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thezombieprostitute · 8 months ago

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Tech Tuesday: Curtis Everett

Summary: Curtis decides to take the next step and ask if you're willing to meet offline.

A/N: Reader is female. No physical descriptors used.

Warnings: Meeting someone from online, Mentions of past bad experiences. Please let me know if I missed any.

Series Masterlist

"So, what all has been going on with your computer? Did you bring it with you?" Curtis tries to keep his tone calm. He's been eager to meet you in person for months but has worked hard to make sure you feel safe to do so and that means not pushing you into it. He tries to keep his excited fidgeting to a minimum but he's worried it just makes him look even more suspicious. He's so used to keeping his features schooled into a scowl, but that's the last thing he wants to do to you.

"Basically it'll go for a while but then start freezing, stuttering and I have to force it to shut down before I can do anything else," you answer while sipping your coffee. You can't believe his eyes are as blue as the photo he sent. "I tried to see if it was because I was running some heavy duty games and maybe I was using too much RAM. I cleaned up so many programs, uninstalled a bunch of games I don't play anymore, but it just keeps happening."

Curtis rubs his beard as he thinks. "It might be a hardware issue. It's not my strong suit, but I can still take a look. At the very least I can ask my buddy, Mace, for help. He's a whiz with the hardware and could probably get you a good deal if any upgrades are needed."

"Oh yeah, you've talked about him before," you reassure yourself. Having him mention another stranger worried you but Mace has been brought up several times before, especially when Curtis mentioned getting upgraded tech.

"You definitely don't have to meet him," Curtis affirms. "He can be a real grump. And coming from me, that's saying something." He gives a light chuckle as he sips his coffee.

"Snow, I work at a hospital," you counter. "Ain't no kind of grump I haven't had to deal with before." You give Curtis a look that says 'I'm stronger than you'.

Curtis smiles fully, "absolutely fair, Heart." He struggles a little bit to not turn shy. That look, that strength, that self-assured smile has him weak in the knees. "Still," he coughs, trying to regain control of himself. "Still, uh, when...did you bring the computer with you? Would this be an okay time to take a look at it?"

"Friend of mine at the library is keeping an eye on it for me." Best to let him know you've got allies nearby. He hasn't really given anything to make you worry about, but his reactions to your safety protocols could be telling. Of course, if you were expecting him to look scared or upset at this news, Curtis happily defied those expectations as his eyes lit up.

"Oh, that's really smart! We can borrow one of their laptops to run some tests. That way my laptop's settings won't mess with your computer."

You smile, genuinely, for the first time all day. Curtis is very different and you couldn't be happier about it.

"Don't you need your diagnostic software?"

"If it's called for, sure. The basic versions are free to download and they'll help me pick up if it's actually a software issue. Plus, the libraries regularly wipe downloads after use, right?"

"Okay, everything's plugged in so let's get this running and see what happens."

After looking over the hardware Curtis had found no obvious reasons for the failure so you had gone to your friend and loaned out one of the laptops. Curtis's computer bag had an impressive collection of tools, wires and connectors. You always appreciate when a person is prepared.

He works in relative silence and it gives you the chance to really look at him. He's definitely handsome, as Cassandra pointed out when she loaned you laptop. You weren't normally one for lip piercings but it seemed to work well on him, even though it was partially hidden by his beard.

The quiet between you two isn't so uncomfortable. It's how you spent a lot of time when you started gaming together. Talking over comms almost always resulted in a bunch of idiots either hitting on you, calling you a 'fake gamer,' lobbing insults at you, or all three at the same time. Snowpiercer was one of the few gamers who didn't care that you were a girl gamer. For him it was about how well you worked together. Given that the two of you could get high scores without having to talk over comms, it was no wonder the two of you started playing together more and more.

Even after you'd started voice chatting while playing, there was always a level of respect. Something you hadn't gotten from Chase.

Curtis gets out of the chair and gets a closer look at each of the fans, stopping at the one closest to the heat sink. "There it is," he intones. "This fan is dying. It's easy to miss because, by the time you know something's wrong, the whole computer's shut down and all the fans are stopped."

"Well, at least it's an easy fix," you comment. "Thanks for taking a look at it."

"Not a problem at all," he assures. "I'm happy to help."

You smile, "are you always this nice?"

"No," he shakes his head. "Definitely not. I'm not an ass, but I'm definitely not this nice to everyone."

"I'm honored."

He chuckles at that. "Like I said, I'm happy to help you out. You're the best teammate I've ever had and it just isn't as fun paying without you."

"I appreciate that, Curtis. So, what do I owe you?"

"Nothing."

"Don't do that to me, Snow. You know how I feel about owing people." It was a wound from Chase that had yet to heal. His use of favors as manipulation made you wary of anyone who said you don't owe anything.

Curtis sighs and nods. "Tell you what, there are some pastries at that coffee shop we were at that I avoided because I didn't want you to see me covered in crumbs. Wouldn't make for a good first impression." You smile at the thought. "Just get me a couple of those while I shut everything down here and return the laptop?"

"Deal." You stand to get moving but turn to him before you leave, "and thank you, again. Not just for the computer fix, but for...for respecting the boundaries."

He looks at you with those gorgeous blue eyes, "not a problem."

