Whump: The Musical - Tumblr Posts

Whump The Musical Day 1: Cats (Second Chance)

Fandom: The Bad Batch

Summary: After everything, Crosshair still doesn't know what to say to his brothers when he sees them again.

Note: This story takes place at the end of Season 3 episode 4, A Different Approach

There the Marauder was. What now, Crosshair thought to himself. What does he say to them? Will they even want him back? Not knowing how his brothers would react to seeing him again, was unsettling.

As Crosshair landed the ship, Omega ran towards the door. She was so ready to see them again. They were her family. The men were also his family. Yet he had hurt them, over and over. Some of it was his chose, some not.

That didn't matter. A million things ran through his head. With nothing to say, the clone walked towards the door. It's now or never.

With every step, his fears started to invade him. What if they didn't give his a second chance? They had betrayed each other. They left wounds that didn't heal easily on each other's hearts. Some were scarred while others were still bleeding.

He could hear them now. Even if Crosshair couldn't understand what they were saying, he knew they were happy to have Omega back.

Batcher stood beside him. She rubbed up against his leg, trying to provide a sense of comfort to him. The hound walked out with him onto the ramp.

Watching his brothers tense up at the sight of him, hurt. It hurt more then it should have. There was a time where he wouldn't have cared; where he may have even smiled. Now it felt like someone had grabbed his heart and lungs and held them hostage.

Once apon a time, Crosshair had tried to give them a second chance. He offered them a way into the empire, a place he once believed in. He didn't expect to be forgiven.

"Crosshair." There was so much distrust in Hunter's voice. It looked like he froze, like he was faced with an enemy he didn't know how to defeat.

Wrecker didn't say anything at first. Instead, he looked him up and down. It looked like had been though a lot. Of course he already knew about the burn scar on the side of his head. But it was more then that. He looked tired. The man watched as Crosshair's hand shook. He took note of the fact that he looked sick and had lost weight since Kamino. Even through all the clothes, Wrecker knew.

After everything that had happened, everything they had put each other though, maybe it was time to bury that hatchet. The man looked back at Hunter and shook his head gently. Hunter did always have a difficult time trusting people.

With everything they had lost, losing Crosshair wouldn't help them. They had already lost one brother, he wouldn't do it again. In the end, Wrecker had always loved him, even when he was shooting at them.

Turning back to Crosshair, Wrecker started to speak. "Hey" he said. The sniper didn't say anything.

Unsure if what to say, Crosshair just stood there. Wrecker looked deal in thought and Hunter looked as if he may kill him.

Crosshair and Wrecker made eye contact. Neither man broke it. They both saw the fear and pain the other carried.

"I believe in second chances." Wrecker smiled softly. "I want to give you one. You're my brother, Cross. If you'll take us, I'd be happy to have you back."

The man stood there. For the first time in a while, he took a step towards them. Crosshair felt like he was going to cry. After everything he had done to them, to the people around him, Wrecker was so ready to take him back. He wanted to give him the second chance he didn't think he deserved.

No he knew he didn't deserve it. Crosshair had killed innocent people. He had done terrible things. He didn't deserve the kindness that Wrecker looked at him with or the sympathy he had in his eyes.

Their oldest brother sighed, "alright." Unclenching his fist, Hunter tilted his head towards the Marauder. "Come on. We have your gear in the ship."

"Most of your toothpicks too!" Wrecker joked.

Crosshair walked up to him. Standing in front of Wrecker, his eyes started to water. Without enough time to stop him, the man wrapped his arms around his big brother. He sobbed into his chest, holding him as tight, if not tighter, then when they would hold each other in the worst moments of the war.

Surprised, Wrecker held him. Hunter, who had been walking back to the ship, snapped his head up. It wasn't often that Crosshair cried. Some of the anger that had built in his heart, dissolved.

"Let's, give them a moment" Hunter said as he stopped Omega from running over to the others. Batcher ran up to her and Hunter just looked at her. As they walked to the ship he said, "tell me about the hound."

Minutes went by. Wrecker just held him. Every now and again he would whisper something reassuring.

"I don't deserve this" Crosshair finally made at words though his sobs.

"It think you do. You didn't deserve what happened to you, even if I don't know what it is. But, let us help you heal."

As Crosshair started to breathe easier, he loosened his grip on his brother. Looking at him, he sighed. "Where did you learn that?" he half joked.

"Echo actually" Wrecker kind of chuckled. "Welcome home Cross."

@whumpthemusical

Whump: The Musical Day 2: Wicked ("No Good Deed Goes Unpunished.")

Fandom: Star Wars (bad batch time zone but not the batch)

Warning: referenced and an attempted suicide of a side character

Summary: Caleb stops a man from killing himself. When some citizens see this they report him to the authorities.

    Why did Caleb have to save that man?

    Roofs were a good place to travel when you didn't want to be found. The ex-padawan learned that pretty fast. Being above everyone had its advantages. Seeing everything that was going on below you made being someone everyone wanted dead at but safer.

    But then he came across a man who was ready to jump. Before Caleb could stop himself he started to talk. "Sir?" he asked. "Are you okay?"

    The man looked panicked as he turned around. "Get going kid. You don't want to see this." Before he could say anything, the twi'lek jumped.

    Running to the side of the six story building, instinct kicked in and Caleb reached for him. Before the man hit the ground, he found himself levitating. There was a look of surprise on his face, as well as the faces of the people nearby.

    The danger the child had put himself in, hadn't made it's way to his fears yet.

    Caleb ran down the stairs. Skipping steps made him reach the bottom quicker. Bursting though the metal doors, the boy ran to find the man who was still sitting on the sidewalk. "Sir?" He started. "Are you okay?"

    Crying, the man tried to smile. "Thank you kid. I'm okay."

    "So, what's been going on?" Caleb said as he sat next to the older man.

    "You're a child."

    "Then let's find someone for you to talk to." He stood again and extended a hand to the man. The Twi'lek nodded and took his hand.

    "Do you have any family or friends?" As he spoke, Caleb started to feel the eyes on him. He realized what had happened. Shoving the thought off to the side, he starts to lead the man away from the crowded street.

    "No."

    "Same" was the first thing that came to Caleb's mind but he figured he probably shouldn't say that.

    "How about I take you to the nearby hospital? They can help you there."

    Despite the look of defeat in his face, the man agreed.

    They took the scenic route. Caleb knew he needed to avoid larger streets. With the empire around and with them knowing he was around, hiding was important.

    As they closed in on the hospital, a voice came from behind them. "There! Get the Jedi!"

    Turning around, Caleb looked at them. Then he turned to the man, "I have to go. Please, take care."

    Then it was time to run. The padawan did a lot of that. It hurt, having to run away from the man. Every part of him wanted to finish taking him to the hospital.

    The imperial presence on the planet was a large one. Hiding, Caleb ducked into a building. Then he started to run for the roof. They seemed to be his only safe place. He always liked sitting in the highest place he could find at the temple.

    The kid made his way to the stairs. Tripping over some stairs on the third floor, slowed him down. His ankle was sore.

    On the stairs of the sixth floor, imperials caught up to him. The door was in sight. Pushing the men down the stairs, Caleb threw open the door to the roof. Without looking back, he jumped to the next building.

    After a while of jumping from building to building, Caleb took a break. Out of breath, he started to curse himself out. Why did he have to save that man? Jedi  instincts were going to get him killed.

    "No good dead goes unpunished I guess" he whispered. It seemed he almost lived by this saying. Every time he helped someone, something bad happened to him. Maybe he should learn to control his companion. Maybe he should have just let the man have his way out.

    Listening to his surroundings, he deemed it was safe to wait a few more minutes. Sitting down, Caleb looked at his ankle. Luckily, he had just twisted it.

    It was time to move. There was a nagging feeling in the kids heart that told him he needed to make sure the man had gotten to the hospital alright. It wasn't too far, even if he had been running in the opposite direction.

    The stairs down the building he had ended up on, creaked as he walked down them. Opening the door, Caleb faced the night. The beautiful sunset that had previously painted the sky, was gone. It was a pretty sight to kill yourself too. The red and orange in the sky would have matched the red on the pavement as well as the orange of the man's skin.

    Caleb snuck around, trying to find a discreet way to the hospital. "Why am I doing this?" He muttered. "This is gonna get me killed."

