Chapter Text
Crosshair scanned the crowd below him. The Bad Batch were tasked with hunting down a Separatist spy, alive, and they finally found him. Hunter and Tech, as the two most conspicuous, had gone in to try to bring him in quietly while Wrecker and Echo waited nearby, ready for trouble. Crosshair was on the roofs to keep a bird’s eye view in case the target fled, which as soon as he caught on to Hunter and Tech’s intentions, he did.
Crosshair watched him burst out of the building, Hunter close behind. Echo moved in to intercept him, but the spy pulled out a small blaster, forcing him to duck into cover. He escaped into the crowds and alleys. Crosshair moved across the rooftops as he tracked him, staying close but out of sight. The spy ducked and weaved through the thick crowd and under stall awnings, but he never lost track of him. This guy was good, but he was better.
“He’s heading north through the market, approaching a lot of alleys.”
Hunter quickly responded. “Good, keep an eye on him, but do not engage. Wait for backup. Echo, stay with Tech. Wrecker, with me.”
Crosshair frowned, but kept his distance. He tracked the man through alleys and crowds, keeping the others updated.
“It appears he is headed towards the landing platforms.” Tech’s voice sounded strained and it was the first time he’d spoken since the spy got away. “He likely has a ship waiting for him.”
Crosshair scowled and picked up the pace, closing in on the spy as he entered emptier streets. “I’m going in.”
“Crosshair, no. Wait for backup.” Hunter ordered.
“You’ll never make it in time. He gets on that ship, he’s gone.”
“We’re close. Wait for us.”
“Actually, Crosshair is correct. At the rate you are travelling, he will be the only one to make it in time to stop the target from escaping.” Tech piped up.
“I’m going in. You want me to have backup, catch up.”
He muted his comm and kept his laser focus on the spy. He swore when he saw the landing platform come into sight, a ship parked on it, ramp lowered. He moved until he was directly above the target, taking out his blaster, set to stun, and firing. The spy ducked and glanced up before diving under an awning for cover, out of sight.
Crosshair swore and climbed quickly down off the roof, heading for the awning. He ducked behind an empty stand when blaster bolts shot out of the alley near the awning. He swore and scanned the area. This placed the spy closer to the platform, but the way there was wide open with nothing to hide behind.
He sat and waited, watching the way to the platform. When the blaster fire stopped, he watched the spy make a break for it. He quickly rose from his hiding spot and followed, firing his blaster. He growled in frustration when the spy once again ducked out of the way and retuned fire.
He ducked and weaved to avoid the shots and channelled Hunter and his vibroblade as he threw his blaster, and in the same movement reached for his Firepuncher. The blaster knocked the spy’s out of his hand, sending them both clattering across the road. The spy spun back toward the platform and sped up, sprinting away.
Still running, Crosshair aimed. He had to be careful, the Firepuncher was a sniper rifle and didn’t have a stun function, spending most of the time out of range for one to be effective. He took a quick shot, hitting his leg. He lowered it and sped up when the target crashed to the ground with a cry.
He reached the spy before he could rise again, pinning him down and swinging the butt of his rifle at his head. He caught the rifle and used the momentum to swing Crosshair around, sending him sprawling to the side, Firepuncher skittering away.
He and the spy rose at the same time, the spy dropping a smoke grenade and taking off. The smoke barely impeded Crosshair, and he took off after him. He was trying to take a side alley to the landing platform rather than taking the main entrance.
Crosshair quickly caught up as they entered the alley, diving and taking out the spy’s legs, sending them both crashing to the ground. The spy rolled over and kicked, hitting him in the face and stunning him momentarily. He took that moment to take off around the next corner.
Crosshair swore and took off after him, ignoring the throbbing in his cheek. The throbbing was nothing when he turned the corner and was met with a metal pipe to the face, sending him crashing to the ground as the world spun. He saw the spy standing over him, broken pipe in hand, and rolled out of the way just in time to avoid a swing to the ribs, wincing at the ringing when it hit the ground.
He got to his feet and blocked another swing, grabbing the pipe and twisting, trying to make the spy lose his grip. However, he spun with it, twisting it out of Crosshair’s grip instead. He used the momentum and swung at the spy as he spun back around, punching him square in the jaw. The spy staggered, and he pushed the advantage. He kicked his chest, but the man stayed stubbornly on his feet, catching himself on the alley wall.
Crosshair lunged forward for another punch, but was stopped by a sharp pain in his chest. He gasped and looked down to see the sharp end of the broken pipe buried in it. He staggered, trying to follow the spy as he took off through the alley, but crashed to his knees. Sharp pain from the fall shot up his legs, and he swayed there gasping for breath before he slumped to the ground.
“Where is he, Tech?”
“Not much further. His tracker indicates that he is in an alley near the landing platform. When you arrive, take a right into the second alley, then follow it left.”
Hunter’s feet pounded along the street, Wrecker close behind. Crosshair had been radio silent since he engaged the target. He should have reported back by now. He and Wrecker had finally broken through the crowds, Wrecker clearing a path for them, people diving out of his way as be barrelled through. Tech and Echo were heading towards the Marauder to prepare to leave after ruckus they’d caused. They may be acting on GAR orders, but the local police didn’t care.