Tech Tuesday Masterlist

Tagging @alicedopey; @delicatebarness; @ellethespaceunicorn; @icefrozendeadlyqueen; @jaqui-has-a-conspiracy-theory;

@late-to-the-party-81; @lokislady82 ; @peyton-warren @ronearoundblindly; @stellar-solar-flare

#tech tuesday #tech tuesday: curtis everett #curtis everett x reader #curtis everett x nurse!reader #curtis everett x female!reader

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meowsuguru · 1 year ago

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toji fushiguro x reader - mechanic au

toji fushiguro x fem reader // mechanic!toji // nsfw

a/n: first fic!! pls enjoy!! any requests my inbox is open :) i need to write more…

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“what is this, a ‘64?” toji whistles as you nod and hold out your keys to him, your red chevy impala barely having made it to the auto shop. he wipes his hands clean with a rag, and grabs your keys.

“let’s see what’s up with this beaut.”

he turns the ignition and lets it sing, and it runs smoothly for a minute. until it goes dead. no lights, no engine, nothing.

“this has been happening about every two miles or so,” you groan, putting your head in your hands. you were hopeless. given this beautiful car by your father, and you had no idea what you were getting yourself into.

“ah, could be the firewall connectors. easy fix, i’ll just have to order the wires. we don’t have that kinda stuff for your beauty in here.” toji relays, lazily leaning up against the side of your car and tossing the keys back to you.

you fumble when you catch them, frowning.

“how long will it take? i don’t exactly have another car i can drive.”

“easy, doll. i can get them by tomorrow. you’ll just have to leave your baby here overnight and i’ll get done first thing tomorrow,” toji says.

“alright, well, how am i supposed to get home?” you say, annoyed.

“i don’t know, doll. call an uber? taxi? you don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here.” he gives you a crooked smile, pushing off your car and walking toward you.

an uber. duh. you kick yourself, making this man’s day more difficult just because you’re stressed about your car. you look up at him as he approaches, suddenly noticing the difference in your statures. he looks you up and down, assessing you, and you feel scrutinized under his gaze. you choose to ignore the feeling in your gut as he looks at you, his scarred mouth pulled taught.

“say, doll face.” toji remarks, putting his chin in his hand, and you flush, beyond your comprehension, at the nickname. “i could always give you a ride back to wherever after. wouldn’t be a problem for a pretty girl like yourself.” he says casually, but a hint of a smirk plays on his lips.

you fight the feeling that comes with him calling you a pretty girl and consider him for a moment, knowing this will probably be a bad idea. you sigh, looking up at him.

“why the hell not. but i know where you work if you try anything, mister.” you point at him, expression serious.

toji puts his hands up, backing up slightly as he chuckles. he moves past you, walking back toward the shop.

“hang out in the shop with me. you want a beer?” he asks, turning his head over his shoulder.

you give this a second of consideration before giving in, nodding. he leads you back to the shop, opening a mini fridge full of beer.

“weird shop you’re running.” you say, choosing the one you want.

toji takes it from you with a shrug, popping the cap off with the bottle opener he keeps on a carabiner on his belt loop. of course.

you eye him as he moves throughout the shop, telling you to make yourself comfortable as you sip on your beer and watch him work. your eyes are drawn to his biceps, which are unreal you might add, as he stands below a car on the auto lift and works on something. you watch, mesmerized for a moment, and he looks over, tilting his head over his shoulder, and catches your eye.

and you would be an idiot to ignore the fluttering in your stomach this time. you put the bottle to your lips and chug, ripping your eyes away. you don’t drink much, so you’re a feeling a little hazy from drinking your beer so fast and you start to feel the buzz in your cheeks.

“you good, doll face?” he asks, arms raised as he pauses his work to catch your attention. your eyes rake over his form, thick neck, nice traps, working shirt with an embroidered name tag unbuttoned, with a grease-stained wife beater underneath.

“yeah.” you say after you realize you’ve been staring. “i’m good.”

he looks at you with an unreadable expression and goes back to his work.

after a few hours, you find yourself making decent conversation with toji. your banter is present, entertaining you as you watch him work and offer him useless suggestions here and there. he always laughs, the sound filling the shop.

it’s 5 o’clock now and he’s closing up, and you’re waiting in the office. you sit down, fiddling with your hands, and eventually he comes back in.

“ready, doll face?” toji asks, twirling his keys around his finger, his jacket draped over his shoulder.

you nod, standing up and smoothing your skirt.

he eyes you, but turns away to bring you out back to where he’s parked.

“i hope you don’t mind, doll face. i brought my bike today.”

your mouth falls open, looking at the beautiful bike before you. sleek, black and silver, classic and loud as all hell when he cranks it, patting the seat behind him.

“you can wear my helmet. gotta keep that pretty head safe,” he teases, ruffling your hair. you take the helmet, clipping it in place and swing your leg over the seat, hesitantly wrapping your arms around toji’s firm middle.

“you wanna go home? or you wanna go out?” toji asks casually, voice clear and deep over the sound of his bike.

you look up at him and he turns his head back over his shoulder, scarred lip quirking up.

something in you needs to be spontaneous, so you agree.

“let’s go out.”

you end up at a little dive bar: pool, booze, bar fights, the works. you walk in with toji in front of you, not offering to hold the door open, rude, you think. you follow him in and he sits down at the bar, making some conversation with the bartender. he orders a drink and looks at you, and you order yourself your drink as well.

“i’m a feminist, doll face. we’re goin’ dutch tonight.” he laughs, throwing some cash down on the bar.

you frown, opening your mouth to retort, but he stops you.

“just messin’ with you, princess.” his lips quirk up, taking a sip of his beer.

the two of you spend the evening drinking and arguing over various things, from your car to your lack of sports knowledge to gambling.

“gambling is a stupid addiction,” you slur, a blush on your cheeks.

“it’s not stupid.”

the two of you stare at each other for a moment in silence. you both laugh, and you find his gaze after a moment, the sounds of the busy dive bar fading into the back of your mind. he smirks, reaching up to cup your chin with his hand. he tilts your head side to side, like he’s examining you.

