions of death and alcohol, and spoilers for the last episode of TBB

Summary: Wrecker and his thoughts after Tech's death and Omega's capture. Oh and a short conversation with the others.

  Wrecker's mind was plagued with guilt. It wasn't something he could just slide down his throat with alcohol or something he could sleep off. It stayed there. It found the piece of your heart that was missing and used it place as it's home. It used the heart's veins and traveled to the brain to taint every memory it could.

     He couldn't reach Tech. He should have. Tech was gone. He slept at the bottom of the damn cavern on Eriadu and it was Wrecker's fault. He saw him fall. He didn't want to imagine the pain he might have felt. Tech was his brother and now he was a memory.

    Omega was also gone. Her capture could have been prevented. Maybe if he hadn't been so easy to capture, or maybe if Hunter hadn't come back for him, she would be safe.

    It was Wrecker's fault. No matter how hard he thought, he always come to the same conclusion, it was his fault.

    The remaining members of the batch had gone to Padu to plan. Hunter was against it but Echo knew they needed the rest. They would kill themselves if not and that was the last thing they needed.

    They sat around a table with Phee. Hunter held Tech's googles gently. The pirate had already been informed of Tech's death. She tried to help them, she really did, but nothing got though to them.

    "I'm so sorry." Wrecker talked softly.

    The other three looked at each other confused.

    "What are you apologizing for?" Echo asked hesitantly.

    "I should have saved him. You should have left. I'm just, I'm sorry."

    "Wrecker, it's not your fault. I wasn't just going to leave you behind, that's not how things work." 'Most of the time' ran through Hunter's head but he figured that would be better left unsaid.

    "We'll get her back." Phee spoke.

    "That doesn't change the fact that Tech's gone." Wrecker rested his arms on the table.

    "Tech made his decision" Hunter sighed, "he did it for us and we have to live with it. We'll be okay." He held his hand out and rolled all but the pinky into a fist, "I promise."

    Wrecker looked up at the hand and Hunter could have sworn he saw a small smile, "okay." The man took his brother's pinky and they promised.

    Dinner would be quiet. Everything would be kinda quiet with the two main talkers gone.

    Back on the Marauder the guilt slammed into Wrecker yet again. Seeing Tech's bunk empty pulled at his heart. He walked up to Omega's 'room' and grabbed Lula. After that he walked back to Tech's bunk and laid down. He felt safe and under attack all at the same time. Slowly he would drift off to sleep.

Whumpril Day 17: Cry For Help/Self Treatment/"I Can't Do This."

Fandom: Star Wars The Bad Batch

Warnings: Spoilers for the last episode of season two, character injuries.

Note: If you want more from this story I will write it! Don't hesitate to let me know! No beta reader we die like Mayday

Summary: Tech survives the fall and now he's gotta live past just the fall.

    Tech had calculated the chances of surviving the well over 1,000 foot fall. They were less than 1% but he didn't care. There was no time and he needed his family to make it back alive. They all had bright futures ahead of them and they needed to bring Crosshair home. He didn't hesitate to shoot the remainder of the metal connecting the car. Then he fell. It took around 50 seconds.

    Then he woke up. Tech was in agonizing pain but he was alive. He heard voices around him. Then they were gone. The clone felt like he couldn't move. The slightest movement was simply too much pain to bear. However he needed to.

    Attempting to move his right arm he came to the conclusion he couldn't. The man moved his left fingers, then hand, then wrist. Screaming in pain he pushed himself slowly up to lean against the remainder of the rail car. If it had landed on him he would have been unrecognizable.

    Tears flower down his face and cough in lacerations.  The liquid mixed with blood. Tech forced his head up and looked at his body. His left leg was practically destroyed. His right was salvageable. The bones in his salvageable limbs had multiple breaks in them. Tech could already tell there were multiple breaks in his back as well. However they didn't affect his ability to move so none of them affected the spinal cord.

    Looking at his torso he was overwhelmed. It was hard to see through the blood. He was covered in larger and smaller gashes.

'I can't do this.' the thought flashed through his head. 'I can't do this. It's too much.' Tech's breathing was shaky and uneven. His vision was blurry from a mix of his injuries and the lack of his goggles.

    'You have to it. It is possible' the more logical thought took over his mind. Determination had to beat pain, it had to. His head and heart had to battle his body. 'For them.'

    Tech tugged at the top of his right pouch and opened it. His hissed and grabbed the little medical supplies inside. Looking over at the other legs pouch he decided it was worth a try.

    Nothing was usable from that side. All the supplies were demolished. That was the pouch that he kept little items to comfort his family with. A small, soft piece of fabric, as well as a pair of earplugs for Hunter, tooth picks for Crosshair, a small, 3-D puzzle for Wrecker, a pocket sized reg manual for Echo, and a small clone trooper doll for Omega. He also kept three hair ties; all black, just in case some one needed them.

Wrapping the largest and most threatening wound took a large amount of time and energy. By the end of it Tech was exhausted.

The sun was mostly gone at that point. He started to hear voices from somewhere around him. Unsure of what else to do Tech pushed himself to speak. "Help" he whispered, desperately.