    After a while of walking and a few close calls with the empire, Caleb found the hospital. Seeing the nurse reach for the phone sent a cold chill down the kid's spine. "Excuse me?" He said, his voice going up a few octaves. "Did a Twi'lek come in earlier to be admitted to the psychiatric ward?"

    "Are you family?" The nurse asked, setting her phone down. She hasn't been calling about him.

    "No, I'm the person who stopped him and brought him most of the way here. I just-" he sighed, trying to keep from crying. "I just wanted to make sure he got here okay."

    The nurse came around from her station. "He came in. He's been admitted." She put her hand on his shoulder. "You're a good kid."

    "Thank you. I'm just doing my job." That probably sounded strange to the poor nurse.

    "Can I call your parents, I'm sure they'll be proud of you for saving that man's life."

    What did he tell her? She was right, Depa would be proud. "My Mom's out of town. I'll just head home."

    "Okay. Stay safe."

    "Can I do me a favor?" He asked quietly.

    "I'm sure I can." The girl kneeled beside him.

    "Can you tell him I got away safely? That I came to check on him, and if the empire asks, can you say I was never here? I'm just trying to survive and every time I do something to help people, it always gets me caught and I'm just so tired." Tears welled in Caleb's eyes and the nurse tightened her grip on his shoulder.

    "Of course I can." She pulled him into a hug and Caleb started to cry. It had been so long. The boy wasn't sure how long he had been there, but by the time he stopped crying, his throat was sore and his eyes hurt.

    The nurse let go of him and walked around the counter. Grabbing soothing she walked back over to him. "Use this to get you something to eat. This is a safe place for you."

    "Thank you. For everything. Hopefully this doesn't hurt you. My Captain, Styles-"

    "You fought in a war?"

    Instead of answering, Caleb continued his sentence. "He used to say that no good deed goes unpunished. Just be careful." Before she could ask any more questions, Caleb made his way to the door.

    The nurse caught up to him, "hey kid." She kneeled down beside to make sure no one else would hear what she had to say. "May the force be with you."

    There was something comforting about hearing that. "Thank you." With that he left the hospital and shortly after that, the planet.

Whump: The Musical Day 3: Jesus Christ Superstar (betrayed)

Fandom: The Bad Batch

Summary: Crosshair turns Cody in when he suspects he is going to desert.

Cody loved Crosshair, but right now he hated him. Right now he hated him more than he hated himself, which was a lot. When during their last conversation he may have implied he was done with the empire, he didn't expect Crosshair to turn him in for suspected desertion.

But as he grabbed him armor and his blaster to leave, there was a knock at the door. It was more of an accident than anything. The door opened. A few men came in, Crosshair one of them.

"What are you doing here Crosshair? It's 0200. What's going on?"

"I could ask you the same question."

Cody put down his helmet. He looked at Crosshair, betrayed. "Oh."

"Arrest him."

Reaching for his gun, Cody kicked one of the men away. Then he stunned the other. Picking his helmet back up, he pushed past Crosshair who shot at him with live rounds. He knew his brother doesn't miss without a reason but Cody didn't want to stay long enough to figure out what that reason was.

Turning the corner, the commander tripped over his feet and hit the wall. Pushing himself off the wall, he kept running down the hall. There was no way he was going to get taken by the empire. He knew what happened and while there was a chance he would deserve a fate as cruel as the other captives, he also knew he didn't want it.

It was hard to believe that Crosshair had turned him in. They had been so close during the war. He was the only one he told about his private life other than Obi-wan and Rex. At least the deeper parts of his private life. The parts that no one but them needed to know.

Crosshair was the last one alive. The death of Nova, Wyler, and the governor of Desix were Cody's last straw. He needed to know why the clones killed the Jedi, why they followed every order like droids.

Running down the hall, Cody tried to ignore every thought he was having. At the time, he didn't have the time to be angry with Crosshair or himself. Right now, he needed to focus on getting out of the building and off world. From there, the man didn't know. It was a start.

There were troopers at the door. Cody stunned them and slammed the doors open. He avoided hurting the men that laid on the ground. Crosshair turned the corner and ran after him. Outside, Cody realized that the sniper had caught up to him.

The Battle Memorial was always lit up. At least for now. With the way the empire treated the clones, it would have surprised Cody if when the lights started to die, the empire wouldn't replace them. As he ran past it, a bullet met the back of the man's left knee. He fell to the ground and turned to face Crosshair.

"I'll give you a chance to fix this, commander."

"Do you really think you're doing a good thing?"

"I'm following orders."

"But we are more than just orders. We are living people. Yet we keep acting like we don't know right from wrong! I'm done following orders when I know they are wrong."

Crosshair was silent, like he didn't know what to say. Either way, he was going to see this though.

"Out of everyone, I thought you would understand. I guess I was wrong."

Other troopers came to assist Crosshair. "Grab him and take him to a cell."

"It's not too late to change your mind Cross. Do what's right. See through your orders, before it gets you killed."

Without saying a word, Crosshair stunned Cody. He felt betrayed. After his batch had already left him, the only reg he liked had to go and try to desert. The men took Cody to a cell.

Even if Cody had become a traitor, Crosshair still watched him closely. But one day he disappeared. He was quietly transferred somewhere. When the sniper tried to learn more, there was no information to be found. Hopefully he was okay.

Day 4: Les Misérables (Survivors Guilt)

Fandom: Star Wars (Post Order 66)

Summary: Obi-wan Kenobi deals with his guilt.

    It had been years since the end of the Clone War. Obi-wan still thought about it often. He wondered how he survived or why he kept persevering.

    When he was 25 he survived a battle with a sith. As a padawan he should have been the one laying in the ground. But instead Qui-gon, his only father figure, died.

    During the war he watched his friends slowly die off until he was the only survivor of his friend group from his earlier years. It didn't seem fair. He still stood even as his men fell beside him.

    Maul killed innocent people to get his attention. He killed Satine just to get to him. Her death had been his fault yet he walked away.

    The Jedi purge had killed most every Jedi. The clones, their most trusted ally had killed their Jedi generals and commanders. The younglings in the temple had been slaughtered like cattle. They were defenseless.

    Most of the council had fallen yet he was alive. Instead of fighting, Obi-wan walked away. He hid Luke from his father; a monster he had taken part in creating. Even if by accident, there had to be something he could have done for Anakin.

    Everyone around the man died. Their ghost haunted every corner of his cave. They whispered in his ears, asking him why he survived.

    Maybe he needed to go outside. So the man walked out of the cave. He let the hot sun touch his skin. Every part of his old life tormented him. The memories plagued his life. They destroyed him in the same way he domed the people around him.

    The sun only made him hotter. He had hoped that maybe it would melt some of the guilt that had frozen him, but it didn't. Luke was around five now.

    The man had fallen into a routine. Yet nothing he tried made him feel any better. Obi-wan didn't want to spend the rest of his life miserable, he didn't want to be consumed by the tormenting memories and guilt that he had been swallowed whole by.

    Maybe a walk could help?

    Walking around, Obi-wan couldn't escape his own mind. Padme should be raising her children. But Obi-wan had let Anakin kill her. He couldn't save her, maybe no one could.

    Dealing with others survivor guilt had been easy. Obi-wan knew how to comfort Cody when his brothers died, he could help with the feeling that he should have done more or that he should have been there or that it should have been him. The jedi could explain that nothing could have been done and that his brothers wouldn't want him to feel so guilty over something he couldn't control.

    The same has gone for Anakin and the rest of his men. Obi-wan had talked to Kit Fisto when he started to feel that way and he had helped to calm Depa Billaba with the death of her first battalion. He had helped to guide Anakin in helping Rex with the guilt of Umbara.

    It wasn't so easy to get rid of the guilt yourself. Nothing helped. Obi-wan started to run. Like running would do anything. You can't outrun yourself, it's impossible. Getting away from the cave, from where his lightsaber rested, seemed like a good idea. Maybe he just needed to get away from that faster?

    It was hard to run in the sand. Stopping, Obi-wan sat in the scorching hot sand. What was doing? This was where his life was supposed to go. He was supposed to be living happily with the people he'd lost.

    There was nothing left to do. So he walked home. Tears fell from his eyes as he walked. The guilt worsened with every step.

    Being the survivor was hard. It might have been one of the hardest things Obi-wan had ever done. But there was no way to change that. The fact was he wasn't god, he wasn't even close. All the people who died were going to die and there was nothing he could do about it. Obi-wan Kenobi was just a man. No man on his own can prevent death. No matter how hard they try they can only put it off.