“say, doll face. wanna get out of here?” toji asks, studying your face with his piercing gaze.

“yeah,” you exhale, and you both stand up. he grabs his jacket, and ushers you out of the bar with his hand on the small of your back.

the walk to toji’s apartment is short and quiet, and by the time you get in there he’s got you pinned against the door, kissing down your neck. you thread your fingers into his hair, gasping as he bares his teeth and bites down at the junction of your neck and shoulder.

“been wanting to do this all day, doll.” he says, moving his lips back up toward your ear.

“you’ve been driving me crazy, sitting in my shop in that little skirt. i should’ve given in hours ago,” he groans, clutching at your hips.

you whine, bringing his mouth up to meet yours in a bruising kiss, your mouth opening to his tongue immediately. he wastes no time, pushing his tongue into your mouth with fervor, swallowing your gasps.

you clutch at his hair, pushing against him, attempting to back yourself up off the door. the heat pooling in between your legs wants more and you’re not going to settle for kissing.

“impatient, are we?” he says with a lazy grin, lifting you up easily and bringing you to his room.

you land back on the bed with a soft thud, your hair fanning out around you as toji hovers over you.

“such a pretty girl,” he says, voice dipping low.

he runs his hand up your thigh, slipping under your skirt and playing with the hem of your underwear. he teases, pulling it down slowly, as his eyes trail down your body, drinking you in.

“stop being a tease.” you say, reaching for his wrist.

“ah, but where’s the fun in that? it’s fun to get you all riled up.”

you furrow your brow, trying to wriggle out of your underwear but he stops you, dipping his head between your thighs.

“so feisty.” he says as he mouths over your clothed heat.

“if you’re gonna… do that don’t make me wait.” you say, gasping as his tongue traces circles over your underwear.

“fine, fine. i’ll indulge you, doll face.”

he slips your panties to the side and licks a strip up your folds, making you clutch at his hair instantly. you wrap your legs around his head, and he pries them apart, barring over your waist with his forearm. your cunt is dripping now, with his tongue making circular motions over your clit, steadily, and he’s drinking you up like a man athirst.

you fight against his barring arm and buck your hips to meet his tongue, riding it as you feel yourself growing nearer to your climax, and you bite your lip.

ever perceptive, toji speaks: “let me hear those pretty sounds, doll”, as he comes up for air. diving back in, you give into him, letting go of your abused bottom lip and cursing god, letting toji’s name leave your lips. he smirks, his face shining with your slick, and you moan outright at the sight.

“so good with that mouth, toji,” you say, panting as you ride his face. he removes his arm from your middle and feels his own arousal stirring as you use his tongue, groaning.

your orgasm surprises you, ripping through you as you clutch at toji’s hair, stuttering your hips on his tongue as you ride out your high.

“fuck toji,” you curse, “keep going.”

he obliges, slipping a thick finger into your dripping cunt as he keeps his mouth on you, your head spinning with overstimulation at the sensation. he works you quickly toward your second orgasm, licking and sucking at your swollen clit hungrily. he slips a second finger in, pumping into you steadily.

“gotta get you ready, doll.”

his words light a fire in you and you’re coming, again, more intense than the first as you clench around his fingers. he pulls them out of you, and reaches up, prodding his fingers at your lips. you open your mouth, sucking them clean and tasting yourself as he covers his mouth with his hand, eyes darkening as he watches you.

“fuck, pretty girl. you’re a sexy little thing.”

you moan softly around his fingers, and he sits you up, pulling your shirt over your head and finally, finally pulling off your underwear. he pointedly leaves the skirt in place, pushing it up to expose your dripping cunt.

“think you can take me?” he teases, freeing his cock from his pants and shedding his shirt, leaving him half naked and settled between your legs.

“i know i can.” you say, determined as he slips his cock between your folds, getting himself wet.

he prods at your entrance and you inhale sharply, feeling his tip push into you slowly. he groans as you envelop him, your walls squeezing tight.

“fuck, this pussy was made for me,” he says, bottoming out, buried deep in your cunt.

he sets an easy pace at first, testing your limits to see how you respond to his length and girth, and you’re whining, begging him for more.

“filthy girl. i knew you’d like it rough,” he says as he picks up the pace, fucking you like he means it.

he continues burying himself deep inside you and pulling out, slamming back into you with a brutality that sends you reeling. you’re feeling the coil tighten deep in your gut, and you’re gasping, his hand flying between your thighs to thumb your throbbing clit.

“gonna come…” you pant, tipping your head back into the pillow and clawing down his back.

“c’mon pretty girl. give it to me.” he says, grunting.

youre sent over the edge at that, orgasm tearing through you for a third time that night. you clench around his cock, and he grips your hip tightly, dipping down to put his head in the crook of your neck. he shudders, biting your neck, as he continues to fuck you, albeit erratically.

“fuck, gonna make me come, where do you want it pretty girl?” he groans, breath coming out in ragged huffs.

“don’t care, don’t care,” you cry, cock drunk and fucked stupid.

he groans as he fucks you, biting your shoulder as his hips stutter, hot ropes of his come painting your walls. you gasp, head full of cotton as he stills inside of you, moaning in your ear.

he pulls out, rolling over and flopping onto the bed next to you.

“you need a ride back to the shop tomorrow?” he asks after a beat, allowing you to catch your breath.

“yeah… will my car be ready?” you ask hazily, looking at him as you turn your head.

“shit…” he curses, running a hand over his face.

“i forgot to order the parts. guess you’ll be stuck with me until then, doll.” he gives you a crooked smile and your mouth falls open in shock.

so much for a one-night stand.