He saw the empty landing platform ahead and swung a hard right into the alley. He heard Wrecker catch himself on the wall behind him as he followed. His felt dread pool in his chest at the smell of blood as they got further into the alley. He almost didn’t want to turn the corner, and when he did, his heart sunk.
Crosshair looked dead lying on his side in a pool of blood.
He heard Wrecker shout in alarm behind him as they rushed over to him. Hunter swore when he made his way around to his brother’s side and saw a pipe sticking out of his chest, blood dripping steadily off the end of it.
He commed Tech and Echo to have medical ready and pick them up from the platform. There was no way Crosshair was making it all the way to their landing platform. He helped Wrecker roll Crosshair over. He had a large bruise on his cheek, that side of his face swelling. That and the pipe seemed to be his only major injuries.
Wrecker felt for a pulse and Hunter listened closely to his breathing. It sounded wet and shallow, and his heart sounded faster than normal. Wrecker reported a fast and thready pulse. He looked distraught. Hunter put a hand on his shoulder.
“He’ll be alright. Tech and Echo are bringing the ship around and we’ll get him out of here.”
Wrecker just nodded and Hunter helped him carefully lift Crosshair into his arms. He didn’t stir once at the process. At any of their poking and prodding. Wrecker frowned at how cold and clammy he was getting already and Hunter hoped he wasn’t already going into shock. His face was pale with blood loss and his chest rose and fell with fast, shallow huffs.
As they left the alley and walked down the main street, Hunter spotted a familiar rifle sitting near a building. He walked over and picked up Crosshair’s Firepuncher. It was scraped up from sliding along the ground. He held it close as the Marauder soared over them and landed on the platform, ramp sliding open before it touched the ground.
As soon as they were on the ship, he felt it rumble and take off. Tech was instantly on them. Wrecker gently placed Crosshair onto a bunk and they stood and waited anxiously as Tech scanned him. They watched him frown at the scanner before jumping into action.
“He has a broken cheekbone and the pipe has punctured a lung. He has also lost a lot of blood and is nearing shock.” He reported as he got equipment ready around him. “Echo is taking us to the nearest med centre.”
Hunter watched uselessly as Tech cut open Crosshair’s shirt. They had been in kriffing civvies for this job. It wasn’t like Crosshair was doing the undercover work he and Tech were to get close to the target. He already looked weird to anyone who may have spotted him on the roofs, he could have had his armour. Maybe then he wouldn’t be struggling to breathe around a pipe sticking out of his chest.
He was snapped out of his thoughts when Tech dragged him closer, wiping down his arm. Wrecker was keeping pressure on the wound as Tech hooked Hunter up to Crosshair for a blood transfusion.
“Let me know if you start to feel unwell.” Was all Tech said before he turned back to Crosshair. His breathing has gotten steadily worse since they found him, and now it had turned into stuttering gasps interspersed with painful sounding wet coughs whenever he got the air for it. Blood began to leak steadily from the corner of his mouth, red flecks wetting his lips as he struggled for breath. Tech swore.
“Blood is getting into his lungs.” He said shortly, quickly gathering more equipment. He moved Crosshair’s arm up, exposing the side of his chest. Hunter spoke up when he saw Tech bring out a knife and prepare to cut.
“What are you doing?”
“I need to get the blood out of his chest so he can breathe.” Tech said without pausing or looking up. Hunter watched as he carefully cut a small hole into the side of his chest. He put the knife down and picked up a long tube, handing Hunter a container. “Hold this.”
Hunter took the container without a word and watched with a mix of morbid fascination and disgust as he carefully inserted the tube into Crosshair’s chest. He jolted at the feeling, gasping and writhing weakly. Hunter and Wrecker held him steady as Tech worked.
“It’s alright, Cross.” Wrecker reassured. “Tech’s gotta do this so you can breathe.”
Tech finished placing the tube and Hunter watched as it steadily filled with blood, pouring into the container he held. He tried not to think too hard about holding a container filled with his brother’s blood and instead watched as Tech kept working.
They let out a collective sigh of relief as Crosshair’s breathing evened out. It still wasn’t anywhere near normal, still shallow and wet, but it wasn’t the suffocating gasps. He was still pale and cold, shivering lightly. He still hadn’t woken up either, though Hunter thought that might not be entirely a bad thing.
As he watched Tech work, he began to feel the effects of the transfusion, blinking away a wave of light-headedness. Wrecker noticed before Tech did and swapped out with him. He tried to stay around to help, to take Wrecker’s position putting pressure on the wound, but Tech pushed him out, claiming all they needed to do was monitor him until they reached the med centre.
He begrudgingly left, going into the fresher to clean up. His hands shook and he ignored the fact that it was his little brother’s blood he was scrubbing from his skin. His little brother who had almost died. His little brother who could still die.
He stopped those thoughts there and made his way to the cockpit to join Echo, but not before ducking his head in to see Tech and Wrecker still working on Crosshair. Echo gave him a grim smile and a nod as he sat in the copilot’s seat, hyperspace streaking by outside.
“How is he?”
Hunter let out a long sigh, running a hand down his face and staring up at the ceiling. “This was too close.”
They sat in silence, neither knowing what to say. Echo broke the silence.
“He’ll pull through. The Bad Batch never leaves a brother behind. He wouldn’t go marching on without us.”
Hunter clung to that sentiment as they lapsed into silence again.