    The entrance of the cave Obi-wan sighed. Facing himself, he walked in and sat down on his bed. Laying down, he let every feeling drag him down until he was lying there sobbing. Sometimes you have to let yourself feel it.

    Hours went by and he finally calmed down. The feelings would live with him forever. The memories would haunt him forever. There was nothing he could change and now he had to live with it. Why he survived, Obi-wan still didn't know, but there had to be a reason. There had to be. The Jedi just wished he knew what it was.

Day 5: Heathers (Reluctant Whumper)

Fandom: The Owl House

Summary: Hunter is sent to kill a wild witch. Even if he doesn't want to, he has to.

  Hunter had been told that obedient was the best thing he could be. It was the best way to help his dear uncle. It was as the titan had intended.

    He never questioned it. At least outwardly. Being sent to find wild witches was something Hunter had never minded. Missions to find titans blood or other mythical objects weren't rare and it didn't matter who got hurt or killed as long as he came back with what he was sent for.

    Even if he never found titans blood, he came back with most everything else. But this mission was different. When Belos had told him that his only job was to find a wild witch and kill her he opened his mouth to protest. 'Maybe she's not past redemption?' he thought.

    But he was obedient. He was like a loyal dog who ran back to their owner even after being kicked over and over. He was hurt over and over but he still ran to Belos. There was no one else he had to listen to, to guide him.

    So off he went. Killing was something he was uncomfortable with. Hunter had never taken a life. He never wanted to. But this was what he was needed for. It almost felt as if Belos was trying to get rid of him.

    But that couldn't be the case. All Hunter had ever done was what he was told or what was in the best interest of Belos. It wasn't easy.

    Hunter found the witches home. It was smaller but pretty. There was a window to crawl into so he walked to it. Placing his staff off to the side of the window, the boy crawled inside. He walked around until he heard laughter.

    It felt like his heart stopped. The witch had a friend over. He walked back out to the living area and stepped into the kitchen. Picking up a piece of fruit he reseated the situation.

    The truth was he could hurt her. It didn't matter what Belos wanted. Hunter couldn't do it. He had to return to say he hadn't found her or that he had failed to end her life.

    But how could he return empty handed. How did he walk into the castle knowing that he left instead of even trying? Could Belos know? What would happen if he found out?

    Hunter sighed as footsteps came from the hall. He hid behind a counter as he listened to two women talking. "I thought I heard something."

    The two women looked around the room until they found Hunter. "Golden guard." The target spoke. "Why are you here?"

    The boy just looked at her. She didn't look evil. Her shoulder length deep blue hair was half but up. Her clothes were nicely put together and so were her partners.

    But what now? He stood behind the counter with a knife. A knife he had barely realized he had in his hand. It had been given to him by Belos for the mission. "Routine checkup, I'll be going now." That was the best thing he could come up with.

    The witch knew better than to believe that. "Sasha, grab my plainsmen." The target said. Sasha nodded and ran out of the room.

    Whether Hunter liked it or not, it was time to fight. Running to the window, he was pulled back inside before he could grab his staff. "I know why you're here."

    "You do?"

    "I'm not stupid, you're here because I'm a wild witch. By the look of the knife, you're probably gonna kill me."

    Hunter tried to explain but the women didn't give him a chance. As Sasha thew her partner her plainsmen, the boy was thrown to the ground.

    With a plainsmen pointed at him, it became a matter of life and death. Hunter chose life. He didn't want to do it. Ever since he left the castle, he had been trying to find a way to avoid the bloodshed.

    The boy kicked the staff and grabbed his knife. He drove the knife into her chest and stepped away from the boy. Sasha screamed as she watched her lover fall to the ground. "May" she whispered as she moved over to her.

    The boy thought he might cry. Hunter figured he shouldn't stick around to kill her too. It didn't seem like a good idea to face Sasha, she was twice his size and even if he had fought people her size, he didn't feel like it today.

    While the college-aged women ran to her deceased partner's side, Hunter jumped out the window. Grabbing his staff, he ran off into the woods to report back to Belos.

    Avoiding Belos's wrath was good. The teen tried to focus on that. If he didn't, he'd have to deal with murdering someone. Why did he do everything he was told? Hunter followed every order, even if he didn't want to. It didn't seem fair. Maybe he should have just made May join a coven?

    None of that mattered now. It didn't matter that he hadn't wanted to kill May, he did. The pain that her grieving lover and her lizard like palisman must have felt was something he couldn't comprehend yet.

    Returning to the castle, Hunter informed Belos that he had completed his task. Once dismissed, he went to his room. There he laid on his bed. It would be a long night.

Whump: The Musical Day 6: Newsies (Chronic Pain)

Fandom: The Bad Batch

Summary: Crosshair finally does something about his hand.

  Crosshair hated Hemlock. Never before had he hated someone so much. As he watched his hand shake, he knew that if he ever saw the scientist again, he would shoot his in the stomach and drive his rifle into the wound. He would make him feel as helpless and as awful as he felt.

    It wasn't just the shaking. His arm had been in pain for months. There was nothing he could do. Pain medicine made it bearable, sometimes it even kept it from hurting, but like a river, the dam could only stop it for so long.

    So, Crosshair started to think there was nothing he could do. It had been months.

    Tech would have known. But, Tech was dead. Az should know but he didn't have the technology he needed. Crosshair was too nervous to go to the hospital on Pabu. He knew he shouldn't wait, but he wanted someone to go with him and he wasn't going to take the kid. Hunter would be his best opinion but he couldn't face him yet.

    This morning, Crosshair grabbed the last of his stolen pain meds and put them in his mouth. The bitter taste lingered on his tongue as he swallowed the pills. But the pain wouldn't leave him alone.

    As the day went on, Crosshair seemed detached. It appeared that he was always thinking about something. The batch didn't know rather to give him space or if they should talk to him.

    "I'm going to talk to him" Hunter finally said. 

    "Normally Cross doesn't like to talk to us about these kinds of things unless he comes to us." It wasn't that Wrecker didn't want to talk to his brother, he just didn't want to make anything worse.

    "He's in pain, I can tell. I don't want him to hide that from us."

    "Okay."

    So Hunter went to find his brother. Crosshair was in tears when he found him. Holding his wrist, the sniper tried not to look at him.

    "What's wrong?" Hunter came to sit beside Crosshair.

    "I'm fine" he scowled.

    "You're crying."

    "I said I'm fine."

    "What's going on?" Hunter sounded so calm. He talked to him with all the patients he had, maybe more.

    "My hand" Crosshair sighed, "my hand was messed up at Tantiss . It hurts Hunter." The man looked over at his brother, tired. "It hurts all the time and I'm out of pain meds."

    It took a moment before Hunter said anything. "okay. Let's take you to the hospital. They might be able to do something for you." Seeing Hunter reach out to him, helped. It almost felt like nothing happened.

    The two walked to the hospital together. Hunter went in first and whispered something to the nurse at the front desk that Crosshair couldn't hear. The sniper followed his brother inside. After a while, the two were called back.

    "So the nurse tells me that your wrist has been bothering you."

    "Yes."

    "Alright, lets take a look." The doctor took Crosshair's hand into her own. After talking for a while, the doctor ordered a few tests. She was determined to get to the source of Crosshair's pain.

    A NCV showed that the man had nerve damage.

    "Unfortunately, we would have to operate. Even then the pain and the damage will never completely heal. I'm sorry but you'll need a brace to help steady your hand and we'll put you on pain medicine for the chronic pain."

    "That's it?" Crosshair sighed. "How soon can you do the surgery and how soon can I have those meds?"

"Soon and soon. I'll get everything scheduled. About once a month you'll come here to pick up your medication. After your surgery we'll put you in physical therapy to help with the recovery."

"Okay."

"Thank you doc." Hunter stood.

The brothers walked outside. "It's a start" the older of the two said.

Crosshair looked at his hand. He took two of the Gabapentin pills. Then he put his dark gray brace on. "Okay."

Whump: The Musical Day 7: The Last Five Years (I will not lose because you can not win.")

Fandom: The Batch Batch

Warning: Cannon typical violence

Summary: When Hemlock invades Pabu, the batch has to fight for their lives as well as the lives of the citizens of the peaceful Island.