#jujutsu kaisen imagines #toji fushiguro x reader #toji fushiguro x you #toji imagine #jjk imagines #jjk x reader #jjk x you #mechanic!toji

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tickle-headcanons · 1 month ago

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May I request some Metal Sonic tickle headcannons please?

(Of course, anything for more Sonic tickle content :3)

⚙️ Metal Sonic – Tickle Headcanons 🔧💙

General

First was a Switch, but more over time starting going over to Leaning-Ler ➤ Metal Sonic insists he's immune. Cold. Calculating. Not even capable of laughter. ➤ Unfortunately for him, Eggman made his sensory systems very precise. ➤ Why? To detect even the slightest change in wind pressure. The faintest tremor. The most minute touch. ➤ Which means. ➤ He feels EVERYTHING.

🤖 Lee!Metal Sonic

The first time someone snuck up and tickled him (probably Sonic let’s be real), he glitched. ➤ Whole body sparked. Optics scrambled. Nearly rebooted. ➤ Sonic was like, “Oh? OH??? THAT did something???” 😈

Worst spots?? • Under his arms/joints – Sensitive wiring for agility and precision = instant squirming • His neck seam – There’s a connector hidden beneath the metal there, SUPER reactive • Lower back vents – Soft buzzing sounds happen if you get him there • Back of his knees – They twitch!! Like he’s gonna short-circuit!!

Doesn’t technically laugh, but oh boy does he react ➤ Body spasms ➤ Frantic scrambling to get away ➤ Weird warbly sound files play when he gets overwhelmed 🫠 ➤ You’ll catch a brief “Distress signal: c-chk– eee–!!” before he tries to slam-dash outta there

The worst part for him? ➤ His voice modulator occasionally clips and blurts a giggle-like "heh" if pushed too far

🔧 Ler!Metal Sonic

He is CREEPY good at it ➤ No warning. No hesitation. No mercy. ➤ His fingers can vibrate at ultra-high frequencies like a miniature tickle drill 😳 ➤ Activates his invisibility cloaking only to sneak up behind you and give your ribs the BZZZ

Doesn’t say a word. Just stares. ➤ Or plays back your laughter in a distorted remix as psychological warfare 😭 ➤ “Hahahaha~ HAhAha~ hAHa~ Initiating playback.”

Will absolutely hold you down with those hydraulic arms while his chest panels open up and deploy little poking tools 😈 ➤ “Resistance is illogical.” ➤ poke poke poke poke poke

Even though he’s a machine, he’s got this snarky little smugness when he wins ➤ Stands there silently with his glowing red eyes while you curl up into a puddle ➤ Whirring noise of satisfaction™

#sfw tickle blog #sfw tickling community #tickle content #sfw tickling #sfw tickle community #sonic the hedgehog #sonic tickles #metal sonic

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umbral-stigmata-unbound · 3 months ago

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Random Asks/Prompts | Always Open

@gcldfanged asked: It's a balmy night and the wind is already picking up, long black ropes of swaying power lines thrumming across an overhead canvas of deep blues and purples smudged across the skyline. The last of the raiders have long since abandoned the inner city ruins of what was once a sprawling metropolis, a true industrial capital that never once slept a wink since it's construction: Midgar. Jae pushes a hand through his dark curtain of hair, pinning it behind the shell of his outer ear to keep the thicker waves from obstructing his vision. Sonorous wailing from the mutated muzzles of animal specimens that had long since evolved over the years might elicit a chill down the spine of a civilian far from the comforts of Edge, but it simply was a thrilling soundtrack amidst the shadowy backdrop of crumbling ruins featuring Art Deco architecture and fallen steel. Closing his eyes, his already slow rate of breathing slows to near crawl, his sternum only rising and falling in tiny increments as he takes in all of the noises filtered through the air. A savage grin pulls at the corner of his mouth when the light 'tupt' of a thick rubber sole pushes down into the grit and sand scattered across a broken sidewalk. The entity known as Hellmasker still manages to catch him off guard by leaping down and lunging forward from an entirely different direction than anticipated- Forcing Jae to loosen the astriction to his knees and elbows. He tilts backwards off the edge of the skeletal remains of a phone kiosk, falling down to the concrete below. The tail of his enhanced utility whip whistles through the air, snagging heavily against a plastic-coated cluster of transmission cables- Using their combined weight as an anchor point to swing across the gaping chasm of a broken freeway ramp. Once his toes touch the cracked asphalt, another hard snap of his wrist crushes the protective shells housing the high voltage conduits, exposing their wiring. The whip was his trademark weapon, true- But it also has the added ability to act as a taser- generating the same pulse as the frequency the human nervous system employs to activate voluntary muscles. A solid connection inflicts severe, uncontrollable muscular contraction and depending on the location of impact, this effect can spread throughout the victim’s entire body. In this case, the amps were enough to bring the long since dead cables to horrifying life, cracking and snapping loudly, writhing violently like a den of disturbed snakes. The broken power lines swing backwards once they're pulled free of their connectors, creating a dangerous livewire curtain should the maniac give chase, eagerly lured in by Jae's taunting behavior. A nice little incentive for the normally impulsive hunter to get 'smarter' in his dogged pursuit.

Chase, chase, chase. He hunted, he tracked, he cut through any stupid beasts that got in his way as his feet pounded through dirt and rubble and concrete. The ruins were the perfect stage, and felt like home. The chaos was the nature he was born for.

And his prey, was everything he ever looked for. Chuckling with glee under his breath as he knew he was drawing closer, Hellmasker locked in. And he'd narrowly had him, carving down with his hungry chainsaw, only for the pray to move so smoothly free of the needy teeth. He wanted the blood, he wanted to pain, he wanted the clash. And this one would give it to him.

