this is not the end of this series!! far from it, in fact, but i had the sudden urge to write an angsty tribute to the bad batch ending, even though im nearly a month late lol.....

***

It's the sight of the five gravestones, lined up side by side, that finally breaks her.

It's the sight of each of their names carefully carved into the stone with love — so much love — that causes her throat to constrict until it's nearly impossible to breathe.

It's the sight of Echo's old blue-and-white chest plate with Rex's handprint, Wrecker's Lula, Tech's goggles, Crosshair's favourite little box of toothpicks, and Hunter's red bandana on their final resting places that makes her gaze swim with unshed tears.

Sometime during the entire ordeal, she'd felt herself shut down. Her mind had stopped processing what was going on in what she could only guess was a feeble attempt to shield her from the overwhelming amount of grief hanging in the air, suffocating anyone who had known them well enough to grieve.

Grief, she's noticed, stuck to everything. It left nothing untouched, no stone unturned.

Now that her brain is finally catching up to her eyes, she's finally starting to register the scene before her and it is nothing short of devastating.

No matter where she looks, all she can see is a younger version of herself spending quality time with each of her brothers.

At the docks, silhouettes of herself and Wrecker laughing together on the pier with fishing poles in hand were made visible by the rising sun.

In the cockpit of the Marauder, she sits in the pilot's seat, fingers dancing masterfully across the dashboard as Tech gives her a nod of approval, that rare smile of his displayed with pride for the world to see.

Down by the rock pools, exotic fruit become makeshift targets as Crosshair's experienced hand lightly repositions hers, adjusting her hold on the rifle.

In the basement of their homely little house, mats are strewn all over the floor while Echo teaches her close-quarter combat, humming in appreciation at how fast she learns.

On the fields, peals of laughter fall from her lips as Hunter chases her around, a broad smile on his own face and when he finally catches her, he brings her back to the little picnic blanket they'd spread out, and it's there that they watch the last of the sun's rays dip behind the mountains.

She's left gasping for air, breaths shallow and uneven, and she has to fight to get oxygen into her lungs. Tears burn at the edges of her vision and in a last-ditch effort to stifle her sobs, she bites on her lower lip as hard as she can to the point where she can taste the sour tang of copper on her tongue, but they spill onto her cheeks anyways. Her knees are on the verge of collapse, and she could try with all her might to stop the storm raging within her, but her efforts are futile. All of it.

They're gone.

Her brothers are mere memories now, ghosts of an era that had long since faded.

And there's nothing she can do.

And the sinking of her stomach feels like being gutted by a vibroknife a thousand times over; she'll never again listen to Tech ramble passionately about computers, never again banter with Crosshair, never again go out with Wrecker for a post-mission Mantell mix run, never again get to feel the warmth of Hunter's arms wrapping around her in the tightest hug he could muster.

Never again,

Never again,

NEVER! AGAIN!

It's the way she used to think her brothers were invincible that makes the bruised heart in her chest shatter.

The broken goggles and the graves are proof enough that nobody, not even the strongest and most resilient of soldiers, can outrun fate.

Where thoughts and happy memories used to reside, only a gaping void remains. How can her library of candles still shine bright when the source has gone cold? Ice has been steadily creeping into every inch of her body and it won't be long before she's numb to the core. The dark fog that had slowly been thickening during her last remaining brother's final days has enveloped her completely now, and as he'd breathed his last, the storm began its path of destruction, plunging her into a sea of heartbreak she never in her wildest dreams had imagined could be that vast.

She was never meant to hold so much grief, but here she is. And above all, it hurts that nobody's there to hold her anymore when she breaks.

Before, she'd had her brothers. Now, she's truly, indefinitely, alone.

Omega screams.

***

this author got emotionally attacked by her tiktok feed again so this is what she resorts to.

i feel like this was a rly depressing tribute. are tributes supposed to be depressing? aren't they supposed to be happy??? 😭😭😭 idk but i'm actually quite proud of this. !and! i might write a happier one sometime down the line! bc forever peace and serenity is what the batch deserves.

stay tuned!

as always, votes and comments are super appreciated; they make my day! feel free to leave requests if ya want :)

love,
jazzy