Ao3 link

  Today was supposed to be an ordinary day. When Hunter had woken up, he was dragged down to the beach by Omega and Deke. They wanted to show him that they had learned how to surf. Even if he wouldn't admit it, Hunter was proud of the clones for learning how to be children.

    Wrecker had forced Crosshair down to the beach as well. The warm sand and pleasant smell should help him to relax the man thought. So the three brothers sat on a red towel and started to talk. It wasn't much, but it was somewhere to start.

    Mox and Stak joined them shortly and started to work on a sand castle. Some clouds covered the sunny sky. But when Hunter looked up, they weren't clouds. Imperial vessels blocked the sun.

    This couldn't be happening. Pabu was supposed to be safe. It wasn't meant for invasions. So many of the people spent too long running just to have to up their whole lives again. Hunter looked back down.

    Looking at Crosshair, he spoke. "Get Omega and the boys to the ship. Be ready to leave. Call Echo and tell him we need help, immediately."

    In truth, Hunter knew why he chose Crosshair. With his hand, even if he hadn't told them yet, he knew that he'd be the one whose help they need the least. Now if he could still hit any mark, that could have been a different story.

    But there was more to that. Wrecker had a history with Pabu. He would protect it fiercely. The island was his home, the people were his family.

    As Deke rode a wave in, Hunter stood. The father ran out to two of his youngest that were in the water. "Go over to Crosshair" he told them. They nodded before Hunter went to Mox and Stak and pulled them up from the sand.

    "What's going on?" Mox asked. Nervousness was written all over his face.

    "The empire-"

    "We could tell" Stak interrupted.

    "Go with your siblings." It was the first time he had outright called their siblings to their faces. If it had been any other time, Hunter would have said more. For now, it would have to wait."

    As Hunter walked the other two over with the rest of the group, Omega started to talk. "We can help!"

    "I know, but it's you they want and the boys haven't finished their training. It's safer this way."

    "And someone needs to watch Cross." Wrecker tried to add some humor to the situation.

    Phee joined them on the beach, knowing that it was Clone Force 99 who had unfortunately brought the Empire to Pabu. Hunter walked over to her before she met the rest of the group. "Make sure Omega gets out of here. They want her and we wouldn't let her get taken again."

    "Okay." She looked past the Sargent, "come on kids, let's get you to safety!"

    Sighing, Crosshair grabbed Omega and picked her up. "Come on."

    "Put me down!" Omega fought Crosshair all the way up the beach.

    "Now what?" Wrecker asked.

    "We fight."

    At the Mauradur, Crosshair was quick to make the decision to leave. Batcher awoke from her nap and laid with Omega to help keep her calm. The boys mostly sat with her or talked to Crosshair as they left the atmosphere and headed to Coruscant to meet with Echo.

    As the days passed, the battle of Pabu seemed to be more and more helpless. Civilians were dying, some who had fought and some who had not.    

    When the bad batch had settled on Pabu, they taught Shep how to shoot. The mayor had agreed to ease their minds, never thinking he would need to use this new skill. Unfortunately it was only a matter of time. Lyana stayed near her father when she could. Mostly she was hidden with other children.

    When the invasion began, Hunter had suddenly become a Sargent again. It had been a long time since he played that role. Civilians who had fought in wars, civil or intergalactical, had taken up their old military rank. It was strange.

    The invasion had lasted days. Hemlock wouldn't give up until he found Omega, unaware she had been taken off world. Pabu was being torn apart, lives crumbled to the ground and while some knew why the empire had attacked, most didn't. For the people who did, they couldn't and wouldn't be mad at Clone Force 99 for trying to live peaceful lives and for trying to protect their daughter and little girl.

    It had been four days into the fighting when Hemlock showed his face. When Hunter met Hemlock for the second time, injured and tired, he knew meeting the scientist twice was three times too many.

    "Hello CT-9901, or should I say Hunter?" Hemlock spoke.

    Startled and out of breath, Hunter didn't answer. It had been so long since he heard his CT number, he had almost forgotten it. Still, he knew the malice behind it.

"This can all end, just give me the girl."

"Never." Hunter moved behind a counter. He sank to the floor for a moment.

"I figured as much. I truly am impressed that you are capable of forming such a bond with her. A parental role appears to come so easily to you."

The words made Hunter's skin crawl. Why would he be unable to form a bond with her? Omega was his daughter, nothing could change that. Was it because he was a clone? Was that why he was deemed unable to love a child, to have children he felt were his own?

"The safest option for your men and the civilians of this island, is to stop the fighting. You cannot win this battle, Sargent."

"I will not lose because you can not win."

Silents filled the room. They stood in a ruined kitchen. The checkered floors were stained with blood and glass. The cabinets had been torn open by both the empire and the citizens of Pabu. They needed food and they needed wood. The empire hadn't taken their time to bring out flame throwers to scorch the island and its people.

"You, won't win this." Hunter reinforced the idea. "You can't. I won't let you. " Pulling his knife from its sheath, he tried to find a clear shot at Hemlock.

The scientist couldn't win. In the end, he would round up every single citizen and kill them off. With Wrecker taking part in the fight, he needed his to be okay. With everything Tech had sacrificed to save them, they couldn't die here. Crosshair and his kids would be alone. It hurt knowing that Omega would blame herself for the slaughter of the people of Pabu. Echo would wish he arrived earlier and would blame himself for not being there to save them.

They needed saving. They couldn't do it alone. The Sargent only had one shot at killing Hemlock. Blood pooled under Hunter from his injuries. With broken ribs, multiple deep lacerations on his legs as well as his arms and one close to his neck, a few broken toes, and a large amount of bruising, the man was unsure how he had stayed alive this long. He could feel blood on the side of his face but he wasn't sure if it came from his left ear (since he couldn't hear from it) or from his head.

The vibro-knife shook in his hand. It almost felt foreign. Standing slowly, yet staying out of view, Hunter grabbed a piece of glass from behind the mahogany counter. Looking at it for a moment, he sighed. They couldn't afford to lose. Not anymore. Losing meant dying and for the first time in so long, Hunter had something to live for. His brothers and children and family he had made on Padu and his pets (Gonky included) all meant the world to him. No one else needed to die.

However, If he had to give all of that up to save them, to win the battle of Pabu, the battle for his family, he would.

Throwing the glass, Hunter hoped that it would distract Hemlock and his guards. When it did, the man stood fully and threw his knife. As soon as he saw it plunge deep into his skull, he felt a weight be lifted off of his chest. The weight was replaced with a bullet.

The tile cracked when he fell. There wasn't much Hunter could think about. The sound of ships overhead relieved Hunter. It had to be Echo. If not, the empire would take the island in a matter of hours.

Hunter's entire body hurt. The warm feeling of blood tangled with his hair. The glass had cut any exposed skin. The guards grabbed Hemlock's body and went to leave. Hunter listened to the footsteps as they faded. His mind was so foggy that evening and nothing made his sense. But Hemlock was dead. If that was Echo, which it had to be, Pabu would rebuild. The coppery smell of blood filled Hunter's nose.

Dying, Hunter tried to reach for his comm. Hitting it, the world started to fade. His hand rested on the communication device long enough for Echo to notice the soft noise of fire and gunshots that played over his headset. Then his hand slipped off the button and the comm channel went silent.

The man had never expected to wake up again. But when he saw a white roof, he knew something was different. Everything hurt too damn much for him to be dead. There was a steady, high pitched beeping that hurt his ears; or at least the one he could still hear out of.

Had they won? Was everyone safe? Where was his family, his kids?

"Hunter!" Omega yelled, answering one of his questions. "He's awake" she shook Echo awake.

"Hunter?" Echo grounded as he sat up. Then he pinched himself.

"You actually woke up." Crosshair stood up. "It's been a week."

"Leave him alone. He needed his beauty rest" Wrecker joked. The boys and Batcher sat in the corner of the room, still half asleep.

"Is everyone, okay?" Hunter finally said, struggling to speak.

"We're okay."

"Pa-Pabu."

"In shambles. We were about to leave to help with the rebuilding and attend a few funerals. We'll send you regards. They people were rooting for you." Echo told him.

"We're lucky you came in when you did. You saved us." Nudging Echo, Wrecker walked over to wake up the boys.

"Where-"

"Alderaan. Rex has some allies here. We couldn't help you on our own, the damage done to you, it was too extensive." Walking beside Hunter, Echo stood next to him.