"Get you...get you, get you!! Will get you!" Masker promised, calling out as he stood across the ruined ramp, quirking his head to the left and the right as he eyed the other through the live and threatening curtain. "Ha! Sparks! Killer sparks... Aren't you fun...?" he praised viciously.

He paced, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Then he stood and stared down Jae, eyes gleaming with eagerness behind the intricately marked mask. Suddenly he moved the chainsaw to latch at his waist behind him. Dirty hands fleshed and curled, intent, but then he stared down, past the curtain, past the other side of the ramp, to something below....and suddenly, he took many steps back, only to take off at a mindless run before leaping.

He wouldn't make it. There was no hope of it, his momentum only led him down to the gaping opening below.

Except a thicker cable hunt below, attached elsewhere high above the other end of the ramp, and with the momentum of his forward drop, the madman managed to swing up high enough to grab hold on the other side of the ramp, behind Jae. He didn't bother hiding his survival, gleeful and uneven chuckles shaking him to his core as he finally got on level footing and took out his weapon once more.

"New levels...lets keep playing...Yes, yes, yes!!" Masker launched again, lunging to carve with his weapon, to throw a punch, a made kick, then a while horizontal swipe with the chainsaw once more. "Come on already!! Alive, alive, make me alive!!!"

#gcldfanged #crimsonwings ~ Vincent Valentine #Vincent's Headmates; Hellmasker #Hellmasker #ask meme #ask answered #onewinged meme

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notgonnaedit · 7 months ago

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Healer's Care

Plan 99

Summary: Eight months after the destruction of Tipoca City, and the Bad Batch are starting to question where they truly belong

Pairing: Bad Batch x Teen!OFC (clones being good brothers/dads)

Chapter summary: Everything that could have possibly gone wrong did.

Warnings: Canon-typical violence, heights, canon character death, blood, crying, gagging, hostages, kidnapping (If I miss a tag LMK)

Masterlist

Tags: @hugmekenobi @nottwonerdy777

@dreamsight73 @delicioustacocollector

@covert1ntrovert @clonethirstingisreal

"This is not ideal," Tech stated as they looked out the door at the abyss below.

"At least we're not hanging under the car," Wrecker suggested.

Omega grimaced. "This isn't much better."

Blaster shots halted their speak. Another railcar full of stuck stormtroopers were were firing at them.

Althea fired a few shots before ducking back inside. She repeated this with the others.

"Echo, get this car moving," Hunter ordered.

"The explosions must've knocked out power to the rail line," the ARC grunted.

"I can try to reboot the system," Tech stated, "but I will need to plug directly into one of the terminals on the track."

Hunter nodded. "You four, give us cover. Tech, up top with me."

Althea continued her fire with the others, covering for Hunter and Tech. It wasn't long before the tracker rejoined them from the upper level.

"I am plugged in. Stand by," Tech announced.

Wrecker took down another trooper before their troubles started.

"We've got three ships inbound," Hunter warned.

Althea squinted into the fog. "Where? I can't see them."

Then, through the clouds, they appeared. Three Y-Wings that were ready to destroy them flying right to them.

"Tech, we need power!" Hunter panicked.

The ships blasted and the railcar jolted.

"Echo, now!" Tech cried.

The ARC scomped in immediately. "We're online."

The railcar whirred to life, but the ships blasted the track. Hunter managed to take down two, but the other was still firing.

Althea gasped as the car jerked. "Tech's still out there." She moved towards the door as it jerked again.

"Althea!" Hunter yelled, but she ignored him.

The medic went until she found her brother hanging over the fog, a grapple wire attached to his belt. She could only watch him through the grate.

Wrecker came over and looked past her. "Come on, Tech! Hurry!"

"I am climbing as fast as I can," the pilot grunted.

The railcar rumbled and it was yanked down another few feet. Wrecker pushed Althea back from the edge. Tech's line was jerked down.

"Tech!" Omega called.

"Why aren't we moving??" Hunter growled.

"The car's being ripped from the track," Echo told him.

Another jerk, this time with Hunter shouting, "Wrecker, get him on board!"

The demo man took a tentative step forward, but the railcar jolted down.

"Don't!" Tech cried. "Any shift in weight could send both of these cars over."

The roar of more ships found Althea's ears. Another blast and the railcar fell more. Wrecked gripped the connector. He was the only thing keeping Tech from falling.

The pilot looked around, weighing his options, but there was only one.

"You must sever the connection hinge. Now!" He ordered.

"Not until you're up here," Wrecker grunted.

Panic settled in Althea's bones as the railcar screeched angrily at them, demanding to succumb to gravity. Hunter was still firing at the ships and the other car, desperately trying to keep them safe.

Then, over the din of battle, Tech's voice crackled through the comms.

"There is no time, Wrecker. Plan 99."

A startled choke escaped the medic.

No. No, no, no, no!!

Wrecker grunted softly. "Don't you do it, Tech!"

Althea watched as her older brother pulled out his blaster. Even over the raging noise, she could hear his soft sigh. He raised his blaster and squinted his eyes for a moment before saying, "When have we ever followed orders?"

One shot. One shot rang out through the clatter. It was the shot severing Tech's cable, sending him into the abyss.

"No!!!!!!" Wrecker and Althea screamed.

"Tech!!!!" Omega cried.

Then, suddenly, the railcar moved at lighting speed. Althea was yanked back, tears in her eyes.

"Girls!" Hunter called.

"Go back! Go back!" The younger demanded. The older simply held her fists to her side and clenched her teeth.

"The car's going too fast," Hunter said as the mountain grew ever closer.