No one heard him. "Help" Tech's voice broke as he spoke at his normal speaking level. He tried again and no real sound came out.

"Help!" He screamed. The voices grew closer. With all his strength Tech called out again, "help!"

A tall, blue Twi'lek walked over cautiously followed by a black Wookiee, a teenage, human boy, a; if Tech had to guess clone, and a rather short Rodian.

"Come on, we have to help him." The human child spoke. He walked beside the injured clone and kneeled down, "he'll die if we don't."

The Twi'lek looked over to the clone beside her, "do you recognize him? You look surprised."

"No, but I know someone's gonna be missing him. Grawarr, grab him." The Wookiee walked over and gently picked up Tech. He screamed in pain as he was being picked up. Grawarr hummer softly, as if to apologize.

The six made their way back to the village that was around an hour away. The pain forced tears out of Tech's eyes. He slipped unconscious about ten minutes into the journey. He was safe for now. He would need to heal and then find his way back to them and he wouldn't stop until he did.

@whumpril

Whumpril Day 18: Escape Attempt

Fandom: Star Wars The Clone Wars

Summary: Caleb, two of his men, and Depa are captured. Caleb wants to find a way out.

Caleb paced around the cell. Two of his men, his master and him had been captured. Now he needed to get them out. Thinking of possible escape tactics he sat down in the middle of the room. Maybe a little mediation would help? That's what Depa would tell him to do.

    The child crossed his his legs and closed his eyes. Breathing calmly helped to make him focus. After a moment Caleb got frustrated and stood. He looked at the door. Parts of the wall connected the entrance to the hall. He could hide behind that. The only problem was which side would he need to do this on? If he was wrong his only plan would be foiled.

    "That's what the force is for" he whispered to himself. For a moment he debated just trying to remove the door with the force but a stealth approach would be better.

    Sitting back in the middle of the room, Caleb waited. It wasn't easy but he did it. Time passed and he would stand to the right side of the door. The droids would open it and he would slip right out. While in the movent of leaving he pulled the key card to him.

    Closing it behind them he ran to find his lightsaber. Trying to break the others out without a weapon was stupid. Skidding to a stop Caleb found the door to the room he needed. He hit some buttons and it opened.

    Quickly he grabbed his lightsaber and his masters. He reopened the door and left the room to find his mother and men.

    Caleb slid past the door and fell to the floor. He chuckled to himself and stood up, dusting himself off to feel a little better about his trip up.

    Opening the door with the stolen key card Caleb greeted Dogwood first. "Hey" he said casually.

    "Commander?"

    "Let's get out of here." The two moved through the cellblock and grabbed Blue on their way. Last but not least was Depa's cell.

    Caleb slid the key card into the transmitter. The door opened. Inside Depa laid on her side, injuries scattered across her body. "Mom" Caleb let the truth escape his mouth. He ran to her side. "Are you okay?"

    The women slightly looked towards him. "Caleb?" She whispered.

    "Yeah. Dogwood, grab her. We need to go."

    The four made their way though the facility, grabbing guns for the two clones as they went. Though it went unnoticed Depa slipped unconscious.

    They were already having trouble so when a big group of droids entered the hall Caleb started to think of ways to get the others out, even if it meant he didn't. It didn't take him long to figure out his next move. "Dogwood, Blue, get her out of here! I'll be right behind you!"

    The two men looked at each other then to the boy in front of them. "We aren't gonna leave you here kid!" Blue yelled.

    A door rested open right behind the group. Turning slightly around Caleb faced the others. "You don't have a choice." He said it slowly with hits of sadness in his voice. Pulling his unoccupied arm up he force pushed the others though the door and closed it.

    The three fell to the floor. Depa stirred slightly. Blue stood up quicker than Dogwood. "Kid!" He hit the door. Dogwood stood and grabbed his general gently.

    Fighting through what felt like a fog, Depa opened her eyes. The sight sent fear deep into her heart. As Blue tried to open the door the three watched as  Caleb took his master's saber from hims belt and turned it on. Blue and green light lit up the dark hallway.

    "Blue" Dogwood paused, "we have to go."

    Blue knew he was right. He took one more look at his little commander and turned around. The two men started running through the halls.

    "Caleb, no wait" Depa whispered.

    "I know sir. It's going to be okay." Dogwood comforted her.

    The three escaped. Caleb, now cornered, fought until a bullet hit his right knee. He folded and desired it was time to surrender. The droids listened and took him back to his cell.

    Caleb knew what was waiting now. He already knew torture was inevitable. His future now he wasn't sure, then again he didn't really care. The people who he cared about were safe that's what he wanted. More than the war to end, more than becoming a Jedi Knight or master, more than life itself. All Caleb could do now was wait and see if his sacrifice truly saved them.

Whumpril Day 19: Choking/Muffled Subs/"I'm Worried About You."

Fandom: Star Wars the Clone Wars

Summary: Obi-wan and Dooku battle. It doesn't go well and it takes Obi-wan mental health down.