"Dad!" Deke yelled, excited. He ran over to him and just about toppled Echo.

"You're actually alive" Stak added.

"Hey." Mox was the last to stand as he was trying to not disturb Batcher.

Hemlock's words about his parental instincts ran through Hunter's head. However, that didn't matter. He was their father. Just because he was a clone didn't mean he didn't form bonds with people he cared dearly for.

"We can stay for a little but Hunter needs to rest, we need to get back to Pabu." Walking to the door, Echo went to tell the nurses that Hunter had woken up.

Omega clung to Hunter's arm, determined to never let go. Crosshair and Wrecker sat at the end of the bed. Wrecker looked rough but that was to be expected.

"Tell me everything later" the Sargent whispered.

"We will." After a few hours, Echo decided it was time to go. Omega and Batcher stayed with Hunter while the rest left for Pabu. Knowing that Hemlock couldn't hurt her, made breathing just a little bit easier. So did knowing that most everyone he cared about was safe; though by now someone would have told him if Phee, Shep, or Lyana had died.

Everything would be okay. It had to be. Now that Hemlock was out of the way, maybe the batch could live a peaceful life. Even if Hunter knew they would end up in the fight, it was a nice thought. But the clone knew his place was fighting for peace. After all, if he wanted Omega and his boys to be safe, he needed to make a safer galaxy. And that was okay with him. If he needed to fight he would. For his children.

@whumpthemusical

Whump: The Musical Day 8: Hades Town (Deals)

Fandom: The bad Batch

Summary: When Hemlock shows his face while the batch are on a mission for Rex, Hunter and Crosshair have to deal with him. However, when he catches them, he offers a deal to Crosshair. One that will change the brothers relationship for their whole lives.

    It wasn't like Crosshair wanted to hurt Hunter.

    The two weren't sure how they ended up together. What they were sure of was if they wanted to survive, they had to get into the city. When the mission they had begrudgingly taken for Rex began, Crosshair was supposed to go off on his own. However the sniper had a different plan.

    So maybe Crosshair did know how they ended up like this. His brother however, had no clue why Crosshair had been so insistent so when he almost shot him for appearing next to him, the first thing that came to mind was to curse him out. However, he didn't.

    "Fine" he had said, "you can stay."

    Crosshair didn't say a word. Instead, he just started walking.

    Slowly they settled into each other's company. They talked a little bit about what had happened between them and worked though smaller problems that still lingered between them. Then, they made small talk about the past, sharing memories that stayed between the batch and the forest.

    Almost forgetting the last years, they laughed as they recalled the time that they hid plastic ducks around General Kenobi's Venator and how every time they saw him, he always had one to hand back to them.  

    As they snickered, soldiers started to creep up on them. "Hold on" Hunter said, reaching a hand out to stop Crosshair. "Feel them?"

    Grabbing his rifle, Crosshair nodded his head. They needed to get out of there before it came down to violence. Quietly, the two men started to move forward.

    The two drew their weapons as soon as the first shot missed them. They returned fire and quickly realized that they needed to lose the soldiers before they caught up with them. It wouldn't end well if they didn't. Running, they tried to stay close to each other, knowing it would be easy to get lost in the forest. Blue and purple trees blended in with the dark skies. The dark blue bark didn't help.

       The woods were thick but the city was thicker. The brothers never were fans of the cities. Crosshair would rather be in the mountains where he could get the best vantage point and Hunter would prefer to be in the forest. It was a less overwhelming environment.

    As they approached the city, both men felt themselves become more nervous then before. It was the smell that hit Hunter first. Alcohol and sewage had a disturbing smell to them. While alcohol wasn't common, sewage sure was.

    The bright lights threw off both Hunter and Crosshair. Still, they ran forward. "This way" Hunter told Crosshair, waving for him to follow his. They ran into an alley and then they ran up a fire escape.

    After a while of running, they finally came down from the rooftops. Helping Crosshair down, Hunter took his hand and steadied him. They walked, cautiously through the neon streets. That's why everything smells like alcohol, body odor, and cheap perfume.

    Before Hunter could say a word, he was pulled into a back alley. At first, he thought it was some random bar goer or a trafficker, but when he realized it was a clone, he felt his heart drop. Crosshair came into the alley, gun pulled and ready to shoot.

    "I wouldn't." A familiar voice ran in Crosshair's ears. Hemlock. "Lower your weapon." Hunter kept fighting against the clone commando that held him in  place.

    Nervously, Crosshair lowered his weapon. Then Hemlock walked over to the man. The older of the brothers panicked as the scientist advanced towards his younger brother. "Don't touch him!" He yelled.

    The imperial looked deep in thought for just a moment. Then he spoke, "Ct-9904, I have a, proposition."

    Hunter looked personally offended by the use of Crosshair's CT number. Had it been any other case, he would have said something.

    Fear sank into the experiments skin, then to through his muscles and bones. It spread until it was in his heart. "Let him go" he scowled.

    "I will not be releasing him, however-" When Hemlock said however, Hunter started to feel the already existing lump in his chest grow. Something bad was about to happen, and he got the feeling it would only be to him. Hunter was okay with that.

    "I have a proposition, so please, listen." Crosshair, without realizing it, started to pull his rifle closer to himself for comfort. It had been a few months since the two had seen each other. The time that had gone by, should have been a lifetime.

    Now Hemlock stood only a maybe four feet in front of Crosshair. "I will let you leave, however, you can not fight for him. If you sacrifice your brother, you can leave."

    "What?"

    "I'm giving you a chance to leave" Hemlock closed the gap between Crosshair and him, standing maybe a foot away from him. Pushing his to his knees, the scientist grabbed his face. "you don't want to go back, do you Crosshair?"

    The sniper thought he might cry. There was no way he would survive Tantiss. But could he really not fight for Hunter? The weight of the fear Crosshair carried, started to multiply. As soon as Hemlock had touched him, he had frozen. The fear made it hard to realize that commandos had grabbed him and that Hunter was screaming at them to release him.

    Hunter wanted to murder Hemlock. He needed to get Crosshair away from the commandos and away from the man who had hurt him. The man tried everything. No amount of kicking, struggling, or even trying to bite the commando who held him so tightly, mattered.

    "All you have to do, is leave. Stay quiet about all of this, and you'll never return to my facility. Unless" Hemlock smoothed his thumb over Crosshair's face. "You feel you should return."

    That's when Hunter lost it. "Get the fuck away from him!" Failing to protect Crosshair, his youngest brother, was not an option.

    The clone hated actually thinking about his opinions. After a moment, he knew he had his answers. Crosshair couldn't go back. With tears in his eyes, he looked Hemlock in the eyes for a moment before looking away. Shaking, he said "okay."

    The words ran through Hunter's head. 'Okay.' He was going through with the deal. Hunter was defenseless. Hemlock removed his hand for Crosshair's face and nodded. Watching, Hunter felt betrayed. While he understood, it hurt more than he expected it to.

    As soon as Crosshair was allowed to stand, he did. Hunter saw him trying to fight the fear. Still, he was hurt. The betrayal dug deep into his heart. But, he couldn't blame him.

    Not being able to tell the rest, Crosshair was already trying to figure out how he was going to explain to the batch that they couldn't find him. As Hunter continued to fight, the commandos started to drag him away from the ally.

    Crosshair and Hunter made eye contact. The betrayal and hurt in Hunter's eyes met with the pain and fear in Crosshair's. He looked sorry.

    When Hunter was out of sight, Crosshair started to question his decision. But for now he needed to get back to the Marauder.

Part two:

Whump: The Musical Day 9: Sweeney Todd (Razors)

Fandom: The Bad Batch

Warning: Self harm and mentioned death

Summary: Hunter was just trying to take a shower. But the quietness of the room allows his mind to wander to memories of the war.

  Turning in the shower, Hunter started to undress. It was been a long time since he had showered. When he removed his clothing, he looked down at his body for a moment. Gently he touched a smaller scar from his time as a cadet. He smiled softly at the thought

    As the water started to heat up, the man started to think. They were two years into the Clone War now. Trying to shake any negative feelings, he stepped into the shower. The water was warm and inviting. It ran over him and he watched dirt from the last mission run off of him and into the drain.

    There was nothing to focus on. The sound of the water hitting the shower floor was the only noise in the room. Hunter looked at his soap in the corner. Most clones didn't have sented soap but he did. When the batch had gone on one of their first missions, they found a few credits and he decided he wanted to take better care of his hair.