Echo reinserted his scomp several times. "The system's fried. I can't stop it!"

The last thing Althea saw was Wrecker grabbing her before the railcar collided with the mountain.

•°•°•°•°•°•

Everything was a blur. Althea couldn't hear anything except ringing. Her head hurt badly. She felt something warm on her lip and touched it. Even with fuzzy vision, she knew what blood looked like.

"Omega! Althea!" The medic could faintly hear Hunter calling for them.

She felt a hand on her back and turned slowly to see Hunter beside her. "I've got you, kiddo."

She turned back to see Wrecker holding Omega. She was limp in his arms.

No, not her too.

Blaster fire shook the ground. "Incoming!" Echo yelled. "Get to the Marauder."

Before she knew it, Althea was running to the ship. Hunter is as with her, blaster in one hand and Omega's bow in the other.

"Come on! Come on!" Echo growled as he powered up the ship.

Althea turned and watched Wrecker set Omega down. Her medic instincts took over as her shell shock wore off. Althea crouched near the girl and examined her. She had no broken bones, but her breathing wasn't steady.

"Head to Ord Mantell," Althea ordered. "AZI can help her."

"Hurry!" Hunter added, panicked.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

A breath escaped Althea as she secured the bandage around Hunter's middle. He had sustained several injuries, broken ribs being the worst of them.

Wrecker sat in Cid's office with Omega. The demo man had broken his neck and sprained his shoulder, while Omega had a concussion.

Echo stayed in the ship, his only injuries consisting of damage to his mechanical legs. Usually he was helped by... No, it was still to fresh.

Althea herself had a deep cut on her lower lip that only just stopped bleeding. Around her head was a bandage wrap. Despite Wrecker's best efforts, the medic's head had collided with the side of the railcar and cut a decent gash below her hairline.

"That should hold," Althea muttered as Hunter nodded.

The medic put the bandages back in her bag, but with her shaking hands they dropped to the floor.

"Althea..." Hunter started.

"No, I have to go check on Omega." The medic tried to move away from him.

Hunter stopped her, grabbing her by the shoulders. Althea forced herself to look at him. There were cuts and bruises everywhere on his tan complexion, but all the pain was held in his eyes. Everything that they had lost was there.

Althea broke right there.

She cried as Hunter held her close. She didn't want to let go. He was the only thing real, the only thing grounding her through what just happened. He was the only thing reminding her that Tech dying was real.

Yet he was also injured, and she was a medic. Althea let go slightly to pull away, but Hunter pulled her back tighter. He cradled her head close to him. His shoulders shook but no sound left him.

When their embrace finally ended, Althea could see him clearly. His eyes were red and tear stains ran down his face. She was sure she looked the same.

When Hunter finally spoke, his voice was rough. "I'm...I'm gonna go check on Wrecker and Omega, okay?" He held her face in his hands.

The medic nodded, just barely.

Hunter moved away, walking back to the office. He was only gone for a minute, maybe two, but Althea couldn't handle it. She didn't want to be alone. They were all injured and if she wasn't there–

Althea was at the door before she could register what was happening. She opened it, and found Hunter and Wrecker in serious conversation.

Hunter was sitting by Omega's side while Wrecker stood. Even him, the immovable giant seemed smaller after the day's events.

"Good evening, Volunteer Trooper Aaun." AZI flew up to her. "You will be pleased to know that everyone will make a swift recovery. However, after further analysis, it has come to my attention that your lip will most likely scar over."

"That's great, AZI." Althea walked past him, unable to handle his cheery demeanor.

Wrecker turned and walked towards her, patting her head before walking out. Althea sighed and took a seat next to Hunter.

"How's she doing?"

"AZI said she'll make it, but..." Hunter stopped short. "She might not wake up."

"No."

The tracker turned to look at her, a mix of hope and trepidation in his expression. Then it shifted to something akin to empathy. Hunter knew how much she had lost, but he never knew what it felt like. Not until today.

He had seen her mourn, but he never had to himself. Now that he had experienced it, knew how much it actually hurt, he just wanted to hold her tight and never let go. Maybe it was selfish, but he never wanted to her to leave his side. He couldn't lose her.

"Althea," he started, "Me and Wrecker have been talking about what to do and...." He sighed. "We think that Pabu is our best option."

"But I thought we were soldiers," the medic asked.

Hunter swallowed. "Yeah, well we were. I should have put that behind us a long time ago. Now, it's time for us to have a new life, but only if you want that too."

Althea's golden gaze flicked away for a moment, then she looked back at him and nodded.

"C'mere," Hunter said softly. He pulled her to his side and she melted into his touch. They sat there for a few moments, Hunter gently rubbing her shoulder. She was tall for her age, yet she seemed so small.

"What now?" She asked softly.

They had just discussed staying on Pabu permanently, starting their life there, yet there seemed to be nothing in their future.

Especially with the one who always knew gone.

"I.... don't know, kiddo," Hunter breathed. He wanted to tell her everything would be okay, but he didn't even believe that himself.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•

"Hunter?"

The tracker's eyes snapped up to see Omega stirring. Her baby brown eyes were hazy looking at him.

Relief coursed through him. "Hiya, kid." He brushed his hand through her curls.

She groaned softly. "W-What happened?"

Before he could answer, AZI flew in and scanned her. "Hello, Omega. I am relieved you are awake. You each sustained multiple injuries. However, you all will make a full recovery with proper treatment and rest."

Then, Wrecker and Althea came into the room.

"You're... You're okay." Wrecker gave her a gentle hug and sighed. "Don't scare us like that again."

Althea took a canteen and handed it to the girl. "How do you feel?"

Hunter could see her instincts taking over again as he helped Omega sit up.