     Obi-wan and Count Dooku's lightsaber met. They were just about evenly matched. Their fight had been going on for quite some time but Dooku was getting impatient. As their lightsabers moved apart the count decided he was done with the game. He reached his unoccupied hand up and force pushed Obi-wan into the wall behind them.

     The Jedi hit the wall. His feet weren't allowed to touch the ground. Invisible pressure closed around his throat. He couldn't breathe. Responding to the feeling, Obi-wan moved his hands to his throat. Even if he knew it wouldn't help he dug at his neck.

    Looking around Kenobi tried to find a way to escape. His vision started to blur and he felt lightheaded. The man's feet kicked as he tried to find the ground. Tears bordered his eyes. He had felt weak before but never quite like this.

    Obi-wan stopped fighting; he no longer searched for the ground and he let his arms fall to his side. He somewhat hoped that Dooku would release him but other than that his mind was mostly worried about his loved ones. He just hoped they would be okay, that this wouldn't hurt them as deeply as he had been hurt when Qui-gon or Satine had died.

    Dooku didn't let go. He held Obi-wan there. Anakin rounded the corner just as the man gave up and for a brief moment he thought that his brother was gone. Angrily, he attacked the politician. This caused Dooku to drop Kenobi.

    Air flower through his lungs once more. It took a moment before Obi-wan could get control of his breathing again.

    Anakin had taken note that his master was still alive and placed himself protectively between him and Dooku. As the two fought Obi-wan collected himself.

    Around six minutes passed and Obi-wan stood to assist his rescuer. He wasn't completely ready but he wasn't sure he ever would be. Facing your own mortality is scary after all.

    The Jedi forced Dooku to retreat. They reconvened with their men and finished the battle. After a Republic win, they headed back to their star cruisers.

    Kenobi walked into his quarters and placed his lightsaber on his bunk. He walked into the refresher that was connected to his room.

    Obi-wan stared at his reflection. He ran his fingers over the scratches on his neck. Something broke in him. It was like everything came down all at once.

    The man walked back out to his bed. He went to sit on it but missed and landed on the floor. Tears fell from his eyes and he started to cry. His breathing sped up and he pulled his knees towards himself.

    Obi-wan tried to stay quiet. The walls weren't exactly thin but he worried someone might hear.

    It felt like he was suffocating all over again. That feeling of being unable to control your breathing. Even if air moved in and out of his lungs it was far too fast. His sobs slightly echoed in the practically empty room; making everything feel surreal.

    Times passed and Obi-wan laid on the floor. He didn't quite have the will to get up yet. There was a knock on the door and for a moment he debated not answering it. "I'll be right there." Obi-wan's voice still came off shaky

     Cody stood on the other side. "Can I come in?" he asked.

    Obi-wan just nodded. Cody walked Obi-wan to his bed and sat them both down. "What's going on?"

    "Oh, nothing."

    "I'm worried about you."

    "You don't have to do that" Obi-wan's voice failed to hide his stress.

    "Then tell me what's going on." Cody had his ways of getting his general to talk to him.

    "It's nothing you should worry about."

    Cody tenderly placed his hand on Obi-wan's lower thigh, "then why are your eyes all red? You can talk to me."

     "It's not" Obi-wan looked into the others eyes. Instead of trying to reassure his commander it was nothing he just went in to hug him.

    He grabbed at Cody's shoulders, fabric filled his fist. His face rested in the others chest.

    His muffled sobs broke the clone's heart. He wasn't sure how long he would be holding Obi-wan but he didn't care. Cody would sit there until his general stopped crying. Then he would wait until he felt better, even if it took all night. Even if it took the next day, or the next, or tell the end of the war, or even his whole life. He would be there.

@whumpril

Whumpril Day 20: Waiting Room (Alt Prompt 4? 5?)

Fandom: Star Wars The Clone Wars

Summary: Cody gets hurt and Obi-wan just wants him to be okay.

  The waiting room was silent. Obi-wan waited for a nurse or doctor to come and tell him how his commander was. The Jedi was told that Cody had stopped a kidnapping but gotten beaten up and shot in the process. It was just like the clone to protect people. Obi-wan was proud.

    The child was fine. The doctor, with parents permission, had told him that a few hours ago. Cody needed surgery for his injuries.

    It was quiet, far too quiet. The off white walls felt suffocating. The chairs were hard and uncomfortable. Time felt like it stopped. The clock on the wall taunted Obi-wan. Minutes felt like hours and hours felt like days. Nothing else seemed to matter.

    No one else was in the room. Obi-wan couldn't help but think about the people who had been in the room before him. They would've waited the same as him. The pain or relief they felt as the doctor walked in and informed them of how their loved ones were.

    Waiting here in this room was painful. Kenobi was helpless, only able to sit and see if the walls would see another person's life fall apart. The four off white walls had watched hundreds of hearts crumble. As long as lives were lost and those walls stood, they would watch time stop and start for people they never knew the story off. They were unable to provide any comfort to the scared loved ones.

    The general shifted uncomfortably. He leaned back and took a few deep breaths. Everything had to be okay. For now he would sit here; in this waiting room; using it for its intended purpose. Waiting.