    That was the same mission that Hunter had watched a reg get bitten in half. Still alive, the man had screamed for him. The worm like creater, didn't finish off the reg so the Sargent did. Nothing could be done, so, when the reg told him to kill him, he did.

    Shaking his head, Hunter tried to find something else to think about. Looking at the faucet, he turned up the temperature of the water. It almost hurt but not enough for him to change it. Grabbing his shampoo, he out the gel in his hand. The forest and whiskey sent spread across the bathroom. Anything that was sented that Hunter owned all smelled the same.

    Running his hands though his hair, he thought about the last mission. A reg he had met, he had longer hair, about the length of Hunter's, had asked to braid his hair. So he let him. There was no harm that could come from it.

   The feeling of running his fingers though his hair reminded him of it. Despite the hot water, Hunter shook. The reg had shortly after died. The worst part had been that it wasn't a easy death. It was gruesome and bloodly and painful. The man hadn't deserved that and Hunter could have saved him. All he had to do was grab him; get him out of the way of the droids who couldn't see him.

    Trying to get the shampoo out of his hair, Hunter realized he already had. Grabbing the conditioner, he tried to get the step out of the way quickly. Rubbing it into his scalp, he tried to ignore every memory that floated though his head.

    Rinsing the conditioner out, felt to long. Turning the water up seemed logical. The water was burning now. Hunter's skin started to have a red tint to it. After that he decided to shave. He didn't do it often, but sometimes it amdw him feel better. Talking care of his body felt nice and shaving could be helpful.

    Taking the shaving cream off the shelf, Hunter out some on his arm. It was an accident. The man had given himself a cut. It was small but watching the blood run down his arm and drip into the shower, made everything in his mind quiet.

    Then he got an idea.

    Burning water wasn't enough anymore. It couldn't quite stop his mind from hurting him. Taking the razor, he cut his upper arm again. The shaving cream slid down his arm and so did the blood.

    Then he dug the razor into his skin again and again. Hunter had given himself multiple lacerations on his arm. Some were deeper than others but now of them were straight lines. They tended to have smaller cuts around the deeper ones. Crimson blood rain over his arm and down the drain. Tears mixed with water and Hunter pulled the razor away from his skin.

    The memories of the war faded as he looked at the razor. He realized he didn't even grab his own. The handle was orange. So here Hunter was, cutting himself with Tech's razor.

    Something snapped. Going to cut again, Hunter threw the razor out of the shower. Pressing his back against the wall, he sighed. The thought of Tech seeing his razor with blood on it made him panic a little. The concern would kill him.

    The man's eyes locked in on his body wash as he remembered he hadn't used it yet. However, the only thing Hinter was really thinking about was how he managed to grab Tech's razor and not his own. Trying to find a towel, Hunter realized he wasn't alone.

    Wrecker stood in the bathroom, holding Tech's razor. "What happened?"

    "Nothing. Give me a towel."

    Inviting Hunter's privacy, Wrecker opened the shower curtain. In shock, he dropped the razor. "Hunter" he said. "I heard you crying. I didn't know you had, um."

    "Just hand he a towel." So Wrecker did.  After that he grabbed bandages from the cabinet and some hydrogen peroxide to clean it.

    While Wrecker did that, Hunter got dressed. He left his shirt off to the side so that his brother could have an easier time wrapping his upper arm.

    "What happened?" Wrecker copied his question from earlier.

    Hunter just shook his head. His brother took that answer and put some peroxide on a towel. Dabbing it on the cuts, he softly took his hand.

    "Has this happened before?" It was surprising how gently Wrecker could be. Even though Hunter had known with his whole life, it still took him off guard sometimes.

    "No."

    "Please don't make this a habit. Just come find me okay. Don't do this to yourself again. Promise me." Wrecker looked so concerned. Hunter felt bad for putting him through it.

    "Okay. I promise."

    "All done." Taking a fun bandage out of the med pack, Wrecker out one near the wrap. 

    Hunter smiled softly. "Thank you."

Whump: The Musical Day 10: Rent ("Feels Too Damn Much Like Home.")

Fandom: The Clone Wars

Summary: while on Geonosis, Anakin feels too close to home. He never did like sand.

Some part of Anakin Skywalker never stopped calling Tatooine home. Even though he lived at the Jedi temple  on Coruscant, he had grown up on that sandy planet. It would take four days to travel just to get there.

    So being in Geonosis was strange. The planet had the same hellish feeling as his home world. Memories of who he had tended to linger in his mind.

    It seemed like yesterday the boy was pod rasing and trying to distract himself from the horrible things that happened in the desert planet of Tatooine. The nine year old would try to reassure his mother that he was okay, that the fights and spice dealing never bothered him.

    In truth it had. How could people be so ready to kill each other, he would wonder. While now he understood the willingness to kill now, the little boy he had been hadn't gotten there yet.

    Other than with Waldo, the stupid, slimy man who had kept him and his mother enslaved. Even when he was younger, if Anakin could have killed him, he would have. Maybe then his mother wouldn't be dead.

    Most of the time, when Anakin thought about his mother's death, he blamed himself. That did change.

    The sand that moved under the Jedi's feet, always made him think of home. It was never pleasant, but he would go where he was needed. The council would still ask from time to time, mindful of his trauma, if he was sure about taking the missions. Every time he would say yes.

    The sun's heat beat down on Anakin and Obi-wan. Another thing that bothered him. With his tolerance of the heat, Anakin never thought that it made sense for it to bother him so much. Maybe it wasn't the heat, but instead the memories.

    "You seem distracted" Obi-wan told him. The two walked side by side. At first Anakin didn't say anything. So Kenobi continued, "are you okay?"

    "Feels too damn much like home" Anakin scowled. "The sand and the heat, they just remind me of Tatooine."

    Thinking about what to say in response, Obi-wan nodded. "If you need anything-"

    "I'm fine" Anakin interrupted. Again, the older Jedi nodded.

    Anakin wasn't sure if he was actually okay. Still, what else was he going to say. 'Reminds me of my dead mother, of the first nine years of my life when I was a slave who had to win his freedom by winning a pod race?' Yeah he didn't think so. The sand kept moving under his feet and he knew that it would be everywhere later.

    Still, he couldn't afford to let his disdain of sand get in his way. The man has a mission to accomplish, a bunch of tiny rocks would not stop him. So, with the memories of his old home clouding his head, the two Jedi moved forward.

                          ………………

    After the mission, Anakin sat in his bed. He tossed his shoes off of his feet and ignored the sand that fell onto his floor. The thoughts of his mother's death always made him angry and unpredictable. Obi-wan knew this. It felt like his last master had been watching him excessively. It wasn't like he couldn't control it, at least that's what he liked to think.

    While the mission was a success, Anakin had no real sense of accomplishment. It was the same feeling he would get back in Tatooine. Laying down, the man tried not to think about it. No good would come from it. Hopefully he would get a break from the sand.

Day 11: Bare: A Pop Opera (Outing/Religious Trauma)

Fandom: The Bad Batch

Warnings: Homophobic, sexual assault/rape, attempted drowning, and violence

Summary: While in a mission, the batch heads to a very religious planet. After being outed by a reg, the church priest and priestess decided they have to 'save him.'

    Hiding his sexuality was something Hunter never bothered to do. When it got around on Kamino that he was bisexual, it didn't bother him. Sure, some regs threw slurs at him, but it never really hurt.

    But now, all Hunter needed was to be revealed as gay. The planet the batch had been assigned to, was extremely religious. Unfortunately, the citizens weren't accepting of people who were different from them.

    When Tech had come up to Hunter to warn him, he knew to be careful. Tech never said anything about the culture of the civils unless he figured it was important. Sometimes he wouldn't inform them of any cultural disagreements even if it was important to know.

    Church members went to greet the battalion Clone Force 99 was traveling with, as well as to greet them. Every civilian in sight was fitted in white. Women were in white, floor length dresses and men were in various different types of clothing, though it was all white. The only person who wasn't in white was the priest.

    The priest talked to the general then invited him, his Padawan, and some soldiers to come to their church to talk about the planet joining the Republic.