The blonde frowned. "I don't know." Her voice was dry and unsteady. "The last thing that I remember, we were in the railcar when..." She gasped and her eyes widened. "Where's Tech?"

Hunter looked away, he couldn't meet her gaze. "Omega... Tech didn't make it."

"We have to go back!" The girl cried. "What if he's hurt? He... He needs us. Tell him, Wrecker." She begged. "Thea, please. We can't just leave him!"

Hunter reached for her. "Omega..."

She swatted his hand away. "No! Tech's not gone! He... He can't be!" She broke down.

Hunter rested his hand on her shoulder, moving closer and wrapping his arm around her. She leaned into him, sobbing quietly. "I... I know, kid."

He looked up at his brother and Althea. They were fighting tears as they left the room.

"Why did Tech do that?" Omega sniffed. "He didn't let us save him."

This poor, sweet little girl.

Hunter pulled away so he could look her in the eye. "He knew we were out of time. Tech put the squad ahead of himself. He made a sacrifice, Omega, and we're not gonna waste it."

"What does that mean?" She asked tearfully.

Hunter looked at her. "The galaxy has changed, and so have we. It's time to put being soldiers behind us for good. Wrecker and I think Pabu could be a good place to make a new life for ourselves. And the rest of it, well, we can figure out along the way. Omega," he said when she didn't look at him, "is that something you want?"

She pursed her lips before nodded softly.

Hunter ran his hand through her hair, resting it on the back of her head. "Then that's what we'll do."

Meanwhile, Wrecker and Althea sat at the bar solemnly. Cid –where she had been previously, Althea didn't know or care– poured Wrecker a drink. "Here. This one's on the house."

The demo man pushed it away. "It won't help."

The Trandoshan sighed. "I'm sorry about Goggles. I always liked him."

Althea stared at the bar. "Yeah. Us too."

•°•°•°•°•°•

Echo sat in the co-pilot's seat. He was no stranger to loss, but it didn't make it any easier. A sigh escaped him as his gaze drifted to the pilot's seat.

The ARC had so many disputes with the one who sat there the most. At the time they were annoying and irritating, but he would give anything to have them back again.

Suddenly, Gonky honked. The droid droid had been silent for a long time, maybe mourning as well.

Echo turned in his seat. "What is it?"

Gonky honked again, and the ARC went to the door. He looked up to see a Star Destroyer in the atmosphere, and several shuttles flying from it.

He commed his team. "Hunter, the Empire's here."

Static.

"Hunter, do you copy?" He tried again. "Wrecker? Thea?"

He grunted in frustration and headed back to the controls. "They're jamming our comms."

Gonky honked as Echo grabbed his helmet.

"No, stay here," the ARC ordered. "I'll find them."

•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Althea looked up from the bar to see Cid tapping her claws nervously. Wrecker noticed it too.

"What's with you?" He asked.

"You know, I tried to look out for you boys," she started. "But you got too much heat on you. And you brought it here to my place of business." She looked away. "I had to make the best of a bad situation."

Rage boiled in Althea's body. "What did you do?!"

"Sorry, Bright Eyes."

The door burst open with several commandos and their blasters. They fired.

Hunter looked behind him to see several commandos coming through. He grabbed his blaster and shot the door, sealing it shut.

"What's happening?" Omega asked.

"It's the Empire." Hunter opened the back door and moved the crates out of it. "Take the mining tunnels to the spaceport and find Echo. I'll get Wrecker and Althea."

"But you're injured," the girl pointed out. "You can't fight them alone."

Hunter handed her the bow and kneeled to her level. "Omega, you and AZI need to go. That's an order!"

Omega frowned, a worry crease forming in her brow as she climbed down the ladder. The last thing she saw was Hunter closing the hatch.

She climbed down a few rungs before stopping.

"Omega?" AZI asked. "We must keep moving."

The light from his eyes shone on her face. "I can't do it, AZI," she sighed. "I already lost Tech. I'm not gonna lose them too. Come on."

•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Hunter blew the door, killing the commandos there. He ran out, blaster ready, into the main room.

He was greeted with even more commandos surrounding Wrecker and Althea. The two were cuffed and on their knees. The medic was gagged, most likely because she lipped off to the man leading them.

Doctor Royce Hemlock.

"That's not very strategic, Hunter." His voice was soft yet sharp, like a seductive predator luring his prey to their death. "You don't need to use your enhanced senses to know you're outnumbered."

He had their information.

Hemlock took a case and looked to someone on his left. "The Empire thanks you for your assistance."

Cid walked out and took the case shamefully. Hunter narrowed his eyes. The only reason he didn't shoot her right there was he wouldn't risk Althea and Wrecker.

"Our business is done. Leave," Hemlock ordered.

Hunter watched as the Trandoshan left, his blood boiling the entire time. Hemlock never left his line of sight.

"Please, consider your next move very carefully." Hemlock rubbed his gloved hand. "I would hate for this to end poorly for both of you. Here is how this is going to go. You will lower your blaster and hand over Omega. And I will allow you to keep breathing."

"Omega's not going anywhere with you." Hunter's voice was dangerously low.

Something shifted in Hemlock's expression. "Oh. Well, who knew clones are so paternal?"

Hunter blinked.

"Fascinating." Hemlock reached behind him. "I was saddened to learn of your friend's demise. What was his name? Oh, yes. Tech."

How dare he speak his name. Wrecked growled, but remained still. "I'm afraid this was all I could salvage," Hemlock said as he held a familiar item. Tech's goggles, cracked and broken. The red light that had so often recorded their adventures was dead.

"Consider it a gift." The doctor tossed them carelessly at Hunter's feet.

The tracker wanted desperately to grab them, to hold what little he had left of his brother, but he remained still. "To lose one of your own, it must weigh heavily on you as their leader," Hemlock stated. "And if you don't lower the blaster now, you will lose yet another."

A commando pressed the barrel of his blaster to Althea's skull. The girl made no noise. To anyone else, she looked strong and unwaivering. But Hunter knew her better. She was terrified.

Hunter was as well. Terrified of losing her and Wrecker. He could still sense Omega's presence, but he desperately hoped that was because he was holding her just a few minutes ago and her scent was still lingering on him.

He lowered his blaster to the ground, replacing it with Tech's goggles, taking them gingerly.

"Wise decision." Hemlock nodded to a couple commandos, who grabbed Hunter and cuffed him.

A third came from the office. "Sir, the girl's not in the office."

"She's long gone," Hunter said from where he stood by Althea. "Like I said, Omega's not going anywhere with you."

Hemlock hummed. "Hmm. We'll see."

The troopers had Wrecker and Althea stand, and with Hunter they were led outside.

They hadn't even walked a block before they were stopped by pink laser bolts. Hunter didn't know whether to be worried or proud that Omega chose to come after them.

The girl was atop a small balcony, her bow drawn and ready. The commandos readied their blasters.

"Lower your weapons," Hemlock ordered. He sighed before raising his voice. "Hello, Omega. We were just talking about you."

"Let them go!" The girl demanded.

"Omega, run!" Hunter shouted. He was grabbed by a commando, who he struggled against until he was let go.

"I won't let them take you!" Omega cried.

"How about an exchange?" Hemlock suggested.

Hunter shook his head at the girl.

"If you come with me," Hemlock continued, "your friends will live."

"I don't believe you," Omega snarled.

"I did not come here for them, Omega," Hemlock told her. "I came to return you to Nala Se. She needs your help."

"He's lying. They killed the Kaminoans," Hunter reminded her.

Hemlock shook his head. "Incorrect. Nala Se is alive and well cared for. As you will be."

Omega narrowed her eyes. "I'm not going with you."

That's when Hunter heard another person. "Omega, look out!"

But it was too late. A commando jumped her from behind and stunned her. Hunter surged forward, needing to help her, but a blaster digging into his cheek stopped him.

"Scour the city," Hemlock ordered his troops. "When you find the third clone, send them back to Eriadu. Governor Tarkin wishes to question you personally."

They walked to a gunship. Hunter had failed. He failed Omega, he failed Wrecker and Althea, he failed Tech. Crosshair was right. He was unfit to lead this squad.

"I'm so sorry, kiddo," he choked out.

The girl beside him barely glanced at him. But then suddenly, an Imperial walker went haywire and started shooting troopers.

"Echo?" Hunter asked.

Wrecker nodded. "Gotta be Echo."

Wrecker grunted as he broke his cuffs and punched the troopers guarding them. He them broke Hunter and Althea's binders and ripped off her gag.

Each of them grabbed a weapon and began to fight. Hunter ran back to get Omega, but was met with two walkers.

One began to shoot the other, and then out came Echo and AZI. "Where's Omega?" He asked as they looked for cover.

"That Imperial took her," Wrecker spat.

"It was Hemlock," Hunter said. "We've gotta stop his shuttle from leaving."

Hunter glanced up and saw a catwalk. That was his chance. He nodded to the others before making a run for it and climbing up the wall.

They followed, blasting at the Imperials as they ran across the gunship and getting thrown as it exploded.

Hunter ran faster, he was almost to Hemlock's ship. He could make it. He could–

The shuttle flew up from the port. Hunter watched in absolute devastation as the ship took off. It had Omega on it. They had his little girl.

"Hunter, we need to go!" Echo yelled.

"Get to the Marauder!" He responded. He wasn't giving up, not when there was still a chance.

They clambered down into the port and ran for their ship, looking back only to shoot. Once they made it to the Marauder, they flew into the atmosphere.

"Where is it?! Hunter cried, looking desperately for Hemlock's ship.

Echo made their jump to hyperspace. The tracker stumbled back into one of the console chairs. Wrecker sat in the other, and Althea leaned against the controls.

In her hands were Tech's goggles. Hunter didn't realize he had dropped them, but he was thankful she grabbed them.

"There was no way to track Hemlock's ship," Echo said, breaking the silence. "He could have taken Omega anywhere."

Hunter looked back at the gunner's mount. Lula sat up there, waiting to be held by her owner. Omega should be up there, marveling at the colors of hyperspace.

"We are going to get her back," Hunter decided. "And we don't stop searching until we do."

Althea looked down at Tech's goggles, narrowing her eyes. Something changed in her gaze. It turned cold and hard. •°•°•°•°•°• "Crosshair!" Omega gasped and ran to the only person she recognized there. He was unconscious and strapped to a table. She shook him. "Crosshair? Crosshair!"

He didn't respond.

"You must be Omega."

The girl turned to find a woman with soft brown eyes and curly brown hair pulled into a ponytail.

"What did you do to Crosshair?" Omega asked.

"He's recovering. I tried to warn him what would happen if he did not cooperate with the doctor."

"I want to talk to Nala Se," Omega demanded.

The woman hummed. "Ironic. You trust the Kaminoan, but not me."

Omega furrowed her brow. "I don't know you."

"No?" The woman removed her rose colored glasses and knelt down. "You might know me better than you think."

Her hair was dark and curly. Her eyes were gentle and intelligent. Her face was round and her voice had a familiar accent.

"We're sisters, Omega. "

End of Book 3

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#star wars #the bad batch #tbb #bad batch #oc #fanfiction #healer's family series

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