    They walked to the church. There was a strange lack of people one the streets. The church stood over 250 feet. Tech would later tell them that it stood 281 ft. The building was made of a beautiful white stone that had golden accents to it. The steeple mostly composed of gold. It looked sharp enough to impaile a man with ease. The stairs were the same stone. They had been worn down by years of foot traffic. The doors were large and made of Dark Pine wood. It was hard not to stare at the marveling building.

    Stepping into the church, they learned the inside of the stone building was just as breath taking. There were rows and rows of pews; all matching the Dark Pine of the door. The aisle had a blood red carpet laid out on it. The carpet went all the way to the Priest's altar.  Behind the alter was a large, circler staind glass window. It as simple and uniform, much like the whole church.

    The room was beautiful but there was one thing that threw most everyone off. Behind the alter, there was a large water fountain. The fountain was made of marble and bor the church's creast on the top of it. The bottom of the fountain had two foot tall walls to keep the water in.

    Meeting one of the leaders of the church was not something the batch, nor the battalion with them excepted. Hunter realized just how uncomfortable both the Jedi commander and Padawan looked as the priest started to talk about not agreeing with the Jedi's religion but how they needed help so, despite their differences, they could make an exception. The man said that he hoped God would forgive them and the two Jedi just looked at each other, wondering how they ended up here.

    When a reg started to walk up to Hunter, he didn't think much of it. Maybe they needed something. It wasn't until he started to talk that the man realized he was up to no good.

    "By their logic, I'm surprised you didn't start buring as soon a walked in this church."

    The priest and other members of the church started to quite down. They looked in the direction of the 'sinner', trying to figure out what the clone was talking about.

    "What?" Hunter asked. Tech, Wrecker, and Crosshair all watched defensely, with Wrecker walking over to the two.

    "You know, since you're a-"

    "Shut up." Wrecker said as he placed a hand on Hunter's shoulder.

    "Since you're a faggot."

    The church was silent. The locals looked at each other like they made a revelation. Something in Hunter's chest tightened when he saw the way they looked at him. There was so much hatred and disgust and even if he was used to the look, this feeling was different. It was why the sparks of anger were in their eyes that made it hurt more.

    "What's wrong with you?" One of the other regs said. He looked apologetic as he dragged his brother away.

    "That was strange" Wrecker said as he grabbed Hunter and led him to the rest of the batch. "Anyway."

    As the mission progressed, Hunter could never shake the feeling that he was being watched. Tech hadn't been wrong about the planets religious practices. But it was nothing that Hunter couldn't handle.

    The Jedi consently had to ignore priest's comments about damnation and the failure of the Jedi to see the one true religion. The general didn't seem to be as bothered as the commander. When clones started to get between the adults and the child, concern rose. When the child's master interfered, that when they knew to watch their backs.

    Watching the church members made Hunter realize just how closely they were observing him. Every time he looked that them, they adverted his gaze.

    The soldiers set up camp near the church per the regest of the priest. The general, a Twi'lek Jedi by the name of Mal, walked up to Hunter. "The priest is requesting your assistance in the church." Something about the way the Jedi talked, made Hunter nervous.

    "I'll go get the rest of my batch and we'll check it out."

    As Hunter started to walk away, the Jedi stopped him, "he just requested you."

    "General, I don't think it's a good idea to go alone." Hunter tensed.

    "The priest asked you to find a girl that's been missing. He told me to have you meet him in the church so he can give you her blanket so you take her." General Mal put a hand on his shoulder, "I gave him a good amount of questions Hunter. Hell, I practically intragated him. The priest just wants to find the girl, you'll be okay."

    Nodding, Hunter went to the church. The big doors felt more ominous in the dark. Slowly, he opened the door and walked in. Shutting it quietly, Hunter started to walk down the dimly lit aisle. "Hello?"

    "Hello, Hunter. The priest walk out from behind the alter. That's when Hunter saw the lit candles by the running fountain. The alarm bells that had been going off in the man's head, only got louder. The clone stopped walking about half way through the church.

    "I was sent to investigate a missing persons case." Hunter answered shortly.

    "What do you believe Hunter?" The priest sounded so calm and kind, yet there was nothing kind about him. Stepping down the stairs, the man walked to meet him.

    "I don't know, sir?" It was an honest answer.

    "Do you know what I believe?" The human man walked over to him. "I believe you are lost, that you have stayed away from the heavens."

    "I was sent to track a missing girl, what you believe is irrelevant right now." Hunter started to walk to the door. "I'll ask around then." Members of the church walked out from a hallway. Grabbing his gun, Hunter was ready to shoot his way out. 

    The priest grabbed his from behind.  The two fought over the gun for a moment before a few shots went off. No one was hit by the stray bullets. Another man grabbed Hunter, forcing the gun out of his hand. The Besalisk man wrapped all four arms around him and picked him up. Hunter kicked and squirmed, trying to get away. Reaching for his vibro-knife, he realized it was already gone.

    The man's grip never softned. The pressure hurt as Hunter's armor pressed into his skin.

    The priest started to say a prayer as the man tossed the clone into the fountain. Hunter started to try to get up. However the Besalisk grabbed him by his hair and held him under the water.

    There was so much going on in Hunter's head. He knew coming to the church alone was a mistake, yet he still did. Kicking at the man's feet, a clawed foot slammed down onto his legs, trapping him. Grabbing at the hand that held him under the water, Hunter panicked. Where they really going to kill him?

    It was suffocating. As Hunter started to feel weaker, the foot moved from his legs and he was pulled out of the water. He heard some of his hair rip out from the force. Coughing, Hunter tried to stand. However he was forced to stay on his knees in the water.

    The priest stood in front of him. "You have been cleaned, however we must rewrite over your sins."

    "What, is wrong with you? Leave me alone." Trying to breathe, Hunter kept coughing, trying to get the water out of his lungs.

    "I'm saving you."

    The Besalisk pulled him out of the fountain. Still trying to fight the man, the soldier listened to the whispers. One woman was saying they needed to  get rid of his tattoo. Another church member was scowling, saying his hair needed to be cut, that it being so long was a disgrace to the lord and far to feminine for any man.

    What Hunter knew for sure, the next time he saw General Mal, he was throwing hands.

    There was a back room in the church. While trying to fight, the church members dragged him inside of the room. There was a table, but that wasn't Hunter's biggest concern. His biggest concern was the women in the corner.

    She stood at about his height and had pale skin paired with her black hair. Unlike every other women in the in the religion, she wore a black dress. However, like all the other dresses it was floor length with flowing sleeves and turtle neck. She looked like a ghost. The women had lipstick that was the bright red of the carpet.

    Now inside the room, Hunter tried to reach for his comm. It was the first chance he had to even think about trying to call for backup. A harsh hand grabbed his wrist. "Don't, we are saving your soul. We don't want you to suffer."

    Trying to speak, Hunter's voice caught in his throat. His breathing, which had already been fast, sped up. The Besalisk man still held him.

    There were scissors on the table as well as a needle and some white clothing. Hunter focused on the girl to see what she was holding. In her hand she held a box. "Bring him to me." Her voice was angelic and soft. Most of all, it was unnerving.

    So the man complied. "Hello Hunter."

    "Let me go."

    "Dear, we just want to free you."

    "I don't need it. Better yet, I don't want it. Let me go, I need to get back to my men." Hatred laced Hunter's words.

    "Hold him still." The women nodded and someone grabbed the needle off of the table. Opening the box, the girl took a necklace out of it. It was silver and bore the religion's symbol, a cross with an anatomically accurate heart in the middle.

    While Hunter struggled, a needle was driving into the side of his neck. Trying to break free, he almost broke the syringe. The women walked up to him, her heels clicking on the ground. Her soft hand cupped the clones face. Then she kissed him. Hunter tried to pull away.

    "When the medicine starts to affect him, you may leave." Everyone nodded. The woman kissed him again, taking her hands around his neck and clasping the necklace on him. Hunter was able to pull away this time.

    "You drugged me."

    "It is a necessary evil."

    Thinking of what the women had said earlier, Hunter started to act weaker than he felt. When the women smiled, the clone knew he made the right decision. She moved the clothing off the table and motioned for them to put him on the table. "Remove his armor."

    With the men still in the room, a Hunter made the painful decision to stay still. After they removed his armor, the man started to feel the real effects of the drug.

    "I have him now. May I act only with the intent to heal and act without any lust" she prayed. The men left and the women climbed into the table and started to remove her clothing.

    Hunter fought the drowsy feeling of the drug. It was like fog had taken over his brain. Starting to try to stand, the woman gently pressed his shoulders back into the cold, metal table. "Don't worry child, I will take good care of you."

    "No" Hunter whispered. "Please no."

    "Oh yes " The woman removed her dress, then his shirt and lastly his pants and undergarments.

    Everything from there was a blur. Hunter remembered the feelings of the priestess touching him. He remembered how helpless he felt and knowing he should have been stronger than this. The women's fingers danced their sinister dance on his skin, making Hunter want to throw up. He wasn't sure if it was the drugs or assault that made him nauseous.

    Hunter was scared. This was a whole new level of helplessness, something like he had never felt before. The weight of the women on top of him, the feeling of his dick in her, the feeling of her lips touching his, all of it was too much. The man hated every part of her.

    Soon, the drug started to wear off. As Hunter regained his strength, the priestess moaned as she reached her finish line. "Stay still dear, you haven't finished. You have to be cleansed of your sins." Pushing him back to the table, the women started to trust her hips quicker.

    The world was clearer, but Hunter almost wished it wasn't. Never before had Hunter felt so weak. Raising one hand, the clone clawed at the priestess, trying to get her off of him. The drugs, even while they were wearing off, still made him mostly unable to fight.

    However he wouldn't need to fight. It was a natural reaction for his body to have given the stimulation it had reserved. Him finishing, had not mentioned he enjoyed it. As Hunter came inside of the priestess, she gasped and grabbed his shoulders, drawing blood and leaving scratches behind.

    Then she got off of him. Feeling stronger, Hunter looked around the room. He found his clothes and armor. The woman was grabbing the white clothing that was supposed to replace his blacks. Now it seemed like a good time for the world to stop spinning.

    After a moment, Hunter tried to stand. Still unclothed, the clone planned his escape. The woman came back over to him, the white clothing in hand and handed him undergarments first. "Here dear, now that you have been rid of your sins, you may cloth yourself."

    Breathing heavily, Hunter snatched the clothes, still dazed. The woman never turned around. Stumbling, he put on the underwear. But as things started to clear more than before, Hunter was hit with everything that had happened.

    Justified with religion, this woman had just sexually assaulted him. She had taken his body with drugs and force. There was no evidence that she even regretted any part of it. She truly believes that her actions healed him. Instead she hurt him. This would take time to scar.

    Hunter's clothes were in the corner. Getting in his feet, the man couldn't submit to this treatment anymore. The priestess had finally turned around to grab the scissors to cut his hair off. The hair he took good care of.

    She was as unsuspecting as he was. Still mostly naked, Hunter wrapped his arm around the woman's neck. Shushing her, he placed one hand over her disgusting mouth.

    When she stopped fighting, the way he hadn't been given an opinion to, Hunter tossed her to the ground. Still stumbling, he grabbed his clothes and put them on. The man wasn't sure when he had gotten his armor on, but he knew it was one. The effects of the drug had mostly worn off but his brain couldn't process the trauma. He was disassociated.

    Hunter placed a finger on his comm. "Cross" he spoke, shaking"

    "Where are you?" He snarled in response. "We have been looking-"

    "The church." Tears started to fall down Hunter's face. The dark room concealed most of the activities. "Please, I need h-" sobs took over the rest of his words.

    Crosshair was silent for a moment. "We're on our way."

    Forcing himself to stand, Hunter stabilized himself. Walking to the door, that was a whole other story. The lower half of him hurt. Nothing quite felt real. But Hunter still opened the door. The smell of candle smoke hit him.

    As the priestess started to stir behind him, Hunter debated killing her. It would be impossible for her to hurt anyone else. It felt like the right thing. But fear grabbed his chest, reminding him it was still there. Choosing between fight or flight, Hunter chose flight.

    Walking into the hall, Hunter scouted the area. It seemed the members of the church respected the priestess's privacy. Still crying, the man placed a hand over his mouth, trying to silence himself. Using the walkway closest to the wall, he ran to the door.

    As Hunter opened the door, he slowly closed it then ran down the stairs. When he got to the last few stairs, he tripped and expected to hit the stone. Instead, Wrecker caught him. Hunter hadn't realized he was breathing so heard until Tech told him he had to slow his breathing down or he could pass out.

    Jumping back, Hunter made sure they weren't touching him. Physical contact was important to Hunter but right now if someone touched him again, he might just kill them, or maybe he'd just shut down.

    "What happened?" Tech asked, calmly.

    "I- they- I can't-" deciding he wasn't far enough from the church, the clone started to walk away.

    For the first time, Crosshair realized that Hunter's hair was damp. The look in his eyes told him that whatever happened, it took a part of Hunter that he had never seen. "What did they do to you?"

    After another moment, Tech's attention also changed to Hunter's damp hair. "Did they, baptis you?" He asked.

    Hunter stopped walking. Not because of Tech, but because the church door opened. The priest and priestess walked towards him. "Dear" the woman started, "you cannot walk away now. You have been saved, don't turn back to your sin."

    The man didn't say anything. Wrecker moved to stand more in front of Hunter. "Leave him alone" he warned.

    "You have been cleaned, both spiritually and sexually-"

    "What?" Crosshair growled. That was why Hunter seemed so lost. Tech hardly looked angry but right now his glare would be sharp enough to kill someone. Wrecker cracked his knuckles and stepped closer to the two church officials.

    "We just need to make a few more adjustments."

    Crosshair pulled him gun. "Stand back."

    "Haven't you hurt him enough?" Wrecker looked back at Hunter. Tears ran down his brother's face and he'd never seen him look so small. Even when facing the separatist, Hunter had never been so shaken into himself.

    "We didn't hurt him-"

    "Yes, you did. Hunter shows clear signals of distress." Looking at his brothers, Tech ordered them to remove their eldest brother from the situation

    "I- please just get them away from me." Hunter cried. "I don't want to be here anymore."

    So the clones left. As they walked Hunter put a hand up to his collarbone to try to ground himself, the chain of the religion necklace started him. Panicking, he pulled the chain away from his neck, snapping it. Holding the chain in his hand, the man threw it far away from him. His breathing, which has slowed, speed back up again and his brothers tried to help him calm back down.

    While trying to report the church officials for Hunter's assault, the general informed them that nothing would come of the report. "I'm sorry Hunter's I really am. No one here would arrest them and" he sighed, "you're a clone. Too many people would view what happened to you as property damage, if anything. Trying to take it any further may not be worth the hurt and once it gets out I don't put it past some people to harass you over it." The Jedi told him that he would do his best to keep him away from them.

    Healing would take time. Every time Hunter stood inside a church, he feared the officials. Even after the war, Hunter felt like he couldn't breathe inside of churches, especially alone with officials.

    Telling Echo his story, had been difficult but it was the only way to explain why the batch avoided churches. But Hunter found it easier to confide in him when he had nightmares or when he was having a difficult day as the memories plagued his mind and stole his focus. They days his body no longer felt like him own and the touch of another human could only hurt him. Somehow the scomp helped.

  Having a daughter, Hunter feared that she would be hurt. But at least someone would be able to help her through it. Hopefully it never came to that. The clone couldn't be sure he wouldn't kill anyone who hurt her the way the church hurt him.

    It took so long for Hunter to feel safe in any church. For the first time, walking to Pabu's church (a common building ground) the man felt safe walking inside. He knew, for the first time in years, that no one inside of the church would hurt him. Healing takes time.

@whumpthemusical

Whump: The Musical master list! Firstly I had a great time coming up with ideas for these prompts! This is truly a very unique challenge! I look forward to next year's! Hopefully I'll post everything in time and finish it!

To make finding stories you may like easier, I have color coronated everything. Summaries and notes/warnings are with the stories! I hope you enjoy them!!

Fandoms: The Bad Batch, Star Wars, The Owl House,

Day 1: Cats (Second Chance)

Day 2: Wicked ("No Good Deed Goes Unpunished.")

Day 3: Jesus Christ Superstar (betrayed)

Day 4: Les Misérables (Survivors Guilt)

Day 5: Heathers (Reluctant Whumper)

Day 6: Newsies (Chronic Pain)

Day 7: The Last Five Years (I will not lose because you can not win.")

Day 8: Day 8: Hades Town (Deals)

Day 9: Sweeney Todd (Razers)

Day 10: Rent ("Feels Too Damn Much Like Home.")

Day 11: Bare: A Pop Opera (Outing/Religious Trauma)